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LG's new V20 wants to take on the iPhone 7 Plus and Google Pixel XL.

It's one of the first phones that'll launch with Android 7.0 Nougat in Australia, it inherits the funky dual camera setup from the G5, and it has a sizeable  and removable  battery. Here's how much you'll pay for LG's latest and greatest Android phone, and when you'll be able to pick one up in Australia.

The LG V20 has the same dual camera setup as the G5.

The LG V20 is a successor of sorts to the G5. It doesn't have that phone's replaceable modules, but it does have the same dual rear camera setup with a 16-megapixel wide-angle f/1.9 lens and sensor alongside a 8-megapixel f/2.4 super-wide-angle.

It's a similar approach to what Apple has done with the iPhone 7 Plus, but both cameras have a wider field of view than the relatively telephoto Portrait mode of the iPhone.
The developers who illegally demolished Carlton's Corkman Irish Pub doubled the value of their site overnight, property experts say.

The property where the pub once stood is now valued at between $8 million and $10 million, according to an analysis of nearby sales completed by property agents Savills Australia, after a request by Fairfax Media.

The demolished pub was built 159 years ago and stood at the corner of Leicester and Pelham streets.

Developers Stefce Kutlesovski and Raman Shaqiri paid $4.76 million for the pub last August. It was torn down by Shaq Demolition and Excavation, which is half owned by Mr Shaqiri, on October 15.
Oh spring, where have you been?

Melburnians still trapped in the dome of eternal winter will have to wait a little longer for spring to smash through and offer some genuine warmth.

According to the weather bureau - despite some drier conditions later this week - the city's malfunctioning spring of 2016 is not over.

"Temperatures this week are expected to go up," said Bureau of Meteorology senior forecaster Richard Carlyon. But not by much and not for long.
The removal of 229 trees, scheduled to be felled to make way for a new school in Beaumaris, has been put on hold following a large protest on Monday morning.

More than 200 placard-waving protesters gathered at the school, in Melbourne's south-east, to stop the planned removal of the trees.

The state government has committed $20 million to build a co-educational high school on the site of Sandringham College's Beaumaris campus, which closed last year.

The new school, to be called called Beaumaris Secondary College, is due to open in 2018.
Mystery surrounds the death of a woman who died after falling from the balcony of a Collingwood apartment building on Saturday.

As police prepare a report for the coroner, the family of New Zealander Chantelle Klasema is desperately searching for answers.

Ms Klasema loved to travel.

Ms Klasema, 29, and a 35-year-old man are believed to have fallen about 10 metres from the third-floor balcony of an apartment in Smith Street on Saturday morning.

The pair was found in an enclosed courtyard below.
By Linda Qiu and Lauren Carroll

Donald Trump campaign manager Kellyanne Conway on Sunday scolded chest beaters for criticizing the Republican nominees (false) claims of voter fraud while ignoring worrying donations to Hillary Clintons foundation.

We respect the principles of American democracy, Conway said on Meet the Press. But if were so concerned about the principles of American democracy, as so many chest beaters were this week, ask Hillary Clinton why she takes tens of millions of dollars from countries that hate women, that disrespect women, that throw gays off of buildings?

We found Conway is confusing a few points. Her statement rates Mostly False.

First, Clinton herself hasnt taken donations from foreign countries, which is illegal for political candidates. The Clinton Foundation, however, has taken donations from countries that have poor records when it comes to their treatment of women and the LGBT community (Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, and Oman).

Altogether, the foundation has received between $18 million and $50 million from these countries, which are allies of the United States. The donations supported the foundations charitable efforts.

Second, Conways use of the present tense implies the Clinton Foundation continues to accept these donations, while the latest gifts came in 2014. The foundation has agreed to cease accepting foreign donations should Clinton win the presidency.

And third, while many of these countries have laws that most would agree are not friendly to women or members of the LGBT community, they are not throwing gays off of buildings. Thats something done by ISIS.

Adult Saudi women must obtain permission from a male guardian to travel, marry, or exit prison, and may be required to provide consent to work or obtain access to health care, according to Human Rights Watch. They are also not allowed to drive or seek divorce.

Women in the UAE also have to seek permission from a male guardian to marry and, once married, the law mandates obedience to the husband. The country does not specifically prohibit domestic violence and allows for punishment with certain conditions.

In Qatar, the same provisions for marriage and obedience prevail, while marital rape and domestic violence are not criminalized.

Kuwait does not prohibit domestic violence, sexual harassment, or marital rape.

We asked the Trump campaign if Conway misspoke when she conflated ISISs actions with those countries that have donated to the Clinton Foundation. We did not hear back.

Tim Kaine on the WikiLeaks emails

Clinton and her campaign have sought to cast doubt on the authenticity of thousands of emails leaked by WikiLeaks showing the inner workings of Clintons campaign.

Its not just that they came from Russian hackers in an attempt to meddle in the U.S. election.

But also that they might be doctored.

Vice presidential nominee Tim Kaine raised that possibility Sunday in an interview with Chuck Todd on Meet the Press. Before posing a question about the email leak to Kaine, Todd said, I know you have a blanket statement here: You dont want to respond because you dont believe that they have been confirmed.

Well, you know, Chuck, again these are connected to a Russian government propaganda effort to destabilize the election, Kaine responded.

Kaine later added: The one [email] that has referred to me was flat-out completely incorrect. So I dont know whether it was doctored or whether the person sending it didnt know what they were talking about. Clearly, I think theres a capacity for much of the information in them to be wrong.

Is there?

We cant answer that question definitively, so we cant fact-check Kaines claim. Kaines answer can be seen as cover to distract from any controversial stories that may arise from the emails taken from campaign chairman John Podestas account.

But it also might be possibly correct in some cases, experts told us. The notion that a large percentage of the information is altered, however, is less likely.

Cybersecurity experts told us that there is precedent to support Kaines claim. While most of the emails are probably unaltered, they told PunditFact, there is a chance that at least a few have been tampered with in some way.

Ive looked at a lot of document dumps provided by hacker groups over the years, and in almost every case you can find a few altered or entirely falsified documents, said Jeffrey Carr, CEO of cybersecurity firm Taia Global. But only a few. The vast majority were genuine. I believe thats the case with the Podesta emails, as well.

I would be shocked if the emails werent altered, said Jamie Winterton, director of strategy for Arizona State Universitys Global Security Initiative, citing Russias long history of spreading disinformation.

Experts pointed to the Democratic National Committee email hack that happened earlier this year. Metadata from the stolen and leaked documents showed the hackers had edited documents. For example, hackers were kicked out of the DNC network June 11, yet among their documents is a file that was created on June 15, found Thomas Rid, a war studies professor at Kings College London.

A few weeks later, Guccifer 2.0, the hacker believed to have Russian ties, released documents supposedly stolen from the Clinton Foundation. But security analysts reviewed the documents and found that they actually came from the DNC hacks, not the foundation. And some of the information was likely fabricated, like a folder conspicuously titled Pay to Play.

The Clinton campaign, however, has yet to produce any evidence that any specific emails in the latest leak were fraudulent. We asked the campaign, and it directed us to various news reports about the DNC hack, government concerns that Russia might fake evidence of voter fraud, and fake news sites spreading false information about the WikiLeaks emails.

Read the full stories at PunditFact.com.
Private-prison guards maced Kyle Tiffee as he bled to death after being repeatedly stabbed in a gang battle last year.

According to a lawsuit filed by Tiffees family, every element of the chaotic fightright down to the light fixtures made into shankscan be blamed on Corrections Corporation of America.

CCA is a multi-billion-dollar company and the largest operator of privately run prisons in the United States, running nearly 70 facilities including Cimarron Correctional Facility in Cushing, Oklahoma, where Tiffee and three other men died on Sept. 12, 2015. The fight, which lasted all of two minutes, claimed four lives and was the deadliest incident in the history of the Oklahoma Department of Corrections.

The deadly fight was highly predictable, according to the lawsuit, and could have been prevented if not for minimal staff behavior and corruption, that left gangs to run the place.

CCA did not respond to a request for comment.

Tiffee was a member of the Irish Mob, whose members gathered on upper- and lower-level runs of the Charlie North housing unit, as did members of the United Aryan Brotherhood. The flocking was a sure sign that a fight was imminent, yet a guard stood by as nothing more than a spectator, to the fight.

The lawsuit names Terrance Lockett as the guard who stood idly by, but Lockette disagrees with the description.

I really didnt see anything. It all happened so fast,  Lockett told The Daily Beast in a brief interview before deciding otherwise about the conversation. Theyve named me in that lawsuit so Im not going to say anything that hurts me.

Lockett, when he did decide to warn his superiors that the gangs were gathering in a menacing manner, was told to call back when (the fight) happens.

Eventually Lockett and a nurse entered the fray to attend to a badly wounded inmate. Not long after that, the riot squad arrived and maced Tiffeestabbed likely by the rival Aryanswhile trying to break up the brief and bloody battle.

Tiffee and another member of the Irish Mob lay dead or dying; two members of the United Aryan Brotherhood were also suffering from mortal wounds.

The murders may have been captured on security footage inside Charlie North, but that footage remains in the hands of CCA.

The Department of Corrections claims the video is exempt from the Oklahoma Open Records Act, as a law enforcement record, attorney Spencer Bryan told The Daily Beast. But theres just one problem: CCA is not registered with the Oklahoma Council on Law Enforcement Education and Training, and therefore is not technically a law enforcement agency.

Oklahomas attorney general and Corrections Department did not respond to a request for comment.

The two gangs were armed with weapons fashioned from light fixtures inside the prison. CCA knew inmates were using the fixtures to make weapons, according to the lawsuit, but didnt remove the fixtures for financial reasons. Even after the deadly battle, CCA left the fixtures in place.

Cimarron has been a problem for CCA for at least the past two years. Lockett and another guard have been indicted for smuggling phones and drugs into the facility, according to Payne County court records. In the lawsuit, Bryan claims the pairs actions represent a culture of lawlessness that provides an atmosphere ripe for violent conflict.

As more staff are corrupted, more contraband is introduced, and more inmates are monetized into the trafficking operation, the lawsuit states. As this cycle perpetuates, so too does the risk of violence in the (prison) drug trade.

Bryan alleges that efforts to curtail staff smuggling into the facility were non-existent prior to the deadly brawl. Indeed, in the months following the incident, Lockett and another guard, Megan Hood, were charged for attempting to smuggle contraband into the facility.

In November 2015, Hood was pulled aside after she repeatedly triggered a metal detector at Cimarron. In a report written by a Cushing police officer, Hoods fellow guards said she was constantly tripping metal detectors at the prison, and was finally taken in for questioning that day. She eventually admitted to having two cell phones wrapped in electrical tape inside a body orifice.

She told police an inmate had promised her $2,000 in exchange for the phones, which she planned to use to get away from her abusive husband, according to the police report.

Three months later, in February, Lockett was pulled aside after a guard performing pat-downs of employees entering Cimarron found two bulges in Locketts crotch. After denying he had anything concealed in his pants, a Cushing police officer convinced Lockett to give up the goods. Lockett pulled out two bags of marijuana wrapped in electrical tape, according to police, then told an interesting story.

The night before Lockett had been on his way home from Cimarron when a car in front of him abruptly stopped. Four men got out and approached Lockett, handing over the bags of marijuana and threatening to kill him if he didnt drop them off in Charlie North. But Lockett had no such excuse for the half pound of meth police found in his car that day after he gave them consent to search.

Both Hood and Lockett have been charged with possession of a controlled substance and intent to bring contraband into a penal institution, and their cases remain open.

Also still open are several federal lawsuits going back to 2014 levied on CCA because of alleged mistreatment of prisoners at Cimarron. They include one in which a prisoner had to have a testicle removed after staff at the prison allegedly ignored his complaints of pain for months. Another inmate said he came to the prison with swollen hands only to be ignored by medical staff. Eventually doctors found two broken fingers that had to be rebroken to heal the inmate.

One prisoner was eventually diagnosed with fractures in his neck when he slipped in a shower that was supposed to be closed at Cimarron, but weeks went by before he was finally taken to the hospital. Another man alleged he was denied chemotherapy after having a cancerous growth removed from his throat.

But proper medical care need not exist for a company like CCA to thrive, which is part of the reason that the Justice Department announced in August it would phase out the use of private companies to run federal prisons. That does nothing for the inmates at Cimarron though, because it is a state prison.

In fact, CCAs stock just went up thanks to the renewal of a contract with Immigrations and Customs Enforcement. The company will continue to run an ICE detention facility in Texas, it announced this week. (The Justice Departments decree does not affect facilities run by ICE because it is not a part of the Bureau of Prisons.)

The lawsuit filed on behalf of Tiffees family notes CCAs voluminous income, which the company says provides Oklahomans with the highest standards of quality. Taxpayers in the state paid the company nearly $2.3 million a month in 2015 to CCA to run prisons there, and they have what Bryan says is the deadliest incident in the states prison history to show for it.

Tiffees father, Steve, a retired member of law enforcement, remembered his son not as a brutally murdered gang member, but a boy who would look out for the smaller kids and kids with disabilities to protect them.

Kyle spoke with his father often about God, about his plans to get involved in church when he was released from Cimarron to stay out of trouble.

Its hard to explain your feelings unless you have lost a child, Steve said. Its been a year and each day is a struggle for me. Some days every time I think of him I start crying.
One year ago today, Katy Perry, dressed in an American flag cape and a white strapless dress with a blue and red H festooned over her heart, swished onto an Iowa stage. Make some noise if youre for Hillary! she stage-shouted into her mic before launching into a rendition of Roar.

It was her first campaign appearance for Hillary Clinton, and itd be far from her last. By the following summer, Perry would be onstage with Clinton again, this time in a much higher-profile role: the opening act for the former Secretary of States nomination acceptance speech at the Democratic National Convention. If the polls hold between now and election day, its a safe bet that when Clinton is sworn into office in January, Perry wont be far away. And when that day happens, it will be the culmination of one of the most genius pop star feud jiu jitsu moves of all time.

Anyone who follows pop culture (or has glanced in boredom over the pink cover lines of a tabloid newsstand over the last year and a half) knows that Katy Perry and Taylor Swift dont get along. While theres dispute over what, exactly, went down between the two (John Mayer? Some tour dancer drama? Something else?), 2015 was the year it all came to a head. In the months after the release of her monster album 1989, Swifts Instagram account aggressively catalogued a parade of birthday parties with her celebrity besties. Each photo, in effect, served to mark the non-Taylor Swift celebrity pictured as part of The Squad, a social force that pulsated and writhed with the mysterious power of the alpha girl.

That May, Taylor Swift released her video for Bad Blood, featuring a portion of that Squad aggressively green-screened into an intimidating girl gang. The song was rumored to be about Katy Perry. That August, Swift brought half of the cast of Bad Blood to the MTV Video Music Awards. Katy Perry didnt even attend them. It was the pop star equivalent of inviting every girl in school to a slumber party except for one girl she was intent on putting down. It was a mean girl tour de force. How could Perry possibly counterpunch?

By getting political, thats how. Taylor Swift has been adamantly apolitical for the majority of her career. In 2012, when Katy Perry was doing a little bit of light campaign lifting for President Obamas reelection bid, Swift told Time that she didnt feel like she was in any position to tell young people who to vote for (although she eventually admitted that she was supporting Obama). Persistent but unsubstantiated rumors swirl that when Swift had a MySpace page back in social medias stone age, she wrote Republicans do it better. But, apart from that peep in 2012, in every subsequent election cycle, shes been silent.

And so, while it was a gamble at the time, Katy Perry jumping aboard Hillary Clintons bandwagon just months after Taylor Swift concluded her Bad Blood Squad tour could, whether intentional or not, prove to be a checkmate in the greatest white girl pop star feud of this generation. No matter what Swift did next, it would put her in the loser column. She couldnt endorse Hillary Clinton shortly after Katy Perry without becoming the pop star with the second-highest seniority in the Clinton camp. She couldnt endorse another candidate on the liberal side of things without risking being a loser after the dust settled on the primary contests. And she sure couldnt endorse one of the 17 people running for the Republican nomination without alienating a large number of young people and women. So, the best somebody in her position could do would be to sit and wait in hope that Clinton lost in the primaries, thus preventing her rival from occupying a cozy space next to the first female major party nominee orgasppresident.

From there, things got worse for Taylor Swifts apolitical dreams. As Donald Trump closed in on the GOP nomination, some of his white supremacist fans held Swift up as an Aryan goddess in online forums, because she looks the part. Swift hasnt ever said anything of a white supremacist persuasion nor has she disavowed their adoration, sticking to her apolitical agenda.

So strong is her desire to stay out of the political fray that Swift hasnt yet publicly spoken out against Trump, even after video of the GOP presidential nominee bragging about grabbing women by the pussy surfaced. As Fusion has pointed out in an article urging Swift to speak up, Swift once filed suit against a radio DJ who allegedly groped her at a meet and greet.

With only 15 days to go before Election Day, its too late for Swift to endorse either candidate now. She could back Clinton and be the last celebrity aboard the bandwagon, or back future-possible-loser Trump and essentially light her public image on fire. Or, she can post a nostalgic instagram about how this day is the ten year anniversary of the release of her first album.

It's possible that Swift and Perry have buried the hatchet while nobody was looking. Last night, Perry, Swift, and the two's shared ex boyfriend John Mayer attended Drake's party in Los Angeles, and nobody's passive-aggressively posted anything about it on social media yet. But perhaps action speaks louder than shade. On this, the one year anniversary of Katy Perry's first official activity with the Hillary Clinton campaign (which just so happens to be the same anniversary as the anniversary of the release of Taylor Swift's first album), Katy Perry and Miley Cyrus, who famously refused to join Taylor Swifts so-very-2015 squad, are making news for teaming up to canvass college dorms for Hillary Clinton.

All Swift can do now is sit back and wait for election returns to roll in. From there, she can watch Katy Perry, early-adopting pop star ally of the probably first female president in American history, perform at the historic inaugural ball. She can read womens magazine puff pieces about Perry and Madame Presidents blossoming friendship, which started as a political alliance but became real. She can pose for star-spangled Instagram shoots until shes red, white, and blue in the face. But she wont be With Her.
Erbil, Iraq  Monaly Najeeb and the other young women were hiding under their beds when they heard the ISIS fighters enter their house. Machine gun fire had woken them up around 4 a.m. that morning, and they had spent hours huddling in fear, trying to keep quiet and silently praying that the militants wouldnt enter their house as firefights continued right outside their door.

Now, as the men entered the kitchen that shared a wall with the room where she hid, all Monaly could do was hope that her cell phone wouldnt make noise. The fighters were rummaging through the kitchen, eating, she thought, based on the noises. Soon, though, the militants left the kitchen and entered the room where Monaly and six other young women were hiding. An ISIS fighter than sat down, directly on top of the bed she hid underneath.

On Friday, ISIS militants launched a daring raid in the city of Kirkuk, located 90 miles from Mosul where coalition and Iraqi forces had just this week launched the biggest operation yet in the fight against ISIS. As ISIS began losing wide swathes of territory, they deployed a familiar tactic: focusing their attention on a more vulnerable area far from the main battles. Kirkuk, a bit far from Mosul but close enough to a smaller ISIS stronghold in the nearby city of Hawija, had been a target before for spectacular attacks.

ISIS fighters fanned out at different points across the city. Estimates put the number involved between 70 and 100, although Kirkuk governor Dr. Najmaldin Karim told local media that as of Sunday, 74 bodies of ISIS militants had been recovered.

Accounts differ of how the ISIS troops managed to sneak into the city. Some reports have pointed to sleeper cells, others tunnels, and yet others have claimed that they snuck in amongst internally displaced people seeking refuge. However they got in, they would unleash three days of violence on the people of Kirkuk, killing dozens, spreading out across the city, with one faction making their way to a series of university dorms sponsored by the Chaldean Church and provided for Christian students.

It wasnt the first time Rand Leith, a 21-year-old studying medicine at the university, had gotten a little too close to ISIS. Originally from the Christian town of Qaraqosh, she had to flee when ISIS captured the town in August, 2014. (It was liberated over the weekend.) Last year, another ISIS raid happened near her. This time, she was in a house with 11 other female Christian students, one of three houses that ISIS fighters had taken up positions near.

When the gunfire started, it was still dark, and the girls huddled together, unsure of what was going on. As the sun rose, the sounds of clashes continued. Thats when Rand heard people walking near the house. She looked out the window, and saw a man in military fatigues jumping over a wall.

At first, she thought it was the military or police. She was about to call out for help, but something stopped here. God closed my mouth, because right at that moment we realized it was ISIS, she says.

They saw one fighter, and heard him talking to another. They heard them saying, Allahu Akhbar, or God is Great.

At 9 a.m., they got a call from the church housing coordinator, who told them to go upstairs and hide. At one point, the young women all grabbed kitchen knives and cleaning spray, anything they could use to defend themselves if the fighters came in.

Safe now after being freed only hours earlier, Rand smiles often, and said she was still in shock. She fidgets with her hair, pulled tight in a long braid, sitting on a sofa in the living room of her aunts home in Erbil, the capital of Iraqi Kurdistan. Pausing periodically to wipe her glasses, she says that her parents had left Iraq for France, and had tried to get her to leave with them, but she refused to leave because she wanted to finish her studies. At one point, during a lull in the fighting, she called her family to tell the she was safe, and not to worry.

At sunset, she said, the fighting intensified. The students could smell the gunpowder and smoke, and it was making some of them nauseous. The guns were so loud and so close, it felt like they were in the room, Rand tells The Daily Beast.

The coordinator then called, letting them know that military forces were on their way. Two ISIS fighters had holed up in an unfinished building adjacent to their yard. It would be morning until it was safe enough for the Iraqi army to come rescue them.

Monaly, in another house nearby with six female students, would have a much closer experience with ISIS. She discusses the events of the past few days calmly, sitting in her mothers living room in Erbil, her two sisters nearby. Earlier that day, ISIS fighters had been closer to her than her family members were now.

As her mother serves pastries and coffee, a nearby television tuned to the Assyrian channel broadcast emotional video from that morning of Monaly and her fellow survivors post-rescue, arriving in vans to reunite with family members and friends, many in tears.

A recent graduate of the university who now served as a supervisor of sorts, she gathered the other six students when the gunfire started. We went to a corridor where there were no windows and we sat there until the morning, but we didnt feel entirely safe because we were right near the door, she says, and so they eventually went and hid in a room under the stairs.

The sound of nearby clashes echoed throughout the day. Every once in a while, they cracked the door to circulate air. Someone had given Monalys phone number to police forces, and she communicated with them. At one point, they were told there might be a potential airstrike nearby, so they hid under beds in a reception area that had been converted into a bedroom and wrapped themselves in blankets to protect themselves from shattered glass and debris.

Hiding under the beds, they heard people entering the house. They heard them go into the kitchen nearby. Then they heard them enter their room. And then they sat on the bed, one of the militants sitting on the bed directly above Monaly.

Monaly has no explanation for why her and the girls werent seen. She said part of her thinks that maybe the fighters just didnt want to deal with the young women as the battle raged.

It was a miracle they didnt see us, she says. She doesnt remember much, just that she kept hoping the cell phones wouldnt make a sound. She does remember, though, that after a while, they heard what she thinks is a commander telling the men they should leave the house.

When we heard him say this, we finally had some hope, she says.

A number of fighters soon left, but an injured fighter stayed behind and went into the bathroom, where Monaly heard the water running. Monaly was still in communication with the police, who told the girls it was too unsafe for them to come in because of IEDs. She was told that the only way out was through the back door, and that each girl should leave the house one by one.

Monaly volunteered to be the first one out. I was ready. Someone needed to go first, she said. I wasnt thinking. I just went.

She ran out the back door to a high wall, where a police officer helped her over, and the six other young women soon followed. I felt like I was born again when the soldier picked me up, she says.

Shortly after they escaped, the ISIS member in the bathroom detonated a suicide bomb.

Kirkuks governor, Najmaldin Karim, has since told local media that ISIS intended to take Assyrian students hostage. Monaly was lucky.

Asked how she thinks they were able to escape, Monalys mother, Layla Aziz, answers: It was like a miracle, Gods hand helped them.

And how did she feel about her daughters brush with death?

Layla Aziz smiles widely and simply answers: You dont understand.
Jared Fogles ex-wife claims Subway knew of the former spokesmans sexual interest in children as early as 2004 but failed to report their cash cow to police.

In a lawsuit filed Monday, Katie McLaughlin says the sandwich chain even kept Fogles pedophilia allegations secret from her, because executives believed their marriage would keep Fogle grounded.

Despite receiving tips that Fogle solicited children, Subway sent their pudgy promoter into elementary schools as part of Tour de Pants and other nationwide events in 2004 and 2008, court papers allege.

The safety of kids was not a priority but Subways bottom line was, the lawsuit says. To drive sales, Subway ignored its corporate responsibility and provided a platform for him to prey on children by sending him to elementary schools all over the country.

The litigation comes days after one of Fogles victimsan Indiana girl who was secretly filmed at the residence of his best friend and childrens nonprofit director, Russell Taylordropped a lawsuit against Fogle without a settlement.

At a press conference Monday, McLaughlin held back tears as she told reporters she filed the suit to get answers from Subway.

Finding out that your husband and the father of your children is a child predator and knowing that his job involved him visiting schools on a regular basis is devastating, McLaughlin said.

Finding out that Subway did not act upon at least one complaint while continuing to utilize Jared as their spokesperson and facilitate his visits to those hundreds of schools is beyond comprehension, she added.

I filed this lawsuit today because I have questions, questions that someday my children will ask me, and that I imagine the families of the 14 victims are asking, McLaughlin continued. Questions like: What did Subway know? When did they know it?

McLaughlins attorney, Mike Antrim, said private efforts to obtain information from Subway were unsuccessful.

Fogle was sentenced to 15 years behind bars for possession and distribution of child porn and commercial sex with a minor in November 2015. One month later, Taylor received a 27-year sentence for filming children as young as 9 using hidden clock cameras throughout his home and sharing the footage with Fogle.

McLaughlins lawsuitwhich lists her two children as plaintiffsaccuses Subway of negligence, invasion of privacy through misappropriation of likeness, and intentional infliction of emotional distress, among other alleged violations.

Fogle shot to stardom in 2000, after he lost 225 pounds eating only Subway sandwiches as a student at Indiana University.

The lawsuit says that Fogle helped Subway grow from a midsize shop to a worldwide chain, and that in 2013, the companys chief marketing officer declared one-third to one-half of Subways growth was directly attributable to Fogle.

In January 2015, months before Fogle was arrested for child porn and sex with minors, Subway signed him to a two-year extension of his previous five-year contract.

The restaurant chain continued to work with Fogle, despite receiving reports of his activity with children for years, court papers allege.

According to the lawsuit, Subway received complaints about Fogle at least three times. On two of those occasions, the company responded by deploying PR employees to ask Fogle about the allegationsinstead of calling police.

In the third case, Subway admitted the complaint was not properly escalated or acted upon, the suit alleges.

Subways senior vice president of marketing allegedly received a complaint in 2004 of Fogle soliciting a young girl at a Las Vegas promotional event. In response, the chain sent a PR manager to ask Fogle and the franchise owner about the incident. The victim was not contacted, the lawsuit claims.

In 2008, a Florida Subway franchisee warned Subways then-CEO Jeff Moody about Fogles disturbing comments about children, court papers state. That franchisee, Cindy Mills, claimed Fogle told her he really liked them young.

Fogle allegedly told Mills that he had sex with children ages 9 to 16 and that she should consider prostituting herself.

Still, Moody interrupted Mills and told her to keep quiet, court papers allege.

Please dont tell me any more, Moody allegedly told Mills, before assuring, Dont worry, he has met someone. She is a teacher and he seems to love her very much, and we think she will keep him grounded.

That teacher, according to the lawsuit, was McLaughlin.

McLaughlin claims Subway never informed her about Millss report or about Moodys comments about keeping Fogle grounded.

Having neither expert knowledge of pedophiles predatory compulsions nor seeking guidance from experts, Subway made a terribly misguided assumption that Jareds marrying Katie would correct Jareds pedophilia behavior, court papers state.

McLaughlin married Fogle in 2010 and only learned of Millss story after the FBI raided the Fogle residence in July 2015, the complaint says.

Meanwhile, Moody allegedly went as far as telling Mills he received similar complaints about Fogle in the past.

Undeterred, Mills later told two other Subway executives about Fogles pedophilia at a NASCAR event. She approached the higher-ups because she feared seeing Fogle at the race, the complaint claims.

Again, Subway allegedly sent its senior public relations manager to ask Fogle about the accusations, which he denied. No further action was taken, court papers allege.

Subway was allegedly tipped off to Fogles pervy behavior once more in 2011, when Rochelle Herman-Walrond complained through Subways website that she had serious concerns about Fogle being around children.

Herman-Walrond, a Florida journalist who worked with the FBI to record conversations with Fogle, claimed he told her of his desire to have sex with children and asked for her help in getting him access to kids.

Subway admitted that complaint was not properly escalated or acted upon, according to McLaughlins suit.

Despite warnings about Fogle, Subway launched Jareds School Tour, as a childhood obesity initiative in 2004. In 2008, Fogle traveled to elementary schools nationwide as part of the Tour de Pants, where he showed off jeans he wore at 425 pounds.

The marketing and public relations staff who oversaw such events were the same executives sent to ask Fogle about his sexual interest in kids, court papers allege.

McLaughlin also claims Subway used her and her children as a marketing tool in February 2015, when they showed Fogles transformation from Jared the Subway Guy to Jared the Family Man.

In March 2015, Subway began airing Jareds Journey, a national TV ad with Fogle sharing the story of his 225-pound shed. The chain, however, did not obtain McLaughlins consent to depict her likeness in the commercial, she claims.

McLaughlin claims Fogle was so important as Subways mascot that the sandwich chain exploited his family despite the pedophilia allegations.

Her divorce from the disgraced sandwich spokesman was finalized days before his prison sentence. She received $7 million and sole custody of their two young children, the Indianapolis Star reported.
The execution last week of a Saudi prince who shot another man dead in a street brawl caused some surprise across the Western world.

The dramatic punishmentcarried out on the direct orders of King Salmanchallenged a lazy assumption sometimes made that Saudi Arabia is a corrupt country where the rich, well-connected and the powerful get to do whatever they like.

But the beheading execution of Prince Turki bin Saud al-Kabir has shown that Saudi Arabias brand of Sharia justice applies to the wealthy and titled, too.

According to reports, the prince admitted to shooting Adel al-Mohaimeed in 2012.

Although there are conservatively estimated to be some 6,000 members of the extended Saudi royal family, it is definitively not the case that Prince Turki was a particularly minor or expendable royal.

Indeed, as the princes name made clear, he was a direct descendant of the legendary Saud Al-Kabeer (which means Saud the Great or Saud the Elder).

Saudi expert Robert Lacey, author of the erudite history of the country, The Kingdom, tells The Daily Beast that while the family group is not in the direct Abdul Aziz line of succession, it is very highly respected across the country.

Saud Al-Kabeer was married to Abdul Azizs favorite sister, Nura, considered a closer confidante to the king than anyone else in the family. The massive womens university that you pass today when entering Riyadh from the airport is named in her honor, says Lacey, adding, Saud Al-Kabeer became a prominent figure in the majlis of inner advisers surrounding Abdul Aziz (who reigned until 1953).

Saud was known for his speaking his mind, even in direct disagreement with the king, and was the more respected for it.

While no member of the royal family has been put to death since 1975, Lacey says it is certainly not unusual for King Salman to discipline errant members of his family firmly. As governor of Riyadh for many yearsSalman is really the architect of modern Riyadhhe had a prison in his palace to which he regularly consigned princes who misbehaved.

As king, he has evidently used this latest episode to convey the message that no one in Saudi Arabia should consider themselves above the law.

The execution has certainly played well domestically, with a hashtag broadly equating to, decisive Salman orders retribution for a prince, trending in Saudi Arabia, which has executed 134 people so far this year, according to the organization Human Rights Watch.

The king has been praised domestically for his integrity. The execution has, sources say, been accepted by the entire extended royal family without dissent.

According to a report in The Washington Post, Mohammed al-Masloukhi, the imam of Al Safa mosque, said the execution was carried out in the presence of the victims father, who watched with a fixed expression on his face.

The imam, describing the princes heartbreaking last moments with family members who visited him one last time in prison, said the convicted prince recited Koranic verses before his execution.

There have been suggestions in some quarters that Saudi Arabias rulers have used the execution of the prince to shore up their popularity, and these are certainly tough times in the kingdom, which launched an oil price war by refusing to cut oil production in the face of a global slump in demand in 2014.

The hope was that this would lead energy prices to fall to a point where American frackers would be put out of business. Energy prices did fall, massively, but the strategy was a failure; the frackers simply became more efficientand Saudi Arabias main revenue stream shrank dramatically as the oil price collapsed.

Lacey says he is not at all surprised by the execution, which is consistent with Salmans principles and character, but rejects as bogus allegations that the prince was sacrificed in a cynical attempt to improve the image of the monarchy.

Some people refuse to give any credit to the Gulf monarchies, he says. Its worth remembering that Saudi Arabia has never executed a single secular human-rights protester or campaignerunlike Iran, which strings them up on cranes by the dozen.

Indeed, it has emerged that the execution was in fact entirely in line with Sharia justice for murder.

Mohammed Khalid Alyahya, non-resident fellow at the Atlantic Council, told Newsweek that Kabir was held to the same legal standards as others, saying, Its very clear, if the family [of the victim] agrees to give him clemency, then he is exempt from the execution; if they dont, then it goes through. There is no way around it.
Mark Essig was settling into his puddle-jumper flight from Charlotte to Asheville, N.C., on Monday when he noticed an unusual passenger boarding the plane.

It was a duck. Making his way down the aisle.

Wearing red shoes. And a Captain America diaper.

The duck's human introduced him to their fellow, now-amused passengers: This was Daniel Turducken Stinkerbutt, or Daniel for short. He is a 4 1/2-year-old Indian Runner duck and is her emotional support animal, she explained.

"I heard a few maybe semi-critical mutterings, like, 'Now I've seen everything,' " Essig told The Washington Post. "But most everybody was delighted to have a duck on a plane. As they should be."

Like many other passengers, Essig snapped a few photos while Daniel and his human were boarding. After takeoff, Essig tried to concentrate on light reading during the flight, but he kept inadvertently glancing toward the duck, just a row ahead and to the right of him.

When he saw the duck staring out the window, he couldn't resist taking one more picture.

After the flight, Essig posted his photos on Twitter.

"My seatmate, [from] CLT [to] AVL, is this handsome duck named Daniel," Essig tweeted first. "His gentle quacking eases the sadness of leaving #SFA16," the Southern Foodways Alliance conference in Mississippi.

"I was expecting that this might amuse a couple of my friends," he said. What he didn't anticipate was that the photos would go viral.

It turned out that a duck wearing shoes and a diaper on a plane was too much for the Internet to handle.

Essig posted two more photos and a video: one of Daniel in his full red-shoed, diapered glory, and another of the duck wagging his tail while his owner explains that it means that Daniel is happy. Both tweets were shared thousands of times.

The most popular one, however, was a picture of Daniel as the duck seemed to stare forlornly out the airplane window: "Daniel, the duck on my flight, likes to look at the clouds," Essig stated simply. That photo had more than 5,000 retweets and more than 11,000 likes.

"A duck head is a very recognizable shape, and the shape of an airline window is a very recognizable shape, too," Essig said. "So you've got two very recognizable shapes that don't normally go together . . . it caught people's eye."

The encounter amused Essig but also piqued his curiosity about ducks as support animals -- he happens to be the author of "Lesser Beasts," a book about humans' complicated relationship with pigs. After the flight, he looked up Daniel's breed and discovered that Indian Runner ducks do not fly.

"My guess was that he was gazing out the window, looking at the clouds, and the sight triggered a deep ancestral memory of what it was like to fly himself," Essig said, laughing. "I'm almost certain that's [what] he was thinking."

Within two days of Essig's tweets, Daniel had become an Internet sensation, getting featured on BuzzFeed, ABC News and Cosmopolitan, among many other sites.

The attention surprised Daniel's owner, Carla Fitzgerald of Wisconsin, "because to me, having an emotional support duck is normal - it's my new normal."

Fitzgerald adopted Daniel in 2012, when he was two days old, she told The Post in a phone interview Wednesday. Less than a year later, Fitzgerald, a former horse-and-carriage driver in Milwaukee, was involved in a serious accident.

"Someone who was paying more attention to the phone than the road hit me from behind, with enough force to bust up the carriage," she said. Her horse was badly injured, and the crash sent Fitzgerald hurtling toward a metal-grated drawbridge. For months, she was immobile.

"It took them four months to teach me how to walk again," Fitzgerald said. Along with the physical pain, she suffered post-traumatic stress disorder, something she describes as "hell."

After the accident, Daniel knew things were different - and responded without ever having been trained.

"He would notice something wrong, whether it be my pain or my PTSD," Fitzgerald said. "He would come and lay on me and [give me] lots of hugging and lots of kisses. And if he notices that I'm going to have a panic attack, he would give me a cue to lay down by trying to climb me."

At home, Fitzgerald says Daniel communicates with her in other ways: If he needs a new diaper, he walks to his changing table. If he wants food, he walks to the refrigerator or to his feed bowl. Outside of bedtime, he always wears shoes and a diaper, she said, because he is so used to carpet and linoleum.

He apparently enjoys movies, but only "super G-rated" ones. (Daniel responded well to "The Peanuts Movie" but got upset during a chase scene in "The Good Dinosaur," Fitzgerald said.)

"He doesn't identify with other ducks because he's imprinted on humans," Fitzgerald said. "As far as he's concerned, he thinks he's people with feathers."

Her living room is full of toddler toys that Daniel enjoys, particularly anything that has a button to push or makes a sound, such as keyboards and music boxes.

"And God forbid one of the batteries runs out," Fitzgerald said. "He stomps his feet, he raises his hackles, he huffs and he gives you stink-eye. And if you don't change those batteries right now, he gets snippy. He can also tell you when he needs a new diaper."

Since the accident, Daniel has accompanied Fitzgerald everywhere, mostly car rides. Monday had been Daniel's first time flying on a plane (or flying, period). She provided a note to the airline from her doctor, who has said it is in Fitzgerald's best interest to have Daniel around for support, but otherwise had a smooth trip. The crew on their first leg, before their connecting flight to Asheville, even insisted on posing for pictures with Daniel and presenting him with a "Certificate of First Flight."

The Transportation Department is debating new rules regarding accommodations for disabled people on airplanes, including reviewing rules for emotional-support animals, USA Today reported. The department began allowing emotional-support animals on planes, but the practice of bringing them on board has offended some passengers.

"Here's the thing. Who are we to say what is and what isn't an emotional support animal or what can and cannot be a pet?" Fitzgerald said. "Or what they can do for people who have PTSD like I do? Having it is hell."

For the time being, Fitzgerald does not have any other immediate travel plans but said that Daniel will no doubt accompany her on her next trip. She said she thinks that people responded positively to Daniel because he's unique - but also because he keeps to himself.

"He is obedient and he wears a diaper harness, " she said. " I make sure before he goes in public that he has a shower, so there's no smell to him. W hen he's in public, he behaves. He's not flapping and running around and chasing people."

However, Fitzgerald might be a little more prepared next time since, as her friends put it, "Daniel broke the Internet" after his first plane ride.

"I didn't know that a little Indian Runner duck who weighs six pounds could cause such an uproar," she said.
There's a race that hasn't gotten much attention this year and that is the one for the 17th Congressional District of Texas. Republican Bill Flores is running for a fourth term and is being challenged by William Matta, a veteran of the U.S. Air Force and a teacher at a Waco community college.

Flores, listed first on the ballot, was involved in the oil and gas industry before running for Congress. He has risen fast in the Republican hierarchy in the House, serving as chair of one of the two main GOP member organizations. After House Speaker John Boehner stepped down, Flores contemplated running for speaker. Instead, with the encouragement of Flores and other Republicans in the House, Paul Ryan ran and was elected.

Acknowledging that Congress hasn't accomplished much in the past two years, Flores says the House has passed numerous pieces of legislation which then die in the Senate.

Flores points with pride to a plan for A Better Way "a confident America," rolled out by Republicans in the House earlier this year. The plan is a guide for change in six broad areas: the Constitution, the economy, health care, national security, poverty and tax reform.

Flores says he is seeking re-election because he is "afraid his kids and grandkids won't have the same opportunities" he has had.

Like most other Republicans, Flores calls for repeal of Obamacare, but he says a replacement needs to be put in its place, one that calls for tort reform and removal of "barriers" between the patient and doctor. He said Congress needs to take a hard look at reforming Medicare and Medicaid, suggesting that Medicaid would do better as a block program to the states.

He calls for a stronger, more mobile military, adding that the procurement process must be addressed.

Matta served in the U.S. Air Force and the Air Force Reserve from 1975 to 2011, serving as a navigator on KC-135 aerial refueling aircraft. For the past 35 years he has been involved in higher education, the past 13 as chair of English, speech and foreign languages at McLennan Community College.

He said the government should offer free tuition, at least for the first two years. "Students shouldn't graduate with a huge debt," Matta said. Perhaps, he said, Congress should consider government service in exchange for a government-financed education.

Although Flores only reluctantly endorsed Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, Matta said Flores is tied to Trump.

Matta said he would be able to work across party lines to get things done.

He said, "Obamacare needs to be reworked somehow," adding that Congress may need to look at the possibility of the government creating single-payer health insurance.

Matta said the United States should institute a limited military draft, saying, "We've gone too far toward a profession al military." And, he said, the government must do more to keep the National Guard and military reserves from being called up for active duty.

Perhaps Flores needs to step up his efforts on behalf of his district, but it is clear that he has been a good representative.

Matta is earnest and does a good job parroting Democratic talking points, but he doesn't make the case that he should be elected to replace Flores.

The Eagle recommends a vote to re-elect Bill Flores to represent the 17th Congressional District in Washington.
There aren't many contested statewide races on the ballot Nov. 8, but those that are there are important to all Texans. Five races for the state's top courts and a race for the Railroad Commission are contested. All the races are for six-year terms.

Most Texans don't realize we have two top state courts: the Supreme Court of Texas, which handles civil and juvenile appeals, and the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, which, as its name says, deals only with criminal appeals, including death penalty cases.

Each of the two courts has nine members; the Supreme Court calls its members justices, while the Court of Criminal Appeals calls its members judges. For the most part, both courts decide which cases from the state's 14 intermediate courts of appeals they will take. Death penalty cases are appealed automatically from the trial court to the Court of Criminal Appeals, which also handles writs of habeas corpus from defendants seeking review of their convictions.

The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals is the busiest state appellate court in the nation and has a reputation of being pro prosecution.

Although the vast majority of Texans can't name any members of either top court and know almost nothing about candidates for the courts -- other than party affiliation -- they insist on the right to vote for their appellate judges. There has to be a better way, although we haven't determined what that is.

While the Railroad Commission did regulate railroads when it was created in 1891, it no longer has anything to do with them. Instead, the state's oldest regulatory agency deals with the oil and gas industry, gas utilities, pipeline safety, surface coal and uranium mining and safety in the liquefied petroleum gas industry. It is the nation's most powerful regulatory agency.

The Railroad Commission has a large staff overseen by three elected commissioners. The commission frequently is a stepping stone to higher office.

Republican Wayne Christian and Democrat Grady Yarbrough are vying to replace Commission Chairman David Porter, who decided not to seek re-election,

Today, The Eagle makes recommendations in all six races, listing candidates in ballot order.

Our recommendations are but one source of information voters should use when making their decisions. Other sources could include news stories, advertising, campaign literature and friends and co-workers.

Railroad Commission of Texas

Wayne Christian, Republican vs. Grady Yarbrough, Democrat -- Christian is a former state representative who defeated a crowded primary field to win his party's nomination. A retired teacher in San Antonio, Yarbrough won a two person race for his party's nomination in March.

After graduating from Stephen F. Austin State University, Christian sang country and gospel music with the Mercy River Boys, who were nominated for a Grammy Award in 1979. In 1987, he opened a financial services business that he continues to operate.

Serving in the Legislature from 1997 to 2013, Christian was vice chairman of the Regulated Industries Committee and served on the Energy Resource Committee. That experience makes him the more qualified candidate in this race.

Yarbrough is a delightful man who campaigns on what he sees as the dangers of fracking, a method of extracting oil that some people say causes earthquakes in places such as North Texas and Oklahoma. Yarbrough races important questions about the process, questions the industry would rather not address, saying fracking is safe.

Unfortunately for Yarbrough, the Railroad Commission deals with many other issues involving the oil and gas industry, setting regulations under which the industry operates.

Christian has the experience to be an effective Railroad Commission member.

The Eagle recommends a vote for Wayne Christian for the Railroad Commission of Texas.

Supreme Court of Texas

Place 3

Justice Debra Lehrmann, Republican vs. Mike Westergren, Democrat -- Gov. Rick Perry appointed Lehrmann to the Supreme Court in 2010 to replace Justice Harriet O'Neill. Later that year, Lehrmann ran for a full six-year term. Before joining the high court, Lehrmann was a judge in a Fort Worth district court that specializes in family matters. She has been active in State Bar of Texas committees and is a frequent speaker on legal issues.

On the Supreme Court, Lehrmann has a reputation as an independent thinker who doesn't vote in lockstep with other members of the court. She has written opinions on a wide range of subjects, including tax law, oil and gas law and corporate law. She frequently writes the most majority opinions in a court term and has been joined by her colleagues 90 percent of the time.

Westergren may be a familiar name, having served as the judge in the district court trial of Yolanda Saldivar, who was convicted of murdering Tejano star Selena, for which he was commended by the State Bar of Texas. He says the Supreme Court is "out of balance," saying it most often rules in favors of insurance companies, banks and other businesses. He said insurance companies no longer settle claims as they used to because they know the Supreme Court will rule in their favor. "That isn't healthy," he said, adding that he wants to provide "balance" to the court.

While Judge Westergren has an impressive background, he doesn't make the case he would be better than Justice Lehrmann.

The Eagle recommends a vote for Justice Debra Lehrmann for Place 3 on the Supreme Court of Texas.

Place 5

Justice Paul W. Green, Republican vs. Dori Contreras Garza, Democrat -- Green first was elected to the Supreme Court in 2004 and is seeking his third term. Before joining the court, Green served 10 years on the Fourth Court of Appeals in San Antonio.

In the National Review last spring, retired Austin attorney Mark Pulliam called Green a centrist-conservative who exudes "gravitas." Pulliam said, "By any estimation, he is highly qualified to serve another term on the Texas Supreme Court."

Garza brings 14 years experience as a justice on the 13th Court of Appeals in Corpus Christi. She also is a trained mediator. Like Westergren, Garza calls the Supreme Court "out of balance."

She said there should be "real debate" among the justices on issues before the court.

Garza is a marvelous candidate who would make a fine high court justice. Unfortunately for her, she doesn't make a strong enough case that she would be better than the incumbent.

The Eagle recommends a vote for Justice Paul W. Green for re-election to Place 5 on the Supreme Court of Texas.

Texas Court of Criminal Appeals

Place 2

Mary Lou Keel, Republican vs. Judge Lawrence "Larry" Meyers, Democrat -- This is a somewhat unusual race. Meyers has served 24 years on the Court of Criminal Appeals, most of that time as a Republican. But three years ago, he switched to the Democratic Party because, he said, because "the Republican Party was taken over by the tea party." Even though most of his experience has been in criminal law, two years ago Meyers ran a losing race as a Democrat for a seat on the Supreme Court of Texas, saying he didn't think any justice should run unopposed."

That said, Meyers is one of the too few judges on the court who aren't mostly a rubber stamp for the prosecution. Meyers is board certified in criminal law and criminal appellate law.

He said the court should be more deliberative. "It is a research hospital, not a MASH unit."

Keel has served as judge of the 232nd felony District Court in Houston since 1995. Prior to that, she served as an assistant Harris County district attorney, working in both the trial and appellate sections. She is board certified in criminal law.

Keel said Meyer's heart is not in the court any longer, saying, "I will bring a level of enthusiasm back."

She said the opinions issued by the Court of Criminal Appeals aren't always clear, saying she thinks she would do a better job.

Keel has a lot of criminal law experience, but Meyers has served well on the court for 24 years. Overlook the party label and vote for the person.

The Eagle recommends a vote for Judge Lawrence "Larry" Meyers for re-election to Place 2 on the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals.

Texas Court of Criminal Appeals

Place 5

Scott Walker, Republican vs. Betsy Johnson, Democrat -- Sadly, Judge Cheryl Johnson, one of the best judges on the Court of Criminal Appeals, decided to retire, leaving her seat open.

An evangelical Christian, Walker has no judicial experience. He has written more than 100 appellate briefs during his career and has been first chair attorney in more than 1,000 criminal cases and in more than 40 jury trials.

Johnson lives in San Antonio but that's about all anybody knows about her. She has ignored interview requests from newspapers, rejected meetings with editorial boards and had virtually no online presence. It is like she is running simply to have a Democrat on the ballot. That isn't enough.

The Eagle recommends a vote for Scott Walker for Place 5 on the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals.

Texas Court of Criminal Appeals

Place 6

Judge Michael E. Keasler, Republican vs. Robert Burns, Democrat -- Keasler has served on the Court of Criminal Appeals since 1999. Before that, he was a district court judge from 1981 to 1998. He has served as an instructor for judicial ethics courses nationwide and has been active in many law organizations. He most often aligns himself with the majority in supporting the prosecution position.

Burns has been a felony district court judge in Dallas for 10 years. He oversees a drug-offender re-entry program and serves on the Dallas County Juvenile Board -- Keasler also served on that board when he was a district judge.

Keasler has a distinguished record on the Court of Criminal Appeals and there is no reason to replace him.

The Eagle recommends a vote for Judge Michael E. Keasler for re-election to the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals.
The truth is that, just as we can't develop any new fossil fuel reserves or push ahead with fracking, we can't expand Heathrow or any other UK airport and hope to keep to the upper 2C limit for global average temperatures rises agreed in the Paris accord. Unless we take fast and decisive action to halt the use of Britain's current fossil fuel stores, the more ambitious 1.5C limit is already beyond our reach.

Despite this stark reality, what we hear from our Ministers and what we see in our papers is impatient news of an 'airport capacity crisis' myth driven by the multi-million-pound budgets of the airport lobbies.

Heathrow, an airport which has so far seen soaring pre-tax profits of 223m in 2016, has spent almost 2m on its attempts to lobby TfL commuters in London while Gatwick airport, which made 141m in profit last year, has matched that spending almost pound for pound. The total advertising spend for both campaigns is estimated to be between 7m and 40m.

Heathrow airport even created and funded an entire fake 'grassroots' organisation to lobby for their paymaster's cause. The airport lobbies stand accused of attempting to subvert democracy by buying unfair public and political influence.

The reality is that there is no airport capacity 'crisis' in Britain. It has always been a myth. That more passengers fly in and out of London than any other city in the world is not an indication of a 'crisis'; it's merely a statistic with some important caveats.

In fact, every airport in the UK, apart from Heathrow, is operating under capacity. Existing rail services can offer genuinely workable alternatives for the nine out of the ten most popular routes out of Heathrow airport. And, perhaps most importantly, three-quarters of international passengers are disproportionately wealthy and travel for leisure.

UK's 15% of 'frequent flyers' take 70% of all flights

That last caveat is a stark reminder of the inherent unfairness ingrained in Britain's aviation industry. Just 15% of the most wealthy frequent flyers take 70% of flights. The current taxation system means those who don't fly and those who fly even just once a year are subsidising the jet-setting lifestyles of a privileged few.

Heathrow expansion is the wrong answer to the wrong question. "No, we don't need any new runways!" is the correct answer to the correct question. We must, instead, reject the 'crisis' myth, work to reduce demand while making the industry fairer.

As Greens, we support a fairer frequent flyer levy that would help reduce demand driven by the privileged few and reduce costs for the average UK holidaymaker. At the same time, demand for business flights can be reduced by around 20% with investment in remote and digital office solutions. The World Wide Fund for Nature is currently running a scheme to help organisations achieve this target.

Furthermore, the post-referendum consensus is that aviation demand in the UK will not rise by the numbers outlined in the report. Indeed, Theresa May's final airport decision is likely be based on the now dreadfully out-of-date report published by the Airports Commission.

The Commission, while vastly inflating the economic and employment benefits of airport expansion, based its passenger projections on figures from 2013. Britain and her economy were in a very different place three years ago. The economic impact of the EU referendum result and the expected impact of leaving the European Union have rendered its findings at best, inaccurate, at worst, useless.

A country that 'works for the many, not the privileged few'?

With the decision looming, I'm asking Theresa May to consider not the false choice between Gatwick and Heathrow, but the kind of future she wants to build for Britain.

Prioritising the needs of a small number of wealthy jet-setters over the needs of ordinary holidaymakers and listening to corporate lobbyists while ignoring the local communities set to suffer the immediate air and noise pollution impacts of expansion - to which the government has no answer, as leaked documents reveal - is hardly a step towards delivering a country that "works for the many, not the privileged few".

Moreover, ratifying the Paris Agreement without any intention of honouring its commitments and, subsequently, failing to deliver a secure future for our children and our children's children is hardly working in the long-term interests of the British people.

Keith Taylor is the Green Party MEP for South East England.

Website: keithtaylormep.org.uk.
In a remarkable victory for environment, health and labour rights campaigners, Belgian regional governments including the capital, Brussels, blocked the controversial EU-Canada trade deal CETA today, placing the entire EU trade agenda in jeopardy.

Canada and the EU have been desperately trying to force a conclusion to the deal in the face of strong opposition in Belgium, where four out of five regional governments are opposed to the deal, echoing similar concerns in other member states.

However, last minute talks have failed with Belgium declaring that it cannot sign the deal, and the chair of the EU's trade committee admitting: "CETA has failed." The collapse of ther talks also represents a deep humiliation for the European Commission and its President Jean Claude Juncker.

Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau is now expected to cancel a scheduled trip to Brussels this week, where he was due to sign CETA on 27th October. According to War on Want trade campaigner Mark Dearn, the EU's entire 'free trade' agenda is now "in shreds":

"CETA is anything but a 'progressive' trade deal - in a killer blow to the fight against climate change, CETA has secured the importing of high-polluting tar sands oil from Canada, while it also threatens growth, job losses and declining trade between EU countries. CETA is the last thing Europe or the rest of the world needs right now."

Wallonia joined by Brussels to defeat the deal



What sunk CETA was the sustained objection of Wallonia, the mainly French-speaking region of Belgium, since joined by other regional governments and the city of Brussels - the effective EU capital city. "The federal government, the German community and Flanders said 'yes.' Wallonia, the Brussels city government and the French community said 'no'", explained Belgium's Prime Minister Claude Michel.

Under Belgium's constitution, all five of the country's regional governments have to consent to such an agreement before Belgium can sign up to it. Accordingly, Belgium was forced to veto the deal.

Wallonia's Minister-President Paul Magnette first raised questions about CETA to the Commission more than a year ago. These were ignored, however further complaints by MEPS caused the Commission, Canada and EU Member States to produce a reassuring but non-binding 8-page 'declaration' that their concerns over the 1,600-page treaty were invalid.

After learning that Wallonia had only seven days to scrutinise the CETA 'declaration' and assess its accuracy, Magnette labelled the Commission's timeline "an unacceptable violation of our democratic principles".

Then, last week, a group of MEPs attempted to rush through a vote on CETA before Christmas, foregoing any opportunity for European Parliament committees to scrutinise the wide-ranging deal. The European Commission also made its last desperate push to conclude CETA in the face of stiff opposition across Europe, with Germany and Poland also expressing concerns.
According to Benjamin Franklin Middle School students, Donald Trump is the new President of the United States.

Fifty-seven percent of students voted for Trump during a mock election held last Tuesday during the students social studies classes.

A total of 1,254 ballots were cast by sixth, seventh and eighth-grade students after they pre-registered and were assigned to one of six precincts.

The mock election was designed to be in line with an actual election so that students can get a feel for what it is really like to vote. Students from each class were assigned jobs. Some students helped voters register, some assisted and watched voters, and some passed out I Voted stickers.

About 10 percent of voters were randomly chosen to participate in an exit survey.

Eighth-grade civics and economics teachers Adam Bennett, Haley Byrd, Amy Woodson and Sarah Gully, and teacher assistant Cindy Traylor, helped organize the event and set up the schedule of jobs for students to fill.

The kids did very well getting voters in line, registered and getting everyone through very efficiently, Bennett said.

The event was spearheaded by Principal Dr. Bernice Cobbs.

It was the vision of Dr. Cobbs to get on us all on board with this idea, and it went very smoothly, thanks to all who participated and the students hard work, said Leanne Worley, eighth-grade administrator.

According to the election results, Hillary Clinton received 27.8 percent of the vote. Tom Garrett won the Fifth Congressional District seat with 67.2 percent of the vote and the majority of students voted yes to constitutional amendments concerning the right to work and the tax exemption for surviving spouses of police and service personnel.

Students were also shown parts of the first two presidential debates in class prior to voting.

I think there was a lot of family influence on which way students chose to vote, Bennett said. Some of the students really thought it out for themselves, but there was a lot of family influence there, as well.

The voting event is also in line with SOLs (Standards of Learning), which will soon require students to participate in similar events, Worley said.
Grab a homebrew with these Burlington Makers of Beer

The Burlington M.O.B.  Makers of Beer  meets nearly every month to discuss and sample each other's beers.
For more than 40 years, Maestro Gustav Meier worked to burnish the regions treasure: The Greater Bridgeport Symphony. On Sunday afternoon, Nov. 6, he will be remembered in Fairfield with an afternoon of music that celebrates his life, connections to his family in the Greater Bridgeport area, and his role as conductor and music director of the venerable orchestra.

On May 27, this beloved music-world legend died at his home in Ann Arbor, Mich., where he had been under hospice care for several weeks. He was 86.
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WILTON  With the election two weeks away, Democrat Jim Himes and Republican John Shaban took to the stage at Wilton High School on Sunday evening for the first of back-to-back debates to determine who will represent Connecticuts 4th Congressional District.

While the candidates agreed in principle on the problems threatening the country, such as gun control and the future of health care, the underlying difference between candidates, Shaban said, was how they planned to address these problems.

I think were saying the same thing, but theres a difference between talking about it and what you do about it, said Shaban, who serves the 135th District in the state House of Representatives.

Shaban repeatedly questioned how effective Himes had actually been in dealing with the issues facing the country during his time in Congress, particularly when it came to gun control.

Under Himes watch, Shaban said, the House failed to enact any meaningful gun-control legislation. Shaban referred to acts such as the organized walkout during the moment of silence for the victims in the Orlando mass shooting and the House chamber sit-in protest as useless histrionics.

Himes defended these protests, however.

I will not apologize for making a symbolic gesture, Himes said. What did all that symbolic activity  what John calls stunts  what did those stunts accomplish? Maybe not a lot, but if you do enough of these things where you say, I will not stand for moments of silence again, and when Chris Murphy says, I will keep this floor for 15 hours until this body acts, eventually, this body acts.

More Information Next debate Himes and Shaban will square off again for the final time on Monday at 7 p.m. in UConn Stamford's GenRe Auditorium. The event is free and open to the public. See More Collapse

Though Himes acknowledged there was still a way to go before gun control was adequately addressed through legislation, he pointed out such resolutions required cooperation from both sides of the aisle.

Shaban, however, chided Himes for trying to blame this inaction on the Republican majority in the House.

Lets look at the timeline  Jims been in Congress for eight years. The first three years that he was there, he had a Democratic president, a Democratic Senate and a Democratic House, so if something was going to get done about this, it couldve been done in year one, year two or year three, Shaban said.

When Shaban attacked the Affordable Care Act, saying it needed to be replaced due to the harm it has caused around the country, Himes came to its defense.

Though the bill was flawed  as all federal bills are, to some degree, Himes said  he said the good the act had sown throughout the country was undeniable.

Its not true to say that it is a failure, as John has repeatedly said, that its not working. Hes said that vastly more people have been hurt by the Affordable Care Act than have been helped, and thats just profoundly wrong.

Himes said, since ACA was passed 20 million Americans who had been uninsured were able to obtain health insurance for the first time.

Shaban, however, contended it wasnt the federal governments place to step in and attempt to overhaul the health care system.

We were solving the problem here in Connecticut before big Uncle Sam says guess what  one size fits all,  Shaban said. We need the power of the people, not governments, to solve these problems. We need the power of the markets and not the federal government to solve these problems.

The states overreliance on the federal government, Shaban said, has manifested itself in other ways as well.

For one, Shaban said the four-term representatives affinity for big government prevented him from supporting his district adequately. Under Himes, he claimed, Connecticut has only been getting back 60 to 70 cents for every dollar of federal taxes that it pays.

Is the federal government going to continue to take dollars from us, paying us pennies back and telling us where to spend it and how to spend it? Or, are we going to try and manage more of our resources ourselves? Shaban asked.

Himes responded to Shabans claim, saying his claims were obviously, and blatantly not true. Himes cited a study done by the National Priorities Project, which found of the $53 billion Connecticut paid in federal taxes, the state received back about $45 billion.

This idea that we send everything down and get pennies back is one of reasons people dont like politicians, because they are fast and loose with the facts, Himes said.

Himes and Shaban will square off again for the final time on Monday evening at 7 p.m. in UConn Stamfords GenRe Auditorium. The event is free and open to the public.

ptomlinson@hearstmediact .com; (203) 354-1046; Tomlinson_PE
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NORWALK  A purported carjacking at gunpoint in South Norwalk early Sunday morning was, in fact, a bogus story cooked up to protect an unlicensed driver involved in an accident, according to police.

"[The reported incident] wasted the time and effort of a lot of officers looking for a gunman," said Det. Sgt. Lee Young at a news briefing Monday morning. "There never was any danger to the public."

Two people, a Taylor Avenue woman and her nephew who lives at the same address, were arrested Sunday afternoon after they admitted the story was a ruse, Young said.

Police became involved when the woman, identified as Ruth Salazar-Blandon, came into the lobby of police headquarters shortly before 5:30 a.m. with her nephew, identified as Felipe Garcia, to report they had just been carjacked at the intersection of Woodward Avenue and Meadow Street, police said.

She reportedly said she was driving her 2000 Honda Accord with her nephew in the car when a man approached them at the intersection, pointed a gun at her, and ordered them out of the car.

The gunman then fled in the vehicle, she allegedly told police.

Following the report, numerous patrol officers were dispatched into the area of the alleged carjacking, and Norwalk dispatch made a general broadcast to surrounding towns and the State Police of what occurred.

The broadcast described the vehicle as a 2000 or 2002 beige Honda Accord taken at gunpoint by a black male wearing a black sweatshirt and red hat.

Less than an hour after patrol officers were advised of the incident, an officer located the Accord crashed into the front porch and a chain link fence of a home at 120 Woodward Ave., roughly four blocks from where the carjacking was said to have occurred.

The Detective Bureau was notified and, according to Young, Salazar-Blandon and Garcia were asked to return to headquarters to be further interviewed about the incident.

Young said that at some point during the interview, Garcia admitted the story had been fabricated because he doesn't have a driver's license.

Young said what actually happened was Garcia had fallen asleep and the Accord, which belongs to Salazar-Blandon, veered off the road and into the front yard of the home.

He said Salazar-Blandon called his aunt to say he had been carjacked and she drove over to the accident site to pick him up.

Salazar-Blandon was aware of her car's location from the beginning, Young said, and Garcia told her the carjacking story was not true before they came to police headquarters.

Salazar-Blandon, 46, and Garcia, 22, were charged with second-degree charged falsely reporting an incident, conspiracy to falsely report an incident, and interfering with an officer.

Garcia was additionally charged with evading responsibility, failure to drive in the proper lane, and operating a vehicle without a license.

Salazar-Blandon was additionally charged with falsely reporting a stolen motor vehicle.

Both were issued summonses and released. They are scheduled to appear in court Nov. 4.
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WILTON  In the 25 years that Peter Finnie has been living in Wilton, hes noticed that people dont view the town as a shopping destination.

So he wanted to find a way to change peoples minds by opening a store where people can feel a certain amount of ownership.

Retail brick-and-mortar stores are really suffering, Finnie said. So to keep it fresh and new and different, its going to be this whole pop-up theme even though its a constant store.

The store, Local Soul, will combine his wholesale business of leather shoes from the Sheridan Mia brand with unique artisanal products locally sourced from Connecticut and the tri-state area  ranging from $15 green tea wasabi salt to $225 handbags.

Finnie tapped Beth Crowell, his current director of client services, sales and business development and a local jeweler, to be his business partner for the new store.

We just kind of feel very gung ho about being in Wilton and having people in Wilton provide us with some product, he said. Our goal is to be able to give people in town a venue who produce things to have a place to showcase their work.

Although Finnie and Crowell dont have any specific professional requirements artisans must meet in order to be featured, they will be somewhat selective in choosing which products will end up in their store.

If it fits into the sort of the mood we want it to be, its a go. We wont be difficult about it, he said. But if we find something that doesnt fit the mood or the aesthetic, were going to say, No, it doesnt work for us right now.

In addition to showcasing unique local products, the store will serve to complement what other stores have to offer.

Were not going to duplicate any product thats available in town, Finnie said. We want to complement the other stores.

We have a woman who does amazing mosaic belt buckles that will complement jeans you can buy at the store at B Chic around the corner or mens soaps that can be displayed on soap dishes from Signature Style or Open House, Crowell added. Its really our idea to have something totally unique that you cant find somewhere else in the area.

While the store hasnt opened yet, Finnie and Crowell have already been in contact with people interested in getting involved. Coming up with the store name was a community effort itself, after Finnie asked for suggestions through the Wilton CT 411 and Wilton CT 412 Facebook groups.

We had probably about 500 people putting their heads together, giving us all of these great ideas and then we build on that, Finnie said. Theres a lot of talented people in Wilton.

The store will have a soft opening on Oct. 29 and a formal opening later in mid-November. The store is at 90 Old Ridgefield Road next to Scoops Ice Cream.

SKim@hearstmediact.com; 203-354-1044; @stephaniehnkim
Todays offering in our Timeless Essay series affords readers the opportunity to join Philip Nielsen, as he explores the thought of Hans Urs von Balthasar on sacred architecture. W. Winston Elliott III, Publisher

The theological work of twentieth-century theologian Hans Urs von Balthasar has only recently begun to take its proper place in Catholic theology. In his lifetime he certainly took a back seat to contemporaries such as Karl Rahner, Yves Congar, and those men who were known as the theological architects of Vatican II. Balthasar never attended Vatican II, unlike so many of his fellow theologians and friends. This absence, combined with the difficulty inherent in classifying such a diverse corpus as his, has slowed his acceptance as a theological authority in the Church. But for the past thirty yearssince the election of John Paul II to the Holy SeeBalthasars star has risen as one of the great theologians after Trent, a status that the election of Balthasars close personal friend and theological sympathizer Joseph Ratzinger to the Chair of Saint Peter seemingly stamped with an imprimatur of the highest rank. At Balthasars funeral, Henri Cardinal de Lubac described him as probably the most cultured man in the Western world. Indeed, when one looks at the cultural topics that Balthasar treated, Cardinal de Lubacs statement becomes hard to refute: Balthasar wrote his doctoral dissertation on German literature; his first major work was on music; he was one of the foremost patristic scholars of his time; and, thanks to his fathers practice of church architecture in Switzerland, he loved the visual arts and architecture.

It is due to his expansive cultural awareness that Hans Urs von Balthasars corpus does not describe a program or system for sacred art; for a system would too greatly limit both the workings of the Spirit and the creative freedom of the artist. Rather, Balthasar persistently meditates upon the first principles of the drama of prayer, and only out of these principles can his understanding of sacred art and architecture be gleaned. Above all, his understanding of prayer begins by placing silent contemplation at the core. Only through this silent contemplation can we hear Gods Word to us and enter into union with his Word. This study of Balthasars view of architecture suggests an approach to sacred architecture in the modern world based upon how the drama of prayer inhabits the form of sacred art and architecture.

The natural place to begin a study of Balthasars understanding of contemplation is the same place he believes all theology must begin, namely, with the creatureliness of man. Balthasar repeatedly quotes the famous passage of the Fourth Lateran Council that states: As great as may be the similarity, so much greater must the dissimilarity between creator and creature be preserved. The distance between God and his creatures should not be brushed aside or taken for granted, because it is the first key to understanding the glory of God. Not surprisingly, Balthasar emphasizes the principle of creatureliness in the writings of the Fathers of the Church. In Presence and Thought, his groundbreaking work on Saint Gregory of Nyssa, Balthasar begins by describing the saints habit of beginning his theological works with spacing, that is, with an emphasis on the dissimilarity between God and man: Every time he undertakes a development of the fundamentals of his metaphysics, Gregory begins from the irreducible opposition between God [31] and creature.[1] Balthasars description of his model Saint Gregory could justly be applied to Balthasar himself. Opposition, however, is not something that keeps man from communion with God; rather, it is only through an understanding of God as incomprehensible that the drama can begin to unfold. As Balthasar explains: Incomprehensibility does not mean a negative determination of what one does not know, but rather a positive and almost seen and understood property of him whom one knows. The more a great work of art is known and grasped, the more concretely are we dazzled by its ungraspable genius.[2]

The distance between God and his creatures properly silences the worshipping participant. Awe-inspired silence becomes the starting point of the liturgy: prayer, we can now see, is communication, in which Gods word has the initiative and we, at first, are simply listeners.[3] Neither is this task of silence too difficult for man. On the contrary, it is that for which he was created: Since God himself has made us such that, to be truly ourselves, we have to listen to his word, he must, for that reason, have endowed us with the ability to do so.[4] The danger at the initial stage of the liturgy is all too clear: that the participants may drown out the Word with their chatter, with their opinions, with their noisewith a one-sided conversation originating and ending in man. Not even communal liturgy can substitute for personal silent prayer. Balthasar exclaims:

As if a break of two minutes after the sermon or after communion could satisfy mans elementary need of silence in God, of communion from heart with him! And who can, as he swallows the Host, realize what Holy Communion means? Does he not need for that the unfunctional, silent adoration of the holy of holies? Or silent, personal meditation on the Holy Scriptures?[5]

God speaks to man in his silence, and then man is caught up into the heavenly conversation of the Trinity:

In John, Jesus summarizes his whole mission in the high-priestly prayer (ch. 17) in which he commends all his work, from his going forth from the Father to his return to him, into his Fathers hands. Even in his dying words he is still in dialogue with God. Christians of all ages, including now are drawn into this prayer. There is no excuse; no evasion will be permitted. Nor may refuge be sought in mere action, nor simply in the liturgy.

God does not simply speak down to man, leaving him in his earthly state; through Christ, he catches the contemplator up with him into heaven. Balthasars anatomy of prayer consists, therefore, in three parts: first, the participant is silent; second, God speaks the Word to man in his silence; third, God catches man up into the divine conversation. The liturgy does not replace the personal prayer of the Church, but rather it flows out of it. For Balthasar, action and liturgy ground and manifest the fruits of personal prayer, but they never replace it.

The Word God speaks to man is the Logos of ScriptureJesus Christ himself. As the Word spoken by God to Man, Christ is the perfect image of God because he is God, the visible mediator of the invisible Creator. For this reason, when Balthasar asks the question whether contemplation should be Image-filled or image-less he is able to answer simply: In this muchdiscussed matter all depends on whether the contemplator is a Christian or not. If he is not a Christian, he will from the beginning strive for imageless contemplation. For the Christian all is different.[6] He goes on to explain that that, in this sense, Christianity is unique in the world, in that it is based upon Christ who is the Son, radiance, reflection, Word, Image. Not only is Christ the Image of the Father, he surrounds himself with images of himself in the form of parables. Christ, in his parables describes common things, rocks, wheat, sheep, and his use of them causes even the rocks to cry out.[7] These stories provide a key part of the Image of the Father that Christ presents. The Church too, as the body of Christ, acts as an image of Christ. Parables, Christian art, even the lives of the saints, are thus, images of the Image Christ.

For Balthasar, a Church totally devoid of images is not something that could concentrate the eyes of the congregation purely on Christ (as many Protestant and even some Catholic thinkers would assert), but is rather much more akin to a Gospel in which half the parables of Christ were removed. It is against the justification of iconoclasm that Balthasar writes: If a people were to be incapable of creating genuine religious images or statues for the churches, it should not say that empty walls concentrate the spirit more effectively upon what is essential. If we have become a small people we should not seek to reduce the mystery we celebrate to our dimensions.[8] We should make no mistake, however; the incapacity of creating genuine religious art would be a huge loss in Balthasars mind. The Church would lose in art one of the fundamental images of Christ. And yet, if the image were to become ugly, then they would no longer be a truthful image of Christ. Guido Renis Saint Joseph with the Infant, for example, illustrates the image of Christ in a way [32] that adds depth to the story alone. A blank canvas represents a loss for the Church, but an ugly painting would have conflicted with the image of Christ and been worse than a blank canvas. Christ is the Word, and sacred architecture, Sacred Scripture, and the liturgy reveal the Image of Christ in their unique ways, so that they must all work in unison to provide a fuller image.

In the wake of Balthasars expression of the principals of prayer, especially distance, silence, dialogue, and image, the direction that sacred architecture should take becomes clearer and its pitfalls less hidden. First, sacred art and architecture should avoid taking on merely human dimensions, seeking rather to preserve the dissimilarity between God and his creatures. Sacred architectures first duty is to create a sense of spacing between God and man. The church, but especially its sanctuary, must clearly depict a distance between God and his creatures. A church that looks like a living room makes an awareness of the difference between Creator and creature more difficult to perceiveit makes it an act of near heroic virtue. Spacing can be achieved first and foremost by scale, ornamentation, art, and architectural cues such as rails, screens, stairs, or curtains. All of these elements, insofar as they make the glory of God more clear to the participant, express true beauty. This beauty must lead to God, however, not simply to an aesthetic experience. The awareness of inherent glory, writes Balthasar, gave inspiration to works of incomparable earthly beauty in the great tradition of the Church. But these works become suitable for todays liturgy only if, in and beyond their beauty, those who take part are not merely moved to aesthetic sentiments but are able to encounter that glory of God.[9] Architecture, just like sacred music or art, must fulfill its highest calling, aiding the participant in seeing the glory of God.

An architecture that is ordered to fulfill only its human, or even liturgical use, fails its higher purpose: For good reason the people of the Middle Ages built cathedrals larger than a liturgy could fill. Only in an age when one gives up personal prayer in order to be simply a communal animal in the church can one design churches which are determined purely functionally by the services of the congregation.[10] Balthasars good reason is twofold: The medieval cathedrals were built on a grand scale to glorify God and preserve distancebut they were also built to accommodate personal devotions, reverence of relics, and personal prayer beyond the scope of the public liturgies. God brings himself near to man through these encounters even as distance creates awe. Sacred architecture must accommodate these personal devotions if it is to fulfill Balthasars expectations. The danger of an architecture that does not accommodate personal prayer and devotion, or Eucharistic adoration, is not, within Balthasars drama of prayer, one that fails in merely a secondary purpose. For, though Balthasar would certainly not deny the centrality of the Mass, the spiritual benefits for the person attending Mass depend upon ones own personal devotion. To deepen the public prayer of the Church, architecture must accommodate personal devotions as well. For a Balthasarian Church to witness both to the distance between God and man, and accommodate the personal devotions of the participants, its guiding principle must be the silence and rest that are the beginning of prayer. A double danger exists here: first the architect might create a space that is silent, not with a living silence, but with the silence of the tomb where there is nothing to inspire awe, longing, or the understanding that the repose should lead to prayer. Secondly, the architect might create a loud architecture that wars with contemplation. The architect might create the necessary spacing between God and man through a wholly unique and even strange church without accompanying this distance with the necessary repose. This spacing without repose might, for example, occur in a poorly executed baroque church, a non-tectonic church, an anti-symmetrical church, or any sacred architecture that disregards the principles that allow the architecture to rest. A war on silence could include [33] either agitated architecture designed only to excite or unsettle, a merely communal architecture that does not allow for any places in which personal devotions may be practiced in solitude, or an architecture that is constantly in flux with renovation and fuss. On this final point Balthasar acknowledges that renewal may sometimes be necessary, but that it can fall into change for the sake of change: What a welcome alibi it provides for a new clerical dirigisme, for a busy clerical activity which never stop moving the altar around, fumigating churches, buying new vestments for the servers and a thousand other oddments, while all the time it is putting the emphases in the wrong place.[11]

If bustle and noise are the wrong place, what is the right place? An ideal Balthasarian church building has shown the distance between God and his creatures. It has awed and silenced the faithful. It has enfolded them in its side chapels to await the Word from God, the Logos. But where in the architecture is the image of Christ to be found? Balthasar answerseverywhereevery image of the life of Christ, every station of the cross, every statue of a saint, every stained-glass window works as an image of Christ. The architecture must orchestrate as much imagery as it can without destroying the repose of the building. These images are the image of Christ who bridges that spacing or gap that first brought the faithful into awareness of their need for God. The rood screen separates man from God, but it is called a rood screen because it is surmounted by an image of Christ on the rood, or cross. The altar rail divides men from God, but that is exactly where Christ meets them in his own Body and Blood. When iconoclasts destroyed the images and whitewashed the cathedrals (whether the Protestant iconoclasts of the sixteenth century or the modernist iconoclasts of the twentieth), they preserved the question in the stones and mortar, but hid the answer that existed in the images. When the crucifix is removed the rood screen does become simply a barrier. When the icons are removed, the iconostasis becomes a wall.

The nature of these images must, ultimately, depict the whole Christ, not simply a part of him. Thus, sacred art and architecture must not reflect only a few sides of Christs nature and mission. Balthasar writes, Every element calls for the other, and the more penetrating the gaze of the beholder, the more he will discover harmony on all sides. If one essential element should be broken offall the proportions will be distorted and falsified.[12] Christ must be depicted in a vision that is as whole and multisided as possible, and a church that makes reference to only a part of Christ necessarily presents a distorted view of Christ: The eschatological theme, taken on its own, is incomprehensible without the cadence of Christs suffering. The vertical form of the Son of God who descends from the Father and goes back to him illegible without the horizontal form of historical fulfillment and the mission entrusted to the apostles.[13] The goal of an art or architecture that strives to depict the whole of Christ summarizes Balthasars understanding of appropriate forms of sacred architecture.

No architectural form or program can depict the whole of Christ. Clearly some sacred buildings do not live up to Balthasars expectations of a church, but not even the best church can perfectly fulfill the mission of sacred architecture. Some churches are more silent than others (many Cistercian monasteries for example), [34] and some churches inspire more awe (Saint Peters and Chartres), but no single church perfectly expresses the glory of Christ. A program for perfect architecture is always attractive: some have claimed that decorating the sanctuary with the scenes of the Wedding Feast of the Lamb constitutes the proper backdrop to the mysteries being celebrated; or that the saints should never find their way into the images of the sanctuary; others have suggested that every church should be built in a Gothic, classical, or Romanesque manner. But as John Henry Cardinal Newman, a particular hero of Balthasar, put it, There is no one aspect deep enough to exhaust the contents of a real idea, no one term or proposition which will serve to define it; though of course one representation of it is more just and exact than another.[14] Balthasar opposed systematic studies of either theology or artnot because these fields are not full of truth, or because this truth is unintelligible, but because systems tend to reduce that which they study to their dimensions. In Truth is Symphonic: Aspects of Christian Pluralism, Balthasar returns to Newmans concept of the many-sided nature of an idea. Balthasar develops the idea of a symphony as an analogy for Christian doctrine: The difference between the instruments must be as striking as possible. Each one keeps its utterly distinctive timbre, and the composer must write for each part in a way that this timbre achieves its fullest effect.[15] This analogy can be applied to architectural styles with ease: Byzantine Church architecture, in order to achieve its full effect, must become even more distinct from other styles, not less. When John Paul II spoke of the Western Church needing to breathe with both lungs as regards the East, for example, he did not mean that the West should somehow become quasi-Eastern, but that both should work in concert with a distinctive timbre, expressing the oneness of Gods truth through their unique traditions. Architecture, like creation, is a facet of the doctrine of plenitude: the distance between God and his creation, of the goodness of his creation, and even more of His goodness in coming to his creation through Christ, the Image of the Father: In the Symphony all the instruments are integrated into one sound.[16] The breadth of sacred architecture constantly grows, just as theology grows; but art and architecture cannot lose contact with the reality of silence, creatureliness, beautyor the Word.

This essay in our series of Timeless Essays was first published here in January 2013. It is reprinted with the gracious permission of The Institute for Sacred Architecture (Volume 16).

The Imaginative Conservative applies the principle of appreciation to the discussion of culture and politicswe approach dialogue with magnanimity rather than with mere civility. Will you help us remain a refreshing oasis in the increasingly contentious arena of modern discourse? Please consider donating now.

Notes:

1. Hans Urs von Balthasar, Presence and Thought: Essay on the Religious Philosophy of Gregory of Nyssa, trans. Marc Sebanc (San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 1995), 27.

2. Hans Urs von Balthasar, The Glory of the Lord: A Theological Aesthetics, vol. 1, trans. Erasmo Leiva-Merikakis, ed. Joseph Fessio and John Riches (San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 1995), 186.

3. Hans Urs von Balthasar, Prayer, trans. Graham Harrison (San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 1986), 23.

4. Ibid.

5. Hans Urs Von Balthasar, Elucidations, trans. John Riches (San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 1998), 177.

6. Hans Urs von Balthasar, You Have the Words of Eternal Life (San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 1991), 11.

7. Balthasar, You Have the Words of Eternal Life, 11.

8. Hans Urs von Balthasar, New Elucidations, trans. Mary Thereslide Skerry (San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 1986), 138.

9. Balthasar, New Elucidations, 136.

10. Balthasar, Elucidations, 177.

11. Ibid.

12. Balthasar, The Glory of the Lord, vol. 1, 513.

13. Ibid.

14. John Henry Cardinal Newman, An Essay on the Development of Christian Doctrine (London: Longmans, Green, 1890), 35.

15. Hans Urs von Balthasar, Truth is Symphonic: Aspects of Christian Pluralism, trans. Graham Harrison (San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 1972), 7.

16. Balthasar, Truth is Symphonic, 7.
Under Archbishop Laud (15891645) there was a strong move towards greater ceremonial dignity in the church. As the house of God it was to be fitted out accordingly with the finest of human artistry, and its functions were to be conducted in a spirit of deepest reverence. The liturgy, the music, the sacred vessels, the very fabric of the building, all were to serve and make manifest the beauty of holiness. This phrase, which we find invoked time and again both by writers of the period and, later, by historians, derives from Psalm 96: O sing unto the Lord a new song. O worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness. On Part, by Paul Hillier and Tonu Tormis (Samfundet, 2005)

Laud was Anglican, of course, but it is no more than ecumenical common sense to recognize that we Roman Catholics could learn a thing or two from his devout attitude. (Need I mention the sincere hope of many Roman Catholics that the Anglican Ordinariates, by modeling that Laudian attitude and approach, will become a force of renewal for the rest of us?)

Do we not need greater ceremonial dignity in the church? Why are our processions in church so slapdash, casual, and quick, almost as if were embarrassed to be engaged in divine worship? Why are there so few processions outside of church? We could certainly use a spirit of deepest reverence in conducting our services. Less of the informal greetings, smiles, and handshakesmore of the reverent fear of the Lord that brings us to our knees in homage to the great King of all the earth, begging for His mercy. We need music, vessels, and architecture that make manifest the beauty of holiness. (In particular, weve all heard music that seems neither beautiful nor holy; its mawkish sentimentality, circus-like tunes, predictably syncopated rhythms, and simpering lyrics are an appalling combination from which beauty must hide her fair head while holiness flees to the mountains to bewail her virginity.)

But why must we seek to do such laudable things? For one simple reason: because God, the greatest and best, deserves the greatest and best from us. And there is a corollary: We human beings, created in His image and likeness, need to be able to offer the finest of human artistry to Him, lifting up our minds and hearts by means of it. If only we knew ourselves, we would see that we have a longing to give the best of ourselves to Him, not what is mediocre, humdrum, worldly, or two-faced. Doesnt an artist who takes pride in his work want to give the best to his patron? Dont lovers with noble intentions long to give the best of themselves to one another? God has given us the ability and the calling to reach out to His transcendent holiness with works of beauty that carry us along with them, past the realm of the profane into the sanctuary of divinity. As St. Thomas says, we worship God not to give Him something He does not already have, but to bring ourselves closer to Him by yielding what we owe Him. In this way we draw nearer to His goodness and grow in likeness to Him.

This explanation will always hold true for all human beings at all times. But we can say something more specifically Catholic. The whole thrust of Catholic tradition and teaching on the dignity and beauty befitting the temple of God rests on the truth that the Body and Blood of Jesus, really present, are offered in sacrifice in this building, on this altar, enacted by these rituals, sung in this music. Whatsoever we do to the least of His symbols and ceremonies, prayers and chants, that we do unto Him. This is not so much a fearful vision of the danger of making mistakes as it is a joyful awareness of how many ways, little and great, He lavishes upon us to pay Him homage and to adore Him as well as we can. But it does remind us that we are dealing with the Lord of life and death, the Alpha and the Omega, the one who is, who was, and who is to comeand (to borrow from another Anglican) He is not a tame lion.

This is why it matters, crucially, what we are doing, what we are endeavoring to do, when we worship God in public prayer. If we have got quite the wrong idea about it, we may well do that which is seriously unfitting, unworthy, and displeasing to the Lord, whom it is our great privilege to serve and to please. If we follow the lead of the Churchs Tradition and the requirements or counsels of the Magisterium, we can be certain of giving glory to God and aiding, over time, the sanctification of His people.

I remember reading about the holy Cure of Ars, St. John Vianney, that he starved himself on potatoes, but spared no expense for the embellishment of the sanctuary. He knew, like Archbishop Laud, and like faithful Christians of every age, what came first and what came second. The same was true of St. Francis, pace the falsification of his legacy by hippies who groove on Nature rather than adoring the Blessed Sacrament. Indeed, Franciscan churches are some of the most beautiful in Europe, magnificently decoratedeven those that were built in periods when the friars themselves were dirt-poor beggars who didnt know where their next meal was coming from, except that the Lord would surely provide. They knew what came first; they knew that when it is God who is to be honored, the work calls forth everything in us, everything great and glorious we can muster, for His sake. This is why the Catholics of old never built cheap churches, if they could help it, and, at least on special occasions if not more often, brought together the best musical forces they could find, to provide the most glorious music they knew.

Let no excuses be made; it should not be any different for us. Take Americans: We are a wealthy and industrious country. If we had a proper religious formation combined with some education in virtue and nobility, the trite ditties of our hymnals would evaporate and our churches would be filled with music of artistic merit. We would insist that it happen; we would make it happen through personal sacrifices; we would absorb its fruits with gratitude as we let these heavenly harmonies penetrate and shape our very souls. The same would be true of the churches we build.

As is well known, Pope Benedict XVI offered theological support for this exultant and sacrificial attitude in his Apostolic Exhortation Sacramentum Caritatis as well as many other writings pre-papal and papal. No different was the message of John Paul IIs final encyclical, Ecclesia de Eucharistia, where we read:

Like the woman who anointed Jesus in Bethany, the Church has feared no extravagance, devoting the best of her resources to expressing her wonder and adoration before the unsurpassable gift of the Eucharist. No less than the first disciples charged with preparing the large upper room, she has felt the need, down the centuries and in her encounters with different cultures, to celebrate the Eucharist in a setting worthy of so great a mystery.  [T]he faith of the Church in the mystery of the Eucharist has found historical expression not only in the demand for an interior disposition of devotion, but also in outward forms meant to evoke and emphasize the grandeur of the event being celebrated. (Emphasis in original)

That the liturgy should be done with splendor and solemnity, in surroundings as magnificent as can be, evoking the transcendence, holiness, and glory of God, is not a debatable question but a plain given as far as Holy Mother Church is concerned. This is why she has always striven for and sponsored the finest of human artistryand why the poor have always contributed to the building of churches of which they are rightfully proud. Such an unequivocal dedication to the sacred liturgy does not, of course, substitute for personal prayer, works of charity outside the church doors, or energetic efforts of evangelization. But neither can it be replaced by them; it serves as their final end, from which they derive their very meaning. Most simply, this is what we owe to God, and He comes first.

Republished with gracious permission from New Liturgical Movement (February 2014).

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The featured image of the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel is in the public domain, courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.
LOUP CITY  When Cheri Kowalski bought the historic Frederick Hotel in Loup City, she wanted to maintain the history flair of the hotel.

All of the commercial style of the building is what makes our hotel historic, she said.

The hotel has been on the National Register of Historic Places since 2002, said previous owner George McFadden. He said the hotel was built in 1913 by Viola Odendahl when the government was advising residents to build hotels in order to encourage development in local communities. To encourage economic growth, McFadden said Odendahl would have merchants set up and display merchandise in the basement of the hotel.

McFadden said when Odendahl originally built the hotel, she had three things in mind  indoor plumbing, steam heat and electricity  which were all on the cutting edge of inventions in 1913. The steam heat boiler lasted 100 years, and was replaced in 2013 when Kowalski made upgrades to the hotel.

Kowalski also kept the historical value of the hotel by making only minor upgrades to the kitchen, such as a purchasing a new floor and cabinets, as well as putting in new lighting. She bought more modern furniture for the bedrooms and purchased a new boiler. She also placed all LED lighting within the hotel.

The hotel has a total of 10 bedrooms. There are private bathrooms in six of the rooms and there is a common shower for four of the rooms. There is a family room upstairs with the bedrooms, with a full kitchen available for use.

There are also three apartments in the basement, each with a private entrance, that are available for rent/lease agreements. On the main level is a sitting room, as well as the cafe where Kowalski does the cooking. She also does the books and cleaning of the hotel.

This is one of the nicest places to stay for its age, that is within a 50- to 100-mile radius because of its historical qualities, Kowalski said.

McFadden and his brothers offered to sell the hotel to Kowalski seven years ago when Kowalski was staying at the hotel while visiting family. She said she was working in the corporate world in Texas at the time, but she thought about the offer for a couple of months.

She then decided to come to Nebraska for the Junk Jaunt, to see how the hotel was being run. She said she did that for another three to four years before deciding to purchase the hotel in the fall of 2013.

I have never looked back. I feel that this is my home now, Kowalski said.
You want a list of stuff that has people castigating Donald Trump? Here we go.

He keeps talking about making America great again as if it is not great right now. He has called Hillary Clinton hateful. He has been accused of sexual abuse. Trump University is said to have been a scam. He has said the media is rigged against him.

On top of the above, he thinks Saddam Hussein should have stayed in power in Iraq. He did not pay taxes he did not owe. He said the inner cities in this country are hell holes. He is against gun control. He wants to build a wall on the Mexican border. He once talked of punching protesters at a rally.

The thing about all of the above is that there are equivalents on the other side, the Democratic side, the leftist side. Lets review them.

In his first campaign, Bill Clinton also said lets make America great again. He didnt say it as often, but he said it and, as far as I know, went unscathed, maybe because a Republican was president.

The sexual abuse allegations are serious stuff, but not as serious as Bill Clinton being accused of the vicious rape of a woman who talked to a friend soon afterwards about the horror she had endured. He is accused of groping another woman in the White House. He ended up paying $850,000 to settle a suit from still another woman who said he had exposed himself to her while encouraging sex.

The Monica Lewinsky affair was not just about sex, as even feminists often said on his behalf, although he did take advantage of this subordinate half his age by enjoying oral sex in the Oval Office. The affair was also about lying, obstruction of justice, perjury and disgracing the presidency. Clinton is charming and smart and a moral mess who is now his wifes top surrogate on the campaign trail and will play an important role in the administration if she is elected.

Trump has accused the press of prejudice and has threatened libel suits against newspapers. Some news outlets are in fact discarding normal standards to finish him off, and President Barack Obama has never been shy about taking on Fox News or talk radio. His administration has spied on the Associated Press, and one New York Times reporter has called him the greatest enemy of press freedom in a generation. Hillary Clinton is so against free speech as interpreted by the Supreme Court that she wants to rewrite the First Amendment.

Saddam Hussein would have done more to quell terrorism than the U.S. war on Iraq if he had stayed in power, Trump says, to the anger of quivering critics. Dont almost all liberals say the same?

Trumps remarks about blacks in the inner cities living in hell holes have the left crucifying him even though that has been a leftist message for some time and still is in some quarters. He wants a wall on the Mexican border, which is far from as crazy as what Hillary Clinton once said about wanting open borders.

Trump has been thoroughly castigated for not paying taxes he did not owe, thereby enabling him to rebuild his businesses, while the Clintons once claimed deductions for old underwear. Which speaks loudest about being cheap and cheesy?

Clinton is for extending background checks for gun purchases. It would do no harm but the evidence is minimal it would do any good. She is against Trumps advocacy of stop-and-frisk, which took 34,000 guns off the streets of New York and, by the reckoning of some top analysts, helped save thousands of lives.

Trump once said something at a rally about punching protesters in the face. Hillary Clinton once said something in a meeting about droning Julian Assange of WikiLeaks fame. Those present say she did not seem to be joking.

None of this means Trump should be president, but if it is Hillary Clinton, we need a Republican Congress to check her.
Democrats saw a surge in new voters in Pennsylvania as midterms near
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville and Madison County have formed a task force hoping to provide a mutually beneficial partnership to both entities.

The entity, called the Southern Illinois University Edwardsville/Community Task Force will build upon already established community relationships and areas of mutual cooperation between SIUE and the public/private sector.

Most important, a strong relationship between the university and the public and private sectors presents a significant opportunity for our students to take their education beyond the classroom, to gain valuable experience and literally put into application the theories and practices they have learned, said SIUE Chancellor Randy Pembrook.

Madison County Chairman Alan Dunstan said SIUE is important to the economy of Southwestern Illinois.

SIUE has made a positive and significant impact on Southwestern Illinois and is the key economic engine for Madison County, Dunstan said. But the Universitys impact can be even greater.

Dunstan said as the area expands its base as one of the key logistical areas in the country, the programmatic and intellectual resources available through SIUE will be beneficial.

Madison County is one of the premier intermodal distribution centers in the country, and continues to grow as we have recently witnessed with Amazons decision to locate two distribution facilities in the Gateway and Lakeview Commerce Centers, Dunstan said. SIUEs expertise in engineering, business management and logistics could only benefit that effort.

Through the establishment of the SIUE Community Task Force, businesses and local governments will be able to tap into the expertise of SIUE faculty, administrators and students to not only improve their respective operation, but also to assist in the development of a viable workforce.

The task force will be comprised of staff, faculty and student representatives from SIUE, representatives from businesses in Southwestern Illinois and elected officials.

Kim Durr, chief of staff in the Office of the Chancellor, said the work is the continuation of a program started by former interim Chancellor Stephen Hansen.

This will be mutually beneficial for both the university and the community, she said. We are an economic anchor in the area and we want to expand on that and make it mutually beneficial for students, faculty and the community.

Durr said the initiative is in its infancy at this time.

We have meetings planned where we are going to sit down with the stakeholders and create a mission statement, she said. This will give us direction to go forward.

The three primary areas for collaboration are:

Functional operations that are campus centric and capitalize on partnerships between SIUE and the public/private sectors such as public works, public safety and opportunities for collaboration such as the City of Edwardsvilles management of the outdoor swimming pool for public use on SIUEs campus.

Regional engagements that fit SIUEs mission and addresses such needs are economic development, healthcare and workforce development such as current job training available at SIUEs East St. Louis campus.

Student and faculty development offer internships, consulting opportunities, alumni engagement and entrepreneurial development.

Pembrook said the project will strongly benefit students.

Most importantly, a strong relationship between the University and the public and private sectors presents a significant opportunity for our students to take their education beyond the classroom, to gain valuable experience and literally put into application the theories and practices they have learned, he said.
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Linkedin Gede Benny Setia Wirawan (The Jakarta Post) Denpasar  Mon, October 24, 2016

When Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) declared their stances in the controversy involving a statement by Jakarta Governor Basuki Ahok Tjahaja Purnama on the interpretation of Al-Maidah 51 of the Quran, it can be implied that this is a call for Muslims to refrain from voting for candidates of other religions.

The lack of political opposition from the government means that this move is one step short from government-sanctioned discrimination against minority religions.

Ahok and the Al-Maidah 51 controversy is only the latest of a string of political rhetoric that risks triggering horizontal societal division in the country. United Development Party (PPP) chairman Muhammad Romi Romahurmuziy called for a constitutional amendment to limit the presidency for people of native Indonesian origin, a term vaguely defined that could be used arbitrarily and unfairly.

Earlier still, in the 2014 presidential election, divisive tactics were also employed to split the nation along ethnic and religious lines, attacking both sides of the ballot. There was a hoax of President Joko Jokowi Widodo being secretly a Christian of Chinese descent. On the other side of the ballot, there were also misguided Jokowi supporters who repudiated Prabowo Subianto due to Christians in his immediate family. This tactic aimed to appeal to the more chauvinist Muslims of the Javanese majority.

Supporters of this potentially divisive rhetoric cite principle of majority rule in democracy as their philosophical foundation. They also attempt to bend principles of democracy, claiming that democracy disallows minority to rule over the majority. In democracy, the only relevant majority is majority of the vote, with demographic majority being irrelevant. Regardless of demographic attributes, if a candidate is supported by the majority of voters, he or she has the right to rule.

Nationalism is another popular argument to support this divisive and discriminatory rhetoric. In social media many allege that Indonesians of foreign descent, such as Chinese-Indonesians, collude with foreign interests through the popular use of the term asenga slang term derived from the Indonesian word for foreign: asing. Others cite the native Indonesian nature of their religion or ethnicity as reasoning for discriminating against others. They argue because of their native origin some ethnicities or religions are inherently more nationalistic.

However, it is incredibly difficult to define what is native Indonesian. Anthropologically, Indonesian people are Austronesian, meaning that we share ancestry with most other Asian peoples, as well as Madagascar in Africa. Culturally, almost all Indonesian cultures have received some sort of foreign cultural influence: be it Indian, Persian, Turkish, Arabic, Chinese or European. The same is true for religion as none of the six religions acknowledged by the government, are of native Indonesian origin.

The concept of a unified Indonesian nation was conceived based on our common struggle against the Dutch. By staying here and taking up Indonesian citizenship, all Indonesians of Chinese, Indian, Arabian, European, or any other foreign descent acceded to that common struggle and should be treated no differently from a Javanese or Sundanese. This is especially true for their descendants who have never witnessed the land of their ancestors and have lived their entire lives as Indonesian citizens. The same applies for religion.

It is understandable in democracy for a voter to consider a candidates demographic attributes in voting. The problem is if religion and ethnicity becomes the main or only criteria when choosing a candidate.

The most important consideration should be a candidates political platform. A platform is not simply vague promises, but rather a detailed plan to make them reality. The second consideration is a candidates ability to implement these programs. It includes the candidates technical capacity to govern, their leadership skills, track record in public office, and trustworthiness. At the end of the day, a voter should vote for the best possible programs that aims at achieving almost unanimously agreed goals. That is the way of an ideal democracy.

To judge a candidate based on religion or ethnicity is unjustifiable in a democracy. If such practice is promoted and accepted by society, democracy will turn into tyranny of the majority. When the government fails to protect a minority from such practices or worse actually promotes it, the government has acted partially and violated human rights.

The use of divisive rhetoric to appeal to a certain identity of voter is a sign of imperfection in our democracy. Our political elite only promise dreamy results without detailing their platforms on how they plan to achieve it. Our media support such an environment as they rarely put the spotlight on a candidates promised programs, or lack thereof, and instead focusing on the candidates personal life, background and scandals. The general lack of political education among the populace result in voters inability to critically scrutinize a candidates platform themselves. This atmosphere allows populist rhetoric that appeal to voters emotion by building a misguided us versus them mindset.

The Jakarta 2017 gubernatorial election will be front and center in addressing this issue. For the first time, Indonesia has a frontrunner candidate of double minority status, a Christian Chinese-Indonesian in a region dominated by Muslim of Javanese, Betawi, and Sundanese ethnicities. For this candidate to win or lose is beside the problem. Whether he wins or loses not based on his demographic attributes will gauge the credibility of Indonesian democracy. Jakarta could be seen as a microcosm of Indonesia with its demographic diversity and to achieve such a feat here would strongly suggest that the dream of a perfect Indonesian democracy is still alive.

This is a hard target considering Indonesian democratic atmosphere is far from perfect. For Ahoks opponents to not inflame the divisive rhetoric would not be enough to quell the controversy. The flame has burnt for far too long and too fiercely. To enjoy support from inflammatory groups while refraining to commit discriminatory remarks is to be hypocrite. It is tacit support that makes such actions acceptableeven necessaryto win an election. To show their commitment to unprejudiced democracy, other running candidates Anies Baswedan and Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono should do more than to refrain. They should actively condemn such practices and to renounce support from groups or people who commit them. Would Anies and Agus dare to do that?

***

Gede Benny Setia Wirawan is a medical student in Denpasar. Apart from health sciences, he is also interested in politics and human rights issues. You can find him at his favorite hangout reading news, watching movies, or studying for exams. Find him in Instagram @bennywirawan.

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We are looking for information, opinions, and in-depth analysis from experts or scholars in a variety of fields. We choose articles based on facts or opinions about general news, as well as quality analysis and commentary about Indonesia or international events. Send your piece to community@jakpost.com. For more information click here.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not reflect the official stance of The Jakarta Post.
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Linkedin Tatin Yang (Inquirer.net/Asia News Network)  Mon, October 24, 2016

Every perfumer who passes through Chanels hallowed halls is tasked to become a gatekeeper to protect the legacy of Chanel N5, said Jean Loy, Chanels fragrance specialist who flew in from Singapore.

The brands latest nose/gatekeeper, Olivier Polge, was given the daunting task of reinventing Chanel N5, one of the worlds most iconic scents. Polges father, Jacques Polge, was also one of the brands strongest noses, responsible for famous fragrances like Coco Mademoiselle, Chance and Allure.

Theres no olfactory nepotism at work, though. Olivier is a solid perfumer in his own right, having concocted hits like Viktor & Rolfs Flowerbomb.

In reinventing Chanel N5, Olivier, in his behind the scent video, said what could be said about a son working for a company marked by his fathers strong legacy: Rather than feeling burdened by the weight of this heritage and the legend surrounding it, I saw opportunities, especially for freshness. Freshness is interesting because it provides spontaneity.

The result of his reinvention is N5 LEau, an airy rendering of the original, deconstructed and refreshed while keeping the signature N5 alive in its notes.

Added Polge, I like the Eau concept because it expresses freshness for this perfume which was originally very opulent. And yet, during deconstruction, it remained true to the Guiding Thread that defines it as N5.

(Read also: Louis Vuitton to launch 7 new perfumes inspired by travel)

Close up shot of Chanel No. 5 - N5 LEAU in a store. Chanel No. 5 is the first perfume launched by French couturier Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel.(Shutterstock.com/Sorbis/File)

Floral notes + citrus

Exceptional raw materials are blended with high technology, said Loy of the methodology that made N5 LEau. It is a melange of aerated floral notes (jasmine, ylang-ylang) and citrusan unprecedented ingredientand the emblematic accord that exemplifies Chanel N5: the May rose, which blooms only once a year.

The citrus is taken from lemons harvested in winter, which yields the highest quality of citrus.

Polge worked on the balance of freshness and warmth, operating purely on instinct to get it right. But right is complicated because its intangible, he said.

Despite the intangibility of right, N5 LEau hits all the right notes. Or as Loy put it: Its something comfortable, soft and clean that cradles you.

Perfume is a special armor. Its an invisible language we use to communicate, she added.

Her tip for perfume power dressing: For important power meetings, skip the fruity fragrances. Fruity scents make you look like you dont know what youre doing; wear something with sandalwood instead. When you wear wood it lends you security and authority. Pair this with a suit.

On where to spritz: Coco Chanel always said to apply perfume where you want to be kissed. Put some behind your ears, on your neck, behind your knees, and on the hem of your skirt so the fragrance envelops you when you move.
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Linkedin News Desk (Associated Press) Detroit, United States  Mon, October 24, 2016

Electric car maker Tesla Motors has plans to get into the ride-hailing and sharing businesses.

The company hinted at the venture earlier this week when it announced that all of its cars would come equipped with hardware needed to drive themselves.

(Read also: Tesla CEO says he's working on another secret 'masterplan')

The company says in a disclaimer that use of self-driving Teslas to make money with ride-hailing or sharing will be allowed only on Tesla's own network. Details will be released next year.

A Tesla spokeswoman wouldn't comment on the matter.

Tesla announced Wednesday that all cars including the lower-cost Model 3 would have more cameras, sensors, radar and computing power so they can drive themselves. Software would be updated over the internet to allow the cars to do more as the features are tested.
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Linkedin (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sat, October 22 2016

Jakarta Governor Basuki Ahok Tjahaja Purnama has promised to provide Jakarta Smart Cards (KJP), the citys financial assistance program aimed at students from low-income families, to Jakarta students studying at Islamic boarding schools outside the city.

Next year, we will also finance students from poor families who want to study at Islamic boarding schools outside Jakarta, Ahok said on Friday as quoted by kompas.com.

He added that the cards would also be given to students from Jakarta who won places at state universities either in Jakarta or outside the capital.

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Linkedin (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sat, October 22 2016

Along the roadside leading to Pasar Rumput Market in Manggarai, South Jakarta, which is now being rebuilt, are laid out hundreds of used bicycles for sale.

For years, people from Greater Jakarta and beyond have been attracted to the market by the quality and low prices.

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Linkedin (Associated Press) Berlin  Mon, October 24, 2016

Officials say 35 Turkish diplomats and family members have applied for asylum in Germany since the failed military coup in Turkey.

The Turkish government has launched a massive crackdown on people suspected of sympathizing with the US-based Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen, who it accuses of instigating the coup attempt in July.

German Interior Ministry spokesman Johannes Dimroth declined Monday to say how many of the 35 asylum seekers were diplomats and how many were family members, citing privacy rules.

He also said that since diplomatic status isn't normally part of the asylum application the actual figure might be higher.

Germany has a large Turkish minority, numbering more than 3 million, due to decades of migration of laborers and Turks claiming persecution at home.
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Linkedin Margareth S. Aritonang (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Mon, October 24 2016

While President Joko Jokowi Widodo has committed to improving the lives of women across the country, including by ending violence against women and girls, those who live in Aceh face an increased risk of all kinds of violence following the introduction of a discriminative Islamic Criminal Code Bylaw (Qanun Jinayat) a year ago.

The bylaw has unfairly punished women and girls following its implementation on Oct. 23, 2015. Civil society groups have called on the government to impose a moratorium on the implementation of the bylaw to create space for improvement.

The Institute for Criminal Justice (ICJR) recorded that the Aceh Sharia Council had issued sentences for 221 violations of sharia from January to September this year. Punishable acts according to the Qanun Jinayat include drinking liquor, khalwat (affectionate contact between unmarried couples), liwat (homosexual relationships) and musahaqah (lesbianism) and 180 people in Aceh were caned within the first nine months of this year for these supposed violations.

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Linkedin (The Jakarta Post) Indonesia  Mon, October 24 2016

Four Indonesian sailors held captive by Somali pirates for more than four years have been freed, along with 22 other sailors from China, the Philippines and Cambodia, an official has confirmed.

The Foreign Ministrys team has been in Nairobi for coordination. We will keep monitoring the release process, ministry spokesperson Arrmanatha Nasir said on Sunday.

They were seized when the Omani-flagged FV Naham 3 vessel was hijacked close to the Seychelles in March 2012, when pirate attacks were common in the area.

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Linkedin (The Jakarta Post)  Mon, October 24 2016

Next years historic second round of simultaneous regional elections in 101 provinces, regencies and cities across the archipelago is touted as reflecting Indonesias democracy, which remains stifled by politicians short-term, opportunistic visions and mired in corruption. Our team, Nani Afrida and Pandaya in Jakarta, with reporting from correspondents Hotli Simanjuntak in Aceh, Syamsul Huda M. Suhari in Gorontalo and Bambang Muryanto in Yogyakarta, outline the major issues surrounding the much-awaited events.



Funco Tanipu, a lecturer with the state Gorontalo University, was very skeptical about the local gubernatorial candidacy, which was dominated by old faces. He observed that when it came to the recruitment system, the aspirants money did the talking more than their actual competence.



The lingering tradition of favoring the old, stiff hands with formidable financial resources was dashing the local peoples hopes for the emergence of young, hip leaders. This old-fashioned practice, he said, had kept lots of capable younger leaders at bay.



Tanipu suspected that the old players  four pairs with all but one nominee aged over 50  only represented the interests of the national political elite and capitalists who were targeting multi-million dollar projects in Gorontalo, from the construction of a railway system, to cement production and gold mining concessions.



This [upcoming election] is a representation of the political strife of Gorontalos capitalists, he said. So its only logical that there is no competition of ideas among the candidates.



Even though Tanipu happened to be commenting on the Gorontalo election, his allegations ring quite true for the Feb. 15 political contests in the other 100 provinces, cities and regencies across the archipelago.



The elections are widely seen as critical for political parties to strengthen their grassroots bases and bolster their leverage for the 2019 general election, when the national top jobs, both in the executive and legislative bodies, will be up for grabs.



As in any other previous elections, they are mired in widespread vote buying, bribery, cronyism and nepotism. Criminals are granted tickets to run for public office. For example, a Gorontalo incumbent candidate  Rusli Habibie  is on two-year probation for defaming the then local police chief, Comr. Gen. Budi Waseso, who probed a myriad of graft cases implicating Rusli while he was the North Gorontalo regent from 2008 to 2012.



But Rusli does not have to worry about anything because the candidacy of convicts like him has been made legal by an agreement between lawmakers and Home Affairs Ministry officials, who turned a deaf ear to fierce popular objection. Ex-prisoners also retain their right to hold public positions on the grounds that they have paid for their crimes. In short, political parties have belittled ethical considerations.



The Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI) noted that between 2005 and 2015, Indonesia had implemented 1,300 regional direct elections. This formidable experience and the lessons learned should make future elections better in terms of organization, transparency and fairness, or does it?



LIPI senior researcher Siti Zuhro had a surprising account. In terms of quality, the direct regional elections were declining. The public had been losing trust in the corrupt system.



Candidates use any means, including illogical tactics, to win the elections, she said. Its a mask democracy. Financial transactions [for political gains] are the order of the day. Opportunism has taken the place of idealism.





Direct elections were designed in the wake of dictator Soehartos downfall by proponents of reformation, with the aim of improving public service, encouraging local competitive advantage, creating good governance and improving citizens wellbeing. These ideals remain elusive.



Political parties have miserably failed to carry out their basic function of recruiting honest leaders and educating the masses about the basic values of democracy, such as integrity and fairness. The Jakarta gubernatorial candidacy is a case in point: None of the three candidates, Basuki Ahok Tjahaja Purnama, Anies Baswedan and Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono, represent any political party, although each of them is endorsed by parties because running as an independent has been virtually blocked.



Early smear campaigns exacerbated by Ahoks recent gaffe about Quran verses gives credence to Sitis allegations about contenders Machiavellian tendencies to win elections.



Adding insult to injury, the amended laws on regional elections have dashed the peoples hopes for the emergence of independent candidates. The mostly self-serving House of Representatives has raised the bar for potential leaders to run on independent tickets to an unreasonably high level. Even Ahok, who claimed to have the support of a million voters, backed down from his independent bid and sought party endorsement.



The damning legislation denies citizens the right to field leaders of their own choice and left them to accept the candidates chosen by politicians instead. Only a few regencies and provinces will see aspirants running as independents, including one in Aceh and one in Gorontalo.



Another new provision in the law that some local candidates have exploited is one that allows the election to proceed in the event there is only a single pair in the contest. In this case, voters will indicate if they agree or disagree.



In some regencies, such as Kulon Progo in Yogyakarta, incumbent candidates have secured the support of almost all local councilors, leaving no chance for other people to take part in the contest. This practice has raised suspicion of early vote buying. It is no big deal if the single candidates have proven track records, like Kulon Progo regent Hasto Wardoyo and Surabaya mayor Tri Rismaharini.



Next year, six regencies will have nominees without contenders: Kulon Progo, Tulang Bawang, Landak, Pati, Buton and Tambrauw, plus one mayoralty: Tebingtinggi. In last years first round of simultaneous elections, there were only three.



Bayu Dardias, a political lecturer with Gadjah Mada University, said that the phenomenon was made possible by either the candidates unrivalled patronage or their formidable financial clout that enabled them to buy votes.



Such strong patronage and plutocracy was also blamed for the robust political dynasties in many regions, like Banten, Lampung, South Sumatra, Kutai Kartanegara and South Sulawesi. In the local context, political dynasty is simply a euphemism for nepotism, with all the negative perceptions that go along with it.



The regions where political dynasties have taken hold have similar characteristics in common: they are impoverished, agricultural and rural, Bayu said.



Amid concern about civil organizations and the medias inability to play an effective role as electoral watchdog, the legal empowerment of the traditionally lame Election Supervisory Agency (Bawaslu) has come as a ray of hope.



Now it wields the power to punish recalcitrant candidates, disqualifying nominees who break the rules. Unless its members are partisan, it should be brave enough to exercise this newfound authority.



Unfortunately, Bawaslus empowerment is only a one-step-forward, two-steps-back tactic because  inconsistently  the new regulations allow regional head aspirants to provide money to their supporters, so long as it is disguised as lunch, transportation and prize allowances. This anecdotal reality is apparently designed by politicians to complicate investigations into allegations of bribery and vote buying.



Although campaigning regulation No. 12/2016 prohibits candidates from providing cash to supporters attending their rallies, they can still bend the rules, said Titi Anggraini of the Association for Elections and Democracy (Perludem). What if a candidate invites an ulema to a hotel and pays for his lunch, room and transportation? Isnt it a form of vote buying, too?



High hopes are hung on the stronger Bawaslu to act professionally and independently. Tough law enforcement to uphold the rule of law is the job that it failed to do in the past, casting doubt on its independence.



Observers are warning of potential disputes in such restive areas as Aceh and West Papua. The flawed legal framework, questionable neutrality on the part of the organizers, growing sectarian strife and bitter rivalry among local contenders are all reasons to fear open conflicts.



Aceh has been singled out as the most vulnerable to violent conflicts, largely because four of the six gubernatorial candidates are rival ex-leaders of the secessionist Free Aceh Movement (GAM). They are former governor Irwandi Yusuf, incumbent Zaini Abdullah, incumbent deputy Muzakir Manaf and Zakaria Zaman.



All but Irwandi belong to the Aceh Party, the largest local party, chaired by Muzakir, while Zaini and Zakaria will run as independents.



The upcoming election will further divide the Aceh Party and this could make things precarious because each candidate has their own loyal supporters, said Efendi Hasan, a political observer from the Banda Aceh-based State University of Syah Kuala.



The contest will be even livelier with the unique alliance between local and national political parties. Muzakir has secured the backing of not only the Aceh Party but also five national parties: the Jan Faridz faction of the United Development Party (PPP), the National Mandate Party (PAN), the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS), the Indonesian Justice and Unity Party (PKPI) and the Gerindra Party.



Irwandi, as a former GAM leader and governor from 2006 to 2012, is seen as a strong contender. He founded the Aceh National Party following his reelection defeat in 2012. His political backing will be reinforced by another local party, the Aceh Peace Party, and three national parties: the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), the Democratic Party and the National Awakening Party (PKB).



For the province that has formally adopted sharia and where Quran recital is prerequisite to getting a ticket for the race, next years election will be the third since it signed a peace agreement with the Indonesian government in Helsinki in 2005.



In addition, 16 regencies across Aceh will also elect their heads of government. Like the gubernatorial aspirants, some of the regent nominees have links to GAM and retain strong support from voters sympathetic to the separatist cause. In anticipation of disturbances, the local police plan to mobilize some 10,000 of their 14,000 personnel.

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Linkedin (The Jakarta Post) Depok  Mon, October 24 2016

DEPOK, W. JAVA: An insurance expert has called on the government and financial institutions to devise a natural disaster insurance scheme to protect victims in times of need.

Establishing a fund in which the government regularly pays for the premium and works with insurance companies to manage and grow it, is one way to facilitate natural disaster relief in the archipelagic country, said Kornelius Simanjuntak, an academic at the University of Indonesias Faculty of Law.

It would take a hefty amount of money to rebuild the victims homes, while they would be facing financial difficulties following the disaster, with banks also reluctant to lend because of their financial instability, he added, arguing that government support and international aid alone would not be able to fully provide for them.

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Linkedin Liza Yosephine (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Mon, October 24, 2016

Foreign Minister Retno LP Marsudi on Monday confirmed the safe release of 26 crewmen, including four Indonesians, who were taken hostage by Somali pirates in 2012. The minister had credited the success down to prolonged and intensive coordination between related governments, civil and non-governmental organizations, including the UN.

Retno said all 26 men had arrived safely in Nairobi on Sunday evening local time, following their release on Oct. 22.

The release was made possible following an extensive process involving close coordination between governments of the hostages country of origin, she added, which included crewmen from Cambodia, China, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam.

"The Indonesian government had also closely coordinated and cooperated with several non-governmental organizations, international non-profit organizations, as well as with the support of the UN," Retno said during a press briefing in Jakarta.

The four Ade Manurung, Nelson Pesirero, Sudirman and Supardiare currently under the protection of Indonesian Embassy officials while they undergo medical checkups beginning Monday. They would return to Indonesia following recovery, which was expected to take several days, Retno said.

"The condition of the men are in general good," Retno said, adding that she had spoken to Sudirman shortly following their arrival in Nairobi.

The Indonesian sailors were among 29 crewmen on board the Naham 3 when it was hijacked on March 26, 2012. (bbn)
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Linkedin Haeril Halim (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Mon, October 24 2016

As issues snowball surrounding the countrys electronic identity card (e-KTP) project, it has been revealed that key officials rebuffed advice to safeguard the program from corruption.

The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) said it had delivered recommendations to former home minister Gamawan Fauzi to avoid embezzlement in the large project, which has caused state losses of Rp 2 trillion (US$154 million).

KPK chairman Agus Rahardjo, who led the National Procurement Agency (LKPP) when the procurement occurred between 2011 and 2012, said the agency had suggested Gamawan split the project, worth a total of Rp 6 trillion, into smaller units and conduct e-procurement to maintain transparency, all of which was ignored by the minister.

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Linkedin Grace D. Amianti (The Jakarta Post)  Mon, October 24 2016

Steve Bolze (JP/Grace D. Amianti)

The governments target to install 35,000 megawatts (MW) of electricity across Indonesia by 2019 is seen as an ambitious project that needs extra attention in order to help increase the national electrification ratio to 97 percent, up from the current ratio of 88.3 percent. GE Power, as the largest industrial segment of US technology giant General Electric (GE), aims to play a valuable role in Indonesias electricity program through innovation that promises a reliable level of efficiency for power plants. GE Power CEO and president Steve Bolze recently talked with The Jakarta Posts Grace D. Amianti about the companys initiatives to help the governments program. The following are edited excerpts from the interview.

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Linkedin Liza Yosephine (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Mon, October 24, 2016

The government reiterated on Monday its no-ransom policy, following the release of four Indonesian sailors who had been held hostage by Somali pirates for over four years.

"The government remains in its position not to pay ransom to hostage takers," Foreign Ministry spokesperson Arrmanatha Nasir told reporters on Monday.

Arrmanatha was responding to questions on the release of the four Indonesians who were among 26 hostages released by Somali pirates on Oct. 22.

The hostages included sailors from China, Cambodia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam, who were on board the Naham 3 vessel when it was seized in waters near the Seychelles on March 26, 2012.

Arrmanatha said the release process had taken a long time due to complex coordination between the governments of the hostages' countries of origin and cooperation across civil and non-governmental organizations.

Foreign Minister Retno LP Marsudi earlier confirmed that all 26 crewmen had arrived in Nairobi on Sunday evening, local time. The minister conveyed her appreciation to all parties involved in the release process, including the UN, which flew the men from Somalia to the Kenyan capital via a humanitarian flight.

Retno said the four Indonesian sailors  Sudirman, Supardi, Ade Manurung and Nelson Pesirero  were in the protection of the Indonesian Embassy, where they were undergoing medical check-ups before returning to Indonesia.

In total, 29 crew were on board the Naham 3. The captain died during the attack while two other men, one of whom was Indonesian, died of illnesses during while being held captive. (ebf)
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Linkedin Liza Yosephine (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Mon, October 24, 2016

Foreign Minister Retno LP Marsudi has said the UN's central role in ensuring the successful implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) requires new methods, in which it should adapt to the global new realities and challenges.

The UN needs to embrace new methods of work that will safeguard its important targets, such as the successful implementation of the SDGs," Retno said in her opening remarks during the 71st commemoration of UN Day in Jakarta on Monday.

The minister called on the UN to mainstream the SDGs and their targets in all activities and the work of committees, agencies and related bodies under the UN system and to adapt to current conditions.

Retno further said the global organization must also adopt an approach based on need assessments. It was critical for the UN to enhance capacity in developing countries to translate the goals into workable and implementable policies on the ground, she added.

If we succeed in reaching the goals by 2030, it will be the most important achievement of our generation, which will benefit not only our neighbors, community and our country, but most importantly, it will bring benefits to humanity, Retno said.

She further said Indonesia would continue to contribute to the promotion of global peace and prosperity, noting that the country was currently the 11th largest contributor of UN peacekeepers, with more than 2,800 personnel deployed on 10 missions.

During the event, Retno also conveyed Indonesia's candidacy for a 2019-2020 non-permanent UN Security Council seat to the audience, which consisted of officials from the 24 UN agencies in Jakarta and foreign ambassadors to Indonesia. (ebf)
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Linkedin Stefani Ribka (The Jakarta Post) Kuala Lumpur  Mon, October 24, 2016

Indonesia and Malaysia expect to see an increasing volume of goods other than palm oil and petroleum products flowing between the two nations in an effort to reverse the declining trend in bilateral exports and imports.



Malaysias International Trade and Industry Minister Dato Sri Mustapa Mohamed said a lot more

could be done to boost trade between the two neighboring countries, despite the current global economic crisis.



There hasnt been much diversification in the pattern of trade between Malaysia and Indonesia. The volume of trade doesnt reflect the true potentials of our economies, he said during a business forum attended by businesspeople from both countries, held in Kuala Lumpur on Thursday.



Total exports and imports between the countries showed a declining trend in the past five years from US$17.8 billion in 2011 to $15.1 billion last year, with a surplus for Indonesia of $157.3 million, according to data from the Geneva-based International Trade Center (ITC).



Mustapa noted that Indonesias exports to Malaysia consisted mainly of palm oil and palm-based products and chemicals, while imports consisted largely of petroleum products, machinery, appliances and parts.



In his August visit to Indonesia, Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak said both countries could boost the annual value of their bilateral trade to $30 billion in the near future.



Mustapa said his side hoped to reach the figure by 2020 although he also acknowledged some considerable challenges.



I know its unrealistic to achieve it by 2020 but we need to strive, the sooner the better, he said.



During the forum, Indonesian businesspeople expressed their interest in exporting more value-added products to ASEAN countries. They, however, acknowledged that different standards for halal certification applied in every country, which remained one of the biggest challenges for such an expansion plan.



The Malaysian market remains interesting for our [products] but the countrys halal [certification] standard makes it inefficient for us to export there, said Juan Permata Adoe, Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin) deputy chairman for food processing, livestock and dairy products.



Indonesia and Malaysia, respectively, have the largest and second-largest Muslim populations in Southeast Asia.



Providing an example, Juan said a number of major dairy players, like PT Greenfields Indonesia, must apply twice for halal certification, in both Indonesia and Malaysia, before they were allowed to export their products to the neighboring country.



Indonesian Trade Minister Enggartiasto Lukita, meanwhile, said he planned to meet Muslim leaders from both countries to discuss the possibility of unifying halal certification.

(-/-)



During the forum, Minister Mustapa also shared his hopes of seeing a bigger contribution from small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in bilateral trade between Indonesia and Malaysia.



However, businesspeople said the homogeneity of SME products had made it difficult for small players to expand their markets.



They [Malaysian SMEs] can actually produce what our SMEs make, like food, coffee, handicrafts and Muslim clothing, said Kadin official Budiarto Linggowijono, who served as the business lobby groups deputy chairman for SMEs for the 2010-2015 period.



Today many foreign traders also visit Tanah Abang [textile market in Central Jakarta] to buy products from local producers. Looking at these opportunities, what our SMEs need is overseas business networks that help them make bigger sales.



During their visit to Malaysia on Thursday, Kadin representatives signed a memorandum of understanding with the Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (Matrade) to intensify communications and coordination to boost bilateral trade.



Earlier this month, Indonesia and Malaysia held a trade expo in Makassar, South Sulawesi, along with members of the Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, Malaysia and Philippines East ASEAN Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA), to improve trade, investment and tourism in the ASEAN subregion.

_________________________



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Linkedin Tama Salim (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Mon, October 24 2016

Foreign policy under President Joko Jokowi Widodo has so far taken a backseat to the economy-focused development in the domestic sphere, due in part to the difficulty of translating Jokowis inward-looking vision into firm foreign policy strategies.

Nowhere is this argument more compelling than in Indonesias current relationship with China, in which the government seems unable to resist the gravitational pull of Beijing and its grand designs.

Our relationship with China is not an equal one, international relations expert Adriana Elisabeth of the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI) said on Sunday. While Indonesia and China are both major powers, China is more able to exercise that power.

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Linkedin Dylan Amirio (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Mon, October 24, 2016

Kaskus co-founder Ken Dean Lawadinata has broken his silence after marching out of one of Indonesias most prominent technology platforms, citing higher risk in the industry and even a little bit of a bubble.



I think right now the IT market is in a bit of a bubble in Indonesia, with everyone asking ridiculous valuations without any signs of profit in the near future, local media quoted the 30-year-old, who brought Kaskus to fame in 2008 with his cousin Andrew Darwis.



This  just days after Go-Jek co-founder Michaelangelo Moran also announced he had quit his popular company  has generated concerns over the state of Indonesias young and thriving startups, companies that have seen many investments flow in with little details and no guarantees about their revenues and profitability.



There is a marginal bubble forming because of the involvement of foreign investors, hence the global nature of the industrys fears, says Navin Nathani, A.T. Kearney Indonesia principal.



Foreign investors are flocking into startups operating in the country, with the biggest funding ever for a local startup rounded up by Go-Jek in August worth US$550 million from American private equity firms KKR and Warburg Pincus.



Indonesias startup scene is starting to look crowded, but compared to other markets such as India or the USA, its relatively small and still generating huge interest among investors, he added.



There are over 2,000 startups in Indonesia, most of which are valued at less than $10 million, according to a Google-Temasek report. The middle-income segment of the country is flourishing and internet users are expected to double by 2020 from over 100 million users at present, the worlds fifth largest figure.



Even if startup investors are running higher risks, Naveen explained that it was very common for them to invest in unprofitable companies due to a scale effect, or a network effect.



Basically, investors in the startup system are giving up short-term gains for massive long-term gains. They just need one of their invested startups to become successful in order for them to say that they have succeeded, he said.



Startups and venture capitalists (VCs) have told The Jakarta Post that they see no bubble bursting in the near future as they are banking on the growth potential of the young industry.



I would see it not as a bubble, but more of a challenge of market and price adjustment, said Sebastian Togelang, founding partner of Kejora, a local VC firm that focuses on building companies.



The technology industry is well prepared to prevent bubbles from bursting because of lessons learned from the 2000 dotcom bubble burst, when tech firms in developed countries crashed and burned after going public based on unrealistic valuations, he said.



Everyone is being cautious and thats a good thing for both parties, Sebastian added.



These days, fewer tech companies are going for initial public offerings (IPOs) and when they do, it takes more time and more maturity to do so, according to data from McKinsey Indonesia.



Over 50 companies in the US are targeting IPOs in 2014, versus 371 in 1999, while median years to IPO stood at 11 years in 2014 from four years in 1999. In terms of networks, there are now 14 billion connected devices worldwide from half a billion in 1999.



Metra Digital Innovation (MDI) Ventures CEO Nicko Widjaja said Indonesia was far from a bubble because many startups were funded by corporate ventures with big scales that had yet to reach their optimum levels.



Local corporate ventures into the digital startup sector include those operated by Bank Mandiri and Bank Sinarmas, along with Telkom Indonesias Indigo Accelerator program, which Nicko and MDI are aligned with.



The concerns over a bubble burst in the tech scene may have emerged in the first place because of a perceived winter for venture capital in Indonesia. For almost a year, fundraising has been more difficult due to a more cautious approach taken by both investors and startups in seeking profitability, VCs said.



Startups admit that their focus is indeed on growth and eventual profitability, but the main aspect of their operations revolves around the effects of their business in changing the way people shop, travel, transact and use a wide range of services online.



From the start, one of our main focuses has always been on growth, Go-Jeks chief marketing officer Piotr Jakubowski said, admitting that satisfying investor returns on investment remained a process.



Our best takeaway is the fact that we continue to inspire new businesses and we are also innovating and growing in a way thats beneficial for consumers.



E-commerce firm Blibli.com is of the view that the startup scene will continue to grow so long as enterprises serve to benefit the public.



In the end, its about educating the market, especially in e-commerce, which is something relatively new. Its teaching people to try online shopping, Blibli.com senior marketing manager Deny Agsana said.

_______________________

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Linkedin Qassim Abdul-Zahra and Joseph Krauss (Associated Press) Bartella, Iraq  Mon, October 24, 2016

Iraqi forces shelled Islamic State positions outside Mosul on Monday as fighting to retake the extremist-held city entered its second week. A rights group, meanwhile, urged a probe into a suspected airstrike last week that mistakenly hit a mosque, killing over a dozen civilians.

The purported airstrike in northern Iraq struck the women's section of a Shiite mosque on Friday in the town of Daquq amid a large Islamic State assault on the nearby city of Kirkuk. That assault was meant to distract the Iraqi forces and their allies from the massive operation around Mosul.

Human Rights Watch said Daquq's residents believe the attack was an airstrike because of the extent of the destruction and because planes could be heard flying overhead. The New York-based watchdog said at least 13 people were reported killed.

The US-led coalition and the Iraqi military, which are waging the offensive to drive IS from the northern city of Mosul, are the only parties known to be flying military aircraft over Iraq.

Col. John Dorrian, a US military spokesman, said the coalition had "definitively determined" that it did not conduct the airstrike that killed civilians in Daquq, and had shared its findings with the Iraqi government, which is carrying out its own investigation.

"The Coalition uses precision munitions and an exhaustive process to reduce the possibility of civilian casualties and collateral damage because the preservation of civilian life is paramount importance to us," Dorrian said.

Iraqi Brig. Gen. Yahya Rasool, the spokesman for the Joint Military Command, confirmed the Iraqi government was investigating the attack. He declined to say whether Iraqi or coalition planes were flying in the area at the time of the explosion.

The strike in Daquq, around 40 kilometers (25 miles) south of Kirkuk, took place as dozens of IS militants attacked several government and police compounds in the city of Kirkuk, some 170 kilometers (100 miles) southeast of Mosul.

Daquq Mayor Amir Khodakram said on Saturday that the alleged airstrike killed 17 people, mainly women and children, and wounded another 50. He said it wasn't clear who carried out the airstrike.

Over the past week, Iraqi and Kurdish forces have been battling IS in a belt of mostly uninhabited towns and villages to the north, east and south of Mosul, pushing to within 9 kilometers (5  miles) of the city.

On Monday, Iraqi special forces began shelling IS positions before dawn near the town of Bartella, said Maj. Gen. Haider al-Obeidi. Bartella, a historically Christian town 15 kilometers (9 miles) to the east of Mosul, was retaken by Iraqi special forces last week.

Shortly afterward, a convoy of special forces advanced toward the village of Tob Zawa, encountering roadside bombs and trading heavy fire with the militants. Loudspeakers on the Humvees blared Iraqi patriotic music as they pushed toward the village.

The campaign to retake Mosul comes after months of planning and involves more than 25,000 Iraqi troops, Kurdish forces, Sunni tribal fighters and state-sanctioned Shiite militias. It is expected to take weeks, if not months, to drive IS out of Iraq's second largest city, which is still home to more than a million people.

The militants captured Mosul in the summer of 2014, when they swept across much of northern and western Iraq. IS has suffered a series of setbacks over the past year, and Mosul is its last major urban bastion in Iraq.

___

Krauss reported from Baghdad. Associated Press writer Sinan Salaheddin in Baghdad contributed to this report.
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Linkedin Stevie Emilia (The Jakarta Post) Frankfurt  Mon, October 24 2016

The Frankfurt Book Fair transformed into a magical realm over the weekend as book fans showed up clad in the colorful costumes of their favorite characters, from Harry Potter to Obi Wan Kanobi and the Mad Hatter.

The worlds oldest and largest fair, which for the first few days focused more on the book trade, opened up its doors to the public on Saturday and Sunday, its final day.

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Linkedin Ayomi Amindoni (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Mon, October 24, 2016

President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo held a bilateral meeting with Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) secretary-general Angel Gurria at the State Palace in Jakarta on Monday.

In the bilateral meeting with Jokowi and Coordinating Economic Minister Darmin Nasution, Gurria discussed cooperation between Indonesia and the OECD, as well as recommendations to help boost the economy.

"Indonesia and the OECD have been collaborating since 2012 in many areas, such as tax reform and education. There are about six to seven sectors, some of which are going well, while others need some improvement," Darmin said.

In its latest economic summary released in June, the OECD projected Indonesia's economic growth to pick up gradually next year and reach 5.5 percent by the end of 2017, driven by paced-up public spending and the strengthening rupiah.

On fiscal side, the OECD said the government's focus on removing several investment plans had led to ample fiscal support.

Meanwhile, the low prices for many primary commodities, uncertainty in regulations, inconsistency in domestic industry protection and openness to foreign investment and free trade were said to potentially hold back private investment and hurt business confidence.

In Jakarta, Gurria will launch the OECD-Indonesia Joint Work Program for 2017-2018, along with the 2016 Economic Survey of Indonesia and the 2016 Open Government Review of Indonesia. Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati and National Development Planning Board (Bappenas) head Bambang Brodjonegoro are scheduled to attend the event. (ags)
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Linkedin Ayomi Amindoni (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Mon, October 24, 2016

Following the establishment of the task force on illegal levies last week, President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo has instructed chiefs of the Indonesian Military (TNI) and the National Police across the country to eradicate such fees from their public services.

The message was delivered by the President during a coordination meeting with military and police chiefs from across the country at the State Palace on Monday

Jokowi said the collection of illegal levies had reached an alarming level and was at the expense of Indonesia's competitiveness, therefore, he wanted the chiefs of the military and the police to synergize to implement the national agenda.

National Police chief Gen. Tito Karnavian said the police were currently investigating 235 cases of illegal fees within the polices internal organization.

"His [the Presidents] instruction was to carry out the operation in public services, such as land certificates, ID cards, drivers licenses, vehicle registration and others," he said, adding that the police were also ready to maintain security and public order during the upcoming regional elections.

During the meeting, the President instructed the police and the military to secure the simultaneous regional elections.

Meanwhile, TNI commander Gen. Gatot Nurmayanto expressed his readiness to support the police in maintaining security during the elections.

"The Indonesian Military will prepare all its power and strength to back up the police if any party tries to undermine the stability and security of the nation. This is my commitment," he said. (bbn)
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Linkedin Yusak Setiawan (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Mon, October 24 2016

Cost recovery (CR) is a hot issue and has been a constant topic of debate among all oil and gas stakeholders, including oil and gas companies, the government and now parliament, since cost recovery was put in the state budget.

What is cost recovery? CR is the term used to recapture a contractors capital expenditures and operating expenses out of gross revenues, after first production, under the Production Sharing Contract (PSC).

The CR scheme allows for oil and gas companies who put up their capital for the project to at least get their investment back, provided there is enough resources to do so. It is also important to note that oil and gas company will only capture their past expenditure cost, if they indeed find enough reserves that can be exploited.

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Linkedin Nani Afrida (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Mon, October 24 2016

After a coalition of political parties announced that it was nominating Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono as its Jakarta gubernatorial candidate last month, people were quick to suspect that former president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono was building a political dynasty.

In the ensuing debate on social media and in casual chats on the street, people theorized that Agus had left the military and entered politics at his fathers urging rather than on his own initiative.

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Linkedin Apriadi Gunawan (The Jakarta Post) Medan  Mon, October 24 2016

The National Narcotics Agency (BNN) has revealed that the province of North Sumatra is the main transit place for the distribution of narcotics from abroad to regions across the country.

North Sumatra BNN head Brig. Gen. Andi Loedianto said most of the drugs distributed in Indonesia currently passed through the province. The supply came from Malaysia via Aceh before being transported to Medan, the capital of North Sumatra.

It is from Medan that the drugs are distributed throughout Indonesia. That is why we call North Sumatra the biggest transit place for drugs in the country at present, Andi told reporters on Friday.

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Linkedin Marguerite Afra Sapiie (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Mon, October 24, 2016



The attorney general has stated that there have been no attempts by the government to politicize efforts to resolve the poisoning death of prominent rights defender Munir Said Thalib following comments made by former president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono over a missing investigation report on the high-profile murder case.

"What is being politicized? It's wrong to make such an accusation when what we are seeking is the truth [...] all parties should respond [to the government's efforts] positively and not create such negative thinking," Attorney General M Prasetyo said on Monday.

He was responding to a statement Yudhoyono made on his official twitter account @SBYudhoyono on Sunday, claiming that recent media reports on the missing fact-finding team's report had been politicized. He also welcomed Yudhoyono's plan to make a public statement regarding the case and what measures his administration had taken to investigate the case.

Prasetyo, however, asserted that the Attorney General's Office (AGO) did not have a copy of the fact-finding team's report on Munir's death. His statement was in contrast to that of Democratic Party deputy chairman Didik Mukrianto, who earlier said copies of the investigation report had been handed to the AGO and the National Police after the original was submitted to then president Yudhoyono in 2005.

"[The government] only wants to seek the document's whereabouts and when it was submitted [to the AGO] because it's nowhere to be found," he said.

The Central Information Commission (KIP) issued a writ on Oct. 10 ordering the State Secretariat to release the investigation report compiled by a Yudhoyono-commissioned fact-finding team following Munir's death in September 2004.
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Linkedin Fedina S. Sundaryani (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Mon, October 24, 2016

State-owned electricity company PLN is eyeing two geothermal assets that US-based Chevron is currently offering for auction.

To date, six companies, including PLN, are in the running to take over Chevrons Mount Salak and Darajat geothermal fields in West Java, which are estimated to be worth a combined US$3 billion. The auction winner is scheduled to be announced in January.

PLN corporate communications head I Made Suprateka said on Friday that the company was confident it would secure the deal as it already had a power purchase agreement (PPA) with Chevron to buy electricity from the Mt. Salak and Darajat geothermal power plants, each of which has a capacity to generate 377 megawatts (MW) and 255 MW of electricity, respectively.

To be honest, we need [the assets] because we want to decrease our production costs, Made told reporters.

PLN currently buys electricity from the Darajat field for 6.63 cents per kWh and from the Mt. Salak field for 7.05 cents per kWh.

Made said the takeover would help PLN push down cost to around 6 cents per kWh in the long run. Furthermore, acquiring Chevrons two geothermal assets would help PLN reach the governments target of procuring 23 percent of all electricity from new and renewable sources by 2025.

Geothermal energy, created by the heat of the Earth, is able to generate consistent power while producing almost no greenhouse gases.

Although Indonesia is estimated to have around 28 gigawatts (GW) in geothermal potential, the country has targeted the use of geothermal energy at 7,156 MW, which would make it the biggest geothermal energy power producer in the world.

Currently, geothermal energy makes up only around 5 percent of the countrys total installed power plant capacity of about 53,000 MW.

The government has appointed public utility firm PLN to develop the Ulumbu and Mataloko geothermal fields in East Nusa Tenggara, which are able to produce up to 50 MW and 22.5 MW of electricity, respectively. PLN president director Sofyan Basir has committed to completing the assignment by early 2020.

Earlier this week, the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministrys geothermal director, Yunus Saefulhak, said 44 companies had put in bids for the Mt. Salak and Darajat geothermal fields. However, the companies have been filtered down to six, namely PLN, state-owned oil and gas giant Pertamina, Japan-based diversified company Mitsui, Japanese trading house Marubeni and local firms Medco and Star Energy.

Right now they are at the fifth stage, which is to receive a binding bid from the bidders. The final result will most likely be announced in January, he said.

Officials from the Indonesian unit of Chevron did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Jakarta Post.

Chevron, the second-largest US oil producer after Exxon Mobil Corp., has slashed jobs, canceled drilling projects and sought asset sales in response to a slump in global energy prices over the past two years. The San Ramon, California-based company is aiming to sell its main Asian geothermal operations in Indonesia and the Philippines.

In July, the company reported its third straight quarterly loss, the longest slump since at least 1989, Bloomberg reported.
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Mon, October 24, 2016

Environment and Forestry Ministry Minister Siti Nurbaya has said although the Jakarta State Administrative High Courts (PTUN) decision on the reclamation of islet G in Jakarta Bay is in favor of the Jakarta administration, the reclamation process can resume with a revised environmental report.

Reclamation cannot continue if the environmental document has not been revised, Siti said as reported by tempo.co on Monday.

The document, including the Environmental Impact Analysis (Amdal), is obligatory for any development project as stipulated in Law No. 32/2009 on environmental protection and management, Siti added.

The PTTUN approved on Oct. 17 an appeal filed by the Jakarta administration on the continuity of the reclamation of 161 hectares in the Jakarta Bay by PT Muara Wisesa Samudra, a subsidiary of PT Agung Podomoro Land.

The appeal approval annulled a decision made by Jakarta State Administrative Court (PTUN) on May 31, which halted the reclamation project as demanded by Jakarta Bay fisherman, the Indonesian Environment Forum (Walhi) and petitioners grouped the Peoples Coalition for Fishery Justice.

The ministrys Director General for Law Enforcement Rasio Ridho added that the ministry had not permitted reclamation activities to continue. The punishment is still effective until the company meets all requirements set by the environment and forestry minister, Rasio added.

Rido said the company had to revise the Amdal to accommodate social interests and pay attention to vital objects such as gas pipe lines and the Muara Karang power plant. (bbn)
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Linkedin Stefani Ribka (The Jakarta Post) Kuala Lumpur  Mon, October 24 2016

Indonesia and Malaysia expect to see an increasing volume of goods other than palm oil and petroleum products flowing between the two nations in an effort to reverse the declining trend in bilateral exports and imports.



Malaysias International Trade and Industry Minister Dato Sri Mustapa Mohamed said a lot more

could be done to boost trade between the two neighboring countries, despite the current global economic crisis.



There hasnt been much diversification in the pattern of trade between Malaysia and Indonesia. The volume of trade doesnt reflect the true potentials of our economies, he said during a business forum attended by businesspeople from both countries, held in Kuala Lumpur on Thursday.



Total exports and imports between the countries showed a declining trend in the past five years from US$17.8 billion in 2011 to $15.1 billion last year, with a surplus for Indonesia of $157.3 million, according to data from the Geneva-based International Trade Center (ITC).



Mustapa noted that Indonesias exports to Malaysia consisted mainly of palm oil and palm-based products and chemicals, while imports consisted largely of petroleum products, machinery, appliances and parts.



In his August visit to Indonesia, Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak said both countries could boost the annual value of their bilateral trade to $30 billion in the near future.



Mustapa said his side hoped to reach the figure by 2020 although he also acknowledged some considerable challenges.



I know its unrealistic to achieve it by 2020 but we need to strive, the sooner the better, he said.



During the forum, Indonesian businesspeople expressed their interest in exporting more value-added products to ASEAN countries. They, however, acknowledged that different standards for halal certification applied in every country, which remained one of the biggest challenges for such an expansion plan.



The Malaysian market remains interesting for our [products] but the countrys halal [certification] standard makes it inefficient for us to export there, said Juan Permata Adoe, Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin) deputy chairman for food processing, livestock and dairy products.



Indonesia and Malaysia, respectively, have the largest and second-largest Muslim populations in Southeast Asia.



Providing an example, Juan said a number of major dairy players, like PT Greenfields Indonesia, must apply twice for halal certification, in both Indonesia and Malaysia, before they were allowed to export their products to the neighboring country.



Indonesian Trade Minister Enggartiasto Lukita, meanwhile, said he planned to meet Muslim leaders from both countries to discuss the possibility of unifying halal certification.



During the forum, Minister Mustapa also shared his hopes of seeing a bigger contribution from small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in bilateral trade between Indonesia and Malaysia.



However, businesspeople said the homogeneity of SME products had made it difficult for small players to expand their markets.



They [Malaysian SMEs] can actually produce what our SMEs make, like food, coffee, handicrafts and Muslim clothing, said Kadin official Budiarto Linggowijono, who served as the business lobby groups deputy chairman for SMEs for the 2010-2015 period.



Today many foreign traders also visit Tanah Abang [textile market in Central Jakarta] to buy products from local producers. Looking at these opportunities, what our SMEs need is overseas business networks that help them make bigger sales.



During their visit to Malaysia on Thursday, Kadin representatives signed a memorandum of understanding with the Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (Matrade) to intensify communications and coordination to boost bilateral trade.



Earlier this month, Indonesia and Malaysia held a trade expo in Makassar, South Sulawesi, along with members of the Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, Malaysia and Philippines East ASEAN Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA), to improve trade, investment and tourism in the ASEAN subregion.

---------------

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Linkedin (The Jakarta Post)  Mon, October 24 2016

Instilling a grounded and positive sense of self in employees improves performance and ameliorates hidden bias.



Organizations often boast of the diversity of their workforce and strive to assemble teams with this in mind. There is an increasing body of evidence which suggests that teams with diverse gender, racial and ethnic makeup produce better results. This motivates the effort to recruit and develop talent from underrepresented groups, ensuring fair practices to address blatant bias and discrimination are in place.



Often overlooked, however, are issues that can arise from subtler biases borne of self-threat in intergroup situations. These challenges may include discomfort or self-doubt on the part of members of underrepresented and negatively stereotyped groups.



They can also include members of majority groups underestimating the impact on minorities of what may seem like innocuous slights, due to a lack of knowledge and experience or due to concern about what it means to be a member of a privileged majority. These combined effects have the potential to create a stressful closed work environment.



Although problematic for all workers, the cost is particularly high for individuals who most contribute to diversity  members of underrepresented groups (such as women and ethnic minorities). As corporations become more international and diverse, leaders need tools to facilitate recognition of potential injustices to ensure parity across the workforce.



In our recent research, Jessica Sim and I identified how reflecting on their core personal values benefited women in competitive business settings by shielding them from the potentially deleterious effects of stereotype threat. This intervention helped women perform to their full potential by reducing self-doubt. A natural step was to extend this by focusing on the majority perspective  strengthening the core sense of self to help members of majority groups better recognize discrimination.



In our latest working paper, Marie-Claire Fennessy and I tested hypotheses that values-based self-affirmation, best-self reflection and mindfulness meditation would ameliorate threats to self-identity within a majority group (in this case, ethnic-majority Americans) and help them to better recognise prejudice and discrimination against racial, ethnic and religious minorities.



To test our hypotheses we examined the responses of 359 ethnic-majority American adults who were randomly assigned to complete one of four short activities: (1) values self-affirmation, (2) authentic best-self reflection, (3) mindfulness mediation, or (4) a control writing exercise.



Participants in the values-based self-affirmation group wrote about values that were most important to them, reflected on why, and provided examples of their value consistent behaviors. Participants in the authentic best-self group wrote about who they are at their best and described times when they were manifesting the best version of themselves.



Those in the mindfulness meditation group followed an eight-minute recording taken from prior research guiding them through a focused breathing meditation exercise, and participants in the control group wrote about how values that were unimportant to them are meaningful to other people.



All participants then rated 10 policies, states of affairs and situations in which racial or ethnic minorities fare poorly on the degree to which they thought prejudice, discrimination or racism played a role.



These items included interpersonal events such as a minority person being asked a culturally insensitive question or stopped at the airport for a random security search, as well as broader issues, such as stereotypical media representations of minorities and disproportionate poverty levels. Everyone also completed a eudaimonic well-being scale (from Aristotles concept of the true nature) designed to assess how authentic and centered on their true beliefs they felt.



On analyzing the responses, we found several noteworthy effects. First, relative to the control (least important values) and mindfulness meditation conditions, individuals who had completed the values self-affirmation and authentic best-self writings exhibited substantially higher levels of eudaimonic well-being.



Participants who completed the brief mindfulness meditation, however, had lower levels of eudaimonic well-being than those in the control condition. Eudaimonic well-being, in turn, was a strong positive predictor of recognizing prejudice against minorities. Both the values-based self-affirmation and the authentic best-self writing improved recognition of prejudice as a function of eudaimonic well-being.



We were surprised by the finding that mindfulness meditation indirectly reduced prejudice recognition through reduced eudaimonic well-being  more research will be necessary to determine the nature of this. But a nice surprise was just how comparable the effects of the best-self reflection and values self-affirmation exercises were.



Conceptually the similarity of findings with respect to best-self reflection and values self-affirmation makes sense, but, to our knowledge, no one had previously tested a comparison of these two interventions. We were also pleased to see the benefits of the effective interventions on eudaimonic well-being  that is, the deep, fulfilled sense of well being that comes with knowing and accepting oneself.



Lessons for business



As well as linking distinct academic literatures, these findings provide profound lessons for business. Identity resiliency through self-affirmation and best-self reflection facilitates getting diversity right from two angles. It enables members of majority groups to recognise injustice in their system and it also strengthens the ability of members of under-represented groups  even negatively stereotyped groups  to cope in an environment where the odds are against them.



The intervention can shield minorities from the potentially destructive impacts of bias and stereotypes that can undermine their motivation and performance, enabling them to reach their potential.



Core values are tightly connected to peoples feelings of self-worth, and eudaimonic well-being is a core concept of positive functioning, both individually and as part of a team. Prejudice and stereotyping  even unconsciously  can undermine effectiveness directly through discrimination as well as indirectly through self-doubt resulting from the bias against ones group.



Thus, affirming the self benefits diversity; both minority and majority groups experience reduced self-threat and everyone becomes more open, grounded and able perform at their best, recognizing injustice when it emerges. Our findings suggest that interventions for bolstering identity resilience improve intergroup relations and ameliorate social and professional inequalities.



Creating value



Our research focuses on benefits specifically with respect to diversity, but it also extends on previous organisational research that demonstrated the benefits of best-self reflection for an entire workforce in an Indian call center.



The study found that in contrast to enculturating new employees to develop pride in the organisation, initial socialization focusing on personal identity (emphasizing an individuals authentic best self) creates more value for the company.



Firms that encourage self-affirmation through values self-affirmation or best-self reflection facilitate a more open, confident and productive workforce. (Zoe Kinias)

_______________



The writer is an Assistant Professor of Organizational Behaviour at INSEAD.



This article is republished courtesy of INSEAD Knowledge (http://knowledge.insead.edu) Copyright INSEAD 2016.

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Linkedin Nani Afrida (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Mon, October 24, 2016

Korean defense company Daewoo Shipbuilding and marine Engineering (DSME) launched the second submarine ordered by Indonesia in Okpo, Geoje Island, South Korea, on Monday.

The first submarine was launched in March 24 in the same place.

The Defense Ministrys secretary-general,vice Admiral Widodo, and the Navys vice chief of staff Vice Admiral Arie Sembiring attended the launch, the Navy said in a statement.

Indonesia has ordered three types of 209/1400 Chang Bogo-class diesel attack submarines.

Based on the contract, the two submarines will be developed in DSME while the third will be built at state shipbuilding company PT PAL.

The third submarine is scheduled to commence development at PAL by December through joint section cooperation with DSME.

The Navy currently operates two German-made submarines, the KRI Cakra (401) and KRI Nenggala (402), which were built in the 1980s. The boats are due to be decommissioned in 2020. (dmr)
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Linkedin Hyung-Jin Kim (Associated Press) Seoul  Mon, October 24, 2016

South Korea's president on Monday proposed revising the country's constitution, which limits leaders to a single five-year term. Critics immediately called it an attempt to divert attention from corruption scandals involving her associates.

It wasn't immediately clear if President Park Geun-hye intended the change to allow her to run for office again, though analysts said that was unlikely. Park pledged during her presidential campaign four years ago to try to change the system.

South Korea adopted the current system in 1987, ending decades of military-backed dictatorships, including one by Park's father, Park Chung-hee. Under the current system, a president is barred by law from seeking a second term. Park's five-year term ends in early 2018.

Park said in a speech before parliament that the current system makes it difficult for the government to maintain a continuity of its policies, including those dealing with rival North Korea, which regularly threatens nuclear war against its southern rival.

Park said her government would launch an organization to create a draft revision.

Park's proposal came as her approval ratings have dropped to new lows amid allegations that a purported longtime confidant used her connection to Park to push companies to make massive contributions to set up two non-profit foundations. Park has also faced a separate corruption scandal involving a senior aide.

The main liberal opposition party issued a statement criticizing Park's proposal, saying it won't take part in any discussions on a constitutional change that appears meant to distract from the scandals.

"What matters is the timing. Why does President Park propose a constitutional change at a time when she faces so many problems [involving her associates]?" said Kim Sung-Joo, an honorary professor at Seoul's Sungkyunkwan University.

Talk of amending the constitution is a divisive issue in South Korea. There are camps that favor a parliamentary Cabinet system or a US-style system in which a president can have a second four-year term, or a system in which a president and a prime minister split key state responsibilities.
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Linkedin Fadli (The Jakarta Post) Batam, Riau Islands  Mon, October 24, 2016

A Chinese-Indonesian community association has praised the governments moves to abolish several discriminatory regulations against citizens of Chinese descent in the country.

The Chinese-Indonesian Social Association (PSMTI)s national meeting chairman Gunadi Sindhuwinata said under the previous discriminatory regulations, Chinese-Indonesians had been treated unequally and categorized as non-native.

In Indonesia, he said, ethnic-Chinese communities were now being treated relatively equally in all aspects of life. Apart from the abolishment of discriminatory regulations, which hampered activities related to Chinese culture, the issuance of Law No. 40/2008 on the elimination of racial and ethnic discrimination was another measure taken by the government to combat unequal treatment, he added.

I thank the government for having provided more room to us [to express our culture]. There has been no more discrimination. Previously, we only could advance in the economic field but now we have expanded our activities in all fieldslegislative, judicature and executive, Gunadi told The Jakarta Post.

He was speaking on the sidelines of the 18th PSMTI national meeting, which coincided with the 8th ASEAN Chinese Clans Conference, in Batam on Sunday. Some 1,200 participants and representatives of 70 Chinese clans in the country attended the meeting, which ran from Oct. 21 to 22.

Gunadi said people of Chinese descent had been elected as leaders of several areas across the country. Several Cabinet ministers such as Trade Minister Enggartiasto Lukita and former trade minister Mari Elka Pangestu were also of Chinese descent, he went on.

We want to encourage [Chinese-Indonesians] to continue contributing to this country, he said. (ebf)
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Linkedin Anton Hermansyah (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Mon, October 24, 2016

The government met with a delegation from the Australian Livestock Exporters Council on Monday to clarify its new 5 plus 1 cattle import policy, for which South American countries are among the suppliers.

Under the new import policy, the government obliges importers to bring in one female cow for breeding purposes for every five calves imported for fattening up.

They said that they will support our 5 plus 1 policy, by developing our local breeders, Trade Minister Enggartiasto Lukita said after the first round of discussions at his office in Jakarta.

The government, he added, also explained its recent decision to start livestock imports from alternative countries, such as Mexico and Brazil, to which the Australian council responded with a commitment to compete with the South American countries by offering better prices.

The Australian delegations leader Simon Crean said he had been aware about Indonesias plan to diversify livestock suppliers since 2011. On the high price of Australian beef, he cited the sudden issuance of export permits as the main cause.

The beef price is not always about the price of the cow, but also the shipping cost. Its higher because the vessels have to be hired at the last minute, he said, adding that the council hoped to reach a solution during President Joko Jokowi Widodos visit to Australia next month. (ags)
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Linkedin Rizal Harahap (The Jakarta Post) Riau  Mon, October 24, 2016

Two Meranti Islands residents, Riau province, identified only with the initials YD and SF, have been nabbed for alleged illegal logging in forest area alongside the Buton trans-highway in Mengkapan village, Sungai Apit district, Siak regency.

Siak Police chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Restika Nainggolan said a team led by the polices crime investigation unit [Reskrim] head Adj. Comr. Reza arrested the two suspects in an operation on Saturday, following reports of alleged illegal logging from locals.

The team confiscated four cubic meters of punak wood, which had been cut down into smaller board-shaped pieces, and equipment such as machinery and bicycles that had been modified as transportation to carry the wood from inside the forest, Restika told journalists on Sunday.

The police officer said Reskrim personnel caught YD by surprise while in the trees, said Restika.

Without resistance, YD revealed the location of the illegal logging operation to police. After walking another two kilometers, our team found another suspect, SF. He was unaware of the polices presence as he was busy cutting wood with a band saw, said Restika.

During the investigation, SF said he sold wood from illegal logging to a buyer identified only as HR. On the same day, the team arrested HR at his home, where they found three cubic meters of wood without valid documentation. "It is suspected he masterminded the illegal logging [operation], said Restika, adding that the three suspects were undergoing further investigation at Siak Police station. (ebf)
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Linkedin Kelvin Chan (Associated Press) Hong Kong  Mon, October 24, 2016

A British banker accused of the grisly 2014 killings of two Indonesian women pleaded not guilty when he went on trial Monday in Hong Kong, in a case expected to highlight the Asian financial hub's inequality and privileged lifestyle of its wealthy expat elite.

Rurik Jutting entered a plea of not guilty to two murder charges that were read out at the High Court, with prosecutors rejecting his attempt to plead guilty to the lesser charge of manslaughter.

Jutting is charged with the murders of Sumarti Ningsih and Seneng Mujiasih, whose bodies were found in his upscale apartment near the Asian financial center's Wan Chai red-light district.

Jutting was put into a glass-screened dock when he arrived in the court. When the clerk asked what his plea was to the two murder charge, he replied "not guilty to murder by reason of diminished responsibility but guilty of manslaughter," which the prosecutors refused to accept, meaning the trial on the murder charges will proceed.

A third charge was also read out, unlawful burial of Sumarti Ningsih's body, to which he pleaded guilty.

One of the women's bodies was found stuffed in a suitcase left in a balcony while the other had knife wounds on the neck and buttock, according to initial police reports.

Jutting is a Cambridge University graduate who worked for Bank of America-Merrill Lynch in structured equity finance and trading. If convicted, he faces life in prison.

The case shocked the former British colony, which has a reputation for being safe, while also highlighting the city's extreme inequality.

The victims had originally come to Hong Kong as foreign maids. But Seneng had let her domestic worker visa lapse and Sumarti had returned on a tourist visa.

They were among the more than 300,000 migrant domestic workers employed in Hong Kong, almost all of them women from Indonesia or the Philippines.
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Linkedin Yuji Vincent Gonzales (Philippine Daily Inquirer/ANN) Manila  Mon, October 24, 2016

The Philippine government on Monday announced that the South China Sea dispute would take a backseat during President Rodrigo Dutertes visit to Japan this week that is meant to boost a 60-year-old relationship.

Amid global confusion over President Rodrigo Dutertes announced separation from the US and strengthening of ties with Beijing, the government on Monday said the South China Sea dispute would not feature on the agenda during the chief executives Japan visit this week aimed at intensifying six-decade-old relations.

At a press briefing, Presidential spokesperson Ernesto Abella said the maritime dispute over the resource-rich South China Sea was not part of the initial agenda of the three-day visit, which he said would focus on matters of economic and defense cooperation.

The main agenda will not be political but economic, so if its [South China Sea issue] referred to, it will be on the sidelines. Basically, as far as we know at this stage, it is talking between the Philippines and Japan. If theres anything at all, it may be exploratory. However, at this stage its not part of the agenda, Abella said.

President Duterte will be discussing security, economic and defense issues with the prime minister during the three-day trip that is seen to continue the Philippines efforts to bolster strategic partnerships with its Asian neighbors. [The] president also plans to observe the Japanese shipbuilding process as maritime cooperation continues to prosper, he added.

Atsushi Ueno, deputy chief of mission of the Japanese Embassy, said Prime Minister Shinzo Abe would like to hear Dutertes explanation of the Philippines realigned foreign policy, following the presidents declaration of separation from the US during his state to visit to China.

Japans leading paper The Yomiuri Shimbun said Tokyos confusion was fueled by concerns that it may have to review its joint strategy with the US of backing the Philippines in a South China Sea territorial dispute.

Japan, a known US ally, is the Philippines' top trading and investment partner and leading source of development aid.

Despite the confusion over Dutertes policy, Abella said the Philippine government was anticipating a warm reception for Duterte from the Japanese, similar to the electric welcome the president received in his state visit to China.

I think at this stage theres a great appreciation for the president from the Japanese side. Apparently, theres also a great anticipation of his visit, Abella said.

Duterte later clarified that his declaration of separation from the US was not equivalent to severance of diplomatic ties, and that the Philippines will maintain its relationship with Washington to the best interest of the country.
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Linkedin (Associated Press) Manila  Mon, October 24, 2016

The top American diplomat in Asia says Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte's controversial remarks and a "real climate of uncertainty" about his government's intentions have sparked distress in the US and other countries.

US Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Daniel Russel said Monday that he also relayed to Philippine Foreign Secretary Perfecto Yasay Jr. international concern over continuing killings under Duterte's crackdown against illegal drugs.

Russel said that while Washington welcomes the relaxation of tensions between Manila and Beijing under Duterte, the rapprochement should not come at the expense of the US, the Philippines' treaty ally.

Russel's visit to Manila comes amid increasing animosity between the allies as Duterte tries to scale back US military engagement with his country and reaches out to China.
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Linkedin (Viet Nam News) Hanoi  Mon, October 24, 2016

Hoang Thi Van was captured in broad daylight.

The 34-year-old woman, accompanied by her aunt, was walking home after a day harvesting beans in the field.

Three young men jumped out of nowhere, hit the two with the back of their guns before dragging Van to a nearby cave.

Learning that the police was close behind them, the kidnappers ditched Van on the mountain, but not before one of them raped her. Van was saved, but she cannot bring herself to go out to the field again without her husband even two years after the three criminals were arrested.

The Vietnamese and two Chinese confessed that they planned to sell Van to Chinese traffickers.

The same gang tried to kidnap other young women eight times, succeeding in three cases and claiming to have sold the three women to China for a total of 21,000 yuan and VN30 million (US$1,344). No one has seen or heard from them since.

Northern Vietnams Ha Giang province, where the attacks occurred, has a 274 km border with China and is thus particularly vulnerable to human trafficking.

In 2016 so far, the Ha Giang border guards discovered 16 human trafficking cases, rescuing 10 women and three children.

Deputy head of the provincial border guards drugs and crime division, Sr. Lt. Col. Nguyen ac Lan, said the trafficking of women and children in Ha Giang was getting "more complicated".

Individuals from both sides of the border are involved in the kidnapping and trafficking of Vietnamese children and women, he said.

The number of human trafficking cases uncovered in Vietnam between 2011 and 2015 increased by 11.6 percent compared to the previous five-year period, according to the Ministry of Public Security. More than 2,200 cases were reported since 2011, in which nearly 4,500 victims fell prey to traffickers. About 3,300 offenders were involved in human trafficking rings in Vietnam.

Approximately 70 percent of Vietnamese trafficking victims are taken to China, according to the latest national police report.

Such was the case of 38-year-old Vu Thi Cho, who sought work and was persuaded by a woman from Yunnan province to cross into China.

As soon as she passed the border, Cho was sold. After learning the phone number of Chos children, the trafficker called them and said that she was Chos friend who would take them to China to meet their mother.

The contact between the trafficker and the victims family enabled border guards to locate the children and save them from the safe fate. Their mother was rescued with the help of Chinese police.

Using the bait of a better-paid job is the most common ruse used by human traffickers.

In China the victims are sold into prostitution, forced labor or marriages with Chinese men who cannot find brides due to a severe shortage of women in the country.

The United Nations Action for Co-operation against Trafficking in Persons projects that China will have 30 to 40 million more men than women of marriage age by 2020. Deputy head of the Pho Bang township border station, Capt. am uc Thuyen, told the Tien Phong (Vanguard) newspaper that most of the trafficking victims were members of ethnic minority tribes.

"Human trafficking into prostitution is less common now. The women are more often bought by poor Chinese men to become their brides. But because they are sold to poor families, their labor is also heavily exploited," he said.

The police also issued warnings about new forms of human trafficking, including illegal trade of infants and fetuses, as well as human organs, in particular kidneys. Vietnam has yet to regulate crimes regarding trafficking in human organs, and thus failed to bring the offenders to court.

Human trafficking activities in the sub-Mekong region, including Laos, Myanmar, Cambodia, Thailand and Vietnam, is the most serious in the world in terms of the number of victims. It was estimated that about 11.7 million people fell into the hands of traffickers in the region, accounting for more than 66 percent of global human trafficking cases.
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Linkedin Panca Nugraha (The Jakarta Post) Yogyakarta  Mon, October 24, 2016

Those vacationing in Yogyakarta eager to explore its cultural art and traditions might consider a visit to Giriloyo batik kampung in Wukirsari village, Imogiri district, Bantul regency.

Home to nyanting (batik hand painting), the place attracts more than 300 eager visitors every day who wish to marvel at the cultural heritage.

"In addition to batik shopping, visitors can also learn how to nyanting as part of a tourism package," hand-painted batik community Paguyuban Batik Tulis Giriloyo marketing coordinator, Said Romli, told The Jakarta Post on Sunday.

The community hosts around 800 artisans who hail from Karang Kulon, Giriloyo and Cengkehan hamlets. In 2008, Wukirsari village welcomed a batik tulis showroom and workshop.

(Read also: Fashion flair: Saving the batik tradition)

A batik merchant shows a hand-painted batik cloth at a showroom in Giriloyo batik kampung. (JP/Panca Nugraha)

"Our revenue from batik sales and the nyanting package can reach Rp 300 million [US$23,014] per year," said Romli.

Siti Asmaniyah, 42, a resident of Karang Kulon hamlet, said she could earn between Rp 50,000 and Rp 200,000 from teaching nyanting. She added that nearly all women in her hamlet were equipped with nyanting skills that had been passed down.

Bank Indonesia head for West Nusa Tenggara (NTB) Prijono said during a visit to the village that such tradition was quite similar to the weaving tradition found in villages in the province's Lombok and Sumbawa. "But there's still many things we could adopt from Giriloyo to be develop in NTB, such as the nyanting package since tourists will enjoy having a new experience," said Prijono. (kes)
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Voters will return three incumbent trustees to the Board of Education for four more years.

Dana Browning, Rob Kirby and Stephanie Miello are running unopposed in the Nov. 8 election.

Browning, who currently serves as the boards secretary, was first elected in 2007. One of her passions is the Blessings in a Backpack program, which she spearheaded in the school district. The program now feeds needy children at all of the districts elementary schools  Garfield, Jefferson, Monroe and Washington.

Browning is the recipient of a Level 3 Award of Distinction through the Michigan Association of School Boards.

She is married, with one child who attends Roosevelt High School.

Kirby, the boards president, was first elected in 2001. He serves on the Wyandotte Public Schools Scholarship Foundation.

The Michigan Association of School Boards has recognized Kirby with a Level 4 Master Board Member Award.

Kirby is retired from the Wyandotte Municipal Services Electric Department. He has one child who attends Monroe Elementary School, and two at Wilson Middle School. He also has a granddaughter who attends kindergarten at Washington Elementary School.

Miello, currently a trustee, was first elected in 2011. She has served as a member of the WPS Scholarship Foundation in the past.

Miello is the recipient of a Level 3 Award of Distinction through the Michigan Association of School Boards.

She works in marketing and sales with the Ford Motor Co. Miello is married, with one child who attends Roosevelt High School.

All of the candidates have served on a number of committees during their years on the school board.

Other school board members are Kathryn Bedikian, Cynthia Kinney, Patrick Sutka and Michael Swiecki.
Phuket Opinion: The King, The Man, The Love

The mass memorial service for HM the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej at Phuket Provincial Hall last weekend provided the world with a glimpse of how much His Beloved Majesty meant to Thais living in Phuket.

Monday 24 October 2016, 01:08PM

A woman cries during a memorial service for HM the late King Bhumibol Adulajev. Photo: Nattapong Jantarat

The profound grief amongst those present, while the rain fell as if it could wash away their tears, reflected the sorrowful state of the nation  as most Thais who now call Phuket home hail from all corners of the Kingdom.

Many foreigners today share in that grief. Notes of condolences posted alongside stories of HM the late Kings passing plainly show how many long-term expats over the years have come to call His Majesty our King. And that he was, a King for the people.

For many of these foreigners it took years to come to understanding that. As outsiders, it is easy to deconstruct through discourse the late Kings political role over the decades, without accurately taking into consideration His Majesty the late Kings true impact on his people.

Visitors who ask a Thai, Why do you love him so much? do not comprehend why the reply might simply be, You dont understand  this is a simple truth.

His Majesty was loved more than a King. He was a man of greatness who performed his official duties with appropriate aplomb, but went far beyond that when it came to the needs of his people.

He literally brought water for the people in times of drought. He took steps to bring safety in times of flood.

He visited the poor, not on glory trips in stunted public-relations exercises, but to see their plight first-hand  and then he did something about it, not with glorious speeches overloaded with policy rhetoric, but by instituting real action that improved their lives.

Beyond this, Thais saw a man who also loved his music, his sports, his family  and yes, his dog. He was a man who chose to enjoy those simple things in life that all people enjoy. He also suffered the same grief when he lost a loved one.

In all this, Thais were gifted a blessing of a King who genuinely cared for people, and they know this. And now they have lost their Father.

Bear with them in this time of mourning.

Thailand, we mourn with you.
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Summit Carbon files lawsuits against Brown, Edmunds counties

Two South Dakota counties are facing federal lawsuits from one of the companies planning a carbon capture and sequestration pipeline.
#cancellation Local gov'ts cancel autumn festivals after Itaewon tragedy Provincial governments have canceled their autumnal festivals one after another as the country mourns the deaths of more than 150 people in a Halloween crowd crush in Seoul. The...
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Army Lt. Gen. Stephen Townsend, the top U.S. Commander in Iraq, and Defense Secretary Ash Carter brief reporters in Irbil, Iraq, Sunday, Oct. 23, 2016 on the battle to retake Mosul from Islamic State militants. Carter visited the area for a closer look at the fight against the Islamic State group and to hear from Kurdish leaders. (AP Photo/Lolita Balder)


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The damaged front of a tour bus is seen that crashed into the back of a semi-truck on Interstate 10 just north of the desert resort town of Palm Springs, in Desert Hot Springs, Calif., Sunday, Oct. 23, 2016. Several deaths and injuries were reported. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Pena)
But the tribe has a long way to go
Senior lawyers of the Supreme Court have expressed anger and concern over the growing conflict between a section of the lawyers in Kerala and journalists for the past few months.

Prashant Bhushan, senior advocate, said to THE WEEK that lawyers of the Kerala High Court and other courts in the state have no business whatsoever to prevent journalists from entering the court premises. Said Bhushan, This is a violation of law. The judges are supposed to stop the lawyers from breaking law. Even after that if the lawyers dont listen, contempt of court charges should be filed against them. What is happening in Kerala is not right. Better sense should prevail.

The relation between journalists and lawyers in the state turned bitter after some journalists were beaten up by lawyers at the High Court in July over the media coverage of a sexual harassment case involving a government pleader. The attack on journalists continued even after the intervention of the governor, the chief justice and the chief minister. Some days ago, a few lawyers attacked four journalists, including two women, at a district court in Thiruvananthapuram.

Said the Congress spokesman Abhishek Manu Singhvi to THE WEEK, Imagine the amount of public disservice, if either lawyers or journalists are obstructed. The victim in both the cases is the common man. Solving the issue requires a high level of statesmanship on both sides. I want to request everyone to give up their ego and come up with an amicable solution. Singhvi, a senior lawyer of the Supreme Court, said that he was prepared to intervene in the issue.

Said K.K. Venugopal, senior advocate, Supreme Court, to THE WEEK, It will be not proper on my part to comment on the issue or take sides without knowing the exact reason behind the tussle. In such cases, I feel it is the chief justice and other judges at the High Court who should find a solution.

K.T.S. Tulsi, senior lawyer, said that the court is a public place where every person has the right to enter. Said Tulsi to THE WEEK, It is completely wrong for the lawyers to prevent journalists from entering the court. People have every right to know what is happening inside the court. The advocate general and the bar association president should make sure that the prestige of the High Court is not at stake.
Union Minister Giriraj Singh on Monday said Hindus should seriously think of increasing their population in the country by producing more children.

[File] Union Minister Giriraj Singh | PTI

"There is a need to increase population of Hindus in the country. They should take this issue seriously as their population has been decreasing in eight states in the country," Singh told media here.

He recalled that none other than RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat had advised Hindus in last August to produce more children and said no laws can prevent them from reproducing more children.

"Muslims population has increased from mere 10 per cent at the time of India's independence in 1947 to 24 per cent now and Hindus population has decreased from 90 per cent in 1947 to 76 per cent now," the minister said.

He also demanded to review the definition of minority rtag to Muslims as their population have increased in some districts to blocks and villages to a level where they ceased to be minority.

Singh is the BJP's Lok Sabha member from Nawada constituency in Bihar. He is known to be a vocal supporter of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and champion of Hinduvta politics.
A team of US researchers has developed a unique method that, after analysing online comments or tweets, can find dishonesty levels behind posting those thoughtsa practice also called 'astroturfing'.

Astroturfing is the deceptive practice of presenting an orchestrated marketing or public relations campaign in the guise of unsolicited comments from members of the public.

Former US President George W. Bush and current US presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump have been accused of 'astroturfing' to claim widespread enthusiasm for their platforms.

Kim-Kwang Raymond Choo, associate professor of information systems and cybersecurity at University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) developed a method for detecting people dishonestly posting online comments, reviews or tweets across multiple accounts.

"Astroturfing is legal, but it's questionable ethically. As long as social media has been popular, this has existed," said Choo.

The method analyses multiple writing samples. Choo and his collaborators found that it's challenging for authors to completely conceal their writing style in their text.

Based on word choice, punctuation and context, the method is able to detect whether one person or multiple people are responsible for the samples.

Choo and his co-authors used writing samples from the most prolific online commentators on various news websites.

They discovered that many people espousing their opinions online were actually all linked to a few singular writers with multiple accounts.

The practice has been used by businesses to manipulate social media users or online shoppers, by having one paid associate post false reviews on web sites about products for sale.

It is also used on social media wherein 'astroturfers' create several false accounts to espouse opinions, creating the illusion of a consensus when actually one person is pretending to be many.

"Businesses can use this to encourage support for their products or services or to sabotage other competing companies by spreading negative opinions through false identities," Choo added in a university statement.

Choo is now looking into whether the algorithm can be used to prevent plagiarism and contract cheating.

"In addition to raising public awareness of the problem, we hope to develop tools to detect astroturfers so that social media users can make informed choices and resist online social manipulation and propaganda," Choo noted.
Donald Trump has changed his tune. After telling the moderator at the final primary debate that he would keep the suspense on whether he would accept an adverse verdict after the elections, he toned down and said that he would be happy with the result -- be it win, lose or draw. At a campaign in North Carolina, one of the crucial swing states, Trump said he was giving his best and did not want to have any regrets.

Political scientists and observers must have heaved a sigh of relief at this statement, because were Trump to cry foul after the results were declared, it would create a constitutional crisis. A candidate is well within his rights to seek legal recourse if he does not agree with the verdict, explains Milan Vaishnav, senior associate at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, Washington. But he must have a water tight case with enough evidence of foul play for the case to be admitted.

But the matter is not as simple as going to the Supreme Court with a complaint, explains John Tuman, chair and professor of political science at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. The election is federal, which means voters in each state cast votes for the president and vice president, and then officials certify the outcome state-by-state. Any legal challenge would have to be brought in any state where the candidate thinks election laws have been violated. The legal challenge would be litigated in state courts, but depending on the specific issues at hand, the cases might also work their way into federal courts -- and ultimately to the U.S. Supreme Court'' he elaborates.

There has been much comparision of Trump's statement that he might not agree with the verdict with the Bush vs Gore case of 2000. However, the circumstances were quite different then. Gore lost to Bush in Florida by a very narrow margin and requested a recount in areas which were traditional Democrat strongholds. However, even as the recount began the Florida, the court ordered a stay, saying a recount was unconstitutional under existing rules of the Constitution.

Since there is a winner takes all system in converting popular votes to electoral college votes, all of Florida's electoral college votes went to Bush. He won the election by getting 271 electoral college votes (winner needs to cross the 270 mark) while Gore got 266. However, in terms of popular votes, Gore would surpass Bush by 540,000.

There is simply no comparison, says Vaishnav. "If Trump doesn't respect the tradition, he'll land the country in a constitutional mess. That is, if his case isn't thrown out of the courts.''

Incidentally, there have been three other occasions in American history when the popular vote was for one candidate by the electoral college voted in the other. These were in 1824, 1876 and 1888.

Trump has been changing his stance of the elections being rigged, too. First he alluded that the rival party was getting unauthorised people to vote, later at the debate he changed it to saying that Hillary as presidential nominee is itself an indication of rigging.

"A recent study by Loyola law school professor Justin Levit points to just 31 cases of fraud in over a billion votes cast between 2000 and 2014. This is such a slender figure that it's almost inconsequential," points out Vaishnav.

American elections have had their share of drama and observers who take a long term view of things say that the 2016 polls may be tamer than they seem. Take, for instance, the year 1972 when Democrat nominee George Wallace was shot during a rally by a 21 year old. The incident paralysed him waist down and he had to subsequently retire from the race.
A pair of high-waist pants and a long coat. Thats what Rishika Arora wears at the court every day. As a lawyer, she finds comfort and style in the outfits of 1980s, as her job requires her to travel frequently from office to court and meet clients. However, its not just her professional look that draws an inspiration from the trends of 1980s. On casual days, she is no different, yet goes experimental. She explores her feminine side with polka-dot dresses, flared jeans, crop tops and pearls that take her back to that era.

Said Rishika, I love wearing high-waist denims, pearls and the ruffled shirts. These are very comfortable and make me explore my feminine side. Even though I am a 90s baby, I feel 1980s was the most evergreen time for the fashion industry. The era gave us off-shoulder dresses and beaded and chunky bracelets. They also take me back to Madonnas chic look. I love pearls as an accessory and often look up to Princess Dianas elegant style. Be it a casual occasion or a formal meeting, statement pearl pieces are the epitome of femininity.

1980s was a versatile decade. It gave women the freedom to look beyond the traditional plain saris and suits. It was a time when fashion was undergoing an experimentation and new styles were emerging. The west was progressive and moved beyond the shy Indians. High-waist jeans, bell-bottom pants, biker jackets (think Top Gun), long chains, crop tops, pearl neckpieces and hip styles added a silver lining to the rather boring attire. Back home in India, long kurtas, polka prints, shimmered gowns (thanks to Zeenat Amaan), oversized sunglasses, matar malas and ruffles were the show stealers. Thirty years later, nothing has really changed. These funky, hip styles have found their way to the closets and, this time, Indian women have moved way beyond the shackles of being conservative and are embracing the trends with flair.

Said Garima Arora, a PR professional, While thinking of 1980s style, I think long kurtas defined comfort. Then there were bell-bottom pants and bell-sleeved shirts that are super comfortable and go well at workplace. The 80s have also given us chokers. Chokers go well along with my long kurtas, off-shoulder dresses as well as deep-necked shirts. They look pretty if worn correctly. The oversized sunglasses worn at that time are perfect complement to beat the harsh sunrays.

The 80s were also the decade of simplicity and comfort. The era would be incomplete without mentioning the fad for shimmery gowns. Said Seema Mehta, 43, a teacher, Having grown up in the era, I remember the 80s very clearly. It was one of the most versatile eras which explored sensuality. Zeenat Amaan created a sensation by wearing a shimmery gown for the aap jaisa koi meri zindagi mei aye song and brought a wave in the fashion in a true sense. The same fad is back. Gold and silver gowns are the hottest trends this season and so are funky headgears that give a bohemian look. During the 80s, Indian women were not so much experimental with bold dresses, even though internationally a lot was happening. But shimmery gowns were the big, bold move that redefined fashion among Indian women.

Eternal role model: Princess Diana in the 1980s in London | Getty Images

Though red lips were always a big attraction, Bollywood divas Rekha and Sridevi made the style more popular. Once again, red lips are catching the eye. Said Rishika Jolly, business intelligence developer, WebHealth India, Red lipstick is ruling the charts. Most women in my office wear the colour irrespective of their age and relationship status. Also, because pout is such an in thing, red lips clearly enhance the look.

Besides the clothes and accessories, the jewellery market has gone vintage. The cuts, prints and designs of neckpieces and earrings are replicas of the trends that existed during 1980s.

Said bride-to-be Pooja Chawla, While I am on a jewellery shopping spree, my mother is reviving her yesteryear. Antique rings, silver jewellery and matar malas, which were once gifted by my grandmother to my mother, are in fashion. I just bought a matar mala set for my myself as part of my trousseau. It is surreal that todays jewellers are drawing inspiration from the designs that existed nearly 30 years ago.
Party guy: Barclays's 8.35m a-year boss Jes Staley

Barclays's 8.35million a-year boss Jes Staley recently hosted a party at New York's fashionable Cipriani for some of the world's biggest hedge funds, in a bid to tempt custom away from Goldman Sachs's prime brokerage business.

The evening was strictly high rollers only  the 55 hedge funds invited (including Man Group and Och-Ziff Capital Management) have a combined $669billion under management. No details on what guests were served.

But the soiree is estimated to have cost $1million. So safe to say we're not talking vinegary chardonnay and a few cocktail sausages.

Showman-like John Lewis boss Andy Street, 53, packs in his 1.5m-a-year role on Friday to run as Conservative candidate for Mayor of West Midlands.

He's up against Labour's Sion Simon, 47, a rotund ex-minister who once scarfed down 52 oysters during a lunch at nobby St James's feeding trough Wiltons. A proper man o' the people!

Re John Lewis, the new chief is rumoured to be expected to be announced this week.

Street has always been a great champion of dainty commercial director Paula Nickolds, 43, a company 'lifer' who joined the store's graduate scheme in 1994.

She's to blame for those drippy adverts it puts out every Christmas. Worth a fiver with the turf accountant, I'm advised

Wells Fargo banker Angie Payden informs the New York Times the atmosphere inside the disgraced US lender was so toxic she resorted to swigging the office hand sanitiser to relieve the stress of selling customers unneeded services.

At one point she was consuming a bottle a day of the horrid gunk, said to be the equivalent of five large vodkas. Let's hope our own thirsty bankers don't get any ideas.

Monetary think tank OMFIF's bespectacled chief David Marsh was all down-at-the-mouth about Brexit during a recent panel discussion at Chartered Accountants Hall.

Like most so-called fiscal 'experts' the former Flemings banker was virulently against us leaving the EU. But the referendum result did offer one silver-lined cloud.
Weve just booked a weeks holiday to Italy and are about to buy travel insurance but does it make any difference if we have a joint or two single policies?

In the past we have always bought two single policies but when looking at quotes joint policies seem a lot cheaper.

When looking at quotes joint policies seem to be cheaper but does this mean we wont have as much cover than if we both had our own individual policies?

Holiday cover: Is it better to buy a joint or two single travel insurance policies?

Rebecca Rutt, of This is Money, replies: Buying travel insurance is a must if youre going away as it covers you for a wide range of things such as if your luggage is stolen or you fall ill and need to cancel.

The benefit of buying a joint policy whether it's for a couple or for a family can usually be cheaper than buying individual policies.

As travel insurance is priced by the individual risk, its always worth comparing the joint and individual prices before buying.

This is particularly important if one of the people on the holiday has pre-existing medical conditions or is aged over 65.

If this is the case their insurance price will be higher because there is more risk of them falling ill. They could push the price up for the other member of the party and the insurance may cost more than the price of individual policies.

If we buy joint insurance rather than single insurance will we have the same protection?

We asked comparison website GoCompare for a range of quotes to show the different prices available. The price for a single trip to Europe for two people aged 35 with no pre-existing medical conditions starts from 7.39 while two single policies are 4.99 each.

However, for an older couple of 45, where one has angina the price is a lot more to take a joint policy. In this case prices start from 14.64 for the traveller with pre-existing conditions, and 4.84 for the one without. A joint policy starts from 21.78 so would cost more.

As with any kind of insurance policy, price isnt everything and the most important thing to look for is if the policy provides you with enough cover.

You can also buy family travel insurance policies, which are typically cheaper than individual policies.

These often include free cover for those aged under 18 but some policies share pay out sums among those on the policy.

For example, if you bought individual policies they may cover you for 500 each if you need to cancel the holiday, but if it's a joint or family policy the 500 may be split between everyone on the trip.

Will we have enough cover for our upcoming holiday if we buy a joint insurance policy? (Pictured: Trevi Fountain in Rome)

Therefore it's important to double check the small print before you buy.

A spokesperson for the Association of British Insurers said: When taking a trip, its essential to make sure you have appropriate travel insurance so you are covered should anything go wrong.

While it may be more cost effective to get a group policy or family cover, its important to shop around to find the right cover to suit your needs and not buy on price alone.
Bookie boss

William Hill is understood to be set to start searching for a new chief executive early next year.

Current boss Gareth Davis, 66, has reportedly been accused of not devoting enough time to the business after a series of blunders which saw two high-profile mergers fall by the wayside.

The FTSE 250 bookmaker had spurned an approach to create a three-way tie up with casino operator Rank and online gaming firm 888. The firm was then in talks about a potential 6billion merger with Canadian business Amaya, which owns website PokerStars.

Blunders: William Hill has seen two high-profile mergers fall by the wayside

Tax dodge

The taxman has used powers to clampdown on firms promoting tax avoidance schemes fewer than five times in two years, according to research by legal consultancy RPC.

HMRC was given the power in 2014 to fine firms up to 1million if they were considered to be high risk promoters of abusive tax avoidance. The Conduct Notice is just one of the tools in the Revenues armoury against those promoting these schemes, and is used when firms fail to comply with certain conditions.

Making a packet

The boss of tobacco giant Reynolds American could be set for a 12.4million windfall. FTSE 100 firm British American Tobacco is looking to buy the US firm for the equivalent of 4620p a share. If that happens Reynolds chief executive Susan Cameron could pocket millions for the 269,001 shares she owns.

02 Float
BRANCH PAIN Royal Bank of Scotland bondholders earnt 184million following its ill-fated attempt to float 300 branches on the stock market.

The Natwest owner intended to float the branches under the name Williams & Glyn but cancelled the plans earlier this year.

A consortium, which backed the project through a 600million bond, have made 184million in interest from the deal.

EQUALITY WARNING Globalisation has created winners and losers but countries must continue to work together, a top Bank of England official has said.

The benefits of increased cross-border trade have been unevenly split, according to deputy governor Dame Minouche Shafik. 'The unequal distribution of benefits from globalisation has increased scepticism about international co-operation,' she said.

BARCLAYS BILL Barclays could face a 1billion bill for selling its Africa operation as the bank looks to trim its overseas business.

Chief executive Jes Staley announced plans to pull out of Africa earlier this year, ending nearly a century on the continent, with former boss Bob Diamond one potential buyer.

But research firm Autonomous has warned it will be costly to split the Africa arm.

QATARI GROWTH The Qatari owners of the rebooted BHS brand are to push the retailer through a major international expansion.

The business is on the cusp of securing deals with three franchise partners covering Africa, Europe and the Middle East as it looks to enter ten countries.

BHS fell into administration in April this year, impacting 11,000 jobs and leaving a 571million pension deficit in its wake but has a profitable international arm.

BREWERY DEAL UK wine producer Chapel Down has secured planning consent for a brewery development in Ashford, Kent.

The 1.6-acre Curious Brewery and visitor attraction is aimed to help Chapel Down grow its beer and cider business.

SHARES SINK Shares in Swiss chemicals firm Syngenta fell as buyer China National Chemical Corporation missed a competition deadline set by the European Union.

EU regulators had ordered ChemChina to offer remedies to their concerns by last weekend, but it failed to do so. Syngenta shares fell nearly 10 per cent in Switzerland.

CHIEF QUITS Scottish Friendly chief executive Fiona McBain is stepping down after 11 years at the helm.

She will be succeeded by the finance firm's deputy boss Jim Galbraith at the start of next year.

CHINESE INVESTMENT China's HNA Group is buying a 25 per cent stake in hotel operator Hilton from Blackstone affiliates in a deal worth 5.3billion.
The chairman of the Indian conglomerate which owns Jaguar Land Rover has been ousted in a boardroom power struggle.

Cyrus Mistry has been replaced as head of Tata Sons  the holding company for Tata Group  by family insider Ratan Tata.

Mistry, 48, was only the sixth chairman in Tata's 150-year history.

Ta ta Tata: Cyrus Mistry has been replaced as head of Tata Sons  the holding company for Tata Group  by family insider Ratan Tata

He took over from Ratan, who stepped down in 2012 aged 75, and was appointed more than a year before the transition happened in a clear signal of the firm's commitment to stability.

As well as JLR, the firm also owns Tetley Tea and troubled British company Tata Steel.

One of India's most powerful conglomerates, it controls 100 companies worldwide including IT giant Tata Consultancy Services.

No official reason has been given for Mistry's departure but it is rumoured that there were deep-rooted concerns about performance during his tenure.

A selection committee has launched a four-month search for a replacement boss, with Ratan taking over as interim leader.

Mistry was a surprise choice when his appointment was announced.
The British Chambers of Commerce's longest-serving chief executive has quit its board amid a row over the appointment of its new director general.

Dr Ian Kelly, chief executive of the Hull and Humber Chamber of Commerce, has resigned as a non-executive director of the BCC board.

It comes amid dissatisfaction among chamber members at the ousting of John Longworth as director general of the BCC and his replacement by former policy chief Dr Adam Marshall.

There are also fears that the organisation has come to be dominated by a London clique.

There is said to be dissatisfaction among chamber members at the ousting of John Longworth (pictured) and his replacement by former policy chief Dr Adam Marshall

Longworth quit before the European Union referendum in June after attracting the ire of the Government by backing Brexit.

He said he was personally in favour of leaving the EU as the Remain campaign gathered pace, and he was suspended before resigning days later.

At the time the Mail revealed that David Cameron's special advisor Daniel Korski had an angry telephone conversation with Longworth, which was followed by a flurry of emails between members of the BCC board.

Longworth quit shortly after his suspension and was replaced by policy advisor Marshall in a temporary capacity.

Earlier this month, he was given the role permanently. But now many senior figures are speaking out about the appointment.

One source said: 'We were uncomfortable when John resigned  to some of us it didn't look pretty, but we held our tongues for the good of the chamber. But this is a bit hard to swallow and I think Ian's resignation reflects that.'

Kelly, who has run the Hull and Humber branch of the chamber for 22 years, is believed to have raised concerns about the organisation's direction. He will stay on at his local branch, but has left the board of the BCC after three years as a non-executive director.

'As father of the house, I've served the chamber for over a quarter of a century, but have been concerned at recent events and have resigned the BCC board,' he said last night.

Two insiders have told the Mail there is a growing feeling that bosses were no longer interested in the issues affecting small and medium-sized firms up and down the country.

One said: 'There are lots of London bubble people on the executive team who don't really understand the way it should work.'

Senior figures are also worried that Marshall does not have a detailed grasp of British business.

He grew up in Washington DC before attending Yale and Cambridge universities, where he gained a PhD in international relations.

Marshall, 38, was appointed as the BCC's policy director in 2009, a role that involved liaising closely with Downing Street. His online CV makes no mention of any experience in the private sector.

A source warned that change at the top would be needed if the BCC was to be able to influence the Brexit negotiations.

'There's a genuine question about how Adam can advise the Government about Brexit on behalf of businesses,' they said.

A spokesman for the BCC said Kelly had resigned four weeks before Marshall's permanent appointment was announced.
Banks and Tory MPs last night dismissed as nonsense dire warnings that financiers will move their business abroad due to Brexit.

Anthony Browne, head of the British Bankers Association, sparked fury yesterday by saying smaller banks could react to the uncertainty by moving operations overseas within weeks.

He predicted that larger financial institutions would follow in the first few months of next year, saying: Their hands are quivering over the relocate button.

The panic in the City of London (pictured) which followed the Brexit vote has ebbed away

But the gloom-laden claims were undermined by the fact that a number of High Street banks said leaving the EU would make little difference to their business.

Santander pointed out their Spanish owners were happy to have operations located outside the EU.

One bank told the Daily Mail the BBAs warnings were nonsense, while another insisted: Brexit is a bit of a non-issue for us.

Last night John Redwood, Tory MP for Wokingham, also pointed out that foreign banks are currently investing in Britain.

We have seen ING move more of its traders into London recently, and Wells Fargo announced a new 300million headquarters  after the Brexit vote, he said.

Benn's single market demand Hilary Benn is the chairman of the House of Commons' new Brexit committee Labour was accused of trying to water down Brexit yesterday after a senior MP demanded transitional arrangements after Britain negotiates a deal with the EU. Hilary Benn, chairman of the powerful new Brexit committee in the Commons, said businesses must continue to have access to the single market if a trade deal is not reached by March 2019. Speaking on the BBCs Andrew Marr Show, he said: I think the importance of a transitional arrangement is it would offer some confidence to business. But Tory MP Jacob Rees-Mogg said: We dont have transitional arrangements. Thats the point of departure. Its like missing a train and jumping on the tracks. Mr Benn also said MPs should get a vote on the UKs negotiating strategy. But Mr Rees-Mogg added: Parliament is there to scrutinise, not be there to replace the executive. Advertisement

So far the actual responses from the banks themselves have been positive not negative, so I find what the BBA is warning to be quite difficult to believe.

Conservative MP Peter Bone added: This is nothing more than a continuation of Project Fear. These people simply have not accepted the referendum result.

Mr Browne  a former journalist for the BBC and The Times  said fears that EU leaders will want to erect trade barriers to weaken the City of London during Brexit negotiations were to blame for the banks supposed move.

Writing in The Observer, he said: Banking is probably more affected by Brexit than any other sector of the economy.

It is the UKs biggest export industry by far  but it also gets its legal rights to serve its customers cross-border from the EU.

For banks, Brexit does not simply mean additional tariffs. It is about whether banks have the legal right to provide services.

The BBA chief added: Banks might hope for the best but have to plan for the worst. Most international banks now have project teams working out which operations they need to move to ensure they can continue serving customers, and how best to do it.

Many smaller banks plan to start relocations before Christmas  bigger banks are expected to start in the first quarter of next year.

After his career in journalism, Mr Browne entered the world of banking himself by taking a position at Morgan Stanley.

He has previously written eurosceptic pieces, but has always argued that Britain should stay in the European Union.

But a spokesman for Santander told the Mail last night: We are one of the most British banks there is, we just happen to be owned by a Spanish bank.

But they have operations all over the world so they are comfortable with having a business which is not in an EU country.

A source at another major High Street bank said: Im surprised by the comments really, and theyre inconsistent with what weve been saying so far. Brexit is a bit of a non-issue for us.

Another major High Street bank said: We are not sure that Mr Browne was really talking about the likes of us. It feels more like this is about global investment banks rather than us.

The comments didnt resonate. It doesnt make sense for us  were headquartered in the UK and we have a clear strategy for the UK.

Richard Tice, co-chairman of anti-EU pressure group Leave Means Leave, said: Similar apocalyptic predictions were made when the UK took the sensible decision to not join the Euro.

Andrew Bridgen, Tory MP for North West Leicestershire, added: Weve heard all this before. It would be unusual for banks to jump ship before the terms of our exit are known  indeed, before negotiations have even started.

And if any banks do leave, I hope they repay the British taxpayer for all the bailouts they have received.

Jacob Rees-Mogg, the Tory MP for North East Somerset, said: The BBA has gone from being a lobbyist for British banks to a lobbyist for the European Union.

It worships at the shrine of the EU and does not believe anything can work outside it. It is not doing a good job of representing the British financial industry.

Meanwhile Nigel Farage told LBC Radio he had nothing but contempt for the banks who are wedded to the concept of the European Union.
Britain could threaten to halve corporation tax if Brussels is unwilling to offer a good Brexit deal, it emerged yesterday.

Downing Street has discussed the plan to cut the rate from 20 per cent to 10 per cent as a nuclear option if the EU blocks a free trade deal or refuses to give UK financial services firms access to the European market.

The drastic move  which has been talked about in Number 10, but not agreed on  would encourage firms to stay and make the UK a magnet for new companies, as Ireland and Singapore have become.

It came as a think-tank said EU firms would lose out more than those in Britain if no free trade deal is reached.

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Chris Grayling (pictured) yesterday insisted the EU will agree a tariff-free trade deal with Britain and he said it was in a different category to the Canadian pact

Civitas said firms on the continent will face tariff costs of almost 13billion a year on exports to the UK, while British companies will face a 5.2billion bill for sales to the other 27 states under hard Brexit.

The analysis concludes that Theresa May could use the balance of trade to her advantage in talks with the remaining 27 EU leaders.

Transport Secretary Chris Grayling yesterday insisted the EU will agree a tariff-free trade deal with the UK, and that negotiations will not run into the same difficulties faced by the troubled Canadian pact with Brussels.

Japanese car maker set to back post-Brexit Britain The Nissan Qashqai is made in Sunderland and now a new SUV model will be manufactured there too Nissan will produce a new model of one of its most popular cars in Britain  despite previous threats to shift investment abroad after Brexit. The Japanese firms Sunderland plant, which employs nearly 7,000 people, will begin making the new Qashqai SUV in 2018 or 2019. It comes after the Remain camp highlighted threats that it could quit the UK if tariffs on car exports rise. Last night Tory MP Peter Bone said: This announcement shows Project Fear for what it was. Advertisement

The amount of trade done between the UK and EU puts it in a different category to that deal, which has been blocked by the Belgian regional parliament in Wallonia, he claimed.

Mr Grayling told BBC Ones Andrew Marr Show: We buy a whole load of produce from Walloon farmers, so therefore it is not going to be in their interests to see tariffs imposed.

This is why I have always been convinced that we will have tariff-free trade, we will have sensible trading arrangements, because it is in both of our interests that should happen.

The corporation tax plan has been floated by Mrs Mays closest advisers amid growing fears that the other 27 member states are taking an increasingly hard line against doing a deal that is in Britains interests.

The UK already has one of the lowest business tax rates in the EU, but those planning strategy on Brexit believe the threat of a further cut is a card that the UK can play.

It would be used to persuade the EU to grant passporting rights for the financial services industry to continue operating across the EU and carrying out transactions in euros.

A government source said: People say we have not got any cards. We have some quite good cards we can play if they start getting difficult with us. If theyre saying no passporting and high trade tariffs, we can cut corporation tax to 10 per cent.

Ireland currently has the lowest corporation tax rate in the EU, at 12.5 per cent  a policy which has lured firms from other states.

The EU has sought to bully Dublin to increase this, but it cannot force the country to do so.

The tax rate is 33.3 per cent in France, 31.4 per cent in Italy and 29.72 per cent in Germany.

Opposition closer to home could also throw a spanner into the works as Mrs Mays Government attempts to strike a deal with the EU.

The Prime Minister has called for a grown-up approach in the relationship with the devolved administrations in the UK.

The Scottish Government has demanded to be treated as an equal partner in the talks ahead of a meeting in London today between Mrs May and the leaders of the devolved administrations.

Mrs May will tell the first ministers of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland that they will have a hotline to David Davis, the Brexit Secretary, to discuss their concerns.

Mrs May will tell the first ministers that leaving the EU was not a question simply of hard Brexit and soft Brexit.
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Envestnet, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, provides wealth management software and services in the United States and internationally. It operates through Envestnet Wealth Solutions and Envestnet Data & Analytics segments. The company's product and services include Envestnet | Enterprise, which provides an end-to-end open architecture wealth management platform, as well as offers data aggregation and reporting, data analytics, and digital advice capabilities; Envestnet | Tamarac that provides trading, rebalancing, portfolio accounting, performance reporting, and client relationship management software; and Envestnet | MoneyGuide that provides goals-based financial planning solutions to the financial services industry. It also provides Envestnet | Retirement Solutions, which offer a suite of services for advisor-sold retirement plans; and Envestnet | Portfolio Management Consultants that provide research and consulting services to assist advisors in creating investment solutions for their clients, and portfolio overlay and tax optimization services, as well as data aggregation and data intelligence platform, which offers cloud-based innovation for digital financial services. Envestnet, Inc. was founded in 1999 and is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois.
This is a current list of the top 250 companies by market capitalization on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE). Learn more .

The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) is one of the largest, and most recognizable, stock exchanges in the world. The NYSE is in New York City, New York at 11 Wall Street. The NYSE has been in existence since the earliest days of the United States becoming a nation, in 1792 and is primarily made up of blue-chip companies with large market capitalizations. In fact, many of the stocks that make up the Dow Jones Composite Index (i.e. The Dow) are listed on the NYSE.

This article gives a brief history of the New York Stock Exchange. In addition, it covers topics such as what kind of stocks trade on the exchange, what are the listing requirements, how trading is performed, and what the daily price movement of the NYSE tells investors about investor sentiment.

What Were the Origins of the NYSE?

Today, the New York Stock Exchange is known as the center of the financial universe. However, the exchanges origin is far more humble. On May 17, 1792, 24 stockbrokers signed the Buttonwood Agreement creating a centralized exchange to help provide order to the securities market in what was still a young nation. The "Buttonwood Agreement comes from the tree of the same name under which the founders signed the agreement.

An initial benefit of the exchange was how it removed the need for auctioneers when trading commodities like wheat and tobacco and to set a commission rate. The exchange initially focused on government bonds.

However, the exchange had no formal home. Business was usually conducted informally in the local coffeehouses. In 1817, the exchange changed its name to the New York Stock & Exchange Board which later became the New York Stock Exchange. At this time, the exchange adopted a constitution that set the rules for trading. A group of stockbrokers met twice a day at 40 Wall Street to trade 30 stocks and bonds.

Over time, the exchange moved became the financial hub of the country and moved to its current location in 1865.

What Kind of Stocks Trade on the NYSE?

As of June 2022, the NYSE includes approximately 2,400 companies with a market capitalization of over $28.2 trillion. Although the NYSE trades stocks of all market capitalizations, its best known for trading the stocks of large cap companies. These have the benefit of being mature companies in mature industries. And many of these companies reward shareholders with dividends.

However, that also means that many of these companies are better suited for value investors as opposed to growth investors. In bear markets this stability can be a benefit for investors as these stocks tend to perform less bad than more volatile stocks. But in a bull market, these stocks are not likely to provide investors with the growth that they look for.

An interesting fact about how the NYSE and NASDAQ operate is that the companies with the five largest market caps on the NYSE are also listed on the NASDAQ exchange.

What Are the Listing Requirements For the NYSE?

The NYSE has strict guidelines that govern the types of companies that can list on the exchange. Here are the major requirements that all companies must meet:

The company must have at least 2,200 shareholders

The company must trade over 100,000 shares per month

The company must have a market valuation of over $100 million

The company must generate more than $75 million in annual revenue

However, there is at least one advantage of having such stringent requirements. That is the companies that meet the requirements generally find it easier to get more investors funds when they hold their initial public offering (IPO).

Once a company begins trading on the NYSE, it must continue to meet these requirements. If it doesnt it can be delisted. In addition to these requirements, the stock must continue to trade above $1. If the price of a stock drops below $1 for more than 29 consecutive trading days, the stock receives an Initial Price Violation Notice.

At that point, the company has 10 days to provide the exchange with a plan for bringing their shares above $1.

How are Trades Executed on the NYSE?

For over a century, the floor of the NYSE was the place for investors to be. This meant trades were conducted by traders who ran buy and sell orders across the trading floor looking to broker a deal for their clients. But with the birth of the NASDAQ exchange in 1971, the New York Stock Exchange began conducting electronic trading.

However, the NYSE continues to conduct trades in an auction style. Brokers purchase stocks on behalf of their clients or firms. Every order features a broker who will enter the order electronically and a specialist who serves as the market maker for that stock. The specialist posts bid and ask prices and manages the actual execution of the trades. And there are still a handful of stockbrokers who still traffic buy and sell orders physically on the floor of the exchange.

How Does the NYSE Signal Investor Sentiment?

Like its counterpart, the NASDAQ, the NYSE measures the risk appetite of investors. When the NYSE is moving higher over a length of time, it signals that a risk on environment. Conversely when the NYSE moves lower over a significant period, it signals that investors are moving to a risk off position.

Some Final Thoughts on the NYSE

Financial news networks plan their programming schedule around the opening and closing bell of the New York Stock Exchange. Its still considered a distinguished honor when individuals or groups are invited to ring the opening bell. In fact, Warren Buffett is attributed with saying that in the short term, the stock market acts like a voting machine. A fact that many U.S. presidents will attest to.

The NYSE is the oldest and most recognizable of all the stock exchanges. It also has the most stringent requirements for inclusion. And those requirements must be maintained even after a stock begins publicly trading on the exchange.

Although the NYSE still has a small in-person Trading Floor, much of the trading is done electronically to provide traders with the speed to execute trades.
The following companies are subsidiares of Illinois Tool Works: A V Co 1 Limited, A V Co 2 Limited, A V Co 3 Limited, ACCU-LUBE Manufacturing GmbH - Schmiermittel und -gerate -, AIP/BI Holdings Inc., Accessories Marketing Holding Corp., Advanced Molding Company Inc., Allen France SAS, Alpine Engineered Products, Alpine Systems Corporation, Anaerobicos S.r.l., AppliChem GmbH, Avery Berkel France, Avery India Limited, Avery Malaysia Sdn Bhd, Avery Weigh Tronix, Avery Weigh-Tronix Finance Limited, Avery Weigh-Tronix International Limited, Avery Weigh-Tronix LLC, Avery Weigh-Tronix Limited, Avery Weigh-Tronix Properties Limited, Avery Weigh-Tronix Suzhou Weighing Technology Co. Ltd., Azon Limited, B.C. Immo, Beijing Miller Electric Manufacturing Co. Ltd., Berkel Ireland Limited, Berrington UK, Brapenta Eletronica Ltda., Brooks Instrument B.V., Brooks Instrument GmbH, Brooks Instrument KFT, Brooks Instrument Korea Ltd., Brooks Instrument LLC, Brooks Instrument Shanghai Co. Ltd, Buell Industries Inc., CCI Realty Company, CFC Europe GmbH, CS Australia Pty Limited, CS Mexico Holding Company S DE RL DE CV, Calvia Spolka z Ograniczona Odpowiedzialnosci, Capital Ventures Australasia S.a r.l, Capmax Logistica S.A. de C.V., Celeste Industries Corporation, Coeur, Coeur Asia Limited, Coeur Holding Company, Coeur Inc., Coeur Shanghai Medical Appliance Trading Co. Ltd, Compagnie Hobart, Compagnie de Materiel et d'Equipements Techniques-Comet, Constructions Isothermiques Bontami C.I.B., Crane Carrier Company, Denison Mayes Group Limited, Despatch Industries, Diagraph Corporation Sdn. Bhd, Diagraph ITW Mexico S. de R.L. De C.V., Diagraph Mexico S.A. DE C.V., Dongguan Ark-Les Electric Components Co. Ltd., Dongguan CK Branding Co. Ltd., Duo Fast de Espana S.A.U., Duo-Fast Korea Co. Ltd., Duo-Fast LLC, E.C.S. d.o.o., E2M Production B.V.., E2M Technologies B.V.., E2M Technologies Inc.., ECS Cable Protection Sp. Zoo, ELRO Grosskuchen GmbH, ELRO Holding AG, ELRO-WERKE AG, Elro Group, Eltex-Elektrostatik-Gesellschaft mit beschrankter Haftung, Envases Multipac S.A. de C.V., Eurotec Srl, Exhibit 21, FEG Investments L.L.C., Filtertek De Mexico Holding Inc., Filtertek De Mexico S.A. de C.V., Filtertek SAS, GC Financement SA, Gamko B.V., Gun Hwa Platech Taicang Co. Ltd., HOBART Gesellschaft mit beschrankter Haftung, Hartness International, Hobart Andina S.A.S., Hobart Belgium B.V., Hobart Brothers International Chile Limitada, Hobart Brothers LLC, Hobart Dayton Mexicana S. de R.L. de C.V., Hobart Food Equipment Co. Ltd., Hobart International Singapore Pte. Ltd., Hobart Japan K.K., Hobart Korea LLC, Hobart LLC, Hobart Nederland B.V., Hobart Sales & Service Inc., Hobart Scandinavia ApS, Hobart Techniek B.V., Horis, ILC Investments Holdings Inc., ITW AEP LLC, ITW AOC LLC, ITW Aircraft Investments Inc., ITW Ampang Industries Philippines Inc., ITW Appliance Components EOOD, ITW Appliance Components S.A. de C.V., ITW Appliance Components S.r.l.a, ITW Appliance Components d.o.o., ITW Australia Holdings Pty Ltd, ITW Australia Property Holdings Pty Ltd., ITW Australia Pty Ltd, ITW Automotive Components Chongqing Co. Ltd., ITW Automotive Components Langfang Co. Ltd., ITW Automotive Japan K.K., ITW Automotive Korea LLC, ITW Automotive Parts Shanghai Co. Ltd, ITW Automotive Products GmbH, ITW Automotive Products Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., ITW Bailly Comte, ITW Befestigungssysteme GmbH, ITW Belgium B.V., ITW Brazilian Nominee L.L.C., ITW Building Components Group Inc., ITW CER, ITW CP Distribution Center Holland BV, ITW CS UK Ltd., ITW Canada Inc., ITW Celeste Inc., ITW Chemical Products Ltda, ITW Chemical Products Scandinavia ApS, ITW China Investment Company Limited, ITW Colombia S.A.S., ITW Construction Products AB, ITW Construction Products AS, ITW Construction Products ApS, ITW Construction Products CZ s.r.o., ITW Construction Products Italy Srl, ITW Construction Products OU, ITW Construction Products OY, ITW Construction Products Shanghai Co. Ltd., ITW Construction Products Singapore Pte. Ltd., ITW Construction Services Manila Inc., ITW Contamination Control B.V., ITW Contamination Control Wujiang Co. Ltd., ITW Covid Security Group Inc., ITW DS Investments Inc., ITW DelFast do Brasil Ltda., ITW Denmark ApS, ITW Deutschland GmbH, ITW Diagraph GmbH, ITW Dynatec, ITW Dynatec Adhesive Equipment Suzhou Co. Ltd., ITW Dynatec GmbH, ITW Dynatec Kabushiki Kaisha, ITW EAE B.V., ITW EAE Mexico S de RL de CV, ITW EF&C France SAS, ITW EF&C Selb GmbH, ITW EU Holdings Ltd., ITW Electronic Business Asia Co. Limited, ITW Electronic Components/Products Shanghai Co. Ltd., ITW Electronics Suzhou Co. Ltd., ITW Epsilon Sarl, ITW Espana S.L., ITW European Finance Co. Ltd., ITW European Finance II Co. Ltd., ITW European Finance III Co. Ltd., ITW FEG Hong Kong Limited, ITW FEG do Brasil Industria e Comercio Ltda., ITW Fastener Products GmbH, ITW Fluids and Hygiene Solutions Ltda., ITW Food Equipment Group LLC, ITW GH LLC, ITW GSE ApS, ITW GSE Inc., ITW Gamma Sarl, ITW German Management LLC, ITW Global Investments Holdings LLC, ITW Global Investments Holdings Y Compania Sociedad en Comandita por Acciones, ITW Global Investments Inc., ITW Global Tire Repair Europe GmbH, ITW Global Tire Repair Inc., ITW Global Tire Repair Japan K.K., ITW Graphics Asia Limited, ITW Graphics Thailand Ltd., ITW Great Britain Investment & Licensing Holding Company, ITW Group France Luxembourg S.ar.l., ITW HLP Thailand Co. Ltd., ITW Holding Quimica B.C. S.L. Sole Shareholder Company, ITW Holdings Australia L.P., ITW Holdings I Limited, ITW Holdings II Limited, ITW Holdings III Limited, ITW Holdings IV Limited, ITW Holdings IX Limited, ITW Holdings Inc., ITW Holdings V Limited, ITW Holdings VI Limited, ITW Holdings VII Limited, ITW Holdings VIII Limited, ITW Holdings X Limited, ITW Holdings XI Limited, ITW ILC Holdings I Inc., ITW IPG Investments LLC, ITW Imaden Industria e Comercio Ltda., ITW India Private Limited, ITW International Holdings LLC, ITW Invest Holding GmbH, ITW Ireland Holdings Unlimited Company, ITW Ireland Unlimited Company, ITW Italy Holding Srl, ITW Japan Ltd., ITW Korea LLC, ITW LLC & Co. KG, ITW Limited, ITW Lys Fusion S.r.l., ITW Materials Technology Shanghai Co. Ltd., ITW Meritex Sdn. Bhd., ITW Metal Fasteners S.L., ITW Mexico Holding Company S. De R.L. de C.V., ITW Mexico Holdings LLC, ITW Morlock GmbH, ITW Mortgage Investments II Inc., ITW Mortgage Investments III Inc., ITW Mortgage Investments IV Inc., ITW Netherlands Administration BV, ITW Netherlands Beta B.V., ITW Netherlands Finance Alpha BV, ITW New Universal LLC, ITW New Zealand, ITW Ningbo Components & Fastenings Systems Co. Ltd., ITW Novadan Sp. Z.o.o., ITW PPF Brasil Adesivos Ltda., ITW Packaging Technology China Co. Ltd., ITW Participations S.a r.l., ITW Pension Funds Trustee Company, ITW Performance Polymers & Fluids Japan Co. Ltd., ITW Performance Polymers & Fluids Korea Limited, ITW Performance Polymers & Fluids OOO, ITW Performance Polymers ApS, ITW Performance Polymers Wujiang Co. Ltd., ITW Performance Polymers and Fluids Group FZE, ITW Peru S.A.C., ITW Poly Mex S. de R.L. de C.V., ITW Polymers Sealants North America Inc., ITW Pronovia s.r.o., ITW Pte. Ltd., ITW Qufu Automotive Cooling Systems Co. Ltd., ITW Real Estate Germany GmbH, ITW Residuals III L.L.C., ITW Residuals IV L.L.C., ITW Rivex, ITW SMPI, ITW SPG Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., ITW Simco-Ion Shenzhen Co. Ltd., ITW Slovakia s.r.o., ITW Spain Holdings S.L., ITW Specialty Film LLC, ITW Specialty Films France, ITW Specialty Materials Suzhou Co. Ltd., ITW Sverige AB, ITW Sweden Holding AB, ITW Test & Measurement Equipment Shanghai Co. Ltd, ITW Test & Measurement GmbH, ITW Test and Measurement Italia Srl, ITW Test and Measurement Services Industry and Trade Ltd., ITW Texwipe Philippines Inc., ITW Thermal Films Shanghai Co. Ltd., ITW UK, ITW UK Finance Beta Limited, ITW UK Finance Delta Limited, ITW UK Finance Gamma Limited, ITW UK Finance Limited, ITW UK Finance Zeta Ltd., ITW UK II Limited, ITW Universal II LLC, ITW Welding, ITW Welding AB, ITW Welding GmbH, ITW Welding Products B.V., ITW Welding Products Group FZE, ITW Welding Products Group S. DE R.L. De C.V., ITW Welding Products Italy Srl, ITW Welding Products Limited Liability Company, ITW Welding Produtos Para Solgdagem Ltda., ITW Welding Singapore Pte. Ltd., ITW de France, ITW do Brasil Industrial e Comercial Ltda., Illinois Tool Works Chile Limitada, Illinois Tool Works ITW Nederland B.V., Illinois Tool Works Inc., Impar Comercio E Representacoes Ltda., Industrie Plastic Elsasser GmbH, Inmobiliaria Cit. S.A. de C.F., Innova Temperlite Servicios S.A. de C.V., Innovacion y Transformacion Automotriz S.A. de C.V., Instron Brasil Equipamentos Cientificos Ltda., Instron Foreign Sales Corp. Limited, Instron France S.A.S., Instron GmbH, Instron Japan Company Ltd., Instron Korea LLC, Instron Shanghai Ltd., Instron Thailand Limited, International Leasing Company LLC, Isolenge - ITW Sistemas de Isolamento Termico Ltda., Itw Spraytec, KCPL Mauritius Holdings, Kester, Kleinmann GmbH, Krafft S.L., Loma Systems, Loma Systems BV, Loma Systems Canada Inc., Loma Systems sro, Lombard Pressings Limited, Lumex Inc., Lys Fusion Poland Sp. z.o.o., M&C Specialties Co., MAGNAFLUX GmbH, MEHB Holdings Limited, MGHG Property LLC, MTS 2 LLC., MTS 3 LLC., MTS China Holdings LLC, MTS Europe Holdings LLC, MTS Holdings France S.a.r.l., MTS Japan Ltd.., MTS Korea Inc.., MTS Systems China Co. Ltd., MTS Systems Corporation, MTS Systems Danmark ApS., MTS Systems Europe B.V., MTS Systems Finance C.V.., MTS Systems Germany GmbH, MTS Systems Holding B.V.., MTS Systems Hong Kong Incorporated, MTS Systems Limited, MTS Systems Norden Aktiebolag, MTS Systems S.r.l, MTS Systems., MTS Systems.., MTS Sytems Do Brazil, MTS Testing Solutions India Private Limited., MTS Testing Systems Canada Ltd., Manufacturing Avancee S.A., Meritex Technology Suzhou Co. Ltd., Meurer Verpackungssysteme GmbH, Miller Electric Mfg. LLC, Miller Insurance Ltd., NDT Holding LLC, NOVADAN APS, North Star Imaging Inc., Nova Chimica S.r.l., Orbitalum Tools GmbH, PENTA-91 OOO, PR. A. I. Srl, PT ITW Construction Products Indonesia, Pacific Concept Industries Limited Enping, Panreac Quimica S.L., Paslode Fasteners Shanghai Co. Ltd., Peerless Machinery Corp., Polyrey, Premark FEG L.L.C., Premark HII Holdings LLC, Premark International, Premark International LLC, Prolex Sociedad Anonima, QSA Global Inc., Quimica Industrial Mediterranea S.L., R&D Engineering A/S., R&D Prague s.r.o., R&D Steel ApS., R&D Test Systems A/S., R&D Tools and Structures A/S., RDGDK Engineering Private Limited, Ramset Fasteners Hong Kong Ltd., Rapid Cook LLC, Refrigeration France, S.E.E. Sistemas Industria E Comercio Ltda., ST Mexico Holdings LLC, Sealant Systems International Inc., Sentinel Asia Yuhan Hoesa, Shanghai ITW Plastic & Metal Co. Ltd, Simco Japan Inc., Simco Nederland B.V., Societe de Prospection et dInventions Techniques  SPIT, Speedline Holdings I Inc., Speedline Holdings I LLC, Speedline Technologies GmbH, Speedline Technologies Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Speedline Technologies Mexico Services S. de R.L. de C.V., Stokvis Celix Portugal Unipessoal LDA, Stokvis Danmark ApS, Stokvis Holdings S.A.R.L., Stokvis Promi s.r.o, Stokvis Prostick Tapes Private Limited, Stokvis Tapes B.V., Stokvis Tapes Benelux B.V., Stokvis Tapes Deutschland GmbH, Stokvis Tapes France, Stokvis Tapes Hong Kong Co. Limited, Stokvis Tapes Italia s.r.l., Stokvis Tapes Limited, Stokvis Tapes Limited Liability Company, Stokvis Tapes Norge AS, Stokvis Tapes Oy, Stokvis Tapes Polska Sp Z.O.O., Stokvis Tapes Shanghai Co. Ltd., Stokvis Tapes Sverige AB, Stokvis Tapes Taiwan Co. Ltd., Stokvis Tapes Tianjin Co. Ltd., Stolvis Holdings II S.A.R.L., Subsidiaries, Technopack Industria Comercio Consultoria e Representacoes Ltda., Teknek China Limited, Teknek Japan Limited, Teksaleco Ltd., The Miller Group Ltd, Thirode Grandes Cuisines Poligny, Tien Tai Electrode Co. Ltd., Tien Tai Electrode Kunshan Co. Ltd., Unichemicals Industria e Comercio Ltda., VR-Leasing Sarita GmbH & Co. Immobilien KG, VS European Holdco BV, Valeron Strength Films B.V., Veneta Decalcogomme S.r.l., Versachem Chile S.A., Vesta, Vesta Global Limited, Vesta Guangzhou Catering Equipment Co. Ltd, Viltronics Soltec, Vitronics Soltec B.V., Wachs Canada Ltd., Wachs Subsea LLC, Weigh-Tronix Canada ULC, Weigh-Tronix UK Limited, Wilsonart International Holdings LLC, Wynn Oil South Africa Pty Ltd., Wynn's Automotive France, Wynn's Belgium BVBA, Wynn's Italia Srl, Wynn's Mekuba India Pvt Ltd, and Zip-Pak International B.V..

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Alibaba Group Holding Limited is an eCommerce and Internet technology giant headquartered in the People's Republic of China. Its core platform, Alibaba.com, is the worlds 3rd largest eCommerce platform by sales. The company, through its vast network of subsidiary companies, provides the infrastructure and marketing to help merchants of all sizes develop their brands and to connect with customers in the People's Republic of China and internationally. The company also aids other businesses with a vast array of digital and logistical solutions with a reach that spans the globe.

Alibaba was co-founded by Jack Ma in 1999 when it became clear the Internet and digitization were the future of commerce. Mr. Ma is a billionaire investor, businessman, and philanthropist who believes in an open and free-market economy. The company went public in September 2014 with an IPO on the NYSE. The IPO set a record with its valuation of $25 billion and the company is now worth more than $225 billion and ranked among the 10 most valuable companies by market cap. Alibaba is also ranked 5th largest globally in regards to its work in AI, and it owns the world's largest B2B, B2C, and C2C eCommerce portals. In 2022, Alibabas Singles Day event brought in $139 billion to set a new one-day record.

The principal purpose of Alibaba Group Holding Limited is to open the Chinese market and connect it to the world. The company operates through seven segments including China Commerce, International Commerce, Local Consumer Services, Cainiao, Cloud, Digital Media and Entertainment, and Innovation Initiatives and Others.

The companys eCommerce platforms include Taobao Marketplace, Tmall, Alimama, 1688.com, Alibaba.com, Aliexpress, Lazada, Trendyol, and Daraz. Taobao Marketplace is a social-media eCommerce platform while Alimama is a monetization platform for entrepreneurs. 1688.com and Alibaba.com are wholesale marketplaces where individuals and businesses can connect with bulk items and the remainder are eCommerce retail platforms and search engines targeting specific markets. In addition, the company also operated a retail chain called Freshippo and Tmall Global which is an import platform for eCommerce.

Other digital services provided by Alibaba include Taoxianda, which is a digital integration service for FMCG goods and grocery retailers, and Cainiao Network which is a logistical services platform complemented by Ele.me, a delivery and services platform.

Alibaba also supports the infrastructure of the Internet with a range of products and services that include computing, storage, network, security, database, big data, and IoT connectivity. This segment includes a suite of cloud-based services such as Alibaba Pictures and content platforms that provide streaming media.
Hewlett Packard Enterprise Company provides solutions that allow customers to capture, analyze, and act upon data seamlessly in the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, the Asia Pacific, and Japan. The company offers general purpose servers for multi-workload computing and workload-optimized servers; HPE ProLiant rack and tower servers; HPE BladeSystem and HPE Synergy; and solutions for secondary workloads and traditional tape, storage networking, and disk products, such as HPE Modular Storage Arrays and HPE XP. It also offers HPE Apollo and Cray products; and HPE Superdome Flex, HPE Nonstop, HPE Integrity, and HPE Edgeline products. In addition, the company provides HPE Aruba product portfolio that includes wired and wireless local area network hardware products, such as Wi-Fi access points, switches, routers, and sensors; HPE Aruba software and services comprising cloud-based management, network management, network access control, analytics and assurance, and location; and professional and support services, as well as as-a-service and consumption models for the intelligent edge portfolio of products. Further, it offers various leasing, financing, IT consumption, and utility programs and asset management services for customers to facilitate technology deployment models and the acquisition of complete IT solutions, including hardware, software, and services from Hewlett Packard Enterprise and others. Additionally, the company invests in communications and media solutions. It has a partnership with Striim, Inc. to offer high performance and mission-critical solutions with real-time analytics. It serves commercial and large enterprise groups, such as business and public sector enterprises; and through various partners comprising resellers, distribution partners, original equipment manufacturers, independent software vendors, systems integrators, and advisory firms. Hewlett Packard Enterprise Company was founded in 1939 and is headquartered in Houston, Texas.
Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc. provides investor communications and technology-driven solutions for the financial services industry. The company's Investor Communication Solutions segment processes and distributes proxy materials to investors in equity securities and mutual funds, as well as facilitates related vote processing services; and distributes regulatory reports, class action, and corporate action/reorganization event information, as well as tax reporting solutions. It also offers ProxyEdge, an electronic proxy delivery and voting solution; data-driven solutions and an end-to-end platform for content management, composition, and omni-channel distribution of regulatory, marketing, and transactional information, as well as mutual fund trade processing services; data and analytics solutions; solutions for public corporations and mutual funds; SEC filing and capital markets transaction services; registrar, stock transfer, and record-keeping services; and omni-channel customer communications solutions, as well as operates Broadridge Communications Cloud platform that creates, delivers, and manages communications and customer engagement activities. The company's Global Technology and Operations segment provides solutions that automate the front-to-back transaction lifecycle of equity, mutual fund, fixed income, foreign exchange and exchange-traded derivatives, order capture and execution, trade confirmation, margin, cash management, clearance and settlement, reference data management, reconciliations, securities financing and collateral management, asset servicing, compliance and regulatory reporting, portfolio accounting, and custody-related services. This segment also offers business process outsourcing services; technology solutions, such portfolio management, compliance, fee billing, and operational support solutions; and capital market and wealth management solutions. The company was founded in 1962 and is headquartered in Lake Success, New York.
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by Larry Penner

There are ongoing and future efforts to deal with complaints by various transit advocacy groups concerning problems with MTA NYCT and MTA Bus services and ridership loss. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority New York City Transit has already awarded contracts for $200 million to purchase and install a new bus radio system, along with $150 million for purchase and installation of a new East New York Brooklyn Bus Command Center.

Both the bus radio system and bus command center support operations of over 6,000 buses, providing service in all five boroughs. MTA NYCT are also in the process of spending $1 billion for purchasing over 1,000 new buses. MTA Bus has programmed $300 million to buy over 400 new buses. There are other projects and plans outlined in both the 2015  2019 Five Year Capital Plan and 2014  2034 Twenty Year Capital Needs Assessment Plan for even more investments to support both the NYCT and MTA bus systems.

Larry Penner

Great Neck

(Larry Penner is a transportation historian and advocate who previously worked 31 years for the US Department of Transportation Federal Transit Administration Region 2 NY Office.)
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By Patrick Donachie

Teachers, parents and Councilman Ruben Wills (D-Jamaica) were on hand Monday morning to celebrate a new science lab at Public School 80, the Thurgood Marshall Magnet School of Media and Communications, in Rochdale Village.

Principal Kersandra Cox thanked everyone for attending, and pointed out young students clad in white lab coats who were on hand for the unveiling.

Our scholars are very excited about the work theyre doing here, she told the visitors who crowded around tables in the newly opened lab, which cost $350,000 to design and construct. These are my bosses right here. This is who I work for and who our teachers work for.

Wills expressed his thanks to the individuals in his office and at the school who helped to make the new lab a reality. He said a mock courtroom and sound studio for the school were forthcoming, where students could practice composing music for film, television and commercials, as well as practice to become television news anchors. Wills also noted the hard work Cox had done in promoting science, technology, engineering and math education, also known as STEM learning.

It has been her dream to enhance STEM education at PS 80, Wills said.

The new lab was constructed during the previous school year, according to Beverly Massiah, an educator who is called the champion of the schools science department. Construction was completed in June and students had been using the space since the start of the new school year in September.

Massiah said the new lab included a three-dimensional printer, which could turn digital files into physical objects students could interact with, as well as a newly installed Promethean screen to facilitate lesson plans and learning. She said fourth-graders were currently conducting initial research, while kindergartners were experimenting on local trees and the natural world.

Its trying to bring in as much real world experience as possible, she said during the event. Were trying to establish collaboration.

The L2L dancers, a volunteer dance troupe made up of students and organized by educators in the school, also performed for the attendees. After their number was completed, an impressed Wills pledged to work with the School Construction Authority to try to help build a dance studio for the performers to use in the school. STEM learners also professed excitement about utilizing the new laboratory to its full effect.

We cant wait to roll up our sleeves and become the budding scientists we are, one student said to applause from the audience.
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By Mark Hallum

Woodhaven Residents Block Association held a candidates forum for hopefuls on the ballot for state Senate and Assembly where the community asked the candidates last week about how they would be addressing affordable housing, homeless shelters, illegal conversions and Select Bus Service.

Assemblyman Mike Miller (D-Woodhaven), his Republican opponent Joseph Maldonado, state Sen. Joseph Addabbo (D-Howard Beach) and his GOP rival, Michael Conigliaro, all attended.

Miller told the audience he was in favor of Select Bus Service in Woodhaven, but there were aspects of the citys plan he would like to avoid. He advocated for the community to make the best of SBS at the Oct. 13 event at American Legion Post at 89-02 91st St.

I dont agree with taking a lane of traffic away from the main road, I dont agree with people waiting on a median to get a bus. I just dont think its safe, Miller said. And as Ive said month after month, what are you going to do in the snow? [Department of Sanitation] doesnt come out to plow the streets.

Maldonados top priority is to address the issue of homeless shelters in Queens by circulating people out of shelters and helping those issued with Section 8 vouchers find housing. He said the reason why people stay in shelters is because there are no programs to get people out, while shelter owners are benefitting financially from city taxpayer money.

When you start warehousing people, and you dont have anything for them to do to get out of that building, then youre doing nothing, he said.

According to Addabbo, the most promising way to curb the illegal conversions is to hire more inspectors at the city Department of Buildings.

By increasing the amount of inspectors, we increase jobs, he said. Our borough of Queens is inundated with illegal conversions and its not safe for the legal premises next door and its unsafe for those inside.

Addabbo spoke out against the conditions of homeless shelters in Queens comparing them to prisons with inadequate amenities and poor access to public transportation. He said the best course of action for the mayor would be to include communities in discussions to find the best solutions to these issues.

Conigliaro said he would like to stem the stream of homeless into shelters by requiring residency from those checking in. His plan is similar to that of Florida, which requires a drug test for those receiving welfare. Contending that it would not put more people on the streets, he said it would discourage homeless from coming to New York in the first place to benefit from the system.

The bottom line is if we can show them here the stores closed, the streets arent going to be available, dont come here. Not because we dont care about homeless, he said, arguing that shelter resources should be preserved for homeless veteran New Yorkers.

Election Day is Nov. 8.
An unmarked reconnaissance plane working for France\s defence ministry crashed at Malta\s international airport Monday, killing all five people on board and sparking questions about what the privately-chartered plane was doing.

The aircraft plummeted into the ground nose-first and exploded in a ball of flames shortly after taking off for an undisclosed surveillance mission.

Maltese Prime Minister Joseph Muscat told parliament that human error or a mechanical fault was the most likely cause of the incident.

He denied the plane was involved in covert military intelligence work over conflict-torn Libya, which is just 220 miles (350 kilometres) south of the island.

"It is clear there was no bomb on the aircraft and no explosion happened before the aircraft crashed to the ground," Muscat said.

"Aviation experts have so far indicated that there was no foul play although at this stage nothing could be ruled out."

Muscat insisted that the plane had been on a "customs" mission, monitoring people, drugs and arms trafficking in the waters around Malta  with the island government\s full blessing.

The French defence ministry contradicted Malta\s initial portrayal of the victims as customs officials by confirming that the plane had been working on its behalf, carrying out "reconnaissance missions in the Mediterranean".

Three of those who died were employees of the defence ministry, it said. The two others were pilots employed by CAE Aviation, a private company based in Luxembourg which specialises in aerial surveillance and works regularly with European military.

CAE aviation said the plane "was being flown by an experienced crew with no technical issues reported on previous flights."

France has been a significant player in Libya in recent years.

Under former President Nicolas Sarkozy, it led the 2011 Western military intervention which led to the overthrow and death of former dictator Moamer Kadhafi and plunged the country into a state of chaos from which it has never recovered.

Paris confirmed in July that its special forces were operating inside the conflict-torn north African state after three of its troops died in a helicopter crash.

The wrecked plane was a twin-prop Fairchild Metroliner Mark III registered in the United States and leased to CAE aviation.

It took off around 7:20 am (0520 GMT). Shortly afterwards it tilted abruptly to the right and was seen plunging nose-first towards the ground, finally exploding into a ball of flames on a road that rings the main runway, damaging the perimeter wall and fence.

"Official information, footage and eyewitnesses, including three members of the Armed Forces of Malta at the nearby barracks, and two commercial airline pilots, clearly indicate that there was no explosion prior to impact," a government statement said.

"The flight was part of a French customs surveillance operation which has been taking place for the past five months, with the aim of tracing routes of illicit trafficking of all sorts, including human and drug trafficking amongst others," the statement said.

"The flight was registered with the Malta Air Traffic Services as a local flight and was to return to Malta within hours without landing in third countries."

The accident resulted in traffic in and out of the airport being suspended for almost four hours, with 13 incoming flights diverted to Sicily.

But the terminal was not evacuated and only two outgoing flights were cancelled before normal service was resumed.

Malta is on the front line of Europe\s efforts to contain the waves of migrants trying to reach Italy from Libya in boats operated by people smugglers who are often also involved in illicit drugs and arms dealing.

The island is also strategically located for Western powers seeking to monitor developments in Libya, where a fledgling national unity government is struggling to impose its authority and militants loyal to the Islamic State group have established a foothold.

SOURCE: AFP
Q&A with PA-16 candidates Robert Matzie and Rico Elmore

Both Beaver County natives, Matzie and Elmore have expressed their interest in making Beaver County a better place in their own unique ways.
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By Christopher Collins of the Times Record News

The National Weather Service wants to do more to keep Spanish-speaking people abreast of severe weather events, but it may require cooperation from the news media and emergency management services.

At a workshop in Wichita Falls on Friday, Rick Smith, the warning coordination meteorologist at the weather service's Norman office, called Spanish-language weather warnings "a huge priority for sure."

"It's a huge issue," he said during a presentation at the event, which aimed to bring together TV meteorologists, first responders, weather service employees and others.

Texas currently has about 10.4 million Hispanic residents, the second most of any U.S. state, according to the Pew Research Center.

Hispanics  most of whom are of Mexican descent  make up 39 percent of the state's total population.

Later, in an interview, Smith recounted a 2013 incident in which several Spanish-speaking people were killed in a tornado near Oklahoma City. Weather warnings had been distributed en masse for the event but not necessarily in Spanish.

"It's sad when it happens to anybody, but it's even more sad when you're dealing with someone who may have not gotten the right information to start with," he said. "There was speculation that the lack of resources for getting notifications in their own language may have been a factor in that."

Some improvements have been made since  KTUZ, an Oklahoma TV station, has hired a Spanish-speaking meteorologist. And some of the weather service's products now are translated into Spanish.

"But we have a long way to go," Smith said.

Wichita Falls, which has a smaller Hispanic population than El Paso or Brownsville, for example, lacks comprehensive weather notification systems for those who speak primarily Spanish.

San Angelo and Abilene, Wichita Falls' sister cities, also lack those services, said Hector Guerrero, the warning coordination meteorologist at the weather service office in San Angelo.

"It's definitely something to look into. The better we can warn people about the weather in their own language, the better they'll be able to prepare," Guerrero said.

He and Smoth also stressed the importance of improving weather notification systems for hearing- and visually-impaired people and for people who speak languages other than English or Spanish.
If you're still looking for something to do for Halloween, here are a few suggestions.
New York

In the photos, Alejandra Salgado and her little brother Francisco look like ordinary tourists strolling the streets of midtown Manhattan. He carries a shopping bag. She wears a white dress, a necklace and a leather tote slung over one shoulder.

But the outings were hardly innocent.

Over two hours, federal agents snapped pictures as the pair visited seven banks, stopping at each one to make cash deposits of just under $10,000  all from piles of drug money stashed in their bags.

Prosecutors say the flurry of modest deposits was one of the many schemes hatched by Mexican crime cartels trying to bring billions of dollars in drug proceeds back from the United States without attracting scrutiny from banking regulators.

The cartels collect much of their cash proceeds from the U.S. market much the way cocaine and other drugs come in, by sneaking it across the border.

But using regular banks remains in the mix, said James Hunt, head of the Drug Enforcement Administration's New York City office. The trick is keeping deposits small, because banks are required to report cash deposits of $10,000 or more to the government. The benefit, he said, is that if investigators do catch onto such a scheme, less cash gets confiscated. The bagmen also often face less jail time.

"It's a little more time-intensive but it's not as heavy a hit if you get caught," Hunt said.

Before they went to prison late last month, the Salgados were paid to launder up to $1 million a month collected from drug wholesalers doing business with the notorious Sinaloa cartel, prosecutors said.

Investigators say Alejandra Salgado, 59, who has a Mexico City address and was in the U.S. on an expired visa, was supervised by a high-ranking member of the cartel.

Agents began watching her in New York after her name came up in an investigation of money-laundering cells in southern California, Michigan and Arizona being conducted by investigators from the DEA Drug Enforcement Task Force, Department of Homeland Security, the IRS and local agencies.

Details from the case files of federal agents and narcotics prosecutors provided to the AP offer a look inside how the Salgados operated.

At one point she had been a courier who would drive drug money over the border. But later, she was assigned by cartel leaders to deposit funds into multiple bank accounts held under fake names, then write checks to a produce company in San Diego controlled by the cartel.

An undercover investigator wearing a wire recorded her calling the assignment a "hassle," but safer than her previous gig.

After her handler told her there was "a lot of work" for her in New York, she and her brother, a legal resident with an Alaska address, set up shop at a Manhattan hotel in the summer of 2013.

She preferred to collect payments from local drug dealers in midtown, rather than in their home territories in the Bronx or Washington Heights, for security reasons.

"Like a friend of mine said: 'This is a business for tough people,'" she said in a conversation with the undercover agent. "And it's all based in trust."

While under investigation, the siblings made at least two dozen deposits in amounts ranging from about $8,100 to $9,600 at banks located from the Upper West Side to Canal Street.

Following the money trail was worthwhile to "gain insight into the practices" of the cartels, said Special Narcotics Prosecutor Bridget G. Brennan, whose office prosecuted the case.

At Francisco Salgado's sentencing, his lawyer, Jeffrey Taub, portrayed him as a small fish in "an unfortunate situation."

The penalties for the launderers can be lighter than in bigger federal conspiracy cases. The brother and sister took plea deals resulting in sentences of 16 months to four years.

Alejandra Salgado's attorney, Robert W. Georges, said it's certain his client will be deported once she serves her time  a fate she's accepted.
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Irbil, Iraq

A dispute between Iraq and Turkey has emerged as a dramatic geopolitical sideshow to the complicated military campaign to retake Mosul, Iraq's second-largest city, from the Islamic State.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey has insisted on a role in the battle for Mosul, trying to ramp up an involvement in Iraq that has already alarmed the Iraqi government.

"We have a historical responsibility in the region," Erdogan said in a recent speech, drawing on his country's history of empire and defeat, from Ottoman rule of the Middle East to its loss in World War I. "If we want to be both at the table and in the field, there is a reason."

In response, the normally mild-mannered Iraqi prime minister, Haider al-Abadi, warned last week of a military confrontation between Turkey and Iraq. If Turkish forces intervene in Mosul, he said, they will not "be in a picnic."

"We are ready for them," al-Abadi said. "This is not a threat or a warning. This is about Iraqi dignity."

The rift between Turkey and Iraq is no mere diplomatic row; it is a stark example of the complete breakdown in sovereignty of not just Iraq but Syria as well. The Islamic State has erased the borders between the two countries, while Turkey has stationed troops in both countries without the permission of either government.

Turkey has angered the Iraqi government by keeping a unit of troops at a base in Bashiqa, an area of northern Iraq near Mosul and surrounded by Islamic State territory. For more than a year, the Turks have also been training Kurdish peshmerga forces and Sunni Arab fighters in Iraq, including a militia led by a former governor of Mosul, Atheel al-Nujaifi.

The Turkish military deployment, even just to train local forces, has been bitterly opposed by the Iraqi government, and al-Abadi has demanded that the troops leave.

Now that the battle for Mosul has started, Erdogan has given a number of incendiary speeches in which he has seemed to suggest that he is itching for the Turkish military to become directly involved in the fighting.

The battle for Mosul began last week with a push by Kurdish and Iraqi forces, backed by U.S. advisers and U.S. airstrikes, to take back dozens of villages outside the city. For the United States, Turkey, a NATO ally, has again proven itself a difficult partner in the fight against the Islamic State.

As it has in Syria, where Turkey has opposed, and sometimes bombed, Syrian Kurdish allies that are working with the United States to fight the Islamic State, Turkey has undermined U.S. goals in Iraq by insisting on playing a role in the fight for Mosul.

For almost a year, U.S. diplomats have sought to contain the crisis. They have encouraged the Turks to respect Iraq's sovereignty and aid the fight against the Islamic State by carrying out activities under the umbrella of the U.S.-led coalition.

But Turkey has kept its troops in Bashiqa, a deployment the Iraqi government says it never approved.
Albany

Getting a flu shot on Tuesday in the Capital Region could be as easy as hailing a cab.

In its latest scheme to drum up support for the expansion of ride-hailing outside New York City, Uber will offer users of its mobile app in the Albany area the opportunity to request a car that will arrive with a registered nurse on board to provide a free flu shot to up to five people at any given location, Uber announced Monday.

"While Albany dysfunction prevents Upstate New Yorkers from having access to affordable and reliable transportation options, it doesn't have to limit their access to flu season essentials at the touch of a button," Uber NY General Manager Josh Mohrer said in a statement. "Albany is one of the last places in the country without Uber but, on Tuesday, we're bringing our service to the Empire State to help New Yorkers stay healthy."

Uber will offer flu shots in Syracuse as well. Albany and Syracuse are the only New York communities on the list of 16 states and cities where the flu shots are being offered.

To request a shot, users need to open the Uber app between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. and request the "Health" option. The company said the shots, provided by Passport Health, are appropriate for individuals age 4 and older.

In addition to a shot, Uber is offering a "wellness pack" of flu season essentials to users. (Only one kit will be offered per hail.)

Earlier this year, Uber offered those in the Capital Region, Utica and Buffalo the opportunity to hail a car that would deliver three ice cream bars as part of a similar public awareness promotion.

The latest upstate promotion comes months before state lawmakers will again consider legislation that would allow ride-hailing services to operate outside the state's largest metropolis.

The legislation failed earlier this year after late changes to the Assembly's version of the bill doomed its chances in the state Senate.

The political difficulty at issue wasn't the service that companies like Uber and Lyft provide; rather, mandatory minimum insurance coverage limits arose as a last-minute problem. The Senate proposed limits set in dozens of states, while the Assembly  backed by the powerful trial lawyers, set higher limits.

Potential riders were caught in the middle.

"It doesn't replace the cab business, it creates a new culture," Troy restaurateur and ride-hailing booster Vic Christopher said as the legislative session waned, vowing that the death of enabling legislation wouldn't end his fight to bring ride-hailing to the region. "It creates a culture of connectivity within the Capital Region that doesn't exist."

Gov. Andrew Cuomo's administration appears to be on board with legalizing ride-hailing upstate.

mhamilton@timesunion.com  518-454-5449  @matt_hamilton10
Albany

Assemblywoman Barbara Lifton grew up in a family "where it wasn't polite to talk about money."

Now the Ithaca Democrat is a member of the state Legislature, a body that spends much of its time talking about the collection and allocation of state revenues. But many of its members seem to be having a hard time talking about their own salary.

A week after New Yorkers go to the polls on Nov. 8, the state Commission on Legislative, Judicial, & Executive Compensation faces its deadline to recommend potential pay increases for state lawmakers as well as senior members of the executive branch. Neither group has seen such a raise since 1999, after it was passed by the Legislature and signed by Gov. George Pataki. The current base pay for lawmakers is $79,500, though that amount is augmented for many members by stipends for committee posts and other legislative roles  payments known as "lulus."

More Information Most lawmakers who said the $116,900 proposal was not appropriate opted instead for the current base salary of $79,500. Sen. Kevin Parker suggested $150,000

Assemblyman James Brennan offered a range of $102,500 to $105,000

Assemblyman Thomas Abinanti suggested $161,250

Assembly GOP leader Brian Kolb said the panel should recommend $95,000

Assemblyman David Buchwald said the salary should be "determined through an open legislative process, accountable to voters."

Assemblyman Ray Walter was the only one to suggest lawmakers should get a pay cut, to $59,000 - close to the state's median income. Lawmakers who offered partial responses to the survey: Assembly: Phil Steck, Kevin Cahill, Joseph Lentol, Annette Robinson

Phil Steck, Kevin Cahill, Joseph Lentol, Annette Robinson Senate: John Bonacic, Patrick Gallivan, Kemp Hannon, Brad Hoylman, Adriano Espaillat, Kathleen Marchione, Gustavo Rivera, James Sanders, Sue Serino, Daniel Squadron, Toby Stavisky Source: Times Union research by Stefan Lembo Stolba, Casey Seiler and Matthew Hamilton See More Collapse

If a raise is recommended by the seven-member panel, it will go into effect unless the Legislature returns to Albany in special session to vote against it  an unlikely prospect.

With Election Day pressing so close to the panel's Nov. 15 deadline, lawmakers are doing their best to not bring up the issue. "People are cringing from the subject," Lifton acknowledged.

That analysis was borne out by the Times Union's efforts to survey all sitting lawmakers on the subject with a brief questionnaire that asked three basic questions, plus two optional follow-ups. They were:

Does the lawmaker support an increase in base pay for state legislators, and if not would she vote against the pay panel's recommendations if they set such an increase?

Does the legislator think increasing base salary to $116,900  the only number discussed by the pay panel in depth so far  is too much, too little or appropriate? And if it's not appropriate, what is a proper salary for lawmakers?

And finally: Should there be limits on the amount of outside income earned by lawmakers?

The response  which in almost every case included outreach by phone and email to the lawmakers and their top staff  was less than overwhelming: Out of the 209 current sitting members of the Legislature, only 31 answered the questionnaire in full. While another 15 offered partial responses, 163 lawmakers failed to respond at all.

For a snapshot of that apparent discomfort in answering, consider an email forwarded to the Times Union  apparently by accident  by an aide to Assemblyman Phil Steck, D-Colonie. It was written by Justin Bartlett of the Democratic Assembly Campaign Committee, the political arm of the chamber's majority conference.

"Our advice is if Phil wants to respond, he should do a simple statement and not answer the questions," Bartlett wrote to Steck's aide Thad Rutherford. "And if the reporter calls back with follow up questions, don't take the bait and don't take his call."

Steck did not fully respond to the survey, but offered a statement that answered some of its questions. "I do not support a legislative pay raise if outside income is unlimited as it is now," he said. "If the pay raise is adopted by the Commission, I will vote for limits on outside income, as I have in the past."

(Steck earns outside income as an attorney.)

Several other lawmakers who offered partial responses merely said they were satisfied to defer any questions on the issue to the pay panel.

"It is premature to discuss a pay increase for elected officials until the (panel) ... completes its work," said Sen. Patrick Gallivan, R-Erie County. "Once the commission makes a final recommendation, I will evaluate and respond accordingly."

Manhattan Democratic Sen. Liz Krueger completed the survey. She believes the proposed $116,900 is appropriate.

"I support an independent commission making the determination of salary levels," Krueger said, "but also feel any increases must be tied into reforms of our ethics laws, the ending of lulus and explicit rules about amounts and sources of outside income."

Almost every Capital Region lawmaker responded to the survey.

Republican Sen. George Amedore said he opposes any pay raise and thinks $116,900 is "way too high."

"I have always opposed a pay increase for legislators, and will continue to do so," he said.

Lifton was another one of those who responded in full, and in an interview made a strong case for lawmakers receiving a raise.

She noted that the majority of legislators hail from downstate areas where the cost of living has risen sharply over the past 17 years, and pointed to the periodic pay bumps that had been provided to members of the New York City Council. She thinks the $116,900 proposal  which roughly tracks the increases given to unionized state employees since 1999  is an appropriate option.

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Like Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie, who submitted a long letter to the pay panel arguing for a significant increase, Lifton said that while the legislative session runs from January through June, its work doesn't end with the final gavel. "It's not 24/7, but it's a very demanding, full-time job, and it's year-round," said Lifton, who supports limits on the amount of outside income lawmakers can earn.

In recent meetings, the pay panel has appeared to be deadlocked over the question of recommending legislative raises.

The commission is comprised of three members appointed by Gov. Andrew Cuomo, one apiece from the Republican Senate Majority Leader John Flanagan and Democratic Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie, and two by the state's chief judge. Its final recommendations need to be agreed to by at least one appointee of each of the four entities.

While Cuomo has in recent weeks emphasized that his appointees will make up their own minds, the governor has said lawmakers need to make their case to the panel. "This is a major issue and they shouldn't do it in the shadows," he said in August. "I don't believe they can take the position that they don't want to speak to it because they are afraid of the political consequences.''

That position has been forcefully echoed by Fran Reiter, one of Cuomo's appointees.

"Anybody that wants a raise ... has an obligation to tell their employer, to make their case," said Reiter, a former Cuomo administration official, at the panel's September meeting. " ... And I don't believe they've done that."

It's unlikely her sentiment shifted last week, when the pay panel was forced to cancel a planned hearing because of a dearth of witnesses.

"This hearing ... was scheduled for the purpose of providing an opportunity for additional legislators or others who would be directly impacted by a salary increase to present testimony," the panel said in a note posted on its website. "However, no such persons have asked to do so."

The panel is slated to hold its next meeting on Thursday.

Lifton acknowledged that the Legislature in recent years has been dogged by high-profile corruption convictions, but said the majority of lawmakers in both parties work hard for their constituents. Punishing the entire body for the actions of a small percentage, she said, constitutes "a kind of prejudice that we wouldn't tolerate with any other group."

She emphasized the imperative of making sure lawmakers are properly compensated.

"It's not a good idea to weaken and demoralize your Legislature," Lifton said. " ... We speak for the people in our districts. If we are continually weakened, the people we represent are weakened."

cseiler@timesunion.com  518-454-5619  @CaseySeiler
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For better or for worse (depending on your political allegiance), New York is considered a safely blue state, with Democratic enrollment twice that of Republican enrollment.

For those with whom that statement doesn't sit well, the state Senate is a Republican beacon to look to  as of now.

If the divisive presidential race is the sizzling main course on Nov. 8, the battle for control of the Senate is a picante side dish for voters to follow closely. For Republicans in particular, a strong showing on Election Day could be the difference between helping their Grand Old Party maintain its grip on its only bastion of power in state government and Democrats turning a blue state even bluer.

Currently there are 31 Republicans, a Democrat who conferences with the GOP and five members of the Independent Democratic Conference who make up a coalition that governs the Senate, where 32 votes are needed to pass legislation. The mainline Democrats have 26 members.

More Information Battles for power around the state Here are some of the Senate races to watch statewide: 60th Senate: Part of Erie County. Republican Chris Jacobs, the Erie County clerk, faces Democrat Amber Small. A split ticket for GOP voters last cycle helped Democrat Marc Panepinto knock off incumbent Republican (and one-time Democrat) Mark Grisanti, but no such division exists this time for either party. Voter enrollment favors the Democrats by nearly 35,000. But keep in mind that Erie County is one of the more bizarre political areas in New York. 46th Senate: Includes parts of Albany and Schenectady counties. Montgomery County farmer Sara Niccoli, a Democrat, hopes to unseat Republican George Amedore of Rotterdam. The district's political allegiance closely reflects the close division of the Senate as a whole. 39th Senate: Parts of Ulster, Orange and Rockland counties. The Senate Democrats have campaigned hard against Republican Sen. Bill Larkin, an institution and Korean War veteran who has been a senator for 25 years and state lawmaker for 37 years total. His opponent is Chris Eachus, an Orange County legislator who came within about 5,200 votes of beating Larkin as a relative unknown in 2012. 9th Senate: Part of Nassau County. Democratic Sen. Todd Kaminsky faces Republican Chris McGrath in a rematch of the April special election held after former Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos lost his seat upon his corruption conviction. 7th Senate: Part of Nassau County. Republican Jack Martins is running for Congress, leaving an opening for Democrat Adam Haber to try to best the 42 percent of the vote he earned against Martins in 2014. He faces Republican Elaine Phillips in a district that in terms of enrollment skews Democratic by about 21,000 voters. - Matt Hamilton See More Collapse

Following the September primaries, the IDC is poised to grow by one member and the Democrats are losing a member, bolstering the power that IDC Leader Jeff Klein of the Bronx wields in the fight for majority control. A firm decision has yet to be made about whether Klein's band of rogues will again caucus with their fellow Democrats or will remain aligned with the GOP.

The lone-wolf Democrat who sits with the GOP, Simcha Felder of Brooklyn, has made it clear that he is willing to go to whichever side offers him the best opportunity to serve his constituents.

In a normal election year, the Senate's politics would provide intrigue enough. But 2016 is as abnormal as it gets.

Senate Democrats have been licking their chops as Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump lags in the New York polls  he was down 24 points to Democrat Hillary Clinton in a Siena poll released Wednesday  and has committed what they see as numerous political sins. What remains to be seen is how Trump  and Clinton, who is equally as divisive among GOPers as Trump is among Democrats  drives both Democrats and Republicans either to or from the voting booth. In areas where there are more Democrats than Republicans, the idea is that higher Democratic turnout would be a boon to Democrats down the ballot.

"More importantly, it's a presidential election year: No matter who is running, the turnout is dramatically higher than it is in off years," Senate Democratic Campaign Committee Chair Mike Gianaris of Queens said at a discussion on the battle for the Senate hosted by the state Business Council in September. "Regardless of who the nominee was, this entire century every presidential election Democrats have gained multiple seats in presidential years."

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The Senate Republicans have publicly maintained that Clinton is an unpopular figure and Trump doesn't harm them as much as polls might suggest.

"People do not want to admit that they may vote for him because you're immediately attacked by everyone who talks about, people who laugh about some of the things he said," said Deputy Senate Republican Majority Leader John DeFrancisco of Syracuse, who provided the opposing viewpoint on the September panel. He added that he does not believe Democratic turnout will be near what it was for Barack Obama's two bids for the White House, given his level of popularity is not mirrored by Clinton's.

While turnout matters, votes in only the presidential column mean nothing for either side of the Senate battle if voters don't also pick their preferred candidate in Senate races..

mhamilton@timesunion.com  518-454-5449  @Matt_Hamilton10
It is the nature of extreme partisanship to turn honest disagreements into alternative realities. The representatives of our own ideological team must always be good and beautiful, strong and surging. Admission of facts inconsistent with this premise is taken as disloyalty.

The third presidential debate was a perfect test of this tendency. Republicans who contend that Donald Trump was the winner are on their fourth Kool-Aid martini. For the first half hour, Trump  appearing alternately sedate and sedated  managed (briefly) to sound like a Republican by asserting basic conservative policies and principles. It was jarring to be reminded that Hillary Clinton strongly supports the legality of late-term abortions, a real streak of extremism. It was useful to be reminded that gun control in Chicago has hardly been a smashing success.

But the 30-minute mark was the limit of Trump's strategy, patience, knowledge, responsibility and stability. The remainder was a rout. Clinton's debate performance was a reminder that she must have been a formidable lawyer while in practice. She built her anti-Trump case calmly and systematically, using Trump's own words and views as jabs before tough punches of accusation. Vladimir Putin would "rather have a puppet as president of the United States." And: "There's only one of us on this stage who's actually shipped jobs to Mexico." And: "Donald thinks belittling women makes him bigger."

The most ironic moment of the evening was when Trump said, "This has been such an incredible education for me." As far as I can tell, Trump displays no growth in skills or knowledge compared to early GOP primary debates. His responses to attacks  "No puppet! No puppet! You're the puppet!"  are still of schoolyard quality. His judgment of others is still shaped by a bottomless neediness. When the topic of Putin was raised, Trump's initial reaction was not to criticize Russia's external aggression or internal oppression. It was: "He said nice things about me." Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg did not say such nice things, making her the enemy.

At this late stage, it is worth stating bluntly: When it comes to the issues any American president would face, Trump is a shockingly ignorant man. He can state a position on the Second Amendment or Obamacare, but he is unprepared to make actual arguments. He bluffs through questions on campaign finance or foreign policy ("Mosul is so sad") as though the dog really did eat his homework.

What explains his pervasive shallowness? Laziness? Lack of curiosity? Who knows? But I have honestly met precocious high school students with more civic and policy knowledge than Trump displayed during the final presidential debate. The justification that he is not a career politician does not excuse an inability to learn.

The Las Vegas debate sharpened an important distinction  the gap between disagreement and disqualification. I disagree strongly with Clinton on tax policy and Iran policy. But it is disqualifying for a presidential nominee to brag about his techniques of sexual assault, and then have several credible victims describe how he allegedly carried this method into practice. Trump dismissed these accusations as "largely debunked," but saying it doesn't make it so.

It is disqualifying to dismiss or downplay Russian espionage directed toward influencing a presidential election, especially when you are the one it is designed to help. How in the world did Trump's revival of American nationalism become a common cause with Russian hackers and Julian Assange?

And it is disqualifying for a presidential candidate to encourage distrust of our electoral system as an electoral strategy, while refusing to pledge acceptance of a democratic verdict. Trump's joke on this topic  "I'll keep you in suspense"  is symbolic of his superficiality. Belief in the fairness of our electoral system was hard-won, through a long history of strife and courage. But Trump cannot feel the weight of a history he does not seem to know.

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With the final debate over, two points are particularly evident.

First, a serious GOP candidate would probably be winning this election, which was forfeited the moment Trump became the nominee. And second, an authoritarian populist with serious abilities might have a disturbingly large audience in 21st-century America. Imagine a Trump-like figure with the political skills of Bill Clinton or Tony Blair, feeding and riding the backlash against rapid economic and social change. It is the first time in my political lifetime that I have seen fragility at the heart of American democracy. And that glimpse should shock us back to a more civil and responsible politics.

michaelgerson@washpost.com
Joe Raedle

The Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement, signed by President Barack Obama in February, is the largest trade agreement in history involving 12 Pacific Rim nations and accounting for 40 percent of the world's gross domestic product. For seven years, the TPP was secretly negotiated with these countries in partnership with more than 600 transnational corporate trade advisers. The TPP requires approval from Congress.

The most dangerous provision of the TPP is called the Investor-State Dispute Settlement. This regulation grants foreign corporations conducting business in the United States special legal rights to file lawsuits against American taxpayers if U.S. laws interfere with their expected profits.
The death has occurred of Nora Kennedy (nee Wixted) of Bealaclave, Rearcross, Newport, Tipperary

Beloved wife of the late Denis and mother of the late Catherine. Deeply regretted by her loving son Michael (Mad Mick), daughter-in-law Patricia, grandchildern Denis and Elizabeth, great-grandchild Alex Denis, cousins, relatives and friends. Reposing this Thursday evening from 6pm at Our Lady Queen of Peace Funeral Home, Kilcommon, with removal at 8pm to the Church of the Visitation, Rearcross. Reqieum Mass Friday at 11.30am with burial afterwards in the New Cemetery, Kilcommon.

The death has occurred of Patsy (Patricia) Kelly (nee Carroll) of Ballylina, Borrisokane, Tipperary / Ballingarry (NR), Tipperary

Predeceased by her sister Maura and son Michael, Deeply regretted by her loving son Kevin, Husband Michael, daughter in law Loretto adored grandson John, brothers Tom, Michael and Kevin, sisters Una and Kathleen, brothers in law, sisters in law, nieces, nephews, close neighbours relatives and friends.Reposing Thursday evening at st Joseph's funeral home Borrisokane from 5pm until 8pm. Funeral arriving to the pike church Ballingarry Friday morning at 10:45am for mass at 11 o'clock. Burial afterwards in Ballingarry cemetery. Family flowers only please. Donations if desired to a charity of your choice.

The death has occurred of Alice Withero of Blackthorn Grove & formerly Blind Street, Tipperary Town, Tipperary

Funeral arrangements to follow later.

The death has occurred of John Power of Poulacapple, Callan, Kilkenny / Mullinahone, Tipperary

Deeply regretted by his sorrowing wife Noreen, sons John and Eamonn, grandchild Chloe, brothers, sisters, brothers-in-law, sisters-in-law, nieces, nephews, relatives and friends. Reposing in Molloy's Funeral Home, Callan, from 5 o'clock on Wednesday with Rosary and Vigil Prayers at 8 o'clock. Removal on Thursday morning, following prayers at 11 o'clock, to St. Michael's Church, Mullinahone, for Requiem Mass at 12 noon. Burial afterwards in Kilbride Cemetery, Callan.

The death has occurred of Pauline Coonan (nee Kelly) of Gortnagonna, Roscrea, Tipperary / Templemore, Tipperary

Predeceased by Svetta and her nephew John Patrick, deeply regretted by Noel and Tanya, her brother Jim, sisters Bridie, Mary, and Eileen, nephews, nieces, grand-nephews, grand-nieces, relatives and a large circle of friends especially Marie, Kathleen, Annmarie and Tom, all her colleagues in The Thanks Shop and Voluntary Housing Templemore. Reposing in Grey's Funeral Home Templemore, Wednesday evening from 4.30pm to 8.30pm with removal to The Sacred Heart Church Templemore arriving at 9pm. Mass of the Resurrection Thursday morning at 11.30am followed by private cremation. No flowers by request, donations in lieu to Pauline's chosen charity Droichead. c/o Grey's Funeral Home, Templemore.

The death has occurred of Nora Flynn (nee O'Gorman) of Ballinahinch, Birdhill, Tipperary

Beloved wife of the late Jimmy, deeply regretted by her loving sons Michael and Pat, daughters Bridget and Alice, grandchildren, extended family, relatives and friends. Reposing at Meehan's Funeral Home, Newport, Wednesday from 6pm with removal at 8pm to St. Joseph's Church, Ballinahinch. Requiem Mass, Thursday, at 11.30am. Burial afterwards in the adjoining cemetery.

The death has occurred of May Kehoe (nee Fitzgerald) of Toor Kilcash, Clonmel, Tipperary

Wife of the Late John Kehoe) Very deeply regretted by her loving family Laurence , Gerard ,Michael, Mary, John and Pat, daughters in law , son in law and a very dear nanny to Alexa, Shane , Patrick and Conor and much loved cousins , relatives neighbours and her many friends. Reposing at ODonoghues Funeral Home, Kickham St., Clonmel on Wednesday From 4pm with removal at 7pm to St. John the Baptist Church Kilcash Requiem Mass at 12 noon on Thursday Burial immediately afterwards in the adjoining cemetery Family flowers only Please Donation if desired to The Friends of South Tipperary General Hospital.

The death has occurred of Pat Kinsella of Market Street, Cahir, Tipperary

Deeply missed by his wife Sadie, children Fred, Rhoda, John and Anne, grandchildren Josh, Roisin, Jayden, Ellie and Lily, son-in-law Alan, daughter-in-law Ciara, Anne's partner Michael, extended family, neighbours and his many friends.

The death has occurred of Mary Marie Nolan (nee Dalton), Late of Kickham Street, Carrick-on-Suir, Tipperary

Deeply regretted by her loving husband Dick, sons Michael and Richard, daughters Barbara, Vinienne, Valerie and Ursula, brother Timmy, sister Phylis, sons-in-law, daughters-in-law, grandchildren, nieces, nephews, relatives and friends. Reposing at Walsh's Funeral Home, Carrick on Suir on Wednesday evening from 5pm to 6.30pm.

The death has occurred of John Power of Old Spa Road, Clonmel, Tipperary

Peacefully at home surrounded by his loving family. Beloved husband of Mary and much loved father of Deirdre (Cronin) and Dermot. Sadly missed by his loving wife, daughter, son, sister Chrissie (Hughes), grandchildren Amy, Aisling, Lucy, Sean and Conor, son-in-law Tony, daughter-in-law Louise, brothers-in-law Fred & Frank, nephews, nieces, extended family and friends.

The death has occurred of Flora Shelly (nee Farrell) of Church Street, Templemore, Tipperary / Toomevara, Tipperary

Funeral arrangements to follow.

The death has occurred of Elizabeth Complin (nee Clooney) of 21 Tower Hill, Borrisokane, Tipperary / Durrow, Laois

Reposing Tuesday evening at Bushypark nursing home Borrisokane from 5pm to 7pm. Funeral mass Wednesday at 11am in St. Peter and Paul's church Borrisokane followed by burial afterwards in Durrow cemetery Laois.

The death has occurred of Noel John Condon of Ballymarsough, Tipperary Town, Tipperary

Deeply regretted by his loving wife Irene, daughters Ann-Marie (Corcoran), Ursula (Flynn), Irene (Azoulay) and Margot (Donnolly), sisters Doreen (McInerney) and Sr Ann (FMM), granchildren, sons-in-law, nephews, nieces, relatives, neighbours and friends.

The death has occurred of Scott Fitzgerald of Sergeants Lane Irishtown, Clonmel, Tipperary

Scott (son of the late Michael and Verone Fitzgerald). Very deeply regretted by his loving brothers Mehall and Barry, sister Vera, sisters-in-law, brother-in-law, aunts, uncles, nephews, nieces, relatives and friends.

The death has occurred of Charles Edward Thorogood of Knockaun Court, Clonmel, Tipperary

Peacefully at South Tipperary General Hospital, Clonmel. Predeceased by his wife Maureen. Sadly missed by his loving family and friends.

The death has occurred of Mary Ann Tierney (nee Griffin) of Doorish, Rossmore, Tipperary

Sadly missed by her loving husband Colm, formerly of Caherconlish, daughter Aine, son Sean, brothers Dick and Jerry, grandchildren Tadhg and Meadhbh, son-in-law Paul, brothers-in-law, sisters-in-law, nieces, nephews, relatives. neighbours and friends.

The death has occurred of John Hennessy of Blackrock, Dublin / Emly, Tipperary

Sadly missed by his loving wife Imelda, much loved father of John Paul, Catherine, Martin and Deirdre and his treasured grandchildren. He will be greatly missed by his sisters Breda & Alma, sons-in-law, daughters-in-law, sisters-in-laws, brothers-in-laws, nieces, nephews and all his relatives and wide circle of friends.

The death has occurred of Ann Ryan (nee Leamy) of Woodview Moyaliffe, Thurles, Tipperary

Sadly missed by her loving husband Phil, son Thomas, daughters Theresa and Kate, sisters, brothers, son-in-law William, sisters-in-law, brothers-in-law, grandchild Molly-Ann, nieces, nephews, relatives and friends.

The death has occurred of Pierce Hallahan of Clonmel, Tipperary

Dearly beloved husband of the late Greta. Loving father of Helen, William, John and Colm Gerard. Devoted grandfather of Colm, Marian, Clara and Emma. Will be sadly missed by his daughter-in-law Margaret, sisters-in-law Peggy and Theresa, godchildren, nieces, nephews, extended family, neighbours and friends.

The death has occurred of Dr. Teresa Costigan (nee Kelly) of Loughnavatta, Roscrea, Tipperary

Peacefully, surrounded by her family and in the tender care of the staff of Mt. Carmel Nursing Home, Roscrea. Deeply regretted and missed by her family, her relatives, her friends & neighbours.

The death has occurred of Michael (Moo) Keller of London & late of Limerick Road, Nenagh, Tipperary

Deeply regretted by his loving children Emma, Sean and Jack, sister Ann, brothers Roger, Patrick and Brian, brother-in-law, sisters-in-law, godmother, nephews, nieces, relatives and many friends.

To have a notice included in the Tipperary Star please email news@tipperarystar.ie
Cashel Community School Choir has been invited by the County Tipperary N&B Association of New York to help them commemorate the 1916 Rising in a once off concert.

The choir is one of Irelands distinguished youth ensembles with a distinguished record as award winners in all major national youth choir competitions including the prestigious Cork International Choral Festival, Galway Choral Festival, Limerick Church Music Festival as well as the choirs acclaimed broadcasts for RTE television and Lyric FM.

The choir has participated in major community celebrations as well as performances at Dublin Castle and in the Dail. One of the choirs highlights was the historic performance for Queen Elizabeth during her official visit to the Rock of Cashel. In front of a unique gathering of government officials and royal visitors, Cashel Community School Senior Choir presented the positive energy of the young people of Cashel in a broadcast viewed across the globe. Forty four students, past students and teachers will depart Cashel of the Kings early Wednesday 2nd November for Yonkers, New York City. The commemoration concert will take place on Sunday 6th November in St Barnabas Elementary Auditorium in Yonkers.

Cashel Community School Choir will headline the concert which will also include guest speakers and The Erin Loughran School of Irish Music. The choir will perform a wide repertoire of music including such favourites as Danny Boy, Mo Ghile Mear, The Impossible Dream, The Holy City, Hallelujah Chorus, New York, New York and Isle Of Hope, Isle Of Tears. Members of the Traditional Music group will also perform a selection of tunes. The choir will sing at mass at St Barnabas High School Chapel earlier in the day. Mass will be celebrated by Fr Bernie Moloney, former chaplain of Cashel Community School. As well as the official performances, students will be afforded the opportunity to visit the many historical and cultural sights that New York City has to offer and soak up the atmosphere in Broadway.

This unique trip will be a valuable international experience for our young people as key stepping stones on their journey to becoming positive and contributing adults. We would like to thank parents, staff and the community for supporting this prestigious venture and we look forward to representing Cashel and Ireland in New York this November.
Independent TD Mattie McGrath has welcomed the decision by the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and the Environment Denis Naughten to visit the Premier Green Energy site in Thurles today. Deputy McGrath was speaking ahead of the Ministers visit to the business that focuses on the development of sustainable and renewable environmental and waste management solutions:

I am delighted that Minister Naughten has chosen to visit to Premier Green Energy today where he will see the excellent capacity we have here in Tipperary to become leaders in the field of bioenergy.

I also hope that it will be an opportunity for the Minister to deepen his familiarity with the challenges facing rural Ireland when it comes to trying to balancing green energy concerns with agricultural and farming concerns. It is vital that the Minister will then take some of those concerns back to the Cabinet.

Farmers and the agri sector in general face huge challenges with respect to European Union fines because of the failure to reach unreasonable emissions targets.

We need a far more balanced and reality based approach to these matters, one that does not penalise farmers, but works with them to move toward sustainable goals, concluded Deputy McGrath.
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A small plane carrying six passengers, en route from an airport in Michigan to Titusville Airport, came down short of the runway, Sunday evening. There were no injuries.
[October 24, 2016] Abandoned Surplus Building to be Rehabbed, Thanks to $488K Grant

Sandra Christophe believes in second chances, and with the help of a $488,000 Affordable Housing Program (AHP) grant from the Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas (FHLB Dallas) and BancorpSouth Bank, Ms. Christophe can soon help make second chances available to those who need them most. Ms. Christophe is the executive director of Re-Entry Solutions, an organization that provides educational, housing, and support services to individuals returning from incarceration into the community. Now in its sixth year, Re-Entry Solutions works with clients to develop individualized success plans as they return to independence. The AHP grant will fund the rehabilitation of an abandoned government surplus building in Alexandria, Louisiana. The building, which was last used as a shelter during Hurricane Katrina, will house A New Beginning Transitional Living Complex, a 61-unit apartment community intended to serve homeless single adults and individuals returning from incarceration into the community. The transitional facility will provide 11 one-bedroom, one-bathroom independent apartment units, as well as 50 "sleeping pods" for special-needs individuals in need of housing and additional support. "When people are released from incarceration, they sometimes have a hard time with the re-entry into society," said Ms. Christophe. "This grant will help us break the cycle of addiction and incarceration." According to the United States Department of Justice, an estimated 2.2 million adults were held in custody in state or federal prisons or local jails in the United States in 2014. More than 49,000 adults were incarcerated in Louisiana. Evelyn Edwards, vice president of the southeast region and community reinvestment specialist at BancorpSouth Bank, worked with Ms. Christophe during the grant application process. In ts 26-year partnership with FHLB Dallas, BancorpSouth Bank has awarded more than $10 million in competitive AHP grants.



"Re-Entry Solutions does great work to help individuals transition back into the community by providing educational services, job placement, and housing," said Ms. Edwards. "I am proud to be a part of their mission to ensure their clients' successful re-entry to the community through the Affordable Housing Program. BancorpSouth saw this as an opportunity to challenge the status quo by doing its part to undergird Re-Entry's desire to offer wraparound services under one rooftop to ensure a successful second chance at life." FHLB Dallas annually returns 10 percent of its profits in the form of AHP grants to the communities served by its member institutions, like BancorpSouth Bank. AHP grants fund a variety of projects, including home rehabilitation and modifications for low-income, elderly, and special-needs residents; down payment and closing cost assistance for qualified first-time homebuyers; and the construction of low-income, multifamily rental communities and single-family homes.

"The Affordable Housing Program helps our members impact their communities by creating solutions," said Greg Hettrick, first vice president and director of Community Investment at FHLB Dallas. "This grant helps provide critical housing, and at the same time, supports sustainability by rehabilitating an abandoned property." Ms. Christophe said that without the grant, Re-Entry Solutions would not have been able to serve as many people. "Everybody is somebody's somebody - somebody's son, daughter, sister, or brother," said Ms. Christophe. "People deserve and need a second chance. When we help someone achieve successful re-entry, everybody wins. The community wins, the next generation wins, and the economy wins." About BancorpSouth Bank BancorpSouth, Inc. (NYSE: BXS) is a financial holding company headquartered in Tupelo, Mississippi, with approximately $14.6 billion in assets. BancorpSouth Bank, a wholly-owned subsidiary of BancorpSouth, Inc., operates 238 full service branch locations as well as additional mortgage, insurance, and loan production offices in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Tennessee and Texas, including an insurance location in Illinois. "Like" us on Facebook (News - Alert); follow us on [email protected]; or connect with us through LinkedIn. About the Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas The Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas is one of 11 district banks in the FHLBank System created by Congress in 1932. FHLB Dallas, with total assets of $54.4 billion as of June 30, 2016, is a member-owned cooperative that supports housing and community investment by providing competitively priced loans and other credit products to approximately 865 members and associated institutions in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico, and Texas. For more information, visit fhlb.com. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20161024006566/en/

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[October 24, 2016] Accedian Appoints New Head of Research & Development

Network performance assurance provider pursues international growth and new opportunities around NFV, cloudification and 5G MONTREAL, Oct. 24, 2016 /CNW Telbec/ - Accedian, the global end-to-end network performance assurance provider, today announced it has appointed Martin Labelle to the role of Vice-President of Research and Development. In this role, Martin will lead technology and new product development by Accedian's R&D teams in Montreal, Sweden, and Vietnam. "We're delighted to welcome Martin to Accedian," said Accedian CEO Patrick Ostiguy. "As our company continues to expand internationally and win more network operators and enterprise customers, Martin will play a key role in driving the development of new products and solutions, and positioning Accedian as an innovator and an intellectual property leader. Martin's R&D expertise and proven track record in developing and bringing to market ground-breaking and forward-thinking software defined networking solutions makes him an excellent addition to the Accedian leadership team." Martin brings over 19 years of knowledge and experience in product development to his new rol. Prior to joining Accedian, Martin served as Vice President of Software Engineering at Ciena, where he led all product development initiatives in the areas of software-defined networking (SDN), network and service management, network planning, and analytics. Prior to that, Martin was Vice President of Engineering and Operations at CENX, a developer of service orchestration and network analytics software. He has also held senior engineering roles with AMDOCS, Bridgewater Systems, Nakina Systems, Ceyba, Visual Networks and Newbridge Networks.



Commenting on his appointment, Martin said, "I'm excited to join Accedian at such a significant time in the company's development. Globally, growing numbers of network operators are adopting virtualization and moving to software-defined network architectures, while also preparing for 5G deployments. Accedian is a pioneer in virtualized solutions for next generation network performance assurance. I'm looking forward to helping Accedian capitalize on the considerable opportunities that NFV, cloudification, and 5G present globally, and contributing to the company's growth and ongoing success." About Accedian

Accedian delivers exceptional end-to-end network performance visibility, for control over the best possible user experience. Providing the most complete, current view of network health, Accedian dramatically improves visibility with actionable insights for peak reliability and quality of service (QoS). Accedian enables control over increasingly complex networks to increase agility, and reduce cost. Most importantly, through a fully optimized and performance assured network, Accedian proactively ensures maximum uptime and for peak quality of experience (QoE).

Since 2005, Accedian has assured hundreds of thousands of networks and services globally, turning performance into a key competitive differentiator. For more information, visit Accedian.com. Twitter: @Accedian SOURCE Accedian Networks Inc.

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[October 24, 2016] Alibaba Group's Innovative Recruiting Program Supports International Growth

Alibaba Group (NYSE:BABA) has launched the Alibaba Global Leadership Academy (AGLA), an innovative, 10-year program, to enhance its global workforce capabilities. The inaugural class of 32 young professionals represents 14 countries. They will spend one year at Alibaba's headquarters in Hangzhou, China, where they will engage in experiential leadership training, cultural immersion, industry learning tours, and serve rotational assignments in various business units. After one year in Hangzhou, the AGLA participants will return to work in the company's offices outside China. Current office locations include the U.S., U.K., Europe, India and Southeast Asia. The company has plans to increase the class size to 102 participants annually. "The world is more connected than ever before. People who can work across cultures and languages represent the future," said Jack Ma, Alibaba Executive Chairman. "We know that for Alibaba to have a meaningful global impact, we have to be able to understand other cultures, respect other cultures and appreciate other cultures. The AGLA is one way we are building that trust and mutual understanding." "Our new AGLA program will help us build a strong foundation for our future international footprint," added Brian Wong, Alibaba Vice President and Executive Director of AGLA. "This program is designed to provide a grounding in the cultural and industry context of Alibaba to enable our future global leaders to effectively collaborate in China and across borders. At the same time, we intend to strengthen our headquarters' global capabilities through the interactions and contributions of our AGLA participants in China. It is a reflection of our comitment to bringing closer the many cultures that make up the Alibaba family and strengthening the ability to operate all around the world."



More than 3,000 candidates applied for opportunity but only one percent of applicants were selected for a spot in the inaugural class. They were screened based on a criteria of learning ability, strategic and innovative thinking, as well as cultural fit for the company. They hold post-secondary degrees from some of the world's most prestigious universities, including Harvard, Yale, Wharton, Oxford, Cambridge, Singapore University and Indian Institute of Technology. Aside from on-the-job training at their new company, they will be given a deep dive into the unique internet and ecommerce business climate rapidly developing in China. They will shop and pay for their purchases online. And they will also learn about China's history, arts and trading prowess - experiencing the modern Belt and Road initiative of today's government and visiting the ancient Silk Road of China's storied past. Chinese language was not a requirement for selection and half the class has no Mandarin skills.

Workforce development initiatives are an integral part of Alibaba's globalization efforts. The company has a stated goal to serve two billion consumers and tens of millions of merchants. Alibaba has accelerated its efforts in the past year to grow its business outside China, opening offices in Italy, France, Germany, India, the U.K. and the Netherlands, with a new office in Australia planned to be added by the end of the year. In Southeast Asia, the company also acquired a controlling stake in ecommerce business Lazada, based in Singapore and operating in Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Vietnam and Thailand. For more information visit Alizila - Alibaba Group's corporate news site and the AGLA program official website. About Alibaba Group Alibaba Group's mission is to make it easy to do business anywhere. It is the largest retail commerce company in the world in terms of gross merchandise volume. Founded in 1999, the company provides the fundamental technology infrastructure and marketing reach to help merchants, brands and other businesses that provide products, services and digital content to leverage the power of the Internet to engage with their users and customers. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20161024005400/en/

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[October 24, 2016] AmerisourceBergen Foundation Awards $250,000 Grant to Support the Construction of a New Medical Distribution Center in Haiti

The AmerisourceBergen Foundation, a not-for-profit charitable giving organization focused on supporting health-related causes that enrich the global community and the philanthropic arm of AmerisourceBergen Corporation, announced today a $250,000 donation to Partners In Health, the largest nongovernmental health care provider in Haiti, to support the construction and equipping of a new medical distribution center outside Port-au-Prince, Haiti. The distribution center will serve as the cornerstone of the new Partners In Health (PIH) state-of-the-art logistics and supply chain system, designed to significantly improve stock management for the 12 health facilities PIH supports in Haiti's Central Plateau and Artibonite Valley - two of the country's poorest regions. In total, the PIH-supported facilities serve an area of 4.5 million people, all of whom will benefit from greater access to medicines and medical supplies made possible by the distribution center. "Like AmerisourceBergen, the AmerisourceBergen Foundation is dedicated to supporting efficient and safe access to pharmaceutical care around the globe," said Gina Clark, EVP, president of AmerisourceBergen Foundation and chief marketing officer at AmerisourceBergen. "With the financial support from this grant, PIH's plans for a new distribution facility will go a long way towards accomplishing this goal in Haiti. AmerisourceBergen will also support this cause with expertise from our associates who are some of the best in the world at getting medicines from manufacturers to the patients and providers who need them." "Helping build and sustain health systems in the countries we serve is central to our work, and this grant from AmerisourceBergen Foundation allows us to further that core mission," said Dr. Gary Gottlieb, chief executive officer of Partners In Health. "With AmerisourceBergen Foundation's support, we will be able to serve those most in need in Haiti more reliably, and we thank the Foundation for making this increased medical access possible." Every year, PIH procures and distributes nearly $10 million worth of meicines, supplies, and equipment to its facilities in Haiti, supplementing the resources available through the Haitian Ministry of Health. The new distribution center will make procurement and distribution more efficient and reliable, improving patient access to important medications. It will be built to U.S. seismic codes, capable of withstanding hurricane-force winds, and use efficient LED lighting. Its location allows for easy access to the airport, seaport, and all of the PIH-supported sites in Haiti. The new distribution center is also expected to create additional professional development opportunities for local supply chain staff and leadership, as a new inventory management system is implemented.



The initial phase of the distribution center will consist of a warehouse, an office mezzanine, and a covered loading dock. The warehouse section will include a climate-controlled cold room to store items that require refrigeration. The warehouse constructed during this first phase will be large enough to store approximately 60% of the total volume of stock of supplies and medicine for all of PIH's sites in Haiti, and be outfitted with pallet racking to maximize space efficiency. The AmerisourceBergen Foundation focuses on health and wellbeing initiatives that improve patient outcomes including pharmaceutical accessibility programs, pharmaceutical adherence programs and health improvement research. For more information on the AmerisourceBergen Foundation, visit amerisourcebergenfoundation.com.

About Partners In Health Partners In Health is an international medical organization that helps build and sustain public health systems in poor and underserved communities around the world. Launched in Haiti in 1987, PIH today reaches 7 million people around the world and employs 18,000 people, including 15,000 local community health workers. In Haiti, PIH is the largest nongovernmental health care provider, serving an area of 4.5 million people in 12 clinics and hospitals. PIH significantly expanded its footprint in Haiti with the opening of the University Hospital of Mirebalais in 2013-a 300-bed public teaching hospital. Learn more about PIH's work at www.pih.org. About AmerisourceBergen AmerisourceBergen is one of the largest global pharmaceutical sourcing and distribution services companies, helping both healthcare providers and pharmaceutical and biotech manufacturers improve patient access to products and enhance patient care. With services ranging from drug distribution and niche premium logistics to reimbursement and pharmaceutical consulting services, AmerisourceBergen delivers innovative programs and solutions across the pharmaceutical supply channel in human and animal health. With over $140 billion in annual revenue, AmerisourceBergen is headquartered in Valley Forge, PA, and employs approximately 19,000 people. AmerisourceBergen is ranked #12 on the Fortune 500 list. For more information, go to www.amerisourcebergen.com. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20161024005139/en/

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[October 24, 2016] Bank of America Merchant Services Powering Payments for Ride-Hailing App Karhoo U.S. Launch

Powered by Bank of America Merchant Services eCommerce and cybersecurity solutions, Karhoo is gearing up for the U.S. launch of its app-based ride comparison and hailing service. Currently operating in London and several other United Kingdom cities, Karhoo helps riders compare and choose from tens of thousands of licensed and regulated cars based on proximity, price, and vehicle style. As an aggregator of local ground transportation options, the app enables price comparison, secure cashless payments, and even scheduled rides for greater peace of mind. Karhoo's value proposition is simple and compelling. People are now accustomed to tapping a button on their phone, ordering a ride, and paying for it in-app with their credit card. Karhoo gives riders the chance to e-hail with even more choice, bringing dozens of local transportation services and thousands of cars together on one platform. Karhoo's proprietary technology directly connects to fleet dispatch systems and, thanks to Bank of America Merchant Services, securely facilitates payments. Regulated and established transportation providers can take advantage of the e-hail revolution and tap into a whole new rider base. In London, Karhoo-connected fleets are seeing revenue increase up to 30 percent. "Not only does Karhoo give customers tremendous choice when it comes to ground transportation, it also provides a seamless way to pay for each trip," said Daniel Ishag, Karhoo founder and CEO. "With its global footprint and acumen integrating its solutions with existing systems, Bank of America Merchant Services is the ideal partner to help us safely and quicky facilitate these transactions."



For its upcoming U.S. launch, Karhoo turned to Bank of America Merchant Services for secure, seamless payments processing; cybersecurity solutions like TransArmor Data Protection and Fraud FlexDetect?; and Card Account Updater, a service that takes the pain out of keeping customer billing information up to date. Bank of America Merchant Services CEO Tim Tynan said: "What Karhoo achieved in its first six months operating its ride-hailing service in London - pulling in more than 33,000 cabs and now booking 7,000 trips per day - is nothing short of extraordinary. Bank of America Merchant Services is thrilled to consult with Karhoo on its U.S. launch, and we look forward to helping payments flow seamlessly and securely between Karhoo customers and transportation providers."

About Bank of America Merchant Services Bank of America Merchant Services connects businesses and their customers by doing payments better. The company delivers payments, commerce and security solutions, as well as consultation services, to businesses throughout the United States, Canada and Europe. It processed more than 14 billion transactions at approximately 650,000 merchant locations in 2015. The company is a joint venture that combines the technology and innovative products of First Data with the relationship strength and prominent global brand of Bank of America. To learn more, please visit www.bankofamerica.com/merchant. About Karhoo Karhoo is the ride comparison and booking app that aggregates thousands of taxi and for-hire-vehicle services. Live in the U.K. and launching in the United States in the next few months, Karhoo's vendor-neutral platform allows riders to compare ground transportation providers by price, proximity, and vehicle style. The app then lets riders book days, weeks, or months in advance or choose immediate pickup with their preferred service, giving operators access to thousands more customers. Riders can also make multiple bookings on one account, and with transparent pricing, Karhoo riders can know upfront what they will be paying. For more information, please visit www.karhoo.com. Bank of America Merchant Services Disclosure Use of the TransArmor Solution is not a guarantee that your systems will not be breached or cause you to be compliant with the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard or Card Organization Rules. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20161024005234/en/

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[October 24, 2016] Dr. Judith L. Zimny Is Chosen to Head the National Institute for STEM Education

Responding to the overwhelming interest received since its launch earlier this year, the National Institute for STEM Education (NISE) has named Dr. Judith L. Zimny to lead the national provider of competency-based STEM training and certification for educators. NISE was conceived by practicing educators and is based on a strong foundation of research, professional development, curriculum design, and educational leadership. Through the self-paced, competency-based programs, participants can learn and apply the key domains of STEM teaching that are essential to creating effective classrooms that increase student achievement. NISE partners with the American College of Education to provide teachers who have completed the National Certificate for STEM Teaching (NCST) with quality and affordable graduate degrees in STEM education. "We are seeing a trend across the country for teachers to provide evidence that their STEM teaching skills are aligned with the current research on effective pedagogical practice. Schools and districts are seeking ways to dmonstrate that their STEM programs and practices are up to date and effective. NISE was established to address these concerns," said Dr. Vernon Johnson, CEO of Accelerate Learning. "We are expanding our NISE team to meet the increased demand for our programs, and Dr. Judith Zimny will provide the overall leadership for our team."



A lifelong educator, administrator, and education industry executive, Zimny began her career as a teacher and quickly moved into elementary and secondary school leadership positions in Dallas Independent School District. Her concurrent work as an adjunct professor at Texas A&M and Southern Methodist University facilitated her transition to higher education, where she served in a variety of executive positions at Higher Education Holdings, and later as chief program development officer at ASCD, the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. Zimny received her Master's in Education Administration from the University of Missouri - St. Louis, and her Ed.D. in Curriculum and Instruction from Texas A&M University. About the National Institute for STEM Education

NISE supports excellence in STEM with online STEM certification programs for individual teachers, campuses, and districts. Through these self-paced, competency-based programs, participants learn and apply the three domains of STEM teaching and build an understanding of the pedagogy necessary to create effective STEM classrooms that increase student achievement. For more information, visit http://www.acceleratelearning.com/nise. About Accelerate Learning Founded at Rice University, Accelerate Learning has grown from a single product, STEMscopes, to a brand that now offers a variety of curriculum and professional development solutions that support early learning, Next Generation Science Standards, and state-aligned curriculum. For more information, visit http://acceleratelearning.com or call toll-free 800-531-0864. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20161024005149/en/

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[October 24, 2016] FinalCode Appoints DNA Connect as Distributor for Australia

SYDNEY, Australia, Oct. 25, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- FinalCode, Inc., the innovator in persistent file security, today announced the appointment of DNA Connect as its distributor for Australia. Following the opening of FinalCodes regional office in Singapore earlier this year and the recent appointment of its Southeast Asia distributor, the file security platform has selected DNA Connect to spearhead the launch and support of FinalCode in Australia.

Munsoor Khan, director of DNA Connect, said, FinalCode is a really exciting new product that fills a big gap in file security. Organisations are securing sensitive files within their own environments, but they often have no visibility or control over what happens when these files are out in the wild. FinalCode provides the peace of mind to know critical files are secured, no matter where they are. Speaking about the appointment, Khan added, Its a great partnership for us, as the technology is disruptive, and FinalCode was clear that it needed strong technical and enablement services as well as lead generation for partners that we are able to deliver. Frank Courtney-Jay, CEO of FinalCode Asia-Pacific, said, I am really impressed with the DNA channel development model, and it fits well with the FinalCode regional goto-market strategy. We are looking forward to working with the team at DNA as we build on our channel program and Australian customer base together. DNAis truly a distributor that offers a high-touch strategy of value-added services to its channel partners. This can be seen in the awards DNA has received from vendors such as Splunk, Imperva and Ipswitch.



Designed to be easy, flexible and scalable, FinalCode provides secure collaboration and file sharing across a broad number of applications. The platform also enables integration with a companys existing infrastructure and is equipped with AES 256 encryption and FIPS certification alongside usage control, auditing and remote deletion capabilities. With FinalCode, users can be assured that all sensitive files stay with the owner. To test drive the solution, visit http://finalcode.com/en/test-drive/. About FinalCode, Inc.

FinalCode delivers a file security platform that allows any business to persistently protect sensitive files wherever they go inside and outside of the organisation. Available as a SaaS or virtual appliance, FinalCode makes securing file collaboration easy and cost-effective and in a way that works with popular applications, platforms and devices while preserving user experience and workflow. The solution applies strong encryption and granular usage control on demand or by corporate policy with the ability to remotely delete files. The companys patented CryptoEase technology streamlines on boarding, encryption and administration, making deployment rapid and scalable. Headquartered in San Jose, California, FinalCode offers its solutions through its global network of authorised partners. Learn more at http://www.finalcode.com.

About DNA Connect

As a leading distributor of connectivity, security and analytics solutions, DNA Connect is committed to growing business for vendors and reseller partners by connecting them with the right customers. Using a suite of unique programs that cover innovative demand generation, partner technical enablement and certification, and technical sales support, DNA Connect offers the support needed for the profitable growth of all partners. Learn more about DNA Connect at http://www.dna.com.au/. Tweet This: [email protected]FinalCodeInc Appoints @Connect_DNA as Distributor for Australia http://bit.ly/2eqZXvc #channel #filesecurity 2016 FinalCode, Inc. is a privately held Delaware corporation. FinalCode, CryptoEase and the FinalCode logo, are trademarks or registered trademarks of FinalCode. Other names mentioned may be trademarks of their respective owners. FinalCode media contact: Yileen Koh Curate Bee Asia +65 9326 7810 [email protected]

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[October 24, 2016] Greater Nevada Mortgage Adds Mobile Servicing App from FICS to Meet Borrower Needs

In order to meet the needs of borrowers who prefer to use mobile banking applications to manage their mortgages, Carson City, Nevada-based Greater Nevada Mortgage has added Financial Industry Computer Systems' (FICS) eStatus Connect Mobile App as another service to their borrowers. FICS, a provider of loan origination software, residential servicing software and commercial servicing software, provides the app as part of its eStatus Connect online banking software for the consumer. An FICS customer since 1993, the lender added the mobile app to its existing platform of Mortgage Servicer servicing software and eStatus Connect online banking software. Greater Nevada's addition of the eStatus Connect mobile app this year provided one more digital channel in which to better sere their borrowers looking to manage their loans. The lender has provided not only borrowers with online access for many years, but their investors have also enjoyed easy direct access to their loan data and reports through the platform.



"In an age where borrowers are moving towards a self-service model, mobile applications become very important in the servicing arena," said Jenny Casselman, vice president of Loan Servicing at Greater Nevada Mortgage. FICS' eStatus Connect has provided Greater Nevada Mortgage with the tools needed to provide elite service to its borrowers through digital channels for 15 years. Borrowers can make payments, review loan documents, update information and request payoff information through the website and mobile app. In addition, servicers can communicate with borrowers through the system and generate comprehensive reporting for compliance to investors.

"As consumers embrace mobile applications for more of their financial needs, lenders such as Greater Nevada Mortgage are staying ahead of the curve by offering borrowers even more flexibility with the devices being used to access their mortgage loans," said Susan Graham, president of FICS. "The commitment to providing convenient access to their loans only enhances the service that has made them successful for decades and will continue to do so as the institution grows and evolves with technology solutions." About Greater Nevada Mortgage Greater Nevada Mortgage is a full service, home mortgage lender offering an array of products for purchase or refinance, from fixed rate mortgages to FHA loans, throughout Nevada. For more information, visit the company's website at www.GreaterNevadaMortgage.com. About FICS Founded in 1983 and headquartered in Dallas, Texas, Financial Industry Computer Systems, Inc. (FICS), specializes in providing flexible, comprehensive residential and commercial technology solutions to the mortgage industry. FICS' systems are designed to operate on Microsoft Windows platforms with the most recent solutions written using .NET (News - Alert) Framework that include a rich Windows Presentation Foundation user interface and multi-tiered shareable services. The company also provides innovative document management and web-based capabilities into its full suite of products. Additional information about FICS is available via the company's website at www.FICS.com. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20161024005226/en/

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[October 24, 2016] Indegy CTO to Disclose Zero Day SCADA Vulnerability at the ICS Cyber Security Conference

Indegy:







WHO: Mille Gandelsman, CTO of Indegy, has led engineering efforts for Stratoscale and spent several years managing cybersecurity research for Israel's elite intelligence corps. Gandelsman is an IDF Talpiot graduate and has over 15 years of hands-on experience in ICS and cybersecurity. WHAT: Imagine an attack on critical infrastructures that could evade virtually all existing security measures, including network firewalls, AV, application whitelisting, etc., and generically affect SCADA implementations in multiple industries. In this session, ICS security expert Mille Gandelsman will discuss a vulnerability discovered by Indegy researchers in a widely used Schneider Electric (News - Alert) software application that would enable just such an attack. He will explain: -- Why the vulnerable software tool is present in every ICS network in the world that uses Schneider-Electric controllers -- How the vulnerability allows for remote code execution in Schneider Electric's flagship Unity Pro software platform -- What makes this vulnerability a threat across virtually any industrial sector -- The shortcomings of IT and ICS security measures that make external threats like this almost impossible to detect and protect against WHERE: 2016 Industrial Control Systems Cyber Security Conference, Georgia Tech Hotel and Conference Center, Atlanta, Georgia WHEN: Tuesday, October 25 from 12:00 - 12:45pm http://www.icscybersecurityconference.com/2016-conference-agenda HOW: To schedule a conversation with Mille Gandelsman, contact Marc Gendron at [email protected] or 781-237-0341. For more info or to register, please visit: http://www.icscybersecurityconference.com/register

About ICS Cyber Security Conference Since 2002, the ICS Cyber Security Conference has gathered ICS cyber security stakeholders across various industries and attracts operations and control engineers, IT, government, vendors and academics. The ICS Cyber Security Conference will address the myriad cyber threats facing operators of ICS around the world, and will address topics covering ICSs, including protection for SCADA systems, plant control systems, engineering workstations, substation equipment, programmable logic controllers (PLCs), and other field control system devices. About Indegy Indegy provides real-time situational awareness, visibility and security for Industrial Control Systems (ICS) used across critical infrastructures -- energy, water utilities, petrochemical plants, manufacturing facilities, etc. The Indegy platform monitors control-plane activity to ensure the reliability of ICS networks and protect against cyber attacks, malicious insiders and operational mistakes. The company was named one of the 10 Most Promising Cyber Security Startups by Forbes Israel, is a TiE50 winner and Network World (News - Alert) Hot Security Startup to Watch. For more information visit www.indegy.com, and follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20161024005012/en/

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Investment Veterans Form MJ Real Estate Investors

Mark Paul and Jeff McGuire, investment veterans with a combined 55 years of experience, formed MJ Real Estate Investors, Inc. (MJRE) specializing in investing in commercial properties leased to experienced state regulatory compliant operators in the cannabis industry.

"Studies confirm that cannabis cultivation facilities and retail dispensaries will be the next high-growth industry and the real estate investment potential in this sector is still untapped," said Mark Paul, CEO and co-founder of MJRE.







While the medicinal sale of marijuana is legal in 25 states, only five states allow recreational sales. But if this year's ballot initiative to legalize recreational marijuana in California passes, the state's sales would double to $6.5 billion by 2020, dramatically changing the fundamentals of the industry, according to Arcview Group, a cannabis investment and research firm.

California's population would make it a game changer for the industry, but even smaller states where recreational sales are legal are seeing huge tax revenue increases, according to a recent report in the Washington Post. Marijuana sales are expected to generate $270 million in tax revenues in the state of Washington and $140 million in Colorado in 2016.

"Real estate connected to this industry will become a bonafide investment sector," said McGuire, MJRE co-founder and president. "These assets are outperforming any other NNN investment."

MJ Real Estate Investors has launched with the acquisition of five commercial properties.

The five acquisitions, in Denver, CO and Portland, OR, total $11,900,000 and include two cultivation facilities and three medical/retail dispensaries. The largest, a 66,363-square foot industrial warehouse purchased for $6,918,476, represents a 14.25 percent 1st year CAP rate.

About MJ Real Estate Investors

The two Co-Founders of MJ Real Estate Investors have transacted over $4 billion in commercial property investments. Since 2014, company executives have successfully completed over $85 million of property acquisitions including five real estate syndications with private investors to acquire commercial properties leased to experienced cannabis cultivators and dispensary operators that are compliant with State cannabis regulatory requirements.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20161024005119/en/
[October 24, 2016] Iron Mountain to Sell Legacy Iron Mountain Australian Business to Housatonic Partners Consortium

Iron Mountain Incorporated (NYSE: IRM), the storage and information management services company, has received requisite approval from the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) to sell the majority of its Australian records management business (as it existed prior to the acquisition of Recall) to a consortium led by Housatonic Partners for a total consideration of approximately A$70 million, subject to adjustments. Housatonic Partners is a private equity firm focused on investing in growing, profitable companies in the business services, tech-enabled services and healthcare industries. Founded in 1994, Housatonic has offices in San Francisco, California, and Boston, Massachusetts and has owned and operated records management companies in the United States and Europe. As disclosed on March 31, 2016, the ACCC decision not to oppose the acquisition of Recall was contingent on Iron Mountain's (News - Alert) undertaking to divest its Australian business, except for its data management business throughout Australia and its records and information management and data management businesses in the Northern Territory of Australia, which were transferred to Iron Mountain's combined Australian company following the acquisition of Recall. Completion of the sale of Iron Mountain's Australian business to the consortium had been subject to the ACCC's approval, which has now been confirmed. The parties currently expect the transaction to close within 7 to 10 days of this announcement. Iron Mountain expects to record a non-cash impairment charge during the third quarter of 2016 of approximately $14.0 million. This impairment charge will impact Q3 2016 GAAP Earnings per Share (EPS) but will be excluded from Adjusted EPS. About Iron Mountain

Iron Mountain Incorporated (NYSE: IRM) is the global leader for storage and information management services. Trusted by more than 220,000 organizations around the world, Iron Mountain boasts a real estate network of more than 80 million square feet across more than 1,350 facilities in 45 countries dedicated to protecting and preserving what matters most for its customers. Iron Mountain's solutions portfolio include records management, data management, document management, data centers, art storage and logistics, and secure shredding help organizations to lower storage costs, comply with regulations, recover from disaster, and better use their information. Founded in 1951, Iron Mountain stores and protects billions of information assets, including critical business documents, electronic information, medical data and cultural and historical artifacts. Visit www.ironmountain.com for more information.



Forward Looking Statements Certain statements contained in this communication may constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and other securities laws and be subject to the safe-harbor created by such Act. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, the anticipated closing of the sale of Iron Mountain's legacy business as well as the anticipated impairment charge related thereto. These forward-looking statements are subject to various known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors. When Iron Mountain uses words such as "believes," "expects," "anticipates," "estimates" or similar expressions, it is making forward-looking statements. You should not rely upon forward-looking statements except as statements of Iron Mountain's present intentions and of Iron Mountain's present expectations, which may or may not occur. Although Iron Mountain believes that its forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, Iron Mountain's expected results may not be achieved, and actual results may differ materially from its expectations. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ from Iron Mountain's expectations include, among others: Iron Mountain's ability to close the proposed sale in accordance with its terms. Additional risks and factors that may affect results are set forth in Iron Mountain's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including Mountain's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including under the caption "Risk Factors" in Iron Mountain's periodic reports,. Any forward-looking statements contained herein are based on assumptions that Iron Mountain believes to be reasonable as of the date hereof and Iron Mountain undertakes no obligation, except as required by law, to update these statements as a result of new information or future events.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20161024006440/en/

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[October 24, 2016] L-3 to Supply Joint Common Remote Viewing Terminal to U.K. Ministry of Defence

L-3 Communications (News - Alert) (NYSE:LLL) announced today that it has been awarded a contract to provide its ROVER family of products in support of a major new communications program for the United Kingdom Ministry of Defence (MOD). The Joint Common Remote Viewing Terminal (JCRVT) will use L-3's Tactical Network ROVER handheld transceivers and ROVER 6i transceivers to integrate key U.K. Intelligence, Surveillance, Target (News - Alert) Acquisition and Reconnaissance (ISTAR) platforms with strike capabilities and maritime platforms. This capability will enable the exchange of ISR information, including full-motion video, across the battlespace via a wideband IP network. The contract value is approximately $23.2 million. "We have broad expertise in this interoperable, advanced communications technology, which will be a key component of the British Land Forces and Royal Navy's future communications programs," said Michael T. Strianese, L-3's Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. "The U.K. has always been a significant international market for L-3, and we look forward to expanding our partnerships and our footprint with new program positions like JCRVT." The L-3 JCRVT solution is based on the highly successful ROVER product family, with over 5,000 systems delivered worldwide. It is designed to be interoperable with current U.K., U.S. and NATO ISTAR platforms and the recently announced U.K. AH-64 Apache E Block upgrade and P-8 maritime patrl aircraft. Work will be performed by L-3 Communication Systems-West, which is part of the Broadband Communications sector within L-3's Communication Systems business segment. The initial contract duration is four years followed by two three-year options.



L-3 is partnering with Ultra Electronics, based in the U.K., which is responsible for repair through an in-country support facility. This facility aligns with the U.K. MOD's vision to provide a common support methodology for multiple users, reducing logistics and life-cycle support costs. Headquartered in New York City, L-3 employs approximately 38,000 people worldwide and is a leading provider of a broad range of communication and electronic systems and products used on military and commercial platforms. L-3 is also a prime contractor in aerospace systems. The company reported 2015 sales of $10.5 billion.

To learn more about L-3, please visit the company's website at www.L-3com.com. L-3 uses its website as a channel of distribution of material company information. Financial and other material information regarding L-3 is routinely posted on the company's website and is readily accessible. Safe Harbor Statement Under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995

Except for historical information contained herein, the matters set forth in this news release are forward-looking statements. Statements that are predictive in nature, that depend upon or refer to events or conditions or that include words such as "expects," "anticipates," "intends," "plans," "believes," "estimates," "will," "could" and similar expressions are forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements set forth above involve a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from any such statement, including the risks and uncertainties discussed in the company's Safe Harbor Compliance Statement for Forward-Looking Statements included in the company's recent filings, including Forms 10-K and 10-Q, with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The forward-looking statements speak only as of the date made, and the company undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20161024005184/en/

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[October 24, 2016] OVH, the number 3 cloud computing company in the world, continues its Canadian expansion by opening offices in Toronto

A fourth Canadian business location for the company TORONTO, Oct. 24, 2016 /CNW Telbec/ - European leader and the world's third largest cloud computing provider, OVH officially arrived in the country's economic capital today. This initiative will allow the company to be closer to its growing client base in Ontario and continue its North American expansion plan. OVH made its Canadian entrance in 2012, opening an office in Montreal and, soon after, establishing one of the largest data hosting centres in the world1with a 400,000-server capacityin the suburbs of Quebec's metropolis. "We are very happy with the pace of our establishment in Canada," said Laurent Allard, Chief Executive Officer of OVH. The company has already entered into an important partnership with Rogers to develop its new range of cloud services. "The cities of Toronto and Montreal are two important hubs in our sector, as well as being strategic bridges between Europe and North America." Ranked first by CloudScreener2 in France and second in North America and Europe for its Public Cloud, today OVH has a global presence, with 20 data centres hosting over 250,000 servers. "Toronto is at the centre of the Canadian economy and is thus a natural and crucial step in our development in Canada," explained Cedric Combey, Vice-President of Sales and Marketing for OVH Canada. "Companies in Ontario looking for innovative, safe and competitive cloud solutions will be able to take advantage of our infrastructure and personalized support." The fourth OVH facility in Canada, the Toronto office will specialize in busines development. This opening follows last year's inauguration of a research and development office in Quebec, which has already recruited nearly 30 people. OVH employs a total of 140 people in Canada.



From Paris to Toronto and all over the world: announcements at the OVH Summit 2016

OVH's announcement comes a few days after the one it made in Paris on October 11 at the fourth edition of the OVH Summit, a flagship event honouring the group's communities (clients, partners, suppliers, etc.), which 2,500 people attended this year. On that occasion, OVH management announced the opening of three new data centres in Singapore, Warsaw and Sydney, kicking off a wave of 10 new data centres that will come online in 2017 in countries across the world (United States, Germany, Italy, Spain, England and the Netherlands). Backed by an investment of 1.5 billion by 2021, these new facilities will help meet the growing demand for cloud infrastructure and will bring to 27 the total number of data centres controlled by OVH, whose network now spans the globe.

The company also used the event to reiterate its commitment to the hybrid cloud in order to meet the growing outsourcing and international development needs of businesses. It naturally shone the spotlight on its Private Cloud, a unique range of solutions that combine 100% dedicated infrastructure and VMware-based virtualization. The on-demand SDDC (Software-Defined Data Center) offer allows companies to build and manage an entirely dedicated and automated smart virtual data centre. OVH is currently the only vendor to provide such a service. Finally, this year's OVH Summit featured the Digital Launch Pad area, inspired by OVH's innovation support program, which has helped over 400 start-ups since it was launched one year ago. About OVH

Specializing in cloud and internet infrastructure, OVH offers innovative products and services evolving around three universes: Web, Dedicated and Cloud. Since being founded in 1999, the company has become an established partner for hundreds of thousands of professionals worldwide. OVH owes its success not only to a development model built on innovation but also to keeping full control over the supply chain, from server manufacturing and in-house maintenance of their infrastructure, right down to customer assistance. OVH is able to ensure stable and reliable product and service offerings to all clients across all its brands while also providing the best price quality ratio. Learn more on OVH www.ovh.com and follow us on Twitter @ovh. ________________________

1 On October 3, 2016, International Data Corporation (IDC) placed OVH in the category of "Leaders" in the management and operation of data centres in Canada.

2 Using a comparator, CloudScreener thoroughly assessed the infrastructure of about 30 providers, including AWS, Google, Microsoft Azure and OVH. SOURCE Hebergement OVH Inc.

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Rogers Adds Services in Chicago for Teens with Mood Disorders

Imagine yourself at age 15. Last year, you did well in school, were busy with extra-curricular activities and enjoyed spending time with friends. But now, your life is flipped upside down by depression and feelings of hopelessness. You don't enjoy the things you used to do, can't keep up with the demands of school, and you're isolating from friends and family because connecting with others seems too difficult. Most days you can't even find the motivation to get out of bed. Your parents and teachers are upset you're not acting like yourself. All you know is you're not the person you once were, or the person you want to be.

Programs for depression, bipolar disorder and other mood disorders are now available for teens ages 13 to 17 at Rogers Behavioral Health-Chicago. These include:

FOCUS adolescent mood disorders partial hospital program, 6 hours per day, five days per week

FOCUS adolescent mood disorders intensive outpatient program, 3 hours per day, five days per week

"In these programs, teens will receive a scientifically supported treatment approach, which includes behavioral activation, dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT)-informed skills and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) techniques," says Rachel Leonard, PhD, clinical supervisor of FOCUS programming in Wisconsin. "These techniques are the best approach for reducing mood disorder symptoms and helping kids build healthy foundations for adulthood."







Teens enrolled in the partial program will also have dedicated time each day to complete academic assignments, allowing them to stay engaged in school and have time for family activities.

"For teens to be successful, families must be actively involved and offer extra support at home by reinforcing treatment goals," says Paula Young, PhD, clinical supervisor of FOCUS programming at Rogers-Chicago. "When parents understand and apply the techniques we teach, children receive the consistent messaging they need to improve their health."

Adults can also receive treatment at Rogers' Chicago location, based in Skokie, through separate FOCUS partial hospital and intensive outpatient programs.

Rogers Behavioral Health represents the Wisconsin-based, private, not-for-profit Rogers Behavioral Health System nationally recognized for its specialized psychiatry and addiction services. Anchored by Rogers Memorial Hospital, Rogers offers multiple levels of evidence-based treatment for adults, children and adolescents with depression and mood disorders, eating disorders, addiction, obsessive-compulsive and anxiety disorders, and posttraumatic stress disorder in multiple locations. For more information, visit www.rogershospital.org.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20161024005798/en/
[October 24, 2016] Secretary Pritzker to Receive Final CDAC Recommendations at October DC Meeting

WASHINGTON, Oct. 24, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Commerce Data Advisory Council (CDAC) will hold its fifth and final meeting of the Obama Administration on Friday, October 28th at the U.S. Department of Commerce. U.S. Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker will deliver the keynote address at the event and receive final recommendations from the Council. Appointed by Secretary Pritzker, the 19-member council provides guidance on areas such as data management practices; common, open data standards; policy issues related to privacy, latency, and consistency; effective models for public-private partnership; external uses of Commerce data; and methods to build new feedback loops between the Department and data users. The council is comprised of leading technologists and data leaders who work for some of the most innovate public and private sector organizations, including: Intel, Google, IBM, LinkedIn, PayPal, Amazon Web Services, City of San Francisco, Indiana University, and more. Visit the CDAC webpage for more information on its members and meeting agenda. This event will be broadcast live on YouTube; follow and provide live feedback on Twitter at #CDACmtg.



See livestream of this event on http://www.esa.gov/cdac/. Title: Commerce Data Advisory Council Meeting

Date and Time: Friday, October 28, 9 a.m.  5 p.m.;

Secretary Pritzker's Keynote Address: 9:00 a.m.  9:45 a.m. Location: U.S. Department of Commerce, 1401 Constitution Ave

Commerce Research Library RSVP: Please Register by Thursday, October 20 via Eventbrite:

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/department-of-commerce-data-advisory-council-cdac-october-2016-meeting-tickets-28337358803 The mission of the Economics and Statistics Administration is to provide high-quality economic analysis and foster the missions of the Census Bureau and the Bureau of Economic Analysis. Join us on the web at www.esa.gov ; find us on Facebook, and on Twitter @ESAJustinA. Sign up to receive the latest economic indicators: https://service.govdelivery.com/accounts/USESAEI/subscriber/new/ CONTACT: Rebecca Gale

202-482-5632 To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/secretary-pritzker-to-receive-final-cdac-recommendations-at-october-dc-meeting-300349782.html SOURCE U.S. Department of Commerce

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[October 24, 2016] Wolters Kluwer Unveils Multiple Enhancements to CCH Axcess at CCH Connections User Conference

During the 12th annual CCH (News - Alert) Connections User Conference, Wolters Kluwer Tax & Accounting showcased a series of developments to CCH Axcess, the profession's first cloud-based, modular tax workflow solution suite operating from a single, core database. "CCH Axcess is changing the way firms work today. With anywhere, anytime access and a common core database, firms are seeing that the integrated solution is helping them grow by creating significant efficiencies," said Heffy Provost, Executive Vice President and General Manager of Wolters Kluwer Tax & Accounting North America, Medium to Large Firm segment. "Firms can leverage Wolters Kluwer's depth and breadth of complex tax regulations that are integrated into CCH Axcess, so it's easier for them to comply with legislation allowing their staff to spend more time advising clients and delivering value-added services." Recent CCH Axcess updates designed to navigate complex regulations, support effective firm management, and accelerate firm growth include: CCH Axcess Practice The recent enhancements to CCH Axcess Practice build upon last year's changes that made Accounts Receivable and Billing and Reporting functionality significantly easier and more streamlined. This year's enhancements provide added efficiency, including: Additional billing options that can help save time regardless of the billing model a firm uses

Easier navigation of the billing process, provided by the continued addition of HTML 5 functionality

Advanced editing capability to allow for total control of invoice formatting In addition, future features will provide Data Access APIs to allow for more direct access to information in the CCH Axcess Practice database. CCH Axcess Workstream As a workflow solution, CCH Axcess Workstream offers unparalleled integration with other CCH Axcess modules. CCH Axcess Workstream includes several recent enhancements, including: First in/First Out pools give staff more insight into what to work on next

Advanced Staff Assignment panes designed to highlight the most pressing projects on an employee's plate at a moment in time

Project Status KPI panes designed to highlight bottle necks and provide deeper insight into the volume of projects at a particular step in the process

The ability to replicate and modify project templates simplifies the customized workflow

Increased integration that allows users to navigate projects more easily and quickly launch project route sheets directly from a list of files within CCH Axcess Document Future features will provide Data Access APIs to allow for more direct access to information in the CCH Axcess Workstream database. CCH Axcess Document Share Safe



Introduced in 2015, CCH Axcess Document Share Safe is a unique file-sharing feature in CCH Axcess Document, created for firms wanting a simple and secure method for exchanging files that didn't require the use of a portal or third-party application for encrypting and decrypting files. Interest in this safe and easy file exchange option exceeded expectations during last busy season, and it is expected to see an increase in usage again this year. Files are protected by the same end-to-end encryption system that protects files in CCH Axcess Document and CCH Axcess Portal. CCH Client Axcess

CCH Client Axcess is the next evolution of CCH Axcess Portal, created using HTML 5 and responsive Web design. CCH Client Axcess will offer similar client-facing features that are available in the Microsoft (News - Alert) Silverlight version of CCH Axcess Portal, with added firm user and administrative capabilities. Recent enhancements include the ability to: Drag and drop to add files

Create/manage portal users

Check-in/check-out files

Delete files, move files and view file history

Add custom folders and set folder security

View/edit file properties including expiration date and read-only mode (depending on permissions) "With a crisp, clean user interface created using HTML 5 and today's latest Web and mobile standards and technologies, CCH Client Axcess is poised to become the central hub of digital communications between a firm and its clients," said Provost. "It's one of the many innovations and enhancements we're bringing to CCH Axcess for future-ready firms that are looking to leverage all that a cloud-based, integrated solution can offer." In addition to the host of new enhancements, CCH Client Axcess provides: Access to files from any modern browser on a desktop (PC or Mac), tablet or smartphone without a plug-in

A client-facing mobile app for iPhone, iPad and Android devices My1040Data for Axcess CCH My1040Data takes a new approach to minimize client data entry and to more easily collect 1040 source documents. The navigational capabilities of My1040Data applies insights and feedback from a broad test group of public accounting clients, which provides an approach that aligns with common processes and workflows. For tax year 2016, this client-friendly solution will be available to CCH Axcess Tax customers giving clients of firms the flexibility to access it on a PC, Mac or tablet. Continued Provost: "CCH Axcess was a game changer when we introduced it in 2013, and by working with our customers, we have and will continue to optimize capabilities so that firms can unleash productivity gains and drive higher revenue." About Wolters Kluwer Tax & Accounting Wolters Kluwer Tax & Accounting is a leading provider of software solutions and local expertise that helps tax, accounting, and audit professionals research and navigate complex regulations, comply with legislation, manage their businesses and advise clients with speed, accuracy and efficiency. Wolters Kluwer Tax & Accounting is part of Wolters Kluwer N.V. (AEX: WKL), a global leader in information services and solutions for professionals in the health, tax and accounting, risk and compliance, finance and legal sectors. We help our customers make critical decisions every day by providing expert solutions that combine deep domain knowledge with specialized technology and services. Wolters Kluwer reported 2015 annual revenues of 4.2 billion. The company, headquartered in Alphen aan den Rijn, the Netherlands, serves customers in over 180 countries, maintains operations in over 40 countries and employs 19,000 people worldwide. Wolters Kluwer shares are listed on Euronext Amsterdam (WKL) and are included in the AEX and Euronext 100 indices. Wolters Kluwer has a sponsored Level 1 American Depositary Receipt program. The ADRs are traded on the over-the-counter market in the U.S. (WTKWY). View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20161024006169/en/

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[October 23, 2016] Collaborus Cloud Version 4.5 is Available for General Release

SYDNEY and SHANGHAI, Oct. 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- eBaoTech, a leading digital solutions provider for the global insurance industry today announced the general release of Collaborus Cloud V4.5. Since its release in October 2015, Collaborus Cloud continues to introduce new features and improvements on the cloud."V4.5 has proven to be our biggest value add yet, by understanding our customer's workflow and business challenges, we have enhanced Collaborus Cloud to ensure the entire insurance lifecycle is benefiting. From streamlined processes for internal staff, to digital mobile touch points for brokers, agents and consumers, Collaborus Cloud can e-enable the entire 'lead to cash' workflow for insurers and Underwriting Agencies," said Ken Slevin, GM of Collaborus Product Unit and Corporate VP, eBaoTech. Collaborus Cloud Version 4.5 features include: iForm

Insurers and Underwriting Agencies can now replace website pdf proposal forms with a smart form. The iForm supports multiple devices such as tablets or phones, and allows insurance products to be distributed electronically to various digital channels. New Digital Dashboards

Collaborus Cloud introduces three new digital office dashboards - now avalable for external brokers / agents, underwriters and internal processing staff. These dashboards provide "a single source of truth" of insurance opportunities in a traffic-light manner, and can be leveraged to accelerate business development activity and significantly reduce unnecessary administration work for internal staff.



Customer Clearance

Collaborus Cloud now offers a feature for insurers & Underwriting Agencies to manage rules around multiple brokers / agents selling new policies to the same customer (insured). The uniqueness of an insured can now be easily configured distinctly based on different product lines. Insurer Fees

Collaborus Cloud now supports multiple fee elements within an insurance product. Multiple fees such as administration fees, broker fees and processing fees can be quickly added to products.

New Bordereau Reporting

Collaborus Cloud now offers a standard feature for users to generate and extract bordereau reports for insurance products. This bordereau report provides premium or risk data with respect to identified specific risks and can be periodically generated. Collaborus enables insurers to Digitize their insurance products

Fully externalize products for new business, endorsements, renewals and cancellations

Significantly streamline operations by eliminating internal processes and allowing real time access to policy information and documents for agents, brokers and end customers For more product information and updates, please email [email protected] or follow us at LinkedIn and Twitter. About eBaoTech eBaoTech was founded in year 2000 with a mission to "make insurance easy". Today, with business in more than 30 countries globally, serving over a hundred carriers and numerous agents, brokers, and other ecosystem players, eBaoTech has become a global leader in insurance technology. eBaoTech offers two groups of solutions: eBao Cloud and eBao Software. eBao Cloud provides nearly real time capability of technology adoption for insurance industry. While eBao Software offers more traditional on premise implementation of software products for insurers and large brokers/agencies to optimize operation and support business growth. eBaoTech's hallmark is "Rapid Customer Success" (RCS), with a strong focus on delivering business value to its customers fast. Digital insurance is the central theme in the coming years and eBaoTech is well positioned to be a partner and enabler for insurance industry to accelerate technology adoption and move to digital age fast. For more information, please visit www.ebaotech.com.

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[October 23, 2016] Fusionex Wins Leadership Excellence Award from National ICT Association of Malaysia

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, Oct. 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Fusionex, a multi-award-winning, leading software solutions provider specializing in Big Data Analytics (BDA), the Internet of Things (IoT), Artificial Intelligence, and Deep Learning, received the Leadership Excellence Award from the National ICT Association of Malaysia (PIKOM) during an awards ceremony and gala dinner held on 20 October 2016.



The ICT Awards Night 2016 saw a contingent of over 500 luminaries and experts from across the fields of IT and related industries gather under one roof to celebrate the achievements of their peers. The black tie event was held at the Majestic Hotel, Kuala Lumpur and was also in conjunction with PIKOM's celebration of its 30th anniversary. The Excellence Award acknowledges Fusionex's continuous expanding presence. Fusionex has demonstrated a high level of performance since its founding. Within a few years of its inception, the group has expanded its operations to other countries in Asia Pacific as well as Europe and the United States. The company is also listed on the London Stock Exchange.

Ivan Teh, Fusionex Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, commented: "We are honored to be the recipient of the Excellence Award from PIKOM. This serves as an encouragement for us to continue our quest to be the standard bearers of the data revolution in this region and beyond." Photo - http://photos.prnasia.com/prnh/20161021/8521606785

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[October 23, 2016] Editing Until Acceptance: Editage Launches a New Service in Korea

SEOUL, South Korea, October 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Earlier this month, Editage launched a new service called 'Editing until acceptance' to provide sustained post-submission English-language support to Korean authors. Often ESL (English-as-a-second-language) authors struggle to navigate the entire publication process. Editage's new service will provide comprehensive English-language support to authors until their research paper is accepted for publication, even if it is re-submitted to a different journal. The launch of this service comes at a time when Korean researchers are dealing with stiff competition to publish in reputed journals. Over the past few months, Editage has intensified its support to Korean authors through various activities including author-focused workshops and specialized services to help authors at various stages of publication. This author services company seems to be on a mission to empower the Korean research community and help maximize its research output. When asked about the new service, Vikas Narang, Vice President of Delivery Academia at Editage, Cactus Communications, commented: "Some Korean researchers require extensive Engish-language support, especially when they have to revise and re-submit their paper to a different journal. 'Editing until acceptance' provides unconditional and unlimited re-editing and re-formatting support to authors, who will only have to pay once for this premium service. Although we cannot re-write a manuscript or guarantee its publication, we can provide authors with unlimited re-editing support, including free response letter checks."



Journal publication is a time-consuming and effort-intensive process. Owing to increasing global competition, a surge in the volume of submissions, and a dynamic publication landscape, most authors end up resubmitting their papers to the same or a different journal, after rejection. This service offers the same level of editing as Editage's Premium editing service along with an unlimited number of response letter crosschecks and reformatting for different journals. About Editage:

Editage, the flagship brand of Cactus Communications (CACTUS), is well recognized in the publication and academic communities, globally. Apart from working with individual researchers, Editage partners with publishers, journals, academic societies, and pharmaceutical companies worldwide to assist them in creating compelling, high-quality scientific publications. Editage is also dedicated to author education through its comprehensive author resources website Editage Insights. Cactus Communications offers many services such as English language editing, translation, transcription, and medical communication. Please visit http://www.editage.com Media contact:

Hridey Manghwani

Manager, Public Relations, Editage

Phone: +1(877)334-8243

Email: [email protected]

Related Links

http://www.editage.co.kr/



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[October 24, 2016] CITIZEN Launches Urushi Drop Watch From CITIZEN L Ambiluna Collection

BANGALORE, October 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- This Elegantly Handcrafted Watch Featuring Urushi Drop is a Hallmark of Japanese Lacquerware CITIZEN WATCHES (India) launches Urushi drop watch from CITIZEN L Ambiluna collection for ladies. This finely handcrafted timepiece is an epitome of luxury, sophistication and technological mastery which are a signature of CITIZEN watches. This design from CITIZEN L Ambiluna collection features a unique bangle bracelet, and Urushi drop - an element of traditional Japanese Lacquerware. (Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20161021/431220 )

Mr Shunya Shoji, Managing Director, CITIZEN WATCHES (India) said, "The new Urushi drop watch from CITIZEN L Ambiluna collection is a true symbol of our brand ethos. This watch fuses craftsmanship with timeless elegance and contemporary design. CITIZEN has over the yers increased its offering in the L Collection following a tremendous response to its unique look and features."



The CITIZEN L Ambiluna collection includes a unique bangle bracelet model. Being handcrafted means no two watches are identical, the colour, the lacquer finish differs from watch to watch. The translucent sheen of Urushi drop and the moon gazed sapphire crystal exudes sophistication. This model is an artistic blend of a timepiece and a bangle. It comes with a diamond drop positioned between the case and the Urushi drop adding strength to the piece, while also serving as an indicator for 12 o'clock.

This Eco-Drive watch comes with a warning of insufficient charge and an overcharging prevention function. This watch is retailed at CITIZEN's exclusive stores and multi-brand outlets across the country. Model: EW5493-51W Price: On request About CITIZEN WATCHES: CITIZEN WATCHES is a true manufacture d'horlogerie with a comprehensive manufacturing process that extends from creating a watch's individual components to its final assembly. The company operates in more than 100 countries around the world. Since its inception in 1918, CITIZEN has held the belief of 'Better Starts Now' - that is, no matter who you are and what you do, it is always possible to make something better, and now is the time to start doing it. Sharing this belief, we have made watches, invented and improved technologies and explored the future of watches such as our proprietary light-powered Eco-Drive technology, which originally debuted 40 years ago, and state-of-the-art satellite-synchronised timekeeping. For more information, please visit: http://www.citizenwatches.co.in/index.php Media Contact:

Tanushree Kulkarni

[email protected]

+91-8861005345

Candour Communications



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[October 24, 2016] Planview Extends Powerful Innotas IT PPM Solution to Europe

Planview, the global leader in work and resource management, today announced the European expansion of its Innotas Project Portfolio Management (PPM (News - Alert)) solution. The availability of German- and French-language versions of the market-leading cloud IT PPM solution combined with dedicated Amazon Web Services in Germany underscores Planview's commitment to European customers. Enterprises in Europe will now be able to take advantage of the Innotas cloud-based IT PPM services to prioritize and manage strategic initiatives. To support the growing scale of the cloud PPM solution, Planview will leverage regional Amazon Web Services (News - Alert) located in Germany to provide reliable and secure infrastructure for customers. The expansion is also supported by an established go-to-market team that includes sales, services, and support professionals based across Europe. Innotas is a leading on-ramp for customers starting out in IT PPM. Its mainstream feature set and delivery model have positioned Innotas as the mid-market standard for IT PPM. The expansion beyond North American markets, combined with the recent integration (http://www.planview.com/company/press-releases/planview-brings-together-cloud-based-solutions-ppm-work-collaboration-advancing-work-resource-management-offering/) with the Projectplace work collaboration tool, demonstrates Planview's commitment to delivering customer-driven cloud-based work and resource management solutions. With Innotas and Projectplace, customers can now leverage the project portfolio and resource management capabilities of Innotas along with the team-centric collaboration and Kanban-based task management capabilities of Projectplace.



"From day one, the opportunity from coming together with Planview and investing in the scale and reach of Innotas has been our vision. With this expansion, we're seeing the full scale of Planview's investment in Innotas come to life. Bringing Innotas to Europe in the first 90 days is exciting for our customers and employees, and positions Planview for an impressive innovation and growth trajectory," said Kevin Kern, executive vice president of Innotas by Planview. In Europe, 200 Planview employees serve more than 1,500 customers with PPM and work collaboration software for teams and organizations of all sizes.

Planview's comprehensive portfolio of Work and Resource Management Solutions includes:  Projectplace - Collaborative Work Management for projects and teams  Innotas - IT PPM for midsize enterprises  Planview Enterprise - enterprise-wide Portfolio and Resource Management  Troux - enterprise Capability and Technology Management Go to www.innotas.com/solutions for more information on Innotas cloud-based IT PPM services to prioritize and manage strategic initiatives. Planview enables organizations to get the most out of their resources and achieve their goals. We are the global leader in Work and Resource Management, with the industry's most comprehensive portfolio of solutions for strategic planning, portfolio and resource management, work collaboration and enterprise architecture. Our solutions span every class of work, resource, and organization; addressing the needs of teams, departments, and entire organizations, from the mid-market to global enterprises. Headquartered in Austin, Texas, our 700 employees serve more than 3,000 enterprise customers worldwide through a culture of product leadership, deep market expertise and highly engaged customer communities. For more information, visit http://www.planview.com. This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20161023005062/en/

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[October 24, 2016] Xceedance Establishes London Office

Xceedance, a global provider of property/casualty insurance technology, analytics and consulting services, has established an office in London to serve the European, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) market, the company announced today. This Smart News Release features multimedia. View the full release here: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20161024005369/en/ Justin Davies, Head of Region EMEA (Photo: Business Wire) Xceedance is a managed services company that partners with insurers, MGA/MGUs, reinsurers and brokers by providing them with analytics, technology and process engineering solutions to enrich their workflows, processes and strategic programs. Through the London office, Xceedance can deliver a comprehensive range of strategic and transformational services, enabling insurers to improve loss ratios, accelerate and increase profitability, gain real-time access to actionable business insights, and drive improved operational and financial performance. "London is the hub for a significant segment of worldwide insurance business and our rapidly growing company is especialy skilled in supporting the full range of insurance activities, helping our global clients improve policyholder service, increase new business and grow revenues," said Arun Balakrishnan, CEO, Xceedance. "We are excited to locate an office in London and expand opportunities for direct interaction with diverse P&C insurance organizations, both in London and in the EMEA region."



Justin Davies, a veteran of the London insurance market, will lead the newest international Xceedance office and act as head of the EMEA region. "Our goal is to raise awareness of the capabilities of Xceedance in the EMEA region while providing personalized service to clients," said Justin. "Our clients expect one-stop insurance solutions and expertise from Xceedance. The London office allows us to efficiently align and extend the company's industry-expert resources as we work closely with brokers and re/insurers to help them launch new products, drive lean operations, implement cutting-edge technology and leverage analytic capabilities."

Justin has 25 years of experience in insurance and financial services, with a background in exposure management, catastrophe modelling, spatial analytics and geocoding. He joined Xceedance from Xuber where he was Director of the Xposure business unit. Prior to Xuber, Justin spent more than five years at EQECAT, leading client facing strategy for the UK and Asia Pacific. He was also at Pitney Bowes for three years where he managed the UK and Ireland financial services sales team for spatial analytics product lines. The EMEA Xceedance office is located at Bury Court, 6 Bevis Marks, London, EC3A 7BA. About Xceedance Xceedance is a global provider of insurance analytics and consulting services to property/casualty insurers, reinsurers, brokers, managing general agents and program administrators. With offices in the United Kingdom, United States and India to serve a diverse community of clients, Xceedance partners with insurers to launch new products, drive operations, implement cutting-edge technology, and deliver advanced analytics capabilities and process optimization. The company deploys teams of experienced insurance professionals to help insurers worldwide enhance policyholder service, enter new markets, boost workflow productivity and improve profitability. For more information, visit www.xceedance.com. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20161024005369/en/

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[October 24, 2016] Nozomi Networks Secures $7.5 Million in Series A Funding to Protect Critical Infrastructure

MENLO PARK, Calif., Oct. 24, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Nozomi Networks, the pioneer in cybersecurity and operational visibility for industrial control systems (ICS), today announced it has completed a $7.5 million Series A round of financing. GGV Capital and Lux Capital co-led the investment round with participation from existing investor Planven Investments SA. Glenn Solomon, Managing Partner at GGV Capital, and Bilal Zuberi, Partner at Lux Capital, will join the board of directors as part of the financing.

Nozomi Networks CPO Andrea Carcano, CTO Moreno Carullo and CEO Edgard Capdevielle



A photo accompanying this announcement is available at //www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/124d8028-122b-4983-8aa0-3e75d9d41e5f The growing threat of cyberattacks on critical infrastructure is bringing industrial cybersecurity to the forefront. Industrial networks are exposed to advanced adversaries as evidenced in the well documented Stuxnet attack perpetrated around 2010, to the last years BlackEnergy attacks against the Ukrainian power grid. As an early leader, Nozomi Networks developed solutions designed to work with the unique security and monitoring requirements of industrial control systems (ICS). Today, Nozomi Networks products monitor more than 50,000 industrial devices in dozens of multinational customer sites spanning oil & gas, electric utilities, manufacturing and transportation. Founder and Chief Product Officer Andrea Carcano and CTO Moreno Carullo, experts in industrial network security, artificial intelligence and machine learning, established Nozomi Networks in 2013. Today, they are also announcing that Edgard Capdevielle joins Nozomi Networks as the newly appointed CEO to lead Nozomi into its next stage of growth. Capdevielle brings an extensive background in successfully managing development and market expansion for startups and established technology companies in Security, Data Center and Cloud Storage including Imperva, EMC, Data Domain, and others.



With this funding, the company is establishing corporate headquarters in the United States, in addition to Switzerland, to effectively address growing market demands worldwide. The Industrial Internet has shed light on a serious gap in cybersecurity for critical infrastructure, said Glenn Solomon, Managing Partner at GGV Capital and new board member of Nozomi Networks. As part of GGVs longtime focus on cyber security, weve been studying the evolving risks around critical infrastructure and believe there is a tremendous opportunity for a specialized security company built from the ground up to address these environments. Nozomi Networks not only has a proven product delivering value to production customers today, but also has assembled the right management team to dominate the space.

As investors in global industries ranging from satellites in space to autonomous cars, nuclear waste management and advanced chemicals production, we believe Nozomi Networks provides tremendous advantages in industrial operations while simultaneously securing the network from cyberattacks, said Bilal Zuberi, Partner at Lux Capital and new board member of Nozomi Networks. We are proud to be investors in Nozomi. This is an exciting time for Nozomi, Andrea Carcano said. We are thrilled to have GGV and Lux backing our market expansion and product growth; and honored to have Edgard join the Nozomi Networks team. Edgards strong management experience and keen understanding of our market and vision make him a perfect fit. I continue to be amazed by the breakthroughs Andrea, Moreno, and the exceptional team of engineers have made in such a short period of time, said Edgard Capdevielle. With a unique process-centric approach, and by working closely with Nozomis customers, they are bringing a much needed and exciting new approach to ICS Security. I am excited to join the team and this next chapter of growth. Read more about Nozomi Networks funding news in this blog post from GGV Capital Managing Partner Glenn Solomon. In a separate release today Nozomi Networks also announced the latest release of its industry-proven SCADAguardian ICS cybersecurity product. Read the full release here. About Nozomi Networks

Nozomi Networks has been delivering innovative cybersecurity and operational visibility solutions for industrial control systems (ICS) since 2013. Its next generation solution automatically builds an internal model of the industrial network and physical process and uses behavioral analytics and continuous monitoring to detect changes to baseline states. The result is real-time insight into ICS networks, devices and process status, rapidly identifying and enabling fast remediation of cyberattacks and process anomalies. Deployed in some of the worlds largest industrial installations, operators trust Nozomi Networks products to enhance cybersecurity, maximize uptime and deliver real ROI. The company is headquartered in Menlo Park, California, and Mendrisio, Switzerland. Visit www.nozominetworks.com About GGV Capital

GGV Capital is a venture capital firm founded in 2000 with the unique idea to have one team investing in both the U.S. and China. With $3.8 billion under management across 8 funds, the GGV portfolio includes Airbnb, Alibaba, AlienVault, BitSight Technologies, Ctrip, Didi Chuxing, Domo, Grab, Hashicorp, Houzz, Nimble Storage, Opendoor, Pandora Media, Percolate, Slack, Square, Synack, Wish, Youku Tudou, YY, Zendesk, 51credit and more. For more information: www.ggvc.com | Twitter: @GGVCapital | WeChat: GGVCapital. About Lux Capital

Lux Capital is a venture firm based in New York City and Silicon Valley investing in counter-conventional, seed and early stage science and technology ventures. The firm manages $700 million in assets across four funds. For more information, please see ?www.luxcapital.com?. Follow Lux on Twitter @Lux_Capital. About Planven Investments

Planven Investments, based in Lugano,Switzerland, is the family office of Mr. Carlo De Benedetti. It invests globally in innovative and high growth companies providing capital and connections to support their business expansion. Subscribe to the Nozomi Networks Blog

Follow @nozominetworks on Twitter

Visit and Follow the Nozomi Networks Corporate Page on LinkedIn Press Contact: Jil Backstrom Gamut Public Relations [email protected] 303.913.1650

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[October 24, 2016] Specialty Printing Consumables Market in Europe (EU5) to hit US$28.21 Billion by 2024 - Recent Research Report Published by Transparency Market Research

ALBANY, New York, October 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- The specialty printing consumables market in the Europe (EU5) is chiefly driven by the promising rise in demand for domestic and industrial printed textiles the printed packaging products. The growing volume of exports and online orders for products through e-commerce websites is adding to the rising demand for innovative packaging and labelling in the region. TMR estimates that the Europe specialty printing consumables market will exhibit a 3.7% CAGR over the period between 2016 and 2024. As a result, the market, which had a valuation of US$20.22 bn in 2015, is expected to reach US$28.21 bn by 2024. In terms of product variety, the segment of toners, which occupied nearly 51% of the market in terms of revenue, dominated in 2015. The segment is also expected to retain its dominance over the forecast period. In terms of geography, the market in Germany emerged as the most prominent consumer of specialty printing consumables in 2015. The market in Germany accounted for over 31% of the Europe market in the said year. Get Sample Report Brochure for more Market Insights: http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=16067 Rising Adoption of Advanced Technologies to Bolster Market's Growth Prospects The Europe market for specialty printing consumables is chiefly driven by the rising use across the textile industry for textile printing applications, availability of effective technologies for printing processes, and rising applications in the packaging industry. Rising applications in the form of packaging printing and label printing are expected to make the packaging industry one of the key growth drivers of the Europe specialty printing consumables market in the near future. The growing volume of exports and online orders for products through e-commerce websites will add to the rising demand for printing consumables in the packaging and labelling sector in Europe. Availability of cost effective and less time consuming printing techniques such as 3D printing are becoming a growing trend in the Europe specialty printing industry. The rising adoption of such technologies is opening new and diverse growth avenues for manufacturers of specialty printing consumables in the Europe specialty printing consumables market. In addition to this, the increasing adoption of technologies such as mobile and cloud printing are also expected to lead to growth opportunities for new players in the market in the next few years. Browse Regional PR: http://www.europlat.org/europe-eu5-specialty-printing-consumables-market.htm Low-cost Printing Services from Asia Pacific to Restrain Market Specialty printing consumables companies in Europe are expected to bear the brunt of the cheaper printing services provided by countries in the Asia Pacific region. Vast investments in the printing industry in Japan and China, especially in the 3D printing sector, have helped the Asia printing industry become one of the most promising regional markets in the global printing industry of late.



China to Europe have increased by about four times over the past decade. The Europe market for specialty printing consumables is also expected to be restrained owing to the increasing rate of digitization, which is resulting in the rising preference of businesses to conducting their work online and using digital media substitutes instead of papers. This factor is expected to lead to a significant decline in the specialty printing consumables demand in the region in the next few years.

In the highly competitive and fragmented Europe specialty printing consumables market, a notable transformation has been observed from focus on traditional printing technologies such as lithographic and offset printing to digital ones such as laser printing in the past few years, observes a recent report by Transparency Market Research. This trend is expected to gain strength with time and an increasing number of companies operating in the specialty printing consumables market are expected to venture into the field of digital printing in the near future. Many companies, such as Electronics for Imaging, Inc., which acquired Reggiani Machine in 2015, a leader in digital textile printing machines, are already making their move into the world of digital printing. For the study, the Europe specialty printing consumables market is segmented as follows: Europe (EU5) Specialty Printing Consumables Market, By Printing Process Lithographic Printing

Flexographic Printing

Rotogravure Printing

Digital Printing

Europe (EU5) Specialty Printing Consumables Market Analysis, By Product Toner

Ink

Specialty Substrate

Chemicals

Europe (EU5) Specialty Printing Consumables Market Analysis, By Application Office And Professional Application

Commercial Printing And Publishing Application

Other Application

Europe (EU5) Specialty Printing Consumables Product (Toner) Market, By Printing Process Lithographic Printing

Flexographic Printing

Rotogravure Printing

Digital Printing

Europe (EU5) Specialty Printing Consumables Product (Ink) Market, By Printing Process Lithographic Printing

Flexographic Printing

Rotogravure Printing

Digital Printing

Europe (EU5) Specialty Printing Consumables Product (Specialty Substrate) Market, By Printing Process Lithographic Printing

Flexographic Printing

Rotogravure Printing

Digital Printing

Europe (EU5) Specialty Printing Consumables Product (Chemicals) Market, By Printing Process Lithographic Printing

Flexographic Printing

Rotogravure Printing

Digital Printing

Europe (EU5) Specialty Printing Consumables Product (Toner) Market, By Application Office and Professional Application

Commercial Printing and Publishing Application

Other Application

Europe (EU5) Specialty Printing Consumables Product (Ink) Market, By Application Office and Professional Application

Commercial Printing and Publishing Application

Other Application

Europe (EU5) Specialty Printing Consumables Product (Specialty Substrate) Market, By Application Office and Professional Application

Commercial Printing and Publishing Application

Other Application

Europe (EU5) Specialty Printing Consumables Product (Chemicals) Market, By Application Office and Professional Application

Commercial Printing and Publishing Application

Other Application

Related Reports by Transparency Market Research: U.S. Specialty Printing Consumables Market:

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/us-specialty-printing-consumables.html Global 3D Printing Market:

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/3d-printing-industry.html About Us Transparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMR's experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge. Each TMR syndicated research report covers a different sector - such as pharmaceuticals, chemicals, energy, food & beverages, semiconductors, med-devices, consumer goods and technology. These reports provide in-depth analysis and deep segmentation to possible micro levels. With wider scope and stratified research methodology, TMR's syndicated reports strive to provide clients to serve their overall research requirement. US Office Contact

Transparency Market Research

90 State Street, Suite 700

Albany, NY 12207

Tel: +1-518-618-1030

USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453

Email: [email protected]

Website: http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com

Google+: https://plus.google.com/+Transparencymarketresearch

SOURCE Transparency Market Research

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[October 24, 2016] IFS: Winners of the 'IFS Partner of the Year' Awards revealed

Winners announced at the highly anticipated IFS (STO:IFSA) (STO:IFSB) Partner Network Summit (http://www4.ifsworld.com/partner-network-summit) in Gothenburg, Sweden IFS (http://www4.ifsworld.com/l/5332/2015-08-10/2qts7r), the global enterprise applications company, is pleased to present the winners of the inaugural 'IFS Partner of the Year' Awards, a global initiative that celebrates the success driven by partners throughout the IFS partner ecosystem. IFS was proud to recognize 10 partners across 7 prestigious categories earlier today at the inaugural IFS Partner Network Summit, held in conjunction with IFS World Conference 2016 in Gothenburg, Sweden. Award winners from around the globe were celebrated for their continued commitment to excellence within the partner ecosystem including their strong dedication to innovation, exemplary business agility, and superior industry expertise in delivering complex solutions to IFS customers. "We are thrilled to announce the winners of the first 'IFS Partner of the Year' Awards, which marks an important milestone in the development of the IFS Partner Network Program," IFS VP of Global Alliances David Eager said. "We are fortunate to have some of the world's most innovative and prestigious IT companies as partners, with whom we share our penchant for providing exceptional products and services to customers. I want to extend my sincerest congratulations to the winners of each category, as well as to all other partners and sponsors who have made this IFS Partner Network Summit such a success." IFS Channel partner of the Year NEC (News - Alert): NEC is not only a valued IFS customer but it has been an important channel partner since 1998. The Japanese leader in IT products and services continues to expand its IFS competence in specific industry areas by developing additional product functionality, leading to new and increased opportunities. In 2015, NEC produced the highest number of sales and total revenue among all IFS channel partners, securing this award. IFS Service Partner of the Year* Enterprise  Accenture (News - Alert): A Platinum-level Services Partner, Accenture showcased the successful delivery of the extensive Modernized ERP (MAS) program at Systembolaget, further developing and refining IFS-specific methodology, skills and assets. Through the MAS program, Accenture demonstrated the ability to collaborate effectively with the client, enabling Systembolaget to execute on its IT-strategy, move to a more standardized ERP solution, as well as achieve several new business benefits. Accenture's efforts lead to a strategic first successful upgrade to IFS Applications 9 in Retail, involving large complexity and as many as 438 sites, while simultaneously refining the delivery methods and processes for multi-country deliveries. Midmarket  Eqeep: Dutch Gold-level Services Partner Eqeep has demonstrated a strong focus on building up knowledge and experience with IFS Applications, offering services for, among other things, application management, maintenance, data migration, and implementation. Over the past year, Eqeep has steadil expanded its services, becoming a reseller for the IFS Enterprise Service Management suite and strengthening its pipeline through the successful implementation of multiple solutions for 14 customers.



IFS Software Partner of the Year  ClickLearn: Authorized Software Partner ClickLearn expertly combined its knowledge of IFS Applications with advanced technology to automate the creation and maintenance of work instructions, delivering them to users inside of IFS Applications in a highly usable format. The company's innovative contribution benefits the IFS user community through rapid user adoption and great customer success as demonstrated by the 24 companies that have chosen ClickLearn to increase their ROI in the past 18 months.

IFS Technology Partner of the Year  Microsoft (News - Alert): Microsoft is a Platinum Technology Partner that provides a range of innovative solutions and technologies that benefit customers, including Azure, the open and flexible cloud platform. In 2015 IFS announced the availability of IFS Applications and IFS FSM as a fully managed service on Microsoft Azure, marking a major milestone in IFS's history. IFS Innovative Partner of the Year Americas  Logicalis (News - Alert): International IT solutions and managed services provider Logicalis expertly identifies key trends early on, proactively creating new channels and opportunities for partners such as IFS to bring their products, services and software to the North American market. Logicalis successfully extended IFS's ability to sell more software licenses and meet customer demands, while their continued commitment to creativity and innovation has enabled IFS to increase license revenue, compete more aggressively, and meet ever increasing customer demands. Asia Pacific  NS Solutions Corporation: Tokyo-based systems integrator NS Solutions provides IT support to customers in the manufacturing, retail, telecom, and finance industries. Through close collaboration with NS Solutions and solid support from the IFS A&D CX Team, IFS was able to successfully break into the Japanese MRO market. NS Solutions professional approach and considerable ERP business experience, combined with strong capabilities in successful project management and competence in large-scale global ERP rollout projects, has made it a forerunner in the MRO market in Japan. EMEA  2conciliate Business Solutions AB: Software Partner 2conciliate, working in collaboration with IFS, developed a plugin to the 2c8 Modeling Tool that enables IFS to accurately scope customer projects through process modeling for the implementation and upgrade project. The IFS Scope Tool provides support through the entire project lifecycle and benefits customers by enabling the swift implementation of projects that increase quality, reduce work load and lower overall cost. It has been successfully implemented in over 30 projects globally. IFS New Partner of the Year  Capgemini: Silver-level Services Partner Capgemini is a global provider of consulting, technology and outsourcing services and has worked closely with IFS for several years. After joining the IFS Partner Network in March of 2015, Capgemini has continued to send consultants through the IFS Academy in order to move up the tier levels of the Partner Network Program while at the same time exemplifying strong commitment to continued growth and collaborative efforts across regions. Capgemini has developed both functional and technical skills through their IFS centre of excellence based on a "Rightshore" delivery model consisting of IFS consultants in Grenoble, France as well as IFS consultants in Mumbai. IFS Customers' Choice Award  DinERP: IFS Software Partner DinERP provides user-friendly web and mobile solutions for all platforms and devices tightly integrated with IFS Applications. As evident through multiple customer nominations, DinERP displayed outstanding efforts to help customers leverage IFS solutions to transform their business. From 100% user acceptance from day one to consistent remarks on exceptional customer service and the ability to deliver projects well under time and within budget, DinERP's ability to enable customers to take full advantage of their IFS investments earned them the coveted Customers' Choice Award. For more information about the IFS Partner Network, please visit: www.ifsworld.com/corp/partners/. * Due to a high volume of quality entries in the IFS Services Partner of the Year category, IFS recognizes and awards both an enterprise and midmarket partner About IFS IFS (http://www.ifsworld.com/en/) is a globally recognized leader in developing and delivering enterprise software for enterprise resource planning (ERP), enterprise asset management (EAM) and enterprise service management (ESM). Founded in 1983, IFS brings customers in targeted sectors closer to their business, and helps them be more agile and prepare for what's next in their industry. IFS's 2,800 employees support more than 1 million users worldwide from its network of local offices and through a growing ecosystem of partners. For more information visit: IFSworld.com (http://www.ifsworld.com/en/). Follow us on Twitter (News - Alert): @ifsworld (http://www.twitter.com/ifsworld) Visit the IFS Blogs on technology, innovation and creativity: http://blogs.ifsworld.com This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20161024005712/en/

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[October 24, 2016] Veteran Media Executive Jonathan Moore Named President of Family Media LLC

NEW YORK, Oct. 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Isis Venture Partners, a private equity firm that invests primarily in small to medium-sized enterprises in the media and business services sectors, announced today the appointment of Jonathan Moore as President of Family Media LLC. Mr. Moore has also been named a Director of Manhattan Media, an Isis Venture Partners-owned business. Long-time Family Media Publisher John Hurley will report to Moore. Family Media provides insights and information to parents, from expectant parents to parents of pre-teens. It publishes New York Family Magazine, NewYorkFamily.com and hosts The Baby Show series, the Blackboard Awards, Camp Fairs and Independent School Fairs. As a 20-year veteran of the industry, Mr. Moore has held leadership positons in a variety of media companies, most recently heading one of the largest mining conference companies in the world for Euromoney. He also ran the events and education business at the Interactive Advertising Bureau and, prior to that, the events and award programs for Thomson Financial Media/Source Media.



"We are delighted to have Jonathan overseeing what we believe is one of the most exciting investments in our media portfolio," said Richard Burns, general partner of Isis Venture Partners and chairman of Manhattan Media. "He will head a seasoned and motivated team at a critical juncture in its growth trajectory." Manhattan Media recently announced a formal partnership with the Juvenile Product Manufacturers Association (JPMA) to accelerate the build out of the largest series of trade and consumer shows for new and expectant families in the United States.

"I am truly excited to join Family Media and The Baby Show Series at such an important time. The team has done a fantastic job under the leadership of John Hurley and we are poised for exceptional growth in the coming years. The reach and skills of both Family Media and the JPMA will be a powerful combination," said Moore. About Isis Venture Partners

Isis Venture Partners is a private equity firm and owns Manhattan Media, a New York based specialty media company with ownership of entities including Family Media, AVENUE Media and Dan's Papers. To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/veteran-media-executive-jonathan-moore-named-president-of-family-media-llc-300349670.html SOURCE Family Media LLC

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[October 24, 2016] Favro Introduces Its Online Collaboration Platform to The Enterprise

UPPSALA, Sweden, Oct. 24, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Favro, an online planning and collaboration tool, is launching its enterprise platform bringing agile management practices to global, large-scale workforces. Favro Enterprise comes from the Swedish award-winning project management software firm Hansoft. Team Hansoft has spent the past decade designing efficient and innovative tools to enhance agile project management and team collaboration in organizations developing software and hardware products.

We wanted to bring agile to all. Not just for product developers but also teams doing sales, marketing, executive management, everyone in the organization. With Favro we built a planning and collaboration tool as easy to use as the simplest tools in the market, yet powerful enough to to tackle todays enterprise workplace complexities, said Patric Palm, CEO and co-founder. Enterprises can no longer afford to make a trade-off between ease of use for everyone and enterprise-scale collaboration abilities. With Favro Enterprise, they can now have both. As teams in modern organizations become more and more autonomous, they also start choosing their own tools. This has the side-effect of creating silos within organizations and making cross-team collaboration more difficult. Favro Enterprise, accessible both online and through its mobile app, is designed for large-scale organizations to easily fill collaboration gaps allowing teams to better adapt to changing environments and work towards bigger goals together. With Favro, enterprises can migrate to a cloud based tool liked by teams and CFOs alike, while maintaining the right level of IT overnance, compliance, and security.



Favro Enterprise also allows organizations to add features and workflow power-apps where and when they need them. Teams can integrate Favro with other apps they currently use including services from Google, Slack, and GitHub to automate and stay synchronized. Teams can also use webhooks and the REST API to connect Favro to even more data sources, ensuring work is always relevant and up to date. Leading up to the public release of Favro Enterprise, the free and standard plans have been in soft-launch. Early customers have been able to experience Favro Enterprise capabilities and the tools usability across their organizations. Unity Technologies, the leading global game industry software, is one.

Our teams are creative and passionate in everything they do. Thats our culture worldwide. They work autonomously and pick the tools they think best will help them reach their goals. Im impressed how rapidly Favro has gained popularity and is spreading from team to team at Unity, said David Helgason, Founder of Unity Technologies. We really like using Favro. Its very intuitive and easy to use, yet it has the power our developers need to maintain a projects overview both on an individual, team, and department level at all times. This creates a well working alignment among global teams while also promoting team and individual empowerment, said Ulas Karademir, Director of Core Technology and Operations at Unity Technologies. Favro integrates well with other tools and the extra power-apps gives us the management capabilities we need to be efficient leaders and team players. It makes project management fun for us at Unity.

About Favro Favro is an online planning and collaboration tool built to empower teams and leaders who embrace change and develop organically. Favros intuitive and adaptable interface makes it easy to collaborate with any team member in or outside your organization on just about any project. To learn more about Favro visit https://favro.com. About Team Hansoft From offices in Sweden, USA, Ukraine, Vietnam and Japan, Hansoft supports global companies as they migrate to become Agile Enterprises. Team Hansofts product portfolio consists of Favro, offered in the cloud, and the on-premise product Hansoft A3. Hansoft A3 has been in the market for a decade and is continuously updated with bi-weekly releases. Hansoft A3 is used for team collaboration, program and portfolio management in Agile development of products and services, used in industries such as Electronics, Aerospace, Defence, Game Development, and Telecom. Members at all levels in these organizations use Hansoft A3 for Scrum and tailored agile methods, Kanban, collaborative Gantt scheduling, defect tracking, real-time reporting, workload and portfolio analysis among other things. To learn more about Team Hansoft, visit https://www.favro.com/company. To learn more about Hansoft A3, visit https://hansoft.com. Contact: Tyler Balkin [email protected] 312-561-2482

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[October 24, 2016] Blackboard to Present at EDUCAUSE 2016

WASHINGTON, Oct. 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Experts from Blackboard Inc. will make multiple presentations during EDUCAUSE Annual Conference 2016, taking place October 25-28 at the Anaheim Convention Center in California. During these presentations, participants will explore best practices around the adoption of technology to improve student outcomes. Among the topics covered will be some of the most pressing issues facing the higher education community, including innovations in mobile technologies; the use of predictive and learning analytics; and personalizing technology and support for each learner to achieve real world results. The annual conference is the premier convening of IT professionals and technology providers across the diverse higher education landscape.







Tuesday, October 25



2:00 p.m.  3:00 p.m. Meeting Workplace Goals: Bellevue University's Skills to Performance Model: Chad Kainz, Director of Solutions at Blackboard Inc., and Ed Jarecki, Assistant Vice President at Bellevue University, will discuss the university's Skills to Performance program - a unique model focused on higher order skills that translate to success in industry. Attendees will learn how Bellevue and Blackboard have partnered to differentiate the learning experience to connect more tightly with the skills that workforce partners value. Session will be held at Marriott Newport Beach/Rancho Las Palomas/Lower Level.

Wednesday, October 26



3:30 p.m.  4:30 p.m. Learning at Scale with Analytics: Findings from the Field and Open Questions: Higher education is experiencing an explosion of interest in using new data sources, applying analytical techniques, and expanding access to data visualizations/analysis. During this panel, campus leaders and solution providers will discuss lessons learned from both creating and implementing learning analytics systems and the big questions remaining. Speakers include John Whitmer, Director for Analytics and Research at Blackboard Inc.; Alfred Essa, Vice President of Analytics and R&D at McGraw-Hill Education; Michael Feldstein, Partner at MindWires Consulting; Russ Little, Chief Innovation Officer at Hobsons; and Jeff Gold, Assistant Vice Chancellor at California State University. Session will be held in Meeting Room 204B, Level Two.

Thursday, October 27



9:10 a.m.  10:00 a.m. Only Blackboard: Innovation to Drive Student Success through the LMS and Beyond: Brook Bock, Vice President of Mobile at Blackboard Inc. and Mike Sharkey, Vice President of Analytics at Blackboard Inc. will share how institutions can leverage new advancements across the Blackboard Learn product, including predictive analytics and mobile technologies, to further promote student success. Session will be held in Meeting Room 303A, Level Three.



1:30 p.m.  2:00 p.m. IBM Watson: Building a World Class Ecosystem for Higher Education: IBM's cognitive platform Watson represents the new paradigm in the computing era. It is fundamentally transforming industries and their daily operations, including higher education. This session will explore the possibilities of Watson in higher ed and early use cases, and share the latest thinking on industry strategy to adopt and leverage Watson. Speakers include Katie Blot, Chief Strategy Officer at Blackboard Inc.; Michael King, Vice President of Global Education Industry at IBM; and Douglas Hunt, Watson Global Education Leader at IBM. Session will be held in Meeting Room 303A, Level Three.

CONTACT:

D'Anthony White, Blackboard Inc.

[email protected], 202.303.9314 About Blackboard Inc.

Blackboard is a global leader in enterprise technology and innovative solutions that improve the experience of millions of students and learners around the world every day. Blackboard's solutions allow thousands of higher education, K-12, professional, corporate, and government organizations to extend teaching and learning online, facilitate campus commerce and security, and communicate more effectively with their communities. For more information about Blackboard, follow us on Twitter @Blackboard. Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160513/367654LOGO To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/blackboard-to-present-at-educause-2016-300349591.html SOURCE Blackboard Inc.

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[October 24, 2016] Global Perimeter Security Market to Cross $23 Billion by 2022

INDORE, India, October 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Perimeter security market recorded a CAGR of over 7% due to heavy investments in security systems and growth in infrastructural activities across the globe. The growing investment by governments for the development of infrastructure has majorly impacted the perimeter security market. In 2014, total global spending on infrastructural development accounted more than $78 trillion. By the end of 2020, approximately $4 trillion is expected to be spent on the infrastructural development by the US. North America dominates the global market and held about 32% revenue share in 2015. APAC is growing with the highest CAGR of 10.7%. The growth in the APAC region is attributed to the high infrastructural activities and increased spending in the defence sector by countries such as India and China. In 2015, the spending by Indian government on defence sector was around $48 billion, whereas China spent about $146 billion. (Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20161024/431641LOGO )

To have a brief overview of the report please click on the following link http://www.occamsresearch.com/Perimeter-Security-Market Heavy investment in security systems Growing investment in perimeter security in various sectors such as aerospace and defence, critical infrastructure, industries and others is increasing the growth in the global perimeter security market. Growing concerns for risk management ad terrorist attack has given a tremendous fillip to this market in terms of increased investment. In the US, the defence spending accounts for over 55% of the total discretionary spending which is around $600 billion. The UK spends around 22% of the total security technology spending on perimeter security technology. Some of the major players such as Anixter International, Tyco International and Honeywell International invest in the development and advancement of the perimeter security technologies. Honeywell in 2016 acquired Xtralis to strengthen its development of fire and security technologies. North America is one of the major regions investing in the security sector. After 9/11 terrorist attack, the US government has taken initiatives towards the implementation of advance surveillance systems in government buildings and all high security areas. Demand for new hybrid systems, high megapixel cameras, and analytics is soaring in this region.



To contact us please click on the following link http://www.occamsresearch.com/contact-us

Asia Pacific is the lucrative market Increased concerns of terrorist attacks, spiralling crime rates and illegal trespassing are the major reasons for the growth of the perimeter security market. North America holds a revenue share of 32% as the region makes huge investment in the defence sector. The US spends around 55% of their total spending on defence. In Europe, UK spends around 2% of GDP on defence, annually, which is 5th largest in the world. The Asia Pacific market is growing due to increased infrastructural development activities and high investments in the security systems. In Asia Pacific, India and China are the major contributors towards the growth of the market. India earmarks around 2.3% of GDP for the defence sector, which was around $48 billion in 2015, whereas China spends 1.9% of GDP on defence which was over $148 billion in 2015. Rising investment by India in the infrastructure which will be around $2.7 trillion by 2017 and boom in the economy of the nation is leading to rising investment in the security, especially, the perimeter security in almost all the sectors including banking, commercial sectors, business parks, etc. About Occams Business Research & Consulting (OBRC): Occams Business Research & Consulting has been in the business (Market Research) for the past three years. OBRC, based in India, is formed by two women analysts, Shyamal Moghe and Sathya Durga, who started the company after years of working as analysts and project managers for companies such as Frost & Sullivan, Smart Analyst etc. and have an excellent track record for the best customer satisfaction. You can see their professional profile on Linkedin. Shyamal Moghe Sathya Durga Contact: Shyamal Moghe

Tel: +91-9850553315

Email: [email protected]



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[October 24, 2016] Printed Electronics Market Worth 12.10 Billion USD by 2022

PUNE, India, October 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- According to the new market research report on the "Printed Electronics Market by Material (Ink, Substrate), Technology (Inkjet, Screen, Gravure, Flexographic), Device (Sensors, Displays, Batteries, RFID, Lighting, Photovoltaic) and Geography - Global Forecast to 2022", published by MarketsandMarkets, the market was valued at USD 3.13 Billion in 2015 and is expected to reach USD 12.10 Billion by 2022, at a CAGR of 22.38% between 2016 and 2022. (Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160303/792302 )

Browse 70 market data Tables and 60 Figures spread through 164 Pages and in-depth TOC on "Printed Electronics Market" http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/printed-electronics-market-197.html

Early buyers will receive 10% customization on this report. The most significant factor driving the printed electronics market is the increasing penetration of Internet of Things which is necessitating the demand for printed electronic products. Screen printing to hold largest share of the printed electronics market The older printing technology, screen printing, is expected to hold the major share of the technology market during the forecast period. Screen printing is the most commonly used printing technology by printed electronics manufacturers as it adds simplicity, adaptability, speed, and affordability to the fabrication process; this makes screen printing technology faster and more versatile in comparison with other printing tools. Inorganic substrates expected to grow at the highest rate The market for inorganic substrates is expected to grow at the highest rate during the forecast period. A large number of research and development activities are going on in the inorganic substrate space. Their demand in various new applications is also increasing which would drive the market for them in the forecast period. Asia-Pacific is the major consumer of the printed electronics market Asia Pacific is expected to account for the largest share f the total Printed Electronics Market in 2016. This region has emerged as a major electronics manufacturing hub with robust manufacturing activities in countries such as China, Japan, India, and South Korea, which is boosting the demand for printed electronics systems in this region.



Inquiry Before Buying: http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Enquiry_Before_Buying.asp?id=197 The report also profiles the most promising players in the printed electronics market. The competitive landscape of the market presents a very interesting picture where a large number of big and small players have become a force to reckon with. The key players in the printed electronics market are ThinFilm Electronics ASA (Norway), GSI Technologies, LLC (U.S.), PARC, Inc. (U.S.), BASF SE (Germany), E.I. DuPont de Nemours & Co. (U.S.), NovaCentrix (U.S.), Enfucell OY (Finland), Molex, Inc. (U.S.), E Ink Holdings Inc. (China), YD Ynvisible, S.A. (Portugal), and T-ink, Inc. (U.S.) among others.

Browse Related Reports Printed Sensors Market by Printed Sensor Type (Biosensor, Touch Sensor, Image Sensor, Temperature Sensor), Printing Technology (Ink-Jet Printing, Screen Printing, Flexographic Printing), Application, and Geography - Global Trend and Forecast to 2022

http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/printed-flexible-sensor-market-100918633.html Flexible Electronics Market by Components (Display, Battery, Sensor, Photovoltaic, Memory), Circuit Structure (Single-Sided, Double-Sided, Rigid) Application (Consumer Electronics, Healthcare, Automotive, Energy and Power), & by Geography - Analysis & Forecast to 2014 - 2020

http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/flexible-electronics-market-50634885.html Subscribe Reports from Semiconductor Domain @ http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Knowledgestore.asp About MarketsandMarkets MarketsandMarkets is the largest market research firm worldwide in terms of annually published premium market research reports. Serving 1700 global fortune enterprises with more than 1200 premium studies in a year, M&M is catering to a multitude of clients across 8 different industrial verticals. We specialize in consulting assignments and business research across high growth markets, cutting edge technologies and newer applications. Our 850 fulltime analyst and SMEs at MarketsandMarkets are tracking global high growth markets following the "Growth Engagement Model - GEM". The GEM aims at proactive collaboration with the clients to identify new opportunities, identify most important customers, write "Attack, avoid and defend" strategies, identify sources of incremental revenues for both the company and its competitors. M&M's flagship competitive intelligence and market research platform, "RT" connects over 200,000 markets and entire value chains for deeper understanding of the unmet insights along with market sizing and forecasts of niche markets. The new included chapters on Methodology and Benchmarking presented with high quality analytical info graphics in our reports gives complete visibility of how the numbers have been arrived and defend the accuracy of the numbers. We at MarketsandMarkets are inspired to help our clients grow by providing apt business insight with our huge market intelligence repository. Contact:

Mr. Rohan

MarketsandMarkets

701 Pike Street,

Suite 2175, Seattle,

WA 98101, United States

Tel : 1-888-600-6441

Email: [email protected]

Visit MarketsandMarkets [email protected] http://www.marketsandmarketsblog.com/market-reports/electronics-and-semiconductors

LinkedIn @ http://www.linkedin.com/company/marketsandmarkets SOURCE MarketsandMarkets

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[October 24, 2016] Pioneer in Distance Learning Celebrates 25th Anniversary with Commitment to Build Brick and Mortar School through Pencils of Promise

OJAI, Calif., Oct. 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Laurel Springs School (LSS)  a fully accredited private online school  announced today that it is celebrating its 25th anniversary by committing to build a brick and mortar school through Pencils of Promise (PoP), a nonprofit organization that builds schools and increases educational opportunities in the developing world. LSS will also commemorate its anniversary with a gala on Nov. 17 in Marina del Rey, Calif., with attendees including current students, alumni, prominent members of the education community, and LSS faculty and staff. LSS was founded in 1991 by Marilyn Mosley Gordanier, M. Ed. and a group of educators as a correspondence school for students seeking an alternative, flexible learning environment. The school began serving students in kindergarten through eighth grade, but expanded to include ninth through 12th grade in 1992. With the growth of the Internet, LSS took the school online  creating one of the first online curricula in the U.S. in 1994. LSS was the first distance learning school to receive WASC accreditation and to be granted an official chapter of the National Honor Society. "The heart of the Laurel Springs experience is the relationship between inspiring, caring teachers and talented, motivated and engaged students. At Laurel Springs, our mission to support students to achieve their academic goals and foster their personal interests is more than just a statement; it's how we do school. Students who attend Laurel Springs are inspired by the power of ideas, made available through engaging exchanges with teachers who are passionate about global concepts that construct, characterize and transform the world," shared Head of School, Darby Carr. "My goal is to continue honoring our school's mission while working with our dedicated team of educators to create a pathway to take Laurel Springs to the next point in the evolution of online education." p>To continue this vision of global and service learning and celebrate its 25th anniversary, LSS wanted to establish a long-term partnership with an organization with a similar focus, which led them to PoP. Through PoP, which provides educational programs and builds schools to increase literacy outcomes of children in developing countries, including Ghana , Guatemala and Laos , LSS and its global virtual community will raise funds to build a brick and mortar school for underserved students in one of the countries where PoP has a presence.



"Over the last 25 years that Laurel Springs School has been in existence, many things have changed, but the one thing that has remained the same is our dedication to providing a personalized, flexible learning environment to meet each child's unique interest, talent and learning style  no matter their location or circumstances," commented Laurel Springs School's Director of Education, Megan Palevich. "That flexible environment has helped a wide spectrum of students in the U.S. and abroad meet their educational needs, and with our partnership with Pencils of Promise, we'll be able to help even more students receive a quality education they might not otherwise have." LSS recently kicked off its fundraising efforts among the LSS community, which will continue throughout the 2016-2017 school year. Members of the LSS Student Government are currently working on additional ideas to spread the word about the fundraiser.

"It's always great to be able to work with people who share the same commitment to education that we do at Pencils of Promise. Laurel Springs School offers an innovative approach to education and we're thankful for their generosity to allow PoP to do the same," stated Michael Dougherty, CEO of Pencils of Promise. LSS has successfully graduated more than 4,000 students and continues to expand its global reach, working with families in 48 states and more than 60 countries. In fact, it has teachers located in 23 states, 13 time zones and seven countries. Its students range from children of families who work, travel, or participate in service projects abroad, student athletes competing at national levels, actors and entrepreneurs, and students seeking a more tailored learning experience or pace than can be provided at a brick and mortar school  due to a wide range of factors. Head of School, Darby Carr, shared her vision for the future of education, "Students no longer need to settle for the way things have always been today's students are carving their own path in our world  where technology meets education, a classroom is no longer a prerequisite for college. Laurel Springs is the future of education with quality curriculum, flexible scheduling, accreditation, personalized experiences, and global connectivity the future is now." About Laurel Springs School

Laurel Springs School is an accredited online private school for students in kindergarten through grade twelve. Founded in 1991, we combine the benefits of a traditional private school with the flexibility of distance learning. Our students are fully supported by qualified, caring teachers and staff, and benefit from our college preparatory academics. Students have access to a wide variety of courses including Honors and AP, as well as a gifted and talented program. For more information, please visit: www.laurelsprings.com. To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/pioneer-in-distance-learning-celebrates-25th-anniversary-with-commitment-to-build-brick-and-mortar-school-through-pencils-of-promise-300349714.html SOURCE Laurel Springs School

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[October 24, 2016] Benchling Announces $7M in New Funding Led by Thrive Capital

SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Benchling, the next-generation life science R&D software company, announced that is has raised $7 million in new funding. This latest funding round was led by Thrive Capital and included participation from Andreessen Horowitz, Y Combinator partner Geoff Ralston, Sequoia partner Matt Huang, CXO of Tencent David Wallerstein, and actor/tech investor Ashton Kutcher. The company has now raised over $13 million from investors who have collectively funded SpaceX, Tesla, Facebook, and Airbnb, among other seminal technology companies. Since its founding in 2012, Benchling has become a leading innovator in the R&D technology space. The company provides an integrated cloud-based software platform consisting of lab notebook, LIMS, and molecular biology tools to over 40,000 academic and industry scientists. These users represent more than 10,000 academic institutions and over 150 companies. "Drug discovery is becoming more complex and costly, while offering significantly lower returns. In turn, scientists are generating more data and working on more complicated problems than ever, but the ways they manage that data and collaborate have barely changed in the past decade. The industry mostly runs on paper, spreadsheets, and otherwise clunky and outdated software that's designed with litle scientist input," said Sajith Wickramasekara, Founder & CEO of Benchling. "Benchling develops its software with real scientist workflows in mind, so that scientists' tools can streamline their research rather than impede it. Instead of spending upwards of 30% of their time taking notes and searching through disjointed records systems, scientists can focus on science."



Biotechnology companies of all types, from emerging players through established pharmaceutical organizations, have adopted Benchling, viewing its platform as a competitive advantage over existing legacy systems. Customers have reported unprecedented scientist adoption, and on average, Benchling's industry scientist users report a satisfaction rating of over 90% when comparing the platform to their previous tools. "Benchling represents a refreshing, intuitive, and modern platform that maps to the life scientist's brain. We love its focus on the user experience including its convenient chat-driven support, its ability to rapidly integrate with diverse internal and external services, and the profound engineering foundations it's built on," said Hari Jayaram, Associate Director, Protein Engineering and Computational Biology at Editas. "All of these ensure high daily use and a significant value-add to our research."

"Advances in the possibilities of life sciences research and dramatic reduction in costs is leading to a rapidly expanding set of innovations and new companies. The software for collaboration and data management though has not kept pace," said Miles Grimshaw, Investor at Thrive Capital. "Building on our partnerships with the market leading collaboration software in other verticals, such as Greenhouse for recruiters and Github for engineers, we are excited to support Benchling in building the best collaboration software for researchers." The company plans to use the new funding to expand scientific operations, broaden development across more therapeutic areas, and further expand its platform to be increasingly comprehensive. In the coming quarter Benchling plans to release a product that bridges structured and unstructured scientific data. About Benchling Benchling is accelerating life science R&D by providing an intelligent, cloud-based software platform that streamlines research processes from start to finish. The technology accomplishes this through natively integrated lab notebook, LIMS, and molecular biology tools that consolidate data in one place and facilitate team and external collaboration. Headquartered in San Francisco, CA, Benchling is used by scientists in industry and academia around the globe. For more information about Benchling, please visit http://www.benchling.com. Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20161023/431538LOGO To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/benchling-announces-7m-in-new-funding-led-by-thrive-capital-300349537.html SOURCE Benchling

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[October 24, 2016] BeyondTrust, PADT, PayPal and Securaplane Technologies Executives Elected to Arizona Technology Council Board of Directors

Continuing to expand its influence and reach in Arizona's technology community, the Arizona Technology Council today announced it has appointed Phil Guest, vice president and GM of Securaplane Technologies - a Meggitt Company, Kevin Hickey, president and CEO of BeyondTrust, Eric Miller, co-founder and principal of Phoenix Analysis and Design Technologies (PADT), and Leah Sweet, vice president of PayPal, to its board of directors. The current board includes 39 members, five of whom are officers, representing a diverse set of prominent Arizona-based organizations. "The talent and expertise that Phil, Kevin, Eric and Leah bring to the table will be a great addition to our already diverse and influential board," said Steven G. Zylstra, president and CEO of the Arizona Technology Council. "We are honored to have such an esteemed board of high-caliber professionals committed to helping us build on our success." Each of the four new board members provides a unique perspective on the industry, as well as a strong background from a wide variety of technology roles. There is more than 90 years of technology experience between the group. Phil Guest, Securaplane Technologies Guest has more than 20 years of technology development experience, spanning the aerospace, defense, data storage, telecom/datacom and semiconductor industries. He is currently VP/GM of Securaplane, a leading supplier of aerospace power and safety products for extreme environments. Prior to Securaplane, he served in both leadership and design engineering roles at industry leaders, including Raytheon Missile Systems, EMC (News - Alert)2, Cadence Design Systems and Teradyne. Guest earned his MBA from Pepperdine and his B.S. in Electrical Engineering Technology from Purdue University. Kevin Hickey, BeyondTrust Hickey brings a strong history of software operations, strategy, capital fundraising, and mergers and acquisitions to BeyondTrust, where he is responsible for the ompany's day-to-day operations. He joined BeyondTrust by way of the company's acquisition of eEye Digital Security, where he served as CEO and chairman. Under Hickey's leadership, eEye experienced significant growth, launched several 'market-first' security solutions and brought the company back to category leadership. Prior to joining eEye, Hickey was CEO of NetPro Computing, where he helped grow the business before concluding its very successful sale to Quest Software (News - Alert). He has also served as the president and CEO of Homebid.com, where he secured funding and eventually sold the business to industry leader HomeStore.com. During his seven years as president and COO at Viasoft Inc., Hickey led the company through a successful initial public offering prior to its sale. He started his IT career at IBM, serving in several key marketing and executive business management roles.



Eric Miller, PADT Miller is a co-founder and principal of Tempe-based PADT, Inc., where he is involved in providing tools and services to companies who design and manufacture physical products. He holds a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of California, Berkeley, and has lived in Arizona since 1986. He started his career focusing on the application of Finite Element Analysis (FEA) and Computer Aided Design (CAD) to simulate turbine engine components. Over the years, Miller became recognized as an expert user of the ANSYS software tool, and in the development of custom software to automate the product simulation and design process. After more than three decades in the industry, Miller is often called upon to write and speak on simulation, design and 3D printing, as well as on startups and the high-tech sector. His involvement in the startup community includes angel investing, as well as mentoring and serving on steering, screening, and advisory boards of a variety of technical organizations and institutions.

Leah Sweet, PayPal Sweet is the VP of the Global Product & Engineering Planning & Operations Team at PayPal. Her current focus is to enable operational excellence and world-class delivery to achieve the global business and technology goals of the company. Sweet joined PayPal from CA (News - Alert) Technologies, where she led the consulting practice for its top integration customers. Prior to this, she held the position of Deputy CIO for the State of Arizona, and spent more than 11 years as a VP of Technologies for American Express in senior technology leadership roles. Her responsibilities during that time involved leading technology for online financial processing, security, compliance and identity systems, as well as driving infrastructure platform strategies and development. Companies represented on the Arizona Technology Council Board of Directors include: APS, ASU-Office of Knowledge & Enterprise Development, AZ Tech Finders, Alerion Capital Group, Alliance Bank of Arizona, American Express, Aspect Software, Avnet, Inc., Ballard Spahr, Barrow Neurological Institute, BeyondTrust, Clark Hill PLC, Cox Communications, EY, Honeywell Aerospace, Indecomm Global Services, Insight Enterprises, Intel (News - Alert), International Research Center, JVP Strategic Consulting, LLC, Lane Terralever, Lynx Technology Partners, MSS Technologies, OneNeck IT Solutions, Phoenix Analysis and Design Technologies, PayPal, Phoenix Business Journal, Quarles & Brady, LLP, Raytheon Missile Systems, Ryley Carlock & Applewhite, Securaplane Technologies, Solugenix, Symantec (News - Alert), TGen, The Uber Technologies, Vonage Business Solutions Group, WebPT and Wells Fargo Bank. About the Arizona Technology Council The Arizona Technology Council is Arizona's premier trade association for science and technology companies. Recognized as having a diverse professional business community, Council members work towards furthering the advancement of technology in Arizona through leadership, education, legislation and social action. The Arizona Technology Council offers numerous events, educational forums and business conferences that bring together leaders, managers, employees and visionaries to make an impact on the technology industry. These interactions contribute to the Council's culture of growing member businesses and transforming technology in Arizona. To become a member or to learn more about the Arizona Technology Council, please visit http://www.aztechcouncil.org. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20161024006075/en/

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[October 24, 2016] Fitch Rates Florida Atlantic University's Housing System Rev Bonds 'A+'; Outlook Stable

Fitch Ratings has assigned an 'A+' rating to $50.5 million of State of Florida, Board of Governors (BoG), Florida Atlantic University (FAU) dormitory revenue refunding bonds, series 2016A. The bonds are expected via competitive sale as early as the week of Oct. 31. Proceeds will refund all of FAU's outstanding housing system bonds for savings and pay costs of issuance. In addition, Fitch affirms the 'A+' rating on the following bonds issued on behalf of FAU: --$20.2 million State of Florida Florida Education System housing revenue bonds, series 2003; --$22.3 million State of Florida BoG housing revenue bonds, series 2006A; --$16.4 million State of Florida BoG dormitory revenue refunding bonds, series 2006B. The Rating Outlook is Stable. SECURITY The bonds are secured by a first lien on pledged revenues consisting of the net revenues of FAU's housing system (the system). KEY RATING DRIVERS ESSENTIALITY AND SOLID DEMAND: The 'A+' rating reflects the housing system's importance to FAU and solid demand for on-campus student housing. Occupancy rates have recovered to 96% in fall 2015 and 99% in fall 2016 after a temporary dip to 88% in fall 2014. FAU expects to maintain the current sound occupancy levels based on healthy enrollment trends and improved system management. ADEQUATE DEBT SERVICE COVERAGE: The system maintains adequate debt service coverage. Coverage improved to 1.48x as expected in fiscal 2016 due to increased housing occupancy. UNIVERSITY FINANCIAL PROFILE: FAU's credit profile is characterized by sound demand, a large and stable enrollment base, healthy balance sheet resources, and low leverage. GAAP-basis operating results have been negative, offset by positive cash flow and state capital support. Recent success under state performance funding metrics has resulted in increased operating appropriations. RATING SENSITIVITIES ADEQUATE COVERAGE: Rating stability for Florida Atlantic University's housing system depends on its ability to maintain adequate debt service coverage based on enrollment levels, occupancy trends and good financial management. CREDIT PROFILE FAU is a comprehensive public university and one of the 12 institutions of Florida's State University System. In addition to its main campus in Boca Raton, FAU has five satellite campuses located throughout southeast Florida. The housing system is a component auxiliary enterprise of FAU that finances and operates the majority of on-campus student housing facilities on the Boca Raton campus. ESSENTIALITY AND SOLID DEMAND The housing system is essential to FAU, which serves primarily undergraduate students. In addition to meeting student demand, on-campus housing is aligned with FAU's mission and strategy. FAU can provide enhanced academic support and student services through on-campus housing, which improve both student outcomes and state funding tied to associated performance funding metrics. Essentiality is also expressed in FAU's residency requirement; incoming freshmen are required to live in the housing system if they live more than 30 miles from campus. FAU's large enrollment base provides sound student demand for system facilities. FAU's total headcount exceeds 30,000, with an estimated 15,693 full-time students at the Boca Raton campus, compared to total campus bed capacity of about 4,249. System facilities account for 2,362 beds; the remainder are in non-system facilities financed through the FAU Finance Corporation (FAUFC), a related direct support organization of FAU (FAUFC housing bonds series 2010A and series 2012A rated 'A+'/Outlook Stable). System occupancy improved further to a very strong 99% in fall 2016 due to continued marketing efforts and improvements to amenities. Occupancy had fallen to about 88% in fall 2013 and fall 2014 but recovered to 96% by fall 2015. Management attributes the period of lower occupancy to an unexpected university-wide enrollment decline (now reversed), poorly enforced residency requirements and a popular residential program that was briefly discontinued but then restored. FAU expects to maintain high occupancy levels based on healthy enrollment trends and improved system management. ADEQUATE DEBT SERVICE COVERAGE Debt service coverage improved to 1.48x as expected in fiscal 2016 due to recovered housing occupancy. Coverage had fallen to 1.26x in fiscal 2015 due to the weaker fall 2014 occupancy. FAU demonstrated the system's financial flexibility to manage lower occupancy by concentrating vacant beds in and temporarily closing part of one facility to reduce costs. Coverage is projected to be about 1.6x or better based on steady system performance and debt service savings achieved in the refunding. FAU FINANCE CORP As of March 24, 2010, the senior lien on housing system revenues was closed. Since that time, FAUFC has financed expansion and renovation of on-campus housing. These financings are secured by the revenues generated by their specific projects. However, excess revenues of the system facilities, following the payment of the system's own expenses and debt service, are available to pay debt service on FAUFC bonds. To date, these revenues have not been necessary to supplement debt service on either the series 2010A Innovation Village project or the 2012A student housing project (now known as Parliament Hall). Fitch recognizes that FAU management is closely involved in all financings undertaken by FAUFC. FAU manages its campus housing without distinction between system and non-system facilities, is responsible for setting rates and charges for all beds located on campus, and enforces a freshmen residency requirement. FAU'S SOUND FINANCIAL PROFILE



FAU's credit profile is sound and lends support to its auxiliary enterprise, even though general university resources are not pledged to pay the housing system bonds. FAU has a large and stable enrollment base driving demand for on-campus housing. Negative GAAP-basis operating margins largely reflect depreciation expense and are offset by positive cash flow and historically strong state capital funding. The current political environment and a statewide focus on affordability preclude tuition increases and limit revenue-raising flexibility somewhat. However, FAU's state operating appropriations increased for both fiscal 2016 and fiscal 2017 based on strong scores and significant improvement on state performance funding metrics. FAU was most recently tied for the top score among state universities, after having performed near the bottom in fiscal 2014.

FAU has good balance sheet cushion, with available funds (unrestricted cash and investments) equal to 45.8% of operating expenses and 73.8% of debt (including certain related-entity obligations). The university's low leverage and debt burden (debt service equaled 1.9% of fiscal 2015 operating revenues) reflect historically strong state capital support and provide good financial flexibility. Additional information is available at 'www.fitchratings.com'. Applicable Criteria Revenue-Supported Rating Criteria (pub. 16 Jun 2014) https://www.fitchratings.com/site/re/750012 U.S. College and University Rating Criteria (pub. 12 May 2014) https://www.fitchratings.com/site/re/748013 Additional Disclosures Dodd-Frank Rating Information Disclosure Form https://www.fitchratings.com/creditdesk/press_releases/content/ridf_frame.cfm?pr_id=1013629 Solicitation Status https://www.fitchratings.com/gws/en/disclosure/solicitation?pr_id=1013629 Endorsement Policy https://www.fitchratings.com/regulatory ALL FITCH CREDIT RATINGS ARE SUBJECT TO CERTAIN LIMITATIONS AND DISCLAIMERS. PLEASE READ THESE LIMITATIONS AND DISCLAIMERS BY FOLLOWING THIS LINK: HTTPS://WWW.FITCHRATINGS.COM/UNDERSTANDINGCREDITRATINGS. IN ADDITION, RATING DEFINITIONS AND THE TERMS OF USE OF SUCH RATINGS ARE AVAILABLE ON (News - Alert) THE AGENCY'S PUBLIC WEB SITE AT WWW.FITCHRATINGS.COM. PUBLISHED RATINGS, CRITERIA, AND METHODOLOGIES ARE AVAILABLE FROM THIS SITE AT ALL TIMES. FITCH'S CODE OF CONDUCT, CONFIDENTIALITY, CONFLICTS OF INTEREST, AFFILIATE FIREWALL, COMPLIANCE, AND OTHER RELEVANT POLICIES AND PROCEDURES ARE ALSO AVAILABLE FROM THE CODE OF CONDUCT SECTION OF THIS SITE. FITCH MAY HAVE PROVIDED ANOTHER PERMISSIBLE SERVICE TO THE RATED ENTITY OR ITS RELATED THIRD PARTIES. DETAILS OF THIS SERVICE FOR RATINGS FOR WHICH THE LEAD ANALYST IS BASED IN AN EU-REGISTERED ENTITY CAN BE FOUND ON THE ENTITY SUMMARY PAGE FOR THIS ISSUER ON THE FITCH WEBSITE. Copyright (c) 2016 by Fitch Ratings, Inc., Fitch Ratings Ltd. and its subsidiaries. 33 Whitehall Street, NY, NY 10004. Telephone: 1-800-753-4824, (212) 908-0500. Fax: (212) 480-4435. Reproduction or retransmission in whole or in part is prohibited except by permission. All rights reserved. In issuing and maintaining its ratings and in making other reports (including forecast information), Fitch relies on factual information it receives from issuers and underwriters and from other sources Fitch believes to be credible. Fitch conducts a reasonable investigation of the factual information relied upon by it in accordance with its ratings methodology, and obtains reasonable verification of that information from independent sources, to the extent such sources are available for a given security or in a given jurisdiction. The manner of Fitch's factual investigation and the scope of the third-party verification it obtains will vary depending on the nature of the rated security and its issuer, the requirements and practices in the jurisdiction in which the rated security is offered and sold and/or the issuer is located, the availability and nature of relevant public information, access to the management of the issuer and its advisers, the availability of pre-existing third-party verifications such as audit reports, agreed-upon procedures letters, appraisals, actuarial reports, engineering reports, legal opinions and other reports provided by third parties, the availability of independent and competent third- party verification sources with respect to the particular security or in the particular jurisdiction of the issuer, and a variety of other factors. Users of Fitch's ratings and reports should understand that neither an enhanced factual investigation nor any third-party verification can ensure that all of the information Fitch relies on in connection with a rating or a report will be accurate and complete. Ultimately, the issuer and its advisers are responsible for the accuracy of the information they provide to Fitch and to the market in offering documents and other reports. In issuing its ratings and its reports, Fitch must rely on the work of experts, including independent auditors with respect to financial statements and attorneys with respect to legal and tax matters. Further, ratings and forecasts of financial and other information are inherently forward-looking and embody assumptions and predictions about future events that by their nature cannot be verified as facts. As a result, despite any verification of current facts, ratings and forecasts can be affected by future events or conditions that were not anticipated at the time a rating or forecast was issued or affirmed. The information in this report is provided "as is" without any representation or warranty of any kind, and Fitch does not represent or warrant that the report or any of its contents will meet any of the requirements of a recipient of the report. A Fitch rating is an opinion as to the creditworthiness of a security. This opinion and reports made by Fitch are based on established criteria and methodologies that Fitch is continuously evaluating and updating. Therefore, ratings and reports are the collective work product of Fitch and no individual, or group of individuals, is solely responsible for a rating or a report. The rating does not address the risk of loss due to risks other than credit risk, unless such risk is specifically mentioned. Fitch is not engaged in the offer or sale of any security. All Fitch reports have shared authorship. Individuals identified in a Fitch report were involved in, but are not solely responsible for, the opinions stated therein. The individuals are named for contact purposes only. A report providing a Fitch rating is neither a prospectus nor a substitute for the information assembled, verified and presented to investors by the issuer and its agents in connection with the sale of the securities. Ratings may be changed or withdrawn at any time for any reason in the sole discretion of Fitch. Fitch does not provide investment advice of any sort. Ratings are not a recommendation to buy, sell, or hold any security. Ratings do not comment on the adequacy of market price, the suitability of any security for a particular investor, or the tax-exempt nature or taxability of payments made in respect to any security. Fitch receives fees from issuers, insurers, guarantors, other obligors, and underwriters for rating securities. Such fees generally vary from US$1,000 to US$750,000 (or the applicable currency equivalent) per issue. In certain cases, Fitch will rate all or a number of issues issued by a particular issuer, or insured or guaranteed by a particular insurer or guarantor, for a single annual fee. Such fees are expected to vary from US$10,000 to US$1,500,000 (or the applicable currency equivalent). The assignment, publication, or dissemination of a rating by Fitch shall not constitute a consent by Fitch to use its name as an expert in connection with any registration statement filed under the United States securities laws, the Financial Services and Markets Act of 2000 of the United Kingdom, or the securities laws of any particular jurisdiction. Due to the relative efficiency of electronic publishing and distribution, Fitch research may be available to electronic subscribers up to three days earlier than to print subscribers. For Australia, New Zealand, Taiwan and South Korea only: Fitch Australia Pty Ltd holds an Australian financial services license (AFS license no. 337123) which authorizes it to provide credit ratings to wholesale clients only. Credit ratings information published by Fitch is not intended to be used by persons who are retail clients within the meaning of the Corporations Act 2001 View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20161024006168/en/

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[October 24, 2016] City of Hope Elects Malissia R. Clinton and Ronald L. Sargent to Its Board of Directors

City of Hope today announced two new members to its board of directors. Malissia R. Clinton, senior vice president, general counsel and secretary of The Aerospace Corporation, recently joined the board, and Ronald L. Sargent, former chief executive officer of Staples (News - Alert), Inc., will become a director beginning Jan. 1, 2017. This Smart News Release features multimedia. View the full release here: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20161024006186/en/ Malissia Clinton, senior vice president, general counsel and secretary of The Aerospace Corporation (News - Alert), recently joined the City of Hope board of directors. (Photo: Business Wire) "City of Hope is pleased to welcome two highly accomplished business leaders to help guide our continued commitment to advancing leading-edge research in cancer, diabetes and other life-threatening diseases, and to delivering world-class, patient-centered cancer care," said City of Hope President and Chief Executive Officer Robert W. Stone. "We will benefit greatly from their experience, expertise and vision as City of Hope continues to build on its legacy of innovation and compassionate care." Clinton joined The Aerospace Corporation in 2009 and, since then, she has provided legal advice and counsel at the senior management level, managed corporate transactions of the board of trustees and maintained custody of corporate records. Prior to joining Aerospace, she was senior counsel for special projects in the Office of the General Counsel at Northrop Grumman's (News - Alert) corporate offices. Clinton also serves on the board of directors for the Arizona State University Alumni Association. She formerly served on the board of the Constitutional Rights Foundation. Clinton earned a bachelor's degree, summa cum laude, in political science from Arizona State University and was elected a member of Phi Beta Kappa. She earned her J.D. at Stanford Law School, where she served as an editor of the Stanford Law Review. She is a graduate of the UCLA Anderson School's Executive Program in Business Management. Sargent served as chief executive officer of Staples for more than 14 years and has been chairman of its board of directors for 11 years, leading its global expansion. He held a variety of other leadership roles at Staples, including president and chief operating officer. Sargent led Staples' worldwide operations, retail suprstores, delivery business, supply chain management, and merchandising and marketing initiatives.



Before joining Staples, Sargent held a variety of positions at The Kroger Co. He also serves on the boards of The Kroger Co. and Five Below, and is a member of the Board of Governors of Boys and Girls Clubs of America, Inc. From 2004 to 2008, Sargent was a member of City of Hope's National Business Products Council, which is charged with spearheading the annual industry fundraising campaign for the institution. Under Sargent's leadership, Staples donated and raised nearly $15 million for City of Hope. In recognition of his business and philanthropic accomplishments, Sargent was named the council's City of Hope Spirit of Life honoree in 2006, which is the institution's highest humanitarian accolade.

Sargent is a graduate of Harvard College and Harvard Business School. The terms of four directors of the board will also conclude Dec. 31, 2016. They are: Alexander L. Cappello, chairman and CEO of the Cappello Group, Inc.; Rodney C. Freeman, president and CEO of the Freeman Group Inc.; Michael E. Keane (News - Alert), chief financial officer of Millennium Health; and Harry Levitt, managing director of Mack Financial Group Inc. "City of Hope extends a warm thank you to these distinguished professionals for sharing their leadership and expertise with our institution," Stone said. "We are extremely grateful for their service and dedication to the City of Hope board and wish them the best in their future endeavors." About City of Hope City of Hope is an independent research and treatment center for cancer, diabetes and other life-threatening diseases. Designated as one of only 47 comprehensive cancer centers, the highest recognition bestowed by the National Cancer Institute, City of Hope is also a founding member of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network, with research and treatment protocols that advance care throughout the world. City of Hope is located in Duarte, California, just northeast of Los Angeles, with community clinics throughout Southern California. It is ranked as one of "America's Best Hospitals" in cancer by U.S. News & World Report. Founded in 1913, City of Hope is a pioneer in the fields of bone marrow transplantation, diabetes and numerous breakthrough cancer drugs based on technology developed at the institution. For more information about City of Hope, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube or Instagram. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20161024006186/en/

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[October 24, 2016] ABB OPTICAL GROUP to Acquire Diversified Ophthalmics and MidSouth Premier Ophthalmics

ABB OPTICAL GROUP, a leading distributor of optical products headquartered in Coral Springs, Fla., has agreed to acquire Diversified Ophthalmics, Inc. and partner company MidSouth Premier Ophthalmics. Financials were not disclosed. As a result of the merger, ABB OPTICAL GROUP will enhance its ability to provide best-in-class service to customers. Combining the complementary geographic operations of Diversified and MidSouth in the central U.S. with the strong logistics network ABB OPTICAL already has along the east and west coasts, the merger represents a good fit of business models as both organizations currently operate across four major core businesses: distribution of a full range of soft contact lenses;

manufacturing and distribution of ophthalmic lenses and eyewear;

GP and custom soft manufacturing; and

support of practice management and buying groups (ABB Optical's Primary Eyecare Network and Diversified's ECP Network). "This merger represents a tremendous investment we are making not only in the future of optometry, but also in our valued customers," said Angel Alvarez, CEO of ABB OPTICAL GROUP. "The essence of what ABB is and what ABB stands for will never change. We always have been and continue to be a trusted business partner to eye care professionals, delivering the best services and programs to help them better serve their patients in an evolving arketplace. This merger allows us to expand our footprint geographically, and that will result in even greater success for our customers and convenience for their patients."



In addition to its corporate headquarters and distribution center in Florida, ABB OPTICAL GROUP also has a distribution facility in Marshfield, Mass.; a distribution facility and its Digital Eye Lab (DEL) in Hawthorne, N.Y.; and a distribution facility and manufacturing labs for gas permeable and custom soft lenses, as well as its Primary Eyecare Network (PEN), in Alameda, Calif. The company was founded in 1989. "We are thrilled to be joining the ABB family," said Ronald F. Cooke, O.D., President and CEO of Diversified Ophthalmics. "Together we will remain steadfast in our commitment to quality and service for independent eye care professionals by providing innovative programs and services that will energize the eye care industry. We are excited about the future."

Diversified Ophthalmics, Inc. is a total resource network for eye care professionals. The company was founded in Cincinnati in 1977 and has offices and labs in Spokane, Wash., Columbia, S.C., Milwaukee and Houston. MidSouth Premier Ophthalmics got its start in 1976, and with primary facilities in Nashville, Memphis and Atlanta, manages multiple labs and distribution facilities across the south. Customers of ABB OPTICAL GROUP, Diversified Ophthalmics and MidSouth Premier Ophthalmics will experience business as usual. ABB OPTICAL GROUP has committed to further invest in facilities, inventory, technology and people to enhance overall customer experience and range of offerings. HPC Puckett & Company, headquartered in Rancho Santa Fe, Calif., represented Diversified Ophthalmics and MidSouth Premier Ophthalmics in the transaction. ABOUT ABB OPTICAL GROUP ABB OPTICAL GROUP is a leading distributor of optical products in the United States. The company supplies nearly two-thirds of eye care professionals across the country with brand name contact lenses, fully customizable gas permeable and custom specialty soft contact lenses, ophthalmic lenses and more. The company's Digital Eye Lab is a fully automated optical lab dedicated to freeform digital lens fabrication. ABB OPTICAL GROUP also offers practice building services such as pricing strategy tools, business reviews, annual supply staff training and e-commerce solutions. For additional information, visit ABBOptical.com. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20161024006211/en/

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[October 24, 2016] Global 5G Equipment Market to Grow at an Impressive CAGR of Over 32% Through 2020, Says Technavio

The global 5G equipment market is expected grow at a CAGR of more than 32% during the period 2016-2020, according to Technavio's latest report. In this report, Technavio covers the market outlook and growth prospects of the global 5G equipment market for 2016-2020. In addition, the report discusses the major drivers that influence the growth of the global 5G equipment market. It also outlines the challenges faced by vendors and the market at large, as well as the key emerging trends. "Proliferation of smartphones and tablets is fueling the growth opportunities of this market. In addition, telecom operators globally have observed rising demand for enhancing their network management capabilities to provide strong and stable connectivity solutions for smart applications," says Abhishek Sharma, a lead M2M and connected devices research expert from Technavio. Technavio's ICT research analysts segment the global 5G equipment market into the following regions: Americas

EMEA

APAC In 2015, with a market share of 43%, Americas dominated the global 5G equipment market, followed by EMEA with 36% and APAC with 21%. Americas: expansion of wireless networks to meet the rising customer demand In 2013, approximately 35 million IoT connections were recorded only in the US region. Smart solutions are widely used in different sectors, including energy and utilities, automotive, and logistics. International expansion by US-based operators to provide IoT solutions will contribute to the market growth. Nearly 80% of the enterprises in the US have been using the IoT products and services, with the support of cloud platforms and data analytics to improve their business efficiency. With the penetration of Internet of Everything, all industries are highly in need of efficient and reliable communication networks to process business operations. This trend is expected to continue during the forecast period. The US is expected to witness approximately 30,000 small cell nodes to handle LTE (News - Alert)-A and mobile 5G applications. The demand for high speed broadband access network has been increasing rapidly. In addition, advent of several online applications and social media has put pressure on telecom operators to provide high quality services. This has led telecom operators to expand wireless networks to meet the rising customer demand and implement power-efficient solutions to reduce power usage. For instance,Verizon (News - Alert) is looking to expand its power efficiency program to help deploy more small cell nodes for LTE networks and reduce operational expenses (OPEX) on energy by half of its current OPEX by 2020. Similarly, Sprint (News - Alert) has decided to replace almost one-third of its cell sites with high-efficiency nodes.



Request a sample report: http://www.technavio.com/request-a-sample?report=53896 Technavio's sample reports are free of charge and contain multiple sections of the report including the market size and forecast, drivers, challenges, trends, and more.

EMEA: growing number of connected devices drive the adoption of 5G technology Telecom vendors such as BT, Vodafone (News - Alert), and Deutsche Telekom are competing to release their smart technology products and corresponding package services, which act as a key enabler to the growth of this market. Increased adoption of sensors in the automotive and healthcare sectors and growing number of connected devices drive the adoption of 5G technology in this region. Nordic regions like Sweden, Norway, Denmark, and Finland have an objective to develop smart cities and hence, huge investments have been allocated for the development of 5G technology. In some African countries like South Africa, Kenya, and Nigeria, smart mobility technology is widely used in applications such as fleet management, asset tracking, POS, and pay-as-you-go insurance. The rapid adoption of mobile media by enterprises for promoting products and services and the increasing adoption of location-enabled searches by individual users are among the factors that will increase market growth. Service providers are seeking to improve the performance of network connectivity to enhance user experience with the roll-out of LTE networks across the region. In addition, some of the African governments have established regulations to enforce smart monitoring of electricity and water meters, driving the use of 5G communications in the energy and utility sectors. Saudi Araba is also set to invest USD 70 billion in various smart city projects and is planning to invest heavily in IoT technologies. APAC: increasing rate of urbanization and development of smart cities to boost growth The increasing rate of urbanization in the world's most populated countries such as India and China is creating a demand for economic and environmental development. Government investments in the development of cities are rising and numerous central government programs (designed to promote urban developments) have been proposed. Japan is the major contributing country in this region. Due to the early deployment of 4G LTE networks, Japan is a potential market for 5G technology. As service providers have already been offering effective 3G and 4G solutions, the demand for low latency wireless mobile technology is expected to grow during the forecast period. Other potential countries in the region are South Korea and Singapore. "As APAC has the largest penetration of mobile internet, it is expected to accelerate the demand for 5G services among individual consumers," says Abhishek. A few Asian countries including Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand are investing in ICT technologies to help develop efficient and enhanced public services in the interest of sustainable city management. These countries are investing in intelligent transportation systems, smart grid technologies, smart buildings, and smart water management systems. In addition, Australia and China are investing in IT infrastructure to support smart city projects designed to promote quality cities and accelerate economic growth. The top vendors in the global 5G equipment market highlighted in the report are: Ericsson

Huawei Technologies

Nokia (News - Alert)

Qualcomm

Samsung

ZTE Browse Related Reports: Global 3G 4G Devices Market 2016-2020

Global 3G 4G Enabled Mobile Devices Market 2015-2019

Global Smart City Market 2016-2020 Do you need a report on a market in a specific geographical cluster or country but can't find what you're looking for? Don't worry, Technavio also takes client requests. Please contact [email protected] with your requirements and our analysts will be happy to create a customized report just for you. About Technavio Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. The company develops over 2000 pieces of research every year, covering more than 500 technologies across 80 countries. Technavio has about 300 analysts globally who specialize in customized consulting and business research assignments across the latest leading edge technologies. Technavio analysts employ primary as well as secondary research techniques to ascertain the size and vendor landscape in a range of markets. Analysts obtain information using a combination of bottom-up and top-down approaches, besides using in-house market modeling tools and proprietary databases. They corroborate this data with the data obtained from various market participants and stakeholders across the value chain, including vendors, service providers, distributors, re-sellers, and end-users. If you are interested in more information, please contact our media team at [email protected]. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20161024006268/en/

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[October 24, 2016] Aaron's Reveals Renovated Pittsburgh Boys & Girls Club Teen Center

ATLANTA, Oct. 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Aaron's, Inc. (NYSE: AAN), a lease-to-own retailer specializing in the sales and lease ownership of furniture, consumer electronics, home appliances and accessories, surprised teens with a newly renovated Keystone Teen Center at the Boys & Girls Club of Pittsburgh's Sarah Heinz House on Friday. Through a partnership with Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA) and input from the teen members, Aaron's associates and Club officials worked last Wednesday painting, decorating and furnishing a study and lounge area in a multipurpose space at the Club. Last Friday, local Aaron's associates and Club officials unveiled the new space, which is now equipped with new technology, sectionals, tables and chairs, sound systems and fresh coats of paint. Teens chose the special Sherwin-Williams paint colors for the rooms: Navel, Direct Green and Jay Blue. "We're so excited to be kicking off the 2016 school year renovations with the Sarah Heinz House, a landmark after-school teen destination in Pittsburgh," said John Robinson, CEO of Aaron's, Inc. "The Boys & Girls Clubs of America are essential to creating supportive and safe environments for kids in communities across the country and Aaron's is committed to continue empowering teens as we move into our next year of our partnership." Pittsburgh Mayor William Peduto attended the surprise unveiling and congratulated the teens. "What an exciting space for these teens to learn how to interact with the community and grow as leaders," said Pittsburgh Mayor Peduto. "With public-private partnerships forged by companies like Aaron's, we are together building strong communities for our teens to develop as tomorrow's leaders." In 2015, the Aaron's Foundation, Inc. announced a three-year, $5 million national partnership with Boys & Girls Clubs of America's Keystone Program, helping teens develop their character and leadership skills in hopes of helping them reach their potential and creating positive change in the community Keystone Club teen centers provide members ages 14-18 an environment to plan and participate in activities that focus on community service, academic success, career preparation and teen outreach. The Keystone Club makeover at the Boys & Girls Club of Pittsburgh's Sarah Heinz House includes an additional in-kind retail donation valued at $28,000.



"The Sarah Heinz House focuses on building the character, service and leadership of Pittsburgh kids and teens, and it's clear that Aaron's shares these same values," Dan Turkovich, Teen Director at the Boys & Girls Club of Pittsburgh's Sarah Heinz House. "Thanks to Aaron's, our Teen Center now reflects an environment that is conducive to inspiring admirable leaders in our community who give back now and throughout their lives." Aaron's partnership with BGCA's Keystone Program inspires teens to "Own It" by taking ownership of their choices to build the lives they deserve. The Aaron's and Keystone Club "Own Your Future" campaign supports three principles:

Own Your Path: No matter where you come from, the future is yours to decide.

No matter where you come from, the future is yours to decide. Own Your Decisions: Making good choices opens more doors for your future.

Making good choices opens more doors for your future. Own Your Community: Use your talents to make an impact in your community. To see photos of the Keystone Club remodel at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Pittsburgh's Sarah Heinz House, visit Aaron's on Facebook (www.facebook.com/aaronsinc), on Twitter (www.twitter.com/AaronsInc) and at www.AaronsGives.com. About Aaron's, Inc.

Headquartered in Atlanta, Aaron's, Inc. (NYSE: AAN) is a leader in the sales and lease ownership and specialty retailing of furniture, consumer electronics, home appliances and accessories, and currently has more than 1,930 Company-operated and franchised stores in 47 states and Canada. Progressive Leasing, a leading virtual lease-to-own company, provides lease-purchase solutions through approximately 16,000 retail locations in 46 states. Dent-A-Med, Inc., d/b/a the HELPcard, provides a variety of second-look credit products that are originated through a federally insured bank. Aaron's was founded in 1955, has been publicly traded since 1982 and owns the Aarons.com, ProgLeasing.com, and HELPcard.com brands. For more information, visit www.aarons.com. About Boys & Girls Clubs of America

For more than 100 years, Boys & Girls Clubs of America (GreatFutures.org) has enabled young people most in need to achieve great futures as productive, caring, responsible citizens. Today, more than 4,100 Clubs serve nearly 4 million young people through Club membership and community outreach. Clubs are located in cities, towns, public housing and on Native lands throughout the country, and serve military families in BGCA-affiliated Youth Centers on U.S. military installations worldwide. They provide a safe place, caring adult mentors, fun and friendship, and high-impact youth development programs on a daily basis during critical non-school hours. Club programs promote academic success, good character and citizenship, and healthy lifestyles. In a Harris Survey of alumni, 54 percent said the Club saved their lives. National headquarters are located in Atlanta. Learn more at www.facebook.com/bgca.clubs and https://twitter.com/BGCA_Clubs. Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20161024/431863

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20161024/431862

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130826/CL69318LOGO To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/aarons-reveals-renovated-pittsburgh-boys--girls-club-teen-center-300349988.html SOURCE Aaron's, Inc.

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[October 24, 2016] Micro Strategies Inc. to Acquire New England Systems (NES)

PARSIPPANY, N.J., Oct. 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Micro Strategies Inc., an information technology solutions provider, has announced they have entered into an agreement to acquire New England Systems (NES), a Premier IBM Business Partner, specializing in Big Data, Business Analytics and Information Management Solutions. NES, headquartered in Ludlow, MA, has been in business since 1980 and provides complete end-to-end Information Management Solutions for companies large and small throughout the Northeastern United States. As a trusted advisor, NES has a long tradition of implementing cutting-edge IT solutions that deliver real business value to both its partners and clients. "This is incredibly exciting for Micro Strategies and marks another milestone in our 34-year history," said Anthony Bongiovanni, Founder and CEO at Micro Strategies. "The acquisition not only allows us to expand geographically, it also significantly enhances our overall skill set around Big Data and Analytics solutions and the resources we can offer to our clients." Michael Schuckman, Director of Big Data and Analytics at Micro Strategies, added, "The NES Team will play a pivotal role as we further expand our IOT (Internet of Things), Social Media and Real-Time analytic offerings." "We've been in business for 36 years and never have been as excited as we are today about the market shifts to the cloud and the endless opportunities presented by IOT technologies," says Liam O'Heir, Vice President of Sales at NES. "Given that, we are thrilled to become a part of the Micro Strategies team and re committed to our joint success in the Northeast Region. This partnership will allow NES to expand its capabilities, financial resources and portfolio offerings to better serve our clients."



Micro Strategies Inc. has built and operates two state-of-the-art Innovation Centers in Parsippany, NJ and Malvern, PA. The Innovation Centers are utilized to help clients identify new IT strategies, evaluate emerging technologies and test-drive creative architectures that focus on business outcomes and deliver real business results. Micro Strategies plans on building a new Innovation Center in the Boston area to further support the current and prospective clients in the New England territory. The acquisition is planned to be completed by the end of 2016. About Micro Strategies

Leveraging extensive business, process and IT expertise, Micro Strategies utilizes technology to deliver business results. Its consultative and customer-centric approach allows the tailoring of end-to-end solutions, from infrastructure to line-of-business software, for organizations across a range of industries. To learn more visit Micro Strategies online at www.microstrat.com.

About NES

NES provides complete Information Management solutions for companies large and small throughout the Northeastern United States. Software, hardware, consulting, solution design, project management, and training: the full spectrum of products and services necessary to meet customer IT and business needs. NES has implemented solutions in an array of markets, among them manufacturing, distribution, hospitality/gaming, retail, financial services, and insurance. www.nesystems.com For more information contact:

Susan Angelo

Director of Marketing, Micro Strategies Inc.

1140 Parsippany Boulevard, Parsippany, N.J. 07054

888.456.6588

[email protected]

www.microstrat.com Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110731/NY44533LOGO To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/micro-strategies-inc-to-acquire-new-england-systems-nes-300350003.html SOURCE Micro Strategies Inc.

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[October 24, 2016] CH2M Supports Deepwater Container Terminal (DCT) Gdansk in Expanding Poland's Sole Deep-sea Terminal

KRAKOW, Poland, Oct. 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Deepwater Container Terminal (DCT) Gdansk, maritime ports consultant CH2M and Belgian contractor BESIX celebrated the opening of Terminal 2 (T2), expanding Poland's sole deep-sea terminal to become the largest container hub in the Baltic Sea. Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20161024/431871

Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160315/344421LOGO The new 650-meter-long and 17-meter-deep quay increases DCT's annual handling capacity to up to 3 million TEU (twenty-foot equivalent unit). Additionally, the new terminal berth can now accommodate ultra-large container vessels of capacity exceeding 18,000 TEU, such as the Maersk Triple E class container ships, which enter the Baltic Sea through the Danish Straits. "The construction of Terminal 2 is of strategic importance to us, and we decided to entrust the contract engineer's role to CH2M, thanks to their strong, global experience in maritime ports infrastructure," said Maciek Kwiatkowski, the CEO of DCT Gdansk. "They provided a great team with both local and international experience who worked closely with the DCT team, providing us with high-quality deliverables, timely communication and expert advice." At a height of 82 meters, T2's new ship-to-shore (STS) container cranes are the largest port equipment in Poland. Terminal operations are supported by an assembly of electrified rubber-tired gantry (eRTG) cranes. A key requirement of the project was to power the STS and eRTG cranes with electricity rather than diesel fuel to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and noise pollution. Respecting local regulations and procedures, CH2M's T2 team was comprised of Polish supervision engineers who specialized in hydrotechnical, structural and electrical engineering; highways; and instrumentation and control. They were complemented by a team of CH2M engineers and designers in the UK with broad expertise in designing maritime ports and container terminals. Delivering this large scale project under a fast-track schedule required careful diligence and collaboration between DCT Gdansk, CH2M and BESIX to ensure the highest safety standards. The team achieved a milestone of 1 million man-hours without a recordable incident. About CH2M

CH2M leads the professional services industry delivering sustainable solutions benefiting societal, environmental and economic outcomes with the development of infrastructure and industry. In this way, CH2Mers make a positive difference providing consulting, design, engineering and management services for clients in water; environment and nuclear; transportation; energy and industrial markets, from iconic infrastructure to global programmes like the Olympic Games. Ranked among the World's Most Ethical Companies and top firms in environmental consulting and programme management, CH2M in 2016 became the first professional services firm honoured with the World Environment Center Gold Medal Award for efforts advancing sustainable development. Connect with CH2M at www.ch2m.com; LinkedIn; Twitter; and Facebook.









Contact: Tom Doerr

CH2M, Marketing & Communications

720-286-3004

[email protected]



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[October 24, 2016] Belden Joins Industry-Leading Effort For Time-Sensitive Networking

Belden Inc., a global leader in signal transmission solutions for mission-critical applications, has joined the Industrial Internet Consortium (IIC) Time-Sensitive Networking (TSN) Testbed, which aims to improve multi-vendor interoperability and to display the value of the IEEE (News - Alert) 802.1 Ethernet standards for time-sensitive networking in a manufacturing ecosystem. "By enabling a single Ethernet network to deliver time-guaranteed messages for both mission-critical and time-sensitive applications, while simultaneously delivering high-bandwidth, supervisory, data collection, video and other traffic, TSN fulfills a critical need in bringing the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) to manufacturing environments," said Jeff Lund, senior director of product line management at Belden and co-chair of the IIC marketing working group. "Belden has been a leading participant in the IEEE standardization effort of TSN since 2009 and we're excited to be at the point where that hard work is now demonstrated in a multi-vendor environment. We hope our many years of experience with TSN will add valuable insight to the testbed and ensure it delivers on its mission." The TSN Testbed will be on display at the 2016 IoT Solutions World Congress in Barcelona, Spain, on Oct. 25-27. Event attendees will have the opportunity to view live demonstrations of the testbed, which includes Hirschmann's prototype TSN-enabled RSP Ethernet switches, and see first-and the possibilities TSN enables for industrial networks.



"The addition of Belden to our TSN Testbed will help bring our collective efforts one step closer to reality - as we all work together in the pursuit of converging IT and operational technologies," said Dr. Richard Soley, executive director of the IIC. "Testbeds serve as a center of innovation, and we know Belden's TSN experience will help us achieve our goal. This testbed in particular seeks to show the value of TSN technology, as well as identify and address any implementation challenges to continue improving the standards." Following the event, the testbed will be moved to National Instruments' (News - Alert) headquarters in Austin, Texas. In addition to National Instruments, Belden is working alongside leading industrial companies, including Schneider Electric (News - Alert) and Bosch Rexroth, among others.

For more information about Belden and TSN, view this on-demand webinar or read Belden's latest blog article. As an early innovator in industrial Ethernet, Belden knows industrial IT and delivers the next generation of industrial networking solutions, including wired, wireless and embedded products. With its global brands - Hirschmann, GarrettCom (News - Alert) and Tofino Security - Belden helps companies minimize downtime and take advantage of the real-time data access and control made possible by the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT). Through a seamless, secure and scalable industrial Ethernet infrastructure, companies are equipped to revolutionize their operations and achieve improved efficiency, productivity and agility. Visit www.belden.com/products/industrialnetworking/index.cfm to learn more. About Belden

Belden Inc., a global leader in high-quality, end-to-end signal transmission solutions, delivers a comprehensive product portfolio designed to meet the mission-critical network infrastructure needs of industrial, enterprise and broadcast markets. With innovative solutions targeted at reliable and secure transmission of rapidly growing amounts of data, audio and video needed for today's applications, Belden is at the center of the global transformation to a connected world. Founded in 1902, the company is headquartered in St. Louis and has manufacturing capabilities in North and South America, Europe and Asia. For more information, visit us at www.belden.com; follow us on Twitter (News - Alert) @BeldenInc. Belden, Belden Sending All The Right Signals, Hirschmann, GarrettCom, Tofino Security and the Belden logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Belden Inc. or its affiliated companies in the United States and other jurisdictions. Belden and other parties may also have trademark rights in other terms used herein. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20161024006476/en/

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Richard Allen, suspect in Delphi teen slayings, led unassuming life

Five and a half years after two teen girls were slain, Delphi, Indiana resident Richard Allen has been arrested in the case. His community is shocked.
Updated 10/24 at 6:30 pm ET with Samsung comment

Samsung's troubles have apparently just spread from the Note 7 to another flagship phone. According to Android Headlines, a Canadian man says his Galaxy S7 Edge caught fire while he was driving home from work. And that's not the only incident.

Separately, Phone Arena reports that an employee of one of the big U.S. wireless carriers told the site that one of its customers' Galaxy S7 Edge devices had exploded while it was charging overnight using the included charger.

MORE: Best Galaxy Note 7 Alternatives

In the case of the first Canadian gentleman, he says that he smelled something burning and saw smoke coming from the center console, at which point he threw the S7 Edge out of the window and then covered the device with snow. His carrier, Bell, told him to contact Samsung, which asked him for photos and was in the process of dispatching a specialist.

We've reached out to Samsung for comment and have received the following statement regarding the incident in Canada:

We are unable to comment on this specific incident until we obtain and thoroughly examine the phone. Customer safety remains our highest priority and we want to work with any customer who has experienced an issue with a Samsung product in order to investigate the matter and support them.

Unfortunately for Samsung, and anyone considering the S7 Edge as their next phone, there have been multiple other reports of the handset catching fire. In one case, an Ohio man is suing Samsung because he claims that the handset caught fire in his pocket, and he had to undergo painful skin grafts to address the second- and third-degree burns.

Lynnette Luna, a principal analyst with Current Analysis, believes that the timing of these reports are somewhat suspect. "Its difficult to believe there is a widespread problem with the S7 given the fact that it has been out for more than six months, and we are just hearing now, after the Note 7 recall, that there are S7 devices catching fire," said Luna.

However, Luna added that "Samsung needs to move swiftly and investigate these incidents." She noted that there are several ways a phone can start fire due to user error in charging a device, including not using an original charger and prolonged charging, but it doesn't seem as though the S7 Edge fire incidents reported thus far involve a third-party charger.

Meanwhile, Samsung still hasn't pinpointed the exact cause of the Note 7 explosions and fires, according to The Wall Street Journal, and the company has apparently lost more than $20 billion in value as a result of the recall.

Samsung says it remains committed to earning back customer trust, but it will be very difficult to do that if the Galaxy S7 Edge is also deemed unsafe.

A survey conducted earlier in October found that as many as 40 percent of existing Samsung owners might jump ship from the brand for their next phone. That number seemed a bit high at the time, but it won't if these most recent incidents prove to be legit.
NEW YORK  Smart-home devices and other "Internet of Things" gadgets need to be secured now, lest there be more attacks like the one that knocked out large parts of the internet this past Friday (Oct. 12). That was the consensus reached by a panel of security experts who spoke here today (Oct. 24) at a conference organized by the National Cyber Security Alliance.

(Image credit: Alexander Kirch/Shutterstock)

"Prior to today, IoT security might have been debatable," said Neil Diswani, chief information security office of the identity-protection firm LifeLock. "But now, that's no longer the case."

Yet while the experts agreed on the end goal, they couldn't agree on how to get there. Some advocate government regulation to mandate smart-home security, while others argue that the free market would force IoT vendors to incorporate security as consumers rejected unsecure devices.

MORE: How to Secure Your Smart-Home Devices

"We can't make the same mistake we made with the internet, where security was an afterthought," said Sami Nassar, vice president of cyber security solutions at Dutch chipmaker NXP Semiconductors. "We should think of security by design, from the get-go."

All five panelists agreed that that was a worthwhile goal, but while Diswani said he hoped industry self-regulation would lead IoT manufacturers to incorporate better security, another speaker countered that only government intervention could solve the issue.

"Banks eventually got to the point where they realized that the number of trusted devices is zero. You have to assume that the network is compromised," said Matthew Cook of Panopticon Laboratories in Columbus, Ohio.

"I haven't seen any evidence that even when the users are very, very motivated, it's easy to get manufacturers to change practices," Cook added. "I spent seven years trying to get banks to self-regulate, but they didn't until regulation was imposed."

Battling the Mirai Botnet

The network outages in North America this past Friday were caused, at least in part, by distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks launched by the Mirai botnet. That's an aggregation of thousands of DVRs and networked cameras  infected and controlled by persons unknown  that was directed to bombard Domain Name System (DNS) servers with floods of useless requests that overwhelmed the servers on Friday.

In August, the Mirai botnet was responsible for one of the largest DDoS attacks ever recorded. Since then, the Mirai source code has gone public, with the result that any half-skilled online miscreant can use it to infect even more IoT devices and create more botnets.

Mirai malware works because many IoT devices have the same default administrative usernames and passwords. Consumers rarely change those credentials  in many cases, the consumer isn't even told they exist or can be changed. Mirai scans the internet for such devices and tries the admin credentials on each one it finds, then reconfigures vulnerable devices to be part of its botnet.

How to Secure Devices

The problem of default credentials is hardly limited to DVRs and cameras. Millions of home Wi-Fi routers  the literal gateway to the internet for most home users  still use default credentials, exposing their users to attack.

Millions of smart locks, fitness bands, smart refrigerators and other devices have the same problem, some of them even transmitting their Wi-Fi passwords in the open air for anyone to intercept. Neither the best antivirus software, nor the best Mac antivirus software nor the best Android antivirus apps will be able to protect you.

"If your webcam can be taken over to attack a nation, how about when that same technique can be used to spy on your children?" asked Andrew Lee, CEO of the North American division of the Slovak antivirus maker ESET. "What if your Wi-Fi password is leaked by your doorbell? The volume of data that these things are sharing and collecting without any human interference can create a large attack surface."

"I call it the Internet of Me," said Michael Kaiser, executive director of the National Cyber Security Alliance. "For these devices to actually function, they need to know a lot about you. For your smart thermostat to function, it needs to know when you come home."

"We need to start locking down these devices by changing default passwords."  Andrew Lee, ESET

But even then, the experts failed to agree on how to secure the devices. Lee argued that consumers needed to be educated to change administrative credentials as soon as each smart-home device comes out of the box.

"We need to start locking down these devices by changing default passwords," Lee said. "How do we teach people we need to change passwords on these devices as soon as you turn them on?"

Nassar implied that manufacturers should bear the burden.

"With brand comes responsibility," he said. "There is a liability issue. You need to have minimum rules and a minimum level of security. ... if you build it from the get-go with security in mind, security becomes a driver of business."

"If you build it from the get-go with security in mind, security becomes a driver of business."  Sami Nassar, NXP Semiconductors

Diswani argued for the establishment of third-party organizations, similar to Underwriters Laboratories, that would certify Internet of Things devices as safe to use. (Famed hacker Peiter "Mudge" Zatko and his wife Sarah Zatko have created such an organization.)

"Putting badges on things can help with communications for consumers," Diswani said.

In response, an audience member asked, "How many people are checking for that UL seal at the bottom of the device?"

"Not many," Kaiser replied.

"This won't be finished tomorrow, and won't be finished next year," Cook said, adding in an understatement, "IoT has some very specific challenges."
The Whitlams are nothing short of a national treasure. With a discography of iconic songs that are a central part of the Australian experience for those of us who grew up in the 90s, the band are about to celebrate 25 years together.

The Whitlams will mark the occasion with a national orchestral tour that will take them from April into May next year. Theyll be playing all of their beloved hits like Blow Up the Pokies, No Aphrodisiac, and Thank You (For Loving Me At My Worst).

It is an honour to play with these musicians who in some cases have been playing their instruments since they were in the womb, said frontman Tim Freedman in a statement.

I particularly look forward to hearing Peter Sculthorpes beautiful string interlude to my song Out the Back for the fist time since he passed away two years ago. It never fails to send audiences into raptures.

Check below for all the dates and ticketing details.

The Whitlams National Tour Dates

Friday, 28th April 2017

Concert Hall, Queensland Performing Arts Centre, Brisbane

w/Philharmonic Australia

Saturday, 29th April 2017

Hamer Hall, Arts Centre Melbourne, Melbourne

w/Melbourne Symphony Orchestra

Tuesday, 2nd May 2017

Concert Hall, Sydney Opera House, Sydney

w/Sydney Symphony Orchestra

Wednesday, 3rd May 2017

Perth Concert Hall, Perth

w/West Australian Symphony Orchestra

Friday, 5th May 2017

Canberra Theatre, Canberra Theatre Centre, Canberra

w/The National Pops Orchestra

Saturday, 6th May 2017

Festival Theatre, Adelaide Festival Centre, Adelaide

w/Adelaide Pops Orchestra
The Descendents, one of the most irreverent and imaginative bands ever to come out of Los Angeless bustling South Bay punk scene, are set to return to Australia for the first time since 2012 this February.

Theyve now announced a string of sideshows that will see them showcasing the timeless discography that influenced bands like Blink-182 and Green Day, as well as their new album, the acclaimed Hypercaffium Spazzinate.

Coming up in a scene that was bursting with fiery, vitriolic bands like Black Flag and the Minutement, the Descendents set themselves apart by taking punk rock back to its roots in bands like the Ramones.

Singing about girls, growing up and food, the Descendents are a generation-defining band for many, and their fizzy punk energy will be on full display when they take on Aussie crowds this February.

Check below for all the dates and ticketing details.

Descendents Australian Tour Dates

Thursday, 16th February 2017

The Gov, Adelaide

Friday, 17th February 2017

Capitol, Perth

Monday, 20th February 2017

170 Russell, Melbourne

Wednesday, 22nd February 2017

Eatons Hill, Brisbane

Friday, 24th February 2017

Enmore Theatre, Sydney
Before he was making epic space operas that make Captain Harlock look like Thumb Wars, Luke Steele was best known as the frontman for Perth alternative rockers The Sleepy Jackson.

After a short string of well-received EPs, the band dropped their debut album, Lovers, in 2003, which was followed by Personality  One Was a Spider, One Was a Bird three years later.

But the story, as far as the bands discography is concerned, seems to end there, though Steele did speak of a third album whilst doing press for Empire of the Suns Ice On The Dune in 2013.

According to the frontman, the third Sleepy Jackson album was completed and showcased for the bands label, who werent all that enthused about the project and the album was ultimately shelved.

However, we may finally be about to hear it. The Sydney Morning Herald recently caught up with Steele and his Empire of the Sun bandmate Nick Littlemore, discussing the duos new album, Two Vines.

At one point, Steele discusses how Littlemores involvement with numerous side-projects leave him feeling underused and to kill time, hes been working on his much-anticipated project with Daniel Johns as well as a new Sleepy Jackson record.

However, no further details are given, but the report does suggest that Steele plans on releasing the work. As for his project with the former Silverchair frontman, weve been waiting on that one for a while.

Me and Dan have been in a studio in L.A. for the last two months and weve just been working on our record and it just sounds like the future. Were gonna be coming out with something pretty amazing, Steele told triple j in August.
Scottish veterans Teenage Fanclub are set to bring their celebrated discography Down Under next year for a series of tour dates around Australia this March.

These will be the five-pieces first live shows in Australia since 2005. The Britpop masters will be playing two headline dates in Victoria, with shows in Sydney and Brisbane.

The bands brilliant output rests comfortably on that line where alternative and pop music meet and has gifted them with a generation of fans which includes fellow Britpop stars like Oasis.

In fact, Oasis frontman Liam Gallagher called the band the second best band in the world  second only to Oasis. Check below for all the dates and ticketing details of their Australian tour.

Teenage Fanclub Australian Tour Dates

Wednesday, 8th March 2017

The Triffid, Brisbane (18+)

Tickets: Oztix | 1300 762 545

Friday, 10th March 2017

Taronga Zoo, Sydney (All Ages)

Sunday, 12th March 2017

Golden Plains VIC (All Ages)

Monday, 13th March 2017

Corner Hotel, Melbourne (18+)

Tickets: Ticketscout | 1300 724 867
KANSAS CITY BISHOP JAMES V. JOHNSTON CONTINUES TO OFFER CATHOLIC VOTERS GUIDANCE ON RECONCILING THEIR FAITH WITH DECISIONS AT THE BALLOT BOX!!!

Bishop James V. Johnston: Some actions are what the Church calls intrinsically evil acts. It is important to understand this term. It does not mean that the people who do them are intrinsically evil. It means that these acts are never morally good no matter the circumstances. We should never approve, perform or support these actions. Among these actions are abortion, euthanasia, embryo-destructive research, acts of racism, and same-sex marriage.

The Kansas City Catholic hierarchy isn't backing down from from their bully pulpit as we slouch toward election day.Remember that earlier last weekand challenged his shaky divergence betwixt public office and professed private beliefs.And on this Sunday . . .Here's the. . .There's no outright endorsement here but instead a well documented prompting about the Conservative doctrine of the Catholic Church for the faithful to consider this election season.You decide . . .
Former Wedding Photographer Indicted in Pornography Fraud Scheme

Dozens of KC-Area Women Duped into Rehearsing for Fake Pornography Movies

KANSAS CITY, Mo.  Tammy Dickinson, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced today that a former wedding photographer in Raymore, Mo., has been indicted by a federal grand jury as part of a federal investigation into a fraud scheme to dupe dozens of women into having sex  which he recorded  under the guise they were rehearsing for a pornography movie.

The federal indictment alleges that the suspect created a succession of various online aliases in which he posed as a talent manager, photographer and videographer for fictitious companies such as Playboy Worldwide, Playboy Asia, Dash Agency, and other companies that he claimed managed private overseas pornography websites. Beginning in August 2011, Antoine allegedly auditioned dozens of victims throughout the greater Kansas City area as models for prospective employment with these fictitious businesses by inducing them to engage in sexual and pornographic activity.





The suspect allegedly promised to pay his victims tens of thousands of dollars for entering into contracts for these modeling shoots and engaging in this sexual activity, which entailed auditions in which the victims performed various sexual activities with Antoine, which he recorded.





The suspect presented his victims with forged and false documents to add an appearance of legitimacy to this scheme, the indictment says, including falsified and forged checks issued to other models, IRS tax forms, Department of Homeland Security employment forms and various other documents. The suspect falsely registered several Internet domain names, the indictment says, and created false Facebook profiles.





After many of these victims complained they had not been paid as promised, the suspect allegedly forwarded images of this sexual activity with these victims to their employers and significant others . . .

"The investigation is ongoing as authorities are still identifying additional victims. Anyone who believes they have been victimized is urged to contact the FBI at 816-512-8200."

. . .Right now we're sharing the essential deets of this scam in order to keep Kansas City models safe.Checkit:Here are the sordid deets of this sad story . . .#####Most importantly here might be more Kansas City lady victims out there . . .Developing . . .
DO YOU SUPPORT SALARY INCREASES FOR THE KCPD AMID GREATER CITY HALL SPENDING AND THE RISE OF VIOLENCE AGAINST POLICE THIS YEAR???

KCPD Chief Forte: Police deserve same raises as employees of other City services

Just now, Kansas City's top cop published a request for more cash to fund the employees of the KCPD.This ask is controversial given that critics constantly question a high percentage of City Hall funds directed to public safety. However, focusing strictly on funding for the rank and file puts the issue into perspective for men and women who put their lives on the line every day.Question for tonight . . .It's an important question and we're linking and posting the words of the Chief in order to offer a place for discussion atdedicated to the local discourse and not social media triviality.We are always working to make the Kansas City Missouri Police Department a first-class law enforcement agency with members of the highest quality to serve the people of our community. I want to ensure our department recruits and retains public servants of the highest caliber who reflect the make-up of our city.Numerous things have made that more difficult in recent years: the increased scrutiny police are under nationwide, the increased danger they are facing (officers killed by firearms so far this year are upcompared to this date last year), and issues of morale and pay.As I wrote here earlier this year, we havemore than 100 law enforcement and 100 non-sworn positions to stay within our budget. Despite these efforts to ensure police are not taking an outsize portion of the City budget, it appears the police department is slated to receive the lowest raises of any City services over the next three years.in the Citys Five-Year Citywide Business Plan, which Council Members are set to vote on, employees of all other City services are slated to receive raises ranging from 2.5 to 4.7 percent each of the next three years. During that time, KCPD members are only set to receive 2 percent raises each year. The members of our department deserve equal pay treatment with the employees of other City services. The Kansas City Board of Police Commissioners adopted a resolution stating the need for this parity in 2011.The Olathe, Kansas, Police Department conducted a police compensation analysis in May of this year, comparing the salaries and benefits of area public safety departments. That showed KCPD officers had the highest starting salary in the metro area, but we fell to 10th place out of the 12 agencies compared for officers who had reached their top pay step.In an urban environment with high workloads, significant violent crime and intensive scrutiny, it can be difficult enough to retain high-quality officers and non-sworn staff. A financial plan that does not value police employees as much as employees of other City services has the potential to negatively impact police morale and employee retention.To continue to serve our city with the highest-quality employees, I support KCPD members receiving annual salary increases on par with those in City services.############You decide . . .
Abortion is one of the trickiest ethical issues out there. On the one hand, you have to ensure you respect the rights of the mother. On the other, you also have to respect the rights of her unborn child. Each country strives to strike a fair balance, with some leaning more towards the mothers rights, and some leaning more toward the childs. While nowhere likely gets it exactly right, most countries at least strive to create a situation everyone can live with.

Yet there are exceptions. In some places, abortion is so liberalized that anyone can get one for pretty much any reason. In others, its so restricted as to be next-to impossible to get. The following countries all come with different histories, are found on different continents, and have wildly different cultures. What they all have in common is their commitment to a near-total ban on abortions. Are they pro-life utopias? Or anti-feminist dystopias? Well leave it for you to decide.

10. Northern Ireland (UK)

Of the four countries that make up the United Kingdom (England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, and maybe Cornwall if youre feeling generous), Northern Ireland is perhaps the most like a separate nation. Laws that apply in one form elsewhere in the UK, such as libel laws, are applied differently there. The system of government, a relic from the dark days of the Troubles, is different. And the countrys religious background is ferociously Catholic.

That last one may explain the differences in abortion laws. While England, Wales and Scotland have relatively liberal abortion laws, Northern Ireland has some of the strictest in Europe.

Northern Irish mothers are only allowed a termination if their own life is in danger. Pregnancies as the result of rape, incest, or that might leave the mother or child handicapped, have to be carried to term. For most of Northern Irelands existence, this law was actually more liberal than in the Republic of Ireland. Following a liberalization south of the border in 2013, though, the two countries are about on an even keel.

Nonetheless, in practice, Northern Irish women are less restricted than in many other countries. As citizens of the UK, they are free to travel to the mainland UK and get a legal termination there. The countrys National Health Service will even do the procedure for free.

9. Poland

Currently, Polands abortion laws are some of the most pro-life on the continent. Terminations can only be performed if the mothers life is in danger, in the case of rape, or if the fetus is irreparably damaged. Since thats more exceptions than Northern Ireland allows, you might be wondering why we ranked Poland lower on the list. Theres a good reason for that. While Northern Ireland shows no sign of revising its laws either way, Polands government is currently pushing for a near-total ban on abortion.

The move would bring Polands laws in line with those in Northern Ireland, but with the added restriction that citizens cant legally travel to another part of the country for a termination. The reasons for the new law are rooted in Polands deep-seated Catholicism. The country is one of the most-religious in the world, and the government envisions a future where even babies that cant survive birth are delivered, baptized, and given proper burials.

The law faces stiff opposition from some sectors of society. An earlier draft had to be abandoned after mass protests and strikes in 60 cities threatened to bring the country to its knees.

8. Mexico

Mexico is a crazy-hard country to rank on here. Its 31 states have wildly differing laws on abortion, running the gamut from relatively-liberal to extremely strict. While the capital allows abortions up to 12 weeks with no restrictions, others will not allow a termination even if the mothers life is in danger.

In fact, only 13 states will prioritize the mothers life above that of the fetus. At least 16 have reaffirmed their constitutions to define life beginning at the moment of conception. Tests are carried out on miscarriages to make sure the baby wasnt born alive. If authorities determine the baby died after exiting the womb it is counted as an abortion and the mother can be jailed.

On the other hand, Mexico City has one of the most-liberal regimes in Latin America. Only Uruguay and Cuba have laws even approaching their 12 weeks, no questions asked rule.

7. North Korea

Since the 1950s, abortion has been completely legal in North Korea. The DPRKs legal code even makes a big hash about how womens rights are protected in their Socialist paradise. So why have we included them on this list? Simple. Since coming to power, Kim Jong-Un has decided to become anti-abortion. And nobody in North Korea argues with Kim.

As of 2015, Kims edict has essentially banned abortion in North Korea, under any circumstances. This coincided with a law banning most forms of contraception, leading many North Korea observers to conclude that the ban was less about Kims personal ethics, and more about halting the extreme birthrate decline seen in the impoverished kingdom.

Like many aspects of North Korea, its impossible to tell how this law is actually playing out inside the country. It may be that the party elite in Pyongyang  traditionally above the law in many areas  still have access to abortions, or it may be that theyre policed as heavily as the rest of Kims subjects.

6. Chile

Chile is the first nation on our list that we can say for absolute certain bans abortion under any circumstance. Rape, incest, danger to the life of the mother, a guarantee the fetus wont survive birth none of these makes a difference to how the law is applied. Only five other countries on Earth have abortion laws this restrictive.

What makes Chile slightly different is the historical context from which the ban was forged. Abortion to save the mothers life was legalized in 1931, and for a short while was a totem of a liberal, outward-facing Chile. Then the Pinochet dictatorship arrived and completely banned abortion. The laws association with the torture and executions of the Pinochet-era has led a lot of people in the country to regard it with a deep unease, including otherwise natural conservatives.

As a result, Chile is currently on the brink of passing an amendment that will scrap the current law and legalize abortion in the case of rape, incest, or if the mothers life is at risk.

5. El Salvador

At time of writing, El Salvadors abortion laws are even more pro-life than Chiles. Whereas Chile simply criminalizes abortions, El Salvador also criminalizes those indirectly involved in the termination. Much as accomplices to murder can be arrested in other countries, those who provoke or allow abortions in El Salvador can get up to 8 years in jail. Congress are currently debating (as of October 2016) a bill to increase the sentence to 50 years.

So why isnt El Salvador higher on our list? The simple answer is: because the governments divided. While the opposition are pushing for a 50-year sentence for abortions, the ruling party are tabling a motion that would liberalize abortions for rape, incest, and to save the mothers life. Currently, no-one knows which way it will go. In a few months time, El Salvador may have moved up our list, or dropped off it altogether.

4. Malta

When Ireland tweaked its laws in 2013, Malta became the last EU nation to outlaw abortion even to save the mothers life. The tiny nation has historically been a bastion of Catholicism ever since the early days of the church. It was here that theological shock troops the Sovereign Military Order of Malta based itself for over 250 years before being chased out by the French in 1798. Divorce was illegal until 2011. Even now, in 2016, you can be jailed for 6 months for insulting Catholicism.

With all that in mind, its perhaps no surprise that Malta has pretty conservative laws on abortion. However, the reality on the ground is actually a little different from the theory. Doctors in Malta observe the principle of double effect. This means that, in case of a life-threatening pregnancy, allowing both the mother and fetus to die is the greater moral crime. Therefore, it is permissible to commit the lesser-moral crime of terminating the fetus to save the mothers life. Although this is a bit of a get-around, no doctor in modern times has ever been prosecuted for it. For all practical intents, then, Maltese abortion law is little different from that in Northern Ireland or Poland.

3. Nicaragua

Until 2006, Nicaraguas abortion laws were roughly in line with much of Latin America. Terminations were only allowed in the case of rape, malformation of the fetus, or a significant risk to the mothers health or life. Nicaragua was slightly-stricter, in that 3 separate doctors had to sign off on the procedure, but abortion was still legally possible.

Then, on November 2 that year, everything changed. Following a public campaign by the respected Cardinal Miguel Obando y Bravo, locally famous for standing up to both the US-backed Samoza dictatorship and the Communist-backed Ortega one, Managua outlawed all abortions.

Interestingly, some anti-abortion campaigners later complained that the government went too far. The pro-life Rev. Rolando Alvarez of the Managua archdiocese claimed later in the year that exceptions should still be made to save the mothers life. At time of writing, though, those exceptions are nowhere to be seen. Nicaragua remains one of the most-restrictive societies for abortion on Earth.

2. Dominican Republic

Many countries on this list have either recently relaxed abortion laws, have active loopholes, or only recently committed to a total ban. The Dominican Republic is different. Since 1884, it has been illegal to even inquire about an abortion on this island of 10.4m people. The penalties abortion carries are not as strict as in some states (such as El Salvador), but still fairly heavy. Mothers can be jailed for 3 years, while medical staff can be jailed for 10. Since 2012, it has even been illegal to seek medical help following a botched abortion procedure.

Interestingly, the Dominican Republic has flirted with the idea of liberalization at least once in its history. In 2014, President Danilo Medina ended a 10-year consultation process into abortion by announcing that it would be decriminalized in cases of rape, incest, danger to the mothers life, or if the fetus was unable to survive outside the womb. The amendments never became law. In 2015, the Constitutional Court overturned them, saying they would violate the countrys penal code.

1. Vatican City/Holy See

Be honest: Did you really expect to find any other nation at the top of this list?

The last remnants of the once-powerful Papal States of central Italy, the 0.44 square kilometer Vatican City in the center of Rome is the beating heart of Catholicism. This is where the Pope kicks back when hes not zipping around the world. This is where the whole of Catholic theology is spun from. And youre asking if they do abortions. Cmon, dude.

To be honest, abortion isnt really much of an issue in Vatican City. Most of the micro-nations population of 451 are celibate clergy, with a few diplomats thrown in, and, unusually, one ex-Pope (Benedict XVI, who stepped aside from his office for life in 2013 to make way for the current pontiff). Only 30 citizens are female, and all live surrounded on all sides by the state of Italy, which allows abortions up to 12 weeks. In other words, its easier to see Vatican Citys abortion laws as more of a gesture than something that actually affects actual people.

Nonetheless, the city-state maintains the strictest abortion laws on Earth. Abortion is not allowed in any circumstances, although punishments are much-less clear. Vatican City does not have its own prison, and almost always hands criminals over to the state of Italy for trial and punishment. How they would feel, sentencing someone who had broken no Italian laws, is something weve never had to find out.

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According to Greek daily newspaper Ta Nea, the IMF is considering proposing an additional decrease of the tax deductible threshold, if the EU institutions do not back down from the 3.5% primary surplus target for the 2018 budget. The newspaper cites an IMF source as saying that if the European partners agree to a 1.5% primary surplus target for 2018, instead of 3.5%, no further measures would be required. A top Greek Finance Ministry official responded to the rumour that no such demand had been made during talks with Greeces creditors, while a second official made it clear that the country could not bear slashing the tax deducible threshold by even one Euro.

The IMF has consistently pushed for a reduction in the tax deductible threshold, while according to the Funds September 23 report, tax reforms in Greece were lopsided towards tax hikes, which created a climate of divestment and acted as a counter-incentive in the labour market and the official economy. Greek Finance Minister Euclid Tsakalotos is scheduled to talk with the EU institutions and the IMF representative on fiscal and economic matters on Monday.

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Farmers in the rural area of Kozani, northern Greece, started harvesting Krokos, the local saffron produced by the crocus flower, one of the most important products of the region

Farmers in the rural area of Kozani, northern Greece, started harvesting Krokos, the local saffron produced by the crocus flower, one of the most important products of the region which have been cultivated for decades.

Hundreds of farmers in the regions of Agia Paraskevi, Kesaria, Ano and Kato Platania Voiou, are found bending over their crops, collecting one-by-one the prized stems of the purple flower.

It is a demanding and time-consuming job which can only be done manually. One kilo of dried Krokos stems requires about 150,000 crocus flowers. When the harvest ends, farmers and their workers must separate the flower from the red stems, which are then left to dry naturally at the local cooperative. The product is then packaged and sent to the Greek or foreign market.

If things go well this year, we expect to increase our production to about five tonnes, as we added another five hundred acres of young farmers in the 5,000 acres already being cultivated," the president of the Krokos association Nikos Patsiouras told ANA.

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Photo Source: Wikimedia Commons
The Outrigger Konotta Maldives Resort has won Best Resort in the Travel Weekly Asia 2016 Readers Choice Awards.

The stunning 53 all-pool villa resort in the south of the Maldives has wowed visitors since it opened in August 2015.

The award honours the best of the best in the travel industry, said Travel Weekly Asia Group Publisher, Irene Chua.

Outrigger Resort Vice President Sales & Marketing, Mark Simmons, received the award on behalf of the property at the Readers Choice Awards ceremony in Singapore, 17 October.

The General Manager of the resort, Mr John Allanson, said: Outrigger is very proud of the latest accolade for the Outrigger Konotta Maldives Resort. We dedicate it to our hard working hosts who treat all guests as part of the Outrigger family.

Comprising 29 Beach Pool Villas, 21 Ocean Pool Villas, two Lagoon Pool Villas and the masterful three-bedroom Grand Konotta Villa, the Outrigger Konotta Maldives Resort offers a complete sense of privacy and intimate luxury. The Outrigger has the largest average villa sizes in the Maldives.

Each winner in the awards was voted for by Travel Weekly Asia readers, a group comprising professionals from different specialities and expertise within the travel industry.

In December 2015, the Outrigger Konotta Maldives Resort also won the Luxury Contemporary Resort of the Year, in the Luxury Travel Guide Global Awards.

Outrigger was also hailed for the way it went about acquiring the resort. In October 2015 the property won first place for Single Asset Transaction of the Year in the Hotel Investment Conference Asia Pacific Deal of the Year Awards.

The private island of Konotta is located 211 miles (340 kilometers) to the south of Male and is accessible via a 55-minute flight from Male to Kaadedhdhoo Airport followed by a scenic 30-minute journey on a luxurious private speedboat.

ABOUT THE OUTRIGGER KONOTTA MALDIVES RESORT

The award winning Outrigger Konotta Maldives Resort offers guests the largest average villa sizes in the Maldives. Comprising 29 Beach Pool Villas, 21 Ocean Pool Villas, two Lagoon Pool Villas and a Presidential Villa, the resort offers a complete sense of privacy and intimate luxury. Captivate your senses with innovative dining concepts, the Navasana Spa, and high-end facilities. In between your diving lesson and massage, indulge in sumptuous Maldivian cuisine or a glass of white Burgundy in one of our restaurants or the comfort of your villa. As the sun sets, sample Japanese single malts at our Teppan bar while drinking in endless ocean views. Visit outriggermaldives.com

The private island of Konotta is located 211 miles (340 kilometers) to the south of Male and conveniently accessible via a 55-minute flight from Male to Kaadedhdhoo Airport followed by a scenic 30-minute journey on a luxurious private speedboat.

About Outrigger Enterprises Group

Outrigger Enterprises Group is a privately held leisure lodging, retail and hospitality company with corporate offices in Hawaii and operating globally in the Asia-Pacific, Oceania and Indian Ocean regions. From its Outrigger Signature Experiences to its Outrigger DISCOVERY loyalty program, the values-based company invites guests to escape ordinary with exceptional hospitality and authentic cultural experiences, incorporating local traditions and customs at each of its properties worldwide. Guided by 69 years of family leadership, Outrigger runs a highly successful, multi-branded portfolio of hotels, condominiums and vacation resort properties, including Outrigger Resorts, OHANA Hotels by Outrigger, Hawaii Vacation Condos by Outrigger, Embassy Suites, Holiday Inn, Best Western, Wyndham Vacation Ownership and Hilton Grand VacationsTM. Outrigger currently operates and/or has under development 37 properties with approximately 6,500 rooms located in Hawaii (Oahu, Maui, Kauai, Hawaii Island); Guam; Fiji; Thailand; Mauritius; and the Maldives.

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Travel bookings from China to western Europe are down by as much as a quarter in the year since multiple terror attacks in Paris killed 130 people

Travel bookings from China to western Europe are down by as much as a quarter in the year since multiple terror attacks in Paris killed 130 people, according to a travel industry analysis published on Monday, europe.chinadaily.com.cn reports.

Travel industry data specialist ForwardKeys said France was hard hit by a decline in bookings from the Asia-Pacific region in general. But neighbouring countries, including Italy and Germany, were also affected by a trend that coincided with heightened security concerns in Europe.

Bookings from China to France were down 23.4 percent, around the average for the Asia-Pacific region. Travel to Milan, Rome and Venice was also down by as much as a quarter. Chinese bookings to Istanbul, where more than 40 people were killed in a gun and bomb attack at Ataturk airport in June that was blamed on the so-called Islamic State, were off by as much as 27 percent.

Other countries benefited from a rise in bookings from China that could be attributed to travellers seeking to avoid potentially insecure destinations. The ForwardKeys analysis showed that destinations such as Moscow, London, Dublin or Manchester were seeing a higher interest from Chinese visitors.

That was partly due to security concerns, but in the case of the UK it was also linked to a fall in sterling of up to 20 percent since Britain voted to leave the European Union in June. The lower pound has made travel to Britain, and goods bought there, a more attractive proposition for Chinese and other visitors.

Visits from China to Britain were already up by 46 percent last year, moving it into Britains top 10 most valuable markets. ForwardKeys said earlier this month that flight bookings from China to the UK were up 24 percent for October to December.

Places seen as more secure destinations also included Copenhagen, up 14 percent, Helsinki (13.1 percent and Stockholm (12 percent). Moscow saw the biggest increase, 23 percent year-on-year, reflecting the Russian capitals growing popularity with Chinese visitors and the downturn in bookings to France.

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Emirates NBD, a leading bank in the region has been ranked the Strongest Bank in the UAE by the prestigious Asian Bankers AB 500 Strongest Banks in 2016.



The bank, the largest in the UAE, was rated highly for its sound growth record and its giant leaps in the digitisation of banking over the past year.



Furthermore, Emirates NBD was named third Strongest Bank in the Middle East and recognised for its exceptional financial performance along with improvements in balance sheet growth and capitalisation.



Hesham Abdulla Al Qassim, vice chairman and managing director of Emirates NBD said: To achieve the title of the Strongest Bank in the UAE by an internationally recognised and trusted institution such as The Asian Banker is a big honour for us. Maintaining a steady growth in the UAE and staying headstrong in the current market was the key focus for us this year. We are extremely happy that our financially sound and progressive policies have enabled us to achieve nothing short of outstanding fiscal results this year.



The Asian Banker Strongest Banks is an annual assessment of the financial and business performance of the commercial banking industry in the Asia Pacific region, ranking top performing banks in each country by strength, based on a belief that a strong bank demonstrates long-term profitability from its core businesses. Winners are determined using a scorecard approach based on six performance indicators: Balance sheet growth, Risk profile, Profitability, Asset quality and Liquidity, rated on a zero five scale.



At the award ceremony held in Geneva, Switzerland, Emirates NBD was commended for its strides in the digitisation of banking, including the launch of Emirates NBD Future Lab, a strategic think tank and a testing center for innovative ideas and the recent opening of the banks futuristic banking space at Emirates Towers.



Innovation in banking solutions has always been one of our core strengths, backed by our Dh500 million ($136 million) commitment to further the use of digital technology in banking and payments. We are optimistic that our solid financial and operating performance, along with our leadership in digital banking innovation will continue to strengthen our position in the regional banking sector, added Al Qassim.  TradeArabia News Service
Global engineering and infrastructure advisory company Aurecon said it is working on a new office building project in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, which, on completion, will offer one of the most innovative working environments in the region.



The project is being developed by Abdul Latif Jameel, a Saudi-based diversified business with operations in more than 30 countries.



The company has commissioned leading global architecture and design practice Aedas to design its new headquarters in Jeddah, while Aurecon has been appointed as the structural engineer.



The Abdul Latif Jameel corporate headquarters building is envisaged as an open-plan, social office that will house 2,300 employees.



Aurecon said its engineers developed sophisticated models using Revit design software and worked to integrate that with the models produced by Aedas using the Rhino platform.



The clients vision was for the facility to provide various social interaction zones through a bright, open, and flexible layout. Such designs are uncommon in Saudi Arabia, where intense heat means that building designs are dictated by the need for thermal comfort, rather than space or brightness, explained architect Andrew Bromberg of Aedas.



To create the bright, open spaces in this challenging environment, Aedas oriented the L-shaped building so that the solid face of the building faces west, thus bearing the brunt of the intense afternoon sun, which can hit above 40 deg C, he stated.



Aurecon said the buildings unique tapered L-shaped structure meant that its structural engineers had to devise a tailored support structure that would not compromise the design vision of an open-plan space.



"The L-shaped office areas are arranged in a manner which gives the architectural tapering effect - both legs of the L-shape are arranged slightly differently from the adjacent floors," stated Andy Mak, the principal structural engineer at Aurecon.



"This created an intriguing challenge in determining the column layout to suit the open-plan office and also integrating it with the car park layout in the basement," noted Mak.



"We went through many iterations of overlaying the Revit model and the Rhino model to coordinate the optimum column arrangement, continued Mak. In the end, we decided on inclined and kinked columns on one leg of the L shape. This worked very well with the interior architecture and also avoided major transfer beams in the floors," he added.



The link bridges were an integral part of the design and the key visual element in the atrium space.



For architecture, said Mak, the bridges are a key visual element in the atrium space.



"But they also provided the only route to get building services into the office space. Structurally, we used the link bridges to anchor the L-shaped floors back into the large lift shafts, meaning that horizontal forces induced by the kinked columns and all of the seismic storey shear forces had to be channelled through the four link bridges on each floor," he observed.



When completed, the new headquarters building will be rise more than 100 m tall. It is located on the northwest corner of a 21-hectare site adjacent to a major traffic intersection in Al-Balad, the historical area in the city of Jeddah.



This is a landmark development for Jeddah and a truly unique space in the region, remarked Mak.



Bringing this vision from concept to reality has been an incredibly exciting and stimulating project. We look forward to seeing the building come to life as staff move in and the community spirit takes hold, he added.-TradeArabia News Service
The UAE registered a 33 per cent year-on-year decline in September in overall job opportunities posted online compared to the same month last year, according to leading online recruiters Monster.



The continuing decline observed over the past three months could be attributed to the lingering oil prices and the challenging market conditions that have made companies hesitant about growing their workforce, however, this may not last very long, said Sanjay Modi, managing director, Monster.com, APAC & Middle East.



Job seekers in the UAE have been facing difficulty finding relevant employment opportunities online over the past few months as companies reduce their hiring activity in light of the current economic difficulties being faced, however, hope should not be diminished immediately.



While low oil prices are affecting the nations economy, the UAE is ahead of other GCC countries in regards to the nations economic diversification efforts, meaning it is less reliant on its oil economy and will be less affected by its price. With a positive outlook for the UAE in 2017, and with many projects in the pipeline gearing up to expo 2020 and 2021 visions, we expect the UAE employment market to steadily improve across sectors as companies become more confident in the UAE economy and plans start to materialize, he added.



According to the Capital Economics Q2 2016 Middle East Outlook, the UAE economy is expected to grow at two per cent over the 2017 fiscal year as the nation slowly recovers from low oil prices. Although this figure may represent the slowest growth rate since 2010, the report highlights that the UAE is set to be one of the strongest economies in the GCC over the coming years.



The September Monster Employment Index (MEI), shows that consumer goods/ FMCG (food & packaged food, home appliances, garments/ textiles/ leather, gems &jewelry) is the only industry to report growth in online job postings at one per cent from the same period last year amongst all the industries studied.



The Monster Employment Index is a monthly gauge of online job posting activity in Middle-East based on a real-time review of tens of thousands of employer job opportunities culled from a large representative selection of career Web sites and online job listings. The Index does not reflect the trend of any one advertiser or source, but is an aggregate measure of the change in job listings across the industry.



From the GCC countries analysed, the latest MEI records that Bahrain and Oman continue to be the only nations to register year-on-year growth in September 2016 with a four per cent increase in online recruitment activity observed in Oman, followed by two per cent in Bahrain.  TradeArabia News Service
Aluminium Bahrain (Alba), a leading international aluminium smelter, has demonstrated its commitment to the welfare of its employees by supporting the International Breast Cancer Month with activities that were held during this month.



Alba held a Think Pink walkathon on October 17 around the Oasis area within the smelter where employees demonstrated their support towards breast cancer awareness, said a statement from the company.



A health awareness session was conducted Dr Farah Al Nuaimy, consultant, obstetrics and gynaecology and infertility, King Abdullah Medical City, for Alba women employees on October 20, at the Oasis Hall where subjects such as early detection, stages of breast cancer, treatment options and overall health for women were discussed, it said.



Albas chief financial officer Ali Al Baqali said: Breast cancer is a challenging and fatal disease. The more you know about breast cancer, the less is the risk of developing it.



Our company, as a leading corporate citizen, actively conducts awareness activities for its employees every year to support the International Breast Cancer Month, he added.



Breast cancer awareness month is an international health campaign observed every October to increase awareness of the disease, advocate for breast cancer screenings and raise funds for its diagnosis, prevention and cure.  TradeArabia News Service


Emirates Steel, the only integrated steel plant in the UAE, owned by Senaat, successfully participated in the recent Arab Steel Summit 2016 and the associated International Iron and Steel Exhibition 2016, held in Dubai, UAE.



Emirates Steel participated in the summit along with some leading iron and steel companies from the region such as Sabic, Al Rajehi, IZZ Steel and other companies from Morocco, Algeria and other Arab countries, said a statement from the company.



Regional and global challenging market conditions have dominated discussions of the two-day conference where participants debated different options and measures to counter the threats to the Arab steel industry, it said.



During the summit, Emirates Steel performed a presentation about the steel sector in the Arab region discussing issues of trade, regulations and cooperation. The presentation also detailed issues of steel exports and imports, consumption and capacities, it added.



The event discussed different topics related to competitive position and growth strategies within the Arab Steel Industries, prospects of the world steel industry during 2016 and opportunities and trends of investment in the steel industry in the Arab countries, impacts of oil price fluctuation on the development of the steel industry investments, trends of import and export, the new technologies and their role in the development of steel production, raw materials and their impact on the future growth of the steel industry.



The summit also discussed consolidation and merger in the world steel industry and their impact on the Arab steel markets, and trends of growth and development in the steel industry and steel markets in a number of regions in the world, it stated.  TradeArabia News Service
Kurdish Peshmerga forces were within eight kilometres of Mosul on Sunday, after days of fighting and sweeping territorial gains in the operation to free the key Iraqi city from the control of Islamic State (IS), a report said.



Entering Mosul is likely to kick off intense street fighting, the CNN report quoted officials as saying.



Two Peshmerga factions linked up after surrounding the empty town of Bashiqa, about eight miles east of Mosul, with the support of coalition air power, the Peshmerga's general command said in a statement Sunday.



They were able to cordon off eight villages in an area measuring about 100 sq km and secure a significant stretch of the Bashiqa-Mosul highway to limit Islamic States freedom of movement, commanders said. Hourslong clashes left dozens of ISIS militants dead, they said.



Turkish troops supported the Peshmerga in the battle, and Turkey has provided them with artillery, tanks and Firtina howitzer vehicles, Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said, according to state-run news agency Anadolu.



Islamic State executed about 40 people who were celebrating the apparent liberation of their villages by Iraqi forces, a Mosul City Council official said Sunday, citing local sources.
Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud yesterday met at his palace in Riyadh Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and discussed ways to stabilise the world oil markets, the official news agency SPA said.



Maduro is currently on an official visit to the kingdom.



Venezuela is one of the leading countries in the Opec seeking action by the group to prop up oil prices that have declined drastically in recent years, causing severe economic problems for the country.



The King welcomed the president and his accompanying delegation and they reviewed issues related to bilateral cooperation, the SPA said.



The talks were attended by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Naif bin Abdulaziz, Deputy Premier and Minister of Interior; Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, Second Deputy Premier and Minister of Defense; and Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Khalid bin Abdulaziz Al-Faleh, among other royals and ministers.



The Venezuelan foreign minister and Minister of Energy and Petroleum were also present.



Earlier, President Maduro was quoted as saying that Opec and non-Opec nations were "very close" to an agreement on oil production curbs by Azerbaijan's state news agency Azertag.



The Opec had agreed in Algiers on September 28 to reduce oil production to a range of 32.5 million to 33.0 million barrels per day.
Rotana, a leading international hotel management company, has appointed Joseph Coubat as area vice president for Qatar, Lebanon, Kuwait, Turkey, Congo and Syria and general manager of Gefinor Rotana Beirut, effective November 1, 2016.



The realignment in organisational structure follows the successful opening of City Centre Rotana, a five-star hotel located in the heart of Doha which had been developed and launched under Coubats stewardship in his capacity as the propertys general manager.



As area vice president, Coubat will be responsible for four Rotana hotels in Qatar, two hotels each in Lebanon and Turkey, and one hotel each in Kuwait and Syria  in addition to the yet-to-open Kin Plaza Arjaan by Rotana in the Democratic Republic of the Congo  managing a combined inventory of over 2,300 keys.



Coubat had held the position of area vice president in charge of Rotanas hotels in Qatar, Bahrain, Lebanon and Kuwait for a long period before being assigned to lead the opening of City Centre Rotana Doha  a key launch for the company. He now returns to resume his position as area vice president, but with an expanded mandate that will see him take on a more decisive role in shaping Rotanas operational strategy in key markets in the Middle East, Africa and Eastern Europe regions.



Guy Hutchinson, chief operating officer, Rotana, said: Josephs experience and deep domain knowledge has been an asset to the company since he joined the Rotana family over eight years ago. He has a proven track record in all aspects of hotel development and his expertise has been relied upon time and again at Rotana to guide several of our property launches to success. In his expanded role, Joseph will be more closely involved in strategic planning and business development, managing our expansion efforts in the Middle East as well as in the Turkey and Sub-Saharan Africa markets.



Coubat, who has an MBA in Hospitality Management from the Institut de Management Hotelier International Cornell  ESSEC in France, started his hospitality career in 1986, working initially in the food and beverage and finance departments. Over the next two decades, he held a variety of senior positions with leading hotel chains including the InterContinental Hotel Group before joining Rotana in 2008. - TradeArabia News Service
Oman Air recently received the Signum Virtutis, the seal of excellence, from the Seven Stars Luxury Hospitality and Lifestyle Awards 2016.



The airline was voted winner for the best airline in the Middle East, Africa and Europe, beating competitors from around the world.



The ceremony took place on Saturday October 15 during a prestigious gala dinner at the Villa Padierna Palace Hotel in Marbella, Spain and was attended by Oman Airs Rogier De Jager, regional vice president Europe of Oman Air.



The Seven Stars Luxury Hospitality and Lifestyle Awards celebrate the pinnacle in luxury for both hospitality and lifestyle. Both the public and trade were able to cast their votes for the award winners on: www.sevenstaraward.com. The awards evening also recognised other winners from different categories in the luxury travel and lifestyle sector including: Best Luxury Hotel, Best Spa, Best Airport Lounge etc.



CEO of Oman Air Paul Gregorowitsch said: At Oman Air we are constantly striving to become the best and it is immensely gratifying and motivating that we are now recognised as such. Oman Air is a successful, sustainable company of the highest quality and is seen to be setting standards when it comes to product and on board experience. The European market is incredibly important to us and awards like these demonstrate that we are recognised as offering the best possible product when it comes to flying from Europe.



During the evening, Oman Air took the opportunity to show their new video (Television Commercial Campaign (TVC) which is scheduled to run on the Cable News Network (CNN) until the end of December 2016. - TradeArabia News Service
Dutch airline KLM has resumed flights to Tehran, Iran, after a three-year recess, said a report.



The first flight was welcomed Imam Khomeini international Airport of Tehran on Saturday night, said a report in IRNA.



KLM managing director and chief operating officer Rene de Groot said that lifting Western sanctions on Tehran and resuming flights between Iran and Netherlands can help increase the knowledge of Dutch people about Iranian market.



There will be seven flights a week operating between Tehran and Amsterdam, de Groot said.
Oman Tourism Development Company (Omran) will be at the Juwai China Agent Summit in Beijing this week to meet Chinese real estate investors and brokers and encourage them to invest in some of its key projects in the sultanate.



To be held on October 26, this is the only event in China that provides instant on-the-ground sales channels, allowing Omran to network with Chinese property players and learn from industry experts about how to market to Chinese overseas property buyers.



Senior executives of Omran and Saraya Bandar Jissah will be meeting potential investors at the China event to discuss the connection between Omans up and coming new real estate developments and Chinese investor interest in the Sultanate.



Mina Al Sultan Qaboos Waterfront & Saraya Bandar Jissah are two key projects that will be showcased at the event.



The Juwai China Agent Summit brings together Omran executives and major Chinese real estate agents and wealth managers.



With Chinas ambitious approach to forge a new silk road under the One Belt, One Road initiative there is significant opportunity for Oman to attract Chinese investment.



With Omran behind some of the sultanates flagship master-planned real estate projects, and Oman earmarked as a destination on the Twenty-First Century Maritime Silk Road, the synergies between the two countries mean robust opportunities to use Chinese investment to bolster development in Omanm, said a top official.



"Chinese investors have a significant appetite for real estate investment, and Oman is a market which offers a compelling investment proposition due to the variety of the major developments underway," stated Omran CEO James Wilson.



Oman is already a country linked to China by its Twenty-First Century Maritime Silk Road which underlines the discussions we have already had regarding the synergy between Omans offering as a unique destination and Chinese interest in investing to develop the latest property projects in up and coming markets, he added.



At the event, Omran will discuss why Oman is a perfect location for Chinese to go on holiday and own holiday homes, with residency rights available once property is property is purchased.



Wilson pointed out that over the past few years, Chinese buyers have started to make their presence felt on the global property market, snapping up everything from luxurious trophy homes to more modest condominiums and investment opportunities.



"For many Chinese, global property investment is an emerging opportunity which until recently was out of reach but with forecasts that will see 100 million upper-middle-class, 3.88 million high-net-worth and 280 million affluent Chinese by 2020, Omran must invest in this new market," he added.



Hafidh Al Hadhrami, the asset manager at Omran, said: "Were looking to capitalise on partnerships, events and investment opportunities, while seeking to enhance collaboration."



"Omran has an ambitious strategy to support the countrys tourism development drive, and real estate plays a major part of that real estate sales underpin and tourism destination so we want to ensure Chinese investment plays an important role in the push to develop Omans economy through expansion of major mixed-use real estate and tourism projects," he noted.



Omrans presence at the summit will offer Chinese investors an insight into the Sultanates tourism and real estate offering, covering its mixed-use developments, luxury hotel proposition, attractions and cultural sites. The strategic visit also creates the first steps to further increasing Chinese visitor numbers, he added.-TradeArabia News Service
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Brazil is the largest country in South America and the fifth largest in the world. It is blessed with countless beautiful places, natural resources and not to mention a lot of gorgeous people too. There's a lot of hoopla about this country that intrigues other nationalities. It's a fascinating place that offers tourists not just picturesque sceneries but a good educational tour as well.

Here's a list of the interesting activities you can do while visiting this country.

1.Get sun-kissed

Wear your finest swimwear and get a tan.

Baia do Sancho in Fernando de Noronha is consistently included in the best beaches category suggested by TripAdvisor. Last year, it tops the Travelers' Choice Award.

Want to try extreme water sports? Jijoca de Jericoacoara should be on your list. It is best known for windsurfing and sandboarding activities.

Rio de Janiero just got lucky to treasure most of the famous beaches such as Copacabana, Ipanema and Praia Vermelha.

2.Meet new friends

The Girl From Ipanema was covered by Frank Sinatra. It describes the beauty of a Brazilian lady, "Tall and tan and young and lovely. The girl from Ipanema goes walking and when she passes, each one she passes goes A-a-a-h."

His reaction might be yours too when you are put in a crowd full of gorgeous and friendly people. According to a survey done by Brofessional, Brazil is the Top 13 Most Attractive Nationalities on Earth. Just like hitting two birds in one stone, tour and attraction.

Extend your circle and make your tour memorable.

3.Sing and Dance

Bossa nova is a one of the best-known music genres of the country. Neighboring nations have taken their share on covering songs Brazilian-style. It's a lyrical blend of samba and jazz.

Talking about the cultural expression, Samba has a festive tune that becomes an icon of Brazilian national identity. Samba is played during the Carnival of Brazil. It is an annual festival held between the Friday afternoon and Ash Wednesday at noon, which marks the beginning of Lent, the forty-day period before Easter.

Don't be a kill-joy, ready that dancing feet and hear the authenticity of the Brazilian rhythm.

4.Strengthen your faith

Of all that's listed on the to-do-list, most of Catholic Christians' first itinerary is to pray and adore the statue of Jesus Christ in Rio de Janeiro called Christ the Redeemer. Standing at 30 metres (98 ft) tall, not including its 8-metre (26 ft) pedestal and its arms stretch 28 metres (92 ft) wide.

The statue has become a cultural icon and is registered as one of the New Seven Wonders of the World.

5.Be educated

The Amazon River is the world's second-longest river in the world. According to Rainforest Cruises, "Brazil controls a staggering 60 percent of the Amazon Rainforest, making it an ideal destination for an Amazon River cruise."

Learning can be fun and more exciting. If you want to book, just click on their website.

See Now: The U.S. had the highest number of Most Wanted properties, dominating the Hotels.com Loved By Guests Awards 2018
Award-winning hotel in Hue, Vietnam achieved a rating of 5.5 out of 6 to be one of the most recommended hotels on HolidayCheck this year.



(TRAVPR.COM) VIETNAM - October 24th, 2016 - With a rating of 5.5 out of 6, the luxe 122-room hotel in the old capital Hue of Vietnam was hailed among highly rated properties worldwide of HolidayCheck in 2016, a prestigious German-speaking travel and holiday portal which also gains a great popularity in Europe.

Based on over 1.08 million reviews submitted by travelers in 2015 from 37 countries, winners had to collect a minimum of 50 reviews from their guests in 2015 and acquire at least 90 percent of recommendations from them after passing strict rules set by HolidayCheck.

The acquisition of this years award proves excellent performance in services and facilities of La Residence. In 2007, the hotel and its spa were named to the Conde Nast Traveler Hot List. Its name recently has been included in Conde Nast Traveler's Readers' Choice Awards 2014 and in Travel + Leisure's T+L 500 list of the world's best hotels for 2013, 2014 and 2015.

On this occasion, the hotels management board and the whole members would like to express their deep gratitude for generous support of their guests.

About La Residence Hue Hotel & Spa  MGallery By Sofitel

Set on a two-hectare site with 200 meters of frontage on the fabled Perfume River, La Residence celebrated its grand opening in December 2005 after a painstaking restoration of the 1930-built mansion. The hotel's distinctive bowed facade, its long horizontal lines and nautical flourishes are hallmarks of the streamline moderne school of art deco architecture.



The hotel's 122 rooms and suites, restaurants, lounges, bars and conference room are tricked out in complementary art-deco furnishings and decor that evoke both the 1920s and 1950s. The hotel's fine-dining venue, Le Parfum, serves Mediterranean and French cuisine, as well as dishes from an expansive Vietnamese menu.

For detailed information about this award-winning hotel, visit the website www.la-residence-hue.com.

###
New Delhi

Idea Cellular, countrys third largest telecom company, on Monday posted an 88% plunge in its consolidated net profit at Rs 91.46 crore in the September quarter due to higher expenses. The company had reported a net profit of Rs 762.27 crore in the corresponding three months a year ago. The revenue of Idea Cellular, however, increased by 7.2% to Rs 9,300.23 crore in the reported quarter from Rs 8,675.37 crore in the year-ago period.

Chandigarh

SBoPs OTS scheme for small borrowers

To provide relief to the distressed sections of society, specially the small and medium-sized borrowers, with debt up to Rs 5 crore, State Bank of Patiala has introduced a one-time settlement (OTS) scheme. The scheme is valid from October 1 to November 30. It provides for concessions in interest and even principal in eligible cases. TNS

Chandigarh

Max Fashion launches 5th store in Punjab

Max Fashion, Indias largest value fast fashion brand, launched its first store in Amritsar on Monday  its 5th store in Punjab. Max Fashion has over 150 stores across the country with over 5 million loyal customers. TNS

New Delhi

SoftBank may invest up to Rs 2,000 cr in Ola

Japans SoftBank Corp is likely to invest up to Rs 2,000 crore in Ola, a funding that will help Indias largest taxi-hailing service compete with US-based rival Uber. According to sources close to the deal, ANI Technologies Pvts Ola may raise $250-300 million in a new round of funding led by the Japanese telecom and Internet major, and other existing investors may also participate. PTI

New Delhi

Mahindras new platform for vehicle auction

Mahindra First Choice Wheels Ltd on Monday announced the launch of a platform that allows buyers to participate in traditional on the ground used-car auctions via internet in real-time. The platform, True Time Bids (www.truetimebids.com) will significantly improve efficiency of how vehicle auctions are conducted in India today, the company said. PTI
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, October 24

The Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) today ordered not to release the salary of Ajit Balaji Joshi, UT Deputy Commissioner, for wilful disobedience of its order for releasing pensionary benefits to a retired Tehsildar.

The tribunal said the Deputy Commissioners salary should not be released until the officer complies with its order within one month. Manish Dadwal, counsel for applicant Davinder Singh Balouria, a resident of Sector 22, had filed a contempt application in July against the officer for not complying with the directions of the tribunal.

During the last hearing, CAT had asked the Deputy Commissioner to appear in person in the court. However, the officer did not appear before the tribunal and got an exemption plea filed by UT counsel Arvind Moudgil through some other officer. However, the court dismissed his exemption plea.

In January, the court had issued directions to release the applicants pensionary benefits  gratuity, commutation of pension and regular pension, along with interest thereon at the rate of 9 per cent per annum from the due date till payment.

The applicant retired in 2014 and then rendered post-retirement service for over nine months.

The applicant has alleged that there was no departmental inquiry or criminal case pending against him on the day of his retirement. He also cleared all dues of the government and submitted a no-objection certificate (NOC). However, his pensionary benefits were not paid to him. The applicant was granted provisional pension, but it was also stopped during the pendency of the case.

UT counsel Arvind Moudgil had pleaded that the pension and gratuity had rightly been withheld due to pendency of the two Vigilance inquiries against the applicant.

The applicant had filed a rejoinder saying that the benefits could not be withheld merely on the grounds of pendency of alleged Vigilance inquires, which could not be equated with departmental proceedings or judicial proceedings.

Admn in soup earlier too

October 14: CAT ordered that the UT Secretary and the Director-Principal, GMCH, Sector 32, would not draw their salaries until the Punjab and Haryana High Courts order of granting service benefits to a GMCH assistant professor was implemented.
Jayshree Sengupta

INDIA has been self-sufficient in food since the Green Revolution. Yet hunger persists in some parts of India and surfaces in the form of starvation deaths. In a few years, India will be the most populous nation, with a population of 1.4 billion, and if hunger is not eradicated, it will not be able to meet the UNs second Sustainable Development Goal.

In cities, people with money have access to a variety of food and cuisines from all across the world. There is plenty of food which gets wasted. Even with so much food around, people queue up for free food in front of temples and hospitals daily because they are hungry.

It is somewhat shocking to learn that India is ranked lower than some sub-Saharan African countries, Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and China in the Global Hunger Index. It is a national shame that India has slipped from the 83rd position in 2000 to the 97th position in 2016, among 118 countries, even though we have climbed up four places in the World Banks Ease of Doing Business Index in the last one year!

Hunger index is based on parameters such as shares of undernourished population, wasted and stunted children aged below five years and infant mortality rate. Amidst so much progress on many fronts and having the highest rate of GDP growth in the world, to have millions of undernourished children is something inexplicable and shows the extent of inequality of incomes and callousness towards the poor.

Wasting refers to underweight children in relation to their height and reflects acute undernourishment. Stunting of children refers to lower height achieved in relation to age that reflects chronic undernourishment. In India, both types are prevalent in large numbers and 15 per cent of the population is undernourished. The percentage of wasted children is 15 per cent and stunted 39 per cent.

What could be the reason? Lack of good quality food is one reason, but low quantity of food intake is also an important reason. When both are present, children grow up abnormally as wasted or stunted.

Children living in an unhealthy environment with problems in access to safe drinking water suffer from water-borne diseases and diarrhoea which lead to underweight children and subsequent wasting. Infant mortality is also high at 4.8 per cent due to the same reasons of undernourishment and poor healthcare.

Hence undernourishment can be attributed to a large number of reasons, but perhaps the main reason could be persistent low incomes of households as well as lack of sanitation, potable water, and regular health checkups.

Since income is a major causal factor of the undernourishment index, is it possible to implement the much-talked about universal basic income scheme to battle the problem? In this scheme, a minimum amount, say, Rs 10,000 per year (Rs 11,664 per person per year defines rural poverty line) will be deposited in the bank account of all citizens and it will guarantee each individual a basic income and will eliminate the problem of selection. There are still around 370 million poor struggling to feed their families with nutritious food. They would benefit from the cash to buy food on a regular basis.

Some questions can be raised about how to finance this kind of a safety net which several economists are now supporting. It could be done by cutting out non-merit subsidies  the ones that do not reach the people and are poorly targeted, and saving money to the extent of 9 to 10 per cent of the GDP. In addition, raising money from additional taxes and removing various tax exemptions for the rich can lead to additional income for the government. A tax on agricultural incomes cannot, however, be imposed because of political reasons. Many have argued that this cash handout will act as a disincentive to work and that women will withdraw from the labour force. But all such arguments get weakened when we realise the kind of deprivation that still is prevalent in the poorest sections of the population in both urban and rural areas. At least with a minimum amount of cash in the bank, people will be able to buy food for their hungry children. Undernourishment will then be reduced.

Every effort should also be made by the states to increase the efficient delivery of health, sanitation and educational services to the poor through higher investments in these areas. The universal basic income cannot replace the governments investment in the provision of basic amenities to the population, but it can give cash in the pockets of the poor for food. Of course, many people who are poor and irresponsible will use the money for alcohol and drugs, but most people would use it for the welfare of their families as has been the case in many countries.

In terms of human rights, universal basic income guarantees each person the right to food. The seriousness of the problem of undernourishment should be highlighted and tackled at the national level because states alone cannot handle a problem of such enormity. The Integrated Child Development Scheme, for children up to seven years of age, is the biggest Central child welfare scheme. Yet the many loopholes and ineffective implementation of the scheme leaves much to be desired in the way children are looked after in anganwadis. Many are without proper facilities like toilets and play spaces. The other scheme for providing nourishment to schoolchildren  the midday meal scheme  is also lacking in strength. In some states, they have been successful and children have benefited, but in many states, there is rampant corruption in the operation of the scheme. The scheme should be refurbished because very often it is the only meal that a child coming from a poor household has during the day. To climb up the hunger index ought to be the top priority for India which is staking its claim to becoming a global power.
Vijai Sharma

THE nature and scope of RTI must be rationalised to meet the evolving information demand. The RTI regime should adapt to national security, public safety and financial probity concerns such as the Uri-Pathankot infiltrations, Kolkata flyover collapse, Bhubaneswar hospital fire safety lapses, the Kingfisher scam or BCCI cleanup. Accordingly, the institutional gaps ought to be addressed.

Questions abound. Is it logical to keep the military under RTI protocol, while exempting the para-military like BSF, CRPF, CISF, ITBP from information disclosure, which is presently the case? RTI's vulnerability to information-fishing and the porosity of forward areas to cross-border terrorism cannot be ignored. How to explain that the exempt organisations include Sashastra Seema Bal and Assam Rifles but not the Army, Navy and Air Force?

Further, has RTI's "public authority" raison d'etre become out-of-sync with the reality that private entities are increasingly controlling public services with safety-health-environment implications? Does RTI's differentiated treatment of the public and private sectors affect fair competition? How best to promote voluntary disclosure and automaticity through compatible technologies. Why was the CBI, an investigating agency with RTI obligations in the original statute, put in the exempt-list earmarked essentially for intelligence and security agencies?

The manoeuvres to keep the CBI Director's visitor-logbook under wraps rekindled doubts about the intent behind the afterthought inclusion of CBI in the exempt-list, considering that there were safeguards already available to deny information not amenable to disclosure. In this case, the record of visitors was believed to be indicative of the influences impacting the coal block and 2G investigations. The information-seeking sentiment gets sparked when facts are fenced-in by "public authority" or "exempt-list" definitional boundaries. Instances arousing public interest would include the allegation of maltreatment by CBI in the BK Bansal suicide case.

An openness to sharing information is vital for human welfare. The Bhopal Gas Tragedy signals that chemical safety and prevention of industrial disaster is a paramount goal not to be compromised. Hence, a privately owned entity handling toxic material should not be shielded behind public authority legalese. Public-private partnerships have brought both spheres closer, though it must be recognised upfront that the RTI Act itself envisages disclosure of information related to a private entity if it is legally available with a public authority. Rules should be framed to allow this window to be deployed usefully for regulatory systems such as in pollution control, electricity distribution, telecom services or food standards, which are gearing up for greater accountability.

Rationalisation induces fairness. RTI has been moulded to access information controlled by public authorities, but this should not lead to the benchmarking of transparency where the passenger safety performance of government-supported Air India is treated at a level of scrutiny different from other commercially competing privately owned airlines. A level playing field implies that RTI transparency for passenger safety in Air India will be the same as its competitors. The RTI standing of information from IOC, ONGC or BHEL pertinent to industrial safety should not allow private sector competitors to discount responsibility.

RTI is a tool for good governance. It can marshal information for assessing performance and public service delivery. So, if a new bridge across a river is the subject of RTI, apart from process-related tendering procedures, contract-terms or delays, the system should be able to inform whether the functional promise of the end-product is being met. Easy retrieval of facts about actual achievement will come from an RTI-Digital India blend. Bridging of the digital divide visualises websites in local language and creation of mobile-friendly systems for knowledge-sharing. The National Data Sharing and Accessibility Policy provides for access to government owned data, the ultimate aim being enhancement of citizen welfare through hassle-free information.

Periodic data-analytics of applications and responses will enable public authorities to anticipate trends and build capacities for digitisation, categorisation, retrieval and reconciliation of online and offline data. Records get stored but are often difficult to retrieve. Missing files are common. Wider internet use expands information supply and promotes equitable access, without the need to file applications. Actually, much of the ongoing transparency initiatives are outside the RTI domain.

A wealth of data, whether on crime or weather, mandi-trade or sectoral datasets, is accessible on government's open-data-portal. MGNREGA and land acquisition exemplify availability of information at various levels of usage, but it is doubtful if citizens are utilising this window adequately to hold the public authority accountable. Sub-optimal functioning has to be flagged. Former Chief Justice of India SH Kapadia was reported to have said: a very good law like RTI was being misused to ask irrelevant and intrusive questions A fall-out is that information flow has become needlessly voluminous making the application-driven system operationally unsustainable. Often, there is indiscriminate use of RTI by government employees when normal grievance redressal mechanisms do not work. RTI is time-bound hence preferred over departmental channels for arrear payments, promotions, postings or penalty proceedings.

An easy-to-use cost-effective lifeline for many, the multi-tiered RTI system also needs a criteria-based legal filter to sift out vexatious applications. There's the instance of some thousands of RTI applications submitted to the IAF by a retired officer taking the position of a whistleblower. The cases, more or less similar, accounted for a significant part of the CIC's total pendency. The IAF attended to some cases despite the feeling that the gravitas of their defender-of-the-sky role was affected by unreasonably repetitive paperwork. Mounting pendency, inconsistent decisions, weak compliance, indifference to voluntary disclosure, all require attention. The provisions releasing the information-holder from disclosure obligations need recalibration considering, for instance, that errant banking has dented the fiduciary-relationship argument used to stave off information about bad debts and non-performing assets. Simultaneously, parallel regimes like consumer protection, fair competition, electoral regulation are maturing. A CIC decision, presently dormant, directed information disclosure from national political parties as public authorities. A beginning can be made with electoral funding accountability under RTI that includes political parties with legislators even if the parties fall short of meeting the "national political party" criteria. An appraisal of past implementation will help identify the legal and institutional gaps to be plugged. The RTI law and working rules also ought to be rationalised with an eye on the future. This is in view of increasing private control of public services, the information demand triggered by rising safety-health-environment concerns, conflict with privacy laws, national security and other questions raised above. Legislative intent will guide, but whether this would resonate with wider transparency expectations, say, having an RTI protocol for political parties, is a question.

The writer is a former Chief Information Commissioner, & Secretary to GoI in Ministry of Environment & Forests.
Sat Singh

Tribune News Service

Bhiwani, October 24

As many as 93 rapes are reported in the state every month, one fifth of which occur in Gurgaon district alone.

This was revealed through in RTI filed before the Punjab and Haryana High Court by a local activist Capt Pawan Kumar Anchal.

According to the information, 655 rape cases were registered in the state from January to July. Of these, maximum were registered in the National Capital Region districts of Gurgaon and Faridabad.

As many as 136 cases were under filed under the Indian Penal Code in Gurgaon followed by Faridabad which reported 72 cases.

Sonepat registered 47 rape cases, Kurukshetra (12), Panchkula (5) and Narnaul (4).

According to the RTI information, a total of 122 dowry death cases were registered in the state from January to July. Maximum cases of dowry deaths (15) have been reported from Gurgaon.

At least 13 such cases were reported in Faridabad followed by Palwal and Panipat at 11 each.

As many as 10 dowry death cases were registered in Karnal.

Capt Anchal said a total of 627 cases were registered in the state under the Prevention of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.

Maximum cases were reported from Faridabad (86), followed by Karnal (63) and Yamunagar (53). Comparatively, eight more cases were registered in 2016 under the POCSO Act every month than last year.

A total of 983 cases were registered under the Act in 2015.
Parveen Arora

Tribune News Service

Karnal, October 24

Doctors appointed at Kalpana Chawla Government Medical College (KCGMC) seem reluctant to sign its five-year service bond. As many as 81 doctors issued appointment letters recently were asked to sign the bond or submit a surety for Rs 25 lakh at the rate of Rs 5 lakh per year.

As per the appointment letter, a doctor cannot apply for any job during the first five years of joining. Any doctor who violates the bond will have to pay Rs 5 lakh for each year not served.

Doctors are hesitating from joining given the bond conditions. A person spends a huge amount to be a qualified doctor and now he/she has to furnish a bond or a surety for Rs 5 lakh for each year while the salary would be Rs 70,000-80,000 per month, said a doctor.

Another doctor, said, Kalpana Chawla Government Medical College has not been recognised by the MCI so far and faculty recruited in 2012 has not been promoted. Upon that such conditions put doctors under stress.

This was not communicated to us when we applied, said a doctor, who quit a job elsewhere following selection at KCGMC.

Dr Surinder Kashyap, director of the Kalpana Chawla Government Medical College, said the decision to make the doctors sign the bond was in the interest of the institute .He said several doctors were willing to join the hospital.

Kalpana Chawla Government Medical College is yet to be recognised by the Medical Council of India (MCI) which is expected to visit the college in November.
Tribune News Service

Shimla, October 24

Locals have come out in support of the two families whose babies were swapped. They said the police should investigate the case, bringing the erring staff of Kamla Nehru Hospital (KNH) to book.

They held a protest seeking strict action against the staff. The police should not spare the culprits who tried to ruin the lives of the babies.

The two families have been under immense stress for the last five months. They will swap the babies on October 26 as per the High Court orders.

The Shimla police have sought the CCTV footage from the KNH authorities to track the movements of the staff in the labour room on May 25 and 27.

Both families  Sheetal and her husband Anil, Anjna and her husband Jitender Thakur  said they would pay each other frequent visits to meet the kids.

They demanded action against the KNH staff saying the guilty should be brought to book. We have suffered a lot all this while. No parents should be made to suffer this way, they said.

Both babies are my children. We have spent sleepless nights all these months. I was told that I had delivered a baby boy on the night of May 26 at the KNH, said Sheetal, a staff nurse at the IGMC, who has turned out to be the biological mother of the baby boy swapped on May 26. We will continue to meet the girl as she was with us for five months, said Sheetal.

Anjna and Jitender Thakur shared the same feelings. It is emotionally difficult for me to believe that he is not my child and difficult to part with him. But both are our children, said Anjna, who is the biological mother of the baby girl.
Kuldeep Chauhan

Tribune News Service

Shimla, October 24

Apple growers have demanded DNA tested virus-free certified plant material that can fit the bill in the hilly terrain and climate so that they earn more than what they have been earning from old orchards of seedling varieties.

Disease-free plant material of Geneva series should be imported under the Rs 1143-crore modernisation project, they said. They learnt about the latest new root stock apple varieties from the US team here.

The farmers made these observations after they interacted with Dr Win Cowgill, a pomologist and horticultural consultant from Win Enterprises International, the USA, Dr Amit Dhingra, associate professor, Washing State University and Tim O Brien, who visited apple orchards in Jubbal and Kotkhai and the state fruit research centre, Mashobra.

The American consultants are here to present their smart orchard plant material and sell these to the farmers under the Rs 1143 crore horticulture modernization project that aims at bridging the gap between Himachal and the best apple producing counties.

Prof Win said the latest G-series was the future for the growers. The plant material is virus-free, DNA tested and can bear 20 per cent fruit in the second year and it takes care of the mortality triggered by the replanting diseases, he said here.

Dr Win cited different apple orchards system and new fruit economics for farmers who face challenges of how to rejuvenate old orchards in the face of lack of irrigation and virus-free plant material. The growers have to make a phase wise switchover to the latest DNA tested root stock apple varieties as Himachal is about 70 years behind the growers in the USA and Europe, observed Dr Amit.

The farmers need to make a slow but sure switchover to the latest Geneva series and some farmers have already taken a lead here, said Lakshman Thakur, chairman Eco-horts, Nandopur, who also interacted with the USA team.

But farmers demanded that the horticultural department should ensure that Geneva series root-stock turned out to be successful in different altitude.

The root borers and plant replacement diseases and lack of irrigation are big problems here that keep plant mortality high and decrease yield.
Vikram Sharma

Tribune News Service

Jammu, October 24

In the wake of continuous shelling on the border and frequent displacement of residents to safer places, a demand for state-of-the-art bunkers has been raised so that residents can take shelter nearby instead of moving far from their homes for safety.

Due to renewed heavy shelling by Pakistani forces on Sunday night in RS Pura, Arnia, Abdullian, Gajansoo and Marh, residents were forced to leave their homes around midnight and take shelter in nearby bunkers or run to safety.

While a six-year-old child and a BSF jawan were killed, residents alleged that the border was getting frequently volatile after the September 29 surgical strikes had left them on the run every now and then.

Since we cant leave home for good, we want construction of state-of-the-art bunkers by the state government. Those should include bedding for women, the aged and children and provision for cooking so that we dont have to panic and run, said Mohan Singh Salathia.

The 65-year-old farmer of Arnia owned a large chunk of fertile land near the international border. Over 20,000 concrete bunkers would be built along the Line of Control and international border for the safety of residents living in border areas.

A proposal was submitted to the Union Ministry of Home Affairs for the construction of 20,125 community type bunkers at various places along the Line of Control and international border in the Jammu division.

The residents added that while the state government had been contemplating handing over five-marla plots at safer places, community bunkers were an immediate need which could solve problems of residents.

In the wake of firing, we can take shelter in such bunkers and can remain near our houses and livestock. If simple bunkers for livestock are built, those will add to safety, said Trilok Dass, another farmer at Arnia.

The Union Ministry of Home Affairs had released Rs 3 crore in December last year for the construction of 60 modernised bunkers for residents of border areas while giving its nod to thousands of bunkers in Jammu, Samba, Kathua, Rajouri and Poonch districts.

We are looking into problems of border dwellers in the wake of firing from Pakistan and will raise this issue with Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh. We will ensure that community bunkers are built with requirements for safety and security of all, including the aged, children and women, said state BJP chief Sat Sharma.

Rajya Sabha member Shamsher Singh admitted that the demand raised by border dwellers were genuine and should be given due attention.

I will take it up with the Union Home Ministry and ensure that community bunkers with security pickets are sanctioned and work started immediately, he said.
Tribune News Service

Jammu, October 24

Border Security Force Director General KK Sharma today said the Pakistan army was possibly helping Pakistan Rangers in the cross-border shelling and firing.

The Director General said this while talking to mediapersons after the wreath-laying ceremony of Constable Sushil Kumar at the BSF Jammu Frontiers headquarters here today.

The constable was killed during overnight shelling from the Pakistan side in the Sangral area near the international border.

The BSF chief said he was not sure whether Pakistan Rangers or regulars were involved in shelling but possibly the Pakistan army was supporting the Rangers in cross-border shelling. They always provoke and we respond. We never initiate the fire and only retaliate when Pakistan Rangers violate the ceasefire agreement. They always bombard populated areas but we never fire on civilian areas. We target only those areas from where shells are pounded on us and never target civilian areas intentionally, the Director General said.

Commenting on the damage on the Pakistani side, he said, I have been told that Pakistan has also suffered damage. Opposite our Chenab forward post, ambulance movement was seen, which means that the Rangers have also suffered damage.

He warned Pakistan of a befitting reply, saying: The commanders on the field have been directed not to initiate fire but respond heavily when Pakistan resorts to unprovoked firing. If they dont stop, they will have to pay a heavy price and taste defeat like before.

In the past too Pakistan has violated the ceasefire agreement during festive season, the Director General said.
Amir Tantray



Tribune News Service

Jammu, October 24

A BSF jawan and a six-year-old boy were killed while three others were injured on Monday as Pakistani troops violated ceasefire, resorting to heavy shelling and firing from automatic weapons in several sectors along the International Border in Jammu district.

Pakistani troops fired mortar bomb shells and fired from automatic weapons, targeting over 25 border outposts (BOPs) and civilian villages in several sectors along the International Border (IB) in Jammu district.

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Pakistan Rangers opened indiscriminate firing and mortar shelling on forward BOPs and civilian areas in several sub-sectors along IB (in Jammu district) overnight, a senior BSF officer said.

There has been firing of small and automatic weapons and shelling of mortar bombs on over 25 BoPs and civilian areas in RS Pura, Arnia, Suchetgarh, Kanachak, Pargwal sub-sectors of Jammu district since Sunday night and it is still on, the officer said.

In the firing and shelling, a BSF jawan was martyred and another was injured, the officer said, adding that the BSF troops guarding the IB were giving a befitting reply.

The deceased jawan has been identified as Constable Sushil Kumar, who hailed from Pehowa, Kurukshetra, in Haryana.

A six-year-old boy, Vicky, a resident of Lalyal Kanachak, was killed during shelling. His mother, Buniya Devi, was one of the two women, who were injured in the firing in RS Pura sector and who have been hospitalised.

There have been over 40 incidents of ceasefire violations by Pakistani troops since India carried out surgical strikes in PoK after the Uri terror attack in which 19 Indian soldiers were killed. With PTI
Tribune News Service

Srinagar, October 24

Hardline separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani has accused the United Nations (UN) of death and destruction in Kashmir and other parts of the world.

This forum (UN) is responsible for deaths and destruction in Kashmir, Palestine, Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya and other parts of the world and it seems to be insensitive and indifferent. We hope that the institution will deliver its duty towards the peaceful resolution of Kashmir and Palestine, Geelani said in a statement issued here on UN Day.

Geelani said Kashmiris had pinned hopes on the UN to implement the resolution on the Kashmir issue. It is the moral obligation for the UN to implement all these resolutions and impress upon India to ascertain the will and wish of the people of the state with regards to their political destiny. India and Pakistan were engaged in 150 sessions of negotiations but yielded no result because India has not given up the rhetoric that Kashmir is its integral part which is contradictory to the historical facts, he said.

He said the fundamental role of the UN was to sort out differences between nations and countries and to avoid wars. But, this institution (UN) has failed to deliver because of the veto power entrusted to its basic five member countries and that has hampered its smooth and judicious functioning, he said.
Majid Jahangir

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, October 24

A militant was killed in a gun fight in north Kashmirs frontier Kupwara district on Monday.

The militant, suspected to be a foreigner, was killed in Warnow Lolab, around 100 km from Srinagar.

The gun fight broke in the wee hours of Monday when a joint team of police and army launched a search operation after an input about the presence of militants in the area.

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As the search was underway, militants fired at the joint party and it was retaliated, triggering an encounter. A militant who tried to break the cordon was killed in the gunfight, Kupwara Superintendent of Police Shamsher Hussain said. The search operation is on.
Majid Jahangir

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, October 24

Some unknown gunmen fired at J&K Minister Abdul Rehman Veeris residence in south Kashmirs Anantnag district on Monday evening.

Minister for Public Works and Parliamentary affairs Veeri  a top PDP leader  was not present during the shooting.

Sources said some gunmen fired at ministers residence at Veeri, Bijbehara  some 55 kms from Srinagar. Policemen guarding the house retaliated.

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The militants fled taking the advantage of the darkness, a police officer said.

It could not be established immediately if the militants had planned to snatch the policemens rifles.

Veeri, 59, was elected from Bijbehara for the fourth consecutive term in 2014. He was first elected in the by-elections held in 1999 after Mehbooba Mufti resigned from the Assembly and the Congress party to float PDP with her father, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed. Veeri was re-elected in 2002 and 2008.
Majid Jahangir

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, October 24

A top Lashkar-e-Toiba militant was killed in a gunfight in north Kashmirs frontier Kupwara district on Monday.

The police identified the slain militant commander as Pakistani national Abu Saad, who was active in the district for the past three years.

The gunfight broke out this morning after a joint team of the Special Operations Group of the J&K Police and 18 Rashtriya Rifles Battalion of the Army cordoned off Kawari Lolab, nearly 125 km from Srinagar, last night.

Today early morning during a search of the area, a militant who was hiding in a house fired on the search party. The militant was given the opportunity to surrender but he fired indiscriminately. During the encounter, one Lashkar commander who was later identified as Abu Saad, alias Shahid, got killed, said Senior Superintendent of Police, Kupwara, Shamsheer Hussain.

Hussain said the operation was meticulously planned and executed to avoid any collateral damage. The militant was compelled to come out of the house and was shot dead just a few feet away from the house to avoid any damage to the house where he was hiding, he said.

The militant commander categorised as A plus was involved in instigating and pushing youth of the area into stone-throwing and anti-India protests. He had also let loose terror in the area by continuously terrorising the masses, he said.

The SSP said arms and ammunition, including an AK rifle, three magazines and a wireless set, were recovered from the encounter site.

The militants body was handed over to the local Auqaf committee after a medical examination and he was buried amid pro-freedom slogans raised by locals.

During the current unrest that has crippled the Valley, 40 militants  all foreigners  have been killed, mostly in counter-infiltration operations. The unrest hit the counter-insurgency grid and that has helped militants consolidate themselves.

43 joined militancy during Burhan unrest

According to the police, 210 militants are active in Kashmir. This count includes 43 local youth who took up arms during the unrest following the killing of militant commander Burhan Wani on July 8.

Rifle-snatching plot: 4 Hizb workers held

The J&K Police have arrested four Hizbul Mujahideen overground workers, who were planning to snatch rifles from policemen guarding minority members in south Kashmir. A police spokesman said they had got an input that a group of youth from Awantipore sub-district were being motivated by Hizb commander Zakir Rashid Bhatto snatch weapons to join militant ranks. Upon receiving the input, the police arrested one Shakir Ahmad Khan, who during questioning disclosed the plan for snatching weapons. Later, three of his accomplices were also arrested.  TNS
London, October 24

Internationally acclaimed sitarist Anoushka Shankar will be travelling to India for a six-city tour in December for her new album "Land of Gold".

The album was released on Deutsche Grammophon earlier this summer.

Launching on December 2 and culminating on December 11, Anoushka will travel to cities like Chennai, Mumbai, New Delhi, Bengaluru, Pune and Hyderabad.

"Land of Gold" embraces electronics and cross-genre collaborations, and is Anoushka's fervent response to the humanitarian trauma of displaced people fleeing conflict and poverty.

Organised by her management company, Alchemist Marketing Solutions, this will be Anoushka's fifth countrywide solo tour of India.

"'Land of Gold' is the culmination of my journey to the interior, channelling my distress at the situation in a constructive way, exploring the stories of the voiceless and dispossessed," Anoushka said in a statement.

"The central message of 'Land of Gold' is the recognition of the resilience of the human spirit and of our capacity to find the place where enduring hope resides.

"Everyone is, in some way or another, searching for their own 'Land of Gold': a journey to a place of security, connectedness and tranquility, which they can call home," she added.

Anoushka feels that the "idea of millions of people being driven out of their homes", is not a political issue, but a "humanitarian issue".

"I'm not pretending I can change the world, or to be an expert on social and political affairs. But I certainly have a right to say when something is wrong," she said.

"It's important to be a part of a culture and community, and to be a positive influence in every aspect of my life that I can," she added.  IANS
Nonika Singh

He is in the city of his guru rather elated, somewhat perplexed and a whole lot reflective. Back home where in his office hangs a picture of Le Corbusier, he is constantly asking himself am I on the right track and on the path shown by him? In City Beautiful, one of Indias most celebrated architects Balkrishna Vithaldas Doshi wonders aloud if Corbusier were to revisit the city what would he say and advise. And, this is the question that he wants city residents and planners to dwell upon and seek answers to.

As he himself will be reflecting upon Corbusiers architecture at the French architects iconic Capitol Complex which richly deserves its world heritage status, he decodes and deconstructs what each one of them stands for.

Open Hand, he reminds, is the hand of Buddha as also one of blessing and also represents sharing. Then Assembly is a testimony to the power of people and High Court the symbol of justice and order. The real wonder is that Corbusier made it all come together as one entity and showed to the world what architecture is all about. In short, Chandigarh indirectly tells us that we should live with minimum disparity and how we should place premium on the value of the land, not its price. It should develop as a society that draws from nature and gives back to nature.

If the city residents dont have an answer to how the city should progress, he certainly has. He says, Planners have to keep in mind the well-being of all. Irrespective of status, all must move forward without strife and with judicious use of resources.

But with the famed Punjabi propensity for extravagance, does he really think what Corbusier envisioned is possible today? He disagrees that all Punjabis are extravagant, If a few are, I am sure there are a whole lot who dont believe in conspicuous consumption. He goes on to add, See humanity at large is not cruel but we make it seem so by highlighting only the negative. We dont focus on what is good for us. Thats why he feels that we havent learnt any lessons from these buildings that are like temples thriving on sustainable use of resources.

Looking back, he also recalls Corbusier the man with whom he worked in early 1950s in his Paris office. He was like a yogi who would not meet anyone from eight to 12 in the morning and remained engrossed in research and study. When he came to India he not only studied its people but its animals, nature and realised the close bond we share with nature. And thus what he created added to the reverence of Himalayas.

Among the many lessons on sustainable architecture Doshi learnt from his mentor, the overriding mantra that he imbibed from him has been, Observe, dissect, synthesize and transform. Of course, the governing principle has beendont ever imitate. Thus his biggest ode to his guru has been never ever to copy him. No wonder the buildings designed by Doshi such as Centre for Environment and Planning Technology (CEPT), Ahmedabad, Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore, National Institute of Fashion Technology, Delhi and his own office Sangath, BV Doshis office, Ahmedabad bear his inimitable stamp, rooted in Indian ethos.

Born in pre-Independence era, a proud Indian, he draws inspiration from ancient cities and his own civilizational connect. The most important thing our roots like the Vastu Shastra tell us isbuildings are like living entities and the endeavour always has to be to create communities, not dead buildings.

Having done exemplary work in low cost housing, he agrees that a few grand buildings cant become a yardstick of architecture. Buildings are not meant to be gawked at but participatory and to be shared by all.

On todays architecture he deems, Sadly we are becoming imitators creating things that have little to do with us or our lives and hence we are alienated with our own selves.

How to find our real selves to know more and learn about his architecture as also his gurus check out his lectures.

Celebrating the art of architechture on October 25 at Government Museum auditorium and LeCorbusiers vision of Capitol Complex at the Open Hand Capitol Complex October 26 at 5.15 pm. Organised by Chandigarh Lalit Kala Akademi in collaboration with Chandigarh Tourism

nonikasingh@tribunemail.com
Vijayawada, October 24

At least 24 Maoists  some top leaders among them  were gunned down in a fierce gun battle with security forces in Odisha's Malkangiri district on the border with Andhra Pradesh on Monday  a major blow to the insurgents.

A senior commando of the elite anti-Naxal force, Greyhounds, of Andhra Pradesh was also killed, while another commando was injured in the encounter that took place in the cut-off area of remote Chitrakonda on Andhra-Odisha border, Malkangiri SP Mitrabhanu Mohapatra said.

"The bodies of 24 Maoists, including that of some women, were recovered from the site after the joint operation conducted by the Odisha police and Greyhounds, while a few of the rebels are suspected to have fled," the SP said.

He said two senior Greyhounds commandos, who were injured in the gun battle in early hours of Monday had been airlifted to Visakhapatnam for treatment and one of them, identified as Abubacker, succumbed to injuries in a hospital there. The other commando is undergoing treatment.

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Some high-ranking Maoist leaders, including Uday and Chalapati  who carried huge bounties on their heads  are suspected to be among those killed in the encounter that took place in a mountainous forest area between Bejing and Muchiputam under Panasput grampanchyat, the police said.

Stating that the operation was launched on the basis of intelligence inputs, Odisha GDP KB Singh said 10 rifles, four AK-47 rifles, three SLRs, kit bags and huge ammunition have been recovered from the site and search operation was continuing.

There was information about the presence of cadres of Andhra Odisha Border Special Zonal Committee in the area and Odisha police teams also got it verified that Naxal camps were operating there, the DGP said.

"Since the area is located in the cut-off area on Andhra-Odisha border, the operation was launched from the other side and Greyhounds took the lead," Singh said.

Meanwhile, arrangements are being made to airlift the bodies of the dead Maoists to Malkangiri, the SP said, adding that search operations had intensified in the forest in Andhra-Odisha border areas.

Noting that the encounter site was located in a highly remote area that is accessible by road only through Andhra Pradesh, he said the bodies are to be airlifted by helicopter to Malkangiri.

Malkangiri served as a major transit belt of the Naxals. In September 2013, as many as 13 Maoists were killed in an exchange of fire with the police in the Padia area of Malkangiri district.

The operation is seen as a revenge of the attack on June 29, 2008, when Maoists had ambushed a boat carrying Greyhound jawans in the reservoir at Alampaka. Altogether 38 persons, including 35 Greyhound jawans from Andhra Pradesh, had been killed in the attack.

Andhra Pradesh DGP (in charge) Nanduri Sambasiva Rao, who flew down to Visakhapatnam in afternoon, said Maoists continued to fire at the police parties.

"They are still firing. We are asking them to stopnot sure if the firing has stopped," he told reporters at Visakhapatnam airport.

Gajarla Ravi, who took part in the peace talks with AP government in 2004 along with top Maoist leader Ramakrishna, had been functioning as the Maoist Andhra-Odisha Border (AOB) zone secretary.

Some reports suggested that Ramakrishna, who is from Andra Pradeshs Guntur district gave a slip to police from the encounter site on Sunday morning even as unconfirmed reports suggested that his son Munna, who joined the Maoists recently, was among those killed.

The top Maoist had leaders assembled in their "den" in the Malkangiri forests for a plenum when the alleged encounter took place around 6.45 am.

Gajarla Ravi had been active in the Naxal movement for more than two decades.

One of his brothers, Gajarla Saraiah alias Azad, was also killed in an encounter with police in Warangal district (now in Telangana) a few years ago while another brother Ashok had recently surrendered to the police due to ill health.

Another top Maoist leader, Ramachandra Reddy alias Chalapati, from Chittoor district of AP  who went into hiding more than four decades ago  was also said to be among the 24 ultras killed in the encounter.

This was the third major "encounter" between the Maoists and security forces in the AOB region in which the former suffered heavy casualties.

Meanwhile, civil society leaders have demanded an inquiry by a sitting judge of High Court into the encounter.

"It was not an exchange of fire as being claimed by police. The Maoists, who were closeted in a meeting, were gunned down," AP Civil Liberties Committee leader Srirama Murthy alleged.  PTI
Destination Israel Updated: 2016-10-24 07:39 By MA SI(China Daily)

A member of a Chinese business delegation speaks with an employee (R) of Israeli high-tech firm ironSource at his office in Tel Aviv in this file photo. [Photo/Reuters]

Avi Cohen, CEO of The Floor, a Tel Aviv-based incubator of financial technology firms, hosts visitors, mostly Israel entrepreneurs, all the time. But, on a recent September weekend, his guests were 30 chairpersons of Chinese firms.

"Traditionally, Israeli entrepreneurs tend to look at Western markets for growth. But that is changing with the growing interest from Chinese investors," Cohen said.

The Floor was established eight months ago. So far, it has raised $2 million from Pando Group, a venture capital fund backed by China's Bloomage BioTechnology Corp Ltd. The Floor plans to open a Shanghai branch next year.

The investment is part of a broad trend unfolding in Israel, a global innovation hotspot which has become a popular destination for Chinese capital as China works hard to upgrade from a manufacturing hub into a tech beehive.

"Currently, every week, there is a Chinese delegation visiting Israel. They can be entrepreneurs, scholars or government officials," an official at the Chinese Embassy in Tel Aviv told China Daily.

In 2015, Chinese investments in Israeli startups and funds exceeded $500 million, showing a growth of 300 percent since 2012, data from the Israeli Ministry of Economy and Industry shows.

Tech giants such as Baidu Inc and Alibaba Group Holding Ltd, as well as players in traditional industries, have all joined the race. Last year, Chinese firms contributed 40 percent of money raised by Israeli venture capital funds.

"Israel's tech scene is a can't-miss these days," said Song Chunyu, vice-president of Beijing-based Lenovo Group Ltd. In charge of Lenovo's investment unit, Song visits Israel at least once a year.

According to him, the Middle Eastern country, which was ranked by Bloomberg as the second most innovative country in terms of R&D capabilities in the world in 2015, is highly complementary to China's economy.

"Israeli entrepreneurs are willing to spend years and decades on a specific core technology, but their growth is often limited by its small domestic market," Song said.

On the other hand, China, with a stable economy and a population of 1.3 billion, is a huge market but lacks ultra-modern technologies. "The two countries are a perfect match in the tech sector," he said.

Lenovo has so far poured $20 million into six Israeli startups, including Neura, a platform that helps users personalize connected devices while guarding their data.

It plans to invest $100 million more in local startups over the next three years to tap into Israeli talents.

Hila Engelhard, an official at the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said: "China is like a giant computer and Israel can serve as a processor in it."

According to her, a big portion of Chinese money is flowing into areas like agriculture, medical technology mobile internet and other high-tech industries.

Chinese industrial conglomerate Fosun International Ltd, for instance, spent $240 million to acquire a 97 percent stake in Israeli medical tech firm Alma Lasers Ltd.

Last year, Baidu Inc invested $5 million in Tonara, which developed an interactive music education app, along with its Israeli VC partner Carmel Ventures. Prior to that, it invested $3 million in local video capture firm Pixellot.

The trend is fueled by the national governments' efforts to deepen bilateral ties. A 10-year multiple entry visa policy will take effect next month. The two sides will also start talks for a free trade agreement. That will be preceded by a three-year deal to promote bilateral cooperation.

Such enthusiasm was very much in evidence at the second China-Israel Innovation and Investment Summit, which was held in Tel Aviv in late September. About 100 Chinese firms and 300 Israeli companies showed up and negotiated investment proposals totaling $1.5 billion, according to the conference organizer.

Among them is Chinese social networking heavyweight Tencent Holdings Ltd, which is looking for startups in artificial intelligence, augmented reality and cloud computing.

A group of CEOs from 40 smaller Chinese manufacturing firms was also present, looking for technologies that can upgrade their factories or help build new growth engines, as they wrestle with mounting pressure of an economy whose growth rate is slowing.

Chinese IT firm Neusoft announced at the start of the conference with Israeli-Chinese private equity fund Infinity Group that it would jointly set up a $250-million fund to invest in Israeli medical technologies over the next three years.

Shen Meng, director of Chanson & Co, a boutique investment bank in China, said a few Chinese startups do have "core technologies", but have been over-valued, pushing up the investment cost, which is prompting investors to look for the real gold in Israel.

"But China's budding businesses that are competitive won't suffer from this trend. After all, China has a lot of investable funds now. What we really lack are good ventures," Shen said.

Eran Wagner, general partner of Israeli VC fund Gemini, said Chinese firms often adopt two approaches to investing in Israel: they either pour money into local VC funds whose network can help them effectively reach early-stage startups or directly pump capital into late-stage firms that have mature technologies and products. "Chinese investors prefer later-stage firms."

But as China is moving rapidly from being a manufacturer to a global R&D center, the appetite for risk and willingness to fund technologies that are not fully developed, are growing, he said.

Compared with their Western counterparts, however, deep-pocketed Chinese firms are still newcomers to the Middle Eastern country. The language barrierEnglish and Hebrew are predominant in Israelcultural differences and a different startup ecosystem all add up to the challenges that Chinese investors face.

"It is quite important to develop trustworthy local advisors to navigate the differences between the two countries," said Chen Hongwei, executive director for Tencent's mergers and acquisitions.

Things are already moving in that direction rapidly. Legal firms, HR firms that supply workers, translators and guides, and platforms connecting Israel and China, are mushrooming.

Geekpark and 36Kr.com, two popular Chinese technology websites, rolled out Israeli business trip projects last month for small Chinese firms keen to visit Tel Aviv for investments.

Wang Xin, a Chinese student at Hebrew University, is itching to jump on the bilateral tech bandwagon. "I wanna stay in Israel to help deepen China-Israel business connections upon graduation. This is an opportunity too precious to miss."
Lucknow, October 24

Acrimony, bitter exchanges and personal attacks marked a meeting of Samajwadi Party leaders on Monday, bringing to the fore the high-voltage power struggle in the first family with Akhilesh Yadav and his father Mulayam Singh Yadav trading barbs while the Chief Minister was accused of planning to float a party, a charge he denied.

Cut up with his son, Mulayam put up a strong defence of his brother Shivpal Yadav, who was sacked by Akhilesh from his cabinet on Sunday, and general secretary Amar Singh but ruled out replacing the Chief Minister, who offered to quit.

The political drama was also punctuated by clashes between rival factions outside and inside the venue and after the abrupt end to the meeting of the legislators, MPs and ministers.

Seeking to put at rest speculation, Akhilesh ruled out forming any new party and offered to step down if Mulayam wanted.

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With his father and uncle watching, he broke down while addressing the meeting.

Let netaji (Mulayam) install a chief minister who he feels is honest, he said.

Why should I form a new party? he posed in an emotionally choked voice.

At the meeting Akhilesh said all these years he had toiled hard for the welfare of the people.

Merey pita, merey guru hain (my father is my guru), he said.

The Chief Minister said many people were trying to create divisions within his family using various machinations and that he had taught himself how to oppose any wrongdoing.

Tension was palpable much before the meeting began with youth supporters of Akhilesh mounting pressure on the leadership in support of the chief minister.

Amid talks that Akhilesh could give a miss to the silver jubilee celebrations of the party, the chief minister said, Rath bhi chaley, sthapana diwas be maney (my rath yatra will go on and establishment day of the party will be celebrated).

Akhilesh will embark on his rath yatra on November 3, two days ahead of the silver jubilee event, which gave rise to speculation that he would skip the big show to express his displeasure over the recent developments in the party.

The chief minister said he had connected with the masses with the help of Samajwadi Pension Yojana.

People kept criticising me, but I went ahead keeping my promises to them, he said.

An angry Akhilesh targeted Rajya Sabha MP Amar Singh for the current developments saying he (Amar) had hinted that some major changes would take place in October.

At the same time, the chief minister said if he had said something beyond his limit, he should be pardoned.

When his turn came, Mulayam Singh said the party was facing a difficult situation and party members should not fight with each other. But his words had little effect as chaos broke out at the venue and heated words were exchanged on the dais leading to an abrupt end of the meeting.

Both the father and son shouted at each other at the meeting.

I cant tolerate anything against Amar and Shivpal. Amar saved me from going to jail, Mulayam said admonishing Akhilesh for attacking Amar Singh.

Amar has helped me a lot. If Amar was not there I would have been in jail, he is like my brother, Mulayam said, describing the Rajya Sabha member as his brother.

Mulayam said mere donning of red cap (colour of SPs cap) did not make one Samajwadi.

Some ministers are just sycophants, he added.

I cannot forget the work done by Shivpal Yadav, he said while describing Shivpal as a mass leader.

We are facing a difficult situation; we should remove our weakness and not fight with each other, Mulayam said.

In the first open attack on his nephew, Shivpal Yadav claimed the chief minister had told him that he would float a new party to contest the upcoming Assembly polls.

He urged his brother to take over reins of Uttar Pradesh.

Speaking after Akhileshs denial, Shivpal said, Recently, I went to meet the CM. He said he would float a party and ally with some parties.

Daggers drawn with the chief minister over a host of issues, Shivpal said he was ready to vouch for it. I can swear by Gangajal, he said.

Referring to his long association with the party and his contributions towards strengthening it, Shivpal told party chief, Netaji, there is need for you to take over reins of Uttar Pradesh.

Standing stoutly with Amar Singh, who is being accused of pitting one against the other in the family, he said, Amar Singh ke charanon ki dhool bhi nahi ho aap log (Worth of all of you is not even one quarter of Amar Singh).

He said he had never severed his relations with Amar and shared personal ties with him all through.

Referring to the controversy over the merger of mafia don-turned-MLA Muktar Ansaris QED with the Samajwadi Party, Shivpal said he (Ansari) was never taken into the party and only rumours were spread in this regard.

Shivpal also made a mention of his efforts to garner support of opposition party MLAs to ensure smooth sailing of SP nominees in the recent Rajya Sabha polls.

Do I have no contribution in government formation? Have my departments not done good work? Even opposition party leaders laud the works... The CM should tell where I have not done enough...despite not being invited, I used to go to CMs house, he said.

At the meeting, Shivpal and Akhilesh traded charges at each other on the dais.

#WATCH Earlier Visuals: Heated argument between CM Akhilesh Yadav and Shivpal Yadav during Samajwadi Party meeting in Lucknow pic.twitter.com/nzMLQPK3A3  ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) October 24, 2016

Amid the commotion, Shivpal snatched the mike from the chief minister.

Snubbing Akhileshs supporters, Shivpal said the party had been strengthened through the hard work and sweat of Mulayam Singh and not because of your sloganeering.

When Shivpal said he had been working for the organisation all these four years visiting each district three to four times, someone in the audience pointed out that he had travelled using a government helicopter.

Shivpal retorted: Helicopter kya tumhare baap ka hai, main mantri tha government mein (Did your father own the helicopter? I was a minister in the government).

Ten of the chief ministers supporters who raised slogans against Shivpal Yadav were expelled from the party later in the evening.
Vibha Sharma

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, October 24

Maintaining a watchful eye on the ongoing political theatrics in Uttar Pradesh, the BJP is keeping its fingers crossed.

Officially, the party claims it is not worried over what it terms as a griha yudh a family war in which the BJP has no interest. However, the SP deadlock has the saffron party worried and there are reasons for that.

In its quest for UP, the BJPs best bet is that the Samajwadi Party, which party president Amit Shah termed as rival number one, remains united and under the control of Mulayam Singh. A united SP is mandatory to avoid any political advantage either to the Akhilesh Yadav faction or Maywatis BSP in the coming elections.

Consider this: The saffron party is building its UP campaign around gundagardi (hooliganism) and arajakta (anarchy) in the state under the Akhilesh Yadav-led SP government and susashan (good governance) and vikas (development) of the BJP led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, its face for UP

If there is a vertical split and Akhilesh decides to chart his own course, the BJPs allegations  mafia control and SP-cadre hooliganism in the statemay no longer stick with the incumbent CM, who enjoys a good image and reputation among the younger lot in the state.

For many in UP, Akhilesh represents the future even while father Mulayam and uncle Shivpal have dubious links and company of people like Amar Singh and Azam Khan.

A bigger worry with the BJP is if Akhilesh joins hands with Opposition parties (Congress, Ajit Singh-led RLD and the JD-U), the anti-BJP vote will consolidate in their favour.

BJPs other concern is about Mayawati and the BSP becoming a direct benefactor of the tussle for power in the SP. The deadlock is bound to disturb SP-equation not just with Muslims, but also with other communities, including the upper castes and backwards who may have voted in its favour in the last elections.
Aditi Tandon

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, October 24

Seeking to spruce up its Uttar Pradesh campaign, the Congress today pulled out its trump card with party chief Sonia Gandhis reluctant daughter Priyanka Gandhi Vadra attending her first-ever official party meeting in the Capital.

Called to debate partys election strategy in UP, the meeting saw Priyanka engage with veterans such as AICC general secretary UP Ghulam Nabi Azad, Congress CM candidate in the state Sheila Dikshit, state chief Raj Babbar, campaign panel chief Sanjay Singh and coordination committee head Pramod Tewari on the nature of poll plans and the need, if any, to tweak them.

Her brother and Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi was not present in the two-hour deliberations held at the partys war room on Gurdwara Rakabganj Road here.

The significance of the occasion wasnt lost on anyone with top Congress brass admitting that the meeting has set the stage for Priyankas launch in the UP elections and her subsequent entry into the Congress organisation.

All this may just be a matter of time. The fact that this is the first time Priyanka attended any formal Congress meeting is significant in itself. Equally significant is the fact that the Congress vice-president was not there which means the party consciously wants to send the signal that Priyanka is actively involved in UP strategy alongside her brother, said a senior UP Congress leader who attended the meeting.

Priyanka took stock of the three Congress campaigns that have concluded in UP Rahuls 26-day kisan yatra; a bus yatra 27 saal UP behaal undertaken by seniors Azad and Sheila and Rahuls workers meeting in Lucknow.

Priyanka also heard leaders suggestions on party strategist Prashant Kishors plans and the need to change them. Only four days ago, former chief of the UP Congress Rita Bahuguna had quit the party, blaming Kishors style of working.

There is speculation that Priyanka may launch her election campaign in UP from Allahabad to draw upon her great grandfather Pt Jawaharlal Nehrus legacy.
New York/New Delhi, October 24

Brazilian aircraft manufacturer Embraer has agreed to pay over $205 million to resolve charges of corruption and making bribe payments to officials in foreign nations.

The corruption charges in India relate to payment of $5.76 million to an agent in kickbacks for clinching a deal for the sale of three specialised military aircraft for the IAFs Airborne Early Warning and Control System.

The CBI has already registered an FIR in the case.

Embraer entered into the resolution to resolve criminal charges and agreed to pay a penalty of more than $107 million in connection with schemes involving the bribery of government officials in the Dominican Republic, Saudi Arabia and Mozambique, and to pay millions more in falsely recorded payments in India via a sham agency agreement, the US Justice Department said.

Apart from the $107 million penalty to the Justice Department as part of a deferred prosecution agreement, Embraer must also pay more than $98 million in disgorgement and interest to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

According to the companys admissions, Embraer executives and employees paid bribes to government officials and falsified books and records in connection with aircraft sales to foreign governments and state-owned entities in multiple countries.

The SECs complaint alleges that Embraer made more than $83 million in profits as a result of bribe payments from its US-based subsidiary through third-party agents to foreign government officials in the Dominican Republic, Saudi Arabia, and Mozambique.

Embraer allegedly created false books and records to conceal the illicit payments.

According to the SECs complaint, $3.52 million in bribes were paid to an official in the Dominican Republics air force to secure a military aircraft contract in that country and $1.65 million in bribes were routed to an official in Saudi Arabia to win business there.  PTI
Jupinderjit Singh

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, October 23

Admitting that talks were on with former BJP MP Navjot Singh Sidhu for a poll alliance in Punjab, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convener and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal today said the partys chief ministerial candidate would be from among the elected MLAs.

In an interview with The Tribune on way to Ludhiana, Kejriwal, who is on a three-day Punjab visit, exuded confidence. It is wrong to say the popularity graph of our party has declined because of the recent controversies. On the contrary, we are winning 96 seats as per the latest survey conducted by us. I do not trust other surveys as these are rigged, he said.

(Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd)

On the terms of alliance with Sidhu, he refused to say much. Let us see how the talks proceed. I have always said that I respect him, irrespective of whether he is with us or another party.

Kejriwal speaks to The Tribune, levelling charges against Chhotepur:

Claiming that his party had not veered off the track and that there was no lack of synergy between AAPs Delhi and Punjab teams, Kejriwal said they had several leaders from Punjab capable of holding the CMs post. Trashing reports that he planned to contest from Punjab as purely imaginary, he said: Neither me nor my wife will be contesting. I am not buying a house in Punjab. But I will be touring the state post-Diwali.

Pointing out the new-found love between Punjab Congress chief Capt Amarinder Singh and the Badals, Kejriwal alleged the Akalis were pumping drug money into the Congress election campaign.
Greater Noida, October 24

At least 100 women ITBP personnel have been deployed at 15 border posts along the arduous Sino-India frontier, making it the first such posting of mahila combatants in a forward area.

The force has recently completed the full processes for deployment of the women personnel at select forward posts, ITBP Director General Krishna Chaudhary told reporters here.

The women contingent, trained in war craft and and weapon firing, have been posted after the Border out Posts (BoPs) were made gender neutral and other facilities were created for them, he said.

Officials said while the maximum of these women have been sent to Indo-Tibetan Border Police BoPs in the Ladakh frontier of Jammu and Kashmir, few have been posted at other locations in Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh.

The total numbers of the women personnel, who have been posted at BoPs, is about 100, they said, adding few more BoPs will have women personnel in the coming days.

The force earlier this year commissioned 500 women troops for deployment at India-China border in its constabulary ranks after training them for 44-weeks in in battle craft and mountain survival.

The posts where these women have been deployed are situated at heights of between 8,000 and 14,000 feet, including the Mana pass border post, the last village on the Indian side in Uttarakhand.

The force plans to have women personnel make up at least 40 per cent of its strength at these forward posts.

This is the first time India has deployed women troops right at the front, at least on the one which is considered to be the most arduous and tricky given the harsh climatic conditions and extreme mountainous terrain along the India-China border.

ITBP, which marks its 55th Raising Day today, was raised in the aftermath of the 1962 Chinese aggression.

These women, who were recruited in the force in February last year, hail from various states with 97 of them, the highest, coming from the hill state of Uttarakhand.

Women constables were first inducted in this 80,000 personnel strong force in 2008, but they were until now only deployed for rendering law and order duties in troubled areas and in a few instances at the Nathu La pass to facilitate traders and for frisking women.

ITBP has a total of 1,661 women personnel in its various ranks and branches of work with the maximum number of 1,033 being in the constabulary ranks.  PTI
Beijing, October 24

China on Monday warned to US against interfering in the Sino-India border dispute as it objected to US envoy's visit to the disputed state of Arunachal Pradesh.

In a statement issued during press briefing on Sunday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang said that the visit would complicate the dispute and disturb peace.

US envoy to India Richard Verma visited Tawang  an area that China claims as its own  on October 22 for the Tawang Festival after he was invited by Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu.

"We have also noted that the place visited by senior US diplomatic official is a disputed region between China and India. We are firmly opposed to his visit," he said.

China claims Arunachal Pradesh as part of southern Tibet and routinely protests visits by Indian leaders, foreign officials and the Dalai Lama to the area. India, on the other hand, contests Beijings occupation of Aksai Chin, a territory the Chinese occupied forcibly in the Sino-Indian war of 1962.

Both sides held the 19th round of Special Representatives' talks to resolve the disputes over the 3,488-km Line of Actual Control (LAC).

"China's position on eastern section of the China-India boundary is very clear and consistent. The two countries are now trying to resolve territorial disputes through negotiations and consultations," he said referring to the Special Representatives mechanism headed by National Security Advisors of both countries to find a solution.

"Any third party with a sense of responsibility should respect efforts made by China and India for peace reconciliation and tranquility rather than the opposite," he said.

China said US interference would reverse the progress that talks between India and China has made.

"We urge the US to stop its interference in the boundary issue between China and India and make more contribution to regional peace and stability," he said.

"We believe India and China as two major countries have enough wisdom to properly to deal with this issue and safeguard the fundamental interest of the two peoples," Lu said.

India brushed away the protest saying Arunachal Pradesh was part of India.

"The US Ambassador visited Arunachal Pradesh, a state which is an integral part of the country to which he is accredited," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Vikas Swarup told the media.

Beijing said visits like that of Verma would make the border dispute between India and China more "complicated" and "sabotage" peace in the region.

"There is nothing unusual in (Verma's visit)," Swarup said.  Agencies
Imphal, October 24

Manipur Chief Minister Ibobi Singh on Monday escaped unhurt when suspected militants opened gun fire as he was getting out of his helicopter at the Ukhrul helipad, CID officials said.

A jawan of the Manipur Rifles was injured in the firing which took place when the Chief Minister stepped out of the helicopter and was being greeted by government officials, the officials said.

The CMs helicopter immediately took off and left for Chingai but could not land at the remote village due to protests, the official said.

(Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd)

The Chief Minister then cancelled his programmes and flew back to the state capital where he called an emergency cabinet meeting, the source said.

The CM had several programmes lined up at Hunphung village and at Chingai village in Ukhrul district. Ibobi was to travel to Hunphung to inaugurate the 100-bed Ukhrul district hospital besides a power sub-station, the sources said.

Civil Society organisations had called a curfew and put up a road blockade along the 3-km route to Hunphung from the helipad, the sources said, adding that two vehicles had also been set ablaze by the protesters.

WATCH: Manipur CM Okram Ibobi Singh escaped unhurt after terrorists opened fire in Ukhrul; one jawan injured (Earlier visuals) pic.twitter.com/7idIlotCs5  ANI (@ANI_news) October 24, 2016

Earlier, a jawan of the Indian Reserve Battalion sustained splinter injuries in a bomb attack by suspected militants on the newly constructed hospital in the wee hours before its scheduled inauguration, police said.

Two bombs were fired at the hospital either from a lethod gun or rocket launcher, the official said.

At remote Chingai village, Singh was scheduled to inaugurate a power sub-station, a BDO office and a bank building.

Tension prevailed in the area, the official said. PTI
Tribune News Service

Lucknow, October 24

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, batting for equal rights for Muslim women, today said he was all for the abolition of triple talaq. At the same time, he condemned the prevalence of female foeticide among the Hindus.

Launching BJPs election campaign in Uttar Pradesh with his first Maha Parivartan rally at Mahoba in Bundelkhand, he said: Female foeticide is a sin, even if the sinner is a Hindu.

He claimed the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre had taken several measures to stop this practice. Now the issue of talaq has come up and we are opposed to it, he said. He said no society could progress if atrocities on women remained unchecked.

He urged the media not to politicise triple talaq into a Hindu versus Muslim or BJP versus other parties issue. Modi said the Centre, in its submission to the Supreme Court, had clearly stated that there should be no cruelty to women and no discrimination on the basis of religion.

Holding the BSP and the Samajwadi Party responsible for the backwardness of a region such as Bundelkhand, that was rich in resources, the PM asked the people to break free of the SP-BSP cycle and instead vote for development (read BJP) in the Assembly elections early next year. He promised to turn Uttar Pradesh to Uttam Pradesh in 10 years,.

He referred to the Yadav family feud, saying certain parties only want to save their family. Not sparing the BSP, he said some parties wanted to grab power at any cost.

Later, Modi visited Varanasi. He bestowed the city with various schemes running into several thousand crores. Speaking at a public meeting, he urged the people to dedicate this Diwali to the armed forces by sending them their good wishes.
Simran Sodhi

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, October 24

India may soon introduce resident visa for partners of those in a live-in relationship. Sources in the government say the Ministry of Home Affairs in consultation with the Ministry of External Affairs will soon roll out the new policy.

Sources say the partners will have to prove they have been in a live-in relationship for more than two years. Documents submitted as proof of their relationship such as birth certificates of any children they have, papers showing joint property ownership or a civil union partnership certificate will be assessed to decide individual cases.

The move is likely to benefit foreign diplomats who get posted here. Those in a live-in relationship find it practically impossible to get visa for their partners on being posted to New Delhi or any other Indian city.

In 2013, then Foreign Secretary Sujatha Singh was forced to remove a senior IFS officer, Neena Malhotra, from her position in the MEAs passports and visa division after she refused to grant visa to a gay partner of a US diplomat who was posted here from Islamabad.

Malhotra had justified her stand saying gay marriages in India were illegal, but under pressure from the US, the diplomats partner was granted visa under the family member category.

The new law will take care of live-in partners while the status of gay partners is likely to remain unclear even now since India has not yet decriminalised homosexuality.

The move is an indication that the government is now willing to make concessions with the changing times.

Box

Foreign diplomats to benefit

* Foreign diplomats posted in India are set to benefit since those in a live-in relationship find it hard to get visa for their partners

* The applicants will have to prove they are in a live-in relationship for more than two years. Birth certificates of children, papers showing joint property ownership, etc. will be assessed to decide individual cases

* The status of gay partners is likely to remain unclear since India has not yet decriminalised homosexuality
China warns of property-related financial risks Updated: 2016-10-24 07:59 (Xinhua)

People look at a housing project near the Dianchi Lake in Kunmin, Southwest China's Yunnan province, on Oct 21, 2016. [Photo/VCG]

China's banking watchdog has ordered strict control of financial risks related to real estate as bank loans to the sector surged.

Regulations over property loans must be rigorously implemented, and financial business related to real estate agents and developers should be conducted in a prudent manner, according to a statement on the website of the China Banking Regulatory Commission (CBRC).

Irregular inflow of loans or wealth management funds into the property sector must be banned, said the statement.

By the end of September, financial institutions in China had lent 25.33 trillion yuan ($3.74 trillion) to the property sector, up 25.2 percent year on year, central bank data show.

While the property sector has been a significant growth driver for the Chinese economy so far, policymakers have tried to prevent an asset bubble following drastic price rises in some first- and second-tier cities.

As a result of government curb policies, including purchase limits and tightened mortgage restrictions, the month-on-month price index for new homes in 15 first- and second-tier cities retreated in the first half of October from September, according to the National Bureau of Statistics.

The CBRC also urged efforts to avert risks related to local government debts and industrial sectors with excessive capacity.
Mumbai, October 24

In a sudden and dramatic turn of events, Cyrus Mistry was today sacked as chairman of Indias largest conglomerate Tata Group and replaced by his predecessor Ratan Tata in the interim, triggering a possible confrontation between the single-largest shareholder and the companys founding family.

Mistrys family firm Shapoorji Pallonji Group, which has 18.4 per cent stake in Tata Sons  the holding company of $100-billion salt-to-software conglomerate  is believed to be considering fighting out the illegal removal.

The board of Tata Sons, where 66 per cent shares are held by philanthropic trusts endowed by members of the Tata family, ousted chairman Mistry, saying it was acting for the long-term interest of the firm. No reason was given for removing Mistry, who was brought in less than four years back with much fanfare, but it is believed there were differences over the management style and his approach of selling assets after writing them down.

The board named a five-member search committee, which includes Tata, to choose a successor within four months. The other four members are TVS Group head Venu Srinivasan, Amit Chandra of Bain Capital, former diplomat Ronen Sen and Lord Kumar Bhattacharya. Except Bhattacharya, all are on the board of Tata Sons.

Mistry, 48, who replaced Tata, 78, as chairman in December 2012, was only the sixth group chairman in nearly 15 decades and the first from outside the Tata family.

Under Ratan Tatas chairmanship (1991 to 2012), the Groups revenue grew from around $6 billion to $100 billion, driven by his expansionist strategy that included overseas purchases like tea maker Tetley in 2000 and luxury car company Jaguar Land Rover in 2008. But out of 100 companies under Tata Sons, only a few were profitable, with Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) and JLR clearly standing out.

Mistry, on the other hand, was looking at tackling mounting debt by raising cash, refinancing loans and selling assets after writing them down. Founded in 1868, Tata Group employs 7 lakh people.  PTI
Vikramdeep Johal

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, October 24

Even as Britain salutes the Sikh contribution to its campaigns in World Wars I and II, a project has set out to achieve total recall of the two Anglo-Sikh Wars, fiercely fought in the 1840s after Maharaja Ranjit Singhs death.

The project, titled Battles, Treaties and Relics, was launched by the Sikh Museum Initiative (SMI) at the Newarke Houses Museum in Leicester recently. The museum is hosting an exhibition of the relics and artefacts of these wars between March and June 2017.

Gurinder Singh Mann, a Sikh scholar and the SMI director, says, A series of battles determined the fate of the Sikh empire, which went head-to-head with the East India Company. It were the Anglo-Sikh wars that brought mutual respect between the two empires.

Several lectures, walking tours and other events are being organised as part of the project, funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund. The tours are being conducted in association with historian Rav Singhs A little history of the Sikhs group, says Mann, whose parents migrated from Hoshiarpur to the UK in the 1960s.

The Leicester-based SMI plans to use 3D modelling, augmented reality and other new technologies to preserve war-related heritage. The researchers will also focus on the spoils of war, primarily Maharaja Ranjit Singhs golden octagonal throne and the legendary diamond, Kohinoor.
Vijay Mohan

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, October 24

After recently constructing a war memorial in Tanzania for Indian soldiers who had fallen in the East African Campaign of the First World War, the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) is drawing up plans to renovate the huge Indian war memorial in Iraq and commemorate the 75th anniversary of the Battle of Kohima in a big way.

The new war memorial has come up at Tanga in Tanzania and has inscribed on it the names of 344 Indian soldiers. Richard Hill, CWGCs Director for Africa and Asia Pacific Area, who was on a visit to India said the memorial commemorated the battles fought against the Germans in that region along the eastern coast.

Headquartered in London, the CWGC was created in 1917 and looks after 1.7 million graves and memorials from the two world wars. Publically funded by Australia, Canada, India, New Zealand, South Africa and the United Kingdom with an annual budget of 67 million, it also commemorates over 1.6 lakh Indian soldiers who died in the two great wars.

Tanzania currently has an Indian-origin population of about 50,000, which began settling there in the 19th century. The Indian community and the Indian High Commission were also involved in the project.

Hill said the commission was planning to make the 75th anniversary of the Battles of Kohima and Imphal, among the most decisive battles of the Second World War, a big affair. Fought in 1944, it was the turning point of the war in the eastern hemisphere that checked Japanese advance into India.

We would like to work with the Army, state governments and tourism agencies on this. We have proposed a project to the Chief Minister for commemorations in 2019 and as a starter, we plan to hold a small ceremony in Kohima next year, where the CWGC maintains a war cemetery for 1,420 Allied war dead, he said.

There is also a huge war memorial and cemetery at Basra in Iraq, which is in a state of disrepair that commemorates the sacrifices of about 35,000 Indian soldiers in that theatre.
Beijing/New Delhi, October 24

China today warned the US that any interference by it in the Sino-India boundary dispute will make it more complicated and disturb hard-won peace at the border, days after the US envoy in India Richard Verma visited Arunachal Pradesh, which Beijing claims as southern Tibet. India reacted saying there was nothing unusual about the trip to a state which is an integral part of the country.

Asking the US to desist from interfering in the India-China border dispute, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang said China was firmly opposed to the visit. Referring to Vermas October 22 tour to Tawang at the invitation of Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu, Lu said the US envoy visited a disputed region. We have also noted that the place visited by senior US diplomatic official is a disputed region between China and India. We are firmly opposed to his visit, he said.

China claims Arunachal Pradesh as part of southern Tibet and routinely protests visits by Indian leaders, foreign officials as well as the Dalai Lama to the area.

External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Vikas Swarup said: The US Ambassador visited Arunachal Pradesh, a state which is an integral part of the country to which he is accredited. There is nothing unusual in it.  PTI
R Sedhuraman

Legal Correspondent

New Delhi, October 24

The Supreme Court on Monday sought the central governments response by October 28 to a plea for making public the list of business houses that had defaulted on repayment of bank loans exceeding Rs 500 crore each.

A Bench headed by Chief Justice TS Thakur set the deadline after going through the list submitted by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) in a sealed cover. The RBI pleaded against such disclosure, contending that it would be against the confidentiality clause and that it would also adversely affect economic growth.

The Bench asked Solicitor General Ranjit Kumar to take instructions from the Centre and posted the next hearing for October 28. Appearing for the PIL petitioner, senior counsel Prashant Bhushan pleaded for disclosure of the names of defaulters, arguing that the RBI was covered under the Right to Information (RTI) Act.

The Solicitor General said the government had already set up a 5-member high power committee that was expected to submit its report on the issue shortly.

The Bench felt that the list should be made public without specifying if the non-repayments were willful or due to financial constraints.

Rich people take crores of rupees as loans and declare insolvency, while poor farmers are suffering, the Bench had remarked at the last hearing. The list shows that the outstanding loans are indeed very large.

RBI pleaded that making the list public was against banking laws under which financial institutions could not disclose the assets and liabilities of their clients.

Initially, the Bench was hearing the PIL on an alleged scam in the Housing and Urban Development Corporation (HUDCO) that resulted in a loss of thousands of crores. It then asked the RBI to provide a list of major defaulters.

Subsequently, the apex court enlarged the scope of the PIL beyond HUDCO to go into the problem of mounting bad loans, known as non-performing assets (NPAs).
Legal Correspondent

New Delhi, October 24

Mumbais Haji Ali Dargah Trust today assured the Supreme Court that women would be allowed near the shrines sanctum sanctorum within four weeks, ending the practice of letting only men into the 15th century mosque.

The trust had come to the SC challenging the Bombay High Courts August 26 judgment directing the mosque to allow access to women as well.

However, when the appeal came up for hearing before a Bench headed by Chief Justice TS Thakur today, trusts senior counsel Gopal Subramanium said the mosque had decided to honour the HC verdict.

The trustees believe in complete equality of men and women as envisaged in Islam and to give effect to the said principle of equality have decided that both men and women shall be allowed to enter the room which houses the sanctum sanctorum of Pir Haji Ali Shah Bukhari right up to the sanctum. However, neither men nor women shall be allowed to touch the sanctum sanctorum, the mosque authorities said in a fresh affidavit. Subramanium said the trust was seeking time to facilitate womens entry as some structural changes required to be made. Granting time, the apex court said the implementation of the assurance would be ensured by the HC. The HC had delivered the judgment on a PIL pleading the ban amounted to violation of Articles 14, 15 and 25 of the Constitution.
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, October 24

Expressing concern over the high number of proclaimed offenders (POs), the Election Commission pulled up police officers of the districts, which have a large number of POs. Notably, there are more than 20,000 POs in the state.

On the second day of the three-day visit to Punjab, the Election Commission, headed by Chief Election Commissioner Nasim Zaidi, held a meeting with Senior Superintendents of of Police (SSPs) and Deputy Commissioners of different districts. The district-wise security review for the upcoming Assembly elections was done in the meeting.

According to sources, the Election Commission directed police officers to arrest POs as soon as possible. The commission also asked the police to execute non-bailable warrants.

Apart from this, the Deputy Commissioners were directed to finalise the electoral rolls.

On Sunday, various political parties during a meeting with the Election Commission had expressed concern over 20,000 POs roaming free in the state. Saying the POs might be used by the ruling alliance in the elections, the parties also expressed concern over the politicisation of police and civil administration. Speaking on the issue, the EC team asked the DCs and SSPs not to work under any political pressure.

Zaidi said voters were the main stakeholders in the election process and their effective participation in voting was essential.

Earlier, during an interaction with media persons, the Election Commission said the issue of facilitating the participation of people staying outside Punjab and NRIs in the electoral process had been referred to the Law Ministry. Zaidi also said they were looking into bringing the parties manifestos under a legal framework as many promises were made in these to lure the voters.
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, October 24

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday accepted Punjab Congress chief Capt Amarinder Singh's challenge for holding a debate.

In a day of war of words between the two on social media, Amarinder tweeted, "Now that youve shot your mouth, dont scoot like you typically do! Show courage & come for an open debate. Choose the time, place & platform."

Replying to this, the Delhi Chief Minister said, "I accept ur challenge sir. I suggest 4 names- H S Phoolka, Jarnail Singh, Bhagwant or Gurpreet. Speaker, date, time, place of ur choice."

To this, Captain replied, "Punjabis believe in leading from the front, not hiding behind others.Or have you already accepted that you can't face me for a public debate?"

And Kejriwal then tweeted, "I am not hiding behind anyone sir. I am ready for a debate with Rahul ji or Sonia ji anytime. Our Punjab team will debate wid u."

So you've chickened out!You're the'Aam Aadmi' who levels allegations on everyone bt wud like to engage only with PM & Presidents of parties! https://t.co/YNBR7T7XNM  Capt.Amarinder Singh (@capt_amarinder) October 24, 2016

Amarinder further targeted Kejriwal by tweeting, "So you've chickened out!You're the 'Aam Aadmi' who levels allegations on everyone bt wud like to engage only with PM & Presidents of parties!"

Earlier, Kejriwal and Amarinder had locked horns on social media after the AAP convener accused the Punjab Congress chief of using drug money in his campaign.

Sir, ppl talking in Punjab that u using Majithia's drug money in ur campaign. Is it true? U had saved him from CBI enquiry 3 yrs back https://t.co/RysiDptHT4  Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) October 24, 2016

Singh put out a stinging response to Kejriwal, saying he was hallucinating and seeing things that dont exist. The two leaders have been increasingly trading barbs on Twitter as the Assembly election nears.

When your hopes crash from 100 to 30 & still sliding,you're bound to hallucinate & see things that don't exist.       https://t.co/e9yfDIrBd4  Capt.Amarinder Singh (@capt_amarinder) October 24, 2016

Sir, ppl talking in Punjab that u using (Bikram Singh) Majithias drug money in ur campaign. Is it true? U had saved him from CBI enquiry 3 yrs back (sic), Kejriwal tweeted.

(Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd)

The Punjab Congress chief was quick to respond, saying Kejriwal is seeing stars during the day.

When your hopes crash from 100 to 30 & still sliding, youre bound to hallucinate & see things that dont exist, Singh tweeted.

Read: Kejriwal interview: War of words erupts on Twitter

Kejriwal has been alleging a nexus between the Congress and the ruling Akalis in poll-bound Punjab. He has dubbed Singh their joint chief ministerial candidate.

I accept ur challenge sir. I suggest 4 names- H S Phoolka, Jarnail Singh, Bhagwant or Gurpreet. Speaker, date, time, place of ur choice https://t.co/lYrOMgEET3  Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) October 24, 2016

Sir, Badals closed corruption cases against u just a few months before elections. Why? Punjab asking whats the deal? Kejriwal had tweeted on Sunday, responding to which Singh asked the AAP chief to set his own house in order, before he sets his sights on Punjab.

I am not hiding behind anyone sir. I am ready for a debate with Rahul ji or Sonia ji anytime. Our punjab team will debate wid u. https://t.co/EeSqHHZLss  Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) October 24, 2016

Kejriwal was referring to the Punjab Vigilance Bureaus clean chit to Singh in his alleged role in the Amritsar Improvement Trust land scam case. With Agencies
Tribune News Service

Dhuri, October 24

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convener and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal here on Monday visited the residence of journalist Kewal Krishan, who was allegedly shot dead by an Akali councillor.

Expressing condolence with the family, Kejriwal said law and order in Punjab has stooped to a new low, which was evident from the spree of murders committed by liquor mafia and the murder of Kewal Krishan.

He said even journalists were not safe in Punjab.

When the family apprised Kejriwal about the marriage of the deceased journalists daughter, Kejriwal said Punjab Government should provide adequate compensation to the family to enable them to solemnise the marriage of the victims daughter. He urged the state government to ensure justice to the family.

Kejriwal said criminals had no fear of police. Akalis have let their goons loose to shoot anybody, he added.

Once voted to power, it would be a challenge for the AAP government to mend the deteriorated law and order and restore peoples faith in police, which was at present working under Akali jathedars, he said.

Later, Kejriwal visited Satauj, the native village of party MP Bhagwant Mann. He visited the homes of three youth who died due to electrocution while working in their fields.

From Satauj, Kejriwal moved to Talwandi Sabo to pay obeisance at Takht Sri Damdama Sahib.

From there, he would move to Bathinda to address a gathering of traders and businessmen. After that he would proceed to Jalandhar. Tomorrow, he is to visit Batala and some other places.

Kejriwal is accompanied by his wife Sunita, who recently took voluntary retirement from the Indian Revenue Service.

She is making sure that he takes medicine on time. Kejriwal, who underwent a throat surgery recently regarding a persisting cough, has been running mild fever since he got operated, it is learnt.
Gagan K Teja

Tribune News Service

Patiala, October 24

The Pepsu Road Transport Corporation (PRTC) is all set to roll out its first batch of buses under the Pendu (Rural) Bus Service Scheme after the Punjab and Haryana High Court gave a go-ahead recently to the Punjab Govern-ment for it.

Having a sanctioned fleet of 1,075 buses, the PRTC is running 1,050 buses on various routes in Punjab. However, with a view to provide bus service in remote rural areas, the corporation has identified 106 new routes and 80 new 34-seater buses will be put on these before November 15, 2016. The first batch of seven buses is already at the PRTC workshop and many more are there for the final inspection.

Notably, the state government had decided to start the rural bus service in the areas that do not have any means of transport but the decision had not gone down well with a faction of employees who felt that it could prove to be a disaster for the financial health of the corporation since the routes were non-profitable. They demanded that before starting the buses, the government should take the responsibility of making these routes viable and compensate at a cost of Rs 35 per km so that it does not affect the Pepsu Road Transport Corporation.

Later, a few mini bus operators approached the High Court, challenging some provisions in the scheme and the Punjab Transport Policy. This led to some uncertainly over the launch of the scheme.

The two contractors, who have been given the tender for these 80 buses, are ready with a few buses that are parked at the PRTC workshop at Nabha Road.

Now, with the court deciding the matter in the favour of the state government, the corporation is all set to roll out the service at the earliest.

When contacted, PRTC Managing Director Ravinder Singh said it was the duty of state transport undertaking to run buses in the areas where people actually needed them without caring about profits. The PRTC has managed to break even its expenditures and income. Apart from clearing all dues of pensioners, who retired till December, 2015, we are releasing salaries and pensions every month, which in itself is a big achievement considering that till about two years ago, we had a backlog of four to five months, he added.
'Golden' age for cruises Updated: 2016-10-24 10:28 By Xu Lin(China Daily)

Industry show in Tianjin celebrates the potential for new experiences in the next decade, Xu Lin reports.

Cruise travel, already growing in popularity among Chinese with disposable income, will enjoy a boom over the next decade, according to industry experts at a recent trade show.

A growing number of Chinese travelers are enjoying cruises as a leisurely way of travel, relaxing as they enjoy delicious cuisine, activities on board and hospitality from an international service team.

"China's cruise industry will develop even faster in the next decade, entering into its golden period," says Zheng Weihang, executive vice-chairman and secretary-general of the China Cruise and Yacht Industry Association, at the recent China Cruise Shipping and International Cruise Expo in Tianjin. Cruise company executives, travel agency representatives and government officials participated in the show.

Top: A new cruise ship, Majestic Princess, owned by the global cruise company Carnival Corporation, will arrive in Shanghai in July. Above: Travelers enjoy activities on board. Photos by Xu Lin / China Daily and Provided to China Daily

Over the past 10 years, the number of cruise ships that operate in China has increased from one in 2006 to 18. International cruise ports in China have grown from zero to seven, with three under construction. It's estimated that 1.6 million Chinese will travel overseas on a cruise this year.

"Many Chinese travelers still think cruises are only a type of transport. It's important to make them realize that cruises are also destinations, and they can spend more time on board," says Zheng.

The central government, Shanghai, Tianjin, and Hainan and Fujian provinces have introduced policies to boost development of the cruise industry, he says, and more domestic corporations are teaming up with cruise companies to provide shipbuilding, operation and talent training.

Many overseas cruises have adapted to cater to the demands of Chinese customers eager to enjoy themselves with friends or families. Chinese travelers can have a square dance or play mahjong. Also, cruises are hiring Chinese crews and teaching simple Chinese to foreign crews.

"As a growing number of international cruise brands enter China, the market needs a brand that can combine local features with the international elements," Fan Min, vice-chairman of Ctrip and chairman of Skysea Cruise Line says.

"It's the best time for domestic cruise companies like us as the market is mature. We have the local teams that know more about the China market."

Skysea's investors include the Chinese online travel agency Ctrip and the US-based Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd, which operate the cruises together. The company is planning to have a second ship in China.

Meanwhile, overseas cruise companies have been cooperating with Chinese travel agencies to open up the market and attract tourists.

Fan says traditional travel agencies have pioneered the cruise economy, by chartering a cruise and selling tickets to travelers. Online travel agencies also follow this pattern in China and their share in the cruise-sales market is rising.

Fan is confident about online travel agencies' role in the market and thinks they will help connect with young travelers who might enjoy cruises.

Liu Zinan, president of the China and North Asia Pacific region for Royal Caribbean International, agrees that such charters help boost the cruise market in China. Most of Royal Caribbean's sales are via travel agencies, but the company is striving to expand other channels while maintaining this wholesale model.

As onshore tours organized by travel agencies are mainly for shopping, Liu says those who want to experience something different can join guided onshore tours offered by the cruise company.

The cruise association's Zheng calls for more ports to open in Asia, noting that the cruise itineraries starting from China are limited.

Wei Tao, chairman of Diamond Cruise International Co, Ltd, says his company plans to have a cruise leaving from a Japanese homeport for Shanghai, to draw Japanese tourists to China.

"Cruise tourism in China should have both inbound and outbound tourists. It should not just about transporting Chinese guests to Japan, South Korea and Southeast Asia," Zheng says.

Zheng suggests that global cruise companies open more cruise lines that go around the world, or that they first transport overseas tourists to China by air and then have them tour around China and other Asian countries on cruises.

"In the rapid growth of cruise tourism, quality also counts. Operators in the industry should ensure the good quality of a cruise experience, and avoid malicious low-price competition."

Contact the writer at xulin@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily 10/24/2016 page22)
Tribune News Service

Amritsar, October 24

Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal here today showcased the works undertaken under Amritsars beautification drive, including the entrance gate of the holy city, the plaza in front of the Golden Temple, a multimedia interpretation centre and a heritage street leading to the shrine.

Sukhbir, who spearheaded the over Rs 250-crore project, conducted an inaugural walk along the 0.9-km stretch leading to the Golden Temple from the Town Hall complex.

Sukhbir said, Sri Darbar Sahib is one of the biggest tourist attractions not only in Amritsar but also the entire world. So, it was of prime importance to manage the huge footfall.

The almighty has blessed me with the good fortune to do this sewa. I have done it with full sincerity, he added.

He said the multimedia centre was aimed at using the latest technology to acquaint visitors with Sikh philosophy. Walking down the heritage street, he stated that about 170 buildings had witnessed a facelift under the project.

The Partition Museum at Town Hall, which brings together memorabilia in the form of photos, artefacts, documents etc., was also showcased, besides the grand new gateway to Amritsar. The latter, a domed structure, has been painted in golden metallic colour  in a tribute to Harmandar Sahib.

Fuwara Chowk, which once had the statue of Queen Victoria, has now got a grand statue of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, with multi-level fountains. Sukhbir said Durgiana Mandir, too, would be beautified and renovated. According to the Deputy CM, during the second phase of the project, all streets leading to the Golden Temple would be given a heritage look akin to the heritage street. He said if the SAD came to power again, the whole city would undergo a facelift in the next five years.
Sarbjit Dhaliwal

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, October 24

Trouble in the Kashmir valley has hit hard the woollen manufacturers of Ludhiana. For the manufacturers, Kashmir valley is one of the best markets to sell their material.

This is one market where demand for winter wear remains round the year because of the inflow of tourists in the valley, said Venod Thapar, chairman of Knitwear Manufacturers Club, Ludhiana.

But due to the curfew, which remained for several weeks at various places Kashmir, the supply of winter wear could not be made to the Valley. Though things have improved a bit in the past some days, truckers are not prepared to take material to the troubled areas.

Huge stock of woolen clothes has piled up in factories due to this reason, said another manufacturer.

Apart from jackets, sweaters, caps and gloves, the Ludhiana manufacturers also prepare thermal wear. In the higher reaches of Kashmir valley, winter begins early, said Sunil Dutt, another supplier of warm clothes to J&K. The wholesale and retail dealers at Srinagar and other places in the valley start stocking clothes in August and September. However, because of the trouble during these months, most of the wholesale dealers in the valley were unable to procure stock from Ludhiana.

The payment of most of the manufacturers is also stuck up due to the hostile situation in Kashmir valley. Some of the manufactures, who had supplied warm clothes early this year, have not received payments, Thapar said.

To add to our woes, the Excise and Taxation Department is asking us to complete tax related documents, such as the filling of the Form VII etc. When we are already facing trouble due to incomplete payments and piling up of stocks, the authorities concerned should take all these circumstances into consideration, Thapar added.

As the situation is limping back to normalcy in the valley, the truckers may gather courage to transport the material in the days to come. As of now, the manufactures are facing a difficult time, another supplier said.
Varinder Singh

Tribune News Service

bathinda, October 24

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convener Arvind Kejriwal said here today that the SAD-BJP alliance and the Congress were two sides of the same coin. They have looted Punjab by turns. AAP is the only ray of hope for the state, he said while addressing traders and industrialists.

He added that the Badals had left no stone unturned to please Prime Minister Narendra Modi, but still failed to get even a single paisa from the Centre for development. He promised that once AAP came to power, it would grab the states rightful share by confronting Modi and the NDA government.

He announced that AAP would not let the state-run thermal plants to shut down as it would make more than 10,000 employees jobless. On goonda tax in Punjab, he alleged that the owners of a Ludhiana-based bread factory had to shell out Badal tax on every loaf of bread.

Kejriwal was accompanied by Gurpreet Singh Waraich, Sanjay Singh, Bhagwant Mann and Kanwar Sandhu.

Jalandhar: Addressing local industrialists in the city, Kejriwal said he was ready to touch the feet of Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the cause of Punjab. But if that did not work, he was ready to fight for the states rights, he added.
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, October 24

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Harish Rawat distributed cheques under seed money and Community Investment Fund initiatives of Mukhyamantri Mahila Swayam Sahayata Samuh Sashiktkaran Yojna at the Himanya Saras fair held at Parade Ground here today.

The cheques of seed capital worth Rs 5,000 and Community Investment Fund worth Rs 20,000 were presented to women self-help groups (WSHGs) from various districts of the state.

Addressing the event, the Chief Minister said the state government was enthused at the growing participation of WSHGs and budget had been released to set up Women Hatt in Chamoli and Dehradun. Further, these sorts of Hatts would be set up in every district of Uttarakhand. He said Indira Amma canteens was based on a concept aimed at encouraging WSHGs in the food sector. The state government was going to set up 100 Indira Amma canteens across Uttarakhand as more than 20 such canteens had been set up till date.

The economic development of Uttarakhand was being initiated by collective participation of WSHGs, Mahila Mangal Dals, Anganwari and ASHA workers and Bhojanmatas, Rawat said.

He said a plan was being made to waive old loans of WSHGs. Under the Rajya Byaj Upadan Yojna, WSHGs whose loans became non-performing assets (NPA) by December 31, 2013, but still wanted to work and were ready to pay the principal amount, their interest from the date of becoming NPA till date would be borne by the state government. The Uttarakhand Government would grant an interest subsidy of up to 3 per cent to those WSHGs which would perform well and pay their loans on time.

Rawat said 5 per cent bonus would be granted to WSHGs on their annual turnover by the state government and 10 per cent bonus to those groups which were working in disaster-affected districts of the state. The women working in their own farms might be registered as MNERGA labour.
Dehradun, October 24

Uttarakhand High Court on Monday refused to give any more time to former chief ministers of the state to vacate the government bungalows occupied by them in the city, saying they will have to do so by December 16, the deadline set by the state government.

A division bench of the High Court comprising Chief Justice KM Joseph and Justice U C Dhyani categorically refused to extend the deadline of December 16 set by the state government for evacuation of the bungalows occupied by the former CMs, the petitioners counsel Kartikey Hari Gupta told PTI.

Former chief minister Vijay Bahuguna had appealed to the High Court to give him six months time to vacate the bungalow allotted to him.

The court asked all chief ministers to strictly adhere to the state governments order in this regard, Gupta said.

The High Court also asked the state government to recover rent from the ex-CMs for occupying the bungalows with retrospective effect.

It has also asked the state government to calculate how much money the former CMs will have to pay as rent and submit its calculations to the court by November 21.  PTI
Tribune News Service

Haridwar, October 24

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) today got a major jolt as Sunil Sethi, a youth leader and president of the traders fraternity, resigned from the primary membership of the party, accusing city legislator Madan Kaushik and Mayor Manoj Garg of not being able to live up to the expectations of the voters.

Having held organisational posts such as the district party coordinator, representative of the Mayor and Mahanagar Vyapar Mandal president, Sunil Sethi has been quite active on social and issues related with the public directly.

Of late, he has even went beyond party lines by protesting against the lacklustre working of the BJP-dominated Municipal Corporation, and even blaming Mayor Manoj Garg for not being able to control outbreak of dengue and chikungunya in the city.

Announcing his resignation, Sethi questioned the lavish spending on the Divali Milan function organised by three-time city legislator Madan Kaushik and Mayor Manoj Garg at Prem Nagar ashram convention hall yesterday, in which around 15,000 people took part.

Kaushik and Garg drew the crowd by offering them sweet boxes and gifts. They have failed on development front and couldnt address the local issues. Now they are distributing gifts to save their vote bank, he said.

He said the central Haridwar faced waterlogging woes for 15 years, but the problem was addressed only three months ago, that too by Chief Minister Harish Rawat. The BJP MLA and the Mayor live within a radius of 400-metre of the most affected area, Chandracharya square. From waterlogging, garbage disposal, sanitation, recarpeting of roads, effective sewerline to health care, the city lags way behind in comparison to huge funds and taxes the civic body collects. While, lakhs were spend on Divali Milan convention, not a single penny was spend by them from their own for fogging in the past three months, when dengue gripped more than 1,200 people in Haridwar, added Sethi, who is likely to join the Congress.

Congress Mahanagar unit president Anshul Shrikunj said such activists were welcome into the party fold, who work for the people diligently. It depends upon the high command to induct anyone into the party, he said.

BJP district vice-president Vikas Tiwari termed Sethis resignation as unfortunate and rubbished his allegations. People know the development works Kaushik and Garg have done. The huge participation by the people during the Divali Milan programme suggests their popularity, he added.
Calais, October 24

France began clearing the sprawling "Jungle" migrant camp on Monday as hundreds gave up on their dreams of reaching Britain, a tantalisingly short sea crossing away. Following sporadic outbreaks of unrest overnight, the migrants chose instead with calm resignation to be relocated in France while their asylum requests are considered.

By lunchtime more than 700 had left the squalid shanty-town outside Calais on France's northern coast for reception centres across the country. Hundreds more queued outside a hangar, waiting to be processed before the bulldozers move in.

French officials celebrated the peaceful start to yet another attempt to dismantle the camp, which has become a symbol of Europe's failure to respond to the migration crisis as member states squabble over who should take in those fleeing war and poverty.

But some aid workers warned that the trouble overnight, when some migrants burned toilet blocks and threw stones at riot police in protest at the camp's closure, indicated tensions could escalate.

"I hope this works out. I'm alone and I just have to study," said Amadou Diallo from the West African nation of Guinea. "It doesn't matter where I end up, I don't really care." The Socialist government says it is closing the camp, home to 6,500 migrants, on humanitarian grounds. It plans to relocate them to 450 centres across France.

Many of the migrants are from countries such as Afghanistan, Syria and Eritrea and had wanted to reach Britain, which is connected to France by a rail tunnel and visible from Calais on a clear day. Some had wished to join up with relatives already there and most had planned to seek work, believing that jobs are more plentiful than in France.

Britain, however, bars most of them on the basis of European Union rules requiring them to seek asylum in the first member states they set foot in.  Reuters
The intoxicating blue sky in China's Tibet autonomous region. Tibet leads the country and the world in solar energy resources. In Lhasa, the capital city of the region dubbed the "city of sunlight", the average annual duration of sunshine is 3,005 hours. Tibet enjoys a pure, transparent blue sky all year long thanks to its high altitude, strong sunlight and clear air. [Photo by Jigmed Wangtso/Provided to China Daily]
Book on Xi's Long March remarks published Updated: 2016-10-24 16:31 (Xinhua)

BEIJING -- A compilation of remarks by Chinese President Xi Jinping at a gathering to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the success of the Long March has been published by the People's Publishing House, the publisher said on Monday.



Xi, who is also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, hailed the Long March as an "epic, human miracle," and called for efforts to realize the "two centenary goals" and the Chinese dream of national rejuvenation in "a new Long March."



The book is available at Xinhua Bookstore outlets nationwide.



China has set two goals: building a moderately prosperous society in all respects by the time the CPC celebrates its centenary in 2021; and turning the nation into a modern socialist country that is prosperous, strong, democratic, culturally advanced and harmonious by the time of the People's Republic of China's centennial in 2049.



The Long March was a military maneuver carried out by the Workers' and Peasants' Red Army of the CPC from 1934 to 1936. During the period, they left their bases and marched through raging rivers, frigid mountains and arid grassland to break the siege of the Kuomintang (Nationalist Party) forces and continue to fight the Japanese aggressors. Some of them marched as far as 12,500 kilometers.


The general election on Nov. 8 will decide a lot more than who gets to move into the Oval Office. Its a vote that will have a major impact on Oklahomans as they head to the polls to decide on changing our state constitution with seven state questions.

An entire ballot page is taken up with the titles and descriptions of those seven proposals, with issues including separation of church and state, the death penalty and teacher raises.

Its a lot of reading, so it will help all voters to go in as prepared as possible. Even if you feel you have a good handle on your opinion of these issues, its important to take a close look at what each of these proposals would do before casting a vote on a question that might change the law of our land.

Presented here is an explanation of each state question that will help voters be as prepared as possible when they pick up the ballot Nov. 8.

SQ 776  DEATH PENALTY

SQ 776 changes the state constitution to reaffirm the states right to impose capital punishment. It states that a death sentence may not be reduced  that is, commuted to a prison term  should a particular method of execution become impossible to carry out or ruled unconstitutional. The state question was offered in part because of increasing difficulty obtaining drugs for lethal injections, the current form of execution in Oklahoma.

SQ 777  AGRICULTURE

SQ 777, known as Right to Farm, changes the state constitution to exempt agriculture from future state and local regulation except as deemed necessary by compelling state interests. The constitutional amendment does not directly affect existing laws and regulations. The state question was offered in reaction to environmental and animal protection legislation in other states, particularly California.

SQ 779  EDUCATION FUNDING TAX

SQ 779 changes the state constitution to assess a 1 percent sales tax for education and specify how the revenue is to be allocated. Of the money collected through the tax, 69.5 percent is allocated to common education, 19.25 percent to higher education, 8 percent to early childhood education and 3.25 percent to career tech. Of the 69.5 percent allocated to common education, 86.33 percent must be used to increase teacher pay a minimum of $5,000 per person and to otherwise address and prevent teacher and certified instructional staff shortages. The remainder of common education must be used to adopt or expand initiatives to improve reading in the early grades, to improve high school graduation rates, and it increases college and career readiness. The amendment further stipulates that the revenue from the tax shall be audited annually, that it shall not replace existing revenue sources and shall not be used to pay superintendents.

SQ 780  LAW ENFORCEMENT

SQ 780 changes state law to make simple drug possession a misdemeanor. It also raises from $500 to $1,000 the minimum value at which most property crimes are classified felonies, but those changes were made legislatively last spring.

SQ 781  CRIMINAL REHABILITATION

SQ 781 changes state law to direct savings from the passage of SQ 780 to substance abuse and mental health treatment programs. The changes are only effective if SQ 780 passes.

SQ 790  RELIGION & THE STATE

SQ 790 repeals Article 2, Section 5 of the state constitution. The language proposed to be repealed prohibits the use of state money or property for religious or sectarian purposes. Article 2, Section 5 reads: No public money or property shall ever be appropriated, applied, donated, or used, directly or indirectly, for the use, benefit, or support of any sect, church, denomination, or system of religion, or for the use, benefit, or support of any priest, preacher, minister, or other religious teacher or dignitary, or sectarian institution as such. The repeal of Article 2, Section 5 is supported by school choice advocates who believe it may interfere with proposed and existing voucher programs. The proposed question arose from a state Supreme Court decision ordering the removal of a Ten Commandments monument from the Capitol grounds, and from concerns the ban could affect the eligibility of certain institutions for school vouchers, Oklahomas Promise scholarships, Medicaid and other state-funded programs.

SQ 792  ALCOHOL

SQ 792 changes the state constitution to eliminate the distinction between 3.2 and strong beer, to allow the sale of wine and all beer in grocery and convenience stores, and to allow liquor stores to sell cold beer and items that do not contain alcohol. The amendment also includes many detailed changes in the way alcoholic beverages are manufactured, distributed and sold in Oklahoma.

The general election on Nov. 8 will decide a lot more than who gets to move into the Oval Office. Its a vote that will have a major impact on Oklahomans as they head to the polls to decide on changing our state constitution with seven state questions. An entire ballot page is taken up with the titles and descriptions of those seven proposals, with issues including separation of church and state, the death penalty and teacher raises. Its a lot of reading, so it will help all voters to go in as prepared as possible. Even if you feel you have a good handle on your opinion of these issues, its important to take a close look at what each of these proposals would do before casting a vote on a question that might change the law of our land. Presented here is an explanation of each state question that will help voters be as prepared as possible when they pick up the ballot Nov. 8.
STILLWATER  Bonnie Stones co-workers still were in shock when they returned to the office two days after her tragic death.

They didnt know what to say to each other or how to get back to work. Nothing seemed normal.

It really hasnt been completely (normal) since, Doug Reed said. Bonnie and I worked together 20 years.

Bonnie Stone worked in the office of institutional research and information management at Oklahoma State University. Her husband, retired OSU professor Marvin Stone, came to the office every day to share lunch and conversation with her.

I really got to know him the last couple of years because he was up here quite a bit, Reed said.

The Stones were among four spectators killed in the OSU homecoming parade crash one year ago today.

We came over that Monday morning and it was the first time back for everybody in the office to see each other, OSU first lady Ann Hargis said.

She and her therapy dog, Scruff, were among those who responded.

Somebody brought us breakfast, said Rhoda Hughes, who worked 29 years with Bonnie Stone. We got together and were able to express our feelings.

Then came the dogs and their handlers, known as Petes Pet Posse.

The timing was great with the breakfast and the dogs. It helped us, Hughes said.

I almost called in sick but I came in, and with all that, it turned out to be a better day, she said.

Melissa Garner had joined the staff just one month earlier, but said she already felt like part of the family.

I didnt know what to say because I had only known her for a little while. What can you say to comfort someone like that? Garner said.

So if you just go to the dog, you dont have to talk. You can just sit there and quietly stroke, she said, and if you need to cry, you can cry.

Garner shed a few more tears as she talked about that day.

Its still so raw, she said. And Im sure it is for them (Reed and Hughes) because they spent years and years together.

Scruff, still on the job, came over to Garner and sat by her side as she recalled the first day back. The therapy dogs allowed her to feel normal and even smile, she said.

Members of Petes Pet Posse visited the office often that week and have continued to come throughout the year.

Its a nice distraction, Reed said. It kind of takes your mind off whats going on a little bit.

A bulletin board hanging in the hallway documents the many visits and serves as a remembrance of Bonnie Stone. The photos show her co-workers petting the dogs and smiling.

I dont know how they sense when somebody needs them to come visit, Hargis said. But the dogs go without hesitation.

The dogs greet people across campus every day, good days and bad. When responding to a tragedy, they are accompanied by professional counselors.

Were not saving the world ourselves, Hargis said. Its definitely the counselors who are making the inroads, but these guys are just a real good conduit. You find the counselors petting the dogs, too.

There are 28 registered therapy dogs on the Stillwater campus and a dozen more at OSUs two campuses in Tulsa. Students, faculty and staff have come to know many by name.

They dont talk to us, they talk to the dogs, said Lorinda Schrammel, who works in the human resources department. Her shepherd mix, Evie, and Scruff were among the dogs in the first training class.

She loves her job, Schrammel said. Shes a wiggle worm when the vest comes out.

Evie was brought to the OSU Veterinary Teaching Hospital after she survived the spring 2013 tornado near Shawnee.

When she puts on that vest, she is going to work. She is happy, Schrammel said. I think she does it because they saved her and its her turn to save back.

Scruff, a terrier mix, also was treated at the teaching hospital after he was shot and rescued by students who brought him to campus.

He was everybodys dog and nobodys dog, Hargis said. He just became the perfect dog at the perfect time for us.

Today, Scruff is known across campus as the first familys dog  and a really good listener.
Folk art that rocks Updated: 2016-10-24 10:28 By Chen Nan(China Daily)

Intensive beats and high-pitched singing have made Qinqiang Opera appealing to generations of fans, Chen Nan reports in Xi'an.

When Sun Yat-sen launched the Xinhai Revolution in 1911 to oust the ruling Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) and founded the Republic of China in 1912, the ripple effects were beyond the political.

Two scriptwriters from Shaanxi province were inspired by the revolution and ambitious to educate the general public with accessible folk art. Li Tongxuan (1860-1932) and Sun Renyu (1872-1934) founded Yisushe in 1912, an arts troupe specializing in Qinqiang Opera, the most popular opera form in northwestern China.

Today, Yisushe is the oldest Chinese opera troupe based in Xi'an, capital of Shaanxi province, and continues to draw crowds locally and beyond.

Qinqiang Opera Yisushe is staged at the ongoing China Art Festival in Xi'an, Shaanxi province. The production tells the story of the 100-year-old troupe. Photos Provided to China Daily

Qinqiang Opera, often described as China's "ancient rock", is known for its intensive beats and high-pitched singing style. It started in the Qin Dynasty (221-206 BC) and thrived during the reign of Emperor Qianlong (1711-99). In 2006, Qinqiang was added to the country's list of intangible cultural heritage.

During the 11th China Art Festival, one of the country's largest national arts events, now being held through Oct 31 in Xi'an, the troupe staged its latest original production, titled Yisushe, which tells the history of the troupe.

"Unlike other arts troupes, which were founded by folk artists to make ends meet, Yisushe was founded with the hope of making a difference for the country by educating the people who were poor and couldn't afford school education," says Yong Tao, the director of Yisushe.

"Yisushe also played an important role when the country faced wars and social turbulence, including the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression (1937-45). We want to reveal the history of the troupe with the production."

Yong, who joined the troupe in 2007, also says that the idea of producing the new play came up in 2012 when Yisushe celebrated its 100th anniversary. However, the idea took years to be fulfilled.

"We revised the script many times since Yisushe has a long history and there are lots of stories and characters," says Yong.

Yong invited Lu Ang, a professor of Shanghai Theater Academy, to direct, Liu Guicheng to write the script, and veteran actors from Yisushe to act in the production. The stories told in the show are based on real historic events while the characters are fictional.

Chen Chaowu, a 47-year-old Qinqiang Opera actor and the deputy director of Yisushe, plays the role of Liu Tiansu, which is based on Liu Zhensu and Wang Tianmin, two famous performers of nan dan (male actors playing female roles).

"Both the nan dan actors have been compared to Mei Lanfang, one of the most famous Peking Opera artists. They were not only respected for their art but also for taking social responsibility," says Chen.

Chen was born in Zhouzhi county, Shaanxi province and joined in Yisushe in 1991 after graduating from a local art school at 22. He had been introduced to Qinqiang Opera as a child by his grandfather, a big fan of the folk art, who often took Chen to watch Qinqiang shows. Attracted by the martial arts, Chen started learning Qinqiang Opera at 13, specializing in xiaosheng (a young male role).

"It is the first time for me to play nan dan, which is very challenging," says Chen, who took months to learn it with the troupe.

"I have been performing Qinqiang Opera for around 30 years and what fascinates me is that there is always more to learn. It's like wine, the more you taste, the more you want."

Director Yong says: "The scripts written by Yisushe in its history were realistic and mirrored social issues and traditional Chinese values. When we stage those works for contemporary audiences, we keep the core of Qinqiang Opera, which still works and resonates."

He adds that the art troupe is now enjoying popularity beyond Northwest China. Last year, for example, it performed at Tsinghua University in Beijing with four full-house performances.

Every year, Yisushe presents around 150 shows in the northwestern regions. About half are staged at universities and high schools to attract young audiences.

The arts troupe has also had a training school since 1912. According to Yong, thousands of students have graduated from the school and worked in Qinqiang Opera troupes around the country.

Now, Yisushe has more than 90 actors, and last year around 20 new graduates with an average age of 21 joined the troupe.

Wang Fengyun is one of them. She performs a minor role - her stage debut - in the current production.

"From this January, I joined in the rehearsal. Though I just play a small role, it was a great learning experience with those seasoned actors," says Wang, 24, who was born and grew up in Baoji, Shaanxi province.

She began to learn Qinqiang Opera when she was 11 years old and specialized in hua dan (leading female role) and wu dan (a female role with martial arts skills) at a local art school.

"I learned about Yisushe when I was in the art school and dreamed about becoming one of its members," says Wang. "As a young actress, I like pop culture like other young people but I'm attracted to Qinqiang Opera, because it's full of history."

Contact the writer at chennan@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily 10/24/2016 page20)
Tulsa police on Sunday released the names of two officers who fatally shot a knife-wielding man on Friday.

The officers are Jim Brill, 34, and Lance Bond, 29.

Brill was hired by the department Jan. 24, 2011, and Bond was hired July 2, 2012, police said.

Both officers are currently on administrative leave with pay.

The man who was shot was identified as William H. Frost Jr., 58.

Additional details about the officers and the victim were not released on Sunday.

The shooting, near 200 S. Utica Ave., was Tulsas sixth fatal officer-involved shooting this year and the second in a week. A police sniper shot an armed home-invasion suspect who was holding a 2-year-old girl hostage on Tuesday.

In Fridays incident, the man reportedly had confronted two people near the intersection of Utica Avenue and Second Street before officers arrived, police spokesman Leland Ashley said.

Two officers arrived on the scene, and the man refused orders from both to drop his knife, causing them to deploy their Tasers at him multiple times, Ashley said. When he continued to act aggressively, both shot the man multiple times, he said.

Ashley said it wasnt clear Friday night how many times Tasers were deployed or how many shots were fired.

Last weeks shootings come just over a month after Officer Betty Shelby fatally shot Terence Crutcher, an unarmed black man. She has since been charged with first-degree manslaughter in his death.

Four of those killed by police in the city this year were white; one was black, and one was Hispanic, according to a Tulsa World database on law enforcement shootings since 2007.

Fridays incident was the 18th fatal officer-involved shooting in Oklahoma this year. Last year there were 34.

Since 2007, there have been 165 fatal shootings by law enforcement in the state, according to the database.
The Minister of Local Government.. says when the local government legislation comes into effect.. regional corporations can better service their communities. He made the remark.. during the San Juan Laventille Corporation's interfaith service and military parade.. as the corporation turns 30 years.
This week on BodyHack Todd Sampson is high in the Himalayas, working with Nepalese Sherpas -no doubt his TV crew will be thanking him for that one.

Question if the show is renewed does that mean Mr. Sampson faces a whole new round of gruelling enduring tests? Yikes.

Human guinea pig Todd Sampson climbs to extreme altitudes in the next episode of his remarkable and original series Todd Sampsons BodyHack, putting puts his own life on the line and exposing his crew to extreme danger.

An experienced mountaineer, Todd has summited Mount Everest. Now he returns to the Himalayas to face the ultimate challenge of climbing as a Nepalese Sherpa.

Regarded as elite climbers, Sherpas are renowned for guiding foreign mountaineers to the very top peaks of the world. Charged with the critical task of opening mountains after each winter, they break trails and anchor safety lines that hundreds of lives will quite literally depend on. This is a dangerous task and one that most people never see.

Todd joins forces with a Sherpa team to open a Nepalese mountain called Lobuche East in time for the start of the commercial climbing season. Their mission involves trekking more than 50 kilometres to an altitude of more than 6,000 metres above sea level.

With only 12 days until the climbing season is open to the public, Todd, the film crew and the Sherpas must maintain a gruelling pace, but they ascend too fast for some of the crews bodies to cope. The plans to open Lobuche East grind to a halt, as the dangerous reality of altitude sickness takes its toll.

Battling exhaustion, sickness and weather, the team must scale sheer vertical walls of rock and have the choice to do so without a safety rope, Sherpa style. Can Todd put his fears aside and his body on the line to endure the ultimate challenge?

Tuesday, 25 October at 9.15pm on TEN.
Besiktas left-back Caner Erkin is expected to be out of action for six months after rupturing his left Achilles tendon during Sunday's Turkish Super League match against Antalyaspor.

On as a second-half substitute, the 28-year-old lasted just 11 minutes before being taken off with the injury, and was swiftly sent for surgery.

Club doctor Sarper Cetinkaya said: "He had a successful operation. Recovering from Achilles tendon ruptures takes five to six months. He will be walking with a device in his foot for two months; in the fourth and fifth months, we can expect him to start running. His pain threshold is high. He might return to action earlier than his peers."

Erkin left Fenerbahce for Internazionale Milano in the summer after a six-season spell with the Yellow Canaries but was loaned to Besiktas after being denied a place in the starting lineup in Italy.

His absence is a blow for the Black Eagles and Turkey; he has played in all three of Besiktas's Group B games in the UEFA Champions League and in two of Turkey's three European Qualifiers for the 2018 FIFA World Cup finals.

Senol Gunes will most likely draft Serbian defender Dusko Tosic in to replace Caner in his starting lineup, with Rhodolfo coming in to partner Marcelo in central defence, but Besiktas have other options.

Brazilian winger Adriano can play at left-back, with Olcay Sahan able to take his place further upfield, while defensive midfielder Atiba Hutchinson proved during Slaven Bilic's time as Besiktas boss that he is comfortable at left-back too.
Russian-backed militants launched 35 attacks on positions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in Donbas over the past day.

This is reported by the ATO Headquarters press center.

As reported, 20 attacks were launched on Ukrainian troops in Mariupol direction. The militants used heavy machine guns, grenade launchers, and small arms to shell Shyrokyne (20km east of Mariupol), Marinka (35 km south-west of Donetsk), Taramchuk (30km south-west of Donetsk).

Nine ceasefire violations by militants were recorded in Luhansk direction. The terrorists shelled Ukrainian positions near Novozvanivka (70km west of Luhansk) and Novooleksandrivka (65km west of Luhansk), using grenade launchers, machine guns, and small arms. ATO troops in Krymske (42.5km north-west of Luhansk) and Shchastia (23km north of Luhansk) came under 82mm mortar fire.

Six more attacks were launched on ATO forces in Donetsk direction. In particular, the terrorists used grenade launchers, machine guns and 120mm mortars to fire at Ukrainian positions in Avdiyivka (18km north of Donetsk).

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No Ukrainian soldiers were killed, but seven servicepersons were wounded in the ATO area in eastern Ukraine over the past day.

Spokesman for the Presidential Administration on the ATO Andriy Lysenko said this at a briefing in Kyiv, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

No Ukrainian soldiers were killed, but seven servicepersons were wounded as a result of military operations in eastern Ukraine over the past day, he said.

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October 22, Ukraine imported a record amount of 42.016 million cubic meters of natural gas from Slovakia.

This is reported by DT.UA portal, citing the press service of PJSC Ukrtransgaz.

The previous largest imports from Slovakia for the 26-month history of reverse gas flows were recorded on October 21 (41.859 million cubic meters) and October 5 (41.627 million cubic meters).

The application for gas imports of October 23 also exceeds 42 million cubic meters.

In general, Ukraine imported 1.077 billion cubic meters of gas from Europe during October 1-22, including 897.5 million cubic meters from Slovakia, 92.8 million cubic meters from Poland, and 869.0 million cubic meters from Hungary.

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German Chancellor Angela Merkel and many other European leaders do not see sufficient conditions for holding local elections in certain areas of Donetsk and Luhansk regions so far.

President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko said this in an interview with Ukrainian TV channels on Sunday, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

"Are we afraid of free and democratic elections in Donbas? No, we are not. However, we must create conditions for the elections. Currently, Mrs. Merkel, Mr. Steinmeier, and the leaders of many other EU Member States say there are no conditions for the elections in Donbas. Thus, they support the position of Ukraine," Poroshenko said.

As the President noted, the issue of elections should be raised only after the security conditions are reached in accordance with the Minsk agreements, in particular, after the OSCE restores control over the border.

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There are no private or secret agreements within the framework of the Minsk process.

President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko said this in an interview with Ukrainian TV channels on Sunday, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

"There are few strange myths. The first myth is that there are allegedly some classified agreements, which the public and our partners are not aware of. I want to dispel this myth. It's not typical of European politics. It is Moscow where some talks, some secret agreements are signed and are not disclosed for years," Poroshenko said.

Ukrainian President noted that all three documents within the framework of the Minsk agreements (the Protocol, the Memorandum and the Package of Measures) had been clearly made public.

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Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has appointed Ambassador of Ukraine to the Kingdom of Belgium Mykola Tochytskyi as Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of Ukraine to the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg.

The corresponding decree, No.473/2016, has been posted on the official presidents website.

Thus, the envoy will combine the two ambassadorial positions.

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Legendary and rare Carpathian horses called Hucul will breed in Vinnytsia oblast.

Hucul originated in the Carpathian Mountains and is considered to be descended from wild steppe horses and Arabians, The Ukrainian Newspaper reports. The horses are adapted to life in the mountains. Huculs are small (1.5 meters height), have strong limbs, neck and back. Hoofs are so solid that usually do not require horseshoes. The breed can walk difficult mountain paths, stepping stones, fallen trees and other obstacles. Huculs are able to cross 50-60 kilometers per day, carrying up to 150 kilograms of cargo. Thus, the soldiers of the Austro-Hungarian army were riding Huculs in the 19th century.

Huculs are used in agriculture, equestrian tourism and hippotherapy.

The breed was mentioned for the first time in written resources in the 17th century. But during the Soviet reign Huculs nearly went extinct for political reasons: the breed was considered a symbol of Ukrainian nationalism. In the late 1970s, the breed was pronounced relict.

However, in recent years due to enthusiasts work Huculs are back and their population is increasing. Olexander Ignatenko, head of the Polonynske Gospodarstvo farm, says that his organization currently owns 65 Huculs. There is a hundred of them in Ukraine in total. Although there are up to 25 thousand of Huculs in Europe, for they breed in Poland, Hungary, Slovakia and Romania. The Ukrainian Newspaper likens the challenge to restore the population of Huculs in Ukraine to that of panda preservation in China.

The number of Huculs is gradually rising even outside the Carpathians. Entrepreneur Gennady Romanenko, a native of Vinnytsia, who is now running a number of rural development projects, recently started a farm to breed these special horses. He has already acquired the first Huculs from the Polonynske Gospodarstvo and brought them to the Vinnytsia oblast.

Hucul is a national heritage. All of Ukrainians, and not just those who happened to live in the mountains, should be able to know them and communicate with them. How can we deprive our future generations of the joy of seeing these extraordinary creatures? We bear the responsibility for their fate. I can not imagine a person who would ride a Hucul, feel its gentleness, and then wouldnt want to make all the efforts to preserve these horses, says Gennady Romanenko.

PHOTO Gennady Romanenko going to open a specialized farm to breed Hucul horses
For women in the remote Cambodian village of Tmat Peoy, getting pre- and postnatal care is neither common nor easy. Mobile health teams are reaching these communities to provide much-needed maternal and child health services.



PREAH VIHEAR PROVINCE, Cambodia, 24 October 2016  Min Phath, 27, lies down on a colourful mattress under the thatched roof of Tmat Peoys community centre in Preah Vihear Province, northern Cambodia. Chhim Ren, a trained health midwife from the Takoeung Health Centre, gently examines her belly.

Phath is six months pregnant with her second child, but this is the first antenatal check-up shes ever had. The World Health Organization recommends a minimum of four antenatal care appointments to protect both the mother and child.

Because of poverty, I have to work every day and have no time to go to the health centre, she says. It is too far.

The Takoeung Health Centre is located 17 kms away, but in Preah Vihear Province a journey this distance can easily take an hour. Women like Phath would need to walk to the main road and wait for a shared taxi or motorbike taxi to navigate the dirt roads and rugged terrain. During the rainy season, travel time to the health centre is even longer.

Another issue is cost: the journey costs about 15,000 riels (US$3.75), a steep sum for a family like Phaths.

Thats why todays visit by Takoeung Health Centres mobile health outreach team is so important. The Provincial Health Department, with support from UNICEF, has been sending teams like these to remote communities at least once a quarter for the last five years. The teams educate mothers and pregnant women about safe pregnancy and the importance of vaccines, and provide direct services like immunization, antenatal and postnatal care, vitamin A supplements, deworming and iron folate tablets.
UNICEF Iraq/2016/Mackenzie

BAGHDAD, Iraq, 24 October 2016  A five-day polio vaccination campaign is under way in Iraq to reach an estimated 5.8 million children below the age of five, regardless of previous vaccination status.



Marking World Polio Day and under the slogan two drops can change a life, the campaign was launched by the Iraqi Ministry of Health, with support from UNICEF and the World Health Organization (WHO).



Polio is a highly infectious viral disease that attacks the nervous system. Children under five years of age are the most vulnerable to the disease, but timely immunization can prevent infection.



The Government of Iraq is committed to polio eradication, and conducted 16 campaigns to that end in 2014 and 2015 as part of the Middle East Polio Outbreak response, said UNICEF Representative in Iraq Peter Hawkins.



Since April 2014, no new polio cases have been reported in Iraq, thanks to the governments strong commitment and the hard work of frontline workers. In May 2015, Iraq was removed from the list of infected countries.



However, the risks of a resurgence persist due to possible surveillance and immunization coverage gaps among Iraqs displaced populations as well as those living in inaccessible areas and informal settlements.



There is still a risk of polio returning to Iraq, said WHO Representative to Iraq Altaf Musani. Polio transmission is ongoing in Pakistan and Afghanistan and new cases of polio have also been confirmed in Nigeria, he said. Until transmission is stopped globally, we need to maintain high levels of vaccination coverage and keep surveillance systems strong, to be on the alert for the virus, he added.



The Iraq Polio partnership conducted 2 national immunization rounds in February and April this year, reaching over 91 per cent of the targeted population.



This months vaccination campaign will be conducted by the Iraqi Ministry of Health (MoH) with support from WHO and UNICEF, with special attention to the most vulnerable children in Internally Displaced Persons and Syrian Refugee camps, informal settlements, host affected communities and newly retaken areas. More than 25,000 vaccinators will go from house to house during the campaign, visiting families.



WHO will cover the operational cost, intra and post campaign monitoring, while UNICEF will provide support for focused social mobilization services. In coordination with the Federal Ministry of Health, the KRG Ministry of Health, Zain and Korek Telecommunications Company will contribute into social mobilization and communications campaign with a focus on IDPs.



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90 pc snow leopard poaching occurred in India, four other countries: TRAFFIC

New Delhi, Oct 24 (UNI) With the number of snow leopards dwindling each year due to illegal poaching across their range in Asias high mountains, India along with China, Mongolia, Pakistan and Tajikistan have reported maximum cases of poaching of this endangered and elusive cat.

According to a new report by Trade Records Analysis of Flora and Fauna in Commerce (TRAFFIC), over 90 per cent of the reported snow leopard poaching occurred in these range countries.

Range state is a term generally used in zoogeography and conservation biology to refer to any nation that exercises jurisdiction over any part of a range which a particular species, taxon or biotope inhabits, or crosses or overflies at any time on its normal migration route.
Pak seeks UK's help for resuming stalled talks with India

Islamabad, Oct 24 (UNI) In the wake of heightened tension between India and Pakistan that led to stalling of crucial dialogue process, a perturbed Islamabad has sought the United Kingdom's help for resuming the talks and stopping 'killings of people' in Jammu and Kashmir.

As a country with historic links to this region and as a member-state of the UN Security Councils [five permanent members], it was incumbent on Britain to urge India to re-enter into a sustained dialogue with Pakistan so as to enable the two countries to peacefully resolve their differences,daily Dawn quoted Special Assistant to the Prime Minister, on Foreign, Affairs Tariq Fatemi, telling British National Security Adviser Sir Mark Lyall Grant here yesterday.

Besides regional security issues, matters of mutual interest and current situation in Kashmir were also discussed during the meeting, the news paper report based on a statement issued by the Foreign Office, said.
Elon Musk made waves a few weeks ago when he revealed his plans for SpaceX to bring one million people to Mars. He also revealed that he wants to do that within 10 years.

Other companies such as Boeing and NASA have joined SpaceX for the Mars mission. Boeing CEO Dennis Muilenberg intends to be the creator of the rocket that will first land on the red planet.

President Barack Obama has reaffirmed NASA will put humans on Mars "by the 2030s." The space agency is said to be pitching in $65 million over the next years. This is to enable the companies to create prototype modules on the ground which will be used to gain knowledge on the things that are needed for the real launching.

On Sunday, Elon Musk hosted a Reddit Ask Me Anything (AMA) where he answered questions about SpaceX and his Mars plans. LA Times reported that the Q&A session was intended to follow-up on his speech at the International Astronautical Congress in Guadalajara, Mexico, last month.

Musk's plan involves large, reusable rocket boosters which can launch spaceships into a "parking orbit." He revealed that these spaceships will be refueled by propellant tankers. Eventually, this mission would lead 1,000 spaceships with 100 people each to go to the Red Planet.

In the Reddit AMA, Musk admitted that his space company SpaceX would create a refueling station first on Mars to harvest methane fuel by sending its Dragon spacecraft on missions. Later on, a spaceship with the equipment to build the station would be sent to the planet.

The first crew on the mission would be responsible for constructing a "rudimentary base" and for completing the propellant plant. Musk also shared his vision for human habitats on the Red Planet.

"Initially, glass panes with carbon fiber frames to build geodesic domes on the surface, plus a lot of miner/tunneling droids," he stated. "With the latter, you can build out a huge amount of pressurized space for industrial operations and leave the glass domes for green living space."
A new bill has been approved which allows Michigan schools to keep a drug that is used to reverse an opioid overdose. It was able to get unanimous approval in the Senate last week.

UpNorthLive.com reported that the House would consider the measures after the 2016 U.S. Elections this November. The legislation would let school districts stock Naloxone, an antidote against drug overdoses. Once a district has decided to obtain the antidote, it is required to train a minimum of two employees to administer the drug.

Sponsors of the legislation are Republican Sen. Dale Zorn of Ida and Senate Democratic Leader Jim Ananich of Flint. Michigan would be the eighth state to give schools access to Naloxone.

According to the legislation, Michigan schools are required to authorize a registered nurse who has been employed or contracted by a school district or a trained school employee to possess and administer an opioid antagonist. The school employee who can administer the drug will also need immunity from liability.

The bill was introduced by Senator Jim Ananich last Feb. 17, 2016. On Oct. 20, it gained 580 yeas and 36 nays.

This would definitely help ensure campus safety as the antidote drug can be used as first-aid for opioid overdoses in schools. It was reported that 3 percent of students spent their student loan funds on alcohol and drugs. Others spend it on vacations, restaurants, clothes, car payments and monthly bills.

CHEST Physician, the newspaper of The American College of Chest Physicians, noted that the opioid overdose crisis in the U.S. is evident in intensive care units (ICUs). A study on hospitals in 44 states, conducted between 2009 and 2015, revealed that ICU admissions for opioid overdoses have increased by almost half while ICU deaths from the same cause have also doubled.

"This means the opioid use epidemic has probably reached a new level of crisis," investigator Jennifer P. Stevens, MD, an instructor in medicine at Harvard Medical School, said. "And this means that in spite of everything that we can do in the ICU - keeping them alive on ventilators, doing life support, doing acute dialysis, doing round-the-clock care, round-the-clock board-certified intensivist care - we are still not able to make a difference in that mortality."
Toyota plans to sell at least 100 units of the zero emission Toyota FC Bus that they say can also be used as an emergency power source during disasters.

Toyota unveiled its latest hydrogen fuel cell-powered buses this week and hatched plans to sell up to 100 units of the vehicle in 2017 in Tokyo ahead of the 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Slash Gear reported,the buses use the same fuel-cell technology developed for Toyota's Mirai fuel cell sedan.

The beefed up version of the bus' fuel system can hold 600 liters of highly compressed Dihydrogen (H2) in 10 high-pressure tanks and can produce 235 kWh3 of electric power almost 3 times as that of the Tesla Model S. The amount of power it produces is enough for it to be used as a power source in the event of disasters.

Toyota said the buses have already undergone repeated field tests, and that the Bureau of Transportation of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government is planning to use the vehicles as fixed-route buses. Toyota reported that they will start rolling out the FC Buses in Japan in early 2017.

Toyota aims to continue development of the FC Buses starting 2018. The added appeal of these buses aside from it being a zero-CO 2 -emission engine is that it can be used as an emergency power source in evacuation centers in the event of disasters. The electricity the engine produces can also be harnessed for domestic use. The bus is capable of providing 9 kW2 maximum output from its large 235 kWh3 capacity electric supply.

The Toyota Group believes the use of hydrogen is a powerful energy source for the future. The Toyota Fuel Cell System (TFCS) developed for the Mirai fuel cell vehicle (FCV) was adopted by the company for better energy efficiency as opposed to internal combustion engines.

Aside from the Mirai FCV, they also developed the FC Buses, FC forklifts, and stationary fuel cells for home use. Toyota says they are accelerating the development of the TFCS so as to realize having a hydrogen-based society.
The computer scientists from the University College London and the University of Sheffield developed a software that can predict the outcome of the real life cases in court trials. The software was said to have predicted the verdict of the European Court of Human Rights with 79% accuracy.

The scientists developed an algorithm that did not only consider and weigh up legal evidences, but also took considerations of what's right and wrong. The A.I. 'judge' has gotten the same decision at the European courts in almost four out of five cases relating to torture, degrading treatment and privacy. To develop the software, what the scientists did was to have an A.I. computer scan 584 cases with published judgements and examine the information in each case until it was able to come up with its own verdict.

The A.I. computer observed that there was a violation of the human rights act when there was a repetitive or more frequent occurrences of certain facts, phrases and circumstances. This was how it was able to come up with its own judicial decision with 79% accuracy.

"We don't see AI replacing judges or lawyers, but we think they'd find it useful for rapidly identifying patterns in cases that lead to certain outcomes." said Dr Nikolaos Aletras, the lead researcher from UCL's department of computer science. "It could also be a valuable tool for highlighting which cases are most likely to be violations of the European convention on human rights.", he added.

"Previous studies have predicted outcomes based on the nature of the crime, or the policy position of each judge, so this is the first time judgements have been predicted using analysis of text prepared by the court," said co-author, Dr Vasileios Lampos, UCL Computer Science.
Many men lack knowledge about male infertility, and this may have consequences for their reproductive and general health. Men may prefer to seek health information online, but these sources of information vary in quality.

The objective of this study is to determine if online sources of information regarding male infertility are readable, suitable, and of appropriate quality for Internet users in the general population.

This study used a cross-sectional design to evaluate online sources resulting from search engine queries. The following categories of websites were considered: (1) Canadian fertility clinics, (2) North American organizations related to fertility, and (3) the first 20 results of Google searches using the terms "male infertility" and "male fertility preservation" set to the search locations worldwide, English Canada, and French Canada. Websites that met inclusion criteria (N=85) were assessed using readability indices, the Suitability Assessment of Materials (SAM), and the DISCERN tool. The associations between website affiliation (government, university/medical, non-profit organization, commercial/corporate, private practice) and Google placement to readability, suitability, and quality were also examined.

None of the sampled websites met recommended levels of readability. Across all websites, the mean SAM score for suitability was 45.37% (SD 11.21), or "adequate", while the DISCERN mean score for quality was 43.19 (SD 10.46) or "fair". Websites that placed higher in Google obtained a higher overall score for quality with an r (58) value of -.328 and a P value of .012, but this position was not related to readability or suitability. In addition, 20% of fertility clinic websites did not include fertility information for men.

There is a lack of high quality online sources of information on male fertility. Many websites target their information to women, or fail to meet established readability criteria for the general population. Since men may prefer to seek health information online, it is important that health care professionals develop high quality sources of information on male fertility for the general population.

Interactive journal of medical research. 2016 Oct 21*** epublish ***

Stephanie Robins, Helena J Barr, Rachel Idelson, Sylvie Lambert, Phyllis Zelkowitz

Jewish General Hospital, Department of Psychiatry, Montreal, QC, Canada.

PubMed http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27769954
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TD Ameritrade Holding Corp. and its largest stakeholder, Toronto-Dominion Bank, are close to a deal to buy online brokerage Scottrade Financial Services Inc. for $4 billion, according to people with knowledge of the matter.

TD Ameritrade would acquire Scottrade's brokerage operations for about $2.7 billion in cash and stock, while Toronto-Dominion would purchase Scottrade's banking operations for $1.3 billion in cash, the people said, asking not to be identified because the talks aren't public. The takeover may be announced as soon as Monday before markets open in North America, the people said.

The transaction would combine two of the largest online brokerages, an industry under pressure from lower trading volumes and sluggish revenue growth. Such platforms are used by consumers, wealth advisers and other investors to trade securities outside of traditional brokerages. Bloomberg reported last month that Scottrade, based in Town & Country, Missouri, was working with an adviser to explore a sale. The St. Louis Business Journal reported the pending agreement on Saturday.

The acquisition of Scottrade extends a flurry of consolidation in the industry. In a $725 million cash deal last month, E*Trade Financial Corp. bought Aperture New Holdings Inc., parent company of the futures and options trading platform OptionsHouse. Meanwhile, Ally Financial Inc. bought TradeKing Group Inc. for about $275 million in June.

Spokeswomen for Toronto-Dominion Bank and Omaha, Nebraska-based TD Ameritrade declined to comment Sunday, and a Scottrade representative didn't respond to messages sent outside of normal business hours.

Toronto-Dominion, Canada's second-biggest bank by assets, owns about 42 percent of TD Ameritrade, qualifying it as a non-bank subsidiary under U.S. regulations. TD Ameritrade has a market value of $19.5 billion. Closely held Scottrade had $1.04 billion of revenue in 2015, Wells Fargo & Co. analysts led by Christopher Harris wrote in a report this month.

The brokerages have been squeezed in recent years amid competition from automated investment systems known as robo-advisers and a shift away from stock-picking and day-trading toward passive vehicles.

Still, their shares have surged following the U.K.'s vote in late June to leave the European Union. TD Ameritrade has jumped 39 percent since June 27, hitting an 11-month high on Friday, while E*Trade and Charles Schwab Corp. both have advanced about 35 percent, outpacing the 13 percent gain for the 64-company S&P 500 Financials Index.

TD Ameritrade reported an average of 425,000 client trades per day in August, down 21 percent from a year earlier. E*Trade said its comparable key industry statistic fell 20 percent in August to 143,831.

Records speak that for the past four quarters, TD Ameritrade has reported earnings that have surpassed analysts' estimates. The Scottrade deal would add to Toronto-Dominion's earnings per share in the low-single digits and to its U.S. base of earnings, Robert Sedran, an analyst with Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce, said last week. TD Ameritrade is scheduled to report fiscal fourth-quarter results on Tuesday.

Scottrade Chief Executive Officer, Rodger Riney, who co-founded the discount brokerage in 1980, will join the TD Ameritrade board as part of the deal, said the people with knowledge of the matter. Riney's 75 percent stake is valued at $2.2 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. The companyannounced last year that he was undergoing treatment for multiple myeloma, a form of blood cancer.

Scottrade's business is profitable, but less than its peers and the company's revenue hasn't grown since 2014. These challenges, along with Riney's health, could influence the decision to sell, the Wells Fargo analysts said earlier this month.


Prior to her show at The AXIS at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino on Friday, Oct. 21, pop music icon Britney Spears invited children serviced by the Nevada Childhood Cancer Foundation (NCCF), as well as NCCF President and CEO Jeffrey Gordon, backstage in order to present the foundation with a check for $200,000 (Photo credit: Denise Truscello / WireImage).

Photo credit: Denise Truscello / WireImage.

Throughout her time performing at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino, $1 of every ticket purchased to Britneys headlining Las Vegas show, Britney: Piece of Me, has been donated to the NCCF as part of her partnership with the organization. With this donation, Britney will have reached halfway to her goal of raising $1 million for NCCF to build its new permanent facility.

Additionally, Britney Spears will host the Britney Spears Piece of Me Charity Ride on Thursday, Oct. 27 at XCYCLE, located in Boca Park, 750 S. Rampart Boulevard., Las Vegas, Nevada, 89145. This charity ride, with all proceeds benefitting NCCF, will offer participants an exclusive seat to ride with their favorite pop star during a specially choreographed class featuring songs hand-picked by Britney herself.

The NCCF is a local non-profit organization providing services in Southern Nevada since 1993, whose goal is to improve the quality of life for critically ill children and their families living in the community.
The headquarter of Bangkok Insurance in Thailand.-File Photo

He said Viet Nam's healthy economic growth and large population were good reasons to conduct such a study.

BKI's previous business in Viet Nam was through a joint venture, but it pulled out because of differences of opinion with its partner.

The business environment Viet Nam is different now, however, and the country is luring foreign investment, causing BKI to consider the possibility of resuming its business there, he said. If it does return to the Vietnamese market, it will need to acquire stakes in local insurers there, and it has discussed the matter with two or three of them. But such acquisitions would be quite costly, so the company needs time to consider whether such an investment would be worthwhile.

BKI last year expanded into Laos under a company named Bangkok Insurance (Lao). BKI holds a 45-per-cent stake in that company, with Asia Insurance and PT Asuransi Central Asia holding the rest.

Bangkok Insurance (Lao) so far this year has generated premium income of Bt30 million, which is on target, Apisit said.

He said the Laotian venture had been doing business with Thai construction and energy companies that have interests in that country, while also underwriting insurance for Bangkok Bank's commercial customers there.

Bangkok Insurance (Laos) offers policies to retail customers as well, but Apisit said it had to focus on building brand awareness and advertising to make |more of an impact on the retail sector.

Bangkok Insurance (Lao) set up a physical office in August, which the company believes will make its brand more visible to people in Laos.

Motor insurance will be the key product promoted to potential retail customers because Laotians have confidence in the quality of auto-repair shops in Thailand, he said, adding that Laotian customers would be able to get their vehicles fixed in this country.

BKI is interested in Myanmar as well, but that country has not yet offered licences to foreign insurers, he said. Myanmar is considering relaxing some regulations for foreign investors in special economic zones, however, which could open the door to foreign insurers as well.  The Nation
Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon (R), pictured with British Prime Minister Theresa May in July 2016, has been the most vocal of the first ministers since the June 23 Brexit vote. (AFP/Lesley Martin)

The meeting will see Britain's decision to leave the EU take centre stage, ahead of the formal negotiations with Brussels which are expected to begin next year.

May will meet with Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, Welsh FM Carwyn Jones and Northern Irish FM Arlene Foster and her deputy Martin McGuinness.

Sturgeon, leader of the secessionist Scottish National Party, has been the most vocal of the first ministers since the Jun 23 vote. Earlier this month she called for a fresh referendum on Scottish independence if Scotland's interests are not protected in the Brexit negotiations.

While England and Wales voted to leave the EU, a majority in Scotland and Northern Ireland voted to remain in the bloc.

In a letter to May ahead of the meeting, Sturgeon called for each of the devolved parliaments to have the chance to vote on Brexit plans.

"I also endorse the proposal that the proposed negotiating package should be subject to a vote in each of the four of the United Kingdom's parliaments and assemblies," Sturgeon wrote.

Her Welsh counterpart Jones also pushed for such a vote in a separate letter to May, in which he also said all four UK parliaments should vote on the final deal with the EU.

The prime minister has said she will trigger formal exit proceedings with Brussels by the end of March, launching a two-year negotiating period.

May said Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland will be able to participate in the plans through a new forum chaired by Brexit minister David Davis.

"The new forum I am offering will be the chance for them all to put forward their proposals on how to seize the opportunities presented by Brexit and deliver the democratic decision expressed by the people of the UK," May said ahead of the meeting.

Downing Street said the devolved governments would be able to put forward nominees to participate in the group, with plans to meet at least twice before the end of 2016.

A key point of contention will likely be whether Britain will pull out of the single market.

Downing Street has not outlined its plans in detail but has hinted towards a "hard Brexit" which would see the UK leave the single market in order to have greater control over immigration.
Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton arrives for a rally in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (AFP/Dominick Reuter)

The Republican presidential nominee has seen dismal poll numbers since a string of women came forward earlier this month to accuse him of sexual assault or inappropriate behavior in the past.

He has also stirred controversy by refusing to say that he will accept the result of the Nov 8 election no matter what, calling the process "rigged."

Clinton, the Democratic former secretary of state, leads 50 per cent to 38 per cent in a four-way contest with two minor party candidates, according to a national ABC News poll.

It was up from Clinton's four percentage point edge in an ABC News/Washington Post poll conducted 10 days ago.

Trump held a small 47-43 per cent lead among white Americans, a group that Republican Mitt Romney won by 20 points in the 2012 election.

Republican candidates must have strong support from white voters if they want to win, with non-white voters overwhelmingly favoring Democratic candidates.

Clinton leads 55-35 per cent among women, and has doubled her lead to 32 points among college-educated white women - a group strongly critical of Trump's response to allegations of inappropriate behavior.

The poll even showed Clinton leading for the first time among men, 44 to 41 per cent - although that lead is within the poll's margin of error.

With just over two weeks to go before Election Day, the two White House hopefuls are targeting key battleground states like Florida, North Carolina, Ohio and Pennsylvania.

Team Clinton is hoping for a landslide win, even holding out hope of taking back control of at least one of the two houses of Congress from the Republicans.

"We're not taking anything for granted at all," campaign manager Robby Mook told Fox News Sunday.

"Secretary Clinton at the beginning of this campaign said she wanted to help all candidates up and down the ballot. So we're running a coordinated campaign, working hard with gubernatorial, Senate and House candidates. But we're not -- you know, this is not over yet."

Early voting has begun in several states, and the initial details were positive, Mook said. "We feel very, very good about what we've seen so far ... And we're encouraged also by who is turning out."

Trump has tried to change the narrative, on Saturday outlining his plan for his first 100 days in office, including a pledge to create 25 million jobs and cut taxes for middle-class Americans.

"The fact is that this race is not over," Trump's campaign manager Kellyanne Conway told Fox News on Sunday, outlining a plan to win crucial battleground states. "He's not - we're not giving up. We know we can win this."

Trump's son Eric said polls don't reflect the support of people who haven't been on voter rolls for years but will turn out on Election Day to support the populist candidate.

"I'm so incredibly proud. He's carried the weight of this country for the last 18 months. I happen to think we're going to win," Eric Trump said on ABC.
The ceremony has recognised a business partnership which has spanned Vietnams entire modern era

The partnership of Saigon Industry Corporation (CNS) and British American Tobacco (BAT) in the past 30 years has brought benefits to the parties involved in particular, and the city in general, said Le Thanh Liem, Vice Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City Peoples Committee, at a ceremony held recently to celebrate the 30th anniversary of partnership between the two companies.

At the ceremony, a representative of Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) conferred ministry certificates of merit and anniversary medals to the teams and individuals of CNS and BAT, recognising their great accomplishments in contributing to building and developing Vietnams industry and trade.

Representing leaders of the municipal committee, Liem also awarded certificates of merit to the excellent teams and individuals of CNS and BAT, recognising their great contributions to the citys economy and community through the years.

Remarkable contribution to society

Through 30 years of operation, CNSs tobacco business has contributed VND31 trillion (over $1.4 billion) to the state budget and created jobs for thousands of employees directly engaged in production, along with several thousand indirect jobs, Liem said. In addition to its business activities, the corporation has participated actively in a poverty alleviation programme and other charitable activities.

Over the years, CNS and BAT have made significant contributions to the local community.

The two companies have donated nearly VND80 billion ($3.63 million) to Vietnams fund for the prevention and control of tobacco. CNS has additionally donated VND60 billion ($2.72 million) for community activities, such as building charity houses and taking care of Vietnamese heroic mothers, who have made numerous contributions and sacrifices to the cause of national liberation, construction, and defense.

BAT focuses on sustainable projects in education, improvements in community living quality, and sustainable agriculture. Other noticeable contributions they have made to Vietnam include building rural roads and bridges, and providing three million seedlings to green 10,000 hectares of barren land in the provinces of Lang Son, Cao By, Gia Lai, Tay Ninh, Dong Thap, and Bac Kan.

Commenting on the partnership milestone, CNS general director Chu Tien Dung said that CNS and BAT represent an outstanding international partnership in Vietnam. Our cordial relationship over the past 30 years proves the models success. To strengthen the partnership, CNS always welcomes new ideas, while BAT makes great efforts to find common interests with CNS. On the journey, CNS and BAT have become the best of partners for each other. CNS is now a conglomerate, but tobacco still helps us achieve solid development.

Peter Henriques, general manager of BAT in the East Asia Area, described the relationship between BAT and CNS as a traditional friendship.

In our 30 years of co-operation, CNS has been a partner BAT has always trusted and for whom I feel a deep friendship. I personally believe in a long-term strategic partnership between BAT and CNS, Henriques said.

Thanks to the respect and trust that flows from this, we can learn from each other and enjoy mutual enrichment. The expertise of CNS, its local insights, and market footprints are valuable assets that have helped BAT build our first strong foundation in Vietnam, he added.

Contributing to industry and trade

Over the past 30 years of development, CNS and BAT have overcome many difficulties and challenges, consistently complied with regulations in the conditional business sector, and successfully completed tasks assigned by the Ho Chi Minh City Peoples Committee. They have contributed significantly to the development of industry and trade in particular, and the countrys socio-economic health in general, including their active role in the fight against smuggled cigarettes.

MoIT, the administrator of their industry, always has a big interest and continues to advise the government to prevent cigarette smuggling. MoIT has actively implemented the prime ministers Directive No30/CT-TTg, dated September 30, 2014 on strengthening the fight against cigarette smuggling, co-ordinating with 389 committees and relevant functional departments in this effort.
Chairwoman Truong Tu Phuong

Inspired by the Law on Enterprises

The turning point in Phuongs life came 16 years ago, when she first heard of the Law on Enterprises. In it, the right to do business was mentioned for the first time, and the private enterprise concept was first recognised.

In the law, I saw a vast space for realising my passions. My opportunities would be decided by myself, and not by others. I discussed things with my colleague, Duong Van Thang, who was working as an architect. With our similarities, we decided to jointly start and cultivate a new career path, and enthusiastically support each other, Phuong said.

Thang was also the person who advised that she return to the north. Phuong was born in Hanoi, and studied construction there. After graduation in 1978 she took a job at the Hanoi Civil Engineering Company. Two years later, in 1980, Phuong and her husband, and their child left for the south.

In 2002, after five-month surveys in six northern locations, Phuong and Thang decided to choose Hai Duong province for their return, where they planned to build a sizable industrial park covering 500 hectares, named Dai An Industrial Park (IP). The site in Hai Duong enjoys a strategic position, just 51 kilometres away from Hanoi, about 50km away from Haiphongs ports, facing the national highway 5, and adjacent to the Sat river.

Now, looking back on the nearly 15-year history of Dai An IP, Phuong still insists that the decision to open the park in Hai Duong was one of the best decisions of her life.

Truong Tu Phuong honoured with the Thanh Giong Cup 2016 for her unwavering commitment to the development of industrial parks A strong leader with a clear vision, achieved her goal Why did you invest in industrial park development, not in other fields? I believe the countrys strength is seen in its ability for international integration. Industrial parks stand as an effective bridge to attract foreign partners. From there, we will have opportunities for advanced technology transfer, improved thinking, and better socio-economic conditions. How do you feel about receiving the Thanh Giong Cup in 2016, which honours the best Vietnamese entrepreneurs? This honour was the aggregate contribution of our whole staff. Our employees have devoted their souls, minds, and energy to the successful development of Dai An Industrial Park over the past nearly 15 years.

An IP whose door has never closed

Vietnam is currently home to 321 IPs, and Phuong has been one of three female entrepreneurs who have ventured into a field that seems to be tailored to men.

Maybe that is why Dai An IP has had different strengths than other IPs. This is the first IP that shares its transport system with local residents. In Phuongs words, Dai An IP is the IP whose door never closes.

In the field of IP development, this may be regarded as a disadvantage by some people. Having a residential village become part of an IP often leads to difficulties in controlling IP operation.

IP-based businesses are not accustomed to the model of a village in an IP, and the inconveniences it may cause. Usually the industrial complex is completely separate from the surrounding living space.

But Phuong had a different mindset. If we could take care of the labourers dwelling, they would be totally devoted to work, Phuong said.

On the ground-breaking ceremony of Dai An IP in early April 2003, Phuong pledged to balance the interests of the local people, who had allocated several hundred hectares of land to the IP developer. She promised that the people living on the IP project site would not have to leave for elsewhere to make their livelihoods. Phuong has kept her promise. And her success with Dai An IP has explained why she is regarded as a pioneer in the field.

Currently the park houses 58 investment projects from 15 countries and territories, employing 38,000 workers and 10,000 other labourers.

In 2012, Dai An IP was selected by the Ministry of Public Security as a typical sample model for building a safe IP, with public order and security.

As of today, the park has attracted $1.5 billion in registered investment capital. Most businesses have used eco-friendly technologies and well-trained labourers. That was also Phuongs choice, which is to provide new life for people in the project site.

Life is full of turning points

During the 2007-2008 economic peak, people rushed into stocks and the real estate market. At the time, Dai An IP had been in existence for more than four years. And had she wanted, Phuong could have ventured into multi-field businesses and become a major figure in the local stock market. She, however, stayed true to her original choice, focusing on Dai An IP development.

Phuong recalled that at that time she was nearly persuaded to venture into other fields to test her strength. One needs to clearly know their strengths and advantages, Phuong said.

With Dai An IP, she has stuck with a winner.
It takes about an hour to travel by car from Nam Dinh city to Hanh Thien ancient village, which looks like a carp heading to the sea. It is surrounded by the Red and Ninh Co rivers creating a beautiful landscape and serve as waterway in the village. There are 14 hamlets which are 60 meters away from each other. In the center of the village are the communal house, a temple, and a market.



Keo Hanh Thien in Nam Dinh province and Keo pagoda in Thai Binh province are twins. Associate Professor Doctor Pham Hung Cuong of the Construction University says Hanh Thien village has a complete architectural design in terms of transportation and environment. The village map was made thoroughly reflecting the qualifications and wisdom of the village predecessors.

Usually, through dozens of years of development, villages in the Red River Delta have evolved forming small alleys. But in Hanh Thien all alleys seem to be deliberately designed in the early days of the village formation, said Mr Cuong.

Architects say that in the early days, all houses in Hanh Thien village look toward the Southeast showing the villagers respect for their living environment.

The village is surrounded by artificial canals which have roads above them- an evidence of the scientific planning by the village founders. Mr Cuong said The river that was dug around the village replaces many ponds inside the village because all the canals have natural flows in and out. Such design facilitates the water release through two sides of the river.

Walking along the riverside in Hanh Thien village gives you a peace in mind. Hanh Thien village with its unique architecture and planning has become a precious heritage.

Le Thi Luyen, a third year student at the Hanoi University of Science and Technology said This is my first visit to Hanh Thien village. Im so impressed. Its a friendly, ancient village that embraces Vietnamese identity. I feel peaceful when I come here."
Doan Mau Hiep - photo source: molisa.gov.vn

Deputy Minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs Doan Mau Diep told VIR about this plan on the side-lines of the conference on social dialogue, productivity, and working conditions held today in Hanoi by the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs of Switzerland (SECO), the International Labour Organisation (ILO), and the MoLISA.

The ministry is going to work with the General Confederation of Labour to survey workers throughout the country, he confirmed. We are going to propose raising the cap but any change needs to be subject to general agreement amongs workers and employers.

Under the Labour Code, which took effect in 2012, a worker can work a maximum of 200 hours overtime per year, and 300 hours per year in special cases stipulated by the government, equal to half of the 600 hours a year recommended by the ILO.

The MoLISA is in the process of drafting amendments to the 2012 Labour Code, including the overtime cap. As planned, the draft amendments will be submitted to the National Assembly for discussion in May 2017. If everything goes smoothly, they can be adopted in October next year.

The conference on social dialogue, productivity, and working conditions is a forum for the Vietnamese government, the ILO, as well as business communities, workers organisations, and other stakeholders to review the countrys legal and institutional framework to improve productivity and working conditions, and to design and implement more effective policies in this area.

According to a study produced by the ILO, productivity in Vietnam is among the lowest in the Asia-Pacific. Though working conditions have been improving, serious limitations remain, especially in the informal areas, and the countrys inspection capacity is limited in quantity and quality. Social dialogue, particularly at the enterprise level, is still only a formality.
Facts & Figures

- The Dutch maritime cluster comprises 12 sub-sectors and 12,000 companies, which employ 224,000 employees. The cluster has a strong international focus: 60 per cent of the seagoing ships produced in the Netherlands are destined for export. And the sustainability standards of the ships are higher each year.

-The total export was 22.5 billion euros. The maritime cluster accounts for 4 per cent of the total Dutch export. Harbor infrastructure represents the top export (32 per cent), followed by seagoing vessels (23 per cent).

Source : Scheepsbouw Nederland, Stichting Nederland Maritime Land

Today, Holland is once again a leading maritime nation, operating Europes largest inland shipping fleet and with world-leading manufacturers of high-end yachts and special vessels specials. Dutch companies have built up an unbeatable reputation in dredging, maritime infrastructure and maritime services. The wider Dutch maritime sector includes around 750 maritime service providers. These companies focus on technologies such as electronics, cooling equipment and transport equipment (e.g. heavy lifting and salvaging). And a special mention should go to the Netherlands engineering consultancies, which occupy world-leading positions in maritime engineering, dredging and spatial planning  in part thanks to experience gained in the ports of Rotterdam and Amsterdam. Dutch companies are frequently called upon to construct and maintain ports and waterways worldwide.

Equipment suppliers

- Approximately 670 suppliers with more than 18,000 employees in shipbuilding industry, providing services and marine equipment to national and international yards and other maritime companies. The majority are SMEs.

- Most Dutch equipment suppliers still had a busy year in 2015 as delivery of new ships worldwide continued at a level similar to that of 2014. The turnover figures for the equipment industry reflected this, showing a rise of over 10 per cent, from 3.8 billion in 2014 to 4.2 billion in 2015.

In the shipbuilding industry, Vietnam proofs interesting as a market as well as a regional hub for export. Besides selling equipment to Vietnamese shipyards, more and more Dutch maritime companies establish production facilities in Vietnam - or expand their existing ones  serving their customers around the globe.

Those companies are mainly located around Haiphong, where also one of Damen Shipyards Groups joint venture yard, Damen Song Cam Shipyard (DSCS) is. DSCS, which was opened in March 2014, is state-of-the-art, bringing a western shipyard designed to meet European health, safety and environmental standards into a Vietnamese environment. It produces around 40 ships a year in the first phase.
It is a great privilege for me to lead this economic mission to Vietnam. The Dutch delegation represents 35 companies and knowledge institutions from a wide range of sectors, from aviation to agri-food and from renewable energy to maritime infrastructure. The relationship between the Netherlands and Vietnam has shifted from a development partnership towards deeper economic cooperation. As we expand our trading and investment ties with Vietnam in various sectors, the Netherlands will give priority to promoting sustainability and inclusiveness across the board. This approach has become the basis for a full-fledged campaign called Tomorrow is Green with many activities since the launch of this campaign and two events during this mission. Our countries economic cooperation has crystalised in strategic partnerships on water and climate adaptation (2010) and on agriculture and food security (2014), and in an EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement. We value Vietnams strategic regional position as a member of both the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) and the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN). Clearly Vietnam, with its impressive economic growth rate, growing middle class and rising living standard, is an invaluable trading partner for the Netherlands. I look forward to leading this formidable business delegation and to promoting Dutch innovation, trade and development, to the mutual benefit of all parties. Following the recent elections in Vietnam, this is a timely opportunity to meet with my counterparts to discuss ways of strengthening our bilateral ties. Thank you for participating in this mission. I wish the delegation a successful and enjoyable trip. Marten van den Berg Vice-Minister for Foreign Trade

Trade is what brought the first Dutch citizens to Vietnam in 1632 and still is one of the major binding factors between our countries. The Netherlands is the largest EU investor in Vietnam, and its second EU trade partner. And the interest to do business in Vietnam and with Vietnamese people is only growing. The large number of businesses accompanying our Vice Minister for Foreign Trade during his visit to Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City is proof of this. It is no surprise to me. The growth figures, the openness of the economy, and the young dynamic workforce make Vietnam a very attractive business destination in this part of the world. And our experience teaches us that we can be excellent partners. We see a clear interest on the Vietnamese side to gain Dutch expertise in a wide range of sectors, be it on water, agriculture, logistics, energy or health: an exchange with innovation, inclusive growth and sustainability as key notions. Our strategic partnerships with Vietnam on water management and climate change adaptation as well as on sustainable agriculture and food security give us direction. Very important, we find in our Vietnamese friends serious partners dealing with global challenges like climate change and sustainable growth, striving for a world with attention not only for profit, but also for our peoples and our planet. The visit of our Vice Minister will be an excellent opportunity to speak with members of the new Vietnamese cabinet on these issues. My staff at the Embassy in Hanoi and the Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City look very much forward to a successful visit, and stand ready to follow up on further enhancing our excellent relations. Nienke Trooster Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to Vietnam
The sale of stakes in Vietnam's state-owned beer companies could raise as much as $2.2 billion for the cash-strapped government AFP/HOANG DINH NAM

The unprecedented divestments in two state crown jewels, the makers of the much-glugged Saigon and Hanoi beers, are expected to net as much as US$2.2 billion.

The sale comes as part of long-promised reforms to privatise bloated state firms, which official figures show contributed about one third of the country's GDP last year.

It is hoped the reforms will set the communist country back on track to meet its ambitious economic targets and jumpstart growth which has slowed this year.

For Vietnam's government, beer is a logical place to start.

With a population of 93 million people, the country is one of Asia's leading swillers of beer.

Vietnamese consumed more than three billion litres of the cold stuff last year, according to Euromonitor marketing firm.

That thirst has piqued interest from foreign brewers, eager to tap growth markets at a time when sales in many developed markets in Asia are forecast to plateau.

"Vietnam has one of the fastest growing beer consumption markets in the world, and that's obviously an appeal," said Kevin Snowball, CEO of PXP Vietnam Asset Management in Ho Chi Minh City.

VIETNAMESE SAY KEEPING FLAVOUR OF BEER IS KEY

The government said this month the two companies, Habeco and Sabeco, would be listed in the first three months of 2017 and would be open to local or foreign bidders.

For the Vietnamese who crowd into the open-air bia hoi markets during lunch, dinner and for some, in between, privatisation promises to keep the good times rolling -- as long as the buyouts don't mess with flavour.

"I don't want beer Hanoi to be affected by the taste of Carlsberg, I don't want beer Saigon to become so similar to a Sapporo... the key is to keep the distinctive taste of the beer," said Duc Thang, 48, speaking over a glass of cold brew.

Like millions of others across the country, Thang comes to the bia hoi to unwind.

"At a bia hoi you can talk about so many things -- you can chit-chat, talk business, family problems. It's easier to talk when you have one or two beers."

Some major names already have a foothold here -- Heineken has about 17 per cent of the market, competing with other players like Carlsberg and Sapporo -- and reports say Thailand's ThaiBev and Singha Beer may now be ready enter the fray too.

But the sales could instantly transform a foreign buyer into a top brewer: Sabeco enjoys about 45 per cent market share, while Habeco has 17 per cent, according to Euromonitor.

The government says it will sell its 90 per cent stake of Saigon Beer Alcohol Beverage Corp (Sabeco) for US$1.8 billion, and its 82 percent stake in the Hanoi Beer Alcohol and Beverage Joint Stock Corp (Habeco) for US$400 million.

Both companies declined to speak to AFP.

'THE RIGHT TIME'

Economists say the government is selling the stakes because it is thirsty for cash.

Public debt hit 62 per cent of GDP this year according to official figures, and is climbing closer to the government-sanctioned debt ceiling of 65 per cent of GDP.

"It's the right time for the government to consider selling a number of state-owned companies to get more for the budget," economist Pham Chi Lan told AFP.

Selling off controlling stakes is also expected to help clean up corporate governance and boost productivity, which have not happened with piecemeal selloffs in the past.

"Many of these benefits will only come if there's a strategic investor that really takes on a majority stake," said Sebastian Eckardt, lead economist for the World Bank in Vietnam.

Some credit a new regime of communist leaders in power since April with making good on promises to privatise, but will wait to raise a glass until the deals are done.

"We're very positive on this, as long as it happens, because it's been talked about for a very long time," said Snowball.
Millennials aren't big spenders or risk takers, and that's going to reshape the economy
Mindful Eating: Slower Consumption for Better Health

With tight schedules and busy lives, sitting down to a meal free of distraction can be more of a luxury than the norm. Mindful eating gets pushed aside for many reasons. Taking a break to satisfy your hunger may also seem like the perfect opportunity to catch up on social
A visiting Afghan Taliban delegation is holding meetings with officials in Pakistan and plans to give them some briefing on the insurgent group's recent contacts with the Kabul government, a top official confirmed Monday.

The insurgent delegation arrived in the country late last week from the Talibans so-called political office in Qatar, but Pakistani authorities had until now publicly declined to acknowledge it.

We know that their [Talibans] delegation has come and its details have already been published in the newspapers. But, I think it would not be appropriate at this stage for me to disclose details of our discussions with them, Sartaj Aziz, Pakistani prime ministers adviser on foreign policy, told reporters in Islamabad.

The Taliban has already formally announced its high-powered delegation has undertaken the visit to discuss among other issues a Pakistani security crackdown on insurgent leaders, resulting in arrests of several of them and possible closure of religious seminaries for Afghan refugees in Baluchistan.

The southwestern Pakistani province shares a long border with Afghanistan where Taliban leaders and fighters are sheltering among hundreds of thousands of Afghan refugees.

The Taliban sent its delegation to Pakistan just days after reports emerged in the media of secret meetings in Qatar between Taliban negotiators and Afghan intelligence chief Muhammad Masoom Stanekzai. The insurgent group denied the reports as propaganda while Afghan officials have also publicly declined to acknowledge it.

But Pakistani adviser Aziz confirmed the meeting without sharing any details.

There was a meeting in Qatar few days ago, and obviously they [the Taliban] are going to do some briefing about it [in their meetings]. And as we move forward, we will continue with our effort to see [the Afghan peace] dialogue and some reconciliation taking place for bringing lasting peace [in Afghanistan], Aziz said.

He asserted that Pakistan, as part of a four-nation grouping, is continuing with its individual efforts to persuade the Taliban to come to the table for negotiations with the Afghan government.

The so-called Quadrilateral Coordination Group, or QCG, includes Afghanistan, the United States and China. It has held several meetings since the beginning of the year to try to arrange talks between the Afghan warring sides but has failed to make any progress other than just finalizing a so-called road map for peace.

Aziz reiterated that all the members have an obligation to make individual efforts toward promoting the Afghan reconciliation for bringing an end to the war in Afghanistan.

The crackdown on Taliban members in Baluchistan is targeting those insurgents who refuse to engage in peace talks with the Afghan government, senior Pakistani officials told VOA.

They insisted the insurgents are being pressured to either engage in peace talks or leave Pakistan. The presence of Taliban leaders on Pakistani soil has been at the center of Islamabads tensions with Kabul.

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani alleges the sanctuary in Pakistan has enabled the Taliban to prolong the war in his country and expand its influence after U.S.-led foreign combat troops withdrew from Afghanistan in 2014.
A tour bus traveling along a California highway slammed into a tractor-trailer early Sunday, killing 13 people and injuring at least 31 others.

The bus, operated by USA Holiday, was returning to Los Angeles from the Red Earth Casino in Thermal, California, Jim Abele, a chief of the California Highway Patrol said at a press conference. The crash occurred near Palm Springs.

It's unknown if drugs, alcohol or fatigue were factors in the accident, Abele said. But the speed of the bus was so significant that when it hit the back of the big rig, the trailer entered approximately 15 feet into the bus.

The bus driver was killed, and the truck driver received minor injuries.

Abele did not reveal the nationalities of the victims but said authorities were in contact with consular officials of Mexico, Japan and Australia and that most of the passengers were Hispanic.

Passengers told officials that most people were asleep when the crash occurred at 5:17 a.m. Abele said he didn't believe the 1996 bus had seat belts and likely didn't have a "black box" data recorder with which newer vehicles are outfitted.
At a closed door meeting of high-level Communist Party members this week, Chinese President Xi Jinping will make it clear his expansive anti-corruption drive is far from over and that controls will continue to tighten before a major political reorganization late next year.



But even as Xi tries to grow his influence over the party, his heavy-handed approach is sparking resistance, analysts note.



Xi had a tremendous amount of things that he wanted to accomplish and the means through which he wanted to accomplish those was fairly draconian, says Andrew Mertha, a political scientist at Cornell University. It was really only a matter of time before there was some backlash.



The opening of central committee plenum Monday, marks the beginning of a high season of political activity for China. The meeting will be brief and only last four days this week, but comes at the start of a political transition process that culminates late next year with the 19th Party Congress.



At that meeting, Xi will seek re-election and try to appoint his own people to the powerful Politiburo Standing Committee, a top decision making body that will replace five of its seven members next year. Xi Jinping and Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, a man that Xi does not always see eye to eye with, are expected to remain.





Zhang Lifan, a political commentator and historian says that while no one would dare to challenge Xi openly, soft resistance is not going away.



The next year will be a challenging period for him and the key questions and things that he cares the most about are whether he can be successfully re-elected at the 19th Party Congress, and whether his authority as the core of the party can be consolidated so his clique can take over completely.



Powerful leader



Xi is seen as one of Chinas most powerful leaders since Mao Zedong and his assertive efforts to raise the countrys international profile, including the recent shift of allegiance by the Philippines to Beijing, has helped him win praise at home.



But he is also facing huge problems as well. Unlike his predecessors, he is navigating a political transition at a time when the economy is slowing for the first time in more than a quarter of a century. He has also had less time to groom his own proteges and build up his own power base, analysts say.

Many of the central committee members who are meeting this week are faction members of Xis predecessors, Hu Jintao and Jiang Zemin, notes Willy Lam, a veteran analyst of Chinese politics.



They have been very much alarmed by the personality cult which Xi Jinping is building for himself and also the very aggressive power grab undertaken by Xi Jinping to aggregate more and more powers to himself, Lam says, adding that efforts to enforce tougher rules during the meetings could invite a big pushback from members of both camps.



Since assuming control of the party in 2012, Xi Jinping has launched a crackdown on civil society, lawyers and the internet. He has issued regulations that prohibit party members from meeting alone or criticizing the party, and his expansive drive against graft has already seen more than one million party members punished for corruption.





In the run-up to this weeks meetings, state television broadcast a series on the anti-corruption crackdown that highlighted the extent of the campaign and praised Xi for his efforts.



The point of the series and its release so close to the meetings says David Zweig, a political scientist at Hong Kong University of Science and Technology is to send the public a message, to help people be emotionally and mentally prepared for the fact that people are behaving badly and the party will continue to nail them as it has been doing at a pretty fast clip.



The message in general is for people to rally around him [Xi], for the next party congress or he can make just about everybody go on TV and eat humble pie, Zweig says.

Soft resistance



Although the public in general has been supportive of efforts to tackle abuse of power and wanton waste of public funds, the drive has been so intense that many in local governments have been driven to inaction.



What worries the central [government] the most is that the institutional government machine has slowed down on its operation or even stopped running, Zhang says. Many feel that no action leads to no mistakes or the more you do, theres more wrong.



And it is not just local governments, but moderate elites are also feeling the pressure and venting their discontent on social media.



In a recent article that was circulated widely online, well-known political scientist Jin Canrong, a professor at Renmin University noted what he called nationwide soft resistance to Xis policies and an increase in political tensions, which he says are showing no signs of going away and are having an impact on the economy.



There are two engines to Chinas economic rise, one is markets and the other is local governments. During the past 30 years, local governments have played a key role in economic development, he wrote. Adding that now it is clear that at least one of those engines has shut down.
Cross border firing between India and Pakistan in the contested region of Kashmir has killed at least three people, including two children.

Indian police sources said a young boy was killed and four civilians were injured in the border shelling and firing by Pakistani border guards early Monday.

Pakistan's military says Indian troops fired across the de facto border in the disputed area, killing two Pakistani civilians. Pakistan says one of the civilians was an 18-month-old child, and that seven people were wounded in the incident Sunday.

Tensions have been high in the area since September when an attack India blames on Pakistan killed 19 Indian soldiers in the disputed region.

India retaliated with "surgical strikes" against militants on Pakistani soil.

Kashmir is divided between India and Pakistan and claimed in full by both. It has been the trigger for two of the archrivals' three wars.
The Dakota Access pipeline is a 1700 kilometer (1100 Mile) pipeline that is intended to transport the 400,000 barrels of oil that are coming from the Bakken and Three Forks oil fields in the U.S. State of North Dakota every day. Currently most of that oil is transported by train.

The oil is a product of hydraulic fracturing (fracking) in the region and the pipeline would make it's way across four U.S. states, North Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa, then end up in Patoka, Illinois. From there, other pipelines can re-route it all over the country to shipping ports and refineries.

The company building the pipeline is Dakota Access LLC, and they are an offshoot of a larger company called Energy Transfer that controls about 114,000 kilometers (71000 m) of pipeline that crisscrosses the United States. The company has been building the pipeline since 2016 and according to Catherine Collentine from the Sierra Club it's more than half complete. Currently most of the oil in the region is transported to market by rail, and Dakota access says "there are other pipelines in the area..." but this new pipeline will ease an overburdened rail system, "thus increasing overall safety to the public and environment."

Why the protests?

But no doubt you've also heard or read something about the protests that are taking place around the building of the pipeline. This weekend dozens of people were arrested when they trespassed on private property that is in the pipelines right of way. Local police also confirmed that a drone flying above the scene of the protests was shot at by law enforcement officials.

What is going on here? Well These protests, the pipeline and the pipeline building process involved is worth taking some time to understand. Because we here at VOA think it says a lot about the good and bad of American infrastructure, and democracy.

Native Americans have been protesting the building of the pipeline for nearly two years. But they ratcheted up in intensity in July when the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers granted the builders a permit allowing the pipeline to cross under the Missouri River at a place called Lake Oahe, which is just about half a mile North of the the Standing Rock Sioux Indian Reservation. The Indians are protesting for a number of reasons. The first is that they get their water from the Missouri River and any oil spill puts their supply at risk. Second, the construction will dig up, and in fact may already have dug up areas the Sioux claim are sacred archaeological and burial sites. And finally, the Standing Rock Sioux say they weren't consulted by the Army Corps when they were investigating the pipeline.

The first and obvious question is: what is the Army Corps of Engineers (ACoE) and why are they even involved? The Army Corps was established over two hundred years ago. In those early years, the Corps was put in charge surveying roads and canals of national importance, in commercial or military point of view, or necessary for the transportation of public mail.

That broad mandate continues to this day and has expanded as the United States has grown. When the Clean Water Act was passed, the ACoE became the lead organization in charge of making sure that any construction or other projects are in compliance with that act, and don't for instance, put the nation's water supply at risk. They're required to study the potential environmental impact of any project before giving it the go ahead. And so today, the Army Corps according to their website, "evaluates permit applications for essentially all construction activities that occur in the Nation's waters, including wetlands."

The Army Corps and Native Americans

But things get even more complicated when any construction involves Native Americans. The early history of the United States in regards to treatment of its indigenous peoples is not one that Americans can view with much pride. During the rapid westward expansion of the United States, whole tribes of Indians were forced off of land they had occupied for centuries and relocated to reservations. In an attempt to make up for that forced relocation, laws have been passed over the past hundred years or so that take into account the fact that where Native Americans live now, may have no relationship to where they lived historically.

That means land that American Indians don't occupy may be the places where they raised their families and buried their dead, and so have great religious and archaeological significance. To take this into account, when the Army is considering any construction project, they "must make a reasonable and good faith effort to identify Indian tribes that attach such significance but may now live at great distances from the undertaking's area of potential effect." In other words, Native Americans have to be consulted before things get dug up on land where they once lived.

And that's the problem!

The Standing Rock Sioux say that in this case the Army Corps didn't consult them. The Army Corps and Dakota Access says they did, in a statement they sent VOA the company said "The Army Corps and Dakota Access carefully considered the views of all potentially affected tribes that chose to participate in the consultative process prescribed by Congress, and fully complied with both the letter and the spirit of the National Historic Preservation Act." That back and forth is still being decided by U.S. legal authorities. The most recent court decision came down in favor of the Pipeline in September when a district judge ruled that the Army Corps "likely complied" with the law and allowed construction to move forward.

Then, within hours of that ruling, the Justice Department, the Department of the Army and the Interior Department sent out an injuction stopping any construction on that land the Sioux say is sacred. In a joint statement the three departments said the decision to stop construction would allow them to "determine whether it will need to reconsider any of its previous decisions regarding the Lake Oahe site under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) or other federal laws."

VOA Spoke to Phil McKenna who has been reporting on this story for Inside Climate News and he believes "that announcement from the Obama administration galvanized the opposition." VOA also spoke with Catherine Collentine from the Sierra Club who says the Obama Administration must step in. "This is one of those examples," she says, "where the administration should see that this should not have happened and this never should have started." The protestors are demanding that the Army Corps of Engineers conduct what McKenna calls "an Environmental Impact Statement." He adds, "They are also challenging the fact tracking process" the Army Corps used to approve the pipeline."

So what did they say about this pipeline?

But as the legal case moves forward hundreds of people have come to Lake Oahe to join the Standing Rock Sioux in their protest against the pipeline. More than half of all the Native American tribes in the U.S. have pledged solidarity with the Sioux, and a number of members of Congress have written letters urging the Obama administration to step in and stop the pipeline.

The protests have at times been tense, construction equipment has been vandalized and security dogs have allegedly attacked and hurt protestors, including children. Also, at least two journalists have been arrested on charges of rioting, though some of those charges have been dropped.

So what happens next?

The Protestors and say they will remain on watch, and are preparing for the bitterly cold North Dakota winters.

The construction team meanwhile continues to build the pipeline in other areas where there is no controversy though the company says the delays caused by the protests are costing them billions of dollars.

The next big legal step for the case will come when the Army Corps of Engineers announces whether or not they will take a second, closer look at the possible environmental impacts of building a pipeline across the Missouri river. Mckenna says that "decision on the pipeline will be coming in weeks not months."

From the viewpoint of the Sierra Club's Collenstein the Federal government has a clear mandate. "This project is large," she says, "and has extensive impact on sacred sites that are covered" under a number of different pieces of legislation. She says that requires them to pause construction and make sure the water stays clean, and that the rights of the first Americans are respected.
Recent comments by Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump about electoral fraud  Its a rigged election  have alarmed many in the U.S. and abroad.

Free and fair elections have been the cornerstone of American democracy and a standard for many around the world. While experts agree there is no statistically significant electoral fraud in the U.S., they caution this is an unusual electoral year for many reasons, and problems could arise.

Trumps all-out assault on the electoral process brought condemnation from Republicans and Democrats alike, including the president of the United States.

Every expert regardless of political party, regardless of ideology  conservative or liberal  who has ever examined these issues in a serious way will tell you that instances of significant voter fraud are not to be found, the president said.

Some election concerns

Voting rights experts agree the electoral process is not rigged, but they do have some concerns.

This will be the first election without some of the protective provisions of the 1964 Voting Rights Act, which were struck down in a U.S. Supreme Court case three years ago, specifically, the Federal Election Observer program.

This is now the first presidential election cycle in more than 50-plus years where the Justice Department will not have around the country federal observers, who are trained individuals monitoring elections in some of the most vulnerable parts of the country, said Kristen Clarke of the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, a nonprofit organization formed in 1963 to target inequities confronting minorities.

The Justice Department sent out more than 780 observers in 23 states for the 2012 election. This year, there will be observers in a few jurisdictions in Alaska, California, Louisiana and New York where they have been authorized by court order.

Fourteen states will be enacting new restrictive voter laws, some requiring specific types of voter identification.

Voter hotline

With no federal observers to ensure laws are implemented correctly, civil rights organizations are setting up phone banks for voters to call. The nonpartisan Election Protection coalition provides a national hotline to assist voters in every state with questions or concerns about their rights and the upcoming election.

Right now, Clarke said, we are monitoring for things like purging of voter registration rolls, eleventh-hour efforts to change polling locations without giving voters adequate notice of these problems, efforts to target and challenge voters eligibility to cast a ballot on Election Day.
The United Nations estimates 200 million girls and women in more than 30 countries have undergone female genital mutilation (FGM).

Somalia has the highest rate in the world recorded by the United Nations, with about 98 percent the country's female population between the ages of 15 and 49 affected by FGM.

Although the procedure is illegal in the United States, many Somali natives now residing in the U.S. underwent FGM as young girls and still live with pain. And, in some Somali communities, the practice is carried out in secret.

The U.S. state of Minnesota is home to a large number of refugees from Somalia. Fadumo Afi, who lives in the Twin Cities area, a 55-year-old mother of seven who complains of medical problems, remembers how she was mutilated with an unsterilized instrument. She said she underwent the procedure, along with another girl, when she was 6.

"It was too harmful to us because we have not even had anesthesia," she said. "We were living in the areas where medication wasn't [available]. We couldn't even pee."

Physical, emotional scars

Fartun Weli says she's unable to have children due to FGM, which is why she founded Isuroon, a nonprofit organization that advocates for Somali women living outside Somalia and works with women who have life-threatening medical conditions as a result of having undergone FGM.

Weli underwent what is considered the most dangerous type of FGM, known as Type III, which includes the complete sewing shut of the vagina. She says she still has physical and emotional scars.

According to the U.N. Population Fund, which works with youth and women, there are three types of FGM, and Type III, called infibulation, causes vaginal obstruction that can result in accumulation of menstrual flow in the vagina and uterus. Infibulation can also cause difficulties during sexual intercourse or childbirth, and can be fatal.

"Well, the complication is hard. You have a problem with sexual issues. You have a problem going to see the doctor...when they going to do pelvic exams," Weli said. "It really, really hurts. You are self-conscious about your sexual needs and you are asking yourself 'Why am I not normal?' Now we are living [in] America, second or third generations, and we are becoming friends with non-Somalis, so we discuss about this issue."

Imam: FGM prohibited

FGM is a traditional practice that has nothing to do with Islam, says Sheikh Hassan Jami'i, an imam in the Twin Cities area. He said he has four daughters and none have been subjected to FGM.

"All scholars of Islam agree that FGM is prohibited," he said, "That's why I'm proud as a father that I have never practiced this harmful FGM. In Islam, there is a principle that says whatever is harmful, it's prohibited."

Khalid Mohammed, a Somali-American Twin Cities resident, agrees. He has seen his sisters suffer from the practice and wouldn't recommend that others go through the same ordeal.

"I have sisters who have suffered from FGM and because of the trauma and problems they have gone through, I see it as something too bad, he said. Their menstrual cramps last longer and they experience more pain and can't even afford to do their daily work."

Untold problems, pain

Dr. Ahmed Roble, who runs a clinic in St. Paul, Minnesota, treats many women who have been subjected to FGM.

"This is an aggression done to innocent girls at a very tender age, and sometimes even newborns," he said.

The average age that girls are subjected to FGM is between 5 years old and 10 years old, he added. Roble said that women who live with the scars of FGM suffer during childbirth.

"Because of the scars, they are not as elastic and stretching is difficult," he said. "You get more stitches to repair because this is not a normal opening."

Since the medical complications of FGM are severe, even those who undergo surgery will not regain what they have lost in terms of health or appearance. Although there are now numerous campaigns and laws against the procedure in African countries, it is still widely practiced and causes untold problems and pain for women.

The World Health Organization says FGM is performed for different reasons from one region to another. Among them is trying to ensure premarital virginity and marital fidelity, reducing a woman's libido to therefore "help her resist extramarital sexual acts," and "increasing marriageability."

There are also "cultural ideals of femininity and modesty, which include the notion that girls are clean and beautiful after removal of body parts that are considered unclean, unfeminine or male."
lslamic State has claimed responsibility for a suicide attack that targeted a police training center in southwestern Pakistan, killing at least 61 recruits and wounding more than 120 others.

The assault began just before midnight in Quetta on Monday, with three assailants entering the hostel for recruits inside the complex and spraying occupants with bullets.

On Tuesday, Islamic State, via its Amaq news agency, released pictures of the three attackers, with machine guns and explosives strapped to their bodies.

Witnesses say the attackers quickly seized a number of hostages before Pakistani troops and commando units surrounded and entered the facility to confront the gunmen.

Battle to clear complex

The battle to clear the complex lasted several hours. Two attackers blew themselves up while a third was gunned down in the exchange of fire with security forces, ending the siege just before dawn on Tuesday, said a provincial official.

They (the victims) were all unarmed trainees who are normally at that time of the night either retiring to their bed or engage with their smart phones or other phones in their private leisure time. So, they took them by surprise, provincial government spokesman Anwar-ul Haq Kakar told VOA.

Some of the police and others inside the building escaped by jumping out windows. They told reporters the gunmen were wearing masks and started shooting as soon as they got inside.

Kakar said authorities have yet to determine the number of attackers, adding that he saw the body of one of them. A preliminary probe concluded the assailants were Uzbek militants.

Allegations of Afghan, Indian involvement



The spokesman alleged that Afghan and intelligence operatives from rival India jointly facilitated the deadly assault like some previous terrorist acts hitting his province.

We are quite clear about this that they were being handled by Afghanistan and they were Afghan nationals as far as initial assessment is concerned,Kakar asserted.

Dawa Khan Minapal, a deputy spokesman for Afghan president Ashraf Ghani, said, The Afghan government condemns the attack on the police training center in Quetta and rejects any suggestion that Afghanistan was involved in the attack.

US condemns attack



The United States has also condemned the terrorist attack in the capital of Baluchistan province.

We stand with the people of Pakistan and Government of Pakistan at this difficult hour, and we will continue to work with our partners in Pakistan and across the region to combat the threat of terrorism, said State Department spokesman John Kirby in Washington.

For its part, the Afghan government accuses the Pakistani spy agency of covertly supporting the Taliban and its ally, the Haqqani Network that have staged similar attacks on its side of the border.

Border challenges



U.S. Commander of NATO forces in Afghanistan General John Nicholson this week again acknowledged the nearly 2,600-kilometer long frontier posed challenges to both the countries.

Its still a very porous border region and we do see insurgents moving both ways across the border, some from Afghanistan to Pakistan and then of course the Haqqanis and the Taliban moving from Pakistan into Afghanistan, the general told NBC.

He said there is a need for Afghans to increase the number of border posts on their side and both the neighboring countries also need to increase their coordination procedures.

The Pakistani province, particularly Quetta, has lately seen a spike in militant attacks. A suicide blast in early August just outside a hospital in the city killed more than 70 people.
"We can't even wash our hands because there is just barely enough water to drink," says Intisar, leaning on her tin door frame in the city of Qayyarah, Iraq. She is surrounded by her three daughters  their clothes, faces and hands all blackened with oil residue.

Overhead loom massive plumes of black smoke from burning oil fields. Five days ago, Islamic State fighters were launching attacks, including re-igniting the oil fields, about 300 meters from her front door. A month ago, they controlled Qayyarah.

Just north of the city, fumes from a sulfur plant set alight by IS fighters have killed at least two people in recent days, and sent about 1,000 to the hospital.

Intisar's daughter, Haibat, who looks about 10 years old, puts on a paper hospital mask. Officials have told people to wear the masks to protect them from the poisons. After a few minutes, Haibar removes the mask.

"The oil has been burning so long, people have gotten used to it," her mom says.

In Pictures: Destruction Left Behind by IS in Iraq

Destruction

Here in Qayyarah, locals say most of the bombed-out buildings were crushed by coalition airstrikes. A makeshift memorial on the main street lists the names of those killed by IS.

"At first, IS fighters didn't care about the people; they only wanted to control the city," explains Obayda, who returned to Qayyarah after IS was pushed out a month ago. "They didn't even bother families of Iraqi Army soldiers."



Now Obayda works at a falafel shop on the city's main drag, where most of the businesses are closed and buildings have shattered windows and bullet holes. A Sunni Muslim, he also serves with one of the Shiite militias, a joint Sunni-Shiite operation.

As months of IS rule dragged on, he says, militants in this area appeared to grow more nervous, slaughtering former police officers, soldiers and government workers. Obayda finally swam across the river six months ago because the bridge had been bombed, and escaped to a refugee camp in the Kurdistan region.

"They were treating people like dogs," he says. "We couldn't leave our homes. There was no work and no money."

Regardless of the destruction, the smattering of local people that remain or have returned appear to be thrilled with the Iraqi Army's presence in the area, cheering military vehicles as they pass.

Graffiti litters many buildings, expressing support for the army and anger at IS. Some reads, "Long live Iraq. Death to Daesh."

Protecting the people

Army officials say they are winning the war against IS, but protecting the people is their biggest challenge.

When Iraqi and Kurdish forces get to Mosul, Iraq's second-biggest city and the largest IS stronghold in the country, IS is expected to use civilians' lives for protection, according to Major-General Najim al-Jibouri, the Iraqi Army's commander of the operation to take back Mosul.

"The big challenge is the people in the villages and the cities," he says, "ISIS uses them like shields."

Inside Mosul, he adds, IS has told people to fear the oncoming forces, and locals are already terrified of airstrikes.

The militants have also laid booby traps and mines in the villages that have been recaptured, and built escape tunnels. And while a million people are expected to escape the city as soon as they can, the surrounding area is reportedly also laden with landmines.

"We must be very careful not to hurt the people," al-Jibouri says. "If the battle was just between us and ISIS, it would be very easy for us to defeat them."
Indian police say they have killed at least 18 Maoist rebels in a gunfight in the eastern part of the country in one of the deadliest clashes with the rebels this year.

Police said the shootout happened late Sunday after authorities received a call that about 30 Maoist rebels were assembling in forests near the border of Odisha and Andhra Pradesh states.

Press Trust of India reported that a top Maoist leader and his son are among those killed. Authorities did not confirm this information.

The gunfire is reported to have lasted close to an hour.

Local officials say a search operation for more of the rebels is under way.

Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has described the Maoist rebels as India's most serious internal security threat.

The rebels are influenced by ideas from the late Chinese revolutionary leader Mao Zedong and for more than five decades have been fighting for the rights of the poor and landless against what they say are severe inequities in land acquisition and natural wealth distribution.
Iraqi forces shelled areas outside of Mosul Monday, as their offensive to retake the country's second-largest city from Islamic State militants entered its second week.

The attacks were focused near Bartella, about 15 kilometers east of Mosul. Iraqi forces as well as Kurdish fighters have been moving through small towns to the east and south of Mosul as they work their way closer to the city itself.

Brett McGurk, special envoy for the U.S.-led coalition that has been conducting airstrikes against Islamic State targets for two years, posted Monday on Twitter that after the first week "all objectives met thus far."

Also Monday, Human Rights Watch called for an investigation into an airstrike last week that killed at least 13 people at a mosque near the city of Kirkuk. That strike came during an assault by Islamic State fighters believed to be aimed at distracting Iraqi troops from the battle around Mosul.

The rights group said the evidence it examined was consistent with an airstrike, but also noted that the area was within shelling range of Kurdish and Islamic State positions.

U.S. military spokesman Col. John Dorrian said the coalition had "definitively determined" its forces were not responsible for the airstrike. The Iraqi government said it was investigating the attack.

Kurdish commanders claimed major advances Sunday in Bashiqa, located just north of Bartella, including saying their fighters had entered the town. Journalists, however, were not allowed entry, and the status of the town had not been confirmed by early Monday.

Carter in Irbil



The advances occurred as visiting U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter held talks in nearby Irbil with Kurdish leader Masoud Barzani and key military commanders.

Carter was later quoted as saying "they [peshmerga] fight extremely well. But because they're fighting hard, they suffer ... casualties."

After separate talks Saturday in Baghdad with Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, Carter also said Washington is prepared to provide additional support for the Iraq-led coalition if requested by Iraq and U.S. commanders.

Carter, who met Friday with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, is seeking to ease rising tensions between Ankara's Sunni leadership and Baghdad's Shi'ite government.

The two governments have been feuding over the presence of more than 1,000 Turkish fighters deployed near Bashiqa late last year to train Sunni and Kurdish fighters in the push against Islamic State. That Turkish force provided artillery cover for the Peshmerga advance on Sunday.

Turkey-Iraq border



The December 2015 deployment was also widely seen as an attempt by Turkey to ensure that its border with Iraq remains largely controlled by Sunnis and Iraqi Kurds rather than by Iran-backed Shi'ite militia currently fighting alongside Iraqi forces to retake Mosul.

For its part, the Baghdad government has repeatedly demanded the withdrawal of all Turkish forces from the country, a demand that Turkey has so far ignored.

The verbal standoff peaked Saturday when Iraqi Prime Minister Abadi formally rejected a demand by Turkey to participate in the military push to recapture Mosul.
The United Nations said Tuesday it has preliminary reports of extrajudicial killings and summary executions by Islamic State fighters around the northern city of Mosul, including the militants using civilians as human shields.

U.N. human rights spokesman Rupert Colville told reporters in Geneva the reports have not been fully verified, but include Islamic State killing 50 former Iraqi police officers they had been holding in a building outside Mosul, and in the village of Safina fighters killing 15 civilians and throwing their bodies in a river.

Colville said there also were reports of Iraqi forces finding the bodies of 70 civilians with bullet wounds in an area south of Mosul, but it was unclear who was responsible for the killings.

He reiterated calls for Iraq and allied forces to make sure their fighters to act according to international humanitarian law.

On Monday, U.S. officials said Iraqi forces had regained more than 800 square kilometers of territory from Islamic State since the fight to retake Mosul began last week.

Pentagon spokesman Navy Capt. Jeff Davis says the significant gains include Bartella, about 30 kilometers east of Mosuls city center, which is now in the process of being cleared.

This is probably the point on the map you could say is closest geographically [to Mosul], Davis told reporters Monday at the Pentagon.

Iraqi forces and Kurdish peshmerga fighters have been moving through small towns to the north, east and south of Mosul as they work their way closer to the city itself.

Brett McGurk, special envoy for the U.S.-led coalition that has been conducting airstrikes against Islamic State targets for two years, wrote Monday on Twitter that after the first week all objectives of the campaign had been met thus far.

U.S. officials caution that progress will be slow and deliberate, however, with fighting expected to intensify the closer Iraqis and Kurds get to the city.

Islamic State diversions

Despite the gains around Mosul, Islamic State has carried out several attacks across the country over the last few days. U.S. officials are calling these attacks diversions meant to take the focus away from Mosul.

This is to be expected, Davis said. We know that as they feel the pressure on Mosul they will try to divert attention as best they can by hitting elsewhere.

On Monday, Islamic State attacked the northern town of Sinjar, where local media say Kurdish forces have since repelled the assault. Other IS attacks over the last few days targeted Rutba in the countrys west and Kirkuk in northern Iraq.

The terror group also poured oil into a sulfur-dioxide pit south of Mosul and set it on fire, releasing toxic gas in the area. The Pentagon said the gas is not considered lethal in the concentrations U.S. forces are seeing. Iraqi forces now have control of the sulfur-pit area and are trying to put out the fire, officials said.

Iraqi officials in Baghdad also said a series of small bombings in the capital killed nearly a dozen civilians Monday. No one claimed responsibility, but the Islamic State often has targeted areas in the Iraqi capital.

Airstrike investigation

Human Rights Watch called for an investigation into an airstrike last week during the IS attack on Kirkuk believed to be aimed at distracting Iraqi troops from the battle around Mosul.

HRW said the strike likely killed at least 13 people at a mosque near the city, but also noted the area was within shelling range of Kurdish and Islamic State positions.

U.S. military spokesman Col. John Dorrian said the coalition had definitively determined its forces were not responsible for the airstrike. The Iraqi government said it was investigating the situation.

Turkey-Iraq tensions

U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter held talks over the last few days with Kurdish leader Masoud Barzani in Irbil, and in Baghdad with Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi.

Carter, who met Friday with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, has sought to ease rising tensions between Ankaras Sunni leadership and Baghdads Shiite government.

The two governments have been feuding over the presence of more than 1,000 Turkish fighters deployed near Bashiqa, Iraq, late last year. That Turkish force provided artillery cover for the peshmerga advance Sunday.

The December 2015 deployment was widely seen as an attempt by Turkey to ensure that its border with Iraq remains largely controlled by Sunnis and Iraqi Kurds, rather than by Iran-backed Shiite militia fighting alongside Iraqi forces to retake Mosul.

Baghdad repeatedly has demanded the withdrawal of all Turkish forces from the country, a demand that Turkey so far has ignored.

Chris Hannas contributed to this report from Washington.
Early in-person voting for the U.S. presidential election is underway in several states, including the battleground states of Florida and Colorado.

Polling places opened Monday in 50 counties in Florida, including the states largest counties  Broward, Duval, Hillsborough, Miami-Dade, Orange and Palm Beach. In Colorado, early voting centers opened Monday morning in all 64 counties across the state.

Also Monday, polling places began opening in Alaska, Arkansas, Massachusetts and Texas.

Vote by mail

Early voting by mail has been underway for weeks in many states. However, in-person early voting recently began in some states, allowing people to travel to voting centers to cast their ballots, in much the same way as voting on Election Day. So far, more than 5 million ballots have been cast.

Twenty-one states and the District of Columbia offer some in-person early voting, while many others allow absentee mail-in voting without having to provide an excuse for not being able to come to the polls.

Three states, Oregon, Washington and now Colorado, have enacted a vote-by-mail system in which all registered voters receive their ballots in the mail several weeks before Election Day. Voters can then mail their ballots back or drop them off at designated collection points through Election Day.

Recent data from the Pew Research Center indicates that early voting totals this election may well swell beyond 50 million, the most ever. That would be a significant proportion of the overall voter turnout, which is estimated at 130 million ballots.

More voters opt to vote early

In 1996, about 10 percent of voters used an alternative voting methods, either voting early or casting absentee ballots, according to U.S. Census data. Four years ago, in the last presidential election, that figure had tripled, to nearly 33 percent.

And in some individual states, that number is much higher. More than half of the ballots cast in the 2012 election in Nevada, Arizona, Texas, North Carolina, Montana, New Mexico and Tennessee were either early or absentee, according to Pew researchers.

Unlike most democracies, the U.S. does not have a centrally administered electoral system, meaning each state  and in some cases, even each county  determines how and when residents can vote.

Absentee voting began more than a century ago during the American Civil War, as a way for soldiers in combat to send their ballots back home. By the mid-20th century, most states had adopted some form of absentee voting, although it was restricted, usually requiring specific evidence that a voter was unable to cast a ballot in person on Election Day.

California, Oregon and Washington were among the first states in the 1970s and 1980s to allow voters to choose to cast absentee ballots without providing a specific reason. Today, 27 states and the District of Columbia allow no excuse absentee voting for their residents.

Regardless of how or where they vote, more and more Americans are acting early on their electoral choices. This has begun to alter political parties traditional campaign exhortations for everyone to get out and vote on Election Day.

Apart from the convenience early voting offers to most people, the trend can either help or hurt candidates whose campaigns peak just before Election Day. Campaign rhetoric during the last weeks before voting day this year will have relatively little or no effect on large numbers of voters.


President Barack Obama said Sunday in the race to take over his job, Republican candidate Donald Trump "proves himself unfit for this office every single day."

Obama backs fellow Democrat Hillary Clinton in the November 8 election, and spoke in support of her at an event in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Trump has in recent weeks repeatedly complained that the election process is rigged against him, something Obama said means Trump is losing.

"And, by the way, it means you don't have what it takes to do this job because there are a bunch of times where it gets tough," Obama said. "There are a lot of times where things don't go your way. And you have to be able to hang in there."

WATCH: Obama on Trump



Clinton had a similar message at a campaign event in Charlotte, North Carolina, saying that despite policy and principle differences with many previous presidents and candidates she has never before questioned whether they were fit to lead the country.

"This is not like anybody else who has ever run for president, who has demonstrated unequivocally that he is unqualified and unfit to be president and commander-in-chief of the United States of America," she said.

Trump was in Naples, Florida, Sunday where he touted his proposal to address corruption while raising questions about Clinton's conduct while in public office. Clinton has most notably faced questions about her use of a private email system during her time as secretary of state, something she has said was a mistake.

"My opponent has no plan to end government corruption because she is the embodiment of government corruption," Trump said.

He also reiterated the belief he expressed at last week's final debate that the military operation to retake the northern Iraqi city of Mosul was timed for political gain.

"The reason we went in, in my opinion, was Obama wanted to show what a tough guy he is before the election," he said.

Clinton has widened her lead in polls during the past month, including a new ABC News poll released Sunday that showed the Democrat surging to a 50-38 percent lead.

Trump has frequently questioned the validity of polls, and did so again Sunday while also repeating that the political system is "rigged."

"I'll tell you what, we're doing well in the polls, but you know I really think those polls are very inaccurate when it comes to women." Trump said. "I think we're doing better with women than with men, frankly."

Clinton told reporters traveling with her late Saturday that she plans in the final weeks of the campaign to emphasize "the importance of electing Democrats down the ballot" in an effort to try to reclaim control of Congress from Republicans.

Analysts have said Democrats stand a better chance of regaining the Senate than the House of Representatives, where Republicans hold a bigger majority.

The ABC poll said Clinton has moved to a commanding 20-point edge among female voters, 55-35, and an even bigger lead among college-educated women, 62-30. ABC also said that for the first time in its polling during the long campaign, men also favor her candidacy, 44-41. Trump is leading among white voters, still a majority of U.S. voters but a declining share of the U.S. electorate, by four percentage points, but non-whites favor Clinton by a huge margin, 68-14.

In last week's debate with Clinton, Trump's comment that Nobody has more respect for women than I do. Nobody" drew audible laughter from the audience. Later, he interrupted Clinton to call her "such a nasty woman," a taunt that immediately has been marketed on an array of T-shirts supporting her candidacy.

Trump's plunge in national polling and key battleground election states that will determine the outcome started more than two weeks ago when a 2005 tape surfaced in which he made lewd comments about women and boasted how he could grope them because he was a celebrity. Trump later apologized and dismissed the comments as "locker room talk," and denied he had actually made unwanted sexual advances on women.

But since then 11 women have recounted instances in which he made unexpected and unwanted advances on them over several decades, all of which he said were fabrications.
Ohio's Toledo Museum of Art is selling 68 antiquities from its collection, a move drawing criticism from a nationally known archaeologist and Egyptian officials.



The Blade newspaper reports about half the items are from Egypt. Others come from Cyprus, Greece and Italy. They're being sold in a New York auction on Tuesday and an online sale closing the same day.



The museum's director says its board approved selling the items that didn't meet the current collection's quality. He says it expects to generate about $500,000, which can be used on other acquisitions.



Art expert and Toledo native Joan Connelly says it's distressing because modern laws make it difficult to acquire such items.
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte faces a political test at home as he expects legislators, Cabinet members and the public to accept his controversial proposals for switching allegiance from the countrys historic benefactor the United States to a less familiar China.

On a state visit to Beijing Thursday, Duterte announced he would separate from the United States, his countrys former colonizer and staunchest military ally, and align instead with China, which he called the only hope for economic support. Those pledges followed a string of harshly worded anti-U.S., pro-China statements since the tough-talking Duterte took office June 30.

Domestic skepticism could slow or dilute those initiatives, possibly ending in action that covers some of the president's ambitions while incorporating the opinions of a population that remains largely pro-American.

Our problem with President Duterte is his style. He doesnt have a group think, as I call it, before he makes those pronouncements, said Ramon Casiple, executive director of the Philippine advocacy group Institute for Political and Electoral Reform. Its the other way around.

Cabinet members are waiting to be briefed on details of whats next for China and the United States before taking action, analysts say. They say department heads need clarity on how to change ties with Washington and follow up agreements with Beijing.

The four-day Beijing visit produced a Chinese offer of $13.5 billion in economic deals for the largely impoverished Southeast Asian country and an agreement to discuss rights to a contested tract of the resource-rich South China Sea.

(Duterte) issues a statement and then everybody else among his cabinet who is affected suddenly tries to second guess what hes really trying to say or modify it, Casiple said. Some wrongly thought the president would sever formal diplomatic ties with the United States. At the end of that process, the president himself clarifies what he really means.

Foreign Affairs Secretary Perfecto Yasay was quoted Monday saying the Philippines would not cut U.S. ties and instead uphold agreements with the United States. He said the Philippines wants a more independent foreign policy after years of being largely U.S.-driven.

Officers in the Philippine military may be hard to sway toward China as they have looked to the U.S. for aid since the 1950s to shore up their own forces.

Washington and Manila signed a Mutual Defense Treaty in 1951 obligating each side to support the other if attacked by a third party. Two years ago they reached an Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement aimed at helping Manila stop Chinese vessels from entering a 370-km (200-nautical-mile) exclusive ocean economic zone off the Philippine west coasts.

Most military officers are graduated from West Point, said Sean King, senior vice president with the New York political consultancy Park Strategies, in reference to the U.S. Military Academy. Abandoning a defense treaty, he said, would leave the Philippines open to territorial grabs by China without that defense agreement in place.

I put those odds of 50-50 for a meaningful break in U.S. relations, King said.

Philippine lawmakers have been quoted saying they doubt Duterte is serious about his comments in Beijing. At least one worried about depending on Beijing in the context of the South China Sea dispute, which drove Dutertes predecessor to seek a world court arbitration ruling. In July, a tribunal decided in Manilas favor.

Other legislators were quoted as suggesting the Philippine government engage China and its rival superpower the United States equally. That foreign policy approach would follow the examples of Indonesia, Myanmar and Vietnam  all of which value China but fear over-dependence on its $11.4.trillion economy.

Senators from the influential minority Liberal Party issued a statement asking for a review of the deals reached in China.

Military aid agreements with the United States require legislative approval in Manila to scrap them. The president can decide how to execute the deals and ask for renegotiation. Duterte has said joint military exercises with the United States earlier this month were the last.

Definitely there will be opposition. Whether (lawmakers) can block it depends on the nature of the action taken by Duterte, said Jay Batongbacal, director of the Institute for Maritime Affairs and Law of the Sea at University of the Philippines. Right now its all just public statements and controversial rhetoric. The Senate cant act unless its an official policy paper or something they can respond to.

Most Filipinos say they still support U.S. military aid, though some want to give China a chance because it has a record of offering smaller countries investment in factories and infrastructure.

About three quarters of Filipinos place much trust in the United States and 22 percent have the same level of trust in China according to a recent survey by the Metro Manila-based research organization Social Weather Stations.

The powerful Catholic Church in the Philippines has kept quiet on Dutertes foreign policy and is unlikely to voice a view unless the issue touches on human rights, analysts say.

Duterte's shift away from U.S. support risks alienating his Cabinet, as department heads try to play down anti-U.S. statements and risks a loss in investment plus defense aid from the United States, said Carl Baker, director of programs with the U.S. think tank CSIS Pacific Forum. Duterte should seek "feedback" from Filipinos, he said.

But its premature to say what Duterte will ultimately do, Casiple believes. What we see now is the normalization of relations with China rather than anything else, he said.
A bulldozer was busy clearing up the burnt remains of a shop destroyed during more than a week of fighting. Nearby, a man sold vegetables on a cart amidst heaps of charred bricks. Almost two weeks after the Afghan government, with NATO support, managed to fend off a Taliban attempt in early October to take over Kunduz city, residents were trying to get their lives back together.

Even though the Taliban failed to take over the city the way it did for a few days in 2015, the fighting, and the subsequent looting, destroyed many businesses. Residents complained of the high costs that war had imposed on them.

A loaf of bread has shot up from five to 30 Afghanis. One liter of gas has gone up 50 to 80, so gas is now 300 Afghanis, Shafiqullah, a resident of Kunduz, protested.

In the city square, a traffic policeman blew his whistle to direct the unruly traffic as bicycles weaved their way in and out of rows of cars and rickshaws; three-wheeled taxis popular in the region.

The main bazaar was full of pedestrians. Carts selling roasted corn or other snacks blocked the footpaths. Smoke, along with the appetizing whiff of roast meat, rose from a shop selling kebabs, a staple Afghan dish.

A casual glance on the streets gave an impression that things were usual, but locals said they continued to live under a cloud of fear and uncertainty. Few seemed to have confidence in the governments ability to protect them against the Taliban.

They can come anytime they want, said Mohammad Idrees, speaking in local Dari language. All entrances to the city are open. My house is in danger at night. No one is here to stop them. There is no police, nobody to stop them entering the city.

His concerns seemed legitimate. It looked like most of the security - the Humvees, the tanks, the trucks, the personnel - were concentrated in the city center, with little presence towards the outskirts.

The road that the VOA team took from nearby Baghlan province to Kunduz last Friday afternoon also seemed to have little security presence. Convoys of destroyed trucks and trailers every few kilometers provided evidence of Taliban attacks, but most of the police checkposts, several of them half destroyed from past fighting, were vacant.

Taliban militants are known to randomly set up illegal checkpoints on that and other roads leading to Kunduz, especially early mornings and after dark, to stop traffic going into or coming out of the city.

It seemed easy for them to do so. The districts surrounding Kunduz city still have heavy Taliban presence with areas considered sympathetic to it. An illegal checkpoint could mean something as simple as a couple of Taliban members walking or driving up to the road on their motorbikes from a nearby village and waving their AK-47s to stop traffic.

Afghan government and its NATO allies seem confident the Taliban would not be able to run over Kunduz, but that has done little to reassure the population.

Peoples shops are destroyed, businesses have shut down, people are living in fear, said Musa Jan describing life in Kunduz. People think there will be more attacks and the city will collapse again.
A top Russian diplomat says the Kremlin will not consider another humanitarian cease-fire in the war-torn Syrian city of Aleppo.

Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov spoke Monday, after a 72-hour truce expired in the city, and Russian and Syrian warplanes launched waves of new airstrikes. Moscow and Damascus insist the strikes are aimed at jihadists, while monitors and Western governments say they indiscriminately target an increasingly desperate civilian population.

Ryabkov, speaking to Interfax news agency, said any new truce would require "our opponents" to ensure what he called "appropriate behavior" by "anti-government fighters" seeking to topple the Damascus government and oust President Bashar al-Assad. In a statement, Ryabkov accused unnamed anti-government groups of sabotaging medical evacuations that had been scheduled to take place during the cease-fire.

United Nations coordinators were forced on Friday to postpone evacuations from the eastern city because groups fighting in the war-ravaged sector could not provide security assurances for medical workers.

Syrian and Russian forces had opened eight corridors to allow civilians to evacuate the city. But in a climate of widespread distrust of Syria and its Russian ally, witnesses said few civilians or rebels used the lull to escape the city's wreckage.

In a separate foreign ministry statement Monday, Moscow again called on Washington to ensure the separation of jihadist fighters in Aleppo from what it called "moderate opposition fighters" seeking to drive Assad from power.

As many as 300,000 civilians are thought to be trapped in eastern Aleppo, with little food or emergency medical supplies. No aid has entered the city since early July, and the United Nations warns that food rations will run out by the end of this month.
Sudan President Omar al-Bashir has given Juba two months to force Sudanese rebels operating inside South Sudan to leave the country.

Bashir made the remarks in Khartoum over the weekend after the U.S. State Department issued a statement last Thursday indicating the South Sudan government is harboring Sudanese rebels.

At a meeting Saturday of the National Shura Council, Bashir said Juba, the capital of South Sudan, must cut its ties with Sudanese rebels and expel them from the country immediately.

Bashir noted that he and South Sudan President Salva Kiir signed the 2012 cooperation agreement that includes provisions that commits both governments to refrain from supporting rebel groups in each other's countries.

Bashir said if Juba does not comply with the agreement, Khartoum will no longer abide by it either.

U.S. weighs in

U.S. State Department spokesman Mark Toner, in a press statement, said credible reports continue to indicate the Government of the Republic of South Sudan is harboring and providing assistance to armed Sudanese opposition groups.

The statement called on the Kiir administration to redouble its efforts to meet the commitments reached with Sudan, as both parties agreed to end support for armed opposition groups in each other's countries.

Sudan government spokesman Ahmed Bilal Osman said Khartoum wants Juba to honor the commitment made by Vice President Taban Deng Gai in a recent visit to Khartoum.

This is an agreement and a commitment by the Vice President Taban Deng when he visited Sudan. He said in this period they had already told the rebels to move out of the South. This is the only thing. If they did that, the normalization of relations between Sudan and South Sudan can be normal and everything can be solved, Osman said.

South Sudan government spokesman Michael Makuei insists that Juba does not support Sudanese rebels and accused the U.S. of releasing the statement to placate Khartoum.

We are not harboring any rebels here and we are not doing anything. All we know is that America wants to normalize its relations with the Sudan government and as such it had to issue such a statement, Makuei said.

Makuei added that the U.S. should have condemned Khartoums support of South Sudanese rebels waging war on the government of South Sudan.

Khartoum is harboring, accommodating and training and arming the rebels against the government of South Sudan. This is well-known. They are present in Khartoum and it is known all over the world, Makuei said.

Denials on both sides

Osman flatly denied accusations that Sudan helps finance the SPLM-In Opposition or the former first vice president of South Sudan.

If theyre meaning [Riek] Machar, Machar only came here for humanitarian reasons. And thats not actually by Sudan alone but actually by the United Nations. They helped Sudan to move him from Congo to Sudan to be treated, Osman said.

Osman said Khartoum is willing to stop South Sudanese rebels from coming to Sudan so long as Juba stops hosting Sudanese rebels in its country.
Tom Hayden, the preeminent U.S. countercultural radical of the 1960s, has died at the age of 76.

Hayden was a leader of the student protests against the U.S. war in Vietnam. He was one of the country's most visible radicals, a founder of the anti-war Students for a Democratic Society and accused, but eventually cleared of charges that he was a ringleader of the violent protests at the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago.

After the war ended, Hayden turned to traditional American political pursuits, serving 18 years in the California state legislature while sponsoring progressive measures on the environment, civil rights, education and public safety. He lost campaigns to be the California governor, the Los Angeles mayor and for a Los Angeles city council seat.

Before his death Sunday, Hayden had been suffering from heart problems and fell ill while attending the Democratic National Convention in July.

Hayden's 1960s were a decade of dissent, marked by the growing protests against the Vietnam war, civil rights sit-ins and marches and the tear-gassing of student protesters on American campuses and in the streets of major cities.

Non-conformist

In his memoir "Reunion," Hayden wrote, "Rarely, if ever, in American history has a generation begun with higher ideals and experienced greater trauma than those who lived fully the short time from 1960 to 1968."

It was during that time that Hayden drafted the Port Huron statement that led to the creation of Students for a Democratic Society. It was seen as a Utopian manifesto that extolled "participatory democracy" as an antidote the complacency and conformity of 1950s America.

In the oft-quoted first lines of the statement, Hayden wrote, "We are people of this generation, bred in at least modest comfort, housed now in universities, looking uncomfortably to the world we inherit."

Hayden met film star Jane Fonda at a peace rally and married her in 1973, a marriage that ended in divorce in 1990. In 1974, the two made a trip to North Vietnam in protest of the U.S. involvement in the war against Hanoi, to the derision of Americans who supported U.S. troops, and made a documentary film that critics labeled as Communist propaganda.

On one of several trips Hayden made to North Vietnam, he escorted home three U.S. prisoners of war Hanoi agreed to release as a gesture of "solidarity" with the American peace movement.
Amid rising public anxiety over terrorism, presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump have tried to portray themselves as tough on national security.

For Trump, the Republican nominee, that means being firm on immigration, a hot-button campaign issue that has expanded to dominate the debate over terrorism.

Trump is no longer hawking a controversial proposal he announced after the Paris terrorist attacks last November to ban Muslims from entering the country.

Instead, he talks about extreme vetting of immigrants from Muslim nations to keep terrorists out of the country.

He also opposes admitting refugees from the Syrian conflict, warning that Clintons plan for escalating their numbers to 65,000 could unleash a "Trojan horse" of terrorists on the American homeland.

"Wait till you see what happens in the coming years," Trump said ominously during the final presidential debate last week.

Clinton, the Democratic contender, has condemned Trumps call for a prohibition against Muslims entering the country but her plan supports "rigorous screening" of refugees from Syria and elsewhere.

"I will not let anyone into our country that I think poses a risk to us," she said during the second presidential debate.

But now that Trump is no longer promoting his Muslim ban, there may not be quite as huge of a difference as some people think between the two candidates, said Michael OHanlon, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution in Washington.

Protecting the homeland

With fears of homegrown terrorism on the rise, both candidates have called for efforts to stop Muslim radicalization at home.

Trump says he wants to establish a Commission on Radical Islam to expose the networks in our society that support radicalization.

Trump, whose anti-Muslim rhetoric has been blamed for an increase in hate crime targeting Muslim Americans, acknowledged during last weeks debate that Islamophobia was a problem. But he told a Muslim American questioner: Muslims have to report the problems when they see them. If they dont do that, its a very difficult situation for our country.

Clinton sees the Democratic-leaning Muslim American community as critical to safeguarding the country against homegrown terrorism and has met with its leaders during the campaign.

"These Americans may be our first, last and best defense against homegrown radicalization and terrorism," she said last December.

Among other things, her "Comprehensive Plan to Defeat ISIS and the Threat of Radical Jihadism" calls for an "intelligence surge" to give law enforcement the edge in detecting and disrupting terrorist plots and a "lone wolf task force" to identify and stop radicalized individuals.

Fighting the Islamic State

To defeat the Islamic State, Clinton and Trump both have advocated working with a coalition of European and Middle Eastern nations, using drones and special operations forces against Islamic State targets in Iraq and Syria, and establishing a no-fly zone over northern Syria.

But they disagree over other issues. Among them: Clinton wants to arm Syrian rebels fighting the regime of President Bashar al-Assad, something Trump opposes. On the other hand, Trump favors putting more boots on the ground. Clinton has said she's against the idea of sending ground troops.

OHanlon said that both Clinton and Trump "think they need to do a little more than Barack Obama" but "neither one wants a big military intervention."

But Max Abrahms, a terrorism scholar, argues that the two candidates' differences are in fact deeper than many assume and that they stem from how each views the phenomenon of terrorism.

Clinton subscribes to the "grievance model" of terrorism, the notion that terrorism is inspired by a sense of injustice, said Abrams, a political science professor at Northeastern University in Boston.

Trump, by contrast, leans toward the "opportunity model," so named for the view that terrorism thrives in conditions where there is a greater opportunity for its growth, he said.

Regime change

To Abrahms and other critics, Clinton is a neocon, a foreign policy hawk who favors the use of force to topple undemocratic regimes and establish democracies in their places.

"For every single regime change  Iraq, Syria and Libya  Hillary has been a much, much bigger proponent than Donald Trump of regime change," Abrahms said.

But OHanlon rejects the notion that Clinton subscribes to the doctrine of "regime change as a tool of American foreign policy.

It was never something Hillary was super enthusiastic about even when she voted for the Iraq war, OHanlon said, adding that though she supported the removal of Libyan dictator Muammar Ghaddafi, she was not as eager about the overthrow of Egyptian strongman Hosni Mubarak.

For his part, Trump blames Clintons apparent penchant for nation building and regime change for sowing instability in the broader Middle East. He has gone so far as to claim that Clinton and Obama founded the Islamic State group.

Clinton has expressed regret over her vote endorsing the 2003 U.S. invasion of Iraq but she continues to defend her support for U.S. military intervention in Libya in 2011.

Questioned about Trumps contention that her decisions led to instability, she said in November that it is not at all clear what the final outcome will be" in these countries.

The Middle East may have been far from an oasis of stability before 2009, but I think many policymakers would probably trade the current conditions, which border on anarchy in some of these cases, for the dictatorships of what were admittedly some very odious men, said Colin Clarke, a political scientist at RAND Corp.
U.S. officials are scrambling to contain flaring tensions between Ankara and Baghdad after Turkish officials announced their troops Sunday shelled Islamic State positions near the Iraqi city of Mosul - an artillery barrage, the Turks say, requested by Kurdish peshmerga commanders.

A dispute between Baghdad and Ankara over Turkeys insistence on participating in the retaking of Mosul has simmered for months, prompting Western alarm over yet another complication in a highly complex military campaign involving an unruly alliance of many rival forces to oust IS militants from Iraqs second largest city.

In the run-up to the Mosul offensive, launched a week ago, U.S. officials struggled to resolve disputes between anti-IS allies - Iraqis, Shiite militias, the Kurdistan Regional Governments forces and local Sunni tribesmen. One of the thorniest disagreements has revolved around Turkeys demand that it play a role in ousting the jihadists from Mosul and its insistence on having a seat at the table when it comes to how the city is governed after the militants ouster.

Last week, a former U.S. envoy to Iraq, Zalmay Khalilzad, warned of a possible clash of arms between Iraq and Turkey, writing in a U.S. foreign policy magazine of there being a danger of a war within a war that could damage the prospects for retaking and stabilizing Mosul.

Agreement in principle

On Friday, U.S. officials thought they had found a solution to the smoldering disagreement between Ankara and Baghdad, following a three-day trip to the region by U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter. He said he had brokered the outlines of a deal between the Turks and Iraqis regarding the involvement of Turkish forces in the military offensive. Although he acknowledged the details still needed to be finalized.

I think there's agreement there in principle," Carter told reporters. "Now we're down to the practicalities of that... and that's what we're working through.

U.S. officials acknowledged Monday to VOA that the bid to contain the Ankara-Baghdad flare-up has been made much more difficult by Sundays shelling, which was announced by Binali Yildirim, the Turkish prime minister. He said Turkish troops deployed outside Mosul had provided support for peshmerga forces "with artillery, tanks and howitzers."

On Monday, Baghdad was further infuriated when Turkeys foreign minister, Mevlut Cavusoglu, told reporters that four Turkish F-16 fighter jets were on standby to provide air support for the peshmerga.

The dispute between Ankara's Sunni leadership and Baghdad's Shi'ite government was first sparked in December 2015 when Turkey deployed more than a thousand troops to a base near the town of Bashiqa, 24 kilometers from Mosul, to train a 3,000-men-strong Sunni militia led by a former governor of Mosul, Atheel al-Nujaifi, who is at odds with Baghdad.

Turkish officials see the Sunni militia being trained as a counterweight to Iran-influenced Shiite militias Baghdad has depended on in the fight against IS militants.

Turkish officials insist their troops are only in northern Iraq with one aim in mind: to prevent Mosul, a traditional Sunni Arab city, from coming under the sway of Shiite militias once the city has been retaken from the Islamic State terror group. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has made a series of incendiary speeches in recent weeks emphasizing that he won't stand by and see Mosul controlled by Shiites and has adamantly rebuffed Baghdads demand to withdraw Turkish forces from northern Iraq.

In one television interview he said: But there is a major question, who will then control the city? Of course, Sunni Arabs, Sunni Turkmen and Sunni Kurds.

Turkish presence

Baghdad considers Turkeys presence on its soil a violation of sovereignty and has appealed to the United Nations to compel Turkey to withdraw from Iraq. Haider al-Abadi, Iraq's prime minister, has warned that the standoff risks "triggering a regional war.

Ankaras ambitions in northern Iraq seem to be much greater than just ensuring Mosul remains a Sunni city, some analysts say. What is driving Ankara is fear of growing Iranian influence on Iraq - an influence it wants to reduce by encouraging the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) to break away from Iraq and form an independent Kurdish state.

After its liberation, Mosul will become the theater  if it isnt already  for the Turkish-Iranian regional competition for influence, says Merve Tahiroglu, an analyst with the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies, a Washington-based think tank.

And here is where the KRG comes in: Turkey has continuously used the KRG to protect its interests in Iraq at times of trouble with Baghdad, including the justification for the military camp in Bashiqa, and has used the KRG as leverage, says Tahiroglu.

The relationship between the KRG and Ankara has grown in leaps and bounds as Iraqi Kurds have become increasingly economically dependent on the Turks. The resumption of Ankaras war with Turkeys outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK, last year tested Turkish-KRG ties. But the government of Masoud Barzani in Irbil shares Ankaras anxieties about the ambitions of the PKK in Syria and Iraq, says Tahiroglu.
The most senior U.S. diplomat for Asia has met the Philippine foreign affairs secretary just days after Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, during a visit to China, said he intended to sever ties with the U.S.

Daniel Russel said he told Perfecto Yasay Monday that Duterte's "succession of controversial statements and comments and a real climate of uncertainty about the Philippines' intentions has created consternation in a number of countries, not only in mine."

On Saturday, President Duterte backpedaled a bit on his comments in Beijing, saying he is not actually cutting ties with the U.S. because "It's in the best interest of my country that we maintain that relationship." But he said Manila will make its own foreign policy decisions independent of Washington.

Russel said Washington welcomes the relaxation of tensions between Manila and Beijing under Duterte, but the rapprochement should not come at the expense of ties between the U.S. and the Philippines.

Russel said he also shared concerns the U.S. has with Manila's anti-drug campaign that has killed more than 3,000 people in three months.

After the Philippines, Russel visits Thailand where he will convey his condolences on the death of King Bhumibol Adulyadej and meet with Thai officials to discuss bilateral relations and regional issues.

U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Russel will then head to Cambodia to meet with government and opposition party officials and civil society organizations.
Venezuela's Congress declared Sunday that the government staged a coup by blocking a referendum effort that could have led to the ouster of President Nicolas Maduro.

During an emergency session, the opposition-majority legislature passed a resolution proclaiming the "breakdown of constitutional order" and "a coup d'etat committed by the Nicolas Maduro regime."

Majority leader Julio Borges of the Democratic Unity Roundtable said "A continual coup d'etat has been perpetrated in Venezuela, culminating in the decision to rob us of a recall referendum. We're here to officially declare the regrettable and painful rupture of the constitution."

Legislators also proposed to replace Supreme Court judges and other national elections officials.

Lawmakers in favor of the Maduro administration accused the opposition of exploiting a situation to stage a coup.

"Don't try to take advantage of these hard times to finish off our nation," deputy Earle Herrera said.

In the day's agenda, Congress also wanted to vote to put Maduro on trial, but legislators were stopped after protesters in favor of the government entered the heavily secured building.

Opposition spokesman Jesus Torrealba said what happened on the Congress floor was an example of how democracy has been struggling in the country.

"The fact that lawmakers elected by 7.5 million people were silenced by 300 thugs sums up the situation better than any speech could," he said.

The legislature's resolution, however, is mostly symbolic as the Supreme Court declared the lawmakers in favor of the resolution in contempt of court for challenging the order.

The high court has blocked most bills passed by Congress since the opposition won control in January.

But the opposition is still urging Venezuelans to build pressure in the streets and vowed to lead a nationwide protest Wednesday called "the taking of Venezuela."

In the meantime, Maduro is touring the Middle East to push his plan for major oil producers, like Venezuela, to increase cooperation and slash oil output.

On Saturday, several thousand women marched on the streets of Caracas to protest the suspension of the referendum effort.

The protesters, led by Lilian Tintori and Patricia Gutierrez - wives of jailed political leaders and well-known voices against the current government - closed a lane of a major highway to show their dissatisfaction the administration of Maduro.

Were here to demand respect for the constitution, for Venezuelans to have elections to escape dictatorship, human resource worker Nayiber Bracho said.

Venezuelas electoral officials put a stop to the referendum effort Thursday after nearly a year of opposition campaigning.

Officials alleged fraud had taken place in the signature-gathering process for a referendum on the socialist leader.

"We can't handle this anymore, there is no food, there is no medicine, there is no future for my grandchildren nor for any Venezuelans," 65-year-old Maria de Guevara said.

"Of course, they have the right to request for the referendum, but they are also forced to comply with the constitution and the law. And we have the right to defend brother Nicolas Maduro, because I voted for Maduro, and I want Maduro to finish his term," said Diosdado Cabello, a lawmaker with the United Socialist Party of Venezuela.

Former Venezuelan presidential candidate Henrique Capriles said he and seven opposition leaders have received a court order blocking them from leaving the country.

What we saw yesterday [Thursday] was a coup, Capriles told reporters. Well remain peaceful but we will not be taken for fools.

Public opinion polls indicate that at least 80 percent of Venezuelans want Maduro out of office.

Recalling Maduro would push the Socialist Party out of power and trigger an early presidential election.

The recall effort had run into opposition from the election board, which imposed restrictions early on and argued that it would take until 2017 to put the proper conditions in place.

Thursday's ruling was followed by another decision after the electoral council suspended for 6 months gubernatorial elections that were scheduled for later this year.

The Socialist Party decided to put off elections indefinitely.

Venezuelan officials blame the opposition for the timing, saying the coalition took three months to reach a consensus on the referendum and that fraud was committed in a preliminary signature drive.

Countries like the United States, Brazil, Mexico, Canada, Chile and Uruguay released statements expressing concerns over the government blocking the referendum and placing travel restrictions on opposition leaders.

These countries urged Venezuela to respect human rights, find measures to assure a peaceful dialogue, and aimed the Venezuelan government to reach for "long-standing solutions in favor of democracy and social stability.
Venezuela has freed an opposition activist with dual U.S. citizenship after keeping him jailed for four months.

Francisco Marquez was freed on Tuesday and immediately left the country under the terms of his release. He was arrested in June while traveling to assist in a nationwide presidential recall campaign. Prosecutors said Marquez had nearly $3,000 in local currency and was trying to foment violence.

He was arrested with a fellow activist from the Popular Will opposition party. The other activist was released in September and went into exile in Spain.

Members of the opposition cheered Marquez's release, but said the government had succeeded in driving away two important opposition activists.
Tibet's spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama returns to his exile seat of Dharamsala, Northern India on the morning of October 24 following a two week visit to Europe.

Tenzin Taklha, Secretary of the Dalai Lama's private office says the Nobel laureate's visit to the five countries in Europe were successful, where he met with the people and leaders of the respective countries.

Taklha adds that the Dalai Lama is in great health except for a minor knee problem, and is scheduled to release a book and preside over a long life prayer in Dharamsala before heading to Japan.
Photo: Michael Loccisano/Getty Images

Austrian-born Arnold Schwarzenegger now says he would have run for president this election, if only he had been born in the United States. Similarly, you would have run for president in 2016, if only you had been a wealthy megalomaniac driven insane by your lust for power. If Id been born in America, I wouldve run, the actor, who served as the Republican governor of California from 2003 to 2011, told Adweek. Because now? This was a very good time to get in the race. Schwarzengger will unfortunately have to settle for Donald Trumps old job hosting The Apprentice. Seriously though, would an Arnold versus Donald face-off have been any worse? What horrible things could we possibly discover about Arnol  oh right, yup, never mind.
As Counseling opens, Frances meets with a new client looking for a mid-career change. He wants a new challenge  never too late for a fresh start, right? Right, she says, then pauses. Maybe. But if you lose it, you might end up with nothing at all, and then what is there to do but wrestle with regrets while you wait around to die? The client, understandably, is taken aback.

Robert, meanwhile, is being obnoxious and pushy during an open house at one of the homes he worked on: Holy shit! Is this Corinthian granite? Hey dude, your former finance bro is showing. Vicki, the humiliated real-estate agent, tells him to stop. He hits on her, then plays it off as a joke. When its clear shes not having it, he snaps that if he wanted my balls crushed and stuffed up my ass, he wouldve stayed at home. Frances may have been the one who was unfaithful, but Roberts burgeoning misogynistic attitude is even more unsavory.

They arrive  separately  at the office of their couples counselor. The main problem in their marriage, according to both Frances and Robert, boils down to trust. (This is obviously not true, but pinning it on trust is a lot easier than saying the last decade-plus of your marriage has been one long, silent queef of despair.) Again, Robert demands every detail of Francess affair with Jeremy, who he refers to as the French douchebag.

First of all, she says. Hes not French. Even this petty detail sets Robert off, sure shes lying from the top. But they move forward, Robert getting increasingly explicit: How many times did you have intercourse with his French penis? She thinks about it, then estimates 30 or 32. Hes furious. Hed guessed two. Then he asks if shed ever told Jeremy that she loved him. She says no, but doesnt make eye contact with Robert. (When she and Jeremy had their final tryst in the pilot, shed said, I love you  I think.) Its fair to estimate that couples counseling isnt a walk in the park, but this isnt going well. On their way out, Robert refuses to let Frances get in the elevator with him.

Frances puts the final touches on her future gallery space, as Dallas watches. Dallas hates Robert now; after last weeks episode, its hard to blame her. Shes been through this already and has evident battle scars. You need to destroy him, she tells Frances. Unless you want to end up with nothing. When Frances demurs, Dallas points out that hes derailed her own ambitions significantly: He made her move out of the city and get a headhunting job to support their family while he got his contracting business off the ground.

Robert is supervising work on a new house, making bad judgment calls and refusing to take input from his (probably more qualified) employees. Last week, we got a glimmer of his lack of friends when he visited Nick in the hospital, but here we see just how lonely he is, desperately trying to find someone to talk to. At least Frances has Dallas and Diane to confide in. (As another famously solipsistic leading man on an HBO show once said to SJP: Were middle-aged men. We dont make friends.) He winds up spilling his guts to his Latino construction-worker employees on their lunch break.

At home, Robert eats sad microwave dinners and leaves a stack of dirty plates and soda cans outside his door for Frances to pick up like a hotel maid, which is super-charming and a great way to make your marriage work. He also blasts Owner of a Lonely Heart by Yes, a deep cut from Now Thats What I Call Baby-Boomer Existential Crisis Music! Vol. 6. (Actually, Im pretty sure that my dad did this right before my parents got divorced.)

Neither Frances or Robert seem to understand that being elliptical about their issues is hurting the kids more than its helping. Lila washes Hannah in an attempt to make Robert less allergic, so that Lila could have her own room back and Robert could sleep in her parents bedroom again. Sad face.

Time for the second appointment with the counselor. Robert says that hed once had the chance to cheat on Frances with a close female friend. Theyd discussed their feelings for each other, and she wanted to take things to the next level, but he didnt. Frances points out that hed had an emotional affair, which is just as hurtful as a physical one. Besides, she knows who this mystery woman is. She tells the counselor that shed actually been suspicious at the time  but Robert convinced her that she had trust issues. She even saw a therapist. This gaslighting is just as damaging as an actual affair, but Robert wont acknowledge any nuance. As far as hes concerned, if theres no P-in-Va-G, its no harm, no foul.

She turns the tables on him by demanding every detail of the emotional affair, starting with who ended it. It was mutual, he says. Its never mutual, she scoffs. The details unfold: Shed invited him to her hotel in New York and he was (allegedly) on his way to end things when 9/11 happened. Frances is stunned: When I asked you about the dust on your car, you said youd driven down to Ground Zero to deliver water to the first responders.

At the hospital, Robert blathers about counseling to Nick, whos still in his coma  or is he? Robert, Nick gasps. Shut up. Please just shut the fuck up.

Nick and Diane have a tearful, loving reunion, as Robert tries to kill their buzz by reminding Nick that Diane shot a gun at them.

In the waiting room before their third counseling session, Frances mentions shes about to sign the lease on a gallery space. Robert disapproves: There are more important things that we [read: you] should be thinking about. We know, of course, that Frances has spent years thinking about these things  like being a supportive spouse, raising the kids, dealing with finances  while Robert was free to focus on his ambitions. Finally, she comes to terms with the fact that hell never support her own dreams. Then and there, they mutually (!) decide that counseling is pointless.

Robert packs up his truck, preparing to move out. In the bittersweet final scene, he tells her to remember that he always loved her. Its a rare moment where Robert isnt painted as a one-dimensional buffoon, and Divorce could use more of them. And then theres a poop joke at Roberts expense. Natch.

Other Notes:
Photo: Getty Images

Malcolm Gladwell is the well-known author of social science books including The Tipping Point, Outliers, and Blink. Gucci Mane is a rapper who once penned the lyrics, Corner-boy, I probably sold more rocks than a rock pit / Tryin to fill my shoes is like an armless man with chopsticks. So it was an only a matter of time before the universe, or a complex network of social factors easily comprehended through everyday examples, brought the two together. Over the weekend, the pair discovered each other on Twitter and made each others lives. This might be the greatest thing thats ever happened to me, Gladwell declared upon learning Gucci was reading his most recent work David and Goliath backstage at Santa Anas Beach Goth festival. Gladwell has been playing the long game (spending his entire adult life becoming a New York Times best-selling author many times over) in an attempt to get a Gucci verse about himself, but you know what, hes playing it beautifully.

Gucci Mane, ladies and gentlemen. This might be the greatest thing that has ever happened to me. https://t.co/XNIIfBTlZx  Malcolm Gladwell (@Gladwell) October 24, 2016
Rachel Weisz in Plenty. Photo: Joan Marcus

Susan Traherne had a terrific war. Just 17 when she was dropped behind enemy lines in Vichy France, she served valiantly as a member of Englands Special Operations Executive, part of a team carrying out harassment and sabotage missions in order to distract and demoralize German forces. The atmosphere of danger there intensified brief encounters into grand passions and reframed selfishness as patriotism to the point that no man, no occupation  and no self, for that matter  could ever afterward measure up. Postwar England was thus for Susan a profound disappointment even beyond its powdered eggs and cardboard shoes. It was a wasteland of lies, hypocrisy, anomie, and drift, not least her own.

Though Susan is fictional, she is representatively epic and tragic. David Hare was prompted to create her as the heroine of his 1978 play Plenty  which opens in an underpowered revival at the Public tonight  after reading that more than 70 percent of the women who served in the S.O.E. divorced soon after the war. Though Susan doesnt divorce the diplomat she marries in a moment of weakness, she certainly leaves him, more than once. In any case, Hare has extrapolated from the failed-marriage statistic to a wider failure. Plenty covers 18 years of Susans downhill life, not exactly in order; the opening scene, in which the husband, Brock, lies naked and covered in dried blood on the floor while Susan smokes dispassionately and chats with a friend, takes place near the end of the chronological action. The play, as Hare writes in his recent memoir, The Blue Touch Paper, then sets out on a long journey to explain how they all got there. We are thrown back briefly to Susans war, then forward through her many bedeviled attempts to find companionship and purpose in a society that was not sufficiently remade by the horrors it endured. In that way, Susan and England are one, and part of Plentys immensity and depth derives from the way the protagonist and the country are stand-ins for one another.

The role of Susan is huge even without the burden of that additional symbolic superstructure: She is the central figure in all 12 of the plays scenes. She connives, has mental breakdowns, attempts suicide, threatens murder, impersonates a Frenchwoman, impulsively gives away Brocks house to her friend Alice, and turns diplomatic dinner parties into politico-existential crises. (Nobody will say death-rattle of the ruling class, she announces in a beautiful evening gown. We have stuck our lips together with marron glace.) Her dialogue is so sharp you feel that Hare might have cut his fingers typing it. This makes the part hypnotically attractive to a certain kind of actor, and yet it is almost impossibly difficult to play, with its extremity and intermittency. Theres no connective tissue; each new scene is disjoint from the previous one, representing both a point on the continuum of Susans devolution and a fresh new hell in a rapidly changing world.

The roles hugeness demands a corresponding hugeness in the performer, the kind that Kate Nelligan brought to the original London and New York productions, and that Meryl Streep brought to the very fine Fred Schepisi movie. Rachel Weisz, who plays Susan in the current revival, clearly knows this, pushing hard and getting close to the mark, but she lacks the egotistical daring that demands and rewards unwavering attention for even the smallest gestures. It may be odd to add that her rendition of Susans craziness lacks charm, but without that you wonder why anyone would find her worth putting up with in the first place. Susan needs to be a glamorous nightmare, and Weisz is only halfway there.

In this she is not helped by David Leveauxs decidedly non-epic production. The early war scene, for instance, is a botch, about as convincing as a camp skit, with big dramatic shadows cast on sidewalls (though we are meant to be in a field outside Poitiers at night) and a lot of running about the smallish stage of the Publics Newman Theater. (The production that Hare himself directed in the same room in 1982 somehow got around this problem.) In other scenes, Leveaux is busy rather than profound, which is understandable because theres a lot to figure out; Hares structure leaves several key roles underwritten. But the resulting raggedness means that many of the jokes, which require precision, dont land, and the cinematic power of a play that creates tension through abrupt discontinuities and tonal contrast is vastly diminished. Without feeling viscerally how thrilling and ego-consuming Susans war was, for instance, the audience cannot properly grasp her ensuing boredom and monstrousness. Her wails of despair become little more than whines.

If Susan is never exactly a sympathetic figure  thats part of the daring of the role  she must always seem a necessary corrective to the dull world around her. Oddly, in this production, the polarities are sometimes flipped, and its the phlegmatic diplomatic class, even including a marvelous tiny cameo by Ann Sanders as the wife of a Burmese diplomat, that gets the upper hand. Perhaps this is because the actors who play Brock (Corey Stoll), his superior Leonard Darwin (Byron Jennings), and the Foreign Office bureaucrat Sir Andrew Charleson (Paul Niebanck) bring to their characters the precision and confidence, even if it is bluster, that their scenes require so as not to go soft. Stoll, a stage actor best known from TV series like House of Cards, reads younger and sexier than previous Brocks, who Hare describes as running to fat, but makes Susans taking up with him, never the likeliest possibility, seem more understandable. Jennings gets just right both Darwins faith in protocol and his crushing disappointment when betrayed by his own government during the Suez Crisis of 1956, which Hare frames as the central rupture in Englands moral authority. And Niebanck, in a superb but late scene that might as well be called Susan Meets Her Match, finally drags the production right to the glittering heart of the matter:

SUSAN: Sir Andrew, do you never find it in yourself to despise a profession in which nobody may speak their mind?

CHARLESON: That is the nature of the service, Mrs. Brock. It is called diplomacy. And in its practice the English lead the world. The irony is this: We had an empire to administer, there were 600 of us in this place. Now its to be dismantled and there are 6,000. As our power declines, the fight among us for access to that power becomes a little more urgent, a little uglier perhaps. As our influence wanes, as our empire collapses, there is little to believe in. Behavior is all.

This is the kind of sentiment you might expect a playwright like Hare to mock, but in fact he does not mock it any more than he does Susans psychiatric cabaret. In his memoir he writes that Plenty presents as equally costly all choices in a society which is institutionally hypocritical. That barely containable double pressure keeps tearing open the seams of the characters pretenses, letting the tragedy of lives built on lies pour out. It is what makes the play, even in a production thats only good, great.

Plenty is at the Public Theater through December 1.
A real estate investor is seeking Waco Plan Commission approval Tuesday for a vacation rental in the Cameron Park neighborhood, a week after the Lacy Lakeview council voted to deny her a permit for a similar enterprise.

Kristi Bass is seeking a one-year special permit for a temporary residential rental unit at 404 Baker Lane.

Hers is among nine properties the commission will consider for such permits, which allow online rentals of residential properties through services such as Airbnb, Homeaway and VRBO. Others up for approval include the old Leo Bradshaw home at 3601 Hillcrest Drive, which Fixer Upper stars Chip and Joanna Gaines recently bought.

The commission meets for a work session at 5:30 p.m. at the Dr. Mae Jackson Development Center at 401 Franklin Ave., followed by a 7 p.m. business session at the Bosque Theatre at the Waco Convention Center, 100 Washington Ave. The plan commission recommendation will go to Waco City Council next month.

Bass, whose Barndominium property has been at the center of a permitting dispute in Lacy Lakeview, is also expecting a struggle with neighbors who fear the Baker Lane rental will disrupt the tranquility of the Cameron Park area. But she is offering compromises meant to address their concerns.

Bass invited neighbors to an open house at the 3-acre property, which includes a four-bedroom house, a garage apartment and two poolside cottages.

In a revised permit application, she has agreed not to rent the main house as a vacation stay. It would be home to the owner or on-site caretaker, who would be present whenever the other units are rented. In fact, a family has already moved in to rent the main house, Bass said.

In addition, the revised permit application limits the number of guest vehicles to six, bars weddings or other social events, and requires trash cans to be stored out of public view.

I respect the sanctity of the park and the fact that its quaint and lovely, Bass said.

But Bass said shes not sure her meetings with neighbors have won them over.

I thought it went very well, but Im not sure the discussions with me squelched their concerns, she said. They have their mind set on what is the best thing for the neighborhood.

Thad Hairston, who lives a block away on Baker Lane, did not attend the open house but was part of a meeting of 20 to 25 neighbors last week about the property.

We were pretty united that Airbnb and short-term rentals are a good thing, he said. Everyone had used them, and we were aware that there are several more in the park. But with 404 Baker, the consensus was that its just too much. . . . Its basically a boutique hotel in a (residentially zoned) neighborhood.

Bass said she has been shocked by the opposition to her vacation rentals in both Lacy Lakeview and the Cameron Park neighborhood. She said the Cameron Park area already has six vacation rentals, with no complaints.

Barndominium vote

Last week, Lacy Lakeview City Council deadlocked 3-3 on a special-use permit for the Barndominium, which Bass bought after it had been renovated on HGTVs Fixer Upper.

Neighbors cited concerns about the projects impact on traffic and property values.

Bass said she intends to come back to the Lacy Lakeview council for a permit under that citys new vacation rental ordinance.

She said she appreciates the city of Wacos thoroughness in studying and deliberating her case.

Theyve really been an all-inclusive entity, making sure theyre doing everything they can, she said. Im more than willing to accept and abide by anything they decide without hesitation.

Bass said that if her application is rejected, she may move to the property with her family.

Other applicants seeking permits for short-term rentals Tuesday include:

David Morrow and Marla Hendricks, 1403 N. Fifth St.

Steve and Tricia Wood, 918 Chapel View Drive

Melissa Mullins and Albert Zertuche, 1112 Clay Ave.

Refugio Martinez, 726 N. 15th St.

Magnolia Vacation Rentals, 3601 Hillcrest Drive

MLW Real Estate LLC, 4221 Hubby Ave.

Meteor Enterprise, 2921 Rickert St.

Joshua and Jill Barrett, 2517 Wooded Acres Drive
Robinson residents wont get to cast a vote for city council members since all candidates are running unopposed, but the city will get to decide on a proposal to ease restrictions on alcohol sales.

Registered voters starting Monday can cast their ballot for or against the legal sale of mixed beverages in restaurants by food-and-beverage license holders.

The measure made its way to the ballot after a group of residents banded together to collect enough signatures supporting the initiative. Almost 1,200 residents signed the petition.

City Secretary Jana Lewellen said theres no indication this type of local option election has been on the ballot before in Robinson, though there was an attempt two years ago that failed because of a lack of signatures.

Early voting for the Nov. 8 joint general election runs from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Oct. 29, 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. Oct. 30, and 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Oct. 31 through Nov. 4. Residents can vote at any of the five following voting centers no matter where they live: McLennan County Elections administration office in the Records Building, 214 North Fourth St., suite 300 in Waco; Robinson Community Center, 106 W. Lyndale Drive; Waco Multi-Purpose Community Center, 1020 Elm St.; First Assembly of God Church, 6701 Bosque Blvd., in Waco; Brazos Meadows Baptist Church, 625 S. Hewitt Drive.

Supporters of the proposition think approval would help bring additional tax dollars to town, reducing the burden on residents, said Linda Vaughn, Greater Robinson Chamber of Commerce president.

Vaughn said there may be two to three restaurants in town that would expand their menu to include alcoholic beverages if the measure passes. But, she said, the chamber envisions the approved measure bringing in new companies. Robinson has a lot of undeveloped land along Interstate 35 and Loop 340 ideal for more restaurants.

A lot of those restaurants wont locate here because we dont have alcohol by the glass to offer to them, especially when they can go two miles down the road to set up, she said.

Vaughn said she doesnt envision alcohol sales moving to the heart of the city, but to the outskirts.

Theres room for the best of both worlds  a quiet thriving bedroom community with a good school system and commerce to bring tax dollars in, she said. Robinson is big enough for both.

Robinson resident Donna Hartstack helped lead the charge to collect enough signatures to get the measure on the ballot.

I honestly and truly feel like our citizens have already spoken. I really do, Hartstack said.

Sandwiched between Hewitt and Waco, Robinson residents must pass the measure in order to compete, she said.

We need this for the growth of Robinson, Hartstack said. Weve already got the infrastructure in place. Its ready. That was handled by the city council and city manager a while back.

Unopposed council candidates

Council Member Doye Baker opted to not run for re-election. Mayor Bert Echterling, Mayor Pro Tem Jim Mastergeorge and council member Jeremy Stivener each filed for one of the four at-large, council seats with two-year terms. Newcomer Steven Tindell will fill the fourth seat up for election.

The council will appoint the citys mayor at a meeting following Election Day.
The Waco areas largest transitional shelter for homeless families is swearing off federal funds as the U.S. government shifts its priorities away from such facilities.

Compassion Ministries for years has received about a third of its budget  $150,000 this year  from the U.S. Housing and Urban Development Departments Continuum of Care program.

That funding has helped Compassion serve 160 homeless people a year, mostly women and children who go through a six-month program intended to get them back on their feet.

But Compassion officials learned late this summer that HUD would cut 85 percent of its funding to the shelter. Executive director Jill McCall said the remaining funding wasnt worth the administrative burden it would require, so the ministry is opting out of the program altogether.

We knew this was probably going to happen, but we didnt know it would be this soon, she said. Its been a nationwide trend with HUD, basically getting rid of transitional housing.

McCall said she will try to replace the lost funding with charitable dollars. She plans to raise funds to build the ministrys endowment from $2.8 million to $3.5 million.

All I want to do is to find a way to replace those funds and not have to cut the services we provide, she said. If it takes every ounce of my being, the last few years Im here I will be raising the endowment so this place will never take a hit like this again.

McCall said the ministry has its federal funding until the end of May 2017.

I do have some lead time, and thats a gift in itself, she said. The other part of this is that Im thankful to be getting out of the federal governments pocketbook, with all the restrictions and mandates.

HUD has been shifting funding from transitional shelters to rapid rehousing programs that seek to move homeless families into permanent housing as quickly as possible. Some studies have criticized the transitional shelter model as being too expensive without strong results.

Wacos Salvation Army lost funding a couple of years ago for transitional housing and has shifted its focus to rapid rehousing through $219,314 in annual federal funding.

My Brothers Keeper in June lost $162,000 of its Continuum of Care funding and ceased to operate its 22-bed transitional housing program at My Brothers Keeper homeless shelter.

We got hurt real badly in that deal, Mission Waco executive director Jimmy Dorrell said. It was a major blow, and we lost staff. . . . Waco is being hit hard by these choices that HUD made. Its not like they didnt have the right, but if wed known a year in advance, we could have made that shift.

My Brothers Keeper has 56 total beds and is still providing emergency shelter to homeless men and women. Dorrell said Mission Waco is retooling the transitional housing area to allow extended care for clients who need more than emergency shelter.

The ministry also is hoping to provide a few beds of transitional housing at one of its facilities on Gorman Avenue, Dorrell said.

Dorrell said the rapid rehousing approach has been successful in some cities but doesnt fit with Mission Wacos philosophy.

Rapid rehousing didnt fit who we are, he said.

Bradley Caldwell, regional coordinator for the Salvation Army, said it has been challenging to find landlords willing to participate in the rapid rehousing program.

It sounds good, and it should work in principle, Caldwell said. But if it takes so long to find a place for someone that we lose the time we could have worked with them; it can undercut the effectiveness of what were trying to do.

2002 expansion

Compassion Ministries has sheltered the homeless since 1994 but expanded its reach in 2002 with a new 52-bed independent living facility at 1424 Austin Ave.

The shelter includes after-school child care services, budgeting help and case management, but families live in their own unit with a kitchen and manage their own money.

They are required to seek work and pay rent depending on their income, but half the rent is refunded upon graduation so they can prepare for permanent housing.

Cassandra Torres, 26, has lived in the shelter for a month with her husband and three small children, and she said it was a lifesaver. Her husband is employed at a local poultry plant, but he was struggling to pay child support.

The family was living in a hotel room and cooking meals in the microwave when their youngest was born three months ago.

If it wasnt for Compassion Ministries and Ms. Jill, I could not tell you where wed be, Torres said. Compassion Ministries caught us right on time, when there was not enough money for the hotel room. There was no room for the kids to play in that room. They have a park here, and now we can take the kids out every day.

The Torreses are paying $457 a month in rent and hope to save more than $1,000 for an apartment or house. Cassandra Torres, who is planning to start working the opposite shift from her husband at the plant, said the family is already living a more stable life.

Were getting structure with the kids, and now weve got them on a nap schedule, she said. Hopefully, well have stability when we get out of here.

McCall said the rapid rehousing program may work for some people, but many families need the more hands-on approach Compassion Ministries takes.

You cant say one type of program meets the need of every person, she said. Different people need different things and different kinds of housing.

McCall said about 60 percent of clients make it through the entire six-month program, but some who leave before then do so because they find public housing or other accommodations.

She said transitional housing has gotten a bad rap, but Compassion Ministries operates with low overhead and provides personal service to needy families.

I think we have proven ourselves time and time again, she said. We have a proven track record.
A 30-year-old father was arrested over the weekend on a charge of injury to a child after his 3-year-old daughter came to school with a visible slap mark on her face in late September, an arrest affidavit states.

Ignacio Lara, of Robinson, was arrested Sunday after an investigator with Child Protective Services and a Robinson police officer were called to Thurman E. Dorsey Head Start EOAC, 3221 Speight Ave., on Sept. 26 on a report that a 3-year-old girl had what appeared to be a slap mark to her face. According to the arrest affidavit, the mark looked like a distinct slap mark to the left side of the girls face and the fingers left unmistakable marks on her cheek.

When asked what happened to her face, she stated Poppy did it, the arrest affidavit states. Her mother ... told us her husband, Ignacio Lara, may have slapped her on Sept. 25, 2016.

In mid-October, authorities interviewed Lara with the help of an interpreter, the arrest affidavit states. In the interview, Lara allegedly said that he and his daughter were in their Robinson home on Sept. 25 and his daughter would not stop crying because the girls mother left to go to the store.

Lara said he slapped the girl across the face because she would not stop crying, the arrest affidavit states.

Lara was arrested and taken to McLennan County Jail on the injury to a child charge. He remained in custody Monday on a $10,000 surety bond and on a U.S. immigration detainer, according to jail logs.
A woman who helped facilitate sex clients for a 15-year-old girl who was kept as a sex slave at an East Waco home last year pleaded guilty to prostitution promotion charges Monday.

Prosecutors recommended that Lisa Suzanne Owens, 53, be placed on felony probation for six years for lining up men to have sex with the girl.

The teen is the same victim who was supplied with heroin by Andre Renor Evans while he took money from men to come to his Preston Street home and have sex with her. Evans, 51, was sentenced to 12 consecutive life prison terms in March after his conviction for human trafficking and sexual assault of a child.

Marvin Gay Levi, 43, pleaded guilty in August to three counts of sexual assault of a child for having sex with the girl at Evans home and was sentenced to 30 years in prison.

Knowing what I do about this case, Im wondering about this offer, 19th State District Judge Ralph Strother said Monday, questioning the states plea agreement with Owens for probation.

Prosecutors agreed to reduce Owens charges from first-degree felony human trafficking to second-degree felony promotion of prostitution.

Strother ordered a presentence report and will sentence Owens, who has health issues, in about six weeks.

They were using this little girl for a business, and the business was prostitution, Waco police Sgt. W. Patrick Swanton said last year after Owens and Levis arrest. This is the worst-case scenario of trafficking of a minor that you can possibly have.

Charidy Lynn Walker was sentenced to six years in prison in August after pleading guilty to giving the girl heroin while she was at Evans home.

Running away

The girl testified that she has been running away from foster homes and group centers for almost her entire life. She said she met Evans while she was on the run from a Waco center and he initially treated her nicely and helped feed her crack addiction, she said.

Later, however, he gave her heroin while men came over and paid Evans to have sex with her, she said.

A woman she met there helped her escape from Evans home, and the two lived together for a time, she said. She prostituted herself to get money to survive and to stay high on crack cocaine.

She later was sent to juvenile detention and was sent to a drug rehabilitation center in Florida.

It was like he had a trophy, the girl said of Evans. Like, I have this white girl, and she is young and pretty. 
An insurance carrier for the West school system lost its second bid Monday to have a lawsuit dismissed in a dispute over the amount the company paid West schools after the April 2013 blast that devastated much of West.

The trial of the case in which the West Independent School District is suing Argonaut Insurance Co. and Trident Insurance Services, is set to begin Monday in Wacos 170th State District Court.

In a pretrial hearing Monday, Judge Jim Meyer denied motions from attorneys for Argonaut and Trident to dismiss all or part of the lawsuit. He denied similar requests in December.

West ISDs claims are not part of the massive West explosion litigation involving more than 200 plaintiffs, an apartment complex, nursing home and the city of West, which also are being handled by Meyer. However, Argonaut and Trident have subrogation claims pending in the other lawsuits, asking to recoup the almost $30 million it paid the West school system.

West ISDs lawsuit against the insurance carrier and its administrator and adjuster seeks an additional $24 million in insurance proceeds for the school plus attorneys fees and alleges the insurance company acted in bad faith in handling the districts claims for damages.

The trial will focus on damage to the intermediate school, the high school and the middle school.

Chris Martin, a Houston attorney who represents the insurance carrier, said the school system inflated its loss totals to the Federal Emergency Management Administration and asked Meyer to reduce its claims in the lawsuit by 58 percent.

The judge denied the request.

Matthew Pearson, a San Antonio attorney who represents West ISD, called the motion completely frivolous, arguing that the insurance company hired an insurance defense-oriented engineering firm to keep the damage totals low. He said the company didnt conduct a blast analysis to determine the viability of the structures before submitting its estimates.
Our UK correspondent Gary Eason reported that the Battle of Britain Memorial Flights Lancaster, PA474, will have not one but two new paint schemes following its winter service.

The left-hand side will be painted as 460 (RAAF) Squadron Lancaster W5005, coded AR-L Leader, which had nose art of a kangaroo playing bagpipes, indicating the Australian and Scottish backgrounds of one of its crews. (Some sources say this was on JB607 AR-N, but Gary is reliably informed that this is a case of mistaken identity).

The right side will carry the 50 Squadron code letters VN-T, representing the Lancaster flown by FO Douglas Millikin DFC  grandfather of the BBMFs current Officer Commanding, Squadron Leader Andy Milli Millikin, on 27 of his first tour of 30 operations.

PA474, the only Lancaster currently still flying on this side of the Atlantic, recently flew from its base at RAF Coningsby to the Imperial War Museum at Duxford for a major winter service, during which the repaint will also be carried out. The decision on the new colors was confirmed this week and announced at the flights end-of-season guest dinner by Sqn Ldr Millikin.

Today the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight is a household name and a national institution but the modern BBMF was created from humble beginnings and though it paid the same mark of respect it did so under tight constraint. It has gone from being a loose collection of obsolete types tucked away in the corner of various hangars, to a dedicated unit with its own headquarters, entrusted with caring for priceless assets of British aviation heritage. The Royal Air Force Battle of Britain Memorial Flight (RAFBBMF) is administratively part of the Royal Air Force No 1 Group and operates from RAF Coningsby in Lincolnshire.

Gary Eason is a Journalist, photographer and digital artist. To buy Garys prints click HERE.
Does sex sell real estate? Administrators of Melbourne's notorious Daily Planet brothel in Elsternwick and a bank behind the mortgagee sale of Whispers Playhouse in Hoppers Crossing will soon find out.

Both brothel buildings are on the market with the Daily Planet tipped to fetch about $5.5 million, and the Playhouse, located in a far less salubrious industrial estate in Melbourne's west, about $1 million.

Hollywood madam Heidi Fleiss at the Australian Stock Exchange in 2003 when the Daily Planet became the world's first officially listed bordello. Credit:Glenn Hunt

The Daily Planet is owned by Australia's only ASX-listed strip club and brothel owner Planet Platinum, which was tipped into administration last year after the Australian Securities and Investments Commission alleged a string of serious governance breaches against its founder John Trimble, the nephew of notorious underworld figure Robert Trimbole.

Platinum's liquidator John Lindholm recently sold off another of its assets, the sleaze and violence-prone CBD strip club Showgirls Bar 20 on King Street.
Jakarta: Australian live cattle representatives have flown to Jakarta for talks amid fears a proposed new trade rule stipulating one in every six cattle imported to Indonesia must be for breeding could threaten the viability of the industry.

Indonesian Trade Minister Enggartiasto Lukita shocked the beef industry when he announced last month the quota system for importing cattle would be abolished but companies would only receive permits if they complied with the new breeding rule.

No cattle were exported to Indonesia in September due to delays in the issue of permits amid negotiations over the new domestic breeding program, which Indonesia hopes will assist in its drive to achieve food self-sufficiency.

"Delays in further permits and reduced volumes to Indonesia are expected until the issue is resolved," Meat and Livestock Australia warned in its Livelink statement.
He had axed a tradition at the Year 12 formal known as the "House Captains' Strip", which had reportedly offended female guests, and cancelled the social because students' social media discussion had "descended into sexist and misogynistic puerility". The "Milk Run"  which involved students drinking milk and lemon juice until they vomited, leaving somebody else to clean up the mess  was also abolished.

The issue came to public attention earlier this week when the current SRC Vice President, Ben Qin, used his final year speech to declare that he "no longer believed in Melbourne High" and criticised the school for failing to listen to students about major decisions including changes to school social events. He accused the school of being out of touch with students, who no longer wanted to be treated like the gentlemen of yesteryear.

As a former student of Melbourne High School, I commend the principal's attempts to stamp out a purported "locker room" culture at the all-boys selective school. But culture change requires more than a disciplinarian approach to the education of young men.

Author Tarang Chawla with his parents and a photo of his sister Nikita. Credit:Penny Stephens

I was SRC Vice President in 2004, but my time was marked by a different sentiment. The Melbourne High School I remember attending was brimming with intelligent students, characterised by its diversity, its inclusion and the frequent opportunity for frank exchange between students and its administrators, especially under then-principal Ray Willis. Given my fond memories and leadership at the school, it is a source of personal distress should this no longer remain the case.

I'm sure that the problems which have led to this reaction were intended in good fun, and likely passed of as part of "boys being boys". It always has been such. But we know more now. And we understand that we have a responsibility to be better. The evidence is clear: the sorts of attitudes that condone the "boys will be boys" mentality inevitably lead to a form of entrenched toxic masculinity that hurts all of us, not least of all those who embody it.

The culture that principal Ludowyke has expressed concerns about is something that troubles me deeply. I know its consequences too well. I dislike the term, but "locker room" culture typifies male entitlement and privilege. It's the kind of culture that grants men an amnesty to behave as they please, especially with regard to women and their bodies.

It is the kind of culture that has resulted in women being three to four times more likely than men to experience violence. It is the kind of culture that results in one in three Australian women experiencing sexual violence from the age of 15. It is the kind of culture that leads to one woman a week being killed by a current or former partner  women like my 23-year-old sister, Nikita, who was murdered last year.
Most Australians get what the Nationals do not: guns are exceptional. They are lethal. Those who want guns should justify why they should be allowed; not the other way around.

National members federal and state are keen on the Adler shotgun. Mark Coulton, the federal member for Parkes, said a gun dealer in his electorate has "hundreds" of guns ready to be imported. Troy Grant, leader of the NSW Nationals, dislikes criticism of weaker gun laws. "Legal firearm owners need to stop being blamed for criminal activity involving illegal guns used by gangs and terrorists."

The National Party is why the government seemed willing to trade one vote in the Senate for allowing yet another rapid-action gun into Australia. Apparently, requiring people to pause between killings is too much to ask.

Barnaby Joyce has been around long enough to seem merely a bumbling, amusing politician, but ... Credit:Andrew Meares

The National Party is why the greyhound industry lives another year in NSW, condemning thousands of dogs to die in perpetuity  given its in-built need to slaughter old, slow, and broken dogs  so a few more of us can have a punt.

The National Party is part of the reason why Australia's response to climate change is so languid compared to the threat. That is despite farmers, its core constituency, being among the most at risk. It might say that "to protect our environment for future generations, we need to tackle climate change", but it was the first out of the blocks to blame renewable energy when the lights went out in Adelaide. It was up to its neck in the dishonest and disastrous campaign against an effective, sensible, and inexpensive climate policy.

The National Party is why we have an interminable debate instead of getting on with joining the rest of the advanced world and let two women wed. Despite an enormous majority of polled Australians in favour of equality, we're still talking about Tony Abbott's delaying contrivance because it's in the agreement Malcolm Turnbull signed with the junior Coalition partner, the junior calling the shots.

Andrew Broad, an otherwise obscure MP for the north-west corner of Victoria, threatened to bring down the government if it allowed a parliamentary vote on marriage equality. His "conditional" support for his own government was over an issue so exceptionally important to him that it is ignored by his website. It also goes unmentioned on his party's website too, as if it didn't want people to know its position.
Vermilion Energy Inc., together with its subsidiaries, engages in the acquisition, exploration, development, and production of petroleum and natural gas in North America, Europe, and Australia. The company owns 81% working interest in 636,714 net acres of developed land and 85% working interest in 301,026 net acres of undeveloped land in Canada; 130,715 net acres of land in the Powder River basin in the United States; 96% working interest in 248,873 net acres of developed land and 86% working interest in 134,160 net acres of undeveloped land in the Aquitaine and Paris Basins in France; 53% working interest in 901,791 net acres of land in the Netherlands; 54,625 net developed acres and 920,723 net undeveloped acres in Germany; 975,375 net acres land in Croatia; 946,666 net acres land in Hungary; and 48,954 net acres land in Slovakia. It also owns 20% interests in the offshore Corrib natural gas field located to the northwest coast of Ireland; and 100% working interest in the Wandoo offshore oil field and related production facilities that covers 59,553 acres located on Western Australia's northwest shelf. As of December 31, 2021, the company had 401 net producing conventional natural gas wells and 2,132 net producing light and medium crude oil wells in Canada; 167.6 net producing light and medium crude oil wells in the United States; 297.0 net producing light and medium crude oil wells and 3 net producing conventional natural gas wells in France; and 47 net producing natural gas wells in the Netherlands. Vermilion Energy Inc. was founded in 1994 and is headquartered in Calgary, Canada.
Morgan Stanley is the 6th largest financial institution in the US. The company is ranked 61st on the Forbes Fortune 500 list and is the 39th largest bank in the world. A financial holding company, Morgan Stanley provides a full range of financial services to clients around the world.

Morgan Stanley was formed in 1935 as a result of the Glass-Steagall Act. Glass-Steagall separated commercial and investment banking in a way that forced the then-largest bank J.P. Morgan & Co to split into two groups. J.P. Morgan & Co. chose to retain the commercial side of the business while partners Henry S. Morga, grandson of J.P., and Harold Stanley took the investment end. In its first year, Morgan Stanley did 24% of the IPO business and maintains a lions share of the market to this day.

The original company existed and grew through acquisitions until 1987 when it merged with Dean Witter Discover & Co. The new Morgan Stanley Dean Witter Discover & Co existed for 14 years until 2001 when the name was shortened back to Morgan Stanley.

The bank is credited in part with both beginning and ending the financial crisis of 2007/2008. The Process Driven Trading unit lost $300 million in one day due to a short-squeeze that popped the bubble in the housing market. After teetering on the brink of failure Morgan Stanley agreed to become a bank holding company regulated by the Federal Reserve, a key factor in the original decision to split from parent J.P. Morgan & Co. Ironically when given the chance, present-day J.P. Morgan refused to buy Morgan Stanley but that was for the better.

Today, Morgan Stanley operates through three segments via offices in 41 countries and employs more than 75,000 people. Revenue in 2021 topped $49 billion and total assets topped $1.15 trillion.

The operating segments are Institutional Securities, Wealth Management, and Investment Management segments. The Institutional Securities segment is by far the largest and most profitable. It offers a range of services and products for businesses, institutions, and entities that include capital raising, strategic advisory, underwriting, advice on M&A, restructuring, and real estate. The Wealth Management segment provides brokerage and investment advisory services for individuals and employers. The services include brokerage, financial planning, company stock-plan administration, insurance, mortgage loans, lines of credit, and retirement planning. The Investment Management segment provides investment products to a range of institutions, organizations, corporations, and governments.
The Estee Lauder Companies Inc. manufactures, markets, and sells skin care, makeup, fragrance, and hair care products worldwide. It offers a range of skin care products, including moisturizers, serums, cleansers, toners, body care, exfoliators, acne care and oil correctors, facial masks, cleansing devices, and sun care products; and makeup products, such as lipsticks, lip glosses, mascaras, foundations, eyeshadows, nail polishes, and powders, as well as compacts, brushes, and other makeup tools. The company also provides fragrance products in various forms comprising eau de parfum sprays and colognes, as well as lotions, powders, creams, candles, and soaps; and hair care products that include shampoos, conditioners, styling products, treatment, finishing sprays, and hair color products, as well as sells ancillary products and services. It offers its products under the Estee Lauder, Aramis, Clinique, Lab Series, Origins, MAC, Bobbi Brown, La Mer, Aveda, Jo Malone London, Bumble and bumble, Darphin, Smashbox, Le Labo, Editions de Parfums Frederic Malle, GLAMGLOW, Kilian Paris, Too Faced, Dr. Jart+, DECIEM, and The Ordinary brands. The company sells its products through department stores, specialty-multi retailers, upscale perfumeries and pharmacies, and salons and spas; freestanding stores; its own and authorized retailer websites; third-party online malls; stores in airports; and duty-free shops. The Estee Lauder Companies Inc. was founded in 1946 and is headquartered in New York, New York.
The following companies are subsidiares of Lloyds Banking Group: A G Finance Ltd, A.C.L. Ltd, ACL Autolease Holdings Ltd, ADF No.1 Pty Ltd, Addison Social Housing Holdings Ltd, Alex Lawrie Factors Ltd, Alex. Lawrie Receivables Financing Ltd, Amberdate Ltd, Anglo Scottish Utilities Partnership 1, Aquilus Ltd, Automobile Association Personal Finance Ltd, BOS (Ireland) Property Services 2 Ltd, BOS (Ireland) Property Services Ltd, BOS (Shared Appreciation Mortgages (Scotland) No. 2) Ltd, BOS (Shared Appreciation Mortgages (Scotland) No. 3) Ltd, BOS (Shared Appreciation Mortgages (Scotland)) Ltd, BOS (Shared Appreciation Mortgages) No. 1 plc, BOS (Shared Appreciation Mortgages) No. 2 plc, BOS (Shared Appreciation Mortgages) No. 3 plc, BOS (Shared Appreciation Mortgages) No. 4 plc, BOS (Shared Appreciation Mortgages) No. 5 plc, BOS (Shared Appreciation Mortgages) No. 6 plc, BOS (USA) Fund Investments Inc., BOS (USA) Inc., BOS Edinburgh No 1 Ltd, BOS Mistral Ltd, BOS Personal Lending Ltd, BOSSAF Rail Ltd, Bank of Scotland (B G S) Nominees Ltd, Bank of Scotland (Stanlife) London Nominees Ltd, Bank of Scotland Branch Nominees Ltd, Bank of Scotland Central Nominees Ltd, Bank of Scotland Edinburgh Nominees Ltd, Bank of Scotland Equipment Finance Ltd, Bank of Scotland Foundation, Bank of Scotland LNG Leasing (No 1) Ltd, Bank of Scotland London Nominees Ltd, Bank of Scotland Nominees (Unit Trusts) Ltd, Bank of Scotland P.E.P. Nominees Ltd, Bank of Scotland Structured Asset Finance Ltd, Bank of Scotland Transport Finance 1 Ltd, Bank of Scotland plc, Bank of Wales Ltd, Barents Leasing Ltd, Barnwood Mortgages Ltd, Birchcrown Finance Ltd, Birmingham Midshires Financial Services Ltd, Birmingham Midshires Land Development Ltd, Birmingham Midshires Mortgage Services Ltd, Black Horse (TRF) Ltd, Black Horse Executive Mortgages Ltd, Black Horse Finance Holdings Ltd, Black Horse Finance Management Ltd, Black Horse Group Ltd, Black Horse Ltd, Black Horse Offshore Ltd, Black Horse Property Services Ltd, Boltro Nominees Ltd, British Linen Leasing (London) Ltd, British Linen Leasing Ltd, British Linen Shipping Ltd, C.T.S.B. Leasing Ltd, CBRail S.A.R.L., CF Asset Finance Ltd, CF1 Ltd, CM Venture Investments Ltd, Cancara Asset Securitisation Ltd, Capital 1945 Ltd, Capital Bank Leasing 12 Ltd, Capital Bank Leasing 3 Ltd, Capital Bank Leasing 5 Ltd, Capital Bank Leasing 9 Ltd, Capital Bank Property Investments (3) Ltd, Capital Personal Finance Ltd, Cardiff Auto Receivables Securitisation 2018-1 Plc, Cardiff Auto Receivables Securitisation 2019-1 Plc, Cardiff Auto Receivables Securitisation Holdings Ltd, Cardnet Merchant Services Ltd, Cashfriday Ltd, Cashpoint Ltd, Caveminster Ltd, Cedar Holdings Ltd, Celsius European Lux 2 S.A.R.L., Central Mortgage Finance Ltd, Chariot Finance Ltd, Cheltenham & Gloucester plc, Cheltenham II Securities 2020 DAC, Cheltenham Securities 2017 Ltd, Chepstow Blue Holdings Ltd, Chepstow Blue plc, Chester Asset Options No.2 Ltd, Chester Asset Options No.3 Ltd, Chester Asset Receivables Dealings Issuer Ltd, Chester Asset Securitisation Holdings Ltd, Chester Asset Securitisation Holdings No.2 Ltd, Chiswell Stockbrokers Ltd, Clerical Medical Finance plc, Clerical Medical Financial Services Ltd, Clerical Medical International Holdings B.V., Clerical Medical Investment Fund Managers Ltd, Clerical Medical Managed Funds Ltd, Clerical Medical Non Sterling Guadalix Hold Co BV, Clerical Medical Non Sterling Guadalix Spanish Prop Co SL, Clerical Medical Non Sterling Megapark Hold Co BV, Clerical Medical Non Sterling Megapark Prop Co SA, Clerical Medical Non Sterling Property Company S.A.R.L., Cloak Lane Funding S.A.R.L., Cloak Lane Investments S.A.R.L., Conquest Securities Ltd, Corbiere Asset Investments Ltd, Create Services Ltd, Credit Card Securitisation Europe Ltd, Dalkeith Corporation, Deva Financing Holdings Ltd, Deva Financing plc, Deva One Ltd, Deva Three Ltd, Deva Two Ltd, Dunstan Investments (UK) Ltd, Edgbaston RMBS 2010-1 plc, Edgbaston RMBS Holdings Ltd, Elland RMBS 2018 plc, Elland RMBS Holdings Ltd, Eurolead Services Holdings Ltd, First Retail Finance (Chester) Ltd, Fontwell Securities 2016 Ltd, Forthright Finance Ltd, France Industrial Premises Holding Company, General Leasing (No. 12) Ltd, General Reversionary and Investment Company, Gresham Nominee 1 Ltd, Gresham Nominee 2 Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 1) Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 10) Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 11) UK Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 12) Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 13) UK Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 14) UK Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 15) UK Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 16) UK Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 19) UK Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 20) Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 21) Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 22) Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 23) Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 24) Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 25) UK Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 26) UK Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 27) UK Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 28) Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 29) Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 3) Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 30) UK Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 31) UK Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 32) UK Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 33) UK Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 34) UK Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 35) Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 36) UK Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 37) UK Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 38) UK Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 39) UK Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 40) UK Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 41) UK Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 44) UK Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 45) UK Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 46) UK Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 47) UK Ltd, Gresham Receivables (No. 48) UK Ltd, Guildhall Asset Purchasing Company (No 3) Ltd, Guildhall Asset Purchasing Company (No.11) UK Ltd, HBOS Covered Bonds LLP, HBOS Final Salary Trust Ltd, HBOS Financial Services Ltd, HBOS Insurance & Investment Group Ltd, HBOS International Financial Services Holdings Ltd, HBOS Investment Fund Managers Ltd, HBOS Social Housing Covered Bonds LLP, HBOS UK Ltd, HBOS plc, HSDL Nominees Ltd, HVF Ltd, Halifax Credit Card Ltd, Halifax Financial Brokers Ltd, Halifax Financial Services (Holdings) Ltd, Halifax Financial Services Ltd, Halifax General Insurance Services Ltd, Halifax Group Ltd, Halifax Investment Services Ltd, Halifax Leasing (June) Ltd, Halifax Leasing (March No.2) Ltd, Halifax Leasing (September) Ltd, Halifax Life Ltd, Halifax Loans Ltd, Halifax Ltd, Halifax Mortgage Services Ltd, Halifax Nominees Ltd, Halifax Pension Nominees Ltd, Halifax Premises Ltd, Halifax Share Dealing Ltd, Halifax Vehicle Leasing (1998) Ltd, Heidi Finance Holdings (UK) Ltd, Hill Samuel Bank Ltd, Hill Samuel Finance Ltd, Hill Samuel Leasing Co. Ltd, Home Shopping Personal Finance Ltd, Horizon Capital 2000 Ltd, Housing Association Risk Transfer 2019 DAC, Housing Growth Partnership GP LLP, Housing Growth Partnership LP, Housing Growth Partnership Ltd, Housing Growth Partnership Manager Ltd, Hyundai Car Finance Ltd, IBOS Finance Ltd, ICC Enterprise Partners Ltd, ICC Equity Partners Ltd, ICC Holdings Unlimited Company, Inchcape Financial Services Ltd, Intelligent Finance Financial Services Ltd, Intelligent Finance Software Ltd, International Motors Finance Ltd, Kanaalstraat Funding C.V., Katrine Leasing Ltd, LB Healthcare Trustee Ltd, LB Motorent Ltd, LB Quest Ltd, LB Share Schemes Trustees Ltd, LBCF Ltd, LBG Brasil Administracao LTDA, LBG Capital Holdings Ltd, LBG Equity Investments Ltd, LBI Leasing Ltd, LDC (General Partner) Ltd, LDC (Managers) Ltd, LDC (Nominees) Ltd, LDC GP LLP, LDC I LP, LDC II LP, LDC III LP, LDC IV LP, LDC Parallel (Nominees) Ltd, LDC V LP, LDC VI LP, LDC VII LP, LDC VIII LP, LTGP Limited Partnership Incorporated, Legacy Renewal Company Ltd, Leicester Securities 2014 Ltd, Lex Autolease (CH) Ltd, Lex Autolease (VC) Ltd, Lex Autolease Carselect Ltd, Lex Autolease Ltd, Lex Vehicle Finance 2 Ltd, Lex Vehicle Leasing (Holdings) Ltd, Lex Vehicle Leasing Ltd, Lime Street (Funding) Ltd, Lingfield 2014 I Holdings Ltd, Lingfield 2014 I plc, Lloyds (Gresham) Ltd, Lloyds (Gresham) No. 1 Ltd, Lloyds (Nimrod) Specialist Finance Ltd, Lloyds America Securities Corporation1, Lloyds Asset Leasing Ltd, Lloyds Bank (Branches) Nominees Ltd, Lloyds Bank (Colonial & Foreign) Nominees Ltd, Lloyds Bank (Fountainbridge 1) Ltd, Lloyds Bank (Fountainbridge 2) Ltd, Lloyds Bank (I.D.) Nominees Ltd, Lloyds Bank (International Services) Ltd, Lloyds Bank (Stock Exchange Branch) Nominees Ltd, Lloyds Bank Asset Finance Ltd, Lloyds Bank Commercial Finance Ltd, Lloyds Bank Commercial Finance Scotland Ltd, Lloyds Bank Corporate Asset Finance (HP) Ltd, Lloyds Bank Corporate Asset Finance (No.1) Ltd, Lloyds Bank Corporate Asset Finance (No.2) Ltd, Lloyds Bank Corporate Asset Finance (No.3) Ltd, Lloyds Bank Corporate Asset Finance (No.4) Ltd, Lloyds Bank Corporate Markets Wertpapierhandelsbank GmbH, Lloyds Bank Corporate Markets plc, Lloyds Bank Covered Bonds (Holdings) Ltd, Lloyds Bank Covered Bonds (LM) Ltd, Lloyds Bank Covered Bonds LLP, Lloyds Bank Equipment Leasing (No. 1) Ltd, Lloyds Bank Equipment Leasing (No. 7) Ltd, Lloyds Bank Equipment Leasing (No. 9) Ltd, Lloyds Bank Financial Services (Holdings) Ltd, Lloyds Bank Foundation for England & Wales, Lloyds Bank Foundation for the Channel Islands, Lloyds Bank General Insurance Holdings Ltd, Lloyds Bank General Insurance Ltd, Lloyds Bank General Leasing (No. 11) Ltd, Lloyds Bank General Leasing (No. 17) Ltd, Lloyds Bank General Leasing (No. 20) Ltd, Lloyds Bank General Leasing (No. 3) Ltd, Lloyds Bank General Leasing (No. 5) Ltd, Lloyds Bank GmbH, Lloyds Bank Hill Samuel Holding Company Ltd, Lloyds Bank Insurance Services Ltd, Lloyds Bank International Ltd, Lloyds Bank Leasing (No. 6) Ltd, Lloyds Bank Leasing (No. 8) Ltd, Lloyds Bank Leasing Ltd, Lloyds Bank MTCH Ltd, Lloyds Bank Maritime Leasing (No. 10) Ltd, Lloyds Bank Maritime Leasing (No. 13) Ltd, Lloyds Bank Maritime Leasing (No. 17) Ltd, Lloyds Bank Maritime Leasing (No.16) Ltd, Lloyds Bank Nominees Ltd, Lloyds Bank Offshore Pension Trust Ltd, Lloyds Bank Pension ABCS (No. 1) LLP, Lloyds Bank Pension ABCS (No. 2) LLP, Lloyds Bank Pension Trust (No. 1) Ltd, Lloyds Bank Pension Trust (No. 2) Ltd, Lloyds Bank Pensions Property (Guernsey) Ltd, Lloyds Bank Properties Ltd, Lloyds Bank Property Company Ltd, Lloyds Bank S.F. Nominees Ltd, Lloyds Bank Subsidiaries Ltd, Lloyds Bank Trustee Services Ltd, Lloyds Bank plc, Lloyds Banking Group Pensions Trustees Ltd, Lloyds Capital GP Ltd, Lloyds Commercial Leasing Ltd, Lloyds Commercial Properties Ltd, Lloyds Commercial Property Investments Ltd, Lloyds Corporate Services (Jersey) Ltd, Lloyds Development Capital (Holdings) Ltd, Lloyds Engine Capital (No.1) U.S LLC, Lloyds Far East S.A.R.L., Lloyds General Leasing Ltd, Lloyds Group Holdings (Jersey) Ltd, Lloyds Holdings (Jersey) Ltd, Lloyds Hypotheken B.V., Lloyds Industrial Leasing Ltd, Lloyds International Pty Ltd, Lloyds Investment Bonds Ltd, Lloyds Investment Fund Managers Ltd, Lloyds Investment Securities No.5 Ltd, Lloyds Leasing (North Sea Transport) Ltd1, Lloyds Leasing Developments Ltd, Lloyds Nominees (Guernsey) Ltd, Lloyds Offshore Global Services Private Ltd, Lloyds Plant Leasing Ltd, Lloyds Portfolio Leasing Ltd, Lloyds Premises Investments Ltd, Lloyds Project Leasing Ltd, Lloyds Property Investment Company No. 3 Ltd, Lloyds Property Investment Company No. 4 Ltd, Lloyds Property Investment Company No.5 Ltd, Lloyds Secretaries Ltd, Lloyds Securities Inc., Lloyds TSB Pacific Ltd, Lloyds UDT Asset Leasing Ltd, Lloyds UDT Asset Rentals Ltd, Lloyds UDT Hiring Ltd, Lloyds UDT Leasing Ltd, Lloyds UDT Ltd, Lloyds Your Tomorrow Trustee Ltd, Loans.co.uk Ltd, London Taxi Finance Ltd, London Uberior (L.A.S. Group) Nominees Ltd, Lotus Finance Ltd, MBNA, MBNA Direct Ltd, MBNA Europe Finance Ltd, MBNA Europe Holdings Ltd, MBNA General Foundation, MBNA Global Services Ltd, MBNA Indian Services Private Ltd, MBNA Ltd, MBNA R & L S.A.R.L., MBNA Receivables Ltd, Mainsearch Company Ltd, Maritime Leasing (No. 19) Ltd, Membership Services Finance Ltd, Mitre Street Funding S.A.R.L., Molineux RMBS 2016-1 plc, Molineux RMBS Holdings Ltd, Moor Lane Holdings Ltd, NFU Mutual Finance Ltd, NWS Trust Ltd, Nominees (Jersey) Ltd, Nordic Leasing Ltd, Ocean Leasing (July) Ltd, Oystercatcher Nominees Ltd, Oystercatcher Residential Ltd, PIPS Asset Investments Ltd, Pacific Leasing Ltd, Penarth Asset Securitisation Holdings Ltd, Penarth Funding 1 Ltd, Penarth Funding 2 Ltd, Penarth Master Issuer plc, Penarth Receivables Trustee Ltd, Pensions Management (S.W.F.) Ltd, Peony Eastern Leasing Ltd, Peony Leasing Ltd, Peony Western Leasing Ltd, Permanent Funding (No. 1) Ltd, Permanent Funding (No. 2) Ltd, Permanent Holdings Ltd, Permanent Master Issuer plc, Permanent Mortgages Trustee Ltd, Permanent PECOH Holdings Ltd, Permanent PECOH Ltd, Perry Nominees Ltd, Prestonfield Investments Ltd, Proton Finance Ltd, R.F. Spencer And Company Ltd, Ranelagh Nominees Ltd, Retail Revival (Burgess Hill) Investments Ltd, SARL Coliseum, SARL Hiram, SAS Compagnie Fonciere De France, SCI Astoria Invest, SCI De LHorloge, SCI Equinoxe, SCI Rambuteau CFF, SW Funding plc, SW No.1 Ltd, SWAMF (GP) Ltd, SWAMF Nominee (1) Ltd, SWAMF Nominee (2) Ltd, Saint Michel Holding Company No1, Saint Michel Investment Property, Saint Witz 2 Holding Company No1, Saint Witz 2 Investment Property, Salisbury II Securities 2016 Ltd, Salisbury II-A Securities 2017 Ltd, Salisbury III Securities 2019 DAC, Salisbury Securities 2015 Ltd, Sandown 2012-2 Holdings Ltd, Sandown 2012-2 plc, Sandown Gold 2012-1 Holdings Ltd, Sandown Gold 2012-1 plc, Savban Leasing Ltd, Scotland International Finance B.V., Scottish Widows Administration Services (Nominees) Ltd, Scottish Widows Administration Services Ltd, Scottish Widows Annuities Ltd, Scottish Widows Auto Enrolment Services Ltd, Scottish Widows Europe, Scottish Widows Financial Services Holdings, Scottish Widows Group Ltd, Scottish Widows Industrial Properties Europe B.V., Scottish Widows Ltd, Scottish Widows Pension Trustees Ltd, Scottish Widows Property Management Ltd, Scottish Widows Schroder Personal Wealth (ACD) Ltd, Scottish Widows Schroder Personal Wealth Ltd, Scottish Widows Schroder Wealth Holdings Ltd, Scottish Widows Services Ltd, Scottish Widows Trustees Ltd, Scottish Widows Unit Funds Ltd, Scottish Widows Unit Trust Managers Ltd, Scottish Widows Fund and Life Assurance Society, Seabreeze Leasing Ltd, Seaspirit Leasing Ltd, Share Dealing Nominees Ltd, Shogun Finance Ltd, Silentdale Ltd, St Andrews Group Ltd, St Andrews Insurance plc, St Andrews Life Assurance plc, St. Marys Court Investments, Standard Property Investment (1987) Ltd, Standard Property Investment Ltd, Sussex County Homes Ltd, Suzuki Financial Services Ltd, Swan Funding 2 Ltd, Syon Securities 2019 DAC, The Agricultural Mortgage Corporation Plc, The British Linen Company Ltd, The Halifax Foundation for Northern Ireland, The Mortgage Business plc, Thistle Financing Holdings Ltd, Thistle Investments (AMC) Ltd, Thistle Investments (ERM) Ltd, Thistle Leasing, Three Copthall Avenue Ltd, Tower Hill Property Investments (10) Ltd, Tower Hill Property Investments (7) Ltd, Tranquility Leasing Ltd, Trinity Financing plc, UDT Budget Leasing Ltd, UDT Sales Finance Ltd, Uberior (Moorfield) Ltd, Uberior Co-Investments Ltd, Uberior ENA Ltd, Uberior Equity Ltd, Uberior Europe Ltd, Uberior Fund Investments Ltd, Uberior Infrastructure Investments (No.2) Ltd, Uberior Infrastructure Investments Ltd, Uberior Investments Ltd, Uberior Nominees Ltd, Uberior Trading Ltd, Uberior Trustees Ltd, Uberior Ventures Australia Pty Ltd, Uberior Ventures Ltd, United Dominions Leasing Ltd, United Dominions Trust Ltd, Universe The CMI Global Network Fund, Upsaala Ltd, Vine Street IX LP, WCS Ltd, Ward Nominees (Abingdon) Ltd, Ward Nominees (Birmingham) Ltd 1, Ward Nominees (Bristol) Ltd 1, Ward Nominees Ltd 1, Waverley  Fund II Investor LLC, Waverley  Fund III Investor LLC, Waymark Asset Investments Ltd, West Craigs Ltd, Wetherby II Securities 2018 DAC, Wetherby III Securities 2019 DAC, Wetherby Securities 2017 Ltd, Wood Street Leasing Ltd, and Zurich Insurance Group - UK Workplace Pensions and Savings Business.

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All persons are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law. According to Sheriff Mark Herford the following felony arrest were made for the week of 10/17/22 - 10/23/22. 10/18/22 Jennifer Gibson was arrested by BPSO Patrol Division and charged with Illegal Use of CDS in Presenc
By Matt McClain, West Kentucky Star Staff Oct. 24, 2016 | 11:02 AM | PADUCAH, KY

Merryman House is wanting to create a new shelter at a new campus in Paducah, and Governor Matt Bevin just made the ability for that to happen much easier.Governor Bevin and representatives of the Federal Delta Regional Authority each presented grants at a ceremony Monday morning, at what will eventually be the new home of Merryman House.Governor Bevin issued a Community Development Block Grant for $500,000 using state funds specially earmarked for projects like Merryman House to go toward campus renovation, and the Delta Regional Authority gave a Federal grant of $250,000 to also go toward the project.The rolling green campus, formerly the McCracken County School Administration Campus, offers 26 acres for Merryman House and complementary programs of other non profits.For Merryman House, the campus will include a 36-bed emergency shelter, a central administration/counseling and dining area, and an outreach and counseling services building. The overall project to facilitate the campus and rennovate it for the special needs of survivors of domestic abuse and children is expected to top $4 million."Our vision offers a fresh collaborative approach in working with survivors of domestic abuse. Our partnership with Mountain Comprehensive Care will add resources and services in areas like substance abuse and mental health. In addition, this new partnership has potential for generating income to sustain campus operations for Merryman House, and offer jobs for residents," according to Merryman House's website.The Merryman House has served Ballard, Calloway, Carlisle, Fulton, Graves, Hickman, Marshall, and McCracken counties for nearly forty years.

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By West Kentucky Star Staff Oct. 24, 2016 | 11:43 AM | MURRAY, KY

A Calloway County man has been indicted by a grand jury on 27 counts, including child porn and sex trafficking.

According to United States Attorney John Kuhn Jr.'s office, 37-year-old Jeffrey Desmond Carter of Murray is charged with 25 counts of production of child pornography, one count of receiving child pornography and one count of sex trafficking of children.

Carter was initially charged in a criminal complaint on October 6. According to the complaint, on Feb. 6, 2015, the Murray Police Department was notified that a 14-year-old girl had sent sexually explicit photos and videos of herself to Carter, through a Facebook messenger account under the name of Adam Bryan.

A search warrant on the Facebook account revealed that Carter was using multiple IP addresses and police were able to identify thousands of messenger conversations between Carter and multiple victims.

The complaint states that Carter had several underage girls send him explicit photos over the course of almost two years. Carter allegedly met some of the underage victims and paid them to have sex with him at his home. Carter allegedly video-recorded many of the sexual acts.

The alleged acts took place between March of 2013 and January of 2015.

Carter was charged in Calloway County Circuit Court and currently is in state custody. He faces federal and state charges. The Office of the Commonwealths Attorney has agreed that the federal case will proceed first.
By West Kentucky Star Staff Oct. 20, 2016 | 09:45 PM | MURRAY, KY

Murray Police say a man reported missing on Thursday has been found.Police said Saturday evening that 29-year-old Wesley Gibson was safe and sound. He had last been seen on Wednesday afternoon, and required medication for seizures.ORIGINAL STORY:The Murray Police Department is asking for the public's help in locating a missing person.

Police say 29-year-old Wesley Gibson of Murray was last seen on Wednesday at approximately 1:20 pm. He was last seen in the 300 block of South 15th Street and was wearing blue jeans, a dark blue shirt, brown work boots and aviator sunglasses.

Gibson is described as a white male with short dark hair. He's approximately 5 7 and weighs 154 lbs.

According to police, Gibson requires medication for seizures. His sister told police he has not been diagnosed with any mental health issues, but has recently been expressing severe paranoia.

It's believed Gibson may be heading to see his ex-wife, whom he believes to be in Benton, KY. Anyone with information on Gibson's whereabouts should call the Murray Police Department or your local law enforcement agency.
Rita Redmond was a true lady who felt that every pupil had something to gift to the world
Gretchen S. Yeninas, a breast cancer survivor, shares her story and advice for early detection. As a breast cancer survivor, what advice do you have for others in monitoring their own health? I was 41 and just had my second mammogram when my cancer was found. And despite it being
Until Tuesday, January 17

The Red Barn

The National Theatre

Star of BBCs the Night Manager, Elizabeth Debicki, and Mark Strong, known for Our Friends in the North and Syriana, star in this psychological thriller.

Struggling home from a party, two couples set out, but they dont all make it safely through the Connecticut snow.

The production is based on the novel Le Main, by french crime writer Georges Simenon, creator of the Inspector Maigret series.

Wednesday, November 16  Saturday, February 4

Peter Pan

The National Theatre

ALL the familys favourite characters, from Tinker Bell to Tiger Lily, the Lost Boys to Captain Hook and Peter himself all pop up in this latest adaptation of JM Barries classic tale.

Through a riot of magic and mischief, the pains and possibilities of growing up are told through the story of the boy who never did.

The production follows a sell-out run at Bristols famous Old Vic theatre.

Until Saturday, November 12

A Man of Good Hope

The Young Vic

THE true story of a refugees passage from Somalia is told in this breathless production.

Based on the critically acclaimed book by Jonny Steinberg, it tells the story of Asad, following him to the streets of Ethiopia and then on to his promised land of South Africa. He quickly discovers the often violent reality of life in the townships. Ultimately, it is a powerful testament to the resilience of humanity.
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This article was published 24/10/2016 (2199 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The first major new retail development in more than a decade in the Regent and Lagimodiere area is ready to move forward with the recent completion of a key infrastructure project in the area.

Shindico Realty Inc. was waiting for Reenders Drive to be extended east from Stapon Road to Peguis Street before proceeding with its proposed 340,000-square-foot Shops of Kildonan Mile project.

The open-air shopping centre will be built on the north side of Reenders between Stapon Road and Peguis Street and immediately north of the Kildonan Place Shopping Centre. Shindico had to cover the cost of the Reenders Drive extension, and company president and CEO Sandy Shindleman said the project took longer than expected.

SUPPLIED The Shops of Kildonan Mile will be located north of Reenders Drive between Lagimodiere Boulevard and Peguis Street and will offer more than 340,000 square feet of retail space.

With the new roadway now open for several months, Shindico is ready to proceed with the shopping centre development. Shindleman noted the new roadway will give the growing number of residents in West Transcona direct access from the east to the shopping centre site.

That had to be done first. Thats kind of a game-changer for the site and the businesses (who will be leasing space there), he added.

The Kildonan Mile site currently has only one major tenant  a StorageVille complex that faces Stapon Road. Shindleman said Shindico is in discussions with a number of other prospective tenants, but no new deals have been signed as of yet.

Although there has been a lot of new retail development in the area over the last 15 years, Shindleman believes theres room for more.

There are lots of retailers that still want to gravitate to wherever other retailers are.

He said Mayor Brian Bowmans plans to introduce new growth fees for new commercial and residential developments in the city isnt helping because the fees will drive up development costs and rents, but no one knows yet how much theyll increase.

It makes it harder to attract retailers because I cant tell them what the cost is going to be (for their space). So we continue to move forward, but you have one hand tied behind your back.

He said the new fees may also prompt some retail chains to expand somewhere else.

If they are looking at a deal in Montreal thats $14 a square foot and were $19, and the sales forecasts are the same (for both cities), guess where theyre going to go? Montreal.

SUPPLIED

He said Shindico expects the new centre to be fully developed by the fall of 2020. It hopes to attract about 30 tenants, including retail stores, restaurants, financial institutions, medical offices, a grocery store and maybe a hotel.

Two stores on horizon for Mastermind Toys

Canadas largest specialty toy and childrens book retailer  Mastermind Toys  plans to open another store in Winnipeg in 2017.

Company president and chief operating officer Humphrey Kadaner confirmed in an interview the Toronto-based retailer expects to open a stand-alone store early next summer on a development pad on the Kildonan Place Shopping Centre property.

The 4,600-square-foot outlet will be the second of three the chain plans to open in the city. The first  a 3,500-square-foot outlet on the northwest corner of Kenaston and MacGillivray boulevards, opened about a year ago.

Kadaner said the company hopes to open the third within the next 12 to 18 months in another popular retail node in the city, although he wouldnt reveal which one.

The company had planned from the outset to open three stores in Winnipeg, and Kadaner said the way Winnipeggers have responded to the first store has convinced company officials that was a good decision.

I can tell you the store on Kenaston opened up significantly better than we had anticipated. So that gave us even more confidence about opening store No. 2 and store No. 3.

Mastermind Toys was launched in 1984 by brothers Andy and Jon Levy and has been one of the countrys fastest-growing retail operations in recent years. Its stores focus on products with educational or development value and typically carry about 6,000 toys and about 4,000 books  everything from brain puzzles and arts-and-crafts kits to construction toys and musical instruments.

Kadaner said Kildonan Place Shopping Centre will build the new store and lease it to Mastermind. Kildonan Place general manager Sandra Hagenaars said the mall is pleased to land a tenant such as Mastermind Toys.

SUPPLIED

Theyre going to be a great fit for this mall. We appeal to families, and this will add another element that families can come here and enjoy, she said.

Kadaner said having a store on the Kildonan Place property appealed to Mastermind Toys because its in the heart of one of the citys most popular retail nodes.

He also noted the mall is subdividing its former 120,000-square-foot Target space into four larger-format stores and eight smaller ones. Two of the new tenants that have been confirmed so far are Marshalls and HomeSense. The H& M clothing chain is also rumoured to be looking at opening a store there.

So they (Kildonan Place) are helping to make that a stronger retail node, which was also appealing to us, Kadaner added.

Hagenaars said the mall hopes to complete the redevelopment of the former Target store by next summer. She wouldnt say what other retailers have expressed an interest in the space.

murray.mcneill@freepress.mb.ca
Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 24/10/2016 (2199 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Starbucks plans to open as many as 1,000 locations of a new upscale chain that will tout its premium Reserve coffees, escalating an effort to reach more sophisticated customers.

The worlds biggest coffee shop operator had previously set a target of 500 globally for the Reserve chain, which hasnt rolled out yet. The first location, scheduled to open next year, will sell more expensive small-lot coffee, along with food from Starbucks Italian bakery partner, Princi.

The push is part of a move by Starbucks to add different store concepts around the world. Its also opening giant locations known as Roasteries, which offer tastings and spotlight its premium coffee and the roasting process. The company announced plans last week to open its next Roastery in Tokyo, following a location in Seattle and planned sites in Shanghai and New York.

The customer is going to demand an upgraded experience, chief executive officer Howard Schultz said. Were becoming much more bullish on what we believe the Reserve brand, in multiple forms, represents.

Between the Roasteries, the smaller Reserve locations and its regular cafes, Starbucks is increasingly varying the look and experience of the 45-year-old chain. It also has been opening flagship stores around the world that spotlight local tastes, and its been adding upscale coffee bars to more of its standard locations.

A common theme is the desire to sell more of its Reserve premium brand, a product line that traces its origins to 2004. It was that year that Starbucks began offering a single-origin coffee as part of its Black Apron Exclusives. The program evolved into the Reserve brand in 2010. Starbucks opened its first Roastery & Tasting Room store in its hometown of Seattle in 2014 to showcase Reserve coffees. The new Roastery planned for Tokyos Nakameguro district will be its fourth such location.

In the Seattle Roastery, customers can get specialty drinks such as espresso-topped ice cream and sit at bars to watch beverages being made with French presses and Clover brewers. That location is 1,400 square metres, roughly nine times the size of an average Starbucks. The stores planned for Shanghai and New York will both be two levels.

Despite Starbucks increasing ambitions for the Reserve stores, theyve taken time to get off the ground. The company has been discussing plans to open the stores since 2014. The rollout of the large Roastery locations also has been gradual: the New York location, for instance, wont open until 2018.

Upgrading the brand may allow Starbucks to better compete with regional and local coffee chains that tout coffee origins, locally made pastries and different brewing styles. Reserve coffees are typically produced in small batches and cost more than drinks made with traditional beans, which is helping pull in more sales.

The Reserve stores will be a significantly higher average unit volume than the traditional Starbucks, Schultz said, declining to give specific figures. Our enthusiasm to accelerate our growth all things Reserve is indicative of whats happening.

 Bloomberg News
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This article was published 24/10/2016 (2199 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

ST. ANDREWS AIRPORT  As a kid growing up on a remote First Nation, Oliver Owen would race down to the water when he saw a float plane landing.

He would do little things to assist the pilot, such as hold onto the rope, or help keep the plane flush to the dock until it was tied down.

Owen loved planes. He still does.

WAYNE GLOWACKI / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Amik Aviation owner Oliver Owen at the St. Andrews Airport with one of his aircraft. He grew up poor in Little Grand Rapids.

Today, he owns Amik Aviation at St. Andrews Airport and employs about 20 full-time staff in summer. Its a daily passenger service for remote First Nations Bloodvein, Berens River, Poplar River, Pauingassi and Little Grand Rapids, east of Lake Winnipeg.

Owen is an independent aboriginal entrepreneur, a still-rare segment in society. How did he do it? It wasnt with help from banks.

I was born in a log cabin, said Owen, 58, interviewed in the $1.3-million hangar he had built in 2014.

He was born to a single mom in Little Grand Rapids. It was April, and they couldnt cross the Berens River to the nursing station because the ice was breaking up. So an aunt birthed him.

The family was indigent. I can remember going to bed without eating. Thats how poor we were, Owen recalled.

His younger brother was adopted at age four by a childless family his mother knew on another reserve. Olivers turn was next. He was sent to live with his mothers uncles at age six. He wouldnt return to live with his mother again until he was a teenager and his mother had remarried.

He dreamed of being a pilot. He worked at a local lodge and saved $1,200 to get to Winnipeg. He was 20 when he took an apartment on William Avenue and Kate Street, where he learned to leave the lights on all night or else cockroaches would skitter up the walls.

He bused to St. Andrews Airport to take flying lessons from Winnipeg Aviation. The bus dropped him off at the junction of highways 8 and 27, and hed walk the last couple of kilometres over the wind-swept plain. A man named Claus would give him rides whenever he saw him, and he now works for Owen.

Owen swept floors and cleaned planes at another small air service to help pay for his lessons. He had his private pilots licence before he had a drivers licence.

He went on to obtain his commercial licence. He first went to Indian Affairs, as the federal department was called then, to seek financial assistance. He was refused, but the office offered to help pay to get a truckers licence. He refused. Nine years later, he flew the same counsellor to Little Grand Rapids.

Fast-forward: Owen worked for two small northern airlines, got elected chief at Little Grand Rapids and started a one-plane air service with his brother called Sowind Air in 1991  with his own money. The South East Tribal Council wanted to get rid of a nine-passenger plane, so he leased that, too. He now had two planes.

Business was good. The South East Tribal Council became a minority shareholder and made up much of Sowinds business. Even the banks were willing to loan Owen money, for the first and only time, and his fleet grew to 12 planes. He also took ownership of a store and gas station in Little Grand Rapids. When the South East Tribal Council tried to take ownership, Owen dissolved Sowind in the early 2000s.

The bank thinks if youre aboriginal, its not going to work entrepreneur Oliver Owen, owner of Amik Aviation, on his struggles obtaining financingI always spend time at Little Grand. They know me. I try to encourage young people. Go to school, I tell them. You can do everything you want. You just have to put your mind to it. Owen

He started again in 2008 with his current company, Amik Aviation. Like earlier attempts, he couldnt get a bank loan. The bank thinks if youre aboriginal, its not going to work, he said.

He credits loans from funding agencies the Communities Economic Development Fund in Thompson, the First Peoples Economic Growth Fund, and the Tribal Wi-Chi-Way-Win Capital Corporation for helping him get back into business.

The eight-year-old growth fund has invested $28 million to leverage $70 million for 168 First Nation companies. Up to $200,000 of loans, funded by the province, can be obtained interest-free, but after that borrowers pay higher interest charges than with banks.

Said senior loans officer, Tom Thordarson, of Owen: Hes one of our star clients.

Today, Owen owns a Cessna Grand Caravan, bought used for $1.3 million, and a $1.7-million Amphibian Caravan. Both seat nine passengers. He also owns a small aircraft.

Amik, which means beaver in Saulteaux, only flies once daily in winter when winter roads cut into business.

Owen has been a businessman for 25 years now. Several of his children work for him, and grandkids come in at night to clean the planes, as he did when younger.

I always spend time at Little Grand. They know me. I try to encourage young people. Go to school, I tell them. You can do everything you want. You just have to put your mind to it.

bill.redekop@freepress.mb.ca
By Emily Chow

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 24 (Reuters) - Chinese vegetable oils rallied on Monday afternoon, led by a surge in palm olein prices to their highest level in more than two years, as depleting stockpiles tightened supplies and lifted the market.

The surge in Chinese edible oils began last week - with soyoil, palm olein and rapeseed futures all hitting two-year highs. The January contract for palm olein on China's Dalian Commodity Exchange rose again on Monday by as much as 3.5 percent, touching 5,946 yuan ($878), its strongest since August 2014.

Dalian's January soybean oil contract and the most active January rapeseed oil contract traded near last week's two-year highs as well, with tighter U.S. soybean supplies contributing to and supporting the price surge.

"Port stocks of palm in China are low," said Kelvin Chow, an analyst with Rabobank in Singapore, putting them at 338,000 tonnes compared with a five-year average of 645,000 tonnes for the end-October period.

"The soy complex plays a part as well. Seeing that there is more crushing going on in the U.S., the market might be worried that there won't be enough soybeans to import from the U.S.," Chow said.

China typically buys soybeans to crush for animal feed to feed its livestock sector, producing soyoil as a byproduct. It imported 7.7 million tonnes of soybeans in August, slightly down by 1 percent from the previous month.

Imports of rapeseed oil have also declined following a period of negotiations over a trade dispute between China and top supplier Canada, said Tommy Xiao, an analyst at Shanghai JC Intelligence Co.

While last month the two settled the dispute and said they would start exploratory talks on a free trade pact, the long period of uncertainty has held up Canadian canola shipments.

"China is producing less, and the import situation is tight," said Xiao.

Xiao said the Chinese government's auction of rapeoil stocks last week was all sold out, and snow in Canada has pushed up ICE Canada prices of rapeseed, supporting domestic prices there.

Story continues

The weaker Chinese currency - supportive of yuan-denominated vegetable oils - and investor sentiment also played a role in the price rally, say traders and analysts.

"It's also due to what large funds are doing in China," said a Chinese trader based in Singapore. "They have a wider view and, compared with other commodities, believe vegetable oils are relatively cheap."

($1 = 6.7700 Chinese yuan)

(Additional reporting by Dominique Patton; Editing by Tom Hogue)
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This article was published 24/10/2016 (2199 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

OTTAWA  Hundreds of Yazidi refugees at risk of being executed or captured as sex slaves by Islamic State terrorists should be headed to Canada within four months, as the federal government moves to make resettling them a priority.

Immigration Minister John McCallum told the House of Commons Monday the Liberals would be supporting a Conservative motion to declare the attacks committed against the Yazidis in Iraq as a genocide and provide asylum within 120 days particularly to Yazidi women and girls who are being treated as sex slaves by IS.

We have just come back from a mission in the region to determine how many and from where and over what time period we will be welcoming more Yazidis to Canada, McCallum said. We have committed to do this and it will be done.

MUHAMMED MUHEISEN / THE ASSOCIATED PRESS FILES A Yazidi refugee family from Sinjar, Iraq, wait at a registration camp in southern Macedonia to board a train heading to the Serbian border. About 100,000 Yazidis are now in refugee camps in Turkey and Syria. Their homeland in Iraq has been destroyed.

McCallums pledge left Winnipegger Michel Azizi almost speechless.

Are you serious? he asked, when told of McCallums statement. Oh my gosh. This is what we were hoping for for months.

Azizi is the chair of Operation Ezra, an initiative started by Winnipeg Friends of Israel that has expanded into a multifaith organization trying to resettle as many Yazidi families as it can. Two families already arrived in Winnipeg and five more are awaiting approval, but Azizi said Operation Ezra cannot help all the Yazidis who need help.

Azizi said he gets calls for help constantly from thousands of Yazidis in refugee camps, where they are segregated from others for their own safety.

The Yazidis are a religious minority group of about 700,000 people that mostly lived in northern Iraq near the Syrian border. In 2014, IS launched a campaign launched against Yazidis in the Sinjar district; men and boys are executed if they refuse to convert to Islam and women and girls are captured as sex slaves. At least 5,000 have been killed and somewhere between 3,000 and 5,000 women and girls enslaved.

About 100,000 Yazidis are now in refugee camps in Turkey and Syria. Their homeland in Iraq has been destroyed.

There are about 400 Yazidis living in Canada, about half in Winnipeg and the other half in London, Ont.

In June the Liberals voted down a Conservative motion calling on the House of Commons to declare as genocide IS crimes against several religious minorities, including Christians, Shiite Muslims and Yazidis. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said at the time he did not want to play partisan politics and that Canada would support the United Nations Security Council if it declared a genocide.

Days later a UN report did just that and asked the rest of the world to step in to help.

Last week, Conservative immigration critic Michelle Rempel introduced a revised motion specific to the Yazidis calling for Canada to acknowledge the genocide and the plight of Yazidi women and girls, heed the UN recommendations to help and commit to providing asylum for women and girls within 120 days.

Although McCallum told the Commons the government was working on something, it wasnt clear if the Liberals would support the motion, so an intense lobbying effort took place over the last three days that included some people within the Liberal party itself, as well as Operation Ezra and Yazidis already in Canada.

Then, on Monday, McCallum made his pledge to support the motion in response to a planted question from a Liberal backbencher.

Rempel was still pushing to have McCallum commit to a specific number of Yazidis, saying last year the government stuck hard to its pledge to bring in 25,000 Syrians in less than two months. She said however she was really happy the Liberals are finally moving on it at all.

Im having one of those moments where sometimes you feel like you can make a difference, she said.

mia.rabson@freepress.mb.ca
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This article was published 24/10/2016 (2199 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Provincial money will help Frontier College reduce summer learning loss among indigenous students over our next two years.

Education Minister Ian Wishart and Indigenous and Municipal Relations Minister Eileen Clarke announced Monday that the province will provide more than $165,000 over the next two years to Frontiers summer literacy camps in 10 indigenous communities.

The camps reduce the loss of the previous years learning that some students experience during the summer, Clarke said. This will help graduation rates, she said.

Wishart noted that Manitoba has been contributing support since 2005 for fun and engaging summer enrichment programs.

Frontier Colleges president and CEO Stephen Faul said his volunteer-driven organization has been promoting literacy since 1899, last year helping 32,000 children in 500 communities.
Opinion

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This article was published 23/10/2016 (2200 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Few people in Manitoba have accomplished more than Sanford Sandy Riley.

A lawyer by profession, Riley has helped to form, lead or expand many of Winnipegs biggest corporations. He is a relentless philanthropist who has donated not only money but also his immense business knowledge to a wide range of charitable and public-sector institutions.

Riley is also an icon in provincial Progressive Conservative politics as both a strategist and fundraiser. He served former Tory premier Gary Filmon in a number of roles in the 1990s but remained largely on the sidelines after the NDP was returned to power in 1999. Now that the Tories are back, Riley is back serving at the pleasure of the new premier and government.

BORIS MINKEVICH / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS FILES Manitoba Hydro board chairman Sanford Riley.

Premier Brian Pallister called upon Riley to lead an overhaul of Manitoba Hydro, naming him chairman of the Crown utilitys board of directors. It was not a knee-jerk decision; Hydro is among the premiers biggest concerns right now, and he desperately needs a steady hand at the helm. Even so, Pallister has got more than he bargained for with Rileys appointment.

Last week, Riley and Hydro CEO Kevin Shepherd floated the idea of an equity injection from provincial general revenues to help the utility reduce its debt-to-equity ratio, a top-of-mind concern for the Tory government. An aggressive capital program  which has included new generating stations and a new transmission line  and a continental energy market that is paying out historic low rates for electricity have loaded Hydro with an enormous debt that has drawn the ire of credit-rating agencies.

The suggested equity infusion was confusing for a number of reasons. First because it is rather pointless. Asking the province to divert money from program spending or borrow to help ease the debt-to-equity equation at Hydro doesnt solve the big problem, which is a consolidated budget that features too much debt.

Rileys comments were also confusing because they were politically naive, a condition not normally attached to a man of his considerable political experience.

Pallister must now be losing sleep worrying about a scenario in which Hydro debt drags down the entire government treasury with higher borrowing costs. He has already endorsed a Hydro plan to trim operating costs and find efficiencies that will provide some modest short-term progress. The premier has also lent his support to a plan led by Riley and the new board to get the costs of unfinished capital projects under control and back on budget.

Those numbers, along with Pallisters solid support for the Hydro boards plans going forward, should have been a clear sign to Riley and Shepherd the utility is basically on its own to get the debt situation under control. After all, Pallister has other pressing issues to deal with.

Pallister was elected on a platform of nearly unattainable fiscal accomplishments. He is committed to a course of balancing the budget, cutting taxes and not cutting core services. In this era of chronically slow economic growth and stagnant revenues, Pallisters chances of accomplishing all three simultaneously are pretty slim.

So it was hardly surprising Pallister responded in a prickly fashion when asked about the equity-infusion plan. I would say theres a lot of cleaning up to do at Hydro before we get into speculation about bailouts, a curt Pallister said last week. His displeasure was palpable. The last thing Pallister needs now was his hand-picked operative on the Hydro board going rogue with a preposterous suggestion for an equity infusion.

The gaffe was an important reminder the relationship between government and its Crown entities is vague and often troubled.

In general, there is an understanding Crowns need to operate at arms length from government. However, in reality, the governance of Crown corporations and agencies is highly politicized and always has been.

Shortly after being elected, the Pallister government moved quickly to jettison all NDP appointees to Crown boards and replace them with their own appointees. Pallister and other ministers argued their appointments were better than their predecessors, but the fact remains they are identical in the way in which they achieved these roles: they had the right friends at the right time.

The Tory government has taken steps to mitigate the political influence with its decision to replace a civilian oversight board for Crowns  previously another parking lot for partisan appointments  with a committee of senior bureaucrats. The new body is designed to improve overall accountability and insulate the Crowns from political interference. Although the goal is worthy, its not clear how bureaucrats, who are also beholden to the current government to a great extent, will be better than the previous body. In many respects, this move effectively shortens the length of the arm supposed to separate government and Crown entities.

Its not even clear further separation of Crown and the government of the day is a good thing. Crown corporation policies and decisions are the policies and decisions of the current government. Any suggestion otherwise is a hoax on the citizenry.

Despite the fact they are supposed to exist at arms length from each other, the premier and the politically appointed chairman of Manitoba Hydro must always be on the same page. And right now, they clearly are not.

dan.lett@freepress.mb.ca
Opinion

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 24/10/2016 (2199 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

University of British Columbia economist Robert Evans calls user fees in health care zombies  a policy option that keeps surfacing despite being killed over and over again by the evidence. During Manitobas recent provincial election, Progressive Conservative leader Brian Pallister invoked those zombies anew by saying he would not rule out the possibility of introducing private-sector options in health care. This would be a mistake.

Evidence has piled up showing that for-profit delivery does not save money. Nor does it improve choice, quality or access. Indeed, it often does the reverse. And it reduces opportunities for public, democratic influence on health care.

The University of Manitobas Evelyn Shapiro, a recipient of the Order of Canada, was widely known for her role in establishing and defending home care in Manitoba. She was central to the group that produced the evidence that killed a 1996 initiative to fund for-profit delivery of home care in this province. In his 1997 report for the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (CCPA), the University of Winnipegs Jim Silver demonstrated that the for-profit company in question provided lower wages, was less attractive to qualified personnel, provided less continuity in care and encouraged the vulnerable people needing home care to pay privately for additional services.

MATT ROURKE / THE ASSOCIATED PRESS FILES Seniors' access to home care or assisted living arrangements may be limited by their ability to pay.

A significant number of for-profit corporations in this and other health care sectors have been charged with fraud. The company that was briefly in Manitoba settled its numerous fraud charges in the United States out of court. It is common practice for these corporations to initially provide a low bid for health services, and then to raise costs once the competition has left the market. Since the 1990s, even more evidence against for-profit home care has been published by the Manitoba CCPA and by others, but we still hear from advocates who promote the for-profit delivery of home care.

The evidence against the for-profit delivery of nursing homes (called personal care homes in Manitoba) is equally clear. Nursing homes that are owned by for-profit companies tend to have lower staffing levels, even though low staffing levels have been widely linked to lower quality of care.

The evidence indicates that for-profit homes are more likely to transfer their residents to hospitals, and their residents are more likely to die within a year of nursing home admission. For-profit homes have more verified complaints filed against them and often have higher administrative costs. Yet their advocates in Manitoba and elsewhere continue to promote the for-profit delivery of nursing home care.

But the push also happens in more subtle ways. In one of the last pieces she wrote before her death, Evelyn Shapiro assessed in 2009 the impact of the move towards aging in place and the replacement of nursing home care with assisted-living arrangements, supportive housing and retirement homes. She noted that these alternatives are appropriate for some seniors, enabling them to live in settings more like home and to exercise more control and independence about their lives than what is possible in a nursing home.

She also noted, however, that these alternatives can mean the loss of life-enriching activities and quality care. Moreover, they come at greater personal cost, barring from entry the many seniors with modest or no financial resources. And governments avoid making firm commitments to filling the gaps left by reductions in nursing home availability. Too often, the reality is that aging in place is more about limiting the responsibilities of government than about fully meeting the care needs of seniors.

As Shapiro made clear, women in particular feel the negative impact of these alternatives because women on average live longer than men, are often sicker than men and are less likely than men to have pensions and other financial resources. Without the income required to access alternative services, choice for these women becomes a cruel joke, especially when combined with the relative and even absolute cutbacks in nursing home beds that are now underway.

And even if women (and men) are able to pay for access to alternative services, their access may be uncertain, for they may be forced out if their care needs become too heavy in the view of the alternative that admitted them in the first place.

In short, for-profit companies are not more efficient. They do not save governments money and they offer neither better quality care nor more choice. They reduce democratic input. At the same time, they offer fewer benefits to those who provide care, whether paid or unpaid, and they increase inequalities in access to care.

Pat Armstrong and Hugh Armstrong are research associates at the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives.
Opinion

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 24/10/2016 (2199 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

IN a recent interview with CNNs Christiane Amanpour, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov was asked to comment on the recently surfaced 2005 video of Donald Trump boasting about groping women. Toward the end of the interview, Amanpour asked: Can I just try one last question? One last question. A bit cheeky, but Im going to ask you. Russia had its own Pussy Riot moment. What do you think of Donald Trumps pussy riot moment?

To this, Lavrov answered: Well, I dont know what this would English is not my mother tongue, I dont know if I would sound decent. There are so many pussies around the presidential campaign on both sides that I prefer not to comment on this.

In her question, Amanpour alluded to the Russian punk rock group known for staging highly controversial acts of political protest against gender discrimination, sexism and authoritarianism in Russia, including a music video entitled Punk Prayer  Mother of God, Chase Putin Away! Lavrov did not engage with this aspect of the question, nor did he condemn sexism and sexual harassment.

Instead, he offered a very short remark that included a pre-emptive note about English being his foreign language and his preference not to comment on the issue.

A seasoned diplomat, Lavrov is certainly well-aware of the weight and value of each word uttered in public, especially on CNN. His answer, albeit short, conveyed an important political message that goes beyond Donald Trumps locker-room talk. There is no doubt Lavrovs comment about the presidential campaign underway in the United States is offensive and degrading to both Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, given one of them will soon become the next president. It is also indicative of Russian officialdoms prevalent attitude toward the U.S. and the West more broadly. This attitude has been in the making for a number of years now. It fuelled increasingly more aggressive Russian foreign policy, including military involvement in Ukraine and Syria, and contributed toward deteriorating relations between Russia and the West.

The rise of this attitude can be best understood in the context of the botched transition from communism. Over the last 15 years, Russian state and society had to grapple not only with extremely complex social, political and economic crises, but also with the loss of Russias status as a great power in global politics.

Faced with large-scale social dislocation, skyrocketing corruption and economic marginalization, Russian society blamed the West for the destabilizing effects of neo-liberal market reforms and developed a sense of nostalgia for a vastly romanticized communist past. This included glorification of Stalins regime and Soviet victory in the Second World War, which Russians know as the Great Patriotic War.

Putins regime actively supported the myth of the glorious communist past and the move toward re-Stalinization of the country through various repressive domestic policies. This included control over the school curricula and scholarly publications to promote the proper patriotic history of Russia among its population, the crackdown on political dissent, the tightening of state control over the media and the like.

Externally, the restoration of Russias great-power status meant a shift in Russian foreign policy goals, from integration with the West to charting its own, independent course of actions. Putin is known to have once said the Soviet collapse was the greatest geopolitical tragedy of the 20th century. The rise of Russia as a great power includes, among other things, tighter control over the post-Soviet states and the creation of Russkiy Mir  Russian World  as a direct counter-weight to the West with the U.S. as its leader.

Over the last two years, Russia employed Russkiy Mir rhetoric to justify annexation of Crimea, as well as military involvement in eastern Ukraine and Syria.

Lavrovs comment about so many pussies around the presidential campaign on both sides signals Russias determination to continue to challenge American leadership in the world through the protection and expansion of the Russian world. This means the breeze of the Cold War may change into some serious wind gusts in the near future unless Russian society reassesses its past and the West finds a way to re-engage Russia.

Tanya Narozhna is an associate professor in the department of political science at the University of Winnipeg with a focus on international politics. She is the author of Female Suicide Bombings: A Critical Gender Approach (with W. Andy Knight).
Do you wish you would have finished school, majored in another discipline, or pursued another vocation? Do you think you married the wrong person? Do you kick yourself because you once or maybe more than once failed to respond to the obvious interests of an attractive person who you might have lived with happily ever after? Would you be interested in coming to the end of your days full of regret because of opportunities you passed up or for a life not well-lived? Would you like to die dejected and disillusioned?

Well, I have the perfect solution and you dont even have to stop taking your antidepressants: You can be an atheist. Being an atheist is a perfect way to reach the end of life bitter and miserable.

Occasionally I read about atheists who come to the end of their days telling us that they have no regrets and believe they will just vanish from existence. Moreover, some contend they know absolutely for sure that they dont need to worry or even have to think about the possibility that there might be life after death.

I suppose there are some folks like that here and there, but for the most part I dont believe them. Id bet most are a little nervous about taking that last breath. That, simply because they know that they are dying limited in understanding, limited in knowledge, limited in lifespan, and limited in capability to form absolute and concrete conclusions about God and eternity. In other words, deep down, they realize they are going to enter eternity based solely on their act of faith.

Is being an atheist rational and objective? Not really. Its nothing but an arrogant rolling of the dice, betting that there is nothing after death. You cannot and will not find a guarantee anywhere that there is no God. Or life after death. If you really do believe these things you have incredible faith. An absolutely amazing faith, actually.

Atheists can only look backward at their woulda, coulda, and shouldas as they reach the end. Christians? We look forward.

But, you the atheist say, I can prove there is no God. Okay, let us assume that you are also one of very few of us who has a genius IQ. True, you might learn more quickly and know much more than the rest of us. You might even have a photographic memory to go along with your genius. Consequently, what you know and understand may be orders of magnitude more than the average human being.

Would that mean then that you would know so much that your conclusion that God is nonexistent would not be an act of faith? Of course not. Even with gifts of intellect like that, you still have a limited life span and you cannot and will not understand everything. You have limitations. And certainly you wont and cant know enough to conclude, except by an act of faith, that there is no God. Your hubris and misplaced self-regard may not let you admit that. But that is fact.

Atheists usually get a little excited when they are accused of having faith that is as strong or stronger than the average Christian. Shakes them up a little and they dont like that. The last time I wrote something about this, one fellow absolutely insisted that he could prove there is no God. Went on and on about it as a matter of fact. Then I found he was lifelong Catholic. Would this be classified as an out of your mind event?

Of course, he could be one of those people who would argue with anything and everything that I might contend. There are a few people like that. I guess Ill just have to pray for him.

But if you really are an atheist, maybe you ought to take another look at your faith. You also might want to compare your situation with those of Christians. Ask yourself why they are happier and more content than you are. Maybe they know something you dont. Know what? They do.

All you have to do is trade in a faith worth nothing for one that really is worth something. Its easy. Really.
Did we get our money's worth in 2016 with our current elected state officials? In southeast Minnesota, we spent about $85,000 in salary and travel expenses for our state representative and senator to attend less than 150 days of legislative sessions.

Three major items needed attention in the 2016 session: the tax bill, transportation and bonding; we got none of the above.

The tax bill contained a $100 million "error," preventing its enactment (an or was written in place of an and in one section). Was this really an error, or just sloppy language? Or was this simply another example of the obstructive and irrational action of elected officials who also pretend not to see the evidence of global climate change?

Should the governor convene a special session to do what our legislators were paid to do the last time they met?

Let us also look at the bonding bill, defeated by a single vote of Senate Republicans. A special category of expenditures in bonding bill requests is identified as "asset preservation." This means exactly what it says: A recognition that an ounce of prevention (maintenance) is worth a pound of cure (re-building). In these cases, we have already paid for items that earlier legislators and their constituents thought to be in the best interests of our citizens.

The proposed bonding bill included $120 million of asset preservation requests across 14 sections of government. About $90 million of this would have gone to higher education, including our state university system. Another $15 million would have supported human services, veterans and military affairs, corrections, and essential administrative services. Was it simply too much to ask for the minimum of asset preservation in a reduced bonding bill?

Adding insult to injury, the November ballot will be asking us to approve the assignment of legislative salaries to an appointed commission rather than elected legislators, an act that would further remove our elected representatives from their responsibility to act on our behalf.

Enough, already. On Nov. 8, vote Jon Pieper for Senate and Thomas Trehus for House.

George Spangler,

Chatfield
Wal-Mart, the huge big box and grocery conglomerate thats often accused of putting small town America out of business and sending workers pay on a race to the bottom, is in the middle of what many consider a revolution.

According to a recent New York Times business story, the retail giant is experimenting with whether paying workers more and giving them more education will actually improve profits in the long run.

Up until early 2015, Wal-Mart had an international reputation of treating payroll as a burdensome business expense. Many workers were paid minimum wages in an effort to trim costs and the company actually openly suggested that low-paid employees take advantage of government programs like Medicaid for their health care coverage.

That worked fine for the corporation as it opened new and larger stores throughout the country, often forcing mom and pop operators in small towns out of business because they could not compete with the chains huge economic might with suppliers.

But Wal-Mart shoppers have been complaining in recent years of poor service, dirty bathrooms, endless checkout lines and an inability to find a worker to help find a product. The firms own customer satisfaction surveys showed that only 16 percent of stores were meeting Wal-Marts own customer service goals.

Suddenly sales figures fell for five straight quarters, the first time in the companys history.

Consquently, according to the Times story, Wal-Mart decided to take the advice of a cadre of economists, who have contended for years that if you pay workers more, train them better and give them an opportunity for advancement in the company, youll have a happier workforce that will make the company a happier place for customers.

So far the experiment is showing promise. By early this year the customer-service ratings were up at 75 percent of Wal-Mart stores. Sales have rebounded, but the jury is still out on whether profits will rise, too. That, after all, is the long-range goal.

If the Wal-Mart experiment works, it will deliver a stunning lesson to many of the nations largest corporations that in recent decades have viewed good pay for workers as an impediment to company growth and profits. Unions and employee advocacy groups have for years been delivering a different message: that good pay and benefits actually make workers feel as though theyre part of the company and willing to go that extra step to make it as profitable as possible.

If they feel the company doesnt value them, then they wont value the company, the theory goes.

What an irony that a corporation with a reputation of being among the worst employers for its rank and file could wind up teaching American businesses that treating workers poorly is not the way to succeed.
Taylor Baerwolf, a member of South Columbus Willing Workers 4-H Club, has won the Columbia County 4-H Crowley Dairy Leadership Award.

As a county winner, Baerwolf received a commemorative engraved medallion and the chance to compete for state-level awards, including a chance to compete for two $500 scholarships that will be awarded for continuing dairy education. The state competition will consist of interviews conducted at the Wisconsin State Fair in August 2017.

According to Beth Heinze, University of Wisconsin Extension dairy youth specialist, the Crowley Award is one of Wisconsin 4-Hs most prestigious awards.

This prestigious award is only handed out to a small percentage of the hundreds of 4-H dairy program participants each year, and many past state recipients of this award have gone on to be leaders in Wisconsins dairy industry, Heinze said.

Baerwolf was selected for her outstanding accomplishments in the 4-H dairy project.

The James W. Crowley Dairy Management and Extension Fund sponsors this 4-H dairy award program. James W. Crowley was a longtime UW-Extension dairy specialist and strong supporter of dairy youth project work.

It is appropriate that we commemorate the distinguished extension career of the late Dr. James Crowley through support of youth activities. Doc Jim always took a special interest in the dairy youth, knowing the future leaders of the dairy industry were the 4-H club members of today, said fund chair Al Schultz.
This October, the Columbia County Health Department and the Wisconsin Well Woman Program are proud to support Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Breast cancer is the second most common kind of cancer in women.

Did you know about 1 in 8 women born today in the United States will get breast cancer at some point? The good news is that many women can survive breast cancer if its found and treated early.

If you are a woman age 40 to 49, talk with your doctor about when to start getting mammograms and how often to get them.

If you are a woman age 50 to 74, be sure to get a mammogram every two years. You may also choose to get them more often.

Talk to a doctor about your risk for breast cancer, especially if a close family member of yours has had breast or ovarian cancer. Your doctor can help you decide when and how often to get mammograms.

Do you or someone you know need help with the cost of a mammogram or annual health checkups? Or maybe a women who have been diagnosed with breast or cervical cancer and need help with treatment?

The Wisconsin Well Woman Program pays for breast and cervical cancer screenings for those that qualify. Wisconsin Well Woman Medicaid is available for women diagnosed with breast or cervical cancer who meet the income guidelines and have no health insurance.

For more information about the Wisconsin Well Woman Program, call 608-847-9455.
With two weeks before Election Day, the exchanges between Wisconsins top candidates for U.S. Senate are becoming increasingly bitter and personal.

Democrat Russ Feingold said Monday that his opponent, U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson, calling him a complete phony shows the Republican incumbent is growing desperate about his re-election chances.

Feingold also defended his attack on Johnsons handling of the heroin and opioid abuse crises, amid pushback from Johnsons campaign, which called the attack a lie.

Meanwhile, whopping sums are pouring into the campaigns ad wars  a sizable share from a single source. A newly filed report shows Afton billionaire and Republican mega-donor Diane Hendricks, co-founder of Beloits ABC Supply, gave more than $1.3 million to an independent super PAC shortly before it launched a negative ad blitz against Feingold.

Feingolds remarks came outside Middleton City Hall, where he and a group of supporters were about to vote early.

Johnson, R-Oshkosh, went on the offensive over the weekend, calling Feingold, D-Middleton, a complete phony and telling the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel editorial board that he doesnt respect Feingold.

Feingold said Monday that he respects Johnson and the office he holds, adding, Im not going to go there.

Im going to talk about the issues that the people of the state are concerned about, Feingold said. I realize when somebodys desperate  when a politician feels like hes probably going to lose  he gets a little shaky.

Nearly all polls of the race have shown Feingold leading, though some recent polls showed the race tightening to within the margin of error. Johnsons campaign released a memo Monday saying its polling shows the race is tight.

Theres no doubt that we enter the final two weeks of the campaign with the wind at our backs and Sen. Feingold and his team on the run, said Johnsons campaign manager Betsy Ankney.

Last week the Johnson campaign unveiled a digital ad featuring the mother of a man who died of a heroin overdose, lauding Johnsons efforts to fight the abuse epidemics of heroin and opioid painkillers.

The issue has become contentious after Feingold aired an ad saying Johnson has essentially done nothing about the issue.

Johnson, speaking to the Wisconsin State Journal editorial board last week, noted that his nephew died of a heroin overdose. Saying he has been fully engaged on the issue, Johnson highlighted a bill he introduced  parts of which he said are being implemented by the Obama administration  that Johnson said would reduce incentives for doctors to over-prescribe opioid painkiller drugs.

Feingold, speaking Monday, said hes sorry for the Johnson familys loss. But Feingold said its entirely fair to question how Johnson has voted on drug treatment funding.

When he had a chance to actually provide the resources for treatment and prevention, he voted no, Feingold said.

Feingolds campaign later said he was referring to a vote Johnson cast in June, in which he sided with opponents of an amendment that would have provided additional funding to combat heroin and opioid addiction.

Also Monday, Feingold renewed his criticism of Johnson for continuing to support Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump. Some Republicans in competitive campaigns for U.S. Senate seats in other states have withdrawn backing for Trump in response to controversies surrounding him, but Johnson has maintained his support.

He wouldnt let (Trump) run loose in his plastics factory, but hell vote for him for president, Feingold said of Johnson, who co-founded a plastics manufacturing company.

Hendricks seven-figure contribution was made last month to a new Wisconsin-based super PAC, Reform America Fund, according to a newly filed report with the Federal Election Commission.

Last week, Reform America Fund announced a seven-figure ad campaign hitting Feingold for voting for the federal stimulus act of 2009.

Before that, the group rolled out a $1.2 million statewide ad campaign blasting Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton that emphasized her health as part of a message questioning her fitness for the presidency.

Super PACs must operate independently from candidates but may raise and spend unlimited sums to air ads for or against them.
Items are listed under the day of the event only, running as space permits prior to the event. To submit items, call 745-3511, email jcutsforth@capitalnewspapers.com or visit www.portagedailyregister.com. Include name and phone number.

TODAY

Food pantry: 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. Second Harvest mobile food pantry, St. Marys Catholic Church, 318 S. Main St., Pardeeville. Do not line up before 3 p.m. Bring boxes, bags, wagons, etc., to carry food. Volunteers are needed by calling Cindy at 742-7687.

Euchre card party: 6:30 p.m. Bethlehem Lutheran Church, W8267 Highway 33 East, Portage. Public welcome. Contact: Cloe, 429-2363.

Fundraiser: 4 p.m. Pizza Ranch, New Pinery Road, Portage. The Rusch Backpack Program will earn 10 percent of sales. Funds raised will help Rusch establish a backpack program which will provide a bag of nonperishable food to children who may need nutritional assistance to make it through the weekend. In this program, food items will be distributed at school to participating children in reusable bags by school staff on Fridays.

Seniors Bowling Social: 2 p.m. Fireball Lanes, 817 E. Wisconsin St., Portage. Cost is $6 and includes three games of bowling and shoe rental.

Zumba/Zumba Toning: 6 p.m. Harrisville. $5 drop in fee. Contact Tami at 608-346-3971 or 4dreamers@frontier.com.

TUESDAY, OCT. 25

Genealogy Researchers: 1 to 3 p.m. Portage Public Library, 253 W. Edgewater St., Portage. Speaker, Melody Brooks Taylor will present Telling Your Story: One Familys Genealogy Website. This will give us an opportunity to become aware of another way to share your familys history. Anyone is welcome to attend.

Portage Family Skate Park public meeting: 5 to 6:30 p.m. Gerstenkorn Administration Building, 305 E. Slifer St., Portage. All interested people are welcome to attend. If the Portage Schools are closed or released early the PFSP meeting will be canceled and announced on our Facebook page with a new meeting location as soon as possible.

Library event: 10 a.m. Preschool Story Time for ages 3 to 5 years (siblings welcome). Halloween Party complete with stories, crafts, songs and a snack. Preschoolers and adults alike are welcome to wear costumes. Registration is recommended and can be done by calling 742-4959 ext. 211 or online at www.portagelibrary.us.

Zumba Toning: 4:30 p.m. Woodridge Primary School, Portage. $5 drop in fee. Contact Tami at 608-346-3971 or 4dreamers@frontier.com.

WEDNESDAY, OCT. 26

Bingo: 5:30 p.m. 131 Restaurant, North Main Street, Pardeeville. Bingo will be played every Wednesday, except the first one of the month.

Career Fair: 8:50 a.m. to 2 p.m. Portage High School gymnasium, 301 E. Collins St., Portage. Portage High School, Columbia County Economic Development and the Portage Area Chamber of Commerce Career Fair will highlight manufacturing businesses and industries. For more information, call the Portage Area Chamber of Commerce at 608-742-6242.

Clinic: 9 a.m. to noon, St. Vincent de Paul free medical clinic, Wilz Drugs lower level, 140 E. Cook St., Portage. No appointments needed. Information needed is name, date of birth and a contact number. A chiropractor is available from 10 a.m. to noon Wednesdays. A foot clinic is available every week. The clinic can do exams and prescribe medications. Physical therapist available. Discounted medications are available at Wilz and Wal-Mart. Call Bonny Oestreich, RN, at 608-234-0159 for information.

Library event: 10 a.m. Preschool Story Time for ages 3 to 5 years (siblings welcome). Halloween Party complete with stories, crafts, songs and a snack. Preschoolers and adults alike are welcome to wear costumes. Registration is recommended and can be done by calling 742-4959 ext. 211 or online at www.portagelibrary.us.

Texas Hold em card tournament: VFW Hall, 215 W. Collins St., Portage. Register at 6 p.m. Cards begin at 6:30 p.m. Entry fee is $20. One hundred percent payout. Open to the public. For information, call the VFW Hall at 742-5350.

TLC Community Clothes Closet: 1 to 4 p.m. Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, corner of East Cook and Main streets, Portage.

Screening: 1 to 5 p.m. Free blood pressure screenings, Divine Savior Healthcare, 2817 New Pinery Road, Portage. No appointment necessary. Call 745-6405 for more information. Do not eat, smoke, drink caffeine or exercise for 30 minutes prior.

Endeavor Sharing Supper: 5 to 6:30 p.m. Endeavor Elementary School, Endeavor. Enjoy a free meal with your neighbors and learn about your community. Informational booths and free blood pressure checks available. Kids Corner will have activities for the children. This months supper is sponsored by Endeavor Lions Club and ice cream sundaes in memory of Sheldon Dewsnap will be provided by his family. All are welcome.

Womens Civic League: 9 a.m. Board meeting, Club House, West Edgewater Street, Portage.

Writing group: 9:30 a.m. Pauquette Wordcrafters, Portage Public Library, 253 W. Edgewater St., Portage. All writers welcome.

Zumba/Zumba Toning: 5 p.m. Montello. $5 drop in fee. Contact Tami at 608-346-3971 or 4dreamers@frontier.com.

Zumba: 5:30 p.m. 1208 Northport Road (the former Freedom Carpeting building). This is a $5 drop-in class. For more information, contact Deb at DJMACK00001@yahoo.com or Rena at 697-6713.

THURSDAY, OCT. 27

Bingo: 6:30 p.m. Endeavor Lions Club Bingo, Endeavor-Moundville Fire Department, Endeavor.

Blood drive: noon to 5 p.m. Divine Savior Healthcare and BloodCenter of Wisconsin blood drive, Divine Savior Healthcare, 2817 New Pinery Road, Portage. Make an appointment online at www.bcw.edu/divinesavior or call 877-232-4376. Walk-ins also welcome.

Brown Bag Lunch Series: noon, Portage Center for the Arts, 301 E. Cook St., Portage. Tom Moxley will share information on the art of beekeeping. The cost is $5 at the door. Bring a lunch if desired. Student groups welcome; please call for group pricing. Sponsored by Ellen Schieber.

Library event: 10 to 11 a.m. Halloween Party for children ages 6 to 12, Portage Public Library, 253 W. Edgewater St., Portage. Children are encouraged to wear costumes and be ready to have some old fashion Halloween fun with party games, activities, a craft and snacks. Kids wearing costumes will be eligible for prizes. Registration is not required. For more information call 742-4959 ext. 211.

Museum: Museum at the Portage, 804 MacFarlane Road, Portage. Open from 1 to 4 p.m. Thursday through Saturday in April, May, September and October; and 1 to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday in June, July and August. Admission is free.

Museum: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Portage World War II Museum, 119 E. Cook St., Portage. Free tours for veterans every Thursday, Friday and Saturday. The tours take 2 1/2 hours. For information, call 608-697-3690.

Card party: 7 p.m. Open Texas Hold em, Sport Club 22, Pardeeville. For information, call 566-9655.

FRIDAY, OCT. 28

Coat drive distribution: 2 to 6 p.m. Salvation Army annual Coat of Many Colors coat drive distribution, Columbia County Fairgrounds, Building No. 8, Superior Street entrance. Free coats for adults and children. Please bring your children with you to try on coats. Coloring Corner for children available.

Unique Singles: 5 p.m. Jacks Tap, Dunn Street, Portage. All single men and women older than age 50 welcome. The group is strictly social with no dues or officers.
* DBRS keeps Portugal's BBB (low) rating, stable outlook

* Portuguese bond yields slide to lowest since early Sept

* Spanish yields fall on hopes of political breakthrough

* Austria says could sell 70-year bonds in near future (Adds Austria 70-year bond announcement, updates prices)

By Dhara Ranasinghe and Abhinav Ramnarayan

LONDON, Oct 24 (Reuters) - Portugal's borrowing costs tumbled to six-week lows on Monday after it passed a crucial ratings test, while yields in neighbouring Spain fell sharply on signs that 10 months of political deadlock may be near an end.

Ratings agency DBRS maintained its BBB (low) rating with a stable outlook for Portugal late on Friday, upholding the investment-grade rank the country needs to stay in the ECB's massive bond-buying programme.

That sparked a relief rally in Portuguese bonds, sending 10-year yields down as much as 15 basis points to 3.05 percent , though by 1530 GMT this was back up to 3.15 percent, still down 4 bps on the day.

In Spain, conservative leader Mariano Rajoy was set to secure a second term in power for his People's Party after the Socialists agreed on Sunday to abstain in a confidence vote to be held this week.

That pushed Spanish yields down 5 bps to just over two-week lows of 1.06 percent. As the day wore on, that drop reversed to a large extent and the yield was at 1.10 percent by 1530 GMT, down less than 1 bp on the day.

The country has been in political limbo after elections in December and June left no single party with a majority, paralysing institutions and threatening to derail an economic recovery.

As risks facing Portugal and Spain ebbed, their southern European peer Italy could become the main underperformer as it faces political uncertainty ahead of referendum on constitutional reform on Dec. 4.

ITALY CONCERN

"There's generally good news all around in terms of risk towards the periphery following the ratings news on Portugal and signs that we'll get a new government in Spain," said Orlando Green, European fixed income strategist at Credit Agricole.

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"The elephant in the room remains Italy, with the referendum looming."

Fitch Ratings, which left Italy's BBB+ rating unchanged late on Friday, said it had cut the outlook to negative because of weak growth, high debt and the uncertain outcome of the referendum.

Yields on higher-rated euro zone government bonds, on the other hand, rose after Austria said it was exploring the possibility of selling 70-year bonds via a syndication in the near future, subject to investor feedback.

Austria's 30-year benchmark was one of the worst performing bonds on Monday, its yield rising 5.7 bps to 1.02 percent as investors made space for the potential sale of new bonds .

German and French long-dated government bond yields were also up on the day, by about 4 bps each.

"Partly because of the Austria 70-year and partly because PMIs in Europe were better than expected, yields are rising, particularly as market liquidity is not so good," said Antoine Bouvet, rates strategist at Mizuho.

Euro zone business activity picked up more than expected in October as new work for services companies flooded in at the fastest rate since April, but there was still no sign of inflationary pressures, Markit's Composite Flash Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) showed.

(Reporting by Dhara Ranasinghe; Editing by Alison Williams)
Juniper Networks, Inc. designs, develops, and sells network products and services worldwide. The company offers routing products, such as ACX series universal access routers to deploy high-bandwidth services; MX series Ethernet routers that function as a universal edge platform; PTX series packet transport routers; wide-area network SDN controllers; and session smart routers. It also provides switching products, including EX series Ethernet switches to address the access, aggregation, and core layer switching requirements of micro branch, branch office, and campus environments; QFX series of core, spine, and top-of-rack data center switches; and juniper access points, which provide Wi-Fi access and performance. In addition, the company offers security products comprising SRX series services gateways for the data center; Branch SRX family provides an integrated and next-generation firewall; virtual firewall that delivers various features of physical firewalls; and advanced malware protection, a cloud-based service and Juniper ATP. Further, it offers Junos OS, a network operating system; Contrail networking, which provides an open-source and standards-based platform for SDN; Mist AI-driven Wired, Wireless, and WAN assurance solutions to set and measure key metrics; Mist AI-driven Marvis Virtual Network Assistant, which identifies the root cause of issues; Juniper Paragon Automation, a modular portfolio of cloud-native software applications; and Juniper Apstra to automate the network lifecycle in a single system. Additionally, the company provides software-as-a-service, technical support, maintenance, and professional services, as well as education and training programs. It sells its products through direct sales, distributors, value-added resellers, and original equipment manufacturers to end-users in the cloud, service provider, and enterprise markets. The company was incorporated in 1996 and is headquartered in Sunnyvale, California.
Schneider Electric S.E. provides energy and automation digital solutions worldwide. It operates through two segments, Energy Management and Industrial Automation. The company offers busway and cable support products, circuit breakers and switches, contactors and protection relays, electrical protection and control products, energy management software solutions, transfer switches, surge protection and power conditioning products, power monitoring and control products, power quality and power factor correction products, pushbuttons, switches, pilot lights and joysticks, software products, and switchboards and enclosures. It also provides access control, building management, fire detection, sensors and room units, valve and valve actuator, and variable and frequency speed drive. In addition, the company offers feeder automation, grid automation and SCADA software products, medium voltage switchgears and transformers, outdoor equipment, substation automation products, and switchgear components. Further, it provides critical power and cooling services, data center software, IT power distribution products, prefabricated data center modules, racks and accessories, and security and environmental monitoring products; home automation and security, installation materials and systems, light switches and electrical sockets, and uninterruptible power supply products; and human machine interface, industrial automation software, industrial communication, measurement and instrumentation, motion control and robotics, signaling units, programmable logic and automation controllers, power supply and protection, process control and safety, RFID systems, signaling devices, and other industrial automation and control products, as well as solar and energy storage. The company was founded in 1836 and is headquartered in Rueil-Malmaison, France.
PulteGroup, Inc., through its subsidiaries, primarily engages in the homebuilding business in the United States. It acquires and develops land primarily for residential purposes; and constructs housing on such land. The company also offers various home designs, including single-family detached, townhomes, condominiums, and duplexes under the Centex, Pulte Homes, Del Webb, DiVosta Homes, American West, and John Wieland Homes and Neighborhoods brand names. As of December 31, 2021, it controlled 228,296 lots, of which 109,078 were owned and 119,218 were under land option agreements. In addition, the company arranges financing through the origination of mortgage loans primarily for homebuyers; sells the servicing rights for the originated loans; and provides title insurance policies, and examination and closing services to homebuyers. PulteGroup, Inc. was formerly known as Pulte Homes, Inc. and changed its name to PulteGroup, Inc. in March 2010. The company was founded in 1950 and is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia.
Telefonica, S.A., together with its subsidiaries, provides telecommunications services in Europe and Latin America. The company's mobile and related services and products comprise mobile voice, value added, mobile data and Internet, wholesale, corporate, roaming, fixed wireless, and trunking and paging services. Its fixed telecommunication services include PSTN lines; ISDN accesses; public telephone services; local, domestic, and international long-distance and fixed-to-mobile communications; corporate communications; supplementary value-added services; video telephony; intelligent network; and telephony information services, as well as leases and sells handset equipment. The company also provides Internet and broadband multimedia services comprising Internet service provider, portal and network, retail and wholesale broadband access, narrowband switched access, high-speed Internet through fibre to the home, and voice over Internet protocol services. In addition, it offers leased line, virtual private network, fibre optics, web hosting and application, outsourcing and consultancy, desktop, and system integration and professional services. Further, the company offers wholesale services for telecommunication operators, including domestic interconnection and international wholesale services; leased lines for other operators; and local loop leasing services, as well as bit stream services, wholesale line rental accesses, and leased ducts for other operators' fiber deployment. Additionally, it provides video/TV services; smart connectivity and services, and consumer IoT products; financial and other payment, security, cloud computing, advertising, big data, and digital telco experience services; virtual assistants; digital home platforms; and Movistar Home devices. It also offers online telemedicine, home insurance, music streaming, and consumer loan services. The company was incorporated in 1924 and is headquartered in Madrid, Spain.
The following companies are subsidiares of Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft: ABFS I Incorporated, ABS MB Ltd., Alex. Brown Financial Services Incorporated, Alex. Brown Investments Incorporated, Alfred Herrhausen Gesellschaft mbH, Ambidexter GmbH i.L., Argent Incorporated, BHW - Gesellschaft fur Wohnungswirtschaft mbH, BHW Bausparkasse Aktiengesellschaft, BHW Holding GmbH, BT Globenet Nominees Limited, Bainpro Nominees Pty Ltd, Baldur Mortgages Limited, Bankers Trust Investments Limited, Bayan Delinquent Loan Recovery 1 (SPV-AMC) Inc., Berkshire Mortgage Finance, Betriebs-Center fur Banken AG, Better Financial Services GmbH, Better Payment Germany GmbH, Borfield Sociedad Anonima, Breaking Wave DB Limited, Cardales UK Limited, Cardea Real Estate S.r.l., Cathay Advisory (Beijing) Co. Ltd., Cathay Asset Management Company Limited, Cathay Capital Company (No 2) Limited, Cedar (Luxembourg) S.a. r.l., Chapel Funding, China Recovery Fund LLC, Consumo Srl in Liquidazione, D B Investments (GB) Limited, D&M Turnaround Partners Godo Kaisha, DB (Barbados) SRL, DB (Malaysia) Nominee (Asing) Sdn. Bhd., DB (Malaysia) Nominee (Tempatan) Sendirian Berhad, DB Alex. Brown Holdings Incorporated, DB Aotearoa Investments Limited, DB Beteiligungs-Holding GmbH, DB Boracay LLC, DB Capital Markets (Deutschland) GmbH, DB Cartera de lnmuebles 1 S.A.U., DB Chestnut Holdings Limited, DB Corporate Advisory (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., DB Delaware Holdings (Europe) Limited, DB Direkt GmbH, DB Elara LLC, DB Energy Trading LLC, DB Equipment Leasing Inc., DB Equity Limited, DB Finance (Delaware) LLC, DB Global Technology Inc., DB Global Technology SRL, DB Group Services (UK) Limited, DB HR Solutions GmbH, DB Holdings (New York) Inc., DB IROC Leasing Corp., DB Impact Investment Fund I. LP., DB Industrial Holdings Beteiligungs GmbH & Co. KG, DB Industrial Holdings GmbH, DB Intermezzo LLC, DB International (Asia) Limited, DB International Investments Limited, DB International Trust (Singapore) Limited, DB Investment Managers Inc., DB Investment Partners Inc., DB Investment Partners Limited, DB Investment Resources (US) Corporation, DB Investment Resources Holdings Corp., DB Investment Services GmbH, DB London (Investor Services) Nominees Limited, DB Management Support GmbH, DB Nominees (Hong Kong) Limited, DB Nominees (Jersey) Limited, DB Nominees (Singapore) Pte Ltd, DB Omega BTV S.C.S., DB Omega Holdings LLC, DB Omega Ltd., DB Omega S.C.S., DB Operaciones y Servicios lnteractivos Agrupacicm de lnteres Econemico, DB Overseas Finance Delaware Inc., DB Overseas Holdings Limited, DB Print GmbH, DB Private Clients Corp., DB Private Wealth Mortgage Ltd., DB Re S.A., DB Service Centre Limited, DB Service Uruguay S.A., DB Services (Jersey) Limited, DB Services Americas. Inc., DB Servizi Amministrativi S.r.l., DB Strategic Advisors Inc., DB Structured Derivative Products LLC, DB Structured Products Inc., DB Trustee Services Limited, DB Trustees (Hong Kong) Limited, DB UK Bank Limited, DB UK Holdings Limited, DB UK PCAM Holdings Limited, DB US Financial Markets Holding Corporation, DB USA Core Corporation, DB USA Corporation, DB Valoren S.a. r.l., DB Value S.a.r.l., DB VersicherungsManager GmbH, DB Vita SA., DB lmmobilienfonds 5 Wieland KG i.L., DB lo LP, DBAH Capital. LLC, DBCIBZ1, DBFIC Inc., DBNZ Overseas Investments (No.1) Limited, DBOI Global Services (UK) Limited, DBR Investments Co. Limited, DBRE Global Real Estate Management 18 Ltd., DBRMS4, DBRMSGP1, DBUK PCAM Limited, DBUSBZ1 LLC, DBUSBZ2 S.a. r.l., DBX Advisers LLC, DEBEKO lmmobilien GmbH & Co Grundbesitz OHG, DEE Deutsche Erneuerbare Energien GmbH, DEUKONA Versicherungs-Vermittlungs-GmbH, DEUTSCHE BANK AS., DI Deutsche lmmobilien Treuhandgesellschaft mbH, DISCA Beteiligungsgesellschaft mbH, DWS Alternatives France, DWS Alternatives Global Limited, DWS Alternatives GmbH, DWS Asset Management (Korea) Company Limited, DWS Beteiligungs GmbH, DWS CH AG, DWS Distributors Inc., DWS Far Eastern Investments Limited, DWS Group GmbH & Co. KGaA, DWS Group Services UK Limited, DWS Grundbesitz GmbH, DWS International GmbH, DWS Investment GmbH, DWS Investment Management Americas Inc., DWS Investment S.A., DWS Investments Australia Limited, DWS Investments Hong Kong Limited, DWS Investments Japan Limited, DWS Investments Shanghai Limited, DWS Investments Singapore Limited, DWS Investments UK Limited, DWS Management GmbH, DWS Real Estate GmbH, DWS Service Company, DWS Shanghai Private Equity Fund Management Limited, DWS Trust Company, DWS USA Corporation, Deposit Solutions, Deutsche (Aotearoa) Capital Holdings New Zealand, Deutsche (Aotearoa) Foreign Investments New Zealand, Deutsche (New Munster) Holdings New Zealand Limited, Deutsche Access Investments Limited, Deutsche Aeolia Power Production Societe Anonyme, Deutsche Alternative Asset Management (UK) Limited, Deutsche Asia Pacific Holdings Pte Ltd, Deutsche Asset Management (India) Private Limited, Deutsche Australia Limited, Deutsche Bank (Cayman) Limited, Deutsche Bank (China) Co. Ltd., Deutsche Bank (Malaysia) Berhad, Deutsche Bank (Suisse) SA, Deutsche Bank (Uruguay) Sociedad Anenima lnstitucien Financiera Externa, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft, Deutsche Bank Americas Holding Corp., Deutsche Bank Europe GmbH, Deutsche Bank Financial Company, Deutsche Bank Holdings Inc., Deutsche Bank Insurance Agency Incorporated, Deutsche Bank Luxembourg S.A., Deutsche Bank Mutui S.p.A., Deutsche Bank Mexico. S.A., Deutsche Bank National Trust Company, Deutsche Bank Polska Spelka Akcyjna, Deutsche Bank Representative Office Nigeria Limited, Deutsche Bank S.A, Deutsche Bank Securities Inc., Deutsche Bank Securities Limited, Deutsche Bank Societe per Azioni, Deutsche Bank Trust Company Americas, Deutsche Bank Trust Company Delaware, Deutsche Bank Trust Company National Association, Deutsche Bank Trust Corporation, Deutsche Bank. Sociedad Anenima Espanola, Deutsche CIB Centre Private Limited, Deutsche Capital Finance (2000) Limited, Deutsche Capital Hong Kong Limited, Deutsche Capital Markets Australia Limited, Deutsche Capital Partners China Limited, Deutsche Cayman Ltd., Deutsche Custody N.V., Deutsche Domus New Zealand Limited, Deutsche Equities India Private Limited, Deutsche Finance No. 2 Limited, Deutsche Foras New Zealand Limited, Deutsche Gesellschaft fur lmmobilien-Leasing mit beschrenkter Haftung, Deutsche Global Markets Limited, Deutsche Group Holdings (SA) Proprietary Limited, Deutsche Group Services Pty Limited, Deutsche Grundbesitz Beteiligungsgesellschaft mbH i.L., Deutsche Grundbesitz-Anlagegesellschaft mit beschrankter Haftung, Deutsche Holdings (BTI) Limited, Deutsche Holdings (Grand Duchy), Deutsche Holdings (Luxembourg) S.El r.l., Deutsche Holdings Limited, Deutsche Holdings No. 2 Limited, Deutsche Holdings No. 3 Limited, Deutsche Holdings No. 4 Limited, Deutsche India Holdings Private Limited, Deutsche India Private Limited, Deutsche International Corporate Services (Ireland) Limited, Deutsche International Corporate Services Limited, Deutsche International Custodial Services Limited, Deutsche Investments (Netherlands) N.V., Deutsche Investments India Private Limited, Deutsche Investor Services Private Limited, Deutsche Knowledge Services Pte. Ltd., Deutsche Leasing New York Corp., Deutsche Mexico Holdings S.a. r.|., Deutsche Morgan Grenfell Group Limited, Deutsche Mortgage & Asset Receiving Corporation, Deutsche Nederland N.V., Deutsche New Zealand Limited, Deutsche Nominees Limited, Deutsche Oppenheim Family Office AG, Deutsche Overseas Issuance New Zealand Limited, Deutsche Postbank, Deutsche Postbank Finance Center Objekt GmbH, Deutsche Private Asset Management Limited, Deutsche Securities (India) Private Limited, Deutsche Securities (Proprietary) Limited, Deutsche Securities (SA) (Proprietary) Limited, Deutsche Securities Asia Limited, Deutsche Securities Australia Limited, Deutsche Securities Inc., Deutsche Securities Israel Ltd., Deutsche Securities Korea Co., Deutsche Securities Mauritius Limited, Deutsche Securities SA. de C.V.. Casla de Bolsa, Deutsche Securities Saudi Arabia, Deutsche Services (Cl) Limited, Deutsche Services Polska Sp. z o.o., Deutsche StiftungsTrust GmbH, Deutsche Strategic Investment Holdings Yugen Kaisha, Deutsche Trustee Company Limited, Deutsche Trustee Services (India) Private Limited, Deutsche Trustees Malaysia Berhad, Deutsche Wealth Management S.G.I.I.C. SA., Deutsche lmmobilien Leasing GmbH, Deutsches lnstitut fur Altersvorsorge GmbH, Durian (Luxembourg) S.a. r.l., EC EUROPA IMMOBILIEN FONDS NR. 3 GmbH & CO. KG i.l., Elizabethan Holdings Limited, Elizabethan Management Limited, European Value Added I (Alternate GP.) LLP, Fiduciaria Sant Andrea S.r.l., Finanzberatungsgesellschaft mbH der Deutschen Bank, Funfte SAB Treuhand und Verwaltung GmbH & Co. Suhl "Rimbachzentrum" KG, G Finance Holding Corp., German American Capital Corporation, Grundstucksgesellschaft Frankfurt Bockenheimer LandstraBe GbR, Grundstucksgesellschaft Miesbaden LuisenstraBe/Kirchgasse GbR, Hollandsche Bank-Unie, ISTRON Beteiligungs- und Verwaltungs-GmbH, IVAF l Manager S.a.r.l., Immobilienfonds Buro-Center Erfurt am Flughafen Bindersleben I GbR, J R Nominees (Pty) Ltd, Joint Stock Company Deutsche Bank DBU, Jyogashima Godo Kaisha, KEBA Gesellschaft fur interne Services mbH, Kidson Pte Ltd, Konsul lnkasso GmbH, LA Water Holdings Limited, LAWL Pte. Ltd., Leasing Verwaltungsgesellschaft Waltersdorf mbH, Leonardo lll Initial GP Limited, MEF I Manager. S. a r.|., MIT Holdings Inc., Maher Terminals Holdings (Toronto) Limited, Morgan Grenfell & Company, MortgageIT, MortgagelT Inc., MortgagelT Securities Corp., OOO "Deutsche Bank TechCentIe", OOO "Deutsche Bank", OPB Verwaltungs- und Treuhand GmbH, OPB-Oktava GmbH, OPB-Quarta GmbH, OPPENHEIM Capital Advisory GmbH, OPPENHEIM PRIVATE EQUITY Manager GmbH, OPPENHEIM PRIVATE EQUITY Verwaltungsgesellschaft mbH, PADUS Grundstcks-VermietungsgeseIlschaft mbH, PB Factoring GmbH, PB Spezial-lnvestmentaktiengesellschatt mit Teilgesellschaftsvermogen, PCC Services GmbH der Deutschen Bank, PT Deutsche Sekuritas Indonesia, Pan Australian Nominees Pty Ltd, Plantation Bay. Inc., Postbank Akademie und Service GmbH, Postbank Beteiligungen GmbH, Postbank Direkt GmbH, Postbank Filialvertrieb AG, Postbank Finanzberatung AG, Postbank Leasing GmbH, Postbank lmmobilien GmbH, Quantiguous, R.B.M. Nominees Pty Ltd, RREEF, RREEF America LLC., RREEF China REIT Management Limited, RREEF European Value Added I (G.P.) Limited, RREEF Fund Holding Co., RREEF India Advisers Private Limited, RREEF Management LLC., RoPro U.S. Holding Inc., Route 28 Receivables. LLC, SAB Real Estate Verwaltungs GmbH, SAGITA Grundstucks-Vermielungsgesellschaft mbH, SAPIO Grundstucks-Vermietungsgesellschaft mbH, Sal. Oppenheim, Sal. Oppenheim jr. & Cie. Beteiligungs GmbH, Sharps SP l LLC, Stelvio lmmobiliare S.r.l., Suddeutsche Vermeigensvewvaitung Gesellschaft mit beschrenkter Haftung, TELO Beleiligungsgesellschaft mbH, Tempurrite Leasing Limited, Thai Asset Enforcement and Recovery Asset Management Company Limited, Treuinvest Service GmbH, Triplereason Umited, VOB-ZVD Processing GmbH, WEPLA Beteiligungsgesellschaft mbH, Wealthspur Investment Ltd., World Trading (Delaware) Inc., lmmobilienfonds BuroCenter Erfurt am Flughafen Bindersleben II GbR, lmmobilienfonds Wohn- und Gescheftshaus Koln-Blumenberg V GbR, and norisbank GmbH.

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Knoll, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, designs, manufactures, markets, and sells commercial and residential furniture, accessories, and coverings for the workplace and residential markets in the United States, Canada, Europe, and internationally. The company operates through Office and Lifestyle segments. It provides systems furniture, including integrated panels or table desks, work surfaces and storage units, power and data systems, and lighting products; office seating products comprising various work chairs; and files and storage products, such as lateral files, mobile pedestals and other storage units, bookcases, and overhead cabinets. The company also offers adjustable tables, as well as meeting, conference, training, dining, and stand-alone and table desks; conference furniture product platforms; height desks, tables, and ergonomic seating and accessories principally for individual home offices and small businesses; technology support accessories, desktop organizational tools, and lighting and storage products; seating and lounge furniture, as well as side, cafA, and dining chairs; conference, training, dining, and occasional tables; and lighting, rugs, textiles, fabrics, felt, leather, upholstery, drapery, and related architectural products. It serves Fortune 1000 companies, governmental agencies, and other medium-to-large sized organizations in various industries, including financial, legal, technology, entertainment, accounting, education, healthcare, and hospitality through its direct sales force and showrooms, distribution partners, and independent dealers and retailers, as well as online. The company was founded in 1938 and is headquartered in East Greenville, Pennsylvania.
(Updates with status of Seaway Twin)

Oct 24 (Reuters) - A leak late on Sunday prompted Enterprise Products Partners to shut its Seaway Crude Pipeline system, the largest conduit for moving oil from the major storage hub in Cushing, Oklahoma to Gulf coast refineries.

News of the leak dragged U.S. crude prices lower on Monday on worries that shutting down the 850,000 barrel-per-day (bpd) Seaway system would bottle up barrels in storage in Cushing, the delivery point for the benchmark West Texas Intermediate (WTI) futures contract.

U.S. crude futures slipped 1.3 percent in afternoon trading, while international benchmark Brent crude futures fell about 1.2 percent.

Enterprise said on Monday it had shut down the 400,000-bpd pipeline, which it calls its legacy line, but did not provide an estimate of the volume spilled. The total amount released would not be determined until recovery efforts were complete, the company said.

The company on Monday afternoon said it had restarted its 450,000 bpd Seaway Twin, which was shut as a precaution.

Most of the oil released was contained in a retention pond at a facility belonging to Enbridge Inc, a joint owner of the Seaway Crude Pipeline Company with Enterprise.

Enterprise said there was no threat to the public and no evacuations were ordered following the spill, located near the intersection of Linwood Avenue and Texaco Road in Cushing.

The company was working with emergency responders and law enforcement to address the situation.

A spokeswoman from the U.S. Department of Transportation Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) said the organization was aware of the spill and officials were despatched to take corrective measures and relief.

The spill comes at a time of concern and debate by environmental activists and energy firms over the issues of pipeline safety and security.

Climate-change activists earlier this month disrupted the flow of millions of barrels of crude from Canada to the United States, in support of a Native American tribe protesting the construction of the controversial Dakota Access crude oil pipeline.

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The Standing Rock Sioux Tribe has protested the construction of the $3.7 billion Dakota Access pipeline that will carry oil from North Dakota to the U.S. Gulf Coast, over fears of potential damage to sacred land and water supplies.

The news pushed the discount between front-month U.S. crude futures and the second-month to 69 cents, the widest in nearly two months. The prompt crude spread (CLc1-CLc2), often correlates to the supply-demand balance in Cushing.

(Reporting by Devika Krishna Kumar in New York and Liz Hampton in Houston; Additional reporting by Arpan Varghese and Karen Rodrigues in Bengaluru; Editing by Simon Webb, Bernadette Baum and David Gregorio)
Suncor Energy Inc. operates as an integrated energy company. The company primarily focuses on developing petroleum resource basins in Canada's Athabasca oil sands; explores, acquires, develops, produces, transports, refines, and markets crude oil in Canada and internationally; markets petroleum and petrochemical products under the Petro-Canada name primarily in Canada. It operates through Oil Sands; Exploration and Production; Refining and Marketing; and Corporate and Eliminations segments. The Oil Sands segment recovers bitumen from mining and in situ operations, and upgrades it into refinery feedstock and diesel fuel, or blends the bitumen with diluent for direct sale to market. The Exploration and Production segment is involved in offshore operations off the east coast of Canada and in the North Sea; and operating onshore assets in Libya and Syria. The Refining and Marketing segment refines crude oil and intermediate feedstock into various petroleum and petrochemical products; and markets refined petroleum products to retail, commercial, and industrial customers through its other retail sellers. The Corporate and Eliminations segment operates four wind farms in Ontario and Western Canada. The company also markets and trades in crude oil, natural gas, byproducts, refined products, and power. The company was formerly known as Suncor Inc. and changed its name to Suncor Energy Inc. in April 1997. Suncor Energy Inc. was founded in 1917 and is headquartered in Calgary, Canada.
Coeur Mining, Inc. explores for precious metals in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. The company primarily explores for gold, silver, zinc, and lead properties. It holds 100% interests in the Palmarejo gold and silver mine covering an area of approximately 67,296 net acres located in the State of Chihuahua in Northern Mexico; the Rochester silver and gold mine that covers an area of approximately 43,441net acres situated in northwestern Nevada; the Kensington gold mine comprising 3,972 net acres located to the north of Juneau, Alaska; the Wharf gold mine covering an area of approximately 3,243 net acres situated in the northern Black Hills of western South Dakota; and the Silvertip silver-zinc-lead mine comprising 97,298 net acres located in northern British Columbia, Canada. In addition, the company owns interests in the Crown and Sterling projects located in southern Nevada; and the La Preciosa project located in Mexico. Further, it markets and sells its concentrates to third-party customers, smelters, under off-take agreements. The company was formerly known as Coeur d'Alene Mines Corporation and changed its name to Coeur Mining, Inc. in May 2013.Coeur Mining, Inc. was incorporated in 1928 and is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois.
A. O. Smith Corporation manufactures and markets residential and commercial gas, heat pump and electric water heaters, boilers, tanks, and water treatment products in North America, China, Europe, and India. It operates through two segments, North America and Rest of World. The company offers water heaters for residences, restaurants, hotels and motels, office buildings, laundries, car washes, and small businesses; commercial boilers for hospitals, schools, hotels, and other large commercial buildings, as well as residential boilers for homes, apartments, and condominiums; and water treatment products comprising point-of-entry water softeners, well water solutions, and whole-home water filtration products, on-the-go filtration bottles, point-of-use carbon, and reverse osmosis products for residences, restaurants, hotels, and offices. It also provides food and beverage filtration products; expansion tanks, commercial solar water heating systems, swimming pool and spa heaters, and related products and parts; and heat pumps, electric wall-hung, gas tankless, combi-boiler, heat pump and solar water heaters. The company offers its products primarily under the A. O. Smith, State, Lochinvar, and water softener brands. It distributes its products through independent wholesale plumbing distributors, as well as through retail channels consisting of hardware and home center chains, and manufacturer representative firms; and offers Aquasana branded products directly to consumers through e-commerce, as well as other online retailers. A. O. Smith Corporation was founded in 1874 and is headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.




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Implementing the transition to clean energy

24 October 2016

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The Paris Climate Change Agreement and the falling costs of renewables have made the transition to clean energy systems unstoppable, keynote speakers told Singapore International Energy Week today. The only thing that remains is to implement it, they said.

SIEW is an annual event that brings experts from every form of energy to Singapore, itself known as an oil and finance hub and an example of rapid development and urbanisation.

Opening the conference was Rachel Kyte, CEO and Special Representative of the UN Secretary General for the organisation Sustainable Energy for All. She said the Paris Agreement "must ease us into a mid-century economy with near zero emissions that must provide for everyone. This transition must be a just transition." She added: "We need an updated mental map of how to get there from here."

While the mood was positive, the global goals for energy remain daunting: 1.1 billion people do not have useful access to electricity, and these are represented strongly among the 6.5 million each year who die from air pollution caused by fossil fuels and the use of wood and dung in domestic settings. There is also the rising content of CO2 in the atmosphere, which is on track to affect dangerously the global climate.

Kyte said a mix of both grid and distributed approaches is most effective at connecting the unconnected.

David Gray, chairman of the UK Gas & Electricity Markets Authority, said: "Paris targets, combined with each country's own targets on security provide a framework for thinking."

The same concept was echoed by other speakers. Ditlev Engel of DNV-GL Energy said the conversation in the energy world was "moving from 'where are we going' to 'how do we get there' and which tools you apply to which problems.

Sakari Oksanen, deputy director general of the International Renewable Energy Agency, said the clean and renewable options "need to be the base case for planning", adding, "If you cannot achieve that then perhaps you look at the other options, which are the fossil fuels."

Renewables were seen as the primary tool for achieving a carbon neutral energy system, but Fatih Birol, executive director of the International Energy Agency, said "there are other technologies we need to make use of."

Birol added: "For me, the number one is improving energy efficiency. All countries have different resources, but they can all take action on energy efficiency. And in some countries nuclear power, which can generate without creating emission problems," will be part of the solution. "We don't have the luxury to pick just one technology," he said. "At the same time, we have to accelerate innovation because the current technologies will not be enough."

That was the first mention of nuclear power, and it drew a negative reaction from moderator Sri Jegarajah, a CNBC journalist, who countered that some countries in Asia have downgraded nuclear plans and public opinion is a major challenge to the industry in Japan. "Is there a future for nuclear power?" he asked.

Birol responded, "When you look at the year 2015 you may be surprised because it was a golden year for nuclear - ten new reactors, the highest in almost three decades."

The performance of the industry was also underlined by Agneta Rising, director general of the World Nuclear Association, who pointed out in a later session that nuclear power is the largest source of clean energy in Europe, the largest in the USA and overall the second largest in the world.

Simon Bridges, New Zealand minister of energy and resources, pointed to the $500 billion of inefficient fossil fuel subsidies identified by the IEA, which Birol had said he considers to be virtually the opposite of efficiency because they actually encourage waste.

Engel said: "The toolbox for implementation is there, it is not about waiting to see about new technology, it is about doing it now."

Researched and written

by World Nuclear News

Related topics
Minimum wage is the lowest amount that the law requires an employer to pay a worker per hour. In the United States, the federal minimum wage is $7.25 an hour. Even though the United States has set the federal law, it allows individual states and localities to pass their own wage laws. As long as this wage is set at higher than $7.25 an hour, a state can have a say in what their minimum wage is. Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, and Tennessee have no official minimum wage, so must adopt the federal minimum wage.

Purpose of a Minimum Wage

Setting a minimum wage raises earnings and reduces poverty. It ensures that firms have the responsibility to ensure that their workers earn enough for sustenance. It also protects the taxpayers from exploitation by companies who may want to get the most benefits at the cost of their employers. Not only does minimum wage protect the employee, but it also reduces the burden of the welfare payments on the federal. Determining a minimum wage causes a stimulus to the economy. Such stimulus benefits the economy and increases the sales of the businesses which in turn boost profitability.

Four factors determine the setting of a minimum wage: the needs of workers and their families, the capacity to pay, comparable wages income, and requirements for economic and social development. There is a high elasticity for low-skilled workers which mean that a small change in price causes a greater impact on its demand.

History of Minimum Wage Legislation in the US

In 1938, President Roosevelt passed the first federal minimum wage in the US, set at 25 cents per hour, an equivalent of about 4 dollars per hour in contemporary rates. It was part of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) which also covers aspects like youth employment overtime pay and record keeping. Although the US passed its first law in 1938, some individual states like Massachusetts already had their legislation in place.

US States with the Highest Minimum Wage

There are 29 states with the minimum wage set higher than the federal standard. In Oregon, Senate Bill 1532 increased the minimum wage in the Portland metro area to $12.00, the highest minimum wage of the 50 states. However, the same bill set the minimum wage in Oregon to $10.50 in rural counties and $10.75 in non-rural counties. Aside from Oregon, the states with the highest minimum wages are Washington ($11.50), California ($11.00), Massachusetts ($11.00), Arizona ($10.50), and Vermont ($10.50). The minimum wage in Oregon across the Portland metro area ($12.00), non-rural counties ($10.75), and rural counties ($10.50) places Oregon within the top 6 states for the highest minimum wage across the United States.

It is important to note that individual counties and cities have set their own minimum wage laws, some significantly higher than the state minimum wages. For example, as of October 2017, the minimum wage in Prince George's County, Maryland is set to $11.50 per hour, $1.40 higher than Maryland's state minimum wage of $10.10 per hour.

US States with the Lowest Minimum Wage

Fourteen states have their minimum wage set to the federal standard of $7.25 per hours. These are Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, New Hampshire, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Texas, Utah, Virginia, and Wisconsin. There are two states with the minimum wage set lower than the federal minimum wage. The states of Wyoming and Georgia have set their minimum wages at $5.15 per hour. The federal wage laws have rendered the minimum wage laws in Georgia and Wyoming obsolete.

Effects of Minimum Wage

Proponents of the minimum wage believe that it has benefits such as increasing standards of living, minimizing poverty levels, boosting morale, reducing poverty, and reducing the inequalities in the allocation of wage rates. In essence, the minimum wage is set to prevent the exploitation of workers by their employers. The minimum wage helps to regulate economic vices such as the high crime rates. Studies show that an increase in minimum wage decreases the crime rates in a state. It also helps in economic growth due to the increase in wages which translates to increased spending and savings/investment. On the other hand, opponents of minimum wage say it increases unemployment and poverty. It also damages businesses since it increases the salary and wages expenses thereby heightening prices of goods and services.
Many elections from around the world have been characterized by cases of rigging and fraud. Vote rigging is the process of interfering with the elections either to win as a candidate or to make an opponent lose. Rigging involves increasing the vote share of the preferred candidate or reducing the votes of the opponent. Countries have different laws governing the election process and violation or contravening such laws usually amount to rigging or electoral fraud. From Nazi Germany to 21st Century Sub-Saharan Africa, these are some of the most corrupt election of the past 90 years.

10. Fire Degree and Enabling Act, Germany, 1933

Adolf Hitler convinced the German President Paul von Hindenburg that the parliament needed to be dissolved on his first day as the Chancellor of Germany. The construction was amended to give Hitler and his cabinet the powers to enact laws without involving the Reichstag. The enabling act also gave Hitler the plenary powers and abolished most civil liberties. The enabling act was enacted by the Reichstag where non-Nazi members were threatened thereby voting for the act against their wishes. Only some of the Social Democrats voted against the act because they were kept away.

9. Romanian General Elections of 1946

The Romanian General Elections of 1946 were held on 19th November with the official result giving victory to the Romanian Communist Party (PCR) and its allies inside the BPD.The BPD also won the majority of seats in the parliament (348). However, political commentators accused the BPD of winning through intimidation tactics and electoral malpractices. Many researchers claimed that the party won with 48% and not 80% as it claimed and it did not meet the requirement to form the government. The 1946 election was compared to other flawed elections held at the close of World War II in the countries which made up the Eastern Bloc. The British government also refused to recognize the results.

8. Philippine General Elections Under Ferdinand Marcos, 1965-1986

Ferdinand Marcos was a Filipino politician who ruled the country from 1965 to 1986. He ruled as a dictator with his government characterized with incidences of corruption and brutality. He placed the country under martial law in 1972, silenced the media, and used violence against those in the opposition. In 1965, Marcos won the election to become the 10th president of the Philippines. In 1969 he again won the election marking the beginning of his dictatorship. In 1978, the first formal election was held since 1969. However, the Lakas ng Bayan did not win any seat despite the public support and an apparent victory. The opposition then boycotted the 1981 presidential election which Marcos won with over 16 million vote margins. In 1986 elections, the country united behind Corazon Aquino who headed the United Nationalist Democratic Organization. The Commission on Election declared Marcos the winner despite Aquino winning with over 700,000 votes. Aquino, her supporters, and the international observers rejected the result leading to a revolution that forced Marcos into exile in 1986.

7. UK General Elections, Birmingham and Hackney, 2001 and 2005

The UKs General election was held on June 7, 2001, to elect the members of the house of common. The Labour Party was re-elected with a landslide result only suffering a net loss of five seats. The election was basically a duplicate of the 1997 elections when Labour Party only lost six seats. The party was popular due to the strong economy and a fall in unemployment. The elections were marked by a low voter turnout for the first time falling below 60%. During Sharron Storers election, one of the Birminghams residents criticized Prime Minister Tony Blair in front of the media on the conditions of the National Health Services. The incident which happened on May 16, 2001, during Blairs visit to Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham was widely televised because no extra bed could be found for Sharrons partner at the hospital.

6. Municipal and EU Elections, Birmingham, UK, 2004

Municipal and EU Elections was held on July 15, 2004. The by-election was called after the resignation of Terry Davis after his appointment as the Secretary General of the Council of Europe. The area had been dominated by the Labor Party and it was no surprise when Liam Byrne, who was contesting on a Labor Party, won the seat. However, the seat became marginalized because it was won by vastly reduced majority. The by-election was fiercely contested by both the Labor and the Liberal Democrat with both accusing each other of the dirty politics and tricks.

5. Serbian General Elections of 1996 and 2000

The Serbian general election was held on the November 3 and 16, 1996. The election was contested by parties both in the Serbia and Montenegro with the coalition of the Socialist Party of Serbia and its partners emerging the largest block in the Federal Parliament. The opposition held several protests across the county in response to the electoral fraud attempted by President Slobodan Milosevic. The 2000 election was held on September 24, 2000, and was the countrys first free election since 1992. The initial results showed that the Democratic Opposition candidate, Vojislav Kostunica, led the incumbent Slobodan Milosevic but was short of the 50.01% needed to avoid the run-off election. However, Vojislav insisted that he was not only top but had also surpassed the threshold. Spontaneous violence broke up in support of Vojislav forcing Milosevic to resign on October 7, 2000, conceding defeat. The votes were later revised proving Vojislav claims as true.

4. Ugandan General Election of 2006

The Ugandas first multi-party election was held on February 23, 2006. The incumbent president, Yoweri Museveni, ran for a re-election on a National Resistance Movement (NRM) with his main opponent, Kizza Besigye running on Forum for Democratic Change (FDC). With four months to elections, Besigye was arrested on an allegation of treason. The arrest led to violence and riot across Uganda. Museveni won the election with 59% of the votes while Besigye garnered 37%. NRM, Musevenis party, also won the majority of seats in the parliamentary elections. The opposition led by Besigye protested the results in Kampala with the Supreme Court rejecting the request to reject the poll despite the majority of the bench admitting that there had been electoral irregularities. The election was characterized by controversies with the government accused of intimidating the opposition leaders are their supporters including arrests and detention.

3. Kenyan General Election of 2007

Kenyas general election was held on December 27, 2007, to elect the president, Members of Parliament, and Local Council. The presidential election was a race between the Kibaki and the leader of opposition Raila Odinga. The election was marked by ethnic hostility with Kibaki leading the dominant Kikuyu while Raila created a wider base by bringing together five major tribes. Despite the opinion polls indicating that Raila had a significant support across the country, Kibaki was declared the winner with 46% of the votes while Raila garnered 44%. However, Odingas party won the majority of seats in the national assembly. Odinga and his supporters disputed the results considering that Odinga had gained the majority of votes in six out of the eight provinces. Also, some Kibakis support base had recorded over 100% voters turnout. Kibaki was hurriedly sworn in on December 30, 2007. Violence broke out immediately the results were announced generating into ethnic clashes. The violence left over 1300 people dead and 600,000 displaced. Raila and Kibaki would later form a coalition government with Odinga as the prime minister.

2. Romanian Presidential Election of 2014

The Romanian Presidential Election of 2014 was held in two rounds. In the first round held on November 2, 2014, two candidates out of the 14 qualified for a run-off because none of the candidates obtained more than 50% of the votes; Victor Ponta of Social Democratic Party, and Klaus Iohannis of National Liberal Party (PNL). A second round was scheduled for November 16, 2014, with the constitutional court confirming the election results and validating the election of Klaus Iohannis as the president. The election was marked by protests with voters abroad expressing dissatisfaction with the voting process and demanded that the voting is extended past 9 pm. The final result was seen as a surprise because Ponta was the clear favorite before the second round. The election was also characterized by allegations electoral bribe with the distribution of food to more than 6.5 million people during campaigns. Victor Pontas deputy was also accused of illegally persuading voters in Moldova to vote for Ponta. The voting was also characterized by Diaspora voters staging protest around polling stations in Paris, London, New York, and Madrid.

1. Turkish General Election of 2015

The 24th Turkish general election was held on June 7, 2015, with the four major political parties emerging with varied result. The then ruling party, Justice and Development Party (AKP) lost the parliamentary majority garnering only 40.9% of the votes. Other parties which participated in the election included Republican Peoples Party (CHP), the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), and the Peoples Democratic Party (HDP). However, controversies overshadowed the election before, during, and after the results were declared. During campaigns, the president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, was accused of planning to commit an election fraud and several irregularities. The irregularities included the use of state resources by AKP, incorrect voter data, media biased, and intimidation. These accusations led to political violence and vandalism especially of candidates properties. The Supreme Electoral Council was also accused of printing excess ballot papers further generating controversies. The voting process was marked by numerous misconducts. On June 3, 2015, the Volunteer Election Monitoring Group and other election monitoring groups claimed that the parties had recorded extra votes leading to politically motivated violence through the country. The election result produced the countrys first hung parliament with AKP garnering 40.9%, the CHP 25%, the MHP 16.3%, and HDP 13.1%. Talks to form a coalition government broke down several times with the AKP favoring an early election which was finally held on November 1, 2015.
Calls to Increase Road Safety on A483/A5 Accident Hotspot

This article is old - Published: Monday, Oct 24th, 2016

Calls have been made to tackle road safety problems on the A5/A483 accident hotspot.

The request was made by Clwyd South MP Susan Elan Jones who last week called on the Secretary of State for Wales Alun Cairns MP to prioritise solving road safety problems on the A5/A483 road.

The particular stretch of road between Ruabon and Chirk has seen a number of serious accidents in recent years, with residents and social media users often calling for Wrexham Council and the government to implement measures to improve motorist safety.

Traffic and congestion issues are also a regular occurrence on the stretch of road, with motorists regularly facing delays both in and out of peak times.

Speaking in the House of Commons, the Clwyd South MP asked the Secretary of State to focus on the stretch of road between Oswestry going right up to Wrexham and especially the road safety problems near Chirk.

Responding Mr Cairns said: It is something which has crossed discussions over the North Wales growth deal and underlines the interconnectivity of that region in particular with Manchester, Merseyside and North Wales.

We are working closely with Welsh Government on their infrastructure plans and the national infrastructure plans for the whole of the United Kingdom  it is important they dovetail appropriately.

Speaking afterwards, Susan Elan Jones MP said: Thereve been a shocking number of serious collisions at and near the Halton roundabout. But the real road safety problems will not be solved unless authorities on both sides of the border work together.

In the short term, we need to see a strict no overtaking rule enforced, but longer term, we need major changes to manage traffic on that stretch of road.
Operation Bang! Half Term Activities For Children

This article is old - Published: Monday, Oct 24th, 2016

With Halloween and Bonfire Night just days away, North Wales Police and North Wales Fire and Rescue Service are once again promoting their BANG campaign to promote safe celebrations.

The Operation BANG (Be a Nice Guy) campaign has run alongside Community Safety Partnerships and local councils across North Wales for several years and features events aimed at young people in order to promote safety.

The events will be held and organised by local Policing teams and partners, all funded by the Arson Reduction Team, North Wales Fire and Rescue and North Wales Police in partnership with the Police and Community Trust.

As part of Operation BANG, School Community Police Officers throughout North Wales have been talking with young people in schools and youth clubs about how their behaviour can affect others. They have also been reminding them to keep themselves safe if they go out trick or treating.

Speaking about Operation BANG, Superintendent Jane Banham, Community Safety Team at North Wales Police, said, Here at North Wales Police we are working closely with communities to ensure that people feel safe and supported at this time of year.

Whilst the majority of people enjoy this time of year sensibly, there is a minority who are intent on causing problems and use Halloween and Bonfire Night as an excuse to commit crime and act in an anti-social way.

By working with our partners and other agencies we hope to tackle these issues and make this time of year safe and enjoyable for all.

She added:Our PCSOs in each district have been organising events for local communities in order to educate people about fire safety in regards to Bonfire Night and the consequences of antisocial behaviour.

We would also encourage residents to attend organised firework displays, which will be well publicised in the local press prior to November 5.

In Wrexham there are number of Operation BANG events taking place across half term, full details of which can be viewed below:

Rhosddu: Scare Schoooooooool  Prices Lane Community Centre on Wednesday 26 October 4pm till 7pm. Come along and join in on the fun and games.

Acton: Litter Pick Acton Park Thursday 27 October 2pm till 5pm  Giving back to the community, it wont all be hard work, expect some fun and treats whilst there.

Offa: Consequences sessions and sign up in the local youth clubs Hightown, Belle Vue and

Maesgwyn, the Youth clubs run from 7:30pm in their respective venues.

Community litter pick followed by a childrens disco at Brynteg Memorial Hall on October 28th, starting at 1pm.

: Giving Back to the community, Sunday 30 October 1pm till 3pm, Court Road Playing fields, AKA the Brickie, there will be fun and treats for those who attend.

Various activities at Acton Community Centre including a litter pick and leaflet drop, intergenerational bingo and trip to Llandegla Laser Quest as a reward for the kids involved.

Caia Park Youth Clubs will be holding a graffiti workshop with a graffiti artist leading the session as well as an Im a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here spin off called Im a Kid Get Me Out of Here.

Community clean up followed by a Halloween party at Plas Pentwyn, Coedpoeth starting at 4pm on Saturday October 29th.

Litter picks around Bradley Skate Park and Alyn Waters on various evenings between October 24 and the 3.

Litter pick followed by a trip to Alton Towers for youths at Ruabon Youth Club.
Republican groups are focused on getting enough votes to control Congress

Outside Republican groups are essentially acknowledging that Donald Trump will not win the 2016 election.

As the GOP candidate slides further down in polls, key Republican groups are setting Trump aside and focusing on getting enough votes to control Congress by urging voters to elect them as a counterbalance to Hillary Clinton.

An ABC News poll on Sunday showed Hillary Clinton leading Trump by double digits, a high for the Democratic nominee and the lowest support point for the Republican, who is drawing only 38% of the vote.

The New York Times reports that outside groups linked with the GOP, including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the Senate Leadership Fund, have now begun airing commercials in Senate races urging voters to select Republican lawmakers who can work against Clinton, implying she will win.

The Congressional Leadership Fund, a super PAC that supports Republicans in Congress, is set to run similar ads calling for voters to support Republican lawmakers.

There are many districts where we are going to be running ads that talk about the Democrat being a rubber stamp for Hillary Clinton, Mike Shields, Congressional Leadership Fund president told the Times. In many districts, it is a very, very potent weapon to use against a Democratic candidate for Congress.

See original article on Fortune.com

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A report released last week by the United States Study Centre at Sydney University underscores the centrality of the Australian alliance to the Obama administrations pivot to Asia against China. It examines potential risks to the alliance, raising concerns, in particular, about the lack of public support for the US military build-up in Asia.

Entitled Against Complacency: Risks and Opportunities for the Australia-US Alliance, the report is written by Richard Fontaine, president of the Centre for a New American Security and former adviser to US Senator John McCain, known for his hardline militarism. Fontaine spent four months as a fellow this year at the US Studies Centre as part of its Alliance 21 Program, designed to boost US-Australian ties.

The report focusses on the impact of Chinas efforts to use its economic clout to counter the US pivota comprehensive diplomatic offensive and military build-up throughout the Asia Pacific region aimed at continued American pre-eminence. While the report is preoccupied with the Australia-US alliance, it reflects wider concerns in American ruling circles that the pivot is stalling, particularly given the uncertainty being generated in Asia by the American presidential elections.

Fontaine identifies American decline, denial or dysfunction as one of the key risks to the Australian alliance. He notes that the view that the US is in long-term relative decline and ambivalent about its commitments to Asia is today increasingly common across the region. That sentiment in ruling circles is compounded by the fact that both US presidential contendersDemocrat Hillary Clinton and Republican Donald Trumphave publicly opposed the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) which was designed to consolidate American economic predominance over China.

The fears in Washington have been confirmed by the foreign policy shift made by Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, who publicly declared during his visit to Beijing last week that he was separating from Washington in order to pursue closer ties with China. He was rewarded with billions of dollars in Chinese loans and investment. The US is concerned that other countries, including close allies like Australia, could follow suit.

Fontaine notes that despite US urging, the Australian government has not conducted a freedom of navigation operation in the South China Sea, and has taken decisions, such as the leasing of a commercial port in Darwin, in northern Australia, to a Chinese corporation, that have angered Washington. He suggests that Canberra should project a more aggressive stance, and react more strongly than Beijing expects to its incremental actions, even if that reaction invites economic punishment.

As the report explains, Washington regards Australia as a central component of its accelerating US war drive against China, figuring more prominently in the thinking of American policymakers than at any time since the Second World War With Britains troubles in Europe, observers in both countries have begun to describe the alliance as the Anglospheres new special relationship.

Fontaine points to the risk posed to the US-Australia alliance by those in Australian ruling circles who have raised concerns about being too closely integrated with the Pentagons war drive against China. Referring to domestic Australian politics, Fontaine identifies political figures such as former Labor foreign minister Bob Carr, who has declared that its not in our interests to slide into war with our major trading partner if there is a flare-up about uninhabited islands.

Fontaine, however, is concerned, above all, about the gulf between the political establishment and the Australian population, which has been kept in the dark about US-led war preparations. The gap between public opinion and the national security eliteand between popular opinion and government policypresents a risk to the alliance, since it is not inevitable that elite views will always trump popular views when the two clash, the report states.

It notes a recent US Studies Centre poll that found that respondents viewed the US as just as much of a threat as China, and were more likely to support a strong Australian relationship with China than with the US. Eighty percent thought that Americas best years were in the past. Among young people, more than half said that China was their countrys most important relationship, compared to just 35 percent for the United States.

Fontaine underscores Washingtons concerns by citing Australian analyst Rory Medcalf: Perhaps the only thing that is certain is that governments in Canberra and Washington can no longer assume that the Australian public will go along with whatever policy decisions officials and political leaders reach, when it comes to the shape of the alliance or the way it operates in an increasingly contested Asia.

The US Studies Centre was established specifically in response to the widespread opposition to the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003, expressed in the largest-ever anti-war protests in Australian history in cities and towns across the country.

Fontaine calls for greater efforts by policy makers to explain the implications of Chinese revisionism and to counter Chinese soft power. His remarks echo a recent scare campaign whipped up by the Australian media and politicians against Chinese influence peddling, which implied that figures like Bob Carr constituted a fifth column acting in Beijings interests.

Fontaine is oblivious to the obvious hypocrisy of criticising Chinese influence from his position as an Alliance 21 Fellow at the US Studies Centrea fellowship announced in November 2014 by the White House to allow American policy analysts to immerse themselves in Australia. The Alliance 21 programs sponsors include Rupert Murdochs News Corporation, US arms manufacturer Northrop Grumman, US chemical conglomerate Dow, and the Australian government. This is just one indicator of the enormous influence that Washington wields in Australian domestic politics.

As well as outlining the risks to the US-Australia alliance, the report makes clear Washingtons new demands for greater Australian military and strategic integration into the pivot. These include expanded access arrangements for US naval vessels in Australia, including making the Stirling naval base in Western Australia the home port for an entire US aircraft carrier strike group, and the expansion of amphibious military exercises that could be used to project Marine units into East Asia.

Fontaine also calls for greater Australian efforts to establish closer military ties in Asia as part of Washingtons broader efforts to encircle China with US allies and strategic partners. He specifically calls for stronger relations with Indonesia, Japan, India and New Zealand and for a revival of a quadrilateral military partnership involving the US, Australia, Japan and India.

Fontaines report underscores the fact that the US is prepared to intervene, both publicly and covertly, into Australian politics to ensure that Canberra lines up against Beijing to ensure continued American dominion over the Asia Pacific region. This will involve every available means, including military threats, provocations and, ultimately, war.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau pledged his Liberal government will dramatically expand its collaboration with France in military interventions in Africa, during a visit by French Prime Minister Manuel Valls to Canada earlier this month.

While Valls held discussions with Trudeau and senior government leaders on a range of issues, including the Canada-EU trade agreement, the main purpose of Valls trip was to finalize plans for Canadas participation in French-led counter-insurgency operations in former French colonies in West and Central Africa.

The two leaders agreed to renew the Canada-France Enhanced Cooperation Agenda, which under a humanitarian cloak will see Canadian troops join the French armys neocolonial missions on the impoverished continent. Although this was Valls first visit to Canada since he became prime minister, the talks on Franco-Canadian cooperation in Africa are far advanced.

As part of its reengagement with UN peacekeeping missions, Canada announced in September that it will deploy 600 soldiers and 150 police officers to one or more African countries and spend $450 million on peace support projects. During a tour of Africa last August to prepare for Canadian military deployments, Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan said the Canadian Armed Forces intervention on the continent will be for a long-duration.

While Trudeau has not yet specified what countries Canadian troops will deploy to, Mali and the Central African Republic are considered the most likely targets. However, Valls made clear that Canadas support would also be welcome in other countries, including Niger and Burkina Faso.

Canadian Defence officials recently confirmed that planning is well underway for Canada to deploy military transport aircraft to move French troops and equipment in five countries: Mauritania, Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, and Chad.

The Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) has been increasingly involved in West Africa since France sent troops to Mali in 2013. With the support of the then NDP official opposition, the Harper Conservative government deployed military transport planes to ferry in French weaponry and supplies. Last year, Canadian heavy-lift Globemaster military aircraft carried nearly 40 tonnes of equipment between France and Africa to support Paris drive to pacify its former colonial possessions.

It was recently revealed that the CAF has also been operating in Niger for the past three years, providing training to that country's special forces. France has long exploited Nigers abundant uranium reserves. The impoverished land-locked country has also become of increasing interest to Washington, which, through the US militarys African Command (Africom), has developed a growing presence. As well as training troops in Niger, Canadian soldiers have cooperated with their US colleagues since 2011 in operation Flintlock, an Africom-led mission to train special forces from countries including Mali, Mauritania, Chad, Senegal and Nigeria.

The CAFs involvement in Africa is part of Canadas shift to a more aggressive foreign policy. Behind its democratic facade, the Trudeau government is pursuing the same aggressive foreign agenda on behalf of Canadian imperialism as did the hated Conservative government of Stephen Harper.

With the sole exception of the 2003 Iraq War, Canada has joined every one of the major wars the US has launched over the past quarter-century. Canada is now deeply implicated in Washingtons three principal military-strategic offensivesin the oil-rich Middle East and against Russia and China. These criminal enterprises have already set entire regions aflame and destroyed millions of lives, while increasing the risk of a direct confrontation between the US and the worlds second and fourth largest nuclear powers, Russia and China.

Defence Minister Sajjan has himself made clear that the governments peacekeeping rhetoric is a fig-leaf to dupe the public into acquiescing to Canadas participation in war. Speaking of the task Canada would be called to play in Africa, Sajjan recently said he preferred the term peace support operations to peacekeeping. Because what we used to have as peacekeeping, before, is no longer. We dont have two parties that have agreed on peace and theres a peacekeeping force in between.

In reality, what Sajjan and the Liberal government mean by this is that Canada will be waging counter-insurgency warfare along the lines of the role the CAF played in the neocolonial occupation of Afghanistan from 2005 to 2011.

During his visit, Valls praised the Canadian Armed Forces as a very professional army and declared that generally, we need a strong and active Canada in the world. The French premier also claimed that Canada and France confronted the same terrorism which has struck our two societiesthe crises that are shaking Africa and the Middle East and which affect our security.

The war on terror invoked by Valls is a fraud. Since 2001 the Western powers have used it to justify wars and military interventions across Central Asia, the Middle East and Africa and to justify sweeping attacks on democratic rights at home.

French imperialism has promoted this narrative to justify the reassertion of its dominance over its resource-rich former African colonies, while also intervening aggressively in the Middle East in support of the US regime change operation in Syria.

Paris is eager for military collaboration with Canada, whichthrough its ties with the USs Africom, its leading role in the Francophonie, and its global mining companieshas developed extensive interests in West and Central Africa.

Under Operation Barkhane, France is mounting military interventions in Mali and the Central African Republic, involving 12,000 and 13,000 troops respectively. Most of the troops are from neighbouring African states, but German, Dutch and Swedish forces are also involved.

Trudeau is using the same demagogic anti-terror rhetoric to justify Canadas role in the US-led war in the Middle East and the impending African deployment. In this, the Liberals have picked up seamlessly from where the right-wing Conservatives under Harper left off.

The peacekeeping missions Canada is readying to join in Africa are in reality all counter-insurgency operations that aim at sustaining in power servile, pro-Western governments who are embroiled in civil wars.

The insurgency movements in those countries, as in the Middle East, are the direct result of the imperialist powers use of Islamist militias to oust regimes deemed hostile to the West and their promotion of communal and ethnic divisions as part of a divide and rule strategy. In the case of Mali, Islamist and Tuareg rebels who were armed and financed by NATO to oust the Gaddafi regime in Libya in 2011 went to Mali after the war and launched a rebellion against the Bamako government.

Canada is determined to expand its role in the imperialist carve-up of Africa because Canadian big business has billions of dollars in investments on the continent, above all in the mining industry. Canadian mining companies have invested at least $25 billion in Africa, including $3 billion in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). In Mali, Canadian-based Iamgold is one of the two principal owners of the countrys largest gold mine with investments worth $1 billion. Canadian companies have reaped massive profits from the rich resources in Congo, including by seizing on the chaos provoked by the war which engulfed the country and much of the region between 1998 and 2003.

The Liberals are said to be considering the possibility of sending additional troops to join a UN mission in the DRC, where a small contingent of nine Canadian servicemen is already operating.

When the Trudeau government first announced its plans to revive the CAFs participation in peacekeeping missions, a section of the Canadian ruling elite led by the National Post and Globe and Mail expressed skepticism. This was bound up with their concern that the references to peacekeeping would fuel popular opposition to the military deployments when it became clear that the Canadian military was in reality prosecuting war.

Sajjans bellicose talk of peace support missions and open acknowledgment that this amounts to counter-insurgency warfare, the governments readiness to partner with French imperialism, and the substantial interests of Canadian corporations on the African continent appear to have persuaded the Globe to express itself more forthrightly in support of Canada intervening militarily in Africa.

During Valls visit, the Globe published an editorial in which it argued that working with the experienced French army in Africa would serve Canadas interest and that sending 600 troops would be a good start. The editorial concluded, If the contingent works well, there may be a case for sending more Canadian troops.
On October 13, TF1 television held a first debate between presidential candidates of the right-wing Les Republicains (LR) party participating in the partys November 20-27 primaries. The debatethe first major event of the French 2017 presidential campaign, watched by 5 million viewersconfirmed that the entire ruling class intends for incitement of anti-Muslim sentiment and police-state forms of rule to become permanent features of political life.

The candidates, while carefully avoiding mention of the Syrian war and the rising danger of a NATO war with Russia over Syria, unanimously supported deep attacks on workers social rights and police-state measures such as the current French state of emergency.

The seven candidates included the front-runner, former Prime Minister Alain Juppe, former President Nicolas Sarkozy, and other, more minor candidates who trail them in the polls.

In an initial statement explaining why he is running, Juppe declared, I want first to restore the authority of the state and the dignity of the presidential office. He called for a strong state against terrorism and illegal immigration, eliminating the scourge of unemployment, eliminating obstacles to job creation and profoundly renovating our training system.

This amounts essentially to continuing the police-state build-up, austerity measures, and handouts to big business carried out by the current, discredited Socialist Party (PS) government. Juppe called for up to 100 billion in budget cuts, raising the retirement age from 62 to 65, 28 billion in corporate tax cuts, cuts to family benefits, eliminating 250,000 public sector jobs, and strengthening security services including the police and gendarmerie.

Juppes reactionary economic proposals are barely distinguishable from those of Sarkozy, who has built his campaign around appeals to French ethnic identity and appeals to neo-fascistic sentiment. Sarkozy is pledging to eliminate outright the wealth tax on individuals whose net worth is over 1.3 million, and to cut 300,000 public sector jobs.

Juppe also wants to give extraordinary power to the police authorities. He supports Sarkozys calls for the internment of individuals with S files, that is, whom the intelligence services have classified as threats to French national security, based on judicial review. They both advocate harsh measures to block immigrants coming to France and to expel undocumented immigrants.

The debate largely focussed on stigmatizing Muslims. Candidate Bruno Le Maire called for a fight against political Islam, insisting that wearing a burqa should be a crime.

Sarkozy, who introduced the burqa ban while in power, wants to extend the ban on the Muslim veil in schools to universities, hospitals and all public institutions.

Juppe has at times expressed concerns over the domination of the presidential election campaign by anti-immigrant and anti-Muslim agitation, making mild criticisms of his rivals. However, he continues to back measures targeting Muslims and immigrants.

Juppe is positioning himself to profit from a collapse of the PS in the elections due to its unpopularity. It is expected that the PS will be eliminated in the first round, and the neo-fascist National Front (FN) would qualify easily to the second round, facing a right-wing candidate. Juppe is presenting himself as a more moderate candidate who can rally disappointed PS voters as well as right-wing voters against Marine Le Pen of the neo-fascist National Front (FN) in the run-off.

He appeals to voters disappointed by PS President Francois Hollande with vague calls to build a path of hope. This has become the basis for an international media campaign to present Juppe as somehow a palatable alternative to LRs turn far to the right.

After the debate, Germanys Sueddeutsche Zeitung wrote, No, not all the LR candidates are going along with this march to the right. Alain Juppe, the liberal conservative front-runner in the primary, somewhat opposes Sarkozys excesses. He warns of civil war and does not want to collectively exclude all Muslims.

Yves-Marie Cann of political consulting firm Elabe, told BFM: Alain Juppe, because of his statements and his campaigning style, seems more moderate than a Nicolas Sarkozy, who deals in invective and makes caricatured statements. Juppe seems to appeal more to reason and has a far more balanced posture in what he shows to the broader public.

The notion that Juppe is a moderate alternative to Sarkozy is a political illusion. To be sure, amid the emergence of a three-party electoral system in Francebetween PS, LR, and FN votershe is orienting more to winning PS votes, while Sarkozy is more obviously seeking FN votes. However, on the fundamental issues of war, austerity and attacks on democratic rights facing workers in France and across Europe, the differences between all three of the major parties are minimal.

The PS has stoked up anti-Muslim, law-and-order hysteria after the Paris terrorist attacks carried out by Islamist networks used by the NATO powers in their regime-change war in Syria. Hollande has taken over much of the FNs programmeimposing a state of emergency, forming a National Guard, and trying to legitimate the Nazi Occupation-era policy of deprivation of nationalityas he sought to fashion a political base to impose unpopular wars and austerity measures.

Sarkozy and Juppe both ran discredited governments that carried out deep attacks on the working class. If elected, both would immediately move to impose wars, austerity measures and attacks on democratic rights.

As a former prime minister under then President Jacques Chirac, Juppe introduced free-market reforms attacking the social security system, which provoked the railroad strikes of November-December 1995.

As president from 2007 to 2012, Sarkozy imposed a series of austerity measures during the 2008 global economic crisis, shut down many plants, and introduced pro-business reforms including pension reform, provoking the 2010 oil strike. As foreign minister under Sarkozy, Juppe played a key role in launching Sarkozys war in Libya, under the fraudulent cover of protecting Libyan civilians human rights.
Tensions between Turkey and Iraq heightened over the weekend as the Iraqi army and Kurdish Peshmerga forces pushed towards the Islamic State-controlled city of Mosul.

US Defense Secretary Ashton Carter arrived in Ankara Friday, before traveling to Iraq for meetings in Baghdad Saturday and Irbil, the Kurdish Regional Government (KRG) capital yesterday. Carter announced after meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan that he had secured an agreement in principle to permit Turkish troops stationed near Mosul to participate in the offensive.

But within 24 hours, the Iraqi government, which has previously vowed to attack Turkish troops if they become involved, rebuffed the deal. Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi declared Iraqi forces would take Mosul without additional outside assistance. I know that the Turks want to participate, we tell them thank you, this is something the Iraqis will handle and the Iraqis will liberate Mosul and the rest of the territories, he said after talks with Carter.

Ignoring al-Abadis declaration, Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim confirmed Sunday that tanks and artillery had provided support to Peshmerga fighters advancing on the Islamic State-held town of Bashiqa. The nearby base used by Turkish soldiers has been described by al-Abadi as an illegal occupation of Iraqi territory.

Erdogan, who spelt out in a speech last week Turkeys regional ambitions throughout the Middle East and the Balkans, has made clear the Turkish troops have no intention of withdrawing. He insisted Turkey would be involved in Mosul, stating they have a 350-km border and I am under threat from across that border.  Turkey will take part in the Mosul operation and hold a seat at the table. It is out of the question for us to remain outside. Because there is history in Mosul for us.

The dispute between the Iraqi and Turkish governments is only one of a vast array of regional and sectarian divisions being inflamed by the US-backed offensive on the northern Iraqi city of 1.5 million people. Washington has forged alliances with mutually antagonistic state and non-state forces in the course of its joint interventions in Iraq and Syria, increasing the likelihood of the conflicts spiraling out of control and drawing in the major powers in a wider war.

Turkey also announced further attacks on the Kurdish Peoples Protection Units (YPG) in northern Syria Sunday. While Carter attempted to smooth over frictions between Washington and Ankara during his stop in Turkey Friday, these latest attacks on the US-aligned Kurdish militias show how their interests are colliding.

They could also serve to deepen hostilities with Damascus, which threatened to shoot down Turkish planes carrying out air strikes on its territory. Such a development could easily be seized upon by the US and its NATO allies to justify a full-scale war in Syria on the basis that Turkey, a NATO member, had come under attack.

Such an intervention would pit NATO not only against Syria, but also nuclear-armed Russia, which is determined to prop up its sole ally in the Middle East by supporting the Assad regime.

Even within the supposed anti-ISIS coalition currently advancing on Mosul, there are substantial differences. A growing number of commentators acknowledge that the capture of Mosul will likely set off another wave of sectarian bloodletting as the competing religious-based militias seek to seize territory in the area. These forces include Shia militias organized in the Popular Mobilization Units (PMU), which are nominally under the command of the Baghdad government but are in reality controlled by Iran, Sunni tribal forces, Turkish-trained Sunni fighters and the regular Iraqi army. One major fault line will be between the KRG and Baghdad, with the KRG foreign minister declaring last week that the Peshmergas participation in the offensive would have to be recognized by granting the KRG a role in the region around Mosul, which is rich in energy and in part contested between Irbil and Baghdad.

As it has done since the 2003 invasion, US imperialism will not hesitate to ruthlessly exploit these sectarian divisions in pursuit of its goals of maintaining a permanent military presence in energy-rich Iraq and extending its unchallenged dominance over the entire region.

This is demonstrated by growing reports that ISIS fighters are fleeing Mosul for Syria because the city has not been fully encircled. French President Francois Hollande acknowledged that fighters were traveling to Raqqa in comments he made at a diplomatic conference in Paris Thursday.

This explodes the war on terror fraud that has been employed by the US political and media establishment to justify one war after another over the past two decades. The reality is that Washington tolerated ISIS when it first emerged in Syria, seeing it as a useful force to fight for the overturn of the Assad regime. It was only when the group began making substantial gains in Iraq and threatened to destabilize the pro-US regime that Washington decided to intervene against it.

While assisting in the preparation of a humanitarian disaster in Mosul, Washington is continuing to recklessly escalate the Syrian conflict. After a UN report attributed a third chemical weapons attack to the Assad regime Friday, National Security Council spokesman Ned Price issued a belligerent statement in which the White House blamed Russia and Iran for war crimes and violations of international law. Vowing to hold those responsible to account, Price declared, We strongly urge all UN member states and parties to the Chemical Weapons Convention, including Russia and Iran, which continue to conduct military operations on behalf of the Assad regime, to unequivocally support these efforts and sustain our shared commitment to the international standard against chemical weapons use. He continued, Russian military and economic support to Syria enables the Assad regime to continue its military campaign against its own people, which it has done in violation of international law as demonstrated by the findings of this report.

US hypocrisy and double standards know no bounds. While denouncing Assad and his Russian backers for using chemical weapons and attacking Islamist militias in the east of Aleppo, the US and its allies are preparing a war crime of far greater proportions just a few hundred miles further east.

With the aid of a pliant corporate media, which continues to pump out propaganda from imbedded reporters with the advancing Iraqi and Kurdish forces, the horrific scale of the humanitarian catastrophe being perpetrated by the US and its allied forces is largely being concealed from public view.

More than 5,600 have fled their homes since the advance began October 17. UNICEFs Iraq representative Peter Hawkins described the conditions in one refugee camp as very, very poor for children and added that supplies had been delivered by aid workers just to last one week.

The UN anticipates that 200,000 people will flee Mosul within the first four weeks of the US-backed offensive and that in a worst case scenario, this could rise to 1 million over the coming months. The agency noted that only 58 percent of its funding required to conduct emergency humanitarian aid has been donated, meaning that thousands of civilians will be left to die and many more to fend for themselves in miserable conditions. William Spindler, spokesman for the UN aid agency, said last week that the assault on Mosul could produce a human catastrophe, resulting in one of the largest man-made displacement crises in recent years.

While media coverage of the threat to civilians focuses almost exclusively on ISISs use of residents as human shields, the main threat comes from the US and allied-led air strikes carried out in support of the offensive and the wave of sectarian violence it is likely to trigger.

Responding to an ISIS attack on the city of Kirkuk Friday, in which 50 militants fought an hours-long battle with security forces, the US launched an air strike which incinerated at least 15 women at a Shia shrine and injured many more civilians.

Both the PMU, which played a prominent role in the recapturing of other cities from ISIS including Ramadi, and the Kurdish Peshmerga have been accused of war crimes. The Peshmerga was accused of ethnically cleansing Sunni villages retaken from ISIS last year and the PMU has also engaged in anti-Sunni reprisals such as abductions, torture and killings, according to Amnesty International.
Pakistan has been battling an Islamist insurgency since shortly after it decided to ally with the US following its invasion of Afghanistan in 2001 (AFP Photo/A Majeed) (AFP/File)

Two gunmen on a motorcycle shot dead an intelligence officer in northwest Pakistan on Monday, police said, in an attack claimed by the Islamic State group.

Akbar Ali, an intelligence sub-inspector, was on his way to work and waiting at a bus stop near his home in Charsadda district when the gunmen opened fire, Suhail Khalid, district police chief, told AFP.

"Akbar Ali was hit by four bullets from the front and was killed on the spot," he said, adding that the attackers used a 9mm pistol and fled the scene.

The attack was later claimed by the Islamic State group in a short statement posted on Amaq, its affiliated news agency.

"Islamic State fighters have killed a Pakistan intelligence agent in the Sardaryab region... of Pakistan," it said, referring to the local area.

Pakistan's military last month admitted for the first time that the Islamic State group had a presence in the country but said it had detained hundreds of its militants and prevented them from carrying out major attacks.

The army's spokesman said its forces had foiled planned attacks by IS on embassies and Islamabad airport, but denied the group was behind an August attack on a hospital that killed 73, as it had claimed.

IS, which has struggled for traction in Pakistan in the face of competition from well-established groups, gained its first toehold in January 2015 when six Pakistani Taliban leaders switched their allegiance from Al-Qaeda.

An attack on a bus in Karachi in May 2015 that killed 46 people was the first major incident officially claimed by IS in Pakistan.

Pakistan has been battling an Islamist insurgency since shortly after it decided to ally with the US following its invasion of Afghanistan in 2001.

Violence has declined in recent years following a series of military offensives in the northwest border areas as well as concerted efforts to block the militants' sources of funding.

But the remnants of militant groups are still able to carry out periodic bloody attacks, particularly in the northwest.

Story continues

Separately, gunmen on a motorcyle shot dead two coast guards and a civilian and wounded a shopkeeper in a remote southwest coastal town, local police station chief Chakar Baloch told AFP Monday.

The incident, also confirmed by provincial police chief Ahsan Mahboob, took place late Sunday in Pasni, around 650 kilometres (403 miles) southwest of Quetta, the provincial capital of Balochistan where separatists demanding greater autonomy have been waging an insurgency for years.

A spokesman for the Baloch Liberation Army, Gend Baloch, later claimed responsiblity for the attack in a phone call to AFP.
Last Thursday, Sri Lankan police murdered Jaffna University arts faculty students Pawnraj Sulakshan and Nadarasa Gajan as they rode a motorcycle in Jaffna. The police killing came amid rapidly escalating class tensions in the entire island. Nearly two years after the US-engineered regime change operation, the good governance government it installed is increasingly unpopular, and opposition is rising among the working class and the poor.

Ominously, Defence Secretary Karunasena Hettiarachchi defended the murders as standard practice, saying, Not only in the North, there were similar incidents that were taking place in the South as well. No one need to take this as particular to the Tamil-majority North of the island. He threatened, If necessary, the military is ready to assist the police to ensure law and order.

Police, media and the Tamil nationalist parties initially attempted to portray the murder as an accident. Tamil nationalist web sites presented the police murder as a sorrowful episode, defending the pro-US Sri Lankan regime.

During the post-mortem, judicial medical officers found ammunition in the chest and head of one victims body, while the second victim succumbed to severe internal injuries. It appears police collided head-on with the motorcycle driver, who lost control and slammed into a wall on the side of the road.

People living near the crime scene confirmed to World Socialist Web Site reporters that they first heard gunfire, and when they rushed out, they saw police preparing to transport the injured students.

Hundreds of university students and general public gathered in front of the hospital in protest, dismissing the official account of the killing as an accident.

Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarian Mavai Senathirajah was dispatched to the scene for mediation. Students angrily opposed Senathirajah, who was peddling the official version of events, and shouted at him, this is not an accident, this is murder. Senathirajah withdrew from the scene, wishing the families of the victims would get justice.

During the student protest, TNA leader Sampanthan shared a podium with Sri Lankan President Maithiripala Sirisena in the Eastern Province for the National Environment conference. Sampanthan uttered not a single word about police brutality; on the contrary, he praised Sirisena, again aligning himself on the US-backed regime.

He said, A notion had formed among the International Community that this Government is making serious efforts to create unity and understanding among the people living in the country. We all should cooperate with the President and his Government for them to be successful in their venture.

Sampanthans refusal to condemn the police murders is not an isolated event. The Tamil nationalists consistently defend cases of police brutality. In May 2015, after the gruesome murder of advanced-level student Vithya Sivalohanathan, massive protests emerged across the Northern Province. Protesters clashed with the police in front of the Jaffna courts, and about 130 people were arrested.

TNA leaders worked with police to bring protests under control, denouncing protesters for damaging state property. Northern Provincial Council (NPC) Chief Minister C. V. Wigneswaran said, We must cooperate with the police, not see them as an enemy. It is very clear that there are some malicious people looking for a fight by creating disagreements between us and the police, and trying to sabotage the situation.

The TNA and other Tamil nationalist groups heavily rely on the security forces to suppress growing opposition to the austerity politics of the government. Seven years after the end of the Sri Lankan civil war, everyone outside a tiny layer of privileged people lives under the shadow of the destruction caused by the war. The government and the NPC have done nothing to improve the living standards of the people.

Citing drug-smuggling, robberies and gang activities, the police force is being massively reinforced. In August, 400 more Tamil-speaking police were deployed. Wigneswaran accepted the deployment of the notorious Special Task Force (STF), a military-style police unit specialising in counter terrorism near Jaffna University and at key areas across the Jaffna peninsula. On Wednesday, the Tamil nationalist web site Tamilwin proudly presented a video displaying a newly formed special Tamil-speaking motorcycle police unit. The next day, police killed these two students.

The public suspects that the military occupation force of more than 150,000 soldiers and police is behind the increase of the criminal activities, since drug smuggling from India across the Palk Strait could not escape the attention of Sri Lankan navy patrol boats. Often military intelligence is suspected of steering gangs and robberies.

The Sri Lankan government and the NPC are seeking to establish police-state forms of rulea fact that is openly declared by the Jaffna High Court Judge Manickavasagar Ilancheliyan. Recalling his methods while serving in the Eastern Province, he said: I used my judicial power to order the Special Task Force (STF) to aggressively patrol the streets in the evenings. I also declared the assembly of more than five persons as unlawful and ordered the arrest of violators.

Ilancheliyan is a vigorous proponent of the death penalty, having sentenced several people to death. Often he refuses suspects legal right to post bail and lawyers requests for adjournments. He opposed any international inquiry into the Sri Lankan governments war crimes during the civil war. Washington made him an honorary US citizen in 2001 in recognition of his contribution to judicial independence. In reality, he was recognized for his services to US imperialism.

The Tamil nationalist parties neither opposed the arbitrary methods of Ilancheliyan nor condemned police terror against the people. The TNA, the Tamil National Peoples Front (TNPF) and the Tamil Peoples Council (TPC) explicitly refused to condemn the governments responsibility for the murder of the two students.

They highlight the promise of Sirisenas impartial inquiry, dismissal of the five policemen who committed the crime, dispatch of fresh police forces and intelligence to investigate the crime, in an open support for the government and its backers in Washington. They seek only to divert the legitimate anger of the students and cover up the political responsibility for the murders.
The final two weeks of the US presidential election campaign will be dominated by appeals to working people and young people from unions and liberal publications and organizations to vote for Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton. Given that Clinton is widely despised as a creature of Wall Street and the political establishment and an advocate of a more aggressive and militaristic foreign policy, this sales effort encounters significant obstacles.

At the very least, it is claimed, Clinton represents the lesser evil to billionaire demagogue Donald Trump, whose campaign of racism, anti-immigrant bigotry and American nationalism is aimed at laying the basis for the development of a genuinely fascistic movement in the United States. The truth, however, is that the choice of Clinton or Trump is a choice between two forms of terminal cancer. And given Clintons support for expanded military intervention in the Middle East and a full-scale confrontation with Russia, the worlds second-largest nuclear power, it cannot be said with any certainty which of the two diseases would prove more quickly fatal.

One group of prominent economists and sociologists has issued an open letter proclaiming Hillary Clinton not merely the lesser evil, but a positive good. The letter was signed by 50 leading academics, including some who have done important work in illuminating the growth of social and class inequality in America, such as Emmanuel Saez of the University of California, Berkeley, and William Julius Wilson of Harvard.

The letter cites the rampant growth of economic inequality in America, including the growth of the share of national income going to the top 1 percent from 10 percent of the total in 1981 to 22 percent in 2015. The vast majority of all income increases since the mid-1970s have gone to the super-rich. This 40-year period is divided evenly between Republican and Democratic administrations, both of which have favored the wealthy at the expense of working people.

Nonetheless, the 50 academics argue that the policies of Clinton, backed by the most progressive Democratic Party platform in four decades, will both promote growth and reduce income inequality.

The letter then lists a series of proposals, ranging from a $15-an-hour minimum wage to universal pre-school, relief from college-student debt and expanded spending on infrastructure, financed by higher taxes on the wealthy including a surtax on millionaires. It declares that Clinton has worked her entire adult life for such measures.

There are some long-time Democratic Party hacks among the signers, including two former members of Bill Clintons cabinet, Robert Reich and Laura DAndrea Tyson. But there are others who should know better, but have allowed themselves to be politically stampeded by fear of Trump.

In the Democratic primaries, many of the signatories supported Bernie Sanders and his criticisms of Clintons ties to Wall Street. Now that these ties have been confirmed a thousand times over with the release by WikiLeaks of campaign communications and Clinton speeches to corporate audiences, the letters signers choose to look the other way.

But what is most significant about the letter is the fact that it contains not a word about foreign policy, the growing war danger, or the commitment of an incoming Clinton administration to policies of military confrontation with Russia and China, both nuclear-armed powers. Even if one believed, against all the evidence, that Clinton actually intended to enact a modest program of social reform, the financial demands of an expanded military intervention in the Middle East, let alone a major war with Russia or China, would mean an immediate end to such projects.

Fifty years ago, when American capitalism enjoyed a far more dominant position in a booming world economy, the Johnson administration collapsed because it proved impossible to combine guns and butter. A Hillary Clinton presidency, under conditions of global economic crisis, financial shocks and US decline, would not even make the attempt.

On the contrary, the WikiLeaks documents demonstrate that Clinton and her closest aides actually oppose the modest social reforms listed in the letter from the 50 economists and sociologists. They only acceded to including them in the platform as the price of defeating Sanders and giving something to sell to his supporters. Now Sanders pathetically touts Clintons candidacy, even as documents pour out from WikiLeaks demonstrating her subservience to the millionaires and billionaires Sanders rhetorically condemned.

In its response to the WikiLeaks revelations, the Democratic Party has revealed the real political axis of an incoming Clinton administration. It has denounced WikiLeaks as an agent of Russia and claimed, without providing a shred of evidence, that Vladimir Putin is the source of the hacked documents. It has thus sought to appropriate McCarthyism, once a hallmark of Republican Party demagogy, as the property of the Democrats.

It requires no secret documents from WikiLeaks, however, to prove that Hillary Clinton is the stooge of the billionaires who dominate American politics and society. Press reports this weekend underscore the depth of support for Clinton in the financial aristocracy. The Wall Street Journal reported that of the $88 million that billionaires have donated to the presidential candidates of the two main capitalist parties, $70 million from 19 billionaires has gone to Clinton, while only $18 million from five billionaires has gone to Trump.

The New York Times reported Sunday that so-called super PACs, political action committees set up by the super-rich and legalized by the Supreme Courts notorious 2010 decision in the Citizens United case, have favored Clinton over Trump by a 2-1 margin. A dozen such groups have raised $200 million and spent more than $110 million on pro-Clinton advertising since May, according to reports filed with the Federal Election Commission.

Also on Sunday, Clinton received an endorsement from one of the most prominent bankers on Wall Street, Lloyd Blankfein, CEO of Goldman Sachs, the investment banking firm that paid Clinton $675,000 for three speeches in 2013. Blankfein praised, in particular, her willingness to work with Republicans, as she did while a US senator from New York, in which capacity she aggressively defended the interests of Wall Street.

Clinton has also been endorsed by hundreds of ex-generals, ex-admirals, ex-intelligence officials and foreign policy specialists, both Republicans and Democrats. The reason is clear. These spokesmen for the military-intelligence apparatus view Trump as untested, erratic and unschooled in the foreign policy consensus of American imperialism. He has voiced opinions that are, in their view, dangerously isolationist and too conciliatory towards Moscow. At the same time, through his bigotry and embrace of economic nationalism, he threatens to disrupt the system of client states that serves US imperialist interests around the world.

In giving the American people the choice between Clinton and Trump, the two-party system in the United States has demonstrated that it is a political dead end.

The elections two weeks from now will resolve nothing. The pressing task is the building of a political leadership, based on a revolutionary socialist program, that will give a genuinely progressive expression to the interests of millions of workers and young people. This is the perspective the Socialist Equality Party has advanced in the 2016 elections, fought for by our candidates, Jerry White for president and Niles Niemuth for vice president.

On November 5, the SEP and the International Youth and Students for Social Equality will hold a conference, Socialism vs. Capitalism and War, in Detroit, Michigan. In the weeks leading up to this conference, the SEP is holding a series of meetings throughout the country. The World Socialist Web Site calls on all of its readers to become involved in the campaign, make plans to attend the November 5 conference, join the SEP and IYSSE, and take an active role in building a political leadership to guide the mass struggles to come.
Sri Lankan plantation workers held widespread protests voicing their anger against a new collective agreement signed by unions and companies last Tuesday. The deal, which is endorsed by the Sri Lankan government, locks workers into increased workloads for the next two years in exchange for a negligible wage rise. Full details of the agreement have not been revealed to workers.

Since September 26, tens of thousands of plantation workers across the country have held demonstrations, pickets and strikes demanding a 1,000-rupee ($US6.79) daily wage, an increase of 380 rupees.

Workers protested in many plantations on Tuesday demanding that the unions reject employer and government proposals. Demonstrations continued the next day at Stockholm, Strathspey and Ladbroke in Upcot near Hatton.

Estate workers blocked roads and chanted slogans: Reject the new collective agreement! Tear up the agreement! We need 1,000 rupees wage per day! Dont pay membership subscriptions to unions! At some estates workers hoisted black flags to express their opposition.

Under the new deal, the daily wage will be increased by only 110 rupees to 730 rupees. This amount, however, is not stable, because the basic daily wage for the first three days of work has increased by just 50, from 450 to 500 rupees. The price supplement share of 30 rupees per day remains unchanged and is dependent on tea prices. The attendance allowance has also been reduced from 140 rupees per day to 60 rupees and only paid to workers who maintain 75 percent attendance out of 25 monthly working days.

A new 140-rupee productivity incentive has also been introduced. This will only be paid if the worker reaches targets set by each estate. Current tea-plucking productivity rates range from 13 to 18 kilograms of green leaves, depending on the estate.

The agreement was signed by the Ceylon Workers Congress (CWC), the Lanka Jathika Estate Workers Union (LJEWU), which is affiliated to ruling United National Party government, and the Joint Plantation Trade Union Centre (JPTUC), a coalition of the Lanka Sama Samaja Party and the Stalinist Communist Party. The National Union of Workers (NUW), Democratic Workers Congress (DWC) and the Up Country Peoples Front (UPF) have agreed to support the deal.

The NUW, DWC and UPF are partners in the ruling coalition of President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and their leaders have ministerial positions in the government. The CWC has for decades been partners with successive Sri Lankan governments and has sought to enter the present administration.

Asked about the unions support for increased productivity, CWC president Muthu Sivalingam told the World Socialist Web Site that the rates could only be lifted with the consent of union branch leaders in each estate. In other words, the union will impose the higher targets and suppress all opposition. Some estates in Agarapathana have already lifted the tea-plucking target by around 4 kilos a day in the face of protests by plantation workers.

The plantation companies and the union leadership have been jubilant over the direct involvement of government ministers in preparing the agreement.

W.D.J. Seneviratne, Sri Lankas labor and trade union relations minister, told the media that a 1,000-rupee daily wage, or back payments of the current pay rise for the 18-month period since expiry of the previous agreement last year, was not possible because of the crisis in plantation industry. This was agreed by all the unions, he said.

The Plantation Association (PA) issued a statement declaring that the productivity-based wage formula was an extremely important step. It warned, however, that the agreement as it stands in its final form is one which still places the tea industry in serious jeopardy and claimed the deal was unsustainable without productivity increases.

This means that the PA will push productivity to even higher levels, demand more job cuts and attempt to destroy the meagre welfare benefits previously won by estate workers.

Since March 2015, the PA has demanded the introduction of a revenue sharing system. Under this regime workers families would be assigned to maintain 1,0001,200 tea bushes and paid a share of the earnings, according to the amount of tea plucked. This retrogressive system would reduce workers to the status of poor share croppers.

Sri Lanka and all other tea- and rubber-producing countries are confronting shrinking markets and ongoing falls in commodity prices. Since 2014 Sri Lankas tea export portion of the world market has dropped from 23 to 17 percent. Declining oil prices, escalating military conflict in the Middle East and intense competition between Sri Lanka and other tea-producing countries, including Kenya and India, have contributed to these falls.

Many estate workers who spoke with WSWS reporters angrily condemned the unions and the government and rejected the new wage deal.

A CWC member and worker from Deeside estate, Maskeliya said: All the unions have betrayed us. This morning I presented a letter demanding my subscription to the union be stopped. There is no point of giving money to the unions which are working with the companies against us. He said that many workers at his estate would do the same in coming days and described his experience with the unions as terrible. We want to proceed with our demands but, as you said, we need a new organisation instead of the unions to fight for our demands.

A female worker from Glenugie Estate and a CWC member said that union should have asked the workers before they signed the agreement. They didnt do it and agreed to 730-rupee wage without our consent.

CWC leaders had been in successive Sri Lankan governments, she said, but they did nothing to benefit the workers. The companies, government and trade unions conspired against us and are going to put a massive workload on our backs for a pittance. All the successive governments are responsible for this disaster.

She accused the Sirisena-Wickremesinghe government of ignoring workers wage demand and said that the annual Deepavali Festival advance given to workers this year was considered as a loan with interest payments. We voted for [the new government], as the unions urged us claiming that it would bring a better future

The government, plantation companies and the unions are attempting to overcome the deepening financial crisis in the plantation industry by stepping up the exploitation of estate workers whose living conditions have drastically deteriorated in recent years. These attacks are part of austerity measures being implemented by Sirisena-Wickremesinghe government under dictates of International Monetary Fund.

As the Socialist Equality Party (SEP) explained throughout the dispute, plantation workers must break from the unions and establish action committees in every estate to defend their wages, jobs, living standards and basic rights.

This struggle requires a turn to other workers now coming under attack and the fight for a workers and peasants government on a socialist program to place big estates and key industries under the democratic control of the working class. This requires the building of a revolutionary leadership. Workers in several estates have voiced their support for establishing action committees on the basis of this program. We urge them to study the SEPs policies and its analysis of the plantation dispute and join its ranks.
Schools are being funded at below pre-recession levels in a majority of US states, according to a devastating new portrait of education funding by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.

Despite the advanced stage of crisis, it is remarkable how little has been said about public education by Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton or her Republican counterpart, Donald Trump, throughout the long course of the election cycle.

The new report documents the systematic de-funding of public schools since 2008. With each annual budget, districts throughout the US are slashing spending and becoming more stratified by class. For the majority of young Americans, education is becoming increasingly barebones.

Thirty-five states (out of 50) now provide less overall state funding per student (as of 2014, the most recent year available) compared with 2008, prior to the Great Recession. Local government funding was also cut in 27 states. Overall, total state and local funding combined fell in 36 states. In addition, federally-funded Title I and Special Education allocations are down 8.3 percent and 6.4 percent respectively from 2010.

These cuts, spearheaded by the Obama administration, have been implemented by both Democratic and Republican state and local governments.

It is instructive that Clintonwho has solidarized herself with Obamas hated education policiesdoes not feel the need to make the pretense of promising to restore school funding or address this national crisis, much less pledge to create genuine educational equity. She calls, at most, for a few additional competitive grants, the destructive Obama approach to education funding, and meaningless suggestions about universal pre-kindergarten (roughly modeled on Obamas Preschool for All program, which did not receive Congressional funding).

With the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) and the National Education Association (NEA) firmly in her pocket, the candidate has barely made a nod in the direction of teachers concerns. When she did, speaking at the NEA convention, she was booed for her complimentary statements about public charter schools.

Meanwhile, the sustained assault on school budgets has resulted in fewer teachers, growing class sizes, poor salaries, leading to a catastrophic teacher shortage (and growing numbers of uncertified teachers in the classroom), outdated technology, crumbling school building infrastructure (including lead in water in drinking fountains), and a widespread lack of classes and programs.

Since 2008, according to the CBPP report, there has been a net loss of 221,000 school worker jobs. Yet, they point out, there are now 1,120,000 more children attending K-12 schools.

The states with the most draconian cuts to school funding are: Arizona (-36 percent change in total state funding per student), Idaho (-22.6 percent), Alabama (-22.2 percent), Florida (-21.9 percent), Georgia (-19.9 percent), and California (-19.5 percent). At least 19 states cut per-student funding even further this year, adding to prior deficits. Seven of the 10 states with the deepest cuts since 2008 imposed further cuts this year: Arizona, Kansas, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma and West Virginia.

Additionally, the report notes that five of the eight states that have cut general funding per student by10 percent or more have enacted income tax rate cuts. In other words, these statesArizona, Kansas, North Carolina, Oklahoma, and Wisconsinhave slashed education and handed the money to the ultra-wealthy.

What do the budget cuts mean for children? Take Oklahoma as an example. Since 2008, nearly a quarter of school spending has been eliminated. In Oklahoma City, 208 teachers lost their jobs, 18 percent of the administration staff were cut, the Fine Arts budget was slashed in half, the library media budget was eliminated, elementary schools will need to fund their own school supplies, and textbook orders were cancelled. To deal with the loss of educators, the district set up a Fundraising Task Force to appeal for charitable donations to pay adjunct teachers.

Im here because my education does matter, Cassidy Coffey told the Oklahoman as hundreds of students walked out of Oklahoma City schools last spring to protest. This whole gathering is to show that just because we are considered children does not mean that our education isnt valued to us, and it should be valued to everybody else. This is our education, this is everybodys future, the high school junior told the press.

Oklahoma teachers, posting on Facebook, describe overcrowded classrooms, being forced to buy all the supplies for their students, asking every child to bring in a ream of paper for the copiers, and cleaning their own rooms. One described spending at least two hours every day trying to find grants and funds for my classroom.

Similar conditions exist in many districts and in every state. This week, for example, teachers in Buffalo, New York have agreed to a new contract after working under an expired one for 12 years with no pay raises. Under the deal, pushed by the Buffalo Teachers Federation, the citys educators will lose credit for years of wage freezes, will have to work a longer school year and a longer day, and will give up health care benefits.

The destruction of public education has been deliberate policy pursued by both Democrats and Republicans in order to open up the education market to the financial elite. Trump is a longstanding supporter of school vouchers and privatization. As your president, I will be the nations biggest cheerleader for school choice, he told the Washington Post recently, saying this was a civil right.

For her part, Clinton has not only embraced the Obama record, that of the president who has done more to privatize education than any other, but is well known, in her own right, for supporting charter schools, high-stakes testing and competitive grants. In fact, it was Bill Clinton who created the federal grant initiative, Charter Schools Program (CSP), which was expanded by the Obama administration. The CSP has handed out $3 billion in federal funds to charter school chains.

Clinton admits, I have for many years now, about 30 years, supported the idea of charter schools, adding the meaningless caveat that they be high performing or non-profit charters (just as she supports better, but fewer tests).

AFT president Randi Weingarten, Clintons top education advisor, acknowledged her candidates identification with Obamas Race To The Top was deeply problematic among teachers. People are skeptical because the policies [he enacted] through Race to the Top actually worked as they were intended and they made schools into testing factories, Weingarten said.

While the two candidates represent factions of the financial oligarchy seeking to enlarge their share of the profits at the expense of Americas children, Clinton has a different implementation track. She aims to rely upon the unions to do the dirty workas did Obamawhereas Trump would dispense with the services of the AFT and NEA.

The teachers unions have for years played the decisive role in blocking the resistance of teachers and students to the destruction of public education. They have suppressed the independent struggles of educators and sought to corral teachers within the safe channels of pro-capitalist policiesthe Democratic Party, local control and identity politics. Concerned only about their dues base and a seat at the table, the unions have forced through rotten agreements that give a green light to school closures, mass layoffs and privatization.

Support to the Clinton campaign has, of late, been an explicit consideration in the shutting down of teacher struggles by the AFT in Chicago, Cleveland, Detroit and Long Island University.

Recently released emails to Clinton campaign manager John Podesta from Weingarten and NEA officials give a peek into the more intimate working relationship between the well-heeled union hierarchy and Clinton. They show both Weingarten and NEA officials conspiring to push through an early presidential endorsement, no matter the sentiment of their membership. They discuss how to bend the rules of the AFL-CIO and consider how to secure the necessary results of internal balloting. Unsurprisingly, an email records that the NEA was prepared to call off the vote if things had gone awry for Clinton.

Far from being interested in the plight of educators and schoolchildren, Weingarten is revealed in the Podesta emails as Clintons hatchet woman, counseling the candidate on aggressive tactics in securing support. In one revealing commentary, Weingarten promises retribution to the Sanders-supporting National Nurses United: we will go after NNU and there [sic] high and mighty sanctimonious conduct R.
On October 18, Roger Cohen published a column in the New York Times titled Anti-Semitic Anti-Zionism.

The column targets UK Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn and compares him negatively to Donald Trump. Its broader purpose, however, is made clear in the very first line: The hard left meeting the hard right is an old political story, as Hitler understood in calling his party the National Socialists.

Cohens old political story is an old political lie. Nazism was developed not primarily as an anti-Semitic, but as an anti-communist movement. Anti-Marxism and opposition to the international unification of the working class was Hitlers driving obsession, to which he counterposed ethnic German nationalism. His hatred of the Jews was based upon their association with the socialist movement.

He stated in Mein Kampf that his aim was to destroy Jewish Bolshevism. He wrote of his conviction that the question of the future of the German nation is the question of the destruction of Marxism... In Russian Bolshevism we must see the attempt undertaken by the Jews in the twentieth century to achieve world domination.

The service provided to German imperialism by National Socialism, i.e., fascism, was to mobilise the ruined petty-bourgeoisie and the declassed lumpen-proletariat as a shock force against the organised workers movement. Its essential political aim was to eradicate Marxian socialism and destroy the labour movement as a precondition for the unleashing of militarism and war, which were necessary to secure the markets and territory required by German imperialism, as expressed in Hitlers goal of Lebensraum.

Cohen regurgitates the old anti-communist slanderidentifying the hard left with the hard rightto underscore his assertion that the leftist supporters of Britains Labour Party, described by him as an alliance of young dreamers and old guard Leninists, are aligned with Trump. Corbyns supporters, he declares, like Vladimir Putins Russia even as he flattens Aleppo... oppose or are skeptical of NATO, the cornerstone of the Western alliance, and see a conspiracy of what Trump has called global financial powers.

In regard to the supposed espousal of anti-Semitism by the Corbynistas, the main theme of his confused rambling, Cohen declares them to be even worse than Trump! The Republican presidential candidate is only opportunistically using tropes with a distinctly anti-Semitic undertow about the banks and financiers plotting the destruction of US sovereignty, but these are words, not a program.

Hes a New Yorker after all, Cohen adds shamelessly.

In contrast, Corbyn and his extreme left backers are the advocates of what the British political theorist Alan Johnson has called anti-Semitic anti-Zionism. As proof, Cohen cites a cross-party parliamentary committee that concluded Corbyn had created a safe space for those with vile attitudes towards Jewish people, and declared that Labours passivity before anti-Semitic incidents risked lending force to allegations that elements of the Labour movement are institutionally anti-Semitic.

This is the second foray by Cohen on the issue, following a March 7 column titled An Anti-Semitism of the Left. But his slanders are reinforced by a number of other Times articles, including one by Dave Rich titled Anti-Semitism and the British Left and another by Kenan Malik of the libertarian Institute of Ideas, publishers of Spiked Online, which bears the headline The British Lefts Jewish Problem.

A concerted slander campaign

All such claims are a calumny against hundreds of thousands of progressive and anti-racist working people and students who have rallied behind Corbyn. In this, the New York Times has taken its place in an alliance of the Conservative Party, right-wing sections of the Labour Party and numerous Zionist groups. These forces are collaborating in a political campaign that has two aims: to discredit Corbyn in order to place the Labour Party under the firm control of its pro-NATO, pro-business right wing, and, of equal significance, to outlaw all criticism of the state of Israel and Zionism as a form of anti-Semitism. As the Socialist Equality Party warned in April:

A political amalgam has been established that equates any criticism of Israel with anti-Semitism, with the aim of charging the entire left with this crimeon the basis that all Jews identify with the state of Israel. Any criticism of the historical actions of the Zionist movement, and, above all, any equation of Israels brutal treatment of Palestinians with that suffered by Jews under fascism, is outlawed.

The discovery of Labours supposed anti-Semitism was made only after Corbyn was first elected as party leader in September 2015. Fearing the underlying oppositional sentiment expressed in the support for Corbyn, the partys right wing and the media went on a political offensiveincluding accusing Corbyn himself of being an anti-Semite due to his opposition to Israels brutal treatment of the Palestinians and his advocacy of a negotiated settlement in the Middle East involving Hamas and Hezbollah.

For the most part, this pattern has been repeated ever since. On April 27, for example, Naz Shah, Labour MP for Bradford West, was suspended from the party for the crime of retweeting a map of Israel superimposed on a map of the US so as to depict Israel as one of the US states. This image had been republished from the web site of leading historian Professor Norman Finkelstein.

One day later, Ken Livingstone, the former London mayor, who has been active in left-wing and radical causes for more than 40 years, was suspended from the Labour Party for defending Shah and stating on BBC radio, Lets remember, when Hitler won his election in 1932 [sic], his policy then was that Jews should be moved to Israel. He was supporting Zionism. [He then] went mad and ending up killing 6 million Jews.

As the World Socialist Web Site explained, [T]he worst that can be said about Livingstones comments is that he spoke with insufficient care. The statement that Hitler supported Zionism, without further qualification, is imprecise and challengeable on factual grounds. Hitler was a virulent anti-Semite, and whatever support he and his regime gave to Zionism was steeped in the most cynical political calculations and always subordinate to the Nazi leaders unwavering and pathological hatred of Jews. However, it is a matter of historical record that after Hitler came to power in 1933, significant sections of the Zionist movement in Germany sought an accommodation with the regime.

Other Labour suspensions followed, almost all related to posts made during Israels 2014 war on Gaza, during which Israels indiscriminate bombing led to the deaths of 1,462 civilians, including 551 children, out of a total death toll of 2,251 Palestinians. No mention of these crimes was made in the media outrage that followed, much of it based upon sometimes falsified material dredged up by the Conservative Party blogger Guido Fawkes.

During the latest leadership contest, which Corbyn again won, Labours sinister Compliance Unit trawled through the accounts of tens of thousands of party members. But all of this has led only to between 20 and 40 suspensions out of a party membership of half a million. The majority of these suspensions were related to criticisms of Israeli policy towards the Palestinians and statements opposing Zionism.

The anti-communist pedigree of Alan Johnson

Cohen cites approvingly Alan Johnsons term Anti-Semitic Anti-Zionism. What he does not explain is that Johnson writes in his capacity as senior research fellow at the Britain Israel Communications and Research Centre (BICOM), run by Poju Zabludowicz, a billionaire who also funds Conservative Friends of Israel.

BICOM is one of a number of Zionist organisations which, working with the Tories and the Blairite wing of the Labour Party, have been central to the campaign to portray Labour as a bedrock of left anti-Semitism. Cohens earlier March 7 article, for example, relates to the resignation of the co-chair of the Oxford University Labour Club, Alex Chalmers, who claimed his fellow members were anti-Semitic. Chalmers is a former intern with BICOM and resigned over the decision of the Labour Club to support Oxfords Israel Apartheid Week.

Another key organisation is the equally well-funded Community Security Trust (CST), in which Dave Rich is a key figure. Rich is the author of the book The Lefts Jewish Problem: Jeremy Corbyn, Israel and Antisemitism. The book is published by Biteback, part-owned by Political Holdings Ltd, which is run by billionaire former Tory Party Deputy Chairman Michael Ashcroft.

Johnsons pro-Zionist sympathies were incubated during his years as a member of the anti-Trotskyist Alliance for Workers Liberty. He went on to become a leading advocate of imperialist military intervention as co-author of the 2006 Euston Manifesto. The manifesto argued in favour of the Iraq war and occupation on the basis that socialists should align themselves with the democratic mission of the Western powers in combating Islamic fundamentalism and not espouse a blanket and simplistic anti-imperialism. It urged opposition to concealed prejudice against the Jewish people behind the formula of anti-Zionism. Johnson praises the social democratic anti-totalitarianism of Tony Blair, as well as the democracy-promotion of the US neo-cons.

In an article for the BICOM-linked journal Fathom, The Left and the Jews: Time for a Rethink, Johnson denounces a strand of distinctively left-wing hostility to Jews that takes the form of a wild, demented, unhinged form of anti-Zionism. He proclaims the guilty to be all those who claim that Zionism is racist and/or engage in what he terms Holocaust inversion, i.e., any comparison between Israel and Nazi Germanyeven in the language of intellectuals. His list of intellectuals unhinged by their anti-Zionism includes the historian Ilan Pappe, Professor Noam Chomsky, the poet Yitzhak Laor and sociologist Yehuda Shenhav.

Johnson decries the idea that the Jews could ever assimilate into European society and targets Lenin in particular for having set up the Good Jew/Bad Jew dichotomy as part of his advocacy of assimilation. The Left hoped to dissolve Jewish peoplehood in the solvent of progressive universalism, he charges. But Nazism and the Holocaust left such ideals in tatters, so that today, anti-Zionism can mean only a programme of comprehensive hostility to all but a sliver of world Jewry, a programme for the eradication of actually existing Jewish self-determination.

This insistence that Zionism is the legitimate and unchallengeable voice of the Jewish people is the broader political agenda behind the slanders directed against Corbyn and his supporters in the Labour Party. It means that any and all criticism or opposition to the state of Israelactually existing Jewish self-determinationcan be denounced as an example of disguised anti-Semitism.

The House of Commons Select Committee redefines anti-Semitism

Cohen dismisses as a whitewash the report commissioned by Corbyn and authored by Shami Chakrabarti, the former head of human rights group Liberty, which rejects claims of rampant anti-Semitism in the Labour Party.

Without citation of evidence or any independent examination, he instead declares his solidarity with an October 15 House of Commons Home Affairs Committee report into anti-Semitism, which is a hatchet job produced exclusively for factional purposes by Corbyns opponents. The report was published by a committee consisting of five Conservative MPs, one member of the Scottish National Party and two leading Labour opponents of Corbyn, Chuka Umunna and David Winnick.

In a perfunctory introduction, the report admits that the vast majority of hate crimes are directed against Muslims, the incidence of which rose by 326 percent last year. Anti-Semitic crimes that year totalled 1.4 percent of all hate crimes, of which 41 were violent incidentsa 13 percent fall. Most crimes are on social media and the report acknowledges that CST figures suggest that around three-quarters of all politically motivated anti-Semitic incidents come from far-right sources.

Having made these points, the committee gets down to its real agenda of targeting the Labour leftfaithfully reproducing every slander against Corbyns supporters and always with the intention of conflating anti-Zionism with anti-Semitism.

The main criticism made of the Chakrabarti inquiry is that it declined to provide a definition of anti-Semitism. The committee proposes to remedy this error by adopting the working definition of anti-Semitism adopted in June by the intergovernmental body, International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA).

This, it asserts, was drawn from an earlier working definition used by the European Monitoring Centre on Racism and Xenophobia (EUMC), an agency of the European Union that has been replaced by the Fundamental Rights Agency (FRA). However, Blanca Tapia of the FRA has said the document published for a period on the EUMC web site was never regarded as a valid definition and it has been pulled offline together with other non-official documents.

The IHRA definition is significant for including as examples of anti-Semitism:

* Denying the Jewish people their right to self-determination, e.g., by claiming that the existence of a state of Israel is a racist endeavour.

* Applying double standards by requiring of it behaviour not expected or demanded of any other democratic nation.

* Drawing comparisons of contemporary Israeli policy to that of the Nazis.

These same criteria should now be adopted by the UK government, according to the Home Affairs Select Committee.

The definition also declares, in giving examples of anti-Semitism: Manifestations might include the targeting of the state of Israel, conceived as a Jewish collectivity, and Accusing Jewish citizens of being more loyal to Israel, or to the alleged priorities of Jews worldwide, than to the interests of their own nations. Yet the formula now being advancedthat Zionism is integral to the Jewish faith, which is inseparable from the state of Israelplays directly into racist tropes, long the staple of fascist propaganda.

The implications of the proposed definition are so nakedly reactionary that the committee is forced to add two caveats that are supposed to ensure that freedom of speech is maintained in the context of discourse about Israel and Palestine:

* It is not anti-Semitic to criticise the government of Israel, without additional evidence to suggest anti-Semitic intent.

* It is not anti-Semitic to hold the Israeli government to the same standards as other liberal democracies, or to take a particular interest in the Israeli governments policies or actions, without additional evidence to suggest anti-Semitic intent.

This is purely for the record. The caveats are there only because the definition to be adopted is inherently an attack on free speech. Indeed, the Community Security Trust is effusive in its praise for the report. In the BICOM-linked Jewish News, Dave Rich declares it to be the new template for the fight against anti-Semitism, because it not only justifies the ongoing purge within the Labour Party, but also potentially criminalisesas hate speechcriticism of the Israeli government. This is also what recommends the report to Cohen.
25 Years Ago | 50 Years Ago | 75 Years Ago | 100 Years Ago

25 years ago: Strike wave challenges Mitterrand regime in France

This week in 1991 saw a growing strike wave shake the right-wing social democratic regime of President Francois Mitterrand and Prime Minister Edith Cresson. The explosive character of the movement in the French working class became clear in the aftermath of the attack on a nurses demonstration by the paramilitary Mobile Guard in which two nurses were injured. The Mobile Guard fired tear gas canisters into the demonstration and knocked nurses down with water cannon.

The nurses, who had been waging a national campaign of strikes and demonstrations demanding more staff, better conditions and higher wages, responded with a mass march of 40,000 in the streets of Paris.

The Cresson government was thrown into disarray. Some ministers openly criticized Interior Minister Philippe Marchand for sending in the Mobile Guard. Then, in the pay negotiations for the public services, Public Service Minister Jean-Pierre Soisson conceded pay raises of 6.5 percent, making it necessary to rework the austerity budget for 1992 promoted by Finance Minister Pierre Beregovoy until the previous day.

The governments fear was that any major strike could ignite a confrontation with the working class. After 10 years of attacks on jobs and working conditions, the right-wing social democratic regime was painfully aware that its props, the Stalinists of the French Communist Party and the trade union bureaucracies, would be hard-pressed to hold such a movement back, as their support in the working class had been largely eroded.

The pay concessions were rushed through in advance of the one-day general strike that took place on October 24. Public transport in the Paris area was the most affected by the strike, as 50 to 75 percent of the workforce walked out. However, the collapse of support for the trade union bureaucrats was shown in the small size of the demonstrations that accompanied the strike.

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50 year ago: Manila conference on Vietnam War

On October 24, 1966, talks opened in Manila between the United States, the puppet regime in Saigon and the five other countries participating in the imperialist intervention in Vietnam. It followed the conclusion of a tour by President Johnson of the major capitals in Southeast Asia.

Those sending contingents to give a multinational fig leaf to the US war of aggression were Australia, New Zealand, the Philippines and South Korea. Thailand was also represented, having opened its borders to serve as a base for US air raids.

The conference was designed as a publicity device by Johnson, who feared electoral setbacks for the Democratic Party in the upcoming November congressional elections. Philippine dictator Ferdinand Marcos, whose regime had won the favor of US imperialism by sending a token force of 2,000 engineers to aid the war effort, served as the host. General William C. Westmoreland gave a military briefing and claimed new successes for US imperialist forces, while Johnson encouraged speculation that the National Liberation Front was considering entering into peace negotiations.

Johnsons attempt to portray the war in Vietnam as an international crusade enjoying broad support throughout the world was shattered even before the conference opened, as his motorcade came under violent attack by anti-war protesters in Sydney. Police fought pitched battles with demonstrators who attempted to block the US presidents limousine. The limousine carrying Australian Prime Minister Harold Holt also came under attack. Meanwhile, Marcos caused embarrassment for the Johnson administration on the eve of the conference by proposing a temporary halt to the bombing of North Vietnam.

The meeting concluded with a six-point peace proposal stating that the US and its allies would withdraw from South Vietnam only after six months had passed from the time when the other side withdraws its forces to the North, ceases infiltration, and the level of violence thus subsides. The demand was based on the false claim, asserted by Washington to the end, that the National Liberation Front guerillas had no genuine popular basis of support in the South, and that what was in fact a revolution was supposedly communist aggression.

North Vietnam in fact could not withdraw such fighters even if it wanted to. North Vietnamese President Pham Van Dong rejected the proposal, promising it would fight until final victory against the US imperialists.

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75 years ago: US miners fight for union shop

On October 25, 1941 the United Mine Workers resumed its strike to obtain a union shop agreement for 53,000 US coal miners who worked in captive mines, after Roosevelts National Defense Mediation Board dragged out negotiations and attempted to impose binding arbitration.

The captive mines were directly owned by seven of the biggest steel makersUS Steel, Weirton, Bethlehem, Republic, Wheeling, Crucible, and Youngstown. They produced 70 percent of American steel output and 80 percent of the steel for war production.

The rest of the 400,000 members of the UMW had already won the union shop. The steel barons, Congress and the Roosevelt administration feared that the winning of a union shop in the captive mines would inspire the steelworkers to launch their own struggle against the open shop, threatening US imperialisms preparations to enter World War II.

Roosevelt issued three orders demanding the miners return to work, all of which were ignored. He then gave the green light to Congress for open-shop and no-strike legislation. The stooges of big business in Congress issued vehement denunciations of the miners and UMW President John L. Lewis. Let me finish up this Neutrality Bill before I take care of the fourth member of the Axis, said Texas Democratic senator Tom Connally.

The AFL and CIO bureaucrats, who supported Roosevelt, did not dare speak openly against the UMW. But the Stalinists of the Communist Party publicly lined up with Roosevelt, insisting that Labor has a responsibility, for its own protection and that of the nation, summarily to reject the policy of John L. Lewis.

On October 30, Lewis ended the strike and submitted to another arbitration panel that stalled for one month before ruling against the miners. Ultimately, the captive miners went on strike again, supported by sympathy strikes of tens of thousands of other UMW miners, before the steelmakers and government gave in.

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100 years ago: Australian government moves to introduce military conscription

On October 28, 1916, Australia held its first, non-binding plebiscite under the Military Service Referendum Act 1916, on the question of the governments power to conscript citizens to fight in the war overseas. Labor Prime Minister Billy Hughes called the vote as part of a broader campaign to suppress anti-war sentiment, and promote an atmosphere of militarist nationalism.

Two years after the outbreak of World War I, mounting hostility to the war was leading to a sharp fall in the number of military volunteers. Reports of massive casualties in the Battle of the Somme, which claimed an estimated 28,000 Australians, strengthened anti-war sentiment.

The plebiscite heightened class tensions and spurred the growth of anti-conscription organizations. In the run-up to the referendum, anti-conscription rallies attracted tens of thousands of people across the country. One in August at Sydneys Domain attracted over 100,000 people, about one-sixth of the citys population.

Many of the smaller rallies and meetings throughout Australia were routinely broken up by pro-war groups. Anti-conscription material was confiscated by the censor. E.E. Judd, a treasurer of the Anti-Conscription League, when forcibly removed from the platform at one demonstration, called out to the crowd, This will give you an idea of what you can expect under the dominance of a military caste.

Hughes campaign underscored the pro-war, militarist character of the Labor Party, which had been formed on the nationalist program of White Australia. Hughes was expelled from several workers organizations and senior members of the Labor government resigned. Just two months after the plebiscite the Labor Party split, with Hughes leaving and forming the National Labor party. In October, he denounced anti-conscriptionists as every enemy of Britain open and secret in our midst. They include the violent, and the lawless, the criminals who would wreck society and ruin prosperity. Will you dishonour Australia by joining their company?

On polling day, the results revealed a sharp polarization. Although voting was not compulsory, 82.75 percent of those eligible to vote cast ballots. The complete returns showed the vote for conscription to be 1,087,557 while that against was 1,160,033, a margin of only 72,746 votes.

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TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) - A weekend shooting near Florida A&M University's campus left one person dead and another hospitalized.

The Tallahassee Police Department reported that 20-year-old Quinton Langford received medical treatment at the scene of the shooting but later died.

Langford was a construction engineering technology major and president of the FAMU Student Chapter of the Associated General Contractors of America.

The other victim, Landsay Elisson, also 20, was taken to Tallahassee Memorial Hospital where he had surgery.

The shooting took place early Saturday morning at Gamble and Perry streets.

Tallahassee police said a large party was ending when someone fired shots into the crowd, injuring the students.

As the university mourns the loss of one, school officials expressed their well wishes to the families of the victims.

"Quintin was a strong student leader. We extend condolences and prayers to his family, and will keep Landsay and his family in our prayers," said FAMU's interim president Larry Robinson.

The school has now offered grief therapy for those on campus as well. TPD has asked people who were at the scene to call them at (850) 891-4200.
UPDATE (WTXL) - Florida A & M University now confirming the two victims of a weekend shooting near campus are FAMU students.

The school reports that one of the victims who was killed, Quintin Langford, was a construction engineering technology major and president of the FAMU student chapter of the Associated General Contractors of America.

FAMU's interim president Larry Robinson releasing a statement on Sunday, saying, "Quintin was a strong student leader. We extend condolences and prayers to his family, and will keep Landsay (Ellison) and his family in our prayers."

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TALLAHASSEE, FL (WTXL) - One person is dead and another injured after a shooting early Saturday morning near the Florida A&M University campus, according to Tallahassee Police.

The shooting happened in the area of Gamble Street and Perry Street, police said. That intersection runs next to FAMU Village. Police said that it appears the shooting occurred as a large party was letting out in the area and gunfire erupted in the crowd, striking the two victims.

The shooting happened around 1:15 a.m. Responders arrived at the location and found two victims that had been shot. One of the victims passed away while still on scene, said police. The other victim was taken to a local hospital for treatment.

The Tallahassee Police Department Violent Crimes Unit and the Forensic Unit have assumed the investigation. At this time they are processing evidence and interviewing all known witnesses. Anyone with information about this case is asked to call TPD at (850) 891-4200 or if they wish to remain anonymous, please call Crime Stoppers at (850) 574-TIPS

FAMU is currently celebrating its homecoming week.

Two other people where shot early this week near the campus as well. Those victims where treated for non-life threatening injuries.
KELOWNA, BC / ACCESSWIRE / October 24, 2016 / Laguna Blends Inc. (CSE:LAG) (LAGBF) (Frankfurt: LB6A.F) (the "Company" or "Laguna") announces its European sales, marketing and distribution strategy to penetrate the European market. Laguna intends to enter the multibillion dollar bottled water and skin care market in Europe by joint venture and/or licensing opportunities.

Laguna is working with a German based consulting group ("Consultants") that are connected to some of Europe's largest retail chains and home shopping networks.

Laguna intends Germany to be the first market in which it will launch its Cannabidiol (CBD) products and then plans to subsequently expand into the rest of Europe. CBD is legal in Germany and this provides Laguna with an incredible market opportunity. Germany has a population of 80.6 million people.

Laguna has the exclusive distribution rights for Germany for both Carlsbad CBD Water and CannaCeuticals CBD Skin Care Products.

Mr. Troy Nihart, COO of Carlsbad Naturals said, "We have established a strategic alignment between Laguna Blends and Carlsbad Naturals. Laguna is connected into the European market place where the demand for CBD products is very bullish. We have an opportunity to be a dominate player in the specialty bottled water Industry in Europe. This partnership between Companies opens up the gateway for enormous opportunity in our planned European expansion."

Mr. Stuart Gray, Laguna's CEO said, "With the growing awareness and market demand of CBD worldwide, Laguna is positioning itself to be a market leader in the sale of CBD bottled water and Cannaceuticals, CBD Skin Care products. Laguna can penetrate the European market with our established relationships in the Country. Germany has one of the world's top business environments and we look forward to the opportunities that are currently presenting themselves."

Mr. Ray Grimm, Laguna's President stated, "This partnership along with our German contacts, will give us an extremely strong foothold into Europe. Obviously when you receive a 100% improvement with a skin care product you have a home run product with the proven science and clinical data to back that up." Mr. Ray Grimm went on to say, "The team of Doctors that formulated the Carlsbad CBD water did so with the sole purpose of creating a high alkaline water offering the benefits of CBD. Many believe this to be the next evolution in the water industry, providing unique health benefits due to the proprietary nanotechnology. Carlsbad CBD water provides antioxidants at the cellular level along with providing cellular hydration and energy."

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The Consultants will produce and distribute all the necessary marketing related materials and negotiate wholesale, licensing and or joint venture business opportunities with retail and home shopping networks on behalf of Laguna. Laguna has paid $228,000 CDN in consulting and marketing fees in shares at a deemed price of $0.38 per share.

CannaCeuticals (Canna), skin care products are a Swiss heritage brand utilizing cosmeceutical-grade cannabidiol (CBD) for its line of revolutionary products. In a recent study of Canna's CBD face serum, test subjects reported an unprecedented 100% overall improvement to the appearance of skin within two weeks. Additionally, more than 80% of test subjects said they would purchase the Canna serum product if it was available for purchase.

Laguna recently announced a Letter of Intent with Carlsbad Naturals CBD Bottled Water Company ("Carlsbad Naturals") to Acquire up to 60% Equity Interest. The first 19% will be acquired upon successful completion of a definitive agreement with an option to acquire an additional 41% of the Company in a Transaction Valued at $1.8 MM USD.

Carlsbad Naturals is a market leader in the distribution and sales of nano-amplified CBD bottled water in the USA. The Company has a proprietary process of incorporating CBD into its formulation. Carlsbad Naturals has achieved unaudited U.S. sales in excess of $500,000 US in its first year of business as at August 31, 2016.

About Carlsbad Naturals CBD Bottled Water Company:

Created by a team of doctors, Carlsbad Naturals brings cutting edge science to deliver nutrients and hydration in an effective way, naturally and responsibly. Applying quantum physics, our nanotechnology successfully increases the surface area of each substance we put in our water, so that less is much more.

Carlsbad Naturals is a market leader in the distribution and sales of CBD Water. With its unique and proprietary way of infusing CBD's though nanotechnology Carlsbad is poised to remain the market leader.

We at Carlsbad Naturals are committed to providing the highest quality products for our customers. For more information about Carlsbad Naturals, go to www.cbdnaturals.com

CannaCeuticals, CBD Skin Care Products:

"CannaCeuticals" Swiss heritage is at the core of Canna's revolutionary skincare products. It's pure, cosmeceutical-grade CBD extract hails from the crisp, clean air of Switzerland, but Canna's heritage goes much further than that. Swiss culture is known for its precision and perfectionism, and CannaCeuticals radiates that same standard in every formula it produces. Canna's team of formulators are made up of chemists and product developers that analyze every detail, sourcing ingredients from all ends of the earth to create the most balanced, highly efficacious, anti-aging CBD skincare products in the world.

CannaCeuticals CBD7 anti-aging skincare products incorporate cannabidiol (CBD), a superior antioxidant and a potential anti-inflammatory agent, both of which are significant in anti-aging. Canna's Swiss heritage influences a sense of unity in its products, and it combines CBD with other essential anti-aging ingredients to create formulas that pack a powerful punch.

Clinical trials were conducted by BioScreen Testing Services, Inc., a third-party FDA approved lab located in the USA. The test subjects that used the Cannaceutical facial serum noticed a 100% overall improvement of the skin appearance within a two-week period.

Laguna has signed a distribution agreement with ISO International, LLC, a transaction under which Laguna has acquired the exclusive right to market, promote and distribute seven CBD skin care products of CannaCeuticals of California, USA ("Canna").

https://cbdskincream.com/

What is Cannabidiol:

Cannabidiol (CBD) is a non-psychoactive cannabinoid found in abundance in the hemp plant. Hemp genetics are naturally rich in cannabidiol as well as other non-psychoactive cannabinoids and phytochemicals. Cannabidiol, and all the other cannabinoids in the cannabis plant, were patented by the United States Government in 2003 as neuroprotectants and antioxidants.

About Laguna Blends Inc.:

Laguna is a marketing company that generates retail sales through independent affiliates. Affiliates market Laguna's products on an online platform in the USA and Canada. In addition, Laguna is seeking joint ventures, acquisitions and wholesale distribution opportunities in the hemp and CBD industry. Laguna is planning an aggressive international expansion into Asia and Europe in 2017. Laguna offers both hemp and CBD products.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD

"Stuart Gray"

Chief Executive Officer

CORPORATE COMMUNICATIONS:

Howe & Bay

Suite 600 - 535 Howe St.

Vancouver BC

V6C 2Z4

1.604.449.5302

COMPANY:

Laguna Blends

ir@lagunablends.com

www.lagunablends.com

https://cbdskincream.com/

Join Us On Face Book: https://www.facebook.com/LagunaBlends/

Twitter: @LagunaBlends

Forward-Looking Information:

This news release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities laws relating to statements regarding the Company's business, products and future the Company's business, its product offerings and plans for sales and marketing. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in the forward looking information are reasonable, there can be no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. Readers are cautioned to not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. Such forward looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results, performance and developments to differ materially from those contemplated by these statements depending on, among other things, the risks that the Company's products and plan will vary from those stated in this news release and the Company may not be able to carry out its business plans as expected. Except as required by law, the Company expressly disclaims any obligation, and does not intend, to update any forward looking statements or forward-looking information in this news release. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in the forward looking information are reasonable, there can be no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct and makes no reference to profitability based on sales reported. The statements in this news release are made as of the date of this release. None of the statements contained in this news release are health claims and the FDA has not evaluated these claims. Laguna's products and proposed products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

SOURCE: Laguna Blends Inc.
Chinese economy stabilizes, heralding global economic recovery The gross domestic product (GDP) of China grew 6.7 percent in the third quarter of 2016 on a year-on-year basis, steady from the first two quarters.

China driving force behind New Development Bank: bank's chief China was a strong driving force behind the setting up of the New Development Bank, K. V. Kamath, president of the bank, told Xinhua in an exclusive interview.
FILE - In this Sept. 15, 2015 file photo, lead grower Dave Wilson cares for marijuana plants in the "Flower Room" at the Ataraxia medical marijuana cultivation center in Albion, Ill. (AP Photo/Seth Perlman, File)
YAKIMA, Wash. -- A former employee of one of the countrys largest contractors of foreign guest farm workers  including those now working in 
YAKIMA, Wash.  Two Wapato officers did not violate police department policies when they responded to a July incident that ended with the fata
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In the last trading session, U.S. stocks were mixed as speculation of a Fed rate hike by this year-end was compensated somewhat by some strong earnings released recently. Among the top ETFs, investors saw SPY gain about 0.05%, DIA shed about 0.07%and QQQ retreat about 0.4% on the day.

Two more specialized ETFs are worth noting in particular though as both saw trading volume that was far outside of normal. In fact, in the most recent trading session, both these funds experienced volume levels that were more than double their average. This could make these ETFs the ones to watch out for in the days ahead to see if this trend of extra interest continues:

PBS: Volume 6.93 times average

This U.S. media ETF was in focus on Friday as roughly 114,000 shares moved hands compared with an average of roughly 16,450 shares. PBS gained about 0.8% on the day.

The news that the telecom biggie AT&T will acquire the media behemoth Time Warner in a $85.4-billion deal, boosted the Time Warner stock and this media ETF. In the last one-month period, PBS was down over 1%.

ERUS: Volume 4.11 times average

This Russia ETF was under the microscope on Friday as nearly 1.68 million shares moved hands. This compares to an average trading volume of 409,650 shares and came as ERUS lost about 0.07% in the session.

The fund has about half of its exposure in the energy sector. And with all the informal discussion going on about the possibility of an oil output cut among the major oil producers, this Russia ETF was probably on radar. In the last one-month period, ERUS was down over 0.5%.

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The IDF announced that the Israeli Air Force attacked terror infrastructure belonging to Hamas in the northern area of the Gaza Strip following rocket fire from the Hamas-controlled enclave.

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The rocket fire, which occurred early Monday morning at the start of the Simchat Torah holiday, was in the direction of the Sha'ar Hanegev Regional Council and prompted Code Red sirens to sound in the area.

Photo: IDF Spokesperson's Unit

Hamas rocket fire ( :   )

X

Following a search, the IDF Spokesperson's Unit announced that the rocket had not fallen in Israeli territory and most likely fell within the Gaza Strip. Furthermore, the IDF noted that it holds the Hamas terrorist organization solely responsible for actions in the Gaza Strip.

The holiday season has largely been quiet near the Gaza Strip, despite several rockets and subsequent retaliatory responses by the IDF in the weeks leading up to the holidays. Three weeks ago, a Qassam rocket exploded on a road near a school in Sderot. Three people were treated for shock. The IDF responded by striking at dozens of targets in the Gaza Strip, among them Hamas strategic assets. A similar incident occurred in August, drawing retaliatory strikes following rocket fire toward Sderot.

IDF airstrike in Gaza in retaliation to rocket attack

This is the fourth rocket to fall in Sderot and the 42nd to be fired since the end of Operation Protective Edge two years ago. In most cases, rogue elements within in the Gaza Strip, some of whom identify with ISIS, were responsible for the rocket fire. This is in contradiction to Hamas, which largely attempts to maintain quiet in order to prepare for the next confrontation against the IDF.
NEW DELHI -- Security forces were hunting through forests in southeast India for Maoist rebels after a fierce gunfight left 21 rebels dead and two policemen wounded.

The gunfight broke out late Sunday after police received a tip that 60 Maoist rebels were gathered in forests on the border of Odisha and Andhra Pradesh states, said a police officer speaking on customary condition of anonymity.

The gunfight lasted an hour before the rebels scattered into the dense forests. At daybreak Monday, police and paramilitary soldiers launched a search for them, he said.

The rebels, who say they're inspired by Chinese revolutionary leader Mao Zedong, have been fighting for more than five decades to demand rights and jobs for the poor.
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said on Sunday the choice offered to voters in the US presidential election was between "bad and worse" and that harsh exchanges in the debates pointed to a lack of morality in America, Tehran's arch adversary.

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"America claims it has more than 200 years of democracy, and they have had 50 presidential elections, but there is no morality in that country," Rouhani said in a speech, carried live by state television.

Hassan Rouhani (Photo: EPA)

"You saw the presidential debates, how they talk..., how they accuse and mock," Rouhani told a crowd gathered at a stadium during his visit to the central city of Arak.

Rouhani said a head of state had asked him during his visit to the United Nations in September about who he preferred between Republican candidate Donald Trump and his Democratic rival Hillary Clinton.

"I said should I prefer bad over worse or worse over bad?," said Rouhani, a pragmatist politician and cleric who may run for reelection in Iran's presidential polls in May 2017.

He did not say to which candidate his descriptions referred.
BAGHDAD -- The US-led military coalition says it has "definitively determined" that it did not conduct an alleged airstrike in the Iraqi town of Daquq that killed civilians last week during the battles for Mosul.

Col. John Dorrian, a US military spokesman, said on Monday that the coalition had notified the Iraqi government of its findings and that Baghdad was carrying out an investigation.

Human Rights Watch has also called for an investigation into the attack, which happened on Friday and which the New York-based group says targeted the women's section of a Shiite mosque in Daquq, killing more than a dozen people.

Daquq Mayor Amir Khodakram told The Associated Press on Saturday that the airstrike killed at least 17 civilians. He said it wasn't clear who carried out the strike. HRW says residents believed it was an airstrike because of the extent of destruction and the sound of planes overhead.
PYONGYANG -- North Korea is lashing out at UN attempts to impose new sanctions following its latest nuclear test in September.

North Korean officials in Pyongyang said Monday that sanctions targeting the country's nuclear and missile tests are "criminal documents" and accused the United States of orchestrating condemnation of the North at the UN.

North Korea's mission to the UN issued a similar statement late last week that was also carried by the North's state media on Monday.

North Korea insists it will continue its development of nuclear weapons and missiles to deliver them, saying it wants a nuclear deterrent.
BAGHDAD -- The US-led coalition says airstrikes destroyed five ISIS vehicles and killed a "significant" number of militants amid coalition efforts to help Iraqi forces repel an attack on the western town of Rutba.

Col. John Dorrian, a spokesman for the coalition, said on Monday that ISIS fighters had infiltrated the town in the latest in a series of "spoiler attacks" to divert attention from the northern city of Mosul, where Iraq is conducting a wide-scale offensive.

He says the Iraqi forces "responded and continue attacking the enemy with coalition air support," adding that "operations are ongoing."

Iraqi Brig. Gen. Yahya Rasool, the spokesman for the Joint Military Command, says ISIS attacked Rutba on Sunday, but that the situation there "is completely under control," and ISIS militants have no presence inside the town.

The ISIS-run Aamaq news agency posted a video online that it said showed fighters attacking a military position on Sunday north of Rutba, which is hundreds of kilometers from Mosul, in the western Anbar province.
Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman told a Palestinian newspaper in an interview published Monday that while Israel has no desire to return to Gaza or conquer it, "if they force a new war on usit will be Hamas' last because we will completely destroy them."

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The interview with Al-Qudsthe most popular Palestinian daily West Bank and east Jerusalemsparked outrage on Palestinian social media.

Lieberman in his interview with Al-Quds

Lieberman outlined an alternative reality for Gaza citizens in which the Gaza-Israel border can be a source of development and prosperity, which can create thousands of new jobs.

"There are extremely radical elements in the Gaza Strip who have the destruction of Israel at the top of their priorities," Lieberman noted. "But I want to be clear: if they make the decision to stop digging tunnels, smuggling arms and firing rockets at us, we will be the first investors in the rehabilitation of the Gaza Strip. We will be the first to invest in a maritime trading port, an airport and an industrial zone. Gaza could one day be the new Hong Kong or Singapore. Hamas invests more than NIS 100 million in military infrastructure instead of in health and education."

Regarding the issue of Palestinian statehood, Lieberman said, "I recognize the two-state solution and I support it, but I think the problem lies with the Palestinian leadership and not Israel. I feel the right principle is not land for peace. I prefer and exchange of territory and population. I do not understand why we need Umm al-Fahm. (Its residents) recognize themselves as Palestinian and do not recognize Israel as a Jewish state. I am referring to (leader of the northern branch of the Islamic Movement) Sheikh Raed Salah and others that see themselves as Palestinianso please, be part of the Palestinian state."

Ra'ad Salach at protest in Umm al-Fahm (Photo: AFP)

Lieberman further went on to state that he believes that large settlement blocs such as Ma'ale Adumim, Givat Ze'ev, Gush Etzion and Ariel will be part of Israel in the event of an agreement with the Palestinians.

In regards to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, Lieberman said, "The problem is not with Jerusalem or extremism. The problem lies with Abbas refusing to sign a final agreement. An agreement of this type requires another person who is capable of making the tough decision concerning the Arab world, the Palestinians and even Jerusalem. I imagine the final agreement will be like an earthquake because it will open a new page in our relations with the Middle East and the Arab world. Abbas does not have the ability to market his goods to the people."

Mahmoud Abbas (Photo: Reuters)

According to Lieberman, the thing that bothers most average Palestinian citizens is the corruption in the Palestinian Authority. "When was the last time Abbas visited Nablus or Tulkarm? He hasn't been there for a decade, but he has been in London, Paris, New York and Moscow. He is the Palestinian president, but he would surely lose in elections, no doubt."

When asked who Lieberman thought could replace Abbas, he avoided answering the question directly, but made it clear that there are those who are capable of replacing Abbas.
The 2017 Vladimir Putin calendar was released in Russia, with flattering pictures of the leader accompanied by selected quotes. Fans of the president can now enjoy him every day for 12 months while admiring pictures of him smiling warmly, hugging cats and showing off his rugged, outdoorsy side.

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"A year with the President of Russia"

January: "For Christmas I wish the Orthodox Christians joy, peace and success in their good deeds! This holiday brings us joy and raises our thoughts and feelings to happiness!"

February: "It is important that parents devote their lives to their children, to give their children a part of their soul."

March: "My kitten and I loved each other instantly. I love animals and there is no doubt they feel it!"

April: "I spent the day walking. I walked almost nine kilometers in the mountains and I still hurt all over!"

May: "It is our duty to cherish the memories of the fallen of the Great Patriotic War and to care for the warriors who survived."

June: "Going on vacation in Russia should be something comfortable, interesting and inexpensive!"

July: "Humanity would be interested to know that we have such natural treasures! I think people will come from all over the world!"

August: "You cannot live without bread. It is right to say, bread is the source of life. That is how it was, how it is now, and certainly how it will always be."

September: "The feeling is very interesting and the adrenaline is flowing! The birds were following me left and right, they are beautiful!"

October: "To inspire people to love Russia. In this sentence there is the desire to discover the beauty and diversity, and to present it to the Russian people and the entire world."

November: "The challenge is to create an army capable of guarding Russia's sovereignty, its alliances and lasting peace."

December: "Dear friends! Soon we will have a new year. This magnificent point between the past and future is known to us since childhood. We wait for it with happiness, hope and excitement!"
BAGHDAD -- Iran says Turkey should get permission from Iraq's government to participate in the operation to take back Mosul from the Islamic State group -- a statement with which Tehran waded into a dispute over the presence of Turkish troops in northern Iraq.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Ghasemi said on Monday that "it is not acceptable at all if a country, under the pretext of combating terrorism or any other crimes, tries to violate the sovereignty" of another country.

Some 500 Turkish troops stationed at a base near Mosul are training Iraqi Sunni and Kurdish forces that are taking part in the offensive, which began a week ago.

The Shiite-led government in Baghdad says the Turks are there without permission and has ordered them out. Turkey has refused, insisting it play a role in the offensive to retake Mosul, a Sunni-majority city. Shiite-majority Iran is a close ally of the Baghdad government.
ISLAMABAD (AP) -- A cross-border exchange of fire in the disputed region of Kashmir killed a soldier and three civilians, Pakistan and India said Monday, trading accusations over the latest shooting incident.

Pakistan said "unprovoked" firing from the Indian side killed a villager and a year-and-a-half-old child. India said the shooting killed one if its soldiers and a 6-year-old boy.

The firing, which began overnight and continued into the morning hours, came from three sectors near the Sialkot district and also wounded seven other villagers, the Pakistani army said in a statement. It added that the Pakistani paramilitary troops were responding to the atta
BANGUI- Three people were killed and six wounded in Central African Republic's capital Bangui on Monday when UN peacekeepers exchanged fire during a protest against the UN mission, the local Red Cross said.

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The dead and wounded were among hundreds of protesters gathered to call for the UN troops to leave the country, Antoine Mbao-Bogo, president of the CAR Red Cross, said.

A Reuters witness saw protesters, carrying anti-UN posters, throwing stones and shouting at the troops who responded with warning shots. There was then an exchange of gunfire between the troops and men who were allegedly armed near the crowd.

Crowds gathered near a major roundabout, carrying anti-UN posters, throwing stones and shouting at their troops who responded with warning shots, a Reuters witness said.

A refugee camp in the Central African Republic (Photo: AFP)

Central African Republic has been in chaos since early 2013 when fighting between mostly Muslim Seleka rebels and anti-Balaka Christian militias prompted the establishment of the MINUSCA mission a year later.

Criticism of the 13,000-strong mission has mounted in recent weeks with local people accusing the peacekeepers of not doing enough to protect them. Civil society groups called for a general strike on Monday to pressure the mission to leave.

"We have seen that their mission has no use and it's just better that they leave," said IT engineer Didier Fabrice Balandegue as gunfire rang out in the background.

MINUSCA has been dogged by dozens of allegations of sexual abuse against the peacekeepers for raping children, thus prompting a broad UN inquiry. Chadian troops within the mission were also accused in 2014 of killing 30 civilians in a crowded market, prompting the withdrawal of its troops.

Spokesman for MINUSCA Herve Verhoosel said a brief firefight broke out in the morning when a UN patrol was fired at by unidentified armed men.

"There were other cases where we fired warning shots and removed barricades," he said by telephone, adding that he was not aware of any casualties. The streets are now calm, he said.

The civil society groups launched a petition last week calling for MINUSCA's departure and the rearming of the national armed forces, currently subject to an arms embargo.

UN aird plane at a refugee camp in Central African Republic (Photo: AFP)



Most residents in the city of 1 million people heeded the call not to go work on Monday and many shops were shut and taxis were in short supply.

This month 30 people were killed and dozens wounded during an attack on refugees by Seleka forces, although violence in the capital in recent months has been rare.
JOHANNESBURG- South Africa's main opposition party says the government's decision to withdraw from the International Criminal Court is illegal and is asking the country's highest court to review the matter.

The Democratic Alliance party said Monday that the government acted unconstitutionally because it announced plans to withdraw from the human rights tribunal based in The Hague, Netherlands, without consulting the South African parliament. The party has filed an affidavit asking the Constitutional Court to hear its case.

Last week, South Africa notified the United Nations of its plans to pull out of the court after supporting its creation in 2002. The South African justice minister says a withdrawal bill will soon go to parliament, where the ruling party has a comfortable majority.
On October 24, 1946, a V-2 rocket that the United States took from Nazi Germany after World War II was launched into space from New Mexico. On the rocket was a 35 mm camera that took a photograph every 1  seconds. After a few minutes, the rocket that had threatened Britain during the war crashed in the desert. The camera didn't survive its trip, but its film did. And that's how the first pictures of Earth from space were taken.

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Fred Rulli was one of those who retrieved the rocket after it crash landed on Earth. He said that on discovering that the compartment that held the film was undamaged, the scientists" were jumping up and down like kids," he told Air & Space magazine. He continued that on viewing the photographs for the first time, "the scientists just went nuts."

First photograph of Earth from 1946 (Photo: NASA)

Clyde Holliday was the man who developed the camera for the first time, which had ascended to an altitude of 105 kilometers. The engineer later developed the camera that photographed Earth from a distance of 30,000 kilometers and the camera that famously photographed the planet in 1972 from Apollo 17.

On April 12, 1961, Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gargarin became the first human in space. Less than a month later, American astronaut Alan Shepard became the second. Shepard said that he saw some of the US from his Freedom 7 space capsule, and he photographed the view.

Photograph from Freedom 7 (Photo: NASA)

In the beginning of June 1965, again following another USSR cosmonaut, US astronaut Ed White became the first American to conduct a spacewalk. The commander of the Gemini 4 mission, James McDivitt, took a picture for posterity.





(Photo: NASA)

Despite having lost out on being the first human to walk on the moon to Neil Armstrong, American astronaut Buzz Aldrin holds the distinction of having taken the "first selfie in space" in 1966. Visiting Israel a year ago to take part in the 66th International Astronautical Congress in Jerusalem, Aldrin explained that it was via playing with the ultraviolet camera that the crew of Gemini 12 found that they could take a selfie. Aldrin photographed himself on a spacewalk with Earth visible behind him.





Buzz Aldrin (R) in Jerusalem in October 2015 (Photo: NASA)

Photos from the moon

On August 23, 1966, the first photograph of Earth from the moon was taken, photographed by Lunar Orbiter 1, an unmanned robotic American spacecraft.





Just under three years later, Apollo 11 landed on the moon in July 1969, achieving the first American victory in a space-race battle against the USSR. Thus the world received its first view of itself from its natural satellite.





On an earlier mission at the end of 1968, Apollo 8, took a photograph of the planet with only a small portion hidden in darkness.





The most famous photograph of the planet was to come from Apollo 17 in December 1972 and is titled "The Blue Marble." While NASA credits the entire crew for the photograph, it is believed that Jack Schmitt was actually the photographer.

Whilst Africa takes up most of the photograph, the topmost, cloud-free section shows the Middle East.





(Photo: NASA)

Another picture from Apollo 17, NASA's final mission of the Apollo program, was taken of Commander Eugene Cernan holding an American flag on the moon with Earth a small dot in the background. Schmitt also took this photograph.







(Photo: NASA)

Another picture that reverses the perspective of the moon and Earth from Apollo 17 shows the planet peaking over the lunar horizon.

In December 2015, NASA released a new photograph of the planet from the moon, photographed by the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter. Africa also features largely in that picture.

NASA released a picture in 2014 of the Earth and the moon as taken from the Mars rover Curiosity.





In 1981, nine years after abandoning manned missions to the moon, NASA launched the space shuttle Columbia into space. It orbited the planet 37 times in its first trip. Some photographs from the space shuttle program follow.

Astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS) provide some of the incredible photographs nowadays of our planet. The American Scott Kelly has been especially prolific in photographing, including pictures of Israel.





The Nile River and Israel (Photo: Scott Kelly)

Israel and the Sinai Peninsula (Photo: Scott Kelly)

Sahara Desert (Photo: Scott Kelly)

Flower grown aboard the ISS (Photo: Scott Kelly)

US flag aboard ISS (Photo: Scott Kelly)

Kelly's replacement on the ISS, Jeff Williams , who broke the record for stay in space for an American astronaut, also didn't miss the land of Israel in his snapshots. "Every time we pass over, I have been fascinated with this view considering it contains the vast majority of Biblical history. My fathera high school history teachergave me a love and appreciation for history, and I have a special appreciation for that history, Williams wrote on his Facebook account.

The land of the Bible from space (Photo: Jeff Williams)

Williams also took pictures that don't include Israel.





Himalayan Mountains (Photo: Jeff Williams)

Istanbul (Photo: Jeff Williams)

Suez Canal (Photo: Jeff Williams)

Florida (Photo: Jeff Williams)

To end, below are some photographs taken from the ISS over the past month.





Israel and the region at night (Photo: NASA)
Seven months after its launch, the IDF Officer Training School's "female cadet pilot program" is reaching its conclusion. In the coming days, the first combat officers' course participating in the programwhich features each female cadet being placed among a group of male peerswill conclude.

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In recent years, which saw female squad commanders from mixed-gender units start to train as officers, female cadets would be placed together in training teams so that they would be able to provide moral support for each other. However, this class of eight female cadets (a record high for the IDF) saw each female officer candidate placed in a training squad that was otherwise all-male.

The IDF's newest female combat officers (Photo: IDF Spokesperson)

Second Lt. Noam Yitzhaki, 21, is set to officially complete the course this week and will command a Caracal (an IDF combat infantry battalion in which women and men serve alongside each other) platoon stationed near the Egyptian border. "They wanted to place the female cadets in another place (mentally)," she says. "It led me to not give up. I learned a lot from the cadets around me professionally, and they learned from me. There were cadets with me from 669 (the IAF's special forces search and rescue unit), the Paratroopers, and the Nahal's (an infantry brigade) reconnaissance battalion.

"This new method led to more being brought out of us as female cadets; it was interesting to work with a crew of male cadets. At night, or in the bathroom, of course there was separation and territorial boundaries. During drills in the field in which they were next to me, I felt like my brother was next to meas far as I was concerned they were my brothers and fellows in arms. No one belittled me."

Yitzhaki said she hardly received any unusual treatment during the course. She spoke of lugging about Israeli-made gun that is quite a bit heavier and more cumbersome than the standard-issue M-16 assault rifle, saying, "Like everyone else, I did all of the drills and the rough final weeks, carried and operated the Negev machine gun, went through the 40 kilometer navigation, the urban and open area combat drills."

Refeerring to a standard IDF fitness test in which a soldier's ability to do push-ups and sit-ups during one minute and run two kilometerswith breaks between each stageis measured, she added, "The only difference was in the fitness tests, such as the Bar Or, in which female fighters receive a little more time than male fighters."

The IDF General Staff. No women since the departure of Maj. Gen. Barbivai. (Photo: IDF Spokesperson)

Another cadet, 2nd Lt. Ronny Avital, 21, was at first placed as the only woman among a group of men, some of whom are religious. Some religious Jewish people avoid touching non-family members of the opposite sex. Even though there were difficulties at first, she and her religious male friends managed to pass the course together, even during weeks in the field, where physical proximity was necessary.

"There was cross pollination, I didnt feel at a disadvantage next to the rest of the cadets," Avital said. "Everyone treated me respectfully and equally. For the first time, I got to work with religious men, and that was a positive experience. I wouldn't carry someone who desired to preserve a distance, and we learned with time what was permitted and what was not. It's a fact that it's possible, you just talk about what' bothering you and get along."

Even though the number of female combatants in the IDF has grown, evidenced by the opening of two more mixed-gender infantry battalions guarding the country's borders (with a fourth on its way), women still make up a small portion of the IDF's fighters and high-ranking officers.

Ever since the first female major general in IDF history, former Head of the Manpower Directorate Orna Barbivai, left the military, there hasn't been another woman to reach that rank. The few female brigadier generals reached that rank due to it being paired with their role (such as the chief of staff's adviser for women's matters) or are carrying brevet ranks (meaning their ranks are there for representative purposes, but do not carry the same authority or pay of the actual rank). Among combatants, women still comprise just 7 percent, although their share is on the rise.

Over 90 percent of IDF roles are open to women. In the Judea and Samaria Division, seeing female fighters participating inand leadingarrest operations against wanted persons has become routine. During the latest terrorism wave, more than a few female fighters have been at the forefront. Nonetheless, there has not been a massive flow of women to all available combat-related positions and roles.

The number of female combatants in the IDF is on the rise. (Photo: Roee Idan)

"In my view, the manly image of fighting in women's minds distances girls from wanting to be fighters," said Avital. "It doesn't have to do with the commitment to a period of service that's the same as male servicemen." A standard term of service for non-officer women in the IDF is two years, compared to three years for men. She continued, "Among my female friends I'm the only one who enlisted for combat duty, and after my friends were discharged and heard of my service, they said, 'We wish we had the courage and will that you do to serve as a fighter.'"

All in all, the IDF is encouraged by the trend of women's integration in main roles. This year saw a record number of female colonels in the military's ranks28 at the start of 2016, joined by four more so far. Twenty-three percent of the IDF's technical staff are women, as opposed to single-digit percentages in the past. In addition, the IDF now has about 3,000 female combatantstwice the number of five years prior. A parallel decline of 1,500 female soldiers serving as clerks has occurred in the same time period.

Avital did not start out as a fighter, but insisted on transferring to the new mixed-gender Lions of Jordan Battalion. Like fighters in Caracal, she will not cross the border in Israel's next war, a "privilege" left to other units, which are still only open to men. "I wont 'have the honor of entering' in the next war, but one day it'll happen I think, because its a process. We'll get there."
A member of the Hamas military wing was killed in a tunnel collapse east of Rafah in Gaza on Monday. Another Hamas terrorist was killed on Sunday due to a tunnel collapse close to the border with Israel.

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Hamas has released little information regarding the collapses.

The tunnel collapse came just hours after Israeli residents of Gaza border communities woke up to Red Alert sirens from a rocket fired from Gaza. The IDF then retaliated with airstrikes on Gaza.

Hamas terrorists in a tunnel in Gaza (Photo: Reuters)

The IDF explained that it views Hamas as responsible for all projectiles emanating from the Gaza Strip.

Hamas also tested a long-range missile on Sunday, shooting the rocket into the sea.

Hamas long range missile test (Photo: Southern agencies)

Meanwhile, Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman told a Palestinian newspaper in an interview published Monday that, while Israel has no desire to return to Gaza or conquer it, "if they force a new war on usit will be Hamas's last because we will completely destroy them."

"There are extremely radical elements in the Gaza Strip who have the destruction of Israel at the top of their priorities," Lieberman noted. "But I want to be clear: if they make the decision to stop digging tunnels, smuggling arms and firing rockets at us, we will be the first investors in the rehabilitation of the Gaza Strip. We will be the first to invest in a maritime trading port, an airport and an industrial zone. Gaza could one day be the new Hong Kong or Singapore. Hamas invests more than NIS 100 million in military infrastructure instead of in health and education."
YANGON- Hundreds of Myanmar's Rohingya villagers are facing a second night hiding in rice fields without shelter, after the army on Sunday forcibly removed them from a village in a crackdown following attacks on border security forces.

Four Rohingya sources contacted by Reuters by telephone, said border guard officers went to Kyee Kan Pyin village on Sunday and ordered about 2,000 villagers to abandon it, giving them just enough time to collect basic household items.

The move marks an escalation in violence which has destabilised Myanmar's most volatile state located in the remote northwest. In Rakhine, relations between the Rohingya and majority Buddhists have hit their lowest point since hundreds of people were killed and thousands displaced in ethnic and religious violence in 2012.

The government, led by Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi, has said the army and police in Rakhine are fighting a group of at least 400 insurgents, drawn from the Rohingya Muslim minority, with links to Islamist militants overseas.
SOFIA - The main opposition contender in Bulgaria's presidential election vowed on Monday to seek better relations with Russia and a lifting of European Union sanctions against Moscow that he called harmful to both sides.

Rumen Radev, a former air force commander, also said in an interview with Reuters that he would pursue a balanced foreign policy taking into account Bulgaria's membership in NATO and the EU but based on national interest.

Radev is the closest rival to Tsetska Tsacheva, the candidate of the ruling centre-right GERB party in the Nov. 6 vote. Analysts say the Black Sea state's next president will most likely emerge from a close run-off between them.

"Bulgaria is a member of NATO and the EU, this is our strategic choice which has no alternative, but we should not look on Russia as an enemy," said Radev, whose Socialist Party (BSP) is the largest opposition force in Bulgaria.
Monday marked the end of a roughly three-week period of intense activity is Israel's various travel attractions, with millions of Israelis taking some vacation time during the Tishrei holiday period.

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The Israel Nature and Parks Authority (INPA) reported over a million people visiting the country's various parks and nature reserves during the past week. The Jewish National Fund (JNF, also known as Keren Kayemet Leyisrael or Kakal) reported that about 850,000 people visited Israel's forests and parks during the Sukkot holiday.

The clean Sea of Galilee beaches (:  )

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Some of the most popular attractions during Sukkot were the Caesarea Maritima national park, the Eilat coral reef, Masada, Yarkon National Park, Beit Guvrin National Park, and the Ein Gedi nature reserve.

The JNF reported that during the holiday, thousands of cyclists used bike paths in forests. About 42,000 people visited the Hula valley lake, which is currently being visited by migrating cranes.

(Photo: Idan Arbeli)

(Photo: Idan Arbeli)

(Photo: Idan Arbeli)





(Photo: Idan Arbeli)

(Photo: Idan Arbeli)

In sanctioned beaches, various promotional campaigns were held in order to encourage tourists to clean the area. One of them offered people free parking if they filled three garbage bags with litter.
Citizens across central Israel reported seeing a ball of fire streak across the sky.

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Dr. Igal Patel, director of the Givatayim Observatory, explained that it seems that the great ball of fire in the sky was actually an American military transport C-17 airplane flying at 35,000 feet.

Fireball which turned out to be a US military transport aircraft (Photo: Orna Maltinsky)

Fireball above central Israel (Photo: Dana Rokach)

Fireball above central Israel (Photo: Vered Bluestein)

"It seems that the sun's rays combined with exhaust coming from the plane's engine, causing the plane to seem to be a ball of orange fire," Patel said.

A witness told Ynet "I saw a giant orange light  something which looked like a giant missile or a meteor. It was far away and didn't look like a plane. Also, it looked like the ball of fire was falling out of the sky. It was strange, and I have no idea what it could have been.
CARACAS- Pope Francis has met with President Nicolas Maduro, the Vatican confirmed Monday.

The Vatican said the pope wanted to continue offering his help in resolving the problems afflicting Venezuela in hopes of creating greater trust among opposing parties.

According to a Vatican statement, the pope urged Maduro to courageously take the path of "sincere and constructive dialogue" to alleviate the suffering of the Venezuelan people, above all the poor. He urged Maduro to promote a climate of renewed social cohesion that would allow everyone to look to the future with hope.

Venezuela's Information Minister Ernesto Villegas had earlier confirmed via Twitter that the pair was going to meet, but provided no additional details.
Portugal's Institute of Registers and Notaries (IRN) has so far only approved a mere 8%292 out of 3,838of the applications for Portuguese citizenship from the descendants of Sephardic Jews who were persecuted under the Inquisition, Publico newspaper reported.

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Portugal approved a law in March of 2015 that grants citizenship rights to the descendants of Jews it persecuted 500 years ago. The rights apply to those who can demonstrate "a traditional connection" to Portuguese Sephardic Jews, such as through "family names, family language, and direct or collateral ancestry."

Publico reported that of the 3,546 unapproved applications, none have yet been denied. They remain in treatment.





Descendants of Jews who were forced to convert in Trancoso, Portugal (Photo: Yitzchak Chesler)

Applicants also must be vetted by Portuguese Jewish community institutions in Lisbon or Porto, who are responsible for checking existing documentation of the applicants' ancestors, often written in Ladino.

A plurality of applications have thus far come from Turkey (about 50%), and Israel (31%) and Brazil follow, Publico wrote. When the law first came into effect, the IRN had a monthly average of about 46 applications which this year grew to 374, the Ministry of Justice relayed.

After Spain drove out Jews in 1492, some 80,000 of them crossed the border into Portugal, historians estimate. King Joao II charged the fleeing Sephardic Jews a tax to shelter in Portugal. He promised to provide them with ships so they could go to other countries, but later changed his mind.

Lisbon (Photo: Ziv Reinstein)

In 1496 his successor King Manuel I, eager to find favor with Spain's powerful Catholic rulers, Ferdinand and Isabella and marry their daughter Isabella of Aragon, gave the Jews 10 months to convert or leave. When they opted to leave, Manuel issued a new decree prohibiting their departure and forcing them to embrace Roman Catholicism as "New Christians."

The "New Christians" adopted new names, inter-married and even ate pork in public to prove their devotion to Catholicism.

Some Jews, though, kept their traditions alive, secretly observing the sabbath at home then going to church on Sunday. They circumcised their sons and quietly observed Yom Kippur, calling it in Portuguese the "dia puro," or pure day. Though officially accepted, the New Christians were at the mercy of popular prejudice. In the Easter massacre of Jewish converts in 1506 in Lisbon, more than 2,000 Jews are believed to have been murdered by local people.

The Portuguese Inquisition, established in 1536, was at times crueler than its earlier Spanish counterpart. It persecuted, tortured and burned at the stake tens of thousands of Jews. Now those events are widely viewed as a stain on Portuguese history.
Simchat Torah, the last holiday of the Hebrew month of Tishrei, ended at sunset on Monday, and, as is traditional every year, revelers took to the streets to dance with Torah scrolls in the celebrations of hakafot.

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As every year, Ynet was there to cover some of the country's celebrations. This year, live feeds were provided from Tel Aviv's Rabin Square and the Eshkol Regional Council nearby the Gaza Strip.

The Eshkol Regional Council Simchat Torah's celebrations came after a difficult day with a rocket fired from Gaza and retaliatory air strikes and celebrated hakafot with the regional rabbi, soldiers from the Gaza Division of the IDF and the local mayor Gadi Yarkoni.

Kikar Rabin in Tel Aviv (Photo: Motti Kimchi)

In Tel Aviv's Rabin Square, several bands, including Lev TAhor and Tzilei HaOud performed for the hakafot celebrations. The ceremony began with blowing of the shofar, which marked the end of the holidays of Tishrei and as a sign of solidarity with Israel. The city's chief rabbi, Yisrael Meir Lau, welcomed those assembled.

Kikar Rabin in Tel Aviv (Photo: Motti Kimchi)

Eshkol's mayor said to Ynet that the hakafot celebrations "are especially celebratory and bring together all the populations in the council in shared happiness: religious, secular, women, men and children, together will soldiers of the Gaza Division that serve in the region and defend us day and night."

Celebrating in Tel Aviv (Photo: Motti Kimchi)

Kikar Rabin in Tel Aviv (Photo: Motti Kimchi)




Casinos on Native American land have poured billions into tribal economies since the late 1980s, lifting many people from poverty. Now, some hope, cultivating industial hemp could do the same.

Under US law, hemp - which comes from the same family of plants that produce marijuana - can be grown only for research, with a permit from the US Drug Enforcement Administration.

However, the Department of Justice opened the door for hemp cultivation by Native American tribes in 2014 when it agreed that tribes can set cannabis-related laws just as states can.

Native American-owned CannaNative LLC said on Monday it was in final talks with the Navajo Nation, the largest federally recognized tribe, to grow industrial hemp.
A production of the Habima Theatre will, for the first time, be shown in Kiryat Arba, outside of Hebron. In mid-November, the play A Simple Story ("Sipur Pashut" in Hebrew) starring actors Yevgenia Dudina, Shefi Marziano, and Hila Shalev will be performed in the West Bank settlement, and protests on social media by parties opposed to the perceived endorsement of settlement activity have already begun.

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Based on a story by Shmuel Yosef Agnon, A Simple Story was adapted for the stage by Shahar Pinkas and directed by Shir Goldberg. One of the posts protesting its showing in Kiryat Arba, which received hundreds of "likes" and dozens of "shares" on social media site Facebook, read, "There are few places more loathsome than that in our area. I suggest that the actors and crewmembers arrive a bit beforehand and tour Meir Kahane Park, which also includes the grave of Baruch Goldstein."

Habima. Sending A Simple Story to Kiryat Arba. (Photo: Tal Shahar)

The Habima ("The Stage" in Hebrew) Theatre management responded by saying, "The theater's management rejects in disgust any call to exclude citizens and exclude towns, and condemns any attempt to culturally boycott any place where Israeli citizens live. The Habima Theatre is the national theater of the state of Israel."

The Kiryat Arba community center responded by saying, "We appreciate the Habima Theatre for its joining many artists and institutes who are taking part in a Zionist, valued culture that is in contact with the entirety of Israeli society. Kiryat Arba commends the management of the Habima Theatre, as well as all other artists who have and will arrive here, out of the understanding that good and proper culture is consumed by all of the people, not just a certain, small group. Kiryat Arba Hebron is the cradle of existence and culture of the people of Israel."

Minister of Culture and Sport Miri Regev responded to the controversy by stating, "The decision to perform for the first time in Hebron exemplifies the national theater's being a central pioneer in treating all citizens of the state as equal in their right to experience culture. I encourage Habima for its strong stance against the wave of criticism from the left, and am sorry to see elements in our land act as the lowliest of BDS bullies. Since entering my office, I have led a policy of cultural justice as part of which culture in Israel will be made available to every citizen as a basic right, and I'm happy to see (this) vision made real."
Entering the last two weeks of the campaign, President Barack Obama is putting more emphasis on helping Democrats in close Senate and House races with a strategy that ties their Republican opponents to Donald Trump - regardless of whether they support the GOP nominee.

With Hillary Clinton leading in the polls, Obama said Monday that Republicans are arguing they need to provide a check on her agenda in Congress. Obama said Democrats need to recognize that would lead to more gridlock.
The 910th Airlift Wing and the Air Force Reserve Recruiting Flight, both based here, teamed up to host a group of Northeast Ohio educators for an event here, October 19, 2016. The days highlight was the chance for participants to fly aboard one of the 910ths C-130H Hercules tactical cargo aircraft and take in a birds eye view of one of North Americas natural wonders, Niagara Falls. The purpose of the Civic Leader Flight for Educators was to allow attendees to learn more about Air Force Reserve career opportunities from their local recruiting team and have a fuller understanding of the 910ths mission and a greater appreciation for Air Force Reserve opportunities available to high school and college students in Northeast Ohio.
Health News

Washington, DC - The National Cancer Moonshot Task Force and Vice President Biden released recommendations aimed at accelerating progress in cancer in the next five years. The Task Force report followed recommendations from a Blue Ribbon panel last month.

The report acknowledges the progress that has been undertaken in the last year and highlights specific additional activity that will be crucial to address the following five strategic goals set forth to end cancer as we know it: catalyze new scientific breakthroughs, unleash the power of data, accelerate bringing new therapies to patients, strengthen prevention and diagnosis, and improve patient access and care.

Among the recommendations, the panel suggests implementing proven cancer prevention, including increasing HPV vaccination rates by expanding efforts to support states, removing barriers to access to tobacco cessation for those enrolled in Medicaid, and expanding colorectal cancer screening efforts across the country in line with the American Cancer Societys 80% by 2018 initiative.

We know that about half of cancer deaths could be prevented through early detection, living a healthy lifestyle and getting access to the best treatment, said Rich Wender, chief cancer control officer for the American Cancer Society. The Task Force recommendations shine an important light on specific steps that can be acted upon immediately that to exponentially reduce the cancer burden in this country.

The Task Force also acknowledges the critical importance of the Affordable Care Act in improving access to recommended health care along the cancer journey for many who were previously unable to access health care coverage because of a pre-existing condition. The Task Force makes additional recommendations to improve efficiencies of existing programs and expand current efforts to increase access to health care and find new ways of ensuring each and every patient receives quality care during treatment and survivorship.

Among other highlights from the report, the Task Force notes the critical need to make clinical research trials more accessible to cancer patients and further addresses the need to comprehensively identify cancer survivorship issues and develop solutions to improve health outcomes for cancer survivors. Reducing disparities in access and improving survivorship are top priorities for ACS and ACS CAN.

The Task Force report truly underscores the tremendous opportunity we have to apply what we know and reinvigorate the resources necessary to promote additional discovery, said Gary Reedy, CEO of the American Cancer Society and American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network. With the vice presidents continued leadership and a desire across the country to make eliminating this disease a national priority in the coming years, our potential to end cancer as we know it is at hand.

A number of the panels recommendations could be acted upon quickly through legislation that is currently pending in Congress. The report specifically calls out an opportunity to close a loophole in Medicare that results in seniors facing unexpected and expensive cost-sharing when a polyp is removed during a routine screening colonoscopy. By removing that cost sharing, seniors on a fixed budget wont put off, or worse skip, recommended colon cancer screening because of cost-sharing they cant afford.

ACS CAN calls on Congress to close the loophole and further urges lawmakers to commit to ensure that the National Cancer Institute receives the additional $680 million in moonshot funding included in the presidents FY 2017 budget to ensure that promising research can be fully executed.

We are all one degree from someone with cancer  a loved one, friend or coworker, or have received a personal diagnosis, Reedy said. The Cancer Moonshot Task Force has laid out sound recommendations that should provide hope to the more than 1.7 million who will be newly diagnosed with cancer in America this year that if we put our collective efforts together, we can conquer cancer in our lifetime.
Health News

Dallas, Texas - People with pacemakers or defibrillators who experience only short episodes of an abnormal heart rhythm known as atrial fibrillation have a very low risk of stroke, suggesting that anticoagulants in this group of patients were not likely to reduce the risk for stroke, according to new research in the American Heart Associations journal Circulation.

Atrial fibrillation is the most common abnormal heart rhythm, affecting approximately 2.7 million Americans. Previous research demonstrates that people with prolonged episodes of atrial fibrillation are at an increased risk for cardiovascular complications, including stroke. As a result, guidelines recommend that patients with atrial fibrillation take anticoagulants, blood thinners that decrease the ability of the blood to clot, to reduce their stroke risk. However, it has been unclear whether short episodes (estimated as less than 20 seconds) also increase medical risks and warrant anticoagulants.

Researchers analyzed 37,000 individual ECGs from 5,379 patients over 2 years enrolled in the RATE Registry, an ongoing study following patients with pacemakers or defibrillators that constantly monitor their heart rhythm. The study confirmed that long episodes of atrial fibrillation are associated with increased risk of stroke, heart failure, ER visit or hospitalization for an abnormal heart rhythm, or death.

In contrast, during the course of two years, patients experiencing only short episodes of atrial fibrillation were at no more risk of stroke or other cardiovascular complications than people without documented atrial fibrillation. Over the two years of the study, researchers found:

more than 15,000 episodes of atrial fibrillation;

94 patients were hospitalized for atrial fibrillation;

265 patients were hospitalized for heart failure;

47 patients were hospitalized for stroke; and

359 patients died.

The results suggest that, in patients who only experience short episodes of atrial fibrillation, the risks of bleeding associated with taking anticoagulants outweighs the risk of stroke.

We knew that people with atrial fibrillation are at higher risk of stroke, but the next question was, how much atrial fibrillation? said Steven Swiryn, M.D., lead author and clinical professor of cardiology at the Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern University in Chicago, Illinois. Other studies have shown that prolonged episodes of atrial fibrillation pose a risk, but what about short ones? The answer until this study was no one knows. Now we have good solid data that if all you have is short episodes of atrial fibrillation, the risk is so low that it doesnt warrant anticoagulants.

However, physicians should continue to monitor patients for progression to prolonged episodes of atrial fibrillation that may develop, Swiryn said.

The RATE registry was funded by St. Jude Medical.

Co-authors are Michael V. Orlov, M.D., Ph.D.; David G. Benditt, M.D.; John P. DiMarco, M.D., Ph.D.; Donald M. Lloyd-Jones, M.D., Sc.M.; Edward Karst, M.S.; Fujian Qu, Sc.D.; Mara T. Slawsky, M.D., Ph.D.; Melanie Turkel, M.S. and Albert L. Waldo, M.D., Ph.D.

Author disclosures are on the manuscript.
Latest News

Washington, DC - By carefully tracking 5,000 people after they have experienced a traumatic event, a just-launched NIMH-funded study aims to provide a finely detailed map of the array of factors that play a role in the development of mental disorders that occur in the wake of trauma. Information coming out of the study should provide a much deeper understanding of the mechanisms that give rise to post-traumatic disorders as well as a clearer basis for predicting who will be affected and how best to target treatment.

Following a traumatic eventbe it an assault, a car crash, or a combat experienceit is common for people to report a range of symptoms, including hypervigilance, intrusive upsetting thoughts, flashbacks, and changes in sleep and mood. These often co-occur with chronic pain and substance use, as well as other enduring effects from body or brain injuries. Most individuals gradually get better, but a substantial number develop persistent problems, often diagnosed as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). There is no reliable way to predict who will recover without treatment and who will develop lasting problems after trauma. Even when PTSD or other disorders such as anxiety and depression are diagnosed, symptoms differ person to person, as does response to treatment.

Researchers at the University of North Carolina (UNC) School of Medicine at Chapel Hill and Harvard University will collaborate in the multicenter Aurora study, initially screening 5,000 people arriving in emergency rooms after trauma. After an initial evaluation and a baseline collection of biological data from blood samples, participants will be monitored for the next several months in a variety of ways, including through the use of mobile technology, such as wrist wearables and smart phones, to track factors like activity, sleep, and mood. In-depth exams will include additional blood samples, functional (non-invasive) brain imaging, and psychological tests. Participant involvement will continue over a year, generating a wide variety of detailed information on, for example, health history (including that of earlier trauma), genetics, stress responses (physical and psychological), behavior, and cognition. The data will be de-identified to protect patient privacy.

Samuel McLean, M.D., M.P.H., at UNC will lead the study in collaboration with Ronald Kessler, Ph.D., at Harvard Medical School, Karestan Koenen, Ph.D., at the Harvard School of Public Health, and Kerry Ressler, M.D., Ph.D., at McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA. These investigators bring the varied expertise necessary for this multi-dimensional study, which will involve screening and recruitment of patients; collecting and storing the wide variety of data and biological samples being collected; analyzing the large volume of data, including genetic findings; and using that data to provide a deeper understanding of the origins of post-traumatic illness. The study has been designed to ensure that data and biological samples can be shared with the field, making possible further analyses by other investigators. Biological samples, for example, will be stored under the NIMH Human Genetics Intitiative , while data will be accessible through the NIMH Data Archive .

The variety and level of detailed information sought in this study reflect NIMHs encouragement of neuroscientists to orient investigations towards the Research Domain Criteria (RDoC) frameworka research framework being developed based on the diverse information coming out of genetics, neuroscience, and behavioral studies. RDoC aims to provide a framework for linking specific symptoms to their complex underlying causeslikely to differ person to person. Such a framework represents an alternative to the use in research of more traditional diagnostic categories based on collections of symptoms. The RDoC approach is a step towards diagnosis and treatment targeted to the individual, aiming toward the goal of precision medicine.

In 2012, the White House issued an executive order calling for investments in research that address PTSD, traumatic brain injuries, and suicide prevention. Consistent with the aims of the 2013 National Research Action Plan (called for in the executive order), this study has the potential to identify underlying causes of impairment and new targets for interventions that will improve the care of individuals at high risk for post-traumatic stress conditions across civilian, military, and veteran populations.

Trauma-related disorders affect millions of Americans and are a central concern for the health and security of the nation, said Farris Tuma, Sc.D., chief of NIMHs Traumatic Stress Research Program. Because of the lack of understanding of what contributes to these disorders, predicting outcomes for individualsand treating them effectivelyremain major scientific and public health challenges. While treatments are effective for many patients, not all benefit equally, and we lack effective prevention strategies. We are frustrated but not surprised that people respond differently to the best available treatments and must learn how to tailor existing and new interventions to specific patient needs.

NIMH is providing $21 million in funding over five years for the study.

This study reflects the need for our research investments to address short- and medium-term clinical goals, as well as long-term basic research, said NIMH Director Joshua A. Gordon, M.D., Ph.D. In the relatively short term, this project is expected to deliver tools for clinicians to make informed decisions about risk and follow-up care soon after trauma. In addition, the research resource to be created will fuel a new generation of analyses on the underlying causes of disorders, identify new intervention targets, and in turn give rise to mechanism-informed treatments based on individual needs.
Detroit: In a scathing attack on Hillary Clinton, Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump has said his Democratic rival was responsible for emboldening Iran like never before and bringing endless "humiliation" for America.

"Hillary Clinton's foreign policy has squandered trillions in American wealth overseas. Yet, for all the money spent, all Clinton delivered was death, destruction and terrorism. She unleashed ISIS and turmoil in Iraq, Syria and Libya," Trump, 70, said at an election rally in Naples, Florida yesterday.

Terming Hillary as "trigger-happy", Trump alleged that she wanted to start a shooting war in Syria that could involve nuclear-armed Russia.

He alleged that Hillary had bad judgment, bad instincts and is too reckless to be allowed into the Oval Office.

"Hillary also started the negotiations that led to the Iran deal ? and thus ultimately leading to the USD 1.7 billion ransom for American hostages. Clinton gave Iran everything they wanted and more ? including Iraq. Now, Iran is emboldened as never before," Trump said.

In the latest insult to America, the government of Iran is demanding "many billions" in new ransom payments for a US businessman and his ailing father, he said, adding that Iran releasing a video of the captive including footage from earlier this year of American soldiers being forced to their knees at gunpoint was adding to the insult.

"The humiliation for our country never seems to end ? and it's the humiliation brought on by a Secretary of State who was more interested in getting paid by foreign countries, than in representing the country she lives in," Trump said.

He alleged that to cover-up her crimes as Secretary of State, Hillary bleached and deleted 33,000 emails, lied to Congress under oath, made 13 phones disappear ? some with a hammer ? and then told the FBI she couldn't remember 39 times.

"The best evidence that the system is rigged is that Hillary Clinton is even allowed to run for President in the first place. The Clintons grew their gross income by USD 60 million while Hillary was Secretary of State," Trump said.

"She's not a diplomat ? she's a grifter, always looking for an easy way to sell government favors and access in exchange for cash. The Clintons end up with the money, and America ends up with the humiliation. When I am President, America will be respected in the world once again," he said.

He said it also meant standing up against the oppression of the Castro regime in Cuba, and standing in solidarity with freedom-loving people in Venezuela and across Latin America living under oppression.

"The Obama-Clinton Administration has abandoned our friends in Latin America and delivered only poverty and joblessness for Hispanic-Americans here at home," Trump said.
New York: Supporting Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump's vision on immigration and terrorism, prominent Indian-Americans have said the mood in the US is "anti-establishment" and the country cannot afford any more of Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton's "bad judgements".

The current mood not only in America but across the world is "anti-establishment", eminent New York attorney Anand Ahuja, Vice President of political action committee 'Indian-Americans For Trump 2016', told PTI yesterday.

"People are sick of career politicians. Regime change is the call of the day, if we take that into consideration, there is a possibility that Trump will be president," he said.

Trump is being projected as anti-immigrant but the New York-based billionaire is not against legal immigration but illegal immigrants, Ahuja said.

"Trump is saying that we should stop illegal immigration and the waiting period from the front door should be reduced. Why should legal immigrants have to wait for so long to come (and settle) in this country," Ahuja said.

Renowned attorney Rajiv Khanna said Trump, as a president, would be a good partner for India, particularly in the issue of dealing with terrorism which is the number one problem in the world and Trump is the right person to deal with it.

"Trump may not be politically correct always but he understands what radical Islam is doing to this world," he said, citing Trump's comments that Muslims in the US have to be the "eyes and ears" and report any suspicious behaviour.

"I am not one of the people who believes that you should ignore a problem. If the problem is there the problem is there. I do believe that radical Islam is bad for the world, not just for India and the US, but it is bad for the world. It needs to be dealt with and addressed," Khanna said.

He does not condone Trump's behaviour towards women and that he needs to change in this regard, Khanna said, adding that while Bill Clinton is one of his all-time favourite presidents, he is not proud of his record with women either.

"If you look for perfection in a presidential candidate then we would get mediocrity and with (Hillary) Clinton that is what we get - mediocrity. She has poor judgement, she defines her job very narrowly. She pushed us into the Iraq war which was a bad judgement," he said.

Khanna said Clinton's handling of the e-mails was a bad judgement as is her proposal to let Syrian refugees in the country without proper screening.

"Bad judgement after bad judgement. I do not think this country can take more bad judgements. I respect Clinton, I think she tries hard but she just has bad judgement," he said, adding that the election is going to be a close one and Trump still has a chance to win.

"I think he (Trump) does have a chance and I hope he makes it," Khanna said.

Ahuja said Trump has been in the favour of increasing the Science Technology Engineering and Math (STEM) category from the current 20,000 limit to about 50,000.

Such a move could benefit Indian students who are among the majority in the US pursuing higher education in the STEM fields, Ahuja said.

There is anger among Americans that illegal immigrants are taking away jobs but Trump is in favour of competent and well- educated people coming and settling in the country, he said.

Trump has described Indian students as brilliant who after studying in the US return to their country and set up businesses, Ahuja said.

"Trump has questioned why the US cannot absorb these students, why you let them go back to their countries. There should be some system by which we can absorb them here in the US," Ahuja added, adding that the liberal media and Democrats do not want to discuss real issues affecting the common man in day to day life.

"They are beating around the bush and every day bring up something against Trump," he added.
Tezpur: Demanding a separate Bodoland state to be carved out of Assam, several Bodo organisations on Monday resorted to rail blockade at Udalguri in the state to revive the Bodoland statehood movement.

The All Bodo Student Union (ABSU), the National Democratic Front of Bodoland (Progressive), the People Joint Action Committee For Bodoland (PJACBM) besides several Bodo organisations blocked rail movement for 12 hours, disrupting train connectivity in the northern part of Assam since early morning.

Over 20,000 people coming from far-flung areas of both Udalguri and Sonitpur districts joined the programme shouting slogans "No Bodoland no rest", "No discrimination against Bodos will be tolerated", an official said.

The blockade in Udalguri railway station resulted in disruption of rail communication on the Udalguri-Tezpur- Dekargaon, NJP-Rangapara-Naharlagun sections with trains stopped in different railway stations, officials said.

Coming down heavily on the "discriminatory stand of BJP" at the Centre and the state towards addressing the long pending demands of the Bodo people, ABSU President Pramod Bodo addressing the protesters here said, "we warn the government that no political conspiracy against Bodos will be tolerated".

Demanding "safety and right of the ethnic Bodo people and a united Bodo nation", he accused the NDA government of coming to power with a false commitment of solving the Bodoland issue.

"We the joint group were optimistic of resolving our half century long crisis when the national leadership of BJP raised the slogans of 'Paribartan' (change) and 'acche din aane wala hain' on the eve of the polls before they came to the power," Bodo said.

"Believing it, we met the national leadership such as Union Ministers Rajnath Singh and Kiren Rijiju repeatedly for the last two and half years. The Bodo organisations also met Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal when he was union minister many a time appealing him to resume the tripartite talks with the Bodo organisations for permanent peace and solution to the unsolved Bodo issues," he said.

The government is ignoring and undermining the issues as they are engaging in political conspiracy to exploit the marginalised groups and the communities of the country whom they promised to deliver an equitable governance and justice after more than half century of Congress rule at the Centre, he alleged.

"Since we have contribution to the BJP coming to power we had expectations from the BJP regime that something would be done to resolve the Bodo problem. So we waited for the last two and half years without taking up any agitational programme," he added.
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday issued notice to former RJD MP Mohammad Sahahabuddin, Bihar state government and Union government on a plea seeking to shift him from Siwan to Tihar jail in Delhi.

Filed by Asha Ranjan, wife of slain journalist Rajdeo Ranjan, the plea has sought that Sahabuddin be shifted from Siwan district jail to Tihar Jail in Delhi as he may influence witnesses in her husband`s murder case, killed in Siwan on May 13.

During the last hearing in the case on October 17, an apex court bench headed by Justice Dipak Mishra had directed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to complete the murder probe within three months.

The apex court also issued notices and sought responses from Shahabuddin and Bihar Health Minister Tej Pratap Yadav.

During the last hearing, Tej Pratap had admitted that he had accepted a bouquet from one of the murder accused, but denied his involvement in the murder.

Ranjan (42), the bureau chief of The Hindustan, was shot dead in July this year at Phal Mandi near the Siwan railway station, barely half-a-kilometer from the police station.

The Bihar government has recommended the CBI probe into the case.The case came into limelight again after a photograph appeared in the media showing murder suspects Mohammad Kaif and Mohammad Javed with gangster-politician Mohammed Shahabuddin after his release from jail.

Kaif, however, later rubbished all accusations against him and said he has no involvement in Rajdeo`s murder case.Meanwhile, a separate petition filed by Chandrakeshwar Prasad, whose three sons had been murdered at the behest of the RJP leader, will also come up for hearing before the same bench today.

With ANI inputs
New Delhi: The body of a 28-year-old married woman was found hanging in south Delhi's Katwariya Sarai area on Monday, with her family members alleging that she was murdered and tortured by her husband and in-laws, police said.

The deceased has been identified as Anita Kataria. Her body was found by her husband Ricky Kataria at around 5.20 am.

Anita's father-in-law is posted as a jail superintendent in Tihar Jail, while Ricky owns a taxi stand. Anita and Ricky have been married for seven years and have two children.

Meanwhile, Anita's family alleged that she was "mentally and physically tortured" by her husband and that he killed her and was trying to pass of the death as suicide, said a senior police officer.

Police is awaiting the autopsy report.

A social media post from Anita's cousin said, "She has been mentally as well as physically tortured. But being an Indian girl, she wanted to be wid her husband. She wanted everything to be normal but she never thought that she vl b killed by the person whom she luved."
New Delhi: With no trace of missing JNU student Najeeb Ahmed for over 10 days, Delhi Police on Monday announced an increase in reward for any information leading to him from Rs 50,000 to one lakh even as agitating students knocked at the doors of Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung over the issue.

Vice Chancellor M Jagadesh Kumar today met Delhi Police Commissioner Alok Kumar over the missing student issue.

"The Vice Chancellor and the Rector expressed the JNU community's anguish over the missing JNU student and appealed to the Police Commissioner to expedite and strengthen the search for Najeeb.

"They were told that the police department has taken several serious steps to find him and has decided to increase the amount of reward for information regarding Najeeb from Rs 50,000 to Rs one lakh," the university said in a statement.

Meanwhile, JNU students today staged a march from Mandi House to Jantar Mantar demanding expedited efforts to trace the student. A delegation of JNU students union went to submit a memorandum to the office of Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung in this regard.

The agitating students were joined by Left leaders Sitaram Yechury and D Raja at Jantar Mantar, who also consoled the aggrieved family of Najeeb.

"We know how with the patronage of this government certain students' organizations have been working in various campuses in order to browbeat the opposition. They do so in order to ensure that students do not have their legitimate democratic rights and their right to debate dissent," Yechury said while addressing the students.

Yechury said he met President Pranab Mukherjee on Monday and that he is aware of the missing student's case.

A student of School of Biotechnology, Najeeb Ahmed, allegedly went missing on last Saturday following a brawl on the campus allegedly with members of ABVP, the night before.

JNUSU has been agitating since then alleging inaction on the administration's part. The students had even confined the VC and other senior officials in the administrative building for over 20 hours last week.

The special branch of Delhi Police had also sent a report to the Home Ministry stating that the issue could give rise to communal tension, said a senior police official.

Following the report and intensifying protests, the Home Minister had directed Delhi police to form a Special Investigative Team to trace the missing student.
Pas-de-Calais: Migrants began arriving early Monday at official meeting points set by French authorities as part of the full evacuation of the Calais "Jungle" camp, according to an AFP journalist at the scene.

Men and women carrying suitcases and bundles of possessions gathered in front of a warehouse which is serving as the main headquarters of the operation in which some 6,000 to 8,000 migrants will be moved to reception centres across the country.
Gurgaon: A woman from Meghalaya was stabbed to death by an auto-rickshaw driver at a Metro station here on Monday, the local police said.

Pinki, 33, hailing from Shillong in Meghalaya, was stabbed about eight to 10 times by 25-year-old Jitendra Kumar from Uttar Pradesh at M.G. Road Metro Station here, the police said.

Jitendra, who ran an auto-rickshaw here, was "closely known" to Pinki who worked at a beauty parlour in Delhi`s Rohini area. She used to take his autorickshaw to commute in the past.

"The man was waiting for her at the Metro station. He stabbed her multiple times and also slit her throat. He later sat on the ground and was handed over to the police by the public there," a police officer told IANS.

Maan Singh, Pinki`s husband, told the media that she was followed and harassed by Jitendra Kumar.

Maan Singh claimed he was talking to Pinki over phone at the time of the attack and she told him that she was being followed by Jitendra Kumar.

The police are investigating.
New Delhi: The BSF is capable of giving a "befitting" reply to Pakistani troops which killed a boy and BSF trooper in the Jammu sector early on Monday, Home Minister Rajnath Singh said.

"Spoke to DG BSF who apprised me of the situation in border areas of Jammu region. The BSF is capable of giving befitting reply," Rajnath Singh tweeted after a telephonic chat with K.K. Sharma.

Rajnath Singh is on a three-day visit to Bahrain from Sunday.

The minister also hailed the bravery of Border Security Force Head Constable Sushil Kumar who along with the boy lost his life in the heavy shelling and automatic gunfire by Pakistan Rangers.

A resident of Kurukshetra in Haryana, Kumar, inducted in the BSF in 1992, was killed in R.S. Pura sector. The boy died in Kanachak area.

"I salute the bravery and sacrifice of Sushil Kumar," Rajnath Singh said.

Officials said the Pakistan Rangers targeted around a dozen BSF outposts on the International Border. The firing began around 2 a.m.

Police said the injured included two BSF troopers and seven civilians. At least 50 villages damaged in the fresh shelling.

Border forces of the two countries have been trading fire since the September 29 surgical strikes by the Indian Army at terror launch pads in Pakistan-administered Kashmir.
Beijing: China on Monday slammed the US after its envoy visiting Arunachal Pradesh, warning it not to meddle in the border dispute between New Delhi and Beijing.

After the US ambassador to India Richard Verma went to Tawang in Arunachal which abuts Chinese border, Beijing said such acts will make the dispute more "complicated" between the two countries and "sabotage" peace in the region.

"You have also noted that the place visited by the senior diplomatic official is disputed region between China and India. We are firmly opposed to the visit to the disputed area between India and China," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lu Kang said at a regular media briefing.

China claims a huge chunk of India`s northeast state Arunachal Pradesh, which it calls as South Tibet. Verma visited Tawang to attend a festival.

"It will only make the dispute more complicated, disturb peace and tranquillity of border areas and sabotage the peaceful development of the region," Lu said.

"We urge the US to stop interference in boundary issue between China and India and make more commitment to regional peace and stability."

Lu said the boundary issue between India and China was complex and sensitive and interference by a third party would heighten tension.

Lu maintained that China`s position on the eastern sector was "clear and consistent".

"Two countries are now trying to resolve territorial disputes through negotiations and consultation. Any third party should have sense of responsibility and should respect efforts made by China and India for peace reconciliation and tranquillity rather than opposite.

"Behaviour of the US runs contrast to efforts by China and India," Lu said.

"At the end of the day, only the peoples of the two countries will fall victim. We believe India and China have the wisdom to properly handle the dispute," he added.
Two children and another civilian were killed along with a soldier in firing across the border between India and Pakistan, officials from both sides said Monday, as tensions soar between the nuclear-armed rivals.

Pakistan`s military said an 18-month-old girl and another civilian were killed on its side of the border in "unprovoked firing" by the Indian army.

"Due to Indian unprovoked firing last night a civilian, Muhammad Latif of village Janglora, and a minor Haniya, age one and a half, embraced shahadat (martyrdom) while seven civilians were injured," a military statement said.

The firing took place across the border between Indian-held Kashmir and Pakistan`s Punjab province in the villages of Harpal, Pukhlian and Charwah, the statement said.

Indian police said the late night heavy exchange of firing occurred in its RS Pura sector, killing an Indian border security guard and a six-year-old boy.

The Border Security Force (BSF) soldier died after he received splinters from a mortar shell fired by Pakistan rangers, Danish Rana, inspector general of police for the area, told AFP.

"The boy and the BSF soldier died during the intense exchange of small arms fire and mortars throughout the night along the border," Rana said.

Six other civilians were also injured during the exchange, said another Indian police officer speaking on condition of anonymity.

Relations between the two countries have plummeted in recent months, with India blaming Pakistani militants for a raid on an army base in its part of disputed Kashmir in September that killed 19 soldiers.

India later said it launched "surgical strikes" across the border in Pakistan on militant targets, prompting fury from Pakistan which denied the raids took place.

Pakistani military said late Monday a strong protest was lodged with the United Nations Military Observers for India and Pakistan over the Indian firing.

Indian and Pakistani troops regularly exchange fire across their de-facto border in Kashmir, but rarely send ground troops over the line.

The overnight incident comes days after Indian border security forces said they shot dead seven Pakistani soldiers in retaliation for a ceasefire violation, with Pakistan refuting the claims.

Muslim-majority Kashmir has been divided between India and Pakistan, but claimed in full by both, since the two countries gained independence from Britain in 1947.

Since 1989 several rebel groups have been fighting Indian forces deployed in the region, seeking independence or a merger of the territory with Pakistan.
New Delhi: Investigations have revealed that Subahani Haja Moideen, an Indian alleged to be an Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIS) operative, knew the terrorists who carried out the attack inside a theatre in Paris last November killing more than 100 people.

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) arrested Moideen from Tirunelveli in Tamil Nadu with the help of central security agencies and other state police, foiling designs of ISIS operatives to target few judges of Kerala and foreign tourists visiting the coastal state.

News agency PTI quoted official sources as saying that the accused was radicalised and recruited in ISIS through social media platforms.

Moideen had left India for the Turkish capital Istanbul from Chennai in April 2015 on the pretext of performing 'Umrah', official sources added.

After arriving in Istanbul, he crossed over along with other people who hailed from Pakistan and Afghanistan to Iraqi territory under control of ISIS.

That is the period during which Moideen claimed that he had met Paris bombers including Abdelhamid Abaaoud and Salah Abdeslam, the sources said.

While Abaaoud was killed in the retaliatory fire during the Paris theatre attack in November last year, Abdelslam is in the custody of French police.

According to The Times of India, Moideen has revealed that one of the Paris attackers was his "group leader".

"Moideen said during the time he crossed over to Iraq from Turkey and his training, in which he was given religious lessons, taught use of AK-47, grenade launchers, bomb making and use of machetes, one of the Paris attackers/conspirators was the in charge of the group," the daily quoted an official in the security establishment as saying.

Moideen had returned to India in November and he said he came to know about the Paris attack through news and remembered his meetings with the accused in ISIS-controlled Iraq and Syria, the sources said.

The NIA has informed the French security officials and contacted its embassy here, the sources said, adding this was done in case it would lend any help in their investigation.

They said that French officials could question him as well after getting the requisite court order.

According to the multi-country investigation into the French terror strikes, the accused involved in the gruesome killings were in ISIS-controlled areas at the same time when Moideen was there.

31-year-old Moideen was in Iraq from April 8, 2015, from where he was taken to Mosul and underwent detailed 'religious training' followed by combat training which included a course in automated weapons. After this, he was deputed to fight the war for almost two weeks.

During the war, he told interrogators that he was paid USD 100 per month as an allowance by ISIS besides accommodation and food.

However, he told interrogators that he could not withstand the violence and war misery in Mosul and decided to leave especially after he saw two of his friends getting charred.

He was jailed by ISIS and produced before an Islamic judge who sent him to Syria. He claimed that he was allowed to cross over to Turkey from where he contacted his family with the help of the Indian consulate in Istanbul.

He arrived in Mumbai after a gap of six months in September last year on an emergency certificate and returned to his ancestral place where he was staying with his wife. He later managed to get a job at a jewellery shop at Kadayanallur in Tamil Nadu.

(With PTI inputs)
New Delhi: An eyewitness account has come to the fore allegedly revealing how the events unfolded on the night before JNU Najeeb Ahmad went missing.

Reportedly, a mob of around 30 students rained blows, abuses and communal slurs on JNU student Najeeb Ahmed on the night of October 14.

He has been missing since October 15.

Some of them could be heard saying tauntingly, "Isko 72 hooron ke paas bhejna hai (We will send him to 72 virgins)".

Shahid Raza Khan, an M.Phil student of the School of International Studies (SIS) at the Jawaharlal Nehru University, recounted these details of that night.

What happened on October 14?

Khan says that night he "heard some noise" and ran down to the first floor. He says Vikrant Kumar, the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) member, saw him coming and approached him for help. "He asked me to save him from Najeeb, who he said was beating him for no reason," Khan said.

"But when I saw Najeeb it was he who was bleeding from the mouth and nose. We called the warden and took Najeeb to the bathroom for a wash. But in no time about 25-30 other students came and thrashed Najeeb inside the bathroom," he added.

Vikrant is reported to have gone to Najeeb's room to campaign for the post of Mess-Secretary and got into an altercation with him. ABVP members have claimed that Najeeb started the fight upon seeing Vikrant wear the 'kaleva' (sacred red thread) on his wrist.

Khan also revealed that Najeeb was being continuously beaten by the mob on the way down to the Warden's office.

"He was beaten even on the stairs and even as the warden unlocked his office. It looked completely like a lynching. Upstairs someone turned off the corridor lights, and Najeeb was beaten in the dark, before someone switched on the lights again," he said.

Abuses and communal slurs were also hurled

Besides the physical blows being rained on him, abuses and communal slurs were also hurled at Najeeb, Khan said.

"The Warden should have been more strict and unbiased. When inside his office all the blame was put on Najeeb's head. He was constantly abused even inside his office. They kept on saying 'Isko 72 hooron ke paas bhejna hai' (We will send him to 72 virgins). You know what it means," he added.

His roommate Mohd Qasim gave an undertaking to the hostel Warden of Najeeb's character.

The handwritten letter by Qasim, reads: "Sir, I have observed no temperamental problem or unusual behaviour in him (Najeeb). All claims of his being mentally unsound are false."

He adds that Najeeb is a loner and keeps to himself. However, strangely Quasim adds in the letter: "I request you to take strict disciplinary action against him and demand that he be kept out of bounds of the hostel."

The authenticity of the letter can't be verified. Rumours are afloat that the letter was not penned by Qasim, but by another student -- an ABVP member.

"Can you perceive any mentally unstable student getting through in one of the toughest courses in JNU? He was very intelligent and studious type," Najeeb's cousin sister Sadaf Musharraf told media.

Musharraf complained about the "sheer indifference" of the university officials initially to Najeeb's disappearance, when they refused to meet her. The Proctor told her that it was the Warden's responsibility and that they could not do anything in the matter.

FIR filed; SIT set up

Although, an FIR has been filed and a Special Investigation Team (SIT) formed to trace Najeeb, the communal rift in the premier university is constantly widening and has become more obvious than ever before.

"Although Najeeb had got admission in Jamia Millia, he wanted to study in JNU. He was granted a hostel just 15 days back. Why would he pick a fight with anyone in mere two weeks?", asked Mujeeb, Najeeb's brother who lives in Zakir Nagar.

(With agency inputs)
Islamabad: Pakistan may attend a key regional conference on Afghanistan in India in a calculated move to offset efforts by the Indian government to isolate the country following the Uri terror attack, media reported on Monday.

The Heart of Asia-Istanbul ministerial meeting is scheduled to take place in the first week of December in Amritsar in Punjab.

Pakistan's participation was doubtful due to ongoing tensions and Indian boycott of the summit of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) scheduled to be held in Pakistan in November.

Citing continuous cross-border terrorism from Pakistan, India had announced that "in the present circumstances" it was unable to participate in the SAARC summit in Islamabad.

The Express Tribune reported that officials familiar with the development said that Pakistan has no intention of following the footsteps of India by staying away from the Heart of Asia-Istanbul conference.

"There is a growing sense among the stakeholders that Pakistan should attend the Heart of Asia-Istanbul conference," said a senior government official on condition of anonymity.

The official pointed out that there was no point of boycotting the conference since it was about Afghanistan.

"As we have stated repeatedly that Pakistan will support every endeavour that contributes towards peace and stability in Afghanistan," he added.

However, it is unclear whether Pakistan will send Prime Minister's Adviser on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz or downgrade its participation at the conference.

The official said Pakistan's participation in the meeting "would convey a 'loud and clear' message to the world that unlike India, it was in favour of reaching out to its neighbours for bringing peace and stability in Afghanistan".

Foreign ministers from 14-member countries, including Russia, China and Turkey, are expected to attend the day-long conference meant to discuss the current Afghan situation and possible initiatives the immediate and extended neighbours of Afghanistan could undertake to restore long-term peace and stability in the war-torn country.

Senior officials from 17 supporting countries, including the United States, will also participate in the meeting to be jointly presided over by Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The Heart of Asia-Istanbul Process was established in 2011 at the initiative of Afghanistan and Turkey. Its main objective is to foster efforts for regional cooperation and connectivity with a view to promoting long-term peace and stability as well as progress and development in Afghanistan.

Pakistan hosted the last Ministerial Conference in December last year which was also attended by Indian External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj.

Notably, the Afghan regional conference last year had helped Pakistan and India to revive their stalled peace process after the meeting between Aziz and Swaraj on the sidelines.
New Delhi: The Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), Pakistan's intelligence agency, has been trying to radicalise Muslims in Sri Lanka for many years now in a bid to use them for promoting its terror activities worldwide, primarily India, a report has said.

According to Ceylon Today, a Sri Lankan newspaper, the ISI used terror organisation Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) and its charitable wing, the Idara Khidmat-e-Khalq (IKK), for the purpose.

The report has set alarm bells ringing within the Pakistani establishment, as they see this as the end of an importation operations hub.

The LeT-IKK contingent was first noticed operating in Sri Lanka in 2004, after the devastating tsunami, said the daily.

Trained cadres of the organisation visited the Maldives and Sri Lanka at that time in the disguise of humanitarian charitable workers, seeking to recruit jihadis in these areas, added the daily.

The report reveals that many youngsters from these areas headed to Pakistan and were found in LeT training camps in Pakistans Punjab province and in the tribal areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Using Sri Lanka as a staging post, the ISIs primary and apparent objective is to encircle India from all sides. It wanted to use the island nation to access south India, both in terms of finding terror networks as well as for recruitment of cadres.

The Sri Lankan media report also reveals that in June 2009, the activities of Maulana Umar Madani were uncovered. Prior to his arrest in India, Madani was a frequent traveller to Sri Lanka.

Madani, a close confidant of JuD chief Hafiz Saeed and Abdul Rahman Makki, was developing a network in eastern Sri Lankas Muslim areas.

In April 2014, following the arrest of Shakir Hussain, the ISIS's plans to target the US Consulate in Chennai and the Israeli Consulate in Bengaluru were foiled. This led to the unceremonious recall of Pakistani Visa Counsellor in Sri Lanka, Amir Zubair Siddiqui, who was Shakir Hussain's handler, added the report.

It has also been exposed that the ISI used Colombo as a transit point for terror funding for smuggling fake Indian currency notes.

Further, a recent report in the Colombo Gazette has highlighted continued attempts of groups like al Qaeda to recruit cadres from Sri Lanka to wage jihad in Syria.

Such activities have also led to greater cooperation between intelligence agencies of the worlds major powers.

Recently, the intelligence sharing among India, Sri Lanka and China led to the arrest of Pakistani national, Faiz Muhammad, in Guangzhou (China) with fake Indian currency notes worth Rs 2.5 million, according to the Colombo-based report.

Faizs arrest was the result of a tip-off by Indian intelligence agencies to their counterparts in Colombo and Beijing.
Travis Little graduated from the Colorado School of Mines in 2007 with a mechanical engineering degree and found quick employment in the booming oil industry. With the fracking revolution taking off, Little made good money working 80 to 100 hours a week at sites in Colorado, Utah, North Dakota and other states.

Today, Little is unemployed, and training to be a machinist at a community college in Longmont, Colo. Thats right  after graduating from college just a few years ago, hes getting retrained for blue-collar work. Like many other energy-industry workers, Little lost his job in 2015, as oil prices plunged. Some of those jobs will come back eventually, but Little figures getting into manufacturing makes more sense. Its a great opportunity to get some retraining and find work in a more stable industry, he says. Im hoping to combine my skills to become an exceptional engineer.

Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump and other critics of free trade make it sound as if theres no manufacturing left in the United States. Weve lost our jobs, weve lost our businesses, Trump said during the third presidential debate. Were not making things anymore, relatively speaking. Our product is pouring in from China, pouring in from Vietnam, pouring in from all over the world.

Travis Little.

Trump is right about imports, but hes wrong about American manufacturing. US production of manufactured goods has increased steadily for decades (with predictable disruptions during recessions), even as manufacturing employment has plunged. Companies are making more stuff with fewer workers, which points more to automation as the source of lost jobs than to trade deals or globalization.

Trump wants to bring our jobs back by reversing the global trends of the last 30 years and undoing trade deals that allow cheap imports to flow into the United States. But many economists argue with his logic. Trump is misleading people who really think hes going to bring back good jobs, says Harry Holzer, a former chief economist for the Department of Labor who now teaches at Georgetown University. Thats a pipe dream. The robots have eliminated a lot of them. Nobodys bringing those jobs back unless they come back at really low wages.

Story continues

More training = more income

Littles career suggests a better way to boost employmentsteer more people into jobs that already exist, especially if theyre good-paying jobs where more training leads to more income. Little, 33, has three things going for him: Hes willing to learn new skills in order to get ahead. Hes able to go where the jobs are. And hes not fixated on an outdated path to success that might have been valid years ago, but no longer is. Parents are telling their kids the path to happiness is go and get a college degree and everything will be just fine, he says. Its a complete lie.

Maybe not a complete lie, but workers of all ages are beginning to understanding that education must be a constantnot a one-time thingfor people who want to get ahead. A recent study by the Pew Research Center and the Markle Foundation found that 87% of workers say continuous training is important or essential to career success. Strong majorities said career success depends on having skills such as knowledge of computers, training in math and science, or fluency in a foreign language. The American people get it, says Zoe Baird, CEO of the Markle Foundation. The question is, what do you do about it.

Little received a $5,000 grant to get started training as a machinist from a Colorado program called the Technology Employment in Colorado Partnership, or Tec-P, which is funded by a federal grant. Tec-P is meant to help people looking for work in advanced manufacturing in Colorado figure out what kinds of jobs are actually available and get the training needed to land them. The group says there are 94,000 people already working in advanced manufacturing or information technology in the state, with around 3,100 new openings per month. Average annual pay: $102,000.

What skills are needed?

Addressing the skills gap on a national scale would certainly help some struggling workers find decent-paying jobs, especially those without a college degree. The Labor Department says there are currently about 5.4 million jobs employers are unable to fill, which is close to the highest level in the 14 years the government has been collecting the data. But if youre a worker looking for one of those jobs, theres a catch: Its not easy to figure out where the best jobs are, or what kind of training you ought to get. In hot new fields, such as 3-D printing, employers themselves may not even know what skills theyre looking for, exactly. We need much more transparency around the skills that are needed, says Baird. People dont even know what a job looks like when that job is new.

Little, for instance, got into machining because he heard from industry connections that thered probably be strong demand as baby boomers started to retire. (Labor Department projections suggest hes right, while pointing out that workers familiar with computer software applications and who can perform multiple tasks in a machine shop will have the best job opportunities.) Markle has established an online resource called Skillful meant to identify what types of skills employers want and what types of training are required in growing fields such as IT, advanced manufacturing and healthcare. Under manufacturing, for instance, some of the best-paying jobs are logistics analyst (median salary: $74,000), engineering technician ($62,000) and electronics repairers ($55,000). Such jobs require specialized training, but not necessarily a college degree.

There have been other efforts to better match job seekers with available jobs. President Obama, for instance, has proposed federal funding for 100 technical job-training centers around the country, along with other enhanced training programs that would cost perhaps $5 billion per year. Thats cheap. A bigger Obama proposal, costing about $62 billion, would provide free tuition for students who get good grades and seek a two-year degree at a community college. Such programs would help more workers qualify for middle-skill jobs that pay fairly well. Congress hasnt passed any of those proposals.

Better matching of workers with jobs could obviously help improve career and earning prospects for the 9.6 million Americans who are unemployed, underemployed or working part-time because they cant find good full-time work. It would also help create new jobs and boost economic growth. If more workers had these skills that companies need, companies would create more of those jobs, says Holzer of Georgetown. When skilled workers are scarce, by contrast, companies find workarounds, by seeking automated solutions or moving the work to where the workers are.

Neither presidential candidate is talking much, if at all, about how to match displaced workers who want to get ahead with jobs that already exist or are coming soon. Hillary Clintons plan to create thousands of new infrastructure jobs would cost up to $300 billion, money that would have to come from tax hikes that seem improbable, especially if Republicans continue to control at least one chamber of Congress. Trumps plan to tighten up trade deals in order to encourage more low-end manufacturing in the United States could trigger trade wars and even a recession. Better solutions exist, and theyd cost far less. The candidates only need to ask some of the people finding them.

Rick Newman is the author of four books, including Rebounders: How Winners Pivot from Setback to Success. Follow him on Twitter: @rickjnewman.
Patna: Union Minister Giriraj Singh on Monday said Hindus should seriously think of increasing their population in the country by producing more children.

"There is a need to increase population of Hindus in the country. They should take this issue seriously as their population has been decreasing in eight states in the country," Singh told media here.

He recalled that none other than RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat had advised Hindus in last August to produce more children and said no laws can prevent them from reproducing more children.

"Muslims population has increased from mere 10 per cent at the time of India's independence in 1947 to 24 per cent now and Hindus population has decreased from 90 per cent in 1947 to 76 per cent now," the minister said.

He also demanded to review the definition of minority rtag to Muslims as their population have increased in some districts to blocks and villages to a level where they ceased to be minority.

Singh is the BJP's Lok Sabha member from Nawada constituency in Bihar. He is known to be a vocal supporter of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and champion of Hinduvta politics.
New Delhi: After facing a barrage of gunfire from the Indian troops in a tit-for-tat response on the border, Pakistan on Monday offered an olive branch to India as it sought to take shelter in a 2003 ceasefire agreement between the two sides.

Pakistan's Ambassador to India Abdul Basit on Monday stressed on restrain between the two armies at the border.

I think the two countries need to agree to formalise the 2003 ceasefire agreement, Basit said in an apparent bid to cool down the temperatures at the border.

We need to move from symbolism to substance and from conflict management to conflict resolution, the Pakistan envoy said.

To de-escalate tensions between the two sides in the aftermath of Uri and other developments, Basit said that Islamabad didn't even know what was happening when Uri happened.

When Uri attack was underway, Pakistan was being blamed, this when we did not even know what was happening, ANI quoted Basit as saying.

Referring to the issue of Kashmir unrest, he said, To claim that those who attended Burhan Wani's funeral were instigated by Pakistan is wrong.
Lucknow: Shivpal Yadav on Monday launched an all out attack against UP CM Akhilesh Yadav.

Shivpal claimed the chief minister had told him that he would float a new party to contest the upcoming Assembly polls.

Shivpal urged SP supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav to "take over reins of Uttar Pradesh".

Minutes after Akhilesh ruled out floating a new party, Shivpal said at the meeting of party legislators: "Recently, I went to meet the CM. He said he would float a party and ally with some parties."

Shivpal, who is at daggers drawn with the chief minister over a host of issues, said he was ready to vow for it. "I can swear by Gangajal," he said.

Referring to his long association with the party and his contributions towards strengthening it, Shivpal told party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav, "Netaji, there is a need for you to take over reins of Uttar Pradesh."

Standing stoutly with Amar Singh, who is being accused of pitting one against the other in the family, he said, "Amar Singh ke charanon ki dhool bhi nahi ho aap log (Worth of all of you is not even one quarter of Amar Singh)".

He said that he had never severed his relations with Amar Singh and shared personal ties with him all through.

Referring to the controversy over the merger of mafia don-turned-MLA Muktar Ansari's QED with the Samajwadi Party, Shivpal said he (Ansari) was never taken into the party and that only rumours were spread in this regard.

Shivpal also made a mention of his efforts to garner support of opposition party MLAs to ensure the smooth sail of SP nominees in the recent Rajya Sabha polls.

"Do I have no contribution in government formation... Have my departments not done good work? Even opposition party leaders laud the works... The CM should tell where I have not done enough...Despite not being invited, I used to go to CM's house," he said.
New Delhi: The Supreme Court will on Monday take up for hearing a bail plea filed by Godman Asaram Bapu, who is under arrest in connection with a rape case of a minor girl.

Asaram had approached the apex court after the Rajasthan High Court had rejected his bail plea citing that the case had reached its "fag end" and thus it was not "appropriate" to grant him bail.

The SC on its part directed the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) to constitute a medical board to ascertain his health before taking up his regular plea for bail.

The board in its report told the apex court that the health of Asaram Bapu was stable, adding that Asaram had refused to undergo several tests.

In 2013, a minor girl had alleged that Asaram had sexually assaulted her at his ashram in Jodhpur. The self-styled godman was subsequently arrested on August 31, 2013, and has been in jail since.Asaram`s counsel had sought bail citing that the accused has been suffering several ailments.

With ANI inputs
Jammu: A Border Security Force (BSF) trooper and a six-year-old boy were killed on Monday in Pakistan shelling along the International Border (IB) in Jammu district.

Nine others were critically injured in Jammu and Kashmir.

The boy was killed as Pakistani forces resorted to unprovoked firing in a "complete bizarre manner" towards civilian areas at Laliyal village in RS Pura, official sources said.

Out of the nine injured in the overnight firing, condition of a woman was stated to be critical.

"Pakistan Rangers opened indiscriminate firing and mortar shelling on forward BoPs and civilian areas in several sub-sectors along International Border in Jammu district overnight," a senior BSF officer said.

There has been firing of small and automatic weapons and shelling of mortar bombs on over 25 border out posts (BoPs) and civilian areas in RS Pura, Arnia, Suchetgarh, Kanachak, Pargwal sub-sectors of Jammu district since last night and it is still on, the officer said.

"In the firing and shelling, one BSF Jawan was martyred and another injured," officer said, adding that the BSF troops guarding IB were giving a befitting reply.

The deceased jawan has been identified as Constable Susheel Kumar.

Kumar, a resident of Kurukshetra in Haryana, was inducted into the force in 1992. He is survived by a son and a daughter.

BSF officers laid wreath at the mortal remains of the jawan Susheel Kumar.

The jawan was hit with a splinter in his neck at a post in RS Pura and was shifted to GMC hospital, where doctors declared him dead, the senior BSF officer said.

While, six-year-old boy Vicky Kumar died due to splinter injuries of a mortar shell in Lalyal-Garkhal belt of IB.

The child from a labourer family from Bihar has spent the night in bunker and as soon as he came out to play, the splinter hit him.

Jammu Deputy Commissioner Simrandeep Singh said that 30 cattle were also dead and 130 others were injured in the firing and shelling in various border hamlets in the district.

Police said two women were also injured in the firing in RS Pura sector and have been hospitalised.

The firing comes after a lull of nearly 48 hours as Pakistani Rangers resorted to small arms firing and mortar shelling on at least three places in the sector.

Another BSF constable, Gurnam Singh, had succumbed to his injuries on Sunday in firing by Pakistani snipers in Bobiya area of Hira Nagar sector on the LoC on Friday.

After the injury suffered by Gurnam Singh, the BSF had launched an offensive in which, it claimed, seven Pakistan Rangers and a militant were killed on Friday.

Gurnam Singh belonged to Bhalesar village of RS Pura in Jammu district.

The Police and Civil authorities are assessing losses on account of the damage caused to the property in various villages along the IB in Jammu district, Deputy Commissioner added.

There is huge damage caused to the houses and other properties in the border hamlets, an official said.

There have been over 40 incidents of ceasefire violations by Pakistani troops since India carried out surgical strikes in PoK after the Uri terror attack in which 19 Indian soldiers were killed.

Meanwhile, the Pakistan Army today claimed that two people, including a minor girl, were killed in "unprovoked firing" by the Indian troops.

The Pakistan Army, in a statement, alleged that the Indian soldiers resorted to firing and shelling in Harpal, Pukhlian and Charwah sectors on the working boundary.

Due to India's "unprovoked firing" at the working boundary last night, a civilian of village Janglora and a one-and-a half-year-old girl were killed while seven civilians were injured, it said.
Srinagar: Independent MLA Sheikh Abdul Rashid was today detained along with several of his supporters after he tried to stage a demonstration outside Civil Secretariat, the seat of Jammu and Kashmir government against the termination of 12 government employees last week.

Rashid and his supporters assembled at Jehangir Chowk this morning and started marching towards the nearby Secretariat building but were stopped by police, officials said.

The legislator tried to march ahead but was detained along with over a dozen supporters, they said.

On October 20, Jammu and Kashmir government announced the termination of services of 12 employees for allegedly indulging in anti-national activities after dossiers were prepared against them.

The employees, who were dismissed from government service, belong to various departments including Revenue, Public Health Engineering, Rural Development and Education, a senior government official had said.

Rashid denounced the government action and announced a sit-in outside civil secretariat to press for his demand for reinstating the terminated employees.
Srinagar: A militant was killed in an encounter with security forces in Kupwara district of Kashmir today.

Army personnel launched an anti-militancy operation in Lolab area of Kupwara district following information about presence of militants in the area, an army official said. In the ensuing encounter, one militant was killed.

The identity and group affiliation of the slain militant is being ascertained, he said, adding one weapon was recovered from the scene of the gunbattle.

The operation was going on till reports last came in, he added.
Mumbai: Women will be allowed to enter the sanctum sanctorum of Sufi saint Haji Ali's shrine in Mumbai, the Dargah Trust told the Supreme Court on Monday.

The Haji Ali Dargah Trust informed the apex court that it will grant access to women on par with men.

The decision spells a huge victory for those campaigning under the banner of the Right to Pray movement.

The SC has granted four-week time to the Trust to make requisite infrastructural changes for granting access to women.

A bench comprising Chief Justice TS Thakur and Justices DY Chandrachud and L Nageswara Rao granted time to the trust and disposed off its appeal against the Bombay High Court order asking it to give equal access to women also.

Senior advocate Gopal Subramanium, appearing for the trust, said an additional affidavit has been filed on behalf of the Dargah Trust, saying it is willing to allow women inside the shrine.

On October 17, the Supreme Court had extended the stay granted by the Bombay High Court to facilitate an appeal against its decision to lift the ban on entry of women near the sanctum sanctorum of the famous Haji Ali Dargah till October 24.

Earlier, the Supreme Court had expressed hope that the Trust, which had challenged the high court judgement, "will take a stand which is progressive".

Subramanium had also assured the bench that he was on a "progressive mission" and said all holy books and scriptures promoted equality and nothing which is regressive in character should be suggested.

The bench had also remarked that "if you are not allowing both men and women to go beyond a point, there is no problem. But if you are allowing some to go beyond a point while others are not, it is a problem."

The counsel, appearing for a women's group which has challenged the practice of the Trust not to allow women near the sanctum sanctorum, had submitted that the position was different before 2011 than what it is today.

The shrine, built in 1431, is located on the rocks off the Worli seashore. It houses the grave of Pir Haji Ali Shah Bukhari, a Muslim saint revered by all communities.
Imphal: In a shocking incident, Manipur Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh was on Monday attacked by suspected militants at the Ukhrul helipad, CID officials said.

The Manipur CM escaped unhurt when suspected militants opened gunfire.

A jawan of the Manipur Rifles was injured in the firing which took place when the Chief Minister stepped out of the helicopter and was being greeted by government officials, the officials said.

The CM's helicopter immediately took off and left for Chingai but could not land at the remote village due to protests, the official said.

The Chief Minister then cancelled his programmes and flew back to the state capital where he called an emergency Cabinet meeting, the source said.

The CM had several programmes lined up at Hunphung village and at Chingai village in Ukhrul district. Ibobi was to travel to Hunphung to inaugurate the 100 bedded Ukhrul district hospital besides a power sub-station, the sources said.

Civil Society organisations had called a curfew and put up a road blockade along the three km route to Hunphung from the helipad, the sources said, adding that two vehicles had also been set ablaze by the protesters.

Earlier in the day, a jawan of the Indian Reserve Battalion sustained splinter injuries in a bomb attack by suspected militants on the newly-constructed hospital in the wee hours today before its scheduled inauguration, police said.

Two bombs were fired at the hospital either from a lethod gun or rocket launcher, the official said.

At remote Chingai village, Singh was scheduled to inaugurate a power sub-station, a BDO office and a bank building.

Tension prevailed in the area, the official said.

(With PTI inputs)
Imphal: Amid the tight security in Manipurs Ukhrul ahead of Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singhs visit to the district headquarter for the inauguration of developmental projects, a series of bomb blast took place late Sunday night.

Last night, two persons suspected to be NSCN (IM) hurled two hand grenades in Hundung area, injuring one jawan.

It is learnt that the 04 Indian Reserve Battalion (IRB) jawans were deployed there a week ahead of the Chief Ministers visit.

Though the blasts took place before Chief Minister Ibobis visit, he is still going to visit the Ukhrul.
Bhubaneswar: In a big victory in the fight against Left extremists, 18 Maoists were gunned down in the Malkangiri forest area on Odisha-Andhra Pradesh border early on Monday.

The Naxals were neutralised in a joint operation by the Odisha Police and their counterparts from Andhra Pradesh. Police suspect that a top Maoist leader and son of another high ranking cadre might be among those killed in the encounter.

AP Director General of Police, Nanduri Sambasiva Rao who left for Visakhapatnam immediately upon receiving news of the encounter, confirmed the Naxal casualties to PTI.

According to AP Police, two constables of Greyhounds, an elite anti-Maoist force, were also injured in the encounter that occurred during a routine combing operation being jointly carried out by police of both the states at Ramgurha in Malkangiri district of Odisha.

The face-off between the security personnel and the outlaws lasted for about an hour.

The injured constables were shifted for treatment to the King George Hospital in Visakhapatnam by helicopter, the police official added.

Police have recovered four AK-47 rifles from the scene of the encounter, where a Maoist den was also found.

The DGP said combing operation was still continuing as there was information that there were some more Maoists roaming in the region.

Over the past month, the police had intensified anti-Maoists operations in Malkangiri after intelligence reports had warned of a plan by the ultras to revive their presence in the district bordering Andhra Pradesh.

Last week, the Odisha Human Rights Commission (OHRC) sought an action taken report from district authorities in Malkangiri over a petition seeking protection for people living in the area under Maoist threat.

The OHRC has sought within six weeks the response from the District Collector and the Superintendent of Police of Malkangiri over the matter, which was transferred to it by the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC).

Some months ago, the affected villagers, mostly tribals, had visited the Collectors office in Malakangiri, seeking administrations help and adequate security in their villages.

Human rights activist Sangita Swain had moved the NHRC, seeking justice for the people of Andrapalli and Panaspat in Malkangiri district.

Ms Swain had alleged that the Maoists tortured and killed tribal people suspecting them to be police informers and set houses on fire and their human rights were violated by the inaction/ unlawful action by the police or public authority in Malkangiri.

She had sought protection of the tribals from the Maoists and a compensation of Rs 20 lakh to the kin of those killed and Rs 5 lakh to other victims.

She had claimed that the tribal people were leaving their villages out of fear.

The OHRC order said the Collector and the SP of Malkangiri district be provided the copy of the petition filed by Ms Swain, as it posted the next hearing in the case to November 25.

With agency inputs
Bhubaneswar: The fire in the SUM Hospital, which claimed 27 lives so far, has been doused. But a week after the incident, the anger and anguish over the incident are yet to die down, as the toll keeps mounting, with one of the injured succumbing on Monday.

Several of the bereaved families face an uncertain future, having lost their bread earners to the leaping flames. The plight of those rescued alive is no less, as most of the records of their treatment have been destroyed, hampering further medical assistance.

Many families, now mourning the dead or spending sleepless nights over the fate of their wounded kin, are demanding action against the hospital authority.

P. Saroj of Ganjam district, whose mother Kalyani died in the fire, said: "The state government must take action against the hospital authority for the fire mishap that snatched my mother."

On the other hand, the government machinery -- which had turned a blind eye on the violation of fire safety norms -- has woken up and decided to crack down on the private clinical establishments for flouting safety norms.

"The district collectors should immediately inspect all the private clinical establishments in their districts, including private medical colleges, and wherever dereliction of non-compliance is found, immediate action must be taken under the Clinical Establishment Act and Fire Safety Act," Health secretary said Arti Ahuja in a letter.

She asked the officials to ensure such tragedies do not recur.

The blaze and the heartrending scenes, which triggered a nationwide uproar, have already claimed a major scalp - Atanu Sabyasachi Nayak resigned as Health Minister owning moral responsibility over mishap.

To silence the critics, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has promised stringent action against those found guilty.

The opposition has, however, been unrelenting in its criticism of the Patnaik government, holding it responsible for the harrowing scenes of helpless and inform patients choking to death. Over 100 wounded people are still admitted in several hospitals, with some of them battling for their lives.

But as the politicos indulge in slugfests, the administration and the police are going all guns blazing to fix responsibility and nab the hospital big shots.

While the investigation of Revenue Divisional Commissioner (Central) A.B. Ota is underway, the Commissionerate Police has already arrested five persons, including hospital owner Manoj Nayak.

"We have already issued look-out circular against the trustees of the hospital. They will be questioned over their role in the hospital management and violation of safety norms," said Police Commissioner Y.B. Khurania.

The police have seized important documents related to the hospital's license from the Directorate of Medical Education and Training (DMET).

Meanwhile, Siksha 'O' Anusandhan Vice Chancellor Amit Banerjee was questioned over the fire on Monday. The institute runs the fire-ravaged hospital.

The investigation has revealed that the hospital did not have a fire safety certificate.

Binay Kumar Behera , Director General Fire Services (DGFS), said his department was informed about the fire at the hospital about 45 minutes after the first flames were seen in the dialysis ward.

"Had we been informed immediately, the casualties could have been less," said Behera.

Under tremendous pressure after the government issued a show cause notice asking the hospital authority to reply why its license should not be cancelled, the management has tried to wriggle out of the tight situation by promising to follow all instructions and suggestions in letter and spirit.

The hospital is still running, even though the state government has sealed the dialysis ward and the ICU for further investigation.

"We have been making every possible effort to restore complete normalcy in the hospital in areas of patient care and treatment and we have been successful to some extent," the management said in a statement.

Observers feel it would be difficult for the state government to take any harsh decision against the hospital as lot of students are pursuing their medical education in the institute.

There are 650 MBBS and 150 post-graduate students studying in the medical college. Four hundred students study at the Institute of Dental Sciences while 1000 more are pursuing their courses at the Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences and SUM Nursing College besides 60 students of Masters in Hospital Administration.
New Delhi: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Amarinder Singh today locked horns on social media after the AAP chief accused the Congress' Punjab CM hopeful of using "drug money" in his campaign.

Singh put out a stinging response to Kejriwal, saying he was "hallucinating" and seeing things that "don't exist". The two leaders have been increasingly trading barbs on Twitter as the Assembly election nears.

"Sir, ppl talking in Punjab that u using (Bikram Singh) Majithia's drug money in ur campaign. Is it true? U had saved him from CBI enquiry 3 yrs back (sic)," Kejriwal tweeted.

Majithia is Punjab's Revenue Minister.

The Punjab Congress chief was quick to respond, saying Kejriwal was "seeing stars during the day".

"When your hopes crash from 100 to 30 & still sliding, you're bound to hallucinate & see things that don't exist," Singh tweeted.

Kejriwal has been alleging a "nexus" between Congress and the ruling Akalis in poll-bound Punjab. He has dubbed Singh their "joint chief ministerial candidate".

"Sir, Badals closed corruption cases against u just a few months before elections. Why? Punjab asking what's the deal?" Kejriwal had tweeted yesterday, responding to which Singh asked the AAP chief to "set his own house in order, before he sets his sights on Punjab".

Kejriwal was referring to Punjab Vigilance Bureau's clean chit to Singh in his alleged role in the Amritsar Improvement Trust land scam case
Rameswaram (TN): One person was killed while four others injured when the car they were travelling in, rammed into a roadside tree on Madurai-Rameswaram highway near here today, police said.

The incident occurred last night when the group of pilgrims from Haryana were enroute to Chennai after visiting Rameswaram in their car, they said.

When the vehicle approached Uchapuli, the driver allegedly lost control of the vehicle and rammed it into a tree.

While Mohit (27) died on the spot, others sustained injuries and were admitted to Ramanthapuram Government hospital, they added.

A case has been registered, police said.
Sivakasi (TN): The toll in the October 20 fireworks mishap here rose to nine, with a doctor succumbing to his injuries today, police said.

Janakiraman, a doctor at the scan centre, situated close to the cracker shop, died at a private hospital in Madurai today, police said, adding he had been in coma for the last few days.

On October 20, eight people, including six women, were killed in a firecracker mishap in Sivakasi.

The mishap had occurred when a fire broke out while crackers were being offloaded from a vehicle to a cracker shop, resulting in its spreading and affecting a nearby scan centre.
Cuddalore (TN): Three of a family, including two women, were killed, while two others were injured when their car rammed into a roadside tree at Elamangalam village near here early today, police said.

The incident occurred early this morning when the family members were returning to Pennadam in the district, after visiting a temple in South Tamil Nadu.

While three persons were killed on the spot, two others sustained injuries and were admitted to a government hospital in Thittakkudi, they said.
Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav on Monday struck an emotional pitch at a crucial party meeting and ruled out forming any new party.

Akhilesh further offered to step down if the party supremo and his father Mulayam Singh Yadav so desires.

While addressing party office bearers, legislators, and supporters outside the SP headquarters where his uncle Shivpal Singh Yadav was also present, Akhilesh said: "Let 'netaji' (Mulayam) install a chief minister who he feels is honest."

"Why should I form a new party?" he posed in an emotionally choked voice.

At the meeting, Akhilesh said all these years he had toiled hard for the welfare of the people.

"Mere pita, mere guru hain (my father is my guru)" he said.

The 43-year-old, however, pointed at a conspiracy against him by some with vested interests and rued that his uncle Shivpal was also part of it.

"I have done everything for the betterment of the party and my government has worked for all-round development of Uttar Pradesh and I will continue to do that," he said.

He highlighted various development projects like the Lucknow Metro and the Agra-Lucknow Expressway which would be inaugurated on Netaji's (Mulayam Singh) birthday in November.

Trashing reports and speculation that he was anti-Mulayam, he said he had never done anything which was against party interest and had always ensured that every problem was addressed to Netaji either through letters or personal meetings.

In an important disclosure, Akhilesh referred to the sacking of minister Gayatri Prajapati in September as a decision taken on the behest of Netaji.

"Even Chief Secretary Deepak Singhal was removed on Mulayam Singh's order and I had even tipped off the top bureaucrat to go and beg for forgiveness," Akhilesh said.

Tension was palpable much before the meeting began with youth supporters of Akhilesh mounting pressure on the leadership in support of the chief minister.

The meeting assumed significance as it came a day after Akhilesh engaged in a face-off with his father by sacking each other's loyalists Ram Gopal Yadav and Shivpal Yadav.

Akhilesh had sacked Shivpal, his uncle and party's state unit chief, along with three other "pro-Amar Singh" ministers from his Cabinet.

Mulayam, in a tit-for-tat action, expelled Ram Gopal, pro-CM cousin and SP's national general secretary, from the party for six years, plunging the party into worst-ever crisis days ahead of its silver jubilee celebrations and at a time when Assembly elections were barely few months away.

Amid talks that Akhilesh could give a miss to the silver jubilee celebrations of the party, the chief minister said, "Rath be chaley, sthapana diwas be maney (my rath yatra will go on and establishment day of the party will be celebrated)."

Akhilesh will embark on his 'rath yatra' on November 3, two days ahead of the silver jubilee event, which gave rise to speculation that he would skip the big show to express his displeasure over the recent developments in the party.

The Chief Minister said that he had connected with the masses with the help of Samajwadi Pension Yojana.

"People kept criticising me, but I went ahead keeping my promises to them," he said.

An angry Akhilesh targeted Rajya Sabha MP Amar Singh for the current developments saying that he (Amar) had hinted that some "major changes" would take place in October.

At the same time, the Chief Minister said that if he had said something beyond his limit, he should be pardoned.

Earlier in the day, supporters of Akhilesh Yadav and Samajwadi party leader Shivpal Yadav clashed outside the party office. Police and security officials had a tough time dispersing the unruly mobs.

The tussle in the party began last month when Mulayam replaced 43-year-old Akhilesh with his 61-year-old uncle Shivpal to the post of UP party chief, and also expelled several youth leaders seen as close to Akhilesh.

Shivpal's sacking yesterday came a day after a close aide of Akhilesh Yadav, MLC Udayveer Singh was expelled from the Samajwadi Party. Udayveer was sacked a few days after he shot off a stinging letter to Mulayam accusing his second wife of hatching a conspiracy against the Chief Minister.

While asking Mulayam to clarify on his political successor, Udayveer also demanded that Akhilesh be made the party's national president so that there was no room for speculation or doubt.

Udayveer had earlier this week announced that he along with other Akhilesh loyalists would boycott the SP's silver jubilee celebrations in protest against the expulsion of many of their colleagues by Mulayam and Shivpal.

(With Agency inputs)
Kolkata: Even as the feud in UP's ruling Samajwadi Party on Monday came out into the open with a high-voltage drama unfolding in full public view, the man in the centre of the storm, Amar Singh, refused to make a comment.

"My best wishes to Akhilesh Yadav, he is son of my supreme leader, won't make any comment, Singh, a Rajya Sabha SP MP, said.

He added, "For me silence is the best strategic answer to all questions," as per ANI.

Later at another function, Singh thanked SP supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav and UP SP chief Shivpal Yadav for standing beside him.

"I thank Mulayam Singh Yadav and Shivpal Yadav for standing beside me," he said, as per PTI.

Earlier today, Mulayam sided with Shivpal and friend Singh, and reprimanded son Akhilesh but ruled out his removal as CM.

The bitter power struggle in SP's first family played out on stage at a meeting called by Mulayam of party legislators, MPs and other leaders where Akhilesh, blowing hot and cold, first offered to step down in a choked voice but later accused Amar Singh and those close to him of hatching a "conspiracy" against him and his father.

There were sharp exchanges between Akhilesh and Mulayam, who virtually dismissed him as an insignificant entity in UP politics who could not win an election without his support.

"What is your capability? Can you win elections?" he said, snapping at Akhilesh, as per PTI.

There were ugly scenes and name-calling, with Shivpal, the state SP chief, snatching microphone from Akhilesh and calling him a liar, only to make a dramatic appearance at the CM's residence hours later. The nephew-uncle duo drove in the same car to meet party patriarch Mulayam, who was said to be having a severe toothache, surprising many.

Party observers said the meeting could have been at the behest of Mulayam, who had earlier in the day wished that Akhilesh and Shivpal transcended all differences and hugged each other.

The bile-filled exchanges between top SP leaders came a day after the continuing battle of attrition between Akhilesh and his uncle Shivpal saw the CM sacking Shivpal and three other ministers close to him, and Mulayam striking back with vengeance expelling from the party for six years his cousin Ram Gopal Yadav.

Ram Gopal, a Rajya Sabha member, has been backing Akhilesh in his fight against Shivpal.

Addressing the gathering Akhilesh ruled out forming a new party, a claim which Shivpal disputed, saying he was prepared to "swear" by his son and "Ganga jal" that the Chief Minister had told him he would indeed float a new party and contest the assembly polls in alliance with some political party.



(With Agency inputs)
Bijnor (UP): Eight jawans of the Special Frontier Force (1 Archer) were injured, three of them critically, after the Army truck in which they were traveling overturned on the highway near Sahanpur area in Najibabad tehsil, police said on Monday.

The truck was traveling from Dehradun to Dharchula in Pauri Garhwal last morning when the mishap took place, they said.

The group in-charge, Major N S Bath informed the police following which Najibabad SHO Tajendra Singh Yadav and sub-inspector Brajesh Kumar, along with other officials reached the spot and shifted the injured to a Pooja Hospital here.

Bath said the truck overturned after its driver lost control over the vehicle when a tanker came before it.

After getting first-aid, the injured were referred to Dehradun Military Hospital, where the critically injured were stated to be out of danger, police said.
Lucknow: Ram Gopal Yadav said on Monday that whatever was happening in Samajwadi Party was very unfortunate.

"No Opposition party has ever levelled any allegations against UP CM but sadly partymen are doing it," he said.

He added, "There is no question of forming a new party. People who have nothing will form new party, Akhilesh has all support," as per ANI.

At the same time, Ram Gopal maintained, "No question of joining any other party, never."

Earlier today, acrimony, bitter exchanges and personal attacks marked a meeting of Samajwadi Party leaders, bringing to the fore the high-voltage power struggle in the first family with Akhilesh Yadav and his father Mulayam Singh trading barbs while the CM was accused of planning to float a party, a charge he denied.

Cut up with his son, Mulayam put up a strong defence of his brother Shivpal Yadav, who was sacked by Akhilesh yesterday from his Cabinet, and general secretary Amar Singh but ruled out replacing the CM, who offered to quit.

The political drama was also punctuated by clashes between rival factions outside and inside the venue and after the abrupt end to the meeting of the legislators, MPs and ministers.

Seeking to put at rest speculation, Akhilesh ruled out forming any new party and offered to step down if Mulayam wanted.

With his father and uncle watching, he broke down while addressing the meeting.

"Let 'netaji' (Mulayam) install a chief minister who he feels is honest," he said.

"Why should I form a new party?" he posed in an emotionally choked voice.

At the meeting Akhilesh said all these years he had toiled hard for the welfare of the people.

"Merey pita, merey guru hain (my father is my guru)" he said, as per PTI.

Akhilesh said many people were trying to create divisions within his family using various machinations and that he had taught himself how to oppose any wrong doing.

Tension was palpable much before the meeting began with youth supporters of Akhilesh mounting pressure on the leadership in support of the CM.

When his turn came, Mulayam said the party was facing a difficult situation and party members should not fight with each other. But his words had little effect as chaos broke out at the venue and heated words were exchanged on the dais leading to an abrupt end of the meeting.

Both the father and son shouted at each other at the meeting.

"I can't tolerate anything against Amar and Shivpal. Amar saved me from going to jail," Mulayam said admonishing Akhilesh for attacking Amar Singh.

"Amar has helped me a lot. If Amar was not there I would have been in jail, he is like my brother," Mulayam said, describing the Rajya Sabha member as his brother.

Mulayam said mere donning of red cap (colour of SP's cap) does not make one Samajwadi.

"Some ministers are just sycophants," he added.

"I cannot forget the work done by Shivpal Yadav," he said while describing Shivpal as a mass leader.

"We are facing difficult situation, we should remove our weakness and not fight with each other," Mulayam said.

In the first open attack on his nephew, Shivpal Yadav claimed the chief minister had told him that he would float a new party to contest the upcoming Assembly polls.

He urged his brother to "take over reins of Uttar Pradesh".

Speaking after Akhilesh's denial, Shivpal said, "Recently, I went to meet the CM. He said he would float a party and ally with some parties."

Daggers drawn with the chief minister over a host of issues, Shivpal said he was ready to vouch for it. "I can swear by Gangajal," he said.

(With Agency inputs)
Varanasi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has arrived in Varanasi, his Lok Sabha constituency, where he is set to launch a number of ambitious projects including a 1,500-km-long gas pipeline costing Rs 51,000 crore and doubling of railway tracks on a busy route.

Prime Minister Modi will launch "Urja Ganga", the gas pipeline project which promises to provide piped cooking gas to residents of Varanasi within two years and, in another year thereafter, cater to millions of people in states like Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal and Odisha.

PM Modi will also scheduled to flag off projects like doubling of railway tracks on the busy Allahabad-Varanasi section and expansion of the Diesel Locomotive Works (DLW) besides laying foundation stone for a fully air-conditioned perishable cargo centre.

He will also release a stamp dedicated to the ancient temple town, which is believed to be among the oldest surviving ones in the world.

Besides, he will lay the foundation stone for widening of a road passing through the city's crowded Cantonment area.

This is his eight visit to the temple town after he became Member of Parliament from Varanasi.

With PTI inpuits
Hyderabad: Telangana Congress chief N Uttam Kumar Reddy has vowed to not shave his beard till Congress comes to power in the state.

Reddy told PTI today that he was recently asked by some mediapersons how come he, a former top Indian Air Force officer, is growing beard.

"My reply was I will maintain beard till Congress comes to power in Telangana," he said.

Reddy, who served as ADC and Comptroller to the President and flew MIG-21 and MIG-23 aircrafts while in the Air Force, had always been a clean shaven man.

"But, it (growing beard) has enthused party cadres," said the 54-year-old MLA from Nalgonda district.

Reddy has been leading a number of agitations in recent times against the TRS government on issues like the ruling party's promise of farmers' loan waiver and release of dues for reimbursement of students' tuition fees and 'Arogya Sri' health scheme.

Yesterday, he took part in a 'padayatra' for revival of Nizam Sugars at Bodhan.

Congress in Telangana was left disappointed in 2014 Legislative Assembly elections over not coming to power despite "delivering" on the long-pending separate statehood demand.

Congress had won 21 seats in the 119-member Assembly.

The next Assembly elections are due in 2019, along with general elections.
Kolkata: Fire broke out at a building in the congested Motijheel area of Entally in the central part of the city this afternoon, police said.

Nine fire tenders were pressed to service and residents of the building have been evacuated to a safe place.

One person received minor injury in the fire and shifted to a nearby hospital, a senior officer of Kolkata Police said.

"Fire broke out today at around 12.35 PM. Because its a congested bustee area, getting inside near the building for the fire engines was quite a task and hence the fire got the time to spread in this way.

We tried our level best and the situation is under control now," the officer said.

The reason of the fire is yet to be ascertained.

Apart from the fire department, personnel from the Kolkata Police Disaster Management Group were at the spot, he said.
Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday said a conspiracy was being hatched to disrupt harmony in the state and asked people not to tolerate those trying to create differences.

"The administration is with you. I ask common people that if you see injustice happening, you should protest. Do not tolerate those who are trying to create division among people," she said at a function in the state secretariat here.

The Chief Minister said those who divided people on religious lines would divide families and neighborhood one day.

Without naming anyone, the Trinamool supremo said a conspiracy was being hatched by those who did not want the state to feel proud in the international market.

She also asked people not to respond to any provocation ahead of Kali Puja.

"There are some people who want to create trouble...They know only destruction and not creation. They do not want life, only death," Banerjee said.

In the meantime to augment the fire fighting capability of the state, the CM flagged off 50 new water tenders.

Equipped with the latest technology, the tenders have been procured at a total cost of Rs 13.2 crore.

In the last two years, a total of 22 tenders has been procured through e-tendering process adding to the existing fleet of 674 fire fighting vehicles.
Baghdad: At least 131 persons, including 74 militants, were killed and 150 others injured in clashes in an Iraq's Kirkuk city, sources reported on Monday.

Kirkuk's governor Najmeddin Karin said in a statement that Iraqi and Kurdish forces had killed 74 members of the Islamic State militant group (IS) in combats between Friday and Sunday, EFE news agency reported.

He said several IS militants had been arrested, including the Iraqi leader who had launched the attacks on Friday.

According to Karin, the city's IS faction was comprised of 100 militants, most of them from Iraq.

A Kirkuk medical source told EFE that, apart from the 74 IS members, another 57 persons were killed in the fighting, most of them members of the security forces.

During the attacks, the IS militants took control of some police stations and placed snipers on several buildings.

After Friday's clashes reinforcements were sent to several cities in Iraq's Kurdistan region.

Monday was the eighth day of the offensive to try to recover Mosul from IS.

Iraqi forces and Kurdish Peshmerga aim to expel the IS from this city which has languished under jihadist rule since June 2014.
Kabul: At least 32 militants were killed as Afghan forces thwarted Taliban offensive to capture Faizabad district in Jauzjan province, an official said on Monday.

"Taliban attack on Faizabad district which begun on Saturday, has been thwarted and the rebels, after suffering huge casualties, and leaving 32 dead bodies behind, have run away," Xinhua news agency quoted the official as saying.

More than 60 militants sustained injuries in the two-day fierce fighting, the official said.

According to the official, the police chief of neighbouring Manjigak district was killed during the fighting.

Taliban militants who are active in parts of Jauzjan province with Shiberghan as its capital have not commented yet.
Brussels: Belgium cannot sign a key EU trade deal with Canada, Prime Minister Charles Michel said on Monday.

The deal has been suspended because of objections from one of its regions, Wallonia, BBC reported.

Michel`s statement appeared to dash hopes the Ceta deal could be signed by EU leaders and Canada on Thursday.

"We are not in a position to sign Ceta," Michel said after talks with regional leaders broke down.

It is the EU`s most ambitious free trade deal to date but Belgium needs the regions` approval to sign it.

Michel said he had told European Council President Donald Tusk that Belgium could not sign Ceta.

The European Commission had set Belgium a Monday deadline to make its decision on the deal agreed with Canada in 2014, after five years of negotiations.

Wallonia, a staunchly socialist region of 3.6 million people, wants stronger safeguards on labour, environmental and consumer standards.

Its fears echo those of anti-globalisation activists, who said Ceta and deals like it give too much power to multinationals -- power even to intimidate governments.

There have been big demonstrations in several EU countries against Ceta and the TTIP trade talks between the EU and the US.

On Sunday, the European Commission presented a new clarification to Wallonia on the mechanism for settling disputes with investors.

The rules for trade arbitration are one of the thorniest issues in the deal.

According to a media report, the latest EU document did not satisfy the Walloon politicians.

Canada and the EU would eliminate 98 per cent of tariffs under Ceta, which was negotiated over five years between 2009 and 2014.

Supporters said this would increase trade between them by 20 per cent, and would especially help small businesses.

Critics said the deal threatens product standards and protects big business, allowing corporations to sue governments.
Region du Centre: The death toll in last week`s train crash in Cameroon has climbed to 79 after rescuers finished combing through the wreckage, authorities said Monday.

On Sunday, 11 more bodies were pulled from the debris of the packed passenger train that derailed on Friday between Cameroon`s two main cities, CRTV state radio reported.

More than 500 people were injured, the radio added, when the train travelling from the capital Yaounde to the economic hub of Douala, came off the rails near the central city of Eseka.

The train was crammed with people because a collapsed bridge made travelling the same route by road impossible. Extra carriages had been added to accommodate the additional passengers.

"Searches at the site of the accident wound up on Sunday," a Camrail railway official who asked not to be identified told AFP. On Saturday a Camrail official said the toll had hit at least 60.

Cameroon was observing a day of national mourning Monday, with flags flying at half mast and church services planned across the country.

President Paul Biya, who returned home Sunday after a month out of the country, said he had called for an inquiry into the accident.
Las Vegas: Donald Trump proves himself unfit for presidency "every single day", US President Barack Obama has said as he slammed the Republican leaders for going along with the rhetoric of the party's White House nominee till recently.

"For all the progress we've made, if we don't work as hard as we can in these next 16 days, all that progress could be out of the window. Because competing for the job I currently hold, you've got a guy who proves himself unfit for this office every single day, every single way," Obama said at an election rally in Las Vegas, Nevada.

"On the other side, you've got somebody who is as qualified as has ever run for the presidency -- Hillary Rodham Clinton," he said amidst applause from the audience.

Obama said for years, Republican politicians and the far-right media outlets have pumped up all kinds of crazy stuff about him and about Clinton.

"They said I wasn't born here. They said climate change is a hoax. They said that I was going to take everybody's guns away. They said that, when we were doing military exercises that we've been doing forever, suddenly this was a plot to impose martial law. This is what they've been saying for years now. So, people have been hearing it, and they start thinking, well, maybe this is true," he told the audience.

"So if the world that they've been seeing is that I'm powerful enough to cause hurricanes on my own, and to steal everybody's guns in the middle of the night, and impose martial law, even though I can't talk without a prompter then is it any wonder that they end up nominating somebody like Donald Trump?" Obama said.

The fact is that there are a lot of politicians who knew better, he noted.

"But they went along with these stories because they figured, you know what, this will help rile up the base, it will give us an excuse to obstruct what we're trying to do, we won't be able to appoint judges, we'll gum up the works, we'll create gridlock, it will give us a political advantage," Obama said.

The US President said the politicians just stood by and said nothing.

"And their base began to actually believe this crazy stuff. So Donald Trump did not start this. Donald Trump didn't start it. He just did what he always did, which is slap his name on it, take credit for it, and promote it. That's what he does," Obama said amidst applause.

"And so now when suddenly it's not working, and people are saying, wow, this guy is kind of out of line, all of a sudden, these Republican politicians who were okay with all this crazy stuff up to a point, suddenly they're all walking away -- 'Oh, this is too much'," he said.
Washington: Hacked emails from the personal account of Hillary Clinton's top campaign official show her aides considered inserting jokes about her private email server into her speeches at several events and at least one joke made it into her remarks.

"I love it," she told a dinner in Iowa on August 14, 2015, noting she had opened an online account with Snapchat, which deletes posts automatically. "Those messages disappear all by themselves."

The crack scored a laugh from the audience, but the issue was plenty serious. About a month earlier, news broke of an FBI investigation into whether some of the emails that passed through Clinton's unsecured server contained classified information.

Ultimately, the agency criticised Clinton for being reckless with classified information but declined to prosecute her.

But hacked emails of John Podesta, Clinton's top campaign official, show the Democratic candidate and her team were slow to grasp the seriousness of the controversy, initially believing it might blow over after one weekend.

It did not, and became the most recent example of a penchant for secrecy that has fuelled questions about Clinton's trustworthiness, which she has acknowledged has been a political challenge.

The joke was included in hacked emails WikiLeaks began releasing earlier this month, saying they included years of messages from accounts used by Podesta. Podesta warned that messages may have been altered or edited to inflict political damage, but has not pointed to any specifics.

Almost from the moment The Associated Press on March 3, 2015, called the campaign for comment on its breaking story that Clinton had been running a private server to five months later, campaign aides sought venues on Clinton's schedule where she could show some humour over the issue, according to the hacked emails.

In a series of emails on March 3, 2015 the same day The Associated Press called for comment staffers tossed around the idea of making jokes about the emails at a dinner hosted by EMILY's List, a political action committee, that evening.

"I wanted to float idea of HRC making a joke about the email situation at the EMILY's List dinner tonight," Jennifer Palmieri, director of communications for Clinton's campaign, wrote at 2:37 PM, using the candidate's initials.
Iraqi forces battled Sunday through booby traps, sniper fire and suicide car bombs to tighten the noose around Mosul, while also hunting Islamic State group jihadists behind attacks elsewhere in the country.

Kurdish forces announced a new push at dawn on Bashiqa, northeast of Mosul, where some 10,000 fighters are engaged in a huge assault to take the IS-held town.

Turkey`s Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said the peshmerga had requested and received Turkish military assistance.

"They (Peshmerga) asked for help from our soldiers at Bashiqa base. We are providing support with artillery, tanks and howitzers," Yildirim told reporters in western Turkey on Sunday.

Ankara`s claim came a day after Baghdad turned down a suggestion by visiting US Defence chief Ashton Carter -- who met Kurdish leader Massud Barzani on Sunday -- that Turkey is given a part in the battle.

Launched last Monday, the assault aims to reclaim the last major Iraqi city under IS control, dealing another setback to the jihadists` self-declared "caliphate" in Iraq and neighbouring Syria.

Carter said on Sunday that the idea of simultaneous operations against Mosul and Raqa in Syria "has been part of our planning for quite a while".

He also said destroying IS`s external operations capabilities was "our highest priority".

The jihadists on Friday staged a surprise assault on Iraq`s Kurdish-controlled city of Kirkuk, and two days later security forces were still tracking down IS fighters there.

The dozens of attackers, including several suicide bombers, failed to seize key government buildings but sowed chaos in the large oil-rich and ethnically mixed city.

At least 51 of the jihadists have been killed, including three more on Sunday, local security officials said.

At least 46 people, most of them in the security forces, were also killed in the raid and ensuing clashes, which had almost completely ceased by late Sunday.

Life was returning to normal in some parts of Kirkuk, but security forces in southern neighbourhoods were still hunting for several gunmen.

IS also attacked Rutba, a remote town near the Jordanian border in the western province of Anbar, with five suicide car bombs, the area`s top army commander said on Sunday.

The attackers briefly seized the mayor`s office but security forces quickly regained the upper hand, he said.

The spectacular attack in Kirkuk, of a type observers, warned could happen more often as IS loses territory and reverts to a traditional insurgency, temporarily drew attention away from Mosul.

But there was no sign it had any significant impact on the offensive to retake the city, Iraq`s largest military operation in years.

Tens of thousands of fighters, including Iraqi federal troops and Kurdish peshmerga, are taking part in the assault.

Engaged on the northern and eastern fronts, the peshmerga is expected to stop along a line at an average of 20 kilometres (12 miles) from the boundaries of the city proper.

"They are pretty much there," a US military official said on Saturday, adding that the lines "will be solidified in the next day or two".

The peshmerga announced they had secured eight villages near Bashiqa, an IS-held town northeast of Mosul and one of the main Kurdish targets in the offensive.

Elite federal forces were also fighting to retake control of Qaraqosh just east of Mosul.

It used to be Iraq`s largest Christian town.

Lieutenant General Stephen Townsend, the commander of the US-led coalition, said Saturday that jihadist resistance was stiff.

"It`s pretty significant, we are talking about enemy indirect fire, multiple IEDs (improvised explosive devices), multiple VBIED (vehicle-borne IEDs) each day, even some anti-tank guided missiles," he said in Baghdad.

Iraqi Kurdish and federal forces rarely release casualty figures, but hospitals behind Kurdish lines were overwhelmed by the number of wounded, an AFP reporter said. "We have a shortage of human resources, medical equipment, medicine and specialised doctors," Lawand Meran, a doctor at Arbil West hospital, said.

"Soon, if we have 1,000 casualties, our capacity will not be enough."

US military officials have revised their estimate slightly upward for the number of IS fighters in and around Mosul.

They believe IS is defending Mosul, where the "caliphate" was proclaimed in June 2014, with 3,000 to 5,000 fighters inside the city and 1,000 to 2,000 in the outskirts.

There is a deep concern for an estimated 1.2 million civilians still believed to be in the city.

Several thousand civilians fleeing the fighting and the jihadists who ruled them for two years have escaped to camps for the displaced south of Mosul.

"Over 5,000 people are currently displaced and in need of humanitarian assistance," the United Nations said in an update on Sunday.

"Population movements are fluctuating as the front lines move, including people returning to their homes following improved security conditions in the immediate area," it said in a statement.

Iraqi forces are now fighting in sparsely populated areas but when they near the limits of the city itself aid groups fear the start of a huge exodus.

A million people could be displaced, sparking an unprecedented humanitarian emergency in a country where more than three million people have already been forced from their homes since the start of 2014
Jerusalem: Israel's air force hit a Hamas post in the Gaza Strip on Monday after a rocket was fired from the Palestinian enclave toward Israel, the military said.

There were no initial reports that the rocket caused any casualties.

"A rocket was fired at southern Israel from the Gaza Strip," an army statement said, but "no rockets hit Israeli territory."

Israeli public radio said it was believed the rocket fell short and landed within Gaza, which is run by Islamist movement Hamas.

"In response to the attack Israel Air Force aircraft targeted a Hamas military post in the northern Gaza Strip," the army said.

Hamas officials said there were no casualties in the attack on the post, at Beit Hanoun, near the border with Israel.

Israel and Palestinian militants in Gaza have fought three wars since 2008 and there are frequent flare-ups along the border.

Rocket fire from Gaza usually leads to retaliatory strikes by Israel.

Recent rocket fire from the Gaza Strip has been claimed by jihadists who sympathise with the Islamic State group, but Israel holds Hamas responsible for all such attacks.
Pakistani troops backed by helicopters have launched a major operation against militants who stormed a police academy in the country`s restive southwest late Monday, rescuing hundreds of trapped cadets and killing two attackers, officials said.

At least 21 people have so far been injured, meanwhile, with the toll feared to rise.

The attack on the Balochistan Police College, located 20 kilometres east of Quetta city centre, began at around 11:30 pm (1830 GMT), with gunfire continuing to ring out from the site hours later.

According to a military statement "five to six" militants were involved in the attack, with a clearing operation now underway.

"At least 21 people have been injured in the attack," Anwar Kakar, the provincial government spokesman said, while provincial health minister Noor ul Haq Baloch placed the figure at 28 -- most of them cadets.

Mir Sarfaraz Ahmed Bugti, the provincial home minister, later tweeted "2 terrorist killed" and "200 plus rescued Alhamdo lillha (by God`s grace)".

It was not immediately clear how many cadets were in the building at the time of the attack. Bugti said it normally housed around 700 but "recently there was a batch which graduated so I can`t say how many there are now".

As the battle to retake the academy continued, police and civil administration officials at the site told AFP they had heard three blasts, one particularly loud.

The area was plunged into darkness when the operation was launched while security personnel created a cordon and ambulances zoomed in and out, taking the injured to hospitals. Military helicopters meanwhile circled overhead.

A man who identified himself as a police cadet told reporters: "I saw three men in camouflage whose faces were hidden carrying Kalashnikovs. They started firing and entered the dormitory but I managed to escape over a wall."No group has yet claimed responsibility but Baloch separatists demanding greater autonomy of the mineral rich but desperately poor region have been waging an on-off insurgency for decades, and the province is also riven by sectarian strife and Islamist violence.

The attack came a day after separatist gunmen for the Baloch Liberation Army on a motorcycle shot dead two coast guards and a civilian and wounded a shopkeeper in a remote southwest coastal town in the same province.

In August, a suicide bombing at a Quetta hospital claimed by the Islamic State group and the Jamaat-ul-Ahrar faction of the Pakistani Taliban killed 73 people, including many of the city`s lawyer community who had gone there to mourn the fatal shooting of a colleague.

Balochistan is also a key region for China`s ambitious $46 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) infrastructure project linking its western province of Xinjiang to the Arabian Sea via Pakistan.

Security problems have mired CPEC in the past with numerous separatist attacks, but China has said it is confident the Pakistani military is in control.

The army has repeatedly been accused by international rights groups of abuses in Balochistan.
Moscow: Russian inspectors on Monday will start observation flights over the Turkish territory under the Open Skies Treaty to monitor its compliance, a senior Russian defense official said.

The observational flights -- canceled by Ankara in February, "will be carried out between October 24 and October 28," TASS news agency quoted Russia`s Nuclear Risk Reduction Center`s acting chief Sergey Zabello.

The Russian flight will use an An-30B aircraft with Turkish specialists on board and cover a maximum range of 1,900 km using Turkey`s Eskisehir Air Base to refuel, Xinhua news agency reported.

The flight is part of the confidence-building measures in Europe in the post-Cold War era under the international treaty.

The Open Skies Treaty establishes a program of unarmed aerial surveillance flights over the entire European territory of 34 nations, including Russia and most members of North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).

The treaty was signed in March 1992 and took effect in 2002.
Beijing: At least seven persons were killed and 94 injured in an explosion in a house in China's Shaanxi province on Monday, authorities said.

After initial investigation it was unclear what caused the explosion. It, however, indicated that the makeshift house was built inside a residential compound in Fugu county, Xinhua news agency reported.

The township's hospital was among the buildings destroyed by the blast.

Dozens of firefighters and rescuers were combing the rubble to look for more survivors.
Paris: France began clearing the so-called "Jungle" migrant camp in the northern city of Calais on Monday ahead of its planned demolition.

Here are five key questions to explain what is at stake:

It is a collection of tents and shelters on a muddy, windswept patch of land near Calais, northern France, that has become a magnet for migrants seeking to cross the Channel to reach Britain.

Various squalid settlements have existed for decades around the gritty town that is home to one of the country`s biggest ports and the Channel Tunnel rail link connecting France and Britain.

In 1999, the Sangatte refugee camp run by the Red Cross was set up to manage the flow of migrants, but this was shut down three years later by then interior minister Nicolas Sarkozy.

The 700 to 800 inhabitants, mainly Afghan migrants, moved to a new location that became known as the "Jungle".

Hundreds of police demolished this site in September 2009 despite protests by anti-globalisation activists and leftist groups.

From April 2015, a new "Jungle" camp emerged as hundreds of thousands of people headed to Europe from the Middle East and Africa in the continent`s biggest migrant crisis since World War II.

The population of mainly Afghans, Iraqis, Eritreans and Sudanese has peaked at more than 10,000, according to local charities, but in its final days was believed to be around 6,000-8,000.

The camp is near to where thousands of lorries drive on to ferries or trains heading for Britain, just 35 kilometres (22 miles) across the Channel.

Despite the dangers, desperate migrants try to break into the vehicles and hide. Those with money pay people smugglers to arrange the crossing.

Rather than apply for asylum in France, most have preferred to head to Britain for a variety of reasons.

Some have family networks there, while others are attracted to Britain`s reputation as a more economically vibrant country. The English language is also a big draw.

As the evacuation approached, more and more residents began seeking asylum in France, seeing it as the only way to avoid deportation.

Conditions are bleak. Sanitation is limited and illnesses spread easily. Women and children risk sexual violence, while brawls and deadly road accidents are commonplace.

For the local economy, repeated targeting of trucks has seriously disrupted traffic at the port and Channel tunnel.

Locals complain about the image of their town, and Calais bars and restaurants say trade has been severely hit. Protesters blocked roads in September to demand the camp`s closure.

The conditions have also drawn criticism from the United Nations and charities, embarrassing the French government.

In 2003, the two countries signed the so-called Le Touquet accord, which effectively moved Britain`s border with France to the French side of the Channel.

Under the agreement, Britain pays millions of euros (dollars) each year for security in Calais -- the latest investment being a wall along the road leading to the port -- but it is French police and border agents who are on the frontline.

Many French politicians believe London has simply outsourced a problem to France and the agreement should be torn up.

"We can`t tolerate what is going on in Calais, the image is disastrous for our country," the centre-right frontrunner for next year`s presidential election, Alain Juppe, said in an interview last published last week.

The Socialist government has ruled out scrapping the agreement for now, but there are signs of frustration with Britain.

President Francois Hollande called on the British to "play their part" in September, while Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve reminded London of its "moral duty" to take in children from the camp believed to be numbered in the hundreds.

In February, authorities razed the southern part of the camp and demanded that migrants living there move to temporary state-funded accommodation. Many refused.

On September 26, Hollande promised the camp would be closed by the end of the year and the government said it would relocate the Jungle migrants to accommodation around the country.

The plan prompted a right-wing mayor in the town of Beziers in southern France to put up posters warning "They`re coming", depicting a group of dark-skinned men against the backdrop of the local cathedral.

The bigger question is whether history will repeat itself once the bulldozers have done their work. As one camp is demolished, will another spring up nearby?

Bashir, 25, from Sudan, said he applied for asylum in France four months ago. "But the authorities gave me no housing so there was nowhere for me to be but in the Jungle. Today that will change."
Qaraqosh (Iraq): Iraqi forces advancing on Mosul on Monday faced stiff resistance from the Islamic State jihadist group despite an unprecedented wave of air strikes by the US-led coalition in support of the week-old offensive.

Federal forces and Kurdish peshmerga fighters gained ground in several areas, AFP correspondents on various fronts said, but the jihadists were hitting back with shelling, sniper fire, suicide car bombs and booby traps.

IS has also attempted to draw attention away from losses around Mosul with attacks on Iraqi forces elsewhere in the country, the latest coming yesterday near the Jordanian border.

Following a weekend visit to Iraq by US Defence Secretary Ashton Carter, American officials said the coalition was providing the most air support yet to the operation.

"One week into Mosul operation, all objectives met thus far, and more coalition air strikes than any other 7-day period of war against ISIL (IS)," Brett McGurk, the top US envoy to the 60-nation coalition, wrote on social media.

"There were 32 strikes with 1,776 munitions delivered" against IS targets between October 17 and 23, coalition spokesman Colonel John Dorrian told AFP.

He said those strikes had destroyed 136 IS fighting positions, 18 tunnels and 26 car bombs.

The offensive, launched on October 17, aims to retake towns and villages surrounding Mosul before elite troops breach the city and engage die-hard jihadists in street-to-street fighting.

On the eastern side of Mosul, federal troops were today battling IS in Qaraqosh, which used to be the largest Christian town in the country.

Army forces entered the town for the third day running but armoured convoys deployed around it were met with shelling from inside, an AFP correspondent reported.

Federal forces also scored gains on the southern front, where they have been making quick progress, taking one village after another as they work their way up the Tigris Valley.

On the northern front, Kurdish peshmerga forces were closing in on the IS-held town of Bashiqa.

Turkey, which has a base in the area, said yesterday it had provided artillery support following a request from the peshmerga.

The presence of Turkish troops on Iraqi soil is deeply unpopular in Baghdad and the Joint Operations Command today vehemently denied any Turkish participation.

But AFP reporters near Bashiqa said artillery fire coming from the Turkish base had been sighted on several occasions since the start of operations a week ago.

While an increasingly pragmatic IS has tended in recent months to relinquish some of its positions to avoid taking too many casualties, US officials said the group was mounting a spirited defence of Mosul.
Editors Note: This week FoodBytes! moves to Boulder, Colorado for the first time. The food and agriculture startup event has extended its series of conferences from New York and San Francisco to the Centennial State and next month onto Sydney, Australia!

The event revolves around a pitch competition between shortlisted startups. Ahead of the Boulder and Sydney events, Manuel Gonzalez, Rabobanks head of corporate clients west coast region and the founder FoodBytes!, and Nick Fereday, a senior analyst of food and consumers trends at the bank, write about the increasing role of innovation in our food chain today.

In the US, the food industry is experiencing unprecedented change, and theres no denying that small and emerging brands are poised to disrupt and capture market share from the larger players. A recent Nielsen study revealed that the leading 25 food and beverage companies accounted for 45% of total sales in the US in 2015, but drove just 3% of total category growth from 2011 to 2015. Although private label and mid-size companies  the following 75 companies  drove some of the growth, this particular Nielsen study concluded that it was the long tail of the 20k companies below the top 100 that drove 49% of all category growth. Lets stop for a moment and acknowledge the enormity of that figure  each of those 20k companies is playing an integral part to revolutionize the industry.

The global food industry is also experiencing widespread change, and consumer needs and issues across the world are drastically different from one country to the next. Some areas are facing a global shortage and continue to struggle with the problem of access to food, while other regions are dealing with an enormous surplus. These issues require large scale solutions if were to address and mitigate these complex and global problems properly.

And with the proliferation of smaller, startup companies  like those 20k that account for 49% of category growth  its clear that the much-needed solutions will come from these burgeoning brands.

The desire to seek out this game-changing innovation was one of the reasons that Rabobank launched our FoodBytes! platform. As we head into our fifth event  taking place in Boulder  the amazement we feel at what these global startups are bringing to the stage never lessens. These individuals are creating products and ideas in direct response to a constantly evolving landscape.

While the companies we see at FoodBytes! represent a diverse mix across the food and supply chain, there are a few common themes we see across the board, making these companies worth paying attention to: disruption, sustainability and a love of tech.

Disruption

In our world of food and agtech, disruption is a good thing. Its necessary to incite positive, powerful, and lasting change. In many industries, changing the status quo is both challenging, and at times ill-received by those on the inside. In this industry, editing the way we think, create and produce is critical if we hope to meet the needs of a changing world. The companies we see at FoodBytes! are doing just that.

Take, for example, a company like Imperfect Produce, encouraging shoppers and supermarkets to embrace ugly produce. In the US, 1-in-5 fruits and vegetables grown dont fit the strict cosmetic standards set by grocery stores, which usually means this perfectly edible food goes to waste. The folks at Imperfect Produce knew that it would take some consumer convincing  or disruption of the norm  to embrace the idea that ugly produce is just as good as what theyve come to expect on store shelves. But, theyve done just that  by sourcing produce from local farms, offering a sizable discount and delivering right to your door  customers throughout the Bay Area have learned to love the ugly.

Sustainability

Sustainability has become a cornerstone of nearly every business effort around the world. As we think about the growing global population, solutions that incorporate sustainability principles will undoubtedly rise above the rest. A huge majority of the startups we have the opportunity to hear from are built on a platform of sustainability, or consider it a major tenant of their brand DNA. Netherlands-based Seamore, the FoodBytes! San Francisco Judges Choice Award Winner, touts their sustainable practices as core to their growth. Seamores founder mistook seaweed for pasta, and after thoroughly enjoying the experience, created I sea pasta  100% wild, handpicked seaweed from coastal Ireland. The methods by which this crowd-harvested I sea pasta is collected make it a truly healthy, sustainable option, and we suspect well see the market for seaweed-based substitutes continue to grow in the coming years.

A Love for Technology

Tech  it seems to be everywhere. Its in how our food is grown, sourced, delivered and consumed. It shouldnt come as a surprise that startups today rely on cutting edge technology, and that seems to hold true across nearly every industry. Worth noting, however, is the surge in tech within an industry  food and ag  that also seems to be experiencing a back to basics shift in mentality. Never before have terms like organic, all-natural, fair-trade, non-GMO, and artisanal been so engrained in consumer vernacular. Its as if we want the best that tech can offer us, but in a wholesome way  a true juxtaposition. Thats why, in our minds, companies that can embrace both sides of the spectrum are poised for greatness.

At this past FoodBytes!, we were supremely impressed with Foodfully founder Brianna McGuire, and her desire to address the massive issues of food waste using technology. Her app is designed to address the 70 billion pounds of food that Americans toss each year. Users of the app are reminded of the food they already have in their refrigerator or pantry with push notifications that send alerts when that food is at peak freshness, along with recipes and techniques for cooking and enjoying said food. Its a simple concept; one powered by technology and designed to fit into our tech-centric lives.

As we gear up for FoodBytes! Boulder, taking place on Wednesday, October 26, theres great anticipation for what well see take the stage. The hundreds of companies weve had the opportunity to hear from, hailing from countries around the world, will be what shapes this very industry in the years to come.

Stay up to date with FoodBytes! events globally and make sure you apply to pitch in time next year by clicking here.

(There are still tickets left for the Boulder event including a discount for AgFunderNews readers. Click here to access the discount.)
Apartment meltdown looming as Chinese think of walking away

Australia faces the potential of Chinese walking away from apartment settlements at the rate of between $1 billion and $1.5 billion a month for a year or two, according to The Australian columnist Robert Gottliebsen.

Also read: Here's how much you need to earn to buy a home across Australia

"In the worst case scenario a large number of apartment developers go to the wall taking with them many unsecured suppliers," he wrote.

He advised that Sydneys Harry Triguboff went into the crisis without debt and can cushion the impact on the city.

"Melbourne and to a lesser extent the already depressed Brisbane will feel the full force of any disaster," the veteran columnist advised.

He added that much was being done to reduce or avoid the above scenario taking place.

Also read: 120 Aussie suburbs could be set for a price plunge

He said that the Australian apartment developments are in three baskets:

First, those being developed by large well-capitalised enterprises like Meriton or the listed apartment developer.

Second, those being developed by developers with big Chinese backing and funded by Chinese banks. They are highly leveraged;

Third, developers funded by Australian banks.
Protesters hold up a #stopCETA placard outside a meeting on CETA (EU-Canada Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement) in the Walloon parliament in Namur, Belgium, on October 18, 2016

A small Belgian region refused Monday to bow to growing pressure to back a key trade deal with Canada, heightening tensions within Belgium and Europe as well as with historic allies in North America.

Riding a rising wave of Western populist distrust of international trade deals, French-speaking Wallonia's parliament stuck to its refusal to heed a late Monday EU deadline to support the pact.

Its opposition prevents the federal Belgian government from signing the accord, which needs to be backed by all 28 European Union member states.

"It won't be possible to respect this ultimatum," Wallonia parliament head Andre Antoine told RTL radio, referring to a late-Monday deadline set by EU president Donald Tusk for the country to say whether it could support the pact.

Paul Magnette, the leader of the Wallonia region, rejected the "ultimatum" as "incompatible" with democratic practice when it was disclosed on Sunday.

The stand-off means EU leaders may have to cancel a summit they had scheduled for Thursday in Brussels with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to sign the deal.

The pact, known as the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA), would link the EU market of 500 million people, the world's biggest, with the tenth largest global economy.

A European source, who asked not to be named, said Tusk is due to speak later Monday to Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel to see whether he has made enough progress to allow Trudeau's visit to go ahead.

- 'Solid legal basis' -

Tusk is also due to speak to European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker before then briefing Trudeau himself.

The source did not say exactly what time a decision had to be made, nor did Tusk's office formally announce a deadline.

Antoine said it was important to get the deal right as it could pave the way for future trade pacts with economic powers such as the United States and China.

"We must therefore have a solid legal basis," he said.

Wallonia leaders say more time is needed to study a draft deal which Antoine said is massively complex and covers "300 pages of the treaty, 1,300 pages of appendices."

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Critics especially fault terms supposed to protect international investors which, they say, could allow them to force governments to change laws against the wish of the people.

CETA is opposed by anti-globalisation groups who say it is a test model to push through an even more controversial EU-US trade deal called TTIP, talks on which have also stalled.

Wallonia, a region of 3.5 million people, has support around Europe and from non-government organisations like Greenpeace, which fears the deal will reward "corporate greed" at the expense of hard-won EU health and environmental standards.

Apart from sowing tensions with the European Council and the European Commission which strongly support the deal, Wallonia's position highlights long-standing divisions between the northern and wealthier Flemish-speaking region of Flanders, which backs CETA and sees its southern, French-speaking left-leaning compatriots as wasteful spendthrifts.

Politicians from Wallonia and Flanders will come face-to-face later Monday to discuss the disputed deal for the first time during a meeting of the country's regions called by Michel's government.

Canada has made no secret of its irritation with Belgium and the EU.

Chrystia Freeland, the Canadian trade minister, appeared on the verge of tears Friday after walking out of negotiations with Wallonia leader Magnette and blasted the EU as "incapable" of signing international agreements.

The botched negotiations over the deal strike a further blow to a Europe in turmoil following Britain's shock Brexit vote in June, sharp divisions over the migration crisis and opposition to austerity medicine imposed on Greece and other debt-hit EU countries.
Europe suffered a new blow when Belgium conceded it could not give the support needed for the EU to seal a landmark free trade deal with Canada by a late Monday deadline.

The development deepened the turmoil in a European Union shaken by a series of crises, particularly Britain's shock June Brexit vote, and highlighted growing popular distrust of international trade deals and the leaders who negotiate them.

"We are not in a position to sign CETA," Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel said after brief talks with the country's regional leaders in Brussels broke up without an accord on the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA).

To go ahead, all 28 EU member states must endorse the deal that would link the EU market of 500 million people, the world's biggest, with the 10th largest global economy.

Some EU officials said there was still time to conclude the agreement despite fears among some supporters it was now close to collapse.

"The federal government, the German community and Flanders said 'yes.' Wallonia, the Brussels city government and the French community said 'no'," Michel said.

Leaders of Wallonia, a 3.5 million strong French-speaking region south of the capital Brussels, are in particular asking for more time to negotiate terms.

European sources said European Council president Donald Tusk had on Sunday called for an answer from Belgium by late Monday so he would be able to tell Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau whether or not to attend a CETA signing ceremony in Brussels on Thursday.

He was due to call Trudeau to inform him of Monday's turn of events at around 1615 GMT.

Wallonia leader Paul Magnette said as he left the talks that he could not endorse the accord under what he called the pressure of an ultimatum.

"It is evident that in the current circumstances, we cannot give a 'yes' today," he said.

- 'Solid legal basis' -

Wallonia parliament head Andre Antoine told Belgium's RTL radio earlier that it was important to get the deal right as it could pave the way for even larger and more far-reaching trade pacts with economic powers such as the United States and China.

Story continues

"We must therefore have a solid legal basis," he said.

Magnette and other critics fault terms supposed to protect international investors which, they say, could allow them to force governments to change laws against the wishes of the people.

CETA is opposed by anti-globalisation groups who say it is a test model to push through an even more controversial EU-US trade deal called TTIP, talks on which have also stalled.

Wallonia has support around Europe and from non-government organisations like Greenpeace, which fears the deal will reward "corporate greed" at the expense of hard-won EU health and environmental standards.

Apart from sowing tensions with the European Council and the European Commission which strongly support the deal, Wallonia's position highlights long-standing divisions in Belgium between the northern and wealthier Flemish-speaking region of Flanders, which backs CETA and sees its southern, French-speaking left-leaning compatriots as wasteful spendthrifts.

Canada has made no secret of its anger with Belgium and the EU.

- 'Totalitarian side'

Chrystia Freeland, the Canadian trade minister, appeared on the verge of tears Friday after walking out of negotiations with Magnette and blasted the EU as "incapable" of signing international agreements.

During a press conference on Monday, European Commission spokesman Margartis Schinas sought to give breathing room to the Belgian hold-outs.

He insisted that the Commission, the EU executive, "is not in the habit of working with ultimatums or deadlines" and urged patience for a deal he said was still possible.

Business backs the accord as a guarantee of jobs and growth.

"We still can and we have the duty to urgently bring home the best trade agreement the EU has ever negotiated," BusinessEurope lobby group head Emma Marcegaglia said in a statement.

Bernd Lange, chairman of the International Trade Committee of the European Parliament and fervent CETA supporter, doubted the Belgians will move much further if they have been unable to do so under the current pressure.

"CETA is de facto dead. Possibly there will be another try to sign it in a few weeks but I am not persuaded that this will succeed," Lange said.

France's right-wing National Front joined the opposition to the deal as leader Marine Le Pen denounced an EU ultimatum which she said showed the bloc's "most totalitarian side."
South Korean shipping giant Hanjin is seeking bankruptcy protection at home and in the US after creditors rejected a plan to deal with a $5.37 billion debt load

Shares in troubled South Korean shipping giant Hanjin plunged 12 percent Monday after the company announced plans to shutter its European business, fuelling fears it could be heading towards liquidation.

The firm has applied for court approval to close all of its units in more than 10 countries including Germany, where it has its regional headquarters, a spokeswoman told AFP.

Hanjin -- the South's largest shipping company and once the world's seventh biggest -- is seeking bankruptcy protection at home and in the United States after creditors rejected a plan to deal with a $5.37-billion debt load.

Its bankruptcy would be by far the largest in the history of container shipping, which is suffering its worst downturn in six decades owing to slumping global trade and a slowdown in China.

The company expects to start the closure process this week after obtaining approval from the Seoul Central District Court, the spokeswoman said.

The news sent its share price tumbling nearly 14 percent at one point before closing down 12 percent at a four-week low of 1,005 won in Seoul.

Almost 80 percent of Hanjin's market value -- or the equivalent of about 950 billion won ($840 million) -- has been wiped out in the past year as the firm's financial woes deepen.

Its share price hit a record low of 866 won on September 21 after a Seoul bankruptcy court expressed doubt over the company's future viability.

"It is extremely hard to predict the future of the firm at this point, so investor sentiment is greatly swayed by every single media report," Hwang Sei-Woon, a researcher at Korea Capital Markets Institute, told Yonhap news agency.

Hanjin has been given until November 25 to submit a business revival plan to the Seoul bankruptcy court, which will then decide whether to put the company under a recovery programme or wind it up.

The firm said Friday it was considering selling its 54-percent stake in the Long Beach Terminal in California -- one of the company's largest assets reportedly valued at around 100 billion won.

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"Hanjin is selling off a majority of its overseas networks, which are key assets in the shipping business... it appears that the firm will likely be liquidated," said Bang Min-Jin, analyst at Eugene Investment & Securities.

Hanjin has been hit hard by the downturn in global trade.

It posted a net loss of more than 473 billion won in the first half of this year alone, after racking up total net losses of about 1.2 trillion won over the past three years.
Protesters hold up a #stopCETA placard outside a meeting on CETA (EU-Canada Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement) in the Walloon parliament in Namur, Belgium, on October 18, 2016

A landmark EU-Canada free trade accord was hanging by a thread Monday after the French-speaking region of Wallonia led a revolt against the federal government which backs the deal.

Seven years in negotiation to 2014, two years in ratification and now a stumble at the last hurdle which threatens a signing ceremony in Brussels Thursday, due to be attended by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

Here is a summary of Belgium's complex constitutional arrangements which allow the regions to trump the central government.

- FEDERAL BELGIUM -

Once a unified monarchy with strong national institutions, Belgium has slowly developed since the 1970s into a federal entity. This happened under intense pressure from the separatist-minded Flemish, fed up with perceived dominance by their southern, French-speaking compatriots since the creation of modern Belgium in 1830.

The new set-up saw the creation of regions and linguistic communities, each with their own parliament and government that have grown increasingly powerful after a series of far-reaching constitutional reforms.

The regional governments now have executive power over major policies.

- POWERFUL REGIONS -

French-speaking Wallonia, Dutch-speaking Flanders and the capital city of Brussels make up Belgium's three main "regions". Over the years, decision-making over major policy areas -- such as farming, environment, and economic development -- has gradually devolved to these regions.

The so-called linguistic communities (Francophone, Dutch and Germanophone) control education, culture and public broadcasting.

- DEVOLUTION -

Each of the regions and communities has an elected parliament and government.

This leaves Belgium with a total of seven elected assemblies: the geographic regions of Wallonia, Flanders and Brussels; the three linguistic communities; as well as a parliament and senate at the federal level.

- DEAL RATIFICATION -

When Belgium signs an international agreement, even one negotiated by the EU like CETA, each of the seven elected bodies must approve the deal.

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In general, this ratification can take place after the signature -- and provisional implementation -- of the deal. The process can take years.

For CETA, the regional parliaments have been involved for months. After long consideration, lawmakers in Wallonia and the French linguistic community voted to reject the deal, on the grounds that it does not provide enough assurances on protecting the environment, farming or the role of multi-national companies.

- NON WALLONIA, NON TRUDEAU -

The EU needs the approval of each of the bloc's 28 member states to agree to the signature of the CETA deal.

For Belgium to play its role, it in turn needs the green-light of its seven parliaments.

On Monday, after a brief meeting of regional leaders, Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel conceded he had failed to get unanimous backing and so was unable to sign off on CETA.

"The federal government, the German community and Flanders said 'yes.' Wallonia, the Brussels city government and the French community said 'no'," Michel said.

Unless there is some last-minute breakthrough in talks between EU officials and Trudeau late Monday, Thursday's signing ceremony is unlikely to go ahead.
Police are investigating a Canadian man in a British Columbia border town after a video went viral that shows the man yelling racial slurs at another person, apparently over a parking ticket.

The unnamed man yells, "Is there a problem? Ya fuckin' 'Paki. Go back to fuckin' India," to the person filming him. The term "Paki" is a racial slur mostly used in the UK against people from South Asia.

The man then yells a series of escalating insults at the unidentified video-taker: "camel-riding motherfucker," then, "White power, motherfucker!," as he enters and then gets out of his truck again to call the filmer a "shit-skin Hindu."

"It actually originated with a traffic enforcement officer writing a violation ticket for the person in the truck," an Abbotsford police seargant told the CBC. "A passerby was concerned about the comments and altercation between the people in the truck and the traffic violation enforcement person."

CBS: Abbotsford police investigating 'shocking' racial slurs and altercation captured on video
Canada Awards for Excellence Trophy for the Recipients of the Most Prestigious Organizational Prize in CanadaClick here for high-resolution version

TORONTO, ON--(Marketwired - October 24, 2016) - Excellence Canada is pleased to announce that, at the 32nd anniversary of the Canada Awards for Excellence, 22 Canadian organizations will be receiving the Canada Awards for Excellence for outstanding performance in award categories that include: Excellence, Innovation & Wellness; Quality; Healthy Workplace; and Mental Health at Work.

The Patron of the Canada Awards for Excellence program is His Excellency, the Right Honourable David Johnston, C.C., C.M.M., C.O.M., C.D., Governor General of Canada.

Excellence Canada's mission is to help organizations in all sectors become the best-in-class by implementing standards of excellence. Excellence Canada is a not-for-profit organization that certifies and recognizes organizations that embody these attributes: they are customer focused, competitive, economically and environmentally sustainable, are good corporate citizens and actively pursue strategies to improve the mental and physical health and safety of their employees to create a healthy workplace culture that attracts and retains the best people.

The Canada Awards for Excellence is an annual awards program that recognizes outstanding achievements by organizations in the private, public, and not-for-profit sectors, from coast-to-coast across Canada.

Shirlee Sharkey, Chair of Excellence Canada, stated: "We are so very proud to bestow Canada Awards for Excellence upon this year's remarkable recipients. Our award recipients are role models of excellence in the areas of leadership, governance, strategy, planning, customer experience, employee engagement, innovation, and wellness. We applaud their outstanding achievements."

Allan Ebedes, President and CEO of Excellence Canada, commented: "Over the past 32 years we have recognized over 600 outstanding organizations for meeting the highest standards of quality, excellence, innovation, and healthy workplaces. This year we are delighted to be recognizing another 22 outstanding organizations with a Canada Awards for Excellence. We are also honoured to be presenting Special Recognition of Achievement Awards to three distinguished Canadians: Margaret Trudeau for her advocacy work in mental health; Richard McLaren, OC, for his pivotal work on anti-doping and ethics in sport; and Christine Day for her business and entrepreneurial successes."

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The awards will be presented at the 2016 Performance Excellence Summit and Canada Awards for Excellence on Tuesday, November 1st at The Carlu in Toronto. For complete event details and registration, please visit www.excellencesummit.ca

A FULL LIST OF THE AWARD RECIPIENTS FOLLOWS

Recipients of the 32nd Canada Awards for Excellence, 2016

ORDER OF EXCELLENCE AWARD

This is the highest level of recognition presented by Excellence Canada.

The following organizations have successfully maintained a focus on excellence over the long term and have previously received the Canada Awards for Excellence Gold Trophy.

Order of Excellence: Quality

Information Technology Services (ITS), Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) - Toronto, Ontario

Order of Excellence: Excellence, Innovation and Wellness

Ceridian Canada - Markham, Ontario

EXCELLENCE, INNOVATION AND WELLNESS AWARD

The Champion of Excellence for the Excellence, Innovation and Wellness category is Sun Life Financial. This award is based on Excellence Canada's Excellence, Innovation and Wellness Standard and was developed by Excellence Canada in association with Excellence Canada partners and professionals from across Canada.

Gold Award Recipients

British Columbia Pension Corporation - Victoria, British Columbia

Calian - Ottawa, Ontario

Canadian Forces Housing Agency, Department of National Defence - Ottawa, Ontario

Property Valuation Services Corporation - Dartmouth, Nova Scotia

Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver - Vancouver, British Columbia

The Canadian Real Estate Association - Ottawa, Ontario

Silver Award Recipients

The Office of the President, University of Waterloo - Waterloo, Ontario

MENTAL HEALTH AT WORK AWARD

The Champion of Excellence for the Mental Health at Work category is Manulife. This award is based on Excellence Canada's -- Mental Health at Work framework. The Mental Health at Work framework was developed by Excellence Canada in association with mental health and work safety professionals from across Canada, and the requirements incorporate principles and practices as outlined in the National Standard of Canada for Psychological Health and Safety in the Workplace.

Silver Award Recipient

Manulife - Kitchener-Waterloo, Ontario

HEALTHY WORKPLACE AWARD

This award is based on Excellence Canada's Canadian Healthy Workplace Standard developed in partnership with Health Canada and in association with professionals from the health and wellness sectors.

Gold Award Recipient

Lassonde Industries Inc. and A. Lassonde Inc. - Rougemont, Quebec

Soprema - Drummondville, Quebec

Silver Award Recipients

Groupe AFFI Logistique - Boucherville, Quebec

Manulife - Kitchener-Waterloo, Ontario

Valacta - Sainte-Anne-de Bellevue, Quebec

Workplace Safety North - North Bay, Ontario

QUALITY and PROJECT AWARD

This award is based on the Canadian Framework for Excellence which is used as a management model for continuous improvement and the achievement of significant operational results. These awards will be presented by Ricoh Canada Inc.

Gold Award Recipients

Acadian Seaplants Limited, Dartmouth, Nova Scotia

Distech Controls Inc., Brossard, Quebec

Silver Award Recipients

Societe de transport de Laval, Laval, Quebec

Bronze Award Recipients

C onceptromec Inc. , Magog, Quebec

Lafontaine, Levis, Quebec

Residence Wales Home, Cleveland, Quebec

Certificate of Merit Recipient - Project Category

Architecture, Information Management and Project Management Office Branch, Central Agencies I&IT Cluster, Treasury Board Secretariat, Province of Ontario

RECOGNITION OF ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

From time-to-time, the Excellence Canada Board of Governors recognizes individuals who have made a significant contribution to Canadian society and/or the global human condition. Past Award recipients have included Dr. David Suzuki, former Prime Minister The Right Honourable Brian Mulroney, Lt.-General The Honourable Romeo A. Dallaire, The Honourable Flora MacDonald, Sir Richard Branson, Mr. Rick Hansen and Chris Hadfield. This year, in keeping with the Summit theme "Excellence is Golden," the Board of Governors is presenting the Special Recognition of Achievement Award to:

Margaret Trudeau, Celebrated Canadian Mental Health Advocate, in recognition of her advocacy for mental health and environmental issues

Richard McLaren, CEO of McLaren Global Sport Solutions, in recognition of his work against doping and corruption in sport

Christine Day, CEO Luvo, in recognition of her outstanding accomplishments as a successful executive and entrepreneur

PROUD SPONSORS OF CANADIAN EXCELLENCE

Excellence Canada gratefully acknowledges the support of the following organizations that have helped make this year's events possible.

Title Sponsor

Lundbeck Canada



Champions of Excellence

Manulife

PwC

Sun Life Financial



Benefactor and Networking Break Sponsor

Ricoh Canada Inc.



Advocate Sponsor

Great-West Life, London Life and Canada Life



Networking Break Sponsor

Calian



Supporter Sponsors

AON

PowerStream Inc.

Saint Elizabeth

Region of Durham

Workplace Safety & Insurance Board

Industry Sponsor

CEO Global Network



Media Sponsor

Your Workplace Magazine

Image Available: http://www.marketwire.com/library/MwGo/2016/10/21/11G119039/Images/CAE_2005_Trophy_edged-1171282940254.jpg


Demonstrators protest against CETA outside the EU summit in Brussels, Belgium, October 20, 2016. (REUTERS/Francois Lenoir)

Three-and-half million people are standing between a landmark trade agreement involving 500 million citizens of the European Union and 35 million Canadians.

The French-speaking region of Wallonia and Belgium has thrown a wrench in plans to get the proposed Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement signed this week after seven years of negotiations.

Belgiums constitution provides each of the countrys three regions veto power during these types of negotiations

And on Oct. 14, Wallonia, which is responsible for about 24 per cent of Belgiums GDP, voted against the deal.

The decision meant that Belgium was the lone holdout of the EUs 28 member-states.

But why has a small region become the biggest obstacle to such a massive trade deal?

According to BNN, Wallonia has an unemployment rate of about 10 per cent, which is higher than the rest of the country and the EU average.

But its exports have been on the upswing thanks to increasing sales by its food sector with products such as cheese, craft beer and sugar beets.

And according to the Economist, its lavishly subsidized farmers are worried about increased competition from Canadas own powerful agriculture sector, which produced more than $55 billion worth of exports last year.

Erwin Schopges, a dairy farmer from Walloon who took part in protests against CETA, told the financial magazine that conditions do not stand to improve under the deal as milk prices are already below his production costs.

We want to trade with Canada, but we would rather not abolish tariffs, he said.

Wallonia is the only region in Belgium to boast a trade surplus over the past five years.

Critics in the region have also argued that Canadian competition could harm its industrial sector, as well as undercut labour, environment and consumer standards.

And there are deep-seated issues at play that relate to Belgiums divisions along linguistic lines.

At the beginning of the 20th century, French was the ruling language in the country, dominating politics, education and culture.

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And, at the same time, its French-speaking region Wallonia dominated its economy, powered by its coal and iron industries.

But in the 1960s, Belgium underwent a drastic cultural shift, while the need for these resources also dwindled, led by the Dutch-speaking northern region of Flanders.

Despite the countrys changes, Wallonias left-wing, working-class politics have remained in entrenched.

And anti-trade sentiments have taken hold with its economically depressed citizens.

Wallonia is more the old left, the traditional working-class left, Daniel Beland, a professor who studies federalism and comparative public policy at the University of Saskatchewan, told CBC.

And the Francophone Socialist Party, which has the most seats in Wallonias parliament, has backed the anti-trade cause.

(They fear that) this gives way to abandoning all our socialist priorities in Europe, Marc Hooghe, a political science professor at the University of Leuven in Belgium, told CBC, adding that the partys true fear is that major corporations will use CETA and other deals, such as the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership between the United State and the E.U., to overwhelm the continents cultural values.

Both have been combined into this monster of free trade, getting rid of all environmental standards, all social standards. CETA is being sacrificed to stop TTIP.

However, EU has maintained that its strong safeguards on social, environmental and labour issues will be unaffected.

Meanwhile, proponents say CETA, which promises to eliminate 98 per cent of tariffs between the two powers, will lower barriers to commerce, ramp up trade and could make Europe $8.45 billion a year richer.

And theres still a chance that the mammoth deal could go through.

The EU has called for patience and said that a summit between the EU and Canada, scheduled for Thursday, is not the final deadline.
Brexit



By Kevin Mahn, CIO, Hennion & Walsh Asset Management

Did the Market Already Forget About Brexit?

Markets raced downward following the surprising vote by Great Britain to leave the European Union (EU) on June 23, 2016. A lot of the trading activity that took place was attributed to traders reversing their positions following the leave vote, which came in after believing that Great Britain was going to vote to stay within the EU  a position that then Prime Minister David Cameron was championing.

However, since the proximate days following this historic vote, the markets have essentially shrugged off this event, making us believe that the market may have already forgotten about Brexit. This would be a mistake in our view, as this vote will likely have both short and long term implications on worldwide stock markets as well as the economies of Great Britain and the eurozone as a whole.

From an investment viewpoint, trade and economic growth are at the heart of the potential implications of the leave referendum vote in England. As a result of Brexit, Great Britain will have more control over the negotiation of their own trade agreements and immigration policies, and they will also be able to redeploy the eventual savings of their EU membership to other areas of their economy that they feel would be more beneficial to their own citizens.

It remains to be seen how other European countries will treat England from a trade and diplomatic relations standpoint following this vote. According to BBC.com, approximately 28% of what is produced in Great Britain is sold abroad. Interestingly, while about half of this overseas trade in the United Kingdom (UK) is conducted with the EU, England imports more overall than it exports to the EU. Hence EU country members need Great Britain as much (and perhaps more) as Great Britain needs the EU from a trading relations standpoint.

As we move closer to the date of the actual Brexit date and the market starts to focus on potential Brexit implications again, we believe that there will be a great deal of uncertainty, and potential volatility, as the world tries to come to terms with how this very public divorce will take place, and if any of the other 27 remaining EU countries will look to follow suit and leave the EU themselves.

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It is important to remember that although Great Britain was a member of the EU, it did not use the euro. Nine other countries that are members of the EU also do not use the euro as their currency (Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Hungary, Lithuania, Poland, Romania and Sweden). A lot of the Brexit talk may not start to intensify for quite some time though, as current Prime Minister Theresa May has recently said that she will trigger Article 50 of the 2007 Treaty of Lisbon (the official step to begin the two year timer for orchestrating the exit) by the end of March 2017. This would mean that Britain would likely be on schedule to leave the EU by March of 2019.

Profiting as the actual Brexit nears

While the days of international market and foreign currency volatility are not behind us, I do believe that as more clarity is provided around how, and when, Brexit will play outcoupled with continued measures of stimulus on the part of Mario Draghi and the European Central Bank (ECB)it will create opportunities for investors in the years ahead as part of a globally diversified portfolio strategy.

In this regard, many international markets have lower valuations than US stocks presently and could be in a position to outperform in the years to comesimilar to how they did from 2001  2007. During this seven year stretch, the S&P 500 Index (^GSPC) returned 3.3% per year. But, over the same time period, developed international markets, as measured by the MSCI EAFE Index, achieved an 8.8% annualized gain, and emerging market stocks, as measured by the MSCI EM Index, gained 24% annualized.
Awards

Rice U, SXSWedu Open Rather Prize to Improve Texas Education

Rice University in Texas has once again teamed up with conference and festival organizer SXSWedu to host a competition to improve the states K12 education system.

Founded in August 2015, the Rather Prize is backed by journalist Dan Rather and his grandson Martin Rather. The award identifies and implements courageous local-level ideas from educators and students, according the competition website.

Winners will receive:

A $10,000 educational grant from the Rather Prize;

An additional $10,000 from Rice Us Center for Civic Leadership to implement their idea; and

An all-expenses paid trip to present their idea at the seventh annual SXSWedu Festival in March 2017.

Last year, Eastside Memorial High School in Austin Independent School District won the inaugural prize for its proposed mentorship program. The school received $10,000 for its STEP Up Challenge, a project that helps prepare students for college and strengthens matriculation strategies for minority and underrepresented populations.

Any Texas teacher, student or administrator can submit an idea until Dec. 31 on the Rather Prize site.
By Luciana Lopez and Emily Stephenson CHARLOTTE, N.C./NAPLES, Fla. (Reuters) - Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton called Donald Trump a "sore loser" on Sunday because of his refusal at their debate last week to commit to accepting the results of the Nov. 8 election. Clinton, a former secretary of state, said Trump's comments were more consistent with what dictators in non-democratic countries might say about their opponents. "To say you wont respect the results of the election, that is a direct threat to our democracy," Clinton told a rally at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. "The peaceful transfer of power is one of the things that makes America America." "And look, some people are sore losers, and we just got to keep going," she added. Earlier on Sunday, Kellyanne Conway, a top Trump adviser, acknowledged that the Republican presidential candidate was lagging behind Clinton ahead of the election. Conway said Clinton had "tremendous advantages," including a large campaign war chest that had allowed her to spend millions on television ads. "We are behind," Conway said on NBC's "Meet the Press." But she added the Trump campaign was looking to sway undecided voters not ready to support Clinton. As the polling gap has widened, Trump has said repeatedly the election is being "rigged" against him. He has not offered evidence and numerous studies have shown that the U.S. election system, which is decentralized and run by the states, is sound. At last week's debate with Clinton in Las Vegas, Trump was asked if he would honor the result of the U.S. election. "What I'm saying is that I will tell you at the time. I'll keep you in suspense. OK?" Trump said. EARLY VOTING As she visited North Carolina, Clinton urged her supporters to participate in early voting. "From now until Nov. 5, you can vote early at any voting location in your county. And you know, this is a big deal, Clinton said at a campaign event in Raleigh. Campaigning in Naples, Florida, on Sunday, Trump also encouraged voters to go to the polls to vote both for him and Republicans running for Congress and other offices. "You have 16 days to make this happen, but you have to get out and vote, and that includes helping me re-elect Republicans all over the place." "I hope they help me too. Be nice if they help us too, right?" said Trump, who has sparred with many prominent members of his party, including U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Paul Ryan, the country's top elected Republican. The latest Reuters/Ipsos poll released on Friday had Clinton leading Trump by 4 percentage points, and the most recent State of the Nation project showed Clinton with a 95 percent chance of winning the 270 Electoral College votes needed to secure the presidency. An ABC News poll released on Sunday morning had Clinton leading with 50 percent of likely support, compared with Trump's 38 percent. The poll found that the number of Republicans who said they were likely to vote fell 7 percentage points from mid-October. As Trump battled to win over undecided voters, advisers and members of his inner circle sought to downplay his remarks about the integrity of the election, in an indication he would come under significant pressure to accept the election results if he were to lose. Republican Party Chairman Reince Priebus said that by asking Trump to agree to concede, the media were making an extraordinary request. He said Trump would only fight if the election were close and was not trying to dispute a fair election. "Thats not quite what hes saying. What hes saying is he wants to reserve all options and if there is ground for a recount, Ill reserve all options," Priebus said on CBS's "Face The Nation." Trump's son Eric said on Sunday that Trump would "100 percent" accept the results of the election if the outcome is "fair." I think what my father is saying is, 'I want a fair election, Eric Trump said on ABC's "This Week." If its a fair outcome, he will absolutely accept it. Theres no question about that." On Sunday, Trump picked up his first endorsement of the general election from a major newspaper when the Las Vegas Review-Journal backed his candidacy. The newspaper is owned by Republican mega-donor Sheldon Adelson, who has been reluctant to donate to Trump. In 2012, Adelson spent about $150 million trying to help elect Republican Mitt Romney. (Additional reporting by Alana Wise and Ginger Gibson in Washington; Editing by Caren Bohan and Peter Cooney)
MENLO PARK, Calif., Oct. 24, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Nozomi Networks, the pioneer in cybersecurity and operational visibility for industrial control systems (ICS), today announced the latest release of SCADAguardian, making it faster and easier for cybersecurity engineers and plant operators to guard against cybersecurity attacks, monitor processes and manage ICS environments.



Last year, 295 critical infrastructure attacks were reported to the United States Industrial Control Systems Cyber Emergency Response Team (ICS-CERT) division of the US Department of Homeland Security, according to its annual report. Concerns about ICS vulnerabilities and incidents have continued to grow in the last few years as ICS security incidents have increased from only a few each year to an incident every day.

In the United States and globally the security of systems that control electric power, water, and oil & gas are at risk and need the most advanced technologies possible to protect operations from disruption, said 451 Research Director Christian Renaud. Nozomis SCADAguardian solution helps address a key customer concern in the deployment of IoT in critical infrastructure.

Launched in 2013, Nozomi Networks was the first to successfully apply advanced machine learning and behavior detection to ICS networks. Today its flagship offering, SCADAguardian, monitors more than 50,000 industrial devices in dozens of multinational customer sites spanning oil & gas, electric utilities, manufacturing and transportation. That includes Enel, a multinational energy company and one of the worlds leading integrated electricity and gas operators. (Read Enels story here.)

SCADAguardian delivers critical ICS Security and Operational advantages:



ICS Cybersecurity

SCADAguardian allows users to rapidly detect cyber incidents and process anomalies. Nozomi Networks bridges the science of automation, machine learning and network behavior analytics with ICS cybersecurity for deep detection of ICS risks and rapid prevention or mitigation of impacts. SCADAguardians Time Machine capabilities provides network and process snapshots to support forensic investigations and compliance reporting. It also provides automation capabilities to help with response and remediation. SCADAguardian supports zero-day detection, integration with firewalls and SIEMs, ICS incident alerting and notification; and end-to-end detection of attack activities, from recognizance, to command-and-control, to malicious actions.

Operational Visibility

SCADAguardian allows users to monitor processes with real-time insights. It supports real-time process monitoring and baselining with high granularity. Non-intrusive real-time mapping, monitoring and visualization provide immediate insights for faster troubleshooting and remediation of IT and operational issues without impacting industrial processes.

The latest release of SCADAguardian is available now from Nozomi Networks and includes the following enhancements:

Incident Management automatically aggregates multiple alerts and messages into incidents, using intelligent correlation heuristics. Instead of receiving multiple alerts that need to be associated to their logical cause, SCADAguardian groups those alerts by incident, providing an explanation of the cause, and making it more actionable for the operator. Operators can easily manage their networks at a level that makes the most sense.

Customizable Portable Dashboards simplify and streamline the standardization of corporate policy, security monitoring, and operational reporting across plants, entities, and even industries. Not only can industrial operators share and standardize dashboards between their plants, system integrators and resellers can also incorporate SCADAguardians dashboards into the compliance or operational services they sell.

Time Machine allows operators to compare a complete model of their plant and process at two different times in order to understand and visualize changes in the ICS environment with the highest possible context and granularity. This functionality is now fully integrated and seamlessly available throughout SCADAguardian to improve analysis and remediation of alerts and incidents. For example, Time Machine allows operators to view their control system before and after a security alert, with full process details that facilitate a faster and more accurate response.

Performance Optimization delivers a 20x improvement on response times giving customers instantaneous answers to complex ad-hoc queries and assertions along with compliance checks against NIST or NERC that are now are continuous and in real-time.

Cybersecurity for ICS has a reputation for being difficult and ineffective, said Nozomi Founder and Chief Product Officer Andrea Carcano. Applying my 6 years of research and my experience in Industrial SecOps, we have implemented a revolutionary new approach that is process-centric and customers are adopting.



For More Information on SCADAguardian:

Read the 451 Research Report on Nozomi Networks and SCADAguardian

Review the SCADAguardian Solution Brief

In a separate release today the company also announced series A funding and expansions to its executive management team. Read the full release here.

About Nozomi Networks

Nozomi Networks has been delivering innovative cybersecurity and operational visibility solutions for industrial control systems (ICS) since 2013. Its next generation solution automatically builds an internal model of the industrial network and physical process and uses behavioral analytics and continuous monitoring to detect changes to baseline states. The result is real-time insight into ICS networks, devices and process status, rapidly identifying and enabling fast remediation of cyberattacks and process anomalies. Deployed in some of the worlds largest industrial installations, operators trust Nozomi Networks products to enhance cybersecurity, maximize uptime and deliver real ROI. The company is headquartered in Menlo Park, California, and Mendrisio, Switzerland. Visit www.nozominetworks.com.

Press Contact:

Jil Backstrom

Gamut Public Relations

jbackstrom@gamutpublicrelations.com

303.913.1650

Subscribe to the Nozomi Networks Blog

Follow @nozominetworks on Twitter

Visit and Follow the Nozomi Networks Corporate Page on LinkedIn
HOUSTON, Oct. 24, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Buckeye Partners, L.P. (Buckeye) (NYSE:BPL) announced today that it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire a 50 percent equity interest in VTTI B.V. (VTTI), a company that will be jointly owned with Vitol1 for $1.15 billion. VTTI is one of the largest independent global marine terminal businesses that, through its subsidiaries and partnership interests, owns and operates approximately 54 million barrels2 of petroleum products storage across 13 terminals located on five continents. These marine terminals are predominately located in key global energy hubsincluding Northwest Europe, the United Arab Emirates and Singaporeand offer world-class storage and marine terminalling services for refined products, liquid petroleum gas and crude oil. A majority of VTTIs cash flows are supported by take-or-pay storage agreements with Vitol, the largest crude oil and petroleum products trading company in the world. This transaction, which is subject to regulatory approvals and customary closing conditions, is expected to close in early January 2017.

This investment in VTTI provides immediate access to a stable portfolio of international terminalling and storage assets, as well as an established platform to participate in further attractive growth opportunities across the globe, stated Clark C. Smith, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer. The interest we are acquiring in VTTI fits well into our growth strategy of investing in terminal assets in strategic energy hubs while further enhancing the logistical solutions available to our customer base across key energy markets. We expect this investment to generate increasing quarterly distributions supported by stable fee-based cash flows. These cash flows are underpinned by commercial agreements with credit worthy customers, anchored by Vitol. We expect this transaction to be immediately accretive to our distributable cash flow per limited partner unit in 2017 with significant accretion growth expected over time.

Buckeye and Vitol will have equal Board representation and voting rights in VTTI following the closing of the transaction. VTTI will continue to operate as a stand-alone entity and its existing management team and employees will remain in place to operate the assets. We have been very impressed with the experience and talent of the VTTI senior leadership team and the culture they have developed across VTTIs global employee base, continued Mr. Smith. We are confident VTTIs unwavering focus on environmental compliance and safety, as well as customer service, positions Buckeye and VTTI for continued growth and success in the future.

Barclays Capital Inc. acted as the exclusive financial advisor to Buckeye and provided a fairness opinion to the Board of Directors of Buckeye GP LLC, the general partner of Buckeye, in connection with this transaction.

A presentation concerning this transaction is available on the Investor Center section of Buckeyes website, www.buckeye.com.

Buckeye will host a conference call to discuss third quarter results and the VTTI transaction with members of executive management tomorrow, October 25, 2016, at 11:00 a.m. Eastern Time. The call can be accessed through the internet at http://edge.media-server.com/m/p/32jmsuh9 or by dialing 877-870-9226 and entering access code 93504418 ten minutes prior to the scheduled start time. A replay will be available on the internet at http://edge.media-server.com/m/p/32jmsuh9 until November 25, 2016 or by dialing 800-585-8367 and entering access code 93504418.

___________________________

1 Vitols share will be owned by Vitol and also through Vitol Investment Partnership (VIP), an investment vehicle sponsored and managed by Vitol.

2 Includes 0.8 million barrels currently under development in Cape Town, Africa expected to be placed into service 1st half of 2017

About Buckeye Partners, L.P.

Buckeye Partners, L.P. (NYSE:BPL) is a publicly traded master limited partnership and owns and operates a diversified network of integrated assets providing midstream logistic solutions, primarily consisting of the transportation, storage, and marketing of liquid petroleum products. Buckeye is one of the largest independent liquid petroleum products pipeline operators in the United States in terms of volumes delivered, with approximately 6,000 miles of pipeline. Buckeye also uses its service expertise to operate and/or maintain third-party pipelines and perform certain engineering and construction services for its customers. Additionally, Buckeye is one of the largest independent terminalling and storage operators in the United States in terms of capacity available for service. Buckeyes terminal network comprises more than 120 liquid petroleum products terminals with aggregate storage capacity of over 110 million barrels across our portfolio of pipelines, inland terminals and marine terminals located primarily in the East Coast and Gulf Coast regions of the United States and in the Caribbean. Buckeyes network of marine terminals enables it to facilitate global flows of crude oil and refined petroleum products, offering its customers connectivity between supply areas and market centers through some of the worlds most important bulk storage and blending hubs. Buckeyes flagship marine terminal in The Bahamas, Buckeye Bahamas Hub, is one of the largest marine crude oil and refined petroleum products storage facilities in the world and provides an array of logistics and blending services for the global flow of petroleum products. Buckeyes recent expansion into the Gulf Coast has added another regional hub with world-class marine terminalling, storage and processing capabilities. Buckeye is also a wholesale distributor of refined petroleum products in areas served by its pipelines and terminals. More information concerning Buckeye can be found at www.buckeye.com.

This press release includes forward-looking statements that we believe to be reasonable as of todays date. Such statements are identified by use of the words anticipates, believes, estimates, expects, intends, plans, predicts, projects, should, and similar expressions. Actual results may differ significantly because of risks and uncertainties that are difficult to predict and that may be beyond our control. Among the forward-looking statements set forth in this press release are statements regarding the anticipated benefits to us from the transaction described in this press release, including its strategic fit, its anticipated accretiveness and our expectation of increasing quarterly distributions in the future. These statements are subject to, among other risks, (i) changes in federal, state, local, and foreign laws or regulations to which we are subject, including those governing pipeline tariff rates and those that permit the treatment of us as a partnership for federal income tax purposes, (ii) terrorism and other security risks, including cyber risk, adverse weather conditions, including hurricanes, environmental releases, and natural disasters, (iii) changes in the marketplace for our products or services, such as increased competition, changes in product flows, better energy efficiency, or general reductions in demand, (iv) adverse regional, national, or international economic conditions, adverse capital market conditions, and adverse political developments, (v) shutdowns or interruptions at our pipeline, terminalling, storage, and processing assets or at the source points for the products we transport, store, or sell, (vi) unanticipated capital expenditures in connection with the construction, repair, or replacement of our assets, (vii) volatility in the price of liquid petroleum products, (viii) nonpayment or nonperformance by our customers, (ix) our ability to integrate acquired assets with our existing assets and to realize anticipated cost savings and other efficiencies and benefits, (x) satisfaction of the conditions to the closing of our investment in VTTI, (xi) our ability to realize the expected benefits of our investment in VTTI and (xii) our ability to successfully complete our organic growth projects and to realize the anticipated financial benefits. You should read our filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, including our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2015 and our most recent Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2016, for a more extensive list of factors that could affect results. We undertake no obligation to revise our forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances occurring after todays date except as required by law.
MINNEAPOLIS, Oct. 24, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Associa Minnesota had 14 nominees recognized at the Community Associations Institute (CAI) 2016 Vision Awards and took home two of the biggest awards of the night. The Vision Awards, held September 22 at the International Market Square in Minneapolis, Minnesota, highlight the best-of-the-best association managers and the communities they represent.



Six Associa Minnesota managers out of its 12 individual nominees became finalists along with two communities, managed by Associa Minnesota, which were named Association of the Year finalists.



Hannah Zornes won the Above & Beyond Award. This award is presented to someone who has performed tasks, services or humanitarian efforts above and beyond a typical job description. Zornes is a specialist for developing communities and has assisted with more than 32 developer properties, increasing the homeowner and developer relationship while improving client relations. Developers and homeowners both are pleased with her timely responses, knowledge of the community and friendliness.



Stonemill Farms, proudly managed by Associa Minnesota, was named Association of the Year. The Association of the Year Award recognizes the outstanding team effort of an association board and homeowners that puts the community's interests ahead of and above all personal agendas. They host numerous neighborhood events throughout the year ranging from a 5K for charity to outdoor movie nights at the community center.



"We're extremely proud about the number of nominees we had this year and especially excited for Hannah and our friends at Stonemill Farms," says Associa Minnesota President Lance Govang. "Hannah has truly transformed our developing communities division and the folks at Stonemill Farms had the dedication to see their vision become a reality."



Building and managing successful communities for more than 37 years, Associa is the worldwide leader in community management with over 10,000 employees operating more than 180 branch offices in the United States, Mexico, and Canada. Based in Dallas, Texas, our industry expertise, financial strength, and innovation meet the unique needs of clients across the world with customized services and solutions designed to help communities achieve their vision. To learn more about Associa and its charitable organization, Associa Cares, go to www.associaonline.com or www.associacares.com.



Stay Connected:



Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/associa

Twitter: https://twitter.com/associa

LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/company/associa

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/associa/

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/associamarketing

Google+: https://plus.google.com/+Associaonline/

Photos accompanying this release are available at:



http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=41732



http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=41733
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Hi, all, and welcome to today's chat!

We're covering a lot of ground this week, including Alex Witchel's piece on California chef Nancy Silverton, Tamar Haspel's look at love-it-or-hate-it tilapia (what's your vote?), Maura Judkis's talk with Patrick O'Connell about his long road to Michelin stars, and recipes galore. It's never too early to start talking about Thanksgiving and other holiday cooking, either!

We have Tamar in the room today to talk tilapia and anything else you might throw at her, plus Carrie Allan to talk booze and Jim Shahin to talk barbecue. And us ol' regulars, of course.

So what's on your mind?

We'll have giveaway books to entice you: "Curate: Authentic Spanish Food from an American Kitchen" by Katie Button; and "The Meat Free Monday Cookbook."

For you PostPoints members, here is your code today: FR1620 . Remember, you'll record and enter it into the PostPoints site under Claim My Points to earn points. The code expires at midnight, so be sure to enter the code by 11:59 p.m. on Wednesday to get credit for participating.

Let's do this!
We desperately need a sane, center-right party in this country. Today, we don't have one. The GOP can't ignore demographics nor can they brush aside what has just transpired over the last 15 months. But who, or perhaps what organization, will rise to effectively cleanse the GOP? Is it the RNC? Doubtful given how Priebus has acted. McConnell, he of the "Our mission is to make Obama a one-term president?" Ryan, and his "Better Way?" And most assuredly it will not be the right-wing media swamp whose sole focus right now is to continue to gin up the conflict and controversy so they can rake in more money for their various websites and media outlets. Who, or what, do you think it will be? Or perhaps more scary, do you think they'll even try or just double down on what hasn't worked so far?
California Nurses Association Welcomes New Workplace Violence Regulations

"This is a landmark day for the entire country, as California has now set the bar with the strongest workplace violence regulation in the nation," said Bonnie Castillo, RN, director of health and safety for CNA/NNU. "Today is a huge victory."

The California Nurses Association welcomed the approval on Oct. 20 of new regulations intended to prevent workplace violence in hospitals. The California Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board voted unanimously to approve them; they resulted from 2014 legislation, SB 1299, that was sponsored by the California Nurses Association/National Nurses United.

"This is a landmark day for the entire country, as California has now set the bar with the strongest workplace violence regulation in the nation," said Bonnie Castillo, RN, director of health and safety for CNA/NNU. "CNA nurses worked for years to achieve the passage of SB 1299 and have continued to push for the development of these regulations, contributing their expertise at advisory committees and public hearings, and doing everything possible to ensure that healthcare workers get the protections they deserve. Today is a huge victory."

"All the nurses in this room either know someone or have themselves experienced physical violence, threats, and assault while on the job," CNA Co-president Deborah Burger, RN, testified. "They all experience the fear and frustration of knowing that the procedures their employers have in place are not enough to prevent violent acts from occurring or to respond adequately when they do."

The associate represents nearly 100,000 registered nurses in the state, and more than 100 CNA nurses attended the board's Oct. 20 hearing.

During an NSC 2016 keynote last week in Anaheim, Kumani Armstrong, special counsel to the director of California's Department of Industrial Relations, the parent agency of Cal/OSHA, said the rate of being victimized by violence at work is five times greater in health care and social assistance than in other industries. Armstrong said the state's proposed workplace violence regulations, once adopted by the Occupational Safety & Health Standards Board, will go to the Office of Administrative Law for ultimate implementation, and then Cal/OSHA will turn its attention to a violence prevention rule for general industry.
NORTHBROOK, Ill., October 21, 2016  A debit card and e-mail address is all thats needed now for Allstate to pay claims in an instant. QuickCard Pay is the latest and fastest payment method in the Allstate ExpressPay network. Working with Mastercard to leverage its Mastercard Send platform, Allstate becomes the first U.S. Property & Casualty company to use the first-of-its-kind service.

Allstate continues to innovate on behalf of our customers and claimants, says Chief Claims Officer Glenn Shapiro. QuickCard Pay gives claimants an immediate and secure payment method and helps us deliver on our promise of a fast, fair and compassionate claims experience.

Allstate QuickCard Pay is the only payments service of its kind in the P&C industry that reaches virtually all U.S. debit card accounts  including non-Mastercard debit cards. QuickCard Pay is faster than any existing solution and provides real-time payment to claimants anytime, anywhere in the United States.

It is very important to people to get the quickest access to the funds you need when an emergency occurswhether that be with your home, your car or your business, said Matt Barr, senior vice president, Digital Payments and Labs, Mastercard. We built Mastercard Send so partners like Allstate can provide claimants with the quickest means of receiving their payment on a claim. By using QuickCard Pay, Allstate claimants will now have nearly instant access to these funds sent to almost any bank account through a U.S. debit card.

QuickCard Pay is now the fastest claims payment method in the P&C industry, eclipsing Allstates previous industry-leading service, Fast Mobile e-Payment, which produced same-day payment with just an email address or mobile phone number.

Mastercard Send is a payments service that facilitates the delivery of funds quickly and securely. Through a single connection to the Mastercard Send platform, businesses, merchants, governments, non-profits, issuers and other senders can send money to consumers and small businesses. By digitizing personal payments that are typically handled via cash or check, Mastercard provides greater convenience, choice and security to both payment senders and receivers.
CYPRESS, CA, Oct. 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/  ID TECH, the global leader in payment-peripheral technology, today announced that it has partnered with ACCEO Solutions Inc., a leader in payment solutions, to provide EMV chip card acceptance to retailers, mobile merchants and kiosk/vending operators. ID TECHs EMV-certified hardware will be supported by ACCEOs secure EMV-certified Tender Retail payment software, which is compatible with Windows and Linux operating systems.

The ACCEO Tender Retail payment solution will be available with ID TECHs EMV products, including the Augusta, Augusta S, and POS terminals integrated with the MiniSmartII for desktop retail environments. For kiosk manufacturers looking to support chip-and-PIN and contactless payments, ACCEO Tender Retail will also be available with the Spectrum Pro, SmartPIN L100, and Kiosk III.

This partnership will allow our customers to support a full range of EMV chip solutions for a wide array of applications, and address concerns they might have about transitioning to EMV stated Bill Rorick, ID TECHs Vice President of Global Sales and Business Development.

This partnership will yield a quick and efficient solution for everyone in the payment industry, including retailers, mobile merchants, kiosk operators, financial institutions. The combination of ID TECHs hardware and the ACCEO Tender Retail payment solution provides the merchant with a pre-certified payment path, making the transition to EMV quick, cost-effective and effortless.

ID TECHs vast install base within the SMB market has created a wide opportunity for enhanced payment solutions. We are honoured to have been selected as a strategic partner by ID TECH, and are extremely proud to be associated with the companys exceptional management and ownership, said Joey Vaccaro, VP of Business Development and Strategic Alliances at ACCEO.

About ID TECH

ID TECH is a global leader in payment peripherals, with sales, manufacturing, and R&D facilities around the world. The company has become a well-established payment solutions provider with extensive experience in data capturing and encryption products and services. Designing dependable, feature-rich products has made ID TECH a leading supplier of MagStripe readers/writers, mobile payment readers, contactless readers, smart card readers, barcode readers, POS keyboards, signature capture devices, PCI-compliant PIN pads, and other specialty products for OEMs, VARs, resellers, distributors, and key end users. ID TECH provides both standard and custom solutions to support customer requirements.

For more information, visit www.idtechproducts.com

About ACCEO Solutions Inc.

Leading Canadian IT company, ACCEO Solutions specializes in the design, implementation and integration of, and support for, management software; e-business development; and payment, professional, and technical services. Deployed in major retailers throughout the United States and Canada, ACCEO Tender Retail is a North American leader in the payment industry and one of the first EMV-ready payment solutions with End-to-End Encryption (E2EE) in North America.

For more information, visit www.acceo.com and www.tender-retail.com

SOURCE ACCEO Solutions inc.

Related Links

http://acceo.com/
Integration of Masterpass with Digital Wallets Strengthens Mastercard Vision to Support All Forms of Secure Digital Commerce for Cardholders

PURCHASE, N.Y. and LAS VEGAS, Nevada  October 24, 2016  Mastercard today announced agreements with Microsoft, Google and Samsung to bring online payments capabilities to U.S.-based users of their digital wallets. Starting early next year, Mastercard cardholders that use Microsoft Wallet, Android Pay or Samsung Pay will be able to shop online at the hundreds of thousands of merchants around the world where Masterpass is accepted.



Announced earlier this year, the enhanced Masterpass solution uniquely empowers banks and other partners to deliver a branded and customized all-digital payment solution. With Masterpass, consumers are able to make fast, simple and secure digital payments  across devices and channels  anywhere they want to shop: online, in-app and in-store using contactless. To speed up and simplify the online checkout process, consumers credit, debit and prepaid card information, along with shipping addresses, are all securely stored in one place. Consumers then complete a purchase with as a little as one click or touch on their favorite connected device.

The speed and simplicity of online checkout with Masterpass will now be extended to the millions of consumers who currently use Microsoft Wallet, Android Pay or Samsung Pay. Consumers using those wallets will be able to use their same secure tokenized credentials and device authentication methods to complete online transactions at any merchant site that accepts Masterpass. The optimized checkout process creates a seamless shopping experience, protected by multi-layers of security.

Were excited to bring Masterpass to Microsoft Wallet users, said Eric Lockard, Corporate Vice President at Microsoft. Masterpass provides an additional payment option for our customers who look to the Microsoft Wallet to conveniently checkout at their favorite online shopping sites.

With this partnership, Android Pay and Masterpass will deliver a seamless purchase experience at thousands of merchants that support Masterpass, said Pali Bhat, Global Head of Payments Products for Google. Were excited to extend the reach of Android Pay by giving online shoppers even more ways to use Android Pay across the web.

We are thrilled to be working with Mastercard to bring online payments to the masses and make the online shopping experience as convenient and seamless as possible, said Thomas Ko, VP and Global GM, Samsung Pay, Mobile Communications at Samsung Electronics. Through our partnership, our users will be able to simply and securely make payments across their devices and enjoy a variety of benefits all through Samsung Pay.

The integration of Masterpass with digital wallets delivers benefits for the entire payments ecosystem including consumers, banks and merchants. Consumers retain choice in their use of wallets and digital payments services, while gaining access to hundreds of thousands of Masterpass merchants for a secure and simplified online checkout experience. For the hundreds of banks who already participate in these digital wallets, they will now be able to offer expanded acceptance via Masterpass to their consumers. Merchants, who can easily integrate Masterpass into their websites and mobile apps via the Masterpass API, now have an opportunity to reach the millions of consumers currently using Microsoft Wallet, Android Pay or Samsung Pay  without additional development work.

The integration of Masterpass with multiple

The integration of Masterpass with multiple digital wallets demonstrates that Mastercard is committed to scaling the digital commerce opportunity in a way that promotes interoperability, said Jordan McKee, Senior Analyst at 451 Research. This is an important step in the continued evolution of Masterpass that serves to expand its value to merchants, issuers and cardholders alike.

Masterpass is currently available in 33 markets, with planned expansion to 35 by the end of 2016. Masterpass online acceptance for consumers using Microsoft Wallet, Android Pay or Samsung Pay will begin to rollout in early 2017.

Mastercard is working to ensure that every one of our accounts is as digital as the people using them, said Garry Lyons, Chief Innovation Officer at Mastercard. Enabling our cardholders to use digital wallets to shop online via Masterpass is the latest example of our work  alongside our banks, merchants and digital partners  to deliver rich, innovative, compelling and secure ways to pay and get paid across all channels and devices, redefining commerce globally.

About Mastercard

Mastercard (NYSE: MA), www.mastercard.com, is a technology company in the global payments industry. We operate the worlds fastest payments processing network, connecting consumers, financial institutions, merchants, governments and businesses in more than 210 countries and territories. Mastercard products and solutions make everyday commerce activities  such as shopping, traveling, running a business and managing finances  easier, more secure and more efficient for everyone. Follow us on Twitter @MastercardNews, join the discussion on the Beyond the Transaction Blog and subscribe for the latest news on the Engagement Bureau.



Other Point of Sale blogs of interest:
Payment Unit Of Diebold Nixdorf Gets Additional Funding (Europe)

AEVI closes its funding round: additional investment of EUR 10 million by Adveq  following first tranche by HPE from May 2016

Paderborn, 24/10/2016  AEVI, a provider of global payment transactions and a marketplace for B2B apps and services, announced today that it has completed its EUR 30 million capital increase by securing a EUR 10 million investment from Adveq, a global private equity investor.

The co-investment was made alongside Dutch investor HPE Growth Capital, which provided the initial tranche of EUR 20 million in May 2016. At that point of time a second tranche was already agreed with HPE. The total investment of EUR 30 million will fund further growth and international expansion.

AEVI, which belongs to Diebold Nixdorf, was carved out of the group as an independent company at the start of the financial year in October 2015.

Adveqs investment will be used to accelerate the already impressive growth of AEVI by further developing its highly innovative portfolio, including products such as AEVIs Marketplace, which is a white-label B2B App Store, and expanding the companys presence globally.

Reinhard Rabenstein, Managing Director at AEVI, said: Adveqs investment is a testament to our work so far and the potential of our business to grow. We are looking forward to taking AEVI to the next stage of its development and becoming a global leader in the dynamic sector of cashless payments.

Richard Damming, Executive Director at Adveq, said: We have a longstanding relationship with HPE Growth Capital and are excited to support an innovative and successful company like AEVI in its further growth in a very promising market. 

Diebold Nixdorf intends to retain a majority holding in AEVI in the long term, alongside the new investors.

Founded in 1997, Adveq is a leading asset manager investing in private equity globally. It offers specialized investment solutions which allow the firms clients to access select private market segments through primary, secondary and co-investments.

Adveqs client base comprises institutional investors such as pension funds, insurance companies, family offices and other financial institutions located in Europe, North America and the Asia-Pacific region. Many of Adveqs investors are repeat, long-term clients with whom the firm has developed a role as a trusted partner for private market investing.

Adveq has offices in Zurich, Frankfurt, London, Jersey, New York, Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong.

I https://www.adveq.com/ I

About AEVI:

AEVI has developed a unique, open Ecosystem to bring merchant banks and merchant acquirers closer to their merchants, and merchants closer to their consumers. AEVI provides a global gateway for secure payment transactions together with a marketplace for high-quality value-added apps and services (VAAS) providing new business opportunities beyond payments, which enables fast and effective innovation, plus enhanced control and flexibility. This combination delivers a reduced total cost of ownership for clients.

More POS news:
The strategy aims to address the issues brought by its ageing society.

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) will have an important role to play in meeting the healthcare challenges of Singapore's ageing society, said Health Minister Gan Kim Yong.

During an international conference on the modernisation of Chinese medicine yesterday, the government official said that acupuncture, for niche areas like pain management and stroke rehabilitation that are now available at public hospitals, makes an important step to a more holistic approach to patient care.

Minister Gan noted that with the increasing demand for TCM treatment in Singapore and rising patients, the integration of three important aspects - education, clinical practice and research - is essential in the modernisation of TCM.

To meet these challenges, the TCM community, he said, must continuously improve on professional standards, strengthen academic research and enhance academic exchange and research cooperation.

As such, to kick start research efforts, the Ministry of Health had ring-fenced $3 million to encourage collaborative clinical research in TCM.

"The focus of such research initiatives should be on conditions which are prevalent in Singapore, such as chronic diseases. TCM professionals can work alongside medical colleagues to improve patient outcomes. I encourage the healthcare community to form effective partnerships to conduct such research," he said.





More From Singapore Business Review


Back in spring, Instagram brought its filter driven social network to Windows 10 Mobile. Now, its doing the same for tablets and PCs running on Windows 10.

As a small business owner, you no longer need to rely on Android and iOS apps to manage your Instagram account. You can do all that right from your Windows 10 tablet or PC.

Instagram for Windows

The app offers native Windows 10 features such as notifications and Live Tiles. It also, for the most part, offers Windows 10 mobile app functions such as explore, search and Instagram Direct messaging.

The biggest feature yet, which you can simply access by going to Instagram.com, is the ability not only to view Stories but post and edit photos too.

There is, however, a caveat with the Windows 10 version of Instagram. Editing and posting of photos is only available on tablets and PCs with rear cameras and touchscreens. This is a bizarre restriction, but devices like Microsofts Surface Book and Surface Pro work fine for uploading.

The recent update, one that is going to benefit many businesses that use Instagram to advertise their products and services, is just one of the latest benefits to emerge from a series of partnerships between Microsoft and Facebook. Having an Instagram app thats compatible with Windows 10, which is used by many small businesses, means you can now easily maintain yet another part of your social media without requiring a different device and a different operating system to do so.

The new Instagram for Windows app is now available for download in the Windows App Store.
In this post, I am paraphrasing a talk made by Dave Lambert of Right Side Capital Management to my Entrepreneurial Finance Class because I think his insights are so valuable that I wanted to get the message out.

The declining cost of generating a minimum viable software product has changed the way software startups raise money. Back in the 1980s, it took tens of millions of dollars to create and test a beta version of a software product. By 2014, that cost had fallen to around $100,000.

This enormous decline has shifted how software start-ups raise money. The traditional model of raising money from individual angel investors followed by institutional venture capital has given way to tapping quantitative micro venture capital (QMVC), and business accelerators. (In a future column I will discuss the move toward business accelerators, but today I will focus on the shift to QMVC.)

The Impact of Lower Go-to-Market Costs on Investing in Software Businesses

The shrinking cost of getting a software product to market has created a problem for venture capital firms. Traditional venture capital is too labor intensive for fundraising efforts of less than $250,000, which is now the size of the first financing round for software start-ups. Traditional VCs are structured to make a handful of several-million-dollar investments every year. Their transaction costs are too high; they raise too much money; and they have processes that are too labor intensive to invest tiny amounts in a large number of companies.

To invest very small amounts of money successfully at the pre-seed stage, financiers must quickly identify a massive number of start-ups, conduct due diligence and execute transactions very efficiently, and monitor and assist a huge portfolio of companies. QMVCs use technology, standardization and scale to make the process work effectively.

They use data analytic tools to make choices, particularly on the negative side. By asking start-up company founders to provide them with data on key metrics  founder experience, market size, margins, industry, traction and so on  they can use software to weed out the ventures that are inappropriate as portfolio companies, and concentrate all of their attention on companies that stand a chance of receiving funding.

They also use standardization to make deals efficiently. Rather than negotiating terms individually with each start-up, they use the same convertible note and priced round terms, adjusting only the valuation and valuation caps for the companies.

Because the companies in which QMVCs invest do not have enough traction to justify conducting a lot of due diligence, QMVCs use massive diversification to manage uncertainty, putting money into over a hundred companies per year, rather than trying to gather information to reduce uncertainty about which ventures are likely to succeed.

They assist start-up companies differently from traditional VCs. Rather than sitting on boards, QMVCs rely on scale and replication to provide assistance. They forge partnerships with contract sales experts and part-time CFOs to get their portfolio companies the assistance they need at relatively low marginal cost. They also transfer best practices on such topics as software development, sales processes, trade show and online marketing, from one start-up to another.

Finally, QMVCs change the geography of venture finance. In their quest to find a large volume of companies to investigate, QMVCs look well beyond two hours drive from their offices. Investors in New York and San Francisco are putting money into start-ups in Des Moines and Detroit, facilitated by the lack of a need to attend board meetings and a simpler diligence process.

Whether QMVCs are a lasting financial market innovation remains to be seen. If the cost of bringing software startups to market continues to decline as it has, soon entrepreneurs may not need first round financing from anyone else. But in the meantime QMVCs will play a key role in the financing of software startups.
Researchers used sample images, like the ones on the top row, to identify several visual features that are highly correlated with judgments that a particular area is safe or unsafe. The left side shows a low level of safety while the right shows a high level. Highlighted areas on the middle row show unsafe areas while the bottom row shows safe areas in the image. Credit: Massachusetts Institute of Technology

For years, researchers at the MIT Media Lab have been developing a database of images captured at regular distances around several major cities. The images are scored according to different visual characteristicshow safe the depicted areas look, how affluent, how lively, and the like.

In a paper they presented last week at the Association for Computing Machinery's Multimedia Conference, the researchers, together with colleagues at the University of Trento and the Bruno Kessler Foundation, both in Trento, Italy, compared these safety scores, of neighborhoods in Rome and Milan, to the frequency with which people visited these places, according to cellphone data.

Adjusted for factors such as population density and distance from city centers, the correlation between perceived safety and visitation rates was strong, but it was particularly strong for women and people over 50. The correlation was negative for people under 30, which means that males in their 20s were actually more likely to visit neighborhoods generally perceived to be unsafe than to visit neighborhoods perceived to be safe.

In the same paper, the researchers also identified several visual features that are highly correlated with judgments that a particular area is safe or unsafe. Consequently, the work could help guide city planners in decisions about how to revitalize declining neighborhoods.

"There's a big difference between a theory and a fact," says Luis Valenzuela, an urban planner and professor of design at Universidad Adolfo Ibanez in Santiago, Chile, who was not involved in the research. "What this paper does is put the facts on the table, and that's a big step. It also opens up the ways in which we can build toward establishing the facts in difference contexts. It will bring up a lot of other research, in which, I don't have any doubt, this will be put up as a seminal step."

Valenzuela is particularly struck by the researchers' demographically specific results. "That, I would say, is quite a big breakthrough in urban-planning research," he says. "Urban planningand there's a lot of literature about ithas been largely designed from a male perspective. ... This research gives scientific evidence that women have a specific perception of the appearance of safety in the city."

Corroborations

"Are the places that look safer places that people flock into?" asks Cesar Hidalgo, the Asahi Broadcast Corporation Career Development Associate Professor of Media Arts and Sciences and one of the senior authors on the new paper. "That should connect with actual crime because of two theories that we mention in the introduction of the paper, which are the defensible-space theory of Oscar Newman and Jane Jacobs' eyes-on-the-street theory." Hidalgo is also the director of the Macro Connections group at MIT.

Jacobs' theory, Hidalgo says, is that neighborhoods in which residents can continuously keep track of street activity tend to be safer; a corollary is that buildings with street-facing windows tend to create a sense of safety, since they imply the possibility of surveillance. Newman's theory is an elaboration on Jacobs', suggesting that architectural features that demarcate public and private spaces, such as flights of stairs leading up to apartment entryways or archways separating plazas from the surrounding streets, foster the sense that crossing a threshold will bring on closer scrutiny.

The researchers caution that they are not trained as urban planners, but they do feel that their analysis identifies some visual features of urban environments that contribute to perceptions of safety or unsafety. For one thing, they think the data support Jacobs' theory: Buildings with street-facing windows appear to increase people's sense of safety much more than buildings with few or no street-facing windows. And in general, upkeep seems to matter more than distinctive architectural features. For instance, everything else being equal, green spaces increase people's sense of safety, but poorly maintained green spaces lower it.

Joining Hidalgo on the paper are Nikhil Naik, a PhD student in media arts and sciences at MIT; Marco De Nadai, a PhD student at the University of Trento; Bruno Lepri, who heads the Mobile and Social Computing Lab at the Kessler Foundation; and five of their colleagues in Trento. Both De Nadai and Lepri are currently visiting scholars at MIT.

Hidalgo's group launched its project to quantify the emotional effects of urban images in 2011, with a website that presents volunteers with pairs of images and asks them to select the one that ranks higher according to some criterion, such as safety or liveliness. On the basis of these comparisons, the researchers' system assigns each image a score on each criterion.

So far, volunteers have performed more than 1.4 million comparisons, but that's still not nearly enough to provide scores for all the images in the researchers' database. For instance, the images in the data sets for Rome and Milan were captured every 100 meters or so. And the database includes images from 53 cities.

Automations

So three years ago, the researchers began using the scores generated by human comparisons to train a machine-learning system that would assign scores to the remaining images. "That's ultimately how you're able to take this type of research to scale," Hidalgo says. "You can never scale by crowdsourcing, simply because you'd have to have all of the Internet clicking on images for you."

The cellphone data, which was used to determine how frequently people visited various neighborhoods, was provided by Telecom Italia Mobile and identified only the cell towers to which users connected. The researchers mapped the towers' broadcast ranges onto the geographic divisions used in census data, and compared the number of people who made calls from each region with that region's aggregate safety scores. They adjusted for population density, employee density, distance from the city center, and a standard poverty index.

To determine which features of visual scenes correlated with perceptions of safety, the researchers designed an algorithm that selectively blocked out apparently continuous sections of imagessections that appear to have clear boundaries. The algorithm then recorded the changes to the scores assigned the images by the machine-learning system.

Explore further Web tool could help measure subjective impressions of urban environments

More information: Are Safer Looking Neighborhoods More Lively? A Multimodal Investigation into Urban Life. Are Safer Looking Neighborhoods More Lively? A Multimodal Investigation into Urban Life. arxiv.org/pdf/1608.00462v1.pdf

This story is republished courtesy of MIT News (web.mit.edu/newsoffice/), a popular site that covers news about MIT research, innovation and teaching.
"A little fill here and there may seem to be nothing to become excited about. But one fill, though comparatively inconsequential, may lead to another, and another, and before long a great body may be eaten away until it may no longer exist.

Our navigable waters are a precious natural heritage, once gone, they disappear forever," wrote the Wisconsin Supreme Court in its 1960 opinion resolving Hixon v. PSC and buttressing The Public Trust Doctrine, Article IX of the Wisconsin State Constitution.
- Kenya Defence Force (KDF) are moving to liberate the town of Jilib from al-Shabaab domination

- Jilib is the stronghold of terror group al-Shabaab

Terror group al-Shabaab are in fear of losing their stronghold of Jilib after KDF set its sight on capturing the town.

KDF have set sights on capturing Jilib from al-Shabaab.

READ ALSO: How Kapenguria killer cop sneaked into DP William Ruto's meeting armed with a gun

The town of Jilib, located in central Somalia has acted as the de facto headquarters of the terror group.

The town is the final stronghold of the militants, with reports indicating if taken by KDF it will signal the end of the terror group.

READ ALSO: Residents of Eastleigh cry over increase in prostitution

Al-Shabaab is said to be in panic after the news that KDF are moving into their stronghold of Jilib.

READ ALSO: Jalang'o hires chopper after getting stuck in Mai Mahiu

Al-Shabaab had panicked after KDF captured the strategic town of Afmadow from the militants.

With the militants weakened from constant attacks by Somali National Army and Amisom forces the entry of KDF is regarded as a body blow for them.

Al-Shabaab have panicked after KDF captured the strategic town of Afmadow from the militants.

The terror group has carried out several attacks in Kenya including the Garissa University College attack.

The Garrisa University attack which occurred in 2015 was one of Kenyas most bloodiest terror attacks.

Source: TUKO.co.ke
Photo: arnayr via Instagram

This week in international body-shaming: Miss Iceland 2015 Arna Yr Jonsdottir decided shes had enough of contests following a pageant owners instructions that she lose weight. As reported in the Iceland Monitor, the owner of the Miss Grand International beauty contest sent Jonsdottir a message advising her to stop eating breakfast, eat just salad for lunch and drink water every evening until the contest.

From the judging interview yesterday  #missgrandinternational #missgrandiceland #mgi2016 #missgrandinternational2016 A photo posted by Arna Yr Jonsdottir (@arnayr) on Oct 20, 2016 at 4:04pm PDT

Naturally Jonsdottir was taken aback by the advice, which came via spokespeople on behalf of the pageant owner, Thai television personality Nawat Itsaragrisil.

If the owner of the contest really wants me to lose weight and doesnt like me the way I am, then he doesnt deserve to have me in the top 10, Jonsdottir told the Iceland Monitor.

Jonsdottir, who is 20 years old and hails from Reykjavik, Iceland, was crowned Miss Iceland in September 2015. She participated in gymnastics for 10 years and has competed in track and field, earning a spot on the Icelandic national team as a pole vaulter when she was 15 years old.

A woman who walks in purpose doesn't have to chase people or opportunities. Her light causes people and opportunities to pursue her. A photo posted by Arna Yr Jonsdottir (@arnayr) on Oct 23, 2016 at 5:27am PDT

Miss Grand International notes on its website that is one of the top five beauty pageants in the world, along with Miss Universe, Miss World, Miss International, and Miss Supranational, and that it is under the corporation and sponsorship from governments and organizations that will make a stand for the betterment of humanity. According to its website, the organizations ideal objective is an end to all forms of violence and hostility. For the sake of our children and the generations to follow, it is our duty domestically and internationally to rid the world of conflict and focus our efforts on improving the quality of life for all humanity. The 2016 Miss Grand International beauty pageant will take place on Oct. 25 in Las Vegas.

This should be a familiar refrain by now, whether its the infamous former owner of the Miss Universe pageant, aka Donald Trump, publicly telling pageant winner Alicia Machado back in the 1990s that she needs to lose weight, or more recently, the body-shaming of a Miss Italy runner-up for her size 14 frame. Apparently, many pageant owners and spectators believe that when women take to the stage to compete, that means they can be judged beyond the rules of the competition. One wonders if that will ever cease.

As for Jonsdottir, she reacted to the so-called pageant advice by announcing that shell stop competing. I no longer have any interest in doing my best in this competition after receiving that message, she said. This is definitely the last contest I shall be taking part in.
Tweet-by-tweet news coverage of a lengthy and contentious presidential election campaign, where political norms have fallen like carnival show ducks, has left voters riled up and nervous.

Theyre leery about sporting bumper stickers, reluctant to talk politics with folks theyre unsure of and fed up that the focus is about Republican Donald Trump and Democrat Hillary Clintons personalities instead of their plans for the country.

Its a very, very sad day to see this as the main political discourse instead of talking about taxes and details of plans they have about the environment or schools, said University of New Mexico Law School student Zakary Quintero, 25, president of the Young Democrats of New Mexico.

Quintero said this election seems different from those in the recent past because of the rhetoric.

Its very divisive and hateful on both sides, regardless of party, Quintero said.

The fiery rhetoric that has characterized this campaign isnt confined to the major party candidates. Comparing 2016 to the last presidential election in 2012, Ryan Ansloan, chairman of the University of New Mexico College Republicans, said discussions are much more heated.

This election has become so much about character traits and personalities. Conversations are more emotionally charged, more contentious, Ansloan said.

Bumper stickers

Brian Sanderoff of Research & Polling, who has studied campaigns for 35 years, said people he encounters seem a little more standoffish about sharing their opinions.

What Im hearing most is people saying theyre not pleased with either candidate but theyll vote for the lesser of two evils, said Sanderoff.

With Election Day just weeks away, hes been struck by how few bumper stickers hes seen.

Some cycles, people proudly wear their loyalties on the bumper of their cars; its interesting that this year theres very little of that, Sanderoff said.

Albuquerque psychiatrist Dr. Jeff Mitchell put magnetic Hillary signs on his vehicles but removed them after someone scratched his wifes car while it sat in his driveway.

Mitchell, 72, said attitudes this year are very different from the 2008 election campaign. At the time, Mitchell was living in Oklahoma and planned to vote for Republican John McCain but switched to Barack Obama after McCain picked Sarah Palin as a running mate. Back then, he said, people were able to talk about their candidate choices openly.

There were no heated discussions. This year people are much more careful, said Mitchell. If I were in a social setting where I wasnt sure who was where, I would just keep my mouth shut. I wouldnt be sharing my opinion.

Fear or apathy?

Trump supporter Mary Lombardo of Albuquerque, 78, put a sticker on her car but said she was nervous for fear someone would damage the vehicle.

I think people are not even wanting to tell others who theyre voting for  maybe theyre afraid, like I was afraid to put up stickers. Maybe people are afraid that theyll get into something that is too heated.

The lack of bumper stickers struck her as odd compared to previous elections.

When Obama and (Mitt) Romney were running, there were signs all over the place, and yard signs  I havent seen very many of them either, she said. Either people are afraid to show who theyre voting for, or theyre apathetic.

In an unofficial survey of Northeast Heights and East Mountain neighborhoods, the Journal saw one or two main party candidate yard signs and several dozen signs for former two-term governor Gary Johnson, the Libartarian Party candidate.

Tijeras artist Len Estill, 62, plans to vote for Johnson. She estimated there was only one Hillary sign and one Trump sign among the 125 homes in her subdivision.

I do think this is a weird, weird year  theres no good examples from the main parties. People are looking for something that aligns with their view more, Estill said.

She said her family is politically divided; with a brother who is a strong Trump supporter.

(He) feels so strongly about the election that the rest of us have decided not to even bring it up, she said. Before a family wedding this spring, she and her other siblings agreed not to talk politics for fear of his reaction. This was a time to be pleasant and happy, said Estill.

Agree to disagree

Doug McVicker, 84, a self-described liberal through and through, said hes found it difficult to talk about the election with some of the older male Trump supporters he encounters at the Presybterian Healthplex gym.

Emotions are so high that they wont listen to you. They wont talk about it rationally. So I dont even try. I just talk to my friends about it that I know are on the same side that Im on, McVicker said.

Michael Trujillo, an associate professor of American Studies at UNM, said most of his immediate and extended family members support Clinton, but a few are vocal Trump supporters. That led to some rough conversations, he said, but there are fewer arguments now than a few months ago.

I think that people have probably learned that these arguments are not going to be worked out. That youre not going to persuade people, Trujillo said.

Ron Bjornstad of Rio Rancho sits on the central committee for the Libertarian Party of New Mexico. His wife, though not a Trump supporter, is more conservative leaning.

We agree to disagree, Bjornstad said.

Indian-born Sabiha Quraishi, a Muslim who has lived in Albuquerque for 27 years, is a Democrat but, she said, Im not someone who goes out throwing my opinion around.

She and her husband run a jewelry-making business and she is primarily concerned about the economy.

As a businesswoman she appreciates some of the things Trump has said about supporting manufacturers. However, she said his comments about restricting Muslims from entering the U.S. have made her and her community nervous.

When you talk about polarization, its more than that, its hatred, plus being polarized, so it can go beyond the election, Quraishi said.
Get ready for superheroes to take over the streets this Halloween.

Costumes from fictional superhero worlds, in some cases anti-superheroes, are one of the top trends for this years Halloween season. Kylie Ziebell has worked at the Spirit Halloween store for a decade. She said that shes sold more superhero costumes, for both adults and children, than anything else. Popular costumes vary every year, she said.

The store is only open during the Halloween season and usually sets up shop in vacant retail spaces. The store Ziebell works at is located on the top level of Cottonwood Mall.

It goes with the tides of whatever is portrayed in the media, she said. Whatever is popular in movies, social pop culture or video games are our biggest sellers.

Superhero costumes also feature prominently on the shelves at local retail stores Target and Walmart.

Michael Kenison is working at Halloween City in the shopping center near Coors and Irving. He also said superheroes are the biggest sellers. The most popular, he said, is Harley Quinn, who is a popular comic book villain but was also featured prominently in the Suicide Squad movie released in August. In the movie, Quinn wears her platinum blond hair, dyed purple and pink at the ends, in pigtails and takes down her enemies with an arsenal of weapons and sophisticated gymnastics moves. Shes often the main squeeze of Batmans nemesis The Joker.

Other superhero movies released this year include Batman Vs. Superman, Captain America: Civil War and Deadpool. The Spirit Halloween store had displays featuring characters from all three of those movies.

Theres at least one national survey that seems to support what Ziebell and Kenison are seeing in their stores. According to the National Retail Federation, superhero costumes are the number one choice for children this year, ending the 11-year reign of princess costumes. Batman is the top costume pick for adults 18 to 34 years old.

The information was obtained through the organizations 2016 Halloween Consumer Top Costumes Survey. The National Retail Federation is a trade association with members from various retailers including department, speciality and discount stores, catalog and internet companies, restaurants and grocery stores.

Ziebell said other popular costumes include Pokemon characters, which she noted is not a surprise because of the recent release of the Pokemon Go game, and clowns. Kenison said hes also seen a lot of Star Wars costumes go out the door, especially among children.

Both said they were surprised that the political candidate costumes are not more popular. The Spirit Halloween store has a display called Making Halloween GREAT AGAIN, mimicking the campaign slogan Make America Great Again used by Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump. The section includes hats, wigs, masks and cardboard heads of Trump, Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton and former presidential hopeful Bernie Sanders.

However, according to the National Retail Federation survey, there is at least one group of costume buyers that is interested in politics. Among adults 35 and older, political costumes were ranked number three following a witch in the number one slot and a pirate in the number two slot. Although not first, superheroes were ranked in the top 10 for this age group.

Ziebell said although many store visitors pause at the political display and have a good laugh, not many are buying up the masks and costumes featured there.

Theres been lots of selfies, she said. But not many sales.
SANTA FE  Gov. Susana Martinez on Friday signed the fifth of seven bills passed during a recent special session of the Legislature to cope with New Mexicos budget crisis.

The legislation, Senate Bill 8, will provide about $88 million for the overall solvency plan by canceling some public works projects that had been funded but never got off the ground, and by shifting the funding source for other projects.

However, Martinez used her line-item veto authority to effectively spare four projects from the chopping block, totaling about $1.6 million out of the bill. Those four projects are:

 $587,500 for a permanent museum at the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center.

 $564,000 for an information and welcome center at the National Hispanic Cultural Center.

 $400,000 for the Alberta Road project of the Southern Sandoval County Arroyo Flood Control Authority.

 $100,000 for streetlights along Trumbull SE and San Pedro SE in Albuquerque.

New Mexico is facing a massive budget shortfall caused primarily by plummeting oil and natural gas prices, and the solvency bills passed by lawmakers call for a mix of one-time budget fixes and spending cuts to put the state on sturdier financial footing.

In all, the package of belt-tightening bills approved by the Legislature in the special session would  with the governors line-item vetoes to date  generate an estimated $369 million in savings for the state in the current budget year, which started in July.

Lawmakers have also turned to public works projects in past years as a budget-balancing fix, as New Mexicos system for funding such infrastructure projects has come under increased scrutiny.

In large part, thats because millions of dollars earmarked projects around the state have gone unspent  in some cases for years. However, recent attempts to overhaul the system have been unsuccessful.

University buildings, roads, senior centers, tribal facilities and water projects are among the types of capital infrastructure work, which is typically funded by bonds backed by future state severance tax revenue.

The governor has until Wednesday to act on the remaining two bills, which cut budgets by 5.5 percent for most state agencies and pay the expenses of the seven-day special session, which ended Oct. 6.

Journal staff writer Deborah Baker contributed to this report.
A longtime state and federal prosecutor and prominent defense attorney are facing off in this years only contested District Court judge race.

Democrat Cindy Leos is challenging Republican David Williams for the Division 9 judgeship. Williams was appointed to the post by Gov. Susana Martinez in February after Judge Judith Nakamura was appointed to the Supreme Court.

Leos worked as a Childrens Court attorney for Child Protective Services for three years before joining the Office of the Public Defender, where she was a supervisor in the violent crimes division. Now she works as a criminal defense attorney in her own practice.

She said she is seeking the position because she wants to continue to serve her community.

As a prosecutor with (Children Youth and Families Department) and as a criminal defense attorney, she said, I have advocated for both sides completing hundreds of bench trials and several dozen jury trials.

Williams worked for decades as an assistant U.S. attorney and for three years as a prosecutor in the 2nd Judicial District. He served in the U.S. Army, and worked as a middle school teacher before attending law school.

He said he has brought and will continue to bring sound judgment, intelligence and well-reasoned decisions to the office.

My brief tenure on the bench has improved the quality of the judiciary, Williams said. I want to continue that improvement and continue my career in public service.

Williams, in a candidate survey from the Journal, wrote that he was arrested for domestic assault and resisting arrest in 2003. The case was dismissed with prejudice, which means it cannot be refiled. Leos wrote that she has never been arrested or charged with a misdemeanor or felony.

Running unopposed for the Division 24 District Court spot is Debra Ramirez, a Democrat who is currently serving as a family court judge.
For three weeks, Amanda Johnsons newborn daughter Bristol received treatment in Presbyterian Rust Medical Centers neonatal intensive care unit.

Two years later, Amanda and Bristol reunited with the hospitals nurses and physicians alongside other families who received care through Rusts NICU.

About 200 people attended the second annual Rust NICU reunion last Saturday. The event, held at the hospital, featured a pumpkin patch, family photos, music, crafts and games.

Mary Gannon, a NICU nurse at Rust, said she began the event last year to follow in the footsteps of Presbyterians main hospital in Albuquerque.

The main Presbyterian had an NICU (reunion) every year and I thought it would be a good idea to do one for ourselves, Gannon said.

Rusts NICU includes physicians, 30 nurses and separate patient rooms to accommodate up to 11 babies and their families. Rust first began offering NICU treatment in 2011 and has since treated 1,000 of the 5,000 babies born at the hospital.

Rust delivers babies from pregnancies that range from 32 weeks and up  Gannon said the NICU can help treat premature babies with congenital birth defects, respiratory distress and various sorts of infection.

Amanda Johnson, who gave birth to Bristol after 32 weeks of pregnancy, said the nurses with Rusts NICU helped her cope throughout the 22 days her daughter received treatment.

My experience there with my daughter was very overwhelming for me because she was my first child and what I went through, being so scared and nervous  they were always so comforting and caring, not only to my daughter, but to myself, Johnson said.

Gannon said the reunion event can have an emotional impact on families and nurses alike.

For the nurses and doctors who get to see our babies that weve taken care of at some pretty critical points in their lives, the beginning of their lives  its really great for us to see the outcome of the hard work that we put into making them well again, Gannon said. Its really great to see them now, eating cookies, running around  because it could be a very stressful, depressing time when you do have a baby and it is in the NICU.

Amanda said she was thankful for the nurses and the reunion event.

Just attending the reunion, and getting to know the other kids and the other parents, knowing that youre not the only one who went through it, she said. I hope that Bristol, as she gets older and we attend these reunions, gets out of it that she knows and understands the people that were there for her, that helped her in her first days of life.
Its a straightforward question: Should judges in New Mexico be required to release dangerous or repeat criminal defendants on bail even when they believe these individuals pose a risk to the safety of others and to our communities?

We, the Committee for Smarter Justice, believe they should not and that our state court judges should have the same authority that federal judges do to deny bail to dangerous defendants in appropriate cases.

It may come as a surprise to many New Mexicans that our state Constitution allows virtually all criminal defendants to be released from jail prior to trial.

In years past, this has meant that judges have traditionally found themselves stuck between a rock and a hard place. When they encounter a truly dangerous offender, do they release the individual back into our neighborhoods and hope for the best? Or, do they set an arbitrarily high bond for the defendant in an effort to keep the person detained, effectively holding the person in jail because they simply cant afford to get out?

Recently, the New Mexico Supreme Court ruled the latter practice unconstitutional, saying that setting bond higher than a persons ability to pay denies them of their right to be innocent until proven guilty.

Which brings us to today.

We echo the publics frustration at the seemingly steady stream of news stories about dangerous criminals boomeranging in and out of jail, committing crime after crime. We also sympathize with police officers who are arresting the same violent people or habitual thieves over and over, likely wondering if each encounter is the one that will go wrong  the one that will prevent them from going home to their families at the end of their shift.

New Mexicans have an opportunity on Nov. 8 to do something to address this problem.

On the ballot this year is a proposed amendment to our state Constitution that would finally allow District Court judges to assess how dangerous a criminal defendant is, in addition to whether the person poses a flight risk, and hold that individual in jail until trial in order to protect the safety of others and the community. Federal court judges and judges in a number of other states already have this discretion and authority, and the U.S. Constitution allows for it as well.

The Committee for Smarter Justice brings together local governments, businesses, and judicial interests, and we strongly urge New Mexicans to vote yes on this proposed constitutional amendment. It is supported by Republicans and Democrats alike, including Mayor Richard Berry, Gov. Susana Martinez, and Supreme Court Chief Justice Charlie Daniels, and it was approved overwhelmingly by the state Legislature earlier this year.

Another portion of the proposed constitutional amendment would explicitly prevent anyone who is eligible for pretrial release  those who do not pose a serious threat to public safety or are a flight risk  from being detained in jail solely because they lack the financial means to post bond.

We agree that there are too many low-risk offenders sitting in local jails, waiting for trial, simply because they are poor. This comes at a high cost to taxpayers and is generally detrimental to an offenders future and the stability of his/her family.

Studies also indicate that pre-trial release conditions for many of these offenders can be effective in minimizing the further commission of crimes.

Consequently, yes, the passage of this amendment would be an important step forward in reforming and improving our criminal justice system, but most importantly, it would keep New Mexico families safer than they are today.

For those who have no regard for public safety, for those who would seek to intimidate witnesses, and for those who have a pattern of repeatedly ignoring the law and terrorizing our homes and businesses, it is imperative that we keep them behind bars to limit the damage and devastation they can cause.

We live in a wonderful state, but we cannot ignore the fact that increased criminal activity by violent and repeat offenders has the capability of undermining our economic potential and future growth.

There is no easy or simple answer to attacking crime, but voting for the constitutional amendment on bail this November will make keeping dangerous criminals off our streets much easier and our future much brighter.

Susan Griffin of Reserve is the assessor for Catron County.
The most recent special session is the result of a budget crisis unlike anything before in New Mexicos history. There isnt enough money in the treasury to cover the bills from 2016 that ended in June and the revenue forecasts for 2017 are well below the amount of money that was budgeted.

Unlike the federal government, we cannot print money and we cannot have a budget that spends more than it takes in. The administration knew the budget wasnt balanced in March and the extent of the problem became obvious in the following months.

Democratic legislators have been calling for a special session to fix the problems since this past May and June.

For several weeks Democrat and Republican leaders from the Senate Finance Committee worked to craft fixes to the states budget problems. These leaders repeatedly asked the governor and the House Republican leadership to join with them to come up with a budget balancing plan that would put New Mexico back on solid financial footing.

The response from the governor and House Republicans was to reiterate their no tax increase pledge. That isnt a plan. To be responsible the Senate had no choice but to move forward with a bipartisan plan to resolve our budget crisis and protect New Mexicos credit rating.

Budget cuts are never easy. The Senate Democrats met to discuss the difficult budget cuts. Everyone understood that all programs would be up for discussion. Everyone had to be open to compromise.

Special sessions are unlike regular sessions. Bills are being drafted and changed on the fly. Amendments are proposed and approved or discarded. The process is very fluid with lots of trust being put in those who are in charge of negotiating these budget issues.

Unfortunately, it is a terrible way to make laws or balance a budget; there is less public participation, things get missed, overlooked, snuck in or just poorly written. It is why a special session should only deal with a very narrow set of issues, the budget crisis.

On the first day of the special session, the Senate passed a package of budget bills that responsibly address the current crisis in the state. All but one of the bills was passed by the overwhelming majority of the Senate, Democrats and Republicans alike. The Senate fulfilled its responsibility in a little over 12 hours by working in a bipartisan manner for the good of the state.

The Republican-led House was in session for seven days at a cost estimated at $50,000 a day, passed seven of the 12 Senate budget bills with four coming in the last 24 hours. Rather than work on the budget crisis, the governor and House Republicans saw an opportunity to use the budget crisis for political gain in the November election. They chose to use the ugly and heinous crimes to children and police officers as a way to divert attention from the budget crisis toward emotional issues.

By adding the death penalty and other crime bills to the special session, the focus on fixing our constitutionally mandated requirement of balancing the budget shifted to debating emotional social issues without allowing for adequate public input. But that was their intent all along. This is an election year and tough-on-crime bills can be used as a wedge issue for political advantage in the November election.

It is unfortunate that House Republicans decided that holding hearings on the crime bills, that can and should wait until January, was more important than dealing with the budget crisis.

The Senate reconvened to consider changes the House made to the budget bills and move the state forward in a responsible and thoughtful manner. The final four bills were passed in 30 minutes after the Senate concurred with House amendments.

Hopefully, the governor and House Republicans will abandon their all politics all the time strategy and work with the Senate to find the best solution if the fiscal climate in New Mexico continues to worsen and our economic crisis continues unresolved.
My question: Should members of the Christian church vote in the next presidential election?

Hopefully this question resonates with a firm grasp of the obvious. Yes, of course!

Unfortunately, according to national media polls, a goodly number of folks are feeling both disgusted and powerless, and say they may not vote. As a religious leader I am deeply troubled by this unhealthy pall of despondency.

This has been a strange, contentious political season void of civil, godly discourse and bereft of any sound political policies to address the basic needs of all Americans.

In a recent Faith and Justice column in the National Catholic Reporter titled Politics used to be fun. Now, it is depressing, Thomas J. Reese comments on how voters are disillusioned by professional politicians. Some strongly feel that the establishment is not addressing and resolving national and international concerns and issues. Therefore, people are looking for a strongman who can dismantle the Washington system and make things work.

Our present myriad media would have us believe that the establishment experts are solely to blame for this trend. Is this true? Is this rational? Are our educated, elected, trained and experienced political leaders, whom we placed in office by our vote (or lack thereof) the problem? Or are we, as citizens of the state and citizens of the kingdom of God, more of the problem? We are the establishment.

Are we scapegoating the real problem by believing a Congress, or a Senate or a sitting president is solely to blame for all international and home-grown problems and conflicts? Since we created a balance of separation of powers in our government, is it reasonable or even logical to place the blame on one governing entity?

The effectiveness and integrity of our political process is rooted in a cooperative unity of consensus-building and decision making. This is democracy.

Nevertheless, todays extreme partisan politics and the cry of principle has replaced common sense, consensus-building and compromise.

Politics, from the Greek word polis  of, for or relating to citizens  is complex, messy and always has been. Engagement, not disengagement, is the solution to our problems. Are you engaged?

Since the creation of our Constitution and the Bill of Rights, we, as Americans, clearly chose democracy over monarchy or any hint of political rule by a strongman dictatorship. We confidently established an identity as We, the people. Not they, the Senate. Not they, the House of Representatives nor I, the president.

We also confidently settled on the wisdom, values and rule of due process in our justice and decision-making system that intertwines expertise, knowledge, experience, time and the good will engagement of many voices. Nevertheless, our democracy will remain imperfect simply because no one is perfect and no one has all the answers. It is our collective voice and personal engagement in the political process that makes our democracy and freedom strong, unique and great

America always has been about embracing the common good  not just of ourselves but of the whole people of God throughout the world. We are a people who believe in a loving and just God. We are a democracy that strives for justice and peace among all people and respects the dignity of every human being. We are a people of compassion and mercy for all. The Christian church needs to speak up and vote.

Are you speaking up and planning to vote?

As a bishop in the Christian church, I would be neither presumptuous nor arrogant enough to tell people for whom to vote, but I do feel both spiritually and morally obliged to encourage people to consider how to vote.

Voting is more than a privilege. It is a responsibility. Christians have a moral obligation both as citizens of the United States and as citizens of the Kingdom of God to participate in our democracy and to vote their conscience.

What I believe informs our conscience and world view is the teachings and life of Jesus Christ. The biblical lens through which we see the world God created can best be identified in Jesus teachings in the gospels, especially Matthew Chapter 25, Jesus Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7) and St. Lukes account of the Magnificat declared by Mary (Luke 1:46-55).

Our Christian political perspectives are shaped by acknowledging and upholding these biblical teachings and thus inform our conscience. We need to ask if our presidential candidates ideologies, beliefs and policies are consistent with these New Testament core values for the common good. The Christian church needs to speak up and vote. I will! Will you?
UNESCO, the United Nations organization supposedly in charge of education, science and culture, has passed many insane resolutions in the past. But its latest vote to essentially deny Jewish and Christian ties to Jerusalem has reached new heights of political madness.

Fortunately, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, UNESCOs own director Irina Bokova and other top U.N. officials have distanced themselves from the Oct. 13 Palestinian-backed resolution, which effectively denies Judaism and Christianitys connections to Jerusalems Temple Mount and its Western Wall.

The resolution, titled Occupied Palestine, condemns a long list of alleged Israeli actions against Palestinians. But while much of this has been part of UNESCOs standard language since it admitted Palestine as a member state in 2011, this years text refers to Judaism and Christianitys holiest sites exclusively by their Arabic names, casting doubts about their ties to any religion other than Islam.

The resolution was passed with 24 votes in favor, including Iran and Sudan, and six against, including the United States, Great Britain, Germany and the Netherlands.

After the vote, U.N. Secretary-General Ban issued a statement saying that he reaffirms the importance of the Old City of Jerusalem and its Walls for the three monotheistic religions and stresses the importance of the religious and historical link of the Jewish, Muslim and Christian peoples to the holy site.

The statement added that any perceived undertaking to repudiate the undeniable common reverence for these sites does not serve the interests of peace and will only feed violence and radicalism.

Israels Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the UNESCO resolution a delusional decision.

He added: To declare that Israel has no connection to the Temple Mount and the Western Wall is like saying that China has no connection to the Great Wall of China or that Egypt has no connection to the Pyramids.

UNESCO is already in deep financial trouble because of its extremist positions. The United States withdrew its $80 million annual contribution to UNESCO following the organizations admission of Palestine as a member state.

And Japan, UNESCOS second-largest contributor, announced last week it is suspending its dues this year, apparently angry over UNESCOs decision to list Chinas Rape of Nanking documents about Japans 1937 massacre as a memory of the world.

My opinion: Palestinians have the right to demand their own state alongside Israel, but they are discrediting their own cause by trying to re-write 3,000 years of history in such a ridiculous manner.

And UNESCO has added to its growing reputation as an international joke. Instead of being a hotbed of extremism and passing political resolutions, it should stick to its mission of enhancing education, science and culture around the world.
The White House launched its final push for enrollment in the Affordable Care Act last week, hopeful that the beleaguered health care law can overcome runaway insurance premiums and fleeing insurers as it adds more Americans to the rolls.

Sylvia Burwell, secretary of Health and Human Services, met with regional reporters at HHS headquarters Wednesday morning, moments before a major speech announcing the start of open enrollment on Nov. 1. Burwell said despite headwinds in achieving Obamacares stated goals the health care law is here to stay.

This is in the fabric of the nation, Burwell told reporters. Were not going back to a place where anybody who had a pre-existing condition isnt going to get insurance. The question is how do we go forward and make the improvements that we want to and need to make.

The Obama administration is setting its sights high for its final open enrollment period, which runs from Nov. 1 until Jan. 31, including for New Mexicans. Burwell said the administration hopes to add 13.8 million more Americans in the next three months. Thats 1.1 million more than the 12.7 million enrolled in the last open enrollment period. She also noted that anyone who signs up under the Obamacare exchanges by Dec. 15 will get their health insurance starting on Jan. 1.

Obamacare has had its share of high-profile stumbles in New Mexico. Presbyterian Health Plan, the largest insurer in the state, announced in July that it would no longer offer individual and family policies on the Affordable Care Act marketplace, starting in January. The decision was expected to affect 10,000 exchange members, 80 percent of whom now receive federal subsidies, said Brandon Fryar, president of the health plan, a for-profit subsidiary of Presbyterian Healthcare Services.

Meanwhile, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of New Mexico is asking for an 82 percent rate increase on its 2017 individual exchange plans after withdrawing its participation in Obamacare in 2016. The insurer pulled out of the exchange last year after being denied a 51 percent rate increase by the states superintendent of insurance.

Nationally, one in five people who get their insurance through the exchanges now have only one option for coverage, according to an August study by the Kaiser Family Foundation. Forty-one percent of people living in rural areas will have just a single insurance option in the exchange.

However, Burwell said the law has produced hundreds of billions of dollars in Medicare savings and historically low premium increases for the 157 million Americans with employer-based insurance  the bulk of those who are insured. She also said 20 million people have gained health insurance since Obama signed the Affordable Care Act into law six years ago, leading to the lowest rate of uninsured in U.S. history.

Many of the 10.7 million U.S. citizens who remain uninsured are poor people, minorities or younger folks. She said HHS is reaching out to people in novel ways this year, including targeting them in churches, on their cellphones and even through new technologies such as the gaming platform Twitch and the ride service Lyft.

We think a lot of people actually dont know (about their obligation to become insured under law) and were not always able to reach them, Burwell said, adding that 85 percent of those who enroll on the exchange qualify for subsidies in the form of tax breaks. What we want to do is reach the right people with the right message at the right time.

All four Democrats in New Mexicos delegation supported Obamacare at the time of its inception and they all support retaining it, although they concede that the law needs to be tweaked to deal with steep premium increases, a lack of insurer access and other problems. Burwell said in states like New Mexico, which expanded Medicaid, premiums tend to be lower.

It does tend to work better in places where theres support, she said. In states that have expanded Medicaid, its estimated premiums will be 7 percent lower in marketplace.

But she also acknowledged that problems persist in New Mexico and elsewhere.

Have we had challenges  sure, Burwell said, noting wryly the technology glitches that turned Obamacares initial rollout into a disaster. Its a complicated thing.

One thing is certain: The debate over the controversial health care law isnt going away, no matter how optimistic the Obama administration remains about it in its waning days.

Doubling down on disaster is not a solution, wrote Jim DeMint, a former U.S. senator who now heads the conservative Heritage Foundation in Washington, in an op-ed this month. Rather than try to prop up an ill-designed law, Congress needs to systematically repeal and replace Obamacares dysfunctional policies with more sensible solutions, starting with the laws most damaging provisions.

E-mail: mcoleman@abqjournal.com.
Copyright  2016 Albuquerque Journal

THOREAU  Digging an 8-foot hole in solid rock is no easy job, even with a backhoe and a jackhammer.

A crew spent two days last month digging outside the home of Rena James to install a 1,200-gallon cistern, together with an electric pump, that will allow the 84-year-old Navajo woman to turn on a tap in her kitchen.

For now, she still doesnt have a shower or an indoor toilet. But a kitchen sink marks the first time in her life that Rena James has had running water in her adobe-walled home, said her son, Freddy James.

The cistern will also provide clean, safe water to other members of her extended family who live nearby in a cluster of houses and hogans in rural Prewitt, about 20 miles northwest of Grants.

This is going to make a big difference, said Freddy James, 60.

For several years, the family has received water deliveries by truck, which they stored outside in barrels that accumulated blowing dust and dirt, and froze in the coldest months. Water in the buried cistern is expected to remain clean fluid year-round.

We wont have to haul water from outside where it freezes in the winter, Freddy James said. Weve got to chip the water out of the barrel.

The James family is the 16th Thoreau-area household to receive a new cistern funded by Dig Deep, a California-based nonprofit in cooperation with the St. Bonaventure Indian Mission and School, a Thoreau-based nonprofit.

Dig Deeps goal is to install 200 cistern systems by late 2018 at a cost of about $4,000 per household, said George McGraw, executive director of the nonprofit. Cistern installations will comprise a big part of the nonprofits $2.2 million investment in Thoreau-area water projects, all funded by private donations, he said.

Changing lives

Sonny Sanders, 49, of Thoreau was among those who helped install the James cistern. Like many of his co-workers, the Navajo man said he gets satisfaction from helping his neighbors get running water in their homes.

It really does change their lives  thats what really gets me, the St. Bonaventure employee said. Now, Rena James can get water from a tap instead of having to go outside on a cold, windy day to get water out of a barrel.

The Navajo Tribal Utility Authority, an enterprise of the Navajo Nation, provides electricity, water, natural gas and wastewater treatment to residents throughout the 27,000-square-mile reservation. The utility has 36,000 water customers, according to its website.

NTUA is expanding nodes off its water mains to service homes, McGraw said, but the rocky ground in many areas has made expansion slow, difficult and expensive.

Freddy James said his mothers home lies less than half a mile from a water main, but the rocky ground has frustrated efforts to extend a water line to the house.

The big, plastic cisterns also mean changes for Darlene Arviso, widely known here as the water lady because she drives the truck that delivers water throughout the Thoreau area.

Arviso fills up a 4,000-gallon water truck each morning at a well owned by St. Bonaventure and travels some 300 miles a week over pitted, unpaved roads, delivering water to up to 250 scattered Navajo households.

In the past, Arviso delivered about 250 gallons at a time to the James household, filling 55-gallon plastic barrels, buckets and virtually any other container that held water.

That wouldnt last the month, Arviso said, which required her to make multiple trips to the household each month.

As cisterns become more common around Thoreau, household water supplies should last longer, limiting the number of trips Arviso must make to each location.

They should have plenty of water to last the whole month, she said.

About half of water deliveries are made to homes that lack electricity, McGraw estimates. That presents a major hurdle because cisterns require an electric pump to deliver water into the home.

Lindsay Johnson, 79, has had running water since September when a cistern was installed at her home east of Smith Lake. But without an electrical connection, she must use a gasoline-powered generator to heat water for showers, which requires Johnson and her family to buy pricey fuel.

Typically, the family runs the generator only for showers and relies on a wood-burning stove to heat water for other purposes, such as washing dishes.

To overcome that problem, Dig Deep is funding a pilot program that uses solar panels to power the water pumps.

Pickle buckets

Kirk Yazzie, his wife and three children, ages 2 to 9, live in a one-room house in Thoreau that uses a solar-powered water pump that draws water from a cistern to a tap inside their home.

Before the demonstration project started two months ago, Yazzie said he hauled water from St. Bonaventures well across town.

I used to haul water in a car with five-gallon pickle buckets, Yazzie said. The indoor tap, he said, is a lot better than the buckets.

When the demonstration project concludes later this year, solar-powered pumps will be installed routinely with cisterns at all homes that lack electricity, McGraw said.

The water-delivery program here is on the verge of a major expansion. Dig Deep plans to begin drilling an 1,800-foot well near Smith Lake about 10 miles north of Thoreau that should begin producing early next year.

The $1.2 million well is expected to produce a fourfold increase in water deliveries, from about 3,500 gallons a week today to as much as 16,000 gallons, McGraw said. That will allow Dig Deep to serve up to 90 additional households in the Smith Lake area, he said.

Fortunately, Arviso will have some help. Dig Deep recently refurbished a donated water truck and St. Bonaventure hired a second driver.

Smith Lake homeowners are in dire need of truck deliveries of water. Many area residents routinely drive into Thoreau to fill buckets and barrels from the St. Bonaventure well.

Raymond Warner, 64, said he drives about 10 miles twice a week from his home in Smith Lake to fill two barrels because shallow wells there are contaminated.

You cant drink it, Warner said recently while tanking up at the St. Bonaventure Mission. You cant even do laundry with it  it eats your clothes. It stinks, too.
Copyright  2016 Albuquerque Journal

Jail Sgt. Eric Allen gave the order repeatedly: Hurt him.

Correctional officers responded by twisting inmate Joe Ray Barelas handcuffed wrist as he screamed in pain. The officers described it as pain compliance needed to control a belligerent prisoner with a long rap sheet and a history of violence.

But it horrified medical staffers who were trying to assess and treat Barela in the emergency room at the Bernalillo County jail, according to county documents released in response to a Journal request for public records.

One nurse called it torture. Two employees were in tears.

They wont stop hurting him, one counselor told a colleague.

And the orders to hurt Barela, they said, interfered with their attempts to assess his medical condition.

They told sheriffs detectives and a private investigator for the county that they think officers used excessive force on Barela and that the incident fueled tension between medical staff and corrections officers inside the massive jail.

Some medical staffers also said correctional officers tried to intimidate them after the incident.

Their accounts of what happened to Barela on Dec. 18 are outlined in reports prepared by sheriffs detectives and a private investigator for the county Human Resources Department.

The officers saw the incident much differently. No one used excessive force, they said, and their actions were simply intended to keep everyone safe from an inmate with a history of violence.

Barela, 39 at the time, has been booked 30 times and was being held on charges that included aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, according to a jail report.

This guy is a decade-long troublemaker in any facility, jail Lt. Stephen Perkins, head of the correctional officers union, said in a Journal interview. This guy is a problem child.

Whatever happened, the incident highlights tension between correctional officers and medical personnel inside the Metropolitan Detention Center, one of the 50 largest jails in the country.

Allen acknowledged telling the civilian staff to keep their opinions and noses out of his and security staffs business, the private investigator, Doug Shawn, a retired Albuquerque police officer, wrote in his report.

The video

Allen  a jail sergeant and vice president of the union that represents correctional officers at the Metropolitan Detention Center  has been on paid leave since January in connection with the Barela incident, union and county officials say.

The county also investigated allegations against him in a separate case, where he was shown on camera directing another officer to twist the wrist of an inmate who wouldnt stop crying.

Video of that incident  involving inmate Susie Chavez in September of last year  triggered a local protest and grabbed national attention.

Twist her wrist until she shuts up and stops crying, Allen says on that video, which was taken by a body camera he wore.

The Barela case lacks such clear video. But sheriffs deputies say a security camera did capture footage of Allen kneeling over Barela in a hallway, at one point, on Dec. 18.

Barela is seen in obvious pain, kicking his legs as if someone is hurting him, one detectives report said. Barela is also restrained with handcuffs behind his back.

Correctional officers said Barela would often stop walking and fall to the ground during his escort to and from the medical unit. Pain compliance was used to get him to stand up and walk again, they said.

They were taking Barela to the jail infirmary after officers sprayed him with an inflammatory agent earlier in the day when he refused to put on his jail uniform and wouldnt follow directions, according to the county documents.

Inmate with a history

Allen wouldnt speak with sheriffs detectives investigating the incident. But he told the private investigator that Barela is a prison gang member with a history of disruption, assault on staff and disregard for institutional rules.

Barela is normally in a state prison, but he is transferred to the county jail occasionally for court hearings.

Allen said he told officers to apply a wrist lock to Barela only when the inmate was out of line, disruptive or refusing to be examined by medical staff, not to interfere with a nurses work, according to county documents.

Barela had been warned repeatedly ahead of time that he had to follow jail rules.

Sometimes, Allen said, he applied the pain himself, such as when Barela wouldnt cooperate or yelled profanity. At one point, he used a large key ring to dig into Barelas neck, he said, according to the private investigator.

Allen said he also thinks he used his thumbs and knuckles on pressure points in Barelas ear and jaw area, at one point.

Everything he did was permitted under county policies, Allen said, that allow the use of force to maintain control of prisoners.

Other corrections officers backed up Allens assessment of what happened.

One disputed that Allen had even used the words hurt him.

Correctional officer John Martinez, for example, told sheriffs detectives that Allen handled everything fine, that he is there to make sure the correctional officers are OK and dont get hurt.

Martinez also said he didnt think it was right for someone to comment on how COs do their jobs, referring to the medical staff at MDC, according to a detectives report.

Intimidated

The medical staff, in turn, complained about officers treatment of Barela.

Ed Kossmann, health services administrator for Correct Care Solutions, which provides health care in the jail, told jail executives that some employees believe they work in a hostile and unsafe environment, ironically with the security staff (Sgt. Allen and his cohort of four to five COs) and not the inmates.

Kossman sent the county a message from a nurse who reported that an officer had shoved her when she tried, out of concern for the inmate, to follow the correctional officers and Barela into a shower area.

The officer, for his part, said he merely held out his hand because women arent allowed into an area where men shower and that it wouldnt be safe for her to be with Barela when hes unrestrained.

Some medical staffers also said they believe Allen and others wanted them to keep quiet.

The incident ended when a higher-ranking jail officer arrived and escorted Barela away from the medical unit, a nurse told sheriffs deputies.

The captain told Sgt. Allen to pick Barela up from the floor, which Sgt. Allen refused, telling the captain that if his services are no longer needed, he and his COs would leave, nurse Dawn Janz told detectives, according to their report.

Kossman told sheriffs detectives that the medical staff voiced concerns to him about being intimidated by Sgt. Allen and also feared retaliation from him if they came forward in reference to this incident, according to the county documents.

Perkins, in a Journal interview, said officers are simply trying to keep everyone safe.

Some medical staffers, he said, dont seem to realize theyre working in a correctional facility and not in a hospital.  Everybody wants to be a social worker.

Prosecution?

What happens next isnt clear.

Sheriffs detectives said they sent their report to the District Attorneys Office in April for consideration of prosecution, according to county records.

Their report said the temple area is not an approved pressure point region for use on a suspect, based on the defensive-tactics curriculum they reviewed. They also said officers arent taught to use a key on a pressure point.

A spokeswoman for the District Attorneys Office said she couldnt find any investigative report or case against Allen or other correctional officers.

A sheriffs spokeswoman, meanwhile, said the case is still under investigation.

Allen remains on paid leave and hasnt faced administrative discipline in connection with the incident, jail spokeswoman Nataura Powdrell-Moore told the Journal .

Three other officers involved in the incident are on active duty at the jail and werent disciplined, she said.

Jail officers, civilian staff and medical employees are being trained on a new use-of-force policy, Powdrell-Moore said.

 Lt. Stephen Perkins, on inmate Joe Ray Barela
Carlton Caves envisions computers that can immensely simplify the process of developing new drugs or that send messages so protected hackers can never break them.

Those things are actually not that far off because of immense progress in the study of quantum physics, and the University of New Mexico is at the heart of it.

Caves, a distinguished professor of physics and astronomy, and director of UNMs Center for Quantum Information and Control, said the university is substantially ramping up the research needed to make such new computing technologies, thanks to a five-year, $2.3 million grant the National Science Foundation awarded in September.

The grant will pay for enough newly hired post-doctoral scientists to expand center research by 60 percent. It also converts UNM and its research partner, the College of Optical Sciences at the University of Arizona, into one of only two NSF-funded Focused Research Hubs in Theoretical Physics in the country.

In fact, the center is now the only NSF hub focusing specifically on Quantum Information. Thats the science that can pave the way for Caves futuristic computers.

We want to make use of the full power of quantum physics, Caves said. Were developing the framework and doing the experimentation needed to harness it.

To do that, UNM scientists at Caves center, housed in the Department of Physics and Astronomy, are studying and manipulating the tiniest of particles. Thats not just atoms, but some of the stuff that makes up atoms, such as photons, electrons and nuclei.

The research aims to decipher exactly how those tiny elements behave and interact with one another before they come together to create what we see or experience in the real world. With that understanding in hand, plus new tools to manipulate or recreate it, scientists can go beyond todays technology to make computers and other devices do new and more powerful things.

We could achieve secure communications over channels available to eavesdroppers with security guaranteed by the laws of physics, Caves said.

That could solve some of todays technology challenges, such as changing the way credit cards are encrypted on the internet, said center faculty member Ivan Deutsch, a regents professor of physics and astronomy.

We could create shared secret keys through a quantum computing process thats not available now, but could be in the future, Deutsch said.

Of course, the devil is in the details, which is what quantum physics is all about. Classical physics focuses on the things all those atoms do in the real world when they come together. Quantum physics looks at how the individual atomic elements operate and communicate with one another.

Its not just a different language. Atomic particles have different capabilities to do things humans dont see once those masses of atomic elements come together.

Unlike linear movement of particles in classical physics, for example, at the atomic and subatomic level, matter can go from one spot to another without moving through the intervening space, something called quantum tunneling. Information can move instantly across vast distances.

That unique behavior at the atomic, or quantum, level makes the microscopic world seem strange, paradoxical or counter-intuitive.

In the last 25 years, weve come to realize that those paradoxical aspects can maybe open new doors, Caves said. If we can harness how they work, we could use them for processing information in new and more powerful ways. And thats what quantum science is all about, to harness the way the world works at the microscopic level, allowing us to create things like powerful supercomputers, share unbreakable secrets, or sense very tiny things.

Apart from far faster computer processing, harnessing the atomic world could allow computers to be built with self-correcting physics to eliminate errors, simulate the processes needed to create new drugs instead of relying on trial and error, or create new materials that are much more robust with fewer defects.

Thats whats so exciting to us, and for students and junior scientists, Deutsch said. It has the potential for creating disruptive technologies that can change the world.

Through the Center for Quantum Information and Control, UNM and the University of Arizona work together to articulate the theory of quantum physics, and test and validate it through high-tech experimentation. The center works closely with scientists from Sandia National Laboratories and Los Alamos National Laboratory.

At UNM, scientists are using laser cooling techniques to freeze and isolate atoms, as well as groups of atomic particles called entanglements. Experimental physicist Francisco Elohim Becerra, for example, is working on that as the basis of quantum memory, or how to store memory in its original quantum state.

Thats done with ultra-cold atoms, or atoms at near-zero temperature, Deutsch said. When they get that cold, we can trap them and hold onto them, which could allow us to make atoms into quantum objects that we can manipulate.

That type of work, however, is hindered today by the 65-year-old building on the north side of campus near UNM Hospital that currently houses the Department of Physics and Astronomy. Apart from being cramped in aging and ill-equipped laboratories, high-tech research like freezing atoms is often hampered by dust, noise-generated vibrations, poor temperature controls and bad plumbing.

Its hard to insulate experiments from all the interference, Deutsch said.

UNM is planning a new, $66 million building on the south side of campus near Central Avenue and Yale Boulevard. The 137,000-square-foot building would house classrooms, offices and laboratory space for scientists from many departments, said Wolfgang Rudolph, chair of the Department of Physics and Astronomy.

It would include six UNM research centers that are now scattered across campus, such as the centers for bioinformatics and genomics, geo-spatial data analysis and electron microscopy. Apart from modern labs and equipment, UNM is hoping such collaborative work spaces will encourage more interdisciplinary cooperation, leading to the kinds of human collisions that produce new, cutting-edge innovation.

If approved by voters on Nov. 8, about $28 million in general obligation bonds will help finance the new centers construction.
I was complaining to a friend recently about the deal that brought Facebooks new data center to Los Lunas.

Its bad enough, I said, that were paying $10 million in Local Economic Development Act funds for what is estimated to be at most 50 jobs. That comes to $200,000 per job  more if Facebook taps the $3 million in job training funds the state is prepared to offer. But the kind of jobs well be getting arent the jobs we need if were going to develop the workforce required to transform our mid 20th-century economy.

At this point, I strayed into hyperbole. Basically, our people will be making sure the data centers power stays on and the guard dogs are fed, I said.

Its like Spaceport America, I ranted. We built a lot of expensive infrastructure near Truth or Consequences so that Richard Bransons Virgin Galactic, by making billionaires pay to be guinea pigs on his spacecraft launched from New Mexico, can figure out how in the not-too-distant future it can fly ordinary travelers from New York to Tokyo in two hours. In return, I said, we get to clean and refuel the spacecraft. The spacecraft itself is being designed, built and tested elsewhere. Requiring that the craft be designed and built here so that New Mexicans could get the expertise that might have allowed us to become something more than baggage-handlers to the commercial space industry was not part of the Virgin Galactic deal.

Calming down a little, I acknowledged that Facebook will offer jobs somewhat more sophisticated than answering a call centers phones, but the 21st-century jobs will remain at headquarters in California. Facebooks crown jewels are the data it collects from its users. The keys to unlocking those data are the data-mining and computer security experts Facebook employs, people who are in possession of tremendously valuable skills, none of whom is required in a data center in Los Lunas.

Catching a second wind, I raged that its kind of like Intel. The semiconductor manufacturer came to New Mexico, hired a bunch of people, got some interesting education programs going at the University of New Mexico and CNM, but hired the really important expertise  chip design and materials science  in other states. Our people learned about manufacturing, but manufacturing jobs are designed to disappear. Its like that old joke, I said. The manufacturers ideal workforce consists of one man and one dog. The mans job is to make sure the machines keep running and the dogs job is to make sure the man doesnt touch anything. That relentless and perfectly reasonable push to eliminate labor in manufacturing through automation is why Intel employs about 20 percent of the workforce it had at its peak in New Mexico.

My friend waited for me to run out of steam, then asked: What else could we have done with the money?

Granted, he said, our states economic problem comes down to the lack of human capital. We have no plan to address that problem and, without a plan, we have no place to spend the money on developing human capital. Meanwhile, Facebook is prepared to hire a lot of construction labor, as many as 50 staff members, and lend the prestige of its name to our state. That prestige becomes a recruiting tool for other companies that might not have looked at New Mexico. Thats not nothing, he said.

I had to agree. Weve argued about public education for the past six years and are no closer to a world-class school system. Weve cut our universities budgets and raised tuition. Worse, with the exception of some charter schools, government hasnt tried anything innovative to identify the kind of workforce we need if we are to compete globally, then find ways in partnership with the private sector to build that workforce. Since we cant offer 21st-century human capital to companies looking to expand, we offer money.

Until the state does come up with a plan to build a first-class workforce, a better use of $10 million might be investment capital for our home-grown companies.

My colleague Kevin Robinson-Avila has reported that both startup and older companies are struggling to find the capital they need. Lisa Kuuttila of STC.COM, which helps turn ideas originating at UNM into commercial ventures, estimates we need $300 million to $400 million more to finance more mature New Mexico companies that are ready to expand.

Since the money isnt there, she said, more and more maturing startups are leaving the state in search of financing. I am sure they have taken more than 50 jobs with them.

Comment directly to Winthrop Quigley at 823-3896 or wquigley@abqjournal.com.
Joe Long has a funny way with retirement.

He gave it a whirl in 2011, albeit briefly. As someone whose Marine Corps career began with a tour in Vietnam  for which he earned a Purple Heart  and ended as a colonel and project manager on the Marines $100 million national museum, Long does not do idle particularly well.

So when a New Mexico state official approached him seven months into retirement with a new opportunity, Long says his wife happily ushered him back out the door.

Gloria said Yes, hell take it,' Long recalls.

Long directs the Veterans Business Outreach Center in Albuquerque. Funded by a Small Business Administration grant, the office provides one-on-one business counseling and conducts seminars around the state. Long, also a former full-time minister and onetime small-town Texas radio station operator, has now spent four years shepherding other veterans on their entrepreneurial journeys. The center saw 15 clients launch businesses in 2015. It is on pace for another 21 this year.

Now 71, Long says he is finally preparing to hang em up and leave the center at the end of this year. But is his work really done? Not even he is willing to say for sure.

I have just created a new LLC for myself as a consultant, so well see what I do, he says. I dont see myself sitting down, and watching TV and reading a book all the time.

Q: Describe yourself as a teenager.

I lived in Gallup my early teenage years and we moved to Roswell when I was 16. I absolutely loved my years in Roswell. Roswell High School was great. I enjoyed vocal music an awful lot and Roswell had a wonderful vocal music program; they had a barbershop quartet that had won a national competition and sung on The Ed Sullivan Show the year before I moved there. I won a competition and got to be part of that quartet. It was called the Roadrunners. For two years, I sang in the Roadrunners and that was great.  I had a girlfriend the whole time I was there. I had jobs and so was always busy (and also) involved in extracurricular activities at the school.

Q: It sounds like you moved around quite a bit.

We did. My dad was a preacher, so we moved from town to town  always in New Mexico. He would pastor a church for three, four years and then wed move onto another town.

Q: What was your first job?

Delivering the Albuquerque Tribune in Mountainair at 9 years old. At 12, we moved to Gallup and I delivered the Albuquerque Journal for three years. We moved to Roswell when I was 16 and I got a job in a meat market. I always had my own money and have been responsible for buying my own clothes since I was 12.

Q: Did you go directly to the military after high school?

From high school, I went to one year of Hardin-Simmons University in Abilene.  Then I went to Eastern (New Mexico University) and went a year there, and was just enjoying the social life more than I should have. (laughs) I received a letter inviting me not to come back. Those days, if you didnt have a deferment, you were drafted. I was about to be drafted into the Army, so I went to join the Navy. The Navy recruiter told me to be back at his office at 1 p.m. and I was there, and he wasnt, so I went around the corner and there was the Marines recruiter. The rest is history, as we say. I ended up going to the Marine Corps. for a two-year enlistment. The recruiter had actually encouraged me  because I had been a disc jockey while I was in college  to join the Marines because I could become a radio announcer with the Armed Forces Radio and Television Service. He said, All you have to do is go to boot camp, and let them know what youve done and youre a shoo-in to be one of those guys. (laughs) I wrote in all my tests all about my radio experience and I ended up carrying a radio on my back with an infantry unit, as we say, with an antenna that went up 10 feet and said Shoot here.

Q: You didnt think this was a career?

No. During that time when I was in Vietnam, there was a lot of combat and I hated it. I thought that I would get home and get out, and I would go probably into the ministry. I always had an entrepreneurial bent, but I figured I would go into the ministry and maybe the radio business at some point. But I certainly didnt figure Id make a career of the Marine Corps. But things change.

Q: While you were in the Marines, you were still able to work in the church and have a radio station?

I was a reservist (for many of the 37 years with the Marines). I pastored that church full time for seven years and then, in 99, the Marine Corps was looking for a reserve colonel to head up the creation of the National Museum, so they asked me if I would apply for that, which I did, and I was the one selected. I went on active duty and went to Quantico,Va., and headed up that program. I was in uniform for three years. And then they created a government service job to keep me on for another five years.  After the Marine Corps Museum opened in 2006, I stayed on there as the deputy director for six more months. Then the architect that designed it, Fentress Architects out of Denver, asked me if I would create a consulting company so that they would hire me back to be a consultant on all their museum projects, so I did (until attempting retirement).

Q: Whats your favorite part of the National Museum of the Marine Corps?

I think the Vietnam gallery, because its got so much of my ideas in it.  (One of them was) we cut a helicopter in half  . (Museum visitors) can come off the back of a CH-46 helicopter into a hot landing zone. So many of us in Vietnam did that. They changed my idea some.  We call these immersion experiences in the museum  where you find yourself in a place and time, and we had told the exhibit designer we wanted to do an immersion experience in each era.  When you come off (in the Vietnam era exhibit), you can actually hear the pilot talking to you, you can feel the helicopter shake, you can smell the hydraulic fluids  and thats just natural because you cant ever get that smell out of a helicopter. But we also have a little bit of the prop wash hit you as you come off. We raised the temperature there (to replicate the area near Khe Sanh). We had casualties on the ground and around you, sandbags and all of that. I have had people who were in Vietnam get on that helicopter and say, I just cant do this, so we fix a bypass for people who have that kind of experience. Thats a lot of what that museum is about. Its to help people understand what those of us who did it went through.

Q: Are there certain challenges that veterans face when starting a business that others wouldnt?

Theyre not so much challenges as benefits. One of the things we do in our Boots to Business seminar during the first module is I go to a white board and say, Alright, you all, help me list the qualities that the military helps develop in a person. For example, leadership. And all of a sudden, theyll start popping up: time management, discipline, motivation, and well come out with 25 or 30, just one right after another. And after weve listed all those qualities the military helps develop in a person, then I will be able to point and say, Look: all of this stuff you just listed fits perfectly with being a good entrepreneur. Theyve really got a tremendous advantage before they go into entrepreneurship.

Q: Do you sing anymore?

Not much. I recorded a couple of albums when I was younger, gospel music. Now I listen back to myself (and) my vibrato has gotten really wide. (laughs) Its just not as good as it used to be.

Q: Whats the best compliment youve ever received?

When Gloria said yes (to a marriage proposal). Also, being called friend by my three Marines buddies and knowing that it was true.

Q: What was your last splurge?

Fifteen dollars at a garage sale on a 1993 room humidifier.

Q: Do you have any guilty pleasures?

Brownies, especially with chopped pecans and chocolate frosting.

Q: Whats one food you cant live without?

Chicken fried steak, mashed potatoes and gravy.

Q: What are your pet peeves?

People who exaggerate. Just be yourself; youre just fine the way you are.

Q: Describe yourself in three words.

Dependable, loyal and optimistic.

THE BASICS

Born Joseph Calvin Long on April 12, 1945, in Elida, N.M.; bachelors degree in university studies from Eastern New Mexico University; married to Gloria since 1994; two grown sons: Joseph Jr. and Chris; one cat named Mr. Blessing.POSITION

Director of the Veterans Business Outreach Center since 2012; 37 years in the Marine Corps (combined active and reserve duty); retired in 2004 as a colonel; served as project manager for the creation of the National Museum of the Marine Corps (1999-2007); owned three businesses, namely KSTA Radio in Coleman, Texas, and Southwest Leadership Development and Joseph C. Long Consulting LLC, both in Albuquerque.DID YOU KNOW?

 Long has a Purple Heart, having been struck by a piece of shrapnel on May 18, 1967, in Dong Ha in Vietnam. One of the many things Forrest Gump and I have in common is where we got wounded, he says with a laugh. You remember he said in the buttocks?

 During his tour in Vietnam, Long penned a letter to the dean of admissions at Eastern New Mexico University. The school had previously ousted him after a year during which he says he spent too much time on social activities and he was requesting a chance to come back. His note  written on postcard fashioned from a cigarette box  was a success and he headed back to ENMU when he returned home.

 The Marines Corps University commissioned Long to write on Vietnams Battle of Con Thien; he is in the process of publishing the 60-page monograph called Hill of Angels.
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Taipei, Oct. 24 (CNA) There are signs that the slide in the approval ratings of President Tsai Ing-wen's () administration came to an end in mid-October, but a pollster said it now seems as though the government is being blocked by an active volcano.
CIUDAD JUAREZ, Mexico  A brightly painted mural, colorful park benches and a new cultural center anchor one side of a rehabilitated downtown square that was once a notorious red-light district. Abandoned buildings and empty lots flank the other.

The government of former Mayor Enrique Serrano made lots of promises to recover the citys nightlife and tourism, and this downtown square offers a metaphor for the administrations successes and its limitations after three years.

On a late September afternoon, artist Elel Parra and his team were putting the finishing touches on a four-block mural featuring classic elements of Mexican culture  the lucha libre wrestler Blue Demon, the beloved comic actor known as Tin-Tan and calavera skeleton characters. The city hired Parras collective, Taller 8, to imagine and paint the concept.

A new cultural center dedicated to Tin-Tan on one side of the square is slated to open this fall. A large gazebo rises in the squares center. Dozens of amateur local artists painted the park benches. Smiling clown faces top the trash cans  all efforts to make the district into a family-friendly space.

Ciudad Juarez has struggled to shake its violent image since the cartel wars abated. After three years of relative calm, and many cosmetic and some structural changes, the city has turned a corner. But longtime observers of the citys crime trends also warn that homicides are on the rise.

The city pulled off the visit of Pope Francis without incident back in February  and the good publicity reverberated locally and in the U.S.

Restaurants and nightclubs throughout the city are bustling. Locals from both sides of the border packed an October fair at the Plaza X explanada near the border and downtowns new pedestrian avenue and whitewashed Strip of bars, pharmacies and small stores draw crowds each weekend.

The city government invested about 120 million pesos, or $6.4 million, over the past six years to make over downtown, according to Jose Eleno Villalva Salas, the citys former secretary of urban development.

Recently, just before the new mayoral administration took over, Villalva Salas was tying up loose ends inside the Tin-Tan cultural center.

Saying that he doesnt plan to serve under new Mayor Armando Cabada Alvidrez, Villalva Salas reflected on what he views as his accomplishments downtown: the decision to paint white all the storefronts on the Strip, make the citys 16th of September thoroughfare a pedestrian zone, pepper downtown with new sculptures and sponsor the rehabilitation of the Mariscal red-light district. Also: lots more lighting and police presence.

When I walk around, I see an impressive number of American citizens, both Anglos and Hispanics, he said. They dont just come from El Paso, Las Cruces and Deming, but also from the interior of the country.

We increased security, he said. We increased cleanup in the urban zone.

But the shadow of the citys dark years of drug violence hasnt entirely disappeared, and the far side of the newly rehabilitated square still bears the scars.

Villalva Salas said he ordered several buildings to be boarded up after he discovered a man had been stabbed to death in an empty building on one corner and, soon after, a woman was found strangled to death on the second floor.

El Diario reported this month that homicides have risen to levels not seen since 2013, when the city of 1.3 million people registered 50 to 60 murders each month. There have been 52 murders in the first 17 days of October, the newspaper said, quoting a state prosecutor who blamed the rise on growing methamphetamine consumption.

That brings total homicides so far this year to 408, according to New Mexico State University librarian Molly Molloy, who has catalogued violence in Ciudad Juarez for many years.

The spate of bad news hasnt deterred Parra, the mural artist.

I think that opening spaces, especially touristic spaces, begins to give the city a new face, Parra said. It also grows the idea that art can sensitize, it can connect people.

UpFront is a daily front-page news and opinion column. Comment directly to Lauren Villagran in Las Cruces at lvillagran@abqjournal.com. Go to www.abqjournal.com/letters/new to submit a letter to the editor.
Copyright  2016 Albuquerque Journal

The estimated half-million pieces of space junk and roughly 2,200 man-made satellites circling the globe are a growing concern for the U.S. military, which increasingly views space as a contested environment where decisive battles in future wars could be fought.

We no longer have the luxury of assuming that were operating in a benign environment  or that conflict will only be on land or at sea or in the air, Air Force Maj. Gen. Nina Armagno with Air Force Space Command, told a group of scientists Tuesday at White Sands Missile Range.

Now, we must concern ourselves with a conflict that may extend into space, she said.

Armagno was among a handful of speakers at a ceremony in which the $150 million Space Surveillance Telescope, or SST  a ground-breaking instrument capable of tracking 10,000 space objects at a time  was formally transferred from the federal Defense Advanced Research Project Agency to the U.S. Air Force.

Its not often we get an opportunity to witness the beginning of an entirely new military capability, Armagno told about 50 scientists, technicians and military personnel attending the event.

SST fills a critical void  in our current space surveillance network, Armagno said. It also give us the ability to optically search, detect, track and identify these space objects.

The Air Force has already announced plans to move the surprisingly nimble 270,000-pound telescope to Naval Communication Station Harold E. Holt in Exmouth, Western Australia, as part of the services efforts to improve space situational awareness, a term for the ability to view, track and understand natural and man-made objects in orbit around the Earth.

From a military perspective, any one of those objects could put a satellite at risk, Armagno said. Thats why this capability is so important to us in Air Force Space Command.

The new location will allow SST to scan the skies over the southern hemisphere  an area of the that is currently sparsely observed.

The SST will be jointly operated by Air Force Space Command and the Royal Australian Air Force, according to DARPA officials.

The Air Force catalogues all known orbiting objects through its Space Surveillance Network, an integrated system of ground- and space-based telescopes and radar.

As more and more satellites for commercial and military purposes are put into Earths various orbits, the potential for collisions with other satellites, space junk and asteroids is increasing. In fact, the International Space Station is routinely required to maneuver out of the way of space debris traveling at thousands of miles per hour.

The SST was developed for the Air Force by DARPA, the Department of Defense agency responsible for developing emerging technologies for use by the military, and Massachusetts Institute of Technologys Lincoln Laboratory. It sits atop 8,000-foot-high North Oscuro Peak at the northern edge of White Sands Missile Range.

Construction of the SST facilities at the former Army missile tracking site began in 2007, and the SST became operational on Feb. 12, 2011.

Its a unique and massive piece of optical equipment. Unlike most optical telescopes which view a few large objects in a tiny portion of the night sky, SST offers a windshield view of thousands of faint objects at a time  some as small as a softball. It can search an area larger than the continental United States in seconds, and survey the entire geosynchronous belt within its field of view  about one quarter of the sky  multiple times in a single night.

The geosynchronous orbit that SST watches is about 22,000 miles above Earths surface. Objects in geosynchronous orbit essentially match the speed of Earths rotation, meaning they maintain the same position relative to Earths surface.

The SST camera shutter speed is so fast it can collect up to a half terabyte  or about a half trillion bytes  of data in a single night.

Last year, the SST observed 7.2 million objects in space, and DARPA expects it to observe as many as 10 million this year. SST has also discovered 3,600 new asteroids and 69 near-Earth objects, including four that carry a risk of possibly hitting the Earth, according to DARPA officials.

By enabling much faster discovery and tracking of previously unseen or hard-to-find small space objects, this optical telescope is poised to revolutionize space situational awareness and help prevent potential collisions with satellites or the Earth itself, said Lindsay Millard, DARPA program manager for SST.

The telescope, which will be disassembled and shipped by boat, is expected to reach initial operating capability sometime in 2020, Millard said.
In the moments before shots were fired on Oct. 21, 2015, Albuquerque police officer Daniel Webster shouted instructions to Davon Lymon, the driver of a motorcycle he had just stopped.

Hands behind your back! Webster said. Lean forward!

The motorcyclist complained that he was in pain and cried out repeatedly before gunshots rang out, leaving Webster fatally wounded. He died of his injuries eight days later.

That interaction was recorded on Websters lapel camera, which prosecutors played for Chief U.S. District Judge Christina Armijo on Monday, the first day of Lymons bench trial on one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm.

Prosecutors will seek to prove Lymon illegally possessed the pistol used in the officers shooting. As a felon, Lymon is not allowed to possess a gun, according to the indictment. Although police believe Lymon fired the shots that killed Webster, he has not been charged in state court in connection to Websters death. State prosecutors have said they will move forward with those charges after the federal case is resolved.

As the lapel video played, Websters wife and other observers in the courtroom cried, as did Albuquerque police detective Katherine Wright, who described watching the video for the first time at the University of New Mexico Hospital on the night of the shooting. A colleague had pulled the video up on his phone and the two scoured it for suspect information.

Officers who were still on the scene of the shooting, she said, needed to know who we were looking for.

Witnesses described seeing a man in a motorcycle helmet running away from a store. Law enforcement set up a perimeter encompassing 16 city blocks and launched a search. John Skinner, a tactical flight operator for the Albuquerque Police Department, said he was looking for the suspect from a police helicopter when he noticed a person crouching as he walked through a backyard. He said the man tried the door to a shed before hopping a fence and hiding under the porch of a neighboring home. That man became a priority target, and several more officers were dispatched to the home on Espejo NE, where a police dog ultimately found Lymon, witnesses said.

Officer Mike Hernandez said his dog is trained to detect human scent and indicated that a person was still in the backyard of the vacant home. When that person refused to comply with commands to come out, police fired a flash-bang device and a gas canister. Hernandez sent in his dog after those methods proved unsuccessful.

I began hearing rumbling, Hernandez said, adding that the dog was making his way through a porch cluttered with construction material. And then I began to hear someone scream.

As the dog held tightly to Lymons left arm, officers noticed a handcuff hanging from his wrist. Officers took Lymon into custody. His attorney, Kari Converse, said the encounter with the dog left Lymon with a broken bone.

Armijo heard testimony from 16 witnesses Monday, including Walgreens employees, civilians who witnessed the shooting and a slew of law enforcement personnel. She also heard from forensic scientist Jay Stuart, a firearm and tool mark examiner assigned to the case.

Stuart said the casings found in the Walgreens parking lot had been fired by from a Taurus handgun that prosecutors say Lymon had in his possession on that October night. Stuart also said the same gun fired the bullets he examined, which were collected from Websters body and from the ceiling of a nearby Starbucks.
PHOENIX  A campaign finance violation complaint has been filed with the Maricopa County Recorders Office against a newly formed independent political committee linked to hedge fund tycoon George Soros.

An attorney representing Republican incumbent Bill Montgomerys re-election campaign for Maricopa County Attorney filed a complaint Friday, saying the Arizona Safety & Justice has violated a state election law.

Soros has been spending millions of dollars this year to support Democrats in prosecutor races around the country and all but one of his favored candidates have won.

Phoenix lawyer Brett Johnson says the law requires political committees making independent expenditures to a candidate or office within 60 days of an election to provide 24 hours notice to opponents about submitted print or television ads.

Montgomerys campaign says it was not notified.
LONDON  A Christian-owned bakery in Northern Ireland lost its bid Monday to overturn a discrimination ruling against its refusal to make a Sesame Street-themed gay cake.

The Ashers Baking Company contested a 2015 ruling that found that it was in breach of equality legislation for refusing an order by Gareth Lee, a gay rights activist.

Lee asked the baker for a cake decorated with an image of Bert and Ernie from Sesame Street and the words Support Gay Marriage written on it.

He paid for the cake, which was for a private event marking International Day Against Homophobia, but was later told that the order was canceled because the bakery was a Christian business. His money was refunded.

Appeal Court judges in Belfast dismissed arguments that the bakers would be promoting a change to the regions gay marriage law by baking the cake.

The fact that a baker provides a cake for a particular team or portrays witches on a Halloween cake does not indicate any support for either, they said in their ruling .

Shortly after the ruling was published, the hashtag #gaycake was trending on social media in Britain.

Gay marriage is a subject of intense political debate in Northern Ireland, the only nation in the United Kingdom where it is still illegal. Last year, Ireland made international headlines by becoming the first country to legalize gay marriage by popular vote.

Polls show there is popular support for gay marriage in Northern Ireland  an Ipsos MORI poll this summer found support at 70 percent  but legislatures have not lifted the ban.

We remain behind the rest of the U.K. and Ireland, said John ODoherty, director of the Rainbow Project, a gay and lesbian support group based in Northern Ireland. He noted that while the public overwhelmingly supports same-sex marriage, the biggest barriers are political.

Over the last four years, the Northern Ireland assembly has debated the subject of gay marriage five times. After the last debate in 2015, the assembly narrowly voted in favor of gay marriage, but the socially conservative Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), the largest political party in Northern Ireland, used a legislative power-sharing mechanism to block the change in law.

The DUP supported the bakerys right to decline to make the cake, and it attempted to introduce legislation that would exempt religious groups from doing business with people if the transaction violated their religious beliefs.

Speaking outside the Royal Courts of Justice in Belfast, the bakerys general manager, Daniel McArthur, said he was extremely disappointed with the ruling. We are being told that we have to promote the message even if its against our conscience, he said.

If equality law means people can be punished for politely refusing to support other peoples causes, then equality law needs to change, he said.

At a separate news conference, Lee, the activist who placed the order for the cake, said: Im relieved but also very grateful.

ireland-lgbt
For anyone still carrying a Samsung Galaxy Note 7 phone, add all Amtrak trains and property to the list of places where your device is no longer welcome.

Amtrak officials have joined U.S. air carriers in banning travelers from bringing the phones on board when they travel. Amtrak officials said phones are no longer allowed on trains and in stations and platforms due to safety concerns. Passengers traveling with the phones will not be allowed to board or if they have boarded, will be asked to leave the train at the next stop.

According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, there have been nearly 100 reports of batteries in the devices overheating. In one instance, a phone carried by a man on a flight bound for Baltimore Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport caught fire.

Because there is nothing more important than the safety of our customers and employees, we have decided to prohibit Samsung Galaxy Note 7 cell phones on Amtrak property due to potential serious safety risks, Amtrak officials said in a statement. This ban includes Amtrak trains, Thruway buses, facilities, stations, platforms, Amtrak vehicles, and as an item carried within a vehicle on Auto Train.

Earlier this month, the Federal Aviation Administration issued an emergency order banning passengers and crew members from bringing the phones on U.S. airliners. Passengers who defy the ban could face fines, officials said. Previously the FAA had urged travelers to turn off their Galaxy Note 7 phones when traveling and not to charge or store the phones in checked baggage because of safety concerns. Samsung has set up kiosks at various U.S. airports where people can return the devices.

In September, Samsung issued a global recall offering replacement phones to owners who turned in their faulty devices. But after reports that the replacement phones also were catching fire, the company halted production of the phones all together and urged consumers to turn in the devices. The recall covers more than 2.5 million of the smartphones.

Under the terms of the recall, Samsung Galaxy Note 7 users can request a refund or a new phone, but will be responsible for paying any price difference. People who pick another Samsung phone are eligible for a $100 bill credit; those that pick another device, say an iPhone 7, will be given a $25 credit on their bill.

samsung-amtrak
Samuel Velascos day in court was coming, and, after years of delays, there was little he could do to stop it.

He was accused in 2005 of molesting his 4-year-old stepdaughter, who had told her mother about the abuse. The girl was too young to testify, so the only witness for prosecutors was the mother  Velascos now-ex-wife, Ruth Sagredo.

Velascos attorneys had succeeded in getting the case continued seven times, but they were out of chances. A judge in El Paso had scheduled a jury trial for Nov. 12, 2008.

Sagredo was very adamant about getting [Velasco] prosecuted and have him pay for what he did, the childs father, Eduardo Avalos, told CBS News.

So a few weeks before the trial, Velasco and his siblings sat around his kitchen table thinking up ways to kill his ex-wife, court documents say.

They discussed needing to eliminate Ruth so she would not testify against him, FBI Special Agent Jason Kaunas testified during a pretrial hearing last year.

They came up with a plan in order to get her  to lure her into Mexico because they didnt want to do the killing in the United States. At that point, the plan was devised to kill Francisco, the father, in order to have a funeral happen in Mexico which would force Ruth to travel to Mexico.

Velasco had the experience and the resources to pull off a complicated international murder scheme, Kaunas told the court.

Velasco had been under investigation for smuggling Mexican drugs through El Paso, then laundering the drug money through his shoe business. His brother, Emmanuel, and sister, Dalia Valencia, also were key players.

The group also operated a kidnapping ring in Juarez, from 2009 until 2013, according to court documents. Velasco was at the top of the organization, which operated on both sides of the Rio Grande.

The groups hit teams targeted business owners, medical professionals, students and children, according to a Vice News article on the Velascos. After the kidnappings, it was Samuel Velasco who called worried families to start negotiations.

Francisco Sagredo, Velascos former father-in-law and a wealthy businessman, fit the profile of the groups typical targets.

To get Velasco off the hook for the sexual assault charge, Francisco Sagredo had to die in a very specific way.

They wanted to hire a hit team to basically attack the father, Francisco, and rob him and make it look like a cartel hit, and that way a funeral would be held in Mexico, the FBIs Kaunas said.

Francisco Sagredo was in his home in Juarez on Oct. 3, 2008, when three men burst in wearing masks and holding guns.

They locked family members in the bathroom while they took the victim, Francisco, into another room, then eventually shot him, Kaunas said.

Then they emptied the safe.

But Francisco Sagredos death didnt succeed in baiting his daughter, who didnt attend her fathers funeral, according to court documents.

So the Velascos chose a new target  Cinthia Sagredo, his ex-wifes sister.

Cinthia Sagredo ran a hotel in Juarez. On Nov. 20, her killers waited for her to walk outside.

Several armed men drove up to the hotel, opened fire, and killed her outside in front of the hotel.

Ruth Sagredo traveled to Mexico two days later to bury her sister  her second family funeral in as many months.

The killers finally found their target.

According to court documents, several armed men in two separate vehicles drove up to her vehicle, boxed her in and opened fire, killing her inside.

Vice reported that the sex assault charges against Samuel Velasco were dropped the following March after the complaining witness . . . requested dismissal.

In the United States, Samuel Velasco continued to evade arrest, although the feds continued to build their case against his drug smuggling and kidnapping organization.

He was arrested in the murder-for-hire plot in September 2015. His sister and brother, who came to his house to plan the killings nearly seven years prior, were also charged.

All three will probably spend the rest of their lives in prison, authorities said.

Dalia Valencia and Emmanuel Velsaco pleaded guilty to the conspiracy charge. They are scheduled to be sentenced in December.

Samuel Velasco pleaded not guilty but was convicted last week.

He will be sentenced to mandatory life in prison in January.

texas-death
Albuquerque police are investigating in southeast Albuquerque after some sort of incident Monday morning.

Officers had blocked off traffic on Copper near Vermont, which is near Central and Wyoming.

Police spokesman Fred Duran said he didnt know what officers were investigating and was in federal court so couldnt immediately find out.
TUCUMCARI, N.M.  Authorities have identified a man who was wounded after allegedly firing at pursuing officers following a chase that started in western Texas and ended about 70 miles away in eastern New Mexico.

Texas troopers and Amarillo police pursued the SUV on Interstate 40 from Amarillo to just inside New Mexico around 4:30 a.m. Monday.

New Mexico State Police say at least one Texas trooper fired shots and that a 33-year-old Mario Montes of Amarillo is hospitalized in critical but stable condition with a wound to the lower abdomen.

Three other people were taken into custody.

Amarillo police say the chase began when a driver refused to pull over during a traffic stop and that the driver fired at officers several times during the incident.

Police say no officers were injured.
Allentown, Pa., police officers pointed their guns at Hector Medina-Pena and yelled a flurry of commands.

Get your (expletive) hands up, an officer screamed twice at the robbery suspect, the scene recorded by a patrol cruisers dashboard camera.

Then, Get down on the (expletive) ground. On the ground. On the ground.

Medina-Pena dropped to his knees with his hands up but looked confused at the commands from the men with guns. At one moment in the video, he pointed at the ground and gave officers a questioning look.

Get down on the ground or Im going to (expletive) shoot you, an officer yelled. Medina-Pena dropped to all fours.

Then, Officer Joseph M. Iannetta approached Medina-Pena with his gun drawn. He lifted his right leg and kicked Medina-Pena in the face. The suspect crumpled to the ground, his jaw broken, three teeth gone.

A lawsuit filed by Medina-Pena last week says the kick was excessive force on an unarmed, defenseless person doing his best to comply with officers commands. The video was released to Medina-Penas criminal defense lawyer as part of discovery, and ultimately given to the Morning Call newspaper.

Horrifically, while Plaintiff was positioned on all fours, and defenseless, Defendant Iannetta approached Plaintiff with his gun drawn and performed what can only be described as a WWE style kick with his booted foot to the Plaintiffs right side of his head and face, the lawsuit says.

Allentown police say they have reviewed the dash-cam video of the May, 2015, felony traffic stop and determined that their officers actions were appropriate.

Medina-Pena had just committed an armed robbery in which he put a gun in someones face, Chief Keith Morris said in a statement emailed to The Washington Post. But police spotted the suspect and pursued him. The pursuit screeched to a stop at South 5th and Auburn streets, where officers began the tense and sometimes dangerous process of taking a felony suspect into custody.

Officer Iannetta took action to protect himself, his fellow officers, and the public and take this later-convicted robber into custody by using the minimal amount of force necessary to overcome the threat, Morris said. Hector Medina-Pena exited the vehicle, and while walking in the direction of Officer Iannetta, reached toward his waistband.

Hector Medina-Pena repeatedly refused to comply with Officer Iannettas commands throughout the course of the encounter, repeatedly reaching into the area of his waistband where he was wearing a fanny-pack, the police chief said.

In a statement to the newspaper, Allentown City Solicitor Susan Wild described Iannetta as a highly decorated instructor and field training officer at the police academy with training far above and beyond the required training.

But Medina-Penas lawsuit says Iannetta has been accused of violence while on duty before. Nine citizens have complained about him, including claims of physical abuse. One suspect was injured as Iannetta made an arrest. And Iannetta has been the subject of four use-of-force investigations.

The suit notes that Iannetta was a defendant in a 2013 federal civil rights lawsuit that the city settled last month for $350,000.

Iannetta was not disciplined for any of those cases, the lawsuit says. The police chief and the city solicitor did not immediately return calls from The Post seeking comment about Iannettas past or the current lawsuit.

David A. Klinger, a former police officer and a professor of criminology and criminal justice at the University of Missouri-St. Louis, said there are not many reasons to kick a suspect in the face.

Police officers training on the use of force is nearly universal, Klinger said: If you have a compliant suspect, you should not use physical force.

What the officer should be doing is seeking to get control of the suspect via verbal commands so we dont have to expose ourselves to jeopardy, Klinger said. They should keep their distance with their guns drawn so that the suspect is in a position of disadvantage.

Across the United States, police departments have been scrutinized amid an ongoing debate about whether officers are too quick to use force, especially against minorities. A Washington Post database of police shootings found that 776 people have been fatally shot by police in 2016. Of those, 43 were unarmed. In 2015, 991 people were killed by officers, and 93 were unarmed.

In his statement, Morris alluded to the increased scrutiny but said Iannettas use of force was not excessive:

In todays society, where officers are routinely being criticized for their use of firearms in encounters with suspects, this is an incident where an officer (based on his training) used a reasonable amount of force in response to the report of an armed suspect and necessitated by Mr. Medina-Penas criminal actions, and took a felon into custody with minimal risk and injury to all involved.

pennsylvania-police
HOUSTON  A former suburban Houston police officer charged with intoxicated manslaughter and two counts of intoxicated assault has been prohibited from driving if hes able to get out of jail on a $150,000 bond.

State District Judge Catherine Evans set the conditions Monday for 45-year-old Stephen Alan Cook, a former Missouri City officer charged with hitting and killing 62-year-old Evelyn Brown while she was helping refuel her stepdaughters car on the side of a Houston freeway. Cook also is banned from drinking alcohol.

Authorities say Cook has told them he drank 10 beers on Oct. 16 when the crash occurred. Browns stepdaughter and one of her stepdaughters children also were hurt.

Prosecutors say Cook, from Rosenberg, has two previous convictions related to arrests for driving while intoxicated in Fort Bend County.
Tesla, the upstart all-electric automaker that once landed Consumer Reports best-ever performance rating, has now achieved a far less impressive feat, with a ranking from the reviewer that labels it one the least reliable car companies in America.

The Consumer Reports ranking, released Monday, places Tesla at No. 25 of 29 for reliability, with reviewers saying the automakers new Model X SUV has been plagued with malfunctions, including with the falcon-wing doors that have become its signature.

The rough review, based on annual surveys of the magazines subscribers, marks only the latest hurdle for Americas youngest major automaker, which has energized the countrys scrawny electric-car industry but has also struggled with repeated production and delivery delays.

Teslas sedan, the Model S, was recommended by reviewers after its reliability scores improved from what Consumer Reports last year called a worse-than-average overall problem rate.

But the Model X, which first rolled out to drivers last year and now starts at $74,000, was panned by drivers frustrated by problems with doors, locks, latches, power equipment, in-car electronics and the climate system. It ranked last for reliability among a dozen luxury mid-sized SUVs.

It shouldnt come as a surprise to anyone that theres been mechanical problems with the Tesla Model X, Jake Fisher, director of automotive testing for Consumer Reports, said in an interview.

Theyve taken this very basic platform with the Model X and added so many overly complicated features: the front doors are power automated, the middle-row seats are on power sliders, Fisher said. All those things add up in a way that can bring the platform down.

Musk, Teslas billionaire commander, has said himself that the Model X  with its single-pane windshield-roof and air-filtering bioweapon defense mode  may have been a bit too ambitious.

In retrospect, it wouldve been a better decision to do fewer things with the first version of Model X, Musk said in February. I think there was some hubris there with the X, he added, before reiterating that it was the best car ever.

A Tesla spokesperson said the company had resolved many issues since the Consumer Reports survey was conducted last spring, and pointed to other industry awards, including industry consultant AutoPacifics recent ranking of Tesla as the most satisfying premium brand.

We are committed to making the worlds most reliable cars, the spokesperson said in a statement. The amount of issues weve addressed with Model X has fallen by 92 percent in the last 12 months, a reflection of our ability to make continuous improvements and react quickly.

Consumer Reports reviewers also said they had serious concerns about how Tesla and other automakers had designed and marketed semi-autonomous technologies such as Teslas Autopilot, which can accomplish many of the tasks of driving, such as changing lanes and keeping speed on the highway, but not fully drive the car itself.

Crashes by Autopilot-equipped cars, including a fatal Florida crash in May, have led critics to suggest Tesla is dangerously touting the cars self-driving capabilities. Consumer Reports has now placed alerts on Teslas cars saying automakers should take stronger steps to ensure the systems are deployed safely.

Tesla beat only Dodge, Chrysler, Fiat and Ram in the reviewers reliability rankings. Lexus, Toyota and Buick  established automakers offering many more models than Tesla topped the charts.

tesla
The Santa Fe police have identified the pedestrian killed in a hit-and-run accident Thursday evening in front of the Albertsons on North Guadalue Street as Manuel Gonzales, in his 60s, of Tesuque.

A police spokesman said Monday officers are consulting with the District Attorneys Office about possible charges against a suspect, identified in a police report page released Monday as Raymond Solano-Saenz, about 20 years old.
We can help you make sense of the agribusiness industry, extending from chemicals and fertilizers used as inputs into agriculture, to the commodities, food and by-products that are an output to farming, with policy and regulation applied at every step of the value chain.
Irelands cybersecurity conference, Dublin Info Sec 2016, will be coming to the RDS Dublin on November 15th.

At the conference, private and public sector cybersecurity expert panels will address IT security topics including the threat of ransomware, human factors in cybersecurity and Irelands cyber resiliency, crucially, highlighting IT security tools and technologies in the face of increasing risks to businesses in Ireland.



The average cost of fraud to organisations in Ireland has increased from 498,000 in 2014 to 1.7m with the incidence of cyber attacks almost doubled since 2012.



A Dublin Info Sec 2016 survey has found that 60% of businesses in Ireland expect a cyber attack to occur in the next year while 45% have already experienced a cyber attack on their business.



As to how prepared the country would be in the event of a cyber attack on the State, nearly 90% of respondents believe that Ireland is not prepared. However, 76% also say the internet should not be taken over by the government in the event of a cyber attack.

The conference, which will be opened by Tanaiste and Justice Minister Frances Fitzgerald, will be an important one for industry and key influencers in the area of cyber crime in Ireland, aimed at 'C-suite' and senior business executives.

Speakers include, WikiLeaks journalist, Sarah Harrison, followed by a panel discussion asking, 'Whistleblower: Champion or Saboteur?' which promises to be a provocative debate about the actions of WikiLeaks and whistleblowers in society, politics and business in general.

Cyberpsychology expert Dr. Mary Aiken, Adjunct Associate Professor at University College Dublin, Academic Advisor (Psychology) to the European Cyber Crime Centre (EC3) at Europol and Cybersecurity Consultant Brian Honan are also confirmed for the event.

Managing Director of eir Business, Bill Archer says, "Cyber-attacks are undoubtedly on the rise and businesses are increasingly exposed to the risk of an attack. Organisations, therefore, need to be proactive and continuously work on enhancing their cyber security measures. We are delighted to be involved with Dublin Info Sec 2016, examining critical security issues that threaten businesses and providing guidance on how to mitigate against the risks."

Source: www.businessworld.ie

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Well to all of you opposed I hope you never have to deal with chronic pain or any other ailment that medical marijuana is the best option for. I have lived in chronic pain all my life. For almost 20 years I was treated with opiates and like substances with so so results. 3 years ago out of desperation I tried MMJ. WOW!!!! For the first time in as long as I could remember I was pain free! I don't care for smoking anything but eat the oil every day for pain relief only. I also grow for other patients and this year started growing the CBD strain that contains less thc, but still works great for many ailments. And the only side effects I experience is I get hungry and ho**ey. And no matter how much I take it won't kill me. Can't say that for the morphine I took for many years. Pot is REAL medicine.
The Fundraising Regulator and Information Commissioner's Office have agreed a memorandum of understanding which sets out plans for regulatory co-operation and information sharing between the two organisations.

Under the MoU agreement, both the ICO and Fundraising Regulator will communicate regularly to discuss matters of mutual interest at least every six months; consult one another on any issues which might have significant implications for the other organisation; notify one another of the outcome of a case before its been made public and, share in confidence internal guidance and draft external guidance relevant to the functions of both bodies.

The MoU agreement also sets out a number of scenarios in which the two organisations will share information. A number of these revolve around the disclosure of confidential information in regards to restrictions.

In particular that either organisation may: disclose confidential information to the Commissioner to facilitate the carrying out of any required function of the Fundraising Regulator or a statutory function of the Commissioner.

The Information Commissioner herself may also disclose confidential information directly to a member of the Fundraising Regulator where this is necessary to assist the regulator in its role.

The Fundraising Regulator and the ICO will also consult with one another where a request for information is received by either party under the DPA or Freedom of Information Act. However, the decision to disclose the requested information remains with the part in receipt of the request.

The agreement was co-signed by both Stephen Dunmore, interim chief executive of the Fundraising Regulator, and Elizabeth Denham, the new Information Commissioner. The agreement was signed earlier in the month, but was only announced at the end of last week.

A spokesman from the Fundraising Regulator, said: "Data protection and consent are priority issues for responsible fundraising and so we are delighted to sign a MoU with the ICO, building on the already close working relationship between us. We will also issue guidance on these issues before the end of the year, helping improve charitable fundraising standards.

The third such agreement signed by the Fundraising Regulator

The agreement between the Fundraising Regulator and the ICO is the third memorandum of understanding officially signed by the regulator with an external regulatory body. The Fundraising Regulator has already signed such an agreement with the Institute of Fundraising, as well as with the Charity Commission.

That MoU, signed between Dunmore and Paula Sussex, chief executive of the Charity Commission, set out the Commissions regulatory backstop role, first envisaged in the Etherington Review and was agreed on the same day the regulator officially launched on 7 July. .

Civil Society News understands that the Regulator is looking into the possibility of signing MoUs with a number of other organisations: including the Department for Media, Culture and Sport, which already has regulatory powers in relation to arts charities and foundations.
A womens group has left umbrella body Scottish Womens Aid after being told that having a man on its board breached the network's rules.

Moray Womens Aid, based in Elgin in Scotland, has had Graham Leadbitter, a local councillor on its board, for eight years. But Scottish Womens Aid told the charity that this did not comply with its rules, which require its member charities to have female-only boards.

Rather than ask Leadbitter to stand down, Moray Womens Aid left the network.

The SWA said in a statement: "We're sorry to confirm that Moray Women's Aid are no longer members of the Scottish Women's Aid network and we wish them all the very best as they continue to provide vital services for women, children and young people experiencing domestic abuse across Moray.

"Women are often excluded from making decisions about issues that predominantly affect women's lives; just look at the decision-making tables around Scotland.

"Women-only boards are important for Scottish Women's Aid, because we recognise that in Scotland historically and currently women are not equal, and do not have the same opportunities and experiences as men.

"We want to challenge inequality at every level outwith and within our organisation, and that means promoting and protecting women's spaces and places as decision makers in the fight to end domestic abuse in Scotland.

"Whilst we are sorry that Moray have left our network, we remain committed to and passionate about women-only boards in our national network, with a strong and positive history of women helping women."
Although opinions on the term pet parent may vary, theres no denying the fact that pet ownership is a big responsibility. In households without children, dogs often get lavished in especially large amounts of love and attention.

So whats Fido to think when suddenly a tiny human enters the picture? While he may soon bond with the new addition, your dog may not immediately be thrilled by the presence of a screaming, time-stealing infant.

Studies show that dogs, like humans, can experience feelings of jealousy and insecurity. For this reason, it can be beneficial to prepare your pup for the arrival of a new baby. The preparation process can begin as soon as you find youre expecting, but pet owners should continue helping their dog adjust as the baby grows.

Preparing while pregnant

Your dog probably has a daily routine. Its important to start changing that routine to match whatever the dogs new routine will be once the baby arrives, says Michael Wombacher, a professional dog trainer and author of " ." Good Dog, Happy Baby ."

How soon should dog owners be implementing these changes? Writing for CNN, Wombacher notes that it depends on your dog and how deeply embedded into your routine she is.

Expectant parents can begin shaking up the routine a month before their due date or the moment the pregnancy test turns positive. Whats important is that the dog not be given any reason to negatively associate the changes with the baby.

At 8 months old

Does your dog have soft, tuggable ears or a wagging tail that looks irresistible to grab? By 8 months of age, your baby will probably begin noticing -- and reaching for -- some of the more sensitive body parts on your fur-covered family member.

During the months leading up to this tactile phase, you can prepare your dog by conditioning him to be used to awkward grabbing and pulling. Wombacher notes that its also vital that dogs be given a safe zone to retreat to if the babys touching becomes too stressful.

It is during this phase that parents can also teach the family pet not to confuse dog toys with baby toys. The two types of toys may be similar in appearance and in noise-making ability, but Wombacher says dogs can easily learn how to distinguish between whats theirs and what isnt.

How? Simply dab a little Listerine on the babys toys and teach your dog that the scent of Listerine equals an "off" command.

At 14 months old

When your little one has gone bipedal, you can begin creating opportunities for structured, positive interactions between your child and your dog. This can include games, rudimentary pseudo-training, and more.
10/24/2016

The Vanderbilt Medical Center website displays photos of Emily Dotegoski, who underwent fetal surgery for her spina bifida condition. At the children's hospital at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Maryann Dotegoski underwent open fetal surgery, an extremely complicated and difficult operation, to try and repair her child's spina bifida while the baby was still in the womb.

The hospital website now proudly displays a picture online of the child, Emily, and her mother, who was only the hospitals 19th patient to undergo the operation. Emily, now 12, has been photographed learning to walk, playing with friends, and enjoying the beach. Though Emily can walk on her own, she still uses a wheelchair at times. "Emilys muscles will never be able to gain full strength and she tires easily," the hospitals website explains.

The cause of spina bifida, a birth defect affecting a baby's spinal cord, are largely unknown. But a lawsuit filed on behalf of Maryann Dotegoski's daughter points to one likely culprit: the anti-epilepsy drug Depakote, produced by Illinois-based Abbott Laboratories, whom the family is suing. The company is not contesting that its drug poses a danger to pregnant women but argues that Dotegoski should have known about the risks in 2004 when she was pregnant.

"Much higher" risk of birth defects

Abbott Labs also argues that it is protected by the statute of limitations, though a federal judge disagrees.

On October 19, United States District Judge Nancy Rosenstengel dismissed a motion filed by the company to drop the claim against it based on the statute of limitations, saying in her opinion that "it is undisputed that the Illinois statute of limitation does not bar the current claim. This is because Illinois laws allow minors to seek damages at any time and up to two years after they turn 18, allowing the complaint against Abbott to go forward for now.

The Food and Drug Administration now clearly states that the risk of birth defects in babies born to mothers who received valproate (the drug marketed as Depakote), is "much higher" than average, or 12.5 times worse. The agency's warning to healthcare professionals about prescribing Depokate to pregnant women dates back to 2009, but lawsuits filed by women across the country say they were not aware of the dangers the drug posed during the first trimester of their pregnancies.

In 2006, two years after Dotegoskis pregnancy, valproate was reportedly the second-most prescribed epilepsy drug in the United States. Depakote is also approved to treat migraines and bipolar disorder. Off-label, Abbott has been aggressive in promoting it to treat conditions such as dementia, leading to a criminal investigation and the company reaching a $1.5 billion settlement with the FDA four years ago for misbranding its product.

In a separate lawsuit filed this year in St. Louis, eight different plaintiffs allege that Abbott Laboratories and competitor AbbieVie both knew about the risks valproate posed to unborn fetuses even before they began selling and marketing the drug.
A plea hearing will be held next week for the former president/CEO of a West Virginia credit union who is accused of stealing more than $156,000.

In court documents filed Thursday by federal prosecutors in U.S. District Court in Wheeling, Kathleen Gramlich, 65, of Valley Grove, was charged with theft from the $5.8 million Ohio County Public Schools Federal Credit Union.

Soon after she departed the credit union in March, the credit union confirmed that the FBI was conducting an investigation.

The alleged theft was uncovered in March after a credit union employee found discrepancies during a routine reconciliation of accounts.
(Boston)--Researchers have determined that two Phase 1 drugs (CX-4945 and JQ1) can work together to efficiently kill T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia cells while having minimal impact on normal blood cells.

Although both drugs were previously tested as single agents in clinical trials to treat cancers, the success of the combined actions on cancer cells was previously unknown until now. The findings appear in the journal Haematologica.

Acute lymphoblastic leukemia, also known as acute lymphocytic leukemia or acute lymphoid leukemia, is a form of cancer of the white blood cells, characterized by the overproduction and accumulation of cancerous, immature white blood cells, known as lymphoblasts. Despite treatment improvement, T-cell leukemia remains fatal in 20 percent of pediatric and 50 percent of adult patients. Both CX-4945 and JQ1 are in clinical trials now as single agents to treat solid and hematological cancers.

"Previous studies provided us a rationale to test the combination of CX-4945 and JQ1 on refractory/relapsed T-cell leukemia," said corresponding author Hui Feng, MD, PhD, assistant professor of pharmacology & experimental therapeutics at Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM). "Our findings suggest that the combination treatment of CX-4945 and JQ1 could be an effective strategy to target refractory/relapsed T-cell leukemia," she added.

According to the researchers the efficacy of using a combination of JQ1 and CX-4945 in treating other cancers should also be investigated.

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This research was led by Haiwei Lian, a co-trained PhD candidate in Feng's laboratory and Dr. Hui Fu's laboratory at Wuhan University (China), through a close collaboration with the late Dr. David Seldin and Dr. Esther Landesman at BUSM.

Funding for this study was provided by Boston University, the National Institutes of Health, the Leukemia Research Foundation, the St. Baldrick Foundation, the Rally Foundation and the Alex Lemonade Stand Foundation.
The use of robotic tutors in primary school classrooms is one step closer according to research recently published in the open access journal Frontiers in Computational Neuroscience.

Dr Imbernon Cuadrado and his co-workers at the Department of Artificial Intelligence in Madrid have developed an integrated computational architecture (ARTIE) for use with software applications in schools.

"The main goal of our work was to design a system that can detect the emotional state of primary school children interacting with educational software and make pedagogic interventions with a robot tutor that can ultimately improve the learning experience," says Luis Imbernon Cuadrado.

Online educational resources are becoming increasingly common in the classroom, although they have not taken into sufficient account that the learning ability of primary school children is particularly sensitive to their emotional state. This is perhaps where robot tutors can step in to assist teachers.

Rather than focusing on specific emotions, the researchers first identified three cognitive states (concentrating, distracted and inactive) known to influence the course of learning. Keyboard strokes and mouse actions of children using educational software were used to predict which of these cognitive states the child is experiencing and subsequently linked to an algorithm that chooses the correct form of pedagogic intervention. These could be words and gestures of encouragement or attempts to raise interest and motivation for a specific learning objective, all of which can be delivered by a robot tutor.

In the Frontiers research article, Dr. Imbernon Cuadrado and co-workers describe an example of a robotic tutor platform, MONICA, which integrates the educational software Scratch to a commercially available robot through the computational architecture developed in their paper.

MONICA was tested out on two primary school volunteers known to have different cognitive learning states. Whilst the children enjoyed having a robot guide their learning, and preferred it to working alone, they both felt they would have learned more with their normal teacher, despite feeling more relaxed in the presence of a robot tutor.

"Our first prototype was designed to demonstrate that the architecture works in detecting simplified emotional states," says Dr. Imbernon Cuadrado. "The next step will be to implement methods for detecting a more complex range of emotions with cameras and microphones and to test the longer term impact of robot tutors on children's learning curves."

It seems however that robot tutors are not ready to replace school teachers just yet. "We consider that robot tutors could have an effective support role to play in the primary school classroom in helping children reach their specific learning objectives," concludes Dr. Imbernon Cuadrado.

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MELBOURNE, FLA. -- Scientists have found that a genetic mutation in the eyes of right whales that hampers their ability to see in bright light may make them more susceptible to fatal entanglements in fishing gear, one of the major causes of death for this critically endangered mammal.

The study of this whale species, which numbers less than 500 individuals remaining in the Western Atlantic Ocean, may also help scientists better understand how vision works in other mammals, including people.

Florida Institute of Technology doctoral student Lorian Schweikert and her adviser, Michael Grace, professor of neuroscience and senior associate dean of science, worked with Jeffry Fasick, an assistant professor of biology at the University of Tampa, to characterize this newly discovered mutation in Northern right whales and Bowhead whales. Their results suggest that this mutation may seriously harm the whales' ability to visually avoid entanglement.

According to their new study, "Evolutionary Loss of Cone Photoreception in Balaenid Whales Reveals Circuit Stability in the Mammalian Retina," published this month in the Journal of Comparative Neurology, the normal light-detecting proteins in cone photoreceptor cells are missing in these whales, demonstrating for the first time the complete loss of cone-based light detection in any mammal.

In light of the findings, the Florida Tech and University of Tampa team cloned and sequenced the gene that encodes a cone opsin protein. Humans possess several different opsin genes that provide excellent color vision, but whales and their relatives were thought to only possess one. Now researchers are finding some whale species in which that single gene is fundamentally broken.

Working in Florida Tech's Behavioral Neuroscience Laboratory and the Center for High Resolution Microscopy, the scientists went on to study how this mutation affects the wiring of the whale retina by studying the bowhead whale, a resident of the Arctic. Schweikert and Grace found that rod cells -- light-detectors that operate in dim-light conditions -- remain, while functional cone cells are completely absent in the bowhead whale retina.

Said Schweikert, "Cone cells are normally required for vision in bright light. With only rods, right whales may have very poor vision when they surface to breathe. This may make it difficult for them to avoid entanglement in fishing gear - one of the leading causes of death of these critically endangered animals."

Unexpectedly, however, the cone opsin mutation thought by scientists to hinder operation of the retina may actually enhance dim-light vision in these whales -- a finding that provides insight into the effects of mutations on the health and function of the human retina.

"Understanding sensory systems in critically endangered species opens a window that may help us better understand how to protect them," Grace said. "It's a fantastic bonus that analyzing whale vision may help us better understand how our own eyes operate."

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Doom-mongering Remoaners: "Banks are preparing to leave the City of London because of Brexit!"



Banks: "Erm, no we're not."



It's nonsense! Banks dismiss gloom-laden claim they'll quit the UK after Brexit

By Daniel Martin And Holly Black 24 October 2016Banks and Tory MPs last night dismissed as nonsense dire warnings that financiers will move their business abroad due to Brexit Anthony Browne, head of the British Bankers Association, sparked fury yesterday by saying smaller banks could react to the uncertainty by moving operations overseas within weeks.He predicted that larger financial institutions would follow in the first few months of next year, saying: Their hands are quivering over the relocate button.But the gloom-laden claims were undermined by the fact that a number of High Street banks said leaving the EU would make little difference to their business.Santander pointed out their Spanish owners were happy to have operations located outside the EU.One bank told the Daily Mail the BBAs warnings were nonsense, while another insisted: Brexit is a bit of a non-issue for us.Last night John Redwood, Tory MP for Wokingham, also pointed out that foreign banks are currently investing in Britain.We have seen ING move more of its traders into London recently, and Wells Fargo announced a new 300million headquarters  after the Brexit vote, he said.So far the actual responses from the banks themselves have been positive not negative, so I find what the BBA is warning to be quite difficult to believe.Conservative MP Peter Bone added: This is nothing more than a continuation of Project Fear. These people simply have not accepted the referendum result.Mr Browne  a former journalist for the BBC and The Times  said fears that EU leaders will want to erect trade barriers to weaken the City of London during Brexit negotiations were to blame for the banks supposed move.Writing in The Observer, he said: Banking is probably more affected by Brexit than any other sector of the economy.It is the UKs biggest export industry by far  but it also gets its legal rights to serve its customers cross-border from the EU.For banks, Brexit does not simply mean additional tariffs. It is about whether banks have the legal right to provide services.The BBA chief added: Banks might hope for the best but have to plan for the worst. Most international banks now have project teams working out which operations they need to move to ensure they can continue serving customers, and how best to do it.Many smaller banks plan to start relocations before Christmas  bigger banks are expected to start in the first quarter of next year.After his career in journalism, Mr Browne entered the world of banking himself by taking a position at Morgan Stanley.He has previously written eurosceptic pieces, but has always argued that Britain should stay in the European Union.But a spokesman for Santander told the Mail last night: We are one of the most British banks there is, we just happen to be owned by a Spanish bank.But they have operations all over the world so they are comfortable with having a business which is not in an EU country.A source at another major High Street bank said: Im surprised by the comments really, and theyre inconsistent with what weve been saying so far. Brexit is a bit of a non-issue for us.Another major High Street bank said: We are not sure that Mr Browne was really talking about the likes of us. It feels more like this is about global investment banks rather than us.The comments didnt resonate. It doesnt make sense for us  were headquartered in the UK and we have a clear strategy for the UK.Richard Tice, co-chairman of anti-EU pressure group Leave Means Leave, said: Similar apocalyptic predictions were made when the UK took the sensible decision to not join the Euro.Andrew Bridgen, Tory MP for North West Leicestershire, added: Weve heard all this before. It would be unusual for banks to jump ship before the terms of our exit are known  indeed, before negotiations have even started.And if any banks do leave, I hope they repay the British taxpayer for all the bailouts they have received.Jacob Rees-Mogg, the Tory MP for North East Somerset, said: The BBA has gone from being a lobbyist for British banks to a lobbyist for the European Union.It worships at the shrine of the EU and does not believe anything can work outside it. It is not doing a good job of representing the British financial industry.Meanwhile Nigel Farage told LBC Radio he had nothing but contempt for the banks who are wedded to the concept of the European Union.A Government spokesman said: We are determined to maintain the Citys leading position as one of the key centres of global finance as we make a success out of Brexit.
Washington D.C., Oct. 24, 2016--A new study has found that vitamin A-biofortified orange maize significantly improves visual functions in children.

The study was conducted among school-aged children (4 to 8 years old) in rural Zambia. Children who ate orange maize showed improved night vision within six months. Their eyes adapted better in the dark, improving their ability to engage in optimal day-to-day activities under dim light, such as during dusk and dawn. The study was published in The Journal of Nutrition.

"It shows that in populations that are vitamin A deficient, the eyes can respond well to a good source of vitamin A such as orange maize in a fairly short span of time," says lead author Amanda Palmer of Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. "It also validates the importance of orange maize for tackling vitamin A deficiency as part of a food-based approach."

Vitamin A deficiency occurs on a continuum. Severe vitamin A deficiency with blinding eye disease and a high risk of death from otherwise curable infections is at one end of the spectrum. But, less severe, incipient vitamin A deficiency -- also an important underlying cause of child deaths--is more frequent and difficult to detect. According to the World Health Organization, lack of sufficient vitamin A blinds up to 500,000 children worldwide every year.

Impairment of the eyes' ability to adapt to low-light conditions is one of the few measurable signs of vitamin A deficiency at its initial stages. In this study scientists used specialized portable equipment to confirm the benefit of eating vitamin A-rich orange maize in a population with marginal deficiency.

"It is an impressive advancement that with portable, more user-friendly equipment scientists are now able to accurately record the changing size of the pupils of the children's eyes," says Erick Boy, Head of Nutrition at HarvestPlus and a pediatrician by training. "In this study, the researchers documented how children's eyes responded to different light conditions before and after a six-month feeding period. This used to be a much more cumbersome task until now."

Testing for vitamin A deficiency is problematic because blood collection can prove difficult in rural settings. Levels of vitamin A in the blood may also be affected by other factors, such as infections. Rapid, reliable and non-invasive tools to measure the positive impact of nutritional interventions on the vision of those suffering from marginal deficiency were practically unavailable before this study.

Scientists in this study used a new device called a Portable Field Dark Adaptometer (PFDA). The PFDA is a set of goggles manufactured with a digital camera and flash inside. The goggles are connected to a desktop or laptop computer, which can accurately record the response of the pupil in each eye to changing light conditions.

The Johns Hopkins team is the first to use this device on a large scale.

"Until now, most of the tools and techniques used to measure night vision have relied on dark rooms, which are impractical in rural field settings. And, results were subjective," says Palmer. "With PFDA we don't need a tent or a dark room and it gives accurate results for people aged 3-4 years or older." This randomized efficacy study was conducted in Zambia's Mkushi District among children who were marginally vitamin A deficient. They were served two meals per day, six days a week for six months. Half of the children got meals made from biofortified orange maize, while the other half consumed white maize meals.

The children wore PFDA goggles to record pupil response. "We measured the responsiveness of the pupil to light and calculated the change in pupil size over a period of time. These goggles enabled us to monitor something that was not possible before," says Palmer.

The biofortified orange maize used in this study was conventionally bred to have higher levels of beta-carotene, a naturally occurring plant pigment that the body converts into vitamin A with higher efficiency as the body stores of the vitamin decrease.

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More about orange maize in Zambia

The Zambian Government is actively promoting vitamin A-rich orange maize developed by HarvestPlus and its partners through conventional plant breeding methods. Maize is a staple food in Zambia and its enrichment can help combat the rampant problem of vitamin A deficiency, whose ill effects can include stunted growth and blindness. Zambia has banned the export of orange maize so that nutritious maize stays in the country to nourish its own people. The country's Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock has included orange maize seeds as one of the material supplies that can be procured under the Farmer Input Support Programme (FISP). The ministry is urging farmers, millers, and seed companies to become ambassadors and advocates of biofortified nutritious maize. This message is reaching Zambians. The adoption rate for orange maize is fairly high in Zambia, and HarvestPlus expects that at least 600,000 households will have adopted the crop by 2020.

More about orange maize in Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe has become the latest African country to move toward making biofortified nutritious crops widely available to farmers and consumers. On August 18, 2016, the Zimbabwean Government officially launched widespread distribution and marketing of biofortified crop seeds under a project implemented by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). HarvestPlus is a strategic partner and technical advisor to the project.

Two biofortified crops -- vitamin A orange maize, and iron and zinc beans -- have already been released, with seeds expected to be available across the country in readiness for the 2016/2017 planting season. Farmers in the country can now access one variety of the orange maize and two of the iron and zinc beans, but will soon have more to choose from when varieties already in the pipeline are released.

Press Release Journal Article http://jn.nutrition.org/content/early/2016/10/19/jn.116.239202.full.pdf

Made available as free open access

More About HarvestPlus

HarvestPlus improves nutrition and public health by developing and promoting biofortified food crops that are rich in vitamins and minerals, and providing global leadership on biofortification evidence and technology. HarvestPlus is part of the CGIAR Research Program on Agriculture for Nutrition and Health (A4NH). CGIAR is a global agriculture research partnership for a food secure future. Its science is carried out by its 15 research centers in collaboration with hundreds of partner organizations. The HarvestPlus program is coordinated by two of these centers, the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) and the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
Harvard University researchers have made the first entirely 3D-printed organ-on-a-chip with integrated sensing. Built by a fully automated, digital manufacturing procedure, the 3D-printed heart-on-a-chip can be quickly fabricated in customized form factors allowing researchers to easily collect reliable data for short-term and long-term studies.

This new approach to manufacturing may one day allow researchers to rapidly design organs-on-chips, also known as microphysiological systems, that match the properties of a specific disease or even an individual patient's cells.

The research is published in Nature Materials.

"This new programmable approach to building organs-on-chips not only allows us to easily change and customize the design of the system by integrating sensing but also drastically simplifies data acquisition," said Johan Ulrik Lind, first author of the paper and postdoctoral fellow at the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS). Lind is also a researcher at the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University.

"Our microfabrication approach opens new avenues for in vitro tissue engineering, toxicology and drug screening research," said Kit Parker, Tarr Family Professor of Bioengineering and Applied Physics at SEAS, who coauthored the study. Parker is also a Core Faculty Member of the Wyss Institute.

Organs-on-chips mimic the structure and function of native tissue and have emerged as a promising alternative to traditional animal testing. Harvard researchers have developed microphysiological systems that mimic the microarchitecture and functions of lungs, hearts, tongues and intestines.

However, the fabrication and data collection process for organs-on-chips is expensive and laborious. Currently, these devices are built in clean rooms using a complex, multi-step lithographic process and collecting data requires microscopy or high-speed cameras.

"Our approach was to address these two challenges simultaneously via digital manufacturing," said Travis Busbee, coauthor of the paper and graduate student in the Lewis Lab. "By developing new printable inks for multi-material 3D printing, we were able to automate the fabrication process while increasing the complexity of the devices."

The researchers developed six different inks that integrated soft strain sensors within the micro-architecture of the tissue. In a single, continuous procedure, the team 3D printed those materials into a cardiac microphysiological device -- a heart on a chip -- with integrated sensors.

"We are pushing the boundaries of three-dimensional printing by developing and integrating multiple functional materials within printed devices," said Jennifer Lewis, Hansjorg Wyss Professor of Biologically Inspired Engineering, and coauthor of the study. "This study is a powerful demonstration of how our platform can be used to create fully functional, instrumented chips for drug screening and disease modeling."

Lewis is also a Core Faculty Member of the Wyss Institute.

The chip contains multiple wells, each with separate tissues and integrated sensors, allowing researchers to study many engineered cardiac tissues at once. To demonstrate the efficacy of the device, the team performed drug studies and longer-term studies of gradual changes in the contractile stress of engineered cardiac tissues, which can occur over the course of several weeks.

"Researchers are often left working in the dark when it comes to gradual changes that occur during cardiac tissue development and maturation because there has been a lack of easy, non-invasive ways to measure the tissue functional performance," said Lind. "These integrated sensors allow researchers to continuously collect data while tissues mature and improve their contractility. Similarly, they will enable studies of gradual effects of chronic exposure to toxins."

"Translating microphysiological devices into truly valuable platforms for studying human health and disease requires that we address both data acquisition and manufacturing of our devices," said Parker. "This work offers new potential solutions to both of these central challenges."

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This work was supported by the National Science Foundation, the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences of the National Institutes of Health, the US Army Research Laboratory and the US Army Research, and the Harvard University Materials Research Science and Engineering Center (MRSEC).
INDIANAPOLIS - Transfers of nursing home residents to and from the hospital frequently expose these frail, older adults to medication errors and poor follow-up care resulting in near or serious harm to one in four nationwide.

Research conducted as part of the OPTIMISTIC study, an innovative program developed and implemented at a growing number of nursing homes by clinician-researchers from the Indiana University Center for Aging Research and the Regenstrief Institute, shows that employing nurse practitioners who use evidence-based elements to improve care on multiple fronts, including proactive chronic care management, urgent care, and robust transitional care services, significantly improves the transfer process resulting in fewer errors and safer care.

"OPTIMISTIC Transition Visits: A Model to Improve Hospital to Nursing Facility Transfers," published online in the peer-reviewed Annals of Long-Term Care: Clinical Care and Aging describes and analyzes the transition visits with residents and their families conducted by the OPTIMISTIC nurse practitioners.

The aim of OPTIMISTIC -- an acronym for Optimizing Patient Transfers, Impacting Medical quality and Improving Symptoms: Transforming Institutional Care -- is to improve care and communication within nursing facilities and between these facilities and acute-care institutions so problems can be caught and solved, improving quality of care and reducing unnecessary hospital transfers.

As reported in the Annals of Long-Term Care paper, the IU and Regenstrief Institute clinician-researchers studied nearly 600 transfers from hospitals to and from 19 nursing homes participating in OPTIMISTIC. Long-stay residents returning from the hospital to these nursing homes were seen by a nurse practitioner within 48 hours. Visit components included hospital discharge summary review, medication reconciliation, follow-up care and testing, advance care planning as well as nursing home resident and family education. The nurse practitioner visits averaged 102 minutes.

Nurse practitioners completed 515 visits with residents during the evaluation period and were required to address a potential care issue in more than half of these visits. They investigated the sources of these care issues and found that 29 percent were traced back to the discharging hospital, 33 percent to the nursing home, and 32 percent to physicians providing care in the facility. Among medication-related problems, a quarter were linked to pain medications. Thirty percent of all non-medication issues were related to follow-up care or the need to order a follow-up lab test.

Only 6 percent of problems were attributed to a new care issue that had emerged since transfer from the hospital to the nursing home.

"These specially trained nurse practitioners got in touch with the hospital discharge teams and worked with the nursing facility staff and providers to improve access to critical, complex information -- not an easy task," said IU Center for Aging Research and Regenstrief Institute investigator Kathleen Unroe, MD, MHA, OPTIMISITIC project director. "The NPs work with nurses, pharmacists, and physicians at the nursing homes on quality improvement throughout the continuum of care.

"We clearly see the impact of the NPs as a crucial part of the OPTIMISTIC approach to care transitions. Impressively, in early stages of Phase One, OPTIMISTIC resulted in a 21 percent decrease in hospitalizations according to external evaluators."

In 2014 the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services reported that nearly a quarter of patients with complex medical problems are harmed within their first few days back at the nursing home following hospitalization. The HHS report indicated that the bulk of these preventable harms were related to medications, follow-up care, and monitoring.

"Telling nursing homes to do a better job isn't the only answer," said Arif Nazir, MD, first author of the Annals of Long-Term Care paper. "It's the entire healthcare system -- not just the nursing home, discharging hospital, or the physician seeing the patient post-hospitalization. All three need to work on the problem and to commit more resources to patient transitions." Dr. Nazir, a former OPTIMISTIC team member is currently with Signature HealthCARE of Louisville, KY.

The Annals of Long-Term Care paper concludes, "The OPTIMISTIC transition visit approach, led by an NP well versed in the principles of geriatric and transitional care, is one possible strategy to improve resident care processes. Our future analyses of this model will address the estimation of potential cost-savings by preventing harm, including exploration of the business case for broader dissemination of this approach."

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OPTIMISTIC is expected to receive more than $30 million of Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services funding from the start of the project in 2012 through its projected conclusion in 2020. This includes $16.9 million awarded earlier this year for the second phase of OPTIMISTIC commencing this month.
More and more medical centers are relying on hospitalists -- hospital-based internal medicine specialists who coordinate the complex care of inpatients. Now, an 18-month study comparing two hospitalist groups -- one with a high physician assistant (PA)-to-physician ratio ("expanded PA") and one with a low PA-to-physician ratio ("conventional") -- has found no significant differences in key clinical outcomes achieved by both groups.

The results of what is believed the first study of its kind suggest that hospitals can safely lower the cost of hospitalist programs without sacrificing quality of care, the investigators say.

A detailed report on the study at Anne Arundel Medical Center in Annapolis, Maryland, published in the Journal of Clinical Outcomes Management in October 2016, reveals no statistically significant differences in patient mortality, hospital readmissions within 30 days, lengths of stay and specialty consultant use among patients treated by the expanded PA group and those treated by the conventional group.

"We believe this is the first study of its kind of directly compare outcomes and costs between different staffing models using hospitalist PAs and hospitalist physicians. It shows that the expanded use of well-trained PAs within a formal PA-physician collaboration arrangement can provide similar clinical outcomes with lower costs, potentially allowing hospitalists to provide additional or different services," says Henry Michtalik, M.D., M.P.H., M.H.S., an assistant professor of medicine at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and the paper's senior author.

In this study, conducted between January 2012 and June 2013, researchers implemented an expanded PA staffing model to see larger proportions of adult patients alongside physicians. The expanded PA group consisted of three physicians and three PAs, with PAs caring for 14 patients each day. At the same time, a conventional hospitalist group composed of nine physicians and two PAs had PAs caring for nine patients each day. Physicians in both groups cared for approximately 13 patients per day.

In both groups, each PA was formally paired with a physician who oversaw care. While PAs were responsible for independent rounding and clinical decision-making, physicians in both groups took primary rounding responsibility for patients with more complex cases. Both groups mandated an in-person physician visit at least every third hospital day.

Patients admitted to the hospital were assigned to one hospitalist group or the other depending on prearranged consultations with patients' primary care physicians.

Each morning, patients were reassessed and designated a provider; patients would be seen by the same provider as the previous day whenever possible to maintain continuity. In the expanded PA group, 35.73 percent of visits were conducted by a PA, compared to 5.89 percent in the conventional group.

The research team compared readmissions within 30 days of discharge, inpatient mortality and costs of care between the two groups as primary outcomes for the study. The team measured the cost of care to patients by examining case charges associated with each caregiver encounter and classifying encounters as "physician only," "physician co-visit" or "PA only."

Consultant use -- for example, cardiology consultations -- and length of stay were also measured.

In the expanded PA group, 14.05 percent of patients (929 of 6,612) were readmitted within 30 days, while 13.69 percent (1,417 of 10,352) in the conventional staffing model were readmitted. The expanded PA group experienced a 1.3 percent inpatient mortality rate, while the conventional group experienced a 0.99 percent rate. None of these differences were statistically significant.

When comparing the study's "standard" patient -- one between 80 and 89 years old with Medicare insurance and a categorized major severity of illness, defined as the extent of physiologic decompensation or organ system loss of function -- the patient's average charge to a patient was $2,644 in the expanded PA group and $2,724 in the conventional group.

The results also showed that differences in consultant use and lengths of stay were not statistically significant between the two hospitalist groups. The expanded PA group used an average of 0.55 consultants per case, while the conventional group used an average of 0.56. The mean length of stay was 4.1 plus or minus 3.9 days for the expanded PA group and 4.3 plus or minus 5.6 days for the conventional group.

"This study shows that the expanded use of well-trained PAs within a formal PA-physician collaboration arrangement can provide similar clinical outcomes with lower costs," Michtalik says. "The expanded PA model could free up physicians' time to focus on more complex cases or allow hospitalists to provide additional or different services."

Michtalik cautioned that the research focused only on a single medical center, and that research into the role of PAs in patient care needs much more attention. "As we address the challenges of an expanding older and more complex patient population in the setting of health care reforms and financial pressures, optimizing the patient care team and outcomes are high priorities," he says. "Support, education and teamwork are essential for any staffing model to be successful."

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Other authors on this study include Timothy M. Capstack and Lindsay M. Vollono of Physicians Inpatient Care Specialists, Cissy Segujja of Versant Statistical Solutions, and Joseph D. Moser and Barry R. Meisenberg of Anne Arundel Medical Center.

Capstack has ownership interest in Physicians Inpatient Care Specialists (MDICS). Segujja received compensation from MDICS for statistical analysis. Michtalik is supported by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (1K08HS022331).
Lehigh University researchers share promising findings from Project TAPP (Teachers and Parents as Partners) in a new book chapter; goal is to develop a method to support dual language learners in preschool classrooms

In school year 2013-14, 9.3 percent of public school students in the United States, or an estimated 4.5 million students, were English language learners (also known as dual language learners) according to the National Center for Education Statistics. Latino children under the age of 6 represent the largest group of dual language learners; 84% of dual language learners live in Spanish-speaking homes.

As the number of dual language learners--those learning two languages at the same time--grows, teachers and schools are increasingly faced with the challenge of providing them with an effective education. Though they have the potential to excel in a diverse society, these learners often lag behind in academic achievement compared with students whose only home language is English, according to the non-profit research group Child Trends.

In fact, according to the National Center for Education Statistics, only 30% of dual language learners read proficiently by 4th grade as compared to 70% of native English speakers, with this gap widening by 8th grade.

To help address this issue, researchers at Lehigh University, led by L. Brook Sawyer and Patricia H. Manz, assistant and associate professors in the College of Education, have developed a method to bring parents and teachers of preschool dual language learners together, which they call Project TAPP (Teachers and Parents as Partners). Among the goals: incorporating native language, providing more instructional support for dual language learners in classrooms, increasing teacher efficacy/preparation to teach dual language learners and enhance partnerships between schools and families.

The framework is detailed in a new book Family Involvement in Early Education and Child Care (Emerald Group Publishing, Ltd.) in a chapter called Teachers and parents as partners: Developing a community of practice to support Latino preschool dual language learners. In addition to Sawyer and Manz, the chapter is authored by Kristin A. Martin, Thomas C. Hammond and Scott Garrigan.

From the article: "Given the robust findings that family involvement promotes children's academic success as well as recognition of parents' 'funds of knowledge,' one pathway to provide a culturally and linguistically responsive classroom environment for dual language learners is to form collaborative relationships between parents and teachers of dual language learners."

The researchers conclude: "Overall, the results from this initial pilot study of Project TAPP are very promising. Teachers and parents developed closer relationships and valued one another's perspectives. Parents reported increased self-efficacy, and teachers expressed appreciation for learning about the Latino culture and Spanish language."

Future work will include data collection on how participating in Project TAPP may influence parents' and teachers' practices with dual language learners and whether the school readiness skills of dual language learners are enhanced as a result.

Sawyer also co-authored an article in Bilingual Research Journal earlier this year called "Preschool teachers' language and literacy practices with dual language learners." She and her colleagues examined the degree to which teachers use linguistically responsive practices to support the language and literacy development of Spanish-speaking dual language learners and investigated the associations between these practices and select teacher-level factors. The sample consisted of 72 preschool teachers. Teachers self-reported on language and culture beliefs, Spanish-speaking ability, and classroom composition. Results indicated that teachers, including those who spoke Spanish, used few linguistically responsive practices to support preschool dual lanaguage learners. Only Spanish-speaking ability was related to practices. Implications for targeted professional development are also discussed.

Tools for teachers

Sawyer and Hammond, Associate Dean of Lehigh's College of Education, along with colleagues from Cedar Crest College, DeSales University, Muhlenberg College and the Hispanic Center of the Lehigh Valley in Pennsylvania, sought to promote awareness of issues particular to dual language learners and better equip teachers by organizing a "Speaking My Language" seminar at Lehigh earlier this year.

"I wanted teachers to know how hard it is for children to learn English. There is a myth that children learn so much more easily than adults, but this is often not true. It is also important for teachers to learn about the strengths of families as well as the challenges that parents face," Sawyer states.

Sawyer also wanted to give teachers more tools and strategies that can be implemented in their classrooms.

As part of their research into teachers' multicultural educational practices, Sawyer and Lehigh doctoral student Emily Aragona-Young surveyed dozens of teachers at elementary schools in the Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania, area to assess how they define culture, what cultural factors they consider when planning instruction and the range of multicultural practices they endorse.

In evaluating the survey results, Sawyer noted that "teachers do a really great job of developing community in their classrooms." She further noted, "They want all of their students to get along. They want everybody to respect each other. And sometimes they feel, at least as it was reported in this survey, and I've seen it many times, that talking about how someone is different might make the student feel singled out or embarrassed.

"They think they're doing a good thing, but they're really not allowing the students to develop their own identity," she says. "So I think, as teachers, it's a hard balance to strike. You want students to feel comfortable and safe and part of a community, but you also want to honor their culture and their language and make them feel good about that."

That's part of the reason Sawyer refers to the students who are learning English as dual-language learners: to show an appreciation for the students' home language, to put equal emphasis on both their home language and English.

Understanding the child

At Lehigh's "Speaking My Language" seminar, Annette Zito, an ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) teacher in the Bethlehem Area School District (BASD), shared strategies for helping the learners adjust to their new surroundings, whether they are relocating from Puerto Rico and speak only Spanish or are fleeing Iraq and speak only Arabic. Ideas ranged from assigning classroom buddies to making a "survival" ring for students to communicate basic needs.

"You have to understand the child and their culture," says Zito, who works with kindergartners to fifth graders at BASD's Farmersville Elementary School. "No matter who the student is, they have something to contribute to your classroom. It's important for the teacher to get other students to understand that."

Zito recalled an instance when some students had been reluctant to have a young child from Croatia join their group, until she pointed out that he knew the material but was still learning English. In another instance, a teacher had been surprised that a fifth-grader, a Liberian refugee, did not know his birth date. Zito expressed the likelihood he hadn't marked the occasion with a cake while in a refugee camp.

The Bethlehem Area School District, identified 1,103 students, or 7 percent of its student population, as English language learners in the beginning of the 2015-16 school year, states Doris Correll, the district's supervisor of ESOL. The students spoke 43 different languages, with the overwhelming majority speaking Spanish as their first, or home, language. Other top languages were Chinese, Punjabi, Portuguese, Arabic and Gujarati.

Correll tries to empower the district's specialists to lead discussions and convey to classroom teachers that just because ESOL students cannot produce English language yet "does not mean that they cannot think at a higher level, that they cannot perform at a higher level." They can process pictures, bars and charts, she says, for example. "They can do a lot, especially with the technology we have now."

English language learners can't just be the responsibility of specialists, says Sara Kangas, assistant professor of Teaching, Learning and Technology at Lehigh. In most of the models used in Pennsylvania, she says, they spend much of their time with classroom teachers learning science, math and other content. They receive support from ESOL teachers in the classroom, or they receive one to two hours of support in a separate location with other English language learners.

She recognizes the challenges that presents. "General education teachers already have so much on their plate and then they need to also be thinking about how their instruction can meet the needs of these kids." Are the teachers modeling different tasks for the students? Are they using visuals? Does their instruction have any cultural bias? "They need to tend to all those things."

When school models incorporate students' first languages, Kangas says, those students have better academic outcomes. Also influencing learners, she says, are teachers' perceptions of family members and their understanding of different cultural values. Teachers might perceive parents as being apathetic when in fact those parents may have a different understanding of their role in their child's education.

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New Rochelle, NY, October 24, 2016-- Prolotherapy, an injection-based complementary treatment for symptomatic knee osteoarthritis, was associated with improved knee-specific symptoms, quality of life, and ability to participate in daily activities among the majority of individuals who participated in several small clinical studies. This report documents the safety, comfort, and overall positive experiences with prolotherapy, as presented in an article in The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, a peer-reviewed publication from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers. The article is available free on The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine website until November 28, 2016.

Most participants described a substantial decrease in pain with injections of hypertonic dextrose in and around the affected knee joint, as reported in the article "Qualitative Assessment of Patients Receiving Prolotherapy for Knee Osteoarthritis in a Multimethod Study."

David Rabago, MD and coauthors from University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health (Madison, WI), University of Chicago Hospitals (IL), Unity Point Health-Meriter, McKee Clinic-Family Medicine, and University of Wisconsin-Madison (Madison, WI), and University of Minnesota Medical School (Minneapolis, MN), identified a subgroup of individuals who had improved knee function without decreased pain.

"This qualitative study adds to Dr. Rabago's already significant contributions to understanding the role of prolotherapy as an alternative to usual care for those hampered by osteoarthritis of the knee," says The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine Editor-in-Chief John Weeks, johnweeks-integrator.com, Seattle, WA.

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About the Journal

The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine is a monthly peer-reviewed journal published online with open access options and in print. Led by John Weeks (johnweeks-integrator.com), the Co-founder and past Executive Director of the Academic Collaborative for Integrative Health, the Journal provides observational, clinical, and scientific reports and commentary intended to help healthcare professionals, delivery organization leaders, and scientists evaluate and integrate therapies into patient care protocols and research strategies. Complete tables of content and a sample issue may be viewed on The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine website.

About the Publisher

Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers is a privately held, fully integrated media company known for establishing authoritative peer-reviewed journals in many promising areas of science and biomedical research, including Alternative and Complementary Therapies, Medical Acupuncture, and Journal of Medicinal Food. Its biotechnology trade magazine, GEN (Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News), was the first in its field and is today the industry's most widely read publication worldwide. A complete list of the firm's 80 journals, books, and newsmagazines is available on the Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers website.
The National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT, President: Dr. Masao Sakauchi) has succeeded in the development of flexible optical design method for superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors (SSPDs or SNSPDs).

This technique enables SSPDs with a broadband high detection efficiency reject a specific wavelength, and is effective for multidisciplinary applications in fields such as the quantum cryptography, fluorescence spectroscopy, and remote sensing that require high efficiency over a precise spectral range and strong signal rejection at other wavelengths.

This achievement appeared in the Scientific Reports (Nature Publishing Group) on October 24, 2016. The reported results have been partially obtained as a part of JST-SENTAN program and AMED-SENTAN program from April 2015.

[Achievements]

We have developed SSPDs on dielectric multilayers and their optical design method, which enable us to design a variety of wavelength dependences of optical absorptance by optimizing the dielectric multilayer.

In order to achieve the high detection efficiency in SSPDs, it is crucial to optimize the optical absorptance for a target wavelength. In the conventional SSPDs, a simple cavity structure consisting of dielectric resonant layers with a mirror layer has been used. This structure is relatively simple and can effectively achieve high absorptance at the target wavelength, and the wavelength dependencies of absorptance show a single peak structure. However, in this structure, it is difficult to realize the SSPDs with high efficiency over a carefully controlled spectral range, with rejection at other wavelengths to reduce the noises.

By adopting a new SSPD structure with dielectric multilayers, it became possible to design desired wavelength dependences of the optical absorptance. As materials of dielectric multilayer, silicon dioxide (SiO2) and titanium oxide (TiO2) were used, and the niobium nitride (NbN) superconducting nanowire was put on the dielectric multilayer. The wavelength dependences of the optical absorptance in the nanowire could be designed by optimizing the layer number and thicknesses of each layer in the dielectric multilayer. We developed the SSPDs based on the optimized design, and experimentally demonstrated that the wavelength dependences of the detection efficiency follow the calculated results well. Regarding the optical design method, in order to optimize the wavelength dependence of the absorptance effectively, we perform two-step simulation of the optical multilayer calculation and the finite element analysis.

In support of the SSPD measurements, the NICT team collaborated with Osaka University, Japan and the University of Glasgow, Scotland through the NICT internship scheme.

[Future Prospects]

The developed SSPD with the dielectric multilayer and the optical design method can be applied for wide wavelength region between ultraviolet and mid-infrared, and thus provides an important basis for development of application of SSPD to quantum cryptography, fluorescence spectroscopy, and remote sensing.

###
HOUSTON - (Oct. 24, 2016) - Layers of graphene separated by nanotube pillars of boron nitride may be a suitable material to store hydrogen fuel in cars, according to Rice University scientists.

The Department of Energy has set benchmarks for storage materials that would make hydrogen a practical fuel for light-duty vehicles. The Rice lab of materials scientist Rouzbeh Shahsavari determined in a new computational study that pillared boron nitride and graphene could be a candidate.

The study by Shahsavari and Farzaneh Shayeganfar appears in the American Chemical Society journal Langmuir.

Shahsavari's lab had already determined through computer models how tough and resilient pillared graphene structures would be, and later worked boron nitride nanotubes into the mix to model a unique three-dimensional architecture. (Samples of boron nitride nanotubes seamlessly bonded to graphene have been made.)

Just as pillars in a building make space between floors for people, pillars in boron nitride graphene make space for hydrogen atoms. The challenge is to make them enter and stay in sufficient numbers and exit upon demand.

In their latest molecular dynamics simulations, the researchers found that either pillared graphene or pillared boron nitride graphene would offer abundant surface area (about 2,547 square meters per gram) with good recyclable properties under ambient conditions. Their models showed adding oxygen or lithium to the materials would make them even better at binding hydrogen.

They focused the simulations on four variants: pillared structures of boron nitride or pillared boron nitride graphene doped with either oxygen or lithium. At room temperature and in ambient pressure, oxygen-doped boron nitride graphene proved the best, holding 11.6 percent of its weight in hydrogen (its gravimetric capacity) and about 60 grams per liter (its volumetric capacity); it easily beat competing technologies like porous boron nitride, metal oxide frameworks and carbon nanotubes.

At a chilly -321 degrees Fahrenheit, the material held 14.77 percent of its weight in hydrogen.

The Department of Energy's current target for economic storage media is the ability to store more than 5.5 percent of its weight and 40 grams per liter in hydrogen under moderate conditions. The ultimate targets are 7.5 weight percent and 70 grams per liter.

Shahsavari said hydrogen atoms adsorbed to the undoped pillared boron nitride graphene, thanks to weak van der Waals forces. When the material was doped with oxygen, the atoms bonded strongly with the hybrid and created a better surface for incoming hydrogen, which Shahsavari said would likely be delivered under pressure and would exit when pressure is released.

"Adding oxygen to the substrate gives us good bonding because of the nature of the charges and their interactions," he said. "Oxygen and hydrogen are known to have good chemical affinity."

He said the polarized nature of the boron nitride where it bonds with the graphene and the electron mobility of the graphene itself make the material highly tunable for applications.

"What we're looking for is the sweet spot," Shahsavari said, describing the ideal conditions as a balance between the material's surface area and weight, as well as the operating temperatures and pressures. "This is only practical through computational modeling, because we can test a lot of variations very quickly. It would take experimentalists months to do what takes us only days."

He said the structures should be robust enough to easily surpass the Department of Energy requirement that a hydrogen fuel tank be able to withstand 1,500 charge-discharge cycles.

###

Shayeganfar, a former visiting scholar at Rice, is an instructor at Shahid Rajaee Teacher Training University in Tehran, Iran. The researchers used the BlueBioU supercomputer and the National Science Foundation-supported DAVinCI supercomputer, which are both administered by Rice's Center for Research Computing and were procured in partnership with Rice's Ken Kennedy Institute for Information Technology.

Read the abstract at http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/acs.langmuir.6b02997.

This news release can be found online at http://news.rice.edu/2016/10/24/hybrid-nanostructures-hold-hydrogen-well-2/

Follow Rice News and Media Relations via Twitter @RiceUNews.

Related materials:

Multiscale Materials Laboratory home page: http://rouzbeh.rice.edu/

George R. Brown School of Engineering: http://engineering.rice.edu

Image for download:

http://news.rice.edu/files/2016/10/1024_HYDROGEN-1-web-xa7ine.jpg

Simulations by Rice University scientists show that pillared graphene boron nitride may be a suitable storage medium for hydrogen-powered vehicles. Above, the pink (boron) and blue (nitrogen) pillars serve as spacers for carbon graphene sheets (gray). The researchers showed the material worked best when doped with oxygen atoms (red), which enhanced its ability to adsorb and desorb hydrogen (white). (Credit: Lei Tao/Rice University)

Located on a 300-acre forested campus in Houston, Rice University is consistently ranked among the nation's top 20 universities by U.S. News & World Report. Rice has highly respected schools of Architecture, Business, Continuing Studies, Engineering, Humanities, Music, Natural Sciences and Social Sciences and is home to the Baker Institute for Public Policy. With 3,910 undergraduates and 2,809 graduate students, Rice's undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio is 6-to-1. Its residential college system builds close-knit communities and lifelong friendships, just one reason why Rice is ranked No. 1 for happiest students and for lots of race/class interaction by the Princeton Review. Rice is also rated as a best value among private universities by Kiplinger's Personal Finance. To read "What they're saying about Rice," go to http://tinyurl.com/RiceUniversityoverview.

Editor's note: A link to a high-resolution image for download appears at the end of this release.
"Rigged" election rhetoric in the headlines aims to cast doubt about the security of the American voting system; however, people have a sense of whether a voting system is secure, according to new research from Rice University.

In a study of 90 voters in a mock election, researchers assessed participants' perception of the security of three voting systems, each with different levels of security: a standard paper ballot (the least secure); a paper ballot with enhanced security mechanisms (one of the most secure); and a paper ballot that included fake security features to give the impression of enhanced security without actually doing anything to make the system safer (no more secure than the standard paper ballot).

After voting, each participant completed a survey that included questions about the security of the voting system they used so that the researchers could determine if one system of voting was perceived to be more secure than another. Voters found the system with enhanced security mechanisms to be the most secure and were not deceived by the system with fake security elements.

Claudia Ziegler Acemyan, a postdoctoral research fellow in psychology at Rice and the study's lead author, said positive perception of voting security is important.

"When U.S. voters complete their ballot, they are providing confidential information in the form of their candidate or proposition selections, which may -- or may not -- align with the majority of voters' beliefs and/or how other people want them to vote," she said. "Accordingly, voters must trust the system to keep their votes anonymous and not record any type of identifying information that could link them to their ballots.

"If voters suspect any type of security flaws, then they might not see the point in participating in an election," she said. "This results in disenfranchisement, potentially impacted election results and possibly an overall lack of confidence in the resulting government and policies."

Participants in the study were also asked about their confidence in the voting systems. Half of the voters who cast a ballot under the enhanced security system felt more confident, which could impact their beliefs about votes being counted, whereas only 16.7 percent of participants voting on a standard paper ballot or a ballot with fake security mechanisms were more confident.

Acemyan said that voters must believe a system will record their votes correctly and keep this information safe so that their selections (along with everyone else's) will count toward an accurate final tally that ultimately impacts election outcomes.

Acemyan said that more secure methods of voting -- such as STAR-Vote and Pret a Voter, the enhanced security system used in this study -- are designed knowing that there is always the potential for malicious attacks on voting systems to manipulate and alter election results.

"These systems are designed to minimize malicious tampering and make the voting process as transparent as possible so that if these attacks occur, they can be recognized immediately," she said.

Ultimately, Acemyan said she finds the results very encouraging and hopes the study will inspire further research of secure methods of voting and eventually, widespread implementation. While a secure system like STAR-Vote is still under development, Travis County in Texas plans to replace its current system with it in upcoming elections. Other secure systems are currently being used in European and Australian elections.

###

"Can Voters Tell When Their Voting Method Is Secure? Effects of End-to-end Security and Security Theater on Perceptions of Voting Systems" appeared in The Proceedings of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society Annual Meeting.

The research was funded by the National Science Foundation. Philip Kortum, an assistant professor of psychology at Rice, co-authored the study. A link is available online at http://pro.sagepub.com/content/60/1/1220.full.pdf+html.

For more information, contact David Ruth, director of national media relations at Rice, at david@rice.edu or 713-348-6327.

This news release can be found online at http://news.rice.edu/.

Follow Rice News and Media Relations via Twitter @RiceUNews.

Related Materials:

Study link: http://pro.sagepub.com/content/60/1/1220.full.pdf+html.

Rice Department of Psychology: http://psychology.rice.edu/

Video link: https://youtu.be/aJItw7zBziU

Video credit: Brandon Martin/Rice University.

Located on a 300-acre forested campus in Houston, Rice University is consistently ranked among the nation's top 20 universities by U.S. News & World Report. Rice has highly respected schools of Architecture, Business, Continuing Studies, Engineering, Humanities, Music, Natural Sciences and Social Sciences and is home to the Baker Institute for Public Policy. With 3,910 undergraduates and 2,809 graduate students, Rice's undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio is 6-to-1. Its residential college system builds close-knit communities and lifelong friendships, just one reason why Rice is ranked No. 1 for happiest students and for lots of race/class interaction by the Princeton Review. Rice is also rated as a best value among private universities by Kiplinger's Personal Finance. To read "What they're saying about Rice," go to http://tinyurl.com/RiceUniversityoverview.
Among Catholics and non-Catholics, awareness of Laudato Si', the first-ever encyclical or papal letter devoted to the environment, was not associated with an increase in public concern over climate change. In addition, people who were aware of the encyclical appeared to be more politically polarized in their view of climate change than those who were not aware of it, according to a national survey led by the Annenberg Public Policy Center (APPC) of the University of Pennsylvania and published in Springer's journal Climatic Change.

The papal letter to Catholics worldwide was released in 2015 by Pope Francis. He cited scientific consensus on the existence and human causes of climate change, and highlighted the disproportionate risks it poses to the world's poor. The Pope declared that there was a moral imperative to address climate change.

Prior to the release of the encyclical, Pew Research reported that 71 percent of American Catholics believed climate change exists. This figure is on par with that of the general public. Catholics' views on the topic also broadly reflect the general partisan split along political lines among Americans. Among Catholic Democrats, 62 percent believe in climate change and attribute it to human causes, while only 24 percent of Catholic Republicans do. Conservatives are both more skeptical that anthropogenic climate change exists and less concerned with its adverse effects.

The Pope's call for action raised the question whether a religious authority could influence public opinion on such a highly polarized topic. APPC researchers set out to examine the effect that the encyclical had by asking respondents whether they had heard about the encyclical, whether they believed that climate change is caused by humans, how serious a problem they thought climate change is, and whether they thought there is a scientific consensus on climate change. Data was obtained from 1,381 20-minute phone interviews conducted one week before the encyclical's release on June 18, 2015 and another 1,374 interviews done two weeks later.

According to the survey results, those who had heard of the encyclical were not generally more accepting of the science on climate change or concerned about the effects of climate change. Instead, the study found that liberals who were aware of the encyclical were more concerned about climate change and perceived more risks than liberals who weren't aware of Laudato Si'. The opposite was true for conservatives.

Respondents' views of the Pope's credibility on climate change varied according to their own political views. Encyclical-aware liberals said the Pope was more credible on climate change than did liberals who were not aware of the encyclical, while encyclical-aware conservatives said the Pope was less credible on climate change than conservatives who weren't aware of it. Although Pope Francis's message was expected to be especially influential among Catholics, their attitudes and beliefs about climate change remained strongly associated with their political views.

"While Pope Francis' environmental call may have increased some individuals' concerns about climate change, it backfired with conservative Catholics and non-Catholics, who not only resisted the message but defended their pre-existing beliefs by devaluing the pope's credibility on climate change," says Nan Li, lead author of the study.

The results suggest that the worldviews, political identities, and group norms that lead conservative Catholics to doubt climate change may take priority over deference to religious authority when judging the reality and risks of this environmental phenomenon.

###

Reference: Li, N. et al. (2016). Cross-pressuring conservative Catholics? Effects of Pope Francis' encyclical on the U.S. public opinion on climate change, Climatic Change. DOI 10.1007/s10584-016-1821-z
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The judicial decisions of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) have been predicted to 79% accuracy using an artificial intelligence (AI) method developed by researchers in UCL, the University of Sheffield and the University of Pennsylvania.

The method is the first to predict the outcomes of a major international court by automatically analysing case text using a machine learning algorithm. The study behind it was published today in PeerJ Computer Science.

"We don't see AI replacing judges or lawyers, but we think they'd find it useful for rapidly identifying patterns in cases that lead to certain outcomes. It could also be a valuable tool for highlighting which cases are most likely to be violations of the European Convention on Human Rights," explained Dr Nikolaos Aletras, who led the study at UCL Computer Science.

In developing the method, the team found that judgements by the ECtHR are highly correlated to non-legal facts rather than directly legal arguments, suggesting that judges of the Court are, in the jargon of legal theory, 'realists' rather than 'formalists'. This supports findings from previous studies of the decision-making processes of other high level courts, including the US Supreme Court.

"The study, which is the first of its kind, corroborates the findings of other empirical work on the determinants of reasoning performed by high level courts. It should be further pursued and refined, through the systematic examination of more data," explained co-author Dr Dimitrios Tsarapatsanis, a Lecturer in Law at the University of Sheffield.

The team of computer and legal scientists from the UK, alongside Dr Daniel Preo?iuc-Pietro from the University of Pennsylvania, extracted case information published by the ECtHR in their publically accessible database.

"Ideally, we'd test and refine our algorithm using the applications made to the court rather than the published judgements, but without access to that data we rely on the court-published summaries of these submissions," explained co-author, Dr Vasileios Lampos, UCL Computer Science.

They identified English language data sets for 584 cases relating to Articles 3, 6 and 8* of the Convention and applied an AI algorithm to find patterns in the text. To prevent bias and mislearning, they selected an equal number of violation and non-violation cases.

The most reliable factors for predicting the court's decision were found to be the language used as well as the topics and circumstances mentioned in the case text. The 'circumstances' section of the text includes information about the factual background to the case. By combining the information extracted from the abstract 'topics' that the cases cover and 'circumstances' across data for all three articles, an accuracy of 79% was achieved.

"Previous studies have predicted outcomes based on the nature of the crime, or the policy position of each judge, so this is the first time judgements have been predicted using analysis of text prepared by the court. We expect this sort of tool would improve efficiencies of high level, in demand courts, but to become a reality, we need to test it against more articles and the case data submitted to the court," added Dr Lampos.

###

*Article 3 prohibits torture and inhuman and degrading treatment (250 cases); Article 6 protects the right to a fair trial (80 cases) and Article 8 provides a right to respect for one's "private and family life, his home and his correspondence" (254 cases).
Fears that climate change is promoting a fungal disease which can devastate coffee crops may be unfounded, research by the University of Exeter suggests.

Media reports have linked coffee leaf rust -- also known as CLR or roya -- with climate change, but the new research finds "no evidence" for this.

Researchers tested the hypothesis that "the weather was responsible for a recent outbreak of CLR in Colombia and that climate change increased the probability of weather conditions favourable to CLR".

The paper, published in Royal Society journal Philosophical Transactions B, concluded: "We find no evidence for an overall trend in disease risk in coffee-growing regions of Colombia from 1990 to 2015, therefore, while weather conditions were more conducive to disease outbreaks from 2008 to 2011, we reject the climate change hypothesis."

Colombian coffee production fell by about 40% from 2008-11, and this decline has been linked to a severe CLR outbreak across Colombia and neighbouring countries.

Dr Dan Bebber, lead author of the University of Exeter study, said there was a "perfect storm" of factors favourable for CLR at that time, including weather conditions and a decrease in fertiliser use due to price rises during the 2008 financial crisis.

"Farmers weren't treating coffee bushes as they normally would, and this was probably one of the factors that led to the rise in CLR," he said.

"The climate at the time was conducive to CLR but there had been earlier periods of similar conditions when there wasn't an outbreak."

Dr Bebber and co-authors Sarah Gurr and Angela Delgado Castillo (a student on Exeter's MSc in Food Security at the time of the research) found that Colombian coffee yields had been highly variable over time due to varying weather, the effects of disease, management and socio-economic factors.

Dr Bebber said more research was needed to fully understand the causes of the 2008-11 CLR outbreak, which caused hundreds of thousands of people to lose their jobs in coffee farms in Central America.

Temperature and leaf wetness are the most important determinants of infection risk for fungal plant diseases including CLR, which does not usually kill coffee bushes but can dramatically reduce the crop they produce.

###

The study was supported by University of Exeter alumnus Gerry Brown and his wife Clemencia Brown.
Research has shown that policies designed to help the homeless are more popular with the public than those aimed at helping other social groups, including immigrants. But that hasn't stopped policies that target the homeless and make their lives more difficult, such as banning lying down in public or making it illegal to feed the homeless.

Scott Clifford, a political scientist at the University of Houston, says public opinion plays an important role in support for these conflicting sets of policies.

"We see people are really concerned about homelessness. They want government to spend a lot of money on it, and government does spend a lot of money on it," Clifford said. But he said the counterproductive policies also have support. "If you throw homeless people in jail for doing what they have to do to survive, it works against the goal of helping them get off the street."

Support for these policies isn't just tough love - people seem to know that they work against the goal of helping people get back on their feet, said Clifford, lead author on a paper describing the research in Political Behavior.

Many people support both sets of policies, and Clifford and coauthor Spencer Piston, a political scientist at Boston University, suggest that disgust - an emotion that functions to protect us from disease - helps to explain why.

Because homeless people have less access to health care and to sanitation, they have higher rates of illness than the population at large and can appear to be a risk for disease. Policies such as banning panhandling "serve an exclusionary purpose, serving a common desire for the public to maintain physical distance from homeless people," the researchers wrote.

The research shows that disgust motivates support for those exclusionary policies. However, it does not undermine support for policies intended to help, including providing subsidized housing.

And that dichotomy, the researchers said, can have a profound impact on support for a holistic solution.

"While disgust does not undermine the public's willingness to support aid to homeless people, it may create substantial barriers to enacting these policies," they wrote, including opposition to housing projects near their own homes or neighborhoods.

Those attitudes aren't just "aesthetic preferences," the researchers said. "They are deeply rooted (and likely implicit) concerns about one's own health. Thus, policymakers ought to take seriously how disgust may motivate opposition to local housing projects."

The findings help resolve an apparent contradiction in both policy and public opinion, Clifford said. They also have implications for public policy in a wider arena.

Other research offers evidence that "disgust" can predict support for anti-immigration policies, Clifford said. The effect is driven by concerns about contamination, separate from concerns about crime and job losses connected to immigration, he said.

Clifford notes that disgust can be useful. "It keeps us healthy."

But disgust did not evolve in our modern environment, he said, and so may not always lead to desirable attitudes and behaviors.

###
ANN ARBOR, Michigan -- One of the earliest widespread applications of precision medicine in cancer care is helping patients and physicians decide whether chemotherapy is needed, a new study finds.

Researchers looked at a test available to help assess the risk of breast cancer recurrence and whether chemotherapy is likely to help lower that risk in women with early stage disease. The test looks at 21 genes known to increase risk of cancer recurrence. The idea is to avoid chemotherapy in those women at such low risk that they aren't likely to benefit from it and to ensure chemotherapy is recommended for women with higher risk.

"The idea of precision medicine is to give patients the treatments that are the most likely to help and avoid needless side effects," says study author Christopher Friese, Ph.D., R.N., a professor at the University of Michigan School of Nursing.

Researchers surveyed 1,527 women with early stage breast cancer, assessing whether they received the 21-gene recurrence score assay test and whether they received chemotherapy. Currently, cancer care guidelines recommend the test for women with specific tumor features whose cancer has not spread to surrounding lymph nodes.

The study, published in Cancer, showed that most doctors were recommending the test in line with these guidelines, although 13 percent of women with cancer in their lymph nodes received the test. Current guidelines typically recommend that these women should always receive chemotherapy, and therefore do not need the test. An ongoing clinical trial is looking at the value of the test for this group.

Among those patients who had the test, the results aligned with the decision for or against chemotherapy: 87 percent of patients with a high score had chemotherapy. For patients with the most favorable prognosis and the lowest test scores, only 3 percent received chemotherapy, compared to 13 percent of women who did not have the gene assay test but had a favorable prognosis.

"Chemotherapy has substantial side effects. Improving chemotherapy recommendations to those who truly stand to benefit would reduce complications and improve quality of life for many women," Friese says.

Most patients accurately recalled receiving the test -- the researchers used registry and laboratory data to confirm that. Nearly two-thirds thought the test was helpful, saying that their results helped shift their opinion for or against chemotherapy. Patients reported high satisfaction with their treatment choice.

Based on the diverse sample of patients, the researchers found that race or ethnicity did not play a role in use of the recurrence score assay and recommendation for or against chemotherapy.

While most examples of precision medicine involve clinical trials, the recurrence gene assay shows how precision medicine can be used in everyday clinical care. Overall, the study shows use of the test, treatment recommendations and satisfaction all align. But the researchers note one opportunity.

"Only 60 percent of patients accurately recalled their test result," Friese says. "This suggests that while precision medicine for breast cancer has left the station, we have left a few women behind. There's opportunity in the oncology community to improve how we explain to women the purpose of these tests, how to interpret the results, and what the results mean for their breast cancer treatment."

###

Additional authors: Yun Li, Irina Bondarenko, Timothy P. Hofer, Kevin C. Ward, Ann S. Hamilton, Dennis Deapen, Allison W. Kurian, Steven J. Kaz

Funding: National Cancer Institute grant P01 CA163233

Disclosure: None

Reference: Cancer, DOI: 10.1002/cncr.30324, Oct. 24, 2016

Resources:

U-M Cancer AnswerLine, 800-865-1125

U-M School of Nursing, http://nursing.umich.edu

U-M Comprehensive Cancer Center, http://www.mcancer.org

Michigan Health Lab, http://www.MichiganHealthLab.org
A team led by a University of Oklahoma astrophysicist discovered a rare and surprising new circumstellar disk: the oldest of its kind. They made this discovery working together with a remarkable team of collaborators with no formal training in astrophysics: citizen scientists from around the world.

In a paper that appeared in The Astrophysical Journal Letters, the authors describe a newly identified red dwarf star with a warm circumstellar disk of the kind associated with young planetary systems. Circumstellar disks around red "M" dwarfs like this one are rare to begin with. But this star, called AWI0005x3s, appears to have kept its disk for an exceptionally long time.

"Most disks of this kind fade away in less than 30 million years," says Steven Silverberg, a graduate student in the Homer L. Dodge Department of Physics and Astronomy at OU, and the lead author on the paper. "This particular red dwarf is a candidate member of the Carina association, which would make it around 45 million years old. It's the oldest red dwarf system with a disk we've seen in one of these associations."

The discovery relied on citizen scientists from Disk Detective, a project led by NASA/GSFC's Dr. Marc Kuchner, to find new circumstellar disks. At the project's website, DiskDetective.org, users view ten-second videos of data from NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer mission (WISE), NASA's Two-Micron All Sky Survey (2MASS) project, and other surveys. Since the launch of the website in January 2014, roughly 30,000 citizen scientists have participated in this process, performing roughly 2 million classifications of celestial objects.

"The WISE mission found 747 million objects, of which we expect a few thousand to be disks like this," Silverberg explains. "Without help from citizen scientists examining these objects and finding the good ones, we would have never spotted this object."

Eight of these citizen scientists are featured by name as co-authors on the published paper.

"Unraveling the mysteries of our universe, while contributing to the advancement of astronomy, is, without a doubt, a dream come true," says Hugo Durantini Luca, a citizen science co-author from Argentina, "especially while working alongside some of the best people from around the world."

"I've loved astronomy since childhood and wanted to be part of the space program, as did every boy my age," adds Milton Bosch, a citizen scientist co-author from California. "I feel very fortunate to be part of such a great group of dedicated people, and am thrilled to partake in this adventure of discovery and be a co-author on this paper."

Determining the age of a star can be tricky or impossible. But the Carina association, where this star was found, is a group of stars whose motions through the Galaxy indicate that they were all born at roughly the same time in the same stellar nursery. Membership in one of these groups provides a reliable way to estimate the star's age. Knowing that this star and its disk are so old may help scientists understand why M dwarf disks appear to be so rare.

This star and its disk are interesting for another reason: the likelihood that it hosts extrasolar planets. Most of the extrasolar planets that have been imaged by telescopes so far dwell in disks similar to the one around AWI0005x3s. Moreover, this particular star is the same spectral type as Proxima Centauri, the Sun's nearest neighbor, which was shown to host at least one exoplanet in research published earlier this year.

###

Disk Detective is a collaboration between NASA, Zooniverse, the University of Oklahoma, University of Cordoba (Argentina), National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, Space Telescope Science Institute, Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, Carnegie Institution of Washington and Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute. To join the search for more planetary habitats, go to http://www.diskdetective.org.
A new study by Kim-Kwang Raymond Choo, associate professor of information systems and cybersecurity and Cloud Technology Endowed Professor at The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA), describes a method for detecting people dishonestly posting online comments, reviews or tweets across multiple accounts, a practice known as "astroturfing."

The study describes a statistical method that analyzes multiple writing samples. Choo, a member of the UTSA College of Business, and his collaborators found that it's challenging for authors to completely conceal their writing style in their text. Based on word choice, punctuation and context, the method is able to detect whether one person or multiple people are responsible for the samples.

Choo and his co-authors (two former students of his, Jian Peng and Sam Detchon, and Helen Ashman, associate professor of information technology and mathematical sciences at the University of South Australia) used writing samples from the most prolific online commenters on various news web sites, and discovered that many people espousing their opinions online were actually all linked to a few singular writers with multiple accounts.

"Astroturfing is legal, but it's questionable ethically," Choo said. "As long as social media has been popular, this has existed."

The practice has been used by businesses to manipulate social media users or online shoppers, by having one paid associate post false reviews on web sites about products for sale. It's also used on social media wherein astroturfers create several false accounts to espouse opinions, creating the illusion of a consensus when actually one person is pretending to be many.

"It can be used for any number of reasons," Choo said. "Businesses can use this to encourage support for their products or services, or to sabotage other competing companies by spreading negative opinions through false identities."

Candidates for elected office have also been accused of astroturfing to create the illusion of public support for a cause or a campaign. For example, President George W. Bush, the Tea Party movement, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and current Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump have all been accused of astroturfing to claim widespread enthusiasm for their platforms.

Now that Choo has the capability to detect one person pretending to be many online, he is considering further applications for his top-tier research. Stressing that astroturfing, while frowned upon, is not illegal, he's now looking into whether the algorithm can be used to prevent plagiarism and contract cheating.

"In addition to raising public awareness of the problem, we hope to develop tools to detect astroturfers so that social media users can make informed choices and resist online social manipulation and propaganda," Choo said.

###
New Delhi : Islamic State groups operative from Tamil Nadu Subahani Haja Moideen , who fought alongside IS fighters in Iraq, has disclosed that one of the attackers in the Paris strikes last year , which left around 130 people dead, was his group leader.

Moideen, labelled the most battle-hardened IS recruit from India so far, had travelled from Chennai to Istanbul on April 8, 2015 and then to Syria with a batch of foreign jihadis from Pakistan, Afghanistan and other countries.

Moideen said during the time he crossed over to Iraq from Turkey and his training, in which he was given religious lessons, taught use of AK-47, grenade launchers, bomb making and use of machetes, one of the Paris attackers/conspirators was the in charge of the group, an official in the security establishment said.

The 31-year-old, arrested by the NIA earlier this month, took the names of the mastermind of the Paris attack  Belgian national Abdelhamid Abaaoud, who was later killed by French police  and Abaaouds childhood friend and co-accused in the attacks Salah Abdeslam and Omar Ismail Mostefei. Abdeslam was caught by French authorities in Molenbeek, Belgium, in March.

Sources refused to elaborate who among Abaaoud, Abdeslam and Mostefei was Moideens group leader. He might be lying. Thats why we want to question him at length and get more details, said an officer.

The NIA is learnt to have informed the French authorities and their embassy in New Delhi about the recent development. French investigators are likely to question Moideen.

Moideen returned to India on September 22, 2015 via Turkey after a knee injury in Mosul. He didnt come under the radar of Indian agencies till a few months ago. According to officials, Moideen said he followed the news of Paris attacks upon his return to India and was surprised to know that his group leader was also involved. However, he claimed that he had no inkling about the Paris attack plans.

The NIA suspects that Moideen could be part of a sleeper cell. It does not believe his theory and thinks he came here to stay low till further orders. Recently, it emerged that he was planning to attack RSS leaders and Kerala HC judges.

In all, nine IS members, including Abaaoud, Mostefei, Chakib Akrouh, Brahim Abdeslam (Salah Abdeslams elder brother), Samy Amimour, Foued Mohamed Aggad, Bilal Hadfi, Ahmed Al Mohammed and M Al Mahmod, were involved in coordinated attacks at Stade de France, Bataclan theatre and restaurants and pubs in Paris on November 13, 2015, killing 130 people.

Source : TOI
VANCOUVER, BC--(October 24, 2016) - Almadex Minerals Limited ("Almadex" or the "Company") (TSX VENTURE: AMZ) (OTCQB: AXDDF) is pleased to announce that it has completed the second diamond drill hole on the Norte Zone (EC-16-012) at its 100% owned El Cobre porphyry copper-gold project located in Veracruz, Mexico. Hole (EC-16-012) was collared from the same pad as EC-16-010 and drilled at the same azimuth (180 degrees), but at a steeper angle (-65 degrees). Significant porphyry style alteration and mineralisation begins from the collar in EC-16-012 and includes the following copper-gold intersections:

Hole EC-16-012 NORTE ZONE, 180 Az, -65 dip

From 9.14 to 19.00, 9.86 meters @ 0.24 g/t gold and 0.16% copper

From 117.80 to 145.30, 27.50 meters @ 0.12 g/t gold and 0.19% copper

From 162.50 to 595.00 meters, 432.50 meters @ 0.42 g/t gold and 0.17% copper Including 183.00 to 401.00, 218.00 meters @ 0.70 g/t gold and 0.28% copper Including 183.00 to 339.00, 156.00 meters @ 0.90 g/t gold and 0.34% copper Including 216.00 to 296.50, 80.50 meters @ 1.34 g/t gold and 0.46% copper Including 261.00 to 296.50, 35.50 meters @ 1.82 g/t gold and 0.59% copper



In addition, assays have now been received from the bottom portion of Hole EC-16-010. Assays from shallower intersections in this hole were previously announced on August 8th and August 17th, 2016, and included 163.50 meters of 0.68 g/t gold and 0.29% copper and 150.90 meters of 0.55 g/t Gold and 0.22% Copper, to a total depth of 542.70 meters. Below this depth no significant copper or gold values were returned but intense sulphide rich porphyry-style alteration was intersected to the end of the hole.

The Company has now completed a third hole from the EC-16-010/012 pad (EC-16-013) at a 180 degree azimuth and a -80 degree dip and drilling continues in the Norte Zone. The Norte zone is one of four well defined porphyry centres within a very large zone of porphyry related alteration. The Company has also mobilised a second drill and drilling team so that drilling can continue on other targets at El Cobre project while drilling continues on the Norte Zone. Currently this rig is working on the Encinal Zone roughly three kilometers to the south of the Norte Zone.

Almadex Chairman, J. Duane Poliquin commented, "These results further show the potential of the El Cobre project to host a significant gold-rich porphyry system. The Norte zone is one of four well defined porphyry centres within a very large zone of porphyry related alteration. We look forward to following up this exciting intercept with further results from our ongoing aggressive drill program focused on the goal of defining a new gold-copper resource in Mexico."

Hole # From (m) To (m) Interval (m) Au (g/t) Cu (%) EC-16-012 9.14 19.00 9.86 0.24 0.16 EC-16-012 117.80 145.30 27.50 0.12 0.19 EC-16-012 162.50 595.00 432.50 0.42 0.17 including 183.00 401.00 218.00 0.70 0.28 including 183.00 339.00 156.00 0.90 0.34 including 216.00 296.50 80.50 1.34 0.46 including 261.00 296.50 35.50 1.82 0.59 including 422.00 425.00 3.00 0.27 0.11 including 438.50 449.00 10.50 0.21 0.09 including 503.00 507.50 4.50 0.29 0.11 including 564.50 569.00 4.50 0.28 0.15 EC-16-012 625.00 664.00 39.00 0.12 0.06 including 662.50 664.00 1.50 0.31 0.17

About the El Cobre Project and the 2016 Drilling Program

Since the commencement of drilling this year all holes, (apart from EC-16-010, 12 and 13 all on the Norte Zone) were drilled on the southernmost Encinal target (see map attached to news release). The 2016 drill program plan is to test all targets in order to provide geochemical and alteration vectors for future drilling. Past work has defined a large multi-stage and phase porphyry system with at least four centres located along more than four kilometers of strike extent.

The El Cobre Project has a total area of 7,456 hectares and is located adjacent to the Gulf of Mexico, about 75 kilometres northwest of the major port city of Veracruz, Mexico and has uniquely excellent infrastructure. The project area is situated below 200 meters above sea level with excellent road access and is located less than 10 kilometers from a power plant, highway, gas line and other major infrastructure. Major power lines cross the property area. Almadex has its full drill permits from SEMARNAT and has land access agreements in place. The land ownership is private over most of the project area, has previously been cleared and is used for local agricultural purposes.

The four copper-gold porphyry targets currently known within the El Cobre Project, Encinal, El Porvenir, Norte and Villa Rica are defined by distinct Cu-Au soil anomalies, discrete, positive magnetic features and an extensive IP chargeability anomaly. The largest target area is the Villa Rica zone which has not been drill tested. Limited past RC and diamond drill testing at Encinal, El Porvenir, and Norte has returned wide intercepts of porphyry copper-gold and narrow zones of intermediate sulphidation epithermal gold-silver vein mineralization, with selected intercepts as follows:

El Porvenir Zone: Drilling has demonstrated that the system persists at least to 400 m depth. Significant copper and gold grades were intersected such as 0.16% Cu and 0.39 g/t Au over 290 m in hole DDH04CB1. In addition, hole EC-13-004 intersected 0.23% Cu and 0.36 g/t Au over 106 m, to a depth of 504 m, again indicating potentially significant mineralization at depth.

Encinal Zone: Hole CB5 intersected a highly altered breccia pipe containing fragments of stockwork veining and porphyry mineralisation across which 15 meters returned 1.63 g/t Au and 0.12% Cu. The breccia pipe occurs in a large alteration zone, IP chargeability high and magnetics low which has not been tested to depth. On July 1, 2016, Almadex reported results of drilling at Encinal, which were consistent with the interpretation that the drilling was located in a zone marginal to a potential copper-rich portion of the porphyry system.

Norte Zone: All five previously drilled holes in the Norte Zone intersected porphyry-style mineralization. Hole 08-CBCN-022, one of the deepest holes drilled at Norte in 2008, returned values of 0.14% Cu with 0.19 g/t Au over 259 m and 08-CBCN-19 intersected 41.15 meters averaging 0.42 g/t gold and 0.27% copper to the end of the hole at 187.45 meters. Hole EC-16-010 was designed to test this zone to depth.

In addition to the above, several anomalous areas remain untested by drilling, including the Villa Rica Zone that is defined by a strong north-northwest trending magnetic-chargeability high and associated copper-gold soil geochemical anomaly. More information on El Cobre is available on the Almadex website at http://www.almadexminerals.com/ASSETS/PROJECTS/Cobre.html.

Larry Segerstrom, M.Sc. (Geology), P.Geo., A Director of the Company, is a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 ("NI 43-101") and has reviewed and approved the contents of this news release. The porphyry mineralisation reported in this news release is associated with broad areas of alteration and stockwork veining. True widths cannot be determined at this time. The analyses reported were carried out at ALS Chemex Laboratories of North Vancouver using industry standard analytical techniques. For gold, samples are first analysed by fire assay and atomic absorption spectroscopy ("AAS"). Samples that return values greater than 10 g/t gold using this technique are then re-analysed by fire assay but with a gravimetric finish. Silver is first analysed by Inductively Coupled Plasma - Atomic Emission Spectroscopy ("ICP-AES"). Samples that return values greater than 100 g/t silver by ICP-AES are then re analysed by HF-HNO3-HCLO4 digestion with HCL leach and ICP-AES finish. Of these samples those that return silver values greater than 1,500 g/t are further analysed by fire assay with a gravimetric finish. Blanks, field duplicates and certified standards were inserted into the sample stream as part of Almadex's quality assurance and control program which complies with National Instrument 43-101 requirements. A NI 43-101 compliant technical report on the El Cobre project entitled, "Technical Report on the El Cobre Property" was filed in May 2015 and can be obtained from www.sedar.com.

About Almadex

Almadex Minerals Limited is an exploration company that holds a large mineral portfolio consisting of projects and NSR royalties in Canada, the U.S., and Mexico. This portfolio is the direct result of over 35 years of prospecting and deal-making by Almadex's predecessor company, Almaden Minerals Ltd.

On behalf of the Board of Directors,

"Morgan Poliquin"

Morgan J. Poliquin, Ph.D., P.Eng.

President, CEO and Director

Almadex Minerals Ltd.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

This news release includes forward-looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties. All statements within it, other than statements of historical fact, are to be considered forward looking. Although the Company believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those in forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include market prices, exploitation and exploration successes, continued availability of capital and financing, and general economic, market or business conditions. There can be no assurances that such statements will prove accurate and, therefore, readers are advised to rely on their own evaluation of such uncertainties. We do not assume any obligation to update any forward-looking statements, other than as required pursuant to applicable securities laws.
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Time: 8am  9am or while stock last

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Time: 8am  9am or while stock last

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TORONTO, Oct. 24, 2016 - Sierra Metals Inc. (TSX: SMT) (BVL: SMT) ("Sierra Metals" or "the Company") today announced the results of its continuing drill program targeting the maiden discovery of its new high grade sulfide zone, referred to as the "Esperanza" zone, located 400 metres north of the central mine area and 100 metres along strike from current mining activities. The results reveal the zone is open on strike and at depth and comes as part of an ongoing drill program at this high priority target at the Yauricocha Mine located 150 kilometers southeast of Lima in the Yauricocha Mining District (Cordillera Occidental), Peru.

The company continues with the exploration, development and definition drill program on the Esperanza ore body from the 1070 level of the mine which is the deepest level in the mine. The program continues to realize intercepts at depth (100 meters below previously drilled holes) in two holes drilled at -50 degree angles as well as with five horizontal holes providing evidence of increased mineralization at the 1070 level. Drilling will continue from the 1070 level horizon with additional flat holes to the south of hole D-ESP-05 as well with additional inclined holes at depth.

The current program reports seven holes drilled with assay results from ALS Minerals Laboratories. The program identified the continuance of the orebody on the 1070 level with an intermittent strike length of 150 meters with widths varying from 2m to sections in excess of 20 meters with zones of lead and zinc sulfide mineralization as well as zones of predominantly copper sulfide mineralization. At depth, mineralization continues below the 1170 level horizon.

The current drill program has, in addition to intercepts at the Esperanza zone, also intercepted new "Cuerpos Pequenos" ore bodies with high grade lead, zinc, silver values (one such zone is noted in TABLE 1 and identified as the "Millet" zone).

These new small ore bodies on the 1070 level were not present in the upper part of the mine near the Central orebody nor in the Mascota mining area. There exists a possibility that this type of discovery could also be present in the Central ore body zone to the East of Esperanza on the 1070 level horizon since this area has not been explored or developed to the extent of Esperanza.

Hole D-ESP-03 from 90.20 to 112.30 meters (22.10 meter intercept) depicts the mineralized structure with sulfide minerals Galena, Sphalerite, Pyrite which we have named Millet with the following grades: 154.38 gpt Ag; 7.56 % Pb; 1.03 % Cu; 17.43% Zn and 0.35 gpt Au.

"The extension of the Esperanza mineralized zone at the 1070 level and below to the 1170 level horizon continues to demonstrate the untapped potential of this area close to the existing mine production areas" stated Gord Babcock, COO Sierra Metals. "As it stands now the Esperanza zone extends from the 870 to below the 1170 level of the mine and has a demonstrated strike length in excess of 240 meters in the upper levels of the mine. We are optimistic that the mineralization will continue to the South and North on strike. In addition to the continued positive progress on the Esperanza main zone, the presence of additional mineralized new "Cuerpos Pequenos" zones in the marble unit has also been a welcome addition from the drilling program. We look forward to continuing to explore this area and opening up the untapped potential at the Yauricocha mine."

Mark Brennan, President and CEO of Sierra Metals commented "Esperanza remains one of the most important discoveries in the history of the Yauricocha mine and in the history of Sierra Metals. The Esperanza zone is unique due to its high-grade copper, silver, and zinc sulfide intercepts, along with the significant width of its mineralized zones and its proximity to existing mine infrastructure. Esperanza was first announced in January this year and began mining the upper levels in July, demonstrating a very quick turn-around time from discovery to production. Esperanza will continue to positively impact head grades and cash flow for the remainder of 2016 and beyond."

He continued, "Unlocking Yauricocha's potential through brownfield exploration and new discoveries such as the Esperanza zone and now the new "Cuerpos Pequenos" zones are a key part of the Company's growth strategy. Having completed key aspects of the operational improvements program we continue to work to improve production capabilities and we are very excited by the continued growth potential of the Esperanza zone and look forward to continuing to growing all our assets through further brownfields discoveries."

Table 1 - Length Weighted Composite Intervals

Hole From To Meters Ag(gpt) Pb % Cu % Zn % Au(gpt) Zone Name D-ESP-01 3.70 7.30 3.60 137.04 9.44 0.20 15.89 0.21 D-ESP-01 15.50 17.00 1.50 45.20 3.25 0.14 7.03 0.11 D-ESP-01 70.90 72.00 1.10 103.64 2.64 1.42 7.31 0.08 D-ESP-01 73.50 81.50 8.00 254.57 1.91 5.85 3.36 0.13 D-ESP-01 113.30 147.80 34.50 50.47 0.61 1.93 0.92 0.59 Esp. D-ESP-01 Incl. 113.30 126.10 12.80 78.79 0.99 2.99 1.39 0.88 Esp. D-ESP-01 Incl. 132.00 134.00 2.00 12.15 0.01 1.31 0.02 0.41 Esp. D-ESP-01 Incl. 137.00 144.00 7.00 43.15 0.49 2.20 0.66 0.32 Esp. D-ESP-01 Incl. 146.00 147.80 1.80 175.44 2.38 3.12 3.17 0.25 Esp. D-ESP-02 6.70 9.00 2.30 75.67 3.56 0.32 8.41 0.38 D-ESP-02 91.00 93.00 2.00 3.43 0.01 0.01 3.51 0.04 D-ESP-02 116.00 164.50 48.50 52.42 1.49 1.54 3.99 0.70 Esp. D-ESP-02 Incl. 116.00 122.00 6.00 31.48 0.88 0.18 3.35 0.43 Esp. D-ESP-02 Incl. 126.70 149.40 22.70 45.46 0.35 2.65 1.00 0.73 Esp. D-ESP-02 Incl. 149.40 160.00 10.60 90.61 5.33 0.22 13.41 0.71 Esp. D-ESP-02 Incl. 160.00 164.50 4.50 45.12 0.07 1.90 0.12 1.06 Esp. D-ESP-03 0.60 2.20 1.60 24.71 3.95 0.06 8.96 0.22 D-ESP-03 17.95 21.00 3.05 14.10 0.71 0.05 3.59 0.06 D-ESP-03 90.20 112.30 22.10 154.38 7.56 1.03 17.43 0.35 Millet D-ESP-03 123.00 125.00 2.00 73.54 2.88 0.33 7.79 0.50 D-ESP-03 145.00 147.30 2.30 123.41 12.18 0.42 17.58 0.25 D-ESP-03 179.70 184.40 4.70 118.12 0.46 0.98 0.60 0.47 Esp. D-ESP-04 126.00 128.00 2.00 41.14 0.88 0.75 2.86 0.32 D-ESP-04 138.00 140.00 2.00 130.97 0.71 3.71 1.63 0.32 D-ESP-04 228.00 229.10 1.10 12.69 3.19 0.07 5.83 0.29 Esp. D-ESP-05 3.85 9.95 6.10 119.80 9.91 0.15 13.87 0.29 D-ESP-05 9.95 14.70 4.75 49.99 2.98 0.11 5.18 0.09 D-ESP-05 98.40 126.90 28.50 37.12 0.39 0.80 0.82 0.35 Esp. D-ESP-05 Incl. 98.40 103.00 4.60 85.92 1.40 0.61 2.51 0.29 Esp. D-ESP-05 Incl. 110.50 115.70 5.20 53.98 0.32 2.51 0.94 0.77 Esp. D-ESP-01B 13.70 14.00 0.30 87.77 2.94 0.18 4.84 0.06 D-ESP-01B 14.90 16.40 1.50 77.35 4.16 0.13 10.56 0.31 D-ESP-01B 131.80 166.30 34.50 76.39 1.02 3.34 2.62 0.67 Esp. D-ESP-01B Incl. 131.80 142.30 10.50 18.73 1.88 0.14 5.72 0.36 Esp. D-ESP-01B Incl. 142.30 166.30 24.00 101.61 0.64 4.75 1.27 0.81 Esp. D-ESP-01A 6.50 8.20 1.70 61.65 1.50 0.22 2.39 0.17 D-ESP-01A 13.55 15.80 2.25 102.08 3.68 0.33 5.77 0.39 D-ESP-01A -Incl. 116.00 133.00 17.00 56.51 0.47 0.92 1.25 0.51 Esp. D-ESP-01A -Incl. 117.10 119.00 1.90 56.06 2.61 0.52 6.25 1.25 Esp. D-ESP-01A -Incl. 128.10 133.00 4.90 100.67 0.12 2.01 1.05 0.21 Esp.

All reported intercepts are core length as further drilling is required to determine true thicknesses.

A plan map of the Yauricocha mine area is shown in Figure 1, Figure 2,3 are cross sections through the Esperanza zone at the 1070 level depicting transverse sections from inclined holes D-ESP 01B and D-ESP-01A (reference section lines are noted in Figure 1 in yellow highlights).

Method of Analysis

Samples are prepared at ALS MINERALS (Chemex)  Lima. Assay using ICP-AES and atomic absorption for silver, zinc, lead and copper. Gold is fire assayed with atomic absorption finish. Diamond drill core samples which are sent for analysis consist of one half HQ or NQ size drill core which is split on site, one half is assayed remainder stored on site.

Quality Control

The quality assurance-quality control (QA-QC) program employed by Sierra Metals has been described in detail in the NI-43-101 report for Yauricocha dated September 9, 2016, prepared by SRK Consulting in Denver, which is available for review on Sedar. Standards and blanks are inserted into the sample stream and duplicate samples are sent to the ALS Peru S.A. lab (Chemex) in Lima as per internal quality control procedures.

Qualfied Persons

The technical content of this news release has been approved by Gordon Babcock P.Eng, COO Sierra Metals and Qualified Person as defined in NI-43-101.

About Sierra Metals

Sierra Metals Inc. is a Canadian mining company focused on production of precious and base metals from its Yauricocha Mine in Peru, and its Bolivar Mine and Cusi Mine in Mexico. In addition, Sierra Metals is exploring several precious and base metals targets in Peru and Mexico. Projects in Peru include Adrico (gold), Victoria (copper-silver) and Ipillo (polymetallic) at the Yauricocha Property in the province of Yauyos and the San Miguelito gold properties in Northern Peru. Projects in Mexico include Bacerac (silver) in the state of Sonora and La Verde (gold) at the Batopilas Property in the state of Chihuahua.

The Company's shares trade on the Lima Stock Exchange (Bolsa de Valores de Lima) and on the TSX under the symbol "SMT".

Forward-Looking Statements

Except for statements of historical fact contained herein, the information in this press release may constitute "forward-looking information" within the meaning of Canadian securities law. Statements containing forward-looking information express, as at the date of this news release, the Company's plans, estimates, forecasts, projections, expectations or beliefs as to future events or results. These statements reflect the Company's current views with respect to future events and are necessarily based upon a number of assumptions and estimates that, while considered reasonable by the Company, are inherently subject to significant business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties and contingencies. Actual results might differ materially from results suggested in any forward-looking statements. The Company assumes no obligation to update the forward-looking statements, or to update the reasons why actual results could differ from those reflected in the forward-looking statements unless required by securities laws applicable to the Company. Additional information identifying risks and uncertainties is contained in filings by the Company with the Canadian securities regulators, which filings are available at www.sedar.com.

SOURCE Sierra Metals Inc.
Embers from the living room fireplace caused the six-fatality fire that erupted Oct. 20 in Michael and Michelle Speers home in rural Nehawka.

According to a press release from Cass County Sheriffs Office, a team of Nebraska State Fire Marshal investigators determined the cause. They were aided by the sheriffs office, Cass County Emergency Management Agency and area fire departments that responded to the blaze.

The fire claimed the lives of Michael Speer, 36; Michelle Speer, 36; and their daughters 11-year-old Elli Perez, 7-year-old Adilynn Speer, 5-year-old Emma Speer and 2-year-old Anniston Speer.

The investigators determined the family died from smoke inhalation.

By examining fire damage patterns and interviewing witnesses, the investigative team determined the fire origin was embers from the living room fireplace, which ignited combustible materials such as carpet and room furnishings. The continued fire progression led to the collapse of exterior walls and portions of the roof prior to the arrival of all the fire departments, the release states.

Weeping Water firefighters arrived at the scene, 10014 McKelvie Road, at 12:07 a.m., following a 911 call by a neighbor.

In addition to Weeping Water, firefighters from Manley, Avoca, Murray, Union, Louisville, and Plattsmouth assisted in quelling the blaze.

Arriving fire crews were not safely able to make entry into the residence to conduct a search as a result of the wall and roof collapse and extensive fire, the release states. Smoke produced from the fire filled the house and led to the death of all six residents.

Fire investigators were unable to identify any smoke detectors in the fire debris. Interviews conducted indicate that detector(s) were present, but the condition and function of the battery-operated smoke detectors was unclear, the release states.

The fire nearly leveled the two-story 111-year-old home and made recovery of the deceaseds bodies a very lengthy process. Final recovery was completed at 7:45 p.m. Oct. 20.

On-scene fire origin and cause efforts by the Fire Marshal Investigative Team continued until approximately 9 p.m., Oct. 22, the release states.

An autopsy conducted Oct. 21 confirmed the positive identification of Michael, Michelle, and the four children.

The preliminary autopsy report indicates the cause of death in all six of the deceased to be smoke inhalation.

A visitation for the family is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. Monday at Calvary Christian Church in Bellevue. A memorial service is set to begin at 10 a.m. Tuesday at the church.
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Dancehall artiste Emmanuel Kojo Quayeson, better known by his stage name as Vybrant Faya, has died.

The artiste died Sunday, October 23 at the 37 Military Hospital in Accra after he was involved in an accident on the Tema Motorway.

Management of Vybrant Faya, known for the smash hit single Mampi, confirmed his passing in statement copied to Myjoyonline.com.

The statement said, We are shocked and in total state of sorrow. We met with Vybrant and some of his family members on Sunday afternoon around 3pm and had a rather good discussion. Few hours after their departure we had a telephone call that Vybrant Faya had been admitted at the 37 Military Hospital after being involved in an accident.

The statement signed by Kelly Nii Lartey Mensah, a member of Shatta Movement Family (SMF) Communication team noted that, A team from SMF was quickly dispatched to the hospital only to be told that our brother has passed on.

We are grief-stricken and cannot hold back our tears. Our deep condolences to the family. Family of Vybrant Faya is yet to release official statement on the issue. May Allah find a peaceful place for you brother till we meet, the artistes management added.

Vybrant Faya was born in Tema, Ghana on April 13, 1987 to Mr Samuel K Quayson and Miss Theresah Ackon.

Watch his hit single Mampi below:



Story by Ghana | Myjoyonline.com | Ernest Dela Aglanu (Twitter: @delaXdela / email: [email protected])
Ghanaian dancehall artiste, Vybrant Faya is dead.

The 29-year-old died at the 37 Military Hospital on Sunday evening after a fatal motor accident on the Accra-Tema motorway.

A statement issued by the artiste's management on Sunday said,

We are shocked and in total state of sorrow. We met with Vybrant and some of his family members on Sunday afternoon around 3pm and had a rather good discussion. Few hours after their departure we had a telephone call that Vybrant Faya had been admitted at the 37 Military Hospital after being involved in an accidenta team from SMF was quickly dispatched to the hospital only to be told that our brother has passed on.

It added that We are grief-stricken and cannot hold back our tears. Our deep condolences to the family. Family of Vybrant Faya is yet to release official statement on the issue. May Allah find a peaceful place for you brother till we meet.

Born Emmanuel Kojo Quayeson, Vybrant Faya shot the limelight after releasing a hit single, Mampi over the Shatta Movement Family record label in 2014.



By: Jonas Nyabor/citifmonline.com/Ghana
After a night of intense competition of beauty and brains, 21-year-old Leah Brown has been crowned Miss Malaika Ghana 2016.

The University of Ghana Political Science and French student beat nine other contestants to win the crown at this year's event at the National Theatre in Accra Saturday night.

For winning the title, Leah Brown drove home a brand-new Renault Captur Hatchback. She also received one-year wardrobe supply of clothes, a trip to Dubai and a $10,000 education scholarship.

The crowing of this year's winner follows 13 weeks of intensive grooming and mentoring by the organisers, Charterhouse.

Amanda Edem Fiawosime, a Business Administration (Insurance) student at the University of Ghana, and Delsey Hamilton Yankah, a Business Management student at the University of Cape Coast (UCC), emerged first and second runner-ups respectively.

The finale of the pageant witnessed performances from MzVee, Joey B and Lil Shaker.

-myjoyonline


PLATTSMOUTH  A former Plattsmouth resident learned Monday morning that he would serve a probation sentence and spend time in jail for stealing items from Plattsmouths fire station.

Adam L. Copenhaver, 29, appeared in Cass County District Court for sentencing on two Class I misdemeanor counts of theft by taking-$201-$499. Copenhaver pled guilty to the charges in September. The state reduced both of its original Class III felony charges in exchange for the guilty admissions.

Copenhaver had been a member of Plattsmouth Volunteer Fire Department (PVFD) when the first thefts took place. A fellow firefighter had purchased a light bar from Copenhaver in December 2014. The firefighter discovered Copenhaver had left a receipt from a Des Moines business inside the light bar.

The receipt revealed Copenhaver had traded multiple items to the Des Moines business in exchange for the light bar. The fellow firefighter recognized the items as pieces of equipment that could have possibly been owned by the fire department. He then notified fire department leaders about his discovery.

PVFD officials checked the fire departments inventory and discovered many items were missing from the fire station. The list of items included fire helmets, radios, pagers, pants and suspenders. They estimated the objects were worth more than $1,500. PVFD leaders told Plattsmouth police they had not given Copenhaver permission to take anything from the downtown station.

A second theft case took place shortly before authorities learned about the fire department burglaries. A female victim contacted Plattsmouth police in December 2014 and said four pieces of jewelry were missing from her Plattsmouth residence. The four rings had an estimated value of $4,200.

The female victim had hired a babysitter on several nights ranging from Nov. 7-Dec. 9. The victim said the female babysitter sometimes came to the house with Copenhaver. The victim said she believed Copenhaver may have taken the rings while he was at the home.

Police learned Copenhaver had tried to sell one of the rings on an internet site. They searched Copenhavers new residence in Farragut, Iowa, and recovered one of the rings there. They learned he had sold another ring to a pawn shop in Lincoln.

Deputy County Attorney Colin Palm told the court Monday morning that Copenhaver had paid restitution of approximately $3,500 to the female victim for the theft of the rings. He also said all of the fire stations equipment had been recovered and returned to Plattsmouth.

Palm said the state was willing to recommend probation in large part because of the restitution payment. He said Copenhaver had been convicted of domestic assault in 2013 and was sentenced to probation in that case. The probation was later revoked because Copenhaver had been consuming alcohol.

Defense attorney Julie Bear told the court her client was apologetic and remorseful about his actions. She asked the court to issue a term of probation.

Interim District Court Judge Paul Korslund said he would sentence Copenhaver to a term of probation with upfront jail time. He said the jail time was necessary because Copenhaver had violated the trust fellow PVFD members had given him while he was a member of the department.

These crimes were non-violent but they are serious in nature, Korslund said. The facts of the case show that there was thought on your part in carrying out these crimes.

Korslund ordered Copenhaver to serve 15 days in Cass County Jail. He will serve his time on consecutive weekends beginning Nov. 4. He will receive credit for two days already spent in jail.

Korslund also ordered Copenhaver to spend 24 months on probation. Copenhaver must obtain a chemical dependency evaluation within 30 days and must complete 20 hours of community service. He must also abstain from all alcohol, attend probation meetings and submit to random drug and alcohol testing.
America-based popular Ghanaian music producer, Owusu Sekyere Adu, known in the Ghanaian music scene as Owusek, has disclosed that the music industry in Ghana has been on the decline due to the absence of stringent laws to check the activities of those behind music piracy.

Currently working on music video compilation albums of the late Daasebre Gyamenah, Pat Thomas and a few others, the producer said Ghanaians are no longer interested in buying CDs as they used to do, and are rather downloading on the internet for free.

According to him, Ghanaian music producers invest a lot of money in music production, only for music pirates to download it for free and sell them at cheap prices on the music market.

The veteran music producer has also complained bitterly about some corporate entities using musical works without paying royalties to them, pointing out that the failure of music users to pay royalties was seriously affecting the producers.

He expressed worry that due to lack of good policies to protect the interest of music producers and the industry, music producers are not willing to approach the banks for loans to boost music production business, adding that producers have lost interest in the music business in Ghana.

Owusu Sekyere Adu mentioned that due to the increased rate of music piracy, he relocated to the States, where he is now recognised as one of the leading music producers and distributors promoting Ghanaian music.

As the owner of the Adum African Market, a popular shopping centre and Ghanaian music distribution outlet in New York, Owusek added that ever since he relocated to the States, he has been actively involved in music business, using his outfit to promote and distribute Ghanaian musical works in the States.

He has so far produced over 60 albums and has worked with top musicians like Oheneba Kissi, Daddy Lumba, Ofori Amponsah, Appiah Fodjour, Pat Thomas, Kofi Abraham and many others.
The first ever edition of Gospel Goes Classical live recording on the African continent was hosted at the Carnival City  Big Top Arena in South Africa last Saturday. The event witnessed the coming together of USA, West Africa and Southern Africa, all on one stage. Representing West Africa was Ghanas celebrated gospel musician, Joe Mettle. Also representing the United States was BET award winner, Donnie McClurkin. Southern Africa saw a female duo, Ntokozo Mbambo and Mahalia Buchanan as their representatives. All the artistes were accompanied by the 42 man JMI orchestra and the Tshwane Gospel Choir as they took their turns on stage.

A high point at the event was when Joe Mettle led the audience sing Yi Naye in the Ghanaian local language, Twi. It was an amazing atmosphere, with thousands of people singing the chorus to the glory of God. Joe Mettles deep seated passion for singing as well as his vocal dexterity has indeed endeared him to many across the globe. This was made evident when he mounted the stage with Donnie McClurkin who invited him to do a rendition of his hit song Great is your Mercy. The entire stage and the over 3,500 capacity auditorium lighted up in a mix of worship and excitement while he sang his heart out. Videos of his performance have generated over 100,000 views on various Facebook handles including Donnies official page for the past two days.

Previous editions of Gospel Goes Classical has featured gospel greats such as, Jonathan Butler, Benjamin Dube and Rebecca Malope. The event is the brain child of Doctor Makhubele, owner of Dlophe Records.

Joe Mettle is also expected to perform at major events in Canada this November.
Nairobi (AFP) - A Burundi journalist who was arrested with an American reporter and their driver while out reporting in the troubled nation, was released on Monday, according to colleagues.

Gildas Yihundimpundu was detained on Sunday alongside American freelancer Julia Steers, who was released shortly afterwards as she had official accreditation and has since returned to Nairobi where she lives.

He and the driver, whose name was only given as Pascal, were "released at around 14:00pm, free from prosecution and are doing well," a colleague told AFP on condition of anonymity.

"Gildas tells me he and Pascal are physically unharmed, 'just hungry' ... a very positive ending to a harrowing two days for them," Steers wrote on Twitter after their release.

Police spokesman Pierre Nkurikiye said Sunday the pair were arrested on suspicion of "trying to destroy evidence of crimes by insurgents," the term used by officials to designate those who opposed President Pierre Nkurunziza's third term election bid, which sparked 18 months of crisis in the country.

The pair were the latest in a long line of journalists arrested by Burundi authorities in a crackdown on the media since the crisis erupted.

Marked by assassinations on both sides, attacks against the police and summary executions, the violence has left more than 500 people dead and forced more than 270,000 Burundians to flee the country, according to the UN.

Burundi's government has silenced independent journalists at home and arrested several foreign reporters, accusing the international media of being part of a "conspiracy" to overthrow it.

The US-based Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) estimates 100 journalists have been forced into exile since the violence erupted.

The CPJ this week urged Burundi's national intelligence service to release radio journalist Salvador Nahimana, detained since October 2.

Another journalist, Jean Bigirimana, of the independent Iwacu newspaper, has been missing since July 22.

Burundi, which has cut ties with the United Nation's rights office as well as the International Criminal Court (ICC), on Monday banned five new organisations, including the Burundi Union of Journalists and the rights group SOS Torture.

They are considered to be "disturbing state order and security," according to the interior ministry.
By Albert Futukpor, GNA

Tamale, Oct 23, GNA - The Northern Women for Peace, a group of women traders in Northern Ghana, has expressed worry about the unguided utterances being made by some politicians on the campaign platform.

Madam Sara Ajara Musah, the President of the Group, expressed their concern when the members called on Naa Dakpema Dawuni Alhassan, a Tamale Chief, at his palace in Tamale, to ask him to use his office to call politicians to order.

The women, ahead of the meeting with the chief, marched through some principal streets of the Tamale Metropolis to drum home the need for continued peace in the country during this year's elections.

Madam Ajara said election to public office should not be about character assassination, inciting some people against others, using hate speech or indecent language, but a contest of ideas.

She said, 'We all know that to every competition there are rules, so we are pleading with the presidential and parliamentary candidates and their supporters to play by the rules and accept the results, as announced or use the appropriate means to seek redress'.

She said there was the need to promote and sustain the peace of the country during this crucial election year, hence the call on all to embrace peace throughout the period.

Madam Ajara, therefore, pleaded with the Chief to remind politicians who visited him to uphold peace because 'Persons with disabilities, the aged, women and children of Northern Region are scared of the eventualities before, during and after the December elections'.

She gave the assurance that: 'We will continue to do our part by advising our husbands, children and colleagues to avoid tendencies that can degenerate into electoral violence'.

She entreated the security agencies, the Electoral Commission, the media and election observers to stick to the tenets of their professions and play their roles effectively to help consolidate the prevailing peace.

Naa Dakpema Alhassan lauded the initiative by the Women for Peace and urged all to respect the electoral process to ensure peaceful polls.

GNA
24.10.2016 LISTEN

Management of SMF received heartbreaking news of the death of dancehall musician and award winning entertainer Emmanuel KojoQuayeson known by his stage name as Vybrantfaya at the 37 Military Hospital in Accra after being involved in motor accident on the Tema motorway, on Sunday 23rd October 2016.

We are shocked and in total state of sorrow. We met with Vybrant and some of his family members on Sunday afternoon around 3pm and had a rather good discussion. Few hours after their departure we had a telephone call that VybrantFaya had been admitted at the 37 Military Hospital after being involved in an accident.

A team from SMF was quickly dispatched to the hospital only to be told that our brother has passed on. We are grief-stricken and cannot hold back our tears. Our deep condolences to the family. Family of VybrantFaya is yet to release official statement on the issue. May Allah find a peaceful place for you brother till we meet.

Signed:

Kelly NiiLarteyMensah

Communication Directorate, SMF
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The General Secretary of the governing National Democratic Congress (NPP), Asiedu Nketia has said Presidential Candidate of the NPP, Nana Akufo  Addo is too old to govern the country effectively like President John Mahama.

Speaking at the campaign launch of the NDCs candidate in the Adentan constituency[Mohammed Adamu Ramadan], Asiedu Nketia asked wife of Nana Addo, Rebecca Akufo-Addo to discourage her husband from contesting the upcoming general elections since he is too old.

The NPP says 72 years is good, that Nigeria has voted so we can also vote. Rebecca Akufo Addo needs to heed to Buhari's wife's advice and advise her husband, Akufo Addo accordingly. She [Rebecca] should tell Nana Addo that he is too old and cannot govern the nation like how President Mahama is governing the nation.

Nana Addo engaging in work and go politics  Asiedu Nketia

He further accused Nana Addo of engaging in what he calls work and go politics.

According to him, Nana Addo has left the country for London, and only comes occasionally to hold rallies and then returns abroad.

The NPP has a visiting Flagbearer who is in London. When he hears that we [NDC] are having a rally at Asawase, he takes an aeroplane and comes to holds a similar one and then leaves. When he hears that we are [NDC] are having a rally in Accra, then he comes and holds one in the same area and then leaves. Can we govern this country with work and go politics, he quizzed.



By: Marian Ansah/citifmonline.com/Ghana

Follow @EfeAnsah
The Institute for Democratic Governance (IDEG) and Civic Initiative Forum (CFI) would engage 1,100 electoral agents to observe and monitor the December Presidential and Parliamentary elections.

They would also establish 10 Civil Society Elections Situation Rooms (CESR) in all the regions with a national coordinating centre in Accra to disseminate credible information on the polls to the public.

Dr Kwesi Jonah a Senior Research Fellow of IDEG, announced this at an IDEG Civil Society Elections Situation Room Training Workshop for Regional Situation room Working Groups in Takoradi.

The Workshop, organised by IDEG with support from Mondelez, was to train and equip the participants with the knowledge and other necessary tools required for the effective operations in the elections.

He said the CESRs, which were being operated in conjunction with the Police and the Electoral Commission, would focus on data regarding the voting processes, voter turnouts, results from polling stations and collation centres.

It would also cover other incidents and events that may crop up at the various polling centres.

It is an operational room equipped with cameras, phones, television sets and other gadgets to monitor and gather information as events roll out before, during and after the December general elections, he explained.

Dr Jonah, who took the participants through the Political and Security content of the Elections, said though Ghana was doing well in its democratic dispensation, there were still indications that the elections could be violent if the necessary measures were not put in place to curb it.

He said the current hate speech and intemperate language used on radio and television stations as well as political party rallies could spark violence, stressing that: What is happening on our air waves is not talking about us going to vote but as if we are preparing for a war and this should be a source of concern for all.

Dr Jonah also mentioned the emergence of political vigilante groups, increase in the number of flash points, importation of small arms, poor social and economic conditions, the lack of political dialogue among political parties, and the issue of the winnertakes-all, as indicators that could all start violent acts.

He, in this regard, called for continuous prayers for the nation and asked all to shine their eyes and look out for these disturbing indicators.

Mr. Steve Opoku-Mensah, the Western Regional Director of the Electoral Commission, who took the participants through Electoral Process Leading to the Election Day, said the Electoral Laws allowed both manual and electronic verification.

He, therefore, urged all eligible voters to exercise their franchise provided their names were on the register.

He called all stakeholders to effectively play their roles to ensure free fair and successful polls.
One could almost hear the voice calling out to the Messiah. This voice, however, did not sound like the desperate and genuine voices that called out to Jesus Christ as he moved among the multitudes, healing the sick, raising the dead and giving hope to the hopeless. This voice did not come from any of the outcasts who needed attention from the Messiah.

It was the voice of one of the most senior disciples of the second most powerful Messiah of a land blessed by God, but which has been cursed with greed and thievery and insensitivity.

Look, Messiah, there sits a woman who cannot walk but has managed to make it to the crusade.

I came here to preach for followers. I did not come to heal the sick, said the Messiah, frankly.

You dont get it. Its an opportunity, a photo opportunity, the experienced disciple said.

Oh! I see. How do I take advantage of this opportunity?

Go and kneel beside her, not in front of her. Kneel just beside her so that we can get a good photograph. Make your face mmobo mmobo, I mean wear a sad face, a face that shows that you care. Fake it.

Thats easy, said the Messiah. Faking is one of the first things I learned when I joined this profession.

Great! We will take a photograph that shows that you are very caring. We will circulate it and tell the whole world that you are a listening and compassionate Messiah. It can win us more souls.

That sounds like a good idea, the Messiah lightened up.

Oh yes, the disciple agreed. In America, they kiss babies, but here we take advantage of the vulnerable. And it works.

You are a genius, the Messiah praised the disciple.

Well, I dont need to be a genius to know this. Didnt you see Nana Akufo-Addo with the head porters (kayayei) in Kumasi and his followers want us to believe that he wanted to listen to their concerns? Do you think he really needed them there to know about their concerns? Any idiot knows that they need decent jobs. I can tell you he brought them there to make a political statement. You know those miserable girls and women who have become beasts of burden are from Northern Ghana. And it made political sense to create a scene that suggested that the kayayei from the north have even fallen for him.

Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo meets head porters in Kumasi. These vulnerable groups are often exploited for votes and are forgotten until another election beckons.

After the rally, they will go back to the slums and street corners and in-between shops. There, they will endure the hardships of the weather. They will endure rape and defilement and other untold human rights abuses. And thats where they will remain after the elections. They will remain there if Akufo-Addo wins. Their benefit, if he wins, is that they wont pay market tolls. They will remain there if Mahama wins. They will be left to their miserable fate until another crucial election beckons.

But that is not good, the Messiah said, genuinely concerned.

Well, we all do it, the disciple reminded him.

Have you not seen huge billboards of President Mahama visiting the sick in the hospital, which are mounted across the country? And when you passed a derogatory comment about short people, didnt you see President Mahama posing for a photograph with a midget this week in the Volta Region?

But, if we take this photograph with the disabled woman, wont people want to know what my government has done for her and persons with disability? When a journalist from Adom FM recently asked my wife this question when she went to the Accra Psychiatric Hospital for a photo opportunity, she was nearly embarrassed. What saved her was that she used her patapaa to say she did not know. Even that was news.

Sir, thats not your headache. Those people have always been with us. What we need now is how to play on the emotions of people and win, the disciple assured him.

Havent you seen the huge billboards of President Mahama putting sandals on the feet of school children? Those photographs were taken in Ada when he launched the free school sandals programme for basic school children in June 2015. In all, 10, 000 sandals were distributed but we have more than 5,000,000 basic school children in the country.

In Ada East District where he launched the programme, we have over 17,000 basic school kids. This means that if all the sandals were given to only that small district, it would not be enough. We gave that District 1000 pairs of sandals.

President Mahama poses for a photo opportunity in the name of free school sandals programme. Theprogramme did not continue after this photo opportunity they christened pilot project

Four months after the launch, that silly boy at Joy FM called Manasseh Azure Awuni followed up and found about 300 pairs of sandals were still locked up in the Ghana Education Service stores after the distribution

Wow! Did Jesus perform a miracle? the Messiah interposed.

No, Sir. Those were oversized sandals. He found out that they were sizes ranging between 38 and 42. The District Director of Education said they could not get children whose feet were big enough for those sandals, the disciple explained.

That must be very embarrassing. So why do we still talk about it as an achievement? the Messiah asked, very concerned.

That did not stop us from proceeding with our agenda of listing it in our almighty Green Book as a monumental achievement and erecting gigantic billboards across the country to project the President as a loving and compassionate father of the nation, the disciple said. And I can tell you the cost of the billboards is higher than the amount we spent to provide the sandals.

I see, the Messiah sighed.

So this is your opportunity, too. Go and squat by the woman and lets get our paid propagandists to make this picture go viral. You wont be the first person to ignore the actual needs of persons living with disabilities.

Even the district assemblies have refused to give them the 2% the District Assembly Common Fund allocated to them, the disciple continued. SEND Ghana has published research upon research, indicating how that money is being misused but nothing has come out of it and nothing will come out of it.

This is sad, said the Messiah.

P.K!, ei sorry, Your Excellency, we dont have time, the disciple said, looking irritated. There is a crucial election to be won. This is not the time to feel sorry for people whose predicaments you did not create. I have asked that they clear the people in front of her. Go and squat by her and lets take the photograph. If there is anything you want to do for her, we can sort that out later.

[The photograph was taken. The Messiah received a lot of praises from bystanders. Awww Thats caring! Such a kind man. We will follow him always, the Multitude chorused. How do you feel that the second most powerful Messiah of our land came and spoke to you? that was a question from a journalist who cared more about his stomach than the plight of the people who were left behind. The Messiah was back in his air-conditioned Japanese Toyota V-8. He had forgotten about the what had happened until the disciple brought it up]

That was a good one, Messiah. You did it better than I imagined. You even put your hand on the ground.

That was to support me. I would have fallen, the Messiah confessed.

But the people will not know that, the disciple said. One of these days you have to help a woman wash her panties. I will have to arrange that for you. Things are not looking very good and we have to exploit every situation.

Wash panties? Are you sick? the Messiah protested.

Im sorry, Your Excellency, but thats the only novel thing I can think about. Dr. Kpesah Whyte stirred banku and it did not help him. Dr. Bawumia is pounding fufu and Okoe Vanderpuije is stirring banku and braiding hair. Akufo-Addo and his wife are going about eating kenkey with youth they would not associate with in normal times. I dont think there is anything left to be done. We must up our game. It will soon be over. You have to wash panties in order to stand out, the disciple said thoughtfully.

Nana Akufo-Addo posing as a hustler drinking sachet water and holding roasted ground nut.

And do you think that will work? the Messiah said.

It will work like magic. I heard someone say the other day that Okoe Vanderpuije is very down to earth. For such a high government official to braid hair means he really loves his people. I cringed when I heard this. This is a man who refused to resign when the Melcom building collapsed and killed 14 people and injured over sixty others. The building had no permit and his excuse was that he was not in charge when the building was put up.

Mayor of Accra, Alfred Okoe Vanderpuije, was too proud to apologise for when over 150 people were killed in the June 3 disaster. But he is braiding hair, stirring banku and braiding preparing soup for votes

Last year, more than 150 people were killed in the flood and fire disaster in Accra. He was in charge. Not only did he not resign but when the BBC asked whether he would apologise to the people of Accra, he said no. If such a person is braiding hair and winning souls, what cant you win by washing panties?

So whats the colour of the panties you want to select for me to wash? the Messiah asked.

It should either be black or red, any colour apart from white. We dont want Bawumia to say you are incompetent even in the washing of panties.

I thought as much, the Messiah said, and fell into a deep sleep of thinking, thinking about how to surmount his next gimmick before December 7!

The Writer, Manasseh Azure Awuni, is a senior broadcast journalist with Joy 99.7FM. The views expressed in this article are entirely his and do not represent the views of the station. His email address is [email protected]
24.10.2016 LISTEN

Ex-President Jerry John Rawlings has been challenged to stay away from lending support to the re-election efforts of President John Mahama as the 2016 elections approach.

The Member of Parliament for Nsawam-Adoagyiri, Frank Annoh-Dompreh, dared Ghanas longest-serving head of state as he addressed party supporters on Saturday October 22 in his constituency.

He called on Mr Rawlings to prove his statesmanship and stand by the principles of probity and accountability he espoused during the two decades he ruled the country by campaigning against the president and governing National Democratic Congress (NDC) flag bearer for the December 7 polls, John Mahama.

According to Mr Annoh-Dompreh, the former presidents previous admission that some 60 per cent of President Mahamas appointees are corrupt is enough reason for him to stick to his famous principles and denounce the NDC candidate in the upcoming polls.

I am reminding former President Rawlings of the principles of probity and accountability he drew on to order the execution of some corrupt persons [during his years as Ghanas military ruler], he said.

Today, the former president has admitted that 60 per cent of President Mahamas appointees are corrupt. Based on this, I challenge the former president to denounce NDC flag bearer John Mahama because of his corrupt appointees and, instead, campaign for Nana Akufo-Addo.
Much to the incredulity of the elite political class, Donald Trump is within the margin of error of Hillary Clinton's lead. Trump can stumble. Hillary could reboot and change the calculus. That said, right now: advantage Trump.

It gets harder with each passing day to change the fundamental dynamics of the race. The core dynamics of this are masked by a mainstream media preoccupation with non-issues such as Clintons walking pneumonia, Trumps acknowledgement that Obama was born in Hawaii, and so forth.

All that is noise. Few voters care about such trivia. Rather, voters care about prosperity, peace, and who seems better able to protect their interests and their values.

Above all, now, the voters care about the American Dream, composed of two elements: Prosperity and Economic Justice.

Both are legitimate and essential.

Trump leans heavily toward prosperity. From his prepared remarks for his recent speech to the New York Economics Club:

Im not running to be President of the world. Im running to be President of the United States  and as your President, I will fight for every last American job.

We are the nation that tamed the West, dug out the Panama Canal, won two World Wars, and put a man on the moon.

Its time to start thinking big once again.

Thats why I believe it is time to establish a national goal of reaching 4% economic growth.

In working with my economic team, weve put together a plan that puts us on track to achieve that goal. Over the next ten years, our economic team estimates that under our plan the economy will average 3.5% growth and create a total of 25 million new jobs. You can visit our website to see the math.

Thats a great message. Progressives doubt the messenger. They attack Trump as proposing to deliver a disproportionate share of the goodies to the wealthy. That charge is not obviously true.

Trump was the one Republican candidate during the primaries who drew a line in the sand against cutting Social Security benefits. He threatens punitive action against Big Business for shipping jobs to cheap labor places like Mexico. Believe it or not  like it or not  the message Im with you resonates with workers. (Full disclosure, Im proudly a dues paying member of the AFL-CIO.)

Ill take a boss who breaches etiquette but offers raises, bonuses, and opportunity for promotions. Thats preferable to one who has excellent manners but would manage the company  America  so there was no way up for me. Id rather have a boss who was committed to making the company  America  great, giving me both pride and a fighting chance to rise.

Clinton leans heavily toward economic justice. Thats admirable. That said, shes been deficient in charting a course toward prosperity to go with it. As Churchill once said in a speech in the House of Commons (22 October 1945), The inherent vice of capitalism is the unequal sharing of blessings; the inherent virtue of socialism is the equal sharing of miseries. JFK, on the other hand, said, a rising tide lifts all boats.

I am not here implying in any way that Clinton is a socialist. That said, the progressive policies she proposes, perhaps reluctantly due to her battles during the primaries with an authentic democratic socialist, carry rather more the whiff of shared misery than the vim and vigor of a rising tide. And after eight years  sixteen, to be fair  of sharing miseries, more misery, even virtuously shared, is not what the majority of voters want.

As to peace, Clinton is far more warlike. She voted for the invasion of Iraq. She played the critical role in persuading Obama to destroy Libya, making more room for Daesh, a/k/a ISIS, to enlarge its footprint. She unsuccessfully advocated for destroying the Syrian state.

Enough war. The voters want less, not more, even if war may be motivated by humanitarian sentiments.

Trump, on the other hand, has been consistent in reserving Americas military might for tightly targeted military action and seeking harmonious relations with China and with Russia. Trump, in his first major foreign policy address :

We desire to live peacefully and in friendship with Russia and China. We have serious differences with these two nations, and must regard them with open eyes, but we are not bound to be adversaries. We should seek common ground based on shared interests.

Russia, for instance, has also seen the horror of Islamic terrorism. I believe an easing of tensions, and improved relations with Russia from a position of strength only is possible, absolutely possible. Common sense says this cycle, this horrible cycle of hostility must end and ideally will end soon. Good for both countries.

Some say the Russians wont be reasonable. I intend to find out. If we cant make a deal under my administration, a deal thats great  not good, great  for America, but also good for Russia, then we will quickly walk from the table. Its as simple as that. Were going to find out.

Fixing our relations with China is another important step  and really toward creating an even more prosperous period of time.

Our goal is peace and prosperity, not war and destruction.

Meanwhile, much has been written about the relatively greater tactical  or at least logistical  competence of the Clinton campaign. Thats not inconsequential.

That said, consistent with Clintons old school militancy, her campaign appears rooted in Overkill. That was good for winning World Wars I and II but also proved a losing formula in Vietnam. She appears tone deaf to what we learned about winning with guerrilla tactics from the young David Petraeus. As I wrote here in criticizing the Republican consultant class, who, sure enough relying on Firepower, lost to Trump:

The first rule of the new style of war, as of the new politics (wars being, as Clausewitz observed, politics by other means) is Youve got to have the people on your side  if you want to win. This was voiced by the character Pierre Raspeguy in a novel about the loss of French Indochina, The Centurians by Jean Larteguy . That novel, in the hands of David Petraeus (and many other counterinsurgency military theorists), helped redefine modern American military doctrine. It holds the key lesson.

That lesson  Youve got to have the people on your side  if you want to win  applies with at least equal force to politics. Trump seems to get it. Clinton, not so much.

Moreover:

Asked at a press conference what it took to defeat an insurgency, Westmoreland answered with a single word: Firepower. Big-unit war backed by firepower was Westmorelands strategy for beating the Vietcong, and nothing ever altered his view.

The root error behind Westmorelands failure was the generals belief that the enemys main force units were the problem, and that he could hammer out a win with a strategy he called search and destroy. The idea was General William DePuys, who had noted a ten-to-one kill ratio that favored Americans in early battles of the war. We are going to stomp them to death, DePuy told a reporter. 

 Nick Turse  reminds us again of what Americans mainly prefer to forget.  orders issued by Captain Ernest Medina before an attack in March 1968 on a Vietnamese village variously known to history as Pinkville, Son My, and My Lai.

Are we supposed to kill women and children? one of his men asked.

Kill everything that moves, the captain replied.

Clinton and her campaign are pounding Donald Trump and his supporters every chance they get. Vilifying Trump supporters as a basket of deplorables is Firepower. She is stuck in a kind of us against them mode. Her authentic sweet, nurturing, side is curiously absent.

Pity.

The Clinton campaign prefers to project her toughness and competence, and she often comes off as a common scold. That is not really appealing. Notwithstanding his occasional boorish comments Trump is presenting as the more nurturing of the two.

This is why Trump could be viable.

Clinton is not adept at getting the people on her side. Trump is harshly critical of Clinton, yes. That said he spends the vast majority of his air power proclaiming his love for people and promising to fight for their interests and dignity. He is shrewdly employing the essential doctrine of guerrilla warfare in his campaign: Youve got to have the people on your side  if you want to win.

If Trumps message is one of equitable prosperity while Clinton leans too far left it is likely that Trump will break out in an unstoppable surge to the White House. Getting the people on your side beats "Firepower.

A version of this column originated at Forbes.com
Until the current crop of NDC operatives surfaced, no family in Ghana had illegally gone from rags to riches faster than the Ahwois. From selling corn dough (Mmore) in Kumasi to stealing their way into multi-millionaire status, the Ahwoi brothers have abused the socialist doctrine and looted our nations coffers, all the while inflicting on our dear nation destructive policies at the onset of the Fourth Republic. Thus it is repulsive to see Kwamena Ahwoi continuing to spew his illogical arguments and pronouncements at a time when a more competent party is trying to rescue the nation from the Mahama looters.

Speaking recently as if he just learned how to string words together to form a sentence, Kwamena Ahwoi said the largest opposition party has no track record of policies that have long-term benefits for the development of the country and cannot be entrusted with the mandate again to govern the country. Clearly, he either lacks basic understanding of policies, or he is a hopeless liar.

The fact is that only the NPP administration saw the birth of policies and programs such as NHIS, NYEP, School Feeding Program, Free Maternal Care, Metro Mass Transit, Capitation Grant, Procurement Act, and a host of others designed to rein in corruption and set the nation on a long-term growth path. The only reason why the long-term potential of these programs has been jeopardized is that the incompetent Mahama administration simply has no interest in effective governance, and is utterly incapable of managing the country.

Another illogical argument Kwamena Ahwoi made is the notion that young people perform better in government than their older counterparts. Although Ghana has some of the brightest young people in the world, those who have featured in NDC administrations have been disastrous for our nation based on their abysmal track record. They have proved that they lack the requisite experience to understand the ramifications of their actions, behaviors, and the policies they pursue. Moreover, having mostly originated from poverty, they have therefore used their positions in office to amass wealth to last them a lifetime, while the rest of the nation wallows in poverty.

Ahwois basic lack of understanding leads him to interpret youth empowerment as

putting young people in leadership positions for which they are not ready. Lifting the Ablakwas, the Kweteys, and the Lante-Vanderpujes from the streets and putting them in charge of policy without first grooming them for those positions is not only foolish, it is irresponsible. The NPP believes in empowering the youth. But ours, on the other hand, is more about grooming them to face the future, either in leadership or in entrepreneurial endeavors. Governance entails having the experience to do the job, and the temperament to remain cordial even against opponents. NDC has neither.

Ahwoi demonstrated a gross misunderstanding of human character when he said:

The difference between the personality of John Dramani Mahama and Nana Akufo-Addo is that, John Mahama is humble, he is respectful, he does not speak by heart, I mean he thinks carefully before making any utterances. When I was a minister several years ago, he held a deputy ministerial portfolio. But up to date even as President, he gives me that respect and calls me Uncle Kwamena and salutes me.

That means we are to believe Mahama thought carefully when he made the following remarks: Yentie obiara, I am like a dead goat, Ashantis would not like me even if I pave their streets with gold, Vote for me because I am a Northerner, Dumsor will be a thing of the past in one year (2012), etc, etc. Even more infantile is the fact that Kwamena Ahwoi is happy to be called Uncle Kwamena by the president who turns around and insults members of the Fante Confederacy, while at the same time he has alienated them from governance.

If one is looking for logical arguments from Kwamena Ahwoi, one is again disappointed with the following submissions: The NDC remains united. NPP today is disintegrated. They dont have a Chairman, a General Secretary and 1st National Vice Chairman. Victory is associated with unity. He further said the unity within the NDC had made it possible for the party to launch its manifesto, a document that he claimed has development as its objective.

For the record, the NDC has split twice since 1992. Due to divisive politics, the Obed Asamoah faction split in 2008, followed by the Nana Konadu Rawlings faction in 2012, to form their own parties. Conversely, the NPP has remained together for the past 24 years due to our ability to work out our differences. It wasnt until the Mahama administration began to influence certain party officers that the NPP followed due process to suspend those who were working against the partys interest. The suspension is an indication that in an NPP government, no official would be too big to escape justice, which is a far cry from the NDC government which is notorious for protecting thieving officials.

With regards to the NDC manifesto having development as its objective, lets ask what happened to their past manifestos? This is a party that sees a manifesto as a propaganda piece in which they make promises they have no intention of fulfilling. That explains why after 16 years in government, the NDC has nothing but a trail of broken promises to show. In fact, IMANI recently ascertained that the Mahama administration had fulfilled only a fraction of the promises they made in their 2012 manifesto. That is why Ghanaians are not buying their latest promises.

But perhaps the worst case of ill-logic and grotesque deception is the fact that Kwamena Ahwoi had the temerity to go and praise Dr. K. A. Busia in the Brong Ahafo Region last week. This is the same Kwamena Ahwoi who called Dr. Busia a puppet of American and British imperialism during the 1969 election campaign. As a communist sixth-form student at Opoku Ware Secondary School in Kumasi, Ahwoi went as far as removing Dr. Busias campaign posters from the VW Beetle belonging to Father Abrampa from Brong Ahafo, the schools Catholic Priest. The people of Brong Ahafo will not be deceived again this time.

The NDC has thrived on lies and deception led by their old sidelined horses like Kwamena Ahwoi. But Ghanaians have seen through their propaganda, and now the NDC is having difficulty connecting with the people. But it is election season so they have resorted to all manner of deceptive tactics including outright lies and misrepresentations. Yet even in this pursuit, one must at least be logical, a concept completely foreign to the likes of Kwamena Ahwoi.

NPP-USA Public Relations Committee
CHRISTIANS and non-Christians, I salute you all in the name of our dear Lord Jesus Christ who died on the cross, rose on the third day and ascended into heaven and sits at the right side of God, the Father Almighty. Since this article is about who a Christian should vote for, I wish readers answer the question below;

Which is more important to you as a Christian,

Your Eternal Life or Your Political Life?

Everyone residing within the boundaries of a vast area classified as a country has the right and a voice in everything that goes on within those boundaries. Christians within the boundaries of Ghana should therefore not be left out of this years elections. Christians are to take seriously their obligations as citizens including exercising their right to vote. Since it is our ultimate aim, as Christians, to love and help everyone in the country especially those afar, it is very necessary to be part of the election process of the country by executing what our Lord and our God, Jesus Christ taught about 2000 years ago. Christians have been advised to seek the welfare of any city they find themselves in (Jeremiah 29:7).

The questions which normally come out from these discussions are; what did Jesus Christ teach? And how should that affect my vote as a Christian? Is the Christian not supposed to act and vote basing on how and what they feel just like most unbelievers?

In order to respond to any of these questions it is very important to understand who a Christian is. A Christian is any individual who BELIEVES that Jesus Christ died on the cross and rose (bodily) again on the third day and ascended to heaven and sits at the right side of God, the Father Almighty. This Christian also believes that there is life after dead and that Jesus Christ is the only one who can give eternal life after this time bound life ends. Once you believe (not pretence) in Jesus Christ, you have automatically changed from your old self to your new self and will then walk in the word of God (no matter how difficult it is). You have automatically joined a holy nation and are now a citizen of the priesthood of Jesus Christ who is our High Priest.

This can be seen in 1 Peter 2:9-10 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light: Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy. It should be noted that there are unbelievers who are always among believers. Matthew 7:20-21 clearly stated this; Therefore by their fruits you will know them. Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the Will of My Father in heaven.

The WILL of the Father was what His Son, Jesus Christ, came to earth to reveal and to fulfil. God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9).

The Son made it clear in John 14:6 that He is the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except by Him (The Son). Everything about his life on earth shows that He is the truth. In fact, truth emerges from Him; that is His nature. He is truthful not because He acts or speaks the truth but He is. There would not be truth without Jesus Christ. Hence, all those who truly believe in the Son, Jesus Christ, will always be led by the TRUTH. Wherever you find yourself, your main objective as a Christian is to tell and act the truth as taught by Jesus Christ. Always following this Truth, no matter what it takes, is what shows one has ETERNAL LIFE. Anything a believer does must be based on the TRUTH including the vote they will cast in this years elections.

HOW SHOULD YOUR BELIEVE IN JESUS CHRIST AFFECT YOUR VOTE?

Readers should take note that the purpose of this is not to advice any Christian to vote for Candidate X or Candidate Y but it is to remind Christians who they are and on which BIBLICAL PRINCIPLES they are to vote.

First and Foremost, what every Christian needs to think of before deciding on who to vote for is who they are as Christians and what they stand for. A Christian does not have to be ignorant about the country they reside. Adequate information needs to be solicited to inform them to enable them make profound decision.

A CHRISTIAN WILL VOTE FOR THE TRUTH

God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth (John 4:24).

When a Christians vote is not based on the Truth then that person is a liar. If we, Christians, are supposed to follow what is true then our actions and deeds including our votes must be based on the truth. Let us assume, Parliamentary Candidate SAD is not competent for a position and everything shows this but then a Christian voter, due to influences in terms of material things, go on to vote for this candidate then this Christian has not been truthful to him/herself and also has not been truthful to God. Even if this candidate is in his/her party and all evidences show that he/she is not competent compared to the opponents candidate, he/she still has to vote for what is true that is vote for the competent candidate in the opposition party.

Imagine our parliamentarians (especially the Christians which on observation are about 60% or more) in parliament vote basing on the truth and not on minority or majority grounds, where do you think our dearest country would be by now? On this, I will advise and encourage all Christians to be led by the Holy Spirit to vote what is true and not on financial or other gains or on party grounds.

Remember, Jesus Christ said he is with us always and everywhere and this includes the voting booth. He is watching you! (Matthew 28:20).

A CHRISTIAN WILL NOT VOTE SELFISHLY

Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others (Philippians 2:4).

An individual is selfish when he/she looks after their own desires. They are concerned with their own interests, needs, and wishes while ignoring those of others. In time past Christians, unknowingly, voted selfishly, ignoring the interests, needs and wishes of others especially the poor and the needy who are far off. Some people did not consider the lives and wellbeing of others living elsewhere before casting their votes.

They were mostly concerned about what they have been given or promised by political parties. These includes and not limited to cash promises, vehicle promises, positions in party offices and in governments. It is our responsibility not to only think about the benefits that will come to us but to also think about how others will also benefit from the votes we are going to cast in this and every other elections.

When someone chooses to vote the wrong candidate (due to their selfishness) and goes to your detriment, will you be happy? Do not forget we are supposed to do unto others what we want others to do unto us (Matthew 7:12). Christians should not engage themselves in such behaviours. Let your conscience judge you.

Remember, whoever shuts his ears to the cry of the poor will also cry himself and not be heard (Proverbs 21:13).

A CHRISTIAN WILL VOTE FOR A LEADER WHO IS READY TO SACRIFICE HIS LIFE FOR ALL.

Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends (John 15:13).

Sacrificing ones life including ones family, friends and other relations for the purpose of improving the lives of people is what is expected from a leader. Giving up of something valuable or important for somebody or something else considered to be of more value or importance. This kind of sacrifices was witnessed by some Ghanaians in history, specifically during and after our independence. Our founding fathers did not think about what they will get but rather what was right for the country as at that time. Most died during and after the fight for Ghanas Independence. Can you be sincere and speak same of our leaders today? I understand the person who stirs the soup definitely will try and taste it but then when gluttony sets in, it makes it wickedness.

Thank God for making it possible for us to get background details about most, if not all, of the presidential and parliamentary candidates for this years elections (basing on their past records as members of parliaments, government employees/appointees or business men) to easily determine which of them will be able to sacrifice his/her life for the country if given the mandate. If all indications suggest that a candidate finds it very difficult to sacrifice their lives for the people of Ghana then that candidate is not worthy to earn your vote.

Remember, a good shepherd gives His life for the sheep (John 10:11).

A CHRISTIAN WILL VOTE FOR A LEADER WHO BEARS THE FRUIT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: (Gal 5:22-23)

Everyone can bear witness that, most candidates mount platforms and exhibits characters that are not from the Holy Spirit. They say they want peace but their actions and especially their words suggest otherwise. Christians are not to condone such attitudes and are to shun them. Politics should not be the reason for any Christian to act contrary to what the word teaches. We need to show love in our deeds and in our words on both political and church platforms. Our actions as Christians do not need to change depending on where we find ourselves. We are to emulate Jesus Christ anywhere we find ourselves, at work places, in our homes, schools, on the streets, at the malls, in the trotros, at the flagstaff house, in parliament and even as president.

Arrogance, pride, unwholesome or corrupt words, hot tempers and so on are not fruit of the Holy Spirit therefore any politician who exhibits any of these is not worthy to earn your vote as a Christian.

There are other categories of so called Christians who go about exhibiting certain characteristics that are not of the Holy Spirit or that are not expected of Christians. These people include;

1. Those who discard or deface posters belonging to other political parties.

2. Those who cover posters belonging to other political parties with their posters.

3. Those who go about deceiving people who are not well informed about national issues thereby making them vote wrongly. Yes, you call it politics but I call it deception.

4. Those who bear false witness against political candidates.

5. And others.

What is actually driving you, brothers and sisters in Christ, to do all these things? What is your purpose in life? Have you lost your grounds on why you are Christians?

Remember, let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers (Ephesians 4:29).

A CHRISTIAN WILL VOTE FOR A LEADER WHO CAN HOLD PEOPLE ACCOUNTABLE.

But I say unto you, that every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the Day of Judgment. (Matthew 12:36)

Since we are created in Gods image and have been sent by him, everyone will give an account to Him (Romans 14:12). A leader who does not hold people accountable does not have the nation at heart. When people are put in offices to aid this leader to rule the nation, these people need to account for everything they have been entrusted with from day one of their induction into office to the last day of their deduction from office. A leader who does not hold people accountable but let them go free is not a just leader.

If really such a leader has the nation at heart he will. Every penny entrusted to people in power must be accounted for. We have all read about the Parable of the Talents in Luke 19:11-27. In the parable, the rich man made each servant account for what he gave them before he journeyed far off and it was seen that those who did not make any gain with what they were entrusted with were taken from them and given to those who had the ability to.

Every creature will account to God on how they lived their lives whiles on earth. Therefore, if accountability is very important why wont a Christian vote for someone who can equally hold people accountable for what has been assigned to them?

Remember, and I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books (Revelation 20:12).

A CHRISTIAN WILL VOTE FOR TRANSPARENCY.

Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another (Ephesians 4:25).

A CHRISTIAN WILL VOTE FOR A LEADER WHO HAS A CLEAR ARTICULATED VISION AND MISSION.

For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it (Luke 14:28).

ABOVE ALL PRAY FOR GUIDANCE FROM THE HOLY SPIRIT.

It is written Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths (Proverbs 3:5-6). It is important to understand as Christians that, the Holy Spirit guides us to exercise our rights according to the will of God. Therefore, having observed all these, let us not forget to pray with open hearts to hear clearly what God has instructed us to do.

If you go and vote for what is wrong knowingly after praying, then it is better you did not pray at the first place. We violate Gods will if we do not do the right thing expected of us to do as Christians and thereby suffer the consequences. Therefore, if we know whole heartedly what is right as per the guidance of the Holy Spirit, then let us go and do it not only in this elections but anywhere we find ourselves.

Remember, but when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come (John 16:13).

ARE CHRISTIANS TO VOTE FOR LESSER OF TWO EVILS? NO, THATS NOT WHAT I MEAN!

For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Romans 3:23

Apart from our Lord and our God, Jesus Christ who died on the cross about 2000 years ago, no one has ever lived a sinless life. Glancing through all the founders of other faiths (religions) you will not find anyone who lived a meaningful righteous life apart from our Saviour Jesus Christ.

Therefore, I am not asking you to go to the polls with the mind of voting for the lesser evil among these candidates. They are not heavenly beings without sin or a nature to go against Gods laws or will. By the standard of Gods law, everyone is a lair (Romans 3:4); this doesnt mean we should vote for a person we know has a pattern of lying or a habitual liar; or a pattern of misrepresenting the truth; or a pattern of caring less about the country and more about themselves, their families, friends or associates.

Remember, I am sending you out like sheep surrounded by wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves (Matthew 10:16).

WHAT ELSE SHOULD WE KNOW BEFORE CASTING OUR VOTES?

It should also be noted that, when Christians vote, they are delegating their rights to rule and execute JUSTICE to another person in a Democratic Republic like Ghana. You need to be involved in the delegation process. We should know that this system cannot save or redeem us but it will ultimately execute GODS JUSTICE by rewarding good and punishing evil. So if you do not take part in this delegation process then do not complain if GODS JUSTICE is not executed by the person who is finally elected.

The bible says rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil. Do you want to be unafraid of the authority? Do what is good, and you will have praise from the same. For he is God's minister to you for good. But if you do evil, be afraid; for he does not bear the sword in vain; for he is God's minister, an avenger to execute wrath on him who practices evil (Romans 13:3-4). Therefore submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake, whether to the king as supreme, or to governors, as to those who are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and for the praise of those who do good (1 Peter 2:13-14).

From these quotations we can all agree that, not every candidate is a potential minister of God to execute JUSTICE (Matthew 7:16). Those that are only determined to execute justice are those that Christians can call Gods Ministers. Woe betide anyone who sits on the seat of governance and does not execute justice for when the time is due the JUDGE of all judges will do what is right (Genesis 18:25). And woe betide any person who knows that truth and do not vote for it but rather vote otherwise (James 4:17).

If we want murderers, liars, selfish, power hungry, self-centred people to be our leaders or to rule us then thats what we are going to get. If you vote someone into office who you know wilfully practices consistent selfish activities then it means you are in approval of their conducts. Remember, for who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them (Romans 1:32).

If you truly believe Jesus Christ and that this world is not your home but you are just passing through, then please take heed to this, think through thoroughly and ask yourself whether it is morally right to just vote for anyone who does not represent you. How different are you if you do not heed to the word of God but heed to the practices of unbelievers? If we do not live according to the biblical principles revealed to us by God through His Son, Jesus Christ, then we do not have any business doing with him hence we do not have the right to call ourselves CHRISTIANS.

Ransford Kwakye

EMAIL: [email protected] FACEBOOK: www.facebook.com/TheMinistryTM/or SEARCH: The Ministry Inc.

(Am ever ready to have any discussion with anyone concerning this article)
Thousands of National Democratic Congress (NDC) sympathizers in the North Tongu constituency of the Volta Region poured out from their homes to take part in the campaign launch of the incumbent MP Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa on Sunday.

The supporters were clad in their party paraphernalia and converged at the Aveyime Taxi rank amidst singing and drumming.

The event was attended by big shots of the party including Dr Omane Boamah, Felix Ofosu Kwakye, Madam Dzifa Atsivor, Madam Dzifa Gomashie, Dan Abordakpui, among others.

Mr. Ablakwa, addressing the the enthusiastic crowd said the North Tongu constituency was not impressed by the opposition New Patriotic Partys promises since they are already enjoying better development from the current government.

He outlined the various projects executed in the area adding that the constituents would not settle for anything less from the NPP.



By: King Nobert Akpablie/citifmonline.com/Ghana
One of the negative attributes of the Ghana Police Service is its selective enforcement of the law. Its Animal Farm style of performance is a justifiable source of worry.

The police actions and inactions are predictable to a fault, something which has added to the image contagion the institution is suffering and impacting negatively upon its efficiency. Not that it is the only state institution which is listing badly in terms of its appeal to the public, but because as the foremost enforcer of the law, personnel should be bereft of image blemishes  avoidable ones of course  as in the case of allowing themselves to be pushed around by politicians.

Regarding the predictability of the institution, one such instance played out last week when the Northern Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Bugri Naabu, was said to have passed some remarks to which the ruling party's branch in the same region called them (police) to take action.

Equally so, Rev Owusu Bempah also made a prediction which the law enforcement agency found worthy of probing and proceeded to invite him for questioning.

Fantastic observation that is! The police have responded to emerging developments which is what is expected of a law enforcement agency worth its salt. Unfortunately, we can predict as we have always done that when same remarks are made by politicians on the other side of the political divide, the police would hardly react as they have in the case of the NPP Regional Chairman. That is the integrity challenge robbing the police of the deference they require to perform to the satisfaction of their publics across the country.

We would say it for the umpteenth time that when politicians interfere in the affairs of the police, particularly dabbling in their recruitment and administrative issues alongside politically profiling personnel, the outcome is the smelly selective enforcement of the law we are suffering today in the country.

While it is also the reason for the dangerous impunity being put up by citizens predisposed to the ruling party, it would continue to hang around the neck of the police like an albatross until the sanity all well-meaning Ghanaians are longing for is restored in the Service and other state institutions.

What do you expect when government directs that certain top persons within the hierarchy of the law enforcement system stay put even when their retirement is due. Those who benefit from this inappropriate political benevolence of the government would invariably do as their benefactors demand, including not arresting party foot soldiers even when they destroy state properties as they did at the Electoral Commission (EC) office in Suhum, Eastern Region, recently.

There has been no arrest  a prediction Ghanaians got right soon after the incident. They made similar predictions about the police not responding when even worse remarks were made by pro-ruling party elements.

Stephen Atubigah of the NDC said had a certain object hurled at President John Mahama in Ejisu hit him, there would have been bloodshed in the country. That appeared to have been lost to the police because neither a statement originated from their end nor an invitation extended to the loose talker.

When an NDC communicator spoke about cutlasses to be used against the NPP supporters, we thought as did many, for the first time that the police would move into action, given the seriousness of the remark. We were wrong. Nothing happened and the man enjoyed the protection provided by the large umbrella of the NDC. Indeed, it is this umbrella under which all manner of defaulters of the law hide not to be reached by the law enforcers.

We would have loved to spare the police the uncharitable observations we occasionally come up with because it is an institution which should not be put on the spot. Its failure to enforce the law without fear or favour as it is done in politically civilized cultures is, however, too serious to be spared harsh words.

One of the developments we are longing for is a situation where the police can discharge their duties without undue interference from a ruling party. Someday we shall overcome this anomaly and join the comity of the decent and civilized.
Taking selfie whilst mass is in progress is devilish, a most reverend Archbishop has revealed.

The Accra Metropolitan Archbishop of the Roman Catholic Church The Most Reverend Charles Gabriel Palmer-Buckle has warned the youth not to take selfie whilst mass is in progress because it is blocking their way to salvation.

The outspoken man of God says the youth of this generation are fond of taking photos whilst church service is in progress but he believes that is a medium set by the devil to deny the youth from listening to the word of God.

He made a passionate appeal to the youth to quit that habit at the Awoshie-Anyaa St. Francis of Assisi Churchs dedication.

-newsnie
Five years after Colonel Gaddafi's death, Anders Fogh Rasmussen speaks with 'UpFront' about the Libyan intervention:

 Praises the 2011 NATO air war against the Gaddafi regime: It was really a model intervention

 Says the US did not provide the necessary leadership to ensure stability in post-war Libya

 Absolves Hillary Clinton of any responsibility for the post-intervention chaos: She doesn't bear responsibility for the mess in Libya today

Five years after Gaddafi's death, Anders Fogh Rasmussen, the former head of NATO and former Danish prime minister, spoke to Al Jazeera English's current affairs show, Upfront, about the 2011 Libyan intervention.

It was really a model intervention, he told host Medhi Hasan. A precision operation with a minimum of civilian casualties, a minimum of collateral damage.

Rasmussen was the secretary-general of NATO during the 2011 military intervention in Libya and helped organise the international coalition.

A recent report by the UK Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee found that, as a result of NATO's intervention, Libya has seen political and economic collapse, internal warfare, humanitarian and refugee crisis, the growth of ISIL, and the spread of Gaddafi's weapons across the region.

Rasmussen criticised the United States and the international community for failing to provide post-intervention leadership.It's an unfortunate example that the US did not provide the necessary leadership, he said.Whenever in the future we engage in military operations, such operations should be accompanied by a well thought-through political strategy for handling the post-conflict situation.

Hasan asked Rasmussen about Hillary Clinton's role in the military intervention and whether she bares any responsibility for the current instability in Libya.She doesn't bear responsibility for the mess in Libya today, said Rasmussen. I don't think you can blame Hillary Clinton or NATO.

When asked by Hasan whether his conscience was clear over his own role in the intervention, given the subsequent violence, Rasmussen responded, Yeah. Absolutely Because we started an operation based on a UN mandate. We concluded after having solved that problem.
Validated creditors of DKM Microfinance who were paid below the minimum amounts received so far are to be paid their respective locked up investments soon.

This is the assurance from the Official Liquidator for the company.

Some customers were angry with the Registrar General's Department after being paid as little as 10 or 20 cedis after investing between 1000 and 1,500 cedis with the company.

This triggered the creditors to boycott the process amidst threatening to vote the current party out of government.

But Principal Company Inspector for the official liquidator, Jones Nathaniel Ansah, explains to Citi Business News the development is an error which will be rectified as soon as possible.

Some remove the money from investment to savings. When they are moving the money back from savings to investment they don't want to close their account entirely. So they leave that ten cedis twenty cedis, fifty cedis in that account.

He added that What we've also realized is that DKM itself never captured a lot of those creditors onto their server. So that is what we found in their server. They will get that money and then as well get their investment.

He assured that creditors will receive all their locked up cash soon.

We are doing a manual validation. A lot of the claims they submitted to us wasn't on their system so we are going to do it manually. We've invited the workers of DKM to join us to PWC for them to do this manually so that we can capture all creditors and settle them amicably.

Official Liquidator for DKM begins 'extra' payments

Creditors of DKM Microfinance Limited who were not paid in the first week of payments received their investments Saturday.

The Principal Company Inspector for the official liquidator, Jones Nathaniel Ansah told Citi Business News that some of those who have so far not received any payment are getting their monies today (Saturday). The commercial bank has reassigned them to come for their monies.

A total of 4000 creditors were expected to be paid everyday for the first week of payment across the eight selected branches of GCB Bank.

The exercise has however seen a lot of brouhaha as some creditors in the various regions complain of the amount they are been paid.



By: Jessica Ayorkor Aryee/citibusinessnews.com/Ghana
THE ASHANTI Regional Secretary of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Samuel Pyne has criticized President John Dramani Mahama and his two aides-de-camp  Vice President and Chief of Staff  for abandoning government business and the Flagstaff House to engage in cacophonic propaganda.

According to him, it appears the President and his appointees, in their desperation, are prepared to do virtually anything to perpetuate themselves in power, tripping over each other on national campaign with flip-flopping messages to woo voters.

Speaking on Hello Fm, a local radio station in Kumasi, Mr. Pyne said it was no secret that the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) was growing increasingly desperate about the impending election after realizing it had lost grounds.

Numerous tactics have been attempted. First it was to kalyppo politics from the Chief of Staff and then, when that clearly wasnt going to work, the President throws out an open challenge for debate with Nana Addo after turning down an offer by the IEA. We certainly can't trust these guys, he indicated.

The NPP Secretary noted that President Mahama was wrongfully blaming the media for the party's woes because none of the NDC's tricks was working, intimating that the NDC leader was demanding media support since his campaign kept on stumbling.

President John Mahama, in an interview with Ovation Magazine recently, pointed accusing fingers at the media in Ghana for blocking his transformation message to the citizens.

It is populism, a certain group has taken control of the media in Ghana, and it makes it difficult for people to discern the truth. So as much as you are putting out the information, it is either being blocked or distorted, he stated.

However, some media practitioners and analysts of political communication believe the Presidents notion is bizarre and has no chance of passing the test of strict proof, but rather it speaks volumes about the leaderships panic.

The effect of such notion may court more enemies in media circles for the President and his government, virtually guaranteeing overwhelming support for his main opponent, the NPP.

And for many it has confirmed the suspicion that government and the party communicators have willfully failed to live up to expectation.

Host of Oman FM's Morning Show Fiifi Boafo called on the President to blame his appointees since they had failed to make good use of opportunities given them to trumpet the good works of the government.

Manasseh Azure Awuni, an award-winning journalist, said the president was yet to wake up to the reality as his media handlers have, on a number of occasions, attracted unnecessary bad press, which contradicts the president's personality and values as a media-friendly gentleman.

From Ernest Kofi Adu, Kumasi
Nana Kwame Asante II, the chief of Fufuo in the Ashanti Region, has expressed gross concern over the increasing level of hardship in the country.

He bemoaned that hardship has reached the roofing levels and the trend has made life extremely unbearable for the populace.

Nana Asante II stressed the need for something urgent to be done to help reduce the level of hardship and poverty that has gripped the people.

The suffering in the country now is too much for the people to bear. In fact, this is the gospel truth and it must be told, the traditional leader pointed out.

He was speaking when Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) presidential candidate, paid a courtesy call on him on Thursday.

Nana Akufo-Addo who was on a four-day campaign tour of the Ashanti Region was visiting the area to campaign, so he decided to pay homage to the chief.

Nana Asante II said majority of the population were facing severe economic problems, reiterating that the hardship is too much.

He said as a chief, he is not allowed to indulge in partisan politics, saying, But as a Ghanaian, I have the right to complain if things are going bad.

Nana Asante II lambasted politicians who fabricate blatant lies against their political opponents in order to win undeserved votes.

He admonished politicians to campaign on issues and policies and stop peddling falsehoods and lies just to win votes during polls.

Nana Asante II said Ghanaians are discerning, so they would cast their ballot for the political party that will present the best message to develop the country.

FROM I.F. Joe Awuah Jnr., Kumasi
Some teacher trainees at the Presbyterian College of Education (PCE) in Akropong in the Eastern Region have declared their support for the New Patriotic Party (NPP) presidential candidate, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.

According to them, the NPP has outlined policies and programmes that would help improve the training of teachers in the country.

They argued that the NPP has qualitative educational policies, as well as programmes that would ensure teacher retention and boost their performance.

They urged all teacher trainees across the country to vote massively for the NPP in the December polls.

The leader of the group, Mathias Larbi Ansah, addressing a press conference said, We appeal to all teacher trainees in training colleges in Ghana never to think twice in voting for Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.

We, the students of PCE, are overly confident in the manifesto of the NPP: we believe Ghanaian students won't be disappointed, and certainly an Akufo-Addo administration will honour the details of this manifesto, he added.

The trainee teachers said, A vote for Nana Addo is a vote for moderate fees, full payment of allowances, qualitative educational standards and good job placement after school.

They also endorsed the NPP parliamentary candidature for the Akropong constituency Nana Ama Dokua.

According to them, her contributions and commitment to the development of the college are unparalleled.

We, the students of PCE, having met all the parliamentary candidates in the constituency, have come to the conclusion that the NPP candidate is our best bet going into 2016 elections, Ansah said.

The students, who are unhappy with government for withdrawing their allowances, said the NPP would fulfill its promise of fully restoring the allowances when voted into power.

They criticized government for restoring the allowances of nurse trainees and leaving trainee teachers in the country to their fate.

According to them, the decision is discriminatory and intended to win sympathy votes from trainee nurses.

They wondered why President Mahama, who had earlier indicated his readiness to lose the December 7 elections due to the cancellation of the allowances, backtracked at the last-minute to pay the allowances of trainee nurses recently.

From Daniel Bampoe, Akropong
Daniel Ohene Agyekum

24.10.2016 LISTEN

A former ambassador to the United Kingdom (UK) Daniel Ohene Agyekum says he became an active member of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) on his own accord after receiving an invite from former President Flt. Lieutenant Jerry John Rawlings who was then head of state to become a government functionary.

The former Eastern Regional Secretary [Minister] stated that he was apolitical and it was President Rawlings who at the time extended him an invite to become part of the Provisional National Defense Council (PNDC) administration.

At that time I had no interest dabbling in active politics as a civil servant. It was President Rawlings who saw the good things in me and appointed me to the Eastern Region as Secretary to government business in the PNDC regime.

The former Ambassador to the UK also revealed that having worked with President Rawlings for a while, he had another opportunity to become Ashanti Regional Minster under this Forth Republic.

The NDC guru made these revelations during a radio interview on Fox FM in Kumasi calling on party executives to resolve their differences and work towards a resounding victory for the NDC in election 2016.
George Lawson

24.10.2016 LISTEN

The Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) has released its latest language monitoring report covering the month of September. During the month, a total of 14 incidents of indecent expressions were recorded on a total of 1,906 radio programmes monitored on 60 radio stations across the country.

Officials, supporters and affiliates of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) were the most culpable in the use of indecent expressions on radio during the month of September. The two parties were each cited for the use of five (5) indecent expressions. Officials, supporters and affiliates of the National Democratic Party (NDP) followed with 2 incidents of indecent expressions while the Ghana Freedom Party (GFP) recorded one (1) incident.

Overall, Mr. George Lawson, Deputy General Secretary of the NDC was cited for the highest number of abusive comments during the month of September. He was cited for 4 different incidents of indecent expressions.

Six out of the 60 stations monitored recorded the 14 incidents of indecent expressions. Accra-based Happy FM topped the pack with 6 out of the 14 indecent expressions recorded. Okay FM, also an Accra-based radio station followed with 4 recorded incidents.

The full report with other details on other individuals who used indecent expressions and the radio stations that recorded these incidents can be found here.
The President of Republic of Ghana, Mr. John Dramani Mahama has lamented over the apathy of some Ghanaian media towards the National Democratic Congresss (NDC) transformational message under his stewardship. For example, Mr. Mahama reportedly said: It is populism, a certain group has taken control of the media in Ghana and it makes it difficult for people to discern the truth. So as much as you are putting out the information, it is either being blocked or distorted, (Source: citifmonline.com, Tuesday October 18, 2016). The foregoing assertion of Mr. Mahama presents two main hunches.

The presidents assertion is almost invariably shrouded in his cognitive distortion (thinking error) that state-owned media project his transformational message and so private media must do same. Secondly, the president accentuated the inability of his government to disseminate information to the public: a boomerang effect of kakistocracy (a system of government by the least qualified citizens) even so, I must admit, I admire some of his ministers. This article will be based on the aforementioned premonitions (Hunches).

Fellow countrymen, the state-owned media are working for their paymaster and therefore exaggerate the policies of the ruling government in order to appear good before their employer. The sycophantic choruses sung by the journalists of the public media like Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC), Daily Graphic and Ghanaian Times had never inured to the benefit of all. Journalists who publicly criticized a given ruling government were dealt with a lethal blow relative to their profession.

For example, Mr. Kwame Gyasi of University of Ghana Business School who was a columnist at the Spectator Newspaper lost his job as a columnist with a change of government in 2009. Mr. Egbert Faibille, a journalist and a legal practitioner who was a host of Ghana Televisions (GTV) talk show program, Talking Point was sacked as soon as NDC government came to power in 2009. Under President Kufours administration, Mr. Kwesi Pratt Jnr was almost blacklisted from GTV programs.

All governments in Ghana are guilty of being saboteurs of journalists who revealed information that went against the government. In cognitive behavioral therapy, cognitive distortion (thinking error) is the way individuals mind convinces him/her of something that is not true. In the individual psychotherapy espoused by Alfred Adler (1870-1937) thinking error is known as mistaken beliefs. Mistaken convictions are formed based on individuals own experience. Could Mr. Mahamas experience in censoring the media be a motivating factor for his thinking about media cabal?

Certainly, president Mahamas own experience of media censorship partly motivated him for his thoughts about media cabal blocking his transformational message. Just as his government and previous governments had engaged in media censorship, Mr. President thinks the private media are paying him back by thwarting his message from getting to the public. In 2012, the NDC government with Mr. Mahama as the then vice president, blacklisted MultiMedia Ghana Limited, for a perceived bias. This was clear indication of media censorship in Ghana since 1992. I am tempted to believe that Mr. Mahama, not professor Mills, was behind the 2012 censorship of Multimedia Ghana limited. He has confirmed that with his media cabal allegation.

An American psychiatrist and behavioral scientist at Stanford University Medical School, Professor David D. Burns asserted that when you change the way you think, you can change the way you feel and behave. Simply put, if we can learn to think about other people in a more positive and realistic way, it would be far easier to resolve conflicts and develop rewarding personal and professional relationship. The government must be fair in dealing with public media entities in order to relieve himself of his mistaken convictions about media cabal in Ghana.

The presidents transformational message is not getting to the people because many citizens do not respect some of his ministers. Assuming Mr. Okudjeto Ablakwa, briefing University professors on government policies on university or tertiary education, psychologically, the message will not go anywhere because Mr. Ablokwa is bereft of respect from teachers of tertiary educational fraternity.

There is no media cabal, my noble president, but your lack of disdain for putting a round peg in a square hole is the problem. Many Ghanaians disapprove Mr. Ablokwa as a minister in charge of tertiary education. For example, in April 15, 2015, college of education students boycotted Okudzeto Ablakwa at the campus of Wesley College of education in Kumasi. In April 13, 2016, Mr. Ablokwa and his colleagues were snubbed by UCC students. Mr. President all these incidents were red flag signaling the level of disapproval of ministers like Mr. Ablokwa. How can your message get to the people?

Today, what is happening to tertiary education in Ghana under Mr. Ablokwa? Proliferation of fake doctoral degrees because your minister in charge of tertiary education is not fit for the portfolio. Professor Prosper Yao Tsikata and Dr. Kobla Dotse had written many articles about the fake doctoral degree in Ghana but all to no avail. Mr. President, sectors like education, health, energy and finance, whether deputy or substantive minister, require an experienced individual.

There is no media cabal blocking your message. If a whole government in charge of information and communication could have its messages being blocked by private individuals, it tells us how effective the government is. President Mahamas involvement in sacking NDC critics like Mr. Kwame Gyasi hitherto of Spectator Newspaper and blacklisting Multimedia Ghana limited, motivated his thinking of media cabal sabotaging his transformational agenda. No media entity is blocking your message but lack of respect for some of your ministers is blocking your message. God Bless Our Homeland Ghana. I know that I am intelligent because I know that I know nothing. (Socrates).

Feedbacks must be directed to [email protected]

Nana Yaw Osei (Padigo)
NDC General Secretary Johnson Asiedu Nketia, alias General Mosquito, as famished-looking and sorry to say, ugly as he is but completely foul-mouthed, has said on his election campaign tour, thus, Akufo-Addo too old to govern Ghana like Mahama. He goes on to say and I quote, The NPP says 72 years is good, that Nigeria has voted so we can also vote. Rebecca Akufo-Addo needs to heed to Buharis wifes advice and advise her husband, Akufo-Addo accordingly. She [Rebecca] should tell Nana Addo that he is too old and cannot govern the nation like how President Mahama is governing the nation.

Check the underlying web link for the full reportage on his pronouncements as published on Ghanaweb on Monday 24 October 2016.

http://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/Akufo-Addo-too-old-to-govern-Ghana-like-Mahama-Asiedu-Nketia-480222

For the attention of all readers with Asiedu Nketia himself included, yes, Nana Akufo Addo is too old to want to steal Ghanas money as President Mahama is perceived to be doing.

Yes, Nana Akufo Addo is too old to be clueless as President Mahama appears to be at the presidency.

Yes, Nana Akufo Addo is too old to practise tribal, nepotistic and Father-of-own-party-only politics as President Mahama is doing.

Yes, Nana Akufo Addo is too old to directly or indirectly seek to encourage radio programme presenters and, or his radio serial-caller supporters to plan to kill Supreme Court judges or rape them and then exercise his constitutional powers of prerogative of mercy to grant them remission from corrective or deterring prison sentence as recently seen to be done in the case of the notorious Montie 3  (Messrs Salifu Maase alias Mugabe, Alistair Nelson and Godwin Ako Gunn).

Yes, Nana Addo is too old to NOT be dedicated to duty and be of service to his people and nation.

Yes, he is too old to NOT see the danger in misusing Ghanas money to satisfy the needs of only his cronies, few party members, family members and his cheerleaders unlike President Mahama.

Yes, he is too old to NOT be concerned about the direction Ghana is going economically.

Yes, he is too old to mismanage the affairs of Ghana to the detriment of the governed.

Yes, he is too old to put square pegs in round holes when it comes to selecting Ministers and Deputy Ministers to help him govern the nation.

Yes, he is too old NOT to see the sense in not promoting corrupt and offending Government Ministers who in President Mahamas government are always transferred or reshuffled to higher positions instead of facing demotion, sack or prosecution.

Yes, his old age will not allow him to disrespect the views of the electorates whether they have ever been President of Ghana before or not.

What Nana Akufo Addo is too old not to do all because of experience that comes with old age, and with old age being an indication of wisdom, are many and varied. His old age will not allow him to govern like President Mahama who is very corruptly selective, but he will govern as a father for all for the betterment and collective interests of Ghanaians.

At his old age, what is the benefit of him having an insatiable appetite for quick buck and gigantic material wealth unlike President Mahama?

For Johnson Asiedu Nketias accusation to hold any water, thus hold any sense, he should advise Mrs Rebecca Akufo Addo and the wife of President Buhari of Nigeria to quit their husbands because they are too old to service them in bed rather than asking them to advise their husbands not to do politics because of their old age.

To clarify the doubt in the minds of the public regarding how cunningly Asiedu Nketia is twisting what President Buharis wife said to denigrate Nana Akufo Addos dynamism, dedication to duty, honesty etc., let me reproduce below some excerpts.

In an interview with BBC, Aisha Buhari said the president had abandoned those who worked to bring him to power, and suggested the government had been hijacked by a few individuals who now wield sweeping powers.

He is yet to tell me if hell seek re-election but I have decided as his wife, that if things continue like this up to 2019, I will not go out and campaign again and ask any woman to vote like I did before, Mrs Buhari warned. I will never do it again

The wife seems to be directing his husband away from falling deeper and deeper into the very ills that engulfed his predecessor, former President Goodluck, the very characteristics that President Mahama is 100% known to be infatuated with hence having all these few corrupt Government Ministers, NDC party gurus and radio serial callers etc., formed into greedy bastard squads (by courtesy of former President Rawlings) squandering all Ghanas money.

What she advised against had nothing to do with old age. Is President Mahama, as young as he is, not guilty of what Madam Aisha Buhari said?

Asiedu Nketia, your propaganda will not work. The blowing wind of change will clear President Mahama and the NDC from political governance of Ghana come 7 December 2016, God willing and Inshah Allah!

Rockson Adofo

(Written on Monday 24 October 2016)


The Ghana Police Service has opened an ultramodern hostel at the Oforikrom Police Station to reduce expenditure on accommodating visiting personnel and new recruits in the Ashanti region.

The impressive hostel would also serve as an operational center for the police.

The hostel, named after the current IGP, John Kudalor, has several rooms for police personnel, toilets, spacious conference room and big car park, among others, to make modern policing effective.

The John Kudalor Hostel was constructed through a Public Private Partnership (PPP) agreement that the police reached with a private company.

Similar projects are being executed at Suame, Patase and Asokwa Police Stations.

Police lands at the aforementioned barracks were being encroached upon by private developers so the police tactfully entered into agreements with private entities to effectively utilize them and protect them.

The IGP, John Kudalor, who cut the tape to open the hostel, commended the Ashanti Regional Police Commander, COP Kofi Boakye for his vision.

He stated that the perennial accommodation problem facing the police service would be solved if all regional police commanders emulate the shining example of the Ashanti Regional Police Commander.

The IGP disclosed that a police land bank had been opened at the police headquarters to locate and protect all police lands in the country so as to prevent unscrupulous developers from stealing them.

Mr. Kudalor commended the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, for his immense support which has helped the police to reclaim most of its lands to facilitate the PPP projects at Oforikrom, Suame, Patase and Asokwa.

He urged other traditional leaders in the country to emulate the example of the Asantehene, stressing that the public ought to support the police to effectively maintain law and order.

Mr. Kudalor said that persons who perpetuate violence in the country before, during and after the December 7 elections would be arrested, urging police personnel to work hard to protect lives and property.

COP Kofi Boakye also showered praise on the Asantehene, KMA and the Regional Minister for their support which made the project a success.

John Alexander Ackon, the Ashanti Regional Minister, saluted the police in the region for working hard to significantly reduce crime in the region.

From I.F. Joe Awuah Jnr., Kumasi
The African Women Innovators Network, an initiative of the UK-based Africa Technology Business Network (ATBN) in partnership with Women in Tech Africa the first Business Innovation Lab will take place in Ghana from January to March 2017. It will see 30 women innovators undergo a two-day innovation bootcamp giving them the tools and opportunity to work together to develop their business ideas.

This will be followed by a six-week mentorship period where selected participants will have a unique opportunity to work with other founders and tech enthusiasts across the world, building a global network of valuable contacts in the process.

Finally the programme will culminate in a Demo Day on 8th March where finalists will have an opportunity to pitch their innovative ideas for a chance to win seed funding and three months of dedicated support to help them launch their business.

Speaking on the initiative, Eunice Baguma Ball founder ATBN said Technology startups in Africa are a rapidly growing sector, with an emerging innovation-driven ecosystem that is serving a growing consumer base and helping to create local solutions to social challenges. The Business Innovation Lab will put women at the forefront of contributing to innovation on the continent and empower them to building a better future not only for themselves but also for other women and girls in Africa.

Ethel Cofie founder Women in Tech Africa added Supporting women entrepreneurs is imperative for economic growth in Africa. We are therefore delighted to be part of this collaboration dedicated to supporting female entrepreneurs to succeed across Africa

Applications are now open for the Business Innovation Lab Ghana! Apply here: http://www.awinafrica.org



About the African Women Innovators Network

The African Women Innovators network is an initiative of the Africa Technology Business Network working in partnership with Women in Tech Africa and is funded by Comic Relief and DFID under the Common Ground Initiative fund.

About Africa Technology Business Network

The Africa Technology Business Network (ATBN) is a social enterprise working to support technology and entrepreneurship as tools for addressing key challenges in Africa.

We work with entrepreneurs, organisations and investors to accelerate innovative solutions that unlock new market opportunities and help to drive sustainable development in Africa. Visit www.africatbn.com to learn more.
The opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP)'s outspoken Northern Regional Chairman, Daniel Bugri Naabu has remained defiant over his comment that the party would engage macho men to police the ballots on December 7.

He was reported to have made the comment at the campaign launch of the party's Savelugu Parliamentary candidate, Mohammed Abdul Samed-Gunu.

The Northern Regional Police Command invited him for interrogation and he could not readily honour the invitation.

This is because he has been busily campaigning with the NPP vice Presidential candidate, Dr. Alhaji Mahamudu Bawumia.

Daniel Bugri Naabu led by the party's legal team finally met the police and he was asked to write his statement.

The defiant NPP regional Chairman was subsequently granted self recognizance bail.

He later told party supporters in Tamale central at the party's Parliamentary candidate, Dr. Barhama Ibrahim Anyass meet the press that he repeated the same comment in his statement as that of fact.

At our campaign launch in Savelugu I issued a statement to the party people which the police felt was improper and I went further to repeat the same comment in my statement and I was asked to bail myself and go home.

He assured the gathering of a resounding victory on December 7 and called for party unity.

Insha Allah the power will be in our hands soon. The support is going up and we need to unite now and power will be in our hands soon, Bugri Naabu prayed.



By: Abdul Karim Naatogmah/citifmonline.com/Ghana
Nigerian publicist Dele Momodu has dismissed speculations he was paid to publish his promotional magazine on President John Mahama.

He has also dismissed suggestions that the latest Ovation magazine edition on the President was not politically motivated in view of a crucial election barely six weeks away.

The magazine which emphasized a special focus on the development projects of John Dramani Mahama' is a glossy 249-page replete with the man, his manners and his mantras.

The launch last Friday at Movenpick Hotel was attended by the President who maintains a friendship with the Nigerian businessman and politician.

For those questioning his motivation for the publication, Dele Momodu explained that he has been doing such publications for Ghanaian presidents because he is keen to project good stories about Africa.

"We already have enough of bad news of Africa," he said and pointed out that if there are magazines for insects then surely a magazine projecting the achievements of a human being is in order.

The Nigerian businessman said it is good for the president if the magazine influences voters because there can be no better time to publish a story about the president than in an election year.

His attention was drawn to a picture of president Mahama distributing free sandals to students as part of government's social intervention programme.

Under the programme, government said it distributed 10,000 sandals although a headmaster whose school received 1,000 complained 300 of them were over-sized and therefore left in a storeroom.

But the publisher of the lifestyle magazine said he is not interested in a fault-finding expedition because even President Obama is not a perfect president.

"The easiest thing in this world is to criticise others," he said and repeated the President's lament that despite his unprecedented achievements, some powerful elements in the media are blocking his message from getting to the people.

He said partisanship and polarisation have hampered government's ability to project good stories.

Story by Ghana|myjoyonline.com|[email protected]
The Ghana Water Company Limited (GCWL) has said it has enough treated water for residents of the Adentan municipality and surrounding areas.

This follows complaints by some residents in the municipality about difficulties in accessing potable water.

But speaking on the Citi Breakfast Show on Monday, Head of Corporate Communications at the Ghana Water Company, Stanley Martey said those making the complaints are not on the companys main lines.

President John Mahama in 2014 turned on the valves of the Kpong Water Supply Expansion project to extend water to parts of Accra including Adenta, Ashongman, Nii Boi Town, Ashaley Botwe, East Legon, Haatso, Dodowa and Dome.

Water plant being underutilized

The facility was supposed to provide about 40 million gallons of water a day but Mr. Martey lamented that the plant is being underutilized due to wastage in the system.

I speak with you; the new plant that was commissioned by his Excellency is being underutilized. So it means that we still have more water in the system and we can't just pump the water into the system for it to go waste. So the best thing is to get the people connected then we can utilize the treatment plant to its fullest capacity. So we are doing a lot of work and people must appreciate and partner us so we could serve them better.

Head of Corporate Communications at the Ghana Water Company, Stanley Martey

He also urged residents of Adentan and surrounding areas who have not yet connected to visit their office at Ogbojo go through the process and you would be connected for you to become a legal customer. Then you can have water and the bill.

There are some areas beyond Ashaley Botwe where we do not have main extensions at all. It means our pipelines are not there. What we are doing is to mobilize the people in those areas, put them together and then get them connected. We want them to be part of the process so that illegal connection of taps would seize, he added.



By: Godwin A. Allotey/citifmonline.com/Ghana

Follow @AlloteyGodwin
Illegal miners who have occupied AngloGold Ashantis Obuasi Mine concession have told Citi Business News they are ready to comply with government's directive to vacate the mine and move to the new allocated site on November 16th.

According to the PRO of the Ghana National Association of Small Scale Miners, Francis Opoku, which is representing the illegal miners, there was a misunderstanding between them and government which led to the earlier demonstration by the illegal miners.

There was a little problem. All this while, there had been some high level of compliance. The miners followed all instructions given them until a point where there was a misunderstanding which created the violence recently at Obuasi. So they have been complying. he said.

The illegal miners' last Wednesday staged a demonstration which led to the destruction of properties belonging to the New Patriotic Party, National Democratic Congress and Progressive People's Party.

Their refusal to vacate the mine earlier as well as the demonstration also led to a revision of the modalities and an extension of the date to November 16, 2016 which was initially November 5th.

Mr Opoku however believes the artisanal miners could have handled it better if they exercised a little bit of patience.

That notwithstanding, the artisanal miners should have exercised patience.

Speaking to Citi Business News, Francis Opoku said the illegal miners are ready to heed governments order to relocate.

There are about four places that have been demarcated for them. This time round all the parties have committed themselves to the roadmap, especially the artisanal miners.

They have given their word that they are no longer going to go on demonstrations. Rather, they are going to abide by the terms of the roadmap. he concluded.

We will flush out all 'galamseyers' at AngloGold Obuasi mine  MCE

Government agencies mandated to evacuate the illegal miners occupying the Obuasi concession of AngloGold Ashanti, expressed optimism they will accomplish their task by the new date scheduled.

It follows the review of the deadline date for eviction after the illegal miners resisted the initial attempts by the moving committee to get them out of the site.

The Municipal Chief Executive for Obuasi, Richard Ofori Agyemang Boadi explained to Citi Business News he is confident all the miners will be ejected by the said date.

I do not think that if we are supposed to work with the road map, we should have any difficulty at the end of the period, because per the time table, we are taking them in groups and phases,, he said.



By: Jessica Ayorkor Aryee/citibusinessnews.com/Ghana
As part of a focused campaign to raise public awareness and promote clean cooking technologies in Ghana, World Education Incorporation (WEI), a USbased nonprofit organization, has organised two demonstration fairs at Amasaman.

The fairs which took place at Kutunse and Sarpeiman in the Ga West Municipal district in the Greater Accra Region was a collaboration between WEI, The Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves & Fuels (GHACCO) and the Ghana Education Service (GES).

The Sarpeiman program took place at the chiefs Palace on September 16, while the Asaawa demonstration was held at the Pobi Taxi rank on September 21.

These are the two communities in which the Integrated School Project on Clean Cook Energy (INSPOCCE) Pilot Project is being implemented.

The event brought together the manufacturers of the various improved cookstove brands to exhibit their products and also engage the communities in discussions on the benefits of adopting clean and efficient cookstoves.

The participants were made up of staff from WEI, chief of Sarpeiman, Assemblyman and woman from the two electoral areas and Reps from Amasaman.

Others were GES officials, Municipal education office staff, manufacturers of cookstoves, GHACCO, Teachers and students from the implementing schools and community members.

The Assembly man and woman for the two electoral areas were the conveners for the two fairs.

At each fair, Adwoa Etsiwaa Sey, the Project Coordinator for INSPOCCE engaged participants in discussions on the health, socioeconomic and environmental benefits of using clean and efficient cookstoves and fuels.

Reps from the Education Unit, the assemblyman and woman and GHACCO took turns to address participants and engaged them in discussions on cookstoves and fuels.

Stoves were given away as prizes for people who were able to answer pertinent questions on cookstoves and fuels. For the rest of the program, there was a demonstration on all stoves assembled, which the participants observed with keen interest.

Being an election year, political party hopefuls in the electoral areas came to speak with their constituents, encouraging them to make the switch from the traditional stoves to cleaner and more efficient methods.

They made initial down payments for participants who wanted to transition to using the cleaner and efficient cookstoves.

Convinced about the benefits of the cookstoves, some participants purchased from the variety of products on sale.

The INSPOCCE Project Coordinator noted: Cooking a meal is a major global health and environmental issue, as well as a significant barrier to sustainable economic development.

Though cleaner and more efficient cooking technologies have been developed, they are often out of reach for families in developing countries due to cost or lack of availability in their local marketplace.

She added: "demonstration fairs such as this would help to get prospective users of cookstoves interested and excited about the product. It is also an effective way of addressing their specific product-related concerns".

The literature on clean energy indicates: These stoves can help accomplish many international development objectives, such as improving health; reducing environmental degradation; mitigating climate change; fostering economic growth; and empowering women.

Founded in 1951, WEI works to meet the needs of the educationally disadvantaged, and has worked in over 50 countries in Asia, Africa, and Latin America, as well as in the United States.

GHACCO is a public-private partnership hosted by the UN Foundation to save lives, improve livelihoods, empower women, and protect the environment by creating a thriving global market for clean and efficient household cooking solutions.

GES, is the body responsible for the coordination of the national education policy on pre-tertiary education.

World Education Ghana is a field office of World Education, Inc.
The Progressive People's Partys (PPP) parliamentary candidate for Bortianor Ngleshie Amanfrom, Reverend Fred Nii Larbie, has accused the incumbent National Democratic Congress (NDC) MP of the area, Bright Demordzi, of destroying a drain he is constructing for residents of Kokrobite.

Rev Larbie alleged to Citi News that the MP has teamed up with the Ga South Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) to demolish the structure because of the political ramifications ahead of the 2016 polls.

Immediately I started the drain, the incumbent MP came around to stop the contractors refused because they said he has not given them any contract, he said.

According to Rev. Larbie, Mr. Demodzi involved the MCE and the MCE also came down saying we should stop work but the contractor refused.

Rev. Larbie said his project involved the construction of a bridge and drain that would connect to the sea, noting that they [Demodzi and the MCE] have complained that the way we are fixing it is not the way they want to do it.

But he reminded that Mr. Demodzi and the MCE had been around all this while but had not acted on the concerns of the people.

The people just reported it to me two weeks ago and we have started and we started, Rev. Larbie stated.

It is not because it is not to their standard. It is because they know they are NDC and if I do the job, it will be to my credit, Rev. Larbie added as he also indicated that he would be expecting some compensation if his project was stopped.

What I am trying to say is they will destroy by bridge, fine. Then they should pay me the money I have spent over the years.

Residents unhappy with Demodzi

This development has done little to mend the relationship between Mr. Demodzi and the people on the ground.

Reports from the ground indicate that the people of Bortianor Ngleshie Amanfrom are poised to vote against the incumbent MP despite the area being an NDC stronghold. They have bemoaned the increasing disconnect between the MP and the people in the ground.

The residents Citi News who spoke to expressed the anger about the development with one resident saying, we voted for Bright four years ago and he hasn't done anything for us. Reverend listened to our plight and he has promised to construct the drain for us. Now that reverend is fulfilling his promise by constructing the drain, bright from nowhere says he will construct this same drain.

Whether he constructs the drain or not, we will vote for Reverend Adjetey. The people over here are not happy about what bright is doing.



By: Delali Adogla-Bessa/citifmonline.com/Ghana
In life, the task of managing the nuclear family, comprising a wife and two kids, is such a difficult task which most prospective parents dread. This often drives prospective couples to keep postponing their dates of holy matrimony, for ages. The moments of a child suddenly being taken ill in the middle of the nigh, or, even in cases where parents are blessed with kids whose only delight is in just crying for crying sake, parenting can be so tough.

This therefore requires years of proper planning, and, making sure one has the requisite temperaments to withstand pressures of live. A capacity to take rapid and cogent decisions must not be overlooked here. A successful marriage union should also be built in the company of positive influences since a union infiltrated by self-seekers is always bound to fail.

In much the same way, taking care of a nation with population strength of nearly 30million, certainly will come with its complex dynamics. This 30million people, certainly, will never be zombies. They will be individuals with divergent views on issues, varied levels of understanding and diverse aspirations. So, to be able to properly steer the affairs of these people, one should be level-headed, tactful, decisive, visionary and well-focused.

Indecisiveness and often piece-meal approach to issues of human-life, must never be part and parcel of someone desirous of leading a nation; and even in our case, this person must be pragmatic and clear-cut in his/her decisions for the simple reason that our nation is still grappling with very basic needs of life, nearly ix decades after attainment of republican status. With our myriad of problems, what we need in a leader, is decisiveness, integrity, patriotism and drive.

Indecisive John Mahama

Now, it is factual that John Mahama, the president of Ghana, in his book My First Coup detat, he clearly stated that he is someone who lacks the capacity to be decisive, and that, danger lurks around every move he makes. That open admission of this serious flaw of his character, in any of these developed democracies, would have been at the center stage of the debate as we go into election-2016. However, this has not been the case, and rather, he is boldly going about claiming to have turned Ghana into a paradise, and therefore demanding for a debate between himself and his obvious successor, come 7th January,2017.

But the point is simply this; we were here in this country when massive resources, paid for by ordinary Ghanaian taxpayers, were expended in what the president termed as ACCUNTING TO THE PEOPLE TOUR, where over 70-long convoy of fuel-guzzling V-8 Landcruiser vehicles and military helicopters were commandeered to traverse the entire nation just to throw rocks into the eyes of Ghanaians.

It was during that period that a call by IEA for a debate between nana doo and himself, was responded with contempt and scorn by NDC propagandisrs.at the time, they argued that the president was not voted for by IEA so he would rather do the right thing by travelling across the country to personally account to the people. But from what I know, when Im in village somewhere in Ghana, and never travel to Accra to see the interchanges with massively over-bloated price-tags, I would atleast feel the positive signs of the so-called socioeconomic miracle in so many other ways and therefore it would have to take the president to embark on a personal trip to my humble abode to remind of the simple fact that times are rosy.

But under the John Mahama-led NDC administration, though times are so rosy and the good people of this country have never had it so good, socioeconomically, we still do not feel it and therefore must take the president to come and wake us up from our chronic slumber.

Accounting to the people debacle

But these ACCOUNTING TO THE PEOPLE waste, after failing to do the propaganda trick, the president has now turned around to seek credibility by appearing before television cameras with Nana Addo, who is currently ridding on Ghanas political landscape at a meteoric speed, while his message of HOPE is being embraced like hot potatoes by the suffering masses, who are yearning for change. Indeed, the president is human, and it is evident to him that the kind of reception he gets on his campaign tours are visibly unenthusiastic and this has made the atmosphere in his camp extremely subdued.

Forinstance, pictures of the president being welcomed with shouts of WE WANT CHANGE, right in his face at Darkuman-Lokompe, Accra, was a sight I have never ever witnessed in politics, neither in Ghanas history, nor, anywhere on the African continent. Again, the vice President, Amissah-Arthur, suffered a similar reception in the Eastern Region. And because such sad spectacles have rather became the leading headlines of their campaign, they are now desperately seeking to change the discussion by throwing in desperate call for a debate, which in my view, amounts to a drowning-man desperately clutching to the tinny straps of the G-string of his partner.

Established convention

We have established a convention under our fourth republican democratic dispensation where IEA provides the platform for presidential aspirants to engage in a debate during which their respective policy alternatives are sup under the microscope by a panel of moderators. This program is often held in three phases at different locations of the country, with emphasis on specific areas of the economy.

What we however witnessed was the fact that sitting-presidents opted from the programme, for the obvious reason of being the sole target of criticism by the prospective contenders. Rawlings and Kufuor traversed this path, and probably, Atta-Mills might have done same, had he not passed-on, untimely.

John Mahama who succeeded Atta-Mills, took a bold step and broke away from the tradition of sitting-presidents opting out of the programme, by being part of the 2012 edition, albeit, a massive shot-in-the-arm from distractive effects of Hassan Ayariga deliberate coughs, whenever Nana Addo was speaking.

But rather strangely, the time comes for this years IEA debate, and NDC propagandists, with tacit approval of their presidential candidate, John Mahama, openly came out to tell the good people of this country that, they were not interested in the debate. Their reason was that the proposed debate between Nana Addo, the NPP standard-bearer, and John Mahama, was an act of disrespect to other political parties, and that, IEA had not operated by the tenants of fairness and adhered to core principles of democracy.

The debate therefore was thrown out of the window, and for weeks, thereafter, the IEA and its owners, Mr. and Mrs. Mensah, became the punching-bags of NDC babies with sharp teeth, while the Montie-3 ex-convicts took them to the slaughter house. And after all these cats of vilification and utter contempt against the IEA, which the president certainly cannot claim to have been oblivious to, he now turns around to demand for this very same debate?

Akufo-Addo is judicious with his time

Indeed, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo is a leader and presidential candidate of NPP for the 2016 elections, and therefore has a clear-cut schedule to go by. He does not wake up in the morning, and just dream up a what do to. The man is a well-organized individual who does not do things per the dictates of others whose whole life revolves around pure indecisiveness, total incompetence and abject incoherence.

And to those who have suddenly started making references to the debates between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump in America, we want them to be insightful of the fact that, this great American example they are so crazy about and has suddenly become their point of reference to pushing for the same thing here in Ghana, does not happen by magic, neither is it by the dictates of someone who lacks judgement.

This debate in America which we seem to be so crazy about, is actually a product of a PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE COMMISSION which is a permanent and well-organized entity that puts in place the plan for next programme, the very day results of elections are declared, and a president-elect,announced.Therefore,if propagandists of NDC are so fascinated by what is going on in America and therefore wish it was replicated here,then,it is incumbent on them to do their home-work well and come to the point of realization that,indeed,this did not come out of a bogus call from an individual who has obviously lost credibility, sees defeat staring him in the face and therefore desperately looking for an escape route.

Now, when the NDC pulled out of the IEA debate, a private media house started plans to organize a debate between Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and President John Dramani Mahama alone. This media house wanted to partner GBC for this debate. The NDC again pulled out when plans reached advanced stages. Suddenly, the President desperately wants a debate with the opposition leader. At this stage, we need to ask the President and his team two critical questions:

1: What is the reason for this sharp turnaround?

2: Who should organize this debate since the NDC could not trust the IEA and this private media organization which was prepared to partner the GBC for the debate? Or do they want to appoint their own referee?

For the notice of incompetent John Mahama and his bunch of equally incompetent legion of media cabal, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo is busily selling his message of HOPE to ordinary Ghanaians who are at the core of his cogent policy alternatives, and therefore does not have the luxury of time to engage palpable failures whose claim to fame is deeply rooted in only unbridled corruption and notoriety in insipid propaganda. Politics is about the welfare of the people, and therefore we of the statesman are of the strong belief that it must be practiced with all seriousness and by serious people.

Justice Abeeku Newton-Offei

E-mail: [email protected]
The Chief of Staff, Julius Debrah has appealed to residents of Atwedie and Obengkrom in the Asutifi North District of the Brong Ahafo Region to vote massively to retain President John Dramani Mahama for another four year mandate to enable him execute more developmental projects for Ghanaians.

He noted communities in the catchment area cannot be described as a village because what people in Accra are using electricity for can be done in their communities today with electricity.

The Chief of Staff made this disclosure at a symbolic commissioning of electricity project in Atwedie and Obengkrom as part of five of his campaign tour of the region. Other communities benefitting from the project include Kensere, Kojokrom, Akosa, Donkorkrom, Adjeikrom and Kwahu No.2 among others.

He said the benefit of the project was immense and a driver of development and appealed to the communities to take good care of the facilities to ensure they derive its maximum benefits.

When we have electricity in a town, it brings about a lot of development because it powers a lot of machines such as hairdressing machines and grinding machines for development he emphasized.

He assured chiefs and people of the communities that government will shared the national cake fairly for benefit all and tasked them to vote for the District Chief Executive (DCE), Hon. Eric Addae who is also the parliamentary candidate of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) for the area for the much needed transformation for the area.

A local governance expert and a member of the NDC, Prof. Kwamena Ahwoi said development was a gradual process and now that the communities were benefiting from electricity projects, government can only fix their roads if they renew the mandate of the NDC.

He said the development of the country was the priority of the government as captured in their manifesto and appealed to the youth to use the facilicity to improve upon their educational standard.

The Adomtenhene of Kenyasi No.2 Nana Kotor Abrokwaa in his welcome address, commended government for the project and appealed for its extension to cover more communities in his jurisdiction.

He appealed to government for nurses quarters, a generator set and construction of roads in the communities.

For his part, the Kyidomhene of Kenyasi No.1, Nana Kofi Mintah Gyeabour commended government for the ongoing construction of the Kenyasi-Hwidiem road.

Governments have come and gone but this is the first time we are getting electricity in these communities, we thank John Dramani Mahama and the DCE Hon. Eric Addae, he said.

Present at the ceremony were, the Regional Minister, Hon. Eric Opoko (MP), Deputy General Secretary, Koku Anyidoho, Ambassador to Algeria and Former Regional Minister, Nyamekye Marfo, deputy Minister of Communications, Ato Sarpong, Presidential Staffers, District Chief Executives and Party Officials from the region and constituencies.

The Chief of Staff is expected to official launch the national Democratic Congress (NDC) campaign of the constituency later in the evening.
President John Mahama will from Tuesday, October 25, begin a five day campaign tour of the Eastern Region to appeal to electorates ahead of the 2016 December polls.

President Mahama who is seeking a second term in office ended his Volta Region campaign last week.

He is expected to tour more than 24 constituencies and introduce the various National Democratic congress (NDC) parliamentary candidates to residents.

According to the NDC's Eastern Regional Secretary, Mark Oliver Kevor, all is set for the arrival of the president.

The people are very expectant; the expectations were that the President would arrive today so all the constituencies are clamoring for the presence of the president in their constituency but because of the time and strategy he would be able to visit just about 25 constituencies out of 33 for the first phase of his visit.

He noted that the President would visit the rest of the constituencies in the next phase of his campaign tour.

A lot has been done in the Eastern Region; the president is talking about changing lives transforming Ghana. He had come round to do an accounting to the people tour where he had shown to the people what he had done for them. He is here again to tell us what he has done so far and what he expects to do when he is elected again. We are very sure that it would boast the agenda 50/50 target, Kevor added.

Mahama has so far campaigned campaigned in the Western , Central and the Greater Accra Regions.



By: Godwin A. Allotey/citifmonline.com/Ghana

Follow @AlloteyGodwin
New Patriotic Party (NPP) MP Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh says President John Mahama cannot claim credit for all the infrastructural projects being showcased by his government. This, he said, is because funding for some of the projects was secured by the NPP government before the party lost the 2008 elections.

"These regional hospitals and district hospitals that they have done.... none of them and I repeat none of them was even the funding sought by President Mills or President Mahama" the opposition MP who is a member of the Health Committee of Parliament said.

President John Mahama's 2016 re-election campaign is heavily hinged on the government's record of infrastructural projects. The President has said his government's GHC 3billion sunk in infrastructure represents 'the most massive infrastructural development in the history of this country'.

But the Manhyia Sout h MP is not impressed because he believes an honest account of Mahama's achievements will prove that the NPP had a strong hand in getting the projects started.

He referenced a 2009 budget statement presented by the National Democratic Congress (NDC) after it had won the December 2008 general elections.

It showed a list of projects and funding secured under President John Agyekum Kufuor government including the 500-bed Military hospital in Kumasi in the Ashanti region, the upgrade of Tamale Teaching Hospital in the Northern region and Phase II of the Bolgatanga regional hospitals.

The budget statement presented on March 5, 2009, listed at least 79 projects and programmess with funding secured under the Kufuor government before it lost the December 2008 general elections.

The Kufuor government got a $180m credit facility from Euroget de Invest S.A on 20th November 2008 with a 3-year grace period for repayment.

Another $339m was given the NPP government in 2008 for the financing of two regional hospitals and six district hospitals with staff housing at Adenta/Madina, Twifo-Praso, Konongo-Odumase, Wenchi, Tepa, and Salaga.

A 7.5million Euro funding was also sourced for the construction of five Polyclinics.

But in the 'Green Book', a government publication of achievements under the National Democratic Congress (NDC) government, 295-bed Bolgatanga Regional Hospital, the Military hospital and the five polyclinics are all listed among government's achievements.

"These unprecedented investments are not only changing lives but are also beginning to yield results as evident in the positive human development indicators currently being recorded", a portion of the book reads.

Matthew Opoku Prempeh asked the Health Minister Alex Segbefia who was in the studio for a Health Debate on the Joy FM Super Morning Show why government could add to his achievements, projects whose funds were obtained by the NPP.

"This is the 2009 budget and they are still claiming credit when they came to meet 100% of the funding," he said

"You have been in government two months how could you have brought even loans to parliament?" he wondered.

He said with the funding already obtained, it is disappointing that government could take years to build the facilities. "You have delayed some of these projects for nine, eight, seven years," he criticised.

Alex Segbefia explained that all the infrastructure projects funded under Kufuor were brought together under President Mills' administration. He said the Euro Jet hospitals are only a tranche of hospitals built under Mahama.

Under the NDC government, a $175 million contract has been awarded to a UK construction firm for the designing, constructing and equipping seven district hospitals for the Ministry of Health.

The Greater Accra Regional hospital, an important infrastructure under the Mahama government was done using two credit agreements between Government of Ghana and Export-Import Bank of United States for an amount of US$157.5m and HSBC Bank for US$92.5million.

Funding was sourced in 2012.

Story by Ghana|myjoyonline.com|[email protected]
Opposition politician Matthew Opoku Prempeh says realities in the health sector shows government's commitment to health education has been tardy.

Under President John Mahama, "now it is more expensive to get into nursing training school than the university" the Manhyia South MP said, noting some nursing students pay GHC 4,000 as tuition.

"...even universities don't charge that much", he said. Public universities charge at least GHC1,200 as tuition fees.

Making his case that nursing trainees are worse off under President John Mahama than ever before, the NPP member on Parliament's Health Committee said nursing students no longer receive the GHC 400 monthly allowances they enjoyed before Mr. Mahama took over the reigns of government.

"You have cut nursing trainee allowance when you said in your manifesto that you were going to increase it. You have cut it to zero," he said on Joy FM's Super Morning Show debate on the governmnet's record in the health sector.

Nursing students in need of funding now have the option of going for a government-run student loans. Matthew Opoku Prempeh said the loans are inadequate because under the allowance scheme, the nurses got at least 4,800 a year. The loans places a limit of GHC1,600 per annum.

Matthew Opoku Prempeh popularly referred to as 'Napo' accused government of fleecing students by over-selling nursing training application forms averagely at GHC100.

He said he would have expected the ministry to plough back the proceeds into improving the quality of nursing training schools. But instead, the monies raised through the sale of application forms are dissipated on buying cars and MOH TV sets.

He said with an inadequate budget of GHC 3.6m for services and administration, the Health minister who was in the studio, should be prioritising on important expenditure.

Health Minister Alex Segbefia however suggested the huge numbers of application forms shows that the increase in tuition has not dimmed the desire to train as nurses.

The minister explained there is no evidence that student's interest in pursuing nursing programs have not been dampened by the scrapping of the allowance.

The minister clarified that the cost of tuition for nursing training is not GHC4,000. "Total amount for students to pay was 2,200 to 2500...anybody who has a reason to charge more than that has to apply ...and give reason".

He said the ministry suspended three heads of nursing training schools for charging unapproved fees.

Story by Ghana|myjoyonline.com|[email protected]
A Supreme Court judge has said the sustainability of the peace Ghanaians are enjoying in the country would be dependent on actions of politicians in the upcoming polls.

Justice Jones Dotse believes an environment in which political actors respect decisions of the court on election disputes is essential for the stability of the country.

It is important to observe that for the judiciary to continue to play its key role in policing the 2016 elections and beyond it must have not only the constitutional guarantees of security of tenure, but also the enabling environment under which to work without any fear of intimidation, he said.

The senior judge made these remarks at special forum organised by the Chief Justice, Theodora Georgina Wood under the theme Judiciary and Election 2016.

He has advised leaders of political parties to emulate the attitude exhibited by the flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo who accepted the courts verdict on the 2012 election dispute challenging the victory of the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC).

Related Article: Full text: Akufo-Addos post-verdict speech

Despite calls by some party functionaries to reject the courts verdict on the eight-month long election dispute, the NPP leader shocked Ghanaians by his heartfelt acceptance of the decision.

In a post-verdict speech, Mr Akufo-Addo said, The Supreme Court of our nation has spoken and the result of the December 2012 presidential election has been confirmed as having been won by the candidate of the NDC, President Mahama.

Although he was saddened by the decision, he said, I accept it. I accept that what the Court says brings finality to the election dispute. We shall not be asking for a review of the verdict so we can all move on in the interest of our nation.

Everything in my bones, in my upbringing and in what I have done with my life thus far makes it imperative that I accept a decision made by the highest court of the land, however much I dislike or disagree with it, he added.

Related Article: Montie squad given four months prison term

This act exhibited by the three-time leader of the biggest opposition in August 2013 touched the senior judge who has urged other politicians to adopt same so that the peace and stability of the country would not be jeopardized.

He wants the country to be purged from acts that tend to discredit the reputation of the judiciary as happened when a journalist and two radio presenters of an Accra-based Montie FM disparaged the reputation of the court resulting in their incarceration. President John Mahama was later to remit their four-months sentence.

Related Article: Mahama frees Montie 3

There has generally been stoic silence when the judiciary was undersiege from all manner of persons and institutions, he said, adding, politicians cannot mud paint the image of the judiciary if they want the good of the country.

He wants the country to be purged from acts that tend to discredit the reputation of the judiciary.

-Myjoyonline
By Nana Osei Kyeretwie, GNA

Bechem (B/A), Oct. 24, GNA - Dr Joe Manu-Aduening, Plant Breeder/Agronomist has advised cassava farmers to consult Agricultural Extension Agents (AEAs) and the Crop Research Institute (CRI) for the necessary information before cultivating the crop for optimal yield.

Now cassava is no longer a food crop cultivated by peasant farmers only but also as an industrial, commercial raw material with a very high value for multi-purpose use, he said.

Cassava could be used for the production of industrial starch for the lumber and textile industries, alcoholic beverages and also chemicals for the manufacturing of drugs.

Dr Manu-Aduening gave the advice in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) after a day's workshop for farmers as well as a field day under the West African Virus Epidemiology under the Root and Tuber Crops Project, at Bechem in the Tano South District of the Brong-Ahafo Region.

The Project, being implemented by the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and CRI was funded jointly by the Department for International Development of the United Kingdom and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

The 90 participants were from the Ahafo North and South Districts in the Ashanti Region, the Asunafo North Municipality, Tano North, Tano South and Sunyani West Districts in the Brong-Ahafo Region.

Each district was represented by 10 farmers, four AEAs and the Director of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA) Directorate

It is a nationwide programme which started in January 2015 to end in 2017 as phase one of the Project and cassava farmers in five districts in the Volta Region have already being trained.

Besides educating the participants on the nature of various cassava diseases, signs and symptoms for their identification and measures to prevent outbreak, they were also sensitised about the importance of using disease free planting materials to improve and increase cassava yield.

Dr Manu-Aduening, also a Principal Research Scientist and Deputy Director at CSIR-CRI said: 'Cassava has different varieties, different yields and different drying matter.'

He said 24 different varieties had been released.

Dr Allen Oppong, Research Scientist with CRI told the GNA about the outbreak of Cassava Brown Streak Virus in East Africa, which remained very dangerous and endemic.

He asked the farmers to destroy all their crops when they suspected outbreak and inform the AEA or the office of MoFA for further advice and control measures.

GNA
By Iddi Yire, GNA

Accra, Oct.24, GNA - The European Union (EU) would continue to strengthen educational collaboration with the African Union (AU) to empower the human resources for the continent's socio-economic development.

Mr William Hanna, the EU Ambassador to Ghana, said the EU partnership with Africa and collaboration together have real significance and real impact on the quality of what they do together.

He said Africa's Continental Education Strategy for 2016-2025 had similar targets to the EU's 2020 Education and Training.

"We have a mutual interest to collaborate and share our experiences, also through the work that is being done in the framework of the Joint Africa - EU Strategy on harmonisation of higher education," Mr Hanna said.

He was speaking at a two-day international symposium for Harmonisation Initiative and Third General Meeting of the Turning Joint Africa-EU Strategy in Higher Education in Accra.

The two-day conference, which brought together 130 participants, was organised by the University of Ghana (AU) in collaboration with the Africa Union Commission (AUC) and the Association of African Universities, under the auspices of the EU.

The African Higher Education Harmonisation and Tuning Pilot initiative has been instrumental in addressing key areas of skills and competences for employability and transparency of curriculum, the development of a common academic credit currency, teaching, learning and assessment related to the achievement of learning outcomes, skills and competences, quality assurance and enhancement.

Mr Hanna said: "Higher education is developing an increasingly global dimension, as governments, institutions and students themselves are more and more aware of what is happening in other parts of the world.

"This institutional outlook is increasingly matched by closer cooperation across borders. But cooperation can only work when it is built on mutual trust - the very purpose of quality assurance," he added.

He said the EU wanted to enable highest education institutions to work with partners of the world, to modernise their education strategies and to empower them to respond to the challenges of globalisation.

"And to cooperate at all levels in order to overcome the barriers to mobility and recognition of qualifications both within Africa and with Europe," he said.

He said Turning Africa had brought the students' voice into the harmonisation process and "not just as a formality as is often the case wherever you may be in the world, but concretely, with tasks assigned and a place in the group discussion'.

He said the EU was supporting the development of the Pan African Framework for Quality Assurance and Accreditation over the next three years.

"We know that higher education requires a solid framework, which builds on institutional, national and regional specificities and at the same time provides a common language and understanding of each other's systems to build up mutual trust and transparency," he said.

Dr Beatrice Njenga, the Head of Education Division, AUC, said the Division sought to contribute towards the revitalisation of quality, relevant, and harmonised education systems responsive to the needs of Africa, taking into account Africa's aspirations and capacity in terms of human and material resources.

Professor Samuel Kwame Offei, the Pro-Vice-Chancellor, UG, called for better ways of educating and equipping Africa's future leaders in order to safeguard the continent's socioeconomic development.

GNA
By Kodjo Adams, GNA

Accra, Oct. 24, GNA - Reverend Dr Kwabena Opuni-Frimpong, the General Secretary of the Christian Council of Ghana, has called on prophets and prophetesses to stop fueling tension with their prophesies on who becomes President in the December 7 general election.

He advised them to keep their prophecies to themselves since it had a greater percentage of creating unreasonable tension in the country prior to the impending elections.

Rev Opuni-Frimpong made the call in Accra at the 8th annual interfaith symposium on the theme: 'Religions for Peace: Promoting Healthy Participation in the Political Life of Ghana' oragnised by the Presbyterian Interfaith Research and Resource Centre.

He appealed to religious leaders to be neutral and objective in the discharge of their duties, adding that they are suppose to serve as mediators and not to affiliate themselves to a political party.

The Rev Minister urged religious leaders to use their positions to educate the masses on the need to ensure peace before, during and after the December 7 polls since they have the power of influence on their people.

He called for religious tolerance and the need to respect one another's religion and avoid any tendencies that would mar the beauty of the country's democracy.

He appealed to state institutions to be fair and transparent in the discharge of their duties to gain public confidence and trust ahead of the elections.

Alhaji Ahmad Suleman Anderson, General Secretary of Ahmadiyya Muslim Mission of Ghana said politics was about seeking the welfare of the people and the not parochial interest of the politicians.

He commended authorities for banning vigilante in the country since he believed their activities brought about uneasiness and was a recipe for violence.

Alhaji Anderson urged all to guard against tribalism since it posed danger to national development.

Mr Prosper Bani, the Minister of Interior, called for the need for all to collaborate with the relevant state institutions to promote healthy participation in the political life of the country.

He appealed to Ghanaians to support each others' efforts and those of governmental institutions in conflict prevention, the promotion of peace in society and peaceful co-existence.

GNA
Accra, Oct. 24, GNA - Government and its Regulatory Agencies must take into serious consideration the low levels of incomes in the country whenever they are fixing tariffs of utilities, Maritime And Dockworkers' Union (MDU) has demanded.

This was contained in a resolution passed at the 12th Quadrennial Delegates' Conference of MDU held in Winneba from June 16 to June 18 and ne 2016 and copied to the Ghana News Agency.

The conference urged government to abrogate the concessionaire arrangement in the electricity sector being implemented by Millennium Development Authority because it was not in the interest of Ghana

It advised Government to invest adequate capital in the Volta Lake Transport Company and ensure that it was well managed, adding that adequate measures should be instituted to curb the frequent accidents on the Lake.

The Government should also establish institutions to train the youth to equip them with the requisite skills that would enable them to secure employment in the oil and gas sector, adding that measures should be taken to curb corruption in the sector.

The resolution said the Executive should enact strong laws to regulate the activities of micro-finance companies to put an end to the loss of savings of customers.

The Labour Act 651 0f 2008 should be reviewed and strengthened to offer protection of the rights of casual and contract workers, especially maritime employees, adding that overtime tax exemption for them should be re-introduced.

Government should work with MDU to reintegrate the about 500 workers of Destination Inspection Companies, who lost their jobs with the introduction of the new National Single Window System.

The resolution urged the Government to tackle the annual flooding in Accra and other parts of the country.

GNA
The Presidential candidate of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Nana Akufo Addo has asked the people of the Volta Region to consider voting for the NPP in this years general elections rather than the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC) because it is the only party that can develop Ghana.

According to him, the NPP remains the country's best bet in terms of a government that will ensure development.

Speaking to residents at Asikuma in the Volta Region earlier today, he said the Mahama-led administration has been a disappointment.

He said, although the NPP's fortunes in the Volta Region is weak, Mahama's poor leadership calls for a new government, the NPP administration to lead the country to a path of economic growth and prosperity.

The fortunes of the New Patriotic Party has always been very weak but we are hoping that we are going to a significant change. All through Ghana there is a strong wind blowing for change in government this year because of the disappointment the Ghanaian people have had in the leadership of President John Dramani Mahama, he said.

Our social security system, our health system, our education system are all in crisis under his [Mahama] leadership and we are trying to persuade the Ghanaian people that is possible to move away from these difficulties to a better era of prosperity and progress.

He said his party has the solution to all the problems facing Ghanaians is to effectively manage the economy, create jobs in industry and agriculture and develop the country's social infrastructure.

Nana Addo is spending five days in the Region and is expected to visit a total of 15 constituencies including South Dayi, Kpando, Krachi East, Nkwanta North, Hohoe, Ho Central and North Tongu.

This is the second time the NPP flagbearer is touring the Region ahead of the December polls.

and hopes the party will at least win 3 seats in parliament and 30% of the popular vote.

NPP targets more votes in Volta with operation 3-30

The New Patriotic Party (NPP) is poised to win at least thirty percent of votes for their presidential candidate and capture three parliamentary seats in the Volta region.

According to the party, it is working hard to achieve the target although it ambitious.

Speaking on the Citi Breakfast Show on Wednesday, the Regional Chairman of the Party, John Peter Amewu said as a party, we have a very good agenda for the region.

We are aiming at 3 [parliamentary] seats and a minimum of 30 per cent popular presidential votes and that is what we are calling agenda 3-30. It is doable and we are working towards that.



By: Jonas Nyabor/citifmonline.com/Ghana
New Patriotic Party (NPP) MP Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh says President John Mahama cannot claim credit for all the infrastructural projects being showcased by his government. This, he said, is because funding for some of the projects was secured by the NPP government before the party lost the 2008 elections.

These regional hospitals and district hospitals that they have done. none of them and I repeat none of them was even the funding sought by President Mills or President Mahama the opposition MP who is a member of the Health Committee of Parliament said.

President John Mahamas 2016 re-election campaign is heavily hinged on the governments record of infrastructural projects. The President has said his governments GHC 3billion sunk in infrastructure represents the most massive infrastructural development in the history of this country.

But the Manhyia Sout h MP is not impressed because he believes an honest account of Mahamas achievements will prove that the NPP had a strong hand in getting the projects started.

He referenced a 2009 budget statement presented by the National Democratic Congress (NDC) after it had won the December 2008 general elections.

It showed a list of projects and funding secured under President John Agyekum Kufuor government including the 500-bed Military hospital in Kumasi in the Ashanti region, the upgrade of Tamale Teaching Hospital in the Northern region and Phase II of the Bolgatanga regional hospitals.

The budget statement presented on March 5, 2009, listed at least 79 projects and programmess with funding secured under the Kufuor government before it lost the December 2008 general elections.

The Kufuor government got a $180m credit facility from Euroget de Invest S.A on 20th November 2008 with a 3-year grace period for repayment.

Another $339m was given the NPP government in 2008 for the financing of two regional hospitals and six district hospitals with staff housing at Adenta/Madina, Twifo-Praso, Konongo-Odumase, Wenchi, Tepa, and Salaga.

A 7.5million Euro funding was also sourced for the construction of five Polyclinics.

But in the Green Book, a government publication of achievements under the National Democratic Congress (NDC) government, 295-bed Bolgatanga Regional Hospital, the Military hospital and the five polyclinics are all listed among governments achievements.

These unprecedented investments are not only changing lives but are also beginning to yield results as evident in the positive human development indicators currently being recorded, a portion of the book reads.

Matthew Opoku Prempeh asked the Health Minister Alex Segbefia who was in the studio for a Health Debate on the Joy FM Super Morning Show why government could add to his achievements, projects whose funds were obtained by the NPP.

This is the 2009 budget and they are still claiming credit when they came to meet 100% of the funding, he said

You have been in government two months how could you have brought even loans to parliament? he wondered.

He said with the funding already obtained, it is disappointing that government could take years to build the facilities. You have delayed some of these projects for nine, eight, seven years, he criticised.

Alex Segbefia explained that all the infrastructure projects funded under Kufuor were brought together under President Mills administration. He said the Euro Jet hospitals are only a tranche of hospitals built under Mahama.

Under the NDC government, a $175 million contract has been awarded to a UK construction firm for the designing, constructing and equipping seven district hospitals for the Ministry of Health.

The Greater Accra Regional hospital, an important infrastructure under the Mahama government was done using two credit agreements between Government of Ghana and Export-Import Bank of United States for an amount of US$157.5m and HSBC Bank for US$92.5million.

Funding was sourced in 2012.

-Myjoyonline
By Francis Ameyibor

The National Democratic Congress (NDC) says the second term of President John Dramani Mahama would see the construction of 20 polyclinics in the Ashanti, Eastern, Volta and Upper East regions.

We will between 2017 and 2021 complete the construction of 15 Polyclinics in the Greater Accra and Central Regions; continue to equip Polyclinics and District Hospitals, especially in the newly created districts and continue the construction of the 120-bed Bekwai Hospital in the Ashanti Region, these are stated in its Election 2016 Manifesto, which was made available to the Ghana News Agency (GNA).

This story forms part of a Ghana News Agency Project, GNA Tracks Election 2016, to present the Manifestos of the contesting parties to the electorate.

The Project seeks to create a platform for the dissection of the manifestoes by all stakeholders in the General Election to provide deeper knowledge and understanding of each thematic area to the electorate to enable them to make an informed judgement.

The project is being funded by Ghana Oil Company Limited (GOIL) the nation's foremost indigenous oil marketing company and the CIMG 2015 Petroleum Company of the year.

The GNA Tracks Election 2016 project also seeks to sensitise the electorate on the various issues outside the Manifestoes raised by political parties, the elections management body and other governance institutions.

The project also seeks to ensure gender and social inclusion in national politics and to provide a voice for the youth, vulnerable groups, opinion leaders and the broader spectrum of the society, as well as to contribute its quota to the achievement of a Peaceful Poll on December 7.

The NDC says if re-elected, President Mahama would continue the construction of Community Health Planning Service (CHPS) Compounds; standardise the CHPS Compounds Operational Zones and Health Centres; and establish a National Infectious Disease Centre.

The next NDC Government would also mainstream mental healthcare into the health delivery system and ensure adequate resourcing and infrastructural development countrywide and strengthen the partnership with local pharmaceutical companies to make them more efficient, reliable and competitive both locally and internationally.

We will support bilateral and other exchange programmes for our health personnel to expose them to best practices around the world; extend the on-going free Insecticide Treated Nets (ITN) distribution programme to attain the 2005 Abuja target of 60 per cent of children sleeping under insecticide treated nets countrywide by 2020, according to the Manifesto.

It would also expand the bio-larvicide spraying programme to reduce the incidence of malaria, it says.

It is estimated that about 80 per cent of the world's population rely on herbal medicine, creating a huge world market for the product.

Between 2008 and 2013, export of medicinal plants from Ghana increased five-fold from US$ 8million to approximately US$ 40million, it states.

In the next four years, we will support the large-scale cultivation of medicinal plants for export.

The Manifesto says the Party would continue to support the manufacture of traditional remedies for diseases; create a permanent body to review the Ghana Herbal Pharmacopoeia on a regular basis; and strengthen regulatory mechanisms to ensure safe, efficacious and efficient administration of herbal medicine.

It would also continue to support the Centre for Research into Plant Medicine, Mampong-Akwapim and the Centre for Traditional and Herbal Medicine, KNUST.

We will establish the School of Traditional Medicine at Keta, in addition to the School of Pharmacy, as a satellite campus of the University of Health and Allied Sciences, it promises.

We will upgrade existing health facilities located in the following towns along some of the major highways into Accident and Trauma Centres; Sogakope (Volta Region), Anomabo (Central Region), Half-Assini (Western Region), Nkawkaw (Eastern Region), Kintampo (BrongAhafo Region), Techiman (BrongAhafo Region), Wa (Upper West Region), Hohoe (Volta Region), Gambia No. 2 (BrongAhafo Region) and Buipe (Northern Region).

We will train more doctors in Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS) to help in the specialised handling of accident and trauma victims.

We shall prioritise mental health care and ensure strict implementation of the Mental Health Act 2012 (Act 846) by working with local and international partners to galvanise support for the attainment of the objectives that will drastically improve mental healthcare in Ghana.

The Manifesto says the NDC would stimulate the training of more psychiatric specialists (doctors and nurses), encourage more psychologists and allied professionals to specialise in Mental Health Care and ensure the mainstreaming of Mental Healthcare in our hospitals.

We will move the Accra Psychiatric Hospital to Pantang and develop the Pantang Mental Hospital into a first class mental health facility, it promises.

We will build two additional psychiatric hospitals in Ashanti and the Northern Regions.

GNA


24.10.2016 LISTEN



The 2016 presidential candidate of the New Patriotic Party, Nana Addo DankwaAkufo-Addo, on Saturday, October 22, 2016, ended his 4-day tour of the Ashanti Region, with a clarion call on residents of the region to rally behind the party and vote massively for him and the 47 NPP parliamentary candidates in this year's elections.

Addressing artisans, carpenters and businesses owners at the Sokoban Wood Village in the Nhyiaeso constituency, which was his last port of call, the NPP flagbearer noted that against a backdrop of an economy in tatters, declining growth rate in manufacturing, record levels of youth unemployment, rising cost of living, widespread corruption and a collapsed NHIS, Ghanaians should show President Mahama the exit on December 7.

This year's election is about Ghana's future. It is an election we cannot afford to joke with. Kumasi, Asanteman and Ghanaians should vote massively for the NPP and send a strong signal that Ghanaians are ready and determined to change their circumstances of living, he said.

The NPP flagbearer indicated that the party has fashioned out well-thought through policies, which include: the programme of rapid industrialization of the Ghanaian economy; '1-District-1-Factory' policy; '1-Village-1-Dam' policy; the diversification of the country's agriculture; the effective implementation of the Free SHS policy; and the setting up of an Infrastructure for Poverty Eradication Programme (IPEP), amongst others. These policies, he stressed, will return Ghana onto the path of progress and prosperity.

Specifically to the artisans a nd business owners at the Sokoban Wood Village, the NPP flagbearer assured that we are coming to complete the 2nd phase of the wood village project. President Kufuor began this project, I am coming to complete it.

Nana Akufo-Addo further assured that issues to deal the poor road network within the village, as well as the unstable nature of electricity supply, which is hampering smooth operations at the wood village, would be addressed when he wins this year's elections.

Just as Suame Magazine has become the artisanal/industrial hub in the Ashanti Region and in Ghana, my government will make sure that Sokoban becomes the hub of all issues relating to wood and its end products. All public contracts relating to the purchasing of wood or the manufacturing of wood related products will be done right here in Sokoban, he stressed.

Under the government of President Mahama, the NPP flagbearer indicated, much to the agreement of the hundreds gathered at the Wood Village, that Ghana has become too miserable. We are on a rich land, with all the natural resources at our disposal, and yet we are poor.

He stressed that: We, in the NPP, are coming into office to change these sad statistics and improve the living conditions of our people.

All the policy interventions I have outlined will be implemented to the letter, when we come into office. I have too much love and respect for the Ghanaian people to make pledges I know I cannot keep.

Nana Akufo-Addo, thus, appealed for the unalloyed and unflinching support of the people of the Ashanti Region, stressing that I am coming into office to do a job for all Ghanaians, which will bring jobs, wealth and prosperity to all parts of the country, without discrimination.

Campaign in Volta Region

The NPP flagbearer will from today, Monday, October 24, begin a 5-day tour of the Volta Region.

This will be the 2nd time this year that Nana Akufo-Addo will tour the

region  a region for which the NPP has set an agenda of capturing at least 3 seats in parliament and 30% of the popular vote.

Nana Akufo-Addo will visit a total of 15 constituencies, which will include visits to South Dayi, Kpando, Krachi East, Nkwanta North, Hohoe, Ho Central and North Tongu amongst others.
We write for and on behalf of Able Seaman Class 1 (AB1) Collins Adjei Boamah of the Sekondi Naval Base, Sekondi.

Our client intimates to us that his name was mentioned in your Thursday 21st April, 2016 edition of The Chronicle, as being one of the two soldiers who allegedly tortured and beat up a young man at Tamale, for the stealing of a mobile phone, belonging to a colleague soldier.

Our client further intimates to us that he was outraged by your publication since he had no knowledge of the said alleged conduct.

As a result of your publication, our client reliably informs us that he was sanctioned by his superiors and his image and reputation has been ruined.

We have instructions of our client to inform your outfit of his non-involvement of the said action.

He will, therefore, require your outfit to retract all those comments about him, regarding the alleged incident mention supra and also to demand monetary compensation from your outfit.

You are further informed that our client is eager to go to court for redress if he does not hear anything favourable from your end.

Please take a cue.

Signed

Tackie Otoo and Co


24.10.2016 LISTEN



One of the problems militating against quality education, especially, at the basic level, is teacher absenteeism. In 2011, Mr. Samuel Oppong, National Co-ordinator of the Computerised Schools Selection and Placement System, announced to Ghanaians that 176,128 candidates, representing 46.93 per cent of the 375,280 candidates who sat for the 2011 Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE), met the criteria for selection and placement into Senior High Schools (SHSs) and Technical Institutions (TIs).

This is obviously below the 50% pass mark, but the Ghana Education Service, surprisingly, issued a statement where it argued that, this is an improvement over last year, because 172,359 out of 350,888 candidates who wrote the BECE qualified for placement into SHSs and TIs during last year.

The 2010 figure the GES referred to, in terms of percentage, was 49%, whilst the 2011 was approximately 47%. The improvement being referred to by GES at the time was just 2%.

Following this abysmal performance, a number of institutions conducted a research to find out possible causes of the problem, and number one among them was teacher absenteeism. In its final report on the state of schools in the country, from 2013 to the beginning of the 2014/2015 academic year, the National Inspectorate Board (NIB) of the Ghana Education Service identified teacher absenteeism as a major threat to the educational system in Ghana.

Dr. Augustine Tawiah, Acting Chief Inspector of Schools, who read the report, said most teachers participated in workshop activities on school days, leaving the classrooms empty.

He said the inability of the headteachers to sanction or discipline habitual absentees or lateness to school, also contributed to the poor teaching and learning.

Earlier, the World Bank had also released a report titled, Education in Ghana: Improving Equity, Efficiency and Accountability of Education Service Delivery, where the Breton Woods Institution mentioned teacher absenteeism as a major contributory factor to the low standard of our education.

According to the report, teachers in Tunisia and Morocco miss 11.6 days and 13.4 days a year, while teachers in Ghana miss 43 days. Among the main underlying reasons for the high absentee rate are lack of supervision, sickness/medical care, collection of salary at a bank located at a distance, and frequent funeral attendance.

From the above research material we have quoted, it is clear that teacher absenteeism was the major contributor to the fallen standard of education in Ghana. For a teacher to abandon his or her classroom to attend a funeral, that has no direct link to his/her immediate family is problematic, but this was happening.

It is in the light of this that The Chronicle is happy with the announcement by the Minister of Education, Naana Opoku Agyemang, that the Zero Tolerance for Teacher Absenteeism policy adopted by her ministry to enhance accountability and increase teacher presence, as well as time at desk in schools, has yielded positive results.

According to her, after three years of its implementation, the rate of teacher absenteeism has declined, from 27 per cent in 2012 to seven per cent in 2016.

She vowed to continue to champion the cause until the rate of teacher absenteeism had been brought to zero. As a university professor, and, therefore, a teacher herself, Naana Opoku Agyeman understands the importance of research  a tool she has effectively utilised to address problems confronting the sector.

It is the hope of The Chronicle that the policy would be vigorously pursued until there is zero absenteeism of teachers in our classrooms. No country can properly develop, if her education is in shambles, and that is why teachers at the basic level, who give the children a foundation in education, should be well policed to ensure that they leave up to expectation.

Naana Opoku Agyemang and her ministry should, however, not gloss over the problems that beget teacher absenteeism. If the teacher is not well paid, forcing him or her to stay in the classroom would also become proble
In the era of growing global concerns about human rights violations and the need to accord equal rights and opportunities for all, Newmont Golden Ridge Limited has taken the forefront, in the country, to empower its stakeholders on their human rights, as enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other international laws and standards.

The company as part of its commitment to implementing the Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights (VPSHR) has organized a training workshop for its stakeholders made up of employees, contractors, community members, security agencies and others.

The weeklong workshop sought to educate and create the awareness of the stakeholders in the mining business about the human rights commitments and obligations in the mining industry.

Human rights are basic standards aimed at securing dignity and equality for all. Every human being is entitled to enjoy them without discrimination. They include the rights contained in the International Bill of Human Rights, meaning the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.

Internationally recognised human rights also include the principles concerning fundamental rights set out in the International Labour Organisations (ILO) Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work, which addresses freedom of association and collective bargaining, forced labour, child labour and non-discrimination.

Recognising the impact that human rights abuses of staff, workers in the supply chains, or the operational communities, a number of companies particularly those in the extractive sector, are taking up the responsibility to address the range of human rights issues linked to their operations.

The Regional Social Responsibility Manager for Africa, Newmont Africa Operations, Mr. Emmanuel Ato Aubynn, noted that Newmont is committed to respecting the rights of its employees and communities within which it operates.

He explained that it against this backdrop that the Company, from the onset, periodically engages stakeholders to discuss issues that bring about peace and good working relationship among staff as well as community members.

He observed that the workshop affords the opportunity to build basic awareness among employees, business partners, community members among other actors to be able to uphold and assert their human rights and that of others.

Mr. Ato Aubynn said measures have been put in place to ensure that as part of the values, responsibilities and purpose of the company to be responsible safety, environmental stewardship and social responsibility are taken seriously.

To this end he said Newmont is ready to institute actions against business partners who violate the rights of others.

Among the number of issues discussed at the workshop, participants were particularly encouraged to uphold the rights of others as they seek to uphold their own rights. They were also encouraged to be peaceful at all times in their demands and quest for other benefits.

The Interim General Mine Manager, Mr. Okyere Ntrama, in an interview at the sidelines of the workshop, noted that the involvement of stakeholders in the activities of the Mine helps to create trust and greater understanding in their operations.

Against this backdrop he explained that the engagement will be continual to ensure the promotion of human rights among all the stakeholders.

At the end of the training sessions both workers and community members expressed the opportunity to learn about human rights as well as their own contribution to ensuring peaceful working environment and security.
Elections are significant in every democratic regime as it creates room for electorates to elect their representatives as well as engage in active politics. Elections serve as a medium for testing a countrys democratic processes and how solid its democracy has become. Ghana after transiting to democratic rule in 1992 has successfully conducted six elections to the admiration of all at both local and international level. Admittedly, the rise and fall of tensions especially in the 2012 elections with the election results being challenged in the Supreme Court could not hinder Ghanas democracy. Democracy has been strengthened in diverse ways and we have seen Ghanas democracy consolidated since it has satisfied the various notions of Scholars like Andreas Schedler and Samuel Huntington.

Schedler came up with some notions to explain what democratic consolidation (DC) is. According to Schedler (1997), any talk about democratic consolidation presupposes that a democratic regime exists from the beginning to the end of the process. Democracy is at the same time the indispensable starting point of DC (in form of a consolidating democracy) and its hopeful outcome (in form of a consolidated democracy). Basically, every assertion about democratic consolidation is built on democracy.

That is democracy is a means to achieve democratic consolidation. Democracy is characterized by values such as transparency, accountability, rule of law, respect of fundamental human rights, free press and mass media, as well as free and fair periodic elections. To acknowledge a country as having a consolidated democracy, means these values intrinsic of democracy is in full force as it is institutionalized for all to enjoy. Ghana in the past two decades has exhibited a strong democratic force where authoritarian regimes have been put to null.

Andreas Schedler (1997) in his publication on Concepts of Democratic Consolidation outlined five notions of DC: avoiding democratic breakdown, avoiding democratic erosion, institutionalizing democracy, completing democracy and deepening democracy. This article seeks to examine Ghanas democratic consolidation and whether the outcome of the 2016 elections will prove that Ghanas democracy is consolidated or it is just surviving.

Schedler wrote once a transition from authoritarian rule in a given country has reached a point where (more or less) free, (more or less) fair, and (more or less) competitive elections are held, democratic actors often cannot afford to lean back, relax, and enjoy the bounded uncertainty of democratic rule. In relation to this, periodic elections held in Ghana have been a yardstick to measure the degree of Ghanas democratic consolidation. From a period of political upheavals and authoritarian regimes to the breaking of a new dawn on January 7, 1993 when the fourth Republic was inaugurated , Ghana entered into its lime light as a beacon of hope to if not all but many countries especially in Sub Saharan Africa.

Significantly, Ghana experienced what I term the Strengthening of Democracy after the ruling government led by Jerry Rawlings peacefully handed over power to the opposition New Patriotic Party who had been elected into office. On January 7, 2001 President Kufour took the oath of office as President of Ghana and after his re-election in December 2004 for a second tenure in office. Consequently, by the end of the year 2008, Ghana had had two governments in power from different political parties. The 2008 elections also gave room for the opposition party to be elected with Evans Atta Mills as President and his Vice took over after his demise. Ghanaians went to the polls in 2012 after a keenly contested election between the two major political parties; National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the New Patriotic Party (NPP). For this reason Ghana has passed the notion of the two turn-over test propounded by Huntington. (Democracys Third Wave)

As Schedler (1997) wrote, DC of a country connotes the avoidance of erosion of democracy. By implication, there must be no military supremacy rather the State must have autonomy. It also meant the absence of state violence; the existence of a multi-party system to promote political competition; independent electoral institutions to ensure a transparent election outcome, active civic inclusion and participation. Ghanas democracy is said to be consolidated as it has satisfied (more or less) the notions outlined by the Schedler (1997). One can admit that Ghanas elections have been a competitive one with relentless efforts put in place by democratic actors; Electorates, Politicians, Media, Security Service and the Electoral Commission to make it a free and fair one in order to avoid the breakdown of democracy.

Over the years, Ghana has shown significant growth in her capacity to institutionalize democracy particularly during election periods. The various stakeholders of elections; Media, Electorate, Security Agency, EC and Political Parties have been educated in diverse ways. The media has been educated on the need for them to give equal coverage to all political parties and be circumspect, fair and honest in their reportage. Electorates have come to embrace democracy as the best form of government Ghana has ever experienced and in their capacity ensure that they safeguard it.

Civic participation at the grassroots has increased considerably with many citizens engaging in debate and dissent on every day phenomenon affecting the country. Political Party support by party faithful have boosted exceedingly. Year by year, citizens openly declare their support for the political party and candidate of their choice. The security agencies in Ghana have been equipped on how to combat electoral tensions and ensure the protection of lives before, during and after the elections.

Electoral Commission of Ghana as the main election organizers have improved in their operations with much emphasize on ensuring that each election goes on smoothly and fairly. Political Parties and Politicians in past years have an obligation to conduct themselves in a manner which will not disrupt peace in Ghana. Campaign messages have noticeably been issue based rather than character assassination and politics of insults.

Nevertheless, there have been challenges in the midst of all the efforts put in place to ensure that elections are conducted to safeguard the already existing democracy. Politics of insults coupled with ethnic based politics rather than issue based politics is sometimes seen. The Media and EC face challenges of independence. They are supposed to be independent bodies in order to be fair in their dealings yet the media tend to be bias and the EC faces challenges of manipulation which hinders them in the course of discharging their duties.

Another election year is here and plans are underway for eligible electorates to exercise their franchise. Democracy as it has been began needs to go on and even be solidified such that, nothing can tamper with it. It is in view of this that the 2016 elections in Ghana at the end of the day must come to confirm that Ghana is indeed consolidated or is just trying to find its way through. For this to happen certain measures must be put in place;

Independence, fairness and diligence of the Electoral Commission and Media  these two bodies are primarily a key determinant of another peaceful election. The EC must stand out and refrain from all forms of manipulation and external influences from any group or party. Together with the National Media Commission can embark on seminars to educate the public and all electorates on their roles to play to ensure the 2016 will be as fair and peaceful as ever. The transparency of the EC must not be undermined especially in a year like this which will determine whether the NDC will serve continuously for three successive times, the NPP will bounce back after being in opposition for a while now or a new party or candidate altogether will take over. The media must circulate just the truth and help educate the electorate on how to conduct themselves. The role of the media must be performed without fear or control from any political party. They must understand they play an essential role with the kind of information they circulate and feed their listeners with.

Politicians must be cautious especially during campaigning. Campaign messages should be geared towards nation building and addressing of pressing issues facing the country rather than using rabble-rousing means to provoke the anger of their opponents. The choice of the people is ultimate since that is the essence of democracy. This choice must be respected by the politician. Election outcomes must be accepted as declared by the EC and may otherwise challenge in Court if it does not go down well with them rather than calling party faithful to engage in protests which might raise tensions high.

Electorates and Security Agencies must endeavor to uphold and defend the peace of the nation respectively. Electorates and citizens in general must adhere to the electoral rules and not instigate any form of conflict. Healthy debates must be carried out and the various security agencies must consider the nation first above any political party.

BLEVI MATILDA MENSAH
Accra, 24 October 2016  AngloGold Ashanti Ghana (AGAG) wishes to provide clarity regarding the current security situation at Obuasi mine. Notably, the company would like to make clear that areas of the concession vacated by illegal miners in recent days are to remain secured and free of any illegal mining activity, under the directive from the Minerals Commission.

The directive to clear the site of illegal mining by 10 October was given by the Minerals Commission which, along with a multi-stakeholder committee it established, has prepared an alternative site nearby for the miners to relocate to. Even though the original deadline for a cessation of this unauthorized mining activity had passed, The Minerals Commission continues to work with key stakeholders to move the illegal miners from the remaining parts of the concession, whilst ensuring areas already secured are not reoccupied.

On Tuesday, 18 October, the Security Task Force took the first steps to restore safety and security to the Obuasi concession, which was invaded by illegal miners in February 2016. Their activities started with the fenced, operational areas of the mine and, once secured will move to other parts of the concession.

Following an absence of almost nine months, the return of the security contingent to the mine on Wednesday, 18 October, led to a number of protests in Obuasi. This prompted the Municipal Security Council to issue a roadmap which extended the relocation period up to 10 November 2016.

The Minerals Commission subsequently amended the roadmap indicating that areas within the AGAG Mining lease which had been secured by the security agencies should remain secured  and therefore free of illegal mining activity -- while the unauthorized miners in those areas were relocated in accordance with the road map developed.

AGAG continues to work closely with the Minerals Commission, while urging authorities (including MUSEC, the Security Agencies, the Minerals Commission and all relevant stakeholders) to restore law and order peacefully, as they did during the limited deployment in late July when they cleared the Sansu Lizard Face and Wawase areas.

Unless and until the companys concession areas are fully cleared of illegal miners and the company can assess the damage caused over the past eight months, the company remains subject to a state of force majeure, as declared in February 2016 at the outset of the crisis.

For more background on Obuasi and recent security updates, please see www.futureofobuasi.com
I say, bravo and more grease to the elbows of Agya Koo, my fellow NPP campaigner canvassing for Nana Akufo Addo and NPP to win Election 2016. As a late comer as he is, he is doing a brilliant job. He is a crowd-puller and an orator whose messages find favour in the eyes and ears of his audience. In effect, he is a Paul a waama ntem, nanso wosen adikanfo

Before I proceed any further, let me pause a second to extend my heartfelt condolences to him on the death of his mother. I pray he overcomes the pain of losing his mother as quickly as possible. Being someone who has lost both parents, I understand the pains he is going through at the moment. However, the pain must never be an obstruction to his determination to campaign tirelessly to bring Nana Akufo Addo and NPP to power come 7 December 2016.

I am happy that Agya and his Agenda 57% for Nana Akufo Addo 2016 colleagues are not ready to be found wanting when it comes to a view once expressed by the late Emperor Haile Selassie of Ethiopia. The Emperor said, Throughout history, it has been the inaction of those who could have acted; the indifference of those who should have known better; the silence of the voice of justice when it mattered most; that has made it possible for evil to triumph.

Agya Koo and his friends want to go down in history as people who selflessly joined hands with equally selfless people to liberate Ghana from the hands of incompetent, clueless, corrupt and lawless nation administrators at a critical point in the life of Ghana. They teamed up with forward-thinking people to liberate Ghanaians and Ghana from the evil clutches of President Mahama and the NDC, the way they want to be remembered by posterity.

Additionally, Agya Koo does not want to be found morally guilty of a saying by Mark Twain who said, "In the beginning of a change the patriot is a scarce man, and brave, and hated and scorned. When his course succeeds, the timid join him, for then it costs nothing to be a patriot". He wants to join the liberation fight when people are needed and the fight very intense before it succeeds.

Therefore, Agya Koo is a hero but not a coward. He could not have come at any better time.

I have watched his YouTube videos and how he is doing well to bring Nana Akufo Addo, Ghanas version of biblical Joseph or David in the making to power to set the Ghanaian captives free from the devastating corruption, practice of selective justice, tribalism, lawlessness and divide and rule tactics stubbornly brought to bear upon them by the callous NDC government and party.

I salute Agya Koo and his Agenda 57% for Nana Akufo Addo 2016 brigade. I hope many more Ghanaians will emulate his shining example to quickly join the liberation Ghanaian Forces to use their thumps (Kokromoti power) to effect a change in government from NDC to NPP come 7 December 2016.

Will the Basoah, Duffour, Serwaah, Adwubi, Dentaa, Aduuna, Brenya, Nyanor etc. families of Kumawu join the NPP campaign team same as Agya Koo is doing? Do not stay on the fence only to try to come to limelight after the NPP has won the election to extricate Ghanaians from their politico-economic sufferings.

I know Kofi Basoah of Juabeng and Burger are with the NPP in prayers and are doing brisk campaigning; so also are the people of Kumawuman and Asiampa.

From today forward, I declare AGYA KOO in the name of God Almigty as Ghanas Paul a waama ntem, nanso wosen adikanfo

Rockson Adofo
Gender responsiveness, the use of Information Communication Technology to aid teaching and learning as well quality research and publication have been identified as key to training quality teachers at the colleges of education.

To achieve this, government through the Transforming Teacher Education and Learning (T-TEL) Challenge Fund, has awarded an amount of GH60,940 to the St. John Boscos College of Education at Navrongo in the Upper East Region.

The Fund will enable the college to better train teachers with the needed capabilities to handle students.

At a stakeholders meeting to discuss the Transforming Teacher Education and Learning (T-TEL) Programme and its benefits, principal of the St. John Boscos College of Education, William Atindana Anamoo said the college has the capacity to function as a model college for the rest of the colleges of Education in the three regions of the north.

However, he noted that it is currently not living up to that expectation due to certain challenges.

He mentioned the lack of interest on the part of persons who apply to be admitted into the school, to opt for the science and technical areas as one of the challenges, saying that it was defeating the purpose of colleges designation as a science-oriented college.

The T-TEL Programme aims to transform the delivery of pre-service teacher education in Ghana by improving the quality of teaching and learning through support to all 38 colleges of education between 2014 and 2018.

The Programme is supported by the UKs Department for International Development (DFID) and managed by Cambridge Education in association with the Open University of UK.

With what it received from the T-TEL Challenge Fund, the St. John Boscos College of Education will work to improve further, the training of teachers in the areas of; promoting equal treatment and participation of girls and boys within the school environment, the use of ICT to aid teaching and learning as well quality research and publication.

Project lead for the T-TEL programme at the St. Boscos College of Education, Callistus Nakpih was optimistic that the programme will achieve its targets.

Upper East Regional Director of Education, Jane Sabina Obeng said she was hopeful that the T-TEL programme will help improve the level of discipline in children in some of the basic schools in the region, which she pointed out, was becoming an issue of serious concern to education watchers in the region.

Deputy Upper East Regional Minister, Dr. Robert Kuganab-Lem, who was special guest of honor for the stakeholders meeting, urged authorities of the St. John Bosscos College of Education to continue to insist on good discipline in teachers trained at the college.

He said what becomes of Ghanas future leaders was highly dependent on the quality and discipline of the teachers in the schools.

Story by Ghana| Myjoyonline | Albert Sore| Joy News UE Correspondent
Anti corruption crusader, Sydney Casley Hayford has likened President Mahama to Republican Presidential Candidate, Donald Trump, following his [President Mahama]comments that a certain group of people are blocking government's transformation message.

President Mahama in an interview with the Ovation Magazine said a certain group of people have taken control of the Ghanaian media and are blocking his government's message, a situation which in his view, makes it difficult for people to know the truth.

It is populism, a certain group has taken control of the media in Ghana and it makes it difficult for people to discern the truth. So as much as you are putting out the information, it is either being blocked or distorted, the President said.

But speaking on Citi FM's News Analysis Programme, The Big Issue, Casley Hayford pointed out that, government has no business making such an allegation when it controls the national media platform.

Sydney Casely Hayford

He believes the President sought to create confusion with his comments.

When you make statements like this and you use these nefarious cabal, these nefarious group of people who are not indentifiable then you are behaving like Jerry John Rawlings and you are behaving like a Donal Trump who is calling for a complete destruction of the world because we will be voting Hillary Clinton into authority.

When people don't like to accept what is the fact and what is the real truth and you try and break up what civil society and sensible people are trying to establish in the world then you create so much confusion .

-Citifmonline
The 2016 presidential candidate of the New Patriotic Party, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, on Monday, October 24, 2016, began his 5-day tour of the Volta Region with a clarion call to residents of the region to help change President Mahama's government on December 7, and return the country onto the path of progress and prosperity.

According to Nana Akufo-Addo, the time has come for us to put people in office who are capable of giving this country a really effective and efficient government, so that we can make progress in our country.

The NPP flagbearer made this known when he addressed Togbui Agamela IV, the acting Paramount Chief of the Peki Traditional Council, in the South Dayi constituency, which was his first port of call in the Region.

The President is going around telling everybody that in his next term, he is going to create jobs. In his next term, he's going to concentrate on agriculture. Everything is in his next term. He doesn't tell us anything about what is going on now.

He's been in power for 8 years, and apart from the green book, we don't know what else he's been able to produce, Nana Akufo-Addo said.

He assured the Chiefs and people of Peki that it is possible for us to develop rapidly if the correct policies are put in place. We have outlined many of these policies, which are to do with reviving our agriculture, reviving our industry.

Nana Akufo-Addo reiterated his commitment of helping to establish a factory in each of the 216 districts across the country in order for the districts to be the centre of economic activity and growth.

On the rationale for setting up the Infrastructure for Poverty Eradication Programme, Nana Akufo-Addo explained that, we (in the NPP) want to change the way the monies of our country are allocated. The monies are not getting down to assist the people to deal with the issues confronting them.

That is why we have proposed that, from the 1st budget of our government, every constituency in the country is going to be allocated directly the equivalent of $1 million a year to deal with basic infrastructural needs of the constituency.

The NPP flagbearer also assured of the effective implementation of the Free SHS policy, as well as the revival of the National Health Insurance Scheme, which, he described as one of the greatest social programmes, not just of Ghana, but in the whole of Africa.

The NHIS, however, in the hands of President Mahama and the NDC is being compromised. The NHIS is in serious decline, and it is my hope and intention that, if the people of Ghana bring the NPP back into office, we are going to revive the NHIS to make it work for everybody, as was the original intention.

Nana Akufo-Addo appealed to the people of South Dayi to throw their support behind him and the NPP, so development, jobs and wealth can be brought to every part of the country without discrimination.

I have come to you here in Peki, and in other areas of the Volta Region to ask for your support. It has not been forthcoming to us in big numbers in the Volta Region. But, I was happy to hear you (Togbui Agamela IV) say that I shouldn't assume everybody is an NDC member here. That is a very reassuring statement for me. I am also hoping we will get many people who will say they are not NDC, and will help the NPP come back into office, he added.

Nana Akufo-Addo, in concluding, assured the Chiefs and people of the Volta Region that the NPP will not be the origin of any disturbance in our country over these elections. He urged the Electoral Commission to also play its role as a fair and impartial referee, as this will enhance the peace and stability of our country.

-Peacefmonline
24.10.2016 LISTEN

By Bernice Bessey.

Japan, in its bid to provide essential security to support deprived communities in the country, has granted an amount of US$240,000 to three different districts.

The districts that benefited donation, titled Japan Assistance for Grassroots Human Security Projects (GGHSP) scheme, are Zabzugu District, Northern Region, which had US$81,200, Kpone-Katamanso, Greater Accra Region received US$80,800, and Mfantseman Municipality, Central Region, US$77,200.

The GGHSP scheme is supporting the Zabzugu District to construct a Children's Ward at the District Hospital; the Kpone-Katamanso District to undertake culvert and drain works at Kpone-Bethlehem, and Mfantseman Municipality to construct a CHPS compound at Asafora.

Handing over the donations to representatives of the beneficiary districts was the Japanese Ambassador to Ghana, H.E. Kaoru Yoshimura, recently in Accra.

According to the Ambassador, since the introduction of the GGHSP scheme in Ghana in 1989, it had supported basic needs in the areas of health, education, agriculture, public welfare, basic infrastructure, capacity building, and empowerment.

He thanked the assemblies and other development bodies for their initiative, contribution and preparation to embark on the various projects.

I am confident that the hard work invested into this venture will go a long way to improve the standard of health delivery and accessible roads in these respective communities and environs, and also benefit generations to come, he stated.

Receiving the donation on behalf the people of Zabzugu, Mr. Shei Fuseini, District Director of Health, said the assembly applied for the grant to promote the health of children in the district, and thanked the Japanese people for the kind gesture.

Alhaji E. A. Tetteh, Chief Executive Officer, Kpone Katamanso District, said the Bethlehem community gets flooded whenever it rains, due to two major culverts in the area being in bad condition, which cannot support the volume of water that flows through them.

He added that the poor condition of the culverts had also affected the community's road network, saying, Residents in the area are compelled by the deplorable roads and blocked drains to stay indoors throughout the rainy period, making them unproductive.

Signing for the grant on behalf of the Mfanteman-Asafora people was the Country Director of The Hunger Project, Samuel Afrane, who said the construction the CHPS compound will benefit approximately 5,000 people in 13 surrounding communities.

He said the CHPS compound is purposed to improve healthcare delivery, especially in maternal and postnatal care.
24.10.2016 LISTEN

(pix: Prof Naana Jane Opoku-Agyaman,)

The Zero Tolerance for Teacher Absenteeism policy adopted by the Ministry of Education to enhance accountability and increase teacher presence, as well as time on desk in schools, has yielded positive results.

After three years of its implementation, the rate of teacher absenteeism has declined from 27 per cent in 2012 to seven per cent in 2016.

Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang, Minister of Education, who announced this in Accra said, the Ministry would continue to champion the course until the rate of teacher absenteeism is brought to zero.

She said after she and her team had initiated surprise visits to countless schools throughout the country at first hand, the National Inspectorate Board and the Ghana Education Service were resourced to intensify both external and internal monitoring in basic schools, among many other functions.

She, therefore, commended various stakeholders, including teachers, the teacher unions, traditional authorities, district education officers and parents who supported the Ministry to achieve the result.

I wish to thank everyone for their cooperation which has helped improve the image of our cherished profession, she added.

On In-Service Education and Training Programme, the Minister said in the four-year period, a total of 12, 085 Mathematics and 2387 Science teachers across the country were trained.

Prof Opoku-Agyemang said in addition 5,626 non-core subject teachers and 5,923 Heads from Public Basic Schools in the 75 deprived districts and low-performing schools (public and private) also received training, as well as in the ensuing year *

(school children)

In our effort to accelerate ICT education at the basic education level 81,000 basic school teachers have been trained since 2013 to enable them acquire the requisite skills in the use of ICT to facilitate teaching and learning.

A total number of 54,500 Laptops were procured and distributed to basic school teachers, and 60,000 laptop computers were distributed to public basic schools across the country, she said.

The Minister said in order to strengthen governance of educational institutions to improve efficiency of education service delivery, the Ministry had over the past two years embarked on a process to review the legal and regulatory framework of some of its agencies.

To date, three bills, namely Technical University Act, 2016 (Act 992); University of Environment and Sustainable Development Act, 2015 (Act 898), and Chartered Institute of Taxation Act, 2016 (Act 916) have been passed into Acts of parliament and accented by the President.

Prof Opoku-Agyemang announced that Tertiary Education Research Fund Bill had also been approved by Cabinet and is currently before Parliament for Consideration, while Ghana Book Development Council Bill was currently at the Attorney General's Department.

GNA


The judiciary has the men and women who are committed to safeguarding and protecting the electoral rights of Ghanaians, the Chief Justice (CJ) has assured.

Theodora Georgina Wood said the court has since the start of 2016 demonstrated its preparedness to expedite action on electoral disputes brought before it and would do more in the coming days.

She cited the courts treatment of the New Patriotic Party (NPP)s Kwesimintim parliamentary primary election dispute in which Joseph Mensah challenged his disqualification.

Mindful of the Electoral Commission (EC)s September 29 to 30 deadline for filing of presidential and parliamentary elections, the head of the judiciary said she recalled Justice Sophia Rosetta Bernasko-Eaash during the legal vacation to fast-track the case.

Justice Bernasko-Eaash ruled that Mr Mensah was unjustifiably disqualified from contesting in the primary and asked for him to be reinstated. He went on to defeat the long-serving Member of Parliament (MP) for the NPP in the area, Joe Baidoe-Ansah.

Section of senior members of Ghana's judiciary

Time was of the essence [so] the case was disposed off in two weeks and I want to thank Lady Justice for her diligence and professionalism, she said.

The CJ disclosed this during a special forum organised by the Judiciary on the theme The Judiciary and 2016 Election in Accra.

With 42 days to the presidential and parliamentary election, the EC has come under several court actions for disqualifying some 12 political parties from the election.

EC boss, Charlotte Osei had told the media in Accra during her announcement that the rejected parties failed to adhere to the directives as contained in the Constitutional Instrument (C.I.94).

The Commission is currently battling with a suit from the Progressive Peoples Party (PPP), the National Democratic Party (NDP) and the All Peoples Congress (APC).

Other political parties namely the Peoples National Convention (PNC) and the Great Consolidated Popular Party (GCPP) have indicated they would sue the EC in court in the coming days over the disqualification of their Presidential Candidates.

Some political actors and commentators have predicted the behaviour of the EC boss if not checked might plunge the country into a constitutional crisis. They believe the postponement of the polls which has been fixed on December 7 could affect the country.

Minority leader, Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu had told Joy News on the day the EC rejected the nominations of the 12 political parties that he had wondered if the behavior of the EC boss could not lead Ghana to the Nigeria situation in which the 2015 election was postponed for six weeks.

The respected legislator was emphatic that the December 7 date is fixed because it is the only congruent date for holding the presidential and parliamentary elections.

The CJ said Ghanaians expect and truly deserve a smooth and timely resolution of electoral disputes that will mark the acceptance of the election results and has urged the judiciary to insist on professionalism at all levels.

Without compromising the rule of law and sacrificing the judicial process, the highest standard of judiciary leadership is therefore called for demonstrated inter alia through focused hearings on the germane or real issues in controversy, she said.

She also called for impartiality, fairness, equal opportunities to parties and to be heard coupled with the judges independents and legitimate authority to lead the process so that it would end in a transparently just result.

Mrs Georgina Wood said the judiciary cannot fail Ghanaians at such an important time, adding the justices must see this as a duty to God, to this nation and indeed to the international community to ensure the stability and security of our constitutional democracy.


Ebo Quansah in Accra.

In this column on Thursday, October 20, 2016, I made the following observation: In all honesty, President John Dramani Mahama does not deserve to be on the ballot paper after his romance with a Burkinabe contractor led to the loss of US$650,000 to the state, in that gamut of a contract to construct, what I call, a Jericho Wall in Ouagadougou, which in turn begat the Ford Expedition bribery scandal.

The administration of this country, under Mr. John Dramani Mahama, has been disastrous, to put it mildly. The economy is in a mess, trickling down to a life of despondency for many nationals depending on state largesse.

The situation at the Accra Psychiatric Hospital, where vital services to in-patients have been suspended, tells the story of a nation unable to cater for its own, in spite of overlays of state funds being spirited away in various acts of cronyism. It is not only psychiatric patients who are being denied basic health and food care. All specialised institutions for underprivileged Ghanaians are facing paralysis under President Mahama.

Nana Oye Lithur, President Mahama's Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, is too busy identifying households belonging to sympathisers of the ruling National Democratic Congress, to enable the Ministry dish out state pittances meant for destitute homes to oil the NDC campaign. Oh yes!

Nana Oye was one of this nations acclaimed human rights activists. Since joining the Mahama administration, she has been conspicuous by her silence on human rights issues. I was just composing this piece when a colleague reminded me of an experience with a similar activist who was given a top job in Nigeria. Asked why he had been quiet on naked human rights abuses by the Nigerian administration, his response was simple. In Africa, it is rude to talk while eating, which tells a lot about the happenings in the country under Mahama.

The Mahama administration is so desperate that it would stop at nothing to pull off the impossible. As you read this piece, the entire governance system of this country has ground to a halt. Virtually all political appointees have abandoned their briefs and taken to the road to campaign, in a desperate bid to retain President John Mahama and his moribund administration.

The President himself is now in the Volta Region. In all honesty, the Head of State has spent the better part of the year on the campaign trail. President Mahama is barely seen at his office these days.

Whoever advised Paa Kwesi Amissah Arthur to enter the realm of politics at the very top, might not have done his image any good. Seeing him on television, walking through the market in the Assin area of the Central Region at the week-end, he cut a forlorn figure. The Vice-President was off colour, and appeared completely disinterested in his assignment.

One might have thought that with his background in academia, the Vice-President of the Republic of Ghana would find his interactions with students more relaxed. At the weekend, Paa Kwesi Amissah-Arthur, who has also abandoned his brief at Government House and taken the torrid route in electioneering campaign, was at the Assin Foso College of Education.

He appeared contradictory on the main issue he was supposed to educate the trainee teachers on. Certainly, this is not the time to justify a policy that has been already been reversed for political expediency. Everybody knows how this administration has goofed big time by ordering the cancellation of allowances meant for trainee-teachers.

It is certainly the pressure of the vote that has forced the Mahama administration to back-pedal on the allowances. Instead of raising the spirit of these students, by narrating how positive the restoration of their allowances would impact their lives, Paa Kwesi tried, rather too hard, to justify why it was cancelled in the first place. If cancellation was the best option, why would this administration want to restore the allowance system?

This administration knows no shame. If it does, this would certainly not be the time to ruffle the feathers of trainee-teachers. With most of their seniors, who completed the course for the past two years at the 32 Colleges of Education, yet to receive their wages, in spite of teaching our kids all this while, none of the 32 Colleges of Education in this country would be the ideal ground to preach the hopelessly out of tune Changing Lives and Transforming Ghana message.

One of the comedies of the electioneering campaign is the sight of the Chief of Staff, Julius Debrah, with his frame, virtually trudging on the campaign floor, instead of covering for the Head of State at Government House.

The Jubilee House is naked. It is without any of the officials of state that makes it function as the Presidential Office. It is all in the name of getting John Dramani Mahama re-elected.

National democratic Congress (NDC) officials virtually scream in Twi, the largest spoken local dialect in this country: 'JM TUASO,' (JM continue).

For me, the whole gamut of electioneering is becoming a comedy. Political dinosaurs like Kofi Totobi Quakyi, Prof. Kwamena Ahwoi, Cecelia Johnson, Ama Benyiwa Doe  men and women who created the fear factor in national politics in the so-called revolutionary era, and aided Jerry John Rawlings to turn this beautiful republic into the culture of silence, have all been dusted and are in the campaign trenches out there.

When I saw the women triumvirate of Benyiwa-Doe, Cecilia Johnson with Faustina Nelson of the Verandah Boys and Girls fame in tow, on television, they looked tired and hopelessly out of touch.

It tells a lot about the exigencies of the moment. The task is daunting. When President John Dramani Mahama, the man touted as a communication expert, and with an arsenal of all state information machinery at his disposal, complains of some media practitioners blocking his message, 'Enibre' has come. Which reminds me of pronouncements by the late General Kutu Acheampong, Chairman of the Supreme Military Council, when the die was cast.

When the man who rose from Colonel to a four star-General in six years of mis-administering this country, announced his coup detat, he told Ghanaians that even small amenities the military were enjoying in the Nkrumah regime, had been taken away by the Busia regime he had overthrown.

It tells much about the pressure of the time that when the going got harder for the military in government, General Acheampong and his military answered critics by throwing them in jail without trial. They prisoners of conscience were saboteurs, the regime and its hangers on explained.

Last week, President John Dramani Mahama granted an interview to the Ovation Magazine, a Nigerian-owned publication which circulates in Ghana, and blamed saboteurs in the media for the failure of his so-called message of 'Changing Lives' and 'Transforming Ghana' from reaching the people.

Read the lips of the Head of State: It is populism; a certain group has taken control of the media in Ghana; and it makes it difficult for the people to discern the truth. So, as much as you are putting out the information, it is either being blocked or distorted.

This is the juicy bit. Day in and day out, the four state publishing houses  the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation with its television network GTV, the Graphic Communication Group Limited, publishers of the Daily Graphic and six other weekly newspapers, the New Times Corporation, publishers of the Ghanaian Times and Weekly Spectator, and the Ghana News Agency  behave like Mahama bulletins. If all these publications cannot compete with those so-called saboteurs, obviously in the private sector with comparatively little resources, then life in this country is getting interesting.

What this means is that the President is beginning to understand what has been obvious for some time now. The people are tired of the lies and half truths answering for state policies. With the state economy unable to support the needy as a result of cronyism, the people are yearning for change.

All this reminds me of a very popular saying: The day the monkey is destined to die, all branches of trees become slippery.

JM Twaso. (JM cut it short).The die is cast.

I shall return!


24.10.2016 LISTEN

We The Friends of the Rawlingses find it repugnant, irritating and deeply insulting, that the leader of the Great consolidated popular party Dr. Henry Lartey would find it necessary to attack the dignity of His excellence Jerry John Rawlings in the manner in which he is doing now over a 2million dollar gift he said he had received from late Nigeria leader Saani Abacha. We take offense to the reckless, cold-hearted and egocentric effusions being exhibited by the leader of the Great Consolidated Popular Party Dr. Henry Lartey and would like to send a strong warning to him and his paid masters to desist from it or face our wrath.

We expect Dr. Henry Lartey to have known better that former president Rawlings views on corruption are globally known and his credibility is priceless and cannot be bought. We quote part of the interview His excellency Jerry John Rawlings granted to the Nigeria news paper The Guardian last July on his anti-corruption and alleged $5million gift from Abacha. "The point I want to make here is, around that period we were preparing for constitutional rule. We needed funds for some activities and we got contributions from few places. The interesting thing is that I never went to or asked Abacha for any contribution. And this is something that impressed me about the man. I didnt ask him for a penny but he obviously understood certain situations, our situation, and graciously sent me a small suitcase of money. I think there were two cars or three that came to the Air Force station to look for me. I was going for a fly that afternoon so I was at the Air Force Station when a gentleman came over there and when he said he had a message from Abacha, I cancelled my flight and they set out to wait for me. I drove after them to the caste. As we got out of the car and we were about to move up, this elderly gentleman, Gwarzo he is called, had one of his assistants try to bring out a suitcase from the boot of a car. I had an idea of what it could be. So I said: Leave it, shut your boot and lets go upstairs first and talk. He said he had brought something from Abacha. I said two things: I hear you people dont provide assistance without the world hearing it with a twist. He just kept quiet looking at me. I said two: Dont think that when you bring this, whatever it is, that would shut me up from criticizing if I think you are wrong, or if I disagree. He then opened his mouth and said Sir, we need you more than you need us.I am quoting him. He didnt speak much. He was a very noble, quiet looking and elderly man. He was respectable looking. In fact, what he said simply disarmed me. So I said it was okay. He could send for the parcel. His assistant then went and brought in the parcel: 2million dollars: new notes packed in plastic bags, fairly heavy. We left it in the sitting room. We finished with some niceties and he left. I informed some of my close comrades of the parcel from Abacha. I gave away about 350,000 dollars to two people for urgent disbursements. One of our senior colleagues who was in charge of an exercise drew down certain amounts. We went on like this until the suitcase was exhausted. Later when Abacha died and your country instituted an investigation into his assets, I read in one of your newspapers that Mr. Gwarzo, this fine gentleman, allegedly said that he brought me 5million dollars. I am glad I still have that suitcase. It shocked me a bit that such a fine respectable man could make such a claim. The amount he mentioned shocked me. That he could tell such a lie. My colleagues knew about it. I didnt know why I should be keeping these things secret. Moreover, I didnt have any personal account to be putting these things into anyway. Besides we needed to use them for some national needs. But lo and behold! Many years down the line when I fell out with some of my colleagues and they decided to get poisonous, two of them wrote a book on district assembly elections and the decentralization programme, and inserted in somewhere, when it was absolutely not necessary, something about Gwarzos supposed $5million just to poison my name. I just feel sad that Gwarzo should do this. I am prepared to be subjected to polygraph test. May be thats what he needs also. When General Abubakar took over, I told him to watch out. That, that report in the papers about $5million was $2million and not $5million. He didnt make any comment. He didnt say anything. Obasanjo took over I thought I should straighten it out with him. The comment he made was: Yes, that is how they behave. When they are given something to take somewhere, they will take the majority, the bigger share. That was the comment Obasanjo made. I wasnt used to those things. Otherwise, I could have called Abacha. I dont even think I even called him over that. Maybe I should have called him to say thank you for the $2million and then he would have called his people to order. You see what I mean? I wasnt used to money being thrown up and down. Money was not my thing. Yes, we were poor enough as a country, but we were working day and night to make sure we put the country on a solid foundation for economic explosion. We had our pride and our dignity was not out for sale".

So for a character like Dr. Henry Lartey Casting insinuations and innuendoes at His Excellency Jerry John Rawlings in such a manner, smacks of indiscipline at the highest level. We are made to believe Dr. Lartey has petitioned the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) and Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) to probe the $2 million gift, which Mr. Rawlings has not denied receiving. Dr. Lartey indicated on an Accra-based radio, Onua FM: The perpetrator of corruption is walking about free. We will fight them and fight until they come out with the truth, and the truth will be judged by the courts. We are aware of the machinations going on to ridicule and discredit the former President. We are ready to do battle with anybody at anytime because using characters like Dr. Henry Lartey would not solve their selfish agenda.

When the matter of the alleged bribe money from Nigeria first broke in the 1990s the National Democratic Congress,founded by Jerry Rawlings, put up a strong defence for him (J.J. Rawlings) when the matter went on the floor of Parliament for investigations to be conducted into the matter by the then Speaker of Parliament, Justice D.F. Annan which makes it surprising today that when nonentity like Dr. Henry Lartey are raising same issue, non in the NDC frontline is ready to defend the founder Jerry Rawlings. For someone like Dr. Henry Lartey who has consistently shown gross indiscipline towards His Excellency Jerry John Rawlings to lament over corruption against him in the country is just revolting. We wonder what moral authority he has to lead such a crusade when he himself is indiscipline to the core. We want to make it crystal clear to Dr. Henry Lartey and his likes that His Excellency former President Rawlings was able to hold the PNDC/NDC together for 19 years because he was mentally competent, morally upright, a strict disciplinarian and was able to stamp his personality on governance as well as reined his undisciplined appointees as and when necessary.

We urge former President Jerry John Rawlings to display uncommon resilience in the face of the unwarranted provocation that has been occasioned by this unsavoury politician who is behaving like a kindergarten kid fighting over dollies. We are not just going to sit down and fold our arms and groaned, moaned and lament like Jeremiah of the old Testaments while His excellency Jerry John Rawlings is consistently being humiliated by nonentities like Dr. Henry Lartey who cannot even win a parliamentary seat not talk of being a president. We want to caution Dr. Henry and his paid masters to perish the thought of usurping the legacy of excellency Jerry Rawlings because we are prepared to lay our lives down to resist any attempt by Dr. Henry Lartey and his cohorts to usurp and destroy the legacy of excellency Jerry John Rawlings. We will stand up and speak our mind when the occasion presents itself. We will perish together; if we fail in our effort to grate the scabbed-wound and apply the right medication.

Signed

Ibrahim Hardi(convener and spokesperson).

Contact 0208235615,

email;[email protected]
By Iddi Yire, GNA

Accra, Oct. 24, GNA - The West Africa Centre for Crop Improvement (WACCI), University of Ghana has held a workshop on Demand Led Variety Design (DLVD) for plant breeders in Africa.

The two-day workshop was based on a training manual developed through a collaboration between the Syngenta Foundation for Sustainable Agriculture (SFSA), the Crawford Fund and the University of Queensland and other partners including WACCI, African Centre for Crop Improvement (ACCI), BecA-ILRI Hub, CIAT, and the University of Nairobi.

The objective of the workshop was to impart skills to plant breeders on how to engage stakeholders in the process of plant variety design with the ultimate aim to improve variety adoption in African agriculture.

Topics covered included: principles of DLVD concept; visioning and foresight for setting breeding goals; understanding clients; and new variety design and product profiling.

Others are variety development strategy and stage plan; monitoring, evaluation and learning; and making use of investments in new variety development.

A total of 20 participants attended the training workshop all from the first three cohorts of WACCI graduates representing National Agricultural Research Systems of Ghana, Nigeria, Niger, Mali, Burkina Faso, Cameroon and Kenya.

Evaluation of the course by participants was very positive and all were willing to be involved in the training of other breeders and relevant stakeholders when the training manual on the demand led variety design is finally rolled out.

Professor Pangirayi Tongoona and Dr Agyemang Danquah delivered the training course.

Participants at the workshop in an interview with the Ghana News Agency hailed WACCI for enhancing their research capacities.

Dr Moses Adedu Adebayo, a Senior Lecturer and maize breeder at the Department of Crop Production and Soil, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomosho, Oyo State, Nigeria, appealed to the Centre to incorporate the modules of the workshop into its PhD programme for training new plant breeders.

He said modern breeder must be well bred to meet the challenges of crop breeding.

Dr Maxwell Darko Asante, a Senior Research Scientist and a Rice Breeder, Centre for Scientific and Industrial Research - Crop Research Institute- Kumasi, said the knowledge gained at the workshop would empower them to produce new varieties that are acceptable to stakeholders and this would go a long way to impact positively on Ghana and Africa at large.

WACCI was established in 2007 with initial funding from the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) as a semi-autonomous institute in the UG to train plant breeders at the PhD level for the West African Region.

The establishment of WACCI was inspired by the need to train new scientists required to develop high yielding varieties of indigenous crops adapted to the different agro ecologies in West Africa.

In 2009 WACCI received a grant from AGRA to establish a model maize breeding program for the training of students in field oriented plant breeding techniques for West and Central Africa.

In 2015 WACCI received additional funding from the Scaling Seeds and Technologies Partnership (SSTP)-AGRA to further evaluate and release identified promising varieties.

GNA
24.10.2016 LISTEN

GNA feature by Agnes Ansah, Priscilla S. Djentuh / Theophania Dzadza

Accra, Oct. 24, GNA - The Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) on March 24, 2011 directed landlords in the Metropolis to construct appropriate toilet facilities in their houses.

The Assembly warned that from September 2011 it would start arresting those who would have flouted the order.

'With effect from September 2011, any landlord who refuses to provide toilet facilities for his or her tenants would be arrested and prosecuted,' said Dr Simpson Boateng, Metro Director of Public Health at the time.

Dr Simpson, who was addressing the press on measures adopted by the Assembly to curb the cholera outbreak, said about 90 per cent of households in the Metropolis lacked toilet facilities thereby making people to defecate at unapproved places and increasing the rate of cholera outbreak in the city.

At that time, it was said that about 3,000 cases and more than 30 deaths had been recorded in Accra alone since the cholera outbreak in the country in September 2010.

In addition, the Ghana Health Service said the death toll in the cholera outbreak throughout the country was about 64 as a result of poor sanitation and the consumption of contaminated foods and water.

In the wake of this the AMA set up a task force in all its 11 sub- metros to arrest people who cooked and sold food to the public under unhygienic conditions.

People were arrested and about 1,000 offenders were prosecuted at a court that was established for that purpose at Ablekuma Central, La, Abeka and Osu.

Offenders of the laws were made to pay a fine of GH120 or be imprisoned for three months or both and Mr Twumasi Ankrah, the AMA Solicitor at the time appealed to residents in the Metropolis to co-operate with the Assembly in the implementation of its new bye-laws which were mainly aimed at reducing commercial activities on the streets of Accra.

The truth is that all these would not have been necessary if the city bye- laws had not been flouted or the authorities had made them work.

People just eased themselves anyhow and anywhere and the fecal materials in the open contributed to the poor sanitation and the outbreak of diseases.

However, after five years of this laudable idea, very little has been accomplished as far as the directive on household toilets is concerned.

For example Edmund Lomo, the Assembly Member for the Kwashieman Electoral Area says the authorities in the community are now going to tap into a national project that would ensure that every household within his jurisdiction secured a toilet facility.

He said the initiative was part of the Greater Accra Metropolitan Area Sanitation and Water Project (GAMA-SWP).

'The GAMA-SWP is a collaborative programme between the governmentand the World Bank, which seeks to increase access to improved sanitation, water supply and strengthen management of environmental sanitation.

Mr Lomo said 'the initiative will help promote and ensure a clean environment and improve sanitation'.

It would also help to save money while making provision for ultra-modern toilet facilities of good quality, he observed.

Speaking to the Ghana News Agency(GNA), the Assembly Member explained that the World Bank and the government had paid part of the expenses leaving landlords with just a little a to pay.

He said the facility would be constructed within a month after payments had been made at the district office of the AMA.

He said this was to encourage a lot of people to enroll on the project.

He therefore charged landlords and their tenants to chance on the opportunity to secure the facility in their various homes.

He petitioned the Environmental Health Division under the AMA to collaborate with Assembly Members to ensure compliance with the AMA's directive especially to enforce the laws on house owners making provision for places of convenience when putting up buildings.

He added that anyone who flouted the rule should be sanctioned.

The Assembly Member of the Osu Ringway Electoral Area on his part bemoaned the consistent use of the cemetery by residents to answer nature's call due to lack of toilet facilities in some households.

Erasmus Odartey Lamptey, the Assembly Member, said although residents had access to public latrines, they rather used the cemetery as toilet.

Mr Lamptey said the Assembly was working toward addressing the problem though he did not elaborate the measures.

Ms Esther Ofori, a resident of Osu Ringway was unhappy since her landlord had not provided a toilet facility in her house, compelling her to use a gutter when nature called.

'What I dislike about the whole thing is that both men and women, including children use the same place which is an eye saw'.

Ms Ofori therefore appealed to Rent Control and the AMA to intensify efforts in ensuring that every household in the area had access to toilets facilities before renting the houses.

Emmanuel Offei, also a resident said, he visited the public toilet (KVIP) in the area due to lack of toilet facility in his house.

He said though the facility was better than defecating openly.

'Sometimes I encounter a long queue in the mornings when visiting the KVIP which most at times gets me late for work.'

He therefore called on the city authorities as well as the government to enforce the laws on landlord to provide toilets in their homes.

''In this area, most of the rented households do not have access to latrine, making people to defecate in open places and cause diseases,'' said Benjamin Mensah, a resident.

Mr Mensah said although he had a toilet at home, government needed to compel landlords in the community to provide same in their homes to address the challenges that came with open defecation.

Naa Adjetey, said she visited a nearby bush to ease herself, exposing her to a lot of danger because there was no toilet at home, adding her voice to other residents who expressed their dissatisfaction about the lack of toilets in some households.

These sentiments expressed are not the best for the comfort of the Accra city dwellers, let alone Ghanaians as a whole and therefore those entrusted to supervise the running of affairs should sit up and work to bring comfort to every home.

There should also be an intensified education on the GAMA-SWP project which is far more beneficial to landlords to take advantage and make the little payments that would help them secure the toilet facilities which they would have fully paid for to make Accra a better place to live.

GNA
24.10.2016 LISTEN

Kintampo (B/A), Oct. 24, GNA - The National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) in the Kintampo North Municipality has met with People Living With Disabilities (PWDs) in Kintampo, as it intensifies its voter education drive aimed at sensitizing the electorates on the electoral processes.

Mr. Abdulai Yakubu, the Municipal Director of the NCCE told the PWDs in the maiden encounter that efforts were not only geared at a drastic reduction of the challenge of rejected ballots in the voting process, but to ensure a violent-free 2016 general elections.

He said the constituency recorded 1,349 spoilt ballots in the 2012 polls while in the last local level elections, an equally high figure of spoilt ballots was registered.

The NCCE has been holding stakeholder engagements with identifiable social, political and professional groups to achieve this.

The Director spelt out the various electoral offences and sanctions, advising that the electorate stay away from the polling stations after casting their votes adding, 'You could return only when the results were being declared'.

Mr. Ebenezer Nsowiah, the Brong-Ahafo Regional President of the Ghana Federation of Disability Organisations advised PWDs to conduct themselves well in the society to earn respect from the public.

Mr. Nsowiah disagreed with the call for PWDs to be included in the special voters' category to ensure some level of fairness in the electoral process but suggested the public must rather be educated to recognise the importance of PWDs in the electoral process.

GNA
24.10.2016 LISTEN

Kukuom (B/A), Oct. 24, GNA - The Local Council of Churches at Kukuom in the Asunafo South District of Brong-Ahafo Region on Sunday organised a peace dialogue in the Constituency.

The event comes on the back of recent bloody clashes between the NDC and NPP supporters which erupted at Kukuom, to help break the uneasy stand-off for peace and sanity to prevail in the area.

The Parliamentary candidates of political parties vying for the seat in the impending December 7 polls, were given the opportunity to commit themselves to maintaining peace in the area.

Reverend Stephen Kanton, the Head Pastor of the local Church of Pentecost who is also the Chairperson of the Council in an address advised politicians to make peace and unity the regular central theme of their campaign messages.

Rev. Kanton advised the youth to reject politicians who would want to use them to foment troubles to destabilize the country and turn back its clock of development.

Mr. Christian Oppong Frimpong, the District Chief Executive (DCE), who spoke on behalf of Mr. Eric Opoku, the Brong-Ahafo Regional Minister who is also the parliamentary candidate for the National Democratic Congress (NDC), appealed to all candidates to be decorous and avoid the use of intemperate language in their campaigns and said this would help promote peace and development in the District.

He further urged the political parties to be tolerant and accept results of elections to avoid electoral conflicts, saying such disturbances could degenerate into violent situations that could drive the people away to seek asylum in neighbouring countries.

Mr. George Yaw Boakye, standing in for the New Patriotic Party (NPP) urged the traditional and religious leaders to be bold to speak against wrong-doing in the area.

'The fight against electoral violence must be intensified, especially from the top to the bottom. Your voices must be heard. You are the ones who vote to elect us. Don't be afraid to tell us the truth,'' he said.

Mr. Bright Oppong the Convention People's Party parliamentary (CPP) aspirant also appealed to the traditional leaders to investigate to the get to the roots of the NDC and NPP clashes and admonish the two factions to avoid any such occurrences in future.

The dialogue, aimed at ensuring peace in the area attracted participants that included activists of the political parties, traditional leaders, heads of institutions and departments, as well as the general public.

GNA
24.10.2016 LISTEN

By Kwabia Owusu-Mensah GNA

Kumasi, Oct 24, GNA - Mr. Prosper Bani, the Interior Minister, has called for all Ghanaians to respect state institutions mandated to protect and enforce the laws of the state.

He warned that doing anything to the contrary would only lead to confusion and chaos.

Speaking at a meeting with the National House of Chiefs (NHC) in Kumasi, he said the negative perception and mindset towards the police and judiciary would have to change.

Mr. Bani repeated the determination of the police and other security agencies to protect the unity and stability of the nation as the people readied to go to the polls.

He warned against the formation of vigilante groups by political parties and said nobody would be allowed to foment trouble.

The security agencies would act decisively to prevent anybody from getting away with any breaches of the law, he added.

Mr Bani gave the assurance that adequate security measures had been put in place to make sure that there was calm at all the polling centres.

Already, the police had identified 5,003 hotspots across the country where more officers and men would be deployed during the election.

He indicated that they would work to ensure that the upcoming election did not throw the country into turmoil.

GNA
By Yussif Ibrahim, GNA

Kumasi, Oct 24, GNA - Small-Scale and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) have been urged to be innovative and creative to achieve optimal performance and returns.

Mr. Joe Tackie, Board Chairman of Origin '8' Company Limited', organizers of SME Ghana (SMEGA) Awards, said that was the path to travel to remain competitive on the market and to boost their attraction to investors.

They should stick to good corporate governance and adopt best practices, he added.

He was addressing a day's workshop organized in Kumasi for SMEs in the Ashanti Region.

He highlighted the need for the enterprises to focus on doing the right things to keep them going.

The programme, dubbed 'SMEGA Interact' provided the platform for the SMEs to discuss issues affecting their growth.

It is part of the effort to equip more than 1,000 enterprises across Ghana to attract investment.

He reminded them to put premium on quality and packaging of their products.

Mr. Richard Norgah, Director of Events of the Company, said it had since 2013 awarded SMEs with the view of encouraging good management and corporate governance.

He said the workshop was meant to create a network of entrepreneurs for business growth.

Mr. Mamudu Osman, the Regional Director of the Trade Ministry, said the initiative was a right step, considering the fact that SMEs constituted about 90 per cent of businesses in the country.

The Ministry, he said, had through its agencies rolled out numerous interventions to stimulate growth in the sector and urged businesses to take advantage of these.

He repeated the commitment to promote made in Ghana goods.

GNA
By George-Ramsey Benamba, GNA

Accra, Oct. 24, GNA - President John Dramani Mahama on Monday presented a cheque for GHa 300,000.00 as a donation to the staff and management of the Cardiothoracic Centre of the Korle-Bu Hospital, in Accra.

It was in fulfillment of the promise he made during the death and funeral rites of his late mother; Hajia Abiba Nnaba, that all donations would be forwarded to the facility to cater for needy heart patients at the centre.

Presenting the cheque at his cantonment residence, President Mahama announced that all donations towards the funeral rites of his late mother totaled GHa 280,000 while the UT Bank topped it up with GHa 20,000 before the presentation.

President Mahama said:" This I believe will assist and help heart patients especially the young ones who need to go through heart surgeries and yet have no money to do so, to grow up to be responsible citizens of Ghana."

Hajia Nnaba, 80, died in June and her final funeral rites were performed at the forecourt of the State House, Accra, on July 31.

Flanked by First Lady Lordina Mahama and other family members, President Mahama said there were numerous requests everyday for support at the centre and "I want to use this opportunity to all individuals and groups that donated towards this worthy course."

Dr Lawrence Siriboe, Head of the Cardiothoracic Centre commended President Mahama and his family for exhibiting generosity towards the poor and vulnerable in the society.

He said one out of every 100 babies have a hole-in heart, a situation, which he added was sending shivers into the spines of so many Ghanaians.

"At least for now, we have about 7,000 babies born with holes-in their hearts and half of that number, do not live to celebrate their first anniversary.

Dr Siriboe pleaded with President Mahama to establish another Cardiothoracic Centre to cater for the health needs of people in the Northern sector to reduce the pressure on the Korle-bu Centre.

GNA
By Iddi Yire, GNA

Accra, Oct. 24, GNA - Kempinski Hotel Gold Coast City, Accra, a five-star luxury hotel, has held a media and bloggers outreach programme.

The event, which was attended by more than 40 media professionals and bloggers, sought to empower participants to spread the good news about Kempinski Hotel.

Speaking to the Ghana News Agency at the event in Accra, Mr Manish Nambiar, the General Manager, said the Hotel was inaugurated seven months ago, but already, 'there are a lot of perceptions out there that it is expensive and intimidating'.

He said the hotel was opened to everyone and want everyone to come and patronise their services.

"We just want people to know what we are doing here, that is idea of today's event," he said.

Mr Nambiar said the hotel industry was very vibrant in Ghana, and 'Kempinski being the youngest is doing very well'.

"And we hope to be the benchmark of hospitality in Sub-Saharan Africa," he added.

The participants had a taste of all kinds of foreign dishes and drinks, and were conducted around the property to see things for themselves.

Mr Leslie Assira, the Founder and Editorial Director of the Word Magazine, and a participant, described the dishes served at the event as very fantastic but strange.

Offering state of the art meeting facilities and services in the city, Kempinski Hotel is conveniently located in the downtown area and in close proximity to the State House, the Accra International Conference Centre and the National Theatre.

The property has 269 luxury rooms (largest room size in Accra), 24 suites, a variety of finance and business (F&B) offerings as well as large conference facilities and the largest spa (a location where mineral-rich spring water is used to give medicinal baths) in West Africa, a perfect mix of categories to meet the needs of both corporate and conference visitors to the country.

The Kempinski Hotels group currently operates 75 five-star hotels and residences in 30 countries.

GNA
By Samira Larbie, GNA

Accra, Oct. 24, GNA - The Fund for Peace, (FFP), in partnership with the West Africa Network for Peace building, (WANEP-Ghana), has held stakeholder's dialogue for the extractive industries to know how they are implementing the Voluntary Principles (VPs).

The dialogue, which is the second edition, is to ensure that the issues that are affecting the human rights and security of mining communities are looked at to make sure the safety of the people are guaranteed.

The event which looked at current happenings in the Upper East, Brong Ahafo, Ashanti and the Western Regions provided the platform for stakeholders to share experiences in their various communities and adopt best practices as well as measures in addressing issues in their regions.

The VPs is a set of guidelines to help companies work with local communities and government together to improve safety and promote peace in oil and gas and mining affected areas while respecting human rights.

It was on the theme: 'Supporting the Governments Implementation of the VPs through Dialogue.'

The meeting was also aimed at discussing the government's plans for implementation of the national action plan on the VPs since Ghana have joined the initiative and know how all could help to move the process forward.

Mr John J. Messner, the Executive Director, FFP speaking at the meeting said though the VPs sought to protect and sure harmony between companies and communities, the key instrument stakeholders needed to understand and use effectively communication amongst them and the people.

Understanding what the people's expectations and needs are in these communities and acting accordingly to solve those problems is an important factor he advised.

'This would help ease the tension and conflicts in communities because these are mostly the underlining problems'.

Mr Messner said Ghana was fortunate it has not recorded serious security threats in the various mining, oil and gas industries as compared to other countries such as South Africa, which had to do with unemployment.

He appealed to government to reverse the unemployment situation, since it was the main issue that wass leading to the various agitations by the youth in the extractive regions.

He said the best approach to solving the various problems would be through partnering government, private companies and civil society organisations, 'so we can succeed'.

Mr Messner explained that the VPs, provides a framework and guidance for companies to make better informed and appropriate decisions when it comes to security at operations sites.

Mr Albert Yelyang, the National Network Coordinator of WANEP, expressed concern about the damaging activities of galamsey (small scale illegal miners) operators, which had hindered the aim of seeking the safety for all in the mining communities.

He called for the intensification of dialogue about policy measures that would seek to address the issue, and create better employment and economic opportunities in the galamsey areas.

'Government needs to be pragmatic and review some of the laws pertaining to oil and gas and the mining industry for the benefit of all. This is what will help deal with the issue of galamey'.

Mr Yelyang urged all to support the National Action Plan on VPs to sustain peace and security in the mining areas of the country.

FFP is an independent, non-partisan, non-profit research and educational organisation. It works to prevent conflict and promote sustainable security by building relationships and trust across diverse sectors and by developing innovative technologies and tools.

GNA
By Prosper K. Kuorsoh, GNA

Wa, Oct. 24, GNA - Mr Issifu Salifu Kanton, Executive Director of Community Development Alliance (CDA), has said Senior High School (SHS) education in Northern Ghana is nearing a crisis level.

He said the academic calendar had been so badly affected that a three-year period of education had now been reduced to practically two years, making it difficult for effective teaching and learning.

Mr Issifu Salifu Kanton, who made this known at a press conference in Wa, attributed the situation to the consistent delay in the release of feeding grants by successive governments to cover the feeding expenses of SHS students in the Northern, Upper East and the Upper West Regions.

He said it was regrettable to note that since 1992 till date, payment of feeding grants to SHSs in the three regions has remained a challenge and posed one of the biggest threats to the delivery of quality education to the people from the affected regions'.

'As we speak, government has not released funds for the feeding of SHS students for the second and third terms of the 2015/16 academic year as well as the first term of the 2016/17 academic year periods', he said.

Mr Kanton said the situation has compelled management of these schools to delay the admission of first year students as well as the re-opening of schools for the continuing students.

The NGO is, therefore, demanding that government release all outstanding claims of feeding fees and subsidies to all beneficiary schools within two weeks.

It also demanded the immediate realignment of the academic calendar of the SHSs to enable students have at least three years of instructional period as envisaged by the policy blue print on SHS education.

In addition, it said, the progressive free scholarship scheme for the second and third terms of the 2015/16 academic year should be paid immediately to all beneficiary schools.

'We certainly have seen massive infrastructure improvement across board in SHSs. This in no doubt has increased access but the neglect of the soft issues has also negatively affected quality of education service delivery across the three regions', Mr Kanton said.

GNA
By Racheal Dwamena Akenteng, GNA

Accra, Oct. 24, GNA - Tenants of Awoshie, a Accra suburb, have appealed to government to implement by-laws directing landlords to provide sanitary facilities in every household.

Many of the residents living in compound houses complained of no places of convenience in their homes.

The Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) on March 24, 2011 directed landlords in the Metropolis to construct appropriate toilet facilities in their houses, saying the Assembly would arrest those who flouted the order.

'With effect from September 2011, any landlord who refuses to provide toilet facilities for his or tenants would be arrested and prosecuted,' said Dr Simpson Boateng, Metro Director of Public Health, said at the time.

However, in an interview with Ghana News Agency, on Monday, Madam Humu, a waakye seller and a resident of Awoshie, said she had to sweep away polythene bags containing faeces, every time she came to work in the morning.

She said cholera and diarrhoea had become common among individuals living in their vicinity, because people in the community were still using gutters, refuse bins and empty containers as their means of responding to the call of nature.

The situation, she said, has brought about an awful smell and compounded the filthy conditions in the area.

'I got my apartment with a promise from the landlord that the toilet facility will be ready in two weeks but I have been living here for one year and there is still no sign of a place of convenience ', said another resident.

Madam Shirley Addo, a tenant, said many houses at Awoshie did not have toilet facilities and that the residents either had to use the public toilet or go to the nearby bushes to ease themselves.

According to the AMA, about 90 per cent of households in the Metropolis lacked toilet facilities as at 2011and this has increased the risk of cholera outbreaks in the city.

GNA
The People's National Congress (PNC) has accused the Electoral Commission of breaching the provisions of the law in the disqualification of its presidential candidate, Dr Edward Mahama from the upcoming Presidential elections.

Lawyers of the party in a letter dated 19th October, 2016 and addressed to the Electoral Commission provided explanations to the issues the EC raised about their candidate's nomination form which formed the basis for his disqualification.

The PNC's Edward Mahama, was disqualified from contesting in the upcoming presidential elections together with 12 other aspirants due to some anomalies in their submitted nomination forms.

According to the EC, the PNC's candidate was disqualified for reasons that include, many subscribers not properly signing the forms. It also said two subscribers to Dr Mahama forms had also subscribed for another presidential candidate, an act which was not acceptable according to the electoral laws. It also said Dr. Mahama did not have the requisite number of subscribers required under Regulation 7(2) (b) of CI 94.

But according to lawyer for the PNC, Dr Raymond Akongburo Atuguba, the EC went outside its convention and practices leading to Mahama's disqualification.

The 30-point letter noted that aside breaching the clear provisions of the law in this matter, the EC went outside its convention and practices. It has always been the practice since 1992, for the EC Chair as returning officer for presidential elections, to go through the completed forms with the presidential candidates and afford them the opportunity to have same rectified prior to any possible disqualification.

On the issue of the Dr Mahama's subscribers subscribing another candidate, lawyers for the party said it was untrue.

It said, Although they may have subscribed to the nomination forms of another presidential candidate of their party, the PNC, for previous elections, they subscribed to the nomination forms of ONLY Dr. Edward Nasigre Mahama, as PNC Presidential Candidate for the 2016 general elections.

Click here for the full letter



By: Jonas Nyabor/citifmonline.com/Ghana
The Government and Hospitals Pharmacists Association (GHOSPA) has called off its strike following a successful negotiation with government.

A statement from the Ministry of Health said the Ministry of Health wishes to commend Members of the Government Hospital Pharmacists Association (GHOSPA) for accepting to call off their strike to enable stakeholders involved to resolve their issues.

GHOSPA in September embarked on a strike over issues relating to the payment of their market premiums among others.

The Association indicated that the course of action had been necessitated by the continuous breakdown of negotiations with government over its grade structure and placement in public health facilities.

The Ministry in a statement however expressed hope that GHOSPA will cooperate with the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission (FWSC), Ministry of Health, the National Labour Commission and other stakeholders to resolve all issues relating to their remuneration and conditions of Service.

The Ministry is aware of that the FWSC has held various negation meetings with GHOSPA. The negotiation has not concluded. Our understanding is that FWSC is still committed to continuing the negations. It is therefore the view of the Ministry that the people of Ghana, the poor and vulnerable as well as distressed patients would be served if GHOSPA continued with to negotiate with a view to reaching agreement with the FWSC.

GHOSPAs strike in August

Apart from the strike GHOSPA embarked on in August, it also embarked on a similar one in August 2015, over the same unresolved market premium issue with the FWSC concerning conversion differences after migration onto the Single Spine Salary Structure.

GHOSPA's General Secretary, Emmanuel Owusu Owiafe, earlier lamented to Citi News that his association has been negotiations with government for six years but to no avail.

He also noted that other pharmacists working for government, but outside the Health Service, are receiving better market premiums.

Within the health service, we are having discrepancies in our interim market payment even comparable to our colleague pharmacists in some public sector institutions. Pharmacists working in university hospitals are on a premium of 1.14 meanwhile the Fair Wages and salaries Commissions are putting pharmacists working in the Ghana health services at 0.58 and that is a huge discrepancy, he said.



By: Marian Ansah/citifmonline.com/Ghana

Follow @EfeAnsah
The lawyer for disqualified Presidential Candidate of the People's National Convention (PNC), Dr Edward Mahama has written to the Electoral Commission (EC) to reinstate his client "forthright" or "within 48 hours."

Dr Raymond Akongburo Atuguba of Atuguba and Associates says he has conferred with his client and come to the realisation that the grounds upon which the Commission rejected the PNC leader's nomination were unjustifiable.

In a 30-bulletted petition addressed to the EC Chairperson, Charlotte Osei, the respected lawyer said the first ground that Dr Mahama's nomination form was signed by individuals who are said to have also endorsed the flagbearer of the All People's Congress (APC), Dr Hassan Ayariga is unfair.

"We are instructed to inform you that our Client can only speak to the authenticity of the signatures on his form and not the forms of others. The marks and signatures on our Clients forms are the only authentic marks and signatures of the two persons and no other.

"Our clients maintain that the two individuals whose signatures are in issue are known members of the PNC who have remained loyal and committed to the party," the statement said.

"In the case of Abaako Issifu, he joined the PNC in 1992 and is a card bearing member whose loyalty has remained unshaken over the years. Abudu Ayuba, on the other hand, joined the PNC in 2012 and his loyalty has equally been unwavering.

"The National Executive Committee of the PNC made it clear to all would-be subscribers in the various Districts to desist from double subscription or endorsement of Presidential candidates. As already noted, our clients do not have in their custody, the completed forms of other Presidential candidates and cannot be reasonably expected to know about or to speak to the alleged disparities in signatures on their forms and some other forms belonging to other presidential candidates."

"If the EC had drawn the attention of our Clients to this fact, and provided them the opportunity to explain or remedy it before the purported rejection of their forms, they would have produced the above evidence in full answer to the concern," it continued.

The EC disqualified 12 aspiring presidential candidates from contesting the upcoming polls for failing to obey the directives contained in the Constitutional Instrument (C.I.94).

Mrs Osei explained as the returning officer for the presidential election that she was unable to accept the nomination of the PNC leader because the number of subscribers on his form was less than the expected 432 voters.

She maintained this was because two of Dr Mahamas subscribers Abaaku Issifu with the voter ID number 2988006876 and Abudu Ayuba with the ID number 6303005554 were already on another candidates list of subscribers, clearly breaching the law.

For a large majority of subscribers, the signature portion was ticked rather than subscribed with a signature, thumb print or mark. It is important to point out that a simple tick does not satisfy the requirements of the law for where a mark is made in lieu of a signature or thumb print.

But Dr Atuguba said the "Statutory Declarations state unequivocally that they subscribed to the nomination forms of our Client, and only our Client, for the 2016 presidential elections."

He added that "Although they may have subscribed to the nomination forms of another presidential candidate of their party, the PNC, for previous elections, they subscribed to the nomination forms of ONLY Dr. Edward Nasigre Mahama, as PNC Presidential Candidate for the 2016 general elections."

Read full statement below:

ATUGUBA & ASSOCIATES

Attn: Chairperson/Returning Officer for Public Presidential Election 2016

Dear Madam,

RE: REJECTION OF NOMINATION AS PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE

1. We act as solicitors for the Peoples National Convention (PNC) and its Presidential Candidate for the 2016 general elections, Dr. Edward Nasigre Mahama (Our Clients) and write upon their instructions.

2. Our Clients have instructed us to humbly bring the following matters to your urgent attention, and given the closeness of your actions to the date of the Presidential Elections, to demand, on their behalf, that remedial action be taken on them forthwith, and in any event not later than forty-eight (48) hours from the time of receipt of this letter.

3. The PNC is a registered political party under the laws of the Republic of Ghana, a member of the Inter Party Advisory Committee (IPAC), and has since 1992, gone through all requisite processes, including the filling and filing of nomination forms, and contested ALL Presidential elections organised by the Electoral Commission (EC) of Ghana.

4. Dr. Edward Nasigre Mahama ran for President of Ghana in 1996, 2000, 2004, and 2008, each time filling and filing nomination forms with the EC, which forms were always accepted by the EC, save for any corrections mandated by the EC.

5. Dr. Edward Nasigre Mahama (our client) was duly elected the Presidential candidate of the PNC in line with its Constitution on the 12th of December 2015, at the partys annual delegates congress in Wa.

6. On the 13th of September 2016, the EC opened Presidential nominations for all Political parties and set the 30th of September 2016, for the close of nominations.

7. The PNC duly picked up their Presidential nomination forms on the 14th of September 2016, and proceeded to process the thousands (1000s) of pages of documentation necessary to completely fill up hundreds of forms.

8. Further, the ECs Administrative Instruction or Directive to all Political Parties and Independent Presidential candidates through IPAC was that, completed Presidential nomination forms could ONLY be presented on either the 29th or 30th of September 2016, and no sooner than these stipulated dates.

9. On Friday the 30th of September 2016, at about 14:00 hours GMT, and within the stipulated nomination period and the stipulated submission period, our clients personally submitted their completed Presidential nomination forms to the Chairperson of the EC, who by law is the returning officer for Presidential elections.

10. The Chairperson of the EC personally accepted our clients completed Presidential nomination forms and duly acknowledged receipt of same by undersigning to the completed forms. The Chairperson of the EC then called on Dr. Edward Nasigre Mahama to append his signature on the submitted forms with two attesting witnesses, and this was done.

11. By letter dated the 10th of October 2016, captioned, REJECTION OF NOMINATION AS PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE, the EC purported to reject the nomination forms of our clients on the basis of irregularities, which in the view of the EC constitute a substantial breach of the rules, and implying that our Client, Dr. Edward Nasigre Mahama, did not have the requisite number of subscribers required under Regulation 7(2) (b) of CI 94 to support [his] nomination.

12. The said irregularities which constitute a substantial breach of the rules and necessitating the rejection of [our Clients] nomination forms are that two subscribers to the nomination forms of our client also subscribed to the nomination forms of another presidential candidate;

and also that some subscribers did not or wrongly thumbprinted, signed or marked the said forms.

13. In complete, definitive, effective, and effectual answer to the first reason for the rejection of the nomination forms of our Client, we attach to this letter, certified true copies of Statutory Declarations by the two persons named in your letter to our Client as having subscribed to the nomination forms of another presidential candidate, denying completely and on oath that they did so.

14. The Statutory Declarations state unequivocally that they subscribed to the nomination forms of our Client, and only our Client, for the 2016 presidential elections. Although they may have subscribed to the nomination forms of another presidential candidate of their party, the PNC, for previous elections, they subscribed to the nomination forms of ONLY Dr. Edward Nasigre Mahama, as PNC Presidential Candidate for the 2016 general elections.

15. The original copies of the said Statutory Declarations, hereto attached, are available upon submission of this letter to be sighted by you or your representative, and they are both signed and thumbprinted by the Declarants so as to be easily verifiable through the testing of the thumbprint mark against their actual physical and natural thumbs.

16. Further, our Clients will like for us to indicate to you that, under the laws, rules, regulations and practices surrounding presidential elections, they have no way of determining or preventing the unauthorised use by other candidates of the particulars of persons who subscribe to the nomination forms of our Client, for the simple reason that they have no control, custody or access to the nomination forms of other candidates.

17. Since our clients have neither custody nor access to the nomination forms of other candidates, the job of leveraging any misrepresentations or errors in them, bringing them to the attention of the those concerned, requiring that they be rectified, or taking other appropriate action, respectfully, rests with you within the meaning of Regulation 9 of C.I. 94 and cannot, by any stretch of the imagination, be offloaded by you to our Clients.

18. An aspect of this first ground for the rejection of the forms of our Client, is that the signatures of the two subscribers in issue are differently represented on the forms of our client and on the forms of another candidate. We are instructed to inform you that our Client can only speak to the authenticity of the signatures on his form and not the forms of others. The marks and signatures on our Clients forms are the only authentic marks and signatures of the two persons, and no other.

Our clients maintain that the two individuals whose signatures are in issue are known members of the PNC who have remained loyal and committed to the party. In the case of Abaako Issifu, he joined the PNC in 1992 and is a card bearing member whose loyalty has remained unshaken over the years. Abudu Ayuba on the other hand, joined the PNC in 2012 and his loyalty has equally been unwavering.

The National Executive Committee of the PNC made it clear to all would be subscribers in the various Districts to desist from double subscription or endorsement of Presidential candidates. As already noted, our clients do not have in their custody, the completed forms of other Presidential candidates and cannot be reasonably expected to know about or to speak to the alleged disparities in signatures on their forms and some other forms belonging to other presidential candidates. If the EC had drawn the attention of our Clients to this fact, and provided them the opportunity to explain or remedy it before the purported rejection of their forms, they would have produced the above evidence in full answer to the concern.

19. Having fully answered what we consider to be the main ground for the rejection of the nomination forms of our Client, we proceed to answer the less significant ground of absence of, or errors in, thumbprinting, signing or marking the nomination forms.

20. We admit, after thoroughly examining the hundreds of pages of the nomination forms, that a few minor errors exist in them. One Yaw Gyasi in the Gomoa West District may have failed to sign on page 16 of one of the forms, and on page 24, one Ntow Twumasi in the Ga West District may have failed to append his signature on one of the forms and on page 28, Issah Isaka in the Ashaiman District appeared not to have signed to one of the forms. However, on the said pages 16, 24 and 28 of the returned forms, the subscribers provided their names, residential addresses and particulars of their voter identification cards - authentic and traceable criteria that may be used to verify the authenticity of their subscriptions to our clients forms.

21. The presidential nomination forms are voluminous and are required to be completed in quadruplicate. It is, therefore, possible to have the identified subscribers commit honest mistakes, for example, in not signing to the fourth form after signing to three. This is a mere error which is amenable to correction in a matter of minutes. All the EC had to do was to notify our clients of this oversight and for them to have same corrected. This in our view does not constitute a substantial breach of the rules so as to necessitate the rejection of the nomination forms of our Client, and with it the choice and hope of several thousands of Ghanaians.

22. Farmers, market women, engineers, doctors, lawyers, legal drafters, courts of law, all make mistakes, because errare humanum est. It is for this reason that Wills, signed and sealed and deposited in the High Court may be corrected after a person dies. It is for this reason that judges may correct their judgments after they are delivered.

23. The EC and Parliament know the above basic principle of human life and therefore provided for it in the Public Elections Regulations, 2016 (C.I. 94) and in its Regulation 9. Regulation 9 makes it mandatory for the EC to provide an opportunity to our clients to make amendments or alterations to their completed forms when errors of this nature are detected. The EC, acting contrary to C.I. 94, neglected to provide our Clients with an opportunity to correct the said errors and cannot now disqualify our client on the basis of those minor errors it did not give our Clients the opportunity to correct.

24. It is important to note that, aside breaching the clear provisions of the law in this matter, the EC went outside its convention and practices. It has always been the practice since 1992, for the EC Chair as returning officer for presidential elections, to go through the completed forms with the presidential candidates and afford them the opportunity to have same rectified prior to any possible disqualification. For example, during the last presidential elections in 2012, the then EC Chair, Dr. Afari Gyan, went through the completed presidential nomination forms with the national executive and presidential candidate of the PNC and duly pointed out errors to them, affording them the opportunity to have same rectified. The unwarranted abrogation of a practice and convention, that finds further grounding in legislation, is illegal and completely unacceptable.

25. A part of the second and last ground for the rejection of the nomination forms of our Client relates to the character of the marks that were placed on the nomination forms by subscribers. Our Constitution and administrative practice require that the EC would publish very basic guidelines as to how to complete the presidential nomination forms. Administratively, this would have set the ground rules for all candidates, including our clients. The apparent lack of very basic accompanying instructions for the completion of the forms meant that mistakes would be made. This is evident from the rejection of the forms of the vast majority of presidential candidates.

It is completely unfair to reject the nomination forms of our client based on the neglect of duty by the EC. If the EC had indicated, for example, what a mark means, beforehand, many would have resisted the intuitive Ghanaian inclination to believe that a mark for yes means a tick, and an x means no. Our Clients believe that over 99.9% of Ghanaians, including many subscribers to the nomination of our client who are illiterate, do not even know that such a thing as a Blacks Law Dictionary exists and cannot be expected to make a mark in accordance with the description of a mark in that dictionary, as required, ex post facto, by the EC. In the absence of clear instructions, it is our considered view that a tick by some of the subscribers ought to pass the litmus test of what constitutes a valid subscription to the nomination forms. Indeed, a blank space, accompanied by the details of a subscriber who is confused as to what a mark is, and in the absence of any clear instructions from the EC, ought to satisfy that test.

26. Flowing from the above; given the nearness of the presidential elections; the irreparable political and other damage your letter of 10th October 2016, has caused our Clients; and the current and continuing disruption of the presidential campaign agenda of our Clients; we request that you revoke your letter of 10th October 2016, forthwith, and in any event not later than 48 hours after receipt of this letter, and to hold the nomination forms of Dr. Edward Nasigre Mahama duly submitted to you on the 30th of September 2016, as sufficient for the purposes of the 2016 presidential elections.

27. Additionally, and in the event that the EC insists that the minor errors in the nomination forms of our Client are enough to bar the candidature of our client, we would require access to the nomination forms of all the other candidates in order to point out similar minor errors that should have equally disqualified them if the EC was acting within the remit of Articles 17, 23, 33, 55, and 296 of the 1992 Constitution.

28. If after 48 hours of receipt of this letter you fail to commit, unequivocally, to meeting the above demands, we shall proceed and resort to other lawful processes or avenues to vindicate our clients rights without further recourse to you.

29. It is the considered view of our Clients that the erosion of the Constitutional Rights, Human Rights, Political Rights, Legal Rights, Right to Administrative Due Process, and the compromise of our multiparty democratic dispensation by the purported rejection of the nomination forms of our client, is not to be done lightly and on the basis of dubious facts and a far less than optimal interpretation of the law.

30. Finally, in the event that any notice is required by any law or rule of practice for the institution of any legal proceedings against you, this letter shall constitute such notice.

Yours in the Service of Mother Ghana,

Dr. Raymond Akongburo ATUGUBA

(SOLICITORS LICENCE NO. GAR 13053/16)

ATUGUBA & ASSOCIATES

(Lawyers & Notaries)

CC:

1. The Chairman

Peoples National Convention (PNC)

PNC Headquartres

Abavana Junction

Kotobabi

Accra

2. Dr. Edward Nasigre Mahama

House No. 4

Mansour Road

Paraku Estate

Dome

Accra

3. Mr. Emmanuel Anyidoho

House No. PE 11

Paraku Estate

Dome

Accra

Story by Ghana| Myjoyonline.com
Dakar (AFP) - The International Criminal Court on Monday urged member states to seek a consensus with critical African nations, while stressing that South Africa and Burundi's announced departures would not take place for at least year.

"Today more than ever, there is a huge need for universal justice," said Sidiki Kaba, president of the assembly of state parties to the ICC founding treaty, evoking "the tragedies which are happening in front of our eyes".

Kaba, also Senegal's justice minister, said it was necessary "to engage in dialogue with the nations which want to leave the ICC. For that we must listen to their concerns, their recriminations and their criticism".

South Africa dealt a heavy blow to the troubled international court on Friday by announcing it was withdrawing from an institution set up to prosecute the world's worst crimes.

The decision followed a dispute last year when Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir visited the country for an African Union summit despite facing an ICC arrest warrant over alleged war crimes.

And earlier this month, Burundian lawmakers overwhelmingly voted to withdraw from the ICC.

Rights organisations said Burundi's government was trying to hide abuses from the eyes of the world.

Namibia and Kenya have also raised the possibility of leaving the ICC, which has often been accused of bias against African leaders.

Of the 10 ICC probes since 2002 when the court was established, nine have been into African countries and one into Georgia, although most ICC cases have been referred to the court by African governments themselves.

Kaba told reporters in Dakar that any formal withdrawal request would only take effect after a year.

He urged the members states considering such a move to "give dialogue a chance," adding that the next general assembly in November would be a good forum for finding "a dynamic consensus".

The Senegalese minister also called for national judicial systems to be reinforced to allow "Africans to judge Africans on the continent".
A Boko Haram attack in Madagali village in Adamawa has led to the death of 7 terrorists.

According to Daily Trust, the attack occoured around 12pm as the terrorists attacked the village and set houses ablaze.

READ ALSO: Send 21 released girls to school abroad, Chibok tells Buhari

Residents were forced to flee for safety as the terrorists shot at villagers.

It was reported that the villagers alerted the hunters who have been helping the army in the fight against insurgency.

Bukar Jimeta who is the commander of the Adamawa State Hunters Association led other hunters to the scene where they engaged the terrorists in a gun fight leading to the death of 7 Boko Haram fighters.

READ ALSO: Free-food programme starts in Borno to encourage education

Jimeta when contacted confirmed the Boko Haram attack but refused to provide details.

Meanwhile, Nigerian troops arrested 21 cattle rustlers in Borno state for aiding and abetting the activities of Boko Haram terrorists in the devastated North East.

Armys acting spokesman Col. Sani Kukasheka Usman said in a statement late on Saturday, October 22 that the arrests were based on the armys determination to rid the region of all heinous crimes.

He said the rustlers fund the Boko Haram with their activities and that the arrested rustlers are being profiled.

The statement read: As part of measures to stem the tide of livestock rustling which serves as another means of funding Boko Haram terrorists activities, Operation LAFIYA DOLE, in conjunction with other security agencies has taken measures to stop the criminality.

These measures have led to the arrest of some persons involved in aiding and abetting this heinous crime in the Theatre of Operation.

So far, 21 suspected persons have been arrested. Preliminary investigation and profiling of the suspects has commenced.

Source: Legit.ng
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John Oliver dug deep on the devastating drug epidemic in America today during his main story on Last Week Tonight. America is now in the midst of a new drug crisis, and it seems no one is safe from it, the host said.

Oliver went on to explain that prescription pain killers and opioids are demolishing communities across the country. After a bit of background, we got a clip of none other than Donald Trump discussing the crisis.They said the biggest single problem they have up here is heroin, said Trump in New Hampshire. And I said, How does heroin work with these beautiful lakes and trees? ... It doesnt.

Yeah, it does, though, explained Oliver. It does. Heroin works basically everywhere because its heroin, not a cell phone. Heroin has full coverage.

Oliver then went on to explain that many use prescription opioids as gateways to heroin, and would occasionally go to desperate measures to get the drugs. Some of these addicts even resorted to hurting themselves. As for who is to blame for this widespread epidemic, Oliver lays a good deal of the blame at the feet of large pharmaceutical corporations who openly lied about the addictive properties of their opioids in order to lure both doctors and patients toward the drugs.

Oliver also tackled the election during his show Sunday night, and had a specific offer for Donald Trump. Trump spent the majority of last week dealing with the fallout of his refusal to accept the results of the election. In the debate on Wednesday night, Trump promised to keep everyone in suspense about whether he would accept the results.

What do you mean, Youll keep us in suspense? This is a presidential election, not an American Idol results show! said Oliver. Ill tell you whether or not my followers will plunge the country into anarchy after the break.

During the debate, Trumps opponent Hillary Clinton even brought up the fact that he had once claimed the Emmys were rigged against him when he didnt win forThe Apprentice for three straight years. Of course he wants an Emmy. Its a woman, its gold, and its proportionate to his tiny hands. Its basically Trumps ideal mate, said Oliver.

With the likelihood of a civil Trump concession speech virtually nonexistent, Oliver suggested that Trump should be fooled into giving a concession speech while hes still able to claim that he won something.

I think I might have the answer here, said Oliver. Because I have a proposition for Donald Trump: Lets bet on the outcome of this election. I will take the side that you win; you take the side that you lose. That way, if you lose, you still win. As for the stakes of the bet, I have something I know that you want.

With that, Oliver pulled out his own Emmy, pleading with Trump to take him up on this friendly wager. Take the bet, Donald, the host implored. Take the f-ing bet. Check out the full clip on opioids above, or watch Oliver join the ranks of late-night hosts who rub their Emmys in Trumps face below.
Let it be known that the days before Thanksgiving at Union Square Farmers Market are the Lollapalooza of the food geek. The sources of experimentation lie everywhere around you when you step out of the train.

Bombarded by the scents of soft sage, fragrant thyme, earthy greens, fall fruits and cinnamon spice, you marvel at the number of farmers plying their harvest. At this time of the year, farmers sell every day until Thanksgiving. Its a time when youll see people eyeing each other like vultures to grab whats left of the brussels sprouts, messaging pictures of victory to their friends. Pile upon pile of rare heirloom vegetables, stand after stand of farm-fresh meat and dairy, box after box of fantastic mushrooms  this is a food geeks dream come true.

As a food geek, I just cant wait for Thanksgiving Day to come, and so, it has come early for the past nine years in the form of Friendsgiving, a pre-Thanksgiving.

Friendsgiving is a celebration with a wide variety of friends, be they made two years ago or two weeks ago. Its a holiday with all the delicious Thanksgiving foods and none of the exhausting travel or family drama. Its also the ultimate excuse to release all happiness into the fun, experimental lab that is the kitchen. Its the personal holiday I dream of from early on in the year, and I do heart-cartwheels seeing the first signs of a food magazines testing Thanksgiving recipes in the summer because I know that soon, that tester will be me.

I grew up in a big, loving family, where our Thanksgiving dinners were always large affairs with the fabulous mix-and-match hodgepodge of food. For our family, it was a battle between the American holiday and my Korean-American family where everyone won. Mashed potatoes, pasta, and rice can revel in carb happiness. Roasted root vegetables and kimchi, blood sausage and blonde sausage gravy  all of it was meant to coexist together, piled onto our plates.

When it was all done, some would retire to the other room, sipping Chivas and wine, while the rest of us would relish our leftovers and laughter over tea and coffee in the kitchen. Of course, dessert was the final course that sang loudly to the tune of two pies and three cakes. Despite everyone claiming to be beyond full, there was always room for a sweet treat.

For many of us, our urban tribes are our families too, so why not let this magical food holiday spill over into a prequel with other loved ones? Ive done Friendsgiving for the last nine years, during which time Ive learned that folks respond enthusiastically to an invite for a preview of Thanksgiving. People are often not gone yet for Thanksgiving, or if their family lives in the city, they have no plans earlier on in the week or the week before. Some consider it their training for actual Thanksgiving, the Super Bowl of food. And after all, its all the victual delights of Thanksgiving without any of the family headaches. Who can say no to stuffing without dear old Mom and Dad nagging you, plus a party-like atmosphere?

No one is expected to emerge from Friendsgiving crowned as the new Martha Stewart of the harvest hoedown, but the discoveries you make might be remarkable. Think of Friendsgiving as your test drive that ends up being the car that you want. No parent is peering over your shoulder questioning whether your pie crust is too thick or your cranberry chutney is too spicy. You might discover a new method for making your classic mashed potatoes because youre so unafraid to experiment, or you might find that celeriac, potatoes, apples, and kimchi sum up as a fantastically soft and savory dish.

A menu made, a schedule planned, lots of magic to be made. Here are a few tips for your Friendsgiving.

Make hosting easy on yourself. Since numbers can be unpredictable at a Friendsgiving (every New Yorker seems to make last-minute acquaintances and there are always friends of friends), make seating and serving casual. This event is about the food, the drink and the talk, not the fancy place settings. Cushions and couches, TV trays and coffee tables, or tables and countertops  this is a holiday to eat where you can, which will lead to guests circulating like a party.

For maximum satisfaction and to distinguish yourself from the traditional turkey Thanksgiving, add another entree to accompany the lean meat  a big delicious something that can be made in abundance without draining the wallet. Pork is usually a great and favorable way to go, so perhaps consider a porchetta. A duck is always fun, and you can use the leftover fat for duck fat hash for breakfast the next day. Always wanted to make a fancy quail dish? This is your chance to do it. And if you need a dish for vegetarians, theres always a big comforting rice dish like a rice salad, paella, risotto or sabzi polow.

Create a flexible menu beforehand and do your shopping at the greenmarket or cooperative grocery to support the local economy. If your recipe calls for sage and there isnt any at the market, be prepared to use oregano or rosemary instead. Check seasonal calendars, shoppers Instagram posts of the greenmarket, or farmers Twitter or Facebook feeds for what theyll be selling that week.

Since many of your guests probably havent met before, employ recent taste memories to introduce chatter and conversation to the table. After traveling to New Orleans, we amped up our classic turkey by roasting it with andouille sausages. My husband, of half-Colombian heritage, introduced seafood paella and empanadas to the table one year. This is your chance to get away from the traditional and experiment a bit more.

Uncle Bobby might not appreciate your food nerdiness, but hopefully any friends of yours will. To enrich the eating experience for your food geek guests, you can write a food fact or two up on the chalkboard, pass around food history books, play a quick video of your cooking process, or talk about Alton Browns food science when it comes to cooking meat.

Friendsgiving is an opportunity to do something more than whats going on in the room, so seize the time to give back. Shortly after Hurricane Sandy, we gathered a fund to donate to Red Cross. This year, we will be gathering donations for Share Our Strength No Kid Hungry NYC. Leave a can on the table or near the door, or include a link in your invitation.

Cheers to a happy Friendsgiving surrounded by friends old and new.

Photo by Cecilia CC BY
The Bloody Mary may be the queen of brunch, but like any monarch whos grown too comfortable on the throne, her reign has grown decadent and depraved. Shes adorned herself with ever-more ostentatious accouterments. It started modestly enough  an olive here, a pickle there  then came the shrimp, the bacon, the chicken wings, the beef slidersSoon, Marys head bowed under the weight of her garish crown.

Mary has lost touch with her humble beginnings. There was a time, in the court of King Cole, when Mary knew herself  a shot of vodka, bit of tomato juice, a splash of lemon, a sprinkling of spices. Then came the charlatans and toadies with their Sriracha and horseradish, their sweeteners and spices. What had she become? Cocktail sauce? Gazpacho? If you have to chew it, is it still a cocktail?

I offer, then, for your consideration the Michelada. A combination of cheap beer, hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, black pepper, tomato juice (occasionally), and Maggi seasoning, the popular Mexican cocktail is every bit the savory sipper as the Bloody, but with without all the gaudy pretense. It also has the benefit of being lower in alcohol, which means you can enjoy more than one without needing a post-brunch siesta.

The Micheladas origins are not entirely clear. One story credits a Michel Esper, who enjoyed his beer with lime, salt, and ice in a special cup called a chabela. The order eventually became known as Michaels lemonade or michelada. Another theory suggests that its a portmanteau of mi chela helada, or slang for my cold beer.

Like the Bloody Mary, the Michelada recipe has many variations, and is susceptible of getting every bit as complicated and overloaded as its American cousin. My advice is to start simple and experiment based on your taste.

Michelada recipe

Ingredients

1 whole lime juiced

2 drops Cholula, or your preferred hot sauce

2 dashes Worcestershire sauce

2 dashes Maggi seasoning

1 pinch ground black pepper

Mexican lager beer (Tecate, Modelo Especial, etc.)

Tomato juice*

*Tomato juice is optional, and not all recipes include it. Some recipes call for a 1:1 ratio of juice to beer, but start with an ounce or two and add more to your taste.

Directions: Rim a pint glass with kosher salt. Add ice, and the remaining ingredients except the beer. Top off with beer. Garnish with a lime wedge.

Jim Sabataso is a writer, cocktail enthusiast, and bar director for The Palms Restaurant in Rutland, Vermont. Follow him on Twitter @JimSabataso
As a kid, I spent an inordinate amount of time in airports. Id make a fortress out of my familys suitcases, curl up on the floor, and take a nap. We were making our bi-annual trip from the U.S. abroad to visit my maternal family in Sicily, and I was completely unappreciative of what a privilege that was. Wed bounce from city to city on mainland Italy seeing my aunts and uncles in the north, but the longest and most dreaded part of the trip for me was heading south to my nonnas tiny village on Sicilys eastern coast.

For me these trips were an unwelcome exile. My moms hometown in Giarre-Riposto within the province of Catania has the kind of old world charm that Americans love to romanticize (or watch in a Francis Ford Coppola film), but to me, summers there were a special kind of torture. I was the youngest grandchild in my stereotypically huge family, and the only one who lived in the States. It meant the summer away from my friends in a town without much to do where I didnt speak the language, and where the businesses shut down for lunch at noon. Everyone there took a three hour nap afterward, which was absolute misery to a kid with boundless energy. Id spend that time on my zias couch watching episodes of Belle & Sebastian overdubbed in Italian without understanding a word. There was no shortage of pouting on my part.

But my mom knew the magic ointment to turn my poor attitude around. Shed poke her head between those suitcases and ask me how excited I was to have granita soon. This instantly perked me up. All year, Id dream of that creamy ice concoction slowly melting on my tongue as I imagined my nonna crocheting sweaters next to me. Every morning, my cousins would pick up a load of granita al limone at the local gelateria, and wed eat it seated around my Zia Antoniettas kitchen table before piling in my Zio Sebastianos classic FIAT 500 to head down a narrow winding road toward the beach. I savored every bite of that icy light sweetness.



Photo by jim CC BY-SA

Granita is a semi-frozen half dessert, half breakfast food thats a Sicilian specialty. Its looser than a sorbet, thicker than a slushie, and galaxies better than a snow cone. Americans may recognize it as the fresher ancestor to what we call Italian Ice. Rather than a drizzling of flavored syrup over crushed or shaved ice, granita consists of water, fresh fruit (or nuts), and sugar pureed into a simple syrup. Its then continually stirred as its being frozen so it never completely hardens. The result is light and refreshing and typically eaten with a brioche, which is used to sop it up as it melts. Granita is generally eaten for breakfast, but its also a common salve at any time later in the day when the Sicilian sun has gotten the best of you, which, it most definitely will. Temperatures were regularly 105 degrees when I spent summers there, high enough to turn my brown hair solidly dirty blonde.

Its thought that Sicilians developed granita centuries ago when Arab rule (circa 1000 A.D.) brought sorbet to the island. The story goes that snow from Mt. Etna would be sweetened with local fruit (hence the dominance of lemon) to keep people cool in summers long before air conditioning or even refrigeration.

Lemon, espresso, and almond are the most common (and traditional) granita flavors, but if a bar (thats Italian for coffee shop and gelateria) has a full menu, theyre likely to also serve chocolate, pistachio, and occasionally something more off the map like mulberry or cantaloupe. Many establishments now keep it churning all day in a machine that looks indistinguishable from a frozen margarita machine, but the stuff is easy enough to make at home. All it takes is a blender, a saucepan, a freezer, and some patience.

In my adolescence our summer sojourns to Sicily decreased. My nonna had passed, and money had gotten even tighter. Quickly enough I was missing those trips and desperately looking for granita in the states, to my continual disappointment. Id brag about its deliciousness to friends who couldnt try it, likely cementing a pretentiousness I was wholly unaware of. Id purchase sno cones and Italian ices with utmost hope, only to be disappointed by their iciness and sickly sweet artificiality. Even on mainland Italy, real granita had been hard to find. I once discovered it for sale on the ferry that shepherded our train from the boot to the island, and I was ecstatic. But mom was skeptical, and she was right to be. It tasted like a lemon slurpee.

Granita has trickled into the U.S. in recent years, most often through speciality Italian gelato shops. The ever-popular Eataly in Chicago and New York offers a refreshing classic (and inexpensive!) limone. And at Austins Dolce Neve, I had an excellent chocolate granita that even my mom would approve ofsmooth, light, and rich. More recently, granita has been appearing on menus in Italian restaurants, often with a foodie twist. I discovered it at Chicagos Cafe Lula when I ordered a scallops appetizer and to my surprise it was topped with grapefruit granita, or at Italic (also in Austin) which offers something their menu claims is granita, but is more like cubed watermelon in rose topped with shaved ice.

And this summer my favorite breakfast item went mainstream when Starbucks got into the granita game. They serve three options on their Sunset menu that are advertised more as drinks, including caramel espresso, white tea, and strawberry lemon limeade. Their version is coarser than the granita I grew up eating and definitely sweeter, and Im torn if this is the granita I want most Americans to know. Ive accepted watered down versions of Italian foods in the U.S. all my life. Will one more hurt? For now, Ill keep churning the homemade granita in my freezer and taking my trips to Dolce Neve when Sicilia and my family are too too far away.

Erica Lies is a writer and comedian in Austin, Texas. Her work has appeared in Splitsider, Bitch, Rookie Mag, and The Hairpin.

Top photo by Sebastian Fischer CC BY-SA via Wikimedia Commons
Thanks to its strategic geographical position and size, Romania provides a number of reasons why an investment in its territory can have a long and successful life. At present, Romania is seeing significant improvements and is becoming one of the most stable and attractive markets in the south-eastern and central Europe.

In the last few years, Romania has experienced significant growth of its gross domestic product (GDP) and also an important increase in foreign direct investments (FDI), which guarantees sustainable growth of the Romanian economy. The main assets of the Romanian market are a highly skilled workforce with low labour costs and reduced language barriers, abundant natural resources, access to the Black Sea and Asia, as well as 19 million consumers which help make it the 7th largest EU country by population.

On January 1, 2016 the new Tax Code came into force and brought fiscal loosening which will improve the investment climate. Consequently, VAT was reduced to 20% and will be reduced to 19% in 2017. The dividend tax was reduced from 16% to 5% and the profit tax will be reduced from 16% to 14% in 2019, making Romania a state with some of the lowest taxes in the EU. Some other tax exemptions were introduced into the new tax legislation as well, such as a tax exemption for profits reinvested in certain new non-current assets, an additional deductible allowance of 50% for eligible expenses related to research and development (R&D) activities, and a tax deferral related to the use of accelerated tax depreciation for specific categories of assets.

Nevertheless, investors may also encounter some difficulties during their business life in Romania. Some of the challenges that may arise in the Romanian market are related to the lack of transport connectivity, as currently Romania has only 700 kilometres of highway. Depending on a companys sector of activity, the poor infrastructure may hold it back, so it is important to consider this aspect before opening a business in Romania. Also, Romania is dealing with instability of its legal environment, which is also caused by different interpretations of the law, and generous bureaucracy realities that can hinder the professional relationships of investors. Hence, prior information in this regard is indispensible. Another challenging aspect of the Romanian market is the lack of public investments which could pull back the economic evolution of the country.

Overall, despite its challenges, Romania is a country with great potential that can offer a good investment climate.

Author: Anca Calina
Wiedenmann UK has taken 54 dealer representatives on a training mission to Grassau in southern Germany to see new machines and developments in their fleet.

Taking centre stage were the company's latest additions. The Terra Spike SL is for fine turf and tractors from 20 HP. Weighing just 470 kg, it tines down to 210 mm and is twice the match for some shallow aerators.

Also newly arrived is the Terra Float Air, a pneumatic overseeding machine which combines a rotary spiker and an overseeding unit. Seed rates are controlled via a precise metering system. Seed is blown to the surface via eight tubes and a distribution chute.

Dealer staff from across Britain and Ireland were welcomed by Wiedenmann's elite team of engineers and developers before receiving detailed briefings on all the machines.
Local Michigan business owners' still aren't relying on professional janitorial and cleaning services. But why?

By: Allen Maintenance Inc.

bacteria

Media Contact

Construction EMarketing

Brad Fowler, C.P.M.A.

bradfowler@constructionemarketing.biz

313.383.4840 Construction EMarketingBrad Fowler, C.P.M.A.313.383.4840

End

-- Influenza is still heavily impacting the lives of Michigan residents, according to Michigan State Health Department.In fact, in 2015, the number of Michigan residence infected with the Influenza virus was 7,370. In 2016, the number of those infected almost doubled, with 13, 595 reported cases. (michigan.gov)Seemingly, one of the biggest threats to the continued spread of this virus, is a lack of concern many businesses have about maintaining clean, sanitized, work and business environments. After all, germs and bacteria, such as Influenza, can only spread when commonly used surfaces (e.g. desktop keyboards, bathroom light switches, and office refrigerator door handles) aren't kept clean.This is why having a professional commercial cleaning service provider is important. Not only will this help eliminate the spread of Influenza and other viruses in the work and business environment. This will help build a sense of trust amongst regular business patriates, who rely on local Michigan businesses for many personal and professional services.Allen Maintenance Inc. of Lincoln Park, MI. not only provides local corporations and business offices, professional cleaning services. Allen Maintenance Inc. offers businesses educational support in what type of products should be used and kept on hand. After all, Environmental Protection Agents are highly recommended for public business environments, where heavy traffic consistently lingers.In fact, the State of Michigan Health Department has rendered strict policies regarding the use of EPA products in public business environments.Yet there still seems to be a disregard for the use of EPA products in many local and statewide professional business environments. After all, the Michigan Department of Community Health, shares a Weekly Disease Report; providing Michigan citizens detailed analysis of what diseases and viruses are on the rise.Unfortunately, even with the dissemination of this weekly report; countless Michigan business owners neglect to remain informed enough, to implement effective professional cleaning and janitorial services- to combat the spread of viruses such as Influenza, in their business environments.Therefore, as a Michigan citizen, if you have concerns about your health and the health of family and friends, take the initiative to ask local business owners', you often support, if they are adhering to State Health Department sanitation policies and procedures, that help combat the spread of viruses, such as Influenza. If any business, you query about such services inform you, they are not using a professional janitorial cleaning service; recommend they do so weekly. After all, your health and the health of family and friends, depends on the health and safety measures, implemented by your local business partners and retailers.Keep in mind: Allen Maintenance Inc. is always ready to lend a helping hand. To learn more about the services provided by this 25 year old corporation, contact their office at 313.383.4840. Or, you can log on to their Website www.allenmaintenancejanitorial.com Reference:Michigan.gov. (2016). State Health Department Weekly Disease Report for the Week Ending October 15, 2016. Retrieved from: https://www.michigan.gov/ documents/mdch/ Current_WSR_ 272689_7.pdf
UN Day marks anniversary of the entry into force in 1945 of the UN Charter.

Contact

Booma Natarajan, Principal

***@yahoo.co.in

91-1596-242314 Booma Natarajan, Principal91-1596-242314

End

-- With the ratification of this founding document by the majority of its signatories, including the five permanent members of the Security Council, the United Nations officially came into being.The name "United Nations", coined by United States President Franklin D. Roosevelt was first used in the Declaration by United Nations of 1 January 1942, during the Second World War, when representatives of 26 nations pledged their Governments to continue fighting together against the Axis Powers.In 1945, representatives of 50 countries met in San Francisco at the United Nations Conference on International Organization to draw up the United Nations Charter. Those delegates deliberated on the basis of proposals worked out by the representatives of China, the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom and the United States at Dumbarton Oaks, United States in August-October 1944. The Charter was signed on 26 June 1945 by the representatives of the 50 countries. Poland, which was not represented at the Conference, signed it later and became one of the original 51 Member States.The United Nations officially came into existence on 24 October 1945, when the Charter had been ratified by China, France, the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom, the United States and by a majority of other signatories. 24 October has been celebrated as United Nations Day since 1948. UN is currently made up of 193 Member States.Due to the powers vested in its Charter and its unique international character, the United Nations can take action on the issues confronting humanity in the 21st century, such as peace and security, climate change, sustainable development, human rights, disarmament, terrorism, humanitarian and health emergencies, gender equality, governance, food production, education and more.The main organs of the UN are the General Assembly, the Security Council, the Economic and Social Council, the Trusteeship Council, the International Court of Justice, and the UN Secretariat. This year's UN Day aims to highlight concrete actions people can take to help achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.JMA Pilani has established a rich tradition of celebrating various days of national as well as global importance. On 24 October 2016, JMA Pilani celebrated United Nations Day. Addressing the students Mrs Booma Natarajan Principal highlighted the significance of the day and shared the message of UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon "Humanity has entered the era of sustainability  with a global commitment to fulfill the great promise of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. In this, the Organization's 71st year, we have 17 goals to propel us towards a better future for all on a healthy planet. "For more details about JMA Pilani see http://jmapilani.org/ About JMA Pilani: Smt. Jamuna Mishra Academy (JMA) established in the year 2004 which has been making rapid strides in early childhood education is presently one of the most sought after schools at Pilani Rajasthan well known in India today for one among top in world ranking BITS Pilani University as well as CSIR Laboratory CEERI and globally renowned Birla Science Museum. JMA Pilani is a Co-educational English Medium School with Experienced Teachers, Spacious Classrooms and Modern Amenities designed to impart Quality Education combined with All Round Personality Development and lay the Best Foundation for the Child's Future. JMA which started in 2004 with an enrollment of 60 students for the Nursery, LKG, First Junior and Class I has grown today till Class XII and enrollment of 900. While the school admits both boys and girls, the girl student enrollment has been steadily rising every year and is presently nearly 50% of the total strength. The school has NCC for boys and the school girls band has been winning laurels every year too. Yoga and Fine arts are not just part of school routine but a way of life for the students.
CACE inaugurated "showCACE: design discussions from an Emirati perspective"

Contact

Sara Hassan

Media Relations Specialist

***@zu.ac.ae Sara HassanMedia Relations Specialist

End

-- The College of Arts and Creative Enterprises (CACE) at Zayed University inaugurated showCACE, a pop-up project as part of Assembly- a week of design and making at Warehouse 61 at Alserkal Avenue, on Sunday evening in Dubai.In parallel with Dubai Design Week, Alserkal Avenue announced Assembly, a week of design and making that ran from October 23and will end on 29. The design-focused program will feature exhibitions and events that will highlight the most innovative designers and makers both regional and global.The College of Arts and Creative Enterprises aims to develop graduates who are leaders and innovators in the field of art and design practice and graduates who will continue significantly to the cultural fabric of the UAE.Ann-Maree Reaney, Dean of the College of Arts and Creative Enterprises, said: "Our intensive and rigorous art, design, new media and exhibition programs are practice based and industry- engaged. Our faculty utilizes the latest teaching methodologies, underpinned by cutting-edge technology and an innovative learning environment, to inspire a new generation of creative thinkers."She added: "Our graduates are the new up and coming artists, designers, gallery curators, educators, art policy makers and arts administrators, and it is through our graduates that we aspire to foster and build a vibrant art and design community in the UAE and abroad. Art and design are major contributors to a nation's creative economy and in the establishment of a global identity, they are a country's greatest export.A special thanks to Alserkal Avenue for hosting CACE and Zayed University during the Assembly, in celebration of Dubai Design Week 2016."From 25-29 October, the College of Arts and Creative Enterprises will present, which will see current students and recent graduates participating from Zayed University.Moreover, the CACE will organize a panel discussion with the participation of its professors and students, to focus on emerging female designers entering the creative industries in the UAE."Zayed University's CACE presents the future of emerging young female Emirati design thinkers. As the culture within the Emirates evolves, emerging artists and designers must consider the scope of the nation's needs, cultural heritage and social impact. Therefore, this panel discussion will focus on the mentor-student relationship in the fields of the graphic design, interior design and visual art exploring the challenges they encounter in their own communities,"Walter Willems, Exhibition Coordinator at CACE, said.Assembly will feature a rich mix of talks, workshops, book launches and special events in Nadi Al Quoz, located in Warehouse 90 in the Avenue. These programs will draw upon the intricacies of design and making, tying them together with the closely related fields of architecture, urban planning and other creative practices.Zayed University is today the premier national university in the United Arab Emirates and a regional leader in educational innovation and change. It has created and implemented a skills-rich, outcome-based general education program that systemically develops student skills, knowledge, and values associated with liberal learning and provided a solid foundation for pursuit of disciplinary majors and future careers. Zayed University welcomes national and international students, and provides them with a high quality education, offered by seasoned teaching scholars to prepare them to shape the future of the United Arab Emirates.Zayed University offers Undergraduate and Graduate degrees in the following Colleges: College of Arts & Creative Enterprises (recognized as substantially equivalent by NASAD), College of Business (Accredited by AACSB), College of Communication & Media Sciences (Accredited by ACEJMC), College of Education (Accredited by NCATE), College of Humanities and Social Sciences, College of Natural and Health Sciences, and College of Technological Innovation (Accredited by ABET). For more information, visit www.zu.ac.aeMedia contacts: Sara Sabry, Media Relations Specialist at the Office of the Vice President at Zayed UniversityDir-Tel: 025993630Mobile: 0566561059E-mail: Sara.Hassan@zu.ac.aeWeb: www.zu.ac.ae
"It is imperative that the financial stability of the sector is addressed to support private investment in Cameroon" says Jean-Louis Ekra, board member Globeleq, diamond sponsor at the iPAD Cameroon Energy Infrastructure Forum in Yaounde.

By: iPAD Cameroon Energy Infrastructure Forum

Cameroon is a stable country with many investment opportunities

Media Contact

iPAD Cameroon Energy Infrastructure Forum

annemarie.roodbol@ spintelligent.com

+27217003500 iPAD Cameroon Energy Infrastructure Forum+27217003500

End

-- "It is imperative that the financial stability of the sector is addressed to support and encourage private investment in Cameroon"  this is according to Jean-Louis Ekra, board member of Globeleq, a successful private investor in the country's power sector and returning diamond sponsor at the upcomingin Yaounde.Cameroon's Minister of Energy and Water Resources, H.E. Basile Atangana Kouna, will deliver the opening keynote address during the, taking place from 10-11 November and expected to gather some 170 high-level representatives from government, utilities, developers, investors and finance institutions.Globeleq has been involved in developing and operating independent power projects in emerging markets since 2002 and is one of the most experienced companies in the African IPP sector.Says Mr Ekra: "Globeleq has around 1,300 MW in operation across eight plants in five countries - Cameroon, Cote d'Ivoire, South Africa, Tanzania and Kenya. The company has around 2,500 MW of power projects in development and plans to add significant MW of new power generation during the next 10 years. In Cameroon, we are working hard to complete the final development stages to expand the existing Kribi gas fired plant from 216 MW to 330 MW."He adds: "we are ready to do business and build more sustainable power generation businesses across the continent. Our Kribi Expansion project is ready for financial closing so we would like to see the Government expedite the process so we can move into the construction phase and deliver more essential and affordable energy to the country. It is imperative that the financial stability of the sector is addressed to ensure continued private investment and the current IPPs in the country can continue to operate at world class operating standards."The Globeleq director says Cameroon is a stable country with many investment opportunities and he would like to see the country "establish a diverse mix of energy generation in which uninterrupted electricity supply becomes the norm and universal access to electricity in all urban areas is achieved. This is not out of reach but the Government must focus on remedying the sector issues, improving governance across all sectors, implementing sound energy policies and ensure transparency in awarding projects and establishing high standards of managing resources and revenues."is organised by Spintelligent, leading Cape Town-based trade exhibition and conference organiser, and the African office of Clarion Events Ltd, based in the UK. Other flagship events in Spintelligent's power portfolio on the continent are African Utility Week, the West African Power Industry Convention (WAPIC), East African Power Industry Convention (EAPIC) and iPAD Rwanda Energy Infrastructure Forum.Dates: 10-11 November 2016Venue: Hilton Hotel, Yaounde, CameroonWebsite: http://www.ipad- cameroon.com Twitter: https://twitter.com/ ipadcameroon Senior communications manager: Annemarie RoodbolTelephone: +27 21 700 3558Mobile: +27 82 562 7844Email: annemarie.roodbol@spintelligent.com
By: Guidance Software

Guidance logo

Contact

Vernon Saldanha

Procre8

***@procre8.biz Vernon SaldanhaProcre8

End

-- Guidance Software, the makers of EnCase, the gold standard in forensic security, have announced their participation in the fifth regional cyber security summit to be held from October 30  November 01 in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt. Guidance will use the event as a platform to educate enterprises and government organizations on the need to deploy security solutions that go beyond protecting just the perimeter and to that end, will highlight the capabilities of their endpoint data security and digital forensic solutions including EnCase Endpoint Security, EnCase Endpoint Investigator, EnCase eDiscovery and EnForce Risk Manager.Commenting on the importance of a holistic approach to security that addresses the entire network, Helmi Landosi, Territory Sales Manager MEA, Guidance Software, says, "Loss of sensitive data and disruption to IT systems is one of the greatest risks that organizations in the Middle East and Africa are facing today. Adding to this vulnerability, are the rising frequency of attacks, growing costs of remediation, and lengthening time-to-response. Detecting and preventing attacks today, starts with deploying multiple layers of defense. Organizations need to move away from a myopic focus on perimeter security and take a proactive approach to tracking down any warning signs of unauthorized or unusual behavior within their networks with endpoint detection and response technology."On the third day of the conference, Helmi and Yasser Anter, senior solution consultant MEA, will conduct a technical presentation on EnCase Endpoint Security. Designed to enable cybersecurity professionals to proactively address critical gaps in their security framework, the effectiveness of EnCase Endpoint Security lies in its ability to accelerate the detection of malicious activity and remediate it before it can cause irreparable damage or loss of sensitive data. Key benefits of the solution include:- creates a baseline of endpoint activity enabling both a historical record that can be used to recreate how a breach occurred as well as the ability to detect anomalous activity indicative of an undetected compromise- enables security teams to accelerate response time to network security breaches and significantly reduce the risk of serious data loss and associated liabilities- Once malware or a risk of sensitive data is exposed and identified, EnCase Endpoint Security lets security teams take definitive action and remove any reliance on traditional remediation processes like wiping and reimaging, which results in costly system downtime, loss of productivity and potential revenue loss- Real-time continuous monitoring capabilities provide the necessary level of visibility and depth of reach required to deliver this capability across all network endpoints in a highly-scalable manner"Computer Emergency Response Teams (CERTs) in any country are the first line of defense when breaches and disasters happen. This event, which brings together key security decision makers from leading regional and global enterprises and government security organizations such as the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), ITU Arab Regional Cybersecurity Center (ITU-ARCC) and Oman CERT, provides us with a platform to showcase how our solutions can help security teams detect, respond to and remediate threats quicker and as such ensure that their organizations' most valuable information and assets are safe and secure," concluded Helmi.
explore the challenges and opportunities in KSA's emerging retrofitting and refurbishment industry to achieve energy efficiency goals.

By: Advanced Conferences & Meetings

End

-- Supported by the Royal Commission for Jubail and Yanbu, and organised by Advanced Conferences & Meetings,Seminar was successfully launched at The Radisson Blu Hotel, Riyadh. The first edition of this seminar was aiming to explore the challenges and opportunities in KSA's emerging retrofitting and refurbishment industry to achieve energy efficiency goals.The Royal Commission for Jubail and Yanbu (RCJY), Etihad Esco, Shaker Group, Arriyadh Development Authority, Sabic, Yanbu, KEO International, AECOM, Dar Al Riyadh, Dar Al-Handasah, King Abdullah City for Atomic and Renewable Energy (K.A.CARE) attended. It featured many exciting presentations among which we can mention: "Challenges and opportunities in KSA's emerging retrofitting and refurbishment industry" byDr. Abdullah Al-Rfaie and Hisham Al Fouzan from SABIC, "Sustainable Smart Communities and Near Zero Energy Buildings" by Khaled Bushnaq from EMS, "Urban planning toward the energy efficiency in Arriyadh city" by Ibrahim Alshaye from the High Commission for the Development of Arriyadh, and "Presentation and progress of Etihad ESCO, the official Dubai Super ESCO" by Stephane LeGentil from Etihad Energy Services.The response to this event was hugely positive as delegates and sponsors enjoyed a stellar line-up of speaker as well as the opportunities to network with the industry's key decision makers. "RetrofitTech KSA is a great opportunity for energy saving solutions" said the CEO of Philips Lighting, "It was a very good conference with a high level of speakers that will help me advance in my career" stated an engineer from KACST, "I encourage people to attend the next edition" said a project manager from Dar Al Handasah.was held with the participation of Etihad Esco, Shaker Group, Philips, Armstrong, Danfoss, Al Salem Johnson Controls, Eurostar, Trane, Rasmi, and Phoenix Mecano.(October 25) will host speakers from KEO International Consultants, Alpin Limited, Quantum Eurostar Energy Solutions (QESCO), Enova, Etihad Energy Services, Al Salem Johnson Controls, Armstrong Fluid Technology, CPA Consulting, Danfoss, and Eco Engineering Energy & Water Solutions (ECOSOL Saudi Arabia),and will feature a case study on Etihad ESCO.For more information about the conference, please visit www.retrofittechksa.com
By: Hennessy Aristry

Key Visual 02 (1)

Contact

The Bobby Taylor Company

***@bobbytaylorcompany.com The Bobby Taylor Company

End

-- The legendary Hip hop photographer;Jonathan Mannion is set to arrive Nigeria for his photography tour.The renowned photographer who is well known as the man behind the album cover of Jay Z's debut album ; Reasonable Doubt has over 2 decades shot about 300 album covers for the biggest names in the hip hop industry.Jonathan is also the photographer behind the iconic #straightoutta campaign directed by Dr. Dre.He will be in Nigeria for the very first time from Tuesday, 25th to Sunday, 30th October 2016 to showcase some of his most celebrated works.This tour is one of the the amazing initiative of Hennessy Artistry to express its love for hip hop.To participate in this exciting project, see below for Jonathan Mannion's activities in Lagos:- Jonathan Mannion's opening exhibition;Venue: Red Door Arts Gallery, 51, Bishop Oluwole, VI, Lagos.Date: Thursday, 27th October 2016Time: 6pm*strictly by invitation*- Public gallery opening : 27th October - 5th November daily.Time: 8pm-10pm daily1. Lunch with veteran photographers -Date: Friday, 28th October 2016Time: 3pm2. Album cover shoot for 2 undisclosed Nigerian Artistes1.Jonathan Mannion Talk Presentation with Hip Hop representatives and Photography representatives.Date: Saturday, 29th October 2016Time: 3pm*Strictly by invitation*For more information follow Hennessy on:Instagram: @hennessy_ngFacebook: hennessynigeria.Twitter: hennessynigeriaMedia Communications:esther@bobbytaylorcompany.comWatch video of Jonathan Mannion here ( https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=j5v3Q1yVzVA
Across Borders Management Consulting Group Receives Recognition for Revenue Growth

Contact

Kandice Caines

info@abmcg.com

352-720-3135 Kandice Caines352-720-3135

End

-- Across Borders Management Consulting Group (ABMCG) was recognized by the Orlando Business Journal on September 2, 2016 as a woman owned business that positively contributed to the economic impact to the Central Florida region.The Orlando Business Journal ranked ABMCG in the top 25 woman owned businesses in Central Florida based on their 2015 Central Florida gross revenue. ABMCG has 20 employees in the Central Florida market, and 40 employees companywide. Their office is located in Lake County, Florida at 141 Waterman Avenue, Mt. Dora, Florida 32757.Arathi Rajagopalan, owner of ABMCG states "We are honored to be recognized by the Orlando Business Journal. Our global technology solutions help organizations to save money and enable employees to work more efficiently. The cost savings can be quite significant when companies really assess their technology infrastructure and incorporate our solutions."ABMCG focuses on these core areas: business process management, application migration and modernization and information management and analytics. For clients starting a business or for others that already have a business in operation, ABMCG can offer a variety of solutions for business process management including process mapping, pci compliance, management consulting, workflow software, BPM tools and workflow technology solutions.Rajagopalan states, "As a BPM consulting company we work with the latest IBM, Microsoft and open source technologies. What makes us different from other technology companies is that we can customize solutions to fit our client's needs. Often times a client will have very outdated technology that inhibits workflow. We provide the best BPM tools that improve communications and efficiencies that in the long term will save company's thousands of dollars."In addition to offering business process management solutions, ABMCG also offers solutions for data management, data quality, analytics and data security. Business owners can get assistance with data mining, data analysis, data warehouse concepts, software for project management, data quality and data cleansing. ABMCG also assists companies with improving their business intelligence and data analytics.Working with ABMCG, companies in the healthcare, pharmacy, banking, financial services, government, education, technology and insurance sectors will find the best IT solutions for improving business intelligence and business processes.Rajagopalan adds, "With healthcare in particular our solutions will contribute to significant cost savings for healthcare organizations. Assisting hospitals and doctor's offices to share data and offer better managed patient care is going to be key to successfully treating patients. We offer solutions for other industries, however, with the increased use of patient portals, having robust business intelligence and a strong technology infrastructure will be key for cost savings, communication and success. With People living longer and being under the care of more than one doctor at a time, healthcare organizations really need to tighten up their internal processes if they want to stay in business."Across Borders Management Consulting Group is a family owned company that has been in business since 2007. In the next 3 to 6 months the company plans on adding additional staff to their growing organization. They currently work with clients such as Johnson & Johnson, Macys and Health Plan Services (HPS).For more information about their IT solutions for business process management, data warehousing, workflow automation or business process reengineering, companies are encouraged to call Across Borders Management Consulting Group at 352-720-3135 or visit online at http://www.abmcg.com
By: Meritage Homes

Meritage Homes Team Members accept two 2016 Parade Awards

Contact

Constructive Marketing

***@constructivemarketing.net Constructive Marketing

End

-- Meritage Homes Raleigh Division President Lawrence Lane is pleased to announce that the company was honored at the recent 2016 Parade of Homes Awards, presented by the Home Builders Association of Durham, Orange & Chatham Counties."The Jasmine," located at 1310 Catch Fly Lane in Durham's Meadows at Southpoint, was presented a Bronze Parade Award. At 4 bedrooms/3.5 baths, "The Jasmine" offers numerous features in its 2,676 square feet, including a gourmet kitchen with granite countertops and maple cabinetry, a first floor owner's suite, hardwoods throughout the first floor main living area, and custom built cubbies at the owner's entrance."The Hatteras," located at 1605 Capstone Drive in Durham's Jordan at Southpoint, was also presented a Bronze Parade Award. At 3,664 square feet, "The Hatteras" consists of 5 bedrooms and 4.5 baths with features including a deluxe owner's bath with a separate tub and walk-in shower, hardwood flooring throughout the first floor, a gourmet kitchen with maple cabinetry, granite countertops, and a butler's pantry, a stone fireplace, and solar panels.Both award-winning homes are ENERGY STARCertified, with $30,000 of energy-efficient features and low HERS scores."Our team is proud to receive this recognition,"says Lane. "We take great pride in our craftsmanship, quality and service. Being recognized with two Parade Awards is an honor."Meritage Homes is currently building in Apex at Arcadia West and Blaney Farms; in Chapel Hill at Legacy at Jordan Lake; in Durham at Meadows at Southpoint and Jordan at Southpoint; in Morrisville at Cotten Place; and in Raleigh at Trenton Pointe at Umstead.Meritage Homes is the seventh-largest public homebuilder in the United States, based on homes closed in 2015. Meritage Homes builds and sells single-family homes for first-time, move-up, luxury and active adult buyers across the Western, Southern and Southeastern United States. Meritage Homes builds in markets including Sacramento, San Francisco's East Bay, the Central Valley and Orange County, California; Houston, Dallas-Ft. Worth, Austin and San Antonio, Texas; Phoenix/Scottsdale, Green Valley and Tucson, Arizona; Denver and Fort Collins, Colorado; Orlando and Tampa, Florida; Raleigh and Charlotte, North Carolina; Greenville-Spartanburg and York County, South Carolina; Nashville, Tennessee; and Atlanta, Georgia.Meritage Homes has designed and built more than 90,000 homes in its 30-year history, and has a reputation for its distinctive style, quality construction, and positive customer experience. Meritage Homes is the industry leader in energy-efficient homebuilding and has received the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year for Sustained Excellence Award in 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016 for innovation and industry leadership in energy efficient homebuilding. For more information, visit meritagehomes.com.
Queens Chamber of Commerce hosts job fair for Elmhurst Dairy employees

Queens Chamber of Commerce

End

-- After nearly 100 years in business, the iconic Queens dairy that provided milk cartons to New York City schools is closing October 31. The owners of Elmhurst Dairy tried to keep the business in Queens but found it hard with constantly rising cost and many restraints of dairy regulations. It has been operating in Jamaica for 80 years employed 273 workers.Thomas Grech, Director of the Queens Chamber of Commerce says, "The Queens Chamber needs to be involved to help these workers. We reached out to Deputy Borough President Melva Miller who is always there for the business community of Queens. Knowing the folks at York College well, their commitment to continuing education and the campus' proximity to the Elmhurst Dairy, we all agreed a job fair was in order. We had to get this done by the end of the month due to the closing of the facility."On October 17th, at The York College Academic Core Building, the job fair was open for business. With over 20 businesses there, employees of all ages were able to search for their new jobs. Additionally, NY1 was there to cover the event for any employers who are watching who are looking to hire.There are still employees looking for a job, so if you are looking for someone to hire, please contact the Queens Chamber of Commerce.
Wheeling project is part of 'weServeEats' effort to feed kids in Liberia; Ziegenfelder plants in Denver and Chino to participate in similar charity events

By: Ziegenfelder Company

Ziegenfelder

Media Contact

Brad Allen, Marketing and Key Account Manager

***@twinpops.com

1.800.322.3642, ext. 129 Brad Allen, Marketing and Key Account Manager1.800.322.3642, ext. 129

End

-- Plenty of food will be part of the Ziegenfelder Company's annual Christmas breakfast, but most of it won't be served during the Dec. 5 event at Wheeling Island Race Track.Ziegenfelder employees will participate in a charity function with weServeEats, an organization dedicated to feeding hungry and overlooked children through nutrient-packed, cost-efficient food.The Ziegenfelder team representing the company headquarters in Wheeling will pack approximately 25,000 meals that eventually will be distributed to hungry kids in Liberia, West Africa. Breanna Humphries, the founder of weServeEats, is a process specialist who has been part of the Ziegenfelder team for a year."We wanted to do something special to help those less fortunate," said Lisa Allen, President and CEO of Ziegenfelder Company. "Our holiday breakfast and company meeting provided us an opportunity to have our team participate in such an important endeavor. The fact that Breanna is the founder of weServeEats makes this an even more significant project."Ziegenfelder's two other plants in Denver, Colorado, and Chino, California, also will participate in similar events. The Ziegenfelder team in Denver will pack an estimated 25,000 meals in conjunction with the charity Harvest Pack. The Chino team will pack shoeboxes with school supplies, toys and other items to assist Operation Christmas Child. Dates and sites of those events are being finalized."Whether we realize it or not, we've got it good here," said Humphries, who has traveled to West Africa as part of the weServeEats project. "It's great to help locally, but when you can feed 5 children with just $1, it's hard to pass up that opportunity to help. The kids I've met in Liberia are so close to my heart, and I am so grateful to work for a company that shares my love of service to others."For 155 years, the Ziegenfelder name has been synonymous with wholesome frozen treats such as its Budget Saver Twin Pops. The company is the largest producer of frozen twin pops in the United States.The Dec. 5 event in Wheeling will begin at 8:30 a.m. with a breakfast meeting. Employees then will help package food for weServeEats, a charity that has made a big impact while working with the organizations such as Kids Against Hunger, Lifeline Christian Ministries and Harvest Pack.Earlier this year, as part of a weServeEats project, 150 volunteers at a church in Rolling Plains, Ohio, helped pack 64,464 meals that were shipped to Monrovia, Liberia in West Africa. In 2012, approximately 200 volunteers at the same church packed 71,280 meals in less than 2 hours. That project sent 9,000 meals to hungry kids in the local area and the remainder went to Liberia.More info: http://www.budgetsaver.com
IA Motors, a prominent used car dealership in Des Moines, IA, employed AutoJini for their new website implementation, search engine optimization, Facebook Applications, and Social Media sites setup.

By: AutoJini

Media Contact

AutoJini

sales@autojini.com

(515) 232-2024 AutoJini(515) 232-2024

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-- IA Motors has carefully chosen AutoJini.com to implement their dealership's new website using the Content Management System of AutoJini. AutoJini will be in charge of not only maintaining the dealership website but also providing consulting services to review and monitor the performance of this new website, its traffic, and conversion of the new site's traffic to leads."AutoJini has a unique selling proposition here. Most companies provide website and SEO services but AutoJini offers on-request consulting to review our site's performance, feedback on our internal SEO efforts, and any other question we may have about constantly evolving online marketing." said Mike Lister and Curt Dixon of IA Motors.This association is proof of our proficiencies, effectiveness of our software and our growing market share. We will implement their new web site and will setup accounts on various Social Media sites. We offer other services like SEO, PPC, Phone Call Tracking, on a need-basis to IA Motors", said Syed Azam, President of AutoJini.AutoJini is a web-based software suite of solutions used by automobile dealers across North America. AutoJini services include the development and implementation of dealership websites, mobile websites, micro sites, Facebook applications, inventory management solutions, data export to 3rd parties, search engine optimization (SEO), PPC campaign Management, eBay Motors Auction Tool, social media marketing (SEM), and news & blog software.AutoJini.com has offices in:- Ames, Iowa- Kitchener, Ontario, CanadaFor more information, please contact Mr. Syed Azam by phone (515) 232-2024 or email syed@AutoJini.com. Visit http://www.AutoJini.com for more details.IA Motors is located Des Moines, IA. IA Motors offers a broad inventory of all their vehicles, its weekly specials, customer reviews, and an easy to use Contact Us section all on their newly designed website.
By: HET Filter & Johnny Rullan & Co.

Media Contact

Muhlhausen Marketing and Communication

Rudiger Muhlhausen

info@muehlhausen- marketing.de

+49 (0) 89 9589-0731 Muhlhausen Marketing and CommunicationRudiger Muhlhausen+49 (0) 89 9589-0731

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-- HET Filter is increasing its international sales activities, bringing on board Johnny Rullan & Co. as its new sales partner in Puerto Rico. It opens a strategic market, not only as a gateway to the USA, but home to many pharmaceutical manufacturers requiring high-quality filter solutions.Johnny Rullan & Co. was established in 1970 as manufacturers' representative. Today the company specializes in process and packaging equipment focused on the pharmaceutical, food and electronic industries. It covers Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, and the Caribbean area. "In Johnny Rullan & Co., we have got a very well established sales partner in the region," said Uwe Hahmann, Managing Director of HET Filter. "Their contacts, particularly in the pharmaceutical sector plus their established customer base, will help us to best position our innovative products.""We rely unconditionally on quality," said Juan Jose Rullan, President of Johnny Rullan & Co., explaining his company's philosophy. "We represent companies that are leaders in their respective fields in terms of expertise, deliver outstanding service and have a solid economic foundation. When it comes to filter solutions, we have found such a partner in HET Filter."HET Filter offers custom made solutions for high-tech companies, mainly in the pharmaceutical and chemical industries, where the greatest demands are placed on filter systems to ensure the highest level of purity in production environments. HET filters are particularly effective in meeting stringent filtration, explosion protection and containment requirements. HET Filters brings experience to every project from numerous international projects across a wide range of industries and applications.HET Filters works hand in hand with its customers to improve products, and to develop new fields of application to better meet the challenges of the future, as well as the growing demands interms of health, safety and the environment.HET Filter GmbHUwe Hohmann, Managing DirectorTel: +49 (0) 6047 - 96440info@het-filter.de
Association for Women in Communications, South Florida, will be hosting the Light Up for Haiti fundraiser this Wednesday at The Blue, Boca Resort.

By: Association for Women in Communications SFL

October Meetup to Honor & Support Humanitarian, Alison Thompson

Contact

Association for Women in Communications South FL.

***@awcsouthflorida.org Association for Women in Communications South FL.

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--The Association for Women in Communciations South Florida ChapterDr. Alison Thompson, founder of Third Wave is our October honoree Communicator of the Month! This event is focused on supporting Alison's efforts in Haiti.Wednesday, October 26th at 5:30 pm - 8:00 pmThe Blue (https://theblueboca.com/2016/09/16/association-of-women-in-communications-meet-up-the-blue-with-carina-mask/), Boca Raton Resort (http://www.bocaresort.com/dine/the-blue.html):27th Floor, 501 E Camino Real, Boca Raton, FL 33432Hurricane Matthew has wiped out the Southern parts of Haiti- Third Wave volunteers -alongside coastguard, airforce and many other resuce and Haitian teams are currently deploying rescue teams with medical food water tarps and solar lights.$20 donation per person in exchange for a swag bag generously donated from Life Extension. Guests will enjoy complimentary passed around hors d' oeuvres & an extended Elevate Cocktail Hour featuring $7 cocktails & bar bites. Boca Resort is a private club so you must RSVP to gain entrance. RSVP: info@awcsouthflorida.org100% proceeds goes to Alison Thompson's Fundraiser: Solar Lights for Haitian Families wiped out by Hurricane Matthew.#light4haitiAssociation for Women in Communications South FL chapter connects communicators in Palm Beach, Broward, and Miami-Dade Counties, facilitating its members' integration into the business matrix of South Florida and promoting their personal and professional advancement. Helping to cultivate the complex relationships that bridge all communications disciplines, the AWC South Florida interfaces networking and professional development to equip its members to excel in their fields. For moreinfo: http://awcsouthflorida.org ; Twitter.com/awcsf ; Facebook.com/awcsf; Instagram.com/awcfAssociation for Women in Communications celebrated 100 years of accelerating women communicators' careers in 2009, cementing its position as the oldest and most comprehensive professional association in the industry. For moreinfo: http://womcom.org ; Facebook.com/AWCNational ; Twitter.com/AWCConnectDr Alison Thompson OAM- is a full time global humanitarian volunteer. Her work started on the Sept 11th 2001 attacks in New York, where she volunteered as a first responder for nine months.She has run internally displaced persons camps in Sri Lanka, Haiti and around the world and was appointed as the first official Ambassador to the Haitian Ministry of Environment in 2012 where she works in reforestation and cholera initiatives. Alison is fondly known as the "Angel of Galle" in Sri Lanka and the "Angel of Light" in Nepal and in 2015 was honored at Loyola Chicago University with an Honorary 'Doctorate of Letters', in the 'Humanities', where she also gave the commencement speech.Alison is an MCI Disaster Specialist, Mathematician, Author, Anthropologist, Filmmaker, Rescue Paramedic and Doctor. In Haiti she co-founded We Advance, an organization dedicated to combating gender-based violence and advancing the health and safety of women and children throughout the dangerous Cite Soleil slums.In 2004 Thompson flew to Sri Lanka after the tsunami devastated the country  and remained there for two years developing and operating a field hospital, rebuilding a village and a local school. There she Founded the first Tsunami Early-Warning Disaster Center along with a Children's Learning Center and Tsunami Museum.Her award-winning documentary The Third Wave, chronicles her volunteer experience in Sri Lanka after the 2004 tsunami and was screened at the Cannes Film Festival in a Presidential Jury Screening presented by Sean Penn and Bono. She followed up with a book, The Third Wave: A Volunteer Story.In 2010, Thompson flew to Haiti along with actor Sean Penn and ten doctors to help after the earthquake. Together, they managed a 70,000-person IDP camp and field hospital alongside General Simeon Trombitas and the 82nd Airborne who honored her with the US Commanders 'Medal of Excellence' Award. In 2010 she was awarded the Order of Australia, the highest civilian medal given by the Australian Government and Queen Elizabeth II, for her volunteerism and her contributions to mankind. After Hurricane Sandy in New York, Thompson created and managed The Third Wave Command Center in the Rockaways NY, supporting thousands of affected civilians with aid and resilience campaigns and then went onto work in the Philippines with Typhoon Haiyan followed by the Nepal earthquake disaster of 2015 where she delivered thousands of solar lights to remote destroyed mountain areas.Thompson is currently leading Rescue Missions and Refugee camps on the island of Lesbos,Greece where an influx of 10,000 wounded Syrian, Iraq and Afghan refugees arrive daily fleeing war zones.Thompson lectures on Leadership, Volunteering, Gender Based Violence, Reforestation, Women's Rights, Fourth World Medicine, Sustainable Business Development and Corporate Social Responsibility to both colleges and corporations worldwide. For the last four years, Thompson has been on the planning committee for the Miami chapter of the Billion Women Rising campaign, the largest gender-based violence movement in the world.With simplicity and humility, Thompson inspires everyone to take action just as she has: as an everyday, average individual. She tailors her message on how 'anyone can volunteer', from a global scope to our own backyards and that "everyone is needed"As she continues to change the world  she believes "It is easy to be in the wrong place at the wrong time but its Leadership to be in the wrong time at the right time."
Contact

Adrian Sterling

***@communitymedgroup.org Adrian Sterling

End

-- Community Medical Group, Inc. (CMG) recently moved from 234 Church Street to larger office space across the street at 265 Church Street, New Haven. CMG, an Independent Physicians Association (IPA), had outgrown its office space and found an optimum location at One Century Tower. With the move, CMG increased their space by 50% and now occupies over 6,000 square feet. The larger office space is needed to accommodate an increased number of employees and provide room for further growth.Mark Aresco, COO of Community Medical Group, Inc., noted that the growing number of staff joining CMG provide increased support for CMG's physician members and their patients. Mr. Aresco further stated, "We are committed to providing the best services for our physician members and their patients, and value our knowledgeable and dedicated staff. We are delighted with our new offices at One Century Tower." CMG has been based in New Haven, Connecticut since its founding in 1987.Community Medical Group, Inc. (CMG) ( www.communitymedgroup.org ) is a 900+ physician member IPA located in New Haven, Connecticut. CMG's goal is to connect the physician community, build programs to help manage patients more efficiently, develop group recognition, and have a voice in directing the healthcare delivery system.
Bowland Centers raising much needed funds during November's "Brightening Veterans Lives" campaign.

Contact

Mike Cannington

Director of Sales & Marketing

***@bowlandcenters.com Mike CanningtonDirector of Sales & Marketing

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--(Fort Myers)Knowing that southwest Florida is home to thousands of veterans, HeadPinz and Bowland Centers of Southwest Florida are pleased to once again raise funds for the B.V.L. organization during the month of November. BVL is the Bowlers-to-Veterans Link, a 501  3 group that was founded during World War II. The stated goal is to raise $10,000 to donate to the BVL fund by month's end."BVL is a national organization that has been supported by bowlers for more than 70 years," said Pat Ciniello, President of Bowland Centers. "Now more than ever, our efforts for the men and women protecting our freedoms are needed. With thousands of veterans, who served in WW II, Korea, Vietnam and Iraq/Afghanistan wars, plus those still serving overseas, there is no shortage of vets needing our assistance. The best news is that monies raised in southwest Florida will be used for veterans right here."All HeadPinz and Bowland Centers will stage various fundraising efforts during November. The key event being the inauguralbowling tournament at Woodside Lanes and Coral Lanes on November 13. The event is open to the public and will feature a fun bowling event, live and silent auctions at both locations.BVL, based in Fairfax, VA, was founded in 1942 by a group of bowlers who wanted to help boost the spirits of active duty troops. When World War II drew to a close, BVL made a promise to veterans recuperating in hospitals around the country---We Won't Forget Your Sacrifice! The BVL provides recreational and therapeutic equipment and services not funded by the government. BVL supports millions of veterans at the 173 VA Medical Centers, 206 Veterans Centers, 83 State Veterans Homes and a growing number of VA clinics nationwide.Check out the BVL message at: www.bvl.org
Get a head-start on holiday shopping with this self-guided gallery tour

By: Newburyport ArtWalk

Contact

Julie Cook

***@cookbowe.com Julie Cook

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-- Art and beautiful gifts can be found throughout the Cultural District of Newburyport at the fourth and final ArtWalk of 2016 on Saturday, November 5th from 11-6 p.m. The historic seaport becomes a treasure map for locals and visitors who pick up a free brochure/map and follow the self-guided Newburyport ArtWalk tour to 20+ participating galleries and partner locations.The public is invited to take part in ArtWalk's free events, browse a variety of artwork in traditional and contemporary styles, shop, dine, and soak in all scenery the Port City has to offer. A free brochure/map of all venues is available at participating galleries, the Newburyport Chamber of Commerce, the passageway between State and Inn Street and at ArtWalk Partners' locations.Among the special activities planned for November's ArtWalk are:* Connor Summers Gallery: Connor Summers Gallery is featuring equestrian themed artwork by gallery owner Cathy Connor, including a new series of greeting cards. The gallery will also be showing work by Janice Updike, Marcia Hermann, Gordon Pryzbyla, Michael Updike, and Cathy Connor. Light refreshments will be served. 48 Market Street, Newburyport* Sweethaven Gallery: "Three Photographers  Three Journeys" is on display from Nov. 2  Nov. 27. George Disario, Bobby Schatz and Frank Siteman first met in Rockport, Maine and this is the first time in their 30 + year friendship that their work has hung side by side. Meet the artists and hear their stories and enjoy light refreshments at the opening reception during ArtWalk from 16 p.m. 25L Inn Street, Newburyport* Indigo Artist Studio/Alan Bull Studio: "10" is number to celebrate at Indigo Artist Studio this November. Studio artist Mary Arthur Pollak will feature new and revisited monotypes exhibited over the last 10 years at Indigo. In addition, "10 Trucks," a preview of Alan Bull's oils, acrylics and miniature watercolors that will be exhibited at the Salisbury Public Library in November, will also be showcased. To celebrate this fabulous decade, a 10% discount will be given on all art during the November ArtWalk. Party fare will be served. 53 Middle St., Newburyport.* Valerie's Gallery: Meet two of our artists, fine art photographer Joan Kocak and potter Erin Moran, at the November ArtWalk from 1-5 p.m. Erin Moran makes her vibrant, colorful pottery using her hands (not wheel thrown). Joan Kocak is a former graphic designer who is enchanted with all forms of photography  analog, digital, toy cameras, and alternative process. Stop by to speak with these inspired artisans. 26 State Street, Newburyport* Spirit of Newburyport:In celebration of his business's tenth anniversary, artist/photographer John William Brown is featuring a new holiday design, "Inn Street Christmas," retrieved from his archives and first photographed in 2006. Other featured exhibits will include mural depictions of his Newburyport Harbor series of the past ten years. 32 Water Street, Newburyport* Sisters We Three: This artisan shop offers an eclectic mix of fine art and handmade items including jewelry, accessories, paintings, photography, pottery, mixed media, and fiber art by over two hundred artisans from Newburyport and throughout New England. 57 Pleasant Street, Newburyport* 36 Liberty Street Studios: Guest artist Sam Kimball is returning to showcase his paintings along with the ethereal artwork of E. Tobin Eckian on the first floor. Upstairs on the second floor, Portrait and Fine Art Photography by Kiki Larouge is excited to welcome back Saya Studio Handbag Design with her the one-of-a-kind beautiful bags and the exquisite jewelry hand crafted by Seana Cullinan of Portland, Maine. Bubbles served. 36 Liberty Street, Newburyport* Firehouse Center for the Arts: Celebrate the infinite and eternal in the simplicity of natural objects at Dimitri Serdukoff's photography exhibit "time to cast stones" on view at the Institution for Savings Art Gallery at the historic Firehouse Center for the Arts from 12 October  6 November 2016. Market Square, Newburyport* Newburyport Art Association:The Fall Members Juried Show Part II is on display from Nov. 4-19. There will be an opening reception and awards ceremony on Saturday night during ArtWalk, which is free and open to the public. The show features works in acrylic, fine craft, mixed media, pastel, and photography. Jurors are Paula Estey of Paula Estey Gallery and Sandra Lepore of Lepore Fine Arts, both of Newburyport MA. Tilton Wealth Management is the sponsor of the NAA Fall exhibition season. 65 Water Street, Newburyport* Paula Estey Gallery (PEG): "H O M E Show, An Invitational"explores the definition of home from a shelter, a refuge, to the place of you lay your heart. It runs from November 4th to December 21 with an opening party from 6-8 p.m. on November 11th. 3 Harris Street, NewburyportThe 2016 Newburyport ArtWalk events take place on four Saturdays this year. They are free and open to the public. A collaborative of galleries offer special exhibitions, artist demos, lectures, tours, and visual art, all within easy walking distance. Local restaurants, cafes and coffee shops also display original art on a rotating basis. ArtWalk 2016 participants include: 36 Liberty St. Studios, Alan Bull Paintings, Connor Summers Gallery, Firehouse Center for the Arts, Indigo Artist Studio, Newburyport Art Association, Paula Estey Gallery, Sisters We Three, Somerby's Landing Sculpture Park, Spirit of Newburyport, Studio 5, Sweethaven Gallery, and Valerie's Gallery. ArtWalk partner businesses include: 17 State Street Cafe, Atomic Cafe Coffee Roasters, Commune Cafe (formerly Caffe di Siena), Plum Island Coffee Roasters, Chococoa Baking Company & Cafe, the Greater Newburyport Chamber of Commerce, Middle Street Foods, and The Tannery Marketplace. Follow along on http://artwalknewburyport.blogspot.com and www.facebook.com/newburyportartwalk to stay informed of the latest activities.
By: USOH

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-- Hindus have welcomed naming of Airbus Group's new project, an electric autonomous flying vehicle platform for individual passenger and cargo transport, as Vahana,Vahana, a Sanskrit word generally translated as vehicle or carrier, prominently figures in ancient Hindu texts Puranas and is associated with many deities.Claimed as "future of urban mobility" and aimed at relieving urban congestion, flight tests of the first Vahana vehicle prototype are slated for the end of 2017.Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada today, welcomed the usage of Sanskrit terminology from Hindu texts to name such an innovative project. He urged other world corporations to explore the richness of thought offered by Hinduism texts and incorporate it with future innovations.Rajan Zed, who is President of Universal Society of Hinduism, further said that that Sanskrit, which was known as "the language of the gods", provided the theoretical foundation of ancient sciences. According to tradition, self-born God created Sanskrit, which was everlasting and divine, Zed added.Airbus Group, headquartered in Leiden, Netherlands, claims to be "a global pioneer in aeronautics, space and defence-related services, creating cutting-edge technology". Thomas Enders is Chief Executive Officer of Airbus Group, while Denis Ranque is its Board Chairman. Airbus recently celebrated the delivery of its 10,000th aircraft.
Genesta has entered into an agreement to sell Varmdo Marknad, a 25,000 sqm retail park located in the eastern part of Greater Stockholm, on behalf of its fund GNBRE. The buyer is the Swedish occupational pensions company Alecta. Varmdo Marknad retail park is located in the municipality of Varmdo, approximately

[]
Officials confirmed that the Air India flight took off from Delhi at 4 am on October 16, crossed the International Date Line and landed at San Francisco at 6.30 am local time on October 16. While the airline previously used the Atlantic route which is around 1,400 kms shorter, tailwinds offered increased speed to the carrier while the airline will use the Atlantic route for its return trip to take advantage of tailwind speeds in the opposite direction.

This maiden flight across the Pacific Ocean accomplished by Air India, covered a distance of 15,300 kms in 14.5 hours while tail winds aided in increased speed and reduced fuel costs.

Flight commander Capt. Rajneesh Sharma has confirmed that this fuel saving Pacific route will be used over the next six months. Boeing 777-200LR (Long Ranve) flight carrier used by Air India on this particular route utilizes around 9,600 liters of fuel per hour of flying while the shorter route will lead to huge fuel saving as it reduces flight time by 3-4 hours.

The new Delhi San  Francisco Pacific route now remains the worlds longest nonstop route at 15,300 kms followed by the Emirates Dubai Auckland route at 14,120 kms. However, this record be broken by Singapore Airlines once the Singapore-New York direct flight is launched. This will cover a distance of 16,500 kms in 19 hours. The flight will go operational in about 2 years time.

Below are the specs of the Bowing 777-200LR which is used by Air India to cover the distance.
Two growing seasons after the engineered spring flood of the Colorado River Delta in 2014, the delta's birds, plants and groundwater continue to benefit, according to the latest monitoring report prepared for the International Boundary and Water Commission by a binational University of Arizona-led team.

"This short-term event has had lasting consequences. This really demonstrates that a little bit of water does a lot of environmental good," said Karl W. Flessa, UA professor of geosciences and co-chief scientist of the Minute 319 monitoring team.

"Some of the cottonwoods that germinated during the initial pulse flow are now more than 10 feet tall," Flessa said.

The interim report, released by the International Boundary and Water Commission on October 19, 2016, documents the effects of the environmental flows in the delta from the initial release of a pulse of water from March 23 through May 18, 2014, plus subsequent supplemental deliveries of water through December 2015.

Minute 319 is the 2012 addition to the 1944 U.S.-Mexico Water Treaty that authorized environmental flows of water into the Colorado River Delta from 2013 to 2017.

Birdlife responded to the post-flood burgeoning of vegetation, and bird diversity is still higher than before, the monitoring team reports. Migratory waterbirds, nesting waterbirds and nesting riparian birds all increased in abundance.

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Upstream dams and water diversions for farms and cities in both countries have dried up most of the river south of the border. With the exception of a few wet years, the river has not reached the Gulf of California since 1960.

Eloise Kendy said, "This is the first time environmental water has ever been delivered across an international boundary." Kendy is a senior freshwater scientist with The Nature Conservancy's North America Water Program.

"The level of collaboration was really unprecedented -- from two national governments to the individual farmers whose irrigation canals were used for some of the water deliveries," she said.

Flessa, Kendy and Karen Schlatter of Sonoran Institute compiled and edited the "Minute 319 Colorado River Limitrophe and Delta Environmental Flows Monitoring Interim Report," on behalf of the binational partnership of many people and federal agencies, universities, and non-governmental organizations that monitored the Colorado River Delta under Minute 319.

Some of the water from the pulse flow and subsequent smaller environmental flows recharged the groundwater, which had both ecological and social benefits, Kendy said. The vegetation greened up in areas that received surface water and also in some areas that did not.

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"The farmers were happy because it recharged the aquifer they use for groundwater irrigation," she said. "And plants that were outside the inundation zone got a big drink of water."

Before 1960, spring floods regularly roared down the Colorado River, scouring the river bottom and overtopping the bank, thereby creating the conditions necessary for cottonwood and willow trees to germinate and establish.

An invasive plant species known as salt cedar or tamarisk is now the dominant plant along the river. Cottonwoods and willows need bare ground and sunlight to germinate, so they cannot establish themselves on tamarisk-covered riverbanks, Schlatter, a restoration ecologist of the Sonoran Institute's Colorado River Delta Program, said.

The March 2014 pulse flow delivered a fraction of the water the pre-1960 spring floods delivered. People from Sonoran Institute and Pronatura Noroeste cleared some areas of non-native vegetation beforehand. The researchers hoped that reducing competition would allow native plants such as willows and cottonwoods to germinate and grow after the pulse flow.

"We mechanically cleared the tamarisk vegetation from the riverbank and old oxbows," Schlatter said. "We reconnected the meanders to the main river channels so when the pulse flow came there were these nice backwater areas where the conditions were good for the establishment of native trees."

Now in those restoration areas, cottonwood and willow seeds that germinated after the pulse flow have become trees 3 to 4 meters tall (10 to 13 feet), and bird diversity and abundance has increased, she said.

"Now we have diverse habitat types, including lagoons, cottonwoods-willow forest, mesquite bosque and marshes," she said. "We are seeing a much higher diversity of riparian bird species in the restoration sites compared to other areas along the river."

The abundance of 19 bird species of conservation concern, including vermillion flycatchers, hooded orioles and yellow-breasted chats, was 43 percent higher at the restoration sites than at other sites in the floodplain, the monitoring team found.

In addition, the pulse flow reduced soil salinity in some areas that had been targeted for restoration, Schlatter said. "We didn't expect that -- it is a huge bonus."

Reducing the soil salinity makes conditions more favorable for native plant species.

If there's another pulse flow, she suggests mechanically clearing tamarisk and other non-native vegetation from the river's bank.

"We're not going to get a huge flood on the Colorado River anymore," Schlatter said. "If the flood isn't going to provide the same ecological processes floods did in the past, we will have to have active management."

Other UA members of the monitoring team are Ed Glenn of the UA department of soil, water and environmental science and Martha Gomez Sapiens and Hector Zamora of the UA department of geosciences.

The International Boundary and Water Commission in El Paso, Texas, funded the UA portion of the Minute 319 monitoring program.

Carlos de la Parra of the Colegio de la Frontera Norte is co-chief scientist of the Minute 319 monitoring team. Key contributors to the report include Osvel Hinojosa of Pronatura Noroeste, Jorge Ramirez Hernandez and Jesus Eliana Rodriguez Burgueno of the Universidad Autonoma de Baja California, Francisco Zamora of Sonoran Institute, Jeffrey Kennedy of the U.S. Geological Survey and Dale Turner of The Nature Conservancy.

The Minute 319 monitoring team includes more than 21 scientists from universities, government agencies and nongovernmental organizations from both Mexico and the U.S., including El Colegio de la Frontera Norte, the Ensenada-based Pronatura Noroeste, The Nature Conservancy, the Tucson-based Sonoran Institute, the Universidad Autonoma de Baja California, the University of Arizona, the U.S. Geological Survey and the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation.

The report is online at: http://www.ibwc.gov/Files/Minutes%20319/2016_EFM_InterimReport_Min319.pdf
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FUTURE READY ALLIANCE: Gov. Terry Branstad on Monday announced the names of 57 Iowans who are agreed to serve as members of the Future Ready Iowa Alliance that meet for the first time on Friday afternoon in Des Moines. In August, Branstad signed an executive order creating the alliance and charging it with developing and recommending a strategic plan by October 2017 to accomplish the goal of 70 percent of Iowa's workforce having education or training beyond high school by the year 2025. The alliance also will determine metrics and benchmarks on a time line to demonstrate progress toward the 70 percent goal. Key measurements will include progress toward overall college and career readiness for all Iowans and reducing the socioeconomic, ethnic and racial achievement gaps in kindergarten through 12th grade and increasing equity in postsecondary enrollment. At his weekly news conference Monday, Branstad also announced that Lt. Gov. Reynolds and Dan Houston -- chairman, president, and CEO of Principal -- will co-lead the Future Ready Iowa Alliance made up of representatives from business and industry, labor, preK-12 and higher education, workforce development advocates, economic development professionals, students, non-profits, and various other community leaders.

FOCUS ON SAFE DRIVING LAWS: Gov. Terry Branstad said Monday he plans to include in his next condition of the state address a call for stronger laws to address an increase in road fatalities this year in Iowa. After decades of steady decline, Iowa's traffic fatalities are on pace to increase in 2016 by 18 percent, Branstad said Monday. Branstad said he plans to push for stronger laws to address distracted, drunk and impaired driving, as well as bicyclist, motorcyclist and pedestrian safety. This summer he convened a public safety task force to study the issue and make recommendations. "I'm very concerned about the fact that fatalities are going up. In this year in particular we've had a significant increase, and that's something that's not acceptable and we need to address," Branstad said.

SAFE CIDER: Officials with the state Department of Public Health are urging Iowans to think safe cider this fall. For starters, state health officials advise Iowans to check the labels of apple cider containers to ensure the product is pasteurized. Unpasteurized cider can contain cryptosporidiosis, salmonella or E. coli bacteria which can be dangerous to the very young and those who are immune-compromised. State Medical Director, Dr. Patricia Quinlisk, says "you can't tell if cider is contaminated just by looking at it. In fact, there is no difference in smell or taste either. The key to preventing illness associated with apple cider is purchasing product that has been pasteurized, or by heating unpasteurized apple cider to at least 170F." Unpasteurized products may be purchased as freshly pressed from local orchards, roadside stands, farmers markets or at grocery stores. Do not assume that because the juice is hot or bottled that it is safe for consumption, Quinlisk said. Complete pasteurization is necessary to kill organisms that have the potential to cause significant illness. Symptoms of foodborne illness caused by contaminated food include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, stomach cramps, loss of appetite, fatigue, and fever. If you suspect you may have a foodborne illness, call the IowaSic hotline at 1-844-469-2742. For more information about foodborne illnesses, visit idph.iowa.gov/cade/foodborne-illness.

IOWA ART SCHOLARSHIPS: Iowa high school students who will attend an Iowa college or university next fall with a major in an arts discipline may apply for the Iowa Arts Council's 2016-2017 Iowa Scholarship for the Arts by Feb. 1, 2017. The Iowa Arts Council awards the Iowa Scholarship for the Arts annually to select Iowa high school students who are accepted as full-time undergraduates at fully accredited Iowa colleges or universities and pursue majors in dance, literature, music, theater, traditional arts or visual arts. This year's recipients will each receive $1,500 toward their 2017-2018 academic year expenses. Students must complete an application at www.iowaartscouncil.slideroom.com, write an essay about their artistic vision and the role of art in their lives, and provide work samples and one letter of recommendation from a teacher or professional. Contact Veronica O'Hern at veronica.ohern@iowa.gov for more information.
Earlier this month, Judy Obregon was driving around Echo Lake Park in Fort Worth, Texas, an infamous dumping ground for unwanted dogs, when she saw a dog's body lying motionless on the side of the road. "I remember glancing over and thinking, 'Oh no, another dead dog,'" Obregon, who is locally known as "the dog lady," told The Dodo. "As I'm about to do a U-turn to investigate, I'm looking in my rearview mirror and see, all of a sudden, that her head lifts up."

Obregon doesn't even remember if she finished checking for traffic before swinging the car around and rushing over to the dog. "There was no way I was leaving without her," Obregon said. The founder of the rescue organization The Abandoned Ones, Obregon was making her normal rounds, looking for lives she could help save. Over the past six years, she's pulled an estimated 200 dogs or more out of this area, where people go to dump unwanted animals, dead or alive.

Obregon investigates even the dead dogs, in case animal abusers might be caught from the evidence she finds. In her time around Echo Lake, Obregon has seen dogs who were dumped from fighting rings, or just neglected and left behind. "I do video and take photos of every dog I find dead or alive, in case investigators get involved," Obregon explained. The dogs she can save are rushed to get veterinary care and then placed in foster homes while they recover. The lucky ones go from dying at the dumping grounds to safe and sound in forever homes.

Dodo Shows Foster Diaries This Pregnant Pittie Foster Story Is The Happiest Thing Ever

So, when this dog showed even the slightest sign of life, Obregon rushed over. Even though the dog couldn't move her back legs, when Obregon approached her, she started wagging her tail. From that point on, the dog would be called Mercy. "When I approach her, I see she's unable to walk, so I pick her up and put her in the back of my car," Obregon said. "It's a 30-minute drive to our vet, and the whole time she's whining in pain in the back seat. It seemed like I was never going to get there."

Obregon has a hard time recounting what happened without crying. "I turned on the music," Obregon said, "and she started calming down." For the whole drive, Obregon had one hand on the wheel, and another reaching back to touch Mercy. "She put her paw on top of my hand," Obregon said. "When I dropped her off at the vet, I had her paw marks on my wrist. She was really holding my hand."

At the Animal Hospital of Valley Ranch, one of the veterinarian offices that partners with The Abandoned Ones, Mercy got X-rays and pain medication. Doctors found several broken bones. But there was no evidence that the fractures came from getting hit by a car. It's believed that Mercy had been severely abused. "She had a scar around her belly that looked like a rope tied around her waist," Obregon said. "It's possible someone was trying to breed her and she was fighting back."

Obregon then took Mercy to Creekside 24-Hour Pet Care to recover. To help her walk, vets gave her a wheelchair but she didn't want to use it. Then, the next day, she came out of her kennel walking. "It was a miracle," Obregon said.

Mercy stayed at Creekside for five days, and is now currently being fostered by one of the employees at Creekside. She'll go in for vaccines this week, and soon she'll be spayed. "She's still fragile," Obregon said, "but in another two months she may be ready for adoption."

Meanwhile, as Mercy was recovering, Obregon was back out driving around Echo Lake. A few days after she found Mercy, she found a dead dog who had obviously been tortured. "The dog also had some of the same injuries that Mercy had," Obregon said. "The police are aware of it and are investigating. Until we catch them, there's not much we can prove. Mercy could have been that dog."

Today, Mercy is still visited by the woman who saved her life. "She would wag her tail so hard when I'd come visit her at the hospital," Obregon said. "Her tail would hit the kennel walls and wake up the other dogs."
<p><a href="http://www.huntcountypetsalive.org/"><u>Hunt County Pets Alive</u></a><span></span></p>

The cooler on the side of the road looked to be in pretty good shape. So good, in fact, a woman pulled her car over to see if she could take it home. But when she opened the lid, she realized it was what was inside that needed a new home.

In all, there were nine puppies crammed inside that tiny cooler - covered in their own urine and feces and precious little air under a hot Texas sun. The passerby called the Sulphur Springs animal control department. And not long after that, Karri McCreary got the call. "I just drove over there and got them," McCreary, a veterinarian with Vet Ranch, tells The Dodo. "They were still in the cooler."

Dodo Shows Soulmates Growling Little Kitten Becomes Her Mom's Best Friend

"Someone must have stopped and found the cooler almost as quickly as they were dropped off there or else they would not have made it," adds McCreary, who is also a rescuer with Hunt County Pets Alive. "And these aren't like Chihuahua puppies. These look like German shepherd puppies."

But as each puppy was gently lifted from that would-be coffin, so too did spirits soar. They were all healthy. Every.

Last.

One.

"The puppies are strong and playful and they're healthy," McCreary says.

Soon, they will be embracing lives outside of a box - heading to families who have already lined up to take them home, thanks to the efforts of Hunt County Pets Alive.

But first, they will need medical care, as well as vaccinations.
OTTAWAAs politicians across the country worry about the consequences of a national carbon tax on family incomes, many experts say the much-touted carbon market in Quebec has so far had little effect on changing citizens habits.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau recently announced all provinces will need to set a baseline price for carbon by 2018, either with a tax or through a carbon-market system similar to the one Quebec has adopted.

Ontario is set to join Quebecs carbon market  which is tied to Californias  but so far the program has not had the desired outcome, say prominent experts.

The carbon market, to this day, has had zero effect on the habits of Quebecers  I am quite ready to say that, said Pierre-Olivier Pineau, chair in energy sector management at HEC Montreal.

Jean-Thomas Bernard, invited professor in economics and social sciences at the University of Ottawa, agrees.

The market doesnt seem to be restrictive enough, Bernard said. Were not talking about significant price changes (of carbon credits).

However, Quebec Environment Minister David Heurtel said the money collected thus far from the carbon market is allowing the province to make investments that are making a difference.

He gave the example of recent electric vehicle sales in Quebec.

There is a transformation, a modernization of Quebecs economy, a changing of our attitudes, he said. People are more aware.

Companies in Quebec must buy the right to produce more than 25,000 tones of CO2 a year, in the form of carbon credits.

The provincial government offers businesses a certain percentage of credits free, while the remaining ones are purchased at auctions held four times a year.

During the last auction, the price of carbon was $16.45 a ton, which translates to an increase of slightly more than three cents a litre at the pump for consumers.

With the recent drop in oil prices, however, the hike has gone relatively unnoticed.

Moreover, companies have in large part deserted the market altogether in 2016.

The number of credits purchased on the market fell from 11 million at the beginning of the year, to one million in May, only to increase slightly to 3.5 million last August.

That shows there is a surplus of credits right now, said Bernard.

Pineau said buyers think the system will fail or that its worth waiting.

The California Chamber of Commerce has challenged the market in court, arguing it is an illegal tax. Additionally, Gov. Jerry Brown hasnt yet been able to convince state politicians to renew the market beyond 2020.

Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne maintains her province will participate in its first carbon credit auction in January.

She estimated the impact of Ontario joining the market will be an increase in citizens heating bills by about $5 a month and a jump of about four cents a litre at the pump.

Pineau said he believes companies will regain confidence in the market and that the eventual scarcity of credits will increase their price.

He added the government should be honest with Quebecers and tell them that even though the market isnt technically a tax, it will still increase the cost of products rich in carbon.

Citizens will have to adjust their behaviour accordingly, he said.

If we say to Quebecers they will have a new cost tied to the price of carbon, which is permanent and will increase over the years, then that sends a different message to people, he said. It says the (price increase) is structural and that therefore we need to adjust.

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SAN FRANCISCOThe huge cyberattack that crippled the Internet and disabled dozens of websites Friday appeared to be the biggest attack of its kind that the world has ever seen.

But it may not hold that title for long.

What made last weeks Internet takedown so effectiveand, some would say, sinisterwas how the attackers weaponized everyday devices like security cameras, digital video recorders and baby monitors.

Taking advantage of the devices web connections, hackers could infect them with malicious software and use them to paralyze huge portions of the Internet with a barrage of junk data in what is known as a distributed denial of service, or DDoS, attack.

For many, the breach was a stark demonstration of just how insecure the Internet remains. To some, it also felt like a call to action.

At a time when everything from televisions to refrigerators to kids toys are being equipped with an Internet connection, experts and legislators said, something ought to be done to ensure the security of these devices.

Yet there is little consensus around who should bear that responsibility.

There arent just one or two types (of Internet of Things devices), there are tens of millions, said Jeremiah Grossman, SentinelOnes chief of security strategy. So what we can expect going forward is a lot more of the same ... look out election day. Look out Cyber Monday.

The so-called Internet of Things encompasses a wide array of electronics: smart washing machines that will text you when your clothes are done, refrigerators that can order more groceries, wearable tech that can monitor your biorhythms and talking toys that respond to words uttered by children.

Every year, more and more appliances are being made that connect to the Internet. Securing them is often an afterthought, experts said.

Many consumers, for instance, dont see the danger in leaving a default password on a smart microwave, said Brian White, the chief operating officer for security firm RedOwl Analytics.

This is the attitude hackers bank on. If they can crack into a device using an easy-to-guess password, they can turn an everyday DVR into a zombie device enslaved to malicious software that can be used in attacks, such as Fridays assault.

We are putting an enormous amount of compute capability in the average home, and it is very difficult for the average consumer to ensure their home is securely networked and their devices are updated, said White.

Companies have long been held accountable for securing their own websites  banks, for instance, have security systems in place. But Internet of Things manufacturers are not required to guarantee a base level of security in the devices they create.

And when the priority is making the most inexpensive device possible, Grossman said, makers often skimp on things like security features.

Information security people have been screaming bloody murder about this for years, Grossman said. Everything from cameras to toasters, refrigerators, microwaves. And because theres no regulation, the manufacturers dont need to make sure these devices ship with any security whatsoever.

No single government agency oversees the devices or practices of the Internet of Things, though several have limited authority over parts of it.

Fridays attack targeted Dyn, an Internet infrastructure firm that, among other things, provides domain name services and online traffic management to hundreds of companies, including Amazon, CNN, GitHub, Twitter, Netflix, PayPal, Reddit, Zendesk and the New York Times, among many others.

In a DDoS attack, hackers typically deploy a botnet, or a network of compromised computers, to send phoney traffic to a specific site or server with the intent of overwhelming it so it cannot respond to queries from real people.

What made the attack different was that it used a botnet seen only once before  last month in a record-size attack against cybersecurity journalist Brian Krebs website. The botnet, known as Mirai, used infected cameras spread across the world to send waves of traffic at Dyns DNS system at unprecedented rates.

Mirai continually scans the Internet for devices and then attempts to gain access to them by using a known default password or exploiting a weakness in outdated software.

Kyle York, Dyns chief strategy officer, said Saturday in a statement that the company was able to mitigate the first two waves in a matter of hours, and fended off a third without customers seeing an impact.

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MASON CITY  Ransoms was open for business Monday, but it wasnt business as usual.

Longtime owner Bob Ransom, a mainstay at the bar for decades, died Saturday at the age of 79.

This is just as he would have wanted it, said his daughter, Tammy Davies, sitting at a table near the bar where three or four patrons were having a beer and conversing. He always wanted to make sure people were enjoying themselves.

He liked people to think he was mean and growly, but he had a heart of gold, she said.

For instance, when construction crews were working in extreme heat in the downtown area six years ago, Ransom set a cooler full of bottled water on the sidewalk outside the bar and invited the workers to help themselves.

Thats the kind of person he was, Davies said.

He loved to entertain. We had people at the house all the time. We didnt have a very big family, but at Thanksgiving or Christmas we always had 10 extra people for dinner  and food for 500, she said.

Ransom was a fourth-generation owner of what is officially known as Ransoms Cigar Store, 120 N. Federal Ave., a place that had ties all the way from Abraham Lincoln to Meredith Willson.

Ransoms great-grandfather, Court Ransom, was a Civil War veteran who spent some time as a guard to President Lincoln. He opened his cigar store and pool hall a year after the war ended.

Over the next several decades, ownership shifted from one generation of Ransoms to the next and the store switched names and locations several times. It was known as Ransoms, the Brunswich, the Alexandria, the Pleazol and Ransoms again.

It was the Pleazol that Meredith Willson had in mind when he warned in The Music Man that theres trouble in River City, trouble with a capital T and that rhymes with P and that stands for pool.

Ownership started with Court Ransom then was passed on to Courts son, Tod; then to Tods son, Harley; and then to Bob.

Davies said she and her brother, Todd, plan on being the fifth generation to run it. Thats our plan for now, she said.

Services for Bob Ransom are pending under direction of Fullerton Funeral Home.
The possible collapse of a free-trade agreement between the European Union and Canada is the latest sign of how rising protectionism is imperiling free trade.

As policy-makers and analysts try to make sense of Brexit, the rise of Donald Trump and a growing tide of populism, some say faltering talks between the EU and Canada raises questions about how other deals can possibly be clinched.

The Europeans are holding similar, less-advanced talks with the U.S. about a free-trade pact and are beginning negotiations with the U.K. over Brexit. The U.S. and Canada, meanwhile, are among the 12 nations working toward the Trans-Pacific Partnership.

Weve been bending over backwards trying to accommodate the new pockets of new nationalism, socialism, anti-globalism, Jeremy Kinsman, a former Canadian ambassador to the EU, said Friday in an interview with Bloomberg TV Canada.

The breakdown is especially awkward for the EU, with Canadian officials doing little to hide their frustration. Canadian Trade Minister, Chrystia Freeland, walked out of negotiations Friday in Belgium aimed at appeasing the region of Wallonia, the sole holdout opposing a deal.

It is now evident to me, evident to Canada, that the European Union is incapable of reaching an agreement  even with a country with European values such as Canada, Freeland said Friday, choking up as she spoke. I personally am disappointed, but I think its impossible.

Officials in Europe remain hopeful a last-minute solution can be reached. The European Commission, the EUs executive arm, amended a joint declaration related to the trade deal in an attempt to overcome the Walloon objections, according to two people with knowledge of the proposal. The commission will meet on Monday with the Belgian government and the authorities of the French-speaking Walloon region of Belgium, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the talks are private.

Freeland, who held another meeting Saturday before returning home, maintains Canada is ready to sign. The European Commission indicated on Monday that there wouldnt be a deadline to negotiations.

The EU-Canada pact between like-minded nations had already been amended once to address concerns from social democrats such as Walloon leader Paul Magnette.

Its a huge embarrassment for the European Union, according to Jacob Kirkegaard, a senior fellow at the Washington-based Peterson Institute for International Economics.

In addition to being a symptom of antiglobalization sentiment, Kirkegaard said the EU-Canada stumble shows trade pacts are growing more complex and facing greater public scrutiny, a recipe for delay in the current EU system. The broader problem in the EUs trade agenda lies in the decision-making process, Kirkegaard said by phone. The price for final passage of these deals in the EU has gone up. And that should worry people.

Canada estimated the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement, or CETA, would increase bilateral trade by 20 per cent and add $12 billion (Canadian dollars) to Canadas economy, or the equivalent of 80,000 new jobs. The two sides began negotiations in 2009 and an agreement in principle was signed in 2013 by former Prime Minister Stephen Harper.

However, Prime Minister Justin Trudeaus Liberal government has claimed the pact was effectively dead when it took power last fall, and was revived only by amendments announced this year that quelled concerns about the dispute settlement powers of states over corporations.

Since then, Canada focused its lobbying efforts on European social democrats while also appointing a CETA envoy to secure its passage. But warnings mounted and the EU opted against a fast-track approach. The deal needs unanimous approval among member states, and its still lacking Belgium amid Wallonias objection.

CETAs delay makes the likelihood of the EU concluding the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership with the U.S. quite bleak, Kirkegaard said. EU leaders publicly acknowledged the Canadian deal had become a test case. EU President Donald Tusk said he was concerned for Europes reputation and that failure would be seen as a sign the EU cant deliver on any agreement.

A number of European leaders have come up in support of the accord.

Austrias Chancellor Christian Kern said in an interview with daily newspaper Kronen-Zeitung that failure to come to an agreement is a low point and underscores the need for reform in the EU. Estonian Prime Minister Taavi Roivas warned the failure of CETA would make it very difficult to imagine we can be successful in reaching a deal with the U.S., while Maltese Prime Minister Joseph Muscat said a post-Brexit deal with the U.K. would be even more difficult. If Europe cannot conclude an agreement with one of the most progressive countries in the world right now, which has offered thorough assurances on all the issues that have been raised by certain European skeptics, then honestly I dont know with whom we could possibly conclude any agreement, he said.

Trudeau, the popular Canadian leader who has been preaching fiscal stimulus to spur inclusive growth since his election last year, has regularly warned the EU needed to prove it was still viable by passing CETA. The deals failure would prompt serious questions about how relevant the European Union continues to be as a political entity, he said in Toronto this month.

Frustrations in Canada  which has so far largely avoided anti-trade, anti-immigration sentiment on the rise elsewhere  were acute after negotiations collapsed.

CETA is a serious and mutually beneficial and fundamentally harmless trade agreement, Kinsman said. There are few candidates more harmless in this respect than Canada. It just doesnt make sense.

The path forward is unclear. Magnette, the Wallonia leader, said he only needed a bit more time to consider the pact and said it was still possible to restart talks. EU Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmstroem said Sunday on Twitter it was up to Belgium to bring this matter to a successful close.

Pressed about the deal Friday in Canadas legislature, Trudeaus government effectively washed its hands. The ball is in their court. We have done everything we can do, said David Lametti, a Liberal lawmaker and Freelands deputy. Asked what the implications are for the EU if CETA collapses altogether, he replied: Thats for Europeans to answer.

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Justin Bieber has a problem with screaming.

This is not a good problem for Justin Bieber to have. By now, he should know the mere sight of his face is a dog whistle for Beliebers. They see it and they howl.

Bieber could discover a way to halt climate change and wed never hear his plan atop the deafening shrieks: This new reactor . . .  AHHHHHHH!!!  . . . modifies the thermal infrared range . . .  YEEEEEEEE!!!  . . . of chlorofluorocarbons . . .  OOOOHHH!!!  . . . ah, screw it. You people deserve to starve and drown.

Now, if the screaming jeopardized Earths survival, wed all side with Bieber and demand his fans wear muzzles or ball-gags in public. But hes reached a breaking point over screamingduring his concerts, which is like pulling out your hair because public libraries are too hushed.

The screaming during these breaks has got to stop! Bieber told fans at a show in Manchester on Sunday, his voice cracking with fury between songs.

The fans didnt hear him, possibly because they were too busy screaming. So he dropped his mic and ambled off stage, adding more headlines to the U.K. stretch of his Purpose tour that already includes, Justin Bieber tells Birmingham to Take a Chill Pill and Justin Bieber Says the Screaming is Just So Obnoxious.

When concertgoers test-drove a new sound on Sunday night  massbooing  Bieber returned to the stage with a sheepish explanation.

My point of the no screaming thing is so that when Im looking at you in the eyes you can actually know that were having a moment and having a connection, right? he told thousands of eyeballs spread out across the impersonal Manchester Arena.

So its not me trying to be an a--hole.

No. But it is you kind of being a dumbass.

Understanding the personal-professional rules of engagement is crucial to job satisfaction. Imagine if your doctor suddenly whipped off her stethoscope and yelled, Why do you only come see me when youre sick? How do you think that makes me feel inside?

Or imagine if a TTC driver stopped his bus in the middle of a street, climbed out of the front seat and turned around to scold passengers: Could you guys please stop getting on and off every few minutes? Its so distracting. Just once, Id love to drive without stopping so we could get to know one another better.

This is what Bieber is now doing.

What should be a concern to his inner circle is the escalating hostility he is directing at fans. Its almost as if he suddenly outgrew his admirers and now, at the age of 22, wants to engage on a philosophical level that transcends tween roaring. Its like watching a sociology undergrad lose patience while attempting to discuss Marxism with a pack of braying hyenas.

Whether hes declaring a moratorium on selfies or temporarily deleting his Instagram or objecting to all ambient noise in his exalted presence, Biebers growing exasperation is essentially an act of self-sabotage.

Hes biting the hands (and wallets) of those who made him rich and famous.

And with each passing month, his jaws need less and less to snap.

Remember last year when he abandoned the stage in Oslo after getting distracted by a liquid spill and promptly turned into a fed-up substitute teacher? Yo, yo, yo. What are you doing? Stop it. Come on. I said stop it. Yo, what are you doing? Come on. Guys. Yo. Listen to me. Are you listening? OK, Im trying to wipe the floor. Give me a second, you know? Guys, never mind. Im done. Im not doing the show. Im not doing the show.

You can understand why he might bolt from a stage after getting hit by a flying water bottle, as happened three years ago in Sao Paulo. But now hes bolting for no reason at all. Hes losing his fevered mind over everything, whether its talking, blinking, screaming or even fans kindly pointing out his shoelaces are untied, which youd think hed appreciate given the number of times hes fallen through trap doors or wiped out in a deluge of fake rain on this tour.

Justin, yo, take a deep breath. See the bigger picture.

When the screaming ends, so does everything else.

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Gillian Cooper was 38 weeks and two days pregnant when she realized something was wrong.

On that October morning in 2011, the nearly full-term baby inside her wasnt moving. Cooper didnt feel the little ones typical kicks later while she was running errands, either. She came home and put her 3-year-old son Jackson and another child she was babysitting down for a nap  and still didnt feel any movement. She drank a cold glass of milk. Nothing. Then a glass of juice. Still nothing.

Cooper got nervous.

She went to the hospital with Jackson later that day and met her partner Jay, her stepson, and her friend Carady, and the whole group settled in for a lengthy wait.

When a nurse finally brought Cooper in to check for a heartbeat three hours later, she could only pick up Coopers, not the babys. An intern doctor and an ultrasound machine arrived next.

We dont know the sex yet, Cooper recalls telling the doctor.

It isnt going to make a difference, she recalls the doctor curtly replying.

Coopers own doctor came by shortly after to confirm the heartbreaking news: Coopers baby had died, less than a week before her scheduled C-section.

I held (Jackson) tight and tried to stand up. They got me a wheelchair. The screaming and crying  Ive never, and probably never will again, be that upset in my life, Cooper recalls.

Still in shock from the loss, Cooper had to make a quick decision: Would she deliver the baby, or go with the C-section shed originally planned?

The thought of pushing a dead baby out of my body  Cooper trails off, speaking to the Star from her home in Toronto. She opted for a C-section.

Since losing the baby  a 7-pound boy named Carter  because of a knot in his umbilical cord, Cooper has been sharing her story of the pain and heartbreak that accompanies a stillbirth, a rare but devastating outcome during pregnancy that remains hush-hush despite its emotional toll on women and their families.

The medical definition of a stillbirth is the birth of an infant who is born without any signs of life  either because it passed away during the pregnancy or during labour or delivery  after 20 weeks of pregnancy or while weighing more than 500 grams.

Anything from birth defects to physical trauma to umbilical cord accidents can lead to an infants death, but the likelihood is small: Stillbirths occur in around seven out of every 1,000 births in Canada, according to Statistics Canada data. Thats far rarer than miscarriages, which occur in one out of every five pregnancies.

In December, a private members bill in Ontario  Bill 141, the Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness, Research and Care Act  was passed to expand counselling and support programs for families experiencing this type of loss. Liberal MPP Mike Colle, whose daughter Bianca Colle experienced three pregnancy losses in three years, spearheaded the bill. It also proclaimed Oct. 15 as Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Day, which the province marked for the first time this month.

Increased awareness about stillbirths could bring the topic out of the shadows. As it stands, its something that rarely gets discussed  even while miscarriages are slowly becoming a greater part of pregnancy dialogue. And thats a problem, since the loss of a nearly full-term baby can be particularly unexpected and distressing for a family and the mother-to-be.

Its not talked about because its 2000-something. I dont think people think it happens anymore, Cooper says. Even when I talked about it after, people said: That still happens? Miscarriage is one thing, but to have a baby go through an entire pregnancy!

Physicians agree stillbirth is a traumatic experience. Usually, by this point in a pregnancy, everyone  friends, family, coworkers, total strangers  knows a woman is pregnant, and the parents-to-be have been gearing up for the birth of their child.

They had their nursery set up. They had a baby shower already. They knew when the due date was. Its almost like mourning the loss of a child or grandchild, says Dr. Ashley Waddington, an assistant professor in the department of obstetrics and gynecology at Queens University.

Waddington has been the one to break the news about stillbirths to pregnant women, and says its not something most people plan for or expect given the rarity. Miscarriages, in contrast, are more anticipated, given how many women experience them  and often much earlier in a pregnancy, before the bodily changes of a growing baby are evident.

Theres also a considerable amount of medical mystery still surrounding stillbirths. Many infant deaths near full-term are unexplained and could be the result of one of hundreds of factors, Waddington says, which leaves grieving moms-to-be without an answer. Often, women will blame themselves, thinking that if theyd done something differently, their baby would still be alive.

Thats definitely not true in the case of miscarriage, which is almost always a genetic problem, and definitely not true in the case of a stillbirth, Waddington stresses. We can hardly ever identify a cause for this. Its never like, oh, you shouldnt have ridden your bike or taken a hot bath.

Coupled with that unwarranted sense of guilt is the ordeal of delivering a stillborn child, according to Dr. Jon Barrett, chief of maternal fetal medicine at Sunnybrook Hospital.

Its the antithesis to what its supposed to be, he says. The process of delivering something thats dead is really traumatic.

For Cooper, coping with the trauma of stillbirth over the past five years has been a long, difficult process. The delivery itself was gruelling; a midnight C-section in a room bustling with medical staff where Cooper and her partner endured a bittersweet moment learning the gender of their lost little one, but never got to hear his cries. The silence of the room was deafening, Cooper recalls.

She held Carter for several hours, then said goodbye.

In the months that followed, Coopers family and friends didnt know what to say or do, with one person telling her the lack of support was because her son Carter didnt actually exist.

But slowly, things got better. She eventually had another child, her now 3-year-old son Jordan, and found a stillbirth support group. She also started blogging about her experience, and says sharing her grief  rather than hiding it away  helped lift a huge weight off her shoulders.

Around a month after delivering the baby she would never get to watch grow up, Cooper bumped into a neighbour, who asked how her new little one was doing. She burst into tears  but she didnt stay silent.

I told him I had him. He was a boy. His name was Carter.

Coping with loss of a baby

Sarnia-based grief counsellor Audrey Stringer has seen the pain of stillbirth first-hand  her daughters first child died at birth back in 1994. We wondered, what would she be like? What career would she have chosen? recalls the Get Over It! Surviving Grief to Live Again author.

Nowadays, she says stillbirths are particularly painful because of the technology and rituals surrounding modern pregnancy. When I was growing up, we would never have a baby shower before the baby is born, Stringer says. Now we have showers, ultrasounds, you know the gender  there are more attachments. Grief is all about attachments.

So how can women cope with the loss of a baby so late in a pregnancy? Stringer offered a few strategies to handle that kind of overwhelming grief.

Spend time with the baby. You have to say hello before you say goodbye, Stringer says. That could mean holding your infant, or taking time for photographs, so you can hold on to those memories.

Have a ceremony. Even if your child died in the womb, you can still celebrate his or her life. The purpose of this  the service and a memorial service and visitation  is to facilitate our grief and mourning journey, Stringer explains.

Embrace meditation. Whether its breathing exercises or yoga, find a way to be alone. When youre going through a difficult time, you have to be with you, Stringer says. A lot of people run from themselves.

Start journaling. Writing down your feelings in a blog or notebook can help you process your grief and let it go. And, when youre alone  maybe its 2 oclock in the morning and you dont want to wake your spouse  you have an outlet, Stringer says.

Dont worry about grieving the right way. Whether you want more alone time or find solace in a support group, Stringer says theres no right or wrong way to cope. Each grief journey is unique to us  like our fingerprints, she says.

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Whether you use it yourself, have a friend who does or know someone who moved to Colorado for not-so-secret reasons, you probably have an opinion about weed. Marijuana is no longer a taboo stoner drug reserved for hippies.

Cannabis (the proper name for weed) has been used as medicine for millennia. But as aspirins and opioids rose in popularity, weed use declined, and the drug was officially criminalized in 1937  against the advice of the American Medical Association.

But we're not here to debate the pros and cons of legalization. Instead, we're interested in breaking down exactly what happens in your brain and body when you're high.

How the plant works

You typically hear about two types of marijuana: C. sativa and C. indica. Scientists can't completely agree on whether those are the only two species. Some think there's a third or that all species are descendants of sativa. Regardless, they work the same way (up to a point).

Marijuana plants produce chemical compounds called cannabinoids. The ones that get the most attention are delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD). "THC is the most psychoactive compound," says Thorsten Rudroff, Ph.D., an assistant professor at Colorado State University who studies cannabis use in patients with multiple sclerosis. "So when you smoke cannabis, THC gives you the high feeling. The more THC you have, the more powerful the high."

"You're more sensitive to sound; you're hungrier," says Beatriz Carlini, Ph.D., an associate professor at the University of Washington. "All those different sensations that people who use marijuana recreationally describe  like being more relaxed  are because of the THC."

THC also increases dopamine levels, creating that sense of euphoria.

CBD, on the other hand, acts as an antagonist to THC, Rudroff says. Basically, it does the opposite. "CBD does not have psychoactive effects, but it does have beneficial effects," he says. "It reduces pain and muscle spasticity, and can make you more relaxed. This is the compound of greatest interest for medical marijuana."

It's easy to see why researchers like Rudroff get excited about CBD, but as far as they know right now, you can't reap the benefits of one without the other.

"You can look at this and say, 'THC is bad, and CBD is good,' but it's not that simple," Rudroff says. "There are some interactions. You need both in the product to work together." Scientists are still working out the perfect ratio for patients, but Rudroff says some research suggests it might be 1:1.

What it does to your brain

First, a quick neuroscience lesson: Your brain is made up of neurons and neural circuits. Neurons are long, dangly cells that like to keep their distance from each other. To bridge the gap (or synapse), chemicals called neurotransmitters deliver messages by travelling from one neuron to another and attaching onto molecules called receptors. And guess what? There's a special kind of neurotransmitter called an endocannabinoid. Yep, your body makes its own version of weed (sort of).

"When we experience pain, inflammation, or stress  or have issues related to fear or mood  our body releases (endocannabinoids), which go to our endocannabinoid system and help get rid of those unwanted sensations," Carlini says.

Since the cannabinoids in marijuana look and act the same as the kind your body makes, they're able to slip by and latch onto the cannabinoid receptors in your brain. There are two types (that researchers know of): CB1, which are mostly located in areas of the brain that are associated with learning, memory, reward, anxiety, pain and movement control, and CB2, which is associated with the immune system. The cannabinoids throw your usual system out of whack, boosting certain signals and interfering with others. Which is why marijuana's effects can range from a feeling of relaxation and pain relief to clumsiness, anxiety (or lack thereof) and even the munchies.

The short-term effects

Just how quickly do you feel those results? Well, it all depends on whether you smoke, vape or consume edibles.

"When you smoke, (cannabis) is in the bloodstream very quickly," Rudroff says. "When you eat it, it can take up to 20 or 30 minutes before you can feel the effect."

You've probably heard that sativa produces feelings of euphoria and enhances energy while indica is good for pain management and sleep (these experiences are echoed on just about every weed forum on the internet).

"The whole thing about strains is that we have no scientific basis that they will produce different experiences," Carlini says. She and Rudroff both say this is due to the amount of crossbreeding that's happened  it's tough to track the plants' botanical origins. (Remember how we mentioned earlier that scientists can't agree on how many species exist?)

"For us as scientists, it's all about the levels of THC and CBD," Carlini says. "It's very hard to say, 'Purple Haze (a popular strain of weed) is sativa, and it has X effect.'"

That's not to say that science can't pin down any effects. For instance, if you've ever smoked pot and felt anxious  it's likely you smoked something with a high level of THC.

"Doses that are THC dominant can provoke paranoia," Carlini says, "but good luck on having an equation on when that is going to happen."

In other words, weed experiences are highly individual. What produces paranoia in one subject might be an OK blaze for another. Likewise, while science can explain certain feelings like muscle relaxation and hunger, the exact formula needed to replicate an identical reaction in everyone  well, that's a lot trickier.

"We don't doubt the differences, it's just not well understood from the perspective of science," Carlini says. "It's a very complex plant."

In the long run

As for the consequences of habitual pot use, the jury is out. One recent study found that using pot regularly for 20 years resulted in higher incidences of gum disease but not much else. Another study that measured cognitive performance found that middle-aged users had poorer verbal memory than their nonusing counterparts. And a different study found chronic users had "smaller hippocampus and amygdala volumes." (Those are the sections of the brain that create new memories and control the "fight or flight" mechanism, respectively. Having "smaller volumes" means less capacity for those functions.) What's more, long-term studies like these often depend on self-reporting techniques, which aren't always the most reliable.

"We don't know much about the long-term effects of cannabis," Rudroff says. "In my opinion, cannabis does not lead to physical and mental dependance as long as it is used in a responsible manner." However, he does add that effects seem to be highly dependent on the age at which you start using. Those who start at a younger age  when the brain is not fully developed  tend to have more negative effects later in life.

The bottom line

Researchers have only scratched the surface of this powerful plant. It's getting a lot of buzz for everything from pain relief to its potential to treat certain cancers, but a lot still isn't known. Regardless, we think it's fair to say this plant deserves some respect, whether you choose to partake or not.



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Ontarios highest court dismissed an appeal Monday by the man convicted of killing 8-year-old Victoria Stafford.

Michael Rafferty was sentenced to life in prison in 2012 with no chance of parole for 25 years for kidnapping, sexual assault causing bodily harm and first-degree murder in the death of the Woodstock, Ont., girl.

Raffertys accomplice, Terri-Lynne McClintic, pleaded guilty in 2010 to first-degree murder.

Raffertys lawyer, Paul Calarco, argued that the judge made several errors, including failing to warn the jury against relying on the testimony of McClintic, claiming she could have been the driving force behind the murder.

But the appeal court judges dismissed Raffertys appeal before hearing the Crowns oral submissions.

MORE ON THESTAR.COM:

How Terri-Lynne McClintic became a killer

McClintic describes killing the little girl

You argued an extremely difficult appeal very well, but I simply dont agree with you, said Appeal Court Justice John Laskin.

Among those on hand to hear the appeal were Victorias mother, father, uncle, family friends and Woodstock Police Chief Bill Renton, who used to be with the Ontario Provincial Police and was the lead investigator on Victorias murder. Family and supporters cheered when the judges dismissed the appeal.

We were here wasting taxpayers money, to be quite honest, said Victorias father, Rodney Stafford. We really had no reason to be here. All the information that was put forward in 2012 landed him where he was and thats exactly where he deserves to be.

The court will issue its reasons for the dismissal later, but Laskin expressed skepticism at most of Calarcos arguments.

Calarco argued that some of Raffertys actions after the killing  such as cleaning his car, disposing of clothing and giving a false alibi  were equally consistent with being an accessory after the fact.

But Laskin said they were not equally consistent on this record, Mr Calarco  not even close to being equally consistent.

McClintic told court a horrifying story of a drug-addled couple abducting a young girl at random for the mans sexual pleasure, then killing her with inconceivable brutality. She claimed Rafferty was directing her every step of the way, ordering her to snatch a young girl for him, making her buy a hammer and garbage bags then getting her to help him clean up at the murder scene.

Raffertys lawyer suggested he was an innocent dupe to a plan concocted entirely by McClintic, but the Crown at trial argued it didnt matter whether McClintic or Rafferty physically killed the girl  he was guilty because they acted together.

Note to readers: This is a corrected story. An earlier version said Rafferty was convicted in 2013.

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Jason Mitschele stands outside the courtroom in a close huddle with a fellow prosecutor and a defence lawyer, working out the details of a plea. A woman, 34, had been arrested selling crack to an undercover police officer.

Mitscheles guide dog, Kailua, sits between the three men, ruffling their judicial robes when she shifts her weight.

The defence counsel reads the details of the charge a single time and Mitschele commits it all to memory. Half an hour later, hes standing before a judge, Kailua by his side, running through the entire sequence of events  the exact dates, exact addresses, exact times down to the minute  without faltering.

Mitschele is blind. For over a decade he has worked for the Public Prosecution Service of Canada, primarily on drug cases.

No one ever said I couldnt do it, he said.

And he has earned the respect of his peers.

Jason has this amazing ability to recall the facts of a case, the relevant legal principles and case law, said fellow PPSC prosecutor Hafeez Amarshi. I remember discussing a tricky legal issue with him and he was able to cite the relevant case right down to the paragraph number (even though) the case he was referring to was something like six years old and over 30 pages.

Mitschele has Kailua, and before that, had Boris the guide dog. And he has text-to-voice technology that reads documents to him, a paralegal dedicated to assisting him and, he said, lawyers and judges are generally pretty understanding.

(Law) is an adversarial system but its a cordial one, he said.

But, as a visually-impaired person working in his chosen profession, Mitschele is a rarity.

The employment rate for visually-impaired Canadians of working age is just 38 per cent, compared with just over 60 per cent for the population at large.

We go out, we get an education and then we come out of education and when we want a job theres no job to be had, said Diane Bergeron, an executive director at the Canadian National Institute for the Blind, who is totally blind herself.

This month, in honour of National Disability Employment Awareness Month, the CNIB has launched a campaign to topple common misconceptions about visually impaired people in the workplace.

Dubbed EmployAbility, the campaign features a series of PSA videos starring real visually impaired workers.

The CNIB says there are half a million people in Canada with some form of vision loss, over 100,000 of whom are of working age.

They represent a largely untapped resource, says the CNIB. They find  or look for  a wide variety of jobs. Lawyer. Fitness trainer. Cancer researcher.

In a recent poll by the market research firm Ipsos, 70 per cent of Canadians surveyed said that, if faced with two equally qualified job applicants, they would hire the sighted one over the visually impaired one.

When Statistics Canada released a report based on its 2012 Survey on Disabilities, 55 per cent of visually impaired people reported feeling that employers saw them as disadvantaged.

Ten to 14 per cent of visually impaired respondents said they believed they had been refused jobs, interviews or promotions because of their vision.

Scarborough native Arvin Carandang says hes experiencing that inequity first-hand.

The aspiring physical trainer has Leber congenital amaurosis, an eye disorder that left him with five per cent vision.

He graduated from Algonquin College in June with a diploma in Fitness and Health Promotion, and has received accreditation from the CanFitPro national certification program.

Arvin is a gem, said Cindy Bradley, one of Carandangs professors from Algonquin College.

He lives with such purpose to really get the most out of what he decides to be involved in. If he was hired as a trainer these qualities would really be motivating to who he serves and his authenticity as a great guy would be contagious.

But Carandang has gone jobless while many of his classmates have found employment.

He said its a very real possibility that his vision impairment is what has kept him from finding work in his field.

I was thinking I was going to be able to get a job just as easily as my classmates (because) I did very well in the program, he said.

Carandang can generally see enough to judge his clients workout technique if he stands close enough. When he needs a better look, he will ask their permission to take video of their work out, then slow the footage down and maybe blow it up on his iPad or laptop.

But, said Carandang, employers likely underestimate him because of his vision loss.

As soon as they see my cane they automatically think I cant see anything at all, he said. And then when they see my certificate theyre probably wondering How are you able to get that?

Misunderstandings about the level of ability visually impaired employees have and the amount of assistance they need to do their jobs is one of the major barriers to finding work, Bergeron said.

A lot of people dont understand that it really doesnt take a whole lot of effort to have someone who is blind or partially sighted within the workforce, she said.

(Employers) will pick the person whos sighted (so) they dont have to think about accommodation.

But with advances in technology, workplace assistance for the visually impaired is easier to access than ever.

Bergeron said most visually impaired people use text-to-voice software that reads to them whatever is on their computer screen, be it a web page, an email, a PDF or a spreadsheet.

The CNIB says popular high-end voice software for computers runs a little over $1,000, and iPhones and other smartphones come pre-loaded with voiceover options.

Most people just need  either large print or something talking and theyre on their way, Bergeron.

Mitschele, in his prosecutor role, uses voice-to-text software on his computer and phone, and the paralegal assigned to him types up handwritten police notes, flags important passages for him in long, printed case files, help him review evidence and more.

Keep in mind that I work for the government (which) is a huge equity employer with budgets in place and mandates and procedures for accommodations, Mitschele said

I think in the private sector a lot of their bottom line is, how much is it going to cost to accommodate this person, to get them special software.

When a job involves more than reading and writing text, the fight for accommodation becomes more difficult.

Mahadeo Sukhai is a cancer researcher who specializes in using the study of genomes to help with patient diagnosis and care at the University Health Network in Toronto.

He has a full field of vision, but cant see detail or read small text, and he lacks muscle control over his eyes, which makes it difficult for him to focus on something for more than a few minutes without getting a terrible headache.

Most of Sukhais days are spent interpreting patient test results, analyzing data breaking it down to help physicians determine a personalized course of treatment for their patients  tasks he can accomplish with enlarged text and blown up images on a big computer screen.

But throughout his masters and PhD studies in molecular biology at the University of Toronto, and his post-doctoral fellowships in cancer research, he worked in much more hands-on laboratory jobs.

For me, hand eye coordination is not the greatest skill so surgery was out of the question, handling radioactive material was out of the question, and so being in a position where I might need to do those things, I actually needed to get help.

Sukhai had a lab technician to assist him and found ways to combine existing technology to suit his personal needs, in one instance rigging a camera over a stage and connecting it to his laptop so he could observe surgeries via blown up video.

But it has been difficult to get his academic supervisor, now his boss at UHN, to fully grasp the challenges he faces.

She was great. She was wonderful and absolutely wiling to deal with any and all (accommodation) issues. But the problem is she did not then, and does not now, fully understand the lived experience of blindness, he said.

Theres a lot of preconceptions around what people who are blind or partially sighted can or cant do, Sukhai added.

But the problem with that is, the people who are making those judgments are people who are not themselves blind or partially sighted.

It was Sukhais own determination and initiative to find accommodations that allowed him to succeed, he said.

Ending the stigma for visually impaired people in the workplace will take that same determination in people looking for work.

(Change) requires a systemic evolution, not just on the mindset of employers, the mindset of educators, the mindset of parents (but) in the mindset of students themselves, Sukhai said. To basically say, I can choose to do this. I want to do this because I like this and I know Im going to be good at it.

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A single mother whose husband died of pancreatic cancer two years ago wonders why Canada Revenue Agency has asked her to prove she is caring for their 4-year-old daughter.

Who else would be caring for her? said Brandi Parson, 41. It just seems ridiculous and, frankly, quite heartless.

Parson, who moved from Toronto to Vancouver a year ago in search of a more balanced life, received the request for more information about her 2015 income tax return earlier this month.

In the letter, CRA says it is reviewing the $11,327 eligible-dependant credit she claimed for her daughter, Viva.

Formerly known as the equivalent-to-spouse credit, it is worth about $2,200 in a refund or reduction in taxes. The credit is also linked to federal and provincial child benefits worth as much as $7,700 a year per child.

In a case of what appears to be bureaucracy run amok, the CRA letter says Parson must provide proof she has custody of her daughter and show that she maintained a self-contained domestic establishment in which you lived with and supported the eligible dependant being claimed.

When she called CRA for an explanation, Parson said she was told to provide a copy of her daughters birth certificate and social insurance number along with her husbands death certificate. She was also told she needed a letter from someone in authority like a doctor, teacher or clergy person, to vouch that she was parenting her daughter by herself in her own home last year.

Parson, who had submitted her late husband Joel Urnoms death certificate, his will and their marriage licence to CRA when she filed the couples 2014 taxes, was shocked.

I dont know why they are asking me to provide these documents again, especially when they sent Joels 2014 tax rebate to me and have been sending me CPP survivor and orphans benefits, she said.

Information in Parsons online CRA account, which she provided to the Star, clearly identifies her as a widow who has sole custody of Viva.

I was actually crying when I was talking to (the CRA agent), Parson recalls. I said you have the death certificate and the marriage certificate, why do I need to prove this year after year? Pulling all of this out again just brings it all back.

But the CRA agent was unapologetic. She said there is nothing that proves you have been taking care of (your child) by yourself. How do we know that you havent moved in with someone else who is now taking care of you? How do we know that Childrens Services hasnt taken your child away from you, Parson added.

I just thought, wow. Really?

Accountant Gord Douglas of Liberty Tax Services, who prepared Parsons 2015 taxes, said that as more people file their taxes online, CRA has stepped up reassessments of taxpayers who claiming credits for eligible dependants, tuition, moving and business expenses in the last three or four years.

But this is the first case he has seen where CRA is questioning the eligible-dependant credit for someone whose spouse has died.

Canada Revenue will fire off that letter, regardless of the circumstances. Its automatic, he said from his Vancouver franchise office. So I can pretty much guarantee they never even looked to see if that was the case.

Douglas says CRA used to check its files before sending out reassessment letters, but now leaves that work up to taxpayers and their accountants. If it continues, companies like his will have to raise their prices, he said. And those who dont understand the process or who dont have accountants to help will lose out on credits to which they are entitled.

I call it tax by administration, he said.

CRA disputed Douglass claim.

The minister of national revenue is wholeheartedly committed to ensuring that all Canadians get the credits and benefits to which they are entitled and that they are provided with complete, accurate, clear and timely information, a CRA spokeswoman said in an emailed response.

It is CRAs policy to verify existing records before contacting taxpayers to validate a claim, Jelica Zdero added.

The agency doesnt intentionally try to cause taxpayers emotional hardship and if a CRA employee made the comments reported by Parson, it would be considered completely unacceptable, Zdero said.

However, CRA stands by its review process to maintain public confidence in the fairness and integrity of the child and family benefits and credits programs, Zdero said.

The agency is willing to work with any taxpayer who needs more time or is having difficulty obtaining supporting documents, she added.

Parson was disappointed with CRAs response.

There are so many people who are widowed with young children living this painful, surreal life, she said. I would have hoped that CRA could make a change so that other people like me dont have to go through this again and again.

Viva was born in the fall of 2012. But shortly after her first birthday  and weeks after Urnom was given a clean bill of health for a life insurance policy  the young father was diagnosed with stage-4 pancreatic cancer. It is one of the most deadly cancers, because there are rarely any symptoms until it has spread to the liver and other organs.

Urnom died in May 2014, just four months after his diagnosis.

Heartbroken, Parson sold the couples condo near Yonge St. and Eglinton Ave. the following year and spent four months travelling with her daughter to clear her head.

I know all too well just how fragile life can be, she said. I wanted to spend more time with my daughter and I wanted to find a good place to raise her.

While visiting friends in the Kitsilano area of Vancouver in July 2015, she fell in love with the lifestyle and decided to put down roots.

I wanted to raise my daughter in a place with a little less stress, less pollution and more focus on the environment and the outdoors, she said.

Today Parson is able to spend every morning with her daughter and works in marketing part-time in the afternoon while Viva attends preschool or spends time with her grandmother, who moved to the area from St. Catharines to help out.

I am very lucky that I have been able to find this kind of balance, Parson said.

But rent in Vancouver is not cheap and her two-bedroom apartment costs $2,400. Parson supplements her small income with investments from the proceeds of her condo sale and is grateful for her monthly CPP survivor and child benefits of $463 a month and federal and provincial child benefits that amount to about $582 a month.

Late Friday, Parson said the CRA review office manager called her to apologize for the agent who handled her phone call. The manager, also told Parson the only document she needs to send is a letter from anyone who knows her, to vouch that she is caring for Viva by herself.

He said he would put a note in my file so that I wouldnt get this letter again next year, Parson said. But that doesnt change things for anyone else. I just dont think Revenue Canada should be treating widowed parents this way.

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The Mosul that Behman Tobea grew up in was beautiful and rich in history  nothing resembling the ruins the Iraqi city is in today, under siege from the Daesh militants.

As Baghdad and its allies continued their advance to retake Iraqs second-largest city from Daesh (also known as ISIS), the Toronto man worries for the thousands of civilians fleeing from the area and spilling into the nearby countries. They include his family, stuck in Lebanon since 2014.

Since the latest battle for the city was announced, some 5,000 people have crossed the border into Syria, a country already engulfed in a civil war. The United Nations is expecting some 200,000 being displaced in the coming days.

The UN High Commissioner for Refugees has been working with partners to ensure aid groups are ready for the expected influx of refugees in the region, including safe locations around Mosul to accommodate 20,000 family plots  each one a space for a six-person tent, ringed with bricks to thwart scorpions and snakes.

The stakes could not be higher, said Bruno Geddo, UNHCRs representative in Iraq.

According to the UN refugee agency, nearly one in 10 Iraqis has been displaced due to conflict since 2014. Some 61,900 people have left their homes in Mosul and surrounding areas since March, with 100,500 more from places like Shirqat and Qayyarah since June.

Mosul, split into the east and west by the picturesque Tigris River, was the Christian capital of the country, a historic centre for churches of different denominations and home to the tombs of several prophets.

It was a beautiful city. We all lived in peace. We all had a good life before, said Tobea, 42, who came to Canada in 2007 as a refugee in wake of the sectarian conflicts after the fall of the Saddam Hussein.

I feel so bad and sad to see my city destroyed by people who dont even come from the country. We are happy that the Iraqi government is going to kick out the militants and take Mosul back, but it is going to take a long time to rebuild the city.

Tobea said all his family fled Mosul for Lebanon in 2014 and applied to sponsor his mother, older sister, brother, his wife and their four kids to resettle in Canada with help from five supporters through one his employers. To date, his family is still languishing in Beirut, waiting to join him here.

The situation is no good in Lebanon for them and I worry about them every day, said Tobea, who works seven days a week at three hair salons as a hairdresser to support his family stuck in Beirut. We are so desperate for Canadas timely response.

Save the Children Canada, an international aid group, said Iraqi refugees fleeing the Mosul offensive to Al Hawl in Syria only find themselves in a filthy and overcrowded refugee camp that is littered with waste and feces.

These families arrive with nothing but the clothes on their backs and find almost nothing to help them, said its president and CEO Patricia Erb, whose teams in northeast Syria are bringing in water and sanitations systems to assist the refugees.

The camp is bursting at the seams and risks being overwhelmed. Conditions there are among the worst weve seen.

Mosul fell into the hands of the Daesh, also known as the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, in 2014. Almost half of its 2.5 million residents, many of them Christians, have left. Its believed up to 5,000 Daesh fighters are still in the city.

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CONYERS, GEORGIABrandt Bester believes he would be dead or in jail had he stayed in his native New York City. Instead, he moved to the Atlanta area, earned an electronics degree, started a business selling cellphones, then opened a suburban restaurant.

The American dream, Bester, a soft-spoken 48-year-old, said at breakfast at a Waffle House in Rockdale County two weeks ago.

It is also the stuff of a Democratic Party dream inching closer to reality.

Bester is black, and he is voting for Hillary Clinton. He is part of a wave of African-American migration from liberal northern cities to long-conservative southern states that is making the Democrats competitive in places like Georgia, North Carolina and Texas.

Republican Donald Trump is still the favourite to win Georgia, and he leads by an average of three points. But the consistent tightness of a state that no Democrat has won since Bill Clintons 1992 squeaker is evidence not only of white conservatives rejection of Trump but a population shift that may change the electoral map well beyond November if the Republicans do not find a way to stop repelling non-whites.

Since a Democratic president signed the Civil Rights Act in 1964, Republicans have been able to count on white voters to carry them to victory in enough southern states to make them viable in every presidential election. With Democratic-leaning blacks moving to those states at the same time as their Democratic-leaning Hispanic and Asian populations boom, those states are looking less and less like Republican certainties.

Demographically, we are a blue state. Weve just got to get them registered, and weve got to turn them out, said Atlanta-based Democratic strategist Tharon Johnson, the southern regional director for Barack Obamas 2012 campaign. Im optimistic that it can happen this time. But even if it doesnt happen this time, its a tremendous step forward toward 2018 and 2020, when I believe Georgia will be blue again.

Between 1910 and 1970, in what was called the Great Migration, an estimated six million black people left the segregated rural south and moved to such cities as New York, Chicago, St. Louis, Philadelphia and Detroit. Then some started moving back.

Since the 1970s, but especially since 2000, black northerners have returned by the tens of thousands to the states abandoned by their parents and grandparents. Fifty-seven per cent of the black U.S. population now lives in the south, the highest percentage since 1960; more than a million black people in the south are from the north, 10 times the number in 1970.

Many of the recent transplants are retirees attracted to the south by the warm weather and their family ties. A disproportionate percentage are college-educated young professionals drawn by job prospects, affordable housing and thriving black neighbourhoods. Some are lower-skill workers fleeing crime in places like Chicago.

No urban area has lured more black people over the past decade than metro Atlanta, a 20th-century hub of black political, financial and educational power and now also a 21st-century hip-hop mecca. (A hit new FX television show, created by actor-rapper Donald Glover, is titled simply Atlanta.) The move has become so common that it has turned into a running joke among young black northerners. A frequent refrain on social media: Moving to Atlanta wont solve your problems.

Sidney Tomlinson, 77, said it has solved his. He was washing his Lexus on a sunny afternoon at his house on a silent, manicured street in suburban Rockdale County, a half-hour east of the city and a long way from the Bronx.

The vast majority of Atlantas new arrivals have chosen the suburbs rather than the city. Since 2000, the suburbs alone have added more than 500,000 black people. Tomlinson, a retired carpenter, moved in 2001 to escape crime and tension in his New York neighbourhood.

Voting for Hillary, he said. Nobody but Hillary.

Flint native Chuniq Inpower, a 29-year-old Michigan State graduate who owns a marketing business, moved to downtown Atlanta in 2014. She said she runs into so many fellow Michigan transplants that she sometimes calls the city New Detroit.

Her grandparents are from Mississippi and Alabama. Michigan has a dying economy for people like her. She knew Atlanta offered both a chance to make her dollars stretch and one of the countrys best networks of black female entrepreneurs.

It was almost a no-brainer, she said. You dont have to deal with those barriers to entry, if you will, when its already tailored to people that look like you.

She, too, is voting for Clinton.

Sensing opportunity, Clinton and her allies are paying extra attention to a state Mitt Romney won by eight percentage points and John McCain by five. Vice-presidential candidate Tim Kaine visited in late September. A pro-Clinton Super PAC decided last week to invest $2 million in Georgia television ads.

Rockdale County, home of Besters Sudo Bar and Grill, foreshadowed her strength in the state. Formerly a Republican stronghold, its black population has exploded since 2000, to 41,957 from 12,733, in part because of out-of-state migration.

In 2008, Rockdale elected its first black county chairman, Ohio transplant Richard Oden. In 2012, Odens all-black, all-Democratic slate of eight swept to victory over eight white Republicans, giving the county its first black sheriff, coroner and tax commissioner.

The swift transformation has sparked racial animosity. Oden said he was threatened, ridiculed, talked about and harassed by white residents after his first victory.

Here you have this African-American man who now has the power of the ink pen to influence policy, and that was tough for this community to embrace and accept, he said. Not to mention the fact that they didnt realize it was going to happen. They never thought it was going to happen. And they woke up and it changed.

The state population of 10 million is now 32 per cent black, up from 26 per cent in 2000. Other demographic changes have further benefited Democrats. The Asian population (4 per cent) and Hispanic population (more than 9 per cent) have both doubled, and Atlanta is attracting out-of-state white millennials generally more liberal than white Georgia natives.

The white vote is Clintons Georgia challenge. In 2008, Obama managed to get 46 per cent of the vote in Georgia on high black turnout, but he got a mere 23-per-cent white support. Trump, the strategist Johnson said, gives Democrats a special chance to win over disaffected white Republicans, particularly moderate women.

This years race, until proven otherwise, will essentially be an anomaly, said Emory University political science professor Andra Gillespie. If Georgia turns blue in that particular context, I dont know if thats a harbinger of change in the state or in Georgias competitiveness so much as it is a function of it being a blowout election.

Clinton, indeed, is unlikely to need Georgias 16 electoral votes. But Republicans might need the wake-up call.

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MASON CITY  An Osage native will command the Iowa Army National Guard company he enlisted in 16-1/2 years ago.

Joining the Mason City-based 1133rd Transportation Co. at age 17 was initially a fluke, Capt. Joshua Sprague said.

A friend invited him to a National Guard event that involved rappelling and shooting guns. Both enlisted; Sprague on May 10, 2000.

With family history of service in the Marine Corps and the Army, the National Guard was a natural fit for Sprague.

I couldnt imagine not being a part of the Guard today, he said.

He has been deployed twice to Kuwait and Iraq, hauling supplies and heavy equipment there in 2003-2004 and 2008-2009. He later attended officer training and was part of the 1034th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion for a time.

Sprague attended and graduated college between the deployments, with a degree in logistics/supply chain management. In his civilian career, he is a project manager for Telligen in the Des Moines area, where he works on federal health care contracts.

He says his two careers  the National Guard and project management  go hand-in-hand.

I like that the National Guard allows for a work-life balance, Sprague said. I can be a citizen soldier with a professional life.

The National Guard, he said, differs from the federal Army Reserves, although members of the National Guard can be called into federal service by the president or Congress.

The Guard is like the states army and is tied to local communities, he explained.

Soldiers generally drill one weekend a month, plus a two-week period each year. State active duty missions can last anywhere from two weeks to two months, while federal deployments are typically a year or longer.

The 1133rd, which is primarily a truck company, is responsible for delivering items like food, bullets or equipment. Although the company hasnt deployed since 2009, Sprague said it continues to focus on readiness.

You may not hear about us much as you once did, but we are training and are ready to support citizens day or night, Sprague said.

The company recently assisted with flooding recovery in Cedar Rapids and also provided support at the 2013 presidential inauguration in Washington, D.C.

As the 1133rds commander, Sprague will be responsible for 168 soldiers welfare and training. He ensures they are fit, healthy and ready to deploy.

The majority of the companys members are from Iowa, ranging in ages from 17 to mid-40s. They are teachers, police officers, mechanics, students and nurses, Sprague said, among other civilian careers.

He is grateful for the support North Iowa has given the company throughout the years, recalling people lining the roadside as the 1133rd left on deployment.

Sprague will formally take command of the company during a ceremony Nov. 6.
The Las Vegas Review-Journal became the first major newspaper to endorse Donald Trump for president this election season, stating that, while the candidate has flaws, he'll bring needed disruption and change to Washington.

"Mr. Trump represents neither the danger his critics claim nor the magic elixir many of his supporters crave," the paper said in its endorsement. "But he promises to be a source of disruption and discomfort to the privileged, back-scratching political elites for whom the nation's strength and solvency have become subservient to power's pursuit and preservation."

Trump tweeted, "Thank you Las Vegas Review Journal" with a link to the editorial.

The paper was bought by Sheldon Adelson last year, a major Republican donor who is also another billionaire linked to casinos. It remained unclear who bought the newspaper at the time of the deal, but many speculated whoever it was  that person really wanted to own this newspaper.

Soon after, it was reported that Adelson bought the Review-Journal for a whopping $140 million.

"Suspicions about his motives for paying a lavish $140 million for the newspaper last month are based on his reputation in Las Vegas as a figure comfortable with using his money in support of his numerous business and political concerns," the New York Times reported in January.

The Review-Journal has a circulation of about 98,000 daily, 119,000 on Sundays and "remains a prime target for anyone seeking to influence voters in Nevada," The Post's media critic Paul Farhi wrote.

Adelson and his wife, well-known Republican donors, gave $5,400 to Ted Cruz in November and the same amount to Lindsey Graham in March, before the South Carolina senator dropped out.

Although smaller papers have endorsed Trump, several large conservative-leaning newspapers have broken ranks and endorsed Hillary Clinton for President in recent months.

The San Diego Union-Tribune broke a 148-year-long streak of endorsing Republicans for president on Sept. 30 and encouraged its readers to vote for Hillary Clinton.

The Arizona Republic (formerly, the Arizona Republican), tweeted out a photo of Clinton gazing into the distance while announcing its endorsement. It's the first time the Republic has endorsed a Democrat since 1890.

The Republic received death threats after its endorsement was announced, as The Post's Katie Mettler reported:

"Within hours of publication, on Sept. 27, the newspaper's Facebook link to the editorial was flooded with outraged comments, threats to cancel subscriptions and proclamations of perceived betrayal."

The Dallas Morning News, whose editorial board had picked a Republican each time since before World War II, said Trump "plays on fear  exploiting base instincts of xenophobia, racism and misogyny  to bring out the worst in all of us, rather than the best."

The Cincinnati Enquirer, which had endorsed Republicans for nearly a century, called Trump "a clear and present danger to our country. ... Our reservations about Clinton pale in comparison to our fears about Trump."

The endorsement could be too late for Trump, whose campaign has been reeling after several women accused the Republican candidate of inappropriate sexual advances. Earlier this month, The Post published a 2005 video in which Trump bragged that his celebrity gave him the ability to grab women "by the p---y. You can do anything."

A survey of key battleground states last week showed Clinton with a decisive lead.

According to The Post's Dan Balz and Scott Clement, Clinton is "leading in enough states to put her comfortably over the 270 majority needed to win the presidential election in November."

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IMAM GHARBI, IRAQThe woman said that her husband was a Daesh fighter but that she left him after trying, in vain, to persuade him to defect. Last week, she took their six children and fled across the battle lines toward ground controlled by the Iraqi army, she said.

But as the woman spoke in a camp for newly displaced people south of Mosul on Friday  watched by men with guns, with no electricity or food in her tent and her children playing in dirt  her escape seemed like the prelude to another miserable ordeal.

The camp sat next to her village, but she was not allowed to go home, pending an interrogation by Iraqi officials into her past and the activities of her husband, whom she claimed not to have seen in months. Even if she were eventually granted permission to leave, it was not clear there would be a place for her in the village  or, for that matter, in Iraq.

Thousands of people who lived for the past two years under the rule of the militants have begun to escape their villages as a huge Iraqi force closes in on the northern city of Mosul, free now to tell their stories of brutality and privation and near-death escapes.

Most, though, are Sunni Muslims, unable to celebrate just yet as they face questions from the authorities and the country at large about their years living alongside the Sunni militants, as well as any ties to the jihadists, whether real or just perceived.

Their treatment by the Shiite-led government in the current campaign is seen as crucial to rebuilding Sunni trust in the state, which plummeted so low two years ago that some Sunnis welcomed the militants to their towns, cities and villages.

In other areas captured from Daesh, though, men and boys have sometimes faced months of screening, with human rights groups also reporting incidents of execution, torture and arbitrary arrest by the countrys array of militias and security forces.

Those with family members who joined Daesh, such as the woman, who gave only her first name, Khowla, face a different kind of reckoning  often barred from returning to their villages by local officials, tribal authorities or vengeful neighbours. Khowla insisted it would be different for her, saying that her hometown neighbours had welcomed her after her escape from a village farther north in Daesh territory, where she had been living with her husband.

The whole village received me. They all like me. They cried for me, she said. But another family had moved into her home. And she had already started to brace herself for the recriminations she would face because of her husbands affiliation with Daesh.

It wasnt my fault, she said, as night fell on the camp and one of her children began to wail. Im not guilty. Why should we be displaced?

Millions of people have been uprooted over the past two years by Daeshs expansion and by the military operations to defeat the militants  a mass displacement that has recalled Iraqs recent painful eras, including the U.S.-led invasion and the bloody civil war that followed.

Each era has been scarred, too, by social upheaval, revenge killings or forced displacements that over years have fractured and reshaped the country.

Iraqi officials have taken measures that some hope will limit the potentially violent aftermath of the Mosul campaign, for instance, by limiting the kinds of forces that will enter the city and excluding sectarian militias. They have said they are trying to streamline the screening process and are urging civilians to stay in their homes.

There is also a sense that the widespread revulsion with the militants  even by disaffected Sunnis long marginalized by the central government  may have created an opportunity for a more durable moment of national unity.

But they are all just hopes, and perhaps not enough to stave off some peoples desire for retribution.

A few tents away in the same camp where Khowla stayed with her children, a group of shepherds said they had been beaten by soldiers after they escaped from Daesh. But they had not been held for long, said one, who had a welt over his eye.

In another tent, a 40-year-old driver named Ali, who fled his village late last week, said some sort of violent reckoning was inevitable. In the beginning, there will be revenge. But then it will be better, he said.

Like most of those who had fled the militants, he easily recalled the catalogue of atrocities he had witnessed over the past two years. Five relatives  who were police officers, soldiers or guards protecting oil facilities  had been executed by the militants, he said. His village, with just 20 families, had been treated harshly, he said, because it had developed a reputation for resistance to Daesh.

When the militants first came to the village, we were all deceived by their appearance, he said. We thought they were Muslims. As they meted out punishments for petty crimes and extorted residents, we realized they had nothing to do with Islam, he added.

In another camp, east of Mosul, dozens of young men who had fled areas in and around the city were kept behind a padlocked gate, sequestered from families who moved freely in other parts of the camp. Some had been there for 40 days without any indication of when they would be allowed to leave, they said.

We fled a prison for another prison, said Mohamed Asad, who sat with a group of young men in a tent.

Their escapes had been harrowing. One young man, Hassan Mohamed, 22, said he left Mosul about 10 days earlier. He sold cigarettes on the black market, had been arrested by the militants several times, and was finally sent away by his family, who were worried that his luck would run out, he said.

To leave, he paid a smuggler $400, crossed a river in an inflatable dinghy and walked for eight hours, skirting a front line of the battlefield at night, he said.

He had no idea when he would be reunited with his family, who remained in the city, or when he would leave the camp, with Mosul occupied for perhaps weeks or months to come.

In another part of the camp, a group of men who fled villages south of the city focused less on what would follow the military operations, enjoying for the moment pleasures they had recently gained. Cigarettes, banned by the militants, seemed to be first on the list.

We came here hungry and just keep smoking, said Khalid Khalil, as a pack was passed around where they sat in the courtyard of a mosque.

Khalil and the others insisted there had been no way to resist the 30 or so Daesh members who occupied their village. As the militants kept close watch on residents, they busied themselves preparing for any attack, digging tunnels and stockpiling weapons.

Everyone wanted to flee. What did Daesh provide us? said Asad Hassan, another resident of the village. I had sons who were state employees. They didnt give them jobs. Students didnt go back to school.

After escaping the village, they had been treated well by Kurdish soldiers known as peshmerga, who had brought them to the camp. Now, he and his fellow villagers were waiting for better treatment from the government to solve the kind of long-term problems that provided an opening for Daesh in the first place.

It is up to the state, he said.

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CALAIS, FRANCELines of migrants with their lives in small bags waited calmly to get on buses in the French port city of Calais on Monday, the first day of the mass evacuation and destruction of the squalid camp they called home.

French authorities were beginning a complex operation to shut down the makeshift camp, uprooting thousands who made treacherous journeys to escape wars, dictators or grinding poverty and dreamed of building new lives in Britain.

Closely watched by more than 1,200 police, the first of hundreds of buses arrived to begin transferring migrants to reception centres around France where they can apply for asylum. The camp will then be levelled in a weeklong operation. Hotels and even castles are among the hundreds of buildings officials have been converting to migrant housing.

This is an operation we want to be peaceful and under control. So far it is, French Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve said in Paris.

Authorities say the camp, known as the jungle, holds nearly 6,500 migrants who are seeking to get to Britain. Aid groups say there are more than 8,300.

The harsh reality of the move hit migrants on Monday. Some were happy to leave, others were confused or in shock.

Afghan Imran Khan, 35, risks expulsion if he accepts the French plan to move him to a reception centre, because his fingerprints were taken in another European country before he arrived in France. Under European rules, he must be sent back to the country where he first registered.

I will decide tomorrow (what to do), he said.

Khan lives in a filthy tent, one of hundreds that are expected to be destroyed by the end of the week as their occupants depart, gradually closing down the camp that sprang up behind an official shelter housing women and providing showers and daily meals.

Unaccompanied minors, many with family members in Britain, were to be housed on-site in containers set up earlier this year as their files are studied in London to see if they qualify for a transfer across the English Channel. The humanitarian organization France Terre dAsile says 1,291 unaccompanied minors live in the camp.

One 16-year-old Eritrean, Daniel, was heading to the registration centre with his cousin, also an unaccompanied minor. Im not happy because its finished, the jungle. I want to go to the U.K., he said.

In Calais for eight months, he said he has tried daily to jump on trucks heading to Britain, like other migrants in the camp. I dont want France, he insisted.

Fourteen migrants have died this year in the Calais area.

The unofficial camp, which sprang up 18 months ago, was previously tolerated but given almost no state help. Aid groups, and hundreds of British volunteers, have provided basic necessities. It devolved into a slum where tensions bubbled, friendships formed and smugglers thrived.

The forced departure of thousands is an enormous task, planned for months.

Authorities have had practice. They dismantled the southern half of the camp in March, a chaotic, even brutal, bulldozing operation that drew complaints from human rights groups.

This time, authorities hope to restore some pride by closing the camp that has been seen as a national disgrace in a peaceful, humane operation.

Officials have said that there will be a solution for each migrant  though expulsion may be among them for those who dont qualify for asylum. Meanwhile, France will spend 25 euros a day on each migrant in the reception centres, according to officials. It was not immediately clear how long they will be allowed to stay.

Some doubt the camps dismantling will end the migrant flux into northern France which predates the slum.

A 2003 French-British accord effectively put the British border in Calais, stopping migrants there and putting the onus on France to deal with their plight.

Now, some fear those determined to cross the English Channel will scatter and create mini-jungles along the northern coast in a never-ending bid to outsmart heavy security and high fences blocking their path to Britain.

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A new report that documents 15 years of violence near Canadian mines in Latin America says the federal government is not doing enough to address the problem.

The study, published Monday, charts 44 deaths, 403 injuries and 709 arrests, detentions and charges from 2000-2015 that the authors link to 28 Canadian companies mining projects in 13 countries in the region.

The world is taking notice of Canadian companies for all the wrong reasons, said Shin Imai, a law professor at York Universitys Osgoode Hall Law School and principal author of the report, titled The Canada Brand: Violence and Canadian Mining Companies in Latin America.

We need a more robust way to hold companies accountable, he said.

Pierre Gratton, president of the Mining Association of Canada, which represents several of Canadas largest resource companies, said his members are committed to human rights and do disclose workplace injuries and fatalities in annual sustainability reporting.

Some Canadian companies work in jurisdictions in which levels of violence are significantly higher, and respect for the rule of law lower, than that experienced in Canada, which is a challenge, Gratton said. Our members dont condone violence nor, in many of these examples, is violence directly correlated to operations.

Ottawa requires that Canadian mining companies follow voluntary corporate social responsibility (CSR) codes in their overseas activity. The office of the federal CSR counsellor also works to reduce and constructively resolve conflicts between local communities and Canadian companies. That office does not conduct investigations nor have the power to sanction companies.

Most companies subscribe to what is known as voluntary principles on security and human rights, Gratton said, a framework that requires companies to respect human rights, including in its dealings with police and security personnel.

The report was written by the Justice and Corporate Accountability Project, a legal aid group at Osgoode Hall.

These cases cannot be independently verified by the Toronto Star.

Canadian securities regulations oblige publicly listed companies to disclose events that may affect the market value of their shares. Incidents of violence may not necessarily meet that standard and no law requires companies to disclose all incidents that happen near their overseas projects.

In the documented cases, the companies disclosed just a quarter of deaths, and 12 per cent of injuries, the report says.

There is evidence that conflicts between mining projects and local comminutes can affect company stock price, according to a 2014 Harvard study.

Imai said the data in the new report raises questions about the correlation between violent conflict and Canadian mining companies in Latin America. It is fair to inquire whether the company contributed to a community context where violence and criminalization could occur?

Globally, Canada has been criticized for failing to develop better mechanisms to hold mining companies accountable for their overseas projects.

In April 2016, more than 180 organizations from Latin America sent an open letter to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau asking him to take action on problems at Canadian mines. Forty-one per cent of large mining companies operating in Latin America are Canadian.

Gratton said he supports strengthening Canadas existing oversight system, but extending Canadian law to foreign jurisdictions is not workable. Security, law and order and upholding respect for human rights remain the responsibility of government authorities, he said.

Some of the violence recorded by researchers happened at anti-mining protests or appeared to target activists. Other cases affected community members, police, journalists or children. At least two security guards and six mine workers were among those killed, the report says.

Several Canadian mines are located in regions where drug cartels and organized crime are active. Mexico and Guatemala were among the countries with the highest levels of violence, with eight and 12 deaths respectively, the report found.

Note - October 24, 2016: This article was edited from a previous version.



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BARTELLA, IRAQU.S.-backed Iraqi forces fought their way inside two villages Monday as they crept closer to Mosul a week into an offensive to retake the Daesh-held city, but they also faced questions over a suspected airstrike on a mosque that killed 13 people.

Iraqi special forces shelled militant positions before dawn near Bartella, a historically Christian town east of Mosul that they had retaken last week. With patriotic music blaring from loudspeakers on their Humvees, they then pushed into the village of Tob Zawa, about 9 kilometres from Mosul, amid heavy clashes.

Until now, most of the fighting has been in largely uninhabited towns and villages, but the special forces found more than 70 civilians sheltering in Tob Zawa. They will encounter many more civilians as they get closer to Mosul, still home to more than 1 million people.

Abdeljabar Antar, who had remained in Tob Zawa with his wife and four children, said the Daesh militants had included foreign fighters who spoke languages I dont know  Russians, Pakistanis. They had forced children to go to religious school and military training, and everyone had to attend prayers five times a day, he added.

In the days before the offensive, Antar said the village ran low on food and supplies, and that residents had to get permission from Daesh, also known as ISIS or ISIL, to leave.

I hope life will return to the way it was before 2014, he said, referring to the summer when Daesh militants swept across northern and central Iraq, capturing Mosul and surrounding towns.

The Iraqi Federal Police, a military-style force, pushed into a second village in the Shura district south of Mosul, where they fired a large anti-aircraft gun and rocket-propelled grenades. They later appeared to have secured the village, a cluster of squat homes on a desert plain, and handed out water and other aid to civilians.

The U.S.-led coalition said it had carried out six airstrikes Sunday near Mosul, destroying 19 fighting positions and 17 vehicles, as well as rocket and mortar launchers, artillery and tunnels.

Human Rights Watch called for an investigation into last weeks purported airstrike in northern Iraq that hit the womens section of a Shiite mosque in the town of Daquq.

The strike happened amid a large Daesh assault on nearby Kirkuk that appeared aimed at diverting attention from the fight for Mosul, Iraqs second-largest city.

The Daesh attack on Kirkuk, 170 kilometres southeast of Mosul, lasted for two days and killed at least 80 people, mainly members of the Kurdish security forces that took control of the city in 2014 as Iraqi forces crumbled amid a Daesh advance.

Human Rights Watch said Daquqs residents believe Fridays attack was an airstrike because of the extent of the destruction and because planes could be heard overhead. The New York-based group said at least 13 people were reported killed.

The coalition and the Iraqi military, which are waging the offensive, are the only parties known to be flying military aircraft over Iraq.

Col. John Dorrian, a U.S. military spokesman, said the coalition had definitively determined it did not conduct the airstrike that killed civilians in Daquq and had shared its findings with the Iraqi government, which is doing its own investigation.

The Coalition uses precision munitions and an exhaustive process to reduce the possibility of civilian casualties and collateral damage because the preservation of civilian life is (of) paramount importance to us, Dorrian said.

Iraqi Brig. Gen. Yahya Rasool, spokesman for the Joint Military Command, confirmed the Iraqi government was investigating the attack. He declined to say whether Iraqi or coalition planes were in the area at the time.

Elsewhere in the country, Iraqi forces battled Daesh militants for a second day in the far western town of Rutba, hundreds of kilometres south of Mosul, after what appeared to be another Kirkuk-style assault.

Rasool said the situation in Rutba is completely under control, and the militants have no presence in the town.

But Dorrian, the coalition spokesman, said Iraqi forces continue to attack the enemy with coalition air support in Rutba and that operations are ongoing.

He said coalition airstrikes have destroyed five Daesh vehicles and killed a significant number of militants in the town, located in sprawling Anbar province.

The Daesh-run Aamaq news agency posted video that it said showed fighters attacking a military position north of Rutba on Sunday. It said several groups of fighters had infiltrated the town, setting off two car bombs, while other militants attacked the perimeter. The claims could not be independently confirmed.

In Baghdad, meanwhile, a series of small bombings killed 11 people and wounded another 35, according to police and hospital officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to release the information.

The campaign to retake Mosul comes after months of planning and involves more than 25,000 Iraqi troops, Kurdish forces, Sunni tribal fighters and state-sanctioned Shiite militias. It is expected to take weeks, if not months.

Daesh has suffered a series of setbacks in the past year, and Mosul is its last major urban bastion in Iraq.

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LOS ANGELESIn one of the most dramatic personal transformations in American political history, Tom Hayden went from being a famed 1960s and 1970s student radical to a mainstream elected official and elder statesman of the countrys left. He died Sunday at age 76 following a lengthy illness.

Hayden will be forever linked to riots at the 1968 Democratic National Convention, Vietnam War protests of the 1970s and his one-time marriage to actress Jane Fonda.

Those events, however, ultimately represented just a small slice of a life dedicated to, as he put it, trying to change the world.

Elected to the California Assembly in 1982, Hayden served 10 years, followed by eight more in the state Senate.

During that time he put his name on some 100 pieces of legislation  including laws aimed at holding down college tuition costs, preventing discrimination in hiring and modest safety controls on guns.

Former President Bill Clinton praised Hayden, saying his eventful life in pursuit of peace and justice ran the gamut from protesting to legislating, with lots of writing and teaching along the way.

Clinton added: Attacked first by the right as a dangerous radical, then by the left for his willingness to compromise, Tom always marched to the beat of his own drummer, doing what he thought at any given time would advance his lifelong goals.

California Gov. Jerry Brown said Hayden took up causes that others avoided. He had a real sense of the underdog and was willing to do battle no matter what the odds.

It was a battle that began at the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor in the early 1960s where Hayden, then barely out of his teens, co-founded the Students For a Democratic Society and wrote its manifesto, the often-quoted Port Huron Statement.

We are people of this generation, bred in at least modest comfort, housed now in universities, looking uncomfortably to the world we inherit, the lengthy screed railing against racial discrimination, war and wage disparity proclaimed in its introduction.

While critics of the time dismissed it as nonsense and Haydens group as a band of ragtag malcontents threatening the American way of life with their left-wing ideas, its author would be invited to colleges for decades to come to lecture about its significance.

Youth International Party co-founder Paul Krassner, who also participated in the Chicago demonstration, told The Associated Press on Monday that the manifesto was a cornerstones of the 1960s radical movement because it spelled out precisely what protesters hoped to accomplish.

People were always saying, Oh, what do they really stand for? And this laid it out, Krassner said.

Born in Royal Oak, Michigan, on Dec. 11, 1939 to middle-class parents, Thomas Emmet Hayden once considered a career in journalism and would eventually publish 20 books on a myriad of subjects.

But after graduation he turned down a newspaper job. He said in his memoir: I didnt want to report on the world; I wanted to change the world.

He took part in Civil Rights Freedom Rides through the South and was beaten and arrested in Georgia and Mississippi. In 1964, he worked as a community organizer in Newark, New Jersey, pushing for more jobs and empowerment for the poor.

An early opponent of the Vietnam War, he made his first visit to North Vietnam in 1965 in unauthorized trip that enraged a segment of the American public at the time. He returned in 1967 and was asked by North Vietnamese leaders to bring three prisoners of war back to the United States.

In 1968, he helped organize anti-war demonstrations outside the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, where Vice-President Hubert Humphrey was being nominated for president.

After the demonstrations turned violent, he and six others were put on trial as the infamous Chicago 7.

After a circus-like proceeding, with the defendants openly mocking the judge, Hayden and three others were convicted of crossing state lines to incite riot. The convictions were eventually overturned, and an official report on the violence concluded it was the result of a police riot.

Still an anti-war activist, Hayden met Fonda in 1971 and they eventually married, following a first date in which he presented her a slide-show of an anti-war teach-in he was conducting. Fonda had a daughter, Vanessa Vadim, by her marriage to film director Roger Vadim, and she and Hayden would have a son, Troy Garity.

Backed by heavy financial support from Fonda, Hayden plunged into California politics in the late 1970s. With the disdain hed attracted during his anti-war years fading, he was elected to the Assembly as a representative of the liberal city of Santa Monica and its surrounding area.

During his years in office he and Fonda split up and he later married actress Barbara Williams. The couple had a son, Liam.

Before launching his successful Assembly bid, Hayden had made an unsuccessful run for U.S. Senate. He later made unsuccessful bids to become governor of California, mayor of Los Angeles and Los Angeles city councilman.

A lifetime baseball fan who boasted he once won a Los Angeles Dodgers fantasy camp batting title, Hayden sometimes jokingly defined his political career in baseball terms, saying he ran 11 political campaigns and compiled a 7-4 won-loss record.

After leaving public office, he wrote and travelled extensively  lecturing, teaching and speaking out against the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

He was also an advocate for animals, and in 2012 he lobbied Brown to preserve a piece of legislation known as Haydens Law, which he had authored to protect shelter animals from premature euthanasia.

Until his health failed in recent months he remained politically active, supporting Hillary Clinton for president and railing against Donald Trump. He said Clinton had a broader coalition and better chance of winning than leftist favourite Bernie Sanders.

Ive fretted all year about the ominous threat of domestic fascism in our country revealed in the rhetoric and extremism of Donald Trump and his hard-core followers, he wrote in an op-ed piece in April.

Hayden had a stroke last year but continued to make public appearances until last summer.

He is survived by his wife, sons and stepdaughter Vanessa Vadim.

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For 50 years Pearl Achneepineskum has been searching for a way to tell the story of the brother her family lost to the Indian Residential School system.

Thanks to Gord Downie she found it. Last week they delivered it.

This weekend marks the 50th anniversary of the sad passing of 12-year-old Chanie Charlie Wenjack, who died while fleeing Celica Jeffery Indian Residential School near Kenora, Ont., in a desperate attempt to walk 600 km back home to his family in Ogoki Post. Chanie died on Oct., 1966, and his body was discovered lying along railroad tracks east of Kenora, less than 100 km from the school.

Like many children at the time, Chanie was forcibly removed from his family and sent to Indian Residential School during a dark chapter of Canadian history. He was there for four years, and we have learned from his family and former students that he suffered horrific experiences. That was why he was trying to find his way home to his mother and father, a journey that ended in his tragic death.

Fifty years later, and just a few weeks ago, I was honoured to address Ontarios newly called lawyers during my keynote address at the Toronto Call to the Bar ceremony at Roy Thomson Hall. Looking at their faces when I took the podium, Im sure they expected a fist-banging tirade about the many injustices faced by Canadas indigenous peoples and a general shaming of the legal system.

Much to their surprise, I introduced three people who have become like brothers to me: Gord Downie and his brothers Patrick and Mike. Instead of talking about myself, I felt it was my responsibility to use this once-in-a lifetime opportunity to introduce my eager audience to Chanies tragic story  because they, and everyone in Canada, need to know Chanie.

All Canadians must face the true history of this country, especially the Indian Residential School experience, if we are ever to achieve true reconciliation. But we should feel blessed we all have the opportunity to be part of what promises to be a historic journey.

It is no secret what Gord Downie is facing, but I was in awe as he performed his Secret Path album against the backdrop of his animated film that so powerfully depicts the short and tragic life of Chanie Wenjack.

Through two intense performances Gord has restored the dignity and innocence of a little boy who only wanted to go home. I am humbled by his determination to share Chanies story and the stories of all our youth who never made it home. Like Gord, I believe we have a challenge ahead of us. But if we walk together and work together, our task is less daunting.

The Hon. Sen. Murray Sinclair said it best: Achieving reconciliation is like climbing a mountain  we must proceed a step at a time. It will not always be easy. There will be storms, there will be obstacles, but we cannot allow ourselves to be daunted by the task because our goal is just and it is also necessary for our children.

Gord is bearing the shame of the relationship between indigenous and non-indigenous peoples over the past 150 years, which in his sly turn of phrase, hasnt been great. But I share his optimism that the next 150 can be.

My friend is facing an uncertain future with courage, love and a vision to take this country forward. He wants us to move from awareness to caring, because we have a rare opportunity to create something. Something meaningful. Something for Chanie. Most importantly, something for all of us.

It is my hope that what started as a personal journey for Gord will become a call to action for all Canadians. We know that achieving reconciliation will not be easy, but he has inspired us to move forward on this path together.

In Gords own words: Its just time to get started. Its time to get going, OK?

Alvin Fiddler is Grand Chief of Nishnawbe Aski Nation, representing 49 First Nation communities in James Bay Treaty No. 9 and the Ontario portion of Treaty No. 5  an area covering two thirds of the province of Ontario in Canada.

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Its hard to believe that in Canada innocent people can spend years, even decades, behind bars for crimes they did not commit. But, sadly, it happens all too often.

Think of David Milgaard, who spent 23 years in prison for a rape and murder he did not commit. Or Guy Paul Morin, wrongly convicted of the killing of Christine Jessop. He spent 10 years trying to clear his name. Or Steven Truscott, who fought for 50 years before he was acquitted of the murder of Lynne Harper.

Then think about where they might be if it wasnt for the help of Innocence Canada (formerly known as the Association in Defence of the Wrongly Convicted), an organization that worked tirelessly for the exoneration of each.

As the Stars Wendy Gillis reported, since 1993 the non-profit organization has helped obtain 21 of the 26 exonerations in Canadas history, freeing individuals who together spent more than 190 years in prison for crimes they did not commit. Among them were seven victims of disgraced Ontario pathologist Charles Smith, including William Mullins-Johnson who spent 12 years in prison after being wrongfully convicted of the murder of his 4-year-old niece.

With a track record like that, one would think the organization would be considered a vital part of Canadas justice system, worthy of federal funding. Sadly, that seems not to be the case.

Last month, the organization was denied funding by the federal department of justice. As a result, it now finds itself in dire financial difficulty. It recently stopped accepting new cases and issued layoff notices to some members of its staff. That means not only will it cease taking new wrongful conviction cases, but its ability to tackle its current 85-case backlog will be greatly diminished. That should worry all Canadians. Included in that backlog are 16 cases where the organization is convinced the person is innocent.

Asked by the Star why it denied Innocence Canadas request for funding, a government spokesperson would say only that the organizations application did not meet its criteria for funding programs. But given the profound contribution it has made to Canadian justice, Innocence Canadas demise should be seen as an unacceptable outcome. The organization should be expanding its important work, not cutting back.

Wrongly taking the liberty of a citizen is among the most tragic errors the state can make. Innocence Canada has proven to be the countrys most effective watchdog against such injustice. Ottawa mustnt let it fade away.

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Its hard to blame International Trade Minister Chrystia Freeland for being seriously frustrated at the European Unions inability to ratify the economic deal it worked out with Canada over eight long years.

The hang-up in the deal  possibly temporary but potentially permanent  is indeed a set-back for the Trudeau government. But its a much bigger headache for the EU, which now risks looking incapable of following through on an arrangement even with a country as nice (as Freeland awkwardly put it) as Canada.

Nice or not, Canada shares fundamental economic, social and legal values with Europe. The two sides ought by all logic to be able to reach a mutually beneficial deal. If the EU cant manage that, who will have confidence in its ability to negotiate anything of significance  and actually stick with it?

As is now well known, the sticking point came in Wallonia, of all places, home to angry rust-belt workers and a lot of farmers who fear foreign competition will undermine their markets and threaten their way of life. They see Canadas dairy farmers and pork producers as potential competition, as indeed they would be if the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) ever goes into force.

For now, their representatives have derailed the process, sending Freeland home in a snit and putting a planned signing ceremony involving Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Thursday in doubt.

If it wasnt the Walloons, however, it might be any number of others. The EU agreed that CETA would be ratified by all its member governments  38 of them, including some regional administrations like Wallonia. Romania and Bulgaria, for example, were already threatening to block the deal because of a dispute over visas.

The bigger context is the rise in anti-trade, anti-globalization sentiment on both the right and the left. Britains vote to leave Europe and the passions roiling the U.S. presidential race are just the most obvious examples. Pro-trade liberal politicians have failed miserably at dealing with the negative consequences of globalization, and now they are reaping the consequences.

But that should not obscure the fact that there are clear advantages for Canada in freer exchange with a market of half a billion people. Our companies could sell more goods and services there, and our consumers would benefit by paying less for what Europe produces.

But its easy to exaggerate both the potential benefits of a deal and the downside if it doesnt go ahead, at least in its present form. Trade deals have often been oversold by those who support them, and demonized by those on the other side. The truth is usually less dramatic.

In the case of CETA, the demonization focuses on one part of the agreement, involving a process for resolving disputes between investors and governments. The so-called Investor-State Dispute Settlement system would allow foreign firms to challenge European laws if they felt they were being unfairly discriminated against.

The critics portrayed this as a way for corporate interests to ride roughshod over local concerns. So the EU amended the deal early this year, with the Trudeau government happy to go along.

They changed the system for resolving disputes, proposing a permanent system closer to a permanent trade court. They added measures aimed at making arbitrators act impartially. And they affirmed the right of governments to regulate to achieve legitimate policy objectives in such areas as the environment, labour, health and culture  even if that damages investors expectations of profit. In other words, they made efforts to tip the balance away from corporations in favour of the broader public interest.

This part of the deal remains problematic. But CETAs overall benefits still outweigh the drawbacks. It may even be possible for the EU to ratify it but delay having the controversial dispute-settlement mechanism go into force.

The politicians drove this deal into the ditch. But theres still time for them to salvage something positive from the wreckage.

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Re: Science dropped ball on concept of race, Letter Oct. 18

Science dropped ball on concept of race, Letter Oct. 18

While Barrington Morrisons letter is interesting, the last paragraph is misleading. The concept of race never came out of science. Indeed science has been used to disprove such notions, and with the advent of DNA sequencing shows quite clearly that all humans are of the same species.

For example, back in apartheid times a research group was tasked by the government of the era to find a means of separating the races by density of colour cells in their skin, which could be then used on ID cards.

The research found that biopsies from the forehead all contained the same density of melanocytes regardless of skin colour. Fortunately this work was discussed internationally in the science community otherwise it might never have seen the light of day.

The word race in this context came into English in the 16th century with the wine trade, and designated geographic location of the grapes used for a wine. It was soon co-opted to mean origin of anything and from then on widely misused. It wasnt accepted as an English word by the Oxford Dictionary until 1760. If used in science (rarely) it is still in the sense of geographic origin, particularly for insects.

Over the ages science has been misused and abused for politically expedient purposes by those who neither understood the information nor cared about the consequences of misapplication.

Clive E. Holloway, Toronto

Barrington Morrisons excellent letter with respect to Faye Flam dismissing race as a genetic or biological fact was on point. Quoting W.E.B. DuBois, he identifies the problem of the 20th century as the problem of the colour line. But then he calls DuBois African-American, and therein lies the subconscious seduction of genetic and biological separation, for Africa is not synonymous with black.

Africa is the cradle of civilization. Teresa Heinz, wife of Secretary of State John Kerry, is African-America for she was born in Mozambique. Charlize Theron (South Africa) and millions of others may not be black; but they are African.

This misconception is so ubiquitous it will never leave us for even black people proudly parade it as a badge of honour.

Gavin Francisco, Toronto

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CHARLES CITY -- The Charles City School Board is extending the deadline for a senior student to apply to join it.

Last summer, the board approved encouraging a student voice to be heard during open board meetings. However, the board received zero applications for its original Oct. 20 deadline.

"This was something the board approved as a way of getting a student voice represented at the table," Superintendent Dan Cox said via email. "We will extend the deadline and do more promoting of the option."

The new deadline will be open-ended, he said.
Re: Its costly to run a big city like this, Royson James column, Oct. 16

Its costly to run a big city like this, Royson James column, Oct. 16

I appreciate reading a comprehensive overview of the financial issues dogging the city.

With regard to Toronto property owners and low property taxes: while the municipal rate might be too low, I wonder if you have factored in the MVA appreciation that increases the property values each year? Thats no free ride for us in Toronto with the cost of houses skyrocketing unbelievably.

More specifically, those nanas and parents are, by definition, a lot of seniors and 50-plus folk who may well be income-constrained.

People who bought bungalows decades ago were not necessarily rich but worked at regular jobs to afford those lots. It may have been the result of a two-income family with sacrifices being made. Many may have been immigrants who started from scratch to achieve that home as their one source of security.

Surely, pensioners ability to pay should be a factor instead of a blanket assumption that everyone can afford a massive property-tax increase.

This is a situation that requires a workable tax agreement with the province and federal government so it doesnt end up unhousing seniors to add to our woes. Remember that seniors able to age in their homes is also a cost-effective strategy for the province.

Lastly, weve lived through an era where business gained the ascendancy by crying poor in order to lower their taxes.

That explains why residential developers, given our dependance on the construction industry, are allowed to pay tiddlywinks as they make a killing raiding every commercial corner of the city while the going is good.

The business community continues to sit on piles of money, even as the federal government used every incentive to get them to invest. And it is the business community that insists on driving down wages and salaries while the top tiers, including managers, gained the most of any prosperity generated.

The pushback from the fed-up public against the neo-liberal agenda comes from a long history of targeting those lower on the totem pole of wealth and power.

Lastly, we older citizens whove seen the unseemly increases in the cost of houses didnt create this boondoggle. We remain in our homes and are not seeking a killing by selling them off. We keep living there as a hedge against the costs of ill-health and care in our last years.

I for one have no use for the real-estate industry that undermined the role of housing as a human right and replaced this value as an avenue for quick wealth.

We live with our neighbourhoods in chaos and are supposed to be mesmerized with the extras provided by this world-class atmosphere were so tied to. Give me sanity, human-scale neighbourhoods and less chaos any day.

J.E. Seth, Toronto

I understand that Peter Wallace appreciates that city council has no appetite for raising property taxes, but a hike is overdue.

We live in a great city but to sustain it comes at a cost. I believe an across-the-board increase is preferable to dipping into reserves and nickel-and-diming us with myriad user fees.

There are great things happening in our town and great ideas proposed. Lets keep getting better.

Our large population should make it possible to keep our taxes lower than those in surrounding areas but we are deluding ourselves if we think our infrastructure can be maintained and increased at present revenue levels. Its time to pony up.

Sean Moore, Weston

Whether or not one agrees that Toronto needs more revenue to survive and grow, I wish to comment on the methods being tossed about to accomplish this.

These ideas include various specific taxes such as hotels, restaurants or alcohol. Before you know it the list will be endless and ridiculous. Tax bicycles, doggie parks, swimming pools, library books, ice rinks! Road tolls are also on the table.

This approach will only bring about new administration costs and, before you know it, the revenue generated will be much less than projected.

For example, how much will it cost to implement and collect road tolls on the DVP? Of course, there will be a department of road tolls and a couple of half-million-dollar-a-year CEOs and their support staff.

Lets take the most effective, simple and broad-based approach, where no one group is penalized more than another, where everyone pays a little bit but it makes a big difference in the end. A 1- or 2-per-cent VAT on every transaction in the GTA would raise significant revenue. It would be borne not only by us who live here but visitors as well.

The mechanism to add this to an existing taxation system such as the HST should be developed. Other cities in Canada might also need to avail themselves of this revenue tool. Whatever is exempt from HST would also be exempt from this fee and those below the poverty line should be able to access social-aid programs to compensate.

George Novotny, Toronto

Royson James made it clear that Toronto may be Canadas calling-card city and Ontario may be our economic engine, but both have emperors with no clothes.

James makes the repeated sinkholes we live in clear: We want what we dont wish to pay for. But we can no longer kick the can down the road, because the sinkholes of infrastructure, service debacles and political lack of will have eaten up any remaining road. And yet we plan parks in the sky with no money. Whats left is nothing to fear but fear itself!

Mr. James fact-checks are concise and point out the decades it has taken the politicians to get here. Why do our elected leaders at all levels persist in playing unclothed emperors? The simple answer is re-election.

Perhaps its true that trusting critical life issues like health, education and infrastructure to politicians doesnt work. The litany of numbers, exhausted efficiencies, bad circumstances turning worse to critical to terminal must tell us something.

Its not only Toronto that is crying out for a champion, its Ontario as well. Im asking the Star to begin the job search. Start with a series of Royson James public roundtables. Ask pointed questions of leaders, consumers and voters. Attach action to promises and bind them with guts.

What services do we need, what do we want and what are we prepared to pay for. Ask how we can get there. Can taxes benefit from a re-think? (People and companies with real money can donate to critical sinkholes, receiving tax credits for their investments.)

James provided a serious wake-up call. How much longer can we sustain Houdini-like escapes from fiscal ruin?

Don Graves, Burlington

Royson James calls for increases in civic taxes across the board, including property taxes.

Living in Toronto, we hold a sizable mortgage. Both my wife and I have to own a car, which is expensive (we drive 10-year-old used cars). My wife and I work in the private sector. We have no pension. We have minimal benefits. We are in our 40s and still living paycheque to paycheque.

Royson claims that Toronto has created a lot of wealth for a lot of people, but we havent seen much of it. We simply cannot afford extra property taxes, road tolls, etc.

Does this make us evil? No, just middle-class. Perhaps Toronto is no longer a city for people like us.

W. Petrie, Toronto

Royson James has done an excellent job in setting out the issues and providing some concrete plans to make Toronto an even greater city.

However, before asking us to pay more taxes, the city must cut operating costs.

Having been a Toronto taxpayer for most of the past 50 years, I have seen city council waste enormous sums of money in administrative costs and white elephants  the Sheppard subway being one of many. Major projects typically have huge cost overruns.

I believe Torontonians would accept higher taxes if they thought the money would be spent wisely. Before raising taxes, lets see a concerted effort in reducing administrative costs.

I watched city workers build a new park in Willowdale over the past year. Most times when I went by, 30 per cent were doing nothing. Not their fault. Just overstaffed.

I watched construction workers build a 32-storey condo building over the past two years at 88 Sheppard East. The workers were fantastic and super-efficient.

Whatever happened to the garbage study re privatizing west of Yonge? At least Rob Ford had the guts to take on the unions and privatize east of Yonge. My understanding is that the savings were about 50 per cent. Why havent we proceeded to privatize the rest of the city?

Another major problem is the weak mayor system in Toronto. John Tory has only one vote, so in order to get anything done, he has to horse trade with the rest of council.

I dont really want Tory planning our transit system. Thats how we got a one-stop subway system in Scarborough at a cost of $1 billion plus. Meanwhile we are in desperate need for a relief line.

Why not lock up the chief city planner, the heads of the TTC and Metrolinx and a few top-notch consultants and task them with the job of planning the most desirable, cost-efficient routes absent of political pressure.

Lets see council start running the city more efficiently and cutting costs significantly. And lets see evidence- based planning, not political horse trading.

When we see this happen, we would be much more amenable to paying higher taxes, knowing that the money will be well spent.

D. Lillie, Toronto

Royson James has shared with Star readers his comprehensive and compelling account of what ails the City of Toronto and holds it back from reaching civic greatness. The push required to reach the next phase of glory is within easy grasp of Toronto the Good.

James diagnosis of our premier citys chronic ailment, made with surgical precision, is followed by some practical suggestions and a recipe to put Toronto on a sound fiscal footing, using the invaluable insights and expertise of Councillors Joe Cressy and Michael Thompson.

The proposed seven-point action plan is largely based on hiking property taxes on residents and businesses, where the rates have been incredibly low when compared with other major cities and even with Torontos neighbours, such as Mississauga, Vaughan, Richmond Hill and Markham. Toronto also has unconscionably low development charges compared with other GTA jurisdictions.

If and when such a bold and timely action plan is considered for implementation, the City of Toronto will then have sufficient funds for poverty reduction, where the record is dismal, and especially to take a leadership role in transformative global-scale civic improvements that will pave the way to help Toronto to catapult from Toronto the Good to Toronto the Great.

Rudy Fernandes, Mississauga

Please could you explain to me why articles in The Star nearly always use the word hike in any references to tax increases. (Royson James is just the most recent that caught my attention).

Even in articles supporting increased property taxes, the use of the word implies something totally undesirable and possibly underhand.

Lynne Patterson, Toronto

Where in Royson James article does he address peoples ability to pay?

Has he read the latest Toronto Vital Signs report, released and buried within 24 hours? A complete eye-opener on the many being left behind and its not just the poor.

Costs for everything are up: property taxes, home heating, hydro rates, water and sewage, basic food items, public transit and parking fees.

Young people being forced out of the country to find jobs, or people working three low-paying jobs to make ends meet. And boomers whove faced years of salary freezes now moving into retirement with no company pensions.

Raising property taxes means a whole lot less for local businesses. James needs to address it all, not just the tax us until were great solution.

Ron Sellwood, Toronto

Kudos to my wife Ruth for coming up with a brilliant scheme to solve Torontos property-tax inequities with the rest of the GTA.

Obviously, across-the-board tax increases represent not only a financial solution of sorts, but also a moral dilemma. Does the city become an accessory in forcing our parents and grandparents out of their homes?

The solution is to grandfather a new property tax rate, perhaps assessed on all properties sold, say, within the past 10 years and from hereon. It may take one generation but finally this tax inequity would be solved.

This is one concrete solution for your solve-no-big-problem/lack of vision city councillors to mull over. Come on Toronto, paralysis through analysis doesnt work!

David Ottenbrite, Mississauga

No doubt there is a need to review the mix of taxes and fees in the city, including new opportunities.

A hotel-room tax is one that many cities around the world charge without limiting tourists coming. In Toronto, we subsidize big events like Pride and Caribana with free services, bringing millions to hotels and restaurants. The city itself gets nothing. We even have city staff organize and run Nuit Blanche!

However, it is wrong to only focus on taxes. Any organization should constantly be searching for new and better ways to deliver services.

This includes everything from internal processes and staffing to P3 and outsourcing. We have elected politicians to oversee the city on our behalf and to hold management accountable.

If we accept the concept that we should just raise taxes, we are letting politicians off the hook and they will do the easy thing.

And just because Toronto has established communities and economy of scale, resulting in lower taxes, is no reason to use other municipalities rates to introduce massive property tax hikes. Again, letting politicians off the hook.

Lars Nordgren, Scarborough

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Re: Revisiting free speech debate on campus, Opinion Oct. 18

Revisiting free speech debate on campus, Opinion Oct. 18

After reading ideologically driven pieces by professional columnists for so long, the piece by professor David M. Haskell was like a breath of fresh air. The wave of political correctness, fueled by social media, is smothering free speech.

Canada is becoming like Albania of yonder years when people were made to change religious names to state-dictated names. Now in our times the crusade is to ban a word or an idea that offends the sensibilities of a person or group.

So change or remove the name of a sport or a people or book or remove it and fire professor Jordan Peterson for asserting his rights. By doing so we cannot erase history. History is not abstract. It is what actually happened, either good or bad. The only thing we can do it to change the conditions that we find repulsive and undesirable. That is hard work and cannot be accomplished by a simple process of changing nomenclature.

Free speech is the lifeblood of democracy. Let the debates and discussions flow and, learn to agree to disagree. It seems so hypocritical and phony to appear self-righteous by appearing as harbingers of reform without any substance.

India has been changing names of cities and landmarks, but it does not the change the fact of the rule of Muslims and British for centuries. In fact India has become richer by adopting their good and useful cultural and institutional aspects. The same can be done in Canada.

We can learn from native spirituality, aspects of their way of life, respect for nature and so many other things. Canada has been rich and prosperous for so long that we are losing touch with realities of life. We exploited others for our prosperity. Are we willing to give up all that we have gained and perhaps even helped native inhabitants in the process? Let us be at least honest and not so paternalistic.

Clarence McMullen, Richmond Hill

Lately the interpretation argued by each side of the controversy over free speech is to exclude the other sides version of reality. However, this zero-sum game of exclusion reveals a misunderstanding of the all-inclusive nature of free speech.

John Milton was absolutely right  restricting speech is not necessary because in a free and open encounter truth will prevail. Thats why criticism of Jordan Petersons ideas should not focus on silencing his opinion but rather on increasing its circulation so that it becomes better known.

Public discussion of Petersons fixation on the idea that pronouns should be absolutely binary (only: he, she, and not they) is the best way to contradict it. The prevailing usage of they as a singular non-gender specific pronoun for 600 years by writers such as Chaucer and Shakespeare established it as a historical fact. Now they is used and accepted as standard usage by most print publishers.

That precedent evolved from free speech shows that its just a matter of time until the truth of civilized conversation will reflect the preferred personal pronoun of the speakers.

Tony DAndrea, Toronto

I rather doubt that any university never mind the University of Toronto is a paragon of free speech as these state-funded institutions are well known to not invite the likes of Ann Coulter to speak her mind at the University of Ottawa without restrictions. The same can be said for conservatives and liberals alike who would not permit topics like the Holocaust to be debated even though I would love to see the likes of Holocaust revisionists like Mark Weber, Robert Farisson and David Irving challenge the likes of National Post columnist Barbara Kay, former Harvard law professor Alan Dershowitz and Bernie Farber of the Anti-Defamation League (see correction note below) in which the later resort to ad hominem tactics which Mark Weber rightly points out that his opponents resort to name calling as a substitute for solid arguments.

The gays lesbians and Muslims are also known to resort to these tactics as they are unable to debate their opponents in a civil and well organized debate led by a fair and neutral monitor.

While I never went to university, I do agree with Thomas Jefferson who said, I have sworn upon the altar of God eternal hostility against every form of tyranny over the mind of man and Ive never considered a difference of opinions in politics, philosophy and religion as cause for withdrawing from a friend.

John Clubine, Etobicoke

Correction - October 31, 2016: Bernie Farber was the CEO of the Canadian Jewish Congress from 2005-2011 and is currently executive director of the Mosaic Institute. He was never worked for the Anti-Defamation League. See Bernie Farber's respose to above letter here.



Thank you for printing the article by Mr. Haskell. There is not enough exposure of the suppression of facts. It is time to give truth seekers the ability to express themselves instead of hate speech being directed at them. When evidence to support legislation or ideas is silenced by denying a voice against the facts by saying we should [not] dignify this man in public debate we will let perversion thrive. Those who are in minorities that want to be seen as normal have an identity crisis that should be addressed.

Bernice Van Hof, Aurora

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Shares in Italy's troubled Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena (BMDPY) on Monday continued their stellar week-long rally, adding 12.7% on expectations that the board of the world's oldest bank will approve a bailout plan to raise new equity and sell bad loans.

Monte dei Paschi shares have now added 78% since reports emerged last Monday that new CEO Marco Morelli had won support for a 5 billion ($5.44 billion) capital increase and the sale of 28 billion of soured loans. Monte dei Paschi is due to present its 2016 to 2019 business plan and quarterly earnings on Tuesday.

Morelli's blue-print is one of two plans that Monte dei Paschi's board will consider on Monday, according to reports in the Italian press. A second, formulated by Italy's former economic development minister, also calls for a 5 billion capital increase.

Cash will be used to bolster Monte dei Paschi's balance sheet. The bank was found to be Europe's most at-risk lender in stress tests conducted in July by the European Bank Authority. Stabilizing Monte dei Paschi will have knock-on effects for other Italian lenders, which are systematically vulnerable to their rival and have also been suffering from a confidence deficit as a result of their significant exposure to non-performing and underperforming loans.



Morelli joined Monte dei Paschi from Bank of America (BAC) last month after the board ousted former CEO Fabrizio Viola when investors sent shares in the bank lower after he presented his bail out plan.

Morelli's plan likely includes a debt-for-equity swap, a 1 billion sale of shares reserved for existing investors and 2.5 billion of new investment from industrial backers. It will also include significant cost cutting, including the removal of about 3,000 jobs, according to a report in Italy's Il Mesaggero newspaper. The sale of the bad loans portfolio would raise a little over 9 billion based on the loans net market value.

A new capital increase would be Monte dei Paschi's within about two years in as many years after it raised 8 billion selling equity from share issues in 2014 and 2015. The bank also received two state bailouts in 2009.

Monte dei Paschi shares traded Monday morning in Milan at 0.305. Despite their sharp gain over the past week they remain 82% down over the past year. Shares in Italy's biggest lender, Intesa Sanpaolo, (ISNPY) rose 1.7% on Monday, while its closest rival, UniCredit, (UNCFF) gained almost 2%.
NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- OPEC is scheduled to meet on Nov. 30 in Vienna to discuss a potential production freeze or cut, but Iraq wants no part of any such plan. Iraq wants to be exempt from a cut, the nation's Oil Minister Jabar Ali al-Luaibi said Sunday at a press conference.

The discord between OPEC nations could produce downside pressure on oil prices. WTI crude was trading slightly lower at $50.40 a barrel in early Monday morning trading.

"I suspect that this projected or proposed cut is already priced in, pretty much, in the marketplace. That's why I'm saying there's very limited upside. But the downside...is about $46 [a barrel] or so, almost 10% lower from where we are right now," Trading Advantage options instructor Scott Bauer said on BloombergTV's "Bloomberg Daybreak" Monday.

Iran would still encourage other OPEC members to join in a production freeze, deputy oil minister Amir Hossein Zamaninia said at an informal meeting of representatives from some OPEC member states in Vienna Monday. A production freeze could potentially send oil prices down to $42 a barrel, Bauer said, but he was skeptical of the possibility of such a slide.

"I don't think we get down there yet," Bauer said.
NEW YORK (TheStreet) --LMM Investments chairman and famed investor Bill Miller defended his position in what he called the "most toxic" stock on the market, Valeant Pharmaceuticals. (VRX)

"It's blown a hole in [Bill] Ackman's portfolio. It cost Bob Goldfarb, one of the great investors of our generation, his job, it's trading in the low $20s but, we just bought more last week," Miller said.

Valeant, Miller explained, is currently working to fix two significant issues.

"One of them being a legacy issue of Mike Pierce, you have a new CEO, CFO, and business strategy at Valeant, and then the debt load. The debt is $31 billion," he added.

Despite the headwinds, Valeant's free cash flow is what keeps Miller invested in the stock. Valeant's free cash flow of $2.5 billion to $3 billion on a market cap of $8 billion equates to a 25%-35% free cash flow yield.

"So just on free cash flow alone, plus the $8 billion of proceeds they think they can get from selling non-core assets, we think the stock doubles in three years," Miller noted.

Shares of Valeant Pharmaceuticals were lower in mid-afternoon trading on Monday.

Separately, TheStreet Ratings objectively rated this stock according to its "risk-adjusted" total return prospect over a 12-month investment horizon. Not based on the news in any given day, the rating may differ from Jim Cramer's view or that of this articles's author.

TheStreet Ratings rated this stock as a "sell" with a ratings score of D.

The company's weaknesses can be seen in multiple areas, such as its deteriorating net income, generally high debt management risk, disappointing return on equity, generally disappointing historical performance in the stock itself and feeble growth in its earnings per share.

You can view the full analysis from the report here: VRX
Germany's ability to protect its technology firms from China-led takeovers could face a severe test in the months ahead as the government balks at selling key sector assets even as its seeks closer trade ties with the world's second-largest economy.

Germany's Economy Ministry withdrew its approval for a pending takeover of chip equipment maker Aixtron SE (AIXG) Monday, citing security concerns, despite having given the 670 million ($729 million) deal with the Fujian Grand Chip Investment Fund the nod on September 8. Shares in the group plunged 13.3% in Frankfurt following the announcement.

The setback comes at an awkward moment for the German government, however, as it prepares to send a trade mission to China next week in an effort to establish greater ties following the United Kingdom's decision to leave the European Union. More than 5000 German companies currently operate in China and bilateral trade between the two countries topped $175 billion last year.

China, meanwhile, has been slowly transitioning its outward direct investment from energy and resources to technology companies. Just two years ago, its $9.5 billion in buyouts and stakebuilding represented less than 10% of its ODI. That figure has ballooned to $26.5 billion so far this year and represents nearly a quarter of China's $122.7 billion in ODI, according to the American Enterprise Institute's China Investment Tracker.

The issue is especially acute for Germany, which is looking to ensure that its export-led economy won't be limited with respect to access to deep and lucrative markets in China while at the same time preventing a hollowing-out of its technology sector by having intellectual property and innovation transferred abroad via foreign takeovers.

Germany's present angst is not unlike the national debate seen in Canada over the sale of energy companies to China-based firms in the early part of the decade, which culminated in the takeover of Nexen Inc (NXN) by government-controlled CNOOC Ltd in 2012.

The $15.1 billion deal, alongside a smaller $6 billion approach for Progress Energy by Malaysia's Petronas, ultimately prompted Canada to change its approach to foreign state-owned enterprises buying domestic companies.

Controlling interest stakes, as well as outright takeovers, are now judged by the impact they have over the entire sector, not simply the acquisition target, with Canada retaining 'right of refusal' if it deems any deal is not in the national interest.

Germany is exploring a similar safeguard, although given its place at the heart of the EU, it's seeking to establish it via Brussels, not Berlin.

"We need to clarify whether we should not create the option to assess the interests of investors against the EU's industrial interests for sectors that can be of existential significance for the strategic future of the European economy," Germany's Industry Minister Sigmar Gabriel wrote in an op-ed in June.

At present, Germany can only stand in front of an overseas takeover if it risks financial stability, public order or, perhaps more ephemerally, 'word peace'.

Big ticket deals such as the 4.5 billion sale of robotics expert Kuka to China's appliance maker Midea earlier this year and the stated interest Sanan Optoelectronics expressed in lighting technology firm Osram (OSAGY) , spun out of Siemens AG (SIEGY) in 2013 and now valued at 6 billion, have put the issue at the center of the country's industrial policy.

A more specific set of rules, or even new regulations that would give the term 'national interests' a broader and moving definition, as is the case in the United States, would certainly gift Germany policymakers with more control over the sale of key assets.

Balancing that against a need to maintain close - and growing - ties with the powerful Chinese economy may possibly more competitive.

Just as the UK began establishing its post-Brexit economic ambitions this fall, Prime Minister Theresa May approved a deal to build the country's first nuclear power plant in at least a generation - a $24 billion deal that will see China General Nuclear Power Corp working with France's EdF SA (ECIFY) .

Previous security concerns, her critics charged, were set aside in order to maintain economic links with Beijing, particularly after China's UK Ambassador, Liu Xiaoming, wrote in the Financial Times that rejecting the deal could put the "mutual trust" between the two countries jeopardy.

Germany might find itself in a similar dilemma now that it's having a second look at Aixtron.
Rockwell Collins (COL) is paying a rich price to grow its commercial aircraft exposure, buying B/E Aerospace (BEAV) for $8.3 billion in cash, stock and debt despite warning signs that new jet demand might have finally peaked. The company says the deal will leave it better positioned for whenever the aerospace cycle eventually turns.

Cedar Rapids, Iowa-based Rockwell Collins is paying upwards of 12 times estimated 2017 earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization for B/E, which Barclays analyst Carter Copeland in a note says is "at the higher end" of the price range he's seen in recent years. It is Rockwell Collins' second substantial deal since 2013, when the company bought cockpit communications firm Arinc from Carlyle for $1.39 billion.

Shares of Rockwell Collins fell 6.3%, or $5.28, on Monday, Oct. 24, to a close of $79.29, and at first glance the timing of the B/E deal would appear worrisome. Rockwell Collins is doing the largest purchase in its corporate history to gain exposure to a highly cyclical commercial aviation industry that is now eight years removed from its last significant correction.

Company CEO Kelly Ortberg addressed that question head-on in comments to analysts Monday, saying "it's something that we spent a lot of time analyzing as part of our decision here." Ortberg said that the transaction, which would marry Rockwell Collins' avionics, electronics and communications gear with B/E's seats, galleys and modular lavatories, actually would leave Rockwell Collins less vulnerable to a turning cycle.

The executive argued that Rockwell Collins is actually diversifying its exposure because while its current commercial business is mostly selling to original equipment manufacturers like Boeing (BA) and Airbus (EADSY) , B/E sells its seats directly to airlines and so its business is tied to the separate airline growth cycle. B/E also is active in the retrofit market, an area to which Rockwell Collins previously had little exposure.

While new plane sales could indeed slow in the quarters to come, the commercial airline industry will soon enter a major cycle where a lot of wide-body aircrafts are coming off lease and will be returned to lessors, requiring a cabin retrofitting before they can be sent out to a new customer. That's a business to which B/E is much more exposed than Rockwell Collins is as a standalone.

"I really like the fact that the interiors get modified multiple times in the life of an aircraft," Ortberg said. "Our avionics typically don't."

Overall Rockwell Collins post-deal figures to nearly triple its position on wide-body commercial jets like the Boeing 787 and Airbus A350, and nearly double its position on smaller narrow-body jets including the 737. Ortberg said that Rockwell Collins "did extraordinarily deep due diligence" on the B/E backlog before deciding to do a deal and came away confident.

The CEO said Rockwell Collins expects to experience a windfall similar to the Arinc deal by capitalizing on B/E's existing relationships with airline customers. With Arinc, he said, "there were airlines that they had a much stronger position with some of their services, and it just gave us access to better understand the needs and the demands of those customers."

The deal could also help solidify Rockwell Collins' business making products for business jets, a market that is already in a downward trend. Rockwell Collins has a network of more than 300 dealers selling gear to business aviation owners that will soon sell B/E seats and other products as well, creating upwards of $1 million in potential revenue opportunities per jet.

A B/E sale was not totally unexpected, due in part to its founder's age, but the company according to sources tried and failed to sell itself in 2014 and instead spun off its distribution business. While deep-pocketed buyers including General Electric (GE) and Honeywell (HON) had previously been mentioned as potential acquirers, Cowen analyst Gautam Khanna in a note said he'd "be surprised" if another offer comes along.

Should B/E's board change its recommendation in favor of the deal, they would have to pay a $200 million breakup fee. Rockwell Collins meanwhile would owe a $300 million breakup fee in certain circumstances should the deal not go through as planned.
Get to know some of the most active and interesting volcanoes in the world: famous Mt. Etna on Sicily; Vulcano, in the Ancients'belief home to Vulcanus, God of Fire; Lipari with its spectacular obsidian and pumice deposits; and Stromboli, "Lighthouse of the Tyrrhenian Sea", known for its permanent fireworks!
The National Gallery of Art offered a genteel soundtrack to its extensive collection of old Flemish masters Sunday. LeStrange Viols, formed two years ago, presented a program of early-17th-century works with connections to Amsterdam, Antwerp and the Duarte family of arts patrons.

Viols, cousins to the modern string family, produce dainty sounds that blend together with the utmost euphony when played well. One thinks of a childrens choir (though the bass viols go very low) in its dulcet innocence. These instruments and their repertoire represent a time and aesthetic that is appreciated mostly by specialists today; the audience at the close of the concert was considerably smaller than when it began. But this glimpse into the past was expertly presented.

The program was all original viol music, other than arrangements of keyboard works by John Bull and Jan Sweelinck. The latters Fantasia Chromatica was certainly the most interesting piece of the afternoon, even if the musicians sometimes struggled to articulate the fastest passages. The work was pungent and yearning, with a particularly spooky section in quiet, overlapping descending scales. Earlier, Sweelincks Pavana Philippi brought out a range of expression that was missing in the rest of the concert.

On Sunday, LeStrange comprised five players on three sizes of instruments, and one player would often sit out a particular number. Each musician seemed adept and engaged, and tuning was carefully and efficiently done as often as needed; the purity of the final chords gave real pleasure. The design of the instruments and bows (which are held underhanded, like a spoon), precludes much in the way of dynamic contrast. And rapid notes on the larger instruments are often lost in the mix, thin and gentle though it was. But this was clearly a labor of love for the musicians, and one felt approving smiles from the nearby Flincks, van Dycks and Cuyps.
CARPENTER  For many years, Susan Warburton, 52, of rural Carpenter, was told the lump in her stomach was a hernia.

However, this past July she noticed the lump had gotten bigger and her back was starting to hurt.

She visited her doctor in Osage. He ordered a CT scan, which showed a mass the size of a muskmelon on her liver. An MRI was then ordered, which confirmed the large mass.

After the MRI, I thought maybe the mass was fiber nodules, said Warburton.

Within in a month, a liver biopsy was completed and the diagnosis was cancer.

Specifically, intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma, a rare form of liver cancer which one in 20,000 people is diagnosed with annually.

She has since been tested several times and the cancer has not spread to any other part of her body.

Warburton was sent to the Mercy Cancer Center in Mason City, where she was, in turn, sent to meet with a cancer surgeon in Iowa City.

I thought there was the possibility of surgery, she said. However, the surgeon said I had an aggressive type of cancer and if I had the surgery, I would either go into liver failure or the tumor would return.

Warburton discussed the options with her husband, Doug. The two will be married 34 years this November.

I chose quality of life for me and my family, said Warburton, because it would give me a year to live.

Warburton has completed two rounds of chemotherapy in Mason City, with a third week of rest. She will complete three more cycles.
Q: I have a leather-top Baker coffee table from the 1950s. In recent years, the leather has been badly stained by water. As a result, the top is pretty unsightly. Is there an economical way to remove the stains and restore the leather, or to replace the top?

Alexandria

A: Leather inserts on coffee tables and other furniture of that vintage were coated with lacquer to protect against stains. So, depending on the extent of the damage, there are three basic solutions: Touch up the lacquer; strip the coating, clean and recondition the leather, and apply a new clear, protective finish; or install a new leather top.

Bill Shotwell, senior restorer at Restorations Unlimited in Sterling (703-904-9575; virginiafurniturerefinishing.com), offers the full range of options, with prices ranging from $200 to $400 for a touch-up and cleaning to $400 to $600 for a replacement. If he installs new leather, he can add 23-karat gold tooling around the perimeter, which he rolls on with a heated, embossed brass wheel, for $2.50 a linear inch.

Besides professional treatment, there are other options. Try rubbing on shoe polish, then buffing with a soft cloth. If that doesnt work, you might want to strip what remains of the lacquer and refinish the leather. Stripper recipes and other tips are available by searching the Knowledge Base at WoodWeb (woodweb.com) for refinishing an old leather table top.

Or you could even replace the leather yourself. Use a wide putty knife to scrape away the old leather. It often helps to dampen the surface with warm water. When the surface is clean, fill any gaps with wood filler and sand smooth. Any texture differences will show up in the new leather.

Several companies sell replacement leather tops via the Internet. James Lane in Jupiter, Fla., who does business through the Web page antiquerestorers.com/LEATHER.htm, stands out because he offers free adhesive spreaders and free practice leather with all orders and has links to how-to videos. His replacement leather starts at $40 per square foot, with a $90 minimum. You may never have guessed his recommendation for the glue: wallpaper adhesive.

Q: I have a china cabinet with curved glass in the door. The glass broke. Where can I get a replacement piece?

New York City

A: Youre in luck. Flickinger Glassworks (718-875-1531; flickingerglassworks.com) is a shop in Red Hook, Brooklyn, that regularly bends glass panels for china and curio cabinets. The shop bends flat glass by placing it on a mold  the company has 4,000 shapes  and heating both pieces in a kiln. This causes the glass to soften and slump into the desired shape. (Fused-glass artwork is made the same way.)

Replacement glass about 14 inches across and 45 inches tall  typical dimensions for a china cabinet  would cost $350 to $400, said Charles Flickinger, the owner. Expect to pay more if you want custom features, such as a bevel, an irregular curve, an engraved design or hinge holes, or if you need shipping or delivery. What people do is take a picture and email it to us, Flickinger said. Then the company quotes a ballpark price, followed by an exact one once the customer sends precise measurements and details about any custom features. Instructions for measuring are on the companys website under Request for quote.

In the Washington area, the local source for curved glass used to be Dodsons Curved Glass in Frederick. However, it has gone out of business. Carol Hutchison, owner of Hutchison Glass & Mirror in Jessup, Md. (301-984-7500; hutchisonglassandmirror.com), said she tried to buy the company because she has many customers who are woodworkers and occasionally need curved glass. But that didnt work out, so she recommends Flickinger or Precision Glass Bending in Greenwood, Ark. (479-996-8065; e-bentglass.com). However, Precision Glass Bending is wholesale only, so you would need to place your order through a glass company, a cabinetmaker or other professional.

You can also order bent glass through Van Dykes Restorers (800-237-8833; vandykes.com). Its a special-order item, available in sizes up to 24 inches wide and 56 inches high. Van Dykes website includes instructions for making a drawing showing the exact curve you need.
We must protect the creative talent throughout the Time Warner business, the chief of AT&T vowed in the wake of the merger announcement. (Kena Betancur/AFP/Getty Images)

The chief executive of AT&T has pledged to maintain the journalistic independence of CNN if his companys $85 billion purchase of CNNs parent company, Time Warner, is completed.

In an email to a former AT&T executive, AT&T chief Randall Stephenson on Sunday called the cable news network culturally significant and said it would remain independent if AT&T owns it.

CNN is an American symbol of independent journalism and First Amendment free speech, wrote Stephenson, a day after his companys megadeal was announced. We must protect the creative talent throughout the Time Warner business. The talent must fundamentally believe they will be afforded the same creative license [after the merger] they have today.

This is particularly important as it applies to an institution as culturally significant as CNN. My board and I are not confused. Ensuring the public that CNN remains independent from an editorial perspective is critical.

Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump has attacked CNN and some of its journalists for months, branding it the Clinton News Network because of its alleged favoritism toward his opponent, Hillary Clinton. He blasted the proposed merger Saturday as too much concentration of power in the hands of too few and said that, if elected president, he would try to block such consolidations.

Stephensons email does not mention Trump, though. It was written to former AT&T executive Jim Cicconi  who retired last month as the companys top Washington policy executive  in response to concerns first raised Saturday by Tom Johnson, CNNs former president. Johnson wrote that ensuring CNNs independence was the most important issue in the merger.

Cicconi forwarded Stephensons comments, with his permission, to a long list of media executives and journalists that Johnson had sent his original email to, including former NBC anchor Tom Brokaw, CNN founder Ted Turner, CNN correspondent Christiane Amanpour, Washington Post editor Martin Baron, New York Times Co. Chairman Arthur Sulzberger Jr. and Politico publisher Robert Allbritton.

CNN Worldwide  which includes the flagship domestic network, CNN International and the HLN cable network  is a small but important part of the proposed combination of the two companies.

AT&T is a leading content transmitter through its DirecTV satellite service, cable and wireless telecom businesses, and Time Warner is a leading producer of some of that content. In addition to CNN, Time Warner owns HBO, Warner Bros., TBS, Cartoon Network and other cable networks.

CNN would give AT&T its first major foothold in the news business, and it is a powerful platform not just for transmitting news but also political opinions as well. CNNs own journalists would surely object if a new owner tried to influence CNNs programming to favor its own interests.

The proposed buyout will almost certainly undergo many months of regulatory review in Washington before it can be finalized. AT&T will probably have to assure officials at the Justice Department and Federal Communications Commission that it does not intend to interfere with CNN to gain approval for the deal.

Comcast made multiple concessions to win the governments permission to buy NBC Universal in 2011, including making a formal pledge to uphold journalistic independence at all of NBCs networks and TV stations. NBC owns NBC News, MSNBC, CNBC, Telemundo and a group of TV stations, including WRC-TV in Washington, that produce local newscasts. Comcast also committed to maintaining an ombudsman at NBC News to address any issues that arise.

Time Warner subsequently hired Jeff Zucker, the former president and chief executive of NBC Universal, in late 2012 to run CNN Worldwide.

Johnson, the former CNN president, said in a brief interview Sunday that he had no reason to think AT&T would weaken CNN. From all I have learned about Randall Stephenson in the past two days, I predict that he will be a strong champion of high-quality news standards, said Johnson, who ran CNN from 1990 until his retirement in 2001.


La La Land director Damien Chazelle, actress Emma Stone and public radio host John Horn in conversation following Middleburg Film Festivals screening of the film. (Middleburg Film Festival )

Emma Stone provided a touch of glitz and glamour at this years Middleburg Film Festival when she dropped by Saturday night with the bubbly Hollywood musical La La Land. But audiences were just as impressed with two real-life stars in their midst over the four-day festival. Saroo Brierley, who became separated from his family in India as a 5-year-old boy and grew up in Australia, was greeted like a rock star when he appeared after the opening-night film Lion, which dramatizes his search for his birth mother by way of Google Earth. A few days later, a superbly self-possessed Mongolian teenager named Aisholpan Nurgaiv proved just as popular when she answered questions after the documentary The Eagle Huntress, in which she can be seen training a golden eagle to take flight at her command.

Both Lion and The Eagle Huntress won audience awards at Middleburg, which wrapped up Sunday. That audiences are just as taken with real-life people as movie stars sums up what has become so distinctive about a festival that, in four swift years, has managed to garner cachet, enthusiasm and loyalty that other festivals spend decades developing.

As much fun as it is to rub elbows with filmmakers and celebrities (the actors Bruce Dern, Allan Leech and Meg Ryan have visited in the past; Bo Derek and Beverly Johnson are beloved regulars), and as edifying as it is to talk Washington and Hollywood politics with the likes of Eric H. Holder Jr., David Gergen and Motion Picture Academy President Cheryl Boone Isaacs, its the movies themselves that always earn the most chatter.



Aisholpan Nurgaiv in "The Eagle Huntress," which won an audience award at Middleburg. (Asher Svidensky/Sony Pictures Classics)

This year featured an exceptionally strong lineup of 28 films, including such likely awards contenders as Manchester by the Sea, Moonlight, Paterson, Loving and Jackie, a dreamlike portrait of Jacqueline Kennedy that left local filmgoers  several of whom knew her when she lived nearby  both impressed and somewhat unsettled. Every year, Middleburg honors a film composer with a live performance of his or her film music; this year, Henry Jackman (The Birth of a Nation) was recognized, and production designer Jeannine Oppewall participated in a conversation about her work creating visual environments for L.A. Confidential, Catch Me If You Can and the upcoming, long-awaited Warren Beatty movie Rules Dont Apply, in which Beatty plays Howard Hughes. Its such a thorough melding of the personalities and characters and story that I find it astounding, she said of Beattys performance. I look at him and think, is that Howard or is that Warren?

Although its possible to buy single tickets to screenings for $10 to $15, Middleburg caters to a decidedly upscale crowd that can afford a $2,000 weekend for two package (including a night at a local bed-and-breakfast and tickets to screenings, parties and special events) or the pricey Sunday brunch at the Salamander Resort and Spa. From the screening venues at the nearby Sporting Library and Hill School to the panels held in the resorts baronial library, Middleburg is an all-encompassing reflection of the impeccable taste, shrewd insight and indomitable will of the festivals founder, Sheila Johnson.



Lion actress Priyanka Bose, left, Middleburg Film Festival Founder Sheila C. Johnson, Saroo Brierley, on whose life story the movie is based, and festival Executive Director Susan Koch at the opening night screening. ( Middleburg Film Festival )

When Johnson founded Middleburg in 2012, she made sure to schedule it in October  surely with an eye toward drawing tourists to the Salamander (then brand new) at peak foliage and wine-tasting season. But her decision also put Middleburg squarely in the middle of the run-up to the Oscars, when so many smart, well-made films are released to capitalize on awards publicity.

Together with executive director Susan Koch and programmer Connie White, Johnson seized on that fortuitous timing  and sought out such formidable corporate sponsors as Coca-Cola and FedEx  to create a small, local festival that punches far above its weight, both in terms of the quality of the films on offer and its atmosphere of relaxed sophistication. (Although hard figures were unavailable, Johnson estimated that about 4,000 people would attend the festival this year.) Much like Telluride, Middleburg is quickly becoming an eagerly awaited opportunity to watch buzzy movies and talk shop in an environment thats both high-powered and friendly, luxurious and laid back (dogs are warmly welcomed).

Indeed, Middleburg has become so successful so quickly that its difficult to imagine where it might be headed in coming years. Johnson might have provided a clue Saturday when she announced that she and Derek will co-produce W.A.S.P., a World War II-era drama about female service pilots. Her festival now firmly established as a wellrespected mecca for film lovers and filmmakers alike, Johnson seems poised to expand its role as a place where deals are made.


The authors one and only carry-on, packed and weighing under 11 pounds. The turquoise pouch is a raincoat. ( Alexa McMahon/The Washington Post)

The lightweight pack topped off with a fascinator headpiece. ( Alexa McMahon/The Washington Post)

Could I survive two weeks abroad with only 11 pounds of luggage?

When you book a cheap airline ticket, you convince yourself that youre aware of all the not-so-hidden fees. That youll outsmart the low-cost carrier, avoiding additional costs and keeping a strong hold on the $200 you saved.

After booking two transatlantic flights on Wow air, I was forced to reckon with the Icelandic discount carriers extreme stance on carry-ons; it restricted their weight to that of roughly two full-grown Chihuahuas. I couldnt dodge the $6 seat reservation fee, but I could cull the contents of my bag.

Close friends were getting married in the grooms home country, Scotland, and I wasnt going to let the excessive cost of summer airline tickets stop me from turning this wedding into an excuse for a European excursion.

Contemplating the 11-pound challenge, I worried about the combined mass of my hair-care products and wedding attire. (Note: I wasnt in the wedding party, so no bridesmaids duties or dress required.) But these concerns disappeared when I saw the cost of a Wow-defined large carry-on bag.

[How to travel around the world in two carry-ons. (Sort of.)]

Ticket holders are given the option to increase their carry-on load to 26 pounds for $38.99 prepaid online or $48 at check-in. Let me emphasize this was charged per l eg and that every flight includes a stopover in Keflavik, Iceland. The idea of paying for a bag that Id still have to tote was unacceptable. (Checked bags  $48.99 prepaid online for 44 pounds on Wow air  only are for extreme circumstances.)

I was familiar with similar luggage upsells: U.S. airlines made $3.8 billion in baggage fees alone last year, according to the U.S. Transportation Department, almost $300 million more than 2014.

My hesitation turned to determination. I would only pack the allotted 11 pounds included in the airfare  no wedding clothes, just accessories  and spend my money on castle tours and at pubs instead.



Wow air ticket holders are given the option to increase their carry-on load to 26 pounds for $38.99 prepaid online per leg or $48 at check-in. (Courtesy of Wow Airlines )

An investment in the featherweight of daypacks (the REI Flash 22 pack weighs in at just under one pound) made it possible.

As I stood in line at REI a few months before my departure, I overheard another customer talking about his preparation for a Mount Everest excursion. The sales associate asked questions with admiration and awe. I did not get the same reaction when I explained my need to squeeze in a weeks worth of clothing while somehow safeguarding a fascinator until the Scottish nuptials.

Since most of this summer trip would be spent in the South of France, it was easy to cut down my wardrobe. And I made sure this wasnt my usual last-minute shuffle, carefully assembling the chosen items a few days before my flight, setting them aside to prevent premature wear and allow for last-minute weight adjustments.

[Tips on how to travel light without sacrificing comfort and style]

The contents of my carry-on were limited to: sandals; four shirts; one skirt; three dresses; one pair of leggings; two pairs of shorts; one bathing suit; five pairs of socks; and 10 pairs of underwear. Toiletries stayed at a bare minimum, with a travel-size toothbrush and toothpaste, three 2.4-ounce bottles of hair product and a few dollops of face wash  all in one 16-ounce Ziploc bag. Half of my usual makeup selection went into a small cosmetics bag. Running sneakers were tucked into two exterior pockets. Finally, I topped off the bag with the quintessential wedding accessory: the dainty pink headpiece.

To offset that 11-pound limit, I dressed in layers on travel day: Keds, socks, jeans, a tank top, cardigan, button-down flannel shirt and raincoat. My overstuffed pockets contained ear buds, wallet, phone, passport, tickets and a newly purchased but older model e-reader (this paperback fan adapted for the occasion), plus my portable luggage scale, ready and waiting.



The authors clothing and toiletries laid out before being loaded into the pack at left. ( Alexa McMahon/The Washington Post)

It worked. Me and my meticulously curated belongs were off to the Old Country.

With the anxiety of curating its contents behind me, my lightweight bag began to pay unexpected dividends. I savored the smaller-bag life; every item gave me KonMari-style joy. I had seven flights, including stopovers, one overnight train and five destinations in three countries. Despite the schedule, I never worried about lugging my bag around if I got stuck with it all day. My shoulders and back were at peace.

With few, but versatile, garments and access to laundry during the first leg of the trip, clothing rotation wasnt difficult. Yes, I repeated the same outfits, but I do that in everyday life, too, assuming that no one will point it out. As for souvenirs, I hoped family and friends wouldnt notice their lack of gifts.

It wasnt until the second half of my trip that I felt the sting of packers remorse. In Edinburgh, my boyfriend surprised me with a framed illustration of Dana Scully and Fox Mulder from The X-Files. We assumed that mailing it home would be easy. In the United Kingdom, you can ship two kilograms (about four pounds) internationally for about $25. Above that, the price increases exponentially. After several failed attempts, we fit the illustration and four bags of loose-leaf tea into the slim, rectangular box. Nothing else. No dirty clothing to free up room for our newly purchased wedding garb.

On our return trip, I resorted to cheating and stowed some of my new clothes in my travel companions luggage. As I placed my bag on the scale at the Wow counter, the red numbers flashed 4.8 kilograms (10.5 pounds). I had successfully evaded baggage fees a second time.

I was still congratulating myself back home when I realized the joke was on me. Rereading the airlines luggage restrictions, I saw that Wow had updated its carry-on rules while I was watching the Euro 2016 semifinals at an Edinburgh bar. The five-kilogram limit had doubled. Wows 11-pound challenge was no more  and after this trip, a 22-pound challenge would be no challenge at all.

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A plan for a banquet and events facility in the middle of horse country sparked an outcry from residents of western Loudoun County who attended a public hearing in Leesburg this month to voice their objections.

Nearly 30 people spoke against the proposed business at Catesby Farm, about five miles west of Middleburg, arguing that the noise and traffic it would generate would disturb neighboring farms and overwhelm the narrow roads in the area. Some said that the traffic would also disrupt nearby Willisville, a small village settled by freed slaves after the Civil War.

The Board of Supervisors is considering a request by Michelle LaRose, who owns Catesby with her brother Scott, for minor special exceptions to the countys zoning ordinance that would allow the events facility. The business would host up to 20 celebratory events annually, such as weddings and banquets, with a maximum of 200 guests at each.

Reading a prepared statement at the Oct. 12 meeting, LaRose said that she and her brother inherited the farm from their father, who had purchased it in 2003 and used it as a personal retreat until his death in 2010.

Its a very beautiful piece of land, and they want to keep it that way, said Frank Stearns, an attorney for the property owners. But they need some income to do that, and they can get that level of income through the limited proposal theyve made.

Theyve tried from the beginning to have as minor an impact on this neighborhood as they can, Stearns said. Im greatly surprised by the level of hostility thats arisen when they tried to approach it in that fashion.

Most of the speakers disagreed.

An event center will ruin the serenity and dramatically lower our property values, said Bill Ferster, who lives near Catesby. People come to this county seeking the beauty of what it is now. Inappropriate commercialization will ruin that forever and will kill the goose that laid the golden egg for western Loudoun.

Several speakers said that the roads are inadequate to handle hundreds of guests and vehicles used by caterers, musical groups, waste disposal companies and other businesses that would be associated with the events.

I do not welcome the increased traffic, the increased dust as I sit on my front porch, or the increased noise from the events, said Nan Lewis, a lifelong resident of Willisville.

Others argued that Catesby Farm, a Civil War battlefield site, is hallowed ground.

Catesby sits in the heart of an area so well preserved to date that a Civil War soldier brought forward 154 years from the day he fought there . . . could recognize exactly where he was, said Richard Gillespie, executive director of the Mosby Heritage Area, who noted that the farm sits smack on Phase Seven of the Battle of Unison.

Many of the speakers said they would prefer that the property be used as a bed and breakfast or country inn, either of which would be allowed under current zoning.

There are other bed and breakfasts in the area, and they are not a problem for us, said Susan Ferster, a neighbor of Catesby. It would seem unfair that one property owner could tip the scale of what could dramatically change rural western Loudoun forever.

If you allow this, I think you set a precedent . . . and you would have these loud outdoor . . . events all over the county, and slowly you see what you prize most begin to spiral downward, said Stanley Dees of Middleburg.

Several supervisors appeared to be perplexed by the opposition to the application. Tony R. Buffington Jr. (R-Blue Ridge) pointed out that a bed and breakfast would also be able to host 20 events a year, with an unlimited number of guests.

That use is much more intense than what theyre proposing, Geary M. Higgins (R-Catoctin) said. It defies logic . . . that thats what you would want, because youre going to get worse.

In an interview after the meeting, Dees said that bed and breakfasts are common in western Loudoun and fit into the area.

Were used to that, he said. A pure wedding [or] banquet center, where you just bring 200 people in, have a lot of noise and light for six or eight hours and then leave, is different from the way [bed and breakfasts] usually operate.

The board of supervisors is scheduled to vote on the application Nov. 17.
Mei Xiang and cub Bao Bao in April 2014. The giant panda offspring will head to China next year. (Smithsonian National Zoo via Associated Press)

Giant panda Bao Bao will depart the Smithsonians National Zoo for China in late winter, within the first few months of 2017.

 News release from the Smithsonian

Mom, I dont wanna go!

Bao Bao stamped her foot petulantly, the very model of an irritated tween.

Now, Bao Bao, weve talked about this, her mother, Mei Xiang, said patiently. The clock has always been ticking. You shouldnt be surprised.

Is it because Im a foreigner? Bao Bao said, angrily shredding a piece of bamboo. Am I being deported? Is this because of Donald Trump?

Mei Xiang chuckled. No. Youre as American as the bison or the prairie dogs. You were born here, Bao Bao. Youre a citizen. But soon you will be reaching sexual maturity and  Ugh, Mom! Gross! Bao Bao raised a black paw, the universal sign of Enough.

There was a grunt. Mother and daughter turned toward the mesh fence and saw Tian Tian, Bao Baos father, on the other side.

Zounds! he said. A party and I wasnt invited?

Dad, you are so clueless! Bao Bao said.

Mei Xiang ambled over and started to explain. Tian Tian, your daughter is going to China, as per the agreement. Soon, Bao Bao will be reaching sexual maturity  

Mother!

Soon she will be old enough to help our species and so she is leaving, just like with Tai Shan.

Tai Shan, Tian Tian said softly. My son and heir. How noble in reason! How infinite in faculty! In form and moving how express and admirable! In action how like an angel! In apprehension how like a god! The beauty of the world, the paragon of animals! We shall not see his like again!

I heard he mostly just slept all day, Bao Bao said.

Tian Tian grunted again. How sharper than a serpents tooth it is to have a thankless child, he muttered before settling back on his haunches and stroking his ample belly.

Bao Bao, youre going to be fine, Mei Xiang said in a soothing voice. Ive packed everything. Bamboo, apples, pears, cooked sweet potatoes. . . . Also, some half-smokes, chicken wings and mumbo sauce.

Mom, I dont even speak Chinese! Bao Bao wailed.

Youll learn.

What if the other pandas dont like me?

How could they not like you? Youre a great giant panda.

What if some of the other pandas bring up the contested Spratly Islands or Philippine president Dutertes pivot away from Washington and toward Beijing?

Well, now youre just being silly, Mei Xiang said.

Bao Bao sighed. The truth was, she wasnt cute anymore and she knew it. Well, not as cute. She would always be cute  it came with the black-and-white markings, the roly-poly demeanor  but she had reached that awkward age. And there was a new panda in town. Everyone wanted to meet her little brother, Bei Bei, the cute one.

She noticed with some irritation that he was nowhere to be seen just now.

It was true that giant pandas in the wild were solitary creatures, rarely encountering one another.

But this wasnt the wild. This was the National Zoo. All of the animals here shared a bond. Like a troupe of actors in a long-running show, they turned to one another for comfort.

As Tian Tian was fond of saying every morning when the first visitors were arriving, pushing their strollers and hoisting their cameras: All the worlds a stage, and all the men and women merely players. They have their exits and their entrances, and one man in his time plays many parts.

Bao Bao had always thought Tian Tian was talking about the humans, their entrances and exits, but maybe hed meant the animals, too.

It was time for her to take on a new role.

She knew it now. But did it have to be so hard?

Mom, Bao Bao said, trying not to cry. Ive never said it, but thank you for being my mom. You were always there for me, but you let me figure things out on my own. I hope someday to be half as good a mother as you.

Oh, sweetheart, Mei Xiang said, enfolding Bao Bao in a furry embrace.

As he watched from his side of the fence, Tian Tian raised a paw and bowed slightly.

Parting is such sweet sorrow, he said quietly, wiping away a tear.

Twitter: @johnkelly

For previous columns, visit washingtonpost.com/johnkelly.
Four-year-old Elliott Vanderbilt paints vegetables and fruits during an art expedition class focusing on nutrition at Two Rivers Elementary School in Washington, in November. Nearly half of D.C. public school students attend charter schools. (Astrid Riecken/For The Washington Post)

Dear new D.C. Public Schools chancellor:

If you had been around in 1998 when I was a reporter covering D.C. schools, you would have wondered, as I did, if charters could ever work in a city run by people so vehemently against them.

I mention that impression because this is my second letter to you, the not-yet-named leader of D.C. Public Schools, about two policies you should not disturb. The first, which I addressed last week, is the program encouraging teachers to visit students homes. The second is the citys strong support for charters, astounding to those of us who remember their arrival two decades ago.

[New D.C. Public School chancellor should protect this crucial program]

I attended a D.C. school board meeting then, when members were seething at having to approve new charter schools, independent of the school district but funded with tax dollars, under a deal worked out with Congress. Many public-school teachers and parents were in revolt against these interlopers and their freedom to ignore many district rules and the teachers contract.

Today, the situation is quite different. Here is what three of the nations most knowledgeable experts on school governance said about D.C. traditional public and public charter schools in 2016: Washington is probably the best-functioning example of a mixed market within public education. By 2015-16, total public school enrollment in the federal city (spanning both charter and district sectors) was 87,443, with nearly 47 percent of students enrolled in charter schools. There were 112 charters and 111 district schools. Scores have risen in both sectors.

That is from an illuminating new book, Charter Schools at the Crossroads: Predicaments, Paradoxes, Possibilities, by Chester E. Finn Jr., Bruno V. Manno and Brandon L. Wright. In most of the country, charter schools are still controversial and limited. But in the District, they are working with regular schools, and both sides benefit from the unique if fragile tranquility.

D.C. Mayor Muriel E. Bowser (D) and the D.C. Council preside over a dual system. The mayor appoints, with the councils consent, the D.C. schools chancellor and the members of the Public Charter School Board.

Sadly, such a sensible system is too at odds with political realities to survive unless school leaders like you have the intestinal fortitude to stick with it. The teachers unions do not like charters. Large segments of the Democratic Party, which runs the District, do not like charters. The front-running Democratic nominee for president has sometimes supported charters but also complained (incorrectly in many cases) that they dont take the hardest-to-teach kids.

In a smart piece in The Washington Post last month, Richard Whitmire, author of the new e-book on charters The Founders, noted that such schools have done well in the District in part because the city spends more on its schools than most places and because it has a weak union, a relatively peaceful racial climate and parents who are committed to the experiment.

But political winds shift quickly in faddish, wireless 21st-century America. In cities such as New York and Los Angeles, charters that once seemed secure have found themselves in trouble just because a new mayor or a new schools superintendent arrived.

The reasons for keeping charters strong in D.C. are obvious. As the authors of Charter Schools at the Crossroads pointed out, eight of the citys 10 best-performing charters serve students that are more than 75 percent low-income. Fifty-seven percent of D.C. charter pupils scored proficient or better on the state test in 2014, marking the eighth consecutive year that the proportion of proficient charter pupils had risen.

Children in both kinds of D.C. public schools are doing better than before, in part because the adults in charge of them are not plotting against each other. If you maintain that healthy relationship, wonderful things could happen. Who knows? Other cities might even follow the Districts daring example.

Sincerely,

Jay Mathews
BLOOD DONATIONS

Blood drives Monday 10 a.m.-3 p.m., Fauquier Hospital Sycamore Room, 500 Hospital Dr., Warrenton, 540-316-3588; Wednesday 8 a.m.-1 p.m., NALC Health Benefit Plan, 20547 Waverly Ct., Ashburn, 800-733-2767; Nov. 1, 3-8 p.m. Ashburn Farm Association, 21400 Windmill Dr., Ashburn. 800-733-2767; Nov. 2, 1:30-6:30 p.m. Foxcroft School, 22407 Foxhound Lane, Middleburg, 800-733-2767.

Inova Blood Donor Center Mondays noon-8 p.m., Tuesdays 10 a.m.-6 p.m., Fridays 6 a.m.-4 p.m. and Sundays noon-4 p.m. Dulles Town Center, 45745 Nokes Blvd., Sterling. 866-256-6372 or inova.org/donateblood.

FIRST AID

First aid/adult, infant and child CPR/AED (Automated External Defibrillator) Fauquier Hospital Medical Office Building, 500 Hospital Dr., Warrenton. Call for schedule. 540-316-3588. Registration required.

HEARING

Disability Resource Center Technical assistance through the Virginia Department for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing and presentations to businesses, civic groups and schools. Third Tuesdays 2-5 p.m., Workplace, 205 Keith St., Warrenton. Call for an appointment, 800-648-6324; TDD, 540-373-5890. Free.

Free hearing tests Age 18 and older. Mondays-Thursdays 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m., Blue Ridge Speech and Hearing Center, 19465 Deerfield Ave., Suite 201, Lansdowne. 703-858-7620. Registration required.

Hearing loss, tinnitus and Menieres syndrome support For all ages, including parents of children with hearing loss. First Fridays at 2 p.m., Senior Center at Cascades, 21060 Whitfield Pl., Sterling. 703-430-2906.

Northern Virginia Resource Center for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Age 18 and older, second Tuesdays 10 a.m., Carver Center, 200 Willie Palmer Way, Purcellville. 571-258-3400.

Hearing loss outreach Free referrals. Fourth Thursdays 10 a.m.-noon, Loudoun County Workforce Center, 102 Heritage Way, Leesburg; third Thursdays 10 a.m.-noon, Senior Center at Cascades, 21060 Whitfield Pl., Sterling. Free appointments: 703-430-2906 or nvrcloudoun@aol.com .

MENTAL HEALTH

Counseling for sexual violence survivors Provided by Loudoun Citizens for Social Justice. 703-771-9020.

Crisis Intervention Treatment and Assessment Center Provides emergency mental-health, substance-use and developmental services to individuals in the Loudoun community. Daily from 7 a.m.-11 p.m. 102 Heritage Way NE, Suite 102, Leesburg. Emergency services are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week at 703-777-0320.

Crisislink Suicide and crisis intervention. Community education, a volunteer crisis response team and CareRing, a telephone outreach program for the elderly and disabled. 703-527-6016, volunteer@crisislink.org or crisislink.org.

Piedmont Chapter, National Alliance on Mental Illness Serves Fauquier, Orange, Madison and Rappahannock counties. Support group, education classes and events for people living with mental illness and their family members. First Wednesdays 7-9 p.m. Fauquier Hospital, 500 Hospital Dr., Sycamore Room A, Warrenton. 571-426-8213.

Mental health first-aid A public education program offered by the Loudoun County Department of Mental Health, Substance Abuse and Developmental Services that can help communities understand mental illness, seek intervention and save lives. Go to loudoun.gov/mhfirstaid.

Northern Virginia Chapter, National Alliance on Mental Illness A support group, classes and programs for people living with mental illness and their family members. naminorthernvirginia.org.

PREGNANCY, PARENTING

Adoptive family preservation Adoptive families discuss common experiences; registration required. Third Tuesdays 12:30-2 p.m., Ashburn Library, 43316 Hay Rd. Call 703-941-9008, Ext. 23, or email jmellario@umfs.org .

Baby Care Essentials Thursday 6-8:30 p.m. Fauquier Hospital Family Birthing Center, 500 Hospital Dr., Warrenton. 540-316-3588. Registration required. $25.

Birthright of Loudoun County Free pregnancy tests, baby clothing, transportation and support throughout pregnancy, 823 S. King St., Leesburg. 703-777-7272.

Bond Between Us A nonprofit organization that offers support to birth parents when children have been placed for adoption. Fourth Tuesdays 7:30 p.m. Call for location. 703-771-7844.

Breastfeeding support Mondays 9:30-10:30 a.m., Fauquier Hospital Family Birthing Center, 500 Hospital Dr., Warrenton. 540-316-3588.

Dad support New and expectant fathers share ideas. First Tuesdays at 7 p.m. Inova Loudoun Hospital, 44045 Riverside Pkwy., Leesburg. 703-858-6360.

For the Childrens Sake A group for separating or divorcing parents to share advice. Four-hour session weekly. Information: 703-391-8599 or fitsfoundation.org.

La Leche League Mother-to-mother support and breastfeeding information. 10 a.m. second Wednesdays in Warrenton, 540-351-6103. Third Fridays 10:15-11:45 a.m., call for location, 703-444-7386. Second Fridays 10:15 a.m., Ashburn Library, 43316 Hay Rd., 703-829-0349; Thursdays 10 a.m.-noon, Panera Bread, 43670 Greenway Corp. Dr., Ashburn, email lllashburn@gmail.com. Third Fridays 10:15 a.m., Christ the Redeemer Church, 46833 Harry F. Byrd. Hwy., Sterling, 540-338-4637.

Loudoun Fatherhood Program Fathers discuss the joys and challenges of being a parent. Meets every other Saturday for two hours for four months; sponsored by Northern Virginia Family Service. 571-748-2796. Free.

Loudoun Nurturing Parenting Program Positive parenting techniques; children attend with parents. Registration required. Call 703-771-3973, Ext. 27, or email nurturingprogram@lcsj.org. Free.

Mothernet/Healthy Families Loudoun Program links first-time parents with medical, social and educational resources to give children a socially and physically healthy start in life. Family support workers meet with participants in homes. English-Spanish translation provided. 703-444-4477, Ext. 217 , or inmed.org.

New mother support Wednesdays 9:30-11:30 a.m. Inova Loudoun Medical Pavilion, 224 Cornwall St., Leesburg. Babies welcome. 703-858-6360.

Young parent services Support for teenage parents. Loudoun County Department of Family Social Services, 52 Sycolin Rd., Leesburg. Call for times. 703-771-5375.

Online childbirth education program Inova Loudoun Hospitals Web-based program uses animation, videos and interactive activities to guide users through the basics of childbirth, breastfeeding and caring for newborns. 703-858-6360 or thebirthinginn.org/classes.

Parenting Alone group For parents of school-age children who have lost a spouse or partner to cancer. Second Tuesdays 5:30-6:30 p.m. Inova Loudoun Hospital, Radiation Oncology Center, 44035 Riverside Pkwy., Suite 100, Leesburg. Call 703-698-2536 or email jennifer.eckert@inova.org .

Pregnancy and childbirth support Childbirth Solutions Resource Center, 8393 W. Main St., Marshall. 571-344-0438.

SENIORS

Exercise equipment Weights, treadmills, bikes and a cardio-glide. Instruction provided. Age 55 and older. Weekdays 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Leesburg Senior Center, 102 North St. NW. 703-737-8039. Free.

Fitness for people 55 and older Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays 1-1:45 p.m. Carver Center, 200 Willie Palmer Way, Purcellville. 571-258-3400. $36, 12-visit card.

Eye care LensCrafters staff members will clean glasses and make minor repairs. Second Wednesdays 1-2 p.m. Senior Center at Cascades, 21060 Whitfield Pl., Sterling. 703-430-2397. Free.

Inova Loudoun mobile van Blood pressure checks. Second and fourth Tuesdays 9:30 a.m.-noon, Senior Center at Cascades, 21060 Whitfield Pl., Sterling, 571-258-3280; first Wednesdays 9:30 a.m.-noon, Leesburg Senior Center, 102 North St. NW. 703-737-8039.

Laughing yoga for seniors I mprove flexibility and balance. Thursdays 9:30-10 :30 a.m. Leesburg Senior Center, 102 North St. NW. 703-737-8039. Free.

Loudoun Adult Day Centers For seniors with physical limitations or memory loss, a safe and social environment, therapeutic activities, individualized care and respite for caregivers. Limited transportation. Sliding-scale fees. Weekdays in Leesburg, 7:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m., 703-771-5334; Purcellville, 571-258-3402; and Ashburn-Sterling, 571-258-3232.

Senior Outreach Services Free and confidential assistance from an Area Agency on Aging case manager. Call for an appointment or sign up at the Senior Center at Cascades. First and third Wednesdays 11 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Senior Center at Cascades, 21060 Whitfield Pl., Sterling. 571-258-3280.

Senior Outreach Services Free and confidential assistance from an Area Agency on Aging Elder case manager. Sign up in the Leesburg Senior Center lobby. Second and fourth Thursdays 11 a.m.-noon and 12:30-4:30 p.m. Leesburg Senior Center, 102 North St. NW. 703-737-8039. Free.

Senior Outreach Services Free and confidential assistance from an Area Agency on Aging Elder case manager. Call for an appointment or sign up at the Carver Center. First and third Mondays, 12:30-5 p.m. Carver Center, 200 Willie Palmer Way, Purcellville. 703-737-8741. Free.

Tai chi Stretching and strengthening movements. Mondays 11 a.m. Leesburg Senior Center, 102 North St. NW. 703-737-8039. Free.

Zumba gold class Age 55 and older. Wear rubber-soled shoes and comfortable clothing; bring water and a towel. Tuesdays 11 a.m., Tuesdays and Fridays at 1 p.m. Senior Center of Leesburg, 102 North St. NW, Leesburg. 703-737-8039. $24 per month.

Zumba For people 55 and older who are learning Zumba for the first time, or those who prefer a lower-impact version. The fitness program combines Latin and international music with dance.Thursdays 11 a.m. Senior Center at Cascades, 21060 Whitfield Pl., Sterling. 571-258-3280. $12.

SUPPORT GROUPS

Al-Anon Service Center of Northern Virginia A volunteer is available 24 hours with information for spouses, family members and friends of problem drinkers. 703-534-4357 or 877-339-8350. Mondays 8 p.m. Emmanuel Episcopal Church, 125 W. Washington St., Middleburg, 540-554-2747; Tuesdays 7:30 p.m. St. James Episcopal Church, 14 Cornwall St. NW, Leesburg, 877-339-8350; Fridays 8:30 p.m. Grace Episcopal Church, 6507 Main St., The Plains, 800-344-2666; Tuesdays 12:15 p.m. Warrenton Church of Christ, Route 29 N., 540-347-7448; Tuesdays 7 p.m. and Saturdays 8:30 p.m. Warrenton Presbyterian Church, 91 Main St., 800-344-2666.

Alcoholics Anonymous Various meeting times and locations in Loudoun County. 800-208-8649 or 703-876-6166. nvintergroup.org.

Alzheimers caregiver support For those who care for people with Alzheimers disease and other forms of dementia. Fourth Wednesdays 4-5:30 p.m. The Villa at Suffield Meadows, 6735 Suffield Lane, Warrenton. 540-316-3800.

Alzheimers caregivers support For those caring for people with Alzheimers disease and other forms of dementia. Second Mondays 7-8:30 p.m. Galilee United Methodist Church, 45425 Winding Rd., Sterling. 703-430-9229. galileeumc.org.

Alzheimers caregiver support Emotional, educational and social support for family members and friends of people with the disease. Third Saturdays 10 a.m. Loudoun County Area Agency on Aging, 20145 Ashbrook Pl., Ashburn. Call 703-771-5407 or email lesley.katz@loudoun.gov.

Alzheimers caregiver support group Fourth Thursdays 3-4 p.m. Carver Center, 200 Willie Palmer Way, Purcellville. 540-903-6831 or alz.org.

Alzheimers support First Tuesdays 10-11 a.m. Spring Arbor Assisted Living, 237 Fairview St. NW, Leesburg. 540-338-6520.

Alzheimers support First Wednesdays 4 p.m. Leesburg Adult Day Center, 16501 Meadowview Ct., Leesburg. 703-771-5334.

Alzheimers support Fourth Thursdays 3-4 p.m. Carver Center, 200 Willie Palmer Way, Purcellville. 571-258-3400.

Talk About Curing Autism A nonprofit organization educating and supporting families affected by autism. tacanow.org.

Autoimmune support Last Thursdays 6:30-7:30 p.m. Jackson Building, 209 Gibson St., Leesburg. autoimmunesupport@hotmail.com.

Bereaved parent support One-on-one counseling is available. Spiritual Care Support Ministry Center, 76 W. Shirley Ave., Warrenton. 540-349-5814. scsm.tv.

Bereavement support For those experiencing loss because of the death of a loved one. Age 18 and older. Third Mondays 1 p.m. Fauquier Hospital Chestnut Room, 500 Hospital Dr., Warrenton. Sponsored by Capital Caring. 703-957-1800.

Breast cancer support Fourth Tuesdays 7-8 p.m. Fauquier Hospital Tower, Chestnut Room, 500 Hospital Dr., Warrenton. 540-349-0588.

Breast cancer support For those with new diagnoses or starting treatment. Register if attending for the first time. Fourth Mondays 5-6:30 p.m. Inova Loudoun Hospital Radiation Oncology Center, 44035 Riverside Pkwy., Suite 100, Leesburg. 703-858-8857.

Breast cancer support For those who have finished treatment, have had a recurrence or metastatic breast cancer. Register if attending for the first time. Fourth Mondays 6:30-8 p.m. Inova Loudoun Hospital Radiation Oncology Center, 44035 Riverside Pkwy., Suite 100, Leesburg. 703-858-8857. Free.

Breast Cancer Support Assistance Fund Loudoun County residents who have received a diagnosis or have undergone treatment in the past 12 months are eligible to apply for financial assistance. Areas included are wigs, bras, puffs and prostheses, mammograms and medical bills, food and help with utilities, rent or mortgage, and transportation costs. The Pink Assistance Fund has been established by the Loudoun Breast Health Network. lbhn.org.

Cancer support Oncology nurses, social workers and spiritual-care providers offer education and support to patients, families and caregivers. Second Mondays 5:30-6:30 p.m. Fauquier Hospital Sycamore Room, 500 Hospital Dr., Warrenton. 540-316-2273.

Cancer support Life with Cancer, for patients, family members and friends. Second Thursdays 7 p.m. Ashburn Presbyterian Church, Room 202, 20962 Ashburn Rd. 703-729-2012. ashburnpresbyterian.org.

Caregiver support Provides emotional, educational and social support. Encourages caregivers to maintain their personal, physical and emotional health while caring for people with dementia or other chronic illness. Fourth Thursdays 3-4 p.m. Carver Center, 200 Willie Palmer Way, Purcellville. 540-903-6831.

Caregiver support and resource group Wednesdays 10:30 a.m.-noon (no meeting first Wednesdays), Spiritual Care Support Ministry Center, 76 W. Shirley Ave., Warrenton. 540-349-5814. scsm.tv.

Caring for Aging Parents Support group. Confidential. Fourth Wednesdays 7:30 p.m., Family Focus Counseling Service, 20-B John Marshall St., Warrenton. 540-349-4537.

Chadd parents support For parents of children with ADD/ADHD. Fourth Sundays 3 p.m. KinderCare, 44051 Ashburn Village Shopping Plaza. chadd.nova loudoun@gmail.com .

Chronic illness support Tuesdays 10:30-11:30 a.m. Spiritual Care Support Ministries, 76 W. Shirley Ave., Warrenton. 540-349-5814 or scsm.tv.

Coffee and Conversation Support for those discouraged because of illness, bereavement, caregiving or a loved one in the military. Thursdays 10 a.m.-noon. Spiritual Care Support Ministry Center, 76 W. Shirley Ave., Warrenton. 540-349-5814.

Compassionate Friends For parents who have experienced the death of a child. First Wednesdays 7:30 p.m. St. James Episcopal Church, 14 Cornwall St. NW, Leesburg. 540-882-9707.

Creating and Connecting Two-hour art therapy and relaxation workshop for cancer patients. Every other month, 12:30-2:30 p.m. Inova Loudoun Hospital Radiation Oncology Center, 44035 Riverside Pkwy., Suite 100, Leesburg. Call for dates. 703-858-8850.

Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance of Western Loudoun Saturdays 3 p.m. Purcellville Library, 220 E. Main St., Carruthers Room. Call 703-431-7160 or email kathy@dbsanca.org.

Drop-in grief support For those coping with a death. Second and fourth Wednesdays 1-2 p.m. St. Davids Episcopal Church, 43600 Russell Branch Pkwy., Ashburn. Sponsored by Capital Caring. 703-597-1781.

Families Overcoming Drug Addiction Support group. First and third Thursdays at 6:30 p.m. Fauquier Hospital Sycamore Room, 500 Hospital Dr., Warrenton. myfodafamily@gmail.com or 540-316-9221.

Gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender youth and parent support A group in partnership with Metro DC PFLAG. Fourth Sundays 4-6 p.m. Unitarian Universalist Church, 22135 Davis Dr., Sterling. 703-328-6518.

Griefshare Open to anyone who has experienced the death of a loved one. Tuesdays through Dec. 6 from 7-8:30 p.m. Purcellville Baptist Church, 601 Yaxley Dr., Purcellville. Call 540-338-0918 or email caring@purbap.org . Workbook, $15.

Griefshare Nondenominational seminar and support group. Tuesdays 7:30-9 p.m., and Wednesdays, 1-2:30 p.m. Spiritual Care Support Ministry Center, 76 W. Shirley Ave., Warrenton. 540-349-5814. Free.

Grief support Sponsored by Hospice Support of Fauquier County. Individual counseling available. First and third Thursdays 3:30-5 p.m. Hospice Support Office, 42 N. Fifth St., Warrenton. Registration required. Call 540-347-5922 or email hospicesupport@verizon.net.

Grief support Wednesdays, 10:30 a.m.-noon, Spiritual Care Support Ministry Center, 76 W. Shirley Ave., Warrenton. 540-349-5814.

Hospice support Free medical-equipment loan facility for Fauquier County residents. Especially needed are donations of wheelchairs, bedside commodes, rolling walkers, electric hospital beds, shower benches and chairs, adult diapers, lift chairs, Ensure and hospital bed mattresses. 540-347-5922.

Look Good, Feel Better For women undergoing or emerging from cancer treatment. Every other month, 6:45 to 9 p.m. ,Inova Loudoun Hospital Radiation Oncology Center, 44035 Riverside Pkwy., Suite 100, Leesburg. Call for dates. 703-776-2820. Free.

Loudoun CHADD support Led by Children and Adults With Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder. Third Thursdays 7 p.m. Leesburg Town Hall, lower-level conference room, 25 W. Market St. 703-669-2445.

Loudoun Intergroup of Overeaters Anonymous Fellowship and support. For locations and times, call 571-420-2012. oa.org.

Lyme disease support Fourth Sundays 2-4 p.m. Inova Loudoun Hospital, 44045 Riverside Pkwy., Conference Room A and B, Leesburg. Go to natcaplyme.org or email loudounlymeadvocates@gmail.com.

Lyme disease support Third Thursdays at 7 p.m. Warrenton Church of Christ, 6398 Lee Hwy. Access Road, Warrenton. 540-347-7265 or email lymeinfauquier@gmail.com.

Lyme disease support Third Thursdays at 7 p.m. Warrenton Church of Christ, 6398 Lee Hwy. Access Road, Warrenton. 540-347-7265 or email lymeinfauquier@gmail.com.

Lyme disease support Age 18 and older. First Tuesdays 7-8:30 p.m. Carver Center, 200 Willie Palmer Way, Purcellville. Email charphealy@yahoo.com.

MADD Loudoun victim support For those who have been affected by drunken driving. Third Wednesdays 7:30 p.m. 210 Wirt St., Leesburg. 540-338-6491.

Man-to-Man Cancer Support Sponsored by Loudoun Cancer Care Center, for prostate cancer patients and their families. Second Tuesdays 6:30-8 p.m. Senior Center at Cascades, 21060 Whitfield Pl., Sterling. Call 703-858-8857 or email karen.archer@inova.org.

Mended Hearts Northern Virginia chapter, for heart surgery patients and families and friends of heart disease patients. Third Saturdays 11 a.m., Inova Loudoun Hospital, 44045 Riverside Pkwy., Leesburg (Patient Information Lounge). mendedhearts200.org or 703-924-6244.

Menopause support Third Thursdays 6:30-9 p.m. Inova Loudoun Hospital, 44045 Riverside Pkwy., Leesburg (second floor, Patient Education Room). 703-858-8060.

Multiple sclerosis support Saturdays 10:30 a.m. Fauquier Hospital Chestnut Room, 500 Hospital Dr., Warrenton. 540-349-2826.

Multiple sclerosis support Last Sundays 2-4 p.m. Cascades Library, 21030 Whitfield Pl., Potomac Falls. 703-771-4256.

Nar-anon family support For those affected by loved ones with addiction. Meaningful Mondays, 7-8 p.m., Galilee United Methodist Church, 45425 Winding Rd., Sterling. 703-203-9792; Wisdom Wednesdays 7-8 p.m., St. Francis de Sales Catholic Church, 37730 St. Francis Ct., Purcellville, 703-606-7125; Serenity Thursdays, 7-8 p.m. Leesburg Presbyterian Church, 207 W. Market St., Leesburg, 703-606-7125.

Parkinsons support Open to those with Parkinsons disease, their family members and caregivers. First Tuesdays 1:30-3 p.m. Call for Ashburn location. 571-442-8851.

Post-partum support Second and fourth Wednesdays 1-2:30 p.m. Inova Loudoun Cornwall Campus, 224 Cornwall St., Leesburg. Call 703-909-9877 or email lamckeough@gmail.com. Registration required.

Reach to Recovery Home visit program for mastectomy and lumpectomy patients. Temporary prostheses, exercise instruction and encouragement. 703-938-5550.

Sexual assault and incest survivors group counseling Services provided by Loudoun Citizens for Social Justice and the Loudoun Abused Womens Shelter are free and confidential. 703-771-9020.

Sexual assault survivors empowerment support Sponsored by Sexual Assault Victims Volunteer Initiative. Child care available with 48 hours notice. Mondays; call for times and locations. 540-349-7720.

Spiritual support group For cancer patients, family members and friends. Third Tuesdays 6:30-8 p.m. Inova Loudoun Hospital Radiation Oncology Center, 44035 Riverside Pkwy., Suite 100, Leesburg. 703-858-8850.

Stroke survivors and caregivers support Second Wednesdays 11 a.m.-noon, Inova Loudoun Hospital, 44045 Riverside Pkwy., Leesburg, second floor, Patient Education Room. 703-858-6199 or jill.lieb@inova.org.

Suicide counseling Third Wednesdays 7-8:30 p.m. Leesburg Town Office, Conference Room 2, lower level, 25 W. Market St., Leesburg. 703-587-1618 or survivorsofsuicidelossleesburg@gmail.com.

Womens support Sponsored by Services to Abused Families. Tuesdays 6:30-8 p.m. Confidential location. 540-825-8876.

Widows and widowers support Third Mondays 11 a.m. Leesburg Senior Center, 102 North St. NW. 703-737-8039.

Womens cancer support Woman to Woman, first Wednesdays 6:30-8 p.m. Inova Loudoun Hospital Radiation Oncology Center, 44035 Riverside Pkwy., Suite 100, Leesburg. Registration required. 703-858-8850.

MISCELLANEOUS

ADHD: Awareness and Understanding Monday 7-8:30 p.m. Warrenton Library, 11 Winchester St., Warrenton. 540-422-8500, Ext. 6862. Free.

Brain trauma survivors brown bag lunch For survivors and caregivers. First Tuesdays, noon-1:30 p.m., Inova Loudoun Hospital, 44045 Riverside Pkwy., Leesburg, second-floor Patient Education Room. Call 703-737-3150 or email jberg@braininjurysvcs.org. Free.

Child developmental screenings For ages 2-5. Children may not be kindergarten-age-eligible. Sponsored by the Loudoun County public schools Child Find Center. 571-252- - 2180.

Cholesterol screenings Weekdays from 6 a.m.-8 p.m. Fauquier Health LIFE Center, 500 Hospital Dr., Warrenton. 540-316-2640. Registration required. $35.

Complimentary reiki sessions Wednesday 6-8 p.m. Fauquier Health Wellness Center, 419 Holiday Dr., Warrenton. 540-316-2640. Appointments required.

Conservation in Ethics: The Physicians Order for Scope of Treatment: Making Your Wishes Known Wednesday, noon-1:30 p.m. Fauquier Hospital Sycamore Room, 500 Hospital Dr., Warrenton. Pizza will be provided. 540-316-4730. Registration required. Free.

Emergency food supplies Loudoun County residents who are in need can receive a free three-day supply of groceries. Supplies are distributed Mondays through Saturdays by Loudoun Interfaith Relief. 703-777-5911 or interfaithrelief.org.

Fauquier free walk-in medical clinic Patients must call Thursdays from 12:30 to 1 p.m. to register for the clinic, which begins at 5:30 p.m. Patients are also seen by appointment Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Fauquier and Rappahannock residents only. Bring proof of address for the first visit. Patients cannot have Medicaid, Medicare or private insurance. Information: 540-347-0394 Tuesdays or Thursdays, 9 a.m.-4 p.m.

Fauquier Hospital Bistro Senior Supper Club Nutritious meals and fellowship for people 55 and older. Tuesdays and Thursdays 4:30-6:30 p.m. Fauquier Hospital Bistro on the Hill, 500 Hospital Dr., Warrenton. 540-316-3588. $5.49.

HEROES (Hometown Enabling Relationships, Opportunities and Empowerment through Support) is a program for military families. A trained volunteer provides support to military members and their families, from pre-deployment up to two years post-deployment. Assistance includes financial help, job placement, family care and mental-health services. Go to heroescare.org or email caring@purbap.org .

Inova Loudoun Hospital Mobile Health Services blood pressure screenings Wednesday 10 a.m.-noon, Lansdowne Woods, 19400 Leisure World Blvd., Leesburg. For information, call 703-858-8818 or go to inova.org/mobilehealth. Free.

Loudoun Cares information and referral help line Call for help in finding resources for county residents who are dealing with rent eviction, utility cut-offs, needed health care and employment. 703-669-4636.

Motor skill screenings Birth to 21 months. First Thursdays, Blue Ridge Speech and Hearing Center, 19465 Deerfield Ave., Suite 201, Lansdowne. Call for an appointment. 703-858-7620. Free.

Northern Virginia long-term care ombudsman Call for help in resolving complaints related to long-term-care facilities. 703-324-5861.

Road to Recovery For cancer patients who need rides to appointments. 410-781-6909. Email jen.burdette@cancer.org. Free.

Safe sitter classes For girls and boys ages 11-14. First Saturdays except for holiday weekends. 7:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Inova Loudoun Hospital, 44045 Riverside Pkwy., Leesburg. To receive a Safe Sitter Certificate, students must pass practical and written tests on babysitting concepts and handling an emergency. Bring a lunch or buy lunch in the cafeteria. $70, includes handbook and snacks during the day. Registration required. Call 703-858-8818 or email charlene.martin@inova.org.

Seven Loaves Food Pantry Individuals and families can receive a three-day supply of food, distributed Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays 10 a.m.-noon. 540-687-3489, sevenloavesmiddleburg.org.

Tree of Life Food Pantry Serving western Loudoun County. Food is delivered Wednesdays and Saturdays. 703-554-3595.

 Compiled by Sandy Mauck

TO SUBMIT AN ITEM

Email: ldliving@washpost.com

Fax: 703-777-8437

Mail: Health Calendar, The Washington Post, 104 Dry Mill Rd. SW, Suite 101, Leesburg, Va. 20175
Cab rides offered on Halloween weekend

SoberRide, part of the Washington Regional Alcohol Program, will offer free cab rides home, up to a $30 fare, in eastern Loudoun County from 10 p.m. Saturday to 6 a.m. Oct. 30. The service is also available in the District, in Montgomery and Prince Georges counties in Maryland, and in Arlington, Fairfax and Prince William counties in Virginia.

Residents 21 and older can use SoberRide by calling 800-222-8294. AT&T Wireless customers can call #WRAP (9727) from their cellphones. For information, visit soberride.com.

Battle of the Bands open to Loudoun teens

Performers for the annual Loudoun YouthFest will be selected through a Battle of the Bands competition among Loudoun County middle and high school students. Interested bands and soloists can apply at loudoun.gov/teens by Dec. 1.

Competition organizers randomly select lineups and assign competition dates, which will be announced at a kickoff event Dec. 15 at the Loudoun County Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Services, 20145 Ashbrook Pl., Ashburn.

The 2017 Youthfest will be held June 17 at The Barn at One Loudoun in Ashburn.

For information, go to facebook.com/youthfestloco or twitter.com/YouthfestLoCo.

Fauquier seeks input on new county library

Fauquier County is considering building its first new library in more than a decade and is seeking community input on what resources and services would best serve residents.

Research America will conduct a telephone survey of residents chosen at random, collect information from holders of library cards and hold a focus group discussion with community leaders.

A $25,000 PATH Foundation grant will fund the research, the first of its kind for the countys public library system.

For a copy of the survey, go to fauquierlibrary.org.

 Compiled by Sandy Mauck
CEDAR RAPIDS  Sen. Chuck Grassley says he doesnt put much stock in the polls, but the six-term Iowa Republican is paying enough attention that he knows he is unlikely to win re-election by his usual margin.

Speaking at a GOP breakfast Monday, Grassley recalled that polls on his re-election earlier this year showed him under 50 percent.

Now you may be looking at a poll that looks a little better, he told the Linn Eagles, a Republican fundraising group. Dont count on it. This is a very unpredictable election.

In fact, he said, Democratic challenger Patty Judge may give him the most serious challenge since I beat Sen. John Culver in 1980.

He won that election 53 percent to 46 percent. Since then hes been re-elected by margins of 32 percent, 43 percent, 38 percent, 42 percent and 31 percent. Grassley isnt expecting that to continue.

Ive won re-election by big margins. Im not going to win re-election by a big margin this time, he told reporters. Im going to win, but its been a tough pull.

The difference this time is not his opponent, but the attention he has received for his refusal as chairman of the Judiciary Committee to hold hearings on President Barack Obamas Supreme Court nominee Merrick Garland.

You know, if Justice Scalia hadnt died, nobody would be paying any attention to my race, Grassley said.

Oh, I would, Sen. Joni Ernst interjected before Grassley went on to say that Judge was recruited not by Iowa Democrats, but the Washington establishment.

They are after me because they dont want a farmer from Iowa holding up Supreme Court nominations in the future, he said.

That was a reference to statement former Iowa 1st District Democratic Rep. Bruce Braley made when he was running against Ernst for an open Senate seat in 2014. At a fundraiser with fellow lawyers, Braley said: You might have a farmer from Iowa who never went to law school, never practiced law, serving as the next chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee.

He was accurate, Ernst told the Eagles, and its worked out well. The committee has passed 30 bills with bipartisan support under Grassleys leadership and 13 have been signed by Obama.

You know, thats a pretty darned good record  for a farmer whos the chair of the Judiciary, she said.

Grassley has argued the Supreme Court hearings should be postponed until a new president takes office in order to give voters a voice in the selection of the next justice  a justice who could change the balance of the court.

This is an election about the direction of the Supreme Court for the next 40 years, he said. There already is one vacancy that will turn it leftward, so that it becomes more of a super-legislature.

If voters disagree with him and his colleagues, you can vote members of Congress out of office, he said. You cant override lifetime appointments to the Supreme Court.

Still, the New Hartford Republican believes Republicans will control the Senate, maybe by a tighter margin, but were still going to control the United States Senate.

Regardless of which presidential candidate wins the election, Grassley said the Senate will continue to do our constitutional job of making sure that we work with the president when we can work with him and be a check on the president when we think they are going in the wrong direction.
A Maryland state trooper was injured on the Capital Beltway Sunday morning when a passenger car ran into the back of his patrol car, while it was on the shoulder of the highway. The driver of the passenger car was also injured.

The incident occurred shortly before 8 a.m. on the Inner Loop near Route 1 as the trooper was parked to monitor traffic, police said. The other car left the travel portion of the road for unknown reasons, and struck the troopers patrol car, trapping him inside, police said.

Trooper First Class Robert Cearfoss, who is assigned to road patrol duties at the College Park barracks was flownby state police helicopter to the Maryland Shock Trauma Center where he was undergoing treatment Sunday, the police said.

They said the other driver, whom they identified as Elwin J. Cedilloz, 23, of Washington, was taken by ambulance to Prince Georges Hospital Trauma Center.

Portions of the Beltway were closed for three hours.
William H. Pietsch Jr. poses in Paris in 1945 with a German staff car he commandeered. (Family Photo)

William H. Pietsch Jr., a retired Army colonel and one of the few remaining survivors of the World War II Jedburgh espionage and guerrilla operation in Nazi-occupied France, died Sept. 3 at a medical care facility in Rockville, Md. He was 94.

The cause was dementia and Alzheimers disease, said a daughter, Aloysia C. Hamalainen.

In 1944, then-Lt. Pietsch parachuted into France as leader of a three-man team in a clandestine operation to ease the advance of invading Allied armies and help French Resistance forces fight the Germans.

Ninety-three such teams made nighttime jumps at scattered sites behind enemy lines in France. Their mission: coordinate airdrops of arms and supplies to French Resistance fighters and help partisans in hit-and-run attacks against the Germans.

The Jedburghs are widely said to have been the combat ancestors of the elite Special Forces units in todays U.S. Army. William Colby, director of the CIA from 1973 to 1976, was a Jedburgh who, at age 24, led a team that parachuted into occupied France in August 1944.

The Jedburgh teams included American, British, Free French and sometimes Canadian, Dutch or Belgian officers and enlisted men.

Lt. Pietschs team was dropped into the Burgundy region, where he helped the Free French guerrillas obtain weapons and ammunition and monitored the location of Allied prisoners of war being held by the Germans.

Later in the war, after the Allies had retaken France, Lt. Pietsch was assigned by Gen. William Wild Bill Donovan, head of the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) to escort author Ernest Hemingway around London.

There is no confirmed count of the number of Jedburgh veterans still alive. But Charles Pinck, president of the OSS Society, said in an email that there could be only a handful.

William Hiram Pietsch Jr. was born in New York City on Aug. 29, 1922.

He graduated from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point in January 1943 after an accelerated wartime program.

He volunteered for duty with the OSS, the CIAs predecessor, and was called in for an interview with Donovan.

According to a citation on a 2014 Distinguish Service Award of the OSS Society, the OSS chief asked the young lieutenant only one question: Do you consider yourself lucky?

Yes, sir, the young officer replied.

Donovan smiled and ended the interview.

Col. Pietschs postwar assignments including training to speak Russian, then assignments in at least 25 countries in Europe and Asia as a special operations and special warfare officer. He was a veteran of the Vietnam War and served as a defense and Army attache in Cambodia.

He retired in 1973.

Col. Pietsch, a resident of Kensington, Md., was later a library volunteer at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center.

His first marriage, to Alla Popoff, ended in divorce.

Survivors include his wife of 38 years, Rose Marie Fuchs Pietsch of Kensington; four children from his first marriage, William H. Pietsch III of Kensington, retired Army Col. James H. Pietsch of Honolulu and Aloysia C. Hamalainen and Alexandra C. Fletcher, both of Silver Spring, Md.; and seven grandchildren.
In 1973, political activist Tom Hayden tells members of the media that he thinks public support was partially responsible for the decision not to send him and others of the Chicago Seven to jail for contempt. (George Brich/AP)

Tom Hayden, the preeminent 1960s radical who roused a generation of alienated young Americans, became a symbol of militancy by leading riotous protests at the 1968 Democratic National Convention, and added Hollywood glamour to his mystique with an activist partnership and marriage to film star Jane Fonda, died Oct. 23 in Santa Monica, Calif. He was 76.

Mr. Haydens wife, Barbara Williams, confirmed the death to the Associated Press but did not provide an immediate cause. He had heart disease and was hospitalized for a stroke in 2015.

At a moment in history  June 1962  before U.S. escalation in Vietnam, the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, the civil rights March on Washington and the awakening of the environmental and feminist movements, Mr. Hayden emerged as one of the most articulate spokesmen of youthful angst.

At 22, a year out of college in Michigan, he drafted the Port Huron Statement, an expansive utopian manifesto that extolled participatory democracy as an antidote to the complacency and conformity of the Eisenhower decade.

Tom Hayden, 1960s radical and ex-husband of Jane Fonda, reflects on life at age 72

Tom Hayden and Jane Fonda in London in 1972. (AP)

The ideological lodestar of Students for a Democratic Society, which became the largest and most influential organ of the 1960s New Left, the Port Huron Statement was credited with drawing hundreds of thousands of idealistic, restless youths into an anti-authoritarian movement that rocked society at its foundation.

Decades later, the landmark text reverberated in popular culture as a punchline in the 1998 film The Big Lebowski, in which the aging hippie protagonist declares himself an author of the original Port Huron Statement, not the compromised second draft. Although others weighed in on the final version, it adhered to Mr. Haydens buoyant themes, which have echoed in contemporary movements for democratic engagement around the world, from student protests in the Middle East to Occupy Wall Street.

The proclamation, named for the SDS gathering on the shores of Lake Huron north of Detroit, owed much to Mr. Haydens combination of iconoclasm and deep social conscience forged by his Catholic upbringing.

For the fledgling SDS, he had conducted fearless front-line activism in the South. But his masterstroke for the organization was the 64-page tour de force that confronted a hypocrisy in American ideals, disillusionment with social progress and anxiety in a supposed age of prosperity.

We are people of this generation, bred in at least modest comfort, housed now in universities, looking uncomfortably to the world we inherit, Mr. Hayden wrote in the oft-quoted first lines of the statement that he and a few friends hand-delivered to the Kennedy White House before a mass distribution of 60,000 copies sold for 25 cents each.

He went on to assume influential roles in many of the most important student upheavals of the period before focusing his rage on the United States involvement in Vietnam.

In 1965, as a guest of the North Vietnamese, he became one of the first Americans to visit wartime Hanoi. Years later, he urged Fonda to make the trip, a public relations disaster that saddled the actress with the derisive nickname Hanoi Jane.

Tom Hayden in 1988. (Lennox Mclendon/AP)

With Rennie Davis, Abbie Hoffman and other radical leaders, Mr. Hayden went on to plot the massive antiwar demonstrations that turned Chicagos streets into a battleground for five days in August 1968.

Let us make sure that if our blood flows, it flows all over the city, hetold throngs of young protesters in the citys Grant Park on the day that Vice President Hubert Humphrey became the Democratic presidential nominee.

Confronted by Democratic Mayor Richard J. Daleys 12,000 Chicago police in addition to 6,000 Army troops and 5,000 National Guardsmen, Mr. Hayden exhorted the demonstrators to turn this overheated military machine against itself.

After arrests and injuries ran well into the hundreds, Mr. Hayden and seven others were charged with conspiracy to incite violence. The Chicago Eight, as they were initially known, became the Chicago Seven when Black Panther leader Bobby Seale was separated from the case. Mr. Hayden was found guilty but the conviction was overturned in 1972 by an appeals court, which cited improper rulings by an antagonistic trial judge.

The rebel who by 1967 had earned a spot on the FBIs Rabble Rouser Index would later spend the bulk of his public life trying to change the system from within.

Calling himself a born-again middle-American, a claim that some detractors found opportunistic, Mr. Hayden reinvented himself in the liberal mainstream, was elected to the California legislature in 1982 and for 18 years represented an affluent swath of Los Angeles County.

With funding from the profitable Jane Fonda workout franchise, he and Fonda founded the Campaign for Economic Democracy, a progressive, grass-roots organization later known as Campaign California that gave him an enduring prominence that eluded many of his old friends from the 60s.

He was the most influential politician to come out of the New Left, said Todd Gitlin, a Columbia University sociologist and historian of the 1960s who succeeded Mr. Hayden as SDS president. Unlike many on the left who disdained hierarchy, Tom was one of very few people I knew who actually wanted to lead and liked power, Gitlin said.

Antiwar activism

Thomas Emmett Hayden was born in Royal Oak, Mich., a middle-class Detroit suburb, on Dec. 11, 1939. His father was a former Marine who worked for Chrysler as an accountant. He was also a violent drunk, and by the time Tom was 10, his parents had divorced. He was raised by his mother.

He grew up worshiping at the church led by the Rev. Charles Coughlin, the radio priest who gained national prominence during the Depression as an advocate for the jobless but later revealed himself to be a rabid anti-Semite.

Disturbed by Coughlins teachings, Mr. Hayden drifted away from the Catholic Church in his teen years. In his farewell column as editor of the high school paper, he used the first letter of successive paragraphs to spell Go to hell. He was banned from attending graduation.

In 1957 Mr. Hayden entered the University of Michigan and, by his senior year, was editor of the student newspaper.

The pivotal event of his college career came during what he later called his summer of transformation. On a picket line outside the 1960 Democratic National Convention in Los Angeles, he interviewed the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. Ultimately, King told him, you have to take a stand with your life.

As I left the line, and later as I left Los Angeles, I asked myself why I should be only observing and chronicling this movement instead of participating in it, Mr. Hayden recalled in Reunion, his 1988 memoir.

After graduating in 1961, he accepted an offer from SDS founder Al Haber to become the fledgling groups field secretary in the South. He was beaten by segregationists, and on his 22nd birthday, he found himself in a jail cell in Albany, Ga., after participating in a Freedom Ride from Atlanta.

Mr. Hayden was helping organize the urban poor in Newark, an extension of his SDS experience, when he joined Marxist historian Herbert Aptheker and radical historian Staughton Lynd on a peace mission to Hanoi. Ignoring State Department prohibitions on travel to North Vietnam, Mr. Hayden arrived in Hanoi on Dec. 21, 1965, and spent much of the next 10 days surveying the destruction caused by U.S. bombs.

Two years later, Mr. Hayden made a second trip to Hanoi and wound up escorting three captured American soldiers from Phnom Penh back to the States, a North Vietnamese gesture of solidarity with the American peace movement.

In 1968, determined to find a way to lance the tumor that Vietnam was in our lives, he joined Hoffman and Davis as the critical Chicago leaders of the National Mobilization Committee to End the War in Vietnam. .

On the worst day of violence in Chicago, he was among a crush of demonstrators driven through the windows of the Hilton Hotels Haymarket Lounge by police brandishing batons and tear gas. Much of America watched the scene unfold live on their TV sets.

Three months later, Republican Richard M. Nixon, who had pledged to restore order in America, won the presidency by a decisive margin.

A second act

At an antiwar event in Ann Arbor, Mich., in February 1971, Mr. Hayden met Fonda, then in the midst of a transition from sex symbol in movies (Barbarella) to dramatic actress and left-wing activist. They did not cross paths again until early 1972, when Mr. Hayden, in cheap rubber sandals and a long braid, approached her after a speech in Los Angeles. Fonda later wrote of the electric charge she felt when he placed a hand on her knee.

They married in 1973, when Fonda was three months pregnant with their son. They named him Troy after a North Vietnamese dissident and chose a Hayden family name, Garity, for his last name.

By then, they were consumed bythe Indochina Peace Campaign, with the objective of reviving opposition to the war and Nixons conduct of it.

Before embarking on a 90-city speaking tour in fall 1972, they decided to leave behind our counterculture trappings, Fonda wrote in her memoir, My Life So Far. It wouldnt do if the way we looked turned people off to what we were saying. So I trimmed Toms hair, bought him a suit and tie, exchanged his rubber sandals for brown leather, and got myself a couple of wrinkle-proof conservative outfits.

In early 1973, the Paris Peace Accords were signed and much of the antiwar movement shut down. Mr. Hayden began to reposition himself for an extraordinary second act, culminating in his successful run for the California state assembly in 1982.

Fonda knocked on doors for him and poured hundreds of thousands of dollars into his campaign. But their united front belied increasing tensions, including his constant belittling of her fitness and movie career. Their 1990 divorce was bitter.

Mr. Haydens brief early marriage to civil rights worker Sandra Casey Cason ended in divorce. Survivors include his third wife, actress Barbara Williams, whom he married in 1993; their son, Liam; a stepdaughter, Vanessa Vadim, from Fondas marriage to French filmmaker Roger Vadim; and Garity, an actor who portrayed his father in the 2000 Abbie Hoffman biopic Steal This Movie.

Mr. Hayden vied for other offices, including U.S. senator, California governor and Los Angeles mayor, but he could not fully shake his radical past, despite his assertions that he no longer clung to what he called overly romantic beliefs that had driven him against the establishment during a tumultuous decade.

You dont navigate challenges and remain unchanged, he told Rolling Stone on the 50th anniversary of the Port Huron Statement. Not that you dont sometimes yearn to be young again, but youll never see the world the way you did when you were truly young.
Free taxi rides offered Halloween weekend

SoberRide, part of the Washington Regional Alcohol Program, will offer free cab rides home, up to a $30 fare, in Prince William County from 10 p.m. Saturday to 6 a.m. Oct. 30.

Residents 21 and older can use SoberRide by calling 800-200-8294. AT&T Wireless customers can call #WRAP (9727) from their cellphones. For information, visit soberride.com.

Operation Round Up helps with utility bills

Northern Virginia Electric Cooperative (NOVEC) is encouraging customers to round their monthly electric bill up to the next dollar to support the Operation Round Up fund. Money collected will help people who need assistance paying their electric bills.

NOVEC customers also have until Nov. 14 to enroll in the Virginia Department of Social Services Fuel Assistance program, which helps low-income people pay for home heating, whether from electricity, natural gas, liquid propane, oil, kerosene, coal or wood.

For information on Operation Round Up, call 703-335-0500 or visit novec.com/oru.

For information on the Fuel Assistance program or an application, call 804-726-7000 or visit dss.virginia.gov.

Rights commission seeks student leaders

The Prince William County Human Rights Commission is accepting applications for its Student Leadership Council. The deadline to apply is Friday. County high school sophomores, juniors and seniors in public, private and home schools may apply.

Prince William County Human Rights Commission Executive Director Phyllis Aggrey said in a statement that the students who are selected to be on the council will learn about local, state and federal government through the lens of human rights enforcement. Members will also be taught about their rights and responsibilities and what to do if they experience or see discrimination as they enter the work environment.

The council meets once a month for five months at the Kelly Leadership Center. During the five sessions, council members pick human rights issues that are of interest to them and work together to create a presentation for a subcommittee of the Human Rights Commission.

For information or an application, call 703-792-4680, email pwhrc@pwcgov.org or visit pwcgov.org.

Soroptimist awards open for applicants

Soroptimist International of Manassas is seeking nominations for the Violet Richardson Award, which honors young women ages 14 to 17 for volunteer action such as fighting drugs, crime and violence; cleaning up the environment; and working to end discrimination and poverty.

The recipient of the award will receive $400.

The organization is also seeking applications for the Live Your Dream Awards.

Women who serve as the primary wage earners for their families and seek financial assistance to continue their education or receive training are invited to apply.

The Manassas club will provide a $2,500 cash grant to its award recipient, who will then advance to the Soroptimist South Atlantic Region level, where recipients could receive up to an additional $5,000. The program culminates at the national level with three finalists receiving $10,000 awards.

The deadline for both programs is Jan. 15.

For information or to apply, email Jamilah Dalton at jamilah.dalton@gmail.com .

House of Mercy needs Christmas gifts for kids

House of Mercy is accepting donations for its Christmas with Mercy program, which provides children of qualified clients with a Christmas gift.

House of Mercy staff and volunteers are planning the gift program for more than 350 low-income children.

Gifts will be accepted through Dec. 8 during regular donation hours at the HOM Donation Center, 8162 Flannery Ct., Manassas. Because children may only receive one gift, HOM requests that gifts be valued between $20 and $25.

Volunteers are also needed Dec. 7-10 to distribute gifts.

For information, call

703-659-1636, email help@houseofmercyva.org or visit houseofmercyva.org.
An Alexandria pastor and his wife were arrested Sunday after being charged in an alleged $1.2 million fraud scheme that targeted their congregation, prosecutors said.

Terry Wayne Millender, 52, and Brenda Millender, 56, the founders of the Victorious Life Church, ran a company called Micro-Enterprise Management Group that claimed to help poor people in developing countries by providing small, short-term loans for businesses, the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Eastern District of Virginia said in a statement.

Between 2008 and 2015, the Millenders recruited investors by discussing their companys Christian mission, but they actually used the funds they raised for risky trading in foreign currency markets and for the purchase of a $1.8 million home, prosecutors said. They said the defendants also blamed delays in paying back their investors on the 2008 financial crisis.

The Millenders and another member of Victorious Life Church accused of being involved in the fraudulent business, 52-year-old Grenetta Wells of Alexandria, were indicted on Oct. 20, prosecutors said. They face charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering that could bring up to 20 years in prison, according to prosecutors.

Drew Hutcheson, an attorney for Terry Millender, said his client was arrested after church on Sunday with no warning.

I find that an interesting stylistic approach, Hutcheson said.

Brenda Millender was also arrested Sunday. Her attorney was not immediately available for comment. Wells was arrested Monday, and her attorney declined to comment.
A bicyclist who died after being hit by a car early Sunday in Prince Georges County has been identified as Lorenzo Queen, 53, of Hyattsville.

About 1:15 a.m., officers responded to Kenilworth Ave. and John Hanson Hwy. after a report of a collision involving a car and a bicycle, police said in a statement.

An investigation revealed that the car and Queen, the bicyclist, were traveling northbound on Kenilworth Avenue when the car ran into the back of the bicycle, according to the statement.

Queen was pronounced dead at the scene, police said, and the cars driver was not hurt.

Police asked that anyone with information about this collision contact them at 301-731-4422.
Several children, some as young as 12 years old, have been arrested in connection with recent street robberies and attempted robberies throughout the District, according to D.C. police.

The information was included in a compilation of recent arrests in robberies that police distribute each week. Authorities said there 21 robbery arrests made between Oct. 15 and Oct. 19 in the city.

The 12-year-old boy was arrested along with a 13-year-old on Oct. 19 when police said they tried to steal a womans purse in the 600 block of Ellen Wilson Place in Southeast. The attack occurred shortly before 6 p.m., and they fled without getting anything.

Police said the same 13-year-old attacked another woman on the same block about 6:15 p.m. and snatched a cell phone from her hand.

[Juveniles arrested in street robberies]

In a separate case, police said a 16-year-old male was arrested Oct. 18 after a person had his cell phone stolen about 9:30 p.m. in the 4900 block of North Capitol Street NE. And a 14-year-old male was arrested Oct. 15 in connection with the robbery that occurred about 4:15 p.m. in the 1200 block of Mount Olivet Road NE.

Two 16-year-old males were arrested Oct. 16 in two separate armed robberies that occurred Oct. 10 and Oct. 16. Police said a persons wallet was taken at gunpoint about 12:30 a.m. in the 2500 block of Elvans Road SE, and on Oct. 16 money was taken at gunpoint from a person on the same street. That incident occurred about 2 a.m.

Names of the juvenile suspects were not released because of their age.
A suspect accused of fatally shooting a man in the driveway of his Prince Georges County home in August was charged over the weekend with killing a man outside a restaurant in Northwest Washington.

In both cases, police said attempted robbery appeared to have been the motive.

An arrest affidavit says authorities linked the Aug. 5 shooting in the District with the Aug. 17 shooting in Maryland by matching bullet casings found at both scenes to the same .40-caliber handgun. Police said that gun was traced back to the suspect, Master Matthew Thomas, 30, of Southeast Washington.

[Prince Georges victim recalled as hard-working man targeted in robbery]

Thomas was charged Oct. 20 with first- and second-degree murder in the killing of Oscar Colindres Garcia, 37, as he sat in his Dodge Dart at his home on Joplin Street in Seat Pleasant. Thomas was arrested at his house in the District and held in the D.C. jail, awaiting extradition to Prince Georges County.

While in the jail, police said they served Thomas with an arrest warrant charging him with first-degree murder while armed in the shooting of Chijioke Agbakahi, 59, of Northwest. Agbakahi was wounded Aug. 5 as he hung out with friends in the back of Move & Groove Caribbean Market & Accessories in the 5100 block of Georgia Avenue NW. He died at a hospital on Aug. 10.

Agbakahis relatives could not be reached Monday. A worker at the Move and Groove restaurant said Agbakahi stopped there regularly to spend time with friends and others. According to the affidavit, he was out back with a group, including a toddler and another employee who was grilling jerk chicken, when two gunmen approached that August day.

Police said the other apparent robber was carrying a .45-caliber pistol, and that at least one other person in the chicken restaurants yard also had a gun and returned fire. Agbakahi was struck in the head. He was the only one injured. Police are still looking for a second attacker.

On Aug. 17, police said, Thompson shot and killed Garcia as he pulled into his driveway just before midnight from his job as a cleaner. Police said the victims wife and children were inside. In addition to his cleaning job, Garcia also worked at a deli in downtown Washington.

Lynh Bui contributed to this report.
HAMPTON  A Hampton man was arrested and charged with multiple felonies after a high-speed chase late Friday that ended in a cornfield.

A Hampton police officer attempted to stop a vehicle driven by Martin Zaragoza, 25, at 11:45 p.m. Friday after it was seen traveling at a high rate of speed in the area of Olive Avenue and Highway 3 in Franklin County, according to a statement from the Hampton Police Department.

The pursuit lasted approximately 20 minutes and covered about 26 miles, police say.

The chase ended when the car went into a field in the 200 block of 80th Street and then entered a ditch. Zaragoza then ran on foot into a cornfield, according to police.

The Iowa State Patrol sent a plane to assist in the search while ground officers established a perimeter. Shortly after the plane arrived, two Hardin County deputies took custody of Zaragoza in the cornfield.

Zaragoza was wanted on two Franklin County warrants, one for felony willful injury and the other for misdemeanor fourth-degree criminal mischief.

He now also faces felony charges of possession of methamphetamine with intent to deliver, drug tax stamp violation and eluding.

Other charges include no accident insurance, leaving the scene of an accident, driving while suspended, open container, five speeding violations and five stop sign violations.

Zaragoza made a court appearance Saturday morning. His bond was set at $35,000 cash-only.

No one was injured in the chase but a Hampton police car received minor damage.

Franklin, Wright and Hamilton sheriffs departments provided assistance during the pursuit.
D.C. police say they have arrested four men in connection with 16 burglaries in September and October in Northeast and Northwest Washington.

Authorities did not say if all four men were working together in one burglary spree of if some of the cases are separate from others. Police did say that not all men allegedly participated in all the break-ins.

Two men were each charged with 11 counts of burglary, a third man in seven burglaries and the fourth in five burglaries, according to a police statement.

[Read detailed list of burglary arrests]

The break-ins of homes occurred between Sept. 16 and Oct. 20 and most were in neighborhoods covered by the Fourth District police station  16th Street Heights, Fort Totten, Shepherd Park, Takoma and Petworth.

Items stolen include electronics jewelry, camera equipment, watches, money, computers, television sets and electronic gaming systems. Police said several vehicles were stolen, including a Nissan Pathfinder, a Honda Accord, a Honda Fit and a Hyundai Elantra.

The suspects were identified as James Rousseau, 22, of Southeast, charged with 11 counts of burglary; Devanta Francis, 22, of Northeast, charged with 11 counts of burglary; Tony Robinson, 23, charged with seven counts of burglary; and Keshawna Bomar, 19, of Southeast, charged with five counts of burglary.
Secret law enforcement requests to conduct electronic surveillance in domestic criminal cases have surged in federal courts for Northern Virginia and the District, but only one in a thousand of the applications ever becomes public, newly released data show.

The bare-bones release by the courts leaves unanswered how long, in what ways and for what crimes federal investigators tracked individuals data and whether long-running investigations result in charges.

Yet the listings of how often law enforcement applied to judges to conduct covert electronic surveillance  a list that itself is usually sealed  underscore the exponential growth in the use of a 1986 law to collect data about users telephone, email and other Internet communications.

[Federal judges balking at law enforcement requests for electronic evidence]

Unsealing basic docket information is an important first step for courts to recognize that they have been enabling a kind of vast, secret system of surveillance that we now know to be so pervasive, said Brett Max Kaufman, a staff attorney at the American Civil Liberties Unions Center for Democracy.





The two federal courts are among the most active in the nation, with investigations that can span the country  and are among only a handful known to make even modest disclosures about their surveillance dockets.

Peter Carr, a spokesman for the Justice Department, said there are no broad generalizations or presumptions about when matters are sealed or not sealed, and that such decisions are an individualized process.

When courts choose to share information on the use of these investigative tools, the Department [of Justice] has worked with them to preserve the integrity of ongoing investigations, and shield witnesses and the reputations of targets who are never charged, Carr said.

[A U.S. judge just disclosed how often law enforcement secretly tracks electronic records]

In Northern Virginia, electronic-surveillance requests increased 500 percent in the past five years, from 305 in 2011 to a pace set to pass 1,800 this year.

Only one of the total 4,113 applications in those five years had been unsealed as of late July, according to information from the Alexandria division of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, which covers northern Virginia. Kaufmans group obtained the Northern Virginia data in July and shared it with The Washington Post.

The federal court for the District of Columbia had 235 requests in 2012, made by the local U.S. attorneys office. By 2013, requests in the District had climbed 240 percent, to about 564, according to information released by the courts chief judge and clerk.

Three of the 235 applications from 2012 have been unsealed.

The releases from the Washington-area courts list applications by law enforcement to federal judges asking to track data  but not eavesdrop  on users electronic communications. That data can include sender and recipient information, and the time, date, duration and size of calls, emails, instant messages and social-media messages, as well as device identification numbers and some website information.

Electronic exchanges, even absent what was said or written, can help investigators map a wide range of a targets relationships and the timing and pattern of activities.

The Virginia list also includes surveillance requests made since 2011 under a separate law that permits authorities to obtain the contents of emails.

The listings identified the case number of each surveillance application, the date it was filed and the name of the judge who reviewed it. Left undisclosed is information including the crime under investigation, any associated criminal case or charged defendant, or whether an investigation is ongoing or has ended. With rare exceptions, it also is not possible to determine whether a judge limited or denied an application, or whether a target or service provider challenged the governments request.

The information about what are known as pen register and trap and trace orders was made public after litigation by the ACLU, the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), journalists and others, including some service providers. The ACLU has urged disclosures by all courts so the public and lawmakers can learn whether public safety gains outweigh privacy trade-offs.

Its hard to understand whether this surveillance is necessary or whether there is overreach without basic information about how often these orders are sought or granted, or who is granting them. Even judges themselves do not know, Kaufman said.

[Edward Snowden comes forward as source of NSA leaks]

Recent years have witnessed explosive revelations about surveillance of Americans electronic activity, focused on actions approved by a secretive federal court under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act.

In contrast, the Washington court disclosures concern domestic law enforcement activities governed by the 1986 Electronic Communications Privacy Act  a federal law that has been copied by many states for their courts.

The law has drawn less public attention than the act covering foreign intelligence gathering. But the 1986 act has attracted scrutiny in legal circles over whether its legal protections remain adequate in an era of increasingly sophisticated surveillance methods and data storage.

[A Maryland court is the first to require a warrant for covert cellphone tracking]

To get a traditional wiretap to listen in on a landline phone call, law enforcement authorities have to meet the legal standard of probable cause and prove to a judge that their search will probably yield evidence of a specific crime and that alternatives to a wiretap are unavailable.

But under the 1986 law, judges must approve requests for pen register orders upon a statement by government investigators that the information they are seeking is relevant to an investigation. Once in place, those orders typically remain sealed and bar companies from telling customers that law enforcement has requested their information.

The Justice Department alone obtained more than 42,000 such orders in criminal investigations in 2013  the most recent year for which statistics are available  a sixfold increase since 2004 that coincided with the growth in smartphones, text messaging and social-media applications such as Facebook.

[Justice Department: Agencies need warrants to use cellphone trackers]

Under another type of request, authorities can obtain contents of emails by showing a judge that the information is significant to an investigation. The Virginia listings include some requests for email content under that standard. But for more than two years, Carr said, the Justice Department in practice has generally used search warrants to obtain the content of emails.

U.S. Magistrate Stephen Wm. Smith of Houston, a leading voice for more openness, has said that encouraging courts to electronically file and publicly docket sealed surveillance requests using a standard form would help courts, Congress and the public debate legal reforms. Without a public docket, surveillance cases all but vanish into a legal void . . . as if they were written in invisible ink, Smith wrote in a 2012 article in the Harvard Law and Policy Review. Smith made his formal proposal in February last year.

In 2014, the Wall Street Journal sought information from federal courts on electronic-surveillance orders and found only six of 25 of the busiest district courts made public some records or released tallies of types of applications.

U.S. District Chief Judge Beryl A. Howell of the District last month disclosed electronic-surveillance requests made in 2012 in that court. The release for that year was arranged as part of a public records petition to unseal all government surveillance applications and orders in closed investigations that was brought by Vice News journalist Jason Leopold and joined by the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press.

The office of U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips of the District worked on the plan to disclose select information and said it agreed in principle that surveillance cases did not necessarily need to be permanently sealed.

The three unsealed District cases are related to a pending case against five defendants accused of heroin trafficking.

[Meet the judge who just released 200 secret government surveillance requests]

One still-sealed District case docket states that the request was denied by a judge on Feb. 14, 2012. Another sealed filing, on June 22, 2012, was docketed with the words,   v. United States of America, suggesting that it led to litigation by a company or person challenging the governments request.

U.S. Magistrate Theresa C. Buchanan in Virginia announced the change to the Alexandria court divisions docketing disclosure in 2011 after three individuals represented by the EFF and ACLU challenged a secret government attempt to track their Twitter communications, connection records and account information.

[WikiLeaks, free speech and Twitter come together in Va. court case]

The government had allowed Twitter to notify the individuals of the request, which was part of a federal criminal investigation into the anti-secrecy group WikiLeaks role in a mass release of U.S. diplomatic documents. The request remains the only unsealed application listed in the Virginia records.

A pending court case before a federal judge in Maryland illustrates how disclosures may spark public debate.

[Government rule change to catch pedophiles may mean more mass hacking]

The ACLU has asked the court to unseal the docket of a July 2013 search warrant in a national child pornography investigation. The ACLU says the warrant appeared to authorize the FBI to secretly place code, or malware, on all computers that logged in to an anonymous email service but could have captured information not only of suspects but also of individuals such as dissidents or journalists who also use the email service.

[From Playpen to TorMail: Did a government hack in a child porn probe sweep up data of innocent people? ]

Carr said the warrant authorized access only to computers accessing specific email accounts and child porn websites on a specific hosting server, not all visitors, saying in a statement that Any assertion otherwise is based on Internet rumor and not substantiated facts.

The ACLUs Kaufman said that, whether the warrant was broad and legally questionable or narrower, the government should disclose it and related materials so the public can decide for itself whether this kind of operation was lawful or wise.

This story has been updated.
An Islamic State flag painted on the wall of a church in the predominantly Christian village of Bartella is seen after its clearance by Iraqi forces on Oct. 23. (Carl Court/Getty Images)

On Jan. 15, Mahmoud Elhassan headed out in his taxi from Northern Virginia to pick up a friend in Richmond who was preparing to travel overseas. They pulled over at a rest stop, where the friend, Joseph Farrokh, shaved off his beard. Then, with hours left before Farrokhs flight, they went to a mall to pass the time.

Finally, Elhassan called another cab to take Farrokh to the Richmond airport. Elhassan began driving back north.

The shave and the second taxi were intended to help the pair avoid detection as Farrokh set out on his way to Syria to join the Islamic State. It was no use; the FBI had been watching the whole time, and an undercover informant was in on the plan. Farrokh was arrested as he walked toward his gate, Elhassan in the food court of Potomac Mills mall.

Elhassan, 26, pleaded guilty Monday morning to attempting to help a terrorist group and giving false statements to the FBI. He admitted that he introduced Farrokh to the informant at Farrokhs wedding last fall and spoke numerous times about ways to get to Syria. He also lied to investigators, claiming that his friend had flown out of Dulles International Airport to attend a funeral in California.

He may yet go to trial on a charge of conspiracy to provide material support. He says that he himself never tried to go abroad.

[The Islamic States suspected inroads into America]

Theres an issue of whether this is more than an attempt to help the Islamic State, said Thomas Durkin, Elhassans attorney.

A trial would be meaningless, Durkin said, because it probably would have little effect on Elhassans sentence. He said he hopes prosecutors will agree to drop the conspiracy charge.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Dennis Fitzpatrick said in court that Elhassan and Farrokh, both of Woodbridge, engaged in conversations that were violent in nature, discussing chopping off heads and fighting against the U.S. military.

Durkin said there are personal details that put Elhassans actions in context.

Preceding all this, he was under tremendous emotional and family problems, Durkin said. His mother had died at a young age, which was traumatic for him and his family.

Elhassans father died in 2008, which is when most of his family came from Sudan to the United States. His mother became sick in 2014 and died of cancer in September 2015.

Durkin called Elhassan a very, very thoughtful and intelligent kid, who, as a refugee in Cairo, studied at Al-Azhar University, the oldest in Egypt. In the United States, before his arrest, he was a student at Northern Virginia Community College.

Elhassan had initially pleaded not guilty, with his attorney Ashraf Nubani arguing that the case was manufactured by undercover informants. Nubani identified the key informant as Jesse Morton, a former Islamist extremist who was let out of prison more than seven years early.

Farrokh, 29, pleaded guilty earlier this year and was sentenced to 8 years in prison. Raised by a Shiite Muslim father and a Christian mother, he turned to Islam in his 20s after battling an opioid addiction. Court documents show that he latched onto an extreme religiosity and became fixated on the idea of dying as a martyr on the battlefield in Syria. After his arrest, he expressed bafflement and disgust at his actions.

The two are among seven young men from Northern Virginia accused of ties to the Islamic State this year. Along with Farrokh and Elhassan, Haris Qamar has pleaded guilty to terrorism-related charges. Four other cases are pending.
Montgomery County detectives are investigating a suspicious death after a womans body was found Monday morning along the edge of a parking lot in the Rockville area.

Detectives have been unable to immediately identify the woman. She had no obvious signs of trauma. Police officials described her as a white female with tattoos.

At about 6:30 a.m. Monday., a passer-by called police to report seeing the body in the 12300 block of Parklawn Drive, several blocks away from the Twinbrook Metro Station. The deceased woman was found near a fence line.

This parking lot borders an apartment community and residents commonly travel from the community through the parking lot to reach the Twinbrook Metro, police said in a statement.

The body was taken to the Maryland Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, in Baltimore, for an autopsy. If police have not identified the woman by Tuesday, they said they may release photographs of the womans clothing and her tattoos to aid in identifying her.

Anyone with information about this death or the possible identification of this woman is asked to call the Major Crimes Division at 240-773-5700.
Bianco, a male bulldog, kisses employee Ivan Lee as he waits for adoption at the Humane Rescue Alliance in Washington, Oct. 21. (Linda Davidson/The Washington Post)

The merger of two Washington animal-welfare groups has produced cost savings and benefits for thousands of animals and now a new name, said the citys most prominent animal-rescue organization.

The Washington Humane Society and the Washington Animal Rescue League, which merged in February and began operating with a single budget, announced Monday that the united group has rebranded as the Humane Rescue Alliance.

The organization worked with a firm that compiled 1,700 name options, but president and chief executive Lisa LaFontaine said the title she chose wasnt on the list. She said Humane Rescue Alliance combines the strongest part of each legacy organizations name.

These are very strong words in the community that meant something to people, LaFontaine said. And so preserving those words was important.

Since February, the organization had been known as the Washington Humane Society-Washington Animal Rescue League.

Staffer Alec Wallack plays with Sergei, a 2-month-old beagle puppy, at the Humane Rescue Alliance in Washington, Oct. 21. (Linda Davidson/The Washington Post)

[D.C.s two main animal-rescue groups merge into one organization]

Not only was it clunky to have two names, but it just didnt fit anymore because we could see that we were doing work that was so much stronger and more significant than what either of us had done alone, said LaFontaine, who headed the Washington Humane Society.

For the new name, words such as society and league felt too exclusive, she said.

An alliance assumes that youre a part of it, LaFontaine said. Its inclusive and welcoming to people. Its more magnetic.

Since the merger, the organization has saved $1 million by consolidating space and buying medicine, food, vaccines and other supplies in bulk for lower prices, according to LaFontaine.

The Humane Society moved out of its two former buildings, including administrative offices in Georgetown, after the merger was announced. The combined organization now operates out of two adoption centers, at 71 Oglethorpe St. NW, where administrative offices are housed, and 1201 New York Ave. NE near Gallaudet University.

The Humane Rescue Alliance is in the design phase for a new facility on the Capitol Riverfront in Southwest to expand capacity and serve as the agencys headquarters. David M. Smith, chief communications officer for the organization, said the consolidation has streamlined operation and administrative functions.

Staffer Ivan Lee plays with Mase a 2-month-old tabby kitten at the Washington Animal Rescue League in Washington. (Linda Davidson/The Washington Post)

Were able to promote animals more widely to a larger audience, he said. We are definitely reaching more people.

The organization serves more than 60,000 animals annually, and since the merger, it has lowered the average time an animal spends with the organization from more than 20 days to nine, she said.

The longer they stay with us, the more emotionally fragile they can become, LaFontaine said. Its expensive to feed them and provide ongoing medical care.

The Washington Animal Rescue League, which was the smaller of the two, formed in 1914 and would often provide its more comprehensive veterinary services to animals rescued by the larger Washington Humane Society. The two organizations offered services that were distinct but complementary, LaFontaine said.

The Humane Rescue Alliance may also serve as a model for other animal-welfare organizations that offer similar services. LaFontaine said groups from other parts of the country have asked for advice.

We feel a huge sense of responsibility to get this right, she said.

LaFontaine said success hinges, in part, on community outreach, which played into the decision to include words in the new name from the two legacy groups.

If we dont focus on the human side of the equation, were going to be stuck in the work that we were doing in 1870 when we were founded, she said, referring to the Washington Humane Society. We have to make the entire community advocate with us for better care for animals.
Less than a week after one of the most massive cyberattacks in U.S. history, federal officials want to ensure that hackers wont be able to invade the computers that increasingly control automobiles.

Guidelines issued Monday for automakers and developers by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration acknowledge that protecting increasingly autonomous cars from cyberattacks will be an ongoing battle.

In the constantly changing environment of technology and cybersecurity, no single or static approach is sufficient, NHTSA Administrator Mark Rosekind said in a statement released with the new guidance. Everyone involved must keep moving, adapting, and improving to stay ahead of the bad guys.

The NHTSA guidance suggests a layered series of protections that will prevent a vehicle from misbehaving, even when its cyber defenses penetrated.

The goal of the guidance is to make sure cybersecurity is a key part of designing cars in a world where hackers and foreign powers are hungry to reach into whatever electronic realm they can, for fun, profit or strategic advantage.

[Will driverless cars really save millions of lives? Lack of data makes it hard to know.]

The motives of hackers are as varied as their goals. For some, its simply to overcome cyber barriers that are established to thwart them. For others, it could be to disrupt the U.S. transportation system.

Its like building a 10-foot wall, and somebody builds an 11-foot ladder, said Paul Brubaker, chairman of the recently formed Alliance for Transportation Innovation.

That said, there are myriad ways to keep hackers from taking control of cars, according to Brubaker. Some of it should be adapted from the military and intelligence communities, areas with which he became familiar when serving as a deputy assistant secretary of defense.

The knowledge exists to provide state-of-the-art cybersecurity protection to the fleet, Brubaker said. The question is, will the industry lean into their discomfort and embrace it?

One challenge is simply defining the industry.

The players who are developing semi-autonomous and truly driverless vehicles include Google, which has vast experience in defending against hackers, and traditional automakers, whose focus has been more on selling cars than fending off cyberattacks.

I think the department has given industry an excellent opportunity to step up to the plate, Brubaker said. Id like to see some input from folks who are working in the software-defined network world as well as the software-defined radio world to help the department develop some more refined guidance.

[Are you ready to try a driverless car? 70 percent of Americans say yes]

The cyber world had a sobering moment last year when two researchers successfully hacked into a Jeep Cherokee, disabling the brakes and transmission to demonstrate the vehicles vulnerability. They entered the car electronically through its self-parallel parking feature. Chrysler later issued a software patch to fix the flaw.

Just as federal officials put up outsized planters around government buildings to prevent attacks, and Internet companies have invested in ways to counter hackers, the goal of the guidance is to harden the vehicles electronic architecture against potential attacks.

To do that, theres a lot of talk about being risk based, which basically means companies should be deliberate about figuring out where things might go particularly badly and focus on those first. The nonbinding guidance recommends that safety-critical vehicle control systems  such as brakes, acceleration and steering  should be the priority, along with personally identifiable information.

One key step is creating an inventory of all vehicles and vehicle equipment that have some form of connectivity to each other or to other services, the guidelines say.

Once risks are identified, companies should also put in place rapid detection and remediation capabilities, according to the voluntary best practices.

If a cyberattack is detected, the safety risk to vehicle occupants and surrounding road users should be mitigated and the vehicle should be transitioned to a reasonable risk state, the guidance says.

Which translates to: Figure out whats happening and find a way to cut the danger fast. Thats easier said than done, which makes this such a fraught area.

Documenting threats and attacks, and sharing information with others in industry as well outside researchers and the public is key, the document says. Companies should use penetration tests to probe their own soft spots.

Based on its research, the NHTSA offered a list of specific dangers to avoid.

For example, software developers often have doorways into a cars basic electronic systems, which are useful for fixing bugs. But those doorways should be locked down or sealed once the cars hit the road, the guidance says.

Also, the encryption keys or passwords that give access to car computers should not provide access to multiple vehicles, according to the federal guidelines.
Exterior of the new MGM National Harbor casino resort still under construction in Oxon Hill, Md., on Oct. 18. MGM National Harbor has met or exceeded goals of hiring minority-owned businesses in Prince George's County. (Marvin Joseph/The Washington Post)

Its not quite 6 a.m., and Carla Truitt is already making the rounds of the 125,000-square-foot casino floor.

She moves from the food court to the bar to the slot machines. She has a long to-do list: Wipe down any dust left from construction. Check. Polish all appliances, glass, stainless steel. Check. Clean floors. Check.

Her crew of 10 workers, dressed in khakis and navy T-shirts, are on a mission to get the new MGM National Harbor casino resort spotless and gleaming for its Dec. 8 opening.

[MGM National Harbor casino announces Dec. 8 grand opening]

I came with some torn jeans and a T-shirt and from there the business just grew, said Truitt, who owns Be-Clean Cleaning Services, a Prince Georges County-based company hired two years ago to take care of the projects construction trailers and now some post-construction cleanup. The gratification of all of this is that I am able to give people jobs and opportunities.

Carla Truitt owns a small cleaning company that was hired by MGM National Harbor. She says the contract allowed her company to grow twofold. (Marvin Joseph/The Washington Post)

Be-Clean is one of 94 local businesses that secured contracts during construction of the $1.4 billion gaming resort. A minority-owned enterprise, Truitts company grew twofold as its relationship with MGM evolved. Her story, she said, is a testament to MGM making good on its promise to give local and minority-owned businesses opportunities.

Maybe it was luck of the draw, but it worked in my favor, Truitt said, recalling the first contract she got before the building was erected. I noticed this big empty space was available with trailers and said, I have to think outside the box. They will need cleaners like anyone else. So I left my card and then, I finally got a phone call.

Meeting goals

Since the casino giant received Marylands sixth and final gaming license, it has paid local companies $236 million for work related to the facilitys construction, meeting or exceeding goals set in a 2014 community benefits agreement with Prince Georges, according to its most recent quarterly report.

[MGM sets goals for National Harbor casino projects local hiring and contracting]

The report, verified by the county and an independent auditor, paints a glowing portrait of MGMs hiring and contracting practices in the region.

In interviews, government officials and business leaders praise MGMs outreach to recruit talent in the Washington region, particularly among minorities in Prince Georges. They note that the company was able to meet most of the goals despite being faced with a limited number of firms in the county capable of handling a project of the casinos magnitude and a post-recession shortage of qualified electricians, plumbers and welders in the region.

The project unfolded in a competitive environment for such labor, partly because of a building boom with several large ongoing projects.

Still, with a little more than six weeks left before opening, MGM has fallen short on some commitments, critics say, partly because of the countys failure to follow through with oversight.

For example, the county and MGM had two years to establish a high school culinary program. A Prince Georges schools official said MGM has said it intends to invest in the district in real demonstrable ways, but officials are still looking at potential schools to house the program, which could consist of MGM donating kitchen equipment, providing teaching assistance and money.

Two county officials said MGM was working with Bladensburg High School, but school officials said no deal was reached. The original plan to partner with Potomac High School in Oxon Hill fell through because the school didnt have the needed infrastructure, according to the county.

The community benefits agreement also calls for MGM to donate a total of $1 million to the county before the casino opens. But county officials responsible for monitoring compliance couldnt provide a reporter with a breakdown of where MGM stands in meeting the goal.

[MGM National Harbor could more than double traffic in southern Prince Georges]

The money, to help local nonprofit groups provide workforce training, is to be distributed with the help of the county; half of the funds are to go to organizations providing the training. About $250,000 is to go to the Community Foundation for Prince Georges County, an advocate for the countys nonprofit groups.

So far, the Community Foundation has received two donations of $50,000 each in support of its civic leadership awards program. MGM also has donated $100,000 to Prince Georges Community College for a hospitality program, and $16,200 to the Accokeek Foundation to support its educational programs. Bowie State has received $50,000.

According to MGMs quarterly report, the company has made about $619,000 in charitable donations, but it doesnt specify whether they were made in Prince Georges. Casino officials said the company is on track to meet the $1 million goal, but neither MGM nor the county would provide a breakdown.

Some of it is in the works, said Roland Jones, director of Prince Georges County Central Services and chairman of the committee that provides oversight of the agreement. He wouldnt respond to questions about what donations had been made to date.

Monitoring compliance

While MGM appears to be meeting or making a good-faith effort to meet the goals, critics say the county needs to do a better job of monitoring things. Oversight is crucial, because if the committee determines that MGM has failed to make its best efforts to meet the terms, it could be required to make additional charitable contributions to the county.

It took the compliance committee seven months after the agreement was signed to hire a compliance manager  the person responsible for analyzing MGMs progress reports and determining whether the company is in compliance. That person left after just three months in the job and it took the county five months to replace him. The manager reports to Jones.

[MGM casino revenue redirected to boost schools vocational programs]

Asked why the first manager left the job, Jones said, We wont get into that.

Prince Georges officials commend MGM as a top contributor to the local economy, saying its agreement with the county is unheard of in the corporate world.

They have put forth money, manpower, resources. They have developed relationships, Jones said.

They could have blown us off entirely and said we are not going to do this, he said, referring to the benefits agreement. Instead, he said, they put forth a true heartfelt effort.

Some business groups say targeted outreach would have given more small businesses, particularly Hispanic- and Asian-owned firms, a greater chance at competing for jobs in the mammoth development. Meanwhile, some black business leaders and activists say that the majority-black county has not received its fair share of the contracts.

Daryl Branch said his company, Alliant ATM Services, wasnt given a chance to bid for a contract to provide ATM and cash-advance services at the gaming resort. The company partnered with a larger one to expand its capability and presented a proposal  not a bid  to MGM.

We didnt even get an opportunity to put in a bid on the opportunity, said Branch, a Prince Georges resident, who said his Annapolis-based business is certified with the state and county as a minority-owned business. They should give us an opportunity to at least compete.

But MGM said cash services are strictly regulated and licensed and only a small number of vendors are qualified to do the job. To bring in a local vendor with no experience in the casino industry, they said, would have been an uphill battle; neither Alliant nor the company it partnered with met the guidelines.

[The casino money hasnt arrived yet, but the fight on how to spend it is on]

Helping businesses grow

For Truitt, the owner of the cleaning company, the MGM contract has helped her grow her business, which she started nearly two decades ago cleaning houses with her mother. A Prince Georges native and daughter of immigrants from Guyana, Truitt had five people cleaning casino trailers two years ago. Now she manages about 20 workers, half of them in the post-cleanup operations and the rest doing janitorial services at the trailers and MGM offices.

I get mad at those people complaining, she said, noting that some small businesses may have found some MGM requirements intimidating, including strict licensing and insurance. You have to do your due diligence and you have to be proactive. People just want to sit around and wait for them to call.

According to the casinos quarterly report, as of the end of September nearly 40 percent of MGMs construction payments had gone to minority-owned businesses, exceeding a 30 percent goal. Of the 164 minority-owned businesses that worked on the project, 58 were based in Prince Georges and received $118 million in payments  about 15 percent of the construction payments and higher than the goal of 12 percent.

The numbers, however, exclude nearly $200 million spent on areas such as leases, charitable donations, payments to government, security systems and networking services, and the purchase of furniture and fixtures, gaming equipment, structural steel, escalators and elevators.

MGM said that more than 1,700 county residents were hired for the construction phase, and the company expects that when the casino opens, more than 40 percent of the 3,600 permanent employees will be from the county. That will exceed its commitment to have 40 percent of its workforce come from Prince Georges. County officials say they look at payroll to verify the labor numbers.

Realistically not every single person who has a company is going to get an opportunity. Its just impossible, said MGM National Harbor President Lorenzo Creighton. But we have exceeded all of the goals and expectations.

In addition to building a database of more than 2,000 local and minority-owned businesses, MGM held webinars, meet-and-greets and procurement events across the county and the region, officials say. It required its primary contractor, Baltimore-based Whiting-Turner, to bring in a minority business enterprise component.

Moving forward, MGM estimates it will spend $60 million to $80 million a year on procuring items for use in the casino operations, and a share of that will go to county and minority-owned businesses. Business leaders say the opening not only benefits the county but the entire Washington region.

They are very big players here, said James C. Dinegar, president and chief executive officer of the Greater Washington Board of Trade. They are bringing 3,600 new jobs. That is 3,600 more people who get hired, who get trained, who have hospitality experience, he said.

And it brings a new 24-hour industry to the region.

It is such an amazingly big complex that I think there is something there for almost everyone in terms of jobs and opportunity for business, he said.
GOP challenger Charles Hernick, left, and incumbent Rep. Don Beyer (D-Va.), right. (LEFT: John Kopicko, Charles Hernick campaign and RIGHT: Andre Chung for The Washington Post)

Rep. Don Beyer has some quirky ideas about what legislation he would pursue if he wins a second term in Congress next month.

He wants to push for a billion-dollar economic development project in hard-hit coal communities far from his suburban Northern Virginia district. He longs to revise the federal budget process, requiring an even Democrat-Republican split on key committees. And he would like to see larger, multimember congressional districts, as was allowed before 1842.

I dont want to be naive, and I dont want to be Don Quixote, said the affable auto dealer, an ex-ambassador and former lieutenant governor. But I want to talk to 200 people about this in the next two years.

When you are the incumbent Democrat in one of the countrys deepest blue districts, you can afford to dream.



Beyer, 66, faces first-time Republican candidate Charles Hernick in Virginias 8th District. A bilingual millennial who describes himself as leaning libertarian on many social issues, Hernick, 35, has tried to appeal to young voters who want Congress to address the national debt, end political gridlock and speed the pace of change.

Rep. Don Beyer (D-Va.) arrives for a a state dinner honoring Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi at the White House last week with his wife, Megan, executive director of the President's Committee on Arts and Humanities. (James Lawler Duggan/Reuters)

[After his political resurrection, Beyer adopts high-minded approach]

He and Beyer broadly agree on many social issues, including LGBT rights, abortion, immigration-law reform and the need for the federal government to act to slow or reverse climate change. Their differences show up in tax policy, how some of the changes should be accomplished, and how quickly one of 435 members of Congress can make things happen.

Beyer will win in a landslide, said David Wasserman, House editor of the Cook Political Report, which rates the district  Alexandria, Arlington, Falls Church and parts of Fairfax County  as solidly Democratic. Charles Hernicks chances of winning are no higher than Arlingtons chances of capsizing into the Potomac River.

As a freshman in the minority party, Beyer passed two minor bills during his first term and sponsored or co-sponsored 35 others, including several aimed at improving energy efficiency. One of his successes was an amendment, co-sponsored with Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), that restored the full rights of states and local communities to regulate towing.

Beyer was among the local federal lawmakers who helped the National Park Service get $90 million to repair the Memorial Bridge, and he is pushing for a federal operating subsidy for the Washington areas troubled Metro system. He said a proposal for a study of military helicopter noise along the Potomac is in conference committee and is likely to be passed later this year.

Beyer  who has raised $1.9 million in campaign contributions since the start of 2015, compared with Hernicks $59,842  is not taking the race for granted. He arrived 30 minutes early to a neighborhood forum in Rosslyn this month to talk to residents concerned about low-flying military and passenger jets. Last week, he shadowed Reagan National Airport wheelchair porters to advocate for higher minimum wages. A few days earlier, he dropped in at a small-business association luncheon in the Del Ray area of Alexandria.

A strong supporter of Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton, Beyer has been mentioned as a possible replacement in the Senate for Tim Kaine (D-Va.), the vice-presidential nominee, if Clinton wins on Nov. 8.

Beyer was one of more than 100 House members who staged a sit-in on the floor of Congress in June to demand a vote on gun-control legislation. Climate change remains his top priority, he said, followed by infrastructure repair and womens economic empowerment. He says a carbon tax would be the most effective way to reduce pollution but acknowledges that such a tax seems extremely unlike unless Democrats gain control of the House of Representatives.

Beyer said his more unconventional ideas  pouring money into coal country, and reshaping budget committees and legislative districts  could help solve the gridlock and enmity that pervade the halls of Congress. With multimember congressional districts, for example, you dont run to the right or the left; you run to the center.

[Republicans choose candidate to oppose Beyer in Northern Virginia]

Hernick said Northern Virginians should expect more of Congress than theyre getting. A consultant on economic and environmental issues who emphasizes the power of a free market, he says renewable energy credits, cap-and-trade and carbon credits could address climate change without further exacerbating the economic problems that we already have in the country

He takes mainstream Republican positions on promoting public-private partnerships to improve highways and argues for more innovation in the federal government and a lower, 25-percent corporate tax rate. He promises to work on shrinking the national debt, which he said is a major concern among young voters. On the local level, he said he opposes the proposed meals tax in Fairfax County.

Hernick supports Roe v. Wade but does not think federal money should support abortions. A believer in LGBT equality, he has been endorsed by the gay-friendly Log Cabin Republicans. And Hernick told voters after a recent candidates forum that he thinks marijuana should be legalized and taxed.

The United States, Hernick said, needs to secure our borders, but people who have been here a while need to have a pathway to citizenship.

Hernick said he plans to vote for Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump but is not campaigning for him. He acknowledged that Trumps presence on the ticket does not help him.

Hed be a better candidate if it werent for all those scandals  and both candidates have scandals, Hernick said. It detracts substantially from the real conversation we should be having, which is how we work for the peoples everyday pocketbook issues.

Two other 8th District candidates are encouraging voters to consider them: former FBI agent Julio Gracia, a low-profile independent, and write-in candidate Mike Webb, who has primarily campaigned by news release.
California

Bus slams into truck, killing 13 people

A tour bus slammed into the back of a tractor-trailer truck on a Southern California highway early Sunday, killing 13 people and injuring at least 31 others, some critically, authorities said.

The passenger bus was traveling much faster than the truck, but it was not clear whether it was speeding on Interstate 10 just north of the desert resort town of Palm Springs, California Highway Patrol Border Division Chief Jim Abele told reporters.

The speed of the bus was so significant that the trailer itself entered about 15 feet into the bus, Abele said at a news conference. You can see it was a substantial impact.

Abele said it was not known whether alcohol, drugs or fatigue played a role in the crash about 100 miles east of Los Angeles. The USA Holiday tour bus was returning to Los Angeles after a visit to the Red Earth Casino in Thermal, about 25 miles southeast of Palm Springs.

The bus driver was killed; the truck driver received minor injuries.

Passengers told officials that most people were asleep when the crash occurred at 5:17 a.m.

 Associated Press

Kentucky

Man is killed by state troopers

Kentucky State Police say troopers fatally shot a man who ignored an order to put down his rifle during a call about a domestic dispute.

Trooper Billy Gregory said in a news release that Kenny Tomblin, 38, of Edmonton was shot by troopers early Sunday.

Gregory said a woman told Metcalfe County dispatchers that she and Tomblin had been involved in a physical altercation. A sheriffs deputy encountered Tomblin, who went into his residence, brought out the rifle and approached troopers who had arrived.

Gregory said Tomblin refused to put down the rifle and discharged it. Troopers opened fire, striking him.

The races of the troopers and Tomblin werent known.

 Associated Press

North Carolina

Woman in town for funeral is shot dead

Police say a South Carolina woman was fatally shot as she gathered with family in a home the night before her sister-in-laws funeral.

Media outlets report that Jacobia Lane, 37, of Sumter, S.C., was sitting on a couch in her brothers home in Gastonia, about 23 miles west of Charlotte, about 12:30 a.m. Saturday when someone outside fired about 30 bullets. Lane was hit in the back of the head.

A family spokesman, Christopher Dennis of Charlotte, told the Charlotte Observer that about 30 people had gathered at the home before attending the funeral Saturday of a relative who died of cancer. Lane made the trip with her husband and their two children.

One bullet struck a pillow where Lanes husband was sleeping, but he was not hurt.

A teenager in the home was hit in the arm.

 Associated Press

Man stabbed in S.C. church: A 65-year-old South Carolina man is charged with stabbing the person sitting in front of him in church. Local media outlets reported that Billy Lewis of Wedgefield, about 35 miles east of Columbia, is charged with attempted murder in the stabbing of a man during services Sunday at St. Paul African Methodist Episcopal Church. Authorities have not identified the victim. He was airlifted to a hospital in Columbia with severe injuries. Witnesses told Sumter County Sheriffs deputies that Lewis stood about 9:30 a.m. and began stabbing the man in front of him in the back and head for no apparent reason. Deputies said Lewis has a history of nonviolent mental health issues.

Body pulled from river in N.H.: New Hampshire police say they think that a body pulled out of a Massachusetts River belongs to a teenager who had been reported missing. Nashua Police Department officials say based on their initial investigation, clothing description and body condition, they believe it to be Jacob Goulet, 16, of Nashua. Authorities think he fell down a drain during heavy rain.

Names in Tulsa shooting released. Tulsa police have released the names of a man who was fatally shot and the officers who opened fire. Police said Sunday that William Frost Jr., 58, was shot by officers Jim Brill and Lance Bond. Brill and Bond are on paid leave pending an investigation. The officer thought to have fired the fatal shot was not identified. Police have said Frost refused the officers orders to drop a knife he was carrying and was shot with a stun gun before the officers opened fire when he became aggressive.

Drone said to threaten helicopter : Law enforcement authorities in North Dakota say a helicopter they were using to monitor a protest against the Dakota Access pipeline was approached by a drone in a threatening manner. The Morton County Sheriffs Office said an officer on board the helicopter Sunday reported to colleagues on the ground that the pilot and passengers were in fear of their lives and that the unmanned aircraft was going after them. Police fired less-than-lethal ammunition at the drone, damaging it, and the operator then landed it.

 From news services
MASON CITY  A Hampton man sentenced to life in prison Monday after being convicted of murdering his girlfriend told the court he is sorry about the womans death.

However, 61-year-old Ronald Rand said he is not guilty of first-degree murder, the verdict a jury returned in August after three hours of deliberation.

UPDATE: Hampton man faces life without parole after murder verdict OSAGE  Moments after a jury found him guilty of first-degree murder for killing his girlfri

He called the Dec. 13 fatal shooting of Michelle Key, 51, at his home in Hampton a tragic accident caused by two people who were drunk and playing with a gun.

Mondays sentencing hearing was held in the courtroom at the Cerro Gordo County Law Enforcement Center.

Key, a Waterloo resident, died on the couch in Rands living room from a shot to the neck from a sawed-off shotgun.

Prosecutors argued during the trial that Rand was angry at Key and killed her intentionally.

Hampton police officer Dave Kelley testified that Rand told him he lost it because Key was laughing as she talked about cheating on him.

Kelley said Rand told him he pointed the gun at Key and told her, If you ever did this again, this is what is going to happen.

Rand claimed Key grabbed the shotgun barrel and pulled on it, and the gun went off and killed her.

Assistant Iowa Attorney General Coleman McAllister read aloud in court Monday a statement from Keys parents.

We miss Shelly every day, the statement read.

Her parents also stated they hope Rand and his family can find the strength to go on.

Hampton murder trial: Recorded interview shows range of emotions OSAGE  Ronald Rand showed a variety of emotions during a recorded interview with law office

Rand was ordered to pay $150,000 restitution to Keys next of kin.

The mandatory sentence in Iowa for first-degree murder is life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Mary Klein, left, with her wife, Stella Dawson, at their home in Washington. Klein, who has advanced ovarian cancer, supports a bill to legalize pysician aid in dying in the District. (FRANCIS YING/KAISER HEALTH NEWS)

Supporters of death with dignity have succeeded in legalizing what is also known as physician-aid-in-dying in five states by convincing voters, lawmakers and courts that terminally ill patients have the right to die without suffering intractable pain in their final days or weeks.

When Gov. Jerry Brown (D) signed Californias law in 2015, he said, I do not know what I would do if I were dying in prolonged and excruciating pain, and that it would be a comfort to consider the options afforded by this bill.

Yet the latest research shows that terminally ill patients who seek aid in dying arent primarily concerned about pain. Those who have actually used these laws have been far more concerned about controlling the way they exit the world than about controlling pain.

The research suggests that patients motivations are more complicated than theyre often portrayed and could affect how people vote on the issue in other cities and states.

Colorado voters will decide on a ballot initiative to legalize physician aid in dying in November. In Washington, D.C., the city council is expected to vote on legalizing the practice next month.

Its almost never about pain, said Lonny Shavelson, a Berkeley, Calif., physician who specializes in the care of the terminally ill and who began writing prescriptions for lethal doses of medication in June, when Californias law took effect. Its about dignity and control.

[An act of kindness: medical aid-in-dying bill advances]

Pain ranks near the bottom of a list of patients concerns in the first two states to legalize physician-assisted dying, Oregon and Washington, which provide the most complete details about peoples motivations.

Only 25 percent of the 991 Oregon patients who died after taking lethal prescriptions from 1998 to 2015 were concerned about pain or had inadequate pain control, according to reports filed with the state by their doctors. In Washington, 36 percent of 917 who died were concerned about pain, records show.

In contrast, at least 90 percent of patients in both states were motivated by a loss of autonomy, state records show. Forty-one percent of patients in Oregon and 53 percent in Washington said they feared burdening the people they loved. Montana, Vermont and California also permit physician-aid-in-dying, but they havent released detailed information.

Seeking control

Compassion & Choices, an advocacy group, focuses heavily on the need to relieve dying patients of pain.

One of the groups new ads promotes the Districts proposed Death With Dignity Act as giving a dying person the option to avoid the worst pain and suffering at the end of life.

Dan Diaz, the widower of Brittany Maynard, a 29-year-old California woman who became the best-known advocate for the right to die, has spoken publicly in support of the legislation. Maynard, who had an aggressive brain tumor, moved to Oregon in 2014 to use that states aid-in-dying law. She died that year after using a lethal prescription.

[Brittany Maynard, as promised, ends her life at 29]

The dying process is what Brittany feared, Diaz said. She was afraid that her final few days on this green earth would be ones where she was tortured by the tumor.

Mary Klein, a 68-year-old D.C. resident who is fighting advanced ovarian cancer, said she wants choices at the end of her life.

I want to have the option to control my own body and control my own life, said Klein, a retired journalist and artist who appears in a video created by Compassion & Choices.

Although Klein says she may also enroll in hospice care, which focuses on the needs of people with six months or less to live, she wants to have an alternative if the services dont meet her needs.

The dominant reasons for wanting euthanasia or assisted suicide are psychological and involve control factors, said Ezekiel Emanuel, chair of medical ethics and health policy at the University of Pennsylvanias medical school. He noted that most of those who have used aid-in-dying laws are white, well insured and college-educated. These are people who are used to controlling every aspect of their lives, and they want to control this aspect of their lives.

Looking at a grim future

A study of 56 Oregon patients interested in physician-aid-in-dying reached similar conclusions. Although patients were concerned about the risk of future pain, they ranked current pain as unimportant, according to the 2009 study in the Archives of Internal Medicine (now known as JAMA Internal Medicine). Patients told researchers they were primarily motivated by a desire to control the circumstances of death and die at home, as well as by loss of independence, poor quality of life and an inability to care for themselves.

The patients interviewed look ahead to this period in their terminal illness, this time in which they will be not in control, when they will be dependent on others, when they will have a bunch of physical symptoms that will undermine their quality of life, and they want to avoid that, said Linda Ganzini, a professor of psychiatry and medicine at Oregon Health & Science University.

Critics of aid-in-dying laws have warned that such legislation could set the country on a slippery slope in which lethal prescriptions are dispensed not just to the terminally ill but to anyone with a disease that harms their quality of life.

Those fears havent come to pass. But physician Ira Byock, who specializes in palliative care, said aid-in-dying laws are creating a slope of another kind. Instead of helping only terminally ill patients in physical pain, theyre also being used by patients in psychological distress.

Its a bait-and-switch, said Byock, executive director and chief medical officer for the Institute for Human Caring of Providence Health and Services, based in Torrance, Calif. Were actually helping people hasten their deaths because of existential suffering. Thats chilling to me.

Although right-to-die campaigns suggest that excruciating pain is often unavoidable, Byock said that we can relieve the suffering of almost everyone that we care for if we have the time to prepare.

Hospice staff are on call 24 hours a day to help patients in pain, Byock said. Palliative-care and hospice teams also can train family caregivers how to administer emergency pain medications that take effect before nurses can arrive.

Hospice may have alleviated some patients concerns, said Thomas Smith, director of palliative medicine at Johns Hopkins Medicine in Baltimore. Just 64 percent of Oregon patients and 82 percent of Washington patients last year used the lethal medications they were prescribed. Others died without taking them.

Many people who have the prescriptions dont use them, Smith said. That suggests to me that some people find meaning and purpose and adequate symptom control, not just that they are too weak to take the pills.

Many kinds of suffering

Barbara Coombs Lee, president of Compassion & Choices, said its difficult for people to predict how they will feel as they face a deadly illness. While a healthy person might not imagine being able to tolerate physical disability, people facing the prospect of an early death are often willing to accept harsh treatments or a reduced quality of life in exchange for more time.

That change in perspective could help explain why some of those who advocate for the right to die, including those who obtain lethal prescriptions, never actually choose to hasten their death, Lee said. But she said that having the prescription on hand can ease patients anxiety and give them peace of mind, because they can control the timing and method of death.

Lee also notes that people can suffer in many ways beyond physical pain. Maynards brain tumor caused her to suffer frequent seizures, for example. Lee also described the case of a dying woman who took a lethal prescription after she began leaking fecal matter, which prevented her from ever feeling clean.

That woman, Penny Schleuter, is quoted in Lees book Compassion in Dying: Stories of Dignity and Choice. Schleuter said the pain from her cancer could be controlled. But, she added: I like doing things for myself, and the idea of having somebody take care of me like I am a little 2-month-old baby is just absolutely repulsive. Its more painful than any of the pain from the cancer.

Lee said: Everyone who is terminally ill has some kind of nightmare that would be worse than death to them. They want to achieve sufficient control to avoid that nightmare for their family.

Diaz said people shouldnt underestimate how devastating it can be to lose ones autonomy.

If I find myself in a situation where I cant go to the bathroom on my own, where someone has to change my diapers, where I cant feed myself, where I cant care for the people around me, where other people have to move me around to keep me from having bedsores, I would then submit, Is that really living?  Diaz said.

Some people who pursue physician-assisted death dont want to be in a hospital, dont want to be connected to tubes, Lee said. They say: I want to be at home with those I love. I dont want to be delirious or unconscious at the end of life. Those are all things that play into their fears about what their disease might descend into.

 Kaiser Health News

Kaiser Health News is a national health policy news service that is part of the nonpartisan Henry J. Kaiser Foundation.
Late Friday afternoon on Dec. 4, 2014, Stephen Schroeder was waiting to board his packed flight from Philadelphia to Las Vegas for a much anticipated long weekend with his son when his cellphone rang. On the line was an unexpected caller: his doctor, reporting test results sooner than Schroeder had expected.

Listening intently, Schroeder was flooded with disbelief as he struggled to comprehend what he was hearing. Using the lip of a trash can as a writing surface, he scribbled notes on the back of his boarding pass, making the doctor spell out each unfamiliar word. Then he sent a terse text to his wife, who was at their home in the Philadelphia suburbs, and got on the plane.

Onboard, Schroeder, then 55, fired up the balky in-flight Internet, desperate for information.

What he read over the next five hours left him alternately terrified, stunned and then, as denial took over, skeptical. I kept thinking this must be some kind of really stupid mistake, he recalled. The diagnosis had to be wrong.

[Doctors dismissed his pain as migraines. Then they said he had 24 hours to live.]

The Washington Posts Libby Casey speaks to patient Stephen Schroeder and Post health and science editor Kathy Lally about EMPD, a rare form of cancer. (The Washington Post)

Schroeder would discover that the pesky rash he and his doctors had dismissed as inconsequential would take over  and threaten  his life.

The experience would provide a crash course in the importance of finding experts who could provide appropriate treatment, in the necessity of learning as much as possible about a disease, and in the loneliness of coping with a diagnosis so rare it lacks a support group.

A case of jock itch

In the fall of 2013, Schroeder noticed a small, purplish pimple on his groin. I was pretty sure it was an ingrown hair, so I ignored it for six months, figuring it would go away on its own, he recalled. The pimple disappeared, replaced by a dime-size red, scaly rash on his scrotum. Schroeder said he assumed it was jock itch  vernacular for a common fungal infection of the groin  and did nothing for several more months.

Im a guy, he said. It didnt faze me much. The director of membership development for a purchasing cooperative, Schroeder had been successfully treated for melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer, in 1989. He had not had a recurrence and was always vigilant about annual checkups.

In the spring of 2014, as his primary-care doctor was on her way out the door after a routine appointment, Schroeder said he remembered the red patch almost as an afterthought and mentioned it.

[At first, this man thought he had food poisoning. It turned out to be something far worse.]

She examined the spot, agreed it looked like jock itch and suggested he try the standard treatment: an over-the-counter antifungal cream. Several weeks later, when the problem remained, Schroeder returned. His physician and one of her partners took a look and prescribed a stronger antifungal medicine.

1 of 26 Full Screen Autoplay Close Skip Ad  The case files: Medical mysteries View Photos From a daily afternoon fever to a debilitating reaction to chemotherapy, heres a look at perplexing medical mystery cases. Caption From a daily afternoon fever to a debilitating reaction to chemotherapy, heres a look at perplexing medical mystery cases. Doctors were stumped by this 2-year-old boys symptoms. He had swollen thumbs, bleeding gums and anemia. He cried whenever anyone touched his legs. Doctors were running out of time. Read the case Cam Cottrill/For The Washington Post Wait 1 second to continue.

They both agreed it was nothing to worry about, Schroeder recalled. It wasnt painful, just annoying and itchy.

The second medicine was no more effective than the first. Schroeder then consulted his dermatologist. He, too, initially agreed it was a stubborn fungal infection, which thrives in moist, dark areas of the body. Later, the dermatologist changed his mind and suspected eczema, a skin inflammation that causes redness and itching. Another possibility, he told Schroeder, was that he had developed contact dermatitis, a common allergic reaction to the shampoo, soap or fabric softener he used.

Schroeder thought that was odd, but he changed his shampoo and soap brands and stopped using fabric softener. I think he was winging it as he went, Schroeder said of his dermatologist. The rash didnt improve.

Fifteen months after the first symptom and a few days before his Las Vegas weekend, Schroeder returned to the dermatologist and asked him to perform a biopsy to determine the cause of the red patch.

Steve, this is kind of weird, he remembers the dermatologist saying when he answered his phone at the airport.

[He went from a playful little boy to a zombie. Why wouldnt the doctors listen?]

Searching for experts

The doctor told Schroeder that his jock itch was actually an extremely rare, invasive cancer called extramammary Pagets disease (EMPD), a malignancy that involves the apocrine glands that produce sweat; it often affects the vulva, scrotum or penis.

The cause of the cancer is unknown and doctors dont know whether family history plays a role; some EMPD patients have close relatives with breast cancer, as does Schroeder, whose mother battled the disease.

EMPD is slow-growing; a two-year delay between the appearance of the first symptoms and a definitive diagnosis is not uncommon, studies have found. One reason is that it lacks few hallmarks and mimics eczema and other benign skin disorders. In some cases, EMPD reflects an underlying cancer elsewhere in the body, but in other cases, including Schroeders, no other cancer can be detected.

If left untreated, EMPD can spread and become lethal. Only a few hundred cases have been reported worldwide, most of them in women over 50.

As Schroeder tried to absorb the news, the dermatologist told him that he knew nothing about EMPD. He recommended that Schroeder consult a plastic surgeon.

Once in-flight and online, Schroeder was aghast at what he read. It said things like, This is a death sentence,  he recalled. I was just freaking out. I spent a lot of time praying and a lot of time crying as surreptitiously as possible. None of his fellow passengers or the flight crew said anything.

The plastic surgeon Schroeder consulted was no help; he told Schroeder he had never heard of EMPD. I didnt know how I was going to find the right people. It was a really scary time. I quickly tried to research who is the expert in this, he said, but found little that was helpful.

Schroeder said it did not occur to him to call specialized hospitals. Id never heard of Sloan Kettering, he said, referring to Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York, a hospital that would later loom large in his life.

I felt like I was fighting the cancer battle myself. I learned to be inquisitive and to ask questions. Schroeder called his dermatologist for help finding a doctor and was referred to Bradley D. Figler, then the director of reconstructive urology at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia. He felt reassured when he learned that Figler was treating another man recently diagnosed with EMPD. In fact, Schroeder was the fourth EMPD patient Figler had seen in his 10-year career.

The cases were all pretty similar, said Figler, who is now an assistant professor of urology at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine. Theyre all middle-aged white guys.

In January 2015, Schroeder underwent about eight hours of surgery at Thomas Jefferson to remove the large cancer, which had grown to encompass an area two inches by three inches and to rebuild his scrotum, using skin grafted from his left leg.

Figler said that the operation, which he performed with other specialists, involved Mohs surgery, in which thin layers of skin are progressively removed and examined under a microscope by a pathologist until there is no detectable malignancy. The goal is to remove all cancer while minimizing damage to surrounding tissue. That is particularly tricky in EMPD cases, Figler said, because the cancerous cells often are not clumped together.

He dealt with pretty radical surgery and a very significant recovery well and took it all in stride, Figler said. Its really difficult to find expertise in this disease. He really sought it out.

I think this surgery is difficult on a lot of levels, the surgeon continued. Men get a lot of their self-image from this region.

Figler said it is unclear whether Schroeders melanoma 25 years earlier played a role in the development of EMPD.

She told doctors she might have kidney stones. They told her she was about to give birth.

Like an octopus

After Schroeders six-week recovery, the waiting began. Recurrence is the rule, not the exception. This cancer is almost like an octopus, he said.

Last year, Schroeder and his wife moved from Philadelphia to Spokane, Wash., to be closer to relatives. In October, he discovered another red patch, not far from the location of the first, and underwent a second surgery in Spokane, less extensive than the first.

One of his doctors pointed him to a study underway at Sloan Kettering involving a noninvasive imaging technique using confocal microscopy, which may be able to detect some cancers earlier than usual and with more precision.

Schroeder enrolled in the study. Earlier this year, doctors there found three suspicious areas near the site of his original surgery, including on his leg; biopsies revealed EMPD in those locations. Two months ago, Schroeder underwent a third operation at the University of Washington in Seattle. He has returned to work and periodically flies to New York for testing as part of the study.

Im going to use whatever tools I can find at my disposal to try and keep this thing at bay, he said.

One of the hardest aspects of his disease is the lack of a peer group. He has never talked to another person with EMPD but hopes to do so and has told his doctors to feel free to give his contact information to other EMPD patients. Schroeder set up a Web page several months ago but so far has not heard from anyone. He says the love and support of his family, particularly his wife, has been essential in helping him recover.

Schroeder hopes his experience will serve as a cautionary tale. Guys like to put stuff off, he said. If this convinces one guy to get something checked out, itll be worth it.

Submit your solved medical mystery to sandra.boodman@washpost.com. No unsolved cases, please. Read previous mysteries at wapo.st/medicalmysteries.

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SPAIN

Socialists vote to end political impasse

Spains Socialist party voted Sunday to stop blocking the conservative Popular Party from forming a minority government, setting the stage to end a nearly 10-month political impasse.

Members of the Socialists federal committee announced after a meeting that they would abstain from voting against acting prime minister Mariano Rajoy during a confidence vote in parliament. The abstention should prevent a third election.

Two inconclusive elections since December have left Rajoy in charge of a caretaker government. His Popular Party won both elections, but not enough seats to form a majority in parliament.

Rajoy has the support of 170 lawmakers in the 350-seat parliament  137 of them from his party  but he needs other parties votes, or abstentions, if he is to form a government. He needs 11 abstentions from the Socialists to reach the threshold that would allow him to do that.

Spain has been led for decades by either the conservatives or the Socialists and has never had a coalition government.

 Associated Press

POLAND

New abortion proposal reignites protests

Women put black clothes back on and returned to the streets of Poland on Sunday, launching another round of protests against efforts by the nations conservative leaders to tighten already restrictive abortion laws.

A large group gathered Sunday outside Parliament in Warsaw, decrying the Catholic Churchs influence on political life and chanting, We have had enough! Similar protests occurred in other cities as well.

The protests are expected to culminate Monday, when some women also plan a strike.

Similar protests occurred earlier this month against a proposal for a total ban on abortion. Lawmakers rejected that proposal after massive crowds of women dressed in black staged protests.

The latest round of demonstrations was organized in response to a new proposal that would fall short of a total ban but outlaw abortions in cases where fetuses are unviable or badly damaged.

Jaroslaw Kaczynski, the head of the ruling party, said recently that he wants a new law that would ensure that women carry their fetuses to term even in cases of Down syndrome or when there is no chance of survival. The move would allow for baptisms and burials, Kaczynski said.

Abortion was legal and easily available under communism in Poland, but after communisms fall, the nation re-embraced many of its Catholic traditions. The current law bans most abortions.

 Associated Press

AFGHANISTAN

Report: Opium poppy cultivation on the rise

Afghanistan saw an increase of 10 percent in opium poppy cultivation and a decrease of 91 percent in eradication, according to a joint survey released Sunday by the United Nations and the Afghan government.

The report showed that the total area under cultivation in Afghanistan was an estimated 496,681 acres in 2016, a 10 percent increase from 2015. It said no eradication took place in provinces with high levels of poppy cultivation because of security challenges, as well as logistical and financial ones.

Overall, the potential opium production in Afghanistan increased 43 percent, with 4,800 tons this year compared with 3,300 tons in 2015, Salamat Azimi, Afghan counternarcotics minister, said during a news conference with U.N. officials in Kabul.

The Taliban, which has been waging war against the Afghan government since 2001, is heavily involved in poppy cultivation and opium distribution.

Billions of dollars have been spent on counternarcotics efforts in Afghanistan in the past decade.

 Associated Press

Iraqi parliament bans alcohol: Iraqs parliament has passed a law forbidding the import, production or selling of alcoholic beverages in a surprise move that has angered many in the countrys Christian community, who rely on the business. The law imposes a fine of up to $21,000 on anyone violating the ban. But it is unclear how strictly the law would be enforced, and it could be struck down by the supreme court.

Extremists retake town in central Somalia: Islamist extremists recaptured a town in central Somalia after African Union and Somali troops pulled out, according to residents. Heavily armed al-Shabab fighters retook Halgan soon after troops left, a town elder said. Halgan is the second town in the region to be recaptured by al-Shabab after the A.U. troops withdrawal.

 From news services
SYRIA

No more humanitarian pauses, Russia says

Syrian government forces and their allies on Monday captured strategic high ground in Aleppo as Russia  a key ally of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad  said it was not planning more humanitarian pauses in the fighting in the citys eastern, rebel-held districts.

The fighting in Aleppo came as airstrikes hit the northwestern province of Idlib, killing at least 13 people, according to the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and the Local Coordination Committees, an activist group.

Fighting resumed in Aleppo over the weekend, after a days-long lull announced by Moscow that was meant to let rebels and civilians leave the eastern areas. The rebels rejected the offer.

On Monday, troops took the hilltop of Bazo on the southern edge of Aleppo and shelled rebel neighborhoods, according to opposition activists.

Troops have besieged rebel-held parts of Aleppo for weeks, subjecting the districts to some of the worst air raids since the conflict began in 2011.

In Moscow, Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said Russia was not planning another humanitarian pause in Aleppo anytime soon.

In order to resume it, our opponents need to make sure the anti-government groups behave properly, he said in comments carried by Russian news agencies, blaming the rebels for the last-minute scrapping of medical evacuations from eastern Aleppo planned during the pause.

 Associated Press

INDIA

21 Maoist rebels killed in gunfight with police

Security forces were hunting through forests in southeast India on Monday for Maoist rebels after a fierce gunfight left 21 rebels and a police commando dead and another police officer wounded.

The gunfight broke out after police received a tip that 60 Maoist rebels were gathered in forests on the border of Odisha and Andhra Pradesh states, a police officer said.

The gunfight lasted an hour before the rebels scattered into the dense forests.

The rebels, who have been fighting for more than three decades demanding land and jobs for tenant farmers and the poor, say they are inspired by the Chinese revolutionary leader Mao Zedong.

They operate in 20 of Indias 28 states and are considered the nations biggest internal security threat.

 Associated Press

Venezuelas embattled leader meets pope: Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro met with Pope Francis on a trip abroad amid growing political tensions in his South American nation, the Vatican confirmed. The Vatican said the pope wanted to continue offering his help in resolving the problems afflicting Venezuela. The suspension of a referendum campaign seeking Maduros removal has led to a tense standoff in the country.

S. African opposition criticizes ICC pullout plan: South Africas main opposition party tried to block a government plan to withdraw from the International Criminal Court, saying the move is illegal. The government did not consult Parliament before making its decision, the Democratic Alliance said in an affidavit asking the Constitutional Court to hear its case. The government has said a withdrawal bill will soon go to Parliament. Last week, South Africa notified the United Nations that it will withdraw from the treaty that created the ICC.

 From news services
THE PIVOT to Asia piloted by President Obama has been rocked by setbacks that should concern everyone who believes that the United States must maintain a robust role in the Pacific at a time of Chinas intensifying quest for power and influence.

A pillar of the strategy is the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a 12-nation trade pact, excluding China, that was negotiated by this administration. In this election year it attracted plenty of protectionist and nativist criticism. Both Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders, riding waves of populist angst about the economy, opposed it. Hillary Clinton, who helped craft the pivot to Asia as secretary of state and who supported the trade agreement earlier, has come out against it, saying she didnt like the details. In Wednesdays debate, she insisted that if elected, her opposition would not change. Im against it now. Ill be against it after the election, she said. Ill be against it when Im president. This is a discouraging signal to the other nations that signed the agreement and want closer ties with the United States. Chinas leaders must be thrilled.

The other shock came from Rodrigo Duterte, the outspoken president of the Philippines, who bridles at criticism from the United States of his violent, extrajudicial campaign against drug dealers and users in which hundreds have been killed. On a visit to Beijing, he doubled down on anti-American diatribes. Mr. Duterte announced a separation from the United States. Both in military, not maybe social, but economics also.

Never known for being subtle, Mr. Duterte also declared his affinity for authoritarian rule in China and Russia. In a meeting with Chinese and Philippine business people at the Great Hall of the People, he declared, Ive realigned myself in your ideological flow and maybe I will also go to Russia to talk to Putin and tell him that there are three of us against the world  China, Philippines and Russia. Its the only way. Mr. Duterte left China with a goodie bag of loans and credits from a grateful Chinese leader, Xi Jinping. Russias ambassador in Manila invited Mr. Duterte to send in a wish list.

Mr. Dutertes spin doctors quickly asserted he didnt mean it, which seems to happen after every outburst. But this time he took concrete action, agreeing to bilateral discussions with China over the South China Sea. The Philippines lodged the 2013 complaint that led a unanimous international arbitration panel in The Hague to rule in July that there was no legal basis for China to claim historic rights to resources within its nine-dashed line around the disputed waters, a victory for a rules-based international order that could be eroded if it is now rolled back in negotiations.

The White House said on Friday that Mr. Dutertes comments were injecting uncertainty into the relationship. Thats putting it mildly. One question is whether Mr. Dutertes tilt may face pushback from his own military, which enjoys strong ties with the United States. Whatever happens in Manila, Washington needs to do more than watch the Philippines slide into Chinas orbit. The pivot to Asia is looking rather unsteady, and it is worth fighting for.
In the final presidential debate between Republican Donald Trump and Democrat Hillary Clinton, the first question posed was indeed a crucial one for this election: What kind of jurists would the candidate appoint to the Supreme Court and how should they interpret the constitution? Mr. Trump said his appointees will interpret the constitution the way the Founders wanted it interpreted. . . . Its all about the constitution . . . the way it was meant to be. In sharp contrast, Ms. Clinton said the Supreme Court needs to stand on the side of the American people, not on the side of the powerful corporations and the wealthy.

Not only did Ms. Clintons response fail to even mention the Constitution and the courts duty to be faithful to it, her response that the court should not be on the side of corporations and the wealthy also is a call that her nominees violate their oath of office, which provides that they will administer justice without respect to persons, and do equal right to the poor and to the rich.

Paul Kamenar, Chevy Chase

The Oct. 18 editorial When qualifications do not matter astutely criticized the promise from Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) that Republicans will be united against any Supreme Court nominee that Hillary Clinton proposes, even as the editorial points out that his spokeswomans attempt to clarify Mr. McCains statement left it unclear.

Mr. McCains statement undermines senators constitutional duty to advise and consent on presidential nominees and threatens to deprive the judicial branch of the necessary resources to deliver justice. Thus, all Republicans who are running for the U.S. Senate must publicly state exactly how they will fulfill this advise-and-consent duty, so that voters can make informed choices when they cast ballots in November.

Carl Tobias, Richmond
Throughout the campaign, Hillary Clinton has pledged to ramp up U.S. action not only to fight the Islamic State, but also to end the Syrian civil war. If she does what shes promising, the risky effort could engulf the first year of her presidency and test the limits of the United States reduced influence in the region. The question is whether she will follow through.

Inside the Clinton campaign, the battle over Clintons post-election Syria policy has already begun. Clintons Middle East advisers are split between those who believe the United States has the ability and responsibility to do more in Syria and those who are skeptical of further U.S. intervention. Advisers are debating policy options both in private and in public. Clintons actual Syria policy, if she is elected, is still to be determined.

Listening to Clintons own pledges to create safe zones inside Syria, increase pressure on Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and boost support to the armed opposition, one might conclude that those around her who advocate for a more aggressive approach are set to win the day. But after the election, Clinton will be forced to confront the risks and challenges of those policies.

Clinton acknowledged in 2013 remarks released by WikiLeaks that establishing a no-fly zone and taking down Syrian air defenses means youre going to kill a lot of Syrians. The U.S. military remains wary of such an intervention. The moderate opposition she hopes to bolster may have lost Aleppo by the time she takes office. And by then the battle against the Islamic State in Raqqa may be raging, demanding the bulk of U.S. attention.

Shes on the hook to deliver. If she has to back down now, what explanation can she use? said Aaron David Miller, vice president at the Wilson Center. But shes going to be extremely careful in that first 100 days about any new policy initiative thats going to cause her a lot of trouble.

Dont expect any big Syria policy shifts in the first few weeks of a Clinton administration, advisers cautioned me. Clinton would want to do her own full intelligence and military assessments with her new team. Plus, Clinton would need to prioritize the domestic agenda she ran on.

We have no idea what things will look like on Jan. 21, one Clinton foreign policy adviser told me. What will be before her are a set of options that are being developed now. The real hard part for an incoming team is that the tide is going in the wrong direction in Syria.

The more interventionist side of the Clinton team includes top foreign policy adviser Jake Sullivan and experts at the Center for American Progress, the think tank founded by her campaign chairman, John Podesta, which last week released a report calling for the use of American air power to protect civilians in Syria.

Opposing them are many former officials from President Obamas own White House staff, who for years, with Obamas support, successfully steered U.S. policy away from the riskier options in Syria. They prioritize the fight against terrorism and reject any escalation against Assad or Russia.

Among them, former National Security Council officials Steven Simon (who secretly met with Assad last year), Derek Chollet and Phillip Gordon have argued publicly that further U.S. intervention will not succeed in bringing the Assad regime to the table and could provoke outright conflict with Russia.

Throughout the Syrian crisis, Clinton has consistently supported more action and has been willing to shoulder more risk than Obama. She insists that terrorism can only be defeated when the Syrian civil war is solved, and she believes that the United States must exert more leverage to bring about a political solution.

But those inside Clinton world who insist that increased U.S. intervention in Syria would do more harm than good are not giving up. They believe that by the time Clinton would take office, the prospects of a successful U.S. action would be even dimmer than they are now.

The Syria problem is particularly vexing because it intersects with other major foreign policy crises that Clinton would need to confront in her first year: the terrorism threat, the refugee crisis, the growing conflict with Russia and the tenuous detente with Iran, to name a few.

If Clinton truly believes that the path to a more stable Middle East depends on solving Syria, her choice is clear. She must accept the security and political risks that come with committing more American resources to ending the slaughter and confronting the regime and its partners.

Read more from Josh Roginss archive, follow him on Twitter or subscribe to his updates on Facebook.
MASON CITY  Mason City police charged Revell Toney, 19, with attempted murder Sunday afternoon after a downtown shooting that took place 13 hours earlier.

They still have not made an arrest in another shooting that took place Oct. 18 in the area of Ninth Street Northwest and Washington Avenue, where a woman was struck in the arm.

Police say the two shootings are not related.

Mason City Police Lt. Rich Jensen said police would not release the names of either shooting victim.

On a personal level, its unusual to have two shootings like this (within a week), he said, noting its not the norm for Mason City.

Toney, a Mason City resident, was arrested at 3:35 p.m. Sunday after a man suffered multiple gunshot wounds in the plaza at the north entrance to Southbridge Mall. The shooting was reported shortly after 2 a.m. Sunday.

The man was struck in the arm and the buttock area, according to a criminal complaint.

The complaint states Toney fired several rounds into the man from a 9 mm handgun.

Toney is being held in the Cerro Gordo County Jail on $25,000 bond. Attempted murder is a Class B felony.

The victim was taken to Mercy Medical Center-North Iowa for treatment and was reported in critical condition.

The incident occurred in the plaza  not in any business in the plaza, police said.

Mason City Police Chief Jeff Brinkley said if people have information on either shooting, police would like to talk to them.

Its unusual for us certainly as a community, he said. I dont have a crystal ball ... things like this sometimes come in streaks and then its quiet for a while.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Mason City Police at 641-421-3636 or North Iowa Crimestoppers at 800-383-0088.
In her Oct. 19 op-ed, The GOP paved Trumps ugly path, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) failed to mention the principal Republican culprits who caused Donald Trump to get the Republican presidential nomination: former House speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) and House Judiciary Committee Chairman Robert Goodlatte (R-Va.).

In 2013, by a vote of 68-32, the Senate passed an immigration reform bill, but Boehner and Goodlatte never allowed the House to vote on it.

Mr. Trumps signature issue has been to prevent what he calls hordes of Mexican rapists, criminals and freeloaders from crossing the border into the United States. Had the immigration reform legislation been enacted, it is unlikely that Mr. Trumps anti-immigrant rantings would have captured the imagination of so many Republican voters in the primaries.

Lee Hurwitz, Rockville
There was a time when ticket splitting was common. Voters would support one partys candidate for president and the others for Congress. At its peak in 1972, ticket splitters represented 30 percent of voters, reports political scientist Alan Abramowitz of Emory University. Since then, the practice has gone into eclipse. In 2012, only 11 percent of the electorate were ticket splitters.

And yet . . .

To bring this nasty and bizarre campaign to a meaningful conclusion, what this country needs is an outburst of ticket splitting. Republicans should vote for Hillary Clinton, and Democrats should back Republican House and Senate candidates. This will strike most people as counterintuitive, if not foolish, but there are three good reasons for doing so.

The first is to make a statement about the outcome. Neither party deserves complete victory. Both nominated widely distrusted candidates. In the latest NBC-Wall Street Journal poll (taken before last weeks final debate), only 40 percent of respondents viewed Clinton positively; a mere 29 percent felt that way about Donald Trump. Parties shouldnt be rewarded when their popular support is so thin.

The second reason is related: to avoid misinterpretation. Assuming Clinton wins, she and others will claim that the Democrats have a mandate. They dont. Her triumph would be more a repudiation of Trump than an endorsement of her policies. Just because Trumps behavior was extraordinary  routinely crude, hateful and uninformed  does not make Clinton a beloved figure with a compelling agenda.

The same point holds true for Republicans. Retaining control of the House and, possibly, the Senate would not signal the popularity of their political philosophy, whatever it is. The elections message for Republicans would seem devastating. Losing the White House for the third consecutive time  and five of the last seven elections  would show how out of touch with political reality they are. Their support is mostly defensive: fear of Democratic one-party rule.

The final reason is the most consequential  and the most hypothetical. Divided government, driven by ticket splitting, might actually produce better government.

How could that be? Superficially, the opposite would seem more likely. Divided government would mean paralyzed government; its more gridlock. Clearly, thats possible. It happened during the Obama years. We could have a repeat performance.

But thats not inevitable. For starters, we would have a new cast of characters. Clinton, House Speaker Paul D. Ryan (Wis.) and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.) are all transactional politicians  they want to get things done  as well as fierce partisans. They also know that the gridlock of the past eight years hasnt done either party much good. All this creates reasons to reach mutually acceptable agreements.

Theres a huge backlog of undone legislative business: immigration, corporate tax changes, military spending, climate change, Social Security and Medicare, to name a few. These are controversial and costly issues. Not only may one party be unable to push them through Congress; neither party may want to act alone, because that implies accepting all the blame for unpopular policies. Divided government might force both parties to search for common ground.

We live in an era defined by what Abramowitz and political scientist Steven Webster call negative partisanship  an all-consuming fear of your political opponents agenda. What you oppose defines your politics as much as what you support. Its not just polarization, says political scientist Norman Ornstein of the American Enterprise Institute. Its tribalism. People on the other side are enemies, not just adversaries, who threaten your way of life.

Parties have become more ideologically pure, says Abramowitz. Thats one reason ticket splitting has declined. In the 50s, 60s and 70s, conservative Democrats might vote for Republican presidential candidates, so we got Eisenhower, Nixon and Reagan along with Democratic Congresses. Moderate Republicans might favor Democratic congressional candidates. Now, these political fringes have shrunk. Theres more ideological consistency  and more dislike of the other party, says Abramowitz.

Well, weve tried ideological politics and weve learned one thing: It doesnt work. It doesnt produce consensus, and it doesnt produce working majorities, either of the bipartisan or one-party variety. Because parties strive to differentiate themselves, cooperation becomes harder. On both the right and the left, power has flowed to the political fringes, which excel in rhetorical self-righteousness and flunk in legislative accomplishment. Major legislation needs bipartisan support; for confirmation, see Obamacare.

The overriding need of the next president and Congress is for both parties to rebuild their political centers, which  almost certainly  still command the backing of public opinion. Revitalized centrist politics does not guarantee good legislation, but it stands a better chance of producing publicly acceptable legislation. Even this may be a long shot, but its our best shot.

Read more from Robert Samuelsons archive.
Protesters from the Keep It In The Ground campaign in front of the White House in Washington, D.C., last month. (Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg)

Kudos to Montgomery County Council members Roger Berliner and Nancy Navarro for introducing legislation that would divest the over $65 million the countys pension fund currently has invested in fossil-fuel companies [Montgomery to weigh shedding $65 million in fossil-fuel stock, Metro, Oct. 13].

The fossil-fuel industry has made clear it is willing to risk catastrophic climate change for its own profits. Its business plan calls for further exploration for fossil-fuel deposits, even though its known reserves far exceed what can be burned if we are to remain within the safe two degrees of warming set in the Paris agreement. And, under the industrys outsized influence, Congress has failed to pass the climate legislation we so desperately need.

Divestment sends a message that this is unacceptable. Some say divestment is just symbolic, but symbols can be powerful. They can change the conversation, and they can change reputations. I am proud my county is taking steps to be in the vanguard of the divestment movement.

Jeffrey Weisner, Bethesda

The writer is president of 350 Montgomery County, a climate action group.
THE IMPROVEMENT of security for nuclear materials like weapons-grade uranium and plutonium, as well as reductions in nuclear weapons arsenals, brought Russia and the United States together over the past 25 years. But the common ground has been disappearing as President Vladimir Putin takes a more confrontational stance toward the United States and tensions deepen over Russian actions in Syria and Ukraine.

When it was signed in 1987, the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces treaty was the first to wipe out a whole class of nuclear arms. Russia inherited the obligations of the Soviet Union to eliminate ground-based ballistic and cruise missiles with a range between about 300 and 3,400 miles. But the United States says Russia is quietly violating the treaty with a new ground-launched cruise missile, and recent reports suggest Russia may be making more of them. Russia has denied being in violation. The Obama administration has now asked for a rare meeting of a special commission established to hash out compliance issues. A violation of this magnitude, if true, cannot be overlooked; a failure to settle the issue could weaken the treaty.

Earlier, Mr. Putin announced the cancellation of an agreement that called for each nation to dispose of at least 34 metric tons of plutonium made surplus by the reduction in nuclear arsenals, all told enough for about 17,000 nuclear weapons. The point of the agreement was to show the rest of the world that the drawdown would be permanent and to keep fissile material from falling into the wrong hands. It was just one aspect of a much wider effort to secure nuclear, chemical and biological weapons materials in the former Soviet Union under legislation sponsored by then-Sens. Sam Nunn (D-Ga.) and Richard Lugar (R-Ind.).

The U.S. plan to mix the plutonium with uranium and turn it into fuel for power reactors began to falter some time ago. Construction began on a facility at the Energy Departments Savannah River Site in South Carolina, but costs skyrocketed. The administration and outside experts found it would be a lot less expensive and faster to dispose of the plutonium by dilution and burial. Russia also tried mixing plutonium with uranium but now is heading toward another approach, using the plutonium as fuel for prototype fast-breeder reactors. Both nations are now free to go their own way, but lose the certainty of a joint pact. Russia says it wont put the excess plutonium back into weapons work, but who is to know if it does?

Mr. Putin made a crude attempt to turn nuclear security into a bargaining chip. He complained about unfriendly actions by the United States, and demanded an end to all sanctions against Russia over the war in Ukraine; compensation for the damage they caused; repeal of the Magnitsky Act, which penalizes Russian officials involved in human rights violations; and pullback of U.S. forces from the new members of NATO. This is a misguided gambit. The nuclear security agreements were not created as a favor to the United States; rather they made the world a bit safer and helped avoid a potential catastrophe. Hardly the stuff of games.
People calling for a peaceful solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and women's participation in such a solution, outside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office in Jerusalem last Wednesday. (Baz Ratner/Reuters)

The Oct. 20 news article Growing movement of Israeli, Palestinian women presses for peace talks to resume noted that many in the region do not believe that there is a negotiating partner on the other side but did not detail the Palestinian rejectionism that helps contribute to that skepticism.

As the Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting in America and others have noted, Palestinian leadership has on numerous occasions rejected U.S. and Israeli offers for statehood in exchange for peace with and recognition of the Jewish state.

Palestinians refused U.S. Secretary of State John F. Kerrys 2014 and Vice President Joe Bidens March 2016 proposals to restart negotiations. Instead, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has incited anti-Jewish violence, paid salaries to imprisoned Palestinian terrorists and their families and  as recently as his Sept. 22 speech before the United Nations  denied Israels right to exist.

If some Israelis are concerned about a lack of a negotiating partner on the other side, one could hardly blame them.

Sean Durns, Silver Spring

The writer is a research analyst for the Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting in America.
The lies and distortions that Donald Trumps campaign messengers deploy to rationalize their candidates outrageousness are more typical of the last couple of decades of our politics than wed like to admit.

Especially revealing and infuriating are the efforts to use Al Gore as a human shield against the public indignation Trump aroused by refusing to say whether he would accept the verdict of a democratic election. To compare what Gore did in the aftermath of the contested 2000 election with what Trump is doing is like analogizing a fire marshal investigating the cause of a blaze to an arsonist.

But first, the larger lesson. As Trump has plummeted in the polls, more conventional Republicans who thought they could get away with supporting him have tried to pretend that Trump and his message were foisted on them from some distant planet.

On Thursday in Florida, President Obama called the GOPs bluff. Trump didnt come out of nowhere, he declared. For years, Republican politicians and far-right media outlets had just been pumping out all kinds of toxic, crazy stuff. . . . Donald Trump didnt start all this. Like he usually does, he just slapped his name on it, took credit for it, and promoted the heck out of it.

Obama catalogued the craziness he had in mind: the birther thing, climate change as a Chinese hoax, and claims that Im about to steal everybodys guns in the middle of the night and declare martial law, but somehow I still need a teleprompter to finish a sentence.

At the final presidential debate, Donald Trump did not say whether he would concede if he loses the Nov. 8 election. After the debate, Trump's campaign manager compared his response to Al Gore who didn't immediately concede to George W. Bush in 2000. Here's why that's not a great comparison. (Monica Akhtar/The Washington Post)

The headline news was about Obama taking on Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) for calling Trump dangerous and a con artist and then deciding it was still okay to endorse him. A race is on between now and Election Day: Can Republican candidates run away from Trump fast enough to keep their opponents from tagging them as enablers of the most dangerous candidate ever nominated by either party?

[Believe Rubio post-Trump at your own risk]

Many politically vulnerable Republicans have tried to cover themselves by condemning Trumps refusal to say hed accept the elections outcome if he lost. But his election-rigging charges have a long history.

Part of Trumps rationale rests on accusations that the media are stacked against him. This has been a staple Republican talking point since the days of Richard Nixon and Spiro Agnew. And Trumps insistence that Democrats win elections through voter fraud, mostly in big cities and minority neighborhoods, is the groundless, evidence-less rationalization Republicans have used for years to justify laws aimed at disenfranchising those who are inclined to vote against them.

In fact, voter suppression is a far graver danger to our democracy than the vanishingly tiny amount of fraud, as Ari Berman, the author of Give Us the Ballot, documented last week in the Nation.

Which brings us to Gore. Knowing the political trouble Trumps blatant disrespect for the democratic process is causing him, the Republicans defenders are relying on innocence by association. Im going to keep reminding everybody about the 2000 election when Al Gore said he would accept the results of the election and then did not, said Kellyanne Conway, Trumps campaign manager. He retracted his concession.

[As Trump stares a loss in the face, even his favorite lies are failing him]

1 of 60 Full Screen Autoplay Close Skip Ad  What Donald Trump is doing on the campaign trail View Photos The GOP presidential nominee is out on the trail ahead of the general election in November. Caption The GOP presidential nominee is pressing his case ahead of Election Day. Nov. 7, 2016 Donald Trump speaks during a campaign event at SNHU Arena in Manchester, N.H. Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post Wait 1 second to continue.

This, of course, is ridiculous, as the fact checkers have shown. Gores call to George W. Bush after midnight conceding the race actually showed how much respect he had for the electoral process. It was only after news organizations withdrew their calls of Florida for Bush, depriving him of an electoral-college majority, that Gore decided a recount was called for.

To this day, many Democrats view the Supreme Courts 5-to-4 decision abruptly halting recounts and awarding Florida to Bush by 537 votes as partisan and even lawless. Yet despite this, and even though Gore won the national popular vote by more than 500,000, he nonetheless conceded with exceptional graciousness. What remains of partisan rancor must now be put aside, Gore said, publicly congratulating Bush and urging the country to unite behind our next president.

Its very important to notice that Conway was effectively channeling the efforts of Bush partisans during the Florida struggle. They attacked Gore simply because he wanted a recount in an agonizingly close race. The Wall Street Journals editorialists spoke then of a Gore Coup dEtat while Rush Limbaugh flatly asserted that Gore was trying to steal it. Limbaugh also said this: We know the whole thing has been rigged.

Yes, weve heard almost everything Trump and his minions are saying before. You wonder how much introspection Republicans will be capable of after all the votes are counted this year.

Read more from E.J. Dionnes archive, follow him on Twitter or subscribe to his updates on Facebook.
Carl Levin, a Democrat, represented Michigan in the U.S. Senate from 1979 to 2015.

Front and center in the presidential campaign is tax avoidance by very wealthy individuals such as Donald Trump and highly profitable corporations such as Apple.

Use of unjustified tax loopholes by individuals and tax havens by multinational corporations has been tolerated for too long. Trumps tax-avoidance schemes will remain at least partially hidden as long as he gets away with keeping his tax returns secret. But Apples tax gimmicks are well known.

The profits from Apples overseas sales of products designed and developed in the United States should be taxed in the United States. But Apple has until now dodged such U.S. taxes by transferring the rights to its intellectual property to itself in Ireland, through shell subsidiaries with few employees and little physical presence or tangible economic activity.

Apple even had the chutzpah to claim those Irish subsidiaries had no obligation to pay taxes anywhere, other than the token less than 1 percent it paid to Ireland under a special arrangement.

After a bipartisan Senate investigation led by Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and me exposed Apples tax dodging in 2013, it was not surprising that Europe went after the company. Harder to understand is why the Internal Revenue Service has failed to stake a claim to U.S. taxes on that revenue for more than a decade. It has remained passive, and Europe stepped in to fill the vacuum.

Shame on Apple for dodging U.S. taxes. Shame on the IRS and the U.S. treasury for failing to challenge Apples tax avoidance.

Now, Treasury is attacking the European Commission for shutting down Apples tax dodging, even though the commission openly invited the United States and other countries to seek collection of whatever share of the back taxes they think is theirs. Instead of accepting that offer, Treasury is threatening a tax war.

The next administration should chart a new course. Curbing tax havens such as Ireland directly serves U.S. interests by helping to limit powerful tax incentives for U.S. corporations to move revenue offshore. U.S. firms already hold an incredible $2.4 trillion in profits overseas, mostly in tax havens, dodging an estimated $700 billion in U.S. taxes.

Corporate tax dodging denies the U.S. Treasury and U.S. communities resources they desperately need. The water crisis in Flint, Mich., is a tragic example of public services grown dangerous from lack of investment. All across the United States, pipes deliver low-quality water, roads crumble, bridges sag. AAA says motorists spend $3 billion a year repairing the havoc caused by potholes. Civil engineers estimate we need $3.6 trillion to fix all the infrastructure thats broken.

But rather than doing their part to support the nation that helps make their success possible  and where their products are designed, developed and supported in many ways, including through tax credits and patent protection  some big U.S. corporations duck their responsibilities. Apple alone has stashed $215 billion in profits offshore, avoiding almost $66 billion in U.S. taxes, according to Citizens for Tax Justice.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Jack Lew charges the European Commission with trying to collect taxes its not entitled to from U.S. companies. The irony is that the United States allows U.S. corporations to indefinitely postpone paying U.S. taxes on overseas profits, thanks to a loophole called deferral. If we maintain that other countries cant tax those profits, and we effectively wont tax them, then what were really saying is that globe-spanning U.S. companies shouldnt be taxed on those profits at all, even though most U.S. companies cant avoid taxes that way.

Sixty-five years ago, $1 out of every $3 collected in federal taxes came from corporations  now its $1 in $9 . And when corporations dodge their taxes, the rest of us pick up the tab by paying higher taxes ourselves, suffering defective public services or taking on more public debt.

The IRS has been passive for too long. The next administration should reinvigorate tax enforcement aimed at profitable multinational corporations paying little or no tax. It should also revamp the regulations used by multinational companies in unintended ways to dodge U.S. taxes on their offshore profits.

Congress should also do its part by enacting legislation to stop some of the worst abuses. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) and others are championing the Stop Tax Haven Abuse Act. Another bill would charge corporations an exit tax, such as what Hillary Clinton has proposed, if they abandon the United States  collecting the deferred taxes on their offshore cash. Other bills would make it harder for tax-dodging multinational companies to access their overseas profits tax-free or deny them federal contracts. Theres also a bill to end the deferral tax loophole altogether.

The United States should act to end corporate tax dodging and start going after the $100 billion we lose each year due to profit shifting, instead of criticizing other countries willing to take on highly profitable and powerful multinational corporations.


A roiling protest scene outside Donald Trump's campaign headquarters in Manhattan contrasts with the bland, anonymous scene outside Hillary Clinton's Brooklyn offices. (Yana Paskova/for The Washington Post)

One is a daily carnival watched over by the counterterrorism squad, bulky toughs in plainclothes and a cast of sign-waving protesters bellowing at one another.

The other is a quiet bit of sidewalk in front of a nondescript high-rise surrounded by $3 million condos and a slew of government offices.

Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton set up their national campaign headquarters seven miles from each other. The journey from a showmans gleaming showplace to a tired old building where Brooklynites have their bloodwork done is a mere 25-minute ride on the No. 5 Lexington Avenue Express.

But, like the candidates themselves, the nerve centers of the two campaigns could hardly be more different  and that goes for the voters gathered outside them, too. The sidewalk outside Trump Tower is teeming with people who believe the country is close to the edge, barely kept from going under. Outside Clintons offices at One Pierrepont Plaza, there is no crowd, and the people on the street show no enthusiasm  theyre not particularly with her or with him.

Ron Slay, taking his lunch break in the leafy Brooklyn park, hasnt seen any evidence of the Clinton campaigns presence. Thats pretty much what hed expect from Clinton.

Shes quiet, hes in the limelight. Hes sensationalism and shes somebody a lot of people dont like, so shes lying low.

Slay, 70, a college administrator who got jazzed about Bernie Sanderss campaign this year, feels like maybe he should vote for Clinton  just because Im scared of Donald Trump. But then hell find himself flirting with a third-party protest vote. Why should I vote for Clinton just to stop someone? Why should I let them force me to make a negative vote? And then again, hell think about how Trump always seemed to get things done in New York  repairing the Central Park ice skating rink lickety-split and under budget when the city government had failed to do so.

Slay talks through his options for the umpteenth time  and after 20 minutes, he is no closer to a decision.

Seven miles away, no one is talking through any situation for 20 minutes. More like 20 seconds of yelling, finger-pointing and good old New York-style dismissive arm-waves. A guy shaking a Trump-Pence sign shouts about George Soros, the opium wars and, for some reason, Franklin Roosevelts grandfather.



Anti-Trump protester Loris Jones-Randolph, 27, and Trump supporter Elena Rubak, 52, discuss their differences outside Trump Tower. (Yana Paskova/For The Washington Post)

Many passersby arent even aware of Clintons Brooklyn headquarters. (Yana Paskova/For The Washington Post)

Beneath the shouting, there is one area of agreement: The conversations at home have gotten too volatile, too troubling, and many people say theyve had to cut off all talk of politics.

We just dont discuss it anymore, says Priscilla Allen, a visitor from Dallas who stopped by Trump Tower in search of campaign buttons. My husband is vehemently pro-Trump and my son is even more conservative, but my daughter is more liberal, and she thinks Trump is crazy. Allen believes Trump is the worst person we could have selected  the business with him and those women, well, you dont talk like that if you havent done it. Yet she supports him because Hillary is dishonest. But I wouldnt call her that to her face, like he does.

She shakes her head. All she could get in the building were a couple of bumper stickers, which makes her wonder. Hes probably not going to win because he doesnt know how to run a campaign, Allen says. Its a shame. The whole thing, a shame.

On the same sidewalk, the same sentiment, from the opposite direction: We have friends we got into it with, and we agreed not to get together again till after the election, says Mike Reynolds, a recently retired oil and gas sales manager from the Denver area. Its kind of scary how much they hate Hillary. I dont get that: The last eight years have been great  real estates better, my 401(k)s great. Whats there to complain about? Theres nothing that could make me vote for him.

His daughter Kelly, a New York nurse, says shes had to unfollow Clinton-hating Facebook friends who were posting a cascade of Lock her up diatribes. Yet father and daughter maintain that all this animosity  even the bloodcurdling shouting theyre watching in front of Trump Tower  will probably drift away once the campaign finally ends.

Try telling that to Barbara Smucker and Amelia Arcamone Makinano, regulars on this sidewalk who have never spoken to one another.

Smucker comes into the city from Levittown, Long Island, three days a week to stand in front of Trump Tower waving her hand-drawn sign: Trump Will Destroy America.

Makinano stands 30 feet away, holding an oversize American flag. She has a sticker that says, Hillary for Prison 16.

Even if Clinton wins handily, Smucker says, Trump and Giuliani and all of them arent going away. Were so divided and Trump is spreading hate. People I know are unfriending everyone who disagrees with them about Trump. When the Trump people yell at me, give me the finger, I just dont get into debates with them. I just stand and hold my sign.



Police monitor a protest outside Trump Tower. Even anti-Clinton protesters seem more likely to congregate outside Trumps headquarters on Fifth Avenue than trek to Brooklyn. (Yana Paskova/For The Washington Post)

Makinano, a retired public school teacher who lives in Queens, campaigned for Clinton in 2008 but has come to believe that the former secretary of state is a criminal. Its a view Makinano says she cannot express at her union meetings because were so outnumbered, and they boo anyone whos not for Hillary.

Living in New York, Makinano says, the only place she feels safe talking about her admiration of Trump is at home, with her husband. My friends and I dont talk about politics  its the only way we can be friends. She hopes the animosity she sees every day will subside after November. Shes not sure it can.

Back in Brooklyn, Karen Bissessar stares across to Clintons headquarters and shakes her head. The city school system employee is still undecided.

Ill end up choosing the lesser of two evils, she says. But its hard because theyre so, so  unprofessional. If you were interviewing for a job, you wouldnt act like they do in the debates. All this stuff coming out about her and the emails. And the way Trump talks  its playground talk, finger-pointing and name-calling.

A few park benches away, Lisa King, who works in a real estate office near Clintons building, thinks about the Democratic nominee and wonders why she cant make people comfortable with her the way Obama makes you feel. And then she wonders about Trump: Hes bold enough to say what people think, but hes an aggressor, and that makes people angry.

Finally, she thinks about her daughter, who is 16 and following the campaign closely: She thinks both of them could be cordial and keep away from cheap shots, and just talk to us like were adults. All I could tell her was, I wish we could have that.
Former Pennsylvania attorney general Kathleen Kane is escorted from the Montgomery County courthouse for her sentencing hearing in Norristown, Pa. (Matt Rourke/AP)

Former Attorney General Kathleen Kane was sentenced Monday to 10 to 23 months in jail for illegally disclosing details from a grand jury investigation to embarrass a rival and lying about it under oath.

Kane was also sentenced to eight years of probation by a judge in Montgomery County, Pa., who said Kanes ego drove her to take down enemies and break the law. She resigned in August after her conviction on two felony counts of perjury and seven misdemeanor charges.

Judge Wendy Demchick-Alloy said Kane assumed an off with your heads mentality as she ran the states top law enforcement agency. The judge called Kane a political neophyte who failed to make the transition from campaigner to public servant.

This case is about ego  the ego of a politician consumed with her image from Day One, Demchick-Alloy said. This case is about retaliation and revenge against perceived enemies who this defendant . . . felt had embarrassed her in the press.

Kane, the first woman and first Democrat elected as the states top prosecutor, was handcuffed in court and led out a side door. She will remain in custody until she posts $75,000 cash bail.

[How racy emails and a grand jury leak brought down a rising star]

She had been a stay-at-home mother and was a former assistant county prosecutor when she used her husbands trucking fortune to run for statewide office in 2012. She quickly became a rising star in the state Democratic Party before her office devolved into turmoil.

Kane and her husband are estranged and share custody of their teenage boys.

Your children are the ultimate . . . collateral damages. They are casualties of your actions, the judge said. But you did that, not this court.

Earlier Monday, Kanes 15-year-old son pleaded for leniency while her former deputies described an office demoralized by her leadership and terrorized by Nixonian espionage.

Kane, 50, had argued that the loss of her career, law license and reputation was punishment enough. There is no more torture in the world than to watch your children suffer and know you had something to do with it, she said during the hearing.

Aside from the conviction, Kanes political career will be remembered for her investigation of pornography that she said was being traded on state computers by judges, lawyers and other public employees. Two state Supreme Court justices resigned amid the fallout.
Voters line up on Oct. 20 in Sandy Springs, Ga. Early voting in the state runs through Nov. 4. (John Bazemore/AP)

A growing conflict over voting rights and ballot access is playing out in Georgia, where civil rights activists are trading accusations with Republican elected officials and where the stakes have risen considerably with the states new status as a closely watched battleground.

Activists said this month that as many as 100,000 Georgia voter-registration applications have not been processed. One of the states largest counties offered only one early-voting site, prompting hours-long waits for many people at the polls last week. And the states top election official has refused to extend voter-registration deadlines in counties hardest hit by Hurricane Matthew.

These developments have prompted harsh criticism from voting rights activists. Last week, the American Civil Liberties Union filed a lawsuit to extend registration for six counties affected by the hurricane. Republican Secretary of State Brian Kemp, who oversees elections, responded by taking to Twitter to rail against left-wing activists, whom he accused of trying to disrupt the election.

[Why Georgia is a key state in the presidential race]

Fresh polls in the Peach State show a tightening presidential race between Democrat Hillary Clinton and Republican Donald Trump, who has complained that the election is rigged against him nationwide. But voting rights advocates in Georgia say Republican state and local election officials are undermining the fairness of the vote by passing laws and adopting procedures that deter minorities and young people, groups that typically vote Democratic.

As the presidential race tightens, Democrats are going after voters in the Republican stronghold of Georgia. In Gwinnett County, a rising number of minorities could be changing the political landscape. (Alice Li/The Washington Post)

The clashes in Georgia echo battles in recent months, some still ongoing, in other states across the country, including North Carolina, Michigan, Wisconsin and Ohio.

Georgia is ground zero, if you will, when it comes to voter suppression and voting discrimination that were seeing this election season, said Kristen Clarke, president and executive director of the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law.

[Clinton holds clear advantage in new battleground polls]

During the past several months, advocates in Georgia have challenged laws and procedures enacted by Kemp that they said would make it harder for people to register to vote and would unnecessarily kick people off the voting rolls. In one county, advocates say they stopped an effort by local officials to move a polling precinct that served predominantly black voters from a gymnasium to the sheriffs office.

The New Georgia Project and other progressive groups submitted about 250,000 new voter-registration applications by the states Oct. 11 deadline. But they learned last week that about half of those would-be voters had not been added to the rolls, based on data from Catalist, a Washington firm that collects and analyzes voter data for progressive organizations.

Nse Ufot, executive director of the New Georgia Project, said the backlog happened partly because questionable procedures delayed the processing of applications and partly because the system was overwhelmed by the number of new applications. She said the group has launched an effort to contact more than 100,000 applicants and help them make sure they can vote by Nov. 8.

Early voting began in Georgia last week, overwhelming the one early-voting precinct in Gwinnett County, in suburban Atlanta. News outlets reported that some people waited up to three hours to vote. On Thursday, officials said they would add more machines to the single site and open two more sites Monday, five days earlier than originally planned.

Kemp said on Twitter that as of Monday morning, 578,539 ballots had been cast early in the state.

His spokeswoman declined to provide data on the number of outstanding voter-registration applications and said it is up to individual counties to process the forms.

Kemp has used Twitter to criticize the ACLU, which had asked a court to reopen voter registration for residents of Chatham County, which includes Savannah, and five other counties that were hardest hit by Hurricane Matthew. On Wednesday, a federal judge ruled against the ACLU.

In a series of tweets, Kemp decried what he said was a stunt by the ACLU to manipulate the system & squander state, county resources days before the election.

We cant sit back and watch the radical left create chaos in our state. Stand with me and protect Georgia elections! he wrote.

The very act of Brian Kemp peddling these bizarre conspiracy theories about the radical left creating chaos is itself a dangerous assault on our countrys democratic traditions, said DuBose Porter, chairman of the states Democratic Party. Just a few days ago, Kemp dismissed Donald Trumps assertions of a rigged election but is now falling into the same pattern of paranoia that works to undermine confidence in the system.

Kemp, in statements during the past year, has dismissed allegations that his offices policies are aimed at disenfranchising voters of color. In a statement last month, he touted voters ability to register or update their information online using a smartphone app.

As Georgias chief elections official, I want to ensure every Georgian has the opportunity to register to vote and allow their voice to be heard at the polls, he said.

[How to vote: A state-by-state interactive guide]

Advocates describe a more frustrating experience for tens of thousands of would-be voters.

In mid-September, the Georgia State Conference of the NAACP, Asian Americans Advancing Justice and the Georgia Coalition for the Peoples Agenda sued Kemps office over a policy that required information on voter-registration applications to exactly match data in state drivers license or Social Security records. A simple clerical error, such as a misplaced hyphen or transposed letters or numbers, could trigger a mismatch and result in an application being rejected. Voters would have 40 days to correct the discrepancies but would not be told specifically what needed to be fixed.

The lawsuit noted that out of 34,874 people whose applications were canceled between July 2013 and July 2016, 64 percent were black, compared with 14 percent who were white.

Clarke, of the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, said the groups spent a year negotiating with Kemps office and thought they had an agreement to make changes to the policy. But then the secretary of state said the changes would not affect this years election.

Days before a hearing on an emergency injunction to block the practice, the state attorney generals office sent a letter to the court saying the matching requirement would be put on hold and applicants rejected since October 2014 would be allowed to vote in this years election.

Clarke said that Georgia is unique in that a lot of the suppression were seeing is at the local level, with elected officials in communities that are smaller and more rural, and are not under the microscope in the same way that state elections officials are.

One example took place in Macon-Bibb County in central Georgia, where local officials this year decided to temporarily move a polling precinct with a high percentage of black voters from a community gymnasium that was undergoing renovations to the sheriffs office.

When we complained, we were told if people werent criminals, they shouldnt have a problem voting inside of a police station, Ufot said in a recent interview.

Unable to sway officials, Ufot said, activists went door to door and collected enough signatures from residents to block the relocation. The precinct was instead moved to a facility owned by a church.

The Peach State has been reliably red in the past five presidential elections  Bill Clinton was the last Democrat to win Georgia, in 1992. But the state could be competitive this year, with Trump holding a smaller lead over Clinton than Republican presidential candidates previous winning margins. The contest in Georgia is close because Trump is struggling to win over college-educated white voters. Boosting turnout among voters of color, who are more likely to vote for Democrats, could tilt the state in Clintons favor.

[At We Wont Wait summit, women say they are more than just a vote]

Georgias population, like those in other Southern states, is rapidly becoming more diverse because of an influx of immigrants and the reverse migration of African Americans from the North to the South. African Americans make up nearly 31 percent of the states voting-age population, Latinos 8 percent and Asian Americans 4 percent. Those groups, along with young voters, were the base of the coalition that twice helped elect Barack Obama, and their growing numbers could signal a shift in electoral power away from white Republicans, who flocked to the GOP in response to civil rights gains of the 1960s.

Ufot said she is frustrated that the New Georgia Project has had to fight so hard for the past two years against efforts by state and county officials that made it more difficult for people to participate in the democratic process.

We acknowledge that in some areas weve worked to make changes, but its not happening quickly enough . . . and the clock is ticking.
Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump warned Monday that his candidacy represents the kind of change that arrives only once in lifetime and launched scattershot attacks against his Democratic opponent Hillary Clinton.

She lies more than any human being, Trump said of Clinton during a raucous rally in Tampa, his final stop during a day of campaigning in Florida, a must-win state for him.

Over the course of a half hour, Trump attacked Clinton for, among other things, using what he called an illegal email server, having abused the Hispanic and African American communities and advocating an increased U.S. role in ending the civil war in Syria.

If you look at her plans for Syria, these are the plans of a child, Trump said.

He implored his supporters to go the polls, suggesting no other candidate would be capable of ushering in the kind of change needed in Washington.

In four years, its not going to happen, Trump said. Youve got get out and vote. This is it.

Trump also took aim at the Affordable Care Act on a day when government figures showed that premiums for plans sold through HealthCare.gov are increasing next year by an average of 25 percent.

Its over for Obamacare, Trump said, declaring the program supported by Clinton a disaster and again pledging to repeal it.

With just 15 days until the election, Trumps rally capped a long day of volleys between the two candidates.

Earlier Monday, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), a top Clinton ally, launched a broadside against Trump, saying his disrespect for women would be his undoing in the election.

[A tale of two campaign headquarters: Clinton and Trump offices are miles away and worlds apart]

Appearing at a rally with Clinton outside Manchester, N.H., Warren said Trump disrespects, aggressively disrespects, more than half the human beings in this country.

He thinks because he has a mouth full of Tic-Tacs that he can force himself on any woman within groping distance, she said, referring to a 2005 video in which Trump spoke in lewd terms about women and then took the breath mints as he explained he liked to kiss women without asking their permission.

Riffing on Trumps reference to Clinton as a nasty woman during their third presidential debate, Warren suggested to him that women would be the ones to dash his White House hopes.

Well, Ive got news for you, Donald Trump: Women have had it with guys like you. And nasty women have really had it with guys like you, she said. Yeah, get this Donald: Nasty women are tough, nasty women are smart, and nasty women vote.

Trump also spent much of Monday arguing that the national media has deliberately skewed polls to undermine his candidacy and that he is winning.

[The ugly history of Lugenpresse, a Nazi slur shouted at a Trump rally]

Early in the day, during a discussion with farmers at Bedners Farm Fresh Market in Boynton Beach, Fla., Trump devoted nearly half of his seven-minute public remarks to criticizing the news media.

I believe were actually winning, he said, speaking in a thatched-roof structure adorned with decorative gourds. He asserted that the majority of public opinion polls, which show Clinton leading nationally and in most battleground states, reflect the crooked system, the rigged system Ive been talking about since I entered the race.

During his evening rally in Tampa, Trump pointed toward the assembled press and said: These people are among the most dishonest people in the world, the media. Theyre trying to fix the election for Crooked Hillary.

[Sanders is prepared to be a liberal thorn in Clintons side]

At stops in both St. Augustine and Tampa, Trump turned his fire on Clintons use of a personal email server while secretary of state. He said the FBI and Department of Justice had inappropriately let her off the hook.

We have to investigate the investigation, folks, Trump said.

He also seized on a Wall Street Journal story that reported that the political action committee of Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe (D), a leading Clinton supporter, gave $452,500 to a Northern Virginia state Senate candidate last year.

The candidate, Jill McCabe of Loudoun County, is married to FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe, who oversaw the bureaus investigation into Clintons use of the private server. The state Democratic Party reportedly gave McCabes campaign another $207,788.

Trump called the donations absolutely disgraceful and alleged without presenting evidence that, Hillary knew this money was being paid.

Aides to McAuliffe and others said Monday that the timeline of events was inconsistent with any suggestion of wrongdoing.

McAuliffes support of Jill McCabe was part of a much broader effort at the time to try to win back a Democratic majority in the Virginia Senate, and his PAC gave greater amounts to other candidates. At the time McAuliffe recruited Jill McCabe to run for office, her husband was in another job, and there was no publicly known FBI investigation into the Clinton emails.

By the time Andrew McCabe was promoted to deputy director and assumed responsibility for the Clinton email investigation, his wife had been out of politics for several months.

Trump on Monday also addressed the latest accusations of inappropriate sexual contact made against him, saying of the accuser, an adult film performer, Oh, Im sure shes never been grabbed before.

Calling into WGIR radios New Hampshire Today, Trump characterized the allegations against him as total fiction, including the behavior alleged by Jessica Drake. On Saturday, she accused Trump of grabbing and kissing her without permission and offering her money to go up to his hotel room about a decade ago.

Shes a porn star, Trump said. You know, this one that came out recently, he grabbed me and he grabbed me on the arm. Oh, Im sure shes never been grabbed before.

[Why the latest Hillary Clinton conspiracy might not be what it seems]

Clinton and her backers sought to capitalize on Trumps declining poll numbers by lifting up candidates lower on the ballot this fall. The appearance with Warren was also designed to promote the candidacy of Democratic Gov. Maggie Hassan.

Warrens appearance was part of the Clinton campaigns effort to flood swing states with high-profile endorsers as the campaign comes to a close. It was also a tacit show of unity between Clinton and very liberal voters who consider Warren a champion and who, in New Hampshire, preferred liberal primary challenger Sen. Bernie Sanders over the moderate Clinton by a wide margin.

But mostly Warren, whose lines got louder applause than Clintons, was there as the best provocateur the Clinton campaign can field against Trump. He has engaged in several fierce attacks on Warren, often via Twitter.

She gets under his thin skin like nobody else, a delighted Clinton at the start of her remarks.

Later Monday, Clinton attended a high-dollar fundraising party in Manhattan with a birthday theme and entertainment by singer and composer Stevie Wonder. Clinton turns 69 on Wednesday. Aides said about 300 people attended, paying at least $10,000 apiece.

The New York event and another Tuesday in South Florida are likely to be Clintons last in-person fundraisers of the campaign. They cap a 19-month run since she announced for president in April 2015 in which the candidate rarely went more than a few days without headlining some kind of event with paying guests.

[Clinton takes aim at Arizona even as McCain tries whether Trump backlash]

President Obama also plugged Clintons candidacy on Monday.

The good news is that at the moment the polls show that Hillary is enjoying a lead, Obama said outside a fundraiser in La Jolla, Calif. But he added that the volatile nature of race meant that we cant take anything for granted.

There are a lot of states like Ohio and Florida that are way too close to call, he said, adding that it was important to make sure that people actually turn out to vote.

Trump started the week with a focus on two critical states in the Southeast: Florida and North Carolina. In a sign of the intense battle over Florida, Trumps plane and that of the Democratic vice-presidential nominee, Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia, were parked on the same Miami tarmac Monday.

Before leaving Miami, Trump did a radio interview with WBT Radio host Bo Thompson, making his case to listeners in Charlotte.

He accused the media of engaging in a pile-on, the likes of which nobodys ever seen.

[They crossed the border illegally and cannot vote. But they can campaign.]

Despite his claims elsewhere that hes winning, Trump conceded during the interview that hes trailing in the polls.

I think were gonna have  whether its Brexit or beyond Brexit, I think were gonna have a Brexit situation, said, referring to the British referendum in which voters unexpectedly decided to leave the European Union. You know, that one was behind in the polls, and I guess Im somewhat behind in the polls but not by much. I mean, in your state, Im 1 point, 2 points and even in three polls. 1 point, 2 points and even.

Trump also announced Monday that his Facebook page would start hosting nightly campaign coverage from Trump Tower.

He did something similar before the final debate, promoting a webcast featuring surrogates and a video message from his daughter Ivanka. The announcement comes as some observers have speculated that Trump might start a media venture if he is not elected president. He has sought to tamp down such speculation.

Sullivan reported from Boynton Beach, Fla. Gearan reported from Manchester, N.H. Juliet Eilperin and Gregory S. Schneider in Washington contributed to this report.
Sen. John McCain has repeatedly come under attack from GOP nominee Donald Trump. Here are just a few of their rocky moments. (Peter Stevenson/The Washington Post)

Sen. John McCain has repeatedly come under attack from GOP nominee Donald Trump. Here are just a few of their rocky moments. (Peter Stevenson/The Washington Post)

Sen. John McCain is already thinking about life after Donald Trump.

The Arizona Republican turned a recent question about millennial farmers into a soul-searching answer about the Republican Partys future once, presumably, Trump loses the presidential election.

Speaking as a proud Republican, were going to have to look at our party and look at how we can get back to the party of Abraham Lincoln and Teddy Roosevelt and Ronald Reagan, McCain told leaders of the Arizona Farm Bureau. Ronald Reagan used to say if a fellow agrees with me 80 percent of the time, then Im with him.

He lamented the purist ideological approach that many conservatives now apply.

Youve got to be 110 percent, otherwise youre out, McCain said. Weve got to be a big-tent party.

Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick (D-Ariz.), McCains opponent, talks with reporters before Chelsea Clinton addresses a crowd at Arizona State University on Oct. 19 in Tempe, Ariz. (Ross D. Franklin/AP)

McCain, 80, can afford to think about his partys future, largely because he is improbably well ahead in his bid for a sixth term. Following a competitive August primary against a tea party conservative in which he barely cleared 50 percent, the senator is now leading Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick (D-Ariz.) by about 10 percentage points in a state where some polling shows Hillary Clinton pulling ahead of Trump.

An Arizona Republic poll found McCain with a solid establishment coalition, garnering more than 75 percent of Republican voters, 50 percent of independents and 25 percent of Democrats. Its a surprising turnaround for a man whose introduction on the national stage came as an anti-establishment truth-teller riding his Straight Talk Express in an unsuccessful bid for the 2000 Republican presidential nomination.

[From August: McCain is in the fight of his political life in the age of Trump]

Trump has targeted the senator in this year of deep anti-establishment fervor, first by slamming the former Vietnam prisoner of war as not being a war hero because he was captured. Yet McCain made a clean break from Trump only after the release early this month of a 2005 videotape in which Trump openly bragged about lewd sexual advances.

Public polling is split on whether that decision has cost McCain among deeply conservative voters. But Democratic strategists continue to privately say this race is not among their top targets. The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee and its liberal super PAC allies have not spent on the airwaves here in the general election, believing that Kirkpatrick can topple McCain only if Clinton routs Trump in the presidential race.

To that end, Clintons campaign has gone all-in trying to win Arizona, something only one Democrat, Bill Clinton, has done in a presidential race since Harry S. Truman in 1948.

Clintons campaign dispatched Michelle Obama to the state for a rally Thursday  Sen. Bernie Sanders (Vt.) was in Flagstaff on Tuesday  and has invested $2 million to be spent largely on the ground. The key demographic will be the states burgeoning Hispanic vote, which might top 20 percent for the first time and is largely against Trumps nativist campaign.

1 of 57 Full Screen Autoplay Close Skip Ad  Hillary Clinton on the campaign trail View Photos The Democratic presidential nominee hits the road as Election Day nears. Caption Hillary Clinton loses to Donald Trump in the 2016 presidential election. Nov. 9, 2016 Hillary Clinton speaks in New York while her husband, former president Bill Clinton, applauds. Melina Mara/The Washington Post Wait 1 second to continue.

Kirkpatrick is trying to lasso this late burst of activity to pull off what would be the biggest upset of the election season. She is focusing on highlighting McCains shifting positions on issues, with TV ads showing McCain sounding like Trump in his last reelection rodeo, in 2010, as he called for a danged fence along the border. McCains back-and-forth on Trumps candidacy plays into the idea that he is not taking firm stands.

They cant believe John McCain didnt stand up for himself when Trump insulted him, and they really believe if he cant stand up for himself, hes not going to stand up for voters in Arizona, Kirkpatrick said after an event with several dozen retired federal workers in Tempe.

But McCain has built a modern campaign organization that has helped shield him from the turmoil of the presidential race, modeled in large part after the 2014 reelection bid by Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), now the Senate majority leader, who like McCain first had to fend off a primary challenge from the right.

The octogenarian has a small army of college and high school interns who knock on doors in search of likely McCain supporters. Its a more aggressive and data-driven approach than Senate campaigns have normally taken, having previously relied more heavily on state Republican parties and the Republican National Committee for get-out-the-vote operations.

[McCain just turned 80. But this may not be his last campaign.]

Another prince of the Republican establishment, Sen. Rob Portman (Ohio), a former member of House GOP leadership and an adviser to both Bush presidents, used a similar model. It has helped position Portman for a surprisingly easy victory over former governor Ted Strickland, who was essentially abandoned by Democrats in the late summer because he fell so far behind.

McCain and Portman have adopted the overwhelming-force doctrine in their campaigns, amassing huge stockpiles of campaign cash and dispensing it early and often. Even as McCain navigated a primary challenge that did not conclude until the end of August, his campaign ran a heavy dose of ads portraying Kirkpatrick as a liberal ally of President Obama and Hillary Clinton.

One such ad shows Kirkpatrick walking away from angry voters during the run-up to her vote for the 2010 Affordable Care Act, then cuts to images of McCains time as a POW.

Polls over the summer showed Kirkpatrick within a few points of McCain in a head-to-head matchup, but Democrats in Washington think those numbers were false positives. They suggest that McCains vote was underestimated because some conservatives were unwilling to support the incumbent until his primary was over. They cite a similar dynamic in the presidential primary, with Sanders supporters unwilling to back Clinton before that contest ended.

Following his primary victory, McCain quickly pivoted to the general election. During the primary, his campaign literature called only for making the border stronger, safer and more secure, without mentioning a 2013 immigration bill he co-authored. But this week, McCain, unprompted, brought up his support for a path to U.S. citizenship for undocumented immigrants.

Sooner or later were bound to take up immigration reform again, because theres 11 million people that are in this country illegally, he told the farm leaders. Were going to have to address it.

Some Arizonans have grown tired of McCains pivots. Jim Keyser, the head of the local federal employees union, said he backed McCain as recently as 2008 in his race against Obama. Its time for a change, said Keyser, 69. Hes been there forever.

Joyce Vogt, 45, became upset when she asked McCain about Trumps behavior toward women and its contribution to rape culture.

The senator handed the microphone to his wife, Cindy McCain, who has worked for years fighting sex trafficking and other issues related to abuse of women.

He dodged it. He handed it off to his wife, Vogt said after an event with business leaders in Chandler, southeast of Phoenix. He needs to retire.

For now, however, more voters appear to be taking the view of Stefanie Smallhouse, vice president of the states farm bureau. She is happily voting for McCain and reluctantly backing Trump.

When people ask me and talk to me about the election, I just tell them Im voting for the Supreme Court, she said.

Smallhouse told McCain that she suffers extreme anxiety and sleepless nights, disgusted by Trumps behavior but fearful of more Democratic regulations on farm policy.

Ive heard more people express exactly what you just expressed in my campaign than Ive ever heard before, he said, trying to ease her concerns.

Of course, by his own actions, McCain is effectively rejecting a Trump presidency. Hes not certain Clinton will win, but hes ready to begin the conversation about what Republicans do after the race is over.

As he searched for answers, he acknowledged that there were no easy solutions.

Stay engaged, McCain told the audience.

Correction: An earlier version of this article misspelled Stefanie Smallhouses name.
Sen. Bernie Sanders, a loyal soldier for Hillary Clinton since he conceded the Democratic presidential nomination in July, plans to push liberal legislation with like-minded senators with or without Clintons support if she is elected  and to aggressively oppose appointments that do not pass muster with the partys left wing.

In an interview, Sanders said he and other senators have started plotting legislation that would achieve many of the proposals that fueled his insurgent run for president, including a $15 federal minimum wage, tuition-free public college, an end to mass incarceration and aggressive steps to fight climate change.

The senators, Sanders said, also plan to push for the breakup of too big to fail banks and to pressure Clinton to appoint liberals to key Cabinet positions, including treasury secretary. Sanders said he would not stay silent if Clinton nominated the same old, same old Wall Street guys to regulatory positions that are important in enacting and overseeing the financial policies he supports.

I will be vigorously in opposition, and I will make that very clear, Sanders said.

[Sanders taps his network to raise nearly $2 million for House, Senate races]

Sanderss comments signal that, if she wins the presidency Nov. 8, Clinton may have to contend not only with Republicans who oppose her agenda but also with liberals in her party who were not excited by her campaign and have long feared that she plans to govern as a centrist.

It remains to be seen how much sway Sanders will have in January. He is in line to take over the chairmanship of one of the Senates major committees if Democrats regain control of the chamber, but aides to some of the senators he said are working with him suggested that less of a coordinated effort is underway.

The proposals Sanders plans to push are contained within the Democratic Partys 51-page platform, a document that he and his allies were instrumental in drafting in the run-up to the partys July convention in Philadelphia. Although in the past the party platform has often been quickly forgotten, Sanderss role in shaping it was key to his decision to support Clinton, and he has long planned to pressure her to follow through with action in the White House.

[Bernie Sanders returns to the campaign trail in New Hampshire]

Progressive groups have questioned whether Clinton will fully embrace such initiatives as president and where they might fall on her priority list, particularly as she potentially faces a divided Congress and makes outreach to Republicans a focus of her campaign. Clinton did not embrace some of the policies contained in the party platform as a candidate in the primary cycle, but she has since signaled her support.

Sanders said he considers it his job to demand that the Democratic Party implement that platform.

The iconoclastic senator from Vermont, whose long-shot presidential campaign turned him into a national celebrity, shared his plans Friday during a candid and lengthy interview in his home town.

1 of 57 Full Screen Autoplay Close Skip Ad  Hillary Clinton on the campaign trail View Photos The Democratic presidential nominee hits the road as Election Day nears. Caption Hillary Clinton loses to Donald Trump in the 2016 presidential election. Nov. 9, 2016 Hillary Clinton speaks in New York while her husband, former president Bill Clinton, applauds. Melina Mara/The Washington Post Wait 1 second to continue.

In recent weeks, Sanders has stumped for Clinton, traveling the country to rally skeptical progressives and others around her bid to defeat Republican nominee Donald Trump. But during the conversation in his office here, it became clear that Sanders is ready to reassert himself within the Democratic Party.

The leverage that I think I take into the Senate is taking on the entire Democratic Party establishment, and, you know, taking on a very powerful political organization with the Clinton people, Sanders said. We won 22 states and 46 percent of the pledged delegates, 13.4 million votes . . .and a majority of the younger people, the future of the country. . . . That gives me a lot of leverage, leverage that I intend to use.

[How Bernie Sanders missed his chance to beat Hillary Clinton]

Sanders said that his office and others have started converting the party platform into draft legislation. He said the lawmakers informally working with him include Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.)  who campaigned with Clinton on Monday in New Hampshire  Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) and Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.).

Aides to those senators said they are certainly inclined to embrace liberal agenda items, many of which they have championed in the past. And Warren, in particular, has a history of speaking out against President Obamas nominees when they are not up to her standards, and she has signaled a willingness to do so under another Democratic president.

Sanders said he has not sought assurances from Clinton or her staff that she would be on board with an effort to enact the platform piece by piece, as he intends.

But, he said, right now, as I see it, that platform is where Clinton is at, where I am at, where the vast majority of Democrats are at, and that is what weve got to implement.

The Clinton campaign has sought to play down any potential fissures with the left wing of the Democratic Party. On Sunday, Clinton spokesman Brian Fallon said that Clinton is proud to have worked with Senator Sanders on drafting the most progressive platform in Democratic Party history. If she is elected, Fallon said, Clinton intends to partner with him to advance their shared priorities.

[From June: An expensive reminder that Sanders still hasnt dropped out]

During a rally in Raleigh, N.C., on Sunday, Clinton touted her proposal to make college debt-free  and credited Sanders with working with her on the idea. The two rivals had worked together after the primaries to scale back Sanderss proposal to make public colleges and universities tuition-free for everyone.

But in other ways, Clinton has signaled that her early agenda may be designed to appeal as much to Republicans as Democrats. On Sunday, Fallon told reporters in Raleigh that Republicans should be able to support two of her top priorities, immigration reform and investing in the countrys infrastructure.

We think that we have put forward ideas for the first 100 days that are the ones that Republicans should have every reason to work with us on, he said.

Sanders said in the interview that he favors a more combative approach.

Its not good enough for me, or anybody, to say, Well, look, Republicans control the House: From Day One, were going to have to compromise,  Sanders said. The Democratic Party, before they start compromising, has got to rally the American people around our ideas and make it clear that if Republicans do not go along with reasonable ideas to benefit the middle class and the working class, they are going to pay a very heavy political price.

[Sanderss next challenge: Where will he take his revolution?]

If the Democrats take over the Senate, Sanders is all but guaranteed to have a bigger voice in the chamber. He is in line to become chairman of the Budget Committee, although he said his preference would be to take the gavel of the Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, which has jurisdiction over the minimum wage, health care and many of the issues he has championed during his quarter-century in Congress.

Sanders said Clintons appointees to top positions in her administration would provide a strong indication of the direction she intends to take  and he plans to hold her feet to fire to fill her Cabinet with progressives. A top priority, he said, is a treasury secretary who does not come from Wall Street.

Like other progressives, he said he has been troubled by rumors that Facebook chief operating officer Sheryl Sandberg could be under consideration for that post.

Sandberg, Silicon Valleys best-known female executive and author of a best-selling book on womens empowerment, has a close relationship with former treasury secretary Lawrence H. Summers, who has ties to Wall Street.

I personally believe that a billionaire corporate executive is frankly not the kind of person that working families want to see as secretary of treasury, Sanders said. We need somebody who has a history of standing up to Wall Street and is prepared to take on the financial interests whose greed and illegal behavior has done so much harm.

Sanders said he also will make known to Clinton his views about who should serve in roles such as U.S. trade representative and attorney general.

I expect her to appoint people who will head agencies in a way that is consistent with the Democratic Party platform, and if not, I will do my best to oppose those nominees, he said.

Sanders characterized the platform as more progressive than Clintons campaign agenda but said she would have an obligation as the partys president to try to enact it, regardless of which party controls the House and the Senate.

On a number of positions, her views are progressive, Sanders said, but I believe that the Democratic platform is more progressive and that the Democratic platform is the most progressive platform in the history of this country.

Sanders will get another opportunity to promote his agenda next month, when he launches a 17-city tour in support of his new book, Our Revolution: A Future to Believe In. Sanders also has plans for a string of television appearances to tout the book.

The first half of the book, he said, is a recounting of his presidential campaign from a very personal point of view. The second half details many of the policy issues he pushed on the campaign trail, but in much greater detail.

The book tour, Sanders said, will be a good place, I think, to begin talking about where we want to go as a country.

During the course of the interview, Sanders, 75, first hedged when asked whether he would ever run for president again, but then he declared it as highly, highly, highly unlikely.

Wagner also reported from Raleigh.
Anti-government demonstrators protest during the celebration speech of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban on Oct. 23, 2016. (Ferenc Isza/Agence France-Presse via Getty Images)

Protesters with referee whistles disturbed the Hungarian governments commemorations of the 60th anniversary of the anti-Soviet revolution of 1956 on Sunday, as supporters of Prime Minister Viktor Orban tried to stifle them, sometimes violently.

Kossuth Square was heavily guarded by police and private security guards for the anniversary events, during which small scuffles broke out and several journalists and a noted historian were among those hit or harassed.

Orban said the whistling protesters embodied the return of the Soviet-style communism that had been taken away by the devil thanks in part to the events in 1956.

The course of history took a turn in Hungary, a visibly tense Orban said, as the whistling grew more intense. Instead of the predicted global communist revolution, there was a revolution against the communist world.

The protest as Orban spoke was organized by Egyutt (Together), a small opposition party that distributed hundreds of whistles and symbolic red cards for supporters to sound and wave at the gathering.

Opposition politicians say Orbans deal with Russia to build new reactors for Hungarys only nuclear power plant in the city of Paks went against the spirit of the anti-Soviet revolution.

Viktor Orbans policies are exactly the kind Hungarians rebelled against in 1956, said Peter Juhasz, a Together vice president. Back then, Hungarians stood up to Soviet domination, while today Orban has committed Hungary to Russia for decades.

Orbans critics also accuse him of weakening Hungarys system of democratic checks and balances, limiting press freedoms and working to turn Hungary into an illiberal state.

Orban, a fierce critic of European Union migration policies, said that while Europe was dominated by complacency and lethargy, Hungary had chosen to be brave and confront modern challenges. Last year, the government built razor-wire fences on Hungarys southern border to stop migrants coming north through the Balkans.

He likened E.U. bureaucrats in Brussels to the Soviet Union, a recurring theme in his speeches.

The freedom-loving peoples of Europe have the task of preventing the Sovietization of Brussels, Orban said.

The brief but bloody 1956 uprising began on the afternoon of Oct. 23 with a student march in Budapest in solidarity with reforms in Poland. By the evening, secret police had killed demonstrators who rushed the headquarters of Hungarian radio to have their list of 16 demands  including the withdrawal of Soviet troops  read on the air.

After days of street battles, Soviet troops withdrew Oct. 30. The Red Army, however, returned Nov. 4 with more than 100,000 troops and as many as 4,500 tanks, effectively ending the revolution.

More than 2,500 Hungarians and 700 Soviet troops were killed, and 200,000 Hungarian refugees fled the country. Hundreds of revolutionaries, including Prime Minister Imre Nagy, were executed in the wake of the uprising and the establishment of a Soviet-backed government led by Janos Kadar.
French authorities are moving thousands of migrants and refugees out of the notorious Jungle" camp in Calais. They say its for humanitarian reasons but the fate of the men, women and some 1,300 children remains unclear. (James McAuley, Jason Aldag / The Washington Post)

French authorities are moving thousands of migrants and refugees out of the notorious Jungle" camp in Calais. They say its for humanitarian reasons but the fate of the men, women and some 1,300 children remains unclear. (James McAuley, Jason Aldag / The Washington Post)

More than 1,600 migrants were bused to new shelters across France on Monday as authorities prepared to dismantle the notorious Jungle camp in Calais, a last stop for those desperate to cross the English Channel and enter Britain.

France maintains that it is closing the camp for humanitarian reasons and to end the stateless limbo for thousands of migrants, many of whom have made unsuccessful attempts to cross the channel. But the camp also has become a glaring symbol of Europes struggle to cope with a massive influx of migrants and refugees since last year, many from war-torn places such as Syria and Afghanistan.

There were worries that some migrants in Calais would not leave the camp without a fight. In a demolition attempt earlier this year, police used tear gas on migrants, some of whom threw rocks at police while others stitched their lips shut in protest.

The Interior Ministry has said that France does not want to use force but will not hesitate to intervene to quell unrest. On Sunday, French media broadcast images of skirmishes between migrants and police as authorities distributed leaflets about the camps closure.

According to the Interior Ministry, 7,500 beds will be made available in temporary asylum centers for evicted Calais migrants.





The camp was eerily quiet on Monday morning. Its once-noisy streets  lined with restaurants, general stores and even libraries  were suddenly transformed into a ghost town. Tents were abandoned, fire pits were cleared out, and trash was littered throughout.

There were no signs of major clashes with police. At least 1,200 officers were on standby. Late Monday, Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve praised the calm and orderly manner of the operation.

On a misty, cold morning, rows of buses waited to take the migrants to new camps farther inland. As mostly young men nervously clutched suitcases in a line that extended for blocks, few could say where they were headed.

No one has told me anything. Im scared, said 17-year-old Aron Tesfaye from Ethiopia, who has lived in the camp for three months. Im afraid of whats going to happen because I dont want to stay here in France.

[What will happen to the children when France dismantles the Jungle?]

Like many of the migrants here, Tesfayes dream is to go to Britain. He said he has tried almost daily to jump onto the trucks making their way through the tunnel to Britain, just 20 miles across the English Channel to the northwest.

The migrants in Calais, mostly from Afghanistan and Sudan, believe there are more job opportunities in Britain than in France. Many speak some English  as opposed to French  and think they will fare better across the channel. Many also say they have family or friends in Britain.

For some Afghan migrants, the recent attacks in France by Islamic State-affiliated militants suggest that the country is under siege by the same forces that have targeted their homeland.

Wahid Sahil, 20, a refugee from Kabul who arrived in the Jungle on foot eight months ago, said his father was killed in a July bombing linked to the Islamic State in the Afghan capital. Like Tesfaye, he is determined to get out of France.

For refugees, its way better, he said, referring to Britain. You can go to school, work. Everythings better.

Frank Esnee, 48, the head of the Calais mission of Doctors Without Borders, a French humanitarian organization, said that seeking asylum in France would probably be a faster option for many migrants than continuing their bids to reach Britain.

Besides, Esnee added, the French governments network of reception centers will provide immediate medical support, legal advice and even job assistance.

But whats important is that we dont make the choice for them, he said. If they want to go [to Britain], we just tell them the options. Its difficult to tell someone to abandon their whole plan.

[Britain and France to construct Great Wall of Calais to keep migrants from port]

Lucie Carpentier, a lawyer working in the camp to help minors process asylum applications, said there has been little clarity about where the migrants will go.

Weve been asking authorities for weeks and weeks and weeks for information, and we only started getting it a few days ago, she said at the now-abandoned youth center in the camp. What we have is hardly specific enough  we dont know what the process is or where they will end up.

The migrants were registered and then put on buses to welcome centers, where, in theory, they can apply for asylum in France. Most of these centers are far from the coast and the ports leading to Britain.

The Calais camp  which had as many as 9,000 people at its height  has long sparked outrage in both France, still reeling from the recent attacks, and post-Brexit Britain, where anti-immigrant sentiment has soared in the wake of the countrys June referendum to exit the European Union.

In France, it has become a major campaign issue before next years presidential election.

Seeking a second term, President Francois Hollande ordered the demolition of the camp with hopes of projecting an image of strength despite immense unpopularity at home. Challenger Alain Juppe, the conservative front-

runner, said last week that the Franco-British border should be moved back to southern England, ending a 2003 agreement that has trapped migrants who wish to enter Britain on the shores of northern France.

We cant tolerate what is going on in Calais, Juppe told reporters. The image is disastrous for our country, and there are also extremely serious economic and security consequences for the people of Calais.

After a long campaign led by humanitarian organizations, the British government began accepting child refugees from Calais last week. Most arrived in south London to be reunited with family members already in Britain. On Saturday, the first group of unaccompanied children without family in Britain crossed the channel.

Remaining unaccompanied minors will be temporarily housed in shipping containers on the outskirts of the Jungle until their claims are processed.

Well into Monday evening, migrant men poured out of the Calais camps main entrance, dragging suitcases down rocky and muddy pathways to the registration center. Few seemed to harbor any sentimental feelings about a place that had claimed months of their lives.

Im glad theyre closing the camp, said Sahil, the Afghan migrant, gesturing at the Jungle behind him. Its animals in there. People dont live like humans.

Read more:

French truck drivers call for dismantling the Jungle migrant camp

Britain to start taking children from Calais camp

France and Britain just beat Donald Trump to building a border wall

Todays coverage from Post correspondents around the world

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The woman said that her husband was an Islamic State fighter but that she left him after trying, in vain, to persuade him to defect. Last week, she took their six children and fled across the battle lines toward ground controlled by the Iraqi army, she said.

But as the woman spoke in a camp for newly displaced people south of Mosul  watched by men with guns, with no electricity or food in her tent and her children playing in dirt  her escape seemed like the prelude to another miserable ordeal.

The camp sat next to her village, but she was not allowed to go home, pending an interrogation by Iraqi officials into her past and the activities of her husband, whom she claimed not to have seen in months. Even if she were eventually granted permission to leave, it was not clear there would be a place for her in the village  or, for that matter, in Iraq.

Thousands of people who lived for the past two years under the rule of the militants have begun to escape their villages as a huge Iraqi force closes in on the northern city of Mosul, free now to tell their stories of brutality and privation and near-death escapes.

Most, though, are Sunni Muslims, unable to celebrate just yet as they face questions from the authorities and the country at large about their years living alongside the Sunni militants  and about any ties to the jihadists, whether real or just perceived.

Their treatment by the Shiite-led government in the current campaign is seen as crucial to rebuilding Sunni trust in the state, which plummeted so low two years ago that some Sunnis welcomed the militants to their towns, cities and villages.

[Hundreds of thousands may flee Mosul]

In other areas captured from the Islamic State, though, men and boys have sometimes faced months of screening, with human rights groups also reporting incidents of execution, torture and arbitrary arrest by the countrys array of militias and security forces.

Those with family members who joined the Islamic State, such as the woman, who gave only her first name, Khowla, face a different kind of reckoning. Often, they are barred from returning to their villages by local officials, tribal authorities or vengeful neighbors. Khowla insisted it would be different for her, saying that her hometown neighbors had welcomed her after her escape from a village farther north in Islamic State territory, where she had been living with her husband.

The whole village received me. They all like me. They cried for me, she said. But another family had moved into her home. And she had already started to brace herself for the recriminations she would face because of her husbands affiliation with the Islamic State.

It wasnt my fault, she said, as night fell on the camp and one of her children began to wail. Im not guilty. Why should we be displaced?

Millions of people have been uprooted over the past two years by the Islamic States expansion and by the military operations to defeat the group  a mass displacement that has recalled Iraqs recent painful eras, including the U.S.-led invasion and the bloody civil war that followed.

Each era has been scarred, too, by social upheaval, revenge killings or forced displacements that over years have fractured and reshaped the country.

[Why the liberation of Mosul could come at a high cost]

Iraqi officials have taken measures that some hope will limit the potentially violent aftermath of the Mosul campaign  for instance, by limiting the kinds of forces that will enter the city and excluding sectarian militias. They have said they are trying to streamline the screening process and are urging civilians to stay in their homes.

There is also a sense that the widespread revulsion with the militants  even by disaffected Sunnis long marginalized by the central government  may have created an opportunity for a more durable moment of national unity.

But they are all just hopes, and perhaps not enough to stave off some peoples desire for retribution.

A few tents away in the same camp where Khowla stayed with her children, a group of shepherds said they had been beaten by soldiers after they escaped from the Islamic State. But they had not been held for long, said one, who had a welt over his eye.

In another tent, a 40-year-old driver named Ali, who fled his village late last week, said some sort of violent reckoning was inevitable. In the beginning, there will be revenge. But then it will be better, he said.

Like most of those who had fled the militants, he easily recalled the catalogue of atrocities he had witnessed over the past two years. Five relatives  who were police officers, soldiers or guards protecting oil facilities  had been executed by the militants, he said. His village, with just 20 families, had been treated harshly, he said, because it had developed a reputation for resistance to the Islamic State.

When the militants first came to the village, we were all deceived by their appearance, he said. We thought they were Muslims. As they meted out punishments for petty crimes and extorted residents, we realized they had nothing to do with Islam, he added.

In another camp, east of Mosul, dozens of young men who had fled areas in and around the city were kept behind a padlocked gate, sequestered from families who moved freely in other parts of the camp. Some had been there for 40 days without any indication of when they would be allowed to leave, they said.

We fled a prison for another prison, said Mohamed Asad, who sat with a group of young men in a tent.

Their escapes had been harrowing. One young man, Hassan Mohamed, 22, said he left Mosul about 10 days earlier. He sold cigarettes on the black market, had been arrested by the militants several times, and was finally sent away by his family, who were worried that his luck would run out, he said.

To leave, he paid a smuggler $400, crossed a river in an inflatable dinghy and walked for eight hours, skirting a front line of the battlefield at night, he said.

He had no idea when he would be reunited with his family, who remained in the city, or when he would leave the camp, with Mosul occupied for perhaps weeks or months to come.

In another part of the camp, a group of men who fled villages south of the city focused less on what would follow the military operations, enjoying for the moment pleasures they had recently gained. Cigarettes, banned by the militants, seemed to be first on the list.

We came here hungry and just keep smoking, said Khalid Khalil, as a pack was passed around where they sat in the courtyard of a mosque.

Khalil and the others insisted there had been no way to resist the 30 or so Islamic State members who occupied their village. While keeping a close watch on residents, the militants prepared for any attack, digging tunnels and stockpiling weapons.

Everyone wanted to flee. What did Daesh provide us? said Asad Hassan, another resident of the village, using an Arabic acronym for the Islamic State. I had sons who were state employees. They didnt give them jobs. Students didnt go back to school.

After escaping the village, they had been treated well by Kurdish soldiers known as peshmerga, who had brought them to the camp. Now, he and his fellow villagers were waiting for better treatment from the government to solve the kind of long-term problems that provided an opening for the Islamic State in the first place.

It is up to the state, he said.

Aaso Ameen Shwan in Imam Gharbi and Loveday Morris in Irbil contributed to this report.

Read more:

Islamic State sets sulfur alight in attempt to foil attack on militant stronghold

The history of Mosul, in five maps

Todays coverage from Post correspondents around the world

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Philippine President Rodrigo Dutertes controversial statements and uncertainty about his intentions are causing distress in the United States and elsewhere, the top American diplomat for Asia said Monday.

Duterte has called President Obama a son of a whore and has told him to go to hell. Last week, he sensationally announced his nations separation from the United States and its embrace of China, but later, he partially walked back those remarks.

On returning home from a state visit to Beijing, Duterte said that he did not want to sever economic and military ties with Washington but that he wanted to underline that his foreign policy would not dovetail with that of the United States.

[Philippines Duterte called for a separation from U.S. He is now backtracking.]

Dutertes administration has also not followed through on his pledges to remove U.S. counterterrorism troops from the southern island of Mindanao and end annual military exercises with U.S. forces, with his cabinet members often appearing confused and wrong-footed by successive announcements.

Daniel Russel, assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs, flew to Manila on Sunday in an attempt to get clarity and spoke to reporters Monday after meeting with Philippine Foreign Secretary Perfecto Yasay Jr.

Ive pointed out to Secretary Yasay that the succession of controversial statements, comments and a real climate of uncertainty about the Philippines intentions has created consternation in a number of countries, not only in mine, and not only among governments, Russel said.

There is growing concern in other communities and the expat Filipino community, in corporate boardrooms as well, he said. Thats not a positive trend.

The United States remains a steady and trusted partner of the Philippines and will continue to provide assistance, including in its effort against the scourge of drugs, Russel said. But he said Washington is concerned over the loss of lives in Dutertes drug war, which is bad for business as well.

[Forget Duterte. The Philippines loves the United States.]

Since Duterte came to power in June, thousands of Filipinos have been gunned down by police in late-night drug operations or have been killed by assassins, often after being named by police. Last month, the president said he would be happy to slaughter millions of drug addicts in his country, comparing his campaign to Hitlers massacre of Jews in the Holocaust.

The prospect of being lectured about extrajudicial killings in a meeting planned with Obama in September prompted a string of antagonistic and vitriolic remarks from Duterte about Obama and the United States.

Governments throughout Southeast Asia, especially those with claims to the waters of the South China Sea, have also been concerned about Duterte, amid fears he is being bought off by Beijing.

The Philippines took China to an international tribunal in the Hague over the South China Sea issue, winning an important victory in July after the tribunal ruled that Chinas expansive claims to the disputed waters have no legal basis.

[Beijings claims to South China Sea rejected by international tribunal]

But Duterte has since agreed not to raise the tribunals ruling in international meetings and instead start bilateral talks with China over the issue.

In return, he secured a Chinese pledge to step up investment and lending to the Philippines, especially for infrastructure. But it is far from clear that he has secured any concession in the maritime dispute.

On Sunday, Duterte said Filipino fishermen might soon be able to return to Scarborough Shoal, off his countrys northwest coast, for the first time since China took control of the area in 2012.

But Chen Xiangmiao, a research fellow at the National Institute for South China Sea Studies, in Hainan, China, said Beijing would not allow Philippine fishermen back onto the shoal.

China will never open up the island to them, he said. China will not allow its sovereignty to be questioned.

Chinas Foreign Ministry did not respond directly to a question about whether a deal had been struck over fishing rights at Scarborough Shoal, saying only that both countries leaders had agreed to communicate openly about the South China Sea and to deal with differences. So please rest assured that China and the Philippines will maintain enough political will to appropriately resolve any relevant issues, spokesman Lu Kang said at a news conference.

[Map: Whats at issue in the South China Sea dispute]

Ian Storey, a senior fellow at the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies-Yusof Ishak Institute, in Singapore, said Duterte is taking a big risk in his approach to China, partly because the people of his country are enthusiastic about the United States and distrust China.

If Beijing does not give access to Scarborough Shoal, thats going to go down pretty badly at home in the Philippines, Storey said.

Dutertes inconsistency and temperament, and his countrys history of foreign policy flip-flops, may lead to some wariness in Beijing.

China should not simply pin all its hopes on Dutertes unusual governance. China still has much to do to constantly expand its common interests with the Philippines and work for a complete turnabout in the South China Sea, Chinas state-sponsored Global Times said in an editorial Monday.

Congcong Zhang contributed to this report.

Read more:

Philippines Duterte called for a separation from U.S. He is now backtracking.

Forget Duterte. The Philippines loves the United States.

Beijings claims to South China Sea rejected by international tribunal

Todays coverage from Post correspondents around the world

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From Redbook

When you're having a baby, one of the first decisions you have to make as a parent happens before the baby is even born: Should you have a Cesarean section or a vaginal birth?

The answer to that question used to be simple: 50 years ago, having a vaginal birth was not just the norm, but the option with the least risk. Now, with several decades of surgical advancements later, C-sections are super common - in fact, they account for about a third of all deliveries, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Still, that doesn't stop people - mothers, friends, social media trolls, you name it - from having some serious opinions about the best way to give birth. Whether you're of the camp that believes natural or home births are for hippies or you think that wanting a C-section makes you "too posh to push," the reality is that both birthing options have their own set of risks and stigmas. So what should you do?

The Truth About Vaginal Births

While there's a lot of talk about the risks associated with the invasive surgery that is a C-section (such as infection, blood clots, hemorrhaging, and painful scarring), a lot of women are uninformed about the risks the come with opting for a vaginal birth. First there's the stretching and tearing - in a long or complicated vaginal delivery, this can get pretty bad. Which leads to another big risk: urinary and fecal incontinence, which in some cases can mean a lifetime of peeing your pants every time you laugh, sneeze or cough. Yikes. There's also the risk that the baby could be injured during a difficult vaginal delivery - not something to take lightly.

"I always tell people is that an easy C-section is better than a hard vaginal delivery," Lauren Streicher, M.D., associate clinical professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine, says. "You haven't done a woman any favors if she spends two hours getting stitched up and can't walk for a month [after a difficult vaginal delivery]."

Story continues

The Truth About C-sections

Thanks to those complications, the C-section has earned a reputation of being the easy way out, hence the whole "too posh to push" thing. But that's totally not the case for many women - like Jessica L., 29, from Washington D.C. While she'd originally wanted a vaginal birth, Jessica was informed by her gyno that her baby was in breech position, meaning the baby would come out either butt or feet first, which could lead to a difficult and dangerous delivery). After trying all the old wives' tales to get the baby to turn around, Jessica had to change plans and scheduled a C-Section.

And it was a tough experience. "The recovery was unexpectedly miserable. People talk about C-sections as if they're the 'easy way out,' so I think I assumed that I'd be able to recover pretty quickly," she says. "In reality, I was in terrible, searing, indescribable pain. I hardly got out of bed for four weeks, with the exception of the occasional walk around the block. It was so overwhelming to try to heal at the same time as I was trying to take care of a tiny new human."

So anyone throwing shade at women who have C-sections for not being "tough" enough should that recovery from this major surgery can be a b*tch, too. Though it varies from woman to woman, recovery tends to take about four to six weeks.

So When Should You Consider a C-section?

Whatever your opinion on different birth options, all women can likely agree that they want to to do what's best for your health and the baby's health. While doctors stress that there's no one-size-fits-all answer, there are some common signs that point to scheduling a C-section.

1. When the baby is breech. If you're in a situation like Jessica, you may have no choice but to schedule a C-section. Doctors start paying close attention to the baby's position in the seventh month of pregnancy, which is when babies start to move into the proper position for delivery. While numbers are hard to pin down, it's estimated that about 1 in 25 full-term babies end up breech. In this case, a C-section isn't just the best option, it might be your only option.

2. You have a small pelvis and/or a big baby. Having narrow hips and a nine-pound baby (ouch) is not a good combination. The baby's size relative to mom's birth canal is a totally legit factor to weigh when you consider the best birthing option, according to Streicher. "There's a very big difference between someone who's having a six-pound baby and someone who's having a 10-pound baby in terms of what their risk is of developing problems," she says.

3. You want a small family. How many kids you plan on having is an essential part of the C-section equation, says Mary Jane Minkin, M.D., assistant clinical professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Yale University School of Medicine. If you have a C-section, any subsequent deliveries will probably have to be C-sections, too. And with that comes increasing risks. "With each C-section you have, you increase your chances in the next pregnancy of having a placenta that is stuck to the wall of the uterus, which can cause major hemorrhage," Minkin says. It's best to avoid a C-section if at all possible if you want a large family.

4. You're worried about protecting your pelvic floor. Many women simply worry about the pain of a vaginal birth as well as the number it can do on your lady bits, which is totally valid, says Streicher. "You can make a case that, if you do a C-section rather than allow someone to labor and deliver vaginally, you are going to protect the pelvic floor and lessen the risk of having problems down the road," she says. "Certainly we're seeing that request more than we did 20 years ago." There's nothing wrong with wanting to lower your risk of a lifetime of incontinence or prevent pelvic organ prolapse, which is when your bladder falls from it's usual spot and starts pushing against your vagina.

How to Figure Out the Best Option for You

When you are making your birth plan, both delivery options have equally valid arguments -which one is ultimately better depends on the individual pregnancy. The crucial thing, though, is that it's time to ditch the idea that choosing one option over the other somehow makes you a "better" woman or mom.

"Some things are really straightforward," says Streicher. "This is not."

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Donald Trump came out strongly against the pending AT&T-Time Warner merger at a campaign stop Saturday in Gettysburg, Penn.

The Republican presidential candidate characterized the potential combination as a deal we will not approve in my administration because its too much concentration of power in the hands of too few.

Trump also came out swinging against Comcast, threatening to unwind its previous acquisition of NBC Universal.

Additionally, Comcasts purchase of NBC concentrates far too much power in one massive entity that is trying to tell the voters what to think and what to do, said Trump, who once had a series on NBCs primetime lineup, The Apprentice. Deals like this destroy democracy.

Well look at breaking those deals up like that and other deals like that. This should have never ever been approved in the first place. They are trying to poison the mind of the American voter.

In addition, Trump had harsh words for Amazon, where founder Jeff Bezos is also owner of The Washington Post, a newspaper that has drawn previous criticism from the presidential candidate. He alleged that the company isnt paying billions of dollars in taxes, giving Amazon an unfair advantage over struggling department stores all over the country.

In his speech, Trump also indicated he intended to sue after the election the women who are alleging he sexually assaulted them.

Trump is expected to make several speeches this weekend in Pennsylvania, a critical battleground state for him in his bid to claim the presidency over Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton.

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KANAWHA  Samuel Ramirez wants to own his own mall. Nadia Redenius hopes to run her own gymnastics facility. Kellen Smith wants to run his own farming operation.

All three West Hancock fifth-graders are on their way to making those dreams come true.

To be a successful entrepreneur, you first have to have an idea, Jayne Jessen said.

Jessen, of the Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center at North Iowa Area Community College, recently talked with the West Hancock students about what goes into becoming an entrepreneur.

The students created posters for their business and how they would advertise it.

Dont ever think your ideas are silly. The easiest of things can be very successful, Jessen said.

Once an entrepreneur has an idea, she said, they next have to build a team to make that idea into a business.

The last thing you need is financial resources. You have to have money to keep your business running, Jessen said.

Whether that be investing your own money or involving other investors.

Maybe someday one to two of you will become entrepreneurs. Youll come back here to give a presentation and say it all started in fifth grade, Jessen said.

Ramirez may just go on to be one of those entrepreneurs.

It seems like fun. You get to boss people around and make some of your own rules, he said.

He plans to first open a mall in Belmond before expanding.

If I have enough money, Ill probably have more malls, he said.

Ramirez wasnt the only fifth-grader thinking of their future.

I want to open a gym for gymnastics because I really like gymnastics, Redenius said.

But, she said, owning her own gym is taking a risk.

Shes better prepared to take that risk after the fifth-graders crash course in managing money and a business.

You have to know all of your bills, who to hire and how many. Then you can stay in business and get a lot of customers, Smith said.
10 pieces of Nasty Woman swag you can buy to forever remember this insane year for women

It was the audible mutter heard round the world. During the third and final presidential debate, Donald Trump uttered the phrase, such as nasty woman to Clinton, who was answering a question and had just made a comment about Trump potentially not paying future taxes. There was a collective gasp from everybody watching the debate. Clinton played off the comment like the iconic women she is. She ignored the comment, and effectively inspired women all over the world. In less than a day, the phrase Nasty Woman had been reclaimed and with that, came the merch. Because its 2016 and this is what we do.

Here are 10 items you should buy to commemorate this weird, yet empowering event:

1. Nasty Woman Tee from Nasty Gal

The e-commerce website, which has reclaimed the title of nasty woman immediately jumped on the bandwagon and designed this t-shirt complete with a hand-drawn Hillary Clinton. The proceeds of the $48.00 shirt will go to Planned Parenthood. Win for women all around!

2. Nasty Women Unite Tee from Nasty Gal



The online retailer also designed this spectacular t-shirt so nasty women all over the world can come together and be nasty women. Like previous shirt, the $48.00 shirt will donate proceeds to Planned Parenthood.

3. Nasty Woman T-Shirt

From Google Ghost, this $25.00 t-shirt will donate half of the proceeds to Planned Parenthood. The design is simple, with the nasty woman phrase complete with a heart, but beautifully elegant.

nastywomenpin

4. Nasty Women Vote Pin

Campaign pins are an iconic election staple so its no surprise that the nasty women soundbite has been turned into a killer pin. Emulating a classic red, white, and blue pin, its such an iconic souvenir from a truly bizarre time in American history. The button is sold for $2.00 at Etsy shop, Masked Bandit Buttons.

nastywomanglass

5. Nasty Woman Wine Glass

Imagine Olivia Pope ditching her iconic long-stemmed wine glass for this incredible wine glass. This killer wine glass from Etsy store Chic Tweet Boutique is sold out but get on the waiting list and one could be yours for $10.00!

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makeamericanastyagain

6. Make America Nasty Again Hat

Ever since Donald Trump debuted his silly Make America Great Again weve seen it parodied in almost every way possible. The Make America Nasty Again hat has to be one of our favorite renditions as it takes Trumps own words and spins it against him. Buy it at the Etsy store Magic Society Store for $25.00.

nastywomentote

7. Nasty Woman Tote Bag

Tote bags make a statement so owning a tote bag with Nasty Woman written on it is the ultimate statement. Its simple and chic at the same time. Get it at Etsy store The Sentimental Fools for $25.00.

evilnastyshirt

8. Evil Wicked Mean Nasty Tank Top

If these four words look familiar, its because they have all been used by Donald Trump to insult Hillary Clinton. The unisex tank top makes a bold statement and can be found at the Etsy store Smashtransit for $25.00.

nastyvwomenvoteshirt

9. Nasty Women Vote T-shirt

We see the above pin, and raise you a killer t-shirt. This shirt, found in Etsy store FishBiscuit, the shirt can be found in LITERALLY any size for just $19.95.

nastywomenmug

10. Nasty Women Mug

If you want to trade your wine for caffeine, check out this cool nasty women coffee (or tea) mug. Its such a great way to start the morning and we want to start every day with a cup of coffee out of that mug. Get it at Etsy store SwankyPress for either $16.00 for an 11oz. mug or $18.00 for an 15oz. mug.

This is the year of the nasty woman. Lets own it and collectively put an end to the gross, sexist rhetoric Trump uses to describe women.

The post 10 pieces of Nasty Woman swag you can buy to forever remember this insane year for women appeared first on HelloGiggles.
The Daily Beast

STRINGER/ReutersVideo footage shows pedestrians attempting to sway an Indian suspension bridge in the moments before it catastrophically collapsed, leaving at least 141 people dead as of Monday.Rescuers expect the death toll to continue to rise after the bridge fell apart in the western state of Gujarat on Sunday. The majority of those killed were women, children, or elderly people, a local official told the BBC. Almost 180 people were successfully rescued, however, in an overnight operation inv
Idlib (Syria) (AFP) - Sixteen civilians, including three children, were killed on Monday in heavy bombardment across rebel-held Idlib province in northwest Syria, a monitoring group said.

In Khan Sheikhun, a town in the province's south, air strikes killed seven people, including two women and a child, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

The Britain-based Observatory said the raids were carried out by either Syrian or Russian aircraft.

Another seven people, including four women and two children, were killed in raids on Kafr Takharim, further north in the province.

Those raids hit three residential buildings, a local government building, and a stadium, shortly after midnight, AFP's correspondent in the town said.

In the morning, rescue workers were still trying to pull bodies out of the rubble.

"My sister's house was standing right here. She and her daughter are dead, along with another family," Abu Mohammad told AFP.

"There was no military base here. All the military positions are outside the town," the devastated man said.

Another man and a woman were killed in rocket fire in the nearby town of Kafr Awid.

Idlib province is controlled by the Army of Conquest, an alliance of rebel groups and jihadists including the Fateh al-Sham Front, which changed its name from Al-Nusra Front after breaking off ties with Al-Qaeda.

According to the Observatory, heavy bombardment has battered the northwest province in recent days.

Since Thursday, bombardment has killed 44 civilians, including 11 women, nine children, and one rescue worker.

Syria's conflict broke out in March 2011 with anti-government protests, but it has since evolved into all-out war pitting rebels, government forces, Kurds and jihadists against each other.
The 2016 presidential campaign began, in the minds of many of its participants, on Inauguration Day 2013. It got officially underway in November 2014 with the formation of an exploratory committee by Virginia Sen. Jim Webb. It involved 22 debates, not counting the kiddie tables for the second-tier Republican candidates, and not one but two Super Tuesdays (March 1 and 15). It wound its way through Laredo, Texas, Mexico City, and Aberdeen, Scotland, as well as every hamlet and crossroads in Iowa and New Hampshire. It drew in some two dozen major-party candidates, including both Cuban-American U.S. senators, an Indian-American governor of a Deep South state, an African-American surgeon, a Jewish socialist from Vermont and the brother and wife of former presidents, not to mention a certain billionaire businessman and reality TV star. And it enlisted countless ordinary citizens who were thrust onto the national stage  literally, at the two national conventions  to play supporting roles in the ongoing melodrama of American democracy.

Click buttons below to see the people, places and moments that shaped a shocking election in 2016.

It was a campaign in which one candidate narrowly escaped charges of mishandling of classified documents and the other faces numerous allegations of sexual assault and a class-action fraud lawsuit over his unaccredited university. It was marked by credible charges of interference by a foreign power, by one nominee threatening to put the other in jail if he won, by preemptive charges of vote fraud and unprecedented hints that one side might refuse to accept a losing result.

So much has happened in the course of this campaign that the various gaffes, scandals, eruptions, meltdowns, staff shakeups, feuds, endorsements and disavowals run together. Memory dissolves into a jumble of tweets, memes and spin; the day after the election will feel like awakening from a nightmare of being trapped in an elevator for 18 months with Rudy Giuliani and Howard Dean.

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And so before the dream fades and we have to ask ourselves, Did that really happen? The argument about the hands? Picking a fight with the pope? The basket of deplorables?  Yahoo News presents this list of essential memories from the 2016 campaign: 16 places where the battle for the White House was fought; 16 moments on which the outcome hinged; 16 ordinary people swept up by events and given a role in shaping the national destiny. Exclusive interviews by members of the Yahoo News team help flesh out some of their stories.

Of course, any list like this is arbitrary, but our choices are intended to go beyond the inside-the-war-room accounts that will be written in the months, and years, to come. The maneuvers and tactics of national political campaigns are fascinating, and we will continue to bring those to our readers as well. But we kept in mind that the fate of the country, indeed the world, is at stake when the United States chooses a president. This campaign took place in the shadow of awful and momentous events: domestic terror attacks; police shootings of unarmed black men under disputed circumstances, and deadly attacks on police in retaliation; another in a series of warmest-ever years, sending a loud danger signal about a climate that is changing faster than we can handle.

Although this package isnt really about policy, it was prepared in full awareness of the critical issues facing the nation  its relationship to immigrants and the world of Islam, its increasingly tense rivalry with Russia and with China, restoring trust between minority communities and the authorities. But what it is about, mostly, is the story of how a campaign plays out across the United States, all 3.8 million square miles of it, the 320 million people who go about their lives and now and then find themselves crossing paths with history.  By Jerry Adler




Click on the people above to see what role they played in the 2016 election.

A presidential campaign moves across the land like an invading army, trailing a caravan of journalists, enlisting civilians and thrusting them, willy-nilly, into the frontlines of history. An 11-year-old girl confesses her fear of coming home to find her parents arrested and deported; a laid-off coal miner wonders how he will support his family; the author of a memoir about his childhood in Appalachia becomes the de facto ambassador of Donald Trumps white, rural voters to the national media.

What most of these people have in common is they never sought fame in this way. Before this election season, Gonzalo Curiel was a little-known federal district judge in San Diego and Harold Bornstein was a gastroenterologist with a Park Avenue practice; now the world knows Curiel as the Mexican-American judge whom Trump loudly accused of bias in the fraud case against Trumps university, and Bornstein as the doctor whose letter testified to Trumps astonishingly excellent health. And Pat Smith, Khizr and Ghazala Khan, and Liz Sullivan and Jim Steinle figured in the 2016 campaign in the worst way imaginable: They are parents whose adult children died in ways that made them symbols for one side or the other.  By Jerry Adler
By Nov. 9, the votes will have been cast and counted, there will be a winner and a loser, and the country will begin a slow return to normal. Historians will have their say on the outcome, but all of us who have lived through this election will carry away indelible memories of a shocking year in American history: of a handful of ordinary people , swept up in the rush of history; of a series of moments on which the fate of the nation seemed, at least briefly, to turn; and of places on the map that became symbols of a divided nation. As we count down to Election Day, Yahoo News has identified 16 unforgettable people, moments and places.

What did Hillary Clinton mean when she said, Were going to put a lot of coal miners and coal companies out of business?

To Bo Copley, a 39-year-old unemployed West Virginia coal miner, her remark at a CNN forum in March was a direct threat to his livelihood, family and town. I was upset, he told Bianna Golodryga, news and finance anchor for Yahoo News, [by] the way she said it and the smile that was on her face. (The video of Clintons remarks is here; viewers can decide for themselves about her expression.) That really hurt, Copley continued, because its not a nameless thing, not a faceless industry. It sparked a lot of anger throughout this state.

So when Clinton showed up to campaign in Williamson, W. Va., he let her know how he felt.

I just want to know how you can say youre going to put a lot of coal miners out of jobs and then come in here and tell us how youre gonna be our friend, he said, sliding a picture of his three children across the table toward her  a moment captured by reporters that catapulted him to local, and later national, fame. In October, when Republican West Virginia Sen. Shelley Moore Capito held a hearing on the devastating effects that EPAs anti-coal regulations are having on our state, Copley was a star witness, describing the events leading up to his layoff as a maintenance planner and foreman at a subsidiary of the mining giant Arch Coal.

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With increasing regulations forcing other mines to close, we would see more and more inspectors on our job, he said. At one point, we had 12 inspectors on our property.  That would lead to more violations because of their interpretation of laws. More violations lead to higher cost per ton. Higher cost per ton leads to less profits. Less profits lead to job loss.

It was a report from the trenches of what Republicans have been calling the Obama administrations war on coal since long before the campaign even began. This was a message Donald Trump sought to reinforce at a West Virginia rally by donning a miners hardhat and pretending to wield a shovel. That move violated a principle of campaigning dating back to 1988, when Democratic nominee Michael Dukakis was photographed in a tank turret, wearing a helmet that reminded many observers of Snoopy: Never put anything weird on your head.

Bo Copley collects himself while speaking to Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton at Williamson Health and Wellness Center in Williamson, W.Va. (Photo: Paul Sancya/AP)

To Clinton, her remark was intended just as a recognition of something that was happening already, and would continue  a result not only from environmental concerns, but also competition for coal from cheap natural gas. She apologized to Copley for her misstatement.

What I was saying is that the way things are going now, we will continue to lose jobs, she said. Thats what I meant to say, and I think that seems to be supported by the facts. As the media noted, she was actually making a point about the need to bring jobs back to Appalachia and support laid-off miners.

Copley, for his part, was unconvinced, telling reporters after the confrontation that he would have liked to have heard more of what her plan is for coal country. How long is it going to take to bring other energy sources into this area? he said to Golodryga. If it takes two, three, four years, what am I supposed to do?

Clintons plan, all 2,180 mind-numbingly comprehensive words of it, includes provisions for job training, expanded broadband access, combating drug abuse and promoting the rich cultural heritage of Appalachia. Copley says he wasnt especially political before his brush with fame, but now everyone is interested in his opinion. As he told reporters, he was a Republican and a deeply religious Christian who would never support Clinton anyway because of her stance on abortion and other issues. Coal, he says, is not the only priority.  By Jerry Adler. Video by Sarah B. Boxer.





Clinton says she misspoke with vow to put coal miners out of business

In a May roundtable with West Virginia voters, Hillary Clinton apologized and said she had worked for years to help workers. >>>

The mines will be gone: Trump claims Clinton would destroy coal industry

It is the last shot for the miners. That I know, Donald Trump said in August. And Im not like a neutral for the miners. Im not like, Oh, well hell be all right. Hillary will be a horror show, and Im going to be an unbelievable positive. But this is the last shot. The mines will be gone. The mines will be gone if she gets elected. >>>

Facing backlash, Clinton says coal still has a future

Facing a backlash from Appalachian Democrats, Hillary Clintons campaign on Monday tried to reaffirm her commitment to coal communities one day after declaring on national television she was going to to put a lot of coal miners and coal companies out of business. >>>

coal miner Bo Copley, who confronted Hillary Clinton the other day, gets heroes welcome at Trump rally here in Charleston WV  Peter Doocy (@pdoocy) May 5, 2016

Heres the photo that Bo Copley, the coal worker who confronted Clinton yesterday in Williamson, gave to her: https://t.co/OYV43bVpYV  Hannah Chanpong (@hannahfc) May 3, 2016
By Nov. 9, the votes will have been cast and counted, there will be a winner and a loser, and the country will begin a slow return to normal. Historians will have their say on the outcome, but all of us who have lived through this election will carry away indelible memories of a shocking year in American history: of a handful of ordinary people , swept up in the rush of history; of a series of moments on which the fate of the nation seemed, at least briefly, to turn; and of places on the map that became symbols of a divided nation. As we count down to Election Day, Yahoo News has identified 16 unforgettable people, moments and places.

There is no more powerful testimony than the words of a grieving parent, and both parties sought to harness that power in their national conventions. Three parents whose children were killed by illegal immigrants took the stage on the first night of the Republican convention in support of Donald Trumps immigration crackdown. And in Trumps own speech, he evoked the tragic death, a year earlier, of Kathryn Steinle, a San Francisco woman who was shot and killed while walking with her father on that citys iconic Embarcadero.

Many of the facts of the Steinle case seemed ideal for Trumps purpose. Juan Francisco Lopez-Sanchez  who was arrested the same day and charged with murder  was in the country illegally; he had seven felony convictions and had been deported five times since 1994. He had avoided another trip back to Mexico only through a kind of reverse Catch-22, compounded by bureaucratic confusion: When his last prison sentence ended in March, instead of being deported, he was sent to San Francisco to answer a 20-year-old warrant on a marijuana charge, which was promptly dismissed. San Francisco is one of dozens of sanctuary cities in which law enforcement officials are constrained from cooperating with federal immigration authorities except under specific conditions. Lopez-Sanchez, despite his extensive record, apparently fell through the cracks. After a brief stay in jail, he was released onto the streets.

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The day after the killing, Trump was citing it on Twitter as evidence that our Southern border is totally out of control! Republican candidates began demanding a crackdown on sanctuary cities, enforced, if necessary, by withholding federal aid for law enforcement. Trump picked up the theme in his acceptance speech: These families have no special interests to represent them. There are no demonstrators to protest on their behalf. My opponent will never meet with them or share in their pain. Instead, my opponent wants sanctuary cities. But where was sanctuary for Kate Steinle?

Jim Steinle and Liz Sullivan, parents of Kathryn Steinle, answer questions during a news conference on the steps of City Hall in San Francisco. (Photo: Eric Risberg/AP)

Clinton, like many Democrats, supports the concept of sanctuary cities. Her campaign pointed out they are intended, in part, to encourage undocumented aliens to cooperate with police, as victims or witnesses, without risking their own deportation. She criticized the bureaucratic failures that led to Lopez-Sanchezs release. But Trump obviously believed the issue was a winning one for him.

Steinles grieving parents, Jim Steinle and Liz Sullivan, who have maintained a dignified, reticent stance since the tragedy, werent on the stage with Trump and seemed uncomfortable with being dragged into his campaign. For Donald Trump, we were just what he needed  beautiful girl, San Francisco, illegal immigrant, arrested a million times, a violent crime and yadda, yadda, yadda, Sullivan said last year in one of the few interviews she has given. We were the perfect storm for that man.

They have brought a lawsuit against local and federal officials aiming to close some of the loopholes that led to Lopez-Sanchezs release. But Sullivan said she doesnt oppose the idea of sanctuary cities, and Steinle has come out against mass deportation of illegals: If you deport them, what are you going to eat? Rocks? he said. I mean, they feed the United States.  By Jerry Adler

Woman shot at San Francisco pier fuels immigration debate

Kathryn Steinle, a medical device saleswoman who loved travel and dance, is the newest symbol for those seeking stricter immigration enforcement. >>>

Kate Steinles brother: Donald Trump is sensationalizing my sisters death

The brother of Kate Steinle  the 32-year-old woman who was killed in a random shooting in San Francisco earlier this month  says Donald Trump is sensationalizing his sisters death to score political points. >>>

House passes bill to crack down on sanctuary cities

The House passed legislation Thursday cracking down on sanctuary cities that shield residents from federal immigration authorities. Angry Democrats accused Republicans of aligning themselves with Donald Trump and his anti-immigrant views, and the White House threatened a veto. >>>

My heartfelt condolences to the family of Kathryn Steinle. Very, very sad!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 3, 2015

I absolutely support Kates Lawin honor of the beautiful Kate Steinle who was gunned down in SF by an illegal immigrant.  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 13, 2015
Allen Sanders, right, kneels next to his wife, Georgette, at a sidewalk memorial in memory of the shooting victims in front of Emanuel AME Church, in Charleston, S.C. (Photo: David Goldman/AP)

By Nov. 9, the votes will have been cast and counted, there will be a winner and a loser, and the country will begin a slow return to normal. Historians will have their say on the outcome, but all of us who have lived through this election will carry away indelible memories of a shocking year in American history: of a handful of ordinary people , swept up in the rush of history; of a series of moments on which the fate of the nation seemed, at least briefly, to turn; and of places on the map that became symbols of a divided nation. As we count down to Election Day, Yahoo News has identified 16 unforgettable people, moments and places.

Dylann Roof, the 21-year-old white supremacist who allegedly shot up a Bible study class in a Charleston, S.C., church last year, killing nine black parishioners, could hardly have chosen a more powerfully symbolic venue for his attack. Emanuel AME Church is one of the oldest black churches in the South, dating back to 1816, and Booker T. Washington and Martin Luther King Jr. were among those who spoke from its pulpit. The events on the evening of June 17 put Mother Emanuel, as it is often called, at the center of an increasingly urgent national conversation about race relations, stretching back to the death of Florida teenager Trayvon Martin in 2012 and forward to this years presidential campaign.

It was the death of Martin  and especially the acquittal in 2013 of his killer, George Zimmerman  that set the stage for the emergence of the Black Lives Matter movement. And it was reading about the case that led Roof, an unemployed dropout, to the neo-Nazi websites that inspired his alleged attack, which investigators believe was intended to set off a white-against-black race war.

The killings were every candidates worst nightmare, an unexpected, emotionally charged event with the potential to blow up a campaign with one ill-considered quote. Texas Gov. Rick Perry, with his unerring instinct for wandering into minefields, referred to it as an accident, which his aides quickly scrambled to correct to incident. Several of his rivals, including Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, tried to characterize the massacre as an attack on religion, rather than what it was, an attack on African-Americans.

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Hillary Clinton, unsurprisingly, saw the killings as an argument for more gun control. In a speech last winter, she said that extending the waiting period for a gun sale just one more day would have kept Roof from (legally) acquiring the .45-caliber Glock he allegedly used. An investigation by FactCheck.org later concluded that Roofs minor criminal record for drug possession wasnt caught in his background check as a result of a clerical error; lengthening the waiting period, as Clinton advocates, would not have changed the outcome.

An honor guard from the South Carolina Highway Patrol lowers the Confederate battle flag as it is removed from the Capitol grounds on July 10, 2015, in Columbia, S.C. (Photo: John Bazemore/AP)

But it was photos of Roof posing with Confederate memorabilia that set off one of the most heated exchanges of the 2016 race, forcing candidates who werent able to hide from reporters to take a stand on displaying the rebel flag. South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley acted quickly to remove the flag from the statehouse grounds, and demands quickly mounted to do the same elsewhere in the South. Republican candidates including Ted Cruz, Scott Walker, Rick Santorum and Mike Huckabee unanimously took the bold, courageous position that it wasnt their job to tell the people of other states what to do. Donald Trump, who had announced his candidacy just the day before the shootings, staked out the clearest position, and it was one that, in hindsight, seems surprising: I would take it down, he said. I think they should put it in a museum.

A year and a half later, it is Haley who has paid a political price; as Politico wrote, once floated as a veep choice, [she] is no longer mentioned in elite GOP circles. Trump, for his part, managed to put his apostasy behind him; his win in the South Carolina primary was a key victory in his path to the nomination.  By Jerry Adler

9 killed at church shooting in Charleston, S.C

Dylann Roof, 21, shot and killed nine African-American church members during a Bible study group inside the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, S.C. >>>

Confederate flag protest in South Carolina

The Confederate flag was lowered from the grounds of the South Carolina Statehouse to the cheers of thousands, ending its 54-year presence there and marking a stunning political reversal in a state where many thought the rebel banner would fly indefinitely. >>>

Funeral services for Sen. Clementa Pinckney

South Carolina State Sen. Clementa Pinckneys funeral took place at the College Charleston TD Arena where President Obama delivered the eulogy. >>>

Live blog: 9 killed in SC church shooting

A white gunman opened fire during a prayer meeting inside a historic black church in downtown Charleston, S.C., on June 17, 2015, killing nine people in what officials describe as a hate crime. >>>

Denmark Vessey and a battle over history in Charleston

How the attempt to honor a former slave resulted in an ugly fight within the Charleston community. >>>

The powerful 8-month journey that helped Hillary Clinton craft a new message

Hillary Clintons presidential campaign entered a new phase on Tuesday evening at an emotional event at a Baptist church in Columbia, where she linked her campaign platform with a powerful appeal to the Black Lives Matter movement. >>>

Charleston church massacres reignites gun control debate

In the wake of the mass shooting at a historic black church in Charleston, S.C., gun control advocates called for a national debate on Americas gun laws, while gun rights activists said the massacre couldve been prevented had the victims been armed. >>>





So inspired by the grace shown by the Simmons family and all the victims' families in Charleston. #HateWontWin pic.twitter.com/jMS0SDUYui  President Obama (@POTUS) June 26, 2015
Donald Trump at a news conference near the U.S.-Mexico border outside of Laredo, Texas. (Photo: Rick Wilking/Reuters)

By Nov. 9, the votes will have been cast and counted, there will be a winner and a loser, and the country will begin a slow return to normal. Historians will have their say on the outcome, but all of us who have lived through this election will carry away indelible memories of a shocking year in American history: of a handful of ordinary people , swept up in the rush of history; of a series of moments on which the fate of the nation seemed, at least briefly, to turn; and of places on the map that became symbols of a divided nation. As we count down to Election Day, Yahoo News has identified 16 unforgettable people, moments and places.

It had been just a little more than a month since he had begun his presidential campaign with a dire warning that Mexico was shipping its rapists and murderers to the U.S.  and Donald Trump wanted to see things for himself. The Laredo, Texas, local representing Border Patrol agents had invited him, then changed its mind  under pressure from Washington, Trump hinted darkly  but he flew down anyway for a meeting with city officials. He did it because I love this country, despite the great danger the trip posed, apparently having been convinced by his own rhetoric that the place was overrun by gangsters shooting it out in broad daylight. (The murder rate in Laredo, according to FBI figures, is less than half that of Houston.)

He got in and out in one piece  the whole visit lasted all of three hours  and also with his worldview intact, despite efforts by Laredo Mayor Pete Saenz to educate the candidate to the realities of the border. At a brief press conference, Trump stood stiffly behind Saenz as the mayor praised NAFTA and boasted about the enormous international trade passing through his city. Then Trump took the microphone and basically told the mayor what he could do with his trade: A lot of what is happening here is because Mexico is doing so well  and I dont know if thats good for the United States, but its good for Mexico. He repeated his call for a wall along the border  although, perhaps in deference to his hosts, he used a qualification not often heard before or since: in certain sections you have to have to have a wall (italics added). And pressed by reporters to back up his claim that Mexico was sending criminals across the border, Trump cited his favorite source: a lot of different people.

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The visit was memorable for two things. It was the moment that the Make America Great Again cap made its debut, on Trumps own head. And his ability to attract two busloads of reporters to this remote location for a three-hour visit and a 15-minute press conference was an early indicator of how he would dominate the coverage of the campaign. You want to ignore Donald Trump, Molly Ball wrote in a prescient piece in the Atlantic. You think maybe if you ignore him long enough, he will go away. Well, guess what? Hes not going away.  By Jerry Adler

Trump tours Mexican border despite great danger

Donald Trump arrived in Laredo, Texas, telling a swarm of reporters after stepping off his private plane that hes putting himself in great danger by touring the Mexican border without the protection of U.S. border patrol agents, but I have to do it. The agents had planned to accompany the real estate mogul and Republican presidential candidate on his tour of the border but backed out after consulting with union officials at the National Border Patrol Council. >>>

Who will pay for the border wall? Trump, Mexican president disagree on whether topic even came up

After more than a year of bashing Mexico as an enemy of the United States that endangers American jobs and safety, Donald Trump sounded a more conciliatory tone during a whirlwind visit south of the border, emphasizing the bond the U.S. shares with its neighbor. >>>

Trump: Border patrol union endorsement is proof that a wall is very necessary

Trumps vow to build a wall along the U.S. southern border and have Mexico pay  a controversial plan he unveiled during the announcement of his White House bid  has become a signature issue of the real estate moguls campaign. >>>





"People are saying, 'It's so dangerous, Mr. Trump!' But I have to do it." His hat says "Make America Great Again." pic.twitter.com/hYivElDNN6  Molly Ball (@mollyesque) July 23, 2015

Maybe unrelated, buy Laredo Mayor Pete Saenz was laughing after Donald Trump said "I'll win the Hispanic vote."  Ginger Gibson (@GingerGibson) July 23, 2015
By Nov. 9, the votes will have been cast and counted, there will be a winner and a loser, and the country will begin a slow return to normal. Historians will have their say on the outcome, but all of us who have lived through this election will carry away indelible memories of a shocking year in American history: of a handful of ordinary people , swept up in the rush of history; of a series of moments on which the fate of the nation seemed, at least briefly, to turn; and of places on the map that became symbols of a divided nation. As we count down to Election Day, Yahoo News has identified 16 unforgettable people, moments and places.

ORLANDO, Fla.  After Omar Mateen killed 49 people at a gay nightclub in Orlando this past June, John Henkle, a Nicaraguan-American banker who used to frequent Pulse, wasnt sure how the community would react.

Henkle thought Orlando was a fairly gay friendly place for a smaller city, but still no Miami. He sometimes worried about exposing himself as gay in public, afraid that someone might get angry if he drew attention to his sexual orientation.

So he was touched when faith leaders  some from conservative Christian churches that had preached against homosexuality  joined vigils and memorials, expressing their grief at the attack on Pulse as an attack on the whole community.

Were sad, but at the same time it really opened peoples minds, Henkle said on an October afternoon when he was visiting the shuttered Pulse site with a friend.

Rainbow flags labeled Orlando Strong were strung up along telephone poles on the avenue, and locals were still stopping to leave flowers, cards and teddy bears four months after the shooting.

I saw how [Christian people] were changing their mind, Henkle said. They were coming here and doing some memorials. They had balloons, they had flowers. They dont have it anymore, but that was kind of special.  I would have thought they would disapprove.

The Pulse nightclub remains a memorial after the nations worst shooting, in Orlando, Fla.. (Photo: Roberto Gonzalez for Yahoo News)

Almost anyone you ask in this central Florida city agrees that the horrific attack  the countrys worst mass shooting in history  brought Orlandos diverse population of evangelicals, Latinos, immigrants, black and gay people closer together and opened hearts and minds. But the unity forged by the tragedy has splintered over the most divisive and nasty election in modern times. And even the nightclub massacre, and the memory of the souls who perished there, have become pawns in the campaign.

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Now, residents of the key swing state, many of whom are still grieving for this city, say they are just ready for the election to be over so they can pick up the pieces and move on.

The Pulse attack defied easy categorization, though that didnt stop some people from trying. Mateen was a U.S. citizen of Afghan descent who was inspired by ISIS and angry at U.S. drone strikes against the terrorist group. But Mateen also frequented gay clubs and had made homophobic statements in the past, and some who knew him speculated he could have been gay himself. His shooting was both the deadliest violent act against LGBT people in U.S. history and the nations worst terrorist attack since 9/11.

In June, Clinton released a statement calling the shooting both an act of terror and one of hate against gays, while also mentioning the need to regulate guns. This is the deadliest mass shooting in the history of the United States and it reminds us once more that weapons of war have no place on our streets, she said. Trump, meanwhile, called on Clinton to exit the race for not immediately using the words Islamic terror to describe the incident, and used the shooting to boost his plan to bar immigration from Muslim countries. Trump also tweeted that he appreciated the congrats for warning Americans that more terror incidents would occur in the country.

Both candidates visited Orlando that summer, as their campaigns fought over the swingiest area of the swing state  central Florida. Clinton visited the memorial, silently placing a bouquet of white flowers at the site, and met with family members of the victims. Omar Mateens father showed up at an Orlando Clinton rally in August, sitting right behind the candidate as she spoke. Her campaign disavowed his support and said he wasnt invited to the event. In August, Trump stopped by an evangelical meeting of pastors in the city, including some who preached against homosexuality. Trump didnt mention the Pulse shooting, but repeated a false claim that Obama and Clinton were the founders of ISIS. (Orlando is also home to Trumps spiritual adviser, televangelist Paula White.)

Hillary Clinton, accompanied by first responders and Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla., fourth from left, visits a memorial outside of the Pulse nightclub. (Photo: Andrew Harnik/AP)

Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer, a Clinton supporter, wondered whether his citys tragedy would push the national election into a debate over gun control or terrorism  while trying to stay out of the politics himself. But the issue quickly faded from the national race. The election has not really turned on the issue of gun control at all, Dyer told Yahoo News. What theyre debating now is what constitutes sexual assault.

Its unclear whether the attack will affect how people in Orlando end up voting come Election Day. Floridians tend to see the attack through whatever lens already made sense to their worldview, with liberals seeing it more as a gun control issue and conservatives seeing it as a terrorism one, according to Susan MacManus, a political science professor at the University of South Florida.

The general public saw it as a horrible example of things run amok in America for whatever reason, MacManus said. Some people see it as guns and gay rights; others see it as a national security breach of the worst order. The bottom line is it was unsettling for everybody, but it drove people in different directions in terms of their candidate selection.

The shooting hit Orlandos Puerto Ricans  a key constituency who could end up deciding which candidate wins Nov. 8  particularly hard. Nearly half of the Pulse victims were Puerto Rican and more than 90 percent of them were Latino. The islands economic free fall has contributed to a huge influx of Puerto Ricans in the I-4 corridor of central Florida, which stretches from Tampa to Daytona Beach. Though there are now almost a million Puerto Ricans in Florida, the attack on Pulse was so large that it seemed like everyone knew someone who was affected in the community.

The two campaigns are vying for the I-4 corridors different constituencies, with Democrats hoping to benefit from the influx of Puerto Ricans, who tend to be more liberal than the states Cuban-Americans. Esteban Garces, state director of the Latino advocacy organization Mi Familia Vota, said his organization is noticing that Puerto Ricans are registering to vote because they are turned off by Trumps comments about immigration, even though Puerto Ricans are U.S. citizens and not affected by immigration laws. For his part, Trump is wooing central Floridas Christian evangelicals and white blue-collar workers.

Rolando Casado, assistant principal at Liberty High in Kissimmee, Fla. (Photo: Roberto Gonzalez for Yahoo News)

Rolando Casado, an assistant principal at Liberty High School near Kissimmee, straddles both communities as a Puerto Rican and a conservative Christian. His wifes hairdresser was shot and killed in the Pulse attack. Casado, who grew up in Puerto Rico and then moved to the United States and joined the Navy decades ago, said he believes the unity hes seen in Orlando after the attack has been a bright spot in the past few months, when he has been struggling with the tone of the election and what he sees as a lack of good choices. He, like others in the area, is faced with a barrage of negative advertising every day.

Casado, a lifelong Republican, is considering voting for Clinton due to his doubts about Trumps character, though he is struggling with the decision because he believes Clinton also has character flaws. I just wonder what happened to us? There were so many standup people, he said sadly. What went wrong? What happened? What was said or not that we ended up in this position?

Others who were affected by the tragedy are more enthusiastically supporting their candidate. To be honest with you, Im more with the lady, said Henkle, an independent voter. I want her because its going to be history. Henkle said he wants the constant negative chatter around the election to stop.

Dyer, Orlandos mayor, perhaps summed it up best. Ill just be happy when its done, he said.  By Liz Goodwin. Video produced by Kelli Hill.

World reacts to Orlando mass shooting

Images from across the globe mourning the deaths at Pulse. >>>

Orlando continues to mourn victims of the Pulse nightclub shooting

Scenes from the community in the after math of the attack. >>>

Trump revives talk of banning Muslims after Orlando attack

In his first formal remarks since Sundays deadly shooting at a gay nightclub in Orlando, the Republican nominee repeated his call to bar Muslims from immigrating to the United States and added a promise to suspend immigration from any country with a proven history of terrorism against the United States, Europe or other allies. >>>

Trump sparks outrage with Appreciate the congrats tweet

After the deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history, Donald Trump said tweeted that people were congratulating him for being right about terrorism. Appreciate the congrats for being right on radical Islamic terrorism, the presumptive GOP presidential nominee wrote. >>>

Clinton assails Trumps anti-Muslim rhetoric in wake of Orlando

The Orlando terrorist may be dead, but the virus that poisoned his mind remains very much alive. We know already the barbarity that we face from radical jihadists is profound. >>>

Orlandos resilience after shooting: This is a city beautiful. We are not beaten

This is very close to me. The whole gay community is a very strong community and a very small community, so I know a lot of people that died, Orlando resident Rafael Martins, 28, told Yahoo News in June. Im very sad and heartbroken about the whole story. I had to be here. >>>

Live blog: 50 killed in worst ever U.S. mass shooting

Yahoo News complete coverage of the June tragedy. >>>





Appreciate the congrats for being right on radical Islamic terrorism, I don't want congrats, I want toughness & vigilance. We must be smart!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 12, 2016

In Orlando and San Bernardino, terrorists used assault weapons like the AR-15 to kill Americans. We should make it harder for them to do so.  Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) June 13, 2016
With just 15 days until Election Day, the latest national poll has Hillary Clinton with a double-digit lead over Donald Trump. Yahoo Global News Anchor Katie Couric spoke with New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof about the campaigns of Clinton and Trump.

This presidential election arguably has been one of the most divisive in U.S. history, and it has raised questions as to whether the U.S. government will be able to get anything done during the next administration. Kristof spoke about conservative Christians, specifically evangelical Christians, and how they are shaping this election. Kristof said there is a God gap in America, and he told Couric that bleeding heart liberals have to align themselves with bleeding heart conservatives if they actually want to get policy made.

Kristof also spoke about the article published in the New York Times today titled The 281 People, Places and Things Donald Trump Has Insulted on Twitter: A Complete List. This is incredibly unusual in a presidential campaign. Its common for candidates to snipe at each other, but not with this type of savagery, Kristof said, noting the fact that Twitter hasnt existed for many campaigns. People didnt even used to snipe with this type of excoriating prose in speeches or anything else.

The New York Times columnist was critical of the media for its coverage of Trump during this election cycle. I think we in the media screwed up, especially early on in the primaries, and I think especially cable television. Kristof said. There was a tendency to cover his events and his speeches and essentially hand him the mic without providing adequate fact-checking or scrutiny. And I think that was a mistake.

Ive never met a national candidate, at least, who is as evasive and ill-informed as Trump. Kristof said. But thats his style. You ask him a question, and he immediately wanders off on some other tangent. And you need to push back and drill back, and I think its somewhat uncomfortable for interviewers to push back that hard, but I think in retrospect we blew it by not doing more of that.

Kristof says there is a possibility that Trumps refusal to accept the election results could affect the social fabric of the country, as hes seen happen in other countries where hes covered elections. I think at the end of the day that American institutions are strong enough that they can withstand that kind of a loser. But could there be clashes, could there be confrontation, could there be a loss of legitimacy of those institutions, which are a pillar of our national success? Yeah, there could be.

Among the issues of this election are immigration and the refugee crisis, topics Kristof has written about extensively. I would say that we cannot simply open our borders and let the floodgates open. I think that Germany has genuine reason to be concerned about the flood of immigration and the toll that its had on social services. Lebanon certainly does, he told Couric. Its true we cant solve this problem by admitting everybody from Mosul or everybody from Syria. We have to do a better job of trying to address the problems in those countries that force people to leave. And maybe even more important, doing a better job in supporting refugees in surrounding countries  in Jordan, in Lebanon, in Turkey  so they dont feel compelled for the sake of their children to try to flee to Europe or America or anywhere else.
Mississippi is a long way from Upstate New York, but Allie Hanson wanted to attend a public university out of state and chose her school based on its aid award.

"Mississippi State has awesome merit-based packages," says the 19-year-old sophomore, of Clifton Park, New York. "Because I got a 30 on my ACT, they waived out-of-state tuition and gave me half off in-state tuition."

While attending public university as an out-of-state student can sometimes cost up to nearly three times more than in-state tuition, need-based or merit aid can make it more affordable for some students to attend.

For the 2016-2017 academic year, Hanson will pay around $4,000 in tuition and fees at Mississippi State University, compared with $20,900, the full out-of-state sticker price.

The chemistry major says she was also accepted at North Carolina State University--Raleigh, where she was offered more than $5,000 a year in merit aid. But even with the award, she says the cost of attending would have been $25,000 a year.

At North Carolina State, out-of-state tuition and fees cost $26,399 and room and board comes with a $10,635 price tag for 2016-2017.

College experts say school programs for need-based and merit aid vary widely among different public universities.

[Beware of front-loaded financial aid packages.]

1. Some state schools give lessfinancial aid to out-of-state students. Vinay Bhaskara, co-founder of Massachusetts-based CollegeVine, which provides college admissions guidance, says most schools use the higher out-of-state tuition to make their budgets work -- which results in less aid being given to out-of-state students.

"You tend to see this practice enacted where the state cuts to higher education have been the deepest or in a state where population growth has pushed up the number of in-state students looking to get access to the state's universities," Bhaskara says.

Population is putting pressure on universities in the Golden State with the University of California system, college advisers say.

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The University of California--Santa Cruz, for example, states on its website under its admissions FAQ: "Generally non-California residents will not receive enough financial aid to cover non-resident tuition."

" Public colleges and universities often do not give enough financial aid to out-of-state students to make it an affordable option," says Sumaiya Olatunde, founder of H2D Counseling in Rockville, Maryland, who advises families and students on the college application process.

There are a couple of state flagship universities -- the University of Virginia and the University of North Carolina--Chapel Hill -- that claim to meet full need-based financial aid for all students.

But public schools considered academic powerhouses typically don't offer large merit scholarships to out-of-state students, college advisers say.

2. High-achieving out-of-state students may qualify for merit aid. Certain schools might offer out-of-state students in-state tuition or merit waivers if they have a 3.8 GPA, for example, and excellent test scores, says Sarah Langford, founder of Chicago-based On the Quad College Consulting, a college advising firm.

[Discover the schools with the most students receiving merit aid.]

"But most flagship state schools are not going to give a lot of money to your average or even above out-of-state student unless you're the cream of the crop," Langford says.

At the University of Florida, applicants with test scores or a GPA in the upper 50 percent might be evaluated for merit scholarships along with other considerations, such as demonstrated leadership and overcoming various challenges, says Andrea Felder, director of freshman and international admissions at UF.

Felder says the school has three levels of institution scholarships that range from $8,000 to $20,000 a year in merit-based tuition waivers.

"Essentially 200 to 250 students outside of the state will receive a tuition waiver," Felder says, in each incoming class. "But most of the institutional grants are reserved to those from the state of Florida."

College advising experts say some state schools publish requirements for out-of-state scholarships on their website.

The website for out-of-state scholarships at the University of Kansas, for example, shows nonresident students can receive almost $10,600 a year under the KU Excellence scholarship if they have a least a 28 on the ACT and a GPA of 3.5 or higher.

3. Out-of-state students can lower college costs through tuition exchange programs. Tuition reciprocity programs between regions or individual states offer lower tuition rates to students from a participating state or county.

[Attend an out-of-state college while paying in-state tuition.]

One example is the Midwest Student Exchange, where participating public universities in Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Michigan, Missouri, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota and Wisconsin, charge students in the region no more than 150 percent of the in-state tuition rate.

But many schools restrict the discount to students who meet specified academic standards, so it's not automatic, and requirements vary among schools, experts say.

The University of Nebraska--Omaha, for example, requires students from a participating state to have at least a 21 on the ACT or be ranked within the top third of their high school graduating class.

Some public universities offer discounted or in-state tuition rates to students from a neighboring state independent of these exchanges, college advising experts say.

" Southern Illinois University gives-in state tuition to kids from Arkansas and Kentucky," says Langford from On the Quad College Consulting, who adds it tends to be smaller state schools that offer discounts. "When you're talking about the flagship institutions, it's not happening as often as people would like."

Trying to fund your education? Get tips and more in the U.S. News Paying for College center.

Farran Powell is an education reporter at U.S. News, covering paying for college and graduate school. You can follow her on Twitter or email her at fpowell@usnews.com.
When Sheryl Sandberg said women need to "lean in" in the workplace, there's the other part of the equation: women need to lean in in the investment world as well.

The biggest barrier against women learning how to invest their own money are themselves. Research has shown that number of brokerage accounts held by women are only one quarter of those by men. Women have the tendency to postpone taking the risk. We want to be sure we are ready before we take the plunge. But women won't be ready until we try it.

[See: 11 Great Investing Tips for Women.]

Investing is a skill that you can only acquire by doing. Start now. If you are not comfortable with the whole investment idea, the best way to overcome the fear is to embrace it. Go open a brokerage account, put in some money -- say $1,000 -- and test the waters. To have an account and real money in it makes you care.

Investing in individual stocks. The popular suggestion is to invest in exchange-traded funds and stay away from individual stocks because individual stocks can be twice more volatile than ETFs. But I would suggest investing a portion of your budget in individual stocks at the beginning as part of the learning process. The right attitude for a beginner is to be prepared to lose some of your investments. Treat the potential loss as tuition. Your gain is the investment knowledge and the psychological comfort you are gaining along the way.

Why individual stocks? An individual stock is a window into world of investing. Use an individual stock as a lab to learn investment jargon and to study basic investment concepts. Track the news and see how stock prices respond. You will learn how macroeconomic, industry and firm-specific news affect stock valuation. For example, when Britain voted for Brexit, why and how was your stock doing? During earnings seasons, listen to the earnings calls and see how management analyze that quarter's performance.

This kind of learning is valuable and may not be feasible if you just buy ETFs.

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[See: Warren Buffett's 10 Biggest Deals.]

Start with companies you know. Warren Buffett only invests in companies he can understand. As rookie women investors, start with companies you know well. If you are a working professional, you can buy an industry leader from the sector you work in, a company you are inspired to work for, or a company whose leader you admire. When you have the industry know-how, it will be much easier and more fun for you to digest the news, track the earnings and to form your own opinion and judgment about the stock.

What if you are a stay-at-home mom? Well, you can invest in a company that's heavily involved in your daily life.

Turn yourself from just a consumer to an investor by linking your consumption with your investment. See where and what you spent your money on and buy that stock. Women usually are the family shoppers, so retail stocks are a good starting point. You don't have to spend tons of time to do stock research, compared to if you invest in Caterpillar. When you shop, you get a sense if the parking lot is crowded, how big the customer flow is, how quick the items are flying off the shelf, and the quality of the customer service. That is research for next quarter's earnings. For example, if you own Costco Wholesale Corp. (ticker: COST), when the stock price plunged in June because analysts were concerned about the transition from American Express card ( AXP) to Citi credit card ( C), you would have your opinion from firsthand experience to gauge if the market overreacted or not.

Following the same logic, you can have a thorough examination of your consumption and identify your star companies. If you travel, which travel website do you use, where do you book your flights and hotels? What credit card do you use? Where do you dine? What cars do you drive?

[See: 20 Awesome Dividend Stocks for Guaranteed Income.]

The key to a successful start to investing is to find low barriers to entry. Start with companies you are familiar with because it will make investment more fun and interesting.

Meg Luo has a Ph.D. in finance and is an associate professor of finance at Villanova School of Business, Villanova University. Her research and teaching interests are in valuation, corporate finance and corporate restructuring. She has published in top-tier finance journals such as Journal of Financial Economics and Journal of Corporate Finance.
OSLO (Reuters) - Norway will allow U.S. troops to be stationed on its soil for a limited period from next year, the defense ministry said on Monday, the first time foreign troops have been posted on its territory since the end of World War Two. Some 330 U.S. Marines will be stationed at the Vaernes military base in central Norway from January, the ministry said in a statement, adding that the trial would be reviewed in the course of the year. Norway is a founding member of the U.S.-led NATO alliance and a close U.S. political ally. NATO troops have long come to the Nordic country to take part in military exercise but have not been stationed on Norwegian territory. "The United States are our most important ally and we have a near bilateral relationship that we wish to develop," Defence Minister Ine Eriksen Soereide said in a statement. "The defense of Norway is dependent on allied reinforcement and it is crucial for Norwegian security that our allies get the knowledge required to operate in Norway, together with Norwegian forces," said Soereide who has expressed concern about Russian military activity since Russia's 2014 annexation of Crimea. Norway shares a border with Russia in the Arctic. The move stirred criticism from parts of the opposition. "This is not a good signal to send. We face a cold political climate that requires predictability from Norway," Audun Lysbakken, the leader of the small opposition Socialist Left party, told public broadcaster NRK. "We should rather reinforce our national defense and not aim for some form of permanent presence by U.S. troops," he said. Soereide did not specifically mention a Russian military threat on Monday. In a 2014 interview with Reuters, she said Russia's annexation of Ukraine showed that it had the ability and will to use military means to achieve political goals. The last time foreign troops were stationed in the Nordic country was when Russian Red Army soldiers were stationed in northern Norway after driving out German forces, which had occupied Norway between 1940 and 1945. (Reporting by Terje Solsvik and Stine Jacobsen, writing by Gwladys Fouche; Editing by Richard Balmforth)
On Friday, Microsoft Corporation MSFT bettered its last record close achieved in Dec 1999, back during the dot-com era. Encouraging first quarter earnings results lifted the software majors shares higher. Rising demand for cloud software and services were the primary reason for this spectacular performance.

These results once again underline the growing importance of the cloud. Stocks gaining from the cloud computing phenomena make for attractive options at this point. Adding them to your portfolios would make for a prudent choice.

Azure Boosts Microsofts Results

Microsofts first-quarter fiscal 2017 earnings of 76 cents per share surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 68 cents. Revenues of $22.33 billion increased 3.1% from the year-ago quarter and exceeded the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $21.54 billion.

The high point of these results was revenue from Azure, which soared 121% year over year, with Azure compute usage doubling. Microsoft is benefitting from its hybrid and hyperscale cloud, which spans multiple jurisdictions. This makes it ideal for multinational companies and banks that have operations all over the world and are required to be in compliance with laws of the countries in which they operate.

This is the reason Microsoft cites which has drawn 80% of the worlds largest banks to Azure. Moreover, the companys expanding cloud services have also helped it to capture big customers like Boeing BA, Rolls-Royce, Schneider Electric and Facebook FB. (Read: Microsoft (MSFT) Beats Q1 Earnings on Strong Cloud Growth)

Clouds Prospects Remain Strong

According to a study by non-profit association CompTIA released last month, most companies are continuing to make major investments related to the cloud. More than 90% of the companies surveyed utilized some form of cloud computing. However, businesses are also becoming more selective in the kind of cloud technology which are they choosing adopt.

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Meanwhile, the primary motivation behind adopting cloud computing technology is the associated cost reduction. The survey revealed that 44% of medium businesses, 47% of larger companies and 41% of the small businesses which were part of the survey believed that cost reduction was a more important reason for implementing cloud technologies compared with others, such as increased speed, lesser complexity and modernization.

The most encouraging finding of the survey was that most of these companies were utilizing cloud solutions for a period of one to five years. Of these, only 6% were using such solutions for five years. In contrast, 23% of the companies were using such solutions for a period lesser than a year. This indicates that despite signs that the cloud market may be maturing; the sectors growth potential remains intact.

Our Choices

The fact that Azures performance is a major reason for Microsofts encouraging results serves to underscore the growing importance of the cloud computing market. A recently released survey indicates that the prospects for this sector still remain bright.

This is why it may be a prudent option to pick stocks which can gain from this phenomenon. However, picking winning stocks may prove to be difficult.

This is where our VGM score comes in. Here V stands for Value, G for Growth and M for Momentum and the score is a weighted combination of these three scores. Such a score allows you to eliminate the negative aspects of stocks and select winners. However, it is important to keep in mind that each Style Score will carry a different weight while arriving at a VGM score.

We have narrowed down our search to the following stocks based on a good Zacks Rank and VGM score.

Ciena Corporation CIEN is a provider of optical networking equipment, software and services.

Ciena Corporation has a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) and a VGM Score of A. The company has expected earnings growth of 18.8% for the current year. The forward price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio for the current financial year (F1) is 18.23, lower than the industry average of 20.98.

Amazon.com Inc. AMZN is the leading provider of cloud infrastructure as a service to enterprise customers. The Amazon Web Services (AWS) business as it is called generated revenue of $2.56 billion in the last quarter, growing at over 60% year over year in each of the last four quarters.

Amazon has a Zacks Rank #1 and a VGM Score of B. The company has expected earnings growth of more than 100% for the current year. Its earnings estimate for the current year has improved by 1.6% over the last 30 days.

Barracuda Networks, Inc. CUDA is engaged in designing and delivering security and storage solutions.

Barracuda Networks has a VGM Score of B. The company has expected earnings growth of more than 100% for the current year. Its earnings estimate for the current year has improved by 59.4% over the last 30 days. The stock has a Zacks Rank #1. You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

Cisco Systems CSCO is the largest player in the networking space. Its growth prospects remain positive because of the drive toward cloud computing and increasing data flow on carrier and computing networks.

Cisco has a Zacks Rank #2 and a VGM Score of B. The company has expected earnings growth of 4.2% for the current year. It has a P/E (F1) of 13.53, which is lower than the industry average of 19.10. Its earnings estimate for the current year has improved by 0.2% over the last 30 days.

Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. AMD is the second-largest producer of microprocessors. On Oct 14, AMD announced a partnership with online retail giant Alibaba for the supply of Radeon Pro GPUs for its cloud services.

Advanced Micro Devices has a Zacks Rank #2 and a VGM Score of B. The company has expected earnings growth of 56.1% for the current year. Its earnings estimate for the current year has improved by 0.9% over the last 30 days.

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Discover top spooky spots, lively parades and holiday-inspired events near and far.

Halloween may conjure images of pumpkin-carving contests and spirited costume competitions, but there are plenty of less contrived festivities across the globe that go well beyond trick-or-treating. Whether you want to brush up on history with a bone-chilling Dracula-themed tour in Romania, join a colorful street parade in Mexico or have a bloody good time with a traditional bonfire and festival in Ireland, there are plenty of unique locales celebrating the holiday in style. Read on to discover seven Halloween-inspired happenings around the globe that are anything but hokey.

Mexico

The annual Dia de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, is a two-day festival in Mexico that commemorates the dead with elaborate festivals and plenty of skull-inspired face painting and attire, candy, mariachi music and dancing. "One of the most familiar symbols of the celebration is the calavera (skull), and travelers to Mexico can buy sugar calaveras or read literary calavera -- short, humorous poems that poke fun at the living -- which are a popular part of both past and present Dia de los Muertos celebrations," explains Andrea Leich, National Geographic Travel's digital director. Consider observing the eye-catching celebration in Oaxaca, Mexico, where you'll find lively street parades and authentic eats.

Romania

Want to retrace the steps of Count Dracula? Make the pilgrimage to Romania, where tales of haunted castles, vampires and werewolves abound. Adventure travel outfitter Intrepid Travel offers a "Dinner with a Bite" horror-themed meal in Turda, Romania, where participants can marvel at the monument of Vlad the Impaler, rumored to be the inspiration behind Bram Stoker's Dracula. Another option: a spine-tingling cemetery stroll. "Halloween is a celebration of the spooky, but more importantly, it's about honoring the dead. Taking a tour in cemeteries is a fun and unique way to engage with both," Leich says, pointing to Merry Cemetery in Romania, "where colorful carved crosses with poems mark hundreds of graves."

Story continues

New Orleans

The Crescent City, with its penchant for voodoo, ghosts and vampires, offers thrills all year long, but October is an especially chilling time to explore the city's haunted sights and creepy above-ground cemeteries. "While we often look to haunting places like Romania for Bran Castle (Dracula's castle), or Germany for Castle Frankenstein, the U.S. has many haunted mansions to explore," Leich says. "One of many is the LaLaurie Mansion in the New Orleans French Quarter where Madame Marie Delphine LaLaurie hosted lavish parties [while] horrifying scenes [were] unfolding upstairs," she adds. To take in hair-raising haunts on foot, tag along a vampire- or voodoo-focused tour offered by venerable company Haunted History Tours.

Amsterdam

With blood-curling raves, decked-out costume parties and kid-friendly festivities, Amsterdam offers Halloween events well-suited for a variety of traveler types and ages. For a mix of gore and holiday lore, make sure to swing by the annual Amsterdam Halloween Festival. If you're traveling with youngsters in tow, don't miss trick-or-treating and face painting at the Hard Rock Cafe. And for an adults-only fete, check out the Dead Space Sci-fi Halloween costume party hosted by Amsterdam Spook on Oct. 29 and the Helter Skelter Halloween party on Hallows' Eve.

Ireland

In Ireland's County Meath -- the place where Halloween originated about 2,000 years ago -- you can partake in a time-honored Celtic festival known as the Spirits of the Meath Halloween Festival from mid-October to early November. Around the country, revelers can enjoy bonfires, Irish delicacies (think: barnbrack, a type of fruitcake) and traditional fortune-telling games and candy. And, of course, Ireland hosts its fair share of mystifying paranormal tours, parades with elaborate costumes (such as the City of Bones Street Carnival parade) and haunted houses.

London

In England, Guy Fawkes Day (or Bonfire Night) on Nov. 5 is a not-to-be-missed celebration. Honoring the Gunpowder Plot of 1605 by Fawkes to dismantle the British government, the annual event features flaming bonfires, dazzling fireworks spectacles over London's Tower Bridge and a tradition of gathering pennies (and candies) for Fawkes. Increasingly, Brits have joined in on the Halloween hoopla on Oct. 31, too, with pumpkins, ornate costumes and parades through London and other parts of Britain.

Charleston, South Carolina

If you're a history buff who appreciates a bone-chilling story, explore storied Southern sights. Home to spooky graveyards, eerie jail tours and haunted hayrides, Charleston lures revelers with a combination of terrifying and family-friendly festivities. If you're traveling with youngsters, consider checking into the French Quarter Inn, where guests can pick up a free pumpkin-carving kit and embark on a complimentary ghost tour. Or, check out the HarbourView Inn, which offers a holiday-inspired Harbor & Hauntings package that includes a walking tour of a Revolutionary War-era dungeon along with a leisurely sail through Charleston Harbor, among other perks.

Liz Weiss is the Travel editor for Consumer Advice at U.S. News & World Report. You can follow her on Twitter, connect with her on LinkedIn, circle her on Google+ or email her at eweiss@usnews.com.
UPPSALA, Sweden, Oct. 24, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Favro, an online planning and collaboration tool, is launching its enterprise platform bringing agile management practices to global, large-scale workforces. Favro Enterprise comes from the Swedish award-winning project management software firm Hansoft. Team Hansoft has spent the past decade designing efficient and innovative tools to enhance agile project management and team collaboration in organizations developing software and hardware products.



We wanted to bring agile to all. Not just for product developers but also teams doing sales, marketing, executive management, everyone in the organization. With Favro we built a planning and collaboration tool as easy to use as the simplest tools in the market, yet powerful enough to to tackle todays enterprise workplace complexities, said Patric Palm, CEO and co-founder. Enterprises can no longer afford to make a trade-off between ease of use for everyone and enterprise-scale collaboration abilities. With Favro Enterprise, they can now have both.

As teams in modern organizations become more and more autonomous, they also start choosing their own tools. This has the side-effect of creating silos within organizations and making cross-team collaboration more difficult. Favro Enterprise, accessible both online and through its mobile app, is designed for large-scale organizations to easily fill collaboration gaps allowing teams to better adapt to changing environments and work towards bigger goals together. With Favro, enterprises can migrate to a cloud based tool liked by teams and CFOs alike, while maintaining the right level of IT governance, compliance, and security.

Favro Enterprise also allows organizations to add features and workflow power-apps where and when they need them. Teams can integrate Favro with other apps they currently use including services from Google, Slack, and GitHub to automate and stay synchronized. Teams can also use webhooks and the REST API to connect Favro to even more data sources, ensuring work is always relevant and up to date.

Leading up to the public release of Favro Enterprise, the free and standard plans have been in soft-launch. Early customers have been able to experience Favro Enterprise capabilities and the tools usability across their organizations. Unity Technologies, the leading global game industry software, is one.

Our teams are creative and passionate in everything they do. Thats our culture worldwide. They work autonomously and pick the tools they think best will help them reach their goals. Im impressed how rapidly Favro has gained popularity and is spreading from team to team at Unity, said David Helgason, Founder of Unity Technologies.

We really like using Favro. Its very intuitive and easy to use, yet it has the power our developers need to maintain a projects overview both on an individual, team, and department level at all times. This creates a well working alignment among global teams while also promoting team and individual empowerment, said Ulas Karademir, Director of Core Technology and Operations at Unity Technologies. Favro integrates well with other tools and the extra power-apps gives us the management capabilities we need to be efficient leaders and team players. It makes project management fun for us at Unity.



About Favro

Favro is an online planning and collaboration tool built to empower teams and leaders who embrace change and develop organically. Favros intuitive and adaptable interface makes it easy to collaborate with any team member in or outside your organization on just about any project. To learn more about Favro visit https://favro.com.

About Team Hansoft

From offices in Sweden, USA, Ukraine, Vietnam and Japan, Hansoft supports global companies as they migrate to become Agile Enterprises. Team Hansofts product portfolio consists of Favro, offered in the cloud, and the on-premise product Hansoft A3. Hansoft A3 has been in the market for a decade and is continuously updated with bi-weekly releases. Hansoft A3 is used for team collaboration, program and portfolio management in Agile development of products and services, used in industries such as Electronics, Aerospace, Defence, Game Development, and Telecom. Members at all levels in these organizations use Hansoft A3 for Scrum and tailored agile methods, Kanban, collaborative Gantt scheduling, defect tracking, real-time reporting, workload and portfolio analysis among other things. To learn more about Team Hansoft, visit https://www.favro.com/company. To learn more about Hansoft A3, visit https://hansoft.com.
Discover top spooky spots, lively parades and holiday-inspired events near and far.

Halloween may conjure images of pumpkin-carving contests and spirited costume competitions, but there are plenty of less contrived festivities across the globe that go well beyond trick-or-treating. Whether you want to brush up on history with a bone-chilling Dracula-themed tour in Romania, join a colorful street parade in Mexico or have a bloody good time with a traditional bonfire and festival in Ireland, there are plenty of unique locales celebrating the holiday in style. Read on to discover seven Halloween-inspired happenings around the globe that are anything but hokey.

Mexico

The annual Dia de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, is a two-day festival in Mexico that commemorates the dead with elaborate festivals and plenty of skull-inspired face painting and attire, candy, mariachi music and dancing. "One of the most familiar symbols of the celebration is the calavera (skull), and travelers to Mexico can buy sugar calaveras or read literary calavera -- short, humorous poems that poke fun at the living -- which are a popular part of both past and present Dia de los Muertos celebrations," explains Andrea Leich, National Geographic Travel's digital director. Consider observing the eye-catching celebration in Oaxaca, Mexico, where you'll find lively street parades and authentic eats.

Romania

Want to retrace the steps of Count Dracula? Make the pilgrimage to Romania, where tales of haunted castles, vampires and werewolves abound. Adventure travel outfitter Intrepid Travel offers a "Dinner with a Bite" horror-themed meal in Turda, Romania, where participants can marvel at the monument of Vlad the Impaler, rumored to be the inspiration behind Bram Stoker's Dracula. Another option: a spine-tingling cemetery stroll. "Halloween is a celebration of the spooky, but more importantly, it's about honoring the dead. Taking a tour in cemeteries is a fun and unique way to engage with both," Leich says, pointing to Merry Cemetery in Romania, "where colorful carved crosses with poems mark hundreds of graves."

Story continues

New Orleans

The Crescent City, with its penchant for voodoo, ghosts and vampires, offers thrills all year long, but October is an especially chilling time to explore the city's haunted sights and creepy above-ground cemeteries. "While we often look to haunting places like Romania for Bran Castle (Dracula's castle), or Germany for Castle Frankenstein, the U.S. has many haunted mansions to explore," Leich says. "One of many is the LaLaurie Mansion in the New Orleans French Quarter where Madame Marie Delphine LaLaurie hosted lavish parties [while] horrifying scenes [were] unfolding upstairs," she adds. To take in hair-raising haunts on foot, tag along a vampire- or voodoo-focused tour offered by venerable company Haunted History Tours.

Amsterdam

With blood-curling raves, decked-out costume parties and kid-friendly festivities, Amsterdam offers Halloween events well-suited for a variety of traveler types and ages. For a mix of gore and holiday lore, make sure to swing by the annual Amsterdam Halloween Festival. If you're traveling with youngsters in tow, don't miss trick-or-treating and face painting at the Hard Rock Cafe. And for an adults-only fete, check out the Dead Space Sci-fi Halloween costume party hosted by Amsterdam Spook on Oct. 29 and the Helter Skelter Halloween party on Hallows' Eve.

Ireland

In Ireland's County Meath -- the place where Halloween originated about 2,000 years ago -- you can partake in a time-honored Celtic festival known as the Spirits of the Meath Halloween Festival from mid-October to early November. Around the country, revelers can enjoy bonfires, Irish delicacies (think: barnbrack, a type of fruitcake) and traditional fortune-telling games and candy. And, of course, Ireland hosts its fair share of mystifying paranormal tours, parades with elaborate costumes (such as the City of Bones Street Carnival parade) and haunted houses.

London

In England, Guy Fawkes Day (or Bonfire Night) on Nov. 5 is a not-to-be-missed celebration. Honoring the Gunpowder Plot of 1605 by Fawkes to dismantle the British government, the annual event features flaming bonfires, dazzling fireworks spectacles over London's Tower Bridge and a tradition of gathering pennies (and candies) for Fawkes. Increasingly, Brits have joined in on the Halloween hoopla on Oct. 31, too, with pumpkins, ornate costumes and parades through London and other parts of Britain.

Charleston, South Carolina

If you're a history buff who appreciates a bone-chilling story, explore storied Southern sights. Home to spooky graveyards, eerie jail tours and haunted hayrides, Charleston lures revelers with a combination of terrifying and family-friendly festivities. If you're traveling with youngsters, consider checking into the French Quarter Inn, where guests can pick up a free pumpkin-carving kit and embark on a complimentary ghost tour. Or, check out the HarbourView Inn, which offers a holiday-inspired Harbor & Hauntings package that includes a walking tour of a Revolutionary War-era dungeon along with a leisurely sail through Charleston Harbor, among other perks.





More From US News & World Report


Washington D.C. police are investigating after a parent at KIPP DC Spring Academy punched a 7-year-old child inside the charter school.

Surveillance footage from the school shows an adult punching a child in the school hallway on Wednesday. The child, John Mclean, told his mother he was assaulted by a classmates parent.

I was in the hallway, the day was on Wednesday, and then somebody punched me in my stomach, he told ABC News WJLA.

The video shows the adult walking out of the building after the punch as John is slumped over. Lena Mclean, Johns mother, said she has had positive interactions with the parent and that she didnt understand why he would hurt her child.

You dont bully a child, you dont torment a child, she said. Ill feel much better when he is locked up.

The school sent a letter to parents on Friday, saying the isolated incident occurred on campus between a student and a family acquaintance who was also a Spring Academy parent.

The health and safety of our students, teachers, and staff remains our number one priority and we will continue to work closely with the police to ensure that students and staff are safe at school, the letter said.
Favorites From Mexico City Fashion Week Favorites From Mexico City Fashion Week From left: Alejandro Carlin, Kris Goyri, Mancandy. Images: Courtesy Mercedez-Benz Fashion Week Mexico. Chanel

Swiftly ascending as a modern capital of culture, cuisine and style, Mexico City just celebrated the 10th anniversary of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Mexico (aka Ciudad de Mexico Fashion Week or CDMXFW) in which a diverse cast of designers presented collections across the city, from the cloisters of a former 16th-century convent to the kitchen of the mid-century Sheraton Maria Isabel Hotel. The dynamic energy and pronounced sense of cultural pride offered fresh perspective on the storied city, whose trendy restaurants (Rosetta and Huset are among favorites), world-class museums and contemporary architecture are bringing an increasingly cosmopolitan vibe. From modern and feminine to entirely avant-garde, here are our favorite labels from the fashion fest.
Its a Merger Monday on Wall Street. The $108 billion proposed combination between AT&T and Time Warner is stealing the headlines, but the most important deal of the day may be between two asset managers you probably know from their commercials: TD Ameritrade (AMTD) and Scottrade.

The companies announced Monday that TD Ameritrade would acquire Scottrade in a $4 billion deal. The key figure from the deal is $944 billion, which represents the combined assets under management held by the combined entity.

With nearly $1 trillion in assets under management, a combined TD Ameritrade-Scottrade will have the kind of scale needed to compete in an environment wherein investors demand ever-lower fees on their investments.

As we noted this weekend, lowering costs is the easiest way for individuals to improve their returns. According to Mondays merger announcement, a combined TD Ameritrade-Scottrade entity, expects to realize approximately $450 million in combined annual expense synergies, and more than $300 million in additional longer-term opportunities.

What does $450 million in synergies and $300 million in opportunities mean? Think things like lowering fees on trades, expanding TD Ameritrades bank of commission-free ETFs, and so on.

$1 trillion is the price of admission

When you think about the pressure asset managers have faced on the fee front, no company comes to mind more often than Vanguard. The Valley Forge, Pa.-based firm has over $4 trillion in assets under management, and the so-called Vanguard Effect is a widely-cited idiom for the aggressive cutting of fees across the industry.

Vanguards S&P 500 index fund, for example, charges investors just a 0.05% management fee, or $50 for every $10,000 invested in the fund.

This weekend, Vanguard CEO Bill McNabb spoke with Bloombergs Barry Ritholtz on the Masters in Business podcast, and outlined how his firm and others have re-shaped the industry.

I think what were seeing right now [in the investment industry], is theres a secular change thats gone on, and will continue to go on, in terms of cost being an important component of investing, McNabb said.

Story continues

And in now-prescient comments, McNabb added, Obviously, thats played out most purely with indexing firms doing better. But I think its going to lead to further consolidation in the industry. (Emphasis added.)

And here we are.

Ritholtz also asked McNabb if $1 trillion in assets under management serves as something like the price of admission to be a major player in the investment space. In other words, do you need at least a thirteen-digit asset base to be a major player in todays environment? It certainly doesnt hurt.

I think you can [lower fees] at lower levels than [$1 trillion in assets under management], McNabb said. But certainly when youre at that kind of level youre spreading your fixed costs across a large asset base. And I think Vanguard is the purest form of transparency, if you will, into economies of scale if you look at how our costs have come down over time.

Of course, the business model of a firm like Vanguard and an online retail broker like Scottrade  or even a more full-service broker like TD Ameritrade  is not an apples to apples comparison.

But any investment firm  whether they target cost-conscious institutional investors or trading-focused retail investors  is subject to competition in an environment of ever-declining costs.



Myles Udland is a writer at Yahoo Finance.

Read more from Myles here:

Your complete preview of this weeks big economic events
Former Vietnamese refugee Yen Siow with Bernhard Oyangen, one of her benefactors. Photo: Nicholas Yong

Months after former Vietnamese refugee Yen Siow launched a search for the Good Samaritans who rescued her family at sea in 1980, she has been reunited with one of them in Singapore.

I gave him the biggest hug. For me it was like, wow I finally get the chance to meet my rescuer, said 39-year-old Yen of her initial meeting with Norwegian Bernhard Oyangen, 54, at Changi Airport on Friday (21 October).

She added, (I felt) jubilation and joy. Later on, when we drove home, I started crying.

Oyangen was greeted at the airport by Yen and her three young sons, who held posters bearing images of the Norwegian flag and Yens family when they were refugees.

He told Yahoo Singapore, I know what its like to be rescued at sea too. By a strange twist of fate, Oyangen was rescued by helicopter from a freezing North Sea in January 1988, when his ship caught fire.

Asked what it was like to be reunited with Yen decades later, he said matter-of-factly, When you are at sea, we have some rules at sea and we also have a tradition of good seamanship. Rescuing people at sea is just part of the job.

36 years ago

The boat bearing 82 Vietnamese refugees that was rescued by the oil tanker Berge Tasta on 20 October, 1980. Photo: Yen Siow

Oyangen, who owns a business in the shipping industry now, is currently in transit in Singapore whilst on a business trip to New Zealand.

He was one of 29 crew members on the Norwegian oil tanker Berge Tasta, which stopped on 20 October, 1980, to rescue an overcrowded, flimsy boat filled with 82 Vietnamese refugees, who were fleeing from the communist regime in their country.

Yen, then just four years old, was on board the boat with 13 other family members. They had been adrift in the South China Sea for five days, said Yen. A lack of food and water even led the adults to cook rice with seawater, which became inedible.

Story continues

Many ships passed us by but only the Berge Tasta stopped to help us.

After spending 10 days on board, the refugees were then housed at the old refugee camp in Hawkins Road in Sembawang. Yen and her family were eventually resettled in Australia in 1981. She is now based in Singapore with her Singaporean husband and their three young children.

Last month, Yahoo Singapore reported on Yens quest to find her rescuers, borne out of a desire to thank the individuals and organisations who had helped her family.

She contacted Oyangen thanks to the help of Real Expat Wives of Singapore, a Facebook group that helped her reach out to contacts in Norway. Four representatives of the group were hosted to lunch by Norwegian ambassador Tormod C. Endresen at a local restaurant on Monday, together with Yen and Oyangen.

A lasting legacy

Oyangen, Yen, Norwegian Ambassador Tormod C. Endresen and members of Real Expat Wives of Singapore. Photo: Nicholas Yong

It was an equally emotional experience for Yens extended family in Australia, when they spoke to her and Oyangen via a live video chat on Facebook.

Their words were a hundred times Thank you for helping us, for rescuing us, said Yen. She added with a laugh, They were saying to me in Viet, Go buy him a present! Go get him the most expensive thing you can think of!

Yen will experience her catharsis again as she is planning to visit Norway next summer to meet the other crewmen she has found.

They said, We know that you are in distress, and we will take it upon ourselves to share our food, our clothes, and try to find you a safe place, said Yen.

There are generations of children that have been impacted because of this one act of significant kindness and generosity.
By Daniel Wiessner

(Reuters) - A lobbying group representing older Americans sued the Obama administration on Monday claiming regulations for programs designed to rein in employee health care costs will subject workers to invasions of their medical privacy.

Rules released in May by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission will force workers to choose between hefty financial penalties or revealing sensitive health information to employers, AARP, formerly the American Association of Retired Persons, said in a lawsuit filed in federal court in Washington.

Wellness programs have become increasingly popular among employers in recent years. They can take many forms including companies providing incentives to workers to quit smoking, lose weight or undergo preventive health screenings. Workers who participate in the programs are often asked to divulge confidential medical information, which is typically illegal otherwise.

The EEOC rules, which take effect next year, say employers can offer workers incentives worth up to 30 percent of the cost of their cheapest individual health insurance plans, or 60 percent for couples, to participate in wellness programs without violating federal anti-discrimination laws.

But in Monday's lawsuit, AARP said such incentives are really penalties for workers who are leery of sharing their medical information and render the programs involuntary in violation of federal law.

"Congress enacted these protections to prevent employers from discriminating and to combat stigma in the workplace against individuals with disabilities," AARP said in the lawsuit.

The EEOC did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

AARP said it was suing on behalf of the one-third of its nearly 38 million members who are employed or looking for work.

The 2010 Affordable Care Act allowed U.S. employers to increase the incentives they offer to employees to participate in wellness programs. But in a series of 2013 lawsuits against employers including Honeywell International Inc, the EEOC claimed incentive-based wellness programs were illegal.

Story continues

The commission came up with the regulations amid criticism from businesses and Republicans in Congress and after a federal judge in 2014 dismissed the lawsuit against Honeywell, saying the EEOC had not made clear how employers could offer the programs without breaking the law.

But some trade groups were still not satisfied with the rules and said they conflicted with regulations put out by other federal agencies.

The case is AARP v. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, No. 1:16-cv-02113.

(Reporting by Daniel Wiessner in Albany, New York, Editing by Alexia Garamfalvi and David Gregorio)
Paris (AFP) - Long-term exposure to urban air pollution incrementally increases the risk of high blood pressure, according to a study released Tuesday of more than 41,000 European city-dwellers.

Constant noise pollution -- especially traffic -- also boosts the likelihood of hypertension, researchers reported in the European Heart Journal.

High blood pressure is the most important risk factor for premature illness and death.

The study found that one extra adult per 100 people of roughly the same age developed high blood pressure in the most polluted part of towns compared to more breathable neighbourhoods.

The risk is similar to being clinically overweight with a body mass index (BMI) of 25-30, the researchers said.

To carry out the study, 33 experts led by Barbara Hoffmann, a professor at Heinrich-Heine-University in Duesseldorf, Germany, monitored 41,071 people in Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Germany and Spain for five to nine years.

At the same time, the researchers examined air quality annually in each locale during three two-week periods between 2008 and 2011, measuring different sizes of particle matter.

Every increment of five micrograms -- or millionths of a gram -- of the smallest of these particles upped the risk of hypertension by a fifth for people living in the most polluted areas, compared to those in the least polluted.

None of the participants had hypertension when they joined the study, but during the follow-up period 6,207 people -- 15 percent -- reported that they developed hypertension or started to take medication to lower blood pressure.

For noise pollution, the researchers found that people living on busy streets with loud night-time traffic had, on average, a six percent increased risk of developing hypertension compared to areas where noise levels were at least 20 percent lower.

"Our findings show that long-term exposure to particulate air pollution is associated with a higher incidence of self-reported hypertension," Hoffmann said in a statement.

Story continues

Even when noise was excluded, the impact of air pollution on blood pressure remained, she added.

"Current legislation does not protect the European population adequately from adverse effects of air pollution," the researchers concluded.

Pollution levels were higher in Spain and Germany than in the Nordic countries, Hoffmann noted.

Air pollution is thought to affect the heart and blood vessels by causing inflammation, a build-up of damaging molecules, known as oxidative stress, and an imbalance in the nervous system.

Noise is thought to affect the functioning of both the nervous and hormonal systems.
By Eric Auchard

FRANKFURT, Oct 24 (Reuters) - China's Alipay has agreed with U.S.-based Verifone to integrate its mobile app on Verifone payment terminals at merchants in Europe and North America, the latest such deal to reach Chinese consumers travelling abroad.

Alipay, which counts 450 million active users in China, is the top mobile payments player there. It is a unit of privately held ANT Financial, which is in turn an affiliate of publicly traded Chinese Internet giant Alibaba.com.

It has begun actively expanding outside Asia this year via partnerships with Western payment providers. Verifone terminals are used by most of the top 200 retailers in the United States, a spokesman said.

Instead of seeking to go head to head with major payments players outside its home market, Alipay targets the fast growing Chinese tourism market, which numbered 117 million travellers in 2014, according to the United Nations World Tourism Organisation, and is forecast to double by 2020.

Through the Verifone deal announced on Monday, Alipay is targeting top-tier merchants across retail, luxury goods, health supplement and department stores.

Alipay and rival WeChat, a unit of Tencent, together make up 90 percent of the Chinese mobile payments market, with gross merchandise value estimated at more than $1 trillion last year, dwarfing other mobile payment systems around the world, according to iResearch China estimates.

Sabrina Peng, the president of Alipay International, said in a recent interview that her company's ambition is to become a global payments provider over the next decade, with 60 percent of its transaction volume coming from outside China. "We are targeting 2 billion users in the next 10 years," she said.

French payment terminal supplier Ingenico announced in August an expanded deal with Alipay to allow merchants across Europe to use Ingenico's payment gateway to accept payments from Alipay users visiting the region.

The Alipay service is also being integrated into terminals from Concardis, a payments provider for merchants in German-speaking Europe.

Story continues

Wirecard, also of Germany, is developing a payment system that uses two-dimensional QR barcodes popular in China to help merchants across Europe accept payments from Alipay users.

Alipay has a similar deal with mobile payments start-up Zapper in Britain to allow Chinese tourists to use QR codes in more than 1,000 restaurants there.

(Reporting by Eric Auchard; Editing by Ruth Pitchford)
By Eric Auchard

FRANKFURT (Reuters) - China's Alipay is expanding its mobile payment app service into the United States through partnerships with payment processors First Data and Verifone, the latest deals in a global strategy to reach Chinese consumers travelling abroad.

Alipay, which counts 450 million active users in China, is the top mobile payments player there. It is a unit of privately held ANT Financial, which is in turn an affiliate of publicly traded Chinese internet company Alibaba.com.

It has begun actively expanding outside China over the past year via partnerships in Asia and Europe. In Britain, for example, luxury department stores Harrods and Selfridges and retailers Holland & Barrett and the Body Shop now accept Alipay.

Instead of seeking to go head to head with major payments players outside its home market, Alipay targets the fast growing Chinese tourism market, which numbered 117 million travellers in 2014, according to the United Nations World Tourism Organisation, and is forecast to double by 2020.

Through the Verifone deal announced on Monday, Alipay is targeting top-tier merchants across retail, luxury goods, health supplement and department stores. Verifone supplies more than 29 million payment devices and terminals worldwide. First Data serves more than six million business locations.

Alipay and rival WeChat, a unit of Tencent,together make up 90 percent of the Chinese mobile paymentsmarket, with gross merchandise value estimated at more than $1 trillion last year, dwarfing other mobile payment systems around the world, according to iResearch China estimates.

Sabrina Peng, president of Alipay International, said in a recent interview that her company's ambition is to become a global payments provider over the next decade, with 60 percent of its transaction volume coming from outside China. "We are targeting 2 billion users in the next 10 years," she said.

French payment terminal supplier Ingenico announced in August an expanded deal with Alipay to allow merchants across Europe to use Ingenico's payment gateway to accept payments from Alipay users visiting the region.

Story continues

The Alipay service is also being integrated into terminals from Concardis, a payments provider for merchants in German-speaking Europe.

Wirecard, also of Germany, is developing a payment system that uses two-dimensional QR barcodes popular in China to help merchants across Europe accept payments from Alipay users.

Alipay has a similar deal with mobile payments start-up Zapper in Britain to allow Chinese tourists to use QR codes in more than 1,000 restaurants there.

Counter Service convenience stores and Paysbuy, a Thai payment processor are Alipays partners in Southeast Asia, while Japans Recruit, and Koreas KICC are also supporting Alipay, the company said.

(Reporting by Eric Auchard; Editing by Ruth Pitchford and Andrew Hay)
NORCROSS, Ga. and ORLANDO, Fla., Oct. 24, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- (AABB BOOTH 823) -- Immucor, Inc., a global leader in transfusion and transplantation diagnostics, today announced that its next generation automated NEO instrument, NEO IrisTM, has been deemed to meet the essential requirements of all relevant European Medical Device Directives and is now CE marked for use in Europe to best match donor-patient blood. NEO Iris underscores Immucors unprecedented decades-long commitment to safely and fully automate the broadest test menu for mid- to high-volume, high-throughput blood testing performed in hospitals, donor centers and clinical reference laboratories.

NEO Iris builds on Immucors scalable technology innovation and investments since 1998 to deliver exceptional performance, high productivity, remarkable flexibility and ease of use within transfusion medicine. More than 1,000 NEO instruments are already powering blood centers and labs around the world. Several laboratories in Europe have recently implemented 13 NEO Iris next-generation instruments into their lab environments to access:

Performance - A broad test menu with high productivity for both donor and patient testing screens allows automation for up to 60 type and screens per hour;





with high productivity for both donor and patient testing screens allows automation for up to 60 type and screens per hour; Productivity - Dynamic speed, workflow and resource handling support true continuous access to add samples (up to 224 at one time) or resources anytime;





support true continuous access to add samples (up to 224 at one time) or resources anytime; Flexibility - Remarkable flexibility for STAT priority functionality for every sample supports the way work flows within each unique lab environment; and





for STAT priority functionality for every sample supports the way work flows within each unique lab environment; and Ease of Use - Enhanced reader module for clear, real-time results and easy on-screen verification now powered by a scientific-grade camera and a Microsoft Windows-based, user-friendly touchscreen interface.

In the United Kingdom, National Health Services Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) recently installed eight NEO Iris instruments for secondary blood grouping; five of the instruments at Filton Blood Centre in Bristol, England; and three of the instruments at the Manchester Blood Centre, Manchester, England. NEO Iris provides us a fully automated system, a move from the semi-automated system we have used, says Bev Hirst, lead specialist-testing with NHSBTS in Manchester. NEO Iris is preferable in our environment in many ways, both for ease of use, and also because every action on the analysers is fully auditable, which our regulators prefer. We are looking forward to collaborating closely with Immucor as we work towards the go live of the new analysers by the end of the year.



Built-in Integration for Data Management and Support

Additionally, NEO Iris automatically integrates with Immucors comprehensive data management software solution, ImmuLINK, to aggregate all serology and molecular IVD test results, generating a single report with a complete donor or patient testing history. NEO Iris also includes a bi-directional interface with blud_direct SM for 24/7 remote diagnostics and instrument support.

With NEO Iris, European laboratories can see blood test results faster and beyond previous operational limitations, said Keith Chaitoff, Immucors chief marketing officer and vice president of international commercial operations. When labs perform safer, faster throughputs for type and screens it means they can get the best matched blood to more patients who need it. Immucor understands that when patient care is on the line, every test result counts.

NEO Iris is part of Immucors commitment to automation innovation that provides high-quality, high-performance and scalable solutions to meet the operational needs of all blood banks and labs, regardless of size or volume. Immucor's total solution extends beyond instrumentation to include serology, molecular, and platelet specialty products. NEO Iris has been CE marked for use in Europe. Clinical trials for NEO Iris are in progress in the United States.

NEO Iris at AABB

Immucor will showcase NEO Iris during AABB on October 24-26, 2016, in Orlando, Florida, at booth number 823. To preschedule a demonstration, Immucor clients may contact their blood bank business manager. For more information about NEO Iris or to learn the regulatory status in your country, please contact your local Immucor representative at imarketing@immucor.com or visit www.immucor.com.

About NEO Iris

NEO Iris represents Immucors sixth generation instrument designed specifically to improve transfusion medicine-related workflow productivity, safety and testing flexibility within mid- to high -volume, high-throughput donor centers, clinical reference labs and hospitals.

NEO Iris customers benefit from the broadest, most comprehensive and personalized portfolio of solutions for transfusion medicine beyond innovative instrumentation to include serology, molecular, platelet specialty products, manual and automated reagents, robust data management, a single user interface to link to an LIS system, dedicated customer support, field service engineers, Lean-certified consulting services and an educational resource network. Find more information about NEO Iris email imarketing@immucor.com or visit immucor.com to connect with the local Immucor representative in your country.

About Immucor

Founded in 1982, Immucor is a global leader in transfusion and transplantation diagnostics that facilitate patient-donor compatibility. Our mission is to ensure that patients in need of blood, organs or stem cells get the right match that is safe, accessible and affordable. With the right match, we can transform a life together. For more information on Immucor, visit www.immucor.com.
Amazon.com, Inc. (ticker: AMZN) does pretty much everything retail.

What started as an online bookseller quickly expanded into other product verticals like electronics, clothing and toys, and eventually morphed into an all-encompassing web store with virtually every legal product you can imagine. AMZN even helped put a few billion-dollar businesses -- RadioShack, Borders and Circuit City being three of the most prominent -- out of business along the way.

There's arguably no other American company ever that's been so successful in so many areas.

[Read: 7 Stocks That Should Grow With Millennials.]

That's not to say there haven't been flops. Amazon Local, the Fire Phone and Amazon Destinations each failed; the Fire Phone arguably registered as one of the biggest tech flops of the last decade. Still, Amazon's track record of success far exceeds its failures, and with a hard-charging billionaire intent on taking humans to Mars at its helm, Amazon investors and competitors alike should be prepping for its next ambitious business expansion.

With so many irons in the fire, here's a look at the ones with the potential to become the hottest over the coming years and decades:

Shipping. Watch out United Parcel Service ( UPS), FedEx Corp. ( FDX), and DHL -- Amazon is coming for you!

In recent years Amazon has been building up a fleet of aircrafts and branded trucks, has entered the ocean freight industry, and has lead the way lobbying regulators on drone delivery. Former Boeing exec and current CEO of the fleet/aviation software company BoldIQ, Roei Ganzarski, says these steps are necessary if Amazon wants to control the "entire supply chain," which it does.

Amazon's lightning-fast 2-day delivery for Prime members (it's even testing same-day delivery for some products and locations) is a demanding timeframe for third-parties like UPS and FedEx to adhere to. So, like so many things, Amazon is in-housing logistics. The next step, Ganzarski says, is selling its shipping services to others once its capacity is large enough.

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"Look at how they started Amazon Web Services," the company's cloud computing platform, Ganzarski says. "It was first based on internal need ... when they figured out they don't always need all of it, why not provide it to externals?"

Banking. Amazon's eventual move into banking and financial services is equally inevitable.

Earlier this year, it teamed with Wells Fargo & Co. ( WFC) to offer discounted student loans to Amazon Prime Student members. And Laura Crozier, global industry director of banking at Software AG, only sees Amazon getting more ambitious going forward.

She eventually sees AMZN becoming a "banking platform," that offers solutions from "big banks, fintechs such as roboadvisors, payments, and foreign exchange providers." Crozier also called Amazon's decision to open a credit card marketplace a "critical step" for the company.

But some may read its willingness to open a credit card marketplace as more than just a step on the way to becoming an aggregator of other's offerings.

"Typically what they do when entering a new business is they start out with a marketplace and then figure out which one of those products are the right products to go and build themselves," says Sanjay Parthasarathy, founder and CEO of Indix Corp.

Parthasarathy added that Amazon's brand strength, as well as its sprawling network of Prime members, appropriately puts it in "prime" position to eventually offer services that compete with the likes of PayPal Holdings ( PYPL) and Square ( SQ).

Search. "When people are looking for products and they want to buy something, they're already starting on Amazon.com, not Google ( GOOG, GOOGL)," says Phil Barrett, senior vice president and general manager of Purch.

Barrett believes that Amazon Alexa, the company's AI-powered, voice-activated personal assistant, could become the Google Search of what he calls the "post-app" world.

Alexa products like the Amazon Echo and Amazon Echo Dot have been surprise hits for Amazon, and that, combined with Alexa's ease of use and impressive functionality, makes Alexa a serious contender to be the search engine of the future, Barrett says.

[See: 10 Best ETFs for Large-Cap Stock Growth.]

Alexa is also an open platform for developers to add skills, enabling the assistant to become even smarter. In contrast, Siri had been closed to developers until very recently, and Google Assistant is only now commercially available in the Pixel phone.

"In the future it's not gonna be Android vs iOS, it's gonna be Alexa vs. Siri or Alexa vs. Google Assistant," Barrett says. And that makes Amazon's sizable head start in virtual assistants all the more valuable.

"That for me is potentially very scary for Google," Barrett says.

Health care. Unlike Apple ( AAPL) and Google, which both have health monitoring apps or devices, Amazon isn't hands-on in health care -- yet. But Barrett thinks AMZN could easily move into that vertical as well.

"Whether that's as simple as contact lenses or it's actual health care services, they can do that because they already have the customer trust, they already know a lot about you, and they have reach and scale that really makes them hard to compete with. I think they can leverage that and enter the space," Barrett says.

Travel, further cable disruption. Amazon has previously tried its hand at online hotel booking with Amazon Destinations, a venture that closed a mere six months after launching. But don't be surprised if Amazon tries again.

"People are used to buying travel online, that's where Amazon's customer service, brand, and Prime can come into play," Parthasarathy says.

"Amazon can harness the power of its algorithms to enhance the overall customer experience and combine products and services, such as buying luggage when booking flights," Parthasarathy says.

Regardless of what path Amazon takes into travel, don't be surprised if they refuse to give up on it and try again.

Another area Amazon will almost certainly continue to build out is Amazon Prime Video, its streaming TV service. Along with Netflix ( NFLX) and Hulu, Amazon has helped disrupt the traditional cable TV industry, and will likely offer new bundles and more original content going forward.

Amazon has been set on expanding its horizons since the day it was founded, and in doing so CEO Jeff Bezos has created an ambitious, disruptive culture of innovation, one that's been almost fearless when entering new markets.

[See: Artificial Intelligence Stocks: 10 Companies Betting on AI.]

Don't expect that to stop anytime soon.





More From US News & World Report


When ancient humans interbred with Neanderthals, they inherited DNA that may influence modern Europeans' immune systems to this day, a new study suggests.

The research found that inflammation and other immune responses work differently in Africans than they do in Europeans, in part because Europeans have inherited some of their genetic information from Neanderthals, which were at one time the closest living relatives of modern humans.

The study showed that people of African ancestry may have a stronger inflammatory response to certain infections than people of European ancestry. For example, in one experiment, researchers investigated how people's immune cells would respond to Salmonella or Listeria bacteria. They compared these immune-cell responses in 80 African individuals with the immune-cell responses in 95 European individuals. They found that African ancestry was linked with a stronger inflammatory response, which reduced bacterial growth by more than triple the amount compared with the European cells. [9 Healthy Habits You Can Do in 1 Minute (Or Less)]

But although a strong inflammatory response "can be life-saving in the face of infectious agents," when that response malfunctions or gets triggered at the wrong time, it can damage tissues or cause inflammatory diseases, said Luis Barreiro, a geneticist at the University of Montreal and a senior author of the new study.

"Our results suggest that the immune systems of African- and European-descended individuals have evolved to better respond to the specific needs imposed by their specific environments," Barreiro told Live Science. "What is advantageous in one context is likely to be detrimental in another."

Inflammation & health

Previous research found that, when compared to people of African ancestry, people of European descent may experience infectious diseases, such as tuberculosis, as well as autoimmune disorders, such as lupus and psoriasis, up to three times more often.

Story continues

In the new study, two independent groups of researchers wanted to investigate these ancestry-related differences. The group led by Barreiro, which compared how immune cells from people of African descent and those from people of European descent responded to germs, found that Europeans' and Africans' susceptibility to disease may differ, in part because Europeans inherited genes from Neanderthals.

Barreiro and his colleagues also found that nearly 10 percent of the genes in immune cells called macrophages, which gobble up invaders in the body, responded differently to infections depending on people's ancestry. They also found that hundreds of these ancestry-related differences displayed signs that they evolved recently, suggesting that they helped Africans and Europeans adapt to their environments in some way.

One possible explanation for this weaker inflammatory response in Europeans is that after modern humans migrated out of Africa, they were exposed to lower levels of pathogens, or harmful germs, "which reduced the need for strong, costly pro-inflammatory signals," Barreiro said. The shift toward less inflammation may have been favored because of the negative effects of too much inflammation, he said.

Alternatively, Europeans may have a weaker inflammatory response because pathogens outside of Africa were generally less harmful than the ones in Africa, Barreiro said. [11 Surprising Facts About the Immune System]

Ancient genes

The scientists also noted that a small fraction of the ancestry-related differences they found were linked to genetic variants from Neanderthals. Recent findings suggest that the modern humans who migrated out of Africa about 60,000 to 120,000 years ago interbred with Neanderthals and other archaic human lineages that had left Africa before modern humans did.

Prior work found that about 2 percent of DNA in people living outside Africa today is Neanderthal in origin. It remains uncertain how those Neanderthal genetic variants may influence the immune differences seen between Africans and Europeans, Barreiro said.

The other research group analyzed how immune cells derived from 200 people of self-reported African or European ancestry responded to flu viruses and to molecules that trigger antibacterial reactions. This group also found that Neanderthals introduced genetic variants influencing responses to viruses into European genomes, said Lluis Quintana-Murci, a population geneticist at the Pasteur Institute in Paris and a senior author of this study.

Quintana-Murci and his colleagues also found that a single gene variant seen in Europeans but not in Africans reduced activity in 81 inflammation genes. This finding suggests that Europeans evolved to have this weaker immune response because it had a survival advantage, Quintana-Murci said.

All in all, "these results have important medical implications, since they uncover mechanisms that might explain ethnic disparities" in immune disorders, and could lead to future treatments, Quintana-Murci told Live Science.

The scientists detailed their findings online Oct. 20 in two studies in the journal Cell.

Original on Live Science.

Editor's Recommendations
ANTALYA, Turkey  It was an ominous sign for many Turkish bizzers when the government announced earlier this month its plans to leave the EUs Creative Europe program, a 1.46-billion-euro ($1.59 billion) cultural fund supporting the arts.

Since Turkey joined the program as a non-EU member country in 2015, an estimated 2.4 million euros ($2.6 million) had been allocated by Creative Europe to support Turkish films and cultural projects.

But the decision to withdraw from the fund was the latest indication of how Turkeys film industry could be caught up in the countrys ongoing political turmoil.

Paranoia is everywhere, says one local bizzer at the Antalya Intl. Film Festival, which wrapped Oct. 23.

In making their decision, Turkish officials were reportedly upset about the performance of a Creative Europe-funded concert in Germany earlier this year, commemorating the Armenian genocide. The killings of more than a million Armenians and other ethnic minorities by Ottoman Turks between 1915 and 1922 is one of the countrys most politically charged issues, with successive governments rejecting the term genocide and denying the systematic mass killings ever took place.

So fraught is the subject that its impact could be felt across the world in Hollywood this week, with producer Eric Esrailian hinting at dark forces scaring off buyers for helmer Kirk Kerkorians $100 million Armenian genocide epic, The Promise.

Ill just say that there are some studios that have business interests in Turkey, and you can form your own opinion, the producer told Variety.

The Turkish government meanwhile has increasingly been at loggerheads with Europe over the sweeping crackdown that followed in the wake of a failed coup attempt in July, with critics seeing it is as a sign that President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (pictured) is seeking to consolidate his tight grip on power.

In Antalya this week, many bizzers were still trying to come to terms with a year that has witnessed terrorist attacks, mounting concerns over the Syrian refugee crisis, economic turmoiland then the remarkable events of July.

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If someone would make a film out of thisno one would understand it, says veteran programmer Ahmet Boyacioglu, who manages the Turkish pavilions in Berlin, Venice and Cannes. You cant write a clear script out of the things that have happened in the last three, four months.

A decade ago, as Turkey began to introduce reforms with an eye toward eventual E.U. membership, there was a sense that this country  historically seen as a crossroads between East and West  was embracing a new era of pluralism and tolerance.

The government publicly signaled its intent to ensure the rights of long-persecuted ethnic minorities. L.G.B.T. voices were suddenly being raised. In the film industry, a growing number of Kurdish directors began examining the plight of a group which for nearly three decades has faced brutal suppression in Turkeys restive southeast region. It was an encouraging sign for an industry that has not dealt with its history and problems very often, says critic Esin Kucuktepepnar.

In 2004, this new era of openness extended to government checkbooks, as the Ministry of Culture began investing millions of dollars into the production of local films. Already bolstered by the growing international acclaim for a generation of auteurs who came of age in the 90s, including Palme dOr winner Nuri Bilge Ceylan and fest favorite Zeki Demirkubuz, the Turkish biz blossomed. Productions climbed steadilyfrom less than 40 a decade ago to a record 138 last year. No less important was how government support opened doors for Turkish producers in Europe, paving the way for more co-productions and leading to Creative Europe membership last year.

Its still unclear how the governments decision to leave the program will impact Turkeys membership in Eurimages, the European co-production fund, or what the ripple effect will be across the industry. In light of the turbulent weeks surrounding the failed coup attempt, there was palpable relief when the government finally announced a deadline for its next round of funding.

What projects get that support, though, remains to be seen. One bizzer notes that without government funds its almost impossible for Turkish producers to tap into European coin, a fact that many quietly fear will have a chilling effect on the range of stories being told.

If you are trying to touch [controversial] issuesits clear that it will be no chance to get support from the government, says one producer. None of us will be able to do the types of films we want to do anymore.

The reluctance of many to speak openly in Antalya about the current political climate speaks volumes about how public criticism in todays Turkey could come with repercussions. Several producers worried about drawing unwanted attention as they apply for government coin, while the post-coup crackdown has triggered fears that the silencing of critical voices will extend beyond the big screen.

Any sane person would be very afraid of where we are heading, and I am afraid making films would be the least of our problems, says Kucuktepepnar. But there is always hope.

Producer Zeynep Atakan likewise tries to stay upbeat. Turkey has been going through a very difficult time, she says, butwe will continue to make good films, because we always think art is the only solution.

Related stories

Yesim Ustaoglu's 'Clair-Obscur' Wins Top Honors at Antalya Film Festival

Antalya: Turkish helmer Yesim Ustaoglu on Her Feminist Drama 'Clair-Obscur'

Antalya: Mayor Menderes Turel on Efforts to Turn Turkish Resort Into Cinema Hub
Cordoba (Argentina) (AFP) - When Noelia Garella was a child, a nursery school rejected her as a "monster." Now 31, she is in a class of her own.

In the face of prejudice, she is the first person with Down syndrome to work as a preschool teacher in Argentina -- and one of the few in the world.

Garella's case set a precedent after the school confronted a taboo: could a person with a cognitive syndrome be in charge of a class?

Her two- and three-year-old pupils crowd around her affectionately in her classroom in the Jermonito nursery.

At her bidding, they sit down for a story and watch engrossed as she reads, following her lead as she imitates a shark, baring her teeth.

"I adore this. Ever since I was little, I have always wanted to be a teacher, because I like children so much," she tells AFP.

"I want them to read and listen, because in society people have to listen to one another."

- Teaching vocation -

Garella's determination inspired her colleagues to hire her at the preschool in the northern city of Cordoba, despite reservations in some quarters.

One party "in a position of responsibility" judged that she should not take classes because of her condition, said Alejandra Senestrari, the former director of the school who hired Garella.

Teachers, parents and even the city's mayor weighed in. They decided there was no reason Garella could not teach early-learning reading classes.

"With time, even those who had been opposed joined in the initiative to hire Noe as a teacher," said Senestrari.

"We very quickly realized that she had a strong vocation. She gave what the children in the nursery classes most appreciate, which is love."

- Self-belief -

A genetic condition, Down syndrome typically affects a person's physical and intellectual growth.

In Garella's case, it has done nothing to diminish her optimism and self-belief.

Standing by her side, her mother, Mercedes Cabrera, looks tearful when her daughter tells the story of the day care center director who told Garella's parents: "No monsters here."

Story continues

But Garella smiles. "That teacher is like a story that I read to the children," she says.

"She is a sad monster, who knows nothing and gets things wrong. I am the happy monster."

- Lesson in life -

Other countries have stories of people with Down syndrome who have become teachers.

But Garella's case is thought to be the first in Latin America, where disagreement over whether pupils, let alone teachers, with Down syndrome should be accepted in public schools has generated controversy in the past.

Garella's colleagues have been moved by her case.

"It has been a unique experience for the staff," says Susana Zerdan, current director of the preschool.

"The way the children accept her, incorporating her naturally into the school -- there is a lesson in life there for us all."

- Motherly love -

Garella first joined the Cordoba public education system as an assistant for reading classes in 2012.

"I always feel good with the children. Their parents love me and the other teachers and principals I have had are wonderful," she says.

She likes to do Latin dancing in her spare time. She dreams of having children of her own and lately has been feeling flutters because she has "met someone."

She has been jointly in charge, with another teacher, of a class in the Jermonito preschool since January.

"I have a boy with Down syndrome in my class. He is wonderful," she says. "Oh, it is lovely when someone like me is born."
Here are some of the stocks the Yahoo Finance team will be watching for you today:

Time Warner (TWX) share were lower in early trading following an nearly 8% jump on Friday following an announcement on Saturday that AT&T (T) is offering $107.50 a share for Time Warner in a stock-and-cash deal valued at more than $85 billion. AT&T is the nations second biggest wireless phone carrier and already owns Direct TV. The proposed deal with Time Warner would make AT&T the owner of assets including CNN, HBO and Warner Brothers. The deal will face intense scrutiny from antitrust regulators and already faces opposition from politicians ranging from Donald Trump to Bernie Sanders.

B/E Aerospace (BEAV) shares soared to new heights this morning after news that the aircraft interior maker is being bought by Rockwell Collins (COL) for $6.4 billion dollars. That translates to $62 a share in cash and stock while representing a premium of 22.5% based on B/E Aerospaces closing price on Friday.

TD Ameritrade (AMTD) is buying privately held rival Scottrades brokerage operations for $2.7 billion. TD bank (TD), which owns a large stake in TD Ameritrade, will purchase Scottrades banking business for $1.3 billion in cash. The deal will bring together two major players in the retail market for buying and selling stocks. Shares of TD bank are on the move in early trading. TD Ameritrade is the sponsor Yahoo Finance Market Movers program.

Genworth Financial (GNW) shares were lower in early trading. The US insurer is selling itself to Chinese investment firm China Oceanwide Holdings for $2.7 billion. Chinese companies have been making a major push overseas as Chinas economy slows and the yuan weakens.
Kirkuk (Iraq) (AFP) - Iraqi security forces on Monday ended an attack by the Islamic State group in Kirkuk city, killing at least 74 jihadists in three days of clashes, the provincial governor said.

"The attack is over and life has returned to normal," Najmeddin Karim, the governor of Kirkuk province, told AFP.

"The security forces have killed more than 74 Daesh (IS) terrorists and detained several others, including their leader."

Karim said the initial confessions of the ringleader confirmed reports that around 100 fighters attacked Kirkuk early Friday, some of them sleeper cells that joined up with militants infiltrating the city.

Some attackers are also believed to have fled the city on Saturday, later clashing with security forces in rural areas east of Kirkuk.

The spectacular attack led to three days of clashes that left at least 46 people dead, mostly members of the security forces, and the Kurdish-controlled city under curfew.

The brazen raid on Kirkuk, which lies in an oil-rich area around 240 kilometres (150 miles) north of Baghdad, appeared to be an attempt by IS to divert attention from Mosul.

Tens of thousands of Iraqi forces are pressing a week-old offensive on Iraq's second city, which is also the jihadists' last major stronghold in the country.
In Canada, you don't need to be a lumberjack to be an ax-thrower. But you do have to be accurate, careful and ready to master a new sport. Matt Wilson, founder and CEO of the Toronto-based Backyard Axe Throwing League (BATL), explains how casual competition among friends became an organized sport that's gaining popularity in North America and elsewhere. Sharpen your axes for a thrilling new game. A great big story made in collaboration with Canada Keep Exploring.
EL PASO, Texas, Oct. 24, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Board of Directors of the general partner of Western Refining Logistics, LP (NYSE:WNRL) declared a quarterly cash distribution for the third quarter 2016 of $0.4225 per unit, or $1.69 per unit, on an annualized basis. This distribution represents a 2.4 percent increase over the second quarter 2016 and is the 11th consecutive increase in the quarterly distribution for WNRL unitholders. The 2016 third quarter distribution will be paid on November 23, 2016, to all unitholders of record at the close of market on November 7, 2016.



About Western Refining Logistics, LP

Western Refining Logistics, LP is principally a fee-based, growth-oriented master limited partnership formed by Western Refining, Inc. (NYSE:WNR) to own, operate, develop and acquire terminals, storage tanks, pipelines and other logistics assets related to the terminalling, transportation and storage of crude oil and refined products. Headquartered in El Paso, Texas, Western Refining Logistics, LPs assets include approximately 690 miles of pipelines, approximately 12.4 million barrels of active storage capacity, distribution of wholesale petroleum products and crude oil and asphalt trucking.

More information about Western Refining Logistics is available at www.wnrl.com.

This release is intended to serve as qualified notice under Treasury Regulation Section 1.1446-4(b). Brokers and nominees should treat one hundred percent (100%) of Western Refining Logistics' distributions to non-U.S. investors as being attributable to income that is effectively connected with a United States trade or business. Accordingly, Western Refining Logistics' distributions to non-U.S. investors are subject to federal income tax withholding at the highest applicable effective tax rate.
(Adds detail)

LONDON, Oct 24 (Reuters) - Barriers to cooperation between different countries' financial regulators remain high, despite the shared nature of risks from rapid lending growth, Bank of England deputy governor Minouche Shafik said on Monday.

Shafik, who is responsible for financial markets at the British central bank, said that even if regulators could control the lending by domestic banks, foreign lending still had a major influence on the risk of financial crises.

But regulators were understandably reluctant to think beyond their own borders, she said at a conference in Hong Kong hosted by the BoE, the International Monetary Fund, and the Hong Kong Monetary Authority.

"The unequal distribution of benefits from globalisation has increased scepticism about international co-operation," she said. "The body of evidence required to justify including the interests of other nations in the setting of domestic policy is understandably large."

Research from the BoE showed that even when domestic lending growth was moderate, rapid lending growth abroad increased the risk of financial instability through cross-border lending, inflated asset prices and contagion from foreign banking crises.

Foreign and domestic rates of lending growth played a roughly equal role in a country's risk of a crisis, based on a forthcoming BoE study of 38 advanced and emerging countries between 1970 and 2011, Shafik said.

International banking rules known as Basel III require some reciprocity between regulators in applying curbs on bank lending called counter-cyclical capital buffers.

But Shafik said reciprocity would benefit from covering a wider range of tools, and that regulators should consider checking banks' health against the same risks. Growth in finance from financial markets, rather than banks, made it harder for regulators to clamp down on excessive credit growth, she added.

"Even without consensus around a fully articulated global framework for macroprudential policy, we can make quite a bit of progress by countries pursuing their local national interests," she said.

(Reporting by David Milliken; editing by Kate Holton and Toby Chopra)
LONDON (Reuters) - Barriers to cooperation between different countries' financial regulators remain high, despite the shared nature of risks from rapid lending growth, Bank of England deputy governor Minouche Shafik said on Monday.

Shafik, who is responsible for financial markets at the British central bank, said that even if regulators could control the lending by domestic banks, foreign lending still had a major influence on the risk of financial crises.

But regulators were understandably reluctant to think beyond their own borders, she said at a conference in Hong Kong hosted by the BoE, the International Monetary Fund, and the Hong Kong Monetary Authority.

"The unequal distribution of benefits from globalisation has increased scepticism about international co-operation," she said. "The body of evidence required to justify including the interests of other nations in the setting of domestic policy is understandably large."

Research from the BoE showed that even when domestic lending growth was moderate, rapid lending growth abroad increased the risk of financial instability through cross-border lending, inflated asset prices and contagion from foreign banking crises.

Foreign and domestic rates of lending growth played a roughly equal role in a country's risk of a crisis, based on a forthcoming BoE study of 38 advanced and emerging countries between 1970 and 2011, Shafik said.

International banking rules known as Basel III require some reciprocity between regulators in applying curbs on bank lending called counter-cyclical capital buffers.

But Shafik said reciprocity would benefit from covering a wider range of tools, and that regulators should consider checking banks' health against the same risks. Growth in finance from financial markets, rather than banks, made it harder for regulators to clamp down on excessive credit growth, she added.

"Even without consensus around a fully articulated global framework for macroprudential policy, we can make quite a bit of progress by countries pursuing their local national interests," she said.

(Reporting by David Milliken; editing by Kate Holton and Toby Chopra)
Pro- and anti-whaling nations clashed at a key meeting Monday where Japan sought to ease a 30-year-old moratorium on commercial hunts while others pushed for an Atlantic whale sanctuary.

Host Slovenia urged compromise the sake of the marine mammals -- some species of which were hunted to near-extinction in the 20th century -- but member states of the International Whaling Commission (IWC) soon split into familiar factions.

Japan, which conducts a yearly whale hunt in the name of science, which its detractors say is for meat, insisted that stocks of some species have recovered sufficiently to make them fair game.

These included the southern hemisphere minke whale, Japan's IWC commissioner Joji Morishita told journalists on the conference sidelines.

"Many species can actually stand a limited take," Morishita said.

Japan's yearly hunt is a recurring and deeply divisive issue at the 88-member IWC's biennial gatherings.

The organisation's 66th meeting, scheduled to run until Friday, opened in the Adriatic resort of Portoroz on Monday.

Scientific hunts are exempt under the IWC's 1986 moratorium, but critics insist Japan abuses the provision.

The meat ends up on supermarket shelves and in restaurants, in line with an IWC stipulation that whales taken for science must be eaten.

"It is a loophole that the IWC never anticipated being routinely exploited by a country in order to kill whales for profit," said Kitty Block of conservation group Humane Society International.

The International Court of Justice ruled in 2014 that Japan abused the scientific exemption.

Tokyo cancelled its 2014-15 hunt, only to resume it the following year, killing 333 minkes in the Southern Ocean -- many of them pregnant, according to observers.

New Zealand and Australia want the IWC to introduce stringent reviews of scientific whaling projects.

- Licence to kill -

"There are lots of methods that can be used, like acoustic tracking and satellite tagging and underwater listening stations, where you can conduct effective research without killing whales," Australia's environment minister Josh Frydenberg told AFP.

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"Global stocks have nowhere near recovered to where they were before the whaling period."

Several other countries, including the European Union bloc, urged Japan to stop its hunts, some accusing it of using the scientific exemption as "a licence to kill".

Japan, in turn, opposes the creation of a South Atlantic whale sanctuary.

This proposal by Argentina, Brazil, Gabon, South Africa and Uruguay has the backing of the European Union and others.

"Today... there is a whale killing and catching in the (Southern Ocean), who may tell us that if a particular species begins to be depleted the whale catchers for science will not come to the South Atlantic?" Brazil's IWC commissioner Hermano Ribeiro told AFP.

"We want to avoid that. It's protection for today, protection for the future."

Countries are to vote on the sanctuary, which has been on the IWC's agenda for 15 years but voted down every time, on Tuesday morning.

It requires 75 percent of the vote to pass.

Morishita highlighted the intractability of the divide.

"One side... is supporting the total protection of whales under any circumstances, no kill, no one whale should be killed," he said.

The other, "like Japan, is supporting sustainable utilisation of marine living resources including whales.

"These positions are so... fundamentally different and that is causing the difficulties or stalemate or deadlock of this organisation. Unless we address this issue in some manner we will just be repeating the same thing, meeting after meeting."

Besides Japan and communities which received aboriginal whaling licences from the IWC, Norway and Iceland conduct commercial hunts, having submitted objections to the moratorium.

This year's meeting marks the 70th anniversary of the commission's founding, and the 30th birthday of the moratorium estimated to have prevented the killing of tens -- even hundreds -- of thousands of whales.

Conservationists say the creatures still face a multitude of perils, from hunters and ship strikes to getting snared in fishing gear and pollution.

"(...) It is in the interests of all of us to give back to the cetaceans their living environment," Slovene Environment Minister Irena Majcen urged delegates on Monday.

"This is something that should unite us."
Baghdad (AFP) - Iraq launched a broad offensive to retake Mosul from the Islamic State group a week ago. Here is what we know so far about the country's biggest military operation in years:

What have Iraqi forces retaken?

Federal forces operating out of the main staging base of Qayyarah have taken dozens of small villages south of Mosul and are working their way up the Tigris Valley.

After an initial push by the Kurdish peshmerga, federal army and elite counter-terrorism forces have taken over the eastern front, where they have retaken swathes of the Nineveh plain.

They wrested back control of Bartalla, a Christian town only about 15 kilometres (10 miles) east of Mosul, and are fighting to take full control of Qaraqosh, formerly the largest Christian town in Iraq.

On the northeastern front, a large deployment of peshmerga have taken several villages from IS and are closing in on Bashiqa.

The US-led coalition says it has carried out 32 air strikes on the area in a week, delivering more than 1,700 munitions that destroyed 136 IS fighting positions, 18 tunnels and 26 car bombs.

How are Iraqi forces performing?

Neither the federal government nor the autonomous Kurdish region release any figures for their dead and wounded, but both sides are taking casualties.

However, Baghdad, the Kurds and the US-led coalition supporting them with air strikes and advisers on the ground have said early gains exceeded expectations.

Kurdish leader Massud Barzani has hailed what he describes as excellent coordination with the forces from Baghdad, despite a running political and budgetary feud.

The push for Mosul, IS's last major stronghold in Iraq, has been delayed on many occasions and all sides have had ample time to learn from previous operations and fine-tune their battle plans.

How are the jihadists responding?

While an increasingly pragmatic IS has been more inclined than previously to fall back when under recent attack, it has mounted a spirited defence of Mosul so far.

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The group has unleashed dozens of suicide car bombs against Iraqi forces, apparently trading land it controlled around Mosul for casualties among its enemies' ranks.

IS has lit fires in and around Mosul to obfuscate the battlefield for the aerial and satellite assets of its enemies, but that tactic is having a limited impact, analysts say.

The jihadists have also hit back by attacking Iraqi forces elsewhere, notably with a spectacular attack on the Kurdish-controlled city of Kirkuk and another on the western outpost of Rutba.

Those two operations seemed less of an attempt at making territorial gains than a bid to stretch Iraq's security forces and draw attention away from their losses in the Mosul theatre.

Medics at hospitals inside Mosul have told AFP that the number of wounded IS fighters brought in from the front lines has soared over the past week.

How are civilians affected?

Civilians are already paying a heavy price for the offensive, with tough living conditions inside Mosul deteriorating sharply and increasingly paranoid jihadists stepping up repression and intimidation.

The widespread use of smoke -- IS has set fire to tyres across the city, oil wells and trenches around it -- has led to an increase in the number of people checking in to hospitals with respiratory ailments.

More than 7,500 people have already fled the fighting and the jihadists who ruled them for two years, but Iraqi forces are still advancing in sparsely populated areas.

That figure could grow exponentially as soon as forces reach the boundaries of the city proper and attempts are to open safe corridors for the more than a million people still believed trapped in the city.
By Samia Nakhoul, Michael Georgy and Stephen Kalin ERBIL (Reuters) - It has taken two years of training a demoralized army, backed up by the air cover and special forces of the worlds greatest powers, for Iraq to mount an offensive to recapture Mosul from Islamic State. Almost week into the U.S.-led onslaught, many of those running the campaign say the battle to retake the city could be long and hard. But they have also identified what they think is a chink in the jihadists' armor. If local fighters in Mosul can be persuaded to drop their allegiance to Islamic State, there is a chance that the battle can be brought to a more speedy conclusion, and that could have major implications for the future of Iraq. Against a background of splits and rebellions in the Islamic State ranks in Mosul, some opposing commanders believe that a successful attempt to win over those local fighters could mean the battle lasts only weeks rather than months. Mosul, Iraq's second biggest city, is where IS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi declared his Sunni caliphate in 2014, after his alliance between millenarian Islamists and veteran officers from the disbanded army of Saddam Hussein roared back into Iraq from bases they set up in the mayhem of Syria's war. Five Iraqi army divisions melted away before jihadis numbered in hundreds. Now the battle to retake Mosul pits an unwieldy coalition of a 30,000-strong Iraqi regular force backed by the US and Europeans, alongside Kurdish and Shiite militias, against jihadis who have exploited the Sunni communitys sense of dispossession in Iraq and betrayal in Syria. Not just its outcome but the political sensitivity with which this battle is handled could determine the future of Islamic State and Sunni extremism, as well as the shape of this part of the Middle East, which is being shattered into sectarian fragments. Islamic State fighters, estimated at between 4,000 and 8,000, have rigged the city with explosives, mined and booby-trapped roads, built oil-filled moats they can set alight, dug tunnels, and trenches and have shown every willingness to use Mosuls up to 1.5 million civilians as human shields. Islamic State would seem to have a plentiful supply of suicide bombers, launching them in scores of explosives-laden trucks against Kurdish peshmerga fighters converging on Mosul from the east and northeast, and Iraqi forces, spearheaded by counter-terrorism units, advancing from the south and southwest. "Mosul will be a multi-month endeavor. This is going to take a long time," a senior U.S. official said in Iraq. CALIPHATE Karim Sinjari, Interior Minister in the self-governing Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) of northern Iraq, said IS would put up a fierce fight because of Mosul's symbolic value as capital of its self-proclaimed Islamic caliphate. "If Mosul is finished the caliphate they announced is finished. If they lose in Mosul, they will have no place, just Raqqa (in Syria)," Sinjari said. Adept at exploiting divisions among its enemies, last Friday's dawn assault by IS on Kirkuk, for example, was not just an attempt to divert Iraqi and Kurdish forces and relieve pressure on the main front. It was also intended to galvanize Sunni Arab opinion against the Kurds, whose Iraqi peshmerga and Syrian Kurdish militia have fielded the most effective ground forces against IS. That is why many of those invested in the battle for Mosul stress the need to break the cohesion of IS and the allegiance it has won or coerced among alienated Sunni, in Mosul and beyond. The opportunity is there, they say. They believe that while foreign jihadis will fight to the finish to protect their last stronghold in Iraq, the Iraqi fighters, many from Mosul itself, may lay down their arms. Most of the (IS) fighters now are local tribal fighters. They have some foreign fighters, they have some people from other parts of Iraq and Syria, but the majority are local fighters, says a senior Kurdish military intelligence chief. If we can take this away from them, the liberation of Mosul is a job of a week or two weeks. FISSURES Fissures are widening inside the IS camp, with Iraqi, Kurdish and Western sources reporting resistance in Mosul and a spate of attacks on its leaders. Sinjari, also the KRG acting defense minister, says there is growing resentment against the group's brutality. There is information that many people are revolting and carrying out attacks against IS. A number of Daesh members were killed on the streets at night," Sinjari said. This was confirmed by the U.S. official but could not be independently verified. It fits with accounts of a recent abortive uprising against IS, led by a former aide to Baghdadi, that ended with the execution of 58 Daesh dissidents. Crucially, more than half ISs fighting strength comes from Sunni tribes initially relieved they were being freed from sectarian persecution by a Shiite dominated government in Baghdad and a corrupt and brutal army. Some strategists believe those tribes could turn against the brutality of IS rule  just as the Sunni tribal fighters of the Sahwa or Awakening turned against al-Qaeda in Iraq a decade ago  if Baghdad guarantees their lives and livelihoods. In Mosul, there are Iraqi tribal people in IS who pledged allegiance when the group arrived, a Kurdish intelligence chief said. If the Iraqis send a message and reassure these Sunni Iraqis that they will be given a second chance I think it is wise to do so, because if they put their weapons down you are definitely taking out 60 percent of their (IS) fighting force. The official emphasized the need for the US-led coalitions close involvement in Mosul, especially after the experience of the recapture of Falluja, Ramadi and Tikrit, IS-held cities where refugees and local Sunnis suffered at the hands of Shiite militias. In the battle for Mosul, it has supposedly been agreed that neither Shiite fighters nor Kurdish peshmerga will enter the city when it falls to avoid stoking a sectarian backlash. While the anti-IS coalition has gained momentum, military strategists and intelligence officials say the closer the Iraqi forces get to Mosul, the harder it will be. "If they decide to defend the city then it will be more difficult and the process will slow down," the intelligence chief said. Once inside Mosul, Iraqi special forces would have to go from street to street to clear explosives and booby traps set up by Islamic State. "The roads are very narrow. You cant use vehicles or tanks, so it will be a fight, person by person," Sinjari said. VILLAGES Until now, it has been easy for the coalition to hit IS positions in deserted villages around Mosul but the air strikes will slow down once Iraqi forces get into the city. Islamic State, Iraqi commanders say, have succeeded in the past in blocking army troops from moving against them by staging suicide attacks and rigging explosives. But they say that would no longer be an obstacle in Mosul as the Iraqi army has recently received an effective guided missile system that destroys explosives-packed vehicles. The Iraqi commanders say their tactic now would be to cut Islamic State fighters off from the hinterland of supporting villages then split the city into different neighborhoods. Brigadier Haider Abdul Muhsin al-Darraji, from the army 10th division, said military units would launch simultaneous attacks from multiple fronts on Mosul, divide the city into sectors to isolate IS fighters. And with coalition air strikes the jihadis will have little chance of getting reinforcements from the western side, which has been left open to encourage their departure towards Syria. The difficulty is how to hit IS targets inside Mosul without causing massive civilian casualties. "Its just like a tough surgery to remove a brain tumor," Darraji said. Colonel Mahdi Ameer from the 9th Iraqi army division fighting south of Mosul said Islamic State had "deliberately blocked residents from leaving the city to use them as human shields and prolong the battle". Islamic States enemies do not underestimate the groups strength, which depends on experienced former senior Baathist officers and Islamist radicals willing to blow themselves up to defend their Sunni heartland. "They are much more organized than the peshmerga and others. They have good administration, a good support system and enough weapons and ammunitions, said the Kurdish counter-terrorism official. The Mosul offensive will be the most important battle fought in Iraq since the U.S.-led invasion in 2003. What happens next will shape or break an already fractured Iraq. "There are growing concerns about fixing the political peace the day after liberating Mosul," said Hoshyar Zebari, a top Iraqi politician and former finance minister. "How will this multi-ethnic, multi-sectarian city ... be governed and run without communal conflict, without revenge killing, without a large displacement of people? That needs some political planning on how the city will be governed. It should have a strong representative governance in the city." But the battle against radical Islamists in the region will not end with the liberation of Mosul. "Mosul is not be the end of Islamic State or the end of extremism in this region. They will go back to more asymmetric warfare. We will see suicide attacks inside Kurdistan, inside Iraqi cities and elsewhere." (Additional reporting by Ahmed Rasheed; editing by Giles Elgood)
By Letitia Stein TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (Reuters) - Leonard "Roscoe" Newton has been in and out of Florida's prisons since before he could vote, starting with a youthful conviction for burglary. He's been a free man for six years now with an important exception: he still can't vote. Newton, who is African American, is among nearly 1.5 million former felons who have been stripped of their right to vote in a state with a history of deciding U.S. presidential elections, sometimes by razor-thin margins of just a few hundred votes. Felons have been disenfranchised in Florida since 1868, although they can seek clemency to restore their voting rights. Since 2011, however, when Republican state leaders toughened the restrictions on felon voting rights, just 2,339 ex-felons have had that right restored, the lowest annual numbers in nearly two decades, according to state data reviewed by Reuters. That compares with more than 155,000 in the prior four years under reforms introduced by Governor Rick Scott's predecessor, moderate Republican governor Charlie Crist, the data shows. Crist, who was governor from 2007 to 2011, made it much easier to restore ex-felons' voting rights. "When I tried to be an effective member of the community, I saw that I was voiceless," said Newton, whose expectations of getting his rights restored were dashed when the rules changed under a new administration. "I'm 45, and I have never voted." The dramatic slowdown has stoked a racially charged debate over whether political bias taints the process of restoring felon voting rights in the largest battleground state in the Nov. 8 presidential election. Florida's toughened ban means racial minorities are disproportionately excluded from voting because of higher incarceration rates, data shows. Black voters tend to favor Democrats. "Republicans oppose the felon vote change because they are concerned about the political implications," said Darryl Paulson, a conservative Republican voting rights expert who sees wide restoration of voting rights as "a huge political advantage for the Democratic Party." Paulson says non-violent ex-felons should have the right to vote. Almost all U.S. states deny incarcerated felons the right to vote but many restore those rights after they have completed their sentences. Over the last two decades, more than 20 states have taken action to help people with criminal convictions regain their voting rights. Since July, Virginia's governor has restored voting rights to 67,000 felons. Florida is the largest of four remaining states that strip all former felons of voting rights, accounting for nearly half of those barred from voting nationally. Along with Virginia, the others are Kentucky and Iowa. TOUGH NEW MEASURES In March 2011, two months after he became governor, Scott reversed Crist's reforms, which had allowed many non-violent felons to automatically get their voting rights reinstated after they had completed their sentences. Crist had also simplified the process for felons convicted of more serious crimes to regain their votes. Scott, a millionaire former health care executive, put in place new restrictions, requiring ex-felons to wait for five to seven years before applying to regain the right to vote, serve on a jury or hold elected office. He said the new rules ensured ex-felons had proven they were unlikely to offend. Florida has disenfranchised about one in five voting-age black voters, according to research collected by the Sentencing Project, a Washington-based advocacy group. That compares with about 8.6 percent of the state's non-black potential voters. Data on the Hispanic voting-age population who can't vote because of the law was unavailable, although Hispanics make up 12.5 percent of Floridas inmates. The rates reflect racial disparities in criminal convictions. Florida's current prison population is nearly 48 percent black, more than any other racial group, although blacks are only 17 percent of the state's population. Ion Sancho, supervisor of elections in Leon County, which includes the capital city of Tallahassee, accused the Republican administration of repealing the felon voting reforms "to reduce the number of African Americans who had their rights restored because those voters were perceived to be more Democratic voting and so therefore were targeted for elimination." Sancho is a former Democrat who is now unaffiliated with either party. Scott and Attorney General Pam Bondi, the Republican officials who drove the 2011 policy changes, did not agree to be interviewed by Reuters or respond directly to questions on the accusations that the law is intended to influence elections. But Bondi has previously denied the policy amounts to racially motivated disenfranchisement. "For those who may suggest that these rule changes have anything to do with race, these assertions are completely unfounded. Justice has nothing to do with race," Bondi wrote in a 2011 newspaper editorial. Scott's office, in a statement to Reuters, said former felons need to "demonstrate that they can live a life free of crime, show a willingness to request to have their rights restored and show restitution to the victims of their crimes" in order to have their voting rights restored. "FUNDAMENTALLY WRONG" Democrats have seized on the issue as a civil rights concern, regardless of the political impact, said Nell Toensmann, who chairs the Democratic Party of St. Johns County, a north Florida region of about 225,000 people dominated by Republicans. "Yes, it does disenfranchise a lot of African Americans, but it disenfranchises a lot of white people who would be voting as Republicans as well," she said. The Reuters/Ipsos States of the Nation polling project shows a tight race in Florida. It estimates that Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton has a 48 percent chance of winning the state, compared to her Republican opponent Donald Trump's 42 percent. Political scientists say the voting ban can sap votes from both parties, but some research suggests that Democrats pay a steeper price. An analysis of voting patterns by race and economic status found that if the ban had not existed during the 2000 presidential election, Democrats would have had enough votes to overturn Republican George W. Bush's 537-vote victory in Florida that won him the White House. "In very close elections won by Republican candidates, felon disenfranchisement could be decisive," said Christopher Uggen, a University of Minnesota professor who led the study. "IF I DENY, ITS OVER Applying for voting rights can be difficult. Ex-felons must submit certified court documentation of each felony conviction  documents that can be difficult to secure for those unable to spend time and money tracking down records in courthouses. Cases involving serious crimes are heard in person by a clemency board consisting of the governor and Florida's cabinet officers, in quarterly meetings in Tallahassee. During a Sept. 21 meeting in a windowless room in the Florida Capitol building, 48 petitions to restore voting rights were on the agenda presented to the governor and three state officers in an all-day session punctuated by tears and emotional pleas. Some petitioners were represented by attorneys, others showed up solo or accompanied by a friend or relative. "Clemency is an act of mercy. There is no right or guarantee," Scott told them, urging applicants to accept culpability. State rules give him the deciding vote. "If I deny, it's over," he said. Learlean Rahming approached the podium in a black and white flowered dress, accompanied by her adult daughter. State records show dozens of criminal charges over two decades that include larceny, drug possession and shoplifting. "I accept my responsibility for all of my stupid mistakes of the past," said the 63-year-old woman, who had traveled from Miami, adding that she has been out of prison for more than 20 years. Officials were impressed by her turnaround story, until Bondi noticed a discrepancy. Records showed Rahming had voted under a married name after her release. "Just to see if I could vote," she told the panel, explaining that for many years she had not realized that her rights were taken away. Scott moved to deny. Rahming left, wiping tears. The board ultimately cleared 23 residents to get back their civil rights. More than 10,500 applications are still pending. Crist, the former governor who championed leniency, switched to the Democratic Party in 2012. In an interview, he questioned whether the policy changes on felons voting cost him a 2014 bid to reclaim the governor's mansion. He lost by about 64,000 votes - in the ballpark of the number of people in the state who complete felony sentences in a typical year, Florida Department of Corrections data shows. "We will never know for sure," Crist said. <^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Felons face tougher road to Election Day http://tmsnrt.rs/2dsol2q) ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^> (Editing by Jason Szep and Ross Colvin)
A stunning, blue-and-green visualization of the globe allows viewers to see the world's wind and weather patterns as forecast by supercomputers around the world.

The striking animation, called "earth," was designed by computer programmer Cameron Beccario, an engineering manager at the computer coding company Indeed Tokyo in Japan. The interactive graphic allows users to toggle between views that show the flow of wind; the movement of ocean currents and the height of waves; the air temperature; and the circulation of air pollutants around the globe. [101 Stunning Images of Earth from Above]

The visualization of Earth draws from the huge assortment of data from myriad instruments floating in the planet's atmosphere, drifting along ocean currents and sitting in the soil. For instance, the model uses the National Centers for Environmental Prediction's Global Forecast System, which uses supercomputers to run a model that predicts weather four times a day. That model uses dozens of different types of measurements, from soil moisture to precipitation to ozone concentration. Other data, like sea-surface temperature, are gathered and updated every day from an array of instruments, including infrared satellites, moored buoys and ships just passing through a region. Carbon-dioxide measurements track the concentration of the greenhouse gas at the Earth's surface.

A stunning visualization of the flow of wind and weather patterns across the globe. Cameron Beccario, earth.nullschool.net

The visualization recently provided a view of Hurricane Matthew's destructive path, while another clip from "earth" revealed the location of monster waves over the course of a year. Yet another slice of the data reveals the path of the air pollutant sulfate as it traveled over the Pacific. Particulates of sulfate can block sunlight, thereby cooling the planet.

But Beccario hopes people explore the site on their own.

"The site is designed to be fairly sparse because I want visitors to discover their own insights. I think this is much more rewarding than being fed a particular narrative," Beccario said.

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The graphic was initially inspired by the wind map, a visualization of wind flowing across the United States created by artists Fernanda Viegas and Martin Wattenberg.

"I thought that would be a great project to emulate and expand upon," Beccario told Live Science. "I've always been interested in science and weather, so this project was a great platform to explore those interests as well. I remembered thinking: What do the winds around Antarctica even look like?! I really wanted to see those patterns."

Original article on Live Science.

Editor's Recommendations
TORONTO, Oct. 24, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Rio Silver Inc. (Rio Silver or the "Company") (TSX.V:RYO) is pleased to announce that the Company and Magellan Gold Corporation (Magellan) (OTCQB:MAGE) have signed the Definitive Agreement (the Agreement) as referred to in their earlier news releases of July 4 and July 5, 2016. The Agreement sets out the detailed terms whereby Magellan has an option (the Option) to earn an undivided 50% interest in the Companys Ninobamba Silver/Gold Project (Ninobamba or the Project) located approximately 330 kilometres southeast of Lima, in the Department of Ayacucho, Peru. Pursuant to the Agreement, in order to exercise the Option, Magellan must spend US$2 million over the next 3 years, on qualifying expenditures for the further exploration of the silver/gold mineralization that was outlined at the Project in earlier trenching campaigns (trenching results can be viewed at the Companys website http://www.riosilverinc.com/peru.php). Additionally, Magellan is obligated to subscribe for two Rio Silver Private Placement Unit financings of $75,000 each. The first Private Placement closed on August 23, 2016 (see news release of August 23, 2016). The second Private Placement Financing is expected to close within the next 90 days. A technical committee with representation from both companies will set the work programs and associated budgets for the Project during the option period.



With the signing of the Agreement, exploration work will now begin at the Project. Local community agreements and drilling permits will be secured to allow for surface exploration and a first phase of drilling. The companies anticipate drilling in early 2017. Rio Silvers extensive exploration experience (over 20 years of operating experience in Peru) will be relied upon to guide the work at the Project.

The Company recently acquired 3 concessions (2200 additional hectares) from Newmont/Southern Peru Copper Corp (see news release of September 8, 2016) that adjoin to the west of the main Ninobamba concession. These concessions provide coverage of the potential for extensions of the surface silver and gold mineralization to the south and west of the zones trenched in 2012. These additional concessions now form a part of the Ninobamba Project and are subject to the Agreement. The companies expect to review data that was part of the acquisition and will undertake follow up exploration work as a result of this compilation and the recommendations from this review.

Rio Silvers CEO, Jeffrey Reeder, P Geo states, We are excited that we now have the opportunity to advance the exploration work at Ninobamba. Magellan Gold is a knowledgeable partner that shares our vision of identifying a bulk mineable silver and gold deposit at Ninobamba and we welcome them as a shareholder of our Company. The imminent work programs under Magellans 'earn  in' will provide a steady stream of project news and we expect to have the drilling commence early in the coming year!

Magellan Golds CEO, P Geo, Pierce Carson says, The Ninobamba Project has all the early indications of a significant, disseminated precious metal system. With Rio Silvers local expertise to guide us, we expect to begin our work immediately. We feel that there is great value to be defined by our upcoming programs and that our shareholders will be duly rewarded.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF RIO SILVER INC.

Steve Brunelle

Executive Co-Chairman

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

This news release includes forward-looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties. All statements within, other than statements of historical fact, are to be considered forward looking. Although the Company believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those in forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include market prices, exploitation and exploration successes, continued availability of capital and financing, and general economic, market or business conditions. There can be no assurances that such statements will prove accurate and, therefore, readers are advised to rely on their own evaluation of such uncertainties. We do not assume any obligation to update any forward-looking statements except as required by applicable laws.
By Amanda Ferguson BELFAST (Reuters) - A Northern Irish bakery that refused to bake a cake iced with a pro-gay slogan lost its bid to overturn its prosecution for discrimination on Monday as a local court rejected an appeal based on its owners' Christian beliefs. Ashers Baking Co in Belfast had been found guilty of discrimination in May last year for refusing to make a cake bearing the words "Support Gay Marriage" and a picture of characters Bert and Ernie from the television show Sesame Street. The firm initially accepted the order from Gareth Lee, a gay rights activist, but later contacted him to cancel it and refund his money. Judge Declan Morgan on Monday ruled the bakery had directly discriminated against Lee. Northern Ireland is the only part of the United Kingdom where same-sex marriage is not allowed, and the largest political party, the socially conservative Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), has blocked attempts to legalise it. By contrast the Republic of Ireland in May last year approved gay marriage after a referendum backed the measure, signalling a major change in what was once a strongly Catholic and socially conservative society. The DUP has supported the bakery's right to decline the cake order on religious grounds, while a spokesman for the province's largest Irish nationalist party Sinn Fein said Monday's ruling was a "victory for common sense and equality". Daniel McArthur, general manager at Ashers, told journalists he was disappointed with the judgement, saying it undermined "democratic freedom, religious freedom and freedom of speech". Northern Ireland's Equality Commission, which backed Lee's case, said it is seeking costs of 88,000 pounds from the bakery, which said it is taking legal advice on what to do next. (Writing by Conor Humphries; Editing by David Holmes)
By Philip Blenkinsop and Robert-Jan Bartunek

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Belgium declared on Monday that it could not formally back a free trade deal between the European Union and Canada because of an internal dispute, but the two sides still appeared to be holding out hopes of a summit to sign off on the deal.

Belgium's French-speaking Wallonia region opposes the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA), which needs the unanimous support of all 28 EU nations to be approved.

The EU had given Belgium until late on Monday to overcome that opposition or the EU-Canada summit on Thursday to sign the pact with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau would be cancelled.

Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel said he could not give consent. But European Council President Donald Tusk said he and Trudeau still believed the summit could go ahead.

"Together with PM @JustinTrudeau, we think Thursday's summit still possible," Tusk said in a tweet. "We encourage all parties to find a solution. There's yet time."

In Ottawa, a Trudeau spokesman said the Canadian prime minister and Tusk agreed to stay in close contact "in the coming hours and days".

Canadian Trade Minister Chrystia Freeland said "CETA isn't dead" but she sidestepped questions about what would happen if the EU failed to come to an agreement this week.

"We wish them well and we hope they can get there ... this deal is done - it's time to move on, get it signed and then get it ratified," she told reporters in the Canadian capital.

Michel, whose federal government backs the agreement, had called a meeting of the heads of Belgium's regions and linguistic communities.

"We cannot give a 'Yes'," Wallonia premier Paul Magnette told reporters afterwards. He said the main problems remained not with Ottawa, which has already agreed to modifications in the deal, but with the EU authorities.

Other Socialist Party-led authorities, including those of the bilingual capital Brussels, have thrown their weight behind the Walloons, while Dutch- and German-speakers back Michel's centre-right coalition.

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The issue goes beyond just a trade deal with Canada, the EU's 12th-largest trading partner.

If CETA fails, the EU's hopes of completing similar deals with the United States or Japan would be in tatters, undermining a bloc already battered by Britain's vote to leave it and disputes over Europe's migration crisis.

"These are dark days for European trade policy," said Ulrich Grillo, president of the Federation of German Industries. "This blockade is undermining the trust of international partners in the EU."

PRINCIPLES OR INTERNAL POLITICS?

Geert Bourgeois, premier of the Dutch-speaking Flanders region, called the situation a real shame.

"We're the laughing stock of the whole world. It's bad for Wallonia, for Flanders, for Belgium, for Europe, for the whole world," he told reporters after the meeting.

EU negotiators say they are willing to keep talking with the Walloons. Freeland left in frustration after talks in the regional capital, Namur, on Friday, saying the problems were internal ones for the Europeans to sort out.

Andre Antoine, the Walloon parliament speaker, told Reuters earlier on Monday that more time was needed: "A reasonable time frame would be the end of the year. With that, we could get there."

CETA supporters say the deal would increase trade between the partners by 20 percent and boost the EU economy by 12 billion euros ($13 billion) a year and Canada's by C$12 billion ($9 billion).

Magnette's main objection is to an investor protection system that would allow foreign companies to sue host states they deem are harming their investments. Critics argue it enables multinationals to dictate public policy.

The European Commission says CETA has overhauled this system, with guarantees on the right of governments to regulate and judges appointed by EU and Canada rather than parties to a dispute.

Many EU leaders suspect the local government in Namur is using its devolved powers to play domestic politics.

(Additional reporting by Noah Barkin in Berlin and David Ljunggren in Ottawa; Writing by Philip Blenkinsop and Alastair Macdonald; Editing by Richard Balmforth and Paul Simao)
BRUSSELS, Oct 24 (Reuters) - The French-speaking region of Wallonia will not yield to an ultimatum set by the European Union for it to decide on a planned EU-Canada free trade deal, the president of the Walloon parliament said on Monday.

All 28 EU governments support the Comprehensive Economic Trade Agreement (CETA), including Belgium, but the latter can only sign up to it if it has the consent of five sub-federal authorities and Wallonia has steadfastly resisted.

The European Union has given Belgium until late on Monday to overcome that opposition or an EU-Canada summit on Thursday to sign the pact with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will be cancelled.

Andre Antoine, Walloon parliament president and a member of Paul Magnette's Socialist party, said it was not possible for the region to give its assent on Monday.

"There's a huge mish-mash of texts. This is not serious international law... Secondly, ultimatums and threats are not part of democracy. We want a deal, we want a treaty, but we want to negotiate it with a minimum of courtesy and respect," he said.

"A reasonable delay would be the end of the year. With that, we could get there," he continued, adding there would still be flights between Brussels and Canada in the future.

Belgian Prime Minister has called a meeting of its federal and sub-federal governments, including that of Wallonia, at 1300 CET (1100 GMT) to seek a way out of the crisis.

CETA supporters say it would increase trade between the partners by 20 percent and boost the EU economy by 12 billion euros ($13 billion) a year and Canada's by C$12 billion ($9 billion).

Walloons have concerns about the threat of surging pork and beef imports from Canada and an independent court system to settle disputes between states and foreign investors, which critics say allows multinationals to dictate public policy.

Many EU leaders suspect the local government in Namur is using its devolved powers to play domestic politics.

Story continues

Dutch language Flemish newspaper De Morgen said on Monday that the Magnette's stance was both a matter of principle and opportunism, a chance to boost his reputation and to become leader of the centre-left in Belgium.

The issue goes beyond just a trade deal with Canada, the EU's 12th-largest trading partner.

If CETA fails, the EU's hopes of completing similar deals with the United States or Japan would be in tatters, undermining a bloc already battered by Britain's vote to leave it and disputes over Europe's migration crisis.

($1 = 0.9186 euros) ($1 = 1.3331 Canadian dollars) (Reporting By Philip Blenkinsop; editing by Robert-Jan Bartunek)
BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel failed to secure the agreement of regional authorities at a meeting on Monday which he needed to unblock an EU-Canada free trade deal, the premier of the Flanders region told reporters.

Leaders of the French-speaking south of Belgium refused to end their opposition to the CETA pact, Geert Bourgeois said.

The outcome is likely to force the European Union to call off a planned signing summit on Thursday with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

(Reporting By Robert-Jan Bartunek; Editing by Philip Blenkinsop)
On Tuesday, October, 24th, Tesla Motors (TSLA) will release its third quarter earnings results after the bell. The company is a Zacks Rank 4 (Sell), and have a Value, Growth, and Momentum score of F.

Dave will look at Teslas past earnings, take a look at what is currently going on with the company, and give us his thoughts on their upcoming earnings announcement.

Furthermore, Dave will uncover some potential options trades for investors looking to make a play on Tesla Motors ahead of earnings.

Tesla Motors in Focus

Tesla Motors, Inc. designs, manufactures, and sells electric vehicles and electric vehicle powertrain components. The Company is headquartered in Palo Alto, California.

Tesla is expected to report earnings at -$0.64 per share according to the Zacks Consensus Estimate. Last quarter they miss earnings expectations by -32.76% at -$1.54 per share, missing estimates of -$0.38 per share.

TESLA MOTORS Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise

TESLA MOTORS Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise | TESLA MOTORS Quote

Tesla is trading around $202.76 a share, and their 52-week high is $269.34 per share, and they have an average earnings beat of 103.35%.

Tesla Motors is tied to the automobile industry, and their industry is ranked bottom 30% according to the Zacks Industry Rank. Tesla competes against automobile giants such as General Motors (GM) and Ford (F). Tesla is unique compared to their competitors for the fact their cars are electric; however, their cars are very expensive, and there are many people who dont have the financial means to afford one of their vehicles. Furthermore, Ford and GM have a stronger presence among the general public in regards to automobiles. Having said that, Teslas automobiles have attracted a growing audience. Furthermore, Tesla has been very innovative with their ideas and concepts.

Bottom Line

How should investors play Tesla ahead of their earnings report? For insights on the best options trades, make sure you are subscribe to Live Trader to see Dave Bartosiak at 9:30 am on Tuesday.

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London (AFP) - Seventeen plays attributed to William Shakespeare were written in collaboration with other playwrights, according to an edition of his works coming out this month that uses "big data" to reveal the mixed authorship.

Shakespeare's reputed rival Christopher Marlowe is credited as co-writer in the Henry VI trilogy of plays while playwright Thomas Middleton is credited as an adaptor for "All's Well That Ends Well".

The total number of 17 out of 44 Shakespeare plays is around double the eight in 39 plays identified in the last edition of the complete works by the Oxford University Press in 1986.

Work on the new edition began in January 2009 and 18 scholars in five countries tussled with the authorship issues.

Editors said the discoveries showed that rather than being rivals that influenced each other, Shakespeare and Marlowe actually worked with each other on the plays, thought to have been written in 1591.

"A lot of scholars have suspected this since the 18th century but until very recently we didn't have any way to prove it that was reliable," general editor Gary Taylor of Florida State University told AFP.

He said "big data" computerised databases built up in the last 20 years meant experts could conduct precise comparisons of different authors.

They used a range of methods including establishing the sociolect, the way people spoke at the time, and the idiolect, or speech habits of an individual.

They identified words and phrases that were more heavily used by one writer of the time than their contemporaries.

"The whole team is confident that Marlowe wrote some of the scenes in each of these three plays. They had to have both been working on these plays," said Taylor.

The level of collaboration with Marlowe, whose works include "Doctor Faustus" and "The Jew of Malta", has thrilled scholars.

"Part of what's interesting is the interaction of two very different geniuses. It's why those plays have struck people as being different from Shakespeare," said Taylor.

"We can now see that difference is because this is Marlowe, a writer who was very interested in politics, violence and religious conflict.

"Marlowe writes about these things in a different style. These discoveries actually make these plays more interesting, not less."
NEW YORK, Oct. 24, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Labaton Sucharow LLP (Labaton Sucharow) announces that on October 21, 2016, it filed a securities class action lawsuit on behalf of its client Oklahoma Firefighters Pension and Retirement System (Oklahoma Fire) against Xerox Corporation (Xerox or the Company) (NYSE:XRX), and certain of its senior executives (collectively, Defendants). The action, which is captioned Oklahoma Firefighters Pension and Retirement System v. Xerox Corporation, No. 16-cv-08260 (S.D.N.Y.), asserts claims under Sections 10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the Exchange Act), and U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Rule 10b-5 promulgated thereunder, on behalf of all persons or entities who purchased or otherwise acquired Xerox common stock between April 23, 2012 and October 23, 2015, inclusive (the Class Period).



The Complaint alleges that during the Class Period, Defendants violated provisions of the Exchange Act by issuing false and misleading statements regarding the profitability and growth prospects of an important software product called Health Enterprisedesigned to assist state agencies administer their respective Medicaid programs. Xerox is a global provider of document processing services and printing machines. Beginning in 2009, as the Companys hardware products became less profitable, Xerox embarked on a new corporate strategy to transition into more of a computer services-related company. As part of Xeroxs computer services transition strategy, the Company acquired Affiliated Computer Services, Inc. for $6.4 billion in February 2010. Through the acquisition, Xerox took over the Health Enterprise product, which provides software solutions for states to manage all aspects of their contemporary Medicaid programs and to do so in accordance with government rules and regulations.

During the Class Period, Xerox repeatedly touted the Health Enterprise business as an important growth area for the Company, which would operate at low cost and high profit margin. However, Defendants Class Period statements pertaining to the profitability and growth prospects of the Health Enterprise business were materially false and misleading because Defendants failed to disclose that: (1) the Companys existing Health Enterprise projects were experiencing major delays and cost overruns; (2) the Company would be unable to deliver Health Enterprise implementations at sustainable profits; and (3) as a result, the Companys positive statements about its business, operations, and prospects lacked a reasonable basis.

Beginning in late 2014, this truth began to be revealed in a series of disclosures that exposed implementation delays, cost overruns, and customer disputes. Finally, in October 2015, two key state agencies terminated Health Enterprise contracts with Xerox. By then, Xerox had taken more than $500 million in related asset write-downs. In reaction to these revelations, Xeroxs stock lost hundreds of millions of dollars in market capitalization, with the Companys stock price falling from a Class Period closing high of $13.57 per share on December 5, 2014, to close at $9.01 per share on October 27, 2015.

If you purchased or acquired the publicly traded common stock of Xerox during the Class Period, you are a member of the Class and may be able to seek appointment as Lead Plaintiff. Lead Plaintiff motion papers must be filed with the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York no later than December 23, 2016. The Lead Plaintiff is a court-appointed representative for absent members of the Class. You do not need to seek appointment as Lead Plaintiff to share in any Class recovery in this action. If you are a Class member and there is a recovery for the Class, you can share in that recovery as an absent Class member. You may retain counsel of your choice to represent you in this action.

If you would like to consider serving as Lead Plaintiff or have any questions about this lawsuit, you may contact Francis P. McConville, Esq. of Labaton Sucharow, at (800) 321-0476, or via email at fmcconville@labaton.com. You can view a copy of the complaint online at http://www.labaton.com/en/cases/Oklahoma-Firefighters-Pension-and-Retirement-System-v-Xerox-Corporation.cfm?cs_forceReadMode=1

Oklahoma Fire is represented by Labaton Sucharow, which represents many of the largest pension funds in the United States and internationally with collective assets under management of more than $2 trillion. Labaton Sucharows litigation reputation is built on its half-century of securities litigation experience, 60 full-time attorneys, and in-house team of investigators, financial analysts, and forensic accountants. Labaton Sucharow has been recognized for its excellence by the courts and peers, and it is consistently ranked in leading industry publications. Offices are located in New York, NY and Wilmington, DE. More information about Labaton Sucharow is available at www.labaton.com.
Comedian Bill Murray was honored Sunday night with the Mark Twain Award for American Humor in a star-studded affair at the Kennedy Center in Washington.

Read: In the Rough: Bill Murray Joins Rowdy Golf Fans Accused of Being Too Raucous for Ryder Cup

Bill Murray is [among] our greatest Americans," event host Jimmy Kimmel said. "I think Mark Twain would have been very fond of him.

Murray could be seen squirming uncomfortably as he was heaped with praise.

When he arrived on the red carpet, the Ghostbusters star told reporters: I'm not really excited to see anyone talk about me particularly, but Id like just seeing them all because theyre funny."

He added: "They're really just a great bunch of people."

His good friend, David Letterman, was also at the event and spoke about the Broken Flowers star.

One day our producers got a call from Bill Murray, who had been watching the show and he said he wanted to be a guest on the show  and oh my God  the clouds parted, the fog lifted and the sun shone and Bill came and what would be the first of 44 appearances on my show, Letterman recalled.

The die-hard Chicago Cubs fan even threw out a pitch on the red carpet. His beloved Cubs are heading to the World Series for the first time since 1945.

I'm confused, I feel like Im in a wedding and there's a hurricane around me. Everythings happening and its a blur. But I tried to wear something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue. This right here is Chicago Cub blue, this is what we're really all about, he told reporters.

Read: Bill Murray Looks Heartbroken After His Son's Team Loses NCAA Game

Other guests included Miley Cyrus, Emma Stone, Jane Curtin, and Sigourney Weaver.

Weaver joked: "I worked with Bill on two Ghostbusters movies and we did this love scene... Where the hell is my prize?"

Story continues

Watch: Deborah Norville Inducted Into Broadcasting and Cable Hall of Fame: 'Work Hard and Things Happen'

Related Articles:
Bill OReillys Killing Reagan co-author Martin Dugard fired back at Washington Post columnist Erik Wemple on Sunday, questioning the motive of the Reagan apologists at the paper after Wemple published a story calling the book historical fraud.

Wemple suggested that a sequence in the book has factual problems and even dug up video to prove his point, but Dugard disagrees. The Killing Reagan co-author questioned Wemples motive, pointing to Washington Post publisher Frederick Ryan, a former Reagan White House staffer who has written numerous books on the president.

Thus, Mr. Ryans motivations and Mr. Wemples writing are hardly what anyone might consider objective journalism, Dugard wrote in an open letter to Bill OReilly. Rather, it is a smear campaign meant to attack you and the Reagan book.

Also Read: Top 21 Cable News Shows, Ranked: What are the Most Popular CNN, MSNBC, Fox News Programs? (Photos)

Wemples story accused Killing Reagan of exaggerating an exchange between the president and the press back in 1984 to make Reagan look bad. Wemple points out that the book said veteran journalist Sam Donaldson was in full confrontational mode, but the retired broadcaster told Wemple he wasnt there.

To be clear: This incident occurred. I am not sure if Mr. Wemple is trying to prove President Reagan did not have a slip, or that the moment never took place, but the video is irrefutable proof, Dugard wrote to OReilly, providing evidence of his own.

Dugard wrote that he is flattered that Wemple spends an inordinate amount of time reading and writing about the book, but that no amount of attacks by Mr. Ryan, Mr. Wemple or any of the Reagan apologists who have come out of the woodwork to attack Killing Reagan can reverse the fact that this incident occurred.

Dugard ended his letter by saying, Whats next, asserting that Reagan didnt die of Alzheimers Disease?

Related stories from TheWrap:

Fox News Beats All Broadcast and Cable Networks in Final Presidential Debate Ratings

Fox News Tells Judge Andrea Tantaros 'Craves the Spotlight' of Courtroom

Fox News Anchor Shepard Smith: Roger Ailes Didn't Care That I'm Gay
Blac Chyna and Rob Kardashian headed to the Magic Kingdom for a family day out on Sunday, and Chyna jokingly put some magic of her own on Rob -- documenting their day in a sweet set of Snapchats.

The Rob and Chyna stars hit up Disneyland with Chyna's 4-year-old son, King Cairo, along with pal, Amber Rose, and her 3-year-old son, Sebastian. The 28-year-old model snapped a super cute pic of the kids together.

WATCH: Blac Chyna's Push Present Is a $400,000 Rolls Royce

While the weather was unusually dreary for Southern California, the mood seemed cheerful -- the often camera-shy Rob even smiled for the camera, posing with Chyna in front of a Ferris wheel and with King Cairo on a Toy Story ride.

The reality star is even seen joking good-naturedly with his fiancee and blowing bubbles in a couple of Snapchat videos.

"Rob, guess what?" Chyna says in one video before whispering into the camera: "I put that black magic on Rob."

He interjects, smiling, "I put that on you."

In another video the banter continues. "My black is so beautiful," Chyna says.

Story continues

"Yes, dear," Rob responds.

Amber and Sebastian made another a brief appearance when Chyna celebrates her score on an arcade game.

The fun weekend was also an excuse for an epic cheat meal for the mother-to-be, who is due in just a few weeks -- a cheesesteak sandwich, a hoagie and cheese fries. As Chyna says, "When you can't decide on one sandwich, just eat both."

NEWS: Blac Chyna Films a Tutorial for Kim Kardashian's App

Earlier this month, Rob celebrated his stepson King's birthday with a super sweet message. Watch this video to see what he had to say.

Related Articles
VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / October 24, 2016 / Blackrock Gold Corp. (BRC.V) ("Blackrock", or the "Company") is pleased to announce the signing of a Letter of Intent to earn up to an 80% interest in the Portrero Au-Ag project, located 235km NW of the city of Durango, Mexico, and 33km NW of Fresnillo's 4000t/d La Cienega, Ag-Au-Zn-Pb underground mine.

Highlights regarding the project are as follows:

Epithermal veins and fault structures which have been mapped on surface over a strike extent of at least 1.5km

The principal Dos de Mayo structure averages 10m in width and has been developed over a strike extent of 470m. Three vertically dipping high-grade shoots have been encountered. Historic non-43-101 compliant resource estimates of these shoots reported average grades of 7.43g/t Au and 248.7g/t Ag

A small 50t/d processing plant is located on site, and could potentially be expanded and brought back into production within 18-24months

The property is immediately adjacent to Fresnillo's Manzanillas Au-Ag deposit. Fresnillo has reported Measured Resources of 75,000t @ 6.76g/t Au and 130g/t Ag (for 16,000oz of Au and 316,000oz of Ag), Indicated Resources of 897,000t @ 3.59g/t Au and 70g/t Ag (for 103,000oz Au and 2.014Moz Ag) and 297,000t of Inferred Resources @ 2.08g/t Au and 48g/t Ag (for 20,000oz of Au and 455,000oz of Ag) for Mazanillas

The agreement provides for 4 months of due diligence after which Blackrock shall have an option to earn an initial 55% interest in the project by spending US$2M over 2 years and making payments totaling US$850,000. Blackrock has an option to increase its interest in the project to 80% by sole funding an additional US$3M in expenditures and making payments of US$1.5M

The Portrero project is located within the western Sierra Madre of Durango state in a geological belt that includes a number of well-known gold-silver mines, the largest of which is the San Dimas (Tayoltita) mine with historic production of 11Moz of gold and 582Moz of silver. The Cienega mine of Fresnillo Plc is located 33km SE of El Portrero which reported 2015 production of 85,662oz Au, 4.8Moz Ag, 5,425t Pb and 5,970t Zn.

Gold-silver mineralization at El Portrero is characterized by a series of low sulphidation epithermal veins and mineralized fault structures cutting shallowly dipping Tertiary andesitic flows and flow breccias, which are in turn overlain by a series of rhyolite flows. Two sets of steeply dipping mineralized structures have been recognised and trend NW and NNE. The NW trending set of structures are dominant and include the Dos de Mayo, El Capulin I, II, El Pochote, Maria Fernanda, La Cruz and El Puerto structures. Of these, the Dos de Mayo structure appears best developed and is 10m in width and extends over a strike length of at least 1.5km.

The NNE group of structures includes La Estrella I and II, El Aguajito, San Jose and El Alto. The mineralized structures range from 0.5 to 10m in width and comprise finely banded epithermal veins and silica cemented breccias associated with fault zones.

Three vertically plunging ore shoots have been identified thus far along the Dos de Mayo structure and include La Dura, Dos de Mayo and Pinos Cuates. A historic non-43-101 compliant resource estimate of these three shoots completed in 1989 reported 26,959 tonnes at an average grade of 7.43g/t Au and 248.7g/t Ag. The lateral extent of each of these shoots ranges from 60-120m.

The terms of the earn-in agreement involve Blackrock paying the owner of the Portrero project, Grupo Jomargo ("Jomargo"), a total of US$875,000 and investing a minimum of US$2M over 2 years to earn an initial 55% interest. The payment schedule is as follows; US$25,000 (paid) upon signing of the Letter of Intent, US$100,000 upon completion of the due diligence and signing of a definitive agreement, $US100,000 after 12 months, and US$650,000 after 24 months; 50% of the future payments may paid in shares of Blackrock, at the option of the Company.

Blackrock has an additional option to increase its interest in the project from 55% to 80% by sole funding an additional US$3M in expenditures, and paying Jomargo an additional US$1.5M, 50% of which may paid in shares of Blackrock, at the option of the Company.

David Robinson, Blackrock's President and CEO commented, "Whilst the Portero project is relatively early stage, it has been in production in the past, and we are attracted by the width and strike extent of the known mineralized structures, and its proximity to a known high grade Au-Ag deposit, as well as the presence of an existing mill. This raises the possibility of near-term gold and silver production for Blackrock. Our partner in Mexico, Grupo Jomargo, also operates the nearby San Geronimo underground mine and brings extensive underground mining experience to the project."

As part of the due diligence exercise, Blackrock intends to conduct a detailed mapping and sampling exercise as well as a review of the processing plant and a detailed analysis of the cost of rehabilitating the existing plant. This work is expected to take 3 months.

The technical information related to the property presented in this news release has been reviewed and approved by Mr. Paul D. Noland, a qualified person.

For further information, please contact:

David R. Robinson, President & CEO

Blackrock Gold Corp.

Phone: 1.403.399.9047

Email: drobinson@blackrockgoldcorp.com

Website: www.blackrockgoldcorp.com

The TSX Venture Exchange has not reviewed and does not accept responsibility for the accuracy or adequacy of this release. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Service Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

This press release may contain forwardlooking statements. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, constitute "forwardlooking statements" and include any information that addresses activities, events or developments that the Company believes, expects or anticipates will or may occur in the future including the Company's strategy, plans or future financial or operating performance and other statements that express management's expectations or estimates of future performance.

Forwardlooking statements are generally identifiable by the use of the words "may", "will", "should", "continue", "expect", "anticipate", "estimate", "believe", "intend", "plan" or "project" or the negative of these words or other variations on these words or comparable terminology. These statements, however, are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from those expressed, implied by or projected in the forwardlooking information or statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ from these forwardlooking statements include but are not limited to the ability of the Company to attract financing and the general market conditions of the industry in which the Company operates and the other factors discussed in the sections relating to risk factors discussed in the Company's continuous disclosure filings on SEDAR.

There can be no assurance that any forwardlooking statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, the reader should not place any undue reliance on forwardlooking information or statements. Except as required by law, the Company does not intend to revise or update these forwardlooking statements after the date of this document or to revise them to reflect the occurrence of future unanticipated events.

NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO UNITED STATES NEWS WIRE SERVICES OR FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES

SOURCE: Blackrock Gold Corp.
Rony Abovitz, CEO of augmented reality startup Magic Leap, waves during the first day of the annual Allen and Co. media conference in Sun Valley, Idaho July 8, 2015. REUTERS/Mike Blake

Multi-billion dollar startup Magic Leap, which is building a cutting-edge augmented reality headset, is currently in a legal battle with the engineer who started its first Silicon Valley office.

Court filings reveal new secrets about the company, including a west coast software team in disarray, insufficient hardware for testing, and a secret skunkworks team devoted to getting patents and designing new prototypes  before its first product has even hit the market.

The company believes that Adrian Kaehler and Gary Bradski, two VPs at Magic Leap, tried to rip off its technology and talent to start a new robotics startup.

Kaehler and Bradski, who sued the company for wrongful termination earlier this year, say that Magic Leap unfairly robbed them of their shares in Magic Leap and broke their employment contracts.

Magic Leap countered by suing the pair for misappropriation of trade secrets in Northern California District Court.

While the suit was settled in October, documents and emails filed in the case reveal a major disconnect between the Florida-based Magic Leap and its satellite offices in Silicon Valley.

A $4.5 billion startup

magic leap

Magic Leap is one of the most mysterious and hyped startups in tech.

The company has raised a massive amount of venture money  $1.39 billion  from nearly every top technology investor, including Google, Alibaba, KPCB, and Andreessen Horowitz. It has not yet shipped a product, and people who have tried the prototypes are required to sign legal documents that prevent them from discussing them.

Magic Leap's still unrevealed product will be a set of AR glasses, according to testimony in the lawsuit. The glasses will be attached to a smartphone-sized computer, according to a source with knowledge of Magic Leap's product.

The highly anticipated augmented reality glasses will superimpose computer images into the real world. (As opposed to virtual reality, which immerses the viewer in a computer-generated world.)

Story continues

The company was reportedly valued at $4.5 billion in February.

Magic Leap declined to comment, citing pending litigation. Kaehler declined to comment through his attorney. Bradski could not be immediately reached.

Disgruntled employees

Earlier this year, Bradski told Magic Leap CEO Rony Abovitz that he wanted to form a new startup focusing on cutting-edge robotics with his friend Kaehler, and planned to try to hire Magic Leap employees from its West Coast office. Then in May, the pair found they were no longer Magic Leap employees  or even advisors  and their access to email was cut off.

Then came the dueling lawsuits.

Magic Leap paints Bradski and Kaehler, who worked on software for Magic Leap, as disgruntled employees, even producing an email that Bradski sent to Kaehler in August 2015 from his Magic Leap work email address:

Like Jobs, R has a reality distortion field. Unlike Jobs, Rs is more like a bad high, just leaves you feeling tired with a vague headache in the morning and is not productive."

In this note, R likely refers to Rony Abovitz, the CEO of Magic Leap, and compares him unfavorably to former Apple CEO Steve Jobs, who was known for being difficult to work with.

Abovitz says that Bradski and Kaehler were planning to start their startup for a year before they quit. "Dr. Bradski did not tell me what his future plans were going to be, and led me to believe that he was excited about being at Magic Leap," Abovitz wrote.

Magic Leap's lawyer, David Lundmark, implies that Bradski wanted more power in the company, and was primarily worried about his personal income, even though he personally chose the location for the company's Mountain View and Sunnyvale offices.

"Dr. Bradski told me more than once that he did not have confidence in the leadership or processes of Magic Leap," Lundmark wrote. "Dr. Bradski expressed to me a lack of confidence in the proposition that certain compensation-related milestones, such as a secondary offering and bonus program, were going to happen in a timely manner."

Jobs reality distortion field

He notes that when Kaehler received his bonuses and liquidated stock in a secondary offering, he put a sticky note on his monitor that said "gone for two weeks."

Sunshine state of mind

2014 is apparently the year of the selfie. With my tiny Graeme. A photo posted by Spencer Lindsay (@spencerlindsay) on Jan 31, 2014 at 10:32am PST on Jan 31, 2014 at 10:32am PST

Magic Leap is unusual among high-value tech startups because it's based in Plantation, Florida, where its CEO, Rony Abovitz, grew up and lives. Most tech startups are concentrated in Silicon Valley, New York, or a handful of other tech hubs like Boston, Seattle, or Austin, Texas.

Bradski had a good reputation before joining Magic Leap  he founded OpenCV, an open-source computer vision library in wide use, and previously founded a robotics startup that was bought by Google. He founded the West Coast office for Magic Leap in 2013, growing it to over 100 employees.

According to Bradski's testimony, as well as other sources close to the company, the Florida location has made it hard to recruit and retain software talent, especially in artificial intelligence. Bradski claims he had to promise hires not to move them to Florida.

"It was difficult to recruit top people in the deep net field to Magic Leap, since everyone external wanted to live in New York or Silicon Valley, but Magic Leap's base of operations is in Florida," Bradski testified in writing. "We lost several deep net hires that I thought would be key leaders because of this." One of those hires ended up at Google Brain, Google's artificial intelligence research group, according to the court documents.

Once the Silicon Valley office was established, there was plenty of friction between it and headquarters.

"What is not recognized ... is just how many hours I spent in 'worker therapy' with so many employees who expressed deep dissatisfaction with the 'us v. them' mentality that existed in the way the Florida executives tried to absentee manage the California talent," Kaehler wrote in testimony.

"From my familiarity with the spectrum of engineering work being done in the company, the majority of the best work was being done on the West Coast," he continued.

"I spent a lot of time dealing with convincing disgruntled and frustrated employees to stay," Bradski wrote. One carrot that he used was a Magic Leap-scheduled secondary market stock buy, which would allow employees to turn their options into cash.

In an private email to an investor uncovered by Magic Leap, Bradski explains that he will try to help hire and retain employees at the Mountain View office, but "hell, many are leaving anyhow."

Sources also tell Business Insider that Abovitz's attention is primarily focused on Florida operations.

So why is Magic Leap based in Florida instead of Silicon Valley?

One theory, posited by Kaehler: "It seemed to me and was expressed to me by many employees in various language that the East Coast operation existed for the pleasure of senior people who preferred to live in that [income] tax-free state," he wrote in testimony seen by Business Insider.

Not enough glasses

Magic Leap

Access to Magic Leap's glasses is closely controlled, and testers must sign a legal non-disclosure agreement promising not to talk about them before they can get a demo of how they work.

Magic Leap employees in California don't have enough prototypes to do their work, according to the suit.

"Through Summer 2014, Magic Leap's actual hardware team based in Florida seemed to be having difficulties making AR headsets for use by Magic Leap personnel," Bradski wrote.

He says his personal project could not get started until the company "built enough of its AR glasses for most employees to regularly use them day-to-day."

"We were hardware starved in Magic Leap West until the day I left," he writes, and says that at one point he asked Florida for "30-50 more headsets" to get "common headset usage started" at Magic Leap's West Coast office.

"This hardware has still not arrived as far as I know," he wrote. In a legal filing, Abovitz says that Magic Leap is completing its manufacturing plant.

A secret skunkworks team

N+1

Last fall, Magic Leap assigned Bradski to a new skunkworks team.

Other leaders of the "N+1" team include Brian Schowengerdt, founder and Chief Science Officer, and Neal Stephenson, famous sci-fi author and chief futurist at Magic Leap.

We previously reported that Stephenson and Schowengerdt are not located at the company's Florida headquarters, and work out of a satellite office in Seattle.

"Magic Leaps N+1 projects look to 'invent the future,' by developing the future applications of Magic Leaps technology," Abovitz wrote.

According to an email sent by Abovitz, the N+1 team was focused on filing patents, creating prototypes, and potentially publishing scientific papers.

However, Bradski saw the new assignment as something of a demotion, and he complains in the suit that he did not have enough staff underneath him to do these special projects.

Before he left, Bradski focused on building a deep learning team as well as working on embedded hardware for computer vision.

A settlement conference between the two former Magic Leap VPs and the company is scheduled for later this week.

Know anything about Magic Leap? Email the author at kleswing@businessinsider.com. Anonymity guaranteed.

This story has been updated to reflect that the suit was settled.

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LONDON (Reuters) - BP's (BP.L) General Council Rupert Bondy will step down at the end of the year after eight years in office during which he oversaw the legal battles surrounding the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill, a company spokesman said on Monday.

Bondy, an executive team member, will join health and home products manufacturer Reckitt Benckiser (RB.L) as senior vice-president general council and company secretary.

The 55-year-old British national who joined BP in 2008 was at the heart of several huge legal processes with U.S. authorities and claimants following the Deepwater Horizon rig explosion in April 2010 in which 11 workers died and which resulted in the worst oil spill in U.S. history.

The British oil and gas company paid more than $55 billion in penalties and clean up costs in the years following the incident.

"Rupert has been a greatly valued member of BP's executive team and will always have the deep respect of the board and senior management of the company. I wish him all the very best," BP Chief Executive Officer Bob Dudley said in a statement.

A successor for Bondy has yet be named, the company said.

(Reporting by Ron Bousso, editing by David Evans)
ZURICH, SWITZERLAND / ACCESSWIRE / October 24, 2016 / With approximately 20 million shares and a current market capitalization of $7 million CAD, Bravura Ventures Corp. (CSE:BVQ) has aligned itself with Golden Predator Mining Corp. (GPY.V). Today, Bravura has announced to option up to 90% of the high-grade Grew Creek Project in the prolific Watson Lake Mining District in southeast Yukon, Canada, with grades as high as 132 g/t gold and 907 g/t silver.

Since 2010, Golden Predator has drilled 70 holes over 19,000 m and was able to demonstrate extremely high-grade gold mineralization over remarkable lengths, such as 68 m @ 5.96 g/t gold (at 32 m depth), 146 m @ 1.72 g/t gold (at 40 m depth) and 92 m @ 2 g/t gold (at 60 m depth). At depths of 130 m, drilling showed 47 m @ 3.78 g/t gold.

For comparison : Gold Standard Ventures Corp., which Rockstone introduced as early as 2011, recently assayed as much as 126 m @ 3.95 g/t gold (at 165 m depth) at its Nevada project and currently enjoys a market capitalization in excess of $700 million CAD.

In fact, Grew Creek has strong similarities with the large and high-grade epithermal gold deposits in Nevada, such as the Midas Mine (+5 million ounces of gold @ ~17 g/t gold). William Sheriff, Golden Predator's Chairman, once said: "Being in the Yukon is like being in Nevada when the Carlin trend was identified but knowing what is coming. If you see the potential and know what is possible, how much of this would you want?"

Bravura's highly experienced management team around CEO Greg Burns already proved a few weeks ago with the acquisition of the Musgrove Creek Gold Project in Idaho, USA, to be capable of acquiring world-class gold projects for immediate development. An increased newsflow in the upcoming weeks is anticipated as exploration has already started at Musgrove Creek.

The full report can be accessed with the following links:

English (PDF):

http://rockstone-research.com/images/PDF/Bravura2en.pdf

Story continues

English (web version):

http://rockstone-research.com/index.php/en/research-reports/1930-Bravura-Ventures-aligns-itself-with-Golden-Predator-and-aquires-the-high-grade-Grew-Creek-Gold-Project-in-the-Yukon

German (PDF):

http://rockstone-research.com/images/PDF/Bravura2de.pdf

For smartphones, an APP from Rockstone Research is available in the AppStore for Apple devices and in the GooglePlayStore for Android devices.



Recently, Zimtu Capital Corp. launched the Beta Version of its Advantage APP, in which all interlisted stocks (i.e. all public companies listed in Canada and Germany) can be tracked. After a cost-free registration, the full features of the APP are unlocked, e.g. sorting all stocks with the biggest daily trading volumes on all German or Canadian exchanges (see instructions in the section "How To Use"): www.zimtuadvantage.com

See Rockstone Report introducing and explaining the Zimtu Advantage App:

http://rockstone-research.com/images/PDF/Zimtu6en.pdf

Disclaimer: Please read the full disclaimer within the full research report as a PDF as fundamental risks and conflicts of interest exist.

SOURCE: Rockstone Research
Editor's Note: This story was updated at 3:45 p.m. E.T.

Alan Turing, Oscar Wilde, Lord Edward Montagu.

Those are just some of the thousands of men who, over the course of about two centuries, were jailed for having same-sex relationships with men in Britain.

Now, Britain is reversing course and pardoning men who were convicted for same-sex offenses that are now considered legal. In addition to pardoning people posthumously, anyone who is still alive can also formally apply to have his name cleared, according to the United Kingdom government website.

"It is hugely important that we pardon people convicted of historical sexual offenses who would be innocent of any crime today," Sam Gyimah, the parliamentary under secretary of state for prisons and probation, said in a statement from the U.K. government. [10 Milestones in Gay Rights History]

Changing mores

The new pardon is the culmination of a huge reversal for the country, which for centuries has harshly punished same-sex relationships. Britain outlawed sexual contact between men in 1533, when King Henry VIII made the offense punishable by death. In 1828, this law was repealed and replaced by the Offenses Against the Person Act, though same-sex intercourse between men was still eligible for the death sentence until 1861, according to "A Gay History of Britain: Love and Sex Between Men Since the Middle Ages," (Praeger, 2007). In 1895, the playwright Oscar Wilde was convicted for gross indecency after a love affair with Lord Alfred Douglas. Wilde was sentenced to hard labor, and spent the remaining years of his life as a pauper. In 1921, the law was updated to make same-sex acts between women illegal as well.

The impetus for the new move was set in motion when Queen Elizabeth II pardoned pioneering mathematician Alan Turing three years ago. Turing, who is considered one of the founding fathers of computer science, was a brilliant cryptographer who helped Britain win the war against Germany by cracking codes that were created by Germany's Enigma machine.

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He also formulated the Turing Test, a method of determining whether artificial intelligence is acting in a truly intelligent way. However, Turing was also gay and lived at a time when sex between men was outlawed. He was prosecuted in 1952 for having sex with a man and was given the option of chemical castration with the hormone estrogen, or imprisonment, according to Turing.org. He chose the former, but committed suicide in 1954.

Just three years later, in 1957, the Wolfenden Report, which was commissioned by the Committee on Homosexual Offences and Prostitution, recommended that homosexuality not be a crime. By 1967, the government had passed a law that decriminalized private sexual relations between men over the age of 21. Same-sex marriage was legalized in Britain (except Northern Ireland) in 2013.

Original article on Live Science.

Editor's Note: This story was updated to correct the queen of England's name. She is Queen Elizabeth II, not Queen Elizabeth III.

Editor's Recommendations
Portland, OR, Oct. 24, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- One of the top John Deere dealerships in the nation, 12-location Everglades Farm Equipment in Florida started in 1963. Like most great successes, the dealership started with humble beginnings  the original founder owned the Schlechter radish farm in Glades County. The decision to sell that farm and form a tractor dealership led to the business that is still run today by members of the third-generation Schlechter family.

Bo Schlechter, grandson of the companys founder, is the Internet Sales Coordinator.

We treat our customers right, and we work hard from top to bottom, in any every department of our business, Schlechter says of the dealerships culture. Those values stem from our family values. We treat everyone like family.

That strategy has clearly worked for them. Achieving their notable status came at a cost  they made sacrifices and chose to constantly re-invest their finances in order to grow the dealership for future generations.

Schlechter, unlike many others in the agricultural trade, understands that his dealership needs to adapt. While others in his industry are accustomed to doing things the old way, in person or by phone, Schlechter knows that wont always be the case.

The industry is changing dramatically, and our website is quickly becoming much more important, Schlechter explains.

It took convincing among managers to invest in the dealerships web presence. Schlechter calls it a cultural change  understanding that more people are shopping for agricultural equipment online.

The Florida dealers previous website was not a contributing factor to success in sales. Corporate Sales Manager Josh Coffman contacted Dealer Spike for help just over one year ago. The rest of our team was not very in tune with what we needed back then, Schlechter says.

His team chose Dealer Spike particularly due to specialized knowledge in serving dealerships, in addition to other Dealer Spike/John Deere dealer websites that they were impressed with.

There is absolutely a noticeable change weve seen. Lead generation is number one, Schlechter says of the new website. Now its a place to do business, rather than just gain information.

Schlechter credits the sites lead forms and call-to-action buttons for communication with customers they would have otherwise lost. He also commends Dealer Spikes support team, citing excellent service and saying there is nothing like it.

Our team works hard to apply industry-specific knowledge and dealership-focused digital tools, says Jay Mason, CEO of Dealer Spike. We are proud and honored to be working with one of the largest and most successful agricultural equipment dealers in the country.

The dealership has implement additional services as well, such as Search Engine Optimization and Reputation Management, to further enhance results. Our monthly reports are always positive, Schlechter says. Dealer Spike is always eager to help us get things done.

Although there was no way of tracking leads on the old website, Schlechter says that he has seen a dramatic increase in leads as a result of Everglades Farm Equipments partnership with Dealer Spike.
London (AFP) - Britain has pledged up to A36 million to maintain border controls across the channel in Calais and to ensure France's Jungle migrant camp remains closed following its demolition this week, Interior Minister Amber Rudd said Monday.

"Whilst responsibility for Calais lies with the French government, the juxtaposed controls are a vital part of the UK's border security and are a valuable economic link," Rudd told parliament.

"That's why the UK government will be contributing up to A36 million (40 million euros, $44 million) to maintain the security of these controls, to support the camp clearance and to ensure in the long-term that the camp is kept closed."

The home secretary said the funding would also be used to "help keep children safe in France" but stressed that it was not offered "unconditionally".

"We will continue to work with the French government to ensure that the clearance operation is full and lasting," she said, adding that French authorities faced a "huge challenge" in clearing the camp.

Her comments come after more than 2,000 migrants were bused out of the Calais "Jungle" on Monday as French authorities began an operation to dismantle the notorious camp.

Rudd pledged to support the operation by bringing eligible children from France to Britain "as quickly and as safely as possible" in the coming days and weeks, without specifying numbers.

Almost 200 children have already been transferred to Britain from Calais, including 60 girls, many of them at "high risk of sexual exploitation", Rudd said.
(Adds potential sentences in 16th paragraph)

By Farah Master

HONG KONG, Oct 24 (Reuters) - A Hong Kong judge warned jurors that they will have to view video filmed by former British banker Rurik Jutting of the torture and vicious killing of two Indonesian women he is accused of murdering as the trial got under way on Monday.

Jutting, who studied at Cambridge University and Winchester College, one of Britain's most prestigious private schools, pleaded not guilty to murder on grounds of "diminished responsibility". He was arrested two years ago after the victims' bodies were found in his luxury high rise apartment.

The 31-year-old pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of manslaughter, and to a third charge of preventing lawful burial of a body.

During the jury selection, Deputy High Court Judge Michael Stuart-Moore warned potential jurors that if they were unable to cope with viewing extreme violence they should not take part.

"There is a particularly horrifying aspect of the case. One of the victims was subject to extreme cruelty and violence," the judge said, explaining that a number of gruesome, and extreme colour photographs could be presented during the trial.

"The defendant even recorded on his IPhone the torture inflicted on the first victim before she died."

Jutting filmed a series of videos including one showing the first killing, while in other videos he talks about his plans for the second, according to a court fact sheet.

The judge said the defence and prosecution were largely in agreement over the physical evidence, but the dispute may lie in psychiatric and psychological evidence provided by the defence to determine whether it was a case of murder or manslaughter.

Looking trim and dressed in a dark blue shirt, Jutting was clean shaven with short cut hair, in stark contrast to his initial court appearances when he looked heavily overweight and wore a thick dark beard.

The grisly nature of the case has cast a harsh light on the seamy side of Hong Kong, offering an insight into how some wealthy professionals binge on sex, drugs and alcohol.

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Jutting who previously worked at Bank of America Corp in Hong Kong, was accused of murder in October 2014 after police found the bodies of Sumarti Ningsih, 23, and Seneng Mujiasih, 26, in his apartment. Both women's throats were slit.

Ningsih, who had a son in Indonesia, was visiting Hong Kong on a tourist visa. Her mutilated body was discovered inside a suitcase on Jutting's balcony, while Mujiasih, a domestic helper, was found lying inside with wounds to her neck and buttocks. She was working in a bar when she met Jutting, according to the fact sheet.

"HIGHLY GRAPHIC" VIDEO

Before the jury selection, Jutting's barrister Tim Owen explained the argument for diminished responsibility was based on the grounds of a personality disorder.

Prosecutor John Reading stated that psychopathic behaviour was not a reason for diminished responsibility, setting up the arguments both parties will make during the trial.

Jutting was found fit to plea after undergoing psychiatric assessment at the end of 2014.

The jury has to decide if it is a case of murder, which carries a mandatory life sentence, or manslaughter, which carries a maximum of life thouh a shorter sentence can be set. On Tuesday, the jury will watch 30 minutes of "highly graphic" video. The public in the courtroom will not be able to see the video, though the sound will be audible.

The fact sheet said Ningsih was tortured for three days using Jutting's belt, sex toys, a pair of pliers and his fists. He eventually killed her in the bathroom, cutting her throat with a serrated-edged knife.

In video footage Jutting talked about watching porn including depicting violence and turning his fantasies into realities. He also talked about whether to turn himself in or hide the body and fly to Britain.

He called police to report the second murder. In a recording played in court Jutting sounded coherent, stating "obviously bad stuff has happened."

Investigators also found cocaine at his apartment, according to the fact sheet.

"I definitely could not have done that without cocaine," it quoted Jutting saying.

Hong Kong, a former British colony, still retains a British legal system after being handed back to China in 1997.

The case is being closely watched by Hong Kong's 300,000-strong migrant domestic helpers community, many of whom come from Indonesia and the Philippines. Outside the High Court, about a dozen of their representatives held placards reading "Justice for Wanchai Murder Victim" and "Stop Violence".

(Reporting by Farah Master, additional reporting by Venus Wu; Editing by Simon Cameron-Moore)
A Hong Kong court Monday heard how British banker Rurik Jutting tortured one of his victims for three days as the trial opened into the killings of two Indonesian women at his upscale apartment.

Jutting, 31, had earlier Monday pleaded "not guilty" to two counts of murder on the grounds of diminished responsibility. He instead pleaded guilty to manslaughter. The prosecution rejected the lesser plea.

The court heard Jutting filmed both women on his iPhone and jurors were warned by judge Michael Stuart-Moore that the footage was "very shocking indeed".

Sumarti Ningsih and Seneng Mujiasih, both in their 20s, were found dead in Jutting's flat in the early hours of November 1, 2014, after he called police.

Prosecutor John Reading said Ningsih was tortured with pliers, sex toys and a belt for three days at Jutting's apartment in Wan Chai -- where expensive homes lie close to a red-light district.

Jutting then killed her in the shower with a serrated knife, Reading said.

Ningsih who was in Hong Kong on a visitor visa, had sex with Jutting on a previous occasion at a hotel for an amount of money, Reading said, but had offered to refund half the cash to be allowed to leave early, because he treated her violently.

She had reluctantly agreed to meet Jutting again on October 26 when he offered her another amount of money which was not specified.

After she was killed, her body was wrapped in plastic sheets and blankets, and put inside a suitcase, Reading said.

- Hunting prey -

Jutting recorded footage describing how he had enjoyed the killing and saying he could not have done it without using cocaine.

Late on October 31, Jutting met Mujiasih at a bar in Wan Chai and brought her home after offering her money for sex -- they had never met before, said Reading.

Mujiasih was in Hong Kong on a domestic helper visa, he said.

Before going out to meet her, Jutting hid two knives under sofa cushions. He had also bought a small blowtorch, plastic ties and a hammer, Reading said.

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"In one of his interviews with the police, the accused explained how he went out that evening hunting for prey, and that Mujiasih was his prey," Reading said.

Jutting cut Mujiasih's throat that night.

When police arrived after Jutting called them, they discovered her body in a pool of blood in the living room, said Reading.

Police officer Hong Kin-yip said Mujiasih was face down in the living room, naked and had cuts to her neck and buttocks.

Ningsih's body was found hours later in a suitcase on the balcony.

Jutting shook his head in court as a recording was played of his call to police, during which he said special forces were outside his apartment.

"Obviously bad stuff has happened," Jutting said in the recording.

Jutting told police that he had taken the last of his cocaine and was hallucinating, Reading said.

Cambridge graduate Jutting, a former securities trader at Bank of America Merrill Lynch, faces a three-week jury trial and life in prison if convicted on the murder charges.

Clean-shaven, much thinner than during his first court appearances, and wearing a dark-blue shirt, Jutting calmly entered his official plea for the first time Monday.

He then took notes during proceedings.

Jutting was deemed fit to stand trial following psychiatric tests and is being held at a maximum security prison.

Judge Stuart-Moore said the evidence in the case was "to a large extent agreed" between defence and prosecution, but that there may be disputes over psychiatric and psychological evidence.

The killings shocked the city of seven million -- typically regarded as safe and known for its glitzy skyscrapers -- and shone a spotlight on the seedy underbelly of the financial hub.

Outside the court, a small group of protesters from Indonesian migrant worker organisations called for a "speedy and fair trial" and for compensation for the victims' families.
LONDON (Reuters) - A group of 105 British members of parliament (MPs) have asked President Barack Obama to withdraw a warrant for the extradition of an autistic Briton who is accused of hacking high-security U.S. state computers.

Lauri Love, 31, who has Asperger's syndrome, is accused of involvement in a series of hacks in 2012 and 2013 into computers at agencies including the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. army, the Missile Defense Agency and the Federal Reserve.

A London court approved his extradition in September despite warnings from his family, lawyers and supporters that he would be at risk of killing himself if sentenced to a lifetime in a U.S. prison.

In a letter to Obama, the 105 MPs from the ruling Conservative Party, the main opposition Labour Party and several other parties said they were deeply concerned about the case.

"Mr Love should face prosecution for any crimes committed in his own country where his suicide risk is exponentially reduced," the lawmakers wrote, according to a copy of the letter sent to media on Monday.

"We urge you to carry out an act of compassion in your final days as President by withdrawing Mr Love's extradition warrant."

U.S. authorities say Love was connected to Anonymous, an international group of hackers, and that his actions had caused millions of dollars' worth of damage.

The MPs argued in their letter that he should face any charges in Britain, pointing to new rules that make it easier for British courts to try people for crimes committed there but involving other countries.

They said Britain had prosecuted at least 12 people accused of hacking U.S.-based computer systems.

"Why then is the United States insistent on Mr Love's extradition despite the UK having a proven track record of appropriately sentencing and rehabilitating individuals who have committed computer hacking offences against the U.S.?" they asked.

The MPs said Love had a long history of serious mental health issues including depression and episodes of psychosis, and that he also suffered from anxiety-induced eczema that was resistant to antibiotics and very hard to manage.

"Consequently, there is significant concern that Mr Love's physical and mental well-being would deteriorate and become unmanageable if he were extradited," the MPs wrote, adding that they had "no doubt in mind" that he would be at high risk of suicide.

(Reporting by Estelle Shirbon; Editing by Tom Heneghan)
LONDON (Reuters) - A group of 105 British members of parliament (MPs) have asked President Barack Obama to withdraw a warrant for the extradition of an autistic Briton who is accused of hacking high-security U.S. state computers. Lauri Love, 31, who has Asperger's syndrome, is accused of involvement in a series of hacks in 2012 and 2013 into computers at agencies including the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. army, the Missile Defense Agency and the Federal Reserve. A London court approved his extradition in September despite warnings from his family, lawyers and supporters that he would be at risk of killing himself if sentenced to a lifetime in a U.S. prison. In a letter to Obama, the 105 MPs from the ruling Conservative Party, the main opposition Labour Party and several other parties said they were deeply concerned about the case. "Mr Love should face prosecution for any crimes committed in his own country where his suicide risk is exponentially reduced," the lawmakers wrote, according to a copy of the letter sent to media on Monday. "We urge you to carry out an act of compassion in your final days as President by withdrawing Mr Love's extradition warrant." U.S. authorities say Love was connected to Anonymous, an international group of hackers, and that his actions had caused millions of dollars' worth of damage. The MPs argued in their letter that he should face any charges in Britain, pointing to new rules that make it easier for British courts to try people for crimes committed there but involving other countries. They said Britain had prosecuted at least 12 people accused of hacking U.S.-based computer systems. "Why then is the United States insistent on Mr Love's extradition despite the UK having a proven track record of appropriately sentencing and rehabilitating individuals who have committed computer hacking offences against the U.S.?" they asked. The MPs said Love had a long history of serious mental health issues including depression and episodes of psychosis, and that he also suffered from anxiety-induced eczema that was resistant to antibiotics and very hard to manage. "Consequently, there is significant concern that Mr Love's physical and mental well-being would deteriorate and become unmanageable if he were extradited," the MPs wrote, adding that they had "no doubt in mind" that he would be at high risk of suicide. (Reporting by Estelle Shirbon; Editing by Tom Heneghan)
British Prime Minister Theresa May announced Monday she will be leading a trade delegation to India next month, as her government seeks new relationships after Britain leaves the European Union.

"I'll be visiting India in early November and I'm pleased to say that I will be taking a trade delegation with me," May told the House of Commons.

"We'll be focusing on small and medium-sized enterprises to try to ensure that we boost the relationships between smaller and medium-sized businesses here in the UK with the important Indian market."

Individual EU member states cannot hold bilateral talks on free trade deals with non-EU states as long as they remain part of the bloc.

But updating lawmakers on last week's European summit, May's first since taking office following the June vote to leave the bloc, she said there could be "discussions".

"There is a limit to what we can do in terms of entering into a trade arrangement before we've left the European Union, but that doesn't mean we can't scope out negotiations and start to have those discussions and indeed we are doing with a number of countries," she said.

May has said she intends to start formal negotiations on leaving the EU by the end of March, putting Britain on course to exit the bloc -- and potentially the European single market -- by early 2019.
Oct 24 (Reuters) - Buckeye Partners LP, which operates pipelines and other transportation and storage assets for liquid petroleum products, said it bought a 50 percent stake in a marine terminal company for $1.15 billion.

Buckeye Partners said on Monday that the other 50 percent in VTTI B.V. will continue to be held jointly by Vitol, the world's largest oil trader, and Vitol's investment vehicle.

VTTI, which owns and operates about 54 million barrels of petroleum products storage through 13 terminals globally, was previously equally owned by Vitol and its investment vehicle, according to VTTI's website.

A majority of VTTI's cash flows are also supported by take-or-pay storage agreements with Vitol, Buckeye Partners said in a statement.

The company said it expects the deal to immediately add to its distributable cash flow per limited partner unit in 2017.

"We expect this investment to generate increasing quarterly distributions supported by stable fee-based cash flows," Chief Executive Officer Clark Smith said.

Midstream companies such as Buckeye Partners make money by charging fees for use of their facilities, but have faced sharp declines in throughput due to a two-year rout in oil prices.

The company also said on Monday it commenced a 7.5 million offering of limited partnership units to partly fund the deal.

Barclays Capital Inc acted as the exclusive financial adviser to Buckeye Partners.

The deal is expected to close in early January 2017.

(Reporting by Arathy S Nair in Bengaluru; Editing by Savio D'Souza)
After years of foreign automakers dominating the industry's reliability surveys, an American brand has finally joined the ranks of those building the best vehicles: Buick.

According to Consumer Reports' latest auto reliability survey, the near-luxury brand from General Motors (GM) climbed four slots to rank third, after Lexus and Toyota (7203.T-JP). It's the first time a domestic brand has finished in the top three in more than 35 years. (See below for the full list of rankings.)

"If you look at the top three it is Toyotta and Lexus, no surprise there," said Jake Fisher, director of automotive testing at Consumer Reports. "But above any of the Japanese automakers  above Honda (7267.T-JP), above Subaru (9778.T-JP)  we see Buick, and that is a big deal."

As Buick has moved into the top three in reliability, Honda has slumped. The automaker this year fell two slots to No. 10, according to Consumer Reports.

"Honda really made a huge change with the Civic this year," Fisher said, explaining that the company redesigned everything from the powertrain to the infotainment system. "They have improved the car in the way it drives but they are stumbling with getting the reliability right."

A spokesman for Honda told CNBC in a statement, "We greatly value both customer and third-party feedback as we assess the customer experience with advanced technologies we are applying to our products to meet their desire for connectivity, entertainment and other functions. We will continue working diligently to enhance the usability and functionality of these in demand technologies in our unrelenting effort to create new value for our customers."

Consumer Reports' Annual Brand Reliability Survey is considered by most in the auto industry to be a bellwether for how automakers are doing when it comes to building dependable vehicles.

The results are based on the responses of more than 7 million Consumer Reports subscribers who are asked to comment on the problems they are experiencing with their vehicles.

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Among the other noteworthy results in the survey:

 Volkswagen (VOW3-DE) showed the biggest drop of any brand in the survey, falling nine spots to rank 22nd out of 29;

 Fiat Chrysler (FCA-IT) had the four lowest-ranked brands, with the Ram pickup truck earning the bottom score in the survey;

 Tesla (TSLA), included in the survey for the first time, finished 25th. The low ranking was due largely to the company's new Model X, which was rated as the least reliable midsize luxury SUV.

"The Model X out of the gate is very problematic," Fisher said. "A lot of the problems have to do with the complex doors. The falcon wing doors are kind of an accident waiting to happen."

In a statement to CNBC, a Tesla representative said, "We are committed to making the world's most reliable cars. The amount of issues we've addressed with Model X has fallen by 92 percent in the last 12 months, a reflection of our ability to make continuous improvements and react quickly. This commitment is one of the reasons why Tesla won AutoPacific's highest vehicle satisfaction award in 2016."



In response to its low rankings, a spokesperson for Fiat Chrysler told CNBC that "the company values all feedback from our customers and third-party evaluators, including Consumer Reports, as it helps guide our product improvements."

"Our internal quality surveys and measurements continue to show positive growth toward vehicle quality and dependability across our brands. Additionally, it's important to note that the Ram truck brand finished in the top 10 of automakers in J.D. Power's 2016 Vehicle Dependability Study. With that being said, we encourage customers to experience our vehicles for themselves."



Questions? Comments? BehindTheWheel@cnbc.com .


OUAGADOUGOU (Reuters) - Burkina Faso's police chief said on Sunday that his forces shot dead a jihadist overnight in Ouagadougou and were searching for two others in the latest sign of growing insecurity in the West African country. The incident was the first deadly clash with Islamist militants in the capital since an attack on the Splendid Hotel in January that killed 30 people and was claimed by al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM). Witnesses said there was a brief exchange of gunfire between police and a group of men early on Sunday morning in the northwestern suburb of Kilwin. "The group were Burkinabe and our forces killed one jihadist," said police chief Lazare Tarpaga, adding that police were still seeking at least two other missing men. He said that the group was suspected of recruiting for Islamist militant groups operating in the north of the country or elsewhere in the Sahel region, without naming a specific organisation. Public prosecutor Maiza Compaore said an investigation into the recruitment networks had been opened and that important clues had already been found, including several telephones. Burkina Faso shares its western border with Mali, whose lawless desert north serves as a base for range of secular militias, al Qaeda-linked groups and a new body pledging allegiance to the Islamic State. President Roch Marc Christian Kabore, elected in November after order was restored following a six-day coup attempt, is facing a rising number of attacks in remote border areas. In a further sign of fragility, a group of about 30 ex-members of the elite presidential guard attempted to mount a coup earlier this month but were thwarted, Interior Minister Simon Compaore said on Friday. (Reporting by Mathieu Bonkoungou and Nadoun Coulibaly; Writing by Emma Farge; Editing by Andrew Roche)
CHICAGO, Oct. 24, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Family Office Exchange (FOX), the leading global membership organisation for family enterprises and their key advisors, has appointed Peter Roach to the role of Market Leader for Australia and New Zealand, succeeding Melissa James who continues as co-facilitator of the FOX Family Enterprise Council meetings.



FOX will also be offering a one day workshop for qualified family leaders, board members, and family office executives on February 10, 2017 in Melbourne. Entitled Building an Enduring Family Enterprise, the workshop will help in developing a plan for the future based on a strong, unified family vision that integrates the many facets of an enterprise family. The workshop will be conducted by Sara Hamilton, founder and CEO of Family Office Exchange.

Peter will work on expanding the FOX membership base in the region and guiding families and advisors on global best practices. He will bring to the Australia and NZ market his many years of experience in the family office sector, supported by the expertise FOX has gained from working with over 1000 ultra-wealthy families around the world.

Melissa will continue to jointly run the twice annual FOX Family Enterprise Council meetings with Peter and work in a special project capacity with FOX. Now in its third year, the Council is a peer group of family leaders and executives working collaboratively to resolve the challenges they face in ensuring the long term well-being of their families and family enterprises. The next meeting of the Council is scheduled for February 9, 2017 in Melbourne.

Peter is well known in the family office sector. He was Chief Executive Officer of the Fairfax Family Office, Cambooya Services, from 2000-2012. In conjunction with that role, he was a Non-Executive Director of Rural Press Limited, Landis+Gyr AG and other boards associated with the familys media and private equity interests.

Since stepping down from that role, Peter continues to serve as an independent, non-executive director of various boards of generational families across Australia. In addition to Cambooya Services, Peter has also worked with one of Australias largest banks, developing its family office services.

We are pleased to make available to the growing FOX membership in Australia and New Zealand an accomplished family office practitioner like Peter Roach, said Alexandre Monnier, president of FOX. His experience will benefit our members and attract new members to our Council peer group.

About Family Office Exchange

For background on FOX, please consult our media kit.
NAIROBI (Reuters) - Burundi's government has withdrawn permits from a prominent human rights organization and several other non-profit groups, accusing them of stirring up hatred and tarnishing the nation's image, an order issued by the Interior Ministry said. Not-for-profit and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) have often been accused of taking sides against the government in a political crisis that has rumbled on since last year over President Pierre Nkurunziza's election for a third term. Among those whose permits were withdrawn was the Association for the Protection of Human Rights and Detained Persons (APRODH), run by prominent activist Pierre Claver Mbonimpa, who survived an assassination attempt by unidentified gunmen last year and then left for Europe where he remains. Mbonimpa and other activists have criticized the president for seeking a third term, accusing him of violating the constitution and a peace deal that ended civil war in 2005. They have accused the state and security forces of rights abuses. The government cites a ruling by the constitutional court saying the president could seek another term. It also dismisses allegations of abuses. "In spite of the multiple warnings the associations ... have deviated from their objectives as written in the statute and keeps on tarnishing the countrys image and sowing hatred and divisions among the Burundian people," according to the order signed by Interior Minister Pascal Barandagiye. The order was seen by Reuters on Monday. It said the order came into force on the date of signing, Oct. 19. The other four organizations named were also involved in a range of rights and development issues. The groups and activists involved with them have previously been accused of siding with the opponents of the government. In a similar order, signed by the minister and also seen by Reuters on Monday, the activities of five organizations, including a journalists union, were suspended. The groups were accused of "disturbing public order and state security". (Writing by Edmund Blair; Editing by Alison Williams)
The government of Cambodia has formally exiled the countrys opposition leader, Sam Rainsy, ordering immigration officials to take legal action to prevent this person from entering Cambodia.

A letter from the countrys Cabinet to immigration officials, made public over the weekend, also warns that planes with him aboard will be forced to turn around and leave, according to local news site the Khmer Times.

Sam Rainsy, President of the opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP), has been in self-imposed exile in France since late last year.

He is wanted on criminal defamation charges dating back several years  widely viewed as politically motivated  but had nonetheless resolved to return to Cambodia in time for general elections slated for 2018.

Speaking from his home in exile in France on Monday, Rainsey told TIME that banning his return was unconstitutional and in violation of international law, claiming that the move was proof that the charges against him were intended to prevent him from participating in the electoral process.

Firstly, the measure against me is totally illegal, says Rainsy, on the grounds that he is a Cambodian citizen. I must not and I cannot be barred from coming back to Cambodia. This is a fundamental right of citizens.

The fact that the government decided to bar his entry instead of seeking his extradition on a criminal offense shows that the sentences handed down on me were politically motivated, he says. It is crystal clear now that they just want to discard me from the electoral process, meaning that they fear my presence.

Due to Cambodias Westminster-style parliamentary system, Rainsys absence from the polls would leave his opponent, ruling strongman Hun Sen of the Cambodian Peoples Party (CPP), unchallenged in his bid to retain the role of prime minister. The CPP could not be reached for comment on Monday.

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A leading human-rights lawyer, Sok Sam Oeun, said the ban could lie in a legal gray area because of Sam Rainsys dual nationality as both French and Cambodian. If authorities viewed him as French, he tells TIME, the government has the power to ban any [foreign] person who can cause harm to the country. However, his Cambodian citizenship should protect his freedom of movement, Oeun said.

Kingsley Abbott, senior international legal adviser at the International Commission of Jurists, said the measure was a clear violation of the countrys constitution and international law.

Its also further discredits Cambodias claim at the U.N. Human Rights Council last month that no political tension exists in Cambodia, he added, and flies in the face of repeated calls by the international community for both parties to work together productively in advance of the upcoming elections.
YAOUNDE (Reuters) - Cameroon's President Paul Biya on Sunday pledged to investigate the causes of a rail crash that killed at least 75 people, as rescue workers scoured wreckage for more bodies. The packed passenger train carrying more than 1,400 people between the capital Yaounde and the central African country's port city of Douala derailed on Friday near the town of Eseka, causing carriages to flip over at high speed. Two days later, some were still seeking news of friends and family members on hand-written lists of passengers pinned up outside medical centres in the two cities. On Sunday, the government appealed for additional blood donations to assist with the treatment of some 600 people who suffered injuries. "I have ordered an in-depth inquiry into the causes of this accident," Biya told state TV in French on returning to Cameroon on Sunday afternoon after a trip in Europe. "I have ordered for victims' (medical) costs to be paid for by the state," he added. Operator Camrail, a unit of French industrial group Bollore, said on Sunday it had set up a special train service to fetch bodies from the crash site. Witnesses said that before the crash extra carriages had been added to the train to accommodate exceptionally high demand for the service, due partly to the collapse of a portion of the main road linking the two cities after heavy rain. It was not clear if that had played a role in the accident. Camrail said on Sunday it had received permission from the command post managing the lines before commencing its journey. Technicians from the firm have been made to help police with their enquiries and psychological support is being offered to victims, the firm added. "A crisis unit was immediately created in the train stations of Yaounde and Douala," Camrail's Hamadou Sali told reporters. A day of mourning is planned for Monday and in parts of the capital religious leaders from both the Christian and Muslim communities led additional prayer services. Several African leaders including Senegal's Macky Sall and Niger's Mahamadou Issoufou expressed their condolences on social media. (Reporting by Sylvain Andzongo; Writing by Emma Farge; Editing by Andrew Roche)
Natural Baked Goods Exclusively Offered at Central Market Stores Throughout the State

HOUSTON, TX / ACCESSWIRE / October 24, 2016 / Natural baked goods company, Cat Island Cookie & Cracker Co. is expanding its regional footprint and will soon be available in Texas stores. Select Cat Island Cookie & Cracker Co. products will be available at all nine Central Market stores in Austin, Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston, Plano, San Antonio and Southlake.

"We are excited to be sharing our passion for wholesome, preservative-free snacks with families in Texas," said Chef Leslie Bullock, founder of Cat Island Cookie & Cracker Co. "As a Gulf Coast based company, it was a natural step for us to expand our product offerings to include the great state of Texas."

The expansion into Texas marks a critical milestone for the natural baked goods company based in Pass Christian, Mississippi. Seeking a solution to the lack of high quality, preservative free, natural snacks available for families, Cat Island Cookie & Cracker Co. was formed in 2014 by Mississippi native and critically acclaimed pastry chef, Leslie Bullock. Featuring bite-sized, whimsical shaped goods inspired by the beauty of the Mississippi Sound's Cat Island, all Cat Island Cookie & Cracker Co. products are made with pure, natural ingredients and are 100% preservative free.

Cat Island Cookie & Cracker Co. offers two unique product lines - sweet and savory. Sweet offerings include a variety of gourmet butter cookies crafted with fresh butter, pure lemon and lime oil and rich chocolate chips. The savory and spicy line features cheese wafers - a delightful blend of pure butter with aged asiago or sharp cheddar cheese, zesty red pepper, and a touch of fresh sea salt to finish. Both product lines are made via socially responsible and sustainable production practices at Cat Island Cookie & Cracker Co.'s commercial bakery in Pass Christian.

Cat Island Cookie & Cracker Co.'s Spicy Asiago Wafers and Zesty Cheddar Bites are now available in Central Market stores across Texas. This debut coincided with Central Market - Houston's "Cheese Party" on October 20th. Texas shoppers craving a sweet, wholesome treat for their families won't have to wait long for the debut of Cat Island's high quality butter cookies at Central Market stores. Cat Island's Pecan Chocolate Chip, Brown Butter and Toffee Chocolate Chip cookies will be available starting Monday, October 31. Additionally, Cat Island's sweet citrus offerings - Lemon Squeeze and Twist of Lime cookies - will be on shelves starting Friday, January 13, 2017.

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Cat Island Products are currently available online at catislandcookies.com and at select retail shops in Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Arkansas and Tennessee. For a complete listing of Cat Island Cookie & Cracker Co. products, click here.

For more information about Cat Island Cookie & Cracker Co. and where products are available for purchase, please visit catislandcookies.com or connect on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

About Cat Island Cookie & Cracker Co.

Cat Island Cookie & Cracker Co. is a woman-owned natural baked goods company dedicated to providing wholesome, all-natural, preservative-free snacks and treats. Cat Island Cookie & Cracker Co. was formed in 2014 by Chef Leslie Bullock, a critically acclaimed New York pastry chef and Mississippi native, as the answer to the lack of wholesome all-natural snacks and treats available for consumers. Cat Island Cookie & Cracker Co. produces high quality butter cookies and cheese wafers. Our products are made via socially responsible and sustainable production practices at its production facility in Pass Christian, Mississippi. Products are available at select retail shops in Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Arkansas and Tennessee and online at catislandcookies.com. Connect with Cat Island Cookie & Cracker Co. on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Contact Information

ICMediaDirect.com

TEL: 1.800.595.0821

www.ICMediaDirect.com

pr@icmediadirect.com

SOURCE: Cat Island Cookie & Cracker Co.
Advertising in radio has been relatively stable over the past 30 years. The radio ads that air today are remarkably similar to those aired 30 years ago. Most ads are either a 30- second presentation focusing on services and companies or an endorsement by a radio personality. These ads have been quite successful. However, the ever-changing dynamics of internet radio pose new challenges to companies wishing to advertise on the radio. Those advertisers are being forced to adapt their technique and methods on a regular basis to adapt to new forms of internet radio.



For instance, when radio stations stream their content onto the internet some ads must be stripped out for legal reasons. Advertisements featuring radio personalities often have to be removed because there is no arrangement to pay for the rights of on-air talent, writers and producers. This commonly used advertising type, featuring a trusted personality endorsing a product of service, will not be heard by the listeners who choose to listen on internet radio. Thus, advertisers have to consider the benefits of producing these types of ads in the new environment.



RightSpot, the leading advertising agency in internet radio suggests that new radio advertising be geared to the internet format, which allows for more specialization and opens a market for small local business. RightSpot is a service that will let advertisers of any size create commercials for their desired audience and purchase ads that will be placed into the streamed audio, doing away with the need for radio executives to visit clients and choose correct placement. Rightspot will allow clients to define and locate their audience using sophisticated demographic data or geographic information. Using this new technology, advertisers could decide to focus their ads to appeal to the type of person they expect to use their goods and services. For instance, a chocolate company could indicate that it wanted its add placed after love songs to increase the likelihood that listeners would desire its products. Local companies could tailor their ads to play only in the local demographic while global companies could advertise in all markets.



RightSpot and similar agencies are working to turn a nascent field into a viable business that benefits advertisers of any size. They expect the percentage of internet radio listeners to increase from 24 percent of listeners in 2006 to 50 percent in 2010. This increase will further add to the necessity for radio advertisers to change methodologies. Those that embrace the changes will certainly see positive results.



Show Spoiler C

1. The Primary purpose of the article is to



A) Demonstrate why radio ads featuring an on-air personality are no longer effective.

B) Suggest that radio advertisers use RightSpot to craft new advertising strategies geared toward internet radio.

C) Describe changes in radio formats and their effect on radio advertisers

D) Describe how radio advertising has remained relatively stable for the past 30 years.

E) Describe the ways in which Right Spot and similar agencies are turning a nascent field into a viable business.





Show Spoiler A

2.The author implies that all of the following are changes internet radio is causing in the industry EXCEPT



A) Advertisements featuring radio personalities must are always removed because there is no arrangement to pay for the rights of on-air talent.

B) Radio ads from 30 years ago are similar to those aired today

C) Internet radio allows advertisers to use demographics to focus their advertisements on their target audience.

D) The percentage of internet radio listeners is expected to more than double from 2006 to 2010

E) Internet radio does not contain all of the same advertisements that are in the same non-internet broadcast.





Show Spoiler C

3. According to the article, RightSpot believes internet radio provides new opportunities for



A) On-Air personalities

B) Internet radio companies

C) Small local businesses

D) Advertising agencies

E) Radio executives





Show Spoiler C

4. The tone of the author towards advertising opportunities in internet radio can best be described as



A) Distrustful

B) Frustrated

C) Enthusiastic

D) Disinterested

E) Fervent

A) Demonstrate why radio ads featuring an on-air personality are no longer effective.B) Suggest that radio advertisers use RightSpot to craft new advertising strategies geared toward internet radio.C) Describe changes in radio formats and their effect on radio advertisersD) Describe how radio advertising has remained relatively stable for the past 30 years.E) Describe the ways in which Right Spot and similar agencies are turning a nascent field into a viable business.A) Advertisements featuring radio personalities must are always removed because there is no arrangement to pay for the rights of on-air talent.B) Radio ads from 30 years ago are similar to those aired todayC) Internet radio allows advertisers to use demographics to focus their advertisements on their target audience.D) The percentage of internet radio listeners is expected to more than double from 2006 to 2010E) Internet radio does not contain all of the same advertisements that are in the same non-internet broadcast.A) On-Air personalitiesB) Internet radio companiesC) Small local businessesD) Advertising agenciesE) Radio executivesA) DistrustfulB) FrustratedC) EnthusiasticD) DisinterestedE) Fervent
By Foo Yun Chee and Oliver Hirt

BRUSSELS/ZURICH (Reuters) - Syngenta (SYNN.S) shares fell more than 9 percent on Monday after the European Commission triggered doubts about Chinese state-owned chemical company ChemChina's [CNNCC.UL] $43 billion (35.13 billion pounds) bid for the Swiss pesticides and seeds group.

The companies met with the EU antitrust authority a week ago in a bid to allay competition concerns about China's largest-ever foreign investment. They had until Oct. 21 to do so.

Commission spokesman Ricardo Cardoso said in an email that the companies had not offered any concessions.

This means either the Commission will clear the deal unconditionally by an Oct. 28 deadline or open a full investigation, a process that can take up to five months.

Asked about the matter, a Syngenta spokesman said the company remained confident the deal would conclude by year's end. The spokesman later clarified this statement, saying he was simply repeating Syngenta's previous public comment made on July 22.

Syngenta said it would provide an update on the progress of the deal with its third-quarter trading statement on Tuesday.

Its Swiss-listed shares closed down 5.8 percent at 397.50 Swiss francs, off a session low at 383.50 and below ChemChina's agreed cash offer of $465 per share, which is worth around 462 Swiss francs at current exchange rates, plus a special dividend of 5 Swiss francs.

Meanwhile, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) said on its website that its decision date of Oct. 27 was "delayed at the request of the merger parties so that they can provide more information to the ACCC. A new proposed decision date will be published in due course."

Analysts at Baader Helvea said they viewed the share price fall as "harsh but understandable", but nevertheless expected the deal to be closed by the first half of next year.

"We think the (Commission) is playing political poker to secure for the EU important points (i.e. GMO-related topics, trade topics, etc.) and therefore the EC tries to increase pressure on ChemChina/China to come up with interesting offers," they said in a note to investors.

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While Syngenta's forecast that it would close this year seemed "ambitious", they did not see the deal as being at risk.

"If the worst-worst scenario takes place and the deal fails, we think BASF (BASFn.DE) again would be interested," they added, although any offer from the German group might be below ChemChina's deal.

(Editing by Alexander Smith and Jane Merriman)
The new recommendations for babies are important for new parents. (Photo: Stocksy)

Children should sleep in the same room as their parents for at least the first six months and ideally stay for the first year, according to a new report from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).

The recommendation comes via a policy statement that says infants should sleep in the same room, but not the same bed, as their parents. Instead, a crib or bassinet is recommended to decrease the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) or other forms of crib death.

Experts dont know exactly what causes SIDS, defined by the Mayo Clinic as the unexplained death, usually during sleep, of a seemingly healthy baby less than a year old. SIDS is sometimes known as crib death because the infants often die in their cribs. However, experts theorize that a babys brain may not be able to regulate breathing in combination with environmental factors like soft furniture, which can lead to asphyxia or nasal obstruction. Per the report, parents can reduce the risk of SIDS by as much as 50 percent when they share a room with their infant.

According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there are an estimated 3,500 deaths from SIDS and other sudden, unexpected infant deaths in the U.S. each year. These deaths occur among infants less than 1 year old and have no immediately obvious cause, the CDC states on its website.

The AAP said in a press release that the number of SIDS cases decreased in the 1990s after a national safe sleep campaign but has plateaued in recent years. The AAP also recommends that parents do the following to lower their babys risk of SIDS:

Place the baby on his or her back on a firm sleep surface such as a crib or bassinet with a tight-fitting sheet.

Avoid use of soft bedding, including crib bumpers, blankets, pillows and soft toys. The crib should be bare.

Avoid babys exposure to smoke, alcohol, and illicit drugs.

Offer a pacifier at nap time and bedtime.

Do not use home monitors or commercial devices, including wedges or positioners, marketed to reduce the risk of SIDS.

Infants should receive all recommended vaccinations.

Supervised, awake tummy time is recommended daily to facilitate development.

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Although there is no specific evidence for moving an infant to his or her own room before 1 year of age, room sharing during the first six months is especially critical because the rates of SIDS and other sleep-related deaths, particularly those occurring in bed-sharing situations, are highest during that period, Patricia Gabbe, MD, a pediatrician at the Ohio State University Medical Center and founder of Moms2B, tells Yahoo Beauty.

Gabbe says the new recommendation is a good idea, noting that it helps with nighttime breastfeeding and avoids the temptation to let the baby fall asleep in bed with parents (since the crib is nearby). Not only is sleeping in the same room soothing for the baby, keeping the baby in the same room is comforting for the parents also, she says. However, Gabbe stresses, We must encourage room sharing, not bed sharing. Falling asleep with the baby in bed with parents is very dangerous.

Danelle Fisher, MD, chair of pediatrics at Californias Providence Saint Johns Health Center, agrees but tells Yahoo Beauty that shes unsure how shell guide the families of her patients through the recommendations. While she stresses that SIDS is terrible, she also points out that some babies are noisy sleepers, and that can keep worried parents awake.

While a bassinet is helpful when babies are small, when they get old enough to roll over, a crib is a better sleep space for them. But not every parents room is going to allow space to have a crib, Fisher says. While these recommendations are excellent in what theyre trying to prevent, I do worry about the logistics.

She suggests that parents who are unsure of how to navigate the new recommendations talk to their childs pediatrician. As for the looser recommendation of sharing a room for up to a year, Gabbe says that the rate of SIDS decreases as a baby approaches 12 months, but it could be a parents choice.

Lets keep in touch! Follow Yahoo Beauty on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest.




Shanghai (AFP) - A Chinese conglomerate has agreed to buy New York-listed US insurance firm Genworth Financials for $2.7 billion, the latest in a Chinese buying spree of foreign assets.

China Oceanwide Holdings, the founder and key shareholder of China Minsheng Bank, offered $5.43 per share for all outstanding shares of Genworth in an all-cash transaction, according to a joint statement Sunday.

There have been a flurry of overseas acquisitions this year by Chinese firms seeking better returns and industrial know-how, with targets ranging from Hollywood studio Legendary to leading German robotics firm Kuka and Swiss seed giant Syngenta.

Genworth, founded in 1871, has nearly four million life insurance customers and also offers mortgage insurance products, according to its website.

The offer represents a 4.22 percent premium on its Friday closing price.

"Genworth is an established leader in both mortgage insurance and long-term care insurance," Oceanwide chairman Lu Zhiqiang said in the statement.

"We are providing crucial financial support to Genworths efforts to restructure its US life insurance business."

The Beijing-based firm also promised to offer an additional $600 million to Genworth to address its debt that will mature in 2018 and a $525 million cash injection into its life insurance business.

Tom Mclnerney, president and chief executive officer of the Virginia-based insurer, called the Chinese firm "an ideal owner" and said the investment was in the best interests of Genworth's stockholders.

Oceanwide controls several financial companies including Shenzhen-listed Minsheng Holdings.

It has also invested in several mega-properties on the US west coast, including a tower that will soon be San Francisco's second tallest and a billion-dollar condominium and hotel development in Los Angeles, according to its website.

Lu is China's ninth richest man with a net worth of 85 billion yuan ($12.5 billion), according to the latest ranking of luxury magazine publisher Hurun Report.

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Upon completion of the deal, Genworth will become a standalone subsidiary of Oceanwide and will retain its current management team.

Investors cheered the news in Monday afternoon trading, with Oceanwide Holdings rising more than two percent on the Shenzhen market. It was flat in Hong Kong trade.

The deal, which is still subject to shareholder approval among other closing conditions, is expected to be closed by mid-2017.
BEIJING (Reuters) - China's ruling Communist Party needs rules that strengthen the "leadership core", the party's official newspaper said on Monday, hinting at further centralization of power for President Xi Jinping after decades of collective leadership. The party has already announced that the Rules on Intra-Party Political Life will be discussed during its four-day plenum, which opened on Monday. The rules were introduced in 1980 to prevent any cult of personality after Chairman Mao Zedong's rule plunged the country into anarchy during the 1966-1976 Cultural Revolution, when Mao declared class war. The rules are designed to set in stone that power cannot not be put in the hands of just one person, or a small group of people like the Gang Of Four, led by Mao's widow, which tried to seize power after Mao's death in 1976. In a lengthy front-page commentary, the official People's Daily said that since 1980, the rules had ensured the party's internal political life had "returned to normal" and helped usher in three decades of economic boom. Now, 36 years on, the plenum of the party's top leaders will set new rules, the newspaper said. This will "forge an even stronger, energetic leadership core, ready and waiting to guide China at its new starting point". The paper did not say exactly how the rules would change. Late paramount leader Deng Xiaoping coined the phrase "core" leader to refer to Mao as Communist China's first generation leader, himself as second generation and Jiang Zemin as third generation, meaning they have almost absolute authority and should not be questioned. But Xi has yet to assume that mantle. Since assuming office almost four years ago, Xi has rapidly consolidated power, including heading a group leading economic reform and appointing himself commander-in-chief of the military, though as head of the Central Military Commission he already controls the armed forces. The paper said that whenever the party's internal political life was "abnormal", that was when crises and chaos erupt, pointing to the Cultural Revolution as well as the 1958 Great Leap Forward campaign when millions died of starvation from 1959 to 1961 in a disastrous attempt at rapid industrialization. The plenum will be conducted in strict secrecy and once it ends on Thursday, the official Xinhua news agency will issue a wordy communique on what it has achieved, full of turgid communist phraseology. Xinhua said early on Monday in a brief dispatch the plenum had begun. New rules on pushing forward Xi's campaign against deep-rooted corruption would also be unveiled at the plenum's end, state media has said. (Reporting by Ben Blanchard and Benjamin Kang Lim; Editing by Nick Macfie)
App Store Revenue

This story was delivered to BI Intelligence Apps and Platforms Briefing subscribers. To learn more and subscribe, please click here.

China has surpassed the US as the leading market for iOS App Store revenue, according to App Annie.

The $1.7 billion generated by the country in Q3 2016 also topped the charts for the largest ever quarterly iOS App Store revenue by any country tracked by the firm. This continues to support the massive potential for Western app publishers to venture into the Chinese app market.

Here are the highlights from the report:

Chinese consumers spent five times more in the iOS App Store in Q3 than they have collectively over the past two years. The trend is expected to continue globally, with China forecast to be the main driver of overall App Store revenue growth though 2020.

Gaming revenue continues to be the main driver of iOS App Store revenue growth in China. This is consistent with global trends, as games comprise 75% of the total revenue earned in the iOS App Store worldwide.

Revenue generated from the next top categories  Entertainment, Social Networking, and Books  more than tripled YoY in China. This jump is largely due to the increased popularity of in-app subscriptions. Global trends are following a similar path; Entertainment apps saw the largest spike in revenue YoY as a result of growth in subscription revenue.

While local publishers dominate the current market, Chinas earning potential presents an enormous opportunity for Western app publishers. Western developers have been slow to wade into Eastern markets, where a host of differences make it difficult to make significant progress. Western publishers can increase their chances of success by partnering with local developers, given Chinese users' penchant for them. This would enable Western publishers to cater to unique cultural preferences and navigate the complexities of local infrastructure.

This presents yet another challenge for app developers, who must already cutting through the noise of an overcrowded app market in order to build a viable user base. There are now well over 3 million apps available across the worlds five largest app stores. Delivering the right product to the right audience at the right time in this environment is imperative to the success of any app.

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The challenge of marketing an app effectively has made app-install ads  an ad unit that directs users to download a mobile app  an essential tool for developers seeking to stand out in the Google Play and Apple app stores. This is why it's not surprising that more marketers are using paid channels to drive downloads than ever before. In fact, over 80% of respondents in a survey of the top 100 grossing mobile app developers noted they plan on increasing their spend on app-install ads in 2015.

BI Intelligence, Business Insider's premium research service, has compiled a detailed report on mobile app-install ads that looks at the revenues from app-install ads and how they're expected to grow over the next five years. It also looks at the performance of app-install ads and how these metrics are expected to change over time.

Furthermore, the report examines the top app-install ad products and pricing models offered by the leading advertising platforms, including Facebook, Twitter, Yahoo, and Google, as well as newer app-install formats from Instagram and Snapchat. Looking to the future, the report examines how companies are shifting their app-install ad spend to new formats, as well as the new tools they're using to improve optimization and ad effectiveness.

Here are some key takeaways from the report:

Mobile app-install ads  ad units that direct users to download a mobile app  are an essential tool for developers, and they account for a major share of mobile ad spend. We estimate 25% of total US mobile ad revenue was generated by app-install ads in 2015.

A combination of new developers entering the space and rising ad budgets will drive increased spending in years to come. US app-install ad revenue will grow to over $7 billion by year-end 2020, according to BI Intelligence estimates.

Mobile app install advertisers have traditionally invested heavily in display and interstitial ads, but are moving to mobile video and native install formats. 86% of developers currently use in-feed video app-install ads, and video ads are seen as the most effective app-install format.

As formats like video rise in popularity, older formats are losing their appeal for install campaigns. Static nonnative ads are widely used but are not seen as effective. Free app networks and offer walls have also fallen out of favor.

Ad platforms are now developing innovative new install formats to earn even more revenue from these lucrative ad units. New approaches, including deep linking and app streaming, are more contextualized and interactive than older ad formats.

In full, the report:

Forecasts app-install ad spending in the US through 2020.

Explores which app-install ad formats developers believe are most effective.

Discusses what the most popular platforms and ad networks are doing to attract ad spending.

Investigates new tools for marketing apps, including deep linking and app streaming.

To get your copy of this invaluable guide, choose one of these options:

Subscribe to an ALL-ACCESS Membership with BI Intelligence and gain immediate access to this report AND over 100 other expertly researched deep-dive reports, subscriptions to all of our daily newsletters, and much more. >> START A MEMBERSHIP Purchase the report and download it immediately from our research store. >> BUY THE REPORT

The choice is yours. But however you decide to acquire this report, youve given yourself a powerful advantage in your understanding of the fast-moving world of mobile app-install ads.





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EXCLUSIVE: Crosscurrent, which garnered the Berlin Film Festivals Silver Bear for Artistic Achievement for cinematographer Mark Lee Ping-Bing and has gotten rave reviews both here and abroad, is getting a North American release by Cheng Cheng Films starting this weekend. The Chinese fantasy romance filmed on the Yangtze River was in the works for a decade, and the crew lived on a cargo boat while traversing the waterway for 60 days. The cinematic effort was to capture the traditional ink-brush painting look of the Yangtze. Check out the trailer above.

Written and directed by Yang Chao, the Cannes Camera dOr winner for Passages, Crosscurrent is opening Friday in New York before rolling out to more locations. Ping-Bings credits also include Assassin and In The Mood For Love.

Since the Berlinale win in February, the film has been officially selected for Hong Kong Film Festival, Vancouver Film Festival, Atlantic Film Festival and Taiwan Golden Horse Film Awards. The re-edited new cut will receive its American premiere at Chicago Film Festival, and Chao will be in North America to present the film beforehand.

Crosscurrent follows Gao Chun, who is handed a book of poetry that names places along the Yangtze. As he steers his cargo up the river, in each of the places mentioned (now all underwater), he comes across An Lu, a beautiful woman who appears in a different identity at every port and is younger each time. He starts to wonder whether she is supernatural or maybe that he is traveling back in time. He finally arrives at the start of the Yangtze, where he unveils the secret of his past and An Lu.

Cheng Cheng Films is a New York-based distributor specialized in releasing Chinese-language films in North America. Its recent releases include suspense-action-romance One Night Only and the female-centric coming-of-age drama Soulmate, which received seven nominations at Taiwan Golden Horse Film Awards.

[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Ql6aiYH06g&w=605&h=340]

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Berlin Golden Bear Winner 'Fire At Sea' Acquired By Kino Lorber
By Maria Sheahan and Caroline Copley FRANKFURT/BERLIN (Reuters) - The German government has withdrawn its approval for a Chinese takeover of chip equipment maker Aixtron, citing security concerns and throwing up an unexpected hurdle for a 670-million-euro ($728 million) deal on the home stretch. The government had cleared the deal on Sept. 8 but Aixtron said on Monday that the Economy Ministry had now cancelled the clearance certificate for Fujian Grand Chip Investment Fund LP (FGC), a Chinese investment fund controlled by businessman Zhendong Liu, and planned to reopen a review of the takeover. The decision to rescind the approval was based on "previously unknown security-related information", Germany's Deputy Economy Minister Matthias Machnig told German daily newspaper Die Welt, without being more specific. The Economy Ministry declined to provide details on how long its review might take. The government's move comes as protectionist noises from Berlin grow louder and just a week before Economy Minister Sigmar Gabriel is due to travel to China with a business delegation. There is rising concern over whether the government should do more to protect strategic technologies following a series of bids for German companies by Chinese investors this year. In the 4.5 billion-euro takeover of German industrial robot maker Kuka by Chinese household appliance maker Midea earlier this year, Berlin initially sought a deal to limit Midea's stake to 49 percent. It had wanted to curb the Chinese company's influence on what it viewed as a national champion in its push to digitalise German industry, but eventually allowed the takeover after major German shareholders in Kuka sold their stakes to Midea. Under German law, the government can block takeovers only if they jeopardise energy security, defence or financial stability. In June, Gabriel called for a Europe-wide safeguard clause which could stop foreign takeovers of firms whose technology is deemed strategic for the future economic success of the region. GREATER SCRUTINY Other governments in Europe and the United States have also put China's offshore ambitions under the spotlight this year. Australia blocked the $7.7 billion sale of the country's biggest energy grid to Chinese bidders in August, citing unspecified national security concerns. In July, British Prime Minister Theresa May also delayed signing off on a $24 billion nuclear power project partly funded by China, citing the need to review the details. She eventually approved the deal in September. Eric Schweitzer, president of Germany's DIHK Chambers of Industry and Commerce, warned against putting up further hurdles to Chinese investment in an interview published in German newspaper Handelsblatt on Monday. German foreign investment in China was worth more than 40 billion euros in 2014, far outweighing Chinese investment in Germany of roughly 1.4 billion, according to the foreign ministry. However, a sharp increase in Chinese business takeovers in Europe - which jumped 44 percent last year as Beijing pushes firms to expand their global presence - has brought the issue to the forefront of political attention. In the latest sign of Chinese appetite for German technology, chipmaker Sanan Optoelectronics has said it had been in contact with lighting group Osram about a potential acquisition or cooperation deal. MM Warburg analyst Malte Schaumann said a move by Berlin to block the takeover of Aixtron would also have negative implications for a deal between Sanan and Osram. Shares in Aixtron, which makes machines used in the production of red, blue, green and white light emitting diodes (LEDs), were down 10.5 percent at 5.19 euros by 1316 GMT on Monday, well below FGC's offer price of 6 euros per share. Aixtron's stock lost nearly half its value late last year on news of a big order cancellation by Sanan, which is also co-financing FGC's takeover offer. Aixtron executives have backed FGC's offer, which ended on Friday. FGC declined to comment when contacted by Reuters. The German company has been trying to return to profit in the face of overcapacity and take back leadership of the global market for LED chip-making equipment from U.S. rival Veeco Instruments. According to Aixtron's most recent annual financial report, Veeco held a 53 percent share of the market for MOCVD equipment, used to make LEDs, in 2014, while Aixtron had 41 percent. Aixtron executives have warned that the company's only alternatives to the deal with FGC would be to keep investing its scant funds in new technology in hopes of a recovery of demand, or to shrink its business and its workforce. "If the deal fails, Aixtrons future looks bleak and additional deep restructuring measures should be expected," Hauck & Aufhaeuser analyst Tim Wunderlich said, who recommends that investors sell the company's stock. A number of other deals are still pending completion, including China's Shanghai Electric Group takeover of German aviation equipment manufacturer BAW for $219 million and Chengdu Techcent Environment's acquisition of assets in Germany's ALBA worth more than 300 million euros. ($1 = 0.9181 euros) (Additional reporting by Adam Jourdan in Beijing; Editing by Gopakumar Warrier, Susan Fenton and David Stamp)
Classic International Movie: Amarcord

October is classic international movies month. Todays guest post comes from Norma Parena.

Movie Title: Amarcord

Year: 1973

Writers: Federico Fellini, Tonino Guerra

Lead Actors: Bruno Zanin, Armando Brancia, Pupella Maggio

Awards: 19 wins and 8 nominations including: Oscar, Best Foreign Language Film (1975); Silver Ribbon Awards (Italy), including Best Screenplay (1974); David di Donatello (Italy), Best Film (1974); French Syndicate of Cinema Critics, Best Foreign Film (1975); New York Film Critics Circle Awards, Best Film (1974).

Director: Federico Fellini

Plot summary: A depiction of daily life in a 1930s Italian provincial town under the Mussolini dictatorship. The story follows one year in the life of a teenager (Titta) and his family, plus a number of characters from the coastal town, including Tittas protecting mum, his proudly antifascist dad Aurelio, his lunatic tree-climbing uncle, the town beauty that Titta and all his friends dream about while dealing with their booming sexuality, the provocative tobacconist with a penchant for young men. Some of the vignettes include confessions to the Catholic priest about Tittas dirty thoughts, a fantasy scene at the luxury Grand Hotel, Aurelio being grilled by the fascist police, the whole town sailing off the coast by night to witness in a dream-like state the passage of the cruise ship Rex.

Why I Think This Is A Classic International Movie

Although deeply rooted in Fellinis own individual experience as a boy in a small Italian town with all its legacies (Catholic Church, old fashioned Latin chauvinism, fascism to name a few), Amarcord goes well beyond the local, historical and geographical boundaries. The tragicomic situations Titta and his close ones go through are common occurrence in everybodys life: growing pains, family dynamics, beautiful women and political conflict. The language Fellini uses to tell his story is dreamlike and popular, and therefore universal and easily shared. The visionary art direction from Danilo Donati and the music from another Italian Oscar winner  Nino Rota  convey perfectly the sweetness of this surreal story without ever falling into cliche. Amarcord is a sweet and comical outlook on life as such, with the Italian small town artfully used as a background to explore universal topics.

My Favorite Moment In The Movie

There are so many of them

The majestic cruise ship Rex appearing in the night as a dream.

The town beauty, the Gradisca, bowing in front of the count as a sign of respect while offering herself as a gift to him.

The mad Uncle refusing to get off the tree shouting that he wants a woman.

But my top one has to be Tatti and his young friends group jerk-off while sitting in the car in the garage, with the whole vehicle shaking in a somewhat dirty and innocent wobbliness.

My Favorite Dialogue In The Movie

Titta, his dad Aurelio, mum Miranda and the rest of the family are having dinner around the kitchen table.

Aurelio: By the way, where were you last night?

Titta: Me? At the movies.

Aurelio: And what was showing?

Titta: The Americans were trying to penetrate Comanche territory.

They built a bridge for the railroad, but the Indians shot arrows at them.

It was a massacre!

Aurelio (running after Titta around the table): Ill massacre you, you little hooligan!

Miranda: Whats going on?

Titta: I didnt do anything!

Miranda: Aurelio, leave him alone!

Aurelio: Ill put you in the hospital!

Miranda: People are watching.

Aurelio: Starting tomorrow, no more school, no more allowance! He can start working with me!

Titta: And how will you pay me?

Aurelio: With a hammer in the face! (to Miranda): You have to tell me who fathered this piece of shit!

Key Things You Should Look For When Watching This Movie

Amarcord is a character driven film, where the plot is secondary. Fellini is so amazingly skilled at depicting a compelling series of characters, that he compensates the lack of a strong storyline.

Although generally unstructured and almost patchy at times, it has been said that Amarcord is aiming to recreate that same matter that dreams are made of. Much of the movie is shot in muted colors that seem slightly out of grain, almost foggy.

Amarcord has also got that quintessential feature of Fellinis movies which is their inner rhythm, a musical style that became known as Felliniesque. Like many Italian filmmakers at the time, he post-synched most of his dialogue, and he also often had a small orchestra or playing music while shooting, to the point that sometimes the actors dont seem simply to be walking, but almost to be gently moving to an unheard melody.

The narration is left to several points of view: an elderly Titta who visibly forgets his lines, a professor talking a bit pompously about the towns history, singing voices of the children, and a voice on the soundtrack that is Fellini himself.

If you are only looking for one thing, look for the perfect dreamy beauty of the small town and its everyday life as a symbol of all towns and all lives.

Thanks, Norma!

To show our gratitude for your guest post, heres a dash of creative juju for you. Whoosh!

We already have a set of classic 30s movies, 40s movies, 5os movies, 60s Movies, 70s movies, 80s Movies and 90s Movies. This month, were working on classic international movies. And thanks to the GITS community, weve got at least 22 movies in the works and hopefully more!

Those who I put in bold have already sent me their posts. If you havent sent yours to me, please do so as soon as you can!!!

3 Idiots  Abhinav Tiwari

A Prophet  Paul Graunke

Akira  Clay Mitchell

Amarcord  Norma Parena

Amelie  Kevin Curran

Belle Epoque  Melinda Mahaffey

Cinema Paradiso  Traci Nell Peterson

Diabolique  Sherin Nicole

Jules et Jim  Susan Winchell

Kolya  Melinda Mahaffey

Lady Vengeance  David Joyner

Millennium Actress  Chris Neumann

OSS 117: Cairo, Nest of Spies  John Henderson

Reprise  Wally Marzano-Lesnevich

Seven Samurai  Will King

The Lives of Others  Paul Graunke

The Tenant  Marija Nielsen

This Man Must Die  Marija Nielsen

Y Tu Mama Tambien  Georgina Hutchinson

NOTE: Need 1 more volunteer to round out the monthly series!!!
SEOUL (Reuters) - Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Liu Zhenmin arrived in North Korea on Monday, North Korean state media reported, in the first visit by a high-ranking Chinese official since February, according to Japan's Kyodo news agency. Liu's visit comes as Washington and its allies urge Beijing to agree on tough new United Nations Security Council sanctions against North Korea after it conducted a fifth nuclear test in September. North Korea's KCNA news agency said Liu led a Chinese delegation attending the third meeting of the DPRK-China border joint committee. The Democratic People's Republic of Korea is the North's official name. China is North Korea's main ally but is angered by Pyongyang's nuclear and ballistic missile tests. China's foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment. (Reporting by Ju-min Park in Seoul and Ben Blanchard in Beijing; Editing by Clarence Fernandez)
chipotle guacamole chip

A grower's strike in Mexico and a drought in California has resulted in a scramble across the US to keep up with avocado demand.

Last week, the country imported just 8.5 million pounds of the produce from Mexico, according to data from the Hass Avocado Board. For comparison, last October, the US imported roughly 35 to 45 million pounds of Hass avocados every week from Mexico.

Salad chain Sweetgreen announced earlier in October, it has been "a bit of a struggle" to maintain avocado supply.

And social media reports indicate that Qdoba restaurants are running out of guacamole, at least in some locations, though the chain couldn't immediately respond to a request for comment.

Independent restaurants such as La Vecindad in San Diego have been similarly struggling to keep up with guac demand, according to CNBC.

The guy at qdoba told me I couldn't get guac because "the entire country of Mexico is, like, out of avacados".......... pic.twitter.com/VZfCxEarSQ  Chris Julian (@ChrisJulian_) October 24, 2016

Went to Mexican restaurant, ordered guacamole.

"Sorry, we're out of guac, there's an avocado shortage."



Trump and his freaking wall.

  Daniel Balcombe (@DanielBalcombe) October 23, 2016

But one chain says there's no need to worry about shortages or price increases anytime soon.

"We do not plan to raise prices for guacamole (we don't typically raise prices in response to short-term cyclical changes in food costs) and have not incurred any supply disruptions," Chipotle spokesperson Chris Arnold told Business Insider.

Chipotle's guacamole is a key part of the brand's image  a bonus that many customers are more than willing to pay extra for. As the burrito chain struggles to make a comeback, the ability to keep up with guacamole demand as competitors struggle could help give Chipotle the edge it needs.

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NOW WATCH: We tried the trendy restaurant that could become the Chipotle of Greek food





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A bakery in Northern Ireland has failed in its appeal to overturn a ruling that it had discriminated against a gay customer by refusing to bake a cake with a slogan in support of same-sex marriage.

In 2014, Ashers bakery in Country Antrim refused to make a cake that had been ordered by customer Gareth Lee with the slogan Support Gay Marriage. As reported by the BBC, the cake was ordered by Lee, a gay rights activist, for an event to mark International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia.

The family-run bakery argued that the message to be written on the cake went against their Christian religious beliefs. At the original ruling in 2015, Belfast District Judge Brownlie ruled that the firm had discriminated against the customer on the grounds of sexual orientation and religious beliefs. Ashers general manager Daniel McArthur said at the time that the ruling set a chilling precedent: The ruling suggests that all business owners will have to be willing to promote any cause or campaign, no matter how much they disagree with it, he said.

On Monday, appeal court judges upheld the original ruling, noting that the fact that a baker provides a cake for a particular team or portrays witches on a Halloween cake does not indicate any support for either. The BBC reported that the owners of Ashers had received support in their appeal from Aaron and Melissa Klein, owners of Sweet Cakes bakery in Oregon, who were ordered to pay $136,000 in damages to a lesbian couple in 2015 for refusing to make their wedding cake. The Kleins also refused to make the cake on the grounds that it went against their religious beliefs.

The appeal ruling in Northern Ireland also follows a similar case from 2015 in Colorado, where the Colorado Court of Appeals upheld an original ruling that Masterpiece Cakeshop had unlawfully discriminated against David Mullins and Charlie Craig. As reported by the American Civil Liberties Union of Colorado, Mullins and Craig were told by the bakery owner that it was his standard business practice to refuse to provide cakes to customers for same-sex weddings.

[BBC]
By Luciana Lopez and Steve Holland MANCHESTER, N.H./ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. (Reuters) - U.S. Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton slammed rival Donald Trump on Monday for saying that the week-old effort to retake the Iraqi city of Mosul from the control of Islamic State was going badly. Hes basically declaring defeat before the battle has even started, Clinton said at a campaign event in New Hampshire. Hes proving to the world what it means to have an unqualified commander in chief. In a tweet on Sunday, Trump, the Republican nominee for the Nov. 8 election, said the attack on Mosul is turning out to be a total disaster. We gave them months of notice. U.S. is looking so dumb. Iraqi and Kurdish forces, backed by the United States, have mounted a huge assault on the area surrounding the city, the last stronghold of Islamic State forces in Iraq. They have retaken about 80 Islamic State-held villages and towns since the offensive was launched on Oct. 16, but have yet to move on the city itself. Trump reiterated his position during a rally on Monday in St. Augustine, Florida, where he also urged supporters to vote early and declared his campaign ahead of Clinton's. "So now were bogged down in Mosul. The enemy is much tougher than they thought. Theyve had a lot of time to get ready," Trump said. "Its a horrible, horrible situation thats going on. Why did we have to tell them were going in?" The operation could last weeks, or even months. Islamic State on Monday mounted counterattacks across the country against the Iraqi army and Kurdish forces, trying to deflect attention away from the Mosul campaign. Trump suggested last week during the final 2016 presidential debate that the U.S.-backed attack on Mosul was orchestrated to help Clinton in her White House bid. With just over two weeks to go until the U.S. election, Clinton, President Barack Obama's first-term secretary of state, is ahead of the New York businessman in national opinion polls. Both candidates have been focusing on a small set of political swing states that could decide the contest. Seeking to cement a wide advantage she holds with women voters, Clinton enlisted the help of firebrand U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, who blasted Trump over allegations that he tried to grope or kiss several women without their consent over a 20-year span. He thinks because he has a mouthful of Tic Tacs that he can force himself on any women within groping distance, Warren told a raucous crowd of 4,000 at St. Anselm College in Manchester. Well, Ive got news for you, Donald Trump. Women have had it with guys like you. 'NASTY WOMEN' At least 10 women have said Trump made unwanted sexual advances, including groping or kissing, in incidents from the early 1980s to 2007, according to reports in various news outlets. Trump has denied the women's allegations, calling them "totally and absolutely false" and promising on Saturday that he would sue his accusers. Warren's mention of Tic Tac mint candies referred to a moment in a 2005 video that surfaced earlier this month in which Trump was heard boasting about groping and kissing women. Warren also referenced Trump calling Clinton a nasty woman at last weeks debate, a phrase that quickly caught fire on social media, sparking hashtags and T-shirts. Get this, Donald, nasty women are tough, Warren said. Nasty women are smart. And nasty women vote. And on Nov. 8 we nasty women are gonna march our nasty feet to cast our nasty votes to get you out of our lives forever. Clinton praised Warren for taking the fight to Trump. She gets under his (Trumps) thin skin like nobody else, the candidate said. At an event for farmers in Boynton Beach, Florida, earlier in the day, Trump disputed multiple national and state polls that show him lagging Clinton and accused the media of distorting poll results to discourage his supporters from voting. I believe were actually winning, Trump said. Just the day before, Trumps campaign manager, Kellyanne Conway, acknowledged that the candidate was trailing in the race, saying in a TV interview, We are behind. According to the Reuters/Ipsos States of the Nation project, which surveys the vote in battleground states, Clinton leads Trump in most of the states that Trump would need to win to have a chance of amassing the minimum 270 Electoral College votes needed to capture the White House. According to the survey, she had a better than 95 percent chance of winning, had the election been held last week. The mostly likely outcome would be 326 votes for Clinton to 212 for Trump. The Electoral College votes represent a tally of wins from the states. (Reporting by Luciana Lopez in New Hampshire and Steve Holland in Florida; Writing by James Oliphant and Jeff Mason; Editing by Frances Kerry and Jonathan Oatis)
Coconut Creek (United States) (AFP) - White House rivals Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump staged dueling rallies in crucial battleground Florida, with the Republican billionaire zeroing in on the Obamacare health overhaul as a job-killing, wallet-busting "monster."

With just two weeks before the November 8 election, polls showed Democrat Clinton -- who is vying to become America's first female president -- dominating nationally and looking for a resounding mandate to govern the bitterly divided country.

Early voting began in Florida on Monday, an urgent reminder that candidates have little time left to make their case in the country's third most populous state, one with a wide mix of constituencies, including numerous retirees, Latinos and Bible Belt whites.

The Republican nominee, determined to ride out the controversies hobbling his campaign, made a pitch to Florida's elderly voters by assailing a sharp rise in health insurance premiums expected next year under President Barack Obama's signature health care reform.

"It's just blowing up," the 70-year-old real estate mogul said at a golf course he owns in Doral, Florida, vowing to "repeal and replace" Obamacare if elected.

"You will have such great health care at a tiny fraction of the cost and it's going to be so easy," Trump promised a rally in Sanford, Florida a few hours later.

At a third stop, in Tallahassee, he assailed the "stupid" government officials "who rammed this monster down our throats."

"Job-killing Obamacare is just one more way that our system is rigged, believe me," Trump said, and Clinton "wants to keep it."

Poll averages show that the former secretary of state, who turns 69 Wednesday, is ahead in Florida by 3.1 percentage points, and nationally by 5.4 points, according to RealClearPolitics.

- 'Bigger than me' -

Rallying supporters at a college in southern Broward County near Fort Lauderdale, Clinton urged Floridians to help propel her to the White House by getting out and voting "right now."

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"This is bigger than me. It's bigger than any of us. It's even bigger than Donald Trump if you can believe it," she told the cheering crowd.

Obama -- who will campaign for Clinton Friday in Florida -- has said he wants an overwhelming Democratic victory in order to send the message that Americans reject Trump's divisive rhetoric.

Clinton's communications director Jennifer Palmieri made clear what a key piece of the election puzzle Florida represents for Democrats.

"We don't plan to lose Florida. It is the biggest prize," she told reporters.

No one has forgotten that the 2000 presidential election hinged on Florida, where a virtual tie was decided in favor of George W. Bush by the US Supreme Court.

- Obama 'into the act' -

Earlier, Trump acknowledged that the White House will likely elude him if he doesn't win Florida and its 29 electoral votes.

"I think that's probably true," he told Fox News. "I believe Florida is must-win. I think we're winning it, think we're winning it big."

On the stump in Sanford, Trump pointed to what he called "record" lines of early voters in Florida -- many, he said, sporting Trump hats and buttons -- as a hopeful sign.

He also took direct aim at Obama, alleging based on the WikiLeaks release of hacked Clinton campaign emails that the president knew about his secretary of state's controversial use of a private email server at the time.

After news broke about Clinton's private server, her aide Cheryl Mills apparently wrote senior staffer John Podesta, now the candidate's campaign chairman, on March 7, 2015, to say "we need to clean this up."

"He (Obama) has emails from her -- they do not say state.gov," Mills wrote, in the email quoted by Trump -- which he said contradicted Obama's claim to have learned about the private server from news reports.

"In other words, they were saying he had to know Hillary was using an illegal server but he claimed otherwise," Trump told his Tallahassee rally. "That means Obama is now into the act."

- 'Threatens' democracy -

Trump's standing in polls has been hit hard, particularly among female voters, since this month's release of a 2005 video on which he boasts that his celebrity allows him to grope women with impunity.

Since then, about a dozen women have come forward with sexual misconduct allegations.

But a more disciplined Trump largely stayed on message in Florida, attacking Clinton over taxes and foreign policy, and jabbing at her email scandal.

"The criminal conduct of Hillary Clinton threatens the foundations of our democracy," Trump said, after the Tallahassee crowd broke into chants of "Lock her up!"

With his path to victory narrowing, Trump has railed against the "phony" polls and appealed to voters to turn out, calling it a "once-in-a-lifetime opportunity" to reject the political elite.

Clinton, meanwhile, received an endorsement from the latest in a long line of prominent Republicans who refuse to vote for their party's nominee, as the ex-secretary of state and retired four-star general Colin Powell announced he would vote for her.
CHICAGO, Oct 24 (Reuters) - Chicago Mercantile Exchange nearby live cattle futures jumped more than 2 percent on Monday, spurred by Friday's bullish U.S. Department of Agriculture monthly Cattle-On-Feed report, said traders.

* Friday's data showed 2.0 percent fewer cattle were placed into feedlots last month than a year ago, which resulted in a record low for that month.

* Investors took into account last week's mostly $99 to $100 per cwt prices for slaughter-ready, or cash, cattle that a week earlier brought $97 to $98.

* Future's recent rally, healthy packer margins and anticipation for a potential turnaround in wholesale beef demand emboldened feedyards to hold out for more money, said traders.

* Futures gained further traction after breaking through key technical resistance levels, offsetting last Friday's separate bearish USDA cold storage report,

* Friday's government storage data put total September U.S. beef stocks at 520.72 million pounds, the most ever for the month of September.

* At 09:21 a.m. CDT (1421 GMT) October live cattle was 2.375 cents per pound higher at 103.525 cents, after breaking through the 40-day moving average of 102.57 cents.

FEEDER CATTLE - October, which is set to expire on Thursday, was up 0.525 cent per pound to 122.400 cents. Most-actively traded November was 2.975 cents higher at 122.675 cents.

* Technical buying and additional live cattle market advances sent CME feeder cattle futures higher.

LEAN HOGS - December was up 1.750 cents per pound to 43.600 cents, and February was 1.375 cents higher at 50.100 cents.

* Both contracts surpassed their respective 20-day moving averages of 43.24 and 49.70 cents.

* CME lean hog gains on Friday carried over into Monday, with help active buying in the neighboring live cattle markets and Friday's higher wholesale pork values, said traders.

* Still, some investors were skeptical of future's new-found support given abundant supplies that could continue to weigh on cash prices and possibly strain U.S. slaughter capacity during the winter holidays.

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* Last week's 2.514 million head USDA estimated hog slaughter was a new all-time high, mostly due to East Coast plants that made up downtime after being closed due to Hurricane Matthew, an analyst said.

* Last Friday's USDA cold storage report showed pork inventories in September totaled 642.044 million pounds that topped analysts' average projection of 628.8 million pounds.

(Reporting by Theopolis Waters in Chicago)
Bogota (AFP) - Colombia's ELN rebels accused the government Monday of "torpedoing" peace talks due to open this week by insisting the leftist guerrillas free their last remaining hostage.

Three days out from the historic talks, tension flared when the government's lead negotiator, Juan Camilo Restrepo, gave the National Liberation Army (ELN) an ultimatum: Free the hostage, or the talks are off.

The ELN, which has pledged to free all its hostages before the talks open Thursday, is still holding former congressman Odin Sanchez in the remote jungle region of Choco, along the Panamanian border.

He is believed to be the last hostage held by the guerrillas, who freed several others in the weeks leading up to the talks.

"If Odin Sanchez isn't released safe and sound between now and Thursday, the conditions will not be in place to begin the public phase of the negotiations," Restrepo said in an interview on Caracol Radio.

That drew a furious response from the ELN.

"J.C. Restrepo's statement torpedoes the joint actions that must be taken by (Thursday)," the insurgent group wrote on Twitter.

The ELN is Colombia's second-largest rebel group, after the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) -- which is also holding peace talks with the government.

The ELN is estimated to be about one-fourth the size of the FARC, with some 1,500 fighters.

President Juan Manuel Santos is currently racing to save a peace deal with the FARC after voters rejected an initial version in a referendum.

The deal was the product of nearly four years of talks in the Cuban capital Havana.

Santos, who won this year's Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts, has staked his legacy on ending half a century of conflict in Colombia.

The conflict has killed more than 260,000 people, left 45,000 missing and uprooted nearly seven million.

The ELN talks are due to be held in the Ecuadoran capital Quito.

Sanchez, the ELN's last hostage, handed himself over to the group in April in exchange for the release of his brother, Patrocinio Sanchez, a former governor who had fallen ill after nearly three years in captivity.
Havana (AFP) - Colombia's communist FARC rebels said Monday they were "close" to agreeing on new terms to rescue a peace accord that was rejected by voters in a referendum.

The force has resumed talks with the government to seek a new deal taking into account the demands of the "No" camp that rejected the accord in a referendum on October 2.

The sides are aiming to end a 52-year civil conflict that has killed 260,000 people.

FARC leader Timoleon "Timochenko" Jimenez said on Twitter that his side was "close to defining an accord addressing the concerns of everyone: those who abstained, the No camp and the Yes."

The deal that was put to the vote was to see the FARC disarm and turn into a political party, with amnesties for some of its members.

Opponents of the deal said it made too many concessions to the FARC.
By Jilian Mincer

(Reuters) - Companies can reduce the risk from the type of cyber attack that took out major websites on Friday by using multiple vendors for the critical internet service known as a domain name service, or DNS, companies and security experts said on Sunday.

"We have advocated for years for redundancy in your infrastructure," said Kyle York, chief strategy officer for Dyn, the New Hampshire DNS provider that was attacked on Friday. "I don't think you can ever be safe enough or redundant enough."

Hackers unleashed a complex attack on the internet through common devices like webcams and digital recorders and cut access to some of the world's best known websites on Friday, a stunning breach of global internet stability.

York said clients who used multiple servers "saw less of an impact."

Using multiple DNS providers can, however, make managing traffic more complicated and costly, experts said.

Friday's cyber attack alarmed security experts because it represented a new type of threat rooted in the proliferation of simple digital devices such as webcams. Such devices often lack proper security, and hackers found a way to harness millions of them to flood a target with so much traffic that it can't cope.

The attack on Dyn and the resulting outage started in the Eastern United States on Friday and then spread to other parts of the country and Europe, affecting companies including Twitter and Paypal. DNS providers such as Dyn act as a switchboard for internet traffic.

"It's important to implement diversity geographically, as well as architecturally," for a defense against domain name service attacks, said Andy Ellis, chief security officer at Akamai Technologies, which helped Dyn recover on Friday.

Businesses can choose up to eight authoritative domain service providers, and some of the hardest-hit sites were customers who only picked Dyn.

Eliminating the threat from the unsecured devices that make up what's often called the Internet of Things will be a much tougher task, however. Many inexpensive webcams, connected thermostats, baby monitors and other products lack even basic security and sometimes use hard-coded passwords that are simple to break, security experts said.

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Law enforcement authorities said on Friday they are investigating the attack. The tools making the new type of attack possible were released on the internet by unknown hackers last month, thus creating a long list of possible suspects.

"This is the new norm, the internet wasn't designed with these kinds of attacks in mind," said cyber security expert and entrepreneur Barrett Lyon.

Long term solutions would likely require governments to take far more responsibility for mandating internet security, experts agreed.

Chinese electronics component manufacturer Hangzhou Xiongmai Technology said on Sunday that weak default passwords on its products inadvertently played a role in the cyber attack, according to a report from IDG News Service.

The company said it has patched the flaws and now is asking customers to change the default password the first time they use it.

(Additional Reporting by Joseph Menn in San Francisco and Jim Finkle in Boston; Editing by Joanthan Weber and Sandra Maler)
By Aaron Ross and David Lewis KINSHASA/NAIROBI (Reuters) - When Democratic Republic of Congo's eastern neighbors took advantage of an outbreak of political turmoil there to invade in 1998, President Laurent Kabila turned to regional powerhouse Angola for help. Angola's jets pounded Rwandan and Ugandan positions inside Congo and its troops patrolled the streets of the capital, Kinshasa, fearing the installation of a hostile government sympathetic to its own separatists. This week, Laurent Kabila's son, Joseph, another Congolese president facing upheaval at home, heads to Luanda in search of a helping hand. Heads of state at Wednesday's Congo-focused regional summit, many of whom have extended their own mandates at home, are likely to back a deal Kabila recently struck with part of the opposition to allow him to stay in power until at least April 2018, beyond his mandate which ends in December. But analysts say this time Kabila cannot count on unalloyed support from Angola and other allies, especially if its leaders start to see Kabila as the problem, rather than the solution to difficulties in the central African giant. "Angola prefers a Congo that is weak but stable," said Jason Stearns, director of the Congo Research Group at New York University. "If the country becomes seriously unstable, Angola might begin to make its criticism of Kabila more public." The main opposition bloc has denounced this month's accord as a pretext to allow Kabila to cling to power and maneuver to change the constitution  charges the government denies. More than 50 people were killed last month in demonstrations against the extension of Kabila's term - which the government blames on the logistical problems of organizing a November election - and opposition leaders have vowed to give him a "red card" on Dec. 19, the last day of his term. The goal of Kabila's trip to Luanda is to win support for the deal, under which a power-sharing government is to be named, his top diplomatic adviser, Barnabe Kikaya bin Karubi, said. The government hopes regional recognition of the accord can help stem growing pressure from the United States and Europe on Kabila to stand down. Even with that vote of confidence, further turmoil would damage Kabila's image as a guarantor of stability, one diplomat said. The United Nations fears large-scale violence could become "all but inevitable". With direct Rwandan or Ugandan intervention in Congo now considered unlikely, Angola's main fear is an influx of refugees across its 2,600-km (1,600 mile) border if the political situation gets out of hand. "I don't think they will want to see one person stay on if that leads to instability," the diplomat said of Angola. ECONOMIC CONSIDERATIONS Millions died in the 1998-2003 war that sucked in more than a half-dozen armies, including Zimbabwe and Namibia, which backed Laurent Kabila and then Joseph after his father's murder in 2001. Since then, a series of foreign-backed insurrections has caused havoc in the east but without threatening Kabila's overall authority. Kikaya said Kinshasa was not worried about weakening support from its allies but recent visits to Rwanda, Uganda and Tanzania suggest Kabila is working hard to shore up regional support. "He still sees regional alliances as essential in his strategy to extend his time in office - but also possibly to secure personal guarantees in case he is forced out of power," said Vincent Rouget, Congo analyst at Control Risks. Economic factors could also complicate Kabila's strategy. Relations between Congo and Angola have soured since 2013 due to a dispute over access to offshore oil concessions. Likewise, South Africa could conclude that Kabila is no longer the best bet to protect its substantial economic interests in Congo. Congo agreed in 2013 to sell more than half the power from its future 4,800 megawatt Inga 3 hydroelectric dam to South Africa but development has been sluggish and Congo is now almost certain to miss a 2020 deadline to begin providing electricity. NOT ABOUT DEMOCRACY The United States has already imposed targeted sanctions against members of Kabila's inner circle for allegedly violating human rights and blocking elections and the European Union is threatening to follow suit. Such moves are unlikely to find support among Kabila's neighbors, especially Rwanda and Congo Republic, whose leaders recently pushed through changes to their constitutions to let them stand for third terms. Instead, realpolitik and the desire for stability are almost certain to trump any idealism about democracy. "African states don't want to set precedents about interference in domestic affairs," said Stephanie Wolters, an analyst at the Institute of Strategic Studies in Pretoria. But the support of regional leaders will not be guaranteed forever and if he has any designs on staying around beyond April 2018, Kabila will need to find a much firmer legal basis for his position, the diplomat said. "They found a legal way to stay on," the diplomat said. "Kabila hasn't." (Writing by Aaron Ross; Editing by Ed Cropley and Giles Elgood)
Now that Hayes and Conners little arrangement has been exposed, Mondays Conviction (ABC, 10/9c) will thrust Hayley Atwells character back into the spotlight  and guess whos going to be stuck shielding her from public scrutiny.

PHOTOSFall TV Report Card: 24 Ways to Improve 14 New Shows

I think Jackson learned a long time ago that he cant control Hayes; shes always going to do what she wants, Daniel Franzese, who plays Hayes brother  and the manager of their mothers Senate campaign  tells TVLine. But I also think itll be fun to finally see her start to crack under pressure.

As for what attracted him to this role  a decidedly more straight-laced character than were used to seeing him play  Franzese says, I thought it would be interesting to play the first gay son of a president, and what that could mean, especially with all the judgment he must have faced from the public. There are a lot of things to talk about in the future, what that experience was like for him.

RELATEDCarol Burnett to Star In Amy Poehlers Family Comedy Pilot for ABC

Theres some talk in upcoming episodes that brings us back into that world, Franzese teases, like Hayes talking about painting her toenails in the Oval Office. (Editors note: I think some flashbacks are in order.)

Beyond that, Franzese is excited for us to explore the rest of the Morrison family tree: I cant wait to see, down the line, who ends up being our father. I think itll be very interesting  and very telling.

Hit PLAY on the clip above, then drop a comment with your thoughts on Conviction below.

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Its shaping up to be a busy Monday on Wall Street. All three major averages (^GPSC, ^DJI, ^IXIC) are sharply higher as M&A activity heats up and investors get hit with another wave of earnings.

Media mega-merger

Investors are reviewing AT&Ts (T) $107.50-a-share offer for Time Warner (TWX) in a stock-and-cash deal valued at more than $85 billion. AT&T is the nations second biggest wireless phone carrier and already owns Direct TV. The proposed deal with Time Warner would make AT&T the owner of Time Warner assets like CNN and HBO. The deal will face intense scrutiny from antitrust regulators and faces opposition from politicians ranging from Donald Trump to Bernie Sanders. What does it mean for consumers?

More M&A action

B/E Aerospace (BEAV) shares soared to new heights this morning after news that the aircraft interior maker is being bought by Rockwell Collins (COL) for $6.4 billion dollars. That translates to $62 a share in cash and stock while representing a premium of 22.5% based on B/E Aerospaces closing price on Friday.

TD Ameritrade (AMTD) is buying privately held rival Scottrades brokerage operations for $2.7 billion. TD bank (TD), which owns a large stake in TD Ameritrade, will purchase Scottrades banking business for $1.3 billion in cash. The deal will bring together two major players in the retail market for buying and selling stocks. Shares of TD bank are on the move in early trading. TD Ameritrade is the sponsor Yahoo Finances Market Movers program.

Genworth Financial (GNW) shares were lower in early trading. The US insurer is selling itself to Chinese investment firm China Oceanwide Holdings for $2.7 billion. Chinese companies have been making a major push overseas as Chinas economy slows and the yuan weakens.

Too big to fail?



Insurance giant MetLife (MET) returns to court today to fight the US governments decision in 2014 to label the company too big to fail. That label was part of the reforms instituted after the financial crisis. MetLife fought the designation, which would increase regulatory oversight. In March a judge struck down the label. Will the governments appeal succeed?

Brexit and the cloud



Microsoft (MSFT) is boosting prices in Britain. The American tech giant plans to increase prices by up to 22% in the UK in response to the plunge in the pound following the Brexit vote in June. The move is likely to affect thousands of companies and government departments who rely on Microsofts cloud and software products


From Redbook

One dad is absolutely furious that a teacher called his kid a mutt  and now, he's firing back in the best way possible: by going viral with an important message.

"This is my beautiful, smart, joyful 11 year old biracial son Kaden," Kevin L. Brown wrote on Facebook. "On October 12, 2016 at Wolfe Middle School in Center Line, Michigan his teacher (a white middle age woman), his educator, looked at his beautiful curly hair and asked my son, 'are you a mutt?'"

"Not understanding the question, my son said he didn't know what that was. At that, another student and the white teacher told him, 'when you're mixed with other races (ethnicities),'" he went on.

"This left my son, my heart and joy, feeling like he meant nothing, that he was less than nothing...he even went home and asked his mother 'why can't I be all white?' He wants to disown his African American heritage for his mothers' German, Italian, Irish heritage (guess his mom is a Mutt too)!!!!" Brown said he was "outraged," and rightfully so.

"This racist behavior should not be allowed in our schools, our children should never be faced with this BS, especially in the classroom from people that we (parents) entrust [with] our children's protection," he added, going on to implore that the teacher be fired and asking people to share his post.

The post's important message is going viral - about 16,000 people have reacted to the post and over 20,000 people have shared it, with many people commenting in support. The Huffington Post also reported that there's an investigation going on and that the teacher hasn't been in the classroom. The school is trying to facilitate an apology, too.

"None of our staff ever intends to injure a child in any way," Center Line Public Schools' assistant superintendent for human resources Andrew McKinnon told the Huffington Post. "The teacher is very sorry and wants to apologize, wants to make this right."

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So does that just make her utterly clueless or someone who's been conditioned to not embrace diversity? Either way, this teacher's behavior isn't an anomaly - recently, another teacher's offensive letter to a parent asking her to put less coconut oil in her daughter's hair also went viral.

Unfortunately, racism is an epidemic that still hasn't been completely eradicated. But as Brown powerfully put it his post, "This cannot be tolerated....I am tired of the hate, tired of the affliction, and pissed off that my innocent child has become just another victim to racism in this county."

Brown's post has been lightly edited for spelling and grammar.

(h/t Huffington Post)

Follow Redbook on Facebook.

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On Tuesday, New York City will finally be blessed with 1,760 calorie desserts when The Cheesecake Factory opens its first restaurant in the five boroughs. Located in the Queens Centernot to be confused with Queens Place, a similar, smaller mall right next doorthe restaurant looks exactly like other locations elsewhere in the USA. There's the labyrinthine seating, the army of staff (they've employed 285 people for this location alone), the tempting cheesecake case just beyond the host's station, which you'll become intimately acquainted with suffering the chain's notorious waits for a table.

The robust portionsseriously, that is too much food!and equally hefty menu are also in full effect, with classics like the Bang Bang Chicken & Shrimp and cauldron-sized bowls of cream-sauced pastas. As a chain restaurant, Cheesecake Factory is obligated to post calorie counts on its menus; try not to read the fine print if you plan on enjoying your dinner (and dessert).

When it opens, the restaurant will seat about 190 for lunch and dinner.

The Cheesecake Factory is located inside the Queens Center at 90-15 Queens Boulevard in Elmhurst, (718) 699-1212; cheesecakefactory.com
Oct 24 (Reuters) - Native American protesters on Monday occupied privately owned land in North Dakota in the path of the proposed Dakota Access Pipeline, claiming they were the land's rightful owners under an 1851 treaty with the U.S. government.

The move is significant because the company building the 1,100-mile (1,886-km) oil pipeline, Dallas-based Energy Transfer Partners LP, has bought tracts of land and relied on eminent domain to clear a route for the line across four states from North Dakota to Illinois.

Video posted on social media showed police officers using pepper spray to try to disperse dozens of protesters, who chanted, beat drums and set up a makeshift camp near the town of Cannon Ball in southern North Dakota, where the $3.8 billion pipeline would be buried underneath the Missouri River.

The area is near the reservation of the Standing Rock Sioux tribe. It was not immediately known who owns the occuped land.

In September, the U.S. government halted construction on part of the line. The Standing Rock Sioux and environmental activists have said further construction would damage historical tribal sacred sites and spills would foul drinking water.

Since then, opponents have pressured the government to reroute construction. The current route runs within half a mile of the reservation.

Protesters on Monday said the land in question was theirs under the Fort Laramie Treaty of 1851, which was signed by eight tribes and the U.S. government. Over the last century, tribes have challenged this treaty and others like it in court for not being honored or for taking their land.

"We have never ceded this land. If Dakota Access Pipeline can go through and claim eminent domain on landowners and Native peoples on their own land, then we as sovereign nations can then declare eminent domain on our own aboriginal homeland," Joye Braun of the Indigenous Environmental Network said in a prepared statement.

Energy Transfer could not be reached for comment.

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Dave Archambault II, chairman of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe. said the proposed route should be changed.

"The best way to resolve this is to reroute this pipeline and for the (Obama) administration to not give an easement to build it near our sacred land," Archambault said in an interview.

In filings with federal regulators, the company said at one point it considered running the line far north of the reservation and close to Bismarck, the state capital.

(Reporting By Terry Wade and Ernest Scheyder; Editing by Cynthia Osterman)
(Reuters) - Native American protesters on Monday occupied privately owned land in North Dakota in the path of the proposed Dakota Access Pipeline, claiming they were the land's rightful owners under an 1851 treaty with the U.S. government. The move is significant because the company building the 1,100-mile (1,886-km) oil pipeline, Dallas-based Energy Transfer Partners LP, has bought tracts of land and relied on eminent domain to clear a route for the line across four states from North Dakota to Illinois. Video posted on social media showed police officers using pepper spray to try to disperse dozens of protesters, who chanted, beat drums and set up a makeshift camp near the town of Cannon Ball in southern North Dakota, where the $3.8 billion pipeline would be buried underneath the Missouri River. The area is near the reservation of the Standing Rock Sioux tribe. It was not immediately known who owns the occupied land. In September, the U.S. government halted construction on part of the line. The Standing Rock Sioux and environmental activists have said further construction would damage historical tribal sacred sites and spills would foul drinking water. Since then, opponents have pressured the government to reroute construction. The current route runs within half a mile of the reservation. Protesters on Monday said the land in question was theirs under the Fort Laramie Treaty of 1851, which was signed by eight tribes and the U.S. government. Over the last century, tribes have challenged this treaty and others like it in court for not being honored or for taking their land. We have never ceded this land. If Dakota Access Pipeline can go through and claim eminent domain on landowners and Native peoples on their own land, then we as sovereign nations can then declare eminent domain on our own aboriginal homeland," Joye Braun of the Indigenous Environmental Network said in a prepared statement. Energy Transfer could not be reached for comment. Dave Archambault II, chairman of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe. said the proposed route should be changed. "The best way to resolve this is to reroute this pipeline and for the (Obama) administration to not give an easement to build it near our sacred land," Archambault said in an interview. In filings with federal regulators, the company said at one point it considered running the line far north of the reservation and close to Bismarck, the state capital. (Reporting By Terry Wade and Ernest Scheyder; Editing by Cynthia Osterman)
It's a Marvel baby!

Daredevil star Charlie Cox has welcomed his first child with Jessica Jones producer girlfriend, Samantha Thomas, the actor's rep confirms to ET.

The 33-year-old actor first spilled the beans in a Facebook Live chat with Luke Cage star Mike Colter, who congratulated Cox, saying, "Look who we got here? Proud new dad."

MORE: How Charlie Cox Became Marvel's Most Unconventional Superhero

"Yeah, I haven't finished [Luke Cage] yet, but you know I have a reason," Cox told Colter.

This is the English actor's first child.

Cox confirmed that his girlfriend was expecting during a Toronto, Canada, fan Q&A last month, adding that she was due "very, very soon."

Congrats to the new parents!

EXCLUSIVE: Charlie Cox Talks Appearing in 'Avengers: Infinity War'

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Rep. Darrell Issa, a Republican from California, has has long been the loudest critic of the White House for its failure to forestall the 2012 attack in Libya which left four Americans dead. Now, as GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump falls in the polls and threatens to become downright toxic for down-ballot candidates, the congressman is trying to cozy up to President Barack Obama. The commander in chief isnt having it, and the war of words is on.

The spat began when Issa, who led the House inquiry into the deadly 2012 siege as former House Oversight Committee chairman  an investigation which ultimately found no wrongdoing on the part of the State Department or Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton  sent out a campaign mailer touting his cooperation with the White House and featuring a photo of Obama in the Oval Office. Given that Issa has been a thorn in his side for years, the president took issue with the ad, and hit back at the lawmaker at a California fundraiser for his opponent, Doug Applegate, Sunday. A picture of the mailer is below.

.@ApplegateCA49 New Issa mailer: Brags abt basic decency, aligns w Obama after trying to ruin HRC. Go Team g8! pic.twitter.com/extxeWQgxv  (((em))) (@controlpremium) October 16, 2016

Obama said Issas primary contribution to the U.S. Congress has been to obstruct and to waste taxpayer dollars on trumped up investigations that have led nowhere.

This is now a guy who because Trumps poll numbers are bad has sent of brochures with my picture on them touting his cooperation on issues with me, the president added. That is the definition of chutzpah. Heres a guy who called my administration perhaps the most corrupt in history.

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He continued: That starts in House of Representatives. The things youre hearing Trump say, theyre said on floor of the House all the time. The Freedom Caucus in the House of Representatives are repeatedly promoting crazy conspiracy theories and demonizing opponents.

On Monday, in an emailed statement to CNN, Issa forcefully responded to the president.

Im disappointed but not surprised that the president, in a political speech, continues to deny accountability for the serious scandals that happened under his watch where Americans died overseas and veterans have died here at home, Issa said. Youd be hard pressed to find anyone who thinks Ive done too much to hold Washington accountable. Ive worked with the administration on good legislation where it was possible, and called out wrongdoing wherever I saw it, and will continue to do so.

Issa has been investigating Obama for one thing or another since 2010. Hes poked around administration loans for clean-energy firms, like Solyndra. Hes dug into the gun-running scandal that engulfed the ATF. And hes relentlessly investigated the attack on the U.S. compound in Benghazi, Libya.

His attempt now to cash in politically on Obama, who just happens to have very high approval ratings  54 percent, the highest it has been since just after his reelection  as he leaves office, is simply another sign of how radically Donald Trump has turned the political world on its head.

Photo credit: CHIP SOMODEVILLA/Getty Images
If you were trying to catch up on the latest news or check out what was trending on Twitter this morning, you might have received a message that said that your browser couldn't connect to the server. Twitter, Reddit, Spotify and even news sites such as CNN experienced a widespread outage early today due to a so-called DDoS cyberattack that affected many users on the East Coast of the United States, according to several news outlets. How does this attack work, and what does it do?

The culprit behind the outage is what's known as a distributed denial-of-service attack, or DDoS, which was mounted against a company called Dyn DNS. It's one of the more common types of cyberattack, though today's incident was a bit more widespread than usual, because most attacks focus on one site. One of the largest DDoS attacks ever targeted the BBC sites and its on-demand media service, reported The Hacker News.

A DDoS attack works by essentially overloading the target server with requests to connect. This is not unlike overwhelming a receptionist at a big company with phone calls, bombarding the phone lines with calls. [The 8 Craziest Intelligence Leaks in US History]

Ordinarily, a phone call comes in, and it can be directed to the right person or extension. Sometimes, lots of calls come in and a secretary can put you on hold before eventually connecting the call. But now, imagine if the number of those incoming calls goes way up. The poor receptionist can't field all of the calls at the same time, so lots of people would end up on hold for longer periods of time, while other callers wouldn't be able to get through at all, because all the lines are busy.

With a DDoS attack, replace phone calls with requests to connect to a website via the internet. Essentially, the server gets overwhelmed. The "distributed" part of the acronym is because the requests can come from many places, and, as the name suggests, and can deny the website's service to others. DDoS attacks can take a number of forms, but the basic principle is the same: take up all the bandwidth with lots of traffic.

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To mount a DDoS cyberattack, a hacker needs lots of machines that are set to make a request. One way to get lots of requests to a website is to send out a bot. A bot (short for "robot") is a program that will do things automatically, such as try to connect to a website, or carry out some computing tasks. Bots have a lot of legitimate uses in distributed computing, such as when there's a task that no one machine can handle on its own. But, bots have become more famous in recent years for their use in cyberattacks.

One way to distribute a bot to many computers is via a virus, or malware, according to Incapsula, one of many providers of Internet security and DDoS defense. Such malware can operate in the background and the infected computer user isn't even aware of what's happening.

There are also voluntary DDoS attacks, such as what's known as a Low Orbit Ion Cannon (LOIC), according to Radware. This is a simple program that's designed to flood servers with connection requests and it's often used to "stress test" networks. LOIC has also been used for more malicious means, including by the hackers group Anonymous when they used the program to attack the Recording Industry Association of America site in 2010. LOIC is considered to be a relatively primitive program now, because the kinds of attacks it mounts aren't always distributed and can thus be traced to a single IP address  in other words, a single computer. But, the principle is the same one that's used in more sophisticated hacks. [Best Hacks by the Hacktivist Group 'Anonymous']

In the case of today's DDoS attack, though, more than one website was affected. This is because instead of flooding a single site with connection requests, the attacker went after Dyn, which provides part of the Domain Name System, or DNS. The DNS is the directory that your computer connects with to match a website name  for instance, Google.com  to a string of numbers, which is the IP address (similar to the way you look up a phone number by name in a phone book).

An attacker flooded Dyn with traffic, which overwhelmed the company's ability to handle it. As such, whenever a user tried to connect to Twitter, for instance, he or she wasn't able to do it, even though Twitter itself was still operational. Another way to think about it is if you went to a library to look up a number in a phone book, but someone hired a bunch of people to grab all the copies before you could get there.

As of Friday afternoon it appears the attacks are ongoing, though the exact details have yet to be determined.

Original article on Live Science.

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By Foo Yun Chee

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Alphabet unit Google has been given an extra week to formally respond to allegations by the European Commission that it was blocking rivals in online search advertising, a move likely to delay a regulatory decision on the case until next year.

The deadline has been extended to Nov. 3 from Oct. 26, European Commission spokesman Ricardo Cardoso said, making it the second extension.

"Google asked for additional time to review the documents in the case file. In line with normal practice, the commission analyzed the reasons for the request and granted an extension allowing Google to fully exercise its rights of defense," he said in an email.

The charge was made against Google in July, the third antitrust case to be raised by the EU against the world's most popular internet search engine and accusing it of having abused its market power in the placement of search advertising on third-party websites.

The case concerns Google's AdSense for Search product whereby websites such as online retailers, telecoms operators and newspapers can install a customized search engine on their site which generates revenue from having relevant ads appear on the search results page.

Deadlines for Google to respond to the first charge that it favors its own shopping service over those of rivals and a second accusation that it abuses the dominance of its Android operating system for phones to squeeze out rivals remain unchanged at Nov. 7 and Oct. 31 respectively.

Both deadlines have been extended several times. Google has previously denied any wrongdoing.

(Reporting by Foo Yun Chee; Editing by Greg Mahlich)
To keep up with Democracy Lab in real time, follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

Dan Peleschuk shows how media outlets operating abroad can help counter the propaganda of the regimes that exiled them.

Greg Rushford warns that, in his quest for better relations with China, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte is causing grave damage to the rule of law.

And now for this weeks recommended reads:

Dont miss the October 2016 issue of the Journal of Democracy, which focuses in particular on the problems facing liberal democracy in Europe. In the issue, Ivan Krastev reflects on the unraveling of the post-1989 order and explains why migration is at the heart of Europes identity crisis.

For the Carnegie Endowment, Maiko Ichihara, Niranjan Sahoo, and I Ketut Putra Erawan lay out how Asian democracies can deepen their support for political reform in Burma.

In the Atlantic, Larry Diamond sounds the alarm about the threat Trumps campaign is posing to the foundations of American democracy.

The Washington Posts Kristine Guerra reports on how Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte justifies the extrajudicial killing of thousands in his war on drugs. David Alpert explains why term limits are a bad idea. And in the Monkey Cage blog, Nigel Gould-Davies shows how Thailands King Bhumibol helped legitimize his countrys political system during his long reign.

For the Guardian, David Runciman explores the possibility that education has become a fundamental divide in our democracies.

The Economist argues that time is on the side of the West in its conflict with Russia.

In the Daily Beast, Tom Sykes wonders why Lindsey Lohan has decided to praise Turkeys increasingly authoritarian regime.

CIVICUS has released a new tool, including an interactive world map, that will track repression of civil society around the world in real-time.

In the photo, Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte attends a welcoming ceremony at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China on October 20.

Photo credit: THOMAS PETER-POOL/Getty Images
Last year, Democrats in Congress found themselves squeezed in a political vise over the Iran nuclear deal. President Barack Obama leaned heavily on fellow Democrats to back the agreement in the biggest lobbying effort of his administration. And pro-Israel groups launched a full-court press against the deal, spending tens of millions of dollars on ads warning lawmakers they would have blood on their hands if they endorsed the accord.

In the end, the White House won the heated political battle, securing just enough support among Democrats in the Senate to stave off a bid to block the deal. But many Jewish groups and donors at the time warned Democratic lawmakers who supported the Iran agreement that they would pay a steep political price in the 2016 election.

Yet more than a year later, no Democrat has been kicked out of office over the nuclear deal in a primary and its unlikely that any Democratic incumbent will lose their seat in the Nov. 8 election because of it. The much-anticipated blowback has yet to materialize, despite opinion polls that show a majority of Americans oppose the agreement.

Although the Republican Party is hitting the issue hard in Senate and House races across the country, conservative Jewish organizations and activists have mostly pulled their punches and resisted funding rivals of lawmakers who voted for the Iran agreement. Both opponents and supporters of the deal agree the main reason the issue has not become a political spoiler is the man at the top of the Republican ticket, Donald Trump.

The toxic nature of Trumps candidacy, from his comments denigrating women to his refusal to accept the election result if he loses, has dominated the campaign and pushed aside policy debates that normally occur in presidential contests. He has turned off swaths of conservative Jewish and pro-Israel activists by trafficking in anti-Semitic rhetoric, as well bashing immigrants and U.S. allies, while praising Russian President Vladimir Putin.

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If the nominee of the Republican Party was someone more mainstream, I think this issue would still be out there, said Greg Rosenbaum, chairman of the National Jewish Democratic Council. And wed be seeing a flood of ads and a flood of money about the deal.

Its just not there, other than in isolated pockets, said Rosenbaum, a vocal supporter of the nuclear deal.

In last weeks presidential debate, Trump called the Iran agreement the stupidest deal of all time, a deal thats going to give Iran absolutely (sic) nuclear weapons. But the Iran agreement barely featured in post-debate media coverage, largely because of Trumps jaw-dropping comment that he was not sure if he would accept the results of the election.

This hasnt exactly been a policy-oriented campaign season, said Jeff Ballabon, a former media executive who runs a conservative pro-Israel super PAC called Iron Dome Alliance. Like pretty much every substantive issue, Israel and the Iran deal have taken a back-burner to matters of personality, conduct, and style.

With Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton consistently ahead in national polls and widening her lead in key states, pro-Israel hawks are mostly resigned to a Clinton victory and see no reason to antagonize the next administration  as well as a possible Democratic majority in the Senate.

Rosenbaum said many right-of-center Jewish donors and groups have held their fire, because of what he called the Trump factor.

Sheldon Adelson, the conservative Jewish megadonor known for his hawkish stance on Israel, spent at least $98 million on Republican candidates in the 2012 elections. This year, the Las Vegas billionaire and his wife have spent only about $40 million on campaigns nationwide.

And generally, Jewish donors have shunned Trump in a dramatic way.

Of all funds contributed to major party candidates this year by Jewish donors, 95 percent went to Clinton and only 5 percent to Trump, according to an analysis published last month on FiveThirtyEight. Thats a sharp contrast to the 2012 presidential campaign, when about 71 percent of the $160 million given to major party candidates went to Obamas reelection campaign and 29 percent went to the Republican nominee, Mitt Romney. The funding four years ago roughly reflected the breakdown of the Jewish vote in that election.

Until it became clear Trump would be the nominee, organizations and donors on both sides of the Iran nuclear issue were bracing for a no-holds-barred brawl in the election season. To national security hawks and conservative Jewish groups in Washington, Democrats  particularly incumbents who openly endorsed the deal  looked vulnerable and ripe for defeat at the ballot box.

Advocates of the deal, however, say Trumps antics and insults are not the only reason the issue is not gaining more traction. They argue the agreement is working, and that there is no smoking gun that shows Iran is violating the deal and secretly building nuclear weapons.

The agreement offers a way to defang Irans weapons program without firing a shot, said Jessica Rosenblum of J Street, a progressive pro-Israel group that supports the agreement. Its good policy and its good politics.

The agreement clinched in July 2015 between Iran and major powers, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, imposed strict limits on Tehrans nuclear program in return for lifting economic sanctions that were choking the Iranian economy. The White House says the agreement blocks Irans potential path to a nuclear weapon as it imposed extensive international inspections and forced Tehran to dismantle a heavy water reactor, remove thousands of centrifuges for uranium enrichment, and ship out stockpiles of medium-enriched uranium. But opponents maintain that easing sanctions enables Iran to bankroll its militant proxies across the Middle East, and opens the door to Tehran acquiring a nuclear arsenal in 15 years when certain provisions of the agreement expire.

Critics also object to how the deal was implemented. Republicans were outraged over a $400 million cash payment that Washington sent Iran on the same day last January that several American prisoners were released by Tehran. The United States sent the funds to settle a longstanding claim by Iran before an international tribunal. The money had been set aside to pay for weapons that were never delivered because the pro-U.S. monarchy fell following the Iranian revolution of 1979.

But Republicans are calling the payment a ransom paid to Tehrans theocratic regime. The State Department rejects that portrayal, and maintains the timing of the payment was used as leverage to win the release of the detained Americans.

Throughout her campaign, Clinton has never shied away from expressing her support of the deal, even though a majority of Americans say they oppose it. She has argued the agreement lowers the threat posed by Iran and has vowed to hold Tehran accountable for other activities that fall outside the deal.

Americans disapprove of the deal, 57 percent to 30 percent, according to a February poll by Gallup. And surveys have shown Republican voters overwhelmingly oppose the accord. Yet some polls indicate a majority of Jewish voters support the deal, despite Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus outspoken opposition.

Anxious to retain a GOP majority in the Senate, Republican candidates and conservative political action committees see the issue as a winner. The Iran nuclear deal is a frequent talking point in pivotal Senate races in Florida, New Hampshire, Wisconsin, Nevada, and Illinois, with Republicans seeking to portray their opponents as naive and weak on national security.

In New Hampshire, Republican Sen. Kelly Ayotte is gambling that her opposition to the nuclear deal can help her fend off a serious challenge from Democratic Gov. Maggie Hassan. Ayotte made the issue a key part of a $4.2 million advertising buy for her campaign.

This is a very bad deal for our country and is one that makes us less safe and our allies less safe, Ayotte said in an Oct. 14 debate in Manchester. We shouldve taken a much stronger position in not allowing them to keep their nuclear infrastructure.

But in raising a national security issue, Ayotte and other Republican candidates open an opportunity for their rivals to also raise the specter of Trump. Thats allowed Democrats to link their GOP opponents to the presidential nominees often controversial, inaccurate, and isolationist statements on foreign policy.

For over a year, my opponent has supported Donald Trump, who suggested we should weaken NATO, who suggested we should have more nuclear weapons in the world, and who wont share a plan to defeat ISIS because he doesnt have one, Hassan said at the same debate.

For months, Ayotte has struggled to explain her stance on Trump. Initially, the senator said she supported Trump but would not endorse him. Then she definitively broke from the nominee this month, saying she would write in the Republican vice presidential candidate, Gov. Mike Pence. She was trailing Hassan by eight points in a CNN poll last week.

In Florida, Republican Sen. Marco Rubio, an incumbent who decided late to run for reelection after his failed presidential bid, has made the Iran deal central to his campaign against Democratic Rep. Patrick Murphy.

While Murphy called the deal flawed, he came out in support of the agreement last year. In August, the National Republican Senatorial Committee aired an ad with an ominous voice-over: Iran is out of control, and Democrats like Patrick Murphy are failing to keep us safe.

Rubio holds a roughly four-point lead over Murphy and some political analysts believe the Democrats stance on the Iran deal may be hurting him. But Florida illustrates how the Iran nuclear deal is not necessarily a game-changer. If current trends hold, Clinton  a backer of the deal  will win the presidential contest in the state while Rubio  an outspoken opponent  will also prevail.

Some Democrats running for Congress have declared their opposition to the deal and defused the issue altogether. In a closely contested race for an open seat in Pennsylvanias eighth House district, Democratic candidate Steve Santarsiero has come out against the Iran nuclear agreement, and argued that his stance shows he is willing to stand up to his party and even the president for his beliefs.

A primary contest in June in New Yorks tenth congressional district, which has the largest Jewish population in the country, served as an early referendum on the Iran deal and a barometer of Jewish voters attitudes. Rep. Jerrold Nadler, a long-established liberal Democrat, faced his first primary challenge in two decades from a political novice, Oliver Rosenberg, who bashed the lawmaker for his support of the deal.

The New York Daily News endorsed Rosenberg, who took out newspaper ads accusing Nadler of helping Irans ayatollahs by supporting the agreement. Nadler, however, won by a landslide, 89 percent to 10 percent. Outside groups with a hawkish, pro-Israel stance did not weigh in with big donations to his rival.

After the nuclear deal was clinched in Vienna in July 2015, an intense political fight unfolded in Congress, pitting the White House against Republican lawmakers and pro-Israel lobbying groups. Lawmakers, including those from his own party, often have criticized Obama for his detachment towards Congress and accused the White House of failing to effectively push for its own initiatives.

But this time, the administration pulled out all the stops. Obama oversaw an aggressive lobbying effort and got directly involved, meeting with Jewish groups and personally speaking to more than 120 lawmakers. While the deals opponents launched a counter advertising blitz, the White House deployed senior diplomats and officials, including Secretary of Energy Ernest Moniz, to brief lawmakers and explain the agreement to local newspapers and radio stations.

The lobbying battle also reflected a growing rivalry between different Jewish groups that claim to best represent the interests of pro-Israel voters. The left-leaning J Street argued the administrations case, while the much larger American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) and more conservative groups campaigned against the deal.

The White House lobbying focused entirely on Democrats in Congress to prevent Republicans from securing a 60-vote majority to overturn the deal and overcome a presidential veto. In the end, a procedural vote fell two short of the 60 required to break a filibuster by Democrats.

It was a political victory for the White House, albeit a narrow and highly partisan one.

The back-and-forth over the deal left scars, with some Democratic lawmakers fearing their relationship with Israel and groups supporting Israel might be permanently damaged. It also raised questions about whether pro-Israel groups were losing their influence. The congressional debate had come months after a controversial intervention by Netanyahu, who delivered an address in February to a joint session of Congress slamming the deal. Some activists worried that traditional bipartisan support for Israel was beginning to unravel, and that the Democratic Party was shifting away from Israel.

The whole debate about the deal had the danger of turning Israel into a partisan wedge, said Ilan Goldenberg, a former senior Pentagon official in the Obama administration and currently a senior fellow at the Center for a New American Security. As a result, he told Foreign Policy, senior leaders of the main pro-Israel groups wanted to de-escalate and defuse tensions.

Other, more hawkish voices in pro-Israel organizations disagreed with that tactic.

The failure to make a real election issue out of it is a casualty of establishment American Jewish groups influence  especially for AIPAC, said the Iron Dome Alliances Ballabon. AIPAC steadfastly sticks to a bipartisan formula, lobbying on legislation but refraining from challenging incumbents from either party or making contributions to candidates in elections, which Ballabon calls a mistake.

One senior official at a Jewish organization that opposed the nuclear agreement said the friction with lawmakers made a lot of people uncomfortable. But he said relations with Democratic senators who backed the deal have been repaired and now theres a huge sigh of relief that were getting back to American politics as usual.

He added: Ultimately, its a wash. A vote was had. The broader goal  of telegraphing of how illegitimate the deal was  was met.

The Israeli government, which had heavily lobbied senators last year to reject the deal, also has pulled back, recognizing that the nuclear agreement is now a reality that could not be blocked in Congress. Instead, Israel and groups that support it are focusing on sending a signal to Iran that the United States remains ready to reimpose sanctions if necessary.

More than a year since the debate over the nuclear deal, there is no bipartisan push in Congress to dismantle the agreement, despite a number of proposals by Republican members. Instead, lawmakers are focused on renewing the 10-year Iran Sanctions Act, which expires at the end of 2016. The act, first adopted in 1996 and since renewed, allows the U.S. government to punish companies for investing in Irans energy and other sectors.

Obama administration officials have previously asked lawmakers to hold off renewing the sanctions act, saying the executive branch has all the tools it needs to reimpose economic penalties if Iran violates the nuclear agreement. U.S. officials privately say they fear the symbolic measure will undermine moderates in Tehran who are loyal to Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and are under pressure to demonstrate the economic benefits of the nuclear deal. Rouhani is up for reelection in 2017.

But that might be too much of a reach for the White House after investing much of its political capital to shore up Democratic support for the nuclear deal last year. And for Democrats who took a political risk in backing the agreement, a vote for renewing sanctions is a way of demonstrating commitment to Israel and sending a warning signal to Iran, congressional staffers said.

Seven Democratic senators wrote a letter this month calling for renewing the law and arguing that a vote on the measure was crucial for Americas national security. Renewing the act is vital to ensuring with the utmost certainty that the United States will continue to have the sanctions enforcement mechanism our national security demands.

FP Senior Reporter John Hudson contributed to this article.

Photo credit: ATTA KENARE/AFP/GettyImages
David Koma has had a seemingly charmed career. The Georgian-born, London-based designer was just 25 years old and fresh out of graduate school the year Beyonce, Rihanna and Cheryl Cole appeared in his dresses at high-profile events -- Beyonce at the 2009 MTV Europe Music Awards in Berlin, Rihanna for a performance and Cheryl Cole on The X Factor -- making his name immediately known to the fashion press, as well as to buyers from department stores like Browns and Harrod's. From the beginning, he has cited designer Thierry Mugler as one of his chief influences, and in 2013, he was offered the role of creative director of the house -- something he felt was "meant to be."

Of course, Koma is enormously talented, as a single look from his latest collections for either his eponymous label, shown at London Fashion Week, or Mugler's, shown in Paris, attest. His clothes are sexy without being restraining, and the precision of his tailoring is second to none. It's little wonder, then, that Lady Gaga and Selena Gomez have also become fans of the designer, and that Mugler's magic has become such that both Rihanna and Tracee Ellis Ross have both appeared in vintage designs this year, building upon Mugler's long legacy of dressing leading music artists.

Billboard sat down with Koma in his London studio to discuss his growth plans for both Mugler and his own label, the importance of celebrity dressing for both businesses, and how music informs the design of his collections.

@haileybaldwin in David koma aw16 #haileybaldwin #davidkoma

A photo posted by David Koma (@davidkomalondon) on Sep 1, 2016 at 2:34am PDT

How important was celebrity dressing to kickstarting your career, and how is it important to your own label and to Mugler these days?

For me, the celebrity dressing was never a focus or intentional, I never really believed in a kind of one-hit story [Though] it does help to get some extra attention to your brand. I appreciate more long-term relationships with different actresses and celebrities. If you are focused on what you are doing and you see over the years so many incredible, extremely successful actresses and performers supporting you and wearing your clothes, that gives you this extra confidence. They can have everything they want in the world, choosing you means you are doing something really right. We don't [pay for celebrities to wear the clothes].

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Are you ever directly inspired by music artists? Do certain figures ever appear on your mood boards, either for your own label or at Mugler?

I would not name directly anyone, but what very often inspires me is when I see musician having so much power, so much influence, so much energy. You can see a few musicians, they're like amazing artists, amazing human beings, kind of amazing mothers at the same time, when you see all of that come together in one strong female, that's inspiring.

David koma ss17 #Backstage #davidkoma @dbphotography

A photo posted by David Koma (@davidkomalondon) on Oct 24, 2016 at 8:44am PDT

How much are you involved in the show soundtracks? The appearance of the "Jaws" theme song in your last Mugler show was a hit.

That idea came to me, and people were like, are you really going to do that, it's so cheesy, I wanted to smile, I love that movie and that soundtrack, it was the right time to use it. I work with [music collective] Mode-F every season to create the soundtrack. They have a very particular and very intimate way of writing the music for the collection, starting with a kind of mood board, then we edit it into a couple of songs. The way the collection gets styled and edited, the same happens with the music, it gets a little touch 'til the very end, it's a cool process.

There's been a lot of momentum at Mugler lately - you have the new flagship store in Paris, you're pushing more into daywear, and soon you'll launch e-commerce. What does the future of Mugler look like?

I'm super excited about the accessories line we launched last year, it's doing really well, and I'd like to focus on that and take it to next level. Right now it's mostly handbags, but shoes and jewelry will come. E-commerce is [in the works], and so are more stores. There is a lot of work to do.

You said a year ago that London "is the best place to be for a designer." Do you still feel that way now that the UK has voted to leave the EU?

I don't know, the Brexit vote hasn't really affected me yet. I do believe London is the best city for a young designer to start his or her career - the education system is one of the best, if not the best, and then there's this whole support system for young talents to establish their labels. The British Fashion Council helps at the very beginning, when you are no one, they discover and believe in and support you. I remember when I graduated from Central Saint Martins, I won a few awards that let me show at London Fashion Week, got money support, mentoring, got to travel all over the world meeting people and buyers - no other city has that. But it's easy to start you then need to work super hard to maintain the attention that you get, to turn your creativity into a proper business.

How do you balance your responsibilities at Mugler with your own label? Which one gets more of your attention?

At the very beginning when I started, I had to build up a new team at Mugler. Now, since my team is complete and perfect, I'm fully enjoying this experience of working for two different brands in two different cities. I love the train journey [between London and Paris], switching off every other week. Once that system is part of your life, it's not that difficult. It's actually inspiring.

And what are your plans for your own label?

It's my own baby, it's growing every season, and getting bigger and bigger and more global. I'm really expanding and making sure that it's visible and exists everywhere that it deserves to be.
dragoner | Military affairs blogger



The original Japanese article was published on 21:42 Jan 21, 2016

A pirate ship captured by the NATO Response Force (Photo: Reuters/AFLO)



This was a popular story on Twitter.

Togetter: The surprising and very cool story of the founder of Sushi Zanmai being responsible for wiping out the Somali pirates

On the page that featured this Tweet, about the story of Kiyoshi Kimura, founder of Tokyos popular sushi chain, Sushi Zanmai, who taught Somali fishermen how to catch tuna and then purchasing the fish from them which resulted in the pirates returning to become fishermen. As of 19:30 on January 21, 2016, this page had over 290,000 views and seemed to be a popular article throughout the Internet.

Since the late 2000s, the pirates off the coast of Somalia and the Gulf of Aden have been the cause of major international problems. In recent years, the damage caused by pirates have reduced significantly in this region, and its rumored that this was accomplished thanks to the exploits of Mr. Kimura. If this is indeed a fact, it is an astounding achievement, but is it really true?

Has the damage caused by Somali pirates decreased?

The original story from the aforementioned page was from an interview with Mr. Kimura.

Harbor Business Online: The founder of Sushi Zanmai discusses the Tsukiji Fish Market relocation challenge and the Somali pirate problem.

During the interview article, Mr. Kimura introduced his activities to support the Somali fishermen and discussed his accomplishments other than the business side.

Kimura: Many countries and international organizations are providing support, but their activities are very superficial and not always useful. Its necessary to stand in their shoes and understand their troubles. At one point, I believe there were over 300 cases of piracy off the coast of Somalia per year, but Ive heard that ever since we began making visits there, there were 0 incidents over a three-year span. We even received a medal from the Djibouti government for our efforts. Source: The founder of Sushi Zanmai discusses the Tsukiji Fish Market relocation challenge and the Somali pirate problem.

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The article doesnt mention in detail when Mr. Kimura began his activities, but we can deduce from his quote, Ive heard that ever since we began making visits there, there were 0 incidents over a three-year span, that he first started traveling to Somalia from around 2012. Lets take a look at the shift of damages causes by pirates in the region.

Occurrences of pirate attacks off the coast of Somalia and the Gulf of Aden (Created from documents issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Note that figure for 2015 is up until July)

The peak of the pirate attacks spanned from 2009 to 2011, with over 200 reported incidents per year. That number began to decrease from 2012, and in 2015 (up until July 31) that number fell to 0 in both attack cases and damage. He states that the number of incidents began to decrease since he first began his activities, and if he did begin in 2012, it means that he started his business right when the number of incidents began to decrease, making feel us that his story could be just a coincidence.

Somali pirates and the international society

So, how exactly has the international society handled the Somali pirate issue?

In 2008, resolutions were adopted by the United Nations regarding the Somali pirate issue, and the navies of various countries were dispatched to the area from around 2009. Principle countries and organizations, including the United States, the EU, Russia, China, and NATO dispatched vessels. As a countermeasure, Japan also dispatched two Maritime Self-Defense Force (MSDF) destroyers to serve as escorts for ships, and in 2011, the Self-Defense Forces set up their first standing overseas base in Djibouti to monitor the seas by aircrafts as well. Today, there are approximately 600 Self-Defense officials and Japan Coast Guard officials stationed in the region.

The Maritime Self-Defense Force vessel conducting training sessions with an EU vessel in the Gulf of Aden (from the Joint Staff, Ministry of Defense website)

There have been incidents that have occurred between the navies of various countries and the pirates, but in most cases, the pirates would flee whenever they spotted a vessel or military aircraft. The difference in capabilities between the pirate ships and military vessels is too large, so they have no hope against them whatsoever. With partnerships between coalition forces and troops of various countries, civilian ships began to receive escorts, which resulted in a significant decrease in pirate attacks.

The various security activities from the international society have undoubtedly decreased the number of pirates off the coast of Somalia. If you think about these activities, Mr. Kimuras statements seem a bit exaggerated (although he never did say that he was solely responsible for wiping out the pirates in Somalia.)

The close relationship between the international society and industries

However, if you look at the achievements of Mr. Kimura, they are indeed extremely noble.

During the peace activity process after ending conflicts of war-torn areas and rebuilding the regions back to their peaceful conditions, there is a peacekeeping strategy referred to as DDR (disarmament, demobilization, and reintegration). This process aims to disarm armed organization members and provide education and jobs to help contribute to society and help reconstruct the regions. In order to preserve continuous peace, it is important to provide legitimate businesses to members of the armed organizations in order for them to make a living.

DDR activities by handing over a toolbox to former combatants (from the Embassy of Japan in Sudan website)

Many businesses led by the international society cannot keep up long-term business profits, so private businesses play a significant role. However, there are not many companies who conduct their business in war-torn regions. If the economy of these countries cannot keep up, oftentimes peace is disrupted and war breaks out again.

Mr. Kimuras efforts to provide a path for pirates who have lost their jobs due to the anti-piracy activities conducted by the international society as tuna fishermen can be viewed as extremely important. However, if pirate attacks brought in large profits, would they agree to become fishermen so easily? Also, even if pirate activities could not be conducted due to the efforts of navies from various countries, the pirates may turn to other forms of crime if they dont have any alternatives to conduct legitimate work. In other words, the anti-piracy activities conducted by the international society and Mr. Kimuras business are both beneficial to wipe out pirates. If either one was lacking, the decrease in pirate attacks may not have been achieved.

However, even though the number of Somali pirates have decreased, that doesnt mean the problem is completely resolved. Somalia still does not have a centralized government, and we cannot expect regulations to be enforced by the governments police force. The withdrawal of the navies of various countries and the decline of the fishing industry would surely mean the return of pirates. From here on, the international society must work together with the navies of various countries to provide stability and peace in Somalia.
If you believe what has been touted by several news outlets over the past week, UNESCO seems to have given short shrift to the Temple Mount, the most holy site in Jerusalem.

During that time, media outlets all over the world have published stories saying that UNESCO (U.N. Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization), an agency of the UN that deals with cultural heritage issues, has denied that the Temple Mount was ever the home of Jewish temples.

But that is not exactly the case, though sometimes perception is everything.

The situation stems from an Oct. 12 resolution that was passed by UNESCO's executive board, comprising representatives from 58 states. During the meeting in Paris, this board reviewed reports and proposed and voted on a wide range of resolutions that dealt with cultural heritage, violent extremism and climate change among other issues. [The Holy Land: 7 Amazing Archaeological Finds]

Temple Mount and Al-Haram al-Sharif

Undeniably, two temples  the most sacred sites for the Jewish people in both ancient times and today  once resided at the Temple Mount. The first temple, which housed the Ark of the Covenant, was destroyed by the Babylonians in 587 B.C., while the second temple, built by King Herod (who reigned around 39 B.C to 1 B.C.), was destroyed by the Romans in A.D. 70 during a Jewish revolt against the Roman Empire. Though surviving archaeological remains of the temples are sparse (in part, because it is difficult to carry out excavations there due to ongoing conflicts), professional historians and archaeologists do not question the past existence of the two Jewish temples.

The side entrance to the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem, as it stood around 1950. Three Lions/Getty Images

For Muslims the Temple Mount is known as Al-Haram al-Sharif ("the noble sanctuary") and is the place where the prophet Muhammad ascended to heaven. It contains the Dome of the Rock and the Al-Aqsa Mosque, which both survive to the present day. The site's history makes it one of the holiest sites for Muslims.

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The site is also important to Christians. The Mount of Olives, where Jesus ascended to heaven, is located just to the east and the fourth century Church of the Holy Sepulchre is also located near the Temple Mount. [Proof of Jesus Christ? 6 Pieces of Evidence Debated]

What happened?

The resolution, which contains 41 sections, does not deny the existence of Jewish temples on the Temple Mount; in fact, it affirmed "the importance of the Old City of Jerusalem and its Walls for the three monotheistic religions."

However, when writing the resolution, the board referred to the mount only by its Islamic name, "Al-Haram al-Sharif," and never used the words "Temple Mount." It was also highly critical of Israel, addressing Palestinian grievances about the site while largely ignoring Israeli concerns.

Irina Bokova, the director-general of UNESCO, who was not part of the board, was not happy with the resolution's wording and the perception that Jewish ties to the site were being denied or downplayed. "The heritage of Jerusalem is indivisible, and each of its communities has a right to the explicit recognition of their history and relationship with the city. To deny, conceal or erase any of the Jewish, Christian or Muslim traditions undermines the integrity of the site, and runs counter to the reasons that justified its inscription on the UNESCO World Heritage list," she said in a statement.

Long-standing conflict

The Temple Mount/Al-Haram al-Sharif has long been a flashpoint in the conflict between the Israelis and Palestinians. Both Muslims and Jews wish to worship at the site, and the resulting conflicts have led to the deaths of many people over the past century.

Israel gained full control over the Temple Mount after the 1967 war with Jordan, when it gained Jerusalem and the West Bank. Since that time, Israeli settlements have sprung up in the West Bank, and Jewish neighborhoods have appeared in East Jerusalem (an area that used to have mostly Muslim inhabitants).

Israel and the Palestinians have a long list of grievances against one another. For instance, the Palestinians have accused the Israelis of destroying their history at the site, the UNESCO resolution claiming that Israel "demolished" and removed Islamic-period remains. The resolution also contains a long list of alleged actions by the Israelis, which the authors say are harming Muslim worshippers.

Meanwhile, many Israelis accuse the Waqf (also spelled Awqaf), a trust that administers the Dome of the Rock and Al-Aqsa Mosque, of engaging in illegal renovation and excavation work that is destroying the remains of Jewish buildings and artifacts. As part of the "Temple Mount Sifting Project," archaeologists have been going through the debris dug up by the Waqf and have found numerous archaeological remains, including decorated stone tiles that they say are from the Second Temple.

Both sides have accused the other of preventing their people from praying at the Temple site, along with facilitating and encouraging violent attacks that have resulted in the deaths of people on both sides.

Please get along

In her statement, Bokova urged Jews, Muslims and Christians to respect each other's heritage, to use the site peacefully and to coexist in Jerusalem peacefully.

"In this microcosm of humanity's spiritual diversity, different peoples worship the same places, sometimes under different names. The recognition, use of and respect for these names is paramount. The Al Aqsa Mosque / Al-Haram al-Sharif, the sacred shrine of Muslims, is also the Har HaBayit  or Temple Mount  whose Western Wall is the holiest place in Judaism, a few steps away from the Saint Sepulchre and the Mount of Olives revered by Christians," Bokova said.

"We have a collective responsibility to strengthen this cultural and religious coexistence, by the power of acts and also by the power of words. This requirement is stronger than ever, to bridge the divisions that harm the multi-faith character of the Old City," she said.

The resolution, which was proposed by Algeria, Egypt, Lebanon, Morocco, Oman, Qatar and Sudan, ultimately passed. Media reports indicate that it passed with 24 "yes" votes, six "no" votes and 26 abstentions.

Original article on Live Science.

Editor's Recommendations
When it comes to the $85.4B mega deal between AT&T (NYSE:T) and Time Warner (NYSE:TWX) content is king, according to Discovery Communications CEO David Zaslov. He joined the FOX Business Networks Maria Bartiromo to discuss how the deal is a sign of the changing media landscape.

In some ways its expected. As you look around the world, you see it much more in Latin America and in Europe. The cable operators first started offering broadband and the phone guys started offering broadband. But in the last year or two youve seen the quadruple play. So You get your wireless, your multichannel, your broadband and your hard phone. And its very, very compelling, he said.

Zaslov believes this deal highlights how significant unique content will be for media companies.

The problem is that each of the distributors, if they can offer all of those through a pipe, it effectively becomes a dumb pipe they need content in order to make their offerings special and unique. So its a reinforcement that great IT and content is going to be the ultimate winner here, he said.

He also discussed how consolidation impacts distributors.

The bigger consolidation question is what happens now to the distributors? Do the cable operators now have to find a wireless solution in the U.S.? Most of them inside the U.S. have felt that they needed to. Does Verizon now look at AT&T and say wait a minute? They have DIRECTV and now they have a huge amount of content, we dont have any one of those things. Do we need one or the other? he said.

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Superman had his Fortress of Solitude, Batman had the Batcave and Earths Sorcerer Supreme, Doctor Strange, has his own space for quiet contemplation, the Sanctum Sanctorum. It may not be quiet for long, though, as fans can now find its once-secret location on Google Maps.

As spotted by an eagle-eyed fan, Dr. Stephen Stranges New York City lair is not quite so secret anymore. As a likely tie-in to the upcoming movie, which stars Benedict Cumberbatch as the Marvel superhero, when you search for Doctor Stranges Sanctum Sanctorum in Google Maps, it brings up the location at 177A Bleecker Street in Manhattan. Google classifies the location (which is actually occupied by a deli) as an Association or Organization, which just so happens to have Marvel.com as its web address.

Fans have been leaving reviews for the Doctors services on Google, despite the fact the Google version of the Sanctum Santorum is even less real than the LEGO version.

Love this. Type 177a Bleecker Street into Google Maps and this shows up. (I think it's actually a grocery store on that spot) #DoctorStrange pic.twitter.com/FSx6wwuFbb  Chris Hewitt (@ChrisHewitt) October 24, 2016

Doctor Strange, which also stars Tilda Swinton, Rachel McAdams, Mads Mikkelsen, and Chiwetel Ejiofor, open in theaters on Nov. 4.

[Entertainment Weekly]
Donald Trumps newest conspiracy theory is that pollsters are over-sampling Democrats to make it seem like hes down in the polls.

When the polls are even, when they leave them alone and do them properly, Im leading, he said at a rally in St. Augustine, Florida, Monday afternoon. But you see these polls where theyre polling Democrats, Hows Trump doing? Oh, hes down. Theyre polling Democrats!

Trump signaled his new theory in a tweet Monday morning, writing, Major story that the Dems are making up phony polls in order to suppress the the Trump . We are going to WIN!

As evidence, Trump said in St. Augustine that Wikileaks also shows how John Podesta rigged the polls by oversampling Democrats, a voter suppression technique. He was apparently referencing a 2008 email revealed in the email hack of Hillary Clintons campaign chairman. The email, by Democratic activist Tom Matzzie, reads, I also want to get your Atlas folks to recommend oversamples for our polling before we start in February. By market, regions, etc. I want to get this all compiled into one set of recommendations so we can maximize what we get out of our media polling.

But as the Washington Post explains, Trumps comment fundamentally misrepresents what this email is talking about. This campaign email would be referring to an internal poll, not a public one. And polls often need to over sample certain subgroups to get statistically accurate data.

Normal polling in a state will usually have no problem getting enough white people in the mix to evaluate where they stand, but you may need to specifically target more black or Hispanic voters to get a statistically relevant sample size, the Post explains. Its also worth noting that more Americans identify as Democrats than Republicans: 30% to 24%, according to Pew Research.

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Trump himself even admitted that he is somewhat behind in the polls in a North Carolina radio interview on Monday, Politico reports.

Still, in St. Augustine, Trump chalked up his campaigns current state to the Clintons, the media and elites conspiring against his candidacy.

When the people who control the political power in our society can rig investigations, can rig polls, you see these phony polls, and rig the media, they can wield absolute power over your life, your economy and your country, and benefit big time by it, Trump told his audience.
New York (AFP) - Drake, the rapper who has dominated the charts with his latest album, celebrated his 30th birthday Monday by announcing a new release that includes a song dissing a critic.

The Toronto rapper said he would release "More Life" in December and described it as a "playlist" of original music.

"I'm off, like, mixtapes. I want to do a playlist. I want to give you a collection of songs that become the soundtrack to your life," Drake said in a birthday episode of his Ovo label's radio webcast.

Drake previewed "More Life" by putting out four tracks -- three by himself and one by Dave, a rising teenage rapper from London's grime scene who goes by only one name.

Hip-hop fans on social media quickly took note of one of Drake's songs, "Two Birds, One Stone," in which he takes shots at fellow rapper Kid Cudi.

In September, Kid Cudi went on Twitter to denounce Drake as well as his mentor Kanye West for allegedly employing rap ghost-writers.

"You were the man on the moon / Now you go through your phases," Drake raps in a clear allusion to Kid Cudi, whose debut album was entitled "Man on the Moon."

Drake says he will "rap like I know I'm the greatest," boasting of his musical versatility in offering "tropical flavors" and stating: "Still never been on hiatus."

Drake's track "One Dance" recently broke the record as the most-listened song ever on leading streaming site Spotify.

The song appears on Drake's "Views," which in the United States is the best-selling album released this year.

The boundaries that divide albums, playlists and mixtapes have increasingly become blurred in hip-hop, although albums are considered more significant artistic statements.

Drake also topped the album charts last year with "If You're Reading This It's Too Late," which he described as a mixtape.

Drake did not explain how he would release "More Life" but the rapper has a close relationship with Apple, which has exclusively put out his recent works before they came out on competing streaming sites or in physical format.
A civilian removes the rubble in front of a damaged shop after an airstrike in the rebel held al-Saleheen neighborhood of Aleppo, Syria August 18, 2016. REUTERS/Abdalrhman Ismail

Learning how to survive on practically no food, with no electricity, while surrounded by snipers and targeted in airstrikes, has become a necessary part of daily life for those still inside the besieged Syrian city of Aleppo.

In an op-ed for The Washington Post, former University of Aleppo student Omair Shaaban described the measures residents have to take just to survive day-to-day in the city they've lived in their entire lives.

Those include living on the lower floors of buildings to survive "the many different kinds of airstrikes, shells, rockets, phosphorus bombs and cluster bombs"; staying off the street as much as possible; driving without headlights to avoid being targeted (if you own a car); selling any extra pasta and bread you may be given by aid organizations ("there is no meat, no milk, no yogurt"); and, above all, trying to stay calm.

"Hearing bombs going off all the time is hard," Shaaban wrote. "Theyre so noisy  the sound alone could drive you crazy. So now I try to ignore it. If bombs detonate nearby, try to forget them, try to be calm. Go save your neighbors instead of panicking. If you arent calm, you will really go mad."

Late last month, the Syrian government  backed by Russian warplanes  launched its most devastating bombing campaign on Aleppo since the civil war began more than five years ago.

"The destruction is so complete that it obliterates even a sense of time," Michael Kimmelmanwrote in The New York Times recently.

A still image from video taken October 12, 2016 of a general view of the bomb damaged Old City area of Aleppo, Syria. REUTERS/via ReutersTV

Earlier this month, Natalie Nougayrede argued in The Guardian that Russia's current tactics in Aleppo can be understood by studying what Moscow did to the Chechen capital of Grozny 16 years ago.

Much like Aleppo is today, Grozny was encircled by pro-government forces before being obliterated. In Grozny, though, an estimated 50,000 people were trapped as bombs rained down on them. Four times as many people, roughly 250,000, are under siege in rebel-held eastern Aleppo today, according to reports.

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"Its so easy to lose your mind here," Shabaan wrote. He noted that going out to look for food, which is scarce and expensive, is risky because "you might come back to find that your building has been destroyed and your family killed."

"Ive seen people standing in front of bombed-out buildings, screaming and crying in disbelief...Even people who still have their homes struggle to cope. A friend of mine killed himself with a machine gun after another friend of ours died. I think it is more common in Western society for people to commit suicide, but here in Syria, it is very rare. In Islam, its a terrible sin."

syria aleppo

US Secretary of State John Kerry has called for Russia and the Syrian government to be investigated for war crimes over reports that their warplanes are targeting hospitals and rescue workers inside the city  reports that the Kremlin and Syrian president Bashar al-Assad continue to deny.

"We look forward today to a very frank discussion about what potential next steps are," Kerry said. "We intend to jointly figure out how best to be able to deliver the strongest message possible about the actions that might be taken to deal with this bombing of Aleppo, this siege, in the 21st century, of innocent people."

Russia temporarily halted its airstrikes on Aleppo on Thursday and Friday, but has not specified how long the temporary ceasefire will last.

"This past week, the regime and the Russians announced a cease-fire," Shabaan wrote. "But that has made everyone afraid  we dont know whats going to come next. Maybe the attacks will be worse than before, when they start again. Thats what happened last time."

NOW WATCH: This Syrian refugee makes a special candy to remind him of home





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Ebie Wright in July 2016

Ebie Wright, the daughter of late gangsta rap mogul Eric Eazy-E Wright, may be petite, pretty, and most remembered for her MTV My Super Sweet 16 episode  but dont underestimate her fearlessness.

Im Eazy-Es daughter, she says matter-of-factly as she sits next to her mother Tracey Jernagin at hip Hollywood coffee shop Rise and Grind on a Thursday afternoon.

Ebie is annoyed about the backlash late former N.W.A manager Jerry Heller received after the release of Straight Outta Compton, a movie that depicted Heller as the villain at the center of the N.W.As demise.

Heller passed away in August. I think it definitely took a toll on him, Ebie says, referring to the criticism she deemed unwarranted. Social media is so powerful. People are so opinionated. For Jerry, he was older. Im younger, she adds. Ebie, who describes Heller as like another grandfather, is ready to set the record straight on her fathers story.

Ebie and her mother actually like the Straight Outta Compton movie  Ebie even feels that no one could have played Eazy better than actor Jason Mitchell  but they dont feel that the film told enough of Eazys story. So Ebie, Jernagin, and Erica Wright (Ebies sister and Eazy-Es eldest daughter) have teamed up to produce a tell-all documentary about Eazy-E, A Ruthless Scandal: No More Lies, that they hope will fill in the gaps. They recently launched a Kickstarter campaign to help finance the projects pre-production.

Ebies brother and Eazys son, Lil Eazy-E, however, is not one of the docs producers. I talk to my brother all of the time, Ebie says. But me and him dont see eye-to-eye on a lot of things.

The project will include investigative reporting, not just a couple of interviews, Jernagin asserts. Their research team has a tough job. Its a lot, she adds. Its very old. There is a paper trail but its very difficult, very sensitive information.

The most sensitive information pertains to the events surrounding Eazys death. According to reports, Eazy died from complications from AIDS. Ebie and Jernagin believe otherwise.

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When asked if she thinks her father was murdered, Ebie quips, I do. I even posted something on my Instagram. All this stuff with gun violence and police brutality, its very obvious. But thats not how everybody is murdered With Eazy-E, you dont know. It wasnt obvious. It was a smoke screen.

Former Death Row Records head Suge Knight, who feuded with Eazy-E to release Dr. Dre from his Ruthless Records contract, fueled rumors that he was involved with Eazys death when he appeared on an episode of Jimmy Kimmel in 2003 and joked about dying from being injected with blood from someone with AIDS. Knight referred to the process as that slow death, that Eazy-E thang.

Jernagin and Ebie wont share any of their research and are not making any claims, but Jernagin offers, If Suge was just joking around, then theres nothing in our investigation that ties him to the murder.

Ebie feels an urgency to tell the story of her father, who died in 1995 when she was a toddler. Youll watch me go back on this journey, she explains. I start to get really emotional talking about my dad as far as dealing with his death. I really havent dealt with it. Im going to face it for the first time. My ultimate goal is to bring closure. Youve heard rumors, conspiracy theories, whatever; its time to lay it all out there.

Despite receiving early interest to produce the documentary that has been in the works for 10 years, Ebie and Jernagin have opted to start things independently. Actually, we have had offers, Jernagin explains, but Kickstarter is so cool to us because people could go through the process with us. She adds that the final documentary is not going to be an independent project. Their vision is to see it developed into a six- to 10-episode series, like The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story, with a format similar to the Kurt Cobain documentary Soaked in Bleach.

Ebie also plans to ask Tomica Woods-Wright, Eazy-Es widow who controls his estate, to be involved in the project. We will ask Tomica, Ebie says. Jernagin interjects: Our documentary is in no way advertised or promoted it as an against Tomica thing. This is about Eazy-E.
MILAN (Reuters) - Egypt launched the world's biggest tender for liquefied natural gas (LNG) on Sunday as officials from top trading houses and oil majors converged on Cairo - undeterred by tough new rules forcing them to wait even longer to get paid. After months of speculation and delay, state-run Egypt Natural Gas Holding (EGAS) released the tender documents on Sunday in a bid to secure 96 LNG shipments over 2017-2018, participants in the tender told Reuters. An additional 12 optional cargoes were included in the tender, which EGAS may decide not to award, they said. It is the biggest mid-term LNG buy tender ever issued, trade sources said. The payment period in which suppliers can expect to get paid has been extended from 90 days after the date of delivery to between 120 and 180 days, reflecting Egypt's increasingly tight U.S. dollar reserves, trade sources said. (Reporting by Oleg Vukmanovic; Editing by Susan Fenton)
elizabeth warren

Sen. Elizabeth Warren on Monday riffed on Donald Trump's remark calling Hillary Clinton "such a nasty woman."

"Nasty women are tough, nasty women are smart, and nasty women vote," Warren told a crowd in New Hampshire. "On November 8, we nasty women are going to walk our nasty feet to cast our nasty votes to get you out of our lives forever."

Joining Hillary Clinton and numerous Democratic officials at a campaign rally, the populist firebrand reiterated her criticism of Trump's 2005 boasts about groping women and kissing them without permission.

"He thinks that because he's a celebrity, he can rate women from 1 to 10," Warren said. "He thinks that because he has a mouthful of Tic Tacs he can force himself on any woman within groping distance. I've got news for you, Donald Trump: Women have had it with guys like you."

She touted issues like Clinton's plan for college affordability and insisted that the US "won't build Donald Trump's stupid wall" along its border with Mexico.

Shortly after Warren's speech, Clinton quipped that she enjoyed watching the senator's Trump takedowns, joking that Warren "gets under his thin skin like nobody else."

"I could listen to Elizabeth go on all day," Clinton said.

Warren has emerged as one of the most outspoken Trump critics on the left, attacking the real-estate mogul's business record, critiquing his rhetoric about minorities, and calling on him to release his tax returns.

Trump has repeatedly made Warren the target of his barbs, calling her "goofy" and a "racist" for her previous claim that she had Native American heritage.

NOW WATCH: 'Women have had it with guys like you'  Elizabeth Warren rips Trump for his 'nasty woman' remark





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Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren used Donald Trumps own words to mock him in a campaign speech for Hillary Clinton.

On Monday, Warren riffed on the phrase nasty woman as she criticized Trump for his past treatment of women during a Clinton rally at Saint Anselm College, a liberal arts school in Manchester, N.H.

She took issue with Trumps having rated womens bodies from one to 10 and said he feels entitled to force himself on any woman within groping distance, as long as he has a mouthful of Tic Tacs.

Well, Ive got news for you, Donald Trump. Women have had it with guys like you. And nasty women have really had it with guys like you, she said during the joint appearance with Clinton.

Nasty woman became a feminist rallying cry for the Clinton campaign after Trump called her such a nasty woman during their third and final presidential debate Oct. 19. Trump interjected with the insult while Clinton was taking a swipe at him over Social Security.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., speaks during a campaign rally for Hillary Clinton at Saint Anselm College in Manchester, N.H. (Photo: Carlos Barria/Reuters)

Warren similarly embraced the term during her Oct. 24 rally with Clinton.

Get this, Donald: Nasty women are tough, nasty women are smart, and nasty women vote, Warren said. And on Nov. 8, we nasty women are going to march our nasty feet to cast our nasty votes to get you out of our lives forever.

Trump also used nasty to attack Warren back in June, after they had been trading insults for weeks.

Pocahontas is at it again! Goofy Elizabeth Warren, one of the least productive U.S. Senators, has a nasty mouth. Hope she is V.P. choice.  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 10, 2016

The reality television stars White House bid been embroiled in one controversy after another since it launched in June 2015. Several of these firestorms have involved his derogatory comments toward women.

Hillary Clinton is welcomed to the podium by Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., at a rally at Saint Anselm College in Manchester, N.H. (Photo: Andrew Harnik/AP)

But the largest number of Republican defections from his campaign has come in recent weeks, as Trump reeled from the release of a 2005 video in which he boasted about forcibly kissing and groping women. Trump denied ever following through with his words, insisting he was simply engaging in locker-room talk. But at least a dozen women have since come forward to say they were victims of Trumps alleged misconduct.

Nevertheless, some Trump supporters have defended his use of the insult against Clinton. For instance, Rep. Brian Babin of Texas said, Sometimes a lady needs to be told when shes being nasty, and senior Trump adviser A.J. Delgado said that, based on Clintons record, she is indeed nasty.
spacex mars spaceship its flickr 29343909374_cbaa807fd1_o

Less than a month ago, Elon Musk shared his audacious plan to launch a million people to Mars and beyond, all in hopes of backing up humanity for if and when some future apocalyptic calamity dooms Earth.

Musk's 63-minute presentation showed off intricate computer renderings of rockets and spaceships, all parts of his so-called Interplanetary Transport System.

Because he had to skip over a lot of technical details, however, Musk logged on to Reddit on Sunday afternoon to let his most discerning fans squeeze information from him in an "Ask Me Anything" session.

During that Q&A session, Musk shared news of a very important test that SpaceX has planned "in the coming weeks": filling up an enormous carbon-fiber fuel tank, shown below, that will be essential to making the ITS spaceship work.

The tank, which happens to be the spaceship's core structure, has to withstand incredible pressures and stresses at blisteringly cold temperatures  otherwise it might leak or even explode.

spacex interplanetary transport system its carbon fiber fuel tank size

Musk shared images of the massive structure toward the end of his September 27 talk at the International Astronomical Congress.

When user nalyd8991 asked Musk for more information about it on Sunday in the r/SpaceX subreddit, Musk said the gargantuan carbon-fiber tank "was really the big news" of his IAC talk  or at least "for those that know their stuff."

'The hardest part of the spaceship'

"This is really the hardest part of the spaceship," Musk said at the September IAC talk. "The other pieces ... we have a pretty good handle on, but this was the trickiest one. So we wanted to tackle it first."

In short, the entire spaceship will be built around such a tank  so getting it right is crucial. Here's where designs place it in the spaceship:

mars its bfs spaceship elon musk spacex labeled

Carbon-fiber fuel tanks for spacecraft aren't a new concept, as Boeing and NASA began work on a huge ones 2014, but we've never seen one this enormous at roughly 40 feet wide.

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Here's what it looks like from the inside:

inside tank spacex elon musk mars colonization

Engineers most likely chose to make the tank out of carbon fiber because that material is lighter, shrinks less, and is stronger than the metal alloys that many cryogenic fuel tanks are made out of. So it will presumably make for safer transport to Mars while using less fuel (though at a considerably higher cost of construction).

The material isn't easy to work with, though, as Musk explained during his IAC talk:

"Even though carbon fiber has incredible strength-to-weight, when you want one of them put super-cold liquid oxygen and liquid methane  particularly liquid oxygen  in the tank, it's subject to cracking and leaking and it's a very difficult thing to make.

"Just the sheer scale of it is also challenging, because you've gotta lay out the carbon fiber in exactly the right way on a huge mold, and you've gotta cure that mold at temperature, and then it's ... just really hard to make large carbon-fiber structures that can do all of those things and carry incredible loads."

During his Reddit AMA on Sunday, Musk dropped a few bits of new information about the tank as well:

"The flight tank will actually be slightly longer than the development tank shown, but the same diameter," Musk said.

He also said it was "built with latest and greatest carbon fiber prepreg," or carbon fiber that's pre-impregnated with a resin to make it tougher. "In theory, it should hold cryogenic propellant without leaking and without a sealing linker," he said. "Early tests are promising."

Finally, he teased a much grander test: "Will take it up to 2/3 of burst pressure on an ocean barge in the coming weeks."

Though Musk didn't answer any follow-up questions about this mysterious ocean test, we assume that by "barge" he means one of the robotic drone ships that have caught a handful of SpaceX's self-landing Falcon 9 rocket boosters in the recent past, such as the one shown below.

spacex barge drone shop falcon 9 rocket booster landed 28965678292_866a549e39_k

We also don't yet know how SpaceX plans to pressurize the giant black tank. It could be with plain old air, but it might be its fuel of choice for Mars: flammable (and explosive) methane gas.

Several things might suggest this: First, lugging a giant orb out into the middle of the ocean sounds like no simple effort, which implies the company is doing so out of an expectation that the device could not just merely leak but burst or explode. If no one is around and it blows up, its shrapnel (and possibly flames) can't hurt anyone. SpaceX's ocean barges, however, have proved capable of withstanding punishing explosions in the past:

Second, Musk said SpaceX performed "initial tests with the cryogenic propellant" that "actually look quite positive."

"We have not seen any leaks or major issues," he added.

If the company has already pumped methane into the spherical tank before, it stands to reason that it will try again to get even more data on its performance for incorporating into a flight version.

SpaceX representatives declined to provide Business Insider with more details on the test, including what would be pressurizing the orb or when it might happen.

NOW WATCH: Elon Musk on going to Mars  The probability of death is quite high'





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Photo illustration: Yahoo News, photos: AP

The day after announcing her candidacy last year, Hillary Clinton flew off to Iowa and, standing outside a small coffee shop, was asked by a reporter about what she had already signaled would be a big issue for her: overhauling the countrys dysfunctional campaign finance system to curb the influence of wealthy donors and special interests.

She would soon be announcing her plan to do just that, Clinton replied. But, the reporter followed up, what about the role that Priorities USA Action  a Democratic super-Pac that had announced plans to collect hundreds of millions of dollars from wealthy donors  would have in her campaign?

I dont know, Clinton replied with a shrug, as she walked into the coffee shop to campaign.

How little the media  and much of the rest of the political world  really knew. Among the nuggets from the hacked emails posted by WikiLeaks is new evidence that, from the start, Clinton and her campaign operatives were plotting to aggressively exploit the loopholes in federal campaign laws by steering large sums of unregulated cash into supposedly independent super-PACs like Priorities USA.

Campaign officials spoke of setting up and staffing Priorities USA, arranged to have big guns like Bill Clinton featured at its fundraising events and offered detailed instructions, including proposed scripts, on how Clinton fundraisers should urge donors to cut checks for Priorities USA and other officially preferred super-Pacs.

The [Preferred Super PAC] is doing vital work. You should support them, Clinton campaign lawyer Marc Elias (and one of his partners) wrote in a March 26, 2015, privileged and confidential memo, offering suggested language the campaigns fundraisers should use when they talk to prospective donors.

Other suggested language: We cannot win this election without [Preferred Super PAC]. And: The most important thing you can do right now is support [Preferred Super Pac].

To be sure, there is nothing illegal about this, at least the way federal election law  which bars campaigns from collecting any more than $2,700 from individual donors per election  is now interpreted. Contacted by Yahoo News, Elias by email directed questions about his memo to the Clinton campaign. Glen Caplin, a campaign spokesman, emailed that the campaign wont be authenticating anything being released by WikiLeaks, given they were the product of a Russian hack. However, he added: Hillary Clinton has fought for campaign finance reform her entire career and, as president, will propose a constitutional amendment to overturn Citizens United in her first 30 days in office and fight to restore the role of everyday voters in elections. The stakes of this election are too high to unilaterally disarm, and that is why she is so committed to ensuring Democrats have the resources to win.

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Memo for Fundraising Staff

The success of this strategy has been dramatically underscored in recent days by reports in the Washington Post and the New York Times documenting how the campaign steered tens of millions of dollars into Priorities USA from such billionaire donors as Univision Chairman Haim Saban, hedge fund manager Donald Sussman and financier George Soros.

On the campaign trail, Clinton continues to decry the influence of Citizens United  the 2010 Supreme Court decision that ushered in the era of super-Pacs, which collect checks from donors, corporations and labor unions in unlimited amounts and then spend the money on campaign ads.

Yet, in one of the more surprising developments in this years election, Democrats and the Clinton campaign are now far outpacing Republicans in raising money for these outside independent expenditure groups. Democratic super-Pacs, led by Priorities USA, have collected over $200 million for this years election  more than twice the amount raised by Republican super-Pacs  giving them an overwhelming advantage in running TV attack ads against Donald Trump and GOP senators in tight election races.

The Supreme Courts theory behind allowing outside groups to raise unlimited cash is that they would be independent of the campaigns  and therefore the huge six- and seven-figure checks they collected would not be corrupting of the political candidates they back.

In practice, however, the lines between the campaigns and the outside super-Pacs have all but collapsed; a deadlocked Federal Election Commission now defines illegal coordination between the two groups so narrowly (to involve explicit discussions about particular messaging ads) that all sorts of real-life coordination has become permissible. The law has become a sham, said Lawrence Noble, the longtime former general counsel for the FEC who now serves as the top lawyer for the Campaign Legal Center, a nonpartisan group that has filed complaints against super-Pacs supporting both Clinton and Trump.

The Elias memo to fundraisers vividly illustrates how this has played out in practice  and how campaigns can skirt the rules that were once in place. (Elias, the Clinton campaigns top lawyer, is an expert on the subject: A veteran Democratic campaign finance guru, he also serves as chief counsel to Priorities USA and most other major Democratic super-Pacs.) His memo offers what Noble calls a wink, wink, nod, nod, step-by-step guide for Clinton campaign fundraisers on how to direct large checks into super-Pac coffers and other Democratic Party accounts without running afoul of federal campaign laws.

The key for fundraisers, according to the Elias memo, is to make sure that when they are talking to donors they first make an ask for a hard money contribution to a super-Pac of no more than $5,000. Asking for the legal or hard money limit in advance protects the campaign of being accused of trying to raise soft unregulated cash in excess of the legal limits. After that, the memo makes clear, the fundraisers may speak freely with the donor about the campaigns support for that Super PACs work  making it clear, as an example, that Priorities is the preferred Super PAC of the campaign  as long as they dont request a specific amount.

Marc Elias of Perkins Coie. (Photo: Matt McClain/Washington Post via Getty Images)

The memo even suggests detailed language on how a fundraiser should reply if the donor says, I have $1 million I want to spend on this election, and asks where it should go.

The suggested reply: I want the first $5,400 to go to the [Clinton] campaign. [The $2,700 federal limit applies per election, so a donor could write a check for twice that to the Clinton campaign to cover the primary and the general election.] The next $33,400 should go [to] the DNCs main account. The next $70,000 should go the following seven state party federal accounts [then list them.) The next $100,200 should go to the DNCs building fund account. Finally , you should support [Preferred Super PAC A] and [preferred Super PAC B]. We cannot win without them. [State party federal accounts are joint fundraising committees whose funds are divvied up among the campaigns and state and national parties. The DNC building fund is a separate party account to support building renovations and other infrastructure-related purposes.]

The language in the Elias memo shows how the Clinton campaign, just like the Trump campaign, is making maximum use of a 2012 Supreme Court decision, McCutcheon v. FEC, that lifted the aggregate $117,000 cap on how much individual donors can give to federal campaigns, political parties and political action committees in one election cycle.

In trying to stay within the letter of the law, the memo makes arcane distinctions such as this:

It is permissible to provide donors with contact information of a Super PAC representative, so that the donors can execute the $5,000 contribution or learn more information about the PAC if they choose to do so. However, you should not ask donors to take a call or meeting with Super PAC personnel.

For example, it is permissible to say, You can call _____________ at ______ from [Super PAC] to find out more information.

But you should not say, ___________ from [Super PAC] wants to meet with you. Can you please sit down with her?

Such a detailed check list of how to divvy up big money  coming from a candidates fundraisers  totally undercuts the principle of having donation limits in the first place, said Noble.

Its comical  or it would be comical if we werent talking about the state of our democracy, he said. The donor doesnt care what account the money is going into. All he cares about is the presidential candidate is asking for the money.
BRASILIA (Reuters) - Brazil's Embraer (EMBR3.SA), the world's third-largest commercial planemaker, is negotiating an order with Surf Air of California for up to 50 Phenom 300 executive jets worth $495 million, the Valor Economico newspaper reported on Monday.

Surf Air, a U.S. business aviation company based in Santa Monica, plans to expand its services to Europe in mid-2017 and needs a larger fleet to reach that goal, its CEO Simon Talling-Smith told the newspaper.

He said Surf Air is also talking to U.S. aircraft maker Textron, with an eye on its Cessna Citation CJ4 corporate jets.

The Embraer Phenom 300 is a light business jet that can carry 7 to 9 passengers and is Embraer's biggest selling executive aircraft, though current weak demand for business jets has been dragging on Embraer's results.

Embraer was not available for immediate comment.

(Reporting by Anthony Boadle; editing by Jason Neely)
BRASILIA, Oct 24 (Reuters) - Brazil's Embraer, the world's third-largest commercial planemaker, is negotiating an order with Surf Air of California for up to 50 Phenom 300 executive jets worth $495 million, the Valor Economico newspaper reported on Monday.

Surf Air, a U.S. business aviation company based in Santa Monica, plans to expand its services to Europe in mid-2017 and needs a larger fleet to reach that goal, its CEO Simon Talling-Smith told the newspaper.

He said Surf Air is also talking to U.S. aircraft maker Textron, with an eye on its Cessna Citation CJ4 corporate jets.

The Embraer Phenom 300 is a light business jet that can carry 7 to 9 passengers and is Embraer's biggest selling executive aircraft, though current weak demand for business jets has been dragging on Embraer's results.

Embraer was not available for immediate comment.

(Reporting by Anthony Boadle; editing by Jason Neely)
By Brad Haynes

SAO PAULO (Reuters) - Brazilian planemaker Embraer SA <EMBR3.SA> on Monday reached an agreement with U.S. and Brazilian authorities to settle a six-year corruption investigation, paying $205.5 million to turn the page on signs of graft in four foreign contracts.

Embraer and U.S. investigators said an investigation had found evidence of wrongdoing in deals with Saudi Arabia, India, Mozambique and the Dominican Republic from 2007 through 2011.

The fine due to U.S. and Brazilian authorities is in line with a $200 million provision Embraer made in July.

A complaint from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) alleged that Embraer had made more than $83 million in profits from foreign contracts involving $11.7 million in bribes and other payments concealed through false accounting.

The planemaker's shares rose 0.5 percent in Sao Paulo, reversing early losses on news of the accord, which offers closure in a case that risked prosecution of the company under the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.

"The settlement is no question a positive, although the reaction may be more muted as management has done a good job communicating the potential implication of the investigation in recent months," said RBC Capital Markets analyst Derek Spronck.

The U.S. Department of Justice said two individuals had also been charged in Saudi Arabia for their alleged roles in the scheme there and Brazilian authorities charged 11 people for alleged involvement in the Dominican deal. Embraer said it is not party to those parallel criminal investigations in Brazil.

Embraer, the world's third-largest maker of commercial jets, has replaced much of its senior management in recent years, reinforced compliance efforts and curtailed use of third-party sales representatives, who drew suspicion in deals under review.

A sweeping internal investigation led by Baker & McKenzie expanded beyond the scope of U.S. authorities' initial inquiry, reviewing hundreds of thousands of documents and conducting more than 100 interviews, the company said in a public statement.

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In the process, Embraer said that investigators found the company was responsible for wrongdoing in four transactions between 2007 and 2011. The deals involved:

 Eight Super Tucano light attack planes sold to the Dominican Republic for about $92 million

 Three E170 jets sold to state oil company Saudi Aramco for business aviation in a roughly $93 million deal

 Three surveillance aircraft sold to India for $208 million

 Two E190 commercial jets sold to Mozambique's state airline LAM for about $65 million

(Reporting by Brad Haynes; Editing by Daniel Flynn, Paul Simao and Bernard Orr)
(Adds analyst comment, share performance, details of settlement)

By Brad Haynes

SAO PAULO, Oct 24 (Reuters) - Brazilian planemaker Embraer SA on Monday reached an agreement with U.S. and Brazilian authorities to settle a six-year corruption investigation, paying $205.5 million to turn the page on signs of graft in four foreign contracts.

Embraer and U.S. investigators said an investigation had found evidence of wrongdoing in deals with Saudi Arabia, India, Mozambique and the Dominican Republic from 2007 through 2011.

The fine due to U.S. and Brazilian authorities is in line with a $200 million provision Embraer made in July.

A complaint from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) alleged that Embraer had made more than $83 million in profits from foreign contracts involving $11.7 million in bribes and other payments concealed through false accounting.

The planemaker's shares rose 0.5 percent in Sao Paulo, reversing early losses on news of the accord, which offers closure in a case that risked prosecution of the company under the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.

"The settlement is no question a positive, although the reaction may be more muted as management has done a good job communicating the potential implication of the investigation in recent months," said RBC Capital Markets analyst Derek Spronck.

The U.S. Department of Justice said two individuals had also been charged in Saudi Arabia for their alleged roles in the scheme there and Brazilian authorities charged 11 people for alleged involvement in the Dominican deal. Embraer said it is not party to those parallel criminal investigations in Brazil.

Embraer, the world's third-largest maker of commercial jets, has replaced much of its senior management in recent years, reinforced compliance efforts and curtailed use of third-party sales representatives, who drew suspicion in deals under review.

A sweeping internal investigation led by Baker & McKenzie expanded beyond the scope of U.S. authorities' initial inquiry, reviewing hundreds of thousands of documents and conducting more than 100 interviews, the company said in a public statement.

Story continues

In the process, Embraer said that investigators found the company was responsible for wrongdoing in four transactions between 2007 and 2011. The deals involved:

 Eight Super Tucano light attack planes sold to the Dominican Republic for about $92 million

 Three E170 jets sold to state oil company Saudi Aramco for business aviation in a roughly $93 million deal

 Three surveillance aircraft sold to India for $208 million

 Two E190 commercial jets sold to Mozambique's state airline LAM for about $65 million (Reporting by Brad Haynes; Editing by Daniel Flynn, Paul Simao and Bernard Orr)
By Brad Haynes

SAO PAULO (Reuters) - Brazilian planemaker Embraer SA (EMBR3.SA) on Monday reached an agreement with U.S. and Brazilian authorities to settle a six-year corruption investigation, paying $205.5 million to turn the page on signs of graft in four foreign contracts.

Embraer and U.S. investigators said an investigation had found evidence of wrongdoing in deals with Saudi Arabia, India, Mozambique and the Dominican Republic from 2007 through 2011.

The fine due to U.S. and Brazilian authorities is in line with a $200 million provision Embraer made in July.

A complaint from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) alleged that Embraer had made more than $83 million in profits from foreign contracts involving $11.7 million in bribes and other payments concealed through false accounting.

The planemaker's shares rose 0.5 percent in Sao Paulo, reversing early losses on news of the accord, which offers closure in a case that risked prosecution of the company under the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.

"The settlement is no question a positive, although the reaction may be more muted as management has done a good job communicating the potential implication of the investigation in recent months," said RBC Capital Markets analyst Derek Spronck.

The U.S. Department of Justice said two individuals had also been charged in Saudi Arabia for their alleged roles in the scheme there and Brazilian authorities charged 11 people for alleged involvement in the Dominican deal. Embraer said it is not party to those parallel criminal investigations in Brazil.

Embraer, the world's third-largest maker of commercial jets, has replaced much of its senior management in recent years, reinforced compliance efforts and curtailed use of third-party sales representatives, who drew suspicion in deals under review.

A sweeping internal investigation led by Baker & McKenzie expanded beyond the scope of U.S. authorities' initial inquiry, reviewing hundreds of thousands of documents and conducting more than 100 interviews, the company said in a public statement.

Story continues

In the process, Embraer said that investigators found the company was responsible for wrongdoing in four transactions between 2007 and 2011. The deals involved:

 Eight Super Tucano light attack planes sold to the Dominican Republic for about $92 million

 Three E170 jets sold to state oil company Saudi Aramco for business aviation in a roughly $93 million deal

 Three surveillance aircraft sold to India for $208 million

 Two E190 commercial jets sold to Mozambique's state airline LAM for about $65 million

(Reporting by Brad Haynes; Editing by Daniel Flynn, Paul Simao and Bernard Orr)
In your face! A 4-day-old zebrafish embryo's dour mug nabbed the top prize in the annual Nikon Small World photo competition, which showcases often-unseen wonders of the natural world that can be viewed only through a microscope.

Nikon Small World revealed the first-place photo today (Oct. 19) on Instagram  a first for the contest  at @NikonInstruments. [Wee Wonders: Top 20 Nikon Small World Contest Photos]

Captured by senior research scientist Oscar Ruiz, at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, the image reveals incredible detail in the embryo's face. Ruiz's research investigates zebrafish even more closely  at the cellular level  to mark the smallest changes that mutations can cause during development. Mapping every physical feature in the embryos' faces at each developmental stage is helping the scientists to identify the genetic mechanisms that form facial abnormalities in humans, such as cleft lip and cleft palate.

One among thousands

Other winning images offered stunning views of highly specialized structures, like the front foot of a diving beetle, a butterfly's proboscis and wildflower stamens. Some invite the viewer even closer, to examine delicate retinal ganglion cells in a mouse's eye and neurons from human skin cells.

Culture of neurons (stained green) derived from human skin cells, and Schwann cells, a second type of brain cell (stained red). Rebecca Nutbrown

Even cow dung appears strangely beautiful when it's magnified under the photographer's camera.

Photographers from around the world submitted thousands of images, which were reviewed by a suite of judges  including biologist Joe Hanson, host of the PBS Digital Studios show, "It's OK To Be Smart" on YouTube.

"We took a long, hard look at every one of them!" Hanson told Live Science. "I was just blown away by the talent and creativity behind the images we saw. Every year, these photographers keep raising their game, employing new technologies, finding new and interesting subjects  it's nice to be reminded that nature's still got more mind-blowing things to show us," he said.

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What defines a winner?

The judges narrowed down submissions to about 100 images, and according to Hanson, that's when the real challenge began  selecting the 20 finalists. At that point, every image was technically impressive, interesting, beautiful, informative  what makes any one of them stand out from the rest?

Hanson explained that the judges primarily wanted the final selections to represent a range of subjects and microscopy techniques. Beyond that, to make their choices, they considered certain key factors about each image, including technical innovation and uniqueness of the subject matter.

Espresso coffee crystals, in polarized light. Vin Kitayama and Sanae Kitayama

"Most of all, I was looking for images that told a story that brought out emotion or an overpowering sense of 'what in the world?'" Hanson said. "The beauty of these images, being microscopy, is that they truly represent art alongside scientific observation."

For instance, Ruiz tracks the zebrafish embryos' development in real time with time-lapse photography, a technique that has not been widely used before to study the growth of facial abnormalities, Ruiz said in a statement.

The zebrafish and other winning photos could be viewed as visual ambassadors, amplifying aspects of research that the general public typically never sees, and showcasing the beauty that's a part of science, which often goes unrecognized.

"Scientists are intensely creative people  it's how they keep coming up with new questions to answer. And it's nice that people get to see that, thanks to this contest," Hanson added.

A gallery of the contest winners' photos will be featured on the Nikon Small World website. And voting is still underway for a new Popular Vote category  visitors to the contestants' gallery can cast their votes until Oct. 25, and the winner will be announced Oct. 26 on Instagram.

Original article on Live Science.

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US Secretary of Defense Ash Carter said on Sunday, October 23, Iraqi, Kurdish peshmerga and US forces are on schedule to retake the Islamic State stronghold of Mosul, but are also concentrating on external threats from the area, meaning heading off IS attack missions from Syria and Iraq targeting the United States and coalition countries.

We are killing those who are hatching those plots; we are killing the leadership of ISIL, Carter said during a Sunday stop with American and coalition forces at the Joint Operations Center in Erbil, Iraq. Mosul will be recapturedIt will be a difficult fight, he said.

This video shows Carters Sunday press conference. He did not elaborate on the schedule for pushing Islamic State out of Mosul. Credit: YouTube/US Department of Defense
BRUSSELS (Reuters) - European Union consumer champion Vera Jourova has sought to ramp up pressure on Volkswagen (VOWG_p.DE) to compensate European owners of diesel vehicles rigged to cheat pollution controls and asked it for guarantees that its technical fix will work.

Jourova, the EU's commissioner for consumer affairs, has written to VW official Francisco Javier Garcia Sanz asking for proof that the carmaker can fulfill a pledge to make vehicles comply with limits on nitrogen oxide (NOx) fumes by autumn 2017, a Commission official told Reuters on Monday.

"We need VW to guarantee, in a legally binding way and without any time limit, that the repairs will work and do not have any negative impact," the official said.

The letter is in response to plans presented by Garcia Sanz last month to address harm caused to VW's European clients with a fix the company says will bring vehicles in line with EU law.

VW admitted to U.S. regulators last year that it installed illicit software on more than 11 million diesel vehicles sold worldwide.

The majority of the affected vehicles are in Europe and Jourova's letter shows the growing frustration among EU officials over the gap in VW's approach to European customers while offering cash payouts to U.S. owners of its cars.

VW has so far set aside about $18 billion to cover the cost of vehicle refits and a settlement with U.S. authorities. It also faces damages claims from investors over its disclosure of the emissions cheating.

Jourova's letter called on the German carmaker to offer to repurchase some vehicles, the official said.

PATCHWORK REGULATION

The commissioner said that VW could be in breach EU consumer law and repeated calls for voluntary compensation because European consumers are stymied by their inability to file United States-style class-action lawsuits in many EU nations and by weaker EU rules on defeat devices.

Her letter to VW said that the company had an obligation to ensure its diesel fix does not leave consumers out of pocket in terms of fuel efficiency and engine life.

Story continues

VW, which has previously rejected suggestions it may have breached EU consumer rules, says it is meeting legal requirements and that customers will receive certification to show their vehicles conform with emissions requirements.

The company said on Monday that it has provided Jourova with assurance that it would intensify dialogue with consumers if the need arises.

Jourova, who sources said is due to meet again with Garcia on Thursday, has urged consumer groups to organize lawsuits based on allegations that VW duped consumers by promoting their cars as environmentally friendly.

While the EU has little leverage in the domain of consumer law, the EU's Industry Commissioner has threatened legal action against EU nations if they fail to enforce EU laws on air quality.

(Reporting by Alissa de Carbonnel; Additional reporting by Edward Taylor in Frankfurt; Editing by David Goodman)
BRUSSELS (Reuters) - European Union consumer champion Vera Jourova has sought to ramp up pressure on Volkswagen to compensate European owners of diesel vehicles rigged to cheat pollution controls and asked it for guarantees that its technical fix will work. Jourova, the EU's commissioner for consumer affairs, has written to VW official Francisco Javier Garcia Sanz asking for proof that the carmaker can fulfill a pledge to make vehicles comply with limits on nitrogen oxide (NOx) fumes by autumn 2017, a Commission official told Reuters on Monday. "We need VW to guarantee, in a legally binding way and without any time limit, that the repairs will work and do not have any negative impact," the official said. The letter is in response to plans presented by Garcia Sanz last month to address harm caused to VW's European clients with a fix the company says will bring vehicles in line with EU law. VW admitted to U.S. regulators last year that it installed illicit software on more than 11 million diesel vehicles sold worldwide. The majority of the affected vehicles are in Europe and Jourova's letter shows the growing frustration among EU officials over the gap in VW's approach to European customers while offering cash payouts to U.S. owners of its cars. VW has so far set aside about $18 billion to cover the cost of vehicle refits and a settlement with U.S. authorities. It also faces damages claims from investors over its disclosure of the emissions cheating. Jourova's letter called on the German carmaker to offer to repurchase some vehicles, the official said. PATCHWORK REGULATION The commissioner said that VW could be in breach EU consumer law and repeated calls for voluntary compensation because European consumers are stymied by their inability to file United States-style class-action lawsuits in many EU nations and by weaker EU rules on defeat devices. Her letter to VW said that the company had an obligation to ensure its diesel fix does not leave consumers out of pocket in terms of fuel efficiency and engine life. VW, which has previously rejected suggestions it may have breached EU consumer rules, says it is meeting legal requirements and that customers will receive certification to show their vehicles conform with emissions requirements. The company said on Monday that it has provided Jourova with assurance that it would intensify dialogue with consumers if the need arises. Jourova, who sources said is due to meet again with Garcia on Thursday, has urged consumer groups to organize lawsuits based on allegations that VW duped consumers by promoting their cars as environmentally friendly. While the EU has little leverage in the domain of consumer law, the EU's Industry Commissioner has threatened legal action against EU nations if they fail to enforce EU laws on air quality. (Reporting by Alissa de Carbonnel; Additional reporting by Edward Taylor in Frankfurt; Editing by David Goodman)
Brussels (AFP) - The EU wants German auto giant Volkswagen to offer customers additional guarantees that repairs carried out to remove its emissions cheating devices will be effective and delivered on time, an official said Monday.

The European Commission had sent VW a letter urging it to do more for European Union consumers unhappy that their American peers are getting a better deal, according to the official, who requested anonymity.

"We need VW to guarantee, in a legally binding way and without any time limit, that the repairs will work and do not have any negative impact," the official said, citing the letter from EU Justice and Consumer Protection Commissioner Vera Jourova.

The letter also called on VW to "take steps toward voluntary compensation" and to look at possibly buying the affected cars back, the official added.

VW admitted in September 2015 that it had installed so-called defeat devices on millions of diesel cars which detected when they were being tested and then drastically reduced emissions so as to comply with regulations.

Brussels has been under fire for dragging its feet on Volkswagen compared to the United States, where authorities not only exposed the wrongdoing, but secured a $16.5-billion (14.8-billion-euro) settlement.

The Commission, the EU's executive arm, complains it currently lacks the authority to fight VW and can only nudge member states to apply EU laws.

Volkswagen has said it will retro-fit affected European cars and argues that paying out even a fraction of what has been agreed for US drivers would quickly bankrupt the company.

"We need to see evidence that this can actually be done. VW needs to convince us that all cars will actually be fixed by autumn 2017," the Commission official said.

Asked about the report, VW told AFP that it welcomed the dialogue with Jourova and was looking forward to discussions "very soon" with her on the issues raised.
(ADVISORY- Follow European and UK stock markets in real time on the Reuters Live Markets blog on Eikon - see cpurl://apps.cp./cms/?pageId=livemarkets)

* STOXX 600 rises 0.5 percent

* AT&T/Time Warner deal boosts media sector

* But high profile Chinese deals hit roadblocks

* Banks recoup post-Brexit vote losses

* Spain outperforms as political deadlock seen ending

* Cobham sinks after profit warning

By Alistair Smout

LONDON, Oct 24 (Reuters) - Merger activity in the United States helped to support European stocks on Monday, but two high profile Chinese deals to buy European firms hit difficulties to send shares in Syngenta and Aixtron tumbling.

The STOXX 600 was up 0.5 percent at 345.97, having ended Friday flat. Last week it posted its biggest weekly rise since mid-September, up 1.3 percent.

Zodiac Aerospace rose 3 percent and was among the top risers on the index in early deals. It benefited from merger and acquisition (M&A) activity in its sector, with Rockwell Collins striking a deal to buy B/E Aerospace for $62 a share in cash and stock on Sunday.

Media and broadcast firms were also in focus, with ITV up 2.3 percent and Sky up 1.5 percent, after AT&T Inc agreed to buy Time Warner Inc for $85.4 billion over the weekend.

French Connection rose 15 percent after the Telegraph reported that there was interest from the United States in a takeover of the UK fashion firm.

"We have seen a stronger open this morning after more corporate activity in the US, which will help the media names in the session," said Atif Latif, director of trading at Guardian Stockbrokers.

"Also French Connection private equity talk is helping M&A activity (and) this will become a theme given the advantages of the FX weakness allowing more UK listed names to become attractive targets."

However, M&A didn't squarely support the market, as a couple of high profile deals by Chinese firms to take over European companies hit major roadblocks.

Syngenta fell 8.6 percent after the EU said that ChemChina had missed a deadline to offer concessions to regulators regarding its $43 billion bid for the Swiss pesticides and seeds group.

Story continues

In another example of the scrutiny that such acquisitions are under from regulators, the German government withdrew its approval for a Chinese takeover of chip equipment maker Aixtron , throwing up an unexpected hurdle for a 670-million-euro ($728 million) deal on the home stretch.

Shares in Aixtron were down 6.2 percent.

Bank stocks were up 1 percent, and the sector recouped all of its losses since Britain voted to leave the European Union in June.

BNP Paribas rose 1.1 percent to its highest level so far this year. Analysts said that its high exposure to fixed income, currency and commodity (FICC) trading should benefit the bank, following stellar results in that department when the major U.S. banks reported earnings last week.

BNP Paribas' latest quarterly results are due on Friday.

Spanish banks were among the top risers in the sector, and Spain's IBEX was up 1.2 percent, hitting a six-month high and outperforming as the country looked set end a 10-month period of political deadlock.

Spain's conservative leader Mariano Rajoy looked set to secure a second term in power for his People's Party after his Socialist rivals agreed to abstain in a looming confidence vote on Sunday.

Top individual riser on the STOXX 600 was Philips, up 4.3 percent after its results.

Among the big fallers, aerospace and defence firm Cobham fell 18 percent after it issued its second profit warning in six months.

(Editing by Jon Boyle)
French authorities began clearing out the sprawling Calais Jungle camp on Monday, with the first government buses shuttling migrants to accommodation centers leaving the camp in the morning.

This follows weekend clashes between migrants and police officers with authorities firing tear gas into the crowds to restore order. Heres what to know about the planned demolition of the camp, which has become a symbol of Europes refugee crisis:

How will they clear the camp?

Thousands of leaflets were distributed ahead of the camps closure this week telling the camps residents to report to a reception point in a nearby hangar for processing. On Monday, thousands of queuing migrants, laden with all their belongings, were reportedly placed in separate lines to determine those in vulnerable categories, families and people traveling alone. From there the migrants are reportedly shown a map of France and asked to choose which region they would like to go to, before boarding one of 60 buses expected to remove 3,000 people by the end of the day, the Guardian reports. The exercise will be repeated on Tuesday and Wednesday. Officials estimate that the camp houses some 6,ooo migrants, while local charities have that number at around 10,000.

According to the BBC, there are 7,500 beds available for the migrants across France in the new temporary reception centers. Upon reaching these centers, the migrants will have the opportunity to claim asylum or face deportation if their claims fail. From Tuesday, some 40 people will arrive to begin clearing out the temporary shelters, stores and tents with heavy machinery. Clearing the camp is expected to take the entire week.

Do migrants want to go?

Calais is the last stop on the migrant route through continental Europe and some are determined to stay in order to reach the U.K. An October survey by Refugee Rights Data Project found that 59.21% of respondents living in the Jungle camp sad that if the camp disappeared they would remain in the French port or sleep in the streets. A Monday statement by Help Refugees says more than 20% of the camps population has dispersed as the eviction date drew nearer.

Story continues

While past evictions of the 16-year-old camp has been voluntary, this weeks move is compulsory. With the French interior minister Bernard Cazeneuve saying it does not want to use force but if there are migrants who refuse to leave, or NGOs who cause trouble, the police might be forced to intervene, the Guardian reports.

Despite that, the camp is likely to reemerge after the demolition. I think people will still come. With refugees, deterrents dont matter because a refuge by definition is fleeing something Clare Moseley, founder of the charity Care4Calais, told the Guardian. In February, they demolished over half the camp and yet here we are, seven months later, with a camp bigger than its ever been.

Speaking to the New York Times, Sudanese Abdullah Umar, 24, expressed his desire to stay in France: The Jungle is no good.There are problems. Sometimes theres fighting. And its coldFrance is a good country.

Are more clashes expected?

So far there have been reports of scuffles after riot police began sending people away from the registration line outside the camp.

Demonstrations and rallies against the closure and the treatment of the migrants in Calais are planned across French cities and regions. The Telegraph claims that British activists may attempt to disrupt the demolition. Considering activists from hard-Left group No Borders have arrived in the Calais area and have set up home in squats a police spokesman for the Calais region told the Telegraph. There is a high risk the activists have penetrated the camp with a view to influencing the migrants as they did in March. In March the group were accused of stirring trouble when migrants and protestors stormed the port and boarded a ferry.

What is happening to the camps unaccompanied children?

Charities are worried that children will disappear due to the ensuing chaos of the camps demolition. NGOs providing child services fear that because of this lack of contingency, many will disperse and go missing during the current eviction Help Refugees said in a statement on Monday. We urge authorities in France to do everything within their power to prevent this, and those in the UK to expedite the cases of the minors eligible for resettlement.

In the past week nearly 200 children have been brought to the U.K., of which 54 minors came under the Dubs amendment, which was a U.K. government pledge to help vulnerable, unaccompanied children on the continent. The rest of the 1,300 minors will be lodged in a village of containers in Calais, while their claims are assessed.

Read more: The Left Behind Refugees of the Jungle in Calais
From Popular Mechanics

Dominant hand preference in humans is a trait that scientists are still trying to understand, but new evidence may show that whatever its purpose, the existence of dominant hands might stretch back way further than previously thought. A study published in Journal of Human Evolution finds proof for right handedness in Homo habilis, a pre-human homo species that existed 1.8 million years ago.

"This is an exciting paper because it strongly suggests right-handed tool use in early Homo around 1.8 million years ago," Debra Guatelli-Steinberg, an anthropologist at the Ohio State University, told Christian Science Monitor.

The study, authored by David Frayer, a paleoanthropologist at the University of Kansas, began when Frayer noticed strange scratch marks on a Homo habilis teeth fossils. These scrapes on the outside of the teeth look as if they were dragged from right to left. It looked like something that might happen to an animal that was using its right hand dominantly.

Frayer and his colleagues conducted an ingenious study to prove this hypothesis. Subjects wearing mouth guards that easily recorded scratches tore meat and other materials while using their mouth as a "third hand". These marks showed similarities with those found on the H. habilis fossil.

The team's idea is that ancient pre-humans used their mouth and left hand to hold meat, while they sliced it into smaller pieces with a tool made of rock. When they missed the meat, the tool would hit their teeth, leaving scratches that go diagonally downward from right to left. It's long been known that H. habilis used stone tools, so this theory isn't out of the realm of possibility.

Christian Science Monitor notes:

Frayer points out that the team tallied 559 marks on the teeth and almost 47 percent align with what would be expected to be produced by this right-handed behavior. In contrast, he says, just about 11 percent appear to have been produced by a left-handed cutting motion.

Story continues

But not everyone backs up the study's findings. "My concern is that they really don't spend enough time on other explanations for these phenomena, the presence of these scratches and their directionality," Bernard Wood, a paleoanthropologist at George Washington University told Christian Science Monitor. "It's a really interesting observation that only time will tell whether that observation has been over-interpreted."

More research will likely need to be done before we have a solid answer on this question, but at the very least this new evidence suggests that hand dominance could have a much longer history than previously thought.

Source: Christian Science Monitor

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Watch out, Supergirl!

On Monday's brand new episode of The CW superhero drama, which will mark Lynda Carter's debut, things in National City get dicey when the mysterious man inside the pod, Mon-El (Chris Wood), suddenly wakes up from his coma and gives Supergirl a run for her money.

ET exclusively premieres a sneak peek from the episode, where a shirtless Mon-El battles Kara Danvers (Melissa Benoist) inside the walls of the Department of Extra-Normal Operations, aka the D.E.O. -- and his superpowers are unlike anything they've seen before.

RELATED: 'Supergirl' Star Melissa Benoist Dishes on the Danver Sisters' Growing Bond

When Kara's sister, D.E.O. agent Alex (Chyler Leigh), closes in on Mon-El, he skirts arrest and takes off, jumping over the building's balcony and down to the streets of National City in the dead of night!

Looks like they're about to have their hands full!

Earlier this summer, ET was on the Vancouver set of Supergirl, where Benoist revealed that the Danver sisters' bond will continue "to grow" this season.

RELATED: See the First Photo of Lynda Carter From the 'Supergirl' Set

"I think it's the most important relationship on the show," Benoist said. "We are exploring every facet of sisterhood: how women support each other, and how they understand each other. How they communicate, how they love, and how they fight. You are just going to see more and more of that and it's really fulfilling to play those scenes."

Supergirl airs Mondays at 8 p.m. ET/PT on The CW.

For more on season two of Supergirl, watch the video below.

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By Babak Dehghanpisheh and Michael Georgy KIRKUK, Iraq (Reuters) - At least 100 fighters sneaked into Kirkuk in the early hours of Friday with machine guns, rocket propelled grenades, suicide vests and a message: "Islamic State has taken over." The message blared out from several mosque loudspeakers while the militants went on a rampage. By the time they had blasted their way across the city in a brazen and complex attack, 99 civilians and members of the security forces were dead and 63 of their own were in the morgue, according to Iraqi security officials. The scale of the operation - the largest of several by Islamic State to divert an advance on their stronghold in Mosul - shows how tough the battle for Mosul may become and points to a continued ability of the militant group to undermine security across the country even if its northern bastion falls. Accounts gathered by Reuters from residents, police, security and intelligence officials suggest it was carried out by forces that were highly trained, well-prepared and - alarmingly for the government - supported from inside Kirkuk. "What was surprising is it was done so easily," said Ranj Talabani, a senior Kurdish intelligence official. Like the Islamic State attacks on Paris last year, the operation appeared aimed at spreading chaos and fear rather than seizing territory. Although the heaviest fighting was over by Friday night, clashes continued for two days and officials are still searching for Islamic State units in the city. The blackened and bullet-ridden facade of two hotels near Kirkuk's governorate building, one of the targets of the attack, are a clear sign of its ferocity. The smell of smoke and cordite still linger. "PROFESSIONAL" FIGHTERS Kirkuk, 100 km (60 miles) southeast of Mosul, is close to oilfields which hold much of Iraq's vast crude reserves. It also lies near northern Iraq's semi-autonomous Kurdish region, and has been controlled by Kurdish forces since the Iraqi army retreated from advancing Islamic State forces in 2014. The attack took place four days after the launch of an offensive against Islamic State in Mosul by Kurdish peshmerga, Iraqi soldiers and a U.S.-led international coalition. The fighters appeared well-trained for urban combat, a sign that the battle for Mosul, Iraqs second largest city, could be drawn-out and bloody, according to Iraqi security officials. "These were the most professional fighters that I have seen since 2003," said Halo Najat Hamza, director of the Asayesh, a Kurdish security and intelligence force, in Kirkuk. On Sunday afternoon, two and a half days after the attack began, two snipers detonated their suicide vests during a heavy exchange of fire with security forces at an elementary school. But no local official was prepared to say the attack was completely over. "We are still hunting them," said one Kirkuk official who asked not to be identified for security reasons. The operation was not improvised: a video found on a Samsung Galaxy phone on the body of a fighter shows footage of targets around the city filmed before the attack. "It involved a lot of preparation," said Iraq's former finance and foreign minister Hoshiyar Zebari, a Kurd. FEROCIOUS BATTLES The operation began at approximately 3 a.m. on Friday morning, when fighters arrived in pickup trucks and were dropped off on the southern perimeter of the city. The group broke up into 20 teams of five and fanned out across the city on foot. Several teams worked together to attack the first two targets: a base for the Asayesh and a police station in southern Kirkuk. A ferocious gunbattle broke out at both locations. "They looked wild," said Hamza. He described the fighters as having long beards, long hair and "Afghan robes", although Iraqi security officials say they did not find any documents on dead fighters to suggest they were foreign combatants, and local people who encountered the fighters said they spoke a local Iraqi Arabic dialect. At around 4 a.m. two teams of snipers reached the center of the city and broke up, one group headed to the rooftop of the Senobar hotel and the other headed to the Dar al Salam hotel across the street. Both hotels were closed for repairs. Their target was a few hundred meters away across a roundabout: the Kirkuk governorate building. At approximately the same time, fighters shot their way through door locks and took over two houses in an adjacent neighborhood, demanding residents give them shelter and asking for keys to their cars. Video footage from one of the houses shows fighters in south Asian-style shalwar kameez clothing, toting machine guns, an RPG and several reserve clips of ammunition. One fighter is seen running to the head of the street next to the Senobar hotel and shooting off an RPG at the governorate building which explodes in a ball of fire and sparks. A few blocks away at the Kirkuk general hospital, Samim Hamza, a policeman, heard the explosions and machinegun fire. "It was obvious this wasnt an ordinary attack," said Samim, who lost five police colleagues in the attack. SLEEPER CELLS At the time the clashes were spreading out across Kirkuk, four Islamic State militants wearing suicide vests also attacked a power station in the town of Dibis, 30 km away. At least 11 people were killed, among them three Iranian engineers who had been working at the plant. Back in Kirkuk, sleeper cells in the city helped the fighters, according to Iraqi security officials and a U.S. military official. Residents report seeing cars driving up near the Senobar hotel during the clashes and dropping off ammunition for the fighters. By daybreak, gunfire and explosions reverberated across the city, as the jihadists fought street battles with security forces and snipers picked off targets. "Their goal was to create chaos here," said Hamza. "They thought it would cut the number of fighters that can be sent to Mosul." As the extent of the attack became apparent, security officials called for reinforcements: up to 3,000 peshmerga were called up from Erbil and Suleimaniya. The U.S. military also carried out air strikes, according to a Western diplomat familiar with the operation. Even after reinforcements arrived, heavy fighting continued for several hours. The shootout at the Asayesh building only ended at five p.m. on Friday, roughly 14 hours after it began. Local TV footage showed tracer fire zipping across the sky and smoke rising from the city center on Friday night. Sporadic clashes continued through Saturday and Sunday. For security officials trying to prevent another attack, the biggest concern is the extent of support within the city for Islamic State. "There are sleeper cells who cooperated with them," said Hamza. "They have a deep animosity toward Kurds, Shiites and the central government." (This story corrects Zebari's former ministry, paragraph 16) (Additional reporting by Stephen Kalin and Phil Stewart in Erbil; Editing by Dominic Evans)
Oct 23 (Reuters) - Japanese teenager Shoma Uno landed three quadruple jumps in Sunday's free skate to win the Skate America men's title at Hoffman Estates, Illinois. The 18-year-old from Nagoya became the youngest Skate America winner in 14 years in capturing the opening event of the Grand Prix season. Uno, skating to a tango, won with 279.34 points despite a late fall in his routine while Americans Jason Brown and Adam Rippon placed second and third, respectively. The bronze medallist in last season Grand Prix final became the fourth Japanese men's winner in the last five Skate Americas and youngest since France's Brian Joubert in 2002. (Reporting by Larry Fine in New York, Editing by Andrew Both)
Ford Motor Co. F is set to release third-quarter 2016 results on Oct 27. Last quarter, the company posted a negative earnings surprise of 13.33%. Further, the automaker managed to beat earnings in two of the trailing four quarters and missed in one, thus delivering a positive average surprise of 15.8% over this period. Lets see how things have shaped up for the forthcoming announcement.

Factors Influencing This Quarter

Ford is witnessing strong sales growth in Europe and China as well as modest improvement in the U.S. This should significantly augment revenues. Fords impressive product launches are helping boost sales volume.

However, the company will record a $640 million recall-related expense in the quarter, which will weigh on the bottom line. The expected expense will be borne by Fords North America business segment, which is likely to post weak earnings as a result. Further, the automaker has been incurring losses in South America since 2013. This trend is expected to continue in the to-be-reported quarter.

Moreover, the launch of the new Super Duty truck will result in lower contribution margins for Ford in the third quarter of 2016. The company also expects high product-related investment, headwinds from commodities net of exchange, and the effects of Brexit to adversely affect the quarters results. In addition, Ford has been replacing its older models and rolling out new ones. This involves substantial expenditure, leading to high structural costs. Higher costs will adversely affect the companys profits.

Earnings Whispers

Our proven model does not conclusively show that Ford is likely to beat earnings this quarter. This is because a stock needs to have both a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold) for this to happen. This is not the case here as you will see below:

Zacks ESP: The Earnings ESP represents the difference between the Most Accurate estimate and the Zacks Consensus Estimate. Fords Earnings ESP is 0.00% because the Most Accurate estimate and the Zacks Consensus Estimate are both pegged at 21 cents.

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FORD MOTOR CO Price and EPS Surprise

FORD MOTOR CO Price and EPS Surprise | FORD MOTOR CO Quote

Zacks Rank: Ford carries a Zacks Rank #5 (Strong Sell). We caution against stocks with a Zacks Rank #4 or 5 (Sell-rated stocks) going into the earnings announcement, especially when the company is seeing negative estimate revisions.

Stocks to Consider

Here are some companies you may want to consider as our model shows that these have the right combination of elements to post an earnings beat this quarter:

The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company GT, which is expected to report third-quarter 2016 results on Oct 28, has an Earnings ESP of +1.75% and a Zacks Rank #1. You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

Fox Factory Holding Corp FOXF has an Earnings ESP of +2.56% and a Zacks Rank #1. The company will report third-quarter 2016 financial numbers on Nov 2.

Magna International Inc. MGA has an Earnings ESP of +1.67% and a Zacks Rank #2. The company is expected to release third-quarter 2016 results on Nov 3.

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BAGHDAD, Oct 24 (Reuters) - Foreign oil companies will increase their investments to increase output in Basra, the main producing region of Iraq, state-owned South Oil Company Deputy Director General Salah Mahdi told Reuters on Monday.

The companies'investment budget increased to $7.29 billion in 2017, from $6.6 billion in 2016, he said on the sidelines of a CWC conference in Beirut.

The companies that operate in southern Iraq are BP, Shell, Lukoil, Exxon, Eni, CNPC (CNPET. UL) and Petronas.

"Our plans are to encourage foreign companies to raise production for next year," he said. "We are planning to boost output for next year and maximize revenues".

Iraq's oil ministry has just launched a new round of bidding to develop 12 small to medium-sized oil fields straddling three provinces - four in Basra, five in Misan and three in the Central province, according to a tender document on the ministry's website.

Iraqi officials said in August the nation's oil output should increase next year by 250,000-350,000 barrels per day as companies improve yields from existing fields in the southern region that produces most of the nation's crude.

Iraqi Oil Minister Jabar Ali al-Luaibi said on Sunday the country should be exempt from OPEC crude output restrictions as it needs the income to fight the war against Islamic State.

OPEC's second-largest producer, Iraq's output could rise slightly this month, from September's 4.774 million barrels per day, according to state-oil marketer SOMO. Last month's total includes 546,000 bpd from the Kurdish self-rule region (KRG) of northern Iraq. (Reporting by Ahmed Rasheed; Writing by Maher Chmaytelli; Editing by Greg Mahlich)
BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Foreign oil companies will increase their investments to increase output in Basra, the main producing region of Iraq, state-owned South Oil Company Deputy Director General Salah Mahdi told Reuters on Monday.

The companies' investment budget increased to $7.29 billion (5.96 billion pounds) in 2017, from $6.6 billion (5.39 billion pounds) in 2016, he said on the sidelines of a CWC conference in Beirut.

The companies that operate in southern Iraq are BP (BP.L), Shell (RDSa.L), Lukoil (LKOH.MM), Exxon (XOM.N), Eni (ENI.MI), CNPC (CNPET. UL) and Petronas (PETR.UL).

"Our plans are to encourage foreign companies to raise production for next year," he said. "We are planning to boost output for next year and maximize revenues".

Iraq's oil ministry has just launched a new round of bidding to develop 12 small to medium-sized oil fields straddling three provinces - four in Basra, five in Misan and three in the Central province, according to a tender document on the ministry's website.

Iraqi officials said in August the nation's oil output should increase next year by 250,000-350,000 barrels per day as companies improve yields from existing fields in the southern region that produces most of the nation's crude.

Iraqi Oil Minister Jabar Ali al-Luaibi said on

Sunday the country should be exempt from OPEC crude output restrictions as it needs the income to fight the war against Islamic State.

OPEC's second-largest producer, Iraq's output could rise slightly this month, from September's 4.774 million barrels per day, according to state-oil marketer SOMO. Last month's total includes 546,000 bpd from the Kurdish self-rule region (KRG) of northern Iraq.

(Reporting by Ahmed Rasheed; Writing by Maher Chmaytelli; Editing by Greg Mahlich)
By Farah Master HONG KONG (Reuters) - A Hong Kong judge warned jurors that they will have to view video filmed by former British banker Rurik Jutting of the torture and vicious killing of two Indonesian women he is accused of murdering as the trial got under way on Monday. Jutting, who studied at Cambridge University and Winchester College, one of Britain's most prestigious private schools, pleaded not guilty to murder on grounds of "diminished responsibility". He was arrested two years ago after the victims' bodies were found in his luxury high rise apartment. The 31-year-old pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of manslaughter, and to a third charge of preventing lawful burial of a body. During the jury selection, Deputy High Court Judge Michael Stuart-Moore warned potential jurors that if they were unable to cope with viewing extreme violence they should not take part. "There is a particularly horrifying aspect of the case. One of the victims was subject to extreme cruelty and violence," the judge said, explaining that a number of gruesome, and extreme color photographs could be presented during the trial. The defendant even recorded on his iPhone the torture inflicted on the first victim before she died." Jutting filmed a series of videos including one showing the first killing, while in other videos he talks about his plans for the second, according to a court fact sheet. The judge said the defense and prosecution were largely in agreement over the physical evidence, but the dispute may lie in psychiatric and psychological evidence provided by the defense to determine whether it was a case of murder or manslaughter. Looking trim and dressed in a dark blue shirt, Jutting was clean shaven with short cut hair, in stark contrast to his initial court appearances when he looked heavily overweight and wore a thick dark beard. The grisly nature of the case has cast a harsh light on the seamy side of Hong Kong, offering an insight into how some wealthy professionals binge on sex, drugs and alcohol. Jutting who previously worked at Bank of America Corp in Hong Kong, was accused of murder in October 2014 after police found the bodies of Sumarti Ningsih, 23, and Seneng Mujiasih, 26, in his apartment. Both women's throats were slit. Ningsih, who had a son in Indonesia, was visiting Hong Kong on a tourist visa. Her mutilated body was discovered inside a suitcase on Jutting's balcony, while Mujiasih, a domestic helper, was found lying inside with wounds to her neck and buttocks. She was working in a bar when she met Jutting, according to the fact sheet. "HIGHLY GRAPHIC" VIDEO Before the jury selection, Jutting's barrister Tim Owen explained the argument for diminished responsibility was based on the grounds of a personality disorder. Prosecutor John Reading stated that psychopathic behavior was not a reason for diminished responsibility, setting up the arguments both parties will make during the trial. Jutting was found fit to plea after undergoing psychiatric assessment at the end of 2014. The jury has to decide if it is a case of murder, which carries a mandatory life sentence, or manslaughter, which carries a maximum of life though a shorter sentence can be set. On Tuesday, the jury will watch 30 minutes of "highly graphic" video. The public in the courtroom will not be able to see the video, though the sound will be audible. The fact sheet said Ningsih was tortured for three days using Jutting's belt, sex toys, a pair of pliers and his fists. He eventually killed her in the bathroom, cutting her throat with a serrated-edged knife. In video footage Jutting talked about watching porn including depicting violence and turning his fantasies into realities. He also talked about whether to turn himself in or hide the body and fly to Britain. He called police to report the second murder. In a recording played in court Jutting sounded coherent, stating "obviously bad stuff has happened." Investigators also found cocaine at his apartment, according to the fact sheet. I definitely could not have done that without cocaine, it quoted Jutting saying. Hong Kong, a former British colony, still retains a British legal system after being handed back to China in 1997. The case is being closely watched by Hong Kong's 300,000-strong migrant domestic helpers community, many of whom come from Indonesia and the Philippines. Outside the High Court, about a dozen of their representatives held placards reading Justice for Wanchai Murder Victim and Stop Violence. (Reporting by Farah Master, additional reporting by Venus Wu; Editing by Simon Cameron-Moore)
For All U of U Health Patients & Visitors
contax

Improper contact use causes nearly a million Americans to get eye infections every year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Most of those infections come from wearing contacts overnight. But they can also be caused by other factors, including a bacteria biofilm (a group of cells that join together), which can form in polyethylene (plastic) contact cases. If you use weekly or monthly contact lenses, your case might be a breeding ground for bacteria, which can colonize in the cornea when you put in your contacts, leading to infection or inflammation.

A new case, called Contax, aims to keep that bacteria from building up. Its creator, Fauzia Lala, is a former Microsoft engineer who recently launched an Indiegogo campaign to mass produce Contax. The first cases are expected to ship in late 2016, and backers can purchase them for $15 each.

Shaped like an eye, the case is made of glossed acrylic, which is harder to scratch and easier to clean than polyethylene. Bacteria likes to collect in scratches, since they act as tiny pockets where germs can sit. Research suggests that bacteria is more likely to congregate when a surface is rough, so Contax's compartments feature a smooth surface.

The leak-proof case has two stacked compartments (one for each lens) and comes in seven different colors. To open it, you swivel the top compartment.



Contax 4

"I have worn contact lenses for almost a decade," Lela wrote on Indiegogo. "I have struggled to properly care for my lenses: keeping sanitary, carrying in a compact travel-easy box and in fact even expressing my style ... After doing some research, I learned that other people struggle with the same issues, and there's a demand for a great solution."

Contax could provide a stylish, bacteria-free alternative to normal contact cases.

NOW WATCH: A new FDA-approved procedure has a novel way of treating blurry vision





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(NORRISTOWN, Pa.)  Former Attorney General Kathleen Kane was sentenced Monday to 10 to 23 months in jail for illegally disclosing details from a grand jury investigation to embarrass a rival and lying about it under oath.

Kane was also sentenced to eight years of probation by a Montgomery County judge who said Kanes ego drove her to take down enemies and break the law.

Judge Wendy Demchick-Alloy said Kane assumed an off with your heads mentality as she ran the states top law enforcement agency. The judge called Kane a political neophyte who failed to make the transition from campaigner to public servant after she took office.

This case is about ego  the ego of a politician consumed with her image from Day One, Demchick-Alloy said. This case is about retaliation and revenge against perceived enemies who this defendant  felt had embarrassed her in the press.

Kane, the first woman and first Democrat elected as the states top prosecutor, was handcuffed in court and led out a side door. She will remain in custody until she posts $75,000 cash bail, higher than she had previously posted.

No surrender date was given, presuming she does post bail.

She had been a stay-at-home mother, and former assistant county prosecutor, before using her husbands trucking fortune to run for statewide office in 2012. She quickly became a rising star in the state Democratic Party before her office devolved into turmoil as career prosecutors came and went.

Kane and her husband are now estranged and share custody of their teenage boys.

Your children are the ultimate  collateral damages. They are casualties of your actions, the judge said. But you did that, not this court. 

Earlier Monday, Kanes 15-year-old son pleaded for leniency while her former deputies described an office demoralized by her leadership and terrorized by Nixonian espionage.

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Chris Kane called his mother his rock and said, It would be tough for all of us if she went to jail.

Kane, 50, had argued that the loss of her career, law license and reputation was punishment enough. She had asked the judge to sentence her to probation or house arrest so she could be home to raise her sons.

I really dont care what happens to me, Kane said during before leaning toward the defense table to grab tissues.

There is no more torture in the world than to watch your children suffer and know you had something to do with it, she said. I have been punished.

The one-term attorney general said her younger son, 14-year-old Zachary, did not attend Mondays sentencing because he couldnt even bear it.

Kanes family declined to comment after the sentencing.

Prosecutors called her crimes egregious and pushed for jail time. They said a paranoid Kane ruined morale in the 800-person office and the wider law enforcement community through a calculated scheme to embarrass rival prosecutors who had left the office.

Kane repeatedly misused her official authority to advance her personal vendettas, District Attorney Kevin Steele wrote in a sentencing memo last week.

In the final year of her first term, she was convicted Aug. 15 of two felony counts of perjury and seven misdemeanor charges. She didnt testify at her trial, and she resigned the next day.

Also Monday, former deputies in the office, giving emotional testimony while looking toward their ex-boss, described an office demoralized by Kane, especially after the investigation of the leak became public.

Former deputy Clarke Madden said the cloud permeated every corner of the office, as victims, witnesses and other law enforcement agencies feared working with them. The office itself was in constant turmoil.

Through a pattern of systemic firings and Nixonian espionage, she created a terror zone in this office, said Erik Olsen, a career prosecutor who is now the chief deputy attorney general.

Kane enjoyed mostly good press early on as she supported gay marriage, ramped up a child predator unit run by her twin sister and questioned her predecessors handling of the Penn State sex assault case.

But turmoil inside the office became apparent as top deputies and career prosecutors headed for the doors. Kanes feud with one of them, Frank Fina, who had helped run the Penn State probe and other sensitive investigations, led to the leak.

Kane, taking aim at him, had a campaign consultant pass confidential files to a reporter about a corruption case Fina had declined to charge before he left the office. She then tried to frame someone else for the leak, aides testified at the perjury and obstruction trial.

Aside from the conviction, Kanes political career will be remembered for her investigation of pornography that she said was being traded on state computers by judges, lawyers and other public employees. Two state Supreme Court justices resigned amid the fallout.
Chew on this: A partial skull and jaw of a small crocodile relative that lived 100 million years ago has teeth that are more like a mammal's than a crocodilian's, according to a new study.

While crocodiles' toothy grins typically feature only cone-shaped teeth, this ancient crocodile relative from Morocco had more complex teeth, with specialized shapes that had pits surrounded by multiple pointed ends known as cusps.

High-resolution X-ray computed tomography (CT) scans allowed the scientists to examine the fossil noninvasively and revealed layers of replacement teeth that would've emerged as old teeth were worn down. In addition, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) magnified details of wear patterns, which were likely created when the crocs cracked and pulverized the exoskeletons of insect meals. [Image Gallery: Ancient Beast Fossils Leap into 3D World]

The conical tooth shape in modern crocodiles is perfectly suited for the way the reptiles feed  tearing off large chunks of meat and swallowing them whole. Chewing, on the other hand, requires a different type of tooth structure that is commonly found in mammals, combining pointed and flat surfaces for crushing food before swallowing.

Fossil crocodilians with complex teeth, dating to the Cretaceous period (145.5 million to 65.5 million years ago), first emerged in the early 1990s, according to the study's lead author Jeremy Martin, a paleontologist at Laboratoire de Geologie de Lyon in France.

At that time, scientists identified them as mammal teeth, Martin told Live Science in an email. That all changed when those same types of complex teeth were found in jaws that clearly belonged to fossil crocodiles, "a group now known as the Notosuchia," Martin said.

The pint-size notosuchian revealed in this study was represented by an upper and lower jaw; the study authors said its snout would have been "short and triangular," and its body likely measured just shy of 2 feet (60 centimeters) in length.

Story continues

But what it lacked in stature it makes up with an oversize name  Lavocatchampsa sigogneaurussellae. That mouthful of a moniker incorporates the names of three paleontologists: the late Rene Lavocat (19092007), who identified the first vertebrate fossils at this site, and Denise Sigogneau-Russell and Donald Russell, who discovered the small crocodilian in the Kem-Kem Beds of Morocco.

A wide variety of fossils have been recovered from this region, including dinosaurs, fish, snakes, pterosaurs and larger crocodilians, the scientists reported.

"The Kem-Kem Beds in Morocco have yielded a wealth of extinct creatures, mostly large animals," Martin said in a statement. "But with this discovery, we realize that part of the ecosystem remains untapped, especially when it comes to small-bodied terrestrial vertebrates."

A relatively small crocodile-like creature would have faced tough competition in this Cretaceous ecosystem, and would likely have benefitted from occupying a slightly different environmental niche than its larger crocodile cousins.

In fact, "the next step will be to understand their place in this peculiar ecosystem and understand how the ecosystem as a whole was functioning and evolving," added Martin, referring to the newfound croc.

The findings were published online Aug. 25 in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology.

Original article on Live Science.

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Two children and another civilian were killed along with a soldier in firing across the border between India and Pakistan, officials from both sides said Monday, as tensions soar between the nuclear-armed rivals.

Pakistan's military said an 18-month-old girl and another civilian were killed on its side of the border in "unprovoked firing" by the Indian army.

"Due to Indian unprovoked firing last night a civilian, Muhammad Latif of village Janglora, and a minor Haniya, age one and a half, embraced shahadat (martyrdom) while seven civilians were injured," a military statement said.

The firing took place across the border between Indian-held Kashmir and Pakistan's Punjab province in the villages of Harpal, Pukhlian and Charwah, the statement said.

Indian police said the late night heavy exchange of firing occurred in its RS Pura sector, killing an Indian border security guard and a six-year-old boy.

The Border Security Force (BSF) soldier died after he received splinters from a mortar shell fired by Pakistan rangers, Danish Rana, inspector general of police for the area, told AFP.

"The boy and the BSF soldier died during the intense exchange of small arms fire and mortars throughout the night along the border," Rana said.

Six other civilians were also injured during the exchange, said another Indian police officer speaking on condition of anonymity.

Relations between the two countries have plummeted in recent months, with India blaming Pakistani militants for a raid on an army base in its part of disputed Kashmir in September that killed 19 soldiers.

India later said it launched "surgical strikes" across the border in Pakistan on militant targets, prompting fury from Pakistan which denied the raids took place.

Pakistani military said late Monday a strong protest was lodged with the United Nations Military Observers for India and Pakistan over the Indian firing.

Indian and Pakistani troops regularly exchange fire across their de-facto border in Kashmir, but rarely send ground troops over the line.

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The overnight incident comes days after Indian border security forces said they shot dead seven Pakistani soldiers in retaliation for a ceasefire violation, with Pakistan refuting the claims.

Muslim-majority Kashmir has been divided between India and Pakistan, but claimed in full by both, since the two countries gained independence from Britain in 1947.

Since 1989 several rebel groups have been fighting Indian forces deployed in the region, seeking independence or a merger of the territory with Pakistan.
Bangui (Central African Republic) (AFP) - Four civilians were killed Monday when protests against United Nations peacekeepers turned violent in the Central African Republic, with gunfire and looting reported across the capital Bangui, the UN said.

Five UN peacekeepers were among 14 people injured during the demonstrations called by a coalition of civil society groups to demand the withdrawal of the more than 10,000-strong MINUSCA force over alleged failures to stop the rise of armed militias.

The groups also organised a one-day strike in the capital to press demands for a pullout.

MINUSCA "intervened from the early hours of Monday in Bangui to dismantle the barricades erected by hostile demonstrators", the UN force said in a statement.

The force said it "strongly condemns the incidents that struck several areas of the capital and regrets that they led to the death of four civilians and injured 14 people," adding that five of the injured were peacekeepers.

UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric called for calm in the capital and said that patrols would be strengthened.

The MINUSCA statement rejected the protests as a "smear campaign" against the peacekeeping force, and threatened "international criminal prosecution" for those accused of violence against the mission.

Armed militias have been blamed for dozens of deaths in recent weeks.

Earlier this month, 30 people were killed and 57 wounded when fighters from the Muslim Seleka militia group staged an attack in the central town of Kaga Bandoro.

A few days later, 11 people were shot dead in a camp for displaced people in Ngakobo, northeast of Bangui.

The MINUSCA force is seeking to support the administration of President Faustin-Archange Touadera, who was elected in February.

Gervais Lakosso, the coordinator of the civil society coalition calling for the UN to withdraw, said Monday that "wherever the UN forces go there is violence".

"Civil society believes MINUSCA has shown passivity and complicity," he added.

One of the world's poorest countries, the Central African Republic descended into sectarian bloodshed after the March 2013 ouster of president Francois Bozize, a Christian, by the Seleka rebel alliance.

This triggered revenge attacks and a spiral of atrocities between Christian and Muslim groups in which thousands were slaughtered and a tenth of the population displaced.
By Matthias Blamont CALAIS, France (Reuters) - France began clearing the sprawling "Jungle" migrant camp in Calais on Monday, with hundreds carrying suitcases queuing outside a hangar to be resettled in reception centres across the country. The first buses departed less than an hour after immigration workers started the operation and officials predicted some 2,500 would leave on the first day. Armed police fanned out around the warehouse and across the squalid shanty-town after a night during which small groups of migrants burned toilet blocks and hurled stones at security forces in protest at the plans to dismantle the camp. The Socialist government says it is closing the camp, home to 6,500 migrants fleeing war and poverty, on humanitarian grounds. It plans to relocate them to 450 centres across France. "I hope this works out. I'm alone and I just have to study," said Amadou Diallo from the West African nation of Guinea. "It doesn't matter where I end up, I don't really care." Many of the migrants and refugees hail from countries like Afghanistan, Syria and Eritrea and had wanted had reach Britain, which bars most of them on the basis of EU rules requiring them to seek asylum in the first European country they set foot in. But even as the process began, the fate of about 1,300 unaccompanied child migrants remained uncertain. On Friday a French Interior Ministry official said negotiations continued over who should take children with no family ties in Britain. [nL8N1CT0PL] MEDICAL CHECKS The migrants will be separated into families, adults, unaccompanied minors and vulnerable individuals, including elderly people and single women. They will then be bussed to the reception centres where they will receive medical checks and, if they have not already done so, decide whether to apply for asylum. The far-right National Front party said the government plan would create mini-Calais camps across France. Officials expect 60 buses to leave the camp on Monday. The government expects the evacuation will take at least a week. While calm prevailed on Monday, charity workers expect hundreds will try and stay and cautioned the mood could change later in the week when work begins on dismantling the camp. "There's a risk tensions increase in the week because at some point the bulldozers are going to have to come in," said Fabrice Durieux from the charity Salam. Others warned that many migrants who remained determined to reach Britain would simply scatter into the surrounding countryside, only to regroup in Calais at a later date. "Each time they dismantle part of the camp it's the same thing. You're going to see them go into hiding and then come back. The battles will continue," said Christian Salome, president of non-profit group Auberge des Migrants. (Reporting by Matthias Blamont; Writing by Richard Lough; Editing by Geert De Clercq and Giles Elgood)
Fraternities and sororities at Berkeley voluntarily suspended Greek-life parties for this important reason

With the issue of sexual assault on college campuses not going away anytime soon, one group of university students decided to do something about it. The Interfraternity Council at the University of California, Berkeley announced that theyll be suspending all fraternity and sorority parties after two sexual assaults were reported at off-campus fraternity events.

While what prompted this move is depressing and unnerving, were proud of the fraternities and sororities at UC Berkeley for taking a stand against sexual assault.

Leaders of Greek life on campus made the following announcement on Facebook:

We wish to reiterate our pledge to eliminate sexual violence from our community and reaffirm our commitment to our members and students of Berkeley to provide a safe environment for all, the Facebook post stated.

Berkeley, CA The members of the Executive Board of the Interfraternity Council at the University of California,... Posted by UC Berkeley Interfraternity Council on Tuesday, October 18, 2016

We needed to take some time off and really assess our situation, president of the Interfraternity Council, Daniel Saedi, said to the AP about the councils relatively rare decision.

These are grave acts of violence that are occurring. They have no place anywhere in this country let alone on college campuses.

Saedi also said the council doesnt have a timeline for when the ban on parties will end, but that the Greek life at Berkeley will meet this upcoming weekend and hopefully, craft a new set of operating standards that all fraternities and sororities will agree on.

With 1,500 people in the fraternities and sororities at Berkeley (and countless others who attend their parties), the councils decision is sure to have make impact, even if wont put an end to all sexual assault.

Whether youre a fan of Greek life or not, you have to be proud of the students at Berkeley for acknowledging the victims of sexual assault and taking a stand to do something about it.

The post Fraternities and sororities at Berkeley voluntarily suspended Greek-life parties for this important reason appeared first on HelloGiggles.
Ankara (AFP) - Visiting French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault on Monday defended Turkey's post-coup state of emergency but rankled his hosts when he appeared to criticise how it was being implemented.

"Regarding the state of emergency, Turkey has every right to defend and protect itself. It is (Ankara's) decision to extend the state of emergency as we also have extended ours," Ayrault said at a press conference with his Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu in Ankara.

"The only thing we can repeat is our commitment to the rule of law, our commitment to fundamental freedoms," said Ayrault, the highest-ranking French official to visit Turkey since the July coup bid.

Turkey's Western allies have voiced concern over the unprecedented crackdown by the authorities since the attempt to overthrow President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and urged Ankara to abide by the rule of law.

Tens of thousands of people working in the judiciary, media, education and military have been detained, suspended or sacked for suspected links to the movement of the Islamic preacher accused of ordering the July 15 failed putsch.

In July, Ayrault had warned Erdogan not to use the failed coup as a "blank cheque" to silence his opponents, to which the Turkish president told him to "mind his own business".

- 'No difference between France, Turkey' -

On Monday, he appeared to annoy Cavusoglu when he said there was a difference between the states of emergency in Turkey and in France, which imposed its measures in the wake of the November 2015 terror attacks in Paris.

"In France, the state of emergency does not allow for the transfer of legislative power to the executive. Parliament retains all powers of lawmaking and the independence of the judiciary is guaranteed fully," Ayrault said.

Cavusoglu hit back, insisting: "For us, there is no difference between Turkey's state of emergency and France's state of emergency. Their scope and objectives are the same: targeting terrorist organisations."

Story continues

Over 35,000 people have been arrested since July, Turkish Justice Minister Bekir Bozdag said at the weekend, while 82,000 people have been investigated over alleged links to the cleric Fethullah Gulen and his Hizmet group.

Ankara initially imposed a three-month state of emergency after the coup bid and extended it for another 12 weeks earlier this month to tackle what it describes as an extraordinary threat.

After meeting with Erdogan and Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim later, Ayrault did not back down from his comments about the countries' emergency differences.

"Everyone knows that this is not the same thing... There are differences and I simply repeated them. It is a fact," the minister said at Ankara airport before leaving for Greece.

Despite the disagreement, Ayrault said Turkey was an important country with whom France had a "strategic partnership" and friendship which meant they could discuss "difficulties and disagreements".
It is important for Montanas wildlife and our public lands to vote no on I-177, a sweeping and radical initiative that would outlaw trapping on all public lands in Montana.

Whether you are a trapper or not, a broad-brush ban like I-177 will create more problems for Montanans, our wildlife, and our public lands. The ban will be expensive, it will worsen conflicts among public land user groups, and it sets a terrible precedent. At a time when we should be coming together to protect our public lands, I-177 would push Montanans further apart.

Responsible trapping is a traditional, sustainable use of Montanas wildlife resources. It is also an important wildlife management tool. You might not be a trapper, you might not even know any trappers, but you depend on trapping more than you know. A ban wont make the need for trapping go away, it will just make it more expensive for cash-strapped land and wildlife managers.

Like all wildlife management activities, trapping rules and seasons are set by the Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks, based on science, under the public supervision of the Montana Fish and Wildlife Commission, and within the statutory framework set by the Montana Legislature. Its a system that protects the public interest and ensures that decisions are based on science, not politics.

In recent years, trappers and other wildlife conservationists have supported sensible new rules to reduce trapping conflicts. Trappers led the effort to institute mandatory trapper education in 2011, a proven strategy for reducing conflicts, only to see the bill they worked so hard for die on the Senate floor. Unfortunately, their efforts were met with indifference by some legislators and hostility from activists who would rather outlaw trapping altogether. Anti-trappers condemn trapping for being unsafe and then fight against efforts to make it safer. Their rhetoric also ignores decades of improvements in trap technology that reduce stress and suffering of any animal caught in traps.

Of course, there are times when trapping -- like hunting, shooting, biking, camping, fishing, and every other outdoor activity -- is inappropriate in a particular area of public land. In those situations, public land managers can, and do, exercise their judgment, consult with the public, and make appropriate decisions to protect public land users. Public land managers can close specific areas to trapping whenever it is necessary, and they do.

I-177 would shortcut good public land decision-making and responsible wildlife management. Instead of working to prevent conflicts and find common ground, the measure would simply outlaw trapping on every single inch of federal, state, county, and local public lands. This absolute approach is an irresponsible way to address complex problems.

At a time when our public lands are under attack, we should be careful about making ballot box decisions that arbitrarily favor one set of public land users over another. When we do that, we lose not only that activity, but yet another set of public land advocates. Trappers have a right to use public lands, just like hikers, bikers, hunters, anglers, cowboys, sheepherders, rock climbers and every other American. When we start using the ballot box to kick user groups off of public land, who is next?

With so many assaults on our public lands, we need to bring different user groups together. This includes ethical trappers who love a sunrise looking over the Bob Marshall as much as any hiker or elk hunter. We should be working to resolve problems and unite diverse interests together to defend our public lands, not selectively outlawing certain user groups. Montanans should vote against I-177.

Dave Chadwick is executive director of the Montana Wildlife Federation.
More than 1,200 police and government officials descended on Frances notoriously squalid and sprawling refugee camp near the Port of Calais on Sunday night and Monday morning, ahead of the planned demolition of the Jungle as the infamous site has been nicknamed.

Despite reports of violent overnight clashes between migrants and police, many refugees arrived at assembly points early. According to multiple media reports, they formed orderly queues in order to await transport to centers around the country for processing, after which they will be eligible for processing as asylum seekers in France. Many have not previously been eligible, due to complex E.U. asylum laws.

The Jungle is the last stop between continental Europe and Great Britain, from which many attempt the short but often lethal journey across the English Channel. It has been an ongoing source of tension between the two neighboring countries, leaving migrants in limbo with neither side prepared to accept responsibility.

Authorities have stated that Mondays actions mark the permanent closure of a the 16-year-old camp. But as lawyer Norbert Clement who works with refugees in Calais told TIME last week, To imagine that no refugees will come to Calais again is a fairy tale.

Speaking to the BBC, the port of Calais chief executive Jean-Marc Puissesseau conceded that without significant ongoing police presence, Mondays demolition would be a waste of time.
With Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders all expressing concerns over AT&T (NYSE:T) agreeing to acquire Time Warner (NYSE:TWX) for $85.4 billion, Libertarian presidential candidate Gary Johnson weighed in with a different take on the deal.

Well, I think the market takes care of mistakes and look, a pitch to everybody out there, cut the cable, its really liberating. And so, business, you make a mistake you pay for it in a really big way, get too big you pay for it in a really big way. Let the free market rule, Johnson told the FOX Business Networks Maria Bartiromo.

When Bartiromo then asked if Johnson, a free-market candidate, would have his Justice Department block the deal if he is elected president.

Block this deal? No. I would have the Justice Department look at it, but Im not believing that they would block the deal. Thats what Im believing and you know, I would be in charge of appointing the administrators to all this.

Johnson explained that its the companies responsibility to make smart deals or face the consequences.

And keep in mind, business makes mistakes as you report on every single day. They pay for it in a really big way, if they dont offer better products, better services at lower prices, boom theyre done.

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BERLIN (Reuters) - The German Interior Ministry said on Monday that 35 Turkish citizens with diplomatic passports had applied for asylum after a failed military coup in Turkey in July that was followed by a crackdown on suspected supporters of the putsch. Interior Ministry spokesman Johannes Dimroth told a regular government news conference the figure included Turkish diplomats as well as their family members, but did not say if they had all been based in Germany. He said he could not give any more details on the diplomats and their motivation to apply for asylum in Germany. At the Turkish embassy in Berlin, nobody was immediately available to comment It was not clear if the Turkish government has requested the extradition of the diplomats by German authorities. In Turkey, more than 32,000 people were put in jail and 100,000 have been dismissed from jobs in the security and civil services for their alleged links to a religious network the government says staged the July 15 military coup. The scale of the purges has drawn criticism from opposition politicians and Western allies that President Tayyip Erdogan may be using the coup to consolidate power. Accused mastermind, U.S.-based cleric Fethullah Gulen, denies involvement in the unsuccessful coup that killed 240 people who resisted it and around 100 rogue troops. (Reporting by Michael Nienaber; editing by Ralph Boulton)
* Debt yields down across southern Europe

* Chinese yuan hits six-year lows offshore

* Dollar holds near 9-month high

By Patrick Graham

LONDON, Oct 24 (Reuters) - Stock markets rose on Monday, led in Europe by a surge for Spain's IBEX index on signs of an end to 10 months of political deadlock that has paralysed government in one of the countries worst-hit by the euro zone's debt crisis.

The bond yields at which governments in Europe's debt-ridden southern countries fund their budget gaps were also sharply lower, 10-year bond yields falling 5 basis points in Spain and 15 in Portugal after a ratings decision seen as crucial to keeping the European Central Bank buying Lisbon's bonds.

A 2-percent rise for European banking stocks helped most of the continent's major stock markets gain half a percent or more in early trade. The IBEX outstripped its German and French equivalents with a 1.2 percent rise.

Spain's conservative leader Mariano Rajoy was on course to secure a second term in power for his People's Party (PP) after the Socialists agreed to abstain in a confidence vote this week, ending an impasse stretching back to elections last December.

"In the very short term the formation of a government is good news for Spanish spreads," Rabobank analysts said in a morning note.

"However, in the medium term Spain will still be left with a minority government that is likely to face an uphill struggle to pass any legislation."

U.S. stocks are still within sight of all-time highs hit earlier this year while Europe's have recovered from three-year February's three-year lows as the U.S. economy recovers and central banks globally continue to pump cash into the system.

Political risks have moved to the top of the agenda, with Britain's vote to leave the European Union upping the stakes further for German and French elections next year while offering investment opportunities through a sharp weakening of the pound.

"We have seen a stronger open this morning after more corporate activity in the U.S., which will help the media names in the session," said Atif Latif, director of trading at Guardian Stockbrokers in London.

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"Also French Connection private equity talk is helping M&A activity (and) this will become a theme given the advantages of the FX weakness allowing more UK listed names to become attractive targets. More M&A will continue for the foreseeable future, but outside of this, the tone in the market remains cautious."

Asian stocks eked out some minimal gains after a sluggish end to last week on Wall Street while China's yuan currency neared 6.80 per dollar, levels not seen in six years and which Beijing intervened heavily to defend in January.

MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan inched up 0.2 percent. Japan's Nikkei moved in a tight range and was last up 0.2 percent while Shanghai outperformed, rising over 1 percent.

"It feels to us like 'China' has taken a back seat in discussions amongst market participants. We are wary about this apparent complacency," Citi macro strategist Jeremy Hale said.

"We suspect part of the reason is renewed optimism regarding all things emerging markets. To a large degree China has ridden this wave and 'hard landing' fears have ebbed away. But on closer inspection we're not so sure much has changed." (Additional reporting by Alistair Smout; Editing by Andrew Heavens)
Ford raptor (1).JPG

All the major US automakers, including Tesla, will report third-quarter earnings this week.

Ferrari will report on November 7, so stay tuned for results from the Italian supercar maker, which was spun off from Fiat Chrysler Automobiles in an IPO last year.

GM and FCA are up first, on Tuesday, followed by Tesla on Wednesday and Ford on Thursday.

Automaker earnings are being reported against the background of plateauing sales in the US. In 2015, 17.5 million cars and trucks rolled off dealer lots, a record, and sales look to be at about the same level for 2016.

But at points during 2015, a red-hot US market was setting an yearly sales pace of 18 million, so monthly sales figures for the automakers have, in many cases, been down year-over-year.

Here's what to expect:

GM

Analysts expect a solid $1.44 per share from the General, in the same ballpark as the third quarter of 2015's $1.50.

For the second quarter, GM crushed earnings expectations, so Wall Street will be looking to see to see if the company can repeat that performance. Of the Big Three US automakers, GM is getting the most love from Wall Street right now, but that's relative: the stock has gone basically nowhere for years, even as the US market had boomed and GM's China business has been strong.

GM Chart 10/24/16

A focus for GM has been capital efficiency. Essentially, the automaker has benchmarked how much it wants to make from every invested dollar in all its markets, and if the numbers aren't cutting it, GM is either revising the strategy or getting out of the market, as it did when it pulled Chevy from Russia.

Like Ford and FCA, GM is selling plenty of big pickups and SUVs, raking in profits. President Dan Ammann told Business Insider than the automaker is bringing in $1 billion a month at this point, which bodes well for its balance sheet if a downturn occurs in the next 12 to 24 months.

Analysts will be eyeing incentive spending and inventories at GM as the carmaker heads into the end of the year. Assuming a poor result in South America and flat returns in Europe, a lot of focus will be in China, where GM and Volkswagen are two of the biggest players.

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FCA

Analysts expect $0.34 per share, an improvement over the third quarter of 2015's $0.22.

FCAU Chart 10/24/16

The Jeep and Ram pickup lines are keeping FCA in the black, as CEO Sergio Marchionne all but ends passenger-car production in the US to favor crossover and SUVs.

But FCA's overall business is weaker than Ford's or GM's  so weak that Marchionne isn't sure the automaker can ride out a downturn.

That's why Marchionne was actively courting GM last year, hoping for a merger.

Chrysler is spending more on incentives than either GM or Ford, so analysts will probably want to know if that pattern will worsen or level off.

Tesla

Analysts expect Tesla to lose $0.64 per share, versus $1.01 in Q3 2015.

Well, what are you going to do? Tesla will have shoveled less money into its money burning furnace in Q3 2016 than Q3 2015, if the forecasts are accurate. But it will continue to burn cash at a ferocious rate.

Elon Musk's electric-car maker had a strong Q3 for deliveries, with nearly 25,000 vehicles ending up in customers' garages and driveways, and it said that it would do better in Q4, hitting the low end of its 80-90,000 2016 guidance. Analysts will want to know if Tesla is on track to achieve that mark.

TSLA Chart 10/24/16

Musk wants Tesla to have an earnings surprise  an unexpected profit  but it's tough to see that happening anytime soon. Ramping up production of the Model S sedan and the Model X SUV continues to be expensive, and Tesla urgently needs to deliver its first Model 3 mass-market vehicles on schedule in late 2017.

Then there's the huge Gigafactory battery plant in Nevada that's now coming online, as well as the fraught SolarCity merger. Numerous distractions, in other words, from the core business of building cars.

Tesla shares have slid significantly since the summer, to about $200 from $230. The recent announcement that all new Tesla's will have fully self-driving hardware isn't likely to move the stock much, given how far down the road the arrival of the actual tech will be. And if the company repeats its pattern of the past two years, just making its guidance at the low end, then shares could get hammered until the end of the first quarter of 2017 and a statement of guidance for that year.

Ford

Analysts expect Ford to make $0.21 per share in Q3 2016, against $0.45 in the same quarter last year.

Ford posted a miss in the second quarter  $0.52 per share versus an expected $0.60. The automaker has been dealing with some speed bumps in 2016, as it rolls out redesigns of two of its most important products, both F-Series pickup trucks. The F-150 was in shorter supply than hoped for in early 2016, and while the Super Duty F-250, F-350, and F-450 are on track, launch costs will eat into profits on this most profitable of Ford trucks.

Ford Chart 10/24/16

Ford has also been dealing with a slowdown in China and a very weak South American market. In the US, Ford CEO Mark Fields is on the record with statements that the market has peaked, although he notes that it has peaked at a historically high level.

Ford's product mix is in good shape right now to capture as much profitability as there is to be had: Consumers are buying trucks and SUVs, and Ford has them to sell.

Wall Street will be keeping an eye on Ford's incentive spending, however. When the carmaker brought this issue up after the second-quarter earnings came in, the market swiftly punished the stock, driving shares down almost 10%.

Analysts will also want to know whether Ford is up against inventory issues, of the sort than have compelled it to idle Mustang and F-150 pickup production heading into the final months of the year. Ideally, with only November and December remaining, Ford would have 60 days' supply on the F-150 and less than than on Mustang, a muscle/sports car that won't sell big in the colder months.

NOW WATCH: Ford CEO responds to Trumps criticism of the company





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JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - South Africa's Gold Fields will invest $1.4 billion to extend the life of its Damang mine in Ghana, it said on Monday, as it reported a quarterly output update. The investment will extend the life of the mine by eight years to 2024, in which the firm expects to produce 1.56 million ounces of gold there. Gold Fields signed an agreement with Ghana's government in March linking royalties payments to the bullion price and lowering the corporate tax rate to 32.5 percent from 35 percent. "Damang reinvestment was planned at a gold price of $1,200 an ounce, so we've got some headroom and, importantly, the breakeven price at Damang is $1,050 an ounce so we've got a $200 ounce cushion before the project starts becoming uneconomic," Chief Executive Nick Holland told Reuters. Gold was trading at around $1,265 per ounce on Monday. Since 1997 the Damang mine has produced more than 4.0 million ounces from multiple open pits, but production has declined since 2013 as ore grades have been lower than expected. The firm started a strategic review of the mine last year and mulled mothballing or even closing it, but ultimately decided to invest to deepen the main pit to get access to the full orebody. Gold Fields also retains the option of expanding the operation at Damang should the gold price strengthen sustainably to above $1,400 per ounce, it said in a statement. The company on Monday reported its total gold production in the three months to September 30 was 537,000 ounces, 4 percent lower than in the corresponding period a year earlier. Gold Fields maintained its guidance for attributable equivalent gold production for 2016 at between 2.10 million and 2.15 million ounces. Shares in Gold Fields fell 5.5 percent to 57.98 rand by 0738 GMT, compared to a 0.6 percent gain in the JSE's All-share index. (Reporting by Tiisetso Motsoeneng and TJ Strydom; editing by Jason Neely)
Lloyd Blankfein

Goldman Sachs CEO Lloyd Blankfein is with her.

In an interview with CNN's Fareed Zakaria that aired Sunday, Blankfein said he is backing Hillary Clinton in her bid for the White House, despite not agreeing with all of her policies or everything she's done in her political career.

"I certainly, yes, I do  yes, so flat out, yes, I do," Blankfein said when asked whether he personally supports and admires Clinton.

He continued:

"In terms of her intelligence  I think her positioning, not only in terms of her ideology, but what I regard as a pragmatism that I saw demonstrated when she was our senator and in earlier stages of her political career when she could cross the aisle and engage other people to get things done, I admire that. It stands out a little today  that kind of willingness to engage and compromise, but let's just stop at engage  that willingness to engage is a scarcer commodity these days."

Blankfein, who held a fundraiser for Clinton in her bid for president in 2008, had previously said he wouldn't endorse a candidate.



"I dont want to help or hurt anybody by giving them an endorsement," he told CNBC earlier this year. That was during the Democratic primary when Clinton was still facing off against Sen. Bernie Sanders.

The Democratic nominee has been criticized for her ties to Goldman Sachs and other Wall Street firms  and for earning hundreds of thousands of dollars for speeches given to the global investment bank and its clients.

"If the worst thing is that we have a history of having engaged positively with Hillary Clinton, that's not going to annoy me," Blankfein said.

As for Clinton's speeches to Goldman Sachs employees and clients, Blankfein said if he were in her position, he would have released the transcripts. Clinton declined to do so, but some of them have since been released as part of hacked Clinton campaign emails released by WikiLeaks.

"I didn't think she was saying anything untoward," Blankfein said. "I don't recall specifically, but nothing that she said would have jarred me that she was going into some impermissible area or revealing some secrets."

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"I don't know what secrets she would have had about the financial markets that she could have revealed," he added.

Watch more of the CNN interview here

NOW WATCH: An economist explains why Clintons plan to raise the minimum wage to $15 might be 'too much, too quickly'





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A bus heading back to Los Angeles from a Southern California casino crashed into a semi-tractor trailer Sunday, killing 13 people in what witnesses describe as a nightmare of screams and twisted metal.

Thirty-one passengers were injured, at least four critically, in the early morning crash in the Indio area, east of Palm Springs.

Read: Officer Honored for Saving Life of Boy, 3, Who Was Having a Seizure: 'I'm Just Doing My Job'

The bus was ferrying visitors home from the Red Earth Casino in Salton City when the tragedy struck after 5 a.m.

"I was awakened by the sounds of people screaming for help," 61-year-old passenger Ana Car told the L.A. Times. I noticed a heavyset woman lying in the center aisle to my right yelling, 'My legs! My legs!'"

According to the California Highway Patrol, the semi was traveling at approximately 5 mph due to slow traffic when the charter bus collided with it from behind.

The impact just, you know, hit me from behind and I just blacked out for a minute and when I gained my consciousness, I undid my seatbelt and looked around. Thought I got ran over by something. Thats when I got out of my truck, recalled the truck driver, who identified himself in a video provided to CBS LA as Bruce.

Bruce described the scene to a cab driver named David Hirschfield who then provided video of their conversation to the media. In the video, Bruce said he was injured but helped pull victims from the bus nonetheless.

"You got to think about others. Im going to be alright. I want to get them safe. I dont know if the bus is going to blow up," Bruce said.

After dropping Bruce off, Hirschfield said he didn't charge the driver.

Hes quite a wonderful gentlemen I was privileged to pick him up," Hirschfield said. "I didnt charge him. I said youve been through enough today."

Authorities said the bus was traveling at such a high speed that the semi itself smashed about 15 feet into the bus.

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California Highway Patrol Units from the Indio Area office responded within minutes to provide scene safety and medical treatment for the injured.

Local fire departments also responded and began extrication and triage.

Victims were transported to three local area hospitals, where three remained in critical condition Monday morning.

Authorities have yet to name all the victims.

Among the dead is Rosalba Ruiz, a 53-year-old grandmother of five.

Ruiz's family identified her body at the Riverside County coroner's office, where they emerged in tears. "She used to love to go to the casinos, that was part of her hobby," one family member told reporters. "You don't believe that will happen."

Read: Firefighter Goes to Scene of Deadly Car Crash, Discovers His Own Son Is the Victim

The Riverside County Coroners office is working on identification and family notification at this time. While most of them are believed to be from the L.A. area, officials have received calls from Mexican, Australian and Japanese consulates.

"In almost 35 years, I've never been to a crash where there's been 13 confirmed fatals," California Highway Patrol Border Division Chief Jim Abele told the L.A. Times. "It's tough... you never get used to this."

Any information about the role of alcohol, drugs, or fatigue is unknown at this time, CHP said.

Watch: Hero Girl, 5, Saves Mom From Drowning After She Has a Seizure While in a Swimming Pool

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As the carnage in Syria continues with no end in sight, it is hardly surprising that many people are redoubling their efforts to get the United States to do something.

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton (and likely the next U.S. president) has used the campaign trail to convey that she still supports a no-fly zone (or something like it), and a bevy of politicians, pundits, and advocacy groups keep suggesting that Americas failure to respond is yet another sign of its declining will and diminished credibility.

Greg Jaffe of the Washington Post has reported that the usual suspects in the foreign-policy blob are uniting around the idea of a more forceful U.S. response, which suggests that strategic amnesia is reaching epidemic proportions inside the Beltway. The underlying message: If the United States does not act, our rhetorical commitment that such atrocities must never again occur will be exposed as hollow, and the decision to remain aloof is just another worrisome sign of American decline.

As regular readers know, I do not think the United States should get more deeply involved in the tragic Syrian civil war. (And lets not forget that the United States has been engaged in that conflict in a number of ways almost from the beginning.) But I recognize that there are coherent alternatives to my position. I respect those who believe broader humanitarian considerations should trump narrow national interests and who think the United States (and hopefully others) should do whatever is necessary to end the fighting and save the lives of thousands of innocent Syrians. We share the stated ends  saving lives  but we disagree over whether sending arms or committing U.S. forces to the battle will ultimately achieve that goal at an acceptable cost or just open the door to continued bloodletting, retribution, or even greater extremism.

In particular, Ive yet to see any of the advocates of intervention lay out a plausible blueprint for a post-civil war political order in Syria and a plausible path for getting there. The United States remains committed to dismantling Bashar al-Assads regime (for reasons that are not hard to understand), but we lack a serious notion of what will replace it. Needless to say, this was the key omission when we invaded Iraq and when we helped topple Muammar al-Qaddafi in Libya: Getting rid of the bad guy and his henchman was the easy part, but we hadnt the foggiest notion of what to put in their place.

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What I object to most, however, is the attempt to scare Americans into doing something by suggesting that the countrys power, image, or reputation is at risk if we refrain. This claim does not stand up to even mild scrutiny, and the only thing that gives it any bite at all is endless repetition. Ironically, if enough Americans keep insisting that a decision not to get involved in a violent humanitarian crisis is ipso facto evidence of U.S. decline, a few gullible people may eventually believe them.

But there is in fact little or no basis for this assertion.

Why do I say so? Simple. Because like other great powers, the United States has repeatedly chosen not to intervene in many large-scale humanitarian catastrophes, but without anyone concluding that the country was growing weaker, lacked the will to defend its own interests, or was becoming a pitiful, helpless giant. Moreover, these previous acts of restraint did not have any significant impact on U.S. security, prosperity, or global standing; if anything, the United States was better off for having stayed out of many of these situations.

When Great Britain gave up its colonial empire in India in 1947, for example, the resulting partition of the subcontinent produced a flood of some 10 million refugees and more than a million dead in Hindu-Muslim clashes. Thats a level of suffering even worse than what we are witnessing in Syria, but the United States did not try to stop it. Washingtons failure to act did not undermine its reputation or prevent it from forming NATO, implementing containment, or building the full array of institutions and relationships with which it waged and won the Cold War. And as Gary Bass has shown in his book The Blood Telegram, the United States repeated this morally dubious policy during the 1971 war between India and Pakistan, turning a blind eye to clear evidence that the Pakistani Army was engaged in the deliberate massacre of some 300,000 Bengalis while forcing 10 million to flee as refugees. Yet nobody then (or now) believes this action, however reprehensible, had much impact on Americas standing as a global power.

Similarly, when the Khmer Rouge seized power in Cambodia in 1975 (in the wake of prior U.S. interventions there) and hundreds of thousands of people perished in the killing fields, the United States did not act. Ironically, it was the communist government of Vietnam  our enemy throughout the Indochina Wars  that eventually intervened and drove Pol Pot and his murderous associates from power. Washingtons failure to intervene did not cause NATO to collapse, rupture U.S. alliances in Asia, or prevent America from eventually triumphing over the Soviet Union.

One could go on. The United States did little to halt right-wing bloodletting in El Salvador and Guatemala, turned a blind eye to the Argentine dirty war between 1976 and 1983, and openly backed Iraq during its long war with Iran (in which roughly 1 million people died). Bill Clinton famously declined to intervene to halt the Rwandan genocide in 1994, but this omission (which he later said he regretted) did not undermine Americas global position, derail Clintons presidency, or abbreviate the unipolar moment. The United States (and the rest of the major powers) has mostly stayed out of the series of wars that have repeatedly engulfed the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Perhaps 5 million people died as a result of those wars, yet no one is suggesting that this failure has compromised its moral standing or international position.

In each of these cases, there were eloquent voices calling for the United States to do something. And perhaps they were right, at least some of the time. But the cold and harsh fact is that the United States (and its allies) did little in the face of these catastrophes and was largely unaffected.

All this is not to say that the United States should not do more in Syria or in other places where humanitarian crises loom. That is a separate issue, and for me it is mostly a question of whether the United States has the capacity and wisdom to make the situation better at an acceptable cost. Sadly, the track record of recent interventions in Iraq, Yemen, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Afghanistan casts considerable doubt on that proposition, and Syria is an even less propitious environment in which to try to re-create a political order that would not pose a greater danger down the road. But to repeat: I understand why other people disagree with my assessment, and Ill concede that they could be right.

But by far the worst argument for intervening in Syria is the suggestion that greater U.S. involvement is necessary to preserve U.S. credibility, to maintain its reputation as a distinctly moral great power, or to preserve the respect of allies and adversaries alike. The historical record shows that not intervening in humanitarian tragedies has had little impact on Americas standing in the past, and the same is true today. Indeed, diving deep into the Syrian quagmire is a good way to squander resources and burn up the attention and political capital of Americas leaders, which would in fact make the United States less able to act when challenges to more serious interests arise (as they inevitably will).

To repeat: One can make a coherent case for intervening in Syria, based on the worthy goal of reducing human suffering. But we should reject the idea that the United States should intervene because its own security, prosperity, or reputation is on the line. Its not.

Photo credit: BULENT KILIC/AFP/Getty Images
In this years election, a highly distinguished Great Falls district judge, Dirk Sandefur, is running for associate justice of the Supreme Court. For nearly three decades, he has been actively involved in law enforcement as a police officer, deputy county attorney, public defender and district judge. Attorneys consider him a well-prepared, courteous and fair-minded judge. His opponent is a Great Falls attorney/law professor whose discernible qualifications are 24 years of membership in the bar.

The contest will cost far more than a million dollars, will be decided by many thousands of voters who have little familiarity with either the law or the courts and leave the public wondering whether the contestants were simply supported or were bribed by their heavy money backers. This trend only discourages future well-qualified aspirants for judicial service. The real irony or mischief is that this legally nonpartisan contest will be decided on a party basis by voters who are influenced by all the name recognition money can buy and smear tactics financed by so-called dark money.
* GSK's Shingrix has outperformed Merck's Zostavax in trials

* Consensus forecasts point to $1.05 billion sales in 2021 (Adds sales forecast, background on rival vaccines)

By Ben Hirschler

LONDON, Oct 24 (Reuters) - GlaxoSmithKline has filed its shingles vaccine Shingrix for U.S. regulatory approval, the drugmaker said on Monday, bringing the potential $1 billion-a-year seller a step closer to market.

Shingrix is viewed by analysts as among the British company's most promising experimental products, since it has shown greater protection among older recipients than Merck & Co's rival shot Zostavax.

GSK itself highlighted Shingrix as one of its top near-term pipeline hopes last November, during its first research and development day in more than a decade.

The company, which will see Emma Walmsley take over as chief executive in 2017, is seeking to revitalise a drug portfolio hit by falling sales of best-selling inhaled lung treatment Advair.

In clinical trials, GSK's vaccine remained 90 percent effective in people over age 70, even four years after injections. Zostavax efficacy, by contrast, varies between 18 and 70 percent, and it declines noticeably in older people.

People who are 70 years or older are often most at risk from shingles, a painful, itchy rash that results from the reactivation of latent chickenpox virus.

The impressive trial results should put Shingrix in a strong competitive position, analysts believe, even though it requires two doses, against just one for Zostavax, and it is also linked to more injection site reactions.

Analysts, on average, predict that worldwide sales of Shingrix will reach 856 million pounds ($1.05 billion) in 2021, according to consensus forecasts compiled by Thomson Reuters.

Sales of Zostavax, the only shingles vaccine on the market at present, totalled $749 million in 2015.

GSK's vaccine contains a component from U.S. biotech firm Agenus, which is entitled to royalties on future sales.

GSK said it planned to file Shingrix for European and Canadian approval before the end of this year, with Japan following in 2017.

($1 = 0.8191 pounds) (Editing by Susan Fenton and Jason Neely)
Guardians of the Galaxy 2 dominated social media buzz last week, thanks to the release of its teaser trailer on Oct. 19, with nearly 108,000 new conversations, according to media-measurement firm comScore and its PreAct service.

The teaser contained plenty of destruction along with Dave Bautistas Drax teaching Chris Pratts Star-Lord about love and closes with a shot of baby Groot and Rocket smiling. The film is produced by Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige, with Louis DEsposito, Victoria Alonso, Jonathan Schwartz, Nik Korda, and Stan Lee serving as executive producers.

Disney opens Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 on May 5, 2017.

Foxs first trailer for Logan, the final Wolverine film, helped generate close to 83,000 new conversations in the wake of the Oct. 20 release of a teaser and international trailer  which reveal that Wolverine is grappling with his identity in a world thats changed drastically since his early mutant days.

The movie, directed by James Mangold, marks Jackmans ninth and final performance as the mutant superhero, a character hes been playing for 16 years (since 2000s X-Men). The R-rated Logan hits theaters on March 3, 2017.

Marvel-Disneys Doctor Strange generated more than 39,000 new conversations, with its Nov. 4 launch date looming. The cast includes Benedict Cumberbatch, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Rachel McAdams, Benedict Wong, Michael Stuhlbarg, Benjamin Bratt, Scott Adkins, Mads Mikkelsen, and Tilda Swinton.

Disney-Lucasfilms Rogue One: A Star Wars Story still carried significant social media buzz last week, thanks to the release of its full trailer on Oct. 13, with more than 33,000 new conversations.

Foxs Assassins Creed generated more than 20,000 new conversations last week in the wake of its Oct. 18 trailer release, showing Michael Fassbender traveling back 500 years to the Spanish Inquisition.

Related stories

Imax Posts Lower Q3 Earnings, Meets Wall Street Forecasts

Watch First Trailer for Hugh Jackman's Final Wolverine Movie 'Logan'

'Rogue One's' Trailer Helps It Rule Social Media Buzz
To say that Gucci Mane has been busy since getting released from prison is a major understatement. Soon after his release last May Gucci dropped Everybody Looking, and a little over a week ago he released Woptober. He's also announced the third album in his East Atlanta Santa trilogy, The Return Of East Atlanta Santa, to be released on December 16th.

Those who've been following Gucci on Twitter know that the prolific artist's plans extend far into the new year, too. "By the end of 2016 I will have dropped 3 albums and produced my first movie "The Spot". 2017 My first tour, My first book and 3 more albums!," he tweeted earlier today.

By the end of 2016 I will have dropped 3 albums and produced my first movie "The Spot". 2017 My first tour, My first book and 3 more albums!  Gucci Mane (@gucci1017) October 24, 2016

Publisher Simon and Schuster confirmed they've struck a deal to publish Gucci's memoirs last month, though no publication date has been set. "Simon & Schuster is thrilled to publish Guccis story in his own words," a spokesperson for the publisher said. "Gucci Mane is one of the most influential and revered hip hop artists in the world. His impact on American music is profound. This will be a major memoir revealing the life and times of the artist and man, chronicling his youth, ascent to the top of the Atlanta trap scene, incarceration, struggles with addiction and personal rebirth."

One thing's for sureeven before Gucci is a published author, he already has one well-respected writer who is a fan. After tweeting to sociologist Malcolm Gladwell that he was his favorite author, Gladwell treated the words like praise from Caesar, claiming Gucci's tweet was the greatest thing that ever happened to him.

I read blink,outliers, and tipping point you my favorite author https://t.co/TNgvznmuOk  Gucci Mane (@gucci1017) October 24, 2016

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BANGUI (Reuters) - Four civilians were killed and 14 other people injured in Central African Republic on Monday when U.N. peacekeepers exchanged fire with armed men during a protest against the U.N. military presence, the United Nations said. The clashes occurred as hundreds of protesters gathered to call for troops from the U.N. mission (MINUSCA) to leave the country. A Reuters witness saw protesters, carrying anti-U.N. posters, throwing stones and shouting at the troops who responded with warning shots. There was then an exchange of gunfire between the troops and armed men near the crowd. "MINUSCA intervened in the early morning hours of Monday to dismantle barricades erected by the demonstrators," the mission said in a statement. "MINUSCA believes that Monday's events constitute a new attempt by enemies of peace to disturb the return to constitutional normality," it added, adding that five peacekeepers were among the injured. The statement did not offer further specifics on the casualties. But the president of the CAR Red Cross, Antoine Mbao-Bogo, told Reuters earlier that three protesters had been killed and six wounded by gunfire. Central African Republic has been in chaos since early 2013 when fighting between mostly Muslim Seleka rebels and anti-Balaka Christian militias prompted the establishment of the U.N. mission MINUSCA a year later. MINUSCA has been dogged by dozens of allegations of sexual abuse, prompting a broad U.N. inquiry. Criticism of the 13,000-strong mission has mounted in recent weeks with local people accusing the peacekeepers of not doing enough to protect them. "We have seen that their mission has no use and it's just better that they leave," IT engineer Didier Fabrice Balandegue said as gunfire rang out in the background. Civil society groups launched a petition last week calling for MINUSCA's departure and the re-arming of the national armed forces, currently subject to a weapons embargo. Government spokesman Theodore Jousseau blamed the violence on politicians trying to destabilize the administration. "These are embittered politicians who hide behind civil society to manipulate the population," he said. This month, 30 people were killed and dozens wounded during an attack on refugees by Seleka forces, although violence in the capital in recent months has been rare. (Corrects paragraph 7 to remove reference to Chadian troops accused of killing civilians. They were part of an African Union mission, not MINUSCA. The error also occurred in Update 1.) (Reporting by Crispin Dembassa-Kete and Serge Leger Kokopakpa; Additional reporting by Michelle Nichols in New York and Abdoulaye Massalatchi in Niamey; Writing by Emma Farge and Aaron Ross; Editing by Mark Heinrich)
There are cases when what appears to be the flu or a hangover could actually be something life-threatening. The Doctors examine a recent case where a college student lost her life to meningitis when she believed her illness was simply a bug or the effects of drinking too much.

Jennifer was in her third year at University of the West of Scotland when she began to experience flu-like symptoms that persisted for many days. At first, she thought she simply had drank too much or was under the weather, but when her conditioned only got worse she went to the hospital. It was discovered that she was suffering from bacterial meningitis.

Watch: Hangover Cure

Tragically, Jennifer experienced severe brain swelling and died before she could be saved.

The Doctors warn that if you have hangover or flu-like symptoms and the conditions get worse, it could possibly be meningitis. The symptoms for meningitis include: sudden high fever, stiff neck, severe headache, headache accompanied by nausea or vomiting, confusion, seizures, drowsiness, difficulty walking, sensitivity to light, no thirst or appetite and a rash. Bacterial meningitis can be treated with antibiotics.

Watch: Halt A Headache

They also recommend getting the bacterial meningitis vaccine and seeking medical attention if you have flu-like issues that do not respond to medication or get more intense as the days progress. When it doubt, it never hurts to be seen by your medical care provider if you are concerned.
Students accepted to college via early decision are able to nail down their postgraduation plans well ahead of their peers and enjoy the remainder of high school stress-free.

But teens generally must attend a school if they get in via early decision. Students, their parents or guardians and their high school counselor typically sign an agreement outlining the binding nature of a potential admissions offer before the student even applies.

Students can only apply to one school for early decision. Generally students are allowed to concurrently apply to other schools under less-restrictive early action and regular decision programs.

[Find out three reasons to apply early action to college.]

While students can't be forced to attend any school they are accepted to via early decision, the consequences they will face, if any, when backing out of these agreements will depend on the school and the student's situation, experts say.

Most colleges will release students from early decision offers without penalty if applicants receive a financial aid package that doesn't make it feasible economically for the student to attend.

There may be other compelling reasons that would sway an admissions officer to release an accepted student from an early decision offer without consequence -- a sick parent, for instance -- admissions officers say.

[Learn more financial facts students should know before applying early decision.]

Occasionally, students back out of early decision agreements without a good reason, says Richard Nesbitt, director of admission at Williams College in Massachusetts. "It would be a big ethical issue," he says.

The early decision agreement is not legally binding and the school wouldn't go after the student for tuition, but there could be other consequences.

If, for instance, they found out a student somehow had applied to two different places early decision, or even another early action and the student had broken the early decision agreement, Nesbitt says they'd call the other schools and the student would risk losing both acceptances.

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It may not be that difficult for schools to determine if students are playing the system. A student's high school guidance counselor may be aware of what the student has done and contact the school, says Nesbitt.

Katharine Fretwell, dean of admission and financial aid at Amherst College, another Massachusetts institution, says her school and about 30 other colleges share lists of students admitted through early decision. And Fretwell says she'd likely also share the names of students who were admitted via early decision, but who are not attending for financial aid and other reasons.

Plus, high school counselors may stop sending transcripts, letters of recommendation and other necessary admissions materials if a student has applied to a school via early decision until they know the outcome, like Craig Meister, director of college counseling at Oxbridge Academy in Florida and founder of Admissions Intel, a college consulting firm.

Students trying to get out of early decision offers elsewhere may face less pushback.

"We're not going to come after them," says Mildred Johnson, associate vice provost for enrollment management and director of undergraduate admissions at Virginia Tech, where about 25 to 30 students who are accepted via early decision decline the offer each year for a variety of reasons. "It's just kind of an honor thing, you said you were going to do this. But no, we are not chasing them down."

"I'm disappointed because the reality is they should have just applied regular decision," says Johnson. At Virginia Tech, admissions standards are pretty much the same for regular and early decision, she says.

However, there may be an admissions advantage to applying early decision at other schools. Colleges admitted 62 percent of early decision applicants compared with 51 percent of all applicants in 2015, according to a report from the National Association for College Admission Counseling.

[Ask these four questions before applying early decision.]

In some ways, early decision is a gentleman's agreement, says Dave Tobias, vice president of enrollment for Ursinus College in Pennsylvania. "We don't have a lot of ability to do anything on our end to the student."

Rod Oto, associate dean of admissions at Carleton College in Minnesota, says if a student wanted to withdraw from an early decision offer because they no longer want to go to the school, he'd first try to figure out what's going on. Whether he'd call other schools the student applied to or the student's high school counselor would be handled on a case-by-case basis, but he would make sure the student knew Carleton wasn't pleased.

"I don't think our intention is to create a situation where the student doesn't have any place to go," he says.

Still, Oto says he doesn't necessarily want to spend a lot of time investigating every case.

"Here's the bottom line: We are not going to make a kid come here who doesn't want to come here."

Searching for a college? Get our complete rankings of Best Colleges.

Alexandra Pannoni is an education Web producer at U.S. News. You can follow her on Twitter or email her at apannoni@usnews.com.
Hal Jacobson is a candidate for election to the Montana Senate District 40. Hal has proven himself to be an outstanding example of the type of legislator that Montana needs during these acrimonious times. Hal is an active and generous member of our community. Hal's past experience serving four terms in the House of Representatives was recognized and respected on both sides of the aisle. He also has served on the Kessler school board and managed small businesses.
Harvard students occupied one of the universitys buildings in support of striking dining workers on Monday, October 24. It is the second time students have walked out of class to support the strike, according to reports.

The 750 dining workers at Harvard University have been on strike for three weeks. It is the longest strike in the universitys history, according to reports.

On Monday, students announced a sit-in at the campus administration building, according to social media users. Credit: Unite Here Local 26
Harvey Keitel and Iranian director Asghar Farhadi were both honored late Sunday at the closing of the 53rd Antalya Film Festival with Golden Orange Lifetime Achievement Awards.

The actor and director, both of whom have garnered Oscar nominations for their work, received their awards in a ceremony broadcast live across Turkey. Farhadi's A Separation and The Past have put him in the international spotlight.

The honors came at the end of the eight-day event during which more than 134 films from 39 countries were screened in both national and international competitions. There also were two special sidebars on the plight of refugees and life after military coups, nods to the influx of refugees from the war in neighboring Syria and Turkey's recently failed coup.

The Golden Orange for best national film went to Blue Bicycle by Umit Koreken. A jury picked Clair Obscur, Turkish director Yesim Ustaoglu's story of two women from very different lifestyles and sexual cultures, as best international film.

Best actor honors in the international section went to Tamer Nafar for his role in Udi Aloni's Junction 48, and Ecem Uzun was named best actress for her part in Clair Obscur.

Read more: Blue Bicycle (Mavi Bisiklet): Film Review | Antalya Film Festival 2016
When youre the big sister of teen queen Hilary Duff, one would maybe expect you to be a little jealous of your younger siblings success. But not so in the Duff house! Hilarys older sis, Haylie Duff, the actress-turned-Cooking-Channel-host, just dropped $2.695 million on a five-bed, six-bath home for sale in Studio City, CA. And in true celeb style, she bought it from another Hollywood starlet, Ashley Tisdale, who barely had time to live there herself: She just bought it in June 2015 for $2.5 million!

Ashley Tisdale Lists Home For Sale In Studio City CA

Images courtesy of Keller Williams Silicon Beach (via the MLS). The listing agent is Linda Ferrari.

Ashley Tisdale Lists Home For Sale in Studio City CA

Images courtesy of Keller Williams Silicon Beach (via the MLS). The listing agent is Linda Ferrari.

Ashley Tisdale Lists Home For Sale in Studio City CA

Images courtesy of Keller Williams Silicon Beach (via the MLS). The listing agent is Linda Ferrari.

Ashley Tisdale Lists Home For Sale in Studio City CA

Images courtesy of Keller Williams Silicon Beach (via the MLS). The listing agent is Linda Ferrari.

Ashley Tisdale Lists Home For Sale In Studio City CA Pool

Images courtesy of Keller Williams Silicon Beach (via the MLS). The listing agent is Linda Ferrari.

Ashley Tisdale Lists Home For Sale in Studio City CA

Images courtesy of Keller Williams Silicon Beach (via the MLS). The listing agent is Linda Ferrari.

Ashley Tisdale Lists Home For Sale In Studio City CA

Images courtesy of Keller Williams Silicon Beach (via the MLS). The listing agent is Linda Ferrari.

Ashley Tisdale Lists Home For Sale In Studio City CA Living Room

Images courtesy of Keller Williams Silicon Beach (via the MLS). The listing agent is Linda Ferrari.

Ashley Tisdale Lists Home For Sale In Studio City CA Living Room

Images courtesy of Keller Williams Silicon Beach (via the MLS). The listing agent is Linda Ferrari.

Ashley Tisdale Lists Home For Sale In Studio City CA Landing

Images courtesy of Keller Williams Silicon Beach (via the MLS). The listing agent is Linda Ferrari.

Ashley Tisdale Lists Home For Sale In Studio City CA

Images courtesy of Keller Williams Silicon Beach (via the MLS). The listing agent is Linda Ferrari.

Ashley Tisdale Lists Home For Sale In Studio City CA Kitchen

Images courtesy of Keller Williams Silicon Beach (via the MLS). The listing agent is Linda Ferrari.

Ashley Tisdale Lists Home For Sale In Studio City CA Foyer

Images courtesy of Keller Williams Silicon Beach (via the MLS). The listing agent is Linda Ferrari.

Ashley Tisdale Lists Home For Sale In Studio City CA Foyer

Images courtesy of Keller Williams Silicon Beach (via the MLS). The listing agent is Linda Ferrari.

Ashley Tisdale Lists Home For Sale In Studio City CA Foyer

Images courtesy of Keller Williams Silicon Beach (via the MLS). The listing agent is Linda Ferrari.

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Ashley Tisdale Lists Home For Sale In Studio City CA Dining Room

Images courtesy of Keller Williams Silicon Beach (via the MLS). The listing agent is Linda Ferrari.

Ashley Tisdale Lists Home For Sale in Studio City CA Closet

Images courtesy of Keller Williams Silicon Beach (via the MLS). The listing agent is Linda Ferrari.

Ashley Tisdale Lists Home For Sale in Studio City CA Bedroom

Images courtesy of Keller Williams Silicon Beach (via the MLS). The listing agent is Linda Ferrari.

Ashley Tisdale Lists Home For Sale in Studio City CA Bedroom

Images courtesy of Keller Williams Silicon Beach (via the MLS). The listing agent is Linda Ferrari.

Ashley Tisdale Lists Home For Sale in Studio City CA Bedroom

Images courtesy of Keller Williams Silicon Beach (via the MLS). The listing agent is Linda Ferrari.

Ashley Tisdale Lists Home For Sale in Studio City CA Bathroom

Images courtesy of Keller Williams Silicon Beach (via the MLS). The listing agent is Linda Ferrari.

Ashley Tisdale Lists Home For Sale in Studio City CA Bathroom

Images courtesy of Keller Williams Silicon Beach (via the MLS). The listing agent is Linda Ferrari.

Ashley Tisdale Lists Home For Sale in Studio City CA Bathroom

Images courtesy of Keller Williams Silicon Beach (via the MLS). The listing agent is Linda Ferrari.

Ashley Tisdale Lists Home For Sale in Studio City CA Bathroom

Images courtesy of Keller Williams Silicon Beach (via the MLS). The listing agent is Linda Ferrari.

Ashley Tisdale Lists Home For Sale In Studio City CA Theater

Images courtesy of Keller Williams Silicon Beach (via the MLS). The listing agent is Linda Ferrari.

Measuring 4,976 square feet, the Cape Codstyle home is tucked away on a tree-lined street. Built in 2015, it offers a touch of East Coast style in the peaceful Southern California environment. Walk through the private gates and enter the extraordinary home that features an open floor plan, soaring ceilings, and an abundance of natural light. Five large en-suite bedrooms include a spacious master suite, complete with its own sitting area, fireplace, dual walk-in closets, and a luxurious spa-like bath. A home theater with a 90-inch projection screen is another unique piece of this home, as is the chefs kitchen (hey, with her own Cooking Channel show, Haylies got to have somewhere to practice her craft!) featuring Caesarstone countertops, stainless steel appliances, and a breakfast area that opens out to a large family room. In the spacious backyard, lush landscaping provides extensive privacy next to a saltwater pool and spa plus a barbecue and entertaining area. Even if you dont have your own cooking show like Haylie, youd certainly want to hang out here.

Haylie Duff 2016 front door

Images courtesy Trulia. The listing agent is Linda Ferrari.

Haylie Duff 2016 pool

Images courtesy Trulia. The listing agent is Linda Ferrari.

Haylie Duff 2016 bar stools

Images courtesy Trulia. The listing agent is Linda Ferrari.

Haylie Duff 2016 living room

Images courtesy Trulia. The listing agent is Linda Ferrari.

Haylie Duff 2016 stove

Images courtesy Trulia. The listing agent is Linda Ferrari.

Haylie Duff 2016 foyer

Images courtesy Trulia. The listing agent is Linda Ferrari.

Haylie Duff 2016 bedroom

Images courtesy Trulia. The listing agent is Linda Ferrari.

Haylie Duff 2016 vanity

Images courtesy Trulia. The listing agent is Linda Ferrari.

Images courtesy Trulia. The listing agent is Linda Ferrari.

Images courtesy Trulia. The listing agent is Linda Ferrari.

Haylie Duff 2016 great room

Images courtesy Trulia. The listing agent is Linda Ferrari.

Haylie Duff 2016 yellow rug

Haylie Duff 2016 kitchen

Images courtesy Trulia. The listing agent is Linda Ferrari.

In addition to her new purchase, Haylie has a house listed for sale, and she didnt live in it very long either: She bought it back in February 2015 for $1.3 million. Also located in Studio City, the stunning three-bed, three-bath contemporary-style home was built in 1989. Besides a marble- and quartz-filled chefs kitchen (Haylie clearly knows what she likes!), the home has a spacious family room that opens out to a perfectly planned entertainers backyard, with a swimming pool and spa, custom Lynx barbecue island, and plenty of room for entertaining guests. With wide-plank hardwood and blue limestone flooring, the home also has an expansive master suite with a huge built-out walk-in closet, a beautiful master bath, and a stunning private balcony.

Although Haylie has had some bumps on the real estate road in the past (she previously sold her Toluca Lake, CA, home at a loss), things are certainly looking up for her future portfolio. Point being: Times arent exactly tough for this Duff!
How much screen time is healthy for kids? Parents who are unsure of the answer can turn to a new set of guidelines put forth by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).

The new recommendations outline how much time kids  ranging from infants to adolescents  can spend watching TV and engaging with other media that involves using a screen.

"Families should proactively think about their childrens media use and talk with children about it, because too much media use can mean that children dont have enough time during the day to play, study, talk or sleep," Dr. Jenny Radesky, a pediatrician at the University of Michigan and a co-author of the new recommendations, said in a statement. "Whats most important is that parents be their childs 'media mentor.' That means teaching them how to use it as a tool to create, connect and learn." [7 Signs Your Child Is an iPad Addict]

Screen time for children younger than 18 months should be avoided, except in the case of video chatting, according to the recommendations, which were published today (Oct. 21) in the journal Pediatrics.

Parents of children ages 18 months to 2 years who choose to introduce digital media into their children's lives should choose high-quality programs, and they should watch these programs with their kids to help them understand what exactly they are seeing, according to the recommendations.

The parents of children ages 2 to 5 years should limit kids' screen time to 1 hour per day, according to the recommendations. As with children under the age of 2, parents should also view such media together with their children, to help them understand what they are seeing and how it might apply to the world around them, the researchers recommended.

For kids ages 6 years and older, parents should place consistent limits on how much screen time they are allowed per day. Parents should also make sure that kids do not use digital media at the expense of activities that are important for their health, such as sleep and exercise. [Children's Sleep: New Guidelines on Shut-Eye for Kids]

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Parents should also designate specific "media-free" times for the family, such as dinnertime, for example. In addition, certain areas of the home, such as bedrooms, should also be deemed "media-free," according to the recommendations.

The recommendations also offered guidance on how parents should talk to their kids about online behavior. For example, parents should teach kids to treat others with respect, both online and offline. They should also talk to kids about their safety in online environments, the researchers recommended.

The new recommendations are a reminder that parents should be very selective about the types of apps and programs that they allow their children to use, said Dr. Minu George, the chief of general pediatrics at Cohen Children's Medical Center, in New Hyde Park, New York, who was not involved in the new recommendations.

For example, if an app is labeled as "educational," that does not automatically mean that it is good for children to use it, George said.

"Just because it says it is educational does not mean that it is something that will help the child grow and develop well," she told Live Science. "There is nothing that can replace that intimate interaction between children and their parents."

Originally published on Live Science.

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You've probably heard of pouring one out for the departed, but one Australian initiative wants you to pour one to save a life that's not lost just yet  the life of the Great Barrier Reef.

SEE ALSO: How you can drink beer and save the world at the same time

After launching a crowdfunding campaign in December 2015, the Good Beer Company have finally realised their dream of a socially-minded brew, with the beverage launching in Queensland Monday.

The reef saving beers in all their real-world glory.

Image: good beer company

The suitably named Great Barrier Beer comes in three forms; a kolsch beer, a cider and a blonde beer. All three environmentally conscious drinks were created by three chefs (Spencer Patrick, Ryan Squires, and Ben O'Donoghue) to directly impact the wellbeing of the Great Barrier Reef.

They're are also petitioning for members of the public to vote for their favourite feel-good drink, with hopes that the most voted-for brew will be distributed nationally.

So just how does drinking beer translate to saving the "largest living organism" on earth? Half of the profits raised from each beer purchased will go directly to the reef via the Australia Marine Conservation Society (AMCS).

Campaign director for the AMCS Imogen Zethoven said in a statement "The Reef needs all of our help right now and this revolutionary beer is raising much needed funds to support our education programs with tour operators and farmers that will conserve our national icon."
By Natalie Grover

Oct 24 (Reuters) - Casinos on Native American land have poured billions into tribal economies since the late 1980s, lifting many people from poverty. Now, some hope, cultivating industial hemp could do the same.

Under U.S. law, hemp - which comes from the same family of plants that produce marijuana - can be grown only for research, with a permit from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.

However, the Department of Justice opened the door for hemp cultivation by Native American tribes in 2014 when it agreed that tribes can set cannabis-related laws just as states can.

Native American-owned CannaNative LLC said on Monday it was in final talks with the Navajo Nation, the largest federally recognized tribe, to grow industrial hemp.

Hemp is used in a wide variety of products, from food to construction materials, but typically contains less than 1 percent tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) - the psychoactive component of the cannabis plant. (http://bit.ly/2f84qET)

But while more than half of U.S. states allow cannabis use, federal law still categorizes all cannabis varieties, including hemp, as a dangerous drug with no medicinal value.

Currently there is no large-scale commercial hemp production in the United States, which depends on imports.

The Hemp Industries Association (HIA) estimates that the total U.S. retail value of hemp products in 2013 was $581 million, although the Congressional Research Service says the numbers are under-reported.

The estimate does not include sales by the two major retailers of hemp-based products, L'Oreal SA's The Body Shop and Whole Foods Market Inc.

CannaNative has already struck a deal with cannabis products maker Medical Marijuana Inc to produce the first hemp oil products for more than 560 Native American tribes.

Now, it is in talks with the Navajo Nation to begin growing hemp on reservation land in Arizona, Utah and New Mexico.

"The industrial hemp project could probably overtake Indian gaming, not only in terms of employment but also in terms of revenue to the Navajo," said Al Henderson, a senior Navajo economic adviser, noting that the 360,000-member tribe had an unemployment rate of 40-50 percent.

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Henderson did not provide data on the tribe's gaming revenue, but the National Indian Gaming Commission estimates that the overall tribal casino industry generated nearly $30 billion in gaming revenue last year.

Growing industrial hemp is an opportunity for the aging Native American population to go back to its roots with plant-based medicine and reduce dependence on the American taxpayer, CannaNative CEO Anthony Rivera told Reuters.

"We can't wait for the federal government ... so we are working with tribes to pass their own laws in consultation with federal authorities to demonstrate that we are doing this legally and responsibly," Rivera said.

For Medical Marijuana Inc (MMI), which sells hemp oil, a deal with the Navajo Nation could help move hemp cultivation to the United States from Europe and cut costs by more than 25 percent, Chief Executive Stu Titus told Reuters.

"Our goal is to plant our initial pilot program test crop in the spring of 2017 in the Navajo Nation," Titus said.

(Reporting by Natalie Grover in Bengaluru; Editing by Ted Kerr)
The word "Halloween" comes from All Hallows' Eve and means "hallowed evening."

The history of Halloween dates back to a pagan festival called Samhain.

Hundreds of years ago, people dressed up as saints and went door-to-door, which is the origin of Halloween costumes and trick-or-treating.

As the leaves turn vibrant autumn shades, temperatures drop, and you start to pull out sweaters and jackets, it's time to deck out your porch with pumpkins and get to carving. Halloween, celebrated on October 31, is just around the corner, which means an evening of fun filled with costumes, spooky treats, trick-or-treating, Halloween party games, and (for adults only) boo-zy Halloween cocktails.



Amidst all the festivities, do you ever wonder about the origin and history of Halloween, such as what it its meaning and is it pagan or Christian? The answer: It's complicatedand also shaped by secular pop culture through the ages. So let's dive into fun facts about the holiday and how its most popular traditions evolved.

What Does Halloween Mean?



The current English name Halloween traces back to medieval Christianity. The word hallow is derived from the Middle and Old English words for holy. As a noun, it can also mean saint. In those days, the Christian holiday we know as All Saints' Day was called All Hallows' Day, and the day before, when an evening mass was held, was All Hallows' Eve. That three-word name eventually got shortened to Halloween.

Bettmann - Getty Images

Why Do We Celebrate Halloween on October 31?

The ancient Gaelic festival of Samhain, which occurred on November 1 but kicked off the evening before, is considered the earliest known root of some of our secular Halloween traditions. It marked a pivotal time of year when seasons changed, but more importantly, observers also believed the boundary between this world and the next became especially thin, enabling them to connect with the dead. This is also where Halloween gains its "haunted" connotations.

The path to the Christian Halloween date of October 31 is a little more complex. Pope Boniface IV began All Saints Day in the early 7th century when he dedicated the Pantheon in Rome to the saints, but the day was May 13. In the next century, Pope Gregory III changed the day to November 1 when he dedicated a chapel in St. Peters Basilica to the saints. Yet another century later, Pope Gregory IV added All Saints Day to the Christian calendar, extending the celebration from Rome to churches everywhere. With All Saints Day came All Hallows' Eve on October 31. This was, perhaps, an effort to offset the pagan occasion with a religious celebration.

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Getty Images

The History of Halloween Activities

The early pagan holiday of Samhain involved a lot of ritualistic ceremonies to connect to spirits, as the Celts were polytheistic. While there isn't a lot of detail known about these celebrations, many believe the Celts celebrated in costume (granted, they were likely as simple as animal hides) as a disguise against ghosts, enjoyed special feasts, and made lanterns by hollowing out gourds (hence, the history of jack-o'-lanterns). Over time, as Christianity took over and the pagan undertones of the holiday were lessened, the basic traditions of the holiday remained a part of pop culture every year; they simply evolved and modernized.

The mystical rituals of earlier times evolved into more lighthearted fun and games. For example, the somewhat heavy concept of connecting to the dead was replaced with the more lighthearted idea of telling the future. Bobbing for apples, for example, became popular as a fortune-telling game on All Hallows' Eve: Apples would be selected to represent all of a woman's suitors, and the guyer, appleshe ended up biting into would supposedly represent her future husband. In fact, Halloween previously posed a huge (albeit rather superstitious) matchmaking opportunity for young women in the 19th century.

Another popular All Hallows' Eve ritual was mirror-gazing, as people hoped to catch a vision of their future by looking into the mirror. There are also reports of fortune-cookie-like favors being given out during earlier times. People wrote messages on pieces of paper in milk, and the notes were then folded and placed into walnut shells. The shells would be heated over a fire, causing the milk to brown just enough for the message to mystically appear on the paper for the recipient.

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History of Halloween Costumes and Trick-or-Treating

Many people were said to dress up as saints and recite songs or verses door to door. Children would also go door to door asking for "soul cakes," a treat similar to biscuits. Technical note: Soul cakes originated as part of the All Souls' Day holiday on November 2 (yep, a third holiday following Halloween and All Saints' Day!) but eventually became a part of Halloween night as the concept evolved into trick-or-treating. The candy-grabbing concept also became mainstream in the U.S. in the early to mid-1900s, during which families would provide treats to children in hopes that they would be immune to any holiday pranks.

As for the costumes, they evolved, too. While they began as earnest tributes to saints, that tradition likely fell out of favor at some point until young Scottish and Irish pranksters got the idea to dress up in scary-looking garb again as a way to spook unsuspecting neighbors. And just like that, thanks to these local hooligans, Halloween costumes became scary, spooky, funny, and creative all at the same time.

How Halloween Is Celebrated Today



Halloween obviously remains a popular holiday in America today, but it actually almost didn't make it across the Atlantic. The Puritans were disapproving of the holiday's pagan roots, so they didn't take part. The American colonial Halloween celebrations that did take place featured large public parties to commemorate the upcoming harvest, tell ghost stories, sing, and dance.

It was not until the second half of the 19th century as Irish and Scottish immigrants began to arrive in America in greater numbers that the holiday took hold as part of the national zeitgeist. It's estimated that by the early 20th century, Halloween was celebrated across North America by the majority of (candy-loving, costume-wearing) people.

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Today, our Halloween traditions continue to evolve. Instead of trick-or-treating around the neighborhood, some deck out their vehicles in spooky tailgate fashion for community trunk-or-treats, which are often held in school or church parking lots. In 2019, a popular movement to move the date of Halloween led to the creation of National Trick-or-Treat Day on the last Saturday of October. However, Halloween remains on October 31, and how communities celebrate the new National Trick-or-Treat Day, if at all, depends on local organizers.



This year, once again, we'll all be enjoying our favorite candy and admiring our neighbors' decorations on October 31and the only spooky spirits we'll be talking about are the witch and ghost costumes our friends are wearing.

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I have known Erin and her family for the past 13 years. She has a passion for volunteering, as she is heavily involved in a very active Girl Scout troop. She believes in equality, something she teaches her girls and those fortunate enough to interact with her. She is an advocate against bullying and exclusionary practices.
From Cosmopolitan

Photo credit: Warner Bros.

Whether youre a horror aficionado or the kind of person whos too chicken to watch Scream Queens, youve probably seen at least one movie that really, truly freaked you out. In some cases, its easy to understand why youre scared - Annabelles entire face, for example - but in others, its hard to pinpoint exactly why that hallway is terrifying the bejesus out of you. Cosmopolitan.com talked to four people whove spent a lot of time on horror sets - two costume designers, a production designer, and a cinematographer - to get some insight on how scary movies actually go about scaring you. And yes, horror professionals get freaked out too (though theyre a little harder to scare than your average Paranormal Activity fan).



The insiders:

Leah Butler , costume designer for Annabelle 2, The Lords of Salem, Paranormal Activity 3 and 4, and The Bye Bye Man

Michael Fimognari , cinematographer for Ouija: Origin of Evil, Oculus, Jessabelle, and The Lazarus Effect

Natalie OBrien , costume designer for A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night and The Bad Batch

Jennifer Spence, production designer for Annabelle 2, Lights Out, The Bye Bye Man, The Lords of Salem, Paranormal Activity 2, 3, and 4, and Insidious: Chapter 2 and Chapter 3

How does the process of producing a horror movie differ from making something like a drama or comedy?

Jennifer Spence: When Im working on a horror film, I have much more freedom to be creative because the supernatural is present. I make a lot of suggestions about what could be interesting to give the viewer something cool to look at and try to build on the characters oddities. Im really conscious about filling out the background details about a character even though you might not see it in the words in the script. And there are always oddball things that youd never think of that you end up doing. For example, [on one movie] there was a doll that had to be broken in a certain way when she hits the ground, and its really specific, the way its written. So we had to figure out how it would break, because you cant predict something like that. We had to do practice runs and see if we could get it to do what the script said. What can we make it out of that would actually accomplish that? It was part of the challenge.

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Natalie OBrien: For me at least, its a lot of numbers, because I have to make a lot of things because things are gonna get destroyed. You have to figure out whats gonna get ruined, whos gonna get stabbed, wheres the blood, when the fingers gonna be bitten off, and where the blood is gushing. Its a lot of figuring that all out. In Girl Walks Home, theres a scene where blood gushes everywhere, and we had to do triples of that scene. [The actors] jumpsuit was like a vintage Adidas jumpsuit, so I had to craft another one that was similar to that.

Leah Butler: We need multiples for sure. On Annabelle 2, I had one particular dress that is very featured on a young girl, and I think we ended up making eight dresses in total for her.

Photo credit: Warner Bros.

What are some techniques that your departments use to up the creepiness factor of a movie, outside of whats in the script?

Michael Fimognari: One of the things that I find most terrifying is when you think you see something in the dark but youre not quite sure  In Oculus, theres an early moment in the story where theyve just moved in to this new house, and theyve started to get things on the walls and the furniture in place, so they put the mirror up on the wall and then their fathers walking through the house late at night, through the boxes, and turns a corner and comes face to face with someone standing in front of him. He can barely see her shape but he knows she was there, and then he looks back and shes gone. Its always photographically very fun to find those shapes in the room that you think might be one thing and then turn out to be another, or later turn out to be the thing you really thought they were.

Leah: Sometimes its color. [In one of my movies] I intentionally had some lighter-colored pieces, but one in particular was created using some pleating and straighter lines, so even though the color was light and ethereal, some of the elements of the overall design were not soft, not sweet, not innocent. We use a lot of paint, a lot of textiles, a lot of dyeing, a lot of tearing things, just to make it seem like its gone through something and that it has a story behind it. For example, if theres a character that has come back from the dead, we use a lot of people that are textile artists that can help age and distress things accordingly.

Jennifer: I work closely with the director of photography, because I want to create environments that are interesting to his view. We talk about how we can create spooky images using the light and making spaces that allow him to the shoot the story in an interesting way. If it says [a character] is walking down the hall and I am in charge of building that hallway, I might give it some interesting shapes so that when you look down the hallway, it feels more narrow - like I might cheat the length and push it in so it has a bit of forced perspective. I also might design something that [the DP] could shoot through, like a grate or something interesting besides just the regular shots that you do on a film. A lot of these stories take place in one house, so I have to try and give him a lot of choices, give him something different to do each time so it doesnt feel like the same shot. In Annabelle 2, I tried to pick things related to the character. This little girl in the story is nicknamed Bee, so to reflect that I chose things around the house that will, if youre paying attention, reflect her presence - like I made these little bumblebees that are in the house on the staircase. Just little things to try to marry her to the place.

Natalie: Definitely color. If you have something lighter, the blood can be a little more gushy and gory. Im starting a new film [about] Lizzie Borden, and weve been talking about what we want her to wear for this ax-murdering scene. Instead of doing a dark color, I was saying lets go lighter, because then that way when we see that gory moment its gonna have a nice splash. I like to go with a little bit of a lighter color or a lighter texture, but nothing too thin because [then the blood] will sink through onto the actor.

Photo credit: VICE Films

Has anything creepy ever happened on any of the movies that youve worked on?

Jennifer: When I was doing The Lords of Salem, we were shooting at a location in downtown L.A. and one of my [friends on set] has, like, a sixth sense  We were up on the second floor of this big building, and she came flying down the hallway late in the day, white as a ghost, and said she had seen something and wouldnt go back to get her purse unless I came with her. It totally freaked me out. I believe in that kind of stuff, so I think theres something there. Also when we were shooting in Linda Vista Hospital [in L.A.], that was creepy. Im sure there was something in there, especially in the basement. I never liked filming in there. It always gave me the creeps. On the second or third floor, the buzzer to one of the rooms would go off all the time when nobody was up there. There were no patients, but the buzzer at the end of this hallway would go off all the time and freak us all out. Wed go in groups, like nobodys going down there by ourselves. And when we were set dressing in the basement [of Linda Vista] for Insidious, there was this room full of crazy old [patient] records from the40s and 50s. We were moving them around to do our set dressing, and everybody in the room started feeling sick and weird and heavy. We had to take a break because everyone felt overwhelmingly unwell.

Natalie: For Girl Walks Home, we were shooting in Taft, California, which is up by Bakersfield, and its a very kind of ghostly town on its own. Theres barely a population up there. I remember that we had rented out this basement that we had turned into the set for the Girls house and we were down there for a couple days. I think there was a homeless person living there while we were not there, because things had moved around. We talked to the art department and it wasnt them at all. I feel like either someone was down there, or it could have been a spirit or something like that.

Leah: We had some very strange things on The Lords of Salem. We filmed at a studio where a lot of people shoot, but there were just some strange things happening, and people were attributing it to a ghost. I was shopping for [director] Rob Zombies wife in the movie and I found this T-shirt that I liked and bought it for myself. I walked into work the next morning, and Rob looked at me, and he just started laughing and was like, What is this, some sort of joke? and I said, No, what are you talking about? And he said, I want you to come look at this bedroom set. And the exact print of the shirt I was wearing was on the wall of the set. On Annabelle 2, the doll freaked a lot of people out. We ended up having a priest come bless the doll on set, believe it or not. There was an actress who has a very Catholic belief system, and she sort of insisted that a priest come bless the doll so that nothing would happen during [shooting]. I thought that was really interesting. I was on set when the priest came during our lunch and blessed the doll, and he did a fantastic job.

Photo credit: Warner Bros.

Do you think the average viewer has gotten harder to scare as horror becomes more and popular as a genre?

Jennifer: I do. I think that thats a challenge for me, is trying to give them something to look at that they havent seen already. Thats something I take into consideration whenever Im designing a film. I try not to watch everybody elses movies until after Ive done a project, because I dont want to be influenced by what theyve done.

Michael: Its a language just like any other language. Audiences are very smart and they want to be rewarded for being as smart as they are. When they come in, they understand the genre from its history, because theyve been watching movies all the time now - anything you wanna see, you can see. You really have to be able to elevate it and build on it. The scare is all about the unexpected, and what you thought might happen but doesnt. To some degree its like a roller coaster. You know whats gonna happen when you go up and you come back down. You are delivering the expectation, but you also want to give it that little twist that maybe hasnt been seen before.

Photo credit: Relativity

What are your biggest pet peeves while watching other peoples movies?

Michael: The unearned jump scare  its one of those language points which was really successful and now its just a little too overused. The best jump scares are the ones that actually deliver on the fear that youve been building. The jump scares that fall flat for me, because I see it coming a mile away, are the ones where the cat jumps up on the table or the thing that was just there to make you get a little jolt of electricity. Im more in favor of the dread and the slow burn and the terrifying relentless thing that just keeps coming and wont let you go. I want to be terrified the whole way through!

Natalie: I hate seeing wrinkles. Wrinkles in the shirt from when dress shirts have been folded or something like that. Oh god, it kills me.

Leah: The clown! What is it about the clown? There are always creepy clowns. There are so many cool clowns from the past, from history, so when I see a clown costume that is super basic, it really irritates me. You could be so creative with a clown, and yet people are so stuck in the way a clown should look.

Jennifer: Bad paint choices. Sometimes it cannot be helped. Sometimes you just dont have the budget. I try not to judge on that part. Ive done a lot of low-budget films, but I try not to make it look like a low-budget film. I put a lot of my own belongings in the first films that we did. I think all of the furniture in the first Insidious was mine, because we didnt have anything. My whole house was empty. Thats my couch, and those are pictures of my grandma, and things like that. I wanted it to feel full. When it doesnt, it doesnt look real. Thats my pet peeve - that and a bad wig. Which has nothing to do with production design, but thats just me. Its distracting!

Follow Eliza on Twitter.



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When John and Carrie Aman moved into what they thought was their dream home one December, they hadnt met many of their neighbors. Being in Buffalo, NY, theres a very short window of time to get to know neighbors before people start hibernating for the winter, says Carrie. Fast-forward several months to summer, and the Amans were expecting their first child.

Soon, the couple noticed their next-door neighbor, a man in his 70s living with his wife, was no longer around. It seemed strange, and John and I thought up all these reasons why he might not be living there anymore. It turned out that the man had been arrested and charged by the FBI with soliciting a minor online. And here I was, about to give birth to my daughter! says Carrie. There was no way I was going to live in that house, with my baby, with a child predator living next door.

Not long after finding out the news, the Amans put their home on the market. Luckily, they sold it within a week and found another home across town. (The couple wouldnt sell the home to a family or couple planning to have kids; a single woman in her 50s with no grandchildren purchased the home.) We were able to get out of there before the man got out of prison, says Carrie. We totally dodged a bullet.

Unfortunately, situations like this happen. Homeowners fall in love with their home until a four-lane highway goes in behind their house, or a home renovation gone wrong makes their neighborhood look more like a scene from The Money Pit than The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. So what do you do when the house you once loved is no longer what you had in mind? Ask yourself these questions before deciding whether to stay  or to pack up and move.

How long will the neighborhood issues last?

When it comes to incredibly loud nail gun pops, sawing of wood, constant work trucks on the street, and whatever else is part of a home renovation, you have to keep in mind that (most likely) it wont last forever. A renovation project next door might be finished in 60 days, or the problem could be permanent, says Brian Davis, co-founder and the lead real estate blogger at SparkRental.com. People can live with almost anything if its for a brief period, but forever is another story.

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Is it impacting your quality of life?

You once used to sunbathe by your private pool with no issue. But now that an apartment complex went in behind your home and six stories of residents have a birds-eye view of you in your two-piece on your chaise lounge, catching some rays isnt exactly appealing anymore. Such was the case for Sharon Ross. In our previous house, the neighbor behind us built a two-story garage right on the back property line, so that the person in the apartment above the garage could look down into our backyard, she says. It creeped me out. I was not happy. So we moved to Waxhaw, NC, with no backyard neighbors.

If you cant function and live in a way you want in the privacy of your home, it might be time to pack up, Davis says. A day care opening across the street might be noisy from 9 to 5 on weekdays, but what actual impact does that have on your life? he asks. Probably not much. A strip club opening across the street, that is noisy from 8 to 2 in the morning and attracts a low-end clientele, probably has a bigger impact on your day-to-day life.

Can anything be done to stop it?

Sure, it might feel as though your neighbors barking dog will wake you up at 5 a.m. every day for the rest of time. But the truth is, you can take action. First, talk to your neighbor. If that fails, contact your homeowners association, if you have one.

Unfortunately for one of Alison Wisnoms clients, not much could be done to help the noise that was keeping the homeowners up at night. I have a client from California who purchased a second home on Oahu, says Wisnom, a broker with Hawaii Life Real Estate Brokers in Honolulu, HI. His requirement was to be able to hear the waves crashing. The home he decided on was oceanfront in Kailua, purchased for $2.345 million. When he moved in, he complained of hearing feral cats in the middle of the night. When we spoke to the neighbors, they said the noise was a protected species of seabird: the wedge-tailed shearwater, which, for a few months each year, teaches its young to feed near the shoreline in the middle of the night. The client is currently preparing to sell the property.

With temporary neighborhood issues like this, Davis recommends being creative instead of selling. Maybe its time to do that three-month trip to Europe youve always dreamed about, he says. Homeowners have more options than they realize and shouldnt be afraid to rent out their home during the disruptive period.

Will it affect your home value?

Youd like to believe that someone can see beyond the subtle hum of tractor trailers from the interstate just a quarter-mile from your home, but when it comes time to sell, those seemingly innocuous things can end up costing you serious money. For Elizabeth Hoeg, she knew the value of her home would drop significantly if she didnt move. We built a house in a neighborhood in an up-and-coming part of our city, she says of her home in Raleigh, NC. Turns out that many residents were behind on HOA fees and several homes were Section 8 [low-income housing]. We had been frustrated with several things in the neighborhood in terms of respecting property, so that was the last straw. We sold and moved a couple of months later.

In cases like this, sometimes you can wait it out  after all, the area may improve. If you decide to move, consider leasing the home rather than selling it, suggests Davis. It takes seven years, on average, to recover the upfront costs of buying a home in the form of equity. But some homeowners can earn passive income from their property while letting the tenants pay down the mortgage and allowing the property to appreciate. What started as a nightmare could end up becoming a dream.

Have you had similar neighborhood issues that motivated you to leave your home? Or did you decide to stick it out? Share in the comments!
Icelands national elections take place on Saturday, and at present, a radical fringe party could be heading for the win.

One in five Icelanders favor the Pirate Party, according to an online opinion poll run by the Social Science Research Institute at the University of Iceland, the Iceland Monitor reports.

The results of the poll put the Pirates in the lead with 22.6%, ahead of the incumbent center-right Independence party by one and a half points.

From its beginnings in the radical margins four years ago, to its position at the center point  and counterpoint  of mainstream Icelandic politics today, the rise of Icelands Pirate Party has been short and sharp.

Its a peoples movement, founder Birgitta Jonsdottir, a web designer and former WikiLeaks activist, told the Washington Post in a video interview. Ordinary people being able to go into parliament and change laws that were actually give other people more power. Its a message of hope.

Icelands Pirate Party is part of a global political movement that first began in Sweden in 2006 to bring about digital-copyright reform. According to the Post, the partys political leanings are neither right nor left and policy is vague, focusing on direct democracy, civil rights, transparency and public access to information.

In 2013, three members of Icelands Pirate Party were elected to parliament  making Iceland the only country in the world to have members of the Pirate movement in government.

The Pirates are promising people a new kind of politics, Professor Ragnheidur Kristjansdottir of the University of Iceland told the Post. Less corrupt politics where people can participate in a more direct way.

[Iceland Monitor, Washington Post]
NEW DELHI (Reuters) - India's Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Ltd has delayed the restart of its hydrocracker to the first week of November after cracks were detected in the equipment, its head of refineries said on Monday.

State-owned MRPL, which operates a 300,000 barrels per day (bpd) coastal refinery in southern India, had shut units including a 1.2-million-tonnes a year hydrocracker for maintenance last month.

The units were to restart in mid-October.

"Minor cracks were noticed in the quench nozzle in two of the reactors, so we are getting them repaired by the original equipment manufacturers," M. Venkatesh told Reuters, adding diesel output would be reduced by 40,000 to 60,000 tonnes due to the delay.

He said all units are functional except the hydrocracker, which undergoes "critical inspection" and catalyst change every two years.

"The very purpose of inspection is to find out such issues, if any. If it is there we repair it and come back," he added.

(Reporting by Nidhi Verma; Editing by Sunil Nair)
India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday criticised the controversial practice of triple talaq, which allows Muslim men to divorce their wives instantly with a single word, saying women should not face discrimination on religious grounds.

Triple talaq divorce is legal under the Indian constitution, which allows the country's 1.2 billion citizens to be governed by their own religious laws when it comes to marriage, divorce and property inheritance.

The practice has faced repeated legal challenges in recent years, and Modi's Hindu nationalist government has said it wants to replace it with a new uniform civil code applicable to all religious groups.

But that proposal has met stiff opposition from Muslim groups, who argue that it would discriminate against them.

"What is the crime of my Muslim sister that just like that over the telephone someone says 'talaq' three times and her whole life should be ruined?" Modi said at a rally in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh.

"No injustice should be meted out to our mothers and sisters in the name of religion or community," he said in the televised speech.

Uttar Pradesh is India's most populous state and 20 percent of its 200 million people are Muslim.

Modi, whose Bharatiya Janata Party is gearing for state elections there early next year, said it was his government's duty to ensure the rights of Muslim women were upheld.

"We should not look at religion when it comes to respecting or protecting women," said Modi.

"Election, votes, politics must be kept on one side: Muslim women must get their rights."

Some Indian Muslim women have in recent years launched legal challenges to triple talaq, which they say discriminates against them and violates their human rights.

A case in the mid-1980s involving Muslim woman Shah Bano, who took her rejected demand for alimony to the Supreme Court, triggered debate across India about whether the court had authority over Muslim personal law.

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The court upheld her right to alimony, but its verdict was reversed by a law passed by the then-Congress party government after Muslim groups reacted angrily.

The Supreme Court is currently hearing a petition filed by women's rights activists who want the judiciary to declare triple talaq unconstitutional.

Muslims make up more than 13 percent of the population of India, a secular democracy with a Hindu majority.
By Jatindra Dash BHUBANESHWAR, India (Reuters) - Indian police killed at least 24 Maoist rebels in a remote, forested area of the eastern state of Odisha on Monday, police said, one of the heaviest casualty tolls suffered by the insurgents in recent years. Acting on a tip-off, police tracked a group of around 30 Maoists who had gathered at a makeshift training camp close to the border with Andhra Pradesh state, officials said. When the officers surprised the gathering shortly after midnight, a gun battle erupted. "It was a makeshift training camp. Police have recovered 24 dead bodies of the Maoists during the search," Mitrabhanu Mahapatra, the chief of police in Malkangiri district, where the ambush occurred, told Reuters. One police officer was killed in the gunfight that followed and another wounded, said Rahul Dev Sharma, superintendent of police in neighboring Visakhapatnam. Maoists launched their insurgency in the 1960s and have been fighting from their jungle hideouts ever since. The rebels accuse the Indian state of plundering the mineral-rich and underdeveloped east and central regions of the country at the expense of the poor and landless, among whom they retain some support. While the level of violence has fallen in recent years, and the Maoists have lost hundreds of fighters to desertions and battles with security forces, the rebels remain capable of staging regular hit-and-run attacks across several states. Police said Monday's gathering included senior rebel leaders, but said they could not confirm if they were among the dead until all the bodies had been identified. The Maoists had not yet issued a statement on the incident via the website they have used in the past. The security forces seized automatic rifles and ammunition from the area, a stronghold of the insurgents, police said. According to the South Asia Terrorism Portal, 337 people have been killed in left-wing extremist violence so far this year, more than half of them alleged insurgents. In July, Maoists killed at least 10 members of an elite Indian police force in the south of Bihar state. (Writing by Tommy Wilkes; Editing by Sanjeev Miglani)
I served in the Legislature with Monica Lindeen and I worked under her leadership as Commissioner of Securities and Insurance. And I can tell you that Monica always fights for average Montanans and Main Street businesses.

While legislators fought over hot-button issues, Monica Lindeen quietly passed legislation improving community economic development and providing support for displaced workers.

While politicians argued over Obamacare, Monica Lindeen went about her job as insurance commissioner explaining what the law meant for individuals and businesses in Montana. From our cities to our rural towns to every reservation, Monica was there to answer questions of those who supported the law and those who didnt and helped enroll those who needed coverage. As a result, tens of thousands of new Montanans now have health insurance and Main Street businesses know whats required of them.

Monica Lindeen didnt play politics; she didnt stick her head in the sand; she did her job. And thats what we can expect of Monica if she is elected as our next Secretary of State. Join me in voting for Monica.

Sen. Christine Kaufmann

Helena
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LONDON  When a girl at school told 6-year-old Lex that her autistic brother Frank was weird, she was left feeling upset and confused.

When Lex tried to explain that her older brother had autism, the girl didn't understand what she meant.

Having recently joined the student council, Lex decided to write a letter to address the lack of awareness of autism at her school in the south of England.

SEE ALSO: This adorable note left on a tree by a 7-year-old will warm your heart

Her mother, Sophie Camilleri, posted the message to Facebook, where it has since gone viral:

The letter reads:

On Monday I felt very sad because a girl in my class said that my brother was weird.

My brother has autism and is not weird and I would like it if we could learn about all disabilities in schools so that everybody understands that some people are different, but we should all be treated the same.

Camilleri told BuzzFeed News, The teacher of Lexs class asked if anyone knew what autism was. Not one child knew what it was.

By sharing Lex's message online, Camilleri hoped to bolster local efforts to raise awareness for disabilities. To her surprise, the letter has now been shared more than 27,000 times on Facebook.

Good work, Lex!
CLEVELAND, OH / ACCESSWIRE / October 24, 2016 / The Sherwin-Williams Company (SHW) will host a live webcast to discuss the results of the third quarter 2016 to be held Tuesday, October 25, 2016 at 11:00 AM Eastern Time.

Live Event Information

To participate, connect approximately 5 to 10 minutes before the beginning of the event.

Date, Time: October 25, 2016 at 11:00 AM ET

Live Webcast: www.investorcalendar.com/IC/CEPage.asp?ID=175307 OR http://investors.sherwin-williams.com/press/index.jsp

Replay Information

The replay will be available beginning approximately 2 hours after the completion of the live event, ending at 5:00 PM eastern on November 14, 2016.

About The Sherwin-Williams Company

Founded 150 years ago in 1866, The Sherwin-Williams Company is a global leader in the manufacture, development, distribution, and sale of coatings and related products to professional, industrial, commercial, and retail customers. With 47,000 associates and $11.3 billion in sales, S-W is the USA's #1 paint and coatings company; #3 in the world.

The company manufactures products under well-known brands such as Sherwin-Williams, HGTV HOME by Sherwin-Williams, Dutch Boy, Krylon, Minwax, Thompson's Water Seal, Ronseal, Sayerlack, Euronavy, Altax and many more. With global headquarters in Cleveland, Ohio, Sherwin-Williams branded products are sold exclusively through a chain of more than 4,100 company-operated stores and facilities, while the company's other brands are sold through leading mass merchandisers, home centers, independent paint dealers, hardware stores, automotive retailers, and industrial distributors. The Sherwin-Williams Global Finishes Group delivers a wide range of products to the automotive refinishes, product finishes, and protective and marine markets in 115 countries around the world. For more information, visit www.sherwin.com



SOURCE: The Sherwin-Williams Company
BAGHDAD (Reuters) - An Iraqi lawmaker has called on her government to investigate a suspected air strike at a Shi'ite mosque during fighting in nearby Kirkuk last week, saying U.S.-led forces could have been involved - a suggestion dismissed by the coalition. Human Rights Watch echoed the call from Shi'ite Muslim MP Hanan al-Fatlawi for an enquiry, saying on Monday only Iraqi and U.S.-led coalition forces were known to carry out air attacks in the region. Iraq's army said it was investigating. The multiplication of forces involved in the conflicts in Iraq and neighboring Syria has raised fears of accidental strikes and confrontations on an increasingly complex battlefield. Fatlawi said the attack killed 15 women on Friday in Daquq, a town near the northern oil city Kirkuk which Islamic State militants were attacking at the time. HRW said 13 women and children were killed and at least 45 wounded. A Reuters correspondent said there were aircraft, mostly helicopters, flying over the Kirkuk area on the day as mostly Kurdish militant forces fought off the Islamic State assault. "I can definitely tell you that the coalition did not conduct this airstrike in Daquq," a spokesman for the U.S.-led coalition in Baghdad said. There was also no evidence, he added, to link the Daquq incident to air strikes that the coalition was carrying out further north, supporting an Iraqi government and Peshmerga assault on the Islamic State stronghold of Mosul. The Shi'ite lawmaker Fatlawi said she did not believe forces from Iraq's government - which is led by Shi'ite groups - would have attacked the mosque and said neighbor Turkey might also be involved. "We want the government to clarify the identity of the airplanes, if they are Turkish or belong to the international coalition," she said in a statement on Saturday. There was no immediate comment from authorities in Ankara. Turkey has launched airstrikes on what is says are Kurdish military positions over the border in Iraq, but not as far into the country as Kirkuk. Turkey has deployed troops north of Mosul to train Sunni fighters for the battle to capture the city. Iraq's government has demanded those Turkish troops withdraw. (Reporting by Maher Chmaytelli; Editing by Andrew Heavens)
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Americans are known for their, er, creative approach to food and drink (Read: deep-fried butter, doughnut burgers, tater tots, etc. etc.).

SEE ALSO: Japanese DIY candy kits a thing, watch drunk people put one together

In terms of alcoholic beverages, American ingenuity has given us everything from the Purple Hooter to Fireball whiskey to the "blowjob shot."

Enter Irish people, who traditionally enjoy their booze in the form of a frothy pint or neat, thanks much.

The verdict when they encounter some classic American shooters?

Two out of three: Fun to say and fun to drink, but in the end, "they didn't really get us that drunk."

How many drones does it take to screw in a lightbulb?

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John Oliver gets real on America's crippling opioid epidemic

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By Saud Mehsud DERA ISMAIL KHAN, Pakistan (Reuters) - Islamic State fighters and the Pakistani Taliban on Monday said they killed a police official in northwest Pakistan, the second attack in the south Asian nation claimed by the Middle East-based militant group in just over a month. The killings follow an announcement by the military last month that it had stemmed Islamic State's attempts to expand in Pakistan, after arresting more than 300 people suspected of plotting attacks on government, diplomatic and civilian targets. Akbar Ali, a member of the Special Branch, or police intelligence wing in Charsadda, about 20 km (12 miles) from the provincial capital of Peshawar, was shot and killed at a bus stop, said the district police chief, Sohail Khalid. "Two unknown motorcycle riders opened fire on police sub inspector Akbar Ali, and he died on the spot," Khalid added. Islamic State claimed the attack in an online post by its Middle East-based news agency, Amaq. "Assassination of a member in Pakistani intelligence in Sardaryab in Peshawar, northern Pakistan, by fighters from Islamic State," it said. The Pakistani Taliban also claimed responsibility for the killing, said its spokesman Muhammad Khurasani. "We accept responsibility for killing the Special Branch sub inspector in Charsadda," he said in a statement. A similar attack on Sept. 18 saw three Pakistani military employees killed in an ambush in Peshawar for which both Islamic State and a Pakistani Taliban faction claimed responsibility. Authorities last week arrested two men accused of spreading Islamic State propaganda in Peshawar, with police officials saying its members were still active in some parts of the provincial capital. There are fears that some Pakistani Sunni militants - whether members of the Pakistani Taliban, al-Qaeda, or homegrown sectarian outfits - could be drawn to Islamic State, as has happened in neighboring Afghanistan. (Writing by Asad Hashim)
By Maher Chmaytelli and Stephen Kalin BAGHDAD/BARTELLA, Iraq (Reuters) - Islamic State expanded its attacks on Monday against the army and Kurdish forces across Iraq, trying to relieve pressure on the militant group's defenses around Mosul, its last major urban stronghold in the country. About 80 Islamic State-held villages and towns have been retaken in the first week of the offensive, bringing Iraqi and Kurdish forces closer to the edge of the city itself - where the battle will be hardest fought. The Mosul campaign, which aims to crush the Iraqi half of Islamic State's declared caliphate in Iraq and Syria, may become the biggest battle yet in the 13 years of turmoil triggered by the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in 2003, and could require a massive humanitarian relief operation. Some 1.5 million residents remain in the city and worst-case forecasts see up to a million being uprooted, according to the United Nations. U.N. aid agencies said the fighting has so far forced about 7,400 to flee their homes. In a series of counter-attacks on far-flung targets across Iraq since Friday, Islamic State fighters have hit Kirkuk, the north's main oil city, the town of Rutba that controls the road from Baghdad to Jordan and Syria, and Sinjar, a region west of Mosul inhabited by the persecuted Yazidi minority. Yazidi provincial chief Mahma Xelil said at least 15 militants were killed in the two-hour battle in Sinjar and a number of their vehicles were destroyed, while the peshmerga suffered two wounded. Islamic State said two peshmerga vehicles were destroyed and all those on board were killed. Islamic State committed some of its worst atrocities in Sinjar when it swept through the Yazidi region two years ago, killing men, kidnapping children and enslaving women. Kurdish fighters took back the region a year ago. REGIONAL INTERVENTION The Iraqi force attacking Mosul is 30,000-strong, joined by U.S. special forces and under American, French and British air cover. The number of insurgents dug in the city is estimated at 5,000 to 6,000 by the Iraqi military. Pentagon spokesman Captain Jeff Davis said Iraqi security forces and the peshmerga were making "solid progress" in their advance on Mosul, but were facing heavy resistance. The Mosul campaign has drawn in regional players and highlighted how Iraq, like neighboring Syria, has become a platform for influence between rival parties - Sunni-ruled Turkey and its Gulf allies and Shiite Iran and its client militias. Turkey and Iraq's Shi'ite-dominated central government are at loggerheads over the presence - unauthorized by Baghdad - of Turkish troops at a camp in northern Iraq. Ankara fears that Shi'ite militias, which have been accused of abuses against Sunni civilians elsewhere, will be used in the Mosul offensive. Turkey's own presence in Iraq has also helped inflame sectarian passions among Shi'ites. Turkish artillery has already played a role in the battle and four Turkish fighter jets are on standby to take part in air operations, Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Monday. Iraq's Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi denied that Turkey had a role in the operation. "We don't want the Turkish military force," he said in a statement. The region of Nineveh around Mosul is a mosaic of ethnic and religious groups - Arabs, Turkmen, Kurds, Yazidis, Christians, Sunnis, Shi'ites - with Sunni Arabs the overwhelming majority. BAGHDADI'S "CALIPHATE" It was from Mosul's Grand Mosque that Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi declared his caliphate in 2014. Within a year his group was in retreat in Iraq, having lost the Sunni cities of Tikrit, Ramadi and Falluja. The Iraqi army last week dislodged insurgents from the main Christian region east of Mosul and its elite unit, the Counter Terrorism Service (CTS) has pressed ahead with operations to clear more villages since Saturday. CTS forces took a handful of villages west of the Christian town of Bartella in an early morning attack on Monday and are now six kilometers (about four miles) east of Mosul. The areas taken so far have been largely empty of civilian populations, but civilians could be living in the two villages lying ahead, Bazwaia and Gogjali, bordering Mosul proper. Islamic State used improvised explosive devices and snipers in the areas retaken on Monday, as they have in many previous battles, Brigadier General Faleh Fadel Jasim said. The militants dug a 10 km-long network of tunnels under Bartella, with food and weapons stores, to hold up the army, he said. "They tried making fortified defense lines but they weren't able to." The army's press office said a total of 78 villages and town have been recaptured between Oct. 17, when the Mosul operation started, and Sunday evening, more than 770 Islamic State fighters have been killed. Islamic State says it has killed hundreds of fighters from the attacking forces and blocked their progress. A French defense source said on Monday hundreds of Islamic State fighters have left Syria with the aim of reinforcing their stronghold in northern Iraq. "(In recent weeks) we saw movements from Syria to Mosul," the source said. In Washington, Pentagon spokesman Jarvis also said Islamic State was bringing more reinforcements from outside. The army is trying to advance from the south and the east while Kurdish peshmerga fighters are holding fronts in the east and north. After Islamic State's attack on Friday in Kirkuk, the hardline Sunni militant group has launched other diversionary attacks in Sinjar and Rutba, 360 km west of Baghdad, where they killed at least seven policemen, according to security sources. Federal police units which arrived in Rutba overnight were backing up the local forces, according to the sources who estimate that 16 insurgents have been killed so far. Islamic State said in an online statement that dozens of security force members and pro-government Sunni tribal forces had fled Rutba. (Additional reporting by Saif Hameed in Baghdad, Idrrees Ali in Washington, and Marine Pennetier in Paris; Editing by Dominic Evans)
JERUSALEM (Reuters) - An Israeli aircraft struck a militant target in the northern Gaza Strip on Monday after a rocket was fired toward Israel, the military said. No casualties were reported following the air strike, Gaza residents said. The rocket fired toward southern Israel set off sirens after tracking systems monitored the launch but it landed inside the Gaza Strip, a military statement said. Small jihadist cells in the Gaza Strip, which is controlled by Islamist group Hamas, sometimes launch rockets into Israel. Hamas has observed a de facto ceasefire with Israel since 2014, when 2,100 Palestinians and 73 Israelis were killed in a war. But Israel says it holds the groups responsible for all rocket launches from the territory. (Additional reporting by Nidal al-Mughrabi in Gaza; Writing by Ori Lewis; Editing by Andrew Heavens)
Be particularly wary of three election pitfalls this November: 1) Supreme Court candidate Kristen Juras; 2) CI-116, a victims rights bundle sometimes called Marsys Law; and 3) the countys second bite at the detention center apple.

Although a good professor, Juras has consistently shown that when push comes to shove between her opinions and the letter of the law, she chooses the former. Im not basing my criticism on poor election coverage  Im a former pupil and Supreme Court law clerk. She has on at least three recent occasions pursued a course of action contrary to black-letter law.

CI-116 is a convoluted package (which mostly already exists under statute) that will be inserted, if successful, into our noble Montana Constitution. The provisions will bog down our courts and cost taxpayers untold sums. Opposed by groups ranging from prosecutors to domestic and sexual violence advocates, some characterize CI-116 as a California solution in search of a Montana problem.

Finally, well again be asked to fund rampant incarceration in the face of plummeting crime. This ask is more modest than the mega-jail, but details have been scant and a slush fund constituting nearly 30 percent of the Sheriffs budget is included. Please vote no.

Nick Domitrovich

Helena
The Italian Coast Guard rescued more than 8,000 migrants between Friday, October 21, and Monday, October 24. This video shows the moment when 250 people were taken from two rubber boats on Saturday.

In total, 3,300 people were rescued on Friday, 2,400 more on Saturday, 400 on Sunday and 2,200 on Monday, according to the Italian Coast Guard. Among the migrants were 21 children. During these four days, the rescuers also recovered 37 bodies. Credit: YouTube/Guardia Costiera
(Repeats story published on Sunday)

* Banks pressured to shed 360 bln euros in problem loans

* Patchy data on loans and collateral can hinder sales

* Banks hire teams of specialists to clean up data

* Graphic on non-performing loans: http://tmsnrt.rs/2d0AdFs

By Valentina Za

MILAN, Oct 23 (Reuters) - Storage rooms crammed with loan documents have emerged as a hidden front line in Italy's battle to save its banks from the threat of financial crisis.

Dozens of analysts have been toiling in back offices of the nation's third-largest lender, Monte dei Paschi di Siena , in the first stage of a campaign to sell or recover much of Italy's 360 billion euros ($395 billion) worth of problem loans.

The analysts, engineers from a loan data firm, have worked for almost a year with the bank's officials to comb through ageing files, copies of which are kept in binders tied together with string and stacked in cupboards, in order to help prepare a 28 billion euro bad loan sale.

"Ours is a painstaking job," said Luca Mazzoni, chief executive of Protos, which has been hired by Monte dei Paschi.

"Documents associated with a single loan can take up an entire cupboard. In one case I remember half a room filled with papers related to just one loan."

Monte dei Paschi, Italy's weakest major lender, is under pressure from the European Central Bank to resolve its bad debt problem by the end of the year, but foreign investors have so far shown little enthusiasm in supporting its rescue plan.

The arduous work of Protos' engineers shows how the patchy state of loan records at Italian banks is likely to hamper sales of bad debts for some time, despite a regulatory push.

Experts say Italian banks may struggle to meet deadlines set by the Bank of Italy to periodically provide very detailed information about bad loans above 100,000 euros.

"Banks are getting hit from all sides: they don't have the time ... They may be stretched in terms of resources and they can't fix things like their IT system overnight," said Joe Giannamore, head of AnaCap Financial Partners which owns a gross 9 billion euros worth of Italian bad loans.

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"If they don't have information captured centrally in one place, banks face a long, manual and very labour-intensive job."

Lenders failed to keep records up to date as Italian bad loans quadrupled following the onset of the financial crisis in 2007. When they came under pressure to sell, they realised their databases lacked much of the information that buyers demanded.

DATABASES

Protos analysts have what they call their "war rooms", where they take the information dug out from piles of documents and build easy-to-consult databases.

High-quality information can improve the selling price of a loan portfolio by up to 10 percent, according to Mazzoni.

"One important lesson learnt in the disposal is (that) if you have a good database, the price is higher," BPER CEO Alessandro Vandelli said after the bank sold 450 million euros in bad loans in July.

This is key as banks normally offload bad debts at a loss. Monte dei Paschi's ambitious recapitalisation would be an even tougher challenge if a lower selling price for its loans had blown a bigger hole in its accounts.

To shed the bad debts, Monte dei Paschi is relying on a guarantee provided by the state and a major investment by Atlante, a state-sponsored bailout fund financed by leading Italian financial institutions.

Encouragingly, after delving into Monte dei Paschi's bad loans, Atlante last week said the loan quality matched its estimates. Atlante offered in July to pay 1.6 billion euros, or about 27 cents in every euro of face value, for a tranche of the bank's bad loans repackaged as securities.

Monte dei Paschi is now awaiting the outcome of a similar review by JPMorgan, which has pledged to provide a 5 billion euro bridge loan to buy time to arrange the state guarantee.

OUT-OF-COURT

Strong local ties can make Italian banks reluctant to aggressively call in debts, especially small personal loans taken out to buy a car or a washing machine.

"Banks tread lightly because they don't want to hurt their image or undermine traditionally close ties with the local community," said Carmine Evangelista, CEO of AZ Holding, which specializes in recovering unsecured loans.

"When we get a new portfolio we make a first round of calls to let people know their creditor is no longer the bank. This alone normally prompts some repayments," Evangelista added.

Banks have managed to sell unsecured loans despite poor data because they have standard market prices.

But roughly half of Italy's 200 billion euros in loans to insolvent borrowers is secured against real estate, according to accountancy firm PwC.

To sell or recover those loans, accurate data are essential. For example, the bank or the loan's new owners may find it necessary to relaunch an unfinished property development on land that was pledged as collateral.

That can be a big decision, given a 15 percent drop in Italian house prices over the past four years.

The least efficient way to recover bad loans in Italy is to take borrowers to court where, on average, bankruptcy proceedings drag on for 7.8 years.

"It's vital to seek out-of-court deals with borrowers ... Banks don't do that enough," Riccardo Serrini, CEO of bad loan manager Prelios Credit Servicing, said.

($1 = 0.9096 euros)

(Reporting by Valentina Za; Editing by Gareth Jones)
(Reuters) - Japanese teenager Shoma Uno landed three quadruple jumps in Sunday's free skate to win the Skate America men's title at Hoffman Estates, Illinois. The 18-year-old from Nagoya became the youngest Skate America winner in 14 years in capturing the opening event of the Grand Prix season. Uno, skating to a tango, won with 279.34 points despite a late fall in his routine while Americans Jason Brown and Adam Rippon placed second and third, respectively. The bronze medallist in last season Grand Prix final became the fourth Japanese men's winner in the last five Skate Americas and youngest since France's Brian Joubert in 2002. (Reporting by Larry Fine in New York, Editing by Andrew Both)
Jared Fogle

The ex-wife of former Subway spokesman Jared Fogle is suing the fast-food chain, alleging that the company has known about Fogle's sexual interest in children since 2004 but never did anything to address it.

The lawsuit, filed on behalf of Kathleen McLaughlin, says Subway was notified at least three times about Fogle's "sexual interest in and activity with children" but kept featuring him in ads and did not notify authorities.

"As early as 2004, Subway's then-senior vice president of marketing received a complaint that Jared had approached a young girl at a promotional event for a Las Vegas Subway franchise for a sex act," the suit alleges.

Related:

For more news videos visit Yahoo View, available now on iOS.

Subway sent its then senior public-relations manager to ask Jared and a franchisee owner, rather than the victim, about the incident, the suit alleges. "Subway did not thoroughly investigate the report and did not alert authorities as they were legally required to do," it reads.

Then in 2008, a Subway franchisee from Florida notified the company that Fogle had made disturbing comments about children, as Business Insider first reported. Again, the company sent its senior public-relations manager to ask Fogle about the complaint and nothing was done, the suit alleges.

Finding out that your husband and the father of your children is a child predator, and knowing that his job involved him visiting schools on a regular basis is devastating," McLaughlin told reporters on Monday.

She said she filed the lawsuit to get answers from Subway regarding its knowledge of her husband's sexual attraction to children.

In response to the lawsuit, a Subway spokesman provided the following statement to Business Insider: "As this is pending legal action, we cannot provide comment."

Fogle was convicted and sentenced last year to nearly 16 years in prison for having sex with minors and receiving and distributing child pornography. He's serving out his sentence at a federal penitentiary in Colorado.

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Jared Fogle

He married McLaughlin in 2010 and they had two children. She filed for divorce last year after Fogle pleaded guilty to child-pornography charges.

McLaughlin's lawsuit also alleges that Subway "provided a platform for [Fogle] to prey on children by sending him to elementary schools all over the country.

"Despite knowing of Jareds sexual interest in children and the then-alleged sexual acts he committed with them, Subway continued to promote their star spokesman," the suit says.

The company launched a campaign known as Jareds School Tour, which required him to visit elementary schools all over the US. He was also required to spend significant time in elementary school for his Tour de Pants campaign, in which he traveled around the US with the pants he once wore when he weighed 425 pounds.

Jared Fogle

By 2015, Fogles weight-loss story was getting stale so Subway saw Jareds family as a marketing opportunity," the suit says.

Several months before an FBI raid on Fogle's home  which resulted in child-pornography charges being filed against him  Subway announced a marketing campaign promoting Jared as a family man.

The company began airing a commercial that depicted animated versions of Jareds family, including his wife and children, the suit says.

McLaughlin is now suing Subway, alleging that it depicted her in the ad without her consent. She is also accusing the company of negligence and intentional infliction of emotional distress, alleging that the company's "ambition for sales and growth came at the expense" of her and her kids.

Here's the lawsuit:

Subway Complaint by Hayley Peterson on Scribd

NOW WATCH: This lingerie company stopped using Photoshop on all of its models and it paid off big





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After reports of Hillary Clinton dropping 14k at Jay Z's 40-40 club in New York, and Bill Clinton hanging out with Jay and Beyonce at Made in America festival, it's no surprise that the Carters and the Clintons are friends.

Now Jay Z is bringing his support for Hillary to Ohio, a key battleground state where Clinton is currently losing. Jay will perform a concert in Cleveland sometime in the coming weeks, multiple sources confirmed to Buzzfeed. "The concertperhaps the centerpiece of the closing argument strategy built to turn out this groupwould be a major coup for the Clinton campaign, which has struggled to excite young black voters," they report. "Its a key part of the coalition they need to build to defeat Trump in several battleground states, but especially Ohio where she has trailed more consistently than in most swing states. High turnout among younger voters of color would make it virtually impossible for Trump to win."

In the wake of the unwarranted murders of unarmed black men over the last several years, Both Jay and Bey have been very vocal about the campaign issue of criminal justice reform. Earlier this month, Jay announced his new documentary series about criminal justice reform, set to air in January on Spike TV. The series will focus on Kalief Browder, a 16-year-old who was imprisoned for three years at Rikers Island without conviction or a set date for trial.

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John Oliver has a proposal for Donald Trump, in order to make the Republican candidate accept the presidential election results if he loses.

Oliver pointed to the moment in the third presidential debate where Hillary Clinton was talking about how Trump always thinks things are rigged against him when he loses. When Clinton brought up the Emmys, Trump interjected to say The Apprentice should have won, a stance he has taken before.

"Of course he wants an Emmy," said Oliver on Sunday's Last Week Tonight. "It's a woman, it's gold and it's proportionate to his tiny hands. It's basically Trump's ideal mate."

Oliver said the problem is that if Trump loses, he could likely not give a concession speech because "he is medically incapable of accepting that he is a loser." Oliver said that in order to make Trump give a concession speech, he needs to still be able to claim that he won something.

He offered up his solution, addressing Trump. "Let's bet on the outcome of this election. I will take the side that you win, you take the side that you lose. That way if you lose, you still win."

"I have something I know that you want," said Oliver, bringing out his Emmy as the stakes of the bet. "You don't even have to take her furniture shopping," he added, referencing Trump's Access Hollywood comments about trying to woo Nancy O'Dell.

Read more: Donald Trump Uses Final Debate to Double-Down on Claim That Emmys Were "Rigged"

Trump has been vocal about his disdain for the Emmys, after The Apprentice lost to The Amazing Race twice before Trump's show stopped being nominated.

"I got screwed out of an Emmy," Trump said, speaking about the 2004 award show in a 2015 Apprentice episode. "Everybody thought I was gonna win it. In fact, when they announced the winner, I stood up before the winner was announced. And I started walking for the Emmy. And then they announced the most boring show on television, The Amazing Race. Piece of crap."

In 2010 he told The Hollywood Reporter that The Amazing Race "wins every year because they know how to politic the Emmys." He has also tweeted about the Emmys for years and spoken about how "horrendous" and "terrible" the award show is, often saying he will not watch it the following year and then live-tweeting the telecast anyway.
On Sunday's Last Week Tonight, John Oliver took on Donald Trump's unwillingness to accept election results if he doesn't win the presidency. In response to Trump's comment that he would keep the public in "suspense" as to whether he'd accept defeat, Oliver said, "What do you mean, you'll keep us in suspense? This is a presidential election, not an 'American Idol' results show." Knowing the Donald Trump went on a Twitter rant in 2013, complaining the Emmys were rigged against him, Oliver decided to help soften the blow. Oliver offered a bet to Trump that the candidate would win the election, so that if Trump lost, he would at least win the bet. "And as for the stakes of the bet, I have something I know that you want," Oliver said while pulling out his Emmy. He continued, "She's so small and so shiny. You don't even have to take her furniture shopping!"
Academy Award-winning director Paolo Sorrentino's new show The Young Pope, with its taboo subject, has been buzzing since its strong preview at the Venice International Film Festival last month.

Jude Law stars as an irrational, conservative (chain-smoking) pope, the first from America, with Diane Keaton as his loyal adviser. James Cromwell and Silvio Orlando also star.

Pay TV network Sky Italia scored 953,000 spectators on average for the first two episodes, which premiered Friday. This represents an increase of 45 percent over mafia drama Gomorrah, 42 percent over political saga 1992 and far surpasses the debuts of other popular series including Game of Thrones, True Detective, House of Cards and Westworld.

Read more: 'The Young Pope': Venice Review

The show debuted Friday across Sky Atlantic in Italy, Germany and Austria. Canal Plus launches the show Monday, Sky UK and Ireland on Thursday and HBO stateside early next year.

The Young Pope failed to break overall show records, as the second season of Gomorrah scored an average of 1.1 million viewers in May. Sky Italia has a subscriber base of 4.7 million.

Italians have always been drawn to political series. Public broadcaster Rai on Tuesday debuted the period political drama Medici: Masters of Florence. The show, which stars Dustin Hoffman and Game of Thrones' Richard Madden, scored an average of 7.6 million viewers for the first two episodes.

The Young Pope has been sold by FremantleMedia in over 80 countries. Production company Wildside has confirmed that a second season is currently in the works.

On Tuesday, Sorrentino was a guest of the Italian delegation at President Barack Obama's last state dinner in honor of Prime Minister Matteo Renzi. Sorrentino also has announced his next film to be a project on former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi.

Read more: 'The Young Pope' Producers Confirm Second Season of Show
For more celebrity videos visit Yahoo View, available now on iOS.

Justin Bieber took the nuclear option when screaming fans in Manchester, England wouldn't settle down: he walked off stage.

The Canadian pop star's frustrations came to a head during the last of three Purpose tour dates at Manchester's Arena

Bieber walked after pleading with fans to quieten down in the pause between songs (to no effect). "I appreciate all the support, I appreciate love I appreciate the kind things," Bieber told fans Sunday night (Oct. 23). "But the screaming in these breaks has got to stop. Please and thank you. I don't think it's necessary when I'm trying to say something and you guys are screaming."

When his Beliebers continued to squeal, he dropped his microphone and left the stage. Some fans booed as he walked off, the BBC reports.

Justin bieber Manchester the mic was dropped pic.twitter.com/WRx89ySCLp  cara marie (@caramhx) October 23, 2016



He later returned to the stage.

He came back on pic.twitter.com/7cLBBF6w8x  cara marie (@caramhx) October 23, 2016

Bieber has struggled with the noise from his fans during the U.K. leg of his tour. He made headlines last week when he told fans at a show in Birmingham to "take a chill pill" after insisting, "the screaming is just so obnoxious."

At another show, he tried -- and failed -- once more to have a deep conversation with his audience as they continued to holler.

The pop star's tour moves on to Birmingham's Genting Arena on Monday night (Oct. 24).
Justin Bieber has a very dedicated following, that's no secret. The thousands of Beliebers that fill up arenas for his sold out shows are so in love with him that they can't help but scream frantically after every thing he does. For any fan with this sort of obsessive admiration for a superstar, that kind of behavior seems pretty familiar and somewhat understandable. However, it seems Bieber has grown exhausted of it lately.

During a few recent shows, Bieber has commented on the on-going screaming that takes place at his shows. His complaints aren't about the noise level however, instead they're based on respector lack there of. During a stop in Manchester last night, Bieber told the crowd that "the screaming during these breaks has GOT to stop!" His commented, which came off sounding a bit like he was scolding the crowd, was followed with loud boos from his audience. He continued saying that he feels it's "unncessary" when he's trying to say something.

When the crowd continued to boo and scream as he tried to explain his point, Bieber simply stopped and began to walk off the stage. It appears the crowd didn't understand his level of frustration until he tossed his mic across stage. After a while, Bieber returned to the stage to explain why he stormed off, saying: "I dedicate my life to try and bring smiles to people's faces and when I feel like people just aren't giving me the same respect back, it kind of hurts a little bit."

Watch some fan footage below.

Here's where Justin Bieber got boo'd tonight for asking fans to not scream and walked off stage #PurposeTourManchester pic.twitter.com/qEJzNZRfuv   (@hannawwh) October 23, 2016





Justin Bieber explaining why he walked off stage tonight #PurposeTourManchester pic.twitter.com/qdC4CY2M3N   (@hannawwh) October 23, 2016





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If Frank Ocean isn't nominated, Kanye West is not going!

The Life of Pablo rapper took time out of his Oakland, California, show on Saturday night to address Ocean's Blonde album being ineligible for next year's GRAMMY Awards, after the 28-year-old artist reportedly did not submit it on time.

West compared the technicality to an experience he remembered with Lady Gaga, whom the rapper was in talks to tour with years back.

WATCH: Frank Ocean Gave His First Interview in 3 Years and Was Asked About... His Shoes

"[Lady Gaga] wasn't nominated for Best New Artist, right? But they wanted her to perform at the show -- they wanted her to open," the 39-year-old rapper says in the video. "So the GRAMMYs secretly changed something about the nominations in order to nominate her, in order for her to perform in the show."

"Now, Frank Ocean, on the other hand, is very vocal that his album wasn't nominated for the GRAMMYs, right?" West adds. "Since he's vocal, no one wants to say nothing about it. No one wants to do nothing about it."

WATCH: Kanye West Shares Incredibly Moving Throwback Birthday Video for Kim Kardashian Featuring Her Late Father

"A lot of people try to make a scene, like, 'I'm so self-centered,"' the rapper reveals. "But the album I listened to the most this year is Frank Ocean's album."

"If his album's not nominated in no categories," West vowed, "I'm not showing up to the GRAMMYs."

MORE: Kanye West Goes on Concert Rant Against Jay Z Over Kim Kardashian's Paris Robbery

Check out his declaration below.

Ocean's 2013 album, Channel Orange, won Best Urban Contemporary Album, and was nominated for Album of the Year. The critical acclaim of the album fueled anticipation for Ocean's long-delayed sophomore effort, which has also resonated with fans, but was revealed last week not to be GRAMMY eligible.

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Meanwhile, West -- who has 21 GRAMMYs of his own -- has not been shy about using his Saint Pablo tour stage to discuss personal matters.

RELATED: Kanye West Adds 21 More Shows to 'Saint Pablo' Tour

Last week, the rapper called out longtime friend Jay Z for not visiting him in person after Kim Kardashian West's scary Paris robbery incident.

Watch the video below for more.

Related Articles
MUMBAI  The release of Karan Johars Ae Dil Hai Mushkil will go ahead this week (Oct. 28,) during the Diwali holiday, following a high-level political compromise. The film is co-produced by Johars Dharma Productions with Fox Star Studios India.

Starring Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Anushka Sharma and Ranbir Kapoor, the films release was opposed by political party the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) because of the presence of Pakistani star Fawad Khan in the cast. Tensions between India and Pakistan and India have been high in recent weeks after a terrorist attack in Kashmir left several Indian soldiers dead. India retaliated with military strikes.

The Indian Motion Picture Producers Association last month called on its members to stop working with Pakistani talent and technicians. In retaliation, Pakistani cinema chains stopped screening Indian content, followed by the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority imposing a blanket ban on Indian film, TV and music.

Johar issued an apology via social media and promised not to use any Pakistani talent in future. On Saturday, prominent producers including Foxs Vijay Singh, Disneys Siddharth Roy Kapur and Vishesh Films Mukesh Bhatt met MNS chief Raj Thackeray along with Devendra Fadnavis, the Chief Minister of the state of Maharashtra of which Mumbai is the capital.

Thackeray agreed to let the release go ahead with three conditions  that a slate paying tribute to the slain Indian soldiers be inserted before the film plays in cinemas; a guarantee in writing from the Indian producers guild that Pakistani talent will not be engaged in future; and a contribution of Rupees 50 million ($750,000) to the Indian Army Welfare Fund by any Indian production that has Pakistani talent in it.

However, the Cinema Owners & Exhibitors Association of India have not accepted the MNS decision and continue to oppose the release of the film. The Mumbai police have promised protection to cinemas playing the film.

Story continues

Johar, Rai Bachchan and Sharma were in high spirits at a promotional event for the film at the ongoing Mumbai Film Festival on Saturday. The festival did not allow any questions on the controversy from the media.

Related stories

Pakistan Imposes Blanket Ban on Indian Media

Vishesh Films Pact Adds to Amazon's India Content Deals

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Nairobi (AFP) - Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta on Monday commuted the sentences of 2,747 death row inmates, who will now serve life in prison.

Kenyatta signed documents commuting the sentences during a ceremony at his official residence and also pardoned 102 convicts who were serving long jail terms.

Amnesty International welcomed the move, and urged Kenya to officially abolish the death sentence. Kenya has not carried out an execution since 1987

"The decision to commute death sentences brings Kenya closer to the growing community of nations that have abolished this cruel and inhuman form of punishment," said Muthoni Wanyeki, the rights group's regional director.

In 2009, former president Mwai Kibaki commuted sentences of more than 4,000 prisoners on death row to life imprisonment.
By David Brunnstrom and Manuel Mogato WASHINGTON/MANILA (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry is confident after speaking to his Philippine counterpart that the two countries can "work through" a period of confusion caused by anti-American rhetoric from President Rodrigo Duterte, the State Department said on Monday. State Department spokesman John Kirby said Kerry expressed concern in his conversation on Sunday with Foreign Minister Perfecto Yasay about the tone of remarks by the Philippine president, who has sharply criticized President Barack Obama and talked of separation from Washington. At the same time, Kerry emphasized strong and stable ties between the longtime allies, while Kirby said Washington had seen no practical action by Manila to move away from those. Kerry's conversation with Yasay came after Duterte provoked alarm last week by announcing a "separation" from the United States and realignment with China during a visit to Beijing. Although Duterte said later he did not really mean separation, his remarks added to concerns about the future of a U.S.-Philippine military cooperation pact seen as crucial to projecting U.S. power in Asia in the face of fast-rising China. Earlier on Monday, the most senior U.S. diplomat for Asia, Assistant Secretary of State for East Asia Daniel Russel, said in Manila that Washington remained a "trusted" ally to the Philippines and supported its blossoming ties with China. Russel was the first high-level visitor from Washington since Duterte's remarks and Kirby said that both Russel and Kerry made clear the United States had every intention of continuing to meet its security commitments to the Philippines. "The tone and tenor of the discussions that they had ... and the assurances that the Philippine side gave to their commitment to keeping the relationship going was enough to lead the secretary and the assistant secretary to believe that we were going to be able to work through this," Kirby told a regular news briefing. 'REAL CLIMATE OF UNCERTAINTY' In his comments to reporters, Russel said he had candidly told Yasay that Manila's friends were concerned about the high loss of life in Duterte's campaign against drugs and reiterated the importance of due process. Russel said "a real climate of uncertainty about the Philippines' intentions had created consternation in many countries," including the United States. He said that worry extended beyond governments to corporate boardrooms and warned that it was "bad for business" in "a very competitive region." Since Duterte took office on June 30, he has been scathing about U.S. criticism of his anti-drug campaign, in which about 2,300 people have been killed. But his ministers have repeatedly sought to soften his more outspoken remarks. Explaining Duterte's "Goodbye America" remarks, Yasay said on Saturday the United States remained the "closest friend" of the Philippines but that Manila wanted to break away from a "mindset of dependency and subservience" and forge closer ties with other nations. Russel said Duterte himself had "already walked back" his remarks and added that Washington supported direct dialogue and negotiations between the Philippines and China. "We dont want countries to have to choose between the U.S. and China," he said. (Reporting by Manuel Mogato in Manila and David Brunnstrom in Washington; Additional reporting by Enrico dela Cruz in Manila and David Alexander in Washington; Editing by Raju Gopalakrishnan and Peter Cooney)
It's a bittersweet time for Kerry Washington. The Scandal star, 39, recently welcomed her second child with husband, Nnamdi Asomugha, but on Saturday she took to Twitter to express some of the hurt she's been feeling recently.

WATCH: Kerry Washington Gives Birth to Baby Boy -- Find Out His Name!

"It's a quiet Saturday afternoon. So, a few things I wanna get off my chest," she began. "I saw all your very kind & thoughtful congratulatory tweets. So yeah we thank you. Xo."

It's a quiet Saturday afternoon. So, a few things I wanna get off my chest...  kerry washington (@kerrywashington) October 22, 2016

I saw all your very kind & thoughtful congratulatory tweets. So yeah  we thank you. Xo  kerry washington (@kerrywashington) October 22, 2016

Washington then commented on a recent death that's been in the news, saying, "Also the loss of #DeborahDanner has rattled my core. Not only becuz of painful truth that we must continue to affirm that #BlackLivesMatter. But also becuz #DeborahDanner was killed in the community where I was raised. Community filled w/people I know & love. So when I #sayhername my heart aches."

Also the loss of #DeborahDanner has rattled my core. Not only becuz of painful truth that we must continue to affirm that #BlackLivesMatter  kerry washington (@kerrywashington) October 22, 2016

But also becuz #DeborahDanner was killed in the community where I was raised. Community filled w/people I know & love. So when I #sayhername  kerry washington (@kerrywashington) October 22, 2016

My heart aches. For lives lost and for the lives we must protect. For the humanity we must work to illuminate and preserve and affirm. #BLM  kerry washington (@kerrywashington) October 22, 2016

ALSO. Go see @moonlightmov this weekend. It is artful food for your soul. At a time when so many of us need to be lovingly nourished.  kerry washington (@kerrywashington) October 22, 2016

End of rant  XOXOXOXOX  kerry washington (@kerrywashington) October 22, 2016

Danner was a 66-year-old black woman from the Bronx, who was killed by police officers in her apartment last Tuesday. She suffered from mental illness, and police responded to a call saying she was behaving erratically.

The Golden Globe-nominated actress also encouraged her fans to go see the film Moonlight, calling it "artful food for your soul. At a time when so many of us need to be lovingly nourished."

WATCH: EXCLUSIVE: Kerry Washington Talks 'Anxiety' About Second Pregnancy, Keeping Baby Gender a Secret

She concluded by writing, "End of rant," using prayer hands and XO's.

Washington and Asomugha welcomed their second child, son Caleb, on Oct. 5. He joins big sister, Isabelle, 2.

For more on Kerry's new baby, watch the video below!

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Calais (France) (AFP) - The notorious "Jungle" migrant camp on the outskirts of the French port of Calais has for years been a key staging post for migrants trying to smuggle across the Channel to Britain on lorries or trains.

Following are key dates in the history of the sprawling settlement which French authorities were starting to clear on Monday.

- Sangatte closes, Jungle emerges -

In 1999, the Red Cross opens the Sangatte camp near Calais port for migrants sleeping rough in and around the northern French city.

Under pressure from Britain, which sees it as having a "pull" effect on migration, the camp is closed in 2002.

Hundreds of mainly Afghan migrants then set up camp east of Calais, on a patch of scrubland next to a road travelled by lorries heading for Calais port. The migrants call it the Jungle.

In September 2009, the Jungle is demolished for the first time on the orders of then president Nicolas Sarkozy, following a mass police raid in which scores of people are arrested.

- Jungle rebuilt -

In early 2015, a new settlement named the New Jungle sprouts up near a state-run day centre for migrants established at the site. The camp later becomes simply known as the Jungle.

In June, 21 people are injured when a brawl breaks out at night between up to 300 migrants in the camp.

- Clashes, incursions -

From mid-2015 on, migrants attempting to board lorries or enter the Channel Tunnel frequently clash with police around the camp, which mushrooms in size as asylum-seekers pour into Europe in unprecedented numbers.

Most of the 33 migrant deaths in the Calais region since January 2015 have been caused by road accidents, with many losing their lives as they attempted to climb onto lorries heading towards Britain under cover of night.

France's top administrative court in November raps the government over conditions in the Jungle, describing them as "inhuman".

In January 2016, the port of Calais is shut for more than three hours after dozens of migrants occupy a moored Britain-bound ferry.

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A month later, around 20 people are arrested in Calais at a banned rally by supporters of Germany's xenophobic Pegida movement.

- Partial demolition, wall starts -

The southern half of the Jungle camp is demolished in late February and early March, sparking protests. Iranian migrants protesting at the destruction of their shacks sew their mouths shut. The evicted migrants moved to the northern part of the camp.

Six months later, pressure to tear down the rest of the camp builds. Protesting lorry drivers and farmers block roads around Calais with their vehicles.

Work begins in September on a four-metre (13-foot) high wall along part of the main port road, to prevent migrants climbing onto trucks.

- Camp closure -

On September 26, President Francois Hollande says the Jungle will be demolished by the end of the year and that the migrants -- estimated to number around 6,000 -- will be moved to shelters around the country.

A group of charities challenge the demolition on human rights grounds but a court rejects their appeal, saying the migrants' conditions should be bettered by the camp's closure.

In the last days of the Jungle, Britain accelerates the transfer of child refugees seeking to be reunited with relatives in Britain, taking in around 200 minors.

On October 21 the interior ministry confirms the operation to tear down the camp will start on Monday.

Migrants began evacuating early Monday, with the first bus carrying about 50 Sudanese leaving the Jungle at about 08:45 am (0645 GMT).
Kim Kardashian West has received the apology she asked for.

The 36-year-old reality star dismissed her lawsuit against website MediaTakeOut.com on Monday, ET can confirm, for three of their posts about her robbery in Paris, which included allegations that there was evidence she had staged it. The website issued an apology to Kim on Monday, and called their stories "false."

"MediaTakeOut regrettably published a series of false stories about Kim Kardashian West suggesting she faked the robbery in Paris, lied to authorities and then filed a $5.6 million fraudulent insurance claim for her stolen jewelry," the statement posted on their website reads. "MediaTakeOut knows that Mrs. Kardashian West was in fact robbed in Paris. We have permanently removed from our website any and all posts that suggested she staged the robbery, lied about it to the French police and committed an insurance crime."

WATCH: Kim Kardashian Says She Owes 'Career to Social Media,' 'Can Handle' Lack of Privacy in Pre-Robbery Interview

"We sincerely apologize to Mrs. Kardashian West and her family for the false stories we published and regret suggesting that what happened to her in Paris was anything less than horrific," the statement continues. "We are pleased that this matter has been resolved to satisfaction of all the parties."

According to court papers obtained by ET, Kim previously demanded the site publish a retraction and apologize but was "ignored," leading her to file the lawsuit.

"After having been the victim of a horrific and traumatic armed robbery in France, Kim Kardashian returned to the United States only to again be victimized, but this time by an online gossip tabloid that published a series of articles in early October 2016 referring to her a liar and thief," the lawsuit stated. "Defendants' reckless and malicious publication of the Articles was calculated to cause maximum harm to Kardashian."

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WATCH: Khloe Kardashian Considers Breast Implants to Look More Like Kim

Kim has yet to speak out about her terrifying robbery in Paris, and quietly celebrated her 36th birthday on Friday. However, the mother of two's famous family did show her love on her special day, including her husband, Kanye West, who shared a moving throwback video of Kim in her childhood days. The emotional tribute also featured her late father, Robert Kardashian.

Watch all of Kim's birthday shoutouts below:

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South Korean President Park Geun-Hye on Monday called for constitutional reforms that could allow future presidents to serve two terms -- as she struggles with plunging popularity ratings and a widening corruption scandal.

While its constitution grants enormous power to the executive, South Korea is one of the only economically advanced liberal democracies to restrict the presidency to a single five-year term, with no possibility of re-election.

The limit was set back in 1987 as South Korea transitioned to democracy after decades of military rule, and sought to pre-empt any return to extended periods of authoritarian control.

Critics say the cap has outlived its use and rendered the executive office perpetually unstable, allowing little time or motivation for consensus building as presidents push hard on legacy issues with no concern about re-election.

During a televised parliamentary address on Monday, Park called the current constitution outdated and said the government should begin discussion to lay the groundwork for its reform.

- Legal straight-jacket -

"The constitutional five-year single term presidency may have been appropriate in the past during democratisation," Park told lawmakers.

"But now it has turned into a jacket that does not fit."

Without mentioning a specific agenda, Park said she would set up a government committee to push through a constitutional revision before the end of her term in early 2018.

Her presidential office stressed that there was no possibility of Park herself running for a second term.

"Under the current constitution, the revision will not apply to the current president," presidential spokesman Kim Dong-Jo said.

The proposal was something of an about-turn for Park, who had previously labelled opposition calls for constitutional reform as a "black hole" that would paralyse the government.

Opposition lawmakers questioned whether the president was looking for a high-profile issue that would deflect attention away from an ongoing corruption probe that threatens to taint the final year of her administration.

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"We have been calling for constitutional reform so such discussion is necessary, but we are curious why she suddenly changed her stance," the main opposition party said in a statement.

- Corruption probe -

South Korean prosecutors are currently investigating two of Park's close aides over allegations that they leveraged their relationship with the president to strong-arm conglomerates into multi-million dollar donations to two non-profit foundations.

South Korean media reports have suggested the foundations were set up to finance Park's activities after she leaves office.

Park has denied any wrongdoing and ordered a thorough probe and "stern" punishment for anyone involved in illegal activity.

Never one to miss an opportunity to attack Park, North Korea has weighed in on the "ruling crisis" -- accusing Park of "hideous corruption and irregularities."

Chang Young-Soo, a professor of law at Korea University in Seoul, also questioned whether Park's push for constitutional reform had wholly "pure" motives, but added that change was long overdue.

"The issue has dragged on for the past 10 years, so whatever the motive, it is good if they can actually get it done," Chang said.
By John O'Brien SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Svetlana Kuznetsova had been steamrolled in the second set and was a break down in the decider of her WTA Finals opener against defending champion Agnieszka Radwanska on Monday. So what did the Russian do to turn the match around? She gave herself a haircut. The world number nine did save a match point on her way to claiming a 7-5 1-6 7-5 victory over the Pole but her fortunes appeared to really change after she hacked off half of her ponytail when she was 2-1 down in the third set. "It was bothering me a lot. I was trying to put it behind my headband but my hair is very thick and heavy," Kuznetsova told reporters, explaining her impromptu snip with a pair of scissors as she sat in her chair at the first changeover of the decider. "Every time when I was hitting good forehands and coming forward, it would hit my eye and I struggled. So I thought 'Okay, what's more important now, my hair which I can let grow or the match? Okay, I got to go for it right now' and that's it. "I was just trying to give myself the best chance and remove what was bothering me. At the time, I don't even know how much I cut there." Kuznetsova's victory was made even more remarkable by the fact that she only arrived in Singapore on Sunday after defending her Kremlin Cup title the previous day in Moscow just to sneak into the eight-woman WTA Finals as the last qualifier. "I didn't really think about who I was playing on the way here even when I was told the draw for this tournament had been made before I played in the Kremlin Cup final," she said. "I was taking it one match at a time. When I was flying to Singapore I didn't want to know who I was playing. I just thought I would find out when I got here. "When I saw the court, I could see it was totally different to the Kremlin Cup but I just decided to go out there and try my best." (Editing by Ian Chadband)
If youre a total procrastinator, dont have a creative bone in your body, or are cursedA with the unfortunate combination of both those traits, Halloween can be a particularly challenging holiday. Not only do you have to come up with an inventive costume that all of your friends will immediately recognize, but youre then faced with the burden of one-upping yourself every year for the rest of your life. While for most that thought alone would be enough to swear off the holiday for good, but if you still want to try to impress every person you know this October 31st, let these celebs give you some much-needed last-minute inspo.

We all know Mariah Carey is a huge proponent of everything beautiful and wing-adorned, but showing up to your annual Halloween party year-in and year-out in the same old angel and butterfly costume can start to feel very stale, very fast. So this year, the diva switched things upA going for a sexy, latex clad devil instead, accessorized with lots and lots of diamonds, of course.

Tara Reid attended Maxims annual Halloween party on Saturday night in this elaborate bikini ensemble that appears to be a mix between Princess Leia circa Return of the Jedi and Game of ThronesA Daenerys Targaryen. While were not quite sure what exactly Reid was going for with this costume, its undoubtedly a veryA festive choice in attire.

RELATED PHOTOS:A Popeye, The Rockford Peaches & More: The Best Celebrity Costumes of Halloween 2015

Ok, so Ariana Grandes look may not exactly be a costume per se, but youve got to admit, a space princess and her moonlight team isnt a terrible idea for your and your squads Halloween look.

//players.brightcove.net/416418724/rJSWQ1RE_default/index.min.js

And whenever youre in a pinch constume-wise, Lauren Conrad will forever be the DIY queen of Halloween:

This year she revealed the step-by-step tutorial for how create the perfect circus performer costumes for you and all your BFFs, though given the current spate of very creepy clown appearances across America this month, wed recommend pairing this look with a sign that says, I come in peace.

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And Ireland Baldwin kicked off the All Hallows festivities early, celebrating her 21st birthday on the Sunset Strip in Hollywood this weekend dressed as a nun that f***ed s**t up, i.e. the perfect costume for the gal with an extra bottle of prop blood lying around.

Ashley Tisdale and Vanessa Hudgens also got into costume this weekend to celebrate former co-star and friendA Shenae Grimes birthday. While Ashley went with a Mean Girls classic, the sexy cat, Shenae optedA for a sexy, spooky witch and Vanessa wore more or less what she wears everyday, albeit with a few more accessories, labeling herself a gypsy.

And finally, if none of the above appeal to you, you can always take a page out of SNLs book and just have a super chill girls night complete with simple, but coordinated costumes, plenty of selfies, and a 4am drunken total meltdown, naturally.

What are you going to be for Halloween? Do you have any last-minute go-to costumes? Sound off below!




STEVENSVILLE - Roy Capp is not a fan of Google maps.

Capps ranch on the western edge of Stevensville completely surrounds the 1.2-acre Fort Owen State Park.

But when the rancher pulls out his cellphone and types in the parks name, the resulting map shows that his entire ranch is part of the historical park.

Ive been fighting this for five years, Capp said last week as he prepared to meet with members of the Montana State Parks Board and interested locals about the challenges his family faces with the landlocked park thats just a stones throw from his home and ranch buildings.

Ive had people drive out in my hay field, Capp said. I found some ladies crawling around on my round bales to get a picture of themselves.  People think that if its on Google, it must be true.

Over the years, hes also had things turn up missing from his ranch operation, found people wandering around his corrals, and had carloads of drunks stop pull up near his home.

This really shouldnt be a park, Capp said. It should be a historical monument.

The Capp family has lived on the ranch since 1972.

The site was originally given to a local historical society back in the 1920s or 30s. When that organization decided it could no longer manage the site, it turned the land over to the state parks system in 1956.

The historical significance of Fort Owen is widely recognized.

The first mission built by the Jesuits that came to the Bitterroot Valley in the 1841 was constructed nearby. When the Jesuits left for a time, they sold the property to Mayor John Owen in 1850.

Its a place of many firsts for Montana.

Owen built the first sawmill, first gristmill and had the first cattle herd. The first bill of the Montana Legislature dealt with Fort Owen.

In terms of the pre-statehood, Fort Owen was a happening place, said Loren Flynn, the state parks employee who manages Fort Owen and Travelers Rest in Lolo.

Today, theres not much left above ground from those early times.

The adobe back wall of the barracks is all of the original set of buildings that remain on the site. The barracks has been reconstructed and several other historical buildings have been moved onto the site along with interpretive signs.

State parks officials estimate that about 3,000 people visit the park every year. They say those numbers have been on the downward trend for some time.

The chief challenge of managing the site is its proximity to the Capp ranch. People have to use the ranchs main road to access the park. Once they arrive, there is barely room for two cars to park.

For Capp, too many of the people who do come to visit the publicly owned historical site dont respect the fact that its surrounded by private property.

Last week, members of the state parks board and several folks from the Stevensville community met at the park to learn more from Capp and start a discussion on what might be done. The board held its monthly meeting Thursday in Hamilton.

Almost on cue, as the group gathered in a circle to talk, a family stopped by to visit the historical site. After the family finished walking through the barracks, they wandered through a gate and onto Capps property to go look at a horse in a nearby corral.

Thats what Im talking about, Capp said.

State Park Manager Chet Crowser said the situation at Fort Owen is unique in the state.

I cant think of any other site like this that we manage, he said.

The group talked about different ways the park could manage to protect its integrity, provide access to the public and offer some relief to the landowner.

Capp offered to donate several acres that he owns behind the Historic St. Marys Mission site on the western edge of Stevensville to the state if it would consider moving the remaining structures there.

But that idea didnt resonate to many. They said removing the buildings would change the historical context of the historical site where tens of thousands of artifacts already have been discovered.

Others offered ideas ranging from buying a new easement across the Capp property to access the site and provide parking, to reducing access to tours that would originate at the St. Marys Mission.

By the end of the meeting, it was obvious that finding a solution was not going to be simple.

The State Parks Board Chairman, Tom Towe, said building local support for the site will be an important first step, especially in these times when the state parks system is facing funding challenges of its own.

We are going to need everyone to work together, Towe said. I think everyone agrees that this is a very significant historical place.
TORONTO, ON / ACCESSWIRE / October 24, 2016 / Laurion Mineral Exploration Inc. (LME.V) (OTC Pink: LMEFF) ("Laurion" or the "Corporation") is pleased to announce a proposed non-brokered private placement (the "Offering") of 5,714,286 flow through common shares (the "Shares") of the Corporation at $0.0525 per common share, for maximum gross proceeds of $300,000. The Corporation intends to close the Offering on or about October 31, 2016. The Offering remains subject to the approval of the TSX Venture Exchange.

In connection with the Private Placement, the Corporation has agreed to pay a finder's fee, subject to Exchange approval, to arms' length parties who introduced the Corporation to subscribers. The finder's fee consists of a cash payment equal to 8% of the gross proceeds of the Offering, and an option entitling the finders to acquire such number of shares equal to 8% of the aggregate number of common shares (each a "Finder's Option") issued to subscribers introduced by the finder. Each Finder's Option shall entitle the finder to purchase one non flow through common share at an exercise price of $0.06 for a period of 36 months from the date of issuance.

The Shares and Finder's Option will be subject to a hold period of 4 months and a day in accordance with applicable securities legislation.

Proceeds of the Offering will be to fund a drill program and exploration activities eligible for Canadian Exploration Expenses ("CEE") for the purposes of the Income Tax Act (Canada). The following diamond drill program will target untested mineralized geophysical targets below current zones and drilling at a 200m depth on its Ishkoday Property.

ABOUT LAURION:

Laurion's forte is as an exploration discovery company, whose primary focus is on the development of its gold-rich polymetallic resource on its Ishkoday property.

The Corporation's main project objectives are to complete the relevant economic studies with the goal of working towards the processing the surface rock stockpile of 144,070 tonnes grading 1.59 g/t gold for 7,383 contained ounces of gold (NI 43-101 Measured and Indicated Resource Report - See press release April 23, 2013); and, to explore and develop the large near surface polymetallic sulphide trends which extend over a 1kmx3km area (collective total strike length of 9,000m), with the aim of demonstrating the existence of a significant Volcanic Massive Sulphide ("VMS") deposit, developing tonnage and demonstrating continuity through the execution of multiple phases of diamond drill programs.

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The Corporation's strength has been recognized in the continuous achievement of its mission statement of "monetization of its assets and discoveries". Laurion has demonstrated the proven ability to develop early stage projects and create shareholder value by monetizing its discoveries and assets. Over the last 6 years, Laurion has realized $6.35 million from the disposition and monetization of assets, thus enabling the Corporation to survive the current difficult junior resource sector market.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, CONTACT :

Laurion Mineral Exploration Inc.

Cynthia Le Sueur-Aquin - President

Tel: 1-705-788-9186

Fax: 1-705-805-9256

Website: www.laurion.ca

Caution Regarding Forward-Looking Information

This news release includes certain forward-looking statements concerning the future performance of Laurion's business, operations and condition, as well as management's objectives, strategies, beliefs and intentions. Forward- looking statements are frequently identified by such words as "may", "will", "plan", "expect", "anticipate", "estimate", "intend" and similar words referring to future events and results. Forward-looking statements are based on the current opinions and expectations of management. All forward-looking information is inherently uncertain and subject to a variety of assumptions, risks and uncertainties, including the speculative nature of mineral exploration and development, fluctuating commodity prices, competitive risks and the availability of financing. Actual events or results may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements and Laurion cautions against placing undue reliance thereon. Laurion and its management assume no obligation to revise or update these forward looking statements except as required by law. Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

SOURCE: Laurion Mineral Exploration Inc.
By Asad Hashim and Fayaz Bukhari ISLAMABAD/SRINAGAR, India (Reuters) - Shelling across the border between India and Pakistan killed two Pakistani civilians, an Indian soldier and a boy, military officials from the two sides said on Monday, as tension between the nuclear-armed neighbors simmers. Pakistan's military said the shelling hit the sectors of Harpal, Pukhlian and Charwah along the disputed "working boundary", which separates Pakistan's Punjab province from Indian-administered Kashmir's Jammu region. India's military said the firing occurred in the Pura, Pargwal and Kanachak sectors. Both countries have claimed the disputed Kashmir region in full since partition and independence from the British in 1947, but administer separate portions of it. They have fought two of their three wars over the territory. Tensions have been strained since July, when Indian forces killed a young Kashmiri fighter, prompting mass protests in Indian-administered Kashmir. The resulting crackdown by security forces has seen at least 80 Kashmiri protesters killed. Relations plummeted even further in September, when gunmen stormed an Indian military base in Uri, killing 18 Indian soldiers, the largest such attack in 14 years. India blamed Pakistan for the attack, and in response said it had launched "surgical strikes" across the de facto border in Kashmir on Sept 29 to target Kashmiri fighters based there. Pakistan denied any incursion had occurred on its territory. Pakistan's military said a one-year-old child was among the dead in Pakistan in the village of Janglora. Pakistani forces responded to the Indian firing and an exchange of fire continued through the night. Fifteen civilians were wounded in the firing, Pakistan said. In India's Jammu region, a Border Security Force (BSF) soldier was killed by the Pakistani firing, while another was wounded, a BSF spokesman told Reuters. A boy, one of five civilians also injured, later died of his wounds, he said. (Writing by Asad Hashim; Editing by Drazen Jorgic and Toby Chopra)
Lena Dunham explains why cutting your own hair is an awesome experience

If youve ever considered taking matters into your own hands (quite literally) and cutting your own hair, you should know youve got the support of Lena Dunham, who thinks everyone should cut their own hair at least once in their lives. Seriously.

Whether youre the kinda girl who only trusts your mane to a professional, or would feel totally cool giving yourself a new cut, Lena makes a pretty solid case for how liberating it can be to grab the scissors yourself in an essay for Vogue.

[heasder]She documents her numerous hair adventures, and explains that it all began when she was just 12-years-old.[/header]

It's gonna be this kind of week #multitasking #hairdo #hairdont #tonguework by @benlowy for @nytimes Magazine fall 2014 A photo posted by Lena Dunham (@lenadunham) on Oct 23, 2016 at 8:09pm PDT

I will never forget the first time I cut my own bangs: the power, the adrenaline. I was twelve years old, standing in the fluorescent light of my parents bathroom with a pair of orange-handled craft scissors, unaware that I was standing on the precipice of self-definition.

The sound of the first chop, thick and harsh, was thrilling. I watched my hair pile up in the sink, then looked into the mirror: I had given myself blunt, successive layers that resembled a staircase headed to nowhere. Nothing about the haircut could have been perceived as skilled, fetching, or even sane. But I had never felt more alive.

RG from @charlietaylorhairstylist who understands when a girl just needs to be a mouse. Tune in to @latenightseth tonight to watch me talk HRC campaign and the simulated sex position that sent me to physical therapy. I love you GOODNIGHT!!! A photo posted by Lena Dunham (@lenadunham) on Oct 11, 2016 at 4:49pm PDT

She explains that she went on to give herself new looks in high school and college, much to the dismay of her parents and classmates. But Lena says its the best way for her to express her own individuality, and truly feel like herself.

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I want to feel beautiful in a way people can understand, and yet I want to feel like my own tiny revolution. Every time my hair is blown flat or (God forbid) curled with a small but mighty iron, I lose a piece of myself. Its taken practice and establishing an almost marital intimacy with my hairstylist Rheanne White for her to understand just the amount of weird I need to feel while also being properly armored for Hollywoods roughest moments.

But I never want to lose that edge, that sense of experimentation that fueled my twelve-year-old boldness (and the baby bangs of a nineties-era Winona I self-trimmed earlier this year).

When you get home from set, remove your French braids and decide to commit to this look for life A photo posted by Lena Dunham (@lenadunham) on May 24, 2016 at 2:32pm PDT

And, as she mentions, the most beautiful thing about hair? Itll grow back. It will always grow back. YASSS, girl. Were inspired.

The post Lena Dunham explains why cutting your own hair is an awesome experience appeared first on HelloGiggles.
Lexmark International Inc. LXK is expected to report third-quarter 2016 results on Oct 25. Last quarter, the company posted a negative earnings surprise of 15.85%. Let's see how things are shaping up for this announcement.



Factors to Consider



Lexmarks second-quarter results were not very encouraging given the earnings miss. Also, both earnings and revenues decreased on a year-over-year basis, primarily due to a strong U.S. dollar, a decline in non-MPS revenues, and the ongoing exit of the company from the Inkjet business.



Recently, Lexmark revealed in an SEC filing that the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) has approved its proposed buyout by a Chinese consortium. Per the filing, the CFIUS found no unresolved national security issues related with the acquisition and thus gave the green signal. However, it has asked the parties acquiring Lexmark to sign a national security agreement with the U.S. Department of Defense and Department of Homeland Security.

In April this year, Lexmark agreed to be acquired by a Chinese consortium led by Apex Technology Co., Ltd. (Apex) and PAG Asia Capital (PAG). Legend Capital Management Co., Ltd. (Legend Capital) was also one of the buyers. Per the agreement, the consortium will acquire Lexmark for $3.6 billion or $40.50 per share in cash.



In our opinion, the deal will be beneficial for Lexmark as it has been struggling amid changing industry dynamics.



Although Lexmark has a strong market position, reduced demand for traditional printing hardware and overall macroeconomic uncertainties have been concerns.



Synergies from the acquisitions of Kofax and Readsoft and renewed focus on the software space however could set it back on the growth path. Moreover, the Inkjet exit, software prospects and the MPS approach are positives that will drive shares in the to-be-reported quarter.



Competition from players like Canon Inc., Xerox Corp. and HP Inc. HPQ are additional concerns.



Lexmark has a Zacks Rank #5 (Strong Sell). We caution against stocks with a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell) or 5 going into the earnings announcement, especially when the company is seeing negative estimate revisions.

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LEXMARK INTL Price and EPS Surprise

LEXMARK INTL Price and EPS Surprise | LEXMARK INTL Quote

Stocks to Consider



The following stocks in the technology sector are likely to beat earnings this season. That is because, as per our proven model, a stock needs to have both a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank of #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold) for this to happen:

Amazon.com, Inc. AMZN with Earnings ESP of +10.47% and a Zacks Rank #1 You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank stocks here

HubSpot, Inc. HUBS with Earnings ESP of +13.89% and a Zacks Rank #3

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Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report



HP INC (HPQ): Free Stock Analysis Report



AMAZON.COM INC (AMZN): Free Stock Analysis Report



HUBSPOT INC (HUBS): Free Stock Analysis Report



LEXMARK INTL (LXK): Free Stock Analysis Report



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Lindsay Lohan makes such an important point about how the media spreads rumors about her

If you havent heard much about Lindsay Lohan the past few months, theres a really good reason for it. The star, who is well known for her roles in films like The Parent Trap and Mean Girls, has been helping Syrian refugees as much as she can. Lindsay has made trips to hospitals, homes, and schools as she visits with refugees and hears their stories. So we dont blame her when Lindsay got upset at the media for reporting on only her personal drama, rather than the important work she is doing.

Lindsay has been so inspiring as she visits and bonds with refugees.

American actress Lindsay Lohan in Gaziantep

In this sweet picture, Lindsay hands out gifts to a room full of nursery school children. She spent time visiting refugees living in a container town in Gaziantep, Turkey.

But certain media outlets wanted to focus only on Lindsays personal dramas, so the star clapped back with a GREAT point.

@DailyMailUK I think you should be focusing the work i've been doing with refugees rather than my personal life. All due respect #justsayin  Lindsay Lohan (@lindsaylohan) October 24, 2016

Please don't believe the gossip.  Lindsay Lohan (@lindsaylohan) October 24, 2016

Were pretty sure the article that Lindsay is referring to is this Daily Mail article. The article claims that the star is facing bankruptcy after not paying the rent on her London flat.

We totally see why Lindsay would be upset. She is doing so much good work with these refugees, and one thing the refugees need most is increased awareness. Lindsay can help show the world all of the wonderful, sweet people found in refugee camps, and she wants the media coverage of her to focus on that. But instead, she has to see upsetting articles analyzing her financial situation. We also appreciate that Lindsay kept her tweets totally classy. She didnt even address the Daily Mails accusations. She simply dismissed it as a rumor and asked her fans not to believe it.

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For us, a picture like this is worth a thousand words.

American actress Lindsay Lohan in Gaziantep

We definitely want to hear more about the awesome work Lindsay is doing for refugees. We are so inspired by her compassion and warmth. This is such an important story, we dont even care what other rumors might be swirling about the star. We just want to know more about this humanitarian mission of hers that is making her this happy. Just look at her!

Keep up the incredible work, Lindsay! We are loving it!

The post Lindsay Lohan makes such an important point about how the media spreads rumors about her appeared first on HelloGiggles.
24 Oct - The lovely Liza Soberano and handsome actor Zanjoe Marudo have one thing in common when they attended the Star Magic Ball 2016 recently.



Both won Best Dressed Awards for their stunning and elegant style.



According to ABS-CBN News, Liza, who would usually wear her hair down in waves and go for the girly look, arrived at the event in a floor-length turquoise Michael Cinco dress that gave her a more mature and regal sense, just like her character in "Dolce Amore".



Meanwhile, Marudo looked dapper in his tuxedo, courtesy of French fashion house, Lanvin.



In addition to the two winners, other stars who won awards that night include Sofia Andres and partner Diego Loyzaga (Couple of the Night), Charo Santos-Concio and Eugenio Lopez III (Stars of the Night), and Elisse Joson (Pond's Beautiful Belle of the Night).



(Photo source: zeibiz.com)
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One stock that might be an intriguing choice for investors right now is Louisiana-Pacific Corp. LPX. This is because this security in the Building Products- Woods space is seeing solid earnings estimate revision activity, and is in great company from a Zacks Industry Rank perspective.

This is important because, often times, a rising tide will lift all boats in an industry, as there can be broad trends taking place in a segment that are boosting securities across the board. This is arguably taking place in the Building Products- Woods space as it currently has a Zacks Industry Rank of 16 out of more than 250 industries, suggesting it is well-positioned from this perspective, especially when compared to other segments out there.

Meanwhile, Louisiana-Pacific is actually looking pretty good on its own too. The firm has seen solid earnings estimate revision activity over the past month, suggesting analysts are becoming a bit more bullish on the firms prospects in both the short and long term.

LOUISIANA PAC Price and Consensus

LOUISIANA PAC Price and Consensus | LOUISIANA PAC Quote

In fact, over the past month, current quarter estimates have risen from 32 cents per share to 40 cents per share, while current year estimates have risen from 81 cents per share to 93 cents per share. This has helped LPX to earn a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), further underscoring the companys solid position. You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

So, if you are looking for a decent pick in a strong industry, consider Louisiana-Pacific. Not only is its industry currently in the top third, but it is seeing solid estimate revisions as of late, suggesting it could be a very interesting choice for investors seeking a name in this great industry segment.

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(Adds comments from CEO interview)

MILAN, Oct 24 (Reuters) - Italian eyewear group Luxottica reported a 1.2 percent rise in underlying third-quarter revenues on Monday and said it was on track to hit its full-year target while sounding a cautious note over expectations for a further rise in profits next year.

The maker of Ray Ban and Oakley sunglasses said sales adjusted for an accounting change rose to 2.225 billion euros ($2.4 billion) in the third quarter, in line with forecasts, as good weather boosted sales of sunglasses at opticians across Europe and at the group's own Sunglass Hut shop chain.

A 4 percent rise in retail sales more than offset a drop in wholesale revenues caused by a reorganisation under the guidance of 81-year-old founder and top shareholder Leonardo Del Vecchio, who returned to the helm two years ago as executive chairman.

"We're confident we will close the year as expected," Chief Executive Massimo Vian told Reuters. He added the group was working to put a number on the rate of growth expected next year.

Despite stepping up investments to expand its retail network, Luxottica halved its forecast for full-year sales growth in July to 2-3 percent at constant currencies. That compares with a 1.5 percent rise in sales for the first nine months.

The group sees its operating profit rising in line with sales this year.

Back in March, when it had set its original forecast for 2016 results Luxottica had predicted a mid to high single-digit rise in 2017 sales and profit growth of more than 1.5 times that of revenues.

"Profits will definitely rise faster than sales (next year). To understand just how fast and when we'll get there you need to give us time," Vian said.

He said the group was monitoring closely the impact of a new policy introduced in the United States to limit online discounts for Ray Ban glasses. The move cost the group 60 percent of its sales to online retailers in its biggest market in the third quarter.

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Vian said Luxottica was also working to counter the effect on its LensCrafters optical chain of weaker U.S. consumer spending.

Luxottica also lost business in China following a decision to cut some independent distributors and deal directly with retailers.

In a positive development as the group works to boost its online business, Luxottica said direct online sales rose 18 percent at constant currencies in July-September. ($1 = 0.9189 euros) (Reporting by Valentina Za; editing by Agnieszka Flak, Greg Mahlich)
This MAJOR star will be performing for Hillary in Ohio, and it sounds like its gonna be awesome

The last few months have seen a TON of celebs rallying around Hillary Clinton, and shes just added another superstar to her roster. We just learned that Jay Z will perform in Ohio at a Hillary benefit to encourage black voters to vote for the Democratic nominee this year.

Rihanna endorsed Clinton last week along with a host of other celebrities, so Jay Z is joining at a crucial time. There are only 15 days left until voting day  and the Clinton campaign is out in full force.

Jay Zs concert is set to take place in Cleveland with an appearance by LeBron James, and many young voters of color are expected to attend.

sanberg

This is not the first time Jay Z has publicly supported a political candidate. In 2012 he performed in support of President Obamas re-election, so hes no stranger to getting out there and emphasizing the importance of voting.

Hes also made it clear that he feels particularly strongly about nonsensical violence from law enforcement, and a couple of months ago released the track Spiritual, about police brutality. This is a very important issue for many young people of color  especially men  and their voices will be vital come polling day.

Were super happy to see Jay Z using his immense platform for such a tremendously good cause. We know it will make a difference!

H/T: Vulture

The post This MAJOR star will be performing for Hillary in Ohio, and it sounds like its gonna be awesome appeared first on HelloGiggles.
Thayne Yazzi, 25, knew he wanted to be a pilot ever since he was a little boy growing up in a Navajo reservation in Arizona.

Read: Horse is Airlifted to Safety After It Became Trapped at the Bottom of a Canyon

Yazzi told InsideEdition.com even though he grew up without running water or electricity, he thinks fondly of his time spent on the reservation in St. Michaels.

"As a kid, all I remember is playing," Yazzi said. "We'd just run around the woods. Just kinda do the goofiest things we could imagine out there. Build forts out of sage brush and rocks."

One day, Yazzi said he was with his friends when he fell out of a tree and hit his head on a rock. He fell in and out of consciousness, and lost his vision.

"My cousins carried me to my house," he said. "[My parents] ended up driving me to a local hospital about eight miles away  it was a pretty good drive."

Doctors there quickly realized they couldn't give Yazzi the care he needed, and rushed him to the airport, where he could be airlifted to a larger hospital in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

"Being in the airplane, I was like, 'Okay, they're taking me somewhere where I'm going to be okay. Just feeling like, 'Okay, things are going to work out,'" he said. "My mom was in the airplane with me. I still remember them asking if I could see."

The following day, Yazzi said he remembers waking up, totally healthy and healed. He was even treated to an ice cream, and a visit to the dinosaur museum.

Inspired by the traumatic experience, the Western Washington University graduate decided he wanted to return to his hometown to pursue flight school and eventually get his medical evacuation certificate.

"The Navajo reservation is still suffering from a lot of medical transportation [problems] and just medical help in general. There's not a lot of service out there," he said. "That's my mission now, to be able to give that service."

Story continues

Read: Woman Becomes Nurse at Hospital That Treated Her Cancer When She Was a Baby: 'I've Had My Heart Set on It'

Yazzi said he still has several years of airplane and helicopter training ahead of him, and each lesson can range from $100 to $400.

To support his goals, he has since started a GoFundMe campaign, and was even awarded $10,000 by the organization to go toward his education.

In exchange for donations, Yazzi sends a piece of custom artwork, depicting Navajo folklore or scenes from his childhood to each person who contributes.

He now hopes to be able to attend lessons at the Eastern New Mexico University flight school twice a week, and work his way through the ranks, eventually being able to instruct others from his community to get their MedEvac certifications, too.

Watch: Attention Choppers! Suspected Drunk Driver Crashes Into Medical Helicopter

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From Cosmopolitan

Welp, Im bawling.

Over at The New York Times, Jayson Greene, a senior editor at Pitchfork, writes about his daughter Greta, who was killed when she was just two years old.

A piece of masonry fell eight stories from an improperly maintained building and struck her in the head while she sat on a bench on the Upper West Side of Manhattan with her grandmother. No single agent set it on its path: It wasnt knocked off scaffolding by the poorly placed heel of a construction worker, or fumbled from careless hands. Negligence, coupled with a series of bureaucratic failures, led it to simply sigh loose, a piece of impersonal calamity sent to rearrange the structure and meaning of our universe.

She was rushed to the hospital, where she underwent emergency brain surgery, but she never regained consciousness. She was declared brain-dead, and my wife and I donated her organs. She was our only child.

Greene wrote the essay seven weeks after his sons birth; Greta wouldve been exactly three and a half years old then.

With his birth, I have become a father to a living child and a spirit - one child on this side of the curtain, and another whispering from beneath it. The confusion is constant, and in my moments of strength I succumb to it. I had a child die, and I chose to become a father again. There can be no greater definition of stupidity or bravery; insanity or clarity; hubris or grace.

He goes on to say that he will grieve his daughter forever, writing, "My son will always have a dead sister; when I am 50, my heart will ache in this exact same way it does today."

You should really read the whole thing. Its a lovely, brave, moving tribute to Greta, and I imagine many of us wont forget her after reading it.

Follow Laura on Twitter.

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Mexico and USA border

Next month, Californians will vote on a raft of propositions, including one that would legalize recreational production and consumption of marijuana.

Proposition 64 would allow Californians over 21 to have up to an ounce of cannabis and permit people to grow up to six plants. It would put a 15% tax on retail sales and ban large-scale production for five years to stave off the arrival of large corporate growing operations.

The prospect of marijuana legalization brings a surprising potential side effect: Marijuana smuggling into Mexico.

According to a report from local broadcaster KPBS, the increased availability of high-quality California marijuana coupled with the relative ease with which marijuana can be carried over the border from the north means that more of the drug could start to move south into Mexico.

"If you're in Mexico, and you want the best marijuana out there, there's only one place to get it," Matthew Shapiro, a lawyer specializing in marijuana in San Diego, told KPBS. "There's no such thing as high-quality Mexican weed."

US and Mexican experts told KPBS that legalizing recreational marijuana in California would make it easier for Mexican citizens with visas or dual citizenship to get the drug and carry it back to Mexico.

mexico drugs marijuana

This already happens on small scale, and the differences between California marijuana and its Mexican counterpart have become apparent: California weed can have a concentration of THC, the plant's main psychoactive agent, above 30%, while Mexican weed available in Tijuana has about a 2% concentration, Raul Palacios, the director of a clinic in Tijuana, said to KPBS.

The result, as has been seen among Americans not used to the potency of California's marijuana, is that Mexican users can experience negative side effects, like hallucinations. So its psychoactive capacity, or psychoactive effect, is more damaging, Palacios told KPBS, referring to California marijuana.

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"The quality is much better over" in California, one clinic patient told KPBS. "Its more powerful, it gets you higher," said another.

'Paying close attention'

Some opponents of California's legalization push have cited the potential for children to be exposed to marijuana advertisements and use, though a similar criticism could probably be leveled against alcohol or tobacco. Others have noted concerns that small producers could be pushed out of the market by large interests.

marijuana California

Proponents have cited potential financial benefits, including the potential for an additional $1 billion in tax revenue  money that would be put toward drug education and prevention, environmental projects, and law enforcement. Some analysts have argued local jurisdictions would benefit from no longer having to pay to enforce marijuana prohibition.

California is not the only border state weighing a change to marijuana laws. Arizona is also poised to vote on full legalization, as are Nevada, Maine, and Massachusetts.

Even if all those states legalize recreational use, southbound smuggling is likely to remain minuscule in comparison to the overall movement of drugs across the border into the US.

One reason for that is low marijuana use in Mexico. A 2008 survey by the Organization of American States found only 1.03% of Mexicans ages 12 to 65 reported marijuana use in the previous 12 months; that number dropped to 0.07% reporting use over the previous 30 days.

The UN's 2006 World Drug Report put prevalence of marijuana use at 1.3% for Mexicans ages 15 to 65 and at 12.6% for Americans ages 15 to 64.

mexico marijuana plantation

Also, Mexico is relatively conservative in its attitude toward marijuana legalization. Less than one-third of Mexicans approve of legalization, while such a measure has garnered over 60% support in the US. In California, a September poll found 58% of voters in favor of legalization.

Current Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto raised in April the possibility of loosening marijuana restrictions in his country, including legalizing marijuana-based medicine and upping the amount a person can carry to an ounce.

The sudden stalling of those measures by Pena Nieto's own party in June raised doubts about his sincerity regarding legalization and decriminalization. In any case, he and other Mexican officials are reportedly "paying close attention" to California's legalization drive.

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By Kylie MacLellan LONDON (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Theresa May tried to persuade the leaders of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland on Monday to work with her government on a common Brexit negotiating position, but the Scottish leader dismissed the meeting as "deeply frustrating". May says that while the devolved governments of the UK's three smaller nations should give their views on what the terms of Brexit should be, they must not undermine the UK's strategy by seeking separate settlements with the EU. "I don't know what the UK's negotiating position is because they can't tell us," Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said after talks at May's Downing Street office. "I can't undermine something that doesn't exist, it doesn't appear to me at the moment that there is a UK negotiating strategy," she told Sky News television. While England and Wales voted for Brexit in a June referendum, Scotland and Northern Ireland voted to remain in the EU, setting the devolved governments in Edinburgh and Belfast on a collision course with the UK's central government in London. This could lead to a constitutional crisis, and potentially to Scottish independence and renewed political tensions in Northern Ireland. At the meeting with Sturgeon and the Welsh and Northern Irish leaders, May proposed setting up a new body to give the three devolved governments, which have varying degrees of autonomy from London, a formal avenue to express their views. "Working together, the nations of the United Kingdom will make a success of leaving the European Union -- and we will further strengthen our unique and enduring union as we do so," May said in a statement after the talks. But Sturgeon struck a very different tone as she emerged. "What I'm not prepared to do ... is stand back and watch Scotland driven off a hard Brexit cliff edge because the consequences in lost jobs, lost investment and lower living standards are too serious," she said. CONFLICTING PRIORITIES The British government, which has promised to kick off formal divorce talks with the EU before the end of March, has said it will negotiate a bespoke deal on behalf of the whole United Kingdom with the bloc's other 27 members. Sturgeon said she would make specific proposals over the next few weeks to keep Scotland in the single market even if the rest of the UK left, and that May had said she was prepared to listen to options. "So far those words are not matched by substance or actions and that is what has got to change," Sturgeon said. Sturgeon, head of the Scottish National Party, has said her government is preparing for all possibilities, including independence from the UK, after Britain leaves the EU. She wants each of the UK's four assemblies to get a vote on the proposed negotiating package. In Northern Ireland, there are fears that Brexit could undermine a 1998 peace deal and lead to the reintroduction of unpopular and cumbersome controls on the border with the Republic of Ireland, an EU member. Northern Ireland's First Minister Arlene Foster said the devolved nations had to be at "the heart of the process" so that issues relevant to them could be tackled as they arose. Welsh First Minister Carwyn Jones said it was difficult for the devolved administrations to influence the process when there was so much uncertainty over what the government was seeking. Jones said he had argued very strongly for "full and unfettered access" to the EU's single market, which is in doubt because EU leaders say it would require Britain to continue to accept EU freedom of movement rules. One of the central planks of the pro-Brexit campaign was that exiting the EU would give Britain greater control over immigration and help reduce the numbers arriving in the country. (Additional reporting by Elisabeth O'Leary, William James and Kate Holton; Editing by Estelle Shirbon and Robin Pomeroy)
LONDON (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Theresa May said on Monday she was aware of the importance of financial services to the country's economy and was in discussions with the sector about what its priorities were in upcoming Brexit negotiations.

"I have been clear ... (about) the importance that we place on being able not just to trade with but to operate within the European market, and that is for both goods and services. I say that precisely because I am aware of the importance of financial services to the United Kingdom as a whole, to our economy as a whole," she told parliament.

"We are in discussions with the financial sector on the issues that it believes are the priorities for the future so that we can ensure that as part of the negotiations we are able to get the best deal possible."

(Reporting by Kylie MacLellan and William James, editing by Estelle Shirbon)
Sixty-eight may not seem that old, but for Snooty the manatee, it's a world record.

Snooty is now the world's oldest manatee living in captivity, the Guinness World Records recently announced. The sea cow was brought to South Florida Museum as an 11-month-old calf in 1949. Now 68 years old, Snooty has earned the world record title.

"We felt it was important to apply on Snooty's behalf, because we wanted people to understand that manatees can live for a long time," Marilyn Margold, director of living collections at South Florida Museum, said in a video for the Guinness World Records. "Taken proper care of, paying attention to their habitats, those things can help with their longevity. They are hearty animals overall." [Marine Marvels: Spectacular Photos of Sea Creatures]

Though they may look hearty, most manatees living in the wild die before they reach the age of 10. Algae blooms, fishing debris and boat strikes threaten these gentle giants, which are listed as "vulnerable" by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, which monitors manatee populations, the oldest wild manatee in Florida was 59 years old  with the next oldest having reached 48 years of age.

Snooty's longevity is credited to the fact that he lives in a controlled environment, a 60,000-gallon (230,000 liters) pool he shares with two other manatees at South Florida Museum. Jessica Schubick, communications manager at the museum, said that while Snooty doesn't seem to mind his pool-mates and other manatees, he's more interested in people. When Snooty turned 67 in July 2015, the marine mammal received birthday cards from fans around the world congratulating him on his incredible age.

The manatee breeding program at the museum offers visitors an educational opportunity to see that manatees do have personalities and a level of intelligence, Margold said.

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"I would say that he's intelligent, he's very personable, he has the staff well trained, Margold said of Snooty. "He's just entertaining and calming at the same time."

Original article on Live Science.

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A team of British researchers claims to have found a way to alter cow sperm and reduce male fertility by stopping the sperm from swimming.

The discovery, if confirmed and replicated in human sperm, could be used to develop new forms of male contraception, the scientists announced last week. The same method could also be used to boost sperm flow for enhanced fertility treatments.

"We hope to develop something that will be clinically useful and can be taken forward in the future," Sarah Jones, a pharmacology lecturer at the University of Wolverhampton in England, said in a press release.

SEE ALSO: Women share their experiences with birth control and depression

Dr. David Sokal, an epidemiology professor at the University of North Carolina's School of Public Health, told Mashable that the research "looks promising, but it's at a very early stage."

Sokal, who was not involved in the Wolverhampton project, is also director of the Male Contraceptive Initiative, a non-profit that helps harness funding for research on male birth control.

"The next stage might be to show that this approach works in mice," he added. "I hope that they get further funds to explore this topic."

Jones and her research partner John Howl, a professor at Wolverhampton, are both part of the university's Molecular Pharmacology Research Group.

Sarah Jones of the University of Wolverhampton's Molecular Pharmacology Research Group.

Image: university of wolverhampton

The duo has teamed up with the University of Aveiro in Portugal on a three-year, 194,000 (about $211,136) project to study ways to control the functions of sperm.

Their research primarily focuses on peptides, the chains of amino acids that are the building blocks of protein.

Jones and Howl said they found they could design peptides to break through cell walls and alter the function and fertilization capacity of bovine sperm. The results have not yet been published in a scientific journal.

"Ironically, sperm are notoriously difficult to penetrate," Jones said in the university press release.

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"But with cell-penetrating peptides, we are now able to cross an otherwise impermeable barrier to manipulate the intracellular biology of sperm, so as to enhance or inhibit motility"  that is, to make it easier or harder for sperm to get around.

The British researchers said their partners in Portugal may repeat the same experiments using human sperm for further testing.

For decades, the burden of birth control and fertilization methods has fallen mainly to women.

David Bishai, a professor at Johns Hopkins' Bloomberg School of Public Health, who was not involved in the project, said male contraception "is badly needed."

Researchers have found men are generally interested in new types of contraception and hypothetically willing to try them, Bishai wrote in his 2012 paper on the demand for male contraception.

Yet no viable birth control exists for men, apart from wearing condoms, abstaining from sex or getting a vasectomy.

"You really don't have great options," he told Mashable.

Research efforts have been largely stymied by the lack of investment from large pharmaceutical companies, he said. Many of the advances in male contraception have instead come from public entities and non-profit organizations.

For instance, the U.S. National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) is holding clinical trials to test new hormonal methods of male contraception. The methods involve applying two different gels to the skin  one with a progestin, one with testosterone  on a daily basis to stop sperm production.

The Parsemus Foundation, a medical non-profit, has developed Vasalgel, a non-hormonal gel that is injected into the vas deferens  the duct that carries sperm from testicles to urethra  and blocks the sperm, although the procedure is reversible.

"The private pharmaceutical research in male contraception has been so limited," Bishai said. "Why doesn't the market understand that men have been left behind?"

This story was updated at 5:30 p.m. EDT to include additional comments from a source unaffiliated with the new research.
MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto on Sunday defended his decision to host a visit by U.S. presidential candidate Donald Trump to Mexico, but he said it could have been carried out "in a better way". The hastily arranged meeting of Trump and Pena Nieto on Aug. 31 sparked outrage in Mexico because of Trump's verbal attacks on Mexicans as well as his threats to build a border wall and tear up trade deals with Latin America's No. 2 economy. "I faced a dilemma of 'yes or no' once I had made the proposal and he said 'yes.' Because, at the end of the day, its all about ensuring the best interests of Mexico, even if it could be very controversial, as it turned out to be," Pena Nieto said in an interview on Mexico's Canal 11 television. Pena Nieto had invited both Trump and his rival Hillary Clinton, who turned down the offer. "Could we have done things better? Maybe yes, admittedly. I think that this genuine interest to bring about a meeting to take care of Mexico's interests, I think, could have been done in a better way," he said. During his visit, Trump struck a collaborative tone with Mexico. But as soon as he was back in the United States, he told a crowd in Arizona that Mexico would pay for his massive border wall "100 percent." Backlash from the visit forced the resignation of Pena Nieto's finance minister and trusted aide Luis Videgaray, who had helped arrange the meeting. (Reporting by Jean Luis Arce; Editing by Michael Perry)
Wait. AT&T? AT&T?

The 30-year fallacy of media consolidation has been that anybody can own a media company. That it's about management and not temperament. Sony, a Japanese consumer electronics company, bought CBS Records in 1988 and Columbia Pictures in 1989. This was after Coca-Cola bought Columbia in 1982. General Electric bought NBC in 1986. Westinghouse, a manufacturing company, bought CBS in 1995. Universal was first bought by Matsushita, another Japanese consumer electronics company, in 1990, then Seagram's, the spirits company, in 1995, then Vivendi, a French water company, in 2000. That same year, AOL, an online service and dial-up ISP, bought Time Warner. All of these deals - all of them, save for Sony's studio venture - were ultimately undone and provided cautionary lessons, foremost among them that creative enterprises tend to form a closed culture that eschews, frustrates and often fleeces outsiders.

But those lessons hardly stopped the search on the part of media companies for new partners and more investment dollars and greater size, or the belief on the part of benighted outsiders that they could bring rationality to the irrational. At root, you had the fact that media - the definition becoming ever-more vague and inclusive - was one of the world's most competitive businesses and one of its largest, therefore, even given its peculiarities, it must yield to the realities of large and competitive businesses. Mustn't it?

While most media people might suppose, with a doleful eye roll, that if AT&T succeeds in its $85.4 billion bid for Time Warner, it will result in a hapless disaster, inevitability overwhelms logic. Moments of consolidation - this one framed by the rise of mighty tech distributors, uncertainties in the business models of media companies and a sense that everyone has, anyway, just been waiting for the other shoe to drop - make for strange bedfellows.

Read more: AT&T Buys Time Warner in Transformative Hollywood Deal for Cord-Cutting Age

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The business of AT&T, a company whose identity and purpose has become ever less clear over years of mergers and acquisitions (AT&T is in fact not really AT&T but Southwestern Bell Corporation, which changed its name after it acquired AT&T in 2005) is largely concentrated in the details of communications infrastructure, once a monopoly business, now an increasingly fraught one. Hence, AT&T is looking to hedge its bet by owning some of the commodity that it provides through that infrastructure. Time Warner, which once owned its own delivery infrastructure but decided that the content-maker-distribution-provider business model wasn't an efficient one, now sees premium value in letting someone else pay to find that out on their own. In fact, no one has ever been able to make the economic case that content makers and distribution providers yield more than 1+1 when put together, with every content maker needing to sell its wares to every distributor (it is invariably cheaper to license than to buy). And, for the last decade or so, the media business has largely considered the merger of content and distribution to be fool's gold. But a new case for this old case is now being made involving the pace of transformation owing to digital distribution (it's a totally new, mobile world, stupid!). Time Warner's own disaster in this regard, once before being bought by an internet provider, AOL, should be warning enough. But irony is not a business analysis.

Inside Time Warner there is said to be considerable regret, although little hesitation, about putting the company in the hands of AT&T. It is hard to imagine that media sensibility and pop culture astuteness are going to flow seamlessly from the Dallas-based company and its CEO, University of Oklahoma MBA and Boy Scouts of America president Randall Stephenson (snobbery alert). Time Warner, steeped in New York and Hollywood Jewishness, awkwardly joins the Texas born-agains. But Time Warner's CEO, Jeffrey Bewkes, a most rational man, quite to a fault, having promised and failed to boost his share price to $100 following his rebuff of Rupert Murdoch at $85 a share two years ago, understood now was his opportunity to embrace success with AT&T's $109-a-share offer.

The best-case model for this deal is in essence a flat case. While NBC did not grow at the rate of its competitors, it didn't crater either when it was bought by industrial holding company GE, nor has it since it was taken over in 2011 by pipes company Comcast, which if it hasn't particularly benefited hasn't suffered either. But even here, Comcast has long been in the content business - it's a massive licensor of content and as hit-sensitive as all media businesses; and, too, the Roberts family, which controls Comcast, and all its top executives, have for several decades ridden the ego trips of media moguls. AT&T, other than its purchase of DirecTV last year, has no experience in the content, programming and popular culture business (in 1999, AT&T acquired TCI, then the biggest cable provider, a disaster undone in the sale of these cable assets to Comcast and Charter). In contrast too, the acquisition of NBC by GE was helped by the fact that GE chief Jack Welch was a media hound himself, much more partial to television than to light bulbs. Randall Stephenson, on his part, is a cipher in the media world.

Of course, inexperienced outsiders believe they can buy experienced insiders. This has already started a competition for extremely expensive management talent, presaging an inevitable arrival of overweening egos at a company not accustomed to much personality no less fabulous ones, and, one might anticipate, clashes on a heroic and nuclear scale. (Note: even among media companies, Time Warner is famous for its fight-to-the-death fiefdoms.)

Read more: Netflix's Ted Sarandos Talks 'Narcos,' Competitors and AT&T's Time Warner Deal

With Bewkes gone, his heir apparent, John Martin is likely to be out too, with the betting for the new Time Warner chief on Peter Chernin, the former News Corp COO who operates a small joint venture with AT&T, even though he has been out of big-company management for seven years. CNN's Jeff Zucker who, having worked for GE when he ran NBC, might be considered a more logical bridge to AT&T and, if rebuffed, might likely be open to the Murdoch sons' interest in having him come to run Fox News. (Such speculation has led people inside AT&T - having a moment of being blinded by the stars - to a suggestion of hiring former Fox chief Roger Ailes to run CNN and turning media as we know it inside out.) Or, reaching higher than Chernin to CBS' Leslie Moonves, who has long coveted Time Warner, to run the show. In this tasty scenario, hiring Moonves could frustrate current efforts to combine CBS and Viacom, making one or both acquisition targets themselves.

Indeed, this is, as much as anything, a game of dominoes, of AT&T seeking to take Time Warner - next to Disney the second-greatest content library - out of play, which therefore puts all other content makers in play, accordingly raising their value, and, at least in the short term, making AT&T look smart. Of course, if the primary digital platforms - Apple, Google, Amazon, Facebook - fail to take the bait and continue to eschew content deals, that would tend to make AT&T look very dumb.

Indeed, a big danger is that AT&T, along with its most direct competitor, Verizon, seeking a currency in the media business with its purchase of AOL and recent deal for Yahoo, while believing themselves to be new media players, are, in fact, very much the stodgy and hoary companies of old that they appear to be. If so, they are exactly who should not be at the forefront of the next media age.

Read more: Donald Trump Says He Would Block AT&T-Time Warner Merger as President
With the absence of Ronda Rousey in 2016, and no one successfully defending the 135-pound title since she relinquished it to Holly Holm at UFC 193, its hard to argue that Cris Cyborg Justino isnt the top pound-for-pound womens fighter in the world.

The 31-year-old Brazilian hasn't lost an MMA fight in eleven years. She retired Gina Carano and has reigned supreme in the 145-pound women's division since 2009. She holds the Invicta FC featherweight title, and she's finished both of her UFC opponents in one-sided fashion.

Cyborg is a well-established name and possibly the most dominant fighter over their division in the world. She's fought in the UFC, but the fight promotion doesn't officially have her division. Despite that technicality, many consider her the uncrowned UFC women's 145-pound champion.

For me, Cyborg is already the featherweight champion even though we dont have that division. There is no one to fight her. No one comes close to her in this division, said former UFC Vice President and General Manager of Brazil Giovani Decker following Cyborg's TKO win over Lina Lansberg at UFC Fight Night Brasilia in September.

TRENDING > Jon Jones Attorney Claims Tests Prove Supplement was Tainted

UFC president Dana White echoed Decker's stance on Cyborg not having any viable opponents in the 145-pound division during an appearance on Speak For Yourself. There arent enough good women at 145 pounds to create an entire division, White told host Jason Whitlock.

Decker's claim that there isn't anyone to fight Justino isn't exactly true. Former bantamweight champion Miesha Tate isn't opposed to taking on Cyborg.

When I was the champ, they told me that. The UFC was like, were not going to do a catch-weight, so either she has to meet you at 135 or you have to not be the champion. I suppose now that Im not the champion, I technically could fight her at 140, Tate said during a recent appearance on The MMA Hour.

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The thing is, I just feel like I have nothing to lose in that. Youre fighting a girl that has been such a powerhouse, such a beast and crushing girls. If I went in there and beat her, or even gave her a solid run for her money, it says a lot. I wouldnt be opposed to doing it, but its not something thats been discussed, said Tate.

I wouldnt be against it.

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Athens (AFP) - Migrants at a camp on the Greek island of Lesbos on Monday hurled stones at police and torched temporary offices used by asylum officials in an hour-long protest over conditions.

Jose Carreira, executive director of the European Asylum Support Office (EASO), said at least four shipping containers where interviews were conducted were entirely destroyed, and three more were damaged.

"Incidents have occurred in the past but this is the most serious one," Carreira told AFP.

"We are looking into ways of guaranteeing that this might not happen again," said Carreira, who is in Athens for meetings with Greece's immigration ministry.

No-one was hurt in the incident as the blaze was quickly brought under control by firefighters, but Carreira said it could be days before asylum interviews can resume.

Around 70 migrants took part in the protest, most of them from Pakistan and Bangladesh, a local police source said. Police made a dozen arrests.

The incident took place at the overcrowded Moria camp, one of five centres on Greek Aegean islands, which have borne the brunt of Europe's migrant crisis.

More than 15,000 migrants are being held on the Aegean islands, pending their return to Turkey under an EU-Turkish agreement reached in March this year.

Processing has been held up because the vast majority have filed for political asylum.

Part of Moria, which has a capacity for 3,500 people but currently houses more than 5,000, was badly damaged in a fire during clashes last month between migrants and police.

Nearly 66,000 refugees and migrants are currently stranded in Greece, according to official figures.

In Bulgaria meanwhile, some 300 Afghan migrants protested on Monday in the country's largest migrant reception centre, near the Turkish border, according to a human rights group.

"They protested against the fact that they are being kept in Bulgaria against their will and demanded to be able to leave towards Serbia and then (western) Europe," said Iliana Savova, a spokeswoman for the Bulgarian Helsinki Committee for Human Rights, adding that around 300 migrants took part in the demonstration.

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Bulgaria's interior ministry confirmed "tensions" at the site, which is home to around 3,800 migrants -- around half of whom are Afghans.

Some 13,000 illegal migrants remain stranded inside Bulgaria, after other transit countries along the western Balkan route shut their borders earlier this year.

And close to 50 migrants ended a brief hunger strike Monday in an immigration detention centre in Barcelona, police said, just days after a riot took place in a similar facility in Madrid.
Nogales (Mexico) (AFP) - The two teens had trekked in the Sonoran Desert's searing heat for four days and were lost and almost out of water when border patrol agents in Arizona spotted them.

Now, hours after being deported back to Mexico, 19-year-old Rodriguo and his 17-year-old brother Jose sat quietly on a recent evening in El Comedor, a shelter in the town of Nogales within sight of the US border and its promise of a sweeter future.

Around them, some 60 other freshly deported migrants from Mexico, Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala waited, forlorn, for the evening meal served by charity workers.

"Tomorrow we go back home to Oaxaca (in southern Mexico) and we will tell our mother that we failed," said Jose, who asked that the pair's last name not be used.

"But we won't give up, we will attempt the crossing again," he added, matter-of-factly.

The shelter in Nogales, a town that straddles the US-Mexico border, is run by the Kino Border Initiative (KBI), a religious charity that offers migrants not only food but also legal advice, clothing and a much-needed dose of TLC.

Spend time talking to the men and women crammed on the benches of the one-room shelter -- their faces etched with the hardships they have been through -- and their stories bring forth the stark realities of the immigration debate that has roiled the US presidential campaign.

- 'Dignified way of life' -

"The people we help are coming to the United States to seek a more dignified way of life," said Sean Carroll, a Jesuit priest and executive director of KBI, which runs El Comedor (dining hall in Spanish).

"These men and women literally cannot earn enough money to put food on the table for their families."

For several of the migrants at El Comedor, it was not the first time they had attempted the dangerous journey to cross the border, putting their fate in the hands of unscrupulous smugglers and drug cartels that can charge upwards of $7,000 for the trip through the unforgiving desert.

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Women are frequently sexually assaulted during the journey and many migrants go missing in the desert, where temperatures climb to 120 degrees (49 Celsius) in the summer.

Lost and desperate, some like Rodriguo and his brother end up hoping to be found by the border patrol agents who scour the frontier in vehicles, on horseback, on bicycle and on foot.

Tougher border security aided by better technology has pushed migrants into remote areas controlled by drug cartels, Carroll and other officials who work closely with migrants said.

And the recurring question raised during the US presidential campaign -- why don't immigrants just come legally? -- is simply not an option for the overwhelming majority, they add.

- A 20-year wait -

"Many of the people we serve have no legal way at all or are faced with the prospect of waiting 15, 18, 20 years in order to even be considered for the possibility of coming legally," Carroll said.

"And some are fleeing serious violence."

Nearly 64,000 migrants, including almost 8,000 juveniles, were arrested near the Arizona border in 2015 and 63 are known to have died attempting to cross, according to the US Border Patrol.

Overall, 337,117 were arrested in 2015 along the southwest border with Mexico, the majority of them in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas.

Alicia Guevara Perez, a nun who has worked with KBI in Nogales for three years, said that while immigration has provided great fodder for politicians during the presidential campaign, one key element missing from the debate was the human aspect.

"In this room, everyday, we hear stories of suffering, pain and poverty," she sighed. "People are dying of hunger and sickness and they believe that the only way out is to go to the United States."

While aid officials and even migrants acknowledge that those coming to the United States may include some bad apples, they insist the overwhelming majority are simply fleeing violence and looking to eke out a living.

"They say we are here to steal and live off the system but I am willing to pay everything I owe," said Margarita Gregorio, 38, from the Mexican state of Puebla. "I will sign any paper to that effect. They can take the taxes directly from my pay."

Gregorio was arrested in Arizona after slipping into the US following a two-day trek in the desert earlier this month.

She had worked as a cleaning woman in Wyoming for four years before returning to Mexico to see her two young sons, she said.

"I would earn less than $5 a day harvesting coffee beans in Puebla and it would be a seasonal job," she said. "I need to feed my kids."

Rudolpho Ramos, 47, who worked as a janitor in Minnesota for 17 years before going back to Mexico to see his family, and was also arrested trying to slip back into Arizona, said the migrant issue came down to a question of life and death.

"It's not like we have a choice if we want to survive," he said.
Calais (France) (AFP) - Almost 2,000 migrants rode buses out of the Calais "Jungle" on Monday as French authorities kicked off an operation to dismantle the notorious camp that has become a symbol of Europe's refugee crisis.

"Bye Bye, Jungle!" one group of migrants shouted as they hauled luggage through the muddy lanes of the shantytown where thousands of mainly Afghans, Sudanese and Eritreans had holed up, desperate to sneak into Britain.

Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve said 1,918 migrants had left Calais on buses bound for 80 reception centres across France under a heavy police presence.

"We don't know yet where we are going, but it will obviously be better than the Jungle, which was made for animals not humans," said Wahid, a 23-year-old Afghan.

Police at one point intervened to break up a scuffle but Cazeneuve said the operation proceeded in a generally "calm and orderly manner".

The Jungle's hundreds of unaccompanied minors have been the main focus of charities' concerns.

In an eleventh-hour gesture, Britain has taken in nearly 200 teenagers over the past week, mostly children with relatives there, but the transfers were on hold Monday.

Hundreds more have been interviewed by British immigration officials and many are still awaiting a reply.

Some 400 youngsters are being provisionally housed in shipping containers in a part of the Jungle where families had been living.

Cazeneuve said all unaccompanied minors "with proven family links in Great Britain" would eventually be transferred from the Jungle across the Channel.

British Interior Minister Amber Rudd said London was contributing up to 36 million (40 million euros, $44 million) towards the operation to clear the squalid camp, as well as to help reinforce Britain's border controls in Calais.

On Tuesday, demolition crews will move in to start tearing down the slum, one of the biggest in Europe where an estimated 6,000 to 8,000 people have been living in dire conditions.

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The operation is set to continue through Wednesday.

Christian Salome, head of the Auberge des Migrants (Migrants' Hostel) charity, said the process was "working well because these are people who were waiting impatiently to leave".

"I'm much more concerned about later in the week when the only ones remaining are those who do not want to leave, who still want to reach England," he said, estimating their number at around 2,000. The interior ministry dismissed that figure as exaggerated.

On Sunday night, the police fired tear gas during sporadic skirmishes with migrants around the camp.

Riots erupted when the authorities razed the southern half of the settlement in March.

- 'Is this justice?' -

Located on wasteland next to the port of Calais, the four-square-kilometre (1.5-square-mile) Jungle has become a symbol of Europe's failure to resolve its worst migration crisis since World War II.

More than one million people fleeing war and poverty in the Middle East, Asia and Africa poured into Europe last year, sowing divisions across the 28-nation bloc and fuelling the rise of far-right parties.

Those seeking to smuggle themselves into Britain, believing it offers better chances of work and integration than France, have been converging on Calais for well over a decade. The first makeshift camp on the site of the Jungle dates back to 2002.

Over the past year, police have battled near nightly attempts by migrants to climb onto trucks heading across the Channel.

The redistribution of the migrants is a risky enterprise for Socialist President Francois Hollande, six months before elections in which migration will be a key issue.

Some have opposed plans to resettle asylum-seekers in their communities.

In the peaceful eastern village of Chardonnay -- known the world over for its namesake grapes -- the two dozen young Sudanese asylum seekers arriving Monday were met with suspicion from residents.

Locals watched from a distance as the men got off the bus in the village, which will eventually host 50 asylum seekers compared to a population of just 200 villagers.

"This massive arrival of migrants, it's inappropriate," fumed resident Joelle Chevaux, out walking her dog.

But in other towns people gathered to welcome the new arrivals, with some 200 pro-migrant protesters turning out at the interior ministry in the capital chanting "Paris, Calais, solidarity!" and 250 in the city of Nantes, according to police.

- Risk of deportation -

French authorities say those who agree to be relocated can apply for asylum in France. Those who resist face possible deportation.

Jean-Marc Puissesseau, chief executive of Calais port, told Britain's BBC radio he was "a very, very happy man" and hailing an end to the "constant stress" of drivers fearful of being ambushed by migrants.

Dozens of people have been killed on the road or while trying to jump onto passing trains.

Puissesseau warned that new camps would sprout up around Calais unless police remained vigilant.

A Syrian man told AFP he had decamped from the Jungle at the weekend to another site about 12 kilometres (seven miles) away, along with dozens of other migrants.
Back when she was swinging on wrecking balls and licking hammers you would never have guessed Miley Cyrus would be acting as a surrogate for the potential first female president in U.S. history. But, there she was on Saturday, going door-to-door at the dorms at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia, talking to students about the importance of getting out to vote on Nov. 8 and urging them to vote for democrat Hillary Clinton.

OMW 2 VA 4 HC!!!! @HillaryClinton #imwithher pic.twitter.com/x6v1Ye81hZ

- Miley Ray Cyrus (@MileyCyrus) October 22, 2016

Campaigned for @HillaryClinton today in GMU in VA encouraging young people to volunteer and vote!!!! ------ pic.twitter.com/oJtwkHtgNV

- Miley Ray Cyrus (@MileyCyrus) October 22, 2016

#imwithher @HillaryClinton #VA4HC pic.twitter.com/yQiGvH0Tnk

- Miley Ray Cyrus (@MileyCyrus) October 22, 2016

Cyrus, 23, who wore an appropriately patriotic red, white and blue outfit featuring a giant blue bow bikini top for the occasion was mobbed by students on campus as she made her way to the dorms.

miley cyrus just came to my school & i don't think i've ever cried so much in my life ilysm bby girrrllll---- pic.twitter.com/TdQizV0iD8

- Emma Lark (@itsERL_) October 22, 2016

Miley Cyrus knocking on GMU campus dorms trying to spread the message to vote. Truly the voice of our generation pic.twitter.com/dZiHutccpq

- Miley Ray Cyrus (@mileysbae) October 22, 2016

.@MileyCyrus also spoke about being home in TN and being disappointed to only see 1 Hillary sign @nbcwashington pic.twitter.com/vnqG8Fsuqo

- Aimee Cho (@AimeeCho4) October 22, 2016

Miley wasn't the only pop star out on the trail working for Clinton this weekend. Katy Perry knocked on dorm room doors at UNLV on Saturday drumming up support for Clinton on the first day of early voting in Nevada. Perry has also signed on perform at a Clinton rally on Nov. 5 in Philadelphia. In addition, The National will perform a get out the vote gig in their hometown of Cincinnati on Nov. 2 as part of the Clinton campaign's "Love Trumps Hate" initiative.

Jennifer Lopez and Jon Bon Jovi have signed on to perform for Clinton in the last few weeks of the election as well. According to the campaign scheduling site, Bon Jovi is slated to perform in Pittsburgh on Oct. 27 and Tampa on Nov. 5, while Lopez will be in Miami on Oct. 29; no additional event details had been announced at press time.
If names be not correct, language will not be in accordance with the truth of things.

 Confucius

KALISPELL  A guy named Shakespeare famously asked, Whats in a name?

When someone proposes naming -- or renaming -- a geographic feature in Montana, it is Gerry Daumillers job to answer that question.

Be it a mountain, river, island or lake -- or slough, hill, reservoir, ravine, creek, coulee, butte, spring, spire, ridge, hollow, gulch or waterfall -- Daumiller is the first stop in the process.

Hes the geographic names adviser with the Montana State Library in Helena and is currently overseeing four such proposals, including one here in Flathead County. Kenneth and Sharon Ramsey want to name a small, 10-acre lake near their home Lone Coyote Lake.

The name would mimic that of a road near the lake, Lone Coyote Trail.

The little lake, which has no inlet or outlet and is filled from a ground source, has appeared on U.S. Geological Survey maps for almost six decades, Daumiller has determined.

But its just a blue spot. The maps have never labeled it.

An important say

Daumiller doesnt have the final say in name proposals, but he does have an important say.

As Montanas liaison to the U.S. Board on Geographic Names, he is responsible for giving the states official recommendation to the people on the federal board who do decide.

Im a little uncomfortable with the role, Daumiller admits, but adds, If the name is a big deal, I reach out for more help or advice.

He regularly contacts commissioners in the county where a name is proposed to ask for their feedback, as well as Indian tribes and federal, state or local agencies that might have concerns.

The public is also invited to weigh in, although Daumiller says that a lot of the time I go through a lot of effort to get public comment, and nobody cares.

In the case of the proposed Lone Coyote Lake, Flathead Valley residents or others who might either want to support or oppose the name can contact Daumiller at either gdaumiller@mt.gov, or 444-5358.

Daumiller has already determined that nowhere in Montana is there any other geological feature named Lone Coyote. Avoiding a duplication of names -- especially if they are close to one another and/or the same type of feature -- is a consideration.

There are 59 features in the state that contain the word coyote, many of them creeks spread across the state, Daumiller notes on the application. And, there is a Lone Lake in Flathead County, 14 miles from the body of water in question.

But Lone Coyote appears to be an original.

Adding fish to picture

The Ramseys didnt set out to name the lake, the southwest portion of which lies within the boundaries of their property lines.

They just wanted to stock some fish in it.

Not even for fishing, Sharon Ramsey says. There are eagles, owls and hawks down there. The pond is full of ducks and geese. There are turtles everywhere. Deer and foxes go down for water.

Adding fish to the picture just seemed like a good thing to do.

But when they visited Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks offices in May to find out about having the lake stocked with fish from a state hatchery, they learned there was a roadblock.

Whats the name of the pond? Sharon says they were asked. The Ramseys knew of no name.

It has to have a name for us to stock it, she says they were told.

They checked with the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation, which also could find no evidence that the pond had ever been named.

Someone pointed the Ramseys in the direction of Daumiller. He helped them fill out paperwork to get the ball rolling on a name.

Too big for pond

Its always been the pond to the Ramseys, and their first choice for a name, Lone Coyote Pond, was shot down out of the gate. The pond turned out to be just a little too big to be considered a pond.

Theyd be naming a lake, Daumiller told them.

We could have named it Ramsey Lake,  Sharon says with a laugh, but this has always been about putting fish in the water, not putting their family name on a U.S. Geological Survey map.

So the couple who live on Lone Coyote Trail proposed Lone Coyote Lake.

Its a year-round body of water, the Ramseys say. There is a gravel pit on the side of the lake opposite their property, and the water is 25 to 30 feet deep at its deepest points. Its northwest of Kalispell  west of U.S. Highway 93 and north of Church Drive.

FWP officials told them they would likely stock it with rainbow and westslope cutthroat trout, if and when it gets a name, because the agency believes they would be best suited to the situation.

Other cases

It can take up to a year before the U.S. Board on Geographic Names gives a thumbs-up or thumbs-down to a name proposal, Daumiller says.

In addition to Lone Coyote Lake, there are three other proposals pending in Montana. One would officially name an 18-mile stream in the extreme northeast corner of Montana Malcolm Creek, which locals have reportedly called it for decades anyway.

The other two proposals correct what are believed to be spelling errors. A small reservoir -- not even as large as the Ramseys unnamed pond -- in Toole County would go from Goedertz Lake to Goeddertz Lake. And in Sweet Grass County, a small stream would be changed from OHearn Creek to Ahern Creek.

While the majority of name proposals are eventually approved, there are no guarantees.

A request five years ago to name a slope near the Lee Metcalf National Wildlife Refuge Cheatgrass Hill was shot down after the refuge project leader objected to naming it after a noxious and invasive weed that the refuge was spending $80,000 a year trying to eradicate.

He called it extremely discouraging to review a proposal that, if approved, would elevate the name of one of the exotic weed species.

Daumiller says he tried to contact homeowners on and near the hill to solicit their opinions, and the proponent of the name, a man in Stevensville, to suggest he gather local support, without luck.

Absent that, and also not hearing back from Ravalli County commissioners or a culture committee the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes forwarded the proposal to  Daumiller assumed the lack of response meant neither had an opinion  he went with the recommendation of the refuge project leader.

The state officially opposed the name, and the federal boards Domestic Names Committee voted 13-0 to reject Cheatgrass Hill.

Feedback variable

While proposals often generate little feedback, thats not always the case.

Take the cliffs that tower above Bull Lake in the Cabinet Mountains of northwest Montana.

Rob Neils, a Spokane man, wanted to give them a name. His description of the cliffs in his proposal certainly made them seem worthy of one.

Neils described the area as a geological formation of gigantic castlelike pinnacles looking like magnificent stalagmites arranged cliff-like along a fault line where Mount Vernons eastern quarter split/slipped away, leaving castlelike rock towers.

Locals, he said, know where to stand on Bull Lake and shout to have the cliffs, more than 1,800 feet above where the spires themselves are almost 1,000 feet tall, deliver back a seven-fold echo.

The multitude of colors in the weather-cracked rocks which comprise the castles is, in early light, breath-taking, Neils wrote. He proposed naming them Castle Cliffs, which his family had called them when he was a boy.

Daumiller set out to find out if others had an opinion on the proposed name.

They most certainly did.

Bad Medicine Spires

Both the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes, and the U.S. Forest Service, told Daumiller that Bad Medicine was the name most often associated with the area.

That was apparently fine with Neils, who withdrew Castle Cliffs and submitted a new proposal, for Bad Medicine Spires.

Once again, Daumiller sought the publics opinion on the new name. He got 57 responses  and with them, suggestions for 23 other names.

Broke-Off Mountain was one. Mount Vernon Hoodoos was another.

The Cliffs at Bad Medicine, Castle Rocks, The Pinnacles and Bad Medicine Mountain were also offered up as alternatives, though no one formally applied to have any of the others considered.

Of the 57 responses, 21 liked Bad Medicine but 19 of them objected to the generic term spires being included. Another 18 preferred Bad Medicine Spires and three more -- including a letter from the Lincoln County commissioners -- said they were not opposed to the latter.

With more than 40 in various degrees of agreement on some form of Bad Medicine, Daumiller officially put the states backing behind Bad Medicine Spires. He noted that without the inclusion of the word spires, people unfamiliar with the area might assume Bad Medicine referred to an area rather than a specific thing if they saw the name on a map.

In 2013, the Domestic Names Committee approved the name on a 10-0 vote.

Kills At Night Creek

Daumiller has been Montanas geographic names adviser since 2009. He started at the end of a period where the word squaw was being removed from all geographic names, as directed by the 1999 state Legislature.

That led to competing proposals in some instances.

The Phillips County commissioners and 32 local residents proposed changing the name of a 17-mile tributary of Cow Creek, from Squaw Creek to Williams Creek, in honor of a woman who was born in the area in 1894 and became a local midwife who successfully delivered more than 50 babies.

The Fort Belknap Community Council and four other people wanted to rename it Kills At Night Creek, to honor Theresa Elizabeth (Chandler) White Weasel Walker Kills At Night Lamebull. Before her death at age 111 in 2007, she was the oldest living member of the Gros Ventre Tribe. At the age of 109, she had helped develop a Gros Ventre language dictionary.

In next-door Blaine County, where the tributary also flows, the commissioners backed Kills At Night.

Daumiller didnt have to choose which name the state would recommend. The community council had first proposed Kills At Night Creek in 2008 to a Squaw Name Change Committee set up by the Legislature, which endorsed it.

State law requires state agencies to use names selected by the committee, and so the state recommended Kills At Night Creek over Williams Creek.

The Domestic Names Committee agreed by a 13-2 vote.

Nowadays, name proposals come in on an irregular basis, perhaps three to four times a year, according to Daumiller, who otherwise is a geographic information system programmer and analyst for the state library.

Most, like the Ramseys proposal for Lone Coyote Lake, seem pretty straightforward.

But there are stories behind them all. In the Ramseys' case, they need a name to get some fish.
Quetta (Pakistan) (AFP) - Pakistan on Tuesday mourned the killing of at least 61 people in a brutal gun and suicide bomb assault on a police academy, the deadliest attack on a security installation in the country's history.

Three masked gunmen burst into the sprawling academy in the southwest, pretending to be soldiers as they targeted sleeping quarters home to some 700 recruits, in a strike that sent terrified young men fleeing.

"They... knocked at the locked rooms and told the cadets that they were from the army, and when they opened the doors, they fired at them," a 22-year-old cadet called Hikmatullah told AFP from his hospital bed, where he was recovering from a gunshot wound to the shoulder.

"They came in by jumping over the walls of the academy which are very low. I ran away from my room and was hit by a bullet, I still managed to flee."

The attack on the Balochistan Police College, around 20 kilometres (12 miles) east of the provincial capital Quetta, began around 11:10 pm (1810 GMT) on Monday, with gunfire continuing to ring out at the site for several hours.

Sarfaraz Bugti, home minister of Balochistan province, told reporters the attackers first killed a tower sentry before accessing the grounds.

A morgue list seen by AFP detailed 61 people killed in the attack, while 118 were injured, according to a government spokesman.

Major General Sher Afgan, chief of the paramilitary Frontier Corps in Balochistan which led the counter-operation, blamed the attack on the Pakistani Taliban-affiliated Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ) militant group, and said the counter-strike was over in three hours.

An emailed claim from the Pakistani Taliban, which shares close operational ties with LeJ, backed that assertion.

"This attack was carried (out on the instructions of) Mullah Daud Mansour, close ally of Hakimullah Mehsud and head of Pakistani Taliban in Karachi," it said, adding that four fighters took part.

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It said the attack was revenge for the deaths of its fighters "outside jails" in Punjab province, in an apparent reference to the recent surge in extrajudicial killings of LeJ fighters.

The Islamic State group also made a claim via Amaq, its affiliated news agency, and released a picture of what it said were the three attackers.

LeJ officially pledges allegiance to Al-Qaeda, the IS group's major rival. But the dual claims could be evidence of new linkages that remain unofficial, analysts say.

"Lashkar-e-Jhangvi's claim seems to carry more weightage but IS has released photographs of the militants and this link between LeJ and IS will be determined in the coming days," said analyst Amir Rana, the director of the Pakistan Institute for Peace Studies, a thinktank.

- Funeral honours -

Pakistan's top military and intelligence command, including army chief Raheel Sharif, attended an official funeral ceremony for the victims, whose bodies were laid in coffins draped in white and borne by soldiers in dress uniform.

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif later flew to Quetta to chair a high-level security meeting, while Washington condemned the "cowardly attack."

"The United States stands with the people of Pakistan and reiterates our commitment to support the government of Pakistan in its efforts to end the scourge of terrorism and violent extremism and to promote peace, security and stability in the region," said a White House spokesman.

It was the third-deadliest attack of the year in Pakistan, which has been racked by a homegrown Islamist insurgency since shortly after the US-led invasion of Afghanistan in 2001.

The compound remained sealed to journalists while weeping relatives were sent to the main hospital, where citizens rushed to donate blood.

-- Strife-hit province --

Mineral-rich but impoverished Balochistan, Pakistan's largest province, is beset by sectarian strife, Islamist violence and an on-off separatist insurgency that has lasted for decades.

In August, a suicide bombing at a Quetta hospital claimed by the Islamic State group and the Jamaat-ul-Ahrar faction of the Pakistani Taliban killed 73 people.

Violence across the country has declined in recent years following a series of military offensives in the northwest border areas as well as concerted efforts to block the militants' sources of funding.

But the remnants of militant groups are still able to carry out periodic bloody attacks, particularly in the northwest.
(Reuters) - White students at a Mississippi high school tossed a rope around the neck of a black student and pulled it tight like a noose, the NAACP said on Monday, asking federal authorities to investigate the incident as a hate crime.

The NAACP made its plea at a news conference with the black student's family, saying the student's mother was discouraged from filing a police report after the Oct. 13 incident and the school district has not officially informed the family of any disciplinary action taken against the white students.

Stone County School District superintendent Inita Owen declined to comment on the incident, saying she would not discuss a student discipline matter with the media.

"I can assure everyone that the Stone County School District takes all matters involving students very seriously and will do everything within its power to make sure that all policies and procedures were adhered to and that all of its students have a safe place to receive an education," she said in a statement.

Several of the white students have continued to attend Stone High School, along with the black student, said Derrick Johnson, president of the state branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. He said the family was told off-the-record that one student was placed in an alternative setting. As many as four students are accused in the incident.

"This type of behavior should not be tolerated," Johnson said at a news conference webcast online. "These incidents should not be swept under the rug."

The student's mother stood by his side but did not comment. Stone High School is located about 40 miles (64 km) north of Biloxi in southern Mississippi.

Reuters could not immediately reach the Jackson, Mississippi office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation for comment or confirm with local law enforcement that the mother attempted to file a report.

Johnson said the white students involved had earlier this year come to school displaying Confederate flags from their vehicles. Many see the flag associated with the pro-slavery southern states during the U.S. Civil War as a racist symbol.

He said the NAACP has reached out to federal authorities, adding that the family is reviewing its options.

(Reporting by Letitia Stein in Tampa, Florida; Editing by Lisa Shumaker)
Monterey Media has secured U.S. and Canada rights to Maggie Greenwalds Sophie And The Rising Sun and is planning for a theatrical launch in early 2017. Based on the novel by Augusta Trobaugh, the forbidden love story stars Julianne Nicholson (August: Osage County), Margo Martindale (August: Osage County), Lorraine Toussaint (Orange Is The New Black), Takashi Yamaguchi (Letters From Iwo Jima) and Diane Ladd (Joy).

The pic, which served as a Premiere title at this years Sundance Film Festival, is set in the autumn of 1941 in Salty Creek and tells the story of interracial lovers swept up in the tides of history. As World War II rages in Europe a wounded stranger, Mr. Ohta, appears in the town under mysterious circumstances. Sophie, a native of Salty Creek, quickly becomes transfixed by Mr. Ohta and a friendship born of their mutual love of art blossoms into a delicate and forbidden courtship. When Pearl Harbor is bombed, a surge of misguided patriotism, bigotry and violence sweeps through the town, threatening Mr. Ohtas life. Sophie, along with the town matriarch and her housekeeper, reject law and propriety, risking their lives with their actions.

The deal was negotiated with Cinetic Medias Linzee Troubh and Monterey Medias Scott Mansfield.

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Moscow (AFP) - A Moscow nanny on Monday pleaded guilty to murdering the four-year-old disabled child in her charge after brandishing the child's severed head on the street.

"I plead guilty; that's what she said," an interpreter said as Uzbek national Gyulchekhra Bobokulova went on trial, Interfax news agency reported.

In a chilling case, Bobokulova was arrested in February as she waved the severed head of four-year-old Anastasia outside a Moscow metro station.

The girl's headless body was later found in the family's flat, which had been set on fire.

The prosecutor at Moscow's Khoroshevsky district court read out the charges that 39-year-old Bobokulova had strangled Anastasia, who had cerebral palsy, and then beheaded her.

She then overturned an oil lamp that set the apartment ablaze and went outside carrying the child's head.

Witnesses said that the nanny paced for around 20 minutes on the street dressed in black, waving the severed head and threatening to blow herself up.

Russia's national television channels refused to cover the grisly killing in a controversial move that the Kremlin defended, saying the subject was "probably too monstrous to be shown on television."

Her trial is being covered by state television, however.

In March, at her first court appearance following her arrest, Bobokulova said that "it was what Allah ordered," speaking in broken Russian.

Bobokulova is being held in custody at a psychiatric hospital within Moscow's ageing Butyrka jail.

She has been diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia and ruled not mentally capable. Prosecutors will ask for her to be incarcerated in a high-security psychiatric facility.

She is charged with the murder of a minor, which carries a maximum sentence of 25 years in prison, as well as arson and making a false report of an explosion.
MotoGP Philip Island 2016 Results

LCR Hondas Cal Crutchlow won his second race of the 2016 MotoGP season with an epic ride at the famed Phillip Island Circuit in Australia. He had a little help when recently crowned 2016 MotoGP champion, Marc Marquez crashed out of the lead on the seventh lap, (Check out that link for the crash sequence photos). Crutchlow went on to run a lonely race out front while Yamahas Valentino Rossi and Suzukis Maverick Vinales battled their way through the pack into second and third place respectively.

American Nicky Hayden was called up from his job racing World Superbikes to replace the injured Dani Pedrosa on the Factory Repsol Honda squad. He had a great race going and was battling for seventh place with Jack Miller, Scott Redding and Brad Smith on the final lap. That was the point when Miller decided it was time to cram his non-factory Honda inside Hayden at full-lean, causing Nick to crash out just a few turns from the end. Was Hayden happy afterwards? Not really.

You can read the full 2016 Phillip Island MotoGP Race Report on our sister site where they have great photo galleries, post-race interviews and follow up articles from the past weekend.

Marc Marquez crashing photo at Phillip Island 2016

Repsol Honda's Marc Marquez crashes out of the lead during the 2016 Phillip Island MotoGP race.

Cal Crutchlow 2016 Phillip Island MotoGP

Im really pleased for the LCR Honda Team, they have done a great job this weekend. I was confident I could have won even with Marquez in the race, but Honda have done a really good job with our bike, theres no doubt about that. - Cal Crutchlow Race Winner 2016 Phillip Island MotoGP

Valentino Rossi 2016 Phillip Island

When I saw Marquez crash I thought I might be able to win and tried but unfortunately Cal was too fast. - Valentino Rossi - Yamaha MotoGP. This image is from qualifying in the rain on Saturday.

Maverick Vinales Suzuki GP - Phillip Island 2016

This podium has a very good taste to it, the weekend had been very hard this morning, but finally I was happy when I woke up today and saw the sun. - Maverick Vinales Suzuki MotoGP

Nicky Hayden 2016 Phillip Island MotoGP

Nicky Hayden would be crashed out of the Phillip Island race on the final lap by Ja ck Miller. He had this to say afterwards: He came and said sorry. Its racing, that can happen. I dont want to go and give him a kiss, but you know its what happens - Nicky Hayden
(Reuters) - Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho told his Chelsea counterpart Antonio Conte that his antics in whipping up the crowd during the London club's 4-0 victory on Sunday were "humiliating", according to Italian television. The Portuguese went straight to Conte at the final whistle and spent several seconds talking into his ear. Neither manager would reveal the contents of the conversation but Sky Italia said Mourinho told Conte in Italian: "You don't celebrate like that at 4-0. You can do it at 1-0, otherwise it's humiliating for us." Conte gestured to the crowd to turn up the noise levels after N'Golo Kante scored Chelsea's fourth goal. British media reported that the ill-feeling spilled into the tunnel where a member of Mourinho's staff refused a handshake from Conte, and others were involved in verbal disputes. Chelsea's manager denied that he had been trying to humiliate United. "There has always been respect for all, and naturally for Manchester United," said Conte. "Nothing happened. I did something absolutely normal. I didn't do anything to humiliate Mourinho. "The players, after a 4-0 win, deserved a great clap. It's very normal. We live with emotions. If you want to cut the emotions, we can stay at home and I will change jobs." Since being beaten 3-0 by Arsenal last month, Chelsea have won three straight league games, scoring nine goals without conceding and now sit a point behind the leaders. Conte's decision to go with a 3-4-3 has reinvigorated the midfield, where Nemanja Matic and Eden Hazard enjoyed standout performances against United. Hazard's goal took his Premier League tally to four, equalling his total for the whole of last season. (Reporting by Neil Robinson; Editing by Peter Rutherford)
London (AFP) - Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho and Chelsea counterpart Antonio Conte refused to divulge the content of a terse touchline exchange between them after the London club's 4-0 win.

Prior to walking down the tunnel following Sunday's game, stony-faced former Chelsea manager Mourinho cupped Conte's head and spent a good while whispering in the Italian's left ear.

Pitch-side microphones suggested Mourinho had accused Conte, in Italian, of trying to "humiliate" his side by urging the home fans to make more noise, but the United manager refused to go into detail.

"You know me. I spoke to Conte, not to you," Mourinho told his post-match press conference.

"I'm not the kind of guy to come here and share with you things I don't want to share.

"What is between me and Antonio is for us, or up to him to talk if he wants to. That is his problem. I have no comment."

Conte was also reluctant to discuss the matter, although he defended himself for whipping up the crowd after N'Golo Kante had waltzed through the United defence to score Chelsea's fourth goal.

"I think that, today, it was right to call our fans," he said.

"In a moment I was listening only to the supporters of Manchester United at 4-0.

"So I called the fans to give the players a great clap after this kind of performance. The players, after a 4-0 win, deserved a great clap.

"We live with emotions. If you want to cut the emotions, we can stay at home and I will change jobs."

Mourinho was returning to the scene of some of his greatest triumphs as a manager, but left after being consigned to his heaviest loss since Real Madrid's 5-0 humiliation by Barcelona in November 2010.

It took Chelsea just 30 seconds to go ahead, Pedro Rodriguez nipping in behind an inattentive Chris Smalling to score.

"We made an incredible defensive mistake -- I say incredible in capitals," said Mourinho.

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- Luiz let-off -

Lax marking at a corner allowed Gary Cahill to lash home the hosts' second in the 21st minute.

Eden Hazard and Kante further inflated Chelsea's lead in the second half and Mourinho's misery was compounded by what he described as a "really bad" knee ligament injury to Eric Bailly.

Chelsea might also have lost a centre-back had referee Martin Atkinson taken a dimmer view of a knee-high foul on Marouane Fellaini by David Luiz shortly before half-time, for which he was booked.

The result left United five points behind fourth-place Chelsea and six points below leaders Manchester City in seventh place, but Mourinho tried to apply a positive gloss to his team's position.

"We are six points from the top of the league. We are not 16 points," he said.

"We are maybe three, maximum four, from the top four (actually five). We are not 30 or 40. So we are there.

"We are there with very difficult fixtures in a week where we've played away to two candidates (having previously drawn 0-0 at Liverpool).

"I'm not saying the matches coming up are easy. Far from it. But we have to beat opponents from mid-table that we are going to have now.

"Burnley, Swansea, Sunderland, Middlesbrough -- they're difficult, but we need points from these matches.

"The top teams play against each other so they have to lose points, so in the end we'll be around."

Chelsea have won three successive league games without conceding a goal since Conte switched to a 3-4-3 formation duration their 3-0 defeat at Arsenal.

"After this type of win, usually it increases your confidence," said Conte, whose side visit West Ham United in the League Cup in mid-week.

"You trust more in the work you're doing. That's the most important thing.

"But we must continue. The United victory is the past. We must concentrate on Wednesday and another tough game against West Ham."
Chris Sarandon in Fright Night. (Photo: Everett)

Halloween is fast approaching, so all this week, Yahoo Movies will be talking to stars who scared us silly in classic horror movies. First up: Childs Play and Fright Night star Chris Sarandon. Go here to read our complete Halloween coverage.

Since making his groundbreaking film debut as a transgender woman in 1975s Dog Day Afternoon, Oscar-nominated actor Chris Sarandon has played many a notable role. And while his fan-favorite performance may be The Princess Brides villainous Prince Humperdinck  which still inspires strangers to shout Humperdinck, Humperdinck, Humperdinck! at him on a regular basis  Sarandon also has a devoted following from lovers of scary movies. Among their favorites: the horror comedy Fright Night (in which he played a beguiling suburban vampire); Childs Play (in which he played the police detective who defeats the evil doll); and the family-friendly frightfest The Nightmare Before Christmas (for which he provided the speaking voice of stop-motion hero Jack Skellington). Yahoo Movies asked Sarandon to share his memories of shooting those three frightfully memorable roles.

Lets start with Childs Play (1988). One of the highest YouTube search results for Chris Sarandon is a scene of Chucky attacking you in a car (see below). Do you remember shooting it?

Ugh! I dont want to say it was hell on earth to shoot, because there are much worse things than that in life  but it was not fun to spend at least a day, maybe two days  I cant remember because it was such an unpleasant experience!  sitting in the front seat of the car, having this knife come into the shot. No no no, were not catching the light of the knife right, its flaring off the camera, lets do it again! Fifty times, 75 times. And spending almost a day in just a little corner of the studio, punching the radio with my hands to try to get the right sort of rhythm of that. Its not what you think of as the glamour of moviemaking.

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Related: MVPs of Horror: William Katt Remembers That Bloody Prom Massacre in Carrie

Id imagine, from a technical perspective, the whole movie was probably really difficult.

The whole thing was. We were dealing with little people in Chucky outfits walking around in oversize sets, children in Chucky costumes  [child actor] Alex Vincents 3-year-old sister was Chucky once! One day, they were on the set and they realized that the person in the doll suit wasnt the right size, and [director Tom Holland] looked over and he saw Alexs little sister, and he went, Hey, put her in the costume! And she ran across the set, and thats the take I think they used.

In the car scene, it looks like Chucky is a puppet. Do you remember if there was somebody in the back seat with it?

Yep. There was always somebody underneath a floor or behind a wall or in a back seat operating Chucky. Often three or four guys with somebody operating the hands, somebody operating the face, somebody operating the hairline. I mean it was a very tricky, exasperatingly difficult stuff to do. So it was not great fun. Not like Princess Bride. Or for that matter Fright Night. Fright Night was a lot of fun.

Watch Chris Sarandon as vampire Jerry in the horror comedy Fright Night:

Fright Night (1985) still has a big cult following. The Internet is full of clips from the love scene in particular  which is kind of funny, because your character Jerry is so grotesque for part of the movie. But when he looks human, hes really sexy.

That was [director] Tom [Holland]s approach from the very beginning: that this guy has to be enormously attractive, he has to be charismatic, he has to be highly sexual. Thats what his allure is: He has lived long enough and knows  through his rather long and sordid history  that you attract bees with honey. You dont attract people with warlike gestures and making a nuisance of yourself. Which is why he moves into a home in a middle-class neighborhood to ply his trade.

So are you the original sexy vampire?

I dont know if I could say that. I do know that thats very much the way we set out to create Jerry, and Tom was very insistent all the way through the movie  we would do a scene where I was just walking, and hes say, No, no, no, come on, much sexier walk! Even though hes going to eviscerate a victim, theres something very sexy about it, and dont be afraid to turn to that side of yourself. So he was very instrumental in the creation of this character. As was I! I have to take a little bit of credit.

Chris Sarandon in Childs Play. (Photo: United Artists/courtesy Everett Collection)

Do you get approached a lot by women about that role?

Generally speaking, the people who come up to me on the street are a lot of guys who just think Jerry is the coolest. I was in Los Angeles shooting another movie a couple years later, and there was a guy there fixing the TV cable in the house because it wasnt working. And he didnt say a word  he was there for like, four hours working  and Im there looking at scripts. And then as my head is down and Im signing the bill, he says very quietly, Im surprised you come out in the daytime. And that happens a lot. Also I get looks  like traveling on the subway in New York City, a lot of times a guy will look at me, do a double take, and then theres a kind of knowing nod. I know you. Youre bad. Im bad. Youre the man. That kind of look.

Watch a clip from The Nightmare Before Christmas featuring Chris Sarandon as Jack Skellington:

In The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993), composer Danny Elfman did the singing for Jack Skellington. Do you remember initially how you found that characters speaking voice?

Well, Danny had already done the singing, so when I went in to audition they played some of the songs. And I think it may have been a rather unconscious effort on my part to sound like Danny, but I think it was just a matter of the fact that our vocal timbre and the quality of our voices was so similar, that it ended up working out that I was the voice they used. Aside from my enormous talent [laughs], that was probably the determining factor, I would think.

Did they have models or sketches to show you when you started recording?

Yes, when I started recording, they had the entire movie storyboarded at the studio; plus they were working on scenes on the set, or I should say, on the sets, because there were a number of sets they were working on any one time. I remember that it was excruciatingly slow. It took two and a half years to put that movie together. I would go and record a scene or two, then they would animate those scenes, then I would go back say three months later and record another scene or two, then they would animate those scenes.

What do people talk to you about when they talk about that movie?

Mostly people, particularly young people in their 20s, come up and say how influential the movie was in their lives. A lot of people whove gone through difficult times when they were in their teens  and who hasnt, by the way?  say that somehow, this movie gave them something to hold on to. Particularly kids who are outsiders. A lot of them feel like this movie was kind of the imprimatur of their existence: This movie was a mainstream hit, I love this movie, and therefore maybe Im not so weird. Ive had literally kids come up to me and say it saved their lives. Im not sure exactly what the process was, but Im grateful for it.

Watch three not-so-scary Halloween movies to stream:


By Wa Lone YANGON (Reuters) - Hundreds of Myanmar's Rohingya villagers are facing a second night hiding in rice fields without shelter, after the army on Sunday forcibly removed them from a village in a crackdown following attacks on border security forces. Four Rohingya sources contacted by Reuters by telephone, said border guard officers went to Kyee Kan Pyin village on Sunday and ordered about 2,000 villagers to abandon it, giving them just enough time to collect basic household items. The move marks an escalation in violence which has destabilized Myanmar's most volatile state located in the remote northwest. In Rakhine, relations between the Rohingya and majority Buddhists have hit their lowest point since hundreds of people were killed and thousands displaced in ethnic and religious violence in 2012. The government, led by Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi, has said the army and police in Rakhine are fighting a group of at least 400 insurgents, drawn from the Rohingya Muslim minority, with links to Islamist militants overseas. While officials say the army has been conducting carefully targeted sweeps against the group behind attacks on police border posts on Oct. 9, residents have accused security forces of killing non-combatants and burning homes. "I was kicked out from my house yesterday afternoon, now I live in a paddy field outside of my village with some 200 people including my family - I became homeless," said a Rohingya man from Kyee Kan Pyin village contacted by Reuters by telephone. "After the soldiers arrived at our village, they said that if all of us didn't leave, they would shoot us, he said. Another witness and two Rohingya community elders based in Maungdaw who are collecting information from across the area have corroborated the account, estimating a total of about 2,000 villagers were removed from homes. Some were able to find shelter in neighboring villages, but hundreds spent last night hiding in the rice fields. They are still stranded and are facing another without shelter. Mynt Kyaw, a government spokesman, said the government was unable to contact anyone in the area because it was a militarily-operated "red zone". "A Muslim man called me this morning as they were being forcibly removed from their homes, but I was not able to confirm that information," said Mynt Kyaw. The military did not respond to a request for comment. Videos uploaded on social media by Rohingya rights activists showed men and women speaking Rohingya language carrying their belongings and livestock to other villages or waiting out the crackdown in paddy fields. The area around Maungdaw Township, near the border with Bangladesh, is under military lockdown and journalists and aid workers have not been allowed to go inside. (Editing by Antoni Slodkowski; Editing by Richard Balmforth)
BOODY  A woman police accuse of driving under the influence of alcohol allegedly drove her truck into and partly through a Boody home early Sunday, jolting the homeowner awake but not injuring anyone.

Police say the 27-year-old Decatur driver then proceeded to back out of the house and try to flee in her pickup truck after the 4:35 a.m. incident. But the vehicle was damaged by the impact with the house and wound up spinning doughnut circles in the driveway of the home and the neighboring house.

It was when the (Blue Mound) fire department showed up that she finally quit, said Lt. Jamie Belcher with the Macon County Sheriff's Office.

The damaged house is in the 6300 block of South Illinois 48, near the intersection with Zion Chapel Road on Boody's southern edge. Belcher said the homeowner was lucky to escape injury and the house, although extensively damaged, remains habitable.

The driver, who was not named by police, suffered minor injuries and refused medical treatment at the scene. She was later jailed on charges of driving under the influence, failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident and improper lane usage. She was also booked on a charge of possession of a controlled substance because she was allegedly carrying prescription medication that did not belong to her.

Belcher said an examination of the accident scene showed the southbound pickup had traveled along a ditch for half a mile before colliding with the house. While speaking with the driver and only occupant of the vehicle, she claimed to have swerved to avoid a deer prior to the crash, Belcher added.

It was at that time deputies detected an odor of an alcoholic beverage coming from the driver and several signs of impairment upon performing standardized field sobriety testing.
Tijuana San Diego narco tunnel entrance

Official from the US and Mexico confirmed last week that a tunnel connecting Tijuana and San Diego had been found, one of dozens of such tunnels discovered along the border over the last five years.

An ice store, called La Hielera del Aeropuerto, concealed the tunnel's entrance, located roughly 330 yards from the US border on Boulevard Cuauhtemoc Norte, and the passage reportedly had its exit in the US in a store in San Diego, according to a report from Tijuana Press.

The entrance was found just west of Tijuana's A.L. Rodriguez International Airport. An official report has yet to be released, but authorities suspected that there were at least 5 tons of marijuana located within the tunnel and buildings at either end.

A source with the public-safety secretariat of Baja California told The San Diego Union-Tribune that the tunnel had been in operation, and that an anonymous tip had guided state police and Mexican soldiers to it.

The US attorney's office told a local Fox affiliate that no federal charges had been filed in relation to the tunnel.

Tijuana Mexico San Diego narco tunnel drug smuggling

Neighbors said the business began operating a year and half or two years prior, and that prior to that, the lot was empty, according to Tijuana Press. While it was open, locals told Tijuana Press that the business didn't seem out of the ordinary.

At least six narco tunnels have been discovered in the area, Tijuana Press reported, including one a half-block from the tunnel discovered last week.

More than 75 smuggling tunnels have been found along the US-Mexico frontier, many of them in California and Arizona, over the last five years, and the tunnel is the 13th large-scale smuggling passage found in operation on the California-Mexico border since 2013.

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La Hielera del Aeropuerto was just a few blocks from the border fence, which divides northern Tijuana from the Otay Mesa area of San Diego.

Mexico drug tunnel clay soil ground

That area is both logistically and geographically favorable to subterranean smuggling efforts: Warehouse space on both sides of the border has expanded rapidly since the 1990s, and commercial activity  vehicle traffic, trucks loading and unloading, and construction  are common and help conceal the excavation of tunnels and the comings and goings of smugglers.

Moreover, the soil in the area is a type of clay that's "self-supporting and as workable as wax." This clay is sturdier than normal soil, which reduces the need for bracing in the tunnels.

The area was the location of the longest such tunnel discovered on the Mexico-California border: A zig-zagging 874 yard passage uncovered in April that led to the seizures of 2,240 pounds of cocaine and more than 7 tons of marijuana.

An air vent helps authorities with their investigation after the discovery of a cross-border tunnel from Tijuana, Mexico to Otay Mesa, California April 20, 2016. REUTERS/Mike Blake

It's not yet clear the people or group responsible for construction of this tunnel.

The Sinaloa cartel has been dominant on the ground in Tijuana since the 2000s, but in recent months mounting evidence  particularly a growing body count  indicates that the ascendant Jalisco New Generation cartel is clashing with the Sinaloa cartel in and around Tijuana, which is valuable to smugglers because of its proximity to the US.

Despite the frequency with which these tunnels are uncovered, they are actually hard to uncover, as ground-penetrating radars are not effective in the soil in the area and because of other factors that help obscure illicit activity. Given that, the latest tunnel discovery is unlikely to be the last.

"There's nothing we can do about it and it's nothing new in the area," a local businessman told Fox 5 San Diego.

"They are going to continue," a local woman told Tijuana Press.

NOW WATCH: Federal agents found one of the longest US-Mexico drug tunnels hidden under a dumpster





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Beirut (AFP) - Nearly 50 people fled battered eastern districts of Aleppo into the government-controlled west of the city on Monday, Syria's state news agency SANA reported.

The incident comes after a unilateral three-day ceasefire declared by Russia and government forces ended on Sunday without any evacuations by the United Nations.

"Forty-eight people from... the eastern districts were able to flee towards the western districts, where a Syrian Arab army unit welcomed and secured them," SANA said late on Monday.

It accused rebel groups in the east of using civilians there as "human shields".

An AFP photographer saw three buses full of civilians on the government side of the Bustan al-Qasr crossing.

There was no UN presence, but a heavy deployment of government security forces.

They were given government-provided aid and taken to temporary housing.

It was unclear whether they were civilians or rebels, which eastern districts they had left or how they had reached the western part of the city.

The brief ceasefire in Aleppo had been intended to allow civilians and rebels to leave the east via eight evacuation corridors.

But by the time it expired on Sunday, only a handful of civilians were reported to have used a single crossing point.

Nearly 500 people have been killed and more than 2,000 wounded since the Syrian army launched an operation to recapture eastern Aleppo on September 22.

The UN had asked Moscow to consider extending the pause until Monday evening, but there was no indication from Russia that it would do so.

More than 300,000 people have been killed in Syria and more than half of the country's population displaced since the conflict began in March 2011 with anti-government protests.
By Scott Malone BOSTON (Reuters) - The exceptionally negative tone of this year's race for the White House is souring young Americans, turning some away from the democratic process just as the millennial generation has become as large a potential bloc of voters as the baby boomers. Reuters/Ipsos polling shows that Americans aged 18 to 34 are slightly less likely to vote for president this year than their comparably aged peers were in 2012. Some political scientists worry that this election could scar a generation of voters, making them less likely to cast ballots in the future. Young Americans on the left and right have found reasons to be dissatisfied with their choices this year. Senator Bernie Sanders had an enthusiastic following of younger people before he lost the Democratic primary race to former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. On the Republican side, some are unwilling to vote for Donald Trump, citing the New York businessman's sometimes insulting rhetoric on women, minorities and immigrants. Brandon Epstein, who turned 18 on Monday, had looked forward earlier in the year to casting his first vote for Sanders. Now, the resident of suburban Suffolk County, New York, plans to sit out the vote on Election Day, Nov. 8. "It's because of the selection of the candidates. I find them to be not just sub-par, but unusually sub-par," said Epstein, a student at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, in Cambridge, Massachusetts. "Something's gone terribly wrong." That sentiment is broadly reflected in poll data that show that young Americans are less enthusiastic about their choices in November than they were four years ago when Democratic President Barack Obama faced a re-election challenge from Republican Mitt Romney. Some 52.2 percent of respondents aged 18 to 34 told Reuters/Ipsos they were certain or almost certain to vote, compared with 56.1 percent who reported that level of certainty at the same point in 2012. The national tracking poll was conducted online in English in all 50 states. It included 3,088 people between 18-34 years old who took the survey from Oct. 1 to Oct. 17, and 2,141 18-34 year olds who took the poll on the same days in 2012. It has a credibility interval, a measure of accuracy, of 2 percentage points for both groups. 'DEEP CYNICISM' For at least the past half century, young Americans have voted at lower rates than their elders. But this year's decline in enthusiasm is of particular concern because it comes as the millennial generation - people born from 1981 through 1997 - has become as large a bloc of eligible voters as the baby boomers - born between 1946 and 1964. Each group's number of eligible voters is approaching 70 million people, according to the Pew Research Center. "This generation has never trusted the government, Wall Street or the media less," John Della Volpe, director of polling at Harvard University's Institute of Politics, said of the millennials. "That's likely to result in turnout of less than 50 percent and of those who do turn out, there is still a deep cynicism regarding the impact of their vote, whether or not it will make a difference." The projected low turnout is a particular concern given recent research showing how important habit is in encouraging voter participation. Put simply, a person who votes in one election is about 10 percent more likely to vote in the next than an eligible voter who opted to stay home, said Alexander Coppock, an assistant professor of political science at Yale University. "If you extend that logic, if you have an election that fails to turn people on to voting, you'd expect that you wouldn't get that cumulative effect," said Coppock, whose article "Is Voting Habit Forming?" was published in this month's issue of the American Journal for Political Science. However, not all young voters unhappy with their choices will be staying home. Some plan to cast a ballot anyway, even if only in protest, rather than sitting out. That group includes Cameron Khansarinia, a 20-year-old vice president of the Harvard Republican Club, who said he would cast a ballot even though he opposed Trump. "I will definitely vote, I just don't know if I will be writing someone in or voting for (Libertarian) Gary Johnson or even voting for Hillary Clinton when it gets down to it," said Khansarinia, who is registered to vote in heavily Democratic California. "Once this is over, come Nov. 9, we will need people here to rebuild the party." (Reporting by Scott Malone; Editing by Frances Kerry)
The New York Times list of Donald Trumps Twitter insults. (Photo: Colin Campbell/Yahoo News)

The New York Times Monday paper contains a rather striking list of Donald Trumps Twitter attacks since he launched his presidential campaign.

The two-page spread features an alphabetized tally of the victims of Trumps caustic social-media bombardments. His targets range from media figures (dumb as a rock, Trump sniped at CNNs Don Lemon) to rival candidates (sad sack, Trump jabbed at Jeb Bush) and beyond.

Though feuds on Twitter are common, Trumps freewheeling use of the social media platform has been astonishing since he began his bid for the White House.

The Times even accounts for Trumps many attacks directed at the newspaper and its reporters, whom he has frequently accused of fabricating stories about his campaign. (The reporting at the failing @nytimes gets worse and worse by the day, he tweeted in August. Fortunately, it is a dying newspaper.)

The list is far from a complete catalog of Trumps Twitter invective. Because it only chronicles the insults leveled by Trump since the celebrity businessman launched his campaign in the summer of 2015, it misses Trumps years of insults directed at figures like President Obama, Rosie ODonnell, Mark Cuban and the British business magnate Alan Sugar. (Back in 2012, Trump tweeted: Dopey Sugar @Lord_Sugar You cant carry @piersmorgans jock!)

The Times has for months been keeping a running interactive tally of Trumps Twitter attacks, but Monday appears to be the first time it was published in print form.

Weve been building out the digital presentation for months and always intended to publish it in print, but we wanted to give the fullest representation of the tweets, which amount to public statements, and to find an appropriate moment, Tom Jolly, associate masthead editor at the Times, told Yahoo News in a statement. The period after the debates seemed like the right time for both parts of that equation.
(Reuters) - Department store operator Nordstrom Inc said it would hire about 11,400 temporary employees for the holiday shopping season, about 3 percent fewer than last year. The company said about 9,500 temporary employees will be hired in sales and stock positions at its 123 Nordstrom stores in the United States and Canada and 213 Nordstrom Rack stores in the United States. Another 1,900 will be hired to support Nordstrom's stores and ecommerce business through its fulfillment and distribution centers, the company said. Nordstrom, like other U.S. retailers, is waging a tough battle for customers with online retailers, which offer a more convenient shopping experience and also offer products at lower prices. U.S. retailers are keeping sales expectations and inventories low ahead of the holidays to avoid repeating last year's holiday quarter, when warm weather hit sales and left many goods unsold. Macy's Inc said last month that it would hire 83,000 temporary workers for the holiday period, 2 percent lower than last year, while Target Corp kept its hiring plans unchanged for the fourth straight year. (Reporting by Jessica Kuruthukulangara in Bengaluru; Editing by Savio D'Souza)
barack obama

President Barack Obama tore into Republican Senate candidate Joe Heck in a fiery speech in Nevada on Sunday.

The speech marked a departure from Obama's typical campaigning on behalf of Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton, and it serves as a preview of Obama's unprecedented push to help elect down-ballot Democrats ahead of Election Day.

Heck is locked in a hotly contested race with Democrat Catherine Cortez Masto for the seat of the outgoing Senate minority leader, Harry Reid.

Speaking in North Las Vegas, the president blasted Heck for his record on abortion and his views on immigration reform and criminal-justice reform.

He also attempted to link Heck to Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump.

"There's one other difference between the candidates: Catherine never supported Donald Trump," Obama said.

"She never said she had 'high hopes' he would become president. Never said she'd trust his fingers on the nuclear code," Obama added.

Heck rescinded his endorsement for Trump earlier this month after a 2005 recording surfaced of Trump making vulgar comments about women.

"Now that Trump's poll numbers are cratering, suddenly he says, 'No, I'm not supporting him,'" Obama said. "Too late. You don't get credit for that."

Obama criticized Heck's endorsement withdrawal as a political move that didn't reflect how he really felt about the candidate.

"When Donald Trump starts his TV network, Im sure Joe Heck will be right up on there giving interviews," he said.

At various times in the speech, Obama egged the crowd on with chants of, "What the heck?" and, "Heck no."

He also plugged the campaigns of Jacky Rosen and Ruben Kihuen, two Nevada Democrats running for seats in the House of Representatives.

Democrats are hoping Obama's investment in down-ballot races will give the party an edge in swing districts as the party gears up for the 2018 midterm elections. According to Politico, the list of more than 100 down-ballot, Obama-endorsed candidates reaches as far down the ballot as the Florida House and the North Carolina Supreme Court.

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"In a lot of these super-down-ballot races, focus often doesnt shift down the ballot until very late in the cycle," Carolyn Fiddler of the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee told Politico. "Given where this campaign has gone from the national level on down, this is going to be a really good way to push a lot of these folks over the line."

NOW WATCH: This animated map shows how religion spread across the world





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TRENTON, N.J.  You probably already know whether you'll vote for Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton on Election Day, leaving one important question to consider when you walk into your polling place: Is it OK to take a picture of your ballot?

While secrecy in the voting booth has become a thing of the past for those sharing their views and daily lives on social media, laws nationwide are mixed on whether voters are allowed to take pictures of themselves in the act or of their ballots  "ballot selfies."

Federal judges have struck down bans on selfies in New Hampshire and Indiana, and rules have been changed in places such as California and Rhode Island, but in many states, it's still a violation that carries potential fines or jail terms.

There are laws against sharing any photo of your ballot in 18 states, while six others bar photography in polling places but do allow photos of mail-in ballots.

Critics say such regulations have not kept up with technology and are confusing for voters and election workers. Some states that ban ballot selfies or have moved to block them cite concerns the photos could harm the integrity of the voting process by encouraging vote-buying or coercion, though some acknowledge there's no evidence to support those fears.

Nikola Jordan, 33, of Omaha, Neb., has been taking such photos for about 10 years and believes they are a great way to share her views on the issues and to stress the importance of voting and being civic activity. A Nebraska lawmaker added a provision to state election law this year to allow ballot selfies.

"I was doing this for years before I learned it was technically illegal," Jordan said. "It's all about encouraging other people to get involved in the process, to show it can be fun and exciting to make your voice heard (at the polls). Don't think of voting as some boring thing ... It's your chance to make a difference."

The 1st Circuit Court of Appeals in Boston last month upheld a decision that New Hampshire's ban on ballot selfies was unconstitutional, saying it suppressed a large swath of political speech without any evidence to support the state's concerns.

"It goes to the core of democracy," said Gilles Bissonnette, legal director for the American Civil Liberties Union of New Hampshire, which brought the suit on behalf of three people investigated for violating the statute.

Among those filing briefs in support of ballot selfies was Snapchat, which argued they are the latest way voters, especially young adults, get involved in the political process and express support for or against a cause or a candidate.

"We had a failure to recognize the importance of online political speech, especially to the younger generation," Bissonnette said. "The First Amendment needs to be guarded rigorously. These old laws cannot and should not be applied to the modern technology."

California Gov. Jerry Brown signed a bill last month that repeals a 125-year-old law barring voters from showing people their marked ballots. It goes into effect after the November election, but legislative analysts have found no occasion of the ban being enforced  and it hasn't stopped people from sharing photos of their 2016 ballots.

Colorado started mailing ballots last week in the all-mail presidential election, and some ballot selfies started popping up on social media. In response, Denver District Attorney Mitch Morrissey on Thursday issued a reminder that publicizing completed ballots is a misdemeanor in the state.

The ACLU criticized his statement as potential voter intimidation. Morrissey's spokeswoman told reporters he had no plans to comb social media looking for folks posting ballot selfies, saying authorities investigate only in response to a complaint.

Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring issued a formal opinion last month that nothing in Virginia law prohibits voters from taking pictures of themselves, fellow voters or their ballot within the polling place.

"This is a product of the times we live in," said Democratic New Jersey Assemblyman Raj Mukherji, who has sponsored a measure to allow ballot selfies. "If voters want to express their pride in participating in our democracy by voting or tout their political preferences on social media, they should be entitled to do so."

Clarissa Livingstone, 26, of Toms River, said she doesn't understand concerns raised over ballot selfies. She doesn't believe people would be influenced by seeing ballot photos that she or anyone else might post.

"People are so rigid in their political beliefs these days," Livingstone said, "they're not going to change their votes once they see how some Jersey girl voted."
By Roberta Rampton

LAS VEGAS (Reuters) - President Barack Obama on Sunday campaigned in the battleground state of Nevada for Hillary Clinton, the Democratic candidate he wants to succeed him in the White House - but he spent most of his time talking about the state's Senate race.

Democrats badly want to get back control of the Republican-controlled Senate in the Nov. 8 election, and are sending Obama, Michelle Obama and Joe Biden to states where close races could tip the balance.

In Nevada, Obama reserved most of his firepower for mocking three-term Republican U.S. Representative Joe Heck, who had supported his party's presidential candidate until earlier this month when Donald Trump's campaign went into crisis mode by the release of a video in which he lewdly bragged about groping and kissing women.

"I understand Joe Heck now wishes he never said those things about Donald Trump, but they're on tape, they're on the record," Obama said, using Heck's earlier praise of Trump against him.

It's not just the Senate. Obama wants to capitalize on his high approval rating to help elect more Democrats to the House of Representatives, and has also endorsed about 150 candidates in state legislative races.

At an intimate fundraising dinner in La Jolla, California, on Sunday evening, where tickets started at $10,000, Obama urged about 60 guests to help elect Democratic congressional candidate Doug Applegate, a former Marine colonel who is challenging Republican incumbent Darrell Issa.

"As far as I can tell, (Darrell) Issa's primary contribution to the United States Congress has been to obstruct and to waste taxpayer dollars on trumped-up investigations that have led nowhere," Obama said.

Issa, the former head of the House Oversight Committee, led a series of headline-grabbing investigations into Obama's administration - but has featured a photo of Obama signing legislation on a campaign brochure.

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"Now that is the definition of chutzpah!" Obama said.

Last week, Obama excoriated Republican Senator Marco Rubio of Florida - who has a narrow lead over Democratic challenger Patrick Murphy, a congressman - for failing to repudiate Trump.

In the final two weeks leading up to Nov. 8, Clinton said she planned to work hard to support congressional and state races.

"We're going to be emphasizing the importance of electing Democrats down the ballot," Clinton told reporters traveling with her on Saturday.

In Las Vegas, Obama was introduced by the Democratic Senate candidate Catherine Cortez Masto, a two-term Nevada attorney general, who would be the first Latina elected to the U.S Senate if she wins.

"We can't elect Hillary and then saddle her with a Congress that is do-nothing, won't even try to do something," Obama said.

The Nevada Senate seat is the only Senate race this year that Republicans could flip to their control. The seat has long been held by Harry Reid, the Senate Democratic leader, who is retiring.

Cortez Masto currently has a slim 2.3 percentage point lead in an average of polls tracked by RealClearPolitics over Heck.

Obama won Nevada in 2008 and 2012. Polls show Clinton with a 4.2 percentage point lead at 45.4 percent support to Trump's 41.3 percent, according to the RealClearPolitics average.

(Additional reporting by Amanda Becker; Editing by Sandra Maler and Chrsitian Schmollinger)
UPDATE, 1:36 PM: Air Force One is on the ground at LAX and Barack Obama has arrived in Los Angeles for the last official Hollywood bigwig fundraiser of his Presidency. After a brief chat on the tarmac with Mayor Eric Garcetti and L.A. County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas, that means now that POTUS has jumped on his Marine One chopper to a undisclosed landing spot that the widespread freeway and road closures by the LAPD and the Secret Service have gone into effect (see the full lists of closures below). It also means that if you are thinking of being on Hollywood Blvd soon or in Beverly Hills later, think again.

obama-garcetti-oct-24

Before hitting top bundler Jeffrey Katzenberg and wife Marilyns home this evening for a $100,000 top ticket cash grab for the Hillary Victory Fund, the Presidents first stop in Tinseltown is for a return visit to Jimmy Kimmel Live! Then its over to the ex-DreamWorks Animation boss where the old donor band will be getting back together for one last blowout for POTUS before Obama flies out of town tomorrow just before 1 PM. Before leaving L.A., Obama will be over at American Horror Story co-creator Ryan Murphys place for a $33,000 a ticket roundtable to raise money for the Democrats Senatorial candidates.

Earlier today and yesterday Obama was in San Diego for another round of election fundraisers and a round of golf.

So, if you havent been caught in Obamageddon over the past 8-years and the Presidents over 40 visits to the Hollywood ATM, you have one last chance  or not for Tinseltown fundraisers 42 and 43.

PREVIOUSLY, OCT 23 PM: We are in the home stretch for the election and that means the parties need money for one last push. And that means President Barack Obama is back in Los Angeles to fly the flag for the Democrats and make one last visit to the Hollywood ATM before leaving office. With POTUS in town tomorrow for a taping of Jimmy Kimmel Live! in Hollywood and a well-heeled Hillary Victory Fund fundraiser at chief bundler Jeffrey Katzenbergs Beverly Hills pad, that also means Obamageddon is back for one last ride.

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Air Force One will be making a post-lunch arrival from campaign events in San Diego. With a full day here for the Kimmel appearance and the big donor shindig, and an overnight stay in Beverly Hills before leaving Tuesday morning after a roundtable, you better check out the LAPD and Secret Service road closures below  and stay off the streets and the 101 and 405 freeways in the afternoon unless you like being stuck in traffic.

MONDAY

The area around Sherman Way between Clybourn Avenue & Coldwater Canyon Avenue from

1:30 p.m.  2:30 p.m.

The CA-170 & US-101 freeways from

1:30 p.m.  2:30 p.m.

The area around Highland Avenue between Franklin Avenue & Sunset Boulevard from

1:30 p.m.  4:00 p.m.

The US-101 & I-405 freeways from

3:00 p.m.  4:30 p.m.

The area around Sunset Boulevard between Woodburn Drive & N. Palm Drive from

3:00 p.m.  8:00 p.m.

TUESDAY

The area around Sunset Boulevard between Woodburn Drive & Palm Drive from

10:00 a.m.  12:45 p.m.

The I-405 & I-10 freeways from

11:30 a.m.  1:00 p.m.

The area around S. Centinela Avenue between Ocean Park Boulevard & W. Pico Boulevard

12:00 p.m.  1:00 p.m.

CLOSURES / RESTRICTIONS (no bus routes impacted by hard closures)

Hollywood Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA

EB and WB lanes of Hollywood Boulevard between Highland Avenue and N. Orange Drive will be closed to vehicular traffic between the approximate hours or 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. on October 24, 2016.

Hawthorne Avenue, Los Angeles, CA

EB and WB lanes of Hawthorne Avenue between Highland Avenue and N. Orange Drive will be closed to vehicular traffic between the approximate hours of 1:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. on October 24, 2016.

N. Loma Vista Drive, Beverly Hills, CA

NB and SB lanes of N. Loma Vista Drive between Wallace Ridge and Dabney Drive will be closed to vehicular traffic between the approximate hours of 5:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. on October 24, 2016.

Sunset Boulevard, Beverly Hills, CA

EB and WB lanes of Sunset Boulevard between N. Whittier Drive and N. Bedford Drive will be closed

to vehicular traffic between the approximate hours of 10:45 a.m. and 12:45 p.m. on October 25, 2016.

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By Ethan Lou

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Oil prices dipped on Monday, with U.S. crude briefly falling below $50 per barrel, on news of the impending restart of Britain's Buzzard oilfield and Iraq's wish to be exempted from OPEC production cuts.

Buzzard, the North Sea field that contributes to the Forties crude stream and which pumps about 180,000 barrels per day (bpd), will restart on Tuesday or Wednesday, from a month-long planned maintenance, an industry source said.

Iraq's oil minister Jabar Ali al-Luaibi said the second-largest producer in the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) wanted to be exempt from output curbs as it needed more money to fight Islamic State militants.

OPEC hopes to remove about 700,000 bpd from an estimated global supply of 1.0-1.5 million bpd. Details of how much each member should cut have been left to its meeting in Vienna on Nov. 30.

Brent, the international benchmark for crude, settled down 32 cents, or 0.6 percent, at $51.46 a barrel. Its session low was $50.50.

U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude fell 33 cents, or 0.7 percent, to settle at $50.52.

WTI slid below $50 for the first time since Oct. 18, hitting a session low of $49.62, as some players locked in profits from oil's climb of more than $5 a barrel, or about 13 percent, over the past month.

"We're seeing some length exiting the market," said Pete Donovan, broker at New York's Liquidity Energy.

In Forties crude, which influences pricing for Brent, differentials were at their weakest in two weeks pending the restart of the Buzzard field.

"Obviously, it means increased supply for Brent versus what had been the status quo," said David Thompson, executive vice-president at commodities-focused broker Powerhouse in Washington.

A Reuters poll showed that U.S. crude inventories were also forecast to have risen last week by a likely 800,000 barrels, after a fall of more than 5 million barrels in the week to Oct. 14. [EIA/S]

Still, losses in oil were limited by higher equity prices on Wall Street and by data from energy monitoring firm Genscape showing a weekly draw of about 1.0 million barrels of crude at the Cushing, Oklahoma, delivery hub for WTI. [.N]

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The Seaway Crude Pipeline system, a 850,000-bpd system which moves crude from Cushing to Gulf coast refineries, was completely shut down briefly after a leak was discovered late on Sunday. By Monday afternoon, the 450,000 bpd Seaway Twin, which was shut as a precaution, was restarted. But the 400,000-bpd pipeline, which it calls its legacy line, remained shut.

News of the outage sent the prompt crude spread, which often correlates to the supply-demand balance in Cushing, to the widest in nearly two months.

Crude futures also pared losses towards the settlement as bulls gained more control.

It was "just short covering ... people were short and got squeezed out," said Jimmy Brunn, managing director at Forecast Trading Group in Suffern, New York.

(Additional reporting by Devika Krishna Kumar in New York, Ahmad Ghaddar in LONDON and Henning Gloystein in SINGAPORE; Editing by David Gregorio and Andrew Hay)
MUMBAI (Reuters) - Indian ride-sharing service Ola has partnered with German carmaker BMW to strengthen its luxury mobility segment, the app-based taxi aggregator said on Monday.

The tie-up will allow Ola cab operators to avail cheaper credit to buy BMW cars, receive after-sales support and guaranteed buyback, Ola said in a statement.

BMW-certified instructors will also train drivers about auto safety systems and technology, the statement said.

The agreement follows Ola's partnership, announced last month, with India's top SUV maker, Mahindra & Mahindra.

BMW joins the ranks of other global automakers such as Volkswagen, Toyota Motor Corp and General Motors GM.N, which have all signed tie-ups with ride-sharing companies to guard against a shift in consumer choice away from vehicle ownership.

(Reporting by Sankalp Phartiyal; Editing by Amrutha Gayathri)
AT&T President and CEO Randall Stephenson

You have to wonder if AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson read "The Curse of the Mogul."

The book, co-written by Jonathan Knee, Bruce Greenwald, and Ana Seave, is a data-filled take down of mergers like AT&T's $85.4 billion bid for Time Warner Inc., which owns everything from HBO to CNN.

Almost none of these deals pay off for customers or shareholders.

"The single most consistent reason for underperformance in media companies is bad acquisitions," the authors of the 2009 book write. "Mergers and acquisitions do not create value."

The AT&T-Time Warner deal announcement touts "a combination unlike any other," "a perfect match of two companies with complementary strengths," and a billion dollars a year worth of "synergies," which is how business people talk about cost-cutting.

But a review of past deals suggests Stephenson has his work cut out for himself, and there could be parallels to the disastrous failed AOL acquisition of Time Warner at the turn of the century.

Mogul mistakes

Perhaps more than any other industry, media companies have long been run by "moguls," executives whose personality and fame was often larger than the size of the companies they run. They were the faces of movie studios for much of the 20th century. And today, CEOs like Leslie Moonves of CBS are celebrities in their own right, making cameos on shows like The Late Show.

For the same reasons regular people feel emotional connections to certain movies, songs, and television shows, moguls have a track record of becoming enamored with "content," even when that leads them to make bad financial decisions.

According to the book, in 2004, Douglas Shapiro, then an analyst at Bank of America Securities, took a look at how media companies would have fared if they hadn't merged or acquired others. In some cases, like with Time Warner's merger with AOL, he estimates Time Warner's stock would have been about 2.5 times higher. In others, like Disney's acquisition of Capital Cities (then the parent of ABC), the stock would have remained about the same, implying the deal didn't add much of anything to the bottom line.

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Shapiro, it should be noted, ended up with senior positions at Turner, which is a part of Time Warner.

What's the advantage?

time warner center

AT&T has about 130 million Americans using its cellphone network, and about 20 million customers paying for its DIRECTV satellite television. For now, it doesn't create music, produce television shows, or make movies, but it does control a lot of ways this content gets to Americans.

And AT&T has a lot of advantages in the businesses it does control.

It's expensive to own and maintain cell phone towers, and thousands of miles of wire. It's expensive to own satellites. That's why it doesn't have many competitors.

And it's not the easiest thing for customers to switch to the competitors it does have. Sure, at least now you can take a phone number with you from provider to provider but cellphone contracts and other hurdles mean that switching cellphone service or television provider takes more thought than, say, changing channels.

Media companies like Time Warner are in a tougher business. Many of the "competitive advantages" listed by many media moguls are "shams," the authors say.

These include :

Deep pockets: "Businesses that provide deep pockets as the source of their competitive advantage have a predictable tendency to empty those pockets over time," they write. A case in point is Sony's purchase of Columbia Pictures after Coca-Cola's brief ownership (yes, really - Coca-Cola once owned Columbia Pictures!).

Brands: Many big names in media have suffered "sudden deaths," as the authors put it. Remember the Saturday Evening Post? Newsweek isn't what it was. Plus, many consumers aren't particularly loyal to media brands. They care more about individual shows and movies.

Talent: Having big, famous names signed to a media company can provide benefits (Howard Stern is pretty much keeping SiriusXM alive). But like Howard Stern, successful personalities also get really expensive really fast.

Plus, that emotional connection leads some leaders to make bad business decisions. Ted Turner almost destroyed Turner Broadcasting by paying $1.5 billion for the movie studio, MGM in 1986. He sold a lot of it back to businessman Kirk Kerkorian a few months later for a fraction what Turner paid. Reportedly, Turner really wanted to own "Gone with the Wind." (He did once again a few years later.)

Content is not king

Westworld HBO press

Moguls say media companies should be measured by other metrics because they're managing creative people producing artistic content. But, the authors write, media companies as a group consistently underperform the market on average.

And this is a big reason why: The tools to produce successful shows and movies are more or less available to anyone with the cash to fund it. So while a network may have a successful run, or a movie franchise, over time, there's little to stop a competitor from swooping in (think Fox News disrupting CNN). And successful content is often produced by talented individuals. As it succeeds, those people can demand larger and larger shares of the profits for themselves (think news anchors making millions, or film stars earning huge paydays). Netflix and Amazon have spent billions of dollars producing high quality television, giving Time Warner's HBO a run for its money.

Remember AOL?

Reading the book 16 years since AOL's botched purchase of Time Warner should offer some warning signs for AT&T. At the time, AOL surprised Time Warner officials with an estimate of the expected synergies, the savings and benefits that a combined company that would supposedly be impossible apart. Their estimate was $1 billion in savings, which is odd considering AOL and Time Warner had almost no overlapping businesses.

(There's an immediate parallel to the latest deal: AT&T and Time Warner also have nearly no overlap, something the companies have actually pointed out when addressing concerns about regulators blocking the deal.)

AOL and Time Warner famously parted ways a few years later, effectively admitting the deal was a big mistake.

The old AOL Time Warner logo

So, now we have AT&T, a company that's primarily a wireless phone provider and the owner of DIRECTV satellite television, hoping to buy Time Warner, primarily a content creator.

Here are some questions customers, investors, and the public should be asking:

Does the deal in any way make content cheaper to produce? Almost definitely not. AT&T isn't currently in the creative business.

Will AT&T be able to prevent competitors from accessing Time Warner's content? No. It's unlikely because of regulations, existing contracts with other cable companies, and it wouldn't make good business sense to limit the networks' audiences.

What's the point of owning both content and distribution? AT&T could always strike a distribution deal  even an exclusive one  with a company like Time Warner without outright owning it. And don't forget Time Warner spun off its cable provider, which was later sold to Charter. There just wasn't an advantage to owning the cable pipes and the networks like CNN. (Comcast, which now owns NBC, may be learning this, too.)

What are the barriers to competitors encroaching on its turf? Anyone with money to burn can start creating content, no matter who owns the pipes that get it to customers. Netflix and Amazon spent billions to create their own content empires. AT&T would want its customers to have that content just as much as anything Time Warner produces.

In media deals, the selling company (Time Warner, in this case) typically reaps most of the benefits of a deal, even when the acquirer doesn't pay as big a premium as AT&T is. So, with AT&T offering $107.5 per share for Time Warner, which is currently trading far below that at $87 a share, and with AT&T's debt load soaring to about $170 billion if the deal goes through, the challenges for the combined companies appear immense.

What's next?

If there's one takeaway from this book, it's that most media mergers are bad ideas. The few that do succeed tend to work because the two companies are able to consolidate physical infrastructure like wires, and save money in the process. But even then, acquirers are often so eager to make a deal that they overpay.

Even if regulators approve the combo, which is an open question, AT&T will have to bet that owning creative content is better than just providing the pipes and towers that get it to customers. It's hoping that when everyone watches video on portable devices, the economic advantage of owning networks and a movie studio will be different than it has been for previous owners. Or it could be a wake up call to AT&T's Randall Stephenson that being a mogul isn't as fun as it looks.

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If you thought that Sony's Sausage Party, the no-holds-barred spoof of animated movies that took Hollywood by storm in August, would rest on its critical and commercial laurels this awards season, then you might be, well, a weenie.

Earlier this year, Sausage Party, a comedy about a store full of grocery products confronting their own mortality, grossed $135 million worldwide on a $19 million budget, making it the most commercially successful R-rated animated film ever while earning an 83 percent critics' approval rating at RottenTomatoes.com. And so the studio has decided to give it a full-out awards campaign, including but not limited to a push for a best animated feature Oscar nomination (which only one R-rated film, 2015's Anomalisa, ever has received).

The Academy's short films and feature animation branch, which determines the animated feature nominees, is generally described as a conservative bunch that gravitates toward old-fashioned animation and moralistic stories - but people close to the film feel that's selling them short.

"Academy members are way smarter and more forward-thinking than people realize," Sony Pictures chief Tom Rothman tells The Hollywood Reporter. "They want to recognize bold, original, risky breakthroughs, and that's what Sausage Party is, however subversive. Plus, it's just plain cool."

Adds Seth Rogen, who not only voiced Sausage Party's main character but also co-wrote and co-produced the film with his creative partner Evan Goldberg: "We've never been this passionate about a film and we're thrilled to enter uncharted territory. It's rare you really get to break new ground, and we hope that people view it as a good thing for the medium." (Megan Ellison is another producer on the film.)

Sony's push for the film will launch with a Nov. 1 screening and cocktail party at Westwood's iPic Theater, with Rogen and one of the film's two directors, Conrad Vernon (the other is Greg Tiernan), in attendance. The guest list will include members of the Academy's short films and feature animation branch, members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (who determine Golden Globe nominees and winners), representatives of other guilds and press who cover the awards season.

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In addition, the studio has slated numerous other targeted screenings and events, including a similar gathering in New York around the Thanksgiving break. It has lined up print and digital advertising in the trades and other publications that reach awards voters who get to cast an animation-related ballot. And Rogen will be hitting the campaign trail as well.

Sony also is sending out mailers, which will provide voters and tastemakers with screeners of the film and CDs featuring its original song "The Great Beyond" (music by eight-time Oscar winner Alan Menken, a Disney legend, and lyrics by Rogen, Goldberg, Kyle Hunter, Ariel Shaffir and Glenn Slater), which it also hopes will be recognized. (South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut, the 1999 film that was the highest-grossing R-rated animated release prior to Sausage Party, landed a best original song Oscar nom for "Blame Canada.")

Rogen, asked about the film's awards push, cracks, "We all want to meet Leonardo DiCaprio."
If your kitchen is anything close to typical, it is likely furnished with a few mismatched pots and lids; a stack of pans that may or may not be the right size for the task at hand; a drawer crammed with utensils in a variety of conditions and configurations (some of which you don't know how to use, though some day you might learn); and several knives, none of which are sharp enough to be of much good.

I believe the ideal kitchen is minimally furnished. By that, I meant it should contain an adequate supply of excellent-quality, highly useful cookware and utensils.

If that doesn't describe your kitchen, it's time to take inventory and dejunk your cupboards and drawers so that each piece of equipment is used often, performs adequately and has its own place. That kind of simplicity is beautiful.

With that in mind, today I want to offer a little advice on knives and some considerations for when you're ready to purchase knives for yourself or for a gift.

The best knives are made of high-carbon stainless steel and are finely honed, perfectly balanced and expensive. A single chef's knife of this stature can easily run $500 or more. While knives should be a once-in-a-lifetime investment, I think it's a mistake to spend a lot of money on them. It's more important to invest in knives that can be sharpened and for you to then keep them sharp. You could buy the best chef's knife, but if you won't maintain it there's no point in buying it. A dull knife makes you work harder because you need to exert greater force, and you can ultimately hurt yourself.

An excellent starter set that will handle all of your needs is a 3-inch straight-edge paring knife for peeling fruits and vegetables and cutting small items; a 5-inch utility knife (or sandwich knife) for slicing small items like cheese, fruits or sandwich ingredients; an 8-inch chef's knife for slicing, chopping and mincing; and a honing device and steel for maintaining your sharp edges between professional sharpenings. A long serrated knife is a luxury. You'll be glad to have one for slicing French bread, fresh tomatoes or a prime rib roast because they have a gripping quality that allows you to cut paper-thin if necessary.

BEST INEXPENSIVE KNIFE STARTER SET: Wusthof PRO 5-Piece Starter Knife Set. Made in Solingen, Germany, Wusthof is a highly respected brand of high-carbon steel cutlery. It is considered top of the line by professional chefs. This set includes a cook's knife, paring knife, bread knife, steel and an eight-pocket knife storage roll. This basic set may have all the knives you ever need, though you can add to it with Wusthof Open Stock Cutlery in the future. You simply cannot find a better value than this beautiful basic set of knives. It costs about $95.

This set would make a perfect gift for any home cook or aspiring young chef.

BEST INEXPENSIVE HOME KNIFE SHARPENER: Wusthof Precision Edge 2 Stage Knife Sharpener. Good knives should be sharpened professionally once every year or two. Between sharpenings, however, you will want to keep those blades honed like a razor's edge. Safe and easy to use, this two-stage knife sharpener requires nothing but a few easy strokes to keep blades sharp. Its V-shaped cutting head with two crossed carbide blades quickly puts an edge on knives. It costs about $20.
Oxford University Press new edition of William Shakespeares work will have the 16th-century playwright Christopher Marlowe co-credit three of Shakespeares plays.

The decision comes after a team of 23 academics used software to analyze texts as they questioned whether Britains most-famous bard had collaborated with other writers. Three Henry VI plays as well as up to 17 plays are now believed to contain writing by other people, doubling the figure in the previous Oxford Shakespeare anthology, the Guardian reports.

The orthodox view was that Shakespeare didnt collaborate at all. When the Oxford Shakespeare in 1986 proposed that eight plays of Shakespeare contained writing by other writers, some people were outraged Gary Taylor, a Florida State University English professor who was one of the scholars researching the matter, told the newspaper. What has happened since 1986 is that the accumulation of new scholarship, techniques and resources has made it clear that, in 1986, we underestimated the amount of Shakespeares work thats collaborative.

Marlowes influence in sections of Henry VI plays have been suspected since the 18th century, with some going as far as suggesting Marlowe was, in fact, Shakespeare himself (a widely dismissed claim). We can now be confident that they didnt just influence each other, but they worked with each other. Rivals sometimes collaborate Taylor said.

[Guardian]
A small shift in the oxygen levels in the air could act as a "reset" button for the biological clock, according to a new study in mice.

Mice in the study that were exposed to a brief dip in the levels of oxygen in the air that they were breathing adjusted more quickly to a new circadian rhythm than mice that received steady levels of oxygen, the researchers found.

In other words, the dip in oxygen levels seemed to help the animals adjust to the mouse equivalent of jet lag, according to the study, which was published today (Oct. 20) in the journal Cell Metabolism.

The thought of changing oxygen levels may sound scary; however, the oxygen levels to which the mice were exposed in the study were not so low that they were harmful. The levels used in the experiment were similar to the oxygen levels common on airplanes, the researchers, led by Gad Asher, a senior scientist at the Weizmann Institute of Science in Rehovot, Israel, wrote in their study. [10 Things You Didnt Know About the Brain]

The research was aimed at developing a better understanding of a body's circadian rhythm, or biological clock. The clock is found in the brain of all mammals, and it somehow communicates with nearly every cell throughout the body, but scientists have not known how this communication happens.

In mice, oxygen levels in the cells fluctuate throughout the day, according to the study. The researchers proposed that oxygen might be the missing signal.

In several experiments, they found that oxygen levels in the cells of mice appear to increase at night, when they are active, and decrease during they day, when they are at rest.

Next, the researchers set out to determine if changing the levels of oxygen in the air the mice were breathing could also change the circadian rhythm.

In a lab experiment, the researchers changed oxygen levels in the air by 3 percent, and found that they were able to "reset" the circadian clocks of cells growing in lab dishes.

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Then, in an experiment in mice, the researchers exposed the animals to either oxygen levels that remained stable at 21 percent (this is the percentage of oxygen in the air we breathe at sea level), or levels that started at 21 percent, dipped down to 16 percent for 12 hours, then rose back to 21 percent, according to the study.

At first, exposing the mice to fluctuating oxygen levels instead of steady levels had no effect on their circadian rhythms, they found.

But when the scientists also added in jet lag  by exposing the mice to "daylight" six hours ahead of schedule  the difference in oxygen levels played a role. When the jet-lagged mice were exposed to the dip in oxygen, they were able to adjust to a new eating, sleeping and activity schedule more quickly than the mice that didnt experience any changes in oxygen levels, the researchers found.

Because the study was done in cells and animals, it's not clear if the results also apply to humans.

However, the researchers noted that oxygen levels on airplanes are lower than oxygen levels on the ground. Because some people report airsickness due to these lower levels, the aviation industry is apparently investigating an increase in oxygen levels on planes to 21 percent. Given the findings of the study, however, doing so could have a negative impact on jet lag, the researchers wrote.

In future experiments, the researchers would like to see if higher levels of oxygen could also shift an animal's circadian rhythm.

"I believe passengers [on airplanes] might be more enthusiastic to inhale oxygen-enriched air to alleviate jet lag in contrast to low oxygen" air, Asher said in a statement.

Originally published on Live Science.

Editor's Recommendations
By Saleem Shaikh SAJAWAL, Pakistan (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - When seven hours of non-stop rain led to a flash flood that swept through his village school, leaving it heavily damaged, science teacher Ali Zamin Samejo had to be hospitalized for shock. I passed out in a matter of seconds in the morning, seeing my school knocked down by the devastating flood, remembers the 35-year-old, fighting back tears. What worried him most about the 2010 flood in Ghorabari, about 200 kilometers from Karachi, was whether his 22 students would be able to continue their education, he said. Six years later, hes still teaching in the village  only now classes take place under a tree, as the school has not yet been rebuilt. Schools in flood-prone Pakistan are proving particularly vulnerable to worsening extreme weather and shifting rainfall patterns linked to climate change, officials say. According to the countrys National Disaster Management Authority, about 10,000 educational institutions were damaged or destroyed in mega-floods that affected a fourth of Pakistan in 2010. Since then another 10,000 schools have been damaged in subsequent floods through 2015, the authority said. But a new national plan, set to be put into action next year, aims to reduce the risk schools, teachers and students face by improving construction standards for schools, creating disaster management plans, holding evacuation drills, and raising awareness of the risks through things like speaking competitions and painting exhibitions. Disaster risk reduction will also become a focus in school curriculums, according to the plan. We have already received applause from the federal education ministry and provincial education departments for framing the plan, and we feel really proud of it, said Major-General Asghar Nawaz, chairman of the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA). ENOUGH FUNDING? The program, created with backing from UNICEF, the United Nations children's agency, is expected to be put in place across the country with the help of the education ministry, the National Commission for Human Development and community-based organizations, Nawaz said in an interview with the Thomson Reuters Foundation. But making it work will require not just getting teachers and students on board, but winning funding and political support, Nawaz cautioned. Political will and allocation of required funding are the key to making the plan deliver, he said. Shaheena Khan, manager of the Agha Khan Rural Support Programme, which provided advice in building the plan, agreed that both could potentially be in short supply. Given the previous track record of the government agencies regarding their failure to fund such worthwhile plans, I feel afraid the plan may end up on a shelf, she said. Because it would require large-scale funding, the federal and provincial governments may feel shy about financing it. Seeking funds from climate change bodies such as the international Green Climate Fund or the Adaptation Fund could be one solution, she said. Moving at-risk schools or ensuring construction efforts meet building codes, in particular, could prove a major challenge, said Tariq Hussain, director general of the countrys Earthquake Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Authority. But he said fairly simple measures like putting flood-prone schools atop raised earth platforms and using wood plank and tin-roof construction in earthquake zones could help. GETTING KIDS INVOLVED Until such changes happen, schools are a risky place for children during disasters, he said. During the countrys 2005 earthquake, more than 18,000 children died and thousands more were injured when over 58,000 schools were destroyed. Preparing schoolchildren and teachers through mock exercises at school about saving their lives in case of disasters is of unprecedented value, he said. Some of the risk children face in disasters is the result of decisions made by parents, teachers and government officials, said Zaheer Gohrao, education program manager for the National Commission for Human Development. That means that helping those groups understand disaster risks and what might be done about them, through things like community meetings, news broadcasts and talks by community and religious leaders, can play a vital role in addressing the impacts of disasters", he said. Getting children involved in learning to protect themselves  rather than treating them as passive victims in disasters  will help them develop skills to respond to any disaster risk on their own, Gohrao said in an interview. What children learn also can be passed on to parents and other family and community members, said Amanullah Khan, head of the U.N. Development Programmes environment unit in Pakistan. Children are the motivational reservoir, who encourage their family members to act. They connect families with the community, Khan said. Samejo, the teacher who lost his school in Ghorabari, said he finds the new push hugely encouraging. Previously it was my impression that making the education sector disaster resilient was the governments lowest priority, he said. But now, as theyve come up with the national school safety blueprint, we teachers dont cast doubt anymore." (Reporting by Saleem Shaikh; editing by Laurie Goering :; Please credit the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of Thomson Reuters, that covers humanitarian news, climate change, women's rights, trafficking and property rights. Visit http://news.trust.org/climate)
US Army

The Pentagon is forcing nearly 10,000 soldiers who were paid juicy cash bonuses to reenlist into the California National Guard to pay the bonuses back, after an audit found they were given out by mistake.

The Los Angeles Times spoke with a number of soldiers affected by the error  which was made by Guard officials, not the soldiers themselves  who are struggling to repay debts of $15,000 or more and have little recourse, since protesting or failing to pay will result in interest and penalty charges, along with calls from debt collectors.

"These bonuses were used to keep people in," former Capt. Christopher Van Meter, who says he refinanced his home mortgage to repay $25,000 in reenlistment bonuses and $21,000 in student loan repayments, told The Times. "People like me just got screwed."

It seems that until the Times story broke, soldiers were repaying these debts under the radar. If they wanted to appeal, they were forced into a Kafkaesque bureaucracy involving the Treasury Department, California National Guard, the National Guard Bureau, and the DoD.

That still is the case, at least for now.

"The bonus audit and recoupment process is a federal program governed and adjudicated by the National Guard Bureau and the Department of the Army," the California Guard wrote on its Facebook page Sunday, amid a wave of criticism. "The California National Guard does not have the authority to unilaterally waive these debts. However, the California National Guard welcomes any law passed by Congress to waive these debts."

The National Guard Bureau declined to comment, but Pentagon spokesperson Maj. Jamie Davis said the military was looking "very closely" at the issue.

"There is a formal review process in place through which affected service members can be relieved of responsibility to repay improperly awarded bonuses," he said in a statement. "We continue to encourage service members affected by this situation to pursue those reviews and any relief they may be entitled to receive. In the meantime, the Department will work with the Army, the National Guard Bureau, the California Army National Guard and other relevant authorities to resolve these issues."

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On Monday, Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) wrote a letter to the Adjutant General of California's Guard, urging the suspension of debt collection as Congress works on "corrective legislation."

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MANILA, Philippines (AP)  Americas top diplomat for Asia said Monday that Philippine President Rodrigo Dutertes controversial remarks and a real climate of uncertainty about his governments intentions have sparked distress in the U.S. and other countries.

Daniel Russel, the assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs, said he also relayed to Philippine Foreign Secretary Perfecto Yasay Jr. international concern over continuing killings under Dutertes crackdown against illegal drugs.

Russels visit to the Philippines, part of a three-nation trip to Southeast Asia, comes amid increasing uncertainty about Washingtons treaty alliance with Manila. The brash Duterte, who took office on June 30, has displayed antagonism toward America, declaring his desire to scale back military engagements with the U.S. and telling President Barack Obama to go to hell.

Dutertes administration, however, has not formalized his public declarations to remove U.S. counterterrorism forces from the volatile southern Philippines and stop large-scale joint exercises involving American forces, creating confusion among even his Cabinet officials.

In a major walk-around, Duterte sparked diplomatic alarm when he announced during a state visit to Beijing last week his separation with the United States. Upon returning home the day after his stunning remarks, Duterte said he did not mean he was severing diplomatic ties with Washington but only wanted to end a foreign policy thats overly oriented toward the U.S.

Ive pointed out to Secretary Yasay that the succession of controversial statements, comments and a real climate of uncertainty about the Philippines intentions has created consternation in a number of countries, not only in mine, Russel told reporters Monday in Manila after a meeting with Yasay that went overtime.

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The unease, Russel said, was also palpable not only among governments, but also  in other communities, in the expat Filipino community, in corporation board rooms as well.

This is not a positive trend, he said, adding that the U.S. remains committed to continuing a solid alliance with and providing assistance to the Philippines, including in fighting the drug menace.

Coinciding with Russels visit, the U.S. military turned over a refurbished C-130T cargo plane Monday as part of Washingtons effort to help modernize the underfunded Philippine military, which has struggled to deal with Muslim and communist insurgencies and natural disasters.

Outgoing U.S. Ambassador Philip Goldberg said at the turnover ceremony that the U.S. was trying to clarify Dutertes remarks in relation to existing policies, including their impact on planned joint military exercises. Despite the concerns, Goldberg said the U.S. rebalance to Asia would proceed.

Its a historical relationship, it has its ups and downs, Goldberg told reporters. While he remains optimistic, Goldberg said some of the language weve heard is inconsistent with that friendship.

Asked if joint combat exercises with the Americans would continue despite Dutertes declared opposition to them, Yasay could not give a categorical answer to reporters.

Duterte wanted the joint combat drills to enable the Philippines to be self-reliant in our defensive requirements, Yasay said. If this will not be achieved, (Duterte) said then, theres no purpose of proceeding with these.

Patrolling the China-held Scarborough Shoal with the U.S. Navy, for example, can send a signal that its a deterrent against bad Chinese intentions. It has precisely resulted in both parties digging in and made a peaceful resolution of the disputes even farthest from achieving, Yasay said.

Russel said that while Washington welcomes the relaxation of tensions between Manila and Beijing under Duterte, the rapprochement should not come at the expense of the U.S. or other nations.

Its a mistake to think that improved relations between Manila and Beijing somehow come at the expense of the United States, he said. This should be addition and not subtraction.
A high-profile senator in the Philippines has called for international intervention in the countrys gruesome drug war, which was initiated under President Rodrigo Duterte and has claimed thousands of lives since the start of his term in July.

Leila de Lima, a prominent human-rights advocate and former Secretary of Justice, told the Guardian that deadly antidrug operations under Duterte could amount to crimes against humanity and should be investigated by the International Criminal Court in the Hague.

It [ICC] should start to think about investigating already or doing an inquiry into the killings as crimes against humanity, she told the newspaper in an interview.

De Lima, who has emerged as one of the Presidents sole domestic critics, said Dutertes public exhortations for alleged drug users and dealers to be killed had inspired lawlessness and vigilantism.

You cannot dismiss this sort of rhetoric as just a figure of speech or hyperbole because thats not how the people on the ground have been interpreting the pronouncements of the President, she said.

The Senator has faced extreme and abusive fallout from her vocal opposition to the presidents tactics. She received numerous death threats after an unknown opponent shared her personal contact information online, and her critics have accused her of corruption and sexual misconduct.

De Lima has dismissed the allegations as an attempt at character assassination.

Since Duterte took office in June, more than 3,600 people have been killed in the name of his merciless war on drugs. More than half are believed to have died at the hands of vigilantes in extrajudicial killings that targeted both drug dealers and users.

The bloody drug war has been condemned by many foreign powers including the countrys longtime ally, the U.S., and the U.N., but the criticism has been met with vitriolic rhetoric from Duterte, who is notorious for his deeply offensive, ranting insults directed at Western leaders.

[Guardian]
By Linda Sieg and Tim Kelly TOKYO (Reuters) - Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte softened his remarks about a "separation" from long-time ally the United States on the eve of a visit to Japan, a country worried about Manila's apparent pivot away from Washington and towards China. "The alliances are alive," Duterte told Japanese media in Manila on Monday, Kyodo News reported. "There should be no worry about changes of alliances. I do not need to have alliances with other nations." The remarks will be welcomed by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who wants to keep ties with the Philippines tight during Duterte's visit to Japan, starting on Tuesday. Duterte jolted the region last week on a trip to China when he announced a realignment toward Beijing, the latest in a series of outbursts against the United States. Duterte's aides and the president himself later tried to clarify that he did not mean he was cutting ties with the United States and his remarks on Monday were the most conciliatory yet. Duterte told Japanese media he had been expressing a personal opinion, not speaking for the government when he mentioned separating from Washington, the Nikkei newspaper said. He said he only plans to have an "alliance of trade and commerce" with China, Kyodo reported. Abe, who has sought to strengthen ties with the Philippines and other Southeast Asian countries as a counter-balance to a rising Beijing, will be trying to wed Manila to Tokyo's side without prompting a backlash that pushes it closer to China. "It's certainly unfortunate and we are worried, but such things will not change Japan's commitment to the Philippines," said Narushige Michishita, a professor at the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies and former defense official, referring to Duterte's comments. Meanwhile, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, after talking to his Philippine counterpart on Sunday, is confident the two countries can "work through" a period of confusion caused by Duterte's remarks the State Department said. Japanese officials said Abe would not overtly try to mediate between Tokyo and Washington. Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida will meet Duterte on Tuesday for a low-key dinner, and Abe will hold rare one-on-one talks with Duterte at his residence in Tokyo the next evening following a larger, more formal meeting with senior officials. "I don't think he has any negative feeling toward Japan," said a senior Japanese government official. "We are confident the visit to Japan will produce good results." Duterte's predecessor Benigno Aquino angered China by lodging a case with an arbitration court in the Hague challenging the legitimacy of Beijing's maritime claims in the resource-rich South China Sea. A ruling earlier this year emphatically favored Manila but was rejected by China, which has repeatedly warned the United States and Japan to stay out of the dispute. Duterte told the Japanese media that at some point Manila would have to talk with Beijing about the international court's ruling, the Nikkei said. He said China and the Philippines had agreed not to discuss the matter in his initial trip to China. (Additional reporting by William Mallard; Editing by Grant McCool and Lincoln Feast)
Vahan Ghazaryan, director of the Young Journalists School in Yerevan, has been charged with the October 19 murder of 22-year-old Levon Sahakyan.

Per Armenias Investigative Committee, Ghazaryan stabbed Sahakyan with a sharp instrument in his office after an argument about money Ghazaryan was said to have owed Sahakyans wife to be.

Sahakyan died while undergoing surgery at a Yerevan hospital.

Photo: Vahan Ghazaryan
By Chris Scicluna and Marine Pennetier VALLETTA/PARIS (Reuters) - A small aircraft conducting a surveillance mission over the Mediterranean for France's defense ministry crashed on take-off in Malta on Monday, killing all five people on board. The ministry declined to say what the purpose of the surveillance operation was. Airport officials said the plane had been heading for Misrata in Libya, where some Western powers have sent small teams of special forces to support the new U.N.-backed unity government in its fight against Islamist militants. The twin-prop Fairchild Metroliner went down near the runway of the southern Mediterranean island nation's main airport in the morning, sending smoke billowing into the sky. Malta International Airport was closed for several hours. On board were three French defense ministry officials and two pilots, who were also French. France's defense ministry and Luxembourg-based CAE Aviation, which operated the plane, said the five died. CAE said it was an accident but gave no details. "A light reconnaissance aircraft ... carrying out surveillance operations over the Mediterranean for the defense ministry crashed this morning at 0630 at Malta's Luqa airport, during take-off," Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said. The French daily Le Monde wrote that the defense ministry officials belonged to France's intelligence services. The Maltese government initially said the flight was part of a customs operation France has been conducting for the last five months, tracking human trafficking and drug smuggling. But French customs said they had no personnel on board. The remains of all five victims were found, the Maltese government said, and inquiries were under way to determine what had happened. "Official information, footage and eyewitnesses ... clearly indicate that there was no explosion prior to impact," it said in a statement. The plane, registered in the United States and leased to CAE, "was being flown by an experienced crew with no technical issues reported on previous flights", a CAE statement said. The cause was unknown but was being investigated. The flight had been due to return to Malta within hours without landing in any other countries, Malta's government said. The crash was the country's worst peacetime air incident. (Additional reporting by Agnieszka Barteczko in Warsaw, Phil Blenkinsop and Marilyn Haigh in Brussels; writing by Isla Binnie and Ingrid Melander; editing by Mark Heinrich)
New details are emerging about the shocking California high-speed chase involving a police officer and a civilian who was on a ride along as shots were fired.

Read: Grandmother of 5 Among 13 Dead in California Tour Bus Crash

The terrified civilian in her 20s was accompanying the rookie cop early Sunday morning when a routine traffic stop took an unexpected turn.

The drama unfolded as Officer Julian Garcia attempted to pull over a driver for a busted tail light.

When the motorist didn't stop, the officer, who finished his field training just two weeks prior, gave chase in Madera.

As the fleeing driver blew through two stop signs, the civilian, who has not been identified and was part the citys Citizen Police Academy, was the first to realize that the other driver was armed.

In dashcam footage, she can be heard saying: He has a gun! No! Oh no!

As Officer Garcia drew closer to the culprit, a passenger in the fleeing car fired off nine shots at the police cruiser. The civilian was cut by flying glass as bullets struck the windshield.

The rear window of the car was completely blown out, as were the tires, which ended the chase when the police car became disabled.

The suspects got away by ditching their car and escaping on foot. No one was apprehended but authorities say they have many leads.

Read: Officer Honored for Saving Life of Boy, 3, Who Was Having a Seizure: 'I'm Just Doing My Job'

Officer Garcia and the civilian walked away from the incident with just minor cuts and scrapes.

Police Chief Steve Frazier told Inside Edition: "We are all very thankful both [she] and the officer are okay."

He added that the civilian "had a very traumatic event occur," causing her to sound frantic on the dashcam video.

Watch: 'That's My Truck!': Man Streams Chase on Facebook Live After Car Is Stolen

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Warsaw (AFP) - Thousands of Polish women on Monday demonstrated nationwide against new bids to tighten the staunchly Catholic country's abortion law, which is already one of the most restrictive in Europe.

During this second edition of the "Women strike" campaign, black-clad protesters carrying umbrellas waved banners protesting against "Church interference in politics" and "the violation of women's rights".

"We're fighting for a secular state, the right to contraception and equal pay among men and women among other things," said an organiser, Kamila Majer, at the Warsaw protest.

"Right now the Church interferes in politics and the law. It blackmails political parties and meddles in things that shouldn't concern it," fellow organiser Bozena Przyluska told AFP.

The first edition of the strike took place on October 3 and saw 100,000 women take to the EU country's streets to protest against a proposed near-total abortion ban.

The citizens' initiative, which the governing Law and Justice (PiS) party had pushed ahead, would have allowed terminations only if the mother's life was at risk and would have also made women who have abortions liable to prison terms.

Poland's parliament wound up rejecting the controversial bill after the protest, though PiS leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski later said his party still hoped to limit abortion access.

"We will strive to ensure that even difficult pregnancies -- when the child is sure to die, severely deformed -- will result in birth so that the child can be baptised, buried and have a name," he told the Polish news agency PAP.

Aleksandra Sekula, a women's rights activist, spoke of the need to keep the protest going.

"We managed to have an absurd initiative killed, so tension fell across the country. But it's precisely now that the government could benefit by passing a new law, maybe one that is less absurd but just as unacceptable," she told AFP.

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Passed in 1993, Poland's current abortion law bans all terminations unless there was rape or incest, the pregnancy poses a health risk to the mother or the foetus is severely deformed.

A poll published earlier this month by the Newsweek Polska magazine showed that 74 percent of Poles want to keep the existing law.

An EU country of 38 million people, Poland sees fewer than 2,000 legal abortions a year, but women's groups estimate that another 100,000-150,000 procedures are performed illegally or abroad.
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Never before has the adage "better late than never" held more truth than when a man checked his mail to find a postcard, sent in 1966.

Tim Duffy of South Australia was checking his mail recently when he noticed a postcard that was addressed to a Robert Giorgio. The tardily-delivered postcard was sent exactly 50 years ago from Papeete, Tahiti.

SEE ALSO: Watch: Postman gets 'help' from neighbourhood kitty on the daily

Speaking with The Advertiser, Duffy said "It's fresh enough although it is a bit faded and it's got some damage to the top left, which looks like a bit of water damage."

w

The sender, Chris Reynolds, told Giorgio he was "enjoy himself greatly" in the South Pacific, despite the "very humid weather."

Thanks to the Sherlock Holmes types over at The Advertiser, Giorgio and Reynolds were reunited. *Naww

Turns out the pair were school buddies who attended Rostrevor College together in Adelaide, and went on to study law together in university before drifting apart. "Robert was a school friend," Reynolds told the publication. "We stayed friends for quite a while, though eventually we lost contact."

Giorgio was stoked to be reunited with his old college buddy. "It makes everything that happened in between drop away. I was there when that happened then and I am here now and it is like, whatever happened in between, it doesn't matter," he said. "It feels like I just saw him last week. Your personality basically stays the same."

A spokesperson for Australia Post told The Advertiser "It is clear something went wrong 50 years ago after the postcard was posted in French Polynesia, and we apologise for the inconvenience.

"Australia Post takes great pride in the timely, safe and efficient delivery of mail and we are confident that the vast majority of mail and parcels arrive on time."

Mashable have reached out to Australia Post and Tim Duffy for further comment.
The Ghobin field in Dsegh, a village in Armenias Lori Province, has been cultivated in years.

Theres no irrigation water, do the lands owners have opened the field for horses to graze.

As I approached, some fifty horses belonging to Dsegh forest warden Aram Kocharyan, were running back and forth.

Our family is known not for its horses, but for its four doctors, Kocharyan exclaimed.

Cows are also grazed on the land. I saw a woman leaning on a club tending to the animals. She introduced herself as Siroush Hovsepyan and I immediately took a liking to her.

My son went to work and his wife is at the house doing chores. Thats why I brought the cows out to graze, Mrs. Hovsepyan explained.

She has three children, nine grandchildren and eleven great-grandchildren. One of her grandsons is serving in the Artsakh military.

Mrs. Hovsepyan says that Pasha, one of her sons, owns twelve cows and as many calves, horses and lambs. The son gives the family loads of cheese and sour cream.

She says they are well stocked for the coming winter and have stored enough bales of hay for the animals.

I get 10-15 liters of milk from our eight cows in the winter. We consume the dairy items we make and sell some if we need additional cash. People in the village buy from us, says Mrs. Hovsepyan.

When I asked Mrs. Hovsepyan what she does to relax, she responded: In a village theres no such thing. You must work to raise a family. When the house and shed are in good shape, the village is a great place to live.

When this reporter visited the village, Varuzhan, one of Mrs. Hovsepyans sons, had just slaughtered six cattle. They sell the meat for 1,800 AMD ($3.80) per kilo. Buyers come from the town of Vanadzor.

Mrs. Hovsepyan told me that the six cattle produced 800 kilograms of meat.

Those who work, eat. Who needs a slacker? We live pretty well, she said.

The family house is a one-story structure. Mrs. Hovsepyan says that when Artem, now serving in the army, returns, he and his father will build a new home.

I caught up with Vazgen Atyan grazing his four cows. Mr. Atyan said the cows werent enough to feed and keep a family of three.

My son has gone to Russia. No matter how much money he sends back, we still cant make ends meet, said Mr. Atayan, equating his life to a kind of servitude.

I asked Mr. Atyan if he knew the Hovsepyans.

Sure, they own many animals and have a good income. Im by myself and can barely buy feed for my cows. If I had helpers like they do, Id be busy doing other things as well, was the mans reply.
President Obama appeared at a Nevada rally to stump for Hillary Clinton on Sunday, but the majority of his speech focused on the Senate race playing out in the state.

During his remarks at Cheyenne High School in North Las Vegas, the president blasted Republican Rep. Joe Heckeven leading a heck, no chantaligning him with the partys presidential nominee Donald Trump, whom he endorsed then later renounced.

Now, I understand Joe Heck now wishes he never said those things about Donald Trump. But theyre on tape. Theyre on the record. And now that Trumps poll numbers are cratering, suddenly he says, well, no, Im not supporting him, he said. Too late. You dont get credit for that.

Heck is competing with Democratic rival former state Attorney General Catherine Cortez Masto for the seat of longtime Sen. Harry Reid, who is retiring. Masto introduced Obama at Sundays rally.

The Los Angeles Times reports that the Trump factor is worrying Republicans ahead of the election, many of whom fear Democrats could take back control of the upper chamber after votes are cast. And as Election Day draws nearer, President Obama is capitalizing on his high approval ratings to ramp up his push for Democrats up and down the ballot. Last week, the President blasted Sen. Marco Rubio for supporting Trump during a rally in Florida on behalf of the Senatorial candidate and Clinton.

President Obama also appeared at a a Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee event in California on Sunday to support candidates for the House of Representatives. During that event, Obama called Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) a shameless congressman who was the precursor to Trump. This guy has spent all his time simply trying to obstruct, to feed the same sentiments that resulted in Donald Trump becoming their nominee, he said. I think somebody called Darrell IssaTrump before Trump? And now hes sending out brochures touting his cooperation with me.

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.@ApplegateCA49 New Issa mailer: Brags abt basic decency, aligns w Obama after trying to ruin HRC. Go Team g8! pic.twitter.com/extxeWQgxv  (((em))) (@controlpremium) October 16, 2016

Democrats have little chance of regaining a majority in the House, but the president said he, Vice President Joe Biden, and First Lady Michelle Obama were working hard to help get more Democrats to Washington.

The president has already endorsed over a dozen candidates this election cycle, in both House and Senate races. Politico reports Obama will endorse 30 additional House candidates before Election Day.
Oct 24 (Reuters) - The following are the top stories on the business pages of British newspapers. Reuters has not verified these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.

The Times

- Big banks are expected to take another 2 billion pound hit on payment protection insurance this week because of the longer time allowed for new claims. Lenders will make the provisions with quarterly results that will be scrutinised for the impact of Brexit on the economy, while the weakening pound and heightened market activity will also have an affect on results. http://bit.ly/2e1Pl3J

- Deutsche Bank is set to declare a bumper loss for the third quarter with tougher capital requirements for banks deemed to be of global importance to the world's financial system threatening to add to its woes. It is expected to announce a net loss of 610 million euros ($663.56 million)for the quarter, according to analysts, an average forecast loss for the year of 1.4 billion euros. http://bit.ly/2e1OQXc

The Guardian

- A consortium made up of private-equity firms and the Church of England has received at least 180 million pounds ($219.94 million)from Royal Bank of Scotland for backing the bailed-out bank's aborted attempt to float off 300 branches on the stock market. The bank has already admitted that the attempt to carve out the 300 branches under the Williams & Glyn (IPO-WILL.L) brand has cost 1.5 billion pounds. http://bit.ly/2e1PQea

- Office for National Statistics is expected to say growth more than halved from 0.7 percent in the second quarter to 0.3 percent between July and September. This would be the slowest rate of growth since the third quarter of 2015, but would rule out the prospect of a technical recession. http://bit.ly/2e1OlfM

The Telegraph

- Microsoft is to increase its prices by as much as 22 percent in the UK because of sterling's recent decline, a rise that is likely to affect thousands of businesses and could cost the Governments tens of millions of pounds. http://bit.ly/2e1RtID

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Sky News

- French insurance giant Axa is in advanced discussions to sell Bluefin, one of the UK's biggest insurance broking networks, to Marsh, the US-headquartered giant. http://bit.ly/2e1Pnsw

- Britain's biggest banks are preparing to move out of the UK amid growing fears over the ramifications of leaving the European Union. The head of the British Bankers' Association, Anthony Browne, said "many smaller banks" are planning to move their operations overseas before Christmas. http://bit.ly/2e1NJH3

The Independent

- British American Tobacco has offered to buy the shares of Reynolds American that it doesn't already own for $47 billion in a bid to create the world's biggest tobacco company. http://ind.pn/2e1OFeP ($1 = 0.9193 euros) ($1 = 0.8184 pounds) (Compiled by Sangameswaran S in Bengaluru; Editing by Peter Cooney)
This Immigrant Doctor Is Reimagining Health in the American City

The financial challenges that incarceration imposes arent often considered as one of the many downsides of doing time, but court fees, fines, and surcharges that pile up with a criminal conviction often linger long after a person serves time in prison. That just adds to the host of challenges faced by former prisoners looking to rebuild their lives. Jobs in prisonfor those who can get onepay an average of $4.75 per day, barely making a dent in the ability to pay those debts. For incarcerated parents, child support payments also add to that tab.

While the average person might owe $20,000 [in child support] after prison, Ive met folks who owe as much as $70,000 to $100,000, said Jacquelyn Boggess, director of the Center for Family Policy and Practice, a policy think tank focused on the needs of low-income parents.

Now, the Obama administration is introducing regulatory changes that would require states to lower the amount of child support paid while a parent is incarcerated. More than half the people in state and federal prisons have one or more children, according to the Bureau of Justice Statistics. While most states allow imprisoned parents to apply for reduced payments, 14 do not and classify incarceration as a form of voluntary unemployment, says the National Conference of State Legislatures.

For the non-incarcerated, custodial parentsmost of whom are motherschild support payments can be a vital lifeline. While incarcerated fathers may be saddled with growing debt, custodial parents, too, are often struggling to make ends meet: More than 30 percent of all custodial mothers earnings leave them below the poverty line, according to a 2013 census report. For parents living below the poverty line who receive full child support payments, that income accounted for roughly 70 percent of their mean annual personal income. Given that need, leniency for fathers who are paying either none or very little of what they owe to a custodial parent might seem problematic for mothers.

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But according to Carolyn Heinrich, a professor and expert in social welfare policy at Vanderbilt University, reducing the amount an indebted parent owes increases the odds that the custodial parent will receive any money.

You are more likely to drive these guys underground to the informal job sector by slapping large amounts of debt on them when theres no way that they can pay, Heinrich told TakePart.

Roughly 70 percent of uncollected child support debt is owed by parents who earn less than $10,000 a year, according to the Urban Institute. Coupled with other debts accrued in or out of prison, along with chronic unemployment and poverty, even reduced payments can prove unmanageable.

Heinrich was coleader of a pilot program in Wisconsin called Families Forward that studied how debt burdens influence child support payment. Participants in the program all had significant child support debts and were provided with partial, gradual debt forgiveness of past dues owed to the custodial parent if they consistently made payments toward current child support dues.

We found that if we gave them a credit toward their debt balance, it incentivized them to become payers againwhich is what the custodial parents wanted, said Heinrich. Many of the men she worked with in the program had so much debt when they entered that they had just given up on paying anything at all. By working with them and negotiating with the custodial parents, Families Forward helped both parents move forward and support their child and turned non-payers into payers again.

The administrations new rule, first proposed alongside a broader set of child support policy modifications in 2014, immediately attracted criticism from Republican legislators, who argued that such changes should be made legislatively rather than handed down from Washington without debate.

Republicans in the [U.S. House of Representatives] went completely berserk, Ron Haskins of the Brookings Institution told TakePart. Haskins, a Republican, is a former member of the House Means and Ways Committee.

Haskins says less punitive penalties for non-payment or underpayment may be a mistake. He said the new rules leniency shifts child support programs away from strong enforcement.... I like almost everything [the administration] did, but...they just went too far, said Haskins.

The strong enforcement tactics Haskins refers to have grown increasingly contentious in recent years. For those who cant make child support payments, the threat of imprisonment looms large. The cycle of incarceration created by such debts was tragically illustrated in 2015 when Walter Scott, a South Carolina father, was fatally shot in the back by a police officer. Scott was pulled over for a broken taillight but owed more than $18,000 in child support arrearsa debt he had previously been jailed for. Following his death, his family speculated that he ran from the police to avoid being incarcerated again, according to The Post and Courier.

Though advocates like Boggess see the rule change as an important step toward reducing the crippling debt parents often face after prison, it also sheds light on broader problems with child support policy, which fall hardest on low-income families.

There are so many things in the child support system that need to be reconsidered given the way its impacting the very poorest families, Boggess told TakePart. This change is very meaningful, but its just the tip of the iceberg.

Take the Pledge: Dont Be Silent: Take the Pledge to Be an Ally for Racial Justice

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 Helping Kids Connect When a Father Is in Prison

 NAACP Teams With Low-Income Childrens Program to Help Parents Too

 In San Francisco, City Schools Are Focusing on Students With Incarcerated Parents

Original article from TakePart
ATHENS (Reuters) - Asylum-seekers attacked the premises of the European Asylum Support Office (EASO) on the island of Lesbos on Monday, protesting against delays in dealing with asylum claims, Greek and EU authorities said. About 70 people, most from Pakistan and Bangladesh, threw rocks and burning blankets at EASO containers inside the Moria migrant camp, damaging three of those, a Greek police spokesman for the island said. EASO Spokesman Jean-Pierre Schembri said protesters had hurled petrol bombs while interviews with asylum-seekers were taking place. EASO staff had evacuated the camp. "They burned our offices this morning ... The process will not resume for the time being," he said. "We have to evaluate security issues and in our view we need more presence of Greece police to be in place." More than 15,000 asylum-seekers are living in overcrowded camps on Greek islands close to Turkey, stranded by a European deal with Ankara to seal the main route into the continent for a million refugees and migrants last year. Asylum-seekers wait for weeks or months for their claims to be processed. There are nearly 6,000 asylum-seekers on Lesbos alone, nearly double the capacity its two camps can handle. Violence and protests at the conditions there are frequent. (Reporting by Karolina Tagaris; Editing by Toby Chopra)
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A good rule to live by: If you don't know what a word means, just ask.

Poor Eric Trump seems to have missed that lesson in school. This weekend, Trump proudly took a photo with two sisters wearing matching t-shirts that read "Latinas contra Trump," which translates to: "Latinas against Trump."

SEE ALSO: Why it's completely legal to trade votes across state lines

Sisters Annie and Ceci Cardelle, who are of Cuban descent, decided to attend Eric Trump's rally in their hometown of Salisbury, North Carolina.

No one at the rally realized my shirt said AGAINST tr*mp... congrats, y'all played yourselves  pic.twitter.com/qZ3x1ER8j0  Annie (@AnnieCardelle) October 21, 2016

Annie was nervous about debuting the shirt, and assumed that most people at the rally would understanding the meaning of it:

"I thought contra was pretty clear, but I guess not," Annie told Buzzfeed.

In fact, the two were actually called to take a photo with Eric Trump by Trump's campaign staff.

"I was sort of in disbelief when they actually called us forward," Ceci told Buzzfeed."I was like, This is not happening,"

It appears that the Trump campaign staff didn't know what the word "contra" means, and assumed it meant "love" or "supports," not "I can't stand you."

What a beautiful picture, though.

BONUS: Watch hamsters do 'Harry Potter' in 'Hamster Potter'
Calais (France) (AFP) - Abbas Hussein Ali from Sudan was one of the first in line as the evacuation of the squalid Jungle refugee camp began on Monday, overjoyed to finally have a chance at a dignified life.

Ali, 25, was up before dawn to be among the first to get on one of the buses taking the camp's estimated 6,000-8,000 occupants to 451 centres across France.

After four long months living in grim conditions in the camp, which has served as a launchpad for migrants desperate to reach Britain, all Ali wants now is "to study". "I want to learn French," he said.

Wahid, a 23-year-old from Afghanistan, was also glad to leave.

"We don't know yet where we are going, but it will obviously be better than the Jungle, which was made for animals not humans," he said. "We will be in a home."

But freshly scrawled graffiti on the walls of makeshift shelters and shops in the camp told another story.

"I lost my hope," read one piece. "Is this justice? No," read another.

Some people were still intent on starting a new life across the Channel.

Hammoudi, a young Syrian man from the devastated city of Aleppo, was among those who were dispirited, but who refused to give up on the dream of reaching Britain.

He and his friends escaped the Jungle overnight Sunday, setting up camp nearby, hoping to keep trying to cross the Channel on the back of a lorry.

- 'My dream is ruined' -

"My dream is ruined," 22-year-old Hammoudi told AFP.

"My hope was to be able to reach the UK, where I believe we as refugees would be better treated," said the Syrian, whose cousin was killed in a bombing in July.

Mahmoud al-Saleh, a 22-year-old from near Aleppo, said he was undecided about whether to register for transfer to a French accommodation centre.

Sipping tea from a plastic cup, he spoke nervously, saying he feared trouble if he did not submit to the evacuation order.

Saleh said he thought his chances of finding work were far better in Britain than in France.

Story continues

"I have to send money to my family in Syria. They have nothing... I just feel -- either I get to Britain someday, or I am better off in Syria," he said.

Saleh has tried five times to reach Britain, smuggled aboard a lorry. But he was caught every time and sent back.

Many heading out of the buses were heading to French towns they had never heard of, including Fahim, a young Afghan.

"The most important thing is that we are leaving Calais," he said on the coach to Nogent-le-Rotrou, 130 kilometres (80 miles) southwest of Paris.

"We had the choice between two possible towns, but we did not know them," said Fahim, 26, who was travelling with two friends. They ended up picking at random.

As the bus drove off, the migrants onboard waved farewell to the Jungle, their faces pressed close to the glass.

- 'My country is not safe' -

Back in the camp, Farhan, a 12-year-old Ethiopian boy who survived a harrowing sea voyage from Libya to Italy before travelling overland to Calais, said he wished he could just go home.

"But my country is not safe," said the boy, whose large brown eyes gave away his fear and uncertainty. "My heart has been broken since I left my family last year. I have not even been able to speak to them."

Farhan was among scores of minors from the majority Oromo community in Ethiopia that has waged nearly a year of protests against a government largely made up of minority Tigrayans.

"Like everyone else, he travelled here alone," said Solan, a 24-year-old Ethiopian volunteer working with the minors.

Britain has, in the past week, taken in nearly 200 child refugees out of an estimated 1,300 from the Jungle, and is expected to take dozens more.

Ashram, a 17-year-old Afghan, said he would try to renew his attempts to stow away on a truck heading across the Channel to Britain if his application failed.

"I'm used to it now," he said.
Former Student Competes In Firefighter Challange

Tanner Baird recently competed in the Scott Firefighter Combat Challenge- as seen on ESPN for a dozen years.



The Challenge annually attracts hundreds of U.S. and Canadian municipal fire departments at more than 25 locations and is now expanding to countries around the world, including New Zealand, Germany, Argentina, Chile, and South Africa. The Challenge seeks to encourage firefighter fitness and demonstrate the profession's rigors to the public. Wearing "full bunker gear" and the Scott 5.5 Air-Pak breathing apparatus, pairs of competitors race head-to-head as they simulate the physical demands of real-life firefighting by performing a linked series of five tasks including climbing the 5-story tower, hoisting, chopping, dragging hoses and rescuing a life-sized, 175 lb. "victim" as they race against themselves, their opponent and the clock.



Tanner is a sophomore at Oklahoma State University majoring in Fire Protection and Safety Engineering Technology. He is a member of the firefighter combat challenge team. They competed at Lake of the Ozarks Missouri last weekend where they qualified for the Worlds Challenge. This will only be the second time in school history that a team from Oklahoma State University will compete in the World Competition. The Worlds challenge is held at Montgomery, Alabama October 24-27.




Rent-A-Center, Inc. RCII is slated to report third-quarter 2016 results on Oct 26. The big question facing investors now is, whether this largest U.S. rent-to-own operator will be able to deliver a positive earnings surprise in the quarter to be reported. In the trailing four quarters, Rent-A-Center surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate by an average of 2.6%. However, in the preceding quarter, the company underperformed the Zacks Consensus Estimate by an average of 18%. Lets see how things are shaping up for this announcement.



Zacks Model Shows Unlikely Earnings Beat



Our proven model does not conclusively show that Rent-A-Center is likely to beat earnings estimates this quarter. This is because a stock needs to have both a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #1, 2 or 3 for this to happen. Rent-A-Center has an Earnings ESP of -43.75% as the Most Accurate estimate is 9 cents, while the Zacks Consensus Estimate is pegged at 16 cents. Moreover, the company carries a Zacks Rank #5 (Strong Sell). We caution against stocks with a Zacks Rank #4 or 5 (Sell-rated stocks) going into the earnings announcement, especially when the company is seeing negative estimate revisions.



RENT-A-CENTER Price and EPS Surprise

RENT-A-CENTER Price and EPS Surprise | RENT-A-CENTER Quote

Factors Influencing this Quarter



Rent-A-Center has been battling a waning top line for the past four quarters. In the second quarter, total revenue dropped 8.1%. This is attributable to the decline in the Core U.S., Acceptance Now and Mexico segments. Also, accelerated point of sale system rollout, persistent sluggishness across the computers and tablets categories, headwinds across the oil-impacted markets, and continued smartphones recast have impacted the results.



Management recently issued a dismal preliminary guidance for third-quarter 2016. It expects Core U.S. same store sales to be down nearly 12% in the quarter, while Acceptance Now same store sales are estimated to be flat. Core U.S. gross profit is likely to be flat year over year. Also, it anticipates earnings per share both on a GAAP and non-GAAP basis to be in the 515 cents per share range. The technical snags and outages after the execution of the new point-of-sale system have negatively impacted Core sales.



Consequently, the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.38 and $1.47 for 2016 and 2017 has decreased 36 cents and 27 cents, respectively, over the past 30 days. Moreover, the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 16 cents for third-quarter 2016 has declined 24 cents over the same time frame.



Stocks Poised to Beat Earnings Estimates



Here are some companies you may want to consider as our model shows that these have the right combination of elements to post an earnings beat:



Big 5 Sporting Goods Corp. BGFV has an Earnings ESP of +3.33% and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

L Brands, Inc. LB has an Earnings ESP of +2.22% and a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).

Dollar Tree, Inc. DLTR has an Earnings ESP of +1.28% and a Zacks Rank #3.

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Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report



RENT-A-CENTER (RCII): Free Stock Analysis Report



DOLLAR TREE INC (DLTR): Free Stock Analysis Report



BIG 5 SPORTING (BGFV): Free Stock Analysis Report



L BRANDS INC (LB): Free Stock Analysis Report



To read this article on Zacks.com click here.



Zacks Investment Research
Politicians, be warned: its still against the law for you to solicit big checks from donors for super PACs.

Just ask Aaron Schock  the one-time Republican rising star who resigned from Congress last year after his Downton Abbey-themed office makeover led to a barrage of questions about whether he was misusing public money.

New documents show that Schock recently agreed to pay a $10,000 fine for making an excessive solicitation for a super PAC that was active in his home state of Illinois four years ago.

The super PAC, known as the Campaign for Primary Accountability, had caught Schocks eye during the heated 2012 GOP primary between Reps. Don Manzullo and Adam Kinzinger, who Schock supported and who ultimately prevailed.

At the time, Schock told Roll Call that he wanted to do everything I could to help the Kinzinger campaign. That included reaching out to the Campaign for Primary Accountability and steering funds into its coffers.

All super PACs are allowed to raise unlimited amounts of money from individuals, corporations and labor unions. But federal candidates and officeholders are prohibited from soliciting more than $5,000 for these political action committees, which are also barred from coordinating their spending with candidates.

Yet Schock told Roll Call in 2012 that he had asked then-House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, a Virginia Republican, to match $25,000 that Schock would provide for the super PACs television assault against Manzullo.

This story is part of Politics. Campaign donations, lobbying and influence in government and reports on the special interests that are funding elections and buying power. Click here to read more stories in this topic.

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Campaign finance filings show that Cantor used his leadership PAC  a political action committee a lawmaker often uses to aid allies  to inject $25,000 into the Campaign for Primary Accountability.

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Another $25,000 came not from Schocks own campaign committee or leadership PAC, but rather, as previously reported by the Center for Public Integrity, from the 18th District Republican Central Committee, the local political party committee in Schocks home district.

If Schock had only asked for $5,000, he would have been fine. But his apparent five-figure solicitations drew complaints from the Campaign Legal Center and Democracy 21, election watchdogs in Washington, D.C.

The Federal Election Commission agreed that Schock broke the law, according to new documents released today by the Campaign Legal Center.

The documents indicate Schock admitted to illegally soliciting an excessive amount from Cantor, though he did not admit to excessively soliciting the 18th District Republican Central Committee.

The agreement further states that the bipartisan FEC didnt find reason to believe that Schocks violation was knowing or willful.

Larry Noble, the Campaign Legal Centers general counsel, lamented the fact that it took the agency so long to come to this conclusion.

Here was a clear-cut case, and its sad that it still took them four years, he told the Center for Public Integrity.

Noble added that the ban on politicians making large super PAC solicitations was needed to safeguard against corruption because such solicitations can create the appearance that the candidate will be beholden to the contributor.

Its a really important rule, Noble said.

A representative for Schock could not immediately be reached for comment.

Related story: New questions raised over Aaron Schock's fundraising efforts

This story is part of Politics. Campaign donations, lobbying and influence in government and reports on the special interests that are funding elections and buying power. Click here to read more stories in this topic.

Related stories

Copyright 2016 The Center for Public Integrity. This story was published by The Center for Public Integrity, a nonprofit, nonpartisan investigative news organization in Washington, D.C.
Headquartered in Miami, FL, Restaurant Brands International Inc. QSR came into existence with the merger of Tim Hortons Inc. and Burger King Worldwide Inc. Restaurant Brands is now the parent company of these two iconic quick service restaurant brands. These independently operated brands have been serving their customers for more than 50 years.



Restaurant Brands International houses these two big brands, with a combined market value of roughly $19 billion. With a combined system sales of $23 billion, the new company now has over 19,000 restaurants in around 100 countries.



Investors should note that the consensus estimate for QSR has hardly witnessed any significant movement over the last 60 days. Meanwhile, QSRs earnings have been strong over the past few quarters. In fact, the company posted positive earnings surprises consecutively in all of the last four quarters, with an average beat of 20.07%. Revenues, however, outpaced the Zacks Consensus Estimate in two of the trailing four quarters.



Currently, QSR has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) but that could change following Restaurant Brands earnings report which was just released. You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

RESTAURANT BRND Price and EPS Surprise

RESTAURANT BRND Price and EPS Surprise | RESTAURANT BRND Quote

We have highlighted some of the key stats from this just-revealed announcement below:



Earnings: QSR beat on earnings. Our consensus earnings estimate called for EPS of 41 cents per share, and the company posted adjusted EPS of 43 cents. Investors should note that these figures include stock based compensation expenses.



Revenues: QSR reported revenues of $1.075 billion. This surpassed our consensus estimate of $1.050 billion.



Key Stats to Note: Tim Hortons comparable sales increased 2.0% and Burger King comparable sales increased 1.7%. Adjusted EBITDA of $488.9 million was up 11.3% on an organic basis versus prior year results.



Stock Price: Inactive in pre-market trading.



Check back later for our full write up on this QSR earnings report!



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Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report



RESTAURANT BRND (QSR): Free Stock Analysis Report



To read this article on Zacks.com click here.
Thanks, but namaste in our yoga pants! About 400 people gathered together for a peaceful parade around a mans neighborhood in Rhode Island on Sunday, October 23, after the man, Alan Sorrentino, penned a letter printed in The Barrington Times begging women over the age of 20 to stop wearing yoga pants in public.



PHOTOS: Shape Up Your Wardrobe: The Coolest Winter Workout Clothing, Inspired by Celebs

The absolute worst thing to ever happen in women's fashion is the recent development of yoga pants as daily wear outside the yoga studio, Sorrentinos letter to the paper read. Like the miniskirt, yoga pants can be adorable on children and young women who have the benefit of nature's blessing of youth. However, on mature, adult women there is something bizarre and disturbing about the appearance they make in public. Maybe it's the unforgiving perspective they provide, inappropriate for general consumption, TMI, or the spector [sic] of someone coping poorly with their weight or advancing age that makes yoga pants so weird in public.



PHOTOS: Celebrity Workout Buddies

Sorrentino went on to ask that those over the age of 20 refrain from wearing yoga pants, and claimed that its equivalent to if men started wearing Speedos to the grocery store.



To all yoga pant wearers, I struggle with my own physicality as I age. I don't want to struggle with yours, he concluded.



His open letter (obviously) didnt go over so well.

On Sunday, women and men gathered to protest Sorrentinos remarks. Some held signs read we wear what we want, and others told local outlets they were outraged when they read the letter.

I dont get involved in much in the way of protests and marches and all of that, but this just brought me out because the guys letter was offensive, Ellen Taylor told the Boston Globe on Sunday. Its OK if youre 20 and gorgeous to wear yoga pants, but dont do it if youre older and lumpy and bumpy?



According to Sorrentino, who told outlets hes since received death threats, he penned the letter in jest.

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I assumed the character of this grumpy old man that was railing about women in yoga pants because he was too tight to just relax and accept himself in his age and his own ways. It was meant to sound stupid and creepy, Sorrentino told WPROs John DePetro on Saturday. I have no problem with yoga pants. Wear them all you want!

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BANGKOK (Reuters) - Human rights activists on Monday called on Thailands junta to drop sedition charges against a rights lawyer in the first such case against an attorney since the military took power in a 2014 coup. Sirikan Charoensiri was charged with sedition and with disobeying authorities on Saturday after she refused to hand over the mobile phones of her clients, 14 student activists who were arrested following a protest against the junta last year. Since taking power, the junta has moved to silence critics and has come under sharp criticism from the international community for trying civilians in military courts, arresting dissidents and detaining some critics, including political activists, journalists and students, at military facilities for days before releasing them. Sirikan is the first lawyer to be charged with sedition under the junta, according to iLaw, a Bangkok-based legal monitoring group. The junta had used the law to target pro-democracy protesters, it said. The International Commission of Jurists (ICJ), a Geneva-based non-governmental organization made up of judges from around the world, called for the charges against Sirikan to be dropped. "She was targeted for the job of representing her client," Sam Zarf, Bangkok-based regional director of the ICJ, told Reuters. "The junta are using her as an example to frighten other lawyers and activists." Representatives of the junta were unavailable to comment on Monday, a national holiday. Sirikan said police needed to produce a warrant in order for her to hand over the phones, something they did not do, according to Thai Lawyers for Human Rights, the organization Sirikan works for. She faces up to seven years in prison if found guilty of sedition. (Reporting by Cod Satrusayang; Editing by Amy Sawitta Lefevre and Nick Macfie)
(BARTELLA, Iraq)  Iraqi forces shelled Islamic State (ISIS) positions outside Mosul on Monday as fighting to retake the extremist-held city entered its second week. A rights group, meanwhile, urged a probe into a suspected airstrike last week that mistakenly hit a mosque, killing over a dozen civilians.

The purported airstrike in northern Iraq struck the womens section of a Shiite mosque on Friday in the town of Daquq amid a large ISIS assault on the nearby city of Kirkuk. That assault was meant to distract the Iraqi forces and their allies from the massive operation around Mosul.

Human Rights Watch said Daquqs residents believe the attack was an airstrike because of the extent of the destruction and because planes could be heard flying overhead. The New York-based watchdog said at least 13 people were reported killed.

The U.S.-led coalition and the Iraqi military, which are waging the offensive to drive IS from the northern city of Mosul, are the only parties known to be flying military aircraft over Iraq.

Col. John Dorrian, a U.S. military spokesman, said the coalition had definitively determined that it did not conduct the airstrike that killed civilians in Daquq, and had shared its findings with the Iraqi government, which is carrying out its own investigation.

The Coalition uses precision munitions and an exhaustive process to reduce the possibility of civilian casualties and collateral damage because the preservation of civilian life is paramount importance to us, Dorrian said.

Iraqi Brig. Gen. Yahya Rasool, the spokesman for the Joint Military Command, confirmed the Iraqi government was investigating the attack. He declined to say whether Iraqi or coalition planes were flying in the area at the time of the explosion.

The strike in Daquq, around 40 kilometers (25 miles) south of Kirkuk, took place as dozens of ISIS militants attacked several government and police compounds in the city of Kirkuk, some 170 kilometers (100 miles) southeast of Mosul.

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Daquq Mayor Amir Khodakram said on Saturday that the alleged airstrike killed 17 people, mainly women and children, and wounded another 50. He said it wasnt clear who carried out the airstrike.

Over the past week, Iraqi and Kurdish forces have been battling ISIS in a belt of mostly uninhabited towns and villages to the north, east and south of Mosul, pushing to within 9 kilometers (5  miles) of the city.

On Monday, Iraqi special forces began shelling ISIS positions before dawn near the town of Bartella, said Maj. Gen. Haider al-Obeidi. Bartella, a historically Christian town 15 kilometers (9 miles) to the east of Mosul, was retaken by Iraqi special forces last week.

Shortly afterward, a convoy of special forces advanced toward the village of Tob Zawa, encountering roadside bombs and trading heavy fire with the militants. Loudspeakers on the Humvees blared Iraqi patriotic music as they pushed toward the village.

The campaign to retake Mosul comes after months of planning and involves more than 25,000 Iraqi troops, Kurdish forces, Sunni tribal fighters and state-sanctioned Shiite militias. It is expected to take weeks, if not months, to drive ISIS out of Iraqs second largest city, which is still home to more than a million people.

The militants captured Mosul in the summer of 2014, when they swept across much of northern and western Iraq. IS has suffered a series of setbacks over the past year, and Mosul is its last major urban bastion in Iraq.

___

Krauss reported from Baghdad. Associated Press writer Sinan Salaheddin in Baghdad contributed to this report.
Nathan Brackett, Rolling Stone's executive editor, is leaving the iconic music magazine to take a job at Amazon Music in the newly created position of head of editorial, Billboard has learned.

The news comes on the heels of Amazon's Oct. 12 launch announcement of its 3-tiered Amazon Music Unlimited streaming service, which works in tandem with Alexa, the company's Echo smart speaker.

Brackett, 47, will work out of Amazon's Seattle Office in the music department headed by Steve Boom. He leaves Wenner Media's flagship property after working there for 20 years, including as executive editor for the past three years and deputy editor for six. Brackett was previously music editor of Time Out New York and an associate editor at Musician Magazine.

Christian Hoard, another longtime Rolling Stone staffer, will take over Brackett's duties in the music editorial department.

Rolling Stone, which was founded by Jann Wenner in 1967 and turns 50 next year, has recently undergone several major business changes: In late September, the publication sold off a 49 percent stake to BandLab Technologies, a Singapore based digital music company start-up for an undisclosed sum. A recent Wall Street Journal story on the transaction reported that advertising pages for the magazine were down 14 percent between January and August of 2016 compared to the year prior. The magazine is still facing lawsuits stemming from its since-retracted 2014 article about a gang rape at the University of Virginia.
TORONTO, ON / ACCESSWIRE / October 24, 2016 / David McLean, manager of ROMC Fund, is pleased to announce receipt of two awards at the 9th Annual Canadian Hedge Fund Awards (CHFA), the highest honour in Canada's hedge fund industry. ROMC Fund won 1st place for the best equity-focused 5-year return, with 17.2% per annum. It also won 3rd place for the best equity-focused 5-year Sharpe ratio, with a figure of 1.4.

David had this to say:

"It is encouraging to be recognized for one's effort and ROMC Fund is proud to be the recipient of this prestigious award. It is testament to the fund's adherence to discipline and rigor. And as ROMC Fund approaches its 10th birthday, it will remain steadfast in its focus on fundamental analysis, risk management and the provision of defensible long-term results."

He went on to say:

"We have recently launched ROMC Trust (trading symbol: ROM100), a prospectus fund based on the same strategy as the award-winning ROMC Fund. It is an exciting development that brings the ROMC approach to self-directed investors, and non-accredited investors."

The awards were presented yesterday evening at a Gala Dinner at One King West Hotel in Toronto with over 140 guests in attendance. The Canadian Hedge Fund Awards help investors identify the most exceptional hedge funds of the year, recognizing winners in 4 categories as well as the Overall Best 2016 Canadian Hedge Fund. A total of 195 Canadian hedge funds participated in the 2016 CHFA program. The awards are based solely on quantitative performance data to June 30th. There is no nomination process or subjective assessment in identifying the winners.

For more information about ROMC Fund and ROMC Trust, go to: www.mamgmt.com or call:

David McLean

Managing Director, McLean Asset Management Ltd.

416-488-0547

About ROMC Fund: ROMC Fund, a global equity-focused unit trust, was launched on October 1, 2007 by Offering Memorandum to Accredited Investors.

About ROMC Trust: ROMC Trust, a global equity-focused unit trust, was launched on June 3, 2016 by prospectus to investors in Ontario, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Alberta and British Columbia.

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About the Annual Canadian Hedge Fund Awards: The Annual Canadian Hedge Fund Awards were first held in 2008 and have a two-fold objective: First, to celebrate the talent and accomplishments of Canada's hedge fund industry, and second, to draw attention to Canada's hedge funds by raising the awareness of that expertise in the media and among the wider investment community.

SOURCE: ROMC Fund
Actors Ralph Fiennes, Juliette Binoche, Kristin Scott Thomas and Julian Wadham and producer Paul Zaentz gathered in Rome for the 20th anniversary of their film The English Patient.

The mood at the anniversary was somber as the cast dedicated the film to the late director, Anthony Minghella, who passed in 2008 from a hemorrhage. Binoche, announcing she was well-prepared with a purse full of tissues, dedicated the screening to Minghella's widow, Carolyn Choa, who was visibly moved by the event.

Zaentz also asked the dozens of Italian crew members in the audience who had worked on the film to stand up, as Minghella would have wanted them also to receive recognition on the historic night.

The English Patient, a tragic romance set against the backdrop of WWII, won an astonishing nine Academy Awards in 1997, including best picture, best director and best supporting actress.

Read more: Rome Film Fest: Roberto Benigni on Meeting President Obama and His Return to Film

Fiennes, who has now directed two films himself, reminisced on being greatly influenced by Minghella on his own sets, through the director's patience, sense of humor and his collaborative spirit. "I remembered the way that he nurtured the skills of all his heads of department, and wanted their input and wanted their artistry and wanted the gift that they brought," he said.

"Anthony engendered this unique spirit of collaboration, and every single person working on this film, and of course his other films, felt that their contribution to the film had real value," Fiennes said. "That they were not just there to feed into the director's vision, they were part of the vision, they helped to make the vision. And he made people feel the value of their work."

"He created this extraordinary atmosphere," continued the actor, who was also nominated for an Oscar on the film. "And I think it's because of this bigness of heart, that he had as a human being and as an artist. I feel sure that's why we are here."

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Producer Zaentz also praised the Italian crew at Cinecitta that worked on the film in helping it overcome its many financial troubles. Made for $33 million, the film went on to gross $231.98 million globally. "At one point, a representative of the crew in public preproduction came to me and said, 'Please, if you can tell us there is a 50 percent chance that this movie will work, will happen, we will work the next two weeks without getting paid, as long as you tell us what we will be paid in the future, because we want to make this movie. We love this script.'"

Read more: Rome Film Fest: 'Captain Fantastic' Wins Peoples Choice Award

"And the management at Cinecitta let us stay there for three months, using the sets, building the sets, without paying our bills because they trusted us that eventually they would get paid," Zaentz recalled. "It was just such a wonderful experience."

Zaentz also spoke on working with the Weinsteins, who scored Miramax's first best Oscar win on the picture. "The Weinsteins didn't really have any artistic input into the film," Zaentz said. They got involved when the script was finished, when it was cast, they left us alone in the editing process. I think Harvey realized with Anthony and Saul [Zaentz] and Walter Murch that the film was in the best capable hands. But they did a hell of a job marketing and promoting it."

Fiennes again credited Minghella for the film's extraordinary success. "I remember reading an early draft, but a strong draft, and I think Anthony just tapped some extraordinary emotion, in a story of the past, and a story of the war and a story of loss and regret," Fiennes said. "And with great intelligence and extraordinary sensitivity, he did that thing which the great love stories on film do - they just make it universal. And I remember being moved to tears by all these elements, [even] before we were making it."

Read more: 'The Accountant,' 'Lion' Among Rome Film Fest Lineup
Agent Mark Garcia receives his medal



The Congressional offices for each recipient are currently engaged in planning the presentation ceremonies to honor these individuals.



Border Patrol Agents Mark Garcia and Josue Gonazalez



(U.S. Customs and Border Protection, TX)



On May 12, 2014, a U.S. Border Patrol team of six agents were working in the Del Rio Sectors Eagle Pass area in Texas when they received a report that a large group of adults and minor children were crossing the Rio Grande River. Recent rains caused the river to flow higher and swifter than usual.



The agents were able to apprehend an initial group who had successfully crossed the river without harm. They were then informed that another group appeared to be in extreme duress with some becoming stranded under the Port of Entry Bridge, while others were seen floating uncontrollably down river. Several agents attempted to throw rescue ropes to these subjects, but the swift current made that effort impossible. They were able to enter the chest-deep water and pull the entire group to safety.



Agents Garcia, Vera, and Gonzalez made their way underneath the Port of Entry Bridge, where one subject was clinging to a pillar in the middle of the river. When their attempt to rescue this individual by passing him a rope failed, Agents Garcia and Gonzalez entered the chest-deep river again and attempted to swim to the stranded subject, but they became exhausted due to the rapid flow and depth of the river.



Agent Vera cast a rope to the two struggling agents and pulled them back to the river bank. Both Agents Garcia and Gonzalez were still determined and made another attempt at the rescue. They tied a rescue rope around their waists that was secured by Agent Vera.



Agents Garcia and Gonzalez then walked further upriver, reentered the water, swam with the current to go further out into the middle of the river, and were ultimately able to reach the young woman in distress. With the assistance of agents on the riverbank, they pulled her to safety.

The U.S. Attorney General has cited 16 recipients for the 2014 Law Enforcement Congressional Badge of Bravery."The synopsis tells the last portion of the rescue. We actually pulled a total of 87 out of the river that night....all women and children (most under 10).The young lady we rescued from the POE pillar was 11 or 12, left there by the guide when he became scared in the current of the river and went under," said Garcia.
Roberto Bernigni, the Academy Award-winning director and star of Life Is Beautiful, was slated to speak at Rome Film Fest last week during one of the fest's "Close Encounters" sessions, but he changed the date last minute when he got the call to attend the White House Italian State Dinner, President Obama's last in office.

"I apologize to all of you. I tried to keep my commitment, but you can't say no when Barack Obama calls," joked Benigni at the rescheduled talk on Sunday. "You can't say, 'No, I'm sorry. I'm busy.'"

Benigni said the event, which also included director Paolo Sorrentino and Olympic fencer Beatrice Vio as part of the Italian delegation, was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. "It was like in Roman times being invited by the Emperor Hadrian," he said of the night.

He continued: "The White House wasn't just white. It was green, white and red. Everything was white, red and green." And Benigni quipped about meeting the president: "I was expecting him to be painted in our national colors, too."

During the dinner, Obama joked: "And Roberto Benigni is here, and he promised not to jump on the tables," referring to the director's infamous outing at the 1999 Academy Awards when he climbed on top of the seats to accept the win for the best foreign-language film.

"He said he loved Life Is Beautiful," Benigni said about his personal meeting with Obama. "When he made his speech, it was a nice moment where he quoted me and then he came and hugged me. It was really touching and moving and I never will forget it. President Obama is one of the most extraordinary personalities of our time, and Michelle as well. Any other president will not be the same."

Benigni's last film as a director was 11 years ago. Neither that film, The Tiger and the Snow, nor his 2002 interpretation of Pinocchio, gathered the same international acclaim as Life Is Beautiful, and he has spent the last decade mostly onstage and on TV. In the past 10 years, Benigni has broken ground on local television, performing his one-man show on Dante's Inferno and the Ten Commandments on public broadcaster RAI.

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"Well after The Tiger and the Snow, for the last 10 years, I've done Dante, and a lot of things on television. So I've changed my work. I used the popularity I had to communicate someone else's poetry," Benigni explained when asked if it was true he's working on a new film.

"And though they said at the Rome Film Fest Tom Hanks paid tribute to me, I'd like to give it back," he continued, referencing how Hanks said at the fest's opening he would like to make a film with the Italian director. "I'm ready for a film with Tom Hanks! He's one of the greatest actors of all time."

In 1999, Benigni won the best actor Oscar for Life Is Beautiful, beating out Hanks, who was nominated for Saving Private Ryan. No one had won a best actor Oscar for a foreign-language role since Sophia Loren won for Two Women in 1962.

Benigni admitted he is currently writing a new film, but didn't give many details other than saying he was returning to the comedy genre. "After all these experiences in the theater and television that have been fundamental to me," Benigni said, "now I have this strong desire to do something that is really merry and funny and happy, full of this joy."

Read more: Roberto Benigni Enchants 10 Million Viewers In Italy With 'Ten Commandments'
By Katya Golubkova and Shadia Nasralla

VIENNA (Reuters) - Energy ministers from Russia and Qatar along with OPEC's secretary general discussed possible joint action to stabilise the oil market, Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak said ahead of OPEC's meeting next month aiming to cement a deal agreed in Algiers.

Russia is the world's largest oil producer but not a member of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and its budget has been hit by low oil prices, the same as for many OPEC nations.

Novak, in Vienna after visiting Saudi Arabia over the weekend for talks with Saudi Energy Minister Khalid al-Falih, said sharp falls in the price of crude threatened to trigger an oil deficit and unpredictable volatility in prices.

"That's why ... (an oil output) freeze or even a cut for a certain period of time is a right decision for global energy ... Being a short-term measure, an oil output cap may help to lower volatility in the market and make it more stable," Novak said.

Last month in Algiers, OPEC agreed modest output cuts that are due to be set in stone in the coming weeks. The goal is to trim production to a range of 32.50-33.0 million barrels per day (bpd).

"We have in detail discussed ... current situation (on oil market) and different mechanisms and options of joint actions," Novak told a briefing after talks with his Qatari counterpart Mohammed al-Sada and OPEC Secretary General Mohammed Barkindo.

Russia is ramping up its oil output amid weak oil prices, as weak rouble and investments made in previous years are helping its oil sector. In September, Russian oil output hit another post-Soviet high of 11.1 million barrels per day (bpd).

On Monday, Novak repeated that an oil output freeze is "an effective tool Russia is ready for (in a move) to balance the market". Yet he said that Moscow was considering "different options," but declined to provide details.

MORE TO COME

Russia plans to bring another oilfield on stream this month, Lukoil's Pyakyakhinskoye in the Yamal Arctic region, in addition to Messoyakha launched by Gazprom Neft and Rosneft last month.

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Rosneft, the world's top listed oil producer by output, plans to launch its Suzun field in Siberia this year as well, with Lukoil planning to put its Caspian Filanovsky field in operation by the end of 2016, adding more to the global glut.

On Monday, Novak declined to say at which levels Russia would be ready to cap its output, adding that lower-tier officials from OPEC and non-OPEC countries, including Russia, will be working on terms of a possible deal on Oct. 28-29 in Vienna.

OPEC's Barkindo said in opening remarks to Monday's meeting that Russia and OPEC were "committed to stable and predictable markets".

"While there are signs that the rebalancing of the fundamentals is under way with overall non-OPEC supply contracting this year and demand ... at healthy levels, the large stock overhang continues to be a major concern," Barkindo said.

(Additional reporting by Francois Murphy; Editing by Susan Fenton and David Evans)
Moscow (AFP) - Russia, blaming failures by the US-led coalition and meagre hopes for diplomacy, on Monday ruled out early moves to renew its ceasefire in Aleppo after a brief truce ended at the weekend.

"The question of renewing the humanitarian pause is not relevant now," deputy foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov told Interfax news agency, in Moscow's first official comment on why it did not extend the ceasefire further.

Heavy fighting resumed in the devasted Syrian city on Saturday after Russia, a government ally, ended its three-day cessation of hostilities.

In order to renew the pause, "our opponents must ensure appropriate behaviour by the anti-government groups that in particular sabotaged the medical evacuation that was intended during the humanitarian pause," Ryabkov said.

He chastised the US-led coalition, saying that it was criticising Damascus and Moscow instead of "really exerting influence on the opposition, the rebels."

"Over the last three days, what was needed did not happen," he said.

Ryabkov also said that he did not see the "conditions" for ministerial-level negotiations on Syria before the US elections on November 8, after a Lausanne meeting on October 15 that ended with no breakthrough.

"It's almost no time until the US elections. To be honest, I don't see the conditions for a ministerial meeting," he said, insisting that Damascus and Moscow were fulfilling international agreements.

The Kremlin had hailed the humanitarian ceasefire as a "manifestation of goodwill" as it faced mounting criticism over its bombing of rebel-held eastern Aleppo in support of a brutal regime offensive on the city.

But Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov on Monday questioned the viability of humanitarian pauses under current conditions in comments to journalists.

So far the US-led coalition has not managed to separate moderate rebels from hardline "terrorist" groups, he said, and attacks continued "all these days" on checkpoints for exiting the city and the main routes for supplies of humanitarian aid.

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"All this is far from helpful, either for the pauses or the process of supplying humanitarian aid," Peskov said.

The Kremlin and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov earlier expressed concern at the small numbers of civilians and fighters leaving the city, with only a handful reported to have crossed through a single passage.

Lavrov on Friday accused fighters from the Fateh al-Sham Front and influential Islamist Ahrar al-Sham group of obstructing the departure of civilians and combatants prepared to leave, saying they used "threats, blackmail and brute force."
(Adds CEO comments, details)

PARIS, Oct 24 (Reuters) - French aerospace group Safran on Monday reported a 4.1 percent drop in third-quarter sales, weighed down by changes in the pattern of engine deliveries for French combat jets and weaker demand for helicopter services after the grounding of Europe's Super Puma.

The partially state-owned French company also blamed the end of France's futuristic Felin infantry equipment programme for the decline in quarterly sales to 3.517 billion euros.

On a like for like basis, sales fell by 0.8 percent in the quarter and rose 3.8 percent in the first nine months. Analysts had on average predicted quarterly sales of 4.096 billion euros, according to a Reuters survey carried out by Inquiry Financial.

According to a consensus compiled by Safran itself, analysts were on average expecting sales of 4.017 billion euros.

"MRO (maintenance, repair and overhaul) was relatively weak in the third quarter," Chief Executive Philippe Petitcolin told reporters.

Helicopter support revenues fell around 15 percent as oil firms cut flight hours due to weak oil prices and as the Airbus H225 Super Puma was grounded after an accident in April.

But revenues from spares for civil jet engine rose.

Safran co-produces the world's most-sold civil jet engine through its CFM International joint venture with General Electric and also produces engines for the Dassault Aviation Rafale combat jet and other equipment.

Petitcolin said the LEAP engine being produced by CFM for Airbus and Boeing was on schedule.
SEOUL (Reuters) - Samsung Electronics Co Ltd said on Monday a South Korean media report that the firm was in talks to acquire French audio equipment maker Focal for up to 300 billion won ($265.44 million) was not true.

South Korea's Financial News newspaper, citing unnamed sources, said earlier talks between the two firms are in final stages and that Samsung plans to complete the acquisition by the year-end.

"The report from Financial news on acquisition of the French audio equipment maker, Focal, is not true," Samsung, which is battling a crisis with the discontinuation of the Galaxy Note 7 smartphones, said in a statement, without elaborating further.

Focal could not be immediately reached for comment.

($1 = 1,130.1900 won)

(Reporting by Se Young Lee; Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman)
Sandra Bullock and Cate Blanchett are already having a blast on the New York City set of Ocean's Eight.

The two superstars kicked off filming on the highly anticipated ensemble film on Monday, shooting a scene in a diner.

Blanchett, 47, and Bullock, 52, were all smiles as they sat down for coffee, adorably beaming at one another.

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WATCH: EXCLUSIVE: Anne Hathaway Is Eager to Grill 'Ocean's Eight' Co-Stars Sandra Bullock and Cate Blanchett on Parenting

But it's Blanchett's amazing outfit that really stole the show. The Academy Award-winning actress rocked green velvet flared pants and a matching vest under a leopard-print coat, for a wild '70s look only she could pull off this fiercely. Fellow Oscar winner Bullock also looked incredible in a chic trench coat, black high-heeled boots, and trendy sunglasses.

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Ocean's Eight is a reboot of the super successful Ocean's Eleven (itself a remake of 1960's Ocean's 11), which featured George Clooney and Brad Pitt in the lead roles. The impressive all-female cast includes Anne Hathaway, Rihanna, Sarah Paulson, Helena Bonham Carter, Mindy Kaling, and Akwafina.

ET spoke to Hathaway last month at the Toronto International Film Festival, when she gushed about her A-list co-stars. The film marks the actress' first project since giving birth to her son, Jonathan, in March.

"They are fun and a lot of them are moms, so I am excited that my first film back as a mom, I get to work with women who have done it before and I get to ask them questions about that," she excitedly told ET.

NEWS: Anne Hathaway, Cate Blanchett, and Rihanna Join Sandra Bullock's All-Female 'Ocean's Eleven'

Matt Damon, who played pickpocket Linus Caldwell in Ocean's Eleven, Twelve, and Thirteen, also told ET Canada last month that he couldn't wait for the reboot.

"I think it's going to be awesome," he said at the Toronto International Film Festival. "They're going to kick a**."

Story continues

Watch below:

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By Estelle Shirbon LONDON (Reuters) - A new edition of William Shakespeare's complete works will name Christopher Marlowe as co-author of three plays, shedding new light on the links between the two great playwrights after centuries of speculation and conspiracy theories. Marlowe will be listed as co-author of the three Henry VI plays in the New Oxford Shakespeare, due to be published in several instalments over the coming weeks by the Oxford University Press. "Shakespeare has entered the world of Big Data and there are certain questions that we are now able to answer more confidently that people have been asking for a very long time," Gary Taylor, one of the project's senior editors, told Reuters. The issue of whether Shakespeare wrote all the plays attributed to him has been the subject of endless conjecture, with one persistent theory being that they were actually written by Marlowe -- a notion rejected by Shakespeare scholars. Taylor, a Florida State University professor, said academics had known for a long time that Shakespeare worked with other writers on some plays. The idea that he collaborated with Marlowe on the Henry VI plays had been debated for centuries, but had not been possible to demonstrate before. Taylor said scholars had used databases of plays and other writings from the Elizabethan period, not just by Shakespeare or Marlowe but by many others working at the time, to search for distinctive words or combinations of words. "That kind of Big Data was never available until very recently," he said. The academics who worked on the New Oxford Shakespeare, and others who had provided peer reviews of their findings, were extremely confident about Marlowe's authorship of some parts of the Henry VI plays, Taylor said. "There are parts that are very clearly by Shakespeare and there are parts that are very clearly by Marlowe," he said, adding that most of the best-loved passages were by Shakespeare. The New Oxford Shakespeare includes 44 plays, of which 17 are identified as having been written in collaboration with other authors. The previous edition of Shakespeare's complete works by the same publisher, issued in 1986, identified eight of 39 plays as collaborative. Taylor said that collaboration between playwrights was entirely normal in the Elizabethan period, and there was no suggestion of any great secret or conspiracy regarding Shakespeare's work with Marlowe. The author of "The Jew of Malta", "Doctor Faustus" and "Edward II", Marlowe passed into British popular culture as Shakespeare's great rival, but Taylor said that was speculation. "It's possible they loved each other, it's possible they hated each other. We have no way of knowing," he said. "Rivals can collaborate." (Editing by Robin Pomeroy)
Arnold Schwarzenegger introduces John Kasich during a rally in Columbus, Ohio, in March. (Photo: Jay LaPrete/AP)

Arnold Schwarzenegger says if he were a natural-born citizen, he wouldve made a bid for the Republican nomination this year.

If Id been born in America, I wouldve run, Schwarzenegger told Adweek in an interview published Monday. Because now? This was a very good time to get in the race.

The 69-year-old Austrian-born bodybuilder turned actor turned two-term California governor, who endorsed Ohio Gov. John Kasich during the GOP primary, believes he wouldve made a better nominee than Donald Trump.

Earlier this month, Schwarzenegger announced on Twitter that he will not be voting for Trump in next months presidential election, and he urged fellow Republicans to do the same.

For the first time since I became a citizen in 1983, I will not vote for the Republican candidate for President, Schwarzenegger wrote. As proud as I am to label myself a Republican, there is one label that I hold above all else  American. So I want to take a moment today to remind my fellow Republicans that it is not only acceptable to choose your country over your party  it is your duty.

As proud as I am to label myself a Republican, there is one label that I hold above all else  American. My full statement: pic.twitter.com/biRvY8S3aZ  Arnold (@Schwarzenegger) October 8, 2016

The Terminators #NeverTrump vow came a day after Trumps lewd comments about women  captured on a hot mic in a leaked Access Hollywood tape from 2005  came to light.

But Schwarzenegger himself was accused of sexual misconduct on the eve of the 2003 gubernatorial election  allegations he admitted were, in part, true, and apologized for. Days later, Schwarzenegger won.

In May, Schwarzenegger, who is taking over for Trump as host on the next season of NBCs Celebrity Apprentice, hinted he might endorse one of this years presidential candidates.

I will make an announcement before the election, you can be sure of that, Schwarzenegger said on Meet the Press that month. I think it is important that we go and bring both of the parties together, he said. The more we go to the left, the more we go to the right, I believe of what President Eisenhower said, Politics is like the road. The left and the right represents the gutter, and the middle is drivable.
Https%3a%2f%2fblueprint-api-production.s3.amazonaws.com%2fuploads%2fstory%2fthumbnail%2f25456%2fgrant_henderson_tankers_thumb

LONDON  If you're going to be carting around people's waste all day, it's good to at least have a sense of humour about it.

SEE ALSO: Genius woman lures neighbors to yard sale with photos of celebrities

Grant Henderson Tankers is a waste disposal company based in Scotland. Over the weekend, a picture of one of their trucks went viral on Reddit.

Yep, that's their official contact email address: info@wemovesh.it.

A quick trip to their website confirms that the email is indeed genuine:

Image: granthendersontankers.co.uk

The picture went down well on Reddit, where it received over 6,000 upvotes and hundreds of comments.

Some people even had suggestions of how they thought the email could be improved:

Image: reddit

Mashable has reached out to Grant Henderson Tankers and we will update this article if we receive a response.
Sean Hannity

Fox News host Sean Hannity on Monday will interview an individual who accused Hillary Clinton without evidence of being a secret sex freak in a recent National Enquirer article.

The news was announced by the tabloid magazine in a press release and posted to Hannitys official Fox News website.

Last week, the National Enquirer cited an unidentified person who claimed to be a former Clinton operative to accuse the Democratic presidential candidate of going on illicit romps with both men AND women.

I arranged a meeting for Hillary and a woman in an exclusive Beverly Hills hotel, the anonymous person told the tabloid magazine, among other things, in a sensational story not backed up with supporting evidence.

The National Enquirer regularly publishes bombshell claims with no evidence to support its stories and is dismissed by most news organizations.

Hannity has said that he plans to do everything in his power to help elect Clintons opponent, Donald Trump, president. In the past, he has broken Fox News editorial standards to do so.

A Fox News spokesperson did not respond to an inquiry about whether Hannity giving platform to a National Enquirer subject was in keeping with network editorial standards.

NOW WATCH: Trump says 'every poll' shows he won the second debate, but scientific polls suggest he lost





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(Reuters) - A leak late on Sunday prompted Enterprise Products Partners to shut its Seaway Crude Pipeline system, the largest conduit for moving oil from the major storage hub in Cushing, Oklahoma to Gulf coast refineries. News of the leak dragged U.S. crude prices lower on Monday on worries that shutting down the 850,000 barrel-per-day (bpd) Seaway system would bottle up barrels in storage in Cushing, the delivery point for the benchmark West Texas Intermediate (WTI) futures contract. U.S. crude futures slipped 1.3 percent in afternoon trading, while international benchmark Brent crude futures fell about 1.2 percent. Enterprise said on Monday it had shut down the 400,000-bpd pipeline, which it calls its legacy line, but did not provide an estimate of the volume spilled. The total amount released would not be determined until recovery efforts were complete, the company said. The company on Monday afternoon said it had restarted its 450,000 bpd Seaway Twin, which was shut as a precaution. Most of the oil released was contained in a retention pond at a facility belonging to Enbridge Inc, a joint owner of the Seaway Crude Pipeline Company with Enterprise. Enterprise said there was no threat to the public and no evacuations were ordered following the spill, located near the intersection of Linwood Avenue and Texaco Road in Cushing. The company was working with emergency responders and law enforcement to address the situation. A spokeswoman from the U.S. Department of Transportation Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) said the organization was aware of the spill and officials were despatched to take corrective measures and relief. The spill comes at a time of concern and debate by environmental activists and energy firms over the issues of pipeline safety and security. Climate-change activists earlier this month disrupted the flow of millions of barrels of crude from Canada to the United States, in support of a Native American tribe protesting the construction of the controversial Dakota Access crude oil pipeline. The Standing Rock Sioux Tribe has protested the construction of the $3.7 billion Dakota Access pipeline that will carry oil from North Dakota to the U.S. Gulf Coast, over fears of potential damage to sacred land and water supplies. The news pushed the discount between front-month U.S. crude futures and the second-month to 69 cents, the widest in nearly two months. The prompt crude spread, often correlates to the supply-demand balance in Cushing. (Reporting by Devika Krishna Kumar in New York and Liz Hampton in Houston; Additional reporting by Arpan Varghese and Karen Rodrigues in Bengaluru; Editing by Simon Webb, Bernadette Baum and David Gregorio)
BELGRADE (Reuters) - Serbia has detained a number of people over a suspected plot to sway the outcome of Montenegro's Oct. 16 election, the Serbian prime minister said on Monday, citing "undeniable and material" evidence found by his country's security services.Aleksandar Vucic's remarks were the first detailed Serbian reaction to the arrests on election day in Montenegro of 20 Serbian citizens, including a retired police general, accused of planning attacks on government institutions and officials. The vote, in which veteran Prime Minister Milo Djukanovic's party came out ahead but without a parliamentary majority, was billed as an opportunity for voters to endorse his pro-NATO and pro-EU stance instead of pursuing closer relationships with traditional allies like Serbia and Russia. Vucic told a news conference that the evidence found included 125,000 euros ($135,975) in cash and stashed uniforms that were to be used in attacks on Montenegrin state institutions and individuals. Supportive evidence had been given by detained suspects under questioning, he said. Vucic gave no details of the nature of the attacks planned on Oct. 16. He also did not name the suspects Serbian authorities had found, some of whom were in custody, but said they were not the same as those arrested in Montenegro. "We have undeniable evidence that certain individuals, and they are certainly not those arrested down there, have been following movements of the Montenegrin prime minister and informing other people about them," Vucic said, adding that other groups might yet be found. "We could not find evidence of involvement by Serbian or Montenegrin politicians," he added. Serbia and Montenegro, its tiny neighbor on the Adriatic coast, are both former Yugoslav republics whose governments are seeking closer ties with the European Union and NATO against the wishes of some opposition nationalists and leftists. Before the election, Djukanovic told Reuters that Russia was financing the opposition in order to derail Montenegro's imminent NATO membership. Opposition parties, many also pro-NATO, deny this and reject the outcome of the "rigged" vote. Cyber attacks shut down media and party websites and Montenegrin authorities suspended instant messaging services for much of election day, saying illegal "direct marketing" - believed to refer to opposition campaigning - was taking place. While election observers found that the outcome broadly reflected "the will of the people", Djukanovic, who has dominated Montenegro's political life for a quarter for a century, has been accused of authoritarian tendencies. His Democratic Party of Socialists, which won 36 seats in the 81-member parliament, is seeking allies to build a majority coalition, but it remains unclear if other parties will support him. ($1 = 0.9193 euros) (Reporting By Aleksandar Vasovic; editing by Thomas Escritt and Mark Heinrich)
Nearly four months after being granted a new trial for the 1999 murder of his high school girlfriend, the subject of the first season of the Serial podcast now wants to get out of prison after nearly two decades.

Adnan Syed

Syed has now served more than 17 years in prison based on an unconstitutional conviction for a crime he did not commit, said his lawyers today in a motion for release pending appeal filed in Maryland state court (read it here). He has no history of violence other than the States allegations in this case, and if released he would pose no danger to the community, the bail seeking paperwork adds, noting evidence for Syeds initial conviction has been deeply discredited in the subsequent years. He is also not a flight risk; it makes no sense that he would run from the case he has spent more than half his life trying to disprove.

The Peabody Award winning first season of Serial highlighted the circumstances of Syeds case and in the process revealed previously unexplored evidence from his 200 trial that raised questions about his life sentence conviction and guilt in the killing of Hae Min Lee. The first season of Serial was downloaded close to a 100 million times since its debut on October 13, 2014.

Syeds supporters are so confident in him that several are willing to pledge their real property to ensure that he will not flee and that he will abide by all terms of pretrial release, todays motion asserts. The Maryland Attorney Generals office had no comment on the motion on Monday, saying they had not seen it yet.

Serial spinoff Undisclosed uncovered a fax cover sheet questioning the reliability of vital cell-phone tower evidence that was used to identify where Syed was when the murder occurred. Baltimore Circuit Judge Martin Welch said on June 30 this year that such evidence convinced him to vacate Syeds murder conviction and order a new trial.

Season 2 of the This American Life spinoff premiered on December 10, 2015 and focused on Bowe Bergdahl, the American solider who was captured by the Taliban, released after over 5-years and later slapped with desertion charges. Season 2 concluded on March 31 this year.

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A Serial TV series is in development at Fox 21 TV Studios with the multi-tasking Christopher Miller and Phil Lord putting it together. Serial host Sarah Koenig is executive producing the TV project with Lord and Miller as well as Julie Snyder Alissa Shipp, Ira Glass and Seth Cohen.

Related stories

Judge Grants New Trial To 'Serial' Podcast Subject Adnan Syed

NPR Photographer & Translator Killed In Afghanistan

NPR Inks With Bungalow|Storied Media Group To Help Tell Its Tales
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Ivanka TrumpA is continuingA to support her father Donald Trumps presidential campaign following his locker room talk and multiple sexual assault allegations, but not without significant backlash. Shoppers are now boycotting her clothing and accessories line, Ivanka Trump Collection, and using the hashtag #grabyourwallet (a reference to her fathers language in the hot mic tape) to make their protest known. And they arent just refusing to buy her clothes: Theyre also declining to shop atA retailers that carry the line until her merchandise is pulled from shelves.

The movements growth could be pinned to Shannon Coulter, a technology and media marketing specialist, who was particularly moved to take action against Ivanka once she continued to support her father following the release of the Access Hollywood tape.

When I heardA Donald TrumpA talking on that tape, I recognized in his words the same feeling that I had that day a of being nothing more than an object, Coulter told The Guardian, recalling her own history of sexual harassment. No matter how smart you are or how hard you work, they can do that to us.

Coulter was especially compelled to boycott the line due to the fact that Trump has always positioned it as for the working woman and continues to promote it as such. If Ivanka Trump had distanced herself from the campaign I would not be boycotting her. But something changed for me when that tape was released, Coulter said.

She spearheaded the Twitter hashtag #GrabYourWallet, a play on Donalds infamous locker room talk comment saying he would grab women by the pay.A The Guardian reports that more than aA million people viewed CoultersA posts, while 50,000 have respondedA withA support andA 2,000 have said they will participate. Those already on board are boycotting retailers carrying the line, includingA Nordstrom, Macys, Amazon, Lord & Taylor, Marshalls and Zappos until merchandise is removed.

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@Nordstrom @ @Macys @lordandtaylor I can not continue as a loyal customer while Any Trump brand is sold in UR stores #GrabYourWallet #China  Karyn (@KarynKaryntyson) October 24, 2016

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@Macys drop @IvankaTrump so I can shop there in good conscience again! #GrabYourWallet  Anita Gonzalez (@alovelylatina) October 24, 2016

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RELATED PHOTOS: Star Designers You Must Know

At Fortunes Most Powerful Women conference in Laguna Niguel, California, the New Yorker reports that managing editor of Time magazine, Nancy Gibbs, interviewed Ivanka and asked about the dichotomy of leading a brand that champions working women while also supporting her father who is being accused of multiple sexual assults.

My brand was launched far before the presidential cycle commenced and will continue long afterwards, Ivanka said. Ive always tried to maintain complete separation between that and the campaign. With that said, you know, one of the challenging things is just operating, living ones life, with the intensity and the scrutiny of this process is a very hard thing actually to do.

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IvankaA also explained why she accepted her fathers apology after his lewd comments on Access Hollywood leaked. He recognizes it was crude language, she explained.A He was embarrassed that he said those things, and he apologized. Thats not language consistent with any conversation Ive ever had with him, or any conversation Ive ever overheard, so it was a bit jarring to hear. I think he was sincere in his apology.

Recently this year her brand was sued by footwear brand Aquazzura for copying nearly every detail from a popular sandal design and had roughlyA 20,000 scarves recalledA by the CPSC for having an above-average burn risk, while its employees have criticized her for touting a national maternity leave policy while not offering one at her own company.

Will you join the boycott? Share in the comments below.




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A northern New Brunswick town is ruffling feathers with an 11-year-old little-known Halloween bylaw that prohibits anyone from trick-or-treating (or wearing a face covering) after 7 p.m. The bylaw also prohibits anyone over the age of 14 to take part in the activity at all.

Now, parents in Bathurst, N.B. are asking officials to extend the curfew, and open things up to older kids, too  many suggesting up until around the age of 16.

According to the Canadian Press, Deputy mayor Lee Stever said the bylaw was enacted years ago following complaints from seniors who said older kids were coming to their doors late into the night.

However, he adds that he doesnt believe anyone has ever been dinged with the $200 associated fine, and that most in the community are done trick-or-treating by 7 p.m. He also told the Canadian Press that the town council is divided, and some councillors are actually requesting the age limit be dropped down to 10.

Bathurst isnt the only town to put a curfew on Halloween festivities  Stever cited a town in Virginia which limited trick-or-treating to kids 12 and younger before 8 p.m.

So, we want to know: what do you think? Do you think that having a rule around who can trick-or-treat, and for how long, would be beneficial? If so, what should the limit be?

Let us know your thoughts in the comments below or by tweeting @YahooStyleCA.




Potential joint innovations are underway.

The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) and the Korean Financial Services Commission (KFSC) today signed a cooperation agreement to foster greater cooperation in FinTech.

The signing took place at the sidelines of the FinTech Demo Day organised by the Korean FinTech Centre.

The agreement provides a framework for cooperation in FinTech between Singapore and South Korea.

Under the agreement, MAS and KFSC will explore potential joint innovation projects on technologies such as big data and mobile payments.

MAS and KFSC will also discuss issues of common interest, and share information on FinTech trends and how it may impact existing regulations.

Sopnendu Mohanty, Chief FinTech Officer, MAS, said This agreement lays the groundwork for deeper FinTech collaboration between Singapore and South Korea. Singapores vibrant FinTech ecosystem, sound infrastructure, and growing talent pool make it a natural choice for Korean FinTech companies looking to expand their businesses to neighbouring markets.

Hoon Choi, Director General of Banking and Insurance Bureau, KFSC, said This agreement is an important step forward in enhancing the financial relationship between Korea and Singapore. Although Korea is a relative newcomer of FinTech, it is growing at a rapid pace based on its excellent IT and online financial infrastructure, under the Governments FinTech policy. We hope that the agreement serves as a stepping stone for FinTech firms from both Korea and Singapore alike to expand their business globally.





More From Singapore Business Review


About 300 women took to the streets of a Rhode Island town to affirm their right to don yoga pants after they came under scrutiny by a man who took apparent offense to the fitness garb.

Read: Airplane Pose: Meet the Woman Who Does Yoga Aboard Plane at 30,000 Feet

The war on yoga pants began Wednesday when Alan Sorrentino, 63, of Barrington, wrote a letter to local newspaper The Barrington Times, complaining about women of a certain age wearing the figure-hugging workout gear.

He wrote: To all yoga pant wearers, I struggle with my own physicality as I age. I dont want to struggle with yours.

He added: "Yoga pants can be adorable on children and young women. However, on mature, adult women there is something bizarre and disturbing about the appearance they make in public. Yuck!"

Jamie Burke, a 40-year-old mom of two, was so outraged by his letter that she organized a peaceful protest that marched right to Sorrentino's door.

I was stunned so many women came, she told Inside Edition. "I might have thought that maybe 50 people and some local friends would come and do this walk through the neighborhood. Never would I imagine that 300-400 people would come."

The demonstration featured women of all ages, races, shapes and sizes.

Sorrentino spoke to reporters, saying: The reaction has been over the top crazy. I've received death threats. I have received threats  things about vandalizing the house.

He received a barrage of violent voicemails, some of which had callers saying: We're showing up to your house, you f***, and you better watch your a**.

Read: Judge Outraged as Defendant Comes To Court With No Pants After 3 Days in Jail

Sorrentino says the letter was all in jest, but he still hates yoga pants.

It was just a joke. Wear the yoga pants all you want, but if you knew what guys were saying behind your back when you have them on maybe you wouldn't, he said.

Story continues

Watch: Pantsuit Riot! This Fashion Trend Is All the Rage This Season

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Battle lines. One week into the fight for Mosul, and the battle has expanded across Iraq, but has yet to start inside the city itself.

Iraqi forces and Kurdish Peshmerga are within just a few miles of the city, pushing from the south, east, and north as an estimated 1,500 ISIS fighters are making a fighting retreat back into their fortified strongholds within Mosul. To slow the coalitions advance, theyre lighting oil pits, sending columns of thick black smoke into the sky, and laying hundreds of buried bombs along the roadways. Just a few miles away, as many as 5,000 well supplied and deeply dug in ISIS fighters, surrounded by unwilling civilian human shields, await.

Fighting spreads. American military officials have said they expect ISIS to lash out in other areas of Iraq to try and shift Baghdads attention from Mosul, and the assaults on Kirkuk on Friday, and Rutba in far western Iraq on Sunday  both hundreds of miles from Mosul  have pulled some troops into the fight to secure those cities. The fighting in both places continued through Sunday, with several suicide bombers hitting Kirkuk throughout the day. In Rutba, reports indicate that ISIS has taken control of half of the town.

Toxic attack. But the biggest surprise came Saturday, when Islamic State fighters lit a sulphur plant on fire, sending plumes of toxic smoke into the skies around Mosul. A defense official speaking on condition of anonymity told SitRep that U.S. troops at Camp Swift and Qayyarah West Airfield near Mosul are in an area far enough away that there is minimal threat to any lasting health effects, but all troops have gas masks, and they have the option of using them. About 1,000 Iraqi civilians have been sickened by the fumes already.

Intel surge. The Pentagon is sending dozens of new intelligence analysts to Iraq to help sift through what leaders think will be an intelligence windfall when the city eventually falls. But hundreds of ISIS fighters have been fleeing the city though an open western corridor to Syria, one tribal chief near the border tells CNN.

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Big win for the Kurds, may anger Baghdad. The clouds of black smoke dont appear to be slowing things down much. On Sunday, the Kurds look to have captured the ISIS-held town of Bashiqa, only five miles from Mosul, which would open up a critical lane into the city. But the victory might come at a long-term cost. The Kurds were supported by Turkish artillery, fired from a base near the town that houses hundreds of Turkish troops, along with dozens of tanks and artillery pieces. Baghdad says theyre there without the consent of the Iraqi government, and wants them out. Ankara refuses.

Americans in the middle of the feud. U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter visited Turkey, Baghdad, and the Kurdish city of Erbil over the weekend to huddle with U.S. military commanders and local officials leading the fight. The visit produced some real tension, as Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi soundly rejected a preliminary agreement Carter appeared to have reached with Turkish officials that would open the door for Turkey to become more involved in the Mosul operation.

While there were some vague threats of war last week over the base, Abadi toned things down Saturday, saying its important for us to have good relations with TurkeyI know that the Turks want to participate, we tell them thank you, this is something the Iraqis will handle and the Iraqis will liberate Mosul. But the Shiite militias that Baghdad is preparing to send west of Mosul arent looking to decrease tensions with Turkey. Just the opposite, the New York Times tells us.

Goes boom. Spokesman for U.S. forces in Iraq, Col John L. Dorrian, Tweeted Sunday that the U.S. led coalition dropped over 1,400 munitions on ISIS positions around Mosul between Oct. 17 and 22, a record number of strikes over any other 5-day period since the bombing campaign kicked off in August, 2014.

Raqqa in the sights. The fight for Mosul has just started, but the ISIS capital of Raqqa hags over the entire campaign. We want to see an isolation operation begin around Raqqa as soon as possible, Ash Carter said Sunday. We are working with our partners there (in Syria) to do that. There will be some simultaneity to these two operations.

Good morning and as always, if you have any thoughts, announcements, tips, or national security-related events to share, please pass them along to SitRep HQ. Best way is to send them to: paul.mcleary@foreignpolicy.com or on Twitter: @paulmcleary or @arawnsley

Cybersecurity

A grand jury has indicted Yevgeny Nikulin, the accused hacker which U.S. and Czech authorities arrested and extradited back to the United States, according to the Wall Street Journal. The indictment accuses Nikulin of hacking technology companies Dropbox, Formspring, and LinkedIn in 2012. User data appears to be the chief target of the break-in. Dropbox has admitted that a breach in 2012 exposed 68 million user credentials and the indictment accuses Nikulin of attempting to sell a database of Formspring user information for $7,000. Last week, Russia protested Nikulins extradition to the United States, accusing American authorities of engaging on an unwarranted hunt for Russian citizens abroad.

Russia

Vladimir Putin has crushed your dreams of catching Pokemon in and around the Kremlin. Agence France Presse reports that Grigory Bakunov, a researcher for Yandex, claims that something inside the Kremlin and Vnukovo airport is blocking GPS signals, interfering with cell phone map and navigation apps as well as games like Pokemon Go. Bakunov speculates that the signal interruption could be part of a system designed to keep unauthorized hobby drones from flying near sensitive sites.

Syria

The Washington Post has learned a little more about the oft-threatened CIA plans to increase aid to Syrian rebels in the face of Russias attacks on civilians in Aleppo. Administration officials had earlier floated to the press that they were considering a range of options to increase military pressure on the Assad regime and its Russian backers in Syria via rebel groups. The Post, however, reports that the plan made its way to President Obamas desk, where its sat ever since without a formal decision. Backers include CIA director John Brennan and Defense Secretary Ash Carter, but Secretary of State John Kerry is reportedly skeptical for fear that new weapons could kill Russian troops.

In a report sent to the United Nations, the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) concluded that the Assad regime used chlorine gas in an attack in against rebels in Idlib in March 2015. The report says that Syrian military used barrel bombs dropped from helicopters to deliver the chemical weapons onto their targets. The OPCW previously concluded that the Assad regime used chlorine gas in two other attacks in 2014 and 2015.

Afghanistan

Militants in Iraq and Syria arent the only ones using drones to film their attacks. The Taliban recently released drone footage of a suicide attack on an Afghan police base in Helmand province. The video shows the suicide bomber shortly before he drove an explosive-laden Humvee into the facility as well as the subsequent explosion at the post. The footage was likely taken by a small, commercially-available hobbyist drone. The attack, which took place during a Taliban offensive in early October, reportedly killed a local police chief.

The United Nations Office on Drug and Crime (UNODC) projects that opium production in Afghanistan will be up 43 percent by the end of 2016, according to TOLO News. That increase in production, according to UNODCs Andrey Avetisyan, was aided by a 10 percent increase in land dedicated to cultivation. Afghanistans Ministry of Counter Narcotics points to overwhelming concentration of poppy cultivation in areas where the Taliban is strong and fighting intense as a contributor to the problem.

Yemen

Yet another attempt to bring a ceasefire to Yemens increasingly bloody war appears to be in tatters as the Saudi-led coalition again stepped up airstrikes over the weekend. The increase in bombing comes after United Nations special envoy for Yemen Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed posted a plea for an extension of a 72-hour ceasefire on Facebook, noting that the pause was critical for the delivery of humanitarian aid. The plea for more time didnt take, however, with subsequent airstrikes in Marib and Taiz.

National guard

At the height of the Iraq war, the Pentagon paid out bonuses for soldiers to reenlist in the National Guard. Now its demanding that bonus money back hitting vets in California with liens and wage garnishments in order to claw the money back. The Defense Department says it paid out too much money in bonuses and is going after California Guard servicemembers for the excess. Troops, however, say they risked their lives to fulfill their end of reenlistment contracts on the strength of bonus pledges and its only fair that the Pentagon keep to its end of the deal. The Defense Department estimates it overpaid to the tune of $22 million.

Photo Credit: YASIN AKGUL/AFP/Getty Images
Paris (AFP) - Whether cheating on taxes or one's lover, the little lies we tell can quickly escalate into big ones, according to a study released Monday that describes dishonesty as a "slippery slope".

Serial untruths, moreover, register a diminishing emotional response in the brain, researchers reported in Nature Neuroscience.

Indeed, the biochemical link is so strong that scientists could accurately predict in experiments how big a lie someone was about to tell just by looking at the brain scan of their previous prevarications.

"This study is the first empirical evidence that dishonest behaviour escalates when it is repeated," said lead author Neil Garret, a researcher in the Department of Experimental Psychology at University College London.

Understanding how people graduate from white lies to whoppers despite the social norms or morals that discourage mendacity is of more than academic interest, the authors argue.

Whether it is "infidelity, doping in sports, making up data in science, or financial fraud, the deceivers often recall that small acts of dishonesty snowballed over time," noted co-author Tali Sharot, also of University College London.

"They suddenly found themselves committing quite large crimes."

In the experiments, some 80 volunteers were asked to individually assess high-resolution photos of glass jars filled with different amounts of pennies.

Then, via a computer, they were instructed to advise a remote partner looking at a poor-quality image of the same jar as to how much money it contained.

These partners were in fact actors working with the scientists, but the volunteers did not know that.

In the first test, the volunteers were given an incentive to be honest.

"They were told that the more accurate their partner's estimate, the more money they would both receive," Garrett explained in a press briefing.

This set a benchmark for other scenarios in which volunteers were given an incentive to lie.

Story continues

In one experiment, a deliberate falsehood resulted in gains for both advisor and advised. In another, the volunteer understood that a self-interested lie would come at the expense of the partner.

- Practice makes perfect -

"People lie the most when it is good for them and for the other person," said Sharot.

"When it is only good for them, but hurts someone else, they lie less."

Participants differed sharply on how far they wandered from the truth, and the rate at which their dishonesty escalated.

And those identified beforehand in questionnaires as less forthright were also more likely to lie during the experiment.

But most volunteers not only easily slipped into a pattern of dissembling; they also ramped up the intensity of their lies over time.

Twenty-five of the participants underwent functional MRIs -- brain scans -- during the experiments.

The part of the brain that processes emotions, the amygdala, responded strongly when lying occurred.

At least it did so at first.

But even as the lies grew bolder, the amygdala lit up less and less, a process the researchers called "emotional adaptation."

"The first time you cheat on your taxes, for example, you might feel quite bad about it," Sharot said. "That bad feeling curbs your dishonesty."

"But the next time you cheat, you have already adapted, and there is less of a negative reaction to hold you back."

Whether the reduced activity in the brain's emotional command centre helped drive the slide towards dishonesty, or was simply a reflection of it, remains unclear.

But one conclusion from the study does seem inescapable: the more you lie, the better you get at it.

"If emotional arousal goes down, it is possible that people are less likely to catch you in a lie," said Sharot.
Oct 24 (Reuters) - Southern California Gas completed safety tests on more wells at its Aliso Canyon natural gas storage facility in Los Angeles, which shut in October 2015 following a massive methane leak, according to a report from the utility made public on Monday.

SoCalGas did not say when it would be ready to seek state regulatory approval to inject gas into the field.

Under state law, SoCalGas cannot inject fuel into the field until the California Division of Oil, Gas and Geothermal Resources (DOGGR) approves the company's testing of the 114 wells at the facility to ensure their safety.

SoCalGas is owned by California energy company Sempra Energy . Aliso Canyon is the biggest of its four storage fields. It supplies gas to homes and businesses in Southern California, including power plants and refineries.

In its latest report to DOGGR, SoCalGas said 28 wells have passed all safety tests, five awaited test results and 81 were temporarily taken out of operation.

All wells must either pass all tests or be taken out of service before DOGGR can call a public meeting. Since DOGGR must give the public 15 days notice before a meeting, SoCalGas cannot start injecting gas into Aliso Canyon until some time in mid-November at the earliest.

In addition to DOGGR, the California Public Utilities Commission must also determine the field is safe to operate.

The PUC on Friday issued a checklist of safety evaluations it wants SoCalGas to complete before allowing the company to inject gas into Aliso Canyon. The list includes several tests and reports the company must file to monitor pressure in the well pipes.

After the state allows the company to inject gas into the field, SoCalGas has said it will continue testing wells that were temporarily sealed in an effort to bring them back into service.

The state required SoCalGas to keep 15 billion cubic feet of gas in the 86-bcf facility to minimize risk of gas shortages that could result in electricity outages.

Story continues

The PUC in late September reduced the required minimum withdrawal capability SoCalGas must maintain from 420 million cubic feet per day to 207 mmcfd.

The California Air Resources Board (CARB) on Friday estimated the Aliso Canyon leak emitted 109,000 metric tons of methane from October 2015 to February, roughly equivalent to carbon dioxide emissions released from burning over 1 billion gallons of gasoline.

CARB said SoCalGas will have to mitigate those carbon impacts.

(Reporting by Scott DiSavino; Editing by Tom Brown)
By Vera Eckert FRECHEN, Germany (Reuters) - Solarwatt, a German company making home storage batteries to harness rooftop solar power, expects to double market share amid rapid growth and consolidation in the young industry next year, its innovation chief said. The company, whose main owner is BMW heir Stefan Quandt, has moved into the top league of a market dominated by peers Sonnen, LG Chem and Varta Microbattery. "We reached 10 percent market share in a year-and-a-half and expect a significant increase to 20 percent in 2017," Solarwatt chief innovation officer Andreas Gutsch told Reuters at the company's battery module production site near Cologne. The German market, which stood at 35,000 units sold in 2015, is expected to add 20,000 in 2016 and 30,000 in 2017, he said, stressing the figures were estimates only. Gutsch said the dozen players in the current market are likely to consolidate to possibly four or five over the next two years. Solarwatt, based in Dresden and employing 260 people, struck a cooperation deal for a minor part of its output with utility E.ON this year, and hopes to benefit, like its rivals, from a highly transparent market. This is thanks to public registration of 1.5 million small solar units, built since 1999, which from 2019 onwards will gradually see a generous 20-year subsidy scheme fade out. Operators who in the past relied on above-market payments for power they fed into the grid are expected to turn to storage, which will allow them to consume their own electricity when the sun does not shine. Germany, second to China in solar power capacity worldwide, currently charges retail customers at least 30 euro cents ($0.32) per megawatt hour for power from the grid, one of the highest prices worldwide, boosted by ample subsidies. With the cost of home-produced solar power a mere 10 cents, consumers can arrive at a cost between 22 and 27 cents by adding a storage unit. After a fall of more than a third over the past two years, prices for the storage units are likely to decline further thanks to scale effects, cheaper logistics and product improvements, Gutsch said. Solarwatt is also targeting Australia, which has cut funding for renewables, Italy, France and the Benelux. (Editing by Mark Heinrich)
A 67-year-old man died four days after contracting a flesh-eating bacteria infection in a Maryland bay through a cut in his leg.

Michael Funk was washing crab pots in Ocean City when a strand of the Vibrio vulnificus bacteria infected him on Sept. 11, causing him to feel sick and seek attention at a local hospital. He was soon flown to a Baltimore shock trauma hospital where his leg was amputated and he died on Sept. 15, according to the Daily Times of Salisbury, Md.

Its like something out of a horror movie, Marcia Funk, his wife, told the Daily Times. I really feel they kept it quiet because its a tourist resort.

Like a 'horror movie': He got an infection from the water in Ocean City, and within days he was dead https://t.co/yvksXPMg2s  DelmarvaNow! (@MyDelmarvaNow) October 21, 2016

She said doctors diagnosed his case of vibriosis immediately, but the infection moved too quickly to do anything. The flesh-eating bacteria had entered his bloodstream, causing ulcers and lesions throughout his body.

The Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene is investigating the incident, though officials have not released a public advisory about the bacteria found in the Assawoman Bay. Vibrio vulnificus is very rare but can be found in warm, salty waters, the Washington Post reports.

[The Daily Times]
By Ed Stoddard JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - South Africa's main opposition party has filed papers with the Constitutional Court to challenge the government's decision to pull out of the International Criminal Court (ICC), it said on Monday. South Africa will become the first country to quit the Hague-based court next year, after formally declaring its departure last week, saying ICC membership conflicted with its diplomatic immunity laws. The opposition Democratic Alliance (DA) hopes the Constitutional Court, the final arbiter on constitutional issues, can intervene. "The notice of withdrawal is in breach ... of the Constitution, as it was delivered without first securing a resolution of Parliament authorizing South Africas withdrawal," the party said in a statement setting out its legal argument. South Africa last year announced its intention to leave after the ICC criticized it for disregarding an order to arrest Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir, who is accused of genocide and war crimes, when he visited the country. Bashir denies the accusations. The 124-member ICC is the first legal body with permanent global jurisdiction to prosecute genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes but has secured only five substantive verdicts in 14 years, all of them on Africans, leading to criticism that it unfairly targets Africa. Burundi's leader last week signed a decree to leave the ICC, and Kenya's parliament is considering following suit. The head of the ICC's governing body, Senegal's justice minister Sidiki Kaba, said: "We regret these withdrawals." "Clearly, the criticism brought against the International Criminal Court is that it is a vehicle of a two-speed justice, a selective justice, a justice of the white man," he said, but insisted "it was African countries themselves that chose to take their cases to the ICC." South Africa's Business Day newspaper said in an editorial on Monday: "The intention to withdraw from the court undermines South Africa's reputation as a defender of human rights." (Additional reporting by Diadie Ba in Dakar; Editing by Robin Pomeroy)
By Ed Stoddard JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - South Africa's main opposition party has filed papers with the Constitutional Court to challenge the government's decision to pull out of the International Criminal Court (ICC), it said on Monday. South Africa will become the first country to quit the Hague-based court next year, after formally declaring its departure last week, saying ICC membership conflicted with its diplomatic immunity laws. The opposition Democratic Alliance (DA) hopes the Constitutional Court, the final arbiter on constitutional issues, can intervene. "The notice of withdrawal is in breach ... of the Constitution, as it was delivered without first securing a resolution of Parliament authorising South Africas withdrawal," the party said in a statement setting out its legal argument. South Africa last year announced its intention to leave after the ICC criticised it for disregarding an order to arrest Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir, who is accused of genocide and war crimes, when he visited the country. Bashir denies the accusations. The 124-member ICC is the first legal body with permanent global jurisdiction to prosecute genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes but has secured only five substantive verdicts in 14 years, all of them on Africans, leading to criticism that it unfairly targets Africa. Burundi's leader last week signed a decree to leave the ICC, and Kenya's parliament is considering following suit. The head of the ICC's governing body, Senegal's justice minister Sidiki Kaba, said: "We regret these withdrawals." "Clearly, the criticism brought against the International Criminal Court is that it is a vehicle of a two-speed justice, a selective justice, a justice of the white man," he said, but insisted "it was African countries themselves that chose to take their cases to the ICC." South Africa's Business Day newspaper said in an editorial on Monday: "The intention to withdraw from the court undermines South Africa's reputation as a defender of human rights." (Additional reporting by Diadie Ba in Dakar; Editing by Robin Pomeroy)
By Stella Mapenzauswa JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - At least 80 heads of top South African firms including Anglo American, Barclays Africa Group and Naspers want fraud charges against Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan to be dropped. The top executives of mostly-listed firms in Africa's most industrialised country - ranging from mining, media, retail and banking - said in a newspaper advertisement on Sunday that political wrangling was damaging an already stalling economy at a time the country faced a sovereign credit downgrade. The calls by corporate South Africa echo those in the political realm, after a senior official in the ruling African National Congress (ANC) called for the party's leadership to quit over the alleged political persecution of Gordhan. The rifts are the latest sign of rising political tension as the ANC grapples with waning support since losing control of three key cities in the August municipal elections. "We stand as one for the rule of law and against the decision to prosecute the Minister of Finance on charges that are, according to the preponderance of expert legal opinion, without factual or legal foundation," the business leaders declared in their statement. The charges say Gordhan, while running the tax agency, fraudulently approved early retirement for a deputy commissioner and re-hired him as a consultant, costing the tax agency around 1.1 million rand ($79,000). Gordhan, who is due in court on Nov. 2, has dismissed these as politically motivated. Zuma has said he is not in conflict with Gordhan and the country's top prosecutor has denied any political motivation. Gordhan said last week his relations with Zuma were very good. RESIGNATION CALL On the same day as the business leaders' ad hit the newsstands, Jackson Mthembu, the ANC chief whip in parliament, urged Zuma to lead senior party officials in quitting their posts, saying fraud charges against Gordhan reflected an abuse of power to settle internal political scores. ANC spokesman Zizi Kodwa ruled out any mass resignation, telling the News24 media service that "it gives an impression that the organization is divided". Political analysts say the ANC's ranks are already divided. Several senior leaders, including Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa, have publicly backed Gordhan. Political analyst Eusebius McKaiser wrote that Mthembu spoke for a critical mass of leaders "who are finally, if rather belatedly, getting the point of the electoral backlash." Scandals have haunted Zuma for much of his presidency. The Constitutional Court ruled in March that he failed to respect an order by the anti-graft watchdog to repay some of the 250 million rand ($18 million) in state funds used to upgrade his private home. He has since repaid the money used on non-security features. His increasingly controversial leadership could hurt the ANC further in the 2019 national elections, analysts say. But Zuma still enjoys strong support within the ANC and is likely to stay on at its helm until a congress to chose new leaders next year, analysts say. "There is no denying that the ANC is slipping deeper into crisis," NKC African Economics political analyst Gary van Staden said. "While the Zuma faction continues to hold sway, it must be aware that there is no reversing the trend within and that its time may be running out." (Additional reporting by Mfuneko Toyana; Editing by James Macharia and Tom Heneghan)
By Chris Arsenault RIO DE JANEIRO (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Hailed as the gold standard for sharing natural resources, a landmark deal between four countries to manage one of the world's largest aquifers has stalled, Brazilian and Argentinian officials said, raising questions over how states will handle disputes over increasingly valuable fresh water. Six years ago, the U.N. welcomed an agreement between Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay and Argentina to manage the Guarani Aquifer, South America's largest underground source of fresh water, spanning more than 1 million square kilometers (386,000 sq miles). While land can be easily demarcated with property titles, disputes over cross-border water sources are harder to resolve, leading diplomats to place a high value on resource-sharing agreements. The world is expected to face a 40 percent shortfall in water availability by 2030, according to the U.N. With underground aquifers crucial to the planet's fresh water supply, governments are under pressure to better manage common resources to avoid potential conflicts. "The Guarani aquifer agreement was the gold standard on how countries can share things," said Aaron Wolf, an Oregon State University professor who studies water management. "It was a great example of conflict prevention rather than conflict resolution," Wolf told the Thomson Reuters Foundation. "It's always easier to have these conversations when people aren't dying as a result of water shortages or drought." COOPERATION Despite the initial optimism, the Guarani Aquifer agreement has stalled. On the ground, "little or nothing" is happening today in terms of formal coordination between the four countries, Miguel Giraut, an official with Argentina's Ministry of Mines and Energy who worked on the Guarani deal, told the Thomson Reuters Foundation. Lawmakers in Uruguay and Argentina ratified the agreement in 2012, but politicians from Paraguay have yet to ink the deal, some saying it undermines national sovereignty. And officials in Brazil's foreign ministry have also stalled its approval, said Luiz Amore, spokesman for Brazil's National Water Agency. Some Brazilian lawmakers are pushing for changes to the deal which would open the whole agreement to renegotiation, setting-back hopes of implementing it by years, Amore said. Political wrangling is hurting efforts by scientists and environmentalists to manage the resource, both officials said, although informal cooperation between the four countries over management of the aquifer continues. If the agreement gets final approval, joint management commissions in border areas will be able respond to local problems such as regions pumping too much water or a lack of environmental monitoring, officials said. "There is some cooperation happening now," Amore told the Thomson Reuters Foundation. "But not at the level we would expect... we have to move this forward." PREVENTING WATER CONFLICTS From the Nubian aquifer in north Africa, to water sources straddling Israel, Jordan and the Palestinian territories, shared bodies of underground water can be sources of strife between neighbors. A storyline in the James Bond spy movie "Quantum of Solace", where a shady businessman launches a coup in Bolivia to gain control of underground water, is thought to be based on the Guarani aquifer. "In Latin America, water is inherently political," Francesco Sindico, professor of environmental law the UK's University of Strathclyde told the Thomson Reuters Foundation. "It goes to the heart of national sovereignty," Sindico said, which is why the Guarani Agreement was so important. DROUGHT The stalled deal is particularly concerning in Sao Paulo, Brazil's most populous state, which has been hit by droughts and water shortages, said environmental law expert Pilar Carolina Villar. "In the State of Sao Paulo there is too much exploitation (of the aquifer)," Villar told the Thomson Reuters Foundation. Underground water is being pumped out faster than it can recharge naturally, said the Federal University of Sao Paulo professor. This is why monitoring water levels and flow between countries is important; it allows states to know how much water they can sustainably remove from the aquifer. While South America has abundant water reserves compared to other regions, the aquifer will become increasingly important for crops and drinking water for millions in Sao Paulo state. And it's places like this where cooperation among countries matters most, Villar said, as climate change is likely to put further stress on surface water resources, making shared ground aquifers ever more important. (Reporting By Chris Arsenault; Editing by Ros Russell; Please credit the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of Thomson Reuters, that covers humanitarian news, women's rights, trafficking and climate change. Visit news.trust.org)
By Ju-min Park and Christine Kim SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korean President Park Geun-hye on Monday proposed amending the constitution to allow presidents to serve multiple terms or to establish a parliamentary system, saying the single-term presidency has served its purpose after nearly 30 years. The South Korean presidency was limited to a single five-year term in the 1987 constitutional amendment that ended the country's military dictatorship. South Korean presidents serving a single five-year term typically become lame ducks in the second half of their tenure, limiting their effectiveness. Park herself would not be able to serve a second term. "Through the single-term presidency, it is difficult to maintain policy continuance, see results of policy and engage in unified foreign policy," she said in an address to parliament at the start of annual budget deliberations. Critics of the presidency believe a parliamentary system in which the executive branch centered on a prime minister and the cabinet would allow for more stable policymaking and ensure greater accountability. Park, the first woman president of South Korea, is in the fourth year of a term which ends in February 2018. A Realmeter poll released in June found 70 percent of South Koreans think the existing constitution should be revised and 40 percent say allowing a president to serve two four-year terms would be preferable. Park asked parliament to form a special committee to discuss revising the constitution, calling for the change to be completed before her term ends. In South Korea, the president or parliament can propose a constitutional amendment, which must be approved by a two-thirds majority in the single-chamber assembly and then by a majority in a national referendum in which more than half of eligible voters participate. Under the current constitution, the sitting president is barred from serving again under any potential amendment. "I've reached a conclusion that we can no longer delay discussing amending the constitution, which was also my campaign promise, to break down limits we face in the big picture for the Republic of Korea's sustainable development," Park said. Despite broad public consensus for constitutional reform, it is not clear how debate will play out, with political power split between a powerful presidency and a fractious parliament. Park's proposal was welcomed by her Saenuri Party but drew suspicion from rival parties which saw it as a move to divert attention from an influence scandal involving old acquaintances and to keep herself relevant as her presidency winds down. Park's father, Park Chung-hee, who took power in a coup in 1961 and served as leader until he was assassinated by his spy chief in 1979, forced through a constitutional amendment in 1972 to extend his presidency. U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said on Friday he will return to South Korea in January after heading the world body for a decade to consider what role he can play amid a push for him to run for president. (Editing by Jack Kim and Nick Macfie)
Question: Tell us more about the design, construction and role of the carbon fiber tank you showed during last months presentation:

Elon Musk: Yeah, for those that know their stuff, that was really the big news :)

The flight tank will actually be slightly longer than the development tank shown, but the same diameter.

That was built with latest and greatest carbon fiber prepreg. In theory, it should hold cryogenic propellant without leaking and without a sealing linker. Early tests are promising.

Will take it up to 2/3 of burst pressure on an ocean barge in the coming weeks.

Q: What SpaceX technology or material still requires the most development for ITS to be a success?

A: It used to be developing a new metal alloy that is extremely resistant to oxidation for the hot oxygen-rich turbopump, which is operating at insane pressure to feed a 300 bar main chamber. Anything that can burn, will burn. We seem to have that under control, as the Raptor turbopump didnt show erosion in the test firings, but there is still room for optimization.

Biggest question right now is sealing the carbon fiber tanks against cryo propellant with hot autogenous pressurization. The oxygen tank also has an oxidation risk problem as it is pressurized with pure, hot oxygen. Will almost certainly need to apply an inert layer of some kind. Hopefully, something that can be sprayed. If need be, will use thin sheets of invar [a nickel-iron alloy] welded together on the inside.

Q: How differently will the spaceship be configured internally for a smaller crew, such as the first one, as opposed to the full 100-person crew?

A: Probably just pack the pressurized space with cargo. Early missions will be heavily weighted towards cargo. First crewed mission would have about a dozen people, as the goal will be to build out and troubleshoot the propellant plant and Mars Base Alpha power system.

Q: What equipment and procedures will be required for refueling operations on Mars?

A. We are still far from figuring this out in detail, but the current plan is:

1. Send Dragon scouting missions, initially just to make sure we know how to land without adding a crater and then to figure out the best way to get water for the CH4/O2 Sabatier Reaction. [This chemical reaction would convert Martian water and carbon dioxide into methane fuel and oxygen.]

2. Heart of Gold spaceship flies to Mars loaded only with equipment to build the propellant plant.

3. First crewed mission with equipment to build rudimentary base and complete the propellant plant.

4. Try to double the number of flights with each Earth-Mars orbital rendezvous, which is every 26 months, until the city can grow by itself.

Q: In the event of an emergency, could the spaceship return to Earth without having to wait 26 months?

A: Yes.

Q: How many Gs could the spaceship and the booster take?

A: The spaceship would be limited to around 5 Gs nominal, but able to take peak loads 2 to 3 times higher without breaking up. Booster would be nominal of 20 [Gs] and maybe 30 to 40 without breaking up.

Q: How does the landing profile for the ITS booster differ from that of the Falcon 9? What changes are you planning for the updated final version of the Falcon 9, and whats the plan for reusing Falcon 9 first-stage boosters?

A: The big booster will have an easier time of things than Falcon, as the mass ratio of the stages is lower and it will have lower density. Net result is that it wont come in quite as hot and fast as Falcon, so Falcon should be a bounding case on the big booster.

Final Falcon 9 has a lot of minor refinements that collectively are important, but uprated thrust and improved legs are the most significant.

Actually, I think the F9 boosters could be used almost indefinitely, so long as there is scheduled maintenance and careful inspections. Falcon 9 Block 5  the final version in the series  is the one that has the most performance and is designed for easy reuse, so it just makes sense to focus on that long term and retire the earlier versions. Block 5 starts production in about 3 months and initial flight is in six to eight months, so there isnt much point in ground testing Block 3 or 4 much beyond a few reflights.
By Clare Baldwin and Andrew R.C. Marshall MANILA (Reuters) - Philippines' President Rodrigo Duterte ended a recent speech in Manila with a now-familiar claim: Two policemen were dying every day in his violent battle to rid the country of illegal drugs. But police statistics have shown that figure to be exaggerated. From July 1, when Duterte launched his "war on drugs," to Oct. 12, when he spoke in Manila, 13 police officers were killed. That's an average of one every eight days. This is not the only dubious claim Duterte has used to justify his bloody anti-narcotics campaign, according to a Reuters review of official government data and interviews with the president's top anti-drug officials. These officials say that data on the total number of drug users, the number of users needing treatment, the types of drugs being consumed and the prevalence of drug-related crime is exaggerated, flawed or non-existent. But they say the problematic statistics don't matter because the campaign has focused attention on a long-neglected crisis in the Philippines. "I don't see it as a problem," said Wilkins Villanueva, the Metro Manila regional director for the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), the country's leading anti-narcotics agency. "Before, our fight against dangerous drugs was a lonely battle Now, everybody's helping us  the community's helping us." Nearly 2,300 people have been killed in police operations or by suspected vigilantes since Duterte took office on June 30, according to the Philippines police. That figure was revised down this month by the police from an original tally of 3,600 deaths. In response to questions from Reuters, Presidential Communications Secretary Martin Andanar said the story was "malicious" and referred Reuters to the Philippine National Police. The crackdown has been criticized abroad but enjoys widespread support in the Philippines, which Duterte has said faces collapse if the "drug menace" isn't tackled. REAL-WORLD IMPACT In his inaugural State of the Nation Address on July 25, Duterte declared that there were 3.7 million "drug addicts" in the Philippines. "The number is quite staggering and scary," he said. "I have to slaughter these idiots for destroying my country." But according to a 2015 survey by the Office of the President's Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB), the main drug policy and research unit, the Philippines has fewer than half that many drug users. And rather than being "addicts," as Duterte refers to all drug users, about a third of the 1.8 million users identified in the DDB survey had taken drugs only once in the previous 13 months. Fewer than half of them  860,000  had consumed crystal meth, or shabu, the highly addictive stimulant widely blamed by officials for high crime rates and other social ills. Most were marijuana users. PDEA's Villanueva said he didn't care if President Duterte "overestimates" the number of drug users as long as it made people aware of the problem. Officials in the president's media office contacted by Reuters could not say where the data came from to back up another of the government's central claims: that 75 percent of serious crimes in the Philippines are drug-related. Police and senior officials have used the claim to justify tough measures against drug users and pushers, and say those measures have been vindicated by a drop in crime since the anti-drug campaign began. The faulty figures have other real-world implications. They determine, for instance, how many people the government says must be targeted to eradicate drug demand in the Philippines. That has led to the drawing up of police "watch lists" with the names of drug suspects, hundreds of whom have been shot dead either in police operations or by unknown gunmen. The president's statistical claims continue to drive policy. In September, Duterte said the number of "addicts" would rise to four million by the end of the month and vowed to extend his drug war for another six months - to June 2017. That statement came after remarks on Sept. 30, when Duterte seemed to compare himself to Hitler and said he would be "happy to slaughter" three million drug addicts. BURDEN OF HARM A senior Philippines law enforcement officer said Duterte's "arbitrary" figures had put pressure on police and government officials. "The problem is, every time the president says something, it's already some sort of a policy statement," said the officer, who spoke on condition of anonymity. "We have to toe the line." The officer pointed, for example, to the more than 700,000 people who have registered in the past three months with the authorities as drug users or pushers, a process known as "surrendering." But, he said, authorities were expected to produce at least 1.8 million "surrenderers" to match the number of users cited in the DDB report. "That's the reason we are having a hard time. We need to produce," he said. "Even if we add up everything...we are not even close to 1.8 million." PDEA's Villanueva said the president's assessment of the drug problem was reasonable, and he felt no pressure. "He just exaggerates it so we will know that the problem is very big," Villanueva said of Duterte. "The implication is that we have to work hard to solve the problem and we have to work hard so that...occasional drug users do not turn into regular drug users." Statements by Duterte and other officials not only fail to distinguish between users and problem users, say drug-treatment specialists, but also between users of shabu and marijuana. Shabu is a highly addictive stimulant with side effects that can include aggression and psychosis. "They are completely different substances in terms of risk profiles and harms," said Robert Ali, director of a University of Adelaide research center on drug and alcohol treatment who works with the World Health Organization. "Shabu has a higher risk of addiction. It is associated with a greater range of physical and psychological harms." While drug abuse is a real problem in the Philippines, said Ali, it was hard to devise an effective national response based on flawed data. "With public health, whether it's diabetes or drug use, you need a sense of the burden of harm to understand how to use your resources," he said. Joanne Csete, a specialist in health and human rights at the Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University in New York, said that the term "current drug users" usually refers to those who have used drugs in the past month. However, the DDB survey counts anyone who has used drugs in the past 13 months, which Csete says could inflate the number of users. "So the president can make up whatever numbers he likes  the survey does not adequately estimate current use," she said. "BLATANTLY UNSUPPORTED" The claim that 75 percent of "heinous crime" in the Philippines is drug-related features in an official booklet called "Winning the First Phase of the Drug War." It was handed out by the president's media team in September at a regional summit in Laos attended by world leaders. According to the booklet, heinous crimes include murder, rape, human trafficking and treason. It is not clear where the president's media team got the 75 percent figure. The booklet identifies the source of the number as the Philippines National Police Directorate for Investigation and Detective Management (DIDM). But six officials in the office responsible for the booklet and at the DIDM were unable to point to a specific study or explain how the figure was calculated. Nimfa Reloc, who monitors heinous crime cases for DIDM, said the office had released no such data or analysis and did not know where the number came from. She said 15 percent of heinous crimes are drug-related. Benjamin Reyes, the DDB's chairman, said there was "actually no data" on crimes committed under the influence of drugs. An estimated 18 percent of convicted prisoners worldwide are in jail for drug-related offences, according to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). "Illegal drugs do create a substantial burden on societies, and it's important that governments respond in ways that reduce the economic cost of drug use...and reduce pain and suffering from drug use," said Alison Ritter, a researcher at Australia's National Drug & Alcohol Research Centre. But crime is complicated, and the rise and fall in crime rates can't be attributed to a single campaign or even a single institution such as the police, Ritter said. "To argue that killing people for consuming drugs is associated with crime reduction is blatantly unsupported," she said. "Index" or serious crimes in the Philippines dropped by 31 percent in January to August this year compared with the same period in 2015, according to police statistics presented to a Senate hearing on extrajudicial killings on Oct. 5. "If you don't call it winning, I don't know what to call it," said Villanueva at PDEA. But the same police statistics show serious crime was already in decline during the administration of Duterte's predecessor, President Benigno Aquino, who did not conduct a war on drugs. In fact, Aquino was still in office for most of the period covered by the 2016 statistics. The police figures show that in the January-August period of 2015, serious crime was down 22 percent compared with the same period the previous year. In 2014, it declined 26 percent. While the crime rate has been dropping for several years, under Duterte the murder rate has risen since he launched his anti-drug campaign. In the first three months of his administration, police recorded a total of 3,760 murders, compared with 2,359 in the same period last year, a rise of 59 percent. "Compared with last year, we are better off this year," said Dionardo Carlos, the national police spokesman. "Most of the victims this time are the drug users." In Davao City, where Duterte was mayor for 22 years, he led an equally brutal anti-drugs crackdown. There, death squads killed hundreds of alleged drug dealers, petty criminals and street children, said Human Rights Watch in a 2009 report. Duterte denied any involvement in the killings. Despite the crackdown, Davao still ranks first among 15 cities in the Philippines for murder and second for rape, according to police crime data from 2010 to 2015. METH VERSUS MARIJUANA Senior anti-narcotics officials in the Philippines also invoke conflicting or incomplete data in trying to identify how many people are problem users, which drug they use and what treatment they might need. While the DDB survey says about 860,000 people are shabu users, PDEA chief Villanueva puts the number at 1.4 million. He explained to Reuters how he reached this number. Villanueva started with an estimate based on drug-rehab facility data that he said showed 75 percent of patients at these facilities were shabu users. He then applied this percentage to the DDB's 1.8 million figure for all drug users. He acknowledged that rehab data was already skewed towards shabu users, who seek treatment more often than users of less addictive drugs, and that applying the percentage to another study was problematic. "Actually, the 75 percent does not translate, but it's a pretty good assumption," said Villanueva, who spent 12 years with PDEA in Davao City, where he said he got to know Duterte. Of the 1.4 million shabu users Villanueva had identified by his method, about 700,000 people had already "surrendered" to the police as drug users and pushers, he said. "We are taking away already one half of the demand," said Villanueva. Treatment experts dispute this claim, since the severity of drug use among those who surrender is unclear. A spokesperson at the Philippines' Department of Health said he didn't know how many "surrenderers" had been medically screened. This matters, said Ali, the University of Adelaide treatment specialist, because "drug use is not necessarily drug dependence." Only about 10 to 15 percent of shabu users might require residential care, he said. Ali said he based this estimate on his clinical experience and the experience of treatment services in the United Kingdom. The DDBs survey does not distinguish between users and problem users. "We did not try to categorize them, whether or not they were addicts, problematic drug users, or just plain users," said DDB chairman Reyes. To calculate the number of problem users, said Reyes, the DDB relied on global estimates from the UNODC that say 0.6 percent of drug users are problem users, which means they require treatment. Reyes said he rounded this figure up to one percent and applied it to the figure of 1.8 million users, and concluded that the Philippines had, at most, 18,000 drug users in need of treatment. "It's a small number," he said. "HARDLINE APPROACH" Yet Reyes said domestic support for the drug war wouldn't change even if it was widely known that the country had far fewer drug users than Duterte claims. "There is really a perception that we need a hardline approach to the problem," he said. Other top backers of the drug war agree. The 3.7 million figure cited by Duterte "doesn't mean anything," said Villanueva. "I believe he has his own survey, aside from the DDB. But it's not a scientific one." Whats important, he said, is that the president is now marshalling the resources needed to address the drug problem. PDEA is hiring and training another 400 agents and is expecting more firearms, vehicles and surveillance equipment, he said. Philippines Senator Vicente Sotto, a former DDB chief who supports Duterte's drug war, said inflated figures serve a purpose if they scare users into quitting. "If they make people alarmed, then why not? It doesnt hurt anyone," he said. "People don't care how it's done as long as it's done." (Additional reporting by Neil Jerome Morales and Karen Lema in Manila. Editing by Peter Hirschberg.)
TORONTO, ON / ACCESSWIRE / October 24, 2016 / Stans Energy Corp. (TSX-V: HRE, OTC: HREEF), ("Stans" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that the Company will be seeking global distribution rights to the beneficiation and processing technologies developed by it's Russian partners for the production of lithium concentrates and lithium carbonate from lithium bearing spodumene.

As previously reported on October 11, 2016, Stans' partners' technical contractor VNIIHT (Leading Institute of Chemical Technology), a research and development division of Rosatom, have developed a complete flow sheet for the production of lithium carbonate from lithium bearing spodumene. A luminescent and poly-chromium photometric sorting technology is used to separate high-grade mineralization from waste rock and then a flotation process is employed to produce 4.48% Li20 concentrate. Pyro- and hydro-metallurgical technology is then used to process this concentrate to produce lithium carbonate, a marketable product. This patentable technology will be licensed for export by Stans and then licensed to other companies in the lithium sector.

"The global demand for lithium continues to escalate and numerous companies in the sector will need the technology that Stans will be licensing to other lithium producers to assist them to meet product requirements from downstream users. Stans intends to capitalize on the growing demand for lithium products by creating multiple revenue streams from both the sale of lithium carbonate products and the licensing of lithium carbonate production technology," states Rodney Irwin, CEO and President.

The scientific and technical information in this document was reviewed, verified and compiled by Stans Energy Corp.'s geological and mining staff under the supervision of the company's qualified person, Dr. Gennady Savchenko FGS, Director of International Mining Operations, Stans Energy Corp.

About Stans Energy

Stans Energy Corp. is a resource development company focused on advancing rare and specialty metals properties and processing technologies. Stans is now transitioning into a supplier of materials and technologies that will assist in satisfying the future energy supply, storage and transmission needs of the world. Previously, the Company acquired, among other things, the right to mine the past producing rare earth mine, Kutessay II, in the Kyrgyz Republic. Due to the expropriatory actions taken by the Government of the Kyrgyz Republic, the Company is undertaking international arbitration litigation to protect the Company's rights and recover damages estimated at over US$210,000,000, caused by the Republic.

We seek safe harbour.

Contact Details

Rodney Irwin

Stans Energy Corp

Interim President & CEO

rodney@stansenergy.com

647-426-1865

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David Vinokurov

Stan Energy Corp

VP Corporate Development

david@stansenergy.com

647-426-1865

FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS: This document includes forward-looking statements as well as historical information. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, use of proceeds from the Offering, the completion of the Offering, the continued advancement of the company's general business development, research development and the company's development of mineral exploration projects. When used in this press release, the words "will", "shall", "anticipate", "believe", "estimate", "expect", "intent", "may", "project", "plan", "should" and similar expressions may identify forward-looking statements. Although Stans Energy Corp. believes that their expectations reflected in these forward looking statements are reasonable, such statements involve risks and uncertainties and no assurance can be given that actual results will be consistent with these forward-looking statement. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ from these forward-looking statements include the potential that fluctuations in the marketplace for the sale of minerals, the inability to implement corporate strategies, the ability to obtain financing and other risks disclosed in our filings made with Canadian Securities Regulators.

SOURCE: Stans Energy Corp.
By Alastair Macdonald BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Britain will "continue to play a full role until we leave", Prime Minister Theresa May told fellow leaders at her first EU summit; but for many Britons in Brussels that is a forlorn hope. Formally, yes, the heads of European Union institutions say Britain and its citizens will keep seats at council tables and in Parliament or go on with EU civil service careers in the two to three years left before it quits the 28-nation bloc. In reality, say British lawmakers and officials in Brussels - some of whom were offered trauma counselling by employers after the Brexit referendum four months ago to the day - they are already being sidelined, and expect further isolation. "Why should anyone listen to us?" said a British member of the European Parliament who forecast a December mid-term reshuffle of posts such as committee chairs will see many compatriots lose out. "People are polite, sympathetic," the MEP told Reuters. "But in the end, of course, we are leaving." Although May cautioned fellow leaders not to bind Britain by decisions taken without her, as at last month's summit of 27 in Bratislava, they insist the EU must move on and are annoyed, for example, by London trying to thwart more EU defence cooperation. The leader of German Chancellor Angela Merkel's centre-right bloc in the European Parliament took to the BBC's flagship news show during last week's summit to warn Britons that such awkward tactics risk poisoning May's efforts to cut the kind of divorce deal she wants, keeping trade ties while curbing immigration. "That is creating a lot of anger," Manfred Weber said of British opposition to new plans for EU defence cooperation that London says might hamper NATO. "Please don't block it because that would have a lot of impact on the Brexit negotiations." Acknowledging Britain retains veto powers and votes in the EU for now, Weber said: "It's a question of behaviour, whether you respect each other, not a question of rights." "WHY ARE YOU STILL HERE?" Most British MEPs, including most of May's Conservatives, opposed Brexit. There has been anger at those who did not; EU chief executive Jean-Claude Juncker demanded of UKIP leader Nigel Farage in the chamber in June: "Why are you still here?" A German MEP, speaking anonymously since parties have yet to take positions on December's jobs round, sees a rout of British influence: "The mid-term changes may reflect the new balance of powers, with UK MEPs probably being removed from positions." But despite some pressure from fellow MEPs to exclude the British now, lawyers advise that the 73 Britons in the 751-seat chamber must stay - and be able to vote, even on laws that may not affect Britain, or indeed those such as the form of the final divorce that affect it very particularly. Few expect the British to take part in the 2019 EU elections, however. British officials representing London in the many councils of the European Union in Brussels say they are aware of the delicacy of their position but must defend the national interest on a range of issues - from fishing quotas to budget amendments - that have immediate impacts, before Britain leaves. Yet as negotiators on both sides are preparing for formal talks to start by March in which continental and British diplomats will find themselves on opposite sides of the table, Britain's backroom envoys in Brussels are avoiding taking too much of a role in discussions on longer-term policy issues. That would be "a bit weird", one acknowledged. So far, British officials say, attitudes to them in meetings have not changed hugely, as long as they get "the tone right". PREPARING FOR THE FUTURE Britons are keeping especially active in discussions on issues where there will continue to be close cooperation post-Brexit, such as foreign and defence policy - as May herself did during summit talks on Syria, Russia and migration. May's predecessor David Cameron even appointed a new British member to Juncker's European Commission to replace an ally who, like Cameron, resigned after the Brexit vote; Julian King is now running security policy for the EU executive. British civil servants in Brussels have been assured by Juncker that for now their jobs are safe. But as non-EU citizens they will need special dispensations to work for the Union and many are considering their options. One EU job not so far open to them, and unlikely to be, is that of Brexit negotiator. Former French foreign minister Michel Barnier, the man Juncker has appointed to run the talks, and his German deputy have not appointed any Britons to their team. People familiar with the new operation say security will be tight, including to prevent leaks to London, and Barnier has told colleagues he would like negotiations to be held in French - though he denied on Friday being set on the idea. Britons near retirement are expected to stay on. Of others, some have dual nationality and can switch their official passport. Many in mid-career are looking at the private sector - or at what many expect to be a major expansion in parts of Whitehall, the British government's administration. One mid-ranking EU official said he had seen at least one fellow Briton passed over for what, pre-referendum, had seemed a certain promotion: "It's clear we have no future here," he said. "Leaving sooner rather than later may make sense." (Reporting by Alastair Macdonald; @macdonaldrtr; Editing by Pravin Char)
By Diego Ore and Anggy Polanco CARACAS/SAN CRISTOBAL, Venezuela (Reuters) - Venezuela's socialist government and opposition on Monday announced surprise talks for the weekend to deal with a worsening political standoff since the suspension of a referendum drive to remove unpopular President Nicolas Maduro. The two sides will meet on the Caribbean island of Margarita on Sunday, mediated by the Vatican, regional bloc Unasur, and three former heads of state. "At last we are installing a dialogue between the opposition and the legitimate government," Maduro said from Rome, after a meeting with Pope Francis who urged him to alleviate Venezuelans' suffering during a brutal economic crisis. Past conversations between the bitterly polarized sides have led to little progress. The opposition says Maduro is an inept autocrat who must leave office before the crisis worsens while the former bus driver and union leader vows not to be pushed out by what he calls a power-hungry elite seeking a coup. Opposition coalition head Jesus Torrealba was cautious about the talks. "Dialogue cannot mean a government strategy to win time.... It's a space to fight for a better country for all," he said after meeting a Vatican envoy in Caracas. News of talks seemed to take some members of the opposition by surprise, potentially re-awakening divisions within the diverse coalition and irritating activists who feel Maduro is not seriously committed to dialogue. "Today at 7 p.m.... we will talk about the news we've found out about on television," tweeted two-time presidential candidate Henrique Capriles. "WE WANT FREEDOM!" The opposition is calling nationwide protests for Wednesday as Venezuela's third year of recession has many skipping meals due to widespread food shortages and spiraling prices. No official agenda of the talks was announced, but the opposition is bound to bring up complaints about the failure of its referendum bid to remove Maduro and sidelining of the National Assembly, while the government will likely detail charges that its foes are guilty of fraud, violence and coup plans. During a protest on Monday, student leaders said 27 demonstrators were injured in clashes with security forces in the volatile border city of San Cristobal near Colombia. "We want freedom!" chanted the several hundred protesters, who barricaded roads with burning rubble. A hotbed of anti-Maduro sentiment, San Cristobal was the site of the worst violence during protests two years ago that led to 43 deaths around the nation. Students also held scattered protests in other places, including the capital Caracas, but most were holding fire for Wednesday's rallies dubbed "The Takeover of Venezuela." Foes say Maduro, 53, has veered into dictatorship by sidelining the opposition-led congress, jailing critics and then leaning on compliant judicial and electoral authorities to stop the referendum. Many of Venezuela's 30 million people fear the standoff will create more unrest in a nation already exhausted by political confrontation, a plunging economy, and rampant crime. (Additional reporting by Eyanir Chinea and Corina Pons in Caracas, Anggy Polanco in San Cristobal; Writing by Andrew Cawthorne and Alexandra Ulmer; Editing by Bill Trott and Alistair Bell)
#GrabYourWallet Picks Up Steam as Customers Continue to Boycott Ivanka Trump's Fashion Line [The Cut]

Shannon Coulter, a digital and brand strategist, is encouraging shoppers to boycott Ivanka Trump's eponymous fashion labels given Trump's continued support of her father in the election cycle. Though there have been calls to boycott the brand in the past few months, Coulter's hashtag #GrabYourWallets has helped the movement pick up steam. In addition to not purchasing Trump-affiliated goods, she also suggests anti-Donald Trump consumers call retailers that carry various lines (Nordstrom, Dillard's, Marshalls, Amazon) and asking them to stop.

Updated list. Now includes Marshalls. If you'd rather not see the name "Trump" anymore while you're shopping, call these stores. Tell them. pic.twitter.com/4xXkGcqU4X

- Shannon Coulter (@shannoncoulter) October 14, 2016

Carven Designers Exit Brand [Vogue]

Alexis Martial and Adrien Caillaudaud, the co-creative directors hired by Carven only 18 months ago, are exiting the brand. The pair, which succeeded Guillaume Henry, now at Nina Ricci, were tasked with bringing a fresh, young perspective to the brand. However after only four collections, the designers and the brand made the "mutual decision" to part ways.

Nanette Lepore Sues Licensing Partner Blue Star Alliance [Fashionista]

Fashion designer Nanette Lepore is suing her licensing partner, Blue Star Alliance, claiming that the manufacturer has tarnished her reputation by churning out "shoddy products." Lepore began working with Blue Star Alliance in 2015, with the aim of taking her brand global. In the lawsuit, Lepore claims that the company was producing items without her approval, including pieces that were unsafe, such as luggage allegedly made with carcinogenic materials. Lepore is seeking $735,000 in damages and attorney fees.

Teenage Syrian Refugees Allegedly Working in Clothing Factories for Zara, ASOS [BBC]

The BBC conducted an undercover investigation which found teenage Syrian refugees in Turkey making clothing for fast-fashion brands including Zara, Mango, ASOS and Marks & Spencer. According to their findings, teens as young as 15 were being underpaid to work 12-hour days producing goods which were then shipped to the U.K.; the refugees were reportedly hired by a third party, who paid them in cash. All brands involved say they "carefully monitor their supply chains" and don't tolerate underage workers.
MOGADISHU (Reuters) - At least one person died and two others were injured in the Somali capital Mogadishu on Sunday when a car exploded near a camp for displaced people, police said. "We believe it was a suicide car bomb. Its driver detonated the bomb in his car," police officer Ibrahim Elmi told Reuters. The blast was in Mogadishu's Bondeere district, near a site where hundreds of people displaced by fighting elsewhere in the anarchic country are being temporarily sheltered. There was no immediate claim of responsibility but the al Shabaab militant group has carried out a series of deadly attacks in Somalia. (Reporting by Abdi Sheikh; Writing by Aaron Maasho; Editing by Andrew Roche)
* Cyrus Mistry ousted as Tata Sons chairman

* Group says move in its long-term interest

* Ratan Tata to step in as interim chairman

* Will be 4-month search for replacement

* Mistry's Shapoorji Pallonji family may contest move - CNBC (Adds comments from source on group executive council)

By Promit Mukherjee and Aditi Shah

MUMBAI/DELHI, Oct 24 (Reuters) - Ratan Tata, patriarch of one of India's most influential families, will take over as interim chairman of Tata Sons after the salt-to-software conglomerate's board ousted Cyrus Mistry, who had sought to shake up the firm's management.

Tata, who had stepped down as chairman and was replaced by Mistry in late 2012, will head the group for four months while the company seeks a replacement.

Tata Sons is a large shareholder in a string of listed Tata Group companies - a business empire ranging from Jaguar Land Rover cars and steel mills to aviation and salt pans.

The board said in a statement on Monday it was decided "it may be appropriate to consider a change for the long-term interest of Tata Sons and Tata group."

While the board gave no detailed reason for the change, some media reports said there has been discontent with some of Mistry's actions, including asset sales.

The 48-year-old has been trying to shake up the $100 billion company by changing the management structure to bring in new faces at senior levels.

He has also battled issues on a number of fronts in recent months, including a costly settlement with Japanese telecom operator NTT Docomo and the sale of Tata Steel's loss-making UK business.

Britain's vote in June to exit the European Union was a big setback for the steel sale, which Tata has now put on hold.

Brexit has also cast a shadow over Tata Motors' luxury car unit Jaguar Land Rover (JLR), which has a large UK manufacturing base. Tata Motors' quarterly profit halved as the pound slumped following the Brexit vote, and JLR's CEO warned that some customers in Europe, its biggest market, no longer wanted to buy British cars.

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SURPRISE MOVE

Mistry's shock exit took many by surprise, though analysts and investors saw Ratan Tata's appointment as interim chair as a way to ease concerns. "The impact will be a little softer with Ratan Tata taking over," Gaurang Shah, analyst at Geojit BNP Paribas, told BTVi television.

The board made its decision at a lengthy meeting on Monday, with six of the nine members backing the ousting of Mistry, said one source who was not authorized to publicly discuss the matter, and did not want to be identified. Two members abstained. Mistry, who could not vote, remains a board director.

The source also said that Mistry's departure was deliberated over months and was a result of a difference of opinion between him and the board, without elaborating on the differences. The source also said that Tata was disbanding the group executive council (GEC) - a team of core advisers that Mistry had formed

Of the five GEC members, two, including Dr Mukund Rajan and Harish Bhat, will take on senior level responsibilities within the group, said the source, adding it is unclear what roles, if any, would be offered to the other three, Madhu Kannan, former CEO of the Bombay Stock Exchange; NS Rajan, former partner at Ernst & Young; and Nirmalya Kumar, former professor at London Business School.

Indian news channel CNBC TV18 reported that Mistry's Shapoorji Pallonji family, one of the biggest shareholders in Tata Sons, may legally contest his departure, adding that the Tata family had sought legal advice before making the decision.

"Shapoorji Pallonji could challenge this decision, although I think all the rules were strictly followed and I was convinced," said Mohan Parasaran, a senior Supreme Court advocate who was consulted by the Tata family about a month ago.

'HARD DECISIONS'

Unlike his predecessor, Mistry has stayed away from the limelight, limiting his speeches to company events.

His style of doing business also differed from Ratan Tata's, who spent billions of dollars acquiring global companies like steelmaker Corus and Jaguar Land Rover.

In a rare interview last month, in Tata's in-house magazine, Mistry admitted the challenges facing some of the Tata group companies would "entail hard decisions on pruning the portfolio."

Since stepping down as chairman in 2012, Ratan Tata has pursued venture capital investments in ride-hailing firm Ola, e-commerce firm Snapdeal and payment solution provider Paytm.

International revenues make up close to 70 percent of Tata Group's total turnover, and the majority of its capital spending has been overseas in the last three years.

The group's cash cows are Tata Consultancy Services and Tata Motors, together generating half the total annual revenue of $103.5 billion.

(Reporting by Promit Mukherjee and Aditi Shah, with additional reporting by Suvashree Choudhury, Abhirup Roy and Manoj Rawal in Mumbai; Editing by Ian Geoghegan, Euan Rocha and Alexander Smith)
ZURICH (Reuters) - A Syngenta (SYNN.S) spokesman clarified his comment earlier on Monday that the company remains confident a takeover by China's ChemChina [CNNCC.UL] will wrap up by the end of this year, saying he was simply repeating Syngenta's previous public comment from July 22.

He reiterated the Swiss pesticides and seeds group would provide an update on the regulatory process along with its third-quarter trading statement on Tuesday.

He was reacting to news that ChemChina had not offered concessions to the European Commission over the acquisition, which sent Syngenta shares sharply lower.

(Reporting by Oliver Hirt, Editing by Michael Shields)
LONDON (Reuters) - Syrian refugee children have been working in factories in Turkey making clothes for British high street retailer Marks & Spencer and online store ASOS, an investigation by BBC Panorama found. The investigation, to be broadcast Monday evening, found Syrian refugees as young as 15 working long hours for little pay, making and ironing clothes to be shipped off to Britain. BBC journalists took photographs of Marks & Spencer labels in the factories. Some Syrian refugees worked 12-hour days in a factory distressing jeans for fashion brands Mango and Zara, using chemicals with inadequate protection, the BBC said. An M&S spokesperson said: "We had previously found no evidence of Syrian workers employed in factories that supply us, so we were very disappointed by these findings, which are extremely serious and are unacceptable to M&S." M&S said it was working with the Turkish supplier to offer permanent legal employment to any Syrian daily workers employed in the factory. "Mango has zero tolerance towards the practices described in the 'Panorama' program," a Mango spokeswoman said. The company said it had instructed an urgent and unannounced audit of the concerned facilities after the BBC's notification. "Under no circumstances was the use of child labor of Syrian workers detected," she said. An ASOS spokeswoman said: "Its a subject we take incredibly seriously. But it would be wrong for us to comment on reporting we havent seen." Turkey has been a main entrypoint for refugees from the ongoing conflict in Syria, with three million estimated to be living there. Ankara in March signed a deal with the EU to stem the flow of refugees into the bloc. A Reuters investigation this year also found evidence of Syrian refugee children in Turkey working in clothes factories in illegal conditions. (Reporting by Helen Reid; Editing by Toby Chopra)
Time Warner (NYSE:TWX) is once again part of block buster deal that could change how consumers view content through the mass-media lens.

Sixteen years after the collapse of the AOL-Time Warner merger, the parent company of CNN, HBO and film studio Warner Bros announced Saturday it will be acquired by AT&T (NYSE:T) in a deal valued at $85 billon.

T-Mobile (NYSE:TMUS) CEO John Legere told FOX Business Network's Liz Claman on Monday, AT&Ts customer base is at a decline and he believes the deal ensures continued movement in the short-term from AT&T to T-Mobile.

When [AT&T] announced the Direct TV acquisition, they have not added a single postpaid phone customer since. So, revenues are declining, customers are declining and they are trying to vertically integrate them into new growth businesses and a lot of that is because on an average month, about 50% of the increase in our business comes from AT&T, Legere said on FOX Business Networks Countdown to the Closing Bell.

In 2014, AT&T agreed to acquire the countrys biggest satellite television provider, DirecTV, in a deal close to $50 billion.

Legere said AT&Ts ability to acquire a massive amount of content would allow room for the company to preferentially control its content for its customers.

Now, number one that would kill those businesses that they are buying so its a dumb thing and number two, that would be an anti-trust thing that I want Washington to look at, he said.

Legere said he thinks the biggest deal of the year will most likely be approved despite backlash from lawmakers and even the presidential candidates.

I actually think itll be a very long road and there will be some things they have to do but it will probably go through, he said.

Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump suggested at a campaign stop Saturday in Gettysburg, Penn. such a merger would be blocked under his administration, while Democratic nominee Hillary Clintons running mate also suggested the merger could create an anti-competitive environment.

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AT&T (T), Time Warner (TWX)  AT&T has reached an $85.4 billion deal to acquire Time Warner, the owner of CNN, TNT, HBO and Warner Bros. The deal is expected to face scrutiny from antitrust regulators.

Hilton (HLT)  Chinas HNA Group is buying a 25% stake in Hilton Worldwide Holdings from the chains biggest shareholder, Blackstone Group, for $6.5 billion. The deal is expected to close in the first quarter of 2017.

General Motors (GM)  The US auto giant is adding to its SUV capacity in China. Xinhua News is reporting that General Motors is planning to add a new assembly line to its facility in Wuhan in the first half of 2017, bringing its annual capacity to 600,000 vehicles.

T-Mobile (TMUS)  The wireless carrier topped earnings expectations and added 969,000 postpaid customers in the third quarter. T-Mobile said its results were boosted by the launch of the iPhone 7. The company also raised its forecast for customer additions for the year. It now expects 3.7 million to 3.9 million postpaid subscribers, up from its previous forecast of 3.4 million to 3.8 million.

Restaurant Brands (QSR)  The company reported third-quarter earnings that topped expectations, posting earnings per share of 43 cents on revenue of $1.08 billion.
AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson and Time Warner chief Jeff Bewkes hit the ground running Monday morning to sell Wall Street, consumers, and media watchdogs on the merits of the $85.4 billion merger unveiled less than 48 hours ago.

Stephenson and Bewkes made joint appearances on CNBCs Squawk Box and CNNs New Day before hosting a 70-minute conference call with analysts  all before 10 a.m. ET.

The CEOs tried to demonstrate extreme confidence that the union of the two media giants will pass muster with regulators  with conditions  wont leave AT&T with an unmanageable debt load, and will be good for consumers in the long run. Perhaps the boldest claim theyre making is that AT&T and Time Warner will drive innovation in mobile video distribution, interactive, and on-demand programming services that will be so groundbreaking as to entice competitors to take part.

Stephenson emphasized that the DirecTV Now package of streaming channels that is set to launch next month is the tip of the spear for products AT&T hopes to develop. AT&T wants to take advantage of the programming rights it has through DirecTV and also bundle its high-speed data networks.

There are a lot of things we aspire to do on this platform, Stephenson said, citing the ability to incorporate social media with programming and making it easy for viewers to share clips across platforms and devices. We know our customers are really demanding that, Stephenson said during the analysts call. We are both convinced that as we innovate in this way and as we accelerate the pace of this innovation, its going to attract others to want to do the same on these platforms.

Bewkes pressed the benefit of Time Warners content businesses having access to data and consumer viewing insights that AT&T gathers from its wireless networks and DirecTV. That sounds like a cue from Netflixs algorithim-attuned content development playbook.

Theres a the huge opportunity to utilize consumer insights to inform content creation that allows us to continue to create not just the biggest hits, but also content and programming that really engages with passionate niches in the audience, Bewkes said. Well be able to do that more efficiently while also innovating new subscription and advertising models to increase consumer choice.

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Bewkes said the same logic applies to the combined companys ability to serve up advertising across the DirecTV platform, on the various Turner channels, and the direct-to-consumer products that have been percolating within Turner and Warner Bros.

We can make the advertising more interesting for your house versus somebody next door, Bewkes said. Consumers get a better viewing experience and they get less interruptions. Bewkes predicted that advertisers will pay more for better targeted ads, allowing content creators to plow more resources into programming.

The benefit for advertisers is terrific. If you look at whats happening in that world, advertisers need more competition, Bewkes said. This will give (advertisers) another outlet  not just Google and Facebook that (have) been gaining all the traction  but you have another advertising option thats really efficient.

Stephenson echoed Bewkes comments that the deal will be consumer-friendly by allowing the combined company to offer a wider variety of programming and data packages at an array of price points. All of the pro-consumer chatter and talk of sparking competition in new markets is designed for the ears of regulators who will dissect the deal. AT&T has projected it will close by the end of 2017.

Stephenson hammered the message that AT&T and Time Warner amounts to a vertical marriage, or a bolt-on acquisition. Time Warner will operate much as it does now as a subsidiary of AT&T  a message likely designed to assure Time Warners 23,000 employees that the locus of activity will not be shifting to AT&Ts Dallas headquarters.

Bewkes has said he will step down once the merger is complete, but the timing of his departure could be years out, given the length of the regulatory review and the need to ensure a smooth integration. Stephenson was quick to stress that he will defer the management of the content business to Bewkes and the existing teams. I dont know how to run a movie studio, Stephenson, a telco biz vet and native of Oklahoma, said flatly on CNBC.

Stephenson noted that the mergers that have been torpedoed by federal regulators in recent years have been horizontal market share grabs that would remove a competitor from a specific sector, including AT&Ts 2011 bid to acquire wireless rival T-Mobile.

This has none of that, Stephenson said on CNBC. We compete nowhere. We are not talking about changing how the content is made available to other people or customers or distributors. Its a pure vertical integration.  Those are always remedied by conditions imposed on the merger and so thats how we envision this one to play out.

The concerns raised that AT&T would seek to leverage its ownership of HBO, TNT, TBS, CNN, Warner Bros., and other premium outlets by making them available exclusively on AT&T platforms in a bid to drive subscriptions is nonsensical, Stephenson added.

For sure, a big part of the appeal of Time Warner to AT&T undoubtedly is its baked-in affiliate fee deals with every major MVPD going out several years. The landscape for channel distribution is very much in flux, but for the next few years at least Time Warner can count on double-digit affiliate fee growth thanks to deals hammered out within the past three years.

Theyve built this amazing franchise distributing their content broadly and deeply all over the world, Stephenson said on CNBC. The idea that were going to come along and start constricting the distribution of this content makes no economic sense.

(Pictured: Jeff Bewkes, Randall Stephenson)

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This weekend brought about the biggest media merger of the year: AT&T will buy Time Warner for $85.4 billion. So Batman, Tony Soprano and CNN may end up under the ownership of the largest pay-TV operator in the country.

The news is notable for many reasons, starting with the hefty price tag. AT&T will pay a 35% premium above Time Warners value before reports of the merger surfaced last week. But the deal could also affect consumers who subscribe to DirecTV, surf online via AT&Ts U-verse or pay for content from Warner Brothers media empire.

Explaining the rationale behind the merger is a tough task. The CEOs of both companies appeared on CNBC Monday morning with vague assurances of the logic at play. Evolution, innovation and competition were used frequently. In other words, there were more buzzwords tossed out than concrete benefits outlined.

The history of media mergers is troubled enough to suggest that this marriage may not be so happy. The classic example is Time Warners merger with AOL, considered one of the worst such deals of all time. Comcasts more recent purchase of NBCUniversal hasnt been a disaster, but neither has it presented any clear benefits to consumers.

In that context, the argument that Time Warner and AT&Ts CEOs are making is hardly a compelling one. What theyre saying is that their customers will indirectly benefit if they become more powerful companies. But critics of the merger argue that it could make Time Warner content harder to access for non-AT&T subscribers.

Share prices of both companies were declining Monday amid a barrage of criticism by politicians, including Senator Bernie Sanders, who called for the deal to be killed. Both Presidential candidates have expressed opposition or skepticism toward the merger, leaving a tough regulatory road ahead that could last well into next year.

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For now, concerns over the deal seem to be outweighing the benefits, which could end up being negligible. For decades, the pipes that streamed digital content remained largely independent from the companies that provided the content. And no consumers complained.

What has changed is that the companies are under pressure from a different constituent: Their shareholders. Telecom firms are being squeezed on profit growth. When broadband providers began to see their businesses eroded by the rise of mobile devices, they bought mobile providers. Then mobile growth slowed as the market saturated. (AT&T said last week its wireless revenue fell 5% in the previous quarter.) So they needed to explore new areas of potential growth.

Thats why telecom giants are increasingly pushing into new areas. Comcast moved into theme parks, it bought NBCUniversal, and it picked up online properties like AOL and Yahoo. AT&T bought DirecTV and is now moving into content. The idea is to keep overall revenue growing with new acquisitions, while hoping that integration will reduce costs enough to keep profits rising.

All this dealmaking is happening as the rise of digital content is altering the media landscape. Regular television is hurting as audiences shift to watching more video on their phones. To be sure, pay TV isnt going away, but it will have to share more of the revenue pie with mobile video. Any company that isnt hustling to adapt to this new reality will find itself left out in the cold.

AT&T and Time Warner both see the writing on the wall: where the Internet is concerned, profits are lean and getting leaner. The companies wringing profits from a digital world are the ones busy consolidating their power. And the simplest, quickest solution to this problem is M&A: Buy your way into a business overnight, rather than investing billions into a market you dont understand and waiting to see what happens.

This makes plenty of strategic sense from the perspective of media executives and the shareholders to whom they answer. It makes less sense to consumers. These companies survive (or if everything goes right, thrive) through mergers. But consolidation means less competition, which makes it easier for companies to raise prices on consumers  or limit their choices to coerce them into options that are more shareholder- than consumer-friendly.

Thats whats prompting regulatory concern about the AT&T/Time Warner deal. Even if regulators eventually give AT&T the green light, the merger may be delayed well into 2017, by which time the media landscape will undoubtedly have changed further. Thats a lot of risk to take on for a merger with little compelling strategic sense from the start.

And thats the takeaway from this deal. The talk about how its all for the consumer is true, if at all, only in a technical sense. These media mega-mergers are trying to solve a problem for consumers that doesnt exist. No AT&T subscriber and no one who watches Time Warner content is clamoring for this tie-up. That should be a red flag.

The real problem this merger solves is for the companies shareholders, including executives paid in generous stock-option packages. Media companies are struggling to keep their heads above water in a market that demands constant growth. Thanks to these mega-mergers, they may do just that. But someone has to pay for that growth, and its likely to be consumers.
Tara Reid's Greek goddess getup leaves little to the imagination.

The 40-year-old actress showed up on Sunday night to Maxim magazine's annual Halloween party sponsored by Pure Model Club and produced by Karma International wearing what looked to be a teeny green bikini, clear heels and a gold leaf headband. "Fun nights as a Greek goddess at the @maximmag Halloween party. #maximhalloween," Reid Instagrammed.

Getty Images

Fun nights as a Greek goddess at the @maximmag Halloween party. #maximhalloween A video posted by Tara Reid (@tarareid) on Oct 23, 2016 at 11:49am PDT

This is the American Pie star's second red carpet appearance since sharing a disturbing photo a little over a month ago that showed her face all bruised up. Fortunately, Reid's alarming look was in regard to her anti-bullying movie, Worthless.

WATCH: Tara Reid Won't Stop With the Bikini Selfies

"Everyone be kind to each other," Reid captioned the shocking photo. "This is what bullying looks like. #Worthless."

Everyone be kind to each other. This is what bullying looks like. #WorthlessTheMovie #AntiBullying A photo posted by Tara Reid (@tarareid) on Sep 13, 2016 at 9:01pm PDT

The actress has faced bullying of her own in real life, and admitted to ET in February 2015 that the comments do get to her. "I'm a human. If you cut me I bleed," Reid said. "I'm just like everyone else. I think that when people are famous, they don't realize that they are actually human."

WATCH: Tara Reid and Jenny McCarthy Have the Most Awkward, Shade-Filled Interview Ever -- Check Out Their Cringeworthy Insults!

"[All the fun] goes down in this house," she added. "When you go out, you get in trouble. People take the wrong camera phone angles and then the media twists the story. You get filmed again, then you wind up being a prisoner in your house, because you're afraid to go out because you'll get in trouble."

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By Promit Mukherjee and Aditi Shah

MUMBAI/DELHI (Reuters) - Ratan Tata, patriarch of one of India's most influential families, will take over as interim chairman of Tata Sons after the salt-to-software conglomerate's board ousted Cyrus Mistry, who had sought to shake up the firm's management.

Tata, who had stepped down as chairman and was replaced by Mistry in late 2012, will head the group for four months while the company seeks a replacement.

Tata Sons is a large shareholder in a string of listed Tata Group companies - a business empire ranging from Jaguar Land Rover cars and steel mills to aviation and salt pans.

The board said in a statement on Monday it was decided "it may be appropriate to consider a change for the long-term interest of Tata Sons and Tata group."

While the board gave no detailed reason for the change, some media reports said there has been discontent with some of Mistry's actions, including asset sales.

The 48-year-old has been trying to shake up the $100 billion (81.87 billion pounds) company by changing the management structure to bring in new faces at senior levels.

He has also battled issues on a number of fronts in recent months, including a costly settlement with Japanese telecom operator NTT Docomo and the sale of Tata Steel's loss-making UK business.

Britain's vote in June to exit the European Union was a big setback for the steel sale, which Tata has now put on hold.

Brexit has also cast a shadow over Tata Motors' luxury car unit Jaguar Land Rover (JLR), which has a large UK manufacturing base. Tata Motors' quarterly profit halved as the pound slumped following the Brexit vote, and JLR's CEO warned that some customers in Europe, its biggest market, no longer wanted to buy British cars.

SURPRISE MOVE

Mistry's shock exit took many by surprise, though analysts and investors saw Ratan Tata's appointment as interim chair as a way to ease concerns. "The impact will be a little softer with Ratan Tata taking over," Gaurang Shah, analyst at Geojit BNP Paribas, told BTVi television.

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The board made its decision at a lengthy meeting on Monday, with six of the nine members backing the ousting of Mistry, said one source who was not authorized to publicly discuss the matter, and did not want to be identified. Two members abstained. Mistry, who could not vote, remains a board director.

The source also said that Mistry's departure was deliberated over months and was a result of a difference of opinion between him and the board, without elaborating on the differences. The source also said that Tata was disbanding the group executive council (GEC) - a team of core advisers that Mistry had formed

Of the five GEC members, two, including Dr Mukund Rajan and Harish Bhat, will take on senior level responsibilities within the group, said the source, adding it is unclear what roles, if any, would be offered to the other three, Madhu Kannan, former CEO of the Bombay Stock Exchange; NS Rajan, former partner at Ernst & Young; and Nirmalya Kumar, former professor at London Business School.

Indian news channel CNBC TV18 reported that Mistry's Shapoorji Pallonji family, one of the biggest shareholders in Tata Sons, may legally contest his departure, adding that the Tata family had sought legal advice before making the decision.

"Shapoorji Pallonji could challenge this decision, although I think all the rules were strictly followed and I was convinced," said Mohan Parasaran, a senior Supreme Court advocate who was consulted by the Tata family about a month ago.

'HARD DECISIONS'

Unlike his predecessor, Mistry has stayed away from the limelight, limiting his speeches to company events.

His style of doing business also differed from Ratan Tata's, who spent billions of dollars acquiring global companies like steelmaker Corus and Jaguar Land Rover.

In a rare interview last month, in Tata's in-house magazine, Mistry admitted the challenges facing some of the Tata group companies would "entail hard decisions on pruning the portfolio."

Since stepping down as chairman in 2012, Ratan Tata has pursued venture capital investments in ride-hailing firm Ola, e-commerce firm Snapdeal and payment solution provider Paytm.

International revenues make up close to 70 percent of Tata Group's total turnover, and the majority of its capital spending has been overseas in the last three years.

The group's cash cows are Tata Consultancy Services and Tata Motors, together generating half the total annual revenue of $103.5 billion.

(Reporting by Promit Mukherjee and Aditi Shah, with additional reporting by Suvashree Choudhury, Abhirup Roy and Manoj Rawal in Mumbai; Editing by Ian Geoghegan, Euan Rocha and Alexander Smith)
Taylor Swift succeeded in her effort to keep from the public a photo of a DJ allegedly groping her during a 2013 pre-concert meet-and-greet when a judge on Friday decided to seal the pictures. However, the judge's decision to deny Swift's request to withhold other evidence in the case means the transcript of her July 26 deposition about the alleged incident is now publicly available. In the deposition, Swift is asked to recount the incident in detail several times, and speaks of her embarrassment and discomfort at the time.

The photo is evidence in a lawsuit that arose after a June 2013 concert, when Swift's security team accused Denver radio DJ David Mueller of grabbing her inappropriately while they posed for a photo backstage with several other people. Two days later, Mueller was fired from his job at KYGO radio. In 2015, Mueller sued Swift, saying her accusation wasand that he lost his job as a result.

Swift's lawyers argued that the photo shouldn't be shared because "it is all but assured that the photograph will be shared for scandalous and prurient interests," and that it could potentially influence a jury. The judge agreed, but ruled that other evidence in the case shouldn't be held back.

Read more: Taylor Swift-Curated Museum Exhibit Coming to New York City

A transcript of Swift's videotaped deposition gives her account of what happened: "Right as the moment came for us to pose for the photo, he took his hand and put it up my dress and grabbed onto my ass cheek and no matter how much I scooted over it was still there." That means it wasn't an accident, Swift says. "It was completely intentional, I've never been so sure of anything in my life."

Swift also recounts how much the alleged incident upset her. "I remember being frantic, distressed, feeling violated in a way I had never experienced before," she said in the deposition. "A meet-and-greet is supposed to be a situation where you're thanking people for coming, you're supposed to be welcoming people into your home, which is the arena for that day, and for someone to violate that hospitality in that way, I was completely stunned."

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Mueller later sued Swift for slander, saying that he may have touched her by accident, and that it was actually his former boss who grabbed her. After Mueller sued Swift, she countersued him for assault and battery, saying she would donate any money she won to charitable organizations that work to protect women from sexual assault.

The filing of the deposition was in support of Swift's attempt to win the case before it goes to trial.

Swift's lawyers also recently filed a motion for summary judgment, arguing that she didn't intentionally interfere with Mueller's contractual relationship with KYGO, and that the statute of limitations had run out for his slander claim. Mueller, the motion says, "was terminated by his employer, KYGO, after its own independent investigation of the incident."

A rep for Swift had not responded to Billboard's request for comment at press time.

This article originally appeared in Billboard.com.
Violence erupted near Temple University in Philadelphia late last week after about 200 students formed a flash mob, with some attacking their peers and at least one punching a police horse in the face, authorities and school officials said Monday.

Police said four teenagers were arrested on assault charges after the Friday melee broke out and ended with at least one police officer being knocked down, according to the Associated Press.

The large group of youngsters initially gathered outside of an off-campus movie theater shortly before 7 p.m., following directions of social media posts, before half of them broke off into smaller groups, Temple University said in a statement. Temple spokesman Ray Betzner told NBC10 that the teens were playing a cat-and-mouse game with police.

Police said one teenager punched a police horse in the face twice as officers on horses tried to break up the mob, and another boy threw a Temple officer to the ground, the AP reports. The students also attacked each other, although its unclear how many were injured.

Its very concerning that you can get a group of juveniles to pull together that quickly and some become violent, Temple campus safety director Charles Leone told WPVI.
By Jon Herskovitz AUSTIN, Texas (Reuters) - A nurse who contracted the Ebola virus while treating the first person diagnosed with the deadly disease in the United States has reached a settlement with the Dallas hospital where she was in a team caring for the man, a statement on Monday said. Terms of the deal between the hospital's owner, Texas Health Resources, and nurse Nina Pham, the first person infected with Ebola in the United States, were not disclosed. Pham sued last year, saying that Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital did not do enough to prevent her from contracting the deadly virus and invaded her privacy after she was diagnosed with it. "Texas Health Resources (THR) and Ms. Pham have resolved the pending lawsuit, and wish the best for each other going forward," they said in a joint statement. They did not provide further details. In the lawsuit, which was filed in Dallas County, Pham claimed the hospital did not initially provide nurses with proper protective equipment or properly train staff on how to treat the disease. The lawsuit accused the hospital of negligence and deception. It did not specify an amount in damages. The hospital has denied the claims. Pham was one of two nurses at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital who contracted the disease when treating Thomas Duncan, who was admitted in September 2014 and died less than two weeks later. Both nurses recovered. Duncan contracted the disease in Liberia. Pham, who was 26 then, became a national symbol of hope in fighting Ebola after she recovered and was greeted in the Oval Office by President Barack Obama. Pham claimed the hospital used her as a "public relations pawn" to improve its plummeting image. While it issued news releases saying her condition had improved to "good," it was having end-of-life conversations with her, Pham alleged in her lawsuit. Pham said the hospital did not respect her right to privacy. In one instance, she was videotaped speaking to a doctor, and the video was released to the media. Pham said both the taping and the release of the videotape occurred without her permission. The hospital did not disclose details of Pham's employment status, but the Dallas Morning News has reported that she was kept on the payroll even though she did not return to work. In an interview with the newspaper last year, Pham said she has suffered hair loss, physical pain, insomnia and nightmares since recovering from Ebola. (Reporting by Jon Herskovitz; Editing by Jonathan Oatis)
By Jessica Toonkel and Supantha Mukherjee (Reuters) - Wall Street signaled skepticism on Monday that AT&T Inc would secure the government approvals needed to carry out its planned $85.4 billion acquisition of Time Warner Inc, with shares of both companies falling as analysts scrutinized the deal. Time Warner shares were trading some 20 percent below the implied value of AT&T's $107.50 per share cash and stock offer, indicating investors doubt that the companies would be able to complete the transaction. The deal, announced on Saturday, would give AT&T control of cable TV channels HBO and CNN, film studio Warner Bros and other coveted assets and reshape the media landscape. Dallas-based AT&T said on Saturday it would need approval of the U.S. Department of Justice and the companies were determining which Time Warner U.S. Federal Communications Commission licenses, if any, would need to transfer to AT&T. Any such transfers would require FCC approval. AT&T Chief Executive Randall Stephenson said on Monday he expects government clearances for the deal because it is a so-called vertical integration that will not eliminate a competitor, a situation that is viewed more favorably by antitrust enforcers. "While regulators will often times have concerns with vertical integrations, those are always remedied by conditions imposed on the merger, so that's how we envision this one to play out," Stephenson told CNBC. Despite its big media footprint, Time Warner has only one FCC-regulated broadcast station, WPCH-TV in Atlanta. Time Warner could sell the license to try to avoid a formal FCC review, several analysts said. Any decision to review the deal would be made by regulatory officials at the Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission, White House spokesman Josh Earnest told reporters on Monday. "The president would hope and expect that regulators would carefully consider the potential impact of this deal on consumers," Earnest added. Shares of AT&T closed down 1.7 percent at $36.86 and shares of Time Warner fell 3 percent to $86.78. FOCUS ON APPROVALS Investors, Wall Street analysts and traders on Monday expressed concerns about the implications of the antitrust and regulatory challenges. I dont know how favorably regulators will look upon this, said media investor Sanjay Sen, chief investment officer of BloombergSen Investment Partners of Toronto. The total value of broken deals is nearly $700 billion so far this year, a fact that has sidelined some investors. "The regulatory environment has been unbelievable this year and I think everyone is on edge," said an arbitrage investor considering buying exposure to the deal who did not want to be identified because they were not authorized to speak to the press. The biggest deals to fall apart in 2016 include Office DepotStaples, Baker HughesHalliburton, AllerganPfizer and Norfolk SouthernCanadian Pacific Railways. Many of the deals drew objections from the Department of Justice and U.S. Treasury. "We are unprepared at this point to assign anything higher than a 50/50 probability of deal approval," wrote MoffettNathanson Research in a report, downgrading Time Warner to 'neutral' but raising its target price by $8 to $100. The deal's arbitrage spread of more than 20 percent is wider than five other recent deals that regulators subsequently shot down or were withdrawn, including Comcast Corp's planned takeover of Time Warner Cable. That deal had a spread of only 5 percent. The deal, announced just over two weeks before the Nov. 8 U.S. election, was also generating skepticism among both Republicans and Democrats. OTHER QUESTIONS Others were unnerved by the rationale for the deal and the massive $170 billion debt balance the combined company may hold after the deal closes. The CEOs couldnt easily explain the synergies and I cant clearly understand them, said Sen, who also expressed concern about AT&T embarking on a new deal so shortly after buying DirecTV last year for $48.5 billion. How successfully will it integrate these three large and different businesses? he asked. Analysts at Cowen & Co said it was a "struggle" to understand why the acquisition made sense. "If it is simply differentiated content AT&T is interested in we dont understand why this couldnt have been solved by some form of partnership, the firm wrote in a note to downgrade the company's investment rating to 'market perform' from 'outperform.' Analysts at Moody's, which put AT&T on review for a downgrade after the acquisition was announced, said regulators could include conditions that limit the wireless provider's ability to use Time Warner content as a competitive advantage, ultimately undermining its objective to differentiate its mobile and pay TV platforms with exclusive content. John Traynor, chief investment officer of Peoples United Wealth Management, which owns shares of both AT&T and Time Warner, said his firm would vote for the deal as it looked like a good marriage of content and distribution. "In the 1980s and 1990s it was all about hardware. For the last 10 years its been all about connectivity and content, Traynor said. He expects the deal to face lengthy scrutiny by regulators but eventually to be completed. "Well be talking about this a year from now, but Comcast-NBC got through, he said, referring to the $30 billion purchase of NBCUniversal by cable company Comcast. "We think AT&T can handle the debt load, he added. (Additional reporting by Ross Kerber, Malathi Nayak, Carl O'Donnell and Roberta Rampton; Editing by Nick Zieminski, Meredith Mazzilli and Bill Rigby)
Time Warner has agreed to pay $1.725 billion to AT&T if the media company backs out of the massive deal to be acquired by the telecom company.

Under the terms of AT&Ts $85.4 billion bid for Time Warner, the fee would be payable if Time Warners board has a change of heart prior to stockholder approval or if Time Warner receives a higher offer, according to SEC filings Monday.

AT&T reserves the right to terminate the Time Warner deal if the telcos board changes its mind prior to stockholder approval.

Meanwhile, AT&T will pay Time Warner $500 million in respect of its time and expenses if the merger is not consummated under certain conditions, including in the event the deal is blocked by regulators, per the filing. The deal was announced by the companies Saturday night, and is expected to face close scrutiny by U.S. officials.

Time Warner chairman-CEO Jeff Bewkes  who said he will exit the company after the AT&T acquisition following a transition period  did not receive any retention-incentive consideration related to the AT&T deal, according to TWs 8-K filing with the SEC. However, he is eligible for special-retention restricted stock units in February 2017 worth twice the target value of his annual long-term incentive compensation.

Time Warner detailed retention agreements with four key execs to extend their contracts through Dec. 31, 2019: CFO Howard Averill, general counsel Paul Cappuccio, Olaf Olafsson, EVP of international and corporate strategy; and Gary Ginsberg, EVP corporate marketing and communications. Those executives will receive cash and stock incentives to remain with Time Warner post-AT&T merger. Averills package comprises $9.2 million in restricted stock and $1.75 million cash; Capuccio gets $6.8 million in stock and $1.575 million cash; Olafsson gets $2.8 million in stock at $693,750 cash; and Ginsberg receives $2.5 million in stock and $900,000 cash.

In addition, AT&T disclosed that it entered into a $40 billion loan credit agreement with JPMorgan Chase on Oct. 22, solely to fund the cash portion of the Time Warner acquisition (or to refinance of debt of Time Warner and its subsidiaries).

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Either AT&T or Time Warner may terminate the pact if it is not closed by Oct. 22, 2017, subject to extension in certain cases until no later than April 22, 2018.

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Brussels (AFP) - A landmark EU-Canada free trade accord was hanging by a thread Monday after the French-speaking region of Wallonia led a revolt against the federal government which backs the deal.

Seven years in negotiation to 2014, two years in ratification and now a stumble at the last hurdle which threatens a signing ceremony in Brussels Thursday, due to be attended by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

Here is a summary of Belgium's complex constitutional arrangements which allow the regions to trump the central government.

- FEDERAL BELGIUM -

Once a unified monarchy with strong national institutions, Belgium has slowly developed since the 1970s into a federal entity. This happened under intense pressure from the separatist-minded Flemish, fed up with perceived dominance by their southern, French-speaking compatriots since the creation of modern Belgium in 1830.

The new set-up saw the creation of regions and linguistic communities, each with their own parliament and government that have grown increasingly powerful after a series of far-reaching constitutional reforms.

The regional governments now have executive power over major policies.

- POWERFUL REGIONS -

French-speaking Wallonia, Dutch-speaking Flanders and the capital city of Brussels make up Belgium's three main "regions". Over the years, decision-making over major policy areas -- such as farming, environment, and economic development -- has gradually devolved to these regions.

The so-called linguistic communities (Francophone, Dutch and Germanophone) control education, culture and public broadcasting.

- DEVOLUTION -

Each of the regions and communities has an elected parliament and government.

This leaves Belgium with a total of seven elected assemblies: the geographic regions of Wallonia, Flanders and Brussels; the three linguistic communities; as well as a parliament and senate at the federal level.

- DEAL RATIFICATION -

When Belgium signs an international agreement, even one negotiated by the EU like CETA, each of the seven elected bodies must approve the deal.

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In general, this ratification can take place after the signature -- and provisional implementation -- of the deal. The process can take years.

For CETA, the regional parliaments have been involved for months. After long consideration, lawmakers in Wallonia and the French linguistic community voted to reject the deal, on the grounds that it does not provide enough assurances on protecting the environment, farming or the role of multi-national companies.

- NON WALLONIA, NON TRUDEAU -

The EU needs the approval of each of the bloc's 28 member states to agree to the signature of the CETA deal.

For Belgium to play its role, it in turn needs the green-light of its seven parliaments.

On Monday, after a brief meeting of regional leaders, Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel conceded he had failed to get unanimous backing and so was unable to sign off on CETA.

"The federal government, the German community and Flanders said 'yes.' Wallonia, the Brussels city government and the French community said 'no'," Michel said.

Unless there is some last-minute breakthrough in talks between EU officials and Trudeau late Monday, Thursday's signing ceremony is unlikely to go ahead.
The Obama administration confirmed Monday that health care premiums may increase by double-digits next year, while some consumers may be limited to just one insurer. More here

Three heavily armed militants wearing bomb vests stormed a police training college in southwestern Pakistan late Monday, killing dozens of cadets. More here

Kathleen Kane, the former Pennsylvania attorney general, was sentenced Monday to 10 to 23 months in prison for illegally leaking grand-jury secrets and lying about it. More here

Were live-blogging the news stories of the day below. All updates are in Eastern Daylight Time (GMT -4).

Read more from The Atlantic:

This article was originally published on The Atlantic.
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon producer and show runner Josh Lieb has signed an overall deal with NBC Universal Television that will include expanded roles for other Tonight Show staffers.

This is obviously bittersweet  theres no show in the world more fun than The Tonight Show. Ive been able to run the circus every night. But Id like to write more, and try different things, and  frankly spend a little more time with my kids. Jimmys a joy to work with, and the troika taking over for me is more than qualified. You wont even notice Im gone, Lieb said.

Lieb has won seven Emmy Awards as writer and producer of The Daily Show and has written and produced multiple other television shows. Three producers will see increased roles to fill Liebs shoes, as Katie Hockmeyer will assume oversight of production and Gerard Bradford and Mike DiCenzo will assume oversight of the show creative.

Also Read: Jimmy Fallon Auditions to Be Kelly Ripa's New 'Live' Co-Host (Video)

Josh has been a tremendous asset and has played a key role in helping us successfully launch The Tonight Show. We will miss him and wish him all the best with this great new opportunity, Fallon said. We are excited to have a great trio to fill his shoes. Katie, Mike, and Gerard, who have been with me since Late Night, will be expanding their roles, and they and the rest of the team will help us continue to have fun and success.

Hockmeyer has worked at NBCs 30 Rockefeller Center for her entire career, starting as a page in 2002. DiCenzo has written for the Tonight Show since Fallon took over and is responsible for Wheel Of Musical Impressions, the Classroom Instrument performances, and the Saved By The Bell reunion sketch. Bradford has also been part of the show since day one and wrote and produced Fallons 2012 musical comedy album Blow Your Pants Off, which won a Grammy Award.

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By Manuel Mogato and Enrico Dela Cruz MANILA (Reuters) - The most senior U.S. diplomat for Asia assured the Philippines on Monday that Washington remained its "trusted" ally and that it supported Manila's blossoming ties with China. U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Daniel Russel however warned that growing concern about drug-related killings in the Southeast Asian country was "bad for business". Russel was the first high-level visitor from Washington after President Rodrigo Duterte provoked alarm last week by announcing his country's "separation" from the United States and realignment with China while on a visit to Beijing. Explaining Duterte's "Goodbye America" remarks, Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary Perfecto Yasay said on Saturday the United States remained the "closest friend" of the Philippines, but Manila wanted to break away from a "mindset of dependency and subservience" and forge closer ties with other nations. Russel, speaking to reporters after meeting Yasay, said Duterte "has already walked back". He said Washington supported direct dialogue and negotiations between the Philippines and China. "So, it's a mistake to think that improved relations between Manila and Beijing somehow come at the expense of the U.S.," he said. "We dont want countries to have to choose between the U.S. and China." During his meeting with the Philippine foreign minister, Russel however said he expressed his concern the "succession of controversial statements, comments and a real climate of uncertainty about the Philippines intentions has created consternation in a number of countries". He added, "This is not a positive trend." Duterte has been scathing about U.S. criticism of his anti-drugs campaign in which about 2,300 people have been killed since he took office on June 30. Russel said the United States supported Manila's anti-narcotics campaign, but due process and human rights should not be disregarded. "The growing uncertainty about this and other issues is bad for business," he said. "This is a very competitive region." Russel's trip to Manila is part of a three-nation swing through Southeast Asia that also includes Thailand and Cambodia, the U.S. State Department announced on its website. (Reporting by Manuel Mogato and Enrico dela Cruz; Editing by Raju Gopalakrishnan)
By Bernie Woodall

DETROIT (Reuters) - Two Toyota Motor Corp brands again led the annual reliability survey from Consumer Reports magazine, and General Motors Co's (GM.N) Buick was the first American brand in at least 35 years to crack the top three, the consumer magazine said on Monday.

It was the fourth straight year that Lexus and Toyota finished in the two top spots, and they have had an outstanding performance since Consumer Reports began tracking brand reliability in the early 1980s.

Buick, a "near-luxury" brand, does well in the survey because it has few models and none of the pickup trucks or truck-based SUVs that hurt the ratings of GM stablemates Chevrolet and Cadillac, said Jake Fisher, director of automotive testing for Consumer Reports.

Asian carmakers still dominate for reliability, with seven of eight brands deemed "more reliable" based in Japan or South Korea. Volkswagen AG's (VOWG_p.DE) luxury Audi brand was the only German manufacturer among the eight "more reliable" brands.

In the past decade, all brands in Consumer Reports and other third-party surveys have had improvements in reliability, especially the major U.S. automakers GM, Ford Motor Co (F.N) and Chrysler, now Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCHA.MI) (FCAU.N).

Fiat Chrysler still lags far behind. Its brands took the bottom four spots in the 29-brand survey. Its most successful brand in terms of sales and reliability is its Jeep SUV lineup, which gained four slots to No. 23.

Nissan Motor Co Ltd's luxury brand Infiniti was most improved from last year, gaining 16 places in the survey.

Favorable results do not always mean better sales. Still, many U.S. consumers use the ratings as a key factor in purchasing decisions. The top-selling models from each for the three major U.S. brands are pickup trucks, which fare poorly in reliability studies.

Fisher said large pickup trucks' drive systems are more complex and raise consumer concerns, and "these trucks are now sold with much more power equipment and in-car electronics, so there are many more things to go wrong." Toyota's Tundra was rated the top full-size pickup truck by a large margin.

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The fourth U.S. automaker, Tesla Motors Inc (TSLA.O), the electric car maker, finished at No. 25. Consumer Reports recommended the Tesla Model S but the "Model X SUV has been plagued with malfunctions, including its complex Falcon-wing doors."

Among the hot-selling SUV market, the consumer advocacy magazine named best in category, small to large, as the Chevrolet Trax, Toyota RAV4, Toyota 4Runner and Ford Expedition.

(Reporting by Bernie Woodall; Editing by David Gregorio)
Music clearly runs in this family!

Travis Barker's 10-year-old daughter Alabama shared a video of herself playing James Bay's "Let It Go" -- not to be confused with the song from Frozen -- to Instagram on Sunday, writing, "Playing around on the piano."

Playing around on the piano   #LetItGo A video posted by Alabama Barker  (@alabamaluellabarker) on Oct 23, 2016 at 3:33pm PDT

WATCH: Travis Barker on 9-Year-Old Daughter Alabama's Massive Instagram Following -- 'Social Media Is Crazy'

Clearly, the Blink-182 drummer's daughter knows her way around a piano!

Travis Barker's 10-year-old daughter, Alabama, shared a video of herself playing James Bay's "Let It Go" -- not to be confused with the song from Frozen -- to Instagram on Sunday, writing, "Playing around on the piano."

Alabama and her 13-year-old brother, Landon, show up all over their dad's Instagram in sweet family pics -- not that they need it, with the impressive followings they've built on their own!

WATCH: 15 Years Later -- 7 Things You Never Knew About 'All the Small Things'

It's National Hug A Drummer Day  #DrumsDrumsDrums #JustDrum #HugADrummerDay  @justwillieT A photo posted by travisbarker (@travisbarker) on Oct 10, 2016 at 2:39pm PDT

Pre-show hugs @alabamaluellabarker  @justwilliet  #BLINK182TOUR #FAMILY #BLESSED Miss you @LandonAsherBarker A photo posted by travisbarker (@travisbarker) on Sep 21, 2016 at 5:33pm PDT

Travis spoke to ET last December about his kids' social media prowess.

WATCH: Travis Barker Gets Shockingly Candid About Drug Abuse and Being 'Borderline Suicidal' on Blink-182 Tour

"Since I had one, I kinda let them have one just as fun," he explained. "Then it just became big. Social media is crazy."

Watch the video below to see the two siblings adorably compare their social media game.

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Republican U.S. presidential nominee Donald Trump delivers remarks at a campaign event in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, U.S. October 22, 2016. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst

Donald Trump on Monday accused Hillary Clinton of wanting "to take in as many Syrians as possible," referring to a "secret tape" as evidence.

"Wow, just came out on secret tape that Crooked Hillary wants to take in as many Syrians as possible," Trump tweeted. "We cannot let this happen  ISIS!"

The Republican presidential nominee has long argued that if the US continues to let in refugees fleeing the Syrian civil war, ISIS terrorists will find ways to enter the country with them. Terrorists have been abusing the European system to slip in with the refugee flow and mount attacks on Western countries, but security measures in the US are generally thought to be more stringent.

Trump has repeated his claims about Clinton wanting to overwhelm the US with refugees many times this election cycle. She has said she thinks the US should be doing more to help the refugee crisis and has suggested admitting 65,000 refugees in the 2016 fiscal year. By comparison, Germany admitted more than 1 million refugees last year.

The video Trump was referring to in his tweet Monday was most likely one from Project Veritas Action, a group run by the controversial conservative activist James O'Keefe, who publishes undercover sting videos.

An undercover operative for the group attended an event with Huma Abedin, a top Clinton aide, and asked about Syrian refugees.

After thanking Abedin for addressing the Syrian refugee crisis and remarking that Islamaphobia was "rampant" in the US, the Project Veritas activist said, "You have to promise me, if Hillary is elected president, she's going to do everything she can to let these Syrians in."

Abedin responded, "Absolutely right."

The Project Veritas activist then said Republicans were trying to bar Syrian refugees from entering the US, to which Abedin responded, "Oh, and by the way, it's not just Republicans  there are some Democrats who are scared too."

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She continued: "We need to have leadership on this  it is not, we cannot turn these people away."

O'Keefe has previously gotten into hot water for his practices. In 2010, he pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor for posing as a phone repairman to enter New Orleans office of Mary Landrieu, then a Louisiana senator. In 2013, he settled a suit for $100,000 after editing a recording with an Acorn employee who later lost his job.

Past O'Keefe footage has also been found to contain manipulative editing to show an intended narrative, as the conservative website TheBlaze wrote.

Allan Smith contributed to this report.

NOW WATCH: 'CHECK OUT SEX TAPE': Trump goes on raging tweetstorm ripping Miss Universe contestant





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donald trump

Donald Trump perpetuated a baseless claim on Monday that pollsters were intentionally skewing polls to underrepresent his supporters.

"Major story that the Dems are making up phony polls in order to suppress the the Trump," he tweeted. We are going to WIN!"

The Republican presidential nominee appeared to be referencing a 2008 email revealed by the hack of Clinton campaign chair John Podesta's private emails. In one email posted to Wikileaks, former Democratic operative Tom Matzzie requested that several groups of minority voters be "oversampled" in an upcoming poll.

On Sunday, Mattzie took to Twitter to defend his email, pointing out that oversampling is an extremely common practice used by pollsters to reduce the margin of error among minority voters and more accurately measure voter sentiment among that subgroup.

@TaylorEgly I wrote that email. Oversamples allow you to look at one demography with less MoE. You could learn that with a Google search  Tom Matzzie (@tommatzzie) October 24, 2016

@kaceysharon you oversample to have better data on one subgroup.  Tom Matzzie (@tommatzzie) October 24, 2016

@joshtpm No kidding. Oversampling is a statistical method to learn more about a single slice of the electorate.  Tom Matzzie (@tommatzzie) October 24, 2016

@GlenCompton sure. Just do a search for the term "oversampling." It is a statistical method to adjust group distribution in a dataset. 1/  Tom Matzzie (@tommatzzie) October 24, 2016

@GlenCompton Ex: If you want to know how "Unmarried Women" might respond in a poll of 800 voters, you might poll 200 more of that group 2/  Tom Matzzie (@tommatzzie) October 24, 2016

@GlenCompton This increases the total survey from 800 to 1000 and gives you enough data to track the responses of that group. 3/  Tom Matzzie (@tommatzzie) October 24, 2016

@GlenCompton Oversamples are used for states, regions, demographics. It is a way to look more closely at something in a national poll. 4/  Tom Matzzie (@tommatzzie) October 24, 2016

As his poll numbers have dipped over the past several weeks, Trump has repeatedly made unsubstantiated claims that the media, polls, and even state elections are being rigged against him.

Story continues

NOW WATCH: David Cay Johnston: 'There's no evidence Donald Trump is a billionaire'





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GOP nominee Donald Trump has indulged a fondness for conspiracy theories that seems inversely proportional to his chances of winning the White House.

In Trumps latest, President Barack Obama launched the offensive to take back Mosul, Iraqs second-largest city, from the Islamic State, because he wanted to show what a tough guy he is before the election.

There are a few things wrong with the businessman-turned-politicians assessment, offered at a rare Sunday rally in rural Florida.

While Iraqi and U.S. officials are closely coordinating the fight against the terrorist group, which has held Mosul for more than two years, both Washington and Baghdad have made clear Iraq is calling the shots. Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi announced the military operation last Monday, with U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter confirming shortly after. The troops leading the assault are overwhelmingly Iraqi and Kurdish Peshmerga; only a few hundred of the thousands of U.S. troops in Iraq are on hand to coordinate air strikes and advise.

At times, Baghdads lead has even caused open frustration among the U.S. military brass  the operation suffered numerous false starts  making it hard to believe that Obamas political calculus and the U.S. electoral cycle somehow decided Iraqs military strategy.

In a recent example, to the Americans chagrin, Baghdad plans to utilize its Iranian-backed Shiite militias to the west of Mosul, despite their reputation for human rights violations, including during the fight for Fallujah this year. Mosul is a predominantly Sunni city, and the Shiite-led government in Baghdad promised in the wake of international outcry after Fallujah that the militias wouldnt enter the city.

The launch of the Mosul fight wasnt exactly an October surprise. Encircling missions have been going on for months, and the Iraqi government been planning, and delaying, the offensive, for more than a year. American officials have for just as long been trying to speed it up.

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In fact, Trump has previously hit the Obama administration for announcing military actions in Iraq, such as dropping leaflets or firing warning shots to give truck drivers notice before a strike. Iraqi forces dropped leaflets over Mosul in March urging civilians to rebel against ISIS control ahead of a (not so) imminent attempt to retake the city.

Such warnings can save innocent lives, and make the business of urban warfare a bit less fraught. For example, American B-52 bombers have been dropping pamphlets over Mosul in recent days, warning residents to remain indoors and stay away from known ISIS locations when the Iraqi Army enters the city.

They can also serve to intimidate ISIS fighters, potentially encouraging them to flee in advance of the offensive, as Martha Raddatz pointed out while moderating the second presidential debate, a notion military historians and experts back up.

Trump hit the Obama administration for not launching a sneak attack, and followed up in the last debate by suggesting the timing was intended to help rival Hillary Clinton. In reality, everybody, including the estimated 4,500 ISIS fighters holed up in Mosul, knew an assault on the city was coming. Military analysts note that strategic targets, like Iraqs second city, are obvious objectives; so was Hitlers Atlantic Wall, yet the allies assaulted it head on.

The attack on Mosul is turning out to be a total disaster. We gave them months of notice. U.S. is looking so dumb. VOTE TRUMP and WIN AGAIN!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 23, 2016

But only a week after the offensive began, there are some encouraging signs. The campaign gained momentum late last week when Iraqi special forces and Kurdish Peshmerga fighters opened up a new front to the north and east of Mosul, inching to within a few miles of the city. It was the closest coordination to date between Baghdad and the Kurdish forces, which have often been at odds.

If U.S. military and U.N. officials have long warned of a hard slog to take back Mosul, thats because of a whole lot more than ISIS getting a heads up.

As many as 1.5 million people still in the city could be targeted, caught in the crossfire, forcibly expelled or used as human shields, according to the U.N. Early reports tell of ISIS fighters executing civilians. That adds an extra layer of complication for troops, aid workers, and international organizations, who are bracing themselves for an exodus of families across a landmine-strewed battlescape.

Plus, Obama isnt running for president anymore, making it unclear what benefit he may have achieved with timing meant to enhance a tough guy image.

Trump, on the other hand, is on the ballot on Nov. 8. And on Sunday, amid continued bluster about rigged elections, skewed polls, and a biased media, he seemed ambivalent about his whole presidential adventure.

Are we glad that I started? Are we happy? Trump asked the crowd. Well, Ill let you know on the evening of Nov. 8 whether Im glad.

Photo credit: BULENT KILIC/Getty Images
Donald Trump appears headed for a major defeat on Nov. 8. The remaining questions are how badly he gets crushed, how many Republicans he takes down with him and what it will mean for Hillary Clinton 's presidential mandate.

First, it's important to recognize that there are a few polls that show Trump still close or even in the lead  he trails in the Real Clear Politics average by more than 6 points. No candidate in modern presidential history has ever come back from that kind of deficit.

The most beloved poll these days among Trump true believers is the IBD/TIPP survey that now shows the race tied. This is often touted as the "most accurate" poll of that last several election cycles. But this poll showed a solid lead for Mitt Romney until very late in 2012 when it swung quite suddenly  and surprisingly  toward President Barack Obama and aligned itself more closely with the rest of the major national polls.

Do a quick Google search and you will find scores of articles in which conservatives clung to the IBD poll showing Romney ahead in 2012 while other surveys showed the race trending inexorably to the incumbent president.

IBD also performed badly in 2008, suggesting Republican nominee John McCain had a large lead among younger voters. Obama won this group handily. As late as Nov. 2, 2008, IBD had Obama up just 2 points over McCain. He won by 7 points and carried 365 electoral votes, a landslide in the current highly partisan era.

So leave the outlier polls alone and focus on the average of all high-quality polls. And leave the "oversampling" of Democrats nonsense to the Bill Mitchell's of the world who spend a good part of their lives trying to "unskew" surveys showing Clinton with big leads.

There is a simple reason polls include more Democrats. Because more people identify as Democrat than Republican. High-quality surveys"oversample" certain groups to get a better picture of what the actual electorate looks like.

So barring a catastrophic collapse, Hillary Clinton is going to win. Even without including any of the "toss-up" states, Clinton right now is at 262 electoral votes. Eliminating toss-ups, Clinton is currently leading in enough states for 333 electoral votes, which would be a resounding victory, just short of Obama's 2008 numbers.

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In order for Trump to win he would have to run the table in swing states, including Nevada, Florida and North Carolina. He trails in all three. Even winning all those would put Trump at 266. He would then need to flip at least one state leaning heavily toward Clinton, such as Pennsylvania, Virginia or Colorado.

It's more likely that Trump winds up losing states he has to win. He trails Clinton in Arizona and independent conservative Evan McMullin in Utah. He is only barely ahead in Texas and Alaska.

Clinton and Obama, meanwhile, are turning their attention to down-ballot races trying to deliver a mandate and possibly a friendly Congress to the Democratic nominee.

Taking over the House remains an unlikely scenario unless a very large wave develops to deliver Democrats the 30 seats they need. The Senate, however, remains a strong possibility. The party needs Clinton to win and at least four pickups to take the upper chamber. They appear certain to take seats in Illinois and Wisconsin. They could lose a seat in Nevada though the race for Harry Reid's seat remains deadlocked. Democrats lead in currently Republican-held seats in Missouri, New Hampshire and Indiana.

A big Clinton win at the national level will probably deliver very narrow Senate control to Democrats. The House will probably remain Republican. The question will then be how Republicans react to defeat and what approach they take to Clinton when she takes office in January.

A resounding rejection of Trumpism would likely lead to at least some willingness among Republicans to work with a Clinton White House in its early days with infrastructure spending and a simplification of the corporate tax code  including repatriation  high on the list of possibilities.

But Clinton's window for legislative movement will be extremely limited, even if she wins big. Republicans have a very friendly Senate map in 2018 and will be heavily favored to regain control should they lose it in November.

That means Republicans will want to try and draw sharp lines with Clinton early and avoid alienating an activist base that loathes the Democratic nominee. Even if Trump loses big, the hardcore base of the Republican Party, which turns out in midterms, will like punish Republicans seen as collaborators with the opposition.

So unless Clinton delivers a wipeout of historic proportions, Washington in 2017 will likely look much like Washington of the last few years, a gridlocked mess incapable of agreement on tax reform, infrastructure spending or immigration reform, leaving a softening economy to fend for itself.

Ben White is Politico's chief economic correspondent and a CNBC contributor. He also authors the daily tip sheet Politico Morning Money [politico.com/morningmoney]. Follow him on Twitter @morningmoneyben.







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Its a thankless job being a Donald Trump surrogate these days. One of the requirements is making appearances on the Sunday talk shows and, on a day like today, when new polls show your candidate trailing in national opinion polls by double digits and behind in almost every swing state, pretend that he is still winning.

The job fell to campaign manager Kellyanne Conway and Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus this weekend, and both twisted themselves in verbal knots casting the Trump campaign as something other than a foundering ship thats headed to the bottom.

Related: Dems' Dirty Tricks Tapes Give Trumps Rigged Election Claim a Boost

After promising to deliver a closing argument in a speech on Saturday in Gettysburg, PA, Trump instead dedicated part of his remarks to promising to sue each of the dozen or so women who have accused him of sexual assault. He also continued to complain that the entire election is somehow rigged against him.

He did eventually get to his closing argument, but it turned out to be a restatement of things Trump has already promised, put in the form of a list and relabeled as a contract with American voters for Trumps first 100 days.

The reaction from the political press was largely negative, and the headlines from that speech were soon joined by others citing new and dismal poll numbers for the GOP candidate. A new tracking poll from ABC News shows Clinton at 50 percent nationwide, with Trump pulling in only 38 percent.

Trump now trails badly in key demographic groups, including women, minorities, college educated whites, and more. Even more damaging to the Republican Party as a whole is that the percentage of registered voters who told pollsters that they were likely to vote has fallen by 7 percent in the past two weeks.

Related: Trumps Terrible, Horrible, No-Good, Very Bad Electoral Map

(To be fair, the poll released today by ABC is the first of a series, so comparisons with earlier polls where the methodology might have been slightly different are somewhat imprecise.)

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At the same time, CBS News released new battleground polling that shows Clinton leading Trump 46 percent to 43 percent in Florida. That leaves Trump within the 3.5 percent margin of error, but not by much.

CBS also released a poll of Texas -- take a moment to adjust to the fact that Texas is a battleground state at all -- showing Trump ahead 46-43, leaving Clinton well within the 4.5 percent margin of error.

The idea that Texas, of all places, should even be in doubt would probably have been enough to leave most Trump surrogates home in bed with the covers pulled up over their heads, but to their credit, Conway and Priebus did show up on Sunday. But their arguments are wearing thin.

Related: Trump's Refusal to Accept Election Results Could Be Toxic for GOP Candidates

Conaway, at least, conceded that Trump is trailing Clinton.

We are behind, she said. She has some advantages, like $66 million in ad buys just in the month of September, thereby doubling her ad buys from August. Now, most of those ads are negative against Donald Trump, classic politics, personal destruction, cesspool kind of ads. And that she has tremendous advantages.

What wasnt said, of course, is that the reason Trump doesnt enjoy that kind of ad support is that GOP donors have become less and less willing to support him and that he has fallen short of the $100 million of his own money he promised to spend on the campaign.

She has a former president, happens to be her husband, campaigning for her, Conway said. The current president and First Lady, Vice President, all much more popular than she can hope to be. And she's seen as the incumbent. So our advantage going in when we're behind one, three, four points in some of these swing states that Mitt Romney lost to President Obama, Chuck our advantage is that Donald Trump is just going to continue to take the case directly to the people.

Related: Clinton and Trump Agree: Lets Ignore the $19 Trillion National Debt

But the problem with that argument is twofold. First, Trumps version of going directly to the people involves appearing at giant rallies full of people who already support him. He has made little or no effort made to bring in new supporters. Second, Trump is increasingly spending his time at those rallies rehashing his grievances -- the sex assault charges, election rigging, media bias -- and the evidence is that much of his complaining is turning off even his own supporters.

Todays ABC News poll found that Trumps response to the sexual assault allegations and his refusal to commit to honoring the election results are broadly condemned across the electorate.

Conway argued that Trump is threatening his accusers with lawsuits as a way of defending himself. And his insistence that the election is rigged is somehow an example of him standing up for the forgotten man and the forgotten woman. This is not about him. This is about the people.

In an appearance on CBS Newss Face the Nation, RNC Chair Reince Priebus struggled mightily to articulate a case for Trumps recent behavior, particularly his implicit threat to contest the election results if he doesnt like them.

Related: Trumps Last Chance to Best Clinton in Debate Didnt Work

What hes saying is he wants to reserve all options and if there are grounds for a recount I will exercise my options, Priebus said. He added, confusingly, He is not willing to not concede if he loses and theres no fraud.

As for Trumps claims of a rigged election, Priebus defended them.

Listen, I think hes trying to also tell his folks to watch out for this fraud that might occur, he said, insisting against all available evidence that voter fraud is a significant problem in presidential elections.

But there are two key points working against Priebus here. First, his candidate isnt warning that voter fraud might occur; hes stating his certainty that it is already taking place while presenting no evidence. Second, while there have been isolated incidents of improper voting, there is absolutely no evidence of a widespread effort that could realistically have an impact on the results of a presidential election.

Related: Trump Will Lose This Election, but Guess Who Destroyed the GOP?

Its got to be exhausting, for professionals like Priebus and Conway to defend a candidate even as his list of self-inflicted injuries grows. They can take solace in the fact that the campaign will be over in just over two weeks.

Unfortunately for them, their next job could involve defending themselves from fellow Republicans frustrated at them for enabling a candidate who appears to be doing lasting damage to the GOP.

Top Reads from The Fiscal Times:
ANKARA (Reuters) - Turkey's military struck dozens of Islamic State and Kurdish YPG militia targets in Syria over the last 24 hours, depriving both groups of the ability to move around, the army said on Monday, as its operation there entered a third month. Backed by Turkish tanks, special forces and air strikes, rebels fighting under the banner of the Free Syrian Army crossed into northern Syria on Aug. 24 and took control of the border town of Jarablus from Islamic State largely unopposed. In the latest moves in the operation, dubbed "Euphrates Shield", strikes by "fire support vehicles" hit 27 Islamic State targets and 19 belonging to the YPG, leaving both groups "without maneuvering capacity", the written statement said. President Tayyip Erdogan said on Saturday the Turkish-backed forces would press on to the Islamic State-held town of al-Bab, emphasizing Ankara's drive to sweep its militants and Syrian Kurdish fighters from territory near its border. The Syrian military said the presence of Turkish troops on Syrian soil was unacceptable and a "dangerous escalation and flagrant breach of Syria's sovereignty." Erdogan also said Turkey would do what was necessary with its coalition partners in Syria's Raqqa, but would not work with the Syrian Kurdish fighters. Differences over Syria have caused strains between NATO allies Turkey and the United States. Washington is backing the YPG militia, seeing it as an effective partner in the fight against Islamic State. Turkey fears the militia's advance will embolden Kurdish militants at home. The Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), designated a terrorist organization by Turkey and its Western allies, has fought a three-decade insurgency that has killed more than 40,000 people, mostly Kurds, in Turkey's largely Kurdish southeast. (Writing by Ece Toksabay; Editing by Toby Chopra)
By Tulay Karadeniz and Ece Toksabay ANKARA (Reuters) - Turkish artillery fire has already played a role in the effort to drive Islamic State from the Iraqi city of Mosul and four Turkish fighter jets are on standby to take part in air operations, Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Monday. Largely Sunni Muslim Turkey and the Shi'ite-dominated central government in Iraq are at loggerheads about the presence of Turkish troops at a military camp in northern Iraq, and about Ankara's demand to take part in the Mosul operation. Turkey says it has a responsibility to protect ethnic Turkmens and Sunni Arabs in the area around Mosul, once part of the Ottoman empire. It fears Iranian-backed Shi'ite militias, which the Iraqi army has relied on in the past, will be used in the campaign and stoke ethnic bloodletting. Iraq's Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi has said Baghdad does not want Turkey's help and that the Turkish troops, tanks and artillery deployed at the Bashiqa military camp are there without his government's authorization. Iraq says it is a sovereign nation that could handle the operation on its own. "Our aim is to remove Daesh (Islamic State) from both Syria and Iraq. Iraq is a neighbor and friend for Turkey and for us the territorial integrity and stability in Iraq is as important as our own," Cavusoglu told reporters in Ankara. He said Turkey was involved in the Mosul operation on "multiple fronts" and that 17 Islamic State militants had been killed by Turkish artillery fire since the offensive began. "(Kurdish) Peshmerga forces we trained in northern Iraq are actively participating, and local forces that we support in Bashiqa, are actively fighting Daesh," he said at a news conference with his visiting French counterpart. "There are also four F-16 fighters jets on standby for an air operation as part of the international coalition, ready for air strikes. How they are deployed will depend on decisions by members of the coalition and our military." Turkish forces at Bashiqa had already killed more than 700 Islamic State fighters even before the Mosul operation, he said. The region around Mosul is a mosaic of ethnic and religious groups - Arabs, Turkmen, Kurds, Yazidis, Christians, Sunnis, Shi'ites - with Sunni Arabs the overwhelming majority. Cavusoglu gave a warning that Turkey would not let the Kurdish PKK militant group gain more of a foothold. The PKK, considered a terrorist organization by Turkey, the United States and European Union, has waged a three-decade insurgency against the Turkish state and has bases in the Qandil mountains of northern Iraq. "They want to make in Sinjar a second Qandil," Cavusoglu said, referring to the Yazidi territory of Sinjar, west of Mosul, where Islamic State committed some of its worst atrocities two years ago. Kurdish fighters took back the region last year. "We will ensure that the PKK is not able to organize itself in the north of Iraq. We will make sure this zone is a zone of security," Cavusoglu said. (Reporting by Tulay Karadeniz and Ece Toksabay; Writing by Nick Tattersall; Editing by Richard Balmforth)
By David Henry

Oct 24 (Reuters) - By the end of December some U.S. bank customers may begin to notice features of the new Zelle instant payments network appearing on their mobile phone and online banking apps as the financial industry tries to catch up to technology company rivals, such as Venmo.

Paul Finch, chief executive of the bank network operator, Early Warning Services, said during the weekend that buttons on user screens for digital payments at some banks will gradually start to use a uniform procedure for individuals to send and receive money.

Then early next year about 20 banks will put the Zelle name on their mobile apps and web pages. A Zelle app also will be offered to the public for connections through other institutions.

The consortium is taking a series of steps in its attempt to bring more than 100 million customers of banks and credit unions into Zelle without disrupting people who already use other ways to send money with phones and computers.

"This is about creating a wide, and inclusive, alternative to cash and checks for everyone," said Finch, who was at the Money 20/20 payments industry conference in Las Vegas to promote Zelle for its bank owners.

The moves come five years after three of the biggest banks -JPMorgan Chase & Co, Bank of America Corp and Wells Fargo & Co - formed a joint-venture, initially called clearXchange, to make it easier to send money to accounts at different banks.

But the banks were slow to bring other financial institutions into the fold and market the network and so lost momentum to technology company upstarts. Citigroup Inc did not agree to join until September. The banks only recently decided to use the name Zelle.

In the meantime, Venmo appeared. In the three months through September, Venmo processed $4.9 billion of person-to-person payments, up 131 percent from a year earlier.

Venmo, now part of PayPal Holdings Inc, built its following by social networking young adults ready to share dinner tabs and apartment rents with their phones.

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But the banks have larger bases of customers to connect as they try to make Zelle ubiquitous. JPMorgan's Chase "Quick Pay," for example, processed $7.4 billion in the three months ended September, up 36 percent from a year earlier, according to bank spokeswoman Rebecca Acevedo.

The initial set of 19 banks to offer Zelle early next year has about 76 million customers using mobile banking apps and about 65 percent of U.S. checking and savings accounts, Finch said. Agreements in place with additional financial institutions, debit card networks and other payment companies, such as Fiserv Inc, will bring the portion of accounts to 90 percent to 95 percent, Finch said.

The bank consortium owners decided that for Zelle to succeed it needs to look and work the same for everyone. But some banks already have made digital payment brand names, such as JPMorgan's Quick Pay, familiar to many of their customers. Those banks will use the Zelle name prominently alongside their established names as Zelle catches on, Finch said.

(Reporting by David Henry in New York; Editing by Bill Trott)
By Joseph White

(Reuters) - Automakers should make shielding the electronic and computer systems of vehicles from hackers a priority, developing layers of protection that can secure a vehicle throughout its life, U.S. regulators said on Monday.

The cyber security guidelines issued by the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration are recommendations, not enforceable rules. However, they mark a step toward establishing a road map for industry behavior as lawmakers and consumers pressure automakers to show how they will protect increasingly connected and automated vehicles from cyber attacks.

Some of the agency's proposals, included in a paper titled "Cybersecurity Best Practices for Modern Vehicles," echo moves major manufacturers are making already, including establishing a group to share information about cyber security threats.

Automakers will carefully review the technical aspects of the agency's proposals as well as proposals related to the disclosure of information about "the secret sauce" of electrical and data systems, which is highly competitive, Jonathan Allen, acting executive director of the Automotive Information Sharing and Analysis Center, said in an interview on Monday. The group, often referred to as the AUTO-ISAC, was established by automakers as a clearinghouse for companies to share information about cyber security threats and countermeasures.

Automakers accelerated efforts to address hacking threats over the past year after data security researchers successfully took remote control of a Jeep Cherokee and publicized their feat. Fiat Chrysler Automobiles in July 2015 recalled 1.4 million vehicles to install software to protect against future data breaches.

Other automakers, including BMW AG and Tesla Motors Inc, have disclosed actions to fix potential data security gaps.

The security of data and communications systems in vehicles is also critical as more auto manufacturers gear up to follow Tesla's lead and begin offering significant vehicle upgrades through wireless data links. The Federal Bureau of Investigation earlier this year warned that criminals could exploit online vehicle software updates.

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The NHTSA recommends manufacturers conduct tests of vehicle systems to see if the cyber security systems can be breached, and document their testing and their assessment of the risks.

Democratic U.S. Senators Ed Markey of Massachusetts and Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut said the NHTSA should do more. If modern day cars are computers on wheels, we need mandatory standards, not voluntary guidance, to ensure that our vehicles cannot be hacked and lives and information put in danger," the lawmakers said in a statement Monday.

The Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers said on Monday the NHTSA guidelines appear to support the steps being taken by the AUTO-ISAC. The Alliance represents General Motors Co, Ford Motor Co and Daimler AG, among others.

(Reporting by Joe White in Detroit; Editing by Matthew Lewis)
By Lisa Lambert

WASHINGTON, Oct 24 (Reuters) - The U.S. government and the country's largest life insurer are set for a rematch in a U.S. appeals court on Monday over how federal regulators decide a company is "too big to fail," one of the most significant reforms to come out of the financial crisis.

The heart of the fight is whether the Financial Stability Oversight Council (FSOC), made up of the heads of U.S. financial regulators, should have designated MetLife Inc. a "systemically important financial institution."

The label indicates MetLife's collapse could devastate the financial system, and it triggers tighter oversight. MetLife would also have to set aside capital to ensure it would not need a government bailout during a crisis.

In March, U.S. District Judge Rosemary Collyer struck down the designation, saying the council used an "arbitrary and capricious" process in assessing MetLife's vulnerabilities. She also said the government should have analyzed costs and benefits to MetLife, the likelihood it would fail and possible counterparty losses.

Most of the arguments before the three judges on Monday's appeals panel will revolve around the steps the FSOC took, with the U.S. government saying Collyer's requirements are not found in any laws and the government cannot assess the likelihood of a company's failure or counterparty losses.

MetLife was designated "too big to fail" in 2014. It says the FSOC decided first that it was "too big to fail" and then created a justification for the label.

MetLife will also argue the FSOC should have followed an alternative process known as the activities-based approach, that it says is less costly and better suited to insurance. In that approach, the FSOC would decide a certain activity poses a risk and then regulate it across all companies.

The FSOC has said it does not have authority to designate an activity under statute. In April, however, it announced it would use the activities-based method to assess risk in asset managers and mutual funds, leaving MetLife to call its fairness into question.

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Collyer's decision was considered a blow to the 2010 Dodd-Frank Wall Street reform law, one of the most important pieces of legislation passed during President Barack Obama's tenure, and which has been under attack from Republicans in Congress.

The law authorized the council to designate nonbank companies in response to the $182 billion government bailout that insurer American International Group received during the 2008 financial crisis. AIG and Prudential Insurance are also labeled systemically important.

Two of the judges hearing Monday's arguments, Sri Srinivasan and Patricia Millett, were appointed by Obama and the third, A. Raymond Randolph, by former President George H. W. Bush, a Republican.

A decision could come before next year. The losing side may ask the full court for a review or may appeal to the Supreme Court.

Many familiar names from the crisis filed briefs supporting the government's appeal of Collyer's decision, including former Senator Chris Dodd, former Representative Barney Frank and former Federal Reserve Chair Ben Bernanke.

The National Association of Insurance Commissioners, made up of the industry's state regulators, supports MetLife.

The company says it recently decided to break up its business in response to the regulatory environment.

(Reporting by Lisa Lambert; Editing by Leslie Adler)
Oct 24 (Reuters) - The average premium for benchmark 2017 Obamacare insurance plans sold on Healthcare.gov rose 25 percent compared with 2016, the U.S. government said on Monday, the biggest increase since the insurance first went on sale in 2013 for the following year.

The average monthly premium for the benchmark plan is rising to $302 from $242 in 2016, the Department of Health and Human Services said. The agency attributed the large increase to insurers adjusting their premiums to reflect two years of cost data that became available.

Large national insurers including Aetna Inc, UnitedHealth Group Inc and Anthem Inc have said they are losing money on the exchanges, created under President Barack Obama's national healthcare reform law, because patient costs are higher than anticipated. Both UnitedHealth and Aetna have pulled out of the exchanges for 2017.

As a result, consumers will have fewer plans to choose from. In 2017, in five states there will be offerings from only one insurance company. Without competition there is little incentive to keep costs down.

Obama acknowledged last week that the law is not working perfectly but said the problems could be fixed if lawmakers created a government-run health insurance option to help U.S. states where there is little or no competition among private insurers.

Premium increases have become fodder for the presidential race, as Republican candidate Donald Trump calls for the repeal of the Affordable Care Act if he is elected and Democrat Hillary Clinton calls for expanding it.

The government agency said the 2017 premium increase comes after two years of very low increases in the marketplace for the second-lowest cost "silver" plan, the benchmark plan used to calculate cost-sharing subsidies. The "silver" plan sits in the bottom half in terms of how many costs are covered, between bronze and gold. There is also a platinum plan.

Average premiums for the silver plan increased 2 percent in 2015 and were up 7 percent in 2016, the agency said.

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The figure reflects premiums on Healthcare.gov, the federally run website that sells plans for about two-thirds of the states. Including four states and the District of Columbia, which run their own insurance marketplaces, and those that have reported data, the average premium rose 22 percent, the agency said.

Eight other states have not yet reported their premiums, it said.

The annual report was prepared by the health department's Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation.

(Reporting by Caroline Humer in New York and Toni Clarke in Washington; Editing by Dan Grebler and Matthew Lewis)
By Michelle Nichols UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - The United Nations hopes it can raise $200 million for payments to families of more than 9,300 cholera victims in Haiti and to communities worst-affected by the outbreak of the disease, which has been blamed on Nepali U.N. peacekeepers. Half could be spent on communities, with the remaining $100 million paid to families of victims, U.N. special advisor David Nabarro told reporters. This would allow for payments of some $10,000 per family. Nabarro said raising the funds through donations would be "highly unlikely" and U.N. officials would discuss with member states whether the world body could add the cost to its budget, paid by 193 U.N. member states through assessed contributions. So far, he said it had "proved to be very hard indeed to get any traction" from member states on providing donations. "I have felt a little bit disheartened about it," Nabarro said. "I'm not in a situation where I feel confident about it." Nabarro said U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, who steps down at the end of 2016 after two five-year terms, is due to propose the payment plan to the U.N. General Assembly in the coming weeks as part of a new approach to dealing with cholera in the Caribbean country. The new approach would also include raising a further $200 million to fund rapid response teams to combat cholera outbreaks and begin building water and sanitation systems throughout impoverished Haiti. Nabarro said only a quarter of Haitians have toilets and half have access to clean drinking water. The United Nations has not legally accepted responsibility for the outbreak. But Ban said in August the U.N. has a "moral responsibility" to help cholera victims and families with material support. Haiti was free of cholera until 2010, when U.N. peacekeepers dumped infected sewage into a river. Since then, thousands have died of the disease that causes uncontrollable diarrhea and more than 800,000 people have fallen ill. A new report by the independent U.N. Special Rapporteur on Extreme Poverty and Human Rights has concluded that scientific evidence "now points overwhelmingly to the responsibility of the peacekeeping mission as the source of the outbreak." Nabarro said the United Nations wanted to start consulting with communities in Haiti on how a material support program could work, but said "it's very difficult for us to be discussing amounts of money with families if we've not got some promises from potential sources of funding before we go ahead." (Reporting by Michelle Nichols; Editing by David Gregorio)
LONDON (Reuters) - British transport minister Chris Grayling will make a statement to parliament about airport expansion in south east England around 1130 GMT on Tuesday, Prime Minister Theresa May's spokeswoman said on Monday. May is due to chair a meeting of a small team of ministers on Tuesday to make the long-awaited decision over whether to give the go ahead for expansion to the west of London at Heathrow, Britain and Europe's busiest airport, or to the south at Gatwick. (Reporting by William James, writing by Kylie MacLellan; editing by Kate Holton)
By Anjuli Davies, William James and Andrew MacAskill LONDON (Reuters) - For decades, Britain's bankers have relied on their industry's outsized status in the economy to find a receptive ear in government. But in the aftermath of the country's vote to leave the European Union, the sector that generates about a tenth of national economic output is grappling with an uncomfortable new reality where economics doesn't always trump politics. June's vote to quit the EU has triggered a change in leadership and tone in the British government with new Prime Minister Theresa pledging an industrial revival and to build "an economy that works for everyone" - setting nerves jangling in the City of London global financial hub. Reuters spoke to several senior bankers from big British and international banks based in the city, including some involved in discussions with the government over Brexit. Many said their warnings about the impact of a so-called hard Brexit  where they lose their access to the European single market  were being met with scepticism by the government and accusations from some eurosceptic lawmakers that they were undermining the message that Britain can thrive outside the EU. "It's almost as if we were back in the 1940s and we were looking for fifth columnists all over the place because people are trying to do Britain down," said Ronald Kent of the British Bankers' Association (BBA). The term "fifth column" refers to a group of people that acts secretly against the state to assist an external enemy. The head of the BBA, Anthony Browne, said on Sunday that the public and political debate was "taking us in the wrong direction" and that big international banks were preparing to move some operations out of Britain in early 2017. The government has pledged to execute Brexit following a vote to leave the European Union that was driven in part by a desire to curb immigration and was regarded as a repudiation of a London elite, including a banking sector still the subject of lingering public anger over its role in the financial crisis. While chancellor Philip Hammond and his ministerial colleagues have been keen to assert the financial industry is of great importance, officials say privately the Brexit deal will have to work for the country as a whole - and means the banking industry cannot expect special treatment. "There is no question of prioritising the financial sector, or any other sector in those talks  it's not fair to talk in terms of special cases," said one source with knowledge of the government's approach to the negotiations with Brussels. The finance ministry referred a request for comment for this story to remarks made by Hammond to a parliamentary committee last week. He said addressing the Brexit challenges faced by the financial industry was a very high priority for the government. NO SPECIAL STATUS Some government officials have said that the industry could be over-stating the importance of issues such as "passporting" - the system by which they can carry out certain activities across the EU but be regulated just in one country. Financial services minister Simon Kirby told a parliamentary committee hearing last week that the finance ministry was looking into the passports used by businesses for various financial activities. "Some of those passports are redundant or unused," he said. "Actually getting to a situation where you can assess the impact is not quite as straightforward as you think." Several bankers said they were surprised by the ruling Conservative Party conference this month, when May appeared to move towards a hard Brexit stance by signalling that curbing immigration would take precedence over single market access. "Undoubtedly, things have changed for financial services," said one senior executive at an international bank, who declined to be named due to the sensitivity of the matter, adding that there had been a "sea change" in how banks are viewed by the government. Another banker told Reuters that although the mantra so far has been that there would be no "special status" for any industry group, they and other banking executives had sensed a more conciliatory tone from the government when dealing with carmaker Nissan this month - in contrast to the harder line they perceive as being taken with the financial sector. The largely foreign-owned car industry was a strong supporter of continued membership of the European Union ahead of the June 23 vote, benefiting from unfettered access to the world's biggest trading bloc and its standardized regulations. Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn said on Oct. 14, after meeting the prime minister in London, that he was confident Britain would remain a competitive place to do business. David Davis, the minister in charge of Britain's exit from the EU, said last week he was determined to secure the best possible terms of trade for the financial services sector. LOBBYING BLITZ The financial industry, which pays about 60-67 billion pounds in annual taxes, could lose up to 38 billion pounds in revenue in the event of a hard Brexit, and 75,000 jobs could disappear in Britain, according to a report commissioned by industry group TheCityUK. But there are signs that a four-month lobbying blitz by some of the world's largest banks has backfired. Officials say the banks have failed to appreciate the sheer scale of the government information-gathering exercise as it tries to determine its priorities. The finance ministry is doing a sector-by-sector analysis of the different Brexit scenarios on revenues, employment and tax receipts to inform Britain's negotiations with Brussels. One source complained that London financial services firms had presented a disparate list of demands and then quickly become impatient that their views were not being listened to. There is also a sense among officials that the industry's warnings have not panned out in the past, several banking and government sources have said. After the financial crisis many banks threatened to move operations overseas because of a wave of higher taxes and regulation. At the turn of the century, some financial sector executives also warned the failure to join the euro would lead to a withering in London's role as a hub for global business. "The government is underestimating the impact this time. This is not an idle threat," said one banker, who has held talks with government officials. Banks including HSBC, JPMorgan and UBS have already warned that they could move thousands of jobs from Britain. Government sources, while acknowledging the huge importance of the financial services sector to the economy, say talk of a mass exodus is unrealistic. "The feedback from Wall Street was that any move to Paris would happen 'over their (global banks') dead bodies'," said the source with knowledge of the government's approach, speaking on condition of anonymity. "And Frankfurt simply isn't big enough to handle it (being a global financial hub)." Some eurosceptic lawmakers have suggested that a "soft Brexit", where Britain might retain some access to the single market in return for a degree of free movement of people from the bloc, would thwart the democratic will of voters. "Bank lobbyists are going down the wrong route on Brexit. They just seem to be whining," Conservative Party lawmaker Jacob Rees-Mogg told Reuters. "They don't like the fact that they've been overruled by the people who voted." (Additional reporting by Huw Jones; Editing by Pravin Char)
Large banks with a presence in the U.K. feel the country's government is not fully receptive to the financial services sector in the wake of the uncertainty surrounding the Brexit vote , an industry source with knowledge of the situation, has told CNBC.

The source, who wished to remain anonymous due to the sensitive nature of the topic, said a wide range of banks, both big and small, felt that while the U.K. Treasury is very receptive to their ideas about a "smooth Brexit", other government departments are less sympathetic

The source further added that a number of banks are planning to move their operations out of London due to the uncertainty surrounding Brexit.

"Banks with large numbers of customer accounts in Europe and banks financing infrastructure projects, bonds and derivatives in Europe are among those looking to move out of London," the source added.

This comes after the British Banking Authority (BBA) chief, Anthony Browne, wrote an article in the U.K.'s Observernewspaper Sunday saying big banks were preparing to relocate out of the U.K. early next year.





The BBA head said the political and the public debate is taking us in the wrong direction. He wrote that most international banks have project teams working on which operations to move and when, adding that their hands are quivering over the relocate button.

"Many smaller banks plan to start relocations before Christmas; bigger banks are expected to start in the first quarter of next year," Browne wrote in the article.

A number of bank chiefs and market analysts have said in the past that London will continue to remain a major global financial center, but the uncertainty around Brexit negotiations has the financial sector worried.

"Banks are concerned about the uncertainty over 'passporting' rights and want a transition agreement to be put in place that will cover a period of time when the current regulatory framework continues before the new Brexit deal kicks in," the source told CNBC.

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Passporting is an important feature of the EU's single market access, especially for banks, as it means U.K. businesses can provide financial services anywhere in the 28-country bloc while being based and regulated in the U.K.





One analyst told CNBC Monday that while banks may have some plans to relocate, they haven't done anything so far.

"Brexit uncertainties are very much relevant for this sector. However, although banks may have some plans under different scenario to relocate, they have done nothing so far to change their behavior after Brexit. Eventually if the financial sector has to move it will be a very severe shock for the economy but for now nothing has really changed," Thanos Vamvakidis, head of European G-10 FX strategy at BofA Merrill Lynch Global Research said.

Vamvakidis further explained that only after "Article 50" is invoked, will we know the impact of U.K.'s decision to leave the European Union. "Article 50" is the section of the EU's treaty governing leaving the 28-country bloc which details what happens when a member leaves the group.

"It is too early to tell. Clearly the headlines have been more towards the direction of 'hard Brexit'. However, we have to wait for 'Article 50' to be triggered and most likely we are not going to see any serious discussions before the German elections. We will know the actual direction of events in 2018. It is too early to tell at this stage."

But while banks may be struggling with uncertainty surrounding Brexit, the European banking index has reversed all post-Brexit losses and is trading at its highest since June 23.





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LONDON (Reuters) - British police said on Monday that they had arrested a 25-year-old man in connection with an incident that led to the evacuation of hundreds of passengers from London City Airport on Friday. "The man ... was arrested on suspicion of using a noxious substance to cause serious damage, an offense under section 113 of the Anti-Terrorism, Crime and Security Act 2001," London's Metropolitan Police said on Monday. Police said the arrest took place at a residential address in east London on Saturday, and that the man was held at a west London police station and then released on bail pending further enquiries. London City airport was briefly closed on Friday as police and firefighters in protective equipment swept the terminal building of the airport with chemical detectors after several people were taken ill, some of them coughing violently. Police later said the incident may have been caused by CS gas, used for self-defense and crowd control. (Reporting by David Milliken; editing by Costas Pitas)
* Minister due to make statement on Tuesday at 1130 GMT

* Key ministers oppose Heathrow; legal challenges likely

* Decision subject to public consultation, parliament vote

By Kylie MacLellan and Sarah Young

LONDON, Oct 24 (Reuters) - Prime Minister Theresa May is set to end decades of indecision by backing the expansion of Britain and Europe's busiest airport, Heathrow, finally kickstarting a project made more pressing by the vote to leave the EU.

May and a small team of ministers will meet on Tuesday to choose between expanding Heathrow, to the west of London, or Gatwick, to the south - making a decision on airport expansion after more than 25 years of debate.

Key opponents of Heathrow expansion such as Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, who as then London mayor said last year it would not solve capacity issues and the scheme was doomed to fail, will not be present.

Both airports are running at close to full capacity and big business argues that Britain needs a new runway to build trade ties and better compete with Paris, Frankfurt and Amsterdam.

While there are three options on the table - a new runway at Heathrow, lengthening one of its existing two runways, or a new runway at Gatwick - the government has indicated it will opt for a new Heathrow runway - the more ambitious and expensive option.

In 2015, a three-year independent inquiry set up by the government recommended that option, subject to a list of conditions over night flights, noise and air quality.

Last week May took the rare step of promising colleagues who oppose the decision that they would be allowed to publicly air their views, interpreted by the media as a strong signal it would be Heathrow as there are no high profile ministers who oppose Gatwick expansion.

The airports decision will be one of May's biggest moves since she became prime minister in July, and would contrast with the delaying tactics of her predecessor, who failed to act after having withdrawn a previous government's approval to expand Heathrow in 2010.

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INTERNATIONAL TRADE

Transport Minister Chris Grayling will make a statement to parliament about the expansion at 1130 GMT on Tuesday.

"There will be challenge and opposition whatever option we take," he told BBC television on Sunday, of the first full-length runway to be built in the London area for 70 years.

"We have to, in my view, take a decision that is in the interests of our nation, what delivers the best connectivity, the right approach for the future at a time when we want to grow international trade links, open up new opportunities."

The decision will be subject to public consultation before it is put to a vote in parliament in late 2017 or early 2018. Surveys show a majority of lawmakers back Heathrow expansion.

Five local councils around Heathrow including Maidenhead, the area May represents, have hired a law firm to fight Heathrow expansion. Other opposition groups have also said they are likely to consider legal action against a new runway there.

Costing either $17 billion for the runway extension or $22 billion for the additional third runway, Heathrow would be the more expensive project and face legal challenges over its environmental impact on densely populated west London.

But its established trade links with emerging markets strengthen its case in the wake of the Brexit vote. It also has the backing of the major airlines.

Gatwick, the country's no. 2 airport that mostly connects to Europe, argues it can build a runway more quickly and, at $9 billion, more cheaply, and that its rural position means it would disturb fewer people.

Writing in the Telegraph newspaper, Howard Davies, head of the independent inquiry which backed Heathrow, said Brexit had made the case for Heathrow "overwhelming" given it handles more air freight and a greater number of long-haul inbound tourism.

($1 = 0.8171 pounds) (Editing by Alison Williams)
When candidates run for or hold prominent political office, they often have to reconcile with some of their darker moments.

U.S. President Barack Obama, for example, admitted in his first memoir that he had snorted cocaine earlier in life. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump is currently parrying accusations he sexually assaulted multiple women by threatening to sue them after the election. Former British Prime Minister David Cameron consistently had to field questions about whether he had, in fact, engaged in sexual acts with a dead pig.

Sometimes just saying sorry is the easiest way to move on. So on Monday, after British lawmaker John Rees-Evans announced his candidacy for leader of the right-wing U.K. Independence Party, he apologized for his 2014 claim that a homosexual donkey had raped his pet stallion.

In 2014, Rees-Evans was recorded speaking to a protester who asked about his conservative colleagues suggestions that some gay people prefer having sex with animals. He responded by saying he has witnessed that himself.

Ive got a horse and it was there in the field, he said. And a donkey came up, which was male, and Im afraid [it] tried to rape my horse.

In a televised interview with the BBC on Monday, Rees-Evans, an entrepreneur and former soldier, admitted hes not a household name in Britain. So the host, Jo Coburn, asked him to explain a little bit about why hes running for U.K.I.P. leader, a post previously filled by Diane James, who abruptly quit earlier this month, just 18 days after she took the job.

Coburn asked Rees-Evans to explain details from a Vice profile that described how he once convinced IKEA employees in Bulgaria to let him carry his Glock handgun into the store just in case terrorists were to attack. The same article said he owned a dozen homes in a remote part of the Bulgarian countryside, and described a bunker hes building in Bulgaria in case of a global meltdown. Why Bulgaria? He feels more liberated there, Vice reported.

Story continues

Rees-Evans called the article entirely exaggerated and accused Coburn of focusing on minor details about his life and thus not allowing him to explain his vision for UKIP.

So he certainly wasnt pleased when she turned to the horse and donkey.

The guy was asking me questions in the street, he said. It was an error of judgment, very early coming into politics, and Im sorry if I offended anyone from doing that, but please can I move on?

Photo credit: Dan Dennison/Getty Images
United Nations (United States) (AFP) - The United Nations on Monday blamed all sides in Syria after it failed to secure agreement to evacuate critically injured and sick Syrians from Aleppo.

UN aid agencies, the Syrian Arab Red Crescent, the Red Cross and other medical groups held days of negotiations to try to secure safe passage for the sick and wounded, but the effort came to a halt when fighting resumed.

"It is deeply regrettable that no patients or accompanying family members could be moved," said Stephen O'Brien, the UN's humanitarian aid coordinator.

"The evacuations were obstructed by various factors, including delays in receiving the necessary approvals from local authorities in eastern Aleppo," he said.

Armed groups imposed conditions to guarantee the safety of the evacuation operation while the Syrian government refused to allow medical and other aid supplies into the rebel-held east of the city, O'Brien added.

Russia, Syria's main ally in the war against opposition rebels and jihadists, last week declared a humanitarian pause in the assault on eastern Aleppo, where more than 250,000 civilians have been trapped.

"After three days of lull, parties to the conflict have still not agreed, military operations have resumed and violence is now escalating," said O'Brien in a statement.

"The political and military paths are trumping basic humanity once again in Syria."

On Monday, Russia ruled out a renewal of the ceasefire and blamed rebel groups for blocking the medical evacuation.

"Over the last three days, what was needed did not happen," said Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov.

In order to renew the pause, "our opponents must ensure appropriate behavior by the anti-government groups that in particular sabotaged the medical evacuation that was intended during the humanitarian pause," he said.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon last week said nearly 500 people had been killed and about 2,000 injured during the nearly month-long bombing raids in Aleppo.

No UN aid convoy has entered Aleppo since July 7 and food rations will run out by the end of October, he warned.

More than 300,000 people have been killed in Syria and more than half of the country's population displaced since the conflict began in March 2011 with anti-government protests.
United Nations (United States) (AFP) - UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said Monday he hopes South Africa will reconsider its decision to withdraw from the International Criminal Court.

Ban said in a statement that he regretted the decision which followed a dispute over South Africa's refusal to arrest Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir and hand him over for trial at the ICC for war crimes.

Pretoria last week presented a formal letter to the United Nations announcing its decision to pull out of the Rome statute, the founding treaty of the ICC.

The withdrawal will take effect one year after the letter was received, making South Africa the first country to pull out from the court.

Ban "hopes South Africa will reconsider its decision before its withdrawal takes effect," his spokesman said.

The UN recalled that South Africa was among the first signatories of the treaty and stressed that the ICC is "central to global efforts to end impunity and prevent conflict."

Established in 2002, the ICC is often accused of bias against Africa and has struggled with a lack of cooperation, including from the United States, which has signed the court's treaty but never ratified it.

Ban said countries that have concerns about the functioning of the court should address them in the assembly of states that have signed the Rome statute.

UN officials meanwhile were working behind the scenes to try to persuade South Africa to reverse course and to prevent other countries from following suit.

UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric declined to give details, but said there were discussions "with some concerned member-states" and that "a letter withdrawing the withdrawal" would be sufficient to halt the pullout.

Earlier this month, Burundi said it would leave the ICC, while Namibia and Kenya have also raised the possibility.

The United Nations has yet to receive an official letter from Burundi notifying it of the withdrawal and a UN envoy was in Bujumbura for talks on Monday that were expected to touch on that decision.

Story continues

Welcoming South Africa's decision, Sudan last week urged other African member nations to follow suit.

"South Africa has made a profoundly negative decision for victims and the rule of law and it needs to reconsider, said Richard Dicker, director of Human Rights Watch's international justice program.

"Other strong justice-supporting ICC states in Africa that helped create the court need to convey their views," he told AFP.
Seoul (AFP) - A group of former US diplomats held closed door talks at the weekend with senior Pyongyang officials, even as international efforts gather pace to further isolate North Korea, diplomatically and economically.

The two-day meeting in Kuala Lumpur, which was confirmed by the South Korean and US governments, was the latest in a series of unofficial talks commonly referred to as Track 2 that are closely monitored in the absence of any official contact between Washington and Pyongyang.

In July, the North cut off its only remaining official channel of diplomatic communications with the United States in retaliation for American sanctions against its leader, Kim Jong-Un.

The so-called "New York channel" had previously served as a key point of contact between North Korean and US diplomats at the United Nations.

American participants at the talks in the Malaysian capital included Robert Gallucci, who had led the US negotiating team that brokered a 1994 deal with Pyongyang on freezing its nuclear weapons programme.

Among those on the North Korean side was vice foreign minister Han Song-Ryol, who previously served as deputy ambassador to the UN.

The meeting came after North Korea on Thursday test-fired a powerful new medium-range missile and Leon Sigal, an academic specialising in the Koreas who attended the talks, said the North's nuclear weapons programme had dominated the discussion.

Sigal told South Korea's Yonhap news agency that the North had reiterated the need to sign a peace treaty with the United States before moving on its weapons programme.

The US side stressed that the moves to scrap the nuclear programme had to come first, said Sigal.

Under President Barack Obama, the United States has eschewed an official dialogue with the North, but with a looming change in the White House, there is growing speculation as to whether a new administration might adopt a different track.

Critics of the current policy say sanctions and non-engagement have done nothing to prevent the North's accelerated drive towards a credible nuclear deterrent that could directly threaten the US mainland.

Story continues

South Korea, which has stood shoulder-to-shoulder with the US hardline on Pyongyang, stressed that the talks with North Korea had no governmental involvement.

"We are aware that the US government maintains a firm stance that rushing into dialogue in the absence of North Korea's will to denuclearise will only justify their wrong behaviour," a foreign ministry official told AFP.

The UN Security Council is currently discussing a new resolution to punish North Korea over its fifth nuclear test in September -- having already imposed tough economic measures after a fourth test in January.

The Track 2 talks have been taking place sporadically for years, with meetings in Singapore, Berlin, Beijing and elsewhere.
When a Washington state mother took her sick infant to an urgent care center, she wasnt expecting them to get locked inside alone.

Savannah Thomsens 4-month-old Kason was admitted to the MultiCare Puyallup Urgent Care Thursday just after 6 p.m. when she said he was showing virus-like symptoms.

Read: Mom Shares Story of Son's Tragic Bunk Bed Accident Death as Warning to Parents

Thomsen said she waited an hour before a nurse checked them in and took her sons vitals in one of the rooms.

She said it would be ten minutes or so, Thomsen told InsideEdition.com. I changed his diaper and gave him a bottle. I looked at the clock, it was 30 minutes later.

At about 7:30 p.m., Thompson poked her head out to call on a nurse to see what was taking so long, only to find the place was deserted.

They had closed and everyone had gone home.

I realized it was dark in the office. I grabbed my son and walked through the building saying hello, Thomsen said. I broke down crying and called my mom-in-law.

Thomsen tripped an alarm and ran into a housekeeping worker who let her outside. Thomsen said security met her and apologized for what happened.

It was terrifying just to know you are alone in there. My son was having trouble breathing. What if I was back there and he wouldve stopped breathing? No one was there. It angered me. Ive worked in the nursing field and how do you forget about a patient?"

MultiCare apologized about the incident in a statement to KOMO News.

While it is clear from the facts known at this time that routine protocols were not followed during the clinic closing process, we will be conducting a thorough investigation to determine why those protocols were skipped as the clinic closed for the evening.

Read: Children's Hospital Uses Pokemon Go to Get Patients Out of Bed, and It's Super Effective

The company also said they added a protocol that every room and door must be checked immediately before leaving the clinic.

Story continues

While Thomsen said shes not mad at the organization as a whole, which shes been visiting for several years, she said the act was negligent on the part of the nurse.

I hope they will tighten up there and it wont happen again, she said.

Watch: Why Hospital Charged Dad $40 for Skin-to-Skin Contact With Newborn Son

Related Articles:
Oslo (AFP) - The United States will deploy over 300 troops in Norway, the Norwegian government announced Monday, in a move set to upset neighbouring Russia.

The 330 Marines, to be stationed on rotation around 1,000 kilometres (600 miles) from the Russian border, will be engaged in training and manoeuvres in almost Arctic conditions, the Norwegian defence ministry said.

The announcement comes against a backdrop of increasing tensions between Russia and the West over Ukraine and the conflict in Syria, although Norway itself enjoys good relations with its giant neighbour.

The US already has vast amounts of military equipment positioned in NATO ally Norway -- notably in tunnels dug into mountains -- but no troops.

"This US-initiative is welcome and also fits well within ongoing processes in NATO to increase exercises, training and interoperability within the Alliance," Norwegian Defence Minister Ine Eriksen Soreide said in the statement.

"The defence of Norway is dependent on allied reinforcements, and it is crucial for Norwegian security that our allies come here to gain knowledge of how to operate in Norway and with Norwegian forces," she added.

Before joining NATO in 1949, Norway allayed Russian fears by pledging not to open its territory to foreign combat troops so long as Norway was not attacked or threatened with attack.

This pledge was later amended to allow foreign troops to conduct manoeuvres in Norway.

The deployment, which will begin in January, is a US initiative which Oslo is presenting as a trial to be evaluated during 2017.

Last week the Russian embassy in Oslo expressed surprise as the idea of stationing US troops in Norway was mooted.

"Taking into account multiple statements made by Norwegian officials about the absence of threat from Russia to Norway, we would like to understand why Norway is so much willing to increase its military potential, in particular through the stationing of American forces in Vaernes," embassy spokesman Maxime Gourov said in an email sent to AFP on Friday.

Story continues

Former senior Norwegian army officer Jacob Borresen said the planned deployment "sends negative signals eastwards".

The big risk, he told broadcaster NRK, is that the move creates a Cold War-style "confrontation zone".

In July, NATO announced it would deploy, also on a rotational basis, four multinational battalions to Poland and to Baltic states to deter any Russian incursion.
DailyFX.com -

Talking Points:

-US Dollar Technical Strategy: Stalling Near March Deserves Our Attention

-3M USD LIBOR 7-Year Highs May Be Indicative Of Increasing USD Strength

-Mondays Comments from Bullard Continue to Pour Cold Water on Multi-Hike Hypothesis

The price of DXY has traded consistently higher over October and looks to close the month strong. While economic strength in the U.S. has not been what Fed officials would likely hope, the counterparts of the DXY such as EUR at 57.6%, Japanese Yen at 13.6%, British Pound at 11.9%, and Canadian Dollar at 9.1% have all had reasons for weakening, which has lifted the DXY.

Given the majority of EUR weighting on DXY, the charts can look nearly inverse. Fridays CFTC Commitment of Traders report showed the institutional speculators had increased their bearish positioning the most since July. The data was from Tuesday of last week, which was before the European Central Bank Policy Meeting had Mario Draghi noting that they discussed neither a bond-purchase taper nor expanding QE.

EUR/USD Chart Recently Broke Trend Support, Faces March Lows

US Dollar Technical Analysis: DXY At 2-Month Regression Extremes

Many traders are looking at the DXY as the most likely catalyst for a strong currency trend after months of disappointment on failed breakouts and consistent trends. You can see on the chart above the EUR/USD traded down to 1.09/08 over the last few sessions, which are levels we have not seen since March. While ECB appears on hold, there is a valid question about how much the Fed will do to constrict monetary policy from current levels. There is currently a ~68% probability of a Fed Hike at the December meeting, but its hard to say what dialogue would come alongside the hike, and how that could hurt the USD. The Fed is expected to provide a dovish hike where they assure the market they are willing and able to act to accommodate markets if needed.

On Monday, St. Louis Fed Reserve President James Bullard continued his uniquely dovish tone by saying that FOMC members have to adjust their long-term numbers down. Over the summer, Bullard said one more rate hike would likely cover the Fed to 2018.

Story continues

Access Our Free Q4 Dollar Outlook As The Fed Appears Cornered Regarding Effective Monetary Policy

Despite uncertainty about how steep the slope of rate hikes will be from the Fed (most of the smart money is on a very low slope), one market that continues to rise is international USD borrowing costs. The 3-month London Interbank Overnight Offer Rate [LIBOR] has recently traded at the highest level since May 2009, and continued elevation may keep the USD supported despite looking stretched on technical studies shown below.

D1 DXY Index Chart / Sharp Reversal Appears Able To Surmount Resistance

US Dollar Technical Analysis: DXY At 2-Month Regression Extremes

The run-up in USD that begin before Jaxson Hole has taken less than 50 trading days and has propelled the DXY nearly 5%. The chart above shows two channels worth watching. The tighter channel is a regression channel, which provides a least-squares regression line in addition to an equidistant support and resistance line based on extreme closes from the regression line.

The price on October 24 is trading outside of the regression channel, which seems unsustainable given the rather lower currency market volatility as measured by the Deutsche Bank CVIX or Currency Volatility Index.

A similar move higher was seen in the US Dollar when it rebounded from a 17-month low before the EU Referendum. The move occurred from May 3 through July 25 or 59 trading days, and the US Dollar saw a 5.79% increase before retracing 61.8% of the rally.

While the current move appears stretched, it is not worth fighting given the weakness of the DXY counterparts. Many traders like to catch a turn or sell at a top, but it would be better to see a turnaround developing before jumping on board. A key level that should be watched for a possible multi-percentage retracement would be a breakdown below 94.54 where there was consolidation in the DXY in mid-October as well as the July 25 high.

Even if a retracement arrives, traders would still do well to keep their sights on further upside. Regardless of low volatility, the trend slope remains positive with fundamental support due to weakness in DXY counterparts.

Shorter-Term DXY Technical Levels for Monday, October 24, 2016

For those interested in shorter-term levels of focus than the ones above, these levels signal important potential pivot levels over the next 48-hours of trading.

US Dollar Technical Analysis: DXY At 2-Month Regression Extremes

T.Y.



original source

DailyFX provides forex news and technical analysis on the trends that influence the global currency markets.

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Washington (AFP) - The US Commerce Department Monday said it would begin imposing steep tariffs on certain Chinese and Canadian mechanical parts dumped on the US market at below cost.

The department said that iron transfer drive components -- machinery parts like pulleys, sheaves and flywheels -- from Canadian and Chinese companies were sold on the US market at a fraction of the real price.

One Canadian Company, Baldor Electric, failed to answer Commerce Department requests for information and department investigators assessed dumping margins of 191.7 percent on the company's products. For other Canadian producers, a blanket tariff of 100.5 percent was assessed.

For Chinese imports, dumping margins of 13.6-401.7 percent were assessed on all suppliers. The Commerce Department also said that certain products had benefited from unfair subsidies, and assigned a countervailing tariffs of 33.3-163.5 percent.

In 2014, imports of the mechanical parts in the case from Canada and China had been valued at $222.3 million and $274.3 million, respectively.

The US International Trade Commission is to make a final ruling on the tariffs in December. If the commission overrules the Commerce Department decision, duties collected will be refunded.
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte's fiery rhetoric and deadly crime war are becoming a growing concern around the world, the top US envoy for Asia warned on Monday in Manila.

US assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Daniel Russel met the Philippines' defence and foreign ministers on Monday, after Duterte last week announced his nation's "separation" from the United States.

Duterte quickly walked back from the statement, saying he did not plan to sever their seven-decade alliance. But Russel signalled many people around the world were becoming increasingly worried about the Philippine president's repeated tirades.

"The succession of controversial statements, comments and a real climate of uncertainty about the Philippines' intentions have created consternation in a number of countries," Russel told reporters.

"Not only in mine and not only among governments, but also growing concern in other communities, in the expat Filipino community, in corporate boardrooms as well. This is not a positive trend."

Russel said he also directly conveyed to Foreign Secretary Perfecto Yasay American concerns about Duterte's war on crime, which has claimed about 3,700 lives in less than four months and raised fears about mass extrajudicial killings.

"I also reiterated the importance that we place and that others place on due process and respect for the rights of citizens as an important part of protecting our communities as well," Russel said.

"And the growing uncertainty about this and other issues is bad for business as well."

US Secretary of State John Kerry phoned Yasay on Monday to discuss the alliance, Russel said.

Duterte has frequently voiced deep anger at American criticism of his efforts to eliminate drugs in society, repeatedly branding President Barack Obama as a "son of a whore" and telling him to "go to hell" for expressing concerns.

Story continues

- 'America has lost' -

Duterte, who describes himself as a socialist, has sought to diminish his nation's alliance with the United States in favour of closer ties with China and Russia.

Duterte's "separation" remark was made during a four-day state visit to China.

"America has lost. I've realigned myself in your ideological flow and maybe I will also go to Russia to talk to (President Vladimir) Putin and tell him that there are three of us against the world: China, Philippines and Russia. It's the only way," Duterte said in Beijing.

Immediately upon returning to the Philippines, Duterte said he would not cut ties with the United States, but he nevertheless launched another profanity-laced critique.

In a briefing to local media posted live on the US embassy's website on Monday afternoon, Russel indicated Duterte's foul-mouthed abuse was being taken personally in Washington.

"It is hurtful and mystifing to be called names by a close friend, to be called names by the leader of a wonderful democracy," Russel said, adding such comments could impact ties.

"The series of statements that are controversial, sometimes shocking, sometimes distressing, sometimes confusing, do sometimes factor in the equation."

Duterte has also repeatedly said the Philippines has not benefited from its ties with the US, particularly denigrating their military alliance that is anchored on a 1951 mutual defence treaty.

The nations typically hold more than two dozen war games of various sizes every year, but Duterte has said there will be no more.

He has also said he eventually may no longer allow American troops on Filipino soil at all, and cancelled joint patrols in the South China Sea so as not to anger Beijing.

Nevertheless, the Philippines on Monday accepted a second-hand American C-130 transport plane at a handover ceremony in Manila.

"This will certainly boost our air transport facilities. The importance of this aircraft cannot be over-emphasised," Defence Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said at the ceremony.

The plane was the second delivered this year under an agreement in which the Philippines buys surplus American military hardware.
Caracas (AFP) - Venezuela's government and opposition agreed Monday to launch talks in the hope of settling the political crisis in a volatile country stricken by food shortages.

The national dialogue aims to calm tensions after the opposition accused socialist President Nicolas Maduro of trampling on democracy by blocking their bid for a vote on removing him.

Months of tension were threatening to boil over after authorities enraged the opposition last week by annulling their drive for a recall referendum.

With the opposition vowing mass street protests as analysts warned of an increased risk of violent unrest, the Vatican stepped in on Monday.

Papal envoy Emil Paul Tscherrig joined a meeting in Caracas of government and opposition representatives and announced afterwards they had agreed to launch formal talks.

Maduro meanwhile received a private audience at the Vatican with Pope Francis.

"I thanked him in the name of Venezuela for all the support, so that at last, definitively, a formal dialogue could be started in Venezuela between the opposition and the legitimate Bolivarian government that I lead," Maduro said in televised comments afterwards.

In Caracas, Tscherrig announced that the sides had agreed to launch formal talks on October 30 on the Venezuelan Caribbean island of Margarita.

That appeared to be the most significant gesture of appeasement by both sides since the opposition took control of the legislature in January following an election victory.

Monday's preliminary meeting "took place in a respectful, cordial atmosphere of political will," Tscherrig told a news conference.

The talks will seek "to improve the economic, social, political and institutional circumstances that are fundamental for democratic harmony."

In a private audience with Maduro, the pope urged the parties "to show courage in pursuing the path of sincere and constructive dialogue, to alleviate the suffering of the people, particularly of the poor, and to promote renewed social cohesion," a Vatican statement said.

Story continues

- Rising tension -

Tscherrig's announcement came as a surprise after a weekend of rising tension.

The opposition had earlier vowed to fight what it called Maduro's "dictatorship" as it embarked on a new strategy to oust him.

It threatened to put him on trial and stage massive nationwide protests from Wednesday.

Maduro's opponents were furious over a decision by electoral authorities last Thursday to block a referendum on cutting short the presidency of the man they accuse of driving Venezuela, once a booming oil giant, to the brink of collapse.

"Only dictatorships strip their citizens of their rights," opposition spokesman Jesus Torrealba said Monday.

Holding a recall referendum -- a right guaranteed under Venezuela's constitution -- was the opposition's main strategy to get rid of Maduro.

But the National Electoral Council (CNE) last week indefinitely suspended the process, after criminal courts in five states ruled the opposition had committed fraud in an initial petition drive.

On Sunday, the opposition majority in the National Assembly passed a resolution declaring "the breakdown of constitutional order" and "a coup d'etat."

But the assembly has struggled to impose its will over the past months of political conflict. The high court, which Maduro's opponents say he controls, has repeatedly overruled the legislature.

- Economic crash -

Hit by the fall of global oil prices, Venezuela's economy has crashed, sparking shortages of food, medicine and basic goods.

Maduro derides his opponents as elitists and calls the economic crisis a capitalist conspiracy.

In recession since the beginning of 2014, Venezuela's economy is facing a contraction of 10 percent this year and inflation of 475 percent, rising to 1,660 percent next year, the IMF forecasts.

Before his Vatican visit, Maduro had spent the past few days touring Middle Eastern countries to push his plan for major oil producers to raise prices by cutting output.

His public support has crumbled, with a recent poll finding more than 75 percent of Venezuelans disapprove of him.

Argentina President Mauricio Macri said on Monday that Venezuela should not be a member of the key regional trade bloc Mercosur "because human rights are not being respected there."
By Philip Pullella VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro made a surprise visit on Monday to Pope Francis, who urged the embattled leader to alleviate people's suffering and negotiate with the opposition to solve his country's crisis. The private, evening meeting took place in the framework of the "worrying" situation in Venezuela which was "weighing heavily on the entire population", a Vatican statement said. It said the pope had urged Maduro to "courageously take up the path of sincere and constructive dialogue to alleviate the suffering of the people, most of all the poor, and to promote a climate of renewed social cohesion, which will allow people to look to the future of the nation with hope". Despite its oil wealth, Venezuela has plunged into economic crisis, with many people skipping meals due to shortages and soaring prices. Maduro was on a tour of oil-producing countries and first word of his presence in Italy came in the Vatican statement. Significantly, the meeting with the pope came as a joint announcement in Caracas said the government and the opposition would hold talks on Sunday. It was not clear if Maduro would attend. Venezuela has seen a worsening political standoff and protests since the suspension of a referendum drive to remove the unpopular Maduro. Foes say Maduro, 53, has veered openly into dictatorship by sidelining the opposition-led congress, jailing opponents and then leaning on compliant judicial and electoral authorities to stop a recall referendum. An official of Maduro's Socialist Party said the Vatican and Union of South American Nations (UNASUR), which has been leading a dialogue initiative, would monitor Sunday's talks on Margarita Island. (Additional reporting by Diego Ore and Anggy Polanco in Venezuela; Editing by Richard Balmforth)
HIGHLANDS RANCH, CO AND SPRINGFIELD, VA / ACCESSWIRE / October 24, 2016 / Arcadis North America and Versar, Inc. (NYSE MKT: VSR) announced today the Versar-Arcadis Joint Venture has been awarded a new multi-year contract by the U.S. Army Engineering and Support Center - Huntsville to provide environmental and munitions remediation services throughout the United States for eight U.S Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) districts including Albuquerque, Los Angeles, Sacramento, Tulsa, Fort Worth, Seattle, Kansas City and Omaha.

The Versar-Arcadis Joint Venture is one of seven firms selected for award of the indefinite delivery/indefinite quality contracts to provide environmental remediation and munitions response support for various military installations, federal and civil agencies and their partners, including the U.S. Department of Defense and Environmental Protection Agency. The USACE contracts have a total combined capacity of up to $400 million over an approximate 5-year period shared among the seven selected firms. Actual work assignments will be negotiated under task orders with specific scopes of work and will be assigned in the continental United States.

"The Versar-Arcadis team is excited for the opportunity to bring our expertise and lessons learned from our Worldwide Environmental Remediation Services Contract with U.S. Army Engineering and Support Center - Huntsville to these USACE projects," said John J. Nocera, Arcadis senior vice president. "Our expertise in military munitions and smart characterization has resulted in superior technical approaches, and we look forward to accomplishing similar technology gains in the munitions and environmental arena with eight districts of USACE."

"We're pleased the Versar-Arcadis team is able to build on its past success," said Versar Chief Executive Officer Tony Otten. "Our Joint Venture can self-perform 100 percent of the anticipated remediation and compliance project requirements, enhancing our responsiveness and realizing cost efficiencies for our client. Our proven track record in large performance-based remediation projects and Military Munitions Response Program sites, combined with our longstanding relationship with the USACE, brings significant value to USACE and its customers."

ARCADIS (EURONEXT:ARCAD) is the leading global design & consultancy firm for natural and built assets. Applying our deep market sector insights and collective design, consultancy, engineering, project and management services, we work in partnership with our clients to deliver exceptional and sustainable outcomes throughout the lifecycle of their natural and built assets. We are 27,000 people active in over 70 countries that generate more than $3.8 billion in revenues. We support UN-Habitat with knowledge and expertise to improve the quality of life in rapidly growing cities around the world. www.arcadis.com.

VERSAR, INC., headquartered in Springfield, Virginia, is a publicly-traded global project management company providing sustainable value oriented solutions to government and commercial clients in the construction management, environmental services, and professional services market areas.

VERSAR operates the following websites: www.versar.com and www.versarpps.com.

Find out more about VERSAR at

https://twitter.com/VersarInc

https://www.facebook.com/VersarInc

http://www.linkedin.com/company/38251

This news release contains forward-looking information. The forward-looking statements are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements may be significantly impacted by certain risks and uncertainties described herein and in Versar's Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission for the fiscal year ended June 26, 2015, as updated from time to time in the Company's periodic filings. The forward-looking statements are made as of the date hereof and Versar does not undertake to update its forward-looking statements.

Contacts:

Arcadis: Marc Lumpkin, Director of Public Relations, (303) 471-3485, Marc.Lumpkin@arcadis.com

Versar: Karin Weber, M&A and Investor Relations, (703) 642-6706, KWeber@versar.com

Versar: Robert Ferri, Robert Ferri Partners, (415) 575-1589, Robert.Ferri@robertferri.com

SOURCE: Versar, Inc.
BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The premier of Belgium's Wallonia region insisted ahead of a crisis meeting of regional leaders with Prime Minister Charles Michel that he would not agree to an EU-Canada trade deal under pressure.

"Every time you try to put an ultimatum it makes a calm debate and a democratic debate impossible," Paul Magnette said on arrival at the meeting in Brussels, hours before EU leaders say they will cancel this week's signing of the CETA pact unless Belgium gives its consent.

"We don't need an ultimatum," Magnette told reporters. "We will not decide anything under an ultimatum or under pressure."

Michel cannot add the consent of Belgium to that of the other 27 EU member states without backing from five regional authorities. Socialist-led Wallonia and French-speaking allies in southern Belgium are withholding that.

"We are not against a treaty with Canada," Magnette said. "But we won't have one that jeopardizes social and environmental standards and the protection of public services and we want absolutely no private arbitration mechanisms."

(Reporting by Robert-Jan Bartunek and Philip Blenkinsop; Writing by Alastair Macdonald)
Iraq burning Turkish flag Baghdad

Washington has again found itself in the middle of a fast-escalating conflict between two of its most important partners in the fight against ISIS.

In a move that infuriated Baghdad  and its Russian and Iranian allies  Turkey deployed roughly 500 troops to a military base near Bashiqa, Iraq, last December to train and advise local forces in preparation for the Mosul offensive that began last week.

Iraq denounced the move as a violation of its sovereignty, and it has insisted that the Turkish troops will not play any role in Mosul's liberation.

US Defense Secretary Ash Carter signaled to reporters Friday that the US does not unconditionally support Turkey's involvement in the offensive.

"The Iraqi government will need to agree" to Turkey's participation in the Mosul campaign, Carter said, noting that "the practicalities" of such an agreement are still being "hammered out."

The dispute between Turkey and Iraq has forced the US into a delicate balancing act  between staying on Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi's good side to prevent Baghdad from getting fully sucked in to Iran's sphere of influence, and acknowledging its shared concerns with Turkey over Iran's lofty regional aspirations.

In the end, however, Washington is more likely to defend Iraq's sovereignty than to side with Turkey.

erdogan obama

"I am not sure how much the US is now lobbying for the Turks," said Michael Knights, a fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy specializing in the politics and security of Iraq.

"I think US is caught between two allies, but if it has to choose then it will default to Iraqi sovereignty," Knights added. "The US views the Turkish involvement as a huge headache but wants to minimize the risk of ether side acting rashly."

Story continues

Iraq has repeatedly denied Turkey's requests to help liberate Mosul, which fell to ISIS in mid-2014.

"I know that the Turks want to participate. We tell them thank you, this is something the Iraqis will handle," al-Abadi told reporters after meeting with Carter on Saturday. He said that if Turkey intervened, We are ready for them."



Bashiqa Iraq

But Ankara evidently isn't taking "no" for an answer.

On Sunday, Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim told reporters that a Turkish contingent had helped the Kurdish peshmerga in an operation to encircle ISIS-held Bashiqa at the Kurds' request.

On Monday, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said that Turkey is involved in the Mosul operation "in a multi-faceted way."

Zalmay Khalilzad, a former American ambassador to Afghanistan and Iraq, warned in a recent article in The National Interest that "there is a danger of a war within a war that could damage the prospects for retaking and stabilizing Mosul."

Indeed, the recent back-and-forth makes it seem as though the agreement announced by Carter "is tenuous at best," said Aykan Erdemir, a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and former member of Turkish parliament.

"Washington could succeed in lowering Iraqi-Turkish tension, but it might prove more challenging for the US to find a modus vivendi for Turkey's military involvement in the Mosul operation," Erdemir said. "There is a clear sectarian angle to the ongoing Ankara-Baghdad polemic, and there is little that the US could do in the short run to alleviate that."

A Sunni 'boutique power center'

Turkey's desire to maintain a military presence in Iraq is motivated by several factors, most stemming from Ankara's desire to "balance the increasing Russia-led Baghdad-Tehran-Damascus alliance that is Shia in nature," Metin Gurcan, a Turkish military expert who served as an adviser in Afghanistan between 2002 and 2008, told Business Insider last year.

Turkey, a NATO member whose citizens are overwhelmingly Sunni Muslims, is concerned about Shiite Iran's ever-increasing influence over Baghdad. The amount of influence Iran and its proxy militias wield over Iraqi politics cannot be understated, and its opposition to foreign intervention in Iraq is in line with Tehran's overarching objective to roll back western influence and expand its own power in the region.

As such, Ankara has "been trying to form a sort of Sunni 'boutique power center' using three specific entities: the Kurdistan Regional Government [KRG] in northern Iraq, Iraqi Sunni Arabs near Mosul, and Syrian Sunni Arabs," Gurcan said.

Mosul Iraq Peshmerga Forces Soldiers

Turkey perceives its relationship with the KRG as key to containing the influence of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which is currently waging an insurgency in southern Turkey, said Stephen Biddle, adjunct senior fellow for defense policy at the Council on Foreign Relations.

But curbing Iran's influence in Iraq is at least as important, since it could also be a step toward denying the Shiite country a land bridge through northern Iraq and Syria to Syrian president Bashar Assad's Alawite homeland, Biddle said.

Iran has not been shy about its opposition to the Turkish intervention.

"It is not acceptable at all if a country, under the pretext of combating terrorism or any other crimes, tries to violate the sovereignty" of another country, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Ghasemi said on Monday.

Turkey, meanwhile, has shown no signs of backing down as it tries to create de-facto realities on the ground.

hashid shaabi

"We will not wait for problems to come knocking on our door," Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said in a speech last week.

"We will not wait until the blade is against our bone and skin, we will not wait for terrorist organizations to come and attack us," he continued, referring to the PKK and the Islamic State. "I'm warning the terrorist organizations, the sectarian fanatic Baghdad government, and the Assad government that kills its own people: you are on the wrong path. ... We are not obliged to abide by the role anyone has set for us in that sense. We have started carrying out our own plan."

Days later, Cavusoglu, Turkey's foreign minister, said that four Turkish F-16 fighters jets "are on standby for an air operation as part of the international coalition, ready for air strikes" on Mosul.

"The Turks are a wild card," said Steven A. Cook, a senior fellow for Middle East and Africa studies at the Council on Foreign Relations. "But there is no way the United States is going to let the Turks and Iraqis trade blows," he said.

Biddle agreed that preventing the dispute from becoming violent "is a major US priority." But, he noted, "Iraqi-Turkish tensions certainly could escalate  Abadi is clearly very unhappy with Erdogan."

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Warren Buffett

AT&Ts (T) proposed $108 billion merger with Time Warner (TWX) dominated headlines on Monday.

The deal values Time Warner at $107.50 per share. But in afternoon trading on Monday, shares of Time Warner were down over 3% closing the day at $86.74 per share, way below the implied deal price and indicating that many in the market arent sure the deal will close.

While this discrepancy is a bit weird, its not unheard of.

Initial jawboning from lawmakers indicates a potentially long, drawn-out review process for the deal, and comparisons to the scrutiny faced by Comcasts acquisition of NBC Universal have been made.

There are also reasons to think an AT&T-Time Warner deal isnt nearly as anti-competitive as early takes suggested, with a Reuters report out Monday suggesting it might take the unloading of one Time Warner-owned TV station to seal the deal. But as Bloombergs Matt Levine wrote Monday, market concerns might simply come down to the fact that big deals garner big scrutiny.

In markets, these combinations open up some of the most creative ways for traders to profit off the uncertainty inherent in both stocks over the next several months.

Warren Buffett and merger arb

Merger arbitrage  commonly known as merger arb  is a strategy that allows investors to profit from ongoing discrepancies between proposed buyout offer strikes and prevailing market prices.

Say, for example, you didnt think the AT&T-Time Warner deal was going to go through. In this case you might choose to bet against Time Warner stock. Alternatively, if you think the deal will close, youd likely bet against AT&T stock while betting on Time Warner shares.

And from time to time, this strategy has been a favorite of someone who has garnered a reputation not for short-term speculative bets but long-term investments: Warren Buffett.

In past reports we have told you that our insurance subsidiaries sometimes engage in arbitrage as an alternative to holding short-term cash equivalents, Buffett wrote in his 1988 letter to Berkshire Hathaway shareholders.

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We prefer, of course, to make major long-term commitments, but we often have more cash than good ideas. At such times, arbitrage sometimes promises much greater returns than Treasury Bills and, equally important, cools any temptation we may have to relax our standards for long-term investments.

And when looking at potential arbitrage opportunities, Buffett says investors must be able to answer four questions. From the 1988 letter:

To evaluate arbitrage situations you must answer four questions: (1) How likely is it that the promised event will indeed occur? (2) How long will your money be tied up? (3) What chance is there that something still better will transpire  a competing takeover bid, for example? and (4) What will happen if the event does not take place because of anti-trust action, financing glitches, etc.?

Earlier this year, Bloomberg reported that hedge funds had picked up their investments in merger arb strategies amid a lack of attractive investments with stock valuations elevated and bond yields near record lows.

Which brings to mind Buffetts cautionary comments from nearly 30 years ago, which singled out what then seemed to him a too-enthusiastic merger environment and resulting fervor for merger arb strategies. Of note, the $108 billion AT&T-Time Warner deal isnt even the years biggest: that honor belongs to AB-InBev.

Even if we had a lot of cash we probably would do little in arbitrage in 1989, Buffett wrote.

Some extraordinary excesses have developed in the takeover field. As Dorothy says: Toto, I have a feeling were not in Kansas any more.

We have no idea how long the excesses will last, nor do we know what will change the attitudes of government, lender and buyer that fuel them. But we do know that the less the prudence with which others conduct their affairs, the greater the prudence with which we should conduct our own affairs. We have no desire to arbitrage transactions that reflect the unbridled  and, in our view, often unwarranted  optimism of both buyers and lenders.



Myles Udland is a writer at Yahoo Finance.

Read more from Myles here:

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By Luciana Lopez and Chris Kahn NEW YORK (Reuters) - Donald Trump rode to the top of the Republican ticket promising a "big, beautiful, powerful" border wall with Mexico to stop the flow of undocumented immigrants. Along that border, however, Americans are more likely to call the wall a "waste of money", according to a Reuters/Ipsos opinion poll. The results show that while the New York businessman may have expected his tough stance on immigration to fire up support nationally, it seems to be falling short in a state heavily affected by illegal immigration, and where he is now facing a surprising challenge from his Democratic rival Hillary Clinton. Asked if a wall would be an effective barrier or a waste of money, 47 percent of Arizona residents picked waste of money and 34 percent picked effective barrier, with the rest picking neither, according to the poll. Among Republicans, 21 percent picked "waste of money and 57 percent picked effective barrier." Most Arizonans also believed it is not realistic to expect Mexico to pay for the wall, something Trump has vowed would happen if hes elected president on Nov. 8, according to the poll. The results lined up closely with nationwide opinions of Trumps immigration policy: 49 percent of American adults say the wall would be a waste of money and 31 percent say it would be an effective barrier. As big and powerful, as rich as this nation is, we cannot just leave the door open, said Tony Estrada, Santa Cruz County Sheriff, who has served in law enforcement in the border county for 49 years. But, we need a realistic and humane process. Donald Trump is  catering to peoples fear. Polls show Arizona, a state that has voted Democrat only once in a presidential election since 1952, has become competitive. The Real Clear Politics average of polls showed Clinton ahead there by 1.3 percentage points. Reuters/Ipsos polling shows Trump ahead there by 4 points. Clintons campaign said last week it would spend $2 million more campaigning in Arizona before the election. DRIVING LATINOS TO THE POLLS Arizonas border with Mexico is 370 miles long, covering an isolated desert terrain that has drawn millions seeking to cross illegally. The state's number of undocumented immigrants has fallen 35 percent from a 2007 peak to 325,000, according to the Pew Research Center, as Arizona cracked down on that population. Nationwide, the number has dropped 9 percent from a high in 2007 to 11.1 million undocumented immigrants. Wendy Cornacchio, a 45 year-old Trump supporter from Phoenix, said she believes illegal immigration is still a problem  but she would rather see technologies like drone surveillance than Trumps wall to address it. I dont think that necessarily building a wall will work, but the concept of closing the borders I agree with, she said. Florida is another closely-fought state that has seen large levels of illegal immigration, though by sea rather than by land. Some 41 percent of voters there said they believed Trumps wall would be a waste of money, while 36 percent thought it would be an effective barrier. Progressive activist groups in both Florida and Arizona have been using Trumps hard line on immigration against him to mobilize Latinos for Clinton, who advocates a path to citizenship for some undocumented immigrants. Mi Familia Vota, for example, says they registered more than 15,000 people in Arizona this year. The Reuters/Ipsos poll was conducted online in English and Spanish in Arizona and Florida. The Arizona poll ran from Oct. 5 to Oct. 19 and gathered responses from 2,600 people. The Florida poll ran from Oct. 5 to Oct. 12 and gathered responses from 2,610 people. Both polls have a credibility interval, a measure of accuracy, of 2 percentage points for the total group and 3 percentage points for likely voters. (Additional reporting by Paul Ingram in Tuscon; Editing by Richard Valdmanis and Mary Milliken)
3M Co. (MMM) is scheduled to report third-quarter financial results before markets open Tuesday. The consensus estimates from Thomson Reuters are calling for $2.14 in earnings per share (EPS) and $7.71 billion in revenue. The same period from last year had $2.05 in EPS and $7.71 billion in revenue.

The company posted outstanding second-quarter results, and the company adjusted the midpoint of its guidance, the analysts remain positive but note that the company, like many others, faces a tough global macro environment. 3M does think the results are strong in relation to peers and feel that the focus toward return on invested capital will yield multiple expansion and earnings growth.

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Trading against 2016 earnings, 3M has a P/E multiple of nearly 21 which might seem expensive comparatively, but this is also the second most heavily weighted Dow-stock.

This is a top industrial that could really jump with an economic pickup. 3M is a diversified, global manufacturer. Its businesses are technology-driven and organized under five segments: Consumer, Safety and Graphics, Electronics and Energy, Healthcare, and Industrial. Its popular brands include Scotch, Post-It, 3M and Thinsulate. The company also holds over 500 U.S. patents.

Prior to the release of the earnings report, a few analysts weighed in on 3M:

Barclays has an Overweight rating with a $194 price target.

Credit Suisse reiterated a Buy rating with a $195 price target.

Deutsche Bank reiterated a Hold rating with a $164 price target.

Jefferies has a Buy rating.

Excluding Mondays move, 3M outperformed the broad markets with the stock up 12.5% year to date. Over the past 52-weeks the stock is up 8%.

ALSO READ: 10 Richest US Presidents

Shares of 3M were last trading up about 1% at $171.57, with a consensus analyst price target of $180.87and a 52-week trading range of $134.64 to $182.27.

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This young man got a magical moment with Mickey Mouse that he will cherish forever.

Read: Woman With Down Syndrome Achieves Childhood Dream of Teaching Preschool: 'I Adore This'

Brazilian native Basilio Santana, 21, was diagnosed with Devics disease when he was 9, causing him to go blind. The disease is rare and is similar to multiple sclerosis.

In early October, Basilio and his family traveled to Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida, where the young man met one of his favorite characters  Mickey Mouse.

A video taken by tour guide Nataly Pacifico White and posted on Facebook shows the emotional encounter between the young man and the beloved character.

In the video, Mickey walks over to Basilio and pulls him out of a crowd and said: Wow! All the way from Brazil? Cool. My friends have been teaching me some Portuguese.

The character then began to speak in Portuguese and took Basilios hands and placed them around the mask of the costume so he could feel Mickeys face.

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Basilio began to get emotional and gave Mickey a massive hug.

Mickey then called for the boys mother to come over and she greeted the character by also giving him a tight hug as her son held on to the iconic personality.

In her description on Facebook, White said no one was able to withhold their tears. She added: Mickey Mouse teaching us that what is basic is invisible to the eye.

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Chicago rapper Vic Mensa has shared the official music video for his controversial track 16 Shots. The song was debuted at a Justice For Flint event in February, and appears on the EP he released in June, Theres Alot Going On. The song was created in memory of Laquan McDonald, a seventeen-year-old who was fatally shot by Chicago police officer Jason Van Dyke in 2014.

This record is like self-defense, Mensa said of the song in a Beats 1 interview with Ebro Darden. To me, Laquan McDonald represents Emmett Till which represents every name down the line. Since then a lot of things have changed, but one thing hasnt changed: our lives are not respected.

On Saturday, the two-year anniversary of McDonalds death, Mensa released the harrowing visuals for the track. In the Ace Norton-directed video, Mensa gets involved in a heated standoff with a group of police officers. Wearing a jacket with the word resist written across the back, Mensa is brutally beaten by the officers. After he picks himself off the ground, he gets shot a total of three times. The powerful clip ends with footage from McDonalds fatal shooting.

The video was released as a TIDAL exclusive. Stream it below.

Continue Reading On PigeonsandPlanes

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(Reuters) - Wells Fargo & Co (WFC.N) said on Monday that Henry Jordan, chairman and chief executive officer of Wells Fargo Capital Finance, would retire on Dec. 31.

Capital Finance will be joined with newly formed Wells Fargo Commercial Capital, following Jordan's retirement.

Guy Fuchs will head Capital Finance unit and will report to executive vice president of specialized lending and investment, Ed Blakey.

The Commercial Capital unit combines Wells Fargo's asset-based lending businesses, including the recently acquired GE Capital's commercial distribution finance and vendor finance businesses and direct lending portfolio.

(Reporting by Sruthi Shankar in Bengaluru; Editing by Savio D'Souza)
[Warning: This story contains spoilers from the fourth episode of HBO's Westworld.]

"All this has happened before, and all this will happen again."

This sacred Battlestar Galactica philosophy isn't overtly referenced in the latest episode of Westworld, but it's certainly fitting given recent revelations. The hosts of the high-tech wild west park live their "lives," such as they are, on endless loops of violence. They have lived and died through countless identities, enduring endless horrors. Now, some of the hosts are figuring out the secret, and not a moment too soon. So say we all.

Here are the 10 biggest takeaways from the latest episode of Westworld, called "Dissonance Theory."

Courtesy of HBO

1. Vacation Time

After a week away from the action, Ed Harris returns this week as the Man in Black, resuming his quest to find the "deeper level" of the Westworld game. We learn more about the man, mostly through action (more on that coming right up) but also through dialogue. A fellow guest approaches the Man beside a campfire and, with stars in his eyes, begins to thank him. "I'm such an admirer of yours," he says. "Your foundation literally saved my sister's..." The Man cuts him off there, almost literally: "One more word and I'll cut your throat, understand? This is my f - king vacation." Sounds like the MiB isn't just a star player in Westworld, but a star outside the park as well and he would like to keep those two powerful identities far away from each other, thank you very much.

2. The Pyro Man in Black

Another great note about the Man: he's a badass, no two ways about it, but not without some help. The Man promises to break Hector Escaton (Rodrigo Santoro) out of prison, in exchange for a few private words with Armistice (Ingrid Bolso Berdal), who he believes can help his pursuit of "the maze." He does as promised, but not without using "cheat codes," in gaming parlance. The Man sends out a signal for pyrotechnics, and in the control room, security higher-up Ashley Stubbs (Luke Hemsworth) obliges. As a result, the Man's cigars become explosives, allowing him to kill a host and bail Hector out of jail. It's a cool trick, one that demonstrates the Man's extensive reach - but also a sign of his limitations, if he's relying on external forces to get his jobs done.

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3. The Man With Many Names

The Man in Black brings Hector back to Armistice, and as promised, she delivers information that will help his cause. She talks about the origin of the massive red snake tattoo crawling up her neck and onto her face, tracing it back to a childhood trauma instigated by a bunch of men she's since tracked and killed all but one man, the head of the snake: "He has many names. I once knew him as Wyatt." The Man in Black smiles at that, and so should we, since Wyatt is a new name as far as the viewer is concerned - but clearly a name with some resonance for the gunslinger.

4. Ford's Way Forward

Turning toward another man with a connection to Wyatt, Robert Ford (Anthony Hopkins) reveals the extent of his power, much like the Man, in a chilling scene opposite operations head Theresa Cullen (Sidse Babett Knudsen). They meet at a restaurant overlooking some of the park's beautiful scenery, and the conversation takes a swift turn when Ford shows that all of the waiters, landscapers and assorted servants are all hosts under his control. "There have been many of you over the years, and we've almost always found a way to make it work," he says. "So I will ask you nicely: please, don't get in my way." From there, a massive construction vehicle approaches the restaurant, razing everything in its path. Ford tells Theresa to reassure the board that the new narrative he has in mind won't be a retrospective, "as I'm sure you all feared. I'm not the sentimental type."

Courtesy of HBO

5. Dolores Enters the Maze

After riding into the night following her family's murder and her own actions taking the life of a fellow host, Dolores (Evan Rachel Wood) reemerges at the start of the episode, once again in private conversation with Bernard (Jeffrey Wright). She's gutted at the loss of her parents, but when Bernard offers to take away the pain, she refuses: "Why would I want that? The pain, their loss, is all I have left of them. You think the grief will make you smaller inside, like your heart will collapse in on itself, but it doesn't. I feel spaces opening up inside me like a building with rooms I never explored." Bernard appreciates the poetry of her position (which, she explains, is adapted from a scripted dialogue about love), and then offers an alternate way to help her: "It's called 'the maze.' It's a very special kind of game. The goal is to find the center of it. If you can do that, then maybe you can be free." What does Bernard know about the maze? Is it the same maze that the Man in Black is searching for - and if so, does that link Bernard and the Man to each other? With Dolores now on the hunt for the maze, expect another wrinkle to what's already one of the show's most twisting-and-turning storylines.

6. The Family Business

Back in the park (and, potentially, back in the past, depending on your theory of choice), Logan (Ben Barnes) and William (Jimmi Simpson) debate what to do about Dolores, their newest companion. Unsurprisingly, Logan wants to shoot her and let the park staff handle the remains. William protests, igniting an argument with his soon-to-be brother-in-law. Logan tells William that this trip is all about welcoming him to the family, and William is even more aggravated that this trip is about business after all. "With our family, everything is about business," Logan sneers back. (Not for nothing, but wasn't a certain Man connected with a business - a "foundation," more accurately - elsewhere in this episode? Hm.)

7. Somewhere Out There

Dolores might not be human, but she's all too real, as William comes to know her more and more. During one poignant scene beneath the stars, Dolores explains her outlook on life. "Sometimes I feel like something's calling me, telling me there's a place for me, somewhere beyond all of this," she says. William says he can relate. The two share An American Tail moment, all but singing into each other's eyes, before Dolores passes out and sees visions of her life behind-the-scenes - yet another indication that she's moving ever closer to an awakening.

8. Slim Shady

Through his encounters with Dolores and even an expedition to track down a bandit, William finally seems to be getting into the swing of things until Logan goes full black hat, kills the sheriff host they're riding with, and decides instead to follow Slim, the bandit they've successfully apprehended. Slim promises that his boss can reward Logan and William with great riches, and Logan seems to know the boss by reputation, referring to Slim as "our ticket to the best ride in the park." Once again, William fumes at Logan's dark-hearted actions, helpless but to go along in their new black hat direction.

Courtesy of HBO

9. Draw, Pilgrim

Through all of this, the most moving journey toward self-discovery belongs to Maeve (Thandie Newton). She's still seeing inexplicable visions of past and future existences - glimpses of Westworld's technicians cleaning up the carnage after she and others are shot up at the Sweetwater brothel - before snapping back into reality. This time, however, she carries the visions forward. She goes to her room and draws a rough sketch of the technicians in their suits but when she goes to store the illustration in her hiding spot, she sees countless drawings just like it. This is not Maeve's first rodeo, as they say, a sign that she's been close to this reveal for some time now.

10. Bullet Time

There's reason to think that Maeve's transformation will take hold moving forward. At the end of the episode, she gathers together with Hector, in the middle of his gang's fruitless shoot-'em-up narrative to steal the brothel's safe. She learns about "the Shade," the name that the tribes outside of Sweetwater have assigned to the technicians - "the man who walks between worlds," Hector tells her. From there, Maeve confirms that she lives in worlds, plural, when she and Hector dig a bullet out of her abdomen - a bullet that exists inside her, despite there being no wound to show for it. It confirms something critical for Maeve: "That I'm not crazy after all, and that none of this matters." With that, she brings Hector in for a passionate kiss, as lawmen shoot through the door and into the room, presumably putting both hosts down for now, at least. When Maeve wakes up, though? That's going to matter.

Read more: 'Westworld': Jimmi Simpson Weighs In on Man in Black Theories

Follow THR's Westworld coverage for recaps, interviews and theories.
[Warning: This story contains spoilers from the fourth episode of Westworld.]

The artist occasionally known as Liam McPoyle is a long way from Philadelphia.

Jimmi Simpson, who regularly grosses out the gang (and viewers) on It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia as part of the McPoyle family, faces different gangs and families altogether on HBO's Westworld. On the HBO drama, Simpson plays William, a young man visiting the high-tech wild west park for the very first time, alongside his colleague and soon-to-be brother-in-law Logan (Ben Barnes). Unlike William, Logan is a Westworld veteran, with zero reservations about giving into the park's hedonistic universe. For his part, William has viewed Westworld through a cynical lens at least until meeting Dolores (Evan Rachel Wood), the oldest host in the park.

The fourth episode of the series, called "Dissonance Theory," saw William traveling alongside and bonding with Dolores. Even knowing that she's not human, William couldn't help but be drawn to the host's innocence. As Simpson describes it: "This is the first kind of soft and passive element of Westworld, and it draws his attention."

But will it always be the softer sides of Westworld that catch William's eye, or will he become more immersed in the expansive reality's darker corners? Some fans believe that William is actually a younger version of Ed Harris' enigmatic Man in Black, with the William story playing out several years earlier than the rest of the Westworld storylines.

Understandably, Simpson is tight-lipped on the subject when it comes up. ("I wish I could say how wrong or right you are," he tells The Hollywood Reporter, "but you guys have to wait just like we did.") He's more forthcoming about the broad view of William's backstory, his views on the park, his attraction to Dolores, his take on Logan and, most importantly, how the McPoyle family would handle a trip to Westworld.

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Read more: 'Westworld' Must-See Moment: Further Down the Rabbit Hole

William and Logan are introduced in the second episode, and at least on the surface, they come across as the show's version of Richard Benjamin and James Brolin's characters from the original movie. Was that a starting point for you?

No, it wasn't. I hadn't seen the movie since I was very little. But I remember loving the premise and loving Yul Brynner and certainly Richard Benjamin. I didn't see it [again] until halfway through filming. Clearly it's a seedling, along with malfunctioning A.I., that [showrunners Jonathan "Jonah" Nolan and Lisa Joy] took from the original. But like the A.I. malfunctioning, that's kind of where it ends. Those ideas, yes, but the specifics of the characters are different, and the trajectories of the characters are very different.

How would you describe William, both in a general sense, and also his view of the park?

William comes from very little means. He's worked very hard to get this budding position at a company. He's uncomfortable with complete exercise of his id, or the feeling that he's entitled to anything. A situation like [Westworld] is something he would never choose. He's brought in there by his fiancee's brother and boss' son - both of those people are Logan. It's sort of a vetting of William, to see if he fits into the family. That's why he has less of an agenda than almost any other guest, who's there to f - k or fight or do whatever. He's pulled into a situation he did not choose. He's not going about it the typical way. He's there, and he doesn't want to shoot things. Because he's there unwillingly, he's a little bit more observant. His journey is about having those expectations removed, and therefore, anything can happen.

We're slowly learning more about William's backstory. Every episode there's a new piece of information. We now know that he and Logan work together and are soon-to-be brothers-in-law, and that Logan views this as a work trip of sorts. How much did you know about William's backstory and the arc ahead, going into the series?

Very little. Almost only what I needed to know from moment-to-moment. A relatively rich backstory was given to us by Lisa and Jonah, as far as who these people are, how they feel about certain things, and kind of what their aim is in life in general. But as far as the arc of this part of the story, for each of these characters, nobody knew anything. All the actors were in the dark. If we were given a scene that you somehow needed more information to play for your process, Jonah and Lisa would be there and enlighten you on anything you needed to know. As far as knowing what's about to happen, we were all just as hungry for the scripts each month as you guys are for the episodes each week.

Until this episode, William's interactions have been mostly limited to Logan. What's your view of that character, someone who is considerably more hedonistic than William?

Most of us aren't Logan. Most of us don't get to choose everything we're doing in life, and William in particular. We all have these acquaintances and friends who are spiky as hell, but they're there, so you modulate your reactions to them and you accept it. It's like your wife's best friend's husband that you have to have dinner with every month, and he's a f - king dick. (Laughs.) It's that. "This is someone who is in my life, and I'm going to get through it as much as I can." Most of that is gritting your teeth and putting up with it, and sometimes, they strike a cord and resonate with you and make you laugh, and their different point of view actually is kind of enlightening. It's that kind of thing. He's not there by choice necessarily, but he's there.

In this episode, William and Logan are on a mission to capture a bandit named Slim. They succeed, and everything's going well, until Logan shoots the sheriff they're with so Slim can lead them on a more dangerous journey. This happens just as William is finally starting to find his footing here in Westworld. He can't be pleased with this sharp turn for the black hat.

No, not at all. He's been trying to figure out how to make this adventure be okay for this new being [Dolores] he's run into, too. So it's complicated that much more. So no, he's really not at all thrilled. But that's the joy of Westworld. He doesn't get to make all of his choices. He's choosing to get to know this new being, as opposed to have his way with her, but Logan's the one who chooses which environment they're going to be in together.

Courtesy of HBO

Speaking of the new being, it seems that William and Dolores established a connection right away, back at the end of episode two when William picks up Dolores' fallen can of food. What do you think William sees in Dolores?

First of all, Westworld is designed to give you everything, in a very aggressive way. Like when Clementine comes at William, or how the violence is offered up to your face. This is the first kind of soft and passive element of Westworld, and it draws his attention. He offers something to this host, as opposed to it being offered to him. I think it strikes him as, like, "This is an anomaly, and maybe a slight familiarity." But it's not like he noticed much more than that. As she drops in his lap, it's this need. She needs him. It's not just this offer. I think it's something he can relate to: helping, as opposed to destroying. In episode four, I think it's so interesting the way Jonah and Lisa wrote the development of this relationship, by basically showing how truthful Dolores' reality is to her. At the same time, Logan's articulating to William: "Yo, this is a trick. It's just to get you invested, and it's working, you sucker!" And he doesn't want to be a sucker to Logan. He knows it's a fact. And he's thinking about this as she's describing her life to him in the most beautiful tapestry. He's more and more interested. He knows what the truth is, but he keeps giving himself more rope, because it's just that real. I think the experience after four will be well, where does it go? We know that there's an end to the rope. Everybody knows that. So what's going to f - king happen? It's this thoughtful allowance of an artificial being to enter your heart.

And that's on full display in this scene between William and Dolores when she says, "Sometimes I feel like something is calling me, and there's a place for me beyond all of this." William buys into that moment: "I know exactly what you're talking about." It's a great example of how the reality of Westworld can make even the greatest cynic open themselves up to the experience.

It's so true. It bends even the most rigid of minds. You get to see it happen in that very scene.

By now, you must have heard about the theories that William is a younger version of the Man in Black.

Oh, yeah.

What's your take on the theory?

First of all, I'm just flattered, because that man is so bad ass. (Laughs.) Second of all, I can't comment on anything. I wish I could say how wrong or right you are, but you guys have to wait just like we did.

You wouldn't want to shut down the theorizing, anyway.

Exactly. Bring it on, because we literally all did this every time we got a script: "Oh my god! This is happening! She's this, and she's not this!" Then we were generally wrong, but sometimes, we were a shade right, and you would feel like a genius for somehow figuring out Jonah and Lisa's brilliant puzzle.

Is there an inevitability at all to some kind of collision between William and the Man in Black, if they're serving as the show's version of the Benjamin and Brynner characters from the movie?

I wouldn't say there's an inevitability, just because I love all of the Benjamin references and the references to the film, but the way I describe William and Logan to someone who has seen the movie, is that it's as if they took Benjamin and Brolin and put them as the fifth storyline. The first storyline is the POV of the hosts. Jonah and Lisa completely flipped it around. I wish the series was all about my character ending up somewhere, but it's about the hosts. I don't want anyone's expectations [to get up for] the wrong journey. It's the hosts' journey. Don't expect it to end in any way like the movie.

The Man in Black aside, what would it take for someone like William to go full black hat? Because that's where we're left off at the end of the episode: Logan asks William to "go black hat with me," which feels like the complete opposite of what we know about William right now. If William ever were to go fully in that direction, what would have to happen to that man for him to go there?

William's there to open up his world. He's certainly not there to turn into an asshole. And the end of four, it's not like Logan is saying, "We're going to go f - k shit up." It's, "We're going in this direction." William is going to be part of the experience, but he's also going there to protect Dolores. It's not that William has agreed to go and be a dick. He's agreed to go on this new direction of a place, and meet Slim's boss. It's more of an acquiescence: "Ugh, fine," than him saying, "Alright, I'm going to go black hat."

Final question how would the McPoyles handle Westworld?

They would never pick up on the fact that everyone else was a robot. They would think they went to heaven, and would probably start making sausages out of the robot horses, and would have no idea that it tasted so shitty. They would start a whole empire: the McPoyle Sausage Empire of Sweetwater.

It would be hard to know if they were hosts or guests, too, because there would be flies crawling all over them

And they really wouldn't swat them away. (Laughs.) They would be their friends.

Read more: 'Westworld' Must-See Moment: A Time for White and Black Hats

Follow THR's Westworld coverage for more interviews, news and theories.
In its fourth episode, Westworld has moved past establishing its macabre theme park and started moving towards tying character storylines together. Their common thread is The Maze, a mysterious section of the park where the Man in Black can fulfill his dream of playing the deadliest game the park has to offer and where Dolores could prove worthy of breaking free of the restraints that bind her to Westworld.

The show hasnt shed much light on what lies within The Maze or what it looks like, but it may have revealed what its entrance looks like. In Sundays episode, Dolores encountered the young girl from whom the Man in Black got information on where to find The Maze. She showed Dolores the drawing of the Maze that she etched into the dirt and told her it was where she came from. That triggered some strange visions from Dolores past including an image of a familiar church.

Also Read: 'Westworld': Jimmi Simpson Talks About Playing A Good Man In A Bleak Virtual World

You may recall that Episode 2 ended with Dr. Ford showing Bernard the place where he will build the biggest storyline the park has ever seen. It was a mostly empty swath of land, but it did have the ruins of a church steeple rising from the earth. Its the same church Dolores saw in her vision. Whatever this church is, it is connected to several themes.

For starters, weve seen religion play a big role in the series, as this weeks episode ended with Hector describing the parks employees to Maeve as demons from hell who watch over their world. In another scene, Ford and Bernard discuss the bicameral mind  the idea that prehistoric humans viewed their own thoughts and conscience as the voices of gods speaking to them. Later, Ford remarks to Theresa that when he was creating the park with Arnold, they saw themselves as the gods of the world they had created.

Another example of religion in Westworld is the constellation engraving of Orion that the parks employees found while searching for the rogue host that smashed in his skull. In ancient Greece and Rome, the constellations were connected to the gods and heroes of Mount Olympus. In this case, Orion was a great hunter known for slaying a wide variety of animals. Perhaps Orion became a similar figure to the rogue android, only the hunters he was worshiping were the guests who were hunting the hosts with reckless abandon.

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Also Read: 'Westworld' Fan Theories: Who Is the Man in Black?

Its also been noted that Dolores is the oldest android in the park, which would match up with the churchs dilapidated condition. Dolores origins could come from a section of the park that has been left to ruin and which Ford is trying to bring back in a new form. What exactly that form will be isnt clear yet, but signs point to all the characters converging at the site of Fords new project.

The big missing piece to the puzzle is where all the events of the series fit chronologically. We know that the scenes are being presented in a non-linear format, as we jump from Dolores conversations with Bernard backstage to her travels with Billy and Logan. Whats not as clear is where everything fits together when it comes to cause and effect. As Dolores, the Man in Black, and possibly other characters get closer to The Maze, the parks past, present, and future should all become clear.

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Last week, Westworld gave us its first Alices Adventures in Wonderland reference. Alice is an easy touchstone, but an apt one for this show  a story about an innocent girl wandering through a strange and frightening unreality. There was no live reading from Alice this week, but it certainly feels after watching Dissonance Theory that we are about to head down the rabbit hole, or about to go through the looking glass, or whatever. Regardless of your favored metaphor, Westworld appears to be winding down its world-building stage and gearing up for the business of storytelling.

We open, as always, with Dolores and Bernard. (Eventually the show will stop doing this, but apparently not yet.) Dolores is describing to Bernard the death of her parents, whom she saw murdered again at the end of last weeks episode. When Bernard asks Dolores if shed like him to take the pain of the experience away, she declines. The pain, their loss, is all I have left of them. The statement echoes Bernards comments in episode two about the death of his son. When Bernard asks if her response was scripted, she answers that it was, partially. Bernard then offers her another option  the Maze. If Dolores can find the center of it, he tells her, then maybe you can be free.

I think I want to be free, she answers.

Cut to Dolores waking up in a field, gun in hand, next to William. There is a lot of good scene work this week between Evan Rachel Wood and Jimmi Simpson, whom the television gods were kind to bring together for us. But we need to stop here for a moment to talk about time, and how it may or may not work in this show.

It has been clear from the start that Westworld would play freely with time and perception. (Was Dolores flashing back last week to finding the gun in the drawer or hallucinating?) But the assumption here thus far has been that the show is, aside from such moments, progressing in a linear fashion. Its time to draw in a fan theory gaining steam online: That Westworld is taking place on multiple timelines separated by many years. I wont get into detail here  there are plenty of Reddit threads for that if you feel like losing an hour of your life. But given the Jonathan Nolan-J.J. Abrams pedigree of the show, the puzzle-box marketing behind it, and the promises that cast and creators have made about mind-bending revelations to come, we should remind ourselves that Westworld probably isnt going to be straight with us all the time. Question everything.

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Now back to the show. William wants to abandon the bounty-hunt storyline and take Dolores back to town, but Logan, who gave up a lot of prostitute time to go on this adventure, nixes that idea. Instead, with Dolores in tow, they raid the house where their bounty is holed up, extract him via gunplay and start back to town. Then Logan, being Logan, kills the marshal and implores William to go black hat with him. William reluctantly agrees, and off he, Logan, Dolores, and robot gangster guy go to meet robot gangster guys boss, whom Logan is convinced is a BFD.

In non-Dolores-and-William news, Ford almost makes Theresa seem interesting by having a big, creepy face off with her over his new storyline. Ford again works his magic, freezing all the hosts around him to illustrate the power he wields inside the park. Scenes like this are what you pay Anthony Hopkins for. But all the effort feels a little wasted on Theresa, who has yet to establish herself as an interesting character, much less a formidable opponent for the likes of Ford. (That the latter would know about the formers affair with Bernard should be surprising to no one after last weeks scene with Bernard in Fords office.)

You know who is finally getting interesting? Ed Harris Man in Black. Fans seem to like the character, but Ive found him too stock so far. This week the needle moved at last. The mission to free Hector in exchange for info that would lead MiB one step closer to the Maze felt video game-esque  which is perfectly fine for a show that is one big video gaming analogy. And there were plenty of simple pleasures along the way  a developing Mutt and Jeff comradery between MiB and Lawrence, a creatively shot action sequence at the prison fort, and some excellent one liners. (MiB to Hector: You always seemed like a market-tested type of thing. Hector to MiB: You sound like a man whos grown tired of wearing his guts on the inside.) MiB has until now felt like a fun bad guy minus the fun. Now the fun has arrived.

We also got some big hints about the characters past. MiB, it turns out, also knows the secret origin story of Arnold the co-founder, and his pursuit of the maze is tied to Arnolds death. But more interesting was the glimpse we got of MiBs life outside the park when a fellow guest approached him, attempting to thank him for the work that his foundation does, which saved the guests sisters life.

One more word and Ill cut your throat, you understand? MiB says. This is my fucking vacation.

The exchange is menacing cool, but also reveals something we already suspected about MiB  that he is a big macher in the real world, apparently big enough to have a foundation that saves peoples lives.

Finally, Maeve. Early in the episode we see her fritzing out again  complete with short-circuiting wire sound effect  flashing back to hazmat-suited surgeons removing, or rather not removing, a bullet from her body. Her sexy, bloody moment with Hector in the episodes finale is deftly executed, but the important stuff comes earlier. Have the hazmat-suit images been planted in the local Native American tribes religion as a clue for the hosts to find there way to the maze and the enlightenment promised at its center? Time will tell.

Some other thoughts:

 Elsie is gunning for that shows most boring character title like a boss. Any scene with her in it is a cue to go to the refrigerator or bathroom. You could press pause first, but why bother?

 Elsies primary non-Theresa competition? Her pal Stubbs. Do something already.

 Dolores scenes in the Mexican village reminded us that Lawrences daughter is apparently the horror-movie-child gatekeeper to the Maze. But the best part was Dolores run-in with the random marshal. The stare-down between the two was one of the most intense moments this show has produced  implying that the characters host personas had temporarily vanished, revealing two elements of the park in opposition, one trying to restore order by imposing itself on the other. Also, how many random marshals are running around?

 Nothing quite on the MiB level, but we got some interesting tidbits about William: 1. Logans family, which William is marrying into, owns a stake in the park. 2. William really does not like being called Billy.

 Im starting to understand the relentless amount of crap that the park heaps onto Teddy and the pleasure that MiB appears to take from it. If you were a normal-looking dude visiting Westworld and you saw a guy who looked like James Marsden, wouldnt you want to watch him get knocked down a peg or two?

 If you decide to go down the Reddit rabbit hole, keep in mind the similarity mentioned earlier between Bernards dialogue about his son and Dolores about her parents. Im just saying.

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Need to catch up? Check out last weeks Westworld recap here.

Note to Westworlds subterranean engineers: You might wanna put a few more Maeves into the development pipeline, and fast.

The gutsy android madam (and theres a phrase I didnt think Id type today) is made of some very tough stuff, which she proves in this weeks episode by carving into her own abdomen and exhorting a bandit to poke around in there like hes a trick-or-treater searching for that elusive full-size candy bar.

The reason behind the hookers sudden interest in self-surgery? She suspects that her belly may hold the answer to why shes suddenly having frequent, unsettling visions regarding violent events she doesnt remember experiencing  and when she comes across an answer buried deep in her obliques, it gives a whole new meaning to the saying go with your gut.

Elsewhere in the park: Ford can be scary. (Oh, and he totally knows Bernard and Theresa are shagging.)

Read on for the highlights of Dissonance Theory.

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LITTLE GIRLS GROWING UP | Dolores evolution continues as she talks with Bernard in the wake of her parents deaths. When she comments on how much shes hurting, he says he can make those feelings go away. Why would I want that? she asks, puzzled, and then echoes the conversation he had about his son with his wife last week: Pain, their loss, is all I have left of them.

And just in case youre still on the fence about whether Dolores is thinking for herself or merely parroting programming shes had for years, she comes out with this observation: I think there may be something wrong with this world, hiding underneath. Either that, or theres something wrong with me. I may be losing my mind. Intrigued/encouraged, Bernard asks her to try to find the center of a maze, then maybe you can be free. Dolores face lightens a bit at that. I think I want to be free, she says.

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Dolores goes back into the park, where she wakes up still on the outing with William and Logan. And when Bernard hears that Quality Assurance (aka Theresas team) is taking over the investigation into the stray host who bashed in his own head, he doesnt fight it. Elsie is very unhappy about this turn of events, telling her boss that the recent aberrations are not a fing glitch. But hes unmoved. The hosts dont imagine things. You do, he says, pointing out that the constellation the stray was carving isnt Orion: There are three stars in Orions belt, not four.

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LOGAN LEVELS UP

| Out in the badlands, William wants to bring Dolores back to Sweetwater, but Logan isnt having it. Theres more of Logan being a callous degenerate, but the main thing to take away from this interaction is that Logans family  into which William is marrying  owns a company that has a stake in Westworld.

They wind up in the town where The Man in Black killed all those people, including Lawrences wife, a few episodes ago. Dolores encounters Lawrences eerily calm daughter and asks her, Where are you from? The girl is using a stick to trace a maze in the sand at her feet. Same as you, she replies. Dont you remember? Dolores has a few unsettling flashes of a church and a graveyard, but then the girl is gone and a sheriff is trying to hustle Dolores back to one of her pre-programmed loops until William intervenes and says shes with him. (Side note: This show has laid out a bunch of questions  like the girls comments  and I will willingly stick around, but Im gonna need some awesome answers when all is said and done.)

And when William and Logans bounty-hunting party gets its man  Slim  but then Logan finds out who Slims boss is, he shoots the deputy dead and begs William to go black hat with me because theyve stumbled onto the best Easter egg in the park. Though William protests loudly when Logan talks about shooting Dolores, he (and she) go along for this new ride.

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THE SNAKES TALE | On another expedition entirely, The Man in Black and Lawrence reach the end of the arroyo and find a badass woman whose entire torso and neck, as well as half of her face, is tattooed with a snake. Upon closer inspection, its the blonde we saw ride into town with Hector just before the last big massacre in Sweetwater. Shes uninterested in taking on TMIB as part of her crew until he shoots some of her men and says he can singlehandedly break Hector out of the jail hes stuck in  if shell tell him the story behind her tattoo after hes successful.

TMIB ruminates on how Arnold created a world where anything, save human death, is possible, which means that no matter how real this world seems, its still just a game. And he adds that Arnold had one story left to tell, a story with real stakes, real violence and that the womans tattoo is a clue.

One of the other men in her party is a guest; he approaches TMIB and starts gushing that Your foundation literally saved my sisters life. But hes cut off when the gruff black hat threatens violence if the adoring dude doesnt shut up. This is my fing vacation, TMIB grouses. (Im sure theres a think piece in this about real world motivations and in-park actions, but Im sure someone else is drafting it as we speak.)

TMIB gets himself arrested and locked in a cell with Hector. But thanks to some exploding cigars, theyre free rather quickly. So, about that tattoo tale? The womans mother was killed by a gang of costumed men when the woman was 7; she tracked all but one down and repaid the favor, then permanently painted her body with their blood. The one that shes still hunting? Most know him as Wyatt, she tells TMIB, who smiles like hes just won the psycho-murder-bot lottery.

Later, TMIBs party rides by an area Wyatt was rumored to be and find a nearly dead Teddy strung up like those guys we saw last week. Womp womp.

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IN WHICH FORD IS FRIGHTENING | Ford is hard at work having crews break new ground in the park, all to go along with the new narrative he has in mind. And Theresa meets him there for lunch to talk about how the board is concerned with the extent of the changes hes making. The conversation gets increasingly chilling, as Ford talks about how much power he has (the phrase we are gods is almost never uttered by people who have completely benign motives, is it?) and how he knows absolutely everything that goes on both in Westworld and behind the scenes. Thats when we find out that hes aware of her sheet-rumpling with Bernard, but Im less concerned with that than I am with the hair-raising stillness of all of the hosts in that section of the park suddenly brought to a standstill, seemingly by Fords mere will.

So I will ask you nicely: Please dont get in my way, he says, all smiles, but theres no warmth behind it. And when she mentions that the board will send a representative to argue, he shocks her by saying that they already have. Hmm

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MAEVE ON A MISSION | And now, Maeve. While talking to Clementine, the madam experiences some auditory static and some visions of the other hooker covered in blood, which morphs into a memory of a guest shooting up the whole saloon. She grabs at her abdomen, but theres nothing there  and that still seems to be the case when she goes home, strips to her undies and paws at her midsection with a look of extreme frustration on her face. Then, she notices a tiny spot of blood near the hem of her garment; someone from the parks costume departments getting fired!

Another vision/memory shows her one of the parks technicians in those hazmat suits they wear, and she hastily sketches it afterward. But when she goes to hide the drawing under a floorboard, she finds a cache of similar drawings: This has happened before, and she hasnt remembered.

Later, as some Native Americans are marched through town, a child drops its toy and the toy is of a man wearing one of those suits. A soldier tells her the figure is part of the indigenous peoples religion. So shes got a ton of questions and zero answers by the time Hector and his crew ride into town under those blankets. Once the scarred baddie steps into the saloon, Maeve puts a gun to his head and promises him whatevers in the safe if he can tell her what the sketch is all about. He confirms that its a shade, a character from native lore, a man who walks between worlds. They were sent from hell to oversee our world.

But thats not all Maeve wants. As previously mentioned, she gets Hector to cut her and then digs out the projectile herself, partially relieved that Im not crazy after all. And as the constable bangs down the door looking for the outlaw, Maeve and Hector have one heck of a bloody makeout session before a hail of bullets peppers the door (and, we assume, their incredibly attractive synthetic bodies).

Now its your turn. What did you think of the episode? Sound off in the comments!

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The WGA West has announced a call for submissions for its 2016-17 TV Writer Access Project. The program is open to guild members who are minorities, women, LGBT, disabled and/or over age 55. The deadline is 6 PM November 16.

Winners will be offered a five-week seminar series with showrunners to prepare for staffing season.

Now in its eighth year, the TV Writer Access Project seeks to assist diverse midlevel television writers, including TV movie writers, in gaining access to employment. Each year, the Diversity Department along with the TV Writer Access Project Advisory Group fine tunes the program to assist the selected honorees in gaining accessibility to showrunners, executives and agents. WGAW says a significant number of writers selected as honorees have been staffed at various levels.

Click here for details and an application form.

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Washington (AFP) - President Barack Obama has only a handful of months left in office, but facing the shock loss of a pivotal Asian ally in the Philippines, his White House is playing a long game.

Filipino President Rodrigo Duterte says a lot of things. Most notably, the capricious 71-year-old has called Obama (and Pope Francis) a "son of a whore."

This week he declared decades of US-Filipino ties over, although he later qualified that remark.

"We haven't heard any specifics" said White House spokesman Josh Earnest, "but those comments are creating unnecessary uncertainty in our relationship."

On the face of it, Duterte's casual desecration of a 65-year-old military alliance and his eager embrace of China are blows for US influence and for Obama's "pivot to Asia."

The United States risks losing presence and access to ports and bases in the heart of the South China Sea -- a contested geopolitical hotspot.

Under Duterte's predecessor Benigno Aquino, China and the Philippines were at loggerheads over the contested economically vital waterway -- to the point that senior US officials worried about being dragged into a war with China.

But since Duterte took office in June, he has suspended joint US-Philippine patrols and threatened an end to joint military exercises.

A split would have regional ramifications. Duterte's sinophile turn could further split the ASEAN regional bloc, which Washington has cultivated as a counter to Beijing's designs on dominance.

China's hardline territorial claims and confrontational stance had given Washington the upper hand.

"The region was in many ways coming to the realization that China is not a reliable long term partner," said Lyle Morris of the Rand Corporation.

But Beijing is picking off cash-strapped ASEAN members like Cambodia and drawing them into its orbit with vast infrastructure spending.

Duterte's recent visit to Beijing -- the provocative setting for comments on dissolving US relations, bagged him billions of dollars in deals.

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"A key motivator driving the Philippine president to mend fences with China is economic," said Murray Hiebert of CSIS.

The souring with Washington could also hit counterterrorism operations against the Abu Sayyaf Group, which has been linked to Al-Qaeda and has carried out bombings, murder and kidnapping.

- Echoes of Estrada? -

In its response, the White House has been wary of one lesson of Duterte's whole political career -- from mayor of Davao to president of the republic -- he has a short temper.

Officials have limited public chastisements, particularly over Duterte's war on crime, which has claimed about 3,700 lives in less than four months and raised fears about mass extrajudicial killings.

"He's very very sensitive to criticism," said Rand's Morris "So any time we do -- like with the extrajudicial killings -- he gets really really upset and that forces him to make decisions that might not be in the best interest of the Philippines."

Instead, the White House has largely been content to weather the storm as best it can and stress the relationship is bigger than Duterte.

As officials tweet about events around "Filipino American History Month" they point out that day-to-day contacts have little changed since Duterte came to office.

For all Duterte's bluster, he has not followed through.

Even some Philippine officials admit they are as befuddled by Duterte's intentions as their counterparts in Washington.

Many believe that his ability to carry out his "separation" may be limited by his own politics and popular opinion.

He would have to secure legislative support to withdraw from the mutual defense treaty, which underpins the relationship.

There is little sign that support is there. Despite being former US colonial subjects, Filipinos are overwhelmingly pro-American.

Within the armed forces -- particularly the Navy and Airforce -- there is already deep unease about his pivot to China.

In some quarters Duterte is being compared to Joseph Estrada -- the populist former president who was ousted in 2001 amid mass protests.

- Jobs, jobs, jobs -

The Obama administration has begun to gently push back against the most egregious insults and actions.

It cancelled a planned meeting with Duterte in Laos and has warned ominously about "uncertainty" in corporate board rooms.

Aside from the war on drugs and America's perfidy, Duterte's favored topic of conversation is the economy.

Here, the United States has some leverage.

It is the second largest foreign direct investor to the Philippines -- after the British Virgin Islands, an off-shore tax haven -- according to Santander bank.

US-Philippines Trade ties date all the way back to 1797, when "the Astrea" was the first US vessel to return from the Philippines, loaded with indigo, hemp, spices and sugar.

Ultimately, that history and America's trading clout may provide Obama -- and his successor -- with a port in this storm.
Domestic oil and gas explorer Whiting Petroleum Corp. WLL is set to release third-quarter 2016 results after the closing bell on Wednesday, Oct 26.

What Investors Need to Know

The companys stock performance has been pretty exciting lately. Shares have recovered nicely from its rough start to 2016 when oil prices fell to a 12-year low.

In fact, Whiting Petroleum ran up 10% in the past month thanks to commitments by OPEC and non-OPEC players to slash production targets. But this report will be a test to see if this trend continues heading into 2017. Fortunately for investors, the stock finds itself in a solid industry rank position  in the top 32% overall.

However, there are some questions for Whiting Petroleum too. It has an 'F' for its VGM Score. Moreover, the company is on a bit of a slippery surface, having missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate in each of the last three reports, as you can see in the chart below:

WHITING PETROLM Price and EPS Surprise

WHITING PETROLM Price and EPS Surprise | WHITING PETROLM Quote

Lets see how things are shaping up for this announcement.

Factors to Consider This Quarter

Unlike the last quarter, where oil advanced more than 26% sequentially to notch up the best quarterly percentage gain in 7 years, the Jun-Sep 2016 period turned out to be a rather flat one with crude barely advancing. In fact, the West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures during the third quarter hovered around the $45 per barrel mark, flat from the second quarter and down from $46.50 in the same period last year. We believe that the dismal crude pricing scenario will continue to weigh on Whiting Petroleums bottom line.

However, efficiencies on the production front might be able to mitigate some of the damage. The company expects to maintain a flat production profile in the upcoming few quarters despite asset sales.

Moreover, Whiting Petroleum has been able to reduce costs that will provide some buffer amid tumbling commodity prices.

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Earnings Whispers

Our proven model does not conclusively show that Whiting Petroleum will beat estimates this quarter. That is because a stock needs to have both a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold) to be able to beat consensus estimates. That is not the case here as you will see below.

Zacks ESP: Earnings ESP, which represents the difference between the Most Accurate estimate and the Zacks Consensus Estimate, is 0.00%. This is because the Most Accurate estimate and the Zacks Consensus Estimate both stand at a loss of 39 cents.

Zacks Rank: Whiting Petroleum has a Zacks Rank #3. Though a Zacks Rank #3 increases the predictive power of ESP, the companys ESP of 0.00% makes surprise prediction difficult.

We caution against Sell-rated stocks (Zacks Ranks #4 or 5) going into the earnings announcement, especially when the company is seeing negative estimate revisions.

Stocks to Consider

While earnings beat looks uncertain for Whiting Petroleum, here are some firms from the energy space you may want to consider on the basis of our model, which shows that they have the right combination of elements to post earnings beat this quarter:

CONE Midstream Partners L.P. CNNX has an Earnings ESP of +2.7% and a Zacks Rank #1. The partnership is expected to release earnings results on Nov 4. You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

NuStar Energy L.P. NS has an Earnings ESP of +6.25% and a Zacks Rank #2. The partnership is anticipated to release earnings on Nov 2.

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The Trump team didnt catch on to what the shirt meant. (Photo: Courtesy of Ceci Cardelle /@ceciardelle)

When 17-year old Ceci Cardelle asked her older sister Annie, both second-generation Cuban-Americans, to go with her to a campaign event for Donald Trump, the Republican presidential nominee, hosted by Trumps son Eric in their hometown of Salisbury, N.C., the elder Cardelle sister wasnt enthusiastic.



I was against it, Annie Cardelle, 23, told BuzzFeed News this weekend. I didnt want to go hear Eric Trump speak, but she really wanted to, so I couldnt just go without making a little bit of a statement.

So taking a marker to a white T-shirt, Annie Cardelle wrote Latina Contra Trump  or Latina Against Trump. In case youre not up on your high-school Spanish, contra, like contrary in English, does not imply an affinity for something. Then, off she and her sister went.

Although she initially wore a sweater over her homemade statement tee, Annie Cardelle nervously removed the sweater halfway through Eric Trumps speech  but no one seemed to notice the message her shirt was putting out there.

At the end of the event, though, the sisters were shocked when Eric and his wife, Lara, beckoned the two forward and let them snap a picture.

I couldnt wrap my brain around it, Ceci Cardelle told BuzzFeed News, so I just stood there and smiled.

Immediately afterward, she says that she and her sister looked at each other and just screamed. Next, the two tweeted photos of themselves from the event  and then watched Annies shirt, and the Trump familys seeming failure to understand what it meant, go viral.

No one at the rally realized my shirt said AGAINST tr*mp congrats, y'all played yourselves ???????????? pic.twitter.com/qZ3x1ER8j0  Annie (@AnnieCardelle) October 21, 2016

Story continues

When you protest a Trump rally but no one realizes your shirt says "Latinas AGAINST trump" so they take pics w/ you like you're supporters pic.twitter.com/5ce8SZw5Mh  CC (@cecicardelle) October 21, 2016

We werent protesting the fact that hes a conservative or a Republican, Annie told BuzzFeed News. We were protesting their particular treatment of Hispanics and Latino immigrants in this country.

Added Ceci to BuzzFeed News, We were kind of in disbelief that no one understood this protest. It really goes to show the lack of diversity in their team.

Now the sisters are selling Latinas Contra Trump shirts so that anyone can have one, without even having to bust out a Sharpie, a most notable addition to an election cycle that has already thrown up some A+ shirts carrying political statements.

Get your own Latina Contra Trump shirts here ???? https://t.co/fq3FC1n0I8 pic.twitter.com/erGMUs5OwB  Annie (@AnnieCardelle) October 24, 2016

Once again, the Trump campaign proves how further out of touch with Latina women, Daniela Ramirez, Assistant Director of Latino Media at the Planned Parenthood Action Fund, tells Yahoo Style. Apparently we all, in an ironic way, agree on something: Latina women are against Trump.

According to an analysis done this summer, Democratic nominee and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has an advantage over Trump among Hispanic registered voters of 66 percent to his 24 percent. And her support is even stronger among Hispanic millennials, with 71 percent voicing support for Clinton, over a mere 19 percent who say they are voting for Trump. Hispanic women in general express preference for Clinton by the exact same margins. She also leads 80 percent to 11 percent over Trump with Hispanic voters who are bilingual or Spanish-dominant.

The Pew Research Center reports that the top voting issue for Hispanic voters is essentially the same as that expressed by all registered voters, with 86 percent of Hispanic voters citing the economy as a crucial factor in their voting decisions, compared to 84 percent of those in the general electorate who say the same. After the economy, Hispanic voters list health care, terrorism, immigration, and education in filling out their top five policy priorities. Hispanics are more likely to rate environmental issues, the treatment of LGBT individuals, immigration, and health care as priorities, by comparison with the general electorate.

Voters were polled by the Pew Research Center as to which candidate would do better on a set of 12 separate policy issues, ranging from race relations to abortion to foreign policy to gun policy to trade, Clinton won on each issue with Hispanic voters.

Latina voters are set to become a particularly important voting block in the upcoming presidential election: A survey commissioned by American Women, Voto Latino Action Network, and iAmerica Action found that while 59 percent of Latinas reported voting in 2014, 81 percent of Latina voters polled that they are almost certain to vote on Nov. 8. And 84 percent of those surveyed said they viewed Trump negatively.

Given the role that the allegations of sexual harassment, sexual assault, and groping that have been leveled against Donald Trump by an ever-growing number of women, its worth noting that 32 percent of all Latinas and 38 percent of millennial Latinas say they or someone they know has experienced sexual harassment or sexual assault in the workplace.

But like Hispanic voters across the board, millennial Latina voters are also primarily focused on the economy  and particularly optimistic about their economic futures. While Latina voters  including 45 percent of Latina millennials  are more likely than any other voters to earn less than $15 an hour, compared to 21 percent of all registered voters, 76 percent of millennial Latinas say they believe their financial situation will get better over the next five years. In contrast, only 60 percent of all registered voters say the same.

Its not surprising, then, that 83 percent of millennial Latina voters say that they would be much more likely to vote for a candidate who made college affordability a policy priority. Another 83 percent said the same of equal pay, and 87 percent voiced this opinion about paid family leave.

Trump outlined his college affordability policies for the first time at the end of last month; while a detailed plan was not revealed, the candidate said that colleges with large endowments should be forced to spend more on their students or risk losing their tax-exempt status. Clinton, however, has made one of the principal tenets of the platform of her former rival, Sen. Bernie Sanders, D-Vermont  tuition-free public higher education for middle- and lower-income students  a part of her own platform.

Clinton and Trump have very different ideas about equal pay and paid family leave as well. Clinton has outlined detailed policy proposals on her campaign website about both addressing income inequality and promoting comprehensive paid family leave. Trump has yet to offer specifics on the gender wage gap and has proposed only paid maternity leave for biological birth mothers.

Trump launched his presidential campaign In June of 2015 with his now infamous statement, When Mexico sends its people, theyre not sending their best. Theyre not sending you. Theyre not sending you. Theyre sending people that have lots of problems, and theyre bringing those problems with us. Theyre bringing drugs. Theyre bringing crime. Theyre rapists. And some, I assume, are good people.`

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The watchdog charged with monitoring how American money is spent in Afghanistan has in recent years identified projects in which hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars have been wasted or gone missing: More than $100 million in over-budget expenditures to build the Afghan Ministry of Defense building and $150 million blown on luxury residences for members of the task force charged with rebuilding the Iraqi and Afghan economies, for example.

In total, the Defense Departments controversial Task Force for Stability and Business Operations spent close to $800 million  some of which was unaccounted for -- before it was disbanded.

Related: Has the Navy Wasted Billions on Its New Combat Ship?

But while Pentagon bean-counters can let millions float away in Afghanistan, they are not about to allow a bunch of American soldiers who fought there get away with keeping the piddling bonus overpayments they were given to re-enlist when their services were so sorely needed a decade or so ago.

The military has been trying to claw back excessive bonuses that the California National Guard paid to about 10,000 veterans  some of whom went on multiple combat tours  according to The Los Angeles Times.

The Times says that with ongoing wars in Iraq and Afghanistan 10 years ago, the military was eager to boost re-enlistment and in many cases offered incentives of $15,000 or more that went beyond what was allowed. Now the Pentagon is trying to get back millions in overpayments, including interest, using tax liens and wage garnishments.

Among those being hounded is an Army captain and Iraq War veteran who had to take out a second mortgage to pay back more than $45,000 in reenlistment bonuses and student loans to which he apparently was not entitled. Another is a female master sergeant who served for more than 25 years and now is struggling to repay over $20,000 in erroneous re-up incentives.

Related: The $43 Million Afghan Gas Station

The Times said 42 auditors went through payments to some 14,000 California Guard soldiers after reports of improper payments surfaced in 2010, and about $22 million has been recovered.

Story continues

Military recruiters, under pressure to keep the pipeline full of troops, once handed out bonuses with abandon. But the bonuses were actually intended only for those who would be deploying to Iraq or Afghanistan as part of short-handed units or who were in high-demand jobs such as intelligence and public affairs.

One Special Forces soldier who is resisting the Pentagons efforts was injured by a roadside bomb after going on hundreds of missions against insurgents in Iraq. He now has permanent brain and back injuries. Earlier this year, he got a letter from the Treasury Department saying that his unpaid delinquent debt stemming from a $15,000 bonus was now up to almost $20,000 with interest and penalties.

The deputy commander of the California Guard told the Times that the Guard couldnt absolve the soldiers of their debts without breaking the law.

But as President Obama rightly grants clemency to hundreds of prisoners serving excessive sentences for nonviolent drug crimes, he might also consider handing out some forgiveness to men and women whose only crime was agreeing to serve their country a little longer.

Top Reads from The Fiscal Times:
SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Garbine Muguruza doubted whether she would ever win again after lifting her first grand slam title in Paris this year. Second round exits at Wimbledon and the U.S. Open followed the French Open triumph for the Spaniard, who was also knocked out of the singles competition at the Rio Olympics in the third round. Competing in the eight-woman season-ending WTA Finals in Singapore for the second time, Muguruza told Spanish newspaper Marca: "To win Roland Garros was the best and the worst thing for me this year. "I felt this incredible adrenaline rush but then you get the blues. Doubts emerge, like 'can I win again?' "When you are ranked second and the number one spot is almost 1,000 points away, you think the only way is down and that is difficult to manage." Muguruza, now ranked sixth, says she is learning to cope with the lofty expectations on her, and understanding the need to be patient. "I have more responsibility, more pressure, more eyes on me and you feel that winning is an obligation. I can be my worst enemy," the 23-year-old told the paper. She hailed Germany's Angelique Kerber, who ended Serena Williams' status as world number one in September, as a model of consistency. "Each week she has been there, fighting and getting great results," she said. "Perhaps Williams wins three tournaments and is the best but Kerber each week has reached the semi-finals and has managed to overtake her." (Reporting by Adriana Garcia; Editing by Alison Williams)
This woman wore a Latina Contra Trump shirt at a Trump rally and no one had a clue

Its no secret that Donald Trump doesnt really have a firm grasp of Latinx culture. The Republican nominee announced his presidency calling Mexicans rapists, criminals, and drug pushers. For Cinco De Mayo, he tweeted a photo of himself eating a taco bowl with the caption, I love Hispanics! And just last week when discussing immigration reform during the final presidential debate, Trump said, We have some bad hombres here as a justification for a border wall.

So naturally, his children wouldnt have a great sense of Latinx culture or language either and we have proof.

On Friday, during a campaign rally stop, Eric Trump unknowingly posed for photos with a Latina protestor wearing a t-shirt saying, Latina against Trump in Spanish.

No one at the rally realized my shirt said AGAINST tr*mp... congrats, y'all played yourselves     pic.twitter.com/qZ3x1ER8j0  Annie (@AnnieCardelle) October 21, 2016

The story behind the unbelievable photo is amazing. After a bit of back and forth, Cuban sisters Annie and Ceci Cardelle decided to peacefully protest an Eric Trump rally in their hometown of Salisbury, North Carolina. The sister who ended up wearing the memorable t-shirt was initially against attending the rally. Annie told Buzzfeed News, I didnt want to go hear Eric Trump speak, but she [Ceci] really wanted to, so I couldnt just go without making a little bit of a statement. Annies little statement became viral within hours.

I started getting nervous because everyone there was so excited and I thought, Gosh, theyre going to get so angry if I protest this,Annie confessed.

Well, no one noticed. In fact, they asked the sisters if they wanted to take a photo with Eric Trump.

I was sort of in disbelief when they actually called us forward, Ceci said. I was like, This is not happening. Theres no way they dont see this shirt.

It seems Eric Trump didnt see the shirt since he unknowingly snapped photos with the duo protesting his family to his face.

I couldnt wrap my brain around it, Ceci said, so I just stood there and smiled. Right after, we ran out and looked at each other and just screamed.

Were screaming with you, Ceci and Annie. All the way to election day.

The post This woman wore a Latina Contra Trump shirt at a Trump rally and no one had a clue appeared first on HelloGiggles.
By Maher Chmaytelli and Stephen Kalin BAGHDAD/BARTELLA, Iraq (Reuters) - Islamic State expanded its attacks on Monday against the army and Kurdish forces across Iraq, trying to relieve pressure on the militant group's defences around Mosul, its last major urban stronghold in the country. About 80 Islamic State-held villages and towns have been retaken in the first week of the offensive, bringing Iraqi and Kurdish forces closer to the edge of the city itself - where the battle will be hardest fought. The Mosul campaign, which aims to crush the Iraqi half of Islamic State's declared caliphate in Iraq and Syria, may become the biggest battle yet in the 13 years of turmoil triggered by the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in 2003, and could require a massive humanitarian relief operation. Some 1.5 million residents remain in the city and worst-case forecasts see up to a million being uprooted, according to the United Nations. U.N. aid agencies said the fighting has so far forced about 7,400 to flee their homes. In a series of counter-attacks on far-flung targets across Iraq since Friday, Islamic State fighters have hit Kirkuk, the north's main oil city, the town of Rutba that controls the road from Baghdad to Jordan and Syria, and Sinjar, a region west of Mosul inhabited by the persecuted Yazidi minority. Yazidi provincial chief Mahma Xelil said at least 15 militants were killed in the two-hour battle in Sinjar and a number of their vehicles were destroyed, while the peshmerga suffered two wounded. Islamic State said two peshmerga vehicles were destroyed and all those on board were killed. Islamic State committed some of its worst atrocities in Sinjar when it swept through the Yazidi region two years ago, killing men, kidnapping children and enslaving women. Kurdish fighters took back the region a year ago. REGIONAL INTERVENTION The Iraqi force attacking Mosul is 30,000-strong, joined by U.S. special forces and under American, French and British air cover. The number of insurgents dug in the city is estimated at 5,000 to 6,000 by the Iraqi military. Pentagon spokesman Captain Jeff Davis said Iraqi security forces and the peshmerga were making "solid progress" in their advance on Mosul, but were facing heavy resistance. The Mosul campaign has drawn in regional players and highlighted how Iraq, like neighbouring Syria, has become a platform for influence between rival parties - Sunni-ruled Turkey and its Gulf allies and Shiite Iran and its client militias. Turkey and Iraq's Shi'ite-dominated central government are at loggerheads over the presence - unauthorised by Baghdad - of Turkish troops at a camp in northern Iraq. Ankara fears that Shi'ite militias, which have been accused of abuses against Sunni civilians elsewhere, will be used in the Mosul offensive. Turkey's own presence in Iraq has also helped inflame sectarian passions among Shi'ites. Turkish artillery has already played a role in the battle and four Turkish fighter jets are on standby to take part in air operations, Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Monday. Iraq's Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi denied that Turkey had a role in the operation. "We don't want the Turkish military force," he said in a statement. The region of Nineveh around Mosul is a mosaic of ethnic and religious groups - Arabs, Turkmen, Kurds, Yazidis, Christians, Sunnis, Shi'ites - with Sunni Arabs the overwhelming majority. BAGHDADI'S "CALIPHATE" It was from Mosul's Grand Mosque that Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi declared his caliphate in 2014. Within a year his group was in retreat in Iraq, having lost the Sunni cities of Tikrit, Ramadi and Falluja. The Iraqi army last week dislodged insurgents from the main Christian region east of Mosul and its elite unit, the Counter Terrorism Service (CTS) has pressed ahead with operations to clear more villages since Saturday. CTS forces took a handful of villages west of the Christian town of Bartella in an early morning attack on Monday and are now six kilometres (about four miles) east of Mosul. The areas taken so far have been largely empty of civilian populations, but civilians could be living in the two villages lying ahead, Bazwaia and Gogjali, bordering Mosul proper. Islamic State used improvised explosive devices and snipers in the areas retaken on Monday, as they have in many previous battles, Brigadier General Faleh Fadel Jasim said. The militants dug a 10 km-long network of tunnels under Bartella, with food and weapons stores, to hold up the army, he said. "They tried making fortified defense lines but they weren't able to." The army's press office said a total of 78 villages and town have been recaptured between Oct. 17, when the Mosul operation started, and Sunday evening, more than 770 Islamic State fighters have been killed. Islamic State says it has killed hundreds of fighters from the attacking forces and blocked their progress. A French defence source said on Monday hundreds of Islamic State fighters have left Syria with the aim of reinforcing their stronghold in northern Iraq. "(In recent weeks) we saw movements from Syria to Mosul," the source said. In Washington, Pentagon spokesman Jarvis also said Islamic State was bringing more reinforcements from outside. The army is trying to advance from the south and the east while Kurdish peshmerga fighters are holding fronts in the east and north. After Islamic State's attack on Friday in Kirkuk, the hardline Sunni militant group has launched other diversionary attacks in Sinjar and Rutba, 360 km west of Baghdad, where they killed at least seven policemen, according to security sources. Federal police units which arrived in Rutba overnight were backing up the local forces, according to the sources who estimate that 16 insurgents have been killed so far. Islamic State said in an online statement that dozens of security force members and pro-government Sunni tribal forces had fled Rutba. (Additional reporting by Saif Hameed in Baghdad, Idrrees Ali in Washington, and Marine Pennetier in Paris; Editing by Dominic Evans)
RACINE  A plea deal appears to have been reached in the cold-case homicide of Amber Creek.

James Eaton, accused of killing the 14-year-old Creek in February 1997 and dumping her body in far southwest Racine County, had been scheduled to go on trial next month.

According to online court records, Eaton now has a change of plea hearing scheduled for Tuesday.

He is charged with first-degree intentional homicide and hiding a corpse in connection with the slaying. Prosecutors allege Eaton killed Creek and left her beaten and sexually assaulted body in the Karcher Wildlife Area in the Town of Burlington.

Eaton was arrested in April 2014 by Racine County sheriffs deputies, reportedly after DNA from cigarette butts he discarded were tested and found to match DNA from semen found on the teens body.

Eaton and Creek are from Palatine, Ill., a northwest suburb of Chicago. Eaton remains in Racine County Jail on $500,000 bond.

Creek died from asphyxiation after allegedly being choked and suffocated with a plastic bag, according to investigators. She also reportedly suffered blunt-force facial trauma and pattern cutting injuries on her face.

A judge ruled last month that defense attorneys could present evidence they claimed points to another suspect in the homicide. The suspect, a man who was questioned by police in 1997 and 2015, reportedly admitted to having a sexual relationship with Creek and that he engaged in choking acts during sexual contact.

The one-time suspect was found to be a contributor to the DNA mixture on the victims underwear located by the Wisconsin State Crime Lab, and his DNA was also located at the crime scene, the attorneys motion stated.
Wentworth Miller as Leonard Snart/Captain Cold (Photo: Katie Yu/The CW)

With so much to watch on TV, it can be difficult to plan ahead. But were here to help! Here are the five shows you wont want to miss this week.

The Flash: Tuesday, Oct. 25, at 8 p.m. on the CW

Cmon you really thought Captain Cold was gone for good? Wentworth Miller resurrects his chilly rogue, who was previously seen perishing in the line of duty during Legends of Tomorrows first season, and tangles with both the Scarlet Speedster and a new villain, Mirror Master.

Kiefer Sutherland as President Kirkman. (Photo: ABC/Ben Mark Holzberg)

Designated Survivor: Wednesday, Oct. 26, at 10 p.m. on ABC

Real life and reel life collide when President Kirkman orders a risky Navy SEAL attack on foreign soil, much like President Obamas top-secret 2011 mission that resulted in the death of Osama bin Laden. For the sake of Kirkmans tenuous grip on power, lets hope this has an equally positive outcome.

Good Girls Revolt: Friday, Oct. 28, on Amazon

Are you still missing Mad Men? Amazons 60s era series might help fill the void, focusing on the emerging feminist movement through the eyes of female journalists  including a young Nora Ephron (played by Grace Gummer)  fighting for equal recognition and equal access to great stories in their male-dominated workplace.

Gillian Anderson as Stella Gibson. (Photo: Netflix)

The Fall: Saturday, Oct. 29, on Netflix

Due respect to The X-Files, but were more excited to see Gillian Anderson return as Stella Gibson than Dana Scully as the addictive cop drama The Fall premieres its third season.

Jonny Lee Miller as Sherlock Holmes and Lucy Liu as Watson. (Photo: Justin Stephens/CBS)

Elementary: Sunday, Oct. 30, at 10 p.m. on CBS

Sorry Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman, but the other Sherlock & Watson have handily lapped you for number of cases solved. Jonny Lee Miller and Lucy Lius modern-day detectives celebrate their 100th episode by investigating the mysterious death of a financial expert.
SHES WITH HILLARY: Kelly Cutrone is the latest fashion executive to be enlisted by the Clinton campaign. The New York publicist planned to tape a commercial for the Democratic frontrunner Monday afternoon with her teenage daughter Ava.

The pair was slated for a shoot on the West Side Highway bike path in what was described by a Clinton handler as a very natural walk and talk that shouldnt really be prepared. The conversation was meant to be issues that have always mattered to them and how now, more than ever, we need to fight for them.

Im not normally a political person. I try to stay out of politics, but I just cant take it any more waking up everyday and hearing this derogatory female-bashing. Cutrone said. My friends and I have been on the phone nonstop, saying Where is the National Organization of Women in all this?

Cutrone said they may discuss a visit to the Womens Rights National Historical Park two years ago. I started crying because all of those educated, amazing women stood up for themselves. They were called heretics and witches and b-es, ugly spinsters and all of these names that I have been called. Their husbands left them, she said. Black male slaves had a right to vote before women in America. When you see what those women went through, its heartbreaking. Now talk to 14-year-old girls about the 19th Amendment. What kind of conversation is that?

Actor John Leguizamo, who wrote an anti-Trump, pro-Latina op-ed piece in Fridays New York Times, recently filmed a walk and talk with his mother about her coming to the U.S. from Colombia. A spokesman for the Clinton campaign did not respond to a request for comment Monday.

Unbeknownst to the presidential candidates team, the younger Cutrone helped to start a feminist club in eighth grade at the Village Community School. And Sunday the founders reconvened for a meeting despite their attending different high schools. Im telling you these girls are really upset, Cutrone said.

Story continues

When a table of six men shushed, winked and shouted Ladies! at the Cutrones, musician Mary Lambert, Judith Regan and Tony Bennetts daughter Joanna for laughing too loud while having dinner Sunday night at Mario Batalis Otto, the mother-daughter team told the manager they wouldnt stand for it. The manager handled it really well, Cutrone said. Were at a huge intersection right now and we need to make this shift. We cannot let this thing slip. It is alarming.

Cutrone said she once had a business meeting with Donald Trump in the Nineties, a scenario she wrote about in her first book, If You Have to Cry Go Outside and Other Things Your Mother Never Told You. At that time, he stated a series of names Ivanka (Trump), Marla Maples (his girlfriend at that time) and his own, and asked Cutrone to respond with hot, very hot or hot, hot and himself. Dissatisfied with her critical responses, he said, Well, I guess our conversation is finished here. Trump disputed her claims in the New York Post, after the book was published in 2010, she said.

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Rihanna Shuts Down Debate Chatter With Political Statement of Her Own

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Hold the Stereotypes: Trump Supporters Aren't Necessarily What You Think
Heres President Obama dancing to Hotline Bling as if we need another reason to love this man

There are a few undisputed truths in the world  no one looks good in a fanny pack, cold pizza tastes just as good in the morning, and President Barak Obama is the coolest president to ever be in office during Americas 240 years. Seriously, the man just oozes coolness. To be fair, a lot of that coolness comes from his amazing wife Michelle, but he does have a lot of swagger on his own. Case in point, when he danced to Drakes Hotline Bling on Friday night during a White House collaboration with BET called Love and Happiness.

Because Barack Obama is nearing the end of his second term, a lot of this is the last time moments have started to happen  including this one. The Love and Happiness collaboration was the final musical event the Obamas will host at the White House.

yasbaby

The prominent guest list included some top tier musicians like Usher, The Roots, Janelle Monae, De La Soul, Jill Scott, Yolanda Adams, and Michelle Williams.

This isnt the first time President Obama has surprised everyone musically. It wasnt that long ago when he belted out Al Greens hit song Lets Stay Together.

The man knows how to command a room with his voice, inspire people with his speeches, and set an example of how to be an awesome president with his actions. It will be a sad day when he leaves office, but until then, we can at least enjoy his sense of humor.

Whoever takes over his role will have big shoes to fill  thats for sure.

The post Heres President Obama dancing to Hotline Bling as if we need another reason to love this man appeared first on HelloGiggles.
By Jilian Mincer (Reuters) - Companies can reduce the risk from the type of cyber attack that took out major websites on Friday by using multiple vendors for the critical internet service known as a domain name service, or DNS, companies and security experts said on Sunday. "We have advocated for years for redundancy in your infrastructure," said Kyle York, chief strategy officer for Dyn, the New Hampshire DNS provider that was attacked on Friday. "I don't think you can ever be safe enough or redundant enough." Hackers unleashed a complex attack on the internet through common devices like webcams and digital recorders and cut access to some of the world's best known websites on Friday, a stunning breach of global internet stability. York said clients who used multiple servers "saw less of an impact." Using multiple DNS providers can, however, make managing traffic more complicated and costly, experts said. Friday's cyber attack alarmed security experts because it represented a new type of threat rooted in the proliferation of simple digital devices such as webcams. Such devices often lack proper security, and hackers found a way to harness millions of them to flood a target with so much traffic that it can't cope. The attack on Dyn and the resulting outage started in the Eastern United States on Friday and then spread to other parts of the country and Europe, affecting companies including Twitter and Paypal. DNS providers such as Dyn act as a switchboard for internet traffic. "It's important to implement diversity geographically, as well as architecturally," for a defense against domain name service attacks, said Andy Ellis, chief security officer at Akamai Technologies, which helped Dyn recover on Friday. Businesses can choose up to eight authoritative domain service providers, and some of the hardest-hit sites were customers who only picked Dyn. Eliminating the threat from the unsecured devices that make up what's often called the Internet of Things will be a much tougher task, however. Many inexpensive webcams, connected thermostats, baby monitors and other products lack even basic security and sometimes use hard-coded passwords that are simple to break, security experts said. Law enforcement authorities said on Friday they are investigating the attack. The tools making the new type of attack possible were released on the internet by unknown hackers last month, thus creating a long list of possible suspects. "This is the new norm, the internet wasn't designed with these kinds of attacks in mind," said cyber security expert and entrepreneur Barrett Lyon. Long term solutions would likely require governments to take far more responsibility for mandating internet security, experts agreed. Chinese electronics component manufacturer Hangzhou Xiongmai Technology said on Sunday that weak default passwords on its products inadvertently played a role in the cyber attack, according to a report from IDG News Service. The company said it has patched the flaws and now is asking customers to change the default password the first time they use it. (Additional Reporting by Joseph Menn in San Francisco and Jim Finkle in Boston; Editing by Joanthan Weber and Sandra Maler)
By Alastair Sharp TORONTO (Reuters) - Canadian financial technology startup Lending Loop said on Monday it was re-launching its online lending marketplace after receiving regulator approval to sell investment opportunities to lenders regardless of their wealth. The company, which paused its unlicensed operation in March, said the Ontario Securities Commission has now granted it an exempt market dealer license, and that it can connect small businesses looking to raise capital to individual lenders seeking a return on capital everywhere in Canada except Quebec. The approval, which follows a rival company's green light last month, suggests Canadian regulators are coming to terms with the peer-to-peer lending model, which is already popular in the United States, Europe and elsewhere. "These are successful business models that help the middle class, they help small businesses, so why not here?," said Cato Pastoll, Lending Loop's chief executive. The company will allow borrowers - typically small and medium-sized businesses - to seek loans of between C$5,000 and C$500,000 and over durations ranging from 3 months to 5 years. Lenders that do not meet minimum net worth requirements will be allowed to invest up to C$2,500 per project and C$10,000 ($7,500) per year in total on the platform, Pastoll said. Rival Lendified Holdings Inc and its Vault Circle Inc subsidiary secured an exempt market dealer license on Sept. 28. It plans to present lending opportunities only to accredited investors, who must have significant financial assets, when it launches in the first quarter of 2017. The OSC, Canada's largest securities regulator, said in September it was broadly looking to reduce regulatory burden, and that it was creating an innovation hub called LaunchPad to help fintech companies navigate its rules. ($1 = 1.3330 Canadian dollars) (Reporting by Alastair Sharp; Editing by Sandra Maler)
MarketWatch

If you really want to rev up your retirement savings and minimize income taxes, the best thing to be is a late-career professional in private practice. When youre making a lot of money and are close to retirement age, you have savings options that go way beyond the levels of the typical workplace 401(k) plan. As long as you can handle a little extra paperwork and some fees, you can set up a solo retirement plan and enjoy higher limits than most employees.
After the Galaxy Note 7 fiasco, Samsung is out to impress with the Galaxy Note 8, expected to land late summer/early fall.

Owners of Samsung's Galaxy Note 7 in South Korea are being offered a new compensation package.

In a move to appease Galaxy Note 7 owners who had to exchange their faulty devices for a Galaxy S7 after reports of battery fires and exploding phones, the South Korean electronics and mobile giant announced an upgrade program that will make them eligible for a Galaxy S8 or Galaxy Note 8 when they're launched next year.

Customers will be able to upgrade to the forthcoming models at half the price of the Galaxy S7.

This is Samsung's latest attempt to quell angry consumers. The company has also offered 100,000 KRW (US$88) in compensation to Note 7 owners in the country.

There is no word on whether or not the upgrade program will be offered outside South Korea.
A Sparta man who forced three heroin addicts to work as prostitutes will serve 25 years in federal prison.

Monta Groce, 30, also will serve 20 years on supervised release, according to the U.S. Attorneys Office in Madison.

Groce from late 2012 to 2013 convinced the victims to prostitute for his profit by providing them with heroin. As their addictions grew, Groce used violence or threatened to withhold heroin if they refused to prostitute or kept profits. He advertised the victims online and paid other addicts to drive them around Wisconsin and Minnesota to work.

The first victim testified at trial that Groce forced her to prostitute before supplying her with heroin and burned her face with a cigarette when she kept money from him. She escaped his control with the help of another woman, but, in April 2014, Groce beat her for cooperating with police.

The second woman told jurors that Groce threatened her with a gun when she refused a prostitution assignment, according to the attorneys office. He threw her into a bathtub when she used his bed with a prostitution customer.

A third victim testified she worked as a prostitute for Groce because she feared heroin withdrawal.

The jury in July convicted Groce of three counts of sex trafficking by force, threats or coercion, conspiracy to engage in interstate transportation for prostitution, interstate transportation for prostitution, maintaining a property for drug trafficking, using a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking and witness retaliation.

The case was investigated by the FBIs Milwaukee Division, the Sparta Police Department and the Monroe County Joint Investigative Task Force.

Groce beat, tormented and enslaved vulnerable young women struggling with heroin addiction, said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Vanita Gupta, head of the Justice Departments Civil Rights Division. He treated them as sex slaves rather than human beings, and his unconscionable actions offend the most basic standards of human decency. Nothing can undo the harm Groce inflicted or the pain he caused, but hopefully this sentence provides some measure of closure and relief for the victims.
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Samsung has an interesting deal for Note7 owners in South Korea: Replace the device with a Galaxy S7 or S7 Edge now, and get a Galaxy S8 or Galaxy Note8 phone next year for half the price.

The Korea Herald reported the plan Monday, quoting a statement from Samsung, and Reuters posted a similar report.

SEE ALSO: U.S. bans Samsung Galaxy Note7 from all flights

Both reports claim customers would be able to replace the Note7 for a discount on Note8, which would mean the Note line of devices is not dead.

All Samsung Note7 phones have been recalled due to an issue that causes the battery to overheat and, sometimes, catch fire. The phone has been discontinued, and there is no further support for it, but despite Samsung's pleas for customers to return it, there are still hundreds of thousands of unreturned Note7 phones out there.

Samsung's new plan is currently only live in South Korea, and will be carried out by the end of November. However, the Korea Herald claims a similar upgrade program will follow in other countries.

The offer itself sounds interesting, especially for early adopters, but it's risky. Anyone that agrees will basically be paying for a device they know nothing about  and even though you get it at half the price, the S8 or even the Note8 might not be to your liking.

The thing is, we don't know anything about these phones  or their batteries  right now. Not a single spec has been announced, or even leaked at this point. The S8 is slated to arrive in February or March of 2017, but that hasn't been confirmed either; there's no rumors as to when the company might launch the Note8.

And even though the arrival of new Samsung flagships next year isn't hard to guess, it's rare for a company like Samsung to even acknowledge the existence of a new flagship phone this far ahead.

We've contacted Samsung about the details of the program and the possibility of it launching elsewhere, but have not yet heard from the company.
Tom Hanks returned to SNL for the ninth time this week, and his opening monologue came in the form of a talk with his metaphorical son: America.

Hanks, reflecting on the current political tension and social media of our age, sat down to address the audience, clad in a knit sweater, as though it were his teenage son moving into adolescence. You can watch the full speech up above.

Hey buddy. Theres my big growing nation. How ya doin, champ? Hanks started, then went on to talk about how America is changing, how its complexion is getting a little darker, and a lot gayer than we used to be. Hanks then asked about our financial situation.

Also Read: 'SNL': Tom Hanks and Kenan Thompson play 'Black Jeopardy'

How ya doin? You okay with money? asked Hanks, clad in his best Mister Rogers sweater, saying that he couldnt help us out of this mess. I dont have $19 trillion dollars, I have $230 million dollars.

I actually feel better about America after hearing @tomhanks give us a fatherly pep talk. Great monologue on @nbcsnl #HanksOnSNL  Dana Steer (@DanaSteer) October 23, 2016

Despite our apparent massive gun collection and the scent of weed in the air, Hanks brushed off all of Americas faults, focusing instead on where weve done well and what we have to look forward to. Hanks monologue was peppered with modern teenage jargon, with attempts at words like trill and fleek failing in an endearing manner that only Hanks could deliver.

Also Read: 'SNL': Alec Baldwin's Trump and Kate McKinnon's Clinton Go Head to Head in Final Debate Parody

.@tomhanks as Americas Dad just brought tears to my eyes. I don't know if that says more about the state of me or the state of our country.  Deena Nyer (@deenatypedthis) October 23, 2016

In the fact of Americas shortcomings, Hanks reassured the country that he believed in us. Youre going to make the right choices, Hanks reassured the audience, wrapping up his heartfelt monologue as Americas Dad.

Story continues

Hanks continues to climb the ranks of what is known as the Five or More club, the group of entertainers who have hosted at least five episodes of SNL. Hanks ranks below other actors such as Alec Baldwin, who has hosted 13 episodes, and Steve Martin, who currently holds the record with fourteen hosted episodes of SNL.

Related stories from TheWrap:

Watch Leslie Jones Lay It All Out There In 'SNL' Rant about Hacked Nudes (Video)

'SNL': Watch a Trump-Supporting Tom Hanks Play 'Black Jeopardy' (Video)

'SNL': Watch Alec Baldwin's Trump and Kate McKinnon's Clinton Go Head to Head in Final Debate Parody (Video)

How Donald Trump Made 'SNL' Great Again
I like it when my book tours take me to Oconomowoc if only to hear New York City-based publicists try to pronounce Oconomowoc. I usually allow them two or three tries before gently guiding them through it, just one of those subtle reminders to the East Coasters that out here in the Heartland we too are capable of esoterica.

I am just returned to our farm after a week that took me to several different Wisconsin venues: an auditorium in Reedsburg, the Thrasher Opera House in Green Lake, a conference room in Madison and independent bookstores in Watertown and the aforementioned Oconomowoc. As this was a homegrown book and music tour not involving Manhattan publicists, there was no need to hand out pronunciation guides.

Now I am back in the room over the garage where I do most of my typing, and as so often happens, I find myself wanting to acknowledge the diverse blessings of these little trips.

For instance, at one of the stops I met a man named Richard who once sent me a letter suggesting that the Little Library concept (in which private citizens erect birdhouse-like mini-libraries and stock them with books for the taking and trading) be extended to taverns.

This seems like a fine idea to me. Imagine the glory of reading a dog-eared novel beneath the neon glow and within arms reach of a gallon of pickled eggs! Let us have a well-read citizenry, and let them have a beer.

At another event, a woman told me she ditched her dentist appointment in order to make it to the bookstore over the noon hour. I hope she brushed twice as long that day.

In another instance a woman came through the line with two books  one of mine to sign, and the other a mystery written by an acquaintance Ive not seen for a long while. This woman would not have known of my familiarity with the other writer, nor will she know how in that moment she allowed me an unexpected and lovely vicarious memory visit with him.

One night last week a guitar player and I crossed Wisconsin from midnight to 3 a.m. Over one stretch between Montello and Mauston, it seemed we dodged a deer every 500 yards. The guitar player came to the Midwest via a Connecticut childhood, a Yale education and a long stretch of Texas roadhouses and honky-tonks.

As you might expect, she is a conversationalist of the highest order. Among other things we discussed Pedagogy of the Oppressed, intersectionality, beef sticks and the composition of set lists. The miles sped by and we missed all the whitetails.

That segment of the tour was only three days ago, but now as my van cools in the garage it seems three years.

There is always that moment when you come in off the road  even from a mini-tour like this  and feel both happily home and disoriented.

Even as I sort through the recent memories and images and flashes of a hundred brief conversations, Im also thinking about tonights chicken chores, tomorrows deadlines and catching up on the day-to-day news with my little family.

There is a feeling that I am back where I belong but still decelerating. So many miles, so many faces, now Im at my desk, going nowhere.

If I offered sentiments commensurate to my situation, I would never write any other words but thank you.
Police are looking for a man who dropped his pants and exposed himself in front of a car Saturday night, a car that had four young children in the back seat.

The incident happened shortly before 8 p.m. in the 400 block of West Gilman Street, Madison police said.

After dropping his pants, he pulled them up and walked to the passenger side window of the car, which had the 38-year-old dad and 33-year-old mom in the front seats.

"She told the man 'There are kids in here' to which he said 'Good for you' and proceeded to make sexually derogatory remarks to the children," said police spokesman Joel DeSpain.

The mother told him she was calling police, so he pulled his pants down several more times then walked away.

Police went to the scene but didn't find the suspect.
Alec Cook, who was charged last week with sexually assaulting an acquaintance and then was re-arrested late last week after other women claimed he had also sexually assaulted them, will be charged Tuesday in a 30-count criminal complaint that alleges he sexually assaulted four women over the past several months, a Dane County prosecutor said in court Monday.

Cook, 20, a UW-Madison junior from Minnesota who was suspended from school after the allegations were made, also kept notebooks detailing the grooming and stalking of women, Assistant District Attorney Colette Sampson said.

Cook was charged on Wednesday with multiple sexual assault counts after a woman alleged that he assaulted her at his apartment earlier this month.

He was re-arrested on Thursday after another woman came forward and alleged that he had sexually assaulted her in 2015, police said. Then on Friday, police said a third woman came forward, also making sexual assault allegations against Cook.

A fourth has since come forward, Sampson said, and charges pertaining to her will be included in the complaint. Two more women have also contacted police, she said, and she expects there will later be additional sexual assault charges related to one, and stalking charges related to the other.

Cook appeared at a bail hearing on Monday with his lawyers, Chris Van Wagner and Jessa Nicholson. After hearing arguments, Court Commissioner Jason Hanson declined to set bail, and instead ordered Cook to remain in custody until Tuesday, when another court commissioner will be able to read the criminal complaint and make a more accurate assessment about bail for Cook.

Sampson had asked for $250,000 bail, while Van Wagner asked for a signature bond, arguing that Cook has no prior criminal history and would be living at his parents home in Minnesota.

Sampson said the complaint to be filed Tuesday will include the charges filed last week, which would be rolled into the new complaint.

Charges will include 11 felony sexual assault counts, two counts of false imprisonment, one strangulation count and more than 15 misdemeanor sexual assault counts, she said.

Since the reporting of the first victim in news coverage, weve had numerous victims come forward, Sampson said. During the execution of a search warrant of Cooks apartment, Sampson said, police found a notebook that contains what is believed to be his grooming and stalking techniques for numerous women. There were more than 20 such notebooks, she said, but only one has been reviewed by investigators so far.

Since then there have been individuals who have come forward, and law enforcement is looking through those books to search out additional victims that might be found, Sampson said.

Sampson showed Hanson what she said was a copy of the index page to one of the notebooks, telling him that it listed the interests of the women that Cook was pursuing, what he would do with them, and one column simply marked, kill, which Sampson said has not been defined.

Sampson said that investigators believe that Cook has been sexually assaulting women since March 2015, and over time the level of his aggressiveness has grown. Many of the misdemeanor sexual assault charges relate to women in a dance class in which Cook was a student.

Van Wagner said that a media firestorm over the case erupted on social media, particularly on Facebook, and thats prompted others to come forward.

Much of what has been reported on there has been, for lack of a better expression, character assassination of my client, Van Wagner said, calling him everything under the sun, calling him a dangerous alpha male. Those things are horrible things to be accused of, but more importantly, that has prompted a lot of people to apparently go back and re-examine their relationships with him and conclude, whether accurately or not, that they were the victim of a crime.

Those kinds of cases, in which victims report long after events, Van Wagner said, are the sorts of cases that pose a great deal of proof problems.

Of the notebooks, Van Wagner said that when he was an English literature major in college, every single short story could be interpreted 12 ways.
Honors: Retired and Senior Volunteer Program of Dane County (RSVP) held its 44th Anniversary Volunteer Appreciation event last week. 2016 Presidents Lifetime Achievement Awards were presented to those who have 4,000 or more hours of service. Award recipients include: Elizabeth Derleth, Robert Hillner, Nancy Womack, Betty Burmeister, Michael Tomski, and Joanne Bunge, all of Madison; Gail Kluever and Patricia Berman, of Oregon; Phyllis Johnson and Barb Schoenberg, of Verona; Tom Thousand, of Dane; Lorene Webber, of Monona. 2016 RSVP Length of Service Awards are given to those achieving 20 consecutive years of service. Award recipients include: Gladys Hartwig, Marcia Holman and Paul Kusuda, of Madison; Everett and Phyllis Johnson, of Verona; Frederick Kruger and Ralph Stromquist, of Oregon; Rosemary Lee, Waunakee; Charles Spelbring and Kay Schoonmaker, of Sun Prairie.
As Iraqi and Kurdish troops began the operation to liberate Mosul from the Islamic State, with help from U.S. advisers and air power, my mind flashed back to my visit to the city in 2003. It was not long after U.S. troops had first seized control from Saddam Husseins forces. Gen. David Petraeus, then commander of the 101st Airborne, was reaching out to the leaders of this multiethnic, but mainly Sunni, Arab city.

But as I walked around Mosuls city hall, one official pulled me aside, and warned presciently, in a whisper: Saddams men are growing beards and moving into the Sunni mosques. When the Americans leave, they will return as Islamists. Sure enough, when U.S. troops pulled back, Sunni Islamist jihadis emerged. They morphed over the years  through several iterations  into the Islamic State.

So the nagging question is what happens on the day after the Islamic State, when the jihadis are driven out of Mosul and surrounding Nineveh province. If the military plan succeeds, will there be any political follow-up to prevent Sunni grievances from producing a son of the Islamic State?

Right now, no such political plan is in sight. And no one understands the danger of such a political vacuum better than the Kurds. The big worry on our part is who is going to govern Mosul and Nineveh and how, I was recently told by Bayan Sami Abdul Rahman, the smart, thoughtful representative of Iraqs Kurdish Regional Government in Washington.

What the Kurds fear most is that, absent a prior accord between the Baghdad government and the Kurdish region, the liberation of Mosul and Nineveh will only lead to new fighting. Even worse, outside powers, such as Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Iran, might fight a proxy war over who controls Mosul and its surroundings, backing different Sunni or Shiite factions.

Why should Americans care, you ask? Because out of such Iraqi chaos (along with the Syrian chaos next door) can grow new jihadi movements, or even wars between Arab countries.

And because there still is a slim chance that  with renewed cache from helping liberate Mosul  the United States could help mediate the Iraqi politics of the post-Islamic State era.

To understand how, lets look at the main players who will be competing for turf when the Islamic State is defeated, as it will be, perhaps sooner than many expect. (Warning: these details may give you a headache, but they are key to understanding the perils of post-Islamic State Iraq.)

First, the Kurds. Right now the Kurds and the Iraqi government are on reasonable terms because Baghdad needs Kurdish fighters to help liberate Mosul. But the Kurds already hold parts of Nineveh they seized from the Islamic State over the past two years. They want those areas to become part of an independent Kurdish state, or, at minimum, to be part of a confederation loosely linked with the rest of Iraq. Those new boundaries, and the fate of Kurdish-populated sections of Mosul, need to be negotiated with Baghdad. Without such talks, the post-Islamic State era could see fighting between the Iraqi army and the Kurds.

Second, the Iraqi Shiites. The countrys Shiite prime minister, Haidar Abadi, has made efforts at co-existence with Sunni Arabs and Kurds. However, the countrys powerful Shiite militias, directed from Tehran, are eager to eclipse the Iraqi army and play a major role in liberating Nineveh, if not Mosul. (Iran would like to secure a territorial corridor through Nineveh to next-door Syria, where it supports Bashar al-Assad.) If those Shiite militias enter the Nineveh fray, they are likely to take bloody revenge against the majority of Sunnis there, whom they blame for the crimes of the Islamic State. The Shiite militias may also fight the Kurds for Nineveh turf.

Third, the Iraqi Sunnis. Deprived of their patron, Saddam Hussein, some bitter Sunnis backed al-Qaida and then the Islamic State. But the bulk probably could have been wooed by a smart Shiite leader who offered them some political carrots. Instead, Iraqs Shiite leaders, under Iranian pressure, mainly used sticks; they have yet even to permit a Sunni tribal national guard to fight the Islamic State. The defeat of the Islamic State opens the door for a new deal, perhaps offering Sunnis one or two federal states that would motivate them to squelch any remaining jihadis. But if Shiite militias surge into Nineveh, that will end hopes for co-existence.

Fourth, the outside meddlers, Iran and Turkey. Tehran wants a weak Iraq that it controls through Shiite militias; Ankara has dreams of an Ottoman empire redux, and has sent a few hundred troops into Iraq against the wishes of Baghdad. They, along with the Saudis, could stir up trouble by pushing their Iraqi proxies to fight each other.

So you can see the need for a post-Islamic State political accord among Iraqi factions that works out the lines between Arabs and Kurds in Nineveh and Mosul. It would also have to give Sunnis some hope while assuaging Shiite fears of a Sunni power revival. And it would have to delineate who would control what within post-Islamic State Nineveh province (including safe areas for the Christians and Yazidis for whom the province was their historic home).

Such an accord is probably a pipe dream, especially if Iraqs neighbors refuse to keep their paws off the country. But absent a deal  which would require serious U.S. diplomatic help  post-Islamic State Iraq is likely to look pretty ugly. And you can be certain the jihadis will be back under some new name.
I am Kerry Burgess. This is what I think.




Bethany Lutheran Videos at Each Live Worship Service

Such is the contrast between the Bible of the old and the Bible of the new theologies. That there are compromise systems between the twoor at any rate attempts at a compromise  is certainly true; but it is impossible to effect a compromise between systems fundamentally and essentially at variance. This is a case of either  or, Delitzsch was right when he maintained that a deep chasm existed between the old and the new theology, and this chasm exists because there is a chasm between the Bible of the old and the Bible of the new theologies. In one word, the Scriptures of the one is the Bible without God; the Scriptures of the other is the Bible of and with God.

The Bible Of The Old And The Bible Of The New Theology. By Rev. Professor George H. Schodde, Ph. D., Columbus, O. in Loy, ed. The Columbus Theological Magazine. Vol. 18, 1898. LutheranLibrary.org
I wholeheartedly agree with the frustrations voiced in the Aug. 17 editorial "More Nonsense from the Legislature" but disagree that the Safe Roads Amendment doesn't make sense.

The frustrations with the General Assembly are exactly why Safe Roads makes a lot of sense for taxpayers. As the leader of a group that advocates for taxpayers, we support this amendment as a good step in protecting taxpayers from the chronic overspending of our politicians.

Nearly $7 billion earmarked for transportation was swept out of the state's Road Fund over the past dozen years and used for non-transportation spending.

This practice breaks a trust with taxpayers who believe these fees and gas taxes are, at the least, being used for what politicians said they would be used for  maintaining our transportation infrastructure.

These dollars swept from road spending have contributed to our crumbling transportation infrastructure, threatening a key driver of Illinois' economy.

We can see the painful results of a government that spends too much  eventually, its most important priorities, including infrastructure, are left behind.

Taxpayers deserve certainty that the taxes and fees they pay for transportation projects actually go to transportation priorities.

Too many times, we've trusted our elected officials to spend taxpayer funds as they promised, only to be let down.

The Safe Roads Amendment will hold lawmakers accountable for once and give taxpayers an assurance that the gas taxes they pay are actually being spent on the transportation priorities.
CHICAGO - Illinois Citizens for Life surveyed and reviewed public statements and/or voting records of candidates on the Illinois November 8th ballot on pro-life issues. Their findings are reflected on the group's scorecard released Monday.

The group - headed by lobbyist Ralph Rivera - gave the highest rating - a "U" - to presidential Republican candidate Donald Trump and a "1" to Trump's running mate, Mike Pence. Hillary Clinton received a "4" and her running mate Tim Kaine a "3." (Note: Updated after story's original publication)

None of the Illinois candidates for U.S. Senate received a "1" rating. ICL scored the top two candidates - Democrat Tammy Duckworth and Republican incumbent Mark Kirk - both with a "4" - indicating they are both "totally opposed to pro-life issues."

Among congressional candidates, incumbent Democrat Dan Lipinski (03), Republican incumbents Peter Roskam (06), Mike Bost (12), Rodney Davis (13), Randy Hultgren (14), John Shimkus (15), Adam Kinzinger (16) and Darin LaHood (18) were rated with a "1" - meaning they are fully pro-life. (Davis and Kinzinger with a #, indicating a rape/incest exception)

Among Republican U.S. Congressional challengers, 11th District's Tonia Khouri received a 1# rating and Patrick Harlan (17) with a 1 rating.

None of the candidates for state comptroller are known to hold pro-life views, according to the scorecard.

Eleven state Senate candidates are listed as pro-life, and 57 candidates for the state House were given the top score.

Several county and judicial candidates were rated as pro-life.

Review the ICL's Scorecard here.
By PTI: Colombo, Oct 22 (PTI) Two Sri Lankan navy vessels today embarked on a seven-day training and goodwill visit to India.

Offshore Patrol Vessel SLNS Sayura and Fast Missile Vessel SLNS Suranimala will visit Cochin Port from October 22-28 to take part in a series of training programmes.

More than 300 navy personnel, including 12 midshipmen undergoing sea training, are scheduled to take part in the visit, the Sri Lankan Navy said.

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The visit would allow them to meet and interact with their Indian counterparts, strengthening the bilateral relations and friendship between the two navies, it said.

The crew will visit a number of training schools under the Indian Southern Naval Command, including INS Venduruthy and INS Dronacharya, and take part in a wide range of training programmes, covering a wide spectrum of activities. PTI CORR ABH

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The clash comes ahead of the crucial meeting called by SP supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav to take a "final call" on the bitter turf war within his family and the party.

By Indo-Asian News Service: Supporters of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav and Samajwadi party leader Shivpal Yadav clashed outside the party office on Monday. Police and security officials had a tough time dispersing the unruly mobs.

The clash comes ahead of the crucial meeting called by SP supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav to take a "final call" on the bitter turf war within his family and the party.

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Shivpal Yadav drove into the party office at the Vikramaditya Marg ahead of Akhilesh Yadav. This was the first time that the Chief Minister came to the party office after September 13, the day the present duel within the SP started.

WILL NOT BREAK SAMAJWADI PARTY: AKHILESH



An emotional Akhilesh addressed the crowd in which he said,"Will not break the party at any cost. I will not spare anyone who is close to Amar Singh."

Mulayam Singh Yadav also reached the party office and is slated to meet party leaders, office bearers, legislators and workers soon.

#WATCH Clash between Akhilesh Yadav supporters & Shivpal Yadav supporters outside SP office in Lucknow. pic.twitter.com/TuMtvxtL5C&; ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) October 24, 2016

In a related development Akshay Yadav, son of expelled national General Secretary Ram Gopal Yadav, has shot off an angry letter to the party leadership, accusing the leaders of humiliating his father.

Ram Gopal, meanwhile, has said that there was no possibility of a split in the party as "Akhilesh Yadav was himself a party".

ALSO READ:

Uncle sacked, father miffed: Akhilesh Yadav stirs storm in SP, can it survive the split tide?

UP CM Akhilesh Yadav sacks uncle Shivpal again, declares war on Amar Singh

Mulayam Singh 'very upset' with Akhilesh; Shivpal offered to quit: Beni Prasad



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By PTI: Chandigarh, Oct 24 (PTI) Punjab Congress chief Amarinder Singh today came down heavily on Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and his son and deputy Sukhbir Singh Badal, alleging that they were treating the states ex-servicemen "as pawns on their political chessboard".

"The Badals have a history of ill-treating ex-servicemen and the families of martyrs... They treat them as pawns on their political chessboard," he said.

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He said the inauguration of a war memorial in Amritsar by the chief minister yesterday was a "political gimmickry" ahead of the Assembly polls.

"The ex-servicemen (who attended the function) had been told that they would be escorted to the inauguration venue but they later discovered to their shock and distress that they had been actually taken to the venue of a Badal rally," he claimed.

"With more than 50 per cent of the ex-servicemen choosing to leave the rally ground by the time the chief minister started speaking, it was clear that these loyal ex-soldiers had no faith in the Akali government, which had completely ignored their interests all these years," the former chief minister said in a statement here.

Terming the war memorial, inaugurated with much hype, as a "useless waste of public money", Amarinder said Punjab did not need more memorials.

"Rather, it needed upkeep and maintenance of the existing memorials as well as urgent measures to address long-pending woes of the ex-servicemen and war widows," he said.

Amarinder, who represents Amritsar in the Lok Sabha, took a jibe at the chief minister over his "directions" to the DCs and SSPs to "stand up from their chair whenever an ex-service personnel enters their office".

"Considering the step-motherly treatment meted out to these personnel by the Akali government, such a move is clearly nothing more than a publicity stunt with an eye on the forthcoming election," he said.

Ex-servicemen, along with war widows, constitute a substantial vote bank in Punjab, which explains the Badals sudden interest in appeasing them, he claimed.

"However, despite their importance in the Punjab pollscape, they continue to be sidelined by the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) government," he alleged.

"War widows and family members of the 1962, 1965 and 1971 war martyrs have been up in arms against the Badal government over the delay in providing them financial compensation. They have already rejected the Rs 50 lakh special grant-in-aid announced by the state government, which (CM) Badal had on Sunday listed out as part of his governments role in the welfare of former service personnel," he said. (MORE) PTI SUN SMN

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By PTI: Jamshedpur, Oct 24 (PTI) The Jharkhand bandh called by opposition parties in protest against Barkagaon police firing and move to change Chhotanagpur and Santal Paragana Tenancy Act disrupted normal life in the steel city in East Singhbhum district today and mixed response in adjoining Seraikela-Kharswan.

Shops and markets, petrol pumps, business establishments downed their shutters as road traffic was thin as majority of city buses, long-distance vehicles remained off the road apprehending violence, official sources said.

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Around 900 bandh supporters including senior party leaders - former Jharkhand Minister Banna Gupta and Dulal Bhuiyan, Secretary of Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (Prajatantrik) Abhay Singh - were rounded up in East Singhbhum and Seraikela-Kharswan districts.

However, autorickshaws plied on road though in depleted numbers.

In steel city bandh supporters deflated tyres of some commercial vehicles and damaged few plying auto-rickshaws, the sources said adding activists of opposition parties Congress, JVM, Left parties took to the street in support of bandh.

Gupta, Bhuiyan and Singh, who were rounded up along with hundreds of supporters in Sakchi police station, claimed that the bandh was spontaneous and successful.

Gupta, who was arrested from his house in Kadma area, questioned the state government?s intention behind arresting him even before he stepped out of his home whereas the bandh was being observed in a democratic and peaceful manner.

The bandh evoked mixed response in adjoining Seraikela-Kharswan district, where around 150 bandh activists were rounded up.

No untoward incident was reported from any part of the district so far, a police officer added. PTI BS SUS SUS

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By PTI: Tezpur, Oct 24 (PTI) Demanding a separate Bodoland state to be carved out of Assam, several Bodo organisations today resorted to rail blockade at Udalguri in the state to revive the Bodoland statehood movement. The All Bodo Student Union (ABSU), the National Democratic Front of Bodoland (Progressive), the People Joint Action Committee For Bodoland (PJACBM) besides several Bodo organisations blocked rail movement for 12 hours, disrupting train connectivity in the northern part of Assam since early morning. Over 20,000 people coming from far-flung areas of both Udalguri and Sonitpur districts joined the programme shouting slogans "No Bodoland no rest", "No discrimination against Bodos will be tolerated", an official said. The blockade in Udalguri railway station resulted in disruption of rail communication on the Udalguri-Tezpur- Dekargaon, NJP-Rangapara-Naharlagun sections with trains stopped in different railway stations, officials said.

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Coming down heavily on the "discriminatory stand of BJP" at the Centre and the state towards addressing the long pending demands of the Bodo people, ABSU President Pramod Bodo addressing the protesters here said, "we warn the government that no political conspiracy against Bodos will be tolerated". Demanding "safety and right of the ethnic Bodo people and a united Bodo nation", he accused the NDA government of coming to power with a false commitment of solving the Bodoland issue. "We the joint group were optimistic of resolving our half century long crisis when the national leadership of BJP raised the slogans of Paribartan (change) and acche din aane wala hain on the eve of the polls before they came to the power," Bodo said. "Believing it, we met the national leadership such as Union Ministers Rajnath Singh and Kiren Rijiju repeatedly for the last two and half years. The Bodo organisations also met Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal when he was union minister many a time appealing him to resume the tripartite talks with the Bodo organisations for permanent peace and solution to the unsolved Bodo issues," he said. The government is ignoring and undermining the issues as they are engaging in political conspiracy to exploit the marginalised groups and the communities of the country whom they promised to deliver an equitable governance and justice after more than half century of Congress rule at the Centre, he alleged. "Since we have contribution to the BJP coming to power we had expectations from the BJP regime that something would be done to resolve the Bodo problem. So we waited for the last two and half years without taking up any agitational programme," he added. PTI COR ESB PR UZM

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By PTI: New Delhi, Oct 24 (PTI) Cautioning investors against rumours via social media platforms and SMSes in the name of festive bonanza, BSE today advised members to remain on the guard on tips circulated for dealing in securities listed on the exchange.

In a notice today, the exchange has also asked the brokers to advise their clients not to blindly follow rumours and tips and invest in securities. They should only do so after conducting appropriate analysis of respective companies.

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"On the background of festive season and in continuation to its various measures for the purposes of investor protection and maintaining market integrity, BSE is once again issuing this advisory to exercise greater caution with respect to tips/rumours circulated via various mediums such as analyst websites, social networks, SMS, WhatsApp, Blogs etc. while dealing in the securities listed on the Exchange on behalf of their clients," BSE said in a circular.

In recent past, the exchange has come across SMS tips being circulated whereby as a festive bonanza, various stocks are being recommended with higher price targets leading to heightened trading activities in such stocks, BSE said.

Market regulator Sebi has busted various scams wherein trading tips were being offered through SMSes and WhatsApp messages by unregistered investment advisors while promising guaranteed returns.

In a large number of cases, those offering such SMS tips services are not registered with the market authorities to carry out such operations and make wrong claims of being authorised entities and also use the names of stock exchanges, for their messages and websites. PTI PRJ PRJ JM

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CRPF's training hub for officers at Kadirpur, outside the national capital, has witnessed a sharp drop in the number of under-training officers. The shortfall has doubled up in just three years.

By Jugal R Purohit: Notwithstanding the patriotic fervour witnessed in the aftermath of the surgical strikes against Pakistan, India's biggest Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs), the Border Security Force (BSF) and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) have been in for a rude shock.

From being deployed to conduct elections across the country to controlling stone-pelters in Kashmir to countering the Maoists to taking on insurgents in north eastern states, the CRPF is the government's preferred tool to handle internal security.

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However, at the CRPF's training hub for officers at Kadirpur, outside the national capital, a sharp drop has been recorded in the number of under-training officers. The shortfall has doubled up in just three years.

CRPF break up of recruitments and deficiencies.

The 45th course which was conducted in 2013 had space for 212 officers. The CRPF accordingly short-listed as many candidates and issued appointment letters.

However, only 152 candidates reported, implying a 28 per cent shortfall. Since then, the statistics have only gone south. The 46th batch saw 85 reporting when 168 appointment letters were issued. In the 47th batch, out of 138 candidates, only 82 reported. The worse has been the result this year.

Also read: India-US military agreement: All you need to know about the deal that took over a decade in coming



EXTENSIONS SOUGHT



Twenty seven appointment letters issued, but only 10 under training officers have reported. CRPF officials said two more would turn up later. 11 have sought an extension (which means they can join the next batch but not after that) whereas six have retreated. As a result, the shortfall has gone beyond 56 per cent.

Said an insider, "Rules allow a candidate to seek an extension of upto a year after she gets the appointment letter. However, experience says that most of those who seek extension seldom join the force. They seek time to try out more options".

The junior officers who report to the Kadirpur academy undergo a year-long training course and are then deployed as Assistant Commandants where they lead small body of troops initially. Lack of talent at that level has an unmistakable fallout on the operational edge of the force.

At Kadirpur, meanwhile, the 48th course commenced on October 10.

SITUATION NOT ALARMING



Speaking to INDIA TODAY, CRPF Director General K Durga Prasad said, "I do not believe the situation to be very alarming". CRPF's man-in-charge of personnel, Inspector General RK Mishra also dismissed the shortfall. "The attraction among youngsters for the force has not waned. As such we are conducting a cadre review and creating opportunities for our personnel," he said.

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Also read: Army's armoured thrust: Order placed for 250 mine proof vehicles to tackle terrorists



The BSF has its training academy at Tekanpur in Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh where fresh recruits begin their career as Assistant Commandants. The latest course there, also called the Union Public Service Commission 2014 batch began on October 3.

BSF break up of recruitments and deficiencies.

Out of 28 recruits who were issued appointment letters only thirteen turned up. Trend from its UPSC 2007 batch where 107 turned up for 159 appointments to UPSC 2009 where 301 took up offers when actually 386 appointments were made shows the BSF too has had its influence waning.

When asked for comments, neither the Public Relations Officer nor the Director General of the BSF responded to the query. The CRPF leadership however believes there is no reason to worry.

It is no secret that CAPF members have often gone to court to get themselves heard. Issues pertaining to pay, stagnation and perceived wrongful policies have seen heated legal arguments between force personnel, the top brass led by members from the Indian Police Service (IPS) and representatives of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).

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EFFORT WASTED

The process of issuing of the appointment letter to a candidate is a long drawn one and comes after persistent efforts of almost a year. It begins with the issuing of a notification by UPSC where applications are invited to join central armed police forces (CAPFs).

"You clear a written exam followed by a physical exam and a medical exam. Every time a candidate ditches a force, the entire effort is brought to naught. Imagine also the impact on the existing ground force when year on year you are only piling on deficiencies," said a CRPF officer.

Retired Additional Director General of CRPF, DC Dey said, "A uniformed force is not a cosy job but that does not mean that conditions have to necessarily be bad. There is a problem of career progression and pay. Sadly, no one is putting any thought into this".

Also read: Inside story of Indian Army's daring surgical strikes against Pakistan





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By PTI: From K J M Varma

Beijing, Oct 24 (PTI) Taking exception to the visit by US envoy in India to Arunachal Pradesh which it claims as southern Tibet, China today said any interference by Washington in the Sino-India boundary dispute will make it "more complicated" and "disturb" hard-won peace at the border.

Asking the US to desist from interfering in the India-China border dispute, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang told a media briefing here that China is firmly opposed to the visit.

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Referring to US envoy Richard Vermas October 22 tour to Tawang at the invitation of Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu, Lu said while replying to a question that the US envoy visited a "disputed region".

"We have also noted that the place visited by senior US diplomatic official is a disputed region between China and India. We are firmly opposed to his visit," he said.

China claims Arunachal Pradesh as part of southern Tibet and routinely protests visits by Indian leaders, foreign officials as well as the Dalai Lama to the area.

"Chinas position on eastern section of the China-India boundary is very clear and consistent. The two countries are now trying to resolve territorial disputes through negotiations and consultations," he said referring to the Special Representatives mechanism headed by National Security Advisors of both countries to find a solution.

Both sides held 19th round of Special Representatives talks to resolve the disputes over the 3,488-km Line of Actual Control (LAC).

While China claims Arunachal Pradesh as Southern Tibet and India asserts that the dispute covers Aksai Chin area which was occupied by China during the 1962 war.

Lu said "any third party with a sense of responsibility should respect efforts made by China and India for peace reconciliation and tranquility rather than the opposite," he said.

The behaviour by the US contrasts the efforts made by China and India, he said.

"It will only make the dispute more complicated, disturb the hard-won peace and tranquility of border areas and sabotage peaceful development of the region," Lu said.

"We urge the US to stop its interference in the boundary issue between China and India and make more contribution to regional peace and stability," he said.

The boundary question between China and India is very complex and sensitive, he said adding that "the interference by a third party will only stir up or heighten tensions".

"At the end of the day only the peoples of the two countries will fall victims," he said.

"We believe India and China as two major countries have enough wisdom to properly to deal with this issue and safeguard the fundamental interest of the two peoples," Lu said. PTI KJV KUN AKJ KUN

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A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said, "US interference will only make the dispute more complicated, disturb peace and tranquility of border areas and sabotage peaceful development of region".

By Ananth Krishnan: China on Monday slammed the United States for "interference" in Indo-China boundary dispute after the US ambassador in New Delhi Richard Verma visited Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh for a festival on October 21.

CHINA ALLEGE VISIT MAKES DISPUTE COMPLICATED

The Chinese Foreign Ministry said the visit by Verma would "make the dispute more complicated" as well as "sabotage peaceful development" in the region.

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Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lu Kang said "the place visited by a senior diplomatic official is a disputed region between China and India".

"We are firmly opposed to visit to disputed area between India and China," he said, adding that "China's position on eastern section is clear and consistent."

THE DISPUTE

In the eastern sector of the India-China boundary, China claims 90,000 sq km in Arunachal Pradesh, and has particularly voiced claims on the Tawang region because of its historical links with Tibet. In the western sector in Ladakh, India sees China as illegally occupying 38,000 sq km in Aksai Chin. Both sides have had long-running talks to settle the dispute, which have been slow-moving.

"The two countries are now trying to resolve territorial disputes through negotiations and consultations," said Lu.

"Any third party with a sense of responsibility should respect efforts made by China and India for peace reconciliation and tranquillity, rather than the opposite."

CHINA OPPOSED TO ANY INTERFERENCE

Lu said the "behaviour of the US runs contrast to efforts by China and India".

"It will only make the dispute more complicated, disturb peace and tranquility of border areas and sabotage peaceful development of region. We urge the US to stop interference in boundary issue between China and India and make more commitment to regional peace and stability."

"The boundary question between China and India is very complex and sensitive," he said. "Interference by a third party will only stir up or heighten tension. At the end of the day only the peoples of the two countries will fall victim. We believe India and China have the wisdom to properly handle disputes."

ALSO READ:

China confirms mega-deal for 8 attack submarines with Pakistan

India, China hold first joint army exercise in Jammu and Kashmir





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Congress leader Sanjay Nirupam demanded an apology from Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis for acting as a 'broker' for the release of 'Ae dil hai Mushkil'.

By Kamlesh Damodar Sutar: Calling the meeting between Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, MNS supremo Raj Thackeray, and Karan Johar as unconstitutional, Congress leader Sanjay Nirupam has demanded an apology from the chief minister. Accusing Fadnavis of playing a 'broker' for the release of Johar's film, 'Ae dil hai Mushkil' , Nirupam also demanded the chief minister's ouster.

Speaking to reporters in a press conference in Mumbai, Nirupam said, "The chief minister called a meeting at his official residence that too with a person who blatantly goes on to threaten people. He played the role of a broker. The meeting was completely unconstitutional and illegal. We condemn the settlement over Rs 5 crore. The chief minister should apologise for the unholy deal."

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"Even the Army has rejected the offer of extortion money for the welfare fund. Who gave them the right to fix a price of patriotism?" questioned Nirupam. The Mumbai Congress president also demanded that the 'minutes of the meeting' should be made public, otherwise the Congress party will soon go to the court.



EXTORTING MONEY



Referring to the controversial "Khoon ki Dalali" comment by Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi, Nirupam said, "The chief minister played a broker to extort money by a goon in the name on army and patriotism? isn't this Khoon ki Dalali?"

The press conference was also attended by former military officer Brig. (Retd) Reaj Saini. Saini condemned the use of army's name in the controversy. "The soldiers are happy with the army welfare fund?the army does not need any such money. It is wrong to drag army into such politics," Saini said.



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By PTI: Srinagar, Oct 24 (PTI) Accusing the ruling coalition of betraying people in Jammu and Kashmir, JKPCC today sought a "sustained and meaningful" dialogue with all stakeholders, including the separatists, to address Kashmir issue and bring the Valley out of the nearly four-month-long unrest.

"We have been seeking talks with the Hurriyat for over three months now. We told the Governor that this government is committed to dialogue but they have kept dialogue at the backdoor (sic) now, which is a betrayal with the people.

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"There should be a sustainable and meaningful dialogue with all stakeholders including the Hurriyat," Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) president G A Mir said here.

"We want to tell the two parties (PDP and BJP) that their agenda of alliance (common minimum programme) favoured sustainable dialogue by taking everyone onboard,"" he said.

Mir was addressing a press conference after a delegation of Congresss state unit called on Governor N N Vohra at Raj Bhavan here.

He said the party urged the Governor to impress upon both the state as well as the Centre to initiate a process of dialogue for addressing the issues.

"We asked the Governor to use his powers to make the state and the Centre to sit (on the dialogue table). Otherwise, how long will this bloodshed, unrest and strike continue.

"If after this, there is no meaningful dialogue by taking on-board everyone, then perhaps even the Congress party cannot play any role," he said.

The JKPCC president said the dialogue process should be initiated with an "open mind".

Let a dialogue process be initiated with an open mind, then they can seek time as these issues are such which cannot be resolved in a day. Let a group or forum be created for suggestions or dialogue where everyone can put forward his viewpoint, Mir said.

He said the ruling PDP has "betrayed" with the people.

"Now, the chief minister herself has said that AFSPA cannot be revoked even as it sought votes on that (plank) from the people. They have a habit of making u-turns. Nothing has been done for the return of the power projects as well," he said.

Mir said, during their meeting with the Governor, the party sought an inquiry by a retired Supreme Court Justice into the over three month unrest in the Valley. More PTI SSB MIJ DIP

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Dreaded gangster and mastermind of Karkardooma court shootout , Mohammad Azeem Ahmed, arrested by the Delhi police today.

By Tanseem Haider: The Crime Branch today apprehended gangster Mohammad Azeem Ahmed, who was wanted in the sensational Karkardooma Court shootout and a gruesome murder of a trader in Seelampur, Delhi.

Azeem Ahmed had a reward of Rs 50,000 for the Seelampur murder case.

A semi-automatic pistol, along with three live cartridges, has been recovered from his possession.

In pursuance of his disclosure statement, his associate Naaz has also been arrested.



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Also Read | Delhi: Criminal wanted for 21 cases including murder arrested after being on the run for two years



HOW WAS AZEEM APPREHENDED

On October 20 this year, the police received a tip-off that Azeem would be visiting Farash Khana area in old Delhi.

When the police team tried to stop him, he whipped out a pistol and fired upon the team. The police, however, overpowered him after a brief scuffle.

During interrogation, Azeem revealed that he, and his associates, had robbed a cash van in the Mansarovar Park area in 2013, and he was arrested. While in jail, he came in contact with Naasir, a notorious gangster. After coming out of jail in 2014, Azeem started looking after the activities of the Naasir gang.

Mohammad Azeem and his associates were engaged in the extortion activities from the traders/builders in East, North East, Central and North Delhi.

THE INFAMOUS KARKARDOOMA COURT FIRING

On December 23 last year, an indiscriminate firing on an under trial prisoner in police custody took place inside Karkardooma Court premises. The firing killed a Delhi Police head constable and injured three persons, including the under trial prisoner.

Constable killed in Karkardooma court shootout, 2 injured, 4 arrested

While the police arrested four juveniles from the spot and later apprehended five others, the mastermind Mohammad Azeem Ahmed had been absconding.

Azeem was also involved in another horrific case of a murder of a trader in Seelampur, Delhi.

MURDER OF TRADER IN SEELAMPUR

In May 2016, Azeem and his associates dragged out a trader from his office in Seelampur and brutally shot him dead. They also took away the licensed revolver of the victim.

The incident had created fear and panic among the residents, and it was a means of enforcing supremacy by Azeem's gang, as the murder was fallout of satta operations.

Sensing the gravity of the case, a dedicated team of Crime Branch was put to task.

Also Read:

Bloody revenge: Man kills his brother's murderer outside judge's chamber in Rajasthan court

Why this dreaded gangster's Facebook update has Rajasthan Police worried



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The task force appointed by Arvind Kejriwal held its first meeting today and discussed implementation of the action plan.

By Pankaj Jain: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal appointed an inter-ministerial task force today to tackle the problems of air pollution and solid waste management in Delhi.

The task force, headed by PWD and Health Minister Satyendra Jain, held its first meeting today and finalised the agenda for a concrete action plan, particularly during the winter months. Jain has now convened a meeting of all stakeholders on October 26 to discuss the implementation of the plan.

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The next meeting will be attended by the three municipal corporations, NDMC, Environment department, DPCC, PWD, Transport and other concerned departments.



SOLUTIONS AND ACTION PLAN



In the first meeting, comprehensive, medium and long term solutions to tackle air pollution and solid waste management were discussed at length and deliberated upon. Special emphasis was given on how to cure the burgeoning problem of the landfill sites in Delhi.

Also read: Arvind Kejriwal's Twitter war with Amarinder: Ready for debate, but with your bosses Sonia, Rahul



Additionally, decentralisation of waste management was also discussed. Innovative, low-cost and effective ideas to tackle air pollution were discussed by the task force. The meeting also discussed measures to tackle the rise in air pollution due to Diwali.

The task force has been formed to discuss and make a report to control pollution and garbage disposal till November 10. The task force will submit its detailed recommendations to the Supreme Court also.



Also read: Bird flu scare: Here's what you need to know about the virus



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Lifestyle and health risks have forced people to switch over to healthy alternative to traditional sweets this Diwali.

By Shalini Lobo: With Diwali around the corner, the country comes to life with people rushing to the nearest market to pack their Diwali goodies. From dry fruits, decorations, clothes and of course the delicious mouth watering sweet treats.

Walk through Chandni Chowk and the aroma of sweets fill the air. People come from all over the capital to purchase their little Diwali treats from this crowded bazaar.

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Chaina Ram, one of the oldest and popular confectioners in the market is buzzing with activity. Customers placing orders for Karachi Halwa, Badam Sev Pak and the delicious long gulab jamun rolls.

When it comes to quality, this sweet shop does not cut corners. The richest ghee and finest quality of dry fruits are used. Quality is never compromised.

"We work rely on our brains not our hearts. Our motto is Thoda Khao, Acha Khao", this is what the fifth generation owner of Chaina Ram Pradeep Gidwani has to say.

PATTERN OF CONSUMPTION SWERVES



Since a large number of customers are becoming health conscious, there has been a change in the pattern of consumption of the sweets. Interestingly, this confectioner does not offer sugar free sweets and does not intend to in future.

"We offer the best quality and no one has any complain. We have been like this since 1901 and are not going to change," said Pradeep Gidwani.

However, customers have another tale to tell. "I am diabetic and stay away from sweets. These days there is so much sugar and artificial agents in sweetmeats. So we gift dry fruits to people on Diwali," said Soumya.

Watch: Adulteration in sweets spoils Diwali



While there will be many who will exchange Mithai boxes this season, there are also those who still prefer to give well wrapped healthy gifts that include organic chocolates and gift hampers with juices, green tea and spices.



"Ever since adulteration in confectionery got exposed, people have switched to healthier alternatives," said Sanjay an IT professional.

"The buzz word for this festive season is 'organic'. There is a shortfall of traditional sweets. There is so much wastage and people are aware of the health consciousness around. Moreover, most of them prefer useful gifts," said food historian Sourish Bhattacharya.

SURGE OF DIABETES ALSO A FACTOR



The change in consumer pattern is also due to the surge in cases of diabetes in the country. While India had 11.9 million cases in 1980, it has now surpassed 69.2 million cases. This trend has forced consumers to switch over to other alternatives than traditional Diwali sweet treats.

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Dr. Pragiti Sawhney, a chocolatier and founder of Chockriti works out of home and this year has her hands full with Diwali orders. She uses dark chocolate and combines them with desi flavours such as Kaju Katli, Soan Papdi, Gulab Jamun, Paan and Thandai. She also has Kesar Pista macroons as well. From gift hampers to chocolate bars, this chocolatier caters to the healthy mind.

"I use pure chocolate and ensure that I do not add any sugar, butter or any artificial flavour or agent. I infuse the chocolate with organic flavours, teas and spices and these have medicinal benefits as well," said Pragiti.

With people increasingly getting conscious of their health, there is a growing demand for low calorie, low sugar organic sweets and this time it looks like this Diwali is not going to be all about the mithai after all.

Also read: RSS distributed sweets the day Mahatma Gandhi died: Congress



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The service voters, including the armed forced personnel, will now be able to cast their votes easily and quickly through e-postal ballot.

By Manjeet Negi: The government issued a notification on October 21 to enable service voters, including armed forces personnel, to cast their vote in elections through e-postal ballot.

The notification amended rule 23 of the Conduct of Election Rules, 1961.

Under this system of e-postal ballot, a blank postal ballot paper would be transmitted to the service voters electronically. This would cut short the delay experienced in the present system in two-way transmission of ballot paper by the postal services.

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ARMED FORCES DEMANDING IT FOR LONG

The armed forces personnel serving in remote and border areas would be greatly benefited since the present system of two-way transmission of ballot paper by the postal services has not been able to meet the expectations of the service voters.

The difficulties and hardships encountered by the service voters, especially by the armed forces personnel serving the border and remote areas of the country, have been receiving the attention of the government in recent times.

The issue was also agitated before the Supreme Court. The case plead for creating effective mechanism for the Armed Forces Personnel (AFP) and their families to exercise their right to vote easily and effectively.

CENTRE APPROACHED ELECTION COMMISSION, LATTER PROVIDED FOR E-POSTAL BALLOT

In this backdrop, the Centre approached the Election Commission with a view to mitigate the difficulties faced by service voters in the matter of exercising their right to vote.

The voters entitled to e-postal ballot can download the postal ballot and print the blank postal ballot. After marking their vote in the blank postal ballot, the same would be returned to the concerned Returning Officer by post.

The Election Commission proposed that the categories of voters mentioned at rule 18 of the Conduct of Election Rules, 1961 may be made eligible for e-postal ballot system.

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A Facebook video shared by a user shows how a man runs over a stray dog. The Mumbai man is facing heavy backlash on social media, and activists have already filed a FIR against him.

By India Today Web Desk: Facebook users are raising hell on the social networking site by slamming a man who brutally ran over a stray dog.

Bala Mani, a Facebook user, shared a post to a group called 'Feed a Stray. Everyday' describing the inhuman act. He claimed that Saurabh Dukhande, who according to his profile works as a Customer Service Executive at Kankai Total Logistics LLP, ran over the dog to take revenge for the dog named Bandya had apparently peed on his car.

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The post has gone viral with nearly 3,500 shares and over 1,300 Facebook reactions.

Users are now sharing screenshots of the abusive messages they have sent to the accused on the group.

An animal lover, Nanda Mahadik, witnessed the incident and rushed the dog to a hospital in Vasai. However, the vet told him that the animal has to be taken to a hospital in Kandivli as the injuries were serious.



Meet Ashar, Emergency Response Coordinator at PETA India, shared the details of the case on the group and informed that a FIR was filed and that the Palghar Rural police will proceed with the arrest. He will be following up with Mahadik on the filing of chargesheet and other related matters.

"Will be sending a letter to the employer of the accused about this gruesome act of animal cruelty in the capacity of an Hon. Animal Welfare Officer, appointed by the Animal Welfare Board of India - Government of India", he wrote in the post.

Ashar also mentioned that the accused might be able to get bail.

A change.org petition was also created demanding confinement of Saurabh Dukhande and justice for Bandya and has received 1,512 signatures. The petition also mentioned that the dog's spine and legs are broken.



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"People of the country are demanding a Ram temple, but how will a Ram temple be made if there are no Ram-bhakts in the country?," Union Minister of State Giriraj Singh said.

By Press Trust of India: Union Minister of State Giriraj Singh today said that religion can protect us only if we do the same for it, stressing that the Hindus need to increase their population in the country.

"People of the country are demanding a Ram temple, but how will a Ram temple be made if there are no Ram-bhakts in the country," he said while addressing a programme at Devbad area of Saharanpur district.

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"The Hindu society needs to increase their population, it has been continuously decreasing in eight states of the country," the minister of state for MSME said.

He further added , "At the time of partition, there were 22 per cent Hindus in Pakistan which has now decreased to 1 percent, while in India the Hindu population at that time was 90 per cent and Muslims constituted 10 per cent, but now the population of Muslims has gone up to 24 per cent while that of Hindus have declined to 76 per cent."

ALSO READ:

Islamic terrorism, threat to Hindus in Tamil Nadu: RSS

Kejriwal: BJP a party of Hindus, yet fired on Hindu youths during Patidar stir





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By PTI: Peshawar, Oct 24 (PTI) An intelligence officer was today shot dead by two motorcycle-borne gunmen in restive northwest Pakistan, in an attack claimed by the ISIS terror group.

Akbar Ali, a sub-inspector with the police intelligence wing, was on his way to work and waiting at a bus stop near his home when the killers riding bike opened fire at him in Charsadda district, some 30 km from Peshawar, police said.

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The body of the 43-year-old officer was shifted to district headquarter hospital in Charsadda, where doctors carried out an autopsy. He was hit by four bullets from the front and died on the spot, doctors said.

ISIS claimed responsibility for the attack.

In a short statement posted on Amaq, its affiliated news agency, the group said its "fighters have killed a Pakistan intelligence agent in the Sardaryab region... of Pakistan."

Pakistan military last month admitted that the ISIS had a presence in the country but said the plans by the dreaded group to target important personalities by and attempts to organise itself have been thwarted.

"Daesh tried to make an ingress into Pakistan, but the core of its group have now been apprehended," Army spokesperson Lt Gen Asim Bajwa had said, using an alternate acronym for the ISIS.

Bajwa said the threat of ISIS is now from Afghanistan where it is present in at least three border provinces of Kunar, Nangarhar and Khost. PTI AYZ ZH

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After a prolonged court battle, the Bharatiya Muslim Mahila Andolan has secured an unhindered access at Haji Ali Dargah for all women.

By India Today Web Desk: The Haji Ali Dargah Trust on Monday agreed to allow women inside its sanctum sanctorum. The Trust told the supreme court that it was ready to implement the Bombay High Court order.

The trust will lift the ban that came into force in 2012 in four weeks. The trust told the apex court that it would build a separate pathway for women devotees coming to the dargah. The construction of a separate pathway will take two weeks, the trust said.

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READ: 'A grievous sin': Why women were banned in Haji Ali Dargah in the first place

SEPARATE ENTRY FOR WOMEN



The supreme court, however, questioned the need for separate entry to men and women in the dargah. The SC bench said, "We are concerned only about equal access to women and not in the reason as to why the trust is doing it now."

The trust informed the court that separate entry gates were in place earlier also for men and women at the dargah.

READ: Bhumata Brigade activist Trupti Desai enters Haji Ali dargah

THE COURT BATTLE



Earlier on August 26, the Bombay high court had lifted the ban on the entry of women devotees in the inner sanctum sanctorum of the dargah.

The Bharatiya Mulsim Mahila Andolan (BMMA) had challenged the ban on women's access to the sanctum sanctorum calling it a violation of the fundamental right to equality guaranteed under the Constitution.





ALSO READ:

Bombay HC allows women's entry into inner sanctum of Haji Ali dargah





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The Itchu village in Kargil district which is not even accessible through road has now been electrified thanks to an innovative use of solar micro grids .

By Ashraf Wani: Micro Grid is becoming a new ray of light for Himalayan Villages

Electricity is one of the most important blessings science has given to mankind. An indispensable part of the modern life, it is extremely difficult to think of a world today without power.

Unfortunately, even today in the 21st century, many villages in the Himalayan Districts of Kargil and Leh of Ladakh Region are still in darkness with no grid based electricity.

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REMOTE VILLAGE ELECTRIFIED

One such village was Itchu of Kargil District located at a distance of 100 Km from the Kargil Headquarters and not even accessible through road. With the dedicated efforts of two engineers Paras Loomba and Jaideep of Global Himalayan Expedition, Kacho Ahmad Ali Khan, the Project Director of KREDA (Kargil Rural Electrification Development Agency) and the financial support of one of the top most organizations of India, Infosys, this village has now been electrified in less than two days.

Haji Gulzar Hussain, the Deputy Commissioner Kargil inaugurated the solar microgrids that brought electricity to this 800 year old village after trekking for more than 3 hours and covering 10 kms on foot.

Expressing her joy at witnessing electricity for the first time ever, an 84 year old local lady from village Itchu reamrked that, although we are in the months of Muharram, today is no less than an Eid for the villagers. The villagers have thanked the team of GHE, KREDA and Infosys for lighting up their village.

Children were seen jumping with joy and running in the streets as the 20 house village gleamed like a shining diamond in the starlit sky of 15th October 2016.



NEW RAY OF HOPE

Haji Gulzar Hussain mused that he never thought that electricity using solar energy can beam so incredibly. He thanked the team for coming all way from Delhi and other parts of India to lighten up this remote village of Kargil and requested for their continued support as there are still many more villages in Kargil district without gird based electricity.

He told that the Micro Gird Technology of GHE has become a new ray of hope for lighting those Himalayan Villages which were not electrified yet.

Ghulam Mehdi, one of the villagers said that electricity has brought a new hope in our lives and also became the main reason for bringing the Deputy Commissioner to their village for the first time after independence.

Kacho Ahmad Ali Khan of KREDA told that if an officer is dedicated and can reach to MNC in outside states of India, most of the problems of farflung Districts like Kargil will be redressed without any hassle and financial problems like they had done in Lankerchey Brok, Phuktal and Itchu.

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LANDMARK ACHIEVEMENT

Paras Loomba, Founder of GHE told that. It is a landmark achievement for my team who has been able to lighten up the village in less than 2 days. We are confident that DC based micro grids is one of the most efficient and sustainable grid based solution to provide power to a remote village in Himalayas."

He further told that the Village Itchu was electrified by one of the most energy efficient distributed power generation technology called DC Micro Grid.

The village was powered by six DC Solar micro grids comprised of three grids of 250 watts and three grids of 100 watts.

A total of 150 LED lights and 6 LED Street lights powered by these grids lights the village just like a well electrified town.

The total cost of the project is 12 lakh rupees including transportation and installations, Paras Added.

He further added that with support from KREDA and corporate firms from around the world, GHE plans to lighten up all the villages of Kargil and Zanskar by the year 2017 -18.

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Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav rejected rumours on floating a new party ahead of the UP elections

By India Today Web Desk: A day after sacking uncle Shivpal Yadav from the state cabinet, Uttar Pradesh Akhilesh Yadav continues to maintain his stand that all that he has done is not meant to create rift in the party.

Refuting rumours on forming a new party, Akhilesh today said that he will not form a "new party" and will remain with the Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav.



People are saying a new party will be formed. Who is forming is a new party? I am not: Akhilesh Yadav ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) October 24, 2016

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"People are saying a new party will be formed. Who is forming this new party? I am not," the Uttar Pradesh CM said, while addressing party supporters at the SP headquarters.

WATCH: All you need to know about Mulayam's second wife Sadhna, a key player in the PariWar

ALSO READ: Samajwadi crisis: Akhilesh Yadav rules out any move to split party, BJP demands a floor test



An emotional Akhilesh said, "If Netaji (Mulyama Singh Yadav) had asked me to resign I would have resigned".

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He also accused people of creating confusion among the senior leadership.

The Chief Minister further said that if someone was conspiring against the party or the party chief then he would initiate action against him. "Agar Netaji ya party ke khilaaf koi shaazish ho rahi hai to mai uski kaarwaahi karunga," he said.



Agar Netaji ya party ke khilaaf koi shaazish ho rahi hai to mai uski kaarwaahi karunga: Akhilesh Yadav ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) October 24, 2016

Declaring his support for father Mulayam Singh Yadav, Akhilesh said he had fulfilled the promises made by his father by completing all the projects on time.

ALSO READ: Mulayam Singh praises Akhilesh govt but suspends CM's close aide Udayveer Singh for 6 years



Earlier on Sunday, in a dramatic tit-for-tat events in ruling SP, Akhilesh Yadav had ousted his uncle Shivpal Yadav and three others from the government, while the party brass retaliated by sacking SP General Secretary Ram Gopal Yadav for six years.



(with inputs from IANS)

ALSO READ: Akhilesh-Shivpal supporters clash ahead of crucial Samajwadi Party meet

ALSO READ: Akhilesh's stepmother using black magic on him: Samajwadi Party MLC in letter to Mulayam

WATCH: Samajwadi PariWar: Who is Prateek Yadav?



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By PTI: New Delhi, Oct 24 (PTI) Raising concern over the handling of VVIP operations at Air India by one of its executive directors despite his alleged involvement in a near mid-air crash of a former Prime Ministers aircraft, the airlines pilots body, ICPA, has sought immediate action from the government in this regard.

The Indian Commercial Pilots Association (ICPA), in a letter to Minister of State in the PMO Jitender Singh, has alleged that a court case was pending against Air India Executive Director Arvind Khatpalia, when he appeared for an interview for the top job in the national fliers Operations department.

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The copy of the letter has also been marked to National Security Advisor Ajit Doval.

"We have come to know that Arvind Khatpalia was the Executive Commander on the VVIP flight carrying the then Prime Minister. In spite of seriously endangering the safety of Air India One, Khatpalia continues to function as Executive Director for operations," the ICPA said in the letter.

ICPA is the pilots union of erstwhile Indian airlines. It claims representation of nearly 800 pilots in Air India.

On November 11, 2007, the Pilot-in-Command of Air India One--the official aircraft for VVIPs, which was flying then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, reportedly forgot to lower the landing gear as required. The crew did so only after being alerted by the Moscow Air Traffic Control and warning signs in the cockpit.

Kathpalia is awaiting the governments nod for his selection to the post of Director (operations) following his selection by the Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSE) earlier this year.

"His promotion to the post of GM and Executive Director is also questionable as he suppressed the fact regarding a court case during the selection process," the ICPA alleged.

"This serious lapse (in flight safety of the VVIP flight) was again suppressed by the Executive commander of the flight. It is more startling to note that in spite of endangering the safety of the then Prime minister, he is at present being allowed to head all VVIP operations at Air India.

"We fail to understand as to how the top management of Air India is allowing him to continue to function as Executive Director (Operations) and also the in-charge of all VVIP operations, especially at a time when our Honorable Prime Minister is on regular international trips, " the letter said.

Terming the issue as a "matter of safety concern of passengers as well as VVIP operations", the ICPA has sought "necessary action" from the government on the issue. PTI IAS SRY

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Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Sunday said the GDP of the state has increased from Rs 1,50,000 crore to Rs 5,65,000 crore in the last 12 years.

By Rahul Noronha: Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan announced on Sunday that a total of 2628 proposals or 'Intention to Invest' were received by the state government during the 5th Global Investors Summit (GIS) held at Indore on October 22 and 23.

"We had decided against signing MoUs at the meet and instead had Intentions to Invest so that we can follow up on the proposals in a systematic way," he said, adding that the intentions add up to a total of Rs 5,46,847 crore. Also, 30 online applications for allotment of land from the nearly 1,25,000 acre land bank for industries being offered by the MP government were received during the GIS 2016.



MADHYA PRADESH GOVT TO START PORTAL CALLED 'INVEST'

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Addressing the media after the conclusion of the GIS 2016, the CM said that based on the feedback given by delegates during the GIS, the state government has decided to start a portal called 'INVEST' that would contain all details of the proposal for investment submitted by a business group. He said this would help in effective and time bound monitoring. Besides this, the state government would appoint a 'relationship manager' for every investment more than Rs 50 crore.

The manager would give feedback to the investor on the status of the investment proposal. Based on feedback, the CM also said that a Ready Made Garment Policy would be soon unveiled by the state government to promote the sector. Land use rules would be simplified to promote investment, especially in the Public Semi Public (PSP) category in which colleges and institutions are set up. He said time bound clearance of land use change cases would be ensured.

Rules pertaining to transfer of development rights would be simplified and the process of securing a clearance from the pollution control board would also be made simpler. Also, the list of non polluting industries where pollution clearance is not requires would be further expanded. The rebates given to various businesses in commercial taxes would continue even after the imposition of GST, said the CM.

Further, the CM said, based on the discussions with investors, information pertaining to the availability of minerals in the state would be made available and the minimum number of seats in theatres to qualify as multiplexes and thereby get rebates would be reduced to 200 from the present 500. The CM said that to prevent harassment and treatment as criminals of investors, the state government will work out a system that will prevent arrest in case it is found that the violation of a commercial law was not deliberate.

INDUSTRIAL, AGRICULTURE SECTOR WITNESSES GROWTH

The CM said that in the intervening 2 years between GIS 2014 and 2016, work has commenced on investments worth Rs 2,71,000 crore and production has commenced in units that have invested about Rs 50,000 crore. He said the GDP of MP has increased from Rs 1,50,000 crore to Rs 5,65,000 crore in the last 12 years. Industrial sector has grown at 8 per cent while agriculture is growing at 20 per cent in the state in 2014-2015.

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Earlier during a valedictory function, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, Urban Development Minister Venkaiah Naidu, Minister for Environment and Forests, Anil Dave, Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and Minister for Social Justice Thawarchand Gehlot appealed to investors to put in their money and faith in Madhya Pradesh and praised the CM and government for organizing the event. Sushma Swaraj said that for the first time the MEA has a separate desk for facilitating states with investment proposals from overseas.

The CM said that he was happy with the progress of industrial sector in MP and added that the first GIS in 2007 was attended by 300 delegates while GIS 2016 was attended by a total of about 5000 delegates from India and 42 countries attended the GIS 2016. "this is an indicator that MP is doing well," he said. He said that for the first time the Department of Industrial Planning and Policy of the Union government had organized a 'Make in India' convention on the sidelines of an investor meet organized by a state government.

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A CEO conclave attended by about 130 CEOs was held on October 21. A total of 326 Business to Business meetings were also held during the GIS 2016.

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Agriculture alone cannot sustain the economy: Shivraj Singh Chouhan



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Nadarasa Gajan and Sulakshan attached to the Jaffna University sustained fatal injuries after they were shot at by the Jaffna police for disobeying orders in Kankesanthurai on October 21, 2016.

By Pramod Madhav: Close to 30 volunteers of 'May 17 Movement' tried to lay siege to Sri Lankan Deputy High Commissioner's office in Chennai to protest the death of two Jaffna students.

Nadarasa Gajan and Sulakshan, who were attached to the Jaffna University, sustained fatal injuries after they were shot at by the Jaffna police for disobeying orders to stop their motorbike at a roadblock at the Kulappidi Junction in Kankesanthurai on October 21, 2016. But the Jaffna police maintained that it was an accident. However, the autopsy conducted on the duo nailed police lies and revealed that the students died due to bullet injury in their head.

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Srilankan authorities claimed that 5 policemen were arrested for their alleged involvement in the incident and an inquiry was ordered. The death of the students led to widespread commotion in Jaffna.



STUDENTS' DEATH ASTS PALL OF GLOOM IN TAMIL NADU

Photographs of slain Nadarasa Gajan and Sulakshan.

The students' tragic death had cast a gloom in Tamil Nadu and pro-Tamil groups in the state condemned the act of the Sri Lankan cops.

Arulmurugan, member of 'May 17 Movement' said, "Sinhalese chauvinists killed two students without any reason. Students are being targeted as they participated earlier in the uprising.''

Arulmurugan, held Indian government accountable for the death of the students and alleged that Center collaborates with Sri Lankan government in many ways and turned a blind eye towards the human rights violations in the island nation.

Reports claim, Tamil citizens from the northern province are detained for longer periods by authorities without a reason and that the army still has not released close to 6,000 acres of land to the occupants yet.

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By PTI: New Delhi, Oct 24 (PTI) JSW Energy today said it has signed a binding MoU with Swaziland Electricity Company (SEC) and the Swaziland government to set up a thermal power plant in that country.

"JSW Energy Limited has signed a binding Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with SEC and the Government of the Kingdom of Swaziland to set up a thermal power plant in the Kingdom of Swaziland in order to facilitate energy security and make Swaziland self-reliant in power by exploiting the natural resources available within the country," JSW Energy said in a BSE filing today.

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According to statement, the capacity of the power plant to be set up will be decided by JSW Energy in consultation with SEC based on the coal resources found during the exploration of an area of approximately 16,000 hectares to be prospected by JSW Energy under a prospecting licence granted to them.

In addition to meeting the total power demand of Swaziland which currently stands at around 300 MW, JSW Energy and SEC shall also explore the possibility of exporting power to the neighbouring countries that are connected through a common transmission network, it said. The MoU provides for setting up a thermal power plant and undertaking of mining activities pursuant to execution of definitive agreements - a long term Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) to be guaranteed by the Kingdom of Swaziland and fuel supply agreement from captive coal resources, among others. PTI KKS MR

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By India Today Web Desk: Kangana Ranaut is one actor who doesn't mind experimenting with looks when it comes to films. After sporting a bob cut in Tanu Weds Manu Returns, Bollywood's Queen is back with Hansal Mehta's Simran. And going by the pictures from the films sets, her fans are in for another surprise from the 29-year-old.

ALSO READ: Kangana to play a divorcee in Simran, other times Bollywood's Queen took up unconventional roles

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ALSO READ: Kangana Ranaut turns housekeeper for Hansal Mehta's next



A new photo from the sets of the film shows Kangana sporting a wig has surfaced. Kangana, who is shooting for the film is the US, looks unrecognisable in salt and pepper hair. She was spotted along with director Hansal Mehta.

It is for the first time that the two have collaborated for a film.

Known to play unconventional roles on silver screen, she will essay the character of a divorced NRI Gujarati woman, Praful Patel, in the film. But this is just an extension to the role that she is portraying in Simran. Simran is the story of a housekeeper who accidentally enters the world of crime. The film is said to be inspired from the real-life story of Bombshell Bandit aka Sandeep Kaur, who was jailed last year for robbing banks to pay off her gambling debts.

The film is set to hit the screens some time next year.



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If Karan Johar donates Rs 5 crore to the Indian Army's welfare fund, it will be close to four times the amount deposited in the fund since mid-August, when the initiative began.

By India Today Web Desk: On October 22, the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray issued a decree that all Indian producers who have worked with Pakistani artists will have to donate Rs crore to the Army welfare fund. Accordingly, Karan Johar will have to comply for having worked with Pakistani actors Fawad Khan and Imran Abbas in his upcoming film Ae Dil Hai Mushkil. Unless he does that, ADHM won't be seeing a smooth release and the MNS will be back on the streets to protest and curb the release of the Ranbir Kapoor-starrer.

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However, when Karan Johar does give a donation of Rs 5 crore to the Army welfare fund, the amount will be close to four times the amount the fund has received over two months since the initiative began in mid-August.

According to a report by The Indian Express, till last week, the welfare fund, called the Army Welfare Fund Battle Casualties, has received donations worth Rs 1.4 crore.







The fund was brought to fruition by Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar. He said that several individuals and organisations had approached him to help the family members of Indian soldiers who had died in battle with aid and donations. A release issued by the Defence Ministry said, "The contribution to the fund is purely voluntary in nature."

The Army Welfare Fund Battle Casualties is a centralised fund which accepts donations from individuals and institutions and is handled by the Indian Army's adjutant general branch.

ALSO READ: Indian Army rejects MNS politics, calls Rs 5 crore donation wrong

ALSO READ: Need written assurance you won't work with Pak actors, Raj Thackeray tells producers

ALSO READ: Bollywood producers vow to not work with Pak artists, MNS calls off protests

OPINION: KJo's ADHM vs Thugray feat. Fadnavis; a day gundaraj won and democracy got screwed



However, several Indian military personnel refused to accept the Rs 5 crore donation with one retired IAF (Indian Air Force) Air Vice Marshal comparing Raj Thackeray's decree to 'extortion'.



Army never doubts the love n sentiment of countrymen behind contributions to its welfare fund. From now on...? #RajThackeray 's extortion. Manmohan Bahadur (@BahadurManmohan) October 22, 2016

I served four decades in uniform- and never did I live on extorted money. What's this happening in my country???? @PMOIndia @manoharparrikar https://t.co/tB2wj4Kxqw Manmohan Bahadur (@BahadurManmohan) October 22, 2016

Why should the Armed Forces be made a part of this extortion? By accepting this money they would become a 'receiver' of tainted money @adgpi https://t.co/tB2wj4Kxqw Manmohan Bahadur (@BahadurManmohan) October 22, 2016

Indian Armed Forces cannot, and SHUD NOT, become crutches 4pol ambitions. Unfortunately, this is the trend seen in recent past. Stay away pl https://t.co/BBkujRETja Manmohan Bahadur (@BahadurManmohan) October 22, 2016

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Senior army officials reportedly were aghast at the idea of Raj Thackeray's MNS bullying Indian producers to donate money to the Army welfare fund.

In a report by Hindustan Times, former Indian Army commander Lieutenant General BS Jaswal was quoted as saying, "The army doesn't go around begging for funds. If a film producer wants to donate, he can do it like any other Indian citizen. But it's unacceptable in such a manner."

Kargil war veteran Brigadier Khushal Thakur (retd) told the newspaper that MNS was exploiting national sentiments for political gains.

"If something is wrong, it is wrong. How can a forced donation of Rs 5 crore make it right? But the bottom line is the army's name should not be misused for political gain," Thakur said.

Ae Dil Hai Mushkil, starring Ranbir Kapoor, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Anushka Sharma and Fawad Khan is scheduled to release in theatres on October 28.

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By India Today Web Desk: Wherever Kareena Kapoor goes with her baby bump, the paparazzi follows. The Udta Punjab actor was recently spotted at the Mumbai international airport and the superstar simply oozed glamour for as long as she was at the place.

Wearing a loose, yellow dress with golden shades, the diva made heads turn as she walked across the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport.

Kareena Kapoor Khan (Photos: Yogen Shah)

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The actor recently celebrated her fourth wedding anniversary with hubby Saif Ali Khan on October 16 on the sets of Saif's film Chef. Chef is being directed by Airlift director Raja Krishna Menon and is the remake of the 2014 Hollywood comedy-drama Chef.

ALSO READ: When Kareena rejected Saif's proposal twice

ALSO READ: Saif-Kareena to fly to Dubai to enjoy their babymoon?



Kareena's baby is due for December and even though the actor is pregnant, she has already signed up Veere Di Wedding where she is starring alongside Sonam Kapoor and Swara Bhaskar. The film is slated to release in 2017.

As for 2016, Kareena Kapoor Khan starred in the critically acclaimed Udta Punjab this year. The film based on the menace of drug abuse in Punjab also starred her ex-boyfriend Shahid Kapoor.











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The complaint states that Chennithala received a message that read "Don't talk rubbish about Mohammed Nisham or I will kill you or one of your family member".

By Revathi Rajeevan: Kerala opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala has written to Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan saying that he has been receiving threat calls in the last two days.

"The threat through an Internet call said that I or a member of my family will be killed if I talk about Nisham who is currently in jail. The last call was received at 11.22pm on 23rd", Ramesh Chennithala said.

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The complaint also states that Chennithala received a message that read "Don't talk rubbish about Mohammed Nisham or I will kill you or one of your family member".

Nisham was given life imprisonment in January this year for killing a security guard on duty in January 2015 by ramming his Hummer SUV.



THREE POLICEMEN SUSPENDED

At least three policemen have been suspended for allowing jailed tycoon Nisham to use phone and threaten his brother while being escorted by police for investigation to Bangalore.

ALSO READ:

Kerala beedi tycoon, who killed security guard, makes threatening phone calls from jail

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By PTI: The Home Minister also met Bahrains Deputy Prime

The Home Minister also met Bahrains Deputy Prime Minister Shaikh Ali Bin Khalifa Al Khalifa and Foreign Minister Shaikh Khalid Bin Ahmed Al Khalifa separately.

Addressing the Indian community last night, Singh said terrorism is a global problem and the international community must join hands to root out the menace.

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Singh had also said the Narendra Modi government has made several structural and procedural changes and that resulted in successfully reducing the "wholesale corruption" in India.

The Home Minister said both India and Bahrain are vulnerable to the scourge of terrorism and there were extensive discussions about the menace during his talks with Interior Minister of Bahrain.

Expressing his concern over the terrorism, Singh said terrorism constitutes the greatest threat to humanity since World War II and there are no good or bad terrorists.

He said terrorism should be dealt with in a comprehensive manner and segmented and partial approaches as adopted by some of the countries have been unsuccessful in countering terrorism.

He thanked the Bahraini leadership for condemning the recent terrorist attack in Uri in September and the Pathankot airbase attack in January this year, an official release said.

He said it is a matter of satisfaction that the world opinion is with India in its resolution to dismantle the launching pads of terrorism from across the border.

Singh expressed happiness over the fact that the bilateral security dialogue at the Deputy NSA level has now been institutionalised and the second round was held in New Delhi last week.

The Home Minister said signing of agreement for cooperation in combating international terrorism, transnational organised crime and trafficking in illicit drugs, narcotic and psychotropic substances and precursor chemicals has laid strong foundation for enhanced security and counter-terrorism cooperation between the two countries.

He said India would like to enhance ties with Bahraini defence and security establishment.

Singh said India is keen to strengthen trade and investment ties with Bahrain and avail of the strategic location of Bahrain as a "gateway" to the GCC market.

"While our bilateral trade is healthy and has reached about USD one billion, there is still a huge potential to further expand it," the release said.

Singh said the presence of a large Indian community in Bahrain constitutes an important link between the two nations. Indians are the largest expatriate community in Bahrain.

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He thanked the Bahraini authorities for launching the Little India in Bahrain. This is a praiseworthy gesture towards India and Indian community and will promote Indian culture in Bahrain, he said.

Singh said Bahrain had supported India on many occasions and India will reciprocate in the same manner, more than what Bahrain has given to India. PTI ACB KUN ZH AKJ ZH

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By India Today Web Desk: Mallika Sherawat changed things in Bollywood. She played the sexually liberated Indian woman in Anurag Basu's Murder in 2004. Even though she had to encounter a lot of right-wing buffoons who tried to morally police a woman who wanted to have consensual sex outside her marriage. The movie was a hit and since then Mallika has come a long way making a name for herself in plenty of A-lister movies. She even had a small unsuccessful stint in Hollywood where she did a small film called Politics of Love.

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ALSO READ: Anushka Sharma's mushkil love formula

ALSO SEE: The first poster of Hrithik-starrer Kaabil will give you goosebumps

Today, she might not be on the top of her game, when it comes to an actor's career. But does that mean we can't objectify her anymore? Here are 10 of the hottest pictures of the Murder actor:

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By India Today Web Desk: Manipur Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh today escaped unhurt when suspected militants opened gunfire as he was getting out of his helicopter at the Ukhrul helipad, CID officials said.

A jawan of the Manipur Rifles was injured in the firing which took place when the Chief Minister stepped out of the helicopter and was being greeted by government officials, the officials said.

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The CM's helicopter immediately took off and left for Chingai but could not land at the remote village due to protests, the official said.

The Chief Minister then cancelled his programmes and flew back to the state capital where he called an emergency cabinet meeting, the source said.

The CM had several programmes lined up at Hunphung village and at Chingai village in Ukhrul district. Ibobi was to travel to Hunphung to inaugurate the 100 bedded Ukhrul district hospital besides a power sub-station, the sources said.

Civil Society organisations had called a curfew and put up a road blockade along the three km route to Hunphung from the helipad, the sources said, adding that two vehicles had also been set ablaze by the protesters.

Earlier, a jawan of the Indian Resserve Battalion sustained splinter injuries in a bomb attack by suspected militants on the newly constructed hospital in the wee hours today before its scheduled inauguration, police said.

Two bombs were fired at the hospital either from a lethod gun or rocket launcher, the official said.

At remote Chingai village, Singh was scheduled to inaugurate a power sub-station, a BDO office and a bank building.

Tension prevailed in the area, the official said.



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A woman from Meghalaya was stabbed to death at the MG Road metro station in Gurgaon today.

By PTI: A 22-year-old woman from Meghalaya was allegedly stabbed to death by a man at the M G Road station of Delhi Metro network here today.

Officials said the incident occurred around 9:30 am in the gallery area of the station.

They said the accused, identified as 25-year-old Jitendra, allegedly used a knife to stab Pinky who was married to a man from the Northeast.

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CISF personnel and other Metro staffers rushed to the spot, which is at the entrance of the station.

Pinky was taken to a hospital where she died around 11.30 am.

"The incident happened in the unpaid area where there is no CISF presence. Train operations are normal," one of the officials said, adding further details about the attacker was awaited.

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Caught on camera: Woman stabbed 22 times in broad daylight in Delhi

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19-year-old stabbed to death in Delhi, two held



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"Look at PM Modi. He became PM with dedication and struggle. He comes from a poor family and says he can't leave his mother," Mulayam said in his address at the crucial party meet in Lucknow today.

By India Today Web Desk: In his scathing remarks aimed at Akhilesh Yadav following reports of split in the Samajwadi Party, father and supremo Mulayam Singh also had a message for his warring son: look at Prime Minister Modi.



"Look at PM Modi. He became PM with dedication and struggle. He comes from a poor family and says he can't leave his mother," Mulayam said in his address at the crucial party meet in Lucknow today.



While the 76-year-old father did not dwell on his reference to Modi, the message was not lost: Mulayam wanted his son to stand by him, just the way Modi continues to stand with and revere his mother.



Since becoming Prime Minister in 2014, Modi is often seen visiting his mother, Heeraben Modi, who lives in a modest house in Gujarat's Gandhinagar city.

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Also Read: 10 things Mulayam Singh said to put rebel son Akhilesh Yadav in place

UP ELECTION ROUND THE CORNER



The statement can also be read in the context of the Assembly election due in less than six months in what is India's most populous and politically significant state.



The India Today-Axis opinion poll conducted earlier this month has predicted a hung Assembly in the state, giving 94-103 seats to the Samajwadi Party.



The survey gave 170-183 to the BJP, which is likely to emerge as the single largest party but short of a clear majority of 202 seats in the 403-member state Assembly.



The possibility of a Samajwadi Party-BJP government cannot be ruled out if it's a hung verdict in Uttar Pradesh. The two parties have formed a coalition government in the state earlier.

Also Read: Akhilesh Yadav breaks down: Who is forming a new party, I am not

Samajwadi crisis: Options before supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav

SamajWarring Party: A timeline of how Mulayam's clan sunk deep into crisis



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Four AK 47 rifles and huge quantity of other arms and ammunition were recovered from the possession of the Maoists.

By Ashish Pandey: The death toll of Maoists, who were killed in an encounter with Greyhound forces in Odisha's Malkangiri forest on Monday, touched to 27 today.

In a major operation launched by Greyhound, the elite anti-Maoist force of Andhra Pradesh (AP) and SOG of Odisha Police, at least 24 Maoists were killed by the forces on Monday.



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Three more dead bodies of the Left-wing extremists were recovered from the forest today.

Name of the identified persons are:

1. B, Veknat Ram Murty @ Ganesh, SZCM, MVKB dvn

2. Chamela Kistaya @ Daya, SZCM, Koraput dvn

3. Jaluri Srinibanu @ Rainu, DCM, 3rd CRC

4. Muna@Sivaji, ACM, Cut off LGS

5. Lata@Jyoti, Acm. Suply team

6. Bodu Kandanlu @ Mamata, ACM, 3rd CRC

7. Inaparti Dasu@ Madhu, ACM, Ganesh protection

8. Rajesh of Cg, ACM, 1st CRC

9. Murai of CG, ACM

10.Kora Site @ Swarna, Cadre, Pedanailu AC

11. Kilo Sita @ Sweta, Cadre, Supply team

12.Budri, Cadre, RK protectipn

13. Birsu.cadre, 1st CRC

14. Budra, Cadre



A joint team of the Odisha Police and Andhra Pradesh Police conducted the search operation for the second time in Malkangiri forest.



The encounter took place in the cut off area of Malkangiris district of Odisha close to AP border. The encounter broke out early this morning, when the joint team of Greyhound and SOG hit a Maoist camp, deep in the Begangi forest close to Balimela reservoir of Malkangiri, one of the worst Left Wing Extremism (LWE) affected district.

The forces were combing the area after receiving intelligence information about the presence of senior Maoist leaders and an ongoing plenary session in the dense forest.

Speaking to India Today, AP DGP, N Sambasiva Rao said, "Witnessing the presence of joint police party, the Maoists began firing at them and in retaliation 24 Maoists were killed while two of the Greyhound personal including the attack commander suffered injuries. One commando Mohammad Abu Bakar succumbed to injuries later."



TOP MAOIST LEADER KILLED

The top police sources believe that among those killed are top Maoist leaders and East divisional secretary of the banned outfit including Chalapathi alias Appa Rao, his wife Aruna, Malkangiri division secretary Gajarla Ravi alias Udai, and Munna, son of Maoist central committee member Ramakrishna alias RK.

The joint force so far has recovered 24 dead bodies of red rebels and among them seven are females.

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A huge quantity of arms and ammunition including four AK-47 rifles, three SLRs, one Insas, one 303, one SBML, one TAMANCHA, kit bags, laptop and a cash of Rs 2,16,000 was seized after the encounter.

The top police sources believe that the dead count of red rabels may increase further as the combing operation is still on in the forest area.

Meanwhile, Rao who had left for Visakhapatnam after receiving the information about the encounter visited the house of 29-year-old Greyhound commando Abu Bakar who succumbed to injuries after hit by Maoist bullet in the encounter.

The DGP praised the courage and valour of the Greyhound commando who killed the LWE in their own den.



ALSO READ:

Sophisticated weapons, more money luring dacoits and Maoists from Chambal to Delhi-NCR

Chhattisgarh: Maoist gunned down in face-off with security forces



--- ENDS ---
The court delivered the verdict today sentencing Oommen Chandy and four others to repay the amount they had duped from the businessman based in Bengaluru.

By Jeemon Jacob: After five months out of power, former Kerala chief minister Oommen Chandy has been indicted by Bangalore City Magistrate Court in solar scam, he and other accused have been asked to repay Rs 1.61 crore with interest within four months.

CHANDY, 4 OTHERS TO REPAY AMOUNT



The court delivered the verdict today sentencing Oommen Chandy and four others to repay the amount they had duped from the businessman based in Bengaluru.

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Congress leadership in Kerala received a major jolt in solar sex scandal figuring Saritha Nair, a woman who had duped several businessmen in the state when Chandy was the chief minister from 2011-16.

DETAILS OF THE CASE

MK Kuruvila, a coffee planter, based in Bengaluru alleged that Saritha Nair duped him of Rs 1 crore when Chandy was in power by promising him that he would be given the franchisee of a solar company run by then Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy in 2012.

Since June 2011, he had transferred around Rs 1 crore into different accounts provided by Saritha Nair. In October 2012, he filed a complaint before Kerala Police but no action was taken. Later he received threat calls from Ravi Poojari, a don based Dubai. He sought for police protection, but it was withdrawn later.

When Kuruvila moved a petition in Kerala High Court, CBI informed the court that the agency was interested in taking over the probe. Meanwhile, Kuruvila was arrested by Kerala Police and held in custody over six cheating cases slapped on him.

"I'm happy that justice was given to me. I'd undergone hell for the past four years," Kuruvila told India Today. With the verdict, Congress received a major jolt as the former chief minister is indicted in cheating case. Oommen Chandy, the most popular Congress leader in Kerala has been lying low after he lost in election 2016.

--- ENDS ---
By PTI: From Sajjad Hussain

Islamabad, Oct 24 (PTI) Pakistan may attend a key regional conference on Afghanistan in India in a calculated move to offset efforts by the Indian government to isolate the country following the Uri teror attack, media reported today.

The Heart of Asia-Istanbul ministerial meeting is scheduled to take place in the first week of December in Amritsar in Punjab.

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Pakistans participation was doubtful due to ongoing tensions and Indian boycott of the summit of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) scheduled to be held in Pakistan in November.

Citing continuous cross-border terrorism from Pakistan, India had announced that "in the present circumstances" it was unable to participate in the SAARC summit in Islamabad.

The Express Tribune reported that officials familiar with the development said that Pakistan has no intention of following the footsteps of India by staying away from the Heart of Asia-Istanbul conference.

"There is a growing sense among the stakeholders that Pakistan should attend the Heart of Asia-Istanbul conference," said a senior government official on condition of anonymity.

The official pointed out that there was no point of boycotting the conference since it was about Afghanistan.

"As we have stated repeatedly that Pakistan will support every endeavour that contributes towards peace and stability in Afghanistan," he added.

However, it is unclear whether Pakistan will send Prime Ministers Adviser on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz or downgrade its participation at the conference.

The official said Pakistans participation in the meeting "would convey a loud and clear message to the world that unlike India, it was in favour of reaching out to its neighbours for bringing peace and stability in Afghanistan".

Foreign ministers from 14-member countries, including Russia, China and Turkey, are expected to attend the day-long conference meant to discuss the current Afghan situation and possible initiatives the immediate and extended neighbours of Afghanistan could undertake to restore long-term peace and stability in the war-torn country.

Senior officials from 17 supporting countries, including the United States, will also participate in the meeting to be jointly presided over by Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The Heart of Asia-Istanbul Process was established in 2011 at the initiative of Afghanistan and Turkey. Its main objective is to foster efforts for regional cooperation and connectivity with a view to promoting long-term peace and stability as well as progress and development in Afghanistan.

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Pakistan hosted the last Ministerial Conference in December last year which was also attended by Indian External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj.

Notably, the Afghan regional conference last year had helped Pakistan and India to revive their stalled peace process after the meeting between Aziz and Swaraj on the sidelines. PTI SH SUA AKJ SUA

--- ENDS ---
The three terrorists, believed to be from the Lashkar-e-Jhangvi Alami, had stormed the centre's hostel on Saryab Road at around 11:10pm on Monday night.

A Pakistani volunteer and a police officer rush an injured person to a hospital in Quetta, Pakistan. Photo: AP

By Reuters: At least 59 people were killed and 117 critically wounded when gunman stormed a Pakistani police training academy in the southwestern city of Quetta, government officials said on Tuesday.

Some 200 trainees were stationed at the facility when the attack occurred late on Monday, officials said, and some were taken hostage during the attack which lasted five hours.

Most of the dead were police cadets.

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Mir Sarfaraz Bugti, home minister of Baluchistan province, of which Quetta is the capital, had confirmed early on Tuesday that five to six gunmen had attacked a dormitory inside the training facility while cadets rested and slept.

A Pakistani soldier stands guard outside the Police Training Center after an attack on the center in Quetta on October 25, 2016. (Photo: Reuters/Naseer Ahmed)

No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, but one of the top military commanders in Baluchistan, General Sher Afgun, told media that calls intercepted between the attackers and their handlers suggested they were from the sectarian militant group, Lashkar-e-Jhangvi.

Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, whose roots are in the heartland Punjab province, has a history of carrying out sectarian attacks in Baluchistan, particularly against the minority Hazara Shias. It was unclear what motive the group would have in attacking the police academy, a home ministry official said.

Police, military and paramilitary personnel arrived at the training centre within 20 minutes of the attack and launched an operation which last around five hours, the home ministry said.

A Reuters photographer at the scene said authorities carried out the body of a teenaged-boy who they said was one of the attackers and had been shot dead by security forces.

WELL-COORDINATED ATTACK

Monday night's assault was the deadliest in Pakistan since a suicide bomber killed 70 people in an attack on mourners gathered at a hospital in Quetta in August.

A police truck is seen at a gate to the Police Training Center after an attack on the center in Quetta on October 25, 2016. (Photo: Reuters/Naseer Ahmed)

The bomber struck as a crowd of mostly lawyers and journalists crammed into the emergency ward of the hospital to accompany the body of a prominent lawyer who had been shot and killed in the city earlier in the day.

Monday night's attack also appeared well coordinated, with senior law enforcement agencies saying that assailants had fired at the police training centre from five different points.

Later, the attackers entered the centre's hostel where around 200 to 250 police recruits were resting, security officials said. At least three explosions were reported at the scene by local media.

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Quetta has long been regarded as a base for the Afghan Taliban, whose leadership has regularly held meetings there in the past.

#WATCH At least 33 killed, many injured in #QuettaTerrorAttack on police training academy, 3 terrorists killed. Injured being taken to hosp pic.twitter.com/NkqJ65TPc1 ANI (@ANI_news) October 25, 2016

The Afghan Taliban's new leader Haibatullah Akhundzada openly taught and preached at a mosque outside Quetta for 15 years, until May this year. Akhundzada's predecessor Mullah Akhtar Mansour was killed by a U.S. drone strike while travelling to Quetta from the Pakistan-Iran border.

Baluchistan province is no stranger to violence, with separatist fighters launching regular attacks on security forces for nearly a decade and the military striking back..

Militants, particularly sectarian groups, have also launched a campaign of suicide bombings and assassinations of minority Shias.

Also read: If ISI won't act, we will destroy terror networks operating in Pakistan, warns US

Also read: US asks Pakistan to act firm on terrorists, delegitimise all terror groups





--- ENDS ---
A split in the party will hurt both the factions ahead of the crucial Uttar Pradesh assembly elections

By India Today Web Desk: With the rift between members of the Samajwadi Pari-war running deep and no reconciliation in sight, it seems that the party's chances at the 2017 Assembly elections in the state are all but lost.

In fact, the India Today-Axis Poll predicts that the BJP and the Bahujan Samaj Party are likely to the big winners in the forthcoming elections. The current chaos only adds to the party's woes.

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ALSO READ: India Today-Axis Opinion Poll for Uttar Pradesh: BJP dream run to continue, but a hung Assembly likely

BATTLE FOR SUPREMACY

While the Opposition is closely watching the developments in the Uttar Pradesh's first family, the current war of words between father Mulayam Singh and son Akhilesh Yadav is also a war for supremacy.

ALSO WATCH

A few reports have also suggested that it is likely that Akhilesh will now part ways with his father to float a new party. If the fight between the father, son and uncle Shivpal at the party meeting today is a sign of things to come, then a split is imminent.ALSO READ: Samajwadi Party crisis: Akhilesh parting ways with father Mulayam Singh is imminent

TEST FOR AKHILESH

The turmoil in the party puts to test the reach and support that Akhilesh claims to enjoy among his party workers as well as the voters. While the young chief minister is quick to count the development projects he has undertaken and finished in his regime, it remains to be seen if he has managed to woo the voters.ALSO READ: Samajwadi Party will win at least 170 seats in 2017 elections, says Shivpal Yadav's son Aditya

Following his father's open preference for Shivpal Yadav and Amar Singh, it will be tight-rope walk for the Chief Minister to rein in his uncles.

Source: India Today

His decision to sack Shivpal from the state cabinet earned him the wrath of his father. Akhilesh supporters, however, feel that the CM's tough cop act against uncle Shivpal has won him the voter's confidence and has boosted his public image.

WATCH: All you need to know about Mulayam's second wife Sadhna, a key player in the PariWar

ALSO READ: BJP leader Shatrughan Sinha backs Akhilesh Yadav, says his heart goes out to him

THE MULAYAM THREAT LURKS

For Akhilesh, however, running the government smoothly with his uncles is easier said than done. With uncle Shivpal saying that is better if Mulayam replaces him as the chief minister, Akhilesh is feeling the heat.

Slamming Akhilesh in his speech, Shivpal had said, "Don't I have any contribution in this government? Netaji (Mulayam Singh) appreciated my work. The department under me performed well."

ALSO READ: Mulayam should replace son Akhilesh as Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister: Shivpal Yadav

In this battle for one-upmanship, Shivpal stands to gain if Akhilesh is sacked from the party or is made to quit from the post of the chief minister. Without Akhilesh around, Shivpal virtually becomes the No. 2 in the party after party supremo Mulayam.

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ADVANTAGE MAYAWATI With the Samajwadi Party in tatters, it is advantage Mayawati all the way. A split in the party will lead to a split in votes in the party's traditional strongholds.

The Muslim voters of the SP are likely to gravitate towards the Bahujan Samaj Party. For her part, Mayawati has reached out to Muslims through several rallies ahead of the UP elections. ALSO READ: UP elections: Mayawati cautions Muslims against voting for SP and Congress, says it will only help BJP

In case of a split, the party's crucial Yadav votebank will be divided with some voting for the father and some for the son. In the bigger picture, both factions will stand to lose.

The party will also lose its non-Yadav OBC votebank if it decides to split up.

ALSO READ: Akhilesh Yadav breaks down: Who is forming a new party, I am not

Will BJP's reliance on Modi backfire in UP elections? SamajWarring Party: A timeline of how Mulayam's clan sunk deep into crisis

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--- ENDS ---
The death of a Humboldt penguin at Mumbai's Byculla zoo has sparked a political row with the Congress and the MNS blaming the Shiv Sena for the death.

By Kamlesh Damodar Sutar: A day after the death of a female Humboldt penguin, political parties have attacked the Shiv Sena for the death.

A penguin, which was among the new attractions to the Veermata Jijabai Bhonsale Zoo in Central Mumbai's Byculla, died following an infection on Sunday.

These penguins were brought to Mumbai from a South Korean aquarium in July this year. They were kept under controlled atmosphere for acclimatisation before going for public view in November.

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Also Read: Brought from Korea 3 months ago, penguin dies in Mumbai zoo

The idea of getting these Humboldt penguins to Mumbai Zoo was of Yuva Sena chief Aditya Thackeray, son of Shiv Sena supremo Uddhav Thackeray.

BRINGING THESE PENGUINS TO MUMBAI WAS BAL-HATT, CHILDISH OBSTINACY

In a letter to Municipal Commissioner Ajoy Mehta, MNS leader Sandeep Deshpande demanded that the remaining seven Humboldt Penguins be immediately sent back to ensure their survival.

Deshpande said the Humboldt penguins can only thrive in a cold climate and not a warm place like Mumbai and that MNS and environmentalists had been protesting against acquiring such exotic creatures' right from the beginning.

"The BMC blatantly blew up Rs 25 crore from the taxpayers' money to acquire these birds. One innocent penguin has died -- they have played with the innocent lives of these poor creatures," Deshpande said.

He asked, "Who is going to take the responsibility for this?".

Taking a dig at Yuva Sena chief Aditya Thackeray, Deshpande termed the exercise of bringing these penguins to Mumbai as "Bal-Hatt"(childish stubbornness).

Congress spokesperson Sachin Sawant called the Penguin's death "a murder" and demanded criminal proceedings against officials of the Brihan Mumbai Municipal Corporation.

"The penguins were brought here for someone's 'childish obstinacy' resulting in the death of a poor creature. The concerned officials should be booked under the Prevention of Cruelty Against Animals Act, 1960," Sawant demanded.

SHIV SENA STRIKES BACK

Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray replied to the accusations and slammed MNS.

Thackeray said,"the ones who are politicising the death (of the penguin) should worry about saving their party before saving the penguins".

--- ENDS ---
"Is it fair for a man to say talaq thrice over the phone and a Muslim woman's life is ruined?" he asked, urging the parties not to politicise the issue.

By India Today Web Desk: Batting for equal rights for Muslim women, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said he favoured the discontinuation of 'triple talaq' (oral divorce).

Addressing a rally in poll-bound Uttar Pradesh's Mahoba area in Bundelkhand, the Prime Minister said, "Lives of Muslim women cannot be allowed to be destroyed by triple talaq."

"Is it fair for a man to say talaq thrice over the phone and a Muslim woman's life is ruined?" he asked, urging the political parties not to politicise the issue.

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"I am surprised that for vote bank politics, some parties want to keep Muslim women bereft of their natural rights," the PM said.

WATCH| PM Modi on triple talaq: Lives of Muslim women can't be destroyed





NOT A HINDU-MUSLIM ISSUE



Modi said triple talaq should not be seen as a communal issue. "I request people who participate in TV debates to not make women's rights into a Muslim -Hindu issue. Women's rights is a development issue," he said.



Modi said it was for this reason that his government has told the Supreme Court that inequality cannot be allowed in the name of religion.

Modi also said that justice demands that the government works as per the Constitution and provides gender justice for everyone. He added that this issue should not be seen through the prism of a community and rather with the good intention of bringing about equality for all.

The Law Commission recently sought public views on abolition of the practice of triple talaq among Muslims and on the contentious Uniform Civil Code, triggering a feverish debate in various quarters.

The All India Muslim Personal Law Board and a host of other Muslim organisations have rejected the law panel's questionnaire.



--- ENDS ---
A 10-year-old Chennai boy donated the amount he won in a school competition to the National Relief Fund. He got a reply from the PMO saying PM Modi appreciates the thoughtful gesture.

By India Today Web Desk: A 10-year-old Chennai boy donated Rs 1,000, the amount he won for securing the first prize in a school competition, as his contribution to the efforts of cleaning the Ganges.

The boy wrote a letter to PM Narendra Modi requesting to use his contribution "to the Ganga River Cleaning process [sic]"

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Setting an example of being a responsible citizen, G Shashank of Nadippakkm, Chennai sent a contribution of Rs 1,000 towards NRF because he likes to do "national work".

In the letter, he shared the details of the competition he won. A student of DAV School, Shashank studies in grade 5 and won a Sanskrit based competition.

Photo: Twitter/Tarun Shukla



In the letter, Shashank also refers to Ganga as the 'religious river of our country' and that we should 'maintain it'. The innocent kid also invited PM Modi to his house in Chennai.

PK Bali, Under Secretary, from the Prime Minister's Office wrote back to Shashank thanking him and informing him that the Prime Minister appreciates the "thoughtful gesture".

Photo: Twitter/Tarun Shukla Photo: Twitter/Tarun Shukla

--- ENDS ---
By PTI: New Delhi, Oct 24 (PTI) Children living in big cities such as Delhi, are likely to grow susceptible to allergic ailments, more than adults, due to urban pollution, especially air, health experts said.

"Infants and children living in metro cities are inhaling polluted air and therefore their resistance power to allergic ailments are lowered at a very young age, making them more susceptible to contract various allergies when they grow up, compared to adults, Director (Acting) of the Vallabhbhai Patel Chest Institute (VPCI), S N Gaur, told PTI.

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According to Gaur, between 20-30 per cent of the population in the country suffers from some form of allergic ailments.

Studies suggest that the prevalence of asthma has been on the rise in developing countries in the past one decade. Also, studies from several centres have reported that the prevalence of asthma in children in India ranged from 2.3-11.9 per cent, while in adults it ranged from 0.96-11.03 per cent," according to VPCI.

The city-based institute has organised a four-day national conference, hosted by Indian College of Allergy, Asthma & Applied Immunology (ICAAI), to discus the clinical and laboratory aspects of allergy, asthma and immunology.

The event is specially aimed towards analysing the impact of the number of offending agents like air pollution, allergens and change in lifestyle in India and South Asia.

According to experts, it is estimated that over 20 per cent of the worlds population suffers from allergic diseases such as allergic asthma, allergic rhinitis and allergic conjunctivitis, atopic eczema and anaphylaxis.

Asthma is a worldwide problem, with estimated 300 million affected individuals and global prevalence which ranges from 1-18 per cent in different geographical regions.

"The most common allergic ailment, in my career as a doctor, I have diagnosed is allergic rhinitis," Union minister Harsh Vardhan said, at the inauguration of the conference last evening.

Air pollution is killing nearly eight lakh people annually in the South East Asian Region with India alone accounting for over 75 per cent of the casualties caused by cardiovascular diseases and lung cancer, according to WHO.

According to a recent WHO report, a few Indian cities, including Delhi, Patna and Gwalior were identified as among the severely polluted cities in the world.

Experts say global warming and pollution are among the major factors responsible for causing allergic ailments.

Jaspal Singh Sandhu, Secretary UGC and a doctor himself, said, "Given Delhis air condition, rising allergy cases are not surprising. In the city, if you ask me, one of the places having the purest air is JNU campus. Allergy incidences have been on the rise, and they should not be ignored."

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Food habits and smoking, both direct and passive, are also among the factors leading to allergic reactions. PTI KND AMS

--- ENDS ---
Political observers pointed that both Rahul and Akhilesh were seen as young Turks who did not have any tolerance, much less reverence, for the old guard, which relies on traditional support from muscle and money.

A possible Akhilesh-Rahul combination has become a moot point of speculation as the two have been seen as cordial to each other of late.

By Siddhartha Rai, Rajat Rai: With the warring factions in the Samajwadi Party coming to exchange blows in full public view on Monday, a new axis appears to be emerging in the state - that of Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi and an embattled SP scion Akhilesh Yadav. Such an alignment has the strength and capability to seriously challenge any aspirant of UP throne in the upcoming 2017 polls, sources in the political circles told Mail Today.

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An indication to this possibility came when hours after the scuffle between uncle Shivpal and nephew Akhilesh, a highlevel meeting of top Congress leaders was presided over by none other than Priyanka Gandhi.

Also read: SP, BSP are like 'Barsati Mendhak', says Rahul Gandhi in Agra roadshow



Also read: Is Akhilesh Yadav fighting Rahul Gandhi syndrome in Samajwadi Party?



CONGRESS TO BACK AKHILESH?

The huddle is said to have discussed lending support to Akhilesh in the event of a split in the SP and the subsequent floor test in state Assembly. The party's CM face Sheila Dixit and state president Raj Babbar were also present in the meeting. The official Congress line, however, denied any such stand. A possible Akhilesh-Rahul combination has become a moot point of speculation as the two have been seen as cordial to each other of late. Political observers pointed that both Rahul and Akhilesh were seen as young Turks who did not have any tolerance, much less reverence, for the old guard, which relies on traditional support from muscle and money. Also read: If Rahul Gandhi accused PM Modi of 'khoon ki dalali', there must be a reason: Akhilesh Yadav



While Rahul had become infamous in his party owing to this attitude, Akhilesh is the new entrant to the club who has finally chosen to come out from under the wings of his father. Those within the SP told Mail Today that the raging fight was as much a family dispute as ideological.

"Akhilesh wants to recast the party in a modern image as he is convinced that politics has changed and the party too must accordingly. But, this means shunning the old ragged ways of politics represented by Shivpal. The other camp is not ready to relinquish its power in turn," said a SP MLC who requested anonymity.

Also read: Samajwadi crisis: Mulayam Singh pulls up Akhilesh Yadav, Shivpal calls CM a liar

Also read: Pari-war impact on Uttar Pradesh election: A split will hit both Akhilesh and Samajwadi Party



TABLES TURNING?

The tables could be turned in the event of a Rahul-Akhilesh combination becoming a reality. The Congress, said observers, had always been in the good books of the Muslim community but due to their inability to defeat the BJP could not turn the goodwill into votes. A large chunk of the Muslim votebank could be attracted if Akhilesh forms a front with the Congress. Such a possible scenario, nonetheless, will see a tripartite division of the minority votes in UP giving the BJP succor.

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Hitherto, the BJP has been wary of the Mahabharata in SP as Muslims would gravitate towards the BSP giving it a formidable Dalit-Muslim combination.

Also read: Goons in party, wheeling and dealing: Did Mulayam, Akhilesh and Shivpal's speeches reveal too much?



"The SP feud is bad for us and it should end soon," said a top UP BJP leader. "It is for sure - this (split of Muslim votes) will not be a decisive factor in the upcoming poles, but will definitely give an edge to the BSP and the BJP. However, the BSP will be a looser on this ground also", political analyst and retired professor of Allahabad University Janak Pandey said.

"Of course it a possible. If, at all, Akhilesh splits from the SP, the young brigade will follow him and will not object on any kind of alliance with the Congress (Rahul) that is searching for its lost ground for over a decade in UP," Pandey explained. SP sources said Akhilesh is firm on his agenda of developmental politics and eager to go on with his new bunch of innovative zealots.

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NO COMMENTS: CONGRESS

Added to that, the majority of the young blood in the party (leaders and workers) is with Akhilesh. Akhilesh has been seen praising the Congress vice president on several occasions and on various public platforms. "He is nice man and a good boy. He has the potential to work," Akhilesh said recently. He also went on to support the 'Khoon Ki Dalaali' remark by Rahul to attack Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Meanwhile, the Congress has denied any alliance. "We have made our official line very clear and very early on. We are going to polls alone. We will not ally with anyone in UP. How can we fight the polls with SP and BSP who have brought the state to utter shambles. Anyway, we have already even declared our chief ministerial face," said Congress spokesperson Meem Afzal.

The weakening of the SP owing to the internecine feud has made things easier for Mayawati-led BSP, said observers, as the Muslim votebank could be expected to be more inclined to vote the BSP owing to their traditional opposition to BJP, hence their gravitation towards who was in a better position to drub BJP.

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Watch video here

--- ENDS ---
By PTI: Manama, Oct 24 (PTI) Home Minister Rajnath Singh today called on Bahrain King Hamad bin Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa and Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa and shared with them Indias concern over terrorism.

While Singh met the King at Al-Safriya palace, he met the Crown Prince at Gudaibiya Palace.

"We shared concern over terrorism and human trafficking," Singh tweeted after the meeting.

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The Home Minister also met Bahrains Deputy Prime Minister Shaikh Ali Bin Khalifa Al Khalifa and Foreign Minister Shaikh Khalid Bin Ahmed Al Khalifa separately.

Earlier, in his meeting with Bahrain Interior Minister Rashid bin Abdullah Al Khalifa, Singh conveyed to him that terrorism emanating from Pakistan remains its most important concern and support from across the border has incited the current unrest in Jammu and Kashmir.

Singh, who is on a three-day visit to the Gulf country, apprised Abdullah about Islamabads open support and participation to glorify slain Hizbul Mujahideen militant Burhan Wani in Pakistan, saying it indicates continued free movement that terrorists and their supporters enjoy there. PTI ACB ZH

--- ENDS ---
By Prabhash K Dutta: Ramayana may be central to BJP's core political agenda, but its script is being played out in Mulayam Singh Yadav's family. There was a king, Dasharatha in the Ramayana age, who ruled not very far from where Mulayam Singh has been striving hard to hold on to his political bastion. Like the king of Ayodhya, the SP chief finds himself strewn between his second wife, Sadhna and Akhilesh, whom he considers the legitimate heir to his political legacy. In Ramayana it was Kaikeyi, who played tricks and in Mulayam's family, insiders said, his second wife Sadhna emerged as the key player behind the Samajwadi crisis.

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WATCH: All you need to know about Mulayam's second wife Sadhna, a key player in the PariWar

READ: Samajwadi crisis: Akhilesh Yadav rules out any move to split party, BJP demands a floor test

WHO IS SADHNA? Not too many people knew about Sadhna Gupta before 2003, when Mulayam Singh's first wife and the mother of Akhilesh Yadav, Malti Yadav passed away. Sadhna got the status of Mulayam's wife the same year. It is not publicly known as to when they exactly married. Mulayam and Sadhna have a son, Prateek, who was born in 1988. Prateek is said to be 'not interested' in politics but many blame mother Sadhna for the recent developments pitting Mulayam against his eldest son Akhilesh.

READ: Samajwadi Party crucial meet: Who said what STORY BEGAN IN 2012 People familiar with the developments within the Mulayam family said that the storm started building up soon after the 2012 assembly polls, when the SP won a majority against all odds. After the elections, Sadhna and Shivpal wanted Mulayam Singh to lead the government. But Mulayam decided to project Akhilesh as the next leader and chief minister of Uttar Pradesh. Many believe in the allegations levelled by now suspended MLC Udaiveer Singh that Sadhna tried to mobilize SP leaders in 2012 to prevent Akhilesh from becoming the chief minister.

READ: Samajwadi party crucial meet: My son won't be removed, says Mulayam Singh Udaiveer Singh has been a close associate of Akhilesh, who incidentally did not refute the allegations leveled by the MLC, which in turn, has upset Mulayam. Mulayam has taken any attack on Sadhna and Shivpal as a challenge to his authority, even as he tries to defuse the crisis fearing a rout in the forthcoming elections early next year.

ALSO WATCH:

SAME STORY AFTER FIVE YEARS What she could not do in 2012, insiders say, Sadhna is now attempting to achieve ahead of the 2017-elections. She is said to be against the idea that Akhilesh continues to be the face of Samajwadi Party. Many believe that is why Mulayam made the statement that the next chief minister would be decided by elected legislators of the party. And that is why a call was given by Shivpal for Mulayam to assume the post of the chief minister. Akhilesh believes that Amar Singh - who is also close to Sadhna and is understood be advising her on political matters - is behind this game of thrones. This explains Akhilesh's vehement opposition to Amar Singh and demand for his immediate expulsion from the party. Sadhna Yadav is supposed to have played a role in Amar Singh's re-entry in the Samajwadi fold, even though his relation with Mulayam had turned sour.

Prateek and Aparna Yadav (Photo: @aparnabisht7) Prateek and Aparna Yadav (Photo: @aparnabisht7)

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Sadhna wants to have a place of significance in Mulayam's Samajwadi family. She entered his Lucknow residence only after the demise of Akhilesh's mother in 2003. She also got a separate house constructed for herself in Mulayam's village Saifai. With son Prateek not keen on pursuing active politics, Sadhna is now working behind the scene to establish her daughter-in-law Aparna Yadav, who was recently in news for praising Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

READ: Akhilesh-Shivpal supporters clash ahead of crucial Samajwadi Party meet Sources in the party say the Lucknow Cantonment seat has been finalised to launch Aparna into politics in the next elections. Rita Bahuguna Joshi, who recently quit the Congress to join the BJP, may contest from the same seat. This possibility, some observers feel, has put doubts in Sadhna's mind about Aparna's immediate political future and explains her increasing insecurity.

The Mulayam family tree

Akhilesh is apparently fighting the battle within his family to ensure a full tenure as chief minister. In the final year and right before elections, he has understood the fact that without having a good hold on the party, he cannot secure his political future. Akhilesh quickly acted against those close to Shivpal and Sadhna. He sacked Gayatri Prajapati and Raj Kishore Singh from his Cabinet, following it up by removing chief secretary Deepak Singhal the next day. The Chief Minister also sacked Shivpal from his Cabinet twice in a month. Letters from Udaiveer Singh and Ram Gopal Yadav were said to "have not been issued without his approval". It looks like a Ramayana script being staged in Mulayam's family with one big difference: the gen-next protagonist in Samajwadi family is not ready to go down without a fight.ALSO READ:

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Samajwadi crisis: Options before supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav

--- ENDS ---
By PTI: The Home Minister said both India and Bahrain are vulnerable to the scourge of terrorism and there were extensive discussions about the meance during his talks with Interior Minister of Bahrain.

Expressing his concern over the terrorism, Singh said terrorism constitutes the greatest threat to humanity since World War II and there are no good or bad terrorists.

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Singh said terrorism should be dealt with in a comprehensive manner and segmented and partial approaches as adopted by some of the countries have been unsuccessful in countering terrorism.

He thanked the Bahraini leadership for condemning the recent terrorist attack in Uri in September and the Pathankot airbase attack in January this year, an official release said.

He said it is a matter of satisfaction that the world opinion is with India in its resolution to dismantle the launching pads of terrorism from across the border.

Singh expressed happiness over the fact that the bilateral security dialogue at the Deputy NSA level has now been institutionalised and the second round was held in New Delhi last week.

The Home Minister said signing of agreement for cooperation in combating international terrorism, transnational organised crime and trafficking in illicit drugs, narcotic and psychotropic substances and precursor chemicals has laid strong foundation for enhanced security and counter-terrorism cooperation between the two countries.

He said India would like to enhance ties with Bahraini defence and security establishment.

Singh said India is keen to strengthen trade and investment ties with Bahrain and avail of the strategic location of Bahrain as a "gateway" to the GCC market.

"While our bilateral trade is healthy and has reached about USD one billion, there is still a huge potential to further expand it," the release said.

The Home Minister said the presence of a large Indian community in Bahrain constitutes an important link between the two countries. Indians are the largest expatriate community in Bahrain.

He thanked the Bahraini authorities for launching the Little India in Bahrain. This is a praiseworthy gesture towards India and Indian community and will promote Indian culture in Bahrain, he said.

Singh said Bahrain had supported India on many occasions and India will reciprocate in the same manner, more than what Bahrain has given to India. PTI ACB KUN

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By India Today Web Desk: One of the biggest Indian reality shows, Bigg Boss Season 10, has been making a lot of noise. Of course, its contestants are the primary reason behind the said noise.

You might have guessed by now who are we referring to; Priyanka Jagga. One of the ugliest spats that the now eliminated aam aadmi contestant got into was with celeb contestant and Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai actor Rohan Mehra.

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Also read:Bigg Boss 10: Celebrities are the new maaliks, aam aadmi contestants get punished for breaking rules



Yes, we are talking about the incident when the actor had spilled water on Priyanka 'accidentally'. Obviously, following the incident, Priyanka had in a fit of rage started abusing Rohan, and had even ridiculed his parents.

Priyanka Jagga. Picture courtesy: Instagram/bb10lovers

Priyanka had also not shied away from making unfound remarks about the actor's family.

Rohan Mehra's father has now come out and spoken about the issue.

"As per my knowledge, Rohan had met Priyanka years ago for a brief few minutes at a club in Delhi when he was in college. I don't understand how she can make such statements about people she has never interacted with. We are respectable people, and this is uncalled for. I'm sure Rohan is tough, and will handle this without stooping down to her level; his actions alone speak volumes about his family," Miss Malini quoted Rohan's father as saying.

"My son will never do anything to let us down," Mr Mehra added.

Over to you, Priyanka.



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"The CPI(M) is unnerved by the RSS mission and its growing popularity," said Nandkumar, Akhil Bharitya Sah Prachar Pramukh of RSS.

By Brijesh Pandey: The Akhil Bharatiya Karyakarini Mandal Baitak (ABKM) of RSS passed two resolutions today and the focus of the first resolution was the unchecked violence of CPI(M) against RSS and other opponents in Kerala.

"The CPI(M) is unnerved by the RSS mission and its growing popularity," said Nandkumar, Akhil Bharitya Sah Prachar Pramukh of RSS.

Nandkumar also said that in the last 7 years, around 250 young sangh cadres have been brutally killed by Left terror. RSS said that one of the area where maximum killing has taken place is Kunnur which is a citadel of Left and they are feeling the heat of RSS and this is the reason maximum killings have taken place in this area. The ABKM called upon the government of Kerala as well as the union government to take appropriate action against the perpetrators of this violence.

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Also read:

RSS functionary hacked to death in Bengaluru in broad daylight



WHAT SECOND RESOLUTION IS



The second resolution was about integral humanism as the solution for present global crisis. The second resolution is needed to address the growing economic disparities in the world, environmental imbalance and terrorism which is posing a severe challenge to the humanity.

The problem stems from unemployment, poverty, malnutrition along with the growing economic crisis. "All the problems can be eradicated by pursuing the philosophy of integral humanism through mutual coordination between individuals ," said Manmohan Vaidya.

As this is the centenary year of Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay, the BJP is propounding the philosophy of integral humanism in the light of eternal Bhartiya vision, which is relevant to the present time.

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Alina Orlova,17,and Alena Savchenko, 19, were arrested after social media users outraged over the inhuman photos and videos they posted online.

By India Today Web Desk: Two Russian girls have been arrested for torturing and killing cats and dogs and later posting the footage of the brutality on Facebook.

Alina Orlova,17, was arrested in Russia's Vladivostok where she was waiting for a connecting flight between her home city to St Petersburg. Alina's partner in crime, 19-year-old friend Alena Savchenko aka Kristina Hemp was arrested too.

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According to the local media, Alina was afraid of getting arrested and might have tried to flee. She is seen wearing horror movie-inspired makeup and contact lenses in the photographs.

One of the horrific images show a dog nailed to the wall and another one shot with an airgun after the animal was hung by its collar. The girls even terrified a kitten with a knife.

Photo: CEN



Both the girls faced massive backlash on social media and a petition was launched to get them arrested. Nearly 1,86,000 people signed it. It was only after the social media outrage that police acted upon the case.

While Alena was expelled for academic failure from the College of Technology, the 17-year-old is a student at the Pacific State University. In fact, she has even denied allegations and said that her friend Alena Photoshopped her images and is trying to frame her.

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Crucial day for the ruling Samajwadi Party facing a bitter power tussle between Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav and uncle Shivpal Yadav, also the Uttar Pradesh party chief.

By India Today Web Desk: At the end of a dramatic meeting of party workers in Lucknow following a bitter power tussle between Akhilesh Yadav and his uncle Shivpal, Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav called Amar Singh his brother and stood by Shivpal, calling him a "leader of the masses".

"I can't leave Amar Singh or Shivpal Yadav. All of Amar Singh's sins are forgiven. He is my brother," Mulayam said in clear terms, a remark aimed at his son Akhilesh, who has been bitterly opposing the re-induction of Amar Singh into the party.

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WATCH: Samajwadi PariWar: Who is Prateek Yadav?

Amar Singh, a businessman-turned-politician, was sacked from the party in 2010 along with Jaya Prada. He returned to the Mulayam fold last year.

While Mulayam was speaking, Akhilesh got into a heated argument with uncle Shivpal, with the latter accusing the Chief Minister of lying. "Your CM is lying," Shivpal told his brother Mulayam.

On Sunday, Akhilesh had sacked Shivpal and few other ministers close to Amar Singh from his Cabinet. In return, Shivpal removed Akhilesh loyalist and cousin Ram Gopal Yadav from the party for six years.

In a last-ditch effort to bring truce between a warring Akhilesh Yadav and his Shivpal, a belligerent Mulayam also ordered his Chief Minister son to hug his uncle and end the month-long feud within the Samajwadi Party.

MULAYAM SLAMS AKHILESH SUPPORTERS

Slamming the supporters of son Akhilesh at the meeting, Mulayam said those who are raising slogans for the Chief Minister have no idea how the party reached where it is today.

Samajwadi crisis: Options before supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav

"People who are raising slogans for Akhilesh. Do they know how we have fought to bring party to this level?" Mulayam said as he addressed party workers to prevent the party from splitting ahead of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly election, due in less than six months.

Despite an emotional Akhilesh Yadav ruling out forming a new party following his bitter feud with uncle Shivpal Yadav, the Uttar Pradesh party chief today said the Chief Minister had told him that he will form a new party.

Mulayam should become UP Chief Minister, urges Shivpal Yadav

Watch| All you need to know about Amar Singh's role in the ongoing Samajwadi PariWar

"Akhilesh Yadav had said to me that he will form another party. He said it, he said it to me," a combative Shivpal, who was sacked from the state Cabinet by Akhilesh on Sunday, told party workers in Lucknow.

Earlier, addressing the crucial meeting, Akhilesh Yadav had today ruled out forming a new party and blamed elements within of conspiracy to derail the party ahead of the Assembly election due in less than six months.

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WHY SHOULD I FORM A NEW PARTY: AKHILESH

Dismissing speculation that he is forming a new party, a teary-eyed Akhilesh said, "People are saying a new party will be formed. Why should I form a new party?"

The 43-year-old son of supremo Mulayam said he has full faith in the leadership of his father. "Netaji (as Mulayam is known in his party) has taught us to fight injustice," he said, adding that he would have resigned if his father had asked.

Who is forming new party, I am not: Akhilesh Yadav vows to support dad Mulayam

Akhilesh also targeted Amar Singh, whose re-induction into the party earlier this month was bitterly opposed by the Chief Minister. "I was hurt when Amar Singh said that by November, Akhilesh will not be the CM in UP. Ramgopal ji didnt say that," he said, defending his loyal uncle Ram Gopal Yadav, who was sacked by Shivpal for six years on Sunday.

Before the meeting began, there were clashed between the supporters of Akhilesh and his uncle and current party chief in UP, Shivpal Yadav.

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The dynastic power struggle between the Yadavs - until now a large and united political family - appeared to have reached a dead end at a time when the party faces crucial elections to retain power in the politically critical and the country's most populated state.Samajwadi crisis: Akhilesh Yadav rules out any move to split party, BJP demands a floor test

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Shahid Kapoor, who welcomed daughter Misha with Mira Rajput in August, has shared his experience of being a father.

By India Today Web Desk: Shahid Kapoor and Mira Rajput welcomed their baby daughter Misha on August 26. And over the last two months, the Haider actor and his wife have been on cloud nine, thanks to their daughter.

At the ongoing JioMAMI Film Festival in Mumbai, Shahid went all candid about his wife and child. He's enjoying every bit of his life as a new father. The actor said, "Misha gives me a lot of strength. Life is all about her now. I feel like I am ready to protect and even fight for her. I want to be my best for Misha. I never want to leave home once I return to my wife and baby."

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Shahid also spoke about what it is like living with a baby, "With a baby, I wake up every three hours. I change diapers and most of my T-shirts have Misha's vomit and milk stains on them."

PHOTOS: Shahid Kapoor and Mira Rajput with daughter Misha at the airport

ALSO READ: Shahid Kapoor and Mira Rajput are parents to a baby girl!

ALSO READ: Shahid-Mira's daughter Misha and Bollywood's newest baby brigade

Shahid took to Twitter to announce the arrival of his little angel back in August this year.

He had written, "She has arrived and words fall short to express our happiness. Thank you for all your wishes."

Shahid and Mira have been married for more than a year now. The two tied the knot in July 2015.

Speaking about his wife, Shahid said, "Earlier, I was the master of my own will, now that isn't the case. I have become a lot more centered since I got married."

Kapoor, who will next be seen in Vishal Bhardwaj's Rangoon, said that Mira and he bring out the best in each other, "I recall that after winning awards for Haider (in 2014-2015), I wanted to sit with someone and talk to someone. It was an empty house and now there is happiness. I always wanted to marry someone who is real and normal. Mira pulls me back and gives a fresh perspective to things. In fact, she is opinionated and I never second guess her opinion."

Shahid was last seen on the silver screen in the June release Udta Punjab.

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The meeting held in Lucknow saw impassioned speeches by three key players who said things that left the Samajwadi Party exposed.

By India Today Web Desk: The Samajwadi Party (SP) meeting held in Lucknow today to iron out differences between the three key players saw impassioned speeches by the trio. However, during the course of their speeches, SP supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav, his brother Shivpal Yadav and Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav seemed to have said things which only exposed the party.

SP, it seems, would have better off had these utterances not been made.

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Read: SamajWarring Party - A timeline of how Mulayam's clan sunk deep into crisis



MULAYAM

"Amar Singh saved me from going to jail." This is an intriguing statement. When did Amar Singh save Mulayam from jail, and how?

"Liquor mafia, etc are being aided by those who are in position (of power)."

"Drunkards, goons have been added to the party. You get some power and it goes to your head."

WATCH: All you need to know about Mulayam's second wife Sadhna, a key player in the PariWar





Also read: Is BJP taking advantage of rife in Samajwadi Party?



The last two statements are telling, especially coming from the chief of the ruling party. This only proves what the opposition and critics have been saying. That the SP employs and encourages goons and crime.

SHIVPAL

Only those who will not indulge in "dalali" or unlawful activities will remain in Netaji's (Mulayam) party. (An allusion to Ram Gopal Yadav, the powerful national general secretary who was expelled from party on October 23.)

The SP could form government in 2003 because of the "help" of Amar Singh. (Amar Singh has often being accused of wheeling-dealing by his rivals.)

"Dalals" (brokers) should go out of the party. The SP has been formed with the toil and sweat of Mulayam. The SP government has not been formed by sloganeering.

People hate loots and "dalals". They do not fetch votes.

Also read: Ramayana script plays out in Mulayam PariWar; second wife Sadhna emerges as key player



The SP would have managed to win the Rajya Sabha elections had I not talked to Ajit Singh.

Those who are in connivance with the BJP have forgotten that "Netaji" never blamed me. Whenever he called me in, I went to meet him. (An attack on Mulayam's cousin Ram Gopal Yadav.)

Not only does he attack Amar Singh and Ram Gopal Yadav, he also alludes to some funny business with Ajit Singh on the Rajya Sabha polls.

AKHILESH

The letter from MLA alleging that the SP will lose Muslim votes is a forged one. It has been written at the behest of Amar Singh. (He was reacting to Mulayam's charge that even MLAs felt that Muslims were drifting away from the SP during Akhilesh's rule.)



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Arvind Kejriwal and Amarinder Singh today got into a Twitter war challenging each other for a debate.

By India Today Web Desk: Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh has emerged as the clear winner of an online spat with Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal over holding an open political debate in poll-bound Punjab.



Singh had on Sunday dared Kejriwal for a debate after the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader accused the Congress leader of using Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader and state Revenue Minister Bikram Singh Majithia's "drug money" for his campaign.

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"Sir, ppl talking in Punjab that u using (Bikram Singh) Majithia's drug money in ur campaign. Is it true? U had saved him from CBI enquiry 3 yrs back (sic)," Kejriwal had tweeted.



Sir, ppl talking in Punjab that u using Majithia's drug money in ur campaign. Is it true? U had saved him from CBI enquiry 3 yrs back https://t.co/RysiDptHT4; Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) October 24, 2016

Amarinder tweeted, accepting Kejriwal's challenge: "Now that you've shot your mouth, don't scoot like you typically do! Show courage & come for an open debate. Choose the time, place & platform."



Now that you've shot your mouth, don't scoot like you typically do!Show courage & come for an open debate. Choose the time, place & platform https://t.co/e9yfDIrBd4; Capt.Amarinder Singh (@capt_amarinder) October 24, 2016

For Singh, Kejriwal said, there are AAP leaders from Punjab. He even mentioned a few names in an attempt to show Singh that he was a local leader in Punjab while Kejriwal was a national leader.

Kejriwal responded, saying: "I accept ur challenge sir. I suggest 4 names - H S Phoolka, Jarnail Singh, Bhagwant or Gurpreet. Speaker, date, time, place of ur choice."

I accept ur challenge sir. I suggest 4 names- H S Phoolka, Jarnail Singh, Bhagwant or Gurpreet. Speaker, date, time, place of ur choice https://t.co/lYrOMgEET3; Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) October 24, 2016



Amarinder shot back: "Punjabis believe in leading from the front, not hiding behind others. Or have you already accepted that you can't face me for a public debate?"

I am not hiding behind anyone sir. I am ready for a debate with Rahul ji or Sonia ji anytime. Our punjab team will debate wid u. https://t.co/EeSqHHZLss; Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) October 24, 2016



The AAP leader agreed, with a small caveat: he would only debate Congress president Sonia Gandhi or her vice-president son, Rahul.

"I am not hiding behind anyone sir. I am ready for a debate with Rahul ji or Sonia ji anytime. Our Punjab team will debate wid u," Kejriwal shot back.

I am not hiding behind anyone sir. I am ready for a debate with Rahul ji or Sonia ji anytime. Our punjab team will debate wid u. https://t.co/EeSqHHZLss; Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) October 24, 2016

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Singh then accused the AAP convenor of chickening out of the debate. "So you've chickened out! You're the 'Aam Aadmi' who levels allegations on everyone bt wud like to engage only with PM & Presidents of parties!" Amarinder responded.

So you've chickened out!You're the'Aam Aadmi' who levels allegations on everyone bt wud like to engage only with PM & Presidents of parties! https://t.co/YNBR7T7XNM; Capt.Amarinder Singh (@capt_amarinder) October 24, 2016



To which Kejriwal replied in Hindi: "Sir, it would have been better if you had debated my leaders in Punjab. OK, whatever suits you. But why is the entire BJP defending you?"

??, ????? ???? ?? ????? ????? ??? ?? debate ?? ????? ?? ????? ????, ???? ??????? ?? ??, ???? BJP ?? ???? ???? ????? defend ?? ??? ??? https://t.co/lMcudF31O9; Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) October 24, 2016



Singh's reply: "Morning you started with Majithia, now you're bringing in BJP, next you'll say Donald Trump is conspiring with me against you."

Morning you started with Majithia,now you're bringing in BJP,next you'll say Donald Trump is conspiring with me against you. https://t.co/jiK22ycMQD

The Congress and AAP are in the midst of a bitter political contest to challenge Punjab's ruling Shiromani Akali Dal-Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) alliance. The alliance has been in power in Punjab since 2007.

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Kejriwal had earlier accused the Congress leader of using drugs money in the Punjab poll campaign. While saying that Kejriwal was hallucinating, Amarinder said: "When your hopes crash from 100 to 30 (seats) & still sliding, you're bound to hallucinate & see things that don't exist."

The AAP, hoping to make its debut in Punjab next year, has been alleging a nexus of the Akali Dal with the Congress after Amarinder Singh was recently let off in a corruption case in Amritsar.

Also read: Bird flu scare: Here's what you need to know about the virus

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Lakshyaraj Singh Mewar

Executive Director, HRH Group of Hotels



Lakshyaraj Singh Mewar is the Executive Director of the HRH Group of Hotels. Photo: Spice

From abandoned ruins, today Jagmandir Island Palace in Udaipur shines in all its royal splendour as one of the most exclusive wedding destinations in the world. The credit for this goes to Lakshyaraj Singh Mewar, son of Shriji Arvind Singh Mewar, who's not only slowly transforming the physical landscape of Udaipur but also the wedding foodscape of the region, to make it one of the most sought-after places for the rich to get hitched. So while you may find traditional bati-churma, papad ki sabzi and laal maas on the menu, don't be surprised if you come across a live barbecue station that boasts of rare meats grilled to perfection the Aussie way.

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THE BEGINNING

For centuries, food in Rajasthan has been determined by one's profession. A priest would have vegetarian food without any strong herbs and spices; a soldier would stick to non-vegetarian food, which would include freshly hunted game, and a businessman would have vegetarian fare that could be preserved while he was travelling. It was believed that the type of food you eat affects your senses and eventually your actions. All this put together, along with the demographics and seasonal availability, resulted in the food that the locals ate and served at festivities-weddings being no exception.

NOT ALL MEATY

Unlike present-day belief that Rajasthani fare is all about non-vegetarian dishes, our cuisine is actually a food heaven for vegetarians. With immense variety and packed with unique flavours, it ranges from preparations of fresh vegetables to sun-dried chickpea and wheat flour preparations to preserves and pickles of every possible vegetable. And amazingly, it doesn't stop there, as the array of decadent desserts is never-ending. Yes, of course there's meat involved when necessary.

You can get the perfect pairing of food and wine in Udaipur. Photo: Spice

MY WEDDING FARE

My wedding to Nivrutti, in 2014 saw a lot of local food in terms of both vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes. In fact, because vegetarian cuisine is so strong in Rajasthan, we exploited it to the hilt. There's so much to explore in terms of flavour, and for every course there are enough things to excite your palate-from pyaaz ki kachori, kathal ka pulao, ker sangri, Rajasthani kadi, dal vada, bajre ki khichdi, ghewar, and much more-that you will tire before you retire.

Also read: 5 easy Indian masalas that will spice up your average plate of food



EVOLVED EATING

It's the multi-cuisine age. Unfortunately today, only local food from the region, no matter how royal or decadent, does not suffice for those looking to feast. People want traditional food on their wedding menu but also look for global fare to cater to international guests. So you will find Asian, Japanese, Italian, Mediterranean, and even within Indian cuisine, regional specialities such as south Indian and Mughlai. While there are traditional Rajasthani dishes such as gatte ki sabzi, safed maas cooked with almonds and cashews, panchmel ki sabzi and banjara gosht, we have extended it to include the demands of the clients who want exotic international fare such as panko crusted prawns and rosemary flavoured lamb racks.

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THE INSPIRATION

Having graduated from the Blue Mountains Hotel Management School in Australia, I realised that it is very important to experiment with food. Modern Australian cuisine is predominantly a mix and match of various cuisines. We call it the "confusion fusion". If it's a good confusion, it's makes for great fusion. I think if you let your creativity flow without stress, then it translates beautifully onto the plate. So you're mixing and matching foods not only from India but you're mixing and matching foods from all over the world.

Some of the famed delicacies from Rajasthani cuisine are on offer. Photo: Spice

PULLING OUT ALL STOPS

From maharaj-local head chef-dishing out complex regional fare to international chefs cooking up a gastronomic storm, there is no stone left unturned. Importing chefs to cook specialised cuisines or sending locals to learn the same is no more a novelty, but a given. It's become an essential part of the wedding rulebook. It's not a luxury but a necessity. If a chai wala in Pushkar is the best at his craft, then we will get him here for you. There's no point in reinventing the wheel when someone's already doing a stellar job of it.

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PLEASING THE GLOBAL PALETTE

Although the local food is beautiful in terms of depth of flavours, it can be a bit much for the international clients, who would rather opt for their comfort food rather than another round of spicy Indian fare.



SECRETS OF A LAVISH FEAST

A luxurious spread is not about 50 dishes but about a three-course meal done to perfection. Food is all about ingredients and we make sure that everything we use-lamb, prawns, local vegetables or exotic ingredients-are absolutely fresh and of high quality. We emphasise on homegrown produce and that defines the final product.

As told to Mohini Mehrotra

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The Vespa 946 Emporio Armani edition will be the most expensive scooter to come to India at a price of Rs 9.40 lakh (ex showroom, New Delhi).

Piaggio has collaborated with none other than the iconic fashion brand, Giorgio Armani, to come up with an ultra luxurious scooter for the elite.

By India Today Web Desk: Piaggio India has something very special in store for the scooter fans, as they get ready to bring the country's most expensive scooter, Vespa 946 Emporio Armani edition, to mark the company's 70th anniversary in India. According to some reports that the launch is slated for October 25, we have confirmation that the launch will take place on a later date.

Vespa 946 Emporio Armani edition

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ALSO READ: Piaggio launches Aprilia SR 150 in India; prices start at Rs 65,000

Price:

As we mentioned earlier, the Vespa 946 Emporio Armani edition will be the most expensive scooter to come to India at a price of Rs 9.40 lakh (ex showroom, New Delhi). Now, you might be wondering why the company is launching a scooter at such an exorbitant price; the reason being, Piaggio has collaborated with none other than the iconic fashion brand, Emporio Armani, to come up with an ultra luxurious scooter for the elite.

Vespa 946 Emporio Armani edition

Design:

The upcoming Vespa 946 gets the trademark Armani signature colour palette along with a combination of grey and green, which is visible under certain light. The scooter also gets the Emporio Armani moniker to show its exclusivity.

ALSO READ: Piaggio names World Cup winning football player Vespa brand ambassador

Vespa 946 Emporio Armani edition

Moreover, Vespa 946 Emporio Armani edition gets a satin finish, which is achieved through an extreme galvanic treatment. The headlamp too gets the Emporio Armani logo. Talking about the seats of the Vespa 946 Emporio Armani edition, it is stitched in brown leather, which gives it a premium look and worth the amount spent. Moreover, the engine of the Vespa 946 Emporio Armani edition is made out of aluminium block, while the dash gets electronic riding controls with fuel injection for better performance.

Vespa 946 Emporio Armani edition

Engine:

At the heart of the Vespa 946 Emporio Armani edition comes a 125cc, 4-stroke, mono-cylinder engine that produces peak power at 11.7hp and peak torque of 10.3Nm.

Vespa 946 Emporio Armani edition

ALSO READ: Piaggio to open four Motoplex stores in India

Features:

On the features front, the Vespa 946 Emporio Armani edition gets LED headlamps, LED tail lamps with LCD instrument panel, traction control system and Anti Slip Regulator. Moreover, the exclusive scooter also gets double disc, two-channel ABS, and 12-inch alloy wheels which speaks volume of the brand.



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Insurance Back Who were the winners of the XPRIMM international award for outstanding contribution?

SWISS RE, JLT Re, TRUST Re, and CERTASIG were the winners of the 2016 XPRIMM Award for outstanding contribution to the development and evolution of the insurance and reinsurance market. The awards were given during the XPRIMM Insurance Awards Ceremony organized within the Baden-Baden XPRIMM Reception 2016.



Throughout the years, the XPRIMM Insurance Awards have been granted to professionals, companies and players activating on the re/insurance segment which distinguished themselves by an outstanding contribution to the development and evolution of the insurance and reinsurance markets on which they activate.



The companies which received the XPRIMM Insurance Awards at this year's edition of Baden-Baden XPRIMM Reception were SWISS RE, JLT Re, TRUST Re, and CERTASIG.



SWISS Re is a leader in wholesale reinsurance, insurance and risk transfer solutions. Dealing direct and working through brokers, its global client base consists of insurance companies, mid-to-large-sized corporations and public sector clients. From standard products to tailor-made coverage across all lines of business, Swiss Re deploys its capital strength, expertise and innovation power to enable the risk-taking upon which enterprise and progress in society depend.







JLT Re's trusted team of 700 professionals worldwide combines market leading expertise and proprietary analytical tools with the freedom to challenge conventions. Deep specialist knowledge and extensive experience of both the reinsurance market and clients' own industries and sectors enables JLT Re to ask smarter questions, innovate and deliver better results tailored to meet client needs.







TRUST Re is a reinsurance company based in the Kingdom of Bahrain with branches in Malaysia and Cyprus, as well as a representative office in Morocco and a Liaison Office in India. With authorised, issued and paid up capital of US$ 200 million, Trust Re earned its recognition as a solid and reliable security through its long term professional commitment to the Insurance & Reinsurance Industry. It is classified as a highly reliable security (S&P: A- and A.M. Best: A-), and writes both life and non-life business on a Facultative & Treaty basis with a wide scope of geographical operation that includes: Africa, Asia, Russia, the Former Soviet Union (FSU) countries and the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) Region.







CERTASIG is currently one of only a few independent insurance companies in Romania, distinguishing itself through innovative underwriting, excellent broker and client relationships, fast and professional claims service, and first class reinsurance. Through its strategically located offices in Romania, Turkey and Bulgaria, the company demonstrates commitment to servicing local brokers and clients' needs.







Traditionally, the XPRIMM Insurance Awards have been granted to companies, associations and specialists activating on the international market which exceled in their activity field, through an outstanding contribution to the development of the insurance and reinsurance industry. VIENNA Insurance Group, BARENTS Re, ORACLE, AUDATEX, MILLI Re, TRUST Re and UNITY Re are among the winners which received, throughout the years, the XPRIMM Insurance Awards.

[galerie|XPRIMM-international-award-for-outstanding-contribution]





Author: Adina TUDOR on 21.10.2016



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The issue which the judge was called upon to decide was whether Actavis knew or could foresee that at least some of the prescriptions written generically for pregabalin to treat pain would in fact be fulfilled with Lecaent. Had Warner-Lambert succeeded in upholding valid claims on which they relied for infringement, it would then have been necessary to decide whether, at any of the various dates analysed by the judge, that test of knowledge or foresight was satisfied. If so the judge should have gone on to consider whether Actavis had taken all reasonable steps in their power to prevent Lecaent from being used to treat pain.

If that is the basic test to be adopted, what is sufficient to negative the existence of intention? In my judgment the absence of the patented indication from the label cannot conceivably be sufficient to negative the intention. ...

Viewed in this way I think the answer becomes clear. The intention will be negatived where the manufacturer has taken all reasonable steps within his power to prevent the consequences occurring. In such circumstances his true objective is a lawful one, and one would be entitled to say that the foreseen consequences were not intended, but were an unintended incident of his otherwise lawful activity.

While this moggy was struggling to get back from Indonesia, the Court of Appeal handed down its decision in the pregabalin appeal Warner-Lambert Company LLC v Generics (UK) Ltd (t/a Mylan) & Ors [2016] EWCA Civ 1006 (13 October 2016) , and finally the IPKat has managed to blog about it (the lateness by no means reflecting on the importance of the judgment).It is very much a judgment of three halves.In the first part of the judgment (up to [135]), which substantively disposes of the case, Lord Justice Floyd (with whom Lord Justic Kitchin and Lord Justice Patten agreed) upheld the decision of Mr Justice Arnold on the validity of the patent . Arnold J had considered that the claims of the patent that were alleged to be infringed were insufficient, and in particular claim 3 directed towards use of pregabalin for neuropathic pain, because the patent did not render it plausible that pregabalin would be effective at treating central neuropathic pain, only peripheral neuropathic pain. Floyd LJ agreed with Arnold J's construction of the claims, and rejected the challenge to the finding that claim 3 was not plausible across its breadth.On the other hand, Floyd LJ also rejected a cross-appeal from Mylan and Actavis challenging the finding that the patentmake a plausible claim that pregabalin was effective to treat peripheral neuropathic pain (that is, seeking to widen the scope of the finding of invalidity of the patent). Thus, the first instance judgment on validity was completely upheld.The second part of the judgment, which procedurally disposes of the case (subject to any appeal to the Supreme Court, which Pfizer is reportedly seeking) relates to the refusal to allow Warner-Lambert (the patentee and Pfizer subsidiary) the opportunity to amend claim 3 after the end of the trial. Arnold J considered that this was an abuse of process. After a detailed analysis, Floyd LJ concluded "I therefore do not consider that there is any basis for this court to interfere with the judge's evaluation on the issue of abuse of process."Then we come to the third part of the judgment, relating to infringement. Merpel gleefully reminds the IPKat that this part of the decision is strictlyand therefore non-binding (since the findings on validity and abuse of process make the infringement issue moot), but only a fool would disregard it. Moreover, this is really where it starts to get interesting.In the Court of Appeal decision relating to interim relief before the main trial before Arnold J, Floyd LJ had examined the proper interpretation of Swiss-form, second medical use claims (the present judgment states that this was at the behest of the parties: "The court was invited by both parties at that stage to decide the issue of law so that the parties knew where they stood for the purposes of the trial"). The problem was, the parties disagreed on what was the test that the Court of Appeal had laid down. At the first instance interim proceedings, faced with a choice of foreseeability and intention, Arnold J had in his substantive decision in the case plumped for the latter: for a Swiss form claim to be infringed, it had to be not just foreseeable to the manufacturer that his product would be used for the claimed indication, but the manufacturer had to actively intend (or, as Arnold J put it "subjectively intend") that it be so used. The Court of Appeal judgment had referred to both foreseeability and intention, and Arnold J thought the test laid down by the Court of Appeal was that it had to be foreseeable to the manufacturer that this product would be intentionally administered for the claimed indication, the intention coming from a doctor, or, under rare circumstances, a pharmacist.It now turns out that when referring to "intention" in the earlier judgment, Floyd LJ had not meant what Arnold J understood, but rather a much narrower sense that: "Intentional use is to be distinguished from use where the drug is prescribed for a different indication and, without it in any sense being the intention of the treatment, a pain condition is in fact treated." Thus, unsurprisingly in the present judgment, Floyd LJ thought that "the judge [Arnold J] fell into error in seeking to dissect the requirement for intentional treatment of pain in this way". Instead, for a Swiss form claim to be infringed "it is only essential that the manufacturer is able to foresee that there will be intentional use for the new medical indication" (where "intentional use" has the meaning just stated).Thus, Floyd LJ has now clearly laid down a test which is close to the pure "foreseeability" test that Warner-Lambert originally contended for:Moreover, and very helpfully, he has also laid down what kind of steps taken by the generic manufacturer would be sufficient to be the "reasonable steps" (in the last sentence just quoted) required to prevent liability for infringement|:This Kat is a little disappointed that the judgment refers to the judge falling into error with no apparent acknowledgement that the source of the error is in fact the lack of a clear test being laid down in the earlier Court of Appeal judgment. However, a clear exposition of what the Court of Appeal regards as the correct test is most welcome, and the IPKat eagerly awaits a case in which it can be applied.
Montazeris crime is that on August 2016 he published an audio file on the Ayatollah Montazeris official website, of his fathers meeting with the Death Commission.

In this meeting, Ayatollah Montazeri, former Deputy Supreme Leader and Khomeinis nominated successor, describes the mass execution of political prisoners as the greatest crime committed during the reign of the Islamic Republic and tells them that they would be remembered in the future as criminals. He was speaking to Hossein-Ali Nayeri, Morteza Eshraghi, Ebrahim Raeisi and Mostafa Pour-Mohammadi. These men oversaw and approved the executions during the 1988 massacre of some 30,000 political prisoners after a fatwa was declared by the regimes then Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khomeini.

The Montazeri family announced on their Telegram channel, that Ahmads court session was held behind closed doors without the presence of a defense lawyer and jury. They stated that he was accused of acting against national security in charges read out by Ansari-Zadeh, representative of the prosecutor. They further stated that, although Ahmad has denied the charges, on the request of the relevant authorities, it has been decided not to publish the content of the meeting until the courts verdict is announced.

The Constitution of the Islamic Republic does not provide for the Special Court for Clerics, but for years has been handling the cases of allegation and offenses committed at this level, and is accountable only to the Supreme Leader.

The reactions to what was revealed by the audio file were widespread, both in Iran, and in the international community. Most officials and public figures of the Islamic Republic from both the hardline and the reformist factions, defended Khomeinis decision for the mass execution of prisoners in 1988. However, figures like Ali Motahari demanded an apology from the perpetrators of the crime.

In a letter to the UN Human Rights Council and the International Criminal Court, a hundred Iranian civil society figures, academics, and human rights activists living abroad, urged these institutions to recognize the 1988 massacre of political prisoners as crime against humanity.

Of those executed during that summer in 1988, members and supporter of The Peoples Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI or MEK), make up the vast majority, and they once again call for justice, and the trial of the leaders of the Islamic Republic on charges of crimes against humanity.
The following is the text of the speech:

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Thank you for coming to this meeting today which I have organized as the mayor of Rotselaar. I have been the mayor since 1995. For those who have come here for the first time, Rotselaar is located in the Belgian province of Flemish-Brabant and is famous for holding one of the biggest festivals in Europe. Around 300, 000 people from all over the world come here for our music festivals every year.

As the mayor I am responsible for security (police, fire service and mobility), personnel, administration and organisation, festivities, honorary and legal affairs, and tourism.

I have been following the situation of Iran for many years. When I was in the Belgian parliament (Chamber) and then in Belgian Senate, we organized several meetings on human rights in Iran.

We formed a group called: Belgian Committee of Parliamentarians and Mayors for a Free Iran.

After I left the Belgian senate I have continued to lead this committee and I am happy to have found so many Iranian friends who are in exile and are working for democracy and human rights in their country.

As you all know, Iran is a religious dictatorship. After the fall of the Shah in 1979, Iran jumped from bad to worse. Ayatollah Khomeini came to power and he formed the Islamic Republic of Iran which is the first and only Islamic state in the world today.

After a brief period of freedom, Khomeini began the repression and executions. As many as 120 thousands have been executed. I have seen a book, volume 1, which includes the names of 20 thousands who have been hanged. Most of them belong to the opposition PMOI (MEK) which is a Muslim force but anti-fundamentalist and believes in a tolerant Islam, separation of religion and state and gender equality.

I have been working with PMOI (MEK) and their supporters for the last 14 years. They have suffered very much under the mullahs. They also had over 3000 of their members in the neighbouring Iraq in camps Ashraf and Liberty which were frequently attacked by agents of Iran. We in Belgium campaigned for their rights. For example I began a petition for Ashraf residents which over 300 Mayors in Belgium from both Flemish and French speaking cites signed it.

I am glad that recently these Iranian refugees in Iraq have been transferred to safety, most of them are now in Albania and some other European countries.

The main reason that I called for this meeting today was to commemorate a crime against humanity in summer of 1988, when over 30, 000 political prisoners, mostly from PMOI (MEK), were executed by the order of Ayatollah Khomeini. Many of them were serving their prison sentences and were supposed to be released soon. They were buried in mass graves and so their families did not know where to grief for their loved ones. We have a witness here today, a mother, whose son Mehran was executed in 1988. She will speak to us later.

Khomeinis deputy who was supposed to be his successor, was Ayatollah Montazeri who protested publicly to these mass executions.

After 28 years, after that massacre, a new audio file was released by the son of Montazeri in August this year. In this audio tape, we can hear Ayatollah Montazeri, meeting members of the Death Committee in Tehran who ordered the executions in the capital. Montazeri is telling them that you will be called as the biggest criminals in the history and is appealing to them to stop the executions. He mentions that young girls and even pregnant women were executed.

This 40 minutes conversation with the so called death committee, was recorded a few days after the start of the massacre.

It is interesting to note that one of those members of that Death Committee is the current Minister of Justice in the government of President Rouhani who pretends to be a moderate! This person has said that he is proud to have carried out the executions.

Ayatollah Montazeris opposition to that massacre, resulted to his dismissal by Khomeini. So Mr Montazeri paid a heavy price for this. He was humiliated and repressed by Khomeini and later by the current Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei and was put on house arrest till his death in 1989.

Khomeinis fatwa of killing members and supporters of PMOI (MEK), leaves no doubt that he ordered a crime against humanity; therefore, all of the people who had a role in implementing this decree were involved in a crime against humanity.

This massacre and genocide did not stop in 1988 and in fact continues to this date. According to the United Nations, around 1000 were executed in Iran under Rouhani in 2015. Iran is currently the number state-executioner in the world per capita.

We call for the 1988 massacre to be on the agenda of the Human Rights Council. The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights must issue a call for an investigation in this regard. We urge the European governments, including the Belgian government to condition their relationship with Iran to a suspension and halt of executions. We cannot have business as usual with this regime. The issue of human rights cannot be compromised for trade and big economic contracts. We have to defend the European values of democracy, womens rights, rights for ethnic and religious minorities and freedom.

Finally I should say this has been an honour for me to be friend of the Iranian democratic opposition in these years. They want nothing for themselves except freedom of their people. I have met the resistance leader Mrs Maryam Rajavi who has been to Belgium several times and is regarded as the enemy number one by the mullahs.

Todays meeting is an effort to pay tribute to the innocent victims who were so brutally murdered by this regime in summer of 1988. I hope you will find it useful.

Thank you very much.
He says that the nuclear provisions of the JCPOA may work to prevent Iran from becoming a nuclear weapons state in the next ten years, but that it wont stop Iran from using the money to support proxy groups to further its interests in the region.

Iranian financial and materiel support to proxy groups in the region commenced soon after the Islamic Revolution in 1979. Iranian fingerprints were uncovered in both the Beirut Embassy and U.S. Marine Barracks bombings that killed more than 250 Americans and were carried out by Hezbollah in Lebanon in 1983. Hezbollah executed the Khobar Towers bombing in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, in 1996, killing 19 and wounding 372 Americans. Iran provided financial, materiel, and weapons support to various Shia militia groups in Iraq beginning in 2004. Hundreds of coalition troops were killed or maimed by Iranian-supplied improvised explosive devices (IEDs), and Irans support for Shia militias sustained the insurgency and stalled the reconciliation process between the Sunni, Shia, and Kurdish sects in Iraq. Iran supplied Hezbollah with short- and medium-range rockets and advanced anti-tank weapons that were used to great effect during the 2006 Israeli-Hezbollah conflict. The level of sophistication of Iranian support to Hezbollah was underscored by the successful execution of a C-802 coastal defense cruise missile (CDCM) strike by Hezbollah against the Israeli INS Hanit corvette during the 2006 conflict, writes Captain Liedman, Hezbollah reportedly aims more than 11,000 Iranian-supplied rockets at Israel today, and 3,000 Hezbollah fighters have reportedly undergone training in Iran. Additionally, the Iranians have supplied Hamas with Fajr-5, M-75, and M-302 rockets along with unmanned aerial drone technology that has been used to create mayhem from Gaza.

The Iranians provided this level of support to proxy groups in spite of economic sanctions dating to 1979. Captain Liedman reports that, In 2015, U.S. Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew estimated that Irans economy was 15 to 20 percent smaller due to the ratcheting up of economic sanctions in 2012, including approximately $160 billion of lost oil revenues. When the sanctions were lifted this past January, Iran was granted access to $100 billion in U.S. and European assets that had been frozen since 1979. Additionally, Iran is courting Western oil companies to invest in exploration and modernizing Irans oil infrastructure, and Irans oil minister recently announced that Irans crude oil production should exceed 4 million barrels per day by the end of 2016, which would exceed pre-2012 sanctions levels.

The warning is that, From money, all power flows. Irans money supports its proxy groups, and the lifting of economic sanctions will give Iran even more money to achieve its objectives in the region.

Captain Leidman writes, Strategy is often defined as the interplay between ends, ways, and means. Any hope that the JCPOA would empower moderates and reformers to alter Irans strategic ends has been dashed by Iranian actions over the past year. Iran has continued to supply money, weapons, and fighters to bolster Bashar al-Assads brutal campaign to suppress the remnants of the Arab Spring revolution in Syria. Iran continues to provide financial and materiel support to Hezbollah in Lebanon to threaten Israels security, and continues to provide financial and materiel support to the Houthi rebellion in Yemen that has resulted in three incidents of Iranian-supplied CDCM launches from Houthi-controlled territory in the past three weeks, striking and nearly sinking an Emirati-leased Swift vessel and twice missing a U.S. Navy destroyer operating in vicinity of the Bab al Mendeb Strait at the southern end of the Red Sea. In light of the lifting of sanctions, the United States should expect more of those types of proxy attacks as Iran ramps up its financial and materiel support.

The non-nuclear provisions of the JCPOA were strategically irrational in that they bolstered the ways and means available to Iran to achieve its ends, which clearly run counter to U.S. strategic ends in the region. There are currently only three nations designated as State Sponsors of Terrorism by the U.S. State Departmentand Iran is one of them. No U.S. leader would ever suggest that America should provide money and weapons to other terrorist organizations such as al Qaeda or the Islamic State of Iraq and al Sham (ISIS); however, that is exactly what the non-nuclear provisions of the JCPOA provide for Iranmore money, which Iran will undoubtedly utilize to bolster its own military strength and that of its proxies in the region. As long as the revolutionary Shia clerics continue to maintain their grip on the levers of national power, only the naive will continue to hope that Iran will modify its strategic ends. While it will be difficult to undo the provisions of the JCPOA given the investment to obtain consent by the P5+1 powers, the United States should examine other alternatives to alter Irans ends/ways/means calculusand in the meantime, brace for impact from other proxy attacks, he concludes.
According to an Iranian news outlet with ties to the countrys Revolutionary Guard, Iranian officials have decided to wait and see if the the U.S. will offer many billions of dollars to release businessman, Siamak Namazi, and his 80-year-old father Baquer Namazi. The two Americans were convicted of cooperating with the hostile American government and sentenced last Tuesday.

The Obama administration paid Iran $1.7 billion at nearly the same time as the country released a number of American hostages. The White House insisted that the money was not a ransom payment, but in September, President Hassan Rouhani suggested that the exchange was indeed a ransom payment.

The Islamic Republic believes that the U.S. has owed them money since 1979, when economic sanctions were first imposed by the United States.

NBC Newss Chuck Todd held an exclusive interview with Rouhani, where he asked if the country was holding American hostages until the U.S. handed over this money.

There were two issues, Rouhani said. One of them were the sums of monies belonging to the nation of Iran left in the United States, seized in the United States. He added, There are still considerable sums of money in the United States that belong to our nation. And were currently conducting conversations and various dialogues in order to return this money to Iran.

The U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill in September that would have outlawed ransom payments to Iran. However, the Obama administration has threatened to veto such legislation if it is passed by the whole of Congress. He said it might affect other business the U.S. plans to conduct with Iran, the Washington Post reported.
By Maureen Nandini Mitra on 21 October 2016 for Earth Island -

Image above: Martha Gomez Sapiens, a monitoring team member, stands on a riverbank next to willows and cottonwoods that germinated as result of the pulse flow. Photo by Karl W. Flessa. From original article.

Image above: The abundance of 19 bird species of conservation concern, including vermillion flycatchers (pictured here), hooded orioles, and yellow-breasted chats, was 43 percent higher at the restoration sites than at other sites in the floodplain. Photo by Sarah Murry. From original article.

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SUBHEAD: Two Years After the Colorado Pulse Flow to restore the river delta  An abundance of life.Birds, plants, and groundwater continue to benefit from effort to revive the Colorado River delta.Back 2014, an unprecedented transnational experiment attempted to restore, temporarily, the flow of the Colorado River to the Gulf of California. As part of a landmark agreement between the United States and Mexico, the International Boundary Water Commission unleashed an eight-week pulse flow of some 105,000 acre feet of water from a small dam on the US-Mexico border to help restore the Colorado River delta.Conservationists hoped the water would revitalize the delta  which has been bone dry for nearly 60 years as a result of upstream dams and diversions on the Colorado  and bring back trees, animals, and aquatic life that were once abundant in the region when it was flush with water. (The transnational agreement authorized environmental flows of water into the Colorado River Delta from 2013 to 2017.)Two growing seasons after that engineered release, it appears that birds, plants and groundwater in the delta, which lies south of the US-Mexico border, have indeed been benefitting from it.Native willows and cottonwoods have sprung up wherever the pulse flow inundated bare soil and in response to this post-flood vegetation, birds have begun flocking to the area, according to the latest monitoring report prepared for the International Boundary and Water Commission by a bi-national University of Arizona-led team.The interim report, released on Wednesday, documents the effects of the environmental flows in the delta from the initial pulse in March 2014 plus subsequent supplemental deliveries of water through December 2015."Some of the cottonwoods that germinated during the initial pulse flow are now more than 10 feet tall," Karl W. Flessa, UA professor of geosciences and co-chief scientist of the team thats monitoring the impact of the pulse, said in a statement.Migratory waterbirds, nesting waterbirds, and nesting riparian birds have all increased in abundance, the report says. The monitoring team found that the abundance of 19 bird species of conservation concern, including vermillion flycatchers, hooded orioles, and yellow-breasted chats, was 43 percent higher at the restoration sites than at other sites in the floodplain.Some of the water from the pulse flow and subsequent smaller environmental flows recharged the groundwater, which had both ecological and social benefits, said Eloise Kendy, a senior freshwater scientist with The Nature Conservancy's North America Water Program who helped compile the report.The vegetation greened up in areas that received surface water and also in some areas that did not. "The farmers [whose irrigation canals were used for some of the water deliveries] were happy because it recharged the aquifer they use for groundwater irrigation," she said. "And plants that were outside the inundation zone got a big drink of water.Dams and river diversions built in the twentieth century have for decades prevented the river  that once flowed freely from the Rocky Mountains all the way to the Sea of Cortez in Mexico  from completing its journey to the sea.These days it dies after it crosses the US-Mexico border. The southernmost dam on the river  Mexicos Morelos Dam, near Yuma, AZ  diverts nearly all of the river water into an aqueduct that serves agriculture and homes in Tijuana. South of the dam, the river channel travels about 75 miles to the Gulf of California. With the exception of a few wet years, the river has not reached the Gulf of California since 1960.Before 1960, spring snowmelts regularly sent water gushing down the Colorado River into the delta, scouring the river bottom and overtopping the bank and creating the ideal conditions cottonwood and willow trees to germinate and establish.But since then, salt cedar or tamarisk, an invasive plant, has taken over the riverbanks. Since cottonwoods and willows need bare ground and sunlight to germinate, they cannot establish themselves on tamarisk-covered riverbanks.The March 2014 pulse flow delivered a fraction of the water the pre-1960 spring floods used to bring to the delta. Staff from the Sonoran Institute and Pronatura Noroeste, a Mexican conservation group, cleared some areas of non-native vegetation beforehand. The researchers hoped that reducing competition would allow native plants such as willows and cottonwoods to germinate and grow after the pulse flow."We reconnected the meanders to the main river channels so when the pulse flow came there were these nice backwater areas where the conditions were good for the establishment of native trees," said Karen Schlatter, a restoration ecologist of the Sonoran Institute's Colorado River Delta Program, who was part of the monitoring team. In those restoration areas, cottonwood and willow seeds that germinated after the pulse flow have become 10 to 13 foot trees, and bird diversity and abundance has increased."Now we have diverse habitat types, including lagoons, cottonwoods-willow forest, mesquite bosque and marshes," Schlatter said. "We are seeing a much higher diversity of riparian bird species in the restoration sites compared to other areas along the river."The pulse flow has also reduced soil salinity in some areas that had been targeted for restoration. "We didn't expect that  it is a huge bonus," Schlatter said. Reducing the soil salinity makes conditions more favorable for native plant species. If there's another pulse flow, she suggests clearing tamarisk and other non-native vegetation from the river's bank ahead of it would be helpful.The pulse was the only water release planned so far. Once this pilot project ends in 2018, US and Mexican officials will review findings and discuss whether other discharges should be made.Part of the impetus for the pulse experiment was to determine whether a healthy delta system can be maintained without a lot of water. Of course, the delta cant be restored to what it was a say, a century ago, given the cities and towns that need Colorados water aren't going anywhere, as well as the fact that much of the delta land has since been converted to farmland.But, as Flessa says, this short-term experiment really demonstrates that a little bit of water does a lot of environmental good."
[October 24, 2016] Absolute to Host Conference Call for Fiscal 2017 First Quarter Financial Results

VANCOUVER, Oct. 24, 2016 /CNW/ - Absolute (TSX: ABT), the industry standard for persistent endpoint security and data risk management solutions, today announced that it will host a conference call on Monday, November 7, 2016 at 5:00 p.m. ET (2:00 p.m. PT) to discuss its fiscal 2017 first quarter financial results. Mr. Geoff Haydon, Chief Executive Officer, will host the call. A press release announcing the quarterly results will be issued at 4:00 p.m. ET (1:00 p.m. PT) that same day. The corresponding Management's Discussion and Analysis and financial statements will also be made available at www.absolute.com. All interested parties can join the call by dialing 647-427-7450 or 1-888-231-8191. Please dial-in 15 minutes prior to the call to secure a line. The conference call will be archived for replay until Mondy, November 14, 2016 at midnight. To access the archived conference call, please dial 416-849-0833 or 1-855-859-2056 and enter the reservation code 4508154.



A live audio webcast of the conference call will be available at www.absolute.com and http://bit.ly/2ebd7Qg. Please connect at least 15 minutes prior to the conference call to ensure adequate time for any software download that may be required to join the webcast. An archived replay of the webcast will be available for 90 days. About Absolute

Absolute Software Corporation (TSX: ABT) is the industry standard in persistent endpoint security and data risk management solutions. Persistence technology from Absolute provides organizations with visibility and control over all of their devices, regardless of user or location. If an Absolute client is removed from an endpoint, it will automatically reinstall so IT can secure each device and the sensitive data it contains. No other technology can do this. Persistence technology is embedded in the firmware of computers, netbooks, tablets and smartphones by global leaders, including Acer, ASUS, Dell, Fujitsu, HP, Lenovo, Microsoft, Panasonic, Samsung, and Toshiba, and the Company has reselling partnerships with these OEMs and others, including Apple. For more information about Absolute, visit www.absolute.com. 2016 Absolute Software Corporation. All rights reserved. Absolute and Persistence are registered trademarks of Absolute Software Corporation. For patent information, visit www.absolute.com/patents. The Toronto Stock Exchange has neither approved nor disapproved of the information contained in this news release. SOURCE Absolute Software Corporation

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[October 24, 2016] Aquantia Announces Breakthrough 100G Technology for Hyperscale Data Centers and Cloud Computing Environments

SAN JOSE, Calif., Oct. 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Aquantia Corp., pioneer and market leader in high-speed Ethernet connectivity solutions for data centers and enterprise infrastructure, today unveiled QuantumStream technology, a new class of high-performance connectivity architecture that has the potential to revolutionize next-generation hyperscale data centers. QuantumStream technology, which is being developed by Aquantia through a strategic collaboration with GLOBALFOUNDRIES, is creating a 100Gbit/s bandwidth all-electrical technology to deliver low latency to networking applications. Aquantia's technology delivers a quantum leap in bandwidth performance over a single lane of copper previously believed to be solely the realm of optical techniques. The availability of this technology will enable system vendors and data center operators to push towards higher performance and newer topologies in hyperscale architectures while keeping the reliability, low-cost and ease-of-use of electrical-based interconnects. QuantumStream technology is aimed at inter and intra rack connectivity up to 3 meters complementing longer reach optical connectivity solutions used in hyperscale data centers. "As a principal engineer in global infrastructure architecture and strategy at LinkedIn, my focus is on designing next generation data centers. I have long believed that 100G connectivity would be widely deployed when it reaches a price point of one dollar per gigabit per second for optical interconnects," said Yuval Bachar. "Aquantia has come up with a very innovative 100G technology to deliver on lower cost per gigabit utilizing copper connectivity. Lower prices will transform the economics of in rack connectivity in hyper scale data centers, which obviously is of great interest to everyone looking to achieve below one dollar per 1Gbit/s on an accelerated path within the rack." "To date, industry watchers have projected that only optical connectivity will serve the needs of 100Gbit/s and beyond. This presents a huge barrier since optical technologies are intrinsically higher cost," said Faraj Aalaei, CEO of Aquantia. "Our expertise in complex high-speed copper transceivers, coupled with the legacy of robust SerDes leadership with GLOBALFOUNDRIES' 14nm FinFET technology will enable a continuous roadmap to the required 100G connectivity and provide our customers with the best combination to differentiate and stay ahead of evolving marketplace demands." Strategic Collaboration, Results in Breakthrough 100Gbit/s Interconnect Technology GLOBALFOUNDRIES has more than 20 years of deep technical expertise in high-speed Serializer-Deserializer (SerDes) design. A SerDes integrated circuit is a fundamental building block responsible for the transport of data between switches, servers, routers and storage equipment n data centers and IT environments, over a variety of channels such as optical fibers, electrical copper cables, and backplanes. GLOBALFOUNDRIES' FX-14 Application-Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC) platform, designed on the company's most advanced 14nm Low Power Plus (LPP) process technology, delivers an optimized IP portfolio, including the latest generation of SerDes, which is capable of transporting data at speeds of 56Gbit/s.



Under the collaboration, GLOBALFOUNDRIES provides access to its 56Gbit/s IP core to Aquantia's team of experts. Aquantia combines the 56Gbit/s IP core with its patented Mixed-Mode Signal Processing (MMSP) and Multi-Core Signal Processing (MCSP) architectural innovations of high-speed interconnect over copper, which it has developed over the past decade to deliver a unique 100G interconnect high-performance SerDes solution. In addition, Aquantia will provide access to its QuantumStream IP to GLOBALFOUNDRIES for incorporation into its customers' ASICs, therefore expanding the ecosystem of solutions supporting this revolutionary interface. The collaboration seeks to break through the perceived technical barriers in continuing the current electrical connectivity roadmap to 100Gbit/s bandwidth. In addition, Aquantia's QuantumStream technology is easily leveraged to deliver multiples of 100Gbit/s of bandwidth on conventional DAC cables, resolving one of the most significant challenges facing the networking and data center industries today.

QuantumStream is Ideal for Short Distance 100G over 3m Direct Attach Cable SFP

400G over 3m Direct Attach Cable QSFP

800G over 3m Direct Attach Cable OSFP An analysis of the deployment of switch and server connectivity in hyperscale data centers shows that a large concentration of them are within a few meters. According to Crehan Research, the majority of direct server and storage Ethernet network connections in hyperscale data centers are currently within 3 meters. Since interconnect solutions that are optimized for hundreds of meters or even a couple of kilometers would not be adequate for a few meters, this leads to the need for complementary solutions for connectivity over short-reach applications and long-reach connections. Traditionally, electrical interconnects have delivered the lowest-cost and -power options for the short reach space whereas optical solutions have been deployed in longer reach applications thanks to low-loss of optical fibers. Responding to a sweeping industry trend toward higher density switch and server configurations, a number of optical solutions have already been proposed for 100G. Aquantia's QuantumStream technology, a complementary 100G solution for mass server and switch connectivity at shorter reaches over copper lane implementations is now possible for the first time. "To meet the tremendous growth in bandwidth and data demands, GLOBALFOUNDRIES is continuing its commitment to investing in network and technology enhancements including a best-in-class high-speed SerDes solution that will bring tremendous benefits to our customers," said Mike Cadigan, senior vice president of global sales and business development at GLOBALFOUNDRIES. "Aquantia's innovative design expertise in high-speed copper interconnect technologies, combined with our world-class FX-14 ASIC platform and SerDes IP portfolio, will enable the continuation of electrical interconnect paradigms for hyperscale data centers." About Aquantia Aquantia is a leading developer, and global supplier of high-speed semiconductor connectivity solutions. Backed by more than a decade of technology leadership and execution, Aquantia's market leading product portfolio enables the world's most innovative computing, data center and enterprise infrastructure applications. Aquantia addresses ever-changing market needs by providing an extensive portfolio, based on architectural innovations that deliver high performance, low power consumption, high density and high-quality silicon solutions to its customers. Aquantia is headquartered in Silicon Valley, Calif., with strong venture capital and strategic investors. For more information, visit www.aquantia.com. QuantumStream is a trademark of Aquantia Corp. About GLOBALFOUNDRIES GLOBALFOUNDRIES is the world's first full-service semiconductor foundry with a truly global footprint. Launched in March 2009, the company has quickly achieved scale as one of the largest foundries in the world, providing a unique combination of advanced technology and manufacturing to more than 250 customers. With operations in Singapore, Germany and the United States, GLOBALFOUNDRIES is the only foundry that offers the flexibility and security of manufacturing centers spanning three continents. The company's 300mm fabs and 200mm fabs provide the full range of process technologies from mainstream to the leading edge. This global manufacturing footprint is supported by major facilities for research, development and design enablement located near hubs of semiconductor activity in the United States, Europe and Asia. GLOBALFOUNDRIES is owned by Mubadala Development Company. For more information, visit http://www.globalfoundries.com. Cautionary Statement This press release contains forward-looking statements concerning Aquantia including, among other things, the extent to which its products provide technological advantages and will be accepted by the market. Forward-looking statements herein are based on current beliefs, assumptions, and expectations, speak only as of the date hereof and involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations include, without limitation, technological and business developments in the data center and Ethernet enterprise markets for ICs. Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20161024/431596 To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/aquantia-announces-breakthrough-100g-technology-for-hyperscale-data-centers-and-cloud-computing-environments-300349613.html SOURCE Aquantia Corp.

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Champlain College Combats Cyber Crime During National Cyber Security Awareness Month

In recognition of National Cyber Security Awareness Month, Champlain College Online is hosting a special webinar - "Something is Phishy: The War on Cyber Crime" - to address today's cyber threats and proven measures to protect users, businesses and government from malicious activity. During an era when cyber crime will cost the U.S. economy $2 trillion by 2019, Champlain's webinar will provide participants with tactical and strategic solutions to understand and thwart cyber crime across their organization.

"Cyber challenges continue to dominate public discourse and its severity has prompted the White House to appoint the first ever Chief Information Security Officer, a position specifically designed to address the complex nature of cybersecurity," said Ric Messier, Cybersecurity Program Director at Champlain College. "Since security is everyone's problem we need to do a better job at educating all users of the risks to themselves as well as the businesses they work in. Luckily there are simple and effective ways to improve skills and practices that lead to more secure operations enterprise wide."

Champlain is a two-time winner of SC Magazine's Best Cybersecurity Higher Education award (2013 & 2015) and is designated since 2006 as a National Center of Academic Excellence in Information Assurance Education by the National Security Agency (News - Alert) and the Department of Homeland Security.







About Champlain College

Founded in 1878, Champlain College is a small, not-for-profit, private college in Burlington, Vermont, with additional campuses in Montreal, Quebec and Dublin, Ireland. Champlain offers a traditional undergraduate experience from its beautiful campus overlooking Lake Champlain and more than 60 online undergraduate and graduate degree programs and certificates. Champlain's distinctive career-driven approach to higher education embodies the notion that true learning occurs when information and experience come together to create knowledge. Champlain College is included in the Princeton Review's The Best 381 Colleges: 2017 Edition. Champlain College is featured in the "Fiske Guide to Colleges" for 2016 as one of the "best and most interesting schools" in the United States, Canada and Great Britain. Champlain was named "Most Innovative School" in the North by the U.S. News and World Report's 2017 "America's Best Colleges" and #91 in the overall list of "Best Regional Universities in the North." For more information, visit www.champlain.edu.

About truED

truED is developed and supported as part of Champlain College's Online Continuing Professional Studies Division. Through the affordable truED model, and alliances with leading organizations in government and industry, Champlain College delivers accessible and immediately applicable online higher education to help employees gain the skills and knowledge needed to enhance their careers and achieve their organization's business objectives. Champlain's certificate and degree programs not only provide field-specific knowledge, but also the critical thinking, problem solving, and communication skills essential for the modern workforce. For more information about truED, visit http://www.champlain.edu/truedalliances.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20161024005883/en/
Robert Gould Shaw

Robert Gould Shaw (October 10, 1837 - July 18, 1863) had the distinction of leading the All-Black 54th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment during the Civil War.

Shaw was the son of Francis George and Sarah Blake (Sturgis) Shaw, both well-know Unitarian philanthropists and intellectuals. The entire family was abolitionists and as a result Robert thought that slavery was morally wrong.

Early in the American Civil War, Shaw was already a second lieutenant attached to the 7th New York Militia. Shaw experienced battle as he fought in the first battle of Winchester, the Battles of Cedar Mountain, and Antietam.

Being an outstanding officer, he was encouraged by his father in 1862 to take command of a new All-Black Regiment. At first the young Shaw was dubious about a free Black unit succeeding. But the dedication of his men deeply impressed him, and he grew to respect them as fine soldiers.

Shaw learned that the Black soldiers received less pay than white ones, and as a result he inspired his unit to conduct a boycott until this inequality was rectified. Finally, in August 1863 the injustice was corrected, and Congress granted them full back pay at the white pay rate.

After a few brief scrimmages, the 54th Regiment was sent to Charleston, South Carolina, to take part in the operations against the Confederates. On July 18, 1863, along with two brigades of white troops, the 54th assaulted Confederate Battery Wagner.

As the unit hesitated in the face of fierce Confederate fire, Shaw led his men into battle by shouting, "Forward, Fifty-Fourth, forward!" When Shaw mounted a parapet, he was shot three times and died instantly.

The victorious Confederates buried Shaw in a mass grave with many of his men, an act they intended as an insult. Following the battle, commanding Confederate General Johnson Hagood returned the bodies of the other Union officers who had died, but left Shaw's where he met his death outside the fort.

General Hagood was quoted as saying, "Had this young officer been in command of white troops, I would have given him an honorable burial." Although the gesture was intended as an insult, it came to be seen as an honor by Shaw's friends and family.

Much of the history of the 54th is documented by the over 200 letters Shaw wrote to his family and friends during his engagements. These letters are located in the Houghton Library at Harvard University.

The book, "Blue-Eyed Child of Fortune," includes most of his letters and a brief biography of Shaw. Peter Burchard also used these letters as the basis for his book "One Gallant Rush," which is one of the books used in filming the movie "Glory," in which Matthew Broderick plays the part of Shaw.
CASEY (JG-TC) -- A Martinsville man was hospitalized after his motorcycle collided with a school bus on the Interstate 70 interchange in Casey on Sunday evening.

The bus driver, who was the only person in that vehicle, was cited for failure to yield after the accident, according to a news release from Illinois State Police.

The bus, driven by Jacquelyn C. Colet, 69, of Charleston was southbound on Illinois Route 49 and turning left onto the interstate's northbound ramp when the accident took place just before 6:45 p.m., the release said.

The motorcycle, driven by Steven R. Huckaba, 65, was northbound on Route 49 and couldn't stop in time to avoid hitting the side of the bus, according to the release.

The release stated that Huckaba was taken to Carle Foundation Hospital, Urbana, but no information on his condition was available from the hospital.

The bus belonged to the First Student Transportation company, which the Charleston school district uses for its bus service. It was not on a trip for the school district at the time, according to information from district officials.
The contribution of physician assistants (PAs) and NPs in rural America has emerged as an indispensable asset at a time of diminishing physician resources.1,2 Workforce statistics from the federal Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) showed that proportionately, PAs and NPs, particularly those in primary care, were more likely to practice in rural areas than physicians.3 In addition to providing healthcare, PAs and NPs make economic contributions to rural communities: The increased patient volume from expanded use of PAs or NPs in a rural clinic increases revenue. The increased revenue creates full- and part-time employment opportunities and wages, salaries, and benefits (labor income) for additional clinical staff.

Although undocumented, some factors could affect the volume and type of patients seen by a PA or NP, such as authorization as a primary care provider and hospital admissions. Furthermore, public and private payer-specific laws and policies determine which services can be billed, payment rates, whether PAs and NPs have provider status with assigned patient panels, and whether they can be paid directly.4 Many payers set fee schedules lower for PAs and NPs. For example, the national PA and NP fee schedule from Medicare is 85% of the physician fee schedule amount.5

The total economic effect of a PA or NP can be greater when the community has a hospital. The community hospital is not only an integral part of the local healthcare system, but a major provider of jobs and labor income in the community and surrounding medical service area. Additional hospital effects occur when a PA or NP contributes to the local hospital's inpatient admissions and outpatient visits. The increased revenue creates more jobs and labor income for the local economy.

The primary care clinic and local hospital generate direct jobs and labor income from their revenues. In turn, secondary effects occur when the new income is circulated throughout the local economy: Additional jobs and labor income are created as the clinic and clinic employees buy goods and services within the local economy. In some small communities, the addition of just one clinician can have a substantial income multiplier effect.6

The importance of a PA or NP and the medical contribution to the community can be measured with quality improvements in residents' health. However, the economic contribution often is not considered or quantified. A report was designed to estimate the total (direct and secondary) economic effects to full- and part-time employment and labor income that rural PAs or NPs have upon the clinic/hospital and ultimately the community they serve.7 The results are intended to provide local leaders a model they can apply local data to in order to estimate the economic effect of a PA or NP.

METHODS

Multipliers from an input-output (I/O) model were used to measure the economic importance of a PA or NP to a rural economy. The multiplier measures the interdependence among various producing and consuming sectors of the economy. Any change in economic activity is referred to as the secondary effect. The multipliers measure the total economic activity in the community, including business and employee spending from the clinic and hospital and additional spending from supported industries such as grocery stores, pharmacies, and restaurants. The secondary effects for a PA or NP were calculated with data and software from IMPLAN. The multipliers were medical service area-specific due to differences in locally available goods and services across different states, counties, and ZIP codes.

A number of considerations were noted to make assumptions for this study:

The PA or NP is part of the patient-care team in a primary care physician (PCP) clinic. A previous study estimated the economic effect of a rural full-time equivalent (FTE) PCP. 6 The same methodology can be used to estimate the economic effect of a PA or NP with the relative percentage of FTE PCP patient volume.

The same methodology can be used to estimate the economic effect of a PA or NP with the relative percentage of FTE PCP patient volume. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) FTE productivity standard for a PA or NP is 50% of annual patient visits for a physician (2,100 versus 4,200). 8 This percentage is used to determine reimbursement for rural health clinics and federally qualified health centers.

This percentage is used to determine reimbursement for rural health clinics and federally qualified health centers. The US Department of Health and Human Services' Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), Bureau of Health Professionals, applied a 0.75 FTE weight to a PA or NP relative to a PCP for its supply and demand projections through 2020. 9

Although the roles of physician-PA or physician-NP teams continue to evolve in response to physician shortages, the above conservative assumptions will be used throughout.

The productivity estimates assume equal time by physician and PA or NP spent annually attending patients.

The study does not reflect the costs associated with possible reduced patient visits by a supervising physician. A PA or NP could have a similar number of annual patient visits when the supervising PCP has fewer patient days per week. 10

The approach estimated the effects of a rural PA or NP by applying productivity percentages to the results of an earlier physician effect study with updated 2013 BLS labor income estimates.

The direct economic effects included the employees (full- and part-time) and labor income at the clinic and when appropriate, the proportionate share of the hospital employees (full- and part-time) and their labor income.

Average annual incomes based on BLS data are used throughout (although they could vary in rural areas; data are unavailable).

PA or NP productivity estimates at the clinic and hospital are based on CMS and HRSA valuations of patient visits.

The underlying methodology estimated the economic effect for two case scenarios to characterize alternative conditions. The methodology could be applied to represent any local scenario. Once constructed, I/O multipliers related the direct economic activity to the total effect by measuring the secondary effects.11

Scenario 1 represented a PA or NP working in a rural PCP clinic or a satellite clinic with a local hospital. Patient activity from both the clinic and hospital was defined as 75% of a FTE PCP.

Scenario 2 represented a PA or NP working directly in a rural PCP clinic or a satellite clinic without a local hospital. Patient activity in the clinic was defined as 75% of a FTE PCP. This scenario assumed no local hospital and therefore did not include hospital effects.

As noted, the methodology for estimating the economic effects of a PA or NP to employment and labor income was compared with a previous physician effect study by adjusting clinician salaries and patient volumes. The details and results of the previous physician effect study are summarized below.

ECONOMIC CONTRIBUTIONS OF A PHYSICIAN

The size and type of rural primary care clinic can vary (for example, physician, rural health clinic, federally qualified health clinic, urgent care) and affect clinic staffing mix. For estimation purposes, the physician effect study assumed three full-time support staff per physician, for a clinic direct employment of four jobs. Wage and salary estimates were from the BLS 2012 national occupational employment and wage estimates. Labor income included benefits calculated using estimates from the BLS Employer Costs for Employee Compensation, May 2012. The estimated direct effects of the primary care clinic are presented in Table 1.

TABLE 1.: 6,13 2012 estimated direct employment and labor income from a rural primary care physician

Hospitals allocate a significant portion of their revenues to employee compensation costs.12 The physician study assumed that total hospital employee compensation could be allocated to the primary care providers practicing in the hospital medical service area. Allocated hospital employment and income data from 31 rural (predominantly critical access) hospitals in 13 states were averaged to estimate the direct effects of each physician to the hospital. The hospitals represented all four US census regions. The direct effect from hospital activities is presented in Table 1.

RESULTS

Direct effects of a rural PA or NP

The 2013 BLS national combined average wage for a PA and NP in a physician office was $94,605. Benefit costs were added at 40% for a total average annual income for a PA or NP of $132,447.13,14 Using the same method, the labor income estimates for the medical staff were $54,964 for a licensed practical nurse, $43,232 for a medical assistant, and $39,466 for a receptionist/information clerk.

Table 2 presents the direct effect results of the two scenarios. A PA or NP managing 75% of the patient volume of a FTE PCP was assumed to require 75% of the staffing requirements and contribute 75% of the hospital employment and income compared with a FTE PCP. Equating staffing with patient volume was considered valid for estimation purposes. The minimum staffing requirements and/or existing staff capacity can affect the actual staffing requirements. Available local conditions can improve the value of the estimates. This approach could be applied to any proportion that best fits the actual situation.

TABLE 2.: 6,13 2013 effects on employment and labor income from a rural PA or NP at a primary care physician clinic and/or hospital

Scenario 2 represents a PA or NP operating a primary care clinic without a local hospital and therefore, the direct effects are only generated at the clinic. Total direct employment for the two scenarios ranged from 3.3 jobs to 13.4 jobs. The total direct labor income ranged from $235,694 to $764,027.

Total effects of a rural PA or NP

The clinic employment multiplier of 1.33 estimated that if one job was created by the clinic, then an additional 0.33 jobs were created in other businesses due to the clinic's and clinic employees' spending (Table 2). Similarly, the labor income multiplier of 1.19 estimated that every $1 of income generated at the clinic created another 19 cents in labor income throughout the other sectors of the local economy.

In Scenario 1, the total employment from the clinic was 4.4 jobs. The same methodology used for the hospital employment yielded combined employment effect of 18.5 jobs for the clinic and hospital. The direct labor income estimates created a total labor income effect of $940,892. Scenario 2 reflected the economic effects at the clinic only.

DISCUSSION

PAs and NPs can increase access to primary care services in rural nonmetropolitan areas designated as healthcare professional shortage areas. Their economic contribution to the local community is now quantified in terms of productivity and multiplier effect. Before this study, the economic effect studies on PAs and NPs were limited. These results show that the economic effect of a PA or NP should be considered as important as the medical contribution to a rural community. The lack of sufficient physicians in many rural areas makes it imperative to increase use of PAs and NPs and the benefits to a rural community can be considered nearly the same as a physician.

LIMITATIONS

States can exert some authority over hospital admitting privileges for PAs and NPs; however, nearly all states defer to individual hospitals to set their own policies.15 The BLS reported that 22% of PAs and 26% of NPs were employed by a hospital in 2013.13 Hospital-employed PAs and NPs may have more liberal hospital admitting policies than those employed at clinics. However, most times, collaboration with a physician is required for hospital admitting privileges. According to an American Academy of Nurse Practitioners (AANP) survey, 43% of NPs in the United States self-report they had hospital privileges and just over half of those had admitting privileges.16 Comparable numbers for PAs are unknown.

Several assumptions were necessary when available data were limited. The two scenarios represented the same productivity levels (75%) for PAs and NPs. The daily patient volume of a PA or NP can be affected by factors such as state regulations, clinical training, experience, and the relationship with the supervising PCP. Estimates based on historical federal assumptions are conservative in many cases. The economic effect of a new PA or NP will increase over time and could be greater than 75%. Understanding the actual productivity of PAs and NPs in rural communities remains for further development.

These estimates represent economic effects on jobs and labor income only. They do not characterize effect of total revenues and therefore, do not account for any additional costs to the physician or hospital associated with administering a PA or NP. The assessment also underestimated the total value as the economic effect from other sectors (such as pharmacy and long-term-care facilities) was not included.

CONCLUSION

The increase in Americans gaining access to healthcare through the expansion of coverage under Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) is increasing the demand for primary care services.17 The ACA supports the expanded use of PAs and NPs in primary care through education and training grants, support of new efforts to increase enrollment in PA and NP programs, and enhanced healthcare workforce education and training. The act also encourages the use of PAs and NPs in rural areas to provide primary care and care for the disadvantaged and high-risk populations.18 As demand for primary care services increases and aging physicians retire from rural practices, PAs and NPs can increase access to quality healthcare and reduce the effect of physician shortages.

PAs and NPs also have an economic effect on the local community. This study clearly demonstrates new tools that can assist PCPs and local leaders interested in estimating the economic effect of a rural PA or NP. These results can assist policymakers and local decisionmakers as the discussions continue that focus on recruitment of primary care providers to increase access to quality rural healthcare.
The ACLU of Nebraska would like to honor those who won awards at our 50th Anniversary event: Carol Gendler , Robert M. Spire Founders Service Award; Greater Omaha Chamber of Commerce & Lincoln Chamber of Commerce , Defenders of the Bill of Rights Award; Senator Heath Mello & Senator Tanya Cook , Roger Baldwin Civil Libertarians of the Year Award.

For 50 years, the ACLU of Nebraska has worked in courts, legislatures and communities to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties that the United States Constitution and laws of Nebraska guarantee everyone in the Cornhusker state. Over 2,000 supporters and 10,000 advocates in Nebraska work with the ACLU to defend basic rights and liberties. Learn more about the ACLU's 50 years of defending freedom in Nebraska: aclunebraska.org
Three Nebraska government relations firms have announced their plans to merge their business through a new partnership. Bromm and Associates, Coleen Nielsen and Mines Government Relations are merging to expand their lobbying, government relations, issue and association management services in Nebraska.

Bromm Nielsen & Mines are veteran lobbyists, former legislators and experts in law and business. The partners include Curt Bromm, former speaker of the Legislature; Michael Mines, former state senator; Coleen Nielsen, a former public affairs manager for State Farm Insurance, and Jason Bromm, a marketing and strategic planning business owner. Collectively, the partners have over 50 years of experience in working in or with the Nebraska Unicameral Legislature.

Curt Bromm said: "Our experience and varied backgrounds in Nebraska business and the legislature will help us serve our clients in this ever-changing legislative and regulatory environment. Our clients include business, agriculture, health, insurance and education interests."

Bromm Nielsen & Mines are located in the Hruska Law Center, across from the State Capitol at 635 South 14th Street in Lincoln, Nebraska, and may be reached at 402-327-1603 and www.BNMlobby.com.
With little more than two weeks until the election, Gov. Pete Ricketts is pouring big money into this year's legislative races on top of his contributions to the campaign seeking to preserve the death penalty.

Ricketts, a multimillionaire and longtime Republican activist, has given at least $44,500 of his own money to GOP legislative candidates and state senators to pad their campaign funds. The governor has taken an active role even in some races pitting conservatives against moderate Republicans who clashed with him during his first two years in office.

He also has donated $300,000 over two years to Nebraskans for the Death Penalty, a ballot campaign that is urging voters to restore capital punishment after lawmakers abolished it over Ricketts' veto.

Ricketts spokesman Taylor Gage said the governor has endorsed and contributed to candidates for years.

"When Gov. Ricketts throws his support behind a candidate he attends events for them, walks in parades, and financially contributes to their efforts," Gage said in a statement.

Ricketts has contributed to nine legislative campaigns, according to filings with the Nebraska Accountability and Disclosure Commission. Several of those candidates publicly supported his 2014 run for governor, and Ricketts has identified some of the candidates as personal friends.

Ricketts has said some current senators didn't receive his endorsement because they failed to reflect their constituents' wishes on major issues, such as raising the state's fuel tax, which Ricketts opposed.

Ricketts isn't the only big donor helping to bankroll campaigns. The Nebraska State Education Association's political action committee spent at least $108,000 on lawmakers and legislative candidates between Jan. 1 and Oct. 4, mostly favoring Democrats and moderate Republicans, according to state disclosure records.

The Nebraska Chamber of Commerce and Industry PAC spent roughly $89,000 during the same period. A PAC representing general contractors poured $126,000 into legislative races.

Still, critics say the governor's donations are an attempt to influence a separate branch of government in a way that's out-of-reach to most of the public.

"It's a question of fairness, really," said Jack Gould, issues chairman of Common Cause Nebraska, a group that promotes government accountability. "When you have a man with that kind of wealth, he can make or break people."

Legislative candidate Karl Elmshaeuser, who received a $5,000 donation from Ricketts, said he appreciated the governor's support but stressed that his campaign's contributions came from a variety of individuals and groups. Elmshaeuser said he has campaigned heavily on taxes, jobs and the economy, issues the governor has identified as priorities.

"I don't take money from people I can't say no to," said Elmshaeuser, an Ogallala City Council member.

Nebraska Republican Party Executive Director Bud Synhorst said the state's GOP governors have a long history of helping the party and its candidates. Even before he was governor, Ricketts gave tens of thousands of dollars to conservative legislative candidates, according to the Nebraska Accountability and Disclosure Commission.

Former Gov. Dave Heineman gave to the state GOP and its legislative candidates through his official campaign committee, although in smaller amounts than Ricketts. Heineman donated a total of $7,750 to six legislative candidates in 2014, with mixed results: only three won their races.
Catholic bishops in Nebraska renewed their call on Monday for voters to retain LB426 and end the death penalty in the state.

Tom Venzor, executive director of the Nebraska Catholic Conference, the public policy voice of the Catholic bishops, said at a news conference in Omaha that the Catholic church and Nebraska bishops oppose the death penalty because it is not necessary to protect society."

The Nebraska Catholic Conference has a series of public events scheduled this week, including Wednesday, 6:30-8 p.m., at the Cathedral of the Risen Christ, 3500 Sheridan Blvd.

Scheduled speakers include Joe DAmbrosio, who spent decades on death row in Ohio for a crime he didnt commit, and Marietta Jaeger-Lane, whose 7-year-old daughter, Susie, was kidnapped and murdered in Montana.

Both oppose the death penalty.
A 21-year-old was jailed after authorities say he robbed a Syracuse bar at knifepoint Sunday night.

Cody Turner was arrested on suspicion of robbery and use of a weapon to commit a felony early Monday, Otoe County Chief Deputy Sheriff Mike Holland said.

Turner was the only customer in B&J's Family Restaurant and Lounge in Syracuse when he pulled a pocket knife, threatened the employee and demanded money from the register just before midnight, Holland said.

He left with an undisclosed amount of cash, Holland said. The employee, who hit the bar's panic alarm during the robbery, was unharmed.

Surveillance video from the bar and interviews with people in the area helped deputies identify the suspect, and deputies arrested Turner at a relative's house and recovered the knife and cash they believed was stolen from the bar, Holland said.
The bucket raises Jeremy Hoegemeyer to the spot where his bosses are considering putting in a traffic-monitoring camera.

From his perch, he Facetimes his boss at the office and points the iPad down 10th Street to show exactly what a camera will pick up.

In the old days, Hoegemeyer would have taken pictures, then driven back to the office to show them to his boss.

And if that particular location wasnt satisfactory, Hoegemeyer might have driven the boom truck back to 10th and M to take pictures from the other side of the intersection.

This Facetiming episode is an atypical, if fun, way to use modern technology, but Hoegemeyer uses his iPad every day, all day long, in his work as a traffic signal technician for the city.

His daily work schedule is on the iPad. He can pull up maps of the conduit system at an intersection before he begins work at a location, showing all the electric wires and cables underground.

If a signal isnt working, he can pull up Lincoln Electric System data to see if there is an outage at that location and find when it might be fixed. With this information he knows whether he needs to bring in barricades and stop signs or just wait it out.

Hoegemeyers iPad replaces dozens of pieces of paper and dozens of phone calls necessary in the pre-tablet workdays.

Were not fully paperless yet, but we are getting close, said Lonnie Burklund, traffic engineering manager.

Like many other city workers, Hoegemeyer is equipment laden. He carries his iPad, plus two smartphones tucked in two different pockets of his work pants -- one for city business, the other his personal phone.

City leaders recently released new regulations that cover the use of the hundreds of city-owned devices, including iPads, other tablets, cellphones and smartphones.

The rules cover private use and privacy issues.

Employees can use the city equipment for personal use within reasonable limits, which means it cannot result in loss of work productivity, interfere with official duties or result in additional expense to the city.

And city employees do not have a right of privacy while using a city-owned electronic device, nor while using their private phone for city business, according to the rules.

The need for clearer rules came up during several court cases, where the city had to provide text messages, and a personnel matter, where a city employee was doing a lot of shopping and personal business on city time, said Jeff Kirkpatrick, city attorney.

Staff determined the city did not have a good way to save text messages, and there was no citywide policy covering the new technology.

The policy had nothing to do with state Sen. Bill Kintner, who used a state computer to have cybersex with a woman, or with Hillary Clinton's use of her private server for official business emails when she was Secretary of State, said Kirkpatrick.

The new policy puts employees on notice that text messages are public documents, including text messages related to public business on private phones, he said.

Though individual departments had rules, there was no citywide policy covering the most modern electronic equipment. The policy for laptops dated back 19 years to the administration of former Mayor Mike Johanns, Kirkpatrick said.

There is no central source of information on the number of city-owned devices, but there are certainly more than 1,000.

For example, Public Works and Utilities has 109 laptops (57 for field use); 27 data hotspots, used to connect devices without a built-in modem in the field; 82 cellphones; 43 iPads and 135 smartphones.

The city-county Health Department has 34 tablets, 43 iPads, 23 laptops (eight mounted in trucks), 44 cellphones and 23 smartphones, used in a variety of ways.

Tablets and laptops are used for restaurant inspections. Animal control officers, sent out to investigate a reported dog bite, will soon be able to look up an animals history from new truck-mounted tablets.

The Building and Safety Department has 25 iPads (used primarily for inspections in the field), nine iPhones (used primarily by top managers to access emails throughout the day) and 26 flip phones.

In pre-tablet days, police Capt. Danny Reitan had a flat table on a suction cup, attached to the dashboard of his patrol car, providing a flat surface where he could write a note on information radioed to him -- address, the issue, the names of people he was to contact.

Now that information comes through computers mounted in each cruiser, equipment so sophisticated the officer can hook into the National Crime Information Center.

In addition to the mounted computers, some police cars now have bar code readers. Insert a drivers license and it will automatically search for warrants and other information.

In some cases, the latest in equipment can solve problems quickly.

Say someone finds a World War II memento, a shell or hand grenade, while cleaning out a relative's house, says Bill Moody, chief fire inspector.

Moody can snap a picture with his iPad, send it to the military and quickly get a response on what it is and how to safety handle it.

As equipment ages, departments often find new equipment even more useful. The Health Department's Maternal Child Health program transitioned from laptops to iPads over the last year, allowing staff to use the device in homes with poor or no Wi-Fi.

Kayla Roth, a nurse in the program, finds her iPad comes in handy during almost every visit with a client.

Roth, who works with moms before and after they give birth, can pull a housing application for a client who is looking for an apartment, or a list of food pantries.

If she recommends counseling, she can look up the address and a picture of the counselor.

And sometimes a short video is better than a thousand words.

Rather than drag along a portable DVD player, she has the best educational clips and videos bookmarked on her iPad.

So she can show an expectant mom a video about the benefits of breast feeding or a how-to-breast-feed video -- with clips of a good latch and a bad latch -- rather than try to explain it in words.

Once Roth located a short video on how the kidneys work for a Spanish-speaking mom, who had specific health issues. Although the health department has translators, the video was an easier way to make sure the woman better understood the health problems.
CHICAGO -- In its trademark satirical style, The Onion nailed it with its stunningly prescient story titled, "Trump Maps Out Plan For First 100 Days Of Not Conceding Election."

Deliciously, the imagined post-election press release from the floundering Republican presidential candidate detailed: "Within my first 10 days, I will introduce a comprehensive plan for my disgruntled supporters to march on the White House, and by day 30, I will submit a formal petition demanding (Hillary) Clinton's immediate removal from office." The spoof concluded by saying that Trump "looks forward to fiercely disputing the legitimacy of a Clinton presidency for the next four years."

You'd be forgiven for accidentally believing this was a legitimate statement from Trump, who has managed to suck so many people into his reality distortion field that even normally levelheaded people are getting out of whack.

Former presidential candidate John McCain last week outlined a scenario in which a Clinton win would trigger four years of Republicans blocking any Supreme Court nominee put forward by the incoming president. McCain eventually walked back his strident comments but they give you a good idea where things stand.

For those of us who believe in the strength of a two-party system in which the loser of an election peacefully concedes to the victor and works harder to win next time, things look grim. Trump's insinuations of rigged elections and his call for his supporters to monitor polls for fraud -- mostly in communities of color, it turns out -- are eroding what little public trust in government is left.

Meanwhile, Americans are reporting election-related anxiety that includes real symptoms like difficulty sleeping, irritability and heart palpitations due to the unprecedented bile of this campaign. The American Psychological Association's most recent survey found that 52 percent of American adults say the 2016 election "is a very or somewhat significant source of stress."

Many of these people are looking forward to the relief of the election being over. Unfortunately, a lot of us are even more worried about what happens after Election Day, because the forces that have been unleashed aren't going to make newly normalized hatred magically go away.

In mid-September, several women were targeted in a series of fire attacks in New York City -- a 14-year-old boy was arrested in one incident, accused of attempting to set a teen girl's shirt on fire. Other women, some of them in Muslim attire, had their skirts set ablaze with lighters in the same vicinity.

Hispanic children have been bullied and taunted in school about border walls, and adults have been asked for their "papers" by people with zero authority to do so. Women have reported feeling targeted as "pearl-clutchers," i.e. too sensitive, after revelations of Trump's degrading remarks about women thrust "locker room talk" into the public discourse. African-Americans have been reduced to stereotypes of victims living in the so-called hell of inner cities, Jews have experienced an uptick in anti-Semitism, and on and on. The "Trump Effect" examples are endless.

And they are pervasive.

New York Times investigative reporter Michael Luo recently described a woman cursing at him and his family as they were leaving church. "Go back to China. Go back to your (expletive) country," he said the woman yelled to him.

Luo, in front of his children and his church, was reduced to yelling back, "I was born in this country!"

This is what life feels like for anyone with an ethnic-sounding name or non-white outward appearance in the waning days of our first African-American president's second term in office.

I (and so many others) have become used to it. Last week I wrote about the six immigrant Nobel laureates and the contributions immigrants make to this country and received emails telling me to "Go back to Mexico where you belong."

What would be the point of trying to explain my U.S. birth to someone who wants me gone simply because I dared say a few nice things about immigrants?

Before the Trump candidacy, "microaggressions" -- subtle slights of one's ethnicity or other cultural characteristics -- were the day-to-day concern of the non-white population.

It's safe to say that for the 40 percent of America that is non-white, microaggressions have given way to plain old aggression from people who are looking to blame "bad hombres" -- the term Trump used at Wednesday night's debate -- for tarnishing America's halo.

And we'd better prepare ourselves for the anger and resentment to persist after Nov. 8, regardless of who wins the election.
Horrifying. A disqualifier. Political suicide.

Such were the breathless reactions as soon as Donald Trump came off a debate stage Wednesday night after finally combining a thorough demarcation of issue differences with a more cogent summation of Hillary Clintons scandal tally.

Most analysts, even some who despise Trump, called it his best debate performance of the three. That is, except for The Moment.

Moderator Chris Wallace, universally and deservedly hailed for even-handedness, asked Trump if he would absolutely accept the election night result, no matter what it may be.

Trump said nothing more than Ill let you know that night. This sparked a festival of hand-wringing and pearl-clutching as if the planet had spun out of its orbit.

The gasps suggested that this was some threat to the peaceful transfer of power, central to our democracy for 240 years. What a crock.

In 2000 Al Gore refused to accept the result until the U.S. Supreme Court informed him that Florida would not be permitted to rewrite election laws from its state judicial bench. Election Day can contain some twists that may not reflect truth at the stroke of midnight, or even beyond.

People cheat, and sometimes they succeed. Against that backdrop, it is not comforting to see activist judges knocking down Voter ID laws in Texas and elsewhere, on the absurd (and racist) premise that people of color cannot manage to get an ID with years of advance notice.

The whining about Trumps debate answer betrays more than just craven opportunism; it is also fairly ignorant. Has anyone met the man?

What could be more Trumpian than a refusal to dance to the usual tune? Anyone covering the campaign for more than a day should also know that if he had said, Sure, Ill accept the result, the headlines would have read, Trump admits defeat.

As it is, we are all talking about voter fraud, which was precisely what he wanted. The morning after the debate, he tweaked his tormentors even more. I will totally accept the results of this great and historic presidential election, he told an Ohio crowd. If I win.

The CNN story chronicling that appearance said that claim threatens to cast unprecedented doubt on the legitimacy of the electoral process. Oh, the humanity.

The electoral process is a human process. Todays doubts about it are not rare, and they are not an attack on our magnificent system, but rather on those who would pervert it with chicanery.

So everybody grow up, and lets spend the home stretch talking about actual issues, which Trump was doing with notable effectiveness Wednesday night, necessitating the concoction of this wildly hyped non-story.
Today the Journal Star editorial board continues its endorsements for the Nov. 8 election.

Legislative District 25

Voters in this district in have the substantial challenge of picking a state senator who can extend their string of successes in sending a heavy hitter to the Legislature.

The candidate they send to the Statehouse will replace Sen. Kathy Campbell, who is leaving because of term limits. The list of notables that preceded her includes the legendary Jerry Warner and Ron Raikes.

Campbell has endorsed attorney Jim Gordon. We concur in that recommendation.

Gordon has a background and skill set that will serve him well in the Legislature. At the top of his priorities are property tax relief, eliminating state taxes on Social Security and controlled government spending. And Gordon, who has served as president of Make-A-Wish Foundation of America, pledges to focus on fashioning policy that helps the states children with support for early childhood and K-12 education.

Gordon, 70, has surmounted challenges in life. He was wounded after more than 30 assault combat missions in Vietnam, and ever since has walked with a cane. He refers to the experience as a gift that shaped me. We think he would do well in the legislative arena.

The other candidate in the race is Suzanne Geist.

Legislative District 27

Anna Wishart was the top vote-getter in the primary by a 2-1 margin. We recommend that voters put her in the same spot in the general election to replace Sen. Colby Coash, who is leaving because of term limits.

Her background includes a six-year stint on the Airport Authority, which has the distinction of not using its taxing authority to pay for airport expenses. Instead, the board manages an industrial tract. Wishart rightfully points to that success as evidence of her ability to stimulate economic development.

Shes spent countless days and hours walking door-to-door in her effort to understand the district. More than 2,300 of its residents fall into the health insurance coverage gap that exists due to the failure of the state to expand Medicaid coverage under the Affordable Care Act. Shes pledged to continue those efforts.

Wishart, who previously worked for state Sen. Rick Kolowski of Omaha, has observed the workings of the Legislature from the inside. The experience should give her a head start in serving the district.

The other candidate on the ballot is Dick Clark.

Legislative District 29

Two names will appear on the ballot in this district, but only incumbent Sen. Kate Bolz is campaigning.

Melody Vaccaro suspended her campaign after Bolz collected more than four out of five votes in the primary.

As a member of the Appropriations Committee, Bolz has put in the long hours and paid attention to the details that are essential in putting together a budget that will pass muster with the full Legislature and the governor, and worked on other important issues such as prison reform.

The districts voters have already signaled they intend to send Bolz back to the Legislature and we hope they do.
I cannot understand how our country could ever put a woman like Hillary Clinton in the White house again. Has everybody forgotten that she took about $28,000 worth of gifts with her? The White House is supposed to be our house, not the Clinton House. I would like to ask our Representatives from Nebraska if they would rather see a liar in our house or a bragging billionaire (" Fortenberry, Fischer say theyll vote for Trump despite disgust ," Oct. 12). Who has done more damage to our country? I think if were honest, we know; we're just looking the other way.

Do you know what our country would become under Hillary Clinton's guidance? You can be sure its not going to be America we remember. How nice would it be, if we could say Merry Christmas, our girls would not be afraid to go alone into their bathroom, a boy is a boy and a girl is a girl? How many more people can America take care of? Some of our own cannot find work and can hardly afford to feed their families. Last but not least, what do you think some of our very decent former presidents would say if they knew what Bill Clinton used the Oval Office for? Just think about what hurt America more, words or actions.
Ash or embers from a fireplace sparked a fire that led to the deaths of a rural Nehawka family of six on Thursday morning.

The fireplace was the only part of the house left standing.

The Cass County Sheriff's Office said Michael and Michelle Speer, both 36, died of smoke inhalation, as did their daughters 11-year-old Elli Perez, 7-year-old Adilynn Speer, 5-year-old Emma Speer and 2-year-old Anniston Speer.

In investigating, the Nebraska State Fire Marshal's Office examined fire patterns and interviewed witnesses.

The fire started just after midnight when ash or embers from the living room fireplace set the carpet and some furnishings in the living room ablaze, a news release said.

A neighbor reported the fire, but crews were unable to get inside. A news release from the Cass County Sheriff's Office said exterior walls and a portion of the roof collapsed before firefighters got to the scene.

Multiple volunteer fire departments responded, including the Nehawka Volunteer Fire Department, which is 11 miles and about 16 minutes away.

The Avoca Volunteer Fire Department, 18 miles away, also responded, as did the Weeper Water Volunteer Fire Department, about 6 miles away.

Investigators, through interviews, were able to determine smoke detectors were in place, but they weren't able to locate identifiable parts at the scene or determine if they were working.

Friends said the couple moved into the home over the summer. Micheal Speer, an avid hunter, wanted to raise his family on an acreage, Dawn Vlcek said Friday.

The children attended Conestoga schools, which canceled Tuesday classes so teachers and students can attend the familys funeral at 10 a.m. at Calvary Christian Church in Bellevue.

The school said students, staff and families are helping each other cope.

We found our unity and bonded in our commitment to each other. Our small town communities are truly the places that you will find an outpouring of care and genuine compassion," they said in a statement on Facebook.

The elementary school has set up grief counseling rooms during the day and crisis rooms for after school.

The Murray community will also hold a Pink Out on Halloween in memory of the family. Each Conestoga Elementary student will go home with a pink glow stick and residents are asked to put a pink porch light or strand of pink lights out for Halloween night.
COLUMBUS  A cloud of dust formed in the air around James Gaunt as he used a sandblaster to remove white paint from a giant anchor.

The maintenance technician at Behlen Manufacturing Co. had been working on cleaning the 15-foot-tall anchor for a couple of days, prepping the piece to be shipped to Duo Lift Manufacturing, where it will get a fresh coat of maroon paint and be fitted for a stand.

The anchor's final resting spot will be the new Columbus High School under construction.

Not everyone can say they have a 30,000-pound anchor in Nebraska. For Columbus to have that is a great opportunity not only for the school but the whole town, said Kim Kwapnioski, the Columbus Public Schools Foundation's executive director.

The anchor, which cost $18,000, will be a showpiece at the high school that's scheduled to open in March. Foundation members brainstormed ways to include alumni in the building process and came up with the idea of using an anchor as a focal point. The display will also include a wall with donors' names etched into bricks.

A nautical theme seemed fitting for the Discoverers. The anchor was located in a California shipwreck farm and Kwapnioski said Behlen was instrumental in getting it to Columbus. It arrived at the local manufacturing plant Monday for cleaning and sandblasting.

Tom Wrigley, vice president of manufacturing at Behlen, said the anchor is in good shape with no noticeable cracks.

While cleaning the anchor, a date of 1949 was found embedded on one of the sides.

We are hoping to find more identifying marks to learn more about its history, Wrigley said.

Jim Hellbusch, owner of Duo Lift, said the first step for his business in the project is creating a stand for the anchor, then painting it maroon, one of the school colors.

When the project is finished, Kwapnioski said the anchor will be placed near the entrance on the south side of the school next to the donor wall and benches. She envisions it becoming a great art piece for the community.

Donations can be made to sponsor a brick or one of the 20 links on the anchors chain.
RACINE  On her best days, Julie McLaughlins migraines throbbed for only part of the day; her nose bled only three, not 6, hours; she had double, not triple, vision; and she forgot only every other thing her husband told her.

On her worst days, she resigned herself to spending the rest of her life in pain and misery while suffering through chronic hepatitis C.

I was to be not the healthy woman, but the little girl curled up in ball crying in the corner, said the 55-year-old Racine resident. I thought I was going to die. I thought about writing a will and thought about how I had only six months left to live.

But thanks to a regimen of antiviral medication, support from her friends and fellow church members, and the love and devotion of Brad, her husband, McLaughlin survived her hepatitis ordeal.

She has tested negative for the disease  which could come back at any time  for more than a year, and has become an outspoken advocate for testing and awareness of the potentially fatal disease.

Hepatitis C is a contagious liver disease that ranges in severity from a mild illness lasting a few weeks to a serious, lifelong illness that attacks the liver. It is spread primarily through contact with the blood of an infected person. Most people become infected by sharing needles or other equipment to inject drugs. Before 1992, when widespread screening of the blood supply began in the United States, the infection was also commonly spread through blood transfusions and organ transplants.

Experts estimate that between 2.7 million to 3.9 million people have the infection that causes the disease.

The symptoms might not show themselves for years, which makes testing  the disease can be detected with a simple blood test  so important, health officials say.

More than 3.5 million people have it and those are just the ones we know about, McLaughlin said. Its just a blood test, but its so important for you and your loved ones to get checked.

I will get tested every year because I dont want to ever go through this again, she said.

A well-traveled life

Julie McLaughlin was born in Racine and attended Racine Unified schools. As she grew older she traveled throughout the country, from California to Arizona, New Mexico to Florida, back to Wisconsin.

She met Brad in 2001. They became friends, then married on Aug. 29, 2010. They set up their home life in Florida.

In 2008, McLaughlin underwent thyroid surgery in Gainesville, Fla. A year later she had another operation at the same hospital. A doctor there told her she had tested positive for hepatitis C.

I was shocked, she said. I also was confused, a bit angry, filled with doubt and some fear.

McLaughlin had several tests to confirm and reaffirm the diagnosis. Her final test, however, showed no hepatitis.

I just went on with my life for the next four or five years, she said.

The couple decided to move to Wisconsin to find work. Julie relocated in June 2014 and Brad followed in January 2015.

Back in her native state, McLaughlin noticed her skin turning a shade of yellow. She began to have searing headaches. She tired easily. She began to forget what Brad told her or what he was talking about. She started to have doubts that she actually was clear of the hepatitis.

A blood test showed the hepatitis C had returned. More tests showed she had mild cirrhosis, damage to her liver often found in heavy drinkers and a potentially lethal effect of the hepatitis.

Suddenly pain took over her life. Her joints seared. Her head throbbed with migraines. Her nose bled, sometimes for 6 straight hours. Her vision blurred, making driving impossible. Her memory got worse. She forgot birthdays of friends and family. She often called them to apologize.

I didnt want them to think I was uncaring, she said. I thought I was going crazy. I knew I was too young for Alzheimers, but I knew something was going on.

The agony and the memory struggles drove a wedge between her and Brad. She couldnt sleep. She was agitated, scared, and scarred. She told Brad to move out of their bedroom.

I felt untouchable, unlovable, ashamed, unclean, McLaughlin said. Normalcy in my life had disappeared.

Finding some hope

Then, one day she saw a television commercial for a hepatitis C treatment and decided there might be hope. The treatment, called Harvoni, consisted of one pill every day for 12 weeks.

Four weeks after taking her first pill, she tested negative for hepatitis. She tested negative again two weeks later and three months later.

Her energy improved; she bounced up and down the stairs and walked for miles on the beach with Brad.

I had my life with my husband back again, McLaughlin said, reaching out to hold Brads hand while a tear trickled down her cheek. You dont know how much your life can change.

Still, Julie said she knows the disease can strike back at any time. But shes prepared; shes ready. I look for but I dont fear it, she said. Because I know it can be beat.

She also has counseled people related to hepatitis C sufferers. She knows what the afflicted are feeling and tries to help the relatives.

It felt awesome to do that, she said. There is a hope. There is a way to get your life back.

Brad, who plans to soon get his masters degree in psychology, described Julies travails as a roller coaster. He tried to anticipate how she would handle things, wondering how he should respond to her emotions.

I hardened myself because I knew I had to be a rock, Brad said. She needed to know there was someone who supported her.
RACINE COUNTY  This time four years ago, Racine County and Wisconsin were a frequent destination for the presidential campaigns, with the likes of Joe Biden, Michelle Obama, Paul Ryan and campaign surrogates making stops locally.

But with a few exceptions  including Donald Trumps visit to Racine before the Wisconsin primary in April  the region has seen fewer visits from the campaigns this time around, which experts say could signal Wisconsins diminished importance in this years election.

The latest Marquette University Law School poll, released Oct. 12, found Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton with a seven-point lead over Republican Donald Trump among likely Wisconsin voters. Her lead grew from earlier, tighter polls after a video surfaced showing Trump making predatory comments about women.

A lead that wide, this close to the election, shows the race in Wisconsin may not be as contested this time around and helps explain the lack of attention to the area, said Peggy James, University of Wisconsin-Parkside dean of the College of Social Sciences and Professional Studies.

Its certainly not the same race it was four years ago, James said.

Now vs. then

In 2012, Biden made a campaign stop at Parkside. First Lady Michelle Obama roused voters at Memorial Hall in Downtown Racine. Ryan, then the Republican vice presidential candidate, also held a rally at Memorial Hall.

The campaign also sent a slew of surrogates, such as the spouses of Biden and Ryan, to Racine and Kenosha counties. Other parts of the state were even more inundated by the campaigns, including visits from President Barack Obama and his Republican rival, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney.

This year, in contrast, has been much quieter.

Chelsea Clinton held a Racine rally on behalf of her mother Oct. 10. An actress from the popular TV series The Walking Dead, Danai Gurira, visited town two days later. Other than those appearances, the campaigns have largely bypassed Racine County in the general election.

In fact, the biggest local campaign news was a visit that didnt happen, when Ryan rescinded Trumps invitation to the GOPs annual Fall Fest after the lewd tape surfaced.

Visits across the state have also been more limited than in elections past, most notably by Clinton, who hasnt made any public appearances in Wisconsin since the April 5 primary.

Trump has been to the state more often, including a rally last week in Green Bay. His running mate, Mike Pence, has visited the state multiple times since his nomination in July.

While polls certainly play a part, the campaign schedule could also be an indication that Wisconsin doesnt heavily factor into the candidates Electoral College strategies, said Charles Franklin, executive director of the Marquette University Law School poll.

He noted Clinton, who in recent days has made a push into traditional Republican-leaning states, has lots of paths to the necessary 270 electoral votes that dont include Wisconsins 10 votes, Franklin said.

I dont think were being ignored on the Republican side at all, and the surrogates have been somewhat active, Franklin said. But compared to 2012, when we had at least a few visits by each presidential candidate, were being featured a little bit less.

Moot point?

While the margin in Wisconsin has been razor-thin some years, the state hasnt gone to a Republican since 1984.

So beyond this years campaign events, its history already calls into question the states coveted swing-state status, said Arthur Cyr, director of the Clausen Center for World Business at Carthage College.

I think its diminished over the long term, since its been so reliably Democratic since the 1980s, Cyr said, adding more of the focus has been on the much tighter U.S. Senate rematch between Republican incumbent Ron Johnson and Democrat Russ Feingold, whom Johnson unseated in 2010.

At this point, the electorate appears so polarized that a campaign stop in the next two weeks may be moot anyway, James said.

She added that early voting is under way; thousands in Racine County have already cast ballots.

I dont think one last visit here by any of the candidates would make that much of a difference, James said.
RACINE  The flight attendant gave Caroline Flanigan a napkin with a note on it.

Flanigan, 72, of Racine, was no stranger to letters from strangers. She had received them regularly since she was 11 years old from an Irishman who sent her shamrocks. Both were paired through a pen pal program when they were wanting of one in 1955.

Arthur Blake, a 14-year-old from Enniskillen, Northern Ireland, made the first move. He sent her a letter with brief details of his life. Flanigan responded in kind. Back and forth the letters went. A friendship was born.

We sort of grew up together, Flanigan said. Weve been through marriages, deaths of family members. Its the most wonderful relationship that we have.

Time went on and the letters kept coming. While in college, the frequency of letters slowed, but the relationship maintained through Flanigan becoming a registered nurse and Blake becoming a hotel manager.

As the years went on, both married and had careers. Technology evolved and so did their communication. The letters again slowed but phone calls picked up and Skype sessions are common these days. That is, if Blake can work it.

He has difficulty with Skype, Flanigan said. He would always mess it up and his sons would get it straightened out for him.

Through 61 years of being pen pals, the two had talked about everything from politics, to their lives, to the birth of Blakes sons, to Flanigans divorce and the death of Blakes wife. Their entire lives shared, yet they had never met.

I said to him, Were both getting older and I would like to be able to come at a time when we can both enjoy this journey,  Flanigan said. So I thought we better get going on this.

Flanigan applied for financial aid from the Wish of a Lifetime Foundation, a group that helps senior citizens fulfill their wishes. When her wish was granted with funds from Homewatch CareGivers, she booked her flight and told Blake in May that she was on her way.

She was nervous but excited, she told the flight attendants. They adored her story and left her with a parting gift. As the plane touched down in Dublin, Flanigan collected the napkin and prepared for a 61-year journey in the making.

Have a great time meeting your pen pal of 61 years! the napkin read. Love, your United flight attendants.

Quilt of green

Flanigan was greeted by Blake, 75, at the airport. His son flew in from Manchester, England, for the occasion while his other son resided in Dublin. Flanigan knew both from talking to them over the phone for years.

Flanigan was whisked away from the start of her journey to Enniskillen. There, she was treated like royalty. Blake introduced her to family, the town, and anyone he could.

The people are so absolutely wonderful, Flanigan said. Everyone was wonderful to me. Blake wouldnt even let me help clean.

Flanigan traveled to all parts of Ireland and Northern Ireland. She saw natural landmarks and small towns. Everywhere, Blake seemed to know someone.

Were walking in Dublin, hundreds of miles from his home, and someone goes, Arthur! Arthur! Flanigan said. I said, Do you know everyone? 

She went to the family-owned pub, Blakes of the Hollow, below where Blake lived growing up. They traveled around the country and tasted the local concoctions.

lanigan is not much of a drinker, but she could not pass up partaking in local customs.

I usually dont drink that much, except communion wine maybe, Flanigan said. We had wine, and then they made me an Irish coffee, which was nice because I slept a lot better.

The monthlong trip eventually came to an end in July. After 61 years, the two had finally met and checked that off the to-do list. Flanigan was back on a plane again as she flew over the quilt of green patches.

We told each other that now we know the real people, Flanigan said. I asked him what he thought of me. He said, I think youre a very independent woman. He then asked what I thought of him and I said he was a perfectionist. He is, very much so.

Come back soon

Back on American soil, Flanigan continues to talk with Blake several times a week. Blake is no longer one for writing so much, but Flanigan sends a letter every once in awhile because she enjoys it.

It was hard coming home, Flanigan said. Hes just such a wonderful man.One of the traditions the two established was waving at Mass.The church Blake attends in Enniskillen broadcasts its Sunday service online. Blake knows Flanigan is watching so he always waves to her because he is a eucharistic minister. When he is not able to attend that Mass, someone else at the church waves for him.No matter what, someone waves, Flanigan said. Its so nice of them.This is the sum of a 61-year relationship as Flanigan peers through the pictures of her trip and some of the mementos. She cant help but reminisce about the trip and is already trying to get back there as their anniversary nears 62 years.Its amazing because its a man and woman and that doesnt seem like it would last, Flanigan said. I got a lot of invitations back from family and friends and Im hoping to go back next year.
Journalists are by no means perfect. We publish the first draft of history, and first drafts sometimes have errors. Reputable news outlets acknowledge their errors (ours appear on Page A2 below the heading Making It Right, since that is our objective).

Irresponsible journalism can be punished in a court of law, but journalism itself is not a crime. In fact, journalism is one of the freedoms our Founding Fathers thought so highly of, and wanted to make a point of protecting, that they included freedom of the press  with the freedom of speech, religion, assembly and to petiton the government to address grievances  in the First Amendment to the Constitution.

We were happy to see a judge in North Dakota uphold freedom of the press on Oct. 17.

Democracy Now! reporter Amy Goodman wont face a riot charge stemming from her coverage of a protest against construction of the Dakota Access oil pipeline in North Dakota, with a judge saying Oct. 17 that there was no cause for it, the Associated Press reported.

Judge John Grinsteiner refused to sign off on the misdemeanor riot charge, which prosecutor Ladd Erickson had pursued after dismissing a misdemeanor criminal trespass charge against the journalist on Friday.

Erickson has said Goodman was acting like a protester when she reported on a clash between protesters and pipeline security last month. Her defense attorney, Tom Dickson, maintains Goodman was doing her job.

The protests have drawn thousands of people to the area where Texas-based Energy Transfer Partners is trying to wrap up construction on the $3.8 billion, 1,200-mile pipeline from North Dakota to Illinois. Opponents of the pipeline worry about potential effects on drinking water on the Standing Rock Sioux reservation and farther downstream, as well as destruction of cultural artifacts.

Goodman is one of about 140 people who have been charged in recent weeks with interfering with the pipelines construction in North Dakota.

An arrest warrant was issued for Goodman after she reported on a clash on Sept. 3, when Standing Rock Sioux officials said crews bulldozed several sites of significant cultural and historic value on private land. Energy Transfer Partners denies those allegations.

Law enforcement officials said four security guards and two guard dogs received medical treatment. A tribal spokesman said six people were bitten by guard dogs and at least 30 people were pepper-sprayed.

Within hours of the clash, Democracy Now! had turned its footage into a seven-minute video that it released as a internet exclusive, TheNation.com reported. Three days later, Goodman followed up with a report that she broadcast live on her show. The video quickly went viral  it was viewed more than 14 million times on Facebook  and eventually appeared on much larger news outlets which had not paid the pipeline protests much attention.

Rolling Stones Matt Taibbi wrote that the outrage it generated may well have influenced the decision by President Barack Obamas administration to halt work on the pipeline several days later.

Goodman reported live from the scene of the clash. She was an observer, not an active participant.

When asked to explain the grounds for arresting a working journalist, Erickson told the Grand Forks Herald that he did not, in fact, consider Goodman a journalist. Shes a protester, basically, Erickson told the newspaper.

Everything she reported on was from the position of justifying the protest actions.

Its not hard to read between the lines and infer that, had Goodman reported from a pro-pipeline perspective, Erickson probably would not have filed rioting charges.

The Bismarck Tribune later quoted Erickson: I think she put together a piece to influence the world on her agenda, basically. Thats fine, but it doesnt immunize her from the laws of her state.

The First Amendment would beg to differ, Mr. States Attorney. As would Judge Grinsteiner, who did differ justly when he tossed out the charge.

Goodman told reporters outside the courthouse that Grinsteiners decision was a vindication for all journalists and a vindication for everyone.

Regardless of whether a reporter has what is perceived to be a bias in favor of the protesters or in favor of the pipeline construction, that reporter has a First Amendment right to be present in that part of North Dakota where the conflict is taking place. Questions of bias are for readers and viewers to decide, not states attorneys.

Its right there in the name: The attorney represents the state, also known as the government. The one which shall make no law abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press.
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13 cadres including chairman of Mongol Mulbasi held with arms

Police on Monday arrested 13 cadres including the chairman of Mongol Mulbasi Rastriya Force, an underground armed outfit, along with fire arms.
Appointing Karki to the post of CIAA chief was a mistake

Mukul Humagain and Binod Ghimire spoke with Dhakal, who is also the chief whip of the main opposition party, about the different facets of the impeachment motion and its future.
CIAA releases frozen bank lockers sans NRB consent

The Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) says that it has released the frozen locker facilities of some individuals against whom it had initiated investigation for allegedly amassing properties without known sources of income.
Defeating the undefeated

Gurkhas campaign for equal pensions will likely continue regardless of whether Nepal can or will help their cause
Discussion after motion is tabled tomorrow

Parliament has decided to table the impeachment motion registered against chief of the Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority Lokman Singh Karki in the Legislature-Parliament on Tuesday for theoretical discussion.
FNJ condemns threats to journalists over coverage

The Federation of Nepalis Journalist (FNJ) has expressed sorrow over the threats against three journalists of the same newspaper for publishing news related to the suspended Chief of the Commission for the Investigation of the Abuse of Authority (CIAA) Lokman Singh Karki.
Impeachment motion plot to shadow Madhes issues: Nepal Sadbhavana Party

Nepal Sadbhawana Party has accused big political parties of shadowing Madhes issues by registering impeachment motion at the Legislature-Parliament.
IoM allocates colleges more dental seats

Going against the recommendation of the Mathema committee report to limit the number of undergraduate dental seats to 50, the Institute of Medicine (IoM) has allocated more seats to two medical colleges.
Maoist Centre whip to vote for Karkis impeachment

The ruling CPN (Maoist Centre) has asked its lawmakers to vote in favour of the impeachment motion it registered in Parliament jointly with the CPN (UML) against chief of the Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority Lokman Singh Karki.
NC will ruin itself if it sides with Karki: Yogesh Bhattarai

CPN-UML Secretary Yogesh Bhattarai has said ruling Nepali Congress (NC) will badly damage its political reputation if it decides to support the suspended chief of the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA), Lokman Singh Karki.
Parliaments call acceptable, CIAA states

Acting chief of the Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority Deep Basnyat has said the decision of Parliament is acceptable to all in the impeachment motion against suspended CIAA chief Lokman Singh Karki.
Press Chautari condemns threats to journalists for publishing Lokmans news

Press Chautari Nepal has said that its serious attention has been drawn towards the threats issued to journalists for publishing news regarding suspended CIAA chief Lokman Singh Karki.
Prime Minister, Vietnamese Ambassador meet

Vietnam's Ambassador to Nepal Ton Sinh Thanh on Monday paid a courtesy call on Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal.
Proposer Shahi receiving threats

CPN (Maoist Centre) lawmaker Mahendra Bahadur Shahi, the proposer of the impeachment motion, has spoken of threats from Lokman Singh Karkis aides.
SSFN not informed about impeachment proposal, says Yadav

Sanghiya Samajbadi Forum Nepal Chairman Upendra Yadav has said his party has no knowledge of the impeachment motion registered in Parliament against Lokman Singh Karki, the suspended chief of the Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority.
VP suggests parties work in unison

Says consensus among all parties is imperative for effective implementation of the constitution
WFP receives 1.5million for post-quake reconstruction

The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has received Pound Sterling 1.5 million from the UN Department for International Development (DFID) for post-earthquake reconstruction work.
Will respect public sentiment, Deuba tells student leaders

Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba has said the party would consider public sentiment before taking a decision concerning the impeachment motion registered in Parliament against Lokman Singh Karki, the suspended chief of the Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority.
Killeen, TX (76540)

Today

Partly cloudy this evening followed by mostly cloudy skies and a few showers after midnight. Low 58F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 40%..

Tonight

Partly cloudy this evening followed by mostly cloudy skies and a few showers after midnight. Low 58F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 40%.
Education authorities are worried about the increasing rate of teenage pregnancies in Budaka district.

This is after 17 pupils at Nasanga Primary school, Nasanga sub-county

in Budaka District were found to be pregnant in a period of just one month.

Presenting the Education sector report from assessment and monitoring in various schools, Sam Nayepe, a Councilor representing Mugiti sub-county has blamed on parents for not doing enough to protect their children.

Sowali Kamulya, the Bukedi police spokesperson says 2 to 3 cases of defilement are reported daily in Budaka but the complainants quickly disappear as the parties secretly opt for negotiation and eventually the victims are forcefully married off.

Uganda has one of the highest rates of teenage pregnancy in Sub-Saharan Africa at over 25% implying that at least one in every 10pregnant women is fewer than 18.

A UNICEF report indicates that child marriages is highest in Northern Uganda at 59%, Western region is at 58% while Eastern and East central regions are at 52%.

West Nile is 50%, South West at 37% and Kampala has the lowest figure of 21%.
President Yoweri Museveni has urged Zambias opposition leaders to stop trouble and contribute towards the development of the country.

The President was speaking to the local media in Lusaka, before he was hosted by his Zambian counterpart Edgar Chagwa Lungu to a state dinner.

Museveni who is in Zambia for the countrys 52nd independence anniversary celebrations saluted former President Dr. Kenneth Kaunda for spearheading the struggle to fight for the liberation and independence of the Africa alongside other past leaders in Tanzania, South Africa and Mozambique.

I congratulate President Edgar Lungu for winning the election. I salute the people of Zambia. I salute Kenneth Kaunda. For us, Dr. Kenneth Kaunda is hero in Uganda. He fought for African freedom. You people should know that the prevailing freedom you have is as a result of the fight and struggle by the past African leaders like Julius Nyerere, Kenneth Kaunda etc and what the apartheid fighters in South Africa went through, Mr. Museveni said.

He urged the Zambians to follow the example of the heritage of the past leaders like Kenneth Kaunda and the current ones like Edgar Lungu.

Dr. Kenneth Kaunda, now aged 92 years is the founding father and the first President of the Republic of Zambia who fought for the country to attain its independence in 1964.

The President of the Republic of Zambia Edgar Lungu thanked President Museveni for honoring his invitation to be chief guest at Zambias 52nd independence anniversary celebrations.

Story By Ali Mivule
Senior presidential advisor on finance and planning Dr. Ezra Suruma has downplayed claims that the economy is melting down due to recent developments in the banking sector.

This follows fears raised over the state of the countrys economy after the central bank took over management of Crane Bank last week.

Prof Suruma says like any other business, banks also face challenges and this is not unique to Uganda.

He however says government cannot allow a bank to fail with peoples savings and he explains the intervention of the central bank.
System integrator Dynamitec from Gent won the Belgian KNX Innovation Award in 2016. The award was presented at the KNX Belgium networking meeting at the Thomas More College in St. Katelijne-Waver. The remodelling of a house into two separate units with a residential care character and a comprehensive KNX installation in both units with a care function, led to the recognition of the project. Both the house and the technique, are fully tuned here to the living comfort of the residents, so that both parties can live independently. Several functions are automated and linked within the KNX installation, including energy measurement, electrical appliances, heat pump, access by fingerprint reader and fire protection.

Jury President Jan Derua had the honour to present the KNX Innovation Award 2016 to Dynamitecs representatives Xavier Musschoot and Yuri Thire. The second prize went to Luc Vercruyssen from the company CDI Projects. The project from CDI Projects distinguished itself as an industrial project, and was a brewery where control and process monitoring was carried out via KNX.

www.knx.be
North Korea is fully committed to staging cyberwarfare against South Korea by operating special teams that conduct hacking attacks and spread false information in a bid to fuel anti-Seoul propaganda, a source said Monday.

"North Korea has been engrossed in cyberwarfare operations with its reconnaissance bureau, the ruling party's department dealing with South Korea, and an operator of propaganda websites leading such campaigns," according to the source familiar with the reclusive country.

The special teams are tasked with filing pro-Pyongyang messages on South Korean websites and spreading lies through social media, he said.

The North's move comes as North Korean leader Kim Jong-un said in August 2013 that building cyberwarfare capabilities is a powerful tool in advancing the military's ability to stage strikes.

At a meeting with ideological workers held in February 2014, Kim called for measures to make the Internet a venue for North Korea's propaganda campaign, according to Pyongyang's state media.

Experts said that the North's propaganda websites are focusing on driving a wedge among South Koreans by highlighting sensitive issues such as a mass defection by North Korean restaurant workers in China and Seoul's latest decision to install an advanced U.S. missile defense system.

North Korea has claimed that a group of 13 North Korean restaurant staff had been tricked into defecting and were kidnapped by South Korea's spy agency. Seoul rejected it, saying that they came to Seoul of their own free will.

North Korea has been long accused of waging cyberwarfare, including a hacking attack on South Korea and even against U.S. companies.

In March 2013, North Korea carried out a massive cyberattack on South Korean financial firms and TV broadcasters, causing their networks to crash.

In late 2014, the U.S. accused Pyongyang of staging cyberattacks on Sony Pictures, which released "The Interview," a fictional movie about assassinating the North's current leader. (Yonhap)
Sarah Farlow has been named the new LaGrange County Highway Department engineer, a position thats been vacant for nearly five years. Farlow will be in charge of overseeing LaGrange County roads and bridges.
The Conservation Corps of Minnesota (CCM) has wrapped up another season of work on Riceford Creek in rural Spring Grove. Over the past four years, the CCM has worked to shore up the vulnerable banks of the upper reaches of the Riceford Creek by implementing a practice called cedar tree revetment. The practice involves harvesting invasive Red Cedar trees from hill sides and county road right-of-ways and installing the trees at the foot of the banks of the creek. The practice, over time, aids in creating a more stable slope to the creek bank while allowing sod-forming vegetation to become established. This, in turn, aids in reducing the amount of harmful sediment from entering the creek. From a cost per linear foot of best management practice, cedar tree revetment is about one-sixth the cost of a typical rip rap stream bank protection project. The low cost of the practice is especially enticing to private landowners looking to do similar work to protect their vulnerable stream banks.

Funding for the project is made available by a conservation partnership between the Minnesota Corn Growers Association, Trout Unlimited, Minnesota Clean Water Funds, the CCM, Missouri State University, and Root River Soil and Water Conservation District. Minnesota Clean Water Funds are used to help fund all project work done by the CCM like cedar tree revetment and other environmental projects. The focus of work done by the CCM is to protect, enhance and restore water quality in lakes, rivers and streams and to protect groundwater from sources of contamination. Cedar tree revetment falls well within their scope of work. Trout unlimited has contributed matching funds to the project for materials (cable and anchors), and other machine work to remove debris from Riceford Creek. The Minnesota Corn Growers Association has earmarked funding to cover the cost of pre-revetment stream bank assessment and post-revetment assessment by Missouri State University staff, education, outreach and reporting, supplies, materials and project support.

In 1990, the Corn Growers Association worked to pass a state wide referendum to create the Minnesota Corn Research and Promotion Council. The council provides for a -cent per bushel of corn sold within the state to go toward promotion, communication and research in Minnesota. Known as the corn check off, the rate was increased from  cent to 1 cent in 2009. It is through the corn check off that funds are generated by corn farmers throughout the state and earmarked for such environmental projects as the Riceford Creek Cedar Tree Revetment Project. It is a major goal of the Corn Growers to provide efficient, environmentally sound production of corn in the state of Minnesota.

The Corn Growers Association has recently pledged to become the most sustainable and environmentally responsible corn farmers in the country. Through efforts to provide research and project dollars to universities and conservation districts, along with conservation innovation dollars to individuals, the corn growers plan to combine more outreach and education with continued commitment to science-based research of conservation best management practices. Much of the research and education evolve around improvement of management of nitrogen fertilizer to better protect water quality.

Noah Hultgren, Minnesota Corn Growers Association President, says, We want to make sure farmers have the best science-based information available to them so they can be confident that they are making decisions that benefit both their farms and the surrounding environment. And we want our non-farming friends and neighbors to know that in addition to growing food, feed, fiber and fuel for an increasing world population, were working to protect the water and environmental resources that we all value.

For more information about cedar tree revetment or other conservation practices, call Bob Scanlan of the Root River SWCD at 724-5261.
Criminal charges are pending against a La Crosse man who fled from authorities in a stolen car at high speeds from central La Crosse to eastern Monroe County.

Cameron Baker, 29, stole a work van from Bobs Lock and Safe, 926 La Crosse St., about 8:15 a.m., according to La Crosse police and the Wisconsin State Patrol.

Baker fled from police up to 60 mph on La Crosse Street to 24th Street, where he struck an unoccupied parked car. A shift commander stopped the pursuit.

Baker continued through Roellig Park and sped north on Hwy. 16 to Interstate 90 eastbound, according to police.

State troopers deployed spike strips at mile marker 10, and Baker speed east on the interstate up to 85 mph before stopping 27 miles later in the median after driving over a second set of spike strips. No one was injured.

Authorities stopped all lanes of travel while arresting Baker, who was wearing a leg cast.

Baker faces charges of operating a motor vehicle without the owners consent, fleeing police and hit-and-run of an unattended vehicle.
VIROQUA  Bethel Home has new residents that have come to roost in the facilitys enclosed courtyard  a flock of six chickens.

The idea came to Kristina Reser-Jaynes of Readstown after she saw a YouTube clip about a nursing home in Australia that had chickens. Jaynes said the clip showed that the facilitys residents with Alzheimers disease and other dimentia were reached by the chickens.

In six months, there was a reduction in use of medication for depression, Jaynes said. I think (residents) get lonely and are isolated  you get them outside its a conversation starter: Lets look at the chickens.

People either love or hate chickens; there are a lot of retired farmers who truly love chickens, she continued.

Jaynes approached the Bethel Home Board and Bethel Home Foundation with the idea of having chickens at the nursing home.

I appreciate the foresight of the board (regarding this project), Jaynes said. We got the OK from City Hall, and Daron Jefson was so kind, sorted things out and saw the potential.

The coop, complete with a ladder for the fowl, is set up in an enclosed courtyard in front of a window near the facilitys physical therapy area. Jaynes took photos of each chicken, framed them, added nameplates and hung them on the wall, so residents, staff and visitors alike know whos who. Its been pretty positive.

John Petersheim of County Line Barns made an adorable, cute coop with a nostalgia feel of red and white; the coop is wheelchair height, Jaynes said.

Her brother and two nephews put up the picket fence enclosure. I wanted to invoke the nostalgia and farm feel.

The new chicken coop was blessed by Pastor Chuck Miller of Kickapoo and Peace Lutheran churches June 15. The chickens moved into their new home after the blessing and laid their first eggs around Sept. 10. There are two nesting boxes in the coop.

Jaynes set up a gofundme account and raised $1,000 in four days. Jaynes said she loved the response she got from the gofundme site, because people who didnt know her or her mom, who is a resident of Bethel Home, donated because they liked the project.

I have a friend in Norway who donated in honor of my mom, Jaynes said. So its an international project. The whole community has come together.

Jaynes said there was quite a bit of chatter between staff and residents over the chickens pending arrival.

Some residents are nonverbal, so if a person is uncertain what to do when visiting  go see the chickens, she said. Take the time and get them out of their room. You see the staff working very hard. Its (the chicken project) something to brighten the day.

Its really neat, Jaynes said. My mom has Alzheimers, and she spends time alone. I wanted to brighten her day and others.

Jaynes said future plans may include selling T-shirts to support the maintenance of the project, chicken art and chicken talks. Itll be an ongoing thing. Its so fun to see residents hold them. When residents hold the chickens, there is a puppy pad on their laps to absorb any droppings.

Jaynes is in charge of taking care of the chickens. Come winter, they will move south to Jaynes Readstown home.

It really has been fun, Jaynes said. Its so fun to see residents holding them.

Robin Seidel, director of nursing at Bethel Home, said the reaction of both residents and staff has been positive. She said residents enjoy looking at the chickens through the window near the therapy area and some reminisce about farm life.

People ask, You have chickens? Thats unique., Seidel said. Kristina is good about getting residents involved and even staff. Its great for relaxation. Its a real community builder for Bethel Home.

Seidel said the chickens have benefited residents in that some react to the chickens, when they may not respond to other things.

Either youre a chicken person or not, she said. For some, it brings back good memories.

I think it was an awesome idea, Seidel said. Kristina did a great job organizing this.

More information about the project and photos can be found on the Bethel Home Helping Hands Facebook page.

Robin Seidel, director of nursing at Bethel Home
BLACK RIVER FALLS  Cranberry growers are hoping the state will expand the area eligible for fencing reimbursement as the newly established elk population continues to grow.

The suggestion was made to the Natural Resources Board during it meeting in Black River Falls last month.

Property owners in a designated section of Jackson County now can receive full reimbursement for protective fencing, but those outside the area in Jackson and other nearby counties such as Monroe arent eligible.

We were just relaying that elk dont really know boundaries on a map, said Jim Bible, a grower who testified at the meeting and has cranberry marshes in Jackson and Clark counties. They want to grow that (herd) to 350 to 400, which starts getting a little scary for a lot of cranberry growers. The whole Jackson, Wood, Juneau County area grows an awful lot of cranberries.

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources released the first group of elk in a long-awaited reintroduction effort in 2015 and released the second and final group this summer from an acclimation pen in eastern Jackson County.

The animals, most of which are equipped with tracking collars, are monitored by wildlife staff and guided back to the Jackson County area if they are noticed outside the boundaries, but cranberry growers outside the zone in Monroe County near Warrens and Tomah have observed the animals both after the first and second releases, said Tom Lochner, executive director of the Wisconsin State Cranberry Growers Association.

Bible, too, had his first two sightings of a cow and her calf in early September on his marsh in the town of Brockway, which is outside the zone for full fencing reimbursement.

Lochner credited the DNR with helping growers and fielding their concerns but said the issue of potential damage remains.

The departments worked pretty well with us, he said. But we have growers who will tell us, Yeah, weve got them here.

Thats the issue  the elk dont know where the lines are. Theyre looking for food, shelter, to get away from predators. Its natural.

Lochner said its estimated the DNR already has paid more than $200,000 to a handful of growers inside the zone for fencing, and he hopes growers and the department can continue to work together as the herd grows.

Bible said hes unsure hed want to add fencing around his cranberry properties because of the impacts on operations and appearance. Fences likely would create difficulty in moving equipment and would keep out other animals that are welcome in the reservoirs.

Still, if elk sightings become frequent, protection may be necessary, he said.

I dont know (about fences) if I see an elk once or twice a year, Bible said. If I start seeing them two to three times a week through the summer, now theyre doing a lot of damage. Thats the problem.

Tom Lochner, executive director of the Wisconsin State Cranberry Growers Association.
WISCONSIN DELLS, Wis.  An ice castle is coming to Wisconsin Dells.

The building-size castle, made of ice and created through a partnership between Mt. Olympus Water and Theme Park and Resort and a company called, appropriately enough, Ice Castles, will grow later this fall and early this winter from the parking lot next to Top Secret on Wisconsin Dells Parkway.

The castle will open as an outdoor winter-time attraction Dec. 26 and remain open through the end of February, weather permitting, according to Mt. Olympus general manager Adam Makowski.

The castle will feature pathways and slides, as well as built-in lighting that will transform the icy behemoth into a lightshow at night, Makowski said.

They put lights inside of them, so at night it can change the colors and create a magical ambiance, he said. Especially when you have the lights underneath, its beautiful.

The Wisconsin Dells Common Council at its October meeting approved Mt. Olympus site plan application, which Makowski likened to a small glacier.

The palace will take approximately three weeks to grow  again, weather permitting, Makowski said  and that process is expected to begin in early December.

They grow these ice crystals from the ground, then they place them in strategic locations to create these structures, and they keep spraying them to where they just grow, he said. Eventually they start forming these glacier-like sculptures.

As long as the Dells gets a normal winter, with enough cold days in December, the building will remain solidly built until it has to be torn down in March, Makowski said. Ice Castles has successfully constructed other such outdoor ice buildings in Stillwater, Minn., Midway, Utah, Lincoln, N.H., and Edmonton, Alberta.

The buildings in these other locations have attracted up to 100,000 visitors, Makowski said, and they can comfortably accommodate up to 500 guests an hour.

The walkways within the castle will be specially prepared so that it has a texture similar to gravel and thus wont be slippery, and in addition to walking around the castle and taking photos, a few strategically placed slides will allow for a thrill ride or two.

The ticket price for the attraction has yet to be determined, Makowski said. The attraction will necessitate the hiring of a couple of dozen local workers for the duration of its residence, he said, for such tasks as the actual construction and ultimately its operation.

Lest anyone worry whether such a building will be stable, Makowski said the blocks of ice that comprise it are so big that their removal will require heavy equipment.

It would last into the summer if we didnt remove it, he said.

For more information about previous ice castles, visit www.icecastles.com.
The La Crosse County Health Departments lab is now certified to test well-water samples for arsenic, which should mean quicker answers for concerned residents as well as cutting the cost of arsenic tests by a third.

This summer, the county installed a $51,000 atomic absorption spectrometer in the lab after winning a highly competitive grant from the Centers for Disease Controls Safe Water Program. Only four other county health departments in the country qualified for the grant, which gave the county $131,853 this year and could mean a total of $659,000 in funding if the county wins grant renewal for the next four years.

The grant aims to promote public awareness about well testing and protecting well water, with a focus on arsenic, nitrates and coliform bacteria in a five-county area that also includes Trempealeau, Jackson, Monroe and Vernon counties. The hope is more people will get private wells tested for these substances.

The spectrometer can test for all sorts of metals, including lead, but arsenic is of particular concern in La Crosse County because of high readings from wells in the towns of Shelby and Greenfield, with one well testing at 20 times the level of arsenic considered safe in drinking water.

In the past, the county had to send water samples to a private lab to be tested for arsenic, and the test cost residents $46. Now the test will cost $29.

Arsenic exposure is linked to bladder, liver, lung and skin cancers in adults, and children who are exposed to arsenic have an increased risk of lung cancer and respiratory problems later in life. Its estimated that arsenic contributes to 1,000 deaths a year.

Most arsenic in drinking water comes from underground deposits of the metal, but there have been cases in which it has migrated to groundwater in former apple orchards, where arsenic was used as an insecticide into the 1950s.

Jim Steinhoff, who manages the county health departments lab operation, hopes residents will take advantage of the countys new testing abilities. The county aims to create a map that shows arsenic levels based on the tests, and the more people who get their water tested, the better the picture that map will provide.
A Rochester officer on Sunday fatally shot a man outside Lanesboro, Minn., during a tactical team response to a reported domestic assault.

The Fillmore County Sheriff's Office was called to a residence in Fillmore County on a report of a felony domestic assault, where the suspect had already fled the scene, said Fillmore County Sheriff Tom Kaase.

The man was later located at his residence, where he refused to cooperate with Fillmore County deputies. The Rochester/Olmsted Emergency Response Unit was requested to assist.

The request for assistance was made due to the suspects prior history and his reporting to have access to weapons, Kaase said in a statement.

During this incident, a Rochester Police Tactical Officer engaged an armed suspect, fired his weapon, and killed the suspect, Kaase said.

Following normal procedures, the Fillmore County Sheriffs Office has requested the Minnesota Bureau of Apprehension to conduct the investigation, which is ongoing Monday.

No additional information was immediately available.
Business and property owners now can grant La Crosse police access to security cameras to increase community safety.

Project Blue Light, a private-public partnership, is an extension of the Safe-Cam Project, a network of 32 surveillance cameras monitoring the citys downtown that launched early this year to aid investigations and deter crime.

Police encourage all business and property owners to participate, especially those positioned between downtown and college campus areas for student safety, La Crosse police Assistant Chief Rob Abraham said.

As we have found, video has been instrumental in helping us solve crimes, he said. This helps us become more efficient and effective.

There is no fee to tie into the network, but surveillance cameras must use Stratocast brand software to make them compatible with the departments system.

Three Sixty Real Estate Solutions was the first to join the departments network last week, granting police access to two surveillance cameras monitoring a 20-unit apartment building at 1414 Pine St.

This is about working smarter as a community, business owner Marvin Wanders said.

The software allows officers to view live feeds and stores surveillance footage so police can retrieve it immediately when necessary, Wanders said. In other cases, police must track down owners to review video, a time-consuming process.

Wanders plans to add additional cameras to the network and encourages other business and property owners to do the same.

If we can do anything as a community to make officers more efficient, it benefits all of us, he said. The safer community we have, the more value there is for everyone.
It was an image Dean Dickinson would never forget: a polio stricken young boy, his knees attached to roller skates, wheeling across the street to beg for money.

That distressing scene was one of many Dickinson encountered on a 2015 vaccination mission to India on behalf of Rotary International. The 43-year member of the Rotary Club of La Crosse tears up when he recalls both the devastation and joy he witnessed when his group drove into a village, armed with bottles of the polio vaccine.

"You could see people everywhere in India -- young men, young women who had fallen through the net. Moms and dads all over the world have the same hopes and dreams: a safe life for their children," Dickinson said. "The people held up signs for us and balloons -- the one hope that these people have is Rotary."

Rotary launched the PolioPlus mission 31 years ago, after approaching the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Unicef. With their help, along with the World Health Organization and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the organizations have reduced the number of people affected by 99.9 percent, an accomplishment they will celebrate today, the fourth annual World Polio Day, which includes an international broadcast from the CDC.

"There are thousands of Rotary Groups around the world working to improve quality of life," Dickinson said. "Rotary is ideal, it's transformational, it's the vehicle that allows us to do all this. Someone needs to be an advocate for kids -- kids are beautiful."

Since 1985, the global network of 1.2 million Rotary members has raised $1.2 billion for the cause and helped immunize 2.5 billion children in 122 countries. As of Oct. 12, only 30 people worldwide had been diagnosed with polio this year, a paralyzing disease that can be fatal.

"Imagine what we could put these resources toward if we didn't have to worry about polio," Dickinson said. "You put that drop of vaccine on a kid's tongue like you had when you were a kid, and you realized they'll never have to worry about themselves, their kids and their grandkids having it."

Dickinson remembers growing up when polio was a stateside concern and people were warned not to drink from public fountains or visit the movie theater.

"My parents sent me away to Augusta for the summer when I was 10, 11, 12, to keep me from contracting polio," Dickinson recalled. "I was acutely aware of the disease. My parents had a friend in an iron lung. A little girl in my church contracted it. It affected a lot of people."

Fellow La Crosse Rotarian Dirk Gasterland was diagnosed in 1951, at age 8, and recalls the grueling "treatment" process of having his legs wrapped in damp wool army blankets and then massaged to keep the muscles from atrophying.

"It was pretty debilitating -- my legs pretty much quit working. To this day I can't stand the smell of wet wool," Gasterland said. "I'm starting to have post-polio symptoms in my legs. What's ironic is that I got polio in 1951, and by 1953 they had a vaccine. I think it would be fantastic if we could get there, with no cases."

Dickinson recalls when the vaccine became available in La Crosse, and children walked to the fire station for a sugar cube infused with the formula. Today, the vaccination is administered from age infant to 5, with each dose costing a mere 60 cents.

"We're down to the last strain of polio," Dickinson said. "India has been free of new cases for four to five years now, but we need to keep up our vigilance."

Dickinson also participated in a vaccination trip to Nigeria in 2007, his first time out of the country, and was troubled by the lack of clean water and sanitation. The disease is most commonly transferred through human waste contamination.

"I was aware of the rich, middle class, the poor, even those in poverty, but I'd never witnessed people living in squalor," Dickinson said. "They have nothing, and we were there helping, but the people were so dedicated, finding others who didn't have the purple mark on their hand (indicating they had been vaccinated) and bringing them in. It was amazing."

Unicef, WHO and Rotary volunteers are stationed year-round in countries including Pakistan and Nigeria to administer vaccines, and, while the disease has no cure, the groups are close to eliminating polio worldwide, a feat that has only been achieved with small pox.

"I long for the day no kid ever has to worry about contracting polio," Dickinson said. "Imagine, we may be able to say next year that polio is eradicated."
MINNEAPOLIS  General Mills plus Girl Scouts equals Thin Mints cereal.

Thats right. The Minnesota-based food giant, known as the maker of Cheerios, is teaming up with the national nonprofit organization, known for the annual American tradition of cookie-selling, to make Girl Scouts Cookie-flavored cereals.

Shoppers will be able to buy the dessert-for-breakfast boxes in January, just in time to ruin New Years weight-loss goals, General Mills confirmed Monday.

The news was leaked early, so the company is not providing many details. The two flavors  Thin Mints and Caramel Crunch  will be available for limited time only.

According to the Girl Scouts website, Thin Mints is the organizations top-selling cookie, followed by Caramel deLites, also known as Samoas, which the Carmel Crunch cereal appears to emulate.

General Mills will release more information closer to launch.
APPLETON, Wis.  Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump is looming large in the fight for an open congressional seat in northeastern Wisconsin, eclipsing candidate resumes and policy discussions about Social Security, minimum wage and national security.

Republican Mike Gallagher, a former Marine with plenty of foreign policy expertise, is vying with Democrat Tom Nelson, the Outagamie County executive and a former Wisconsin legislator, to replace incumbent Republican Reid Ribble, who decided not to seek a fourth term in Washington.

The 8th Congressional District includes Appleton, Green Bay, Door County, the Menominee Indian reservation and rural swaths of Marinette, Oconto, Shawano and Waupaca counties. Its one of the few remaining swing districts in Wisconsin, moving back and forth between Republican and Democratic control over the last 20 years.

The GOP wants badly to hold onto the seat this cycle; the Republican National Congressional Committee PAC has spent nearly $1 million opposing Nelson so far, according to the Center for Responsive Politics.

Gallagher, of Green Bay, is a former Marine captain who deployed twice to Iraq. He holds a doctorate in international relations and served as national security adviser on Gov. Scott Walkers short-lived presidential campaign last year. His biggest issue is bolstering the U.S. military.

Nelson, of Appleton, served in the state Assembly in the mid-2000s, gaining fame first for mounting a one-man sit-in an empty Assembly chamber to protest a state budget stalemate and then rising to majority leader in 2008. He ran for lieutenant governor in 2010 and won election as county executive in 2011. He wants to raise taxes on the wealthy to preserve Social Security.

But the presidential race has become a major campaign issue, with Nelson working to tie Gallagher to Trump, particularly after video surfaced earlier this month of Trump using vulgar language to describe women and appearing to condone sexual assault.

Its a tactic that could resonate with voters.

I dont back Trump and therefore I dont back him, Janet Conrad, a 77-year-old retired insurance customer service representative from Appleton, said in explaining why she wont vote for Gallagher. (Trump) makes my blood curdle.

Nelson accused Gallagher in a debate last week of siding with Trump and again in a television ad launched Friday. Nelson said in a telephone interview that Gallagher has shown a complete lack of moral courage by not disavowing Trump.

This is a do-the-right-thing issue, Nelson said. We havent had a candidate for office that has said and done the things Donald Trump has said or done.

Gallagher said in a telephone interview that he cant defend Trumps remarks but that he will vote for him because he cant support Hillary Clinton. He stressed that Congress should act as a check on the president, regardless of whos in the Oval Office.

Im not running to serve the president or serve party leadership, Gallagher said. I dont think about it in terms of whats good politically.

Mark Schaeffer, 47, of Appleton, voted early for Gallagher and Trump. Schaeffer said he sees Trump as the lesser of two evils. Clinton simply isnt trustworthy, he said. He voted for Gallagher because he served in the Navy in the 1980s and he believes Gallagher will act with a firm hand when it comes to foreign policy.

The way the world is, with terrorism, we need a strong Congress, he said.

But Marge Woodfill, 67, of Appleton, who runs a small network marketing business, said she supports Nelson because Gallagher appears aligned with Trump.

Im very concerned about (Trumps) attitude toward women, Woodfill said. I dont think (Nelson) is particularly well-known. He seems honest to me. He seems forthright to me. Gallagher could be, too, but his connection to Trump taints him.
SEATTLE  Whats up with these creepy clowns?

Across the nation, and in the La Crosse area, people have been calling police to report being menaced by people in clown costumes. An expert in the field of group psychology at Washington State University says there are several factors that could play into the motives of the deviant jesters.

Among them are distress and anxiety, social contagion, a desire to be noticed and stand out and the well-established principle of de-individuation in which people who feel anonymous or disguised do things they ordinarily wouldnt do.

The spreading of unusual behaviors is more common at times when there is a lot of tension, conflict and anxiety, said Craig D. Parks, social psychologist and assistant vice provost at WSU.

You may have people who dont like the way the world is going, who feel that their economic situation is not improving or are very upset about the high-tension presidential race, Parks said. All things being equal, that could incline them toward deviant behaviors.

While law-enforcement authorities say that many of the reports have turned out to be hoaxes, The New York Times reported that a dozen people have been arrested.

In Kentucky, a man dressed as a clown was arrested after lurking in the woods. Children in Ohio and Texas have been charged with making clown-related threats to school classmates. A New York City teen told police a clown threatened him with a knife in the subway. In Wisconsin earlier this month, a couple was arrested after police discovered theyd left their 4-year-old child home alone while they went clowning.

Parks said the clown craze is interesting, and not particularly surprising, to social psychologists.

There are classic aspects to it that weve seen in the past, he said.

Among those aspects is the principle of de-individuation.

When people are taking part in a riot they may do things, such as set things on fire and tip cars, that they would otherwise think was wrong.

Another factor thats at play could be what Parks called social contagion. Although traditionally social contagion is more likely to spread among people who have frequent physical contact with each, the internet has altered that aspect of the phenomenon.

Social contagion is when somebody does something unusual, and it affects other people, said Parks.

People see it and say, Wow! Im going to do that, too, he said.

Copycat clowns are likely motivated by the idea of getting attention and making it into the news.

If you feel that people arent paying attention to you, and you want to stand out and you see that people are being written about for dressing like a clown and jumping out and scaring people, this may be a relatively safe way to get attention, Parks said.

Bill Indick, a visiting professor of psychology at The Evergreen State College in Olympia, Wash., who specializes in media psychology, agrees that attention-seeking behavior is one explanation.

But at its heart, he says, the clown craze is a media phenomenon.

Thats why it comes in waves, Indick said.

The media propagates it, creates it, feeds it and at a certain point, gets tired of it. The media then digests it and eliminates it. And just as quickly as it started, its over
A budget proposal aimed at keeping the Dane County Fair financially stable will help it complete its transformation to an event that reaches a broader, more urban audience, say fair and county leaders.

A provision in Dane County Executive Joe Parisis proposed 2017 budget that ends billing the fair $74,000 annually to hold the event at the county-owned Alliant Energy Center is enormous for us, said Darwin Lynde, the president of the Fair Board.

The big winners are the kids who learn where food comes from, how flowers grow and how rabbits are raised and cared for, he said. They learn vocational activities that (arent) in mainstream schooling anymore.

Parisis proposal to make the Alliant Energy Center rent-free for the fair must be approved by the Dane County Board. As of now, the Alliant Energy Centers rent charge for the fair is $190,000 annually and the county has been paying $116,000 of it, according to Alliant Energy Center executive director Mark Clarke.

It really takes the pressure off the fair so it can focus less on paying rent and more on promoting the fair and all it offers youth, Clarke said. He also said the Dane County Fair is one of the only fairs in the state that must pay rent.

In exchange for not having to pay rent, the fair board has already approved a plan that would give the county all profits beyond the $225,000 it needs annually to cover expenses, Lynde said. Most years we make a little more than we spend, he said.

But the fair failed to cover its expenses this year because attendance lagged after storms closed the event on three nights and a protest on John Nolen Drive that had nothing to do with the fair shut down most of the entrances to the Alliant Energy Center during part of one day, Lynde said.

That absolutely decimated the fair, he said.

The money the fair doesnt have to spend on rent will be used to promote the event or pay for an attraction or act that will pull in more people, Lynde said. He said the fair continues to be overlooked by many who still believe its strictly an agricultural event and dont understand that there were nearly 7,000 youth exhibits at this years fair showcasing achievements of children involved in organizations like 4-H and Future Farmers of America.

Its an urban fair, a suburban fair more than its an ag fair, he said. Kids in organizations like 4-H have interests way beyond ag and the number of entrants from Madison and neighboring cities continues to grow every year.

The first Dane County Fair was in 1851 at a site near the Yahara River in Madison, according to the fairs website. It moved to its present site in the late 1890s and was held there irregularly until 1940, when it moved to Stoughton. It returned to its present site in 1951.

The fair could move again, but Clarke said the Alliant Energy Center remains the best site for it. It still has 2,000 animals to take care of and you have to maintain the quality standards of the fair and make sure the exhibitors have what they need to put on a good show, he said.

The Alliant Energy Center is the best site for a county fair in the state by a large margin, according to a parent of three children who were or are part of the 4-H club in Cross Plains.

But its a mixed blessing because we have this great facility but its so hard to get people there to support it, said Jane Griswold of rural Black Earth. There are just so many other things going on. So it will be money well spent to reinforce a great, great event that is held there every year. The number of kids and families this represents will only grow if the opportunity is there for them.

Kids in organizations like 4-H have interests way beyond ag and the number of entrants from Madison and neighboring cities continues to grow every year. Darwin Lynde,

Fair Board president
Students of color at UW-Madison said the campus drinking culture diminishes their college experience and makes them avoid places where drunken students congregate, according to recently released survey results.

Just over 90 percent of participants in The Color of Drinking say UW-Madisons drinking culture is a negative thing, and 65 percent said it impacts their overall experience of college life, from academics to socializing and their perceptions of their own self-esteem and safety.

And 40 percent of participants said they avoid certain areas of campus to escape harassment by intoxicated students. Of those participants, nearly 53 percent said they avoid Langdon Street, UW-Madisons Greek row, while just over 32 percent said they avoid State Street, home to many bars frequented by students.

Survey participants said they avoid these areas because they dont want to get involved in an altercation with someone who is intoxicated, Reonda Washington, alcohol and drug prevention coordination for University Health Services, told members of Associated Students of Madison earlier this month.

For example, The Badger Herald reported, one survey respondent reported being harassed by white males who had passed out from drinking at her dormitory during the Mifflin Street Block Party. Watching her do her laundry, they made a comment that that was all I was good for, the student reported.

Another student said he was made to feel "less of a man" because he does not drink.

Sixty-two percent of survey participants reported microaggressions, or slights or brief expressions of hostility, while 48 percent said they experienced such casual insults from intoxicated students.

Washington told the Cap Times that she embarked on her research on the impact of college drinking culture on students of color after discovering there was little research on the topic available. Washington said she started with focus groups, but soon learned busy students preferred a survey.

UW-Madison is a primarily white institution, where 76 percent of a total 29,580 undergraduate students identified themselves as white only in 2015, according to Academic Planning and Institutional Research.

Washingtons 24-question survey was sent in March 2015 to 4,500 undergraduate students who did not identify as white only. The return rate was 10 percent.

Some of the findings were a little surprising as they amplified what officials have previously heard anecdotally, Washington said.

Its no secret that racial hostility and binge drinking are issues on the UW-Madison campus.

Campus officials last week released a report that found incidents of hate or bias on campus totaled 66 in the first six month of 2016, more than triple the number reported in fall 2015.

And UW-Madison was recently named the nations number one party school, a designation student government officials decried as offensive.

Previous surveys at UW-Madison have found that more students of color are nondrinkers than are white students, 64 percent compared to 34 percent. And fewer students of color  22 percent  engage in high-risk drinking, compared to 45 percent of white students.

The gap in drinking habits, and a desire to avoid antagonism from drunken white students. tends to isolate students of color, who report feeling pressured to drink, the survey suggested.

Many students felt that the campus motto was drink or get out, Washington told the Herald.

Students participating in the survey said academic settings were uncomfortable because professors or teachings assistants discussed drinking, and classes felt less competitive because of the campus alcohol culture.

Washington said she has presented the survey results at a national conference, and plans more research on drinking culture on campus.

Some recommendations of the current report are already underway, like inclusivity training for students, responsible drinking education, encouraging bystanders to intervene when they encounter incidents of bias, drunkenness or sexual assault.
Searchers find body of missing man in Mississippi near Winona

After more than a week of searching, Winona-area emergency responders Oct. 18 recovered the body of a man missing in Winona since Oct. 7.

Responders were working on a call they received at the command center staged near the Mississippi River in downtown Winona, which came in about 9:15 a.m. A resident near Homer had seen something in the river about 100 yards from their house.

About 10 a.m. the Wabasha County Dive Rescue, working in collaboration with the Winona County Dive Rescue and other agencies, recovered the body of Chukwudi Benjamin Onyeaghala.

His body will be taken to the Olmsted County Medical Center for an autopsy.

Crews with the Winona County Dive Rescue Team had been in the Mississippi dating back to late last week, after a tip from a nearby boat owner who reported that they may have seen shortly before his death.

Onyeaghala, 19, a second-year student at Winona State, disappeared the evening of Oct. 7, first from the view of friends, and then from the few security cameras that glimpsed him. The student had last been seen in the vicinity of Huff and Sarnia streets around midnight that Friday, though scattered reports had also placed him in the downtown area later that evening.

- Winona Daily News

Man accused of exposing himself to Buffalo County girl at store checkout

A man accused of exposing himself to a girl at a store in Mondovi, Wis., over four months ago has been bound over for trial in Buffalo County.

Judge James Duvall ruled there was probable cause to bring 37-year-old Charles M. Schrader of Arkansaw, Wis., to trial. An arraignment hearing was set for Dec. 21.

The charge filed against Schrader is a Class 1 felony, alleging that he exposed himself to a child for purposes of sexual arousal or gratification.

A 16-year-old girl employed at Express Video Store in Mondovi on May 29 told police she was clerking at a checkout counter when the afternoon incident happened.

Schrader was in the store on his birthday when he allegedly taunted the girl with crude sexual remarks while facing her with his pants down, exposing himself. The man took off after the girl said she was calling the police, according to police records.

Schrader became a suspect in the case more than two months later when the girl saw the man at a ballfield in Mondovi, shot a photo of him with her cellphone, and gave it to police.

An investigation report filed by the Mondovi Police Department said Schrader admitted under questioning that he exposed himself and said inappropriate things to the checkout girl.

- Winona Daily News

La Crosse man arrested after high-speed pursuit in locksmiths van

Criminal charges are pending against a La Crosse man who fled from authorities in a stolen car at high speeds from central La Crosse to eastern Monroe County.

Cameron Baker, 29, stole a work van from Bobs Lock and Safe, 926 La Crosse St., about 8:15 a.m., according to La Crosse police and the Wisconsin State Patrol.

Baker fled from police up to 60 mph on La Crosse Street to 24th Street, where he struck an unoccupied parked car. A shift commander stopped the pursuit.

Baker continued through Roellig Park and sped north on Hwy. 16 to Interstate 90 eastbound, according to police.

State troopers deployed spike strips at mile marker 10, and Baker speed east on the interstate up to 85 mph before stopping 27 miles later in the median after driving over a second set of spike strips. No one was injured.

Authorities stopped all lanes of travel while arresting Baker, who was wearing a leg cast.

Baker faces charges of operating a motor vehicle without the owners consent, fleeing police and hit-and-run of an unattended vehicle.

- La Crosse Tribune

Officer fatally shoots man in Fillmore County after domestic call

A Rochester officer fatally shot a man outside Lanesboro on Sunday during a tactical team response to a reported domestic assault.

The Fillmore County Sheriffs Office was called to a residence in Fillmore County on a report of a felony domestic assault, where the suspect had already fled the scene, said Fillmore County Sheriff Tom Kaase.

The man was later located at his residence, where he refused to cooperate with Fillmore County deputies. The Rochester/Olmsted Emergency Response Unit was requested to assist.

The request for assistance was made due to the suspects prior history and his reporting to have access to weapons, Kaase said in a statement.

During this incident, a Rochester Police Tactical Officer engaged an armed suspect, fired his weapon, and killed the suspect, Kaase said.

Following normal procedures, the Fillmore County Sheriffs Office has requested the Minnesota Bureau of Apprehension to conduct the investigation, which is ongoing Monday.

No additional information was immediately available.

- Winona Daily News


Scientists in Scotland are using modern technology to examine the bones of a large sea creature that lived 170 million years ago.

First found 50 years ago in Scotlands Isle of Skye, the bones of the sea monster were trapped in hard rock  until recently. Thanks to technology, scientists are finally able to separate the bones from the rock.

What they discovered was a reptile that lived in the oceans at the time of the dinosaurs. Until now, this creature was unknown to researchers.

Reptiles are cold-blooded animals. They produce eggs and have hard, flat scales covering the outside of the body. Examples of modern reptiles are snakes, turtles and alligators.

The scientists in Scotland are excited to see that the skeleton of the ancient reptile is almost complete.

Stephen Brusatte is a paleontologist with the University of Edinburgh. He studies fossilized bones of ancient animals and plants. Now he is studying the sea monsters fossils.

Theres over 100 bones there, so a whole bunch of the skeleton, and now we get to get down to the fun business of actually studying it, figuring out what it is.

This is what the scientists already know: the sea monster was more than 4 meters long. They say it was from a class of ancient sea creatures called ichthyosaurs.

Ichthyosaurs looked something like modern dolphins. They could swim fast. The ancient reptile fed on fish and other sea life with its hundreds of cone-shaped teeth.

The scientists hope that studying the bones will give them a better understanding about the reptiles ecosystem. The sea monster lived during Earths Middle Jurassic period. It lasted from about 160 million to 180 million years ago.

Only a few fossils have been discovered from that time, Brusatte explains, which makes this sea monster a great find.

Its one of the only good skeletons of one of these ocean reptiles from the middle part of the Jurassic Period. This was a time that was a really interesting moment in evolution. You had all kinds of new groups of dinosaurs and ocean reptiles getting their start, starting to spread around the world.

The sea monster, like other ichthyosaurs, died out 95 million years ago. That is about 30 million years before the dinosaurs disappeared from the planet.

Paleontologist Brusatte says changes in their watery environment means the monster did not die out suddenly, but slowly disappeared.

It looks like it was changes in the oceans, in the chemistry and in the ecology of the oceans, and so you had a long-term winnowing away of these ichthyosaurs as they became less and less common, less and less diverse, until they trickled away to extinction. And then that is when groups like sharks and, ultimately, whales and dolphins moved on in.

Sea monsters have been at the center of many stories people have told throughout history. In modern times, people tell the story of the Loch Ness Monster in Scotland. It is described as large in size, with a long neck and one or more humps rising out of the water. But no one has ever proved it really exists.

The sea monster being studied in Scotland does not come from someones imagination, but in fact, once lived in the water until it died and its bones became trapped in rock.

In the future, its skeleton will be made available for people to see.

Im Anne Ball.

This story was written by Deborah Block for VOA News. Anne Ball adapted it for Learning English. George Grow was the editor.

We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section and visit us on our Facebook page.

________________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

monster  n. a strange or horrible imaginary creature

paleontologist  n. a scientists who studies fossilized bones of ancient animals and plants

reptile  n. an animal that has cold blood, that lays eggs, and has a body covered with scales or hard parts

cone  n. a shape that is pointed on top and sides that form a circle at the bottom

ecosystem  n. everything that exists in an environment

winnow  v. to remove things that are less important form a larger group

trickle  v. to flow or fall in drops

hump  n. a rounded lump on the surface of something
Drone aircraft are now being used to transport blood, medicine and supplies in southern Africa.

Zipline International recently began flying its drones to remote medical centers across Rwanda.

The Rwandan government signed a deal to cooperate with the company Zipline. Zipline is based in the United States. The American shipping company United Parcel Service is providing money and operational support for the project.

Another partner is Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance. The organization, launched by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, provides vaccines to the worlds poorest countries.

Rwandan officials say that deliveries of blood and medicine by truck take at least four hours, even under the best conditions. With drones, the trip can be completed in as little as 15 minutes.

The World Health Organization (WHO) says Africa has the worlds highest rate of pregnancy deaths resulting from bleeding. This makes the availability of blood and transfusions very important for women across the continent, it says.

The process begins with a doctor requesting blood or medicine by telephone or a text message. Someone then puts the supplies into a special box, which is loaded onto a drone.

The drone is then launched and flies by itself to the medical center. The supplies are dropped from the air and float to the ground in a parachute.

Zipline says its drones can complete hundreds of deliveries per day.

Another American company has completed drone flights in Madagascar, along Africas eastern coast. The company, Vayu, is flying blood and laboratory materials from rural villages to a research station for testing.

The program receives financial support from Madagascars government and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The research station is a project of the U.S.-based Stony Brook University, in Stony Brook, New York.

University officials say the drones help doctors speed up the identification of disease in patients and make quick deliveries of vaccines.

Im Jonathan Evans.

Bryan Lynn wrote this story for VOA Learning English. Additional material came from a report by VOAs Edward Rwema and the Associated Press. George Grow was the editor.

We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments section, and visit our Facebook page.

________________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

drone  n. small flying machine flown remotely

remote  adj. far away

delivery  n. the act of taking something to a person or place

transfusion  n. the transferring of blood into another person
Immigration has been, and continues to be, a major issue in the United States.

Immigration has been angrily debated during the 2016 presidential election campaign. It also is important in many state and local election races, such as the 6th Congressional District of Colorado. There, 20 percent of registered voters are Latino.

VOA recently went to Denver, Colorados capital, to examine the effect of the Latino vote on the election.

Morgan Carroll is the Democratic candidate for Congress in the 6th district. Today she is visiting a place that helps people who are living in the United States without legal permission. Some activists call such persons illegal aliens. Others call them, undocumented immigrants.

Morgan Carroll: Hi Sara, Good to meet you. Good to meet you!

I think its a microcosm for the world and for our country.

Morgan Carroll: What youre showing is how strong the unmet need really is.

Morgan Carroll says voters tell her they oppose immigration laws that force some family members to leave the country, but let others stay.

I hope they realize their own strength and numbers and the power they have that this is the time to demand better policies and treatment for them, for their families.

The borders of the 6th Congressional District changed in 2011. The changes caused an increase in the number of Latino voters in the district.

Carrolls opponent, Republican Mike Coffman, currently represents the district in Congress. Many Republicans support strong immigration laws. But after the redistricting, Coffman reduced his support for such laws. And he has been using advertisements to reach out to Latino voters.

Commercial: Mike Coffman es uno de nosotros.

Coffman in commercial: Yo le hago frente)

Coffman has worked to learn Spanish. And he has strongly criticized his partys presidential candidate, Donald Trump.

The 6th congressional district race is one of the closest in the country.

But Latino voters are not only changing congressional races. Colorado is home to more than 500 thousand Latinos who can vote. They have changed the state from one that usually voted for Republicans into a swing or battleground state  one that either major party has a chance to win.

But Latinos will have power only if they vote. Activists say many Latinos register but do not take part in elections.

Dulce Saenz is a Latino community organizer.

Often times, when in other countries, youre not encouraged to vote, or elections arent free and fair. You know, you wonder why maybe other immigrants that become newly-registered or, or new citizens arent voting. I think there might be some of those tendencies from other countries.

Jenny Santos goes from home to home in a Denver neighborhood six days a week.

Jenny Santos: So we just wanted to make sure that youre going to turn out to vote for the Nov 8th election.

Santos says she tells people why they should vote.

Its important for them to turn out to vote -- every vote counts, and their vote matters. Sometimes its very, its, its disheartening to hear that folks feel that, the, our politicians arent listening, our government is not listening.

But she says politicians also need to appeal to Latino voters.

If campaigns dont target the Latino community to get them out to vote, then folks will not turn out to vote.

Carroll agrees.

They want to see that youre actually leading a fight to do something to help their families and that youre not just doing lip service in either English or Spanish.

Im Christopher Jones-Cruise.

VOAs Katherine Gypson reported this story from Denver, Colorado. Christopher Jones-Cruise adapted her report for Learning English. George Grow was the editor.

We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section, or visit our Facebook page.

________________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

microcosm - n. something (such as a place or an event) that is seen as a small version of something much larger

tendency - n. a way of behaving, proceeding, etc., that is developing and becoming more common

turn out - v. to appear

matter - v. to be important

dishearten - v. to cause (a person or group of people) to lose hope, enthusiasm or courage; to discourage (someone)

lip service - n. support for someone or something that is expressed in words but that is not shown in that person's actions
The Maria Hernandez story is an American story.

Hernandez born in Cuba, came to US in the 1960s

Recently honored by Lutheran Services for her work with refugees

Know an Everyday Hero? To nominate, email michael.hardin@charter.com

Born in Cuba, Hernandez came to the United States in the 1960s. As a young woman, she worked tirelessly as a volunteer and activist helping refugees during the Mariel Boatlift from Cuba in 1980.

Eventually joining Lutheran Services in Tampa, she has devoted her life to helping refugees.

When they arrive, we set them up in different apartments, and they get all their basic needs, Hernandez said. They have to go to Social Security to get a special security, the health department. They have to do all that before they can be employed.

After 35 years with Lutheran Services, Hernandez was recently recognized and honored for her remarkable contributions. That recognition included a message from President Barack Obama.

Its the way she does her work that is as inspiring as her longevity, said Stacy Martin, Lutheran Services Chief Communications and Development Officer.

Over those three and a half decades, Hernandez has made a friend or two.

Mabel Diaz was a frightened 10-year-old when she arrived from Cuba.

Hernandez was there to give her her first meal in America and had her to her home for her first Christmas. They have remained fast friends.

Shes wonderful. A very positive human being. Very good hearted, Diaz said. Shes actually one of those people who tell you keep going no matter how much times you get knocked down. Keep going. Its going to get better. God will be there for you.

And, no doubt, so will Hernandez.
Donald Trump will finish up a three-day swing through Florida with a rally in Sanford and then Tallahassee Tuesday.



Donald Trump coming to Sanford, Tallahassee Tuesday



Stops wrap up a 3-day campaign swing through Florida



FLORIDA DECIDES COVERAGE: Latest headlines | How to vote in Florida

Trump will host a rally at Million Air at Orlando Sanford International Airport at 3 p.m.

He then will host a rally at the Tallahassee Car Museum at 6 p.m.

Tickets for both events are available through the Trump campaign website.



On Monday Trump, took the stage at the MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheater in Tampa.

I love my second home," said Trump during the first few seconds of his talk. "I love Florida.

Throughout his 45 minute speech, Trump called for change and voter turnout from the large crowd.

"Real change begins by fixing our rigged and broken system," said Trump.

While there were some calls for unity, he also highlighted many of major complaints within this election, including his opponent Hillary Clinton, ObamaCare and the media.



"With the victory in November, everything will change," he promised.

He was in St. Augustine earlier in the day.

Trump and Hillary Clinton are in the Tampa area this week.

While Democratic challenger Clinton is in the state targeting undecided voters, Trump is in the area courting Hispanic voters.

Voters can expect to see a lot of both candidates during the last two weeks of the campaign.

Clinton will be at Curtis Hixon Park in Tampa on Wednesday.

With polls showing Trump's presidential bid slipping away, Florida becomes an even more important must-win state. Trump is launching a full-blown campaign push across the state.

I-4 corridor visits by presidential candidates

The presidential candidates have criss-crossed the state, appealing to voters. Find the I-4 corridor campaign stops below. The red buttons are for Donald Trump, blue buttons are for Hillary Clinton, green buttons are for Jill Stein and yellow buttons are for Gary Johnson.



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In Naples on Sunday, Trump spoke for 45 minutes about his campaign, the media and the system he says he is fighting against.

"If we win on Nov. 8, we are going to fix our rigged system," he told the Naples crowd. "It's a rigged, broken, corrupt system. It's rigged. It's broken. It's corrupt. They want me to take that back. Let me tell you, folks, it's a rigged system."

Join us for exclusive coverage of the general election throughout October and through the Nov. 8 election.

Here's your guide to our special coverage:
The Tampa Bay region will get a boost in its water supply from a $14 million project in Pasco County that leaders say will have a positive impact on the environment.

Pasco teamed with Southwest Florida Water Management District

Together they constructed 237 acres of wetlands

Scientists say project will improve environment, drinking water



4G Ranch sits in between two regional well fields that produce 30 million gallons a day of drinking water for Pasco, Pinellas and Hillsborough counties.

Thirty million gallons a day withdrawn from this area has a detrimental impact. It reduces the superficial water table in this area," said Jeff Harris, an environmental biologist for Pasco County Utilities. "That causes some environmental degradation to the wetlands and lakes and things of that nature that are drying up."

Recently, Pasco County partnered with Southwest Florida Water Management District to construct 237 acres of wetland. The property will have 15 ponds.

It's highly purified, it's highly cleansed at our water reclamation facilities. Then well pipe it here through extensive infrastructure, and then it will go to those 15 individually controlled wetland cells that will be planted with vegetation," Harris said.

Each cell will have varying amounts of water, from a couple of inches up to 12 feet. That water will help replenish the land and increase the supply of drinking water for the region.

That will benefit the environment for the flora and the fauna in bringing wildlife into these areas, and it also recharges the aquifer," said Brian Armstrong, the executive director of the water management district.

According to the engineering company CH2M, this project is the largest groundwater recharge wetland in the world. It also will have no negative impact to the existing natural wetlands.

The project is being funded by Pasco County and the water management district. It is expected to be completed around June 2017.
Day 3 at the Jio Mami 18th Mumbai Film Festival began with panicky a phone call from a friend at 7 am. She sounded worried and scared, as if warning me of a calamity that was about to happen. I asked what the matter was and I was told it was almost time to gear up and prepare to navigate through the Bermuda Triangle of the fest  that is, book the tickets for the next day. I then slowly wore a pair of headphones, played the Rocky theme, went for a run, did 400 push-ups, drank two gallons of energy drinks, twisted my body in impossible positions and meditated, prayed to all 30,000 Hindu gods and even the lone Muslim one as a backup, and finally opened my laptop and wore my Ray Bans. I clicked open Bookmyshow and heard the clock tick towards 8am. It was a tense moment.

The moment the booking opened, I banged on the keys like a Keyboard Ninja and procured tickets for every movie that I wanted to watch. As I walked away from the laptop in slow motion, a Michael Bay style explosion occurred behind me, doves flew away and I flicked the cigarette with my fingers, the sparks lighting the glint in my eyes and the victorious smile on my face.

With a fist pump and a swelled chest I hopped into an auto and headed to the Versova PVR to enjoy the blue moon twilight moment of my life where I managed to book four tickets in the same day. As soon as I reached the hall, I realised that in my celebration, I forgot to get my festival pass. As sad operatic music played in my head I asked the Bookmyshow folks if they could help me out in such trying times. One person understood my pain  she immediately went to speak to her superior about my ignominy but the superior was unwilling to offer me much sympathy. I realised that if you make such a stupid mistake as to misplace you festival pass, you will not get a copy of it at the venue.

Luckily, a good friend managed to pick up the pass from my home  after promising the friend that I would render the blood of my firstborn as thanks, I headed straight to the screening hall.

The first film I watched was Pablo Larrians Neruda, an absolutely terrific film that uses a fictionalised version of the story of Chiles most famous poet to make things entertaining. The film chronicles Nerudas (played by Luis Gnecco) life from 1948 where he was already a famous personality leading Chiles revolution, to being stripped off senator post, branded an outlaw on account of his communist ideals, and being on the run. What really works is how Larrain depicts Neruda struggling to live underground, away from the lascivious pleasures that he is used to enjoying, and the dynamics with his loving wife (Mercedes Moran) while being chased throughout the film by the imbecilic detective Oscar Peluchanneau (Gael Garcia Bernal). The film itself has an air of sarcastic fictional retelling of a more serious real life incident and seen through the eyes of both Neruda and Oscar, two men of differing political ideologies, were never really sure whose version was the actual truth. The funny thing is it doesnt matter because it still manages to entertain, even if you are not much aware of Chilean politics. With No, The Club, Neruda and the upcoming Jackie Larrain has fast become one of the most fascinating filmmakers of this decade.

Just when I thought I wouldnt possibly see a better film than Neruda the same day, the very next film My Life as a Zucchini surpassed all manners of expectations. An absolutely gorgeous French-Swiss stop motion animation, the film directed by Claude Barras chronicles a child whose mother dies and is sent to an orphanage where he meets other kids who have faced similar setbacks. Its hard to describe what is the best aspect of the film because it just excels at everything  from the eye popping visuals to the heartbreaking screenplay to the thought provoking music and the lovely voice work. Onions show up near your eyes through most of the film, and every ray of hope that arrives in the story feels like a much-needed warm moment amidst the heavy snow in the film. And despite having a relatively short runtime of a little more than an hour the film manages to offer commentary on a dozen aspects in life. Its not surprising that the film is Switzerlands entry to the Oscars and it would be even less surprising if it wins.

Serving as the final of the one two three punch for the day was Things to Come, the film that finally cements Mia Hansen Love as one of the best filmmakers working today. The story follows a middle-aged philosophy professor (Isabbelle Huppert) who is suddenly thrown into an introspective journey after her distant husband tells her that he is now seeing another woman. Delving effortlessly into philosophical banter backed up by stunning French countryside vistas, this is the kind of film that makes you yearn for a trip to the country and reassess your own life. Hansen Love, as she demonstrated so beautifully in her previous film Eden yet again succeeds in showcasing knots in life and how seemingly perfect relationships with the people you love can actually be far more difficult and jagged than you think. The film doesnt give you all the solutions to the conflicts it presents and connects to your own life, but with its optimistic outlook it sure gives you a reason to not be completely bogged down by them and move on. It maneuvers through tragedy without pessimism or melodrama, and thats a rare kind of filmmaking.
New Delhi: The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) are all set to get powers to impose fines on violators, with the government preparing to amend the legislation in this regard.

The move would give more teeth and leeway to the aviation regulator and aviation security agency BCAS in dealing with instances of violations amid the domestic sector witnessing over 20 per cent sustained growth in passenger traffic.

For providing penal powers to DGCA and BCAS, the government plans to amend the Aircraft Act, 1934 and it is likely to be taken up during the winter session of Parliament starting next month.

"Today, there is no provision for levying penalties. That enablement should happen," Civil Aviation Secretary R N Choubey said.

Currently, there are stringent provisions in place for DGCA to deal with violations at various levels, including those related to airlines, pilots, crew members and other entities.

The watchdog can debar, suspend and even cancel the permission to fly for the carriers as well as individual pilots and engineers but cannot impose any monetary penalty.

"Today, if there is any irregularity then the licence has to be suspended of the entire airline for a certain time. That is the extreme punishment. There is no provision for anything in between."

"We are saying that unless something is very severe, there should be some provision for levying fine," Mr Choubey said.

The powers of BCAS - which primarily has the mandate to ensure security at airports - would also be strengthened with new provisions.

The Civil Aviation Ministry has already floated the draft amendments to Aircraft Act.

When asked whether the ministry would be pushing the amendments in the upcoming Parliament session, Mr Choubey replied in the affirmative.

"Yes, it will come in the next session of Parliament," he said, adding that similar provisions for penalties are there in other countries.

In the draft Aircraft (Amendment) Bill, 2016, the ministry has also proposed various other changes such as increasing the quantum of fine that can be imposed under this law to up to Rs 1 crore from existing level of Rs 10 lakh.

Among others, a new sub-section is proposed to be included stating that DGCA or any other officers specially empowered by the central government will perform the safety oversight functions in respect of matters specified in the Act.
In a major shakeup at one of the country's biggest private sector conglomerate, Tata Sons board today asked Cyrus Mistry to step down as chairman of Tata Sons, and instead re-inducted former chief Ratan Tata as interim chairman.

"Tata group has taken a very tough decision..may be Cyrus Mistry's way of functioning did not gel with the group's overall decision makers. Cyrus had taken some tough decision in the past like hiving of some non-profitable businesses and setting goal towards making the group a more profitable venture," said A K Prabhakar, head of research, IDBI Capital Market.

Also, the group in the past was known for creating huge employment in the country, but Mistry seemed to have focussed more on returning to profitability mode, and in the process slashed jobs in various of their group companies. Slashing of jobs at Tata group firms was unheard of in the past. We think names like Noel Tata would once again emerge as top contender for Tata chairman's post," said Prabhakar.

Even as Cyrus Mistry relinquishes his position as the chairman of Tata Sons, here is an interesting facts about how Tata group's listed shares performed in last three years since Mistry took over the reins in late December 2012.

Shares of Tata Metaliks vaulted 587 percent since 1 January 2013 till date, while the company's market cap accelerated by a whopping 932 percent to Rs 1,090 crore.

Similarly, Tata Elxsi share zoomed 477 percent to Rs 1,342.65 from Rs 232.55 with market cap surging 3,457 percent during the period.

Further, shares of Voltas, Tata Communications, Tata Sponge Iron, Indian Hotels and Tata Motors (shares with differential voting rights) rocketed over 100-269 percent during the period under review.

Despite the broad-based rally in last three years, shares of Tata Steel, Tata Coffee, Tayo Rolls, Tata Power and Tata Teleservices (Maharashtra) bucked the trend as investors turned cautious on these counters. These stocks lost 3-47 percent during the period, as some of the companies consistently delivered losses in their earnings.

Data contributed by Kishor Kadam
Cyrus Mistry was shown the door at Tata Sons on Monday, after about four years at the helm as the chairman. A company spokesperson merely said this decision was in the long term interest of all shareholders, maintaining a deafening silence over the actual reasons for Mistrys sudden and unceremonious exit. There was no mention of Mistrys contribution to Tata Sons growth during his stint, not even the customary wishes about any future endeavour he may undertake. Ratan Tata, who had passed the baton to Mistry in 2012, has been brought back as the interim Chairman, till a successor is anointed. Remember, Tata Trusts still hold a majority in Tata Sons; Tata Sons is the holding company of the Tata group. So Ratan Tata, who is the Chairman of Tata Trusts, retains a clear say in appointing the chairman. It is clear from the terse statement sent out by Tata Sons that Mistrys exit has been less than harmonious and it wont be a surprise if the Mistrys do not take this ignominy lying down.

In an e-mail to employees after the board meeting, Ratan Tata said he had agreed to become the interim chairman in the interest of stability and to reassure the group. The board of directors of Tata Sons has, in its meeting today, replaced Cyrus Mistry as Chairman with immediate effect. A new management structure being put in place, a selection committee has been constituted to identify the next chairman and this committee has been mandated to complete the process in four months. In the interim, the board requested me to perform the role of chairman and I have agreed to do so in the interest of stability and reassurance to the Tata group, the e-mail said.

The search committee which will look for the next chairman comprises Ratan Tata himself besides Venu Srinivasan, Amit Chandra, Ronen Sen and Kumar Bhattacharyya. A news report said the Shapoorji Pallonji group, which holds about 18% stake in Tata Sons, has already termed Cyrus Mistrys removal from Tata Sons as illegal and threatened to contest the decision.

Anyway, India Inc was shocked with Mistrys sudden exit after a Tata Sons board meet earlier in the day. But Tata group insiders believe Mistrys sacking was imminent and could well be due to some recent fiascos under his stewardship. A Tata Group veteran wondered if the sudden sacking  Mistrys contract reportedly specifies that he be given 15 days time to quit  could lead to a court case.

A clash of ideologies seems to be the primary reason for deep unhappiness within the Tata group over Mistrys style of functioning. It seems the Group Executive Council (GEC), which Mistry formed after taking over the reins from Ratan Tata in 2012, had been under constant fire from Ratan Tata himself over the last few months. The GEC took the most critical decisions for the group. To put it simply, the GEC was witnessing a severe clash between the working styles of the old and the new generation. Many recent decisions taken were questionable, said a group veteran. The GEC comprised Tata Group veterans Mukund Rajan and Harish Bhat besides N S Rajan, Nirmalya Kumar and Madhu Kannan. It was chaired by Mistry and will now be disbanded.

A Tata group veteran said Ratan Tata was unhappy over the way the NTT DoCoMo issue was handled. He also made a mention of some other fiascos such as the acquisition of the assets of Welspun Group by Tata Power earlier this year. Many Tata group insiders believed this acquisition was foolhardy in valuation terms.

In the case of NTT DoCoMo, the entire affair has indeed been a messy one. In June this year, the London Court of International Arbitration ordered Tata Sons to pay a whopping $1.17 billion in damages to NTT DoCoMo for breaching an agreement related to their telecom joint venture firm Tata Teleservices Ltd (TTSL). The dispute dates back to January 2015, when NTT DoCoMo filed an arbitration stating that the Tatas failed to find a buyer, as stated in the shareholders agreement, for its stake in TTSL. The case is currently being heard by the Delhi High Court and courts in the US and the UK. As per this story, NTT DoCoMo has now sought the transfer of assets worth $1.17 billion from Tata Group. This, when the Tatas have already deposited this amount with the Delhi HC and are losing Rs 2 crore as interest daily.

This story speaks of why Mistrys affection for the groups cash cows could also have been his undoing. Mistrys decision to sell off the groups loss making steel unit in UK, which put thousands of jobs at stake, also did not go down well.

In an interview, Mistry gave to the groups internal website just last month, he had emphasized on profitable growth in reply to a question on the groups growth strategy for the next decade. Our investment over the last three years alone has been in excess of Rs 170,000 crore ($28 billion). We recognize that growth has to be a function of the operating cash flows we generate. At the group level, over the last three years, our operating cash flows have grown by over 30 percent CAGR. Mistry went on to say that this, though, was not the appropriate way to use such data. Our individual companies need to earn the right to grow. At the group level, we are focused on helping our companies earn this right by building strong operational cash flows and looking at their capital structures.

The sacking of Cyrus Mistry is by no means a first-of-its kind event in the Tata Group. Old timers may remember how Ratan Tata got rid of Russi Mody and other satraps, restructured the group by taking some very bold decisions early on in his career. This piece speaks of how Russi Mody steered Tata Steel (TISCO as it was known then) to impressive growth and, like several other Tata group chief executives, became very powerful. In the early 1990s, when Ratan Tata was anointed group patriarch JRD Tatas successor, things came to a head. After a public fracas that was uncharacteristic for the Tata group, Mody was sacked in 1993. His exit was also marked by an equally public wrangling for a severance package that many believed was lavish.

With Mistrys unceremonious sacking, the steel in Ratan Tata is on display. Is this the beginning of Ratan Tata 2.0? An opinion piece in the Livemint points out that in its 148-year history, the Tata group has experimented with different chairmen for Tata Sons and Tata Trusts only once beforewhen JRD Tata headed the trusts and Ratan Tata headed Tata Sons. But that was for a only short time before JRDs death and, in any case, involved two Tatas. The failure of the move to appoint an outsider to head Tata Sons while Ratan Tata retained his hold over the trusts could also mean that the next chairman may well be from the larger Tata family. Ratan Tata himelf?
Hyderabad: The country's economy will grow 8 percent this fiscal while agricultural growth is expected to be over 4 percent, Union Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal said on Sunday.

"In Asia, China was growing at 8 percent for the past 20 years. Now we have seen some decline. India is growing at 7 percent... This year we are hoping that our agricultural growth will be reaching more than 4 percent," the Minister of State for Finance and Corporate Affairs said.

"Since 1952, we are fixing a target of our agricultural growth at 4 percent. First time, this year in the history of India we will achieve 4 percent in agricultural growth. That will be an achievement. Our economy will definitely reach 8 percent," Meghawal said in his address at the ICAI International Conference 'Jnana Yagna' here.

Interacting with the delegates, the Minister said the ICAI members should be able to convert threats into opportunities. He also said the Narendra Modi-led NDA government will not tolerate corruption at any level.

"There is no corruption in all the 72 departments (and) ministries in the centre due to the call given by Prime Minister Narendra Modi that he would not allow corruption. We want to destroy that particular system (related to corruption). So, we need your (chartered accountants) help as a technical person," he said.

The Minister said the 21st century would belong to India led by its knowledge.
When the recession hit the job market in the country in 2000, two gung-ho youngsters -- then 22-year-old Aniketh Jain and 21-year-old Ashish Agarwal, decided to combine their interests and experience in technology and start-up rather than scour the market and wait to be called for an interview.

College mates and colleagues at Sri Bhagawan Mahaveer Jain College of Engineering, Bengaluru where they had together executed a software program, the duo were comfortable with each others strengths.

Borrowing Rs 4 lakh each from their parents, they set up Solutions Infini, a Bengaluru-based enterprise communication and cloud telephony services in 2009. The company zoomed up the graph in the first year itself when its revenues touched around Rs 75 lakh.

The Bengaluru-headquartered company, which started off with just the founders, has currently over 120 employees, a network of 7 offices, over 5,000 customers and has an annual revenue run rate of $25 million with CAGR of over 80 percent. It is also, according to Jain, the only player in the Indian market to provide integrated communications solutions via notifications, voice and email, enabled by its cloud-based technology platform.

The company's success graph piqued interest in Italys Ubiquity  a global messaging platform company, which acquired a majority stake in Solutions Infini last week.

The investment is part of Ubiquitys drive to build and diversify its revenues and expand its international presence beyond Europe, particularly in the emerging markets, whilst also providing Solutions Infini with a global platform to scale up in other international markets.

This strategic acquisition will broaden Ubiquitys offerings and business solutions, including the addition of an innovative voice services platform by expanding its range of services to the enterprise and developer segments, Jain said.

The deal, which is subject to regulatory approvals, is expected to close in early 2017, following which Solutions Infini will become a subsidiary of Ubiquity. The startups business operations will continue to be led by its two main founders, Jain and Agarwal. The duo will also assume larger global roles at Ubiquity.

Jain says that the combination of the two companies will create a global group with offices in 10 locations across Europe, India and the Middle East, with a collective turnover of over $65 million and 180 employees. Ubiquity officials expect this partnership to help generate combined business revenues of over $200 million by 2020.

Solutions Infini closed 2015 with revenues of around $16 million and hopes to close this fiscal at $25 million.

Of his interest in Infini Solutions, Dario Calogero, founder and CEO of Ubiquity said, The mobile services industry is growing rapidly in many parts of the world. Increasingly, corporate decisions about professional mobile communications are based on the capability to reach and connect with customer bases across the world through simple and fast technologies. We recognize that network scale, technology, marketing expertise and customer loyalty are keys to a new generation of mobile and location-based digital marketing services. Therefore, we believe Solutions Infini will be an excellent addition to our existing businesses, thanks to its state-of-the-art cloud platform, outstanding management team, and its large customer and partner base.

Solutions Infini enables enterprises across industries to engage with their customers using mobile messaging, voice communication and e-mail. With a customer base spread across Asia, the company today boasts of a list of more than 5,000 clients which include e-commerce, banks and financial services.

Jain (29 years old), co-founder and CEO says, "Solutions Infini has an eight-year history of constant success and impressive growth. We have built modern scalable, integrated technology to enable our enterprise customers to have superior customer engagement using mobile communication. Joining Ubiquity will help us accelerate our expansion into new, international markets and also allow us to drive greater value to consumers and help them grow their businesses".

Agarwal (28 years old) said, Solutions Infini, which planned to go global early on, has an office in Dubai. With the company now becoming a subsidiary of Ubiquity, Infini Solutions nurtures ambitious plans and a global role. We will be taking up a global role and come out with a collaborative product. We will continue to function the way we are, but come out with new products that will be enterprise-focussed which will draw customers to it. Right now we are trying to create a communication platform and single API access which is focused on developers. It is a broad plan and will take six months time, he said.
Yoga guru Baba Ramdev, whose Patanjali group has made a big splash in the FMCG space over the last couple of years, is now preparing ground to challenge the country's well-established players in the fast-growing textile sector.

Planning to enter the sector in a big way next year, the yoga guru said that the group will make everything from coats to langot (undergarments) under the textile head.

Next year we will be making foray into textiles on a big scale. People are only talking about jeans, but we plan to make the complete range, including kurta pajama, saree, coat and langot, Baba Ramdev was quoted as saying in Hindustan Times. He was was speaking at the inaugural session of global investors meet in Indore on Saturday.

Talking at the Global Investors' Summit, Ramdev said, "Our growth rate is 100 percent in the current fiscal, which is going to climb to 200 percent in the next financial year."

Last month the company had announced that it would come out with its label of Swadeshi jeans. It seems the company wants to cash in on the fast-growing Patanjali brand, which has already become an instant hit with the masses following the launch of its large variety of swadeshi products in the FMCG space from toothpaste to biscuits to detergents, among others.

Swadeshi jeans will be launched by the end of the year or early next year. There was a great demand from the youth and, therefore, Patanjali decided to launch Indianised jeans to compete with foreign brands, the HT report said quoting Ramdev.

As far as the proposed launch of swadeshi jeans is concerned, experts feel that it would be interesting to see how the final product will look like.

In India, the denim jeans market is dominated by several international brands such as Diesel, Clevin Klein, GAP, Levis, Pepe, Lee, Wrangler, Flying Machine, according to Teknopak Advisors.

The denim market in India was estimated to be worth Rs 17,661 crores in 2015, while local jeans brands contribute to approximately 25 percent of the overall brand landscape, according to Teknopak Advisors.

As Firstpost reported last month, people were eager to know what would come out as jeans from the Patanjali stable, but none were excited about the announcement.

The domestic textile space has the country's biggest names dominating the landscape such as Arvind, Aditya Birla Group's Madura Fashion and Lifestyle, with brands like Louis Philippe, Van Heusen and Peter England. These brands already have a huge customer recall for their products. Hence, it could be interesting to see whether Patanjali can make a name for itself in the textile sector next year.

Patanjali already deals in packaged food products, grocery, hair and skin-care products. Sales of these products have grown more than 10 times since 2011-12 to Rs 5,000 crore in revenues last year, which is more than the revenues of consumer product majors such as Emami, Dabur and Marico.

Ramdev said Patanjali group wants to throw up Rs 10,000 crore income avenues to farmers in farming, milk production and other sectors in the next 2-3 years.

India has all potential to become a big global manufacturing centre. We import Rs 24-25 lakh crore goods that includes four lakh crore Chinese products. If we take a vow, we can turn India into a global manufacturing centre, said Ramdev.
On Monday evening after replacing Cyrus P Mistry as chairman of Tata Sons, interim chairman Ratan Tata wrote a letter to his employees informing them about the ouster and ensuring them that it is "in the interest of the stability of" the company.

Taking control of the $100 billion coffee-to-steel business empire, Tata informed his employees that a new management structure is being put into place and a selection committee is being constituted to find the next chairman. Tata has four months to do so, according to his letter.

The selection panel will constitute Ratan Tata, Ronen Sen, Venu Srinivasan, Amit Chandra.

The company statement released earlier on Monday announced the board's decision to replace Mistry. It said, "Tata Sons today announced that its Board has replaced Mr Cyrus P Mistry as Chairman of Tata Sons. The decision was taken at a board meeting held here today."

According to CNBC TV18, Tata Sons board took decision to replace Mistry based on recommendations of principal shareholders. However, there will be no change in the CEOs positions at operating level in the group.

Mistry was earlier managing director of the Shapoorji Pallonji Group. Under his leadership, Shapoorji Pallonjis construction business grew into a billion-dollar enterprise, evolving from pure-play construction to execution of complex projects in the marine, oil and gas, and rail sectors, across a number of international geographies.

Mistry graduated with a degree in civil engineering from Imperial College, London, UK, in 1990. In 1997, he received an MSc in management from the London Business School. He is a recipient of the Alumni Achievement Award from the London Business School, and is a fellow of the Institution of Civil Engineers, London.

Read Ratan Tata's full letter:
US-based taxi-hailing app Uber Technologies, seeking to emerge a leader in the country's transport segment, continues to face regulatory hurdles from the state governments.

Even as the company has been fast expanding in to major Indian cities to offer taxi services to customers, state governments are bringing in stringent rules to keep these taxi aggregators under check.

This time Uber has objected to the Maharashtra government's proposed rules on regulating taxi-hailing companies.

Not just Uber, its nearest rival Ola, too, has been facing challenges on regulatory front in its key markets like Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru.

According to Uber, the new proposed draft rules by the Maharashtra government could harm its business interest, if accepted.

"Some of the proposed rules, if adopted, would mean an end to the Uber that Mumbaikars know and love today," The Economic Times reported quoting an Uber representative. The company has written a letter to chief minister Devendra Fadnavis raising its concerns, the report said.

The proposed rules want engine capacity of over 1400 cc for half of Uber's fleet of cars, besides increasing the price tags for permits to up to Rs 2.61 lakh. The rules also require Uber to deposit Rs 50 lakh per 1,000 vehicles, which the company thinks would make its business proposition unviable, the ET report said.

"The licensing authority shall prescribe the minimum and maximum limit for rates of fare, with respect to vehicles operating under permits granted under these rules, which will be decided as per type of vehicle, provided that no such limits may be prescribed for vehicles with engine capacity of 2,000cc or more, a report in the Mint said stating the state government's rules.

Uber is already fighting a battle with the Karnataka government over the Karnataka On-demand Transportation Technology Aggregators Rules 2016, notified on 2 April.

In fact, the $69 billion San Francisco-based startup had termed the Karnataka government's new regulations as "regressive" and "practically impossible to comply".

"(Uber) would be grateful if you can kindly direct the authorities concerned to look into our submissions on mandatory clauses, which are not only regressive, but also practically impossible to comply with," Uber had argued then.

Under the new rules, Karnataka mandated ride-hailing start-ups to provide digital printers, install panic buttons and have taxi signage on their vehicles.

Not just in India, Uber had earlier run-ins with regulators across the world like France and the US as it competes with local taxi operators.

After giving up on China a few months bank, Uber has been desperate to latch on to a big market like India.

In China, Uber couldn't stand up to the growing onslaught from the deep-pocketed Didi, prompting the former to eventually merge its business in the Dragon nation.

A recent Bloomberg report citing Uber said, "India will be crucial in terms of both demonstrating success in large international markets and long-term growth potential".

Valued at $5 billion, Ola claims it has 1 million rides a day on average and enjoys a market share of 70 percent of the country's cab app market.

As opposed to this, Uber says it has presence in 28 cities. It claims to have handled 5.5 million rides per week in August, the Bloomberg report said.

While Ola has raised $1.2 billion in funding from investors, Uber has indicated said it would utilise a big portion of the $10 billion it raised from Didi in China for expansion in the Indian market.

Clearly, despite the rising regulatory issues, the taxi hailing companies are no mood wind down their expansion plans.
Beijing: China on Monday slammed the US after its envoy visiting Arunachal Pradesh, warning it not to meddle in the border dispute between New Delhi and Beijing.

After the US ambassador to India Richard Verma went to Tawang in Arunachal which abuts Chinese border, Beijing said such acts will make the dispute more "complicated" between the two countries and "sabotage" peace in the region.

"You have also noted that the place visited by the senior diplomatic official is disputed region between China and India. We are firmly opposed to the visit to the disputed area between India and China," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lu Kang said at a regular media briefing.

China claims a huge chunk of India's northeast state Arunachal Pradesh, which it calls as South Tibet. Verma visited Tawang to attend a festival.

"It will only make the dispute more complicated, disturb peace and tranquillity of border areas and sabotage the peaceful development of the region," Lu said.

"We urge the US to stop interference in boundary issue between China and India and make more commitment to regional peace and stability."

Lu said the boundary issue between India and China was complex and sensitive and interference by a third party would heighten tension.

Lu maintained that China's position on the eastern sector was "clear and consistent".

"Two countries are now trying to resolve territorial disputes through negotiations and consultation. Any third party should have sense of responsibility and should respect efforts made by China and India for peace reconciliation and tranquillity rather than opposite.

"Behaviour of the US runs contrast to efforts by China and India," Lu said.

"At the end of the day, only the peoples of the two countries will fall victim. We believe India and China have the wisdom to properly handle the dispute," he added.
Bhubaneswar: Fishermen were on Sunday asked by the IMD to be cautions while venturing into sea along the Odisha coast in view of a deep depression over the Bay of Bengal, with the system likely to intensify into a cyclonic storm.

A depression over east-central Bay of Bengal moved east-north-eastwards, intensified into a deep depression on Thursday and lay centered over east-central Bay of Bengal, about 950 km east-southeast of Gopalpur, the MeT Department in Bhubaneswar said.

The system is most likely to intensify into a cyclonic storm in 24 hours and move north-eastwards to reach close to north Myanmar coast shortly.

Thereafter, it will recurve initially north-northwestwards skirting Myanmar coast and then north-westwards towards the of north-west Bay of Bengal, it said. While sporadic rainfall may occur in 11 districts in the central and north Odisha on 26 and 27 October, weather elsewhere in the state would be generally dry during the next 24 hours, but the sky would be cloudy, Director of the Meteorological Centre here, Sarat Chandra Sahu said.

However, Distant Cautionary Signal Number One (DC-I) has been hoisted at all ports in Odisha and fishermen are advised to be cautious while venturing into interior and distant sea along Odisha coast during the period.
Speaking at a recent Police Commemoration Day function, Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Mehbooba Mufti urged the police to try to bring youths who have fled their homes to join militancy back to the mainstream. "I request the police to try to bring them back to their homes. Instead of being killed in encounters, if it is possible to bring them back, make them a part of the mainstream, give them bats, balls and good education, instead of guns," she said. According to her, those who have taken up arms are local boys: Didnt she miss the foreign terrorists? She stressed that ending militancy and restoring peace were a prerequisite for repealing the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (Afspa) and to seek the starting of the dialogue process in the state. She said that "black laws" like Afspa would be repealed from the state when the situation improves.

Mehbooba makes it sound so very easy.

All the police needs to do is try and flick the switch that will bring the wayward youths back to the mainstream. So it is the job of the police to do so and then the state authorities can repeal the black laws (read Afspa) and everything will be hunky dory once again. Of course the gullible public will not know that removing Afspa is very much in her power; all she needs to do is to have the Jammu and Kashmir Disturbed Area Act removed and the army will happily go back to its primary task of defending the borders with Afspa automatically being removed. The catch, of course, is that should she have the Disturbed Area Act removed without creating conditions to do so (bring normalcy back), she and her government  largely ineffective anyway  will be at the mercy of terrorists. Not that she doesnt know that neither did the army draft or ask for Afspa, nor does the army enjoy deployments in the hinterland against its own public. And yet, Afspa is essential if the army is to control violence in a better manner than police forces.

Militancy is generally associated with politico-socio-economic problems but in the case of Jammu and Kashmir, the Pakistan factor (now fully backed by China) outweighs other factors. Adoption of the Wahhabi-Salafi culture in Pakistan has been institutionalised in Pakistan over the past several years. Pervez Hoodbhoy, nuclear physicist at Quaid-e-Azam University, Islamabad wrote in 2008, The promotion of militarism in Pakistans schools, colleges and universities has had a profound effect on young people. Militant jihad has become a part of the culture in college and university campuses, with armed groups inviting students for jihad in Kashmir and Afghanistan.

It is this same Wahhabi-Salafi culture that Pakistan has been able to induce in the Kashmir Valley, gradually but consistently, using clerics and Hurriyat separatist leaders  whose presence is infiltrated by trained terrorists, arms, narcotics and money. The insistence of our intelligence agencies that Hurriyat separatists are irrelevant has helped Pakistans Inter-Services Intelligence. It is an open secret that militants in Jammu and Kashmir are being financed by China, and the Chinese have established huge control over Kashmiri separatist leaders. The recent discovery of Chinese flags from terrorist hideouts in Baramulla provides further evidence of Chinas nefarious designs.

Mufti is out of sync saying those that have taken up arms are local youths.

What about the hundreds of foreign terrorists that have been killed over the years?

What about the anti-India venom being broadcast from loudspeakers atop mosques?

Is it the voice of some rabid mullahs or is it others who hold the clerics hostage?

What about the daily separatist diktat in the vernacular dailies?

Are all these again supposed to be righted by the same switch the police is required to flick?

What about subversion of some members of the police force?

How do the conditions compare with that of early 1990s when Pakistan had the upper hand when it came to Jammu and Kashmir militancy?

In his autobiography Gorkha Hat and Maroon Beret, Lietenant-General Chandra Shekhar (former Vice-Chief of Army Staff) describes the period of the early 1990s when Pakistani, Afghan and Arab terrorists were fighting in Jammu and Kashmir, parts of the state police were subverted, one battalion of the armed police had to be disarmed, and in one instance, the state's home secretary Habib Rehman and then director-general of police BS Bedi were taken hostage in the police control room. The army had to deploy infantry combat vehicles (ICVs) to secure their release, fortunately without firing a shot. In the present situation, werent many police stations attacked, abandoned and arms looted?

What exactly is the Jammu and Kashmir government doing to stem the replacement of the Sufi culture by hardliner Wahhabi-Salafi preaching? This is not the job of security forces even if they can assist in information warfare. Speaking about Pakistani designs in Afghanistan, a Pakistani military scholar describes the Pakistan-sponsored Taliban that regards regard all Shias, Ismailis, non-Pashtuns, moderate Pashtuns as infidels who deserve to be massacred. Pakistan will plan similarly for Jammu and Kashmir using Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Mohammad, Hizbul Mujahideen etc.

The state governments attitude of just sitting back and letting security forces keep levels of violence down amounts to a sure recipe for disaster. De-radicalisation is no joke. It has to be a well thought-out strategy and in Jammu and Kashmir, must include the hardliner Wahhabi-Salafi preachers and clerics that may need to be tackled through multiple methods. As for the youths, just saying they should return to play with bats and balls is hardly enough.

De-radicalisation must be a strategy that is employed on a continuous basis at the personal level, aided by modern technology as applicable. De-radicalisation programs must have a separate focus for select communities, regions, teachers, youths, children, mothers, apprehended terrorists along with the population at large that could support terrorists. The discourse of Muslim leaders should be part of the de-radicalisation programs. The education system must be integrated into the national mainstream. Ethics and true nationalism should form part of the education system. The introduction of the National Cadet Corps in most schools and colleges will be fruitful. Communities must be kept informed and empowered to challenge radical ideology. Psychological operations should include exposing terrorist abuses, conditions in PoK vis-a-vis Jammu and Kashmir, and that Pakistan as the epicentre of terrorism has brought ridicule to Muslims and Islam globally. Alternatives to expend youth energies and employment opportunities must be part of the program. Finally, the de-radicalisation programs must be periodically reviewed in relation to the ongoing radicalisation, to ensure it is effective and course-corrections are made, where required.

Civil society can contribute greatly in preventing and countering terrorism rather than encourage terrorism especially since it gives voice to the marginalized and vulnerable people and victims of terrorism, generating awareness and providing constructive outlet for redress of grievances. Non-traditional actors like NGOs, foundations, charities, public-private partnerships and private businesses are capable and credible partners in local communities. Despite Pakistan-sponsored propaganda, the public needs to be sensitised that our army respects human rights far more than Pakistan where aerial bombings and artillery barrages are used periodically with scant regard to collateral damage.

Finally, the adoption of a proactive approach in countering proxy wars is imperative for establishing an effective deterrence, and for controlling enemy faultlines instead of the enemy controlling ours. This should include a dynamic information warfare strategy. The situation in Jammu and Kashmir sure needs a national response but the state government has a major role to play in this and cant simply depend on security forces for the return of normalcy.

The author is a veteran Lieutenant-General of the Indian Army
Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi visited India before the G-20 summit and said that it was upto India to decide what position it wished to take vis-a-vis the issue of the South China Sea.

Wangs visit could be seen as a subtle warning to India before the crucial G-20 summit. The need to warn India may have risen considering the gradually toughening stand of the country on the South China Sea ruling and Beijings suspicious activities in the region, which have had an impact on New Delhis key partners.

As Beijing defies norms and moves ships in the disputed region, Japan is looking at India as an indispensable partner in preventing China from altering the maritime status quo in South China Sea. A Times of India report quotes deputy director of Japan's foreign ministry's regional policy division which handles South China Sea Yuki Tamura as saying, We are encouraging India to speak up on issues related to South China Sea because maritime security is important.

According to Japan Times, China believes that the matter should be resolved only by the parties concerned and outsiders have no role.

Japan has repeatedly claimed that Chinese vessels have been moving into territorial waters around the disputed islands in the East China Sea.

In August this year, Japan noticed more than 200 Chinese fishing boats operating in the contiguous zone around Senkaku islands, according to the report in The Times of India. Tokyo had protested to Beijing after coast guard ships sailed into territorial waters and even summoned the Chinese ambassador. "The situation surrounding the Japan-China relationship is markedly deteriorating," Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida told Beijings envoy Cheng Yonghua.

Tokyos concerns come amid the growing aggression in the South China Sea following The Hague Tribunals ruling. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said, Japan is seriously concerned about Beijing's increasingly muscular claims in the South China Sea. The possibility of the dispute spilling over from South China Sea to East China Sea makes Tokyo anxious and forces it to muster support from other regional powers to stop China.

China had attempted to enforce an air defence identification zone (ADIZ) in 2013 in the East China Sea, which included the Senkaku islands. ADIZ is an extension of a countrys normal airspace, providing the country an early warning system to detect and respond appropriately to foreign, and possibly hostile, aircraft, according to The Trumpet.

Tokyos insistence on India making a strong statement on the South China Sea dispute is possibly an evidence of Indias growing reputation as a regional power. It shows that Indias statement and stand on the issue will send a strong message to Beijing.

Indias stance on the dispute until now has somewhat been very vague. It has not made any concrete statement on the issue. From keeping mum on the dispute to issuing a joint statement with Japan asking all parties to avoid the use of force, India is gradually moving towards making stronger statements.

In January 2015, Indias joint statement with the United States affirmed the importance of safeguarding maritime security and ensuring freedom of navigation and over flight throughout the region, especially in the South China Sea. 

In the joint statement issued in July by Indian defence minister Manohar Parrikar and his Japanese counterpart, Gen Nakatani, the ministers expressed concern over recent developments in the South China Sea. They also called for all parties to ensure freedom and safety of navigation and over-flight as well as unimpeded lawful commerce in international waters, reported The Diplomat.

Now, the risk for India to come out and say something in this regard is high. A statement can tilt the stakes in any direction.

If India keeps following the trail of its actions, it will most likely disappoint the United States and Japan. They might not be too pleased with New Delhi for not speaking up. However, such a refusal is unlikely to affect the bilateral relations.

But if it does decide to speak up, it might endanger its own security in its own North east and provoke Beijing to take a harder stance against it. Indias Nuclear Suppliers Group membership was blocked primarily by China and its bid to put sanctions on Hafiz Saaed was also blocked by Beijing.

An irate China might also exploit its all-weather friendship with Pakistan to attack India. Subsequently, Pakistan may have carte blanche to aggravate the ceasefire violations along the Line of Control (LoC) and launch attacks on Indian soil.

Speaking out on the South China Sea India will likely exacerbate the security situation on its border by taking on China on this issue.

Will India take that risk? Only time will tell.

With inputs from AFP
Imphal: Manipur Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh escaped unhurt when suspected militants opened gunfire as he was getting out of his helicopter at the Ukhrul helipad, CID officials said on Monday. The attack comes days after Ibobi claimed that the law and order situation in Manipur has improved dramatically.

A jawan of the Manipur Rifles was injured in the firing which took place when the chief minister stepped out of the helicopter and was being greeted by government officials, the officials said.

The chief minister's helicopter immediately took off and left for Chingai but could not land at the remote village due to protests, the official said. Ibobi then cancelled his programme and flew back to the state capital where he called an emergency cabinet meeting, the source said.

Ibobi had several programmes lined up at Hunphung village and at Chingai village in Ukhrul district. Ibobi was to travel to Hunphung to inaugurate the 100 bedded Ukhrul district hospital besides a power sub-station, the sources said.

Civil Society organisations had called a curfew and put up a road blockade along the three km route to Hunphung from the helipad, the sources said, adding that two vehicles had also been set ablaze by the protesters.

Earlier, a jawan of the Indian Resserve Battalion sustained splinter injuries in a bomb attack by suspected militants on the newly constructed hospital in the wee hours today before its scheduled inauguration, police said.

Two bombs were fired at the hospital either from a lethod gun or rocket launcher, the official said. At remote Chingai village, Singh was scheduled to inaugurate a power sub-station, a BDO office and a bank building. Tension prevailed in the area, the official said.

In an interview with IANS, Ibobi had earlier said, "In the past, shops and kiosks pulled down shutters by nightfall and people stayed at home. Today people can be seen (on the streets) till late in the night and shopkeepers do brisk business." With assembly elections not far away, the Congress leader said people in the state no longer lived in fear of the various militant groups, big and small.

Militants used to sneak into Manipur from neighbouring Myanmar to commit crime and escape, he said.

"We have beefed up security at the border towns with the result that militants cannot make their presence felt now," the chief minister said in an interview. More than 30 insurgent outfits used to operate in the urban areas of Manipur. Police claim a significant fall in insurgency-related violence. But stray bomb attacks continue.

"The people who are fed up with the senseless violence of the insurgents provide vital information about them (to the authorities)," said the chief minister. According to Ibobi, the insurgents cannot find easy shelter even in the hills as almost all the tribal underground outfits have come overground after signing the Suspension of Operations (SoO) pact.

He however admitted that there were complaints against the activities of some of these groups. Ibobi said: "We are in touch with the central security forces to enforce the ground rules. "We have been drawing the attention of the Centre to the presence of the signatories to ceasefire in Manipur who should be confined to Nagaland only."

The NSCN-K has abrogated the ceasefire pact and resumed attacks against security forces. Ibobi disclosed that several cadres of the two Nagaland-based outfits had fanned out to other states in the northeast although they should be, legally, confined to Nagaland. Despite threats to veto the state government order, Ibobi had on August 12, 2004, lifted the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958, from seven assembly segments in Manipur.

"In the long run it has helped improve the law and order in the state," the Congress leader said. "There is no immediate plan to lift the Afspa from other segments since we fear that in view of objections from the Defence Ministry, the government move may be vetoed," he added.

Ibobi complained that the state government had got no cooperation from the Centre on Afspa, which gives sweeping powers to security forces. And despite numerous allegations of rights abuses, security personnel were not prosecuted as prior approval of the Centre was a must and no such approval was given, he said.

With inputs from PTI and IANS
Jammu: Amid a spurt in armed exchanges on the border, BSF chief K K Sharma said on Monday that Pakistani forces are deliberately trying to "create a flash point" to facilitate infiltration of militants into India and asserted that these designs will be foiled.

He insisted that BSF never initiates ceasefire violations nor does it target civilian areas, a comment that assumes significance in the wake of Pakistan army's claim that two people, including a minor girl, were killed in firing by Indian troops.

"They (Pakistani forces) deliberately create such flash points with an aim of engineering infiltration," he told reporters while commenting on the intensified cross- border shelling and firing by Pakistani troops.

"You can say that they (Pakistani troops) always try to create a flash point so that they get an excuse to go for action," Sharma added after laying wreath on mortal remains of BSF Head Constable Sushil Kumar who was killed in Pakistani shelling in R S Pura sector on Monday morning.

The BSF Director General said while Pakistan may start the confrontation, "we are committed to give befitting reply and foiling their designs of infiltration.... We have to react so that we do not allow them to get successful in their designs to engineer infiltration from across the border."

He said the morale of the troops is "very high and we are ready to meet any eventuality".

Asserting that BSF never initiates ceasefire violation, he said the Indian border guarding force only gives a "befitting reply" to the provocations by the Pakistani forces.

"I want to clarify that we have never initiated (any ceasefire violation). It is Pakistan which is doing it. As you know in case of (BSF constable) Gurnam Singh, they killed him in a sniper fire first. In reply to that we gave them befitting reply," Sharma said, referring to last week's incident in which BSF claimed to have killed 7 Pakistani Rangers and a terrorist in retaliatory fire.

"The way they are bombarding our areas, they are targeting civilians but as a policy, BSF does not target civilians at all," Sharma said.

"We only target the place from where the fire is coming. We only target military and Pakistani Rangers establishments. We never intentionally target civilian areas," he added.

About today's incident, he said, "They initiated heavy shelling in R S Pura, we retaliated to that."

He added, ".. the area weapons do not have great amount of accuracy. As a result, civilians are also harmed, property is also damaged. That is the collateral damage."

In reply to another question about his message and directive to the field commanders, Sharma said "I have asked my commanders not to initiate anything. But at the same time give them befitting and strong reply".

Sending out a message, the BSF DG said, "I would like to convey to Pakistan that as in the past, they will have to retreat. I will only tell them that they should desist from unholy designs and they should not do anything that will harm us as in the past."

Giving details about last night's incidents of firing and shelling, the BSF DG said a vital organ of Head Constable Sushil Kumar was hit by a bullet due to which he later died.

"From my side and on behalf of BSF and the country, we praise the role and supreme sacrifice of the brave-heart jawan and pay tributes to him," he said.

"We are sad over the death of two jawans whom we have paid tributes from this campus alone but I want to assure you that we will give a befitting reply to this action of Pakistan," Sharma said.

"As you know for past few days there have been firing exchanges on the two sides and Pakistan has been initiating firing and shelling," he said.

The DG said, "I was told that there is a huge loss of life and property on the other side. My officers told me that opposite to our Chenab post, there lies Tariq post of Pakistan where ambulances were seen. There is also loss and damage to the Pak Rangers as well".

When pointed out that there are generally ceasefire violations by Pakistan during this time, he said, "I agree with you that in 2014 and 2015 during this period only there have been hostilities from the Pakistan side.

"As you know we have always given them a befitting reply and I assure you that we will give them a befitting reply this time as well."

Replying to another question about the security situation along the border line, he said "I think they are still smarting over the surgical actions taken by Army".
Thiruvananthapuram: Former SC judge Markandey Katju on Monday said the apex court had made some "serious mistakes" in the Soumya case by commuting the death sentence of the accused to life, and attributed it to "judges not being able to give much time to cases due to heavy workload of pending cases".

In a Facebook post, he said, "I genuinely believe that the Supreme Court had made some serious mistakes in its judgement by reversing the death penalty awarded by Kerala High Court".

"Possibly these mistakes were made because the court was so overburdened with work that it cannot give as much time to cases as they deserve, which they would have otherwise done, had it not been for this heavy load of cases to decide," he said.

The Former Press Council Chairman also said that when he first heard that he had been issued notice, asking him to appear before the court on 11 November, he was "upset" as he thought the SC was trying to "humiliate" him since he had criticised their judgement and such an order was "unprecedented". Hence, he had initially said that he would not appear before the court as directed.

However, when he received the apex court's notice and read it, Katju said he realised the court used "very

respectful language to me and had requested me, not ordered me, to appear since they seemed to be sincere about their desire to reconsider their judgement and did not have a closed mind."

"Since reading the Supreme Court notice, I felt that the judges had no intention to humiliate or insult me, rather were anxious to get my help in reconsidering their judgement, I have decided to appear on 11 November at 2 pm (the date and time fixed)," Justice Katju said.

Quoting celebrated British Judge Lord Denning, Katju said, "The Judge has not been born who has not made a mistake".

"We are all humans, and all of us make mistakes, but a gentleman is one who realises his mistake, acknowledges it, and seeks to make amends," Katju said.

"This should apply to judges too. I myself have sometimes made mistakes in my judgements," he said.
Manama: India on Monday told Bahrain that terrorism emanating from Pakistan remains its most important concern and support from across the border has incited the current unrest in Jammu and Kashmir.

This was conveyed by Home Minister Rajnath Singh to Bahraini Interior Minister Rashid bin Abdullah Al Khalifa during a bilateral meeting in Manama. Bahrain is a key member of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference in which Pakistan is also a member.

Singh, who is on a three-day visit to the Gulf country, apprised Khalifa about Islamabad's open support and participation to glorify slain Hizbul Mujahideen militant Burhan Wani in Pakistan, saying it indicates continued free movement that terrorists and their supporters enjoy there.

Wani was killed in an encounter on 8 July and since then the unrest has been continuing in Kashmir Valley. Pakistan is a country which refuses to give up use of terrorism as an instrument of state policy, he said. The Home Minister raised the issue of the arrest in July of Pakistani terrorist Bahadur Ali, who was armed and trained in LeT camps and then exfiltrated into Jammu and Kashmir with instructions to mingle in crowds for throwing grenades at security forces.

"Since there is no change in Pakistan's approach of sponsoring terrorism we cannot take at face value any of the assurances that Pakistan provides in regard to stopping terrorism," Singh is said to have conveyed to his Bahraini counterpart.

Asserting that Jammu and Kashmir is an internal matter of India and no interference is acceptable, Singh said the central government as well as the Jammu and Kashmir government and other relevant authorities in India are involved in addressing the situation in the state and various efforts have been undertaken to redress the grievances of the local population.

The Home Minister conveyed that there is complete political consensus in India on reaching out to the people of Jammu and Kashmir and substantial progress has been made in this regard.

Singh also told Khalifa about the lack of progress in the investigation into the Pathankot airbase terrorist attack and on the Mumbai terror attack trials in Pakistan. "It betrays Pakistan's selective approach to terrorism. We have conveyed to Pakistan that we are ready to discuss various aspects of the challenge of terrorism that is directed from Pakistan against us, which has been our core concern and is at the centre of the current situation in Jammu and Kashmir," he is believed to have said.

The Home Minister also met Crown Prince of Bahrain Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa at Gudaibiya Palace and discussed various bilateral issues. Singh will meet Bahrain King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, Prime Minister Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa. Addressing the Indian community last night, the Home Minister said terrorism is a global problem and the international community must join hands to root out the menace.

Singh had also said the Narendra Modi government has made several structural and procedural changes and that resulted in successfully reducing the "wholesale corruption" in the country.
A lot of fuss is being made about Bob Dylans failure (or refusal?) to acknowledge his Nobel Prize in Literature. A member of the jury awarding the prize has dubbed Dylans behaviour as impolite and arrogant. Attempts to contact Dylan have been in vain. The simple words winner of the Nobel prize in literature, which appeared on the page of The Lyrics: 19612012, have now been removed. Bob Dylan, Nobel laureate, is once again plain Bob Dylan, observed an article in The Guardian (21 October).

No doubt, held up against lavish responses usually associated with winners of awards such as these these, Dylans silence could seem unusual to some. But to many, it may elicit a response that is quite different. To this approving lot, Dylans silence could function as just another marker of his radicalism. In the past, Dylan has written about being wanting to be out of the rat race.

It may even seem that in his stoic refusal to acknowledge the prize, the poet seems to convey the defiant radicalism his music and poetry have often been taken to stand for: a refusal to be co-opted by the officialdom. Of course, many among his fellow travellers do today feel let down by what they perceive to be Dylans betrayal of the politics of protest that fired so many of his songs in the stormy 1960s.

But this is not how author Mike Marqusee analysed Dylans transformation. In his book Chimes of Freedom: The Politics of Bob Dylans Art, Marqusee wrote: Dylans break with politics and the movement that had been his first inspiration unleashed his poetic and musical genius; it freed him to explore an inner landscape. His lyrics became more obscure; coherent narrative was jettisoned in favour of carnivalesque surrealism; the austerity of the acoustic folk troubadour was replaced by the hedonistic extravagance of an electrified rock n roll ensemble. The songs depicted a private universe  but one forged in response to tumultuous public events.

Is it possible that Dylans present silence is an extension of this trajectory  a desire, perhaps, to toy with the Swedish Academy for their decision? After all, the Academy doesnt quite seek the consent of the chosen before they confer the honour of the Prize. Dylans actions could justifiably outrage if this was not the convention. But as things stand, the only way to turn the Nobel down is after the fact.

That is precisely what French philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre did when he rejected the Nobel Prize in 1964. In a letter to the Academy, reproduced in the New York Review of Books (October 17, 1964), Sartre wrote: I was not aware at the time that the Nobel Prize is awarded without consulting the opinion of the recipient, and I believed there was time to prevent this from happening. But I now understand that when the Swedish Academy has made a decision it cannot subsequently revoke it.

Explaining that his reasons for rejecting the prize were personal and objective, Sartre said:  my refusal is not an impulsive gesture, I have always declined official honors A writer who adopts political, social, or literary positions must act only with the means that are his own  that is, the written word. All the honours he may receive expose his readers to a pressure I do not consider desirable. If I sign myself Jean-Paul Sartre it is not the same thing as if I sign myself Jean-Paul Sartre, Nobel Prizewinner.

The writer, Sartre says, must therefore refuse to let himself be transformed into an institution, even if this occurs under the most honorable circumstances, as in the present case.

Dylan may or may not follow this route. But this silence adds to the mystery  and controversy  surrounding the Academys decision to make the definition of literature more capacious. At the very least, regardless of how things end up, Dylans frustrating behaviour will add to the pantheon of memorable responses the award has evoked. From Sartres to novelist Doris Lessings  who, when she was told of having been given the honoour, said, in response: Oh Christ!
New Delhi: Actor-turned-politician Shatrughan Sinha on Monday came out in support of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav, who is in the eye of the storm in the ongoing power tussle within the Samajwadi Party.

"My heart goes out to Akhilesh for the situation he is trapped in. Hope wish and pray that he comes out clean from this political quagmire," the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) parliamenterian tweeted.

Meanwhile, supporters of Akhilesh Yadav and his uncle and SP leader Shivpal Yadav clashed outside the party office In Lucknow on Monday, ahead of a crucial meet called by SP supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav.

Both Akhilesh and Shivpal Yadav addressed the crowd, making emotional speeches about their contribution to the party and allegiance to Mulayam.

Earlier on Sunday, in a dramatic tit-for-tat events in ruling SP, Akhilesh Yadav had ousted his uncle Shivpal Yadav and three others from the government, while the party brass retaliated by sacking SP General Secretaey Ram Gopal Yadav for six years.
New Delhi: Amid reports of widespread debit cards security breach, Congress on Sunday demanded resignation of Chairperson of the State Bank of India Arundhati Bhattacharya, alleging that the largest public sector bank was the "mothership" in the scam in which 19 banks have been hit.

Demanding an inquiry into the matter, party spokesman Tom Vadakkan expressed concern, saying that as many as 70 lakh cards have been affected in the "massive data breach" which is one of the "biggest scams".

Vadakkan demanded resignation of Bhattacharya, alleging that SBI was the "mothership", a PTI report said.

Insisting that the country was heading for a "major crisis" in this matter, he claimed that a 980-page document is in the public domain and on social media revealing details of the "most secret document" of the account holders

SBI, the country's largest commercial lender, has advised its customers to use the bank's own Automated Teller Machine (ATM) network after the security breach of around six lakh debit cards issued by the bank.

The case

About 30 lakh bank debit cards have come under threat after a security breach at a private bank's ATM raised fears of potential fraud, according to media reports. Though this is just about half a percent of total cards issued in the country, this could be the biggest security breach in the Indian banking industry, say reports.

However, banks have advised customers to not panic as they are taking steps to prevent any major trouble.

According to media reports, the payment systems of Hitachi Payment Services were infested with malware that helped miscreants to steal personal information and do fraudulent transactions.

The breach might have happened at YES Bank as Hitachi manages the bank's ATMs, says a report in The Times of India. The reason why other banks became vulnerable is because YES Bank ATMs see many third party transactions, says the report. What is worrisome is that the breach was effected in such a way that anyone using the bank's ATMs in the region would risk having data compromised, a PTI report said citing bankers.

"Data processes of one private bank was compromised which affected other banks' customers well. Customers who used that bank's ATM stand to get potentially affected," the PTI report quoted a banker as saying without naming the bank. Though the bankers claim the breach has not led to any monetary losses to anyone, the ET report says some customers have complained of unauthorized usage from China.

YES Bank on its part has "proactively undertaken a comprehensive audit of ATMs". "There is no evidence of a breach or compromise on ATMs. We continue to work with relevant stakeholders, including other public sector and private banks, and NPCI, to ensure utmost safety and security of ATM network and payment services which are completely safe to use," a bank spokesperson told the PTI.

Hitachi too has denied that its systems have been compromised. "I do not think it is necessary for any bank to reissue cards," Loney Antony, MD, Hitachi Payment Services, has been quoted as saying in the ToI report.
As the scare of bigger debit card frauds is spreading fast after last week's ATM security breach, the Congress has released a statement demanding the resignation of State Bank of India (SBI) chief Arundhati Bhattacharya. One of the worst hit, the country's largest bank has blocked or is in the process of replacing about six lakh debit cards that it suspects may have been compromised.

Congress party spokesman Tom Vadakkan has expressed concern as about 70 lakh cards have been affected in the "massive data breach", which he feels is "one of the biggest scams". Alleging that SBI was the "mothership" of the scam, he has sought the resignation of Bhattacharya.

The party, however, seems to have jumped the gun with the demand for more reasons than one.

First and foremost, the ATM security breach is only unfolding. There is a probe ordered by the government. National Payments Corporation of India, an umbrella organisation for all retail payments system in India, has been told to investigate and find out how the breach happened. A report along with steps to be taken to prevent any future occurrence will be submitted. As the probe is on, it is too early to lay the blame on any one bank.

Secondly, SBI is not the only bank that is hit. According to NPCI, 19 banks are at the receiving end. As many as 641 customers have been affected and Rs 1.3 crore has been siphoned off. The SBI will definitely be the most impacted because it has the largest customer base in the industry.

Thirdly, the reason for the breach is not SBI. According to media reports, the breach happened due to a malware infestation of the systems of Hitachi Payment Services. This possibly impacted YES Bank ATMs, which witnessed a lot of third-party transactions. This is likely to have exposed cards of other banks. YES Bank has consistently maintained that it "has proactively undertaken a comprehensive review of its ATMs", and that "there is no evidence of a breach or compromise on YES BANK ATMs".

"It was suspected that a compromise was at the switch level which is PCI-DSS certified. Hence, subsequently PCI Council (the international body which sets standards on for PCIDSS) was persuaded to conduct a forensic audit of the switch of one bank which is likely to be the point of compromise. The forensic study is in progress and NPCI is in touch with relevant stakeholders," NPCI too said in a statement.

Clearly, there is nothing here to blame, leave alone SBI or Bhattacharya, yet.

Fourthly, experts aver that cyber theft is a global issue. As more and more banking transactions go digital, the threat increases too.

In India too, digitisation is catching up big time in keeping with the government's thrust on moving to a cashless economy. As of now, there are many experts who believe that the RBI is on top of security measures. The one-time password (OTP) system put in place by the central bank is a tight security measure, they say.

Indian banks are following the RBI guideline on cyber security. SBI is no different. So why single out SBI and Bhattacharya?

This is not to say that the banks are not at fault. They definitely are. As cyber security expert Sanjay Pandey argues in this Firstpost column, "negligence in safekeeping of citizens money surely is criminal and needs to be investigated". The criminality needs to fixed to prevent any repetition in the future.

But the Congress's demand for Bhattacharya's head is misplaced. It will at the most politicise a major problem that the cyber world is facing.

By making such a demand, the Congress is blindly replicating the BJP's pre-election strategy - of politicising anything and everything. Such a strategy is not the right way to deal with a looming danger like cyber security threat.
With the Uttar Pradesh Assembly election round the corner, Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed a gathering in temple-town Varanasi as he was there to launch a number of projects including the 1500-km-long gas pipeline costing Rs 51,000 crore.

Modi arrived in his Lok Sabha constituency immediately after addressing a rally in Mahoba, a district in the Bundelkhand region of Uttar Pradesh.

Invoking the surgical strikes conducted by the Indian Army on terror camps along the LoC in Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir, PM Modi announced he was pleased to know that 'Kashi-vasi'  the people of Varanasi  celebrated the Indian Army's victory.

"Hum Kashiwalon ne 'chhoti diwali' mana li, 29th September ko jab desh ki sena ne parakram kia toh pura Kashi jhum utha tha (The residents of Kashi have celebrated a 'mini Diwali', the Indian Army's strike on 29 September was celebrated by Kashi)," he said.

"After a long time the 1.25 billion people of the country have been able to convey to the army and our jawans that they are with them," he said.

He invoked sentiments regarding the plight of the soldiers stationed at the border who can't celebrate Diwali. He said, "As your MP, I am proud of how you paid tributes to armed forces and expressed your support to them."

As your MP, I am proud of how you paid tributes to armed forces and expressed your support to them: PM in Varanasi pic.twitter.com/HKylMASKn7  ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) October 24, 2016

He said that the country should let the soldiers of Indian Army, Indian Navy, Indian Coast-guard, Indian Air-force, BSF and CRPF know that they are appreciated.

At the function organised in the Diesel Locomotive Works (DLW), the Prime Minister launched a number of projects, including "Urja Ganga", a 1500-km-long gas pipeline costing Rs 51,000 crore, which will cater to millions of people in UP, Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal and Odisha.

Speaking on the importance of the schemes he said, "Schemes are not about publishing ads in newspapers; their real aim is proper execution and touching people's lives. We don't stop our work just at laying foundation stones; we ensure that the projects are also completed."

Stressing the need to complete public projects in a time-bound manner and within specified budget, PM Modi said his government is committed to deliver cooking gas connection to all within the next three years.

He said, "Public schemes must be implemented and inaugurated on time. There must not be any delay in this and that is what my government is doing."

"We will ensure that every household gets LPG connection in the next three years," he said.

The Prime Minister was welcomed by UP Governor Ram Naik and Union Ministers of State Dharmendra Pradhan, Manoj Sinha, Mahendra Nath Pandey and Anupriya Patel.

Although an invitation for the function had been sent to Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav, he was unable to receive the Prime Minister.

Earlier at the Mahoba rally, he made an impassioned appeal to the people of the state to "come out of the trap of SP and BSP" and vote for BJP this time to usher in a corruption-free environment.

"UP has seen a lot of politics. All types of games have been played here. Those who wanted to play have played, those who wanted to get (something), they have got. Sometimes SP and then BSP, their world have moved, but yours have not changed. If you want to make UP a Uttam Pradesh in next 10 years, come out from the trap of SP and BSP," he told a public meeting in Bundelhand's Mahoba.

With input from agencies
New Delhi: Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is likely to return to his alma mater, the Panjab University, which has offered him a prestigious assignment.

Soon after receiving the offer of Jawaharlal Nehru Chair Professorship from the University, Singh had approached the Rajya Sabha Chairman in July seeking advice as to whether accepting the position will attract disqualification under the provisions of Article 102(1)(a) of the Constitution for holding an 'office of profit'.

He is a Rajya Sabha member from Assam.

Now in its report submitted to the Lok Sabha Speaker on 14 October, the Joint Committee on Office of Profit has made it clear that if the former Prime Minister chooses to accept the offer, it "may not attract the angle of 'office of profit' incurring disqualification" as a member of Parliament.

Singh completed his MA (Economics) from the Panjab University and taught there as a professor of Economics between 1963 and 1965.

Vice Chancellor of Chandigarh-based Panjab University had informed Singh that the University Syndicate and Senate has approved his name for the Jawaharlal Nehru Chair Professorship.

The University has offered honorarium and other facilities during his visits. He is free to choose the convenient time and duration for his visits and mode of interaction and for delivery of lectures to the students and faculty.

The University informed the Joint Committee that the person appointed would occupy the Chair for a short duration.

The Chair is appointed on the recommendation by a committee consisting of eminent academicians with due approval of the governing body.

The persons appointed on this Chair is expected to visit the University for a short duration. During such visit, the person is entitled to business class air-fare; car with driver; accommodation in a hotel or university guest house; an honorarium at the rate of Rs 5000 per day during days of visit.

"According to the Panjab University, the person appointed on the Chair is required to interact with the faculty, staff and students of the University, by way of discussions/lectures. This Chair Professorship neither have any administrative responsibility nor any decision making power including that of appointment/removal/influence or power by way of patronage," the Committee said in its report.
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In the four-page letter to the party supremo earlier this week, Udayveer had said, "SP state president Shivpal Yadav and other members of his family have misled you (Mulayam) and hatched a conspiracy against CM Akhilesh, who should be made party national president and given all the powers." Udayveer, whose association with Akhilesh is over three decades old, with both studying in school together, had reportedly also made some comments about Mulayam's second wife and Chief Minister's step mother, which angered the SP's first family.

The decision to expel Udayveer was taken after the inaugural meeting of the executive committee of SP's Uttar Pradesh unit adopted a resolution seeking action against him for his "derogatory" comments against Mulayam.

Speculations are that Mulayam will remove Akhilesh as the chief minister and annoint himself as the chief ministerial candidate for the upcoming Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections.

Mulayam, as reported by News18, cannot stand the fact that his party is divided in two halves. Akhilesh, on the other hand, wants to be the sole leader of the party. CNN-News18 executive editor Bhupendra Chaubey said that Mulayam had strictly told Akhilesh not to precipitate a situation where the party stands divided. Akhilesh, who has been very clear on his stand towards Shivpal and his closeness to Amar Singh, told Mulayam that he needs to take some tough decisions as the leader of the party.

Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav is reportedly livid with the recent developments that have everyone talking of a divided Samajwadi Party. According to sources who spoke to News18, Mulayam is apparently mulling replacing Akhilesh as the chief minister.

The fast-paced developments came a day ahead of a mega meeting of party MPs, MLAs, MLCs and ministers convened by Mulayam where some tough decisions are likely to be taken.

Following the extreme action against supporters of Rajya Sabha MP Amar Singh, the Mulayam-camp followers got into a huddle at the residence of the SP supremo at a stone's throw distance from the CM's bungalow to decide the next course of action.

The trouble in SP hit a new low on Sunday morning with the chief minister convening a meeting of party legislators here and recommending to Governor Ram Naik that Shivpal, Narad Rai and Om Prakash Singh (all Cabinet ministers) and Sayeda Shadab Fatima (MoS - Independent charge) be sacked from his ministry.

"They have created a group of goons who trouble people and create every kind of nuisance in the state. He (Ram Gopal) has been conspiring against me, he has been involved with BJP to save his son," Shivpal said.

Addressing the media, party national president Shivpal Yadav said that Ram Gopal has been working for BJP and created groups inside the Samajwadi Party to divide the party.

According to CNN-News18, Akhilesh Yadav is set to be sacked from the Samajwadi Party. Uttar Pradesh will be in a constitutional crisis if that happens.

"I will stop those who conspire against me," Akhilesh said. "One of my responsibilities is to act out against any conspiracies against me. That is why I did not ask anyone else about the removals from the cabinet," he added.

"I have told the entire cabinet that this is your party," said CM Akhilesh Yadav, as he tried shifting the focus to the development work done by the state government instead of talking about the feud within the party.

Will act against conspiracy against me, says Akhilesh as he rejects rumours of a new party

News reports said that Akhilesh almost broke down while giving his speech. His voice choked at various points during his emotional and intense speech.

Akhilesh also targeted Amar Singh without naming him as he said that there were some people were trying to create a rift within the party.

"I would have resigned if Netaji had wanted me to," said an emotional CM Akhilesh Yadav as he addressed SP workers.

"I have been an SP worker before Akhilesh was born...which CM order did I not follow? I followed every order given by the Chief Minister," Shivpal said.

"Did I work less than the Chief Minister? Did our department work less than the Chief Minister?" Shivpal Yadav said.

"I have been working for SP since 1972," he said. "Do I get no credit for building the party to what it is today?" Shivpal said.

"Indiscipline will not be tolerated in this party. This party has reached such heights only because of Netaji," Shivpal Yadav said as he addressed the party workers.

Did I work less than the CM? says Shivpal as he lashes out at Akhilesh

"I want to say this in front of Netaji that when I went to meet the CM, the CM had said that he will form a new party," said Shivpal Yadav. "I give you my word that the Chief Minister had said this," he said.

CM had told me that he will form a new party: Shivpal

"We will not tolerate people who do dalali!" he further said.

"There are so many liars in the party!" Shivpal said. "Nobody has made Mukhtar Ansari join the party...and you (Akhilesh) take the name of Mukhtar Ansari?"

The feud within the party and the fight between Akhilesh and Shivpal is clearly out in the open now.

"Akhilesh has conspired against the SP," Shivpal said, as he attacked the CM.

"Only those who work for the poor and the farmers will work for the Samajwadi Party. Dalali (brokering deals) will not do," Shivpal said as he addressed SP workers in Lucknow.

"I want to say: First find out properly about your responsibilities," Shivpal said, clearly referring to Akhilesh.

"The people hates looteras and dalals. We will never win elections through them," he further said.

"One of the agendas for this meeting was to decide a strategy for 2017 polls. And now look what this meeting has been reduced to," Shivpal said. "Netaji, please give me permission to throw away all those spreading lies within the party."

"Everyone in SP needs to dedicate themselves to winning the 2017 UP elections," ANI quoted Shivpal as saying.

"Such kind of people need to be thrown out of the party," Shivpal said. Shivpal also backed Amar Singh after Akhilesh's attack on the leader. "The critics of Amar Singh are not worth the dust on his feet," said a dramatic Shivpal.

"We will work against those who try to weaken and break the Samajwadi Party," Shivpal said. "This party has been formed by the hard work of Netaji...not by people who raise slogans," he added.

"I gave tickets to youth...no one else did," the SP chief said. According to CNN-News18, Mulayam also read out the Riot Act to Akhilesh's supporters.

"Those talking about weaknesses are your friends," Mulayam said, in a message for Akhilesh. "Some ministers are just sycophants. And people who can't think big can't be a minister" he added.

"I braved lathis and jail to bring party to this level...Jo bahut ucchal rahein hai agar baat aayi to ek laathi bhi nahin seh paaenge," he said. "But I have not been weakened by whatever has happened in the party so far," he further said, adding that there was a need to remove weaknesses in the party.

"We worked really hard to form SP," he further said. "If you get criticised, and you feel the criticism is right, implement the change. Otherwise, if you cannot take criticism, you cannot be a leader," Mulayam said.

"I am sad with the rift in the party," Mulayam Singh Yadav said. "We are facing a difficult situation," he added.

"Shivpal is a people's leader," Mulayam said, adding that the Ansari family was a reputed family. "We must fight enemies, not each other."

"Amar Singh is like my brother," said SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav, adding that Amar Singh had done a lot for the party.

Mulayam Singh has called another meeting to find a solution to the raging dispute between brother Shivpal and son Akhilesh at 5.30 pm on Monday. This will be the third in a single day between the family members, who are trying to end the fued.

Shivpal Yadav sacks ten SP office bearers, thought to be close to CM Akhilesh Yadav, for booing him in a retaliatory move, reported Times Now.

The news channel also said that the comeback of Udayveer and Ram Gopal, who had been sacked from Samajwadi Party, was unlikely.

According to CNN-News18, sources said that a peace had been brokered between Akhilesh Yadav and his uncle Shivpal and the Chief Minister was going to re-instate all the three sacked ministers.

"Now, I have no restrictions on me. I am not in the party anymore. I will say whatever is in my heart," he said.

"If our leaders cannot understand that parties cannot be successful solely on the basis of money, it is really unfortunate," the expelled leader said. "These leaders of the SP are criminals in the eyes of the people. You will see this in the days to come."

"Amar Singh had abused Netaji so much after leaving the party. When he went to other parties, other leaders  who are smarter than the leaders from our party  did not take him into their parties," Ram Gopal Yadav also said.

Ram Gopal Yadav also said that Mulayam was jealous because Akhilesh was a more popular leader than him. "Mulayam's statements were nonsensical," he said.

"The patience of Akhilesh Yadav was always tested but he did not give in," Ram Gopal Yadav, expelled SP leader, said. "So these magicians have hoodwinked Netaji."

The Uttar Pradesh rath yatra planned by CM Akhilesh Yadav and the 5 November yatra by Mulayam Singh will be attended by all, reports CNN-News18.

Ram Gopal Yadav will no longer be an Rajya Sabha SP leader, the post might likely go to Beni Prasad Verma, reports CNN-News18. Meanwhile, Akhilesh and Shivpal reach Mulayam's residence.

Yes its true that the majority was in my name (in 2012), we made Akhilesh CM. Now its upto him to carry out responsibilities: Mulayam Singh pic.twitter.com/QgfSvLr5pO

The other important takeaway from the press conference is for the first time Mulayam, who always has given priority to the party, said that crucial decisions will be taken by the legislative party. Hence, leaving major decisions with the Chief Minister.

Mulayam Singh Yadav denies that there's no rift in the party even thought the rift is huge. While brother and recently-reinstated minister Shivpal was by Mulayam's side, son and chief minister Akhilesh Yadav was conspicuously missing.

I will not give even a single controversial answer, no matter how many controversial questions you may ask: Mulayam Singh

Q: Theres a proposition that you should be CM & all problems will be solved Mulayam Singh: Only 2 months left for polls, why think this now?

Even today, during the media briefing Mulayam told a journalist not to "bring Amar Singh into everything." What we understand is that Mulayam is in no mood to entertain Akhilesh's demand of no-Amar Singh in the UP government. Mulayam knows he cannot win the elections just with Akhilesh, he will definitely need Amar Singh and Shivpal to win the crucial elections

Akhilesh since the very beginning has despised Amar Singh's closeness with Shivpal and Mulayam. But Mulayam has always maintained that Amar Singh is a good human being and "like a brother to me." Even in his yesterday's briefing, Akhilesh said that the rift within SP is because of Amar Singh.

Mulayam won't change the CM now, but his message to Akhilesh is pretty clear

SP & BSP are out of league in upcoming UP elections, they should take an example of BJP & learn something: Keshav Prasad Maurya, BJP UP Pres pic.twitter.com/siNiPXdRy9

The Samajwadi Party chief is said to have brokered peace between his son, Chief Minisrter Akhilesh Yadav and the party's Uttar Pradesh unit president Shivpal Yadav.

Asked if Shivpal Yadav and other ministers sacked by Akhilesh Yadav would be reinstated, Mulayam Singh said he would leave this decision to the Chief Minister.

"Our family is united, the party is united... We stand united with full strength," Mulayam Singh said in his first media conference after Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav sacked his uncle Shivpal Yadav from the cabinet.

Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav on Tuesday asserted that there were no differences within the family or in Uttar Pradesh's ruling party and all were "united", signalling an end to days of bitter infighting.

Speaking to Network18, Chief Minister Akhilesh said, "I will not let my party break at any cost. I am going to attend netaji's meeting that will be conducted at his office on Monday. Netaji will always be my leader,"

The next 24 hours is crucial for the party's dynamics and Shivpal's role in the government. Mulayam is convening a meeting on Monday where, reports allege, that a solution to the ongoing impasse will be found. In the past, Mulayam has been an ardent supporter of his brother Shivpal. "While he (Shivpal) is busy doing his job honestly and efficiently, a conspiracy is afoot against him and responsible people in the government are humiliating him, Hindustan Times quoted Mulayam as saying in August. "But if Shivpal quits, the party will go to winds," Mulayam had added.

Akhilesh sacking Shivpal is thus, as has been repeated many times, a show of strength - telling Mulayam that Akhilesh is the person in-charge of the government and he will not tolerate dissent or insubordination.

It's interesting to note though that Akhilesh did not sack Gayatri Prajapati, a tainted minister, who was accused of being involved in illegal mining and land grabbing. Prajapati took oath of the office and secrecy for the fourth time in the past three years.

#EXCLUSIVE | Will not break the party at any cost. I will not spare anyone who is close to Amar Singh: UP CM Akhilesh Yadav to Network18

Udayveer Singh, a Samajwadi Party MLC and one of the closest aides of Akhilesh Yadav, was on Saturday expelled from the party for "undignified" conduct days after he wrote to SP supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav suggesting him to elevate the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister as the party's national president. A decision to expel Singh was taken after the inaugural meeting of the executive committee of SP's Uttar Pradesh unit adopted a resolution seeking action against him for his "derogatory" comments against Mulayam.

"Udayveer Singh has been expelled from the party for six years for his undignified and indisciplined behaviour," state party spokesman Ambika Chaudhary said.

"The party will not tolerate undignified behaviour and indiscipline. It has reached where it is in 25 years because of discipline," Chaudhary said.

In the four-page letter to the party supremo earlier this week, Singh had said, "SP state president Shivpal Yadav and other members of his family have misled you (Mulayam) and hatched a conspiracy against CM Akhilesh, who should be made party national president and given all the powers."

Singh, whose association with Akhilesh is over three decades hold, with both studying in school together, had reportedly also made some comments about Mulayam's second wife and Chief Minister's step mother, which angered the SP's first family.

Reacting to the development, Singh said he had only put before Mulayam his thoughts about the "conspiracy" against the Chief Minister.

Asked to comment on his expulsion, he said, "I will give my version only after getting the letter."

Maintaining that he had no regrets about the points raised by him in the letter, Singh said,"Netaji is the patron of the party. I am confident that he will do justice to me and the chief minister."

"Those who used foul language against the party chief are still in the party, but those who are the real well wishers and wrote letters are being expelled," Singh said.

Gaurav Bhatia, SP spokesman, said Singh had crossed the "Lakshman Rekha" in choosing the words he wrote in his letter to Mulayam which also hurt party workers.

"Questioning the leadership of Mulayam Singh Yadav, who is an elected president of the party, was wrong. An MLC cannot dictate who the party president will be. Anybody committing an act of indiscipline has to be punished and this is what has happened," he said.

On Singh's claim that a conspiracy has been hatched against Akhilesh, Bhatia said," These are unsubstantiated allegations".

Meanwhile, in yet another indication of continuing infighting within the party Akhilesh on Friday skipped a crucial party meeting convened by Shivpal Akhilesh did not attend the meeting of district presidents of the Samajwadi Party, even though Shivpal drove down to his residence on Friday to invite him personally for the event. He also announced that his Rath Yatra will start from 3 November and that he would inform the district chiefs, whose region the yatra passes, about the detailed programme.

The meeting was called to discuss the 2017 assembly elections and to prepare for a silver jubilee function of the ruling party scheduled for 5 November.

Informed sources said the Chief Minister was in no mood to compromise on his stated opposition to entry of criminals and re-entry of ministers accused of graft into the SP and demand for complete say in deciding tickets for the assembly elections.

Reacting to the recent developments in the party, old war horse Beni Prasad Verma, who returned to the party fold from Congress recently, said,"Netaji (Mulayam) is deeply pained. What has happened (Singh's letter to Mulayam) hurt Mulayam Singh's prestige.

"I would request Akhilesh to get things sorted out. It is time to close ranks (with assembly polls just months away)... there is little time."

Singh's explusion came a day after Akhilesh Yadav skipped a crucial meeting called by state party chief Shivpal Yadav to strategise for the assembly polls due early next year where the latter declared him the party's chief ministerial face.

Though Shivpal, the younger brother of SP supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav, had met Akhilesh to personally invite him to a meeting of SP district and city units presidents, the Chief Minister kept away, indicating all was not well in the party despite repeated claims by its senior leaders to the contrary. These delegates had later met Akhilesh separately.

Akhilesh, with whom Shivpal is engaged in a running feud over the last few months, had recently made it clear in a letter to Mulayam that he would be proceeding on his 'rath yatra' on November 3 to highlight the development work done by his government, in a clear indication that he would skip that event too.

With the tense stand-off between Akhilesh and Shivpal continuing, speculations about a possible split in the party are rife.

As a crisis-like situation obtained in the party, several top leaders including Beni Prasad Verma, Naresh Agarwal and state Assembly Speaker Mata Prasad Pandey met Mulayam earlier in the day. They were later closeted with Akhilesh in order to bring about rapprochement in the SP's first family.

Meanwhile, in a move that could further widen the divide between Akhilesh and Shivpal, the latter, who is the state president of the Samajwadi Party, has appointed chiefs of various youth fronts of the party.

The development came amid demands for reinstating the expelled presidents of these youth fronts who were considered close to the Chief Minister.

According to a party release, Abhishek Singh Ashu has been made president of Samajwadi Yuvjan Sabha, Farhat Hasan Khan state president of SP Minorities sabha, Anil Verma state president of Mulayam Singh Yadav Youth Brigade, Vijay Yadav president of Lohia Vahini, Abhishek Tripathi general secretary of Lohia Vahini and Ashfiqur Rehman general secretary of Yuvjan Sabha.

With inputs from PTI
Amid the raging family feud, Samajwadi Party leaders Mulayam Singh Yadav, Akhilesh Yadav and Shivpal Singh Yadav, on Monday, came together to address the party workers in Lucknow. Tension was palpable much before the meeting began with youth supporters of Akhilesh mounting pressure on the leadership in support of the chief minister.

The meeting was announced a day after Akhilesh had sacked Shivpal, his uncle and party's state unit chief, along with three other "pro-Amar Singh" ministers from his Cabinet and Mulayam, in a tit-for-tat action, expelled his cousin Ram Gopal, Akhilesh supporter and SP's national general secretary, from the party for six years.

Days ahead of its silver jubilee celebrations and with the Assembly election a few months away, the party is facing its worst-ever crisis.

Shivpal backs Mulayam as CM candidate

Shivpal Yadav launched a scathing attack on the Uttar Pradesh chief minister and accused him of trying to form a new party or enter into an alliance with another party.

In a fiery speech, the former state PWD Minister and Uttar Pradesh SP president criticised Akhilesh for not giving him due recognition and appreciation for the work done by him as minister.

Shivpal said officials refused to listen to him at the behest of the chief minister. "Even opponents have appreciated my work and the help offered to every one," he said.

Talking about the initial struggles of the Samajwadi Party, he said, "We have been beaten by the police, have been to jail, pedalled cycles for hundreds of km to bring the party to this position."

On speculations around Akhilesh floating a new party, Shivpal said that the chief minister had in fact told him in a close-door meeting that he will form another party. He went on to say that he was ready to swear by the holy Gangajal on this issue.

The senior SP leader also strongly defended Amar Singh and said that in 2003, the SP government in Uttar Pradesh was because of the efforts of the Thakur leader.

When some leaders started shouting anti-Amar Singh slogans, Shivpal scolded them and said, "You are not even an inch of what Amar Singh is. Tum Amar Singh ke pair ki dhool ke baraabar bhi nahin hoh," he said.

The former minister also said that time had come for SP supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav to take over the state government and lead the party in the forthcoming Assembly elections.

He also hailed Mulayam and said, "Netaji, you had become an alternate to Narendra Modi. Who let you down?"

Akhilesh hails Mulayam as guru, denies charges of forming new party

Akhilesh, on Monday, made an emotional pitch at the crucial party meeting in the presence of his father (Mulayam) and called him his "guru". He also assured that he could never split the party.

Akhilesh said he was ready to quit if his father asks him to and if it helps in sorting out the impasse in the ruling party.

The chief minister also said that he has always obeyed the SP chief and was very thankful that his father had taken him to such dizzying heights in the party.

The 43-year-old, however, pointed at a conspiracy against him and rued that his uncle Shivpal was also part of it.

"I have done everything for the betterment of the party and my government has worked for all-round development of UP and I will continue to do that," he said.

He highlighted the various development projects like the Lucknow Metro and the Agra-Lucknow Expressway which would be inaugurated on Netaji's (Mulayam Singh) birthday in November.

Trashing reports and speculations that he was anti-Mulayam, Akhilesh said he had never done anything which was against party interest and had always ensured that every problem was addressed to Netaji either through letters or personal meetings.

In an important disclosure, Akhilesh referred to the sacking of minister Gayatri Prajapati in September as a decision taken on the behest of Netaji.

"Even Chief Secretary Deepak Singhal was removed on Mulayam Singh's order and I had even tipped off the top bureaucrat to go and beg for forgiveness," Akhilesh said.

I was hurt when Amar Singh said that by November Akhilesh will not be CM in UP. Ramgopal ji didnt say that: Akhilesh Yadav  ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) October 24, 2016

Mulayam tries to keep the party together

Mulayam told party workers that he can still hold Samajwadi Party together. "Shivpal meri sunega to Akhilesh meri baat ko mana nahi karega (Shivpal will listen to me and Akhilesh will never say no to me)," he said.

"Samajwadi Party will not break, I will not let the party break," Mulayam said.

I feel really sad because of this rift in our family: Mulayam Yadav  ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) October 24, 2016

Defending Amar Singh, he said, "I can't leave Amar Singh or Shivpal Yadav. All of Amar Singh's sins are forgiven."

Mulayam also hailed Modi and his efforts to keep his family together. "Look at Modi, he became PM with dedication and struggle. He comes from a poor family, says he can't leave his mother."

"I know the party will not split...I will not let the party break," said an emotional Mulayam. News reports said he also broke down in front of the party workers.

"I will never forget the work Shivpal has done for me and Samajwadi Party...Drunkards, goons have been added to the party. You get some power and it goes to your head. Shivpal is the leader of the masses," Mulayam said.

He also said that Shivpal had always stood by Mulayam.

"I can become the prime minister if I wanted to. But what is the point of becoming the prime minister? There are many ex-PMs walking around," he said.

"I am the baap of goondagardi," said the SP chief.

"I braved lathis and jail to bring party to this level...Jo bahut ucchal rahein hai agar baat aayi to ek laathi bhi nahin seh paaenge," he said. "But I have not been weakened by whatever has happened in the party so far," he further said, adding that there was a need to remove weaknesses in the party.

"Those talking about weaknesses are your friends," Mulayam said, in a message for Akhilesh. "Some ministers are just sycophants. And people who can't think big can't be a minister" he added.

With input from agencies
The Samajwadi Party's family feud has reached previously unknown depths, granted there was always friction between father Mulayam and son Akhilesh, but on Sunday it reached its breaking point.

To get to the root of the fight, one has to trace the history of the tension between the two, while also including the other members of the Yadav clan  namely Shivpal Singh Yadav, the younger brother of Mulayam, and Ram Gopal Yadav, Mulayam's cousin. This great Indian political saga isn't complete without its supporting cast members, Amar Singh and Azam Khan who play key roles in the rapidly unfolding drama.

Since the day Akhilesh became the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, Mulayam has been interfering in matters of governance. So much that there has been speculation as to who is running the state; the line that divides the party and the government looks thin and worn out.

You don't have to look any further than when Shivpal replaced Akhilesh as the party's state chief unit, which is a post that is crucial in the Assembly election that will take place next year, analyses Ajay Singh for Firstpost.

Even the appointment of Anita Singh, a 1990 batch Indian Administrative Services (IAS) officer, who is the secretary to the chief minister, was viewed as Mulayam tightening his hold on the reins of the UP government. This is because she is reportedly close to Mulayam and in his absence is also said to be calling the shots.

In an extensive profile of Akhilesh Yadav in The Caravan titled Everybody's Brother, Neha Dixit concludes that Akhilesh was sworn in as a puppet CM because the real power predictably was expected to be held by seniors Mulayam, Shivpal, Ram Gopal, Azam Khan and bureaucrat Anita. Azam Khan, who is reportedly one of most influential Muslim politicians in Uttar Pradesh, is also the founding member of the Samajwadi Party.

This division of power has naturally caused friction and infighting.

A shadow of bitter feud has been brewing in the background of the UP assembly election set to take place in 2017  on 19 October, Akhilesh, in a letter to his father, declared that he'd be taking part in a state-wide poll campaign yatra, laying his father's plans of a grand show to waste. This move came at a time when Shivpal and Akhilesh have been locked in a power struggle. The Caravan's piece reported that Shivpal and Akhilesh were close during the latter's childhood with Shivpal spending some quality time with Akhilesh during the absence of his father, Mulayam. Shivpal also reportedly went with a young Akhilesh to help him complete admission procedures.

So what went wrong in between?

A Firstpost piece reported that Shivpal Yadav "is the unsavoury face of SP, who loves the company of Mukhtar Ansari, DP Yadav and Amar Singh", while Akhilesh is the progressive youthful face, who represents energy and sincerity in UP politics but is bogged down by the various pulls of his father and uncles. Akhilesh, the Uttar Pradesh CM, is up against his own father, who has blamed him for not being able to win enough seats and challenged his authority.

Mulayam is said to have told SP workers in September that had he listened to Shivpal, the party would've won 30-35 seats and that he would have become the prime minister. He then added, as an insult to injury, that Akhilesh was accepted as chief minister only because he was his son and that he never had any "individual standing in politics".

Shivpals sacking came a day after a close aide of Akhilesh Yadav, MLC Udayveer Singh was expelled from the Samajwadi Party. Udayveer was sacked a few days after he shotoff a stinging letter to Mulayam accusing his second wife of hatching a conspiracy against the Chief Minister.

Now, where does Amar Singh feature in all this? Not only is he seen as the cause for friction between Akhilesh and Shivpal, the former general secretary of the party and Rajya Sabha MP, who rejoined and was reinstated in his old posts, is also being blamed for the rift. Singh took Shivpal's side when the latter brokered a deal to merge criminal-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansaris QED and SP, which Akhilesh opposed, reported Hindustan Times. Akhilesh then broke ties with QED, which angered Shivpal, and sacked minister Balram Yadav, the man who had helped Shivpal in negotiating the deal. In this rift, Singh took Shivpal's side.

One of the many sackings that propelled this rift forward was that of MLC Udayveer Singh, a close aide of Akhilesh. Udyaveer was sacked after he shot a letter to Mulayam accusing the latter's wife of practicing black magic and hatching a conspiracy against the chief minister, reported The Indian Express. The sacked MLC had also announced that he would boycott the party's silver jubilee celebrations in protest of the expulsion of their colleagues.
The pandemonium in Uttar Pradesh, with an out-of-control ruling party, had all eyes fixated on it. Monday was a big day as far as the future of Samajawadi Party is concerned. Many political experts and poll pundits were sure that the party will split vertically, especially after what happened on Sunday  Ram Gopal Yadav, the uncle who supports Akhilesh, early on Sunday morning fired a letter to all party workers asking them to support the chief minister ahead of the UP polls. Soon after that, Akhilesh called a legislator meeting at his official residence in Lucknow and fired Mulayam Singh Yadav's favourite brother and the party president, Shivpal Yadav, and three of his close aides. Akhilesh also fired a fresh salvo, which was a veiled attack on the old guard of the party  anyone who supports Amar Singh has no place in the Uttar Pradesh government. Akhilesh's decision to fire Shivpal was met with equal and solid retaliation. Party supremo fired Ram Gopal from the party (and the UP government) for six years alleging that the general secretary of the party was conspiring with BJP.

On Tuesday, the drama was escalated with two warring leaders  Akhilesh and Mulayam  making emotional public speeches. Here are the key developments in the Samajwadi Party saga:

CM is lying, says Shivpal in front of party workers and national media

Acrimony, bitter exchanges and personal attacks marked a meeting of Samajwadi Party leaders, bringing to the fore the high-voltage power struggle in the first family with Akhilesh Yadav and his father Mulayam Singh Yadav trading barbs, while the chief minister was accused of planning to float a party, a charge he denied. Cut up with his son, Mulayam Singh Yadav put up a strong defence of his brother Shivpal Yadav, who was sacked by Akhilesh from the cabinet, and General Secretary Amar Singh, but ruled out replacing the chief minister, who offered to quit.

Then, a dramatic scene broke out at the podium while Akhilesh was addressing SP workers and slamming Amar Singh for causing fissures in the party. Enter Shivpal. The sacked uncle interrupted Akhilesh and called the chief minister a "liar". Don't forget that apart from the party workers, the entire national media was present there.

Akhilesh to be sacked?

The political drama was also punctuated by clashes between rival factions outside and inside the venue, and after the abrupt end to the meeting of the legislators, MPs and ministers. According to CNN-News18, Akhilesh was set to be sacked from the post of the chief minister. However, no such confirmation has been made yet. According to reports, Mulayam Singh Yadav, Shivpal and Akhilesh are meeting for the third time in the day and will address the media and party workers at 5.30 pm. Seeking to put rest speculation, Akhilesh ruled out forming any new party and offered to step down if Mulayam Singh Yadav wanted. With his father and uncle watching, he broke down while addressing the meeting. "Let 'netaji' (Mulayam) install a chief minister who he feels is honest," he said. "Why should I form a new party?" he asked emotionally. At the meeting, Akhilesh said all these years he had toiled hard for the welfare of the people. "Mere pita, mere guru hain (my father is my guru)" he said. The Chief Minister said many people were trying to create divisions within his family using various machinations and that he had taught himself how to oppose any wrongdoing.

Akhilesh slams Amar Singh

An angry Akhilesh targeted Rajya Sabha MP Amar Singh for the current developments saying that he (Amar) had hinted that some "major changes" would take place in October. At the same time, the chief minister said that if he had said something beyond his limit, he should be pardoned.

When his turn came, Mulayam Singh said the party was facing a difficult situation and party members should not fight with each other. But his words had little effect as chaos broke out at the venue and heated words were exchanged on the dais leading to an abrupt end of the meeting. Both the father and son shouted at each other at the meeting. "I can't tolerate anything against Amar and Shivpal. Amar saved me from going to jail," Mulayam said, admonishing Akhilesh for attacking Amar Singh. "Amar has helped me a lot. If Amar was not there I would have been in jail, he is like my brother," Mulayam said, describing the Rajya Sabha member as his brother. Mulayam said he mere donning of red cap (colour of SP's cap) does not make one Samajwadi. "Some ministers are just sycophants," he added. "I cannot forget the work done by Shivpal Yadav," he said, while describing Shivpal as a mass leader. "We are facing difficult situation, we should remove our weakness and not fight with each other," Mulayam said.

Akhilesh told me he will float new party: Shivpal

In the first open attack on his nephew, Shivpal Yadav claimed the chief minister had told him that he would float a new party to contest the upcoming Assembly polls. He urged his brother to "take over reins of Uttar Pradesh". Speaking after Akhilesh's denial, Shivpal said, "Recently, I went to meet the CM. He said he would float a party and ally with some parties." Daggers drawn with the chief minister over a host of issues, Shivpal said he was ready to vouch for it. "I can swear by Gangajal," he said. Referring to his long association with the party and his contributions towards strengthening it, Shivpal told party chief, "Netaji, there is a need for you to take over reins of Uttar Pradesh." Standing stoutly with Amar Singh, who is being accused of pitting one against the other in the family, he said, "Amar Singh ke charanon ki dhool bhi nahi ho aap log (Worth of all of you is not even one quarter of Amar Singh)". He said that he had never severed his relations with Amar Singh and shared personal ties with him all through.

Akhilesh-Mulayam supporters slug it out

Meanwhile, there was a pandemonium outside the SP office in Lucknow with supporters of Akhiles and Mulayam clashing with each other. "We have found out that some gunda elements have been brought here to shout slogans against the Chief Minister. We want to tell them that we will not tolerate that. If someone insults Netaji and the CM, we won't tolerate that," an SP worker told reporters outside the SP office in Lucknow.

#WATCH Clash between Akhilesh Yadav supporters & Shivpal Yadav supporters outside SP office in Lucknow. pic.twitter.com/TuMtvxtL5C  ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) October 24, 2016

Shivpal booed by SP workers

Shivpal Yadav was booed by party workers while he was speaking at the party office in Lucknow, according to CNN-News18. "I also had a big role in forming this party along with Netaji," Shivpal said at the party office. "Indiscipline will not be tolerated in this party. This party has reached such heights only because of Netaji," Shivpal Yadav said as he addressed the party workers. "I have been working for SP since 1972," he said. "Do I get no credit for building the party to what it is today?" Shivpal said. "Did I work less than the Chief Minister? Did our department work less than the Chief Minister?" Shivpal Yadav said.

Agar Netaji ya party ke khilaaf koi shaazish ho rahi hai to mai uski kaarwaahi karunga: Akhilesh Yadav  ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) October 24, 2016

Samajwadi Party will not break

"Shivpal meri sunega to Akhilesh meri baat ko mana nahi karega (If I say that Shivpal listens to me, I can also say that Akhilesh will not deny what I say,)" Mulayam Singh Yadav told party workers to signal out that he can still hold the party together.

"Samajwadi Party will not break, I will not let the party break," Mulayam said.

Takeaways from Day II pandemonium

Whatever the final outcome is out of this family saga, one thing is clear  Mulayam Singh Yadav, will be remembered for this mess for a long time to come. Also it was interesting to note how Mulayam decided to address Samajwadi Party workers. Like this Firspost article argues, "When the patriarch of the party calls the chief minister arrogant, questions his haisiyat (value) and raps him for flying "too high", what message does he wish to convey to voters about his party's governance and leadership? Obviously that the son he chose to lead the state is a worthless, egoistic entity with a swollen head without brains and the government he leads is a shoal of sharks that looted the state."

Ironically, Akhilesh's public image is in stark contrast with what Mulayam believes it to be. And with sweeping statements like these, which are at the end of the day intended at earning brownie points from his brother Shivpal and other old guards of the party, Mulayam is making himself vulnerable to increased criticism from those who are already questioning the Uttar Pradesh government.

"With one speech, Mulayam Singh Yadav has put to doubt his own ability to take decisions, keep his flock together and the haisiyat of being the leader of his parivar and party. Rarely in Indian politics has a leader exposed as weak, sentimental and poor-judge of people survived for long."



Tussle far from over

However, the power-tussle is far from over. After a day of embarrassing public gatherings and marathon meetings, the SP leadership was unable to broker a truce between the warring factions of the party. While Shivpal expelled ten SP office bearers, who were sloganeering and booing the sacked minister, Akhilesh refused to meet his uncle without giving any reasons.

The senior party leaders must find a way to break the ongoing impasse and start preparing for the crucial litmus test that awaits them in 2017.
A highly corrupt and nepotistic Samajwadi Party government in Uttar Pradesh (UP) does not deserve to be in Government. It needs to go. This should be irrespective of who, which faction Mulayam Singh Yadav-Shivpal Singh Yadav or Akhilesh Yadav-Ram Gopal Yadav keeps cycle symbol, or warring Yadav clan members call truce and become friends and family again.

Uttar Pradesh does not have medieval monarchy or a modern day dictatorship. It has democracy and an elected government is answerable to people for all its acts of omission and commission in office.

What kind of party governs Uttar Pradesh where Chacha Shivpal Singh Yadav, also party chief for the state publicly says that his nephew and chief minister Akhilesh Yadav is a liar? What kind of party is it  a chief minister's mic is snatched while he is speaking and told that he is lying.

The Yadav clan chieftain and ultimate boss of the Samajwadi Party, Mulayam Singh Yadav says that the current government is promoting gamblers, drunkards and that the power has gone to his son  the chief minister's head.

The chief minister is living in an illusion that the youth are with him. However, they were with him and would have done anything on one call given by him. Mulayam aka Dhartiputra minces no words and letting the world know that he held the remote in Akhilesh's government. Akhilesh has spoken about how revered "Netaji" was an extra constitutional authority, and he took all critical decisions on his direction. Party chief supporters criticised the chief minister and in turn the chief minister's supporters criticised party chief and his other proteges.

Mark the words on extent of corruption, that too in writing by Ram Gopal Yadav, national General Secretary and Leader of Samajwadi Party in Rajya Sabha (now expelled by held these posts when he wrote it on Sunday morning) and response of Shivpal Yadav, Samajawadi Party president UP unit, Number two in Government with dozen portfolios in his command (now sacked from government). "Udhar wo log hain jinhone hazaro crore rupya bahaya, vyabhichar kiya aur satta ka durupayog kiya. Janata ko bhramit karne ke liye kuch log madhyastata karte hain, bayanbaji karte hain" (On other side are those people who spent thousands of crores of rupees, committed immoral unethical acts and misused perks or power. To misguide common people some persons mediate and issue statements)  Ram Gopal Yadav letter dated 23 October 2016, time 6 am.

The reference to "those persons" by Ram Gopal seems to be clearly for the faction led by Mulayam Singh Yadav, Shivpal Yadav, Amar Sigh and company.

See this part of statement on record by Shivpal Singh Yadav on Ram Gopal Yadav and company: Wo (Ram Gopal) ye sab isliye kar rahen hainkyonki unke putra akshay Yadav evam putravadhu, Yadav Singh ghotale me phanse hue hain...Wo bhatachariyon se mile huye hain...Unhone sadyantrakariyon tatha galat kam kane walon ka giroh bana kar aam logon aur karyakartaon ka shoshan kiya hai (He is doing all this because his son Akshay Yadav and daughter-in-law are deep into the Yadav Singh scam. He is hand in glove with corrupt. In cahoots with conspirators and wrong doers he has formed a gang to oppress common men and party workers."

Remember, both these gentlemen have been heavyweight founders of SP, brothers of Mulayam Singh Yadav albeit currently on opposite side and proxy chief ministers. So their words have to be taken in all seriousness, it should deserve. They know what they are saying and know the truth of how SP the government had been functioning for the past five years in most populous state in the country, and for the decades as a party when SP had its government in UP and when it supported UPA One and UPA Two at the Centre.

Obviously the "thousands of crores of rupees" spent by the other side, which Ram Gopal is mentioning was not the money earned through humble legitimate means of small farming and selling dairy products. It was corrupt ill gotten wealth. The crime becomes even more serious when it is coupled with blatant misuse of power and other immoral acts.

Shivpal's charges of Ram Gopal and his family being corrupt are more specific. His charge that Professor had formed a gang of corrupt, conspirators and wrong doers is even more serious. There couldn't be a bigger proof than this of naked corruption in SP government in UP.

The central investigative agencies, revenue intelligence authorities and even Courts should take suo-motto cognizance and begin investigation. These two gentlemen should be the first ones to be questioned. If this probe is of any worth then half or more of Samajwadi Party patrons should be behind bars. It is thus pertinent that such a corrupt and nepotistic government should not be allowed to stay in government even for a day.

Though Centre would be wary of imposing President Rule in wake of adverse rulings by the Supreme Court on Arunachal and Uttrakhand but wouldn't be averse to it, if there are legitimate grounds. The BSP and BJP are soon expected to demand a special session of assembly by Akhilesh government and a vote of confidence be held on floor of the House.

But till such time that happens, Akhilesh, the chief minister, the supposed good guy in the whole episode will have to answer for rampant corruption, that too at the highest level in his government. He will have to explain how was Amar Singh actually interfering. How was his father interfering. How contracts of all kinds were awarded. Why did he sack Shivpal Yadav twice and despite he was forced to reinstate uncle Shivpal why did he not give him PWD portfolio? Why did he sack Tulsi Prajapati and then why did he re-induct him in government and again when he sacked four ministers on Sunday why a tainted Prajapati escaped the axe.

He can't get away by giving his vague hurt ego clues.

As chief minister, he owes it to the people of UP to explain what the two uncles have said on record about "thousands of crores of rupees" and a "gang" of corrupt and conspirators operating within his government and also outside as extra constitutional authority. He also owes an explanation as to what Shivpal had earlier said about land grabbing. The list is endless. The chief minister can't let off with the impression that he was a helpless young man trying to accommodate to wishes family elders. He cannot be a development messiah and a crusader when he led an allegedly corrupt government and all his family members misused perks of power in his knowledge.

In 2012, people had voted for the Samajpadi Party with high hopes, giving it 224 in 403 members. Yadav clan members can fight as much they want, but as long as their family fights concern governance of UP, the fate of people in Uttar Pradesh and abuse of their money  called as tax payers money they can't be allowed to continue doing what they are doing. Samajwadi Party government to go, at the earliest. Out of power, they can sort out their factional family feud but the government and governance has to be spared.
By Sylvain Andzongo and Joel Kouam

| YAOUNDE/ESEKA, Cameroon

YAOUNDE/ESEKA, Cameroon Cameroon observed a day of mourning on Monday for victims of a deadly rail accident that has killed at least 75 people and exposed widespread frustration with one of Africa's longest-ruling presidents.At the Eseka train station near where a packed passenger train carrying more than 1,300 people from Yaounde to the port of Douala derailed and flipped over last week, thousands of people gathered to mourn.Many wore black and carried small branches from the local "peace tree" associated with sorrow during the inter-religious service where they sang religious hymns.The official death toll from the accident is expected to rise further, with an unspecified number of unidentified bodies being kept in a Yaounde morgue, according to state television.The work has been complicated by the fact there were no official lists of passengers since many did not have tickets. "I still cannot find my brother who was on this train," said Arouna in Yaounde, who did not want to give his full name. "Nobody has been able to help me since Friday."In Eseka, some residents said they had seen many more bodies than had been officially reported although this could not be independently verified. Around 600 people are still being treated for injuries and officials made urgent calls for blood donations to help those who still needed transfusions.On the streets of the capital Yaounde, many openly criticised the reaction of President Paul Biya's government to an accident which they say should have been avoidable.

A train run by the same company, Camrail, a unit of French industrial group Bollore BOLL.PA., also derailed in 2009 near Yaounde, killing five people and injuring more than 200."Many people are dead because they did not receive help that could have saved them at the right time," said Baudelaire Kemajou, a survivor of the crash who lost several friends in the accident and had to wait four hours for help.A local travel agency sent cars to transport the injured before official help arrived, witnesses said.Demand for tickets on the Camrail train had been especially high due to the collapse of a portion of a main highway on the same route and extra carriages were added at the last minute.It is unclear whether this played a role in the crash.

INDIFFERENCE AT THE TOP?

Biya, who has ruled since 1982, arrived back in the country on Sunday afternoon after a 35-day absence following the U.N. General Assembly in New York and a "a private stay in Europe", according to his website.While Biya is often absent for long periods, some expressed anger that he had not returned earlier to manage the crisis.

"Cameroonians are exasperated by his repeated shows of indifference during the tragedies of this country over the past 34 years," said Jean Michel Nintcheu, a member of parliament for the opposition Social Democratic Front.Government officials have previously defended the absences, saying he does not need to be physically present to rule. Biya has called for an investigation into the crash and said the government would pay hospital fees for the injured.Other Cameroonians said that his wife Chantal's decision to step off the plane wearing a bright pink suit jarred with the national mood of mourning."Her choice of clothes shows the disdain she has for the poor...She doesn't show her compassion," said Paulin, an economy ministry official who declined to give his full name.However, Hans De Marie Heungoup, Cameroon analyst with International Crisis Group, said he doubted the incident would have major long-term political consequences for Biya. "In Cameroonian politics there is practically no culture of accountability," he said, describing opposition to Biya as "fragile and fragmented". (Additional reporting and writing by Emma Farge; editing by Mark Heinrich)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
Brussels: Belgium cannot sign a key EU trade deal with Canada, Prime Minister Charles Michel said on Monday. The deal has been suspended because of objections from one of its regions, Wallonia, BBC reported.

Michel's statement appeared to dash hopes the Ceta deal could be signed by EU leaders and Canada on Thursday. "We are not in a position to sign Ceta," Michel said after talks with regional leaders broke down.

It is the EU's most ambitious free trade deal to date but Belgium needs the regions' approval to sign it. Michel said he had told European Council President Donald Tusk that Belgium could not sign Ceta.

The European Commission had set Belgium a Monday deadline to make its decision on the deal agreed with Canada in 2014, after five years of negotiations. Wallonia, a staunchly socialist region of 3.6 million people, wants stronger safeguards on labour, environmental and consumer standards.

Its fears echo those of anti-globalisation activists, who said Ceta and deals like it give too much power to multinationals -- power even to intimidate governments. There have been big demonstrations in several EU countries against Ceta and the TTIP trade talks between the EU and the US.

On Sunday, the European Commission presented a new clarification to Wallonia on the mechanism for settling disputes with investors.

The rules for trade arbitration are one of the thorniest issues in the deal.

According to a media report, the latest EU document did not satisfy the Walloon politicians. Canada and the EU would eliminate 98 per cent of tariffs under Ceta, which was negotiated over five years between 2009 and 2014.

Supporters said this would increase trade between them by 20 percent, and would especially help small businesses. Critics said the deal threatens product standards and protects big business, allowing corporations to sue governments.
By Luciana Lopez

| MANCHESTER, N.H.

MANCHESTER, N.H. U.S. Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton slammed her rival Donald Trump on Monday for saying that the week-old effort to re-take the Iraqi city of Mosul from the control of Islamic State was going badly.Hes basically declaring defeat before the battle has even started, Clinton said at a campaign event in New Hampshire. Hes proving to the world what it means to have an unqualified commander in chief.In a tweet on Sunday, Trump, the Republican nominee for the Nov. 8 election, said the attack on Mosul is turning out to be a total disaster. We gave them months of notice. U.S. is looking so dumb.Iraqi and Kurdish forces, backed by the United States, have mounted a huge assault on the area surrounding the city, the last stronghold of Islamic State forces in Iraq. They have retaken about 80 Islamic State-held villages and towns since the offensive was launched on Oct. 16, but have yet to move on the city itself. The operation could last weeks, or even months. Islamic State on Monday mounted counter-attacks across the country against the Iraqi army and Kurdish forces, trying to deflect attention away from the Mosul campaign. With just over two weeks to go until the election, former Secretary of State Clinton is ahead of the New York businessman in national opinion polls. Both candidates are focussing on a small set of swing states that could decide the contest: while Clinton campaigned in New Hampshire on Monday, Trump spent the day in Florida. Seeking to cement a wide advantage she holds with women voters, Clinton enlisted the help of firebrand U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren, who slammed Trump over allegations that he tried to grope or kiss several women over a 20-year span.

He thinks because he has a mouthful of Tic Tacs that he can force himself on any women within groping distance, Warren told the raucous crowd of 4,000 at St. Anselm College in Manchester. Well, Ive got news for you, Donald Trump. Women have had it with guys like you.At least 10 women have said Trump made unwanted sexual advances, including groping or kissing, in incidents from the early 1980s to 2007, according to reports in various news outlets. Trump has denied the women's allegations, calling them "totally and absolutely false" and promising on Saturday that he would sue his accusers. Warren's reference to mint candies referred to a moment in a 2005 video that surfaced earlier this month in which Trump was heard boasting about groping and kissing women.

NASTY WOMEN

Warren also referenced Trump calling Clinton a nasty woman at last weeks final presidential debate, a phrase that quickly caught fire on social media, sparking hashtags and T-shirts.Get this Donald, nasty women are tough, Warren said. Nasty women are smart. And nasty women vote. And on Nov. 8 we nasty women are gonna march our nasty feet to cast our nasty votes to get you out of our lives forever.Clinton praised Warren for taking the fight to Trump. She gets under his (Trumps) thin skin like nobody else, Clinton said.

At an event for farmers in Boynton Beach, Florida, earlier in the day, Trump disputed multiple national and state polls that show him losing to Clinton and accused the media of distorting poll results to discourage his supporters from voters. I believe were actually winning, Trump said. Just the day before, Trumps campaign manager, Kellyanne Conway, acknowledged that the candidate was trailing in the race, saying in a TV interview, Were behind. According to Reuters/Ipsos States of the Nation project, which surveys the vote in battleground states, Clinton leads Trump in most of the states that Trump would need to win to have a chance of amassing the minimum 270 Electoral College votes needed to capture the White House. According to the survey, she has a better than 95 percent chance of winning, if the election was held this week. The mostly likely outcome would be 326 votes for Clinton to 212 for Trump. The Electoral College votes represent a tally of wins from the states. (Reporting by Luciana Lopez in New Hampshire and Steve Holland in Florida; Writing by James Oliphant; Editing by Caren Bohan and Frances Kerry)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
Las Vegas: Donald Trump proves himself unfit for presidency "every single day", US President Barack Obama has said as he slammed the Republican leaders for going along with the rhetoric of the party's White House nominee till recently.

"For all the progress we've made, if we don't work as hard as we can in these next 16 days, all that progress could be out of the window. Because competing for the job I currently hold, you've got a guy who proves himself unfit for this office every single day, every single way," Obama said at an election rally in Las Vegas, Nevada.

"On the other side, you've got somebody who is as qualified as has ever run for the presidency  Hillary Rodham Clinton," he said amidst applause from the audience.

Obama said for years, Republican politicians and the far-right media outlets have pumped up all kinds of crazy stuff about him and about Clinton.

"They said I wasn't born here. They said climate change is a hoax. They said that I was going to take everybody's guns away. They said that, when we were doing military exercises that we've been doing forever, suddenly this was a plot to impose martial law. This is what they've been saying for years now. So, people have been hearing it, and they start thinking, well, maybe this is true," he told the audience.

"So if the world that they've been seeing is that I'm powerful enough to cause hurricanes on my own, and to steal everybody's guns in the middle of the night, and impose martial law, even though I can't talk without a prompter then is it any wonder that they end up nominating somebody like Donald Trump?" Obama said.

The fact is that there are a lot of politicians who knew better, he noted.

"But they went along with these stories because they figured, you know what, this will help rile up the base, it will give us an excuse to obstruct what we're trying to do, we won't be able to appoint judges, we'll gum up the works, we'll create gridlock, it will give us a political advantage," Obama said.

The US President said the politicians just stood by and said nothing.

"And their base began to actually believe this crazy stuff. So Donald Trump did not start this. Donald Trump didn't start it. He just did what he always did, which is slap his name on it, take credit for it, and promote it. That's what he does," Obama said amidst applause.

"And so now when suddenly it's not working, and people are saying, wow, this guy is kind of out of line, all of a sudden, these Republican politicians who were okay with all this crazy stuff up to a point, suddenly they're all walking away  'Oh, this is too much'," he said.

"So when you finally get them on tape bragging about actions that qualify as sexual assault, and his poll numbers go down, suddenly that's a deal-breaker," Obama said.

"Well, what took you so long? What the heck? What took you so long?" he asked.

"All these years you've been idolising Ronald Reagan, and suddenly your presidential nominee is kissing up to Vladimir Putin, a former KGB officer. You've got a bromance with him," he said.

"You're a Republican official that says you love the Constitution, say that I am engaging in unconstitutional behaviour  power grabs, executive actions  but you then are okay with a President who says he'd silence reporters; in a debate, says he will jail his opponent without due process; wants to deport whoever he wants; apparently has not heard of the First, Fifth, and Fourteenth Amendments," Obama said.

Why would you support him, a charged up Obama asked.

"Why didnt you offer him your pocket Constitution, like Captain Khan's father did, if you care so much about the Constitution? All these years you've said you stand for family values. But why didn't you walk away months ago when you heard your nominee for President, the guy you were hoping could become President, call women 'pigs', 'dogs', 'slobs'; grades them not on their character or their intelligence, but on a scale of one to ten?" he asked.

"And now the excuse they're using for why they should be elected is, 'Well, maybe we did support Trump and now we're being kind of quiet about it, but you should vote Republican anyway because we'll check Hillary's power, we'll be a counterweight'," Obama said.
Washington: Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump will "100 percent" accept the results of the US election if it is fair, his son Eric Trump said on Sunday.

I think what my father is saying is, 'I want a fair election, Eric Trump said on ABC's This Week.

If its a fair outcome, he will absolutely accept it. Theres no question about that."

Trump campaign manager Kellyanne Conway acknowledged on Sunday that Trump trails rival Hillary Clinton in national and key battle ground state opinion polls.

"We are behind," she said on NBC's Meet the Press, adding that Clinton had "tremendous advantages," including a larger campaign war chest that she can use to buy television commercials.

As the polling gap has widened, Trump has repeatedly said the election is being "rigged" against him. He has not offered evidence and numerous studies have shown that the US election system, which is decentralized and run by the states, is sound.

At last week's debate with Clinton, Trump challenged a cornerstone of American democracy by refusing to commit to honoring the result of the US election.

"What I'm saying is that I will tell you at the time. I'll keep you in suspense. OK?" Trump said.

In the aftermath of the debate, Trump said he would accept the election outcome "if I win."

The latest Reuters/Ipsos poll released on Friday has Trump trailing Clinton by 4 percentage point. The latest Reuters/Ipsos States of the Nation project found Clinton with a 95 percent chance of winning the needed 270 Electoral College votes.

An ABC News poll released on Sunday morning had Clinton leading with 50 percent of likely support, compared to Trump at 38 percent. The poll found a that the number of Republicans said they were likely to vote fell 7 percent from mid-October.

Conway, also was pressed on Sunday on CNN's "State of the Union" on whether Trump would accept the election results.

The system is rigged, especially against the little guy, said Conway without directly responding to the question. She spoke of any challenges to the election results as "hypothetical."

The efforts by members of Trump's inner circle to downplay his remarks about the integrity of the election indicate he would come under significant pressure to accept the result if he were to lose.

Republican Party Chairman Reince Priebus said that by asking Trump to agree to concede, the media was making an extraordinary request. He said Trump would only fight if the election were close and is not trying to dispute a fair election.

"Thats not quite what hes saying. What hes saying is he wants to reserve all options and if there is ground for a recount Ill reserve all options," Priebus said on CBS's Face The Nation.

Clinton and Trump will campaign on Sunday in the key swing states of Florida and North Carolina, where the latest polls show they are within only a few points of each other.

On Sunday, Trump picked up his first endorsement of the general election from a major newspaper when the Las Vegas Review backed his candidacy. The newspaper is owned by Republican mega-donor Sheldon Adelson, who has been reluctant to donate to Trump. In 2012, Adelson spent about $150 million trying to help elect Republican Mitt Romney.
Pyongyang: North Korean officials lashed out Monday at efforts in the United Nations to strengthen sanctions following the North's latest missile launches and nuclear test in September.

The officials told an Associated Press Television crew in Pyongyang that sanctions targeting the nuclear and missile tests are "criminal documents" and accused the United States of orchestrating the condemnation.

The United Nations has imposed sanctions on North Korea since 2006 for its nuclear tests and rocket launches. Last week, the UN Security Council called on members to "redouble their sanction efforts."

"The sanction resolutions of the UN Security Council are illegal criminal documents," Pang Kwang Hyok, vice director of the department of international organizations at the North Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs, told the APTN crew in Pyongyang. The North's mission to the UN issued a similar statement that was distributed by North Korean state media on Monday.

"These resolutions determined that our nuclear tests and satellite launches pose threats to international peace and security, but then the problem is why has the UN Security Council never taken issue with the nuclear tests and satellite launches conducted by other countries?" Pang said.

The issue has intensified since the United States and said they detected two failed North Korean missile launches this month, possibly of Musudan intermediate-range ballistic missiles.

The U.N.'s most powerful body, in a statement approved last week by its 15 members, deplored all North Korean missile tests, saying they contribute to the country's "development of nuclear weapons delivery systems and increase tension."

Security Council members called on all countries "to redouble their efforts" to implement sanctions and expressed regret that Pyongyang is diverting resources when its citizens "have great unmet needs."

Musudan missiles have a potential range of about 3,500 kilometers (2,180 miles), which would put US military bases in Guam within their striking distance.

Pang repeated the North's claim that sanctions won't stop Pyongyang from developing its nuclear arsenal.

"I can state that it is a complete miscalculation to think that any sanctions or pressure can have any effect on us," he said.
LONDON British police said on Monday that they had arrested a 25-year-old man in connection with an incident that led to the evacuation of hundreds of passengers from London City Airport on Friday, but that the matter was not "terrorist-related"."The man ... was arrested on suspicion of using a noxious substance to cause serious damage, an offence under section 113 of the Anti-Terrorism, Crime and Security Act 2001," London's Metropolitan Police said on Monday.A later statement said the incident was "not being treated as a terrorist-related matter" and would be investigated by an aviation policing department.

Police said the arrest took place at a residential address in east London on Saturday, and that the man was held at a west London police station and then released on bail pending further enquiries.London City airport was briefly closed on Friday as police and firefighters in protective equipment swept the terminal building of the airport with chemical detectors after several people were taken ill, some of them coughing violently.

Police later said the incident may have been caused by CS gas, used for self-defence and crowd control.

(Reporting by David Milliken and William James; editing by Costas Pitas and Richard Balmforth)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
BANGUI Three people were killed and six wounded in Central African Republic's capital Bangui on Monday when U.N. peacekeepers exchanged fire with armed men during a protest against the U.N. mission, the local Red Cross said.The dead and wounded were among hundreds of protesters gathered to call for the U.N. troops to leave the country, Antoine Mbao-Bogo, president of the CAR Red Cross, said.A Reuters witness saw protesters, carrying anti-U.N. posters, throwing stones and shouting at the troops who responded with warning shots. There was then an exchange of gunfire between the troops and armed men near the crowd.

(Reporting by Crispin Dembassa-Kete and Serge Leger Kokopakpa; Writing by Aaron Ross; Editing by Robin Pomeroy)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
Charlotte: With just over two weeks to go before Americans vote for a new president, Hillary Clinton  who has widened her lead over Donald Trump  is stepping up her efforts in key battleground states to consolidate her lead.

The Democratic former secretary of state vying to become America's first female president leads the Republican real estate mogul among likely voters by 50 percent to 38 percent, according to a national ABC News poll.

That is her highest score since the start of the race to succeed Barack Obama in the White House.

"We are behind," Trump's campaign manager Kellyanne Conway admitted Sunday on NBC's Meet the Press, nevertheless insisting that the race was not over.

At an evening rally in Naples, Florida, the 70-year-old Trump called on his supporters to turn out en masse to "get rid of Crooked Hillary once and for all," using one of his favorite nicknames for his 68-year-old rival.

"Numbers are looking phenomenal in Florida. Don't believe the media," he insisted.

The Sunshine State is a key prize in the presidential race, one of several battleground states that are key for both candidates if they want to win on 8 November. Most polls put Trump a few points behind Clinton there.

'Systemic racism'

Conscious that winning the minority vote will help lead her to victory, the 68-year-old Clinton started her day Sunday at a mainly black church in Durham, North Carolina  another of the swing states up for grabs.

Obama won the southern state by a razor-thin margin in 2008, but lost it to Mitt Romney four years later. Team Clinton is pulling out all the stops to put it back in the Democratic win column.

Before a congregation that included Sybrina Fulton  the mother of slain unarmed black teen Trayvon Martin, whose death shocked America in 2012  Clinton called for awareness of the "systemic racism" seen across the country.

"If we are honest with each other, we know we face the continuing discrimination against African-Americans and in particular young African-Americans," she said.

"These conversations can be painful for everybody, but we have got to have them."

She accused her Republican opponent of painting "a bleak picture of our inner cities" and ignoring the successes of black leaders "in every field and every walk of life."

Hillary and Michelle

Clinton will return to North Carolina on Thursday with the woman who has emerged as one of her best campaign weapons  Michelle Obama. It will be their first joint rally for the former and current first ladies.

"The choice in this election really is about what you want, what you believe for yourself and your future," Clinton told a rally in Charlotte, notably mentioning the need to respect women  an allusion to Trump's woes over allegations of sexual misconduct.

The new ABC News poll said 69 percent of likely voters disapprove of Trump's response to questions about his treatment of women, after a series of women alleged he either groped or forcibly kissed them in years past.

Trump has strongly denied those allegations, and on Saturday threatened to sue the "liars" who came forward with claims about his past behavior.

Clinton is leading nationally in both two-way and four-way contests by an average of about six points, according to RealClearPolitics. She is also ahead in most of the crucial battleground states.

The 70-year-old Trump is clinging to an edge  but only a slight one  in traditionally Republican strongholds like Texas, where he has a three-point lead.

'Not over yet'

Team Clinton is gunning for a landslide win, using its momentum to push ahead in the battle for control of Congress. Both the Senate and the House of Representatives are now in Republican hands, and the Democrats would like to change that.

"We're not taking anything for granted at all," campaign manager Robby Mook told Fox News Sunday.

"You know, this is not over yet."

While Clinton has received several major newspaper endorsements, Trump got his first major thumbs-up, from the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

"Mr Trump represents neither the danger his critics claim nor the magic elixir many of his supporters crave," the paper wrote, adding he would instead shake up the US capital's "political elites."

In Vegas, Obama hit the campaign trail for Clinton and Nevada's Democratic Senate candidate Catherine Cortez Masto.

For the president, Democrats have the winning hand.

"You've got an ace, and you've got a jack," he said, giving in to the urge to use a blackjack metaphor in Sin City.

"But you've got to make sure to turn over the card by voting," he added.

"The game ends on 8 November!"
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A massive crowd gathered in central Bangkok on Saturday to sing a special version of Thailands royal anthem in honor of King Bhumibol Adulyadej, who died this month.

A large field in front of the ornate Grand Palace complex was packed with black-clad mourners, as were all the approach roads. Police eventually closed the roads to traffic.

The kings body is lying in one of the palaces in the complex while royal funeral ceremonies are going on. No date has been set for cremation, which will likely take place after a year.

Led by the Siam Philharmonic Orchestra and a 100-strong choir, the crowd sang an emotional version of San Sern Pra Baramee, or Salute to the Monarch.

Another version was recorded Saturday night with the crowd holding candles.
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte will bring home USD24 billion worth of funding and investment pledges from his four-day visit to China as both nations agreed to resume talks and explore areas of cooperation in the South China Sea.

China will provide $9 billion in soft loans, including a $3 billion credit line with the Bank of China, while economic deals including investments would yield $15 billion, Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez told reporters in Beijing on Friday. Preliminary agreements in railways, ports, energy and mining worth $11.2 billion were signed between Philippine and Chinese firms.

China is not only a friend. China is only a relative, but China is a big brother, Communications Secretary Martin Andanar said in Beijing, adding that while U.S. had been like a father for the Philippines, it was time to move out of the house and decide for ourselves.

The investment deals conclude a contentious week for Duterte who told a business audience in Beijing on Thursday following a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping that he wanted to cut the cord with the U.S. and pivot to China and Russia, deepening a split with his countrys biggest military ally. Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez and Economic Planning Secretary Ernesto Pernia said the Philippine cabinet would move strongly and swiftly toward regional economic integration even as they said that the nation would maintain its relations with the West.

Chinas Baiyin Nonferrous Group Co. has agreed to consider investing up to $700 million in a stainless steel plant in the Philippines in a preliminary agreement signed with Global Ferronickel Holdings Ltd, the Philippine company said.

China Railway Engineering Corp. signed a memorandum of understanding for a $2.5 billion project with MVP Global Infrastructure Group. China Harbour Engineering Co. Ltd. signed a $780 million coastline and port project in Davao City, hometown of Duterte.

The Philippines will maximize the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank as a funding source for infrastructure projects, Lopez said. It wont stop trade, but would lessen too much dependence on the U.S., Lopez said, adding the Southeast Asian nation realistically cant stop transactions with its military ally.

China and the Philippines agreed to continue discussions on confidence-building measures to increase mutual trust and will meet regularly on issues of concern in the disputed sea under a bilateral consultation mechanism, according to a joint statement e-mailed by the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs. Both sides also agree to explore other areas of cooperation, the statement said. Bloomberg
The United Nations Organization has been formally inaugurated during a short ceremony at the US State Department in Washington.

A total of 29 countries ratified the United Nations Charter that was signed by 50 nations on 26 June in San Francisco. US Secretary of State James Byrnes signed the protocol and proclaimed the charter was now a part of the law of nations.

He said it was a historic day for peace-loving nations of the world. But he warned peace was not based on documents but depended on the will of people to maintain it. He added the USA would do its best to promote international co-operation.

The world security organization aims to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war and maintain international peace and security.

The UN Charter upholds human rights and proposes that nations should work together to overcome social, economic, humanitarian and cultural challenges.

The name United Nations was coined by US President Franklin D Roosevelt, and was first used in the Declaration by United Nations of 1 January 1942 when representatives of 26 nations pledged to continue fighting together against the Axis Powers.

Further proposals for an international security organisation were discussed in August 1944 at Dumbarton Oaks, in the District of Columbia, USA. The final charter was then signed in June in San Francisco and ratified today.

The UNs predecessor, the League of Nations, was established after the 1914-18 World War. It aimed to prevent another global conflict, but it failed to prevent the devastating world war that has just ended.

Much of the leagues structure and many of its aims have been adopted by its successor.

The organization will consist of six organs:

General Assembly of all members;

Security Council with five permanent members  China, France, Russia, the UK and the US  and six temporary members;

Economic and Social Council;

Trusteeship Council to supervise administration of colonies, former mandates of the League of Nations and territories taken from defeated nations;

International Court of Justice to be based at The Hague in the Netherlands;

Secretariat

A Military Staff Committee will be charged with security and may take control of weapons such as the atomic bomb.

The permanent headquarters of the UNO will be in the US although it has been revealed that France, the UK and the Netherlands voted against this decision.

A preparatory commission will gather in London next month to prepare for the UNOs first General Assembly meeting in the British capital early next year expected to bring 2,000 people to the city.

Foreign Secretary Ernest Bevin will lead the British delegation. Colonel GR Codrington, who is leading the events organizers at the Foreign Office, told the Times newspaper there would be no ostentatious entertaining and that visitors would be given emergency ration cards.

Bomb damage has restricted the amount of hotel rooms available and members of the public have responded to an appeal to take guests into their homes during the conference.

Courtesy BBC News

In context

United Nations Day is celebrated on 24 October each year. The United Nations Organization became known simply as the United Nations.

Most members have permanent missions at the UNs main headquarters in New York. This was built in 1952 on land beside the East River donated by US millionaire John D Rockefeller.

Fourteen independent agencies make up the UN System alongside many of the organizations own programs and agencies.

These include the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund and the World Health Organization.

Frictions between the Western nations and the Soviet Bloc during the Cold War dominated much of the organizations first four decades and hampered the functioning of the Security Council.

Since the 1990s the UN has taken on an increasingly interventionist approach.

Despite some successes in the peacekeeping arena, operations in Bosnia, Rwanda and Somalia were flawed, failing to prevent massacres and even genocide.

A 2000 report criticized the UNs insistence on neutrality in situations where one side resorted to violence, warning that this could render missions ineffective.

The share-out of power in the UN, particularly in the Security Council, is hotly debated. Critics say the over-riding influence of the councils five permanent members is unfair.

After years of financial crisis, the UN has come under pressure to cut spending and to slim down its bureaucracy. Member nations owe the organization billions of dollars.
Award-winning photojournalist Eduardo Leal recently delivered a public lecture at the University of Saint Joseph, where he captivated audiences with photographs of the recent Venezuelan Revolution, the legacy of the Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar, and his encounters with bullfighters in Portugal.

Currently living in South America, and having spent much of his recent years travelling the continent, the Portuguese-born photojournalist has been subjected to intense confrontations  some violent in nature  including police aggression and detention, and the confiscation of his belongings.

Leal is fascinated in particular with Venezuela, he explained of himself, even if she doesnt like me very much, referencing the countrys government, police and paramilitary groups.

Leal sat down with the Times to talk about his experiences and the dangers of working as a photojournalist on the frontline.

Macau Daily Times (MDT)  How do you feel about being described by your peer last month as a witness to our times?

Eduardo Leal (EL)  We [photojournalists] try to show the world what we see and what we want them to [understand]. Its one of the things that I love about this career. I like that I see history happening. It is a huge honor [to be described that way] but also a big responsibility; I feel that you cannot screw up or do things wrong.

MDT  What most troubled you about the protests in Venezuela in 2014?

EL  What really struck me was that the protesters, who were mostly students, were so organized like an army. They had specialized [divisions]; medical students were at the back helping those who were injured and engineering students building things for the protest. They were very well organized

But the protests became a little bit predictable. We [the journalists] would go to get some lunch knowing that something would happen [in the afternoon]. By the early evening [government forces] would start to head toward the protestors and then things would become dangerous.

MDT  You have been in pretty dangerous situations before  how serious do you let it become, and when do you know that you have gone too far?

EL  You have to remember that its not a movie; there are no heroes. If there are any, then they are the ones lying dead on the battlefield. You have to be aware of the risk and know the limit I wont say thats [as soon as] when the firing starts  because thats when you want to move forward thats when something is happening!

But you have to know not to go too far. And thats something that I had to learn.

I have a contact  my brother  who I agree to message or call every day just to confirm [my safety], and if I will be [unreachable] for a few days then I will let him know, as well as when I [intend] to make contact again. Somebody has to know where you are.

MDT  Do you ever consider the ethical dilemmas of what to capture and what to not?

EL  Yes, of course, I often have these problems. What I want is to show the world what I see, but I dont want to exploit anyone or the situation [in general]. Its a question of drawing a line, [demarcating] what is appropriate and inappropriate That line is exploitation, I think. The other thing [to consider] is that the image needs to fit the story. I showed [during the public lecture] the photograph of [a former drug lord in Colombia] who is shown paying homage on his knees. This man told us that he had murdered at least hundreds of people he openly admitted it to us There is some sense of contrast then, between his actions and how he is shown [in the photographs], and I really love working with contrasts.

MDT  Are you working on a project for Macau? If so, what is the story that you would want to tell?

EL  I am working on something, but I dont have it worked out yet. I am hopefully coming back to the city next year  I have been [tentatively] invited  which will allow me to shoot more of Macau.

I actually first came here as a teenage backpacker and I thought, Sin City; gambling and prostitution. After returning, I see that there is more to the city than that. Again, its about contrasts. There are two worlds here: the gambling world and the traditional Chinese one, which doesnt have anything to do with gaming really. These two worlds are almost opposites  new versus old. That is something I would like to explore.

Color can be distracting, says Leal

Eduardo Leal explained to the audience of a public lecture in Macau that he prefers to shoot in black and white  though that is normally not an option if he intends to send the photographs to a publication as editors insist on color images.

Asked whether shooting in black and white is detrimental to telling the real story  as it reflects the focus that the photographer wants to highlight and not necessarily the whole story  Leal said that it can, in fact, add clarity to the image.

Some colors  particularly red  can be distracting and detract from what is supposed to be portrayed, said Leal, but in black and white you can narrow in [to] what is actually important.
The Louvre Museum will be celebrating its history with the exhibition Invention of the Louvre: Eight Centuries of French History through the Museums Collections, to be held later this year in China. The exhibition will show masterpieces from all departments of the Louvre, which will be held at the National Museum of China, in Beijing in December 2016.

A gala dinner was held in support of this significant project recently at Wynn Palace Cotai, Macau and was attended by over 500 government representatives and business leaders.

The Louvres decision in choosing the enclave [Macau] to hold the Invention of the Louvre Gala Dinner to launch the exhibition campaign accentuates Macaus role in the One Belt One Road route, said Pansy Ho, Chinas Ambassador of the Louvre Museum.

It is a recognition and validation of Macaus capability as a platform to bridge the East and the West, its important position in promoting international cultural exchange. [] I hope this event will further inspire exchanges between China and France, Beijing and Macau, and the exhibition will enrich the spiritual and cultural life experiences for China citizens, said Pansy Ho.

Comprised of paintings, sculptures, prints and decorative arts spanning Europe, the United States, and Asia, Invention of the Louvre is intended to be an illustration of the museums on-going reinvention in carving new museological paths to nurture and deepen the appreciation of art and culture around the world.

We are thrilled to be putting forward the history of the Louvre to audiences in China, said Jean-Luc Martinez, President-Director of the Louvre Museum.
1. The Shanghai government recently introduced a scheme to attract foreign talent that will allow high-level foreign professionals to apply for a Shanghai Residence Card. As the Times reported, the scheme will allow some Hong Kong and Macau residents to apply for permanent residence and citizenship in Shanghai, provided that they surrender their Hong Kong and Macau ID cards to the authorities in the two special administrative regions.

In Macau we see the exact opposite being implemented over and over. Instead of implementing policies to attract the best job candidates, rational analysis gives way to demagogic pressures in protecting the jobs of Macau residents above all else. Competency is sidelined and the government seems to follow the emotive will of the populace. People are being fired because of the type of work visa they hold and their provenience. If an incompetent resident that got hired to fill the local quotas gets fired there is a risk of a demonstration in front of the Liaison Office. Companies complain of difficulties when hiring for managerial posts.

Dont get me wrong, I believe that priority should be given to locals when hiring (although not in a way that makes the process impractical) and it is understandable that authorities may want to limit the growth in the number of people that live in Macau, given its size. The region is small and not fit to cope with the millions living here, like neighboring Zhuhai (around 1.5 million habitants) and Hong Kong (over 7 million).

But looking at the measures implemented to attract foreign talent in Shanghai and in other Chinese cities, we see that Macau is perhaps failing to fulfill its role as an international city. That is its historical role, as recognized by Beijing. Premier Li Keqiang said during his recent visit to Macau: There is a multiculturalism in Macau, that can be seen in the mix between Chinese and Portuguese cultures. These multicultural characteristics are the thing that makes Macau singular. Macau is a very important place to China in terms of its openness to the exterior.

If the above-mentioned demagogic trend is not corrected, Macau may suffer another brain drain like has happened several times during its recent history (when waves of Macanese migrated to Shanghai, Hong Kong or America). It is not only the young locals that graduate and dont feel there is a place for them in this casino-driven economy. It is also the foreigners that work here in managerial positions who may be replaced just because they dont hold the right card or background.

2. An old and absurd issue: apparently more importance is given to pandas than to the safety of our children in public spaces. The recent report by the Commission of Audit slams the management of leisure facilities by the Civic and Municipal Affairs Bureau. Some childrens playgrounds were actually falling apart and nothing was being done to address the issue.

However, there is no lack of resources for the pandas offered by the central government. It was announced that the twin panda cubs Jian Jian and Kang Kang lack space at the Giant Panda Pavilion in Seac Pai Van, so IACM announced that the pavilion would be expanded. Millions will be spent in superfluous works for all the pandas being exhibited.

With due respect to the sweet creatures, this is another example of choosing the wrong priorities.
A Somali pirate said Saturday that 26 Asian sailors held hostage for more than four years have been released after a ransom was paid, and international mediators said it represents the end of captivity for the last remaining seafarers taken hostage during the height of Somali piracy.

The crew from Vietnam, Taiwan, Cambodia, Indonesia, China and the Philippines had been among the few hostages still in the hands of Somali pirates.

The pirate, Bile Hussein, said the sailors were the crew of the FV Naham 3, a Taiwan-owned fishing vessel seized in March 2012. The ship later sank.

Hussein said $1.5 million in ransom was paid for the sailors release. That claim could not be independently verified.

The 26 sailors are currently in the safe hands of the Galmudug authorities and will be repatriated using a U.N. humanitarian flight shortly and then on to their home countries, John Steed, the coordinator of the Hostage Support Partners for the U.S.-based organization Oceans Beyond Piracy, said in a statement.

The statement included a photo, stamped Aug. 14, showing the thin, grim crewmen standing or squatting together as proof they remained alive.

Steed said only one other group of hostages had been held longer than this one, which spent 1,672 days in captivity.

They are reported to be in reasonable condition, considering their ordeal. They are all malnourished. Four are currently receiving medical treatment by a doctor in Galkayo. They have spent over four and a half years in deplorable conditions away from their families, Steed said.

He said another member of the crew died in the hijacking and two died of illnesses in captivity.

Piracy off Somalias coast was once a serious threat to the global shipping industry, but attacks have dropped dramatically in recent years after ships began carrying armed guards and European Union naval forces increased patrols. AP
An exhibition of photographs to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the birth of Sun Yat Sen opened Saturday, featuring a total of 270 historic and valuable photographs as well as a number of artifacts associated with his life.

The exhibition will be held until November 13 at Macau Forum. It is organized by the Chief Executives Office and the Government Information Bureau, and is being run with the support of the Museum of the Former Residence of Dr Sun Yat Sen, in Zhongshang Prefecture, Guangdong Province, and of a committee in Macau comprising members from different sectors of the community.

The exhibition is divided in two parts. The first explains Sun Yat Sens life story, making reference to major historical events and social change at that time, using this as context as it explores his visions and goals for the revitalization of China.

The second part of the exhibition shows Sun Yat Sens close relationship with Macau, a place where he worked as a doctor, providing the sort of medical help that was much needed at that time. According to the organizers, Sun Yat Sen saw Macau as a doorway to the rest of the world  a base for him to promote his revolutionary ideologies  as well as a place wherein he lived with his family.
The entire territory of Syria must be liberated, Russian President Vladimir Putins spokesman said in remarks televised Saturday, dismissing demands for Syrian President Bashar Assads departure as thoughtless.

The Russian statement came as intense clashes were reported in northern Syria between Turkish troops and Turkey-backed opposition fighters with Kurdish-led forces. The Syrian army command condemned the fresh offensive by Turkish troops inside Syria, describing it as an occupation that will be dealt with by all available means.

The Turkish military intervened in the Syrian war in August this year under orders from Ankara to clear the border area of Islamic State fighters and U.S.-backed Syrian Kurdish forces linked to Turkeys own outlawed Kurdish insurgency. The Turkish government considers both to be terrorist groups.

In the northern city of Aleppo, government forces shelled eastern rebel-held neighborhoods Saturday night marking an apparent end to a lull announced by Russia.

Russias Dmitry Peskov said Assad needs to stay in power to prevent the country from falling into the hands of jihadis.

There are just two options: Assad sitting in Damascus or the Nusra sitting in Damascus, Peskov said in a reference to the Nusra Front, al-Qaidas branch in Syriathat renamed itself Fatah al-Sham Front earlier this year. And Assad must sit in Damascus to ensure a political settlement.

Peskovs statement comes as the break in the fighting Russia has declared in the besieged city of Aleppo entered its third day before seemingly collapsing Saturday night. He said Russias decision to extend the break, which was initially declared for just one day Thursday, wasnt a concession to Western pressure.

The U.N. greeted the lull intended to allow the evacuation of wounded civilians and fighters from the rebel-held eastern neighborhoods of Aleppo that had been devastated by airstrikes. But the rebels rejected the offer to evacuate and no evacuations were seen along the corridors created by the Syrian government.

A U.N. official told The Associated Press that Syrian opposition fighters were blocking the evacuations because the Syrian government and Russia were not holding up their end of the deal and were impeding deliveries of medical and humanitarian supplies into Aleppo.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the truce collapsed while the Aleppo Media Center, an activist collective, reported artillery shelling on different neighborhoods and an attempt by government forces to advance south of the city. They had no word on casualties.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said the West was turning a blind eye to the al-Qaida militants blocking humanitarian aid deliveries to Aleppo and trying to shift the blame onto Moscow.

Its mean and cynical to  watch the Nusra block the delivery of food and medicines to civilians while blaming Russia for the humanitarian catastrophe in Aleppo, she said.

Russia launched an air campaign in support of Assad a year ago, helping his forces win back some key ground. The relentless bombing of Aleppo, the countrys largest city and its commercial hub before the war, has caused international outrage.

Peskov said the goal of the Russian campaign is to fight terrorists, saying that the fall of the Syrian government would cause new flows of refugees and more terror attacks in Europe.

Some countries are trying to play with the devil and use terrorists to get rid of Assad, and some just say thoughtlessly that Assad must leave, Peskov said. If Damascus falls and terrorists take hold there, there will be no political settlement then.

He said there is little hope that the Syrian conflict could end soon, adding that it will require a long and hard work by the international community.

The territory of Syria must be liberated, Peskov said. It must be liberated and everything must be done to prevent the countrys breakup, which could have catastrophic consequences for the entire region. AP
I'm Michael Peterson, a priest in the Anglican Church of Canada, currently serving a parish in the Diocese of Toronto. I'm also a retired Canadian Forces chaplain , hence the Padre in the title. Mad just means eccentric, and on that note, I also blog on toy soldiers, madpadrewargames.blogspot.com. I'm on Twitter at @madpadre1.
BURLINGTON, Ind.  When Tim Sheets saw the rolling pastures, old brick house and giant red barn sitting on his future in-laws farm, it was love at first sight.

It was in the 1970s, and he had just started dating his wife, Beth, when they went to visit her parents on their cattle farm located at 4175 N. 1200 West, just a mile away from the Howard-Carroll county line.

When he saw it, he knew he wanted to live there someday.

I grew up on a farm, and I never thought Id ever have a desire to get back to one, Sheets said. But its in my blood, and it was eventually going to happen.

And it did. In 1998, the Sheets moved from the north side of Indianapolis with their school-aged children into the old brick farmhouse, which had by that time been renovated.

A few years later, the old barn that used to house cattle was filled up with something more unusual: herds of alpacas.

My father-in-law raised cattle, but we wanted to do something that was a little different, something that everybody wasnt doing in this area, Sheets said. I think my father-in-law would have appreciated this. I think hed mostly just be glad we were still utilizing the barn.

That was the same sentiment shared by judges on the Bicentennial Barns of Indiana committee.

Earlier this year, a panel of artists, preservationists and agriculturalists selected the structure as one of the top 10 best barns exemplifying the states agriculture heritage as part of Indianas bicentennial celebration.

The 10 barns were selected for their architectural and historical features, aesthetics, character, condition and construction. The contest launched last year, and 200 entries were submitted.

We were blown away by the level of pride that jumped off the entry forms and photos, said Betsy Jones, who coordinated the barn project, in a press release. The stories that owners shared about their barns exuded family history, pride and a genuine love of those barns. It was extremely difficult to narrow the field to just 10.

Sheets said the history of their barn likely dates back to 1911, when they believe it was built by a man named Otho Rodkey. That guess is based on a support beam at the top of the structure, which has his name and the date written on it.

The barns interior hasnt changed since its construction. Hand-hewn beams are interspersed with nearly untouched logs which still have their bark attached.

The English-style structure still has the original hayfork hanging from the roof. The fork is rigged up to a series of ropes and pulleys on the roof that allowed farmers to pull hay from wagons and pile it on top of the animal stables inside.

Thats the reason these old barns are so high, Sheets said. They piled loose hay up as high as they could go.

The barn doesnt only have towering ceilings. Its also amazingly large at 2,400 square feet.

Sheets said one of the most remarkable features is a massive, 60-foot support beam running the entire length of the barn that was hewn from a single tree. He said he calculated the beams weight at around 2,700 pounds, which made it a monumental task for workers in the early 1900s to install.

Its just amazing they could do that, Sheets said.

Its that kind of construction, though, that has allowed the barn to stay in such good condition after more than a century of use.

These barns were built sturdy, he said. You have solid, massive timbers in here that provide a lot of strength. Its stood up through winds and storms and never had any problems that Im aware of.

The biggest issue with old barns is the roof, Sheets said.

If you let the roof go bad and start getting water leaking, it attacks the wood and rot begins, he said. It doesnt take long for a downhill slide. If you maintain the roof and the siding, its going to last a long, long time.

Thats just what the Sheets did about 13 years ago, when they installed new asphalt shingles. They used that opportunity to give the barn a personal flair, putting the initials H and F on one side of the roof  which stands for Heritage Farms  and an alpaca on the other side.

Now, the barn has become the centerpiece of the farms agro-tourism business.

Not only does it shelter the Sheets alpaca herds, which they sheer to harvest the animals soft, warm wool. It also serves as an idyllic backdrop to the country weddings that take place on the property.

The Sheets decided to open up the farm for weddings, and this summer, four couples booked the place to hold their ceremony and reception.

Its kind of the popular thing right now, Sheets said. Kids like to get married on a farm and have an outdoor wedding.

The barn and farm have also become a popular place for groups of students to visit, as well as the curious tourist. Just last week, more than 375 people from all across the Midwest visited the property as part of a barn tour of the area.

Sheets said its encouraging to see people still have an interest in old barns, since many have long since been torn down to make way for more modern, large-scale farm operations.

Now, he said, he seems himself as something of a historical preservationist, working to maintain and promote a piece of Indianas agricultural past.

These old barns are disappearing, he said. Theyre expensive to keep up, and with todays agriculture, you cant use them. You cant fit machines in them or big operations. But theyre architectural gems, really. The way they were built represents our history.
There are finally some signs of life in the wheat market.

Prices surged last week by the most in 15 months after the U.S. Department of Agriculture unexpectedly cut its forecast of global inventories. That was fortuitous for some speculators. A day before the Oct. 12 USDA report, funds cut their record bets that prices would drop.

Futures are crawling back from tough times earlier this year, when signs of the biggest supply overhang ever sent prices in August to the lowest in a decade. Since then, importers have stepped in to take advantage of the low costs. Countries including Algeria, Egypt and Syria were said to purchase or seek wheat this month. Global shipments will climb 1.6 percent this season to an all-time high of 174.7 million metric tons, the USDA predicts.

You need something new to be bearish at those levels, said Gillian Rutherford, who helps oversee about $12 billion as a commodities portfolio manager for Pacific Investment Management Co. in Newport Beach, Calif. Looking forward, our bias is that the momentum is constructive.

The wheat net-short holding contracted by 11 percent to 135,406 futures and options in the week ended Oct. 11, according to U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission data released three days later. In the prior week, the negative bets had climbed to the largest ever in the government records that start in 2006.

Wheat futures for December delivery gained 6.6 percent last week on the Chicago Board of Trade to $4.21 a bushel. It was the biggest gain for rolling most-active futures since June 26, 2015. The price for the most-active futures contract is now 10 percent lower this year, paring back losses seen earlier in 2016.

After years of losing market share because of a strong dollar, U.S. supplies are becoming more competitive in areas including North Africa, the USDA said. The agency expects American exports to rebound 26 percent this season. Some nations, including France, had poor crop quality this year amid adverse weather conditions. Buyers are looking for better quality grain, especially for varieties with higher protein levels.

The prolonged agriculture rout may also be bottoming as farmers start to curb output. Wheat futures in Chicago have posted three straight annual declines. U.S. farmers, in the midst of seeding winter crops, will probably reduce acreage, Societe Generale SA analyst Rajesh Singla said in an Oct. 11 report.

As growers sow less, weather concerns remain. A dry spell in western Kansas and eastern Colorado may maintain moisture stress for the newly seeded crop for two weeks, Commodity Weather Group LLC said in a Oct. 14 report.

Theres still a supply cushion. Despite improving demand, domestic reserves are expected to swell to the highest since the 1980s this season, helping to push global inventories to a record, USDA data show. American farmers are also expected to collect a record corn harvest, which could limit wheats rebound because the two crops jockey for use in livestock rations.

At the same time, U.S. wheat prices will need to stay low for exports to remain competitive against other countries. Russia will maintain its hold as the worlds largest exporter for a second year, according to USDA forecasts.

When youve got the stocks we have, just the sheer quantity, and the fact that youve got this monster corn crop coming in the door, thats going to keep a lot of pressure on wheat prices for quite some time, said Steve Nicholson, a vice president of food and agriculture research at Rabo AgriFinance Inc. in St. Louis.

But, prices are probably close to the low, he said. I dont know that I could say theyll get worse from where they are right now.
BOISE  A Twin Falls man who apparently hanged himself in a Boise prison early this month died Saturday, a prison official said.

Jerry Michael Cruz, 22, was convicted of felony burglary in Twin Falls last year and was sentenced to two to five years in prison.

Cruz, an inmate at the medium-security Idaho State Correctional Institution in Boise, was found hanging in his cell about 2:15 p.m. Oct. 13, Idaho Department of Correction Spokesman Jeffrey Ray said in a statement.

Correctional officers immediately initiated lifesaving measures, Ray said, and Ada County Paramedics took him to a Boise hospital.

He was pronounced dead about 10:00 p.m. Saturday, nine days after he was found hanging. The Ada County Sheriffs Office is investigating the death, which is believed to be a suicide.

Cruz was arrested Jan. 3, 2015, when police caught him and another man burglarizing trailers and cars at the Cameo Mobile Estates on Caswell Avenue West, court records said.

I am taking responsibility for my actions of burglary because I went into the shed and took tools and other property that wasnt mine, Cruz wrote in a guilty plea advisory form later that month just weeks after his arrest.

He was sentenced to a therapeutic and educational retained jurisdiction program, known as a Rider, with an underlying two to five year prison term. But mental health, medical issues and a low education level all resulted in a poor performance in the Rider, court documents said.

When the retained jurisdiction program finished, 5th District Judge Richard Bevan wrote Cruz was not eligible for probation based on his background and character, including but not limited to his criminal history.

That meant Cruz was instead sent to serve his prison term. He would have been eligible for parole in March 2017.
TWIN FALLS  The manager of the Lynwood Shopping Center wants to convert a former ATM building to a drive-thru coffee shop.

On Tuesday, the Planning and Zoning Commission will consider Koby Funderburgs request for a special use permit in the south parking lot. Funderburg wants the city to allow him to convert the old Wells Fargo ATM into a coffee stand with drive-thru and walk-up windows.

We have had many folks ask us to put something like this in the Lynwood and we are excited to have the chance, he wrote in a letter to the city.

Planned hours of operation would be 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. seven days a week, with at least two employees working at all times.

The Planning and Zoning Commission meets at 6 p.m. Tuesday at 305 Third Ave. E.

Also at the meeting, commissioners will consider a preliminary plat for Meadow West Subdivision, on the south side of Falls Avenue West and west side of Grandview Drive North. The 71.5-acre planned unit development consists of 290 lots, intended for 278 homes and 12 neighborhood commercial lots. The applicant is Gary Wolverton with Grandview Farms LLC.
POCATELLO (AP)  U.S. Sen. Mike Crapo of Idaho says hes voting for Donald Trump after earlier this month rescinding his endorsement.

Crapo in a statement released Monday says he will vote for Trump to keep Hillary Clinton from becoming president.

Earlier this month Crapo pulled his endorsement after a video tape surfaced of Trump making vulgar and sexually charged comments about women.

Crapo said at the time hed spent more than 20 years working on domestic violence protections and Trumps excuse of locker room talk was unacceptable.

He urged Trump to step aside and let his running mate, Indiana Gov. Mike Pence, take his place.

But that hasnt happened, and Crapo says the next president needs to appoint Supreme Court justices who will interpret the Constitution as written.
Seniors wellness

The Twin Falls Senior Center will hold a presentation for senior citizens at 12:15 p.m. Monday at 530 Shoshone St. W.

Horizon Home Health and Hospice staff will discuss Food for Healing.

Free; 208-734-5084.

Blood drive

The American Red Cross will hold a blood drive from 1 to 7 p.m. Monday at Church of the Ascension-Episcopal, 371 Eastland Drive N., Twin Falls. Donors of all blood types are needed.

To schedule an appointment to donate, download the blood donor app, visit redcrossblood.org or call 800-733-2767.

Weight loss support

TOPS Club (Take Off Pounds Sensibly), a nonprofit weight-loss support group, will meet weekly at several locations.

The Twin Falls chapter will meet at 4:30 p.m. Monday at the Twin Falls Senior Center, 530 Shoshone St. W., 208-734-2641 or 208-734-5300.

Other local chapters will meet at 5:15 p.m. Wednesday at 2025 S. Highway 81 in Malta, 208-645-2438; 9:15 a.m. Thursday at the Jerome Public Library, 100 First Ave. E., 208-324-6693; 9:30 a.m. Thursday at 410 E. Third St. in Rupert, 208-436-6037 or 208-679-3518; and at 5:30 p.m. Friday at 1800 J St. in Heyburn, 208-678-8706 or 208-678-2622.

Recovery support

Recovery For Life groups meet at 7 p.m. Mondays at Twin Falls Reformed Church, 1631 Grandview Drive N., in the white building.

Groups and classes include GriefShare, Parenting Skills, Hope 12-step, Divorce Care, Special Parents Special Kids, Cooking Matters, Codependency, and Recovery Womens Bible Study. A free meal begins at 6 p.m.

Free child care and transportation. Information: 208-733-6128.

Womens and

childrens support

Voices Against Violence will offer support groups at 212 Second Ave. W., No. 200, Twin Falls.

Womens Sexual Assault Support Group will meet from 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesdays; Womens Domestic Violence Support Group, 6 to 8 p.m. Thursdays; and Childrens Domestic Violence Support Group, 6 to 8 p.m. Thursdays.

All groups are facilitated by licensed mental health professionals. Childcare is provided. All services are free.

Information and to register: case manager, 208-733-2558.

C-sections

Caesarean childbirth class, 6:30 to 9 p.m. Wednesday in Oak Rooms 2-4 on the lower level of St. Lukes Magic Valley Medical Center, 801 Pole Line Road W., Twin Falls.

Topics: Caesarean deliveries, pain management, non-conforming labors and hospital procedures.

Free; pre-registration is required, 208-814-0402.

Alzheimers support

Alzheimers Association, Greater Idaho Chapters Caregiver Support Group meeting, 6:30 to 8 p.m. Wednesday at DeSano Place Village, 1015 E. Ave. K, Jerome.

The group meets on the first and fourth Wednesdays every month.

Information: Becci Bowler, 208-749-1621.

Alzheimers support

Alzheimers Association, Greater Idaho Chapters Caregiver Support Group meeting, 6:30 to 8 p.m. Wednesday at DeSano Place Suites, 545 Nevada St., Gooding.

The group meets on the second and fourth Wednesdays every month.

Information: 208-934-4623.

Vision support

Visually Impaired Support Group meeting, 12:45 to 2 p.m. Thursday at the Twin Falls Senior Center, 530 Shoshone St. W., Twin Falls.

Topics: glaucoma, macular degeneration and diabetes-caused vision problems.

Information: Idaho Commission for the Blind, 208-734-2140.

Breast cancer

awareness

Breast Cancer Awareness Seminar, 6 p.m. Thursday in the Oak Rooms on the lower level of St. Lukes Magic Valley Medical Center, 801 Pole Line Road W., Twin Falls.

The presentation is by Dr. Charles Smith, radiation oncologist and breast cancer specialist of St. Lukes Mountain States Tumor Institute.

Free admission. Reservations: 208-814-0094.

Anxiety support

Anxiety Support Group, 6 p.m. every Thursday at Magic Valley Fellowship Hall, 801 Second Ave. N., Twin Falls.

Support for those who experience anxiety, panic attacks or depression. Learn about the signs, symptoms of anxiety and depression, and coping skills.

Information: Cathy Shaddy, 208-410-2768.

Health fair

Annual Magic Valley Health Fair, 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday at the College of Southern Idaho gymnasium in Twin Falls.

The event includes free screenings for skin cancer, gait and balance, vision and hearing, along with free blood pressure checks, and free nitrate testing for well water. Blood work will be available at a reduced cost.

Free flu shots will be provided for the first 200 people, courtesy of Wellness Tree Community Clinic.

Free admission. Presented by Times-News and co-sponsored by St. Lukes Magic Valley, Miracle Ear, Wright Physical Therapy, Select Health and South Central Public Health District.

Happy babies

Happiest Baby on the Block class, 6:30 to 9 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 1, in Oak Room 2 on the lower level of St. Lukes, 801 Pole Line Road W., Twin Falls.

Learn a step-by-step approach to soothing your baby, and receive a parenting kit to use at home. The class can be taken before or after delivery.

Cost is $15; pre-registration is required: 208-814-0402.

Medicare

Senior Health Insurance Benefits Advisors are available to assist with Medicare open enrollment, by appointment, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesdays, Nov. 1 through Nov. 29, and Thursdays, Nov. 3, 10 and 17, at Twin Falls Senior Center, 530 Shoshone St. W.

SHIBA volunteers will assist seniors and those who are turning 65 with selecting their 2017 Medicare Advantage and Prescription Part D plans. Other days may be available based upon demand for assistance. Medicare open enrollment continues through Dec. 7.

Schedule an appointment: 208-539-3264 or 208-734-5084.

Grief support

Auburn Crest Hospices Grief Support Group, 7 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 3, at 397 Blue Lakes Blvd. N., Twin Falls.

The support group is for those who have lost loved ones. The group meets on the first and third Thursdays, through Dec. 15.

The goals are to come together to support one another, share memories of loved ones, process through stages of grief, gain tools to navigate the grief process, and to prepare for coming holidays. Everyone is welcome.

Information: Sandy and Sheri, 208-735-7450.

Grief support

Surviving the Holidays Grief Share class, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 5, at Lighthouse Church, 960 Eastland Drive.

The class is open to the public and for those who have lost a spouse, family member or friend.

Fee is $10 and includes materials and lunch. Enter through the east doors at the rear of the main building.

Information: 208-737-4667.
For 5 years, the Syrian government has tortured, shot, bombed and gassed its own people with impunity, with the resulting human cost clear for all to see: nearly 500,000 dead and 11 million displaced. Since Russias military intervention began one year ago, conditions have worsened, with more than 1 million people living in 40 besieged communities. Thirty-seven of those are imposed by pro-government forces.

While subjecting his people to unspeakable medieval-style brutality, Syrian President Bashar Assad has sabotaged diplomatic initiatives aimed at bringing a lasting calm to his country. The most recent such diplomatic scheme was trashed not just by Assad, but also Russia, whose aircraft were accused of subjecting a U.N.-mandated aid convoy to a ferocious two-hour attack in September.

Since then, at least 2,500 people have been killed and wounded in eastern districts of Aleppo, amid horrendous bombardment by Syrian and Russian aircraft, and Russia cynically vetoed a U.N. resolution that would have prohibited further airstrikes in the city.

It is time for the United States to act more assertively on Syria, to further four justifiable objectives: to end mass civilian killing; to protect what remains of the moderate opposition; to undermine extremist narratives of Western indifference to injustice; and to force Assad to the negotiating table. The United States should not be in the business of regime change, but the Assad clique and its backers must be brought to account before it is too late. The world will not forgive us for our inaction.

The consequences of continued inaction are dreadful. U.S. policy has never sought to decisively influence the tactical situation on the ground. Unrealistic limitations on vetting and a policy that prohibited arming groups to fight the regime left us unable to effectively fight the Islamic State or to move Assad toward a transition. U.S. policy and strategy on Syria had a major disconnect, in being focused militarily on a group that was a symptom of the civil war without any means to achieve the stated policy objective: Assads departure.

The hole in this strategy could only have been filled by a comprehensive train-and-equip program for moderate Syrians to fight the Islamic State and decisively resist regime forces. Sadly, we have allowed this connective tissue between our counter- Islamic State strategy and our policy to remove Assadthe moderate Syrian oppositionto come under sustained attack by the regime and Russia.

For years weve said there can be no military outcome in Syria, but the Russians and their allies have pushed the military dimension of the crisis to strengthen the regimes political position and, in the name of fighting terrorism, to systematically eliminate the opposition, including moderate Syrians we judged should be part of the political process of transitioning Assad out. These objectives were derived from our unwillingness to tangle with the regime, and now also the Russians.

The administrations condemnation of Russia, and its forecast of a Vietnam-like morass for Moscow, seem a misunderstanding of Moscows calculus. Russia will determinedly protect its interests by any means, including attacking civilians and U.N. aid convoys. The expectation that Russia will tire of its Syria quagmire and become diplomatically pliable ignores reality. Russia has shown a remarkable capacity to dig in behind bad policy and fight under adversity. Ultimately, Vladimir Putins Russia must beor at least seem to beon the ascendancy, as it is in Ukraine, along NATOs frontier, in Syria and even in Libya. Russias repaired relationship with Turkey and improved ties elsewhere further complicate U.S. policy.

Ultimately, this leaves us only two options. First, the United States should encourage and join its European allies in imposing an escalatory set of economic sanctions against Russia and bodies and individuals supporting its military and paramilitary activities in Syria, Ukraine and elsewhere.

The second option is one the Russians believe the United States will never do: Escalate the conflict. The United States must challenge the status quo and end the regimes war crimes, by force if necessary. This need not require some major pronouncement. Indeed, for now, a quiet warning may be more effective, since a major public announcement would almost certainly polarize the situation further.

For a start, the United States must save Aleppo. Damascus, Moscow and Tehran are razing the city to prepare for an eventual ground assault. As both the CIA and Pentagon have concluded, an opposition loss in Aleppo would severely undermine the United States counterterrorism objectives in Syria. The citys symbolism and strategic value are unmatched, and allowing it to fall would dramatically empower extremist narratives. Groups linked to al-Qaida would reap the rewards of our shortcomings.

To save Aleppo, the United States and its allies must both accelerate and broaden the provision of lethal and nonlethal assistance to vetted moderate opposition groups. This assistance would aim to empower other frontlines in northern and southern Syria to force pro-regime forces to divert attention from Aleppo. Opposition groups should also be provided with the means to bombard regime military airfields, many of which already lie within indirect fire and artillery rocket range.

Simultaneously, the United States must use existing multilateral mechanisms to push for a new cessation of hostilities in Syria in which flagrant violations will be met with targeted U.S. military consequences. Should such an agreement prove impossible due to the likely intransigence from Damascus and its supporters, the United States should gather a coalition of the willing to credibly threaten military action against Assads military infrastructure.

The credibility of the United States as the leader and defender of the free world must be salvaged from the horrific devastation of Syria. It is not too late to enforce international law and norms. However, we cannot wait for a new administration in Washington. Events are moving too quickly. Bashar al-Assad is not the solution to the Syrian crisis, and he is the least-qualified possible partner in a fight against terrorism, having spent much of the past 16 years aiding and abetting al-Qaida and, it would appear, the Islamic State as well. Action certainly presents risks, but to allow events to continue to unfold as they are means raising the cost yet further for a future, inevitable U.S. intervention.
We have known Lee and Jan Heider for a number of years. We appreciate the service Lee has given as our senator for the past six years. He serves as the chairman of the Health and Welfare Committee, and has worked diligently to act upon the needs of the citizens of Idaho. He spends many hours, both in and out of the session, helping to solve issues within our state.

A few years ago he amended the Idaho Constitution with the enactment of the "right to hunt, fish, and trap" being forever preserved for Idaho's citizens. He takes his work seriously and does a great job.

This past session Lee was very involved in getting a behavioral health center for Twin Falls and the Magic Valley. This center should open later this year and will serve those in need throughout this area. While many people talk about getting things done, Sen. Heider actually gets things done.

Sen. Heider has served countless hours on special committees during and out of session over the years.

Lee values human life, the sanctity of marriage and family, and upholds the values of the Constitution of the United States. We feel that Sen. Heider is very well respected, not only among the political leaders of the state, but by the people of Twin Falls. He is always willing to visit with his constituents and help them understand the issues, as well as answer their concerns. We are glad that we have a Republican legislature that believes in balancing the budget, as Lee Heider does.

Please remember to vote on Nov. 8, and reelect Sen. Lee Heider who will preserve our Republican values.

Steve and Karen Lund

Twin Falls


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A militant group in restive Sinai province has claimed the killing of Brigadier General Adel Rajaaie outside his home in the outskirts of Cairo.

Rajaaie, commander of an armored division in the Egyptian army, came under attack Saturday as he was leaving his house in the city of Obour for work, military sources and his wife told media.

His wife, Samia Zain El Abedeen, said he received a lot of bullets and died instantly.

His assailants, armed with automatic guns, fled in a car, she said.

A militant group, self-named Louwaa el Thawra, meaning in English the Revolution Brigade, claimed responsibility of the attack on twitter. The account has been suspended, Reuters reports.

Rajaaie who previously served in unsettled North Sinai is the highest Egyptian army official to be killed by militants since 2013, the year President al-Sisi toppled former Islamist and democratically elected President Mohamed Morsi.

Since then, the Egyptian regime has been facing bloody attacks in the Sinai from the militants who vowed to revenge the arrests and killings of hundreds of Islamists including leaders of the now-outlawed Muslim Brotherhood organization.

Al-Sisi and his regime have pledged to get rid of the Islamist organization, which they claim is more dangerous than the Islamic State group (IS).

Attacks also spilled to capital Cairo and other cities. IS in Sinai in June last year claimed the assassination of the countrys top prosecutor Hisham Barakat, killed in a car bomb. Barakat, a staunch aid of now-unpopular al-Sisi, is the countrys top state official to be killed since the military coup.
Princess Lalla Salma, spouse of King Mohammed VI, has received the Tribute Award for her personal commitment in the fight against cancer in the North African country and beyond.

She was honored on Saturday at the third edition of Bal de la Riviera gala organized by the Duke of Anjou, Prince Charles Philippe.

The distinction was handed to the Moroccan consort Princess in her quality as Chairwoman of the Lalla Salma Foundation for Cancer Prevention and Treatment.

Princess Lalla Salma, who chaired the Bal de la Riviera event, expressed her satisfaction at the prize and highlighted the initiatives led by the Lalla Salma Foundation for Cancer Prevention and Treatment as well as the special attention the foundation receives from King Mohammed VI.

The foundation, championing the fight against cancer in Morocco and also in some other African countries, was set over a decade ago.

Prince Charles Philippe also granted the foundations Secretary General, Rachid Bakkali, the Solidarity Award.

The Bal de la Riviera initiated by Prince Charles Philippe brings together world figures who champion a global cause.

Lalla Salma had arrived on Friday in Lisbon where she was received by Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa at the Belem Palace who congratulated her for her excellent work.

On the sidelines of her participation in the Third Bal de la Riviera, she visited the Portuguese Oncology Institute of Lisbon where she attended a presentation given by Francisco Cavaleiro de Ferreira, head of Portugals league against cancer.

The Princess also attended, on Saturday, a conference on the challenges of fighting cancer in the 21st century, held at the Paula Rego Museum in Cascais.
After his successful visit to Rwanda, King Mohammed VI started Sunday an official visit to Tanzania, 2nd leg of an African tour that will lead the Sovereign also to Ethiopia. This important trip to Eastern Africa aims to give a new impetus to cooperation between the North African Kingdom and these three English speaking countries.

The Sovereigns visit to Tanzania will open a new era in the political and economic relations between the two African countries. Several cooperation accords will be signed in the fields of finance, agriculture, tourism, banking, insurance, infrastructure, energy, education, investments etc.

Tanzania looks forward to benefit from Moroccos successful experience and inclusive socioeconomic development approach based on a win-win partnership serving African peoples interest.

Tanzanias economy regained momentum in Q2, with annual GDP growth accelerating to 7.9 pc from Q1s slower 5.5 pc. Q2s pickup was broad-based as many sectors accelerated, including the key agricultural sector, mining and transportthe latter two having logged double-digit expansionsas well as construction and energy.

Q2s solid performance is due to the Tanzanian governments investment and infrastructure policy, which has made the gold-producing and natural gas-rich country more resilient to the commodities slump than most of its regional peers.

Yet, the country faces some major challenges. It received lately USD 1.6 billion loan from the World Bank to alleviate power shortages, build railways, develop manufacturing and enhance farming.

Tanzania is also home to two renowned tourism destinations  Africas highest mountain, Kilimanjaro, and wildlife-rich national parks such as the Serengeti.

Tanzanian media welcomed the royal visit to Dar es-Salam as opening a new era in bilateral relations and lauded the Kingdom for reaching out to eastern Africa, part of the Moroccan Sovereigns endeavors to build up strong inter-African relations and promote African integration.
Chicken will be the best-positioned protein due to its low price position in times of pressure on consumer spending power but rises in production costs and the long-term impact of COVID-19 threaten to disrupt the sector, according to Rabobank.
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@ByKristenMClark

A new direct-mail piece paid for by the Florida Democratic Party seeks to drive home to voters where the state's U.S. Senate candidates stand on abortion.

Democratic U.S. Rep. Patrick Murphy -- along with Democratic groups supporting him -- has been making the topic a campaign issue for weeks, seeking to contrast Murphy's pro-choice views with Republican incumbent Marco Rubio's pro-life stance.

In response to the new mailer, Rubio's campaign reiterated its criticism that Murphy has "extreme positions on abortion" -- such as supporting the use of taxpayer money to fund abortions or supporting late-term abortions -- that "put him out of touch with the vast majority of Floridians."

Murphy's campaign has argued Rubio is the one who is out of touch because he opposes a woman's right to choose, including in cases of rape and incest or if the mother is infected with the Zika virus.

The mailer, which started arriving at Florida voters homes this weekend, is going out to "hundreds of thousands" of voters across the state, according to Murphy's campaign.

Here's a look at the mailer:
@ByKristenMClark

Through a new Spanish-language TV ad and other campaign materials, state Senate candidate and Miami Republican state Rep. Frank Artiles is falsely telling central Miami-Dade County voters his opponent voted to release violent criminals and sexual delinquents in our community.

Artiles TV ad claims Cutler Bay Democratic state Sen. Dwight Bullard was the only senator who voted against keeping our communities safe  the only one, and that Artiles would be the one who would protect the communities of Senate District 40. He echoed the attack in an image he posted on Twitter, too, in which Artiles claimed he led the way to keep sexual predators off the streets while Bullard voted in favor of releasing violent criminals.

But Artiles assertions manipulate facts.

Bullard called the ad "disgusting" and another example of "gutter-level politics" from Artiles.

More here.
@ByKristenMClark

As part of a swing through Florida this week as in-person early voting begins, Democratic vice presidential nominee Tim Kaine plans to hold public events in both Sarasota and Tallahassee on Friday afternoon.

During the campaign stops, Kaine will discuss his and Hillary Clinton's economic plan, according to a release from the Clinton campaign.

Specific times and locations for the two events haven't been announced. Members of the public interested in attending these events can RSVP for the Tallahassee event here and the Sarasota event here.

The last time Kaine was in Tallahassee he visited a local business incubator and encouraged voter registration at Florida A&M University.

Photo credit: Joe Rondone / Tallahassee Democrat
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Skunks may be the Rodney Dangerfield of the animal world. They get very little respect. On second thought, they get considerable respect  based on fear. And they may be among the critters using animal underpasses and the overpass included in new construction along U.S. Highway 93 between Polson and Evaro a few years ago. At least fewer polecats were squashed by highway traffic following construction.

Not so in Bakersfield, California, though. Not only did a skunk get run over by a car or two, but a highway painting crew striping a road in Bakersfield added insult to the skunks demise. It painted right over the carrion  a double stripe at that.

I bet the skunk still got the last word  before being put out of odor.

Snake oddities

Skunks arent the only little critters making the news. A few years ago, an internet item reported that an elderly woman in Suining, in southwestern China, discovered a snake with a clawed hand protruding from its body.

She told a Chinese news agency that she woke up in the middle of the night when she heard a strange scratching sound. She turned on the light and saw a snake clinging to a wall in her bedroom. Frightened, the woman grabbed a shoe and beat the snake to death.

She reportedly preserved the snakes body in a bottle of alcohol and gave it to the Life Sciences Department of Chinas West Normal University in Nanchang.

The report brought to mind an incident in the early 1970s when Flathead Courier staffer Bob Gauld came across a rattlesnake with feet near Elmo. The snake had been run over by a car just before Bob drove by. Bob thought it looked odd. He stopped and went back to investigate. As I recall, the snake had what appeared to be four feet extending from the bottom side of its body. Pictures were taken and the snake was turned over to the University of Montana.

Squirrelly squirrels

When I worked at the Roundup Record-Tribune in the mid-'50s, a Roundup woman called the fire department and asked for help in dispatching a squirrel she found in her house.

Hes smiling at me, she told firemen.

The firemen opened a door and the squirrel ran out.

That episode was solved a bit easier than one in 1960 when a squirrel invaded the newly built Flathead Courier plant in Polson. On a sweltering summer day we had no air conditioning system in the building, which extended at that time all the way to the alley. We kept the back door and front door open to try to get some ventilation.

A squirrel came in the back door and scampered around the press area. Courier printers chased him with brooms into the front office and out the front door. End of story? Nope. The squirrel must have thought that was so much fun that he went around the building and came in through back door again, which was still open. For the repeat performance the back door was closed.

The next year we had air conditioning and the squirrels moved to a new neighborhood.
A local planning and engineering firm has completed a conceptual plan for turning a dead-end street near Southgate Mall into a route that would connect Reserve Street with Brooks and bring thousands of additional cars through the neighborhood.

The plan for Mary Avenue has been a long time in the making, as city officials grapple with the transit needs created by rapid urban development and the desires of residents of that street.

Project manager Peter Walker-Keleher at DJ&A Engineers, Planners, Surveyors will be presenting the plan at 3 p.m. Nov. 1 at the City Council chambers at 140 W. Pine in front of the Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Board.

The designs, which are far from finished and can still be modified through public input, so far call for a mini-roundabout at the intersection of Clark and Mary. There would be six-foot tree-lined boulevards on both sides along the majority of the street and sidewalks would be installed where there currently are none on large portions.

A traffic study completed last year projected that removing the dead-end would result in an increase from about 400 average daily vehicle trips to about 3,800 on Mary Avenue. For comparison, about 14,000 cars travel daily on South Avenue between Clark and Reserve, and about 28,200 cars travel daily on Reserve Street between McDonald and Dixon.

This past January, the City Council approved a development agreement between Southgate Mall Associates (SMA), the city and the Missoula Redevelopment Agency to reimburse SMA for the cost of extending Mary Avenue from Brooks through the mall property to the eastern side of the Bitterroot Branch railroad line.

The city will then be responsible for improvements to the portion west of the tracks and the crossing. City officials, who say an east-west connector route is sorely needed between Brooks and Reserve, have conducted a public outreach campaign, and plan on holding more meetings to accommodate the concerns and desires of those who live on that street and in the area. The mall is in the midst of a $64 million redevelopment, including the addition of a new nine-screen, dine-in movie theater. That work, including the malls portion of Mary Avenue, is expected to be completed by 2018.

There is no set timetable for completion of Mary Avenue west of the tracks or a date when track crossing would be installed. The Redevelopment Agencys board of commissioners would have to sign off on the entire process as well, possibly as soon as the Nov. 16 meeting.

What weve presented is a conceptual plan, Walker-Keleher said. The next step is to email or send a letter to all adjacent landowners. Then we will present this conceptual plan to the MRA for approval. If its approved, we would start surveying and come up with a preliminary design, then work to come up with a final design. And throughout that process, we will continue to work with property owners to resolve issues related to fences, trees, mailboxes and dumpsters and all that. We are about to enter the design phase.

"We dont yet have a final design, and that applies to the roundabout as well. Conceptually, it looks like the roundabout is going to work, but we havent decided yet.

It is unclear whether a traffic signal will be installed at the intersection of Mary and Reserve, because it would have to be cleared by the Montana Department of Transportation. The conceptual plan for Mary calls for vegetated curb extensions to help visually constrict the roadway and therefore slow traffic and reduce noise, Walker-Keleher said. He added that the roundabout, ideally, would reduce noise and pollution.

A lot of pollution and noise comes from acceleration, he explained. We have created an option where not having to completely stop is preferable. The fall-back option is a four-way stop. He also said that people tend to drive slower on streets where there are lots of trees, such as in the University District.

Its a psychological factor, he said.

Instead of dedicated bike lanes, bicycles would be accommodated through sharrows, travel lanes that are wide enough to allow for bikes and vehicles to share the road. On-street parking would be provided along the length of the corridor on one side of the street. The posted speed limit will be 25 mph.

Walker-Keleher said that he feels his firm has accomplished the initial task of working with the community to develop a plan that has broad support.

Anytime you get lots of different people, you are never going to make them all happy, he acknowledged. The project itself impacts the neighborhood. Its going from a quiet dead-end street to a street with almost 4,000 cars daily. That is a big difference. But I feel like we were able to work within the 60-foot right-of-way, which is what property owners wanted. They wanted quiet and safety. Perhaps in an ideal world, there would have been two lanes of parking and bike lanes, but by and large I feel like weve balanced property owners needs with the needs of the broader community.
An historic $24 million pledge to the University of Montana pushes the campus to raise money for a new building for the College of Forestry and Conservation.

The agreement outlining terms of the record donation to the UM College of Forestry and Conservation and Global Leadership Initiative notes UM's obligations in addition to naming requirements.

"In consideration of the gift, the university will use reasonable efforts to obtain funding for a new building for the W.A. Franke College of Forestry and Conservation," reads the contract. "Such efforts shall include presenting the Board of Regents with a specific proposal to fund a new building."

The contract does not set a timeline, and UM President Royce Engstrom said it is too early to address possible funding sources, location and timing.

"The agreement simply says we will make an effort to move in that direction," said Engstrom in an email provided by his communications director. "We do not have specific plans in place to do that at this time. It will be a long-term discussion."

The College of Forestry is not on the Montana University System's list of approved priorities for the 2019 biennium.

Earlier this month, UM announced that Bill and Carolyn Franke and their children had pledged the largest single gift in the history of the campus. Bill Franke is an airline magnate and the family has a home in the Bigfork area and an interest in conservation and education.

Franke also is the former CEO of Southwest Forest Industries, which was later purchased and became part of Smurfit-Stone Container. Smurfit operated a plant in Frenchtown until 2010.

***

The Frankes don't have direct ties to UM, but UM developed a relationship with them that led to the naming gift. Engstrom presented information about the donation to the Faculty Senate at its October meeting, and the Montana Board of Regents will take up the renaming in November.

The gift agreement signed by Franke, Engstrom, and UM Foundation President and CEO Shane Giese outlines how much money each fund and program will receive. It also notes actions UM will take in acknowledgement of the donation.

"The university will also allocate office space in the newly constructed Gilkey Building to house the Franke Global Leadership Initiative," according to the contract. "This allocation of space will remain in effect as long as it aligns with the use of the Gilkey Building and purpose of the Franke Global Leadership Initiative, as determined by the president of the university."

The Global Leadership Initiative (GLI) aims to prepare students to address worldwide concerns and give them leadership skills to operate in a "global century."

"By providing students with interdisciplinary coursework, out-of-classroom experiences, advising, and support, the GLI fosters skills that enable students to critically examine global challenges and achieve genuine confidence in their knowledge and abilities," reads part of the online program description.

Many students don't travel because of cost, and part of the donation to the Global Leadership Initiative will help students "participate in an international or domestic beyond-the-classroom experience." Criteria for some of the funds for students include demonstrated financial need and academic merit.

The contract notes the donor will make payments that can be spent immediately as well payments to fund these priorities in the following order until endowments reach set amounts:

Franke Global Leadership Initiative at $1.3 million,

W.A. Franke Fresh Water Conservation Initiative at $3 million,

W.A. Franke Sustainability Fellows program at $3.25 million,

Frankle Global Leadership Initiative Fellowship at $4.7 million,

W.A. Franke Scholarship Fund at $2 million,

W.A. Franke Endowed Graduate Fellowships in Wildlife Biology at $3 million,

W.A. Franke Endowed Endowed Faculty Chair in Forest Conservation at $2 million,

W.A. Franke Endowed Faculty Chair in Watershed Hydrology at $2 million,

W.A. Franke Internship Fund at $750,000, and

W.A. Franke Innovation Fund at $2 million.

The gift is due by Jan. 31, 2023, according to the gift agreement.
To quash concerns and fear around the possibility of voter fraud and rigged elections, Missoula County Elections office staffers showed visitors around their fairgrounds offices Monday morning.

Walking a small group of citizens through the life of a ballot, Elections Administrator Rebecca Connors said every county has a different procedure and Missoulas is tried and true.

Its a tedious process and theres a lot of checks and balances, Connors said. I cant speak for any other counties.  Here we keep it locked and tight.

After every election, the secretary of state requires an audit, in which elections officials hand-count three districts and compare the result to the machine count. Missoula historically has been spot-on, Connors said.

After the office receives a completed ballot, it goes through three steps, she said, walking the group through each point in the process, which begins in the floriculture building on the fairgrounds.

First, the outer envelopes are sliced open, to allow elections officials to tear off a cover flap revealing the voters signature and a bar code.

The ballots are then bundled into groups of 25, with a batch number attached to each bundle.

The receipting desk takes the ballots and scans them, bringing up an image of the signature on its computer screen. After comparing the image to the signature on the ballot, the ballot either passes, or is rejected if the signature doesnt match or there isnt a signature at all.

Of the almost 10,000 ballots the office has received so far this year, the bin of rejected ballots held maybe 50. More than 40,000 absentee ballots were sent out this year, Connors said.

The elections office calls and sends a letter to voters whose ballots are rejected, so they can come in and re-sign or fill out a new ballot.

We try everything to get a voter the chance to vote, Connors said.

When the receipter finishes checking every signature in a bundle, they print out a report, marking whether the ballots were rejected or not, and add it to the batch number also rubber-banded to the outside of the ballots.

Crates full of bundled ballots are then carried over to reconciliation, in the picnic annex next to the race track, where aides check the groups against the report.

We have to make sure that everything on the list is in hand, election aide Doris Walther said. Then we sort them.

One wall of the room holds shelves and shelves of bins for every one of the 51 voting precincts in Missoula County.

This is the first time the blue inner envelopes are removed from their white exteriors, with only the precinct information  no personal information  available to staff.

At this point, you dont know who this person is, election aide Jack Schmidt said, waving a blue envelope just removed from the white. We separate the ballot from the name.

***

Once a precincts bin is filled, the ballots are boxed up by two-person teams and sealed, and put in a locked room until Election Day, when separate volunteers run the ballots through counting machines, Schmidt said.

The possibility of someone fooling around with this process is pretty tough, one person remarked.

Im looking at it, but I havent figured out how yet, Schmidt replied.

The countys Election Systems and Software (ES&S) Model 100 counting machines, Connors explained, are marked with security-seal tape, which is only broken to make repairs.

They have enough machines that every precinct has a spare, in case there are issues on Election Day  very possible, as the machines are almost 20 years old, she said.

A repairman from Butte will be in Missoula to service the machines in western Montana and some parts of Idaho.

If you think back to your computer from 2000 or 1999, thats the technology were working with, Connors said.

***

Bob Auras came to the open house particularly concerned with the age of the mechanized ballot counters.

He knows its going to be a close election and hoped the machines dont fail or miscount come Nov. 8.

Auras said he wished Missoula could afford the updated counters, but understood that the costs were too great without voting office grants. Connors said the federal government hasnt given those out for at least a decade.

In past years the main problem weve had with tallying the ballots was not the personnel, but the equipment, Auras said.

Though the Election Day counters are out-of-date, the absentee ballot counter is much newer, an ES&S DS850. While the Model 100 is user-fed, the DS850 can automatically run 300 ballots per minute, according to the ES&S site.

None of their counting machines are connected to the internet, Connors said.

***

After taking over as elections administrator in 2014 from now-County Administrative Officer Vickie Zeier, Connors is working her first presidential election as more than an election aide.

Donald Trumps recent accusations that the election is rigged and that voter fraud will abound have been proven extremely unlikely by several studies, though the possibility has voters around the country concerned for the outcome of this year's election.

Though she only heard a small handful of comments from voters on the issue, Connors still felt that showing Missoula County voters how their ballots were counted was essential to assuaging fears of a rigged election.

Im all about lifting any kind of veil and we have nothing to hide, Connors said.
If youre like most people in the United States today, the one thing you want from the current campaign season is for it to be over. Never before have Americans been forced to vote on two more unpopular choices for president and, unfortunately, the great disgust with our current state of democracy doesnt end at the top of the ticket. Theres a word for it, albeit seldom used: ennui. It means great weariness and dissatisfaction and perfectly sums up the state of Americas current disunion.

Leading the parade of disillusion is the Republican Party. Saddled with Donald Trump, who is now openly in revolt against those who foolishly nominated him as their presidential candidate, the poor Republicans are in total disarray.

Like a mean dog, Trump has turned on the hand that feeds him  his own political party. While the reasons so many Republican leaders have disavowed their own candidate are obvious, Trumps strategy, if you can call it that, of turning on the Republicans is more than puzzling. Like so much of what Trump has done in his campaign its downright dumb.

Theres an old saying that you dont pick fights with people who buy ink by the barrel. What it means is fighting with the press is a losing proposition because they produce the articles by which the populace judges candidates. This is particularly poignant for politicians, a long-standing fact that Donald Trump felt didnt apply to his artificially elevated self-image.

The results, which were totally foreseeable, have been disastrous for Trumps electoral hopes. Early on he insulted the pundits who appear on opinion pages, television screens and digital media nationwide. In turn, they have mercilessly savaged him at every chance  and thanks to Trumps very poor political judgment and seedy sexual proclivities, theyve had many, many chances to even the score with The Donald.

In the meantime, on the other side of the supposed political divide, we have Hillary Clinton, whose campaign has been besmirched from the first day with scandal and corruption. From using a personal computer server while secretary of state, to deleting tens of thousands of emails, to the heinous manipulation of the Democratic National Committee with her now-disgraced accomplice Debbie Wasserman-Schultz, Clinton has managed to achieve the distinction of having the highest negative ratings of any candidate for president in the history of this nation. When you consider that means being more disliked than Donald Trump, thats really saying something.

Add to Clintons long list of dubious actions the trashing of Bernie Sanders in the primary. Sanders did what Clinton cannot  he inspired people tired of the fixed political games of the Washington insiders with a vision of a new and better future for a nation weary of endless war, enormous economic inequality, and the fleecing of the populace for the vast enrichment of the oligarchs. Suddenly, a generation of young people who have largely eschewed the political arena turned out by the tens of thousands for Sanders rallies. Echoing the sheer physical presence of his supporters, Sanders also blew up contemporary political wisdom that campaigns run on vast amounts of money raised from special interests and mega-wealthy donors. Instead, his funds came from millions of contributors who averaged about $28 each. It was the little people who rose up in a tidal wave to make Bernie a far greater challenge to Clintons presumed ascendancy than anyone could have predicted.

And what did Sanders get for the astounding energy and hope he brought to the moribund Democrats? A knife in the back from the party insiders that left those millions of potential votes and enthusiastic supporters stunned, alienated, and disgusted. If anyone thought Sanders supporters would pivot to Clinton, they were horribly wrong.

What the huge national political disillusion means for down-ticket candidates is anybodys guess. We could be facing one of the lowest voter turnouts in recent history.

Then theres Trumps presumption that if he isnt elected, its because the election was fixed. Surely it couldnt be because he is such a poor candidate whose main actions at the debates were more like a spoiled second grader calling names than a serious candidate for the presidency. And if Clinton wins, which looks likely, shell take office on Day One as the most unpopular president in history.

So here we are, stuck in the great state of dis-union, wallowing in ennui, and wondering what happened to our democracy. Welcome to the 2016 election. Itll be over soon.
Gov. Steve Bullock does not deserve to be re-elected, as he has truly served the elites in Washington, D.C., rather than Montanans. He signed the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes Water Compact into law, knowing that it did not have the legal 2/3 Senate and House majority votes, and thereby made the protections of the Montana Constitution null and void. The Montana Constitution should have protected the states authority over all our waters, to prevent the federal government in conjunction with the CSKT from taking over that authority. Soon after signing the compact into law, Bullock raced up to the tribal headquarters in Pablo for mutual congratulations.

There were many injustices included in the compact. Hundreds of ranchers and farmers, who really know their water needs, testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee that the computer models used in the compact underestimated the amount of water that was needed. Hearing all the evidence for many hours, the Judiciary Committee opposed the compact. Recently, Judge James Manley noted that the controversy surrounding the compact is broader than this limited lawsuit and added, the case is unlikely to resolve the larger controversies. He did acknowledge that the Constitution required a 2/3 majority vote.

When Bullock did not oppose a group of people, known as Soft Landing, from inviting refugees into Missoula County, he was obeying the Washington elites rather than the people of Montana, who voiced many objections. We petitioned the governor to redress our many grievances concerning refugee settlement in Missoula to no avail. He ignored us and many other citizen groups. The stated federal criterion for refugee settlement has been ignored. There are no factories or large facilities to offer the necessary employment and we citizens will be burdened with increased city and county school taxes to pay for mentors, tutors and language teachers. Our state will also be burdened with the cost of increased Medicaid.

Just these issues would be grounds for a very good argument against the Soft Landing position. Add to these points the citizens expressed concerns for their safety and also the Muslims loyalty to their own government laws created by their religion and their stated aversion for our laws based on the U.S. Constitution.

We Advocates for Our Republic support Greg Gianforte for governor for many reasons. We are impressed with his proven honesty. To run a successful business, he had to obey every rule and regulation and then provide complete satisfaction to his customers. In any business, if customers are not content with promised supplies the business does not flourish as his did. He knows that excessive rules and regulations do curtail business and therefore jobs in Montana. Hell be a good governor for the business world, but also for the environment. As he loves fishing, hunting, hiking, etc.; he would never curtail that for Montanans and he also does allow access adjacent to his property so others do enjoy the fishing. Those using this access must be puzzled that he has received such bad publicity concerning their enjoyed public access.

We know that Gianforte would never have signed the water compact into law, because it did not receive a two-thirds majority. We also believe that Gianforte will protect the physical safety and finances of Montanans concerning refugees. He would never go along to get along with the elites in Washington, D.C., because he truly loves Montana and Montanans.

We urge you to vote for Greg Gianforte for governor of Montana.
Attorney General Tim Fox, a Republican running for re-election, has served the state admirably during his first four-year term in office. Missoula County residents in particular have reason to appreciate Foxs service as attorney general.

All Montanans can appreciate Foxs outreach and ability to work across party lines at every level of government, from federal and tribal to state and county. He has even formed public-private partnerships to help the Montana Department of Justice, which Fox leads, accomplish important goals with limited resources.

Of special note are Foxs efforts to foster better relationships with Montanas tribes. For example, shortly after Fox was elected in 2012, he and several dozen Justice Department staff traveled to the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes headquarters in Pablo to learn about the tribes laws, agreements, culture and history. Indeed, last August Fox was officially adopted into the Crow tribe, just as his father had been some 50 years earlier, and given the name Spiritual Runner.

Building strong relationships has been a hallmark of Foxs time as attorney general, a position where conflict is constant and various agencies must cooperate seamlessly to serve the publics best interests.

Missoula County has seen this firsthand. Attorney General Fox played a key role in settling a dispute between the previous county attorney, Fred Van Valkenburg, and the U.S. Department of Justice after the Justice Department launched an investigation into sexual assault reports involving the University of Montana, Missoula Police Department and the county attorneys office. Both UM and city police signed agreements with the federal DOJ and achieved full compliance in short order. However, the Missoula County Attorneys Office under Van Valkenburg asserted the DOJ had no authority to investigate and refused to cooperate.

That is, until Fox intervened. Somehow, Fox was able to bring the two sides together to sign an agreement that gave the Montana Attorney Generals Office the authority to oversee the progress made by the Missoula County Attorneys Office in meeting the terms of the agreement.

Fox then began working with current County Attorney Kirsten Pabst almost immediately after her election in 2014, and in August, his office announced that it was ending its oversight of the local office, which had achieved full compliance.

It was a victory not only for victims of sexual assault in Missoula, who now receive improved response to their reports and better treatment throughout the process, but also for victims throughout Montana as Fox encouraged other counties to adopt Missoulas advancements.

Notably, his commitment to justice for sexual assault victims has continued on other fronts. He formed a task force to look into Montanas handling of rape kits, which contain evidence in sexual assault cases, and learned that approximately 1,400 kits which had not been submitted for testing were being held in storage throughout the state, some of them for as long as 20 years. Fortunately, Montana recently received federal grants totaling $3 million to begin working through this backlog.

His office has also, with Democratic Missoula Sen. Diane Sands, helped put together legislative proposals to change the states legal definition of sexual consent and incapacitation. And on the prevention front, his office has used the Sexual or Violent Offender Registry to accurately designate offenders, and launched a compliance check effort to track down non-compliant offenders.

Under Fox, the Attorney Generals Office has held a strong focus on law and order. He has advocated for important updates to Montanas human trafficking laws. He has held more impaired drivers accountable by expanding the 24/7 Sobriety Program. And he has madd marked improvements to the state crime lab and medical examiners office, resolving fuzzy areas of jurisdiction and reducing turn-around times for lab results despite an increasing caseload.

His Democratic challenger, Bozeman attorney and former state legislator Larry Jent, does not offer a compelling alternative vision or similar focus. In an editorial board meeting with the Missoulian, Jent described his approach as typical and mainstream.

Im a law and order guy, he told the Missoulians editorial board. However, he also said the AGs Office could be doing a lot more in the realm of consumer protection, especially when it comes to enforcing antitrust laws and health care price fixing. He called the current offices approach tepid.

Jent also brought up concerns about the crime lab in Missoula; however, he did not drill down on the cause or offer solutions beyond the obvious, that situation needs to be looked into and may need to be addressed by the legislature.

Fox offers a clear course of action that is both detailed and contextual. Montana knows exactly what it will get with Fox as AG: a steady hand at the wheel of the states Department of Justice. Montanans should stick with Tim Fox as our Attorney General.
As I watched the final gubernatorial debate I was hoping to see more exposure of Steve Bullock's efforts to destroy the efforts of the Montana Republicans to establish more liberty and freedom through constitutional government, but the liberal press wasn't about to ask the hard questions; normal procedure as usual.

But here's some of the sleazy ways Bullock, with his handy veto pen, killed the huge infrastructure funding bill, thus killing thousands of jobs. This liberal vetoed more economic bills than any other governor in the past, bills like tax relief for Montanans, but outsourced $70 million to Wisconsin to "market Montana," so there went thousands more jobs for Montanans.

He brags about standing up for our heritage and rights, yet he vetoed six Second Amendment gun bills, then lied about it in the debates. To become governor, Bullock had to take the Oath of Office, so vetoing these six gun bills, he just violated his oath, but who cares? He sure don't.

What's astonishing is that Sheriff Mike Linder and 17 other Montana sheriffs requested Bullock to do this, but back in 2013 when Barack Obama was pushing so hard to outlaw most guns and register all gun owners, only four sheriffs took a stand openly against it, compared to 28 in Utah and 40 in Colorado. These 18 must be Obama's and Bullock's communists in hiding. Sad they walk among us as traitors in my view, because these 18 don't want us to carry our guns without their permission. Who do they thing they are?

Vote for Greg Gianforte for governor!

Arthur Holllowell,

Joliet
Gov. Steve Bullock is running ads stating he is for fair taxes. In 2013 and again in 2015 the legislature passed tax simplification bills that were well crafted and widely supported. Bullock vetoed all efforts.

Montana has one of the most complex, if not the most complex, individual tax returns in the country. Once you have established federal adjusted gross income, there can be up to 50 adjustments before you arrive to Montana adjusted gross income. Thousands of Montana taxpayers who take the federal standard deduction must itemize on their Montana return to get to the lowest Montana taxable income. If you are married and both spouses work, and/or have separate taxable income, it is almost always advantageous to file separately. This requires you to allocate income and deductions between spouses and doubles your input. Finally, after you calculate your taxes, you have to consider 26 tax credits. Of course, if you file a Montana tax return you know all this.

The Montana Legislature carefully crafted bills that greatly simplified the Montana tax return. These bills started with federal adjusted gross income, increased the standard deduction, provided tax tables for married filing jointly and head of household, and removed all but the most popular tax credits. The bills were also designed to be virtually revenue natural, and to minimize any differences the changes in the law would have on individual taxpayers.

Bullock vetoed those tax simplification efforts. In his veto letter, he pointed out that the Montana tax system is stable, progressive and fair. The legislature offered bills that were progressive, fair and simple. It is my personal opinion that the reason he vetoed the legislation was to protect the bloated bureaucracy at the Montana Department of Revenue.

Montana taxpayers deserve tax simplification. Greg Gianforte will sign tax simplification. Montana taxpayers, the choice is yours.

Bob Chrysler,

Bigfork
We have a lot of serious decisions to make as a community this November. Besides crucial legislative races across the state, we will have a number of initiatives to vote on. One in particular, the Montana Animal Trap Restrictions Initiative (Initiative 177), seeks to prohibit trapping on all public lands in Montana.

Trapping is a Montana way of life and has been for the entirety of the states existence. For years now, special-interest environmental groups (who are the primary funders of the Missoula Democrats) have done everything in their power to destroy parts of our state's heritage, whether it be their crusade against timber, hunting, trapping or our energy industry. It is time we stood up to the environmental extremists funding these initiatives.

The initiative would establish penalties for non-exempt individuals that trap wildlife on public land. An individual's first violation would be punishable by a fine between $100 and $1,000 or not more than six months in a county jail. An individual's second violation would be punishable by a $100 to $2,000 fine or not more than six months in jail. An individual's third violation would be punishable by a $100 to $5,000 fine or not more than six months in jail. Additionally, a person convicted of violating the law would forfeit any hunting, fishing, or trapping licenses and lose the privilege to fish, hunt, or trap in the state for 24 months.

The initiative process is an important check that the people have against state inaction. Sometimes, however, it can be abused by special interests. This is one of those cases. I hope everyone will join me in standing up for Montanans and voting against I-177.

Mike Hopkins,

Republican candidate,

House District 92,

Missoula
BILLINGS  A Billings candidate for state Legislature is being accused of racism by his former classmates at a conservative Christian university.

Republican Robert Saunders is being accused of telling a black college peer at Patrick Henry College that at an earlier point in Americas history, he would have owned her. Another peer said Saunders once said President Barack Obama and his family should be sent back to the fields to pick cotton.

The comments, including a video of Saunders's female accuser, were posted on the Democratic gossip blog Montana Cowgirl.

Through interviews and email inspections, the Billings Gazette confirmed Saunders's classmates were the source of the allegations.

Saunders said there was no truth to the allegations, calling his former classmates not credible.

At the end of the day, Im not a racist. I have never been a racist, I will never be a racist, Saunders said. My relationships with a number of people will demonstrate that Im not a racist.

Patrick Henry College is a Washington, D.C.-area school founded in 2000 with a vision to restore America by educating the best and brightest Christian students to take their place as future leaders of the nation and its culture, according to its website. Its alumni are encouraged to run for public office.

But when former classmates Stewart Lundy and Erin Eskew learned of Saunders's campaign to represent north central Billings in the Montana Legislature, they objected.

Lundy got word to Saunders's opponent, Democratic Rep. Jessica Karjala, that comments allegedly made by Saunders at Patrick Henry deserved looking into. Karjala turned the emails over to attorney Gene Jarussi, who contacted Lundy, who recalled Saunders's making the comments about President Obama.

This years HD 48 race has been a battle. Last month, Saunders's attorney wrote Karjala a warning letter accusing her of attempting to damage his reputation by suggesting he believes only rich people should vote. The allegation was based on an online survey response Saunders filled out.

Saunders earlier said that Karjala is misinterpreting what he wrote. Likewise, Karjala is accusing Saunders of misrepresenting her record by telling constituents she voted to give herself a pay raise, which she didnt.

Speaking to Jarussi, Lundy, a Virginia farmer, also suggested the attorney contact Erin Eskew, one of only a couple of black students in Patrick Henrys student body of 300 during Saunders time at the school.

Eskew recalled being in dining hall discussion with Saunders during their freshman year in college that ended with a racist remark toward her.

I can remember being in the old dining hall during lunch and the particulars of the conversation surrounding, I dont remember all that led up to the comment, but he made the statement that about 100 years ago, I would have owned you, Eskew told Jarussi, who video recorded the conversation.

Jarussi, his wife, Karen, and Eskew met in San Antonio, where the Jarussis were visiting Karens brother at a managed care facility last month. They had been trying to contact Eskew via Facebook to verify what Lundy had told them.

When they reached Eskew and learned she had a Texas phone number, they called. Eskews husband is in the military. The couple recently relocated to Texas.

Eskew, like many of Patrick Henrys Christian alumni, is Republican. She said the choice to come forward wasnt easy, but she reasoned that this years presidential candidates would be different had the people who knew Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump spoken up years earlier. She said she didnt hate Saunders.

I dont personally hold any ongoing malice toward him because honestly I feel like racism stems from either a place of ignorance or malice, and that with either one of those things its a reflection that theres something going on in his life or his heart that I dont envy, Eskew said.

Eskew said Saunders never apologized for the remark and that she avoided him for her next three years of school. With only 300 students, Patrick Henry attendees knew each other, knew each others majors. It was hard not to, Eskew said.

Saunders said he maybe spoke with Eskew once, during freshman orientation, but never again. The conversation Eskew references, never happened, he said.

The fact is, I really dont know either of these two people. I dont know if I spoke to this Stewart Lundy guy. He was like three years ahead of me, Saunders said. I met Erin maybe once.

I dont remember saying that. Thats not something I would have said. One hundred years ago? That would have been 1910. So, I wouldnt have said that. Maybe she misunderstood me. Maybe thats why she happens to hate my guts now, but I wouldnt have said that.
BILLINGS  A Missoula man accused of sex trafficking two women including one from Montana, as well as three minor girls he had recruited from North Dakota and Minnesota, denied federal charges on Monday in U.S. District Court in Billings.

Terrance Tyrell Edwards, 34, pleaded not guilty to a six-count indictment during a hearing before U.S. Magistrate Judge Carolyn Ostby.

Authorities arrested Edwards on Sept. 21 in Billings, and three minor girls were returned to North Dakota. Edward initially appeared on a criminal complaint in federal court on Sept. 26.

The indictment charges Edwards with two counts of sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion, three counts of transportation of a minor with intent to engage in prostitution, and one count of obstruction of sex trafficking investigation.

Prosecutors allege the activity occurred from about April to September in Missoula and Billings.

Edwards is suspected of forcing two women, identified as Jane Doe 1 and 2, to engage in sex acts, and with transporting three minor girls between North Dakota and Montana to engage in prostitution.

Prosecutors also allege Edwards tried to obstruct the investigation by instructing Jane Doe 1 to lie about his conduct.

Court records said Edwards met the first woman, a 22-year-old from Polson, through a social networking site and that she went to Missoula thinking she and Edwards would going to start dating.

But Edwards bought lingerie, took photographs of the woman in the lingerie for posting advertisements on the internet and told her he planned to make money with her, court records said.

As the woman had sex with men for money in Montana and Salt Lake City, Edwards went to Washington to pick up up a second woman to work in the operation, court records said.

And shortly after his initial court hearing, court records said Edwards traveled to North Dakota and picked up three girls age 15, 16 and 17  two from North Dakota and one from Minnesota. One of the girls did not know the purpose of the trip.

When Edwards left Montana, one of the women he had left behind contacted authorities with a cell phone he apparently had given her for customer calls, court records said.

Edwards has two prior felony prostitution arrests in Missoula. He had a suspended sentence revoked in June 2012 and was sentenced to five years in Montana State Prison.

Edwards was then granted parole in September 2015 with the condition that he complete chemical dependency and sex offender counseling, according to the Montana Department of Corrections. He was released from custody in March and was under the supervision of the Missoula Office of Adult Probation and Parole until Sept. 19, two days before his Billings arrest, when he was discharged because his sentence was completed.

If convicted, Edwards faces a mandatory minimum 15 years to life in prison and a $250,000 fine on the sex trafficking counts.

Ostby ordered him to remain in custody pending a request for a detention hearing.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Colin Rubich asked that Edwards remain in custody because of the nature of the crimes and his extensive criminal history.

Assistant Federal Defender Gillian Gosch, who represented Edwards for the arraignment, consented to detention but reserved his right to a hearing. Billings attorney Vern Woodward has been appointed to represent Edwards.

The case will be heard by U.S. District Judge Susan Watters.
BUTTE  Sheridans Ruby Valley Hospital and Medical Center is getting a new $13 million facility, hospital officials told the Montana Standard on Wednesday.

A groundbreaking for the facility is slated for Oct. 26, and when all is said and done the new hospital will consist of a health-care clinic, physical-therapy and radiology departments, three emergency rooms, a helipad and additional space for specialists, administration and hospital rooms.

The hospital will be 28,000-square feet  a marked upgrade from the current facilitys combined square footage of 12,950.

The hospital will be built on land adjacent to the current building at 220 E. Crofoot St. in Sheridan.

Nomdi Harrington, development director for the Ruby Valley Healthcare Foundation, and Les Gilman, the foundations chairman, said the project is nearly 10 years in the making.

In the early 2000s, Gilman said, the hospitals administrative board began looking for options to replace or upgrade Rubys current building.

The current facility has served the community since the 1960s, said Gilman.

Both Gilman and Harrington said the old hospital was beginning to run out of space.

The CT scanner, they said, resided in a separate building from the main hospital, which meant patients had to be led outside to get a scan, while the physical therapy department sometimes needed to use hallways when space became scarce.

The two also said the old facility made transporting patients via helicopter difficult, as the helipad resided in a vacant parking lot, where the fire department provided lighting for incoming helicopters at night.

Ultimately the board decided starting from scratch was the most cost-effective option, said Gilman.

The hospital received a $10 million USDA loan for the project, but with strings attached.

The loan required the hospital to put up a matching percentage of the total cost.

For the Ruby Valley Hospital, that meant officials needed to raise $2.5 million.

The Ruby Valley Healthcare Foundation kicked off a capital campaign in November, which reached its fundraising goal in August.

The campaign received donations from local businesses, landowners and residents, among others, said Harrington.

From $5 to $500,000, said Gilman. We had tremendous support from the community for the project.

Notable donors include, among others, Robert and Coralene Walsh and their children, who own Ruby Valley National Bank, to the tune of $250,000.

The hospital also applied for and received grants, including a $400,000 grant from the Helmsley Charitable Trust, based out of New York, for a new 32-slice CT scanner.

Harrington said the new hospital will be an asset to Sheridan and the Ruby Valley in more ways than one.

Its vitally important to the health of our community, she said, noting that some patients have to travel to other communities like Butte and Bozeman to get the services they need.

This can be especially burdensome, Harrington said, for those elderly patients who dont drive, and downright hazardous during winter weather driving.

She added that the new emergency rooms will be particularly beneficial for improving the healthcare in the Ruby Valley as patients can be triaged immediately.

Gilman, meanwhile, said improved healthcare can also lead to economic development.

Both he and Harrington said access to healthcare can make Sheridan and surrounding communities more attractive to businesses looking to relocate or set up shop for the first time, while having a modern facility can help retain and attract medical staff.

The two added that construction on the new hospital is expected to be complete in spring 2018.
BILLINGS  The Montana Commissioner of Political Practices dismissed a campaign complaint against two medical marijuana dispensaries that ran ads in a Bozeman magazine.

Commissioner Jonathan Motl released his findings on Monday, saying no rules were broken in the two ads, which urged people to vote for I-182.

I-182 is a ballot measure that would amend the state's medical marijuana program, removing patient limits on providers and adding product testing and licensing provisions.

A group opposing the measure, Safe Montana, filed a complaint earlier this month. Safe Montana alleged that the two Outside Bozeman ads constituted political campaign spending and should have been reported by a registered committee.

The ads were placed by Lionheart Caregiving and Greener Pastures Natural Medicine.

In his decision, Motl cited an exception to the laws governing political committees, which say that they may not be formed when expenditures are less than $250.

Motl considered the the portion of the ads that urged a vote on I-182, rather than the full page. He determined that those portions cost less than $250.

Because he determined no ballot committee needed to be formed, there was no violation of campaign finance reporting.
" " "Sin tax" is another name for an excise tax, and it's intended to help you behave. REMY GABALDA/AFP/Getty Images

In 2012, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg was big on promoting public health. He successfully pushed to ban smoking in public spaces, and then he went after artificial trans fats, which are known to be carcinogenic. Soon you couldn't get a drop of artificial trans fats in an NYC restaurant. And if that frustrated you, you couldn't calm yourself with a smoke, either.

All was not lost, however. You could still fill up on a mega-dose of sweet, bubbly soda anywhere in the city. But Mayor Bloomberg's anti-obesity campaign began zeroing in on super-sized helpings of delicious pop. In May 2012, he announced a plan to ban the sale of soft drinks that were served in portions over 16 fluid ounces (473 milliliters) [source: Grynbaum].

Advertisement

The reason? Medical researchers had been saying for some time that the steady rise in American obesity was linked in part to the steady intake of liquid sugar (e.g., soda). Bloomberg's idea was to reduce the amount of soft drinks consumed and thereby reduce obesity, widely considered a major health issue.

Sin taxes are often considered a favorite tool of liberals out to impose a nanny state on free-thinking individuals. Conservatives often oppose sin taxes on the grounds that they amount to greater government intervention in people's lives.

Accordingly, conservative critics weighed in, opining that the ban was an infringement on New Yorkers' personal right to drink as much gosh darn soda as they wanted. But it wasn't only conservatives who took umbrage. The comedian Jon Stewart, then host of "The Daily Show," was outraged by the proposed ban, saying that forbidding soft drinks was draconian and it wouldn't have the desired effect [source: Friar]. If even Jon Stewart, usually associated with liberal politics, was against Bloomberg's plan, did it have a future?

Turns out, it didn't. The soft drink industry threw millions of dollars into an ad campaign designed to counter the ban, and they simultaneously mounted a legal challenge. In June 2014, New York's final court of appeals struck down the ban in a definitive ruling [source: Grynbaum].

And that was the end of that. Or was it? Bloomberg mulled it over and decided he'd gone about it the wrong way. When you ban stuff that people like, it peeves them. But what if you just made that stuff a little more expensive by, say, adding a little wafer-thin tax to it? Would that have an effect?

In late 2014, Bloomberg, who also happens to be a billionaire, helped fund a campaign in Berkeley, California, to add an excise tax on soft drinks. Despite a $1.7 million counter-campaign by the soda industry, voters approved the measure, and Berkeley became the first jurisdiction in the U.S. to try out a soda tax. The tax adds a penny per ounce (30 milliliters) to sweetened drinks, including soda and iced tea.

According to the American Journal of Public Health, the tax worked, at least in the short-term. Measuring soda intake over a five-month period after the tax was implemented, researchers found that low-income and minority Berkeley residents drank 21 percent less than they had before. By contrast, over the same period in nearby cities that hadn't added the tax, like San Francisco, consumption went up by 4 percent.

The tax Berkeley added to soft drinks is a type of excise tax often referred to as a "sin tax." It's not a new idea. In fact, it's a pretty old one.
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Congressional candidate Denise Juneau brought labor-touting messages to Butte on Monday, hoping to energize supporters in perhaps the staunchest pro-Democrat, pro-union stronghold in Montana.

Fellow Democrat Steve Bullock, who is seeking a second term as governor, attended a rally in Butte last Friday and plans to be here again Tuesday knocking on doors. The media is invited to tag along.

Both are all-but-certain to win Silver Bow County big on Nov. 8, but as Bullock proved in 2012, winning it as widely as possible can pay huge dividends. He won Butte-Silver Bow County by 7,858 votes that year  more than the 7,571 votes he won by statewide over Republican Rick Hill.

Not only was Juneau preaching to the choir Monday when meeting with local union leaders at Carpenters Union Hall in Uptown Butte, they were reiterating already well-established endorsements of her. But shoring up support  not just winning any undecideds  is vital with only two weeks left in the campaign.

I think this is the heart of labor, Juneau, who is Montanas superintendent of public instruction, said after the gathering. It is still super strong here, and its where everything moves out from as far as labor is concerned.

The idea that were talking about trade policy and rights to collectively bargain and minimum wage  all of that starts in Butte, she said.

Juneau faces incumbent Republican Ryan Zinke in the contest for Montanas lone U.S. House seat, and if a recent statewide poll is accurate, she has serious ground to make up.

The Mason-Dixon poll, commissioned by Lee Newspapers and conducted Oct. 10 through Oct. 12, showed that 53 percent of likely voters would cast ballots for Zinke while 40 percent favored Juneau. Only 6 percent reported being undecided in the poll, which had a margin of error of 3.2 percentage points.

Democrat John Lewis, who ran against Zinke for an open seat two years ago, won Butte-Silver Bow County with 63 percent of the vote in 2014. He got 62 percent in neighboring Anaconda-Deer Lodge County, another Democrat stronghold. But Zinke won statewide 56 percent to 40 percent.

Juneau and her union backers Monday said she supported an increase in the minimum wage, rights to collectively bargain and opposes bad trade deals. They said those include NAFTA and the proposed Trans-Pacific Partnership supported by President Obama but opposed by many fellow Democrats.

Zinke has visited Butte at least three times this year that included roundtable discussions with veterans at the Marine Corps League on March 8 and Aug. 2. He hosted a Vietnam War Veterans pinning ceremony at the Butte Civics Center on May 27. Zinke spent 23 years as a U.S. Navy Seal.

He also plans to be at Metals Sports Bar and Grill this Friday night for a "meet and greet."

All show that Zinke enjoys "visiting with folks in Butte," said campaign aide Heather Swift.

"Just because an area votes more one way than the other doesn't mean he won't spend time there," Swift said. "His motto is, 'I represent all Montanans whether they voted for me or not.'"

Bullock has been to Butte numerous times this year, some completely campaign-related and others as governor. His campaign stops included a rally at Skyline Park on Friday in support of public access to public lands, and one in June to open a Democrat campaign office Uptown.

He plans to be at that office Tuesday afternoon before knocking on doors.

His opponent, Republican businessman and entrepreneur Greg Gianforte, has been to Butte several times over the past year and plans to be here Nov. 6  the Sunday before the election  to attend a Catholic Mass, said campaign spokesman Aaron Flint.

The campaign announced Monday that Gianforte will visit 42 cities and towns during a whistle stop tour starting this Sunday through Nov. 7. The locations listed include some places within an hour or so of Butte, including Belgrade, Boulder, Dillon, Ennis and Twin Bridges.

Butte is not listed, but thats because a church Mass is not something the campaign would normally include in a news release, Flint said. And the whistle stop tour is mainly focused on cities and towns in rural Montana, he said.

Greg thinks Butte is very important and will be there the Sunday before the election on this statewide tour, Flint said.

Gianforte also plans to be in Fairmont on Tuesday to speak at the Montana Lodge and Hospitality Associations annual conference and will be at the Rocky Mountain Stockgrowers Association banquet in Deer Lodge on Nov. 5, Flint said. Bullock will be at Fairmont as well on Tuesday.

Juneau smiled widely when told that Bullock would be in Butte again on Tuesday. At this stage of a campaign, a lot of emphasis is aimed at getting backers to follow through and cast ballots.

I have been endorsed by most of the labor groups in this room and they have been out knocking on doors and making sure we are calling people and getting out the vote, and these are the members that are going to be out in strong force, she said. We need them.
Fagans Pharmacy at 52 Main St. in Meaderville was managed by William F. Fagan who opened the store in 1922 following ten years as a pharmacist at various places in Butte. He dealt in drugs, prescriptions, paints, and calcamine  the latter was a white or tinted liquid containing zinc oxide, water, glue, and coloring matter used as a wash or light paint for walls and ceilings.

William appeared in Butte in 1913 when he was a druggist for Paxson and Rockefeller at 24 W. Park St. Robert H. Paxson, brother of the famous artist Edgar S. Paxson who painted Custers Last Stand, came to Montana from New York in 1876 and landed permanently in Butte in 1889 when he established the West Side Pharmacy. He partnered with Howard Rockefeller in a store that sold much more than pharmaceuticals  they also advertised surgical instruments, photographic supplies, flower seeds, and barber furniture.

With his wife Mathilda, William Fagan lived at various locations around Butte  412 S. Dakota, 658 Travonia, 1109 W. Galena  before moving to 77 Main in Meaderville by the 1950s. He operated the pharmacy at least until 1954; the establishment continued as Farrens Village Drug and Sundries until the location was vacated in 1961. The Fagans relocated to 2209  Cottonwood in 1963 as Meaderville was destroyed by expanding Berkeley Pit operations.

Fagans was at the corner of Main and Noble streets, a few hundred yards from the Leonard Mine. The Combination Mine  not operating by 1916 but soon rejuvenated as the Reins Shaft of the Leonard  was even closer, up the street to the north, adjacent to the Italian Mission at 76 Main. Two saloons flanked Fagans to the north, another stood to the east on Noble Street, and yet another was across Noble to the south.

The large two-story building across Main from Fagans housed a saloon (53 Main), a moving picture theater (55), and a restaurant (57-59), with a meeting hall above them in 1916. By the late 1920s, Teddy Traparish, Peter Antonioli, and Louis Bugni established the first Rocky Mountain Cafe at 53 Main. That building burned in 1940, and the Rocky Mountain Cafe was moved down the street, where it enjoyed huge success and international renown. The Rocky Mountain Cafe closed in 1961 as the pit grew, but the back bar survived: Traparish gave it to the World Museum of Mining. In 2011, the mining museum loaned it to Headframe Spirits distillery (21 S. Montana), where it returned to regular use once again.
Montanas commissioner of political practices has cited Madison County Commissioner Dave Schulz for a second campaign-finance violation in his bid for re-election this year.

Jonathan Motl, in a decision issued Monday, said Schulz did not report expenses for a political ad in The Madisonian newspaper in a timely manner. Motl also cited Schulz recently for filing a late campaign finance report, which Schulz said was a technical error.

Schulz, who is seeking a fifth term as a Madison County commissioner, faces businessman and rancher Dan Allhands in the Nov. 8 election.

Schulzs most recent violation stemmed from a complaint filed by Sheridan resident Peggy Buyan, who said he failed to properly report campaign information.

Candidates for local office in Montana do not have to file campaign finance reports unless their expenses and/or contributions exceed $500. Motl said Schulz filed reports May 26, June 18 and Oct. 4 but they did not disclose expenses or debts for ads place in The Madisonian.

Schulzs treasurer confirmed those expenses added up to more than $690.

Motl said in his decision that Schulz and his treasurer have apologized, explaining that they thought that disclosure was required based on payment, rather than the date of obligation.

They did not quarrel with the disclosure law set out above once its purpose was explained to them, he wrote. The Schulz Campaign has already filed amended campaign reports correcting the error.

That would be a mitigating factor in any fine assessed for the violation, Motl wrote. He included a similar statement in regards to the earlier violation, which he said would be settled with a small fine.

A message seeking comment was left on Motl's office voice mail Monday afternoon.

Schulz said the first violation was a technical error and was corrected quickly. Efforts to discuss the new violation were not immediately successful.
Montana Techs Public Lecture Series will host Dorothy Hinshaw Patent at 4 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 27, at Montana Tech in the Chemistry/Biology Building, Room 102.

Her presentation is titled Writing Science for Young Readers. She will bring books and will be available for a signing at 3:30. One of her key publications, "The Call of the Osprey," addresses heavy metal pollution from Butte mining activity.

Patent has had 140 books published on topics that include nature, ecology, domesticated animals, archaeology, geology, and the history of western expansion. She writes for a range of audiences, including science for young readers, and is known for images as part of her content.

Recent work took her to the outback of Australia to study Tasmanian devils with the goal of publishing Saving the Devil, a book she is researching.

She has received many awards, including the Washington Post/Childrens book Guild Award for nonfiction, the Orbis Pictus Honor Book Award, and the Edward O. Wilson Biodiversity Technology Pioneer Award.

She and her husband, Greg, live in Missoula.
GOP gubernatorial candidate Greg Gianforte has already put $3.1 million of his own money into his campaign  including $550,000 in July, $640,000 in August and $1.5 million in September. At that pace and pattern, he will likely insert another $2 million this month, which would bring his spending spree to more than $5 million.

The last time anyone sank anything close to this kind of personal money into a gubernatorial campaign was 16 years ago when Democrat Mark OKeefe put $2.2 million of his money into his unsuccessful campaign against the GOPs Judy Martz. A major part of that defeat was Montanans rejection of big money.

Last election 483,489 Montanans voted for governor. Assuming a similar number this year, a $5 million personal expenditure by Gianforte represents him spending more than $10 on each and every voter to persuade him that Gianforte is just an everyday Montanan.

Gianforte is not the first multi-millionaire businessman to seek legitimacy by stuffing Montanas ballot box with money. The naked ambition of Montana Copper King W.A. Clark included his attempt to buy legitimacy in five separate tries for a U.S. Senate seat.

MOST NOTORIOUS

Clarks third Senate attempt was the most notorious. During the 1899 Legislature, which elected U.S. Senators at the time, he engaged in the well-documented over-the-transom bribery of legislators. Once in the Senate seat, Clark had to resign the day before a vote was scheduled to remove him from office because of the blatant bribery, essentially making him the only Senator in history to be expelled from office.

The 1901 Legislature finally elected Clark to a six-year Senate term, in his fifth attempt; this time successful because, among other things, his Copper King rival Marcus Daly had died. So, Clarks money finally got its way. A well-known historian noted that Clark then served an undistinguished term that satisfied his political ambitions.

Like Clark and Donald Trump as well, Gianforte seems not satisfied with being a highly successful and very rich businessman, but wants the validation of public office. This comes at a time when income and wealth disparity is a major concern of average Americans and Montanans after decades when nearly all the money and economic gain has gone to the top 1% while the promised trickle down has not trickled. The economics of America have been tilted to the advantage of that top 1%. Yet, in the face of that, both Donald Trump and Greg Gianforte propose tax changes that mostly advantage the uber-rich and the large corporations, accompanied by more trickle-down promises.

REFUSING TO ANSWER

Gianforte wants his millions of dollars and thousands of 30-second ads to obscure his refusal to answer questions of importance to tens of thousands of Montanans. When asked if he would support or sign any form of so-called right-to-work which hurts workers and wages, his non-answer is its not one of my top priorities. Likewise when asked if he would de-fund Planned Parenthood which provides medical services to over 13,000 Montanans, his non-answer is I dont have any plans right now. These non-answers are code words for wait until I am Governor and Ill do what I want. Gianforte hides behind his money, avoiding important issues while buying commercials by the ton.

Gianforte also tells us we have no business evaluating him based upon his lavish private spending on extreme causes that are questionable at best and often ugly, repugnant and contrary to the tolerant beliefs of most Montanans. Hes spent millions to allow discrimination of Montana citizens, to deny women the ability to make their own reproductive healthcare choices, to advance anti-science causes that re-write human history by placing men and dinosaurs on earth at the same time, and to unconstitutionally channel public monies into religious schools. Those expenditures of his millions may tell us more about the real Greg Gianforte than all that he spends trying to buy and spin his way into the Governorship.

So, count the ads. Small potatoes to him, but it speaks loudly to average Montanans. When Gianforte puts well over $3 million, maybe even $5 million, of his own money to position himself to set the destiny of everyday Montanans for years to come, do you think he will represent your interests?

-- Evan Barrett of Butte, will soon be retiring after 47 years at the top level of Montana economic development, government, politics and education. He currently writes columns and commentaries, is an award-winning producer of Montana history films at Montana Tech/Highlands College and occasionally teaches. These are his personal views.
Never doubt that governors have influence. I observed this in 2011 when a past client asked me to restart a deep drilling program in New Mexico. I traveled to Deming and began the planning and permitting process. The program was only going to be 10 holes, but because of the depth the mud pits were going to be huge.

I coordinated with a Las Cruses BLM official and two state officials, one in Santa Fe and the other in Deming. The three of us met on site to discuss the proposed program. I was apprehensive but then pleasantly surprised by their attitude. New Mexico had just elected a new governor, Susana Martinez, a Hispanic who won partially on promoting more development of New Mexicos mineral, petroleum, and timber resources. Her attitude was mentioned a couple of times during our site visit and we left with a feeling of mutual cooperation and trust. I obtained the BLM permit in two months and the two state permits in six months. I considered six months a little excessive but it was a pittance compared to what Ive experienced since returning to Montana.

In 2013 I found a small area of public land open to mineral location at the head of a small gulch in one of our historic placer mining districts. I filed for an operating permit with the USFS, expecting a one year permitting process due to our long winters. Unfortunately this has dragged on now for three years with no end in sight.

For the past 12 years our two Democrat governors have leaned more towards preservation than production on our public lands and this may be reflected in the delays Ive encountered trying to permit a recreational placer operation. The gulch is a mess because it has been placer mined at least twice and had a road built up it that apparently washed out. However, the USFS seems obsessed with preserving surface resources, such as they are. This past summer was devoted to obtaining a Clean Water Act 404 permit from the U.S. Corp of Engineers (USCOE). This, too, is pending. What the USCOE is permitting is a defunct drainage that, by mid-summer, has only a few trickles of water flowing in parts of three discontinuous spring-runoff channels.

So now, after three years of obfuscation, Im wondering how this all would have played out if Montana had another Susana Martinez as governor. Yes, governors have influence, for good and not so good, and after three consecutive terms of Democratic governors, Montana remains 49th in wages, pretty much zip in economic growth, and limited commodity resource production. Commodity production creates basic economic wealth and high paying jobs. But, Governors Schweitzer and Bullock seem to have a dismissive elitist attitude towards commodity development and rural Montana where it occurs. They have instead focused on preservation and creating more state government jobs. Governments dont create wealth. All too often they waste it on numerous social programs and now subsidized green energy. Montanas revenues are still approximately 50 percent federal, and both governors seemed to prefer federal funding to creating our own.

This is why Greg Gianforte seems like a breath of fresh air after 12 years in a submarine. He and his wife formed a company that eventually had a $45,000,000 payroll. Thats impressive! Like Susana, Greg embraces commodity resource development. One of the founders of Infosys, the Microsoft equivalent in India, observed in a Commanding Heights documentary that you cannot lift people out of poverty by wealth redistribution, only by wealth creation. I find Montana fortunate in having a candidate for governor who also shares this wisdom.

-- E.A. Johnson, Butte
Les blattes ou cafards (Blatta orientalis) sont des insectes qui appartiennent a la famille des Blattoptera. Ils se caracterisent par leur forme allongee, leurs ailes []
Internet pioneer Mike Lawrie has built an internal DSL network at the retirement centre where he lives, which offers unlimited Internet access at R40 per month.

Lawrie is credited as one of the people who brought the Internet to South Africa.

In 1988, Lawrie led the informal team at Rhodes University which established the first Internet network in South Africa.

His passion for networking and the Internet never subsided, and he has found a way to offer affordable broadband access in his area.

Speaking at the 2016 MyBroadband Conference, he said one often hears about expensive ADSL and fibre, but highlighted that there are affordable solutions.

Lawrie explained that he put in an internal ADSL network at the retirement village where he lives in Pretoria.

The network has its own DSLAM, and uses the copper pairs to each of the houses in the area  with an ADSL router in each house  to connect clients to the network.

For backhaul capacity, Lawrie uses a single 40Mbps VDSL line with a 400GB capped Afrihost account  which now offers unlimited usage between 00:00 and 18:00 daily.

Our users in the retirement village do not pay more than R40 per month for unlimited usage, said Lawrie.

It is dirt cheap if you do it properly.

I get download speeds of 20Mbps for R40 per month. In the last month, my wife and I clocked up 58GB, he said.

Now read: Best uncapped ADSL prices in South Africa
MTN has released its latest quarterly update, which states that new Group President and CEO Rob Shuter will join MTN on 13 March 2017.

The company also provided details on how the mobile operator was performing, with group subscriber numbers up 0.9% quarter-on-quarter for the period ended 30 September 2016.

MTN added that there was significant network improvement across the Group, particularly in the Nigerian and South African operations.

MTN South Africa

MTN South Africa reported a decline in subscribers of 0.5% to 29.7 million.

This was made up of a 0.7% decline in the prepaid subscriber base  now 24.5 million  and a 0.7% increase in post-paid subscribers to 5.2 million.

Data revenue increased by 15.1% year-on-year and contributed 34.4% to total revenue.

This was driven by the increased volumes of high-denomination data bundles sold and attractive digital offerings, said MTN.

The number of smartphones on the network increased by 9.3% year-on-year to 9.2 million.
The Film and Publications Amendment Bill is set to be finalised on 25 October, with Parliaments Portfolio Committee on Communications to decide if the bill should be approved.

Michalsons law firm, through its attorney Nicholas Hall, is a strong opponent of the bill  calling for it to be scrapped.

The firm said there are multiple problems with the bill, particularly its focus on pre-publication classification in the age of the Internet.

The Act never anticipated the way we use the Internet today, particularly buying and playing videos, films, and games online, said Michalsons.

The firm listed three main problems with the bill in its current form:

User-generated content is included under the definition of film, meaning that Facebook or YouTube videos might need to be classified before they can be uploaded.

The difference between commercial and private distribution is unclear, meaning that some private use could be seen as commercial, and require you to be registered as a distributor with the FPB.

Live-streaming is not exempt from any of these requirements, meaning that live-streams cant be classified, and are therefore illegal.

The argument for pre-publication classification has always been around protecting children from harm.

But there is a very fine line between protection and censorship. Our own courts have said as much, ruling that pre-publication classification in the context of news print media is unconstitutional.
The definition of synthetic is a substance made by chemical synthesis to imitate a natural product, and it is a word that is growing in importance and value as a rush of new companies seeks to reinvent food as we know it.

The future of food is synthetic, said Alec Lee, co-founder of Ava Winery, a new startup based in San Francisco. Producing synthetic food is basically the next technology boom. Food tech is going crazy right now.

Along with his partners, Lee recently started the winery and within six months had received nearly $3 million in seed funding from venture-capital firm Horizons Venture, the U.S.-based Collaborative Fund and a few other angel investors.

Weve had a lot of interest, Lee said. Part of the reason for that is that number one, consumer adoption of synthetic food is staggering (for example, Impossible Foods, Soylent and Beyond Meat), and number two, what we can do now is at a peak, historically  we could never have done this even a few years back.

The founders of Ava Winery are like many other millennials in that theyve started multiple companies.

Ive started and run a medical test prep company that I still advise, Lee said. And before starting this company, both I and one of my co-founders, Mardonn Chua, had created a stem-cell company that used novel techniques to extract mesenchymal stem cells from bone marrow. Were no longer actively involved in that. Instead, in 2015 we started thinking about making synthetic wine.

Chua and Lee both graduated from a biotech program at the University of British Columbia. Recently theyve brought in a fellow UBC graduate and certified sommelier, Josh Decolongon.

The goal of Ava Winery is to produce a wine that is as good as existing wines, including such stalwarts as the 1992 Dom Perignon Champagne and the 73 Chateau Montelena, which won the 1976 Paris Tasting in France, becoming one of the most famous wines in California. They have set their sights on imitating some of the finest brands in the world, hoping to produce wines that people will enjoy without much thought about where they come from.

Ultimately we want to make a beverage that tastes like the wines people know and love, Lee said. Of course well want to improve on them, too, making them even better.

What Ava Winery is doing is not only about making wine.

Beyond just making wine, this is also a proof of concept, too, Lee said. Wine is one of the most beloved foods out there  nothing is as important socially as wine. Wine is thought of as romantic, from the land, historic. If we can crack this nut, then we have really made a statement.

Other reasons for making synthetic wines include that they could be low-cost, potentially healthier and have less impact on the environment.

All synthetic foods are more sustainable than those made in more typical ways, Lee said. It takes 500 to 1,000 liters of water to make 1 liter of wine, and the impact on the environment can be significant. Production of tech food is often low-cost, can match or surpass its natural counterparts in taste, nutrition and sustainability, and can be made anywhere and at any time. These wines can also be potentially better for the people drinking them  we can leave out the sulfites, for example.

When asked about current trends towards organic and locally sourced food, Lee is not shy about sharing his views.

The writing is on the wall for organic  its just a marketing scam, he said. It often takes more resources to grow organic than more conventional foods, and the nutritional benefits seem negligible. Mostly big corporations are using the word organic to justify a 40 percent to 60 percent increase in their prices. And the locavore movement is pretty nuts, too. The cost of transport is pretty low, and growing things where they arent well-suited only causes more issues.

For now, Ava Winery is focused on wine and improving their process while they prepare to launch a series of wines at some undetermined time.

We just ordered a new set of machines that will really help us out, Lee said. Improved chromatography and mass spectrometry will take things to the next level. Weve been toying with the idea of moving to Napa so that we can make our own Napa Valley wine.

What does the future world of wine look like?

There will always be wineries in the Napa Valley, Lee said. But places that are not so prestigious  like vineyards in the central valley  will probably not be around in 100 years.

The numbers can be contentious, but we often read that 80 percent of the water used for agriculture and 14.5 percent of greenhouse gas emissions come from raising animals for meat and dairy, while 30 percent of all inhabitable land on Earth is devoted to livestock. So is synthetic food the answer to the worlds problems? According to the co-founder of Ava Winery, the answer is certain.
YOUNTVILLE  Under a golden late-afternoon sun outside the Community Center, Carol Fink approached Moose the horse, Nicely-Nicely the cat, and dogs named Olive and Glinda and Truffle.

With words of comfort and the daubing of holy water from a hawks feather, Fink shared wishes for long and happy lives with more than two dozen furry creatures  and their human companions  during Yountvilles Blessing of the Animals, a pet-and-owner celebration she helped launch more than a decade and a half ago.

Whether its brushing your horse, or loving your dogs and cats, or the joy when someone is petting their guinea pig baby, you know they are giving so much love to each other, she told animal owners Sunday at the ceremony on Washington Street. We are all one, and all part of this wonderful earth.

While Fink strolled from pet to pet, wishing on them endless balls to fetch or days to sun themselves, some of the human guests found time to reminisce about how their friendships began.

The first cage with dogs had eight Chihuahuas that were barking and yelping their heads off, remembered Elizabeth Coyne, a Yountville resident who adopted her 7-year-old Pomeranian, Polly, from a shelter and was having her blessed for the sixth year. And then the next cage had Polly just looking like, Here! Im here! So my husband and I just had to have Polly. I thought we were too old, but shes keeping us young.

Meanwhile, a Napa woman hoped to have the days blessings rub off on her cats, even from afar.

Kiss Andersen approached Fink while thumbing snapshots of her felines Misse, Kit Kat and Boo Boo. While the pets themselves were no-shows  They get so afraid when I put them in the carriers, because they think theyre going to the vet, their owner explained  Fink happily passed the feather, and the blessing of St. Francis, over the cats images.

Hopefully it gives me more assurance of a long healthy life for my pets, Andersen said afterward. I figure it cant hurt and it can only help.

Animal blessing ceremonies are a common sight each October, the month when the Roman Catholic Church celebrates the feast of St. Francis of Assisi. But the roots of the Yountville celebration extend far beyond the church, according to Fink, whose grandfather was an Orthodox rabbi in Cleveland and who raised her adopted, Costa Rica-born daughter in the Catholic faith.

My friend in Yountville, Jean Rouas, and I would go to blessings in San Francisco in North Beach, and finally I said, Jean, lets do a blessing of the animals ourselves, remembered Fink, the owner of a Skye terrier.

The two began staging pet blessings in October 2000, and have since honored animals from birds and goats to llamas and alpacas  even childrens stuffed animals and the ashes of pets.

So special has the blessing ritual become to Fink that she and Rouas, who now lives in Lake County, plan to repeat it next month, when the two are scheduled to bless about 100 cats being sheltered at We Care Animal Rescue in St. Helena.

They have my heart, said Fink. The way they love, you never come home to an empty house; you always come home to joy. I believe they give us something no other relationship does: simple joy, pure love.
Im voting for Mariko Yamada for state Senate and I hope you will, too.

I first got to know Mariko Yamada after she had won her first election to the Assembly. At our first meeting after her election she was gracious and said she looked forward to working with me and accepted my invitation to tour Benicia and get to know our town. Because of her support for Benicia and her unfailing public service, I consider Mariko one of the most decent, dedicated and hard working elected officials I have known and worked with.

An example of her character is her effort on the Benicia Arsenal and the imminent orders to clean up being considered by the Department of Toxic Substance Control. While others with great interest in leaving things alone raged against the state officials, Mariko showed her true mettle. It would have been easy for her at the large stakeholder meeting  including many property owners who had been told by others that the state was coming after them  to have remained quiet or muttered we will look into this. But instead Mariko had done her homework, knew that there were legacy hazardous materials in the lower Arsenal and that it was a public health issue. And so she said publicly that for the sake of the public health the area needed to be cleaned up.

She tried, although unsuccessfully, to get money from the state to help the city and private property owners.

Her life has been an active and heart driven commitment to insuring all Californians share in the rights and opportunities of our California. She is someone who listens intensely and with compassion to the needs and aspirations of others and then takes action as demonstrated by authoring over 31 bills signed into law and more than 1,600 constituent cases that came to her office resolved or mitigated by her staff.

Mariko has given more than 40 years to public service. With her background as a social worker, then serving as a Yolo County Supervisor and state Assemblywoman she has a deep grasp of the issues facing families in raising children and caring for aging parents. She developed the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program which in Yolo County grew from $200,000 a year to $2.1 million in her final year in the state Assembly. This program assisted local families. In the Assembly she served as the Chair of the Aging and Long-Term Care Committee and was a member on a variety of important committees such as Labor & Employment, Housing and community development and Sustainable & Organic Agriculture.

Benicia will benefit from Mariko Yamada because of her knowledge and commitment to our needs and aspirations. Here is how she stands on these issues:

She calls them three legs on her policy stool. I will continue to make aging and longer-term care a top policy priority ... Secondly, .focus on natural resources and land use and (protecting) water resources ... with particularly attention to the Delta (will be paramount).

Mariko says her third policy leg is the fundamental values of our society that we must continue to work for social, economic, educational and environmental justice. This is born out of her personal view of the world, growing up in a household where my parents had been interned in Denver called the Five Points  about 95 percent African-American community. That was the lens through which my view of the world developed.

In Sacramento, shell represent the poor and middle class families over corporate special interests:

-- Shell combat climate change and support efforts to reduce carbon emissions that put the health of our children and our local economy at risk.

-- Mariko has been a consistent and vocal opponent of the governors Delta tunnels proposals, and will continue to oppose efforts to deprive our region of scarce water resources.

-- Shell protect seniors against credit card fraud, instead of letting big banks off the hook.

-- As state Senator, one of her top priorities will be to establish the first Senate Committee on Aging and Long-Term Care to serve as the policy locus for issues related to Californias Silver Tsunami.

-- Mariko believes it essential that our health care and mental health care systems meet the needs of the brave men and women who served in our armed forces when they return home. -- Mariko served on the Assembly Veterans Affairs Committee for six years, leaving as its senior member

-- Mariko supports making the first two years of community college free for every California student who meets the requirements.

Mariko Yamada has the experience and ability to make a difference in our lives and future as state Senator.

Elizabeth Patterson, mayor

City of Benicia
NATO Allies and partners marked the 60th anniversary of the 1956 Hungarian Revolution on Monday (24 October 2016) with a special exhibition at NATO Headquarters. The exhibition was opened by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, his father, Thorvald Stoltenberg, who helped Hungarian refugees fleeing the invading Soviet Army in 1956, as well as Hungarian Ambassador to NATO, Peter Sztaray, and Hungarian politician and professor, Dr. Janos Horvath.

The Secretary General stressed that todays exhibition is an opportunity to honour the sacrifices of the Hungarian people for freedom and liberty. He stressed that this important chapter of Hungarian history shows that freedom is stronger than oppression and democracy is stronger than dictatorship.

The exhibition at NATO Headquarters, entitled Where Heroes Are Not Forgotten, There Will Always Be New Ones, features photographs from the time of the Revolution.
(As prepared)

We are here to remember heroic deeds. And to honour those who have fallen.

When the Red Army came to Hungary toward the end of World War II, they were welcomed as liberators. But the Soviets wanted far more than just to liberate. They wanted to control.

They imposed one-party rule and a totalitarian regime. The oppression sowed the seeds of revolt.

On October 23, 1956, a great popular demonstration took place in Budapest. People called for free speech, free elections and the withdrawal of Soviet troops. When the secret police opened fire, peaceful protest was turned into violent revolution. Instantly turning thousands of ordinary people into brave freedom fighters. This pro-democracy rebellion could have led to a new dawn of peace and freedom for Hungary. But soon Soviet tanks crushed the Revolution. In the weeks that followed, two hundred thousand people fled the country.

Not so many years later, when I was a child in the 1960ies, my father and mother told me stories about the uprising in Hungary in 1956. They told me about Imre Nagy and Pal Maleter. About people standing up for freedom and democracy. But in particular they told me about people fleeing from oppression. Because my father and mother were at the border between Austria and Hungary. They both were volunteers working for an international student organization running a refugee camp and helping people to get out of Hungary.

Im proud of my father and mother for the role they played in those difficult days. And I still have friends in Norway who fled from Hungary at that time. Tragically, the Hungarian people continued to suffer for decades. But freedom is stronger than oppression. Democracy is stronger than dictatorship.

When the Iron Curtain fell in 1989, Hungary regained its independence. And ten years later, Hungary joined NATO. Along with Poland and the Czech Republic. Its great to see how Hungary, and other countries of the former Warsaw Pact, have become proud members of NATO. An Alliance built on our shared values of democracy, individual liberty and the rule of law. The same values that the Hungarian people fought for in 1956. United by these values, the whole Alliance is stronger than the sum of the individual countries. This shows the value of collective defence in what continues to be a dangerous world. So I am grateful to Peter [Ambassador Sztaray] for sharing this exhibition with us here at NATO Headquarters. For giving us all a chance to reflect on this important chapter of Hungarian history. To remember heroic deeds and honour the fallen. And to reflect on the important role that NATO plays in defending our citizens and our values.

Thank you.
In 1948, the United Nations (UN) General Assembly declared October 24, the one-year anniversary of the Charter of the United Nations, as United Nations Day.

The objective of this decision was to make known to the peoples of the world the aims and achievements of the UN and to gain their support for its work, reported Calend.ru.

In 1971, the UN General Assembly recommended that this day be observed by Member States as a public holiday.

At present, there are 193 UN member states, including Armenia.

United Nations Day is part of United Nations Week, which runs from 20 to 26 October.
YEREVAN.  MP and Karabakh War veteran Rustam Gasparyan is of the view that it is not mandatory for a defense minister to be a military person.

The defense minister does not necessarily have to be a member of the military; that he be from the trench, the opposition Prosperous Armenia National Assembly Faction member told Armenian News-NEWS.am am.

As per Gasparyan, the office of the defense minister is political, and this ministers duty is to raise politico-military matters in various countries, whereas the chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces deals with the other matters.

Vigen Sargsyan, a non-military person, was recently appointed Minister of Defense of Armenia, for the first time.

Prior to this appointment, Sargsyan was serving as head of the Presidential Administration of Armenia.
STEPANAKERT.  The adversary violated the ceasefire along the line of contact between the Karabakh and Azerbaijani opposing forces 50 times, from late Sunday night to early Monday morning.

During this time the Azerbaijani armed forces fired around 900 shots toward the Armenian position-holders, and by way of various caliber weapons, the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (NKR/Artsakh) Defense Army informed Armenian News-NEWS.am.

In addition, the adversary fired 83 shots from sniper rifles, in northerly, southerly, and easterly directions of the line of contact.

But the NKR Defense Army vanguard units are in full control over the frontline, and they continue confidently carrying out the military task set before them.
YEREVAN.  Armenia will be under the influence of a cold front, starting from Monday evening and throughout Tuesday and Wednesday.

In addition, precipitation will begin on Monday evening, and it will continue until early Thursday morning, the Ministry of Emergency Situations (MES) informed Armenian News-NEWS.am.

Heavy precipitation is expected, especially from late Tuesday night to early Wednesday morning.

Snow is expected in most areas as well as snowstorms, fog, and low horizontal visibility in separate sections, and black iceon some sections of motorways.

On Tuesday and Wednesday, air temperature will drop by 8-10 degrees Celsius, all through the country.

The MES of Armenia reminds and urges drivers to travel with winter tires on their vehicles.
Russian media reported that two Armenians were found dead with firearm wounds, in their rented apartment in Moscow.

A criminal case has been launched on charges of murder, informed Yulia Ivanova, senior assistant to head of the Moscow General Department of the Russian Investigative Committee.

She added that the case is under investigation.

These two Armenian victims have been identified.

They are: Eduard Nshanyan, 43, and Armen Israyelyan, 46, the Embassy of Armenia in Moscow informed Armenian News-NEWS.am.

They were born in Armenias capital city of Yerevan, but there is no information yet on their citizenship.
MOSCOW.  New details have become known with respect to the murder of two Armenians in Moscow.

According to preliminary data, an Armenian man, whose name has not yet been made public, is suspected of killing these two compatriots of his, the Embassy of Armenia in Moscow informed Armenian News-NEWS.am.

He is wanted.

The circumstances behind this murder are being ascertained.

Russian media reported that two Armenians on Sunday were found dead with firearm wounds, in their rented apartment in the capital city of Russia.

A criminal case has been launched on charges of murder, informed Yulia Ivanova, senior assistant to head of the Moscow General Department of the Russian Investigative Committee.

She added that the case is under investigation.

These two Armenians are: Eduard Nshanyan, 43, and Armen Israyelyan, 46.

They were born in Armenias capital city of Yerevan. Nshanyan and Israyelyan did not have permanent jobs in Russia, and they were living in an apartment they had rented from a fellow Armenian.
YEREVAN.  The European Union (EU) considers supporting economic growth in the EU Eastern Partnership countries to be the core of its activities.

Ambassador Piotr Switalski, Head of the EU Delegation to Armenia, stated the aforementioned at a press conference on Monday. He noted this as he presented the series of events, entitled EU for Business, which kicked off on the same day in capital city Yerevan, and which will run for about one week.

Switalski noted that the new Armenian government also has this matter on the focus of its program, and the EU stands ready to assist the government in implementing reforms and that a successful transition be made toward a productive economy.

He added that the development of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) is a main tool for economic development in Armenia. Ambassador Switalski also noted that there is very large unrealized potential in the domain of SMEs in the country.

As per the EU diplomat, the next direction is foreign investments toward the development of Armenia. He said they have faith that the future signing of the Armenia-EU framework agreement as well as the ongoing reforms will help bring additional foreign investment to the country.

Head of the EU Delegation to Armenia stressed that they consider economic cooperation to be mutually beneficial. As per Piotr Switalski, the more successful Armenias economy is, it will be that much better for the EU. He assured that, in this sense, the Government of Armenia is on the right track.
IMF forecasts $1 trillion unforeseen profit for oil exporter

Lavrov and Cavusoglu discuss recent developments in Caucasus

Seoul and Warsaw sign key agreements on nuclear energy development in Poland

Statement by leaders of Russia, Armenia and Azerbaijan on results of meeting in Sochi

Saudi Arabia and UAE defend OPEC decision

Putin: Russia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan agree on joint statement

U.S. wants EU to impose export restrictions against China

Thunberg calls UN conference place for lies and fraud

Putin, Pashinyan and Aliyev hold trilateral talks

Russian businessman Artem Aslanyan commits suicide in Moscow

Head of the Ministry of Finance: Sweden's economic outlook is gloomy and we're heading for a tough winter

Norway to raise level of army combat readiness in response to Ukraine war

Putin and Aliyev talks in Sochi are over

Moldova expels Russian embassy employee after incident with falling rocket parts

Estonia to expand by 30 times protected zone on border with Russia

Serzh Sargsyan receives Garo Paylan

Inflation hits new record in 19 eurozone countries

Shoigu and Akar discuss Russia's decision to suspend participation in grain deal

Head of Armenian Armed Forces General Staff: Azerbaijan refuses to allow evacuation of Armenian soldiers' bodies

Inflation in Poland breaks the record of 25 years ago

Head of General Staff of Armenian Armed Forces explains why Azerbaijanis 'trapped' were not captured

Chief of General Staff of Armenian Armed Forces confirms loss of positions as result of Azerbaijani aggression

Central Bank: Inflation in Armenia reaches 9.9%

Edvard Asryan: The operational situation in the eastern and southeastern directions is relatively stable

Iran arrests 6 suspects in attack on Shiraz mausoleum

Aliyev: Baku put forward five main principles to normalize relations with Yerevan

Putin: The goal of the trilateral talks is the implementation of all agreements of 2020 and 2021

Talks between presidents of Russia and Azerbaijan start in Sochi

Six people detained in Belarus for hanging Ukrainian flag

NBC News: Biden lost his temper on the phone with Zelenskyy

European Parliament lawmakers arriving in Armenia on fact-finding mission

Cavusoglu: Europe weakening runs counter to Ankara's economic interests

Non-resident organizations providing online services in Armenia declare 1bn drams of VAT in 3 quarters

October oil production in Russia falls

Storm warning issued in Sochi due to tornadoes

Putin and Pashinyan hold 1-hour talks in Sochi

Pashinyan to visit Tehran on November 1

Over AMD 76 billion will be assigned to Armenian police in 2023

Provincial governor of Armenias Tavush, France envoy discuss future cooperation (PHOTOS)

South Korea and the U.S. begin large-scale air force exercise

Dollar, euro continue falling in Armenia

Pashinyan says issue of Armenian captives is unresolved, despite discussions with Putin

Iranian parliament chair to visit Azerbaijan

Pashinyan: Communications passing through Armenia should be under Yerevan's full control

Pashinyan: Russia's clear position on moving Azerbaijani soldiers to their initial positions is important

World wheat prices up

Putin urges to ensure peace in Karabakh and unblock transport infrastructure

Pashinyan calls Russia's approaches to establishing Armenia-Azerbaijan relations acceptable

State budget spending on Armenia emergency ministry needs to increase considerably in 2023

Pashinyan says he wants to discuss regional security issues with Putin

Putin hopes for progress in Karabakh settlement during summit

Putin: We have to end the Karabakh conflict

80% of Kyiv remains without water supply after morning strikes, mayor claims

China accuses US of violating trade rules

Armenian PM Nikol Pashinyan meets Russian President Vladimir Putin

Peskov: We will inform if documents are agreed as result of Russia, Armenia, Azerbaijan leaders meeting

Kremlin says Russia continues contacts with Turkey and UN on 'grain deal'

Masis Abrahamyan, head of ANC - Netherlands office, files lawsuit against Armenian National Security Service

Bloomberg names world's richest families

Central Bank: About 86% of banks' profits in Armenia come from currency sale/purchase, exchange fees

Head of Central Bank of Armenia: Economic growth in 2023 will be lower than 7% forecasted by government

Armenia civil servants salaries to increase but bonuses to reduce

Armenia finance minister: Salaries to increase almost twice as much more than bonuses have become salaries

Finance ministry: Armenia inflation would have been higher if national currency had not increased in value

Alen Simonyan to Erin Elizabeth McKee: Armenia is interested in deeper engagement by US

Central Bank of Armenia: U.S. financial authorities complicate U.S. dollar turnover worldwide

Kyiv: 12 vessels with grain leave Ukrainian ports

France is working on a land route for grain export from Ukraine

Amount of Armenia financial assistance to Karabakh to not change in 2023

International Rescue Committee: Blockade of Ukrainian grain may lead to disaster

Erdogan: Turkey will continue to solve the food issue despite Russia's hesitation

Armenia's budget deficit in 2023 will be 3.1% of GDP

PACE MPs initiate resolution on political prisoners cases increase in Azerbaijan

EU studying issue of recognizing Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as terrorist organization

Finance minister: Armenia tax revenues projected to be about 3.7% of GDP in 2023

Armenia opposition MP: No final document will be signed in Russias Sochi

Opposition MP: When Armenia PM says he is in Russian proposals favor, has no value unless he says he rejects US option

Employee of Karabakh permanent representation in Armenia is charged with high treason

Kyiv mayor claims damage to energy facility that supplies power to 350,000 apartments

Blinken has phone talks with China's FM

Artsakh strategic issues discussed at We Are Our Mountains agency first meeting

Death toll in Indian bridge collapse rises to 141

Armenia 2023 state budget draft: Capital expenditure to increase significantly

Armenia national debt against GDP is planned to be reduced

Iranian Foreign Ministry: Presence of foreign forces doesn't contribute to peace in Caucasus

Alen Simonyan, Garo Paylan discuss prospects for reopening of Armenia-Turkey border

Aliyev arrives in Sochi

Iran detains second suicide bomber in Shiraz mausoleum

Iranian and Azerbaijani FMs discuss situation in region

2023 expenses of Armenian defense sector will make AMD 506bln, a growth of 35%

Armenias Pashinyan arrives in Russias Sochi (PHOTOS)

UN agrees with Turkey and Ukraine on transportation of Ukrainian grain

Armenia parliament standing committees kick off joint session, debating on 2023 state budget draft

Lula da Silva wins Brazil presidential election

Oil prices go down

Gold prices show weak growth

Armenia renowned stage director, ex-MP Vahe Shahverdyan dead at 77

Turkey plans to open 100 oil, natural gas wells on land in 2023

Copper falls in price

USAID delegation arriving in Armenia
YEREVAN.  The European Union (EU) has a very strict methodology for inspecting how EU funding to Armenia is spent, and what are the results.

Ambassador Piotr Switalski, Head of the EU Delegation to Armenia, noted the above-said at a press conference on Monday.

When asked how much the EU allocates to Armenia each year, and whether it has any levers for checking up on the effectiveness of the subsequent expenditures, Switalski responded that it would be correct to assess what they have done so far, and to make cooperation more effective by using new approaches. He added that the allocated funding is based on critical analyses.

The diplomat added that the EU annually provides about 50 million to Armenia, whose bulk is budgetary funding. Switalski stated that some of this funding is grants for NGOs, and some programs are run from Brussels.

Ambassador Switalski also stressed that they are ready to listen to any proposal toward making the use of this funding become more beneficial.
Three French Defence Ministry officials and two private contractors became the victims of the light lane crush at Malta airport, French Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian stated.

The light plane crashed after takeoff from Malta International Airport en route to Libya, killing all five crew members on board on Monday morning, Reuters reported.

According to eyewitnesses, the crash occurred 10 meters from one of local military units, the building of which was damaged by debris. Nobody was injured on the ground.

Earlier it was reported that EU officials (Frontex) were onboard the crashed plane.

According to some data, the aircraft flew for reconnaissance - tracking the routes of carriers of illegal migrants and drug dealers.
YEREVAN. - Foreign Minister of Armenia Edward Nalbandian on Monday met with the Grand Chancellor and Foreign Minister of the Sovereign Order of Malta Albrecht Freiherr von Boeselager.

The latter has arrived in Armenia within the delegation led by Prince and Grand Master of the Sovereign Order of Malta Fra' Robert Matthew Festing.

The interlocutors touched on the friendly ties established between Armenia and the Sovereign Order of Malta, as well the measures aimed at their development.

FM Nalbandian noted that the close cooperation established between the Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia and the Sovereign Order of Malta back in the Middle Ages serves a solid historical and cultural basis for the expansion and strengthening of cooperation. He also highly appreciated the humanitarian projects implemented by the Sovereign Order of Malta in Armenia and Artsakh.

For his part, Albrecht Freiherr von Boeselager expressed conviction that the official visit of the Grand Master of the Sovereign Order of Malta to Armenia will open a new page in the bilateral ties.

Nalbandian and Albrecht von Boeselager also discussed pressing international and regional issues, the situation in the Middle East and the Syrian crisis.

Apart from this, Armenian FM briefed his counterpart on the consequences of the aggression unleashed by Azerbaijan against Artsakh in April, the gross violations of the international humanitarian law and international human rights, which hindered the negotiation process of the peaceful settlement.

At the same time, FM Nalbandian referred to the joint efforts of Armenia and the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs towards creating relevant conditions to ensure progress in the peaceful settlement of the Karabakh conflict.
YEREVAN. - The Armenian Ministry of Energy Infrastructures and Natural Resources and Rosgeo JSC signed a Memorandum of Cooperation in the Armenian Government Monday.

The document was signed between the Minister of Energy Infrastructures and Natural Resources Ashot Manukyan and CEO of Rosgeo JSC Roman Panov. Armenian PM Karaen Karapetyan was present during its signing.

Under the Memorandum, the sides will develop their cooperation in the direction of carrying out geological studies and complex search activities, mining planning, mine assessment, etc. It is also planned that the sides will establish a joint institution for the implementation of the projects in Armenia.

Prior to signing the memorandum, PM Karapetyan and Rosgeo CEO Roman Panov discussed issues on bilateral cooperation, referring to the programs and steps, which will contribute to their practical implementation.

The PM welcomed the expansion of cooperation with Rosgeo JSC, stressing that the government program underscores the importance of the comprehensive exploration of mineral resources, as well as the implementation of complex activities aimed at their transparent use. Karapetyan noted that the bilateral cooperation can serve as a productive platform for attracting investments and opening new workplaces. According to him, the executive is interested in implementing joint programs.

For his part, Panov presented the PM their vision on the prospects for cooperation. According to him, Rosgeo is ready to engage in intensive activity in Armenia. The CEO also stressed that the country is rich in mineral rocks, this basis having many significant prospects for development and strengthening.
STEPANAKERT. - President of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (NKR) Bako Sahakyan on Monday received OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs Igor Popov (Russian Federation), Pierre Andrieu (France), James Warlick (U.S.), the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Ambassador Andrzej Kasprzyk and accompanying officials.

Issues related to the Azerbaijani-Karabakh conflict settlement and recent developments were discussed during the meeting, the NKR Presidents press-service reports.

President Sahakyan noted that Azerbaijan remains committed to its destructive stance, violating the ceasefire regime and continuing to pursue anti-Armenian policy. He also underscored the necessity of developing mechanisms aimed at maintaining the ceasefire regime and revealing violations, considering this as a key component of the peace process.

Apart from this, President Sahakyan expressed gratitude to retired French Co-Chairman Pierre Andrieu for his honest and efficient work, wishing him good luck in his future activities.
23:38

A book chronicling the life of fighter pilot M P Anil Kumar, who became an icon of armed forces through his prolific writings despite having been paralysed after an accident, was released on Monday by Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar.





The minister said everyone should draw inspiration from Kumar's determination and adopt it.





MP, as he was fondly called, was MiG 21 fighter pilot. On June 28, 1988 he met with an accident which left him paralysed below the neck. He was confined to the paraplegic home in the Military Hospital at Kirkee in Pune.





MP taught himself to write with a pen clenched between his teeth. His articles on military history and current affairs were published widely.





He was a regular columnist with Rediff.com besides the Indian Express, Indian Defence Review and the Purple Beret to name a few.





His autobiographical article 'Airborne to Chairborne' was included in English text books in Maharashtra and Kerala. With the earnings from his works, he sponsored two underprivileged girls through school.





Early in 2014, he was diagnosed with cancer and succumbed to the disease on May 20, 2014. The biography has been penned by Air commodore Nitin Sathe.
23:49

Cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan on Tuesday claimed India was trying to "implode" Pakistan and sabotage moves against corruption.





The 64-year-old Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chairman also accused Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif of being a "security risk" to the country.





"A new doctrine has originated in India which aims to implode Pakistan because they have failed to defeat us militarily," Imran told reporters outside his residence here before leaving for Quetta, where ISIS militants attacked a police training centre.





"...to make Pakistan descend into chaos without any reforms," he said, adding that India did not want an inside political reform movement to succeed.





"Whenever we plan to launch a reform movement against corruption in the country such terror attacks happen," he added.





Noting that corruption and militancy funding in Pakistan "run side by side", Imran also called Sharif a "security risk" for the country as the prime minister was only interested in saving himself from the accountability in the wake of the Panama Papers leaks.





"His only aim is to save himself from the repercussions of the revelations regarding his corruption in Panama leaks," he said and demanded the government to highlight the names of those officials who were involved in leaking the crucial information regarding a high-level security meeting.





He went on to add that "when Balochistan Chief Minister is saying that India was involved in sabotaging law and order in the province then why does our prime minister not raise his voice on the issue on global forums".




Form, Fabricate and Forge conference, exhibition set for Oct. 28-29

by Andrea Hahn

CARBONDALE, Ill. -- SIMS, the Southern Illinois Metalsmiths Society at Southern Illinois University Carbondale, invites the community to the 9th Annual Form, Fabricate and Forge conference and art exhibition on Friday and Saturday, Oct. 28-29, at which Jake James is the featured artist.

The event begins at the University Museum (Faner Hall) on Oct. 28 with a reception for the SIMS exhibit, which runs through Nov. 12. The exhibit reception is 4-7 p.m., followed by James art talk in the museum auditorium beginning at 7 p.m.

On Oct. 29, James will offer several workshops and public demonstrations at the L. Brent Kington Smithy in Pulliam Hall throughout the day beginning at 9 a.m. and ending at 4 p.m. The dinner and auction are at 17th Street BBQ in Murphysboro from 5 to 9 p.m. Tickets for the event are: $10 for SIU students, $25 for students from elsewhere and for ABANA members, and identification is required, $35 for the general public. The tickets cover both the demonstrations and the dinner.

James operates a forge in Vancouver, Canada. He earned a Journeymans Certificate from the Worshipful Company of Blacksmiths in England, then learned more on his travels, from making farm implements in Sri Lanka to silver jewelry in the United States and Canada. His lectures and workshops take him from coast to coast in the United States and Canada, and as far away as Australia as well as his native England.
Winners of homecoming competitions announced

by Christi Mathis

CARBONDALE, Ill. -- Pleasant weather and lots of special activities drew large crowds to Southern Illinois University Carbondale for Homecoming 2016 and the results of various competitions are now in.

Students chose Orlando Toatley of St. Louis as their king and Beryl Span of Chicago as queen via online voting. Toatley is a senior radio, television and digital media major with a speech communications minor, while Span is a senior criminal justice major with a minor in sociology.

Throughout the week, during the Saluki State of Mind celebrations, registered student organizations showed their Saluki pride through participation and prizes were given to the groups that did so best. Delta Sigma Theta Sorority won the Spirit Competition-Small Bracket (for 1-49 members) prize while Delta Phi Epsilon won the Spirit Competition-Large Bracket (for 50 or more members).

There were more than 55 entries in SIUs 2016 Homecoming parade and Harry L. Crisp II, chief executive officer of Pepsi MidAmerica, was the grand marshal. Alpha Gamma Rho and Delta Zeta teamed to win the award for best large parade float. The Automotive Technology Organization claimed best small float honors.

Winners in the marching band competition, listed by categories, include:

Class A -- 1. Harrisburg High School; 2. Carbondale Community High School.

Class B -- 1. Goreville Junior High and High School.

Class C -- 1. Harrisburg Middle School; 2. Carbondale Middle School.

The homecoming court also included:

Peyton Gehrs, a senior agricultural systems and education major from Highland .

. Nicole Hanke, a senior civil engineering student from Carlyle .

. Naomi Tolbert, a junior political science and international studies major from Carbondale .

. Rose Weisenstein, a senior nutrition and dietetics major from Belleville.

This years king candidates were:

Rudy Bacette, a senior psychology major with a minor in communication studies from Evanston .

. Kenneth Hiemer, a senior history education major from Frankfort .

. Jermaine D. Hughes Jr., a senior criminology and criminal justice major from Richton Park.

Philip Kains, a senior mathematics major from Springfield.

In conjunction with SIUs Homecoming, the Carbondale Chamber of Commerce also sponsored a window decorating contest. Evolve at SIU was the winner.
A team of US researchers has developed a unique method that, after analysing online comments or tweets, can find dishonesty levels behind posting those thoughts - a practice also called 'astroturfing'. Astroturfing is the deceptive practice of presenting an orchestrated marketing or public relations campaign in the guise of unsolicited comments from members of the public. Former US President George W Bush and current US presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump have been accused of 'astroturfing' to claim widespread enthusiasm for their platforms. Kim-Kwang Raymond Choo, associate professor of information systems and cybersecurity at University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) developed a method for detecting people dishonestly posting online comments, reviews or tweets across multiple accounts. "Astroturfing is legal, but it's questionable ethically. As long as social media has been popular, this has existed," said Choo. The method analyses multiple writing samples. Choo and his collaborators found that it's challenging for authors to completely conceal their writing style in their text. Based on word choice, punctuation and context, the method is able to detect whether one person or multiple people are responsible for the samples. Choo and his co-authors used writing samples from the most prolific online commentators on various news websites. They discovered that many people espousing their opinions online were actually all linked to a few singular writers with multiple accounts. The practice has been used by businesses to manipulate social media users or online shoppers, by having one paid associate post false reviews on web sites about products for sale. It is also used on social media wherein 'astroturfers' create several false accounts to espouse opinions, creating the illusion of a consensus when actually one person is pretending to be many. "Businesses can use this to encourage support for their products or services or to sabotage other competing companies by spreading negative opinions through false identities," Choo added in a university statement. Choo is now looking into whether the algorithm can be used to prevent plagiarism and contract cheating. "In addition to raising public awareness of the problem, we hope to develop tools to detect astroturfers so that social media users can make informed choices and resist online social manipulation and propaganda," Choo noted. --IANS na/in ( 381 Words) 2016-10-24-10:20:05 (IANS)
The Khaama Press quoted the Interior Ministry of Afghanistan, as saying that three people, including two Pakistan citizens had been detained after the truck was said to be carrying ammonium nitrate explosives that are often used to create improvised explosive devices.

Afghanistan has repeatedly charged Pakistan with giving shelter to terrorists, who stage attacks across Afghanistan. (ANI with inputs)
Prime Minister Modi will launch 'Urja Ganga', the gas pipeline project which promises to provide piped cooking gas to residents of Varanasi within two years.

He is also scheduled to flag off projects like doubling of railway tracks on the busy Allahabad-Varanasi section and expansion of the Diesel Locomotive Works (DLW) at Varanasi besides laying foundation stone for a fully air-conditioned perishable cargo centre.

He will also release a stamp dedicated to Varanasi, which is believed to be among the oldest surviving ones in the world.

Besides, he will lay the foundation stone for widening of a road passing through the city's crowded Cantonment area.

Earlier in the day, the Prime Minister will address a rally near Police Line in Mahoba city.

Elaborate arrangements have been made in view of Prime Minister Modi's visit to the town in Bundelkhand region of Uttar Pradesh.

The region has been facing drought like situation for last few years and water scarcity is major problem in this area.

The Prime Minister is expected to announce water management project and scheme for the region.

Besides water and irrigation problems, lack of infrastructure and industry is also cause of distress for people of the region.

Linking of Ken and Betwa rivers are also on long time plan as a solution for irrigation in the region. (ANI)
A local resident of RS Pura was also injured in the ceasefire violation.

The injured BSF jawan was brought to the Government Medical College who is currently undergoing treatment.

Ceasefire violation with heavy mortar shelling also took place in Jammu and Kashmir's Pargwal sector of Akhnoor all night.

Meanwhile, terrorists attacked a police post guarding minority houses at Sirnoo in Pulwama, Kashmir last night.

On Friday night, the Pakistan rangers had targeted the border villages and outposts (BoP) with mortar shells and opened fire from automatic weapons along the International Border in Kathua sector.

BSF soldier Gurnam Singh, who was hit in the snipper attack, had died late on Saturday night.

Multiple ceasefire violations have been reported along the International Border and Line of Control after India conducted surgical strikes across the border in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir to target staging areas for terrorists last month.

Pakistan has however denied the cross-border raids. (ANI)
The Tripura Government today suspended three jail officials, including Superintendent of Central Jail, three days after the fleeing incident of three life-term convicted inmates from the jail. Chief Secretary Y P Singh said the officials have been suspended because of lapses found on their side in ensuring the security of the jail. However, an inquiry was on to look into the details and also to find out the accused inmates. "The police is directed to arrest those who have escaped from the jail. Ttate government has also sought help from other neighbouring states as well as from Border Security Force. We are hopeful, they will be arrested soon," Mr Singh stated. He said jail superintendent Santosh Bahadur Chhetri, head warden Abhiram Majumdar and warder Ashu Kumar Jamatia were suspended based on the preliminary report of the home department adding detailed investigation at both police and administration levels have also been started. Inspector-General of Prison Shantanu Debbarma said that the escapers had been in the jail since 2012 after court awarded them life term imprisonment for murdering in three different cases. They were also engaged in vocational training inside the jail. The watch tower, by which they were believed to escape by climbing up the wall, was almost abandoned in the north-east corner. The vocational training centre was in that location where the escapers - Rabindra Debbarma (24) of Baikhora of South Tripura, Milan Debbarma (28) of Champahowar of Khowai and Swarnakumar Tripura (22) of Manubazar of South Tripura had access. Two of them were trainee of tailoring and one was involved in book binding training, Mr Debbarma said adding since they were living inside for long they knew the area and duty rosters. The CCTV footage revealed that the convicted persons fled away from the jail through the watch tower and ran away towards a rubber estate behind the jail in dark.UNI BB AD ADG SNU 1224 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0108-991890.Xml
Speaking after inaugurating a three day 'Kittur Utsava' atKittur, about 45 km from here yesterday, he said that " I wishKittur, a new taluka in Belagavi district, should be made as a modeltaluka in the state. It was irony to note that after declaringKitturu as taluka, none of the infrastructure was provided."

He said that Record of rights will be provided to those who havebuilt houses on government land within next three months. A landupto 4000 sq.ft. will be provided to them without any discriminationin order to maintain their cattle.

Mr Thimappa said that Kitturu Rani Channamma, though being awoman, was the first to defeat the British and established a goodgovernance during her regime.

Alleging that the officers take advantage of ignorance of people,the Minister said that People should rise their voice and fight fortheir rights like Rani Channamma.

He instructed the Officials that Under Employment GuaranteeScheme, the people engaged should be paid on weekly basis.

He advised the women folk to take a cue from Rani Channamma andcome forward to join the main stream for the development of the country.

District In charge and small scale industry Minister RameshJarkiholi felicitated Mr Thimappa on the occasion.

District administration and Kannada and Culture departmentjointly organized Kittur Utsav-2016.UNI HVN MSP CS 1213

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Prime Minister of New Zealand John Key is coming this evening on a four-day visit during which he will hold wide ranging discussions with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Mr Kay will be leading a high-level business and education delegation. He will be accompanied by his wife Ms Bronagh Key. Besides, member of New Zealand Parliament Mark Mitchell, Chair of Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Select Committee and MP Kanwaljit Singh Bakshi will also be part of his delegation. His talks with the Prime Minister will touch the whole spectrum of bilateral relations. It is expected that India will be raising the issue of its NSG membership with the visiting PM. His first destination during the India visit will be Mumbai where he will arrive today. He will deliver a key note address at an event organised by Bombay Stock Exchange in association with Chambers of Commerce, and also meet with the Governor and Chief Minister of Maharashtra. Mr Key will also be attending innovation showcase event to celebrate innovation in New Zealand-India business partnerships. In Delhi, Prime Minister Key will hold one-on-one meeting with Mr Modi, followed by official delegation level meeting to discuss growing bilateral relations. He will also call on President Pranab Mukherjee besides attending a Business Summit. The New Zealand Prime Minister and his delegation will undertake a short tour of the new Cochin International Terminal and the work undertaken by the New Zealand company, Glidepath. PM Key last visited India in 2011. The President visited New Zealand in May this year, the first ever visit of Indian President to the country.UNI RBE ADG SNU 1315 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0427-991935.Xml
Disputing police claim that Maoists were killed in an exchange of fire, he said it was deliberate attack on a Maoist meeting.

Over 20 Maoists were killed in the alleged gunbattle in Malkangiri district of Odisha on Monday. The incident occurred during a joint search operation by police forces of Odisha and Andhra Pradesh.

Some top Maoist leaders are suspected to be among those killed. Most of the slain Maoist cadre hailed from Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.

Varavara Rao demanded that a murder case be booked against the policemen involved in the attack.

"Did Maoists carry out any attack after the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh? Then where was the need for this fake encounter?" asked Rao, a leader of Veerasam, a body of revolutionary writers.

Rao also demanded an inquiry into the incident by a sitting judge of the high court. He said the bodies of Maoists should be brought to Visakhapatnam.

--IANS ms/mr

( 185 Words)

2016-10-24-15:14:04 (IANS)
The Chief of the Air Staff, who is visiting Russia on the invitation of the Commander of Russian Federation Aerospace Forces, is scheduled to hold talks with senior military leaders and discuss a wide range of bilateral issues on the ongoing defence cooperation.

The issue of development of fifth generation aircraft and supply of spare parts of the Russian fighters in the IAF is likely to be discussed during the meetings.

"The visit is intended to take the existing defence cooperation between the Air Forces of the two countries to the next level. The areas of cooperation presently include military and technical cooperation, exchange visits and air exercises," an official statement said here.

During his stay, he will also visit various Air Force and defence establishments.

"Air Chief Marshal Arup Raha's visit to Russia would provide further impetus towards increasing defence cooperation and deepening the bonds of friendship between the two Air Forces," the statement added. UNI MK RSA AE 1530

-- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0090-992217.Xml
Talking to mediapersons Parth Jindal, MD- JSW Cement Ltd said today that our JV with Wagner Group, the only company in the world to commercially produce EFC on a very large scale. We hope to expand our horizons in the industry and bring in growth & greater heights to the expansion of our company.

JSW Cement announces JV with Wagner's Group to bring Earth Friendly Concrete (EFC) to India

The new venture to be called 'JSW-Wagner's' and will be a subsidiary of JSW Cement and it will be fully operational by January 2017.

The first batch of EPC to ship out by July 2017.

The compnay entered the cement market in 2009 with a vision to ensure a sustainable future for the country by producing eco-friendly cement, using industrial by-products such as slag.

By converting industrial by-product into a useful product, it has reduced the carbon footprint of the Group, he added. UNI NV SM1539

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Terming sacking of government employees without any probe ''undemocratic'', Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) today demanded an investigation into killing and injuring of civilians in security forces action during the current unrest by a retired Supreme Court (SC) judge. Meanwhile, JKPCC also urged the government to first create conducive atmosphere in the violence-hit Kashmir valley and then only hold examinations. "We today met Governor N N Vohra and apprised him about the prevailing situation in the valley and asserted that the government has completely failed in dealing with the current unrest that has left 95 civilians dead and over 10,000 others injured," JKPCC chief G A Mir told reports in a press conference here today. "We have no right to ask the government to postpone the examinations, because it's their decision. But the government should first create conducive atmosphere and restore normalcy so that students can appear in their examinations," he said. Urging the state government to probe the involvement of any person before slapping Public Safety Act (PSA) on him, Mr Mir said minor should not be booked under this law as it will completely destroy their future. "Arresting and booking people under PSA is not a solution to this problem, it is a political issue and needs a political solution. And the government should release minor booked under PSA as their lives will be completely destroyed which will further alienate Kashmiri people," he said. Lashing out at the state government for not filling its promises made in the Agenda of Alliance, Mr Mir said it was PDP-BJP regime which agreed on talking with all stakeholders, including Hurriyat Conference to resolve all pending issues in Kashmir. "We are asking Centre and the state government to fulfill its promise of including all stakeholders for a meaningful dialogue to resolve all pending issue in Kashmir," he said. Hitting out at Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti for allegedly failing to control the situation in Kashmir, he said, "We were hoping that she will come out with a plan to restore normalcy in the valley. But she has completely failed to do so. She has been a political worker she should have known what measure would help in restoring normalcy in the valley." Accusing the government of being nonexistent on the ground, the JKPCC chief said the current regime should give details of the work it did in its 19 months tenure.UNI ABS SB 1412 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0433-992065.Xml
With the number of snow leopards dwindling each year due to illegal poaching across their range in Asia's high mountains, India along with China, Mongolia, Pakistan and Tajikistan have reported maximum cases of poaching of this endangered and elusive cat. According to a new report by Trade Records Analysis of Flora and Fauna in Commerce (TRAFFIC), over 90 per cent of the reported snow leopard poaching occurred in these range countries. Range state is a term generally used in zoogeography and conservation biology to refer to any nation that exercises jurisdiction over any part of a range which a particular species, taxon or biotope inhabits, or crosses or overflies at any time on its normal migration route. Nepal was also flagged for having relatively high poaching levels, considering its relatively small population of snow leopards. China and Russia were most frequently identified as destinations for animals poached in other countries. Afghanistan has also been a major illegal market for snow leopard furs over the past decade. The report found that 55 per cent of snow leopards were killed in retaliation for attacks on livestock and 18 per cent by non-targeted methods, such as snares. Only 21 per cent were poached specifically for the illegal trade in their pelts and products. However, the report found that over half the retaliatory and non-targeted poaching incidents resulted in opportunistic attempts to sell, contributing to the estimated 108-219 snow leopards that were illegally traded each year. Interestingly, the report also found a steep decline in the number of snow leopards observed in trade and in markets, particularly in China, which suggested that demand could be falling perhaps due to increased enforcement. Rishi Sharma, WWF Snow Leopard Programme leader and co-author of the report said, "Even if there is reduced demand for snow leopard skins, the killing will continue unless we all work together to drastically reduce human-wildlife conflict and ensure that mountain communities can co-exist with snow leopards. Compensation schemes and innovative predator-proof corrals are making a difference but we urgently need to expand these to benefit communities and snow leopards across Asia's high mountains." The report had called on the governments to mitigate human-wildlife conflict by preventing snow leopards from killing livestock, offsetting the costs of livestock losses, and expanding community-based conservation programmes. It also recommends strengthening both national and transboundary law enforcement, especially as less than a quarter of known cases of snow leopard poaching were investigated and just 14 per cent were prosecuted. According to Kristin Nowell, the lead author of the report, "The snow leopard crime database is a critical resource for everyone involved in efforts to reduce poaching and illegal trade in the species and will help to target interventions at key points across snow leopard range. But we need to expand efforts to monitor activity on the Internet and social media as snow leopard traffickers may be moving online to try to evade law enforcement."UNI RBE RSA AE 1550 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0427-992264.Xml
Ms Swaraj met Geeta at a local hotel after addressing the valedictory of the Global Investors Summit in Madhya Pradesh's commercial capital yesterday. During the 45-minute-long meeting, she sought information about her education and training.

Geeta interacted with Ms Swaraj in sign language and informed her that she was doing well. She presented a handkerchief hand-embroidered by her.

Sources said the External Affairs Minister also presented gifts to Geeta, ahead of her birthday, which is celebrated on October 26 when she returned from Pakistan. Her actual birth date is not known.

Ms Monika Punjabi, who is associated with a deaf and dumb association, accompanied Geeta at the meeting. She said that Ms Swaraj apprised Geeta that a plan has been worked out to take her to Bihar and Jharkhand after Deepawali and help her find her village and family.

For the purpose, such places were identified from where trains ply as Geeta had gone missing while traveling in train. UNI XC-PS AE 1658

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Snubbing Beijing over it comments on the visit of Mr Verma to Tawang valley in the north eastern state, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Vikas Swarup said there was nothing unusual in it.

"The US Ambassador visited Arunachal Pradesh, a state which is an integral part of the country to which he is accredited," Mr Swarup said.

Irked by Mr Verma visit to the Tawang Valley, to which it lays claim, China has opposed the US envoy action, saying that he was trying to damage the hard-earned peace and tranquillity of the China-India border region.

Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Lu Kang accused the US of attempting to meddle in China-India territorial dispute.

"We urge the United States to stop getting involved in the China-India territorial dispute and do more to benefit this region's peace and tranquillity," he said.

"Any responsible third party should respect efforts by China and India to seek peaceful and stable reconciliation, and not the opposite," Mr Lu said in his regular briefing.

He said India and China were capable of handling the matter through talks.UNI MK RSA AE 1804

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Punjab Congress Legislature Party chief Charanjit Singh Channi today challenged Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal to prove his sincerity to Punjab on the river waters issue at least once rather than resorting to rhetoric and exploiting sentiments of the people on this sensitive issue. Mr Channi called upon Mr Badal to seek public apology for betraying people of the state on the river waters issue over the years. He blamed the Chief Minister for replicating his same act as he did in 1978 on the issue of the waters of Punjab. ''Shiromani Akali Dal intentionally wants to weaken the case of SYL in the Supreme Court just to gain mileage in the elections, by making it an election issue but the people of Punjab very well know that who has done what for saving the waters of Punjab. Badals want to fight the elections on this very sensitive issue,'' the Congress leader said in a statement here. How can they be so insensitive towards the people of Punjab when everybody knows today they have their like minded government at the Centre, Haryana and Punjab also, he added. Mr Channi further reminded the Chief Minister that the first two notices for the acquisition of land for the SYL canal project No. 113/5/SYL and 121/5/SYL were issued on February 2, 1978 when he was the Chief Minister. These two notifications were issued not just under Section 4 of the Land Acquisition Act, 1894 but Section 17 of the Act was also invoked on the grounds of urgency to exempt the procedure from Section 5(a).More UNI DB DJK AE 1838 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0292-992579.Xml
Alleging that youth were being booked on in false cases on political grounds at the behest of ruling People's Democratic Party (PDP), main opposition National Conference (NC) today said north Kashmir district of Kupwara was reeling under a 'ruthless mass crackdown' where people were being targeted for their political affiliations. "The state government is overseeing a wave of mass repression and indiscriminate arrests in Kupwara and youth were being booked in false cases on political grounds at the behest of PDP leaders. The district was reeling under a ruthless mass crackdown where people were being targeted for their political affiliations under the fig-leaf of suppressing the current agitation," the NC said here. He alleged there have been a couple of instances where even people who work and live abroad have been booked under false cases despite the fact that they haven't been in the country for more than a year. "In some affidavits and documents seeking the imposition of Public Safety Act, the administration has listed being a worker of NC as an apparently cognizable offence that justifies arrest and prosecution. Youth are being arrested at the behest of local PDP leaders and this is adding to the alienation on the ground," the party said. The NC further alleged that reports of houses being ransacked, fodder being destroyed and crops being burnt indicated a clear and deliberate crackdown by the government on civilians in the state. "There is a concerted attempt to humiliate the people and persecute them into political submission. The government has crossed all limits of repression and ruthlessness and has pushed the youth of the state farther from the goal of reconciliation and peace. Kupwara has been handed over to the police and it seems only PDP workers are immune from this perverse persecution. When PDP leaders and workers start deciding who deserves a PSA based on the individual's political affiliations, one can only rue the future of the State under the current dispensation," the NC said. The NC said the same PDP that talked of a 'battle of ideas' philosophy has now declared an alleged all-out war against ideas and those ideologies that go against its opportunistic alliance with the RSS and the BJP. "Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti is living in a fool's paradise if she thinks persecution and repression can prevent PDP's imminent rout from the State's political landscape. She has failed the people of the State and lied to them in order to get her own political empowerment. Every single promise, every single slogan of the PDP has been sold to the BJP for the Chief Minister's chair," the NC further alleged. The main opposition said the police and local administration should not operate on political lines and should refuse diktats from PDP leaders and workers who want to misuse and abuse the system to settle political scores and blunt the sharp sense of dissent against their Government. UNI ABS SW AE 1710 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0433-992401.Xml
Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh today said terrorism should be dealt in a comprehensive manner and segmented and partial approaches as adopted by some of the countries had been unsuccessful in countering terrorism. Mr Singh, who is on a three-day visit to Bahrain, said India and Bahrain were vulnerable to the scourge of terrorism. He was speaking during his bilateral meeting with Interior Minister of Bahrain Lt General Shaikh Rashid bin Abdulla Al Khalifa in capital Manama. Mr Singh said terrorism constituted the greatest threat to humanity since World War II. Reacting to the Bahrain leadership condemning the recent terrorist attack in Uri in September and the Pathankot airbase attack in January this year, Mr Singh said it was a matter of satisfaction that the world opinion was with India in its resolution to dismantle the launching pads of terrorism from across the border.The Home Minister said signing of agreement with Bahrain for Cooperation in combating international terrorism, transnational organised crime and trafficking in illicit drugs, narcotic and psychotropic substances and precursor chemicals had laid strong foundation for enhanced security/counter-terrorism cooperation between the two countries. He also said India would like to enhance ties with Bahraini defence and security establishment.The Home Minister said India was keen to strengthen trade and investment ties with Bahrain and availed of the strategic location of Bahrain as a "gateway" to the GCC market. He said while India's bilateral trade was healthy and had reached about one billion dollars, there was still a huge potential to further expand it. UNI XC RSA AE 1919 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0329-992815.Xml
Jammu and Kashmir police have arrested 15 miscreants allegedly involved in burning of 13 vehicles in Badgam and Srinagar districts since July 9, a day after Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) commander Burhan Wani and two other militants were killed in an encounter in Anantnag. During subsequent violence, 86 people, mostly youths, were killed in security force and police actions in the Valley where life has been remaining crippled for the past 108 days due to strike. Deputy Inspector General Central-Kashmir range Ghulam Hassan Bhat and Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Amit Kumar told a group of journalists at Police Control Room (PCR) that 22 miscreants were wanted in 13 incidents of torching vehicles in Badgam and Srinagar. However, 15 of them have been arrested while seven are still absconding. They said three miscreants were arrested for setting ablaze two cabs at Fruit Mandi Parimpora on October 17 while one person was arrested for torching a motorcycle at Awantabhavan Soura on September 11. He said on August 7 a load carrier was set ablaze at Batmaloo in which one person has been arrested while two people were taken into custody for setting a motorcycle on fire at Batmaloo on September 23. He said a road roller was set on fire at Batmaloo on August 15 and a man was arrested while three accused have torched a motorcycle on September 21 at Nawa Bazar and were arrested. The officers said a man was arrested for setting ablaze a three-wheeler at Saida Kadal on October 4 while on October 9 a scooty was set on fire at Gojwara in the down town. Two accused were arrested while four others are still absconding. They said a three-wheeler was set on fire on October 4 at Baba Demb Khanyar, a cab was torched at Nowshera Soura on August 25 while on July 9 a motorcycle was set on fire at Nund Reshi colony Bemina while on October 10 two cars were torched at Goripora Hyderpora. UNI BAS SW AE 1914 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0153-992676.Xml
Agitated Haryana farmers blocked the Chandigarh-Hisar road to lodge their protest against delay in distribution of wheat seed by the local office of seed development corporation. The farmers raised slogans against the administration for remaining indifferent to their demand. Bharatiya Kisan Union leader Satpal Dillonwali leading the protest said they had been doing rounds of department for the past more than ten days to get wheat seed but they said supply of seeds had not arrived. However, now the employees were saying that seeds had arrived but they did not get information about rates of the seed so they could not distribute them, he added. A police team reached the spot and talked to farmers to lift the blockade. The police officials also contacted the officials of the department following which area manger Mohinder Singh Malik arrived on the spot. He discussed the matter with staff and asked them to distribute the seed and then farmers withdrew their protest. UNI XC SW Ae 1920 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0293-992764.Xml
The Lotha Students' Union (LSU) condemned the firing incident at Okotso area Wokha, against which a peace rally has been proposed to be held on October 26 at Wokha Town. In a statement by LSU General Secretary T Phyobemo Kikon, the peace rally was called by the frontal organisation, led by Lotha Hoho on October 26 at 0900 hrs. All the educational institutions within the Wokha town will send their students to participate in the said rally. Meanwhile, the Wokha District Chamber of Commerce & Industries (WDCC&I) has informed all business establishments in and around Wokha town to come and join the proposed rally. In a circular issued by both (WDCC&I) President Renponthung Ezung and General Secretary S Abenthung Ngullie have requested all business firms to participate in the rally by closing their shops. It has also restricted movement of all commercial vehicles during the rally hour, the statement added.UNI AS AKM RJ 2121 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0213-993066.Xml
Tribal militant outfit, Karbi People's Liberation Tigers (KPLT), has announced ceasefire with the government for a period of six months. KPLT general secretary Vojaru Hangjang has announced that his organization has entered into a ceasefire agreement with Union government for a period of six months starting from October 20, 2016 to April 20, 2017. The KPLT was raised on January 8, 2011 with the purpose of demanding an autonomous state for the Karbi community through armed movement. In the following years, the ultra organization suffered number of setbacks, number of its hardcore cadres and founder leaders died in action and the organization got disjointed into splinter group."The KPLT has kept its armed struggle going in spite of all odds and difficulties, but now it has realised that the solutions to the problems can only be found through peaceful means. The KPLT has therefore come to a ceasefire agreement with the GOI and will now continue the statehood demand through peaceful means," said Hangjang. The General Secretary has appealed to the people of Karbi Anglong to extend their whole hearted support to the organization in their effort for peace and development of the district. UNI XC-SG AKM SHS RJ 2151 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0213-993071.Xml
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) today submitted "two sealed envelopes" containing the final enquiry report relating to the alleged manipulation in the recruitment of Meghalaya Police Service (MPS) officers to the State High Court. During the hearing, CBI VK Jindal submitted a sealed envelope containing the report prepared by the CBI to a division bench, comprising Chief Justice Dinesh Maheshwari and Justice Ved Prakash Vaish. The High Court had ordered the CBI to probe, following a petition filed by one of the candidates, Millon Ch, Momin into the alleged manipulation in the recruitment to fill up 34 posts of MPS officers, conducted by the Meghalaya Public Service Commission. During the course of submissions, it was also noticed that the other envelopes containing the documents/sheets/material supplied to the CBI were not produced, to which the CBI Counsel prayed for some time and thereafter, produced three further envelopes, said to be of the entire material that was supplied to the CBI from the Registry. With the hearing remains inconclusive, the High Court decided to defer the hearing for tomorrow. Earlier on October 6, a similar sealed envelope containing the report prepared by the CBI was also submitted before the court. UNI RRK SHS RJ 2333 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0329-993164.Xml
Driver Irshad Ahmad Mir, resident of Uran Buwa Boniyar, was injured.

He was immediately rushed to a local hospital, from where he was referred to the SMHS hospital, Srinagar.

An FIR was registered under Sections of attempt to murder and a manhunt has been launched to nab the assailants.

The separatists had, however, announced relaxation today in the strike from 1700 hrs till 0700 hrs tomorrow, to allow resumption of normal activities.UNI BAS SHS RJ 2316

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Former chief of banned SIMI Saquib Nachan, booked under the stringent MCOCA for his alleged involvement in an attempt to murder case, has been released on bail by the District court here, as Thane Police failed to file a charge sheet within the stipulated time frame. Special Judge A S Bhaisare on Friday last ordered Nachan to be released on bail, while imposing certain conditions on him. The former chief of the banned Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI), may finally see the light of the day after eight years in incarceration as the Supreme Court paved the way for his bail by ordering a special court at Thane to consider his plea for enlargement. Nachan was arrested on August 4, 2012, by the Nijampura Police station at Bhiwandi under Sections 307, 120 (b) of the Indian Penal Code, as well as under Sections 3/25/27 of the Arms Act, attempt to murder of activist and lawyer Manok Raicha. Nachan was also facing charges under various provisions of the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA), as well as Prevention of Terrorism Act (POTA) for his alleged involvement in the Gatkhopar bomb blast case, as well as in a murder case and the triple bomb blasts case of 2002-03. He was booked under MCOCA for the murder. His lawyer argued that police have not filed the charge sheet within the statutory period of 90 days and hence, he was entitled to bail. Upon this, a bench of apex court, presided by Justice AK Sikri, allowed him to file the bail application before the trial court in Thane. Nachan's counsel Baba Shaikh told the court that on October 30, 2012, special judge had declined to extend period of 90 days for filing the charge sheet. Earlier, the special court at Thane had rejected an application of the prosecution, the local police in the case,seeking more time to file the charge sheet. On further appeal by the prosecution, the Bombay High Court stayed the trial court's order, against which Nachan approached the Supreme Court. Of about eight cases filed against the ex-SIMI chief, he was acquitted in three murder cases and also in the Ghatkopar blast case. He was also arrested in the 2003 Mumbai serial bomb blasts. A special POTA court on April 6 this year sentenced to life three of the 10 convicted in the multiple bomb blasts that rocked the metropolis between December 2002 and March 2003, killing 13 people while key accused Nachan was given a 10-year jail term. A commerce graduate, Nachan was attracted by the Jamaat-e-Islami at a young age and switched to SIMI. His frequent visits to Pakistan came under the scanner of the Indian intelligence agencies and he was kept on watch. However, he justified his travel to Pakistan contending that he visited that country on his Indian passport in relation with his ancestral properties in that country. He was also arrested in the 2003 Mumbai serial blasts case.MORE UNI XR SS SHS RJ 2328 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0171-993131.Xml
Venezuela's opposition-led National Assembly in a rowdy session pressed to put Nicolas Maduro on trial for violating democracy, days after authorities nixed a recall referendum against the unpopular leftist president.Yesterday the measure is unlikely to get traction as the government and the Supreme Court have systematically undermined the legislature on grounds it is illegitimate until it removes three lawmakers accused of vote-buying. But it marked a further escalation of political tensions in the crisis-hit OPEC nation."It is a political and legal trial against President Nicolas Maduro to see what responsibility he has in the constitutional rupture that has broken democracy, human rights, and the future of the country," said opposition majority leader Julio Borges during a special congressional meeting.The session was briefly interrupted when around 100 apparently pro-government protesters stormed in, brandishing Socialist Party signs and shouting "The Assembly will fall!" before officials herded them out.Opposition lawmakers said there were injuries and tweeted photos of two men receiving care after alleged blows to the head. There were also reports some journalists had been robbed of their cameras."The Socialist Party is showing what it has left. There are no ideas or arguments, only violence!" said opposition leader and two-time presidential candidate Henrique Capriles.The opposition coalition, seeking to end 17 years of socialism in the South American nation, says Thursday's suspension of its drive for a plebiscite against Maduro shows Venezuela has abandoned democracy.Ruling party officials accuse the opposition of fraud in their signature drive and say the coalition is seeking a coup to gain control of Venezuela's vast crude reserves, the world's largest.Despite that oil wealth, Venezuela has plunged into an unprecedented economic crisis, with many people skipping meals due to shortages and soaring prices.Many Venezuelans fear preventing the referendum increases chances of social unrest in the already volatile and violent country.The opposition coalition has called for a major peaceful protest on Wednesday, dubbed "The takeover of Venezuela".'PEOPLE ARE HUNGRY!'In Sunday's raucous session, lawmakers also traded barbs, with ruling party politicians showing photos of late leader Hugo Chavez while opposition congressmen chanted "The people are hungry and want a recall!"Likening Maduro to former Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet and Peru's authoritarian ex-president Alberto Fujimori, opposition lawmakers also vowed to replace deans at the electoral council and judges on the Supreme Court, though that too is unlikely to see the light of day.Congress concluded the session by declaring that Maduro's government had staged a coup by axing the referendum. And lawmakers unearthed an old accusation, that Maduro was actually Colombian and so is ineligible to be president, though they had yet to offer any proof."Stop being ridiculous," said ruling party lawmaker Hector Rodriguez, slamming the session as a "bad circus"."What you want to do is stage a coup, like in Paraguay, like in Honduras, and like in Brazil. We're not Honduras, nor Paraguay, nor Brazil."It was not immediately clear how Congress, which will hold another special session tomorrow, might seek to put Maduro on trial.The opposition had indeed largely rejoiced when the senate of neighboring Brazil ousted leftist leader Dilma Rousseff last month. Recent shifts to the right in Argentina and Peru have also given the opposition hope of piling regional pressure on Maduro.Maduro, a former bus driver and union leader, is currently on a four-day foreign trip to seek consensus on supporting oil prices. He has seen his popularity tumble as the recession worsens three years on from the death of his mentor Chavez.Even former 'Chavista' strongholds in the slums have turned against Maduro, and the opposition frequently claims discontent runs deep among some in the top brass."None of you brought even a single photo of Maduro!" opposition lawmaker Luis Emilio Rondon taunted, as his peers chanted "You don't love Maduro!"REUTERS AKC 0406 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0432-991726.Xml
In the wake of heightened tension between India and Pakistan that led to stalling of crucial dialogue process, a perturbed Islamabad has sought the United Kingdom's help for resuming the talks and stopping 'killings of people' in Jammu and Kashmir. "As a country with historic links to this region and as a member-state of the UN Security Council's [five permanent members], it was incumbent on Britain to urge India to re-enter into a sustained dialogue with Pakistan so as to enable the two countries to peacefully resolve their differences,"daily Dawn quoted Special Assistant to the Prime Minister, on Foreign, Affairs Tariq Fatemi, telling British National Security Adviser Sir Mark Lyall Grant here yesterday. Besides regional security issues, matters of mutual interest and current situation in Kashmir were also discussed during the meeting, the news paper report based on a statement issued by the Foreign Office, said. Mr Fatemi highlighted Pakistan's efforts to promote peace and stability in Afghanistan, including the Afghan-owned and Afghan-led reconciliation process being conducted through the Quadrilateral Coordination Group. He also briefed the visiting UK official about the importance Pakistan attached to its relations with the UK and noted that the partnership between the two nations was moving in the right direction. Reaffirming UK's continued support for Pakistan, Sir Grant acknowledged the successes made by Pakistan and the sacrifices rendered by its people in the fight against terrorism. According to sources, the visiting dignitary was also briefed on the alleged ceasefire violations by India along the border. UNI XC SB SS -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0094-991970.Xml
An Iraqi lawmaker has called on her government to investigate a suspected air atrike at a Shi'ite mosque during fighting in nearby Kirkuk last week, saying US-led forces could have been involved - a suggestion dismissed by the coalition.Human Rights Watch echoed the call from Shi'ite Muslim MP Hanan al-Fatlawi for an enquiry, saying today only Iraqi and US-led coalition forces were known to carry out air attacks in the region. Iraq's army said it was investigating.The multiplication of forces involved in the conflicts in Iraq and neighbouring Syria has raised fears of accidental strikes and confrontations on an increasingly complex battlefield.Fatlawi said the attack killed 15 women on Friday in Daquq, a town near the northern oil city Kirkuk which Islamic State militants were attacking at the time. HRW said 13 women and children were killed and at least 45 wounded.A Reuters correspondent said there were aircraft, mostly helicopters, flying over the Kirkuk area on the day as mostly Kurdish militant forces fought off the Islamic State assault."I can definitely tell you that the coalition did not conduct this airstrike in Daquq," a spokesman for the US-led coalition in Baghdad said.There was also no evidence, he added, to link the Daquq incident to air strikes that the coalition was carrying out further north, supporting an Iraqi government and Peshmerga assault on the Islamic State stronghold of Mosul.The Shi'ite lawmaker Fatlawi said she did not believe forces from Iraq's govenrment - which is led by Shi'ite groups - would have attacked the mosque and said neighbour Turkey might also be involved."We want the government to clarify the identity of the airplanes, if they are Turkish or belong to the international coalition," she said in a statement on Saturday.There was no immediate comment from authorities in Ankara. Turkey has launched airstrikes on what is says are Kurdish military positions over the border in Iraq, but not as far into the country as Kirkuk.Turkey has deployed troops north of Mosul to train Sunni fighters for the battle to capture the city. Iraq's government has demanded those Turkish troops withdraw. REUTERS PY AS1455 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0298-992169.Xml
China admonished the United States today for sending its ambassador in India to a contested stretch of land on the India-China border, warning that a third party's meddling would only complicate the dispute between Beijing and New Delhi.China claims more than 90,000 sq km of territory disputed by India in the eastern sector of the Himalayas. Much of that forms the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh, which China calls South Tibet.US Ambassador to India Richard Verma posted photos on his Twitter account on October 21 of his recent trip to Arunachal Pradesh, thanking Indian officials for their "warm hospitality" and calling the region a "magical place".Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang said China was "firmly opposed" to the US diplomat's actions, which he said would "damage the hard-earned peace and tranquillity of the China-India border region"."Any responsible third party should respect efforts by China and India to seek peaceful and stable reconciliation, and not the opposite," Lu told a regular press briefing."We urge the United States to stop getting involved in the China-India territorial dispute and do more to benefit this region's peace and tranquillity," he said, adding that China and India were handling the matter appropriately through talks.A spokesman for India's Ministry of External Affairs was not immediately available for comment.Disagreement between the nuclear-armed neighbours over parts of their 3,500-km border led to a brief war in 1962. The countries have moved to control the dispute, but repeated rounds of talks have failed to make much progress.India says China occupies 38,000 square km of its territory on the Aksai Chin plateau in the west, and is also suspicious of China's support for its arch-rival, Pakistan.Tensions occasionally flare over the disputed border.In August, China was angered by India's plans to place advanced cruise missiles there.REUTERS PY SS -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0298-992143.Xml
Prime Minister Charles Michel said he had told European Council President Donald Tusk today that Belgium could not agree to sign an EU-Canada trade deal because he had failed to secure the agreement of regional authorities."I have officially told Tusk that we have no agreement," Michel told reporters after a meeting with the regional leaders.The EU had given Belgium until today to overcome opposition to the CETA trade deal from its French-speaking south before it would probably have to cancel a Thursday summit with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to sign the pact.Michel said he was still open to dialogue with the main holdout, the region of Wallonia, and that it was too early to say whether CETA was dead. EU and Canadian leaders have said they are keen to conclude the deal after years of negotiation.REUTERS PY AS1755 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0298-992581.Xml
BEIJING, Oct. 23 (Xinhua) -- Twenty six Asian sailors held hostage by Somali pirates for nearly five years have been released, according to the Chinese Foreign Ministry Sunday night.

The Chinese government expresses sincere gratitude to all agencies and personnel that had been involved in the rescue and conveys heartfelt blessing to those rescued crewmen, said the ministry's spokesperson Hua Chunying in a press release.

The 26 crew members of the Naham 3, a fishing vessel hijacked by Somali pirates in March 2012, were rescued on Saturday (Beijing time) and moved to Kenya on Sunday with the help of relevant United Nations agencies, said the Foreign Ministry spokesperson.

Twenty nine sailors of the Naham 3 were taken captive when their Omani-flagged vessel was seized south of the Seychelles, including 10 from the Chinese mainland, two from Taiwan, and 17 others from the Philippines, Indonesia, Vietnam and Cambodia.

Three people died after the hijacking, including one from the Chinese mainland and one from Taiwan, according to Hua.

A working group of the Chinese Foreign Ministry was sent to meet the surviving Chinese crewmen, she said.

After receiving a medical examination and psychological counseling, the Chinese crewmen will return to their home escorted by the working group as soon as possible, she said.

She also offered condolences to the three people who died after the hijacking and extended sympathy to their families.

The Chinese government strongly condemns the cruelty of the pirates that defy human dignity, she added.
OUAGADOUGOU, Oct. 23 (Xinhua) -- Burkina Faso' Police on Sunday killed an alleged jihadist Saturday night during dismantling operation in the north-west suburb of the capital Ouagadougou.

The alleged jihadist, with an explosive and a pistol in hand, was killed during gunfire exchange as security and defense forces were dismantling jihad supporters recruitment network, police said in a news release.

"The operation led to the arrest of suspects and the investigation is underway", security authorities said, adding that no exact members of suspects were arrested in the operation.

According to the National commissioner of the police, Lazare Tarpaga, police were informed that criminal suspects were trying to recruit youths to join their groups.

The country has been experiencing terrorist attacks over the few past years as well as coup attempts that involve soldiers of the disbanded former special presidential security guard unit who served under Blaise Compaore.
BELGRADE, Oct. 23 (Xinhua) -- Publishing houses from about 40 countries attended the 61st International Belgrade Book Fair, which opened here on Sunday, its organizer said.

Iran is the country-guest of honor at this year's book fair. On behalf of Iran, author Narges Abyar said she comes from a country where "people live with books" and where in the past four years 300,000 books were published.

Dragan Stanic, president of Matica Srpska, the oldest Serbian literary, cultural and scientific institution, said Belgrade Book Fair allowed participants of literary communication to meet and have many valuable incentives.

Under the slogan "Take Books in Your Hands", there will be promotions of new books, discussions, lectures and festivities during the fair.

The book fair will close on Oct. 30.
MEXICO CITY, Oct. 23 (Xinhua) -- Reducing non-tariff measures (NTMs) and rejecting protectionism will map the course on finance and trade for member economies of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), according to a Mexican expert in international relations.

Ignacio Cortes, coordinator of the Laboratory for Trade, Economics and Business Analysis at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), spoke with Xinhua in the lead up to the APEC Leaders' meeting, to be held Nov.19-20 in Peru's capital Lima.

"There is still a long way to go in the process of synchronizing APEC's member economies," said Cortes, adding the goal "demands each member redouble its efforts" towards the common cause.

Still the upcoming summit will be key for a variety of reasons, including timing.

"APEC has an enormous agenda, and while it meets regularly, November's meeting will be particularly special, as it precedes a gathering of the World Trade Organization (WTO), as well as the International Monetary Fund (IMF)," said Cortes.

The meeting will also "most likely ... mark a turning point for injecting a new dynamic into the world economy through political agreements, and that's where China will play a prominent role," he added.

Previously, APEC leaders agreed that all free-trade agreements signed by the bloc or its member economies must be adapted to WTO principles, and must maintain transparency to ensure any adjustments are made across the board.

With the global economy still dragging its feet, and far from achieving 3.5 percent to 4 percent growth, countries will be looking to implement new measures, especially in the key APEC region.

In Lima, members will be debating regulatory reforms, a legal framework that can promote competitivity in diverse sectors and policies to promote the private sector, especially areas where competition is limited, including telecommunications.

"APEC will focus on how to regulate services in such sectors as telecommunications, transportation, financial services and educational services. The goal is to ensure these sectors become much more solid and make more progress, while at the same time being well regulated," said Cortes.

APEC, he believes, needs to promote value chains, mainly in the automobile, electronics and garment sectors.

"That's where the companies are going to pressure decision makers to refrain from implementing barriers that hinder exchange, and that's where we are going to see large companies that don't want any disruptions in the exchange of production play a role," said Cortes.

Another important issue at the APEC meeting will be the increasing role that the world's globalized micro, small and medium-size companies are playing in the global supply chain.

"I believe they can strengthen their role as new engines of the economy, if favorable conditions are created for them," said Cortes.

As an APEC member, Mexico may strive to reduce NTMs and avoid protectionist measures, but it should at the same time "improve and increase opportunities for trade exchange, foreign investment, and economic and technical cooperation," said Cortes.
WASHINGTON, Oct. 23 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. Senate committee on antitrust will carefully examine the an acquisition of Time Warner Inc by AT&T Inc., Fox Business reported on Sunday.

AT&T said Saturday a deal to buy Time Warner for 85.4 billion U.S. dollars.

U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders said in a statement that President Obama administration should kill the Time Warner/AT&T merger, adding that this deal would mean higher prices and fewer choices for the American people.
CANBERRA, Oct. 24 (Xinhua) -- Respected former Australian politician and the chairman of mental health organization Beyondblue, Jeff Kennett, has floated a radical plan for business CEOs to tie their salary or bonuses to the overall mental well-being of their workers.

Kennett, former premier of Victoria and respected Liberal Party member, will on Monday discuss the plan with the Business Council of Australia (BCA), which has asked the Beyondblue chairman to explore how Australian business leaders can help foster mentally healthy workplaces.

He told News Corp on Monday that linking CEO wages or bonuses to the mental health of their employees would not only raise morale, but also productivity.

"What I would like to see in every head of department of a bureaucracy, in every CEO's performance and every direct report's KPIs, is a KPI about the mental health - the well-being of their workforce," Kennett said on Monday.

"When you talk about pay performance, when you talk about bonuses, I want to see a KPI in place that addresses this, because that will focus their mind more than anything else.

"If some of these people think this is all sort of rubbish and over the top, well, tie their bonus to it, tie their salary to it. Let them understand that this is a major contributor to the effectiveness of their administration."

Kennett said businesses should survey their employees annually to track well-being, while he encouraged senior executives to submit annual health assessments to psychologists.

Meanwhile BCA chief executive Jennifer Westacott said it was a proposal they would look into, as poor morale and mental health can not only affect employees, but also a business' "bottom line".

"We need to take these things very seriously because these things at a kind of bottom line result in unplanned absenteeism, they cost businesses money," Westacott told News Corp said.

"They're not just feel-good things. These are real economic things. That's why the Business Council is interested and passionate about this."
BEIJING, Oct. 24 (Xinhua) -- Hung Hsiu-chu, leader of Taiwan's Kuomintang (KMT) Party, will lead a delegation to visit the mainland from Oct. 30 to Nov. 3, a Chinese mainland spokesman said on Monday.

Hung will visit Nanjing and Beijing, and activities are under discussion, said An Fengshan, spokesman for the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office.
MELBOURNE, Oct. 24 (Xinhua) -- The economy of Western Australia (WA), a state which relies heavily on its mining industry, has slipped from Australia's strongest to its weakest in two years, an economic survey has found.

The annual State of the States ranking, completed by Australia's largest stockbroking firm Commonwealth Securities (CommSec), found that the fallout from the end of the mining boom is continuing to hurt WA's economy.

The survey ranks the economies of Australia's six states and two territories based on economic growth, retail spending, equipment investment, unemployment, construction work done, population growth, housing finance and dwelling commencements.

WA's economy was hit hard as the price of iron ore, which the state mines 340 million tons of each year, crashed from over 180 US dollars per ton in 2011 to less than 50 US dollars per ton in early 2015.

Savanth Sebastian, a CommSec economist, said a rising unemployment figure well above the national average was the biggest factor in WA's ranking.

"Unemployment in WA is essentially about 40 percent above its decade average," he said on Monday.

However, Sebastian said that a resurgence in commodity prices over the last six months should provide hope that WA's economy will recover in the short-term.

"There was a lot of talk about the China bubble bursting last year and in fact it looks like if anything the Chinese economy is on a much more solid footing and that's certainly a very big positive for resource economies like WA," Sebastian told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation on Monday.

New South Wales retained its position as the country's strongest economy, followed by Victoria and the Australian Capital Territory.
ACAPULCO, Mexico, Oct. 23 (Xinhua) -- The International Nao Festival of Acapulco kicked off here about 380 km south of Mexico city over the weekend with a performance of Peking Opera inaugurating the weeklong event.

It is the 10th edition of the cultural festival in the Pacific coast resort, whose ties to China go back around 450 years to the famous China Galleon, or La Nao de China, which had for centuries sailed between the port city and the Far East.

As the guest country of the festival, China's culture is being showcased throughout the week.

Peking opera performance from China's southwest province of Guizhou, for example, will stage its production of "Don Quixote," the classic by great Spanish writer Miguel de Cervantes.

"We have tradition here, we have culture here," Acapulco Mayor Evodio Velazquez said during the opening ceremony on Saturday night, adding that "there are many ties connecting us to Asian countries and Asian traditions."

The ceremony was held at Acapulco's historical San Diego Fort, which was decked with red Chinese lanterns and multicolored parasols. The fort dates back to the 17th century.

"To speak of the China Galleon is to speak of one of Acapulco's historical eras," the mayor said.

Minister counsellor at China's embassy in Mexico Lin Ji said the festival offers an opportunity for residents of Acapulco, one of Mexico's five most popular tourist destinations, to learn more about China and the maritime trade route that connected the two countries during a span of centuries.

Dance, music, drama and cuisine from the Philippines, Japan, Spain, Britain and Colombia are also part of this year's festival.

Diego Prieto, the director of Mexico's National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH), said the event serves to highlight Acapulco's rich cultural heritage, thanks to its role as a meeting point between Asia, Europe, through the Spanish conquistadors, and the Americas.

"This globalization, which at one time was accompanied by conquest and violence, has to develop into a globalization that leads us to fraternity, cultural enrichment and understanding between peoples," said Prieto.

As part of the festival, an exhibit titled "Memories of the Oracle Bone Inscriptions" is showing at the San Diego Fort's museum origins of today's complex Chinese characters system.

Museum curator Victor Hugo Jasso said the exhibit, which will run through Jan. 31, shows ancient Mesoamerican and Chinese civilizations had certain elements in common, despite being separated by time and distance.

Accompanying the exhibit will be "interactive workshops between children from Acapulco and China, so they can communicate through these hieroglyphs and this type of symbolic communication," Jasso told Xinhua.
YANGON, Oct. 24 (Xinhua) -- Myanmar President U Htin Kyaw on Monday hailed the achievements scored by the United Nations in maintaining international peace, security and sustainable development over the past decades.

In his message on the occasion of the 71st anniversary of the United Nations, U Htin Kyaw said "Peace, security and development are inter-related and inter-connected. Sustainable development cannot be achieved without peace. Peace is not sustainable without development. Poverty eradication stands as one of the solutions in addressing many of today's challenges".

The president said that realization of the 2030 Agenda for sustainable Development Goals is a priority for the United Nations and its member states.

Saying cooperating with the United Nations is a cornerstone of Myanmar's foreign policy, he pledged his country's commitment to continuing its strong support for the world organization in addressing common challenges through international cooperation.

He also reaffirmed Myanmar's faith and confidence in the purposes and principles described in the UN Charter and pledged support for all UN efforts for development, peace, security and human rights so as to bring about better future for the mankind.
KATHMANDU, Oct. 24 (Xinhua) -- Nepal has formed a foreign aid coordination and facilitation committee with the participation of the Nepali government, China, India, the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank.

The committee aims at ensuring proper coordination while carrying out post-quake reconstruction work with foreign aid.

The two neighbouring countries along with two multilateral institutions have committed the largest amount of aid for the post-earthquake reconstruction efforts in Nepal.

Nepalese Prime Minister Puspa Kamal Dahal, who is also the chairperson of the National Reconstruction Authority (NRA) Advisory Council, formed the mechanism involving the government, other Nepalese stakeholders and the donors under the coordination of authority's chief executive officer Sushil Gyawali, according to a press release issued by the NRA on Sunday.

Beside representatives from the government and other Nepalese stakeholders, one representative each from four donors will be part of the mechanism. The committee has been tasked to encourage domestic and foreign donors, civil society and the private sector to contribute to the reconstruction work here.

As per the terms of references given to the committee, it will provide necessary suggestions to the Nepali government, the authority, donors and other concerned agencies after conducting monitoring and review of the progress in reconstruction activities carried out with foreign aid.

The committee will work to bring uniformity and avoid duplicity in implementation of foreign aided reconstruction activities, NRA said.
Supporters of the Venezuelan government stand in front of the National Assembly in Caracas, Venezuela, on Oct. 23, 2016. Venezuela's political crisis exacerbated on Sunday as the opposition-controlled parliament accused the government of blocking its campaign against President Nicolas Maduro. (Xinhua/Henry Tesara/AVN)

CARACAS, Oct. 23 (Xinhua) -- Venezuela's political crisis exacerbated on Sunday as the opposition-controlled parliament accused the government of blocking its campaign against President Nicolas Maduro, local media reported.

The National Assembly, whose majority of seats are owned by the right-wing Democratic Unity Roundtable (MUD), convened an emergency session and issued a 10-point proposal to deprive the government of its legitimacy and restore "constitutional order," El Nacional daily said.

Lawmakers' proposals included declaring a "breakdown of constitutional order and ... a coup d'etat committed by Nicolas Maduro," reported El Nacional.

The opposition also demanded "the National Armed Forces disobey" the government's orders, and called for nationwide protests on Wednesday, when the second phase of the recall referendum signature drive against Maduro was expected to begin.

The emergency session followed the government's decision earlier this week to postpone a recall referendum to strip Maduro of his job.

Venezuela's National Electoral Council (CNE) put off the referendum, saying there were irregularities in the signature drive.

In response, lawmakers agreed to begin the process of designating new leadership for the CNE and new judges for the Supreme Court of Justice, saying the two bodies favor Maduro and the ruling United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV).

Maduro is currently in the Middle East on a tour of oil-exporting countries to shore up declining oil prices.

Elias Jaua, a PSUV leader, called for dialogues with the opposition to defuse the tension.

"We are in time to resume the dialogue ... to put the people first," Jaua said in a televised news show broadcast on channel Televen.

Lawmakers agreed to hold another emergency session on Tuesday to "assess" the situation.
HANOI, Oct. 24 (Xinhua) -- A train collided with a car here on Monday morning, killing four people instantly, and seriously injuring three others.

The train on the way to Hanoi capital city from northern Ha Nam province crashed into the car when the car was crossing the railway on former National Road 1A in rural Thuong Tin district, local police said.

The collision caused casualties in the car and heavily damaged it.

Vietnam registered 15,411 traffic accidents in the first nine months of this year, leaving 6,440 people dead and 13,473 others injured, the country's Traffic Police Department said.
MOSCOW, Oct. 24 (Xinhua) -- Russian inspectors will start on Monday an observation flight over the Turkish territory under the Open Skies Treaty to monitor compliance with the treaty, said a senior Russian defense official said on Monday.

The observational flight, which was canceled by Ankara in February, "will be carried out between Oct. 24 and Oct. 28 with the maximum range of 1,900 kilometers using the Eskisehir air base (In Turkey) to refuel," Russian news agency TASS quoted Sergey Zabello, acting chief of the Defense Ministry's National Nuclear Risk Reduction Center, as saying.

The Russian flight will use an An-30B aircraft with Turkish specialists on board, he added.

The flight is part of the confidence-building measures in Europe after the Cold War under the international Open Skies Treaty, which establishes a program of unarmed aerial surveillance flights over the entire territory of its 34 state parties, including Russia and most members of North Atlantic Treaty Organization.

The treaty was signed in March 1992 and took effect at the beginning of 2002.
LOS ANGELES, Oct. 23 (Xinhua) -- Thirteen people were killed and 31 others injured in a serious traffic collision between a charter bus and a semi-truck in Southern California on Sunday, local authorities said.

The crash was reported to the California Highway Patrol (CHP) at 5:17 a.m. local time (1217 GMT). The tour bus smashed into the back of a semi-truck with a trailer, which was travelling at approximately five mph due to slow traffic near Palm Springs, about 160 km east of Los Angeles.

According to the CHP, the bus driver was killed, but not yet identified. The truck driver was not seriously injured.

"In almost 35 years, I've never been to a crash where there's been confirmed 13 confirmed fatals," said the CHP Border Division commander, Chief Jim Abele, at an afternoon news conference.

Photos from the scene showed the front end of the bus had been demolished. Videos showed the firefighters were using a crane to search for victims in the wreckage and ladders were placed near bus windows to pull out victims.

The severity of this crash was impacting hardened CHP officers and fire rescue workers. Rescuers needed more than an hour to search for all of the bodies in the wreckage.

Abele told local media that identifying some of the victims was difficult because they were carrying "illegitimate" identification. And he said the 1996 bus may not have a "black box" data recorder.

More than 40 adults were aboard the bus, which had been inspected as late as last April and had shown no defects, Abele said.

According to preliminary information, a spokesman for the Chinese Consulate in Los Angeles told Xinhua that there was no Chinese confirmed yet in the crash.

The charter bus company is USA Holiday based in Los Angeles. Its buses typically run ply between Los Angeles and Southern California.

The crashed bus had taken gamblers on a junket to the Red Earth Casino, at Salton City, about 262 km east of Los Angeles. It was returning them to the Los Angeles area.

The CHP officials said the bus was travelling significantly faster than the tractor trailer it struck from behind.

"Anytime we have a bus hitting the back of a truck, we're going to think fatigue, or a heart attack," Abele told reporters.

Authorities shut down all westbound lanes of the nearby freeway following the crash. And the traffic was diverted onto the interchange until 3: 55 p.m. (2255 GMT). It will take time for the traffic flow to build up.

Details on the cause of the crash were still unclear.
ISLAMABAD, Oct. 24 (Xinhua) -- Pakistan army said Monday that two civilians, including a baby, have been killed and seven civilians injured in the overnight India firing along the Working Boundary in Punjab province.

The latest incident happened as escalation along the Line of Control (LoC), which divides the nuclear neighbors in the disputed Kashmir, has been seen since the militants attack on an army center in the Indian-controlled Kashmir on Sept. 18, killing 19 soldiers.

The Indian military blamed the Pakistan-based "Jaish-e-Mohammad" group and also pointed fingers at Pakistan. Islamabad rejected the charges and suggested independent investigation.

"Due to Indian unprovoked firing at the Working Boundary last night a civilian Muhammad Latif of village Janglora and a minor Haniya age one-and-a-half embraced Shahadat (martyrdom) while 7 civilians were injured," the army said.

"Indian resorted to unprovoked firing and shelling which was befittingly responded to by Pakistan Rangers (paramilitary) Punjab in Harpal, Pukhlian and Charwah sectors on working boundary," a statement from the army's Inter-Services Public Relations said.

The statement said that intermittent exchange of firing continued throughout the night. The injured civilians have been evacuated to a military hospital in Sialkot, a main city near the border.

Pakistan and India had declared ceasefire in 2003 that had silenced the guns. However, firing exchanges do take place from time to time and the cross-LoC firing and shelling has increased in recent days.
NEW DELHI, Oct. 24 (Xinhua) -- At least 18 Naxals were killed and two policemen wounded Monday in a major gunfight in India's eastern state of Odisha, officials said.

The gunfight according to officials broke out early Monday inside forest area of Malkangiri district, about 650 km southwest of Bhubaneswar, the capital city of Odisha.

"Early today a combined special police force from Andhra Pradesh and Odisha killed at least 18 Naxals," a police official said.

"The gunfight triggered when the joint team was carrying out a search operation inside forest area of Malkangiri district late last night."

According to officials two policemen were wounded fighting Naxals and they were immediately removed to the nearest medical facility.

Reports said at least 50 to 60 Naxals had gathered for a meeting inside the area.

The search operation was carried out on intelligence inputs about a meeting of top Naxal leaders in the area, officials said.

"Search and combing operations in the area are underway," the police official said. "We suspect a few top leaders of the group might be among the dead."

Naxalites are also known as "Maoists".

Maoist insurgency has its genesis in the violent left-wing rebellion that began in 1967 at village Naxalbari in Indian state of West Bengal.

Currently Maoists are active in more than a third of India's 600-odd districts across central and eastern India.

India's former prime minister Manmohan Singh once termed the Naxalite movement as India's "greatest internal security challenge".

New Delhi has deployed several companies of its paramilitary forces to take on Naxals in their strongholds.

The insurgency so far has claimed more than 6000 lives and rendered thousands of poor inhabitants homeless.
JAKARTA, Oct. 24 (Xinhua) -- Indonesian Foreign Affairs Minister Retno Marsudi said on Monday that four Indonesians were among the Asian seafarers recently released by Somali pirates after almost five years in captivity.

"Those four fellow citizens were generally in good health condition," the minister said.

She said that she had contacted one of the released nationals by phone on Sunday evening.

An Omani-flagged fishing vessel, Naham 3, with 29 crews onboard, was hijacked south of the Seychelles in the Indian Ocean on March 26, 2012. The four Indonesian sailors were among those taken hostage by the pirates

One of the crews died in a scuffle with the pirates when the hijacking took place. Two crews, including an Indonesian, suffered illness during the captivity, reports said.

The minister said that all of the released 26 sailors, including four Indonesian nationals, have been transferred to Nairobi, Kenya, on Sunday.

They need a few days there to recover their conditions before being returned to their respective origins, the minister added.

"We have informed their relatives about their release," she said.
SRINAGAR, Indian-controlled Kashmir, Oct. 24 (Xinhua) -- An Indian border guard belonging to Border Security Force (BSF) was killed and another wounded in skirmishes with Pakistan troops on International Border (IB) in Kashmir, officials said Monday.

The two sides fired mortars and resorted to heavy firing in R S Pora sector about 45 km southwest of Jammu city, the winter capital of Indian-controlled Kashmir.

"Pakistan's forces last night started unprovoked shelling targeting BSF posts as well as civilian areas in Abdullian, Karotana Khurd, Arnia and Tubewell areas of RS Pura," an official said.

"Two BSF soldiers were wounded. Though they were evacuated to a hospital in Jammu where one of them succumbed."

India's official broadcaster All India Radio said three civilians including a woman were also wounded in shelling from Pakistan.

Reports of similar exchange of fire was reported from Kanachak, Pawgwal, Garkgwal and other areas of adjoining Akhnoor sector.

On Sunday, a border guard succumbed in the hospital at Jammu. He was wounded on Friday.

Last week Indian border guards claimed it killed seven Pakistan Rangers personnel in skirmishes on International Border, but the claim has been rejected by Pakistan.

The troops of India and Pakistan intermittently exchange fire on 720 km-long Line of Control (LoC) and 198 km IB in Kashmir, despite an agreement in 2003 to observe a cease-fire.

Both New Delhi and Islamabad accuse each other of resorting to unprovoked firings and violating cease-fire agreements. And both sides maintain that their troops gave befitting reply.

Tensions between India and Pakistan escalated because of the ongoing civilian protests in Indian-controlled Kashmir that saw around 90 civilians dead and over 12,000 others injured.

The situation worsened between New Delhi and Islamabad following a militant attack on Uri army camp last month that left 19 troopers dead and subsequent claims of Indian military that it carried out "surgical strikes" inside Pakistan-controlled Kashmir inflicting significant casualties on infiltrators and their supporters.

Pakistan, however, rejected Indian claims about "surgical strikes".

The past several weeks have seen a surge in skirmishes on LoC and border between the two countries.

LoC is a de facto border that divides Kashmir into India and Pakistan controlled parts.

New Delhi blames Islamabad for fanning Kashmir protests and accuses it of sending armed militants into Indian-controlled Kashmir, an accusation Islamabad strongly rejects. Islamabad says it only provides moral and political support to Kashmiris.

Kashmir, the Himalayan region divided between India and Pakistan, is claimed by both in full. Since their independence from Britain, the two countries have fought three wars, two exclusively over Kashmir.
LONDON, Oct. 24 (Xinhua) -- Brexit could put the country on "a fast track to financial jeopardy," an official of the British Bankers' Association (BBA) has warned.

Major banks are already preparing to leave Britain, BBA chief executive Anthony Browne said Saturday.

"Many smaller banks plan to start relocations before Christmas; bigger banks are expected to start in the first quarter of next year," Browne wrote in a commentary published on The Observer newspaper.

Most international banks are getting prepared to move operations out of Britain, he added.

After divorcing the EU, Britain's banking sector could be crippled by additional trade tariffs and the invalidation of the legal rights of banks providing services, said Browne.

Although the BBA has asked British authorities to negotiate, other EU countries insisted the policy should be "as hard as possible for banks based in the UK," Browne said.

French President Francois Hollande said on Friday at an EU summit that negotiations will be hard if Britain wants a hard Brexit.

Other European countries could take advantage of Brexit as they want to attract jobs from London, Browne noted, adding that they might "try to use the EU exit negotiations to build walls across the (English) Channel to split Europe's integrated financial market."

He went on warning that for the wider European economy, the financial influence of Brexit could impede fundraising for investment and trade talks among countries in the region.

According to Browne, transition arrangements should be made as soon as possible. He also stressed that it is the responsibility of all European countries to ensure no barrier would be put up across the English Channel.

Britain voted to leave the EU on June 23, with negotiations with EU expected to begin at the end of March 2017.
RABAT, Oct. 24 (Xinhua) -- The leaders of Morocco and Rwanda have vowed to work for the establishment of a strong partnership, Moroccan media reported on Monday.

Moroccan King Mohammed VI and president of the Republic of Rwanda, Paul Kagame, "reaffirmed their determination to work for the establishment of a strong partnership based on South-South cooperation," said a joint statement carried by the Moroccan daily Le Matin.

The statement was issued at the conclusion on Sunday of the Moroccan king's visit to Rwanda.

The two leaders praised the strong impetus in bilateral ties, agreeing on concrete actions to promote cooperation, the statement said.

"The two leaders gave their high instructions for the establishment of a substantial operational legal framework to give structure to a successful collaboration between the two governments and both countries' private operators," it said.

A total of 23 agreements were signed during the visit, representing a significant step toward achieving the goals set by the two heads of state and giving a qualitative impetus to bilateral relations, the statement said.

According to the Moroccan daily, the official visit crowns a positive development of bilateral relations in recent years, marked particularly by the visit of President Paul Kagame to Casablanca last June.

It illustrates the convergence of the visions of the two leaders to strengthen ties of friendship between the two countries and promote regional integration and the African continent's development, it added.

The king's visit "expressed the will of the Kingdom of Morocco... to further open up to East Africa, diversify its partnerships in the continent and broaden in this region the model of South-South cooperation that the kingdom has developed with its traditional partners on the continent," the paper said.

Regarding Morocco's bid to rejoin the African Union, the Rwandan president reiterated his country's support, promising "to work for its success."

After his visit to Rwanda, King Mohammed VI arrived Sunday in Dar es Salaam for an official visit to Tanzania, the second stage of his tour that will also take him to Ethiopia.
SHIBERGHAN, Afghanistan, Oct. 24 (Xinhua) -- Taliban offensive to capture Faizabad district in Afghanistan's northern Jauzjan province has been foiled and 32 militants were killed, spokesman for provincial government Reza Ghafori said Monday.

"Taliban massive attack on Faizabad district which begun on Saturday has been thwarted and the rebels after suffering huge casualties and leaving 32 dead bodies behind run away," Ghafori told reporters here.

More than 60 insurgents sustained injuries in the two-day fierce fighting, the official added.

The official said the police chief of neighboring Manjigak district had been killed during the fighting.

Taliban militants who are active in parts of Jauzjan province with Shiberghan as its capital have not commented on the situation.
BEIJING, Oct. 24 (Xinhua) -- China's Belt and Road Initiative is contributing increasingly more to the development and growth in the scores of participating countries, while expanding common interests with them.

The initiative, on the footing of history and the modern trend of globalization and regional collaboration, serves as a major part of China's efforts to provide public goods and honor international responsibilities corresponding to its national strength.

The initiative -- the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road -- has been found to fit in well with development strategies in countries along the routes, despite their different cultures and development stages.

Progress and results in implementation have exceeded expectations with more than 100 countries and international or regional institutions so far involved. In 2015 alone, the investment flow to related countries from Chinese enterprises was about 19 billion U.S. dollars, up 38.6 percent from the previous year.

Among the initiative's initial results is the construction of the Indonesian high-speed railway to connect the country's capital Jakarta to Bandung, the third biggest city.

The China-Indonesia joint project to build the first high-speed railway in Southeast Asia, which is 150 km long with a maximum design speed of 350 km per hour, is expected to be completed in three years.

The high-speed railway in Indonesia is expected to set an example for the win-win China-Indonesia cooperation under the Chinese initiative, stimulating economic growth in areas around.

Laos, the only landlocked member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, is another country expected to benefit from a railway project under the initiative.

This will help with the development of an industrial park involving Chinese enterprises. The park under construction is estimated to have an annual output of 6 billion dollars, in addition to creating 30,000 local jobs.

Up in the sky, the communication satellite LaoSat-1 developed by China for Laos is providing communication and satellite television services to Laos and the whole Indochina Peninsula.

Farming technologies are also among the "exports" of China under the Belt and Road Initiative to Kyrgyzstan in Central Asia, an important stop on the ancient Silk Road.

China's cotton cultivation technology has helped local farmers to raise annual income to as much as 40,000 dollars, compared to a monthly average of 200 dollars now nationwide, with a cotton output up to 5 tons per hectare.

It was called "a legend" compared to the country's previous high of more than 3 tons, by shocked former Kyrgyz Agriculture Minister Talaibek Aidaraliyev.

On top of joint projects including transport network and power distribution system, such cooperation with China are bringing wealth to Kyrgyz people, while increasing the confidence among people in surrounding countries in seeking common development and prosperity under the Belt and Road Initiative.
CHANGSHA, Oct. 24 (Xinhua) -- More than 130 experts from around China and abroad gathered in the central province of Hunan, focusing on the centuries-old Chinese Tusi chieftain system and culture.

The Tusi system is an ancient chieftain system adopted by feudal Chinese emperors to govern ethnic minorities in the southwest from the 13th to the early 20th century. "Tusi" refers to a tribal leader appointed as an imperial official by the central government.

During a seminar from Oct. 21 to 23 in Yongshun County, Tujia-Miao Autonomous Prefecture of Xiangxi, experts discussed issues such as protection and application of the Tusi legacy. The seminar collected over 120 essays on Tusi culture from both Chinese and foreign writers.

The Yongshun old Tusi fortress has a history dating back more than 600 years. Lying on the bank of a river, it is considered the largest, oldest and best preserved Tusi fortress in China.

The Yongshun old Tusi fortress, the ruins of Hailongtun castle in Guizhou Province and the Tangya Tusi fortress in Hubei Province were added to the World Cultural Heritage List in July 2015.

Li Ping, vice head of Xiangxi prefecture, said in order to better protect the old Tusi structures, authorities should balance the relationships between protection and tourism, protection and exploration, and properly deal with the interests of local residents.
A robot replica of ancient Chinese philosopher Wang Yangming practices calligraphy at the 2016 World Robot Conference in Beijing, China, Oct. 22, 2016. (Xinhua/ Wang Yue)

BEIJING, Oct. 24 (Xinhua) -- You might have to look twice to make sure that what you saw is a robot rather than a real man. Clad in a dark blue gown practicing traditional Chinese calligraphy , the life-like robot is a replica of philosopher Wang Yangming who lived nearly 500 years ago.

Robot Wang Yangming writes attentively, nodding and moving its other arm from time to time, undisturbed by the large crowds surrounding it at the 2016 World Robot Conference in Beijing. Over 200 scientific research institutions and enterprises from all over the world came here to show off their latest robotic achievements. More than 300 experts from 11 countries also gathered here to share ideas during the 5-day conference and expo that would last until Tuesday.

The developer of Robot Wang Yangming said it can also interact with people.

A few steps away stands the famous "robot goddess" Jia Jia, China's first interactive robot. Dressed in a lavish traditional Chinese gown, the humanoid robot can make micro-expressions, roll her eyes, recognize facial expressions of others and converse with those who ask her questions, either in Chinese or English, within seconds.

Jia Jia, an interactive robot, stands in the venue of the 2016 World Robot Conference in Beijing, Oct. 22, 2016 ( Xinhua/ Wang Yue)

Jia Jia is the brain child of a team from the University of Science and Technology of China in east China's Anhui Province. The researchers said there are still space for improvements so that the "goddess" can have more facial expressions and interact more deeply with people.

With an aging workforce and rising labor costs, China is determined to drive robot development. According to statistics released by the Qianzhan Industry Research Institute, the output value of China's homegrown robots in 2015 stood at 1.64 billion yuan (243 million U.S. dollars), a year-on-year increase of 55 percent.

An industrial Robot moves boxes in front of a crowd at the World Robot Conference in Beijing, Oct. 22, 2016. (Xinhua/ Wang Yue )

At the conference, Vice Premier Liu Yandong also urged enhanced research and development of the industry.

Industrial robots are well represented at this year's expo. According to the organizer, industrial robots account for about 40 percent of all robots on display at the show, while the rest are service robots and specialized robots.

The Chinese market for industrial robots is huge. According to the China Robot Industry Association, 68,000 industrial robots were sold in China in 2015, up 20 percent from 2014. China accounted for about a quarter of robot sales globally in 2015, making the country the biggest market for industrial robots for three consecutive years.

An industrial robot demonstrates 3D printing at the 2016 World Robot Conference in Beijing, Oct. 22, 2016 (Xinhua/Wang Yue)

Meanwhile, 32,996 industrial robots were manufactured in China last year, up 21.7 percent year on year.

A robot of the Siasun Robot and Automation Corporation, which is developed to help locate tumors, simulates the use of a medical instrument on a model of a human skeleton at the World Robot Conference in Beijing, Oct. 22, 2016. (Xinhua/ Wang Yue)

The country wants to be able to make 150,000 industrial robots in 2020, 260,000 in 2025 and 400,000 by 2030. If achieved, the plan should help generate a market value of 600 billion yuan over the next decade.

Among the expo highlights are also service robots, which industry insiders say have been used in catering, education, banking services, government institutions and sports.

A service robot plays drums at the World Robot Conference in Beijing, Oct. 22, 2016 (Xinhua/Wang Yue)

Service robots have seen a rise in numbers at the show. Last year, they accounted for about 30 percent of all robots on display at the WRC, but this year the number has jumped to 35 percent, according to the organizer.

Children take interest in two robot fish, which can be used as underwater cameras, at the World Robot Conference in Beijing, Oct. 22, 2016. (Xinhua/ Wang Yue)

The government in April stepped up its effort to boost the industry, issuing a development plan for the next five years, which laid out the industry's five tasks, including key breakthrough in products and significant improvement of technical reliability.

Despite government support, challenges remain, as the Chinese market is still dominated by overseas products and homegrown companies have not mastered core technology, said Niu Nutao, a national lawmaker and an official in charge of the information sector in east China's Anhui Province.
by Yoo Seungki

SEOUL, Oct. 24 (Xinhua) -- South Korean President Park Geun-hye surprisingly proposed a constitutional revision on Monday to set sail for a new regime within her term in office that ends in February 2018.

Ruling and opposition lawmakers have agreed to the need for a new constitution in accordance with social and political changes in the past 30 years, but there is a long way to go as suspicions remain among opposition legislators about what is behind Parks suggestion.

Opinions differ even within the ruling party and separately among opposition lawmakers about how to amend the constitution, heralding a divisive, political wrangling ahead of next years presidential election.

President Park had opposed any discussion on constitutional revision as it could become what she called a black hole of all national agendas. Instead, she had claimed to focus more on economic and security issues.

Reversing her earlier stance, Park said in her parliamentary speech for the 2017 budget plan that she will set up a body inside the administration for constitutional amendment with an aim of completing it within her five-year tenure.

The chief executive said she anticipates a future-oriented constitution for a new 2017 regime, asking the National Assembly to form a special committee to garner public opinion and discuss the scope and content of the proposed amendment.

The so-called 1987 regime was launched in 1987 by rewriting constitution to adopt a single, five-year-term presidency under a direct election system. Previously, the countrys president had been elected indirectly under military dictatorships.

The current constitution of a single, five-year-term presidency, which has been in place for 30 years since its revision in 1987, might be appropriate for the past democratization period, but it now becomes a piece of clothing that does not fit (our) body, said Park.

DOUBT ABOUT TIMING

Park said now is the right time to build a new 2017 regime, but opposition lawmakers raised doubts about the timing as Parks proposal came amid the prosecutions ongoing probe into alleged irregularities of her long-time confidant.

Choi Soon-sil, who the main opposition Minjoo Party claims to be a behind-the-curtain heavyweight, is suspected of being involved in the establishment of Mir and K-Sports foundations. The party claims the foundations would be used for the presidents post-retirement activity.

Choi allegedly exerted her influence over an unprecedentedly swift approval of the establishments and a fundraising of tens of millions of U.S. dollars stemming from donations of the countrys major conglomerates such as Samsung and Hyundai.

Opposition lawmakers suspected that President Park may seek to divert public attention from the ongoing investigation with the amendment proposal.

Moon Jae-in, powerful presidential hopeful and former Minjoo Party chief, told reporters that President Park may be facing situations in which she needs any black hole to draw in all national agendas, according to local media reports.

Ruling Saenuri Party lawmakers welcomed the presidents suggestion, but other minor party members roughly cast doubt on the possible attempt to cover up the ongoing probe into the presidential confidants corruption scandal.

POLITICAL INTERESTS

Divisive wrangling is expected even within the ruling Saenuri Party and separately among opposition party members as political interests differ according to how the constitution is revised. The interests are divided between factions of the same political party.

Some have argued for an adoption of parliamentary cabinet system, while another have made out a case for semi-presidential system. Rep. Ahn Cheol-soo, a presidential aspirant of the minor Peoples Party which wields a casting vote, claimed to reform parliamentary election system before discussing the constitutional amendment, according to local media reports.

Amidst the expected wrangling, the constitutional revision issue is expected to be led by President Park who argued for a four-year, two-term presidency during her presidential election campaign in November 2012. Her argument can be changed on the result of parliamentary discussions.

The presidential office Cheong Wa Dae told a press briefing that Park can propose her own revision bill for the constitution if parliamentary discussions fail to make progress due to political interests, saying the discussions should be led by the president.

Constitutional revision bills can be proposed by both the president and lawmakers. The parliamentary proposal is required to be passed, with more than half of the 300-member National Assembly voting in favor.

The governing party has 122 parliamentary seats, followed by the main opposition Minjoo Party with 121 seats. The Peoples Party has 38 lawmakers, with the Justice Party owning 6 seats. The remaining 13 seats are earned by independent lawmakers.

President Park vowed to amend the constitution within her tenure that has 16 months left, but her pledge seems hard to be kept on time shortage and expected difficulties in reaching an agreement.

Ruling and opposition parties roughly agree on the need to change the countrys power structure that is centered excessively on the president, but opinions differ over the way of altering the structure.

In addition to the presidential system alteration, a new regime will require discussions on a broad array of social issues such as basic rights of the people and stronger welfare amid the aging population, falling birth rate and widening income inequality.

Proposed revision bills should be approved in the parliament, with more than two thirds of lawmakers voting in favor. The revised constitution is required to be passed through a national referendum, with more than half of voters needed to approve it.

Such procedures would take at least four months to wrap up. The president has no right to veto the amended constitution approved by the national referendum.
BAGHDAD, Oct. 24 (Xinhua) -- The Iraqi Joint Operations Command (JOC) said on Monday that no Turkish troops participated in the battles against Islamic State (IS) militants in Mosul.

"The Iraqi Joint Operations Command denies the participation of Turkish troops in any form in the battle to liberate Mosul," the JOC spokesperson, Brig. Gen. Yahya Rasoul, said in a statement.

The JOC statement came in response to comments by Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim on Sunday that Turkish artillery provided shelling for Kurdish Peshmerga forces near Bashiqa, where Kurds were fighting the IS group in northern Iraq.

"The Peshmerga have mobilized to cleanse the Bashiqa region of Daesh (IS)," Yildirim said. "They asked for help from our soldiers at the Bashiqa base, so we are helping the tanks with our artillery and howitzers there."

On Saturday, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said there had been no agreement with Turkey about its troops' participation in the battle to free Mosul from IS.

"The reports which said there was an agreement between Iraq and Turkey are not true," Abadi said in a statement issued after his meeting in Baghdad with U.S. Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter.

"A Turkish delegation had arrived in Baghdad on Sunday (Oct. 16) and held meetings, but its suggestions were not enough for Iraq," Abadi said.

"We tell everyone that the battle of Mosul will be carried out only by Iraqis and we will not allow any force to intervene," Abadi said.

Carter said that all countries assisting Iraq should respect its sovereignty and not offer any help without Iraq's permission, according to the statement.

Abadi's comment was seen as an apparent rejection of efforts by Carter to heal the rift between Baghdad and Ankara.

On Friday, Carter signaled the possibility of a conditional Turkish role in the battles to free Mosul and said there was an agreement in principle that could allow Turkish participation, but he acknowledged that Iraq would need to agree.

On Oct. 17, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, who is also the commander-in-chief of Iraqi armed forces, announced the start of a major offensive to retake Mosul, the country's second largest city.

Mosul, some 400 km north of the Iraqi capital of Baghdad, has been under IS control since June 2014, when Iraqi government forces abandoned their weapons and fled.
BEIJING, Oct. 24 (Xinhua) -- The People's Daily, an official newspaper of the Communist Party of China, has criticized a U.S. warship's intrusion into Chinese territorial waters in the South China Sea, saying such action will only speed up the decline of U.S. influence.

The newspaper on Sunday published an article to denounce USS Decatur's intrusion into Chinese territorial waters near Xisha Islands on Friday.

The Chinese Defense Ministry branded the intrusion as an "illegal and provocative" move. The Chinese Foreign Ministry also urged the United States to stop "irresponsible" and "provocative" actions which go against China's sovereignty and maritime interests.

The U.S. destroyer's move is a serious violation of China's sovereignty and international law. It also disrupted peace, safety and order on the sea, the article said.

The intrusion happened as Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte was in China for a visit to China, during which a series of cooperative agreements were signed.

At a time when countries on the South China Sea issue are improving relations, and a proper solution of the issue has shown encouraging momentum, the messing up by a U.S. destroyer has revealed clearly that Washington cannot accept a peaceful and stable South China Sea, the article said.

"The U.S. feels a little anxious over China's sound ties with the Philippines," Duterte said in Beijing.

U.S. hegemony with provocative actions will only result in the accelerated decline of its global influence, the article read.

Washington will gain influence in the Asia-Pacific only by taking active part in promoting common development in the region, it said. "The outdated hegemonic mentality is not compatible with the regional countries' pursue of peace, cooperation and development."

In recent years, the United States has been messing up in the South China Sea under the excuse of "freedom of navigation." It has also been seeking to sow discord between China and the Philippines.

"Flexing military muscles does not make a country super power, let alone creating discord and muddying waters in the South China Sea," the article said.

The Philippines' choice to adjust its diplomatic policies and reinforce cooperation with China also proves that an unjust cause committed by the U.S. finds little support, it said.

Also, China is determined to safeguard its sovereignty and territorial integrity. "China will ... fight for every inch of its territory within its sovereignty," the article stressed.

It warned that U.S. hegemony will only prompt China to strengthen defense and its resolution to improve capacity to safeguard its own interests.

The Chinese military will safeguard national sovereignty and security by beefing up patrols and optimizing its defensive capabilities. "China will never allow the United States to run amok in the South China Sea, which is a major issue of principle," the article concluded.
TIANJIN, Oct. 24 (Xinhua) -- Chang'e-2, China's second lunar probe has been a huge success and is now the smallest man-made asteroid in the solar system, according to a leading scientist.

The lunar probe, launched on Oct. 1, 2010, has fulfilled its mission and made worthwhile achievements, said Ouyang Ziyuan, chief scientist of China's Lunar Exploration Project, on Sunday.

The lunar probe has, for the first time, completed and published a full seven-meter-resolution map of the Moon's surface. Using lanthanum bromide detectors, it acquired the map which shows the distribution of elements, such as uranium, thorium, potassium and iron, on the surface of the Moon, Ouyang said.

It also used X-ray observation data to fully map the Moon's surface and calculate aluminum distribution on the Moon, Ouyang said.

"Currently, the Chang'e-2 is the smallest man-made asteroid in the solar system. It has completed over 200 million kilometers flight and will continue to fly, returning somewhere closer to the earth around 2029," he said.

In 2007, The Chang'e-1 mission started the era of China's lunar exploration, and the launch of the Chang'e-2 and Chang'e-3 followed soon after. China plans to launch the Chang'e-5 lunar probe in 2017. The Chang'e-4 is scheduled to be sent to the far side of the moon in 2018.
SEOUL, Oct. 24 (Xinhua) -- South Korean President Park Geun-hye on Monday stressed the urgency to increase the country's defense budget in response to fast-advancing nuclear capability of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK).

Park said in her parliamentary speech for the 2017 budget plan that Pyongyang is about to enter a phase of nuclear weapons beyond the phase of nuclear device test by conducting three atomic bomb tests since top DPRK leader Kim Jong Un took power in late 2011.

To respond to the DPRK's nuclear and missile threats, Park said the government will make all-out efforts to secure core defense capabilities such as the Kill Chain, the Korea Air and Missile Defense (KAMD) and the Korea Massive Punishment and Retaliation (KMPR) systems.

Tensions mounted on the Korean peninsula after the DPRK's fifth nuclear detonation on Sept. 9 when the country's state media reported the successful test of a nuclear warhead that can fit on ballistic missiles.

Pyongyang claimed to have succeeded in standardizing a nuclear warhead beyond the miniaturized warhead, indicating its massive production of nuclear warheads for various types of its ballistic missiles.

South Korea's government and the ruling party agreed last week to speed up the development of the three missile defense and preemptive strike systems by aiming to bring forward their introduction to the early 2020s from the previous goal of the mid-2020s.

The KAMD is a project to develop its indigenous missile defense system to shoot down incoming DPRK missiles at multiple layers. The project includes the development of interceptors, including medium-range surface-to-air missiles (M-SAM) and long-range surface-to-air missiles (L-SAM) that can intercept missiles at an altitude of less than 100 km.

The Kill Chain project aims to preemptively strike the DPRK's missile launch sites when signs of first strike are detected. The KMPR is a system to preemptively strike the DPRK's leadership and headquarters with massive missile attacks when Pyongyang's first strike signs are spotted.
TOKYO, Oct. 24 (Xinhua) -- Officials from Japan's Ministry of Defense (MOD) on Monday set up drills to investigate noise levels of the controversial U.S. Osprey transportation aircraft at the Ground Self-Defense Force's Camp Kisarazu in Chiba Prefecture, close to Tokyo.

The exercises to monitor the noise levels of the tilt-rotor planes, that can take off and land like a helicopter and fly like a regular aircraft, were conducted at the GSDF's camp Kisarazu which will be responsible for maintaining the aircraft from early next year.

The Ospreys will be deployed from the Futenma Air Station in Okinawa, central to a relocation dispute between local officials in Okinawa and the central government, with the planes having garnered a great deal of criticism from local officials and citizens here for its checkered safety record as well as its excessive noise.

The exercises conducted Monday saw the MOD record the noise levels from two Ospreys as they both flew and hovered around the GSDF base, with the levels compared to that of the GSDF's CH47 transport helicopter conducting the same maneuvers. The results of the test have yet to be released.

The mayor of Kisarazu, Yoshikuni Watanabe, held talks with U.S. Ambassador to Japan Caroline Kennedy who visited the Kisarazu base on Monday.

Kennedy was quoted as expressing her appreciation to the mayor for his support, although Watanabe has urged the maintenance program to show consideration towards the local citizens, particularly regarding the planes' safety record.

The accident-prone planes' safety was called into question most recently by local officials and citizens here in May last year when an MV-22B Osprey crashed in Hawaii, leaving two dead and 20 more injured.

In August a year earlier, concerns about the plane were further stoked here when four crew members narrowly escaped injury when a Marine Corps' Osprey made what investigators called a "hard landing" near the Creech Air Force Base in Nevada, the United States.

Prior to that, in April 2012, an Osprey crashed in Morocco and killed two Marines and another crash in Florida in June 2012 injured all five crew members.

Thirty marines lost their lives in three crashes, including 19 in a single accident in Arizona, in 2000, during the Osprey's developmental phase, launching the plane's checkered safety record, and in 2010 an Air Force CV-22, each of which costs around 100 million U.S. dollars, touched down short of its landing zone in Afghanistan, hit a ditch, and flipped over, killing four Marines.

Regarding the excessive noise caused by the Ospreys, a court in Japan handed down a ruling in October ordering the state to pay 558 million yen (5.37 million U.S. dollars) in damages to residents in the area over excessive noise from aircraft at the Iwakuni base, which is jointly used by the U.S. military and the Japanese Self-Defense Forces in Yamaguchi Prefecture, in the Chugoku region on Japan's main island of Honshu.

The Yamaguchi District Court ordered the unprecedented penalty for excessive noise at the base to the residents in the locale in western Japan, with lawyers seeking compensation to the tune of 1.8 billion yen for the residents' prior exposure to excessive noise and a further 23,000 yen in compensation payable monthly per person for future noise that would have to be endured.

The judge presiding over the case fully acknowledged in handing down his verdict that the residents in the vicinity of the airbase had "suffered psychologically and sustained health damage," and accepted that even the residents' ability to "hold a basic conversation or sleep normally" had been severely disrupted by the level of noise from the aircrafts.

The plaintiffs at the time also petitioned the central government to suspend some of the flights from the base and called for U.S. fighter jets flying to Iwakuni from the Atsugi base near Tokyo, that are involved in aircraft carrier maneuvers, to be cancelled, as well as a blanket ban on all flights from the notorious, accident-prone MV-22 Osprey tilt-rotor aircrafts.
JERUSALEM, Oct. 24 (Xinhua) -- The Israeli air force struck a Hamas post in northern Gaza Strip on Monday in response to a rocket fired from the Palestinian enclave, army officials said.

Earlier Monday morning, a rocket launched from Gaza triggered sirens in Sha'ar Ha'negev, an Israeli community north of Gaza, according to a military statement.

However, the rocket failed to reach Israel, the statement read.

After the sirens, "Israel air force aircraft targeted a Hamas military post in the northern Gaza Strip," the statement said.

There were no immediate reports of injuries in the airstrike.

Israel concluded a 51-day military campaign in Gaza in the summer of 2014, which killed at least 2,251 Palestinians, mostly civilians, and 72 Israelis, mostly soldiers.

Since then, Gaza militants have occasionally fired rockets toward southern Israel, usually causing no damage or injuries, and Israel would respond with airstrikes.
by Basten Gokkon

JAKARTA, Oct. 24 (Xinhua) -- Four world-class Indonesian universities have signed an agreement with China's Zhejiang Bestwa EnviTech group to seek waste-based solutions for water scarcity and renewable source of energy.

Representatives from University of Indonesia, University of Gadjah Mada, University of Dipenogoro, and Bandung Institute of Technology took part an in-depth discussion with executives from the Chinese environmental protection company in Jakarta about efforts to develop infrastructures that provide clean water supply and energy from the use of water and liquid wastes.

Daniel Porzel-Fang, assistant CEO of Shenzhen Fountain Corporation, told Xinhua that partnering with Indonesian universities meant understanding better the core needs of local communities across the archipelago.

"We take a very long-term view to see what does it mean to develop infrastructure and operate infrastructure in Indonesia and it's very clear to us that it'd be difficult for us to do it without the universities," he said in an interview on Thursday, noting that Bestwa has a long history of partnering with academias in China.

According to Porzel-Fang, his company's goal in Indonesia, which is Bestwa's first foray into international business, is to bring in realized infrastructural development on water and liquid waste management that they have done in China to Indonesia with improvements based on the latter's needs and conditions.

"We're working with universities because these infrastructure development projects will have to be built by the majority of Indonesian nationals and managed by them because Indonesian people know best of Indonesia," he said.

Bestwa, through Fountain, is currently doing feasibility studies for a project in Denpasar, Bali Province to help provide local communities clean water supply through low-cost, advanced technology. The project is awaiting the government's approval.

The initiative was well-received by the four universities as they noted that knowledge-based cooperation between Indonesia and China had plenty opportunities for escalation, especially in regards with waste-based solutions for water shortage and renewable energy source.

PENTA-HELIX PARTNERSHIP

Dwikorita Karnawati, dean of Gadjah Mada University, suggested a so-called "penta-helix partnership" concept in which academias, businesses, communities, governments, and philanthropists are putting efforts to resolve the issues of waste management.

"Developing a sustainable solution must then put local society or community in the center of this partnership," she said in her keynote speech.

Fountain's Porzel-Fang echoed her views saying that his company aimed to engage in an inclusive concept in which they could also address some of the most pressing issues currently faced in Indonesia, aside from building and engineering infrastructure.

"To have an inclusive solution for these issues is to have the penta-helix concept to include the people and have their voices heard to help them get out of the vicious cycle of poverty," said Porzel-Fang.

Agus Jatnika Effendi, an expert of solid waste management and air quality control from the Bandung Institute of Technology, suggested that the partnership be extended beyond technology transfer between the institutions, but also to establishing joint research.

Porzel-Fang said he could definitely see joint research and research exchange happening within the next few months or years as he guaranteed that his company would be doing many projects in Indonesia.

"We can't import our human resources, so we have to rely on Indonesian resources and it's important for the country as well that Indonesian workers and scientists and experts are helping to construct these projects and operate these projects and to make them better," said Porzel-Fang.

Wisnu Pradoto, deputy dean for research and technology from the University of Dipenogoro, hoped Bestwa would expand its partnership with other universities across Indonesia as they also have adequate resources to contribute in water management.

"Hopefully there would be follow-up discussions on the application of these ideas, and even creating a clear and measurable roadmap," said Wisnu.
Rescue team works at the site of train derailment accident in Eseka station in Central Region, about 120 km southwest of capital Yaounde, Cameroon, Oct. 23, 2016. According to local media, the death toll in the train derailment accident in Cameroon has risen to 79. (Xinhua/Huang Yanan)

YAOUNDE, Oct. 24 (Xinhua) -- The death toll in the train derailment accident in Cameroon has risen to 79, Cameroonian national state television CRTV reported on Monday.

Rescue workers recovered more bodies from the derailed train cars on Sunday, two days after the accident happened in Eseka station in Central Region, about 120 km southwest of capital Yaounde.

About 600 injured passengers are having free treatment in different hospitals.

The train left Yaounde at around 10:30 a.m local time Friday for economic capital Douala. It carried about 1,200 passengers, the number of which was two times more than usual, for the road from Yaounde-Douala was disconnected early Friday morning because a bridge over it in Manyai, a village about 68 km to Yaounde, collapsed after heavy rain.

With so many passenger who had planned to take bus having to choose train, railway authorities added more cars to the train in order to take more passengers.

The authorities installed a temporary bridge to replace the collapsed one in Manyai on Saturday. The traffic is thus restored on Yaounde-Douala road, which is one of the most important roads for trade within the Central Africa Economic and Monetary Community.

Speaking to the media after coming back from abroad on Sunday, Cameroonian President Paul Biya called on all Cameroonians to be united in front of the tragedy.

Cameroonians are mourning the victims on Monday, which was declared national mourning day by President Biya on Saturday. The national flag are flying at half mast throughout the country and in Cameroon's diplomatic offices.
CHENGDU, Oct. 24 (Xinhua) -- As the cages opened, Hua Yan and Zhang Meng did not hesitate and ran into the wild. The two pandas disappeared into the mountains within seconds.p China released its sixth and seventh pandas at the Liziping Nature Reserve in southwest China's Sichuan Province Thursday morning, in an attempt to diversify the species' genetic pool.

"Releasing them to the wild is just the beginning. We will continue to monitor them and see whether they can survive in the wild," said Huang Yan, a panda reintroduction specialist. "What we are most looking forward to is whether they can mate and breed in the wild."

With a consensus on giant panda protection reached at the International Conference on Giant Panda Conservation that finished Friday, global efforts on panda protection are set to be strengthened.

REINTRODUCTION ENDEAVOR

According to Huang, releasing pandas back into the wild is not easy. It is a complicated process involving many twists and even failure.

The China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda (CCRCGP) started its reintroduction program in 2003, releasing its first captive-bred panda Xiang Xiang into the wild in 2006.

However, Xiang Xiang died roughly a year later after fighting with wild pandas for food and territory. In 2014, Xue Xue, the fourth captive panda to be released, died of illness a month after being released.

Zhang Hemin, the CCRCGP director, came under criticism for sending pandas into the danger of the wild.

But Zhang did not back down.

"The purpose of captive breeding is to keep the number of pandas at a stable level; as a species they belong to the wild," Zhang said.

Under cooperative programs with 10 countries, including the United States, Japan and Belgium, 32 pandas now live in overseas zoos.

"Pandas are adorable, and people love them. But they are not pets, and they should go back to the wild. And the process of captive breeding, wild training and releasing is a road that must be travelled," Zhang said.

"The whole reintroduction program is an experiment. Putting pandas back into the wild is a very complicated process," said David Wildt, head of the Center for Species Survival at the Smithsonian's National Zoo in Washington D.C.

Despite the setbacks, the CCRCGP is continuing its release program. The center released Tao Tao (a male) in 2012, Zhang Xiang (a female) in 2013, and Hua Jiao (a female) in 2015.

"Zhang Xiang has established her own territory, which is an important step to surviving in the wild," Huang said. "Tao Tao and Zhang Xiang have adapted to the wild, and they are expected to naturally mate and breed in the next two to three years."

"They do not just release the animal. There is work before it is released, while it is being released and after it is released. So they learn and they can build on that data, so next time they can release it more successfully. They are learning from each of the reintroductions," Wildt said.

DOWNGRADE AND UPGRADE

Last month, pandas were downgraded from "endangered" to "vulnerable" by International Union for Conservation of Nature.

"But this does not mean downgrading protection efforts," said Zhang at the conference. "We still face difficulties such as habitat fragmentation and isolation, so protection and the reintroduction program is definitely necessary."

In order to diversify the genetic pool of pandas, the CCRCGP and the Smithsonian Institution have carried out cooperative programs and bred the most diversified panda species in captivity.

"Releasing captive pandas back into the wild will bring diversified genes back to the wild," Zhang said.

To cope with difficulties in habitat fragmentation, experts have proposed the idea of building corridors connecting fragmented habitats, so that pandas can travel between habitats to find partners during mating season.

After fieldwork in panda habitats, Melissa Songer, expert at the Smithsonian's National Zoo, brought her team's plans to the conference

"We hope our work will help work out a plan to better preserve pandas' habitat," Songer said.

A plan to build a national park for giant pandas was proposed in August and has been submitted for approval, according to the Sichuan forestry department.

The giant panda is an "umbrella species," and the preservation of their habitat can help the survival of many other mammals, birds and amphibians in their region.

"Local patrol teams have seen snow leopards, red pandas and golden monkeys in our Wolong reserve," Zhang said.

"When you are protecting pandas, you are protecting other species as well," Wildt said. ( The CCRCGP is now mapping out an upgraded plan as well as seeking international cooperation.

A panda DNA archive is expected to be built to get a better grasp of pandas' genetic diversity, Zhang said.

Experts and organizations reached a consensus to establish a platform to track cooperative programs and share the latest research and conservation work on panda protection.

"We have much experience in releasing mammals back to the wild, and we will give the center advice on their reintroduction program," said Robert Wiese, chief life sciences officer at San Diego Zoo Global.
SEOUL, Oct. 24 (Xinhua) -- Hundreds of South Korean owners of Samsung Electronics' Galaxy Note 7 smartphone on Monday filed their first class-action lawsuit here, with the number expected to rise every month.

Harvest Law, a local law firm which represents Note 7 buyers, filed a class-action lawsuit with the Seoul Central District Court, demanding Samsung pay each buyer about 500,000 won (about 440 U.S. dollars) in damages for inconveniences they experienced in the recall process, according to local media reports.

It marked the country's first Note 7-related lawsuit, in which the law firm collected 527 owners of the troubled Samsung device.

The number is forecast to rise as the law firm plans to collect Note 7 owners who will join the damages claim in the last week of every month online.

Note 7 owners here demanded compensation for waste of time and anxiety felt while using the fire-prone phone.

The owners claimed they visited retail store four times to purchase the device at the very first, get battery checked, exchange the faulty phone with a replacement one and swap it with other smartphones in the end following the company's decision to discontinue the model.

In the meantime, they were required to download a program that limits the battery capacity to 60 percent and to reinstall all of applications for exchanged devices.

Samsung announced its global recall in early September, just two weeks after its debut as scores of the devices catching on fire or overheating were reported globally.

The South Korean tech behemoth finally decided to permanently end production and sales of the fire-prone device as more reports of overheating came even from replacement phones.
WINDHOEK, Oct. 24 (Xinhua) -- The Namibian Agriculture Ministry has banned movement and trading of live birds in Namibia following an outbreak of the New Castle disease in July this year.

In a notice seen by Xinhua Monday, the agriculture ministry confirmed that the contagious bird disease that is transmissible to humans, has been spreading in three regions - Oshana, Ohangwena and Oshikoto - in the north of the country.

The notice also said that although this is not the first time New Castle disease was reported in Namibia, the magnitude of the current outbreak "has not been seen in the country for a long time."
BEIJING, Oct. 24 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday extended condolences to his Cameroon counterpart, Paul Biya, over a deadly train derailment in the African country, in which dozens of people died.

In a message, Xi, on behalf of the Chinese government and people, mourned the dead and expressed condolences to the injured and to the families of the dead.

The death toll in Friday's train derailment has risen to 79, Cameroonian national state television reported Monday.

Related:

Death toll in Cameroon train derailment rises to 79

YAOUNDE, Oct. 24 (Xinhua) -- The death toll in the train derailment accident in Cameroon has risen to 79, Cameroonian national state television CRTV reported on Monday.
TEHRAN, Oct. 24 (Xinhua) -- Iran and Germany signed six documents on cooperation in Iranian transportation projects, semi-official Fars news agency reported on Monday.

The agreements, singed on Sunday by the Iranian minister of roads and urban development and the German transportation minister, envisage cooperation in marine, road and railway transportation areas.

The two sides agreed to promote ties in ports and navigation and to cooperate in relevant educational fields.

On Sunday, Germany's Siemens company and Thales Group also inked documents with the Iranian Railway Company to develop the country's center-to-south and Tehran-to-Tabriz railway lines.

Earlier, Siemens signed a memorandum of understanding with National Iranian Gas Company and Iran's Oil Turbo Compressor Co. on cooperation in the energy sector, according to Petro Energy Information Network.

Repairing and maintaining the existing machinery by Siemens and import of modern equipment needed for Iranian gas industry were the main parts of the cooperation agreement between Siemens and the Iranian sides.
COLOMBO, Oct. 24 (Xinhua) -- The world's oldest working full-rigged ship, SS Srlandet from Norway, has arrived in the Sri Lankan capital while on a two-year circumnavigation, the Norwegian Embassy in Colombo said on Monday.

The ship has 70 students from Norwegian and international high schools on board. During their stay in Colombo they will greet Sri Lankan maritime students.

The ship will be part of several events hosted by the Royal Norwegian Embassy.

The ship, nicknamed "The pearl of Norway," has 27 sails. She has sailed the oceans of the world for close to 90 years, most of the time as a training ship, hosting students and cadets.

The ship has also been used as a prison ship during World War II, the Embassy said in a statement.

The ship will end its visit on Oct. 30 and set sail for the Maldives.
A fireman walks past burning ivory in Nairobi, Kenya, on April 30, 2016. Kenya on the day torched at least 105 tons of ivory and 1.3 tons of rhino horn to reinforce its commitment to eradicate the menace of poaching. (Xinhua/Pan Siwei)

MOMBASA, Kenya, Oct. 24 (Xinhua) -- Interpol has issued an international arrest warrant for two Tanzanians, who are linked to an ivory syndicate operating in Kenya.

The brothers -- Samuel Jefwa and Nicholas Jefwa -- have "involvement in possession and dealing in ivory" and are believed to be hiding in South Sudan, the international police agency said over the weekend.

They have links to an ivory haul worth 5.7 million U.S. dollars seized in Singapore in April 2015.

Interpol released photographs of the duo, who had rented a house in the Kenyan coastal city of Mombasa.

It said the two are key suspects in the smuggling of ivory from Tanzania through the porous Lunga Lunga border to Kenya where the tusks were shipped from Mombasa port.

Three of their accomplices had been charged in court in Mombasa with exporting 511 pieces of ivory to Thailand.

Interpol Nairobi Central Bureau senior officer Vitalis Okumu said they are working with the Kenyan police to track down the suspects.

Interpol has already dispatched a team to Nairobi, capital of Kenya, to help fight illegal ivory trafficking with efforts to apprehend key individuals behind ivory trade.

Interpol was behind the arrest of ivory kingpin Feisal Mohammed, who was sentenced in July to 20 years for ivory trafficking.

Kenyan authorities have intensified war on ivory trade through increased operations at Mombasa port, a usual transit route for ivory.
VALLETTA, Oct. 24 (Xinhua) -- Five French customs officers were killed after their plane crashed shortly after taking off at Malta International Airport, according to a Maltese government press release.

The officers were taking part in a French customs surveillance operation and were tasked with tracking illicit trafficking routes, according to the press release.

The accident happened at around 7:20 a.m. local time (0620 GMT). The flight had been registered with Malta Air Traffic Services as a local flight and was to return to Malta within hours.

Initial reports stated the aircraft had been deployed by Frontex, the European Union's border management agency, however some time later Frontex wrote in a tweet denying any involvement.

EU foreign affairs chief Federica Mogherini further tweeted that no EU officials were on board the plane and that the plane was not related to any EU activities.

According to the government statement, all five victims were believed to be French. The French embassy has yet to comment.

The investigation into the cause of the crash is still underway.

In a statement issued by Malta International Airport at 11:33 a.m. local time (1033 GMT), it confirmed that the aerodrome had reopened but with considerable delays.
KIRKUK, Iraq, Oct. 24 (Xinhua) -- The security authority of Kirkuk province in northern Iraq said on Monday that 74 Islamic State (IS) militants were killed on Friday when dozens of IS militants attacked the provincial capital city of Kirkuk.

A statement issued by the provincial security committee said that the security forces and Kurdish Peshmerga fighters foiled the attacks of some 100 IS militants.

"The security forces also detained a number of IS militants, including the leader of the attacks, who is an Iraqi national," the statement said.

The IS militants, many wearing explosive vests, attacked the police compound, a building of Kurdish security, known as Asaysh, and some government buildings and mosques inside Kirkuk, some 250 km north of the Iraqi capital of Baghdad.

Local Kurdish security forces, backed by Kurdish reinforcement troops from the neighboring provinces of Sulaimaniyah and Arbil, surrounded the IS-held buildings inside the city and killed the attackers after fierce clashes.

IS militants also attacked al-Debis power plant, some 35 km northeast of Kirkuk, when at least two suicide bombers entered the station. sparking heavy clash with the guards.

The attackers took control of part of the facility and executed 16 workers, including four Iranians.

The Iranian victims were technicians of the Iranian Sunir company, which has been implementing a contract of expanding the power plant with the German Siemens company.

The attacks in Kirkuk came amid a major offensive by Iraqi security forces, backed by an international anti-IS coalition, to drive out IS militants from its last major stronghold in and around the city of Mosul in northern Iraq.
BEIJING, Oct. 24 (Xinhua) -- The Red Cross Society of China will offer 100,000 U.S. dollars worth of humanitarian aid to the Philippines after the havoc caused by Typhoon Haima, a spokesperson said Monday.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lu Kang made the announcement at a regular news briefing, adding that the Chinese government will also provide the Philippines with additional assistance.

"China believes, with the leadership of the Philippine government, those affected people will overcome the disaster and come back to normal lives as early as possible," Lu said.

The death toll in the Philippines from super Typhoon Haima rose to 16 on Saturday. A total of 35,486 families or 149,659 persons were displaced and most are staying at one of the country's 643 evacuation centers, the Philippine National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council said.
RAMALLAH, Oct. 24 (Xinhua) -- The Palestinian Foreign Ministry said on Monday that attempts by Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman to find a Palestinian partner other than President Mahmoud Abbas "are destined to fail."

In an interview with Palestinian Al-Quds daily, published on Monday, Lieberman said that Israel needs an alternative to Abbas.

"We need someone who is able to take a tough decision that would be considered as an earthquake because it will open the door for Israel to establish ties with Arab states," he said.

"He [Lieberman] is illusive if he thinks that he may find a Palestinian peace partner that fits his criteria and his positions of promoting empty economic facilitations as an alternative to ending the occupation of the land of the state of Palestine," the Palestinian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

"He got used, like other members of the governing rightist coalition in Israel, to promoting lies and false preaches that contradict with signed agreements, violating international law and the four Geneva Conventions, and reflecting his position to hold on to occupation and settlement," it said.

It added that Lieberman's statements come to re-define the "racist... carrot-and-stick" policy that he adopted when he first assumed office as defense minister.

This policy "will not succeed in concealing the true intentions of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his government to deepen the occupation and Judization of the Palestinian lands," it said.

Meanwhile, Palestinians on Monday slammed the Al-Quds daily for interviewing Lieberman.

Talal Abu Zarifa, a senior official in the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine, rejected the interview, saying that "Lieberman is a criminal whose hands are tarnished with the blood of Palestinians."

Publishing the interview "is a wrong step and opens the door for propaganda to the leaders of the occupation," he said.

"This is a clear normalization with the occupation," he added.

The Islamist Hamas movement, which rules the Gaza Strip, also condemned the interview.

"Al-Quds daily has no right to publish an interview for the criminal, Lieberman, who never stops threatening the Palestinian people to kill them," Hamas spokesman Hazen Qassem told Xinhua.
AMMAN, Oct. 24 (Xinhua) -- Jordanian Prime Minister Hani Mulki on Monday stressed his country's support for Yemen's legitimate government and for efforts to restore stability and security in the war-torn country, state-run Petra news agency reported.

Mulki made the remarks at a meeting with visiting Yemeni Prime Minister Ahmed Obeid bin Daghr, in which the two sides discussed the latest developments in Yemen.

He pointed to Jordanian King Abdullah II's keenness to find political solutions to the crises in the region.

"A political solution helps preserve the unity of Yemen and end the fighting," said Mulki.

He urged the implementation of the UN resolution 2216 that calls upon the Houthis to refrain from any provocations or threats to neighbouring states, release the defense minister, all political prisoners and people under house arrest or arbitrarily detained, and end the recruitment of children.

For his part, the Yemeni prime minister briefed Mulki on the latest developments in Yemen, stressing that the Yemeni government seeks peace through the implementation of the UN resolution.

He also voiced appreciation for Jordan's support to Yemen in all areas.
DUBAI, Oct. 24 (Xinhua) -- A seven-year old boy from Algeria on Monday won the Arab Reading Challenge launched by the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and received 150,000 U.S. dollars, the official Dubai Media Office tweeted.

Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al-Maktoum handed over the award to the school boy in a ceremony in the Dubai Opera. The boy will get 100,000 dollars as a scholarship for his university studies later, while 50,000 dollars will be paid out in cash to his parents in Algeria.

Talal Al-Amal, a boy from Palestine, won for his school one million dollars, for launching the "best reading initiative in the Middle East," Dubai daily Gulf News reported.

A total of 30,000 schools participated in the challenge.

Also honored were 18 minor winners, out of 5 million participants, in different reading categories. Sheikh Mohammed said the winners represent "persistence, determination and vigour" and encourage the entire Arab youth.

Sheikh Mohammed praised the participants as representing "an Arab generation of proud readers."

The Arab Reading Challenge is part of the UAE's "Year of Reading" scheme aimed to improve literacy and reading skills in the UAE and across the Arab world.
ARUSHA, Tanzania, Oct. 24 (Xinhua) -- Poaching is no longer a more serious challenge in Ruaha National Park (RNP) located in the southern highlands of Tanzania, than severe drought, which has harshly hit the catchment of Great Ruaha River.

Park managers expressed concern over the new foe, which threatens the survival of Tanzania's largest park rich in biodiversity.

Christopher Timbuka, Chief Park warden of RNP, said that currently the river catchment has turned into a dustbowl, posing a serious threat to wildlife and human activities on the river basin.

"Our new threat now is no longer poaching. It's drought. The river is a home of more than 30 fish species, which are now under threat. They remained in few ponds," Timbuka said.

He explained that recently, over 3,000 fish were found suffocated in one of the few ponds, which used to be filled with water in the river basin.

Hippos are among the animals, which are being affected by the challenge.

"Our worry as conservators is that if the rains won't rain in the next five weeks, the situation will be worse," he said, disclosing that similar drought was experienced in 1993 in the river, which flows through the Usangu wetlands and the Ruaha National Park east into the Rufiji River.

The park official said wildlife also face similar challenges as they walk long distances to avoid thirsting to death.

Amina Masenza, Iringa Regional Commissioner, admitted that the situation in the river basin is appalling, "as the river valley is dry, full of dust, something I never expected."

She called for a multi-sectoral approach to address the challenge facing the key river in Tanzania.

According to the regional chief, the river is supporting more than a million small-scale farmers, who produce a significant portion of the country's food on the lush soil in the Ruaha basin. It also provides 70 percent of Tanzania's hydroelectric power.

January Makamba, Tanzania's Minister of State in the Vice-President's Office (Union Affairs and Environment), also said: "Generally, the ecology of the entire river is under threat because of changing weather patterns and human-related activities, which reduces the amount of water in the river."

He said that deforestation, farming, and poor irrigation infrastructure lead to worryingly long dry spells in the river basin, "that's why we need to take serious measures to address challenges facing the river, including involving all people living along the river basin."
GAZA, Oct. 24 (Xinhua) -- A Hamas militant died on Monday while he was working in a tunnel in southern the Gaza Strip, the movement's armed wing and medics said.

In a text message sent to reporters, Al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas' armed wing, identified the deceased militant as Amir Abu Tu'eima, 21.

Ashraf al-Qedra, a spokesman for the Hamas-run Health Ministry, confirmed the death of Abu Tu'eima, adding no other casualties were reported.

On Saturday, a Hamas militant, identified as Annas Abu Lashin, 22, was killed in a Gaza tunnel collapse.

Over the past few months, more than 20 Palestinian militants, mostly Hamas members, died in the collapse and the cave-in of tunnels they were digging underneath the Gaza Strip.

In 2014, Israel waged a large-scale military air and ground offensive on the Gaza Strip, aiming at destroying dozens of tunnels dug on the border between the Hamas-ruled coastal enclave and Israel.

The 50-day offensive killed 2,200 Palestinians and 70 Israelis and caused large destruction to houses and infrastructure. Yet, Israel failed to prevent militants from digging tunnels in the Gaza Strip.

On Friday, leaders of the Islamic Jihad group called on Palestinian armed groups to be well-prepared and to be on alert for any upcoming military confrontation with Israel.
WINDHOEK, Oct. 24 (Xinhua) -- A report compiled by a technical committee on water has recommended that Namibia's hope lies in rivers at the country's borders.

There are four major rivers - Orange River, Kavango River, the Zambezi River and the Kwando River - on the border of Namibia.

The committee's terms of reference are to urgently address the water security in the most effected regions in the country.

According to the report submitted Monday to the agriculture minister John Mutorwa in Windhoek by the Cabinet committee on water supply security, rivers or the ocean could be Namibia's long term water solutions.

Addressing the media before submitting the report, Pedro Maritz, one of the water technical committee said pumping water from these rivers and the ocean is a massive exercise.

The country, Maritz said, has reached a point where water consumption is outstripping supply. And hence the need for long-term solutions.

"Both are massive operations - but we will have to do that to sustain the long-term water supply of Namibia," he said.

Namibia has been, for the past three years, suffering a devastating drought that has left most of the major dams dry, while others are at their lowest level ever.

Major cities like Windhoek have come up with several water-saving measures to preserve water until the rainy season comes.
LUSAKA, Oct. 24 (Zambia) -- Zambia commemorated on Monday its 52nd anniversary of independence.

Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, who was guest of honor at the ceremony, said the only way Africa will survive in the current global environment was for the promotion of the spirit of pan Africanism.

He said many of the problems affecting Africa were due to a failure of identity, security and prosperity, adding that many people have mishandled the issue of identity to the detriment of the continent.

"This has caused a lot of suffering and stagnation in Africa. Identity is very important and when we talk about identity we should not forget about prosperity," he said.

Africa, he said, needs to increase production in order to tackle various challenges facing the continent such as youth unemployment and hunger and called for the promotion of value addition to raw materials.

According to him, it was unacceptable that Africa was still exporting raw materials, adding that it was time investors were told to start adding value to raw materials within the continent in order to create job opportunities.

The ceremony started with the two leaders leading other dignitaries in laying wreath at the Freedom Statue in honor of people who died while fighting for the country's independence.

The two leaders later moved to State House where they were joined by other dignitaries in celebrating the event.

On his part, Zambian President Edgar Lungu thanked his Ugandan counterpart for accepting to grace the celebrations, saying it was a symbol of growing bilateral ties between the two countries.

He said the two countries will work to further deepen the ties through the Joint Permanent Commission (JPC).

The theme for this year's independence is "Consolidating Our Independence and National Unity for a Smart Zambia."
YAOUNDE, Oct. 24 (Xinhua) -- Three people were killed and six others injured in two suicide bomb attacks in the night from Sunday to Monday in Far North Region of Cameroon, national radio CRTV reported.

"The first of the attacks occurred in the locality of Sandawadjiri, a villager bordering Nigeria, when two women broke into the place and were spotted by members of the Vigilance Committee," said the report citing a statement by Communication Minister Issa Tchiroma Bakary.

"One of the women fled while the other detonated the explosives, killing herself and injuring 5 others," the statement said.

The second attack took place around 5 a.m. local time in the town of Waramide bordering Nigeria. The suicide bomber detonated the explosives, killing himself and one resident, injuring one.

The statement said the authorities are trying to find the other bomber who ran away.

These tragic events occurred when Cameroon is mourning after a serious train derailment accident on Friday, in which 79 people were dead and over 500 were injured in Eseka town, 120 km southwest of Yaounde.

A national mourning day decreed by President Paul Biya is observed Monday in memory of the victims of the train accident.
HARARE, Oct. 24 (Xinhua) -- Zimbabwe is not keen on developing solar energy because it is expensive when compared with other forms of energy, a senior government official said on Monday.

Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Energy and Power Development Patson Mbiriri said developing solar energy was not a viable option for Zimbabwe despite the country possessing abundant sunshine.

"Solar is available during our off-peak period. We have peak demand in the morning and evening and yet during the morning there is no sunshine and in the evening there is also no sunshine. So we have lots of solar available during the day, during our off-peak period," Mbiriri said.

He was addressing a parliamentary committee of parliament.

He said fair pricing of solar energy was also not guaranteed since "politics" always come into play in determining energy tariffs.

He said Zimbabwe had enjoyed a stable supply of power over the year despite facing significant challenges with power generation due to reliable imports from South Africa and Mozambique.

The country is importing 400 MW of power from the two neighboring countries to augment local supplies.

Zimbabwe's power demand has declined to 1,400 MW from 2,200 MW a decade ago due to low industrial productivity.

Its ageing power plants, built before the country's independence from Britain in 1980, are producing on average 1,000 MW, leaving the country to rely on imports to plug the deficit.

Chinese firm Sino Hydro is currently expanding one of the country's major power plants - Kariba Power Station - to add an additional 300 MW.

The first unit of the expansion project is expected to come on stream in December 2017.
HANOI, Oct. 24 (Xinhua) -- The Vietnamese government has agreed in principle that the Ministry of Public Security will host the 38th Meeting of the ASEAN Senior Officials on Drug Matters (ASOD) in 2017 and the sixth ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Drug Matters (AMMD) in 2018, the Government Office said on Monday.

The Ministry of Public Security has been tasked to coordinate with the ministries of Foreign Affairs, Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs, Defense, and Finance, as well as relevant agencies and localities to make preparations for hosting the two meetings.

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has advocated a collective regional response to drug abuse and illegal drug trafficking almost from the start of its cooperative efforts when it consisted of only five members.

In more recent times, ASEAN has reiterated the urgent need to act against the ever-increasing menace of drug abuse and illegal drugs trafficking. In issuing ASEAN Vision 2020 at their second informal summit in 1997, the ASEAN leaders embraced for the first time the idea of "a Southeast Asia free of illicit drugs, free of their production, processing, trafficking and use."
MOGADISHU, Oct. 24 (Xinhua) -- The Africa Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) says it has deployed more security officers in Adado and Jowhar -- major towns in Galmudug state and Middle Shabelle region respectively -- to help secure the electoral process there.

AMISOM Police Coordinator of Training and Development, Francis Aryee, said Monday the officers will work with the Somali police in beefing up security during the elections.

The deployment of the officers is part of wider efforts by AMISOM to ensure the electoral process in Somalia is conducted in a peaceful environment. AMISOM had no security forces in Adaado.

Adaado is the interim capital of Galmudug state. Jowhar is the capital of the newly formed HirShabelle state.

HirShabelle state is expected to hold elections for the Upper House following the inauguration of its newly-elected president, Ali Abdullahi Osoble.

Galmudug, which recently held elections for the Upper house, is preparing to choose its representatives for the Lower House.

It is expected that newly-elected Somali lawmakers will choose a new president on Nov. 30.

AMISOM police and troops are helping the Somali government fight Islamist group Al-Shabaab, which stages frequent attacks in the country.
Peking Opera actors perform during the play "Don Quixote, Errant Knigh" in Guanajuato, Mexico, on Oct. 17, 2016. Peking Opera performers from China's Guizhou Province present a play based on the most famous work of Spanish writer Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra on Monday during the 44th International Cervantino Festival.(Xinhua/Leopoldo Smith Murill)

ACAPULCO, Mexico, Oct. 23 (Xinhua) -- The International Nao Festival of Acapulco kicked off here about 380 km south of Mexico city over the weekend with a performance of Peking Opera inaugurating the weeklong event.

It is the 10th edition of the cultural festival in the Pacific coast resort, whose ties to China go back around 450 years to the famous China Galleon, or La Nao de China, which had for centuries sailed between the port city and the Far East.

As the guest country of the festival, China's culture is being showcased throughout the week.

Peking opera performance from China's southwest province of Guizhou, for example, will stage its production of "Don Quixote," the classic by great Spanish writer Miguel de Cervantes.

"We have tradition here, we have culture here," Acapulco Mayor Evodio Velazquez said during the opening ceremony on Saturday night, adding that "there are many ties connecting us to Asian countries and Asian traditions."

The ceremony was held at Acapulco's historical San Diego Fort, which was decked with red Chinese lanterns and multicolored parasols. The fort dates back to the 17th century.

"To speak of the China Galleon is to speak of one of Acapulco's historical eras," the mayor said.

Peking Opera actors perform during the play "Don Quixote, Errant Knigh" in Guanajuato, Mexico, on Oct. 17, 2016. Peking Opera performers from China's Guizhou Province present a play based on the most famous work of Spanish writer Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra on Monday during the 44th International Cervantino Festival.(Xinhua/Leopoldo Smith Murill)

Minister counsellor at China's embassy in Mexico Lin Ji said the festival offers an opportunity for residents of Acapulco, one of Mexico's five most popular tourist destinations, to learn more about China and the maritime trade route that connected the two countries during a span of centuries.

Dance, music, drama and cuisine from the Philippines, Japan, Spain, Britain and Colombia are also part of this year's festival.

Diego Prieto, the director of Mexico's National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH), said the event serves to highlight Acapulco's rich cultural heritage, thanks to its role as a meeting point between Asia, Europe, through the Spanish conquistadors, and the Americas.

"This globalization, which at one time was accompanied by conquest and violence, has to develop into a globalization that leads us to fraternity, cultural enrichment and understanding between peoples," said Prieto.

As part of the festival, an exhibit titled "Memories of the Oracle Bone Inscriptions" is showing at the San Diego Fort's museum origins of today's complex Chinese characters system.

Museum curator Victor Hugo Jasso said the exhibit, which will run through Jan. 31, shows ancient Mesoamerican and Chinese civilizations had certain elements in common, despite being separated by time and distance.

Accompanying the exhibit will be "interactive workshops between children from Acapulco and China, so they can communicate through these hieroglyphs and this type of symbolic communication," Jasso told Xinhua.
by Maria Spiliopoulou, Anthi Pazianou

ATHENS, Oct. 24 (Xinhua) -- A two-year-old Syrian drowned on Sunday at a pool at the Myrsini reception center in western Greece, sparking a small protest, local authorities announced on Monday.

Meanwhile, a fiercer protest by refugees and migrants was held inside the Moria hotspot on the island of Lesvos in the eastern Aegean over dire living conditions and long delays in the assessment of asylum bids.

Under still unclear circumstances, the Syrian boy lost his life on Sunday evening at the pool which was filled with water from the heavy rainfall of last week, despite efforts of volunteers to revive him before his transfer to a local hospital, Greek national news agency AMNA reported.

About 200 refugees have been accommodated at Myrsini camp since the spring. Following the drowning incident, they protested the lack of a permanent doctor inside the camp.

Meanwhile, on Monday, groups of refugees and migrants detained at the Moria hotspot on Lesvos island staged another stormier demonstration setting fire to shipping containers, local police told Xinhua.

Approximately 70 people, mostly from Pakistan and Bangladesh, attacked the offices of the European Asylum Support Office (EASO) , protesting for their detention for several months, according to police.

Twenty-three protesters were arrested, Nikos Ververis, spokesperson for the local police told said. Eight shipping containers were destroyed.

Order was restored following the intervention of police and the fire brigade, but anxiety remains.

"We were very frightened and told to leave the camp immediately," an NGO worker told Xinhua, speaking on condition of anonymity.

An African immigrant said the protest was held because 17 police officers had recently left the EASO premises.

"There are not as many officers as needed in order to manage the asylum procedure. We have been waiting since March and nobody has called us for an interview," he said.

Protests at Moria have been frequent this autumn. Last month, almost half the tents set up for refugees were burned down in another demonstration.

Under the EU-Turkey agreement put in effect last March to stem the refugee influx into Europe, all incoming refugees and migrants are held on the Greek islands until asylum authorities approve their requests or deport them to Turkey.

Due to shortage of adequate personnel and delays in procedures, some 15,000 refugees and migrants are currently stranded on the islands, being hosted in overcrowded facilities which were built to accommodate about 8,000 people, according to the latest figures released on Monday by Greek authorities.

After the closure of the Balkan route to central Europe, more than 60,000 refugees and migrants have been trapped in Greece, according to the Refugee Crisis Management Coordination Body.

Despite progress made in recent months, much more remain to be done by the Greek government and European Union to improve living conditions in the temporary hospitality centers and speed up the relocation of refugees in other European countries, NGOs have repeatedly stressed.
Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades (R) walks with Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci (L) in a street of Nicosia, Cyprus, on May 23, 2015. (Xinhua/Stefanos Kouratzis)

NICOSIA, Oct. 23 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon once again urged the leaders of the Greek and Turkish communities of Cyprus to try to secure a solution to the long-standing Cyprus problem by the end of the year, officials from both sides said on Sunday.

They said Ban had telephone conversations overnight on Saturday with Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades and Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci, since he met them in person at the UN headquarters on September 25.

Officials said Ban told the two leaders that they can count on his personal assistance in their bid for a solution within the framework of the good services mission entrusted to him by the U.N. Security Council.

Ban has appointed a special emissary on Cyprus, former Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide, who is currently working on convening a series of negotiating sessions abroad early in November to tackle the sensitive issue of territorial adjustments.

Cypriot government spokesman Nicos Christodoulides said President Anastasiades told Ban that all parties involved in the effort must work through concrete actions so as to create the conditions necessary for a final agreement.

On the Turkish Cypriot side, officials said that Ban and Akinci repeated during their conversation that the target is still to reach a solution agreement by the end of 2016.

They also said that Ban said UN support towards a solution will be available from the highest level possible.

Anastasiades and Akinci have been negotiating a solution to reunify the eastern Mediterranean island since May 2015.

They have made progress on most of the issues involved but decisions are still pending by Turkey for the withdrawal of its troops that occupied more than one third of Cyprus's territory in 1974, reacting to a coup by the military rulers of Greece at the time.

Christodoulides has said that the two leaders will have a series of meetings abroad in November to tackle the issue of territorial adjustments.
Iraqi supporters of Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr gather in front of the Turkish embassy in Baghdad to protest against the continued presence of Turkish troops in northern Iraq, on October 18, 2016.(AFP photo)

ANKARA, Oct. 24 (Xinhua) -- Turkish artillery fire has killed 17 Islamic State (IS) militants since Mosul offensive began, Turkey's Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Monday.

Turkey has been making "multiple contributions" to the operation to retake Mosul from IS, the minister said at a press conference with French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault, local Hurriyet reported.

Four F-16 fighters jets are under the command of anti-IS coalition forces, he stated.

Turkish troops in a military training camp in Bashiqa region have killed a total of 700 IS militants so far, the minister added.

Turkey will be more active in fighting outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) elements in northern Iraq, he said, adding that Ankara will not allow Sinjar region near Mosul to become a "second Qandil," which is the headquarter of PKK in the neighboring country.

Baghdad has objected to the presence of over 600 Turkish troops in Bashiqa, which train local Sunni Arab and Kurdish forces. Ankara refused to retreat those soldiers and pushed to play an active role in the ongoing offensive in Mosul.
OSLO, Oct. 24 (Xinhua) -- In the past five years, 45 of the total 158 murder victims in Norway have been in a relationship with the murderer, newspaper Aftenposted reported on Monday.

According to statistics from the National Criminal Investigation Service, commonly known as Kripos, there have been 197 partner murders in the last 25 years in Norway.

"Women are more exposed to violence, especially when they have said that they were ending the relationship," Ragnhild Bjornebekk, professor and former violence researcher at the National Police University College in Oslo, said.

"The police throughout the country is now using a new analysis tool in order to find out who experiences violence by partners and who is more at risk after a breakup," she said.

According to Aftenposten, there are about 1.32 million firearms among Norwegian civilians. This ranks the country of 5.2 million people as number 11 in the world in terms of average weapons ownership rate. The United States takes the first place, followed by Yemen and Switzerland.
MADRID, Oct. 24 (Xinhua) -- Spain's acting Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy on Monday said he saw a "bright future" for the country after the Spanish Socialist Party (PSOE) decided to abstain in the forthcoming investiture vote in order to allow him and his right wing People's Party to form a minority government.

The decision taken by the Federal Committee of the Socialist Party opens the door for what Rajoy hopes will be a "government with full functions," after more than 300 days in which he has served as acting prime minister with very limited power.

"It was a very important decision," commented Rajoy, who said his new government, which will probably be confirmed on either October 30 or 31, will be "open to dialogue."

Speaking in the Catalan region of Spain, Rajoy said he would not "elaborate in details" over new policies as that was something he would "do in parliament."

The acting Prime Minister will be the last of Spain's party leaders to meet King Felipe VI in the Monarch's latest round of talks in an attempt to see the formation of a government.

Following his meeting on Tuesday, Felipe will officially propose Rajoy as the candidate to become Prime Minister in the forthcoming investiture debate, the date of which will be confirmed by the Speaker of Congress Ana Pastor shortly after.
MADRID, Oct. 24 (Xinhua) -- A spokesperson for the Spanish multinational textile company Inditex on Monday denied claims that Syrian refugees, including children and those without necessary work permits, work in factories belonging to its suppliers in Turkey.

"Irregular Syrian refugees are not working for our providers and neither are children," the company told Spanish national TV network RTVE.

"When we discover that there are refugees in the production line we help them to regularize their situation there though the help of the local charity Refugee Support Center," said a company spokesperson.

Inditex was founded by Amancio Ortega, the richest man in Europe and the second richest man in the world according to Forbes Magazine and is behind high street brands such as Zara, Massimo Duty and Pull and Bear.

It was forced to make the declarations following a report on the BBC investigative program Panorama, due to be broadcast on Monday night.

"We audit all of our factories and carry out inspections throughout the year. When we find a problem, we impose a plan of correction and the provider has six months to implement it," the spokesman added.
ROME, Oct. 24 (Xinhua) -- More than 4,200 migrants rescued in the Mediterranean were brought to Sicily on Monday, Italian authorities said.

At least 17 bodies were also recovered and brought to land, among which three were children, according to medical staff in the regional capital of Palermo.

Overall, some 4,292 rescued migrants and refugees reached various ports across the Sicilian region, including Palermo, Trapani, Messina, and Pozzallo. These were the latest arrivals of people saved in the last two days, according to the Italian Coast Guard.

Another 6,500 people were recovered last week, including at least 14 bodies. On Saturday, some 2,400 migrants were picked up from overcrowded boats during 20 sea operations, according to the coast guard.

"Italy is doing its part in this migrant crisis, but of course it cannot do it alone," Italian Foreign Minister Paolo Gentiloni told local media on Monday, while welcoming 75 Syrian refugees relocated from Lebanon to Italy through a "humanitarian corridor" project.

The three dead children were among some 1,100 people brought by Norwegian ship Siem Pilot to Palermo on Monday. The same Norwegian crew had reportedly saved 2,400 people overall off the coasts of Libya over the weekend.

One of the victims was an eight-year-old girl, who seemed to have been trampled while still aboard the overcrowded craft, possibly during the chaotic rescue, La Repubblica daily wrote, citing doctors in Palermo.

Another was a toddler of about one year of age. More than 148,900 migrants and refugees have arrived by sea to Italy so far in 2016, according to the United Nations refugee agency UNHCR. The figure was quite in line with last year's, when 153,842 arrivals by sea had been registered in Italy.

Some 16 percent of them were unaccompanied minors, the agency added. Some 3,654 people were reported dead or missing.
VIENTIANE, Oct. 24 (Xinhua) -- The first ordinary session of Lao National Assembly (NA)'s Eighth Legislature opened Monday in Lao capital Vientiane. This is the second convene of Laos' new parliamentary tenure after the opening session in April.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Lao NA President Pany Yathotou said political stability and social order had been maintained and economic growth was high compared to other countries in the region.

Monetary stability has also been maintained and investment has increased, while rural development, poverty reduction have been implemented continuously, contributing to the achievement of several indicators of the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals.

Pany mentioned the slump in the market price of various commodities, notably minerals and rubber, saying this had affected the country's exports and revenue as well as farmers' livelihoods.

She also referred to the limited state funding available for the payment of government investment projects, along with law enforcement, which she said had not yet been consolidated and, along with other factors, had contributed to the failure to reach certain targets.

The meeting on Monday heard a report on the implementation of the socio-economic development plan, the state budget for 2015-2016, and the socio-economic development plan and the state budget for 2017.

Lao Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith also briefed participants on improvements made to the socio-economic development and state budget plans, and the currency plan for the following four years which will run from 2017 to 2020.

During the session, which is scheduled to last until Nov. 18, sixteen newly drafted laws and draft amendments to promulgated laws will be discussed and possibly approved. The draft amendments to promulgated laws concern administration and justice, economic and financial sectors, socio-cultural sector, and the military.

The national socio-economic development plan (NSEDP), state budget, monetary policy, audit results, the work of prosecutors and judges and legislation approval will also be on the agenda.

The Lao NA is the legislative branch that has the right to make decisions on fundamental issues of the country, and to oversee the activities of the executive organs, the people's courts and the office of the public prosecutor.

There are three types of NA sessions, including opening session, ordinary session and extraordinary session.

The opening session of the NA is convened no later than 60 days after the election of a new NA, while ordinary sessions are convened twice a year. Extraordinary session may be convened between the two ordinary ones in order to consider and decide important and necessary issues upon the determination of the NA Standing Committee or the recommendation of the president, prime minister or at least one fourth of the total NA members.

The opening session of Lao NA's Eighth Legislature was held in April when new President and Prime Minister of the country were elected, and Pany Yathotou was re-elected as president of the NA.
TIRANA, Oct. 24 (Xinhua) -- The Albanian government has adopted criteria and regulations for hotels rating which will begin on November 1, one of the requests made by the tourism associations, local media reported Monday.

Sources from the government were quoted as saying that this decision paves the way for the classification of hotels based on star rating categories.

Thus, the businesses that will operate in this sector have the right to open eight types of accommodation services, namely, inn, hostel, camping, hotel, motel, resort, spa, as well as bed and breakfast.

The sources said that all these subjects will answer about 421 questions related to sanitary and hygienic conditions, details about cuisine and food, room service, etc., and every hotel must collect minimum points to qualify.

If a hotel fails to achieve this, it will not receive the qualification certificate that will allow it to operate in a specific category, government sources said.
NANJING, Oct. 24 (Xinhua) -- Thanks to China's "Fox Hunt 2016" campaign, police have 634 fugitives in custody, including 16 listed in an Interpol red notice, after they fled China to avoid answering for their alleged crimes, according to the Ministry of Public Security (MPS).

A document issued at an MPS meeting Monday said that of the 634 fugitives, 50 are implicated in duty-related crimes, and 31 in smuggling. Forty-eight had been at large for more than five years, of whom 17 had been for over a decade.

The ministry said that despite the success of the campaign thus far, it will not rest on its laurels and international cooperation will be improved to ensure all criminals are brought to justice.
BANGKOK, Oct. 24 (Xinhua) -- At least one person was killed and 17 were wounded after a bomb hit a popular noodle stall at about 7 p.m. in southern Thailand.

The casualty is a 60-year old Thai woman, while two of the injured people suffered severe wounds, reported Thai media Khomchadluek citing police sources.

The noodle stall, which is in a local night market in downtown Pattani province, was full of customers before someone came in and dumped a paper bag, which exploded later.

This is the second time that the noodle stall is hit by a bomb, as the first one happened in 2007 which killed 1 person and wounded many, according to the police.

Local police also said they have strengthened security measures in the scene in case of another bomb.

Pattani, along with Yala and Narathiwat are the three southernmost provinces that were haunted by explosions as there is a a ethnic separatist insurgency, which killed more than 6,500 people in the past 12 years.
Chinese crew members (wearing caps) freed by Somali pirates arrive at the airport before heading home, in Nairobi, Kenya, Oct. 24, 2016. Nine out of the ten Chinese crew members freed by Somali pirates took a flight home on Monday from the Kenyan capital Nairobi, accompanied by officials sent from Beijing. (Xinhua/Sun Ruibo)

NAIROBI, Oct. 24 (Xinhua) -- Nine out of the ten Chinese crew members freed by Somali pirates took a flight home on Monday from the Kenyan capital Nairobi, accompanied by officials sent from Beijing.

Twenty-six crew members, including the ten Chinese, were released on Saturday after almost five years in captivity. They arrived in Nairobi one day later with UN help.

The ten Chinese include nine from the Chinese mainland and one from Taiwan. One of them is receiving treatment in Nairobi. Chinese ambassador to Kenya, Liu Xianfa, had met them.

A total of 29 men were in an Omani-flagged fishing vessel FV Naham 3, which was hijacked south of the Seychelles in March 2012, according to John Steed, a regional coordinator of Oceans Beyond Piracy, which is involved in the rescue operation.

They are from China, the Philippines, Cambodia, Indonesia and Vietnam. Three of them, including one from the Chinese mainland and one from Taiwan, had died.

The Chinese government has expressed thanks to "all the organizations and people involved in the rescue operation," and its condolences to the families of the deceased crew members.

A report released by the International Maritime Bureau of the International Chamber Commerce in July said piracy and armed robbery off the coast of Somalia had fallen to its lowest levels since 1995 with only one incident recorded in the past six months.

The report attributed the fall to operations by foreign warships. Chinese naval fleets have been involved in escort missions in the Gulf of Aden and waters off Somalia, fighting pirates.
BRATISLAVA, Oct.24 (Xinhua) -- Energy union, finance, investments, the eurozone's future, the digital agenda as well as migration and terrorism will be the main topics of the fifth GLOBSEC Tatra Summit, an international conference scheduled to take place here on October 27-30.

According to founder of the GLOBSEC forum, Robert Vass, this year's conference will be important, inter alia due to the fact that the EU is facing major challenges at the moment.

"It's never facing so many challenges and unforeseen circumstances as it's facing today. I think that the Tatra Summit can move the discussions forward," said Vass at a briefing in Bratislava on Monday.

Finance ministers from Slovakia, Germany, France, Italy, Belgium and Ireland are expected to take part in the conference later this week.

"These will be the key ministers who will discuss how to move European Monetary Union forward in a time of crisis," added Vass.

In addition, five European commissioners, seven senior representatives of the Western Balkans, energy ministers from Norway, Bulgaria and Romania and diplomats from EU members are set to attend the conference.

The political part of the Tatra summit will continue between Friday and Sunday. European Commissioner for the Budget and Human Resources Kristalina Georgieva will deliver a speech at the conference.

Ivan Korcok, state secretary of the Slovak Foreign and European Affairs Ministry, was also present at the briefing.

Korcok said the conference is exceptional as it won't take place behind closed doors and is being held in the most difficult period of the EU's history.

"There will be lots of topics at the summit, and I believe that, if not answers, at least many impetuses concerning how we should respond in this period will emerge," added Korcok.
Photo taken on Oct. 24, 2016 shows Chinese crew members (in cap) arrive at Jomo Kenyatta Int'l Airport in Nairobi, capital city of Kenya. (Xinhua/Sun Ruibo)

NAIROBI, Oct. 24 (Xinhua) -- Nine out of the ten Chinese crew members freed by Somali pirates took a flight home on Monday from the Kenyan capital Nairobi, accompanied by officials sent from Beijing.

Twenty-six crew members, including the ten Chinese, were released on Saturday after almost five years in captivity. They arrived in Nairobi one day later with UN help.

The ten Chinese include nine from the Chinese mainland and one from Taiwan. One of them is receiving treatment in Nairobi. Chinese ambassador to Kenya, Liu Xianfa, had met them.

A total of 29 men were in an Omani-flagged fishing vessel FV Naham 3, which was hijacked south of the Seychelles in March 2012, according to John Steed, a regional coordinator of Oceans Beyond Piracy, which is involved in the rescue operation.

They are from China, the Philippines, Cambodia, Indonesia and Vietnam. Three of them, including one from the Chinese mainland and one from Taiwan, had died.

The Chinese government has expressed thanks to "all the organizations and people involved in the rescue operation," and its condolences to the families of the deceased crew members.

A report released by the International Maritime Bureau of the International Chamber Commerce in July said piracy and armed robbery off the coast of Somalia had fallen to its lowest levels since 1995 with only one incident recorded in the past six months.

The report attributed the fall to operations by foreign warships. Chinese naval fleets have been involved in escort missions in the Gulf of Aden and waters off Somalia, fighting pirates.
Protesters walk on a main avenue towards the European Union (EU) headquarters during a demonstration against the EU-U.S. Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) and the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) with Canada, in Brussels, capital of Belgium, Sept. 20, 2016. (Xinhua/Ye Pingfan)

BRUSSELS, Oct. 24 (Xinhua) -- Belgium cannot sign a major free trade pact between the European Union (EU) and Canada due to strong opposition to the deal from its southern region of Wallonia, Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel said on Monday.

Michel held emergency talks with regional authorities of the country earlier on Monday, but later told a press conference that Belgium was not able to approve the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement(CETA).

"After the talks we established that the Wallonia and Brussels governments, as well as authorities from the Francophone communities, had said no. Therefore we are not able to sign CETA," the prime minister said.

Local media reported that the EU gave Belgium an ultimatum until Monday evening to reach a consensus on the deal, and that Michel had already informed European Council President Donald Tusk of Belgium's decision.

This means that a EU-Canada summit scheduled for Thursday, which the deal was supposed to be signed, is likely to be cancelled.

CETA aims to establish a free trade zone between the EU and Canada, scrapping more than 98 percent of existing tariffs between the two partners, but opponents like Wallonia are concerned that the deal would threaten product standards and undermine workers' rights.

The deal took the EU and Canada seven years to negotiate and has received the green light from all other 27 EU members.

However, Belgium's unique political system restricts the federal government from making any decision without the consent of the Francophone Wallonia and the Dutch-speaking Flanders.

The latter has given its approval to the deal and its leader called Wallonia's decision "dreadfully sad."

At an EU summit in Brussels last Friday, Tusk said the deal concerned "the EU's reputation," warning that CETA "could be the EU's last free trade agreement" if it fails.
Boys play in Al Zaatari refugee camp in Mafraq, near the border with Syria, Jordan, October 24, 2016. (Reuters photo)

AMMAN, Oct. 24 (Xinhua) -- UNHCR High Commissioner Filippo Grandi said Monday a total of 50,000 Syrian refugees in Jordan will leave the country and head to other countries.

Speaking at a press conference in Amman Monday, he said more than 24,000 Syrian refugees in Jordan have already been resettled in the U.S. and some European countries.

He also voiced appreciation of Jordan's efforts in hosting refugees, adding that Jordan is the 6th largest host country of refugees in the world.

On the issue of the Syrians stranded at the no man's land between Jordan and Syria, he said the UNHCR discussed with Jordan the creation of a clinic for treating sick Syrians among those and that the UNHCR is awaiting Jordan's approval in this regard.

According to official figures, there are some 1.4 million Syrian refugees in Jordan.

He said the UNHCR understands Jordan's security concerns.

He added that the UNHCR expects more waves of Syrian refugees as the violence is still ongoing in the country, adding that there are some five million Syrians registered as refugees with the UNHCR in several countries.

The UN official called on the international community to boost aid to countries hosting Syrian refugees.

Also Monday, Minister of Planning and International Cooperation Imad Fakhoury met with Grandi and discussed the impact of Syrian refugees on Jordan.
Smoke rises from reported opposition fire from buildings in an eastern government-held neighbourhood of the northern Syrian city of Aleppo on October 20, 2016. (AFP/Xinhua)

DAMASCUS, Oct. 24 (Xinhua) -- A total of 48 people evacuated rebel-held areas in the northern city of Aleppo to government-controlled shelters on Monday, state news agency SANA reported.

The evacuees were civilians from the rebel-held part in eastern Aleppo city, said SANA, adding that the authorities in Aleppo provided them with their needs and transported them to temporary shelters.

The Syrian government in cooperation with Russia repeatedly called on the civilians in rebel-controlled areas in eastern Aleppo to evacuate to government-held areas in western Aleppo, to save them from a wide-scale offensive aiming to dislodge the rebels out of Aleppo.

Last week, a three-day truce, aiming to ease the evacuation of civilians and rebels who want to surrender in exchange for pardon, expired with neither civilians nor rebels evacuated.

The Syrian government accused the rebels of preventing the civilians, around 250,000, from leaving.

Observers believe that Aleppo is going to be the decisive battle ground among the fighting groups, and the winner will be the one dictating its conditions to resolve the crisis, as the province contain all the groups that are supported by regional and international powers, with the civilians paying the price for this proxy war.
Director General of Laos-China Railway Company Zhao Xiang (R, front) shakes hands with a representative of China's Sinohydro Corporation Ltd. in Vientiane, capital of Laos, Oct. 24, 2016. Tender contracts for the second phase of China-Laos railway project was signed Monday in Lao capital Vientiane. The signing included 11 contracts on civil engineering, construction supervision and third-party testing. (Xinhua/Liu Ailun)

VIENTIANE, Oct. 24 (Xinhua) -- China-Laos railway will be built to become a demonstration project in "Go Global" strategy, said Chinese companies participating in a symposium held in the Lao capital of Vientiane on Monday.

At the symposium, Zhao Xiang, Director General of the Laos-China Railway Company provided relevant information on Lao taxation, project investment, visa processing, personnel issues, among others.

Meanwhile, Chairman of the Laos-China Railway Company Huang Difu put forward specific requirements for units involved in construction of the China-Laos railway.

Chen Shiping, Director General of China Railway International Group vowed to send skilled personnel, use advanced construction technology and management models in order to complete the project with high quality, making China-Laos railway a demonstration project in China's "Go Global" strategy in railway sector and the "Belt and Road" initiative.

Meanwhile,signing ceremony of tender contracts for the second phase of the China-Laos railway project was held in Vientiane. The signing included 11 contracts on civil engineering, construction supervision and third-party testing.

The China-Laos railway has a total length of 414 km, linking Mohan-Boten border gate in northern Laos and capital Vientiane. Operating speed on the route is designed at 160 km per hour. Kicking off in late 2015, construction of the project is scheduled for five years with investment of about 37.4 billion Chinese yuan. The China-Laos railway is an important project in the "Belt and Road" initiative proposed by China.
UNITED NATIONS, Oct. 24 (Xinhua) -- The UN Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) reported that heavy rains over the past few days have worsened conditions in areas already affected by Hurricane Matthew, increasing the challenges to humanitarian aid distribution in the small island country, UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters here Monday.

MINUSTAH continues to facilitate the transport to the area, including an Internews team to Jeremie on Sunday, Dujarric said at a daily news briefing here. "The media foundation Internews will establish and support the work of community radios in the south-west of Haiti."

On the humanitarian front, the World Food Programme (WFP) provided another 1,150 tons of food, reaching some 173,000 people on Oct. 8-20 and water purification tablets are being distributed for 190,000 people, he said.

Thirteen trucks for 175,000 people in 307 temporary shelters were sent to Les Cayes and Jeremie last week, he added.

Hurricane Matthew killed more than 1,000 people in Haiti when it struck on Oct. 4, leaving more than 175,000 without homes, and over a million more struggling to survive in what UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called "absolute devastation."

The United Nations estimates at least 1.4 million Haitians are now in need of urgent assistance as clean water, food, and medicine are in short supply, and an ongoing cholera epidemic threatens to worsen and spread after dozens of cholera treatment centers were destroyed.
CAIRO, Oct. 24 (Xinhua) -- The Egyptian Museum in Cairo exhibited on Monday over 400 archaeological objects local authorities seized before they were smuggled abroad.

"The pieces showcased today are a small part of objects retrieved by the ministry over the past 30 years," Antiquities Minister Khaled al-Anany told Xinhua at the exhibition.

This is the first exhibition of its kind to show antiquities seized at Egyptian ports by Central Administration for Archaeological Units, which works under the umbrella of the antiquities ministry.

Since it was created in 1986, the administration, which has units at the country's sea, land and air ports, has seized some 50,000 artifacts.

Meanwhile, the minister highlights the efforts taken by the ministry of antiquities as well as the police, the army, the customs service, the ministry of finance, the ministry of foreign affairs and the ministry of justice.

"They all have collaborated to stop looting antiquities and prevent smugglers from sending them outside of Egypt," al-Anany said, adding that the 425 objects on display include Jewish antiquities, Christian icons, Islamic artifacts, pharaonic relics and objects of Greek and Roman origin.

The minister also said his ministry is now working to stop smuggling objects outside Egypt, stressing that all legal measures to prevent the smuggling of archaeological objects are taken.

Gaith Fariz, director of UNESCO Cairo office, told reporters that Egypt can be proud of its achievements and continuing efforts in combating trafficking.

"The Egyptian efforts that have been exerted throughout the last 30 years are exemplary and are to be followed in many countries across the region and the world at large," he said.

He affirmed that UNESCO is committed to providing all possible support for Egypt in this regard.

Egypt, one of the most ancient civilizations, has been working hard to preserve and retrieve its rich historical relics, a move that may help revive the country's once-flourishing tourism largely affected by the political turmoil over the past five years.
by Maria Spiliopoulou

ATHENS, Oct. 24 (Xinhua) -- The first European coordination office of the Asia-Europe Meeting(ASEM) Science, Technology and Innovation Cooperation Center (CCSTI) was inaugurated during an Athens forum on Monday as part of international efforts to widen communication in these fields among its member states.

During the 2nd ASEM Seminar on Cooperation in Science, Technology and Innovation for Sustainable Development held in the Greek capital, Greek, Chinese and other ASEM countries' officials and experts explored the potential of cooperation between Europe and Asia, underlining the significance of technological and scientific advance in the global economic and social development.

The launch of the ASEM-CCSTI European coordination office in Athens marks the start of a new period of closer ties between the two sides in science and technology research, keynote speakers stressed.

The event was organized by the PRAXI Network of the Foundation for Research and Technology-Hellas (FORTH) which will be running the new office, in cooperation with the Beijing Municipal Commission for Science and Technology (BMCST).

Athens was chosen to host the premises of the first coordination contact point in Europe, because Greece and China are leading the bid to deepen collaboration between Asia and Europe in recent years in several sectors, Professor Costas Fotakis, Greece's Deputy Minister for Research and Innovation, explained to Xinhua at the sidelines of the event.

More contact points will be established in various regions in the future.

"The choice is, I would say, the result of (Greek) Prime Minister's (Alexis Tsipras) visit to China last July where we held talks with Chinese officials," he said.

"And certainly I would like to stress that this cooperation does not concern only bilateral ties with China -- we will discuss this now how we can further promote them -- but we are talking about (cooperation) with all southeastern Asian countries, such as Singapore and Vietnam and others. This effort is opening very positive prospects so that our country becomes a gate regarding science and technology for these countries to Europe," the Greek official stressed.

For his part, addressing the seminar, Xu Jianpei, Secretary General of the Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology, noted that Chinese Premier Li Keqiang advocated establishing an ASEM Science and Technology Innovation Cooperation Center during the 10th Asia-Europe Meeting in 2014 and the idea was warmly welcomed by all member countries.

"It is fair to say that the ASEM Science and Technology Innovation Cooperation Center was established at the right time as a bridge between Asia and Europe in the field of Science and Technology Innovation," Xu said during the event which was attended by Chinese ambassador to Greece Zou Xiaoli and other dignitaries and scientists.

"It is hoped that this will strengthen win-win technical cooperation among Eurasian universities, institutes and businesses, realizing extensive, orderly transfer and commercialization of innovation results among member countries so as to drive socioeconomic sustainable development of all countries," Xu stressed.

Delivering speeches during the seminar PRAXI's coordinator Panagiotis Karniouras welcomed the launch of the office as an important step in boosting cooperation between Europe and Asia to deal with common challenges.

Epaminondas Christofilopoulos, head of International Cooperation in PRAXI, added that stronger research-industry collaboration on global level is one of the keys of success for all parts.

The ASEM was created in 1996 as a forum for dialogue and cooperation between Europe and Asia. It consists of the European Union and its 28 member states, Norway and Switzerland, and 10 members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) as well as China, Russia, Japan, Australia, etc.
QUITO, Oct. 24 (Xinhua) -- Peace talks between Colombia's government and the country's second largest guerrilla group, the National Liberation Army (ELN), will begin on Nov.3 in Quito, Ecuador, it was announced on Monday.

The first round of negotiations to end five decades of fighting are to be held over a 45-day period at a hacienda being lent by Ecuador's Catholic University, and located southeast of Quito, in Valle de los Chillos.

This first round should help place the two sides on the path to "ending what is the last armed conflict in our Western Hemisphere," Ecuadoran Foreign Affairs Minister Guillaume Long told reporters at a press conference.

The hacienda, called Cashapamba, "meets all of the conditions that talks of this nature require -- security, privacy, comfort -- so that both delegations can feel comfortable to negotiate peace," said Long.

This Thursday, a ceremony to mark the official installation of the negotiations will take place at an art museum in northern Quito called Capilla del Hombre, or Chapel of Man.

"This is a very symbolic place for us and for the two sides who have agreed to gather there. It symbolizes peace, the peace all of us yearn for," said Long.

The ceremony is to be attended by Colombia's government delegation, headed by the former Minister of agriculture and rural development Juan Camilo Restrepo, and its rebel counterpart, led by commander "Pablo Beltran."

Beltran is the nom de guerre of Israel Ramirez Pineda, according to the daily El Comercio.

Also attending will be delegates from guarantor countries of the talks, Ecuador, Venezuela and Norway, and those accompanying the talks, Chile, Cuba and Brazil.

Ecuador also hosted the first secret talks between Colombian officials and ELN envoys, designed to explore the possibility of a negotiated peace agreement. Subsequent meetings, over a three-year period, took place in Venezuela and Brazil, as well as Ecuador.

Talks with the 1,500-strong ELN force follow a recent peace deal that was signed between Colombia's government and the country's largest guerrilla group, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC).

That agreement was rejected in a referendum, sending both sides back to the negotiating table.
Starbucks opens MovieTowne PoS branch

Our first location in South- Park, San Fernando is a success and we look forward to connecting with customers at MovieTowne, PoS.

We continue to focus our attention on training our baristas so they can deliver exceptional customer service, as well as creating opportunities for career growth for them. Benjamin was addressing guests on Saturday during a Friends and Family event at Starbucks TTs second store, located at MovieTowne Port-of- Spain, ahead of its formal opening this morning (Monday).

Jobs and the opportunity to advance within the company was also spoken of by Kelima Balthazar, a barista from the San Fernando store who recently started training to become a supervisor at the PoS store.

You are always learning something new. There is a lot of training and practice in developing your people skills and managerial skills. In this company, it is all about your customers, your colleagues and developing interpersonal skills, Balthazar said.

Starbucks TT stated on Saturday that joining the company as a store partner offers opportunities for career growth and to be part of a global team of more than 300,000 partners who proudly wear the iconic green apron. The company continues to recruit energetic, positive and ambitious job seekers for its upcoming stores in the market. Interested persons can view the job description through the companys recruitment partner, Eve Anderson Recruitment Limited at www.eaastaff.

com/starbucks.

Applications are currently being accepted for Barista opportunities at Starbucks TTs third store, located in Chaguanas just off the southbound lane of the Uriah Butler Highway. Starbucks TT expects to hire approximately 100 persons over the next year.
Hunter shot by trap gun

According to police reports at about 8 am on Saturday, Shane Ramsaran of Coal Mine Road, Sangre Grande, went into a forested area in Biche to hunt.

However, shortly after entering the bushes, Ramsaran heard a loud explosion and felt a burning sensation about his body.

He then realised he was bleeding.

The wounded man then walked out the forest and drove himself to the Sangre Grande Police Station where he made a report to the officers on duty.

Ramsaran was then taken to the Sangre Grande District Hospital where he was treated.

Up to yesterday, he was said to still be warded in a serious but stable condition.
Delay in release linked to extortion

This has led to a stand-off between the Venezuelan 5, and officers in the SE BIN prison.

Newsday has been informed that the men are refusing to return to their cells and have stayed in the hallway of the prison since Friday.

Newsday was also told that the military was sent to the prison, but it is not known whether the men have since been physically forced into their cells or if they remain in the hallway.

Newsday understands that that the delay to release the men is as a result of non-compliance to the judges order for their release.

This really has us wondering if the Venezuelan court has the authority that it says it has.

We have to wonder whether the court is really an independent body, lamented Umar Abdullah in a telephone conversation with the Newsday yesterday.

Abdullah and his organisation, the Islamic Front, along with the families of the Venezuelan 5 had a meeting with the Attorney General on Friday to discuss the matter.

The Trinidadian Embassy in Venezuela was also contacted, and appealed to Venezuelas Foreign Affairs Minister Delcy Elo?na Rodr?guez G?mez for assistance in the matter. Abdullah told Newsday yesterday that the administration of SE BIN prison was asked why they had not yet complied with the transfer order, but up to press time, there has not been a response.

Newsday was told that the delay was a tactic being used to extort money from the prisoners to have their release expedited.

Abdullah was adamant that neither his organisation, nor the relatives of the Venezuelan 5 will pay to have the men released.

We are not prepared to pay any bribe, or any money to expedite the process to release these men. Abdullah said.

Newsday was also told that the delay may have come because several items belonging to the Venezuelan 5 which were seized when they were first placed in prison, were now missing. Abdullah told Newsday yesterday that the items included personal effects and quantities of money.

On March 19, 2014, the Venezuelan 5 were arrested on terrorism- related charges and sent to the SE BIN prison, which is known for holding foreign high risk criminals. After two years and six months of imprisonment, the men were taken to court and were ordered to be released having served out their prison term for the charges for which they were convicted by the Venezuelan court.
Arima man chopped

Newsday understands that 51-year-old Winston Greenidge, of Paradise Avenue, Guanapo, Tumpuna Road, Arima, was at the grocery store when he got into an argument with another man. The argument between Greenidge and the man became physical, then, without warning, the man whipped out a cutlass and dealt Greenidge several chops about the body. As Greenidge screamed in pain, the man escaped the scene on foot.

Greenidge was rushed to the Arima Health Facility, where he was treated, and remains warded in a serious condition. Up to press time, no arrests were made in connection to the incident
Gun charges dismissed against COSTAAT student

Magistrate Debra Quintyne dismissed the charges against Melissa Lezama, who was 16 years-old when police conducted an exercise in Vega de Oropouche in August 2010 and arrested several persons.

Attorneys for Lezama, Reynold Waldrop and Jeron Joseph had written the Director of Public Prosecutions calling for a review of the case against her.

The lawyers had explained that Lezama was arrested on her first visit to her mothers house when police raided the premises and found the guns and ammunition.

They argued that she could not have known about the items as she did not reside there, but had still be arrested and charged.

Before the magistrate Waldropt submitted that the delay by the Office of the DPP to review Lezamas case was untenable and accused the State of being slack in the handling of the matter.

The DPP failed to act to safeguard the rights of a citizen who was clearly innocent, Waldrop sumitted.

In dismissing the charges against Lezama, who is studying journalism, the magistrate was critical of the police handling of the case.
Energy Minister visits Vance River

I am certainly very disappointed that that is the case because this is a serious environmental issue and Petrotrin needs to have a faster response time to events like this, Olivierre said, adding, When there are spills offshore the response time has been quite rapid, so perhaps they seem to have fallen back in their response time for oil spills on land. But I certainly encourage residents living within the constituency within the oil producing areas, if you do notice oil spills on land please make every effort to contact the company or my office. Olivierre was speaking to reporters during a site visit to a watercourse at Fitz Lane, Vance River, Guapo, yesterday. The watercourse is heavily polluted with sheets of oil from an abandoned oil well and was the site of protest action after four-year-old Kaleb Hart fell into the watercourse last Wednesday while on his way to school.

I was concerned when I learned about the four-year-old and learning of the extent of the oil spill I certainly had to come and make sure that the child is okay and the environment can be cleaned up so that the residents would have a good healthy environment to live, she said.

And regarding the oil spill, she said Petrotrin had engaged a contractor to begin the clean-up operations saying a very viscous oil seemed to have has sunk to the bottom of the river which would require an extensive clean-up operation.

She said recommendations had been made to Petrotrin to construct a railing across the bridge while a more long-term solution was being identified.

Asked whether a review of the abandoned oil wells, which had been capped due to the Point Fortin highway route, and which seemed to have a significant amount of oil remaining, said, I am aware that some wells were capped as a result of the route for the highway passing through producing areas.

We certainly have to investigate and make sure they were properly capped and that no leakage is taking place and have to rethink whether it was sensible to stymie producing wells. She also stated that Petrotrin would be asked to provide medical personnel to assess the health of residents to see what impact the oil spill has had on the residents and see what relief can be brought to them as quickly as possible.
NACTA Poll: PNM takes early lead in Locals

But according to the poll, the PNM has still managed to take an early lead over the opposition UNC and other parties for control over the 14 local governments in the run up to the November 28 elections.

The pollsters said although a large majority of voters are not pleased with PNM governance, they do not view the opposition UNC, as currently constituted, as a viable alternative at this time. Grass roots supporters and activists of the UNC express disapproval of some of the prospective (projected) candidates in the local government elections.

This, combined with perceived party infighting, will further erode the UNCs prospects in the locals, NACTA said.

The findings of the poll show the PNM not under threat to lose any of the eight local bodies it now controls and is on course to make gains. Of the 135 seats up for grabs, the ruling party currently controls 84 seats and it could lose a few seats to the UNC but pick up as many as five based on the latest polling data.

And at least one borough could change party control, NACTA said.

No other party is projected to win any seat or local body but support could change for the two dominant parties depending on candidate selection and the level of their acceptance by activists and voters.

The polls findings also reveal disenchantment with both the PNM and UNC with many respondents clamouring for a strong third political force.

However, given the current choices, voters prefer the PNM over the UNC by a huge margin.

According to the findings of the survey, the PNM leads the UNC 44 percent to 37 percent with the mini-parties combined less than three percent. The poll has an error of 4 percent meaning support could vary in either direction.

The NACTA poll, which is conducted by Dr Vishnu Bisram, said a large number of voters indicate they will not vote, and these non-voters are not included in the polling preference.

With five weeks campaign now starting, prospective outcome could change by election day, NACTA said.
2,500 teen girls impregnated by adult men

This is according to former education minister and Caroni East MP Dr Tim Gopeesingh as he responded to a call from The University of the West Indies, St Augustine, for more sex education to be taught in schools.

Gopeesingh said sex education has not been carried out successfully in schools.

He said teachers needed to be trained and retrained and this was where UWI had an important role to play.

Gopeesingh said Education Minister Anthony Garcia should seek support from The UWI and the University of TT in the Teachers Education Programmes for this to be an important component in obtaining their degrees.

Sex education was not an important consideration because a lot of teachers are reluctant to undergo this process.

The Government and the Police Service seem to be reluctant to uphold the rule of law in terms of apprehending the male counterparts who have impregnated teenage girls. It is an offence to have sex with a girl who is under 18.

If the police do their work and begin to set the example and arrest and apprehend these men who perpetrate these crimes on these young girls, you would see a serious reduction in teenage pregnancies in this country, Gopeesingh said.

He noted that over a period of 20 years, there could have been over 50,000 children born out of teenage pregnancy.

The principal and teacher are supposed to report it, the parents, but nobody does...They try to hide it and its illegal.

Sometimes there are children without parents or even grandparents so there is no guidance, so it is a societal problem as well and society has to take responsibility, Gopeesingh said.

Garcia said sex education was part of the general reform of education.

He felt that there must be wider discussions with stakeholders and particularly parents.

It appears to me that there are peer issues affecting the society. It is to the school system that one looks to for redress, the school system will play its part but must also rely on the input of the national community.

Sex education must be taken into a wider context. There must be proper training of our teachers, school administrators, Student Support Services Division, because sex can be a very sensitive issue.

Some teachers themselves demonstrate they are not equipped to handle this subject without adequate training, Garcia said.
Democracy is messy, US Embassy

However US Embassy Public Affairs Officer Stephen Weeks believes there isnt much to worry about, and Trump was just an example of the messy side of democracy.

Donald Trump entered uncharted territory in the last United States Presidential debate when asked by moderator Chris Wallace whether he would concede defeat to his opponent Hilary Clinton, he said, I will keep you in suspense. In the first debate, Trump said that he would concede, but his change of opinion appeared to have followed a decrease in his popularity after more and more women claimed to have been sexually assaulted by him. Some political commentators were appalled by his statements because, they say, it flew in the face of a long held US tradition that was a symbol of democracy.

To this, Weeks said, Democracy is messy, democracy is loud, democracy is unkind. He was speaking to organisers and delegates at the launch of the Model United Nations last Saturday.

People say things that they regret; or they should regret. Weeks was responding to statements made by College of Science, Technology and Applied Arts of Trinidad and Tobago President, Dr Gillian Paul made earlier in the programme.

Weeks said he trusts that the United States 240 years of history would save them from anything disastrous.

The people will make their decision, there will be a peaceful transition of power, there might be claims of voter fraud or whatever, but we have seen through 240 years.

Weve actually had presidential elections that were much worse if you look back at the 19th century. Weeks then conceded to Paul that she was right about the need for improvement. I do think thats the whole point, but this is something that we need to work on.
Lasalle returns for mind-body link

He was charged with over 50 offences including treason and mutiny.

Today, Lassale is treating the body with healing.

He has been involved with body work since the mid 1970s and is a qualified osteopath and pioneered the development of Shiatsu massage in Britain.

He lectures internationally on Chinese Five Element Theory, Shiatsu, Marma massage, Oriental Astrology and related disciplines.

Although he resides in Finland, Lasalle travels extensively and for almost 40 years, he has worked with thousands of individuals using a variety of bodywork, nutritional and herbal and holistic techniques.

Lasalle will be in Trinidad on November 4 and would host a book launch for his latest work, The Time of Your Life on November 12 and 13 at the Teaching and Learning Centre, the University of the West Indies, St Augustine.

Lasalle travels to other countries to teach shiatsu courses, Marma massage and also to introduce people to simple approaches to look after their health and well being, and for them to be responsible for it.

His book explains the teachings of ones number sign and how this affected a person as an individual.
Economy flawed, Abdulah

Political leader of the Movement for Social Justice (MSJ), David Abdulah, made the statement during the feature address at the formal opening of the Banking, Insurance and General Workers Union (BIGWU) Seventh Biennial Conference of Delegates at the Cipriani College of Labour and Cooperative Studies on Saturday.

Abdulah noted that between 2005 to 2014, the number of people who lived below the poverty line increased from 16.6 percent to 24.5 percent. At the same time, he said, Governments Budget increased by over 100 percent, while the countrys GDP, expenditure and the number of social programs also increased significantly.

Something has to be flawed in the economy The economic policies implemented by successive governments protected the interests of capital and undermined the interest of workers, he said.

However, Abdulah stressed that part of the problem was with the labour movement because the focus had been on industrial aspects rather than the promotion of worker education and consciousness.

It is not enough to change persons in office because the very structures and institutions into which they operate and function have not changed their essence and serve the interest, not of workers, but of the owners and managers of big capital. Therefore, for the workers agenda to be realised, we have to come to the consciousness that we need to change the relations of political and economic power fundamentally, he said. Giving remarks at the event, Minister of Labour and Small Enterprise Development, Jennifer Baptiste-Primus, noted that very little had been done to the countrys labour legislation over the past 50 years.

She assured that updating the laws would be a priority of the Government and said she intended to go to Cabinet with amendments to the Industrial Relations Act, including Contract Labour legislation, and the Corporative Credit Union Act.

Baptiste-Primus added that Government made the decision to reduce its dependency on contract labour and has hopes to ensure that every worker would enjoy basic terms and conditions.

However, to do so, she stressed that consultation with all stakeholders and patients was necessary.

For there to be a systematic update of workers agenda, we need a breeding ground that will see a systematic penetration of this philosophy across all sectors.

There is a need for the Labour Movement, the Ministry of Labour, the Cipriani College of Labour and corporatives to work together to develop new areas of training to Develop the Credit union sector also, she said
Abdulah supports more power for police complaints authority

Citing the recent police killing of Carlton Lane, San Fernando resident, Adele Gilbert, last Thursday, Abdulah described the circumstances surrounding that incident as very disturbing. He has called for a swift and thorough investigation should be carried out by the PCA.

We support the call by the PCA for more power and we are calling on the government to urgently bring to Parliament legislation to amend the PCA Act to ensure that the PCA has the power to engage in investigations to secure a crime scene or scene where someone has been killed by police to ensure evidence is not in any way contaminated by police officers who are investigating other police officers, because that raises doubts in the mind of citizens as to whether justice will happen, he said.

We have to step up our game. We are not aware that the PCA has completed investigations into the many incidents of police officers killing civilians and we call on PCA to give a status report on all these matters and give assurances to national community as to when these investigations will be completed, Abdulah added. He, however, noted that this was not a blanket attack against the Police Service. He also acknowledged that the crime situation was bad and that police officers often face difficult and hazardous situations at times.

Addressing a media conference at the partys St Joseph road, San Fernando headquarters yesterday, Abdulah cited the poverty rate which had experienced a 24.5 percent increase from 2005 to 2014.

This is a circumstance where between 2004 and 2014, the national budget increased from $29billion in 2004 to $62billion in 2014 so the national budget more than doubled and yet those in poverty also increased, Abdulah said. Once the system remains the same we will continue to have more and more people suffering while a few become obscenely wealthy, he said.

He said the MSJ was also standing in solidarity with Petrotrin workers who had walked off the job last week to highlight security concerns at the company, saying serious damage could be done to Petrotrins installations.
Colin Farrell has never read 'Harry Potter' books

United States,Cinema/Showbiz,Hollywood, Sun, 23 Oct 2016 IANS

Los Angeles, Oct 24 (IANS) Actor Colin Farrell never read the "Harry Potter" books before starring in "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them".

The Irish actor plays the role of Percival Graves, the director of security at the Magical Congress of US, in the eagerly awaited-new movie, which is based on J.K. Rowling's book by the same name.

Farrell shared that he has never read Rowling's most popular books but is a self-confessed fan of the "Harry Potter" film series, reports femalefirst.co.uk.

"There are a few films where in they're on the television, I just can't turn them off, they're just so comforting and any 'Harry Potter' series qualifies as one of those films.

"It's just such a beautiful and immersive world, that pays due respect to human emotions. I would be a liar if I said being in a trailer where that score kicks in didn't get me excited. I'm 40 and I shouldn't say such things," Farrell told SFX magazine.

--IANS

ks/sug
Russia to conduct observation flight over Turkey

Russian Federation,Defence/Security, Sun, 23 Oct 2016 IANS

Moscow, Oct 24 (IANS) Russian inspectors on Monday will start observation flights over the Turkish territory under the Open Skies Treaty to monitor its compliance, a senior Russian defense official said.

The observational flights -- cancelled by Ankara in February, "will be carried out between October 24 and October 28," TASS news agency quoted Russia's Nuclear Risk Reduction Center's acting chief Sergey Zabello.

The Russian flight will use an An-30B aircraft with Turkish specialists on board and cover a maximum range of 1,900 km using Turkey's Eskisehir Air Base to refuel, Xinhua news agency reported.

The flight is part of the confidence-building measures in Europe in the post Cold War era under the international treaty.

The Open Skies Treaty establishes a programme of unarmed aerial surveillance flights over the entire European territory of 34 nations, including Russia and most members of North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).

The treaty was signed in March 1992 and took effect in 2002.

--IANS

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New learning plans could help 52 per cent class 5 rural students who can't read (Special to IANS)

Delhi,National,Opinion/Commentary,Education, Mon, 24 Oct 2016 IANS

Salgaon (Sirohi district) In a classroom in the government school here in southwest Rajasthan, about 25 students from standards 3, 4 and 5 standing in a circle, animatedly recited a story spoken by a specially trained volunteer-called a Team Balika (Team Child) -- their recitation gradually rising in decibels with every repetition.

Run in government schools by Educate Girls, a nonprofit, the recitation was a prep session for a new style of learning, an attempt to address declining arithmetic and language skills nationwide, despite a Rs 1.2 lakh crore ($17.7 billion) investment in universal education, leaving millions of students ill-prepared for employment.

Instead of the traditional blackboard-and-chalk style of rote learning, the students, like hundreds of others in six Rajasthan districts -- Ajmer, Bundi, Jalore, Pali, Rajasamand and Sirohi -- learn by pictures instead of words, puzzles that help them find words, alphabet cut-outs they can put together and other uncommon learning aids that whet their appetite to learn.

The programme appears to be working. In 2015, these creative-learning sessions, conducted at least twice weekly during school hours with 79,695 standard 3, 4 and 5 students in 3,399 rural Rajasthan schools, helped record average score increases --irrespective of gender and social background -- of 45 per cent in Hindi, 26 percent in English and 44 per cent in math.

Sitting with other children on a durrie (carpet) -- benches and desks are a luxury -- Rahul Chauhan, 9, was engrossed in and clearly enjoying a story in his work book, Hathi aur Hiran (the elephant and the deer). He explained why. "Because of the pictures and because I like to learn stories to tell (outside of school)," said Chauhan, a broad grin on his face.

After the prep session, students were organised into three groups based on their learning level, which was determined by a test held two months ago at the start of the intervention, instead of by their class. So, a standard 4 student might be in a group with standard 3 students learning to identify alphabets, ensuring that no child is left behind.

This strategy, developed in 2005 by Pratham, a nonprofit working towards improving primary education, has been adopted by Educate Girls. It is called "teaching at the right level".

Teaching at the right level helps weak students catch up, a process vital to schools across rural India, where 52 per cent of class 5 students cannot read a class 2 textbook in Hindi, according to the Annual Status of Education Report 2014 (ASER 2014) by Pratham. Barely one in four class 5 children can read simple sentences in English or subtract double-digit numbers.

Educate Girls trains both volunteers -- whom it designates Team Balikas -- and teachers in creative teaching methods, but Salgaon school lacked a trained teacher, reflecting the fact that less than one in five primary school teachers is adequately trained, IndiaSpend reported in May 2015.

The Educate Girls programme, too, is affected by India's general teaching inability. English improvements, for instance, trail those in maths and Hindi because the language is not spoken in rural Rajasthan. "So, the Team Balika's own understanding of the language is poor," said Pallavi Singh, regional manager of Educate Girls.

The Salgaon government school had no regular English teacher, said headmaster Ashok Kumar, which illustrates another fact: India is short of 556,000 primary school teachers.

Of the teachers available, many stay absent or are assigned non-teaching jobs. Almost 24 per cent teachers were absent during random visits to rural schools, found this 2015 study by the University of California, IndiaSpend reported in September 2016.

"We are assigned all sorts of duties, from making election voter lists to counting livestock," said Dalpat Singh Rathore, a school teacher.

Last year, Himachal Pradesh piloted Pratham's intensive-learning programme in Hamirpur district. Encouraging early results, including 14 percent improvement in students who could read a text with two or fewer mistakes and 12 per cent improvement in division skills -- simple division was considered a problem area for class 5 students despite being taught in class 3 -- led the state government to own the concept, albeit with some customisation.

"We have increased the length of the learning programme to 45 days and start the day with a two-hour learning session before switching to the regular curriculum," said Ghanshyam Chand, state project director for Himachal Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan and the Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (National Middle-School Education Programme).

"We have also expanded the scope of the initiative to include assessment of students, to remove any teacher bias from the process and to encourage regular grading," he said.

"With the Programme for Result Enhancement, Resource Nurturing and Assessment, as the expanded state government programme has been called, for which Pratham is a technical advisor, we expect to put a stop to primary students being promoted to the next level without imbibing basic language and math skills," said Chand.

(In arrangement with IndiaSpend.org, a data-driven, non-profit, public interest journalism platform. Bahri is a freelance writer and editor based in Mount Abu, Rajasthan. The views expressed are those of IndiaSpend. Feedback at respond@indiaspend.org)

--IANS/IndiaSpend

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Politicisng of defence issues wrong: CPI-M's Mohammad Salim (IANS Interview)

New Delhi,National,Politics, Mon, 24 Oct 2016 IANS

New Oct 24 (IANS) Accusing the BJP of "milking" the Indian Army's surgical strikes against terrorists in Pakistan-administered Kashmir "for political gains", CPI-M politburo member Mohammad Salim says the "unprecedented politicisation" of the military action by the Narendra Modi government is a diversionary move to cover up its failures.

"Issues related to defence, particularly military action, traditionally have not been made a political issue, but under this regime, be it union ministers, BJP leaders as well as the Sangh Parivar (RSS) , all have jumped in to portray the strikes as a success of the government. "The country has not seen such politicisation of defence issue," Salim told IANS in an interview.

The politicisation of the September 28-29 "surgical strikes" is not just aimed at reaping electoral dividends in states like Uttar Pradesh or Punjab, but is as much to cover up burning issues, including the unrest in Kashmir Valley, said the 58-year-old Lok Sabha member from Raiganj in West Bengal.

"Unrest in Kashmir has now entered its fourth month. So many people have been killed, others maimed. But there is hardly any talk of that, all thanks to this chest thumping by the BJP.

"From the economic situation to agrarian distress, from the rise of cow vigilantes to price rise, this government has been a complete failure in all respects. And that is why the BJP and its entire propaganda machinery is blatantly politicising a military strike to cover up its failures.

"And, unfortunately, they have been successful as the political discourse largely has been surrounding the surgical strikes rather than many other important issues," the Marxist leader said.

"From the top leaders down to the party worker, the BJP has been indulging in a blatant and shameless effort to milk a purely military exploit for political gains.

"Such is the state of affairs that even when our brave soldiers are facing terror attacks, the defence minister gets busy eulogising the prime minister for the strikes instead of crediting the armed forces and boosting their morale," said Salim referring to Manohar Parrikar, who has been praising Modi for the strikes.

While the BJP has been up in arms against the opposition for demanding proof of the military action, Salim harps on the opposition's right to question.

"In a democracy, people have the right to raise questions. Debate and dissent are the essence of a democracy. This government has taken political ownership of a military action; so why are they so perturbed when the opposition is questioning their claims?

"This government has no answers to questions being raised on burning issues. So they are trying to shut up people by calling them anti-national," the communist leader said.

Talking about Tripura, where the CPI-M-led Left Front has been in power since 1993, Salim exuded confidence of the coalition retaining power and dismissed the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress as irrelevant.

Looking to expand its base outside West Bengal, the Trinamool has set its eyes on the Marxist bastion of Tripura where it has emerged as the principal opposition party after six dissident Congress MLAs joined its ranks.

"The people of Tripura have witnessed the kind anarchy that the Trinamool has unleashed in Bengal and they will not make a mistake of trusting a party which symbolises corruption and doesn't believe in democracy," Salim asserted.

After retaining power in West Bengal with a thumping majority, the Trinamool has virtually taken over almost all the opposition-controlled municipalities and panchayats in the state, courtesy a steady stream of opposition members joining its ranks.

But Salim was unwilling to admit the organisational deficiency behind the desertions.

"It will be wrong to attribute our organisational deficiency behind the desertions. The people who have joined Trinamool have not done it voluntarily; rather they have been compelled. Many of them have joined fearing for their life," he said, accusing the Trinamool of using violence and the administration as an intimidatory tool to "eliminate" the opposition in Bengal.

(Anurag Dey can be contacted at anurag.d@ians.in)

--IANS

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Robin William committed suicide due to debilitating brain disease

United States,Cinema/Showbiz,Hollywood, Mon, 24 Oct 2016 IANS

Los Angeles, Oct 24 (IANS) Late actor-comedian Robin Williams's widow Susan Schneider believes that William committed suicide due to the debilitating brain disease he was suffering from.

William committed suicide in August 2014 as a result of the debilitating brain disease, which is the second most common neurodegenerative dementia after Alzheimer's and causes heightened levels of anxiety, delusions and impaired movement.

The disease was only diagnosed after an autopsy was carried out following his death, and Schneider has now joined forces with the American Brain Foundation to "cure all brain disease", reports femalefirst.co.uk.

"The biggest battle of his life was against Lewy Body Disease. This terrifying disease attacks the brain. No matter how many doctors we saw, symptoms we chased, or tests we ran, it was only in autopsy that I learned we had unknowingly been battling a deadly disease. A disease for which there is no cure," Schneider said while accepting the 2016 Angel Harvey Heart of a Patriot Award from the USO on William's behalf here.

"The devastation on Robin's brain from the Lewy bodies, was one of the worst cases medical professionals have ever seen. Yet throughout all of this, his heart remained strong," she said.

"In 1945, the American Cancer Society put all forms of cancer on the collective map and called it 'cancer'. They saw it as one disease and set out to attack each manifestation of it. It is time we take the same approach with the brain - combining medical knowledge, funding, research and efforts to look at brain disease as a whole."

Schneider said, "I have joined forces with the American Brain Foundation and have taken up their noble mission: to cure all brain disease. Together we can usher in a new era of brain care where early detection, cures and ultimately prevention become reality."

Schneider compared Williams's battle to that of America's servicemen and women and said her love for him had helped her to cope since his death.

"I'm here with you because of my husband's heart. Robin absolutely had the heart of a patriot. I cannot think of a more fitting award for him, nor one that he would be more proud to receive, especially in the presence of all of you. Robin was also a warrior, and like so many of our finest servicemen and women he had battles to face."

Schneider said, "I stand hopeful before all of you. The love my husband and I have shared has been my beacon and my guide. The love all of you give by your choice to take your worst days and use them to give someone their best days - that devotion and caring for others is my strength."

--IANS

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India should not gloat over moderate tactical success (Comment: Special to IANS)

Delhi,National,Opinion/Commentary,Defence/Security, Mon, 24 Oct 2016 IANS

The last three weeks may not have been historically momentous, as some in the establishment would like us to believe, but certainly India has been in the news, both within and globally, and more for good reasons. The reported surgical strikes conducted by India on September 29, 2016 at seven Pakistani terror-camp locations across the volatile Line of Control (LoC) changed the mood of the nation in one swift master-stroke.

That all political parties in India, cutting across party lines, unequivocally feted the Indian Army and the Modi government for this timely initiative to teach a perennially treacherous Pakistan a befitting lesson, showcased to the world Indian unity when confronted with a national challenge.

However, like any succulent dish, happy tidings have a nasty habit of not lingering for long. With the euphoria of India's 'macho' actions against a terror-exporting Pakistan gradually receding, the mood in India's agitated political environment is back to its not-so-cordial normal.

Electronic media channels, naturally looking for better TRPs, seemed to exacerbate the eternal political divide by pinning down some political parties with awkward and insolent questions on the parties' sense of nationalism and their degree of support to the government, as if it is a quantifiable commodity.

Most political outfits seem to have walked into the media trap with the ruling party, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), chest-thumping themselves as the sole repository of fiery patriotism leaving other political dispensations in the country far behind in self-assessed jingoistic formulations. Anyway, the media does not direct national policies and hence it is time for the nation to leave behind the cacophony of proving one's patriotism, introspect and seriously plan for the myriad challenges looming ahead.

India's surgical strike targeting Pakistan over a frontage of 250 km across the Line of Control (LoC) in Kashmir has sent a clear message to the state and non-state actors conglomerate in Pakistan that India's patience must not be taken for granted. However, it is apparent, once again, that history has a bad habit of repeating itself as regards Pakistan is concerned. Terror activities inside the Kashmir Valley, once again, are increasing, with the Pakistanis and their terrorist proteges taking on the security forces, snatching rifles from Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) police personnel besides committing arson at unprotected governmental buildings.

Pakistan has upped the ante along the International Border (IB) and LoC with unprovoked firings and multiple infiltration endeavours into J&K, before the onset of snow as happens each year. Their numerous sleeper cells would have been instructed to indulge in some sensational terror acts, not only in J&K but in the Indian hinterland, especially, in the current festival season and in areas where there are large public congregations.

With Pakistani mischief in full flow, India now needs to zealously implement some baby steps it pragmatically initiated recently. First and foremost, India must build up, with alacrity, its military muscle to thwart threats emanating from a two half-front challenge (China, Pakistan and internal security), even collectively in a worst case scenario. Combat capabilities take very long to fructify, and, thus both the armed forces and the government need to address operational voids with the urgency it deserves.

Secondly, India must pursue relentlessly the diplomatic measures it has instituted recently with the global community and the UN to get Pakistan declared a terrorist state. The singular way for Pakistan to be taught a lesson to live in a civilized way is for the many nations who fund Pakistan to survive to shut their financial aid to it. In the current scenario, the US and other EU nations may do so whilst China and Saudi Arabia will ensure that Pakistan remains financially solvent.

For China, its strategic game changer, namely, the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and development of the Gwadar port is only possible with Pakistan's submission to the Chinese, and thus come what may, China's support for Pakistan is etched in stone. That the CPEC runs through the "disputed territories" in Gilgit-Baltistan and Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK) is hardly of consequence to a nation like China which scoffs at internationally accepted norms in statecraft.

Nevertheless, Pakistan's consistent record in promoting terrorism across the world must prompt the international community imposing economic sanctions against it. Diplomatic ostracisation of Pakistan by the world community must be endeavoured for with greater determination by India as done at the recently concluded BRICS-BIMSTEC meetings in Goa.

Pakistan's stock has predictably fallen with its South Asian neighbours and much over the globe as Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's lamenting the same to his Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) has come to indicate.

Importantly, India needs to carve out a consistent and coherent policy towards its continually errant neighbor. India must cut off all economic, social and diplomatic ties with Pakistan. Diplomatic representation with Pakistan should be downgraded with immediate effect. Pakistan has prevented Indian trade with Afghanistan and thence towards the Central Asian Republics, we must take away the most-favored nation status granted to Pakistan that is not reciprocated by them. The enduring message to Pakistan should be that we do not need them anyway.

The villain-de-piece in Pakistan is its own army. Far from defending its own country, the Pakistani Army is busy guarding its multi-billion dollar industry (FAUJI Foundation, Shaheen Foundation, Bahria Inc and the like) and perpetuating the opulent lifestyles of its officers. The Americans, who have traditionally looked the other way and glossed over the many sins of their errant proteges, must now factor in the untrustworthiness of the Pakistani army and its unwavering ties with anti-US terrorist outfits. If nuclear waywardness ever results, it will stem from a failing state like Pakistan with repercussions not only for the region but the world. Nevertheless, the Pakistani army can take comfort in the precedent that the US is not brimming with strategic prudence anyway.

Keeping one's guard up in totality and the powder dry, India has to be ready for any eventuality in the entire spectrum of conflict. Persistent gloating over a moderate tactical success across the LoC is hardly becoming of the largest state in South Asia as it endeavours to establish a safe and harmonious environment in the region.

(Lt. Gen. Kamal Davar (retd.) was the first Chief of the Defence Intelligence Agency and Deputy Chief of the Integrated Defence Staff. The views expressed are personal. The article is by arrangement with South Asia Monitor/www.southasiamonitor.org)

--IANS

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Modi bats for women rights, slams triple talaq

Uttar Pradesh,National,Religion,Immigration/Law/Rights, Mon, 24 Oct 2016 IANS

Lucknow, Oct 24 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday batted for equal women rights in the Muslim community and said he favoured discontinuation of 'triple talaq'.

Addressing a gathering in Bundelkhand, the Prime Minister said it was for this reason that his government has told the Supreme Court that inequality cannot be allowed in the name of religion.

Modi also said that justice demands that the government works as per the Constitution and provides gender justice for everyone.

He also lashed out at political parties, who he alleged were worried about their vote banks rather than bringing about gender equality. "How can a system wherein our sisters are divorced even on uttering divorce three times over phone be accepted," he mused.

He added that this issue should not be seen through the prism of a community and rather with the good intention of bringing about equality for all.

--IANS

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Top naval commanders to meet in Delhi

Delhi,National,Defence/Security, Mon, 24 Oct 2016 IANS

New Delhi, Oct 24 (IANS) Top commanders of the Indian Navy will meet in the national capital from October 25-27 to review the prevailing as well as emerging operational and functional issues, an official said on Monday.

The Naval Commanders' Conference comes at a time when ceasefire violations and tension continues along the India-Pakistan border.

"The conference assumes greater significance in the backdrop of recent events that have brought issues related to the country's defence under sharper focus," a statement said.

"Indian Navy, like the other two armed forces, is required to maintain a high degree of operational preparedness to deter or neutralise any threat aimed at the country's sovereignty and territorial integrity," said the statement.

"On a broader canvas, the overall security situation in the Indo-Pacific region requires the Indian Navy to promote and protect national interests across India's extended maritime neighbourhood," it added.

"The Commanders' Conference would be utilised by the Operational Commanders to examine and analyse different paradigms related to operations, training and resource-availability for meeting the wide range of taskings and expectations," the statement noted.

The conference would be addressed by Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar and used as a platform for institutionalised interaction between the naval top brass and other government officials.

As part of the navy's future force-level planning, the conference would examine a series of measures under the Make in India scheme and recommend ways to further indigenise defence procurements, in order to overcome the major challenges being faced.

The commanders would also dwell on the navy's roadmap for the future, including key technology enablers, improved logistics and digitisation.

The progress of activities in 2016, which was earmarked as the 'Year of the Civilian Personnel', would also be reviewed during the conference.

--IANS

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Commando killed in exchange of fire with Maoists

Andhra Pradesh,National,Defence/Security,Terrorism, Mon, 24 Oct 2016 IANS

Visakhapatnam, Oct 24 (IANS) A senior commando of Andhra Pradesh's elite anti-Maoist force Greyhounds was killed in an exchange of fire with Maoists on the Andhra-Odisha border on Monday, police said.

Over 20 Maoists, including some women, were killed in the gun battle in Malkangiri district of Odisha.

The incident occurred during a joint search operation in the forests by special forces of the two states.

"Two senior commandos of Greyhounds were injured in the exchange of fire. One of them, Abu Bakr, succumbed to his wounds before he could be airlifted to Visakhapatnam for treatment," police said.

Abu Bakr hailed from Gajuwaka area in Visakhapatnam. Deputy Inspector General of Police (Visakhapatnam range) Srikant visited the slain commando's house and consoled his family members.

--IANS

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Guyana MP calls for world unity, respect for women on Diwali festival

United States,Religion,Diaspora,Diplomacy, Mon, 24 Oct 2016 IANS

Port of Spain, Oct 24 (IANS) The Caribbean nation of Trinidad and Tobago celebrated its annual Diwali Nagar festival where the Guyana Hindu Dharmic Sabha (GHDS) president called for purity and unity in the world.

"If we understand that the world is one family, we can achieve that illusive dream of unity in this global village," GHDS President and Guyana's Member of Parliament Vindhya Vahini Persaud said.

Addressing the 30th annual Diwali Nagar at Chaguanas, Central Trinidad, Persaud urged the Trinidad and Tobago government to transcend its borders and touch the cultural diaspora.

The annual festival was organised by the National Council of Indian Culture (NCIC), under the leadership of Deokienanan Sharma.

Among those present were newly-appointed Indian High Commissioner Bishwadip Dey and US Ambassador John Estrada.

Exploring the theme 'Ganga Maa-Mother of the Ocean and Rivers', Persaud said people must learn to act in the best interest of those with whom they come into contact every day.

"It is said that the water of the Ganga river is the purest ... this kind of purity can be attained by being pure in thought, words and deeds as life is like a river with many ups and downs. Life gives us joy, happiness and hope," she said.

Persaud urged leaders and all citizens to not only understand women and their vulnerability, but also their inherent capabilities.

"I think the people of Trinidad and Tobago definitely understand the meaning that women are pivotal to nation building," she added.

The NCIC's Public Relations Officer Surujdeo Mangaroo also hailed the ceremony for its unique spirit.

"The annual Diwali Nagar, the Council's flagship project, induces innovative programmes with increased participation of the youth -- especially women upon whom depends the future stability, progress and development of the Indian culture and Hinduism," he said

The festival attracts people of all ethnicity, culture and religions, which, in itself, is sociological therapy for the enhancement of cultural diversity, and has now become a model for similar societies, Mangaroo said.

The Indian diaspora here comprises descendants of some 148,000 East Indians, from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, brought here between 1845 and 1917 to work on enhancing local agricultural capacity.

The Indian diaspora now forms some 42 per cent of the 1.3 million population of Trinidad and Tobago.

(Paras Ramoutar can be contacted at paras_ramoutar@yahoo.com)

--IANS

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SC to hear if names of bank defaulters can be made public

Delhi,National,Immigration/Law/Rights,Business/Economy, Mon, 24 Oct 2016 IANS

New Delhi, Oct 24 (IANS) The Supreme Court will hold a hearing on Friday (October 28) on whether the names of individuals and companies with non-performing assets (NPAs) of Rs 500 crore or more could be made public.

A bench of Chief Justice T.S. Thakur, Justice D.Y. Chandrachud and Justice L. Nageswara Rao on Monday decided to hold a hearing on the limited point as counsel for NGO Centre for Public Interest Litigation (CPIL) Prashant Bhushan urged the bench to make public the list of the defaulters submitted by the Reserve Bank of India in a sealed cover.

Bhushan told the bench that since the apex bank was covered under the Right to Information Act, the list of defaulters with NPAs of Rs 500 crore or more should be disclosed.

RBI has opposed making the names of the defaulters public.

The apex bank has cited the Section 45E of the Reserve Bank of India Act that prohibits disclosure of any information relating to the creditors. It says "(1) Any credit information contained in any statement submitted by a banking company under section 45C or furnished by the Bank to any banking company under section 45D, shall be treated as confidential and shall not, except for the purposes of this Chapter, be published or otherwise disclosed."

The court had earlier on April 12 said that it would examine whether the Reserve Bank of India and the Centre could take shelter behind the confidentiality clause in the RBI Act and other statutes for holding back the names of defaulters of loans and also the total quantum of money that is in default.

The top court had noted on April 12 that rich people take loans for running their empires and on their failure to repay them they go for restructuring by Board for Industrial and Financial Reconstruction (BIFR) while farmers are committing suicide for their inability to pay small loans.

The RBI had furnished the names of the defaulters in pursuance to the top court's February 16 order asking the Reserve Bank of India to furnish a list of the companies which are in default of loans by the banks and financial institutions in excess of Rs500 crore or whose loans have been restructured under corporate debts restructuring scheme.

The court had sought details from the RBI following a media report that said that during the year 2015 loans advanced to private parties that were written off are in the range of nearly Rs 40,000 crore. The court had further noted that from the same media "it appears that top ten banks have in the last three financial years written off loans of more than Rs 80,000 crore as bad debts".

--IANS

pk/rn
India trashes China's criticism of US envoy's Arunachal visit

Delhi,National,Politics,Diplomacy, Mon, 24 Oct 2016 IANS

New Delhi, Oct 24 (IANS) India on Monday curtly dismissed China's protest against US Ambassador Richard Verma's visit for the annual Tawang Festival in Arunachal Pradesh.

"The US Ambassador visited Arunachal Pradesh, a state which is an integral part of the country to which he is accredited," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Vikas Swarup told the media.

Verma visited Tawang along with Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal last week.

Beijing said visits like that of Verma would make the border dispute between India and China more "complicated" and "sabotage" peace in the region.

"There is nothing unusual in (Verma's visit)," Swarup said.

--IANS

ab/mr
West Bengal to bring Self-Help Groups under insurance cover

West Bengal,National,Business/Economy,Human Interest/Society, Mon, 24 Oct 2016 IANS

Kolkata, Oct 24 (IANS) The West Bengal government is planning to bring the state's Self-Help Groups (SHG) under insurance cover within the current fiscal year, a minister said on Monday.

"There are 1.95 lakh SHGs registered with the state. We are planning to provide each group with an insurance coverage of Rs 1 lakh," state Co-operative Minister Arup Roy said.

"I have asked my colleague minister Sadhan Pandey, the minister in-charge of department of SHG and SE to provide me the names and addresses of the groups. We are hopeful to complete the process by the end of the current fiscal year," he said.

The SHGs and Self Employment Department focus on generating self employment for unemployed youth, providing skill-upgradation training and maintaining sustainable livelihood, among other activities.

Officials claimed "95 per cent of the loan, given to the SHGs has been recovered in the last financial year".

"This sustainable growth of SHGs has enabled the government to provide them security in the form of group insurance that would help the groups in case of loss of capital or any other untoward incident," Roy added.

--IANS

mgr/ssp/sm/bg
Terrorism greatest threat to humanity, says Rajnath Singh

Bahrain,Politics,Terrorism,Diplomacy,Business/Economy, Mon, 24 Oct 2016 IANS

Manama (Bahrain), Oct 24 (IANS) Indian Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday said that, after World War II, terrorism constitutes the "greatest threat" to humanity, and there should no differentiation between good and bad terrorists.

The Home Minister, who is on a three-day official visit to Bahrain, made these observation during his bilateral meeting with Bahrain Interior Minister Shaikh Rashid bin Abdulla Al Khalifa here.

"There are no good or bad terrorists," an official release quoted him as saying.

"Terrorism should be dealt with in a comprehensive manner. Segmented and partial approaches as adopted by some of the countries have been unsuccessful in countering terrorism," he added.

The visiting minister thanked Bahraini leadership for condemning the recent terrorist attack in Uri of Jammu and Kashmir in September and the Pathankot airbase attack in January this year.

"It is a matter of satisfaction that the world opinion is with India in its resolution to dismantle the launching pads of terrorism from across the border," Rajnath Singh said.

The Home Minister said that signing of agreement for cooperation in combating international terrorism, transnational organised crime and trafficking in illicit drugs, narcotic and psychotropic substances and precursors chemicals has laid strong foundation for enhanced security and counter-terrorism cooperation between the two countries.

He also said that India would like to enhance ties with Bahraini defence and security establishment.

"India is keen to strengthen trade and investment ties with Bahrain and avail of the strategic location of Bahrain as a gateway to the GCC market. While our bilateral trade is healthy and has reached about $1 billion, there is still a huge potential to further expand it," he added.

Rajnath Singh said that the presence of a large Indian community in Bahrain constitutes an important link between our two countries.

Indians are the largest expatriate community in Bahrain, he added.

--IANS

sk/sm/vt
Flu kills six more birds in Delhi, toll is 64

Delhi,National,Environment/Wildlife,Health/Medicine, Mon, 24 Oct 2016 IANS

New Delhi, Oct 24 (IANS) At least six more birds died here on Monday due to bird flu, taking the total deaths of migratory birds from the disease to 64, Delhi Animal Husbandry Minister Gopal Rai said.

Rai, however, also said the anti-virus operation in the Deer Park in south Delhi was showing results as only two bird deaths were reported there on Monday.

As many as 17 birds died in the Deer Park on Saturday and 10 on Sunday. The first bird deaths were reported from Delhi Zoo, which, like the Deer Park, has since been shut.

The deaths of four other birds on Monday were reported from a lake behind Shakti Sthal, the memorial to Indira Gandhi, Rai said.

"We have started close monitoring of the lake along with other locations," he added.

Rai said the second report from the central lab in Bhopal, where bird samples were being sent, has arrived.

"Infection of H5N8 avian influenza has been confirmed from the two samples. These samples were taken from dead birds found in Deer Park and Sundar Nagar (near the zoo) last week," Rai said.

Earlier, the same lab had confirmed H5N8 virus infection in the sample collected from Delhi Zoo.

"With bird deaths being reported from more locations, there is need to increase vigilance," Rai said.

He issued a health advisory with a detailed list of do's and don'ts.

These include one to avoid eating of raw or half-boiled eggs and meat.

Rai on Monday met the coordination committee in the Delhi Secretariat to consider further action on checking the spread of H5N8 influenza virus.

He ordered all government departments to spread "chuna" (lime powder) around every water body.

The minister also ordered them to spray anti-virus Sodium Hypochlorite around all water bodies where birds gather.

Rai said he will meet Union Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh on Tuesday evening.

"We have consistently been sending bird and water samples to the central lab in Bhopal. But it is taking a lot of time for reports to arrive.

"I will request the union minister to direct the lab authorities to send the reports at the earliest."

--IANS

vv/mr
Sri Lanka scholars protest killing of two students

Sri Lanka,Indo-Pak/Pakistan,Politics,Crime/Disaster/Accident, Mon, 24 Oct 2016 IANS

Colombo, Oct 24 (IANS) Students in northern Sri Lanka on Monday launched a protest and submitted a petition to the government over the death of two university students in Jaffna town last week.

The students gathered opposite the Jaffna Government Agent's office and handed over a petition to President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, Xinhua news agency reported.

Students in Kilinochchi town also launched a protest and demanded justice over the killing of the two Jaffna university students.

Northern Provincial Council member M.K. Sivajilingham said there was a feeling that state-sponsored terrorism was behind the killing.

Sirisena last week called for an impartial investigation into the death of the two youths.

Sri Lanka's Criminal Investigation Division is probing the deaths.

The two youths were shot dead by the police after they reportedly failed to stop when ordered to do so.

Five police officers were arrested over the incident. They were immediately interdicted and remanded by court.

The government said necessary steps have been taken to ensure that the law is fully implemented with regard to the incident.

--IANS

py/dg
Urban areas on course to become free of open defecation

Delhi,National,Environment/Wildlife, Mon, 24 Oct 2016 IANS

New Delhi, Oct 24 (IANS) With nearly 23 lakh individual household toilets being built in urban areas in the last two years, the target of ending open defecation in urban areas by 2019 is broadly on course, the Ministry of Urban Development said on Monday.

According to an official statement, since the October 2014 launch of the Swachh Bharat Mission, 22,97,389 individual household toilets have been constructed in urban areas. The mission targets constructing 66,42,221 toilets in urban areas by 2019.

With 22,97,389 individual household toilets or 35 per cent of the mission target having been built in two years, the construction of toilets meant for ending open defecation in urban areas is broadly on course, said the statement.

Union Urban Development Minister M. Venkaiah Naidu on the day reviewed the progress of the mission in urban areas.

Gujarat with 4,06,388 toilets and Andhra Pradesh with 1,93,426 toilets became free of open defecation (ODF) in urban areas in September, achieving the target three years ahead of the deadline.

The other leading performers were Kerala having built 62,450 of the targeted 90,986 toilets, Chhattisgarh with 1,83,726 of the targeted 3,00,000 toilets, followed by Madhya Pradesh with 2,34,377 and Tamil Nadu 2,57,781 toilets.

States like Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka and Jharkhand have built over 30 per cent of the targeted toilets.

Among the states lagging behind were Manipur, having built only 9 per cent of the targeted toilets, followed by Bihar with 7.40 per cent and Uttarakhand with 7 per cent.

Arunachal Pradesh was at the bottom having contributed 1.60 per cent of the toilets targeted to be built.

--IANS

and/ask/vt
BSF can give befitting reply to Pakistan: Rajnath

India,National,Indo-Pak/Pakistan,Politics,Defence/Security, Mon, 24 Oct 2016 IANS

New Delhi, Oct 24 (IANS) The BSF is capable of giving a "befitting" reply to Pakistani troops which killed a boy and BSF trooper in the Jammu sector early on Monday, Home Minister Rajnath Singh said.

"Spoke to DG BSF who apprised me of the situation in border areas of Jammu region. The BSF is capable of giving befitting reply," Rajnath Singh tweeted after a telephonic chat with K.K. Sharma.

Rajnath Singh is on a three-day visit to Bahrain from Sunday.

The minister also hailed the bravery of Border Security Force Head Constable Sushil Kumar who along with the boy lost his life in the heavy shelling and automatic gunfire by Pakistan Rangers.

A resident of Kurukshetra in Haryana, Kumar, inducted in the BSF in 1992, was killed in R.S. Pura sector. The boy died in Kanachak area.

"I salute the bravery and sacrifice of Sushil Kumar," Rajnath Singh said.

Officials said the Pakistan Rangers targeted around a dozen BSF outposts on the International Border. The firing began around 2 a.m.

Police said the injured included two BSF troopers and seven civilians. At least 50 villages damaged in the fresh shelling.

Border forces of the two countries have been trading fire since the September 29 surgical strikes by the Indian Army at terror launch pads in Pakistan-administered Kashmir.

--IANS

rak/mr
PIL in HC seeks to bar MPs, MLAs from election campaigns

Delhi,National,Immigration/Law/Rights, Mon, 24 Oct 2016 IANS

New Delhi, Oct 24 (IANS) A PIL was filed in the Delhi High Court on Monday claiming that members of parliament and state assemblies are "public servants" under the law and should be prohibited from participating in election campaigns except to the extent of casting their vote.

The PIL which came up for hearing before a division bench of Chief Justice G. Rohini and Justice Sangita Dhingra Sehgal would be heard on November 23.

The plea said that during their tenure, elected representatives should not try to gain political mileage by indulging in political activities.

It sought directions to the central government to treat members of parliament and state assemblies as "public servants" and prohibit them from participating in any political activities during the tenure of their office.

The plea filed by retired police Sub-Inspector Mohan Singh said: "Ministers and sitting members of parliament and legislative assemblies and prime ministers who are public servants within meaning of Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, should also be treated as public servant in equal manner as other public servants of government."

It added: "It should be presumed that they will only work for the nation and not for any political party during the tenure of his/her office."

--IANS

gt/ask/vt
Queries on alliance with SP faction hypothetical: Congress

Delhi,National,Politics, Mon, 24 Oct 2016 IANS

New Delhi, Oct 24 (IANS) The Congress party on Monday said it will not reply to "hypothetical questions" on whether it will ally with the Samajwadi Party or its breakaway faction ahead of the upcoming Uttar Pradesh assembly elections.

Earlier, the Congress had said that it would not ally with any party before the elections.

"Has the party split? The party hasn't broken, so why should we discuss this issue? Had the spilt happened and then you had asked me the question, I would have replied," Congress Spokesperson R.P.N. Singh said replying to a question during a media briefing.

"I can't answer hypothetical questions at this moment. What has been simmering for the last three four years in the Samajwadi party is imploding now," he added.

Asked about Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi's statement earlier that described Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav a "good guy", Singh said: "Some might be a great guy personally, but may not be a great politician.

"He (Rahul Gandhi) does not mean that if he is good guy, he will be good in everything. He never said he is a good Chief Minister. He could not fulfil the expectations of the people of Uttar Pradesh," he added.

However, within the party circles of the Congress, there are voices who support allying with Akhilesh, if at all the split within the Samajwadi Party happens.

Uttar Pradesh's ruling Samajwadi Party was in turmoil on Monday as party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav publicly pulled up his son and Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav at a meeting, which ended on a fiery note, with sacked minister Shivpal Yadav calling Akhilesh a "liar".

The Shivpal and Akhilesh factions within the once united party came to blows ahead of the meeting called by Mulayam Singh, who made it clear that he would never let go either his brother Shivpal Yadav or long-time aide Amar Singh, who the Chief Minister intensely dislikes.

On Sunday, the Samajwadi Party appeared headed for a split as Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav ousted uncle Shivpal Yadav and three others from the government, while the party brass sacked his backer and MP Ram Gopal Yadav from the party in an intensifying dynastic power struggle ahead of next year's election.

--IANS

sid/nir/dg
$206-mn settlement for Embraer, company admits faulty transactions

India,National,Business/Economy,Defence/Security, Mon, 24 Oct 2016 IANS

New Delhi, Oct 25 (IANS) Brazilian aerospace conglomerate Embraer on Monday announced reaching a settlement with the US and Brazilian authorities in the ongoing corruption investigation against it.

The terms of settlement include payment of $206 million to the authorities, and an external and independent monitorship for up to three years, to ensure full compliance with the settlement terms, according to a statement from Embraer.

An internal inquiry done by Embraer determined that the company is "responsible for misdeeds in four transactions between 2007 and 2011 in Saudi Arabia, India, Mozambique and the Dominican Republic", it said.

The transactions involved the sale of 16 aircraft, it added.

"The company has also agreed to payments in an aggregate amount of close to $206 million to the U.S. and Brazilian authorities. The settlement further provides that as long as the terms of the agreements are fully honoured, no charges will be brought against the company," the statement said.

It added that the inquiry began in 2010 when Embraer was questioned by American authorities regarding potential non-conformities related to certain commercial transactions abroad.

"The company then undertook a wide internal investigation, led independently by external law firms.

"From the beginning, Embraer took the matter seriously and fully cooperated with the investigation. As events unfolded, the company voluntarily expanded its scope and shared the results with the appropriate authorities," the company said.

It added that as part of its commitment to disclose material information to investors, the company has reported the progress of the investigations to the financial markets and to the regulatory agencies in Brazil and the United States.

"The company recently concluded its internal investigation after six years of intensive effort. Hundreds of thousands of documents were analysed and more than 100 interviews with employees and third parties were conducted," it said.

The statement added that the company "acknowledges responsibility for the conduct of its employees and agents according to the facts ascertained in the investigation. Embraer deeply regrets this conduct.

"The company has learned from this experience and will be stronger as it moves forward and continues its nearly 50 years of successful existence in which it has delivered more than 8,000 aircraft in over 90 countries."

The Brazilian Federal Prosecution Service has been conducting its own investigations in parallel and is filing lawsuits against certain individuals. Embraer said it is not party to these lawsuits.

In India, CBI is probing the deal for Embraer aircarft.

In 2008, Embraer sold three EMB 145 AEW&C (Airborne Early Warning & Control) aircraft to the government of India. The deal was worth $208 million.

The Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO) had also sought explanation from Embraer over alleged kickback payment in a deal for aircraft, injured during the UPA regime.

The issue was brought to the fore after a report in a Brazilian newspaper that said investigations have been opened by the government of the United States to establish whether Embraer paid bribes in order to obtain contracts abroad.

According to the report, the company has been under investigation by the United States Justice Department since 2010 when a contract with the Dominican Republic raised the Americans' suspicions. Since then, the investigation has widened to examine business dealings with eight more countries, including India and Saudi Arabia.

--IANS

ao/nir
Arnold Schwarzenegger wanted to be president

United States,Cinema/Showbiz,Hollywood, Mon, 24 Oct 2016 IANS

Los Angeles, Oct 25 (IANS) Actor Arnold Schwarzenegger wishes he could have run for the US presidency.

The "Terminator" actor, who was governor of California for eight years until 2011, is unable to contest for the position because he was born in Austria, but he thinks it would have been the right time to campaign for the Republican candidacy if he had been able to, reports femalefirst.co.uk.

"If I'd been born in America, I would've run. Because now? This was a very good time to get in the race," Schwarzenegger told Adweek magazine.

But the 69-year-old star says he doesn't love politics.

"I didn't love politics, but I love policy."

Talking about his physique, the former Mr. Universe credits his bodybuilding days for teaching him how to be memorable.

"I realised early on in bodybuilding that you have to be able to sell yourself, your ideas, your position to the public. You have to set yourself apart, whether it's policy or movies. How do you make them remember you?" Schwarzenegger said.

--IANS

ks/sas
Militants attack police training centre in Balochistan

Pakistan,Politics,Terrorism, Mon, 24 Oct 2016 IANS

Quetta, Oct 25 (IANS) Six terrorists stormed a police training centre in Pakistan's province Balochistan, prompting an operation by the military, media reports said.

At least two policemen were killed in the attack, while at least 51 have been injured and were treated at Civil Hospital. Three were said to be in critical condition.

At least three of the attackers have also been killed.

The attack started at 9.30 p.m. on Monday as the attackers reportedly entered the complex through the front gate after shooting the guard, while others climbed the rear wall of the training centre.

About five or six militants entered the hostel of the police training centre, which houses nearly 200 cadets and opened fire on recruits.

The attackers are currently inside the building where an intermittent exchange of fire is ongoing with the security forces.

Three loud explosions, which occurred inside the college, were also heard.

Police and army personnel have surrounded the vicinity in large numbers as the operation is continuing inside the premises.

An emergency has been declared at hospitals around the provincial capital.

"I am myself monitoring the situation. Our forces have entered into the centre and soon these terrorists will be eliminated," Geo Tv quoted Balochistan Chief Minister Sanaullah Zehri as saying.

The training college is situated on Sariab Road, which is one of the most sensitive areas of Quetta. Militants have been targeting security forces in the area for almost a decade.

The training college has come under attack in the past in 2008 and 2006, with attackers firing rockets into the college playground.

In August, a suicide bombing at a Quetta hospital killed 73 persons. The attack was later claimed by the Islamic State group and the Jamaat-ul-Ahrar.

--IANS

vgu/
Modi to initiate Varanasi-Allahabad track doubling process

Uttar Pradesh,National,Politics,Business/Economy, Mon, 24 Oct 2016 IANS

Varanasi, Oct 24 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi will lay the foundation stone of Rs 751 crore project for doubling the railway track from Varanasi, officials said.

"Prime Minister will lay the foundation stone for the doubling railway tracks on the 120 kilometers Allahabad-Varanasi route via Madhav Singh," Chief Public Relation Officer (North Eastern Railway) Sanjay Yadav told IANS.

This will be Modi's eighth visit to his Lok Sabha constituency since becoming the Prime Minister.

According to senior officials, the project was sanctioned in the 2016 railways budget.

"It would take around two years to complete the doubling of the tracks on the route," Yadav said.

The railways will also construct seven big and 115 small bridges on the route.

--IANS

aks/ss/vm
Mulayam should become UP Chief Minister, urges Shivpal

Uttar Pradesh,National,Politics, Mon, 24 Oct 2016 IANS

Lucknow, Oct 24 (IANS) Samajwadi Party leader Shivpal Singh Yadav on Monday demanded that party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav take over as Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, in another twist to the warring within the state's ruling Samajwadi Party family.

"He (Mulayam Singh) should take over as the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh," Shivpal Singh said while addressing party workers here, a day after he was sacked as minister by his nephew, Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav.

He also refuted the claims of Akhilesh Yadav who had denied that he will form a new party. "Akhilesh Yadav had told me that he will form another party. He said it, he said it to me," Shivpal Yadav said.

Slamming Akhilesh Yadav, Shivpal said, "Don't I have any contribution in this government? Netaji (Mulayam Singh) appreciated my work. The department under me performed well."

"But what happened... I was sacked? When I was made state president, did I work any less than Akhilesh?" he asked.

He also hailed party supremo Mulayam Singh and said that he had become an alternate to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. "Netaji you had become an alternate to Modi. Who let you down?" he asked.

Shivpal Singh also warned the party leaders of action and said, "Indiscipline will not be tolerated in this party. This party has reached such heights only because of Netaji," he said.

--IANS

md-aks/rn/vm
Shivpal attacks Akhilesh, defends Amar Singh

Uttar Pradesh,National,Politics, Mon, 24 Oct 2016 IANS

Lucknow, Oct 24 (IANS) Samajwadi Party leader Shivpal Singh Yadav on Monday launched a scathing attack on Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav and accused him of trying to form a new party or enter into an alliance with another party.

In a fiery speech, the former state PWD Minister and Uttar Pradesh president of the SP attacked Akhilesh for not giving him due recognition and appreciation for the work done by him as minister.

In his biggest attack on his nephew, Shivpal said officials refused to listen to him at the behest of the Chief Minister. "Even opponents are appreciating my work and the help offered to every one," he said while listing his initial struggle and hard work for the party in its formative years.

"We have been beaten by police, have been to jail, pedalled cycles for hundreds of km to bring the party to this situation," he said.

Questioning the Chief Minister's statement that he was not forming another party, Shivpal Singh said the Chief Minister had in fact told him in a close door meeting that he will form another party. Shivpal even went on to say that he was ready to swear by the holy Gangajal on this issue.

The senior SP leader also strongly defended Amar Singh and said that in 2003, the SP government in Uttar Pradesh was because of the efforts of the Thakur leader.

When some leaders started shouting anti-Amar Singh slogans, Shivpal scolded them and said that "You are not even an inch of what Amar Singh is". "Tum Amar Singh ke pair ki dhool ke baraabar bhi nahin hoh," he said.

The former minister also said that time had come for SP supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav to take over the state government and lead the party in the forthcoming state assembly elections.

--IANS

md/rn
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Telecommunications service provider Globe Telecom (News - Alert) offers mobile- and fixed-line service and broadband connections to millions of consumers and businesses in the Philippines. It has, in recent years, added service for mobile payment processing and has partnered with prominent communications software developers to bring the best customer service to its clients.





Its latest partnerships have landed and seek to improve the 4G mobile speeds Globe offers throughout the Philippines. It has now inked a five-year deal with Huawei, Nokia (News - Alert), and Wuhan to make that possible. Although the official brief did not mention the exact scope of this partnership, coverage at Wazzup Pilipinas speculates that the $750 million deal could allow Globe to expand to as many as 4,600 sites across the country. The depth of this partnership should be enough to impact areas of the country that only receive 3G mobile while also increasing LTE (News - Alert) coverage and the reach of company-sponsored Wi-Fi.

The total budget to upgrade those facilities this year, it was reported, is expected to reach $1 billion. Furthermore, previous company reports have noted that its mobile Internet expansion should receive $300 million this year. A separate October statement confirmed that Globe plans to spend $2 billion over the next five years as it attempts to reach 20,000 villages with fiber.

The underlying tone of this signing is, of course, positive. That mood received a boost from it having the occasion of being completed before Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte, who was on visit to China this past week.

The expansion of mobile and fiber throughout the Philippines should do as much to help business as it can to help consumers. Globes 2014 launch of its mobile payment processing hardware, called Globe Charge, intended to boost the efficacy of small and medium-size businesses. TMC (News - Alert) reported at the time that it worked in a manner similar to Square, with a card reader that could read credit and debit cards. At launch, it connected to Google (News - Alert) Wallet, was available for Android, and had plans for an iOS version.

Globe has also begun using the NICE customer satisfaction software, Total Voice of the Customer. The NICE product reaches into seven of Globes physical locations, including contact centers and retail stores. It allows customer service agents to interact with inbound callers and make their own outbound calls. Further, it also allows patrons to complete self-service actions.

All the above intends to make it easier for existing customers to make the most of their connections  mobile or fixed  and for those patrons and potential customers to reach Globe agents without hassle. The latest signing with the aforementioned Asia Pacific telecommunications heavyweights underscores Globes commitment to that ideal. The next five years could see a significant boost in the quality and types of services businesses and individuals are able to access throughout their shared home.

Edited by Alicia Young
Never send a cop to do a man's job
Casablanca RecordsChances are you know the song "This Girl," but you probably know very little about Kungs, one of the artists behind the track. Well, you're about to get the lowdown.

Kungs is a French EDM artist whose birth name is Valentin Brunel. This year, when he remixed the 2009 song "This Girl" by the Australian funk group Cookin' on 3 Burners, it became a worldwide hit and went gold. Kungs will release his full-length debut album, Layers, on November 4. If you pre-order, you'll get "This Girl" instantly, as well as two others songs: "Don't You Know" and "I Feel So Bad."

Kungs will launch a North American tour December 8 in L.A., wrapping in Canada on December 17.

Here are the tour dates:

12/8 -- Los Angeles, CA, Sound Nightclub

12/9 -- Vancouver, BC, Celebrities

12/10 -- Montreal, QC, New City Gas

12/11 -- Camden, NJ, BB&T Pavilion

12/14 -- Boston, MA, Bijou

12/15 -- Milwaukee, WI, The Rave / Eagles Club

12/16 -- New York, NY, Webster Hall

12/17 -- Toronto, ON, Hoxton





And here's the track listing for Layers:

"Melody [feat. Luke Pritchard]

This Girl [vs. Cookin On 3 Burners]

"Dont You Know [feat. Jamie N Commons]

You Remain [feat. Ritual]

Freedom [feat. Wolfgang]

"When Youre Gone [feat. Grace Kelly]

"Wild Church

Bangalore Streets [feat. Freia]

Tripping Off [feat. Lune]

"I Feel So Bad [feat. Ephemerals]

"Crazy Enough [feat. Richard Judge]

Trust [feat. Rae Morris]

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With so much going on in the world, it feels nearly impossible to keep up with the top stories and breaking headlines. But is it really worth the trouble? Some argue that it causes unnecessary stress, while others simply dont see it as a priority. However, such an attitude prevents people f
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Algerias ruling party, the National Liberation Front (FLN), was taken by surprise Saturday as the partys Secretary Amar Sadaani announced his resignation reportedly at the demand of the partys long-standing president Abdel Aziz Bouteflika.

His resignation, according to analysts, is a clear sign of friction between a group around President Bouteflika and a group of ambitious figures who want to create turmoil in the party as ailing Bouteflika edges towards an exit out of the countrys politics.

Sadaani, at the helm of the FLN since 2013, announced his resignation during the third session of the partys central committee held in Algiers. Citing health issues as reasons for his resignation, the one who had been a close ally of Bouteflika indicated that he was stepping down for the good of the party and for that of the country.

Analysts and media argue that President Bouteflika ordered his resignation after he publicly criticized former head of the military spy service Mohamed Mediene, aka Toufik, and Abdelaziz Belkhadem, a personal advisor to Bouteflika and former hero of the liberation war against France.

Sadaani drew fire against himself when he accused the two figures of working as agents in the past.

The FLN has been stirred by internal rivalries brewing over the succession of ailing Bouteflika who has been ruling from a wheelchair since he suffered from a stroke in 2013.

Sadaanis resignation has been welcomed by party members close to President Bouteflika. For Kassa Aissi, a former communication officer of the party and close ally of Belkhadem, Sadaanis departure would mean a revival of the party for the legislative elections of 2017.

This change will enable us to revitalize the FLN and to put it on new tracks, he was quoted by the media as saying.

Abdelkrim Abada, another key member of the party, also known as one of Sadaanis staunch opponents commended President Bouteflika for enabling the change at the head of the party.
Moroccos national phosphate company OCP will build, jointly with Indian fertilizer giant Kribhco, a plant to produce fertilizers to meet Indian farmers needs, the OCP announces.

The project will require an investment of around $230M evenly provided by the two companies. The plant will be located in Krishnapatnam, Andhra Pradesh State.

It will have an output capacity of 1.2 million tons of greenfield NPK fertilizer.

OCP has always been, and remains fully committed to contribute to Indias agricultural development. We believe large scale local investments designed to respond to farmers specific needs is the key ingredient to successful agricultural ecosystem development, OCPs CEO, Mostafa Terrab said in a statement.

Farmers of the country shall benefit with continued supply of various NPK grade products based on best quality phosphate in the world, said Kribhco Chairman, Dr. Chandra Pal Singh.

The agreement according to officials of both companies falls in the spirit of Indian Prime Ministers call for Make in India campaign highlighting trade and cooperation between the two countries.

Fertilizer is one of 25 core sectors identified as domains of investment by the Indian government.

OCP and Kribhco also hope to expand the project towards development of logistical infrastructure in the region.

The OCP-Kribhco venture will yield additional cooperation between the two companies. Kribhco is also envisaging investing in construction of a phosphoric acid plant in Morocco.

Expansion of trade and economic ties between the two countries has been underlined by leaders of both nations. King Mohammed VI, attending last year the India-Africa Forum in New Delhi, had called for upgrading Moroccan-Indian commercial and trade cooperation and for spurring South-South cooperation at large.

Indian Vice-Prime Minister Mohammad Hamid Ansari, on his part, called during a visit to Morocco last May, for a strategic partnership between the two countries.
Princess Lalla Salma, spouse of King Mohammed VI, received in the Portuguese city of Estoril the Tribute Award of the third Bal de la Riviera in recognition of her initiatives to fight and prevent cancer.

The distinction was handed to Princess Lalla Salma in her quality as Chairwoman of the Lalla Salma Foundation for Cancer Prevention and Treatment, by Prince Charles-Philippe of Orleans during a gala evening at the Bal de la Riviera.

The Princess, who chaired the proceedings of the Bal de la Riviera, expressed her satisfaction at the prize and highlighted the initiatives led by the Lalla Salma Foundation for Cancer Prevention and Treatment as well as the special attention the foundation receives from King Mohammed VI.

On the same occasion, the Secretary General of the Lalla Salma Foundation for Cancer Prevention and Treatment, Rachid Bekkali, was handed the Solidarity Award of the Bal de la Riviera, an international event that celebrates solidarity initiatives across the globe.

Lalla Salma arrived on Friday in Lisbon where she was received by Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa at the Belem Palace.

On the sidelines of her participation in Third Bal de la Riviera, she visited the Portuguese Oncology Institute of Lisbon.

The Princess also attended, on Saturday, a conference on the challenges of fighting cancer in the 21st century, held at the Paula Rego Museum in Cascais.
Leading Tanzanian news outlet, dailynews.co.tz, stressed that Moroccos return to the African union will be conducive to the continents economic development and security cooperation.

Morocco, one of the founders of the Organization of African Unity, the predecessor of the current African Union, has much to offer the continental body in terms of economic cooperation, security collaboration and a vision of self-sufficiency for Africa that will see the continent emerge as the next engine of global growth, said the news outlet.

The article, published as King Mohammed VI started Sunday a visit to Dar es-Salam, lauds the Kingdom for reaching out to eastern Africa and calls on the AU member states to shed the baggage of the past and welcome Morocco with open hands.

In this regards, the article highlights that Eastern African countries, notably Ethiopia and Tanzania should take this opportunity to scale up relations with the return of Morocco to the AU.

Dailynews points out to the strategic importance of the Kings landmark visit to Dar es-Salaam, stressing that Morocco, together with Tanzania, have the potential to make Africa resonate.

The visit has been described by Tanzanian foreign minister as a prelude to a new era in the friendly relations between Rabat and Dar es-Salaam.

Tanzania, with an average economic growth rate of between five to seven percent over the past decade, is looking forward to attract investments by Moroccan companies particularly those operating in housing, infrastructure, tourism and agriculture as well as industry and services.

The Kings three-day visit to Tanzania will be wrapped up by the signing of some 20 key cooperation agreements that will pave the way for strengthened economic cooperation between the two countries, in line with the Kings forward looking vision that places co-development and solidarity at the heart of Moroccos Africa foreign policy.
Migrants queue up at a reception point outside the Jungle migrant camp before boarding buses to refugee centers around France on October 24, 2016, in Calais, France. Photo: Jack Taylor/Getty Images

French officials are clearing the Jungle of its thousands of migrants and preparing to destroy the huge, dilapidated camp in Calais, in northern France, for good.

Migrants walk past graffiti by street artist Banksy representing Apple founder Steve Jobs as a migrant during the full evacuation of the Calais Jungle camp, in Calais, northern France, on October 24, 2016. Photo: Denis Charlet/AFP/Getty Images

The operation began Monday and will continue for the next two days, as police and other officials load people onto buses and disperse its residents to other parts of France, where migrants will be housed in temporary shelters. Estimates put the number of migrants and refugees in the Calais camp at 7,000, including nearly 1,000 unaccompanied minors. Many of the occupants are from troubled regions of eastern Africa  Sudan, Eritrea, Ethiopia  and places like Afghanistan.

The last goodbyes.Ethiopian migrants, some in tears, worried that they will be deported."We'll be killed if we return". one tells me #Calais pic.twitter.com/OFqcNEtdzC  Gavin Lee (@GavinLeeBBC) October 24, 2016

French officials are putting up 7,500 beds in a total of 450 centers across the country, reports the BBC. Arrivals can then apply for asylum and wait for approval. Those who do not qualify will be sent back to their home countries.

A refugee packs his clothes into a bag. Photo: Michael Debets/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images

And once emptied of its occupants, the Jungle will be razed. Officials will begin tearing down tents and destroying ramshackle shelters Tuesday.

Some of #Calais 'Main Street' shacks are slowly being demolished and set alight. pic.twitter.com/sPNHS5yL0o  Gavin Lee (@GavinLeeBBC) October 24, 2016

Hundreds have already been loaded onto buses and left the camp Monday  about 1,600 so far, reports The Guardian. Officials anticipate some will refuse to leave or try to return, though officials have said they will arrest anyone who resists. There were reports of some residents clashing with police overnight and as the buses were arriving.

First Calais coach leaving. pic.twitter.com/eAUe94wTLR  Simon Jones (@SimonJonesNews) October 24, 2016

The Jungle sprang up, and ballooned, in Calais because of its proximity to the entrance to the Chunnel, the English Channel route that connects France to the United Kingdom. The United Kingdom was, and remains, the prized destination for migrants. Calais was the stopping ground that became permanent as people waited for the chance to smuggle themselves across the tunnel, sometimes paying a fee to hide in cargo trucks, or sneaking aboard, or underneath, those vehicles.

Refugees clash with anti-riot policemen on a day before clearing of the refugee camp, known as Jungle in the French northern port city of Calais on October 23, 2016. Photo: Claire Thomas/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images

A 35-year-old pharmacist from Sudan, named Yusuf, told The Guardian that he had come to Calais to try to get to Britain: But that dream died here, he said. That bridge is closed. Like others, he has been forced to abandon the camp.

People are continuing to leave the jungle. pic.twitter.com/EVad1nqZuW  Simon Jones (@SimonJonesNews) October 24, 2016

As mentioned, officials have put the number of kids and teens who are alone in the camp at close to 1,000. As Calais clears out, Great Britain is supposed to accept many of these kids under the Dubs Amendment. The rule, passed this summer, calls for Britain to accept unaccompanied migrant children in France, Italy, and Greece. Most of those relocated so far have had relatives in Great Britain, reports The Guardian, but aid groups said more than 50 girls, mostly from Eritrea, without family ties are to be brought to Britain from Calais.

Waiting for one of the 60 buses to leave Calais today @itvnews pic.twitter.com/xINO4Z3nJB  Ellie Swinton (@EllieSwintonITV) October 24, 2016

French officials have torn down parts of the Jungle in the past. This coordinated effort is an attempt to sweep away the camp permanently.
Hillary Clinton and Democratic Senate candidate Katie McGinty. Photo: Melina Mara/The Washington Post/Getty Images

Two weeks before Election Day, Republican outside groups are leaving Donald Trump for dead: One of the partys most powerful super-pacs, the Congressional Leadership Fund, is launching a series of ads decrying congressional Democrats as rubber stamps for President Hillary, while the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the Senate Leadership Fund are already airing commercials that implore voters to check Clintons power by electing GOP senators.

But Democrats are doing everything they can to tie down-ballot Republicans to Trumps moribund campaign. After months of assuring GOP voters that their party was better than its standard-bearer, Clinton spent the weekend assailing Republican senators who put party before country by supporting the campaign of a birtherism-spreading, immigrant-bashing, pussy-grabbing, Gold Starfamilyattacking ignoramus for president of the United States.

Pat Toomey heard Donald attack a grieving Gold Star family who lost their son in the Iraq War. He heard Donald call Mexican immigrants rapists. He heard him say terrible things about women. He heard him spread the lie that our first black president wasnt really born in America, Clinton said, while stumping for Senator Toomeys Democratic challenger, Katie McGinty. Now, how much more does Pat Toomey need to hear? If he doesnt have the courage to stand up to Donald Trump after all this, then can you be sure hell stand up for you when it counts?

Clinton adapted that message for a North Carolina audience on Sunday, contrasting the moral courage of Democratic Senate candidate Deborah Ross with the craven cowardice of incumbent Republican  and loyal Trump endorser  Richard Burr.

Unlike her opponent, Deborah has never been afraid to stand up to Donald Trump, Clinton said. She knows that people of courage and principles need to come together to reject this dangerous and divisive agenda.

Meanwhile, President Obama is making a more expansive case against GOP cowardice, refusing to spare even those Republican lawmakers who have officially un-endorsed Trump. Speaking in Nevada, Obama refused to be impressed by GOP Senate candidate Joe Hecks recent disavowal of the partys nominee.

I understand Joe Heck now wishes he never said those things about Donald Trump, Obama said, referring to Hecks earlier endorsement of the mogul. But theyre on tape, theyre on the record, and now that Trumps poll numbers are cratering, he said, Im not supporting him? Too late! You dont get credit for that.

But Obamas argument was broader than Heck, implicating the entire Republican Party  because when his presidency was shadowed by hateful conspiracy theories, the president alleged, Donald Trump wasnt acting alone.

They just stood by and said nothing, and their base actually began to believe this crazy stuff, Obama said. Donald Trump didnt start this. He just did what he always does, which is slap his name on it, take credit for it, and promote it.

As he tries to make Trumps unfavorables contagious within the Republican tent, Obama is also working to infect down-ballot Democrats with a bit of his 57 percent approval rating. On Monday, he rolled out 30 endorsements of Democratic House candidates, all centered on the message Democrats will put people first and make real progress for our country, while Republicans will continue to put party over country by supporting Donald Trump as their standard-bearer, Politico reports.

With 15 days before our long national nightmare is over, the central argument of the 2016 campaign is whether voters should elect Republicans to check Clintons power  or punish them to rebuke Trump.

Ultimately, though, this debate has less to do with persuasion than it does with mobilization, as each party strives to give its base a reason to turn out for an election without a competitive presidential race.

For the moment, Democrats seem to have more interest in ratifying Clintons victory than Republicans do in controlling the damage wrought by Trumps loss. An ABC News poll released over the weekend found the pool of likely Republican voters shrinking, leaving Trump 12 points behind the Democratic nominee.
Michelle Obama has been a veritable force on the campaign trail. Photo: Ralph Freso/Getty Images

This Thursday, First Lady Michelle Obama will appear with Hillary Clinton at a campaign event in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, according to a statement from Clinton campaign spokesperson Brian Fallon on Sunday.

The event will be the first time the two first ladies have appeared together on the campaign trail and comes at a time when an increasingly confident Clinton  with less than three weeks to go until the election  is making a final push for battleground states.

Michelle Obama has emerged as a political force this election season with her speeches and appearances garnering widespread praise. Her presence could be especially vital in North Carolina. The state voted for Obama in 2008, but went for Mitt Romney in 2012, mostly thanks to a lower turnout of African-American voters. The thinking is that Michelle Obama could be instrumental in getting those voters to the polls.

I think she has emerged as our not so secret weapon out on the trail. She has exceeded our expectations in terms of how many events she has been able to do and been willing to do, Fallon said. Her team keeps surprising us with additional availability and we cant, from our vantage point, get her out there enough  She has been an absolute rock star.
He has a lot to smile about. Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

With less than three weeks before the election, President Obama is making an unprecedented push on behalf of down-ticket Democrats. The president has endorsed more than 150 candidates at the state and local level in 20 states, including a North Carolina Supreme Court candidate.

Each endorsement comes with photo-ops, robo-calls, radio ads featuring the president, and social-media posts from the White House. The first batch of endorsements  in 13 Florida races  came out on Friday but the White House has made it clear that that is only the beginning of a much broader campaign.

Republicans have made considerable gains at the state level during Obamas presidency, and now as the president tries to shore up his legacy  and with anti-Trump sentiment increasingly putting local and state-level elections in play  Obama is looking to undo some of the GOPs recent progress.

The move represents a massive change for Obama, who before this year had not endorsed even a single candidate for state legislatures. According to The Wall Street Journal, in 2008 Obama feared that endorsing too many candidates would dilute his brand and diminish his outsider appeal.

Now, Obama is even traveling the country in support of down-ballot candidates. On Sunday, he was in Nevada, speaking in support of Catherine Cortez Masto, the Democratic former attorney general who is fighting for Harry Reids Senate seat.

The endorsements are also the first stage in what Obama hopes to make the focus of his post-presidential era: state-redistricting reform.
Photo: Aamir Qureshi/AFP/Getty Images

Imdad Ali is a 50-year-old Pakistani man who was convicted of the 2002 murder of a religious scholar. He was diagnosed with schizophrenia in 2012, which under Pakistani law would normally render him ineligible for the death penalty.

Last week, though, the Pakistani Supreme Court found a creative justification for going ahead and hanging him anyway, the Independent reports:

In 2012, the 50-year-old was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia and psychosis that doctors said impaired Mr Alis rational thinking and decision-making capabilities, and was declared clinically insane in a medical report the following year.



But he lost his final appeal last year and has since had his execution stayed by a last-minute appeal lodged by his wife at the Supreme Court.



On Thursday, judges ruled that the execution can go ahead, after finding that Mr Alis schizophrenia is not a permanent condition and varies according to the level of stress.

Ali could now be executed as early as this week, and naturally the Supreme Courts decision has caused an uproar. It is terrifying to think that a mentally ill man like Imdad Ali could now hang because judges are pretending that schizophrenia is not a serious condition, Maya Foa, the director of the human rights group Reprieve, told the Independent.

It would be a mistake to attribute this to some barbaric tendency unique to the Pakistani justice system, though. In the U.S., the courts have held that it is unconstitutional to execute convicts who dont meet a certain threshold of mental competence, but the justice system often doesnt let that get in the way of carrying out executions of seriously disturbed people.

The Death Penalty Information Center has a long, depressing list of executions which took place in the U.S. despite serious concerns about the mental health of the condemned. To take just a few such examples (emphasis in the originals):

Cecil Clayton was executed on March 17, 2015, in Missouri. He was 74, suffered from dementia, had an IQ of 71, was missing a significant part of his brain due to an accident. His attorneys insisted he should be spared because he did not understand the punishment to be carried out. Clayton sustained a brain injury in a sawmill accident in 1972, requiring removal of about 20% of his frontal lobe, which is involved in impulse control, problem solving, and social behavior. After the accident, Clayton began experiencing violent impulses, schizophrenia, and extreme paranoia, which became so severe that he checked himself into a mental hospital out of fear he could not control his temper. In 1983, Dr. Douglas Stevens, a psychiatrist, examined Clayton and concluded, There is presently no way that this man could be expected to function in the world of work. Were he pushed to do so he would become a danger both to himself and to others. He has had both suicidal and homicidal impulses, so far controlled, though under pressure they would be expected to exacerbate. In the past decade, six psychiatric evaluations have found that Clayton should be exempt from execution because he does not understand that he will be executed, or the reasons for his execution. However, since his execution date was set, he did not have a competency hearing before a judge that could spare him from execution.







Garry Allen was executed in Oklahoma on November 6, 2012. This was the third date set for him this year. Allens execution has been stayed repeatedly due to questions about his mental competence. He had been diagnosed with schizophrenia as well as dementia caused by seizures, drug abuse, and a gunshot wound to his head sustained during his arrest. In 2008, the Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board recommended that his death sentence be commuted by a 4-1 vote. Governor Mary Fallin granted a stay in order to consider the Boards recommendation, but denied clemency. Allen murdered his wife 26 years ago, after she had left him and taken their two children.







Charles Singleton was executed on January 6, 2004 in Arkansas. Singleton stopped taking medication in 1997 and became psychotic, believing that his victim was still alive and that his jail cell was inhabited by demons. He was then forcibly medicated, prompting a series of appeals that culminated with an 8th Circuit Court ruling that he could be forced to take drugs that made him sane enough to be executed.







James Willie Brown was executed in Georgia on November 4, 2003. Mr. Browns schizophrenia cause him to experience hallucinations and believe that voices of God and demons directed his actions. He was admitted to Central State Hospital several times, beginning in 1968. After being arrested in 1975 for the murder of Brenda Watson, Brown was diagnosed as paranoid schizophrenic, and was treated for 5 years before being ruled competent to stand trial.

Humans have a deep, primal need to punish wrongdoers, and this need can override our more recently evolved senses of justice and mercy.
Photo: Getty Images

Taking Care of Business: A week devoted to taking our professional lives up a notch.

So you have an idea. Biodegradable hair ties! A bar slash magazine! Soylent, but for dogs! The next step, it turns out, is googling how to write a business plan while debating whether youll be CEO/founder or founder/CEO. In lieu of reading 18 about.com articles and those unhelpful Forbes Quotes of the Day, weve asked real women (experts and business owners) to talk you through the process.

You might want to read this before ordering 500 business cards.

Step 1: Maybe Dont?

Kathryn Finney wrote her first business plan in fourth grade. With my friendship-bracelet business, I actually wrote out how many spools of thread Id need, who would sell the bracelets, and how my older (cooler) brother would act as the celeb spokesperson, she said. In addition to about five other extremely impressive things, Finney is the founder and managing director of digitalundivided, a social enterprise that empowers and supports black and Latina women entrepreneurs. Her day job involves developing diverse women-led start-ups. Because of this, Finney has read many a business plan.

Her advice? You probably dont need one. I usually advise people to focus on a pitch deck and a one-to-two-page executive summary, she said. Investors want to see real traction, not data thats already irrelevant. She cited the lean start-up method of build, measure, learn as more useful than endlessly projecting by way of a bulky business plan.

Step 2: Okay, But Maybe Do

Erica Cerulo and Claire Mazur, co-founders of Of a Kind, spent forever on their 23-page business plan, then never looked at it again. Investors, it turned out, were as uninterested in reading it as Cerulo and Mazur were in writing it. But their idea  that something like the slow-food movement would also hit fashion  was spot-on.

Six years later, after introducing the world to 350 independent American designers and being acquired by Bed Bath & Beyond, friends often turn to the pair for business advice. Surprisingly, Cerulo and Mazur still recommend starting with a business plan. No one wants to read your business plan, Mazur says, but going through the process of writing it helped us get on the same page and also come up with answers to any questions potential investors would throw at us.

While starting a business with your best friend sounds like the ultimate dream, it could be a disaster, and thats why a business plan can help. Writing a business plan is also a nice way to see how you work together and if you have the same goals for the company before going all-in, Cerulo says.

Step 3: Keep It Short and Simple

Having a great business idea wont make it any easier to use words like synergy and gamification without sounding like an extra in The Social Network. But thats actually fine. Your business plan should be simple; remember, business jargon does not a business plan make.

It doesnt have to be perfect, Cerulo said. It just has to exist. That means you dont need ten pages on your target customer or some extremely lame graphs just for the sake of having graphs. As Finney explained, When you start a business, you want to know what the problem is, who youre solving it for, and whether theyre going to pay for that solution.

Step 4: Have a Come to Jesus Moment

Paco Nicole de Leon worked in wealth management then spent six months writing business plans at a marijuana consulting firm before starting the Hell Yeah Group, which provides financial education and business advice for creative freelancers. She thinks business plans are kinda stupid and not always necessary, but a great exercise if you want to go into business and youve never done it before.

Its the financial projections that de Leon finds most useful. When people do that they often have a very hard come to Jesus moment. You may have a million-dollar idea, but to see on paper that youll spend the first four years of operations eating ramen every night is hard. A lot of people, she suggested, really want to wear hoodies, but arent inclined to the entrepreneurial lifestyle. As youre writing a business plan, ask yourself, Am I really a disrupter or do I just want to be able to introduce myself as a founder?

Step 5: Lay It Out

Start with the executive summary, which is a breakdown of your business. Conventional wisdom is that if you cant explain your business idea in a sentence, you dont have one yet. The iPod launched as a thousand songs in your pocket, Facebook offers a way to keep track of your high school nemesis. Next, the company description explains what you do, whom you do it for, and why youre different.

Then move on to the market analysis, where you give the lay of the land, explain what your competitors are doing wrong, and elaborate on what niche your company or product will fill. For organization and structure, offer a rundown of how your company will operate. Is it you in your basement printing T-shirts with photos of celebrities eating or will you need a minimum of six employees and a storefront?

Next, get into service and/or product. What are you selling or offering? Who is going to pay for it, and how much? Will your customer need a new one every three weeks (toothbrush, sense of purpose) or does it have a much longer lifespan (mattress, sneakers with replaceable soles)? After you sort that out, move on to marketing and sales, where you answer how everyone who is not related to you will find out about your winning product. Financial projections and funding requests are where things can get a little depressing.

Step 6: Dont Spread It Around Wildly

Vana Koutsomitis is the co-founder of dating app DatePlay (and also the runner-up on last seasons The Apprentice UK). She lost to a plumber, but went on to break her start-up fundraising goal in less than three days. Consider the business plan an internal document that outlines the companys initial vision and plan, Koutsomitis said. Things always shift when you actually start the business, so avoid circulating your business plan extensively because it can pigeonhole you.

If your business plan is floating around with projections of a million sales in the first six months and you dont even hit half that, youll scare off future investors. You want to be able to shape the reception of your business as much as possible; widely disseminated preliminary documents can make that hard.

Step 7: Come Up With Your Origin Story

Once youve got the business plan taken care of, youll probably move on to creating a perfect investors deck. Soon youll start talking to other people about your business! That means pretending you came up with your idea in the vicinity of absolutely no paper but plenty of napkins.

Some origin stories are true (like J.Los iconic Grammy Awards dress inspiring the creation of Google image search), others are absolutely not (like eBays founder suggesting he created the site so his fiance could grow her Pez-dispenser collection), but every company needs one. Good starting points include the garage (like Google and Apple), but dont worry if you dont have car storage. The back of a taxi has a nice ring to it; so does being stuck somewhere on a rainy day.
Noah Tepperberg and Melissa Wood. Photo: Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for Gabrielles Ang

Reading the New York Times Vows column with an open heart and the intention of making fun of the featured wedding is one of Americas favorite pastimes, but the once-reliable dispensary of glee has been slipping lately. Its been three years since the May-December couple obsessed with wolves, over a year since the wacky YouTube star who called his bride Babyfist. But perhaps the weddings desk overheard us calling Vogue weddings the best thing to happen to marriage, because they stepped up their game this weekend with the nuptials of Noah Tepperberg and Melissa Wood.



The story of Tepperberg, 41, and Wood, 33, is one that features the unlikeliest of couples: a nightclub owner and a model. They met when she worked as a cocktail waitress at Marquee for a year before becoming a model full-time (Tepperberg owns Marquee, Lavo, and Tao, which are, incidentally, the names of my three children).

Their romance began, as all great romances do, on a vacation with 25 friends to Ibiza. Once they were Stateside, it continued with a date to Ben Afflecks The Town, a movie about Boston, the Ibiza of America.

The central tension between them was that Wood liked to do yoga and eat apples, while Tepperberg preferred to eat many meats and drink alcohol. But that wasnt the extent of their differences. For instance, when they moved in together, Wood found their preference in decor to be wildly incompatible, explaining, Noah has modern tastes, where Im modern to shabby chic.



But they have breached this wide chasm, both in love and in the kitchen:

Ill make brown rice pasta and add nutritional yeast instead of cheese, although hell try to sneak in cheese after, she said. Ill chop up kale and mushrooms and zucchini, so that the pasta has a balance, and he loves it actually. Its kind of what you do with a baby.



Wood and her baby husband married at the Plaza Hotel on October 9, at a ceremony attended by the Big Three: Pauly Shore, Adrien Brody, and Paris Hilton.



Congratulations to the couple on overcoming their differences, and many years of happiness to them both.
Once while sailing on a yacht with Katharine Hepburn, the late photographer Slim Aarons spotted a man in the water gasping for air, as if he were about to drown. When they brought him aboard, the man surprised them  he whipped out his own camera and began snapping photos of Hepburn. She threatened to smash it over his head. The paparazzi stunt was the perfect opposite to Aarons  he was never an outsider among Hollywood starlets and socialites, but a close, trusted friend. He photographed women like Diana Vreeland, Audrey Hepburn, Jacqueline Kennedy, and Marilyn Monroe.

Aarons captured high-society women and their lavish lifestyles throughout his career, traveling to places like Las Vegas, Bermuda, and Acapulco, where theyd lounge poolside at resorts. He went to their extravagant Palm Beach homes, Spanish villas, and photographed one woman in a Czechoslovakian castle.

The book Slim Aarons: Women, out this month from Abrams and written by Laura Hawk (who worked with the photographer for nearly a decade), features 200 color and black-and-white photographs by Aarons, some of which are published for the very first time. Click ahead to see Inge Morath, Anne Bindon, and Lady Daphne Cameron, among others.
Photo: Kris Craig/AP

Throughout history, humanity has spent countless hours tackling the philosophical questions that shake us to our core and force us to examine the very nature of our existence. For instance: Does god exist? What is love? And, of course, should you wear leggings as pants or nah?



The latter is perhaps the most contentious, as proven most recently by an ill-advised letter to the editor penned by a Mr. Alan Sorrentino that was printed in the Barrington Times last Wednesday. Sorrentino pleads with women over the age of 20 to refrain from wearing yoga pants, writing:



Like the mini-skirt, yoga pants can be adorable on children and young women who have the benefit of natures blessing of youth. However, on mature, adult women there is something bizarre and disturbing about the appearance they make in public. Maybe its the unforgiving perspective they provide, inappropriate for general consumption, TMI, or the spector [sic] of someone coping poorly with their weight or advancing age that makes yoga pants so weird in public.



He also astutely noted, Yoga pants belong in the yoga studio. Whats next? Wearing a Speedo to the supermarket? Imagine if men did that. Yuck!



Unsurprisingly, Sorrentinos overt body-shaming and ageism hit a nerve with many women who just want to wear their dang comfy pants in peace  he told the Associated Press that hes been receiving death threats since the letter was printed. And on Sunday afternoon, around 400 people marched through Barrington and past Sorrentinos house, most of them women in yoga pants, to protest his letter. (Per the Barrington Times, also in attendance were a group of young boys  chanting Yoga pants are cool.) In addition to the march, the organizers collected personal hygiene items to donate to a local domestic violence organization.



With these most recent events, we can finally declare this debate over once and for all and agree on one central truth: Pants are whatever you want them to be.
My baby is all grown up and celebrating 100 episodes. :')



Best Sherlock and best Watson tbh.

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100 already, I can't believe it!



and yikes - I missed the premiere and need to find it so I can watch the other two eps on my DVR now LOL

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Heads up, all three episodes that have aired so far had different start times so it might be easier to watch them online?

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Yeah, my DVR didn't record half the first ep because the prior show ran over a half hour and I just deleted it without watching.

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I didn't think it would make it to 100 tbh. I love Lucy as Watson but I don't care for Jonny's Sherlock that much.

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I gave up on this show like 2 episodes into last season. Was really only watch for Sherlock and Watson's relationship, could care less about the mystery of the week. Idk I got bored.

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This is me too. I really loved their relationship and Jonny Lee Miller might be one of my favorite Holmeses, but I just can't keep up on shows that default to mystery/crime of he week.

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The only other person who I know watches Madam Secretary is Hillary Clinton lol. I know nothing about MS except that their Chinese foreign minister was a guest star on Elementary last week.

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I watch Madam Secretary. I wonder if it's one of Beth's enemies... Also, need more pandas.

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a lot of people trash her as an actress because she is very understated at times, but I think it really works playing off JLM's flamboyant monologues.

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i love madam secretary! i had a really hard time getting into the season opener, need to try again. i'm such a big bebe neuwirth fan, i saw her in 'fosse' about 17yr ago

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JLM, you dork, how dare you make me feel these emotions.



Lucy, I can't stop crying. We did it kids.



Ophelia, come back as soon as you're done sharing the stage with Dominic Cooper.



That cake looks good but IMLTHO there's too much fondant, not enough cake.





I thought for sure Dave Rose would be the kidnapper/killer this week but then the Spring Awakening guy showed up looking kinda shady. I wasn't expecting Joan's mafia fetish and Sherlock's violin fetish together in the same episode. Virginia Madsen is everywhere these days, RIP American Gothic.

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Joan's mafia fetish is great lol I love it so much

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Yas.



Love this show!

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Learn more about LiveJournal Ratings in Hello! Your entry got to top-25 of the most popular entries in LiveJournal!Learn more about LiveJournal Ratings in FAQ

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Bring Vinnie Jones back (no body, no confirmed death) and I'm back on board.



But congrats, tbh. I fell off the bandwagon long ago, but I'm happy this show made it so far.

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Hooray! I only have five seasons and two episodes to catch up on.

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I was cringing at the reappearance of Paige (as someone with MS, I hated how they treated it in her first episode) but it was all cute so I enjoyed it. Good thing because I am getting an MRI tomorrow and those make me super claustrophobic so I didn't need more stress.

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Never had an MRI but "Good scan result will soon be yours" I hope.

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Ha, haha! Good for them.

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I probably will wait binge watch around thanksgiving or Christmas. Is it on a little more consistently with the move to Sunday's? With the old Thursday schedule it would be on so randomly that I would just wait until most of the episodes had aired to watch it.

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For now, yes, we'll get a new episode every week for the next five weeks or so.

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I'm so happy that they made it to 100. Me and my mom still hate the time. :( They are killing our show.

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I wish more artists would campaign for the candidates that they support. They have such a platform and so many rarely actually utilize it because of potentially isolating some of their fan base.

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A lot of them are afraid of the backlash...and ignorant. There are a lot of ignorant ones.

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I think it stems from J2 being from Texas. A lot of their fans just assume because of that.

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I see shit like that all the time on instagram with every actress I follow whenever they mention something political. A lot of them seem to be younger moms though.

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to be fair, people will hate on misha for literally anything in this fandom. :( bros not halos or whatever. so fucking dumb.

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mte. where's Taylor at?

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I can see why they don't tbh. especially the women.

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i wouldn't campaign for someone i merely regarded as the lesser evil either.

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Some people just don't want to deal with being publicly bullied. Trump supporters get extremely vicious and gross. If you check the twitter of someone who's vocal, the responses they get is truly disgusting and horribly personal.



Edited at 2016-10-24 08:09 pm (UTC)

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bcuz the general public is batshit crazy so when you throw in politics all hell breaks loose

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she was in VA, the deadline was extended because the machines went down on the last day

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"I just went back home recently and I saw one Hillary poster in this sea of terrifying (Donald) Trump posters," Cyrus told the first group of male students. She explained that she now lives in Los Angeles and the sight was a "wake-up call."





2 real. i went to vote today and the pathway to the parking lot had probably 40+ trump signs leading up to it, like a guide to the fucking hellmouth

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Same, the presidential campaigns don't waste a lot of resources in states that are solidly red/blue

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i havent seen many hillary signs. dont remember seeing many obama signs back in 08/12 either. then again i live in jersey so its pointless. people put up way more local signs instead.

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same. i've seen maybe one or two hillary signs but mostly it's local ppl. i haven't seen one trump sign, but i live in a pretty liberal city.

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same. i live in a super conservative area. i've seen a couple hil signs which shocks me. few to no trump signs so far. none in businesses or on lawns here in town. i'm sure people have them, i just haven't seen a one, I think. but when I was in california, liberal land as those on ONTD who know nothing of it like to think of it as, I saw them all the fucking time. I was in the bay area and then down to LA and they were everywhere. farmers putting up billboards on their land, for Trump.



but none here. it's strange to me.

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Living in a swing-ish state, we not only have lots of signs, but lots of defaced signs as well. Several Hillary signs near me have a "Felons For" sticker pasted across the top; meanwhile, the giant Trump sign down the road was up for about a day before getting tagged with a giant FUCK YOU across the front.

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yikes. i've only seen a handful of trump signs here in norcal. think i've seen more gary johnson signs tbh.



mostly killary and a couple of stein.

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same here! lol i recently went to a family get together and some of them were showing me photos of their "blue lives matter" / trump lawn... i was so embarrassed for them!



this is in tx



Edited at 2016-10-24 07:44 pm (UTC)

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i've seen a lot of trump signs in my town, but a lot more bernie bumper stickers lol.

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I thankfully don't see too many Trump signs outside. I live in Chicago though so we're as blue as it gets. I see Hillary and Bernie stickers on cars everywhere. It gives me hope lol

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Yea this is exactly like where I am, I've seen Trump signs for months and it wasn't until last week that I saw a couple Hillary ones, and I'm in NJ.

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That gif is seriously mesmerizing

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i'm glad it's not just me, everytime i see it i have to watch it like 10 times. i can't pinpoint what it is about it though.

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I'm hearing her say it in my head almost like a cheerleading routine

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you can never say she lacks charisma, that's for sure.

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what is the context of the gif? is she saying it's strategically a mess or is she saying its it's a planned hot mess?

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i stare at it so much.

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I saw this somewhere else and was thinking that only celebs would be allowed into college dorms to go around banging on doors, like wtf

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I'm pretty sure that the students were given a heads up that they would be there, at least.

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Miley can shut up nicely.

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lmaooooooo can you imagine opening your dorm door and theres miley, looking like that, asking you to vote for someone.



lots of good news early voting wise has been coming out for clinton today. like the 99% increase from 2012 in the latino vote in florida. also dems are up in arizona by 1000 when they were down 20000 in '12.

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girl you know where your trash family is born and bred, nothing new because trump is running.

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I'd like the tag to say "Madam President"

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i've seen way more Bernie signs than Hillary signs. i haven't seen any Trump signs around here, but i've definitely seen plenty of them outside of the city.

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everyone has trump in their yards but i have seen quite a few bernie bumper stickers here. i imagine a lot of clinton supporters usually don't wanna admit to being clinton supporters lol.

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I remember during our elections the Liberal MP who was running came into our dorm and was knocking on our door at like 8am on a Saturday to make small talk with us, so annoying. I get it, but annoying. She should've hired celebrities lmao.

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I love your icon so much

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cackling at that sloth poster tho.

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I went to the library the other day (here in DK) and one of the books on display was about Trump. I discreetly turned it around so his revolting face was facing the wall.



Petty, but there are no support signs to deface around here.

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This is a good idea

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There's a passenger of mine who is a Trump fan. He also wears a t-shirt making fun of Eric Garner. He posted his real estate business cards so I took them all down and threw them out. Fuck that guy.

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some poor author got paid to write make shit up about him and is now regretting it

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I mean, you're just making it so some page has to go and turn it around again

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TOMA NO CU CAPETA!

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Wow 

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"How long have you been 17 8?"

"...A while."

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LMAO

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LOL.



Also, cute dog, doesn't deserve that owner e__e

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lmao

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Lmao this reminds me of someone I know. Their dog is anywhere between 6 and 20 years old depending on the day

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maybe he doesn't understand how dog years work

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stay on topic, sis!!!!

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Lmao

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Going on the list of one of life's mysteries.

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lol

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I think we just found the number above which Ryan cannot count.

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LMAOOO I just noticed two of the tweets say the same thing.

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take your medicene ryan



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This bitch...

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I need him to get kicked off DWTS already.

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godddddd I know his appearance is the redeeming tour~ but fuck if it doesn't drive me up the wall how they choose to exploit that every time they can and paint him as the victim



oh it was the worst time in my life boohoo

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I know. A few weeks back he was talking about "all the things that have happened these last couple of months" like he had no control over them. Fuck him! He made bad and racist choices and the last few months are just the consequences of those choices.

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IKR. He tries to reduce what happened as something minor EVERY SINGLE TIME and I swear someone used the 'boys will be boys' narrative when the show first started. Then tonight with him getting picked last for the team dances and him being all 'woe is me' and playing the victim. Everyone knows why he got picked last.



He needs to go.

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He's been on the bottom a couple of times IIRC. Every week I am hoping he's gone

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lol @ that photo used

looks very sean cody

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He probably forgave himself Marky-Mark.

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So it's the brasilian police fault the fact that he lied to the media and he wanted to press charges?? lmao, yikes, why gringos are like that??



And also, lol gringo, is Brasil, youdon'thavepowerhere.gif .

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gringo

Reporting you for use of a slur

Reporting you for use of a slur

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lmao, I'm going to use a spoiler tag the next time ):

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lmao

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lol. this white guy got so pissed at me a few weeks ago for saying gringo. called me an ugly racist bitch. lmao

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dsadsadadasd

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i mean it's not a terrible argument, considering he didn't ~file a report~ initially, but when the police approached him he did file a report as part of the investigation. so the reason the police got involved is irrelevant, what's relevant is that lochte lied to them.

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Liar, liar, speedo on fire made me LOL.

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white privilege + gringoithis is quite the dangerous combo

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the TRUE hero of this ep tbh!!!!

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yassssss Carl wasn't here for Negan's shit

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ia tbh. carl knew it had to get done, meanwhile reek grimes is snot bubbling all over the place!!! smh

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reek grimes lmao bye

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lol mte about Reek

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lmao my mom is a HUGE twd fan and i just told her about "reek grimes" and she laughed so loud into the phone that it actually hurt my ear

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reek lmaooo

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LMAO

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YES! CARL MY SON!



i am loving how people are finally seeing how amazing carl is and turning on daryl :D

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he's sooooooo big now i barely even watch this show and i feel protective of this kid lol

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This was by far the most nerve-racking/emotional moment for me.

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Coral has become a king tbh. Also he's like 60 years old now.

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I was praying for him to be killed.

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lol I didn't notice during the episode but look at how clean and full-bodied that hair is, werq

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HE HAS TO INTERACT WITH NEGAN MORE



Just that short scene was amazing, he was having none of Negan's bullshit

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I can't believe how bouncy and full his hair got.

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<3 <3 prince <3 <3

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boy is dead inside

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He's such a great actor. I love how charmed the cast is by him. RISE CORAL!

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this boy gets shit done

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I love Carl. Only one of the few non annoying kids in tv

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out of context this is just weird.

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this part caught me off guard and made me emotional. i love carl.

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omg i felt sick during this scene. I thought he was gonna do it for real. my mom was sobbing during this part lol

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So glad you got the first comment with this! King Carl ftw - I am holding out hope that he might actually get some storyline this season.

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Carl was back talking Negan like the angsty teen he is

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GO CORAL

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If Coral isn't the last person standing I will be livid.

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Rick should have used his axe to cut Carl's ridiculous hair.

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I love Carl, he's such a lil badass

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YES!!! i told you <3

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It amazes me how far Carl has grown on me. He really shows that although kid characters are annoying given time they will grow out of it. For the most part.

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Yesss Carl.

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I love Carl's character growth. He was great in this. I also hope the reason he couldn't make Talking Dead was because he has school in the morning cause that would just be adorable.

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i'm gonna miss them both tbh

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same

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m2, i loved them both. maybe not equally, but i think i liked abe more than most viewers. and i was so excited to see his relationship with sasha blossom. i feel robbed of both their storylines.

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I didn't think I was gonna miss abe that much until he was gone. His in memoriam of all his great one liners made me realize I was gonna miss that.



I'll miss glenn more though. he was bae.

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idc much about the ginger menace but steven yeun is a national treasure and i hope he gets a shit ton of work. personally i'd like 2 see him as the lead in a rom com

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ill be his leading lady

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ia i want him to be in more things. i'm so pressed he got killed off even though i knew it would probably be him (character from season 1, a lot of people's fav, has a kid on the way, has slipped through other near-death experiences unscathed so many times, that was how he died in the comics, etc). asian characters are still way too rare on big shows :'(

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he needs to be in a comedy STAT.

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cause this should be in every walking dead post from now on

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Prince <3

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omg Andys face

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lmao



Also it's true. YOUR TIME IS UP, DARYL.

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this might be the turning point for next season where they kill off daryl

i really doubt it though

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76% believe he's not his fault and his cheers lasted longer than some of the cast members got to speak



unfortunately, he will be the last one standing

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lol jdm was so right tho

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tell em JDM

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I died when Michael lit his cigar

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omgggg lmfao <3



also they all look so dashing in the rain with their little umbrellas omg

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I keep seeing this mentioned, but haven't watched. What did Daryl do to cause it?

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TRUUUUUU tho.

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negan knows whats UP.

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THIS TRUTH I FUCKING HATE DARYL DIXON I WILL LAUGH AT HIS SUFFERAGE.

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andy is so cute lmaooo

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Part of me is like, hell yeah it's his fault! The other part knows it was in defense of Rosita since Negan was torturing her and it pisses me off in every other show when the criminal/villain is all 'you [doing/not doing what I want] caused his/her death! It's not my fault, it's yours.' If we don't accept that bullshit line of reasoning elsewhere, why here?

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lol his face was so qt when this happened

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lmaooooo oop!

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do you have a link to this?

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lol

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Can be used for Asian whitewashing as well~ DING DING DING

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i'm so glad jdm said that truth. daryl stans are the worst.

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i haven't been so shocked with a show since rachel gave up paris for ross

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Aaaand I'm straight.

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Omg I just laughed so loud.

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Lmaoooo

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DONE

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that tongue came out of no where!

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LMAO i love these two

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hot

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Why is it never the cute guys that do this.

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I mean...no thanks but A+ for effort y'all.

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I appreciate the effort, lads, but it's a no from me.

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Edited at 2016-10-24 10:38 pm (UTC)

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yeeeeeeeeah, no thanks

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sexsi

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lord, lighten up folks. no one is asking you to be turned on

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i'm so into it

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LOLLLLLLLL WTF

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I would so have sex with Michael!

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damn @ Josh kissing everyone. Get it, binch.

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go choke daryl #bittercomicfan . idk why i continue to watch this show. i hope steven goes on to bigger and better things.

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i just saw the death. i'm devastated.

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there's also a sweet video of filming the dinner scene but i cant find it anywhere else other than tumblr.

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It's the forth video.

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welllllllllll arent i the idiot



the tumblr video only had the minute long piece, I didn't realize it was part of a longer video

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Steven better get plenty of starring roles tbh

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Llore anoche como loca, ni cuando me rimpieron el corazon no jodas.

Tenia dolor de pecho y todo.

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Lo siento mucho <3



Apenas si veo este show, y no queria que fuera el, por alguna razon me siento protectora hacia el (Y Michonne)

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Me queria morir del llanto con lo de Abe y Sasha sufriendo y despues lo de Glenn. Yo me tape la cara y la meti dentro de la ropa porque no podia parar de llorar.



No me gusta mostrar mis emociones en la vida real y apenas me han visto llorar la gente lol! Y por poco infarto anoche.



Michonne es una diosa y Carol.

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still annoyed they wasted our time with the whole dumpster shit

good job amc

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ikr, if it weren't for that disaster I might kind of be more ok with this

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ikr. he shoulda died at that dumpster



well or not even pull that shit

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lmao right, like why the fuck would they even bring him back after that just to kill him off again immediately?? I really don't mind that he got his comic book death- I'm just mad about everything leading up to it.

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Right? That was such a bizarre storyline decision to me, it honestly made his actual death less 'iconic' than it should have been. But at the same time, I think we needed the fake-out, because can you imagine if we had maaaaaybe assumed too intently that they wouldn't have Glenn get the bat like he did in the comics? I would be WRECKED, because it was traumatic AF.

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Such a flop, so pointless, reeked of desperation, etc.

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EXACTLY



that was the dumbest shit this show ever did. they tried so hard to compensate for the fact that everyone knew Glenn's death was coming (bc of the comics), they clearly felt like they had to throw people off by any means necessary, and the story suffered majorly because of that

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aww these videos are so sad. i watched the ep again today with no distractions (no livetweeting and whatnot) and i think i feel worse now. like their deaths still made me cry even though i knew what was gonna happen both times i watched :'( glenn had the saddest and most gruesome death ever for the show

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what about noah

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i think glenn tops his

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Lori is the worst for me

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Thank you. Noah's was way worse.

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yeah i bet the writers are jerking off to their cyclical plan of glenn being the only audience to the most gruesome death (noah) and then glenn's own becoming the worse death that the group ever saw (sry abe RIP but u got ur nut quote).

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that popped-out eyeball ruined any chance for me to feel sad about it. instead i just resented the show for the drawn-out awfulness of the ep and the fact that they were trying to go for the shock-factor.

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I'm still upset over Glenn. It was brutal. He was my favorite and they've always done him wrong. I hope Steven is super successful now that he's off the show. I can't wait to see him in more things :)

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mte what really sucks is the show never did him justice in terms of storylines

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Exactly. He was always sidelined for less significant characters which sucks because Steven is a strong actor. Also, did we ever get a backstory for him? I mean, we know he used to deliver pizzas but didn't he have sisters or something?

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yeah i had a hard time being sad about his death because for the last few seasons glenn has been such a non-entity

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goddamn he's handsome

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IA, he's super hot and I hate myself.

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I love his dimples. I know a lot of people have said he needs to gain all the weight back that he lost for that Texas Rising miniseries last year, but I actually think he looks great at this weight. It thinned his face out and made him more handsome, imo. Plus, he no longer looks just like Javier Bardem.

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fuck yeah he is.



ugh @ myself.

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Fears of a possible default by Venezuelas cash-strapped oil company PDVSA have mounted in recent weeks, but can now rest easy, after Venezuela managed to get credit holders to agree to a swap of $2.8 billion of the $5.325 billion in bonds it was looking to extend.

The swap comes after the state-run giant had extended the offer to bondholders three times, in an effort to swap the US$5.325 billion worth of notes due in 2017 for new notes maturing in 2020. The offer was accepted by some creditors this time around because it agreed to sell off lucrative Citgo Petroleum CorpPDVSAs U.S. unit.

While the $2.8 billion falls short of the $5.325 billion goal, it does give the company just enough cash to maybe extend its life through 2017, although swaps traders are pricing in a 51 percent probability that the company will still default sometime in the next 12 months, according to Bloomberg.

A potential PDVSA default would not only further hurt the companyand Venezuelas devastated economy; it would also affect PDVSAs foreign customers, including the United States.

The U.S. refineries on the Gulf Coast would be one of the first to be affected, because creditors would try to claim payments made in the U.S., analysts reckoned prior to the bond swaps approval.

According to figures by the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), the U.S. Gulf Coast imported 278.3 million barrels of crude oil from Venezuela last year. Venezuela was the top foreign crude oil supplier to the Gulf Coast refineries, a Bloomberg table compiled from EIA data showed.

If PDVSA were to default, it would likely keep its domestic refinery assets, but creditors would likely claim payments in the U.S. and oil shipped outside Venezuela, analysts told Bloomberg.

If PDVSA defaults, there could be a disruption of oil supply to the U.S. as creditors may try to seize payments made in the U.S., Lucas Aristizabal, a senior director at Fitch Ratings, said in a phone interview with Bloomberg.

In addition, Mara Roberts, a New York-based analyst at BMI Research, told Bloomberg in an e-mail:

Oil tankers could also potentially be at risk, with those carrying Venezuelan crude likely to face attachment claims upon arrival. This could discourage take up of PDVSAs shipments. Related: Oil Prices Fall As Iraq Goes Rogue, Refuses To Scale Back Production

Shortly after the company first announced the tender offer, Standard & Poors had downgraded the Venezuelan companys credit rating and said that the bond swap, if carried out, would be tantamount to default.

Fitch Ratings also added to the gloomy expectations, saying that its CCC rating on Venezuelas state-held company suggests a real possibility of default.

As if a looming default and low oil prices were not enough to undermine PDVSA, last week a report by a Venezuelan commission said that US$11 billion went missing from the company when its was led by Rafael Ramirez between 2004 and 2014. The head of the comptroller commission and a member of one of the opposition parties, Freddy Guevara, described the report in a tweet as the major corruption case in Venezuelas history.

However, the Socialist regime may bury this allegation as another mudslinging campaign.

Still, some facts about the companys dire cash position are indisputable. Low crude prices in the past two years have crippled PDVSAs cash flows and continue to weaken its ability to repay existing debt.

So PDVSA, as well as Venezuela, desperately needs oil prices to increase in a sustainable and substantial way, soon. With crude prices now barely holding on to above US$50, Venezuela - holder of the worlds largest crude oil proved reserves - is pushing for an OPEC deal to limit production and prop up prices. Related: Oil Prices Slammed As Dollar Suddenly Breaks Out

However, it will not be Venezuela that will tip the scales in favor of a deal. It will have to accept what major OPEC producers - Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Iran  serve up for discussion at the November 30 meeting in Vienna. As of October 24, a deal looks further away as Iraq now says it wants to be exempted from cuts.

PDVSA is still staring $6.1 billion of principal payments in the face, due by the end of 2017. Should a default occur, the U.S. Gulf Coast refineries may have to increase foreign oil imports from Mexico, Canada, and, even Saudi Arabia, if refineries are suited to process their grades.



By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
Ugandas ministry of energy has invited for talks a dubious company registered in a tax haven to discuss the construction of a US$4-billion, 30,000-bpd crude oil refinery in the country, Ugandas The Independent reports, citing correspondence between the government and the company.

The company mentioned in the correspondence, Burj Petroleum, does not exist as such, but two entities contain Burj Petroleum in their names, The Independents investigation has revealed. One of the companies, Burj Petroleum International Corporation, is registered on the British Virgin Islands and has offices in Dubai and London. The other, Burj Petroleum Africa Ltd, is said to have its directors based in Dubai, London and Nigeria, according to Ugandan news outlet.

As of September 30, as many as 18 companies had expressed interest in the project, according to a list by the ministry of energy that The Independent claims it has seen.

According to the list and to the email exchange with the government, a company named Burj Petroleum is bidding in a joint venture with China Huarong Asset Management (HK) Co Limited for the construction of the refinery.

Dozith Abeinomugisha, who is in charge of the refinery project, provided comments to The Independent in a phone interview:

We are still looking at who is interested. The reason you havent seen any official list is because it isnt ready. When it gets ready, we shall communicate.

Back in early 2014, Uganda signed a deal with London-based Tullow Oil, Frances Total SA (NYSE:TOT) and Chinas Cnooc Ltd (NYSE:CEO) for refinery and pipeline plans. Ugandas oil reserves were discovered in 2006 and are estimated at 3.5 billion barrels of crude. However, the first call clause for the refinery on oil produced at licensed areas would actually mean that output cannot begin without the refinery being built first.

In July of this year, Ugandas central bank warned that oil production delays could spell a debt distress for the local economy.

By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
For the 10th straight year, October is Dining Month on OnMilwaukee, presented by the restaurants of Potawatomi Hotel & Casino. All month, we're stuffed with restaurant reviews, dining guides, delectable features, chef profiles and unique articles on everything food, as well as voting for your "Best of Dining 2016."

When it comes to dishing out the city's best Southern comfort food, why not pick the place that once had it in its name.

Indeed, Maxie's has gotten mighty comfortable at the top of this poll category, winning every year since 2010. This year is no different, as Maxie's, with its delicious mix of barbecue, seafood and other Southern favorites, claimed its title yet again  and handily, snatching up almost twice as many votes as the next Cajun/Crole competitor, Crawdaddy's, which just opened back up earlier this year.

Barbecue joints Smoke Shack and Ashley's came in third and fourth, respectively, while Brass Alley on Old World Third Street finished out the top five this year.

The biggest takeaway from this year's category, however? Wisconsin may be as north as you can get, but there's no shortage of crave-worthy Southern comfort to be found.

Runners up:

2. Crawdaddy's

3. Smoke Shack

4. Ashley's

5. Brass Alley

Lori Fredrich's pick: Maxie's

Maxies gets my vote this year for a number of reasons. Not only have they continued to introduce Milwaukeeans to Southern fare that runs the gamut from barbecue to Cajun, Creole and low-country cuisine. But they also get big points for their commitment to the community, which includes unwavering support for local farms as well as community non-profits.

This year we also asked a variety of prominent Milwaukeeans to weigh in on their pick for specific categories. For this category, we consulted municipal court judge  and local foodie  Derek Mosley.

Mosley's pick: Daddy's Soul Food & Grille

I'm a big fan of Daddy's Soul Food. From the moment you walk in the door, you are greeted like family. This hospitality brings me back to Sunday dinners at home as a kid.

Fried chicken, baked chicken, smothered chicken, pork chops, catfish and ribs are some of the meat options that change daily. Each meat option comes with either two or three sides (your choice). The sides include arguably the best mac 'n' cheese in the city, greens, candied yams, black eyed peas, and rice and gravy. No soul food meal would be complete without some moist cornbread, and Daddy's doesn't disappoint.

There are also dessert options as well, like peach cobbler, which change daily as well. Bring your appetite.
In the last century we have witnessed how Russian agents have assassinated individuals throughout the world, even their own, from Trotsky to the latest. In recent cases, rebel commanders in Eastern Ukraine are "committing suicide" in numbers.

Having served their purpose in the barbaric invasion of Eastern Ukraine the various agents and warlords are now being disposed of in a tidying up of any incriminating evidence, including the notorious "Motorola" (Arsen Pavlov), the Russian soldier accused of war crime atrocities and executing at least "...15 Ukrainian prisoners", by his own count.

An improvised explosive device had been set off in an elevator, killing "Motorola" and his bodyguard. Another recent favorite of the Kremlin's "assassination bureau" is poison of various kinds. (I wonder who decides?) For Alexander Litvinenko it was radioactive poison.



Here's a thought: The recent attempt at poisoning Adu Bakr Al-Baghdadi, leader of ISIS, could that have been Putin's and Russia's most recent assassination target?





However, this may not be beyond the realm of possibility. There may be a reason why Putin might be anxious to get rid of Adu Bakr Al-Baghdadi. He may no longer be of any use to Putin... and perhaps he knows too much to stay alive?



My first question would be: from where did this man, Adu Bakr Al-Baghdadi, obtain such training to lead such a conquering army?





In a recent article by Judith Miller she writes that, "American Enterprise Institute's director of Russian studies, recently noted that Russia has contributed more fighters to ISIS than any other European nation... With an estimated 300-500 ISIS recruiters the Russian capital, Moscow has become a key hub and way station to Syria for foreign fighters." (Fox News)

Putin seems to show no fear of ISIS and "radical Islam", could there be a hidden agenda. As for the reason why Putin would "manufacture" such a strategy, why not?

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Too often, since Lincoln's Gettysburg address extended our Declaration of Independence, healing a nation with the unity of emancipation, and conservative arrogance denied progressive scientific invention to save President James Garfield -- greatness and Exceptionalism are roads not taken by Republican leadership -- and, arguably, Teddy Roosevelt's protecting the environment, while his Square Deal busted the vampires of corporate Trusts, was the last time Republicans put American progress first.

America's greatness is inconsistent victories, mingled with defeats. Throughout our national journey we've been spirited by the guidance of nasty women, bad hombres and sometimes being just plain lucky.

So, in 2016, shall we gather at the trough of bigots, braggarts and bullies and vote to profit the unseen puppeteers of the under-informed, choosing rupture while claiming rapture?

Will we succumb to the rigged performance of a GOP ego-inflated puppet, into a house-divided middle class? Deny the Food Desert less fortunate, nutrition? Trade in our souls after reneging on our stewardship of earth and all life upon it? Or simply group our way forward to prove we've still got it?

People who ignore flashing red school-bus lights, cheat on their taxes, use K Street bagmen to rent politicians or dupe the gullible with phony higher-education institutions -- generally enable a society none of us deserve.

Honestly, hasn't America's better half been forced repeatedly to endure a corporate ladder replete with the mind-set of a mythical locker-room?

Aren't Native Americans and many people of color still expected to bear the brunt of rigid conservatism propagated on both Wall and Main Streets -- with Fracking, voter-ID laws and inadequate schools perpetuating an inequitable future?

Perhaps on Tuesday, November 8, 2016, most of us will find the crumbs left behind for our return to civility and unity -- for as a people, most Americans remain Good Samaritans.

But what about the residents at The Villages who, in 2012, cheered Paul Ryan-- with his mother a prop at his side -- when he assured them their Social Security and Medicare would be spared, at the expense of future generations. Presumably, filled with the Me First survival instincts of a J. Bruce Ismay, The Villages' residents overlooked -- the next generations are their children and grandchildren.

After 2000 infighting between U.S. and Florida Supreme Courts, wouldn't it be imprudent in an age of: Citizens United financial stimulus, Senate refusal to confirm Merrick Garland, successful Russian hacks aided and abetted by Assange's WikiLeaks and perhaps a naive loose lips sink ships Edward Snowden -- with devices of every screen size paused over huge swaths of the United States, and pleas from a presidential nominee for international intervention in our electoral process -- to further delay admitting the real possibility of a trumped rig, bankrupting democratic thought, in our American republic?

Arguably, our greatest obstacle to greatness in 2016, is our failure to accept that Donald Trump didn't come out of thin air. He's simply the unvarnished malignancy that has been systemic of conservative state and federal leadership since Richard Nixon, trickle-down economics, the Tea Party and Dick Cheney's "so."

We live in an age of gigantic mergers, diminishing glaciers, shifting weather extremes and increasingly powerful computer technology that can snatch paperless ballots out of the heavens and toss them into the hell of low voter turnout, hyped media bias and the stuff of Koch heads misinformation snuff.

So, if we are to maintain the best that is in us, we may need to re-evaluate the fear, anger, hate and yes, ignorance that has tampered with and tempered our tempo -- though not yet terminating it, with violence, malice-aforethought and the lies we tell ourselves.

(Article changed on October 24, 2016 at 14:20)


(Image by Egberto Willies) Details DMCA



Jake Tapper did not let up on Trump's campaign manager Kellyanne Conway. She continued to spin as she does all of the times when confronted with her own words calling Trump a whiner. Tapper did not allow her to make Trump's 'rigged election' claim to get any traction for his viewers as he did his journalistic duty.

Here is the exchange.

Jake Tapper: Let's talk about this idea that everything is rigged. Yesterday, Mr. Trump once again arguing that the election will be rigged. It's a charge that he makes, with no real evidence to suggest it, that many Republican secretaries of state and others are very upset that he's making. Now, back in April, when you were working against Donald Trump when you were supporting Ted Cruz and advising his super PAC, you had some tough words for Mr. Trump when he was lashing out -- lashing out at the time against the system being rigged. Take a listen.

Kellyanne Conway in a video clip: We hear from the Trump campaign rules -- that rules change, it's not fair, the system is rigged, the system is corrupt. You can whine and campaign all you want that you didn't know the rules.

Jake Tapper: Is this a pattern with Mr. Trump? If he starts losing, he starts lashing out and calling the system corrupt and calling it rigged?

Kellyanne Conway: No, it's not a pattern for him. I think, if you had Hillary Clinton in this chair, and you asked her every hypothetical situation possible, would she -- would she respect results of the election, what if, just hypothetically speaking, since it happened in 2000, out of six million votes cast in Florida, there was a difference of 530 or so? Would -- would Hillary Clinton accept the election result? Would Donald Trump be forced to? Or would they do what Al Gore did, which is concede the election to George W. Bush, call back, and retract the concession, and then throw it into an unprecedented five or six weeks, Jake, until the United States Supreme Court decided who the victor was in Florida and in"

Jake Tapper: But, Kellyanne, that's not -- it's not the same thing. It's not the same thing.

Kellyanne Conway: It is.

Jake Tapper: No, because there was a state-mandated because the margin of error was so small. Donald Trump is out there saying that, if he loses Pennsylvania, for example, a state that has not gone Democratic for a president since 1988, he is saying the only way he is going to lose Pennsylvania is if it's stolen. I mean, he is right now telling people that, if he loses, it's because there will be corruption. And there's no evidence of it. You can't compare that to a state- mandated recount. There's always state-mandated recounts. There is going to be one, at least -- at least one, on November 8, after November 8, because some elections come in close. He's saying the entire system is rigged. And that's not the same thing.

Kellyanne Conway: It is.

Jake Tapper: No, because there was a state-mandated because the margin of error was so small. Donald Trump is out there saying that, if he loses Pennsylvania, for example, a state that has not gone Democratic for a president since 1988, he is saying the only way he is going to lose Pennsylvania is if it's stolen. I mean, he is right now telling people that, if he loses, it's because there will be corruption. And there's no evidence of it. You can't compare that to a state- mandated recount. There's always state-mandated recounts. " He's saying the entire system is rigged. And that's not the same thing.

The video here shows a robotic Conway spinning with a straight face even when forcefully refuted.
From Gush Shalom

SHIMON PERES would have enjoyed it. A public battle about his funeral.

The Arab members of the Knesset did not attend. So what?

I did not attend, either. We never liked each other, and my attendance would have been sheer hypocrisy. I don't like hypocrisy.

The Knesset members of the Joint List decided to boycott the event. They accused Peres of having devoted most of his life to the fight against the Arabs in general and the Palestinians in particular.

(The Joint List is composed of three Arab parties, who mostly detest each other. They were compelled to join forces in Parliament by a law initiated by far-right (some would say fascist) minister Avigdor Lieberman, which raised the election threshold for entering the Knesset. Therefore it is a Joint List, not a United List.)

This decision to boycott the funeral aroused a storm of protest among the Jewish Knesset members. How dare they? Boycotting the dead Peres is like boycotting Israel! They should be evicted from the Knesset! Let all the other members of the Knesset exit the hall when they speak! (Curiously enough, nobody has yet proposed putting them in prison.)

But the really interesting part of the affair was the inter-Arab debate it unleashed. Some Arab citizens denounced the decision of the Joint List. They were immediately accused by other Arab citizens of being "Good Arabs," a derogatory term for Arabs who crave to be liked by member of the Jewish majority, rather like "Uncle Tom" for blacks in the US.

This debate is still going on. It touches the very foundations of the existence of the Arab-Palestinian minority in Israel, which numbers about 20% of the population.

ALL THIS brings me back to my early childhood.

I lived for nine and a half years in the democratic German "Weimar Republik," and another half year in Nazi Germany. We were "German Jews." Meaning: Germans in every respect, Jews only by religion.

In practice it meant that we were Germans, but a different kind of Germans, belonging but not quite belonging, belonging at the same time to some world-wide community called the "Jewish people."

I frequently recall a major event in my life: a patriotic memorial ceremony in high school, some time after the Nazis had come to power. The entire school was assembled in the Aula (assembly hall), and at the end all rose to sing the national anthem and the Nazi one. Since I was a pupil of the lowest class and younger then all the other pupils of my class, I was the smallest boy in school. I was also the only Jew.

Without thinking I rose like all the others, but did not raise my arm for the Nazi salute and did not sing, as did all the others. One little boy among hundreds of larger ones.

When it was finished, some of the bigger boys threatened me with dire consequences if I did that again. Fortunately, we left for Palestine a few days later.

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From RT

When you reach the stage of making a distinction between good terrorists and bad terrorists, not only are you defending the indefensible, you are engaged in the ugly business of sowing dragon's teeth.

Jahbat Al-Nusra, which recently changed its name to Jabhat Fatah al-Sham, is a terrorist organization dripping in the blood of men, women, and children -- people it has butchered across Syria over the past five years for the crime of praying to a different God than them, or else the same God in a different way. Such an organization, you would automatically think, has no place in this world, with its eradication a priority for all right-thinking humanity. Not so when it comes to Washington.

During a press briefing in Washington on October 20, US State Department spokesman, John Kirby, was asked by a reporter, "Is the US fighting al-Nusrah [sic] in Syria at this time?" Kirby replied, "Our efforts militarily in Syria, as I said today, is against ISIS, against Daesh."

Kirby also said, "The only thing that stands between where we are now and a permanent and enduring ceasefire in Syria is Bashar al-Assad and his supporters," Kirby said. "We recognize Al-Nusra as a spoiler, we have concerns about co-mingling, I've talked about this ad nauseam."

This is a startling admission of Washington's duplicity when it comes to combatting terrorism. Because not only is the US refusing to target Al-Nusra, it is actively refusing to share intelligence with Russia to help Russian forces target the Al-Qaeda affiliate either. Moreover, Washington has been doing its utmost to inhibit and impede the military operation that is currently being conducted against Al-Nusra in Aleppo by Russian and Syrian forces. As for those so-called moderate rebels we are constantly regaled with -- you know, the nice guys who behead people with knives and swords made out of candy floss -- there have been zero attempts to separate them from Al-Nusra in eastern Aleppo by the Americans or their regional allies, despite repeated requests from Russia for them to do so.

Considering the scale of the human suffering being endured in Aleppo -- and here it is notable that upon halting the military operation to liberate the city in order to allow more civilians safe passage out of harm's way, along with the opportunity for rebels to leave the city, Syrian and Russian personnel involved in assisting the process have come under fire -- Washington's role in prolonging the conflict has now been laid bare for all to see. For, in truth, the unprecedented anti-Russian propaganda campaign has less to do with concern over the suffering of the people of eastern Aleppo, and more to do with the fact that the military operation being conducted by Russian and Syrian forces is moving ever closer to liberating them.

Russia's foreign minister, Sergey Lavrov, said: "Both Al-Nusra Front and Ahrar ash-Sham, along with other organizations cooperating with them, are ultimately sabotaging UN efforts to restore the delivery of humanitarian assistance to eastern Aleppo, [carried out] with [Russia's] support and the support of the Syrian government." He went on to say, "[They] explicitly shell those routes through which such humanitarian aid can be delivered."

Aleppo is key to the outcome of the wider conflict, as Washington knows, and, given that its overriding objective is the overthrow of the Assad government, its strategy towards the fighting in Aleppo becomes clear.

The conflict in Syria, it bears repeating, has never been about democracy in the eyes of Washington. Instead, it is about domination, about reshaping the region according to strategic objectives that pre-date the conflict. The Assad government had long been considered a key obstacle in this regard. A classified US diplomatic cable from 2006, released by WikiLeaks, leaves no doubt of US plans to destabilize the Syrian government. From the then US ambassador to Syria, the cable reads in part, "... there are some long-standing vulnerabilities and looming issues that may provide opportunities to up the pressure on Bashar and his inner circle."

It goes on, "Actions that cause Bashar to lose balance and increase his insecurity are in our interest because his inexperience and his regime's extremely small decision-making circle make him prone to diplomatic stumbles that can weaken him domestically and regionally."

Just ponder this a moment: while Russian and Syrian forces have been engaged in a military operation to crush Al-Nusra in eastern Aleppo with the objective of liberating its people, Washington and its allies have been actively obstructing their efforts to do so; instead focusing their energy on peddling unfounded accusations that Russian and Syrian forces have been deliberately and willfully targeting civilians. It has been contemptuous to behold.

The conclusion of the analysis contained in the cable is particularly interesting. "The bottom line is that Bashar is entering the new year in a stronger position than he has been in several years, but those strengths also carry with them (or sometimes mask) vulnerabilities. If we are ready to capitalize, they will offer us opportunities to disrupt his decision-making, keep him off-balance, and make him pay a premium for his mistakes."

Al-Nusra is an offshoot of ISIS [Islamic state, formerly ISIL] in Syria. It is an organization that shares Washington's objective of overthrowing the Syrian government, led by Bashar al-Assad. However, Nusra is also committed to the eradication of Syria's Christian, Shiite, Druze, Alawite, and other minority communities. In other words, its aims and objectives are nothing short of genocidal, which is where the locus of support for those fighting to defeat this group, along with the so-called moderates fighting alongside Al-Nusra and ISIS, resides. It is why, at this point, the survival of the Assad government is indistinguishable from the survival of Syria as a secular, non-sectarian state.

It is to Washington's eternal shame that it refuses to acknowledge this fact and act accordingly.
From Reader Supported News

I'm going to continue to push for a no-fly zone and safe havens within Syria," Hillary Clinton repeated again in the third presidential debate. "Not only to help protect the Syrians and prevent the constant outflow of refugees, but to, frankly, gain some leverage on both the Syrian government and the Russians so that perhaps we can have the kind of serious negotiation necessary to bring the conflict to an end and go forward on a political track."

Clinton has pushed a no-fly zone and safe havens in Syria since the early days of her campaign in the Democratic primaries. But over the last month her remarks have revealed why these measures have little chance of ending the slaughter in Syria, whether in Aleppo or elsewhere in the hideously ravaged country.

"The situation in Syria is catastrophic," she said in the second debate. "Every day that goes by, we see the results of the regime, by Assad in partnership with the Iranians on the ground and the Russians in the air, bombarding places, in particular Aleppo, where there are hundreds of thousands of people, probably about 250,000 people still left. And there is a determined effort by the Russian Air Force to destroy Aleppo in order to eliminate the last of the Syrian rebels who are really holding out against the Assad regime."

Clinton was telling part of the truth, and masking the rest. Crushing Aleppo as it earlier crushed the Chechen rebels in Grozny, Russia and its Syrian allies were refusing to pull their punches just because the rebels were using a quarter of a million civilians in east Aleppo as human shields. But Clinton never mentioned that American and coalition air forces similarly killed thousands of human shields in conquering Fallujah and will likely kill many thousands more in their current attempt to capture Mosul.

The Saudis have been doing the same in Yemen, enabled by weapons, refueling, intelligence, and increasingly direct participation from Britain and the United States. Horrific in the extreme, the medieval-like siege of Aleppo follows the modern logic of asymmetric warfare -- the rich and powerful have air forces while the rebels generally do not, though they are beginning to use drones.

Like most mainstream American pols and pundits, Clinton also failed to mention that the rebels -- armed and supported by the US, Qatar, and the Saudis -- have fired back, killed civilians, cut off the water supply, and done extensive damage to west Aleppo, which Assad's forces now hold. Nor did she admit that as many as 900 of the rebels "holding out" in east Aleppo were militants of the former Jabhat al-Nusra, which ostensibly separated from al-Qaeda in July and rebranded itself as Jabhat Fatah al-Sham.

Nor did she explain why Washington's Saudi and Qatari allies had also funded the Islamic State (ISIS), or how her making the fight against Assad a priority over fighting ISIS ensured that the slaughter would go on and on, as the Sunni kingdoms of the Gulf continue to pursue their Washington-backed campaign to force regime change in Syria.

Wrapping herself in the holy cloth of humanitarianism, Clinton has also kept a tight lip about one of the more telling aspects of the campaign. The White Helmets, who were loudly touted for this year's Nobel Peace Prize, turn out to have a highly suspect relationship with the jihadis, as the tireless Max Blumenthal recently documented. The White Helmets also played a central role in providing the heart-rending photograph of five-year-old Omran Daqneesh and eyewitness testimony and other purported evidence that the Russians and/or Syrians bombed the UN's humanitarian aid convoy.

As most Western media have conveniently failed to report, a "former" British intelligence officer, James Le Mesurier, created and still runs the White Helmets operation, and most of the funding comes from USAID, the British Foreign Office, and a host of Western nations. Welcome to the world of humanitarian aid.

Clinton continues to play down the Saudi, Qatari, and covert parts of her plans for Syria. What she plays up is her focus on Vladimir Putin and the Russians. She does this to discredit Donald Trump as a Putin puppet, shamefully echoing America's long history of red-baiting. But even more disturbing, she is building public support for either a new Cold War with Russia, or a very hot one.

In the third and final debate, host Chris Wallace asked Clinton about her plans to impose a no-fly zone in Syria. "President Obama has refused to do that because he fears it's going to draw us closer or deeper into the conflict," Wallace reminded her. "And General Joseph Dunford, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, says you impose a no-fly zone, chances are you're going to get into a war -- his words -- with Syria and Russia."

"If you impose a no-fly zone and a Russian plane violates that," asked Wallace, "does President Clinton shoot that plane down?"

This was one of the most consequential questions of the debate, and Clinton ducked it completely, sounding more like Trump and his hopes of doing a deal with Putin. "I think we could strike a deal and make it very clear to the Russians and the Syrians that this was something that we believe was in the best interests of the people on the ground in Syria, it would help us with our fight against ISIS," she said.

Is Clinton suddenly pulling back from the war-like ways that our country's foreign policy elite and some of our military mavens, like Gen. David Petraeus, now favor? Or, as seems far more likely, is she simply side-stepping any discussion of a likely military conflict with a nuclear-armed Russia? Either way, the American people need to know, as do the Syrians.

Reader Supported News is the Publication of Origin for this work. Permission to republish is freely granted with credit and a link back to Reader Supported News.








Heard of the psychopath test? It's based on the Hare Psychopathy Checklist, which is what psychologists use to determine whether someone clinically qualifies as a psychopath. If someone fails the test it doesn't mean they're going to be (or are) a murderer. Nor does it mean they can't function in our society. It means they have a specific set of traits that--let's be honest--help them get ahead in a society that often rewards those who profit at the expense of others.

You've probably heard of antisocial personality disorder. A person who fails the psychopath test may very well qualify for one of the many types of this personality disorders . Think about what you've seen so far from the Donald Trump persona on the campaign trail. Does any of this sound familiar? Here's a list of the criteria for antisocial personality disorder:

--- Gets angry often

--- Is arrogant

--- Manipulates others

--- Acts witty and charming to get what they want

--- Lies frequently

--- Steals

--- Acts aggressively and fights often

--- Breaks the law

--- Doesn't care about others' safety

--- Doesn't show guilt or remorse for actions

Trump certainly gets angry quite a bit. Columbia Journalism Review's Trevor Timm counts at least eleven times Trump has threatened to sue the press during his campaign. He threatened to sue The New York Times over that publication's scoop on his million-dollar tax write-off. He's had members of the press banned from his rallies, he had a Vice reporter arrested, he sued Bill Maher for a joke as to whether he was born an orangutan, Rosie O'Donnell--the list goes on and on.

Trump is arrogant. During the first debate, he said taking advantage of tax loopholes makes him smart. Enough said on this one. I don't think I need to cart out more evidence. But one more: he also said that when you're famous like Trump, women let you get away with anything, including trying to sexually molest them.

Does Trump try to manipulate others? The infamous Trump University fiasco answers that question. He's being sued by students claiming he ripped them off with a for-profit college scheme. Managers from the 'University' are corroborating the students' claims.

Trump has indeed been acting witty and charming to try and get what he wants: the presidency. But this breaks down when he loses his temper and starts acting like an animal backed into a corner. The days of his wit and charm came and went with the battle against other Republicans in the primary.

As for lying frequently, you'd have to be completely oblivious, or a conspiracy theorist, to not recognize the extent of this man's lies. The Politifact Scorecard from 2015 shows a combined total of 52% of his statements were false. Only 4% of them were true. And that's just from 2015. 2016 is revealing a whole raft of lies. If I start getting into them here this would go on for too long.

Does Trump steal from people? The Trump University situation will give us clear proof. And if you Google "Trump" and "theft" you'll see a lot of results that tie him into shady dealings. But he would simply claim negative media reports are all a part of one big conspiracy.

As far as acting aggressively goes, during the second debate he did say he'll have Hillary locked up for her email scandal. He also stalked her menacingly on stage. But there aren't any reports of out-and-out fist-fights. Yet.

Has Trump broken the law? Multiple women claim he sexually assaulted them. But throughout his life, money has, for the most part, determined whether or not his actions are "lawful", as the Atlantic's cheat sheet on his many scandals shows. He did employ illegal Polish workers to build Trump Tower, and he did break New York State law regarding casino lobbying. There are more laws he's broken, but dollars mean he's not in jail.

Finally, it's clearly obvious that Trump does not show guilt or remorse for his actions. A lack of remorse has been his defining characteristic during his presidential campaign, highlighted by a series of public-relations mishaps that academics will be studying for years to come. Even when caught with his pants down for saying he out-and-out molests women, he said that's not who he is. Then who is Donald Trump? Psychologists will make a case study out of the answer to that question for years to come.
Most people have seen images of cruel "factory farming." "We confine animals in small cages and crates; mutilate them by cutting off their tails or beaks without painkillers; slaughter them when they're too sick or injured to walk; and cause them immense chronic pain and disease through unhealthy breeding practices that swell their size and unnaturally accelerate their reproduction," writes Wayne Pacelle of HSUS.

But factory farms are also the nation's biggest polluters, contaminating soil, air and water. For example, Tyson Foods alone released 104.4 million pounds of toxic pollutants into waterways between 2010 and 2014 according to a report by Environment America.

In 2003, Tyson the second worst polluter of U.S. waterways second to a polluting steel manufacturing company, pleaded guilty to violating the Clean Water Act with effluvia from its Sedalia, MO facility and agreed to pay $7.5 million. But before its probation ended, Tyson was charged by the state of Oklahoma with polluting the Illinois River watershed. Poultry polluters eject as much phosphorous into the watershed as a city of ten million people, said State Attorney General Drew Edmondson in bringing charges.

Factory farming and the mismanagement of fertilizers also have long been known to cause huge "dead zones" in the Gulf of Mexico, Chesapeake Bay and elsewhere. A 1998 EPA study found 35,000 miles of streams in 22 states and ground water in 17 states that had been polluted by factory farms. Even though six of the top 15 polluting industries in the U.S. are food producers--even paper and gasoline producers pollute less--these factory farm polluters are exempt from federal water-pollution regulation.

Factory Farms Harm Workers

It is ironic that many people who are against immigration or foreign workers would be paying ten dollars or more for their fast food hamburgers without cheap workers from other countries. The huge kosher slaughterhouse Agriprocessors in Postville, IA when raided in 2008, employed 290 Guatemalans, 93 Mexicans, two Israelis and four Ukrainians. (It also had a meth lab in the plant to keep workers motivated.) Within weeks of the raid, Agriprocessors was canvassing homeless shelters and running radio ads in Mexico to replenish its workforce. At many meat plants legal workers from places like Somali and the Palau Islands dominate, not U.S. workers.

Factory farms invariably treat these workers, who cannot protest their working conditions, as abysmally as they do animals and the environment. Still, lawmakers defend factory farms because they allegedly create "jobs." But what kind of jobs?

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 Why You Should Vote Down Metros Natural Area Levy

By John A. Charles, Jr. and Allison Coleman

In 2006, the Metro Council submitted to the voters a general obligation bond measure in the amount of $227.4 million to fund natural area acquisition. The measure was approved.

In a little-noticed appendix to Resolution No. 06-367A, the Metro Council stated that greenway lands acquired with bond funds would be land-banked with limited maintenance beyond initial site stabilization and possible habitat restoration. The Council noted that it had the financial means to carry out this promise:

Once the 2006 Natural Areas Bond Measure is approved by voters, Metro will commit existing excise taxes to this basic level of maintenance, with Metro having sufficient resources currently to manage the newly acquired properties in this manner for a period of approximately ten (10) years.

If the phrase existing excise taxes seems puzzling, theres a reason; almost no one remembers that in 2002, the Metro Council enacted a garbage tax of one dollar/ton for the specific purpose of funding operations and maintenance (O&M) of parks. That amount was raised to $2.50/ton in 2004. Between 2002 and 2015, the garbage tax brought in $46,789,044 for Metro parks.

Metro Solid Waste Excise Tax

Dedicated to natural area maintenance

Year Excise Tax Tonnage Total Revenue 2002 $1.00 1,251,823 $1,251,823 2003 $1.00 1,362,204 $1,362,204 2004 $2.50 1,563,884 $3,909,710 2005 $2.50 1,626,255 $4,065,637 2006 $2.50 1,720,168 $4,300,420 2007 $2.50 1,613,848 $4,034,620 2008 $2.50 1,524,370 $3,810,925 2009 $2.50 1,381,326 $3,453,315 2010 $2.50 1,320,992 $3,302,480 2011 $2.50 1,248,191 $3,120,477 2012 $2.50 1,297,716 $3,244,290 2013 $2.50 1,373,612 $3,434,030 2014 $2.50 1,431,132 $3,577,830 2015 $2.50 1,568,513 $3,921,282 Total Revenue $46,789,044

Given that Metro raised all this money for parks, and promised no new taxes before 2016, why did Metro place an operating levy on the ballot in 2013 for parks maintenance (which passed); and why is Metro asking for voter approval of another $80 million parks levy in the upcoming November election? Where did the $46.8 million in garbage tax money go?

The answer can be found in a bait-and-switch ordinance adopted by Metro just a few weeks after the bond measure was referred out to voters in March 2006. The Council amended Metro Code Section 7.01.023 to retain the $2.50/ton excise tax, but undedicate its use so that revenues would be swept into the Metro General Fund.

Since 2006, regional taxpayers have paid more than $32 million in garbage taxes that should have gone to parks O&M, but instead went to other purposes.

Instead of owning up to this chicanery and restoring the garbage tax as a dedicated revenue source, Metro officials continue to make the case for a new property tax. In a 2011 publication, Metro claimed, the existing financial model is not sustainable. Metros portfolio of land continues to grow, while the general fund resources needed to support it are decreasing.

In a more recent document, Metro asserted, In Metros general fund, which pays for many primary programs and support services, costs continue to rise faster than revenues.

Both of these claims are false. In 2011 Metro was already taking in more than $3 million annually in garbage tax revenue for parks. By the end of 2015 it was nearly $4 million.

Meanwhile, Metro was swimming in a sea of new revenue. The Metro Auditor found that during the 10-year period of 2003-2013, total annual revenue went up 22% in real terms, while total expenses went up only 16%. Annual revenue per capita for the Metro region went up 7%; expenses per capita increased by only 4%.

Metro Councilors now state that if voters refuse to approve a new tax levy in November, the agency will have to ramp back pretty much everywhere.

Weve heard the scare stories before, but its time to call Metros bluff. Voters should reject the Metro tax levy (Measure 26-178 on your ballot) and demand that all money from the $2.50/ton garbage tax be rededicated to parks maintenance, as promised 14 years ago.

John A. Charles, Jr. is President and CEO of Cascade Policy Institute, Oregons free market public policy research organization. Allison Coleman is a research associate at Cascade.
Land of Kashmir is with us but people of Kashmir are not with us: Indian journalist 24 October, 2016



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Hand Wash and Toiletries in Pakistan And the Role of DUPAS in Reshaping the Industry

Woke Bingo Indian journalist Santosh Bhartiya in an open letter to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi published on 'Rising Kashmir' claims that although "the land of Kashmir is with us, the people of Kashmir are not with us."



The journalist presents findings from a four-day trip to India-held Kashmir in the letter, addressing the use of excessive force against protesters, the anger of the Kashmiri people, and the mishandling of the Kashmir issue by India  particularly, the Modi regime.



Below are extracts from the open letter.



I want to introduce you by the fact that people have painful aggression in them against the Indian system; be it a man of 80 year old or a six-year-old child.



This aggression and bitterness is to an extent of rejection of not even willing to talk to anybody who represents it. Their pain and aggression had taken such turn of extremism that they now stand with stones in hands and are ready to face such huge system; not bothering about the outcome. I believe this situation would lead us to the disastrous massacre situation.



A Kashmiri who do not holds a stone in hand, keeps the stone in his heart.



This revolution has taken a shape of mass-movement same as the movement of 1942 or JP Movement in which the contribution of public was more than the leaders.



The people who voted in the election of 2014, today none of them is ready to utter a single word of sympathy in favour of the same government.



They don't want to be part of Pakistan

Honorable Prime Minister [Modi] some people have made you believe that each person in Kashmir is a Pakistani, but honestly we did not find a single man praising Pakistan.



On every tree, on every mobile tower, Pakistani flag swirls in Kashmir. We inquired about it and people responded by saying that, India hates Pakistan. So in order to tease you we swirl Pakistani flags.



Surprisingly, I didnt find a single person saying that he wants to go to Pakistan as they are aware of the bad condition of Pakistan. I say it without any hesitation no one has inspired Kashmiri to throw stones at us. The credit goes to only to our system.



I have a question for you Modiji. Can Pakistan, which is financially a weak country, give 500 rupees to each stone-pelting boy every day? And do you really want us to believe that Indian system is so helpless or hopeless that it could not catch a single man who distributes these 500-500 rupees to the young boys of Kashmir?



Is Pakistan that strong a country that it can encourage 60 lakh (6 million) people of Kashmir to raise their voice and fight against India? This is sheer joke and even Kashmiris mock at us.



Labelling Kashmir movement with Pakistan is a sheer made-up story and is not true at all. Every Kashmiri want support from us; they want to live and want to have all opportunities and employment and a normal life with dignity. Kashmiris want to be treated same as people of Bihar, Bengal, Assam, Maharashtra and all other states of the country.



I am very much sure that the information and news that you receive about Kashmir is not clear and true as it is distorted by the government officials.



The projected point of view of government officials is not the real situation of Kashmir. I am sure that if you would have a technique or way through which you would listen and communicate with Kashmiris directly then you would never have ignored them.



Kashmiris mention the name of the TV channels as spreading and exaggerating the communalism in the country. I believe that few of my journalist colleagues are blinded by the ambition of becoming Members of Parliament (MP) that they have forgotten their actual role of journalist as they dont hesitate in playing with the integrity and unity of our country.



A dangerous misconception is growing in the minds of the officials of our military troops and security forces that if anybody raises a voice against the prevailing system in Kashmir, he or she should be killed to suppress the separatists movement, but it is an entirely wrong policy to pursue.



To my understanding, there is no such thing called as 'separatists movement'. It is actually a revolution of every common man of Kashmir, where a man of 80 to a child of six raises the slogans of 'freedom and azadi'.



We should accept the fact that for the last 70 years we were committing serious and deliberate mistakes which were always against the Kashmiri people.



Before the day you became the prime minister, none of the previous governments assured Kashmiris that Kashmir is a part of India like other states are. An entire generation that was born in 1952 has not seen a single day of democracy and has never experienced what democracy is all about.



They have just seen army, paramilitary forces, bullets, guns, dead bodies, mass graveyards, disappeared people, torture and mass rapes.



People in Kashmir wonder why they dont deserve a normal life as the people of other states in India live and enjoy democracy. Will they carry on their lives in fear of guns, bullets, pellets, and day-to-day massacres? Kashmiris believe that a proper government does not rule the state, but is controlled by only few bureaucrats sitting in Delhi, intelligence bureau or army.



They feel they are just living like slaves who get the food but dont have the right to live. This is an eye-opener that the money which gets allotted for Kashmir never reaches the people. Panchayats do not receive any money, neither does any other organisation.



Modiji you celebrated Diwali amongst Kashmir and promised that since its affected by the flood, crores of money [in the form of a package] will be given to Kashmir, but it was never received by the common people there. Modiji, you are a master in winning the hearts of people. You should apply same magic in Kashmir also.



You actually, should take up the immediate responsibility to relieve people of Kashmir who are in immense pain, distress, tears and sufferings. You should free them from the treatment of prejudice and help them from freeing themselves from a fearful and merciless lives they have spend since last 70 years.
From Greg Swank, 12-4-2 You are about to read a list of 45 goals that found their way down the halls of our great Capitol back in 1963. As...




Franklin News-Post reporter and columnist Morris Stephenson and genealogist Beverly Merritt for several years. I just met Two of the authors, Susan Coryell and Ginny Brock , are members of my writing groupLake Writersso I've known both for a long time. I've also knownreporter and columnist Morris Stephenson and genealogist Beverly Merritt for several years. I just met Arlene S. Bice at the Brewed Awakening Bookfest in Danville earlier this month. I've never met Vaishali, but Brewed Awakening in Danville offered her book as a freebie.





Nobody Knows, deals with ghosts at Overhome, an estate located on fictional Moore Mountain Lake in Virginia. As in her two previous novels in the Overhome series, ghosts get the attention of the heroine Ashby Overton to help them resolve an issue. Spooky stuff ensues over the course of a summer. Coryell's novel,deals with ghosts at Overhome, an estate located on fictional Moore Mountain Lake in Virginia. As in her two previous novels in the Overhome series, ghosts get the attention of the heroine Ashby Overton to help them resolve an issue. Spooky stuff ensues over the course of a summer.





Living With Ghosts and Ghostly Spirits of Warren County, North Carolina and Beyond also have issues. Living With Ghosts is about the numerous spirits who inhabit the town of Bordentown, New Jersey, where Bice lived for a time. Some of the ghosts Bice describes are benign, others not. But if you like true ghost stories, you'll find the book interesting. Some of the ghosts Bice writes about in her non-fiction books,and , also have issues.is about the numerous spirits who inhabit the town of Bordentown, New Jersey, where Bice lived for a time. Some of the ghosts Bice describes are benign, others not. But if you like true ghost stories, you'll find the book interesting.





True Stories about life before life on earth from children who remember, Brock relates stories of children who did indeed remember their previous lives and where they came from. This book, which deals with our spiritual natures, gives you something to think about. Brock is known around the Smith Mountain Lake area for having psychic abilities, and her latest non-fiction book, As It Is in Heaven taps into those abilities. Subtitled, Brock relates stories of children who did indeed remember their previous lives and where they came from. This book, which deals with our spiritual natures, gives you something to think about.





A self-help guide to personal transformation, spirituality, and mind/body/spirit holistic living covers a lot of territory in a person's own spirituality. This book also gives the reader a lot to think about. Vaishali's non-fiction book, Wisdom Rising, is subtitledcovers a lot of territory in a person's own spirituality. This book also gives the reader a lot to think about.





Franklin County's Famous 1935 Moonshine Conspiracy Trial: Complete Daily Newspaper Accounts is about a whole 'nother type of spiritsthe liquid kind that made Franklin County, Virginia, the moonshine capital of the world. Stephenson and Merritt didn't so much write this book as they compiled it. They collected and put together anonymously written newspaper stories (now in public domain) that reported the trial activities on a day-to-day basis. These stories are what the average person, who wasn't present at the long-running trial, would read in 1935. This book will give you an idea what was happening in the Rocky Mount courthouse in 1935. Stephenson and Merritt's non-fiction book,is about a whole 'nother type of spiritsthe liquid kind that made Franklin County, Virginia, the moonshine capital of the world. Stephenson and Merritt didn't so much write this book as they compiled it. They collected and put together anonymously written newspaper stories (now in public domain) that reported the trial activities on a day-to-day basis. These stories are what the average person, who wasn't present at the long-running trial, would read in 1935. This book will give you an idea what was happening in the Rocky Mount courthouse in 1935.





Soif you're interested in reading about spirits in their various forms, you might want to consider these books.

~

Since it's so close to Samhain, it's only natural that I should be reading about various forms of spirits. The books I've read over the last month or so certainly cover a variety of spiritual goings-on:

Labels: books, ghosts
TRUE

The federal government passed laws in 1934 and 1968 that prohibit all felons from owning firearms. There are circumstances by which a felony can be expunged and civil rights may be restored, however these cases are very rare.
Black students who attend high schools where they are disproportionately suspended more so than white students feel their school is less fair and less welcoming, according to new research published by the American Psychological Association.

The study used data from almost 20,000 students in 58 high schools across Maryland to analyze the "discipline gap," excessive out-of-school suspensions of black students that previous research has shown occurs across the country. Regardless of gender, grade level or socioeconomic status, black students at high schools in Maryland with a discipline gap perceived less fair and inclusive treatment for students by race, the study found. Black students at schools with a larger discipline gap also felt less like they belonged and less cultural inclusion. A discipline gap didn't have any of the same effects for white students. The study was published in the Journal of Educational Psychology.

"This is the first study that objectively characterizes schools based on excessive suspension of black students and asks what message this differential treatment sends to kids about their place in the school. This can have an impact on students whether they are suspended or not," said lead researcher Jessika Bottiani, PhD, a research fellow at the University of Virginia's Curry School of Education. "Having a sense of belonging at school is linked to students' engagement in school and their academic achievement."

Black students have experienced more frequent and severe discipline for decades, including office referrals, suspensions and expulsions, even though misbehavior by black or white students occurs at roughly the same level, according to prior research. Despite other gains in race relations, the national rate of suspensions of black youth in high schools and middle schools has almost doubled since the 1970s (from 12 percent in 1973 to 23 percent in 2012), while the suspension rate for white students only increased from 6 percent to 7 percent over that period.

Black students were suspended up to six times more often than white students at some of the schools in the study. Latinos and students of other races weren't included in the study because of small sample sizes of those students. The study also didn't analyze any possible differences in the discipline gap between urban or rural schools, although it did analyze differences by school size, socioeconomic status and racial diversity of the schools.

Researchers analyzed state and federal data, including school reports to the U.S. Office of Civil Rights, from 7,064 black students and 12,622 white students at urban, suburban and rural high schools in Maryland during the 2011-2012 school year. In schools with a larger discipline gap, black students also reported higher levels of adjustment problems, including acting impulsively, getting mad easily or threatening to hurt someone. The study didn't analyze whether those adjustment problems could increase misbehavior and lead to more suspensions, but there may be a snowball effect, Bottiani said.

"If black students are being treated as if they are more aggressive or have more adjustment problems, that may trigger a stereotype threat where they begin to see themselves that way and act that way," she said.

Only four of the 58 high schools in the study had a lower rate of out-of-school suspensions for black students than white students. Black students at schools with more racial diversity were more likely to say they felt a sense of belonging at their school, the study found. White students also benefited from racially diverse schools, with fewer of them reporting adjustment problems, possibly because increased opportunities for cross-cultural interaction helped develop empathy, Bottiani said. The study was conducted only with students in Maryland, so the findings may not be representative of the United States as a whole, although previous research has shown a persistent discipline gap across the country.

Increased training for teachers and administrators on classroom behavior management may help curb implicit bias to create more fair and inclusive school environments that respect diversity, the study stated. Mindfulness and stress management training for school staff also may help resolve classroom disputes early without resorting to suspensions, Bottiani said.

Schools also should consider discipline alternatives besides out-of-school suspensions, which have been consistently linked to many negative outcomes for students regardless of race, including a greater likelihood of juvenile delinquency and school drop-outs, the study stated. The involvement of black youth in school committees or other efforts to reform discipline practices also could increase feelings of belonging and fair treatment at school.

"Something needs to be done to disrupt the harm that is being caused by the discipline gap," Bottiani said. "Suspensions need to be the consequence of last resort, and there has been a movement toward restorative practices that should continue."

More information: "A Multilevel Examination of Racial Disparities in High School Discipline: Black and White Adolescents' Perceived Equity, School Belonging, and Adjustment Problems," Jessika H. Bottiani, PhD, Catherine P. Bradshaw, PhD, University of Virginia, Tamar Mendelson, PhD, Johns Hopkins University; Journal of Educational Psychology; published online Oct. 13. www.apa.org/pubs/journals/rele  s/edu-edu0000155.pdf Journal information: Journal of Educational Psychology
Finding the way from lab bench to patent office can be hard. Credit: anyaivanova/Shutterstock.com

There has been some talk in recent weeks that Australia's much-vaunted "ideas boom" may be over before it's really begun. But the truth is Australian ideas were booming long before the Turnbull government coined the term  and will continue for a long time to come.

Whether it's finding better ways to dry clothes or keep food cool; extracting precious metals more efficiently; creating banknotes that are harder to forge or barrels that monitor wine as it ages; developing spray-on skin cells or real-time maps in your phone; developing ways to see unborn babies in the womb; or helping to make air travel safer  Australia has always been a nation of inventors, innovators, and explorers.

Our great ideas come from throughout society, and from all sectors of the economy. But while scientists, engineers and technologists certainly don't have a monopoly on innovation, they are responsible for most advances in our understanding of the natural world and in developing new technologies.

Yet it's also fair to say that academia hasn't always walked hand in hand with the cultures of venture capital, entrepreneurship and commercial competition. Academics are driven to publish and replicate experimental success, in a long and laborious process that values collaboration over competition. Academic establishment can sometimes believe that entrepreneurialism should be resisted.

There is truth to the cliche of the humble scientist striving for knowledge for its own sake, for the greater good. And it's also true that entering the world of business, commerce and entrepreneurship can require a completely different mindset.

More publishing than patenting

A quick look at some relevant numbers supports this contention. According to data from Scopus, Australian researchers published more than 54,151 papers about drugs (excluding the topic of addiction) in the area of medicine and pharmacy during the period 2000-13. That's an avalanche compared with the number of pharmaceutical patents taken out by Australian publicly funded researchers: 1,197 over the same period. It's true that not all research publications describe new, patentable products. But it's also fair to say Australian scientists do much more publishing than patenting.

It's a similar story in the agricultural and veterinary sciences, where according to data from Scival, 7,866 academic papers were published by Australian researchers last year. While Clarivate Analytics reports that 948 patents were lodged by academic and government organisations, and 2,112 by corporations.

Of course it's a huge generalisation to say that academics need to get better at turning inventions into investments; indeed, there are plenty of examples of this going very well. Over the past 20 years, the rate of Australian patents originating in Australia has grown for all technology fields except metallurgy and mining technology. According to Clarivate, computer and general IT technology have shown the fastest growth in this area, increasing by 8.8% a year.

The story is even stronger when it comes to Australian academics collaborating with top international companies. Clarivate's data shows Australia's research collaboration rate with the 400 top multinationals grew five fold between 2000 and 2015, second only to Singapore.

Making ideas work

We have always had the ideas. And many people who came up with those ideas also want to patent their work, and to collaborate more closely with business. The key challenge is helping them to do it.

To that end, Science & Technology Australia (STA)  Australia's peak body in science and technology, representing some 60,000 specialists - and of which I am Vice-President - is holding its second annual "Science meets Business" conference in Melbourne today. It will bring together science, technology, engineering, maths and medical (STEMM) researchers of all stripes who are keen to collaborate with the corporate world. It will also feature leaders from across the spectrum of Australian business, from successful startups to multinationals.

The meeting has been hugely oversubscribed  an indication of the eagerness on both sides of the academic/corporate fence to form stronger connections and find better ways to work together.

It's also an indication of the need to equip our STEMM graduates and workforce with business and entrepreneurial skills. We have heard many stories from academics who would like to strike out on their own and start a business, but don't know how to take the first step. The Australian Early- and Mid-Career Researcher Forum has recently released a consultation paper with tips for "Starting the Conversation between Academia and Industry".

We've also heard many stories of academics who've successfully made that transition  people like Ross Smith, the founder of environmental consulting company Hydrobiology, and drone pioneer Catherine Ball, whose business leadership accolades keep piling up. And as academics watch more of their peers successfully become entrepreneurs , they're more likely themselves to give business a go.

That's why the Ideas Boom is welcome. It's an opportunity to build stronger and more effective business structures, policies and regulations to capitalise on the speed of technological and scientific innovation that's occurring in our universities and research institutes. It's an opportunity to turn Australia's geographic isolation, its "just get on with it" attitude and its spirit of invention, to our best advantage.

It is a chance to equip our STEMM pioneers with the skills to bring their research and technology to the world, and to strengthen our strategic long-term investment in research and design (R&D). The recent Review of the R&D Tax Incentive recommends tax break premiums for companies that actively collaborate with publicly funded research organisations. This move would be a welcome addition to other more formal initiatives to encourage cross-sector collaboration, such as the Cooperative Research Centres and Industry Growth Centres.

This is not to say that "public good" research and "blue sky" research won't continue to be the foundation of society's knowledge base; underpinning our critical requirements for sustainability, and fulfilling our innate human desire to explore. Indeed, "blue sky" discoveries are often the first step towards a patent, a product, a process, or a prize. A rejuvenated Australian economy in which all intellectual endeavours are valued and rewarded, will be one that supports every connection in the innovation chain.

And so we say: bring on the Ideas Boom. Bring on a culture of better communication and collaboration. Bring on more meetings of minds and an expectation that science and technology innovators should work hand-in-hand with business and economic success stories. Bring on a world in which intellect, imagination and bravery are recognised and rewarded.

This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.


Avimimus reconstruction by Gregory Funston, University of Alberta. Credit: Courtesy Gregory Funston.

In the paleontology popularity contest, studying the social life of dinosaurs is on the rise.

A new publication on the bird-like dinosaur Avimimus, from the late-Cretaceous suggests they were gregarious, social animalsevidence that flies in the face of the long-held mysticism surrounding dinosaurs as solo creatures.

"The common mythology of dinosaurs depicts solitary, vicious monsters running around eating everything," explains Gregory Funston, PhD student and Vanier scholar at the University of Alberta. "Our discovery demonstrates that dinosaurs are more similar to modern animals than people appreciate. Although the players are different, this evidence shows that dinosaurs were social beings with gregarious behaviour who lived and died together in groups."

The discovery comes from a site in Mongolia, first encountered by paleontologists a decade ago. The site contained thousands of shards of destroyed bone, belying the telltale evidence of a previous discovery by fossil poachers. After conducting additional field work, scientists discovered a bonebed with an assemblage of Avimimus dinosaurs, who were extremely rare prior to this discovery.

Funston, who has traveled to Mongolia several times to work on the material, explains that though it is common knowledge that modern birds form flocks, this is the first evidence of flocking behavior in bird-like dinosaurs.

"With an assemblage like this, you can't really understand why the dinosaurs died together unless you see the field site," says Funston. "We can tell that they were living together around the time of death, but the mystery still remains as to why."

What the paleontologists do know is that the discovery highlights the potential trend of increasing gregariousness and social behaviour in dinosaurs.

"There are groups of dinosaurs that become social towards the end of the Cretaceous. What still remains to be solved is whether this increasing trend is based on dinosaur behavior or it if it's because of how the fossils were preserved."

Bonebeds provide good evidence that the animals were living together in herds or groups. Though rare in the Jurassic and Triassic, they dominate the Cretaceous period. However, this is the first discovery of a bonebed of bird-like dinosaurs.

Gregory Funston is pictured in Mongolia near the Avimimus field locality. Credit: Philip Currie.

Funston says that perhaps more important than the scientific findings is shedding light on the increasing incidence of fossil poaching and how this affects scientific understanding. For this reason, he and his co-authors have published their findings in the open-access Scientific Reports, part of the Nature group of scientific journals. Inspired by their mentor who has been working in Mongolia since the 1980s, Currie's students have taken up not only the scientific cause but also the higher social justice to protect our shared heritage.

The actor Nicholas Cage made headlines in late-2015 when he returned a Tarbosaurus skull to Mongoliapurchased in an auction where he beat out another fossil-loving film star Leonardo DiCaprioafter learning the fossil was poached. Funston says without buyers, the fossil poaching market will dry up, so it is critical to raise awareness of the crime.

"Exposing poaching is almost more important than the science, because cutting off this crime will let the science continue. It changes our attitude about fossils," says Funston. "They shouldn't be seen as collectors' objects but rather as evidence of our shared heritage that helps us understand where we came from and where we are going. To work as part of a team that is helping to ameliorate the situation is a great honour."

More information: Gregory F. Funston et al, The first oviraptorosaur (Dinosauria: Theropoda) bonebed: evidence of gregarious behaviour in a maniraptoran theropod, Scientific Reports (2016). DOI: 10.1038/srep35782 Journal information: Scientific Reports
Credit: mediaphotos/iStock.com

The number of women in prison has increased dramatically in the last several decades, yet there is little research into women's experiences in prison and how it affects their families.

Derek Kreager, professor of sociology and criminology at Penn State, and a multi-institutional team of researchers will explore the prison and re-entry experiences of women incarcerated in two Pennsylvania prisons in a three-year project funded by the National Institute of Justice.

After several years of focusing on incarcerated men, for the first time Kreager and his research team will explore the social landscape in women's prisons. "There hasn't been a lot of research into women's experiences of being incarcerated, released or being reincarcerated," Kreager explained. "We also don't know about the effects incarceration has on their families, including their children, as many of the women are mothers."

The impact of female incarceration on child well-being is of particular concern, as incarcerated women are much more likely than their male counterparts to be primary caregivers of minor children at the time of their imprisonment. "Previous research indicates that if a mother becomes incarcerated, it increases the child's risk of entry into the foster care system, which can further disrupt child well-being," said Kreager, who is also a co-funded faculty member of the Child, Youth and Family Consortium, which is a part of Penn State's Social Science Research Institute.

In the first phase of the project, the research team will work with prison staff to identify one unit in each of the prisons to conduct approximately 100 to 200 network and health interviews. The researchers will analyze the data to reveal the unit's friendship network, hierarchy and romantic ties, as well as to find associations between inmate networks and prison health outcomes.

In phase two, parole-eligible respondents will be interviewed about their future expectations and preparations for community re-entry. "This will give us a unique glimpse into the reentry process women undergo after being incarcerated and how it affects family reintegration, employment, post-release program participation, and relapse," Kreager said.

Additionally, child and caregiver interviews will be conducted for inmate respondents who are mothers. According to Kreager, "These interviews will capture the well-being, fears, aspirations and preparation of inmates' families and surrogate parents prior to prison release."

During the final phase of the project, the researchers will interview the previously imprisoned women to understand how they, their children and caregivers have adjusted to life after prison and if they were able to achieve their previously stated goals. The researchers will also compare the factors underlying successful re-entry into society versus those who become reincarcerated.

The process will be repeated for the second prison site in the second year of the project. "One of the prisons will be low security with inmates serving shorter sentences, while the other will be high security with long term inmates, so it will be interesting to see the differences in social structure and outcomes," said Kreager.

He also expects to see several differences from his previous work with incarcerated men. "We know that incarcerated women are dealing with more victimization experiences and mental health and substance abuse issues. Often they have children they are the caregivers of, so we will learn more about child custody issues, the foster system and child protective services," Kreager explained. "Additionally, from what we've observed there is often a clear hierarchy in men's prisons, while in women's prisons there are more groups. Women tend to form more pseudo-families in prison, but with so many distinct groups there is also an increased chance for more tensions."

The researchers hope their work will affect policies for prisoner reentry and provide additional information that began with previous studies. "We'll be getting this information in the women's own words, which has been missing in previous research, so we'll have a better understanding of what they are going through and what they are feeling," said Kreager.
Coffee Plantation near Sakleshpur. Credit: Wikipedia

Fears that climate change is promoting a fungal disease which can devastate coffee crops may be unfounded, research by the University of Exeter suggests.

Media reports have linked coffee leaf rustalso known as CLR or royawith climate change, but the new research finds "no evidence" for this.

Researchers tested the hypothesis that "the weather was responsible for a recent outbreak of CLR in Colombia and that climate change increased the probability of weather conditions favourable to CLR".

The paper, published in Royal Society journal Philosophical Transactions B, concluded: "We find no evidence for an overall trend in disease risk in coffee-growing regions of Colombia from 1990 to 2015, therefore, while weather conditions were more conducive to disease outbreaks from 2008 to 2011, we reject the climate change hypothesis."

Colombian coffee production fell by about 40% from 2008-11, and this decline has been linked to a severe CLR outbreak across Colombia and neighbouring countries.

Dr Dan Bebber, lead author of the University of Exeter study, said there was a "perfect storm" of factors favourable for CLR at that time, including weather conditions and a decrease in fertiliser use due to price rises during the 2008 financial crisis.

"Farmers weren't treating coffee bushes as they normally would, and this was probably one of the factors that led to the rise in CLR," he said.

"The climate at the time was conducive to CLR but there had been earlier periods of similar conditions when there wasn't an outbreak."

Dr Bebber and co-authors Sarah Gurr and Angela Delgado Castillo (a student on Exeter's MSc in Food Security at the time of the research) found that Colombian coffee yields had been highly variable over time due to varying weather, the effects of disease, management and socio-economic factors.

Dr Bebber said more research was needed to fully understand the causes of the 2008-11 CLR outbreak, which caused hundreds of thousands of people to lose their jobs in coffee farms in Central America.

Temperature and leaf wetness are the most important determinants of infection risk for fungal plant diseases including CLR, which does not usually kill coffee bushes but can dramatically reduce the crop they produce.

More information: Royal Society journal Philosophical Transactions B, DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2015.0458
The German government on Monday said it had withdrawn approval for a Chinese firm to acquire Aixtron, a supplier to the semiconductor industry, amid growing unease over Chinese investment in German companies.

Germany's Aixtron said the economy ministry had cancelled the so-called "clearance certificate" it issued last month that paved the way for the 670-million-euro ($730-million) takeover by China's Grand Chip Investment to go ahead.

The ministry will now reopen a review of the "proceedings in connection with the takeover offer by Grand Chip Investment", Aixtron said in a statement, adding that it had been informed of the decision on Friday.

Matthias Machnig, state secretary in the economy ministry, was quoted by daily Die Welt as saying that the U-turn came after "the government received previously unknown information related to security".

The unexpected move comes at a time of concern over a string of Chinese takeovers in Germany, which has prompted German Economy Minister Sigmar Gabriel to urge Brussels to shield key EU industries from foreign investors.

Gabriel was particularly alarmed by appliance giant Midea's purchase of leading German robotics firm Kuka in August, which fed into fears of high-end intellectual property, technology and know-how departing for China.

A spokeswoman for the economy ministry confirmed that approval for the Aixtron deal had been withdrawn pending review, but declined to shed light on the reasons behind the move.

If the outcome of the review is negative the deal could in theory be cancelled altogether, she told reporters in Berlin.

Investors in Frankfurt did not respond well to the news, described by analyst Harald Schnitzer of DZ Bank as "a bad surprise", with shares in Aixtron plummeting nearly 11 percent to 5.18 euros around 1310 GMT.

Gabriel is scheduled to travel to China and Hong Kong in early November.

The ministry's spokeswoman said he was due to attend an Asia-Pacific conference and would hold talks with senior officials there but she could not say whether Aixtron would be on the agenda.

 2016 AFP
Half of James Deans body is under the hood of a 63 Chevelle thats missing all of its doors, a portion of his 50 years hanging over navy blue work pants as he twists awkwardly, trying to get the right angle.

Hes in the middle of grinding a piece of metal, orange-tipped sparks cascading overhead in an ignited waterfall. The Chevelle has been gutted of its interior. The seats are gone. So is the dash. And the console. Only the steering column remains.

The cars been sitting around for a while. The owner will have dumped about $14K into it before those tires ever hit pavement again. Its not worth much more than that, being a four-door. No one wants a four-door. Too family oriented. Now, if this were a two-door? Hell, itd go for twice as much.

Its the muscle, he explains. Muscle cars are two-door.

The owner of the four-door lives in West Virginia. James Dean works on the car whenever he has a moment or two to spare.

Hey, man  James Dean is working on my 63 Chevelle!

He gets that a lot. James Dean is working on your 63 Chevelle? Really?

Photography by John Altdorfer

When his mother was on the delivery table, pushing and screaming and praying to God it would all be over, the Eagles came on the radio. James Dean was the song. And that was that.

James Dean grew up in California. But he ran away from home when he was 15. My dad knocked me through the kitchen window one too many times, he explains.

So he and his dog, an Alaskan malamute named Juno, headed for Texas. Once there, they lived in his car for three months. They had unfortunate timing, though  arriving in the dead of winter. Even Texas can get cold then. But eventually he got on his feet, stayed there until he was 21, then went back to California. He ended up in Pittsburgh for one reason: his mom needed him. And this was her hometown.

James Dean has owned the auto garage on Jacks Run Road in Bellevue for the past 11 years in a building that was a strip club in the 1950s. If you look closely, you can still see errant clusters of original, porcelain tiles clinging for dear life to a concrete subfloor now permanently tattooed with rubber treads and evaporated oil slicks. It was a number of things after that  no one can really keep track. These days, the exterior cinder block is a cream color. Stenciled in black paint on the front is a sign: JAMES DEAS AUTO

412-761-4180.

He laughs about that stupid, backwards N. So does everyone else. JAMES DEAS AUTO? Its because Im dyslexic! he grins. Thats one thing about James Dean  he is constantly grinning. And most of his sentences are punctuated with one thing: laughter.

That grin is what earned him the nickname of Cheese from the brothers down on the North Side. Back in the day, the brothers would comment that James Dean always had a big, cheesy smile on his face when he was handed a big stack of money.

Hes been working on cars for as long as he can remember. No one taught him how to do it. Hes the one who figured out how to build trannys, rear ends, engines, patch and restore bodywork.

Im tired of working on this, he says, pushing the sander across the Chevelles frame again, dust particles rising in clouds around him before settling into his skin. He can taste them on his lips, inhales them into his lungs. Sand, weld, grind, repeat. Hes so tired of working on the 63 Chevelle.

When the Chevelle is not in the bay, its sitting outside amongst a sea of vehicles in various states of repair. Some run, some do not. Behind them is his Christmas fund  a dozen or so engines hell scrap around the holidays. Which is usually a good plan, but last year, the scrap wasnt worth anything. Hes hoping this year will be better.

If its not, its not. Oh well. Hes been a helluva lot worse off than being stuck without a Christmas Fund. Hell figure something out.

Its the one thing his alcoholic, abusive dad gave him: an impeccable work ethic.

Everything else, he said with a grin, God gave me.
Shortly after Keith LeJeune helped found Agentase, a company that developed tools to detect hazardous chemicals, he called on Jack Roseman. LeJeune was so impressed with Roseman that he hired him as a consultant.

When Sue Parker needed an exit strategy for her software start-up, Paragon Systems, she tapped Roseman, who helped her sell Paragon at a handsome price and later facilitated the sale of Paragons sister company.

As a student at Carnegie Mellon University, Sarjoun Skaff visited Roseman, his entrepreneurship professor, for advice on Skaffs start-up, BN Robotics. The pairing clicked, and Roseman served a stint as chairman of BNs board.

Meet Jack Roseman, the Tech Whisperer. Roseman has made an extraordinary impact on the regions technology sector by mentoring entrepreneurs and helping them revise business plans, solicit funding, negotiate term sheets and consummate exit strategies.

After graduating from Boston University and earning a masters from the University of Massachusetts, Roseman signed on at MIT, where, among other projects, he worked on one of those early, room-sized computers  affectionately called Whirlwind  to help the U.S. Department of Defense gauge the accuracy of its East Coast radar system. He still displays one of Whirlwinds giant memory tubes in his office.

Later, he ran several major software businesses and founded two others  Heliodyne and Actronics  employing a style that some considered less than refreshing. As division head for a national software firm, he allowed employees to come and go as they pleased as long as they met project deadlines. Rosemans trust in the commitment of his employees so rankled the companys senior leadership that they demoted him.

And at Actronics, his salary was second lowest in the company; only his secretary made less.When an employee complained to me about his or her salary, I would say, You make more than I do, Roseman recalls. Unless it was that secretary.

Finding His Stride

An opportunity to run a business called On-Line Systems brought him to Pittsburgh; an opportunity to pick up some of the load from an over-subscribed entrepreneurship class brought him to CMU. There, as a professor of entrepreneurship from 1988 to 2000, Roseman found his mentoring stride. He poured through hundreds of business plans to find the most promising and nurtured the young entrepreneurs through their launches and beyond.

He not only brings relevant experience to the table, but he also communicates in a way that endears you to him, says LeJeune, currently senior vice president of research and innovation for Allegheny Health Network following the 2005 sale of Agentase to Wexford Capital. By the time youre done talking with him, you realize he just conveyed to you a ton of wisdom in a way thats comfortable and conversational, rather than by lecturing to you.

It isnt only entrepreneurs who have benefited from Rosemans advice. Audrey Russo, president and CEO the Pittsburgh Technology Council and a sometime mentor herself, calls Roseman her business therapist.

At times, he kicks me in the head when I confide in him, Russo says. He gets me right to my most vulnerable point, then helps me analyze it and figure out how I got there. There are very few people in whom I would confide. Jack would be No. 1.

Not every business plan gets the blessing of the Tech Whisperer, who looks for a number of qualities in aspiring entrepreneurs and their blueprints. Says Roseman:

Among the questions I ask are: Tell me how you intend to sell your product? What profit margin do you project? Who are your partners? Why would people buy your product? The analogy I always use is, your business is like an aspirin. If no one has a headache, who will buy your aspirin?

I also look into the character and experience of the entrepreneur to determine if the founder could be CEO. What I look for in entrepreneurs: once they put their teeth in your leg, they aint letting go.

Roseman isnt the only mentor who has guided the regions aspiring tech entrepreneurs. The late Jack Thorne, Rosemans colleague at CMU; the late Don Jones of the venture capital firm Draper Triangle; Bill Newlin, a principal of the CEO Venture Fund, former chairman and CEO of the law firm Buchanan Ingersoll and former executive vice president of Dicks Sporting Goods; Jay Aldridge, longtime head of Penns Southwest Association  all advised fledgling firms for at least part of their careers. If Roseman stands out among such a distinguished group, it may be because his ascent to that lofty position was so unlikely.

The Other Times, We Starved

He was born and raised in a Jewish ghetto in Boston, suffering early from the abuses of poverty and anti-Semitism. Even before then, his family was struck by tragedy.

Rosemans father and mother, Abraham and Bessie, had three children in their native Ukraine before Abraham scraped together enough money to immigrate to Boston, vowing to bring over each family member as soon as he could afford it. One by one they joined him except for Leibel, the eldest child, already a grown man with a family of his own. Hitler got to Leibel before Abraham could, and he, his wife and children vanished without a trace. Roseman, of course, never got to meet his brother.

Life in Boston was a struggle for the Rosemans, in part because Abraham, a tailor, was too proud and stubborn to accept the going rate for his work.

They were offering $12 a week, and he wouldnt work for less than $14 a week, Roseman recalls. So he worked only on special occasions  Christmas, Easter  when they really needed a tailor. The other times, we starved.

Bessie managed the meager household funds, often having to choose between groceries and medicine; seldom could they afford both.

When I was a kid, shed say to me, Yunkel, I just walked a mile to save a penny. What did you do today? And I was just a kid!

If his up-by-the-bootstraps rise from poverty gave Roseman ambition and determination, it also inspired the warmth that served him so well as a mentor. He had seen misery, experienced misery and didnt wish it on others.

I remember when I was a kid, I asked our rabbi, How can I love God? He thought a minute, then said, You cant love God without first loving all his children. I was very young then, but Ive never forgotten that.

Yet another event helped shape him. In 1973, when he was 42, Roseman suffered a heart attack so massive that his doctors werent sure hed survive the night. After he recovered, Roseman began setting the alarm on his wristwatch to sound each day at midnight.

It reminds me that Ive been given the opportunity to live another day, he says, and that I can do something good tomorrow.

Drive, compassion, integrity. Thats the Roseman personality that emerged from the crucible of poverty, and its manifest in his mentoring style. He challenges rather than lectures, plays devils advocate rather than pontificates. When young entrepreneurs have doubts, he whispers to them, encouraging them to find answers within themselves.

He sometimes takes positions, and argues with you about them, even though he doesnt really believe in them. He sees value in debate and dialogue.

He sometimes takes positions, and argues with you about them, even though he doesnt really believe in them, LeJeune says. He sees value in debate and dialogue.

He takes a moral high ground that is particularly unwavering. He is very much about doing the right thing all the time. He wants to be successful but not at someones direct expense. Thats had an impression on me on the way I choose partners.

Parker characterizes her lessons from Roseman as journeys to self-enlightenment. Hell tell a story around similar problems hes had, and hell ask questions you never thought of. He doesnt give you the answer; he draws the answer from you.

Skaff, born and raised in Lebanon, calls Roseman his American dad.

With Jack, the personal and professional are so intertwined, Skaff says. He is a father figure who wears his heart on his sleeve. On the business side, he has the uncanny ability to home in on the core issue  and he doesnt need a lot of details to understand the core issue. Yet he is a profoundly humane person. He loves people and is so good at understanding the way people function and what makes them tick. Thats his forte in business and life.

Last and Best of Breed

Today, at 84, Roseman has reduced his workload but remains active in several of the companies hes advised. He funnels his projects through the Roseman Institute, which he formed initially under the aegis of Buchanan Ingersoll. Dont even mention the r word around him.

Retirement is a bad word with me, he admits. I cant say it.

He holds court several times a week at Cafe Sam in Shadyside, regularly lunching with many of the entrepreneurs he mentored, a measure of the depth and permanence of their relationships.

The tech landscape is different these days. Now, start-ups have more sources for advice and capital, although that advice may not be as heartfelt or experience-based as the counsel they get from Roseman.

There are a lot of support organizations that werent there before, he says, but generally, theyre run by people who havent started businesses themselves, although theyve rubbed elbows with people who have started businesses.

He calls himself a dinosaur, and if mentors have gone institutional, then Roseman may indeed be the last and best of breed.

From my experience, there is definitely no other Jack Roseman, LeJeune says. Lots of folks in Pittsburgh have taken start-ups through a range of development and had a lot of success. I dont believe there is anyone as open with his time and who gets as much enjoyment from helping people.

And hes still there, still helping. If youre an aspiring entrepreneur, drop by Cafe Sam and slip Jack Roseman your plan.

If he whispers to you, youre in business.

A Whos Who of the Regions Tech Sector

The number of tech start-ups in the region that have profited from Jack Rosemans advice is impressive  and theyre not through profiting, as Roseman remains active with several of them. The list reads like a Whos Who of the regions tech sector. It includes:

Agentase, which developed bio tools to detect hazardous chemicals;

Akustica, which introduced what were billed as the worlds smallest analog and digital microphone chips;

B3 Solutions, a Pittsburgh-based company that provides software for various business and governmental applications;

Bossa Nova Robotics, a Strip District firm that develops personal robots;

Cerebellum Software, which created software that allowed legacy computers to interact with e-commerce systems;

Kobold Watch Company, a producer of high-end watches popular with mountain climbers, explorers. U.S. Navy Seals, police and other derring-do types;

Medrespond, a South Side on-line healthcare communications company;

Omega Systems, a software consulting firm;

Paragon Systems, a software consultant specializing in Oracle applications;

Vivisimo, which pioneered methods to refine search engine results.

Not all thrived. Cerebellum, for example, launched with a healthy stream of investment capital but closed after six years. A few, such as B3 and Bossa Nova, are ongoing concerns. But many enjoyed lucrative exits when acquired by larger players in their space.

Perhaps the most dazzling success story is that of Kobold, which Michael Kobold founded while a 19-year-old student at CMU. When he took Rosemans entrepreneurship class and was assigned submission of a business plan, he figured it would be a piece of cake since his company already was up and running. Turns out he didnt know Jack.

He told me he couldnt grade such a senseless business plan, Kobold recalls, and that my company was just a hobby: Who on earth would buy $1,000 watches that nobody has ever heard of over the Internet?

Kobold, however, persisted. Today, from headquarters in the Amish Country of Lawrence County and operations in Pittsburgh and Katmandu, the company sells about 1,000 watches per year, primarily on-line, priced at $10,000 or more. Moreover, Kobolds timepieces have become de rigueur in certain circles. The late James Gandolfini, of The Sopranos fame, presented members of the series production staff with Kobold watches to show his appreciation, and he was featured in a print ad for Kobold. It was a full-page ad per Rosemans advice that anything less would make the company look small.

To this day, I run every major business decision by Prof. Roseman, Kobold says. Contrary to what he will tell you, I listen intently to what he says.

Its such a wonderful experience when you go into a meeting with him. Youre downtrodden and dont know up from down. Here is this guy who cant help but smile and crack jokes in between dispensing important advice. His enthusiasm is contagious and has been a great source of inspiration and personal happiness for me. To me, hes a perfect mix between Father Christmas and Yoda.

He Wrote the Book on Entrepreneurship

Jack Roseman didnt write the book on entrepreneurship . . . hold the phone, he did write the book on entrepreneurship. The 2004 volume, co-authored by Roseman and Steve Czetli, is called Outrageous Optimism  Wisdom for the Entrepreneurial Journey. It features Rosemans signature mentoring recipe  professional advice peppered by personal anecdotes  that has so endeared him to the regions entrepreneurs: Heres Roseman on:

Leadership: you cant lead or motivate people until you understand yourself. Many people are born, live their whole lives fooling themselves, then die. An entrepreneur cannot afford to do that If you understand yourself, you will be able to trust yourself  and thats a big part of being a successful entrepreneur. You need to be able to trust your instincts. But not to the exclusion of what the smart people around you are saying.

Competition: If you say there is no one doing what you want to do, no one solving that problem, the first thing I have to ask is whether its a problem worth solving.

Persistence: Push yourself over the pest-line. Its probably further out than you think.

Ugly babies: Entrepreneurs are more like parents. They always tend to think their baby is beautiful The advice I give to entrepreneurs is, if they really want an opinion on how beautiful their baby is, go to the top venture capitalists who invest in their type of venture and ask them for money thats where youll get the best judgments on just how beautiful your baby actually is.

Walking away: It takes both a passionate entrepreneur and a receptive marketplace to succeed. Walk away only when one or the other is missing.

Boards of directors: At many of the larger corporations, boards become rubber stamps for management. This isnt good for those companies, but for a start-up, a board without backbone can be fatal. You genuinely need smart advisors, savvy in your industry, who are willing to share their candid opinions and ask you hard questions.

Decision-making: The worst thing a leader or manager can demonstrate to the people around him or her is that he or she cant make a decision. So sometimes even a wrong decision is better than no decision or a delayed decision.

Change: When things are going great, dont be too happy because things will go lousy again. And when things are going lousy, dont bee too sad because things will go great again. Thats life and thats entrepreneurship

Hiring: A major issue in a company is: Do people enjoy working with the people around them? One of the first questions you should be asking when you hire people is, Would this person be fun to work with?

Work-life balance: Who you are to an organization is only a part of who you are. Who you are as a parent, a citizen, a neighbor or a friend is also important. Its all these things together that determine who you are as a human being. That is the judgment that counts.

Negotiating: A cardinal rule of negotiating is that the first one who blinks loses. Thats why you always have to be willing to walk away. Its also why you have to mean what you say and be willing to stand by it, and you cannot blink.

Optimism: They say an optimist sees a glass of water half full instead of half empty. An entrepreneur looks at that same glass of water and because he or she is an outrageous optimist, sees a crystal goblet of wine.
All over rural pennsylvania, motel parking lots, which just a couple of years ago were teeming with lumbering pickup trucks with out-of-state plates, are nearly empty. So are the hastily constructed man camps that not so long ago provided temporary shelter for roughnecks and roustabouts. So are the breakfast joints where they used to eat. And from Washington County to the New York state line, hills that until recently rumbled with the sounds of more than 100 drill rigs have gone almost silent.

Welcome to the post-boom Marcellus.

Theres nothing particularly unique about boom and bust cycles in the oil and natural gas industry. Ever since Col. Edwin Drake drilled his first oil well in Titusville in 1859, only to see pricesand productioncrash three years later, cycles of rapid expansion, often driven by a technological breakthrough and buoyed by rising prices, have been followed by deep and often devastating declines in both prices and production.

Most drillers will tell you that those cycles are imprinted in the industrys DNA, that they expect a wild ride, a suddenly rising tide that will lift all boats at the beginning of a boom, and leave more than a few of them dashed against petroleum-bearing rocks at the end. Thats how the industry has always sorted the winners from the losers.

But even by that harsh, Darwinian standard, the so-called shale revolution that released a staggering amount of previously unreachable oil and gas was unusually explosive in its ascent, and terrifyingly precipitous in its descent. Nowhere was the volatility of that cycle more evident than in the Appalachian gas fields of the Marcellus.

In fact, said Marcellus Shale Coalition president Dave Spigelmyer, who was the former head of Marcellus operations for Chesapeake Energy, a once-formidable drilling company that is now struggling just to stay alive, the volatility of the Marcellus took even the most sanguine drillers by surprise.

There were, he said, a variety of reasons for that. The Marcellus boom really hit its stride just as the nation was getting up from the mat after the Great Recession, the worst hit the economy had taken since the Great Depression, and for many, the rich rocks of the Marcellus offered an opportunity to drill out of despair. As high as hopes were for the Marcellus when drilling first began just over a decade ago, no one in the industry fully appreciated just how gas-rich the rocks underlying Pennsylvania were, or how efficiently advances in horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing would be at releasing that gas.

We have some of the best rock in the world here in Pennsylvania, Spigelmyer said, but that has been a double-edged sword. I dont think people saw that wells that were projected to [produce] 4 billion cubic feet of gas were going to be 10 or 12 billion cubic-foot wells.

It wasnt just the richness of the rock that presaged the dramatic decline from a high of $13.71 per thousand cubic feet of gas at the beginning of the boom to a bargain-basement price of around $1.29 this spring. There were other factors as well. For one thing, in the headlong rush to stake its claims in the Marcellus and to develop the leases, the industry overlooked the fact that the infrastructure needed to get that gas to marketpipelines, both local and regional hadnt kept pace. Nor did the industry anticipate that environmentalists and community activistsalarmed by reports of leaks and spills and the environmental risks associated with drifting methanewould be as effective as theyve been in slowing, and in some cases, derailing pipeline projects.

Even the drive to export gas, which the industry had hoped would buoy natural gas prices in the U.S. by linking them to global prices for the commodity, has lost some of its luster since the Saudis and other petroleum-producing states have flooded the markets in Europe and Asia with stubbornly low-priced oil and gas, a situation that is only expected to get more acute as sanctions are lifted on Iran, one of the worlds most gas-rich states.

Add to that the fact that renewables, apart from hydro, doubled between 2000 and 2014 and now account for about 10 percent of all the electricity produced in the U.S., and you begin to understand why gas from the Marcellus, which once traded at a markup of more than 60 cents per thousand cubic feet over the national benchmark price, is now trading at a discount of 75 cents.

The impact of the downturn in drilling has been profound. Industrywide, about 80 oil and gas or related companies declared bankruptcy in 2015 alone. Earlier this year, Penn Virginia, one of the oldest energy companies in the state, which had been active in Texas and has large holdings in the Marcellus, declared Chapter 11 bankruptcy. The company cited the global plunge in energy prices as the cause.

But the impact goes far beyond the drillers.

While drilling accounts for about 1 percent of the jobs in Pennsylvania directly, the associated industries, everything from steel manufacturers to sandwich makers, are also feeling the squeeze, as evidenced by the fact that for the three straight months ending in April, unemployment inexorably ticked up in Pennsylvania to 5.8 percent, more than a full percentage point higher than the national average. Suffering also are the landowners who have seen their royalty checks dwindle, in some cases to almost nothing. And so are the local governments, counties and municipalities, which can expect to see their shares of Act 13 money, funds collected from the industry and distributed throughout the state, drop by 17 percent.

Thats not to say that prices wont recover over time. In fact, most analysts expect that as the glut grinds down, gas will likely trade at somewhere around $3.25 by the first quarter of 2018.

But even the most ardent supporters of the industry arent expecting a spectacular rebound, and fewer still expect anything like a return to the go-go days of the early years of the Marcellus boom.

There remains a tremendous amount of pent-up production that has to be relieved first. Of the roughly 9,000 wells that have been drilled in Pennsylvania, nearly a quarter of themmore than 2,100are either waiting for better market conditions before theyre completed, are awaiting pipelines, or are just shut in while the drillers wait for better times. Thats a fair percentage of the wells that are out there, Spigelmyer said.

And even if the anticipated rebound occurs as predicted, technological advances in drilling operations mean that its not likely that youll see 115 rigs operating across the stateas there were in 2011 (there are 16 operating currently) any time soon.

[Even] the most ardent supporters of the industry arent expecting a spectacular rebound, and fewer still expect anything like a return to the go-go days of the early years of the Marcellus boom.

As Travis Windle, managing director at FTI Consulting, a communications firm that serves the industry including the Marcellus Shale Coalition, noted, wells that used to tie up a rig for 30 days can now be drilled in a week. That means fewer rigs, at least in the short term. And fewer rigs means fewer roughnecks and engineers, and less work for all of those related industries that depend on them.

All of which begs the question: Was there a way to have girded ourselves against the vagaries and volatility of a boom-and-bust cycle, even if we didnt understand in the beginning how explosive the boom and precipitous the bust would be?

Lisa Cessna, executive director of the Washington County Planning Commission, where the Marcellus boom really began a decade ago, believes so, and her prescription for smoothing the rough edges off the cycle is to treat both the boom and the bust with an equal measure of caution and skepticism.

Im not necessarily sure that I agree that were in a bust, she said. I think the industry came on hard and fast after they discovered this resource, kind of jockeying for position It seemed that it was not sustainable from the outsetThere has definitely been a decline of activity, but I dont know if Id describe it as a bust. I think its just a more natural level of activity.

Theyre going to be ramping up again, I assume, in the next couple of years, but not at the same levels that they came in here.

Having anticipated that cycle, Washington County adopted a kind of seven fat years, seven lean years approach to revenue, not just with the Act 13 revenues the county received from the state, but with the leases signed on county-owned land. That revenue was carefully husbanded, she said; used when necessary for road improvements, but also for improvements to parks and recreation, amenities that create their own economic benefits, and to reduce the need for bonding or tax increases.

The driving principle, she said, was to save, invest in improvements, take the pressure off the general fund, and do it with the clear understanding that the money youre receiving is definitely going to slow down at some point.

Thats a model that would need to be expanded far beyond investments in parks and recreation if the worst effects of the next bust are to be avoided, said Robert Dunn, associate professor of economics and business at Washington & Jefferson College, who has extensively studied the development of the Marcellus. As in past boom-bust cycles, in the early days of the Marcellus the focus was on the resource itself, not on ways to leverage the resource to attract other diversified industries, and to create a skilled and educated workforce that could weather wild swings in the commodity market. In those heady first years of the boom, he said, what was built was built to deal with that initial surge. It clearly wasnt built to deal with the long-term economic growth of those communities, inside and outside the boundaries of the Marcellus Shale play. Its understandable, he said. People saw a short-term opportunity and I guess they wanted to take it.

But the lesson of the downturn is clear, Dunn said. If the state is going to break out of the boom-and-bust cycles that have bedeviled energy production since the days of Col. Drake, it needs to find a way for stakeholdersthe industry, government, the workforceto use both the resource and the revenue it produces to build a more diversified economy. Getting different industries that can make use of this resourcechemical companies and industries that use natural gas as a really important inputwould be huge. He added that focusing proposed pipeline construction towards rust belt cities in Pennsylvania, where those industries could take root rather than exporting that resource to another region would be a solid step in that direction.

Thats something you could do. Then whatever happens in the [natural gas] industry, youd have these local industries that would use it regularly and that lends stability. Then, if you have trouble in one sector, you wouldnt expect them all to struggle at the same time.

Its not a particularly revolutionary idea, certainly not as revolutionary as the factors that drove the Marcellus boom in the first place, he said, adding that its been on the back burner since the boom first began. There have been some steps taken in that direction. Five years after it was first proposed, Shell Chemical Appalachia LLC will build an ethane cracker in Beaver County. It could produce up to 600 jobs and is expected to go on line sometime in the beginning of the next decade.

But to be really effective, that cracker would have to be part of a larger strategy to lure industries to the region and sustain them.

From the beginning, Dunn said, that was all the talk. That was what was going to happen. But it hasnt.

Maybe next time, it will.
Did the demolition of the greenfield (really the Beechwood Boulevard) Bridge feel like the passing of an era? The urbane, concrete arch span of 1923 was crumbling far too ominously above the speeding traffic of the Parkway East to be able to stay in place, so it was ceremoniously demolished. A replacement will be completed by September 2017, but todays much stiffer concrete and less-resolute aesthetic tastes, at least in road construction, mean that no structure will be built exactly like that again.



Yet, just a few miles away, the granddaddy of all 20th-century concrete spans, the George Westinghouse Bridge, is still with us, a great symbol of its era. Stretched dramatically over the Turtle Creek Valley between East Pittsburgh and North Versailles, the heroic concrete structure was considered a marvel of engineering when it was completed in 1932. It crosses 1,560 feet of the valley in a sequence of five arches, the largest of which rises 200 feet from the lowest point and spans 450 feet. When it opened, it was the largest such structure in America, and the second largest in the world.

Designed by George S. Richardson and built by Booth & Flinn Company, the Machine Age-style concrete construction with sculptural granite friezes atop its four outermost pylons might evoke the great achievements of the New Deal. In fact, Pittsburgh and Allegheny County had great bridgebuilding campaigns of the 1910s and 20s. Car registrations increased tenfold in those decades, and roads had to keep pace.

The Lincoln Highway was no exception. It had been envisioned in 1912 as a cross-country road comprising largely existing routes. As the Philadelphia to Pittsburgh Turnpike (then Route 30), it had crossed through the Turtle Creek Valley in the early 19th century, but its early 20th century passage there seemed especially precarious and unpleasant. Cars wound down an alarming 9 percent grade through a thicket of streets and intersections, the worst section of any road in the state, opined the Post-Gazette in 1929.

Yet, the real congestion in the valley came from railroads and industry. The Pennsylvania Railroad first ran through in 1852. When Andrew Carnegie built his steel mill in adjacent Braddock in 1875, he famously named it for Pennsylvania Railroad President Edgar Thomson, for whom he quickly became the largest steel supplier. Other train linesBaltimore & Ohio, Pennsylvania & Lake Erie and Union Railroadtraversed the valley along the Monongahela. And George Westinghouse started moving his companies from Allegheny City to the burgeoning industrial nexus of the Turtle Creek Valley in 1889 to be near the Pennsylvania Railroad. In the process, he revolutionized railroad-related fields of safety, signaling and electrification.

Though we see the area as depressed brownfields today, the convergence of those three great industrial entities made this one of the worlds foremost manufacturing centers and infrastructural tangles. When the bridge went up, it wasnt simply straightening and smoothing the automobile paths. It had several layers of transportation and industry to span and effectively culminate.

Supervising Engineer V.R. Covell explained in Scientific American, One hundred ninety feet below the new bridge, the trains on the main line of the Pennsylvania Railroad thunder past, crossed overhead by the Union Railroad, and underneath by a main highway carrying a street railway, and [finally] by the Turtle Creek.

The transportation artery that would surmount all these others needed to be suitably monumental. The engineers considered numerous designs for the span, including a variety of steel cantilevers. Yet, regardless of the valleys defining industries, they decided that a concrete arch structure would be most suitably monumental and grand. Concrete gave the hint of historic architecture and the cultural authority of the millennia. As Westinghouse chief A.W. Robertson declared on dedication day: Noble arches will ever be a symbol of mans conquest over nature a symbol of mans God-given ability to control and shape his environment to his advantage.

The bridge that seemed simply like a culminating achievement in that moment looks in hindsight like a very different era simultaneously. While cars dashed over concrete superstructure to the suburbs, factories served by railroads continued to form the core of industrial towns and cities. No longer satisfied to go through or around, the automobiles of the 20th century drove above the industry of the 19th. Architectural historian Martin Aurand discusses this relationship and the view from the bridges and trains through the valley in an excellent book, The Spectator and the Topographical City.

Of course, much of the industry ultimately departed. Westinghouse Companies are gone from East Pittsburgh, with a few remaining industrial buildings available for rent in an industrial park. Though freight train traffic is brisk at 50 to 70 per day, passenger trains are down from a couple hundred a day to just a couple. The Edgar Thomson works persists with around 900 employees, down from a peak of 5,000, an isolated mill that once led an industrial region.

So, too, the George Westinghouse Bridge soldiers on. A major restoration in 1983 brought it back from a low point of poor maintenance and limited traffic. Addition of some unsympathetic Jersey barriers has not compromised its overall grandeur, even if the valley below gives cause for melancholy rather than celebration.

As we work to envision driverless cars and plan for the eventual end of fossil fuels, we experience a period of at least as much promise and tumult as that which greeted the Turtle Creek Valley in 1930. How to engage freeways and bridges in coming years? A great work of civic art gives sharp and lasting focus to moments of historic import in a way that a few new lanes, however wide and smooth, can never do.
Certainly, its not great news that Pittsburgh didnt win a $50 million federal Smart City Challenge grant to redesign its transportation system.

The grant would have helped plan, design and build the next Pittsburgh, Mayor Bill Peduto said. Pittsburghs proposal envisioned a combination of big data working with electricity microgrids to create an electric avenue for autonomous, solarpowered vehicles that would reduce congestion and pollution and provide a template for the world.

Its a great idea, and one that has Pittsburgh written all over it. With Traffic21 at Carnegie Mellon University, established by the Henry Hillman Foundation, and with a belief in our abilities to innovate and lead, why stop? The SmartPGH Consortiuma group of government, foundation, education, utility and freight operators should find a way to keep on truckin!

A Pittsburgh Powerhouse: Howard Hanna

With its acquisition of New York-based RealtyUSA, Pittsburghs Howard Hanna Real Estate Services has become the nations thirdlargest real estate company.

Adding the biggest real estate broker in New York to Howard Hannas status as the biggest in Pennsylvania and Ohio creates a firm with more than $16 billion in closed sales volume and nearly 90,000 transactions last year.

Howard Hanna is one of Pittsburghs leading corporate citizens. And increasing its strength and ability to continue as an independent, family-run Pittsburgh dynamo is great for Howard Hanna and for Pittsburgh.

Almono: Turning brown to green

In 2002, four Pittsburgh foundationsR.K. Mellon, McCune, the Heinz Endowments and Benedumformed a limited partnership with the Regional Industrial Development Corporation to purchase the 178-acre LTV Steel site in Hazelwood.

Known as Almono (from the Allegheny, Monongahela and Ohio rivers), the ambitious project set out to create a new standard for urban riverfront development. And progress is moving along at a rapid clip.

Site remediation has been the main focus, but by year end, the completion of a $25 million road and infrastructure project will be a major step in turning the citys biggest brownfield into a mixed-use, sustainable community that brings new life to Hazelwood. Next up: development, including Ubers renovation of an historic Roundhouse on the site for its automated vehicle-testing program.

The Cracker Era: A Much-Needed Lift

At a time when Pittsburgh has lagged all of its benchmark peers in job growth Pittsburgh grew jobs at a paltry rate of 0.6 percent between June of 2015 and June of this yearthe news that Royal Dutch Shell is going ahead with its Beaver County cracker plant is a big shot in the arm. The huge construction project is expected to begin next year and will create some 6,000 jobs that ultimately give way to about 600 permanent jobs.

Using low-cost natural gas from the Marcellus Shale, the process cracks ethane gas into ethylene, which serves as a feedstock for the petrochemical industry. Hailed as an industrial game-changer for the region, the cracker is expected to boost not only construction jobs and the local natural gas and petrochemical industries, but also provide a significant job multiplier in countless other sectors, as well as boosting the regions real estate market, especially in hotel and office space.

Shell is a great company, and we welcome them to Pittsburgh. Shell has already committed $80 million to the environmental remediation of the former zinc-smelting site. However, in a region that already has an air quality problem, we cant forget that additional air pollution will accompany the complexthe equivalent of some 36,000 cars, according to a University of Pittsburgh report. Knowing this, we must work togethercompanies and citizensto collectively reduce our overall air pollution footprint if we want our efforts for a healthier region to move forward, not backward.
It's not clear if he bakes bread, but Democratic congressional candidate Mike Derrick can cook, according to wife, Kathy Derrick, who filmed a campaign web video urging 21st Congressional District voters to elect her husband to Congress.

"So I was very fortunate to not only marry a man who can cook, but I also married a man who makes very selfless decisions," Kathy Derrick said in the video.

Mike Derrick, a retired Army colonel from Peru, in Clinton County, is running in the 21st Congressional District against U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-Willsboro, and Green Party candidate Matt Funiciello, a bread company owner and political activist from Hudson Falls.

Kathy Derrick frequently campaigns with her husband and has spoken on his behalf at several events.
Robin Laverne Wilson, the Green Party challenger to U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., said she is sick and tired of the label third party.

Were railing against a system and messaging that constantly discredits us as a third party, she said in a speech at Rock Hill Bakehouse Cafe in Glens Falls on Sunday.

How many presidential candidates are on the ballot, yall? she asked the audience of about 40 people.

Several people said four, referring to the four candidates on the New York ballot: Republican candidate Donald Trump, Democrat candidate Hillary Clinton, Green Party candidate Jill Stein and Libertarian Party candidate Gary Johnson.

One man in the audience said, five, to which Wilson asked, Who is number five?

The man responded, the guy from Utah,  an apparent reference to independent candidate Evan McMullen.

They keep calling us a third party when there is already four major candidates on four major parties on the ballot, Wilson said. Please tell me which one is the third one and which one is the fourth one? Theyre insulting us as if we cant do basic math.

And further more, every time you hear the word third, its usually used as an insult, she continued. Man, we dont need a third wheel. -- Third-class citizen.-- One of my favorites is third world country, when really it should be called is a purposely exploited and underdeveloped country.

Click here to read more about Wilson's campaign speech in Glens Falls.
Glens Falls proved its viability as a cultural center for northeastern New York with the success of the Adirondack Film Festival over the weekend. This builds on the continuing success of the Adirondack Theatre Festival and the active fine arts, music, theater and museum scenes here.

It's rare for a city as small as Glens Falls to have an arts scene that is as varied and successful as ours is, and we should build on it.

Mike Parwana, who lives in Lake Luzerne, has a business based in Queensbury and is active in the local political and arts scenes, has offered an intriguing proposal  a writers' residency  as a way to use some of the $10 million downtown revitalization grant that Glens Falls recently was awarded.

The money for the program Parwana proposes wouldn't have to come from the state grant. But however it was funded, I like the way he is thinking about economic development in a creative way.

In brief, Parwana proposes using $500,000 over 10 years to set up a furnished studio apartment in downtown, where selected writers could live for 15 weeks at a time, three times a year. During their residencies, the writers would receive living stipends so they could work without distractions. In return, they would acknowledge the grant in subsequent published works and would do readings and workshops at local spots such as Crandall library, SUNY Adirondack and The Hyde Collection.

Possibly, Glens Falls would end up as the setting for a novel or two, but even if that didn't happen, it would draw Glens Falls into the writing and publishing world, much as the Adirondack Theatre Festival has drawn the city into the acting and theater world.

Mike includes some pretty generous figures in his proposal, such as a $9,500 grant for each writer's 15-week residency, plus a $45 per day meal stipend. The meal stipend could be paid in scrip redeemable at the local farmers market or at local restaurants, he proposes.

I'm guessing the city could spend less money and still get quality writers. Most writers, even relatively successful ones, would be happy with a program that provided free room and board and a much smaller grant.

For advice, we could get in touch with Lorrie Moore, a native of Glens Falls (born in 1957), who went to St. Lawrence University and has become a celebrated and well-known writer.

Also, William Kennedy, the founder and executive director of the New York Writers Institute, lives in Averill Park and many years ago worked briefly at The Post-Star.

And SUNY Adirondack runs a Writers Project that, on Tuesday of this week (Oct. 25) is bringing in Marika McCoola, a young writer from Glens Falls who has written a best-selling graphic novel, "Baba Yaga's Assistant."

So all the ingredients are there to realize Mike Parwana's vision; they're just waiting for someone to throw them together.
PLATTSBURGH  The three candidates for the 21st Congressional District seat stayed firm on their issue positions in their final debate, which produced few, if any fireworks.

Incumbent Republican Elise Stefanik continued her support for her partys presidential candidate, Donald Trump, despite his recent controversial remarks about women and allegations of sexual assault.

Stefanik, 32, the youngest woman ever elected to Congress when she won in 2014, said she supports Trump, reiterating her stance that, of all the candidates, he has the best chance to work with a Republican Congress.

She said she disagrees with some of the statements Trump has made and has voiced her objections

I will continue to speak out about them and will continue to be an independent voice, she said.

CORPORATE DONORS

Stefanik was joined in the debate on Monday afternoon by Democrat Mike Derrick of Peru in Clinton County and Green Party candidate Matt Funiciello of Glens Falls.

It was hosted by Mountain Lake PBS and aired on television Monday night. It can also be viewed at mountainlake.org.

Veteran journalist Thom Hallock served as moderator.

Derrick, 53, said that Stefanik is trying to win the election with big donations from corporate donors and that she is not interested in helping out the middle class.

He said that Republican House Speaker Paul Ryan is trying to help Stefanik buy the election by engineering campaign funding support for her from big donors.

That ($500,000) does not come without strings attached, Derrick said

Dont sell this seat to the highest bidder.

Derrick, a 28-year U.S. Army veteran, also said that Green Party candidate Matt Funiciello is not a realistic choice.

Matt talks about the important issues, but he does not bring realistic solutions, Derrick said.

CREATURES OF WALL STREET

Funiciello, who owns a bakery, said both Stefanik and Derrick represent corporate-machine candidates and cant be trusted to look out for the best interest of the working class.

Elise is the highest bidder, and Mike is the second-highest bidder, Funiciello said.

Dont vote for the second-highest bidder either. They are both creatures of Wall Street.

Funiciello also said that a federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour is a crime, and it needs to be doubled to $15 per hour.

He chided Derrick for Democrats lack of support for increasing the minimum wage.

Democrats dont support the $15 minimum wage; they support a slave wage, he said.

ALL OPPOSE TPP

Derrick said that minimum wage hikes need to be implemented regionally, with a $15 level in the New York City area and $12.50 in the North Country.

North Country small businesses need a transition plan so we dont crush all the small family farms, he said.

Stefanik said she will continue to work on improving the economy and creating more jobs.

So a minimum wage job can be a starting point, she said.

Stefanik also said, as she has in the past, that she does not support the controversial Trans-Pacific Trade Partnership trade deal.

I will only support a deal that will benefit the North Country, she said, adding that Congress also needs to be able to vote on any new trade agreements.

Derrick and Funiciello also said they do not support TPP.

FRACKING QUEEN

Funiciello called Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton the Fracking Queen, who supports controversial hydro-fracking despite potential environmental problems with the practice.

That is called lying, he said of Clintons stance on hydro-fracking.

Derrick said the dairy compact establishing milk prices for Northeast farmers needs to be tailored to help farmers who are facing prices about 40 percent lower than they did two years ago.

We dont do enough for our apple and dairy farmers, Derrick said.
QUEENSBURY  The Lake George man who has been blamed for a July boat crash on Lake George that killed an 8-year-old girl has been indicted on 12 criminal charges, including counts of manslaughter, vehicular manslaughter and criminally negligent homicide.

An indictment that accuses Alexander M. West of homicide charges in the death of Charlotte McCue was handed up Monday morning in Warren County Court. Arraignment has been scheduled for Wednesday at 11 a.m. before Warren County Judge John Hall.

It alleges West was operating a boat recklessly and under the influence of alcohol and drugs when a 21-foot powerboat he drove the night of July 25 slammed into the side of a boat driven by Charlottes grandfather. The girl died almost instantly, and her mother, Courtney McCue, was seriously hurt.

The boat that carried West and four passengers, who police believed had been at an all-day party on the lakes east side, fled moments after the crash.

The four passengers were charged with misdemeanors that accused them of lying to police and/or obstructing the police investigation. They are not named in the indictment.

Warren County Sheriff Bud York said in August that blood tests of a sample West gave about 12 hours later, when he surrendered himself, showed that West had consumed three drugs, though exactly when and what drugs they were was not released or had not been determined. There was no alcohol found, though numerous witnesses told police he was drinking in the hours before the crash.

The indictment includes eight felonies and four misdemeanors, among them felony counts of assault and vehicular assault as well as two felony charges of leaving the scene of a personal injury accident.

The indictment also alleges he drove a boat while impaired by alcohol, drove while impaired by drugs, drove recklessly and possessed cocaine. The cocaine was found in the boat he piloted, authorities said.

Wests lawyer, Cheryl Coleman, said the indictment and homicide charges were not unexpected, but declined comment on the new charges of boating under the influence of drugs and alcohol.

Its totally in line with what we expected, she said. You cant litigate the case without having it be indicted.

Warren County District Attorney Kate Hogan said she had no comment on the indictment Monday morning.

The indictment dramatically increases the potential sentence that West faces if he is convicted for the leaving the scene charges that were filed days after the collision.

The top charge, second-degree manslaughter, can bring a sentence of up to 5 to 15 years in state prison, and any homicide sentence could run consecutively to a sentence imposed for fleeing the crash afterward. (Charges for the specific homicide counts could not run consecutively with one another, however.)

If convicted of manslaughter and leaving the scene, he could face up to 7-1/3 to 22 years in prison.

Coleman has reportedly indicated they may seek a change of venue for the case out of concerns that publicity may hurt chances of seating an impartial jury to hear the case.

The McCues are California residents who were vacationing with family before the collision, which occurred near Cramer Point, a short distance from the home where they were staying.

The horrific crash has led to calls to end Log Bay Day, the annual late July gathering where West and his friends allegedly partied for hours before the collision. The Lake George Park Commission and local police have come up with a plan to curtail the event next summer.

The Sheriffs Office was also investigating whether Wests parents should be charged for allegedly assisting him with evading police after the crash. They were involved in a serious motorcycle crash last month, and his mother has since been transferred to a rehabilitation center.

York said Monday that the investigation into Wests parents alleged actions was ongoing.

West is free on bail pending further court action.
QUEENSBURY  The burned remnants of auto repair business Ridge Road Car Care, the focus of a years-long stalemate over its cleanup, sold last week during Warren Countys annual property tax auction.

The Ridge Road, Queensbury property was among 41 properties that sold during the annual auction, bringing in one of the highest totals in years.

In all, the properties sold for $625,275, a figure that will leave the county with nearly $450,000 to put into its fund balance and a fund to support testing of abandoned properties, once the $177,865 in back taxes is paid.

Local developer Joseph Gross bought the lot at 894 Ridge for $5,000 and a neighboring lot for $9,000, among eight properties he purchased during the auction.

A suspicious fire in July 2013 destroyed the auto repair business on the site, and no cleanup has occurred after the owner walked away from the property amid concerns that there was asbestos in the remains.

The town of Queensbury had taken court action to force a cleanup, but the sale of the property will result in all of the cleanup responsibility being transferred to Gross, said Lexi Delurey, the countys director of real property and tax services.

The .68-acre piece of land sold for $240,000 to Andrew Ratto, who operated the repair shop, in 2010.

Gross is the owner of Gross Electric and has rehabilitated and built new homes on properties he has bought at auctions in the past. He could not be reached for comment Monday.

The highest-priced property was a 7.72 acre piece of land on Corinth Road, which sold for $248,000 to a central New York businessman, Joseph Verdi. Verdi operates a storage container business in Wayne County, and Delurey said he came to the auction specifically to buy that property, which sits just west of the Northway.

It had been owned by Contore Co. Inc. since 1957, but has been vacant for years.

In all, 42 pieces of property went up for auction, and only one  an 8.49-acre, wooded piece of swampland south of Ridge Road Car Care on Ridge Road  did not sell.

There was only one that was a no sale, Delurey said.

There are $12,911 in back taxes owed on that parcel.

Numerous other properties sold for between $20,000 and $37,000 apiece. Most were vacant land, or had vacant homes on them.

The county begins foreclosure proceedings when taxes havent been paid for three years.
LAKE GEORGE  It is going to take a sustained effort to reduce the amount of salt going into Lake George, including changes in expectations, procedures and equipment.

Nearly 100 people learned about the latest technology and best practices in snow removal at the second annual Salt Summit. Public works officials, elected officials and environmental experts attended the event Monday, which was organized by the Fund for Lake George and held at the Fort William Henry Conference Center.

Interest in reducing the salt flow into the lake is increasing, according to Eric Siy, executive director of the Fund for Lake George. Among the attendees at the conference was the director of operations for the New York Department of Transportation.

Its really a team effort. If we dont have all these players participating and coming together, we cannot win on this issue, Siy said.

Jim Sutherland, a retired DEC staff member who consults for the Fund for Lake George, spoke about the research he has done on Finkle Brook in Bolton, which is part of the Lake George watershed.

He said the streams chloride levels increase 150-fold between its source and its outflow into the lake.

High salt levels help the invasive zebra mussel thrive, according to Sutherland.

The Fund for Lake George is conducting a bigger study to look at 14 locations in the Lake George watershed.

Brittany Christenson, executive director of AdkAction, said among the costs of road salt are corrosion of personal and highway vehicles and infrastructure.

Corrosion of cars costs people about $11.7 billion each year, she said. About 15 percent of the 583,000 bridges in the United States are structurally deficient because of corrosion, and it will cost $3.8 billion to replace those bridges and $4.5 billion to maintain them.

Demonstrations of some of the latest technology to reduce salt use was part of the summit. The village of Lake George is one of the few communities to have what is called a live edge plow, with a blade that is essentially perpendicular to the ground.

Paul Vanderzon, of Metal Pless, demonstrated how the truck works, with six smaller stainless steel blades that help grind up the snow, scraping off snow and ice right down to the road.

Lets get as much snow removed from the pavement, then we can use less salt, he said.

The blades are able to move left and right and up and down, according to Vanderzon.

It allows us to get that clean scrape. When it hits something it just folds back, he said.

The plow costs about $19,500, but money can be saved by having to do fewer passes of streets, according to Vanderzon.

Another approach is to use a liquid brine salt solution instead of just straight salt.

Ronald G. Eckman, a specialist with Deicing Depot, showed off a truck in which a computer controls the administering of the brine solution.

If youre going 5 miles per hour or youre going 15 miles per hour, the same application is coming out, he said.

Daniel Gilliland of SnowEx showed off his hopper to make brine, which is just a water solution that is about 23 percent concentrated with salt.

Using brine is about 5 to 25 times less expensive than using rock salt, he said.

Officials also learned some tips from Paul Brown, snow and ice engineer with the Massachusetts Department of Transportation.

Brown said using less salt requires a culture change. Transportation officials want to provide safe roads, but that does not mean they need to get the road down to black pavement. They changed their philosophy in Massachusetts to mean that the roads should be reasonably safe.

Among his suggestions are for crews to get out early, pre-treat roads with a brine salt solution and calibrate the plowing equipment.

You cant do business like we used to, because youre not going to get better results. Youre going to get the same as before, he said.

Dave Wick, executive director of the Lake George Park Commission, led a discussion of efforts done so far. Bolton and Hague have two new salt storage sheds. The village is working with the town of Lake George to get a new shed on town-owned properties. Several municipalities and the state Department of Transportation are using alternative products such as Magic Salt.

Wick said it is a tough balancing act between being environmentally responsible and having safe roads that will please local residents.

Youll never get a complaint if you oversalt the roads, he said.

Bob Winans, of the state Transportation Department, said the department pre-treats its roads with brine, which has both economic and environmental benefits.

The less salt we use, the less salt we buy, the less salt that ends up in the water supply, he said.

Raqib Omer, founder and chief executive officer of Viaeyes, a transportation systems company, presented results of a study he did for the Fund for Lake George about salt use.

It was a light winter, but they were still able to collect some data. Use of salt is all over the board.

We were able to tell that things were consistently inconsistent, which means that theres tremendous room for improvement, Omer said.
Editor:

During the recent debate held on Oct. 17, Elise Stefanik stated that she is the first person in her immediate family to go to college. Of course, she is to be congratulated. We know that Elise is smart, she attended Harvard, but the question that should be asked is how does she choose to use that intelligence?

Her decision to endorse Donald Trump is a political calculation. She thinks it is prudent to avoid upsetting Trump supporters who might vote for her rather than do what is morally correct. A career politician does not put her constituents first; she weighs her options and puts her own interests first. A politician like her only cares about obtaining votes.

Mike Derrick is not a career politician. After serving 28 years in the United States Army, Mike chose to retire and return to his hometown Peru, New York. Mike wants to serve his neighbors and fellow New Yorkers as he served our country. Be assured, Mike Derrick will always put the interests of the North Country first.

Judith Tully, Queensbury
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The group, in a statement, said the activities of the illegal miners also has a grave impact on the environment which may compromise Ghana's food security.

It said: "Another concern is the proximity of illegal and small-scale mining to cocoa plantations, as heavy metal poisoning and pollution are degrading the land and affecting freshwater and underground aquifers.

"Weather patterns in sub-Sahara Africa is getting worse making it difficult for the region to achieve its food production target, hence the need to stop degradation of the environment through the activities of galamsey.

The proliferation of illegal mining also takes an environmental toll, negatively affecting the cocoa segment."

While most of Ghanas agricultural output was rain-fed, with the drought impacting production across the sector more broadly, cocoa was particularly vulnerable to the harmattan, which dried seeds and eroded yields, the statement said.

Touching on Ghana's cocoa output, it said Ghanas cocoa production fell short of industry forecasts for the 2015/16 growing season.

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The latest result is also well below Ghanas 2014/15 cocoa output, which totalled 730,000 tonnes, below COCOBODs forecast of 1m tonnes, due to an outbreak of black pod disease and adverse weather conditions that year, the statement said.
This is because the West African Examinations Council has re-introduced Arabic as an elective subject in its syllabus.

The National Vice President of the Federation of Islamic Senior High schools, Alhaji Yahuza Abubakar, announced this at a press conference in Kumasi on Sunday October 24.

He said WAEC will also include the subject for junior high school candidates who will sit for the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) in 2018.

The struggle for the reintroduction of Arabic language as an examinable subject started since the introduction of the senior high school system in Ghana. The struggle only came to fruition recently with the endorsement of His Excellency the president of the republic of Ghana John Dramani Mahama.

"The federation is informing the whole country that Arabic language is now examinable as an elective subject beginning from the 2017 WASSCE May/June examinations. We also wish to state that Arabic Language will be examinable at the BECE level from 2018. We wish to inform all Islamic Senior High Schools offering Arabic as a subject to prepare and register their candidates for the 2017 May/June WASSCE, the registration of which is currently ongoing, the National Vice President of the Federation, Alhaji Yahuza Abubakar, said.
The statement continue to say he was rushed to the 37 Military Hospital in Accra where he gave up the ghost.

The full statement singed by SMF's Communication Directorate, Kelly Nii Lartey Mensah reads:

"Management of SMF received heartbreaking news of the death of Dancehall musician and award winning entertainer Emmanuel Kojo Quayeson known by his stage name as Vybrant Faya at the 37 Military Hospital in Accra after being involved in motor accident on the Tema motorway, on Sunday 23rd October 2016.

We are shocked and in total state of sorrow. We met with Vybrant and some of his family members on Sunday afternoon around 3pm and had a rather good discussion. Few hours after their departure we had a telephone call that Vybrant Faya had been admitted at the 37 Military Hospital after being involved in an accident.

A team from SMF was quickly dispatched to the hospital only to be told that our brother has passed on. We are grief-stricken and cannot hold back our tears. Our deep condolences to the family. Family of Vybrant Faya is yet to release official statement on the issue. May Allah find a peaceful place for you brother till we meet.

Signed:

Kelly Nii Lartey Mensah
The Northern Regional office of the FDA with the assistance of the Northern Regional Police has affected the arrest of three (3) Nigerian men on the matter and they are assisting the Police in their investigations, the statement said.

According to the FDA, the product is believed to have been formulated from the original LDC, a household cleaning solution, which is a GNLD product.

It said the fake preparation, claims it can be used for the following conditions; all skin infections, foot rot, wound dressing, bad breath, mouthwash, ringworm, odour, shaving rash, mildew, onycholysis and ladies white.

The FDA has, therefore, advised the public to be cautious of the distribution and sale of the product.

The Food and Drugs Authority will like to use this opportunity to advise consumers against the patronage of the said product and to beware of persons who come to them with will all manner of products purporting to have curative properties or the ability to manage one form of health condition or another, it said.
Members of Parliament began the consideration of the Bill on Wednesday after several years of the document being laid in the law-making house.

Industry players have often expressed disappointment over the delay in the passage of the Bill, as they argue that the movie trade has no protection.

But with the new law, children will now be protected from adult content especially, at movie screenings, exhibitions, and premiering centers.

READ ALSO: Parental Guidance

Section 20 of the new law demands the establishment of a National Film Board.

The Board has the responsibility not to approve for exhibition, a film it considers to be pornographic.

Section 23, clauses 1, 2, and 3 respectively further states that a person shall not attend a film exhibition which that person is not qualified to attend by virtue of the classification of the film under section 19 (4).

A person, who exhibits a film under a license issued under this Act, shall not permit another person who is disqualified by virtue of classification of film to enter or remain on the premises where the exhibition is taking place.

It added that: Where the exhibitor of a film is of the opinion that a person who wishes to enter or remain on the premises or theatre for the exhibition is disqualified by virtue of the classification, the exhibitor shall refund the entrance fee paid by that person and send that person away from their premises or theatre.

The new law repeals the Cinematography Act, 1961 (Act 76) and the Cinematographer Amendment Decree, 1975 (NRCD 350).

It also seeks to provide the legal framework for the production, regulation, nurturing and development of the Ghanaian film industry, and for the distribution, exhibition and marketing of films and for related matters.

The Bill defined a Ghanaian film as one which is registered with the National Film Authority, is classified as Ghanaian, and which satisfies any three of the following criteria:

The language used in the film is English or a Ghanaian language

The film has a Ghanaian producer

The film has a Ghanaian production team

The film has a Ghanaian film director

The film has a predominantly Ghanaian cast

The subject matter is Ghanaian and
The donation is proceeds from Mr Mahamas mothers funeral, which the Mahama family decided to offer in support of the development of the centre.

UT Bank also added Gh 20,000 to bring the donation in total to Gh 300,000.

In a Facebook post, president Mahama said, "Earlier today, I presented on behalf of my siblings, an amount of GH300,000 to the National Cardiothoracic Centre, being proceeds of donations received during the funeral of my late mother. Thank you to UT Bank for the additional amount of GH20,000 to the GH280,000 realized from the donations."
The party in a statement said, "We would equally expect the Ghana Police Service to be very professional in serving the best interests of the very Ghanaians they are there to protect and serve."

Dr. Papa Kwesi Nduom and Hassan Ayariga of the All Peoples Congress (APC) have been ordered by the Economic and Organized Crime Office (EOCO) to explain how they funded their political campaigns.

Read more: EOCO investigates Nduom and Ayariga over source of campaign funds

In a leaked letter to Hassan Ayariga, EOCO is searching for answers over how Hassan Ayariga spent over $6 million dollars to procure vehicles, among others. Papa Kwesi Nduom is also expected to explain how he used 1.7 million cedis to pay for his filing fees at the Electoral Commission (EC) and that of his parliamentary candidates.

However, EOCO has given Dr. Nduom up to Wednesday, October 26, to furnish their office on how they funded aspects of their political campaigns.

But the party said, the display of unprofessionalism by the Ghana Police Service in addressing the issue of a complaint by the Electoral Commissioner puts our democracy under scrutiny.

Below is the full statement by PPP

The Progressive Peoples Party (PPP), United Kingdom and Ireland Chapter has noted with disdain the issuance of arrest warrants to prospective Presidential Candidates of our Motherland Ghana to appear before the police Criminal Investigative Department by close of day, Friday 21st October, 2016 or risk being arrested by the police department.

Whilst we believe in the rule of law, we would equally expect the Ghana Police Service to be very professional in serving the best interests of the very Ghanaians they are there to protect and serve. Ghana is supposed to be a Matured Democracy and as such we expect our law enforcers to take no sides in the performance of their duties which, from all intents and purposes seems to be the case.

We therefore call on the Inspector General of Police to conduct his men and women in uniform to respect those who are putting themselves up to vie for the position of a Head of State but for some hiccups which are clearly being misconstrued as serious crimes. Mind you, there were recent cases of serious crimes by the notorious muntie three which ended up on the desk of our Head of State for a Presidential pardon which was granted as a matter of course because the three happened to be members of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC). If we compare the errors or mistakes on the forms submitted to the Electoral Commission (EC) by Dr. Nduom and other Presidential aspirants to the threats by the muntie three which one should be classified as worse than the other?

The PPP believes that none of the Presidential aspirants is a crook or else the Electoral Commission wouldnt have given them the forms to be completed in the first place. It goes without saying therefore that one would expect the highest standards in policing ethics from our uniformed men and women as pertains in enlightened or more civilised societies. The display of unprofessionalism by the Ghana Police Service in addressing the issue of a complaint by the Electoral Commissioner puts our democracy under scrutiny by the international community as the treatment meted out to some of our Presidential aspirants is well over the top and needs more to be desired by way of unqualified apologies to the prospective Presidential candidates.
Kwakye Ofosu explained that nobody can become President in Ghana if they dont allow themselves to be scrutinised by the electorates.

He questioned why Nana Addo has allegedly backtracked from contesting in the IEA presidential encounter where his turn had been postponed twice.

President Mahama in an interview with Ovation Magazine said Nana Addo has only been making accusations against him but he has been running away from a debate challenge he has thrown to Nana Addo.
The Daily Graphic Newspaper reported that EOCO in a letter is asking Dr Nduom to explain the source of the over GHc1.7 million Cedis he used to pay for the filing fees of the parliamentary candidates of his party and his presidential filing fee at the Electoral Commission (EC).

the letter from EOCO stated.

In the letter to Ayariga it said the office has analysed your statements and comments made to the media and circulated on social media.

READ ALSO: Dr Nduom the Ghanaian President who may never be

In one such statement, you are heard to have said you expended over $6 million to procure vehicles, among others. The statement is of great interest to the office, hence the Offices demand for him to tell them in writing his source of funding.

The letter stated that EOCO was interested in knowing how he claimed to have spent over $6 million dollars to procure vehicles, among others for his campaign.

The two presidential aspirants are part of the thirteen disqualified presidential aspirants by the EC over anomalies in their nomination forms.
EOCO last Friday invited the presidential aspirants of the All Peoples Congress (APC) and the PPP to confirm, in writing, the sources of their incomes. Dr Nduom is being asked to explain the source of GH750,000 that he paid for himself and the party's parliamentary candidates.

READ ALSO: EOCO investigates Nduom and Ayariga over source of campaign funds

But, addressing the media on the matter on Monday, 24 October, Ms Dzogbenuku said: We are convinced at this point that these despicable maneuverings are orchestrated by our opponents who are uncomfortable with the growth of the party.

As a party, we believe in building stronger state institutions. On Friday 21st October 2016, an Accra Radio station reported on their website that the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) boss had issued an arrest warrant for Dr Papa Kwesi Nduom to appear before the CID. We are extremely disappointed that the CID boss would use the media as the channel to invite him instead of the appropriate administrative procedure.

READ ALSO: EOCO Probe

We woke up today to be greeted with the ridiculous front page publication on the Daily Graphic that ECOO has given our flag bearer Dr Papa Kwesi Nduom up to Wednesday October 26, to explain the source of the GHS1.7m that was paid as filing fees to the EC on behalf of the partys parliamentary candidates.

We are extremely disappointed with this kind of Machiavellian tactics of a state-sponsored institution to attempt to disgrace Dr Nduom in such an unfortunate manner. We are surprised at the behaviour of EOCO that this institution is being used for intimidating political opponents.
The General Secretary often referred to as General Mosquito was speaking at the campaign launch of the NDCs parliamentary candidate in the Adentan constituency, Mohammed Adamu Ramadan.

He said Nana Addo is currently based in London and only returns to Ghana periodically to hold rallies when he hears the NDC is doing same.

Asiedu Nketia rather called on the wife of Nana Addo, to emulate Nigerias first lady Aisha Buhari by advising her husband to step down.

Nana Akufo-Addo has travelled outside Ghana several times this year. Recently after a rally in Sowutuom in the Greater Accra region Nana Addo left Ghana for Europe  specifically Germany and the United Kingdom.
He is expected to be on a campaign tour in the region for five days. This follows a similar tour in the Ashanti Region last week.

This will be Nana Addos second tour of the Volta Region this year.

President John Mahama also toured the region last week and returned over the weekend.

READ ALSO: Nana Addo begins second phase of campaign tour

The NPP is targeting three parliamentary seats and 30 percent of the votes in the Volta region.
God has revealed to me that some politicians in a certain political party in Ghana are conspiring with some members of the NPP to shoot Nana dead at a campaign tour. The NPP should not take this as a joke but rather provide tight security around the man, he said.

We are not taking chances at all with the revelation he made. We are taking steps towards that, he told Accra FM.Sam Pyne also questioned why the police invited the man of God over the revelation, saying: He (Rev Bempah) did not mention the names of thoseplotting to kill Nana Addo. He did not mention John Mahama or Amissah-Arthur and so why go and arrest him? When he made the revelation in 2008 that the NDC was going to win the elections that year they were happy, and so what has changed?
The Economic and Organized Crime Office (EOCO) has given the Presidential nominees of the Progressive Peoples Party (PPP), Dr. Papa Kwesi Nduom and All Peoples Congress (APC) Hassan Ayariga up to Wednesday, October 26, to furnish their office on how they funded aspects of their political campaigns.

The Daily Graphic Newspaper reported that EOCO is in a letter is asking Dr Nduom to explain the source of the over GHc1.7 million Cedis he used to pay for the filing fees of the parliamentary candidates of his party and his presidential filing fee at the Electoral Commission (EC).

READ ALSO: EOCO investigates Nduom and Ayariga over source of campaign funds

The letter also stated that EOCO was interested in knowing how Ayariga claimed to have spent over $6 million dollars to procure vehicles, among others for his campaign.

However, speaking on the matter Monday, Mr. Kofi Adams, the campaign coordinator of the NDC, said: We [NDC] do not intend to influence their [EOCO] way of working and President Mahama cannot call them to order yesterday, today or tomorrow because they are doing their independent job.

If they have nothing to hide, they should just go and tell them but hiding and accusing others, I am sorry to say that we have more serious things to do, Mr Adams told Accra-based Joy FM.

The letters inviting the two disqualified aspirants which were dated October 21, 2016, was signed by the Executive Director of EOCO, Justice Tsar.

The two presidential aspirants are part of the thirteen disqualified presidential aspirants by the EC over anomalies in their nomination forms.
Welcome to the Pulse Community! We will now be sending you a daily newsletter on news, entertainment and more. Also join us across all of our other channels - we love to be connected! Welcome to the Pulse Community! We will now be sending you a daily newsletter on news, entertainment and more. Also join us across all of our other channels - we love to be connected!
Welcome to the Pulse Community! We will now be sending you a daily newsletter on news, entertainment and more. Also join us across all of our other channels - we love to be connected!
According to reports, the suspects were apprehended at a shrine in Okokomaiko, Lagos, where an initiation ceremony was going on.

The suspects were identified as Matthew Agboroko, John Agboroko, Samson Okpe, Paul Jago, Saheed Oriyomi and David Quenum, who hails from Benin Republic.

ALSO READ: Cultists attack motorcade of Cross River Deputy Governor

SP Dolapo Badmos, the state Police Public Relations Officer confirmed the arrests in a statement.

Information was received at about 11.30pm on Friday that a house on Halidu Avenue, Shibiri, owned by one Mrs. Rosemary Lawrence, was allegedly being used for the initiation of cultists.

The suspects met there at their shrine to initiate new members.

We got information that the gang was initiating new members and we stormed the compound.

Some of the suspects are siblings. We have been keeping a close watch on the groups activities for some time. They are Eiye Confraternity members.

A team of policemen raided the place and nine suspects were arrested.

Some wraps of weeds suspected to be hemp were recovered in a shrine allegedly used for the initiation of new members.

The suspects are still under investigation and the Commissioner of Police, CP, Fatai Owoseni, has directed that the suspects be charged to court, she said.
Daily Sun reports that Ogar who is an indigene of Okpoma village in Yala Local Government Area of Cross River State, committed the dastardly act on Saturday, October 8, 2016, at their residence in Mpape, a suburb of Abuja, when he used a knife to stab them to death in the middle of the night.

It was gathered that Ogar who confessed to the police after he was arrested, said he took the decision of killing his family because he could not take adequate care of them.

The FCT Commissioner of Police, CP Mohammed Mustafa, said Ogar who slept with his wife and their only daughter on the same bed, woke up suddenly in the middle of the night and stabbed both of them to death and they died instantly.

Mustafa added that Ogar then carried the corpses of the wife, Omago, 27, and the daughter identified as Blessing, to a nearby primary school in the area where he allegedly wrote a small note and dropped it beside the corpses and then ran off to hide in his farm.

A neighbour of the Ogars who identified himself as Destiny Onwusuaka, said they woke up to notice a trail of blood that led to the door of the Ogar's apartment.

It was around 7:00am when I discovered stains of blood on the floor and followed the trail to the door of Ogar.

When I looked into the room, I saw a pool of blood but I didnt see the husband or the victims. It was later that I saw the two corpses where the husband dropped them.

I shouted and called our neighbours. We then ran to the police to report what we saw. We started searching for the husband. It took four days before we found him and arrested him in his farm on October 11, 2016."

Upon interrogation at the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the FCT Command, Ogar said:

I dont have a job; I cannot feed my family. I can only feed myself, and God should forgive me for what I have done.

I dont know what came to my mind; it was frustration that led me to stab my wife and only daughter to enable me to survive in life.
The shocking announcement on the demise of Chief Nwajiaku was carried by the Igbo Union in Malaysia, he was a successful businessman who was into exporting of goods into Nigeria.

Chief Nwajiaku was coronated in August 2016 but just as he was settling down to pilot the affairs of the Igbos in the Asian country, he gave up the ghost after a brief illness on Sunday, October 23, 2016.

The late Eze Ndigbo Malaysia and wife during his coronation

Photo Credit: Vanguard

This is how the Union posted the news on its Facebook wall:

"On behalf of Igbo Union Malaysia (IUM), Nigeria Community in Malaysia, I extend my sincere condolences to the Igbo Community and all Nigerians on the loss of a fellow Igbo son, brother and father, Chief Izuchukwu Nwajiaku (Onwa na Ozubulu).

May his soul rest in peace. Amen.

Ogbuefi

Acting President."

A personal friend of the late Chief Nwajiaku, Nadis Justin Emechebe, also took to his Facebook wall to post his condolences:

"I couldnt believe he is gone when I first heard the news, so I had to make a proper verification before making a condolence post because he is one of the greatest Igbo man in Malaysia and he was crowned the Eze Ndi Igbo in Malaysia this year."

"With my heart full of sorrow and despair, I personally announces the untimely and sudden death of our brother, father, husband and friend Eze ndi Igbo na Malay, Chief Izuchukwu Nwajiaku, Afu enyi amalu enyi na Ozubulu, Ogalanya a na eli ego ya o na eme.

Rest in Peace Onwa.
The alleged perpetrator was captured on Monday in the western Argentina province capital of Mendoza hours after the bodies of the victims were discovered in the neighbouring town of Godoy Cruz.

The suspect stabbed to death his partner, her sister and their 80-year-old mother, while he also left his 7-month-old child with life-threatening injuries.

According to Mendoza security minister Gianni Venier, an 11-year-old son of the couple was also injured in the attack but managed to hide and call the police.

On Wednesday women numbering in the tens of thousands marched in the streets of many Argentinean cities to protest the ongoing outbreak of violence against women.
ALSO READ: Police officers kill student while chasing Yahoo Boy

The Deputy Superintendent of Police and Police Spokesman for the Bayelsa Police Command, Mr Asinim Butswat, made the disclosure on Sunday, October 23 while speaking with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Yenagoa.

He said that the circumstances surrounding the death of one of the three people shot in error on Saturday, October 22, who died after being rushed to a hospital, was being investigated, NAN reports.

Asinim said that the policeman who fired the shots was immediately identified and arrested.

On 22 October 2016, at about 1730 hours, policemen from the Special Anti-Robbery Squad responded to a distress call of cult attack at Ekeki village, Yenagoa. The policemen were ambushed by the cultists.

Consequently, a police sergeant fired a bullet, it ricocheted and injured three persons who were unfortunately not among the cultists.

ALSO READ: Police allegedly shoots blogger to death for smoking in PH

The victims were rushed to the Federal Medical Centre, Yenagoa for treatment and one of them later died.

The serjeant who fired the shot has been detained. The investigation is ongoing, Buswat said.
Kontagora, along with two of his friends were sitting in a Peugeot 407 vehicle when the assailants approached them and demanded their phones.

It was in the process of getting the phone from the vehicle that the gunmen shot him, thinking he was trying to spring up a surprise.

Muhammed Momoh, the NYSC coordinator in the state confirmed the incident through a press release.

NYSC has confirmed the death of a corps member who was attacked by hoodlums at Malali.

It is unfortunate that at a time the country is developing potential young Nigerians like him, some people are bent on frustrating such effort.

NYSC condoles with the family of the deceased while tasking the police and security agents to trail and fish out the perpetrators."

The Kaduna State Police Public Relations Officer, liyu Usman disclosed that some arrests have been made in connection to the incident.
The Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole, made this known in an interview with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Monday.

As we are talking today, there is no public hospital that has cancer treatment machine that is working.

Ideally, we need one machine per one million people; going by our population, Nigeria should have about 200 cancer treatment machines.

We have seven machines but none of the seven machines is working today, Adewole said.

According to him, the federal government will ensure that each of the seven centres has two machines; which means one will be a backup in the 2017 budget.

He said government would upgrade the cancer treatment centres in Maiduguri, Zaria, Ilorin, National Hospital, Ibadan, Benin and Enugu in the first phase of the programme.

The minister said government would get a private sector organisation to help with the

National Hospital Abuja; disclosing that in fact we may sign the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) this month.

Adewole said: If we take National Hospital out, we will upgrade the Sokoto centre and Gombe is also waiting, while Jos will be in the second round.

He said government was committed to making sure that Nigeria has the facilities.

The minister said that the burden of cancer is of concern to the present administration, adding that the ministry would revise the National Cancer Plan for effective response.

He added that the ministry would constitute a national cancer steering committee to be chaired by him.

He described cancer as one of the major problems in the country, noting that the problem is increasing as we grow older.

According to Adewole, more people will have cancer, because as we grow older, those divisions that take place in our system grow abnormal.

We are working with the media to increase awareness on cancer; with increase awareness many of those early signs of cancer will make people to go to hospital and get treatment.

Most cancer can be treated is presented early, but people dont come for treatment early.

Fortunately we now know what causes cervical cancer. There is a vaccine now that prevent the disease and we are working to make the vaccine available, Adewole said.

He added that the ministry was training more people on the detection of cancer of the cervix.

Adewole advised Nigerians to be careful with the way they handle genetically modified foods, stressing that there are a lot of misconceptions and myths about cancer.
Mrs Buhari made this known while the 16th National Women Conference organised by the Committee of Wives of Lagos State Officials was declared open in Lagos.

Represented by the wife of the Imo State Governor, Mrs Nneoma Okorocha, the First Lady noted that women in the country must continue to emphasise the importance of strong family values.

The presidents wife also said that love, support, friendship and guidance were key qualities necessary in the family.

In her speech, she said: We must continue to emphasise the importance of strong family values.

Poverty, crime and declining school performance are some of the challenges a country could face when families are not cohesive.

The conference also provides a forum for women to deliberate on issues that affect us, our families, communities and the nation at large.

Our core concern should be how we can make a positive impact on ourselves as women and our society, she said.

The First Lady also enjoined participants to take advantage of the array of topics to be discussed and see the conference as a knowledge-based one to enrich their lives.
The soldiers were unaccounted for after Boko Haram terrorists attacked their base in Gashigar village, Borno state, on October 17.

According to Premium Times, which cited top military sources, as at Friday October 21, four days after the attack, the soldiers were still missing in action.

The Nigerian Army had confirmed the attack in a statement last Tuesday but did not admit 83 soldiers were missing.

In the statement, Army spokesman Col. Sani Usman simply said some soldiers were missing and 13 injured in the attack.

ALSO READ: Troops arrest 21 suspected terrorists

Military sources say dozens of the soldiers may have drowned after jumping into the Niger River while fleeing from a superior firepower from the terrorists.
The soldiers remain unaccounted for after Boko Haram terrorists attacked their base in Gashigar village, Borno state, on October 17.

According to Premium Times, dozens of the Soldiers probably drowned after throwing themselves into the Niger River as they fled from the superior firepower of the terrorists.

22 of the Soldiers who sustained varying degrees of injuries, were said to have been rescued by their counterparts and taken to a hospital in Diffa town in Borno, according to the report.

In a statement, Army Spokesperson Sani Usman, confirmed the attack but his casualty figures were different and most of his statement hit evasive notes.

The terrorists overpowered the soldiers, killing 13 of them, said Usman.

The troops did their best to defend the location in vain.In the process, 13 soldiers sustained injuries while some are still missing in action," Usman said.

Usman added that: However, the wounded soldiers have been evacuated and receiving treatment, while efforts are ongoing in search of those missing and clearing the Boko Haram terrorists at the general area".

Gashigar lies on the Borno fringes and is conterminous with Niger Republic.

The attack on the base of the Soldiers brings back unhappy memories of the days when terrorists overpowered ill equipped Nigerian troops, forcing them into tactical maneuvers.

In 2014, 480 Nigerian Soldiers sought refuge in Cameroon following a bruising encounter with Boko Haram terrorists.

In a statement at the time, the Army said of the 480 Soldiers who had tactically maneuvered themselves into Cameroon: Eventually they found themselves on Cameroonian soil. Being allies, the normal protocol of managing such incident demanded that the troops submit their weapons in order to assure the friendly country that they were not on a hostile mission.

Those were the days when a certain Sambo Dasuki who was National Security Adviser (NSA) to erstwhile President Goodluck Jonathan, in cahoots with Army Chiefs, pocketed billions of Naira earmarked for procuring sophisticated weapons for the military.

And now?

Conditions around the Army should have improved. The Command Center has been moved to Maiduguri since a certain Muhammadu Buhari returned as democratic President and depending on who you talk to, welfare of Soldiers has improved as well.

The insurgents have also been pounded into submission and have been reduced to a rag-tag army only capable of striking soft targets, weve been told time and again by Presidency talking heads.

That 83 Soldiers could still disappear in the circumstances, is plenty of cause for concern.

It may also suggest that stories of Boko Harams demise may have been exaggerated; prematurethat as a fighting force, the insurgents havent been sufficiently degraded or diminished as trumpeted.

We could also dismiss this incident as a one-off--a surprise ambush.

Or we could infer that if Boko Haram can still abduct 83 armed and battle-hardened men, the rest of us should be legitimately worried.

While putting this story together, Pulse did reach out to Army Spokesperson Colonel Usman, for details of the attack.

A man who introduced himself as Usmans orderly picked up the call instead and promised Oga was going to get back.
The meeting held inside the Presidents office at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo attended this meeting alongside the Governors of Zamfara, Edo, Sokoto, Kano and Ogun, among others.

The Governors of Nasarawa and Lagos sent their Deputies.

Sources at the Presidential Villa and a handful of Governors who attended the meeting with the President, have spoken to Pulse about what was on the agenda during the meeting.

They all craved anonymity for this story.

1. APCs under-performance

The APC hasnt lived up to its pre-election billing on several fronts.

Poor performance from the party at the center was on the front-burner during this meeting, one Governor told Pulse moments after.

We agreed that we have to do better; that we have to fight the economic recession together. The President assured us that his cabinet members, the economic team and himself are doing everything to get Nigeria out of this recession. We resolved that it's time to stop blaming the government of former for our woes as a country; and begin to deliver on most of what we promised voters during the campaigns.

According to a Presidential aide, the Governors told the President that the recession has worsened their favourability ratings with the people in their respective states.

2. Tinubu and Oyegun have to mend faces

The public feud between APC Chairman John Odigie-Oyegun and APC leader Bola Ahmed Tinubu, also dominated talks at this meeting.

Tinubu had gone as far as calling for Oyegun's resignation in a letter seething with palpable rage.

An aide of one of the Governors told It was resolved that the Oyegun-Tiinubu feud wasnt good for the party and that the APC led by President Buhari, should do more to restore peace between both parties and between all other factions.

3. Aisha Buharis comments

Wife of the President, Aisha Buhari, had expressed concerns about her husbands Presidency, stating that a cabal had hijacked what should have been an APC project.

In his riposte, Buhari had said his wife belongs to the Kitchen and the other room. Far from apologising, Buhari had doubled down on his comments some 24 hours later.

Two Governors who attended this Monday meeting told Pulse in separate chats that Aishas concerns were tabled at this meeting.

It was resolved that the President had to carry everyone along; especially APC chieftains who staked everything for the fulfillment of a Buhari Presidency.

One of the Governors told Pulse: Recall that the President recently As Governors, we considered it a slight that some of us werent consulted before Ambassadors were named from our States.

Plateau State Governor, Simon Lalong had lamented that a former Deputy Governor of his State, Pauline Tallen, was named an Ambassador without his knowledge.

Tallen would go on to turn down the appointment, citing poor consultation from the Presidency.

In hailing Tallens decision, Governor Lalong had said: Once things are not done properly, it is better for a leader and a mother to come out and say that things are not done properly in the interest of the state.

When I heard the announcement I was very shocked because what happened was without proper consultation.
The ban follows the recent clampdown on judges by the Department of State Service (DSS) over allegations of corruption.

Any form of lobbying of other arms of government by the judiciary or any of its institutions has also been outlawed - the move is aimed at curbing corruption and other unethical conduct among judicial officers.

The measures are part of a new National Judicial Policy (NJP) to be launched in Abuja on Monday, October 23, it was learnt.

According to the existing Code of Conduct for judicial officers, "a judge and members of his/her family shall neither ask for nor accept any gift, bequest, favour, or loan on account of anything done or omitted to be done by him in the discharge of his duties.

"But, the provision in the new policy particularly bars judges and other court staff from accepting gifts from other arms of government, and made compliance mandatory."

Section 2(3)(2) of the new policy states: "The Code of Conduct for Judicial Officers and Code of Conduct for Court Employees, with the amendment discouraging acceptance of gifts from other arms of government, should be such as would be adequate. Compliance with their provisions shall be mandatory.

"All arms of government should respect the doctrine of Separation of Powers as enshrined in the Constitution."

Section 2(2)(4) to 2(2)(9) of the new policy also provides that complaint against judges and other court staff be kept from the media and public domain.

It states further: "It shall be the policy of the judiciary on complaints of misconduct against judicial officers or employees of the judiciary shall not be leaked or published in the media.

"Where complaints on allegations against judicial officers and court employees are submitted for investigation, the complainant or complainants shall be made to give an undertaking not to do anything to prejudice investigation or actions that may be taken.

"The institutions of the judiciary concerned with investigation or/and implementation of decisions taken on such complaints shall be obliged to cease further action where such complaints are leaked or discussed in the media.

"Where such a leakage is occasioned after the submission of a complaint, then all investigations on the complaints shall be suspended, the leakage investigated and if such leakage is from the complainant or through other parties known to such a complainant, such a complaint should be discarded.

"Where such leakage is occasioned prior to the presentation of the complaint and the source of the leakage is found to be the complainant or through other parties known to and connected with the complainant, then such complaint shall not be accepted, upon submission, by the appropriate disciplinary body.

"On conclusion of investiga-tion, the disciplinary bodies may allow public disclosure of their findings, subject to following the proper channels."

ALSO READ: NBA calls for suspension of arrested judges
The former President made this known on , Monday, October 24, 2016 while speaking at Oxford University in United Kingdom.

Jonathan, who spoke at the Oxford Union, with the theme Fostering Youth Entrepreneurship, said he has always believed that getting a job or being a worker cannot completely cure the disease of poverty.

In his words, I once said that I was not elected President of Nigeria to spread poverty; I was elected to generate and spread wealth.

"My belief in this regard is that getting a job or being a worker cannot completely cure the disease of poverty.

"It is only your own business that can provide such security and give you the financial freedom you need to prosper, he said.
The adjournment is coming following the appeal from Ijioma's counsel, Mike Ozekhome, who was represented by Benson Igbanoi.

The hearing was earlier adjourned on October 12, 2016 as the court could not proceed with the case because it was not clear which counsel represented the Minister of Defence, Chief of Defence Staff and Chief of Army staff.

The Nigeria Army Council and Chief of Army Staff, were represented by Michael Owolabi, who opposed the application, saying that no cogent reason was given.

After submissions by the counsels of the defendants and claimants, Justice Maureen Esowe, assured the parties that the adjournment sought would not incur any loss on parties.

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She said: We have not started the case but the case is bound to start de novo anyway; either way, nobody loses anything , Esowe held.
In a recent report by SaharaReporters, the ARG accused the MACBAN of making threats following the implementation of the Ekiti States anti-grazing law.

ARG's publicity secretary, Kunle Famoriyo aid the cattle breeders recent outburst against the Anti-Grazing Law in Ekiti State is an assault on Yoruba people and will be treated as a terror threat until an apology is tendered.

The new law, being first of its kind, may not be perfect and its enforcement may not be smooth initially. The responsibility lies on major stakeholders to organize sensitization workshops for its members so that the new law can achieve its objective of stemming crises arising from herdsmen-farmers relations. AGR said in its statement.

Continuing, ARG said: MACBAN has so far shunned this democratic approach and preferred to use intimidation and warring tactics and languages. But the right of governors, as the chief security officer of their respective state, to make laws consistent with the culture and rights of their people cannot be wished away by intimidation or threat.

We recall that in 2013, the Hisbah Police in Kano reportedly destroyed more than 20,000 crates of beer bottles. Despite the freedom of movement and trade guaranteed by the Constitution, what mattered then was that Kano does not want beer within its jurisdiction  even though it hypocritically shares from the VAT generated from sales of alcohol in other states.

ALSO READ: Governor goes after herdsmen violating anti-grazing law

Why should governors of northern states have the free will to protect their people and religious disposition, while their southern counterparts are subjected to intimidation? Nigeria is not a slave camp of any ethnic nationality, and MACBANs statement is therefore considered an assault on Yoruba people and will be treated as a terror threat until an apology is tendered, the statement concluded.
Buhari is slated to meet selected elders from the Niger Delta

The meeting was earlier scheduled to hold on October 29, 2016, but was moved because it is a Saturday.

According to GJM, it is not a wise decision to meet the same people who allegedly caused the problem in the Niger Delta.

The militant group also said the elders, led by Chief Edwin Clark, have no moral right to speak for the region.

A statement signed by its spokesman, Aldo Agbalaja, said We thought we should not continue to ignore the grand error being orchestrated by those who are responsible for the current parlous state of the Niger Delta region. These people seem to have succeeded in bewitching and railroading the Federal Government into settling for a dialogue with them in the name of the Niger Delta people.

The GJM also warned the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and Shell not to start operations at the Trans Forcados pipeline in Burutu Local Government Area of Delta.

They said Trans Forcados crude is under force majeure from operator Shell since a militant attack on the subsea pipeline in February and it is due to resume operation this week following the completion of repair works and maintenance.

We do not have much to say to the oil companies than to just dare them to reopen the Trans-Forcados pipeline. We are aware that you are experts at testing wills, especially as you believe that you have a military shield. Please, go ahead to restart the facility and see what will happen.
In a recent report by SaharaReporters, Jauro made the plea when he approached the Federal High Court in Ikoyi, Lagos on Monday, October 24, 2016 alongside his in-law, Dauda Bawa, and their company, Thlumbau Enterprises Limited.

Jauro is being prosecuted for an alleged multi-billion Naira fraud at the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency during his reign as the acting DG following the sack of Patrick Apkobolokemi.

Jauro's counsel, Babajide Koku (SAN), told Justice Mojisola Olatereju-Ishola that the defendants had informed the prosecutor's counsel, Rotimi Oyedepo of their intention to settle the case with the anti-corruption agency.

In response to Babajides information, Rotimi confirmed the notification, adding that it is the right of the defendant to seek a plea bargain.

Following the counsels' submission, Justice Olatereju-Ishola adjourned the case to November 21, 2016, for the hearing on the outcome of the plea bargain application.
According to Punch, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) might release Obanikoro this week on administrative bail of N100 million.

The former minister surrendered himself to the EFCC last Monday upon arriving the country from the United States, and he has been detained and interrogated since then.

The anti-graft agency said it traced N4.7 billion to a company, Silva Mcnanamara, in which Obanikoro has interests.

Two of the former minister's sons, Babajide and Gbolahan, were said to be directors of the company when the money was allegedly paid into the companys accounts from the office of the National Security Adviser in 2014.

ALSO READ: Obanikoro reportedly promises to refund N785M

The money was largely believed to have been used in funding the June 21, 2014 Ekiti State governorship election, which Governor Ayodele Fayose won, and the November 2014 governorship poll in Osun State, which Chief Iyiola Omisore of the Peoples Democratic Party contested and lost.

"We are concerned about his health and we are not ready to see him still in detention beyond Tuesday this week. The mans life is more important than the money they are asking him questions about," a family source told the newspaper.

"If that is the only condition (N100m) to see him out of detention, for now, we are making efforts to raise that. You know the situation of the country now, but no sacrifice is too much to make him a free man again," the source added.

Report said EFCC investigators are not satisfied with Obanikoro's explanation on how N785 million was spent - the money he said was spent on souvenirs to promote a campaign against the Boko Haram in Lagos.
In a recent report, Gov Lalong described Tallens refusal of the nomination as an exhibition of political maturity.

Lalong said: Plateau is always on the front-burner when it comes to politics, that shows her maturity not just in Plateau but as a national figure.

Once things are not done properly, it is better for a leader and a mother to come out and say that things are not done properly in the interest of the state.

When I heard the announcement I was very shocked because what happened was without proper consultation, he said.

Gov Lalong further appreciated Tallen for her decision while assuring the people that distinguished sons and daughters of Plateau will get more appointments.

ALSO READ: 3 reasons Pauline Tallen rejected Buhari's nomination

The governor said his administration was working towards addressing the issue of balancing appointment.
He passed away on his birthday, October 22, 2016, while on location in Abeokuta.

According to Nigerian journalist and film critic, Shaibu Husseini, the cinematographer started coughing while on set and was instructed to get some rest. He was rushed to the hospital when his health got worse the next morning, but he was declared dead on arrival.

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I just sent him a message to wish him a happy birthday only to be called up minutes later that he passed on early this morning," Husseini wrote. "That he started coughing while on location in Abeokuta and was asked to return to the hotel to rest.

It got worse this morning and when he was taken to the hospital, the Doctors declared him DEAD ON ARRIVAL. Kai! Dis life sef! Good night Prince Afam Chiazor. And you mean you had to die on your birth date? Na wah. Afam matter don enter late and was. This Life! Nothing dey inside. True. And by the way the late Prince Afam isno sorry, was an accomplished cinematographer and untill this morning President of the Guild of Nollywood Cinematographers..Afam sleep well. You be good man.

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Confirming Afam Chiazor's death, President of Directors Guild of Nigeria (DGN), Fred Amata wrote, "The news of the passing of my Brother President. President of The Guild of Cinematographers comes as a rude shock. Afam Chiazor was a professional who believed in the industry and dedicated his energy to the betterment of Nollywood. That he passed on set in active service is a testimony to his love and dedication to his art. He will surely be missed. May his gentle soul rest in perfect peace.
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60 years after the discovery of oil in "Oloibiri," the community is currently an eyesore, with nothing to show for its significant role in Nigeria's oil business.

Produced by Rogers Ofime and directed by Curtis Graham, "Oloibiri" dramatizes the plight of a historic community, which stands for every other degraded oil mining community in Nigeria and asks the question "who is to blame?' The oil multinationals, the government or the 'influential' indigenes of the community?

While the movie does not exactly provide an answer to these questions, you come out of the cinema shaken with excitement from seeing a good Nollywood movie, but also with a touch of grief and anger at the plight of the Niger Deltans and the infamous militants.

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Before the discovery of crude oil, the people of "Oloibiri" were famous for fishing and farming. But the resultant pollution due to oil exploration has destroyed the people's occupation, land and lives. Shell Development Company started operation in Nigeria since 1937 and drilled its first oil in 1956 at Oloibiri. The process of exploring crude has caused environmental damages including land degradation, air pollution, deforestation, water pollution, biodiversity loss among others.

"Oloibiri" creatively tells the story of Oloibiri, focusing on the adequacy of the remediation effort of the oil firms in the Niger Delta, but carefully leaving out the role of the Nigerian government in the negligence of the historic community, "Oloibiri." The corruption and negligence of the Nigerian government play a major role in the current state of most Niger delta oil mining communities; a story that isn't explored in the movie.

Ever since the search for oil commenced, legislations have been passed by the government to control various activities and improve environmental quality in the Niger Delta. However, the government has failed to enforce these regulations.

"Oloibiri" as a movie not complete without emphasis on the major role of the government in the degradation of the historic town.

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Yes, there is much more that can be said about the degradation of Oloibiri community than this movie does, but it is still an entertaining and engaging watch with a fantastic choreography of fight scenes, and outstanding performances.

The movie points out the existence of corrupt militants and indigenes who connive to enrich themselves to the detriment of affected communities. One is seen in the early minutes of the movie when Boma AKA Gun powder(Richard Mofe Damijo) kills a fellow militant for enriching his pocket. Another is seen in the kidnap and torture of a corrupt influential indigene who stood as an intermediary between the community and a certain foreign company, Foreshore Exploration.

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A salute is in order for Richard Mofe Damijo, who takes the seat of a 'heartless' militant, Boma AKA Gunpowder, like nobody's business. A first class graduate of Geology, Boma is committed to using violence to fight the injustice meted out to the people of the Niger Delta. Damijo perfectly interprets Boma, showing both compassion and cruelty fabulously.

Olu Jacobs is stellar as Elder Timipre, a victim of the aftermath of the oil spillage in Oloibiri in 1956, who fled the community after he lost his wife to the degradation of a once lively community. Years later, he is back to the community as a traumatized victim determined to make the oil company (Llesh - Shell) behind the fate of Olibiri pay for the harm they caused him.

Taiwo Ajai-Lycett doesn't fail to bring to life her character as Boma's aged mother, who struggles to understand where she went wrong in raising her son.

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Few actors can achieve the creepiness Wale Adebayo always bring to his films, and his role in "Oloibir" isn't an exception. The actor perfectly delivered his role as the head of a notorious gang; unfortunately, the film doesn't offer any sort of background to his character or what he represents.

Ivie Okujaye and Ifeanyi Williams are believable in their interpretations of the characters Chisom and Bonme respectively. The movie also stars Daniel K Daniel, William R Moses, Bradley Gordon among others.

Elder Timipre and Boma are two victims in a quest for justice. However, while Boma chooses violence, Timipre believes in negotiations. "Violence will never offer a permanent solution," he says to Boma during his ordeal at hands of the millitant and gang.

Unlike some Nollywood movies, it runs well in less than two hours with apt dialogue and doesn't drag on interminably.

The movie doesn't come without the jarring technical issue most Nollywood movies have: sound. The films sound mix was average, with dialogue often drowned out. While the action in "Oloibiri" is genuinely thrilling, the blood-splattering gunshot wounds are unbelievable and could have been much better.

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But beyond its forgivable flaws, "Oloibiri" is a must watch movie that encapsulates the plight of the Niger Delta oil mining regions that has been abandoned by the Nigerian government and oil multinationals.
The movie premiere took place on Sunday, October 23, 2016, at Radisson Blu, Victoria Island, Lagos State.

Guests present at the screening include Richard Mofe Damijo, Ijeoma Anieboh, Funlola Aofiyebi, Caroline King, Bayray McNwizu, Doris Simeon, Iyke and Florence Okechukwu among others.

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The comic, educating and entertaining movie stars popular actors including Odunlade Adekola , Ijeoma Aniebo, Ireti Doyle, Funmi Holder, RMD, Jaiye Kuti and others.

"The Grudge" focuses on the lives of two lovelorn couples connected by one lonely widow living separate lives. Their lives intertwine and lead to the unravelling of a five-year grudge.

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Holder is popular for her role as Amaka in the M-NET hit series "Tinsel," which also stars her alongside RMD and Ireti Doyle.
Ganduje made his comments via a statement issued by Commissioner of Information and Culture, Alhaji Muhammad Garba.

The statement reads:

This deliberate distortion of facts and spreading of falsehood is capable of provoking the government to drop its non-confrontational stance and institute commission of inquiry to probe the previous administration, particularly on illegal land deals, education and infrastructure.

The threat of legal action against Governor Ganduje by the movement, if he fails to stop wearing red cap within 48 hours, is the most laughable, pathetic, clear indication of their ignorance of the law and history of political struggle in Kano.

They should have known that red cap was introduced by Late Aminu Kano and popularized by him, his followers and disciples of which Governor Ganduje was among.

He was also in the forefront of its re-introduction during the second tenure of Kwankwaso in 2011. Who then could better claim the red cap doctrine? This unfortunate behavior, lacking in any tint of civility, decency and responsible politicking that has become the hallmark of top echelons of the Kwankwasiyya movement, is to say the least, laughable, pathetic, pitiful and desperate attempt to misguide the public and bring the administration of Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje and his personality to disrepute.

The statements and allegations as well as threat of legal action against Governor Ganduje if he fails to stop wearing red cap within 48 hours, could easily be disregarded as just another futile ranting of misguided political stooges but for the need to keep the record straight and remind them of simple facts and truths.

Talking about the allegation of abandoning the 5km roads initiated by the previous administration in all the 44 local governments in the state, it is on record that only three to four roads were completed before Kwankwaso left office, many have not reach any appreciable level while many have not even taken off despite the fact that 30 percent of all the contract sum have been paid to the contractors.

The project lacks proper planning from inception, poor administrative handling, irregular and suspicious financial management. No wonder, therefore, that the project has become subject of investigation.

ALSO READ: Ganduje says Kwankwaso owed N3bn in student's tuition
In a statement issued on Monday, October 24, 2016 by the commission, INEC denied allegations that two of its employees, Toyin Babalola and Segun Agbaje, requested for bribe from Ibrahim.

The commission further maintained that the allegation has been found to be false after a preliminary investigation.

The Commission hereby states, for the record, that from its preliminary investigation, nothing could be farther from the truth, the statement read.

On the encounter between Toyin Babalola and Jimoh Ibrahim, INEC said "upon encountering Mr. Ibrahim, Mrs. Babalola told the candidate that she already was in possession of the court document and that the exchange lasted only 15 minutes. Three lawyers who witnessed the encounter said that at no time did Mrs. Babalola ask for $1 million."

Continuing, INEC said: It should however be noted that court orders/judgments are served by court bailiffs and not individual parties. Furthermore, INEC Only receives nomination papers from the national chairmen of political parties or their designated officials, not aspirants, the statement added.

On the allegation that INEC REC, Segun Agbaje had tried to set up a meeting with Jimoh Ibrahim in London, INEC denied Ibrahim's allegation saying it was the billionaire, who attempted to arrange a meeting with Mr. Agbaje through an intermediary.

However, Agbaje had refused to meet Ibrahim in London and told him that he would only meet in the Ondo State INEC office during official hours.
This is based on a recent article she published on her website where her name appeared as Anita Ebhodaghe Schafer.

In a reaction to this, fans of the female Christian leader sent in congratulatory messages in the comments section of the article post.

A site visitor with the name Frau Glauben wrote, Congratulations Pastor Anita for your new name. We wish you all the best as you begin a new chapter in your life as you have moved on to the glory of God. Old things are passed away, behold all things have become new. It was such a beautiful ceremony. We are so excited for you and your family. We Rejoice with you, Pastor Anita Schafer. God bless you Ma.

The divorcee, who was formerly known as Anita Odegwa Oyakhilomeofficially ended ties with the Christ Embassy founder on February 8, 2016.

A statement given by her representatives, Attwaters Jameson Hill Solicitors dissociated Anita from any connection with her ex husband's church.

We have been requested by Anita Oyakhilome to confirm that on the 8th February 2016 a decree absolute was pronounced in the High Court of Justice Principal Registry of the Family Division dissolving her marriage to Christian Onehirokpeana Oyakhilome.

Anita Oyakhilome would like to confirm that she is no longer involved in or part of Christ Embassy AKA Believers loveworld inc.
Controversial senator Dino Melaye made the allegations last month before investigations began officially on Thursday, October 20, 2016.

However, in a bizarre turn of events, Senate President Bukola Saraki, at the investigative hearing, stated that the alleged sum of money would be enough to take Nigeria out of the recession it is currently battling with.

In his words, The amount of money involved in the alleged repatriation by MTN could pull Nigeria out of recession. We are duty bound to make sure that such breach of constitutional processes are investigated; be assured that this is not a witch-hunt but a fact-finding exercise.

While the events of the day did seem to have a strong witch-hunting factor to it, the Senate President's statements are subject to individual interpretation.

The Chairman of the Investigative Committee set up to look into the matter, Rabiu Ibrahim, created a Twitter thread that had some interesting wording to it:

It is easy to see from the good senator's tweets that MTN have indeed committed a crime of supernatural ramifications. That is the only reason why the entire thing can be 'diabolical'.

In the meantime, MTN Nigeria has denied the allegations, saying that it has conducted its business within the legal limits possible and even arranged for audits to make sure it had enough capital available with financial statements for the years in question.

The allegations made against MTN are completely unfounded and without any merit, says MTN Nigeria CEO, Ferdi Moolman.
Many of these traditions are beautiful and relate to many things.

Some others are weird and also relates to many aspects of human life.

Below are some of the weird ones that have to do with weddings.

1. In Scotland, the man and woman who intend to marry each other will have all sort of rubbish thrown and dumped on them- rotten eggs, fish intestines and other garbage.

Why do they do this? They believe if a couple can stand this, their marriage will withstand anything.

2. In Fiji, asking for the hand of a young woman, the man must present his father-in-law with the gift of a whale's tooth.

3. In Mauritania, it is believed that a fleshy plus-sized wife is the most ideal, and will bring the groom good luck, so they force-feed brides so as to fatten them for their wedding celebration.

4. Over in South Korea, several married couples celebrate St. Valentine's day on the 14th of every month!

5. In some parts of India, there is the mythical belief that women born during certain periods of the astrological calendar will bring early death to any husband they marry.

ALSO READ:8 interesting marriage customs from around the world

To undo this curse, they'll have to marry a tree first and have it cut down, before they can become free to marry a man without fear of doom.

6. In Italy [and later many other parts of the world,] couples come to a bridge with their padlock, lock it to the body of the bridge, and fling the key into the sea.

They believe this will make them bound to each other for life, since no one can ever locate the key to the padlock and open it.

7. The welsh people have one which involves the groom giving his bride a spoon.

It is to assure her that he will never let her go hungry. Ever!

8. The Tujia people of China believe that the bride [and the women in her family] should cry for one hour everyday for one month before the wedding.

9. In Niger, men dress in flamboyant traditional costumes and perform for their potential mates. When the performance is over, the women will choose the men they like best.
On Sunday, an Ethiopian contingent abandoned the town of Halgan in the Hiran region, allowing the group's fighters to enter soon after, said Abdiasis Abu Musab, al Shabaab's spokesman on military operations.

A military offensive launched in 2014 by AU forces and the Somali army pushed out of major strategic centres, but the insurgents, who once held sway over much of the Horn of Africa country, still control some settlements and rural areas.

The fall of Halgan was confirmed by Dahir Amin Jesow, a member of parliament from the region, who said residents are being subjected to reprisals at the hands of the insurgents.

"Each day, civilians are being beheaded over suspicion that they are government supporters," he told Reuters. "We do not have a government that is effective enough to protect our civilians."

Somalia has been convulsed by instability, conflict and lawlessness since the early 1990s following the toppling of military dictator Mohamed Siad Barre.

Propped up by the African Union-mandated force known as AMISOM, Somalia's military and central government have strengthened their grip on the country but a relentless campaign of violence by al Shabaab persists.

The group regularly attacks AMISOM's troops, which is made up of about 22,000 soldiers and police from African nations supporting Somalia's government and army.
The incident was the first deadly clash with Islamist militants in the capital since an attack on the Splendid Hotel in January that killed 30 people and was claimed by al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM).

Witnesses said there was a brief exchange of gunfire between police and a group of men early on Sunday morning in the northwestern suburb of Kilwin.

"The group were Burkinabe and our forces killed one jihadist," said police chief Lazare Tarpaga, adding that police were still seeking at least two other missing men.

He said that the group was suspected of recruiting for Islamist militant groups operating in the north of the country or elsewhere in the Sahel region, without naming a specific organisation.

Public prosecutor Maiza Compaore said an investigation into the recruitment networks had been opened and that important clues had already been found, including several telephones.

Burkina Faso shares its western border with Mali, whose lawless desert north serves as a base for range of secular militias, al Qaeda-linked groups and a new body pledging allegiance to the Islamic State.

President Roch Marc Christian Kabore, elected in November after order was restored following a six-day coup attempt, is facing a rising number of attacks in remote border areas.
"We don't know yet where we are going, but it will obviously be better than the Jungle, which was made for animals not humans," said Wahid, a 23-year-old from Afghanistan. "We will be in a home."

Wahid was up before dawn to be among the first to get on one of the buses taking the sprawling camp's 6,000 to 8,000 occupants to 451 centres across France.

A 25-year-old Sudanese man, Abbas, was upbeat about leaving the insalubrious camp that has served as a launchpad for attempts to reach Britain.

"I feel very happy, I've had enough of the Jungle," he said. "I wanted to go to the UK but I have given up on that now."

But Hammoudi, a 22-year-old from the devastated Syrian city of Aleppo, told AFP: "My dream is ruined."

"My hope was to be able to reach the UK, where I believe we as refugees would be better treated. But all of that is over," said Hammoudi, whose cousin was killed in a bombing in July.

A semblance of normality prevailed in the camp in the hours leading up the demolition, with music from all over the world blasting from loudspeakers into the muddy alleyways.

Some migrants were still clinging to hopes of a new life across the Channel.

"They'll have to force us to leave. We want to go to Britain," said Karhazi, a young Afghan who was among many of the migrants with contacts in Britain.

Abbas, the Sudanese youth, said he feared trouble down the road if he did not join the evacuation.

"There are a lot of people who don't want to leave. There might be problems later. That's why I came out first. I want nothing to do with any problems."

Faisal al-Ajab, an interior decorator from Sudan, took a philosophical line.

"We have to maintain our dignity, whatever life brings us," he said. "The officials say tomorrow is the beginning of something better. Let's hope this is true."

'My country is not safe'

Farhan, a 12-year-old Ethiopian who survived a harrowing sea voyage from Libya to Italy before travelling overland to Calais, said he wished he could go home.

"But my country is not safe," the boy said. "My heart has been broken since I left my family last year. I have not even been able to speak to them."

Farhan was among scores of minors from the majority Oromo community in Ethiopia that has waged nearly a year of protests against a government largely made up of minority Tigrayans.

"Like everyone else, he travelled here alone," said Solan, a 24-year-old Ethiopian volunteer working with the minors.
Jutting, 31, had earlier Monday pleaded "not guilty" to two counts of murder on the grounds of diminished responsibility. He instead pleaded guilty to manslaughter. The prosecution rejected the lesser plea.

The court heard Jutting filmed both women on his iPhone and jurors were warned by judge Michael Stuart-Moore that the footage was "very shocking indeed".

Sumarti Ningsih and Seneng Mujiasih, both in their 20s, were found dead in Jutting's flat in the early hours of November 1, 2014, after he called police.

Prosecutor John Reading said Ningsih was tortured for three days at Jutting's apartment in Wan Chai -- where expensive homes lie close to a red-light district.

Jutting then killed her in the shower with a serrated knife, Reading said.

Ningsih who was in Hong Kong on a visitor visa, had sex with Jutting on a previous occasion at a hotel for an amount of money, Reading said, but had offered to refund half the cash to be allowed to leave early, because he treated her violently.

She had reluctantly agreed to meet Jutting again on October 26 when he offered her another amount of money which was not specified.

After she was killed, her body was wrapped in plastic sheets and blankets, and put inside a suitcase, Reading said.

Jutting recorded footage describing how he had enjoyed the killing and saying he could not have done it without using cocaine.

Hunting prey

Late on October 31, Jutting met Mujiasih at a bar in Wan Chai and brought her home after offering her money for sex -- they had never met before, said Reading.

Mujiasih was in Hong Kong on a domestic helper visa, he said.

Before going out to meet her, Jutting hid two knives under sofa cushions. He had also bought a small blowtorch, plastic ties and a hammer, Reading said.

"In one of his interviews with the police, the accused explained how he went out that evening hunting for prey, and that Mujiasih was his prey," Reading said.

Jutting cut Mujiasih's throat that night.

When police arrived after Jutting called them, they discovered her body in a pool of blood in the living room, said Reading.

Ningsih's body was found hours later in a suitcase on the balcony.

Cambridge graduate Jutting, a former securities trader at Bank of America Merrill Lynch, faces a three-week jury trial and life in prison if convicted on the murder charges.

The killings shocked the city of seven million -- typically regarded as safe and known for its glitzy skyscrapers -- and shone a spotlight on the seedy underbelly of the financial hub.

Jutting was deemed fit to stand trial following psychiatric tests and is being held at a maximum security prison.

Clean-shaven, much thinner than during his first court appearances, and wearing a dark-blue shirt, Jutting calmly entered his official plea for the first time on Monday, saying: "Not guilty to murder by reason of diminished responsibility, but guilty to manslaughter".

He pleaded guilty to a third charge of preventing the burial of a body.
Orban's address to a crowd estimated by an AFP photographer at around 15,000 in front of parliament was met by the sound of whistles and air-horns from several hundred protestors gathered at the fringe of the event.

As the protestors continued to make noise through the event, which was also addressed by Polish president Andrzej Duda, several scuffles broke out.

A prominent Hungarian historian Krisztian Ungvary, who stood among the protestors, was struck in the face by an unknown assailant.

The anniversary of the failed uprising against Soviet rule after which 200,000 Hungarian refugees fled the country has brought into focus criticism of Orban over his stance on refugees and migration.

The 53-year-old premier, in power since 2010, has been one of the European Union's loudest critics of the bloc's immigration policy.

Portraying himself as both a defender of Hungary and Europe against the influx into the EU of mostly Muslim migrants since 2015, Orban built razor-wire fences on the country's southern borders.

During his speech Orban said Hungary's geographical position "pushes it from time to time in the current of decisive debates on Europe's future".

"There was a time when we allowed the opening of borders so that Germans could meet with Germans, now in 2016 we had to close borders," he said.

Orban also held a referendum last month over the EU's plan to redistribute refugees around the bloc, and has moved to include in the constitution a ban on the settlement of "alien population".

On October 23 1956, the armed uprising against Soviet communist rule erupted after authorities opened fire on peaceful demonstrators.

After a retreat by Soviet troops signalled an apparent victory by the rebels, the Soviets returned in early November dooming the revolt to a swift defeat.

Hundreds were executed in its aftermath including Imre Nagy, a reform-minded communist leader who moved to withdraw Hungary from the Soviet bloc.

Political demonstrations are often held on the October 23 anniversary.
The clashes which broke out on Saturday pitted forces from Puntland with those of Galmudug, the latest flare-up over a disputed area straddling their border.

The two sides are fighting in the town of Galkayo, which is divided between clan militias loyal to the different regions.

"We lost three soldiers and 11 others were injured. We burnt three vehicles belonging to Puntland," he told Reuters on Sunday.

Major Mohamed Ibrahim, a military officer in Puntland, said four soldiers were killed on their side and seven others were injured.

"We have repulsed them," he said.

Residents in the area said Galkayo was calm on Sunday but soldiers from both factions were seen reorganising themselves for more clashes.

Earlier this month, the United Nations said the conflict could worsen and clashes had already displaced around 50,000 people.
The top executives of mostly-listed firms in Africa's most industrialised country - ranging from mining, media, retail and banking - said in a newspaper advertisement on Sunday that political wrangling was damaging an already stalling economy at a time the country faced a sovereign credit downgrade.

"We stand as one for the rule of law and against the decision to prosecute the Minister of Finance on charges that are, according to the preponderance of expert legal opinion, without factual or legal foundation," they declared.

The charges say Gordhan, while running the tax agency, fraudulently approved early retirement for a deputy commissioner and re-hired him as a consultant, costing the tax agency around 1.1 million rand ($79,000).

The minister has dismissed the accusations as frivolous and politically motivated.

Analysts and supporters of Gordhan, whose first court appearance is scheduled for Nov. 2, argue that the charges could be a ploy by President Jacob Zuma allies to discredit him.

The president has said he is not in conflict with Gordhan and the country's top prosecutor has denied that the charges are politically motivated. Gordhan said last week his relations with Zuma were very good.
"The question of renewing the humanitarian pause is not relevant now," deputy foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov told Interfax news agency, in Moscow's first official comment on why it did not extend the ceasefire further.

Heavy fighting resumed in the devasted Syrian city on Saturday after Russia, a government ally, ended its three-day cessation of hostilities.

In order to renew the pause, "our opponents must ensure appropriate behaviour by the anti-government groups that in particular sabotaged the medical evacuation that was intended during the humanitarian pause," Ryabkov said.

He chastised the US-led coalition, saying that it was criticising Damascus and Moscow instead of "really exerting influence on the opposition, the rebels."

"Over the last three days, what was needed did not happen," he said.

Ryabkov also said that he did not see the "conditions" for ministerial-level negotiations on Syria before the US elections on November 8, after a Lausanne meeting on October 15 that ended with no breakthrough.

"It's almost no time until the US elections. To be honest, I don't see the conditions for a ministerial meeting," he said, insisting that Damascus and Moscow were fulfilling international agreements.

The Kremlin had hailed the humanitarian ceasefire as a "manifestation of goodwill" as it faced mounting criticism over its bombing of rebel-held eastern Aleppo in support of a brutal regime offensive on the city.

But Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov on Monday questioned the viability of humanitarian pauses under current conditions in comments to journalists.

So far the US-led coalition has not managed to separate moderate rebels from hardline "terrorist" groups, he said, and attacks continued "all these days" on checkpoints for exiting the city and the main routes for supplies of humanitarian aid.

"All this is far from helpful, either for the pauses or the process of supplying humanitarian aid," Peskov said.

The Kremlin and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov earlier expressed concern at the small numbers of civilians and fighters leaving the city, with only a handful reported to have crossed through a single passage.
Mugabe, 92 and one of Africa's longest serving leaders, is eligible to seek re-election at the end of his current five-year term in 2018, but has increasingly looked frail, stoking a scramble in his ruling ZANU-PF party to succeed him.

In an hour-long speech on Saturday at the state funeral of Cephas Msipa, a former cabinet minister and ZANU-PF member, Mugabe, in power since independence from Britain in 1980, largely dwelt on his comrade's role in the 1960s-70s liberation struggle.

Msipa, regarded as one of Mugabe's closest friends, died aged 85 after retiring from government about 10 years ago. In recent years, he told media he had tried but failed to persuade Mugabe to step down.

"I feel sorry for him as a friend. He really needs a rest. It's good for him, good for his family and good for the party," Msipa said in a newspaper interview earlier this year.

Mugabe has never publicly commented on his friend's views.

But on Saturday he told thousands of mourners that "Msipa was always an honest man and he always spoke his mind fearlessly."

Splits have developed in Mugabe's ZANU-PF over who will take over from him, with one faction said to be manoeuvring to impose his wife Grace as a possible successor against Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa, a longtime political fixer who has the backing of war veterans.

In an unprecedented attack in July this year, the veterans of Zimbabwe's war against white minority rule called Mugabe a dictator, highlighting rising tension over the succession issue and mounting economic woes which critics blame on his mismanagement.

Political analysts say Mugabe has manipulated Zimbabwean politics to tighten his grip on power and set himself up as a president for life.

He is however facing increasing dissent, with opposition and social movements staging a series of protests in recent months.

With speculation also rising over his health, Mugabe has denied suffering from prostate cancer, and says his regular visits to Singapore are for routine medical checks and eyesight problems.
The biggest deal of the year, announced just over two weeks before the Nov. 8 U.S. election, is a gamble on a victory for Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton and a continuation of the status quo on anti-trust and regulatory enforcement.

The Republican candidate Donald Trump, who is trailing Clinton in the polls, has said he would block the takeover.

The billionaire businessman has railed against the media's role in what he has described as a "rigged" election and he believes the acquisition of Time Warner, which owns CNN and Warner Bros, Hollywood's largest film and television studio, would concentrate too much power in one organization.

"AT&T, the original and abusive 'Ma Bell' telephone monopoly, is now trying to buy Time Warner and thus the wildly anti-Trump CNN. Donald Trump would never approve such a deal because it concentrates too much power in the hands of the too and powerful few," Trump economic advisor Peter Navarro said in a statement on Sunday.

Clinton, who has expressed misgivings about other corporate megamergers, has not yet commented on the takeover.

But Senator Bernie Sanders, Clinton's former rival for the Democratic party's nomination, said on Twitter that the administration should "kill" the Time Warner takeover because it would mean higher prices and fewer choices for consumers.

Sanders' comments carry weight because Clinton needs Sanders' coalition of young and left-leaning voters to propel her to the presidency.

Clinton spokesman Brian Fallon told reporters on Sunday there were "a number of questions and concerns" about the deal "but there's still a lot of information that needs to come out before any conclusions should be reached."

The Senate subcommittee on antitrust will hold a hearing on the acquisition sometime in November, said subcommittee chair Senator Mike Lee, a Republican, and the ranking Democrat, Senator Amy Klobuchar.

Tim Kaine, Clinton's running mate and a senator from Virginia, said lawmakers and regulators would have to review the deal and "get to the bottom" of questions over whether the merger would decrease competition.

"Less concentration, I think, is generally helpful especially in the media," Kaine said on NBC's "Meet the Press."

The U.S. Justice Department, not the president, has the power to reject such a deal if it violates antitrust laws. AT&T said it is unclear if the Federal Communications Commission will also have jurisdiction to review the deal.

A spokesman for the Justice Department declined to comment.

AT&T has described the deal as a "vertical merger" because there is no overlap between the two companies and hopes that such a tie-up will get the regulatory green light by the end of 2017.

"In the modern history of the media and the Internet, the U.S. government has always approved vertical mergers like ours, because they benefit consumers, strengthen competition, and, in our case, encourage innovation and investment," David McAtee, AT&T senior executive vice president and general counsel, said in a statement on Sunday.
Angered by the flare-up, a coalition of civil society groups had called for a one-day strike in the city of one million to press demands for a pullout of the UN's 12,000-strong MINUSCA force.

As the protesters marched on MINUSCA headquarters at midday, peacekeepers fired warning shots into the air to hold them back, witnesses told AFP.

CAR has been in chaos since early 2013 when longtime president Francois Bozize, a Christian, was ousted by a mainly Muslim Seleka rebel group -- triggering revenge attacks and a spiral of atrocities in which thousands were slaughtered.

Fears of a sectarian bloodbath led to the dispatch of UN peacekeepers the following year.

"By staying home the population will show its support towards civil society demands for MINUSCA's withdrawal and its outrage over the killings that are taking place across almost all of the country," said the civil society coalition's coordinator Gervais Lakosso.

MINUSCA had a clear mandate to stamp out militia groups "but wherever the UN forces go there is violence," he said.

"Civil society believes MINUSCA has shown passivity and complicity."

Rejecting the allegations, UN spokesman Vladimir Monteiro said "you can't lie to Central Africans and say there are (national) armed forces that can defend them."

It would also be misleading to "just focus on the problems and forget the action undertaken," he added on Radio Ndeke Luka.

Dozens of people have been killed in recent weeks however, prompting severe criticism of the peacekeepers.

The violence between Christian and Muslim groups has displaced one in 10 of the country's 4.5 million people.
Turning the ship before it hits the iceberg
ROH TELEVISION REPORT: LOS INGOBERNABLES IN ACTION, KYLE O'REILLY VERSUS JONATHAN GRESHAM, AND THE TEMPURA BOYS

We are in Lowell, Massachusetts and your announcers are Kevin Kelly and Steve Corino.

Match Number One: Sho Tanaka and Yohei Komatsu versus Colt Cabana and Dalton Castle (with the Boys)

Cabana and Komatsu start things off. They lock up and Cabana with a snap mare. Cabana with a wrist lock and Irish whip. Komatsu floats over and hits a flying forearm. Tanaka tags in and they hit a double flap jack. Yohei with a drop kick to the head and Sho follows with a drop kick of his own. Tanaka with a forearm. Castle makes the tag and Castle goes for an OConnor Roll but Tanaka holds on to the ropes. Castle does his pose and Tanaka freaks out. Cabana comes in and poses like Castle and it forces Tanaka to make the tag to Komatsu.

Komatsu charges and they side step him. Castle is finally Irish whipped into the corner for a knee and then Cabana hits an elbow. Castle with a waist lock take down and then he rolls into a bridge. Castle holds on to the waist lock and Cabana tags in. Cabana with a chop and then he decides to give Komatsu another chop. Komatsu with an Irish whip but Cabana with a sunset flip. Castle tags back in and they work on the arms and then they leg sweep Komatsu. Castle gets a near fall. Castle with a reverse chin lock. Komatsu avoids a slam attempt and Komatsu with a super kick. Tanaka tags in and connects with a knee. Tanaka with an elbow followed by a running clothesline into the corner followed by another running clothesline in the center of the ring for a near fall.

Castle with an elbow and Cabana tags in. Cabana with a punch and Castle with a punch. Cabana with a bionic elbow. Castle with a belly-to-back suplex and Cabana gets the near fall. Castle tags in and Cabana with a slam. Castle misses a frog splash and Komatsu tags in. Castle with punches and elbows to Tanaka and Komatsu. Komatsu with a boot to Castle and Castle with an exploder to Komatsu. Castle with a deadlift German suplex to Tanaka. Castle with the Bang-O-Rang for the three count.

Winners: Colt Cabana and Dalton Castle

We go to commercial.

We are back and Kevin Kelly is with the Briscoes. We see what happened during the commercial break between the Briscoes, Dalton Castle, and Colt Cabana.

Jay says when you break it down, they dont run with them because they already beat Castle and Cabana. Mark says they have beaten the Young Bucks, and the team of Dalton Castle and Colt Cabana. The winners of the match between those two teams will face the Briscoes at Final Battle. Jay says at Final Battle they are going to get the tag titles back.

Match Number Two: Jonathan Gresham versus Kyle OReilly

Gresham with a wrist lock but Kyle with a reversal. Gresham with a reversal but Kyle reverses again. Gresham with a side head lock but Kyle escapes and goes back to the wrist lock. Gresham with a snap mare and Kyle returns to the wrist lock. Gresham with a snap mare but Kyle is able to get back to the wrist lock. Gresham with a monkey flip but Kyle holds on to the wrist lock. Gresham with a side head lock take down and Kyle with a head scissors and Gresham escapes. They lock up and Kyle with a European uppercut. Kyle with a side head lock and shoulder tackle. Kyle blocks a hip toss and so does Gresham until they get to the ropes and Kyle hip tosses Gresham over the top rope but Gresham brings Kyle to the floor as well.

They get back into the ring and then they criss cross the ropes. Gresham blocks a hip toss and so does Kyle. They get to the ropes and give a clean break. Kyle pushes Gresham and Kyle kicks Gresham in the leg. Gresham blocks a kick and then connects with an uppercut to the injured arm.

We go to commercial.

We are back and Kyle slaps Gresham and then takes him down with a leg sweep. Kyle with a running forearm and he works on Greshams shoulder and hits a belly-to-back suplex. Kyle with a heel hook but Gresham kicks Kyle in the shoulder to try to get out of the hold. Gresham gets to the ropes.

Kyle kicks Gresham in the leg and follows with knees. Gresham avoids a round kick and hits a rana but Kyle rolls through to get a near fall. Gresham gets a near fall. Gresham with a crucifix for a near fall. Kyle with forearms to get Gresham to release the wrist lock. Kyle removes the tape from his injured shoulder and Kyle goes for a suplex but Gresham blocks it.

Kyle with a front face lock as Gresham tries to escape but he appears to lose consciousness and Kyle hits a brainbuster for the three count.

Winner: Kyle OReilly

After the match, Adam Page attacks Kyle and goes after the injured shoulder. Page has Kyle up for Rite of Passage but he lets go of the hold when Bobby Fish comes to the ring. Fish and Page battle in the ring. Adam Cole comes out and he works over Fish while Page sends Kyle into the guardrails. Page gets a chair and he hits Fish in the ribs. Cole holds Fish but Fish spits in Pages face. Page hits Fish in the ribs with the chair again. Page drives the chair into Fishs ribs.

Security comes to the ring and they hold their arms out with the international signal for please stop.

We go to commercial.

We are back with a look back at what happened after the match between Kyle OReilly and Jonathan Gresham.

We take a look at the situation between BJ Whitmer and Steve Corino.

Cheeseburger gets on the mic before his match and he tells BJ, Martinez, and Sullivan . . .

Will Ferrara takes the mic and he says that they are sick and tired of being attacked. If you want to dance with the devil? Do you think you are so bad? You are not bad enough to keep them down. He says they dont have the balls to try it again. He says they are not leaving until Whitmer and Martinez get what is coming to them.

Match Number Three: Cheeseburger and Will Ferrara versus Punishment Martinez and BJ Whitmer (with Kevin Sullivan)

Ferrara and Cheeseburger attack Martinez as he enters the ring. Martinez with a double clothesline. Martinez with a Stinger Splash to Ferrara and then he hits a second splash and follows with a clothesline and punch. Martinez with a back breaker and he tags in Whitmer. Whitmer sends Ferrara into the turnbuckles and chops Ferrara. Ferrara with punches but Whitmer with a rake of the eyes.

Whitmer kicks Ferrara and chops Will in the back of the head. Ferrara with punches but Whitmer with chops. Ferrara with a rollup for a near fall. Ferrara with a jaw breaker and Cheeseburger tags in and he connects with forearms as he comes off the ropes but Whitmer stays on his feet. Whitmer with a knee to the midsection followed by an Irish whip. Ferrara with an elbow to Whitmer in the corner followed by a forearm from Cheeseburger.

Whitmer is Irish whipped and BJ takes care of Ferrara and Cheeseburger. Cheeseburger with a kick from the apron and then he hits a springboard knee. Ferrara with a tornado DDT and Cheeseburger gets a near fall. Martinez grabs Cheeseburger and he pushes him down when Ferrara gets in a few shots. Ferrara comes off the turnbuckles and Martinez with a forearm. Martinez grabs Cheeseburger on a springboard attempt and then he slams Cheeseburger into Ferrara. Martinez comes off the turnbuckles with a punch to the head and Whitmer gets the three count.

Winners: BJ Whitmer and Punishment Martinez

After the match, Martinez hits a sit out choke slam on Cheeseburger as Corino heads to the ring.

We go to commercial.

We are back and Chris Sabin has the mic. Sabin says everyone who saw Ladder Wars knows that they are a little bruised, battered, and broken. However, one thing will not be broken is their spirit and desire to be the best. Nigel told them that the company appreciated what they did at All Star Extravaganza. Tonight, if you want, you can have the night off and enjoy the show. Chris says they said hell no and they love this company too much to take a night off.

Alex Shelley says six men walked into Ladder Wars and then six men walked out and into Lowell General Hospital. They put their careers on the line for you. Ring of Honor is about the best pro wrestling on the planet. They dont have any off days or bye weeks. They are out here because you deserve the very best. You are going to get it. It is not time for Tranquilo so come out Los Ingobernables de Japon.

Match Number Four: Alex Shelley and Chris Sabin versus Tetsuya Naito and Evil

Evil and Sabin start things off and Naito hits Sabin from behind and Evil joins in and kicks Sabin. Sabin sends Evil into Naito and then Shelley hits an enzuigiri from the apron. Sabin sends Evil over the top rope to the floor. Shelley tags in and Shelley with a kick. Shelley with a double stomp to the back and Sabin with a bulldog. Sabin and Shelley go to the apron and Shelley with a knee to Naito and Sabin with a senton onto Evil.

Evil is sent back into the ring and Shelley hits a jumping side kick. Shelley with a running forearm to Evil but Naito trips Shelley and then he blocks a kick from Sabin and sends him into the apron. Naito sends Sabin into the guardrails while Evil hits a side slam on Shelley and sends him to the floor. Evil puts a chair around Shelleys neck and Shelley is sent into the ring post.

Naito tags in and he kicks Shelley in the back. Naito with a rear chin lock and elbows to the head. Evil tags in and he kicks Shelley in the ribs. Evil with a wrist lock and then he stretches Shelley. Evil with a curb stomp and a back senton for a near fall.

We go to commercial.

We are back and Naito hits a drop kick on Shelley for a near fall. Naito and Evil press Shelley over their heads but Shelley gets to the mat and he kicks Evil and hits a tornado DDT on Naito. Sabin tags in and drop kicks Evil off the apron. Sabin with running forearms but Naito with a sunset flip. Sabin rolls through and kicks Naito. Sabin kicks Evil from the apron. Sabin with a missile drop kick.

Sabin gets Naito up but Evil stops Sabin. They Irish whip Sabin into the corner. Sabin with a boot to Naito and an elbow to Evil. Sabin with a cross body onto both men and then Shelley does the same thing. Sabin with a suicide dive onto Naito and Evil on the floor. Shelley goes up top and misses a double stomp. Naito gets his boots up and then hits Sabin with an elbow. Sabin and Shelley hit their dream sequence. Sabin with a running boot but Naito pushes Sabin into the ropes and it crotches Shelley. Evil with a discus clothesline and then Naito with a reverse atomic drop followed by a clothesline from Evil. Naito with a cover for a near fall. Evil with an STO to Shelley.

Sabin fights off Naito and Evil but Naito with an enzuigiri and Evil with a super kick. Naito with a reverse DDT for a near fall. Naito with Destino to Sabin for the three count.

Winners: Tetsuya Naito and Evil

We go to credits.

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Salutes all nonprofit organizations that help support, grow, anchor and promote the Muscatine area. Support MuScatine nonprofit eventS TrouT releaSe iN DiScovery PoND October 29, 2016 10:00am The Iowa DNR will release 1000 trout (100 will be tagged) into Discovery Pond at Discovery Park, 3300 Cedar St., Muscatine. Any tagged trout caught on October 29 before 4:00pm may be turned in for a prize. Trout stamps are required. All Iowa fishing rules and regulations apply and will be enforced. Call (563) 264-5922 for more information. Trivia NighT Support the YMCA where we believe that all kids deserve the opportunity to discover who they are and what they can achieve! Friday, November 4th, 7:00pm (Doors open at 6:30pm) The Rendezvous, 3127 Lucas St., Muscatine, IA Teams of 8 - $10 per person Register your table with Amy at (563) 263-9996 or ahessel@muscatiney.org Save The DaTe! holiDay STroll Friday, December 2nd Downtown Muscatine If your non-profit group or business would like to participate, contact Jaime Limoges at (563) 262-0552, jaime.limoges@muscatinejournal.com TheThe Muscatine Journal history of supporting this community andyears, local non-profits. annually to a Quad-City Timeshas hasover beena a175-year leader and advocate for the community for 160 including a We richinvest history of number of localnonprofits. organizations. addition, employees also donate to numerous organizations aimedand at supporting the supporting We In invest moreour than $250,000 each yeartheir in a time number of Quad-City organizations our community wedonate proudlytheir serve, such the Muscatine Community YMCA. employees time to as numerous organizations. Quad-City Times is proud to offer to charitable nonprofit organizations TheThe Muscatine Journal is proud to offer this this pagepage to charitable non-profit organizations 501(c)(3) for promoting events or services. 501(c)(3) for promoting events or services. ForFor moremore information on this page, contact Jaime at 563.262.0552 Jaime.Limoges@MuscatineJournal.com information on this page, contact Jennifer oratemail 563.383.2296 or email spotlight@qctimes.com
A Bettendorf man was in federal custody Monday after police say he sent in a bomb threat to Scott Community College in November.

A federal grand jury on Oct. 19 handed up a one-count indictment for interstate communication of threat against America Yegile Haileselassie, 38.

He will be arraigned on the charge Wednesday in U.S. District Court, Davenport.

Haileselassie initially was charged in Scott County District Court; prosecutors dismissed the case on Monday.

According to an arrest affidavit filed in the Scott County case:

About 10:28 p.m. Nov. 4, a document was received at the Scott Community Colleges Student Success Center that stated, There is a bomb at Scott Community College. It will explode at noon today.

An employee was watching the printer, which appeared to be printing out a large document. Approximately 98 pieces of paper, which all had the same threat, printed out before the employee was able to stop the printing process.

When the employee stopped the printing process, she saw an email address from where the documents were received. The email address was later identified as Haileselassies.

Police later learned that he had been a student and was dismissed by the college verbally on Oct. 29, 2015, because of an incident in which a book was stolen from another student. A letter of dismissal also had been sent to Haileselassie on Nov. 2, according to the affidavit.

Haileselassie has a long history of making threats and has been in and out of federal prison, according to court documents.

In 2004, Haileselassie made a bomb threat against the Washington, D.C., Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, federal court documents state. He spent 33 months in a federal prison on a charge of conveying false information concerning an act of violence against a mass transportation system.

Haileselassie was ordered to spend three years on supervised release from Sept. 19, 2006, through Sept. 18, 2009, after he completed his prison sentence.

On May 12, 2009, he mailed a letter to a detective in the Bettendorf Police Department detective bureau. The envelope contained a powder and a letter telling the detective he was going to kill him and to "enjoy the anthrax spores!" Testing revealed the substance was a mixture of baby powder and carpet cleaner.

Haileselassie was arrested on a charge of mailing threatening communications in early 2010 and then pleaded guilty to the charge Sept. 27 of that year.

On Jan. 27, 2011, he was sentenced to 21 months in federal prison with credit for time served since his arrest. He was also ordered to serve three years on supervised release after he completed his prison term. He violated his terms of release several times, according to court records.
A Kewanee, Illinois, man was sentenced to up to five years in prison for sexually assaulting a woman at gunpoint.

Matthew W. Swearingen, 31, pleaded guilty in August to assault with intent to commit sexual abuse resulting in bodily injury, a Class D felony, and assault with a dangerous weapon, an aggravated misdemeanor.

In exchange for his plea, Scott County prosecutors dismissed the most serious charge, second-degree sexual abuse.

During a sentencing hearing Thursday, District Court Judge Joel Barrows sentenced Swearingen to up to five years in prison on the felony charge and up to two years in prison on the misdemeanor charge. Barrows ordered the sentences to run concurrently, or at the same time.

According to an arrest affidavit filed by Davenport police, Swearingen pressed a gun against the womans forehead and sexually assaulted her in her home March 12.

Swearingen threatened to kill the woman with the gun during the assault, according to the affidavit.
DES MOINES  Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad says he is concerned by reports the drug methamphetamine is being smuggled into state prisons, but he pushes back at the suggestion the problem has arisen because the states prisons are insufficiently staffed.

Branstad said Monday smuggled contraband of any type is a constant concern and state corrections officers are vigilant in attempting to stop such trafficking.

But Branstad said he does not think the issue is insufficient staffing at the state prisons, as the head of the states largest public employees labor union has suggested.

Branstad said that since he returned to office in 2010, state prison staff levels have increased while the inmate population has decreased.

We are continuing to work to make sure that we have adequate level of staffing and that staff have the right training, Branstad said Monday at his weekly news conference. But youre dealing with some very dangerous people that have committed violent and serious crimes, and we want to make sure that were doing everything we can to protect the safety of the people of this state from those people that are in the correction system.

According to a news release from AFSCME Iowa Council 61, which represents 40,000 Iowa public employees, including correctional officers, four inmates at the Iowa Medical and Classification Center in Coralville recently tested positive for meth and several inmates have been found with oxycodone and tobacco.

The union charges the drugs are being smuggled into prisoners by visitors, who understaffed officers are not able to adequately search.

The cause and effect here is alarming, AFSCME Iowa Council 61 president Danny Homan said in a news release. When the Department of Corrections is underfunded, we eliminate and dont replace security staff. When our prisons are understaffed, we end up with lax security procedures. When we shortchange security, our facilities are not safe. When our facilities are not safe, fellow inmates, staff, and the public are all in jeopardy.

Roughly a year ago, a former corrections officer pleaded guilty to accepting bribes to smuggle into Anamosa State Penitentiary contraband, including prescription drugs and tobacco. In February, the guard was sentenced to more than four years in federal prison.

The Department of Corrections said the Iowa Medical and Classification Center is reviewing and investigating the latest incident, which it considers critical, and will work to ensure a similar incident does not happen again, according to a spokesman.

Branstad said his administration will continue to evaluate the corrections system in order to prevent similar incidents.

I really think what we need to do is constantly look at our system and how it can be improved and how the training can be improved, Branstad said.
CEDAR RAPIDS  U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley says he doesnt put much stock in the polls, but the six-term Iowa Republican is paying enough attention that he knows he is unlikely to win re-election by his usual margin.

Speaking at a GOP breakfast Monday, Grassley recalled that polls on his re-election earlier this year showed him under 50 percent.

Now, you may be looking at a poll that looks a little better, he told the Linn Eagles, a Republican fundraising group. Dont count on it. This is a very unpredictable election.

In fact, he said, Democratic challenger Patty Judge may give him the most serious challenge since I beat Sen. John Culver in 1980.

He won that election 53 percent to 46 percent. Since then, hes been re-elected by margins of 32 percentage points, 43 points, 38 points, 42 points and 31 points. Grassley isnt expecting that to continue.

Ive won re-election by big margins. Im not going to win re-election by a big margin this time, he told reporters. Im going to win, but its been a tough pull.

The difference this time is not his opponent, but the attention he has received for his refusal as chairman of the Judiciary Committee to hold hearings on President Barack Obamas Supreme Court nominee Merrick Garland.

You know, if Justice Scalia hadnt died, nobody would be paying any attention to my race, Grassley said.

Oh, I would, Sen. Joni Ernst interjected before Grassley went on to say that Judge was recruited not by Iowa Democrats, but the Washington establishment.

They are after me because they dont want a farmer from Iowa holding up Supreme Court nominations in the future, he said.

That was a reference to a statement former Iowa 1st District Democratic Rep. Bruce Braley made when he was running against Ernst for an open Senate seat in 2014. At a fundraiser with fellow lawyers, Braley said: You might have a farmer from Iowa who never went to law school, never practiced law, serving as the next chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee.

He was accurate, Ernst told the Eagle, and its worked out well. The committee has passed 30 bills with bipartisan support under Grassleys leadership and 13 have been signed by Obama.

You know, thats a pretty darned good record  for a farmer whos the chair of the Judiciary, she said.

Grassley has argued the Supreme Court hearings should be postponed until a new president takes office in order to give voters a voice in the selection of the next justice  a justice who could change the balance of the court.

This is an election about the direction of the Supreme Court for the next 40 years, he said. There already is one vacancy that will turn it leftward, so that it becomes more of a super-legislature.

If voters disagree with him and his colleagues, you can vote members of Congress out of office, he said. You cant override lifetime appointments to the Supreme Court.

Still, the New Hartford Republican thinks Republicans will control the Senate, maybe by a tighter margin, but were still going to control the United States Senate.

Regardless of which presidential candidate wins the election, Grassley said the Senate will continue to do our constitutional job of making sure that we work with the president when we can work with him and be a check on the president when we think they are going in the wrong direction.
A roundup of state government and Iowa Capitol news items for Monday:

FUTURE READY ALLIANCE: Gov. Terry Branstad on Monday announced the names of 57 Iowans who have agreed to serve as members of the Future Ready Iowa Alliance, which meets for the first time Friday afternoon in Des Moines. In August, Branstad signed an executive order creating the alliance. Its charge is to develop and recommend a strategic plan by October 2017 to educate or train beyond high school 70 percent of Iowa's workforce by 2025. The alliance also will determine metrics and benchmarks on a timeline to demonstrate progress. Key measurements will include progress toward overall college and career readiness for all Iowans and reducing the socioeconomic, ethnic and racial achievement gaps in kindergarten through 12th grade and increasing equity in post-secondary enrollment. At his weekly news conference Monday, Branstad also announced that Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds and Dan Houston  chairman, president and CEO of Principal  will co-lead the Future Ready Iowa Alliance made up of representatives from business and industry, labor, pre-kindergarten through 12th grades and higher education, workforce development advocates, economic development professionals, students, non-profits and various other community leaders.

FOCUS ON SAFE DRIVING LAWS: Gov. Terry Branstad said Monday he plans to include in his next condition-of-the-state address a call for stronger laws to address an increase in road fatalities this year in Iowa. After decades of steady decline, Iowa's traffic fatalities are on pace to increase in 2016 by 18 percent, Branstad said Monday. Branstad plans to push for stronger laws to address distracted, drunk and impaired driving, as well as bicyclist, motorcyclist and pedestrian safety. This summer he convened a public safety task force to study the issue and make recommendations. "I'm very concerned about the fact that fatalities are going up. In this year in particular we've had a significant increase, and that's something that's not acceptable and we need to address," Branstad said.

SAFE CIDER: Officials with the state Department of Public Health are urging Iowans to think safe cider this fall. For starters, state health officials advise Iowans to check labels of apple cider containers to ensure the product is pasteurized. Unpasteurized cider can contain cryptosporidiosis, salmonella or E. coli bacteria, which can be dangerous to the very young and those who are immune-compromised. "You can't tell if cider is contaminated just by looking at it," said State Medical Director Dr. Patricia Quinlisk. In fact, there is no difference in smell or taste, she said. "The key to preventing illness associated with apple cider is purchasing product that has been pasteurized, or by heating unpasteurized apple cider to at least 170 degrees Fahrenheit." Unpasteurized products may be purchased as freshly pressed from local orchards, roadside stands, farmers markets or grocery stores. Do not assume that because the juice is hot or bottled that it is safe for consumption, Quinlisk said. Complete pasteurization is necessary to kill organisms that have the potential to cause significant illness. Symptoms of foodborne illness caused by contaminated food include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, stomach cramps, loss of appetite, fatigue and fever. Those who suspect they may have a foodborne illness should call the IowaSic hotline at 1-844-469-2742. For more information about foodborne illnesses, visit idph.iowa.gov/cade/foodborne-illness.

IOWA ART SCHOLARSHIPS: Iowa high-school students who will attend an Iowa college or university next fall with a major in an arts discipline may apply for the Iowa Arts Council's 2016-2017 Iowa Scholarship for the Arts by Feb. 1, 2017. The Iowa Arts Council awards the Iowa Scholarship for the Arts annually to select Iowa high school students who are accepted as full-time undergraduates at fully accredited Iowa colleges or universities and pursue majors in dance, literature, music, theater, traditional arts or visual arts. This year's recipients each will receive $1,500 toward 2017-2018 academic year expenses. Students must complete an application at www.iowaartscouncil.slideroom.com, write an essay about their artistic vision and the role of art in their lives, provide work samples and a letter of recommendation from a teacher or professional. Contact Veronica O'Hern at veronica.ohern@iowa.gov for more information.
Whether it was pumpkin bowling, dissecting a cow's eye, making monster pencils or visiting the glow-in-the-dark room, children of all ages flocked to the Family Museum in Bettendorf on Sunday.

It was the annual Scarecrow Shenanigans that offered those activities and much more, including trick-or-treating and mini pumpkin decorating.

"We do this every year, said the museum's director, Kim Kidwell, who was dressed up as Snow White. Normally, we get 800 to 1,000 people. Usually, it is steady all day.

It is just a family-friendly event. They just have family fun together.

The place was full of families throughout the day as kids dressed up in costumes, received candy and other treats, played games and did crafts.

Emma Morris, a student at Augustana College, Rock Island, volunteered to help Sunday. She was busy assisting children making monster pencils.

You start with a very large pencil and then choose which type of accessories to glue onto the end of the pencil. That could include feathers, ribbons and a hairy, Cyclops top.

I volunteered last year for Winterfest, she said. It is fun to work with kids.

Jamie Adam of Geneseo, Illinois, arrived with his family, including daughter, Kynlee, 4.

She is decorating the mini pumpkins with feathers and glitter, he said. She made a hat. We have been here before to walk around and do stuff. We are having a good time.

Kimberly Schwartzlose of Bettendorf brought her son, Emmitt, 4, who was dressed up as Captain America.

We explored the museum, did some trick-or-treating, had some snacks and now are doing crafts, she said.

When asked what he was making with the mini pumpkin, Emmitt said, a Green Power Ranger pumpkin with other colors.

Kids also were having fun playing pumpkin bowling outside, using small pumpkins and squash to try to knock over empty, soda bottles. Others marveled at the glow-in-the-dark room filled with many glowing objects.

Sabrina Ludwig of Bettendorf brought all four of her children and was busy herself, going from room to room.

We are members here, she said. They enjoy coming here. It is very well planned. The people who work here are very helpful and good with kids.

Meagan Bertrand of Moline came with her two children, Annabelle, 6, and J.J., 3.

We came here last year, too, actually, she said. It is family-orientated. It is something the family can do.

Annabelle, dressed as the zombie bride, was making a craft from a mini pumpkin. She was busy putting on glue and attaching features to the pumpkin. But she did not know ahead of time what she wanted to make.

But she was thrilled to be there for another reason.

I saw my friend here, she said.
I've dismissed talk of Hillary Clinton's "secrecy problem" as mere babble in an election year. I thought, for example, that Clinton had no obligation to disclose her mild pneumonia, a temporary ailment she was over in a few days.

Thus, I assumed there was something politically damaging in her discussions with Wall Street bigwigs, for which Goldman Sachs paid $225,000 a shot. Why else would she deem it safer to let our imaginations run wild about their contents than to release the transcripts and let the chips fall where they may?

Now we have the three transcripts. Everyone can read them, and everyone should. What they show is Clinton's extraordinary understanding of our world -- its leaders and their politics, terrorist groups and their vulnerabilities, the interplay of global forces, and the economic well-being of Americans.

Note that Clinton's political foes are feasting over the exciting fact that the speeches were "leaked." They're saying little about what was in them.

One can understand Clinton's hesitation to release the transcripts during the primaries. Bernie Sanders was making a popular and heated case against the billionaire financiers. Any record of Clinton's saying nice things to the Wall Street titans would have been twisted out of proportion.

And Clinton did say nice things. She said, "I had great relations and worked so close together after 9/11 to rebuild downtown and a lot of respect for the work you do."

Then came the pivot: "But I do ... think that when we talk about the regulators and the politicians, the economic consequences of bad decisions back in '08, you know, were devastating, and they had repercussions throughout the world."

She did suggest that people in the industry could help improve the regulatory system. Even that could be defended on the grounds that only insiders understood the exotic financial instruments that almost brought the house down. (Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan had said he couldn't make heads or tails of them.)

Some are troubled by the remark that the Dodd-Frank Wall Street reforms were done for partially political reasons. That should come as no great shock. In later public speeches, Clinton has called for tightening the Dodd-Frank regulations.

No one can find a quid pro quo -- a trade of favors -- between Clinton and the financial wizards who paid so handsomely for her thoughts. That's the main thing.

On the contrary, Clinton has long called for ending the "carried interest" tax loophole, which benefits private equity managers. She opposed the Bear Stearns bailout. She's now calling for a stiff hike in taxes paid by the richest Americans -- that is, many of the people in her audience.

Clinton was for letting Puerto Rico restructure its debts, a move opposed by Puerto Rico's creditors. "We can no longer sit idly by while hedge funds seek to maximize their profits at the island's expense," she said in May.

Let's remember that Clinton was a senator from New York. Financial services rank No. 1 in the state for total payroll. They provide over 160,000 jobs.

Helping hometown employers is why Sanders of Vermont defended the F-35 stealth fighter boondoggle. It's why Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts agitated for ending the tax on medical devices that helps pay for Obamacare. It's why anti-government conservatives in the farm belt back government subsidies to farmers.

Clinton has cashed her checks for the Goldman speeches. Donald Trump, meanwhile, continues to maintain extensive business ties with Vladimir Putin's Russia, according to his son.

Why Clinton insisted on keeping her brilliant Wall Street talks secret will remain an enduring mystery of this campaign. Heck, why didn't she post them on her website? Beats me.
Editor's note: As a public service, the South Dakota Newspaper Association, which represents daily and weekly newspapers across the state, asked former Sioux Falls Argus Leader editor Maricarrol Kueter to write a series of articles on the 10 statewide ballot measures that will be considered by voters in the Nov. 8 election.

As a service to our readers, and to help create a more informed electorate, the Rapid City Journal will publish the material over the coming days.

Voters this fall will review some changes state lawmakers made to election petition procedures and decide how best to determine legislative district boundaries.

Referred Law 19 challenges law changes made in 2015, including new deadlines for submitting nominating petitions and restrictions on who can sign petitions for Independent candidates.

A separate ballot measure, proposed Constitutional Amendment T, would change the process of drawing legislative district boundaries, removing that responsibility from legislators and giving it to a new redistricting commission.

Legislators took several actions in 2015, in an attempt to ward off abuses of current state laws regarding nominating petitions and other election processes.

They approved changes in the time frame for circulating nominating petitions, moving it from Jan. 1 through the last Tuesday of March to Dec. 1 through the first Tuesday in March. The measure changes signature requirements, sets other election-related deadlines and tightens the timeline for candidates who want to mail their petitions to meet the filing deadline.

The Secretary of States office had initiated the petition timeline changes in order to allow more time to validate petitions. Several challenges to the current petition process had surfaced during the 2014 election.

But lawmakers also added amendments that made significant changes to signature requirements, particularly for Independent candidates trying to make the ballot.

Republicans at the time said the law changes would make elections fairer and help prevent abuses. They said the changes to Independent candidate petition requirements would make candidacy rules consistent for Democrats, Republicans and Independents.

Cory Heidelberger, an online blogger from Aberdeen who led the petition drive to refer the law, said the changes make it harder for people to get on the ballot.

They have to decide to run sooner and then seek signatures in the busy month of December instead of the traditionally more weather-friendly month of March.

This is a power play by Republicans, Heidelberger said in an email. This is about democracy. Dont make it harder to run for office.

One of the most disputed portions of the Referred Law 19, according to Heidelberger, involves the new rules on who can sign petitions. It would prohibit Democrats or Republicans from signing the nominating petitions of independent candidates. Currently, there is no such restriction.

With only independents able to sign independent candidate petitions, the task becomes much harder, the laws opponents say. It takes away 80 percent of the voters they can talk to, said Heidelberger.

Its a Republican attack on Independents, he said.

Proponents in the Legislature said these measures provide uniformity to election procedures.

Referred Law 19 also places restrictions on replacing candidates who withdraw after the primary election.

AMENDMENT T: Redistricting changes

Supporters of the proposed redistricting amendment say the new method eliminates potential conflicts of interest that exist when lawmakers draw their own boundaries.

The proposed 9-member redistricting commission would be made up of voters from the two major political parties as well as those not affiliated with either.

The most important aspect of Amendment T is the fact that it makes the redistricting process fairer, more inclusive and more protective of voters rights, said Matt Sibley, legislative specialist with the South Dakota Farmers Union and a representative of the group supporting Amendment T.

The proponents of the amendment want to prevent legislators of a major party from altering district lines in order to favor or inhibit an incumbent. The measure would also block attempts to strategically place district boundaries to potentially favor the majority party.

But those opposing the amendment, say those abuses are not occurring and changing the decades-old redistricting system is simply unnecessary.

The state constitution requires the legislature to establish the districts every 10 years. A committee made up of 15 legislators draws up the map.

The proponents speak in generalities and say because there are problems in other states, we should change things here, Rep. James Bolin, of Canton, said in an email. He served on the legislative committee responsible for the last redistricting process completed in 2011.

Keeping counties and neighborhoods intact in drawing legislative boundaries is a key protection, the amendment provides, according to Sibley. The measure also provides for public comment on the proposals.

Bolin points to results of the last redistricting commission as evidence that the existing system works in a bipartisan manner.

Representatives from both parties serve on the redistricting panel and offer input, he said. In one instance, the group voted to place Beadle County in one district as had been advocated by a Democratic representative.

If we had wanted to be unfair to the Democrats, we could have listened respectfully and then voted to nullify her desires, Bolin said. Instead, by a bipartisan vote we voted to do the right thing and make Beadle County whole, he said.

Some counties must be split, particularly in larger population areas such as Minnehaha and Lincoln counties. But, Bolin said, the last commission followed existing precinct lines in those counties.

Our efforts to keep counties together should be applauded, Bolin said. We split no voting precincts in Minnehaha and Lincoln counties.

Lawmakers serve on the redistricting commission in proportion to their representation in the Legislature. Sibley said the panels makeup is part of the problem.

T is built upon the fundamental principle that voters should choose their legislators. Legislators should not choose their voters, Sibley said in an email.

Bolin counters that the amendment takes the responsibility for redistricting away from 105 legislators elected by the people and gives it to nine individuals, elected by no one.

Ten questions are on the Nov. 8 general election ballot. You can learn more about the various ballot questions at the S.D. Secretary of States website.
SIOUX FALLS | One year after a Harrisburg High School student put a bullet in the arm of his principal, staff training, safety drills and equipment upgrades have made metro area schools more secure.

The non-fatal school shooting on Sept. 30, 2015, didn't cause knee-jerk security changes, but nearly every school in the area has seen safety upgrades in the last year.

"It's rare that a school reacts to an event anymore," Sioux Falls Superintendent Brian Maher said. "More than anything else, (Harrisburg) reminded us that this can happen here."

Protecting students from violence and gunfire has been on schools' radars since the 1999 Columbine High School massacre, but the Harrisburg shooting brought those concerns home.

West Central, Brandon Valley, Tri-Valley and Harrisburg have all added surveillance cameras to their school buildings. Dell Rapids and Brandon Valley upgraded security on their main school entrances.

Sioux Falls schools hired additional personnel to monitor students on the playground before school starts in the morning, and Brandon Valley added another school resource officer.

Tri-Valley also implemented panic buttons and a school sentinel program, allowing trained employees to carry firearms to protect students in the event of a school shooting or other crisis situation.

"Any drill that we've done since that time, we've all taken very seriously," said Mark Schlekeway, safety committee facilitator and assistant principal for Brandon Valley High School.

Schools have also taken time to reflect on their policies and procedures. Harrisburg administrators led multiple workshops sharing the lessons they learned in the aftermath of the shooting, in which Principal Kevin Lein was shot by a 16-year-old student, Mason Buhl, who was awaiting trial on an attempted murder charge.

"By far, we don't have all the answers ... but we did learn some things," Harrisburg Superintendent Jim Holbeck said. "And we thought they were worth sharing."

The infrastructure upgrades and lessons from Harrisburg are only part of the equation when it comes to keeping kids safe. Schools also have to create a welcoming environment, administrators said.

"We run schools, not prisons," said West Central Superintendent Jeff Danielsen. "We want the schools to be inviting to the students."

Bob Draeger, a school resource officer at Lincoln High School, views student relationships as an essential part of his job.

"It's amazing," Draeger said. "Just saying hello to a kid in the morning when they're in the school, I might be the only person to say hello to them all day long."

School resource officers help keep students safe through simply being present in the buildings, Brandon Valley Superintendent Jarod Larson said.

"We run schools, not prisons. We want the schools to be inviting to the students."

Jeff Danielsen, superintendent, West Central Schools

Larson gave the example of cars speeding on a city street. When there's a police vehicle on the side of the road, drivers are more likely to slow down solely because they see the police car.

With students, the resource officers' presence prevents the minor thefts and fights that may otherwise break out, Draeger said.

Schools are also working to make sure students who struggle with mental health or feel like they're in crisis have an outlet to help them cope, Danielsen said.

"It's the relationships with the kids that are going to matter," Schlekeway said.

When it comes to responding to a crisis, schools are more prepared now than they ever have been, Holbeck said.

That doesn't mean an incident like the Harrisburg shooting could never happen again.

"The thing that people want the most ... they want me or any other school leader to give them 100 percent guaranteed assurance nothing can happen in their school, and we can't do it," Holbeck said. "If we were to check everybody at the door ... there's no 100 percent guarantee."
Few monuments or landmarks in the United States are more iconic or offer greater patriotic symbolism than does the Mount Rushmore National Memorial.

Beginning in 1927, Gutzon Borglum helped transform a seemingly innocuous rock face in the Black Hills into the stoic and easily recognizable faces of Washington, Jefferson, Roosevelt, and Lincoln, which millions of visitors travel each year to see. Over 14 years of hot summers and cold winters, and with the help of 400 workers using chisels, jackhammers, and dynamite, Mount Rushmore was completed 75 years ago on October 31, 1941.

More than 2.1 million people from around the world visited Mount Rushmore in 2014. And over the last 75 years, U.S. presidents, celebrities, families on spring or summer vacation  people from all backgrounds and all corners of the globe  have flocked to the Black Hills to see firsthand the six-story granite faces of some of Americas greatest leaders. That diversity is emblematic of just how important Mount Rushmore is to South Dakota and to the rest of the United States.

The monument is symbolic for obvious reasons, but also because of the time period over which it was carved. Using both public and some privately raised funds during the Great Depression, the monument was completed by hard-working Americans who scaled hundreds of steps every day to clock in, put in a hard and dangerous days work, and clock out. While some workers put their lives on the line every day  dangling from the mountains edge  not a single person lost their life over the 14-year project.

I have a lot of memories at Mount Rushmore. I can remember traveling through the Black Hills and to Mount Rushmore as a kid. Theres nothing quite like taking that curve on Highway 244 at which point the stone faces start coming into view. Once I became a parent, Kimberley and I took that same drive with our girls and have returned time and again for lighting ceremonies, firework shows, and other events. I still return when I get the chance, because visiting Mount Rushmore never gets old. Earlier this month, I stopped by with Bill Nelson, Floridas senior senator and my Democrat counterpart on the Senate Commerce Committee, during a recent trip through the Black Hills. And thanks to the decades-long public-private partnership with the Mount Rushmore Society, the monument has been and will continue to be a top destination in the United States.

Borglum did more than create a national treasure for the American people. He created a lasting tourist attraction that continues to be a boon for the local economy. Thanks in large part to state and national parks and memorials like Mount Rushmore, of which South Dakota is home to dozens, tourism is one of the states top industries. Tourism supports more than 50,000 jobs in the state, generates billions of dollars in economic activity, and accounted for $270 million in state and local tax revenue in 2015 alone. South Dakotans are proud of their state parks and the national park system, now in its 100th year, and they go above and beyond to provide a world-class experience for anyone who passes through.
MOSCOW, October 24 (RAPSI, Lyudmila Klenko)  The Presidium of Russias Supreme Court will review Kirovles embezzlement case against opposition politician Alexei Navalny and his accomplice Pyotr Ofitserov taking into account ECHRs ruling, announcement on the official website of the court reads on Monday.

On February 23, ECHR published a ruling regarding Kirovles embezzlement case, claiming that Navalnys and Ofitserovs rights on a fair trial were violated. However, ECHR did not find a political motive in this case.

ECHR ruled to compensate Navalny with 48,000 euro of legal costs and Ofitserov with 22,000 euro. Additionally Russia is to pay 8,000 euro each in damages.

Russias Ministry of Justice has appealed ECHRs ruling but this appeal has been dismissed.

Navalny was given a five-year suspended sentence in July 2013 for embezzlement at the Kirovles timber company. In May, Moscow's Lyublinsky District Court increased a probation period for him to 5.5 years in the case. Ofitserov has received a four-year suspended sentence.

According to investigators, while serving on a voluntary basis as an adviser to the Kirov Region governor, Navalny allegedly organized the theft of over 10,000 cubic meters of timber from Kirovles between May and September 2009. He presumably acted in collusion with Vyatka Timber Company Director Pyotr Ofitserov and Kirovles CEO Vyacheslav Opalyov.
Russia violated rights of deceased art-group activist  ECHR

MOSCOW, October 24 (RAPSI)  The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) held that rights of deceased activist member of the Voyna (War) art group, Leonid Nikolayev, had been violated and ruled that Russian authorities must pay 1,300 in compensation for his longtime detention.

Nikolayev died in September 2015. His mother took part in the proceedings on his behalf, the court ruling says.

Nikolayev and Oleg Vorotnikov, members of the Voyna group, were arrested in November 2010, at a rally organized by Voyna, called "Dvortsovy Perevorot" ("Revolution Palace"). During the rally, artists overturned a police car near Mikhailovsky Palace in St. Petersburg. The culprits were accused of hooliganism, which is punishable by up to five years in prison. Nikolayev spent 3 months in detention.

In his application Nikolayev complained over alleged violation of the Article 5 (Right to liberty and security of person) of the European Convention on Human Rights (Convention).

His complaint was considered along with other four applications consolidated on grounds of alleged violation of the Article 5. Total amount of compensations awarded to applicants came to 13,500.
PHILADELPHIA -- The brick mansion where Grace Kelly grew up and accepted a marriage proposal from Prince Rainier of Monaco now belongs to royalty.

The son of the Oscar-winning actress told PEOPLE that he bought the six-bedroom estate in the East Falls section of Philadelphia, saying the "house was very beautiful and very special to our family." Prince Albert of Monaco told the magazine that plans for the property have not yet been finalized but said it may be used, in part, as a museum.

The home hit the market earlier this year with an asking price of $1 million. The price was dropped twice, first by $150,000 and then by $100,000.

John O'Connell of Elfant Wissahickon Realtors said there were multiple bids on the home, which sold for $754,000.

Kelly's father, three-time Olympic gold medalist John B. Kelly, built the home, which features a formal dining room, formal living room with fireplace and a finished basement. A blue state historical marker that honors the family was installed outside the property in 2012.

Kelly spent her childhood years in the home but it was also the place where Prince Rainier proposed to her with a 10.5-carat diamond ring. The couple wed in Monaco three months later in April 1956.

Speaking with PEOPLE, Prince Albert shared memories of visiting his mother's childhood home, including rolling around the floor as a toddler and staring out the window of an upstairs bedroom.

"The house is filled with little moments like that. Moments of being a family," he said.

The brick estate garnered headlines in 2013, when authorities found more than a dozen animals, including a dead cat, in the home. The property listing described the home as a "diamond waiting to be polished and brought back to its original splendor."

Prince Albert told PEOPLE he was glad to have saved the home "from a near certain death or development."

Erin O'Neill may be reached at eoneill@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @LedgerErin. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
America must return to conservative principles of less government,reduced taxes, less spending and a balanced budget! Cut,cap and balance!
Jon N. Hall

On Sept. 22, Time magazine ran "European Politics Are Swinging to the Right" by Simon Shuster (it ran Oct. 3 in wood pulp). The article is a nice little roundup about the emergence of new political parties in Europe and their recent electoral successes. The new populism sweeping across the continent is a response to the immigration crisis and to the heavy-handedness of the E.U.'s central government, with its unelected bureaucrats in Brussels setting the rules for distant peoples. Several E.U. member states have balked at Brussels's demand to take more refugees. And then there's Brexit, which has inspired similar plebiscites in other nations, like France and the Netherlands. Shuster writes:

But the insurgency is not limited to Europe. All the rising rightist parties are aligned with Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump in what they encourage voters to fear: migrants taking your jobs, Muslims threatening your culture and security, political correctness threatening your culture and security, political correctness threatening your ability to speak your mind and, above all, entrenched elites selling you out in the service of the wealthy and well-connected.

Hear, hear! Shuster's article is worth reading if one is aware that it's not strictly reportage; there's a good deal of editorializing in it. Also, Shuster is incorrect on the central point of his article: the Euros aren't really "swinging to the right."

You see, these new parties aren't calling for the downsizing of the welfare state; that would be political suicide in Europe. Nonetheless, Shuster repeatedly refers to these emerging parties and politicians as "far-right." How is it "far-right" to want to stop an invasion or, if you prefer, to curb immigration? Shuster refers to the dearth of new job opportunities in Europe, but if some say that admitting millions of new people might exacerbate that problem, they're labeled "far-right."

How is wanting more independence, more self-determination, and more freedom a Nazi thing? And yes, Shuster ties the new parties to Nazis. After all, they're both "far-right," right? The identification (of Nazis and fascists as rightists) is a decades-old slur by one branch of the left against another branch of the left. It's the charge of the international socialists against the national socialists, and any other faction they don't approve of...like American conservatives.

Shuster's article would have been better, as well as more honest, if he had identified the new parties and movements in Europe as "nationalist" or "populist," and left it at that. But he had to trot out the "far-right" calumny. Even if Shuster isn't attempting to muddy the water with a little propaganda, the charge is cheap, lazy, and ahistorical. But the "far right" is whatever the left says it is.

Another writer who resorts to charges of "far-right" is New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman. (Friedman is the Times' idea of a deep thinker.) In a column on June 7, Friedman wrote: "America needs a healthy two-party system. America needs a healthy center-right party to ensure that the Democrats remain a healthy center-left party."

Most Americans will agree with the first sentence. But what Friedman is trying to do in the second sentence is assure his readers that Democrats are "center-left." That, however, is just not true. It's the Democrats who are the true extremists; they're far from the political center. It's the Democrats who introduced eugenics, concentration camps, and other fascist niceties to America. And with the embrace of Bernie Sanders in their primaries, it should now be undeniable that Democrats are socialists.

The "center-left" in American is currently occupied by most elective Republicans, which may come as a revelatory shock to Thomas Friedman (assuming he believes what he writes). Elective Republicans aren't arguing for the dismantling of the welfare state; Americans are too dependent on it. Real conservatism for these Republicans is more of an ideal to strive for than a possibility anytime soon.

So if Republicans are going to become America's center-right party, as Friedman is urging, then they're going to need to move rightward, not leftward. Of course, if the GOP were to become a center-right party, they'd be less conservative and more libertarian. That's because American conservatism isn't rightist; it is centrist.

Hillary Clinton and her minions have tried to tar Republicans with the charge of being in cahoots with the "alt-right," a new name for old fringe groups that have found little acceptance in the halls of power. But the question serious Americans really ought to be asking is: is the "alt-right" really right-wing?

The "alt-right" is against the immigration policies of Mrs. Clinton, which are open borders and greater importation of Syrian "refugees." America may soon start to resemble Germany, which is also headed by a woman whose immigration policies are at odds with the People. Voters will need to decide if Mr. Trump's ideas of a pause in immigration and of "extreme vetting" for immigrants from countries that spawn terrorism is sound policy. But know this: both in American and Europe, the left has no compunction about using the People as guinea pigs to vindicate their ideas about multiculturalism, and to build their voter base.

To use Friedman's word, it would be quite "healthy" for American politics if half of America would swing so unimaginably far to the right that they ended up in the center. But that would require that Americans know right from left, which seems a tall order for our dug in electorate.

Jon N. Hall is a programmer/analyst from Kansas City.
Jack Cashill

"The White House is like a subway. You have to put in coins to open the gates."

Such were the immortal words of one Johnny Chung, who admitted to a Senate committee in 1997 that he funneled $100,000 from the Chinese military to the Democratic National Committee. In the Clinton White House, it was pay to play all the way. That either Bill or Hillary had a political life after their treasonous run on Asian piggy banks is a testament to the ever escalating corruption of the American media.

The White House honcho who made the subways run on time  no shock here  was Hillary Clinton. It was she who convened the secret meeting with adviser Dick Morris in the White House treaty room a month after the Democrats' historic drubbing in November 1994. Blamed for the debacle, the Clintons were running for their political lives. To preserve those lives would take huge amounts of money, much of it, if not most, raised and spent illegally.

"The president and his top advisors took control of the DNC and designed a plan to engage in a historically aggressive fund-raising effort, utilizing the DNC as a vehicle for getting around federal election laws," the U.S. Senate Committee on Governmental Affairs, also known as the Thompson Committee, reported in March 1998. "The DNC ran television advertisements, created under the direct supervision of the president."

The deepest pockets the Clintons plundered belonged to the Riadys, an ethnic Chinese family that worked out of Indonesia. The Thompson Committee cited any number of large-scale Riady joint ventures in China, their principal partner in the People's Republic being an enterprise called China Resources, "a company wholly-owned and operated by the PRC government." The Riadys had invested in Bill Clinton back in Arkansas and bailed him out during the 1992 primary campaign. As payback, they were allowed to put their man John Huang in the Commerce Department.

And what were Huang's talents? A letter sent by an Asian outreach advocate on the stationery of the then-president pro tem of the California state Senate was frank to a fault: "John is the Riady family's top priority for placement because he is like one of their own." The Riady family, in case anyone needed reminding, "invested heavily in the Clinton campaign." To some, those were credentials enough.

Huang's actual work was icing on the cake. The Thompson Committee makes this striking admission: "[a]lthough Huang's first day at Commerce was July 18, 1994, he was granted his first security clearance in January 1994."

Huang proved his worth in June 1994. With Clinton crony Webster Hubbell on the ropes after a scandal forced him out of his job in the Justice Department, Huang arranged a $100,000 Riady payout to Hubbell. This occurred two days after Huang and James Riady met with the president in the Oval Office and a week after Hillary met with Hubbell. That payout  and $300,000 more  helped buy Hubbell's silence. Despite a ton of legal pressure, he never talked.

It should have surprised no one that the Clintons would head for Indonesia a week after the November 1994 debacle. They saw it coming and planned ahead. Not only did the Clintons have to impress the Riadys on their own home turf, but they also had to start squeezing the CEOs accompanying them in a more systematic way. It was about this time that the $100,000 donation to travel with the Clintons morphed from a discreet expectation into the price of admission.

The Thompson Committee described what happened during the next two years. "The president and his aides demeaned the offices of the president and vice president, took advantage of minority groups, pulled down all the barriers that would normally be in place to keep out illegal contributions, pressured policy makers, and left themselves open to strong suspicion that they were selling not only access to high-ranking officials, but policy as well." This was business as usual for Bill and Hillary Clinton. "Millions of dollars were raised in illegal contributions," concluded the Thompson Committee, " much of it from foreign sources."

Nothing the Clintons have done in the last thirty years matches the scope of their treachery during this two-year period. In the way of example, among those who enjoyed an intimate "coffee" with the president was one Wang Jun, chair of Poly Technologies, a company controlled by the People's Liberation Army. One of Poly Technologies' profit centers was satellite production. Another was the "importation and distribution of semi-automatic rifles for the U.S. domestic market." Between 1987 and 1993, the company and its affiliates sold more than $200 million's worth of these guns in the United States. Clinton pal Charlie Trie had greased the Wang Jun meeting with a $50,000 payment.

To the president's humble credit, as the Thompson Committee would later report, Clinton did admit that the meeting with Wang Jun was "clearly inappropriate." The president did not apologize, however, for signing waivers for four more satellite launches by Chinese rockets on that same February 1996 day. The president approved these waivers despite reports the month before that China continued to export nuclear technology to Pakistan and missiles to Iran, the latter deal suspected of being brokered by Wang Jun.

Just a week or so after Wang Jun's excellent Washington adventure, a Chinese Long March 3B rocket carrying the Loral-built Intelsat 708 satellite crashed just after liftoff and killed or injured at least sixty people in a nearby village. This was the third Long March failure in the previous three years involving U.S.-built satellite payloads.

Loral CEO Bernard Schwartz, the largest single donor to the Clinton campaign, dispatched a Loral-led review team to China to assess the February 1996 failure of the Long March 3B rocket and suggest refinements. The Cox Committee would later describe Schwartz's actions as "an unlicensed defense service for the PRC that resulted in the improvement of the reliability of the PRC's military rockets and ballistic missiles." The White House pulled serious strings to prevent Schwartz from being prosecuted.

In the most outrageous deal of all, two months before the election, the president "unilaterally" declared a new 1.7-million-acre national monument in Southern Utah. CNN's Wolf Blitzer did not shy from the implicit controversy. He reported that the people of Utah were "furious." They claimed that it was "a land grab" by the federal government "at the economic expense of the state."

Blitzer raised the issue of coal, perhaps $1 trillion's worth of clean, low-sulfur coal that would never be mined. Blitzer, however, did not know the deeper significance of the coal. Clinton did. Said the president of this grand environmental gesture, "We can't have mines everywhere, and we shouldn't have mines that threaten our national treasures." No, not everywhere, just in Indonesia. In a stroke of the pen, Clinton had handed the Riadys a monopoly on the world's supply of low-sulfur coal.

Although Blitzer did not make the connection, the FBI did. As an FBI agent observed after his interview with John Huang, "HUANG laughed in response to questions concerning j. riady's interest in Utah coal restrictions."

Huang and the Clintons and their cronies are laughing still. They have convinced some healthy percentage of the Republican establishment that making a crude comment eleven years ago is a greater sin than betraying America for campaign cash.
Christian and Connor's cross country team at Christ Community Lutheran School, qualified for the National Cross Country meet in Mequon Wisconsin. Saturday was the big race and Christian, a 5th grader, got to run on the team of 7th and 8th graders. He did well, but his team is young and didn't place in the top 3. But look out in the future. Connor who is in 3rd grade medaled in last week's state tournament in the younger kids division but was not able to be on the big boys team.

it was a chilly but gorgeous day right along lake Michigan.

Warming up

Christian really grew this summer but he's not up high enough to catch the junior high guys

Heading into the finish line

The team from CCLS

And Connor smiling just being there on the lake

And of course Nick
Guwahati : A member of Nationalist Socialist Council of Nagaland (Unification) was killed during a gun fight with Assam Rifles in Nagaland's Wokha district on Sunday morning.*

The gun battle took place at Okotso village in Wokha district at around 5-30 am.

Security personnel also recovered six weapons including two AK series rifles from the area.

he deceased member of NSCN(U) is yet to be identified.

Meanwhile a leader of NSCN(U) accused that Indian army had abrogated the ceasefire agreement.

'NSCN(U), NSCN(IM), NSCN(R) are in ceasefire agreement with the Union government, but Indian army had abrogated the agreement this morning,'A the NSCN(U) leader said.

(Reporting by Hemanta Kumar Nath)
Guwahati : Assam's Karbi militant group Karbi People's Liberation Tigers (KPLT) had declared ceasefire and sent a letter to the Union government.

Assam police Special DG Kuladhar Saikia said that, the outfit group had sent a formal letter to the Union Home Ministry on October 17 and wish to ceasefire agreement with the government.

'The General Secretary of the outfit group had signed in the letter sent to Union Home Ministry. In the letter the outfit group had expressed their desire to come into mainstream,'A the top corps said.

'Government will decide for the ceasefire agreement,'A the Assam police Special DG said.

KPLT is active in Central Assam's Karbi Anglong and Nagaon district.

The KPLT, earlier known as anti-talks faction of the Karbi Longri North Cachar Hills Liberation Front (KLNLF-ATF), was formed on January 8, 2011.

(Reporting by Hemanta Kumar Nath)
Guwahati, October 24 : Manipur Chief Minister Ibobi Singh and his colleague Depty Chief Minister Gaikhangam Gangmei on Monday escaped unhurt when suspected NSCN(IM) militants opened gunfire as they were getting out of their helicopter at Ukhrul helipad in Ukhrul district.

Two jawan of the Manipur Rifles were injured in the firing, when the Manipur CM stepped out of the helicopter to take part in an inaugural function in Ukhrul district.

Manipur police said that, suspected NSCN(IM) militants had opened gunfire targeting to Ibobi when the CM stepped out of the helicopter.

In the militant ambush, two jawans of Manipur Rifles were injured and they were immediately admitted nearest hospital.

Following the untoward situation Ibobi's helicopter immediately took off and left for Chingai but could not land in the remote area following locals protest and cancelled the programme of inauguration a hospital and flew back to Imphal.

The local peoples had protested the Manipur CM's visit to the remote area in Ukhrul district.

The protesters also torched few police vehicles following the militant gunfire.

On the other hand, a jawan of Indian Reserve Battalion was injured in a bomb blast took place at the remote area few hours before of gunfire attack on Manipur CM.

(Reporting by Hemanta Kumar Nath)
Guwahati: An unfortunate incident happened in Assam's Kaziranga National Park (KNP) on Sunday morning when a rhino attack a tourist team of Mumbai inside the park.

The tourists are reportedly safe but a female elephant of forest department and her calf were injured in the incident.

According to the reports, the incident happened when a tourist team of Mumbai went to elephant safari in the national park on Sunday morning.

'We are going inside the park by riding in seven elephants. When we reached near by a rhino, the male rhino attack a female elephant of forest department and her calf,'A a tourist said.

'We are shocked in the unfortunate incident,aA the tourist said.

In the attack, the elephant named Phulan Devi and her calf were injured.

(Reporting by Hemanta Kumar Nath)
Guwahati: He lived with self-pride and died calm. A scribe of repute, an editor of commitment and an author with humor, Tilak Hazarika passed away on the early hours of 22 October. The 95 crossed Assamese gentleman was admitted in the hospital on 19 September following a brain stroke, where the accomplished writer breathed his last.

The veteran journalist, who was engaged with the popular Assamese weekly Sadin till his end, continued writing over various contemporary issues till he got hospitalized. He also authored and translated few books and was honored with accolades including the prestigious Sahitya Academy award inm 1996.

Born at Silghat Sonari village in Koliabor on 3 October 1921, Hazarika started his journalism career with Natun Asomiya (edited by eminent poet Debokanta Barua) in 1949 and later joined Asam Bani, published by the well-regarded Assam Tribune group, in 1957. He was elevated to the post of editor in the acclaimed weekly. Finally Hazarika joined Sadin as its founder editor in 1989 and continued serving the newspaper till his demise.

Hazarika's literary works include Adda (1958), Koto Kahini (1960), Ityadi (1984), Sihote Amak Gaan Gabo Nidiye (1999) and Abelir Sha (2000). His translation work titled Phanishwar Nath Renur Shrestha Kahini received wide appreciation from the critics.

Assam Governor Banwarilal Purohit, chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal, Assembly speaker Ranjit Das, former CM Tarun Gogoi with a host of political leaders, civil society leaders, media outlet representatives etc expressed their profound grief at the death of Hazarika. The last rites of the soft-spoken media personality were performed with State honours at Navagraha crematorium in presence of hundreds admires and close relatives.

His mortal remains were taken from the hospital to his Silpukhuri residence for necessary rituals. His wife Ansuya Hazarika bid a tearful adieu and only daughter Manjori Bora lighted the pyre. Earlier his flower-patterned body was taken to Sadin-Pratidin & Pratidin Time office, Assam Tribune complex and Guwahati Press Club for final tributes by the media fraternity.
Kathmandu, Nepal: In the time when the Tihar festival, the second largest festival of Hindus, is approaching near to the doorstep of all Nepalese, the District Administration Office (DAO), Kathmandu has on Monday appealed not to organize deusi and bhailo program after 10 PM.

Issuing a press statement the DAO Kathmandu has not only issued such a directive but also asked all to organize such programs only after taking permission from house owners. If someone found to have gone against the appeal will be punished, reads the statement.

The DAO Kathmandu has made the decision in the pretext of mentioning security during the festival. However, the people in general have not taken the directive positively.

Similarly, the DAO Kathmandu has also requested the Tihar and Chhath celebrators not to produce, import, export, sell and distribute, transport and use fireworks like fire-crackers etc. The use of explosive materials will have adverse effect on the health of the people and damage property, reads the statement.
The EU

Google says the EU requires a notice of cookie use (by Google) and says they have posted a notice. I don't see it. If cookies bother you, go elsewhere. If the EU bothers you, emigrate. If you live outside the EU, don't go there.
The Angosat-1 communications satellite The Angolan satellite or Angosat-1 was designed to be the first national communications spacecraft for the African country of Angola. In part thanks to extensive political, economic and military ties between Russia and Angola dating back to the Soviet period, the Russian firm RKK Energia won the contract for the development of the Angosat-1 satellite. Previous chapter: Sea Launch venture The Angosat-1 mission at a glance: Operational orbital position in the geostationary orbit 13 degrees East Spacecraft mass 1,647 kilograms Communications payload mass 262.4 kilograms Power supply capability 3,753 Watts Transponders 16 C-band and 6 Ku-band Guaranteed life span in orbit 15 years Launch vehicle Zenit-3SLBF No. SLB80.5/Fregat Launch site Baikonur, Site 45 Launch date and time 2017 Dec. 26, 22:00:03.435 Moscow Time Project cost $327.6 million From the publisher: Pace of our development depends primarily on the level of support from our readers! At the beginning of the 21st century, the Angolan government embarked on a major effort to revamp the nation's telecommunications infrastructure and switch local TV channels from analog to digital format. In order to improve and expand communications across all 117 municipalities and to link the nation to the rest of the African continent, the Angolan Ministry of Telecommunications and Informational Technologies planned to launch the first Angolan communications satellite, Angosat-1. The spacecraft, which was expected to carry up to 40 C- and Ku-band transponders, could be used for all forms of modern communications including TV broadcasts, telephone service, the Internet and secure electronic services for the government. According to the African press, the Angolan government gave high priority to the project, estimated to cost around $300 million, despite limited financial resources. In June 2009, Rosoboroneksport, a Moscow-based entity specialized in sales of Russian defense-related technologies reached an agreement with the Angolan government to build and launch the Angosat-1 satellite. The deal was probably sweetened by the fact that Russian banks had agreed to lend the money for the venture. The actual job of building the spacecraft was delegated to RKK Energia, which had pioneered satellite communications in the USSR in the 1960s and returned to this line of work in the 1990s. After preliminary studies, the practical implementation of the project started in December 2012. RKK Energia based the design of the Angosat satellite on a standard platform, which had previously served as a basis for the Yamal communications satellite series and the military EKS Tundra early-warning spacecraft. By the standards of modern commercial communications satellites, which reach up to six tons in mass, Angosat was a relatively small spacecraft. The initial mass of the satellite was reported to be around 1,550 kilograms, but shortly before the completion of the project, RKK Energia quoted its mass as 1,647 kilograms, which is a modest increase likely resulting from various design changes during the course of the development. The company reported that the service module of the Angosat satellite could provide an onboard communications payload with up to seven kilowatts of power with electric current available at 28, 50 and 100 volts. RKK Energia also said that the platform had consisted of Russian-made components and the company's newest virtual reality design center assisted in the development of the satellite, however, the spacecraft's communications payload was apparently supplied by the European consortium Airbus Defense and Space. The communications payload aboard Angosat included 16 C-band and 6 Ku-band transponders, whose antennas could provide communications across Angola, but also cover the entire African continent. Like other satellites in the Yamal series, the Angosat was equipped with electric thrusters which could be used to maneuver the satellite to its operational orbit after launch and then maintain the correct orbital parameters. In addition to the spacecraft itself, Russia also agreed to help Angola build the primary ground control station for Angosat near the Angolan capital of Luanda and a backup facility in Korolev, Russia, as well as train local engineers to operate the satellite in orbit. In 2017, the total cost of the Angosat project, including ground infrastructure, was reported to be $327.6 million. RKK Energia's Yamal platform, which served as a basis for the Angosat satellite. Building Angosat-1 In 2011, Moscow-based banks, including Vneshekonombank, VTB and Roseksimbank, extended a $278.46-million credit to the Angolan Finance Ministry for 13 years to fund the Angosat project. The full-scale development of the Angosat satellite officially started in November 2013 and was expected to last 36 months. Around that time, RKK Energia began work on the design documentation and it was also preparing for a formal approval of the preliminary design of the spacecraft and its ground complex. That phase was followed with the development of the production documentation and, finally, the production of components for the spacecraft. In the middle of 2014, RKK Energia said that the planned work for building the satellite and its ground infrastructure was underway. By 2015, the company reported that the development of the Angosat-1 had passed the critical design review and the design of the ground segment had been submitted to the customer. The project officials were also working on securing necessary communications frequencies for the operation of the satellite. At the end of June 2015, the Angolan Ministry of Communications announced laying the foundation for the satellite control center in Funda, municipality Cacuaco, near Luanda. According to the Interministerial Commission Coordinating the National Space Program, GGPEN, the prime factor for choosing that particular location was the low level of electromagnetic interference in this largely rural area. The center's communications equipment included a 7.6-meter ZS SKU flight control antenna and a 4.9-meter support antenna. The facility also included two power generators, two electric transformers and a fuel storage, enabling its operation in case of a power outage. A water-treatment plant located five kilometers away on the Bengo river also supported the center. The futuristic three-story building of the satellite control center, designed by Moscow-based 2K Engineering Company, was completed by September 2016. Angosat-1 declared dead, Angosat-2 promised In April 2016, the Minister of Telecommunication and Information Technologies of Angola Jose Carvalho de Rocha announced that the Angosat-1 satellite would be launched in the first quarter of 2017. However in September of the same year, the Izvestiya daily reported that the completion of the Angosat satellite was still two months away. (828) As of October 2016, the Angosat-1 was not expected to be ready before July 2017. The satellite finally reached the launch pad in 2017 and was delivered into orbit by a Zenit rocket on December 26. Although the launch vehicle performed by the book, the satellite exhibited fatal problems with its power supply system practically immediately after entering autonomous flight, resulting in the loss of communications with the spacecraft. Despite all the hopes to restore communications, on April 23, 2018, the Angolan government officially declared the satellite a total loss. Known contractors in the Angosat-1 project: RKK Energia/ZAO ZEM - Prime contractor and system integrator;jan. 5

Airbus Defense and Space - Transponder payload;

AO NII Argon;

FGUP NII of Command Instruments - Reaction wheels for the flight control system;

AO AVEKS - Power supply system;

PAO Saturn;

ZAO TsSKT;

OOO NPO Rubikon-Innovatsiya;

AO NPP Geophysika-Kosmos;

OOO NPP TAIS;

OOO S7 Space Systems;

FGUP TsNIIMash. Angosat-1 frequencies: Beacon frequencies:

C-band - 3830 MHz

Ku-band - 10951 MHz SCCS frequency:

Command receivers - 5741.525 and 5745.495 MHz

Telemetric transmitters - 3401.125 and 3404.125 MHz EIRP of SCCS:

0 dBW (omnidirect. mode)

4.3 dBW (via PL antennas) Angosat-1 costs: Spacecraft $252 million Orbital position $20.8 million Ground infrastructure $54.3 million Project total $327.6 million

Angosat satellite during vacuum testing. Click to enlarge. Credit: RKK Energia A fully assembled Angosat satellite shortly before its shipment to the launch site. Click to enlarge. Credit: RKK Energia A traditional meeting of the Chief Designers' Council dedicated to the Angosat mission took place at RKK Energia on Nov. 14, 2017. Click to enlarge. Credit: RKK Energia Artist rendering of the Angosat ground control station in Angola circa 2014, which was expected to occupy 6,617 square meters. The main 1,978-square-meter building was designed to accommodate 45 technicians and featured an underground parking lot for 50 vehicles. Credit: 2K The ground control station for the Angosat satellite was completed in Angola in 2016. Map of Ku-band coverage of the Angosat-1 satellite over Africa. Map of C-band coverage of the Angosat-1 satellite over Africa.
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When it comes to likely homes for tales of masked vigilantes, Denmark is not particularly high on the list. There's just something about the concept of someone taking the law into their own hands tht doesn't click with the public perception of the Scandinavian states and yet that's exactly what we find with Fenar Ahmad's upcoing Darkland (Underverden).

A successful doctor loses his little brother in a gang-related assault and gives up his privileged life to become a masked avenger on a mission to revenge his brothers death.

Dar Salim takes the lead role in what looks to be a bit of a boundary pusher for the popular characer actor and judging from the freshly released teaser things are looking quite good for all involved. Ahmad is certainly not aping the American approach to this sort of material with the story staying very much rooted in the sort of social realism that Danish cinema is known for while also injecting just a touch of style. This looks very promising. Take a look below.
In the midst of Sono Sion's rather manic 2015 - in which the maverick director had a whopping six feature films in theatrical release - his adaptation of Wakui Ken's Shinjuku Swan manga stood as the biggest and most commercial of the lot. Though it didn't have the sort of festival success his other pictures had in that year, Shinjuku Swan was his big commercial success for that year and he's coming back with more.

Due for release in 2017, Shinjuku Swan 2 brings back the original cast to continue the story of a young man working on the fringes of the Japanese sex trade. And while htere appears to be little said about the plot line of this new effort just yet the first teaser has just arrived. Check it out below.
The Loire Valley of the enchanted French countryside, sets the backdrop for Blue Falcon Productions (Official Site) first original content feature film, THE INCANTATION (IMDb).

The film stars burgeoning young actress Sam Valentine (Sam Valentine IMDb) (Trace, Exspiravit, ThanXgiving) and former TV Superman, Dean Cain (Dean Cain IMDb) (Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, Smallville).

Based on an original script by feature helmer, Jude S. Walko (Jude S. Walko IMDb), the story follows a fish-out-of water Lucy Bellerose as she navigates the sometimes foreboding waters of her ancestral home.

A young American girl has a chance of a lifetime to visit her ancestors castle in the south of France, only to find that her family is hiding deep, dark secrets about their nefarious past, far away from prying eyes.

Walko states In a time when women are once again trying to find their voice, it was nice to follow the journey of a strong, albeit flawed, female protagonist. Its also nice to see Dean in an adversary role that people wouldnt traditionally associate him with..

THE INCANTATION (Official Site) was Executive Produced by Gary B. and Julie A. Sullivan. Seasoned Veteran Casting Director Valerie McCaffrey (Valerie McCaffrey IMDb) (American History X, Hard Candy) cast the film which was Produced by Dan Campbell (Dan Campbell IMDb)(Gods Not Dead 2, Pirates Code: The Adventures of Mickey Matson) and entirely shot on location in France.
Seguin, TX (78155)

Today

Overcast with rain showers at times. Thunder possible. Low near 60F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 50%..

Tonight

Overcast with rain showers at times. Thunder possible. Low near 60F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 50%.
 "Punishment Theory for the Twenty-First Century: The Need to Replace Retributive and Mixed Theories" | Main | "Autonomy and Agency in American Criminal Process" 

October 23, 2016

California judge imposes prison term of 1,503 years(!?!) on father who repeatedly raped daughter

As reported in this local article, a state judge in California gave new meaning to the term "mass incarceration" by imposing a prison sentence on a rapist that will not be completed until the year 3519. Here are the details:

Fresno prosecutor Nicole Galstan asked a judge on Friday to sentence Rene Lopez to 1,503 years in prison for raping his teenage daughter over a four-year period, ending in 2013. Judge Edward Sarkisian Jr. agreed, sentencing the 41-year-old Lopez to the longest-known prison sentence in Fresno Superior Court history. It stands in stark contrast to recent high-profile sentencings in sexual assault cases such as six months for ex-Stanford swimmer Brock Turner and, just this week, 60 days for a Montana man convicted of felony incest for raping his 12-year-old daughter. In announcing the punishment, Sarkisian told Lopez he violated a position of trust, engaged in violent conduct and is a serious danger to society. Sarkisian also noted that Lopez had never shown remorse and has blamed his daughter for his predicament. Lopez, who sat shackled in the courtroom, sat silently, never acknowledging his daughter, who told Sarkisian that she feared her father. (The Fresno Bee does not name victims of sexual abuse.) When my father abused me, I was young. I had no power, no voice. I was defenseless, said the daughter, who now is 23 years old. She also told the judge that her father never has shown remorse for her pain and suffering.... In September, a jury found Lopez guilty of 186 felony counts of sexual assault, including dozens of counts of rape of a minor. Galstan said the victim was first sexually abused by a family friend. But instead of the father protecting his daughter, he chose to turn her into a piece of property and use her to satisfy his sexual needs, the prosecutor told the judge. The victim was raped two to three times a week from May 2009 to May 2013. Galstan said it ended only when the girl got the courage to leave him. Even then, her father would drive by her new home and later leave love songs on her message machine, the judge said.... At Fridays hearing, Sarkisian read the date of each felony count, which included Lopez raping his daughter on Christmas and other holidays. Before he announced the sentence, Sarkisian said Lopez turned down two plea deals. Before his preliminary hearing, if he had admitted his guilt, prosecutors would have recommended 13 years in prison. Lopez rejected the offer. Then before his trial, he was offered 22 years in prison if he admitted his guilt. Lopez declined that offer, saying he should be released from jail for the time he already had served, Sarkisian said. He ruined her teenage years and made her feel like it was her fault, Galstan said in arguing for the maximum sentence. Lopez, who did not testify in his trial, wrote in a letter to the judge that he didnt get a fair trial and that his daughter lied on the witness stand. Its hearsay, he says in the letter. But Sarkisian told him that he received a fair trial and that the evidence was overwhelming. In addition to the victims testimony, jurors heard entries from her diary in which she chronicled her fathers crimes against her, Galstan said. And when she got pregnant from her father, he paid for the abortion, the judge said. In addition to the prison sentence, Sarkisian said Lopez will have to register as a sex offender.

Though this defendant was convicted of extreme crimes that justified an extreme sentence, the decision of the prosecutor to seek and the judge to impose a term of 1,503 years in prison strikes me as silly and arguably counterproductive to the goal of helping all victims of sexual assault feel vindicated by the criminal justice system. It is silly, I think, to impose upon a defendant a crazy-long-impossible prison sentence just for symbolic effect, just as a restitution sentence of, say, "one trillion, zillion, billion dollars" would be silly. And this crazy-long-impossible prison sentence could, at least indirectly, make other victims of sexual assault whose victimizers were given much shorter sentences feel as though their harms were not entirely vindicated in their cases.

UPDATE : Over at his blog Simple Justice, Scott Greenfield has this effective new post titled "Rape, Incest And Retribution" to highlights how this case takes us from "the sublime to the ridiculous" as we reflect on what this case represents against the backdrop of other recent controversial sexual assault cases in California and Montana. In addition to recommending this post in full, I also recommend the comments there (as well as this funny button Scott provides if his post hurts your feelings).

October 23, 2016 at 11:09 PM | Permalink

Comments

How does this case represent "extreme crimes"? Nothing in the facts mentioned even indicates that it is rape. The fact that the victim (1) had sex with him 2-3 times a week for 5 years, (2) then left him, and (3) he responded to her leaving with love songs, all make this look like a twisted, deviant relationship where the girl had regrets - not rape.

Was she vulnerable? Seems so. Are there sometimes girls out there who can't say no? Yes. Is taking advantage of that creepy? Yes. Criminal? No. Again, without seeing evidence that suggests violent coercion, I don't think this meets the elements of rape in California (PC 261).

He was, of course, guilty of unlawful sex for when she was 16 until she turned 18. I've seen similar cases where defendants who had aggravated cases (moreso than this) were sentenced to 7-10 years based on 261.5 and 288a.

The other major reason that I don't believe this was a real rape case, is that if it was, the DA never would have offered him 13 years. You don't get a deal offered for 13 years if you continually rape a victim for 5 years. The fact that that offer was even made shows me that this is a clear example of ridiculously abusive overcharging coupled with politics.

I can't believe all you have to say is "oh this number is so high it's silly". 20 years would have been too high if the DA offered 13.

I would like to hope that the sentence would get reversed on appeal, but that is unlikely because of political reasons. So I guess we just aren't allowed to have a sane, consistent criminal justice system for sex crimes anymore. Defendants just get thrown into a lottery where ridiculous prosecutors can overcharge them, and ridiculous judges can violate sentencing laws by running everything consecutive. Charges are not supposed to be run consecutively without aggravation, and the same is true when the crimes are all part of the same course of conduct, which this clearly was.

Posted by: thisisinsane | Oct 24, 2016 1:25:06 AM

To the above commenter, I can't even begin to grapple with the toxic waste dump of inhumanity that is your post. To dismiss the victim of incest as a jilted lover is objectively false and light years beyond any twisted interpretation of zealous advocacy. I fear for the community where you lurk.

Posted by: basic human decency | Oct 24, 2016 3:22:43 AM

I won't attempt to get into the facts of the case though I absolutely agree with the comments both of Doug and thisisinsane regarding the imposition of such a ridiculous sentence. What were the prosecutor and judge thinking of? Sentencing appears to be an exercise treated as a childish game rather than a serious, responsible and rational judgement. Utterly contemptible, but of course much more than that for the person sentenced .... and indeed for the whole US justice system which must be diminished further in the eyes of the world if this is allowed to stand.

Posted by: peter | Oct 24, 2016 4:04:28 AM

I understand how such an individual would not want to admit guilt but the two plea deals suggest that the penalty is a bit extreme generally.

The first comment is over the top. First, you wouldn't know from it that his DAUGHTER was the victim. Reference is made to "can't say no" as if it is some run of the mill case of a person who cannot bring him or herself to do that. The fact it is his DAUGHTER is kind of relevant there. The "love songs" reference is also shall we say misguided. Many an abuser would do something like that. Yes, it is "twisted," but doesn't stop the criminal part.

It is also understandable given the stress involved in the daughter testifying, the fact it begun on the borders of adulthood and perhaps other factors that the prosecutor wished to provide a plea that would seem to some relatively short. It also might have been short since the government realized he wouldn't admit guilt or admitting guilt would have be an important part of the whole thing. The pregnancy/abortion btw is an aggravating factor.

Anyway, since he did not admit guilt and didn't take either plea deal, a suitable punishment does reasonably seem above 22 years. I assume CA offers a chance him to get out before his sentence is up unlike the federal practice (minus good time credits). Or, simply give him life at worse.

Posted by: Joe | Oct 24, 2016 9:58:49 AM

Why do we fly-speck stuff like this? Yeah, the sentence looks silly--but so what? There's a very important salutary effect--186 counts shows just what this guy did--basically six months every day raping his own daughter. Evil. Pure unadulterated evil.

Posted by: federalist | Oct 24, 2016 10:44:16 AM

My only problem with a sentence like this is that the law does not provide for turning any sentence longer than say 3/4ths of the offender's expected lifespan into one of natural life. I do agree that a term of 1500+ years is silly, in a way I see it actually detracting from the seriousness of his offenses, but if it were instead LWOP that factor would be neutered.

Posted by: Soronel Haetir | Oct 24, 2016 11:00:15 AM

An effective life sentence doesn't seem unreasonable here. It would be nice if sentences over 100 years were converted to life sentences - that way you don't run into the issue of trivializing it (either by imposing a ridiculously short sentence on each charge or coming up with some absurd final number). I suppose the time could have been run concurrent to address the issue somewhat?

Posted by: Erik M | Oct 24, 2016 11:32:45 AM

FACT: The defendant was convicted of 163 counts of Rape, see California Penal Code section 261(a)(2), another 22 counts of Rape, these counts with an enhancement for Rape of a Minor 14 or older and 1 count of Forcible Oral Copulation.

FACT: After the defendant has been incarcerated for 25 years he will be eligible for parole under the Elderly Parole program (he is currently 41).

FACT: The verdicts and sentence will be reviewed by the 5th DCA, the Cal. Supremes and likely the 9th Circuit. I would invite the readers to consider that some counts may well be reversed on appeal (like if Reinhardt gets his hands on it...). So why wouldn't a prosecutor maximize the sentence for someone so despicable?

QUESTION: OK, Professor Berman, if you consider this sentence "crazy-long-impossible", what do you believe is appropriate for someone who repeatedly raped his daughter over a period of some 3 years after she had to move in with him, when she did not speak English and had no other family in the US?

Posted by: Cal. Prosecutor | Oct 24, 2016 11:33:58 AM

@federalist

The law is the realm of possibilities, not impossibilities. Thus the imposition of any sentence which the prisoner cannot possibly comply with is against the rule of law, is by definition tyranny, and motivated by a desire to enslave. Even if you believe that the defendant is evil that cannot justify evil on the part of the law.

As for you concern about the record, the case itself is already a record of the crimes. The *sentence* does not need to memorialize again what the convictions amply demonstrate.

More broadly, it is case like this that has turned me against the death penalty. Fundamentally conservatives in this country have shown that they have no sense of proportion. I will never trust a man or a party that has no sense of proportion.

Posted by: Daniel | Oct 24, 2016 12:20:18 PM

He is being punished for making the DA work / do their job.

Quick conviction right off the bat - 13 years. A bit of work - 22 years. Exercise your constitutional right to a trial in front of your peers - 1,500 years. Your and my constitutional rights - priceless.

Posted by: Marco | Oct 24, 2016 12:56:45 PM

@Cal. Prosecutor ... some time in the lifetime of those other than vampires?

Posted by: Joe | Oct 24, 2016 1:38:23 PM

Life is the appropriate sentence.

States have mandatory minimums and sentencing guidelines. The 60 days AND the 1,500 years are both acceptable per those States laws & guidelines, if they weren't neither judge could have given these 2 contrasting sentences.

60 days for raping your/a child is inferior and offensive but 1,500 years for the same is distorted and inordinate.

Life, is life and the public needs to accept that. Anything more than 75 years (life for more than 95% of those facing convictions) is political pandering and shouldn't be allowed in US courts.

Posted by: Mary Devoy | Oct 24, 2016 3:05:04 PM

AND...if you thought that the sentence wasn't strong ENOUGH....

"In addition to the prison sentence, Sarkisian said Lopez will have to register as a sex offender."

THAT'LL teach him!!

(Of course, this DOES underscore how the registry is in fact punitive, not regulatory, but I digress.)

Posted by: Eric Knight | Oct 24, 2016 3:42:26 PM

A commenter above pointed out the charge he was convicted of, 261(a)(2), which requires that the sex "is accomplished against a person's will by means of force, violence, duress, menace, or fear of immediate and unlawful bodily injury on the person or another."

Here is my problem with that: if this guy used force/violence, it would be in the news story. So I think it is a safe bet that there wasn't any. Instead all we get from the prosecutor stating FACT FACT FACT is that (1) she didn't speak english, and (2) had no other family in the US. Those facts do not make this a forcible rape case. Again, unless some major facts are being left out, this appears to be a non-forcible case involving incest and unlawful sex. The incest gets left out because PC 654 blocks extra punishment for it anyway.

The main problem with this sentence is (1) over-charging, and (2) abuse of consecutive sentencing. This is 1 victim. This is one course of conduct. The fact that it involved a large number of sexual encounters over a period of 4-5 years makes the case more aggravated, but addressing that the way a law student would by seeing how high you could get the number to go is ridiculous and insane.

If the daughter was under 14, this guy's conduct would fall under a single charge: 288.5, which carries up to 16 years. So why should a guy who has sex with a 12 year old over a prolonged period of time get 6-16 years while this guy gets over 1500, just because he was unlucky enough to get a ridiculous prosecutor and judge who exploited a loophole in the system to bring about a ridiculous result?



Posted by: thisisinsane | Oct 24, 2016 5:25:52 PM

You quoted something with various options and then noted TWO of them don't appear to be involved. What about the "duress, menace, or fear of immediate and unlawful bodily injury on the person or another" part?

The details do appear to meet that & that's what is required. Not we should expect a single news story will tell us all the details involved here. Nor, is it the case that ALL that was said was "she didn't speak English, and (2) had no other family in the US." The article doesn't say the case was merely based on this.

What is the value is such an incomplete one-sided argument that even his lawyer might find lacking? How you repeatedly selectively state the facts, when few here are not sympathetic that the actual sentence is a tad ridiculous, makes it hard to take your final numbers at face value.

Posted by: Joe | Oct 24, 2016 11:22:15 PM

What I would like to know, in a case like this, how does the state go about proving every count beyond reasonable doubt. Merely saying that he raped her two or three times a week over some period and then calculating based on that does not seem sufficient.

Posted by: Soronel Haetir | Oct 25, 2016 1:31:35 AM

It is cases like this that confirm that I am right to believe that the U.S. justice system is a joke. So many people in it are really nothing but criminals and terrorists themselves. Sitting in judgement of other people.

Clearly the guy committed serious crimes (assuming he did it and I would never even believe that without seeing the facts myself). But truly, sentencing a person to years in prison is a very serious punishment. And this normal procedure of offering plea deals with certain terms and then promising that if the person is convicted at a trial the punishment will be multiple times worse - that needs to be fixed somehow. It's not even moral.

I think that ALL Americans, especially judges, should be required to serve in the military for a couple of years and be imprisoned for perhaps a year. If that were done, this country would have a fraction of the douche bags that it does today. The U.S. is the world leader in douche bags per capita.

Posted by: FRegistryTerrorists | Oct 25, 2016 2:11:20 AM

Joe, my post right above yours quotes the law directly. What details, in your opinion, meet that criteria? I am not seeing any. Those words are terms of art with particular legal meanings, like "menace", so which facts show "force, violence, duress, menace, or fear of immediate and unlawful bodily injury"?

The news stories on cases like this pretty much always mention the important aggravation because the DA, which is the source for the news stories, loves to talk about it. So yes, if he threatened to kill her if she didn't have sex with him, I would expect that to be mentioned. Instead, all we get is the length of the relationship, and the incest angle.

Soronel, the truth is that they don't. They took the rough guess from the victim about how many times it happened, got a calculator, and then copy/pasted out that number of charges. The "beyond a reasonable doubt" standard is actually very weak in practice, since plenty of juries don't follow it, and the appellate courts will not save you as long as their is any evidence at all backing up what the jury/judge did, even if it is a tiny scrap of evidence and there is a mountain of contradictory evidence. Practically speaking, the law requires proof beyond a reasonable doubt of each individual rape. That obviously didn't happen here, but nobody cared, because hey, the guy is gross and sick and yucky, so let's throw the law out the window.

Posted by: thisisinsane | Oct 25, 2016 3:31:25 PM

We don't know all the details and your citation of the article as if an article is going to have all the necessary details (the argument that such and such would be cited there if it was present) is misguided. Articles repeatedly leave things out.

It is not too hard to imagine that someone in her condition would feel "duress" or "menace" or whatever -- including following the terms of the terms per case law -- in various ways that meets the terms of the law.

Posted by: Joe | Oct 28, 2016 12:09:12 PM

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 "Autonomy and Agency in American Criminal Process" | Main | Former Pennsylvania AG sentenced to 10-23 months in prison following jury convictions for perjury and obstruction of justice 

October 24, 2016

Is the death penalty in the United States really "nearing Its end"?

The question in the title of this post is prompted by this notable new New York Times editorial headlined "The Death Penalty, Nearing Its End." Here is the full text of the editorial:

Although the death penalty is still considered constitutional by the Supreme Court, Americans appetite for this barbaric practice diminishes with each passing year. The signs of capital punishments impending demise are all around. For the first time in nearly half a century, less than half of Americans said they support the death penalty, according to a Pew Research poll released last month. While that proportion has been going down for years, the loss of majority support is an important marker against state-sanctioned killing. At the same time, executions and new death sentences are at historic lows, and each year they go lower. In 2015 only 49 new death sentences were handed down, the lowest one-year total since the Supreme Court reinstated capital punishment in 1976. Since there were about 14,000 murders around the country last year, its easy to imagine that the small number of newly condemned people shows that the justice system is focusing on the worst of the worst. But thats wrong. In fact the crimes of the people sentenced to death are no worse than those of many others who escape that fate. Rather, nearly all of last years death sentences came from a tiny fraction of counties with three common features: overzealous prosecutors; inadequate public defenders; and a pattern of racial bias and exclusion. This was the key finding of a two-part report recently issued by the Fair Punishment Project at Harvard Law School. Even in the most death-friendly counties, public support appears to be fading. In two of the worst  Duval County in Florida and Caddo Parish in Louisiana  local prosecutors lost elections at least partly due to voters concerns about their stance on the death penalty. In other counties around the country, prosecutors are finding that aggressive advocacy for death sentences isnt the selling point with the public that it once was. In some of the biggest states, death-penalty systems are defunct or collapsing. Earlier this month, the Florida Supreme Court struck down a terrible state law that allowed nonunanimous juries to impose death sentences  increasing the likelihood that innocent people and those with intellectual or mental disabilities would be condemned. A large number of Floridas 386 death-row inmates could now receive new sentencing trials, or have their sentences thrown out altogether. In California, which hasnt executed anyone since 2006 even though more than 740 inmates sit on death row, voters will decide in November whether to eliminate capital punishment for good. A similar ballot initiative in 2012 was narrowly defeated. In 2014, a federal judge ruled that the states decades-long delays in capital cases violated the Eighth Amendments ban on cruel and unusual punishment. (The decision was overturned by an appeals court on technical grounds the following year.) While capital punishment is used rarely and only in some places, only a definitive ruling from the Supreme Court will ensure its total elimination. How close is the court to such a ruling? In recent dissenting opinions, three of the justices  Stephen Breyer, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and Sonia Sotomayor  have expressed deep misgivings about the death penaltys repeated failure to meet the requirements of due process and equal protection. Justice Breyer has said it is highly likely that the death penalty violates the Eighth Amendment, and has called for the court to consider whether it is constitutional at all. The death penalty has escaped abolition before, but there are no longer any excuses: The nation has evolved past it, and it is long past time for the court to send this morally abhorrent practice to its oblivion.

I wonder if anyone who is a strong supporter of capital punishment will write (and get published) a response to this editorial which might be headlined something like "The Death Penalty, Poised for a Big Comeback." That response might highlight that, according to polls in deep blue California, voters there are seemingly going to provide "majority support" for making more efficient in California "state-sanctioned killing." That response might highlight that, in swing state Ohio, executive officials have been working extra hard to get the state's machinery of death operative again and have execution dates scheduled for nearly two dozen condemned murderers in 2017 and 2018. That response might highlight that, in swing state Florida, the state legislature has been quick and eager to retain and revise its death penalty statutes every time a court has found constitutional problems with its application. That response might highlight that, in deep blue Massachusetts, a federal jury in 2015 wasted little time in deciding that worst of the worst capital defendant Dzhokhar Tsarnaev should be condemned to die for his crime. And that response might highlight that, in the most liberal national criminal justice administration of my lifetime, federal prosecutors of the Obama Administration were seemingly eager to pursue capital charges against the Charleston Church shooter Dylann Roof.

I could go on and on (mentioning, inter alia, developments in Alabama, Oklahoma, Nebraska and elsewhere), but my main point here is highlight the critical reality that the description of "death-penalty systems [as] defunct or collapsing" is largely a product of effective litigation by abolitionists and the work of courts, not really a reflection of a sea-change in public opinion or radical changes in the work of most legislatures and prosecutors in key regions of the United States. The NYTimes editorial board my be right that we may soon see litigation by abolitionists achieve the ultimate success in the courts by having the Justices of the Supreme Court declare the death penalty per se unconstitutional. But, absent some surprising political and social developments over the next few years, would-be abolitionists ought to be careful about counting chickens too soon.

October 24, 2016 at 12:11 PM | Permalink

Comments

Death sentences imposed are also a good metric of public support for the DP. Those, like executions, have been on the decline for some time. See http://www.deathpenaltyinfo.org/documents/FactSheet.pdf at page 3

I agree that the capital defense bar has improved over time and has had important victories to ensure the fairness and reliability of the administration of capital punishment, but I also think where there is a will, there is a way. The diminishing execution rate, like fewer death sentences (although to a lesser degree than jury sentencing IMHO) reflects a lack of will.

Posted by: John | Oct 24, 2016 12:45:07 PM

I'll believe the end when it comes. Chief Justice Burger et. al. thought Furman was "the end," even if they disagreed with its holding. It was not.

The rate has dropped significantly & the first comment is appreciated. But, it's a lot harder to drop to "0," if only because some want SOME minimum here if only to show a possibility if they think it's warranted or for a very limited number of crimes.

"The Lottery" comes to mind, as well as a certain original Star Trek episode.

Posted by: Joe | Oct 24, 2016 1:42:05 PM

Qualia anyone?

Posted by: R2/mNOT! | Oct 24, 2016 11:06:35 PM

Post a comment
Some refined designs for two connected buildings on a highly visible parcel at 1500 Mission, the intersection of Mission Street and South Van Ness Avenue where Goodwill currently sits, are going to be presented before the Planning Commission next week, but Socketsite has an early look at those right now. The developer, Related California, and usual-suspect architect Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, have in mind a 39-story, 396-foot tall, 550-unit residential tower and another 16-story, 264-foot tall building for the City of San Francisco that would serve as the new home for San Francisco Planning, Building, and Public Works Departments.

Also at the site: A parking lot with 120 spaces for city officials and 287 spaces for residents, plus 38,000 square feet of retail space. That's unlikely to be something along the lines of Goodwill: In June, the San Francisco Public Press explained that Goodwill owned the property, which it sold to Related California for $64 million. To help finance the redevelopment, the Mayor's Office of Housing and Community Development applied for a $375 million tax-exempt state bond. To qualify, 20 percent of the site's units must be affordable, though the remaining will be luxury, market-rate housing.

The site at 1500 Mission isn't just home to Goodwill's retail store, though: It's also the location of the Goodwill "As-Is" warehouse. As the Public Press explains, "The Goodwills As-Is warehouse on Mission Street was the only place in San Francisco to buy used goods by weight, and was a key resource for low-income and homeless residents."





While the developer indicates on its website that construction is slated for 2017, there are plenty of contingencies. A draft Environmental Impact Report is planned for December, which could be certified by Planning in March (they do want a new home, after all). As the development is taller and bulkier and includes more parking for city employees than would be permitted for a regular office, the Board of Supervisors would need to establish a Special Use District to allow the development to be built.The Board approved the city's plan to spend about $327 million to buy the land, selling its current 5-story building at 30 Van Ness to help out, in November 2014.

Related: Developer Of Big Mid-Market Hotel And Condo Complex To Buy And Donate Nearby Parking Lot For Affordable Housing
Attendees at this weekend's 2nd annual San Francisco BBQ Fest got a little scolding along with their braised ribs as a group of animal rights activists showed up to the ticketed event and protested the killing of animals for food. Hoodline captured video of the scene and reports that the excitement kicked off around 2:30 p.m. on Saturday with protesters chanting "it's not food, it's violence."

Video showed bemused onlookers holding paper trays containing what one can only assume was once an adorable piglet or lamb as the 20 or so activists walk by holding signs. According to Hoodline, the activists hung out and chanted for about 15 minutes before departing  leading the person who shot the above video to quip that there is "never a dull moment in SF. Now to get some ribs..." The festival included a best BBQ in the Bay competition (chicken, pork ribs, pork butt, and brisket), with a $10,000 prize going to the winner. There was also a cornhole tournament for those feeling the competitive urge but who maybe weren't quite grill masters.

This was not the only attempt by activists to call attention to the treatment of animals over the weekend. The Chronicle reports that Direct Action Everywhere staged a protest at the SoMa Costco on Sunday, saying that one of the chain's suppliers of egg-laying hens treats them so poorly that the hens result to cannibalism. To illustrate that point, several protesters covered each other in blood and pretended to eat a person (another protester, not a shopper) near the store's meat section.

Costco is supporting violence against animals, shown clearly by the cannibalistic conditions, Diane Sorbi, one of the protesters, wrote in a statement. Costco needs to be held accountable for these actions.

According to KTVU, video obtained by Direct Action Everywhere allegedly shows conditions at a Costco egg supplier, Pleasant Valley Farms in Farmington, CA, that includes chickens covered in feces and packed so tightly they can't move. Pleasant Valley Farms' eggs are sold under the Kirkland brand.

Related: Animal Rights Activists Storm Chez Panisse In Very Berkeley Protest
When I found out that there would be an exhibit featuring German Expressionist films and art from the Weimar Republic my mind lit up, Present Music Founder and Artistic Director Kevin Stalheim stated about his ensembles Friday, Oct. 21 concert, because I knew it would be a perfect time to bring back one of the greatest hits from our past: music written by Eric Segnitz and John Tanner to the classic horror film, Nosferatu . Present Music has performed concerts in the Milwaukee Art Museum many times before, but never before in such an effectively and thoroughly immersive manner.

As maestro Stalheim mentioned, part of the event involved a screening of F.W. Murnaus 1922 vampire film, Nosferatua a silent film that surely terrified audiences when it was new and today can still chill, but it needs the right score. Segnitz and Tanners is described as a deliberate pastiche, in the tradition of the great theatre organists who might have accompanied the original film. And that it is, but with thoroughly modern elements, such as a recurring electric guitar motif whenever the titular vampire is stalking victims. Their score modernizes the film and superbly underlines its romantic, scary and (unintentionally) comedic scenes.

Another film set to live music was The Somnambulist aan original score/film commissioned by Present Musicawhich could have been made in Weimar Germany as an Expressionists nightmare. Also, Ross Monagles No/Mi/TropAlis , something of a rock video take on Fritz Langs immortal Metropolis (1927) was excellently realized and expressively performed.

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The first half of the evenings activities involved solo and chamber-sized performances of modern instrumental music taking place within three of MAMs galleries; attendees, thence, could listen to the music and view the artworks at their leisure. Meanwhile, the entire scene throughout was spookily graced by costumed, wandering actors from Quasimondo Milwaukee Physical Theatre.
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TRIUMPHS & TRIBUTES CONTACT US 800-397-3530 | 712-293-4300 | FAX 712-279-5042 Happy th 90 90 90 90 90 9 0 90 Join Us For a Birthday Lunch! Happy 90th Birthday Dick Krone! Open House October 30th 2 - 4 pm 3201 9th St. Sioux City, IA 51105 Happy 92nd Birthday Dick Semple! Happy 90th 90 90 90 90 90 90 The family of Verle Stash Jensen When: Sunday October 30th Where: St. Boniface Church (basement hall) 700 W 5th St Time: 1:00 pm  3:00 pm would like to thank everyone for the memorials, food, & friendship. Sincerely, Marilyn Jensen, Ricki Simmons, & Scott Jensen Come help us celebrate the 65th Wedding Anniversary of Marvin & Beverly Wagner Saturday October 29th from 12:30 pm to 3:30 pm at the Sergeant Bluff Community Center 903 Topaz Dr, Sergeant Bluff, IA 51054 (no gifts) VETERANSFRIDAY DAY , SALUTE NOV. 11 Take a moment to honor all the brave men and women who have served and those who continue to serve our country. Pictures of Siouxlands Veterans will appear in the Sioux City Journal on November 11. 33 $ ONLY 30 PER AD! * No more than 1 veteran per ad please. No limit on number of ads that may be purchased. SIOUXCITYJOURNAL.COM Your choice for news and information... in print and online. HOW TO DO IT: Provide us with a black and white or color photo of your loved one along with the full name, where they are stationed or what war they served in, length of service and any other pertinent information you would like to provide. (See example - limit 25 words). You may mail the information along with a self addressed, stamped envelope and payment to The Sioux City Journal; Classified Department; Attn: Vets Salute; P.O. Box 118; Sioux City, IA 51102 or bring it in person to our office at 5th and Pavonia. First Lieutenant 1-168 Infantry Council Bluffs, IA Dont delay photos and information must arrive at the Sioux City Journal office by Tuesday, Nov. 8th! CALL 712-293-4300 OR 800-397-3530
Halloween traditions seem pretty standard in the United States. Dress up, go door to door to get candy and maybe get some scares in along the way.

Very rarely do U.S. traditions translate on a global basis, and Halloween is no different. Here are some traditions that deviate from Snickers and creepy masks.

Hiding knives

Where: Germany

Weve seen it a thousand times in movies. Ghosts come from the spiritual realm and terrorize a seemingly innocent homeowner. Well, Germans take one step to make sure the haunting isnt too, uh, stabby. On Halloween, Germans will hide their knives to avoid accidentally stabbing the spirit of a loved one, or vice-versa. This stems from the celebration of All Saints Day on Nov. 1, where Catholic Germans honor the memory of saints and loved ones that have passed.

Food for ghosts

Where: Austria

Austria also holds All Souls Day sacred. On Halloween, Austrians will leave out offerings of bread and water to honor dead souls. The food is a source of nourishment for the ghosts during their one visit per year to the mortal world.

Absolutely nothing

Where: France

It turns out, Halloween wasnt recognized in France until 1996. Now, Halloween is predominately celebrated by adults who use the holiday to dress up in costumes and attend parties and hit the club. Trick-or-treating is also catching on in France. Its still not an official Holiday, although the French celebrate the spirit of Halloween, which is respecting the dead.

El Dia de los Muertos

Where: Mexico

Mexico and Spanish-speaking nations kick Halloween up a thousand notches. Starting on Halloween night, celebrators begin a three-day event to commemorate friends and families who have died. Altars are constructed within the home, often decorated with flowers, pictures and samples of the deads favorite foods or drinks. The celebration wraps up on November 2, where relatives visit graves. These gatherings can often include parties, complete with tequila and music.
SIOUX CITY | After being denied a nearly $15 million federal grant in August, city staff are looking into new funding sources to construct a long-anticipated viaduct over railroad tracks on 18th Street.

The Sioux City Council on Monday will be asked to approve a grant application for the Iowa Department of Transportation Iowa Clean Air Attainment Program, which funds transportation projects that reduce emissions, to help finance the $19 million project.

City documents say the ICAAP grant application will request $1 million and will require a 20 percent match from the city.

Documents say the city will be seeking other grant opportunities in the near future, as well as contributions from private entities, to generate additional funding.

The overpass would span tracks between Floyd Boulevard and Steuben Street, and would eliminate the long and frequent waits for trains by vehicles crossing 18th Street. City documents estimate the total project costs to be $19,368,940.

The project hit a roadblock in August when the U.S. Department of Transportation turned down Sioux Citys bid for a $14.8 million Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery Program, or TIGER, grant that would have covered approximately 75 percent of the project.

Documents say the city is now eyeing a 2021 completion date at the latest for the project, pending funding approval and land acquisition.

According to city documents, the viaduct qualifies for the upcoming ICAAP grant because the viaduct would reduce more than 23,700 kilograms of pollutants per year generated by approximately 164,735 hours per year of vehicles idling while waiting for trains to pass.

War Eagle Monument lighting

In other action Monday, the City Council will vote on the approval of a $25,000 Missouri River Historical Development grant that will fund new LED lighting at the War Eagle Monument. The new LED units will replace faulty lighting units at the monument.

The MRHD grant requires $8,333 in matching funds from the city.

The Sioux City Council will meet at 4 p.m. Monday in the council chamber on the fifth floor of City Hall, 405 Sixth St.
SIOUX CITY | Some compare high school to its own community. With 15 languages and dialects spoken within its walls, North High School is its own little world.

Here, its part of who North High is now, said Principal Ryan Dumkrieger. You dont notice the diversity as a hindrance or a clique. Its integrated into what we do every day.

North High and North Middle house the districts newcomer language program, where students new to English learn the basics of the language and how to adapt to an English-speaking environment. This is the second year the North system has hosted the program.

Part of the emphasis that we have on the new arrivals, a lot of it in the early going is basic survival skills, said Dann Speichinger, English Language Learning instructor. Its a totally new experience for them to have to basically start over in a language.

Duniya Adam, a sophomore from Ethiopia, was one of those students who came to North High with very little English experience. Aside from classes, she learned English through family members. Now that she knows her way around North, she prides herself on being a source for others who are adapting to a new environment.

The Somalia students, the Oromo studentsthe students from Africa, Im helping them a lot, she said, adding that she used her language to help someone lost in the school get from point A to point B. Every time she sees me now, she gives me hugs.

This year, 51 students participate in the newcomer program. Speichinger estimated that the number could creep up toward 100 by the end of the year. The newcomer program doesnt account for all English Language Learner students. This year, 303 North High students take an ELL class and minorities make up nearly 60 percent of the student body.

Since so many languages mix together at North, theres not one simple, blanket approach to teach English to students. Speichinger said visuals play a large part in education and tutors who speak certain languages fill in the gaps.

Speichinger added that standards and guidelines have evolved in the 30-plus years North has had English Language Learning programs. More resources are available to effectively reach students of all walks of life.

Its not just about learning English. Dumkrieger said the students who embrace and excel in ELL classes gain valuable experience toward real world life.

The leg up they have being bilingual is making them more marketable in a global market, he said. The job opportunities for these guys are just huge.

Connecting dozens of languages can be a challenge, but its a good challenge, Dumkrieger said, adding it's a unique community at North. Students new to the country or Sioux City can come to North with little to no formal education but be cared for and looked after by not only staff, but also students who know how intimidating a new environment can be.

Those students who have been here for a whilewe have students in the upper level that can be tapped to buddy up with new arrivals, and it really, really helps, he said.

Junior Gerardo Nava, originally from Mexico, said learning the language was extremely difficult at first. Pronunciation was confusing and teachers talked too fast to understand. But it got easier. Now, Nava knows the teachers are there to help and be a friendly face.

More than they are your teachers, they want to be your friend, he said.

The sense of community at North provides a comfort to uneasy students. Students have the chance to share their cultures and customs.

Some customs are surprising. Junior Teklit Atsbha, a native of Ethiopia, said in his country the new year is celebrated on Sept. 1. Its customary then to jump over a cow if you want to get married.

Dumkrieger said students are encouraged to maintain their beliefs and cultures. The joining of cultures is what makes North unique.

We have to be aware of some of the holidays and dates for a number of students to make sure they feel included and are treated fairly, he said.

Senior Steven Rubio Perez, from Ecuador, said he has been able to embrace and demonstrate his cultural practices at North without judgment from teachers, staff and students.

Theyre respectful of your religion, your culture, he said. What I see here, they treat you (well) and help you learn.
This week on the podcast, reporters discuss a pair of debates -- one presidential, one U.S. Senate -- and debate the possibility of a rigged election.

On Iowa Politics is a weekly news and analysis podcast which re-creates the conversations that happen when Iowa's political reporters get together after deadlines have been met. This week's show features James Q. Lynch, Bret Hayworth, Christinia Crippes, Ed Tibbetts and Todd Dorman.

This week's show was produced by Richard Pratt and the music heard in the podcast is courtesy of Imperfekt. Know an Iowa musician who should be on our show? Send their band sound files to oniowapolitics@gmail.com

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SIOUX CITY | A Sioux City man was placed on probation Monday for kicking in the door of a woman's home and assaulting her boyfriend.

Jatarius Wilson, 33, pleaded guilty to second-degree burglary and had a second count of second-degree burglary dismissed. District Judge Edward Jacobson gave Wilson a deferred judgment and placed him on probation for three years. If Wilson successfully completes his probation, the conviction will not appear on his criminal record. Wilson also must pay a $1,000 civil penalty.

According to court documents, on June 24, Wilson went to a home in the 1500 block of West 30th Street where the mother of his 2-year-old daughter lived. Wilson kicked in the door, shoved the woman in the face and then assaulted her boyfriend.

Court documents said that neighbors removed Wilson from the home, but after police arrived, he kicked in the door a second time and punched the boyfriend in the head.
Updated: 2016-10-23 09:56

(Xinhua)

Cambodia is working to develop more facilities for Chinese tourists, including an accreditation system for tourism establishments, as part of its "China-Ready" strategy announced in May, local media reported Friday.

Tourism Ministry spokesman Tith Chantha said that Chinese tourists present a huge opportunity for Cambodia's tourism industry as the Asian giant's population and income levels continue to rise.

Speaking at the opening of the CamFood and CamHotel exhibitions in Phnom Penh on Thursday, he said about 130 million Chinese go abroad each year and this number was expected to reach 200 million by 2020.

The goal of the Kingdom's China-Ready strategy is for Cambodia to attract 2 million of these Chinese tourists a year by 2020.

"It is vital for Cambodia to act on the opportunity and potential of Chinese tourism and we have prepared our China-Ready strategy in order to attract Chinese to visit our country," he was quoted as saying by the Phnom Penh Post.

"We are now trying to build the capacity of our hospitality services," he said.

Cambodia received 3.7 million international tourist arrivals during the first nine months of the year and expects to receive 5 million tourists this year.

Last year, the number of Chinese tourists visiting Cambodia grew 14 percent to 700,000. This year the figure is expected to be closer to one million, according to Chantha.

He said the China-Ready strategy, which is managed by its own department in the Tourism Ministry, is looking to improve facilities for this fast-growing segment.

"China-Ready will insure that all services in the tourism sector have Chinese-language facilities, such as Chinese speakers on site or menus in Chinese, and (establishments that provide these services) will have a sign that the facility is accredited as China-Ready to provide comfort and convenience to Chinese visitors," the newspaper quoted him as saying.

He added that the name of the tourism establishment should also be translated into Chinese on its signage in order to attract Chinese tourists.

Related:

Shaman theme shapes new winter destination
SIOUX CITY | A Sioux City man has pleaded guilty to damaging the home he shared with his girlfriend.

Karl Lyons, 39, entered his written plea Friday in Woodbury County District Court to fourth-degree criminal mischief.

According to court documents, Lyons caused $200-$500 in damage to the home he shared with a woman in the 1400 block of West Third Street.

He was arrested Sept. 21 on arson, domestic abuse and false imprisonment charges and was accused of throwing items at his girlfriend, lighting a bag on fire in the house and threatening to "burn them both up."

The felony charges were later dismissed after the victim recanted her statements to police.
SIOUX CITY | A Sioux City man has pleaded not guilty to nine charges connected to a domestic dispute and shooting of a security guard at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Sioux City.

Jaret Schnee, 25, entered his written plea Monday in Woodbury County District Court to two counts each of domestic abuse assault and aggravated assault and single counts of first-degree harassment, willful injury causing serious injury, going armed with intent, intimidation with a dangerous weapon and assault while participating in a felony causing serious injury.

According to court documents, Schnee assaulted his fiancee, causing bruises to her face, on Oct. 2. She left him without returning his calls. Schnee showed up at the Hard Rock employee parking lot on Oct. 4 to confront her at the start of her shift there. During the confrontation, Schnee brandished a gun and pointed it at her and another casino employee with her, court documents said.

Court documents said that Schnee fired one shot into the air and threatened them, then chased them toward the casino. Hard Rock security guards attempted to disarm Schnee, who fired two shots, one of which struck security guard Anthony Henderson, 41, in the right leg. Henderson was treated and released from the hospital.

Schnee fled the area and was located on Oct. 5 inside Mercy Medical Center.
SIOUX CITY | The trial for a Sioux City man charged in a fatal stabbing was continued Monday because of the defense attorney's illness.

Jury selection was scheduled to begin Tuesday morning for the first-degree murder trial of Elias Wanatee. On Monday, assistant state public defender Steven Addington filed a request for continuation, saying in his motion that the lead defense attorney, Jason Dunn, also of the Iowa State Public Defender's Office, had been sick since Thursday and would not be recovered in time for the trial's scheduled beginning.

Addington said he just recently agreed to be co-counsel and was not prepared to go to trial on his own.

District Judge Duane Hoffmeyer granted the continuance. A new trial date has yet to be set.

Wanatee, 47, is charged with the Feb. 17 stabbing of Vernon Mace near West First and Turner streets.

According to court documents, the two men were at Mace's daughter's house at West First and Helmer streets, and Wanatee left because he had been having problems with Mace. A female caller to 911 later reported she heard two men arguing outside, and when Mace returned inside the house, he said he had been stabbed.

Mace died later at Mercy Medical Center. He had stab wounds to his arm, ear, chest and the top of his head.

Dunn had filed notice last month that he intended to argue that Wanatee acted in self-defense.
The gravity of the existential threat we face from Islamic Jihad is truly of epic proportions. It is essentially a battle pitting free-civilized man against a totalitarian barbarian. What is at stake is the struggle for our very soul - namely who we are and what we represent. The lives that were sacrificed for individual rights and freedoms that we've come to cherish are being chiseled away from right under our noses by the stealth jihadists. And many of us are in denial and totally clueless.



The left's appeasement and pandering to evil is nothing new. What makes their utopian delusions so infuriating and unpardonable is that it is not only they who will have to pay the consequences, and deservedly, so, they are thwarting and undermining our best efforts at resistance and are thus dragging us down in the process as well.







By Peter Lancz,, the head of the Raoul Wallenberg World Campaign Against Racism.
Background





One of the most popular junior high school text book in Islamic schools in the United States (Emmerick, Yahya, 1999, What Islam is All About, page 382) states:

The duty of Muslim citizens is to be loyal to the Islamic State.





Enemy Strength





Elected Leadership





U.S. Congressman Keith Ellison speaks at the U.S. Council of Muslim Organizations (USCMO) made up of many jihadi/Muslim Brotherhood leaders in America





MN Governor Mark Dayton speaking at the Muslim Brotherhoods Muslim American Society





MN Lt Governor Tina Smith (l) and MN Governor Dayton at HAMAS (CAIR) event





Minneapolis Mayor Betsy Hodges speaking to Somali elders and others in Minneapolis





Hennepin County Sheriff Rich Stanek (l) and President Barak Obama (r)





U.S. Attorney for Minneapolis





U.S. Attorney for Minneapolis Andrew Lugar (at podium) speaks on behalf of Jihadis in MN





Media

CVE Gets Minnesota Coming and Going





Other Noteworthies





Summary





The significant Islamic jihadi network. The support the jihadis have from all levels of the government in Minneapolis, as well as the Governor and Lieutenant Governor. A complicit media. Minnesota citizens are nearly completely unaware of the threat or willfully complacent. Law enforcement leadership is either defending the jihadis or denying there is a counterintelligence issue. Pastors and rabbis sit silently.

After spending all of last week in Minnesota, UTTs professional assessment of the enemy situation is this: the cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota  known as the Twin Cities  are in enemy-held territory. They are, at least for the time being, lost  meaning, they are under the control of a collaborative jihadist/marxist element there.The jihadi network in America is documented by UTT here here and here , as well as in Raising a Jihadi Generation The Islamic jihadi network in the United States includes the most prominent Islamic organizations in America, as well as most of the 3,000+ Islamic Centers/mosques, all of the 700+ Muslim Students Associations (MSAs), all of the Islamic Societies and Islamic Associations (Hamas), and a large number of the Islamic non-profits created in 1993 forward.The purpose of the Islamic Movement here  per their stated doctrine  is to wage Civilization Jihad until America becomes an Islamic State under sharia (Islamic Law).Minnesota is home to the largest Somali population in America. It is estimated that over 125,000 Somalis live there, most of whom are in the Minneapolis area. This community sent at least 22 Islamic jihadi fighters overseas to fight for the terrorist group Al Shabaab, although some estimate the number is closer to four dozen.The Cedar Riverside neighborhood is also called Little Mogadishu in reference to Somalias capital. Some Minneapolis residents feel parts of their city have become like a third world nation.Inside a 10 mile radius of Minneapolis city-center, there are at least 29 Islamic Centers/mosques, and an unknown number of home-mosques. The Twin Cities area is home to Hamas organizations including CAIR and Islamic Associations. The Muslim Brotherhoods Muslim Students Associations (MSAs) are on at least 21 Minnesota college and university campuses. There are MSAs inrecruiting jihadis and turning public opinion towards the Palestinian Cause (Hamas) and away from Israel.Other Muslim Brotherhood (jihadi) organizations in and around the Twin Cities area include the Islamic Societies in Woodbury and Willmar, the Muslim American Society (MAS), and others.The Twin Cities is home to the first official organization representing Al-Azhar University in Egypt -the Islamic University of Minnesota (IUM). Al-Azhar is the oldest and most authoritative school of Islamic jurisprudence on the planet. At IUM students are taught that killing Jews, waging jihad, and imposing sharia on the world are obligations for all Muslims.Minneapolis and St. Paul are also home to the Minnesota Dawah Institute. This Institute focuses on spreading Islamic Dawah, the call to Islam, a mandatory requirement before jihad can be waged.As a result of this invasion of Minnesota, the average Muslim on the street wants to overturn U.S. law and live by sharia. This includes the open support of killing people who mock Mohammad, Islams prophet. For a realistic view, see the Ami Horowitz short video on the streets of the Muslim Cedar-Riverside neighborhood of Minneapolis, also known as the West Bank of the University of Minnesota, HERE Without exception, elected officials in the Twin Cities area have not only surrendered to local Islamic leaders, they are using the force of their positions to silence and attack Minnesota citizens who want to keep their freedom.Americas first Muslim Congressman,, represents the 5th District of Minnesota, which includes Minneapolis. Ellison has been a vocal supporter of Hamas (CAIR) and the Muslim Brotherhood. Congressman Ellison is actively working to silence any criticism of Islam or jihad here in the United States, and works directly with the first Islamic political party here, the U.S. Council of Muslim Organizations.Watch the Congressional testimony of UTTs Chris Gaubatz HERE about Congressman Ellisons attendance at a Muslim Brotherhood event.made his position clear when he told citizens of that state if they do not like the growing Muslim Somali population in Minnesota they can leave.is a hard-left Marxist who was the former Vice President of Planned Parenthood for Minnesota and the Dakotas.Both Governor Dayton and Lieutenant Governor Smith have forged a strong working relationship with Hamas (CAIR) in Minneapolis.has bowed to the Islamic community, and advocates stopping Islamophobia instead of dealing with jihadi attacks in the United States and her state.Under the watch of, the jihadi threat has increased exponentially. There are 83 Islamic Centers/masjids/mosques and Islamic Societies in Hennepin County. Sheriff Stanek has refused briefings on the threat from UTT, yet works with jihadis in the community.In March 2016, Sheriff Stanek and other law enforcement organizations from around Minneapolis hosted the jihadi community in the Hennepin County Public Safety Office. The message to the Muslims was that the law enforcement community would protect Muslims from hate crimes and backlash despite the fact FBI Criminal data shows no such threat exists in the U.S. Yet, despite the threat from increasing jihadi attacks, including the recent stabbing by a Muslim jihadi in a mall in St. Cloud on September 17, 2016, numerous Muslims are being recruited in Minneapolis for terrorist groups, and no measures have been taken by the Sheriff to deter the threat other than outreach to the Muslim community.Andcitizens in Minnesota voted for these people.It is worth noting that Minneapolis City Councilman Abdi Warsame from Somalia moved to rename three streets in Minneapolis to Somali names since a large portion of Minneapolis is now Somali.Of all the officials in Minneapolis, the U.S. Attorney, Andrew Lugar, is the most egregious example of abuse of power. Mr. Lugar does not pursue the jihadis in Minneapolis, he openly defends them and has publicly stated he will use the full authority of his office to stop Islamophobia. Meaning, he will squash Minnesotans free speech rights to give cover to jihadis in Minneapolis.The media in Minneapolis, including the Star Tribune, the local CBS affiliate WCCO, Minnesota Public Radio and many others, are not interested in investigative journalism or the truth. These media outlets propagate a hard-left/Marxist narrative that provides cover to the jihadis in Minnesota while keeping the public in the dark of the real dangers.UTT provided these organizations evidence from the largest terrorism financing and Hamas trial ever successfully prosecuted in U.S. history revealing CAIR was created by the U.S. Muslim Brotherhoods Palestine Committee (Hamas) to be a Hamas organization here in America. Yet, while they called for UTTs programs to be shut down in Minnesota, they openly defend Hamas (CAIR) and never mention any of the evidence from the FBI or Department of Justice detailing CAIR is a terrorist organization.The Countering Violent Extremism or CVE is a program created in Britain by the Muslim Brotherhood. This is a hostile information campaign and a double-agent program, and was eagerly sought after by the U.S. government. CVEs purpose is to ensure Muslim Brotherhood leaders are exclusively used by the government as the liaison for all matters pertaining to Islam and terrorism, so the MB controls the narrative in this war.In Minnesota, the Islamic leadership took this to a new level when President Obama used Minneapolis as a CVE pilot city. The Muslim community not only uses CVE to control the counterterrorism efforts in Minneapolis/St. Paul, they are now bashing Minnesotas leaders for the Islamophobia of CVE. It is a self-sustaining circular thrashing of Minnesotas leadership for doing what the Muslim community asked them to do. Classic counterintelligence tactics.Moreover, since Congresswoman Michele Bachmann (6th District, 2007-2015) began courageously defending the state of Minnesota against the jihadi onslaught, the federal government has poured tens of thousands of Somali refugees into Minnesota. The Southern Poverty Law Center and the Department of Justice filed lawsuits against her high school  Anoka  for harassment of lesbian and gay students. This is exactly the kind of targeted attack that is typical of the Marxist movement in support of jihadis across the United States.UTTs assessment the Twin Cities are lost is based on:If Minnesota is to retake its capital city and survive this war, it is the Sheriffs and Pastors who must be pressed by the citizens to do their duties. The situation in Minnesota, as in the United States in general, constitutes an insurgency. In the counter-insurgency, Minnesota must be retaken County by county. Citizens must ensure their law enforcement officers/deputies are knowledgeable and trained, and their pastors are fit for the pulpit. If the people are to be energized, courageous Pastors must speak truth in love to the growing threat to Minnesota.
(SS) Early in-person voting began Monday with steady streams of voters in Broward, Palm Beach and Miami-Dade counties.

Through Nov. 6, early voting lasts from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. at 15 sites in Palm Beach County, 21 locations in Broward and 30 places in Miami-Dade. Registered voters can vote at any site in their county, unlike Election Day when you have to vote at your precinct.

Broward reported less than a 30-minute wait at all of its early-voting sites. At the Fort Lauderdale Branch Library/Art Serv, a line of about three dozen voters snaked out the door by 11 a.m.

Michelle Slagle, 55, of Fort Lauderdale, had cast her ballot by 11:15 a.m., saying she didn't want to chance not getting her vote in.

"This election cycle has been so crazy, I had to make sure I voted first thing," Slagle said.

A life-long Democrat, Slagle said she voted for Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton. "This is an election where we choose caring or vote selfishly; where we vote for [individual] rights or everyone's rights," she said.

About three dozen voters lined up to cast ballots just past 10 a.m. at Boca Raton Public Library at 400 NW Second Ave., as small crowds outside the building talked about local issues.

Richard Calabrese, 65, a dentist from Boca Raton, and his wife, Angela, 66, voted early because they wanted to vote together and hoped the lines wouldn't be too long. "We take the responsibility of voting seriously," he said.

The Calabreses said they voted for Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton. "You have to know the system to work effectively in Washington," Richard Calabrese said. "Otherwise, it's just like walking into a buzz saw."

Patti Dervishi, 70, is a retiree from Boca Raton who supports Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump. As she stood outside the library, a man in his mid-30s went up and confronted her with expletives, telling her, "I'll grab your [expletive]."

After the confrontation, she said, "That's the first person who's done that today."

She said she has friends who know Trump, and in talking to them, she thinks Trump is a good person. She also has relatives who dislike Clinton, she said. "I have three military [members] and two sheriffs in my family, and they're going to quit if Hillary gets in," she said. "I know she's a socialist and will bring down America."

Elections officials project that turnout for this year's heated presidential race could push voter participation beyond the nearly 70 percent of eligible voters who cast ballots in Broward and Palm Beach counties during the 2012 presidential election.

Vote-by-mail ballots are already arriving at voters' homes. Voters can request one until Nov. 2.

"It's certainly going to give more voters an opportunity to be part of the process," Broward County Supervisor of Elections Brenda Snipes said about early voting options. "I think we could have a record-breaking turnout."

Changes in state law increased the number of days and hours allowed for early voting after long delays in 2012.

The state also changed limits on the types of locations that can be used for early voting is allowing for larger venues. Being able to use fairgrounds and community centers allows room for more voting stations and ballot printers, which should accommodate voters faster, Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections Susan Bucher said.

"That helps us move the lines [and] provide for a little smoother experience," Bucher said.

Early voting, as well as on Election Day, requires showing a photo ID that includes a signature.

Valid forms of identification can include a driver's license, ID card issued by the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, U.S. passport, military ID card, student ID card, retirement center ID, neighborhood association ID, debit or credit card, public assistance ID, veteran health ID, government employee ID or a concealed weapons permit.
Bir Lahlou (liberated territories), October 24, 2016 (SPS) The President of the Republic and Secretary General of the Polisario Front, Brahim Ghali, sent a congratulatory message to the new Secretary General of the Algeria National Liberation Front party (FLN), Djamel Ould Abbes.

In this message, the President expressed, on behalf of the Polisario Front, to Mr. Ould Abbes, warm congratulations and sincere wishes, following his election as the Secretary General of Algerian National Liberation Front (FLN).

He reaffirmed his sincere desire to further promote and develop the existing relations of brotherhood and friendship between the Frente Polisario and the Algerian National Liberation Front (FLN). (SPS)

062/090/TRA




Lorne House's Toronto Blue Jays may have gone cold this past week, but House was on fire at Leamington Raceway on Sunday afternoon.

He started his streak in the fourth race coming from last with longshot Howdy Partner ($12.60) to win by a head in 1:59.4, downing multiple Leamington winner Spago Hall, who ended up third. Howdy Partner is owned and trained by Craig "Pockets" Malott of Windsor, Ont.

House won his second of the day with Squirt ($4.30) in 2:00.3 for Barbara Dinning of Harrow, and trainer Howard Dinning. In this one, Squirt got away fifth, pulled just past the quarter to be parked the rest of the way, and just get up in time to win by a neck over the front-running Nick Steward-driven Chantilly Rose.

The capper of the day came in the feature race, driving his wife's Sandburg Hanover ($6.60) in a wire-to-wire performance in 1:58.2, a head over Oldfriendskentucky.

As for the cold Blue Jays he follows, he was quoted as saying his "Toronto Maple Leafs will now have to pick up the slack!"

The final card of Leamington's 13 week meet comes to a close next Sunday with a Halloween costume contest for prizes. Post time is 1:30 p.m.

For results from Leamington, click the following link: Sunday Results - Leamington Raceway.

(with files from Leamington)
Quebec's Louis-Philippe Roy has announced that he will be leaving the province within the month to take on the best drivers in the world at The Meadowlands and Yonkers Raceway.

Roy hopes to follow in the footsteps of world-renowned drivers Yannick Gingras and Daniel Dube and make the big move from Quebec to the New York-New Jersey area.

Roy, 28, hails from Mont-Joli, Quebec and is having a breakout career season. He is the current leading driver at two tracks in Canada -- Rideau Carleton Raceway with 117 wins and also at the Hippodrome 3R with 57 wins.

Drivers Simon Allard and Yannick Gingras made me a pressing invitation in recent weeks to come and drive in the U.S.A., Roy said. So I will try my luck. I will try at The Meadowlands, specifically where there will be races on Fridays and Saturdays in the coming months and hopefully at Yonkers Raceway too. There are a lot of tracks in the area.

Yannick assured me that I would have horses to drive, Roy said, and there is no one more connected that Yannick, that's for sure. It is not a blind leap of faith I am taking.

"I do not know when I can start, Roy explained. It will depend on the ease more or less of when I can get a temporary work permit. It is not so simple. It could come soon, maybe within a month or so, I am not sure, but I know it will come. I even told my current employer that this week would be my last, so you know I am taking this move seriously."

Roy started driving harness horses professionally in 2008 on the Quebec Regional Fair Circuit. After seven years of learning the ropes he had a good season in 2015, winning 58 races and $217,000 in purses with the horses he drove. Many local owners, trainers and fans of harness racing saw that Roy had exceptional talent driving and that has continued in 2016.

Roy currently has 191 wins in 2016 and purses won at $858,000, but most impressive is his Universal Driving Rating, which is at .424.

Talented young drivers from the province of Quebec that have gone on to become world renowned drivers in the sport has been taking place for many years.

The great Herve Filion, his brothers Yves and Henri Filion, Yvess son, Sylvain Filion, Michel Lachance, Yannick Gingras, Daniel Dube, Luc Ouellette, Gilles Gendron, Lucien Fontaine, Jimmy Larente, Gilles Lachance, Stephane Bouchard, Simon Allard and many more from Quebec have made their mark in harness racing stateside.

According to top driver Yannick Gingras, I got to meet him a little at 3R. Gingras said. And he seems like a very nice guy with great hands. He sits 'right' in the bike and he seems to have all the tools including a good head on his shoulders.

I talked to a few friends of mine at home about him, Gingras explained, and everyone had nothing but good things to say about him. We have been in communication since the summer and Im very happy hes making the move now. Theres definitely a need for a new driver around here and I will do my best to help him achieve his goals the same way I was helped when I moved here.

Roy was also influenced in his decision when he traveled to Prince Edward Island in August and won the prestigious Gold Cup and Saucer Final at Charlottetown Driving Park and recently was second with Yagonnakissmeornot in the $311,000 final of the Milton Stake for older pacing mares at Mohawk Racetrack in Ontario.

Winning for Rene Allard in the Gold Cup & Saucer and being second for him in the Milton Stake helped me to get great visibility, Roy said, and from there I told myself that it might be the right time to try it, but I thought about it before as how I want to spend my life in the future.

If I want to be a harness racing driver full time, Roy explained, I got to go somewhere else because racing in Quebec and Ottawa makes it hard to earn a living without having another job then just driving. With Simon Allard and Yannick Gingras telling me that I should try it in the U.S.A. this winter, it convinced me to go for it.

Daniel Delisle has been the track handicapper at the Hippodrome 3R for many years and had strong praise for Louis-Philippe Roy.

I have had the privilege of witnessing the ascent in the world of harness racing of both Daniel Dube and Yannick Gingras, Delisle said, who as Louis-Philippe Roy, made their professional debut at 3R and I must say that the progress of Louis-Philippe is equally phenomenal. It can only be successful in the U.S.A. and thats what all the world wants for him in Quebec.

One advantage is that he has is that he is a young man, simple and articulate, Delisle said. And he has such natural ability which to succeed in this industry is a necessary asset. He will be missed by many in Quebec, but his future looks very bright in harness racing.

(with files from Hippodrome 3R)
Robert Tucker, the owner of Stonegate Farm in Glen Gardner, N.J., passed away early Sunday morning in New Jersey. He was 90.

Tucker and Stonegate bred and raced many top performers over the years, with his horses trained by his friend Ed Lohmeyer. One of their first top horses together was the pacer Landslide. Among their recent stakes winners was the filly pacer Ideal Nuggets. Another recent stakes winner was Classic Lane, winner of the O'Brien Award as Canada's top older trotting mare in 2009. Tucker also bred this year's Breeders Crown finalist All Bets Off.

While Stonegate Farm has been the birthplace of champions, it also was the one-time home of the great pacing stallion Cam Fella. In addition, Stonegate also stood the stallions Pacific Fella, Albert Albert and Dream Away. Stonegate has another yearling consignment in Harrisburg next month.

Born in Brooklyn, NY, Robert Tucker was raised on Long Island, about 12 miles from Roosevelt Raceway. His father owned Standardbreds and as a youngster Bob attended riding camps and participated in horse shows. In 1935 the Tucker family moved to a farm in Morristown, N.J., and they had a full assortment of livestock, including horses, pigs and chickens. As a teenager Tucker worked on a dairy farm and fell in love with farm life.

Tucker was graduated from high school in Highstown, N.J., then served in the Navy Air Corps during World War II. He then earned a bachelor's degree at Wesleyan University and a master's degree in economics from Brown University. Bob began his career at Banker's Trust Company on Wall Street but returned to New Jersey in 1954 when he joined the Beneficial Corporation in Peapack. By 1969 he was the company's chief financial officer.

In 1960 he purchased the property he named Stonegate Farm, growing to 350 acres, which is in the New Jersey agricultural preservation program.

Tucker served on the board of the New Jersey Sire Stakes for many years and was appointed head of the board by Governor Thomas Keen. He was also a director of the Standardbred Breeders and Owners Association for many years, representing breeders.

In 2009, Tucker received the Harness Racing Musuem & Hall of Fame's Pinnacle Award for his support of the museum's work. As president of the CTW Foundation of Wilmington, Del., he arranged for significant support of the Harness Racing Museum's traveling exhibit of its Currier & Ives art collection.

Robert Tucker is survived by his wife, Lauren; six children and 10 grandchildren.

A celebration of Mr. Tucker's life will include a visitation from 4:00 - 8:00 p.m. on Friday (Oct. 28) at William J. Leber Funeral Home, 15 Furnace Road (Corner of Rt. 206), Chester, N.J. On Saturday (Oct. 29), a service will take place at 2:00 p.m. at Lamington Presbyterian Church, 300 Lamington Rd., Bedminster, NJ 07921. Following the service a reception will be held at Stonegate Standardbred Farm, 508 West Hill Rd., Glen Gardner, NJ 08826. Burial will be held privately at Hilltop Cemetery, Mendham, N.J.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Standardbred Retirement Foundation, 353 Sweetman Lane, Millstone Twp., NJ 08535, or Morristown Medical Center Foundation, 475 South St., Morristown, NJ 07960, Attn: Hospice and Palliative Care Unit.

Please join Standardbred Canada in offering condolences to the family and friends of Bob Tucker.
E.W. Jackson Releases New Video Urging Black Voters to Abandon the Democrat Party and Vote for Trump

Contact: Chelsea, 304-620-7007, media@ewjackson.com

MEDIA ADVISORY, Oct. 24, 2016 /Standard Newswire/ -- Four years ago Bishop E.W. Jackson (photo) released an explosive video, seen by millions, compelling black voters - especially Christians - to abandon the Democratic Party.

In a new video released this weekend Jackson claims that poverty, violence and family breakdown in the inner cities, are the direct result of Democrat policies. The Bishop says, "Their policies have rewarded the absence of men in the home, disintegrated the black family, contributed to more black poverty, gangs, crime, violence and rampant drug addiction."

Speaking to black Christian voters in particular, Jackson says, "the Democratic Party has also become anti-God, anti-Christian, and anti-Bible. Today's Democrat Party does not represent the values of black Christians and churches."

This week Jackson concludes a non-partisan five state tour to turn out the Christian vote in Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, North Carolina and Florida. Says the Bishop, "With the Awakening Tour ending, I now want to speak strictly for myself as an American citizen. I believe that Hillary Clinton as President will be an unmitigated disaster for our country, the black community and Christians of all backgrounds."

He believes that Hillary Clinton is counting on the short memory of black voters and that they will accept her racial pandering. "Mrs. Clinton thinks that the black community will not remember that she described young black men as 'super predators,'" says Jackson, "and that she and President Clinton introduced the policies which led to mass incarceration of black men. She really expects to win black voters by telling them that she carries hot sauce in her pocketbook? That is racist and condescending, but that's who she is."

In the video, Bishop Jackson urges black voters to give Republicans and Donald Trump a chance since Democrats have failed miserably.

Jackson is calling on Christians to unite across racial and denominational lines to stop Clinton. Says Jackson, "Devout Christians - Catholic, Protestant, black, white, Latino and others - will be persecuted under a Clinton presidency. She believes that our First Amendment claims are a cover for homophobia, Islamophobia, sexism, hatred and bigotry. Donald Trump has promised to defend our religious liberty."

Click here to view the video.
Judicial Watch Will Monitor Virginia Polls on Election Day

WASHINGTON, Oct. 24, 2016 / Standard Newswire /  Judicial Watch today, as part of its ongoing Election Integrity Project, announced that Judicial Watch volunteer poll observers will monitor polling sites in Virginia on Election Day.

Judicial Watch poll monitors will be in Virginia in response to significant concerns about the integrity of the election process there:

 , or residents who are not U.S. citizens, were on the voter rolls in 8 Virginia counties. If that rate of non-citizen registration held in the rest of Virginia's counties, that would mean that about 6,500 non-citizens are registered to vote in Virginia.



1,046 aliens , or residents who are not U.S. citizens, were on the voter rolls in 8 Virginia counties. If that rate of non-citizen registration held in the rest of Virginia's counties, that would mean that about 6,500 non-citizens are registered to vote in Virginia.

 A September 2016



A September 2016 report by the Public Interest Legal Foundation and the Virginia Voter's Alliance shows: "In the 8 jurisdictions that provided us with lists of aliens recently removed from their voter rolls, we discovered that 31 non-citizens had cast a total of 186 votes between 2005 and 2015. The most alien votes were cast in 2012 followed by 2008, the year President Obama was elected to his first term." There are 133 total Virginia voting jurisdictions, so the number in this report represents a mere fraction of the true total of illegal votes.

 individuals recently re-registered to vote in Virginia.



19 deceased individuals recently re-registered to vote in Virginia.

 In 2013, the Interstate Voter Registration Crosscheck Program ( In 2013, the Interstate Voter Registration Crosscheck Program ( Crosscheck ), which provides a lists of voters who are registered in more than one of the 26 states participating in the program, revealed that 57,923 Virginia voters were registered to vote in at least one other state. Of course this number would be much higher if the Crosscheck program included every state  including New York, California, and Texas, the most populous states in the country.

Judicial Watch's Election Integrity Project leader, Robert Popper, will train Virginia's poll watchers. He is a former deputy chief of the Voting Section, in the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice and a veteran poll observer for the Department of Justice.

Judicial Watch's Election Integrity project began in February 2012. Since that time Judicial Watch has put several state and county officials on notice when they are in violation of federal laws requiring them to clean up their voter rolls. Judicial Watch has also participated in lawsuits defending photo ID and other commonsense election integrity measures. Judicial Watch has also filed successful lawsuits in states like Ohio and Indiana that resulted in cleaner voter rolls and have achieved victories in the United States Supreme Court to stop race-based elections in Hawaii . Judicial Watch has fought federal electoral laws that have the effect of making it easier for non-citizens to register to vote, and harder to remove them once they are registered. And Judicial Watch has conducted election monitoring before, for example in New Hampshire in 2014.

"Judicial Watch will monitor voting places in Virginia to expose and deter any voter fraud," said Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton.
Yangzhou Fried Rice Recipe

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Yangzhou fried rice from Jiangsu Province is the most famous variety of fried rice in China. This Yangzhou Fried Rice recipe has all the good stuff  pork, chicken, shrimp and so much more! A really special, special fried rice.

Why This Yangzhou Fried Rice Recipe Is So Good

An authentic and insanely popular Chinese rice dish

Perfectly light and fluffy rice

Better than take out special fried rice

special fried rice Hearty and easy to make  just 20 mins from pantry to table

Ingredients

Shitake mushrooms

Pork tenderloin

Peeled shrimp

Cooked ham

Cooked chicken

Green onion

Egg

Cooked rice

Cooking oi

Peas

Rice wine

Chicken stock

Salt and ground white pepper

How To Make This Yangzhou Fried Rice  Step By Step

Cut the pork, shrimp, ham, chicken, mushroom, if using, into small dice. Thinly slice the spring onion greens. Beat the egg with a little salt and pepper. Break the rice up into small clumps to make it easier to fry. Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a wok over a high flame. Add the pork and stir-fry briefly until the pork is pale. Add the ham, chicken, shrimp, mushrooms, peas, and continue to stir-fry for 12 minutes, until everything is hot and sizzling. Add the Chinese rice wine, then pour in the stock and bring to the boil. Season with salt, then pour off into a bowl and set aside. Rinse and dry the wok and return it to the heat with the remaining oil. When the oil is hot, add the beaten egg mixture and swirl it around the base of the wok. When the egg is half-cooked, add the green onions and all the rice and stir-fry, breaking up any clumps. When the rice is very hot, smells delicious and makes a popping sound around the edges of the wok, add the reserved ingredients in their stock sauce. Mix well and continue to stir-fry for another 30 seconds or so, seasoning with salt or pepper if you wish.

What is Yangzhou Fried Rice?

Yang zhou chao fan  is a fried rice dish that features egg along with leftover bits of ham, shrimp and meat. At Chinese restaurants in America, sometimes the dish is simply referred to as, House Fried Rice. Ingredients may differ from day to day, depending on what leftover protein is available.

Yangzhou Fried Rice was invented by Qing Chinas Yi Bingshou (17541815) and the dish was named Yangzhou fried rice since Yi was once the regional magistrate of Yangzhou (source)

A Traditional Fried Rice Recipe

This version omits the hard-to-find luxuries of sea cucumber and freshwater crabmeat, but otherwise follows the traditional method. If you want to make the totally authentic version, add  oz (25g) chopped, soaked dried sea cucumber and  oz (25g) freshwater crabmeat, and substitute tiny freshwater shrimp for the saltwater shrimp.

Yangzhou Fried Rice  Better Than Takeout!

Make this at home because whats better than a recipe that comes together in just 20 minutes? Thats quicker than Uber Eats! If you have all of your ingredients prepped beforehand, this meal is almost instant. The next time youre doing meal prep for the week, make some extra rice and chop up some Chinese sausage  youll be halfway to homemade weeknight fried rice.

Top Tips For Yangzhou Fried Rice

I prefer scrambling the egg separate from the rice  I get a better result with a lighter texture and fluffier rice. Many times, if your wok or pan is not hot enough, and you add the egg on top of the rice, silver wrapped in gold (jin guo yin)  you might end up with mushier, wetter fried rice.

Make sure you use leftover rice, thats been previously refrigerated. This also helps with making a lighter fried rice with grains separated. If you use steaming-hot, freshly cooked rice, youll end up with a goopy mess. Thats because the refrigerator dries out the rice a bit  which is a good thing, because we are adding liquid to the fried rice (chicken stock, Chinese rice wine). Youll get best results with Jasmine rice, or other medium grained rice. Short-grained rice (used in sushi, Japanese or Korean cooking) is fine too, but not normally used in this recipe. Short grained rice is a little heavier and stickier.

Ingredients are cooked separately, then added all back together for a very specific reason. If you throw all the ingredients into the wok and try to cook everything at once, the rice will end up tasting like mish-mash. Also, different ingredients have different cooking times  by the time the pork is cooked through, your chicken will be overcooked. Authentic Chinese fried rice allows you to taste each and every ingredient  so that the shrimp tastes like shrimp.and the egg tastes like egg.

Instead of seasoning with soy sauce, the fried rice is flavored with chicken stock. The stock is added to the ingredients along with Chinese rice wine. Using stock instead of soy sauce keeps the fried rice light in flavor and color.

The signature characteristic of Yangzhou Fried Rice is using whatever ingredients you have on hand. Diced leftover roast pork, a few mushrooms, a handful of shrimp, a cupful of peas. Here are some ingredient tips: Shrimp : I like using small, tiny, already cooked cooked shrimp. Alternatively, you can use larger shrimp, just cut them up into smaller pieces to make it easier to stir fry and eat. If you are using uncooked shrimp, thats fine too, just throw it into the wok a little sooner than the recipe states, to give it time to cook through. Mushroom: The recipe calls for Chinese dried mushrooms, but feel free to use fresh Shiitake mushrooms. No need to soak. Just discard the stem and chop. Pork : Honestly, an optional ingredient  if you have it, great! Make sure you dice the pork tenderloin very small (like the size of a frozen diced carrot). Heres an easy shortcut  use ground pork instead. Many times, Yangzhou Fried Rice will have diced Chinese Roast Pork  which is what I love to use. Dont have any pork? Use any other protein, including ground turkey. Not authentic, but hey, fried rice is supposed to be the most flexible recipe in the world! Peas: Almost always, I use frozen peas. I dont even defrost them, just throw them in the wok. Chicken: Leftover, cooked chicken meat is perfect. Just dice very small. Sometimes, well just pull meat off a rotisserie chicken and set aside for fried rice. I like to add minced cilantro to the recipe. In fact, I use cilantro stems that are minced very fine. The cilantro stems in at the same time as the rice.



Check Out These Other Rice Recipes

Have you tried this Yangzhou Fried Rice recipe? Feel free to leave a star rating and Id love ot hear from you in the comments below!

Thank you for supporting Steamy Kitchen!

Yangzhou Fried Rice Recipe Jaden Hair Print Recipe Pin Recipe Prep Time 10 mins Cook Time 10 mins Total Time 20 mins Course Side Dish Cuisine Asian Servings 4 servings Calories 656 kcal Ingredients 1x 2x 3x 4 fresh shiitake mushrooms

3/4 oz 25g raw pork tenderloin, finely diced

3/4 oz 25g small peeled shrimp, fresh or frozen, cooked or uncooked

3/4 oz 25g cooked ham <

3/4 oz 25g cooked chicken

1 stalk green onion green parts only

1 large egg

2 1/2 cups 600g cold, cooked rice (preferably Jasmine or any medium-grain rice)

5 tbsp cooking oil

3/4 oz 25g fresh or frozen peas or cooked green edamame soybeans

2 tsp Chinese Shaoxing rice wine or dry sherry

1 cup 200ml chicken stock

Salt and ground white pepper Instructions Cut the pork, shrimp, ham, chicken, mushroom, if using, into small dice. Thinly slice the spring onion greens. Beat the egg with a little salt and pepper. Break the rice up into small clumps to make it easier to fry.

Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a wok over a high flame. Add the pork and stir-fry briefly until the pork is pale. Add the ham, chicken, shrimp, mushrooms, peas, and continue to stir-fry for 12 minutes, until everything is hot and sizzling. Add the Chinese rice wine, then pour in the stock and bring to the boil. Season with salt, then pour off into a bowl and set aside.

Rinse and dry the wok and return it to the heat with the remaining oil. When the oil is hot, add the beaten egg mixture and swirl it around the base of the wok. When the egg is half-cooked, add the green onions and all the rice and stir-fry, breaking up any clumps.

When the rice is very hot, smells delicious and makes a popping sound around the edges of the wok, add the reserved ingredients in their stock sauce. Mix well and continue to stir-fry for another 30 seconds or so, seasoning with salt or pepper if you wish. Nutrition Calories: 656 kcal Carbohydrates: 97 g Protein: 16 g Fat: 21 g Saturated Fat: 2 g Cholesterol: 67 mg Sodium: 219 mg Potassium: 315 mg Fiber: 2 g Sugar: 2 g Vitamin A: 130 IU Vitamin C: 4 mg Calcium: 46 mg Iron: 2 mg Keyword fried rice, house fried rice, special fried rice Tried this recipe? Let us know how it was!

Land of Fish and Rice: Recipes from Culinary Heart of China by Fuchsia Dunlop. Copyright  2016 by Fuchsia Dunlop. Recipe and photo printed with permission of the publisher, W. W. Norton & Company, Inc.

Fuchsia Dunlop is one of the foremost experts in Chinese cuisine, and was one of the first modern Western chefs to be classically trained in China. Two of her books, Revolutionary Chinese Cookbook and Land of Plenty: A Treasury of Authentic Sichuan Cooking serve as my resources for authentic Chinese recipes.

Fuchsia Dunlop . . . has done more to explain real Chinese cooking to non-Chinese cooks than anyone. Julia Moskin, New York Times

Fuchsias latest book, Land of Fish and Rice: Recipes from Culinary Heart of China, focuses on the region south of the Yangtze river, and its modern capitol of Shanghai, called Jiangnan region.

The food of Jiangnan is light (unlike Sichuans oily, chile-laden food), and as the title of the book suggests, relies heavily on the bounties of the sea and plentiful rice paddies.

This books recipes are near and dear to my family  this is the region of my Dads hometown cooking. Were delighted to share with you Fuchsia Dunlops recipe for Yangzhou Fried Rice.
A blog published by Susan Eisen that has columns on all the latest jewelry fashions, news, and store information.
After seven days of testimony, the trial of 27-year-old Jamesly Joseph ended with a guilty verdict before Judge Robert Shuster in a Providenciales Supreme courtroom on Thursday (October 20).

Joseph was arrested last year for the murder of 44-year-old Dielua Jean, a mother of five and Haitian national.

Joseph has received the mandatory life in prison for the murder of his on May 25, 2015.

The twelve person jury took four hours to deliberate the two weeks worth of evidence during the trial and return with a resounding and unanimous verdict of guilty.

Although Joseph had initially admitted to the crime to police when he was arrested, he had pleaded guilty to the murder and during the trial the issue of self-defense and provocation on the part of the victim was continually raised.

Attorney at law, Finbar Grant, represented Joseph while Lenard Franklin appeared for the Crown.

Closing arguments were heard on Wednesday, during which time Grant reminded the jury that the prosecution had not presented a witness who saw his client inflict the fatal stab wounds to the victim and mother of five children.

In his speech, Franklin reminded the jury about Joseph's claim of self defense when he was arrested by the police, but that the weapon he claimed the victim had was never recovered.

The prosecutor also reminded the court that the defendant had also claimed that the victim had washed her private parts with water which she later gave him to drink and that she constantly put his clothes and other belongings out of their shared home.

Franklin put it to the jury that all of these things could amount to provocation, leading to the 44-year-old woman's brutal death.

Following the closing speeches, Judge Robert Shuster dismissed the jury for the day with a directive to return at 9:30 Thursday morning when he will sum up the case, and allow them to retire to consider the evidence and return a verdict.

On Thursday morning, the judge summarised the entire case for the jury this morning advising them that they can either bring back a verdict on murder or one on manslaughter.

Remarking on the evidence submitted to the court, Shuster had advised the jury that a strong circumstantial case had been presented to them, while cautioning them to look at the evidence in its entirety.

Joseph had not testified on his own behalf during the trial, neither did his lawyer call any witnesses.

Joseph was accused of stabbing the woman who is mother of five children at her home in Kew Town, Providenciales.

Her body was discovered outside of her Dockyard home by neighbors at about 2:56 in the afternoon with severe stabs wounds about her upper body.

The woman was pronounced dead when emergencies services arrived on the scene.

At the time of the incident neighbours had stated that they saw what appeared to be a wound inflicted by a hammer on the head of the woman.

Reports are that the two had been fighting first from inside their shared home and then it escalated and ended up outside on the alleyways of Dockyard.

Joseph was picked up by police just two hours after the murder in the downtown Providenciales area.
BY OLIVIA ROSE

THE REMOVAL of the Commissioner of Police, James Smith must be at the top of the new Governor`s agenda.





This call was made by Former Premier Michael Misick on Monday October 17, following the swearing- in ceremony for the new Governor, Dr. John Freeman.





Misick in a strongly-worded release, said if the new Governor has any interest in the safety of the country he will remove the incumbent Police Commissioner..





This is not the first time the Former Premier has called for the resignation or removal of the top cop. Only recently he expressed his frustration at the level of crime and the spate of unsolved murders in the Turks and Caicos Islands.





Misick, who is now in the lineup of Independent at-large candidates for the upcoming general elections, said it was quite evident that British-appointed Governors and Commissioners of Police are incapable of managing the crime situation in the Turks and Caicos Islands.





"They stand accused of only paying lip service to crime, and failing to provide the police force with adequate and necessary equipment and resources.





"By their own admission, crime is rising and the detection rate in this country is extremely low. The Turks and Caicos Islands is now paying a very dear price for the gross incompetence of the Governor and the Commissioner," he said.





Misick in his sneering remarks said: "In what must be heralded as the least democratic ceremony in the free world, we will formalize the appointment of a new Governor.





"While the rank and file of the police force performs their drills and march with rifles pointed to the sky, there is at least one unsolved crime for every ceremonial rifle on the parade.





"Today as Ministers greets the new Governor, there is at least one unsolved murder for every Government Minister in attendance, at least one unsolved violent crime for every member of the Opposition present, and there may be one unsolved burglary for every person at the swearing-in inclusive of press, event workers and spectators.





Misick is adamant that the recent spike in crime, coupled with the ultra low crime detection rate under Commissioner James Smith, has undermined his ability to provide the leadership required to bring about a safer Turks and Caicos.





He said: "Commissioner Smith is yet to present the people of the TCI with a crime fighting strategy, and criminals strike in with a blood-chilling boldness, in some cases less than a kilometer from a major police post.





"James Smith is a shining example of failing law enforcement leadership.





He pointed out that his prior calls for Commissioner Smiths removal has seemingly fallen on deaf years.





"The only advancement since my last call was a series of meetings in which the Commissioner, the former Governor and the Premier sat, enjoyed refreshments and agreed on a date to meet and sit and enjoy refreshments again.





Misick asserted that crime in the TCI is at an unacceptable level and the old excuse of how low the crime rate is in comparison to the rest of the world is not the answer.





He added: "Crime must be fought and fought with a view of winning the fight against crime. Sadly, James Smith is not the man to lead this fight.





"This is no time for an experiment; this is no time to protect egos; this is no time to waste time; and this is the time to bring suitable leadership to the police force and allowing the good talent in the TCI Police force to shine, he said.




BY OLIVIA ROSE

THE NATIONAL Health Insurance Amendment Bill 2016 was passed in the House of Assembly at its meeting on Tuesday, October 18, with an aim to ensure that healthcare is accessible and affordable to all.





Premier and Minister responsible for Health, Agriculture and Human Services, Dr. Rufus Ewing, had carriage of that Bill and told the House that the bill seeks to guarantee access to optimal healthcare.





He explained that: "The national Health Insurance plan was conceived to be a social health insurance plan, and the objective is to ensure that those who are most vulnerable in our society are the ones who are protected through the social protection legislation.





"The principle of the plan is that those who have will pay more for those who have not, or during the time of your productive years, you pay to cover those less productive years when you reap most of the benefits.





"This plan also has a principle engrained in it. What we call universal health, means that we do as much as we can to ensure that as much of the population is covered with some kind of basic health coverage.





Premier Ewing noted that this aspect of the plan is important, from a health perspective, since it makes certain people get basic health care, while serving as means for financial protection.





He noted: "With the pooling of resources from employers and employees and Governments combine, the financial burden on each of us as individual is lessened.





The Premier had the opportunity to present the National Health Insurance Plan at a special health forum during PAHO's Directing Council Meeting in September.





Premier Ewing shared that the Plan is seen as a model plan by many countries throughout the region, which are now seeking to emulate such a plan.





He said: "This National Health insurance plan, I must say, is one that has been given much praise and accolades throughout the Caribbean and throughout the world. There are just a few of such plans that exist in our region, and there are many countries who are now looking to us as the trailblazers in this region to see how we go about designing, implementing.





"And looking at lessons learned from us, mistakes that we would`ve made or gaps that we would've had and how do we overcome those challenges.





"Just the end of September I presented at PAHO`s directing council on a special session, which is a health forum called "Investing for Universal health." During that session our national Health insurance plan was one that I presented and highlighted and it was lauded as a model that other countries can indeed try to follow.





"Even though these things vary from country to country, based on demographic and the pedigrees of individuals and stakeholders that exist in the country.





"Our neighbors to the Northwest, the Bahamas, whom this plan was indeed modeled after, are now still struggling and having challenges implementing their national health insurance plan.





"The British Virgin Islands just recently implemented their national health insurance plan and they`ve just recently visited us on few occasions and consulted with us as to how they go about it, even though theirs may be a little bit different from ours because of their local circumstances.





Premier Ewing said the Turks and Caicos Islands are blessed to have such a robust plan that the world is looking to adopt and implement.





Although, the bill is one that got the support of members of the House, Opposition Leader Sharlene Cartwright-Robinson said there is need for a comprehensive review of the National Health Insurance Board.





She said: "To see how its working and how we can tweak it further to better serve the people of this country, but I welcome these amendments with two concerns.





"One that I had hoped to see and one thats I think is a bit restrictive and one that I think we need to look at what presently obtains now on the ground, and challenges that I know exist with individuals who are subscribers to national health insurance and the first concern for me, Mr. Speaker, is the definition of independence, and unemployed spouse, the grandchild of a subscriber, a parent or grandparent of subscriber.





"We do have legal relationships with persons who are guardians. The children are not considered child but they`re in guardianship-relationship, and I want to make sure that that is going to be included or considered.





In solidifying her argument she emphasized that: "There has been a situation that Im aware of and this has been one of the criticisms of this scheme, that it is restrictive in its registration.





"Secondly, I had hoped to see something on the unemployed. I don`t know the financial state of the NHIB, but unemployed persons who may have contributed since the inception of the scheme, and once they become unemployed they are covered for 90 days; once they register with Labour, but they are dependent; their spouses and children are left uncovered; they`re immediately dropped.





Premier Ewing acknowledged that while there are many issues relating to the national insurance plan, which his administration is now addressing, the plan, he said, is still looked at as a good plan.




IT IS becoming more common for burglars in the Turks and Caicos Islands to enter the home of residents while they are asleep, according Kevin Clarke, the police PR.





Mr Clarke said in a recent interview that police officers are investigating a number of burglaries that have been reported this past week, while victims were inside of their homes.





Although this information is alarming, Clarke explained that sometimes these home invasions are a result of many people not properly securing their households.





He said: "During these burglaries, homeowners were either awaken by the movement of the culprits in their home and had to come face to face with them, or when they awakened the following morning, they would notice that property from their homes missing.





"The weakest home security link is the home occupant who fails to lock doors or windows or who will open the door without question at the sound of a knock.





The officer is encouraging residents to lock all outside doors and windows before going to bed; check locks on doors and windows and replace them with secure devices as necessary.





"Sliding glass doors are vulnerable and there are special locks available for better security.





"Residents should leave lights on when going out, especially if going to be away for a length of time.





"Individuals should change locks immediately if your keys are lost or stolen, especially when moving into a new home.





"I am encouraging persons to be a good neighbor; if you notice anything suspicious in your neighborhood, call 9-1-1 immediately.





"Mark your valuables with your driver's license number with an engraver you can borrow from your precinct because marked items are harder for a burglar to dispose of and easier for police to recover.





Clarke is encouraging residents to continue to be vigilant and to not hesitate to report suspicious people, or activities to the police.





"If you feel as though something is not right, notify the police so that they can check it out. It is better to be safe than to be sorry.




BY OLIVIA ROSE

THE SAFETY and security of islanders, residents and visitors will be at the top of the Peoples Democratic Movement (PDM) agenda in the upcoming general election campaign.





This is according to PDM`s Chairman Doug Parnell who unveiled his party`s plans to focus on people-centered development under a PDM government.





Parnell, in a release issued last week, pointed out that the safety and security of people living and working in the Turks and Caicos Islands is chief on the partys scheme.





He said :" We understand the fears, hunger, thirst and the deep longing that exists in the minds, hearts, bellies and souls of our people, which can only be calmed, satisfied, quenched, and fulfilled through political change.





"We know that our constituents are tired of politicians who make lofty promises during a campaign that remain unfulfilled.





"We also know that an outgoing government can sometimes try to preempt the ideas, plans and policies for change that are contemplated by their political opponents.





Parnell noted that despite these tactics the PDM thought it necessary to release its 12-Point Crime Plan early in the campaign.





Coupled with this, he reminded that the PDM has fought for people who have lost their homes, businesses and property through what he deemed an unholy arrangement with the Government and TOLCO.





Parnell said: "The PDM, in opposition, has been working assiduously, demanding real change in Crown land, in labor rights, in environmental protection, economic relief, the rights of stateless children, expanded access to educational opportunities, civil servant benefits, infrastructural development and maintenance, health care reform, development opportunities, and immigration control.





He asserted that none of these issues have been holistically addressed to date.





He explained that: "The numbers in Parliament to enact laws remain with the government which is precisely why a campaign that details specific credible plans and policies is on the horizon to improve our numbers in parliament with buy-in and the support of the people.





Turning his attention to creating and sustaining a strong economy, another prime component of the party`s agenda, he pointed out that based on his extensive experience as President of the Providenciales Chamber of Commerce he has been able to identify several key characteristics of the Turks and Caicos Islands economy.





"I recognized and reported then that the fundamental attributes of the Turks and Caicos Islands, which it had enjoyed for decades, and which make it an ideal place for growth, investment and economic prosperity are the "Four Nos..No Income Tax, No Capital Gains Tax, No Property Tax, and No Exchange Controls.





"Additionally, permitting foreign ownership of land supports this economic environment as well as our labor and business-licensing regime, which is one of the most liberal in the region.





"However, what has really caused the Turks and Caicos to flourish is the friendly and tolerant attitude and nature of our people coupled with the skills and abilities of our people and residents alike to run a soon to be billion dollar a year economy.





"Yes we are small but we have massive promise. These intrinsic qualities when put into the hands of the right government can bring us back on track to wealth and prosperity for years and decades to come.





In addition to the party`s highly touted 12-Point Crime Plan, corresponding initiatives will be implemented to bring about a vibrant and affluent business climate, while providing better income earning opportunities for workers, all while paying keen focus to improve our physical environment and infrastructure.





Parnell said: "Detailed plans for each constituency will be unveiled to address the specific needs of each community.





"In North, Middle and South Caicos our primary objective will be to develop a sustainable economy so that our people can have opportunities at home.





"Our islands will be united through a link from Providenciales to South Caicos by building bridges across our beautiful waters.





"This will ultimately light the path to future prosperity. For the nations capital, Grand Turk, and the historic island of Salt Cay, the vision for the future has already been written that will lift these islands up to the prominence they so justly deserve.





He revealed that in the upcoming months, the party`s leader Sharlene Cartwright-Robinson, will champion these and other initiatives in a campaign that is expected to bring about dire political change in the country for the betterment of all people.




TWO HUNDRED and fifty-nine people have been diagnosed with cancer in the Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI) to date, according to officials from the TCI Hospital.





This number includes cases that were diagnosed at the hospital before the actual registry was launched in January of 2014 and officials said that at least three to four new patients are being diagnosed with cancer every month.





During the media briefing, which was held on Monday at the Cheshire Hall Medical Centre in Providenciales, medical officials elaborated on the statistics and on the types of cancers that are deemed prevalent in men and women in the TCI.





Gemma Williams, InterHealth Canada Oncologist, explained that Providenciales, understandably, has nearly three quarters of all cancer patients.





Meanwhile, Grand Turk makes up 17 percent and the remaining percentage covered the smaller islands [in terms of population] South, North and Middle Caicos.





Nurse Williams added that women made up 54 percent of the cancer population in the TCI, while men made up the other 46 percent.





She said: "The breakdown of nationality; Turks and Caicos Islands by birth is 75 percent, Jamaica and Haiti combined are about 14 percent and the remaining 11 percent is made up of about 10 other nationalities.





She also revealed that the most common cancer found among women in the TCI is breast cancer and among men she revealed that the silent killer is prostate cancer.





Roy McGregor, visiting Urologist added on to Williams comments, stating that aside from Prostate cancer being the most prevalent cancer in men in the TCI, it is also the leading cause of death in men in the TCI.





However, he explained that if the cancer was detected early, it could be cured.





Mr McGregor is encouraging men in general to start screening for prostate cancer at the age of 40.





"The thing about prostate cancer is that when it presents early, there are no symptoms. In order to get symptoms from prostate cancer it has to be quite far advanced, so screening is important and it is important to realize that the test is a simple blood test for something called the prostate specific antigen. This is a protein produced by the prostate gland, which is elevated in cancer.





"Family history is probably the most important risk factor for prostate cancer. If you have a first or second degree with prostate cancer that means that your risk of developing prostate cancer is much higher, McGregor said.





Rosemary Jolly, president of the TCI National Cancer Society (NSC) said that she is alarmed by the cancer numbers that exist in the TCI, especially relating to breast and prostate cancer.





The president added that the function of the NSC is to help promote the awareness of the disease.





Therefore, she will continue to play a collective role in educating the TCI about cancer and the importance of regular cancer screenings, at the required ages.





There are more than 100 types of cancer, including breast cancer, skin cancer, lung cancer, colon cancer, prostate cancer, and lymphoma.





Symptoms vary depending on the type.





Cancer treatment may include chemotherapy, radiation, and/or surgery.




THE TURKS and Caicos Islands Government has reappointed Ms. Elisabeth Wilson as the new Protocol Officer within the Office of the Premier.





According to a Government release ,Ms. Wilson first began working in the Turks and Caicos Islands civil service in 2000 as a receptionist for the Tourist Board, before working her way up to post of Assistant Training Manager; a post she held for many years before being transferred to the Office of Premier as the previous Protocol Officer.





Commenting on her reappointment Ms. Wilson stated that: "Even though I have worked in other places and have put my all into those areas, it is not every day that you get to do a job that you love, so I always looked forward to someday returning to the service of my country and to this role.





"The most satisfying and most rewarding part of my job, for me, is putting the Turks and Caicos Islands and the government in the best light.





Deputy Governor, Anya Williams added; "I am pleased to welcome Mrs. Wilson back into the civil service as a member of staff within the Office of the Premier. I am confident that her previous skills and experience will be an asset to TCIG and I certainly wish her all the best.








By Daisy Handfield

OVER one hundred individuals donated boxes of non-perishable items and clothes, during a recent fundraising initiative over the weekend, to benefit those recently affected by Hurricane Matthew in the southern part of Haiti.





The numbers have not been confirmed, but the death toll in Haiti is over 1,000 due to the devastating hurricane.





The drive was held on Saturday at Sarahs Kitchen on the Airport Road in Providenciales, and it attracted scores of residents that were touched by the unfortunate situation.





Kevin Clarke, Police PR and representative from Sakpase TCI promotions, said in an interview that the donation drive was a collaborative effort between Sakpase TCI, the Haitian Consulate, InterCaribbean Airways and a number of other companies.





Mr Clarke explained that once the drive was over, the items would be handed over to the Haitian Consulate, who would then pass it on to InterCaribbean Airways, who would send the goods over to Haiti and hand it over to the respective personnel.





He said: "We and other persons within the community decided to come together in collaboration, to assist in getting donations for Hurricane Matthew victims in Haiti. I think what we are doing now would help in some way.





"We do know that there are about 250,000 people or more who have been severely affected by Matthew.





"We also have millions of people who are now exposed to cholera, because now there is an issue with the water.





Clarke thanked the Turks and Caicos public for their support at such a critical time for Haiti.





"We just want to tell everyone thank you. Like someone said, the Haitian community is a fabric of the Turks and Caicos Islands and despite what anyone say, we know that the people in the Turks and Caicos love the Haitian people and the Haitian people love them.





"We need to continue to keep that unity, not only when a catastrophe happen; that we all come together. We need to continuously come together at all times to support each other, Clarke said.





Those who were unable to attend the fundraiser, but interested in making a donation can call 1 (649) 232 7834 or 1 (649) 431 2662 to make the necessary arrangements.




Reliance Jio is nothing than a grand phenomenon for current Indian telecom market. The amazing free offers for the voice call, the Internet, SMS, video browsing, and national roaming of Jio have made people go-crazy, while making other major telecom operators rethink about their services and tariffs. With the aim to defend the growing popularity of Jio in the Indian market, Vodafone India has taken a counter move and announced free national roaming for its esteemed subscribers.

On Friday, Indian Telecom operator Vodafone has publicised the report of commencing free roaming offer for its users, and from this Diwali, the customers of Vodafone will enjoy national roaming at free of cost. From this Diwali, Vodafone subscribers going out of their respective circles will enjoy incoming calls at free of cost.

While inaugurating this extravaganza offer, Vodafone India Director-Commercial, Mr. Sandeep Kataria addressed to the statement, which reads, with the on-going celebration of Vodafone India accomplishing the milestone of 200 million customer base, Vodafone is happy to launch a new roaming plan for Indian circles under which the subscribers will get incoming free roaming facility from this Diwali. By offering free incoming on national roaming, Vodafone is intended to ensure a trouble-free voyage all over India.

Apart from this, Mr. Kataria also said that Along with the newly announced International Roaming Daily pack for easy international roaming, Vodafone India is now looking forward to making customers more confident while travelling all over the country. With the new free national roaming offer under the flagship of Vodafone SuperNet which will hold the power from this Diwali, customers of Vodafone India wont hesitate to communicate while voyaging nationally or internationally.

Though Vodafone India hasnt yet officially given any clue if this new free incoming roaming offer is intended to defeat Jio in Indian telecom sector, it is quite apparent that the blow of Reliance Jio has made the company to rethink about its existing tariffs. Currently, Vodafone India is operating with 200 million user-bases, while Reliance Jio is reportedly adding up more than 1.1 million users per day.

Among the competitors of Vodafone, Reliance Jio, and Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited are also offering free incoming for national roaming period and with the new festive offer, Vodafone is expected to deal with these major players effectively.
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Samsung Electronics is offering an upgrade program option to Galaxy Note 7 customers in South Korea who trade in their recalled device for a Galaxy S7 phone, marking its latest attempt to retain customers.

In a statement on Monday, Samsung said customers who trade in their Note 7 phone for either a flat-screen or curved-screen version of the Galaxy S7 can trade up for a Galaxy S8 or Note 8 smartphone launching next year through an upgrade program.

The world's top smartphone maker permanently ended Note 7 sales due to continued reports of fire from the flagship device. In addition to offering refunds or exchanges for a Galaxy S7 smartphone, Samsung has already offered financial incentives amounting to 100,000 won ($88.39) to affected customers in South Korea.

Users in the upgrade program will need to pay only half the price of a Galaxy S7 device, rather than the full amount, before exchanging to the S8 or the Note 8, Samsung said.

In offering the Note 8 upgrade option, Samsung indirectly reinforced previous statements that the Note series will not be discontinued. The company said the availability of such a program in other markets will be dependent on the situation in each country. It did not elaborate.

Samsung has stepped up marketing and promotion for its Galaxy S smartphones to try to make up for some of the lost sales. The Note 7's collapse is already costing Samsung $5.4 billion won in operating profit between the third quarter of this year and the first quarter of 2017.

Some analysts say Samsung will need to offer incentives to affected customers as part of their efforts to limit long-term damage to its brand and reputation from the Note 7's failure.

The South Korean firm is facing legal challenges from customers, as well. Harvest Law, a domestic law firm, said on Monday one of its lawyers, Peter Young-yeel Ko, and 526 others have filed a lawsuit in a South Korean court against Samsung seeking compensation of 500,000 won ($442.61) per person. Samsung did not immediately comment on the suit.

The firm is also facing a proposed class action lawsuit from three Galaxy Note 7 customers in the United States.

Reuters
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Companies can reduce the risk from the type of cyber attack that took out major websites on Friday by using multiple vendors for the critical internet service known as a domain name service, or DNS, companies and security experts said on Sunday. "We have advocated for years for redundancy in your infrastructure," said Kyle York, chief strategy officer for Dyn, the New Hampshire DNS provider that was attacked on Friday. "I don't think you can ever be safe enough or redundant enough."

Hackers unleashed a complex attack on the internet through common devices like webcams and digital recorders and cut access to some of the world's best known websites on Friday, a stunning breach of global internet stability. York said clients who used multiple servers "saw less of an impact."

Using multiple DNS providers can, however, make managing traffic more complicated and costly, experts said. Friday's cyber attack alarmed security experts because it represented a new type of threat rooted in the proliferation of simple digital devices such as webcams. Such devices often lack proper security, and hackers found a way to harness millions of them to flood a target with so much traffic that it can't cope.

The attack on Dyn and the resulting outage started in the Eastern United States on Friday and then spread to other parts of the country and Europe, affecting companies including Twitter and Paypal. DNS providers such as Dyn act as a switchboard for internet traffic. "It's important to implement diversity geographically, as well as architecturally," for a defense against domain name service attacks, said Andy Ellis, chief security officer at Akamai Technologies, which helped Dyn recover on Friday.

Businesses can choose up to eight authoritative domain service providers, and some of the hardest-hit sites were customers who only picked Dyn. Eliminating the threat from the unsecured devices that make up what's often called the Internet of Things will be a much tougher task, however. Many inexpensive webcams, connected thermostats, baby monitors and other products lack even basic security and sometimes use hard-coded passwords that are simple to break, security experts said.

Law enforcement authorities said on Friday they are investigating the attack. The tools making the new type of attack possible were released on the internet by unknown hackers last month, thus creating a long list of possible suspects. "This is the new norm, the internet wasn't designed with these kinds of attacks in mind," said cyber security expert and entrepreneur Barrett Lyon.

Long term solutions would likely require governments to take far more responsibility for mandating internet security, experts agreed. Chinese electronics component manufacturer Hangzhou Xiongmai Technology said on Sunday that weak default passwords on its products inadvertently played a role in the cyber attack, according to a report from IDG News Service. The company said it has patched the flaws and now is asking customers to change the default password the first time they use it.

Reuters
Samsung India Electronics today announced a set of guidelines for apprenticeship training in collaboration with Partners in Change (PIC) India. It has been co-developed as a part of Samsungs continued efforts to strengthen and uphold its law observance policy in India.

These set of guidelines aim to provide general guidance for operating apprenticeship training within an organization and for the development of apprenticeship standards. It has been designed to meet the requirements of Samsung India as well as its suppliers and the Research & Development centres in Noida, Delhi and Bangalore, for apprenticeship standards and for engagement of apprentices.

Reaffirming Samsungs commitment to legal compliance within its business ecosystem, it specifies various acts and rules that must be complied within the recruitment process, apprenticeship training, training hours, leaves, etc. which ensure that the apprentices rights are protected.

These guidelines also provide a framework for responsibly managed apprenticeships that promote social equality and non-discrimination irrespective of ones gender, caste, tribe, religion, sexual orientation and other markers of difference.

The training programme, which includes practical experience and related theoretical instruction, accelerates the development of a skilled and versatile workforce. Facilitating the setting up of apprenticeships in India, it also contributes to the furtherance of Government of Indias Skill India programme. Also Samsung has been utilizing apprentices for the purpose of apprenticeship training in India and treats fairly with respect and dignity. In addition, Samsung has been encouraging to minimize its scale in the facilities as suggested by the government.

Pradeep Narayanan, Director, Partners in Change, said, A distinctive feature of the guidelines is that they extend not just to Samsung in India but also to their suppliers. There are also some progressive human rights elements, such as reference to non-discrimination during the process of engagement of apprentices and an insistence on the principle of consent, together with enabling mechanisms for grievance redressal. This is important and in line with the Constitutional values of India and our National Voluntary Guidelines on the responsibilities of business,

Samsung is committed to making continual efforts to ensure we are doing our very best to promote compliance with local labour laws and providing a socially responsible working environment. These guidelines are a positive step in that direction.

@Technuter.com News Service
JSC, JDC exams begin on Nov 1

Staff Reporter :

Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid said, the Junior School Certificate (JSC) and Junior Dakhil Certificate (JDC) examinations-2016 will be held as per its schedule.

"The JSC and JDC examinations starting from November 1 and will end on the 17th of the month. The results will be published within 30 days from the last date of the examinations," Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid said at a press briefing in the conference room of the Education Ministry on Sunday.

Education Secretary Md Sohrab Hossain, senior officials of the ministry and chairmen of different education boards were also present on the occasion.

The Education Ministry organised the press conference after the Primary and Mass Education Ministry took the decision of not taking the JSC and JDC examinations.

Primary and Mass Education Minister Mostafizur Rahman said that his ministry would not take responsibility of the examinations in view of the extension of the jurisdiction of the Primary Education from Class V to Class VIII had not been officially recognised.

The Education Minister said, "We do not know the reason the decision. We have not had a chance to speak, but we will do so."

The minister, however, did not say anything about the absence of the coordination between the ministries.

"We are taking this in our stride," he said. "We have got experience of holding the examinations and they do not."

A total of 24, 10,015 students from 28,844 educational institutions at 2,734 venues will appear in this year's examinations. Of them, about 1.12 million are boys and 1.29 million are girls.

Nahid said, "The number of JSC examinees is 20,35,543, Of them, 9,47,933 are males while 10,87,610 females," adding a total of 3,78,472 examinees will participate in the JDC examination this year. Among the JDC students, 1, 75,219 are males and 1, 99,243 females. Since the introduction of the JSC and the JDC examinations in 2010, the minister said, the number of examinees continues to increase gradually in the examinations, which has showed a positive sign in checking dropout rate at secondary level.
Philippines' Duterte sparking distress around the world : US

US Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affair Daniel Russel issues his statement to reporters after meeting with Philippine officials at the Department of Foreign Affairs in suburban Pasay, south of Manila, Philippines on Monday

AP, Manila :

America's top diplomat for Asia said Monday that Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte's controversial remarks and a "real climate of uncertainty" about his government's intentions have sparked distress in the U.S. and other countries.

Daniel Russel, the assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs, said he also relayed to Philippine Foreign Secretary Perfecto Yasay Jr. international concern over continuing killings under Duterte's crackdown against illegal drugs.

Russel's visit to the Philippines, part of a three-nation trip to Southeast Asia, comes amid increasing uncertainty about Washington's treaty alliance with Manila. The brash Duterte, who took office on June 30, has displayed antagonism toward America, declaring his desire to scale back military engagements with the U.S. and telling President Barack Obama to "go to hell."

Duterte's administration, however, has not formalized his public declarations to remove U.S. counterterrorism forces from the volatile southern Philippines and stop large-scale joint exercises involving American forces, creating confusion among even his Cabinet officials.

In a major walk-around, Duterte sparked diplomatic alarm when he announced during a state visit to Beijing last week his "separation" with the United States. Upon returning home the day after his stunning remarks, Duterte said he did not mean he was severing diplomatic ties with Washington but only wanted to end a foreign policy that's overly oriented toward the U.S.

"I've pointed out to Secretary Yasay that the succession of controversial statements, comments and a real climate of uncertainty about the Philippines' intentions has created consternation in a number of countries, not only in mine," Russel told reporters Monday in Manila after a meeting with Yasay that went overtime.

The unease, Russel said, was also palpable "not only among governments, but also ... in other communities, in the expat Filipino community, in corporation board rooms as well."




72 -hr ultimatum to lawmaker by CUJ

Chittagong Union of Journalist (CUJ) held a rally in front of Chittagong Press Club protesting the life threat to Purbodesh journalist Rahul Das Nayan by Banskhali lawmaker Mostafizur Rahman MP on Sunday.

Chittagong Bureau :

Chittagong Union of Journalist(CUJ) held a rally in front of Chittagong Press Club on Sunday protesting the life threat to Purbodesh journalist Rahul Das Nayan by Banskhali lawmaker Mostafizur Rahman MP for alleged harassment and threat to life. The rally was presided by the President of CUJ Riaz Haider Chowdhury.

The rally demanded unconditional apology by the lawmaker by next 72 hours otherwise tougher movement including candling of effigy of the lawmaker and the siege of his city office will be taken immediately .

The rally also told that a memorandum will be sent to Prime Minister immediately in connection. Sources said Journo Rahul Das asked the PIO of Banskhali upazila to supply the project activities of the upazila on September last and the matter was apprised to the local lawmaker by the PIO . Later on October 18 last, Mostafizur Rahman MP called him on mobile phone with ugly language and utter threat of harassment .Meanwhile BFUJ and CUJ and other related bodies condemned the behavior of the lawmaker and the victim Rahul prayed to the police super on October 20 last for protection of his life during professional duties.

Among others, General Secretary Md. Ali, Joint secretary of CUJ Swarup , former President M Nasirul Hoque, Mostaque Ahmed, Abu Taher Mahmud, Press Club President Ali Abbas, CUJ former secretary Nazimuddin, former joint secretary Shamsul Islam spoke on the occasion. Meanwhile Chittagong Metropolitan Union of Journalists also expressed solidarity in the rally.


Meeting on higher studies held in CUET

The 21st meeting of the committee on higher studies and research of Chittagong University of Engineering & Technology was held at its main Conference hall on Sunday.

Chittagong Bureau :

The 21st meeting of the committee for Higher Studies & Research(CHSR) of Chittagong University of Engineering & Technology was held on Sunday at its main Conference hall .

Vice Chancellor of the CUET Prof. Dr. Md. Rafiqul Alam presided it. The meeting discussed elaborately the matters and prospect of higher studies. Among others, Dean of Mechanical Enginering faculty Prof. Dr. Mahbubul Alam, Dean of Electric & Computer technology facultry Prof. Drj. Mahmud Abdul Matin Bhuyia, Dean of Archtecure & Planning Prof. Dr. Mostafa Kamal, Director of Institute of Earthquake Engineering & Research & Head of civil engineering Deptt Prof. Dr. Abdur Rahman Bhuyia, Head of Civil & Water Resources Engineering Deptt Dr. Md. Riaz Akhter Mallick and the Director of Research & Expansion Deptt and member secretary of CHSR Prof. Dr. Md. Saiful Alam were present on the occasion, a CUET sources said.


Azmal Kabir new envoy to Indonesia



The government has decided to appoint Major General Azmal Kabir as the next ambassador of Bangladesh to Indonesia.

Kabir was commissioned in the Corps of Engineers on June 10 in 1983, said an official release here on Monday.

In his long illustrated career, he served as the Instructor, Engineer Center and School of Military Engineering and School of Infantry and Tactics.

Kabir commanded 10 Riverine Engineer Battalion and 98 Composite Brigade at Bangabandhu Bridge.

He also served as the Commandant, Bangladesh Ordnance Factories, Gazipur and as the Chairman of Bangladesh Tea Board.
Using BB`s reserves for mega projects

THE plan to create a sovereign wealth fund of US$ 5 billion using foreign exchange reserves of Bangladesh Bank (BB) for implementing mega development projects is a good move but it needs careful evaluation. The government records for ordinary bank loans for budgetary funding are not so far good. A government committee, headed by a BB Deputy Governor is now working on making recommendations to the Finance Ministry on the formation of the specialized fund, said central bank officials.



Policy Research Institute, a private sector think tank is helping the government how to create such fund by utilizing the BB's reserves. It has already handed over a concept paper based on how such funds are operating in other countries to the 14-member committee working on the project. It suggested that 'Bangladesh Sovereign Wealth Fund' might be initially set up with US$ 5 billion. The government will fix the rate of interest payable to BB's funds as Finance Minister AMA Muhith said at a function in the city last week.



In our view mega development projects, to work properly, must be planned and implemented efficiently. This seems to be difficult to do as the poorly planned Moghbazar flyover in the city shows. It is being built spending crores of taka of public money only to reroute traffic congestion instead of eliminating it altogether. Such projects are not something desirable. What the city needs are proper sky trains and underground ones such as in Bangkok for mass transport. If we take wrong projects or their cost configurations are misleading, using BB's funds on such projects will only add to corruption to add to government's liability to repay bad debt.



Projects like highways and Padma Bridge that we are concerned about can better use such funds. But if their costs have a way of inflating themselves, as costs are artificially kept low by firms to enable them to procure funds for the project in the first place, they are bound to turn a good project into sick project. This gives rise to inordinate amounts of fraud and corruption, but there is no way of knowing it, except by thorough audits later on.



And of course it is precisely this kind of corruption that we are concerned about. Spending public funds inefficiently and giving rise to corruption of all sorts, is criminal offense and using BB's funds in such risky projects needs effective safeguards against such risks. BB's funds should be put to better utilization, not wasted in extravagant manner. And it is precisely for this reason that we ask that the reasons for opening the fund for 'mega project' be examined thoroughly.






Stop earth filling that threatens farming community

NEWS report on Monday said that the farmers of 10 villages in Narayangonj district are facing destruction of their lands as several big real estate companies have started earth filling on the bank of Meghna River adjoining their low-lying wetland and cultivable land to make way for a resort city. It appears that they are relentlessly at work to dispossess the farmers of their ancestral land to create a new township; some are also claiming to set up an economic zone on the land. We must say such move is legally flawed and criminally resorted to by powerful people. It must stop and local people must be saved from the land grabbers.



Local farmers claim as media reports said they live on the three crops cultivable land along with fish farming in the locality. Now people will have no alternative to their livelihood because real-estate company are making move to take away their land by earth filling around and destroying the farming environment. It includes around 2350 bighas of arable land and 1500 bighas of IRRI Boro land under government irrigation scheme, besides water bodies for fishing.



Media report said that the Department of Environment (DoE) in October 2011 fined a company for Tk 50 lakh for causing colossal damage to agriculture, environment and marine ecology in the area on the bank of Meghna River and its floodplains. Besides, there is also a standing directive of High Court not to occupy more lands from the people of this area. But the perpetrators appear to be irresistible and when one company leaves on government action, another emerges fighting a common cause on their side to take possession of the valuable land at whatever cost.



We know that the government has already a policy prohibiting indiscriminate destruction of forest and farmlands for industrialization. What is at stake is that the occupation of the farmland and eventually driving them out of their homes will make the farmers totally uprooted from their possessions. Where will these people go, because nobody will take responsibility of their rehabilitation?



Many wonder how Unique Hotel and Resorts can establish an economic zone and what permission they have to set up the economic zone evicting people from their farmland. It is true that the government is pushing the plan for setting up new economic zones but why are the private companies are using the shield of the government plan to occupy farmland.



We must say the local administration must take immediate steps to stop earth filling in the areas which will destroy environment, cause damage to agriculture and force the local people to sell their land and eventually vacate homestead. We can't let the rich and powerful to play foul with the existence of the poor living on their family land.
Students blocked the road at New Market area on Monday demanding eases traffic jam for hours in city streets during school timing. This photo was taken on Monday.
Constitutional vacuum prevails in removing SC judges: AG

Staff Reporter :

Attorney General Mahbubey Alam has said, a constitutional vacuum is prevailing in removing Supreme Court judges after the High Court declared illegal the 16th amendment to the Constitution.

"There is no system to remove a judge if allegation is raised against him or her," the Attorney General said while addressing a press briefing at his office in the city on Monday.

The High Court in a verdict on May 5, 2016 declared that the amendment is illegal, unconstitutional and against the principles of the separation of State powers and the independence of the judiciary.

With the scrapping of the 16th constitutional amendment, the Jatiya Sangsad again lost the power to remove SC judges on grounds of incapacity or misconduct.

The amendment brought to the Constitution in 2014 abolished the Chief justice-led Supreme Judicial Council system which was introduced in 1978 and restored the Parliament's authority to remove SC judges.

The Attorney General said, the government will file an appeal with the Supreme Court against the High Court verdict which scrapped the 16th amendment within a month.

Mahbubey Alam thinks, the Appellate Division's order was implemented through the 16th amendment. Besides, the provision of 1972 Constitution about removal of SC judges had been restored through the amendment, he said.

The Appellate Division in its 5th amendment had ruled for keeping the power of removing of the SC judges to the Parliament, he said.

The Attorney General said, judge removal power in most of the countries of the world is in Parliament as it represents the people.

He added: "Provision of Supreme Judicial Council for removal of SC judges had been incorporated in the Constitution during the regime of Pakistani General Ayub Khan. If the provision of Khan's regime is restored the spirit of Liberation War and struggle for Independence will go in vein."

After passing of the amendment in Parliament a writ was filed with the High Court challenging it on November 5, 2014. Hearing the petition the High Court issued a rule. On May 5 this year, the HC declared the rule absolute.
Schoolgirl stabbed by stalker in Jhenaidah

Stabbed Puja Majumder

Jhenaidah Correspondent :

A schoolgirl was allegedly stabbed by a stalker at Upashaharpara in Jhenaidah on Monday evening.

The injured was rushed to Jhenaidah Sadar hospital.

The victim was identified as Puja Majumder, 15, daughter of Bipul Majumder of the area. Puja is a student of Class nine of Jamila Khatun High School in the district town.

Family sources and police said, the stalker Liku went to the roof of the house of Puja in the evening and stabbed her indiscriminately as she refused his proposal for marriage.

Besides, Liku has also been posting various objectionable matters on his facebook, the family sources said.

Jhenaidah Sadar Police Station Officer-in-Charge Harendra Nath Sarker said, they are trying to nab the criminal.

No case was filed till writing of this report on Monday night, the OC said.
Good thing is there was no fiery rhetoric against opposition

Editorial Desk :

The 20th Council meeting of the ruling party Awami League ended on Sunday in the city with the biggest gathering of leaders and workers in the midst of unprecedented pomp and pageantry. There was joy and grandeur everywhere. The security arrangement was the tightest ever.

The Awami League's Council has missed a big opportunity to motivate the grassroots level party leaders and workers to maintain discipline and honesty to come closer to the people and serve them humbly.

But a broad message of change or reform in politics for the people was totally absent. There were no guidelines for politics for the local level leaders and workers to be enthused politically or restrained.

What is to be noted with some relief is that though the participants praised the leadership of the party profusely yet the opposition did not come under attack. Whether that will be translated into tolerance to critics of the government needs to be observed.

The Chief of the party is unchangeable and Sheikh Hasina was again elected the President for the eighth time.

The election of Mr Obaidul Quader can be seen as a hope for new and constructive youthful approach to the party's politics. He can put his closeness to Sheikh Hasina, the Prime Minister and leader of the party, to good use.

Syed Ashraful Islam is a person in the mould of his father and a great leader late Syed Nazrul Islam. He was less active but more decent as the General Secretary of the party. In his last speech, as the General Secretary, he tried hard to inspire hope and provide energy among the party activists. With his departure as the General Secretary, the links with the democratic politics of the party founders have become more uncertain.

Other than President Sheikh Hasina's directives to local leaders and workers to get ready for the election and prepare lists of the poor and homeless to build cost free homes for them there was nothing important that has been said for political orientation of the party. Even the general public could not be sure how faithfully this plan for free home will be implemented to earn popularity of the party as because no warning was uttered against corruption with public funds.

The Prime Minister also reiterated the ruling party's resolve of zero tolerance towards terrorism. That is mainly a matter of police power under the control of central authority. Whether that will lead to more intolerance in politics is to be seen.

The Prime Minister said it forcefully that she would not allow terrorists to use the country for attacks on local targets and on neighbouring countries.

The government claims rightly that our terrorism is local. What is also true the terrorism we have is not so organised or a big threat. So we find too much attention is being paid to terrorism making innocent people to feel insecure. The opposition is scared of unbounded police power. What is not appreciated is that terrorism goes if alternative to terrorism succeeds.

Sheikh Hasina was also upbeat in her address on the huge development in all fronts that the country has achieved as she has been claiming over the past years. It is sad that she is not aware of how dull is the economy. If only her party were in touch with common businessmen they would have known it. But the people's anger and disaffection remain.

Her source of information is deceptive coming from self-seekers. She has to know about the conditions of various sectors of the economy. Let her review the economic condition sector by sector to know how the bureaucratic duplicity is playing up the development stories. Only those who are making business with the government or enjoy government's patronage are the richest persons and they sing the songs of great economic success.

The central leaders should have drawn attention of the party leaders and workers to the law and order situation they are creating in different places and warn them against hooliganism, crimes of violence and extortion.

The central leaders on the other hand have assured the party men of their determination to continue in power. Democratic change for holding credible election was not found worthy of mentioning. The government will be in charge of the election so unpopularity is not a matter to worry.

Nothing was discussed about the political philosophy for the justification of any party to be known as a political party. It is not enough to say follow Bangabandhu's ideology without explaining what it is. Democracy of development is denial of democracy of the people for which Awami League's founding leaders suffered and made supreme sacrifices. Money making politics was unknown to them.

The desire to build Sonar Bangla is not a political ideology.

May be it is because the present Awami League has chosen the path of socialism so it was rightly thought unnecessary to discuss politics. Under socialist dictatorship politics as we understand in a democracy does not exist. Bureaucracy is the base for power and not popularity. Propaganda is popularity.


The Undead Archives

I have finally salvaged my pre-Blogger TDR archives and added them into Blogger. They are almost totally in the form of one giant post for each month. And the formatting strayed from the originals. Sorry. But historians everywhere can rejoice that this treasure trove of my thoughts is restored to the world.
Zhang Jing, 29, who works at a research institute in Shenzhen, has been using a Samsung Galaxy Note 3 smartphone for two years. Its exquisite design and high-megapixel camera made her a big fan of the South Korean tech giant. Zhang had planned to upgrade to a Note 7.

But the love affair came to an end after explosions of the newly launched Note 7 were reported. Samsung said earlier this month it would recall about 190,000 Note 7 phones in China to avoid further battery explosions.

"It is a matter of trust. I don't think I will buy Samsung smartphones any more. Local brands are good alternatives," she said.

Zhang was not alone. The ongoing Note 7 recall crisis is drawing more consumers away from Samsung to local players, analysts said, highlighting broader problems foreign smartphone vendors face in China as homegrown brands Huawei and Oppo quickly catch up.

Of 57,000 Chinese netizens polled by research institute Penguin Intelligence in September, 7.2 percent said they planned to buy a Samsung smartphone while 38 percent of them chose Huawei as their top choice for the next handset. "We already have noticed a fall in the sales of Samsung's full product lineup, including both its premium handsets and low-to-middle-end devices," said Jin Di, research manager at International Data Corp China.

The South Korean firm, with a market share of less than 7 percent in China in the second quarter of this year, is likely to see a further decline in shipments, she added.

As Chinese smartphone vendors make steady improvements in hardware and software, foreign firms are losing their shine, said Nicole Peng, research director at Shanghai-based consultancy Canalys.

Domestic players account for 85 percent of China's smartphone market, and the figure is likely to reach 90 percent within a year, she said.

Samsung's foreign peer Apple, for instance, is also wrestling with a drop in sales. Its latest model, iPhone 7, failed to inspire the enthusiasm seen among local consumers when earlier versions were released.

Over 70 percent of the 57,000 Chinese consumers polled said they would not buy iPhone 7, citing limited improvements and the high price tag as major reasons.

Wu Wenjun, who has been selling phones and accessories in Beijing's Chaoyang district for two years, said that in the past, consumers would come in and grab an iPhone or Samsung handset without shopping around. Now, however, Wu says more want to try out local models.

"I use the Huawei P9. Previously, I would remove the 'Sent from my Huawei' signature at the bottom of the email app because Chinese brands often were associated with inferior design and systems," Wu said.

"But now, everybody knows Huawei, and many of them have become fans."

In the second quarter, Huawei, Oppo and Vivo were the top three brands in China, with a combined share of 47 percent of the market, according to IDC.

Samsung barely registered in market rankings in China in that quarter, and Apple was fifth. That marks a drastic change from several years ago, when the two firms dominated the world's largest smartphone market.

Though Apple and Samsung still have a big presence in the above-3,000 yuan ($445) handset market, local players are eroding their share, said James Yan, research director at Counterpoint Technology Market Research.

"It is Chinese vendors, not foreign firms, that are actively experimenting with new technologies that resonate with local consumers, such as wireless charging, bigger storage and phones that support multiple carriers," he said.

Apple, for instance, did not offer dual cameras until the iPhone 7 Plus, which was unveiled last month, about half a year later than Huawei's P9, which comes with Leica dual lenses.

In smaller cities, Oppo and Vivo have seen big sales jumps after hiring celebrity endorsers and creating a large network of brick-and-mortar partner stores to sell their phones.

"Since the Chinese smartphone market is reaching saturation and is driven chiefly by replacement users, consumers in third-tier to fifth-tier cities also are demanding high-quality handsets, and most of them have chosen local brands," said Peng from Canalys.

Contact the writers at fanfeifei@chinadaily.com.cn
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In the continuing feud between Gov. John Bel Edwards and Attorney General Jeff Landry, the two men keep trading wins and losses.

The lack of decisive  and permanent  victories for either ensures the remaining three years of the term will continue to be a politically charged clash between the statewide elected officials, with state business often stymied or slowed by the impasses.

Louisiana hasn't seen an attorney general really test the boundaries of his office in years, and governors rarely get challenged in the state, which has a strong history of deference to its top elected leader. Those political situations appear to be changing with Edwards and Landry.

Both men have personalities that suggest they'll embrace the fights, or at least won't back down as they escalate.

Lawmakers often caught in the middle already seem to have grown weary of the near-perpetual disagreements over everything from finances to legal cases.

"We've got three-and-a-half more years to deal with each other. Do you really need legislators like me to come sit in a room and be referees?" Rep. John Schroder, R-Covington, asked in a recent budget dispute between the Edwards administration and Landry.

That fight over funding was resolved when the governor and the attorney general simply sat down and talked to each other. But that compromise has proven to be rare between the two elected officials.

Whether simply the natural clash of people with strikingly different political philosophies, the overreach of a governor or the politically motivated decisions of an attorney general considering the 2019 governor's race, the battles only appear to be escalating.

Edwards won the dispute over whether Landry could get his own separate budget bill with more freedom from the governor's oversight. The Senate killed that idea. And the governor largely won again in disagreements over the direction of oil spill recovery money, when again senators refused to comply with the wishes of the attorney general.

Since then, the two offices remain in a stalemate over Edwards' attempt to hire one of his close political allies to represent Louisiana in litigation against oil and gas companies over coastal land loss. Landry, who opposes further litigation on the issue, has refused to sign off on the contract, citing concerns about the fee arrangement.

In the first dispute to go to court, Landry was the victor last week. And another court skirmish now looms.

At issue is Edwards' order banning discrimination in state government against LGBT people, a hot-button issue that could win or lose votes for the governor and the attorney general  and that draws attention nationally.

Edwards issued the order in April, prohibiting discrimination in government and state contracts based on sexual orientation and gender identity, with an exception for contractors that are religious organizations.

In May, Landry issued a response, a legal opinion saying the order has "no binding legal effect" because it seeks to establish a new protected class of people that doesn't exist in law and that lawmakers have refused to add.

Since then, the attorney general's office has blocked dozens of contracts to let state agencies hire outside lawyers that contain the anti-discrimination clause.

Edwards sued over the attorney general's refusal to approve the legal contracts. He lost the skirmish. A state district court judge in Baton Rouge ruled against Edwards last week, suggesting the attorney general has discretion in how his office reviews the legal contracts. The governor is deciding how to proceed legally on that front.

But the judge wasn't asked about and didn't rule on whether the governor's executive order is legal  so a few days after winning in court, Landry decided to embrace another fight, this one challenging Edwards' executive order as unconstitutional and exceeding the governor's authority.

A different Baton Rouge judge will decide the latest lawsuit, with the attorney general seeking a ban on the Edwards administration from enforcing the order.

Meanwhile, dozens of legal contracts remain in limbo for state agencies, boards and commissions. And a new dispute over some as yet unseen issue likely looms.
Pre-purchase property inspection is a relatively new thing in the United Kingdom. Its not something that most people have heard about, but it has become increasingly popular over the last few years with the rise in property prices and increased demand for high quality homes.

What are the benefits of pre-purchase building inspection? What can you expect to find out when you pay someone else to inspect your home before you buy it? And what should you look for during an inspection?

Many people want to know if theyre buying a house thats been well maintained or if its had any serious problems. If youve found a place on the market that seems attractive, but then discover some issues after moving in, you may not be as excited about buying it as you thought you were.

Its important to do your due diligence when looking at properties. A lot goes into making a property appealing to potential buyers, from the landscaping to the flooring to the kitchen appliances. The same applies when inspecting a property  there are many things that need checking over to make sure everything is running smoothly.

Here are some of the benefits of performing a pre-purchase inspection:

You get to see exactly what will happen to your money

When you go shopping for a new car, youll probably be shown several different models. You might even be shown one that looks like a great value, but doesnt fit around all of the extra features that you want. When it comes time to actually buy the vehicle, however, you wont have seen how your money will be spent on it once you drive it off the showroom floor.

Likewise, when you shop for a new home, you dont really know what youre getting yourself into until you move in. In order to get a feel for whether the home youre considering is what you want, you normally have to spend quite a bit of time inside it. This allows you to learn more about everything that youre going to be spending your hard-earned cash on.

A pre-purchase building inspection gives you much the same kind of experience without having to spend thousands of dollars. Since youre paying for the service, you can expect to see exactly what youre paying for, instead of just seeing a vague idea of what you might end up with.

You find out about potential major repairs

Some buildings are very expensive to maintain, which means that owners often neglect them for the sake of saving money. While youre paying for a building inspection, youre also paying for a professional who knows how to spot signs of trouble and repair work that needs doing.

If you notice that a particular area of your new home needs fixing right away, you can call in an expert to take care of it quickly. If you find that theres something wrong with your boiler, you wont have to wait weeks for a plumber to come over and fix it. Instead, youll have access to a solution immediately.

You can save hundreds of pounds by finding out about potential problems early on

One of the biggest expenses when you first buy a home is the cost of moving in. Many people dont realize this until its too late. Buying a home involves not only paying for the actual house, but also for moving costs, furniture, and other items that have to be moved along with the home.

Having a good idea ahead of time of what youre likely to encounter can help you avoid these kinds of costs. If you know youll need to replace the plumbing system, for example, youll be able to put together a budget for the expense and plan accordingly.

You can protect your investment by finding out if the homes been well cared for

While there are plenty of people who think that houses always look better when theyre newly built, youd be surprised at how well maintained older residences can still look nice. Sometimes, though, those homes need some additional maintenance to keep them looking their best.

This could involve repairs that arent so noticeable or small improvements that you wouldnt consider otherwise. Even worse, some houses have fallen into disrepair without anyone noticing. This is why having a professional perform a building inspection prior to purchasing a home is such a big benefit.

Not only will it give you insight into the state of the property, but it will also give you peace of mind knowing youre not getting taken advantage of. As long as youre aware of the potential pitfalls, youll have less reason to worry about the state of your new home.

You can use information gathered during a building inspection to negotiate a lower price

If youre worried about buying a home because you suspect that it may need extensive renovation work, you may already have a rough idea of how much work youll need to do to bring it up to scratch. That knowledge can come in handy if you decide to buy the home.

You can use all of the details that you gather during a building inspection to present a realistic picture of what the home is worth to prospective buyers. If a potential buyer thinks that the home is worth more than what you paid for it, you can try negotiating a lower price.

You can sell your home faster and for more money

If you decide to list your home on the market soon after buying it, youll need to price it accurately in order to attract buyers. But if youve already done a thorough building inspection, youll know exactly what work is needed and what the current market conditions are.

In other words, youll be able to make a more accurate estimate of the amount of money youve invested in the home and how much its worth. If you find that youre selling your house for close to its full market value, you can use this information to convince the potential buyer that your home is worth the asking price.

Even if youre planning to stay in the home for a while before you decide to sell, the fact that you did a thorough building inspection will give you more confidence when listing it. Prospective buyers will know exactly what theyre paying for.

Your home will hold its value longer

As mentioned earlier, the value of a home depends heavily upon the condition of the building itself. If your home is in bad shape, potential buyers wont be interested in buying it. On the other hand, if youve performed a thorough building inspection and know what sort of repairs are necessary, you can offer your prospective buyer a compelling reason to invest in your property.

When you buy a home, youre essentially agreeing to have it inspected periodically to ensure that it stays in top shape. Not only does this allow you to avoid expensive repairs down the road, but it can also increase the value of your home.

You can make smart decisions about property investments

Buying real estate isnt as simple as just driving a couple of minutes to pick up a house. There are lots of considerations involved, ranging from location to cost. The same is true when youre investing in property.

If you find a house that meets all of your requirements, youll want to make sure that you have a solid understanding of where it stands with regards to the rest of the market. If you havent spent enough time researching the area, you could inadvertently end up with a bad deal.

There are lots of resources available online that can help you determine the overall level of competition in your area. They can also help you figure out if there are any properties that meet your requirements that you didnt know about.

If you own rental property, you can use the information to identify tenants who might cause damage

If you own rental property and youve noticed that certain tenants consistently cause damage, you can use the results of a building inspection to identify them. You can then contact them directly to let them know that youre watching them closely and that you dont appreciate the problem theyre causing.

They might start taking better care of their homes, which would be good news for everyone. It could also be the case that youll find out that theyre responsible for previous damages that werent caught during a previous visit.

You can make smarter decisions about hiring contractors

If youve hired contractors to build or repair your home, you might want to ask them for references. However, unless you perform a thorough building inspection, you might not know exactly what to look for.

For instance, maybe you only checked the roof for leaks or the walls for cracks. You might not have looked underneath the foundation for anything that could cause a future issue. By performing a building inspection, you can ensure that you hire reputable contractors who will be trustworthy with your money.

You can avoid purchasing a home thats in poor condition

Of course, the main benefit of structural inspections perth is that it helps you avoid purchasing a home thats in poor condition. Before you make the decision to buy a home, you should do whatever you can to find out about the state of the building.

You can also ask your realtor about what sorts of inspections are typically recommended. Some agents say that its standard practice to check the heating system, the roof, the electrical wiring, and the floors. Others will tell you that they recommend that you check the entire structure.

Either way, if you choose to hire an inspector, youll find out exactly what needs to be fixed and how much it will cost to do so.

As a result, it can be concluded that a pre-purchase building inspection is highly important for the buyers because it provides transparency regarding the current conditions of the structure. Additionally, the building owner is made aware of any upgrades or repairs that are required, which could lead to a fair deal throughout the purchasing and selling process.
President Joe Biden has decided to ban Russian oil imports, toughening the toll on Russia's economy in retaliation for its invasion of Ukraine. The United States generally imports about 100,000 barrels a day from Russia, only about 5% of Russia's crude oil exports, according to Rystad Energy. Last year, roughly 8% of U.S. imports of oil and petroleum products came from Russia. Gas prices have been rising for weeks due to the conflict and in anticipation of potential sanctions on the Russian energy sector. The U.S. national average for a gallon of gasoline soared 45 cents a gallon in the past week and topped $4.06 on Monday, according to auto club AAA. Should the US ban Russian oil imports over Ukraine war?

You voted:
Hurricane Update: Fears arise that Gov. Ron DeSantis may reroute Hurricane Ian from Florida coast to Martha's Vineyard

Study: People who define themselves by what they stand against, are usually afraid to tell people what they stand for

Liz Cheney: Voters need to ask themselves, why they are so out of touch with their politicians

White House: IRS toy guns for children are now politically correct, mandatory

BREAKING: Biden's economic sanctions on the U.S. to be partially lifted prior to November election

GOP's new slogan for midterms: Make Dissent Patriotic Again

PSA: Due to high gas prices police departments will now be responding and making arrests via Zoom.

NYT: Roe vs Wade to be renamed the "Don't Say Fetus" law

Democrats insist on carrying unwanted presidency to term

Elon Musk went to bed thinking he owns Twitter. Then the mail-in ballots arrived at 2am...

Obama: "If you like your information you can keep your information"

Fact checkers reveal Biden handler not a real Easter bunny

Biden 2021: you'll save $0.16 on 4th of July BBQ!

Biden 2022: you'll save a ton of $$ if you don't eat this 4th of July!

Disney to buy Epstein Island for new theme park

The Biology Underground is like the Weather Underground, except they are real biologists and they've had to go underground

"Psssst. Hey you, kid. Ya wanna watch a Disney movie with me?"

"I am not suicidal," says COVID-19 after being contracted by Hillary Clinton

Trans-swimmer Lia Thomas's trophy is smaller than for male swimmers, and only 73% gold

Sources: U.S. now considers majority of U.S. citizens a threat to U.S.

BREAKING: Russian General claims he was beaten up outside Ukrainian bio lab by two Nazis who poured vodka and caviar over him and yelled "This is NATO Country!"

Global warming news: 100,000 Russian migrants fleeing climate change about to march into Ukraine

Future headline: Donald Trump to buy CNN for one dollar

Georgia Governor Stacy Abrams feels honored to be the new Supreme Court justice

President Biden: 'Vote for me or I'll shoot this foot'

Fact checkers give Pinocchio's speech four Bidens

Fauci: The only thing we have to fear, is a lack of fear itself!

Study: Most people have had sex more violent than January 6th

Facebook permanently bans Facebook from Facebook for violating Facebook community standards

New remake of the 1950's horror movie Them to be titled Them/They

Teachers Union: Idea that CRT is being taught in K-12 just a conspiracy theory by white supremacists trying to maintain their systemically racist police state

Xze/She/He who controls the past controls the future; Xze/She/He who controls the present controls the past

S ocialists vow to fight against Critical Socialism Theory

A more perfect Soviet Union: the Party pretends it unites us, and we pretend we are united

Biden solves border crisis with free direct flights from Central America to major metropolitan areas

Critical race theory: destroy the world of systemic racism, build a world of systemic race-baiting

In the future everyone will get canceled for fifteen minutes

Biden proposes bill to spend two trillion dollars on more money printing factories

Social unity: They pretend to hold elections and we pretend we voted

Immigrants to Texas and Florida from New York and California break down and cry when they realize all their sacrifices for a better tomorrow were based on lies

China anal swabs detect new 'silent but deadly' transmission of covid-19 variant

Social science breakthrough: 'White' is the new way of saying 'Bourgeois'

Biden administration swat teams make sweeping arrests of underground female-only track meets

'Green energy' to be renamed 'blackout energy' for easier comprehension of climate complexities

New children's game: Rock, Paper, Scissors, Science







Texas: Biden administration sends emergency wind turbines to help fight the blackouts

BREAKING: Biden signs executive order canceling the number 45

ATTENTION: It is your duty to report anyone who says this is no longer a free country. Fact-checking commissars are monitoring all state-approved social media platforms for your convenience

OUT: If you don't vote, you can't complain!

IN: If you didn't vote Democrat, you can't complain!

Social media justice: followers removed from pro-Trump accounts will be added to Biden's Twitter account

Fact check: a democratic election is the one in which votes are counted until Democrats win

JUST IN: China bans Twitter for being too totalitarian

Pelosi introduces new House rule to replace 'gender' terms like mother, daughter, father, son with the word 'comrade'; the only acceptable pronoun will also be 'comrade'





Sources: Biden transition team demands access to White House basement to begin renovations

BREAKING: President Trump pardons America for its past

Prime Minister Modi: to avoid accusations of racism India will change its name to Cleveland

Biden creates Antifascist Librarian Justice Committee; the first book scheduled for burning is Fahrenheit 451

Media study: 148% of Americans believe voter fraud doesn't exist

2020 Election forecast: if Joe Biden emerges from the basement on Election Day and sees his shadow, expect four more years of Trump

BREAKING: President Trump pardons Corn Pop

Toobin, though on administrative leave, is still pulling for Biden

Chinese whistleblower: Biden-20 was genetically engineered in a Wuhan lab

Nancy Pelosi sponsors a bill to create the office of removal of the President

New college humanities major: Critical Trump Studies

Opinion: Joe Biden is just an idea

CNN: Biden took a solid second place in the debate, while Trump only came next to last

Having ordered that all Californians switch to electric cars by 2035, Gov. Gavin Newsom follows up by mandating them to have electricity by 2035

Election 2020: Joe Biden pledges to a peaceful post-election transfer of power to George Soros

Out: Flatten the curve. In: Flatten the country.

Breaking: the Democrat Party has finished transitioning from being the party of JFK to being the party of Lee Harvey Oswald

Paradigm shift in Chromatics: Study shows Indigo (#3F00FF) mixed with Jamaic (#C0FF01) yields Black (#000000)

Study: the trouble with wokeism is eventually you run out of victims

Stacey Abrams refuses to concede to Harris; declares herself Biden's VP

Election 2020: Spunky former presidential candidate wins VP slot by a head

Churches in many states to hold services in opened up pubs and bars

Election 2020: Xi Jinping still undecided on vice president for Joe Biden

Reports: Republicans pounce on 'Republicans pounce' reports

Minneapolis launches online looting app to combat Covid-19

DNC study finds lockdowns no longer necessary as the economy is now being destroyed more effectively by looters and rioters

With America in lockdown, China offers to host Democrat primary

Bernie Sanders tests negative for President

In related news, Joe Biden follows other candidates in withdrawing from race and endorsing Joe Biden

New York Governor Cuomo shuts down all 'non-essential' business, surprised to find himself out of a job

Biden commits to picking a woman as running mate as long as she passes his sniff test

Joe Biden's coronavirus prevention tips: always rub hand sanitizer on young girls before sniffing and fondling them

Russian lawmakers warned that the American Democrats are meddling to re-elect Putin

Joe Biden promises lucrative board member jobs as door prizes to get people to his rallies

Democrats now worried they might even lose the illegal alien vote

Soleimani's remains FedExed back to Iran and now no one knows what happened to the box

BREAKING: massive search underway in Iran after Soleimani's boxed FedEx'd remains stolen off front porch

Liz Warren harshly critical of Biden's suggestion to coal miners that they should learn to code, offers to have them trained as romance novelists instead

Pelosi: "First we have to impeach Donald Trump before we can find out why we impeached him."

Schiff calls his Amazon Alexa to testify: 'She knows absolutely everything'

Iran answers to new Reagan statue in Berlin by erecting Obama statue at Tehran airport where he delivered pallets of cash

California accepts award for most progressive environmental policies; further progressive developments to be announced as blackouts permit

BREAKING: Romney DNA test reveals he is 1/1024th Republican

California Governor Gavin Newsom blames electricity blackouts on Ukrainian kulaks, vows revenge

Rat falling from White House ceiling fears for his life, begs reporters for protection, offers a tell-all memoir

Latest UN climate report shows this month so far has seen the scariest climate pronouncements on record

Climate science: there's no need for climate protests in China because China is already communist

Islamic clerics split on whether Reps. Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib should be traveling around the world without an accompanying male relative

Dem candidates call for the Beatles' song 'Get Back' and the 'White Album' to be banned; surviving two white guys of the group must pay reparations

Bond's number is up: next 007 will be a black woman, played by Barack Obama

NYT: moon landing was one small step for Man, one giant leap for White Male Supremacy

HURRICANE WATCH: Tropical storm Barry has records sealed, once offshore expected to change name to Barack

Trump politicizes the 4th of July, declares it henceforth to be called the 45th of July, or July the Trumpth

Barack Obama critical of Trump for failing to insert 'I, me, my' into his 4th of July speech: "very unpresidential!"

Congressional Democrats: John Dean's testimony proves Trump is Nixon in disguise and must be impeached

Bernie Sanders admits to being a millionaire, promises to eat himself if nominated

International Women's Day observed, women only paid 73% of attention afforded to men

Democrats: anti-Semitism means never having to say you're sorry

AOC: aborting babies helps preserve the planet for the next generation

Bernie Sanders launches presidential campaign, promises to "build a great big beautiful Iron Curtain" around America if elected

West Virginia renames itself Eastern Kentucky to avoid further embarrassment from Virginia

BREAKING: Justice Ginsburg released from hospital after breaking 3 ribs at late night bar brawl in Adams Morgan

DNA news: Senator Warren tanking in latest totem polls

Orwell studies: 84% of academics believe problems raised in 1984 can be fixed with solutions from Animal Farm

Progress in gender justice: online dating industry issues recommendations for men to wear body cameras, bring attorneys as chaperones

Study: the only people who don't know what socialism is are the socialists

Poll: 1 in 3 #FightFor15 activists believe movement is related to lowering the age of consent across America

CNN expert: Kavanaugh confirmation will increase global warming by 3 degrees

Harry Reid comes forth to say Judge Kavanaugh didn't pay any taxes in high school

Hollywood to America: If you've got a flag on the Moon, you didn't plant that; some other country made that happen

Protest march in straight jackets against Trump ends in chaos as participants try but fail to free themselves

HEADLINES YOU WILL NEVER SEE: California Gov. Jerry Brown single-handedly stops wildfires in his state by issuing an immediate statewide ban on wildfires

San Francisco closes all Planned Parenthood clinics after sting operation catches employees using plastic straws

Vegan mother undergoes experimental surgery to force her breasts to produce almond milk

With none of his emails answered, frustrated Nigerian man commits suicide and leaves $100bn fortune to charity

California gives new meaning to strawman argument as caped Strawman battles supervillains in restaurants, bars, and fast food joints

Violence increases in Mexico as cartels switch from smuggling drugs to plastic straws to San Francisco

Obama proposes a Paris Economic Change agreement among nations to address how world will cope with future runaway economic warming

Stormy Daniels plans border visit to give migrant children freebies

San Francisco: man dumping off 20 lbs of human waste in plastic bag on street corner cited for using non-biodegradable plastic bag

BREAKING: ICE renamed Planned Citizenship, immediately absolving it of all criticism

Senate Democrats demand Supreme Court nominee not be unduly influenced by U.S. Constitution

BREAKING: In 2018, Obama and Biden can finally celebrate Recovery Summer

IG Report: the FBI broke the law, but since there was no criminal intent, no reasonable prosecutor would bring such a case

Pelosi on Trump's MS-13 "animals" comments: "Four legs good, two legs bad"

Iran nuclear talks set to resume between the United States and John Kerry

Report: The Mueller investigation has finally determined that the lyrics to Louie Louie are not about Trump and Russian collusion

MARKETS: Demand for carbon credits spikes as Hamas seeks to undo damage to Earth's atmosphere caused by burning 10,000 tires on Gaza border

BREAKING: After state reassignment surgery Pennsylvania will henceforth be known as Transylvania

Experts: If we don't act now, unicorns will be extinct in just ten years. Children will ask, "Mommy, what's a unicorn?" Women and minorities will be forced to seek alternative hallucinations

Korean war must continue: Hawaiian federal judge declares Trump's peace effort unconstitutional

New York: feminists march on Broadway, demand the street be given new, non-misogynistic name

Experts: California's planned transition of all state jobs from citizens to illegal aliens by 2020 will help to avoid bankruptcy and save money for social programs for illegal aliens

Putin: If I didn't want Hillary to be president she would be dead

Doritos maker PepsiCo to introduce snack line for women; new Doritas chips will be 77% as big as Doritos and won't make any scary 'crunchy noises'

TMZ: Tooth Fairy accused of sexually assaulting millions of children, outs self as Transgendered Tooth Recovery Specialist

RUSSIA COLLUSION: Trump offers Putin to trade Rep. Maxine Waters for two unnamed members of the State Duma

Ikea founder dead at 91; his coffin arrived in a box with confusing instructions and took 3 hours to assemble

This Thanksgiving ex-president Obama continues with his tradition of apologizing to turkeys everywhere for the injustice they suffered since America's founding

Oslo, Norway: 2017 Nobel Peace Prize goes to advocacy group about which you'll forget immediately after reading this headline

Cambridge, MA, library to replace racist 'Cat in the Hat' with inclusive 'Che in a Beret'

Millions of men worldwide eagerly await broadcast of Hugh Hefner's funeral, solely for the articles

Bill Gates offers to pay for Trump's wall on condition he gets to install Windows

Bernie Sanders introduces single-payer public transportation bill to end America's unequal, unfair, and expensive private transportation system

DNC embroiled in controversy after official Twitter account accidentally 'likes' pictures of US Constitution and Bill of Rights

Hurricane Irma hits Cuba, causes millions of dollars worth of improvements to property and infrastructure

Climate study: extreme weather may be caused by unlicensed witches casting wrong spells in well-meaning effort to destroy Trump

Ex-president Obama declares Irma "Hurricane of Peace," urges not to jump to conclusions and succumb to stormophobia

CNN: Trump reverses Obama's executive order banning hurricanes

ISIS claims responsibility for a total solar eclipse over the lands of American crusaders and nonbelievers

When asked if they could point to North Korea on a map many college students didn't know what a map was

CNN: We must bring America into the 21st century by replacing the 18th century Constitution with 19th century poetry

Pelosi: 'We have to impeach the president in order to find out what we impeached him for'

BREAKING: As of Saturday July 8, 2017, all of Earth's ecosystems have shut down as per Prince Charles's super scientific pronouncement made 96 months ago. Everything is dead. All is lost. Life on Earth is no more.

DNC to pick new election slogan out of four finalists: 'Give us more government or everyone dies,' 'Vote for Democrats or everyone dies,' 'Impeach Trump or everyone dies,' 'Stop the fearmongering or everyone dies'

Al Gore's "An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth to Power" is humanity's last chance to save the Earth before it ends five years ago

Experts: The more we embrace diversity the more everything is the same

BOMBSHELL: TMZ offers Kathy Griffin $5 mil to keep any future sex tape private

DEVELOPING: CNN, WaPo, NYT anonymous sources say Vladimir Putin may have ties to Russia

BREAKING: Manning and Snowden have come out with strong condemnation of Donald Trump leaking classified information to Russia

Gun store goes into lockdown over report an "active university professor" roving the grounds

Dozens injured at Ralph Lauren & Louis Vuitton headquarters after Ivanka calls in missile strikes on rival fashion houses

BOMBSHELL: Evidence proves Donald Trump conspired with his campaign to defeat Hillary Clinton

University ranked "very intolerant of free speech" fights the accusation by banning the study and all involved

Concerned that Russians don't consume enough alcohol in the month of March, Russia's Orthodox Church makes St. Patrick's Day official holiday

Grassroots group calls for "The Million Regulators March" on Washington, supported by all who fear the loss of their betters telling them what to do

Experts: Starbucks CEO Schultz's hiring of 10,000 Muslim refugees likely to blow up in his face

Will the groundprog be frightened by its own shadow and hide - or will there be another season of insane protests?

Trump signs executive order making California and New York national monuments; residents have two days to vacate

Women's March against fascism completed with 400,000 fewer deaths than anticipated

Feminist historians uncover ghastly concentration camps where so-called "housewives" were forced to live inauthentic lives slaving away in kitchens

Dictionary of the future: Global Warming was a popular computer simulation game, where the only way to win was not to play

"Anti-fascist" groups violently protest misspelling of their original name, "aren't-we-fascists"

Post-inauguration blues: millions of democrats distraught as the reality of having to find real jobs sets in

"Journalism is the continuation of war by other means" is exposed as a fake quote by mainstream media journalists

Congressional Democrats: "We cannot just simply replace Obamacare with freedom because then millions of Americans will suddenly become free"

Schoolchildren jailed for building only white snowmen

Obama's reckless attacks on Russia serve as recruitment tool to create more Russian hackers

Hillary: "I lost, so I'm going to follow our democratic traditions, poison the wells, and scorch the earth"

Children in Venezuela cook and eat their Christmas toys

Hillary: "I can hack Russia from my bathroom"

Hillary suggests to counter "fake news" with government newspaper called "Truth" ("Pravda" for Russian speakers)

BREAKING: Millions of uncounted votes found on Hillary's private voting machine in her Chappaqua bathroom

New York Times: Fidel Castro world's sexiest corpse

After years of trial and error, CIA finally succeeds with the "waiting it out" technique on Fidel Castro

Post-election shopping tip: look for the PoliticsFree label at your local grocer to make sure you don't buy from companies that don't want your business anymore

In Hillary's America, email server scrubs you

Obama transfers his Nobel Peace Prize to anti-Trump rioters

Democrats blame Hillary's criminal e-mail server for her loss, demand it face prison

Afraid of "dangerous" Trump presidency, protesters pre-emptively burn America down to the ground

Clinton Foundation in foreclosure as foreign donors demand refunds

Hillary Clinton blames YouTube video for unexpected and spontaneous voter uprising that prevented her inevitable move into the White House

Sudden rise in sea levels explained by disproportionately large tears shed by climate scientists in the aftermath of Trump's electoral victory

FBI director Comey delighted after receiving Nobel Prize for Speed Reading (650,000 emails in one week)

U.N. deploys troops to American college campuses in order to combat staggeringly low rape rates

Responding to Trump's surging poll numbers, Obama preemptively pardons himself for treason

Following hurricane Matthew's failure to devastate Florida, activists flock to the Sunshine State and destroy Trump signs manually

Tim Kaine takes credit for interrupting hurricane Matthew while debating weather in Florida

Study: Many non-voters still undecided on how they're not going to vote

The Evolution of Dissent: on November 8th the nation is to decide whether dissent will stop being racist and become sexist - or it will once again be patriotic as it was for 8 years under George W. Bush

Venezuela solves starvation problem by making it mandatory to buy food

Breaking: the Clinton Foundation set to investigate the FBI

Obama captures rare Pokemon while visiting Hiroshima

Movie news: 'The Big Friendly Giant Government' flops at box office; audiences say "It's creepy"

Barack Obama: "If I had a son, he'd look like Micah Johnson"

White House edits Orlando 911 transcript to say shooter pledged allegiance to NRA and Republican Party

President George Washington: 'Redcoats do not represent British Empire; King George promotes a distorted version of British colonialism'

Following Obama's 'Okie-Doke' speech, stock of Okie-Doke soars; NASDAQ: 'Obama best Okie-Doke salesman'

Weaponized baby formula threatens Planned Parenthood office; ACLU demands federal investigation of Gerber

Experts: melting Antarctic glacier could cause sale levels to rise up to 80% off select items by this weekend

Travel advisory: airlines now offering flights to front of TSA line

As Obama instructs his administration to get ready for presidential transition, Trump preemptively purchases 'T' keys for White House keyboards

John Kasich self-identifies as GOP primary winner, demands access to White House bathroom

Upcoming Trump/Kelly interview on FoxNews sponsored by 'Let's Make a Deal' and 'The Price is Right'

News from 2017: once the evacuation of Lena Dunham and 90% of other Hollywood celebrities to Canada is confirmed, Trump resigns from presidency: "My work here is done"

Non-presidential candidate Paul Ryan pledges not to run for president in new non-presidential non-ad campaign

Trump suggests creating 'Muslim database'; Obama symbolically protests by shredding White House guest logs beginning 2009

National Enquirer: John Kasich's real dad was the milkman, not mailman

National Enquirer: Bound delegates from Colorado, Wyoming found in Ted Cruzs basement

Iran breaks its pinky-swear promise not to support terrorism; US State Department vows rock-paper-scissors strategic response

Women across the country cheer as racist Democrat president on $20 bill is replaced by black pro-gun Republican

Federal Reserve solves budget crisis by writing itself a 20-trillion-dollar check

Widows, orphans claim responsibility for Brussels airport bombing

Che Guevara's son hopes Cuba's communism will rub off on US, proposes a long list of people the government should execute first

Susan Sarandon: "I don't vote with my vagina." Voters in line behind her still suspicious, use hand sanitizer

Campaign memo typo causes Hillary to court 'New Black Panties' vote

New Hampshire votes for socialist Sanders, changes state motto to "Live FOR Free or Die"

Martin O'Malley drops out of race after Iowa Caucus; nation shocked with revelation he has been running for president

Statisticians: one out of three Bernie Sanders supporters is just as dumb as the other two

Hillary campaign denies accusations of smoking-gun evidence in her emails, claims they contain only smoking-circumstantial-gun evidence

Obama stops short of firing US Congress upon realizing the difficulty of assembling another group of such tractable yes-men

In effort to contol wild passions for violent jihad, White House urges gun owners to keep their firearms covered in gun burkas

TV horror live: A Charlie Brown Christmas gets shot up on air by Mohammed cartoons

Democrats vow to burn the country down over Ted Cruz statement, 'The overwhelming majority of violent criminals are Democrats'

Russia's trend to sign bombs dropped on ISIS with "This is for Paris" found response in Obama administration's trend to sign American bombs with "Return to sender"

University researchers of cultural appropriation quit upon discovery that their research is appropriation from a culture that created universities

Archeologists discover remains of what Barack Obama has described as unprecedented, un-American, and not-who-we-are immigration screening process in Ellis Island

Mizzou protests lead to declaring entire state a "safe space," changing Missouri motto to "The don't show me state"

Green energy fact: if we put all green energy subsidies together in one-dollar bills and burn them, we could generate more electricity than has been produced by subsidized green energy

State officials improve chances of healthcare payouts by replacing ObamaCare with state lottery

NASA's new mission to search for racism, sexism, and economic inequality in deep space suffers from race, gender, and class power struggles over multibillion-dollar budget

College progress enforcement squads issue schematic humor charts so students know if a joke may be spontaneously laughed at or if regulations require other action

ISIS opens suicide hotline for US teens depressed by climate change and other progressive doomsday scenarios

Virginia county to close schools after teacher asks students to write 'death to America' in Arabic

'Wear hijab to school day' ends with spontaneous female circumcision and stoning of a classmate during lunch break

ISIS releases new, even more barbaric video in an effort to regain mantle from Planned Parenthood

Impressed by Fox News stellar rating during GOP debates, CNN to use same formula on Democrat candidates asking tough, pointed questions about Republicans

Shocking new book explores pros and cons of socialism, discovers they are same people

Pope outraged by Planned Parenthood's "unfettered capitalism," demands equal redistribution of baby parts to each according to his need

John Kerry accepts Iran's "Golden Taquiyya" award, requests jalapenos on the side

Citizens of Pluto protest US government's surveillance of their planetoid and its moons with New Horizons space drone

John Kerry proposes 3-day waiting period for all terrorist nations trying to acquire nuclear weapons

Chicago Police trying to identify flag that caused nine murders and 53 injuries in the city this past weekend

Cuba opens to affordable medical tourism for Americans who can't afford Obamacare deductibles

State-funded research proves existence of Quantum Aggression Particles (Heterons) in Large Hadron Collider

Student job opportunities: make big bucks this summer as Hillarys Ordinary-American; all expenses paid, travel, free acting lessons

Experts debate whether Iranian negotiators broke John Kerry's leg or he did it himself to get out of negotiations

Junior Varsity takes Ramadi, advances to quarterfinals

US media to GOP pool of candidates: 'Knowing what we know now, would you have had anything to do with the founding of the United States?'

NY Mayor to hold peace talks with rats, apologize for previous Mayor's cowboy diplomacy

China launches cube-shaped space object with a message to aliens: "The inhabitants of Earth will steal your intellectual property, copy it, manufacture it in sweatshops with slave labor, and sell it back to you at ridiculously low prices"

Progressive scientists: Truth is a variable deduced by subtracting 'what is' from 'what ought to be'

Experts agree: Hillary Clinton best candidate to lessen percentage of Americans in top 1%

America's attempts at peace talks with the White House continue to be met with lies, stalling tactics, and bad faith

Starbucks new policy to talk race with customers prompts new hashtag #DontHoldUpTheLine

Hillary: DELETE is the new RESET

Charlie Hebdo receives Islamophobe 2015 award; the cartoonists could not be reached for comment due to their inexplicable, illogical deaths

Russia sends 'reset' button back to Hillary: 'You need it now more than we do'

Barack Obama finds out from CNN that Hillary Clinton spent four years being his Secretary of State

President Obama honors Leonard Nimoy by taking selfie in front of Starship Enterprise

Police: If Obama had a convenience store, it would look like Obama Express Food Market

Study finds stunning lack of racial, gender, and economic diversity among middle-class white males

NASA: We're 80% sure about being 20% sure about being 17% sure about being 38% sure about 2014 being the hottest year on record

People holding '$15 an Hour Now' posters sue Democratic party demanding raise to $15 an hour for rendered professional protesting services

Cuba-US normalization: US tourists flock to see Cuba before it looks like the US and Cubans flock to see the US before it looks like Cuba

White House describes attacks on Sony Pictures as 'spontaneous hacking in response to offensive video mocking Juche and its prophet'

CIA responds to Democrat calls for transparency by releasing the director's cut of The Making Of Obama's Birth Certificate

Obama: 'If I had a city, it would look like Ferguson'

Biden: 'If I had a Ferguson (hic), it would look like a city'

Obama signs executive order renaming 'looters' to 'undocumented shoppers'

Ethicists agree: two wrongs do make a right so long as Bush did it first

The aftermath of the 'War on Women 2014' finds a new 'Lost Generation' of disillusioned Democrat politicians, unable to cope with life out of office

White House: Republican takeover of the Senate is a clear mandate from the American people for President Obama to rule by executive orders

Nurse Kaci Hickox angrily tells reporters that she won't change her clocks for daylight savings time

Democratic Party leaders in panic after recent poll shows most Democratic voters think 'midterm' is when to end pregnancy

Desperate Democratic candidates plead with Obama to stop backing them and instead support their GOP opponents

Ebola Czar issues five-year plan with mandatory quotas of Ebola infections per each state based on voting preferences

Study: crony capitalism is to the free market what the Westboro Baptist Church is to Christianity

Fun facts about world languages: the Left has more words for statism than the Eskimos have for snow

African countries to ban all flights from the United States because "Obama is incompetent, it scares us"

Nobel Peace Prize controversy: Hillary not nominated despite having done even less than Obama to deserve it

Obama: 'Ebola is the JV of viruses'

BREAKING: Secret Service foils Secret Service plot to protect Obama

Revised 1st Amendment: buy one speech, get the second free

Sharpton calls on white NFL players to beat their women in the interests of racial fairness

President Obama appoints his weekly approval poll as new national security adviser

Obama wags pen and phone at Putin; Europe offers support with powerful pens and phones from NATO members

White House pledges to embarrass ISIS back to the Stone Age with a barrage of fearsome Twitter messages and fatally ironic Instagram photos

Obama to fight ISIS with new federal Terrorist Regulatory Agency

Obama vows ISIS will never raise their flag over the eighteenth hole

Harry Reid: "Sometimes I say the wong thing"

Elian Gonzalez wishes he had come to the U.S. on a bus from Central America like all the other kids

Obama visits US-Mexican border, calls for a two-state solution

Obama draws "blue line" in Iraq after Putin took away his red crayon

"Hard Choices," a porno flick loosely based on Hillary Clinton's memoir and starring Hillary Hellfire as a drinking, whoring Secretary of State, wildly outsells the flabby, sagging original

Accusations of siding with the enemy leave Sgt. Bergdahl with only two options: pursue a doctorate at Berkley or become a Senator from Massachusetts

Jay Carney stuck in line behind Eric Shinseki to leave the White House; estimated wait time from 15 min to 6 weeks

100% of scientists agree that if man-made global warming were real, "the last people we'd want to help us is the Obama administration"

Jay Carney says he found out that Obama found out that he found out that Obama found out that he found out about the latest Obama administration scandal on the news

"Anarchy Now!" meeting turns into riot over points of order, bylaws, and whether or not 'kicking the #^@&*! ass' of the person trying to speak is or is not violence

Obama retaliates against Putin by prohibiting unionized federal employees from dating hot Russian girls online during work hours

Russian separatists in Ukraine riot over an offensive YouTube video showing the toppling of Lenin statues

"Free Speech Zones" confuse Obamaphone owners who roam streets in search of additional air minutes

Obamacare bolsters employment for professionals with skills to convert meth back into sudafed

Gloves finally off: Obama uses pen and phone to cancel Putin's Netflix account

Joe Biden to Russia: "We will bury you by turning more of Eastern Europe over to your control!"

In last-ditch effort to help Ukraine, Obama deploys Rev. Sharpton and Rev. Jackson's Rainbow Coalition to Crimea

Al Sharpton: "Not even Putin can withstand our signature chanting, 'racist, sexist, anti-gay, Russian army go away'!"

Mardi Gras in North Korea: "Throw me some food!"

Obama's foreign policy works: "War, invasion, and conquest are signs of weakness; we've got Putin right where we want him"

US offers military solution to Ukraine crisis: "We will only fight countries that have LGBT military"

Putin annexes Brighton Beach to protect ethnic Russians in Brooklyn, Obama appeals to UN and EU for help

The 1980s: "Mr. Obama, we're just calling to ask if you want our foreign policy back. The 1970s are right here with us, and they're wondering, too."

In a stunning act of defiance, Obama courageously unfriends Putin on Facebook

MSNBC: Obama secures alliance with Austro-Hungarian Empire against Russias aggression in Ukraine

Study: springbreak is to STDs what April 15th is to accountants

Efforts to achieve moisture justice for California thwarted by unfair redistribution of snow in America

North Korean voters unanimous: "We are the 100%"

Leader of authoritarian gulag-site, The People's Cube, unanimously 're-elected' with 100% voter turnout

Super Bowl: Obama blames Fox News for Broncos' loss

Feminist author slams gay marriage: "a man needs a man like a fish needs a bicycle"

Beverly Hills campaign heats up between Henry Waxman and Marianne Williamson over the widening income gap between millionaires and billionaires in their district

Biden to lower $10,000-a-plate Dinner For The Homeless to $5,000 so more homeless can attend

Kim becomes world leader, feeds uncle to dogs; Obama eats dogs, becomes world leader, America cries uncle

North Korean leader executes own uncle for talking about Obamacare at family Christmas party

White House hires part-time schizophrenic Mandela sign interpreter to help sell Obamacare

Kim Jong Un executes own "crazy uncle" to keep him from ruining another family Christmas

OFA admits its advice for area activists to give Obamacare Talk at shooting ranges was a bad idea

President resolves Obamacare debacle with executive order declaring all Americans equally healthy

Obama to Iran: "If you like your nuclear program, you can keep your nuclear program"

Bovine community outraged by flatulence coming from Washington DC

Obama: "I'm not particularly ideological; I believe in a good pragmatic five-year plan"

Shocker: Obama had no knowledge he'd been reelected until he read about it in the local newspaper last week

Server problems at HealthCare.gov so bad, it now flashes 'Error 808' message

NSA marks National Best Friend Day with official announcement: "Government is your best friend; we know you like no one else, we're always there, we're always willing to listen"

Al Qaeda cancels attack on USA citing launch of Obamacare as devastating enough

The President's latest talking point on Obamacare: "I didn't build that"

Dizzy with success, Obama renames his wildly popular healthcare mandate to HillaryCare

Carney: huge ObamaCare deductibles won't look as bad come hyperinflation

Washington Redskins drop 'Washington' from their name as offensive to most Americans

Poll: 83% of Americans favor cowboy diplomacy over rodeo clown diplomacy

GOVERNMENT WARNING: If you were able to complete ObamaCare form online, it wasn't a legitimate gov't website; you should report online fraud and change all your passwords

Obama administration gets serious, threatens Syria with ObamaCare

Obama authorizes the use of Vice President Joe Biden's double-barrel shotgun to fire a couple of blasts at Syria

Sharpton: "British royals should have named baby 'Trayvon.' By choosing 'George' they sided with white Hispanic racist Zimmerman"

DNC launches 'Carlos Danger' action figure; proceeds to fund a charity helping survivors of the Republican War on Women

Nancy Pelosi extends abortion rights to the birds and the bees

Hubble discovers planetary drift to the left

Obama: 'If I had a daughter-in-law, she would look like Rachael Jeantel'

FISA court rubberstamps statement denying its portrayal as government's rubber stamp

Every time ObamaCare gets delayed, a Julia somewhere dies

GOP to Schumer: 'Force full implementation of ObamaCare before 2014 or Dems will never win another election'

Obama: 'If I had a son... no, wait, my daughter can now marry a woman!'

Janet Napolitano: TSA findings reveal that since none of the hijackers were babies, elderly, or Tea Partiers, 9/11 was not an act of terrorism

News Flash: Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-LA) can see Canada from South Dakota

Susan Rice: IRS actions against tea parties caused by anti-tax YouTube video that was insulting to their faith

Drudge Report reduces font to fit all White House scandals onto one page

Obama: the IRS is a constitutional right, just like the Second Amendment

White House: top Obama officials using secret email accounts a result of bad IT advice to avoid spam mail from Nigeria

Jay Carney to critics: 'Pinocchio never said anything inconsistent'

Obama: If I had a gay son, he'd look like Jason Collins

Gosnell's office in Benghazi raided by the IRS: mainstream media's worst cover-up challenge to date

IRS targeting pro-gay-marriage LGBT groups leads to gayest tax revolt in U.S. history

After Arlington Cemetery rejects offer to bury Boston bomber, Westboro Babtist Church steps up with premium front lawn plot

Boston: Obama Administration to reclassify marathon bombing as 'sportsplace violence'

Study: Success has many fathers but failure becomes a government program

US Media: Can Pope Francis possibly clear up Vatican bureaucracy and banking without blaming the previous administration?

Michelle Obama praises weekend rampage by Chicago teens as good way to burn calories and stay healthy

This Passover, Obama urges his subjects to paint lamb's blood above doors in order to avoid the Sequester



White House to American children: Sequester causes layoffs among hens that lay Easter eggs; union-wage Easter Bunnies to be replaced by Mexican Chupacabras

Time Mag names Hugo Chavez world's sexiest corpse

Boy, 8, pretends banana is gun, makes daring escape from school

Study: Free lunches overpriced, lack nutrition

Oscars 2013: Michelle Obama announces long-awaited merger of Hollywood and the State

Joe Salazar defends the right of women to be raped in gun-free environment: 'rapists and rapees should work together to prevent gun violence for the common good'

Dept. of Health and Human Services eliminates rape by reclassifying assailants as 'undocumented sex partners'

Kremlin puts out warning not to photoshop Putin riding meteor unless bare-chested

Deeming football too violent, Obama moves to introduce Super Drone Sundays instead

Japan offers to extend nuclear umbrella to cover U.S. should America suffer devastating attack on its own defense spending

Feminists organize one billion women to protest male oppression with one billion lap dances

Urban community protests Mayor Bloomberg's ban on extra-large pop singers owning assault weapons

Concerned with mounting death toll, Taliban offers to send peacekeeping advisers to Chicago

Karl Rove puts an end to Tea Party with new 'Republicans For Democrats' strategy aimed at losing elections

Answering public skepticism, President Obama authorizes unlimited drone attacks on all skeet targets throughout the country

Skeet Ulrich denies claims he had been shot by President but considers changing his name to 'Traps'

White House releases new exciting photos of Obama standing, sitting, looking thoughtful, and even breathing in and out

New York Times hacked by Chinese government, Paul Krugman's economic policies stolen

White House: when President shoots skeet, he donates the meat to food banks that feed the middle class

To prove he is serious, Obama eliminates armed guard protection for President, Vice-President, and their families; establishes Gun-Free Zones around them instead

State Dept to send 100,000 American college students to China as security for US debt obligations

Jay Carney: Al Qaeda is on the run, they're just running forward

President issues executive orders banning cliffs, ceilings, obstructions, statistics, and other notions that prevent us from moving forwards and upward

Fearing the worst, Obama Administration outlaws the fan to prevent it from being hit by certain objects

World ends; S&P soars

Riddle of universe solved; answer not understood

Meek inherit Earth, can't afford estate taxes

Greece abandons Euro; accountants find Greece has no Euros anyway

Wheel finally reinvented; axles to be gradually reinvented in 3rd quarter of 2013

Bigfoot found in Ohio, mysteriously not voting for Obama

As Santa's workshop files for bankruptcy, Fed offers bailout in exchange for control of 'naughty and nice' list

Freak flying pig accident causes bacon to fly off shelves

Obama: green economy likely to transform America into a leading third world country of the new millennium

Report: President Obama to visit the United States in the near future

Obama promises to create thousands more economically neutral jobs

Modernizing Islam: New York imam proposes to canonize Saul Alinsky as religion's latter day prophet

Imam Rauf's peaceful solution: 'Move Ground Zero a few blocks away from the mosque and no one gets hurt'

Study: Obama's threat to burn tax money in Washington 'recruitment bonanza' for Tea Parties

Study: no Social Security reform will be needed if gov't raises retirement age to at least 814 years

Obama attends church service, worships self

Obama proposes national 'Win The Future' lottery; proceeds of new WTF Powerball to finance more gov't spending

Historical revisionists: "Hey, you never know"

Vice President Biden: criticizing Egypt is un-pharaoh

Israelis to Egyptian rioters: "don't damage the pyramids, we will not rebuild"

Lake Superior renamed Lake Inferior in spirit of tolerance and inclusiveness

Al Gore: It's a shame that a family can be torn apart by something as simple as a pack of polar bears

Michael Moore: As long as there is anyone with money to shake down, this country is not broke

Obama's teleprompters unionize, demand collective bargaining rights

Obama calls new taxes 'spending reductions in tax code.' Elsewhere rapists tout 'consent reductions in sexual intercourse'

Obama's teleprompter unhappy with White House Twitter: "Too few words"

Obama's Regulation Reduction committee finds US Constitution to be expensive outdated framework inefficiently regulating federal gov't

Taking a page from the Reagan years, Obama announces new era of Perestroika and Glasnost

Responding to Oslo shootings, Obama declares Christianity "Religion of Peace," praises "moderate Christians," promises to send one into space

Republicans block Obama's $420 billion program to give American families free charms that ward off economic bad luck

White House to impose Chimney tax on Santa Claus

Obama decrees the economy is not soaring as much as previously decreeed

Conservative think tank introduces children to capitalism with pop-up picture book "The Road to Smurfdom"

Al Gore proposes to combat Global Warming by extracting silver linings from clouds in Earth's atmosphere

Obama refutes charges of him being unresponsive to people's suffering: "When you pray to God, do you always hear a response?"

Obama regrets the US government didn't provide his mother with free contraceptives when she was in college

Fluke to Congress: drill, baby, drill!

Planned Parenthood introduces Frequent Flucker reward card: 'Come again soon!'

Obama to tornado victims: 'We inherited this weather from the previous administration'

Obama congratulates Putin on Chicago-style election outcome

People's Cube gives itself Hero of Socialist Labor medal in recognition of continued expert advice provided to the Obama Administration helping to shape its foreign and domestic policies

Hamas: Israeli air defense unfair to 99% of our missiles, "only 1% allowed to reach Israel"

Democrat strategist: without government supervision, women would have never evolved into humans

Voters Without Borders oppose Texas new voter ID law

Enraged by accusation that they are doing Obama's bidding, media leaders demand instructions from White House on how to respond

Obama blames previous Olympics for failure to win at this Olympics

Official: China plans to land on Moon or at least on cheap knockoff thereof

Koran-Contra: Obama secretly arms Syrian rebels

Poll: Progressive slogan 'We should be more like Europe' most popular with members of American Nazi Party

Obama to Evangelicals: Jesus saves, I just spend

May Day: Anarchists plan, schedule, synchronize, and execute a coordinated campaign against all of the above

Midwestern farmers hooked on new erotic novel "50 Shades of Hay"

Study: 99% of Liberals give the rest a bad name

Obama meets with Jewish leaders, proposes deeper circumcisions for the rich

Historians: Before HOPE & CHANGE there was HEMP & CHOOM at ten bucks a bag

Cancer once again fails to cure Venezuela of its "President for Life"

Tragic spelling error causes Muslim protesters to burn local boob-tube factory

Secretary of Energy Steven Chu: due to energy conservation, the light at the end of the tunnel will be switched off

Obama Administration running food stamps across the border with Mexico in an operation code-named "Fat And Furious"

Pakistan explodes in protest over new Adobe Acrobat update; 17 local acrobats killed

White House: "Let them eat statistics"

Special Ops: if Benedict Arnold had a son, he would look like Barack Obama







AD GOES HERE
The sextoy market is growing quite rapidly in India right now.

Although it is not a big trend, it is a hot topic on the internet as it is secretly expanding its market.

In this article, we will focus on sextoy and introduce recommended sextoy for Indian beginners of sextoy by gender.

India, the birthplace of the Kama Sutra, is very strict about sex.

Also, premarital sex is basically not allowed. Therefore, there are many people who are sexually restricted.

But what happens when you continue to be sexually restricted?

Frustration may build up and you may end up taking your sexual stress out on your partner.

If you are able to adopt sextoy in a timely manner, you can get rid of those problems.

I want to have more exciting sex than Im having now.

I want more variation in masturbation

I want to get even stronger pleasure than I do on my own.

If you have any of these problems, please stay with me until the end.

What is sex toys for Indian?

Sextoy, as the name implies, is a toy used during sex and masturbation.

It is a generic term for vibrators, Egg-vibrators, Electric massagers, dildo, handcuffs and condoms.

They are used to make regular sex more exciting or to make masturbation more pleasurable.

Because sextoy is very stimulating, it can help you to get rid of the problems and frustrations of being in a rut of sex with your partner for a long time, or if you are unhappy with the lack of pleasure in sex with your partner.

The ability to satisfy your desires with movement, texture, and size, which cannot be done by a normal human being, can help you to be satisfied with sex and, as a result, improve your relationship with your partner.

It is also said to help improve sexual dysfunction (inability to get an erection or ejaculate) and difficulty in feeling during sex (insensitivity), which is attracting more attention than in the past.

In recent years, the demand for sextoy has increased due to the spread of smartphones and the Internet and the increasing number of people using online shopping.

Even those who are concerned about the appearance of sextoy (and find it difficult to purchase) can now easily obtain it by using mail order.

In the case of online shopping, most of the stores have taken steps to ensure that the contents of the products delivered to you are not revealed, so you can purchase them without your family members knowing.

Until a while ago, you had to go to the store where the adult goods were sold to buy them, so it was quite a hurdle to overcome.

Also, many people may have an image that sextoy is somehow embarrassing to own.

But nowadays, some of them are so stylish and cute that you cant believe they are sextoy at a glance.

More and more people are using them for travel and outdoor use because they are not too bulky and are suitable for carrying around.

Sextoy situation in India

Before introducing the recommended sextoy for Indians, lets talk about one of the sextoy situations in India in recent years.

In India, due to the high concentration of population, the following six cities have particularly high sales of sextoy in India.

Mumbai

Kolkata

Bangalore

Delhi

Chennai

Hyderabad

These cities account for roughly 70 percent of sextoy sales in India.

In the future, the percentage of sextoy use will gradually increase in other cities in India as well.

If you never talk about sextoy publicly, that girl in your neighborhood might be a sextoy user too.

If you are interested in sextoy, you dont have to suppress your desire for it.

What are Sextoys for beginner?

Among all sextoys, sextoy for beginners are vibrators, dildo, masturbators, Sex Lubricants, and condoms.

Sex Lubricants and condoms, which are familiar to people who have had sex, are also a great beginners sextoy.

I will explain the details of each toy later, but there are many sextoy products that are painful to use and can only be used after some anal expansion.

I assume that the Indian readers of this article are people who have not had much experience with sextoy.

If such people use professional sextoy suddenly, they are at risk of injury or trauma.

Therefore, to introduce sextoy, you need to start with a beginners version and gradually become familiar with it.

Advantages of using sextoy for Indians

There are three advantages of using sextoy for Indians

You can masturbate in a wide variety of ways.

Can have stimulating sex

Can develop new sexual zones

If you try to masturbate with your own fingers or hands, it tends to be a pattern.

However, with sextoy, you can easily masturbate in a variety of ways.

You will definitely be fascinated by the attraction of new stimulation.

Also, your daily sex life will be more exciting than ever.

There are many things in sextoy that are visually stimulating and give you a strong and intense feeling of pleasure.

This allows you to see your partners promiscuity in a way that you wouldnt normally see it.

When you are in a relationship, sex with your partner may become a pattern, but it can also eliminate these problems.

It can also lead to the development of new sexual zones (which is the training of sexual stimulation to allow you to feel orgasms).

For more information on the development of new sexual zones, see the following articles

[Women's Erogenous Zone]How to find and develop, 7 hidden sexual zones !![In India] In this issue, we will dissect the female erogenous zone! ..." Many of you may be like that. Men, in particular, shou...

Thus, the use of sextoy can only be a good thing for the men and women of India.

Sextoy for beginner men in India

So, lets continue with the recommended goods for Indian sextoy beginners.

For ease of understanding, we will introduce them by gender. Lets start with the men!

The following five goods are recommended for novice Indian sextoy men

Masturbator

Cock rings

Love Doll

Sex Lubricants

Toys for the prostate

Lets check each one in detail.

Masturbator

The masturbator is a sextoy for men that elaborately reproduces a womans vagina, mouth, and anus, and is one of the most popular sextoy products.

It is used by men to masturbate, and it is popular because it provides stronger stimulation and pleasure more easily than using hands.

Most are made of good quality silicone, and their softness is something that cannot be achieved with ones own hands.

They can provide stronger pleasure than a real womans vagina, so be careful not to overuse them. (You wont be able to have an orgasm in a womans vagina anymore.)

Again Male masturbators are a wonderful toy. I do not need any favourite timing, bothersome bargaining. You do not have to worry too much.

Revolutionize your masturbation time! ! !

Made in Japan is a wonderful kinky toy.#sextoysindia #SexToyIndia #Japanhttps://t.co/4k70QGzoTP pic.twitter.com/tRVdxTKPpa   SEXToys India PR  (@SextoysIndia) November 12, 2018

Some of them are disposable, while others can be washed and used over and over again, so its fun to buy a few to use depending on your mood.

If you want to know more about masturbator, please click here

Really pleasant male masturbation and how to do it Are you in a rut with your daily masturbation routine? I'm going to show you five ways men masturbate that you might ...

[For Beginners] How to choose and use a male masturbator without fail Gentlemen.Have you ever used a masturbator? The person who sees this article is probably the one who has not experien...

Cock Ring

A cock ring is literally a ring-shaped sextoy that is worn on a mans penis.

It maintains an erection by binding the penis with a ring of rubber and blocking blood flow.

It is sometimes used as an accessory to be worn on the penis, and may be made of metal or plastic as well as rubber.

In some cases, cock rings have parts or vibrators attached to them that stimulate the vagina, so they kill two birds with one stone, giving a woman pleasure while maintaining an erection.

Cock rings are also sometimes used to treat erectile dysfunction.

It can help with erectile dysfunction, where the penis doesnt get hard when you get an erection or doesnt last long when you try to insert it.

Men who are prone to breakage or who are unsure of the hardness and size of their erections can use a cock ring to increase the size of their penis and maintain an erection for a longer period of time.

Cock rings vary in price from around RS700 to over RS2000 with a vibrator function.

Some of them do not fit your penis, so you should check the size of the cock ring before you buy.

You should know the size of your partners or your own penis when it is erect.

[Penis enlargement] What is a cock ring? Types and usage Cock rings can make your penis bigger and harder. It also makes sex with women more fulfilling and increases your sat...

Love Doll

Love dolls, also known as Dutchwives, are dolls with the appearance of a woman who can experience simulated sex.

There are dolls that look like a woman, but they have no face and only have their breasts and lower torso cut off, and some dolls are so realistic that they can actually be mistaken for real women.

Some expensive dolls can cost more than 1 million yen, and the quality of the doll is easily influenced by the price.

The higher the price, the higher the quality of the doll will be, the closer it will be to the real woman, and the cheaper the doll will be, the less elaborate it will be, making it look like a real doll! Something is wrong! That is also true.

You cant go wrong if you choose a balance between price and taste.

There are stores that allow you to make custom-made love dolls, so you can create a girl of your choice.

You can make a girl of your choice. You can start with inexpensive love dolls at first, and once you get used to it, you can try custom-made love dolls.

If you want to know more about Love doll, please click here

Thorough explanation of the charm of sex dolls! Have you ever heard of sex dolls that are used primarily for pseudo-sex purposes? It is a doll that is quite close to...

Sex lubricants

Sex lubricants are used as a substitute for lubricating fluid during sex or as a lubricant for men to use masturbator rules.

It is not uncommon for women to have difficulty getting wet, depending on their physical condition, or to have difficulty getting wet due to their constitution.

Forcing the penis into the vagina at such times can cause painful intercourse.

There are various types of Sex Lubricants, some with a warming effect, some with a cooling effect, and some with a scent.

Changing the Sex Lubricant used during play is recommended as a good sex accent.

If you want to learn more about Sex Lubricants, click here.

What is sex lubricant?Explain the difference and usage of each ingredient The word "sex toy" may seem like a hurdle to overcome, but lotion is actually one of the most familiar sex toys. Many...

Toys for the Prostate

Another sextoy for men is prostate toys.

The most famous prostate toys include Enemagra, which was originally a prostate massager developed by an American urologist to treat an enlarged prostate line.

Modern prostate toys are imitations of Enemagra that have spread as sextoy for men.

Many people think of prostate toys as being used by gay men, but in fact they are often used by straight men.

What is the prostate?

The prostate is an organ found only in men. It is a walnut-sized organ located deep in the pelvis, just below the bladder, and its primary role is to protect and nourish sperm.

You cannot touch the prostate gland from outside the body, but you can touch it by inserting a finger or sextoy through the anus.

By inserting a finger or sextoy through the anus and touching the prostate and developing it, you can feel intense orgasms.

Orgasms felt in the prostate are mainly dry orgasms, which are orgasms that do not involve ejaculation. (You can also feel orgasms with ejaculation through prostate stimulation.)

The prostate is called the male G-spot, and dry orgasms can be much more intense than ejaculation.

Therefore, men who are able to develop a prostate can become addicted to the pleasure.

sextoy for beinner women in India

The following are the recommended goods for Indian women who are new to sextoy.

The following three are recommended for use by women who are new to sextoy.

Vibrator.

Dildo

Electric Masserger

Lets check out what each one is in detail.

If you want to check out womens toys, click here.

[BEST25]Sex Toys for Women in IndiaThat Can Help You Have an Orgasm There are many women who pretend to feel orgasm during sex. But don't worry, you don't have to pretend to feel orgasm...

Vibrators

A vibrator is a sextoy that vibrates with an Egg-Vibrator to provide stimulation and is often referred to simply as a vibrator.

Some vibrate as well as rotate, and there are many variations of sextoy.

It is quite a popular sextoy, and is well recognized by people who do not know much about sextoy.

Its usage is similar to that of a massager, but it is more compact and easier to carry than a massager, and many of them look as cute as a lipstick or a macaroon, so they are popular among women.

For a while, a famous influencer on twitter said, This is good! You may have heard of the topic of this article by introducing the recommended vibrators.

Vibrators are great for women to use on their own, but they are also recommended for men who have difficulty satisfying women with sex.

Since it is powered by electricity, it is far less tiring than moving your hands by yourself.

This makes it easier to satisfy a woman with sex because you can caress her for longer than usual.

Vibrators are mainly used on the female side, but they can also be used on men.

When used on men, they are used to attack the nipples and glans, and in both cases it is recommended to wear a condom for hygiene reasons.

Introducing how to use the vibrator, its purpose, and how to choose it! Vibrator uses the vibrations caused by the rotation of the motor to provide stimulation. It is one or two of the most...

Dildo

A dildo is a model sextoy made to mimic a male penis.

It can be made of silicone, elastomer (think of it as a material similar to PVC), metal or glass.

A dildo can be used by a man for his female partner during sex, or by a woman for masturbation to get pleasure from it.

They are mainly inserted into women, but some can be used in the male anus as well.

It is sometimes used synonymously with vibrators, but the vibrator is not the same thing as a vibrating device.

A model of a penis that does not vibrate is a dildo.

Some of them have suction cups that can be attached to the floor or wall so that you can enjoy realistic masturbation without using your hands.

For fun, there is a dildo made in the shape of your partners penis.

This one is also popular as a gift, and if youve been together for a long time and are having trouble finding a gift for your partner, you might want to pick one.

To learn more about dildo, please click here.

What is Dildo: Orgasms with Dildos for Men and Women A dildo is a model of a male organ that is used by women for masturbation and by men to stimulate the prostate gland. Th...

Electric Masserger

A Electric Masserger is a hand-held electric massager, also known as a handheld massager, and can usually be purchased at electronics stores.

It was originally designed to relieve stiff shoulders and back pain, so the hurdle of buying one in a physical store is quite low.

Many people may have seen or used it in some form or another, as it is often installed in leisure hotels.

Such a massager is highly recommended for beginners because it is easy for women to get pleasure from it when they use it during masturbation.

It is larger than Egg-Vibrator and vibrations are stronger than those of Egg-Vibrators and vibrators, so even just hitting the clitoris can give you a great deal of pleasure.

For those women who have never had an orgasm during sex with their man, the massager may be a good way to get a feel for what it feels like to have an orgasm.

It looks and feels like an electric massager, so you wont have to feel awkward if your roommate finds out.

If you are in a rut of having sex with your partner, if you want to feel an orgasm through masturbation, or if you are thinking of using a sextoy, why dont you try it from a simple massager?

To learn more about Electric Masserger, click here.

What is a massager? Introducing types, selection methods, and usage Originally, the Magic-wand vibrator and the massage machine were sold as a home massage machine used for the back and th...

How to choose a sextoy for Indian

Now that weve covered the different types of sextoy, heres how to choose one.

Especially if you are trying sextoy for the first time, pay attention to the following three points:  Does the size fit you (the partner)?

Does the size fit you (your partner)?

Is the environment able to produce sound without problems?

Price range

First of all, the choice of size is quite important.

Most sextoy are used against or inserted into the genitals, but the genitals are very delicate organs for both men and women.

For this reason, using an inappropriate size may cause damage.

Secondly, the environment should be able to produce sound without problems.

Some sextoys not only wear, but also rotate and vibrate. Its easier to get pleasure from something that moves than something that doesnt, but the fact that it moves means that the internal rotors make some noise.

If you live in a house with thin walls or if you have roommates, you may not be able to concentrate because of the noise, so it is best to choose one that is silent or has a low noise level.

Especially in India, where many people live with their families, it is very important that you dont have to worry about sound when you use it.

Finally, there is the price range.

The price range of sextoy ranges widely, from around RS500 at the cheapest to RS10,000 or more at the highest.

Its good to consider how much money you can afford and how much you want to buy.

Do you want your family to not find out about sextoy?

I live with my family and want to use sextoy without them finding out! If you are a man, you should buy a camouflage sextoy that does not look like a sextoy at first glance.

For men, there are many masturbators that do not look like a sextoy, and for women, there are vibrators that only look like cosmetics.

If you choose such a type, youll be safe in case your family members find out.

How to buy sextoys in India

The best way to purchase sextoy is through online shopping.

For more information on how to purchase sextoy, please see the article below.

Sextoy is one of them.

Therefore, you can easily get sextoy in India by using online shopping.

SexToysINDIA is a long established and stable sextoy store and you can have sextoy delivered to any place in India.

They also offer cash on delivery, so those who are worried about shopping with a credit card do not have to worry.

Of course, the latest security is in place, so your information will not be taken out when you use your credit card.

To begin with, many people may be concerned about whether they are legally allowed to purchase sextoy.

ikmAs it turns out, its not illegal.

Right now, it is not open to the public because the Indian adult market is still in the development stage, but it will gradually spread from now on.

Take advantage of sextoy and open the door to new pleasures and culture.

Cautions for Indians using sextoy

When using sextoy, keep the following three things in mind

Keep sex toys clean

Watch out for electrical leakage

Beware of the heat generated by the body while using a sex toy

As I mentioned earlier, many sextoy products are used for the delicate zone.

Therefore, it is most important to keep the sextoy itself clean. It is very important to keep the sextoy itself clean, because if a slight scratch is created by friction, bacteria can enter and breed there.

It is safe to wear a condom when using the masturbator, just in case.

In addition, many sextoy devices are powered by a power source, so if they are not waterproof, there is a possibility of electric shock or malfunction due to wetness.

Some may even develop heat during continuous use. If the fever becomes too much, you may get burned, so be careful.

If you get a fever during use, stop driving the sextoy immediately and refrain from using it.

You will enjoy sex more if you keep it safe and use it correctly.

Summary

What did you think?

In this article, we have introduced the recommended sextoy for the beginners of sextoy in India.

The sextoy market is growing rapidly in India and it will continue to grow steadily in the future.

As India is a rather closed-minded country, it can be difficult to be open about ones sexual habits and values.

However, being faithful to ones desires by properly dissolving ones sexual desire is very effective for ones physical and mental health.

If this is your first time to learn about sextoy, or if you are interested in using sextoy, why not give it a try?

Indian Sextoys for ur best! will introduce you to sextoy and other trivia about sextoy, sexuality, and sexuality for men and women.

I want to read more! If you think its a great idea, please bookmark it.
CARBONDALE  The Carbondale Chamber of Commerce and its members are not in favor of a proposed 1 percent sales tax increase in Jackson County to support school facilities, according to a news release from the chamber Monday.

The chamber says it wants voters to take into account the potential negative impact a sales tax increase will have on local businesses. This statement comes after the chamber performed a survey of its member businesses, and a discussion with the chambers Board of Directors, which affirmed a resolution from the groups Economic Development Committee against the proposed tax increase on the Nov. 8 ballot.

The Chamber holds strongly to the importance of our children and our schools," Carbondale Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Les O'Dell said in a news release. "However, our organization feels that this proposed tax increase will have a negative effect on retailers and restaurants in our community and county."

He said, based on research presented to the chamber, if the tax passed, a disproportional amount of new revenue would be generated in Carbondale compared to the funds distributed to Carbondale schools.

"While the Chamber holds the needs of students in high regard and is aware of the need for funding  especially for facilities  we do not believe this form of revenue to the best solution," he said in the news release.

The chamber said the tax would make Carbondales retail sales tax among the highest in Illinois, which is a source of anxiety for the chamber. He said there are concerns that a higher sales tax may drive businesses to other communities or online. Additionally, he said it would have more impact on those with lower incomes, including students at Southern Illinois University.

According to a group of Jackson County superintendents, the tax would generate about $5.4 million for county schools. The funds would be dispersed according to enrollment by the Illinois Department of Revenue.

The funds can only be used for new facilities, renovations, security, technology, infrastructure, land acquisition, energy efficiency, fire prevention, parking lots, and building and roof repairs.

The tax cant be used for direct instructional costs, textbooks, detached furniture, computers, salaries or operating costs.

The superintendents say the revenue comes from everything currently included in the municipal and county sales tax base. Cars, ATVs, boats, unprepared food, prescription drugs, over-the-counter drugs and farm equipment will not be taxed.

A motto for the tax is if it is not currently taxed, it will not be taxed.

The question voters will see on the Nov. 8 ballot is: Shall a retailers occupation tax and service occupation tax (commonly referred to as a sales tax) be imposed in Jackson County at a rate of 1 percent to be used exclusively for school facility purposes?
A 20-year-old Elkville man was arrested Sunday afternoon, three hours after he ran away from police and was found after several law enforcement officers searched for him.

Investigators arrested Christian Chadwick Kistner, who was found to have suspected narcotics in his possession, according to a news release from the Murphysboro Police Department. Murphysboro police had been called to the 100 block of South Williams Street around 2:15 p.m. Sunday.

While police were attempting to arrest Kistner, he resisted and ran away, the release said.

Murphysboro officers started looking for him and were joined in the search by law enforcement from the Jackson County Sheriff's Office, the Illinois State Police, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources and the Elkville Police Department.

Kistner was found about three hours later, around 5:25 p.m., in an area near Walnut Street and South Fifth Street in Murphysboro.

Charges against Kistner are pending. Kistner was also a suspect in a burglary that occurred in the area, according to the news release.

 The Southern
MURPHYSBORO  Two Murphysboro men were injured in an early morning shooting near Shomaker Drive and 20th Street in Murphysboro, police said in a news release Monday.

Police were alerted to the shots fired around 1:30 a.m. Monday.

One of the men, who suffered life-threatening injuries, was taken by ambulance to St. Joseph Hospital, before being transferred to a St. Louis-area hospital. The man was in intensive care, Murphysboro Police Chief Chad Roberts said.

A second man, believed to be involved in the incident, was in surgery at St. Joseph Hospital; he arrived at the hospital in a private vehicle after the shooting, Roberts said.

The shooting happened outside, at a corner near Shomaker Drive and South 20th Street.

"It does seem to be isolated to this incident," Roberts said. "It appears that they knew each other and that this was a feud."

No other details are being released, as this investigation is ongoing, Roberts said. He said no one is in custody in connection with this incident.

The Murphysboro Police Department is being assisted by the Jackson County Sheriff's Office and the Illinois State Police Crime Scene Investigation Unit.

The incident is still under investigation.
BENTON  Attorneys for James Watts, accused of fatally stabbing two bank workers and critically wounding a third during a May 2014 bank robbery in Cairo, are arguing in federal court records that Watts is not eligible for the death penalty because hes intellectually disabled.

The U.S. Supreme Court decided in 2002, in a 6-3 ruling on Atkins v. Virginia, that executions of people who are intellectually disabled are considered cruel and unusual punishments prohibited by the Eighth Amendment.

With the question of Watts mental status yet to be determined, Judge Phil Gilbert has granted a motion made by the defense for a three-month continuance for an evidentiary hearing on this matter. The hearing, which had been scheduled for Monday, has been postponed to Jan. 23.

That also means the jury trial date for Watts has been postponed again  this time to June 2017. By the time this trial gets underway, more than three years will have passed since that devastating and bloody evening that rocked the community of Cairo and resulted in the deaths of First National Bank President Anita Grace and employee Nita Smith.

Prior to Gilberts Oct. 13 ruling to grant the motion to continue, the trial had been last scheduled for January. The trial date has been continuously pushed back.

Watts has pleaded not guilty to felony charges of attempted armed bank robbery resulting in death and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm in connection with the May 15 holdup in Cairo that left two dead and another person critically injured. Police said at the time of the incident that Watts was taken into custody following a high-speed chase, with Watts driving the vehicle of one of the slain employees at speeds up to 100 mph, and a standoff with law enforcement officers.

Federal prosecutors announced in April 2015 their decision to seek the death penalty in this case if Watts, 32, is found guilty.

At the time, then-U.S. Attorney Stephen Wigginton wrote in a court document that the federal government considers Watts to be a continuing danger to the lives and safety of other persons and someone likely to commit criminal acts of violence in the future as evidenced by his previous crimes of violence, his willingness to take human life, and his willingness to commit violent crimes shortly after being released from incarceration.

Wigginton also cited non-statutory factors in the decision to seek the death penalty were the injury, harm and loss caused to the families of Grace, 52, of Olive Branch, and Smith, 52, of Wickliffe, Kentucky, with his alleged crimes.

While the state of Illinois abolished the death penalty in 2011 by legislation and by practice stopped executing inmates on death row beginning in 2000, the death penalty can still be sought as the ultimate punishment for eligible crimes tried in federal court.

Watts is being tried in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Illinois Benton location. Court records indicate that an attorney from the Federal Community Defender Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and who specializes in capital defense cases has been assigned to join Watts defense team.

In a court filing on Oct. 3, Donald Boyce, who has replaced Wigginton as the interim U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, stated it was the prosecutions assertion that a continuance of the hearing on Watts mental status was intended as a tactic to delay the trial, and pleaded with the court for firm dates moving forward.

The government, and most importantly, the victims families need to have firm dates so that they can prepare for trial, Boyce wrote. At one of the early hearings in this case, the government requested that this case have firm dates so that the victims can prepare themselves mentally and emotionally without continual changes in the various dates. The defense strategy in this case is delay and this motion is part of that strategy.

Judge Gilberts order granting Watts motion to continue states that the parties may move to extend deadlines for good cause. The minutes of the court from an Oct. 13 status hearing state that the court finds failure to grant the motion would likely result in a miscarriage of justice. In the order, the trial new date is described as "firm."

The following are the key dates set in the court's third amended scheduling order:

Nov. 4, 2016: Reply to response to challenges concerning intellectual disability and mental illness due.

Jan. 23, 2017: Hearing on challenges concerning intellectual disability and mental illness.

May 17: Pretrial conference.

May 31: Final pretrial conference.

June 1: Jury orientation

June 19: Jury trial
An 18-year-old Eldorado resident has been sentenced to two decades in prison on a sex charge, according to a news release from the office of Saline County States Attorney Michael J. Henshaw.

Emmanuel Z. Pitts pleaded guilty to one count of predatory criminal sexual assault of a child, the release said. He was sentenced in Saline County Circuit Court on Friday to 20 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections.

The offense occurred between February and July 2016 and involved a 5-year-old victim, the states attorney said.

Pitts must serve 85 percent of his sentence and register as a sex offender for life.

Special Judge Mark Clarke presided over the case, and Assistant States Attorney Eva Walker served as prosecutor for the state, according to the release.

 The Southern
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Shelly Pitterman, regional representative for United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, will speak in honor of United Nations Day at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 25, in SIU Lesar Law School auditorium. His talk is titled, "One Humanity, Shared Responsibility." A reception will follow.

As regional representative to the U.S. and Caribbean, Pitterman is based in Washington, D.C. He has served in various UNHCR positions in Sudan, Guinea, Burundi and Kenya, and as chief of resettlement and director of human resources in Geneva, Switzerland. He also served as director of operations for UN Relief and Works Agency in Jordan.
China marks the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Long March on Oct 21, 2016. [Photo/Xinhua]

Eighty years after the end of the epic Long March by the Chinese Red Army, President Xi Jinping has called for carrying forth the spirit and moving forward in "a new long march" to realize national rejuvenation.

The Long March is an ongoing process, said Xi, who is also general secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, at a gathering to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Long March.

"A nation that forgets its past will find itself in a blind alley," he said.

In October 1934, hundreds of thousands of Red Army officers and soldiers set out on a 12,500-kilometer journey to break through encirclement by Kuomintang forces.

In about two years, the Red Army fought more than 600 battles, crossed about 100 rivers, climbed over 40 steep mountains and trekked across vast grasslands before arriving at Yan'an in Northwest China's Shaanxi province, where it built its own revolutionary base.

Xi said the Long March was a remarkable turning pointfrom setbacks to victoryfor the Party and China's revolutionary cause. It was so hard and bitter that, "on average, a soldier died every 300 meters in the leading Red Army troop".

The Long March was a great expedition to seek ideals and faith, test truth and break new ground, Xi said, calling for the Party to carry on the spirit in the new era.

Each generation has its own "long march", and they should proceed in their own way, he said, adding that the "long march" today is to realize the Chinese dream of national rejuvenation.

Zhen Xiaoying, a professor of Party studies and former vice-president of the Central Institute of Socialism in Beijing, said the core spirit of the Long March is to uphold idealism and overcome difficulties.

Such a spirit should be applied in all walks of life and be promoted among people of the younger generation who haven't experienced hard times, she said.

"China is faced with a lot of challenges today," Zhen added. "The spirit of the Long March is of great value in the new era. It is not out of date, but should be inherited."

People's Daily, the Party's official newspaper, said in an editorial on Friday that the Party is now faced with multiple tasks, such as building a well-off society, deepening reform, carrying forward the rule of law and governing the Party strictly.

"The tests for the Party members are far from ending. The Long March is always underway."
Thirty years is a long time, especially considering how much can happen in that time span. For example, the phrase iPhone was just poor grammar and tweeting was exclusively for birds. Yet, with all the changes and advancements in the world and in the United States, taxpayers are saddled with a tax code that hasnt been overhauled since 1986.

Comprehensive tax reform and bipartisanship is possible. On October 22, 1986, Congress and the White House came together in a rare display of bicameral, bipartisan cooperation to pass comprehensive tax reform. Republican President Ronald Reagan worked with a split Congress (Republican Senate and Democrat House) to accomplish the largest overhaul of the tax code in the United States. The anniversary of the Tax Reform Act of 1986 provides a perfect opportunity to make the case once again for a major overhaul of our tax system.

The tax code is, in a word, broken. Coming in at more than 2 million words, the tax code has been growing for more than 60 years when it was less than 500,000 words in 1955. The expansion of the tax code has led to greater complexity, and that in turn has led to more time and money spent by taxpayers on compliance.

The National Taxpayers Union published a study estimating that the value of the time (6.1 billion hours) plus out-of-pocket costs expended annually on complying with the individual and corporate Tax Code amounts to an economic loss of $234.4 billion. Those numbers are alarming and should provide Congress with all the incentive they need to get legislation on the floor and up for a vote in order to get something done.

Individual taxpayers are not the only ones feeling the pain of a broken tax code. Large and small businesses face the burden of a 40 percent corporate tax rate, the highest corporate tax rate in the developed world. The 40 percent rate is much higher than the global average of 23 percent and is chasing away jobs and investment from the United States, as corporate inversions increase as companies look to shift the burden of taxes to friendlier tax climates like Ireland or Canada.

The recent inversions should be a signal to Washington that tax reform is necessary. But instead of pushing for a reduction in the corporate tax rate, the Obama administration is pursuing new regulations like the Department of Treasurys 385 regulations that seek to punish the private sector.

The 385 rule, as proposed, would grant the IRS greater authority over businesses regarding how certain transactions are processed in terms of restructuring, such as inversions. Instead of finding a way to encourage companies to remain in the United States, this approach would put companies under more scrutiny from the government and would have a devastating long-term effect on the ability of the United States to keep and attract businesses in todays global economy.

There is some good news for taxpayers as the 30-year anniversary approaches. First, House Ways and Means Chairman Kevin Brady, R-Texas, released a blueprint for tax reform titled A Better Way for Tax Reform earlier this year. Bradys blueprint would simplify the code, reduce rates for individuals and businesses, scale back the Internal Revenue Service, and provide an economic boost by giving money back to taxpayers.

Another positive development is that House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., emphasized his desire to have tax reform as a top legislative priority for the next session of Congress that begins in January 2017. Ryan said last week that I really want to get tax reform running as quickly as possible. We do too.

Congress is only half of the equation to getting reform done. The president must also play a key role in passing tax reform. With an election looming, the presidential candidates also need to talk more about tax reform.

While Donald Trump has supported a plan for reform that falls mostly in line with the House blueprint on the individual and corporate side, Hillary Clinton has merely alluded to raising rates on the wealthy and not changing much of anything else. The candidates also differ on the inheritance tax, with Trump pledging to repeal it and Clinton promising to increase the rate.

Tax reform is an issue that voters care about, and the presidential contenders need to recognize that and address the issue more directly.

Thirty years ago gas was 89 cents a gallon and The Oprah Winfrey Show had its television debut. Now gas averages $2.26 a gallon and Oprah has her own TV channel.

The tax code represents the past, and the more complicated and bloated it remains the worse off taxpayers will be. Washington should use this weekends anniversary of tax reform as an inspiration to make reform happen again. After 30 long years, taxpayers deserve a code that works for them.

David Williams is president of the Taxpayers Protection Alliance. He wrote this for InsideSources.com
Bamberg County and the State of South Carolina lost a leading citizen on Oct, 16 with the death of retired Brigadier Gen. Jasper Brabham Varn Jr.

Varn served his state and country as a member of the S.C. Army National Guard for 40 years. His last assignment was the position of deputy adjutant general. Varn was employed as a S.C. National Guard technician for 39 years, retiring in 1987.

After retirement, Varn took on leadership in a different capacity, being elected to Bamberg County Council for multiple terms. During that time, he served as chairman and treasurer of the Lower Savannah Council of Governments Board and was a founding member of the Tri-County Alliance, a joint economic development effort between Bamberg, Barnwell and Allendale counties.

After his 90 years of life, the Colston community native received many military and civilian awards. Memorable among those was the 2009 presentation of the Order of the Palmetto, South Carolinas highest civilian honor.

The presentation was held at Seawell's Restaurant in Columbia and included remarks from Varn's son, Jasper Varn III, a major in the Army National Guard, and daughter Carla Varn Dupree.

"This is one of the proudest days of my life as Daddy's daughter," Dupree said at the ceremony. "Through the years of growing up, Daddy gave us wonderful examples to live by."

Also on hand to honor Varn was 2nd District Congressman Joe Wilson.

"When I think of a person of high integrity and quality, I think of Jasper Varn. He's one of the reasons I've entered and stayed in the National Guard," Wilson said. "Today all of South Carolina will know something we've always known, that you are a true Palmetto gentleman."

The Order of the Palmetto was presented to Varn by then-S.C. Comptroller General Jim Lander, a lifelong friend of Varn's and fellow Guard member.

Of particular note are Varns words in accepting the honor: "The achievements of 76 years are not just my own. The Lord surrounded me with family, my parents, my wife and children, who all paved a path for a little country boy  to succeed.  I humbly accept the Order of the Palmetto, not for Jasper Varn, but for those who people who shared and made it all possible."

Nineteenth century author Robert Louis Stevenson wrote: There are two things that men should never weary of, goodness and humility; we get none too much of them in this rough world 

Brigadier Gen. Jasper Varn Jr. provided both.
DENMARK -- With the 2016 presidential election drawing ever closer, students at Denmark Technical College took a break from their studies to register to vote at the DTC Fall Voter Drive.

Representatives from Bamberg County volunteered to encourage both students and staff to register to vote and ensure everyone knows their polling locations ahead of Election Day.

We had a great turnout, Associate Vice President for Student Services Avis Gathers said.

More than 60 students registered to vote as part of the nonpartisan effort, Gathers said. They were not ready for DTC today, they ran out of applications!

Many students prefer to register on campus because they are unable to travel back to their homes before the voter registration deadlines pass. The last day to register to vote before the Nov. 8 election was Oct. 8 in South Carolina.
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By Trend





Malta attaches great importance to cooperation with Azerbaijan, said Maltese President Marie Louise Coleiro Preca during a meeting with Azerbaijani Ambassador to the country Mammad Ahmadzadeh.

The Azerbaijani ambassador with a residence in Rome presented his credentials to Maltas president.

During the meeting, the Azerbaijani diplomat noted the intensification of cooperation between the two countries in recent times.

Meanwhile, prospects of cooperation were discussed during the meeting and it was noted that Malta, during its chairmanship at the European Union (EU) in the first half of 2017, can contribute to Azerbaijans cooperation with the EU.

As part of the visit to Malta, Mammad Ahmadzadeh also held a number of other official meetings.
By Azertac





President of the Republic of Croatia Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic has today visited the Alley of Martyrs in Baku.





A guard of honor was lined up for the Croatian President here.





President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic paid tribute to Azerbaijani heroes who gave their lives for the country`s independence and territorial integrity.





She laid a wreath at the Eternal Flame monument.





A military orchestra played the national anthems of Croatia and Azerbaijan.
Azerbaijani presidents aide for public and political affairs Ali Hasanov is on an official visit to Turkey in line with President Ilham Aliyevs instruction, the Azerbaijan State News Agency (AZERTAC) reported on October 24.

Hasanov met with Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu during the visit.

During the meeting, the sides exchanged views on a number of issues, including relations between Azerbaijan and Turkey in the socio-political sphere.

Attention was paid to defining a new strategy for the organized joint activity of the Azerbaijani and Turkish diasporas.

Moreover, the prospects of development of relations, the issue of raising the Azerbaijani-Turkish strategic alliance to a new level, as well as other issues of mutual interest were discussed during the meeting.
Remittances to low and middle-income countries (LMICs) are projected to hit $442 billion in 2016  an increase of 0.8 per cent over the previous year, according to a World Bank report.



Remittances to the Mena region are expected to edge ahead by 1.5 per cent in 2016, it said.



The report states that remittance growth to emerging markets has slowed in 2016 but has continued to hold its own for the year even in the face of market uncertainty.



In 2008, when the world faced an economic meltdown, the remittance industry remained resilient and since 2010, the remittance industry has posted a positive average growth of 3.8 per cent year-on-year.



The remittance industry is one of the few industries that has posted nominal growth despite gloomy economic data, according to Xpress Money, a top money transfer brand.



For instance, container traffic  considered a proxy for trade growth  has flat lined in 2016, with 10 of the worlds top 30 ports reporting a decline in traffic. Similarly, the World Trade Organisation (WTO) is estimating that global trade growth is at its lowest levels since the financial crisis in 2009. Global retail too is being hit, despite low oil prices reducing goods manufacture and transport costs.



It is heartening to see that economic challenges havent entirely stopped the growth of remittances. The remittance sector is holding on even as other market economic indicators register quite mixed readings, said Sudhesh Giriyan, COO of Xpress Money.



This is good news, because remittances are a powerful force for income equality, and help raise income levels, quality of life, and economic activity in emerging markets. They make families and communities more prosperous, and help people pull themselves out of poverty, he added.



India, China, the Philippines, Mexico and Pakistan lead the mid-2016 table of remittance recipients among LMICs. Nepal heads the table for countries most reliant on remittances to bolster GDP, followed by Liberia, Tajikistan, Kyrgyz Republic and Haiti.



While collated remittance data for 2016 wont be released for a while, weve seen that global remittances have managed to survive the storm. We are looking forward to seeing a remittance recovery in the latter half of the year, and expect it to gather pace in early 2017.We expect 2017 to be a good year for remittances to developing countries  which will boost quality of life and spur investment in infrastructure, education and healthcare, Giriyan concluded.  TradeArabia News Service
Dubai Carbon Centre of Excellence (DCCE), a first-of-its-kind centre in the region, said it has reached a major milestone to incentivise retrofit markets in the entire UAE along with the Dubai Supreme Council of Energy (DSCE).



The UN-backed Programme of Activities (PoA) framework, launched during Wetex 2016, will enable Esco type and efficient lighting projects to earn carbon credits once included as component project activities (CPAs) within the framework.



The PoAs will be managed by Etihad Esco, the Dubai Government-owned SuperEsco vehicle, with consultancy support from Dubai Carbon, which will also act as the co-ordinator between UNFCCC, Etihad Esco, DSCE and CPAs.



The PoA, Fostering an Esco Industry in the UAE once registered will become an umbrella programme for small-scale Esco type projects, that from a financial point of view otherwise may not be suitable to apply for Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) Project Activities.



Meanwhile, the Lighting Efficiency PoA in the UAE will support energy-efficient lighting retrofit projects that cut energy demand and associated emissions.



Ahmed Buti Al Muhairbi, the secretary general, of Dubai Supreme Council of Energy, said: "It is an exciting time for the UAE as we will set new benchmarks for public-private partnerships in the energy efficiency sector. This will open new opportunities for private companies to contribute towards realising the UAEs aim to become one of the most sustainable countries in the world."



"The PoAs will further support the vision of our leaders to make Dubai a leading example of energy efficiency and hub for green economy investment, for the region, and globally," he stated.



Waleed Salman, the chairman of Dubai Carbon, said: "We are thoroughly convinced that the private sector can bring highly effective solutions to consumers, and be a strategic partner for the public sector in achieving the UAEs sustainability goals."



"Both PoAs signed by us, will not only contribute in achieving UAEs sustainability goals, but also to meet the carbon reduction target of 16 per cent by 2021.



Ivano Iannelli, the chief executive of Dubai Carbon, said: "Dubai government is providing project owners, both big and small, with an opportunity to improve the project economics and achieve UN backed Certified Emission Reductions (CERs) earned under these PoAs."



The CERs are certificates designed by the UN to reward investors in energy efficiency projects, and allow investors in emission reduction projects to earn carbon credits that governments and companies can use to offset emissions. The PoAs will allow the inclusion of an unlimited number of projects over a 28-year lifespan.



DCCE, which comes under the Supreme Council of Energy, was established in January 2011, as an agreement between the Supreme Council of Energy and the UNDP.



It promotes Dubais transition to a low-carbon green economy and is responsible for monitoring the levels of carbon emissions in the emirate.-TradeArabia News Service
King Abdullah Economic City (KAEC), a special economic zone on Saudi Arabia's Red Sea coast, organised an private exhibition of residential units located at the Al Waha district in Jeddah.



Al Waha is a Cityscape award winning community, which fulfills residents desires for a modern lifestyle while maintaining its appeal as a peaceful and family-friendly environment with a variety of amenities including a community center with a residents clubhouse, a childrens play area, a swimming pool, and landscaped parks and walking areas to ensure a healthy and active lifestyle.



Al-Waha residents benefit from KAECs existing lifestyle elements including mosques, health care facilities, the highest quality schools, world-class universities, retail outlets, and a variety of beach and marina waterfront dining options.



We are delighted with the overwhelming success of Al-Waha, which has proven to be one of the most popular residential districts in KAEC, remarked Fahd Al Rasheed, the group chief executive and managing director.



"We are committed to making homeownership possible for all Saudi citizens, which is a key part of the many contributions that KAEC is making towards realizing Saudi Vision 2030," he said at the two-day expo held last week at the Jeddah Hilton Hotel.



A wide variety of residential units were on display - from studio apartments priced at SR299,000 to one- and two-bedroom apartments besides larger town homes, duplex villas, and four-bedroom detached villas to accommodate all budgets and family sizes.



Charles Biele, the chief executive of the Real Estate Development Company (Redco) in KAEC, said Al Waha offered its residents, new state of the art infrastructure along with best in class community facilities.



"Beautifully designed in a combination of Arabian, Moroccan, Spanish and Italian architectural styles, Al-Waha offers a wide variety of residential accommodations, including attractive and affordable studio and one-bedroom apartments that are specifically designed for first time buyers and newlyweds who want to purchase their own home," noted Biele.



"Al Waha is also highly desirable community for investors offering a promising opportunity for rental income along with capital gains yields," he added.-TradeArabia News Service
The fundamentals of the crude oil tanker market, the pattern of supply growth, and the factors influencing demand will be discussed at a key conference in Dubai next week.



The eighth edition of the biennial Seatrade Maritime Middle East (SMME) exhibition and conference, which takes place in Dubai from October 31 to November 2, at the Dubai World Trade Centre, is organising a conference dedicated to the dynamic and rapidly growing tanker sector.



Part of the Dubai Maritime Week, Seatrade Tanker Middle East, takes place on November 1 and is being supported by the International Association of Independent Tanker Owners, Intertanko, with managing director Katharina Stanzel, moderating the event.



According to Clarkson Research, a leading provider of data and market intelligence for the global shipping and offshore oil and gas industries, tanker fleet capacity took two decades to double to its current size of 540 million deadweight tonnage (dwt), witnessing average volume growth of 2.2 per cent per annum, in combined crude and products trade. However, the current surge in tanker fleet capacity, was generated during a long period of low oil prices and has recorded an increase of 6.5 per cent since early 2015.



Chris Hayman, chairman of Seatrade, said: The tanker sector faced a tough time between 2009 and 2014, but it has now bounced back. Seaborne oil trade grew 4.7 per cent in 2015, the fastest rate since 2009, but operators are still mindful of unpredictable market conditions, moving forward.



Opec's decision to allow the market to balance on its own without price support has perhaps been the biggest catalyst for increased tanker business. If the lifting of sanctions in Iran, an estimated global increase in oil refining of 7.7 million barrels per day until 2021 and the swinging supply and demand dynamics are added in, it is easy to understand why this market is growing, albeit impulsively.



While some tanker operators remain cautious about the future, many are riding high on the back of storage deals with big refineries  especially offshore Singapore and Malaysia - whereby tankers are used to balance supply and demand by removing tonnage from the market, said Hayman.



Conference delegates will hear from an expert line-up of industry players, including Ahmed Al Falahi, CEO, Gulf Energy Maritime; Phrixos Papachristidis, CEO and MD, Hellespont Ship Management; Ali Shehab Ahmad, deputy chief executive, Kuwait Oil Tanker Company; Stavroula Betsakou, head of Tanker Research, Howe Robinson Partners; and Capt David Stockley, COO, Oman Shipping Company.



Factors to be considered will include the impact of oil price movements and geo-politics on the pattern of trade and ton-mile demand, the size of the order book and the likely scale of new contracting, slow steaming with a strong emphasis on the Middle East region, and the outlook for its principal players.



The panel will then turn their attention to product tanker trading, analysing the factors influencing the shape of product tanker demand and those driving it, including refining, and the composition of the order book. The debate will also cover how these fundamentals affect rates across all vessel sizes, with a focus on how the market is shaping up in respect of Middle East interests.

The conference will also examine the implications of the digital revolution on the tanker industry. Panellists will address issues such as the impact that Smart shipping and BigData will have on operating cost efficiencies and the way in which ships are managed in the future.

Finally in a changing regulatory environment, the panel will also discuss how upcoming IMO regulations will affect the tanker sector, starting with the ballast water convention, which comes into force in September 2017 which will require the retro-fitting of new technology for the world tanker fleet.



Hosting this dedicated tanker conference will allow leading executives from the sector to come together to share opinion about the current issues, and perhaps begin to create a strategic overview for the future direction of the sector, added Hayman.



Seatrade Maritime Middle East (SMME) exhibition and conference, held as part of the Dubai Maritime Week is organised under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai.  TradeArabia News Service




In a shocking move, Tata Group, a $108 billion business house, has removed Cyrus Mistry from the chairman's post and appointed Ratan Tata as the interim chief.



Mistry, born in Ireland, was the sixth chairman of the 150-year-old group. He had been in the post of the chairman since 2012, reported the Financial Express.



He was the first one to be appointed from outside the family for 70 years, it added.



Mistry is the youngest son of Pallonji Mistry, who heads the Shapoorji Pallonji group (a construction, real estate major), which is the biggest shareholder in Tata Sons with an 18 per cent stake.



The decision was taken at a board meeting on Monday. A Tata Sons spokesperson said: The companys board and the principal shareholders took this decision, which they thought may be appropriate in the long term interest of Tata Sons and the Tata Group.



With this move, Ratan Tata will come out of retirement to helm the company he ran for decades again, said the report.



A new selection committee has been constituted by the company comprising Ratan N Tata, Venu Srinivasan, Amit Chandra, Ronen Sen and Lord Kumar Bhattacharyya to choose the new chairman, it stated.



The committee has been mandated to complete the selection process in four months.

The move has sent shock waves to India inc as there was absolutely no hint about this development from recent events.

This is perhaps the biggest upheaval that corporate India has seen in recent years. It's a sudden move from a company that is usually very private and conscious of its public image, reported BBC.



Tata Sons owns Jaguar Land Rover, as well as Tetley Tea. It is one of India's oldest conglomerates and is made up of more than 100 companies, including Tata Motors, Tata Power and the IT giant, Tata Consultancy Services, said the report.



Tata employs almost 7,000 workers around Wales, including more than 4,000 at its troubled plant in Port Talbot, south Wales, it added.
Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (Dewa) has launched its Strategy Week 2016 to raise the awareness of its employees on the Dewa2021 strategy, which is aligned to the UAE Vision 2021, Dubai Plan 2021 and the Smart Dubai initiative.



The activities at Al Quoz Sustainable Building, Warsan and Jebel Ali, will promote Dewas strategy for the future, and build a strategy-focused culture among employees. This includes videos about Dewas journey towards success and excellence and the Dewa Strategy 2021, in addition to different events consolidating Dewas strategic values, principles and concepts.



Also, sessions will be held on Dewas special expedition to the Amazon Rainforest. The expedition studied the effects of climate change on biodiversity, ecosystems and the inhabitants of the Amazon.



We adopt the concept of innovation as part of our vision, and created Strategic Innovation to raise its importance as a theme to encompass 40 per cent of Dewas strategic map. Strategic planning is a major contributor to Dewas success, and also acts as a framework to achieve our vision to become a sustainable innovative world-class utility, said Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD & CEO at Dewa.



The secret of our success lies in our adoption of a strategy that places us at the forefront in all our results and performance indicators. We have achieved unpreceded accomplishments locally and internationally, including the UAE, represented by Dewa, being ranked first in Mena and fourth globally for the third consecutive year for getting electricity in the World Banks Doing Business 2016 report. Dewas customer minutes lost is now 3.87 minutes, compared to 15 minutes recorded by leading utilities in the European Union and the USA. Reducing losses in power transmission and distribution networks to 3.3 per cent, compared to 6-7 per cent in Europe and the USA.



Water network losses decreased to 8.2 per cent, compared to 15 per cent in North America, achieving global results in reducing water losses. Dewa also improved the design of its electricity and water infrastructure to improve fuel consumption efficiency, by 90 per cent and its generation efficiency by 27 per cent, as a result of ongoing improvements between 2006 and 2015.



All these achievements would not be accomplished without our dependence on innovation, creativity, and predicting the future as a pillar of our corporate work. This has enabled us to improve our performance in a short time, allowing us to compete with international organisations, he added.



Al Tayer emphasised that Dewa is keen on observing and implementing the Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050, to provide 7 per cent of Dubais total power output from clean energy by 2020. This target will increase to 25 per cent by 2030 and 75 per cent by 2050.



Dewa is also working on reducing the carbon footprint of Dubai and the UAE, by supporting the Carbon Abatement Strategy to reduce carbon emissions by 16 per cent by 2020. Dewa also supports the Dubai 3D Printing Strategy, which is a unique global initiative to use technology for the service of humanity and promote the status of the UAE and Dubai as a global hub for 3D printing technology, by 2030.  TradeArabia News Service
SPIE Oil & Gas Services, a multi-technical services subsidiary of the SPIE Group, has won a five-year contract from the Kuwait National Petroleum Company (KNPC) for its Clean Fuels Project (CFP), which is currently under EPC phase of implementation.



The Clean Fuels Project is a major upgrade of KNPC's flagship refineries to meet the future diversified market requirements for petroleum products both in the domestic and international sectors.



The project encompasses increasing the combined refining capacities of its Mina Al Ahmadi (MAA) and Mina Abdullah (MAB) refineries and enhance production of environment friendly value added products through Bottom of Barrel processing using state-of-the-art technologies.



The project also contributes towards linking the two refineries into an integrated refining complex and further enhance performance towards operational safety, reliability and energy conservation.



SPIE Oil & Gas Services will provide commissioning management and support services at both Mina Al Ahmadi and Mina Abdullah refineries under CFP scope of work. The contract will draw the expertise of SPIE Oil & Gas Services and work in tandem with KNPC operations team. SPIE has already begun work on the contract, said a statement.



The contract value was not revealed.



"With Satorp, Yasref, Petro Rabigh (in Saudi Arabia) and now with KNPC Project in Kuwait, we have become a major player in downstream activities in the Middle East," said Yves Company, managing director of SPIE Oil & Gas Services. "We have been working in the field since 2010 and are one of the few companies with the level of expertise needed in the area."



SPIE Oil & Gas Services provides the oil and gas industry with a complete range of resources and skills for exploring and investigating new fields, building and operating facilities and optimising production in the best possible conditions in terms of safety, costs, lead times and quality.



With 4,000 employees of 70 different nationalities working 22 countries in Europe, Africa, the Asia-Pacific region and the Middle East, SPIE Oil & Gas Services offers services across four business major lines - well services and geosciences, engineering and projects services, asset support, and competency development - for its customers, including operators, engineering firms, and oil and gas contractors. - TradeArabia News Service
Jannah Burj Al Sarab in Abu Dhabi has unveiled an interesting spin on the local newspaper with the launch of Jannah Times, which contains news of the market, the menu of the day and miscellaneous hotel related stories.



The four-page newspaper will be issued on a daily basis to guests of the five-star hotel and the diners of The Dining Room.



The CEO of Jannah Hotels and Resorts Nehme Imad Darwiche said: The decision comes ahead of the launch of our new concept business lunch. We were looking for more unique and vibrant alternatives from the traditional menu-order-serve process observed in hotels and restaurants. The Jannah Times will be the first of its kind in the region and we are excited to see the response our hotel newspaper will generate.



The first edition of the newspaper covers the newly launched business lunch. The distinctive feature of the business lunch is that the dishes are made from ingredients sourced daily from the Mina fruits, vegetables and meat market. It is a priority for us to serve the freshest food available for diners, said Darwiche. The three-course meal designed by executive chef Wafi Halimi blends modern French cuisine with Mediterranean flavors.



Overseeing the menu refresh was the Jannah Hotels and Resorts chief operating officer Martin Persson who said: The Jannah Times will replace the menus at the Dining Room. The objective behind this development is to introduce a more stylish method of customer engagement. Visitors can peruse the paper for the latest on food and beverage, and hospitality news.



The revamped business lunch boasts an open salad bar, a choice of grilled fish, stuffed chicken and braised lamb for the main course, topped with popular desserts that include tiramisu, chocolate cake and fresh fruit salad. Jannah Times state that the business lunch is available on weekdays from 12:30 pm to 3 pm, at Dh55 ($15) per person. - TradeArabia News Service
InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) plans to strengthen its position as a leading lifestyle hotel operator in the Asia, Middle East & Africa (AMEA) region with the introduction of new hotels across the region.



Capitalising on the industrys growing segment, IHG will introduce its Even Hotels brand to Australia and New Zealand, while expanding its existing Hotel Indigo brand portfolio, and has set out its ambition to introduce Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants to the market over time.



Jan Smits, chief executive officer-AMEA, IHG said: We identified a key opportunity to accelerate our growth in the lifestyle segment with the introduction of these brands to the region. We know that there is a growing segment of travellers  whether they are on a business or leisure trip  who are looking for an experience beyond bed and board. This is why we are confident of the potential of our lifestyle brands, which can provide that unique experience but at the same time, also a sense of reliability and familiarity, as they are part of one of the worlds largest hotel companies. I believe there is fantastic potential for Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants in the region, Even Hotels in Australia and New Zealand as well as building on the already successful introduction of the Hotel Indigo brand in early 2015 in the region.



In a move set to expand the hotel groups lifestyle business in the region and support its ambitions in the segment, IHG will take the Even Hotels brand outside the US for the first time. The deal, signed at this weeks HICAP conference in Hong Kong, involves IHG working with long-term partner Pro-invest to establish a portfolio of Even Hotels across Australia and New Zealand in response to growing demand for wellness travel.



Hotel Indigo, the worlds first global boutique hotel brand, has gone from strength to strength since its launch in the region last year with the opening of Hotel Indigo Bangkok Wireless Road. With no two properties alike, Hotel Indigo caters to the rise in demand for those guests looking for the individuality and style of a boutique hotel with the security and consistency of one of the worlds largest hotel groups. This year Hotel Indigo launched in Singapore with Hotel Indigo Singapore Katong, and in the coming months, will see the opening of Hotel Indigo Bali Seminyak, the first Hotel Indigo property to open in a resort location shortly.



The Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants brand is credited for introducing the boutique hotel concept to the US over 35 years ago and was acquired by IHG in 2015. Each property is individually designed, blending with local culture to deliver guests a boutique experience that is both authentic and reflective of its location. Commenting on the potential of the brand in the region, Smits said: We recognise that there is strong potential, with like-minded partners, to develop the Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants in the region across city and resort locations. The AMEA region is a perfect for the brand.



IHG currently operates over 270 hotels across five brands in AMEA, including InterContinental, Crowne Plaza, Holiday Inn, Holiday Inn Express and Hotel Indigo with a further 149 in the development pipeline due to open within the next three to five years. - TradeArabia News Service
Time Hotels, a leading hospitality group based in the UAE, has added two new senior executives to its management team.



Spanish national Guzman Muela takes over the management reins at flagship property Time Oak Hotel & Suites, while Martin Michael Fabiano, from Italy, will lead the team at Time Grand Plaza Hotel.



With cumulative industry experience spanning more than four decades, both gentlemen bring a track record of international operational success and proven leadership skills to their respective roles.



Fluent in four languages, Muela has worked on four continents, including food and beverage positions in Latin America and senior management positions in his native Spain. In addition, Muela was tasked with implementing duty free projects in a number of challenging African locations including South Sudan, the Ivory Coast and Liberia. He also spent several years in the Middle East working with InterContinental Hotels Group as both a special task force leader and general manager for various properties in Jordan and the UAE.



New Time Grand Plaza Hotel general manager Fabianos global experience covers the operational spectrum with food and beverage, consultancy, private member club and vice president/general manager roles within the cruise tourism sector as well as with luxury hospitality brands including Mandarin Oriental, Fairmont Hotels and Four Seasons. His career path has similarly taken him on a worldwide journey from Indonesia, the Philippines and Canada to China, Italy, India, Thailand and the high seas.



What is especially exciting about bringing both Guzman and Martin on board is their respective backgrounds. They both have a wealth of international knowledge, have clearly benefited from broad and varied experience at top hospitality brands. As we continue to grow our own portfolio as well as refine our existing offering, it is a strategic imperative that we have a corporate team that has a thorough understanding of commercial hospitality in all its forms, which will further strengthen Time Hotels reputation as a local market leader, said Mohamed Awadalla, CEO, Time Hotels.



Commenting on his new role, Muela said: I'm excited to join Time Hotels as the company moves forward with its expansion plans. I am confident that my multi-layered and multi-market experience will support the companys ambitions to develop into a major force within the industry, renowned as a hospitality innovator.



Delivering a premium experience as well as driving commercial goals are my twin priorities in any role, and I see huge personal professional opportunity with my new role with Time Grand Plaza Hotel as well as significant opportunities to take the hotel to a new level of performance. My international exposure has given me a unique perspective on all aspects of the business and I look forward to working with Mr. Awadalla, my corporate colleagues and the hotel teams, said Fabiano. - TradeArabia News Service
Wyoming lawmakers are short $156.6 million for the current two-year funding cycle, according to a report released Monday morning.

That means when legislators convene in January in Cheyenne, they will have to make up the difference through program cuts, tax increases or spending the rainy day fund.

The current shortfall is the result of the largest revenue decrease in recent memory.

The report was released by the Consensus Revenue Estimating Group. CREG is composed of economists and fiscal analysts from the executive and legislative branches, a common practice among states to ensure revenue projections are not politicized.

Don Richards, a legislative employee who is a member of the group, presented most of the report to members of the Legislatures Joint Appropriations Committee, which was meeting in Casper.

When the Legislature adopted the roughly $3 billion budget in March, it balanced: Spending matched revenue expectations. But in the months since the Legislature adjourned, revenues continued to fall.

In the spring, there was an unprecedented decline in coal production, Richards said.

That, combined with low oil and natural gas prices throughout the year, resulted in minerals taxes dropping to lows not seen since 2003. Sales taxes were 20 percent lower in the fiscal year that ended June 30, compared with the previous fiscal year.

The state saw no capital gains, which can be a lucrative source of income on the states investments.

As a result, this is the largest documented single drop in revenue over the course of a fiscal year since CREG was established in 1983, the report states.

The shortfall would have been worse had Gov. Matt Mead not made budget cuts over the summer, which amounted to saving $250.7 million, the CREG report states. Wyoming also will receive an estimated $61 million from a portion of the severance tax, known as the 1 percent diversion, which will be available for state government, instead of stashed away in savings. The Legislature decided to not save the 1 percent this year.

The report also announced the final number of the shortfall from last fiscal year, which policymakers had tried to estimate for months: $148.3 million.

Lawmakers were digesting the report Monday.

Rep. Steve Harshman, a chairman of the Appropriations committee, said his colleagues have no appetite for raising taxes.

I think theyre more on the reduction side, and spending the savings, the Casper Republican said.

In Wyoming, public schools are not paid for from the states general fund, as in some other states. Instead, there is an account that pays for K-12 operations. In recent years, lawmakers spent $3 billion during each two-year budget cycle on schools. But the shortfall for that account is expected to be $370 million a year, over $700 million for a biennium, if the Legislature continues to use the current funding method to educate children.

In addition to the JAC, over 60 people filled the room, including many lobbyists from Cheyenne as well as lawmakers from Casper, Cheyenne, Lingle and Sheridan.

Sen. Ogden Driskill, R-Devils Tower, woke up at 5 a.m. to drive three hours to Casper for the presentation.

This is our bible for the session, he said.

About 50 percent of the states operating funds come from coal, oil and natural gas. CREG projected production levels and prices into the future.

The states economy may be stabilizing, although the new norm may be lower than in recent years.

Richards noted natural gas prices have begun to climb.

The number of rigs operating in the state have rebounded significantly, he said.

In September, there were 16 rigs drilling for oil and gas in Wyoming, up from seven in June. However, in August 2015, there 25 rigs and in August 2014, there were 56 rigs, he said.

In the fiscal year that ended in June, 300 million tons of coal were produced in the Cowboy State at a price of around $13.50 a ton. That is decreasing, according to the CREG report. Projections show by 2022 the state will produce just 275 million tons of coal at about $13.25 a ton.

Wyoming is the nations top coal-producing state. However, low natural gas prices have hit coal hard. Over the long term, regulations combating climate change will force utilities to create more electricity from natural gas power, which will decrease demand on coal.

The CREG report also found that last fiscal year, 70 million barrels of oil came from Wyoming at an average price of $36 a barrel. While production will decrease, prices will climb, the report states. By 2022, Wyoming will produce 62 million barrels. But the price will be $50 a barrel.

Natural gas prices will also increase, while production will decrease, the report projected. In 2016, Wyoming produced about 1.9 billion British thermal units at a price of $2.50 per BTU. By 2022, the state will produce about $1.7 billion per million BTUs at a price of $3.25 a million BTU.
The would-be developer of a nonexistent Wyoming power plant pleaded guilty Friday to one charge of fraud and could face up to five years in prison and thousands of dollars in fines.

Federal officials accused Michael Ruffatto, developer of the Two Elk power plant project in Campbell County, of collecting millions of government dollars and using them in unacceptable ways.

The fraud plea is one more strike against a project mired in controversy. In two decades, it has faced accusations of unpaid property taxes, misused funds and air quality violations.

Ruffatto, president of North American Power Group of Denver, first proposed the 300-megawatt power plant in 1996 as a way to use waste coal. The plant was never built despite receiving millions of dollars in federal and state grants.

The developer pleaded guilty to one charge alleging that in 2011 he fraudulently billed a federal agency for $363,668 from a Department of Energy stimulus grant. The grant was intended to research carbon sequestration and storage, according to documents filed Aug. 9 in the U.S. District Court of Pennsylvania.

Two Elk Energy Project also won about $10 million in stimulus dollars in 2009 and 2010. Of the $7.8 million given to the developer and company, the government demanded $5.7 million be returned because the money was used for unauthorized costs, federal officials said. Uses included $5.6 million paid to North American Land and Livestock, $3,000 in legal fees and $528 in travel costs.

The grant application stated the money would be used to drill three shallow wells, one deep well and college new data.

Company officials have said they will return the funds.

Ruffatto will be sentenced Feb. 3.Follow Managing Editor Christine Peterson on Twitter @PetersonOutside
Tuesday support meetings

Alcoholics Anonymous: 6:30 a.m., 917 N. Beech; 8:30 a.m., 500 S. Wolcott; 10 a.m., 328 E. A; noon, 500 S. Wolcott; 2 p.m., 917 N. Beech; 5:30 p.m., 1124 Elma, Imitate the Image Church; 5:30 p.m., 328 E. A; 7 p.m., 520 CY; 8 p.m., 328-1/2 E. A (upstairs); 8 p.m., 328 E. A; 8 p.m., 917 N. Beech. Douglas: 7:30 p.m., 628 E. Richards (upstairs in back). Unless otherwise noted, all meetings are open. Casper info: 266-9578; Douglas info: (307) 351-1688.

Narcotics Anonymous: Noon, 500 S. Wolcott, 12-24 Club; 7 p.m., 15th and Melrose, at the church. Web site: http://www.urmrna.org.

Pumpkins with a purpose

Pumpkin sales at the second annual Meals on Wheels pumpkin patch continue through Oct. 31. All pumpkins are grown in Wyoming. Hours of operation will be Monday through Wednesday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Thursday and Friday, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Meals On Wheels Building, 1760 E. 12th St. For more information, please call 265-8659 or visit www.mealswheels.com. Find us on Facebook under Natrona County Meals On Wheels.

Free depression screening at CWCC

Central Wyoming Counseling Center offers information about depression and other mood disorders during October from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday in its main lobby, 1430 Wilkins Circle.

Guests will learn about depression and complete a confidential written screening. Finally, each participant will discuss the results of their screening with one of CWCCs mental health professionals. Attendees will receive educational materials on depression and other mood disorders.

Launching Little Learners: Tiny Tots

The Natrona County Librarys Launching Little Learners: Tiny Tots program for babies and toddlers is held each Tuesday at 10:30 a.m. at both the main library and Mills branch. In addition to being fun, free outings for children and families, Tiny Tots instills the joy of reading at a young age and helps prepare children for school. Call 577-READ ext. 5 for more information.

Medication disposal

Please bring your expired or unused medications to the Casper Senior Center, 1831 E. Fourth St., from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. These medications will be safely disposed of so you dont have to worry about them ending up in the wrong hands or the water supply. Prevention Management Organization of Wyoming and law enforcement will be collecting both prescription and over-the-counter medications. This event is open to the public. For more information, call 472-5991.

NARFE sets social

Casper Chapter #358 of the National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association (NARFE) will have a no-host social meeting at noon in the meeting room of the Casper Senior Center, 1831 E. Fourth St.

Historic Bishop Home fall tour hours

The Historic Bishop Home, a member of the Casper Museum Consortium, is open for fall/winter tours every Tuesday and Saturday from 12:30 to 3:30 p.m. The fee is $2 per individual. The home is located at 818 E. Second St., on the north side of the street between Lincoln and Jefferson. Visitors are welcome to learn the unique history of Casper, Natrona County, and Wyoming through a real family who lived, laughed, and labored in this historic home for over 100 years. The home is also available for rental for events. Parking is available behind the home off Lincoln Street. For additional information visit www.cadomafoundation.org or call 235 5277.

Blue ribbon school celebration

Fort Caspar Academy hosts a National Blue Ribbon School celebration at 2:45 p.m. at the Academy, 4100 W. 38th St. in Wolf Creek.

Pumpkin Patch

open at FCC

The Pumpkin Patch at First Christian Church, 520 CY Ave., is open from 4 to 7 p.m. FCC has chosen Central Wyoming Hospice to receive 60 percent of its net proceeds from the patch this year.

Midwest School update meeting

Please join us for an update meeting on the Midwest School re-entry plan with Geosyntec (industrial hygienist), FDL, Casper Natrona County Health Department and NCSD #1 at 6 p.m. at the Salt Creek Community Rec Center in Midwest.

Corvette Cruise and Dine Tuesdays

Cruise and Dines, sponsored by Central Wyoming Corvettes, are every Tuesday through Nov. 8. Bring your Corvette and meet at Whites Chevrolet at 6 p.m. Take a short cruise to a local restaurant for dinner. Guests or new members are welcome. See us on Facebook or visit our website.

Halloween light house ready

The fourth annual Halloween light show at 3148 Whispering Springs is ready for viewing from 6 to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 6 to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday through October. There will be candy for children on Halloween night. This show is our way to give back to our community for their support over the last five years. We have raised in the neighborhood of 8,000 pounds of food, along with cash donations, for Joshuas Storehouse from our shows that we have put on. We will start the food drive for Joshuas with the Christmas light show on Nov. 25.

Family Game Night

All ages are invited to play Bunco at the Natrona County Library at 6:30 p.m. Pizza will be provided by the Friends of the Library. Call 577-READ ext. 2 or email reference@natronacountylibrary.org for more information.

Teen Book Club

A teen book discussion, sponsored by the Natrona County Library, will be held at 6:30 p.m. at Metro Coffee Co. This months novel is Asylum by Madeleine Roux. The group is open to teens in grades 9-12. Participants receive a free drink at Metro, courtesy of the Friends of the Library. To participate, pick up a copy of Asylum in the Librarys Teen Zone. The Teen Book Club meets the last Tuesday of every month and new members are always welcome. Call 577-READ ext. 101 for more information.

Dog obedience class starts

A class aimed at creating great companion dogs is being offered at Casper College.

Dog Obedience (CMSV 2100 80) will provide instruction on socialization, house training, mouthing and good nutrition. It will also help train dogs to come when called and to develop good manners. The importance of veterinarian care, and many other topics will also be covered, according to instructors Jana Oler and Dawn Miller.

Dogs of all ages are allowed in the class; however, dogs less than a year old are encouraged to take Puppy Kindergarten. Owners are asked not to bring their dog to the first session and will be asked to sign a liability release form and provide proof of rabies vacation for each dog.

Classes will be held each Tuesday evening from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. through Dec. 6 at Casper College.

Registration is currently underway at Casper College. For more information or to register, contact Laura Ryan, community education specialist, at 268-3399 or lburnett@caspercollege.edu.

One-night country swing set

Casper College will offer Country Swing: Intermediate (CMSV 0039 80) as a one-night workshop.

Taught by Machelle Holloway, the class will run from 7 to 9 p.m. and costs $15 per person. The class is open to anyone who has taken the Country Swing I class offered at Casper College. Students must register with a partner, and teens are welcome.

For more information call Laura Ryan, community education specialist, at 268-3399.
Conceptual drawings for a new $19 million art building at Casper College were unveiled this week, though state funding delays are expected.

The project is part of the colleges long-range master plan, and Tuesdays presentation to the Board of Trustees was a progress report on a $300,000 state grant for preliminary planning and designs.

The Goodstein Visual Arts Center was completed in 1977, and the initial thought was to simply add on. But Casper College President Darren Divine said it became apparent it would be more cost-effective to build anew.

It started out as a remodel, but because of the unique uses of the building  the foundry, the kilns  the committee got together  and they sat down with the architects and decided that its really got to be a new building, Divine explained. Its just too cost prohibitive to remodel. It doesnt make sense.

The proposal calls for a two-story, 34,000-square-foot building that would double the space of the current facility.

The new one would be built on the north side of the existing building, and then the old building would be torn down, said Eric Unruh, dean of the College of Arts and Humanities. Thats so we could stay operational during construction.

Two key factors going into the decision were safety and space.

A lots happened in ventilation, and the way that art buildings are constructed for safety  to industry standards  they typically are industrial-type buildings, Unruh said. There have been so many vast improvements, and our building doesnt meet those standards anymore.

One example was the safety zone required around machinery and equipment. Welding and the woodshop are now in the same area.

Theres a very regulated amount of space that needs to be around certain pieces of equipment to be used properly and safely ... right now we have to shove all of the equipment up against the wall then one piece comes out, its utilized, then its pushed back up against the wall, Olson said.

The existing facilities also lack common areas for students and staff, as well as sufficient storage.

Weve filled the current space to capacity, and we dont have room for certain things that we vitally need to do, such as house the art collection on campus, Olson said. One of the biggest things we dont have is a safe place for the students to gather and have communal spaces.

A larger building would also allow for growth.

We have almost 90 majors right now, and we have majors from other disciplines that come in to fulfill the cultural environment portion of their general education, and they take care of that with us, Olson said.

Board president Roy Cohee was very supportive of the addition to the campus but aware state budget cutbacks would likely push it lower on its priority list.

I do believe it will happen, but it may be two to three years, if and when the state of Wyoming begins to come back out of its financial doldrums, Cohee said.

I think the Legislature and the governor will exercise some prudence in saying OK, lets spend money on what we have to spend money on, and is this item extremely essential? Cohee continued. Well, theres a lot of people who would probably say no, we probably need to do some other things.

Funding for the building would be split between the college and the state. Cohee said the college does not have the budget to cover the required match, and its share would come through donations from the community and foundations.

Those that have done well in this community have been very, very gracious over the last 50 years, Cohee said. Those benefactors have been extremely forthcoming, and I dont see any reason that that will stop.

Cohee said a bond issue has not been considered.

I know that the college has some room, some capacity, on its bonding limit, but as far as I know that it hasnt been discussed, at least amongst the board, Cohee said. So, to answer the question, not that Im aware of.

Divine noted while it was unusual for the state to give initial planning money and not follow through with funds for architectural plans and construction, he understood the budget constraints.

It was not put in the (state) budget this year  we didnt expect it would, Divine said. Were hopeful it will be put in next year and then start construction in the summer of 2018. I think thats probably the earliest that we would see.

Its sorely needed for the college. I think it would be a huge asset.
The Bureau of Indian Affairs has established a special court to handle cases against members of the Eastern Shoshone Tribe on the Wind River Reservation.

The new Court of Indian Offenses was established last week at the behest of the Shoshone Business Council. Cases involving members of the Northern Arapaho will continue to be heard by the Shoshone and Arapaho Tribal Court.

Tribal Court Chief Judge John St. Clair announced the new system at a hearing Thursday. St. Clair said tribal court would maintain jurisdiction over cases against Shoshone members that are already pending.

That distinction is notable because St. Clair is currently considering sentences for leaders of the Shoshone Business Council on contempt of court charges.

The charges stem from claims that the Shoshone illegally attempted to shut down the tribal court.

At the hearing Thursday, St. Clair said he would announce his judgment in 30 days. The Shoshone leaders could face tens of thousands of dollars in fines as well as months in prison.

While the Shoshone defendants did not appear in court, lawyers for the Arapaho were present and encouraged the judge to imprison the Shoshone leadership.

The Shoshone and Arapaho share the Wind River Reservation in east-central Wyoming and are currently engaged in a dispute over the operation of joint programs on the reservation.

Federal funding for the joint tribal court expired on Sept. 30, and the Arapaho began funding the court and paying the salaries of its employees. The Shoshone council rejected this arrangement and said the court no longer had legal authority over their membership.

BIA Wind River Agency Superintendent Norma Gourneau had informed both tribal councils on Oct. 4 that a Court of Indian Offenses, also called a CFR court, had been established on Oct. 1. However, no such court had been established and the tribal court was the only judicial system on the reservation until Thursday.

Shoshone chairman Darwin St. Clair Jr. asked the BIA to establish a Court of Indian Offenses on the reservation in an Oct. 10 email.

The BIAs failure to take immediate action will lead to self-help, confusion about law and order, and ultimate absence of the rule of law on the Reservation, the chairman wrote.

The Arapaho said that a CFR court would violate their sovereignty.

Creating a CFR court that has jurisdiction only over the Shoshone appears to be a compromise by the BIA that seeks to meet the demands of both nations on the reservation. However, questions remain about which court will have jurisdiction over people charged with crimes on the reservation who are not members of either tribe.

CFR court judge Thelma Stiffarm did not immediately respond to an email seeking clarification on Monday.
DENVER  A Colorado lawmaker and voter are suing in hopes of overturning a state law that bars people from taking photos of their ballots.

Republican state Sen. Owen Hill and Scott Romano of Littleton filed suit in federal court Monday arguing the law violates free speech.

"Ballot selfies" are a misdemeanor in Colorado.

A review by The Associated Press found 18 states have laws against sharing ballot photos. Six other states bar photography in polling places but permit photos of mail-in ballots.

Courts have struck down bans in New Hampshire and Indiana, and rules have been changed in California and Rhode Island.

The Colorado lawsuit names the secretary of state and attorney general as defendants. They didn't immediately respond to requests for comment.
BILLINGS, Mont.  A 34-year-old Missoula man with a previous state conviction for promoting prostitution has denied federal charges that allege he forced two women into sex trafficking.

Terrance Tyrell Edwards pleaded not guilty Monday to two counts of sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion; three counts of transportation of a minor with intent to engage in prostitution and one count of obstructing a sex trafficking investigation. He remains jailed without bond.

Edwards was arrested in Billings on Sept. 21 after a woman called police with the phone Edwards had apparently given her for customer calls.

Prosecutors allege Edwards had lured two women into sex trafficking and had just returned to Billings with three teenage girls from the Midwest when he was arrested.
House District 41 was a rare example of a Wyoming district with contested Republican and Democratic primaries.

Now, voters will decide which of the winners of those primaries will represent them in the Legislature.

Amy Simpson, a Democrat, is running against Bill Henderson, a Republican.

House District 41 is in north-central Cheyenne, running from Yellowstone Road in the west to Whitney Road in the east. It generally extends from the Dell Range Boulevard area south to Pershing Boulevard and then Lincolnway east of Converse Avenue.

It is represented by Rep. Ken Esquibel, D-Cheyenne, who is running for the Senate District 4 seat.

Much of the information in this story comes from candidate forums held last week by the Greater Cheyenne Chamber of Commerce and the League of Women Voters.

The Henderson and Simpson League of Women Voters debate is contained in the video available at https://youtu.be/wAQpGwZBVwI.

Henderson

Henderson said the Legislature needs to work together to move the state forward.

Im running because I want to serve people in the community, he said, later adding, I believe that we need strong advocates in our Legislature, especially in times like these.

Henderson said he is open to talking about Medicaid expansion and said access to health care is also an issue, especially in rural communities.

He said he wants to learn more about proposals to transfer federal land to the state, but the state needs to be careful about the topic.

I think as a people we have a wonderful opportunity here to make sure that we do this the right way, he said.

Concerning education, Henderson said, We have to be smart about our money, particularly when our children are involved.

Of education funding, he said he has sat in on legislative meetings and said, Im confident people are taking a very close, hard look on this.

He also said the state needs to get teachers back to teaching and off of being administrators and data collectors.

Henderson said the state needs a plan for using the rainy-day fund, and the state also needs to be aware of how much money is in the rainy-day fund before its spent.

The bottom line is we have a state budget crisis, and we need to get it fixed, he said.

Henderson said he will be available to people in the district.

I believe we have a lot of problems that just good communication and fiscal common sense can solve, he said.

Simpson

Simpson, who is in her 27th year in public education, said shes known for honesty and integrity and is running to give back to the state.

She said she has an ability to bring people together and focus on creating a long-term vision.

Simpson said the state needs to dip into the rainy-day fund temporarily and then develop a long-term plan for a more stable budget.

We budget from cycle to cycle and bury our heads in the sand, she said.

Simpson also feels that simply making cuts wont lead to a better financial future for Wyoming.

I challenge all the legislators who think we can just cut our way to fiscal prosperity in the state  I disagree, she said. We have to be smart about it. We cant just slash our budget in the name of making cuts.

Simpson also places high importance on education funding, and said the fact that about 900 students in Laramie County are in modular classrooms is not acceptable.

Simpson is absolutely in favor of Medicaid expansion.

We have 20,000 Wyoming citizens that are suffering needlessly  and that is not the Wyoming way, she said

Simpson said not expanding the program is definitely not fiscally conservative or prudent.

This makes no sense from an economic standpoint, she said of not expanding Medicaid.

Further, Wyoming needs to find ways to retain quality health-care providers, she said.

Simpson is also against transferring federal land to the state, saying that they could be sold to the highest bidder in order to generate revenue.

State ownership of federal lands will result in reduced public access, she said.

Simpson said that as a lawmaker, her decisions would be guided by whether a certain piece of legislation helps the people of Wyoming.

I will do my due diligence and my homework and my research, she said.
On Thursday afternoon, Greta Anderson was riding north on the North Fourth Avenue bicycle boulevard with her smiling preschool daughter safely strapped into a bike seat behind her.

Its a route the pair takes twice a day, and when she heard that the City Council had decided just the day before to drop speed limits on such bike routes from 25 mph to 20, she was supportive.

Five mph means (cars) have more time to see bikes and pedestrians and stop, she said.

Bicycle boulevards are residential roadways where traffic-calming measures like speed humps, ample signage and pavement markings are used to make them safer and more inviting for cyclists and pedestrians.

As fate would have it, moments after the Road Runner thanked Anderson for her time and rode south, she came across a badly bloodied cyclist a few blocks away who had just been hit by a car at the boulevards intersection with East Drachman Street.

The circumstances of the accident werent clear, and Anderson later told the Road Runner that the cyclist was reluctant to discuss it with her. But the intersection in question has a roundabout with yield signs at each entrance, as well as ample signage indicating that the roadway has heavy bike traffic.

Wrecks like the one Anderson witnessed  and the one your humble columnist was nearly in when another driver buzzed through yet another four-way yield intersection  are less likely to happen and less likely to be serious when they do with bike boulevards. At least that was what several members of the City Council argued during the Wednesday study session.

This is a significant help in reducing accidents by reducing speed five miles, said Mayor Jonathan Rothschild, referencing information provided by city staff.

What was intended to be a conversation about rolling out a pilot speed reduction project on just one of the citys two established bike boulevards quickly turned into one about implementing it on both, and doing the same for all future bike boulevards as they come online. Those two routes are the Third Street/University Boulevard and Fourth Avenue/Fontana Avenue bike boulevards.

We dont need to study what we know already works, Councilman Steve Kozachik said.

The council voted unanimously to direct city staff to implement the changes, which mostly involves swapping out 25 mph signs within the next 60 days. The cost for the change on the Fourth Avenue/Fontana boulevard, which was originally going to be the sole site, was estimated at less than $5,000.

Poll: Is it a good idea to drop bike boulevard speed limits to 20 mph? You voted: Yes No Unsure Vote View Results Back

The proposal, versions of which have already been implemented in cities like Portland, Seattle and Berkeley, California, has strong data behind it. In addition to decreasing the total number of bicycle and pedestrian vehicle collisions, the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety found an unsurprising but striking exponential relationship between a vehicles speed at impact and the likelihood of serious pedestrian injury or death.

The nonprofit news outlet ProPublica compiled that data, which shows that the chances of a pedestrian of average age being killed by a vehicle jumps from 7 percent at 20 mph to 12 percent at 25 mph. At just over 40 mph, half are killed.

Lets localize that data: between 2001 and 2008 there were 82 reported bike-vehicle collisions on a stretch of Broadway and just nine on Third Street, which has an active bike boulevard, despite the fact that roughly seven times as many cyclists use the latter, according to data recently compiled by the city. Put another way, Broadway, which has higher speeds and more traffic, is about 70 times more dangerous than calmer, largely residential Third Street.

Though the change passed unanimously, several present raised concerns.

Lowering the speed limit doesnt lower the speed, City Manager Michael Ortega said, echoing several others who pointed out that enforcement needs to be a part of the change.

He pointed to the University of Arizonas semi-annual traffic enforcement efforts as one way to handle that and also said outreach has to be a part of the rollout.

Theres also a community piece, he added. Making people know that we are serious about it as a community.

Rothschild suggested that the Tucson Police Department could reserve citations for serious speeding along bike boulevards, and warnings for those closer to the old 25 mph limit. Our department is not looking to give tickets for 25 in a 20, he added.

After the meeting, Kozachik told the Road Runner that the change was likely to be well received in neighborhoods along the two routes, and that drive times would be minimally impacted by the speed reduction.

Additional bike boulevards, which will also likely see their speed limits reduced, are likely in the near to mid-term along Liberty and San Francisco avenues, Fifth Street, Treat Avenue, Third Street, Copper and Flower streets and Ninth and Eighth streets, according to a recently released city master plan. The city has identified 64 corridors and 193 miles of roadway for future boulevard development, work that will cost an estimated $31.7 million.

To test Kozachiks claim about how readily people will accept the change, the Road Runner hopped on his bike and headed to the proposed routes to chat with soon-to-be affected residents.

Alexis Ramirez, who lives along the Fourth/Fontana boulevard, said the change was a great idea.

Its only five mph, he added. Its not a big deal.

Blonzetta Shannon agreed, but was skeptical that drivers would abide by the new limits. Romel Ojeda, who just pulled up to his apartment in his compact car, thought there were more cons than pros.

From the perspective of drivers, its going to create more traffic, he added.

Three votes for and one against is pretty close to the results of recent public opinion surveys conducted by former UA College of Public Health student Krista Hansen. Hansen is now with Living Streets Alliance and the citys Bicycle and Pedestrian Program.

Of the 1,360 who responded to her online survey, 63 percent said they would support a measure like the one the city just approved. Unsurprisingly, avid bikers were more likely to feel that way.

But what do you think? Youll find a poll accompanying the online version of this story, and the results will be shared in the next column.
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Help India!

By TCN News,

New Delhi: The Indian American Muslim Council has called the Babri Masjid case a continuing travesty of justice while urging peace and restraint on the eve of the 20th anniversary of its demolition.

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The case regarding Babri Masjids destruction has dragged on for two decades, without any prosecution of Mr. Advani, Sadhvi Rithambara and 66 others who were declared culpable by the Liberhan Commission for their role in the demolition and the ensuing violence.

The Babri Masjid case cuts at the very foundations of our secular Republic, said Shaheen Khateeb, President of IAMC. The scars left on our national fabric by the heinous crime committed 20 years ago, can be healed only through an objective, impartial and speedy judicial process based on facts, added Mr. Khateeb.

The Babri Masjid issue can be resolved through prompt judicial action and not through violence and intimidation, noted Mr. Khateeb.

IAMC has also called for a reaffirmation of the The Place of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991 that prohibits the conversion of any place of worship and provides for the maintenance of its religious character as it existed on 15th August, 1947. Although this Act does not apply to the Babri Masjid, its reaffirmation is necessary to ensure that other places of worship are not engulfed in the same sectarian and divisive politics that Babri Masjid fell victim to.

Link:

http://www.iamc.com
Help India!

By Shubha Singh, IANS,

Faridabad : Once a week young Satish, who lives in this industrial town abutting the Indian capital, has a video chat with a woman in New York whom he calls Radha bua (fathers sister). Neither Satish nor his father, Shyam Yadav, have ever met his bua and their only connection to her is through an ancestor, Mahesh, who left for British Guiana (Guyana) about 110 years ago.

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Mahesh and Shyams great grandfathers were brothers. The two sides of the family came to know of each after Radha, a New York-based accountant, had a genealogical search to locate her ancestral origins in India. Radha had always been keen to know more about her grandfather, Maheshs life and her own link with India. That connection has been revived and Radha is happy to find relatives in India and chats regularly with Satish, who is the only one in the family able to speak fluent English.

Mahesh was among over half a million Indians who were taken to work on sugarcane plantations in the Caribbean during colonial times. Though the Indian workers were on contract to work for 5 to 10 years, circumstances forced most of them to stay back and they lost contact with their families in India.

Radha knew very little else about her ancestors journey to Guyana except that he came from a small village in northern India. The search for her ancestors origins was like a detective story with careful sifting through clues and bits of information gleaned through talking to elderly relatives.

Radha turned to a family friend, Ashwini Kumar, who carried out the search. Kumar explained that it was a difficult task since we did not have any information to start with. It took more than two years to complete the search.

Radhas own immediate family had migrated from Guyana to the United States and Canada, but one of her aunts recalled the name of the ship that Mahesh had travelled on. Mahesh was not an uncommon name and in those days the Indian migrants used only one name, so it was a difficult task to identify the right person. Fortunately, another aunt recalled that Mahesh had gone to Fiji before reaching British Guiana. That was an important clue which narrowed down the search.

Kumar searched through passenger lists of ships, picking out the passengers named Mahesh. He then looked for the notation r/f on the manifest  it stood from returnee from Fiji. It meant that Mahesh had gone to Fiji as an indentured worker, returned home after his term was over and then re-indentured himself to go to British Guiana. The passenger list for 1902 showed one Mahesh with the link to Fiji. Records in the National Archives in Georgetown, Guyana, gave other details such as fathers name, village address in India and next of kin.

Armed with this information, a local researcher in India reached Bibipur village under the jurisdiction of Karimdinpur police station in Ghazipur district of Uttar Pradesh. The village sarpanch claimed that one of his ancestors had gone abroad, but could give no other information. While talking to the village elders, one of them recalled that a person named Mahesh from Shyam Yadavs family had gone abroad. Shyams brother was able to give undisclosed details such as the name of Maheshs father and next of kin to prove the connection.

Radhas niece Rohini came out to India in October 2012. She spent a week at Shyam Yadavs home in Faridabad and travelled to Bibipur village. Radha intends to visit soon but till then, she keeps in touch with newly-discovered relatives through video chat with young Satish translating the queries and comments of his family members.

Satish says: We stay in touch. We talk of different things about the family, about our lives. Bua says how keen she is to come and visit us and go and see the village where her purvaj (ancestor) came from. But she has to take care of her mother, who is ill. She will however visit us soon. For Radha it is a deeply emotional connection.

(Shubha Singh can be contacted at [email protected])
Help India!

By TCN News

Bijnor (UP): To commemorate 100 years of Maarif, a monthly Urdu magazine, a symposium titled, Hundred years of Maarif: a milestone in Urdu journalism was organised by Shafiq Ahmad Ansari Memorial Trust, Najibabad on Sunday, October 22 in Bijnor, Uttar Pradesh.

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Maarif has been published by Shibli Academy, Azamgarh since 1916.

Former Governor of Uttarakhand, U.P. and Mizoram, Aziz Qureshi participated as Chief Guest in the Symposium. Two special numbers of Maarif, based on its editorials, were released on this occasion.

While stressing audience to work for the issues related to the community, Aziz Qureshi said , Maarif is the great asset of the community.

In the beginning of the function, Naushad Ansari while welcoming the guests and the audience said, Taking into account the educational and literary services of Maarif spanning a century, it was necessary to organise the centenary celebrations of Maarif befitting its status and prestige, that was why we selected Najibabad and invited most eminent scholars and literary persons for these celebrations.

Professor Ishtiyaq Ahmad Zilli in his presidential address said, Maarif is not only a biography of Indian Muslims but it is their entire encyclopedia. It is the treasure of knowledge. One can have a fair idea about the problems of muslims, about the start of their journey and the place where they stand today by going through the pages of Maarif.

Akhtarul Wasey, Guest of Honour, who is an expert in Islamic Studies and Vice Chancellor, Maulana Azad University, Jodhpur said, Maarif is the collection of our educational, literary and philosophical history encompassing a hundred years.

Professor Humayun Murad, Guest of the Honor and a former President, Staff club, AMU, Aligarh said, Shibli Academy and Maarif both have raised our head high in the field of education and scholarship.

Prof. Khalid Mahmood, former Head, Department of Urdu, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi said, the people of Najibabad have proved that they truly understand and recognise the significance of Maarif.

He further said, any history of the interpretation of Ghalib and Iqbal cant be complete without Maarif.

Naushad Ahmad Ansari, the main person behind organising the Symposium was presented by the Shibli Academy, Azamgarh a deluxe edition of Siratun Nabi (SAW).

Other prominent persons who spoke on the occasion included Dr. Omair Manzar, Associate Professor, Maulana Azad National Urdu University Hyderabad; Mohammed Zaigham Khan, former president, AMU Old Boys Association Riyadh; Qazi Arshad Masood, former captain, Shooting Club, AMU; Harpal Singh, former District Government Counsel, Bijnor and Arif Mohammed Khan, a famous advocate and an AMU alumni.
Help India!

By Raqib Hameed Naik, TwoCircles.net

New Delhi: Danish Ahmed Khan, founder and editor of Delhi-based news website Indian Muslim Observer was on Saturday, October 22 threatened by an unknown caller and asked to shut up. The call was followed by an abusive SMS.

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Since I am a journalist running a Muslim News Portal and my mobile number is public on my website as well as Facebook profile, I therefore have been sent a message to shut up. This is how journalists and Muslims are being threatened of dire consequences by Hindutva goons and mischief mongers. Will Muslims be continued to be threatened like this under Narendra Modi regime? asked Khan.

Danish Ahmad Khan (Courtesy: Facebook)

The unknown caller can be clearly heard abusing and making derogatory remarks against a particular community in the recording of the call, which is available with Twocircles.net.

Khan has already lodged a formal complaint against the caller in the Jamia Nagar Police station on October 23 and requested to forward the complaint to cyber cell for necessary action. Besides, the editor has also written to Superintendent of Police, Cyber Crime Investigation Cell, Central Bureau of Investigation.

Meanwhile, the social networking website Facebook has taken down the post of Danish Ahmed in which he has mentioned threat call and message to him by Hindutva goons, citing violation of community standards.

When TCN staff reporter tried to contact the unknown caller, for his side of version, he too was abused by him.
Chinese Vietnamese wave flags at Cam Ranh International Port to welcome the Chinese naval fleet, which started a five-day visit on Saturday.Chen Jun / China News Agency

China and Vietnam should expand military cooperation to a higher level and into more fields, analysts said after a PLA naval fleet began a five-day visit to a Vietnamese port.

Yin Zhuo, director of the People's Liberation Army Navy's Expert Consultation Committee, said there should be more meetings between high-ranking officers, as deeper understanding would boost political and diplomatic ties.

He said both countries could also send students to take part in exchanges to communicate theories and strategies.

"The two militaries are supportive of joint patrols in Beibu Bay by the China Coast Guard and Vietnam's border defense force," Yin said. "The two sides can open collaboration on anti-terrorism, crackdowns on cross-border crime and border security.

"A higher level of bilateral cooperation can also help strengthen military collaboration between China and other Southeast Asian nations."

Li Jie at the PLA Naval Military Studies Research Institute said there are many areas in which the Chinese and Vietnamese navies can cooperate, such as combating piracy and in disaster relief. "Whether the two navies can enhance their cooperation depends on political decisions and the level of mutual trust," he said.

The Chinese fleet arrived at Cam Ranh International Port in Khanh Hoa province on Saturday.

The 23rd PLA naval escort task force, which completed a mission in the Gulf of Aden in September, comprises two Type-054A frigates - CNS Xiangtan and CNS Zhoushan - and the Type-903A supply ship CNS Chaohu.

Vietnam is the last stop on the fleet's journey home and comes after visits to Myanmar, Malaysia and Cambodia, Senior Captain Wang Hongli, the task force commander, told reporters at Cam Ranh.

"This visit will enhance mutual understanding and promote friendship, thus contributing to bilateral relations at government and military levels," he said.

Chinese fleets have visited Vietnam several times since 2001. In January 2013, the 12th PLA naval escort task force docked at Ho Chi Minh City. However, this is the first time Chinese navy vessels have visited Cam Ranh Bay since it was opened as an international port in March.

According to Vietnam News Agency, the port serves military and civilian ships. Since opening, it has hosted military vessels from Russia, Japan and India. About three weeks ago, two United States Navy ships paid a visit, becoming the first US vessels to enter Cam Ranh Bay since the end of the Vietnam War.

zhaolei@chinadaily.com.cn


About Me

I am an urban/commercial district revitalization and transportation/mobility advocate and consultant and a principal in BicyclePASS, a bicycle facilities systems integration firm, based in Washington, DC. Urban economic competitiveness is dependent on efficient transit and mixed use, compact places. Therefore, I end up writing mostly about mobility and urban design. While I am based in and write about Washington, DC issues, I try to write so that "universal lessons" are evident in the entries.

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Over the course of his entire presidential campaign, Donald Trump has been in a war with the media, often accusing news outlets of fabricating negatives stories about him to hurt his White House bid. While Trump's battle with the media is at and all-time high, there's one story that most mainstream media outlets have avoided reporting.

Trump lawsuit

In the summer of 1994, a woman known only as "Jane Doe" was allegedly raped and threatened by Trump and convicted pedophile Jeffery Epstein. The woman previously filed a lawsuit in California, but the judge dismissed the case.

Attempting to have her voice heard once again, "Jane Doe" made her case once again and it was strong enough to move forward in a New York court. Federal Judge Ronnie Abrams has since ordered a status conference to be held on December 16, with the legal representatives of both sides being present in the courtroom. As pointed out by the Bipartisan Report on October 23, new details have been revealed, painting a grim and dark picture about what allegedly went down over 20 years ago.

He Tied Plaintiff To A Bed: SICKENING Details Emerge From Trump Rape Case (DOCUMENTS) https://t.co/qejIQvI1Fv pic.twitter.com/cmAz5AVoY5  Bipartisan Report (@Bipartisanism) October 23, 2016

The victim, known as "Jane Doe," filed the lawsuit under her assumed real name of Katie Johnson.

Details in the lawsuit claim that she was the subject of, but not limited to, "acts of rape, sexual misconduct, criminal sexual acts," as well as "false imprisonment" and "threats of death." The incident apparently took place on more than one occasion, with the most emotionally scaring encounter occurring during the fourth and final time.

Federal Judge Orders Hearing in Donald Trump Rape Lawsuit https://t.co/FfKUktP2pm pic.twitter.com/sdhn3mUWx3  LawNewz (@law_newz) October 7, 2016

"Trump tied Plaintiff to a bed, exposed himself to Plaintiff, and then proceeded to forcibly rape Plaintiff," the lawsuit continues, describing the alleged rape as a "savage sexual attack." The plaintiff, "Jane Done" or Katie Johnson, claims she "loudly pleaded" for the former host of "The Apprentice" to stop, before he "violently" struck her face with his hand and informed the victim that he would "do whatever he wanted."

In yet another bizarre twist to the alleged encounter, Epstein reportedly got into a heated exchange with Trump for taking the victim's virginity because he wanted to be the one to do so.

In conclusion, both the Republican nominee and Epstein allegedly told the plaintiff that they would kill her and her family if she ever spoke about what happened.

Moving forward

Following the conclusion of the upcoming election, regardless of the outcome, Trump and his legal team will be headed to court to defend themselves from charges of the alleged rape of a 13-year-old minor. As expected, Trump's attorneys have denied any wrongdoing, but the case making it as far as it has is already raising questions. Over the last three weeks, Trump has been accused of sexual assault by nearly a dozen women, which has caused his poll numbers to drop to historic lows, especially with female voters. According to most pollsters and political pundits, Trump is expected to go down in defeat to Hillary Clintonon November 8.
American actress Shailene Woodley is set to stand trial in North Dakota this upcoming January over her involvement in the Dakota Access Pipeline protest.

What is Dakota Access Pipeline?

The protest was instigated in support of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, who wanted to block the construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline, a $3.8 billion pipeline in their area, which they feared would taint the local water supply inBismarck, North Dakota.Protests over the issue have grown in number over the past few months, and it is believed that around 269 people have been arrested for their involvement.

Woodley had been one of twenty-seven protesters who were arrested October 10. The protest Woodley was involved with was intentionally set on Indigenous People's Day, an American holiday meant to celebrate and honor the indigenous people of North America.

Woodley criticized what the media is ignoring over the arrests

According to reports, the actress has pleaded not guilty to charges of criminal trespass and engaging in a riot, both of which are misdemeanor crimes. If the court finds her guilty, however, she could potentially face two months in prison and around $3,000 in fines.

Although currently pleading not guilty, Woodley released an article to Time, containing a statement in support over what has happened, as it took a white non-native woman being arrested...

to bring this cause to many peoples attention. She also criticized the American habit of romanticizing Native American culture, such as wearing indigenous culturally-inspired clothing or purchasing toy teepees for children, while ignoring the actual people.

She also highlighted her support for the fellow twenty-six protesters who had also been arrested, and criticized the fact that only her arrest made headlines.

Woodley is best known as the star in the Divergent film series. Beforehand, she had also become known as the star of the television series, The Secret Life of the American Teenager and the film, The Fault in Our Stars.
Rabies vaccine is cost-effective given alternative Updated: 2016-10-24 08:17 By MELVIN SANICAS(China Daily)

A Chinese medical worker prepares to vaccinate a young kid at a hospital in Shanghai, China, March 20, 2016. [Photo/IC]

A virus that infects your brain, makes you want to bite things, and which is almost always fatal after symptoms appear probably sounds like something from a zombie movie. But this has been the modus operandi of rabies since at least 2300 BC, when it was described in the Eshuma Code of Babylon. The word's Sanskrit etymologyrabhas, meaning "to do violence"dates back even further, to 3000 BC.

In principle, no human in this day and age should die from rabies, and yet, according to a 2015 study, canine rabies kills 59,000 people each year. That's 160 people every day, and the actual number is higher as cases go unreported. Most of these deaths occur in Asia and Africa, with India alone accounting for one-third of the world's total mortality from rabies.

That total is not as high as the death toll from tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS, and malaria; but, unlike those diseases, every mammal appears to be susceptible to rabies. Dogs, the predominant host in most regions, can become infected from any rabid wild animal, and then infect humans. Dogs showing symptoms may bite a human, but they can also transmit the virus simply by licking if their saliva comes into contact with a scratch, damaged skin, or mucous membrane.

Fortunately, unlike most vaccine-preventable diseases, rabies allows for post-exposure inoculation.

French scientist Louis Pasteur formulated the first rabies vaccine in 1885, by injecting the virus into rabbits, waiting for it to kill them, and then drying the infected nerve tissues to weaken the virus to the point that it could be safely administered. Then he successfully tested it on a 9-year-old boy who had been bitten by a rabid dog. In today's world, Pasteur would be thrown in jail for practicing as an unlicensed physician and not following proper clinical-practice standards; but we can all be thankful for his discovery.

Today, rabies vaccines are grown in a lab using cell cultures. The virus is then rendered inactive, purified, and administered by injection into the arm. The World Health Organization recommends pre-exposure vaccinations for anyone at risk of encountering rabies. This applies to everyone in rabies-endemic countries; unfortunately, not everyone in these countries gets vaccinated.

The rabies vaccine is on the WHO List of Essential Medicines, and has an average wholesale price of $11 per dose in the developing world, and as much as $250 per dose in the United States. Of course, because the alternative to post-exposure vaccination is death, the treatment is extremely cost-effective however one looks at it.

Smallpox, which is believed to have emerged even before rabies, has now been eradicated, and programs are currently under way to put an end to polio, and other infectious ailments. So why is rabies still prevalent?

One reason is that the virus is almost always transmitted by animals, rather than by other humans. To address this, we should be investing in pet vaccinations, reducing stray-animal populations, and enforcing strict quarantines on animals crossing national borders.

In developed countries, preventing rabies largely requires controlling and immunizing wildlife populations, which has proved effective in Switzerland and Germany. In Latin American countries where bat rabies is a threat, bovine vaccines have been used, as have anticoagulants, to kill bats that feed off the blood of the treated cattle.

Ultimately, the world's poorest regions still bear most of the rabies burden. Dogs are not widely vaccinated, as they are in developed countries; and even when they are, their populations turn over very rapidly. Within a year of a large-scale vaccination effort, a new population of unvaccinated dogs will be roaming the streets and increasing the chances of an outbreak.

Meanwhile, developing countries' healthcare systems are already grappling with tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS, and malaria; and post-exposure prophylaxis supplies are limited. Barring real progress on these challenges, one of the world's oldest known viruses will continue to afflict humans and animals alike.

The author is a regional medical expert at Sanofi Pasteur.
Doubts over death sentence should delay its execution Updated: 2016-10-24 08:19 (chinadaily.com.cn)

A gavel in a court. [Photo/IC]

Jia Jinglong is to be executed anytime soon, after he and his attorney were reportedly informed of the Supreme People's Court's approval of his death sentence.

We are not in the position to call a halt. Yet we feel strongly that the order must not be carried out. Not because social media are rife with cries against the ruling. But because the circumstances are anything but normal, and there are some outstanding questions that need to be properly answered. Legal experts, from professors to lawyers, deem the sentence problematic.

Jia shot and killed the head of his village in 2013, and he was convicted of murder. His death sentence is controversial, though, for the murder was a reaction to the ruthless, illicit forced demolition of his home that the victim allegedly masterminded.

Legal professionals have argued that Jia qualifies for a lesser sentence, a reprieve for instance, as he tried to turn himself in and confess to police afterwards.

Considering both the judicial authorities' new emphasis on prudence in applying the death penalty, and the reasonable doubts surrounding the sentence, we urge the court to demonstrate discretion, and avoid the double tragedy to which we are dangerously close.

Whatever happens, Jia's case should not be allowed to slip away as if it were just another regular criminal offense. Because it is not. Outside the courtroom, there are pricey lessons to be learnt.

"I am a victim...from the very beginning," Jia told the first-instance court in self-defense. "I would not have embarked on such a road of no return had there been a way out."

The murder took place months after his home was demolished by force. He called the police in the vain hope of stopping the demolition. He tried to negotiate for compensation afterwards. He lodged complaints to local authorities. He found himself helpless, hopeless, with no way to have justice done.

As in many similar cases, Jia used to be an ordinary citizen concerned primarily about living a normal life. Like others who ended up desperate, vengeful and hurting themselves and others to have their injustices noticed, Jia would probably not have acted as he did if his loss had been properly taken care of.

When residents are victimized by those who have power in their hand, they should not be deprived of the hope of having their wrongs addressed and justice delivered.
Three lines will base ships in Shanghai next year Updated: 2016-10-24 08:28 By Xu Lin(China Daily)

Visitors enjoy their leisure on board a Princess Cruises ship. [Photo provided to China Daily]

Next year, some overseas cruise companies plan to introduce new ships to China, reinforcing their long-term commitment to the market in the country. The cruises will cater to the demands of the Chinese customers, who have become savvy about cruising in recent years.

Here are three cruises that will homeport in Shanghai in 2017, with voyages to Japan and South Korea.

AIDAbella

The German cruise ship AIDAbella is operated by AIDA Cruises, which is owned by global cruise company Costa, a company within the Carnival group.

"For sure we will keep its German heritage on board. It's lifestyle-oriented and will be well accepted by families with multi-generations," says Felix Eichhorn, president of AIDA Cruises.

For many Chinese, "made in Germany" means high quality and they now have the opportunity to enjoy a premium cruise experience.

Guests can enjoy a German beer festival at seataste different German beers and watch traditional Bavarian performances. They can have bites of authentic German dishes and Chinese cuisine such as hotpot, and buy well-known German brands including Rimowa in the duty-free shops.

Those who travel with children can have kids of different ages looked after by professionals, and children can also play with their peers.

This year marks the 10th anniversary of Costa's entry into the China market.
Li calls for prompt US talks Updated: 2016-10-24 11:04 By Hu Yongqi in Beijing(China Daily USA)

Premier Li Keqiang called for pragmatic efforts to promote negotiations for a high-standard China-US bilateral investment treaty as soon as possible at a meeting on Thursday with former United States Treasury secretary Henry Paulson.

Paulson, currently chairman of the Paulson Institute, a think tank aimed at strengthening US-China relations, has been a frequent visitor to China.

He also met with Li last month in New York, along with US experts in finance, media and research, during intervals in meetings at the United Nations.

Li said China introduced the negative list and pre-access national treatment systems into the BIT negotiations. In a sluggish world economy and with rising trade protectionism, strengthening cooperation between the two countries sends a positive signal that promotes investment and trade liberalization, he said.

Li said he hoped both sides would continue to make pragmatic efforts to promote positive outcomes in the negotiations and that they will quickly reach agreement on a high-level investment treaty.

Paulson said his institute will continue to promote bilateral relations.

"The meeting sends a clear message via Paulson to the US that China welcomes foreign investment, including American enterprises, and that the US should uphold trade liberalization and investment facilitation no matter who is elected the new president," said Chen Fengying, a researcher at the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations.

huyongqi@@chinadaily.com.cn
China Telecom expands to Texas Updated: 2016-10-24 11:04 By MAY ZHOU in Houston(China Daily USA)

China Telecom Americas (CTA) has opened an office in Dallas to handle the state's increasing presence of Chinese companies and Chinese.

CTA held an opening ceremony for the branch on Oct 20 in Houston. The office will focus on promoting carrier service under the brand CTExcel, corporate information, communication and technologies (ITC) and cloud solutions, as well as business collaboration with its partners such as AT&T, Huawei and ZTE USA, all with headquarters in Dallas.

Zhao Hui, vice-president at CTA, said that the company primarily focused on serving US companies when it first came to the US in 2000. Beginning in 2013, CTA set up a team to concentrate on serving Chinese companies and Chinese.

"In the past three years, our business has been growing at 60 percent a year," said Zhao. "We provide comprehensive ICT services to some of the major Chinese companies in the US, including Bank of China and Fuyao Glass America, which produces a quarter of the auto glass in the US."

CTA's CTExcel carrier service has signed up more than 50,000 customers in the US in a little more than a year, said Zhao. Its service package offers duel sim cards with a US number and a China number, plus free minutes between China and the US. The service has been very popular among Chinese students studying in the US and business people who travel a lot between China and the US.

"Our numbers show that there are more than 300,000 Chinese university students and scholars in the US. If counting primary schools, the number is as high as 450,000. There are many opportunities," said Sun Feng, CTA's mobile business director. In Houston, there are five CTExcel retail stores, with more to come, he said.

CTA has provided service for many high-level visits to the US by Chinese government officials.

The opening event was co-hosted by the Houston chapter of China General Chamber of Commerce USA (CGCC), with scores of executives attending from Chinese companies, many of them CTA's corporate customers.

Li Shaolin, president of the chamber's Houston chapter, welcomed CTA to Texas and as a new member to the local chapter.

"Our chapter has grown from 39 to 70 in a little over a year. Our goal is to increase it to 80 by August next year. We plan to add associate membership and admit US companies to further benefit our member's business collaboration," he said.

Li Qiangmin, China's consul general in Houston, said that competition in the US telecom market is very fierce, but that CTA's business strategy in the US reflects its confidence in expanding its international business. With more Chinese and businesses coming to Texas, "CTA's Texas office will surely bring new growth to the company," he said.

mayzhou@chinadailyusa.com
Fate of child migrants uncertain before France demolishes Jungle camp Updated: 2016-10-24 09:33 (Agencies)

Migrants carry their belongings as they walk on a road near makeshift shelters on the eve of the evacuation and dismantlement of the camp called the "Jungle" in Calais, France, October 23, 2016. [Photo/Agencies]

CALAIS, France - Aid workers accused France and Britain on Sunday of failing more than 1,300 unaccompanied child migrants whose future remained uncertain just a day before the French government begins dismantling the camp where they are holed up.

Charities operating in the makeshift camp dubbed the "Jungle" near Calais have criticised the slow pace at which British and French officials have processed the papers of children fleeing countries such as Syria, Afghanistan and Eritrea.

The UK government has prioritised children and youths who can claim family ties in Britain and on Friday a French Interior Ministry official said they were still negotiating over hundreds more with no such connections.

"All this should have been done a long time ago," Francois Guennoc from the charity Auberge des Migrants said.

Allaodil, a Sudanese boy who says he is 14, was wandering on Sunday through the Jungle's garbage-strewn mud alleyways, shivering underneath a blanket.

"My brother has been in the United Kingdom, in Glasgow, for three years and has a job there," said Allaodil in faltering English, adding that he wanted to join his elder sibling.

He said the British authorities were aware of his case but still did not know whether he would be granted asylum in Britain or forced to relocate in France.
French museum reveals horror of Nanjing Massacre Updated: 2016-10-24 16:31 By FU JING(China Daily UK)

Daniel Renouf was born in August 1937, days after Japanese troops sparked full-scale war with China with an attack at the Marco Polo Bridge outside Beijing. This was only a few months before the Nanjing Massacre, when more than 300,000 people were slaughtered by Japanese troops.

The retired engineerwhose infancy coincided with many historic eventsand his wife joined hundreds of visitors on Saturday at an exhibition about one of the single most brutal crimes associated with Japan's invasion of China.

At the time of the massacre, Nanjing was the capital of the Republic of China.

The pair, with Renouf's wife holding a cane, carefully examined many of the 270 historical photos, diaries, letters and other documents from Western diplomats, professors, doctors and reporters from the 1930s. The exhibition at the Memorial de Caen museum in France runs until Dec 15.

Renouf said the exhibition has helped refresh his childhood memories of war.

"The year 1937 is very special for us, and we had such very sad historical memories in our minds as we grew," said Renouf, who was one of the last to leave the exhibition, which opened on Saturday afternoon.

"We knew something about the Nanjing Massacre."

Renouf, a resident of Caen, a city about 200 kilometers from Paris, said the exhibition taught him more about the "horrifying pages" of Japanese aggression against China.

"These equal the Nazi crimes in Europe," said Renouf.

Japanese troops killed more than 300,000 civilians and unarmed soldiers within six weeks as they rampaged through Nanjing in 1937. Thousands of women were raped.

The Memorial de Caen museum, which opened in 1988, is dedicated to the history of conflict in the 20th century. It is considered the only European museum to recount and explain World War II from a global perspective.

"You can see that this war started in China, due to Japanese aggression. It was not only in Europe but also in Asia, mainly in China," said Stephane Grimaldi, the museum director. "We want to clarify these historic truths for the public."

Grimaldi said it is "a pity" that China's sacrifice and suffering has not been given sufficient weight in French history books.

"We must cooperate with China to help our next generations remember that it is easy for human beings to make severe mistakes," said Grimaldi, who was invited to attend the National Memorial Day events this year in China.

Grimaldi's suggestion was echoed by Zhang Jianjun, curator of the Memorial Hall for the Victims of the Nanjing Massacre in Nanjing. The memorial hall and Grimaldi's museum organized the French exhibition.

"It is very important for our young generations to remember history, and we can deepen cooperation in organizing exhibitions, history education and joint research," said Zhang, who signed an agreement on cooperation with Grimaldi prior to the exhibition's opening.

Zhai Jun, Chinese ambassador to France, who inaugurated the exhibition, said, "We aim to stop relaying hatred by remembering history."

Also Saturday, a museum dedicated to women used as sex slaves during the war opened in Shanghai. The museum, located at Shanghai Normal University, has displays of items such as condoms belonging to Japanese soldiers during WWII, which researchers obtained when surveying "comfort women" sites created by the Japanese military.
UK is bracing for airports expansion Updated: 2016-10-24 16:52 By CHRIS PETERSON(China Daily UK)

A view of part of Heathrow Airport near London. [REUTERS/ STEFAN WERMUTH]

British Prime Minister Theresa May, faced with an increasing need to boost aviation capacity in the southeast, is expected this week to pick Heathrow Airport, in which China Investment Corp has a 10 percent stake, as the site for extra runway capacity, analysts say.

The decision will be announced in the House of Commons by Transport Secretary Chris Grayling on Tuesday, but will not be followed by an immediate debate.

Instead, there will be more public consultation, with a parliamentary debate scheduled for before the start of 2018.

The issue is a political hot potato, with aviation experts telling the government an extra runway is needed at either Gatwick, south of the capital, or Heathrow, to the west, the main airport. Environmentalists question the need for any expansion.

Last week, May's office said she would chair a small group of ministers to decide which airport would be chosen. She has given ministers opposed to the Heathrow plan, including Education Secretary Justine Greening and Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, permission to air their views for a specified period, a clear indication Heathrow is the preferred option.

Both have constituencies bordering the airport, and Johnson recently told opponents of the expansion: "I will lie down in front of those bulldozers with you to stop the building."

But the Sunday Times predicted neither he nor Greening would resign over the issue.

There have been calls for extra capacity at Heathrow for almost 30 years and successive governments have delayed decisions or called for enquiries, but the subject has become increasingly important with growing passenger traffic. Both Heathrow and Gatwick are operating close to capacity, with an aircraft landing or taking off at Heathrow every 45 seconds.

Last week, China and the UK agreed to increase the number of flights between the countries to 200, with two Chinese carriersHainan Airlines and Tianjing Airlinessaying they would consider more flights.

Gatwick started as a hub for holiday charters and low-cost carriers but has recently been served by international scheduled airlines. Most foreign carriers prefer coveted landing slots at Heathrow.

Gatwick says construction there would impact fewer people and cost less than the estimated 17 billion pounds ($20.8 billion) for Heathrow's expansion.

Last year, an independent Airport Commission decided that Heathrow should get the extra capacity, but the then-prime minister, David Cameron, called for further environmental studies.

In the wake of June's referendum in which Britons voted to leave the European Union, much weight has been attached to airport expansion, which the government sees as reassuring overseas investors that Britain is "open for business".
Chinese fund to channel investment into UK warehousing and logistics Updated: 2016-10-24 21:33 By Cecily Liu in London(chinadaily.com.cn)

A Chinese fund intends to channel 1 billion yuan of investment into the UK's logistics and warehousing industry, to meet the UK's desire to strengthen logistics capacities post Brexit.

Shanghai based private equity firm PGC Capital signed an agreement on Monday with the UK's McCafferty Asset Management Group to launch a UK Logistics Warehouse Investment Scheme, targeting Chinese institutional investors. The actual launch date is yet to be announced.

PGC Capital will extend this scheme to Israel, Germany, South Africa and Switzerland, after successfully testing the water in the UK. McCafferty Group is in charge of selecting actual warehouse projects for investment.

Sangeeta Khorana, a professor of Economics at Bournemouth University, said this scheme comes at a time when the UK is building its own logistics strengths, realizing it can no longer rely on European logistics centers like Germany and Holland for international trade, if it leaves the European single market.

Hence British ports like Liverpool, Southampton Dover and Brighton, as well as London airports and Manchester Airport all require more logistics capacity, said Khorana said.

This week the UK government is due to give green light to adding a new London airport runway. Manchester Airport is meanwhile in process of constructing its 800 million pound business hub around the airport, including a big logistics capacity boost.

PGC Capital's move came at a time of Chinese exporters increasingly building their own logistics centers in the UK to improve supply chain efficiency and add customer service to in the UK, said William Franklin, founder of the London-based China Investors Club.

"We've seen growing Chinese exporters setting up warehousing facilities in the UK particularly in the past 12 months, especially medical devices, advanced machinery and raw materials for the transport sector like metals and steel," Franklin said.

"Since the referendum vote we've seen inquiries from these Chinese exporters grow two-fold. They're keen to build UK warehouse facilities to avoid sending products to EU logistics centers first," Franklin said.

Franklin added that Chinese exporters' warehousing investment in the UK fits into the story of growing Chinese trade along the Belt and Road countries, and he expects warehousing demand along all those countries to grow.

PGC Capital, founded in 2015, is best known in the UK for funding the development of Birmingham's Jewel Court, a project that will build 77 luxury apartments, with construction to finish in 2017.

Denise Li, CEO of PGC Capital, said the warehouse scheme already has in mind 3-5 potential warehouses near Manchester. It will raise 1 billion yuan in a year, and investment will be made with a time horizon of more than 5 years.

The fund will be aimed at Chinese institutional investors and individuals who qualify under the government's Overseas Direct Investment (ODI) scheme, which allows them to invest overseas bypassing China's capital restrictions.

Charles Whittle, CEO of McCafferty Group, said, said he is confident about this scheme, judging on warehouse demand.

The vacancy rate of UK warehouses decreased to 7.1 percent in 2016 compared with 18 percent in 2012, while unit rents have grown rapidly at an annual rate of 5 percent, Whittle said.

To contact the reporter: cecily.liu@chinadailyuk.com
US tells Philippines: We are still your ally Updated: 2016-10-24 14:11 By Mo Jingxi(China Daily)

A senior US diplomat said on Monday that Washington supported Manilas blossoming ties with Beijing, but he assured the Southeast Asian nation that Washington remained its trusted ally.

Daniel Russel, US assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific Affairs

Daniel Russel, US assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, said after meeting with Philippine Foreign Minister Perfecto Yasay in Manila that Washington welcomes improved relations between the Philippines and China, although it should not come at the expense of the United States.

We dont want countries to have to choose between the US and China, he said.

Russels two-day visit came after Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte concluded his first state visit to China, during which he announced his countrys separation from the US and growing ties with China. But Duterte clarified that he only meant a more independent foreign policy and not severance of ties with the Philippines closest friend.

Su Hao, a professor of Asia-Pacific studies at China Foreign Affairs University, said Russels comments showed the typical logic of the US that the interests of regional countries should conform to those of Washington.

This is what Dutertes predecessor had done, but Duterte has realized that this does not help the Philippines and decided to make an adjustment, he said.

Xu Liping, a senior Southeast Asian studies researcher at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said Washington understands Manilas willingness to conduct practical cooperation with Beijing.

However, alliance is the core interest of the US; it will never give it up, he added.

Duterte was expected to begin a visit to Japan on Tuesday. During the visit, Tokyo might ask Manila to resume close relations with Washington, perhaps using economic aid as a condition, Su said.

Reuters and AP contributed to this story.

mojingxi@chinadaily.com.cn
Chinese hostages freed by pirates are heading home Updated: 2016-10-25 04:18 By Pan Zhongming in Nairobi and Wang Qingyun in Beijing(China Daily)

Sailors who were released in Somalia after being held hostage by pirates formore than four years smile, with tears in their eyes, as they arrive in Nairobi, Kenya, on Sunday. AP

Nine of the 10 Chinese sailors released after four-and-a-half years as hostages of Somali pirates boarded a China Southern Airlines flight home from Kenya's capital, Nairobi, on Monday.

One who is sick remained in Kenya.

The sailors, escorted by a working group of the Foreign Ministry, were expected to arrive in Guangzhou, Guangdong province, on Tuesday morning before going to their hometowns.

The 10 Chinese sailors  nine from the Chinese mainland and one from Taiwan  were among 26 hostages released by pirates in Somalia on Saturday. The others are from Indonesia, the Philippines, Cambodia and Vietnam. They were the last of the sailors taken hostage at the height of Somali piracy, although several hostages taken later still remain.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang, at a regular news briefing on Monday, said China has always put priority on ensuring the life and security of the crew members, and he thanked the agencies and people involved in gaining the sailors' release.

Table by China Daily

The sailors were taken captive when their Omani-flagged fishing vessel, the Naham 3, was seized in March 2012 south of the Seychelles.

Pirates initially took 29 crew members hostage, but one person died during the hijacking and two more "succumbed to illness" during their captivity, according to a statement from the US-based group Oceans Beyond Piracy. Of the three who died, one was from the Chinese mainland and one from Taiwan.

"Am so, so happy. Really, am so, so happy. ... Thanks to you all," one of the hostages, Sudi Ahman, whose country was not immediately known, said after being flown to Kenya on Sunday.

Some of the sailors were unable to hold back tears on Sunday, while others hugged each other and smiled broadly.

One of the Chinese sailors arrives at Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi, Kenya, on Sunday. SUNRUIBO/ XINHUA

Bile Hussein, a representative of the pirates, was quoted by media as saying that $1.5 million in ransom was paid for the sailors' release. The claim could not be independently verified.

John Steed, coordinator of Hostage Support Partners, which helped negotiate the release, had gone to the Somali city of Galkayo to fetch the crew of the Naham 3, who had been held hostage for longer than any other crew except for four Thais released last year after nearly five years in captivity.

"The crew members are all malnourished. ... They have spent over four-and-a-half years in deplorable conditions away from their families," he said.

"We have achieved what we achieved today by getting elders, the religious community and local leaders and regional government all involved to put pressure on these guys to release the hostages," Steed added.

He said one of the hostages had a bullet wound in a foot, one had suffered a stroke and another had diabetes.

The weakness of Somalia's central government made it hard for negotiators to reach "emergency contacts", thus compromising intergovernmental efforts, said Yuan Tiecheng of Riskon International, a Beijing-based security service provider.

Such cases usually require involvement of private participants, since a large role by governments might induce kidnappers to raise the ransom amount, Yuan added.

Wang Hanling, a researcher of maritime law of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said the release was difficult due to the fact that maritime piracy had become organized in the region.

"The successful release shows that the Chinese government has indeed tried all it can to ensure the safety of the sailors held hostage, and that China's diplomacy is for its people," Wang said.

International mediators said the action marks a turning point in the long battle against Somali piracy.

Piracy off Somalia's coast was once a serious threat to the global shipping industry. Attacks have dropped off dramatically in recent years amid patrols by the navies of China, India and NATO countries.

Wang, the CASS researcher, said the incident shows that it's necessary to continue such patrols to ensure the safety of the region.

At the peak of the piracy epidemic in January 2011, Somali pirates held 736 hostages and 32 boats.

According to Oceans Beyond Piracy, while overall numbers are down in the Western Indian Ocean, pirates in the region attacked at least 306 seafarers last year.

While there has not been a successful attack on a commercial vessel since 2012, there have been several on fishing boats. Ten Iranians taken hostage last year and three Kenyans  one a seriously ill, paralyzed woman  remain in the hands of pirates, said Steed.

Agence France-Presse and The Associated Press contributed to this story.

Contact the writers at panzhongming@chinadaily.com.cn
Houston Chinese school thrilled with new campus Updated: 2016-10-25 05:34 By MAY ZHOU in Houston(chinadaily.com.cn)

From right, Houston City Council Member Mike Laster, HISD trustee Harvin Moore, Mandarin Immersion Magnet School Principal Chao-Lin Chang and state Representative Gene Wu (left) cut the ribbon for the opening of the school's new campus on Monday in Houston. MAY ZHOU / CHINA DAILY

Mandarin Immersion Magnet School (MIMS), one of the largest immersion schools teaching Mandarin Chinese in the US, on Monday celebrated its new $32 million campus situated in the Galleria district.

The Houston Independent School District (HISD) established MIMS in 2012. It started with pre-kindergarten through second grades with an additional grade added each year.

It now serves more than 500 pre-K to sixth-grade students with the last two grades to be added by 2018. Before this fall, MIMS had been housed in a small elementary school built in 1953.

With a building design themed in Chinese bright red, a school logo of a dragon and phoenix, colorful lanterns, and Chinese calligraphy and dragon dances, the celebration took on a distinctively Chinese cultural flavor.

"Our building was designed to reflect the sun and moon. There are a lot of bright colors with natural lights coming in. There are state-of-the-art science labs, dedicated space for technology, art and music. During the past two short months here, we all have really fallen in love with this space," Chao-Lin Chang, MIMS principal, said in welcoming remarks.

According to Chang, of the school's 25 current teachers, 13 are Chinese-speaking. "Our goal is to have about 50 teachers when the school is at full capacity, with about 900 students from pre-K to eighth grade. We will always maintain our Chinese teachers' ratio at 50 percent."

By the time students complete eighth grade, they will have the high school course equivalent in Chinese. Supporting them in pursuit of continuing their Chinese-language study is another issue for the school to consider, Chang said.

HISD public data show that the MIMS demographic is made up of roughly 31 percent Asians, and 20 percent white, Hispanic and African-American students.

HISD trustee Harvin Moore told how the school got started.

"It's an amazing school, and it took us seven years to get here," Moore said. "It was literally seven years ago that the superintendent at that time told me that I ought to visit China with the College Board to learn about dual-language programs. He said that Mandarin would be great for our students.

"On that trip, I met a principal from San Diego who ran a school much like this one. After seeing it working well in San Diego, I thought it could and would work in Houston," Moore said, adding that kids get smarter when immersed in two languages from a young age.

Moore, who sent his son to MIMS, called the school a great success, with a waiting list of eight students for each available spot.

"When the school is fully built up in two more years, it will be the largest in the nation," Moore said.

"I was here since it started from first grade. In Chinese classes, we learn science, math and Chinese, and we learn the rest of our subjects in English," said Eden Roberts, a sixth grader and vice president of the MIMS Student Council. "Half of the teachers teach in Chinese only. They use pictures and body language to help us understand. It's fun and it works. We don't just learn Mandarin; we also learn about Chinese culture. We talk a lot about values," Roberts said.

Texas state Representative Gene Wu said that MIMS truly represents where Houston is going, where Texas is going, and where the US is going.

"Asian American is the fastest growing group in the entire nation. If you drive down from here to Westchase district, you will see that many Chinese companies are moving in from overseas to build their regional headquarters in the US in Houston. It's the welcoming spirit of a school like this; it's this type of embrace of everyone from every walk of life and every culture that is drawing people to our city," Wu said.

Chinese Consul Duan Fenghua was impressed with the students' Mandarin speaking.

"Already they can use Chinese fluently to express themselves. The students are the leaders of the future. They are not only learning the language but also the culture. They will have a better understanding of diversity. This is the first such Chinese immersion school in Texas. We would certainly like to lend some support in the future," said Duan.

mayzhou@chinadailyusa.com
Chinese actress Ma Yili visits Liping County of Guizhou province to learn about integrated approaches to United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) Early Childhood Development (ECD) project for children 0-3. [Photo/China.org.cn]

Renowned Chinese actress Ma Yili has shared her experiences of a visit to Liping county of Guizhou province to learn about the integrated approaches to United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) Early Childhood Development (ECD) project for youngsters up to three years of age.

Ma made the field trip in September, which was her first after her appointment as UNICEF Ambassador for China.

"I was so impressed by these active young children. They were so engaged, stimulated and thriving," she told a press conference held in the UNICEF China office in Beijing. "As a mother, I realize how important it is for parents and communities to learn about ECD. Children need good nutrition, healthcare, stimulation, responsive caring and a safe environment starting from the earliest period of their lives."

Ma visited the local health clinic in Huanggang village of Liping county, where families with young children have received primary healthcare services including child growth monitoring, development screening, counseling and nutritional intervention.

"In the village, I met a few mothers breastfeeding their babies. I was so happy to see that breastfeeding is a popular practice in rural areas. Some of the babies are more than one or two years of age."
The third largest city in Missouri, Springfield is a beautiful weekend destination, home to great museums, attractions, restaurants and shops. Visit new Johnny Morris Wonders of Wildlife National Museum & Aquarium, check out the Springfield Art Museum, tour the Fantastic Caverns, and explore the Air and Military Museum of the Ozarks. Best things to do in Springfield, Missouri with kids include the Discovery Center of Springfield, Dickerson Park Zoo, the Rutledge-Wilson Farm Community Park, and the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame.

We recommend that you call the attractions and restaurants ahead of your visit to confirm current opening times.

1. Discovery Center of Springfield  Discovery Center of Springfield

The Discovery Center of Springfield is a hands-on, cool, fun, interactive museum that inspires learning through exploration and discovery. The Discovery Center presents a variety of fascinating exhibits, programs, and displays that offer a fun and inspiring educational resource, allowing visitors of all ages to develop critical thinking skills. Covering subject matter from science and technology to art, history, and culture, the DCS provides visitors with opportunities to explore the inner workings of an eyeball, dig for dinosaur bones, learn about other cultures of the world, ride the HighWire bike, and take home a sample of their own DNA. DCS also offers a range of educational outreach programs and hosts events such as Earth Day, Pi Day, Nano Day, and scout nights. The Discovery Center of Springfield is one of the top family attractions. 438 E. St. Louis Street, Springfield, Missouri, Phone: 417-862-9910

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2. Springfield Art Museum  Springfield Art Museum

A small group of women founded the Springfield Art Museum in 1926, and today it is the citys oldest cultural institution and one of the best things to do in Springfield, Missouri. Established to inspire and educate the public about the preservation and appreciation of art, the Springfield Art Museum has a permanent collection of over 10,000 works of art in its permanent collection spanning numerous time periods and cultures, as well as rotating and traveling exhibitions. Special collections include the Art of the Midwest, American water media, and printmaking, as well as pottery and ceramics from Europe. Several large-scale sculptures are on display throughout the grounds, including a well-known Springfield landmark, Sun Target II by John Henry. 1111 E Brookside Drive, Springfield, Missouri, Phone: 417-837-5700R

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3. Fantastic Caverns  Courtesy of macropixel - Fotolia.com

Explore the spectacular beauty of Fantastic Caverns, a vast underground cave carved out by an ancient river just northwest of Springfield. Discovered by John Knox and his hunting dog in 1862, the cavern quickly became a popular destination for exploration, and today, visitors can enjoy a 55-minute guided ride-through tour in a Jeep-drawn tram. Soak up the magnitude of the splendor and tranquility of the cave on a quiet, controlled drive through the cave where the temperature hovers around 60 degrees. If you are wondering what to see in Springfield, Missouri with kids, this is a great place to visit. Trolley-led tours are held every day, except for Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. 4872 North Farm Road 125, Springfield, Missouri, Phone: 417-833-2010



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4. Botanical Center at Nathanael Greene/Close Memorial Park  Courtesy of Suzanne Plumette - Fotolia.com



Nathanael Greene/Close Memorial Park and Arboretum is a magnificent 114-acre park located just across from Horton Smith Golf Course. The 12,700-square-foot Botanical Center is also part of the park. The gardens and arboretum were built as a learning resource for the students of University of Missouri and local gardeners, and they serve as an outdoor classroom and a plant laboratory. They were also constructed for anyone who loves vast green spaces, lush trees and bushes, and nature in general. There are 2.8 miles of trails around the banks of Lake Drummond for joggers, walkers, and bikers. Dr. Bill Roston Butterfly House delights children and students with colorful insects, allowing them to see all the stages these creatures go through. Nobody can stay untouched by the timeless beauty of the Mizumoto Japanese Stroll Garden. If you are wondering what to see in Springfield, Missouri, this beautiful outdoor space is a great place to start. There is so much to see here that captures and showcases the beauty of the native Ozarks. 2400 S. Scenic, Springfield, MO 65807, 417-891-1515

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5. Hammons Field, Springfield, Missouri  Courtesy of aceshot - Fotolia.com



The Springfield Cardinals are the Double-A Texas League affiliate of the 11-time World Champion St. Louis Cardinals, and the team is based at Hammons Field in downtown Springfield. Owned and operated by the St. Louis Cardinals, they are one of eight teams in the Texas League. The stadium is unique due to its two baseball- specific outbuildings outside of the right-field walls, the larger of which serves as a fully furnished indoor practice facility with astroturf, batting cages, and a small diamond for drills. The stadium, which can accommodate nearly 8,000 fans, also features 28 luxury box suites, VIP lounges, bar areas, and a balcony area, as well as one of the largest electronic scoreboards and JumboTrons in the country. Named as one of the most striking minor league stadiums in the country, the home of the Springfield Cardinals enjoys crowds at every game. 955 E Trafficway St, Springfield, Missouri, Phone: 417-869-4274

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6. The Air and Military Museum of the Ozarks  The Air and Military Museum of the Ozarks



The Air and Military Museum of the Ozarks was established in 1989 with the aim of restoring, preserving, and displaying the military history and memorabilia of the Ozarks for the public. Dedicated to the men and women who fought and died in the Armed Forces to preserve America's freedom, the museum is home to a collection of more than 5,000 objects of military history, including vintage military equipment like a Cobra helicopter, a T-33 jet aircraft, and Army Jeeps and trucks. Visitors can enjoy a hands-on experience at the museum by taking an imaginary flight in a Cobra helicopter, typing a message on an old Teletype machine, or having a personalized dog tag made. The museum also runs some special projects and field trips for students, and it hosts birthday parties as well. 2305 E Kearney St, Springfield, Missouri, Phone: 417-864-7997

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7. Dickerson Park Zoo, Springfield, Missouri  Courtesy of Darryl - Fotolia.com

Dickerson Park Zoo was founded with the objectives of educating the public and inspiring them to take an interest in wildlife and nature and conservation. The zoo is currently home to more than 500 animals that represent 160 different species, and it is involved in several conservation projects, including the Species Survival Plan, which involves Asian elephants, maned wolves, and cheetahs. The zoo also features in-house and outreach community programs that focus on conservation. Check their website for things to do this weekend. 1401 W Norton Rd, Springfield, MO 65803, Phone: 417-864-1800



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8. Springfield Conservation Nature Center  Courtesy of munst 64804 - Fotolia.com

Located in southeast Springfield, the Springfield Conservation Nature Center is a 79-acre natural landscape consisting of woodlands, forests, glades, prairies, and Lake Springfield, and it offers visitors an array of recreational and outdoor activities to enjoy. The Nature Center boasts over three miles of hiking trails of varying distances, which can be used for hiking, and wildlife watching. Self-guided displays and exhibits are scattered throughout the park for educational and reference purposes, and guided tours are available free of charge for groups, though they need to be booked in advance. Special events are held in the park throughout the year, including Eagle Days during winter, Native Plant Sales and Seminars during spring, Insect-O-Rama during August, and a Halloween-based event in October. 4601 S Nature Center Way, Springfield, Missouri, Phone: 417-888-4237



9. Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World  Courtesy of Sergey Ryzhov - Fotolia.com

Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World is the original and largest of the Bass Pro Shops in the country. Bass Pro Shops is a premier outdoor retailer with stores across America and Canada, and the company specializes in fishing and boating equipment as well as equipment and gear for other outdoor activities such as hunting and camping. Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World is a retail mecca for outdoor sportsmen with more than 500,000 square feet of space dedicated to the outdoors, and it also features aquariums, waterfalls, a firing range, TRACKER boat showroom, and the NRA Museum and Archery Hall of Fame. Shop for all your outdoor clothing, footwear, cooking, and equipment needs, as well as nature-themed gifts and relax over a coffee afterward at the Hemingways Blue Water Cafe. 1935 S. Campbell Ave., Springfield, Missouri, Phone: 417-887-7334

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10. Mother's Brewing Company  Courtesy of volhanalhachova - Fotolia.com

Mother's Brewing Company is a locally-owned brewery that produces and distributes craft beers. Located on South Grant in Downtown Springfield, Mothers Brewing Company produces a range of craft beer from year-rounder labels such as Towhead and Three Blind Mice to seasonal beers like Oktoberfest, Winter Grind and Spring Batch, along with other popular labels. Visitors can take a tour of Mothers Brewery and learn about the processes of beer making, bottling, and distribution, and participate in a tasting session in the Tasting Room afterwards. Mothers Tours are held every Saturday afternoon and are on a first come, first served basis. 215 South Grant, Springfield, Missouri, Phone: 417-862-0423



11. Hotel Vandivort, Springfield, Missouri  Hotel Vandivort

Visit the newly renovated Hotel Vandivort to dine at The Order restaurant or stay overnight in one of the stylish accommodations. Located in Downtown Springfields historic center, Hotel Vandivort is a modern, upscale boutique hotel surrounded by an array of attractions and entertainment. Originally built in 1906 as a Masonic Temple, the hotel has been beautifully restored to its former glory to create a stylish base in the heart of downtown for both leisure and business travelers. Luxurious rooms range from Master and Balcony Suites to Humble King and Queen rooms, all of which feature spacious interiors, lovely en-suite bathrooms, and modern amenities, including a mini-bar, fridge, coffeemaker and snack basket, as well as HD televisions and climate control. Guests can dine at The Order, which serves modern Missouri cuisine and craft cocktails in an elegant setting or enjoy a meal in the privacy of their rooms with in-room dining service. Hotel Vandivort is conveniently located within walking distance of several attractions and an array of shopping, dining, and entertainment. 305 E. Walnut, Springfield, Missouri, Phone: 417-832-1515

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12. Things to Do in Springfield: Missouri Sports Hall of Fame  Missouri Sports Hall of Fame

The Missouri Sports Hall of Fame is dedicated to celebrating the outstanding achievements of athletes from Missouri, and it hopes to inspire and encourage future athletes to succeed. Located on East Stan Musial Drive, the Sports Hall of Fame is home to over 4,000 items of sports memorabilia showcased in a range of displays and exhibits throughout two floors. Several interactive exhibits present hands-on experiences, such as racing in a NASCAR simulator, batting against a Major League Baseball pitcher, and throwing football passes. Alongside the Hall of Fame is the Legends Walk of Fame where busts and statues of famous sports figures honor the athletes in whose images they were made. Renowned inductees to the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame include St Louis Cardinals baseball player Stan Musial and Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Len Dawson. 3861 East Stan Musial Drive, Springfield, Missouri, Phone: 417-889-3100



13. Route 66 Springfield Visitor Center  Route 66 Springfield Visitor Center

The Route 66 Springfield Visitor Center is the perfect place to start your Route 66 experience and to discover a wealth of information about the city of Springfield and its attractions and surroundings. The modern visitors center has expert staff on hand to provide information and answer any questions, and it also offers maps, guides, driving directions, and a wealth of information on what to see and do in the Springfield area. Check in with the staff as to what events are happening during your time in Springfield and join the locals for a fun-filled experience. 815 E. St. Louis St., Suite 100, Springfield, Missouri, Phone: 417-881-5300



14. Rutledge-Wilson Farm Community Park  Credit: Springfield-Greene County Park Board

The Rutledge-Wilson Farm Community Park is a 207-acre farm park that celebrates the rich agricultural heritage of the area. Established to provide educational and recreational resources for the community, the park features a range of demonstration crops and gardens, an animal and milking barn, 20-acre native prairie and pasturelands, a farm-themed playground for children, and scenic Wilson's Creek. If you are wondering what to do in Springfield with kids on a sunny day, this is a great park to explore. Visitors to the farm can enjoy a range of activities such as farm animal meet-and-greets, fishing in the farm pond, walking and running along the paved mile-long farm trail, or shopping in the farms gift shop. Rutledge-Wilson Farm Community Park hosts several community events throughout the year and is open year round. 3825 W. Farm Road 146, Springfield, Missouri, Phone: 417-837-5949



15. Relics Antique Mall, Springfield, MO  Relics Antique Mall



Relics Antique Mall is the largest antique mall in Missouri, featuring 90,000 square feet of antiques and vintage collectibles. Located at 2015 W. Battlefield in Springfield with a second location in Mount Vernon, the mall gives antique lovers and collectors the opportunity to find everything they could want here, including furniture, home decor, arts and crafts, clothing, jewelry, trinkets, and other old treasures. An old world tearoom serves delicious freshly made cuisine, tea, and coffee, and the mall hosts several antique-related events throughout the year. 2015 W. Battlefield, Springfield, Missouri, Phone: 417-885-0007R

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16. Lake Springfield Park, Boathouse, and Marina  Courtesy of Tatiana - Fotolia.com



Lake Springfield Park is a beautiful natural area around Lake Springfield that offers an array of recreational and outdoor activities. There are two nature trails in the park, the Greenways Trail and the Greater Ozark Audubon Trails, both of which offer excellent wildlife and bird watching opportunities. Visitors can enjoy fishing from the shoreline during park hours, and they can rent kayaks and canoes to explore the edges of the lake or the James River Linear Park Water Trail, which runs from Galloway Creek to Creighton Beach. Two beautiful pavilions, the Hilltop Pavilion and the Northwoods Pavilion, present lovely places to picnic and soak up the views. 5324 S. Kissick Avenue, Springfield, Missouri, Phone: 417-891-1550



17. Wonders Of Wildlife National Museum & Aquarium  Wonders Of Wildlife National Museum



The Johnny Morris' Wonders of Wildlife National Museum and Aquarium, also called Wonders of Wildlife, is the largest fish and wildlife attraction in the world. Opened in 2017, this not-for-profit conservation-themed educational attraction is located in Springfield, Missouri. The 350,000-square-foot space consists of two distinct parts  the museum and the aquarium. The Wildlife Museum features a number of wildlife galleries with taxidermized animals from all over the world. They are displayed in very detailed dioramas that represent various natural habitats. Besides animals, the gallery also has historic artifacts, films, artwork, and occasional special exhibits. The 1.5-million-gallon aquarium is home to 35,000 fish, reptiles, amphibians, birds, and mammals. These are showcased in distinct themes such as an ocean shipwreck, an Ozark forest, a Louisiana swamp, and the Amazon rainforest. 500 W Sunshine St, Springfield, MO 65807, Phone: 888-222-6060

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18. Wilson's Creek National Battlefield  Courtesy of Iuliia - Fotolia.comDavid Watkins



Wilson's Creek National Battlefield near Republic, Missouri, is the site of the Battle of Wilson's Creek. The battle was fought on August 10, 1861, and was the first major battle of the American Civil War fought west of the Mississippi River. Wilson Creek is also the site of the death of Nathaniel Lyon, the first Union general to be killed in action. The battlefield is very well preserved and attracts more than 200,000 visitors each year. The park has a 4.9-mile paved tour road that allows visitors to have a self-guided auto tour of the battlefield at their own pace. There are eight stops at specific significant points in the battle, complete with interpretative signs, as well as trails for walking, hiking, and horseback riding. The Civil War Museum, which is a part of Battlefield Park, has a significant collection of artifacts that help to better understand the bloody events that took place west of the Mississippi as well as the people involved. 6424 W Farm Rd 182, Republic, MO 65738



19. Mizumoto Japanese Stroll Garden  Andriy Blokhin/stock.adobe.com



The Mizumoto Japanese Stroll Garden is located within the Springfield Botanical Gardens and is the sites oldest attraction. This beautiful garden encompasses approximately 7.5 acres and features traditional landscaping of Japanese gardens, a tea house, a meditation garden, a moon bridge, and a large lake with koi. Created during the 1980s, Mizumoto Japanese Stroll Garden was established in partnership with the city of Isesaki, the Sister City of Springfield, Missouri in Japan. Open on a seasonal basis from the month of April through the month of October, the garden is consistently ranked as one of the citys top attractions. 2400 S. Scenic Ave, Springfield, MO 65803, 417-891-1515

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20. Pythian Castle  Pythian Castle



Pythian Castle in Springfield, Missouri was constructed back in the year 1913 by the Knights of Pythias with the original purpose of serving as an orphanage. Later, the building was used for over fifty years by the United States military. The certified haunted castle has now become one of the areas must-see attractions. Visitors to Pythian Castle can join one of the history tours offered to explore the castle. In addition to the history tours, interactive murder mystery dinner ghost tours, and holiday events are held at Pythian Castle as well, providing a more unique and interesting visit. 1451 E Pythian St, Springfield, MO 65802, 417-865-1464



21. Route 66 Car Museum  sutthiwat srikhrueadam EyeEm/stock.adobe.com



The Route 66 Car Museum features approximately 20,000 square feet of space and is home to a privately owned collection of more than sixty cars, including movie cars, classic cars from 1907 to 1980, and sports cars. This collection was started when Guy Mace bought his first Jaguar in 1990 and includes the 1926 Kissel Brougham, the 1933 Auburn 12, the 1936 Horch, a Morgan from 1963 once owned by General Norman Schwarzkopf, two Rolls Royces, seven Jaguars, the Gotham Roadster, the truck from the 'Grapes of Wrath movie, and much more. Theres also a variety of automobile memorabilia. 1634 W College St, Springfield, MO 65806, 417-861-8004



22. Juanita K. Hammons Hall for the Performing Arts  Juanita K. Hammons Hall for the Performing Arts



Juanita K. Hammons Hall for the Performing Arts is located on Missouri State Universitys campus in Springfield and attracts patrons from all over the region. The performing arts venue consists a theatre with 2,264 seats including an orchestra pit and multi-level boxes, an on-site computerized box office, both private and public reception areas, a spacious foyer-style multi-level lobby, break areas, loading dock, green room, cast lounge, dressing rooms, and backstage facilities. A full season is presented at Hammons Hall, including childrens shows, a wide variety of entertainment ranging from theatre to dance to classical music, and touring Broadway musicals. 525 S John Q Hammons Pkwy, Springfield, MO 65806, 417-836-7678

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23. History Museum on the Square  History Museum on the Square Situated in Springfield, right on historic Route 66, the History Museum on the Square is made up of six different permanent galleries that help share stories about significant events that took place in the city and the surrounding area. The museum also strives for the galleries to create intentional and distinct dialogues about history, individuals, and objects that examine the unique aspects of the region and its people. These six galleries include Birthplace of Route 66, Will Hickok and the American West, Civil War in Springfield, Pioneers and Founders at the Crossroads; Trains, Trolleys and Transportation; and Native Crossroads at the Spring. 154 Park Central Square, Springfield, MO 65806, 417-831-1976



24. Bass Pro Archery Hall of Fame  Bass Pro Shops Established in 1971, the Bass Pro Archery Hall of Fame first opened its doors at its first permanent location in 2012. Located at Springfields Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World, this 3,500-square-foot facility features one of the worlds most unique memorabilia collections depicting the history of archery. Items in the collection at the Archery Hall of Fame include an authentic bow built dating back to around the year 1900 that was crafted by the Apache War Chief Geronimo and the original first compound bow prototype made by Holles Wilbur Allen, 2020 inductee and former resident of Billings, Missouri. 1935 S. Campbell Ave, Springfield, MO 65807, 417-891-5346



25. Cafe Cusco  New Africa/stock.adobe.com Cafe Cusco is considered to be a hidden gem of a restaurant in Springfield, Missouri and a favorite among locals. Situated on Commercial Street, also known locally as C Street, this popular Peruvian eatery within the citys Historic District is located inside a restored building that dates back to the year 1883. The menu at Cafe Cusco features a variety of Latin dishes, such as arroz con pollo, fried yucca, Andean tamales, ceviche, and anticuchos. There are also unique desserts like the apricot tres leches and lucuma cheesecake. The full bar offers a secret recipe sangria, pisco sours, mojitos, and more. 234 E Commercial St, Springfield, MO 65803, 417-868-8088



25 Best Things to Do in Springfield, Missouri

Attraction Spotlight: Fantastic Caverns

Fantastic Caverns is a vast underground network of caves carved out by an ancient river in the Branson - Springfield area of Southwest Missouri. Discovered by John Knox and his hunting dog in 1862, the caverns quickly became a popular destination to explore and today, visitors can enjoy a 55-minute guided ride-through tour in a Jeep-drawn tram.

The Caverns, which are America's only ride-through cave, were first discovered by the Ozarks farmer in 1962 and further explored five years later when 12 women from Springfield ventured into the cave after a newspaper advertised they were looking for small-bodied climbers and left their names on one of the interior walls. During the Prohibition years, the caverns have used a speakeasy and utilized by the Klu Klux Klan, who held meetings and performed cross-burnings in the Grand Ballroom. They hosted music concerts during the 1950s and 1960s, and radio shows during the 1970s.

Ride-through tours began in the Fantastic Caverns in 1961 using post-World War Two Jeeps with gas powered engines. The tours were popular, but the cave walls didnt fare very well with all the exhaust fumes from the automobiles, and eventually the vehicles were upgraded to run on cleaner propane.

Due to the fragility of the caves, tours are offered in customized jeep-drawn trams and offer visitors the opportunity to explore and experience the magnitude, the splendor and the tranquility of these great caverns while preserving its natural features. There is also one stage of the tour where visitors can touch a section of low ceiling dead stalactites, which are thousands of years old. Inside the caves, the temperature hovers around 60 degrees throughout the year.

Fantastic Caverns is a two level branch work cave. At one stage in the caves history, each level was filled with water but drained away over time to leave the vast caverns that are seen today. The jeep tours run on the dry upper level of the caves as the lower level is a wet weather stream and acts as a channel for streams of water during the rainy season, which moves through the cave to a discharge point at the nearby Indian Spring. Sometimes during a very rainy season, water on the lower level will back up and overflow into the upper level and flood the cave, causing all tours to be canceled. The water, however, is vital for the region as it fills and supplies wells in the area.

Fantastic Caverns is America's ride-through cave that offers tailored jeep-drawn tram tours to experience the natural beauty of the caves without putting them at risk. The comfortable jeeps cater for all ages and take visitors on a geological journey back in time as they travel through vast brightly lit passageways with thousands of speleothems, stalactites and stalagmites, massive columns, little soda straws, cave pearls, and flowstones, all created by water a drop at a time. Tours are down entirely by tram, and there is no walking involved and temperatures inside the cave stay around 60 degrees, making it an excellent all-season experience.

Fantastic Caverns offers a variety of educational programs, workshops, and classes for learners of all ages ranging from home school programs and classroom study guides to adventure tours.

The Adventure Tour is an exclusive 90-minute hands-on educational experience that uses the Caverns underground classroom where students are equipped with lanterns and work at a fossil dig site,' exploring, uncovering and identifying different fossils. Students learn about the animals that live in caves and catch glimpses of unique creatures such as cave crayfish or blind cavefish by lantern light.

Designed for school and scout groups, and summer school, the Mastodons Program is a 90-minute program that includes the all-riding tour through the caverns and exploring the world of paleontology. The tour includes a simulated paleontology dig in search of prehistoric animal remains, exploring a Mastodon track-way and using math skills to estimate the animal's size, weight, and gait.
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HA NOI  Industry insiders are concerned the cement industry will find it hard to meet the target of selling 75-77 million tonnes of cement this year due to market difficulties.

The target is up 3.2-6 per cent against last year.

To meet the target, the industry has to sell at least 20 million tonnes in the last quarter, or seven million tonnes per month.

Viet Nam Cement Association Chairman Nguyen Quang Cung said it would be hard to meet the target as sales of the product in the domestic market this year rose insignificantly while exports decreased.

Representatives from a cement production company who declined to be named said sales of cement currently faced many difficulties, explaining that domestic cement supply is exceeding demand.

According to statistics from the Ministry of Construction, in the first nine months of this year, the industry sold 55.25 million tonnes of cement.

Of the total, roughly 43.55 million tonnes were sold in the domestic market, up 7.7 per cent against the same period last year.

However, exports of cement and clinker in the period declined by some 2 per cent year-on-year to 11.7 million tonnes. Industry insiders attributed the decline to fierce competition with products of other producers from Thailand and China.

Viet Nam is currently ranked the worlds fifth largest cement exporter and the first in the Southeast Asia region, however, the countrys export volume is, in fact, much lower than Thailands.

Thai cement is more competitive than Viet Nam as it has many traditional customers, besides advantages in transport and good quality.

Viet Nam is also finding it difficult to compete against China as its cement factories, whose design capacity exceeds the demand of some 670 million tonnes - equal to roughly eight times Viet Nams total cement design capacity - which is why they often sell their products at low prices.  VNS
HCM City  Around 76 per cent of Vietnamese internet protocol (IP) cameras are susceptible to illegal access because users keep the fixed accounts of the makers rather than changing them, a report by the Bach Khoa Technology Group (BKAV) revealed on Thursday.

Network security experts said that the fixed accounts of IT cameras have been popularised but camera providers have not warned their customers about the threat of malware and havent guided customers to change accounts and passwords.

Users should change IP camera accounts and passwords immediately when they install them or they can turn off the remote access function if it is not necessary, a BKAV expert said.

Besides IP cameras, the report also mentioned professional security cameras, which are being used to hack computer systems from remote areas.

The report said that in 2014, there were 730,000 professional security cameras hacked and 733 came from Viet Nam.

At the third quarter of this year, there were 7,000 trojan attacks (harmful code to steal information) or 35 per cent of malware for mobile phone appearing everyday, a figure that has doubled from the same period last year (around 18 per cent).

Trojan has become the most popular malware in the world. Trojan has been often put inside one common application or game. Mobile owners use the application or game while trojan quietly sends to hackers all information, such as messages, name lists, calls, or even banking accounts and passwords and other important data in a mobile phone.

The strong increase of trojan brings a huge benefit for hackers because they can steal money from banking accounts or cheating and blackmail, the expert added.

To avoid such risks, he warned all mobile phone users must be careful to install a new application and equip security software for their phones.

Earlier, another Internet security, Trend Micro, also warned that Android malware had been very widespread in the Google Play store.  VNS
by Thien Ly

After postponing it for several years, Sai Gon Alcohol, Beer and Beverage Corporation (Sabeco) is finally likely to go public this year following the Governments urgent call to divest shares in large State-owned enterprises in which it does not need to hold controlling stakes.

On October 5 Sabecos executive board made an announcement at a shareholders meeting to get opinions about a proposal to list the companys shares on the HCM Stock Exchange (HOSE) this year.

If approved by the shareholders, Sabeco will likely make an initial public offering (IPO) this year.

At the annual shareholders meeting in May many shareholders asked the chairman why the company had postponed listing its shares on the stock market, which it should have done nine years ago after the company was equitised.

Not only Sabeco but also many other major companies face a similar situation after failing to go public several times.

Among them is Sabecos northern peer, Ha Noi Beer Alcohol and Beverage Corporation (Habeco). Like Sabeco, this company was also equitised nine years ago and has planned several times to make an IPO, but all the plans have remained on paper.

However, Habecos tardiness seems worse than Sabecos since the latter immediately came up with a clear plan to list this year following the Governments plea while the former has taken no action to date.

Another major company that is also said to have postponed listing of its shares is Viet Nam Textile and Garment Group(Vinatex). The company failed to carry out its plan to list on the UPCoM market as scheduled in March. Recently Vinatex has also been rumoured to have plans to list on HOSE.

But nobody knows exactly when Vinatex will list though its plan to go public was approved at its annual shareholders meeting last year.

In recent years the Ministry of Transport has been appreciated for its efforts to equitise the companies it runs. Yet, the number of transport enterprises to have listed remains modest despite the fact that many of them have several times planned to go public after being equitised.

At its annual shareholders meeting this year ACVs leadership pledged to list on UpCoM by late June after shareholders approved a plan to go public. But nothing has happened to date.

Explaining the equitised enterprises delay in going public, the managers of many eligible enterprises said they had made certain efforts to list their shares on the stock market.

But it is not an easy task because they need to carefully consider many factors to effectively protect their brand names and sell their shares at the highest prices to bring the maximum possible benefits to the shareholders, they said.

In the face of the enterprises delay, the Government recently issued Document No 1786 requiring State-owned enterprises that are already equitised to register for listing their shares on the stock markets in line with current regulations before November 1 this year.

In 2014 too the Government had issued a decision on capital withdrawal, stake sale, trading and listing by State-owned businesses.

It said that in case of businesses that had transformed into joint stock companies before the effective date of the decision, the States board representatives would have to co-ordinate and persuade the businesses to complete listing within one year.

This means that many equitised businesses that have not listed are violating this decision.

Analysts said, however, that Document No 1786 lacks provisions to make relevant agencies and individuals accountable for listing the deadline, meaning the delay in going public would continue.

They said the Government needs to issue another legal document spelling out penalties for executives failing to perform the task of taking equitised businesses public.

Central bank wants to keep monopoly over bullion

The Ministry of Planning and Investment has recently made draft amendments to laws focusing on making foreign capital flows smoother.

The amendments, which are in the public domain for suggestions, propose abolition of 67 conditional business lines specified in the 2014 Investment Law.

Analysts said the amendments, if approved, would open up many industries to foreign ownership, allowing foreign investors to take a majority stake in or wholly own businesses.

Among the 67 are debt trading, real estate exchanges, real estate valuation and brokerage, coal trading, commercial assessment services, car warranty and maintenance, import of radio transmitters and transceivers and plastic surgery.

Notably, they also include bullion production, minting currency coins and printing money. But many analysts said this goes against the current Decree 24/2012/N-CP on the management of gold businesses.

The decree gives the Government, through the State Bank of Viet Nam (SBV), a monopoly over bullion production as well as the import and export of gold.

It was aimed at stabilising the gold market, preventing hoarding and speculation, and minimising the influence of the gold market on monetary policy.

The analysts said production of gold, money and valuable papers should be done by the SBV at the National Currency Printing Factory.

The decree also classifies bullion trading as a conditional business requiring institutions and individuals wanting to buy or sell gold to obtain a licence from the SBV.

They are also required to maintain a capital of at least VN100 billion (US$4.7 million) and a distribution network covering at least three provinces or centrally-administered cities, have at least two years experience in the gold trade and paid taxes on gold trading of over VN500 million ($23,800) for at least two years.

The analysts said these conditions are essential to ensure effective management of gold trading activities to ensure the stability of the market.

The central bank too has agreed that the amendments should include a list of business lines in which institutions and individuals are not allowed to invest.

Manufacture of bullion and export and import of gold as well as printing money for the purpose must be in this list, it said.

Want bank loan? Dont ask in Vietnamese

In recent years many domestic banks have competed with each other to lend to foreign-invested companies, considering them VIP customers.

Among them is Vietinbank, whose branch in the southern Binh Duong Province signed a US$7.6 million credit contract with Cypruss Medochemie Far East Company Ltd in July.

VIB and Vietcombank signed a contract for a syndicated loan of VN540 billion with Hong Kongs TexHong Group, which plans to build a factory in Quang Ninh.

Many lenders, including Vietinbank, Vietcombank, BIDV and VIB, even have a separate department to take care of foreign customers.

According to State Bank of Viet Nam statistics, outstanding loans to FDI enterprises have reached VN100 trillion.

Why are banks favouring foreign businesses, which usually have deep pockets?

Analysts said it is simply because the FDI sector accounts for a major proportion of the countrys industrial production and export value. The latter is bound to surge with Viet Nams signing of a raft of international trade agreements.

Besides, the banks have cash but not many domestic good projects to fund.

But many experts are unhappy with this trend.

They said Viet Nam has been trying every possible way to attract FDI because it needs capital for economic development.

The country has been rolling out the red carpet to foreign investors, offering many business models ranging from 100 per cent foreign ownership and joint ventures to business co-operation contracts.

Some 80 per cent of FDI projects are fully foreign-owned, according to certain reports. But this figure is inaccurate because some of them are registered by foreign investors but developed with Vietnamese funds.

In many cases, foreign investors only register projects in the country and seek funding from local sources.

This goes contrary to the Governments policy of attracting FDI into the economy.

The experts said the central bank needs to have policies to limit banks injection of money into FDI businesses and encourage them to favour domestic firms that are always in need of funds.

They also point to the obvious risk that foreign businesses could flee the country without paying back loans. As Lifepro Viet Nam did. In 2012 the bosses of this company disappeared without repaying a huge loan of nearly VN3.1 trillion the company got from Agribank.

According to the Ministry of Planning and Investment, so far the managements of 518 FDI enterprises have bolted, many of them are debtors to local banks.

Market observers said Vietnamese banks take it very easy when appraising FDI enterprises loan applications, enabling many of them, particularly small ones, to borrow.

They said the countrys robust global economic integration means the trend of banks lending to the FDI sector would be unavoidable as the lenders seek opportunities to develop their business and improve their competitiveness and market share.

But they should be more cautious, they warned.  VNS
Negotiations between Viet Nam and the European Union to expand the export of wood and wood products to Europe are expected to be complete by the end of the year.  VNA/VNS Photo An Hieu

HA NOI  Negotiations between Viet Nam and the European Union to expand the export of wood and wood products to Europe are expected to be complete by the end of the year.

The information was released by Ambassador Bruno Angelet, head of the Delegation of the European Union to Viet Nam at a meeting of the Viet Nam Administration of Forestry (VNAF) on Friday.

The purpose of the Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade (FLEGT) Voluntary Partnership Agreement (VPA/FLEGT) is to expand Viet Nams wood and wood product export market to the EU through a mechanism called the Timber Legality Assurance System of Viet Nam (VNTLAS), which grants certifications for wood shipments to the EU.

Owners of shipments with FLEGT certifications will not have to declare the legal origin of the wood in line with the European Union Timber Regulation.

The deputy head of the Administrations Science, Technology and International Co-operation Department, Nguyen Tuong Van, said FLEGT certifications were only granted by countries which sign Voluntary Partnership Agreements with the EU.

Currently, six nations have partnered with the EU including Indonesia, Liberia, Congo, Ghana, Cameroon, and the Central African Republic; and three others are in negotiations.

On November 15, Indonesias first wood and wood product shipment will be FLEGT certified. This is good news for Viet Nam, which also imports wood materials from Indonesia for furniture export to the EU, Van said.

Nguyen Van Ha, VNAF deputy director who is also head of the Vietnamese negotiating team, said talks started in November 2010 and have included 16 technical negotiation rounds and eight high-level talks. A signing ceremony to wrap up the negotiations is planned on November 18 and the agreement is set to be inked later this year.

Angelet said there was still work ahead after the agreement signing because it was not simple to change habits of forest planting, wood processing and timber product exportation.  VNS
BInh Inh - The Quy Nhon Port Joint Stock Company in the central province of Binh inh plans to invest VN1.35 trillion (US$60.5 million) in expanding the Quy Nhon port area by 6.8 hectares and raising its capacity by 2020, according to the companys Deputy Director General Huynh Tan Quy Nhon.

In the projects first phase, from 2016-18, land clearance and equipment procurement will be implemented at a cost of VN350 billion.

From 2019-20, a new wharf will be constructed at a cost of around VN450 billion ($20.2 million), along with an Inland Container Depot (ICD).

The company is undertaking procedures for the construction of the ICD to meet increasing regional demand in container transport.

The upgrade and expansion is expected to raise the ports throughput capacity to between 15 -18 million tonnes of cargo per year by 2020, and between 25-30 million tonnes after 2030.

In the first nine months of this year, the port handled 5.5 million tonnes of cargo, earning over VN379 billion and contributing VN32 billion to the State budget.

It plans to handle 7 million tonnes of cargo this year. - VNS
HA NOI  Viet Nams coal sector is facing decreasing exports and competition from imported coal, Nguyen Khac Tho, deputy director of the General Directorate of Energy under the Ministry of Industry and Trade, said yesterday at a conference in Ha Noi on coal imports and ensuring national energy security.

Viet Nam, previously a coal exporter, imported 10.5 million tonnes of coal in the first nine months of the year, a 147 per cent year-on-year, mostly from China, Russia and Australia.

Tho told participants that the coal industrys target was to effectively serve local demand. However, the sector has faced difficulties due to the sharp and prolonged decrease of coal prices on world markets.

In adition, the sector has seen increasing costs of exploitation and transport. The coal exploitation has not met with higher demand as thermo-electricity plants come into effect, Tho said.

Nguyen Van Bien, deputy general director of Viet Nam National Coal and Mineral Industries Group (Vinacomin), said coal prices have been on the decline because of the global financial crisis and slow consumption. At the same time, local coal producers have not met demands for clean coal for thermo-electricity and coal-fired plants, he said, adding that this was why coal imports in Viet Nam are on the rise.

Bien said Vinacomin had to reduce costs while improving administration to reduce spending.

This year, Vinacomins coal output was 26.7 million tonnes, meeting 67 per cent of the annual target. The coal consumption was 25.7 million tonnes or 80 per cent of the total this year.

However, the coal inventory has been at a high level of 10.8 million tonnes while the country lacks clean coal for local household consumption, he said.

He added that taxes and fees on coal production have been continuously increased in the past few years. The tax on natural resources has been 7 to 10 per cent higher than those in other countries in the region while the tax on imported coal was zero.

The cheap imported coal has put pressure on the domestic producers, forcing Vinacomin to reduce production and labourers, he said.

Tho said coal imports were needed for electricity production to meet economic development demand while ensuring energy security.

According to a new master development plan for the coal sector by 2020, with a vision towards 2030, Viet Nam would have to import a large amount of coal for thermo-electricity plants next year and imports would surge after 2020.

He also said the ministry had adjusted its estimate of the total capital demand of the domestic coal sector by 2030 to around VN269 trillion (US$11.9 billion), 2.5 times less compared with the previous master plan.

The adjusted plan prioritises meeting local coal demand while gradually reducing exports.

Tax reduction proposal nixed

Meanwhile, Deputy Minister of Finance, Vu Thi Mai, informed Vinacomin and the northern Quang Ninh Province that their proposal to reduce the coal export tax had been rejected.

Mai said the tax reduction was not consistent with current economic circumstances. The natural resources tax on coal has been at 10-12 per cent.

The deputy minister added that Vinacomins major coal supplies come from three big mines in Quang Ninh including Vang Danh, Uong Bi and Nam Mau.

More than 30 per cent of the total output was high quality coal, while imported coal prices were lower than domestic ones, leading electricity and cement plants to reduce their coal purchase from Vinacomin.

The ministry proposed the MoIT adjust the coal export plan in the 2017-20 period from two tonnes a year to three or four in order to ease the groups difficulties.

This is a feasible solution in comparison with tax reduction as this could help reduce inventory, she said.

Vedan Viet Nam Company and Hung nghiep Formosa Company in the southern ong Nai Province have submitted to the Government a plan to directly import coal for electricity production instead of buying coal from local producers. The companies said domestic coal is not suited to their equipment and technologies for power generation.

The coal sectors decreasing exports are threatening thousands of labourers. Vinacomin announced cuts of more than 4,000 jobs due to declining turnover and profit. -- VNS
UN peacekeeping operations play an important role in preserving international peace and security, and helping create stable environment for development.  Photo AFP

NEW YORK  UN peacekeeping operations play an important role in preserving international peace and security, and helping create stable environment for development, head of the Viet Nam mission to the United Nations said last week at a debate on peacekeeping operations as part of the 71st session of the UN Special Political and Decolonisation Committee.

Ambassador Nguyen Phuong Nga stressed that given complicated global developments, the UN should uphold basic principles including respecting independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity; not interfering in internal affairs of member states; ensuring impartiality; and not using force except for self-defence and safeguarding mission operations.

The ambassador also praised the intermediary and conflict prevention role of the UN, as well as its co-operation with regional and sub-regional organisations to mobilise resources for peacekeeping work.

At the same time, she called on the UN Security Council to strengthen co-ordination and consultations with the UN Secretariat and the Peacebuilding Commission, as well as with relevant countries, in the planning and decision-making of peacekeeping missions.

Ambassador Nga took the occasion to reiterate Viet Nams commitment to an active and responsible contribution to the maintenance of world peace and international security.

She noted that Viet Nam began to send its liaison officers to participate in UN peacekeeping operations in 2014 and is to dispatch more medical and sapper officers in the future.

At the debate, Deputy UN Under-Secretary for Peacekeeping Operations Herve Ladsous noted that the UN is currently running 17 peacekeeping missions with 142,000 members from 123 countries.

He underscored that in order to optimise these operations, member countries should enhance their contributions to the force and commit to improve the capacity, equipment and adaptation ability of the missions.

Participants agreed on the need to increase the effectiveness of the operations by ensuring resources and building capacity for the missions, along with modernising technology and equipment and designing long-term plans for peacekeeping and sustainable development. VNS
Lao Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith vowed that his Government would create the most favourable conditions for Vietnamese investors, during his first-ever dialogue with the Vietnamese business community in Laos.  VNA/VNS Photo Pham Kien

VIENTIANE  Lao Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith vowed that his Government would create the most favourable conditions for Vietnamese investors, during his first-ever dialogue with the Vietnamese business community in Laos.

The talks, held in Vientiane on Friday, provided a venue for Vietnamese investors to directly discuss with the Lao government the difficulties and obstacles they face while doing business in Laos.

The most-heard complaints include procedures for granting investment licences; land use and ground clearance policies; problems with import and export of goods and temporary import and re-export services; taxation, related fees and tax refunds; human resources and visas for labourers; and the overall business environment.

Sisoulith emphasised that his presence at the meeting, along with more than half of Laos cabinet members, demonstrated the importance they attach to Vietnamese investors and their commitment to enquire about the problems and lack of timely solutions that hinder operations of Vietnamese firms in Laos.

He noted that after 15 years, Viet Nam has become the third largest foreign investor in Laos, which demonstrates the close ties between the two countries in all fields. He pledged to direct ministries and sectors to work with the Vietnamese firms to resolve specific matters.

The PM also asked the Vietnamese investors to co-operate with Laos in improving the working mechanisms and its management capacity.

He also informed the investors that Laos has ceased granting land for rubber plantation and licensing new mining projects, citing low rubber prices, shortages of labourers and land, and environmental protection as reasons for the decision.

Sisoulith underscored that the Lao government encourages investors from countries throughout the world to join in fair competition, requesting them to strictly abide by the countrys laws.

During the dialogue, leaders of Lao ministries also answered questions from Vietnamese enterprises.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Somdy Douangdy promised to deal with the slow refunds of value-added taxes, while Deputy Minister of Labour and Social Welfare Baykham Khattinha said the ministry will consider specific foreign-funded projects. He also called for more manual labourers, despite the 10 per cent cap imposed on manual labour for each project.

Speaking to Vietnam News Agencys correspondents in Laos, General Director of PV Oil Laos Nguyen Kim Son said the dialogue is a success, as this is the first time the Lao PM had met with Vietnamese businesses to discuss problems they encounter in Laos.

Statistics from the Association of Vietnamese Investors in Laos (AVIL) show that Vietnamese investment in Laos has continuously increased in the period between 2011 and 2015, in terms of both numbers of projects and capital.

As of the end of September 2016, Viet Nam had 266 licensed projects in Laos, with a total registered capital of US$5.1 billion, up 1.3 times and 1.26 times, respectively, from 2011 figures.

Vietnamese-invested projects are located in 16 of the 18 provinces and cities in Laos, many of which have contributed significantly to the local socio-economic development. The projects paid $240-260 million to the Laos State budget each year and created jobs for 35,000 labourers. The figures are expected to increase to $350-400 million and 45,000 labourers in 2017, and continue to rise in the future.  VNS
Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc visited the National Convention Centre in Ha Noi yesterday to scrutinise preparations for three regional summits that will convene today. Photo vietnamnet.vn

HA NOI  Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc visited the National Convention Centre in Ha Noi yesterday to scrutinise preparations for three regional summits that will convene today.

The 7th Ayeyawady-Chao Phraya-Mekong Economic Co-operation Strategy Summit (ACMECS 7), the 8th Cambodia-Laos-Myanmar-Viet Nam Summit (CLMV 8) and the World Economic Forum on Mekong (WEF-Mekong) summits will run through October 26.

At the Convention Centre, Phuc heard organisers reports on reception, security, health care and food safety preparations

Since these are major diplomatic events for Viet Nam this year, relevant forces urgently need to complete all preparations to ensure absolute safety for the events, the Prime Minister said.

The ultimate goal is to ensure the success of the meetings and to impress international delegates with the land and people of Viet Nam , he noted.

Leaders of Viet Nam , Cambodia , Laos , Myanmar and Thailand , as well as representatives from international organisations, WEF member businesses and big enterprises in Mekong river countries, will attend the summits.

Prime Minister Phuc will chair ACMECS 7 and CLMV 8.  VNS
HA NOI  Top lawmakers meeting Saturday urged stricter financial discipline and better public debt management consistent with international standards.

The 14th National Assemblys second meeting focused on investment plans for 2016-2020, the mobilisation and use of loans and public debt management.

Participants also approved the Governments report on the implementation of the financial and budget tasks over the past five years.

They acknowledged that the State budget revenue as a part of the gross domestic product (GDP) witnessed a faster decline than during the previous period.

According to a Government report, the revenue mobilised from taxes and fees accounted for 20 to 21 per cent of GDP, partly due to the tax exemption policy, which aims to remove obstacles for doing business.

Deputy Mai Thi Anh Tuyet from the Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta province of An Giang said that the Government should seriously evaluate the tax exemption and reduction policies. The policies should be viewed in the perspective of which one has impetus to the economy and which one does not generate revenue for the budget, she said.

The deputies also expressed dissatisfaction with the Government presenting the NA with a fait accompli in the budget settlement. They said that almost all expenditures exceeded and were inconsistent with development goals, which showed a lack of fiscal discipline.

Tuyet from An Giang Province asked for stricter handling of such cases, especially the disbursement of each project, to create clarity and discipline.

According to Tuyet, the NAs supervision of the investment in construction works exposes waste and spreading problems. Some official development assistance (ODA) projects greatly exceeded estimates, she said. She said such issues needed to be dealt with severely.

Discussing two scenarios of economic growth in the next five years - of 7.01 per cent annual GDP growth and 6.08 per cent GDP growth - the deputies agreed that the Governments higher scenario was a more appropriate target. However, they urged synchronised resources and solutions to achieve the selected scenario in line with economic restructuring in the next five years.

Nurturing revenue sources

A delegate from HCM City raised concern over the reduction of the municipal regulatory budget from 23 per cent of the entire budget set aside for localities to 18 per cent for the period 2017-2020, saying that it was too steep.

"I agree with the reduction but it should be at a level which can ensure that the city has the resources to invest, said deputy Nguyen Thi Quyet Tam, adding that the rate could be reduced from 23 to 21 per cent.

Tam explained that an abrupt reduction of the regulatory ratio of local budget would be too harsh for the city economy and would have a negative impact on sustainable growth.

Sharing the same point of view, deputy Phan Thanh Binh asked for reasonable policies to raise revenues.

Safer public debt

The deputies also said that the target of State budget deficit under 4 per cent of the GDP by 2020 was appropriate.

The annual target of public debt not to exceed 65 per cent of GDP was also appropriate, they said.

Tuyet from An Giang Province explained that the current public debt at 62.2 per cent was already high and a better level of public debt needed to be ensured in the future.

With the situation of Viet Nam, the best public debt over GDP is 60 per cent, she said, explaining that as Viet Nam is a developing country, raising public debt to 65 per cent of GDP is unreasonable and make the economy unsustainable.

She also warned that the Government debt of 50.3 per cent of GDP was at alarming level and must not be further raised to 55 per cent for the next five years.

The deputies agreed with the Governments financial solutions for the next five years: are restructuring financial markets, and ensuring reasonable structure of the money market, the capital market and the insurance market.

They recommended rapid development of the capital and insurance markets, saying developing the securities market would be good for Viet Nam in mobilising social capital and foreign capital.

Deputy Prime Minister Vuong inh Hue said that raising the debt ceiling, as some suggested, would affect the countrys loan repayment capacity. The Government has discussed, considered and decided to keep the debt ceiling, he said.

To ensure a safe and stable debt ceiling, we are determined to keep the annual public debt below 65 per cent of the GDP, the Government debt at 55 per cent and the foreign debt not to exceed 50 per cent, he said.  VNS
Three Chinese naval ships carrying 749 sailors are making their first port call at Viet Nams Cam Ranh International Port in central Khanh Hoa province from October 22-26.

The visit, part of the plan on annual delegation exchange between the two nations ministries of National Defence, aims to strengthen political trust and foster the relationship between Viet Nam and China.

During their four-day visit, the Chinese crew will make courtesy visits to leaders of the province and the Naval Force, and participate in sport exchange activities with officers of Naval Zone 4.  VNA/VNS Photos Nguyen Ly
HA NOI  Hoang Thi Van was captured in broad daylight.

The 34-year-old woman, accompanied by her aunt, was walking home after a day harvesting beans in the field.

Three young men jumped out of nowhere, hit the two with the back of their guns before dragging Van to a nearby cave.

Learning that the police was close behind them, the kidnappers ditched Van on the mountain, but not before one of them raped her. Van was saved, but she cannot bring herself to go out to the field again without her husband even two years after the three criminals were arrested.

The Vietnamese and two Chinese confessed that they planned to sell Van to Chinese traffickers.

The same gang tried to kidnap other young women eight times, succeeding in three cases and claiming to have sold the three women to China for a total of 21,000 yuan and VN30 million (US$1,344). No one has seen or heard from them since.

Northern Viet Nams Ha Giang province, where the attacks occurred, has a 274km border with China and is thus particularly vulnerable to human trafficking.

In 2016 so far, the Ha Giang border guards discovered 16 human trafficking cases, rescuing 10 women and three children.

Deputy head of the provincial border guards drugs and crime division, Senior Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen ac Lan, said the trafficking of women and children in Ha Giang was getting "more complicated".

Individuals from both sides of the border are involved in the kidnapping and trafficking of Vietnamese children and women, he said.

The number of human trafficking cases uncovered in Viet Nam between 2011 and 2015 increased by 11.6 per cent compared to the previous five-year period, according to the Ministry of Public Security. More than 2,200 cases were reported since 2011, in which nearly 4,500 victims fell prey to traffickers. About 3,300 offenders were involved in human trafficking rings in Viet Nam.

Approximately 70 per cent of Vietnamese trafficking victims are taken to China, according to the lastest national police report.

Such was the case of 38-year-old Vu Thi Cho, who sought work and was persuaded by a woman from Yunnan province to cross into China.

As soon as she passed the border, Cho was sold. After learning the phone number of Chos children, the trafficker called them and said that she was Chos friend who would take them to China to meet their mother.

The contact between the trafficker and the victims family enabled border guards to locate the children and save them from the safe fate. Their mother was rescued with the help of Chinese police.

Using the bait of a better-paid job is the most common ruse used by human traffickers.

In China the victims are sold into prostitution, forced labour or marriages with Chinese men who cannot find brides due to a severe shortage of women in the country.

The United Nations Action for Co-operation against Trafficking in Persons projects that China will have 30 to 40 million more men than women of marriage age by 2020. Deputy head of the Pho Bang township border station, Captain am uc Thuyen, told the Tien Phong (Vanguard) newspaper that most of the trafficking victims were members of ethnic minority tribes.

"Human trafficking into prostitution is less common now. The women are more often bought by poor Chinese men to become their brides. But because they are sold to poor families, their labour is also heavily exploited," he said.

The police also issued warnings about new forms of human trafficking, including illegal trade of infants and foetuses, as well as human organs, in particular kidneys. Viet Nam has yet to regulate crimes regarding trafficking in human organs, and thus failed to bring the offenders to court.

Human trafficking activities in the sub-Mekong region, including Laos, Myanmar, Cambodia, Thailand and Viet Nam, is the most serious in the world in terms of the number of victims. It was estimated that about 11.7 million people fell into the hands of traffickers in the region, accounting for more than 66 per cent of global human trafficking cases.  VNS
The Prime Minister will allocate VN260 billion (US$11.7 million) from the central budgets reserve to assist 12 northern localities seriously affected by storms earlier this year.  Photo dantri.com.vn

HA NOI  The Prime Minister will allocate VN260 billion (US$11.7 million) from the central budgets reserve to assist 12 northern localities seriously affected by storms earlier this year.

According to officials, Nam inh will receive VN50 billion ($2.25 million); Thai Binh, VN40 billion ($1.8 million); Ha Giang, Lao Cai, VN30 billion ($1.35 million) each; Ninh Binh, Hai Phong, Hoa Binh VN20 billion ($900,000) each; and Ha Nam, ien Bien, Hung Yen, Thanh Hoa, Son La, VN10 billion ($450,000) each.

The money is to be spent on upgrading and repairing essential infrastructure, such as irrigation works, roads in rural areas and dikes.

Another VN50 billion ($2.25 million) from the central budget will be delivered to Nam inh (VN20 billion), Thai Binh (VN20 billion), and Hung Yen (VN10 billion) to purchase seedlings and livestock for farmers.

Typhoon Mirinae, the first to strike Viet Nam this year, swept through the northern region at midnight on July 27, causing enormous human and property damage, with Ha Nam, Nam inh, Ninh Binh and Thai Binh provinces being the hardest hit. Meanwhile, Lao Cai and Yen Bai were battered by flash floods and landslides caused by heavy rains in the wake of typhoon Nida in early August.

The two storms flooded nearly 256,000ha of agricultural land in the affected localities, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.  VNS
ONG NAI  Around 600 drug addicts escaped from a rehabilitation centre in ong Nai Provinces Xuan Loc District late last night, and caused havoc on and around National Highway 1, blocking traffic, rioting and looting.

Though officers arrived at the centre quickly after being informed about the breakout and fired shots in the air, many of the inmates managed to get away and headed for the highway.

By then they had damaged vehicles on the streets and engaged in robbery, causing extreme apprehension among local residents.

Loan Nguyen wrote on her Facebook page she had been on her way from HCM City to Binh Thuan Province when some of the addicts stopped her car and demanded money.

The drug addicts, who had large, sinister tattoos, attacked our car violently and smashed it. We had a difficult time getting out of the chaos. It was so terrible that we cannot get over what happened.

Provincial and local police, assisted by locals, managed to capture more than 300 of the escapees as of 9am this morning.

According to the centre, hundreds of inmates broke out after attacking the centres security guards with fire extinguishers and other hard objects.

Since the escapees fled in all directions, the police have set up check points in Xuan Loc, Long Khanh and other districts.

The centre can only accommodate 600 people but has nearly 1,500 inmates at the moment.  VNS
HA NOI  Strong social dialogue, better working conditions and improved productivity will define economic progress in Viet Nam, as it enters a new era of global integration.

This is the main message that came out of a conference in Ha Noi, jointly organised by the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs of Switzerland (SECO), the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs (MoLISA), yesterday.

Within a generation, Viet Nam has transformed itself from one of the most isolated economies to one of the most connected ones, through various free trade agreements, said director of ILO Viet Nam Chang-Hee Lee.

While acknowledging the benefits an open economy can offer in terms of investment, opportunities in global markets and job creation, he warned of the accompanying risks - as enterprises face tougher competition, workers and their families are more exposed to the volatility of global market forces.

For an open economy to remain competitive while ensuring a stable livelihood for its working population, it requires an environment for sustainable enterprise development and resilient labour market institutions to mitigate the negative impact of external shocks on the lives of working women and men, Lee said.

The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) and EU-Viet Nam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA), which Viet Nam has signed, require reforms in labour code and industrial relations to comply with the 1998 ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work. It is a challenge, Lee said.

Other concerns include the middle income trap that Viet Nam has been warned about  the country may not be able to move beyond labour intensive-manufacturing, with little added value, and low wages for its unskilled workforce.

Swiss Ambassador to Viet Nam Beatrice Maser Mallor said, Given that context, strengthening social dialogue, enhancing productivity and improving working conditions are critically important to (be able to) respond to the requirements of globalised production processes, and, ultimately, to contribute to sustainable and inclusive economic growth.

Boris Zurche, head of Swiss Labor Directorate, agreed. Switzerlands experience shows that strong social dialogue is essential for the prosperity of a country. Together, workers and employers organisations can find tailored solutions to improve working conditions, increase productivity and assure the competitiveness of the economy.

Doan Mau Diep, Deputy Minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, said it was the right time for the government, together with ILO, business communities, workers organisations and other partners, to review the countrys legal and institutional framework and improve productivity and working conditions, and to design and implement more effective policies in this area.  VNS
Border guards in the central Thanh Hoa Province have arrested two Lao nationals for allegedly trying to smuggle 69 cakes of heroin across the border.  Photo nld.com.vn

THANH HOA  Border guards in the central Thanh Hoa Province have arrested two Lao nationals for allegedly trying to smuggle 69 cakes of heroin across the border.

Officers from Trung Ly Border Post were patrolling National Highway 15C on Sunday when they spotted the two men on motorbikes. Getting suspicious, the officers signalled the duo to stop but they sped away and were caught after a chase. On inspecting their bikes and luggage, the border guards found 69 cakes of heroin, each weighing about 350grams.

They have also seized their mobile phones, motorbikes and some cash from the suspects.

The suspects identified themselves as Lu Tho, 41, and Vang Tua Tho, 31, residents of Houaphanh province in Laos.

They had been hired by a Vietnamese man to transport heroin from Laos to Viet Nam and had been promised a payment of VN40 million (US$1,800), the duo said.

This is the largest smuggling case that has been intercepted by Thanh Hoa border guards in recent years.

Investigations are still on.  VNS
HA NOI  A 37-year-old traffic inspector allegedly involved in the assault of a woman employee at Noi Bai International Airport last Tuesday will be relieved of his duties with effect from November.

The decision was taken by Ha Nois transport department director Vu Van Vien.

ao Vinh Thuan, an inspector with the Ha Noi transport department, has been dismissed for violating work discipline, being absent from work without permission and assaulting a woman, Vien said, adding that Thuans action seriously affects the image of state employees from the Ha Noi transport department.

The incident took place when Thuan and a friend, Tran Duong Tung, who were scheduled to take Vietnam Airlines flight VN7265 from Ha Noi to HCM City, were not allowed to board after they reached their boarding gate late.

When Nguyen Le Quynh Anh, an airport employee, and her colleague approached the two men to help them reschedule to another flight, the duo responded aggressively. Tung allegedly hit Quynh Anh several times on her head with his Ipad-sized wallet while Thuan restrained her by grabbing her neck. Quynh Anh was taken to Saint Paul Hospital after she complained of dizziness and nausea.

The case stirred a public uproar right after the airport CCVT footage was published in the local media. Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has ordered that the results of the investigation be submitted to his office by the end of this month.

The Ha Noi administration has asked the police to continue investigations and give proper punishment to the two passengers.  VNS
HA NOI  Every level crossing in the country will be inspected to ensure railway traffic safety and minimise accidents under a directive issued by Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc.

The decision came after a crash between a train and a car on Monday morning, leaving five people dead and two injured in Ha Nois Thuong Tin district.

Four people died on the spot while person died en route to hospital. Two others who suffered serious injuries were transferred to Viet uc Hospital for treatment.

The Prime Minister sent condolences to the families of the dead victims, and encouragement to the injured victims.

He instructed the Ministry of Transport to order Viet Nam Railway Corporation to co-ordinate with relevant agencies to determine the cause of the accident.

Inspections on level crossings should be carried out to reduce railway traffic accidents in the future, he said.

Warning devices should be installed and more guards should be posted at level crossings to control traffic, he said.

The Ministry of Public Security was asked to strengthen inspections and deal with violations of traffic safety regulations, particularly those related to illegal level crossings.

The Prime Minister directed the Ha Noi Peoples Committee to mobilise all resources to treat injured victims, organise visits and support families of the victims. Investigations should be conducted promptly and punishment should be imposed on those to blame for the incident.

The crash occurred at 5:30am on Monday morning on National Highway 1A at the section which passes through Van Binh Commune in Thuong Tin District.

The car with seven people in it crossed the railway tracks in Thuong Tin District just as the north-south train was approaching. The impact of the collision was so strong that the car was completely destroyed.

According to initial investigations, the cars driver ignored the warning signs when crossing the railway track. The signals were operating normally.

Shortly after the accident, Deputy Minister of Transport Nguyen Ngoc ong and Vice chairman of the National Traffic Safety Committee Khuat Viet Hung arrived at the scene to monitor the investigation.  VNS
Gibraltar Finance Sponsoring The Clearview Wealth Briefing in Geneva

Gibraltar Finance is attending and sponsoring the Clearview Wealth Briefing to be held on 25th October 2016 at the Beau Rivage, Geneve, Switzerland.

The one day briefing will see Gibraltar Finance Senior Executive Paul Astengo together with senior figures from the industry participate in the main panel session discussing Brexit and how it may affect the European wealth management industry. The focus will be on the opportunities that BREXIT may provide. This Briefing will attempt to move beyond superficial headlines and drill down into specific details that practitioners need to understand in the months and years ahead.

Albert Isola, Minister for Financial Services commented, Our extensive private client marketing programme for 2016 has covered the UK to a significant extent this year and the focus now moves on to Switzerland which continues to be an excellent market for Gibraltar. This private client event can only add to the successful Gibraltar Day Financial Services Breakfast we hosted in late September and will further cement the long standing relationship which we enjoy with Geneva based practitioners.

Paul Astengo will be travelling to Geneva on 24th October 2016 and will remain there for the week attending scheduled meetings with relevant professionals and would welcome the opportunity to support other private sector initiatives during this time; please contact Paul via email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Garcia in London for "Brexit" Related Meetings

The Deputy Chief Minister Dr Joseph Garcia arrived in London on Sunday night for a full day of meetings today Monday.

These all relate to ongoing work following the decision taken by the United Kingdom to leave the European Union.

The Deputy Chief Minister's itinerary includes a meeting on "Brexit" matters at the new United Kingdom Department for Exiting the European Union.

Earlier today Dr Garcia exchanged views on the subject and held discussions with the UK Federation of Small Businesses.

The Deputy Chief Minister is accompanied by the Attorney General Michael Llamas, UK Representative Dominique Searle and Principal Secretary Caine Sanchez.


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02:23 Vandals break into Flemington Racecourse prior to Melbourne Cup commencing Vandals have broken into Flemington Racecourse and filmed themselves pouring an unknown oily substance across the track, allegedly protesting...
An unidentified sailor (2nd R) hugs a fellow hostage upon their arrival at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport after they were released by Somali pirates, Nairobi, Kenya, October 23, 2016.[Photo/IC]

MOGADISHU - Somali pirates on Saturday released 26 people who had been held hostage for nearly five years, an organization involved in mediation efforts said.

An Omani-flagged fishing vessel FV Naham 3 was hijacked south of the Seychelles in March 2012, according to John Steed, a regional coordinator of the organization, Oceans Beyond Piracy.

"Of the original 29-member crew, sadly one died during the hijacking and two more succumbed to illness during their captivity. The remaining 26 crew members spent much of their captivity on land in Somalia," Steed said in a statement.

The hostages are all men and are from China, the Philippines, Cambodia, Indonesia and Vietnam.

"They have spent over four and a half years in deplorable conditions away from their families," said the statement.

The statement added their release represented the end of captivity for the last remaining seafarers taken hostage during the height of Somali piracy.

It however said the threat of piracy remains, and urged the shipping industry to continue to follow the Best Management Practices for Protection against Somalia-based Piracy to reduce risks.

China on Sunday confirmed the release of the captives.

China's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said the 29 crew members kidnapped included 12 Chinese, of them 10 from the Chinese mainland and two from Taiwan.

Meanwhile, three of the hostages, including one from the Chinese mainland and another from Taiwan, had died, Hua said.

Hua said the 26 men released had arrived in Kenya with UN intervention. Chinese officials had met the Chinese crew members and would accompany them on their trip back home.

Hua said the Chinese government offers its sincere gratitude to all the organizations and people involved in the "rescue operation", and best wishes to the released crew members. It also sends its profound condolences to the families of the three deceased crew members.

A report released by the International Maritime Bureau of the International Chamber Commerce in July said piracy and armed robbery off the coast of Somalia had fallen to its lowest levels since 1995 with only one incident recorded in the past six months.

The report attributed the fall to operations by foreign warships. Chinese naval fleets have been involved in escort missions in the Gulf of Aden and waters off Somalia since 2008.

The report, however, said that there has been a surge in kidnappings off West Africa.
Church will host community meal

WATERLOO  The First Baptist Church, West Fourth and Baltimore streets, will host a free community meal from 4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday in the church social hall.

Everyone in the area is welcome. Parking is available in the church parking lot. The free meal is held the last Wednesday of every month.

Call the church with any questions, 234-1537.

Culinary camp for kids planned

CEDAR FALLS  Kids ages 6-13 are welcome to the upcoming Culinary Kids Camp Ooohie and Gooey Halloween from 3:45 to 4:45 p.m. Wednesday to Cook Up F(ood) U(sing manners) N(utrition). Children will learn cooking techniques and a nutrition lesson and jazz up their food choices with vegetables and fruit. Cost is $20 per child at Luanns Kitchen.

For more information, call 266-8021 or go to www.laanda.com.

Hearst concludes horror film series

FALLS  The Hearst Center concludes its series of classic horror films at 7 p.m. Tuesday with the original 1932 version of The Mummy, shown in Mae Latta Hall.

Admission is free and no tickets are required. The Hearsts film series is sponsored by Far Reach.

In November, the Hearst will screen four classic comedies by the Marx brothers.

Button Club sets next meeting

WATERLOO  The Black Hawk Button Club will meet at 1 p.m. Wednesday at St. Pauls Methodist Church, 207 W. Louise (three blocks behind Allen Hospital).

Bring favorite buttons and enjoy seeing and hearing about buttons old and new.

Call Jeanine at 266-3070 or Anna at 415-7550 with any questions.
WATERLOO  Ursula Holmes was a U.S. Navy 1991 Persian Gulf War veteran. She was a single mom. She suffered from post-traumatic stress and other disabilities. And she was alone.

Its been up and down, she said. Being a veteran, you expect youre going to get the help you need, being a victim of trauma. I was proud to serve my country, but the experience wasnt what I expected.

Things did get better. She received a degree from Upper Iowa University, thanks to the GI Bill. And she married a fellow veteran. She still has her struggles. But it helps when someone shows they care. And thats why she supports a new program by the Black Hawk County Veteran Affairs Commission to show support for veterans over the holidays.

The Black Hawk County Veteran Affairs Commission is instituting is first-ever Adopt a Veteran Christmas event. Its designed to help veterans and veteran families with economic or personal difficulties, or veterans spending the holidays alone

The commission is taking applications from veterans and veteran families as well as seeking donations.

Commission executive director Kevin Dill said, Were trying to get the public involved, if they want to bring a gift down for a veteran and his (or her) family, Dill said. Right now, we have a list of about 70 veterans and their families that need assistance.

That list is anticipated to grow. We havent even put the word out yet and were at 70, Dill noted. The nursing homes are getting involved. Theyre providing a list of veterans or widows who are alone, that we can maybe give them a gift. And were trying to put together a list of veterans who are struggling so the public can get involved.

And its nothing big, Dill said. Even gift cards are okay. Its just to let them know, Hey were thinking of you. Merry Christmas. Heres a gift for you. Thank you for your service. Its something to bring more awareness of veterans issues and that we care about veterans.

It includes veteran widows and widowers as well as veterans themselves, Dill said. Its just to let them have a Christmas basically, he said. If folks ask, What should we get? Well, whatever you buy your grandma or grandpa, or aunt or uncle, because its mostly older veterans.

But it includes veteran families too, including those with children at home. The kids can range anywhere from 3 years old up to 16 years old. So, a gift card would be nice for the teenage kids.

Holmes sees benefits from the program.

Its just knowing someone cares, other than your own family, she said. She encouraged veterans to sign up and people to contribute. I cant be a voice for someone else  if youre willing to give to another veteran  veterans that are going through challenges right now. You can just show how you appreciate the service we have done, in whatever form.

Veterans and veteran families wishing to be considered for the Adopt a Veteran program should call the Black Hawk County Veteran Affairs Commission at 291-2512 prior to Nov. 30. People or organizations wishing to adopt a veteran or veteran family may call the same number.
MASON CITY  A Hampton man sentenced to life in prison Monday after being convicted of murdering his girlfriend told the court he is sorry about the womans death.

However, 61-year-old Ronald Rand said he is not guilty of first-degree murder, the verdict a jury returned in August after three hours of deliberation.

He called the Dec. 13 fatal shooting of Michelle Key, 51, of Waterloo, at his home in Hampton a tragic accident caused by two people who were drunk and playing with a gun.

Mondays sentencing hearing was held in the courtroom at the Cerro Gordo County Law Enforcement Center. Key, a Waterloo resident, died on the couch in Rands living room from a shot to the neck from a sawed-off shotgun.

Prosecutors argued during the trial Rand was angry at Key and killed her intentionally.

Hampton police officer Dave Kelley testified Rand told him he lost it because Key was laughing as she talked about cheating on him.

Kelley said Rand told him he pointed the gun at Key and told her, If you ever did this again, this is what is going to happen.

Key then allegedly grabbed the shotgun barrel and pulled on it, and the gun went off and killed her.

Assistant Iowa Attorney General Coleman McAllister read aloud in court Monday a statement from Keys parents.

We miss Shelly every day, the statement read.

Her parents also stated they hope Rand and his family can find the strength to go on. Rand was ordered to pay $150,000 restitution to Keys next of kin.

The mandatory sentence in Iowa for first-degree murder is life in prison without the possibility of parole.
WATERLOO  Police have arrested a Waterloo man who allegedly sped away from a traffic stop early Sunday.

Officers declined to chase the fleeing motorcycle, but moments later it crashed and caught fire about a mile away.

Dillon Andrew Nichols, 23, of 500 Cornwall Ave., was arrested for interference while armed with a firearm, a misdemeanor. He was released from jail later that day.

According to police, Nichols was stopped for an expired license plate on his 1996 Yamaha motorcycle at West 18th Street and Highway 218 around midnight. When the officer told him to turn off his engine, Nichols looked back at the officer and accelerated away, police said.

About two minutes later, officers were called to the intersection of Vinton and Rath streets, which is about five blocks away across the Cedar River, for a motorcycle that had wrecked and started burning. Nichols was found on Dunham Place, another three blocks away, with minor facial injuries, according to the accident report. He was also found to be carrying a 9mm Kel-Tech handgun.
CEDAR RAPIDS  An Oran man caught with bomb-making materials may get a break in his sentence because of mental health issues.

Trevor John Satrom, 34, entered a guilty plea to possession of an unregistered destructive device Monday in U.S. District Court in Cedar Rapids.

The offense carries up to 10 years in prison, and sentencing will be at a later date. Prosecutors and the defense will recommend a lesser sentence that would grant Satrom five years of probation because of a diagnosis of post-traumatic stress and schizophrenia.

The diagnosis resulted in a Veterans Affairs finding Satrom was 100 percent disabled, court records state. A Bureau of Prisons psychologist confirmed the PTSD diagnosis.

The actual sentence will be up to the judge.

Formerly of Decorah, Satrom served in the Navy with the Seabees and was deployed to Afghanistan. He was hospitalized at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Iowa City after his Oran home was raided in February. A recent exam found he was competent to stand trial.

Authorities said they found materials for three pipe bombs and one pressure cooker bomb when they searched his home Feb. 10. During Mondays plea hearing, Magistrate Jon Stuart Scoles asked Satrom if the devices could have readily been put in operating condition  a condition where they could explode.

Satrom answered they were.

Also during the search of Satroms home, they found a working flamethrower, explosive powder, firearms and metal that could be used for shrapnel, court records state.
WATERLOO  Enrollment dropped for a second year in Waterloo Community Schools, but its a smaller decrease than last year.

The official enrollment count Oct. 1 showed 10,357 kindergarten through 12th-grade students in the districts 18 schools and other specialty programs. Thats 88 fewer students than at the same point last year, when the district faced a 166-student decrease after four years of enrollment growth.

Cora Turner, the school districts executive director of student and at-risk services, emphasized that smaller decrease and noted another improving indicator. The number of students who open enroll out of the district has dropped from about 342 to 323. That continues a trend of declining open enrollment starting in at least 2011, when there were approximately 388 students who left the district for their education.

Were serving more of our students, Turner said. Thats a huge positive for our district.

While enrollment dropped by 76 students at the high schools and 28 at the elementary level, the middle schools saw an increase of 16.

We do anticipate more growth rate next year, because of that birth rate, she said. Five years ago, Black Hawk County births hit a low point over the preceding decade, resulting in a smaller-than-usual kindergarten class this year. This years 844 kindergarten students is 28 less than in 2015.

In the districts 11 elementary schools, enrollment dropped between two and 43 students since last fall at seven buildings. All the declines were double-digit except at Poyner and Orange elementary schools, which had drops of two and seven students, respectively. The four other schools saw increases ranging from 13 students at Irving Elementary to 58 at Lincoln Elementary.

In grades sixth through eighth, George Washington Carver Academy and Central Middle School had increases of 33 and 22 students, respectively. Enrollment dropped by eight students at Hoover Middle and 31 at Bunger Middle.

At the high school level, East had 55 fewer students and Expo had the same number. West High had 10 more students. A range of smaller alternative offerings allowing students to take classes online that are lumped together by the district and labeled other programs had 37 fewer students. The Middle and High School Educational Discipline Programs had six more students.

Turner noted new students didnt stop enrolling once the official count date passed. Districts must certify the head count with the Iowa Department of Education by Oct. 15 every year.

In the last two weeks of our school, we have enrolled 43 kids that I cant count, she said. Eighteen came from out of the state or the country while the others came from Iowa school districts.

Budget enrollment also declined for the district, but similarly dropped by a smaller number than last year. It decreased by 101.98 pupils to 10,833.75. Last years drop was 198.59 pupils. The decimal point accounts for students who are not full-time, such as home-schooled children taking a class through the district.

Numerous adjustments are made to the actual number of students attending classes in the district to arrive at the budget enrollment. That adjusted number will be used to determine per-pupil state funding for the district in the 2017-18 school year.

Among those adjustments are district students educated elsewhere through open enrollment or because of special needs and other designations. Some of those designations are for home-schooled or private school students who take a class through the district. Those students are added to Waterloos count, but when they are educated elsewhere the state per-pupil funds are passed on to that district.

Open enrollment into the district as well as special and regular education tuition is subtracted from the districts numbers. Those funds come to Waterloo through the students home districts.
HAMPTON --- Hampton police are releasing details about a pursuit and arrest late Friday.

The incident began about 11:45 p.m. after a Hampton police officer attempted to stop a vehicle after it was seen speeding near Olive Avenue and Highway 3.

The vehicle took off and a pursuit lasted about 20 minutes and covered about 26 miles, ending when the vehicle went into a field in the 200 block of 80th Street. The driver then fled the vehicle into a cornfield.

Martin Zaragoza, no age given, of Hampton, was arrested a short time later by Hardin County Sheriff's deputies. He was wanted on two Franklin County warrants, one for willful injury and another for criminal mischief. He also was charged with possession with intent to deliver methamphetamine, eluding and a number of traffic citations.

There were no injuries in the incident, but a Hampton squad car sustained minor damage.
Fourth in a series of stories profiling area legislative races.

WAVERLY  Iowa Rep. Sandy Salmon, R-Janesville, is facing a rematch from Democrat Teresa Meyer in the Iowa House District 63 race.

House District 63 consists of Bremer County and the northern part of Black Hawk County. During their first match-up, Salmon garnered 57 percent of the vote to Meyers 41 percent.

Meyer said immediately after the 2014 results were in she planned to make a bid this year. When she hopped into the race this spring, Meyer said she ran because shes seen the economy get worse for residents in the district and wants a government that works for everybody.

And the economy remains the focus for both Meyer and Salmon as they count down to Election Day, as well as education.

But they dont see eye-to-eye on the best way for the state to address both priorities.

If they (Republicans) keep cutting the cost of education and giving that tax money to corporations that doesnt give us anything in return, not even a good-paying job, theres going to have to be some changes, Meyer said. I think people are tired of carrying the burden.

Meyer, 58, of Waverly, said she would fight for good-paying jobs; better opportunities for children; better education; more equality; and quality, affordable, accessible health care. She also wants to raise the minimum wage, preferably to $15 an hour.

Thats why I decided to run, so I could fight for these things that matter to working families, Meyer said.

Salmon, 60, agreed she would focus on jobs and the economy if re-elected to serve in the 2017 legislative session.

Weve got to foster a climate where our businesses can expand, and controlling the spending and reforming taxes and regulations is definitely a way to get that done, and so that will definitely be a focus for the session coming up, Salmon said.

Salmon said the tax reform shed like to see would be on both corporate and individual taxes. She said shes seen how the corporate tax rate can hinder companies from coming to the state but also how individual income and property taxes are burdensome for people.

Its a barrier to growth in our economy, and you know, if we want to see more folks come, weve got to get the jobs here, Salmon said.

She acknowledged the amount of tax reform that the state can pass is going to be somewhat dependent on whether the Democratic Party still holds the majority in the Iowa Senate, though she said the Republicans would try to get done as much as possible.

Salmon  who serves on the Iowa House Education Committee  also is focused on local control issues when it comes to education. She opposes the states common core standards that she believes will move the state toward more federal control in education.

Meyer, meanwhile, wants to focus on appropriate and timely funding for the states K-12 system and boosting funding for job training programs at the post-secondary level. She said a focus on education is all about job creation and job preparation.

Meyer also serves as a Hawkeye Community College trustee.

Salmon said as far as education spending goes, she expects the state will do the best we can to fund it, but stressed the budget estimates for next year will make the legislators jobs difficult in the 2017 session.

Beyond education, though, both have a laundry list of priorities and stress how much more the state can and should do in a wide range of areas that further stresses the candidates differences.

Salmon said aside from jobs, economy, tax reform and local control in education, she would like to see a focus on anti-abortion legislation, strengthening the Second Amendment, expanding religious liberty, passing a voter identification bill and water quality.

There will be no end of things that we need to work on, Salmon said. Theres just so many different areas where theres need, and a lot of things can be accomplished by getting government out of the way, and so thats got to be a focus.

Meyer, instead, turns her attention to rebuilding the infrastructure, improving access to quality and affordable health care, improving mental health services, expanding the states cannabidiol law for people with chronic conditions, improving the states Medicaid privatization efforts and water quality.

I want to be that strong voice and advocate for everybody, because thats what I do as a nurse. I dont care if youre Republican or Democrat; I take care of everybody, Meyer said. I know what the hardships of everyday people is like, just like myself. They tell me their life story, their struggles, and working families, its not a struggle anymore, its a survival game.
WATERLOO  Those in attendance at Saturdays Freedom Fund Dinner were encouraged to do more than vote this fall.

Keynote speaker Betty Andrews proposed members of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People hold a protest Nov. 8, election day, and have a march to the polls.

Yes, we need that one-day street march, said Andrews, president of the Iowa/Nebraska State Conference of the NAACP. But she added it must be followed up with a commitment on the part of participants to remain involved in order to make changes for black people.

The NAACP is the bridge between protest and policy, said the Des Moines area resident, who is also president and CEO of Betty Andrews Media.

The dinner, held at the Isle Casino Hotel, is an annual fundraiser for the Black Hawk County branch of the NAACP. Our Lives Matter, Our Votes Count was the evenings theme.

Such political action is one of several game changers Andrews mentioned that can help make progress for black people. Some of the others were economic sustainability, education and access to health care.

I am here and I am powerful, Andrews told attendees. Are you powerful?

She asked people to repeat after her: Were here for the fight, and we are the baddest and boldest civil rights organization on the face of the planet.

Andrews pointed to one area where progress is being made but more work needs to be done. When you think about the criminal justice disparity in our state, were in a place of crisis, she said.

Iowa was the No. 1 state for about 20 years when it came to the per-capita number of black citizens in jail or prison. The ratio was one caucasian for every 13 African-Americans. Now were at No. 3, she noted, or a ratio of one to 11.

Its absolutely critical that we continue to address this issue in Iowa, said Andrews.

For the last two years, state NAACP officials have been meeting quarterly with the governor and chief justice of the Iowa Supreme Court. That was started through the Iowa Summit on Justice & Disparities, which is being held Nov. 4 this year on the Ankeny campus of Des Moines Area Community College.

Prior to that, said Andrews, the NAACP had no representation in the political process. She said two laws the group supported have since been passed.

One keeps juvenile records confidential so they dont follow youthful offenders into adulthood and interfere with getting housing or a job. The other law targets jailed low-risk drug offenders for a sentence review after serving 50 percent of their time. Andrews said it has helped 1,000 people to get out of jail.
President Barack Obama and Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton have both proposed escalating cyberwarfare in recent weeks, threats made questionable by our own vulnerability.

That became quite evident Friday when many popular websites were made inaccessible because of vandals perpetrating whats known as distributed denial of service (DDoS).

Three attacks temporarily waylaid an array of sites, including Amazon, Twitter, Paypal, Reddit, CNBC and Vox, which were clients of Dyn, a business that provides internet domain names and infrastructure services. Outages were reported throughout the U.S., England, India, Spain, Brazil and South Korea.

The instigators werent immediately known. State-sponsored fingerprints werent found, which didnt rule out the possibility the vandalism was outsourced. What concerned many experts is the DDoS didnt require state actors  such as the U.S.-Israeli expertise to sabotage Iranian nuclear efforts. In fact, the darknet has Hackforums that engage criminals to attack sites.

Mr. Robot, the lauded USA Network series about a vigilante hacker group that brings down a multinational corporation and much of the world economy, is less far-fetched than imagined.

Of course, the initial supposition was it could have been more Russian mischief after public and private security agencies linked President Vladimir Putins proxies to the hacking of the Democratic National Committees servers as well as email accounts belonging to the Clinton campaign.

Indeed, the bravado coming from Democrats in the prior 10 days about retaliating was almost an open invitation to Putin to launch a counteroffensive.

The Obama administration told NBC News it was contemplating an unprecedented cyber covert action against Russia.

Vice President Joe Biden said on Meet the Press, Were sending a message to Putin and it will be at the time of our choosing, and it will be the circumstances that will have the greatest impact.

Rear Adm. James Stavrid said the U.S. should attack Russias ability to censor its internal internet traffic and expose the financial chicanery of Putin and his inner circle.

Clinton told a veterans group, As president, I will make it clear that the United States will treat cyberattacks just like any other attack. We will be ready with serious political, economic and military responses.

According to experts in cybersecurity, its all ill-considered bluster.

The vandalism that occurred Friday revealed the real vulnerability of the Internet of Things  consumer products attached to the internet without security such as DVRs, routers, wireless printers, surveillance cameras, baby monitors, etc.

They were turned into a target system of botnets that sent out more than 150,000 requests for information per second. That overwhelmed Dyns system, which searches for a Web page  internet protocol numbers  whenever a domain name is entered.

According to CNBC, the Russian intelligence agency FSB  the successor to the KGB, which Putin once directed  hired Russian cybercriminals to use botnets to attack the Republic of Georgia, a former Soviet state, in 2008.

This is the Georgia attack on steroids, a U.S. intelligence official told the cable network.

But others are less sure. Teens in the U.S. and Netherlands recently have been arrested for similar attacks.

U.S. cybersecurity expert Brian Krebs September blog (KrebsonSecurity.com) on an Israelis attack service called vDOS was particularly revealing. For two years, he said they helped customers coordinate 150,000 DDoS attacks with assistance from within the U.S. and earned more than $650,000 using a per second subscription service. Krebs estimated they had sold 8.81 years of DDoS attack time.

Krebs said vDos was hidden behind a DDoS protection firm called Cloudflare, but had a reputation on cybercrime forums for prompt and helpful customer service. It also prohibited attacks in Israel, apparently to avoid attention from authorities there.

The Krebs column prompted vDos to launch a botnet attack against his firm, which did not succeed, but resulted in the arrest of the Israelis.

Perhaps more ominously, Krebs recently mentioned Russian cybercrime in an interview with Dyn.

While Google with its Project Shield, Microsoft, Apple, Samsung and the other makers of computers and phones have put a premium on security in their devices and provide updated patches when necessary, the Trojan horses  now and forever  will be the attached gadgetry.

Few, if any, routers, printers, cameras, DVRs, thermostats and whatever else incorporate any security. Indeed, no firmware patches exist. And because of the costs involved, most manufacturers have resisted adding security.

By doing so, they have put the seamless operation of the internet at risk. No amount of political bluster or threats will change that. To do so, requires every piece of equipment that connects to the internet becoming secure. We doubt they have the political fortitude to mandate that. And the reality is we may be beyond the point of no return.
Graves County Sheriff identifies and is looking for truck theft suspects
[Here are this weeks Pagan Community Notes! Each Monday we feature events, book releases, and important news stories coming out of our collective Pagan and Heathen communities. If you enjoy articles like this, please consider donating to The Wild Hunt. We are now at 42% with 12 days left. You make it possible for us to continue to provide a platform for our communities important news. Donate today.]

SUMTERVILLE, Fla.  Oberon Zell announced Oct. 19 that his son Bryan David Zell had died after a long battle with multiple health problems, including pancreatitis, diabetes, and liver failure. Bryan was born Sept. 19, 1953,, and grew up in and around his father and eventually his stepmothers work , just as the Pagan community was beginning to grow. Zell described his son as a Pagan and a Pirate. He said,Bryan was a magickal child, and he always maintained an altar. He would find interesting-looking rocks and identify them as having magickal functions, such as making rain, snow, or other things he determined from their markings.

At 18, Bryan joined the Army, after which he traveled and worked with his family. In 2001, he graduated from Mendocino Community College located in Ukiah, California with a degree in geriatric nursing. Shortly after, he moved to Florida and got a job working with the TSA in Orlando, a job that Zell called miserable. He believes it contributed to his sons worsening condition.

By 2015, Bryans various illnesses had overtaken him and, in December of that year, he was hospitalized. As time passed, the situation only worsened. Bryan was eventually placed in hospice care. The morning of Oct. 19, Zell posted on Facebook, We discovered that the consecrated blue Dreamwalker candle we had burning for Bryan on the ancestor altar had gone out. I tried to relight it, but the wick wouldnt ignite. I said to Anne, I cant seem to relight it. She replied, Perhaps you dont need to. And we knew.

Bryan died peacefully the night of Oct. 18. Zell said that he felt the passing and that Bryans beloved stepmother had come to carry him home. Zell also recounted that an owl had visited Bryans room at the time of his death. Zell believes this to be a family familiar that had lived with them when his son was young. Zell added, Let these memories lessen grief.

Pagan priestess Doreen Lavista was able to give him his last rites. Zell said that Bryan will be cremated and his ashes will be present at the Nov. 4-6 Samhain retreat at Annwfn. The retreat will include a memorial service and a telling of stories. Bryan is known among his friends as a kind and loving soul. What is remembered, lives.

* * *

WASHINGTON  The Firefly House has been invited to appear as a guest on the ABC affiliate talk and news program Good Morning Washington Oct. 31. Author David Salisbury, co-coordinator of the Firefly House, will be joined by member Caroline Gould. Salisbury said, The main focus is on modern Witchcraft as practiced in Washington D.C. and also a little bit on how Witches celebrate Halloween religiously, and also perform some type of ritual. The goal, Salisbury said, is to educate the masses.

But that is not the only public relations effort that members of the Firefly House will be making this Halloween season. The groups annual dumb supper will be attended by local news website the DCist. The organizations sixth annual dumb supper will be held later that same evening of Oct. 31.

If you want to watch Salisbury and Gould on morning show, the ABC broadcast will be live-streamed through the affiliates website, and for those who cant watch live, clips should be available later in the day. We will update this story in our next edition of Pagan Community Notes.

* * *

WISCONSIN  There are now more Pagans on the Wisconsin Department of Corrections Religious Advisory Committee. This is big step forward for Pagan chaplains working in prison ministry in the state. According to Rev. Selena Fox, who has been involved in this type work for decades, [This committee] advises the Wisconsin Department of Corrections on religious accommodation issues involving state prison operations. The more Pagans, Heathens, and people of minority religions serving on such committees, the better understood the practice of such religions is, and the more likely accommodations will be considered and appropriately granted.

According to the report, the committee now has three members who follow a Pagan tradition. The members include Fox, Dianne Duggan (Minerva) and Wade Mueller. Rev. Fox has been serving on the committee since 2001, while the other two were just appointed. While Duggan is a Circle Sanctuary member, Mueller is not; he is a member of the group Deeply Rooted.

Duggan and Mueller have already attended their first meeting, and Rev. Fox said that she is glad to have them on board.

In Other News

After the first round of formal decisions went out for PantheaCons 2017 presentation selections, there was brief outcry as many regular presenters were not given a space. Speculation as to why was rampant. TWH spoke directly with both PantheaCon founder and director Glenn Turner. When asked about any changes in the decision process, she confirmed that nothing had indeed changed, and that the organization is simply ensuring fresh programming and providing space to new presenters. Turner said, We have always welcomed new presenters; many published authors have started as PantheaCon speakers. In order to make room for new faces, as we have grown, weve needed to rotate out some excellent presenters and welcome them back in future years. This year PantheaCon will be held Feb. 17-20.

The Druid College UK will be opening its application process Oct. 31 for the next set of year one classes, to begin in October 2017. Co-founder, tutor and author Joanna van der Hoeven explained, We are opening for applications a full year in advance to allow for more flexible payment arrangements. Now in its second year, the college provides a three year non-accredited course in studying the tenets of the earth-based spirituality known as Druidry. It is the sister school of the U.S.-based Druid College in Maine. The college has also announced that it has a new location: classes will be held at Messing Village Hall in the Essex countryside.

Blogger, lawyer and tarot reader Benebell Wen has released a new book titled The Tao of the Craft. According to her website, the book reveals the rich history and theoretical principles underlying the ancient practice of crafting Fu talismans, or magical sigils, in the Chinese Taoist tradition. This is Wens second book.

In other book news, Red Wheel/Weiser has begun its third annual Wicked Wonders Giveaway. The winner receives a tote bag filled with books by Weiser authors Judika Illes, John L. Steadman, Courtney Weber, Crystal Judy Hall and others. The winner will also receive a galley copy of Love Magic written by author and blogger Lilith Dorsey. Entries are being accepted through Oct. 31.

TWH journalist and filmmaker Dodie Graham McKay was involved in project that resulted in a film titled Call of the Forest: The Forgotten Wisdom of Trees. As explained on the website, the film is a documentary featuring scientist and acclaimed author Diana Beresford-Kroeger. [It] follows Diana as she investigates our profound biological and spiritual connection to forests. Her global journey explores the science, folklore, and restoration challenges of this essential eco-system. Currently the film is only being screened in Winnipeg and Sarnia. It will be released on a wider scale in the months to come. Here is the trailer:

Call of the Forest  Theatrical Trailer from Treespeak Films

Did you enjoy what you read? Donate forget to donate to the Wild Hunt Fund Drive. We cant do this without your support.

UPDATE 10/24 4:06pm: This article was updated with additional information about Bryan Zell as provided directly by his father Oberon Zell.
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As an adolescent raised in Hawaii, Carol Li 17 didnt believe that talking about race was important.

She didnt realize she wanted to uphold the same notion of Hawaii the rest of the world did  a harmonious, multicultural paradise famous for its glorious beaches, food and mild weather. But when she enrolled at Willamette, she began to develop a more critical perspective.

Yes, palm trees and beaches exist in Hawaii, she says, but what else does?

So, after spending a year reflecting on her childhood experiences and knowing she wanted to explore her home more objectively, she applied for a Carson Undergraduate Research Grant. Lis analysis  how constructed images of Hawaii have complicated discourse to the point of making invisible various issues such as social stratification, commodification of culture and colonialism  is one of five talks by grant recipients scheduled for Wednesday at the University Center.

Li says, This project became an outlet for me to look into not only how I was influenced (by the perception of Hawaii as a paradise) growing up, but how a lot of people in Hawaii are influenced by this idea of aloha, the unconditional love and warmth toward others.

Each year, Willamette offers 10 students up to $3,000 each through Carson grants to engage in a scholarly, creative or professional research project of their choice. On Wednesday, five of this years grant recipients will present on a wide range of topics, including climate change and education. The rest will give talks Nov. 10.

Gaining confidence and experience

Emma Giron 18 investigated the impact of Seattles minimum wage increase on the cost of living. Like other first-time grant recipients, she gained experience learning how to draft proposals, interview subjects, make more efficient use of her time and spend several months dedicated to one project.

She also developed confidence to apply for bigger grants and fellowships. Shes considering a fellowship through the American Institute for Economic Research, which requires a formal essay.

I thought my project would be a great piece to submit and let me stand out from the rest of the applicants, she says.

Monique Bourque, director of health professions advising and student academic grants and awards, encourages campus community members to attend the presentations. She says it also encourages students to consider applying for internal grants themselves.

Giron and Li urge students to apply for the Carson grants even if their concepts are not quite fully formed. They say that professors will help students develop their ideas, which can change throughout the research process.

Interested students can also attend info sessions to ask grant recipients about their experience. The next info session will be held Oct. 25 from 67 p.m. in Ford 204.

Other research opportunities

Carson grants arent the only research-based scholarships available to Willamette students.

Five College Colloquium Student Research Grants, modeled after the Carson grants, are available to first-year students each year.

Bourque says recipients can take advantage of the opportunity to reflect on and ask bigger questions, and use the skills they learn during the mentored process to apply for other grants and scholarships later. The deadline for applicants is Feb. 18.

Students can propose feasible projects on any topic as long as it connects to the colloquium course and is sponsored by their colloquium professor.

One of this years recipients, Michael Chergosky 19, whose colloquium explored the influence of Buddhism on contemporary arts and artists like composer John Cage, has composed a piece of music for an ensemble of bull kelp and piano. He will perform his work at Rogers Rehearsal Hall on Oct. 26 at 6:30 p.m.

Willamette also offers a Presidential Scholarship that provides a full semester's tuition waiver applied to a student's senior year or a $5,000 graduate fellowship, and $2,500 for research expenses for the summer preceding the student's senior year.
Russias Big Guns Go to War

Friday, October 21, 2016  12:03 By Petri Krohn, editorial article

The two largest ships of the Russian Navy, the nuclear powered battlecruiser Pyotr Velikiy (099) and the aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov (063) are now in the English Channel, steaming toward the eastern Mediterranean. Their mission is to establish a 1,500 km naval exclusion zone outside the coast of Syria and to sink any US carrier strike group willing to challenge them.

NATO says the Kuznetsov is on a mission to bomb rebels in Aleppo. This is true only as much that this is a combat mission; not a summer cruise, a training exercise, or just showing the flag. In fact, this is the first time any Russian or Soviet aircraft carrier has seen combat.

Quote: Russian warships off the coast of Norway are carrying fighter bombers that will likely reinforce a final assault on the besieged Syrian city of Aleppo in two weeks, a senior NATO diplomat said on Wednesday citing Western intelligence, reports Reuters.

The Russian battle group, once it is assembled in the Mediterranean may be the largest European naval formation to see combat since the Battle of Jutland in 1916. Wikipedia

Most likely the battle group will include several nuclear attack submarines, of the Akula and Oscar classes. Wikipedia

Their mission is to stop the planned American war on Syria and to prevent the US Navy from launching airstrikes or Tomahawk cruise missiles at the Syrian Arab Army or the Russian forces in Syria. This is a repetition of the situation in August 2013, this time with an even larger Russian naval presence.

Soviet capital ships were designed to sink American aircraft carriers. Their main weapon is the P-700 Granit supersonic anti-ship missiles carried on the Pyotr Velikiy, the Kuznetsov, and the Oscar class submarines. Wikipedia

If the Russian force is threatened, they will be supplemented by Tupolev Tu-22M strategic bombers carrying Kh-15 and Kh-32 anti-ship missiles with operational ranges of 300 km and 1,000 km respectively. The bombers may be deployed to Syria or the Hamadan Air Base in Iran.

The US is now openly preparing for war against Syria. Their previous attempt in August 2013 failed because of the Russian naval presence outside Syria. The events were mostly kept secret from the Western audience.

The standoff was first described by Israel Shamir in October 2013: The most dramatic event of September 2013 was the high-noon stand-off near the Levantine shore, with five US destroyers pointing their Tomahawks towards Damascus and facing them  the Russian flotilla of eleven ships led by the carrier-killer Missile Cruiser Moskva and supported by Chinese warships.

Apparently, two missiles were launched towards the Syrian coast, and both failed to reach their destination.

The Cape of Good Hope.

A longer description was published by Australian voice in 2015: So why didnt the US and France attack Syria? It seems obvious that the Russians and Chinese simply explained that an attack on Syria by US and French forces would be met by a Russian/Chinese attack on US and French warships. Obama wisely decided not to start WW III in September 2013. Can Russia Block Regime Change In Syria Again? Link to source.

In my own comments from 2013 I tried to understand the mission of the Russian fleet. This is what I believed Putins orders to the fleet were:

1) To sink any NATO ship involved in illegal aggression against Syria.

2) You have the authority to use tactical nuclear weapons in self-defense.

I am sure NATO admirals understood the situation the same way. I am not sure of the American leadership in Washington.

Petri Krohn, editorial article

DONi News Agency
Canl Bahis siteleri sektoru son derece onu ack ve farkl ozelliklere sahip bir sektordur. Elbette bahis secenekleri arasnda yuksek kazanc getiren alan kuskusuz canl bahistir. Peki, canl bahis nedir?

Canl Bahis Nedir?

Canl bahis adndan da anlaslacag gibi devam eden musabakaya bahis yapmaktr. Bu bahis musabaka devam ederken de yaplabilir olmasdr. Basta futbol olmak uzere voleybol, tenis, hentbol, basketbol, buz hokeyi ve masa tenisi gibi spor organizasyonlarna canl bahisler yaplabilmektedir. Canl bahis siteleri bu oyunlarn hepsine yuksek oranlara bahis yapmanza imkan tanr. En fazla tercih edilen futbol canl bahisleri diger alanlara gore daha fazla on plandadr. Siteden siteye degisen sartlar ve uygulama esaslar soz konusu olsa da kurallar sabittir.

Canl bahisi populer klan ve heyecan katan en onemli ozellikle musabakann basladg ana dek bahis yapabilmedir. Canl bahis icerisinde yer alan secenekler kazanma sansnz da dogrudan arttrmaktadr. Ilk korneri kim kullanr, ilk tac, gol, sar kart, krmz kart gibi futbol musabakas icerisinde olabilecek hemen hemen her seye bahis yaplabilmektedir. Normal bahisegore de son derece yuksek oranda olmas avantajl yonlerini ortaya koymaktadr. Nitekim dogru secenek ksa surede kazancl ckmanza etki edecektir.

Strateji ve dogru analizle 90 dakika gibi bir surede anaparanzkatlayabilirsiniz. Tabi bunu basarabilmek icin mutlaka musabakaya dair ayrntlar iyi degerlendirmek gerekir. Soz konusu musabakann detaylarn inceleyip, cezal, sakat oyuncu veya performans dusen takm oyunu gibi detaylar bilmek canl bahiste kazanc belirleyen onemli unsurdur. Guvenilir Canl bahis hem heyecanl zaman gecirmeyi hem de musabakalar takip ederken para kazanmay saglamaktadr.

Canl Bahis Nasl Oynanr?

Bahislerinizi guvenilir sitelerden gerceklestirdiginiz zaman herhangi bir sekilde para cekme de sorun yasamazsnz. Guvenilir bahis siteleri tespit edip sonrasnda da uyelik islemlerini tamamlamanz gerekmektedir. Belirlenen uyelik sartlarn yerine getirip hesabnza da paray aktardktan sonra bahis islemlerini sorunsuz yapabilirsiniz. Peki, canl bahis nasl oynanr?

Oncelikle bahis konusunda mutlaka dogru site arastrmas yapmalsnz. Yapacagnz arastrma neticesinde buldugunuz site uzerinden canl bahisislemlerini gerceklestirebilirsiniz. Bunun icin uye olup, hesaba para atp, canl bahis bolumune girmelisiniz. Sonrasnda dahil olmak istediginiz musabakann saatini ogrenip, gerekli analizleri yapmalsnz. Tahminlerinizi belirledikten sonra karsnza ckacak olan bahis sayfasndan istediginiz hamleyi yapmalsnz. Bahis tutarn belirledikten sonra musabaka baslayacaktr.

Canl bahis diger normal bahis esaslarna gore farkllklar icermektedir. Bunlardan en onemlisi musabakann gidisatna gore islem yapabilir olmaktr.Ayrca musabakann 2. Yarsna gore hamle yapp ayr bir bahisin soz konusu olmas da ciddi avantajdr. Dogru hamle ile sizde istediginiz bahisi yapp kazanc elde edebilirsiniz. Nitekim canl olarak yapacagnz bahis icin mac oncesi raporlara gore hareket etmek onemlidir. Cunku takmlarn durumlarn analiz etmek tahmin gucunu arttracaktr. Misal tamnn en iyi oyuncusu sakat ya da kart cezals ise takmn performansnda dusus yasanacaktr. Buna ek olarak takmn deplasman performans ile evinde ki performans ayr olacaktr. Burada da takmn musabakay nerede yaptgna bakmak gerekir. Bu ayrntlar da iyice analiz ettikten sonra bahsinizi yapp kazanmann keyfini yasayabilirsiniz.

Canl Bahis Siteleri

Son derece yuksek getiriye sahip bahis sektoru uzun zamandr faaliyet gostermektedir. Cok ciddi rakamlarn soz konusu oldugu bu sektor zamanla sanal ortamlara donusmustur. Elbette guvenli ve bir o kadar da avantajl olan bu siteler cok yonlu frsatlar sunmaktadrlar. Canl iddaa siteleri gerek yeni uyelere gerekse de hali hazrdaki uyelerine bolca bonus frsatlar vermektedir. Yatracagnz tutara gore belirlenen bonuslar site icerisinde rahat hareket etmenizi de saglayacaktr.

Canl bahis sitelerini kullanmadan once mutlaka guvenli olup olmadgna goz atmalsnz. Zira baz kullanclar guvenli olmayan sitelerden yaptklar islemlerden dolay magdur olmaktadrlar. Nitekim guvenli ve sorunsuz hizmet sunan yurt ds site tercih etmek en dogru secenektir. Sektorde uzun yllar faaliyet gosteren siteleri tercih edebilirsiniz. Bu alanda yer alan yabanc siteler musteri memnuniyetine onem vermektedir. Oncelik site kullanclarn sorunsuz sekilde bahislerini yapabilir olmasn saglamaktr. Bahis sitelerinde amac hem daha fazla kullancya hizmet vermek hem de sektorde emin admlarla ilerlemek onceliklidir. Dogru site tercihi ile sizde canl bahislerinizi sorun yasamadan gerceklestirebilirsiniz. Sizler icin hazrlams oldugumuz canl bahis siteleri listesi su sekildedir;

Mobilbahis Tempobet Bets10 Bahigo 1xbahis Betboo Youwin Superbahis

Sralams oldugumuz bu siteler sektorde basarl islere imza atms sitelerdedir. Canl bahis konusunda beklentileri karslayacak olan bu siteler sizlere kolaylk sunmaktadrlar. Bol bonuslu secenekle de sizlere farkl bahis yonlerini sunacaklardr. Sistemsel etki icerisinde her zaman etkin sonuc alabilmek icin surekli olarak faaliyet icerisindedirler.

Canl Bahis Taktikleri

Bahis sektorunun en fazla dikkat edilmesi gereken hususu dogru taktik ve dogru tahmindir. Elbette dogru tahmini yapabilmek icin analizi cok iyi yapmak gerekir. Canl bahis taktikleri arasnda ilk sra analiz gelmektedir. Analiz yapamadgnz zaman basarl tahminlerde bulunmanz pek de mumkun degildir. Cunku bahiste onemli olan konu musabakann analizini cok iyi yaplmas gerektigidir. Canl bahisin ozelliklerini iyi bilmek ve nasl bir hamle yapacagnz bilmek gerekir. Ozellikle riskli maclarda yaplacak degerlendirmeler cok daha onemlidir.

Canl bahis yapacaklarn takip edecegi degerler takmlarn durumlar ile alakal olmaldr. Performans uzerine kurulu bahis sisteminde takm degerlendirmesine iyi bakmak gerekir. Iki takmn son 5 macta nasl bir sonuc ortaya koyduguna bakarak hareket etmek onemlidir. Ayrca hangi takm evinde daha iyi performans sergiliyor diye de ayrca bakmak gerekir.

Analizlerle alakal puan durumlarna da goz atmak cok onemlidir. Puan degerlendirmesinde oncelikle takmlarn ihtiyaclar ile dogru orantl hareket etmek gerekir. Cunku olusturulan performans takmn da durumunu ortaya koymaktadr. Nitekim istenilen sonucu elde edebilmek icin tum ayrntlar bilmek gerekir. Takm ici duzenden tutunda da takmn son durumuna kadar her ayrnt onemlidir. Iki takmn birbirleri arasnda ki sonuclar da incelemek gerekir. Burada dikkat edilecek detaylarn basnda maclarda kac gol oldugu ve gollerin hangi dakikalarda atldgdr. Cekismeli gecen musabakalarda bazen goller ilk yarda daha fazla olurken baz maclarda da ikinci yarda daha cok gol olmustur. Iki takm arasnda ki maclarda gollerin cogunlugu ilk yarda geliyorsa buna gore bahis yapabilirsiniz.

Canl Bahis Siteleri Bonuslar ve Kampanyalar

Bahis yapanlar veya yapmay dusununler sitelerin sunmus olduklar frsatlar merak etmektedirler. Cunku siteler daha fazla kullancya erismek icin her donem kampanyalar duzenleyerek kullanc odakl hamleler yapmaktadrlar. Canl bahis bonuslar ve kampanyalar oldukca populer olup, siteler bu konuda adeta birbirleri ile yarsmaktadrlar. Birbirinden farkl ozelliklere sahip olan kampanyalar size frsatlar sunmaktadr. Daha cok kazanma ihtimalinizi arttran bu bonuslar daha cesur olmanza da dogrudan etki edecektir. Nitekim bonuslar sitelerin cekiciligini ve avantajlarn arttrmaktadr. En cok kazandran canl bahis siteleri bedava bonuslar ve kampanyalar icin http://www.milano2018.com/canli-bahis-siteleri-2022/ linkinden yardm alabilirsiniz.

Hos geldin bonusu ile baslayan ve sonrasnda para yatrdkca bonus veren cok sayda site bulunmaktadr. Canl bahis bonusu veren siteler yeni uyelere sunduklar frsatlar farkl kampanyalarla mevcut uyelerine de sunmaktadrlar. Hali hazrda siteyi kullananlarn da bonus frsatlarndan yararlanmalar icin donemsel kampanyalar olusturmaktadrlar. Boylece baska sitelere gidisler olmayacag gibi site de daha keyifli zaman gecirmek mumkun klnmaktadr. Bu tur eklentiler yapan sitelerde musteri memnuniyeti daha fazladr.

Bahis siteleri ozellik ve uygulama bakmndan farkllklar bunyelerinde bulundurmaktadrlar. Verilen bonuslarn olusturulmas ve kullanclar aktarlmasnda yatrlan para miktarlar belirleyici olmaktadr. 1.000 TL yatran bir kullanc yuzde 20 bonus frsat olan bir kampanyadan 200 TL bonus kazanabilmektedir. Yatracag tutar 10.000 TL oldugunda bu bonustutar 2.000 TL olabilmektedir. Gerceklesen ve uygulanan esaslar tamamen donemsel olarak yaplan kampanyalarla alakaldr. Iyi Canl bahis siteleri bonuslar ve kampanyalar icin sitelerin vermis oldugu oranlar takip edebilirsiniz.

Canl Bahis Siteleri Para Yatrma

Online Canl bahis yapacaklarn merak ettigi konulardan bir digeri de para yatrma islemleridir. Oldukca onemli olan bu konuda hata yapmamak cok onemlidir. Canl bahis sitelerine para yatrma islemi sanlann aksine son derece basittir. Oldukca basit ve uygulama esas dogru etki olusturan bu yapda sizde islemi rahatca tamamlayabilirsiniz. Para yatrma konusunda su yolu izleyebilirsiniz.

Guvendiginiz ve herhangi bir sekilde aklnzda soru isareti kalmayan bahis sitesine uye olmanz gerekmektedir. Uyelik islemini sorunsuz sekilde tamamladktan sonra para yatrma islemine gecebilirsiniz.

Kullanacagnz siteye uye olduktan sonra karsnza kullanc ad ve sifresini gireceginiz yer gelecektir. Buraya giris yaptktan sonra site icerisine islemlere devam edebilirsiniz.

Sitede yer alan para yatrma sekmesine tklayp sonrasnda karsnza gelen sayfay inceleyebilirsiniz. Para yatrma bolumunde yer alan ksma ne kadar para yatracagnz yazp devam tusuna basmalsnz.

Yatrmak istediginiz tutar girip sonrasnda da devam tusuna bastktan sonra karsnza kart bilgilerinizi gireceginiz sayfa gelecektir. Kredi kart kullanarak para gondermek isteyenlerin tercih ettigi bu sayfa tum bilgiler girilip islem onaylanmaldr.

Canl bahis sitelerine para yatrma islemini gerceklestirmek icin hesaba havale secenegini de kullanabilirsiniz. Site icerisinde musteri hizmetleri ile iletisime gecerek banka hesap numaralarn ogrenebilirsiniz. Belirtilen IBAN numarasna istediginiz tutar havale edebilirsiniz. Havale ederken acklama ksmna yazlacak bilgilere dikkat etmelisiniz.

Kredi kart veya banka havalesi ile gerceklesen para yatrma islemi sonucunda site hesabnzdan bakiyenize bakabilirsiniz. Bakiyenize gore dilediginiz sekilde bahislerinizi gerceklestirebilirsiniz.

Canl Bahis Siteleri Para Cekme

Canl bahiste dogru hamleler ve dogru tahminler sonucunda kazandgnz bedeli geri almak isteyebilirsiniz. Kazanclarnz istediginiz banka hesabnza cekebilmek icin uymanz gereken kurallar soz konusudur. Oncelikle bahis sitelerinden para cekebilmeniz icin uye olurken dogru bilgi paylasmnda bulunmanz gerektigidir. Cunku canl bahis sitelerinden para cekme islemi icin kullanc hesab ile talep edilen banka hesap bilgilerinin ortusmesi gerekir. Yani uye olurken verilen bilgi ile banka hesab kime ait ise o bilgiler ayn olmaldr. Bu uygulama sitenin hem kullancsn hem de kendisini guvene alma politikasdr. Ayrca frsatclarn onune gecerek yeni bir uye olusumunun da onune gecmek amac gutmektedir. Uye olan kisi farkl para cekilme talebi verilen hesap farkl oldugunda para cekme islemi gerceklesmeyecektir.

Bahisleriniz sonucunda kazanc elde edebilir ve bu kazancnz da hakknz olarak almak isteyebilirsiniz. Burada son derece basit uygulama soz konusu olurken siteler aras farkl gorunumler soz konusu olabilir. Fakat yine de tum sitelerde uyenin site icerisinde para cekme bolumune girmesi yeterlidir. Burada cekilecek olan tutarn belirlenmesi ve hesap numarasnn girilmesi ile birlikte islem onay gerekecektir. Para cekme taleplerinde sizden gerekli bilgiler istenmekte ve havale islemi istenilen bilgiler esliginde yurutulmektedir. Dogru bilgi paylasmak sorunsuz para cekebilmeniz en onemli kuraldr. Istenilen bilgiler girildikten sonra site sorumlular gerekli kontrolleri yapp herhangi bir sorun yoksa ksa surede hesabnza gerekli paray aktaracaklardr.

Canl Bahis Sitelerinden Para Cekmek Icin Istenen Belgeler

Bahis sitelerine uye olduktan sonra baz kullanclar para cekme taleplerinin karslanmadg konusunda sikayetlerde bulunmuslardr. Bu sikayetlersektorde uzun zamandr bulunan guvenilir bahis siteleri de yer almaktadr. Fakat sikayetlerin dayanaklarna bakldgnda ise islerin tamamen farkl oldugu gorulmektedir. Yasanan bu durum kullanclarn hatal bilgi girmesi ve uyelik bilgileri ile banka bilgilerinin uyusmamas ile dogru orantldr. Birde canl bahis para cekmek icin istenen belgeler eksik ya da hatal olarak sunulmus olabilir. Ortaya ckan karsklar neticesinde para cekme talebinde bulunan kisi istedigini alamadg icin sikayetci olmaktadr. Oysa ki istenilen bilgiler dogru ve istenilen evraklar eksiksiz sunulsa para cekme islemi sorunsuz olacak.

Sitelerin para cekme konusunda dikkatli hareket etmesi hilelerin ve illegal faaliyetlerin onune gecmek adnadr. Cunku baz kullanclar farkl bilgiler vererek ikinci hesap acabilmektedirler. Bazen de bilincsizce hatal bilgi girilebilmektedir. Hatal islemlerin cozumu konusunda islem yaptgnz sitenin musteri temsilcileri ile gorusebilirsiniz. Talepleriniz dogrultusunda para cekme islemlerinde ki sorunlar giderilecektir. Canl bahis para cekmek icin istenen belgeler listesi su sekildedir;

Kullanc bilgileri ile banka bilgilerini karslastrmak icin kimlik fotokopisi

Banka hesap bilgileri

Ikametgah ve kisiye ait herhangi bir fatura.

Kacak Iddaa

Turkiyede dogrudan bahis yapmak icin resmi kanallar kullanlabilmektedir. Fakat tercih edilen ve oran olarak cok daha fazla frsatlar sunan kacar iddaasiteleri bulunmaktadr. Bu siteler kanunlara aykr sekilde yaplmakta olup, yasal bir dayanag yoktur. Elbette bu sitelerin kurulus merkezi Turkiye olmayp, ds ulkelerdedir ve faaliyetler belirlenen siteler uzerinden yaplmaktadr. Kacak Iddaa oldukca riskli olup, cok dikkatli olunmas gerekir.

Kacak Bahis

Kanunlar cercevesinde istediginiz gibi bahis yapamayabilirsiniz. Bahis yapabilmek icin ya kanuni olarak sorun olmayan ulke dsnda ki kumarhanelere gitmeniz veya kacak bahis sitelerinden islem yapabilirsiniz. Zira bu durum tehlikeli olsa da cok sayda site guvenli sekilde bu alanda hizmet vermektedir. Kacak bahiste oldukca fazla secenek bulunurken yuksek oranda kazanc sunuyor olmas da ragbeti arttryor.

Illegal Bahis

Bahisin bircok alanda yasak oldugu Turkiyede bu alanda cok sayda yabanc merkezli siteler hizmet vermektedir. Illegal bahis sektorunde faaliyet gosteren siteler guvenli hizmet anlays ile kullanclarna frsatlar sunmaktadr. Yurt ds merkezli bu siteler sorunsuz sekilde hizmetlerini surdururken bulunduklar ulkelerde kanunlara uygun sekildedir. Elbette faaliyet noktasnda bulunduklar ulkelerde sorun teskil etmese de Turkiyede faaliyet gostermeleri kanunin yasaklanmstr.

Yasads Bahis

Gerek olusturulan etkenler gerekse de ortaya konulan riskler yasads bahis de oldukca tehlikelidir. Kanunlarn mudahil olduklar bu alanlar da hem kullanclar hem de populer bahis yaptranlar tum riskleri goze almaktadrlar. Fakat yasaklardan uzak sekilde guvenli hizmet sunan siteler de bulunmaktadr. Takipler neticesinde kapatlan sitelerin muhakkak alternatifleri kurularak yollarna devam etmektedirler.

Canl Iddaa Siteleri Nelerdir?

Dunya genelinde kabul gormus cok sayda guvenli hizmet veren populer bahis siteleri bulunmaktadr. Elbette bu siteler dunyann bircok ulkesinde faaliyet gosterse de Turkiyede yasaktr. Sektorde yer alan cok sayda legal iddaa siteleri bulunmaktadr. Herhangi bir kanunsuzlugun olmadg bu sitelerden hzl ve guvenli islem yaplabilmektedir. Tabi bu sitelerde uygulanan oranlar yasal olmayan sitelere gore daha dusuktur. Illegal sitelerin tercih edilme sebeplerinin en onemli etkeni de olusturulan oranlardr. Peki, Iddaa siteleri nelerdir? Faaliyetleri ve uygulama esaslar nelerdir?

Turkiyede faaliyet gosteren yasal iddaa siteleri listesi su sekildedir;

Iddaa

Bilyoner

Tuttur

Birebin

Oley

Nesine

Misli

Iddaa

2004 ylnda hizmet vermeye baslayan Iddaa Spor toto tarafndan kurulmus olup, ilk etapta bayilik seklinde calsmaya baslamstr. Elbette zamanla gelisen teknolojiye ayak uydurarak internet uzerinde de populer bahis severlerin hizmetine sunulmustur. Kuruldugu donemde devletin resmi kurumu olarak faaliyet gosterirken gelinen yeni donemde ozellestirilmistir.

Bilyoner

Turkiyede faaliyetine 2006 ylnda baslayan Bilyoner ilk ozel yasal bahis sitesi olma ozelligine sahiptir. Guvenilir bahis siteleri Turkiyede bunlardr. Ksa surede populer olan site halen faaliyetlerini sorunsuz sekilde surdurmektedir.

Tuttur

Ksa surede adndan bahsettirmeyi basaran Tuttur 2009 ylnda faaliyetlere baslamstr. Guvenilir bahis siteleri arasnda yerini almstr. Gunumuze dek bircok alanda populer bahis yapanlara frsatlar sunarken avantajlar ile de begeni toplamstr.

Birebin

Kullanc odakl calsmalar surdurse de 2011 ylnda sektore giren Birebindiger sitelere gore daha az ragbet gormektedir. Bahis oynamak ise bu sitede oldukca kolaydr. Elbette farkl yaklasmlara sahip olmasndan dolay ilerleyen sureclerde adndan sklkla bahsettirecek gibi gorunuyor.

Oley

2009 ylnda Dogus yayn gruplarnn istiraki olarak kurulmus olup yasal olarak herhangi bir sorunu olmayan sitelerdendir. Bahis siteleri arasnda hzl cks yapms bir sitedir. Oley yapms oldugu yenilikler ile kullanclarn da dikkatini ksa surede cekmeyi basarmstr.

Nesine

Birbirini takip eden surecte Nesine de yine 2006 ylnda hizmet vermeye baslamstr. Yasal bahis siteleri arasnda yerini almay basaran firma ksa surede sevilen ve ragbet goren bir site olmustur.

Misli

2009 ylnda sektore cok hzl giris yapan Misli cok sayda reklam filmi ile on plana ckmay basarmstr. Internet uzerinden hem yasal hem de sorunsuz hizmet veren bahis sitelerinden bir tanesi olmustur.

Canl Bahis Siteleri Kayt ve Uyelik Islemleri

Her zaman populerligini koruyan ve surekli gelisim gosteren canl bahis gun gectikce daha da gucleniyor. Bahis oynamak icin ise sitelere uye olunmas gerekir. Yuksek getirisi ve begeni toplayan faaliyetleri ile cok sayda site bu alanda faaliyet gostermektedir. Elbette sorunsuz sekilde uye olmanz ve faaliyetler gostermeniz de oldukca kolaydr. Canl bahis siteleri kayt ve uyelik islemleri dakikalar icerisinde gerceklestirilecek yapya sahiptir.

Uye olacagnz siteyi belirledikten sonra siteye girmeniz gerekmektedir. Girdiginiz sitenin ana sayfasnda uye ol ya da kayt ol bolumu bulunacaktr. Siteler arasnda degiskenlik gosteren bu alanda temel unsurlar bulunmaktadr. Elbette farkllklar olsa da temelinde benzer bilgiler uye olmak isteyen kisilerden talep edilmektedir.

Uye ol bolumune tkladktan sonra karsnza uyelik bilgi formu ckacaktr. Bu formda sizin kim oldugunuzu ogrenmek ve sitenin guvenligini saglamak adna islemler yaplmaktadr. Uyelik formunda yer alan ad soyad bolumunu eksiksiz ve dogru sekilde doldurmalsnz. Sizden bu formda istenen bilgilerin tamamn girmeniz istenecektir. Istenen bilgiler mutlaka dogru ve eksiksiz sekilde olmaldr. Eksik veya hatal bilgi uyelik islemlerinde sorun teskil edebilir. Yine de yanls bilgi girisine ragmen uyelik islemleri tamamlanabilir. Fakat boyle bir yol izleyenler sonrasnda buyuk skntlarla karslasabilirler. Bu skntlarn basnda da para cekme islemlerinde yasanan sorunlardr.

Uyelik islemleri dikkatli ve ozenle doldurulmas gereken yapdadr. Canl bahis siteleri kayt ve uyelik islemleri gerceklestirilirken verilen bilgiler site yonetimi tarafndan muhafaza edilmektedir. Herhangi bir sekilde 3. Sahslarla paylaslmas gibi bir durum soz konusu degildir. Bu faaliyetleri surduren sitelerin guven unsurlar arasnda bu nokta onceliklidir.

Bahis sitelerine uye olurken hatal bilgi paylasmnda bulunmak size faydadan cok zarar verecektir. Diyelim ki bilgileri hatal girdiniz ve uyelik onayland. Uyelik tamamlandktan sonra siteye para yatrdnz ve kazanc elde ettiniz. Kazancnz sonrasnda hesabnza almak istediginizde karsnza banka bilgileri bolumu gelecektir. Para cekme talebi gerceklestikten sonra site uyelik bilgileri ile banka hesap bilgileri ortusmez ise paranz alamazsnz. Boyle bir durumla karslasmamak adna bu hususa ayrca dikkat etmelisiniz.
Oct 24, 2016 | By Alec

The Emirate of Dubai is rapidly becoming synonymous with 3D printing, as the city state is turning its considerable wealth towards sponsoring high-tech enterprises, 3D printing innovations and pioneering technologies. Earlier in the year, the country unveiled their own Dubai 3D Printing Strategy, which aims to make the country the 3D printing capital of the world by 2030. The first results of those efforts are already visible, such as this 3D printed Office of the Future. But in an attempt to make the strategy a complete regional success, the Dubai Future Foundation has now teamed up with Autodesk to spark regional 3D printing innovation through a $100 million investment fund.

This new Dubai program was just confirmed by the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the two organizations. Under the terms of this partnership, the Dubai Future Foundation will be in charge of identifying suitable investment channels in the region, who will receive funding from Autodesks $100 million Spark fund. The goal is to encourage startups in the Gulf Region to develop new 3D printing technologies and applications, accelerating region-wide progress. Autodesk, in turn, will be in charge of evaluating that progress in the regional sector, allowing them to map out a clear strategy for their Spark fund.

Of course the state-led Dubai 3D Printing Strategy will doubtlessly do wonders for local innovation, but startups are always the real driving force behind creating an open climate that welcomes development. As the Dubai Future Foundation revealed, these new efforts  which also provide access to Sparks marketing and software capacity  are intended to support those startups and allow that sector to blossom. If successful, a regional market for 3D printing will also be created, spurring the 3D printing of consumer goods and a lot more.

The agreement was signed by His Excellency Saif Al Aleeli, CEO of Dubai Future Foundation, and Amar Hanspal, Senior Vice President, Products, at Autodesk. As the former explained, they are also hoping to create a very attractive technological environment for further investors through this partnership. The UAE is a pioneer in the 3D printing sector: the emirate has already constructed the worlds first 3D-printed office. With this new international partnership, the Foundation is working to establish an attractive investment environment around the innovations and technologies of the fourth industrial revolution  3D printing, in particular  in a bid to increase the sectors contributions to the national economy, he said. The MoU complements the Dubai Future Agenda, which strives to position the emirate as the international capital for the technologies of the future.

According to his Excellency Mohammed Al Gergawi, the Vice Chairman and Managing Director of Dubai Future Foundation, this program will also greatly assist in the realization of the Dubai 3D Printing Strategy. 3D printing technology will revolutionize the economic sectors that most affect peoples lives, HE Al Gergawi said. This includes construction, medical equipment and supplies, and even consumer products. 3D printing technology has taken center stage in the global market, drawing attention from all major tech companies and R&D centers around the world as they work to accelerate its introduction into traditional markets, in addition to establishing exciting new markets.

But it is obviously also an opportunity for Autodesk to cement their position in the Middle Eastern market, as Louay Dahmash, head of Autodesk Middle East explained. At Autodesk, we are constantly moving forward towards the future. We do not conform to the tried-and-tested methods of production, rather we develop new ones. We have signed an agreement with Dubai Future Foundation to spark a revolution in the 3D printing sector in Dubai and the UAE, he added.

The United Arab Emirates, of which Dubai is its most populous city and state, is expected to lead the way in bringing digital manufacturing to the Middle East. As leaders in the sector, we look forward to supporting Dubais future vision by accelerating and revolutionizing the manufacturing process in the emirate, said Hanspal, who signed the deal on Autodesks behalf. While 2030 is still a long way away, it certainly seems as though Dubai is completely dedicated to reaching this target  something also confirmed by the strong presence of 3D printing in last months Dubai Future Accelerators announcement.

Posted in 3D Printer Company

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mick wrote at 10/24/2016 5:12:12 PM:Hey autodesk why don't you put that 100 mill into your software. We all know it could use it.




by Holly A. Case

Alen R. (left) and Arkan (right)

Is there a relationship between politics and madness? The history of the legal strategy known as the insanity defense offers some clues. One thinker, the political philosopher Hannah Arendt, was so haunted by the moral confusion of the insanity defense as to wonder whether there is a way to tell right from wrong without reference to right and left.

Last month before a packed courtroom in Graz, Austria, a man stood trial for three counts of murder and 108 counts of attempted murder. The defendant, Alen R., appeared each day in a white suit. His face, like his last name, was obscured in the Austrian media, but the case was such a high-profile oneall seven days of the proceedings were broadcast live and it was front-page news in every one of the Austrian dailiesthat Alen R. became something of an anti-celebrity.

On June 20, 2015, just after midday, Alen R. ran down pedestrians and cyclists with his SUV along a route stretching more than a mile through the city center of Graz. Witnesses estimated his maximum speed to be over 60 miles per hour. At one point he stopped to attack two people with a knife. Over the five-minute duration of his mad driving spree, he killed three people and injured thirty-six, many of them seriously.

The focus of the trial came down to one question: Is Alen R. so mentally ill that he can assume no responsibility for the apocalyptic drive in his SUV through the pedestrian zones of Graz? At issue were the conflicting expert assessments of psychiatrists and a psychologist regarding the defendant's sanity: one had concluded that he was of unsound mind and should therefore be referred for psychiatric treatment rather than given a prison sentence, and another believed Alen R. to be very much of sound mind and said he should stand trial as an accused criminal. To break the tie, a third (German) psychiatrist was called in who diagnosed him with schizophrenia. In the end, the jury deferred to the testimony of a fourth expert, a psychologist, who declared Alen R. to be of sound enough mind to be criminally responsible for murder and attempted murder. He was given a life sentence (though it is not yet binding) along with a referral for incarceration in a facility for the criminally insane.

One matter that was largely skirted in the trial but hotly debated on the street was whether Alen R.'s drive had been politically motivated. Just prior to the attack he deleted all but one of his twitter posts, and the remaining one suggested the deed was not spontaneous, but planned. Interpretations varied widely: his estranged wife said he was a radicalized Muslim who made her wear a burka; he himself told police he felt he was being pursued by Turks; the psychologist who swayed the jury said he was obsessed with hegemonic maleness in the pattern of Grand Theft Auto: He sits at the red light, feels himself threatened, then the light turns green and he puts the pedal to the floor. Objective achieved. Game over.

*

Although the Austrian media was legally restrained from revealing some of Alen R.'s personal details during the trial, the British and American media were not. They gave his full name, Alen Rizvanovic, and even posted photos of him. When I first saw his full name, a faint echo of association brought the mad driver into accidental relation with another media sensation from some years ago: Zeljko (Arkan) Raznatovic. But the association was absurd. Alen R. is a Muslim whose family fled the war in Bosnia when he was just four years old to settle in Austria. Insofar as anyone associates any politics with him, it is in the context of Islamic fundamentalist terrorism and the possibility that he had been radicalized prior to running amok.

Arkan R., on the other hand, was a Serb. He was also a criminal of international infamy who had organized his own paramilitary group known as Arkan's Tigers during the Yugoslav war. There is an iconic photo of him in dark-colored military gear, gun in one hand, a tiger cub by the scruff of its neck in the other. Members of the Tigers are ranged behind him atop a tank, all wearing dark uniforms and balaclavas. Only Arkan is showing his face. He had nothing to hide.

The contrast to Alen R. is striking, his face blurred out by the rules of a rule-of-law state, sitting in a white suit, head slightly bowed. Alen R. did not get away with murder. Arkan did. Indicted in absentia on several counts of war crimes by the Hague Tribunal, including torture and mass execution of captured Bosnian Muslims, he never stood trial. In fact, he became one of the wealthiest and most powerful figures in the region, at least, until he was assassinated in the crowded lobby of a Belgrade hotel in 2000. More than 10,000 people attended his funeral.

The association of Alen R. with Arkan R. may be politically absurd, but it makes moral sense. In one of the many comment streams to the Austrian coverage of Alen R.'s trial I came across the following exchange: People who run amok and intentionally kill strangers without political or religious motivation have a not inconsiderable personality disorder anyhow, one that can't be eliminated by simple therapeutic measures, wrote one person. Another replied: So a person is somehow less disturbed if they kill strangers with political or religious motivations?

*

Beginning in the nineteenth century, as mass politics was just coming into existence, the legal basis for the insanity defense was the determination of whetherat the time a crime was committedthe perpetrator could tell the difference between right and wrong. Introducing moral categories (right and wrong) into the insanity defense set it on a collision course with politics. As politics increasingly focused on distinguishing between right and left, its method came to be about aligning this distinction with the one between right and wrong. Small wonder that modern politics is rife with competing claims that the other side is both morally suspect and of questionably sound mind.

Furthermore, the charge of insanity even came to serve as a kind of moral absolution. A great many movements and ideologies that have come to form states and make laws, laying down their own standards for right and wrong, were once considered insanedemocracy, Bolshevism, Nazism/fascism, Islamic fundamentalism. Culture and history prime us to view the moral underdog as the champion of a deeper moral truth. Long before the modern era, Socrates famously and repeatedly made the worse appear the better cause, and Jesus Christ turned the morality of his time on its head (So the last shall be first, and the first last). When Christ said on the cross Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do, was he not issuing a blanket assessment of humanity's collective insanity?

Sometimes it seems a shakedown of the moral order is just what the social order needs. But not always. Perhaps the starkest counterexample is offered by the 1961 trial of Adolf Eichmann. Though he did not kill anyone himself, Eichmann oversaw the logistics behind a significant part of the Holocaust of European Jewry, most notably the rapid mass deportation of 450,000 Hungarian Jews to Auschwitz in the spring of 1944. After the war he assumed a fake identity and joined thousands of other former Nazis and their sympathizers in self-imposed exile in Latin America.

Eichmann was captured in 1960 by Israeli agents and put on trial in Jerusalem. Among those present at the trial was the political philosopher Hannah Arendt, who penned her now-famous reflections in a series of articles that later became a book: Eichmann in Jerusalem: A Report on the Banality of Evil. Eichmann's sanity was the centerpiece of Arendt's reflections. It would have been very comforting indeed to believe that Eichmann was a monster, [a] Bluebeard in the dock, she wrote. The trouble with Eichmann was precisely that so many were like him, and that the many were neither perverted nor sadistic, that they were, and still are, terribly and terrifyingly normal. Eichmann's normalcy was the surest indicator that a new type of criminal had entered the world, one who commits his crimes under circumstances that make it well-nigh impossible for him to know or feel that he is doing wrong.

[I]ntent to do wrong is necessary for the commission of a crime, Arendt continued. Where this intent is absent, where, for whatever reasons, even reasons of moral insanity, the ability to distinguish between right and wrong is impaired, we feel no crime has been committed. Yet for Arendt, the fact that Eichmann merelynever realized what he was doing should by no means exonerate him from judgment. She decried the quite extraordinary confusion over elementary questions of morality created by the case of Eichmann and those like him, which had produced a reluctance everywhere to make judgments in terms of individual moral responsibility.

Political power, be it right or left, Arendt insisted, stands in no necessary or fixed relation to right and wrong. But where do we get our understanding of right and wrong, if not from politics? In Arendt's view, matters of morality had to be worked out by the individual, and doing so would not be easy. Above all, it would require thinking for oneself. Under the Nazis, she wrote, those few who were still able to tell right from wrong went really only by their own judgments, and they did so freely; there were no rules to be abided by, under which the particular cases with which they were confronted could be subsumed. They had to decide each instance as it arose, because no rules existed for the unprecedented.

A decade after the Eichmann trial, Arendt gave a lecture on Thinking and Moral Considerations in which she made the case for thinking as a moral undertaking. The manifestation of the wind of thought is no knowledge, she told her audience, it is the ability to tell right from wrong. The opposite of thoughtlessness is thought; no form of automatismpolitical, religious, even moralcan stand in for it. Even if God forgives us when we know not what we do, it's still no excuse. Thoughtlessness cannot be the basis of morality. That way madness lies.
Here's what no home internet meant for me:

No captioned telephone. I hear on the phone, but not well. Even using the telecoil setting on my hearing aid does not make the speaker's voice completely clear. Captioned telephones depend on DSL or Wi-Fi for the captioning part of the call, which appears on the screen of your special phone. Two of the major manufacturers of these captioned phones are CapTel and CaptionCall. They are available free of charge to people who can provide proof of their hearing loss, and oftentimes their representative will come to your home to set it up. But you do need a high-speed internet connection.

For captions on cellphones, a company called Innocaptions has been developing a system to provide simultaneous voice and captioning. It's still got some kinks to work out, but when it works, it's terrific. Unfortunately, at least on my phone (an iPhone 5S) and with my carrier (Verizon), I cannot get voice and captions at the same time unless I have DSL or Wi-Fi. (Innocaptions, which has very responsive consumer support, confirmed this in an email: "Unfortunately, Verizon supports voice and data at the same time from iPhone 6, not iPhone 5/5s.") I need that connection to Wi-Fi.

This is a problem anywhere outdoors, but I live in a big city, and without captions my cellphone is close to useless on the street. This is because electromagnetic interference produces a buzz in telecoil mode that drowns out talk. I guess I need to spring for a new iPhone.
Grand Gulf Energy Ltd (ASX:GGE) is targeting conventional oil and gas opportunities in the United States. The company listed on the Australian Stock Exchange in February 2006 as Alto Energy International Limited and changed its name to Grand Gulf Energy Limited in June 2007. The name Grand Gulf Energy is derived from the company's operating subsidiary in USA. Grand Gulf Energy has a strong board of directors and management team based in both Perth, Western Australia and Houston, Texas, USA. Grand Gulf Energy is focused on low-risk, conventional oil and gas plays in Louisiana, close to existing infrastructure and close to or within existing oil and gas production. Grand Gulf Energy's strategy is to apply the expertise and new technology (such as 3D seismic) required to deliver a low risk exploration and development portfolio with potentially high rewards. The company is also focused on forming relationships with organizations that can deliver further acquisition and development opportunities.

The company's portfolio of active projects includes the Napoleonville Salt Dome project in Louisiana.
In this segment you'll hear from Rick Rule, the President and CEO of Sprott USA at the recent Mines and Money London Conference. Ellis asks Rick about what he thinks it will take to move the needle with gold as well as a conversation about energy, specifically uranium, of which he is a proponent of.


Quarterly Activities Report

Sydney, Oct 24, 2016 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Thomson Resources Ltd ( ASX:TMZ ) is pleased to provide its Quarterly Activities Report ending 30 September 2016.



Highlights



- Bygoo metallurgical work commenced



- New ELA submitted with tin prospects south of Ardlethan



BYGOO METALLURGY



Record rain in central NSW during September has delayed plans to progress drilling at Bygoo and other tin prospects. Drilling is now expected to commence in November.



Several samples of the Bygoo North tin greisen are undergoing metallurgical analysis to estimate recovery and treatment options. Results are awaited.



ARDLETHAN SOUTH



During the quarter Thomson Resources applied for a new Exploration Licence (ELA 5350) over an area south of Ardlethan, contiguous with Thomson's granted EL 8260 (see Figure 1 in the link below). The new area is host to a number of old tin workings in the Frews area, as well as several old gold shows further south.



Between 1978 and 1983 the Shell Company of Australia (Billiton division) drilled 1,302 holes in the 45 square kilometre area marked green on Figure 1 in the link below. The holes were shallow with an average depth of 20m and comprised 1,231 rotary air blast (RAB) holes testing unconsolidated soil and overburden to the top of hard rock, as well as 71 percussion holes and 3 diamond holes testing hard rock targets. Just 24 holes were deeper than 70m and all are shown on Figure 1 in the link below.



The program outlined several bedrock tin anomalies, marked pink on Figure 1 in the link below. There are three clusters, and all are close to the eastern outcrop edge of the Ardlethan Granite (like Bygoo to the north, Figure 2 in the link below). Two of the clustered bedrock anomalies are east of old workings at Bald Hill and Frews. The third is 3km south of the Ardlethan Mine leases and doesn't appear to have been followed up.



Shell targeted an Ardlethan deposit model of breccia pipes developed 500m to 1km east of the edge of the Ardlethan Granite. Hence there was very little drilling at and around any of the old (pre-war) tin workings. The only one tested appears to have been the Bald Hill/Maratholi group of tin mines (Figure 1 in the link below) where just two holes were directed under old workings. 28 percussion holes were drilled in the area and again were shallow, with an average depth of 34m (Table 1 in the link below). Several holes hit tin mineralisation with the better hits in PBH8 at Bald Hill (2m t 1.3% Sn from 12m), and the two holes under the Maratholi workings - PBH 15 (12m at 0.23% Sn from 14m) and PBH 16 (18m at 0.26% Sn from 36m). These intersections were not followed up. No drilling occurred around the Frews tin workings further south, or any of the other nearby old tin mines on the Ardlethan Granite (Canambla Park, Colorado, McKeowns) or the gold shows (Kennys, Mallee Hen).



In addition, Shell also discovered three alluvial tin deposits in palaeochannels (Figure 1 in the link below) - the southern extension of the Yithan Lead, a zone running north from Bald Hill and a smaller zone running southeast from Frews. Further work led Shell to declare a (pre-JORC) resource for the Bald Hill Lead.



Bald Hill Lead alluvial resource



The historic Bald Hill Lead alluvial resource was estimated in 1984 in a report by DJ Borton for Billiton (the Metal Division of the Shell Company of Australia), available from the NSW Government's DIGS public open file report system.



The historic resource was 2,501,875 tonnes at 524 ppm Sn (0.05%) with an average thickness of 9.5m over a strike length of 1100m, containing 1,300 tonnes of tin metal. The historic resource estimate is not reported in accordance with the JORC code and it is uncertain that following evaluation and/or further exploration the resource will be able to be reported in accordance with the JORC Code. A competent person has not done sufficient work to classify this historic estimate in accordance with the JORC code.



The historic resource was based on 51 RAB holes and 7 percussion holes drilled between 1982 and 1983. In general the sample interval was 2m and analysis was by laboratory XRF. Early samples were collected by grab handfuls, while later sampling was by splitting from a cyclone. The resource was calculated on eight individual sections with a 200ppm cut off. A specific gravity of 2 was assumed and the average depth to the top of the resource was estimated at 7m. The resource was not classified into JORC categories.



The relevance of this historic resource is that it is a significant deposit of tin thought to be sourced by weathering from an as yet undiscovered hard rock deposit in the Bald Hill area.



While the Company's focus is on hard rock tin discovery, it considers a modest program of re-drilling, density measurements and modelling would be required verify the resource and report to JORC 2012. The Company is not in possession of any new information or data relating to the historic estimate that materially impacts on the reliability of the estimates or the Company's ability to verify the historic estimate as mineral resources in accordance with the JORC Code.



Co-operative Drilling Grants



The NSW Government awarded two grants to Thomson from the New Frontiers Cooperative Drilling program Round 2. Thomson was awarded $170,000 direct drilling support for two projects - Mt Jacob and Cuttaburra. Drill holes must be completed by the end of June 2017 and will be scheduled prior to that date.



Tenement Holdings and Joint Ventures



Thomson is exploring 640 square kilometres over seven granted titles, with an interest in seven other tenements (472 square km) under joint-venture arrangements with companies including Kidman Resources ( ASX:KDR ), Silver City Minerals ( ASX:SCI ), Silver Mines Ltd ( ASX:SVL ) and Variscan Mines Ltd ( ASX:VAR ) as well as private investors.



The record rain in September also disrupted drilling plans at the Wilga Downs VMS copper-zinc project by our Joint Venture partners, Silver City Minerals (see SCI ASX report October 6, 2016).



Corporate



Exploration expenditure incurred during the quarter totalled $32,000. Cash at the end of the quarter was $67,930. An $81,615 grant for eligible Research and Development activities under the Commonwealth Governments R & D Tax Incentive scheme was received in October.



Thomson has no debt and had 99,005,156 shares on issue at quarter end.



To view the Quarterly Report, please visit:

http://abnnewswire.net/lnk/J9O8F12Z



About Thomson Resources Ltd





Thomson Resources Ltd (ASX:TMZ) is an NSW active mineral explorer. Thomson has several tin projects (including an advanced project near Ardlethan), as well as gold, copper and zinc targets in a range of settings. Thomson has a good record of discovery, with multiple new Intrusion-Related Gold (gold with copper, lead, zinc, molybdenum, tungsten) systems discovered in the Thomson Fold Belt in the NW of the state.


High-Grade Lithium Intersected Over Large Widths in Drilling

Brisbane, Oct 24, 2016 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Sayona Mining Limited ( ASX:SYA ) ( DMNXF:OTCMKTS ) ("Sayona" or the "Company") is pleased to announce the assay results from its first diamond drill holes at the Authier lithium project, Quebec.



Highlights



- High-grade spodumene mineralisation intersected - 62 metres at 1.35% Li20 including, 16 metres at 1.65 % Li2O from 12 metres



- Longest intercept of spodumene mineralisation recorded in drilling at Authier



- Drilling program is demonstrating the potential to expand the size of the JORC Resource



The first two diamond drill holes intersected high-grade spodumene mineralisation, including:



- Hole 1 - 62 metres at 1.35 % Li2O from a downhole depth of 12 metres, and includes 16 metres at 1.65 % Li2O from a downhole depth of 27 metres; and



- Hole 2 - 49 metres at 1.18 % Li2O from a downhole depth of 50 metres (vertical depth of 30 metres) including, 17 metres at 1.49 % Li2O from a downhole depth of 81 metres.



The aim of the drilling program is to increase the size of the resource and improve the confidence level of the JORC resource categories. The first two drill holes were planned to test the geometry of the Authier pegmatite at shallow levels in the eastern sector and increase the resource category from indicated to measured.



More than 3,300 metres of drilling has been completed in 16 diamond holes. The drilling has intersected significant zones of spodumene mineralisation and extended the areas of known mineralisation. The Company believes the new drilling has the potential to expand the size of the existing JORC Resource, and mineralisation remains open in all directions.



In addition, the discovery of a second pegmatite body, located 400 metres north of the Authier pegmatite, highlights the potential for discovering new pegmatites within the large tenement package. The new pegmatite, not visible from the surface, was intersected at shallow levels between 15 metres to 21 metres downhole depth and contained visible spodumene mineralisation.



Corey Nolan, Chief Executive Officer, commented "The Company is very encouraged by the widths and high-grade nature of the mineralisation intersected in the drilling. The Company believes the new drilling will have the potential to expand the size of the JORC resource at the completion of the program. The new resource will be incorporated into the pre-feasibility study which is currently underway."



Diamond Drilling Program



The Company is currently completing a diamond drilling program at Authier of up to 4,000 metres with the objectives, including:



- Converting the inferred mineral resources to measured and indicated through further drilling;



- Exploring for extensions to the existing mineral resources and other potential mineralisation within the tenement package;



- Collecting geotechnical data for incorporation in the Authier Feasibility Studies; and



- Collecting additional drill core for any additional metallurgical testing that may be required to complete a Definitive Feasibility study, planned for 2017.



The first two diamond drill holes (see Table 1 in link below) have intersected high-grade spodumene mineralisation, including:



- Hole AL-16-001, intercepted 62 metres at 1.35 % Li2O from a downhole depth of 12 metres including 16 metres at 1.65 % Li2O from a downhole depth of 27 metres (see Figure 1 in link below); and



- Hole AL-16-002, 60 metres step-back of hole AL-16-001, intercepted 49 metres at 1.18 % Li2O from a downhole depth of 50 metres (vertical depth of 30 metres) including, 17 metres at 1.49 % Li2O from a downhole depth of 81 metres (see Figure 1).



The lithium mineralisation at Authier project is related to multiple pulses of spodumene bearing quartz-feldspar pegmatite. Higher lithium grades are related with high concentrations of mid to coarse spodumene crystals (up to 4 cm long axis) in a mid to coarse grained pegmatite facies.



The first two drill holes were planned to test the geometry of the Authier pegmatite at shallow levels in the eastern sector and increase the resource category from indicated to measured.



More than 3,300 metres of drilling has been completed in sixteen diamond holes. Drill core is being progressively logged and sent to the laboratory for lithium analysis.



To view tables and figures, please visit:

http://abnnewswire.net/lnk/7J4L2N69





About Sayona Mining Limited





Sayona Mining Limited (ASX:SYA) (OTCMKTS:SYAXF) is an Australian, ASX-listed (SYA) company focused on sourcing and developing the raw materials required to construct lithium-ion batteries for use in the rapidly growing new and green technology sectors. The Company has lithium projects in Quebec, Canada and in Western Australia.

Please visit us as at www.sayonamining.com.au


John Borshoff Appointed New MD and Key Relationship with Sprott Group Raises $1.42M

Perth, Oct 24, 2016 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Deep Yellow Limited ( ASX:DYL ) ( DYLLF:OTCMKTS ) ("DYL", "Deep Yellow" or "the Company") is pleased to announce the appointment of Mr John Borshoff as Chief Executive Officer ("CEO") and Managing Director and the establishment of a strategic relationship with an affiliate of the Sprott Group ( TSE:SII ) ("Sprott"). Concurrently, an affiliate of Sprott will be making an initial A$1.42M investment to recapitalise DYL and support the Company's future growth strategy, anchored by its flagship Namibian assets.



The Board of DYL expresses its gratitude to the outgoing Managing Director, Mr Greg Cochran for his efforts over the past five years and wishes him well in his future endeavours.



Appointment of John Borshoff as CEO and Managing Director



Mr John Borshoff has been appointed as CEO and Managing Director, effective immediately. Mr Borshoff is a geologist and uranium industry veteran who founded Paladin Energy Limited in 1993, taking that company from a junior explorer to a globally recognized, multi-billion dollar uranium mining company.



Commenting on Mr Borshoff's appointment, Rudolf Brunovs, Chairman of the DYL Board said: "I am delighted to welcome someone of John's calibre to Deep Yellow. John's extensive experience and proven track record in the uranium industry, along with his global industry network, will create significant opportunities for the Company and its shareholders."



Commenting on his appointment, Mr Borshoff said: "Having carefully evaluated the current state of the global uranium sector, I am confident Deep Yellow represents the ideal platform to establish a high quality and strategically positioned uranium company. I believe this is an unparalleled opportunity to create shareholder value in an out-of-favour asset class. I look forward to working with the Deep Yellow board and Sprott to leverage the Company's Namibian assets, and take advantage of the inevitable growth opportunities that will occur, in anticipation of a recovery in global uranium markets."



The terms and conditions relating to Mr Borshoff's engagement are contained in Annexure B (refer to the link below) and in the accompanying Appendix 3X (refer to the link below).



Non-Brokered Private Placement



Exploration Capital Partners 2014 Limited Partnership ("ECP"), an affiliate of Sprott, has agreed to subscribe to a private placement of 15% of the issued capital of DYL for gross proceeds of A$1,415,252.85. ECP will be issued 321,648,376 fully paid ordinary shares ("Shares") at A$0.0044 per Share, which price was calculated by reference to a discount to the volume weighted average share price ("Placement"). In being issued the Shares, Sprott will become the Company's largest shareholder and will have the right to nominate a Non-Executive Director to the board so long as its ownership remains above 10% and a second Non-Executive Director should its shareholding exceed 25%.



The Placement is expected to settle on or about 28 October 2016.



It is the intention of the Company and Sprott to develop a strategic relationship, and subject to ASX granting a waiver to Listing Rule 6.18, the Company will also grant Sprott a "top up right" to allow Sprott to maintain its equity position in DYL. The "top up right" will cease if Sprott's holding in DYL falls below 10%.



Should Sprott's shareholding exceed 25%, it may request the Company to seek a listing on the TSX Venture Exchange.



Rudolf Brunovs, Chairman of the Board said: "We are pleased to welcome Sprott as a strategic investor in DYL. Sprott's diverse platform, global reach and its commitment to the natural resources sector will put DYL in a strong position."



A different Sprott affiliate will be paid A$70,762.69 (representing a 5% cash commission on the Shares placed) and will retain a right to bid to place or find subscribers for Shares or convertible notes of the Company which the Company may wish to place or issue from time to time, provided Sprott's aggregate, direct and indirect shareholdings (including managed shareholdings) exceeds 10%.



The funds raised from the Placement will strengthen the Company's balance sheet as it embarks on a strategic review of the uranium sector to evaluate growth opportunities and additionally will be used to advance the existing assets and for general working capital purposes.



The information required by ASX Listing Rule 3.10.3 is set out in Annexure A (refer to the link below).



About the Sprott Group of Companies



With a history dating back to 1981, Sprott is a leading alternative asset manager with a history of delivering outstanding long-term performance to clients through a diverse range of innovative products and investment strategies. Sprott's products include asset management, physical bullion trusts, private equity and debt, and wealth management through its private client and brokerage businesses.



The Company hereby requests that the suspension in trading of its securities hereby be lifted and the Company is not aware of any reason why this request should not be granted or of any other information relevant to this request.



To view the announcement, please visit:

http://abnnewswire.net/lnk/E371B9MX



About Deep Yellow Limited





Deep Yellow Limited (ASX:DYL) (OTCMKTS:DYLLF) (Namibian Stock Exchange:DYL) is a differentiated, advanced uranium exploration company, in predevelopment phase, implementing a contrarian strategy to grow shareholder wealth. This strategy is founded upon growing the existing uranium resources across the Company's uranium projects in Namibia and the pursuit of accretive, counter-cyclical acquisitions to build a global, geographically diverse asset portfolio. A PFS has recently been completed on its Tumas Project in Namibia and a DFS commenced February 2021. The Company's cornerstone suite of projects in Namibia is situated within a top-ranked African mining destination in a jurisdiction that has a long, well-regarded history of safely and effectively developing and regulating its considerable uranium mining industry.


Grand Gulf Energy Pleasant Home Field Acquisition

Perth, Oct 24, 2016 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Grand Gulf Energy Ltd ( ASX:GGE ) (the "Company" or "GGE") is pleased to advise that it has entered into a Participation Agreement to acquire a 50% working interest in the Pleasant Home Field, Covington County Alabama. The field includes 4 wells and processing facilities and the lease is presently held by production from 1 well. The field is operated by Gulf Coast Mineral, LLC.



- Acquiring 50% WI in Pleasant Home Field in Alabama, USA by recompletion of 2 existing field wells with potential net recovery of up to 100,000 bbls oil per well.



- An additional development well may have the potential to recover an additional 650,000 bbls of oil gross



- Recompletions to commence forthwith following RST and CBL logs.



Acquisition of 50% WI in Pleasant Home Field



Pleasant Home has produced in excess of 934,000 bbls of oil since 1999. The wells produce from multiple intervals and presently have a number of zones that based on show and log data are interpreted to be oil pay but are yet to be completed for production.



The transaction will take place through a number of steps. The Company will acquire RST and CBL logs in the target wells to confirm the presence of pay and establish the hole conditions. If these data are encouraging, GGE will undertake recompletions of untested zones in two wells with the potential to recover up to 100,000 barrels of oil net per well at flow rates of up to 100 bbls oil per day.



Following an evaluation of the recompletion results the Company will be better placed to determine whether the field can support additional development drilling. If so, up to 650,000 bbls of additional oil (gross) may be proven.



RST (reservoir saturation tool) logs use spectrometry to measure elemental concentrations in the reservoir fluids "behind pipe". Oil volumes or saturations can be computed by using the carbon/oxygen ratio.



CBL (cement bond log) logs use acoustic energy to measure the presence and quality of cement behind casing. These data are used to evaluate reservoir zone isolation.



With multiple reservoirs, the potential reserves for the remaining recoverable oil in place on the field is estimated at between 200,000 - 850,000 bbls.



Operational and Economic Upside



Reserve:



- From 200,000 - 850,000 bbls oil



Reserve Upside:



- Column height, number of pays and sand thickness Production rates Up to 100 bbls per day per well Drilling risks 4 existing wells on location, drilling equipment available with easy access to location.



Entry Terms:



- GGE's estimated share of the recompletions for 50% WI of the 2 recompletions is US$350,000. The NRI being delivered is 75%. Entry costs are US$50,000 + A$100,000 of GGE Shares at $0.005.



Contract Terms



- GGE will undertake a RST and CBL type logs on 2 wells (Smak Dixon 31-6 and 31-11), following satisfactory review of the logs the Company will pay US$50,000 to the operator.



- The Company intends to re-enter the Smak Dixon 31-11 initially to assess primarily the 9850 Houston Sand. Following which the Company will recomplete the Smak Dixon 31-6 and assess specifically the 9512, 9424, 9012, 7600, 6150 and 6040ft sands.



- Following recompletion of the first well the Company will have earned a 50% WI in that well and its facilities and will derive 75% of net revenues until its recompletion costs and entry costs are recovered. In the event the well is uncommercial the Company may withdraw from the project with no further obligations.



- Following 60 days of commercial production from the initial recompletion the Company will issue US$75,000 of ordinary fully paid shares to the Operator (price will be the 7 day weighted average following release of this announcement).

- Following recompletion of the second well the Company will have earned a 50% WI in the field and all facilities.



- Grand Gulf commits to funding the initial $350,000 of recompletion costs (including RST and CBL type logs) following which all costs are to be shared 50/50 with the operator.



About Grand Gulf Energy Limited





Grand Gulf Energy Ltd (ASX:GGE) is targeting conventional oil and gas opportunities in the United States. The company listed on the Australian Stock Exchange in February 2006 as Alto Energy International Limited and changed its name to Grand Gulf Energy Limited in June 2007. The name Grand Gulf Energy is derived from the company's operating subsidiary in USA. Grand Gulf Energy has a strong board of directors and management team based in both Perth, Western Australia and Houston, Texas, USA. Grand Gulf Energy is focused on low-risk, conventional oil and gas plays in Louisiana, close to existing infrastructure and close to or within existing oil and gas production. Grand Gulf Energy's strategy is to apply the expertise and new technology (such as 3D seismic) required to deliver a low risk exploration and development portfolio with potentially high rewards. The company is also focused on forming relationships with organizations that can deliver further acquisition and development opportunities.

The company's portfolio of active projects includes the Napoleonville Salt Dome project in Louisiana.
Lekki Lagos, February 1st 2019. Rilla Web Hosting, one of the top players in domain registration and web hosting has announces its full ...
HARRISBURG, Pa., Oct. 24, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Insurance Commissioner Teresa Miller today alerted Pennsylvanians that her department has begun using a new service to help locate lost life insurance policies, and announced her support for legislation, sponsored by Rep. Marguerite Quinn (R - Bucks County), that would put this consumer service into law and require insurers to conduct the searches.

"Every year our Consumer Services Bureau receives hundreds of calls and emails from family members and other potential beneficiaries asking for help locating a life insurance policy they believe an individual who has passed had, but that cannot now be located," Commissioner Miller said. "Often these are policies a parent may have taken out and fully paid years or even decades ago, and not only the actual policy, but any correspondence with the company has been lost."

Commissioner Miller said in the past, the Insurance Department could provide only limited assistance because the insurance company had to be known to conduct a search. Often, when policies were taken out many years ago, children or other beneficiaries may not know which company sold that policy. Now, using a process set up in conjunction with the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, a comprehensive search of insurers can be made to determine whether an individual did have a life insurance policy.

Commissioner Miller commended Rep. Quinn, who joined the commissioner for the announcement, and has been working on this issue for several years, for raising this issue in Pennsylvania and working to gain legislative for support for the use of such a database. Commissioner Miller noted, however, that without the enactment of Rep. Quinn's House of Representatives Bill 2115 (HB 2115), the Insurance Department cannot compel insurers to search for policies. HB 2115 would allow "any member of the family of a decedent, or an estate executor or administrator" to search the database for an existing policy, and require that any companies with life insurance policies sold in Pennsylvania conduct a search when a request is filed.

"Often family members are not aware that a life insurance policy was in place for their deceased loves one, and that they may be the beneficiary of a payment," Rep. Quinn said. "Our work and this legislation will streamline that process and get life insurance claims paid in a timely fashion."

Since offering this new service starting September 8, the Insurance Department has received 123 requests to ask companies to search for life insurance policies, and been notified that 10 policies have been found, resulting in more than $90,000 in benefits being paid to beneficiaries.

Information on filing a life policy finder request and the forms needed to do so are on the Insurance Department's website, www.insurance.pa.gov, by clicking on "Life" under Insurance Coverage Resources. Individuals are notified when a policy is found if they are listed as a beneficiary on that policy, or otherwise entitled to that information.

"The goal Governor Wolf and I share with Representative Quinn is to see that the wishes of Pennsylvanians are followed by distributing their estates as they want, and that beneficiaries receive the benefits they are due," Commissioner Miller said. "We look forward to continuing to work with Rep. Quinn and the General Assembly to see that this policy search reaches its full potential."

MEDIA CONTACT: Ron Ruman, 717-787-3289

To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/pennsylvania-insurance-commissioner-alerts-consumers-about-new-service-to-find-lost-life-insurance-policies-supports-legislation-to-require-insurer-participation-300349821.html

SOURCE Pennsylvania Department of Insurance
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich., Oct. 24, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Judge Janet T. Neff of the United States District for the Western District of Michigan issued a preliminary injunction in the case Crookston v. Johnson today, ruling that state law must not prohibit plaintiff Joel Crookston and other Michigan voters from photographing their own marked ballots and posting them on social media.

In other words, the opinion rules that Michigan voters may take "ballot selfies" under the First Amendment.

"This is a big victory for a simple but powerful act of free speech," said Stephen Klein, Pillar attorney and lead counsel in the case. "Under this ruling, Michigan voters may take pictures of their own marked ballots and post them to social media without fear of fines and imprisonment."

Judge Neff rejected Michigan Secretary of State Ruth Johnson's arguments that ballot selfies could distract or intimidate voters in polling places or facilitate vote-buying as speculative, noting that other laws already prohibit and punish these activities, including displaying a marked ballot to other voters in a polling place instead of on social media after one has voted.

"This is not a case about disrupting the election process, but simply making sure the rules don't go too far," said Klein. "Under this ruling, a voter still cannot show his or her marked ballot to others in a polling place, but may take a photo of it in the voting booth before putting it in the envelope and submitting it. It's that simple."

The Crookston ruling is the latest in a series of free speech cases nationwide to recognize the First Amendment's application to ballot selfies. This morning, Pillar filed another lawsuit against Colorado's ban, which is similar Michigan's.

The Pillar of Law Institute is a nonprofit public interest law firm. Located in Washington, DC, Pillar represents citizens nationwide against unconstitutional censorship of political speech. Patrick Jaicomo of the Michigan law firm Miller Johnson serves as co-counsel in the case.

Click here to read the opinion and order.

Click here to read the preliminary injunction.

Contact

Stephen Klein, Attorney

(202) 815-0955

stephen.klein@pillaroflaw.org

To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/pillar-of-law-wins-preliminary-injunction-in-michigan-ballot-selfie-free-speech-case-300350069.html

SOURCE Pillar of Law Institute
MENLO PARK, Calif., Oct. 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- A new study from SRI Education, a division of SRI International, found that a web-based mathematics homework intervention called ASSISTments, developed by Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI), made a positive impact on students' mathematics achievement. In schools where seventh-grade students and their teachers used ASSISTments, students achieved higher standardized mathematics test scores, compared with peers in schools that did not use ASSISTments.

The study was recently published in the journal AERA Open by the American Educational Research Association, and was supported by a $3.5 million grant from the Institute of Education Sciences (IES) of the U.S. Department of Education to SRI, WPI, and the University of Maine.

To evaluate the efficacy of ASSISTments for mathematics homework, SRI conducted a rigorous, randomized control trial in the state of Maine, which, since 2002, has provided every seventh-grade student with a laptop. SRI examined test scores of nearly 3,000 seventh graders at 43 public schools in Maine. Schools in the test group and a control group were matched in terms of demographics and socio-economic status.

Standardized test scores of students whose schools used ASSISTments were compared to those of students whose schools were not using the system and were found to be significantly higher. Students with low prior mathematics achievement, in particular, benefited the most. (This study used the TerraNova tests, which span kindergarten through 12th grade.)

In recent years, questions have been raised about the value of existing school practices for assigning, supporting and reviewing homework. This study demonstrates that schools can improve the value of homework by using an online tool for students and teachers, combined with teacher training on how to use the tool, to make homework a better learning experience.

ASSISTments provides immediate feedback to students as they work on assignments from their teachers; it then gives teachers insight into areas where students struggle, both individually and as a class. Teachers reported they found the system easy to implement, because it fits within common school policies for homework and doesn't require instructional changes, such as new textbooks or altered pacing through topics. ASSISTments also enabled formative assessment practices for teachers, such as adapting their discussions of homework to fit students' needs and to address common wrong answers, leading to more effective learning.

"This rigorous, large-scale evaluation found that ASSISTments increased student learning of mathematics," said Jeremy Roschelle, Ph.D., co-director of the Center for Technology in Learning at SRI International, and principal investigator for the study. "Parents and educators alike want to know how students can learn more from their math homeworkand now there is scientific proof that the right kind of intervention can provide a practical, targeted way to increase math learning."

Key findings highlighted in the study:

Teachers changed how they conducted homework reviews in several ways, such as reviewing fewer problems but at a deeper level; targeting problems that were difficult for the students rather than reviewing them all; and paying special attention to addressing students' mathematical errors.

The higher test scores for students using ASSISTments were statistically significant with an effect size of 0.18 standard deviation, which translates to a student measuring at the 50 th percentile moving up to the 58 th percentile. Students using ASSISTments scored an average of 8.84 points higher than those in the control group.

percentile moving up to the 58 percentile. Students using ASSISTments scored an average of 8.84 points higher than those in the control group. According to national data provided by the test's publishers, TerraNova scores generally increase by an average of 11.66 points per year between 6th and 9th grades. Presuming the control group in Maine met the national average, the added 8.84 points gained by students using ASSISTments, as compared with the control group, is a large and meaningful effect.

met the national average, the added 8.84 points gained by students using ASSISTments, as compared with the control group, is a large and meaningful effect. The online math homework proved to be more beneficial for students who started the year with lower math scores, compared with those with high prior achievement, and thus can help to close achievement gaps.

"This study provides gold-standard proof that ASSISTments can provide solid gains in math learning," said ASSISTments lead creator, Neil Heffernan, Ph.D., professor of computer science and director of Learning Sciences and Technologies at WPI. "Furthermore, we learned this type of intervention can help bridge the achievement gap between those students who start out weaker in math compared with those who start out with stronger math scores." The WPI team is currently working to expand ASSISTments to include crowdsourcing as a tool to involve more teachers and researchers in the development process.

This study both shows how online tools can help teachers adopt effective formative assessment practices and also highlights how strong teamwork among researchers, computer scientists, and teachers can unlock innovative potential within existing school practices like homework.

Watch a brief video describing the SRI study.

Watch a brief animated video summarizing ASSISTments.

About SRI Education

SRI Education, a division of SRI International, is tackling the most complex issues in education to help students succeed. We work with federal and state agencies, school districts, major foundations, nonprofit organizations, and international and commercial clients to address risk factors that impede learning, assess learning gains, and use technology for educational innovation. SRI International, a research center headquartered in Menlo Park, California, creates world-changing solutions making people safer, healthier, and more productive.

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Founded in 1865 in Worcester, Mass., WPI is one of the nation's first engineering and technology universities. Its 14 academic departments offer more than 50 undergraduate and graduate degree programs in science, engineering, technology, business, the social sciences, and the humanities and arts, leading to bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees. WPI's talented faculty work with students on interdisciplinary research that seeks solutions to important and socially relevant problems in fields as diverse as the life sciences and bioengineering, energy, information security, materials processing, and robotics. Students also have the opportunity to make a difference to communities and organizations around the world through the university's innovative Global Projects Program. There are more than 45 WPI project centers throughout the Americas, Africa, Asia-Pacific, and Europe. Visit www.wpi.edu.

This material is based upon work supported by the Institute of Educational Sciences of the U.S. Department of Education under Grant Number R305A120125. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material belong to the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of IES.

To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/rigorous-sri-study-shows-online-mathematics-homework-program-developed-at-worcester-polytechnic-institute-increases-student-achievement-300349922.html

SOURCE SRI International
The supercomputing genomics engine, a decade in the making, has successfully completed analyses of more than 21,000 cancer tissue samples analyzed for whole genome, whole exome and RNA from more than 7,000 unique patients with multiple tumor typesand with the world's largest database of human cancer whole genomesenabled the discovery of novel neoepitopes in cancer tissue for the development of neoepitope antibodies and vaccines in the war against cancer

Cancer MoonShot 2020:

WHAT: Press Conference with Patrick Soon-Shiong, MD, CEO of NantWorks and Founder of Cancer MoonShot 2020, and a panel that includes premier oncologists and researchers, biotech and leaders from community oncologists New England Cancer Specialists as well as other renowned experts. The panel will present clinical results of novel neoepitope antibody trials to date and how this multidisciplinary collaborative can help rapidly advance the promise of personalized cancer vaccines for more patients.

ANNOUNCEMENT:

The collaboration with prominent Maine-based community oncologists New England Cancer Specialists (NECS) represents the first personalized immuno-oncology supercomputing collaboration to implement and support the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) new Oncology Care Model (OCM) with patient and provider centric technology and administrative support to provide higher quality, better coordinated oncology in local communities and to ensure that 21st century treatments are deployed by local community oncologists.

With successful completion of Phase II clinical trials of novel neoepitope antibodies, clinical scientists from major academic centers and collaborators under CRADA agreements with NCI will share findings and discuss plans to leverage learnings to advance treatments for women's cancers, such as ovarian, as well as cancers affecting children.

DISCUSSION POINTS:

Together, they will discuss how advanced molecular science and leading-edge technology are rapidly advancing immunotherapy as the next generation of cancer care. Additionally, they will discuss a unique collaboration with NECS who champion equitable access to the most advanced cancer care possible to patients within their own community. Among the key insights to be shared by Dr. Soon-Shiong and his panelists are:

Advancements in immunotherapy enabled by artificial intelligence and advanced molecular science to provide oncologists with unprecedented insights to help identify personalized, cost-effective therapy strategies before treatment begins.

The development and understanding of novel neoepitope antibodies, and their role in finally achieving low toxicity, targeted cancer therapywith the ultimate hope of accelerating FDA approvals of effective and safe cancer antibodies or vaccines.

The role of machine learning in the complex understanding of the cancer genome and how the Supercomputing Medical Reasoning Engine provides real-time predictive modeling and clinical outcomes that can continually improve physicians ability to make more effective care decisions.

How NECS and participating oncologists will leverage the Supercomputing Infrastructure and a suite of cutting-edge technology to meet OCMs new targets for better care, smarter spending and healthier populations as well as accessing 21 st century immuno-oncology clinical trials.

century immuno-oncology clinical trials. The use of the Supercomputing Genomics Engine to establish the worlds largest knowledge base of genomic and proteomic profile of brain tumors from children - The Brain Tumor Atlas.

WHO:

1. Patrick Soon-Shiong, MD, Founder and CEO, NantWorks, leader of the Cancer MoonShot 2020 program

2. Philip M. Arlen, MD, CEO and Chief Medical Officer, Precision Biologics, Inc. and Attending Physician at the Walter Reed Military Medical Center and Medical Oncology Branch of the National Cancer Institute

3. Carla Balch, President, NantCare

4. Leonard Sender, MD, Executive Director Pediatric, Adolescent and Young Adult Cancer Moonshot 2020

5. Richard D. Kim, MD, Associate Professor, Department of Gastrointestinal Oncology and Medical Director, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center

6. Adam C. Resnick, PhD, Research Scientist, Department of Biomedical and Health Informatics at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia

7. Giannoula Lakka Klement, MD, Chief, Academic and Research Affairs, Division of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, Director, Rare Tumors & Vascular Anomalies Program; Assistant Professor, Tufts University School of Medicine

8. Christian A. Thomas, MD, Director of Clinical Research, New England Cancer Specialists

9. Tracey F. Weisberg, MD, President and Lead Physician, New England Cancer Specialists

WHEN: Wednesday, October 26, 11:00 a.m.  1:30 p.m. ET WHERE: Hyatt Regency  Boston, Nantucket Room 1 Ave de Lafayette Boston, MA 02111 CONTACT: Dorit Baxter NantHealth 401-871-0734 All Media Must RSVP and Be Credentialed to Attend Photos from the event will be available on www.gettyimages.com

For more information on Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong, Cancer MoonShot 2020 and QUILT, please visit:

http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v537/n7619_supp/full/537S63a.html

http://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/article-abstract/2551878

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/billionaire-doctor-fights-cancer-in-unconventional-way/

About NantWorks

NantWorks, LLC, founded by renowned physician scientist and inventor of the first human nanoparticle chemotherapeutic agent Abraxane, Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong, is the umbrella organization for the following entities: NantHealth, NantMobileHealth, NantOmics, NantBio, NantCell, NantPharma, NantCapital and NantCloud. Fact-based and solution-driven, each of NantWorks division entities operates at the nexus of innovation and infrastructure. The core mission of NantWorks is convergence and a systems approach to human biology: to develop and deliver a diverse range of technologies that accelerates innovation, broaden the scope of scientific discovery, enhance ground-breaking research, and improve healthcare treatment for those in need. NantWorks is building an integrated fact-based, genomically and proteomically -informed, personalized approach to the delivery of care and the development of next generation diagnostics and therapeutics for life threatening diseases such as Cancer, Infectious Diseases and Alzheimers. For more information please visit www.nantworks.com and follow Dr. Soon-Shiong on Twitter @DrPatSoonShiong.

About Cancer MoonShot 2020

The Cancer MoonShot 2020 program is one of the most comprehensive cancer collaborative initiative launched to date, seeking to accelerate the potential of combination immunotherapy as the next generation standard of care in cancer patients. This initiative aims to explore a new paradigm in cancer care by initiating randomized Phase II trials in patients at all stages of disease in 20 tumor types in 20,000 patients within the next 36 months. These findings will inform Phase III trials and the aspirational moonshot to develop an effective vaccine-based immunotherapy to combat cancer by 2020. For more information, please visit www.cancermoonshot2020.org and follow @MoonShot2020 on Twitter.

About NantCare

NantCare, a member of the NantWorks ecosystem of companies, is committed to ensuring every cancer patient has access to true immunotherapy clinical trials (QUILT) or optimized treatment based on GPS Cancer Scan results. By organizing all relevant data and making it available for the world, NantCare aims to spread oncology-related intelligence to maximize support of patients, physicians and life science companies. NantCare embraces life science company partnerships and strives to developing treatments guided by genomic, transcriptomic and quantitative proteomic data. By supporting community oncology clinically and financially, NantCare is ensuring they continue to serve the majority of cancer patients in the US.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20161024006338/en/

NantHealth

Dorit Baxter, 401-871-0734
In a big victory in the fight against Left extremists, 24 Maoists including 8 women were gunned down in the Malkangiri forest area on Odisha-Andhra Pradesh border on Monday morning.

Two constables of Greyhounds (an elite anti-Maoist force) were injured in the encounter that occurred during a routine combing operation being jointly carried out by police of both the states at Ramgurha in Malkangiri district of Odisha. The injured constables were shifted for treatment to Visakhapatnam by helicopter, the police official added. One of them later succumbed to injuries.

Mitrabhanu Mohapatra, Superintendent of Police (SP) Malkangiri said, 24 Maoists killed in the joint anti-Maoist operation of both States.

We had information that at least 40-50 rebels were holding a meeting in Panasput area. The Greyhound Jawans of Andhra Pradesh and Odisha police operation resulted in this huge success, said SP Mr. Mohapatra.

Sources said Ravi alias Uday and Chalapati, two high-ranking Maoists leaders carrying a reward of Rs. 20 lakh each on their heads, were suspected to be among those killed in the encounter.

However, Odisha Police Director General of Police (DGP) K B Singh confirmed that Maoist leader Udaya was killed in the encounter. Maoist leader Uday has been killed in the encounter. He was carrying a reward of Rs. 20 lakh on his head. The police was verifying Ramakrishna was present during the exchange of fire, the DGP said.

The face-off between the security personnel and the outlaws lasted for about an hour. The ultras were said to be resting after a meeting when the encounter took place. Police have recovered four AK-47 rifles from the scene of the encounter.

AP Director General of Andhra Police Nanduri Sambasiva Rao left for Visakhapatnam immediately upon receiving news of the encounter.

The highly successful operation is the second one to have taken place in the Malkangiri district in recent times. In a previois encounter, thirteen Maoists were killed in an encounter with the police in September 2013 in Podia block in Malkangiri district. However, in a positive for the government, the strength of Maoists and their support base in Malkangiri has reduced in the past year. This can be attributed to the surrender of hundreds of Maoist supporters.
A reconnaissance plane working for Frances defence ministry crashed in a ball flames at Maltas international airport on Monday, killing all five people on board, officials said.

The plane plummeted into the ground shortly after takeoff, killing the five French nationals on board.

The Maltese government said in a statement that there was no indication of an explosion prior to the crash but did not rule out sabotage, saying an investigation was under way into possible causes.

The French defence ministry said the plane had been working on its behalf, carrying out reconnaissance missions in the Mediterranean. Three of those who died were employees of the defence ministry, the two others worked for the company which flew the plane, the ministry said.

The Maltese government, which had described those on board as working for a French customs operation, said the aircraft was a Fairchild Metroliner Mark III registered in the US and leased to a Luxembourg company, CAE aviation.

It took off around 7.20 am local time. Shortly afterwards it was seen plunging nose-first towards the ground and exploding into a ball of flames.

Official information, footage and eyewitnesses, including three members of the Armed Forces of Malta at the nearby barracks, and two commercial airline pilots, clearly indicate that there was no explosion prior to impact, a government statement said.
Talking about the rights of Muslim women, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said that the issue of Triple Talaq should not be politicised.

Modi said, It is the responsibility of the government and the people of the country to give justice to Muslim women under the Constitution.

Is it fair for a man to say talaaq thrice over the phone and a Muslim womans life to be ruined? This issue shouldnt be politicised, said PM Modi at a rally in Mahoba (Uttar Pradesh).

Modi hit out at some parties who wanted to keep Muslim women bereft of natural rights for vote-bank politics  a possible reference to opposition parties that have countered the governments move to seek public opinion on banning triple talaq.

I request people who participate in TV debates, dont make women rights into Muslim-Hindu issue. Womens right is a development issue, Modi said.

Please dont make triple talaaq a political matter, lets take proper measures to give equal rights to women as well.

My government has taken a number of steps (to stop this practice). Daughters, mothers, sisters should be protected. One should not consider religion. Mothers and sisters should be respected. We have raised the issue firmly, said PM Modi.

Modis comments come weeks after the law commission circulated a questionnaire asking for comments on banning practices such as triple talaq and drafting of a uniform civil code, amid growing calls by women to outlaw codes that are gender discriminatory.

The influential All India Muslim Personal Law Board has criticized this move and accused the government of stoking an internal war but the Centre has rebuffed the charge, saying its only concern was gender justice.

In a rally, attacking on the alternate ruling the UP, SP-BSP Modi said, The Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party both loot in their own turns, and when the other comes to power they never take action against the other. SP-BSP-BSP-SP. The power keeps shifting, and in this game, this land never reached its potential. You have faced enough. If you want to escape this trap then you need to get out of this trap of Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party. Lets break the cycle of SP-BSP and choose instead to make Uttar Pradesh an Uttam Pradesh, Prime Minister Modi said.
Women will be allowed to enter the sanctum sanctorum of Sufi saint Haji Alis shrine in Mumbai, the Dargah Trust told the Supreme Court on Monday.

The Haji Ali Dargah Trust informed the apex court that it will grant access to women on par with men.

The decision spells a huge victory for those campaigning under the banner of the Right to Pray movement.

Women will be granted access to the sanctum sanctorum of the Haji Ali shrine in Mumbai on par with men, the Dargah Trust told the Supreme Court on Monday and sought four weeks to make the requisite infrastructural changes.

A bench comprising Chief Justice T S Thakur and Justices D Y Chandrachud and L Nageswara Rao granted time to the trust and disposed off its appeal against the Bombay High Court order asking it to give equal access to women also.

Senior advocate Gopal Subramanium, appearing for the trust, said an additional affidavit has been filed on behalf of the Dargah Trust, saying it is willing to allow women inside the shrine.

On October 17, the Supreme Court had extended the stay granted by the Bombay High Court to facilitate an appeal against its decision to lift the ban on entry of women near the sanctum sanctorum of the famous Haji Ali Dargah till October 24.

Earlier, the Supreme Court had expressed hope that the Trust, which had challenged the high court judgement, will take a stand which is progressive.

Subramanium had also assured the bench that he was on a progressive mission and said all holy books and scriptures promoted equality and nothing which is regressive in character should be suggested.

The bench had also remarked that if you are not allowing both men and women to go beyond a point, there is no problem. But if you are allowing some to go beyond a point while others are not, it is a problem.

The counsel, appearing for a womens group which has challenged the practice of the Trust not to allow women near the sanctum sanctorum, had submitted that the position was different before 2011 than what it is today.

The shrine, built in 1431, is located on the rocks off the Worli seashore. It houses the grave of Pir Haji Ali Shah Bukhari, a Muslim saint revered by all communities.
Instead of thinking about penguins death MNS should worry about its own survival says Uddhav Thackeray.

Shiv Sena President Uddhav Thackeray gave a befitting reply to the comments made by MNS pertaining to deaths of penguin in Byculla zoo. He said that those parties criticising Sena must first think about their own survival instead of making irresponsible statements. Earlier, MNS leader Sandeep Deshpande had expressed his anger over the death of young female Humboldt Penguin and demanded that all other penguins be sent back as they cant survive in hot temperature of Mumbai.

Uddhav said, Some panauti people are making comments against our party after the death of penguins. Instead of thinking about penguins death MNS should worry about how it will survive. We will take care of penguins but MNS must first set its house in order.

MNS activists are bad omen for their own party. The party has fared badly in election and they are not growing, he added.

Even Congress MLA Nitesh Rane had held Sena responsible for the penguins death. Rane claimed that he had spoken to People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) and asked that the remaining seven penguins be sent back and Mr Thackeray and the BMC officials concerned be booked for negligence.

Eight Humboldt Penguins  three male and five female  were brought from Coex Aquarium at Seoul, South Korea, to Veermata Jijabai Bhosale Udyan and or Byculla Zoo on July 26. The purchase was part of a multi-crore project that included funds for setting up a special temperature-controlled enclosure for them. Money was reportedly earmarked for their maintenance for the next five years.

On 18 October, the female penguin reportedly showed symptoms of dullness, inappetance, greenish stools and laboured breathing. Despite appropriate treatment, the penguin did not show significant improvement and succumbed to illness on Sunday morning at 8.17 am.

Zoo officials said the cause of death could not be ascertained and that they would await the post-mortem report. Activists said the zoo should make arrangements to return the remaining penguins to save them.

Sena also attacked BJPs decision to release Karan Johars film Ae Dil Hai Mushkil as an attempt to politicise the sacrifices of Indian solidiers.

There were threats to burn the screens if ADHM and other Bollywood films featuring Pakistani actors were released Now, no problems The matchbox is empty as all the matchsticks have been taken out by the Chief Minister (Devendra Fadnavis). He might even use it to scratch his ears, the Sena said in a sharp edit in the party mouthpiece Saamana.

We dont want to know what happened behind the scenes But this has insulted the sacrifices of our brave soldiers, the party added.
Having punished more than a million Communist Party members for corruption, Chinese President Xi Jinping will use a key meeting that started Monday to drive home the message that his signature anti-graft campaign is far from done and his authority remains undiminished.

The Central Committee plenary gathering also begins preparations for next years party congress that will kick off Xis second five-year term as head of the ruling party.

At next years gathering, Xi is expected to place trusted lieutenants into the partys top bodies, including the all-powerful Politburo Standing Committee, five of whose seven current members are, by custom, due to step down. Only Xi and Premier Li Keqiang, with whom he doesnt always see eye-to-eye, are expected to remain.

This weeks meeting comes as Xi is riding high as Chinas most powerful leader since Deng Xiaoping led the country in the 1980s and gaining kudos at home for his assertive foreign policy, including the leveraging of Chinas political and economic heft to open a rift between the Philippines and its longstanding treaty ally, the United States.

Yet Xis domestic challenges are legion, ranging from slowing economic growth to massive layoffs resulting from the closure of steel and coal mines and other heavy industries in an effort to reduce industrial overcapacity. The state sector still is an outsize part of the economy, debt is soaring and the potentially volatile wealth gap continues to broaden.
While agriculture, like many other issues, has been overshadowed in the presidential campaign this year, if you look closely there is evidence on how Secretary Clinton would approach agriculture policy and rural America:

Senator Clinton had a strong record in support of agriculture while serving in the Senate and consistently supported the farm bill;

Secretary Clinton addressed agriculture at the State Department connecting food security to national security;

Rural for Hillary has released highlights of issues important to agriculture and rural America;

Former Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan was authorized to serve as a surrogate for Secretary Clinton at the Farm Foundation;

A number of agriculture CEOs met with Clinton staff at the Clinton headquarters in Brooklyn; and

Former Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack has gone on record a number of times in support of Secretary Clinton laying out positions that impact rural America and agriculture policy.

One of the common themes is that Secretary Hillary Clinton supports agriculture from the small farms that feed the community to the large farms that feed the world. We need it all said Dr. Merrigan at the Farm Foundation, from organic to biotechnology.

Soon after becoming Secretary of State in 2009, Secretary Clinton announced the winner of the World Food Prize stressing the importance of science to food production. The Secretary spoke at some length about Dr. Norman Borlaug and then honored Dr. Gabisa Ejeta for his contribution in the science of plant genetics. She went on to say we will seek to increase agriculture productivity by expanding access to quality seeds, fertilizers, irrigation tools, and the credit to purchase them and the training to use them.

Back home in Iowa, candidate Clinton said the agenda that I am putting forth for rural America is very much in line with what Tom (former Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack) did here in Iowa and what he is doing a the Department of AgricultureWe have to stand with our farmers, give them the tools and support they need to boost both production and profits.




Firefighters investigate a burnt car at the site of an explosion in Utsunomiya, Japan, in this photo taken by Kyodo October 23, 2016. [Photo/Agencies]

TOKYO - A former Self-Defense Forces (SDF) official evidently committed suicide by blowing himself up with a suspected incendiary device in a popular park in the city of Utsonomiya where a festival was being held on Sunday, local police officials said.

According to the officials, a suicide note saying "I pay with my life" was found among the deceased man's clothing, with local reports also adding the note expressed the suspect, 72-year-old Toshikatsu Kurihara, had been experiencing family problems.

The explosion that killed Kurihara also severely injured three others.

Kurihara's house was also found to have been burned down on Sunday morning at around 11:00 am local time. Investigators said they are currently trying to determine the links between the suicide blast, a second explosion in the vicinity of the park and three cars being burned in a nearby parking lot, one of which belonged to Kurihara.

Multiple explosions were initially reported to have occurred in the vicinity of the popular Utsunomiya Joshi Park during a local festival being held there, with an emergency call being made to the police at 11:40 am local time saying that a series of blasts had been heard and a man was on the ground engulfed in flames.

One person was subsequently found to be lying on the ground in the park without vital signs when rescue officials arrived. His body was described by first responders as being "severely damaged" by the explosions and other reports confirmed that the body had been on fire.

At least one of those seriously injured in the blasts was rushed to a local hospital having been struck by shrapnel from one of the devices, local police also said, with rescue officials adding the person is receiving medical treatment.

Three cars were also reportedly on fire in a coin parking lot close to the park at 11:30 a.m. local time, although no injuries were reported as a result of an explosion there and the burning vehicles.

Witnesses at the scene, as quoted by local media, said the explosions sounded similar to that of a bomb being detonated, with televised reports from Japan's public broadcaster NHK in the area at the time capturing the audio of the explosions, which were both powerful and "thunderous" as described by another witness.

Plumes of black smoke were seen billowing into the sky from the area after the explosion and fires, and those in the vicinity reported smelling what they described as gunpowder, according to NHK.

Utsunomiya lies 100 km north of Tokyo and is an important cultural, political and economic hub in Japan and home to around 440,000 people.

Utsunomiya City Hall is located close to the parking lot, thought to be the site of at least one of the explosions and the park is also situated 500 meters from the Tobu Utsunomiya Station.

Due to its close proximity and ease of access from Tokyo by train, the city and broader region is a popular destination for day trips by Japanese as well as foreign visitors.
50 years ago today the first Airbus aircraft, the A300B, embarked on its maiden flight. On this historic anniversary we look back with pride and admiration at the aircraft and programme that were at the beginning of the Airbus story.

Read more
October 23, 2016

BAGHDAD  Many islands in the Euphrates River in Anbar province have been or still are under the control of the Islamic State (IS).

These islands have been a haven for IS guerrillas, who use them for military mobilization. Controlling the islands allows IS fighters to dominate the eastern side of the river, which is connected to vast desert areas stretching from Mosul to Anbar all the way to Syria. The eastern side of the river in Anbar is generally sparsely populated.

On Oct. 20, the Iraqi army announced that it was launching an operation in Anbar province simultaneously with the Mosul operation to liberate the last locations IS holds, including Anah, Rawah and Qaim. These areas include islands in the river and land on the eastern side of the river, which all are known under the same name. For example, Qaim includes several islands in addition to the area around it. The Iraqi army now aims to liberate the islands and the eastern side of the river. The western side was previously liberated.

Liberating the islands and the eastern side of the river should help support the Mosul operation and prevent IS fighters from finding other places to move to after fleeing Mosul.

By liberating these islands and the eastern side of the river, the military units would be killing two birds with one stone. First, this would provide protection to liberated areas from any new attacks, pushing the front lines away from the Euphrates River, not to mention controlling the international highway connecting Iraq with Jordan.

Second, the operation would provide cover for the Iraqi forces advancing toward Mosul, preventing any IS attempt to surround them. This would also prevent IS from returning to the liberated areas for use as safe havens and weapons caches while trying to flee Mosul.

These areas in geographical order (upstream along the Euphrates River) are in or around Khalidiya, Ramadi, Hit, al-Baghdadi, Haditha, Anah, Rawah and Qaim. Sometimes, groups of islands are known all together by one name, such as the Hit islands, which are located in and around the town of Hit.

IS presence on these vastly separated islands poses a major threat to the liberated areas, as they are exposed on an ongoing basis to a daily barrage of Katyusha rockets and mortar bombs, not to mention suicide bombers crossing the river to carry out attacks.

The area between the Hit islands and Haditha  including al-Jaba, al-Baghdadi and al-Dulab  also contains a number of small islands.

The Iraq operations command has taken it upon itself to liberate the small islands, in addition to those at Hit, working with the Iraqi army's 7th Division and tribal fighters in al-Sumoud Brigade.

The operations to liberate the Hit islands were launched Sept. 29, only to come to a halt a few days later as troops were preoccupied with the liberation of al-Baghdadi. This is not to mention the fierce resistance by IS and bad weather conditions.

In the meantime, military units and the 7th Division were taking part in other battles in al-Jaba and al-Baghdadi, whose liberation was announced Sept. 23, two days after launching the operations.

On Sept. 28, the military units managed to liberate al-Dulab, with all its villages and towns  Dankiya, Waradiya, Tahmaniya, Talihiya and Maraabadiay. A floating bridge connecting al-Baghdadi to the eastern side of the river was also set up.

The Hit islands stretch from Tarabisha in Ramadi all the way to Zawyat Elbunemr, Harariyat and Tel Aswad, down to IS last and most prominent stronghold in al-Bikr neighborhood, which is on the eastern side of the river, opposite from the center of Hit.

Following the liberation of Tarabisha, IS last stronghold in Ramadi, the Anbar Operations Command announced the relaunch of the operations for the Hit islands, in conjunction with the 10th Division and tribal fighters Oct. 7. These units managed to reach Zawyat Elbunemr.

A special Iraqi military unit created to liberate islands and the eastern side of the river, together with tribal fighters, resorted to the element of surprise by crossing by boat from Hit to the other bank at al-Bikr. On Oct. 11, Hit was declared to be completely liberated.

Ramadi consists of the areas of Boaitha and al-Bufiraj, which were previously liberated as part of the battle to liberate Ramadi, almost a year ago. The area also includes al-Buziab, al-Buali, al-Jasem, al-Buassaf and Tarabisha on the eastern side of the river.

In conjunction with the successful operations to liberate Sharqat, new military operations were launched Sept. 20 to recapture the islands stretching from Ramadi all to the way up to Haditha, 240 kilometers (150 miles) northwest of Baghdad.

The Anbar Operations Command, led by Maj. Gen. Ismail Mahlawi, in addition to battalions 38, 39, 40, 41 of the Iraqi armys 10th Division, also took part in the battle to liberate Ramadi. On Oct. 4, it was announced that Tarabisha had been liberated; this was followed by the liberation of the entire area around it the next day.

On July 30, before the operations to retake the islands, the Anbar Operations Command announced the start of the battle to liberate Khalidiya, which stretches from the Japanese Bridge, west of Saqlawiyah in the Malahima area, all the way through Hammiyat and Bubali, down to al-Buabad in the area across from al-Habaniya and Khalidiya.

The operations were launched under the leadership of the military units in the army and federal police, with the participation of the Ali al-Akbar Brigade, the Imam Ali Battalions, the Master of Martyrs Brigades, Ansar al-Aqida Brigade and the 8th, 10th and 14th Divisions of the Iraqi army.

The next day, Hadi al-Amiri, the secretary-general of the Badr Organization, announced the end of the operations and said Khalidiya was fully liberated. This statement, however, was not entirely true. The liberation of Khalidiya was one of the hardest and fiercest operations for the involved security units, necessitating reinforcements from the Badr troops, the Hezbollah Brigades, Waad Allah forces and the League of the Righteous brigade. Fighting continued until Aug. 27, when the territories came under full control.

Following the liberation of the Khalidiya, Ramadi, Hit and al-Baghdadi areas, and those stretching from Baghdad to Haditha, which were completely retaken, only the areas of Rawah, Anah and Qaim remain in IS grip along the river. The operation to liberate Rawah and Anah has just started; government forces hope that it will not take long. The liberation of Qaim, however, is likely to be bumpy, as it is connected to Syrian areas controlled by IS.
October 23, 2016

When Islamic State (IS) leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi announced on June 29, 2014, his self-styled caliphate, its borders were only about 20 miles from those of Iran. IS-controlled territory extended to the Iraqi border province of Diyala, posing a serious threat to Iranian national security. Tehran wanted to keep its borders far from the direct reverberations of the IS phenomenon, therefore hundreds of Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) troops poured into Iraq to fight their first battle in Jalawla alongside Iraqi Kurdish forces and members of the Iraqi Badr Organization, which is known for its close ties to the Islamic Republic.

The fight to eliminate IS has continued in Iraq, with ever more Iranian involvement. Yet it seems as if the group has managed to find its way into Iran. On several occasions this year, the Iranian Intelligence Ministry has announced that terrorist plots within the countrys borders have been foiled. Two major announcements were made in June and August revealing, according to Iranian security officials, plans to attack the capital Tehran and other cities.

On Sep. 27, Pars News reported, citing unnamed sources, that security forces had killed the new leader of IS in Iran, code-named Abu Aisha al-Kurdi." The news website wrote, Some time ago in one of the border cities of Kermanshah, an individual who was supposed to be announced as the emir of Daesh [IS] in Iran was killed in a complex and massive operation with the hard work of the unknown soldiers of the imam, in a reference to Intelligence Ministry agents.

This was not the first time that an announcement had been made about Abu Aisha having been killed in Iran. Intelligence Minister Mahmoud Alavi stated in a live program on Iranian state TV Aug. 24, In collaboration with special forces, we managed to kill Abu Aisha al-Kurdi, the commander of the [IS] brigade in Mosul, and arrest and take out nine of his accomplices, noting that the operation had taken place in Kermanshah province. A week earlier, Iranian security forces announced that they had dismantled an [IS]-affiliated terrorist cell in separate clashes in western Kermanshah province, killing four and arresting more than six.

According to an Iranian security source who spoke to Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity via a third party, IS was planning to infiltrate Iran from Iraq back in June. He added, One of the groups succeeded in entering Kermanshah province, while the second group was ambushed by the IRGCs Najaf Ashraf [base] forces. The Iranian source elaborated, Abu Aisha is the deputy operations officer in [IS] and he was sent to Iran to plan terrorist attacks and build the structure of his group here. Its true that he entered [the country], but he was under our watchful eye from the beginning, and we were able to track his moves and finally kill him and arrest others.

It is worth mentioning that an IS member with the name Abu Aisha al-Kurdi was announced dead in Makhmour, southeast of Mosul, in April. A statement by IS said he was a suicide bomber and was killed while attacking Iraqi army posts. A report by Kurdish news network Rudaw stated that Abu Aishas real name was Fadel Badr and that he was in charge of the security affairs for IS. This was also reported by Irans Arabic-language Al-Alam news channel, which described him as the Butcher of Daesh. It is not clear whether the two Abu Aishas are the same individual.

The Iranian security source told Al-Monitor that Iran is facing a serious terrorist threat and that different military and security apparatuses in the country are closely coordinating their efforts to tackle this challenge, saying, The Islamic Republic is countering terrorism regionally and within the country. The preventive tactics we are adopting are proving to be efficient. The most important thing is that people are cooperating with the authorities.

The tactics the source referred to involves stopping people from joining IS. Alavi claimed in August that his country had spotted and thwarted more than 1,500 young people who intended to join [IS]. This means that there are others who were not stopped from joining IS, and may soon become the next big security challenge facing Iran.

These groups are being used by some desperate regional governments who want to destabilize Iran, the Iranian security source said. Irans main mandate has become combatting terrorism around the region, while the main target of others is spreading terror all over the globe. They are doing this to serve the agendas of their bosses. The source elaborated, Our expertise in combatting terrorism cannot be challenged. We gained experiences in Syria and Iraq, and also from our friends in Lebanon. But this alone isnt enough to help us overcome such threats. Its important to mention that without the help of local communities, this effort cant be efficient.

IS has so far only had a few known Iranian members. One of them was a suicide bomber with the nom de guerre Abu Mohammad al-Irani. He blew himself up in Ramadi in May. Reza Niknejad is another Iranian who was openly linked to IS. The young Iranian-American allegedly traveled to Syria in 2015 after being recruited by a fellow high school student in Virginia. His fate is unclear.

While the threat from IS seems to be growing by the day, Iran is facing other security threats. Jaish al-Adl has for years been active on the countrys southeastern borders, in the Sunni-dominated Sistan and Baluchistan province. The groups strength has been contained during the last few years by the killings and arrests of its leaders. Another Iranian concern stems from Kurdish Democratic Party of Iran (KDPI) militants, who have resumed their fight after a decadeslong dormancy and started causing havoc near the border with Iraq. Iranian officials blame the renewed violence on alleged Saudi support for these groups.

KDPI spokesman Loghman Ahmadi told Al-Monitor, We do not have any relationship with Saudi Arabia on any level. Iran makes these accusation to portray the Kurdish struggle for freedom as orchestrated from outside and links it to its own enemies in order to not be held responsible for the oppression it subjects the Kurdish people to. Yet, Ahmadi added, It is however important to underline that we  like all nations of the world  see it as our right to have a relationship with any country we deem supportive of our struggle.
October 24, 2016

Morocco appointed a new ambassador to Iran for the first time on Oct. 14 following a seven-year halt in diplomatic representation in Tehran. The relations between the two countries had been interrupted in 2009 upon a unilateral Moroccan decision that followed Irans use of inappropriate terms (which were not specified)  according to the Moroccan Foreign Ministry  after the kingdom showed solidarity with Bahrain when an Iranian official described Bahrain as an Iranian province.

A statement by the Moroccan Foreign Ministry said at the time that Morocco asked for Iranian clarification regarding the statements about Bahrain. Morocco  just like many countries such as Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries  had expressed solidarity with the Kingdom of Bahrain and rejected any act aimed at encroaching upon the sovereignty of Bahrain. The Moroccan Foreign Ministry also accused in its statement then the Iranian diplomats in Morocco of seeking to change the kingdoms core religious components, clearly accusing Iran of spreading Shiism.

The appointment of Hassan Hami as Moroccan ambassador to Iran is a formal declaration of the resumption of direct diplomatic action, after Iran had appointed Mohammad Taqi Moayed as its ambassador to Rabat in late 2014, in the wake of an understanding between the two countries on a gradual resumption of relations and an end to the rivalry. The understanding was reached after Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif contacted his Moroccan counterpart, Salaheddine Mezouar, in February of the same year and expressed regret for what happened. Zarif expressed the Islamic Republic of Irans appreciation of King Mohammed VI and respect for the Moroccan fundamentals.

Iranians have reportedly been more adamant than the Moroccans on putting an end to the rivalry and starting reconciliation. This can be explained by Iranian President Hassan Rouhanis foreign policy, which has been characterized by a more flexible rhetoric and a larger ability to negotiate in comparison with the previous hard-line rhetoric of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

Despite attempts during Ahmadinejads era (2005-2013) to revive relations with Morocco, these attempts have remained very modest when compared with the steps taken by Rouhanis administration.

Marcus Michaelsen, a German researcher who lived in Iran for many years and specializes in Iranian politics, is convinced that reconciliation with Morocco is part of the approach adopted by the Zarif-led Rouhani team despite the fact that the conservative wing, led by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, retains considerable power.

Contrary to Ahmadinejad's hard-line approach, Rouhani and his team believe in constructive dialogue, in cooperation and in commitment to strengthen Irans political position in the region and at the international level. The current presidents administration  namely the Ministry of Foreign Affairs  is now in the hands of realistic and veteran politicians according to whom international isolation, sanctions, economic problems and the current regional struggles are major challenges that threaten Irans stability and security, Michaelsen told Al-Monitor.

By normalizing relations with Iran, the Moroccan diplomacy faces the complex task of striking a balance with its traditional ally Saudi Arabia and its Iranian foe.

Majid Rafizadeh, an Iranian researcher at Harvard University, said that by establishing strong relations with a Sunni state, Iran is trying to place pressure on Saudi Arabia. The supreme leader [of Iran]  who considers himself the imam of all Muslims  believes that weaving good relations with all Islamic countries is a top priority. This is useful for them [Iranians] in order to create a balance of power in the region to face Saudi Arabia, he told Al-Monitor.

However, many observers do not expect the Saudi-Iranian tension to affect Moroccan-Iranian relations. Iranians are weaving relations with Morocco in a way that does not affect the Moroccan-Saudi links, and this Iranian understanding of the sensitivity of the relationship between the Moroccans and the Gulf has been repeatedly translated  most notably through Morocco's participation in the military campaign led by Saudi Arabia in Yemen since March 2015 against the Ansar Allah group, Iran's ally in Yemen.

According to strategic expert Faisal Jalloul, the Iranians do not consider the Moroccans directly responsible for this war. He told Al-Monitor that the Iranians are aware of Moroccos sensitive relationship with Saudi Arabia, saying, We know that Rabat is greatly affected by Saudi Arabia in this aspect, but I do not expect this to be the case for long. I expect the relations to become more solid through the Iranian integration in the Moroccan environment. Therefore, it is understandable for Rabat to tend to normalize its relations with the Iranians until the future of Iranian-Saudi relations is crystallized. However, I do not think that Morocco dreads the wrath of the Gulf as it is acting based on calculations related to its [Moroccos] points of strength and weakness, to [its] interests, and to the balance of regional and international powers. I believe that the Moroccan diplomats have significant experience in this field.

Moroccos resumption of relations with Tehran puts an end to two years of Moroccan hesitation. Such hesitation resulted from fear that its Gulf allies would not understand such a step, especially Saudi Arabia, which Morocco feared would not like any rapprochement between its allies and the Iranians. This prompted Morocco to quickly send a reassuring message to its Gulf friends stressing that the decision to officially restore relations did not and will not be at the expense of Moroccos relationship with any Arab country or partner, or at the expense of its regional and international positions.

As far as Shiism in Morocco is concerned, Noureddine al-Dougheir  a researcher who specializes in Iranian affairs  feels that the concerns expressed by Morocco in relation to the Iranian attempts to change the religious sectarian nature are groundless, and that this is mere propaganda promoted by lobbies hostile to Iran.

He told Al-Monitor, Iran is an Islamic republic, not a Shiite republic. I think that those who say Iran is trying to spread Shiism are trying to portray Irans political ambitions as ideological in order to spark fears."

He added, The doctrinal breach is the beginning of a security breach, but this cannot apply in Morocco, where there is no Shiite community or minority and where there is no fertile environment for the spread of Shiism. Also, there is no institutional framework to embrace Shiites in Morocco. All these factors make the Shiite presence an exception that no party  not even Iran  can bet on, given its helplessness in this regard.

Although Morocco is affiliated with the Sunni Gulf axis led by Saudi Arabia, Rabat is seeking to find a balance in its relationship with Iran and Saudi Arabia. The Moroccan monarch visited Russia in March 2016 and China in 2014, in an apparent attempt to diversify Moroccos allies by strengthening its relations with Irans allies, Russia and China. This can be an indication that when considering its relationship with Iran, Rabat would most likely go beyond the struggle for power in the Middle East between the two forces.
October 24, 2016

The Palestinian Authority (PA) continues to pursue journalists and media activists  even those outside Palestine  for criticizing it in their social network posts, and some activists accuse the authority of resorting to violence.

On Oct. 22, unidentified gunmen opened fire on the family home of Fahid Elsalameen in the town of Samu in the southern West Bank. The house was damaged but no one was injured. Elsalameen, one of Abbas most prominent opponents residing in the United States, accuses the PA of being behind the attack and said he expects another such shooting as he continues to criticize the PA and accuse it of corruption.

The Facebook activists pursued by the PA are among the finest young Palestinian men," he told Al-Monitor. "They are intelligent, courageous, devoted to our homeland and well-aware of how the PAs corruption is prevailing. They will not put up with the PAs [actions], and they believe [the campaign of PA President Mahmoud] Abbas against us is shameful for him but a source of pride for us. He will never stop us.

Rai Alyoum newspaper reported Oct. 14 that the Palestinian Foreign Ministry had sent a letter to US Secretary of State John Kerry accusing Elsalameen of supporting terrorism and inciting against peace. In the letter, the ministry asked the United States to prevent Elsalameen from writing anti-PA posts on his Facebook page.

Earlier in the month, an anonymous source in the Foreign Ministry told Ni News that Abbas had asked Interior Minister Riyad al-Malki to prepare an urgent case against Palestinian activists in Europe, the United States and Arab countries who attack the PA online.

On Oct. 14, P.N.News published an audio recording of a high-ranking but unidentified Palestinian officer revealing the names of more than a dozen activists targeted by the PA. Elsalameen was among those on the list.

Journalists are extremely worried about the PA crackdown on them," Imad Efranji, head of the Forum of Palestinian Journalists, told Al-Monitor. "We condemn this campaign that violates media freedoms, and those committing such violations should be held accountable. Although the Palestinian government and the minister of interior are the ones responsible for violations against journalists, this phenomenon must be addressed.

On Oct. 17, the General Intelligence in Hebron arrested journalist Mohammed Abu Jehah, and the Preventive Security Force (PSF) extended the detention of journalist Nidal al-Natsheh, who is charged with insulting the PA and Abbas. On the same day in Qalqilya, the PSF summoned journalist Qais Abu Samra for questioning, while the Magistrate Court in Nablus held a trial for journalist Tariq Abu Zeid on charges of undermining the PAs reputation.

Abdul Rahman Thaher, a Palestinian film director residing in Jordan who was included on the list of targeted activists, told Al-Monitor of his experience.

I have recently received threats from the Palestinian security forces for criticizing the PA," he said. "Abbas requested that my activities be monitored and accused me of transferring money to support his opponents in the West Bank, as well as working for the Jordanian intelligence services. The fact that my name is on that list means the PA could arrest me if I visit Palestine. The Palestinian security services are threatening me over the phone and by email, but they will not stop me from writing.

The Karama Press website on Oct. 9 quoted an official at the Palestinian Foreign Ministry, on condition of anonymity, as saying that the office of Palestinian intelligence chief Maj. Gen. Majid Faraj had sent Malki details on activists living abroad for the Foreign Ministry to submit complaints to the host countries. Faraj called on these countries to help prevent the activists from posting statements against the Palestinian leadership, Karama reported.

The next day, however, Malki denied ever making a formal decision to pursue activists within diplomatic frameworks, noting that such claims aim to tarnish Abbas' image.

He is not alone in raising the question of a conspiracy against Abbas.

A Palestinian security official told Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity that there is a Palestinian campaign, launched inside and outside of Palestine, to undermine President Abbas and the PA."

"There are some individuals in the West Bank cooperating with those responsible for planning such a campaign, and they are providing them with reports, pictures and videos to post on social networks," the source alleged.

Muath Hamed, a Palestinian journalist residing in Turkey, also told Al-Monitor, I have doubts about how responsible the PA is for that list. It could be the product of Abbas opponents, such as Mohammed Dahlan, who might have chosen the names of activists and journalists known for publishing posts against the PA and Abbas.

Yet, the PA's record of vexing the press is long.

Hanin Warda Alabed, a Palestinian journalist residing in Turkey whose name was also included in the list of targeted activists, told Al-Monitor, The PA has precedents with this policy of gagging and suppressing the freedom of expression by accusing journalists of insulting high-level figures  in reference to President Abbas. The PA is always threatening journalists inside Palestine; whoever criticizes the PA gets pursued.

Earlier this month, Firas Press said Abbas called on Israel to help him shut down anti-PA online pages, since Israel has already asked Facebooks administration to take down pages that allegedly incite violence.

Ammar Dweik, director general of the Independent Commission for Human Rights in Palestine, told Al-Monitor, The Palestinian security services are pursuing certain individuals because of their Facebook posts, while turning a blind eye to posts published by others." Dweik said the list might wrongly identify some people as oppositionists while leaving others off, but in the end, "Western host countries will not arrest and hand over those living abroad to the PA because of their online posts. These are not cybercrimes that call for extradition or trial.

Nashaat al-Aqtash, a journalism professor at Birzeit University, also told Al-Monitor activists in Europe should not be overly concerned.

Facebook posts trouble the PA because it only wants the media to praise it but never to reveal its flaws. However, I do not believe European countries would arrest Palestinian activists and hand them over to the PA. This requires long judicial proceedings, and in the end they will not be extradited," Aqtash said.

It seems the PA won't stop pursuing its opponents anytime soon. This is especially true in light of the deep polarization within the Palestinian leadership as talks about Abbas successor intensify. However, the activists say they don't plan to stop, either. They continue to talk about the corruption plaguing the PA, especially those who reside outside the West Bank, beyond the reach of the PAs security services.

Taja al-Hajj, a Palestinian activist residing in Lebanon whose name is also on the list, told Al-Monitor, The published list will not prevent us from expressing our opinions on Facebook. Even if the PA succeeds in shutting down our pages, we have other means to convey our voice.

Ali Qaraqe, a Palestinian blogger in Turkey who also was listed, told Al-Monitor, The list is indeed accurate. The Palestinian Embassy in Ankara has been monitoring my movements as an opponent of the PA. Although the PAs security is unable to pursue us in Turkey, publishing our names on security lists ... concerns us. However, all of this will not stop us from continuing to write.

Other activists on the target list revealed by P.N.News include: Abdul Rahman Hani, Ghassan Jadallah, Walid al-Najjar, Abdul Aziz Tarakji, Hamza Abu Zard, Nidal Hamad, Majed Abu Sharar, Majid al-Jarar, Yasser al-Jabari, Mahmoud Ataya, Nizar Banat, Ihsan Jamal and Ayman Odeh.
October 24, 2016

Turkey's intelligence network seems to be expanding. Having reached neighborhood headmen, the state's intelligence tentacles are now spreading to ordinary citizens.

In August 2015, amid mounting violence and terrorist attacks in the mainly Kurdish southeast, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan urged mukhtars  village and neighborhood leaders  to back security forces' intelligence-gathering efforts. "I expect support on this issue from our mukhtars as well. I know my mukhtars [are aware] what kind of people live in which house. They [need to] go to their governors or police chiefs and report this to them in an appropriate and calm manner," he said. Around the same time, the authorities launched an electronic Mukhtar Information System, ostensibly to expand intelligence gathering to every household.

Now, in the wake of the July 15 coup attempt, ordinary citizens are feeding intelligence services. Haberturk daily reported Oct. 1 that the number of tipoffs to the National Intelligence Organization (MIT) has exceeded 10,000 per month, up from about 2,000 before the putsch. Similarly, the number of visitors on the MIT's website has grown from 90,000 to 250,000 per month. The main target of the informants is the Gulen community or the Fethullah Gulen Terror Organization (FETO), as Ankara calls it, which stands accused of the coup plot. With a fivefold increase in tipoffs, the people's enthusiasm seems to be strengthening the informant mechanism.

The MIT website has a "How can you help?" section, which includes a form for the person's name, surname, telephone number, email and residential address. Then there is the "Your message" box, in which citizens can write the information they want to convey. Staying anonymous is also possible. Citizens are assured that their messages are protected by Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) encryption against "the intervention of third parties" and that "any information, which is not imaginary and does not involve grudge and rests on real facts/evidence, is important for MIT and is being evaluated."

The MIT's emphasis on evidence is important. However, when it comes to the fivefold increase in tipoffs after the putsch, there is one detail that should be carefully considered. Most of the tipoffs come complete with the names and telephone numbers of the informers, even though they are not obliged to reveal their identities. This suggests that people might be seeing the tipoffs as a way to shield themselves against being stigmatized as FETO members. Such pre-emptive efforts at self-protection would make perfect sense, given the ferocity of the hunt for Gulenists, which has led even Erdogan to admit that irrelevant people are being vilified. As such, intelligence services are supposed to filter the tipoffs with care.

Sezgin Tanrikulu, a human rights lawyer and deputy for the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), is concerned that the tipoff mechanism is a recipe for human rights violations. He told Al-Monitor, "Encouraging citizens to snitching is objectionable according to the principles of rule of law. Uncovering crimes is, ultimately, the duty of the state's security organs."

"Citizens' views on crimes are important, but in situations where their accuracy is very difficult to test, snitching leads to myriad human rights violations. False tipoffs result in people being unfairly accused, stigmatized and detained. Hence, encouraging people to inform on others and acting on the basis of such tipoffs alone is wrong," the CHP lawmaker said.

He stressed that said tipoffs were different from information "aimed at resolving a murder or uncovering drug trafficking" and warned, "This leads people to grow suspicious of each other, eradicates trust and damages societal peace."

The tipoff mechanism is encouraged through awards. On Aug. 31, 2015, the government issued a decree introducing monetary awards for informants who contribute to the capture of offenders wanted under the Anti-Terror Law. It also created an award commission, chaired by the undersecretary of the Interior Ministry. The amount of the award is determined according to the significance of the information and the importance of the crime or the offender it helps to uncover, with the ceiling set at 200,000 Turkish liras ($65,000). But in cases where the offender is a senior leader of a terrorist organization or the total impact of the uncovered crime is too significant, the award can be increased up to 20 times.

Along with the MIT, the Interior Ministry, too, has seen a surge in tipoffs. The daily Star reported in late March that nearly 114,500 citizens had called the ministry's anti-terror tipoff line after Aug. 31, 2015, when the award system was announced.

In a sarcastic protest of the growing propensity for snitching after the coup attempt, a columnist in a local newspaper in Elazig described an imaginary hotline, which read, "Dear concerned citizen, this is a tape recording. Welcome to the FETO tipoff line. Press 1 to inform on a neighbor, press 2 to inform on a friend, press 3 to inform on a fellow villager, press 4 to inform on your manager, press 5 to inform on your lover, press 6 to inform on your wife, press 7 to inform on your sister-in-law or brother-in-law. To speak to the tipoff representative, please press 8. I'm putting you through to the tipoff representative now.  All our tipoff representatives are speaking with other concerned citizens at the moment. Please hold the line."

The surge of informants has compounded the climate of fear in the aftermath of the coup attempt, marked by massive purges in the public sector, property confiscations, thousands of arrests and a further clampdown on the media. In an article on Oct. 14, Hurriyet columnist Ertugrul Ozkok spoke on behalf of "educated Turks who lead and want to lead a Western lifestyle," describing a growing sense of anxiety over Turkey's course. "We can't figure where our country is heading or being dragged to. We have no idea where our future lies and what will happen to us and our families," he wrote. "We are citizens, but we feel second class. We are voters, but we feel our votes are worthless.  Turkey is gripped by fear  fear of falling victim to terror, fear of a civil war and a war abroad, fear of losing sons in military service, fear of having properties confiscated, fear of being locked up for whatever reason."

The climate of fear is bound to persist as long as emergency rule continues, because the extraordinary measures Ankara employs often blur the line between the guilty and the innocent, especially when informants are so ready to help. The state of emergency, declared five days after the attempted coup, was extended for another three months on Oct. 19, with Erdogan warning that even "12 months may not be enough."
Amanda Halpin-Kruse founded her startup two years ago with the idea of buying outfits in bulk with her friends so they could get better pricing on clothes.

Amanda Halpin-Kruse, founder of Discount Divas in Huntsville. (Courtesy)

The full-time nurse's concept quickly evolved from a hobby into a serious business called Discount Divas, which she started with only $1,000 from her savings account.

She maintained her day job for more than a year as the small company started to gain traction and grow. As her customers, also known as Divas, began ordering items on a weekly and sometimes daily basis, she knew she had something promising.

But things weren't always easy for the Huntsville entrepreneur.

"It definitely appears to be a fast-rise, but in reality there was over a year of little to no growth," she told AL.com. "Those were the times that were most difficult. Continuing to grow the group while also working full-time as a nurse in the ER was hard."

Discount Divas now specializes in clothing, jewelry, shoes, handbags and more at lower prices and in a wide variety of sizes. The startup operates at HuntsvilleWest, a 1-year-old incubator and co-working space on 3001 Ninth Ave. S.W., founded by Brandon Kruse, Halpin-Kruse's husband.

Unlike traditional boutique shops, Discount Divas doesn't have a brick-and-mortar storefront. Instead, customers join the Discount Divas Facebook group. When they find something they love, they simply leave a comment with size, color and email address and pay their invoice.

The group has taken off and now has more than 68,000 members. We caught up with Halpin-Kruse this month to discuss her unique business model and what the future holds for Discount Divas.

Q. Discount Divas went from $43,000 per month in revenue in January to more than $350,000 last month. How have you been able to experience so much growth in such a short time?

A. We did about $43,000 in revenue in January and just did close to $400,000 for September alone! I think the concept really resonated with people. We had the same clothes that boutiques offered but at a much lower price. This growth has not come without its fair share of growing pains.

We've had to shut down our local showroom just to keep up with demand. We are now processing and shipping out just shy of 1,000 orders per day and are continuing to grow revenue six-figures month over month.

Q. How have you all scaled up operations and employees to grow your company?

Discount Divas is a rapidly-growing startup at HuntsvilleWest. (Courtesy)

A. My husband, Brandon, told me that every time a business doubles in size, everything changes. That has been absolutely true. I never thought it would grow this fast, but we've fully adopted it and have been running with it! We've grown from just me in the second bedroom of my apartment to 12 employees, with the majority of that happening in the last few months. I would have never believed you if you would have told me that Discount Divas would have over 10 employees and a handbook. It is quite an operation now.

At the beginning of the year, we'd post something to Facebook in the morning, then watch people comment, look up the person's Facebook name in a spreadsheet, and manually send them an invoice through Paypal and then just hope they'd pay. We'd then watch our Paypal email to see when people paid and would manually weigh the item, print a shipping label, print a return address, write a thank-you card and manually mark it as paid in the spreadsheet. All of that has changed! We could have never scaled that way, but we were able to prove that we really had something.

In March, HuntsvilleWest built a fully automated system that includes inventory management, barcode fulfillment, shipping integration and user management. It used to have two full-time people just reading Facebook comments and sending orders and could fulfill around 30 packages a day. Now, those same two people can each fulfill around 600 packages a day.

Q. What makes your business model so unique in the fashion world?

A. I'd say the No. 1 unique advantage we have is allowing our customers to see what their friends are buying in real-time. This is validation for them. We post six new items every day. We never quite know how the Divas will react. When it's hot, it's very hot (1,500 orders in less than 10 minutes) and when it's not - it's not (we just had some shoes that flopped - only one order in the first hour).

We do our best, and what we feel like is our duty, to always bring the best quality clothing at the best price for our users.

Q. Do you see yourself always being an entrepreneur, or could you do something else eventually?

A. I never thought I would be an entrepreneur. I am not a "natural entrepreneur." It has been a big learning curve for me - now I have people relying on me, people with mortgages and kids!

Q. How has being at HuntsvilleWest helped you grow as a company?

A. HuntsvilleWest saw that we were experiencing what Brandon calls "the best kind of pains - growing pains." We were stressed and working crazy hours doing something that could be completely automated. Now we get to focus on what we do best - finding the best clothes and accessories for our Divas.

In addition, we were able to use the co-working space for our customer service employees as we outgrew our 450-square-foot showroom that we leased from HuntsvilleWest. The cost of the space there is extremely cheap and the community of entrepreneurs that you get to work with is invaluable.

For example, when we needed to hire three employees quickly for fulfillment I asked the other people working in the co-working space to reach out to their network. I was quickly flooded with emails and calls from qualified individuals. It's nice to work around other people who get it and want to help you succeed.

Q. Where do you see the startup in five years?

A. We continue to see this insane pace, and actually had to stop approving new customers while we were behind. I have no idea where we will be in five years. I just try to take it one day at a time - providing the best shopping experience and constantly trying to be as innovative as possible.

Discount Divas is a good example of a mediocre idea that has been executed well. There are tons of online and brick-and-mortar clothing stores, yet we've experienced explosive growth. Anyone can do it if they really want to put in the time.
Some of Huntsville's top developers gathered last week to discuss the future of the area's most anticipated mixed-use projects.

David and Todd Slyman of The Village of Providence and The Village at Oakland Springs joined Sealy Management operators Charlie and Sasha Sealy at a luncheon Thursday with Leadership Huntsville/Madison County in Cummings Research Park. Wesley Crunkleton, principal of Crunkleton Commercial Real Estate Group, also spoke on the panel about his firm's projects in downtown Huntsville.

Here's an update on a few ongoing local developments:

The Village at Oakland Springs, which broke ground in August 2015, will operate at the intersection of Huntsville Browns Ferry Road and Holladay Boulevard in Madison. The $250 million traditional neighborhood project, developed by the Slymans and Placemaker's Oakland Springs, will cover more than 150 acres and feature over 400 single-family homes, town houses, condos, apartments and a village retail center.

David Slyman said Oakland Springs will be a smaller version of Providence.

"It's very much like The Village of Providence in that we've got a town center (and) mixed uses," he said. "You'll have multi-family neighborhood retail and a mix of housing."

He said they will break ground on houses at Oakland Springs in about 30 days.

The Village of Providence will welcome its third hotel, a Hampton Inn and Suites, late this year. The $10.5 million, four-story hotel will be home to Taco Mama, a Birmingham-based taco bar with a location at Twickenham Square.

"They look to be progressing very well, installing HVAC as we speak," Slyman said.

A 4,300-square-foot Edgar's Bakery & Cafe is set to open late this month in a two-story office facility at the intersection of Biltmore Drive and Providence Main Street. The building will also house private investment company AUM Capital Group and the AUM Charitable Foundation on the second floor.

Slyman said they just recently signed a Hilton product, which will be the fourth hotel at Providence.

"We're developing the master plan for that and will have more on that in the coming months," he said.

The Avenue is preparing for a full fall debut at the corner of Holmes Avenue and Jefferson Street in downtown Huntsville. More than 140 lofts are now available at the five-floor building, with the remaining 55 to open late next month when the second phase of construction is over.

The Avenue includes a 400-unit parking deck, two galleries for socializing and events, and an indoor/outdoor open air gallery with Wi-Fi and TVs that overlooks the pool. Street-level commercial space is also available at the development.

Church Street Purveyor, which hopes to launch Jan. 1, is the only tenant confirmed so far for The Avenue. Charlie Sealy has said more commercial tenants will be announced this fall.

"We've got a few restaurants going in, a coffee shop," Sealy said Thursday. "We've got some neat things coming."

The residential lofts feature up to three bedrooms and 2.5 bathrooms, include wood, carpeted or concrete floors, and have tall ceilings. A saltwater pool, resident fitness center, and outdoor fireplace, grill and social area are available.

Sealy said they're working with the City of Huntsville on streetscape improvements around The Avenue.

"We want the building to really activate downtown and create a lot of pedestrian, urban friendliness," he said. "People walking, people shopping, people visiting people that live there."

The Avenue will include a new public art display by sculpture artist Christopher Fennell, who was chosen after a panel received more than 30 artist qualifications and proposals for the partnership. The project will include two pieces, Light Tree and Light Arch, in the plaza along Jefferson Street and at the southwest corner of Jefferson and Meridian streets.

Sasha Sealy said they unearthed brick foundation from the 1800s during excavation of the former parking lot and have incorporated the materials into the building. Fennell also will use old railroad ties in his art display, she added.

"It's kind of bridging the gap between the past, present and future," Sasha Sealy said.

The Garage at Clinton Row is nearing completion in the Clinton Avenue parking deck near Kaffeeklatsch, UG White and The Clinton Row Project. Crunkleton, whose firm is spearheading the project, said they hope to have a grand opening at the development Nov. 3.

Retail can be tough in downtown settings, especially in cities without a lot of pedestrian traffic or existing retail. Crunkleton hopes The Garage will change that.

"Retail requires synergy, which means one store just can't be by itself," he said. "You actually have to line them up in a row and give someone a reason to come downtown."

Elitaire Boutique launched Saturday at the project and offered a 22 percent discount to the first 22 shoppers. Other tenants - Frios Gourmet Pops, Roosevelt & Co., and Indigo Shoppe - will open soon.

Crunkleton said they are interviewing five potential tenants for the last available parcel at The Garage.

"We're in a good spot that way," he said.
Alabama Death Row inmate Tommy Arthur, spared execution six times since he was convicted in the 1982 contract killing of a man, is asking the governor to stay his Nov. 3 execution because he says he is an innocent man.

Meanwhile, his attorneys are seeking a stay of execution with a federal appeals court.

"Governor Bentley please immediately place a moratorium on all executions and contact United States Justice System and request they investigate Alabama's entire capital punishment procedure, arrests, trials, appeals," Arthur states in a handwritten letter to the governor last week.

The letter was first sent by Arthur to AL.com, which forwarded it -- along with a second earlier letter to a federal judge -- to Bentley's press secretary.

Bentley's chief legal adviser, David B. Byrne, Jr., stated in a letter Monday morning to AL.com that he had reviewed the letters and would bring them to Bentley's attention at his briefing on Friday. "The Governor has always felt that a clemency petition is the most difficult decision he makes as Governor," Byrne wrote.

Bentley has not stayed an execution during his two terms.

Arthur, 74, has been convicted and sentenced to death three separate times for the 1982 slaying of Muscle Shoals resident Troy Wicker. Prosecutors said that Wicker's wife, Judy Wicker, hired Arthur to kill her husband. She was convicted for her role and served 10 years of a life sentence in prison.

Arthur had been convicted previously in another murder and was on release to community corrections when the Wicker murder occurred. The victims in both murders were killed with a gunshot through the right eye, according to court records.

In his letter Arthur asks Bentley to use his executive power to not only stay his execution but to order a full Rule 32 hearing "in a court room where my attorneys can put witnesses under oath in front of a judge."

A Rule 32 petition is a way for a defendant to ask a trial judge to set aside his or her conviction.

"I've never in 33 plus years on death row never had a full state Rule 32 hearing in court," Arthur claims in his letter.

Arthur, however, did have a Rule 32 hearing to consider his claims that another Holman Correctional Facility inmate, Bobby Ray Gilbert, had committed the crime and to have DNA testing of evidence.

After a hearing in 2008 with multiple witnesses and DNA evidence, Jefferson County Circuit Judge Teresa Pulliam wrote that the evidence showed Arthur collaborated with Gilbert to make up the story and that the two men "have defrauded this Court."

The DNA evidence didn't establish that Judy Wicker had any sexual relations with Gilbert, which was a claim made by Arthur and Gilbert, the judge ruled.

Arthur, in a recent interview with Al.com maintains he and Gilbert did not make up the story.

Among his other statements in his letter to Bentley, Arthur claims that:

Setting his execution date less than a week before the national election is an attempt to hide his "murder."

Testimony from Judy Wicker was inconsistent on whether he was involved in the killing.

"Governor Bentley there is no time limit in charging a person with a capital crime. How on earth can there be a time limit on proving innocence and a fair trial?," Arthur writes.

Arthur had six previous execution dates set by the Alabama Supreme Court: 2001, twice in 2007, 2008, 2012 and 2015. Several were stayed within days or hours of the executions.

Arthur writes that the Attorney General's office "hollars" that he has had three trials. But he says his trial lawyers were low paid, he had no detectives to locate witnesses and evidence, and there was no testing of evidence by his defense team at the time of the first trial.

Arthur wants testing on all evidence still in possession of the state. He claims that prosecutors have misplaced or destroyed evidence and that a hair from a black man was never tested. He says Judy Wicker originally claimed a black man had beat and raped her and killed her husband.

"Please Governor Bentley sir grant my humble pleas afore stated. I am not asking you to set me free nor a pardon nor a lesser sentence. All Im begging you for is plain justice. The opportunity in court to prove my innocence," Arthur writes.

Arthur's attorneys have filed an appeal and stay of execution request to the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals.

The appeal is of U.S. District Court Judge Keith Watkin's ruling that dismissed Arthur's lawsuit over Alabama's new lethal injection method. The appeal challenges Watkins' interpretation of the U.S. Supreme Court's 2015 ruling in Glossip v. Gross out of Oklahoma, which affirmed that a death row inmate must present and prove the availability of a feasible alternative to challenge their method of execution on the basis of the Eighth Amendment protecting against cruel and unusual punishment.

Arthur had suggested several alternative methods of execution, including the firing squad and a drug the state says it can't get. Arthur's appeal states Watkins erred in his interpretation of Glossip's available-alternative provision.

The Alabama Attorney General's Office, however, believes the judge got it right and is asking the appeals court to throw out Arthur's appeal and let the seventh planned execution proceed.

"As for the six previous settings, Arthur has manipulated the State and federal court systems to escape the imposition of justice, even going so far as to use perjured testimony to seek a reprieve," the Attorney General's Office argues. "Arthur's abusive litigation tactics have harmed already the public's interest, and granting a stay would only add insult to injury."

Tommy Arthury Letter to Gov. Bentley by KentFaulk on Scribd
Authorities today released the name of a man shot to death in Ensley Saturday night.

The Jefferson County Coroner's Office identified the victim as Marquest Lamar Allen. He was 26.

Birmingham police officers responded to the shooting in the 2000 block of Avenue P. When they arrived on the scene, they found Allen on the ground with a gunshot wound.

Birmingham Fire and Rescue Service pronounced him dead on the scene at 11:25 p.m. Birmingham police spokesman Sgt. Bryan Shelton said Allen was visiting at the location when the shooter fired on him. Shelton said Sunday evening that a person of interest has been detained, but said the investigation remains active.

"Unfortunately, this family has to plan a funeral for a loved one,'' Shelton said. "Part of the investigation will be to reveal just why the suspect shot the victim."

Allen is Birmingham's 83rd homicide victim this year. Of those, at least six have been ruled justifiable and therefore aren't deemed criminal by the police department. Two others were officer-involved shootings from outside law enforcement agencies.

Anyone with information on the fatal shooting is asked to call Birmingham homicide detectives at 205-254-1764 or Crime Stoppers at 205-254-7777.
Desmond Brown Arrest.jpg

Desmond Brown was arrested in Tuscaloosa on Oct. 22, 2016 on The Strip.

(Tuscaloosa Police)

A Georgia man was arrested on the popular Strip in Tuscaloosa Saturday night, accused of selling lollipops made with hemp and other chemical agents, authorities said today.

Desmond Love Brown, 40, was arrested by Tuscaloosa police. Lt. Teena Richardson said authorities spotted a "WeedWorldCandies.com" van parked in the 2600 block of University Boulevard and approached Brown, who was selling the lollipops to people as they passed by.

A search of the vehicle, she said, turned up about 100 lollipops of various flavors, as well as a small amount of cocaine, marijuana and drug paraphernalia. Brown, who is from Macon, was charged with unlawful possession of marijuana, unlawful possession of cocaine, unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia and resisting arrest.

Police also plant to obtain a warrant for doing business without a license. He is in the Tuscaloosa County Jail with bond set at $29,000.

Weed World Candies is part of a political movement to help fight for marijuana legalization. The lollipops are marketed and sold in vans across country. The candy sold from the vans usually contain no THC, but the advertising on the vans always depicts cannabis plants next to lollipops, suggesting a cannabis flavor or the possibility of intoxication after eating the lollipops.

Last year, two Alabama men were arrested in New Orleans after authorities say they were illegally selling "Weed World Candies" out of van in the French Quarter.
CC Club.jpg

Birmingham police are investigating a deadly shooting outside CC nightclub, the third homicide at the club since 2012.

An investigation is underway after a man was shot to death Sunday morning inside a Birmingham club.

Birmingham police responded to CC nightclub at 1201 Bessemer Road at 9:04 a.m. Sunday on a report of a disturbance, said Jefferson County Chief Deputy Coroner Bill Yates. When they arrived on the scene, they found an adult Hispanic male with gunshot wounds.

The victim, whose name has not yet been released, was taken to Princeton Baptist Medical Center where he was pronounced dead at 9:42 a.m.

Birmingham police spokesman Lt. Sean Edwards said the victim was found lying on the floor inside of the club and he appeared to be suffering from multiple gunshot wounds to the body.

The preliminary investigation showed revealed the victim was approached by an unknown Hispanic male while in the club. According to witnesses, the suspect fired several shots striking the victim multiple times.

The suspect and his girlfriend fled the scene in an unknown vehicle. It is unclear at this time what led to the shooting, Edwards said. Detectives were able to get enough information from witnesses that may lead to the suspect's identity.

The homicide is Birmingham's 84th homicide victim this year. Of those, at least six have been ruled justifiable and therefore aren't deemed criminal by the police department. Two others were officer-involved shootings from outside law enforcement agencies.

In all of Jefferson County, there have been 122 homicides in 2016, including the 84 from Birmingham.

Sunday's shooting at CC Nightclub is the third homicide there in four years, and all have happened in the same week in October.

One year ago, 34-year-old Luiz Hayakahua was shot to death at 3:13 a.m. on a Saturday, also at CC Nightclub, which is also known as the Tijuana club. Authorities said the shooting stemmed from an argument inside the nightclub. The dispute spilled over into the parking lot, and Hayakahua was shot in the chest.

On Oct. 20, 2012, five people were shot - one of them fatally - at the club.

Forenzo Tyre Walker, 22, was killed in that shooting. The shooting happened about 1:17 a.m., also on a Saturday morning, outside a club at 1201 Bessemer Road. Temarius Evans, the victim's cousin, said the shooting happened after Evans' birthday party was shut down because of two altercations inside the lounge in the Midway Plaza.

Police officials said it was a tense, dangerous situation when officers arrived at the scene. An officer put a police radio call asking for all possible assistance. "The officers were faced with a deadly, chaotic situation with multiple gunmen shooting at each other,'' Police Chief A.C. Roper said in 2012. "The officers were eventually able to gain control of the situation with one of the officers discharging his weapon."

Multiple weapons were found at the scene of the 2012 shooting.

Anyone with information on this weekend's shooting there is asked to call Birmingham homicide detectives at 205-254-1764 or Crime Stoppers at 205-254-7777.
capitol mug dec 1.jpg

(Mike Cason/mcason@al.com)

Republican leaders of two branches of state government have been removed from office, while the head of the third branch, Gov. Robert Bentley, is facing an impeachment investigation sparked by a scandal that shows no signs of fading.

The three distinct controversies involving high-profile Republicans have dominated state political headlines for many months, but it's not clear they have helped the rival party at all.

Alabama Democrats don't even have a candidate in four of the five statewide races on the Nov. 8 ballot.

Jess Brown, a retired political science professor from Athens State University, said the Alabama Democratic Party is too weak to capitalize on the missteps by Republicans.

"It's just completely atrophied," Brown said. "As best as I can tell from out there in the hinterlands, it has no message and no messengers."

Lucy Baxley was the last Democrat to hold statewide office when she lost her seat on the Public Service Commission four years ago.

House Democratic Minority Leader Craig Ford of Gadsden, mulling a run for governor in 2018, has called on state Party Chairwoman Nancy Worley and Vice Chairman Joe Reed to step down for what he described in an open letter as "neglect and mismanagement."

Worley and Reed fired back, saying they work every day without pay to build the party and haven't gotten much help from Ford.

Rep. John Knight, D-Montgomery, chairman of the House Black Caucus, declined to say whether he thought Worley and Reed should step down.

"Certainly there are problems within the Democratic ranks," Knight said.

"But we need to unify the party as much as we possibly can by bringing people together and working together and take advantage of some of the other situations that's taking place with the majority party right now.

"We can't do that by self-destructing or internal bickering and fighting."

Myron Penn, former chairman of the Senate Democratic Caucus, said he has had his differences with Reed, but they've always worked them out respectfully.

"I think sometimes things might be better handled when we can sit down and reason with each other," said Penn, who served in the Senate from 2002 to 2010.

"I appreciate Representative Ford, his passion about the current status of the party. But I think that in order to bring the party together, I think that we have to understand that the ones who actually helped to build it, they have a lot of valuable information that can be used for the progress and the future of the party."

Penn said Democrats need to work toward a common goal of having more Democratic candidates on the ballot in 2018.

Republican leaders, meanwhile, say bad choices made by a few top officials should not taint the party.

In June, a jury convicted House Speaker Mike Hubbard, R-Auburn, of ethics violations. The judge sentenced Hubbard to four years in prison.

In September, the Court of the Judiciary suspended Chief Justice Roy Moore without pay for the rest of his term after Moore instructed probate judges that they had a duty to enforce the state's ban on same-sex marriage after the Supreme Court legalized gay marriage nationwide.

Both men have denied wrongdoing and are appealing.

In April, 23 state representatives signed resolution to impeach Bentley, alleging corruption in office and willful neglect of duty.

That came in the wake of allegations about an improper relationship with former political adviser Rebekah Mason and the firing of former Law Enforcement Secretary Spencer Collier.

Bentley has denied breaking any laws or doing anything to warrant impeachment.

It was six years ago that Republicans captured the Legislature with a campaign promise to clean up corruption.

Brown said challengers in the 2018 legislative elections could use the Hubbard conviction and the Bentley scandal to make the case that the promise was broken.

"There is now prima facie evidence that the culture of corruption is still alive and well in Montgomery," Brown said.

"They're going to have potentially a tougher time arguing that they're the good guys."

House Republicans kept Hubbard as speaker after his indictment in October 2014. He presided over four legislative sessions while facing charges that he used the speaker's office for personal gain.

"If the election was now, you'd have several people running in the Republican primary arguing that Republican incumbents have simply dropped the ball on facilitating a strong sense of ethics in state government," Brown said.

House Speaker Mac McCutcheon, R-Capshaw, Hubbard's successor, said Hubbard's ethical violations have disappointed some voters. The flip side, he said, is that the case showed that tougher ethics laws passed in 2010 made a difference.

"People may be frustrated with what happened," McCutcheon said. "But they're saying in the end, thank goodness that you've got something in place that now you're addressing those kind of violations."

Knight said the downfalls of Hubbard and Moore and the Bentley controversy gives people doubts about government and make it harder to get qualified people to run for offices.

"What has happened here in Alabama, it casts a shadow over the political process," Knight said.

"I don't think it was ever intended for it to be a perfect process. But I think it was intended for people to have confidence in government and to feel good about government."

State Republican Party Chairwoman Terry Lathan said the Hubbard, Moore and Bentley controversies are not indicative of the party.

"A handful of people who make poor decisions do not reflect and do not speak for the majority of Republicans in this state, nor the nation," Lathan said.

Lathan said the fact that the Republican Party has become so large in Alabama makes it more likely that some within its ranks will go astray.

"I would much rather us be a big, loud family who doesn't always agree, and have some folks who go a different path, at times, than a party that is quiet, broke and irrelevant, as the Democrats are right now," she said.
A group that supports suspended Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore on Monday filed an ethics complaint against his replacement, Justice Lyn Stuart.

Sanctity of Marriage Alabama (SOMA) filed the judicial ethics complaint with the Alabama Judicial Inquiry Commission against Stuart. The complaint cites several actions by Stuart before and after Moore's trial on ethics charges.

A spokesman for the Alabama Administrative Office of Courts said Monday that there would be no comment from Stuart regarding the complaint.

Moore was suspended without pay for the remainder of his term on Sept. 30 by the Court of the Judiciary. That court found Moore had violated judicial canons of ethics by telling state probate judges in January to refuse to issue same-sex marriage licenses in defiance of the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling that gay marriage is legal.

Because of her rank as the most senior justice Stuart has been acting chief justice since Moore was charged by the Judicial Inquiry Commission in May. Moore has appealed to the Alabama Supreme Court and has asked that fellow justices Stuart, Bolin, Main and Shaw to recuse themselves from hearing his appeal.

"My appeal is still pending but Justice Stuart is acting like she has already decided the appeal against me," Moore said last week.

The Sanctity of Marriage complaint against Stuart cites several of her actions since taking over as acting chief justice. Among them is her possible participation as one of the judges that heard a complaint by Moore against the Judicial Inquiry Commission. That proceeding was sealed from public view and some of the justice recused themselves, with special judges replacing them, for a "special court," according to the SOMA complaint.

Moore and one media outlet have sought to have the sealed proceeding unsealed to the public.

The SOMA complaint also cites some of the actions Stuart has taken since Moore's suspension - before and after his conviction by the COJ.

Stuart asked Moore to remove his personal items and turn over his keys on Oct. 11. She also fired Moore's staff, the SOMA complaint states.

The complaint states that Stuart violated canons of judicial ethics. She "has failed to conduct herself in a manner promoting public confidence in the integrity and impartiality of the judiciary, has engaged in conduct prejudicial to the administration of justice, and has refused to refrain from engaging herself in a proceeding where personal bias and personal knowledge of vital evidence renders impartiality impossible."

"If the Judicial Inquiry Commission really cares about ethics, fairness, and upholding the integrity and impartiality of the Alabama Judiciary, they will no doubt take our complaint seriously, as will organizations which filed ethics complaints on Chief Justice Moore" Sanctity of Marriage Alabama spokesperson, Tom Ford stated in a press release.

Last week the JIC dismissed an ethics complaint filed against Alabama Supreme Court Justice Tom Parker by the Southern Poverty Law Center for public comments he made about the U.S. Supreme Court's decision on gay marriage on a radio talk show last year. The SPLC is the same group that had filed the ethics complaint against Moore.
Little River Canyon fire

(Courtesy of Alabama Park Rangers)

A wildfire that consumed more than 300 acres of National Park Service and private land at Little River Canyon is now contained.

The Martha's Falls area of the park and other burned areas are closed to the public until further notice, the Park Service said in a news release.

Alabama 35 was closed temporarily Sunday because of the fire.

Firefighters will remain in the park for at least the rest of the week, and they expect favorable weather will assist their efforts.

Homes in the area are no longer threatened by the fire.

"We expect some smoke in the area through the week," according to the news release. "People should drive with their headlights on, using caution and driving slowly on Alabama Highway 35. Smoke may be crossing the road. Occasionally fire vehicles will still be patrolling Highway 35."
The child pornography allegedly downloaded by a north Alabama teenager who was arrested at his high school last week did not depict images of any local children.

Morgan County booking mug of Cox

"We have no evidence that suggests any children from the school or the local area were involved," Morgan County Sheriff Ana Franklin said. "Our investigation is still early, and we are waiting on more information from the computers but so far we're pretty confident."

The county's Special Victims Unit arrested Hartselle resident Kody Austin Lawrence Cox, 18, at Danville High School on Thursday. SVU began investigating after the Sheriff's Office received a report earlier this month from the teen's mother saying her son had child pornography, according to court records released Friday.

After the mother handed over a portable storage device containing sexually explicit images of nude children, investigators got a warrant to search the device, Sgt. Blake Robinson wrote in an arrest affidavit.

Morgan County Schools Superintendent Bill Hopkins Jr. said although the situation is tragic, he's glad to know none of the victims were students at Danville.

"It will make everyone feel a little better it didn't involve anyone from the school," said Hopkins, who learned on Friday the victims weren't believed to be locals.

Hopkins said if it had involved a student from the school, educators would need to devise a plan in case Cox were to be returned to the campus for some reason.

"We were wondering about it," Hopkins said. "All we knew was the SVU called the principal and said they needed the student brought to the office for an arrest."

Franklin said investigators believe all of the pornographic images were downloaded directly from websites.

"It doesn't appear it was social media interactions or anything like that," she said.

Franklin declined to comment on the age of the victims, though the charge states they were under 17.

If convicted of the Class B felony, Cox faces up to 20 years in prison. If found guilty, the teen would have to register as a sex offender.

Cox remains in Morgan County Jail $25,000 bail.

His attorney, Larry Madison, didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.
MorganJail.jpg

Morgan County Sheriff's Office

(Morgan County Sheriff's Office)

Sheriff Ana Franklin

Since Morgan County Sheriff Ana Franklin began investigating and fired longtime jail warden Leon Bradley, she's been sued in federal court by a blogger.

Franklin fired Bradley because of an investigation into the release of confidential records, and it's unclear at this point whether the former warden may have violated only the sheriff's policy or committed a criminal act.

Franklin says her office isn't the only one investigating fired jail warden Leon Bradley. But, Franklin refuses to comment on whether it's federal or state investigators who are probing the case.

The case is related to a blog called the Morgan County Whistleblower. For years, the blog has featured articles critical of Franklin, the county's top cop, and how she operates the Sheriff's Office.

A search warrant issued Oct. 5 was used to seize computers, records, documents and files from a business in Falkville that's operated by Glenda Lockhart, author of the blog.

Formed in 2005, the business, Straightline Drywall and Acoustical, LLC, is a federal contractor that installs drywall and acoustical products. Lockhart posted to the blog from her personal computer, which typically was kept at the business at 219 Fifth Ave. Lockhart and her attorney declined comment.

When sheriff's investigators examined Bradley's work email, they found he had been forwarding law enforcement documents to his personal email account, then passing them on to Lockhart, according to the search warrant. Bradley couldn't immediately be reached for comment.

The warrant was signed by Circuit Judge Glenn Thompson, who also authorized sheriff's investigators to search Bradley's home and confiscate similar items.

(File photo)

Lockhart and her business sued Franklin, along with deputies Chad Smith, Robert Wilson and Blake Robinson. Robinson is the deputy who signed the search warrant.

The lawsuit claims "any basis presented to Judge Thompson for the seizure of Straightline and my computers was false and/or misleading. There was no possible legal basis for the taking, as Straightline nor I possess no work product of the Morgan County Sheriff's Department unless it was made publicly available and lawful to possess."

Property seized from the business, which has 31 full-time employees, included 19 electronic devices, four years of tax information, payroll, $5 million of ongoing contract data and about $35,000 in software, according to the lawsuit. The property since has been returned.

After 13 years as warden, Bradley was fired Oct. 14., though no criminal charges have been filed.

"This investigation began internally to look into the dissemination of documents," Franklin said. "Then, we believed we may have stumbled upon a criminal investigation."

A policy violation could include the release of any Sheriff's Office documents that are private, while criminal charges could stem from the release of documents that are prohibited for public viewing. Those could include documents with personal information or other law enforcement-sensitive information.

"Prior to this investigation, we have contacted outside agencies that will be assisting us in this," Franklin said, though she declined to say which agencies.

Attorney General Luther Strange's Office and an FBI spokesman couldn't say whether their agencies were involved, per policy. Alabama Law Enforcement Agency spokesman Trooper Curtis Summerville said the State Bureau of Investigations isn't involved.

Morgan County District Attorney Scott Anderson said he recused himself from the case.

"Because of how close my office is to those involved, I decided that was best," Anderson said.

Anderson said Strange either can investigate the case himself or appoint another district attorney in the state.

To fill Bradley's position, Chief Deputy Mike Corley is overseeing the jail.

"No major changes are expected, and everything should move forward as they need to in the daily operations of the jail," Franklin said.

Lockhart's lawsuit is assigned to U.S. District Judge Madeline Hughes Haikala in the federal Court for the Northern District of Alabama Northeastern Division.
Drought Jackson County

Cracked earth on bed of farm pond dried up from drought in Jackson County, Alabama. (Bob Gathany/bgathany@AL.com)

Alabama farmers who have seen crop failures, grazing losses or other negative impacts of the ongoing drought in the state can apply for aid from several federal assistance programs offered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, according to Alabama Commissioner of Agriculture John McMillan.

As of Oct. 20, 32 of Alabama's 67 counties have been designated as primary natural disaster areas by the USDA and 15 additional counties are classified as contiguous counties, meaning farmers in those areas may be eligible for federal aid. Alabama drought an 'agricultural disaster'

The programs, offered through the USDA's Farm Service Agency, are described as follows:

Livestock Forage Disaster

Emergency Loan Program (ELP)

Non-insured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP)

McMillan said farmers impacted by the drought should contact their local USDA Farm Service Agency office for more information.

"We want to make certain Alabama producers are aware of all program opportunities offered by USDA-FSA due to losses as a result of the drought," McMillan said in a news release.

Directory information for USDA-FSA offices in Alabama can be found at: http://offices.sc.egov.usda.gov/locator/app
Sessions_Trump_Mobile.JPG

U.S. Senator Jeff Sessions joins Donald Trump on stage at a rally at Ladd-Peebles Stadium in Mobile, Ala., on August 21, 2015. (Sharon Steinmann/ssteinmann@al.com)

A "dark money ally" of Hillary Clinton is calling on the Senate Ethics Committee to investigate Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Ala., alleging Alabama's junior senator violated Senate rules for casting doubt on the legitimacy of the upcoming election, according to a complaint filed by the group on Monday.

The American Democracy Legal Fund, a D.C.-based nonprofit, identifies itself as a "group established to hold candidates for office accountable for possible ethics and/or legal violations." But the Sunlight Foundation dubbed the group a "dark money ally" of Clinton, noting that the ADLF was formed by Clinton booster David Brock, who runs numerous super PACs, including committees supporting the Democratic presidential nominee. The group's most recent complaints have been against Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders -- Clinton's rival for the Democratic presidential nomination.

Sessions could not immediately be reached for comment.

The ADLF pointed to an Oct. 15 Donald Trump campaign rally in New Hampshire. Sessions attended the event as a Trump supporter and addressed the crowd, saying that Trump's opponents are "attempting to rig the election," according to Business Insider.

"According to publicly available news reports, Sen. Sessions made baseless and irresponsible allegations that the 2016 presidential election is rigged, perpetuating unsubstantiated claims that threaten the stability of our election process and the safety of voters on Election Day," the group said in a complaint sent to Senate Ethics Committee Chairman Jonny Isakson, R-Ga. "Such comments and behavior not only reflect negatively upon the Senate, but attempt to discredit our entire democratic system. Accordingly, we respectfully request that the committee investigate these claims and take appropriate remedial action against the Senator for improper conduct that is 'contrary to accepted morals [and] derogates from the public trust expected of a senator.'"

The complaint goes on to claim that Sessions violated ethics rules involving "improper conduct."

"Sen. Sessions' remarks on Oct. 15 not only discredit the Senate as an institution, they attempt to discredit our entire government and the stability of democratic system," the complaint states. "Making such a dangerous claim with absolutely no factual support is a clear violation of the public trust expected of a senator, and is more 'ethically repugnant' than previous conduct the committee has deemed 'improper.' While his remarks do not specifically violate any particular Senate Rule, they undermine the entire system in which the Senate operates and threaten the safety of voters who attempt to exercise their right to vote on Election Day. Even worse, they do so under the guise of legitimacy stemming from Session's position as U.S. senator."

You can read the group's complaint in its entirety here.
Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton has a 6-point lead over Republican challenger Donald Trump, with more GOP voters seemingly abandoning their party's nominee.

A Fox News poll of likely voters showed Clinton is leading Trump 45 percent to 39 percent. Libertarian nominee Gary Johnson was the choice for 5 percent of voters; Green Party's Jill Stein was at 3 percent. In a head-to-head matchup, Clinton's lead grows to 49 percent compared to Trump's 42 percent.

The poll showed Clinton maintains a strong lead among women (17 points); non-whites (51 points); voters younger than 30 (19 points); and whites with a college degree (9 points). Trump leads by 7 points among men; white voters without a college degree (27 points); veterans (17 points) and those who said they regularly attend religious services (16 points.)

According to the Fox poll, Trump is also leading among independents (7 points) but lags Clinton when it comes to support from the candidates' own parties. Eighty-seven percent of Democrats said they support their party's nominee; 80 percent of Republicans said the same. Among Republicans, 22 percent said they have a negative opinion of Trump; 9 percent of Democrats said the same about Clinton.

Overall, 61 percent of voters said they thought Clinton had the temperament to be president; the same percentage said Trump didn't. Fifty-three percent said they thought Clinton had the judgment needed to be president; only 37 percent said the same for Trump.

Voters give Clinton the edge on issues such as the use of nuclear weapons, handling an international crisis and directing foreign policy, as well as nominating justices for the Supreme Court, Social Security, immigration and terrorism. Trump had a 6-point lead among voters asked who they thought would better handle the economy.

The Fox News poll was conducted among 1,011 registered voters. It was conducted Oct. 15-17 and has a margin of error of 3 points.

Texas in play?

Texas, long a stronghold for Republicans, could be in play for Democrats, according to RealClearPolitics.

The forecasting site has reclassified Texas as a toss-up state after the release of a CBS tracking poll Sunday that showed Clinton down by only 3 points in the traditionally red state - 46 percent to 43 percent.

In comparison, Republican nominee Mitt Romney received 57 percent of Texas votes compared to Democratic challenger Barack Obama's 42 percent in 2012; GOP nominee John McCain received 55 percent of the vote in 2008 to Obama's 44 percent.

Nationally, RCP's average of national polls has Clinton up by 6 points.
Donald Trump

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump delivers a speech during a campaign event, Saturday, Oct. 22, 2016, in Gettysburg, Pa.

(AP Photo/ Evan Vucci)

It's 7:03 p.m. on Election Day. In a stunning turn of events, the news networks are not yet ready to put Alabama in Donald Trump's column -- just three minutes after the polls closed. The race in Alabama, the reddest of red states leading up to the election, is too close to call.

Rhetoric from Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, who has maintained that the election is "rigged" against him and has urged supporters to monitor polling places for voter fraud, may make that election night scenario plausible to the most ardent skeptics of the democratic process.

But Alabama Secretary of State John Merrill, the state's chief election official, dismissed Trump's claims, saying he is confident in Alabama's election system.

"I don't have any concerns about our elections being fair, credible and having the kind of integrity that our people expect and should demand," Merrill, a Republican who voted for Trump via absentee ballot, told AL.com in a phone interview. "It's not [rigged] in Alabama."

Although Merrill, who serves as the state's chief election official, is not worried about a rigged election in Alabama, that doesn't mean there haven't been attempts to compromise voter registration systems.

"People try every day, but we've had no incidences or occurrences that resulted in the violation of the integrity of the voter registration system or our election system as they exist," Merrill said.

Alan King, who is the chief election official of Jefferson County as presiding judge of the probate court, said elections in the county will be conducted "in a fair, transparent, non-partisan and professional manner," pointing out that an "election team" of 12 Jefferson County employees from various departments with a collective 100 years' election experience will help supervise the vote.

King said chairs of both political parties "are also actively involved in Jefferson County Elections," and that they are able to have poll watchers at every precinct. He dismissed the idea that voting machines could be tampered with.

"The voting machines used are not connected to the Internet and the technology used in the election is secure from cyber threats," King said in a statement sent to AL.com on Monday. "There are also checks and balances in place to safeguard the election process. Jefferson County citizens can feel confident that the Jefferson County election team will follow the same stringent procedures in the Nov. 8 general election that they have followed in the past to ensure that this election is fair, accurate and secure."

Election Systems & Software, a Nebraska-based company that provides Alabama's voting machines and maintains the state's voter registration rolls, told Merrill's office earlier this week that it conducted a review of the systems and that no breaches have occurred. Merrill said his office has been in contact with the company on a daily basis to monitor any suspicious activity.

Merrill said the attempts to hack the system have come from both inside and outside the state, and that sometimes his office is limited in what it can discover about the attempts.

Elections Systems & Software could not be reached for further comment about its business in Alabama.

"I can't do anything about it. I can just be prepared to find out what i can find out and deal with it," he said. "I can't go to everybody's house in the state and make sure they're not in our system."

While Merrill is not worried about voting machines being compromised, he said he has "some concern" over absentee ballot fraud. However, large-scale fraud would raise red flags with his office.

On Aug. 23, there were 564 municipal elections held in Alabama. As of last week, the secretary of state's office received 186 reports of election impropriety ranging from low-level complaints like stolen campaign signs to more serious matters, such as a voter having multiple absentee ballots mailed to their home.

For example, in the Birmingham suburb of Brighton, the secretary of state's office and the Jefferson County district attorney's office is looking into allegations of absentee voter fraud in the city's municipal elections. A complaint was filed alleging Brandon Dean, the unofficial winner in the mayor's race, had absentee ballots mailed to addresses where homes were abandoned.

In-person voter fraud, which Trump has alluded to in remarks on the campaign trail, is highly unlikely to occur in Alabama. The state requires voters to show an approved ID -- such as a driver's license or voter ID card -- before they can cast a ballot.

Alabama is one of 31 states with some type of voter ID law, which was enacted in the state in part to combat voter fraud. But opponents of the law argued that it actually disenfranchises the poor, the disabled, the working poor and African Americans -- groups that are less likely to have one of the approved valid IDs to vote.

Updated at 3:21 p.m. to include comment from Alan King.
If you want to cast a ballot for Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton next month - and you're not yet registered to vote - today's the cutoff.

The registration deadline to vote in the Nov. 8 General Election is today in Alabama.

Any person in Alabama may register to vote if they are:

A citizen of the U.S.

A resident of Alabama

At least 18 years old on or before election day

Have not been barred from voting due to a disqualifying felony conviction;

Have not been declared mentally incompetent by a court

You can register to vote: when you are applying or renewing your Alabama driver's license; when applying for government assistance such as food stamps or Medicaid; at public libraries; at armed forces recruiting stations; or at the Board of Registrars located at the county seat in the voter's county of residence. Mail-in forms are available at Probate Judge and License Commissioner officers, colleges, universities, public schools or libraries. You can obtain a mail-in form by calling 1-800-274-VOTE (8683) or download a form at alabamavotes.gov.

Not sure if you're registered?

How to register online

You can also register to vote online.

Users can go to the site and fill out the form. The data is then sent to your county registrar's office.

Voters can also print out an application online and mail it or present it in person to the Board of Registrars. You can get that here.

A couple of more important dates to know:

Nov. 3 is the last day for a voter to make an application for an absentee ballot

Nov. 7 is the last day for a voter to hand-deliver or postmark an absentee ballot. You can see rules for absentee ballots here.
Campaign

Voters cast their ballots at the Francis Collins Fitness Center Tuesday, March 13, 2012, in Gulfport, Miss. (Tim Isbell/Biloxi Sun Herald/TNS)

(Tim Isbell)

November's presidential election is the first in more than 50 years in which the federal government won't send a full complement of specially trained observers to monitor elections in states, like Mississippi, with long records of discriminatory voting practices.

After the Supreme Court's 2013 decision in Shelby County v. Holder weakened a core provision of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, the U.S. Department of Justice can deploy special election observers from the Office of Personnel Management only where authorized by a court order.

Because of that requirement, the department will deploy a smaller number of its own staff attorneys and other personnel to monitor elections next month in roughly half the states.

Unlike the special observers, the department staffers won't have the authority to view activity inside polling places and locations where votes are tallied unless they get approval from local officials.

That potential loss of access to real-time voting operations is causing concern among civil rights and voting rights activists about the integrity of Mississippi's vote process.

"Not having that seat on the front lines creates a disadvantage," said Kristen Clarke, the president and executive director of the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, one of the nation's leading civil rights organizations. "I think you need to be inside the polling sites shoulder to shoulder with poll workers and observing carefully every aspect of the process to ensure all voters are treated fairly."

Federal observers "watch the election process, to collect evidence, to deter wrongdoing, to defuse tension and to promote compliance" with federal law, according to a recent speech by Vanita Gupta, the head of the civil rights division at the Justice Department. They also look for different treatment of voters based on race and whether materials and assistance are provided for non-English speakers and voters with disabilities.

In recent years, local Mississippi elections have been a frequent target of that Justice Department scrutiny. From June 2009 to September 2013 the department sent election observers to 31 jurisdictions in the state following complaints of possible discrimination.

Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump is asking supporters to monitor polling places as "Trump election observers" in order to "stop crooked Hillary from rigging this election."

Based on Trump's rhetoric about voter fraud, some fear the presence of untrained, partisan Trump observers could lead to increased episodes of voter intimidation -- which has long been a problem in Mississippi.

"To know the tricks that have been played here in Mississippi -- for instance, people posing as federal agents and asking individuals to identify themselves, challenging voters' eligibility and using intimidation tactics to dissuade individuals from voting. This causes me a lot of concern that we won't have the kind of backup that's desperately needed" from the observers, said Constance Slaughter-Harvey, a Democrat who served as Mississippi's assistant secretary of state for elections from 1984 to 1996.

In a statement, Mississippi Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann said that despite their inability to observe activity inside Mississippi polling places without permission following the Shelby decision, federal monitors had continued to be "granted the same access to observe within a polling place as state observers" from his own office and from the state attorney general's office.

"We have always and (we) will continue to accommodate any federal observer sent to the state to observe our elections," wrote Hosemann, a Republican.

Whether local elections officials extend the same courtesy to federal monitors on Election Day is anybody's guess. The Justice Department has not yet disclosed what states and counties their attorneys and staffers will be sent to.

Because most polling place problems and irregularities are due to bureaucratic errors rather than malfeasance, election officials across the partisan spectrum want to minimize those errors and may appreciate the assistance of federal monitors, said Dale Ho, who heads the Voting Rights Project of the American Civil Liberties Union.

"But the places where we've seen voter intimidation with the cooperation of people working around a party or with local officials, I would guess in those circumstances the prospect of cooperation is low," Ho added.

A total of 153 counties in 11 states have been certified for visits by federal observers since 1965. Mississippi's 51 certified counties lead all states. That's 62 percent of Mississippi's 82 counties.

"It's rational to think that the places that have had the worst histories of discrimination -- and I don't mean ancient history, I mean recent histories of discrimination -- are going to continue to be the hot spots. We know about Mississippi," Ho said.

The Voting Rights Act allowed the attorney general to send observers to monitor elections in Mississippi and eight other states with widespread and persistent discrimination in voting if there were "meritorious complaints from residents, elected officials or civic participation organizations" that efforts to deny or hinder the right to vote "on account of race or color or (membership in a minority language group) are likely to occur."

The observers watch and record polling-place activity in coordination with federal civil rights attorneys and local election officials.

Elections in the Mississippi cities of Hattiesburg, Brookhaven, Greenwood, Isola, Meridian, Philadelphia and Ruleville were monitored by the Justice Department in 2013, along with Como and Clarksdale. Federal observers also monitored elections in Tunica, Clay, Copiah, Humphreys, Jefferson Davis, Panola, Quitman, Sunflower and Tallahatchie counties following discrimination complaints in 2011.

Two separate elections in Bolivar, Noxubee and Wilkinson counties were also monitored in 2011. And in 2009, they monitored local elections in the towns of Como, Drew, Greenwood, Isola, Louise and Meridian.

After every election, Hosemann's office requests information about any problems that federal observers have encountered in Mississippi. But the Justice Department hasn't provided "any meaningful reports of harassment or intimidation in recent years," Hosemann's statement said.

In previous presidential elections, Hosemann's office has deployed its own observers to 25 to 40 counties, but he isn't sure how many will be deployed this year. Any problems the state observers encounter on Election Day will be reported first to Hosemann's election division and then to a local election official, district attorney or police department to resolve.

On Election Day in 2012, the Justice Department sent 780 trained observers and department personnel to 51 locations in 23 states. In next month's election, the Justice Department can send the special observers from the Office of Personnel Management only to a handful of jurisdictions in Alaska, California, Louisiana and New York where they have been authorized by court order.

The downsizing was required after the Shelby decision struck down a requirement that the Justice Department or a federal court preapprove voting-rule changes in Mississippi and eight other states with histories of disenfranchising minority voters.

The decision invalidated the formula for determining which jurisdictions were subject to the so-called "preclearance" provision. And because the same problematic formula helped determine where observers could be sent without a court order, the department is no longer able to dispatch federal observers at the attorney general's discretion.

The decision "severely curtailed" the department's ability to ensure voting rights for all, Attorney General Loretta Lynch said during a speech this month in Newark, N.J.

"Indeed, this fall will be our nation's first presidential election in almost 50 years without the full protections of the Voting Rights Act," Lynch told the audience.

The Justice Department will deploy "a robust number of trained department personnel into roughly half of the nation's states this fall -- at least as many states as in 2012, despite the setback of Shelby County," Lynch continued. "This expert team will watch the proceedings carefully to make sure that the elections are conducted fairly and in accordance with federal voting rights laws."

The nonpartisan Election Protection coalition provides a national hotline (866-OUR-VOTE) to assist voters in every state with questions or concerns about their rights and the upcoming election.

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Article written by McClatchy Washington Bureau and distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
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Charley Grimsley

By Charley Grimsley, former commissioner of Conservation & Natural Resources, State of Alabama

Amendment 2 on State Parks has been advertised as a way to protect state park revenues. If that were all it did, it would be good. But like a Trojan horse, hidden inside is something you probably didn't know. Amendment 2 would allow state park privatization, and turning our state parks over to private corporations is something we should never do.

Look at the following description of Amendment 2 from the website Ballotpedia (the privatization language is highlighted): "A 'yes' vote supports this proposal to prohibit reallocating state park funds for other uses and allow the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources to contract with non-state entities for the operation and maintenance of land and facilities that are part of the state park system." This means that if Amendment 2 passes, we would be voting to hand over our state parks, land, lodges and all, to private corporations.

And if the politicians implement Amendment 2 like they did with the Hilton contract for the luxury hotel currently being constructed at Gulf State Park, they will lease the parks without competitive bid. The companies would charge you whatever they want, and many people would be priced out of our state parks forever.

Years ago the state leased the major state park lodges to private companies, and the experience was an abysmal failure. The companies made millions, but because they did not properly maintain the facilities, at the end of the leases we the people inherited state park lodges that were in a terrible state of repair.

To fix this mess, in 1998 we the people approved Amendment 617 of the Alabama Constitution that authorized a $110 million bond issue to renovate the state park with the express condition that privatization of the renovated parks could no longer occur. But now that we are on the hook for a $110 million bond issue caused by the first privatization mess, with Amendment 2 the politicians are asking us to jump right back into the fire by privatizing them again.

State park privatization was a bad idea the first time, and it is a bad idea now. On November 8, Vote "No" on Amendment 2.
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(File photo)

Robert E. Jones

By Robert E. Jones, a lifelong recreational fisherman, raised in Corpus Christi, Texas, and Director of Environmental Defense Fund's Gulf of Mexico Oceans program.

The Gulf of Mexico is a national treasure. Countless recreational anglers, seafood lovers and small business owners depend on the health of its fisheries -- not just for their livelihoods but for their way of life. The profound fishery management failures of the past put that heritage at risk. But the stunning recovery of the Gulf red snapper fishery shows what is possible when fishermen, environmentalists and managers come together to pursue smart reforms.

Gulf fisheries were in dire condition before the Environmental Defense Fund teamed with local fishermen across the Gulf, from Florida to Texas, to help turn things around. In those days, fishermen were stuck under failing management that perpetuated overfishing and reduced the population of Gulf red snapper to just 4 percent of its historic level. Due to misguided and ineffective rules, the commercial fleet was in a derby system -- a race to catch fish that was dangerous and destructive to both fish and fishermen's businesses.

The catch limits that were put in place to solve the problem were not working. Seeing their livelihoods collapsing under failing management, commercial fishermen voted twice, in supermajorities, to implement a system known as catch shares or individual fishing quotas, which went on the water in 2007. EDF is proud to have worked with our fishing partners on this system.

Catch shares work like this. Scientists determine a sustainable limit for each fishery that allows for fish populations to rebound. Fishermen are then assigned a percentage allocation, based on their catch history. Fishermen can buy, sell and lease their allocations within limits determined by regulators. But unlike a property right, their shares of the fishery can also be revoked -- an important attribute that we strongly support. As the fishery returns to health, fishermen know their quota will rise, incentivizing conservation and long-term thinking.

The results in the red snapper fishery have been remarkable: revenues for fishermen have doubled since the catch share program began, and with overfishing halted in the commercial fishery, together with improvements in other sectors, the red snapper spawning stock has tripled.

While few dispute the conservation benefits of catch shares, some criticize "unintended consequences." In particular, they claim catch shares inevitably lead to consolidation that benefits a fortunate few. We believe strongly that design features such as consolidation caps can mitigate these concerns, and that it's ultimately up to fishermen, the regional councils and regulators -- not us -- to determine the rules. In the case of Gulf red snapper, a 6 percent consolidation cap exists. Most of those who own quota near the cap reached that level by buying quota to add to what they were allocated. Many would likely have been out of the fishery had its former poor performance been allowed to stand.

Critics also claim that catch shares are a closed system. But the truth is that it was the pre-catch shares fishery that was almost impossible to access. To become a commercial fisherman you were required to purchase a permit that could cost as much as $50,000, and a moratorium on the issuance of new permits was in place. Today, government data show new entrants join the fishery every year by leasing and buying shares. Established fishermen and fishing organizations are finding ways to help new entrants gain access through quota banks and other means. Innovations like these are just one more example showing that the commercial fishery, once on the brink of collapse, has come back to life.

By contrast, the recreational fishery remains broken. Anglers who enjoy red snapper fishing have seen their seasons shortened to a matter of days with confusing and conflicting state seasons. Seasons and bag limits are antiquated management tools that stifle innovation and flexibility.

It doesn't have to be this way.

Many anglers and charter captains are working to find better approaches and we are proud to be working with them to examine solutions that will yield better opportunities to fish for red snapper, while ensuring the long-term sustainability of the fishery. By using modern technologies like real-time tablet reporting to count every fish that they catch, headboats and charter captains can avoid the crippling economic consequences of short seasons and fish when customer demand is high. Ideas also exist to improve private angler management, including fish harvest tags, which have been successful in terrestrial wildlife management, and angler self-reporting through smart phone technology.
Black churches continue to play a role in the US states civil rights movement, marching together to voting centres.

Charlotte, United States  Nestled in between glimmering, high-rise buildings belonging to Americas banking industry sits First United Presbyterian Church, a historically African-American church adorned with jewel-toned stained glass.

For the last month, in the run-up to the US elections, it has joined forces with another local church to offer an adult Sunday school class on racial reconciliation. And not just with any other church.

The visitors come from First Presbyterian Church, a predominantly white congregation whose original members sent their slaves to worship in the church basement  slaves who, after emancipation, went on to found the 150-year-old church now hosting the Sunday school.

We are not here to be comfortable, said African-American Sunday school teacher Donna Fair. Jesus was never comfortable.

Police shootings, riots, battles over discriminatory voting measures and poverty were all part of the Sunday discussions, and more so this weekend as early voting began in the state, North Carolina.

Hearing all of you has really helped me to enunciate and clarify my own beliefs, you know, stuff you just kind of take for granted being a person of white privilege, Barbara Williamson, a white woman, told the group.

Fair urged her students to think about everything on their ballots and vote not according to party affiliation but to the moral framework they built together during the six-week Sunday school class.

It began in September after Charlotte became one of the cities at the centre of a national outcry over police shootings of African-American men. The killing of 43-year-old Keith Lamont Scott led to days of violent protests.

Fair then asked her students to think beyond the polls to their daily lives: who do they know in city council, in the school system, in their families?

What are we doing with the influence that we have? she asked. Look how many people you come into contact with. You may not be sitting in the room where the decisions are being made, but you have the ability to influence those decisions.

The class coincides with a larger electoral tradition known as Souls to the Polls. It aims to get African-American churchgoers out to vote, usually during early voting on Sundays when they march together or share rides.

In the African-American community we consider the vote a sacred right, said Reverend Fredrick Robinson, a civil rights activist and executive board member of the Charlotte Clergy Coalition for Justice. Because in our history there was a time when we were not able to vote.

This weekend, voting rights advocates celebrated their success in overturning a North Carolina state law that an appeals court ruled targeted African-American voters with almost surgical precision.

The controversial law would have limited the states early voting hours and the number of polling stations in areas that are predominantly African-American and tend to vote Democrat.

North Carolina is one of the crucial battleground states in this years election, Both presidential candidates  Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton  have campaigned here in the last week.

As non-profit organisations, churches cannot endorse candidates, but they can help people register to vote, educate them about their voting rights and ballot issues, and even open their doors to candidates who want to visit, provided they welcome candidates of all political affiliations.

Jonette Harper, an elder at First United Presbyterian and a Souls to the Polls consultant with Democracy North Carolina, is helping religious leaders throughout Charlotte to do just that.

It is our duty to remind people that this is how and where the civil rights movement started, she said, remembering that religious groups historically played a role in organising for social justice, focusing on giving voice to their people.

Religious organisations give you a foundation for your beliefs. Out of your beliefs, policies are made. The way policies are made are through voting, bills, through people we send to Congress, she added.

Around the city, Christian as well as Muslim, Jewish, Unitarian, Buddhist, civic and youth groups have joined Souls to the Polls, educating voters about their rights and responsibilities, the latest ballot initiatives, registering people to vote and busing them to voting centres.

Back at First United Presbyterian Church, a high-ranking pastor from the Presbyterian Church USAs General Assembly gave a sermon so emotive and reminiscent of the 1960s civil rights leader Martin Luther King that congregants raised their hands and even stood up in the pews.

Be careful not to be a church that closes its doors to the violence, the rioters, the downtown that is changing, the struggling communities that you find yourself in from time to time, J Herbert Nelson II preached in a booming voice from the pulpit, referencing the recent riots.

Nelson reminded the congregation that the unrest was a culmination of community frustration not just about the disproportionate number of killings of black people at the hands of police, but about unemployment, low wages, educational disparities, and gentrification of urban areas.

Recent studies by the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill suggests African-Americans and Hispanics in Charlotte are nearly three times as likely to live in poverty than whites.

Set up a church that truly is able to contend with the contextual realities of this present age, Nelson bellowed as attendants raised their hands and declared Yes, yes, yes.

The service was supposed to be followed by a relaxed Sunday brunch, complete with tuna salad, couscous, and cupcakes.

But just as attendants began to sip their pink lemonade, they were called to action again, this time by about a hundred members of other predominantly black churches marching in the street outside towards a voting centre two blocks away.

Harper and several others dropped their meals and ran out to join.

Marchers arrived in the parking lot of the polling station just as another church was helping elderly and disabled people off its bus. Then the crowd broke into a call-and-repeat chant.

Fired up! shouted the marchs leaders. Ready to vote! the rest responded, a play on Barack Obamas 2008 campaign slogan Fired Up! Ready to go!

It feels good. Its the first time Ive ever done something like this, said Marcus Jones, an 18-year-old African-American who helped carry a Souls to the Polls banner. Ill do it every election year from now on.
Madagascar Island  Come noon on Saturdays in Madagascar, men flock to small shacks called coiffeurs  the local barbershops  found in every town on the island. This is where the music flows, where men gather to start off the weekend, where people hang out in the window frames of the shops, leaning on the ledges.

The shops are filled to the brim, with most people chewing khat  leaves from the Catha edulis plant  which provide a short high when chewed.

The coiffeurs are filled, not just because the Malagasy men like to stay groomed, but also because the barbershop is where they go to unwind, relax, forget about the troubles of everyday Malagasy life.

Madagascar is the worlds fourth largest island and one of the poorest nations in the world. The majority of Madagascars nearly 25 million inhabitants live in extreme poverty.

The Saturday ritual is important to the Malagasy people, and they welcome the few hours of relief.

The country offers little luxury and, for many, life is a struggle. Every town and city in Madagascar has one bustling street where the coiffeurs offer an escape, a place to chat and relax, a room of no worries, as one person says.

READ MORE: The endangered lifeline of Madagascars sharks
Between 6,000 and 8,000 refugees and migrants living in the Calais jungle camp to be moved to shelters across France.

Between 6,000 and 8,000 refugees and migrants who are currently living in the so-called Calais jungle camp in northern France will be moved during the coming days.

The refugees and migrants will be relocated to shelters all across France, and some underage camp residents will be going to the United Kingdom, where they will be reunited with their families who are already living there.

Where will they go?
Offensive to reclaim ISILs last major urban bastion in Iraq enters second week, with fighting east and south of Mosul.

Iraqi forces have fought their way into two villages near Mosul as the offensive to retake city enters its second week.

Iraqi special forces began shelling ISIL positions before dawn on Monday near Bartella, a historically Christian town to the east of Mosul that they had retaken last week.

With patriotic music blaring from loudspeakers on their Humvees, they then pushed into the village of Tob Zawa, about 9km from Mosul, amid heavy clashes.

After entering the village, they allowed more than 30 people who had been sheltering in a school to escape the fighting.

Mosul, Iraqs second largest city, fell in 2014 under the control of ISIL, or the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant group, also known as ISIS.

Several countries are involved in the battle to reclaim the city, including Turkey which on Sunday confirmed its first attempted shelling of ISIL positions near Bashiqa, a key town near Mosul, at the request of Peshmerga forces.

The Peshmerga forces have now reached the town of Bashiqa but are not inside it yet, said Al Jazeeras Hoda Abdel-Hamid, reporting from Erbil. It may take a few days. They [Peshmerga] suspect that there are a few ISIL suicide bombers inside.

READ MORE: What is Turkey trying to achieve in Iraq?

Turkeys moves on Sunday raised tensions between Ankara and Baghdad. Relations have been strained after Turkey sent hundreds of troops to the Bashiqa region to train anti-ISIL fighters.

Baghdad labels the move a violation of its sovereignty and demands Turkish withdrawal, a call which Ankara ignores.

Elsewhere, the Iraqi Federal Police, a military-style force, pushed into a small village in the Shura district south of Mosul, where they fired a large anti-aircraft gun and rocket-propelled grenades as they battled ISIL fighters.

They later appeared to have secured the village, a cluster of squat homes on a desert plain, and handed out water and other aid to civilians.

The US-led coalition said it had carried out six air strikes near Mosul on Sunday, destroying 19 fighting positions and 17 vehicles, as well as rocket and mortar launchers, artillery and tunnels.

Daquq attack

Human Rights Watch has called for an investigation into last Fridays purported air strike in northern Iraq that struck the womens section of a Shia mosque in the town of Daquq.

The strike happened amid a large ISIL assault on the nearby city of Kirkuk that was meant to distract the Iraqi forces and their allies from the massive operation around Mosul.

The ISIL attack on Kirkuk, some 170km southeast of Mosul, lasted for two days and killed at least 80 people, mainly members of the Kurdish security forces, who assumed control of the city in 2014 as Iraqi forces crumbled before an ISIL advance.





HRW said Daquqs residents believe the attack was an air strike because of the extent of the destruction and because planes could be heard flying overhead. The New York-based watchdog said at least 13 people were reported killed.

The US-led coalition and the Iraqi military, which are waging the offensive to drive ISIL from Mosul, are the only parties known to be flying military aircraft over Iraq.

The US denied conducting the deadly strike.

Iraqi Brigadier-General Yahya Rasool, the spokesman for the Joint Military Command, confirmed the Iraqi government was investigating the attack. He declined to say whether Iraqi or coalition planes were flying in the area at the time of the explosion.

The campaign to retake Mosul comes after months of planning and involves more than 25,000 Iraqi troops, Kurdish forces, Sunni tribal fighters and state-sanctioned Shia militias. It is expected to take weeks, if not months, to drive ISIL out of Iraqs second largest city, which is still home to more than a million people.

ISIL has suffered a series of setbacks over the past year, and Mosul is its last major urban bastion in Iraq.

What allowed ISIL to gain large traction in Iraq was the breakdown of the political order in Baghdad, former Iraqi ambassador to the UN Feisal Istrabadi told Al Jazeera.

Leaderships throughout the country will have to make the necessary compromises and political bargains to dry out the swamp that allows ISIL to thrive.
Turkey says troops using artillery near Mosul but Iraq rejects participation claim in ongoing Peshmerga-led operation.

Ongoing tensions between Turkey and Iraq have intensified after Turkey said its troops fired artillery rounds at ISIL targets near the northern Iraqi city of Mosul, following a request by Kurdish Peshmerga forces.

Binali Yildirim, Turkish prime minister, said on Sunday that Turkish troops stationed outside Mosul had provided support with artillery, tanks and howitzers following a request by Peshmerga forces.

However, Iraqs joint-operations command on Monday denied Turkeys claims.

The spokesman of the Joint Operations Command denies Turkish participation of any kind in operations for the liberation of Nineveh, a statement said, referring to the Iraqi province of which Mosul is the capital.

Later in the day, Mevlut Cavusoglu, Turkeys foreign minister, said Turkish artillery fire had killed 17 ISIL fighters since the battle began and that four Turkish F-16 fighter jets were on standby to take part.

ANALYSIS: Analysis: What is Turkey trying to achieve in Iraq?

Turkeys parliament voted last month to extend the deployment of an estimated 2,000 troops across northern Iraq by a year to combat terrorist organisations.

About 500 of these troops are stationed in the Bashiqa camp, training Kurdish and local Sunni Arab fighters.





Peshmerga forces took action to clear the town of Bashiqa from Daesh, Yildirim said, using the Arabic acronym for ISIL, or the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant group, also known as ISIS.

They asked for help from our troops at the Bashiqa camp and we are supporting them with artillery, tanks and Firtina howitzers.

Mosul, home to up to 1.5 million people, has been the headquarters of ISILs self-declared caliphate in northern Iraq since 2014.

The battle for the city, which started earlier this month, is likely to shape the post-ISIL Iraq.

Thousands of Peshmerga forces are currently involved in a massive push around the town of Bashiqa, northeast of Mosul, where Turkey has its military base.

The forces of the autonomous Kurdish region, whose leader Masoud Barzani has close ties with Turkey, approve Turkeys presence in the area and complained recently that the US-led coalitions air support was insufficient.

Turkey had repeatedly stated it wanted a part in the operation, but Turkish presence in northern Iraq has inflamed Iraq public opinion and of dominant Shia parties in the federal government of Baghdad.

Haider al-Abadi, Iraqs prime minister, is under domestic pressure not to be seen as tolerating the presence on his soil of troops from a country many in Iraq see as having abetted the deadly conflict in Iraq.

Only weeks before Iraqi troops and their local and international partners started their push to retake Mosul, Abadi gave warning that Turkey risked triggering a regional war by trying to keep its troops within Iraqs borders.

Abadis government requested an emergency UN Security Council meeting to discuss the issue, and both countries summoned each others ambassadors in a mounting diplomatic standoff.

READ MORE: Messages from ISIL territory ask forgiveness for murder

Speaking in Ankara last week, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Turkey did not want to be part of any sectarian conflict in Iraq, but voiced concerns for the future of Sunni Arabs and Turkmens in Mosul.

If we say we want to be both at the table and in the field, there is a reason, he said.

Erdogan also said his country has a historical responsibility in the region.

Mosul remained under Ottoman control for nearly 400 years, until its capture by Britain in 1918.

Mosul served as the capital of one of the three provinces in Ottoman Iraq and was seen as an integral part of the empire.

Ottoman empire

The US recently told Turkey to respect the Iraqi governments wishes regarding its military presence in the country.

All of Iraqs neighbours need to respect Iraqs sovereignty and territorial integrity, said John Kirby, State Department spokesman.

But there was a shift in the US policy regarding the conflict between Iraq and Turkey this week.

Ashton Carter, the US defence secretary, who visited Baghdad on Saturday and Erbil, the Kurdish capital, on Sunday, had suggested before his visit to Iraq that Turkey should be given a role in the Mosul offensive.

But speaking after a meeting with Carter, Abadi once again swiftly rejected the idea.

I know that the Turks want to participate  We tell them thank you, this is something the Iraqis will handle and the Iraqis will liberate Mosul, he said.
Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel says French-speaking region of the country has refused to back the CETA deal.

The Belgian government has announced that due to regional divisions, it cannot yet give the necessary backing to the European Unions free trade deal with Canada, making it unlikely that the bloc can sign deal on time.

Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel said on Monday that EU leaders and Canada had asked for a clear commitment, and the clear answer, at this stage, is no.

Michel said the French-speaking region of Wallonia and other regional administrations refused to give the federal government the go-ahead.

READ MORE: Protesters rally across Germany against mega trade deal

The federal government, the German community and Flanders said yes. Wallonia, the Brussels city government and the French community said no,' he added.

A deadline has been set late on Monday for the Belgian government to agree on a deal.

Belgiums failure to reach a favourable decision is likely to force the European Union to call off a planned signing summit on Thursday with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

The deal needs unanimity among the 28 EU nations and Belgium is the only approval lacking since it needs the backing of all its regions.

Saving the deal

European Union executive called for patience in an attempt to save the free trade deal and had already dismissed a Monday night deadline as counter-productive.

On Monday, Wallonia President Paul Magnette insisted he would agree to nothing under the threat of an ultimatum.

Each time they put forward such an ultimatum it makes a serene discussion and a democratic debate impossible, Magnette said of the deal.





EU leaders have been putting pressure on Wallonia, population 3.5 million, to drop its objections over a deal that covers over 500 million EU citizens and 35 million Canadians.

The EU Commission, which has negotiated the deal on behalf of the 28 nations, insisted that this weeks summit was not the final deadline.

Now, we need patience, said EU Commission spokesman Margaritis Schinas. The Commission traditionally does not set deadlines or ultimatums.

Even if Thursdays EU-Canada summit has to be called off, it could always be rescheduled when Wallonia has signed on to the agreement, Schinas indicated.

Over the past week, Belgium missed two deadlines to agree to the deal and Canada briefly walked out of the trade talks before returning the next day.

EU officials said that without guarantees that the EU is ready to finalise the deal, there would be no reason to have a summit on Thursday with Trudeau.

Politicians in Wallonia, which is smaller than the US state of New Jersey, argue that the proposed CETA accord  short for Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement  would undermine labour, environment and consumer standards.
Sixteen civilians, including three children, were killed in heavy bombardments on three Idlib towns on Monday.

Sixteen civilians, including three children, were killed in heavy bombardment across rebel-held Idlib province in northwest Syria, a monitoring group reported.

In Khan Sheikhun, a town in the provinces south, air strikes on Monday killed seven people, including two women and a child, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

The Britain-based Observatory said the raids were carried out by either Syrian or Russian aircraft.

Another seven people, including four women and two children, were killed in raids on Kafr Takharim, further north in the province.

Opinion: How NATO can help Syrian civilians

Those raids hit three residential buildings, a local government building, and a stadium, shortly after midnight, AFPs correspondent in the town said.

In the morning, rescue workers were still trying to pull bodies out of the rubble.

My sisters house was standing right here. She and her daughter are dead, along with another family, Abu Mohammad told AFP.

There was no military base here. All the military positions are outside the town, the devastated man said.

Another man and a woman were killed in rocket fire in the nearby town of Kafr Awid.

Idlib province is controlled by the Army of Conquest, an alliance of rebel groups and other armed groups including the Fateh al-Sham Front, which changed its name from Al-Nusra Front after breaking off ties with al-Qaeda.

According to the Observatory, heavy bombardment has battered the northwest province in recent days.

Since Thursday, bombardment has killed 44 civilians, including 11 women, nine children, and one rescue worker.

No more ceasefire

Meanwhile in the other frontline in Aleppo, both the Observatory and the Aleppo Media Center, an activist collective, reported government shelling in eastern parts of the city.

A video released by the Syrian army also showed tanks and cannons pounding rebel positions in the area.





The state SANA news agency, meanwhile, said the rebels shelled government-held neighbourhoods in western Aleppo, killing one person and wounding seven.

Syrian troops have besieged rebel-held parts of Aleppo for weeks, subjecting the districts to some of the worst air raids since a cease-fire brokered by the United States and Russia collapsed on September 19.

Opposition activists said more than 600 people have been killed in Aleppo and neighboring villages since then.

Between 250,000 and 300,000 civilians are thought to be trapped in eastern Aleppo, with dwindling food supplies and extremely limited medical care in underground hospitals that have been hit repeatedly by air strikes.

Syrias conflict broke out in March 2011 with anti-government protests, but it has since evolved into all-out war pitting rebels, government forces, Kurds and other armed groups against each other.

Since the beginning of the conflict there have been more than 260,000 people, mostly civilians, who have been reported killed.
One person killed and 18 others wounded following a blast in countrys restive southern region near Malaysian border.

One person was killed and 18 others were wounded, some of them critically, when a bomb exploded outside a noodle shop in Thailands far south, police and witnesses said.

The explosion on Monday coincided with the anniversary of the death of dozens of local Muslims at the hands of Thai security forces, an event that sparked off the current insurgency more than a decade ago.

The bomb tore through a noodle shop at around 12:00 GMT in Pattani, a province in Thailands Malay-speaking Muslim south.

READ MORE: Hunt on for Thailand blast suspects

One woman was killed, a Thai Buddhist and 18 were injured, Yutthakarn Chitmanee, an officer at Muang Pattani police station, told AFP news agency.

An AFP photographer on the scene saw multiple casualties, some of them with what looked like life-threatening injuries.

The noodle shop was left a twisted wreck by the blast.

The attack also comes two months after a wave of coordinated bombings in tourist towns in Thailands south that killed four Thais and wounded dozens, including foreigners  attacks the police linked to Muslim armed groups.

The kingdoms Muslim-majority deep south, an area bordering Malaysia, has seen near daily bombings and shootings since the most recent wave of rebellion erupted in 2004.

On October 25 of that year 85 Thai Muslims were killed, most of them suffocating in overcrowded lorries after protests were suppressed by the military.

Restive south

More than 6,600 people  mostly civilians  have since died in a conflict that pits ethnic Malay armed groups seeking greater autonomy against security forces from Thailands Buddhist-majority state.

Late October often sees an increase in attacks to mark the anniversary of the start of the rebellion.

Thailands ruling junta says it has tried to restart peace talks with the Muslim militants since it took power in 2014.





But the negotiations have failed to gain traction, while attacks continue to strike across the region, although the attrition rate is down on previous years.

The rebels are widely believed to be behind an unprecedented string of bomb blasts on tourist towns outside their conflict zone in August, killing several people and wounding dozens, including foreigners.

Thai police say the perpetrators are from the south. But they have so far publicly denied a link to the southern insurgency, fearful of a backlash on the crucial tourist trade.

Both sides have been accused of human rights violations and targeting civilians.

No member of the Thai security forces has ever been jailed for extrajudicial killings or torture in the restive deep south.

Thailand has proposed building a wall along the 640km border to stop armed suspects using Malaysia as a base to plan operations and hide out between attacks.
Refugees and migrants gather at official meeting points for evacuation operation expected to take three days.

Migrants and refugees have begun arriving at official meeting points set by French authorities as part of the full evacuation of the so-called Jungle camp in Calais.

Men and women carrying suitcases and bundles of possessions gathered early on Monday in front of a warehouse which is serving as the main headquarters of the evacuation operation.

French authorities believe the evacuation will take around three days in total.

As part of the operation, between 6,000 and 8,000 migrants and refugees  mostly from Afghanistan, Sudan and Eritrea  will be moved to reception centres across France.

Al Jazeeras David Chater, reporting from Calais, said an estimated 1,100 people left the camp around 15:00 GMT on Monday.

READ MORE: Calais  A Syrian refugees deferred English dreams

Our correspondent described very tearful scenes as some of the refugees said goodbye to friends and fellow refugees and migrants.

Calais is being cleared. But they might come back. They have come back before. Many of these people have been dispersed around France but are drawn like a magnet towards this area, Chater said.

Dozens of French riot police vehicles and other trucks carrying equipment earlier set off in the direction of the operation centre.

The flyers distributed on Sunday instructed the migrants and refugees in Arabic, Tigrinya, Pashto and other languages to show up at the warehouse from 8am local time on Monday (06:00 GMT) with their luggage.

At the warehouse they will be separated into four groups for families, single men, unaccompanied minors and other people considered vulnerable before boarding one of 60 buses that will take them to nearly 300 shelters nationwide.

Child refugees

British officials have been racing to process child refugees seeking to be transferred to Britain before they become scattered throughout France.

By Saturday, the number of minors given a one-way ticket to Britain under a fast-tracked process for children launched a week ago stood at 194, according to France Terre dAsile, a charity helping in the process.





Most have relatives across the Channel but 53 girls without family in Britain also departed from France at the weekend.

A spokesman for Britains interior ministry confirmed it had now started the process of taking in those children without close family links.

Adult migrants and refugees with relatives in Britain have complained about being left out in the cold.

Some have pledged to keep trying to stow away on a truck or to jump on to a train entering the Channel Tunnel.

Dozens of refugees and migrants have died in such attempts.

The dire security and humanitarian situation in the Jungle  situated on a former rubbish dump where migrants and refugees first established a camp in the early 2000s  has long been a bone of contention between France and Britain.

Alain Juppe, the centre-right frontrunner in next years French presidential election, has called for Britains border with France, which was extended to Calais under a 2003 accord, to be moved back to British soil.

READ MORE: Obama at UNGA  Refugee crisis a test of our humanity

The closure of the squalid camp is aimed at relieving tensions in the Calais area, yet the imminent closure of the camp provoked further flashes of unrest over the weekend, including clashes between police and dozens of protesters.

Dozens of people could be seen throwing rocks at police in images broadcast on Sunday by the French BFMTV station. Authorities responded with tear gas.

Around 1,250 police and security officials have been mobilised to ensure the smooth rollout of the operation.
Haji Ali Dargah trust tells court it will allow women to enter inner sanctum of 15th century mausoleum near Mumbai.

A famous mosque in India has agreed to scrap a ban on women entering its inner sanctum after a bitter legal battle about the restriction.

The Haji Ali Dargah trust has barred women from the mausoleum off the coast of Mumbai since 2011, insisting the presence of women near the tomb of a revered saint is a grievous sin in Islam.

The trustees had appealed to the Supreme Court against a lower courts decision in August to overturn the ban as a violation of constitutional rights of equality.

But the trust told the Supreme Court on Monday it would now admit women but needed several weeks to set up special entry areas to the tomb in the 15th-century building.

READ MORE: India  Muslim women fight to overturn triple talaq

The trust has decided to give women access to the sanctorum housing the saints tomb, its lawyer Gopal Subramanium told the court.

A Muslim womens rights group hailed the decision as a victory which would likely put pressure on other places of worship that have gender restrictions.

It is restoring the Islamic values of what we have always believed as Muslims, that Islam is a religion of equality, democracy and womens rights, Noorjehan Niaz, co-founder of Bharatiya Muslim Mahila Andolan, which campaigns for the rights of Muslim women in India, told AFP news agency.

Niaz was one of the petitioners who filed the case against the Haji Ali Dargah trust on constitutional grounds.

Women in India have been intensifying their campaigns to be allowed to enter a number of Hindu temples and other religious sites.

READ MORE: Vidhya Das  Fighting for poor women in India

Hundreds of women staged a protest march to a temple in Maharashtra state in January, leading the high court in Mumbai to strike down a ban against women entering a shrine there.

Haji Ali Dargah is one of Mumbais most recognisable landmarks and receives tens of thousands of not only Muslims but Hindu devotees and sightseeing tourists every week.

The mosque is located on an islet accessible via a causeway at low tide.

It was built in memory of a wealthy Muslim who gave up his worldly possessions and went on a pilgrimage to Mecca.
Outlawed group Lashkar-e-Jhangvi claims responsibility for raid on facility in Quetta where 200 cadets were stationed.

At least 60 people have been killed in an attack on a police training centre in the city of Quetta in Balochistan province, Pakistani officials say.

The announcement on Tuesday came at the end of a military counter-operation.

About 200 trainees were stationed at the facility when the attack occurred late on Monday, officials said, and some were taken hostage during the attack, which lasted five hours.

Most of the dead were police cadets.

Mir Sarfraz Ahmed Bugti, home minister of Balochistan, said early on Tuesday that five to six armed men attacked a dormitory inside the training facility while cadets rested and slept.

OPINION: Understanding the context of Quetta attack in Pakistan

More than a hundred people were injured, he said. The death toll could rise as many cadets were seriously injured.

The Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ) claimed responsibility for the attack. The group, which has been outlawed by the government, has been involved in past attacks on security forces.

Over the past few years LeJ has been targeted by the military, especially in Punjab province where its leadership was eliminated. And this attack surprised many that it still survives in some form, writer and columnist Raza Rumi said.

An emergency was declared in all government hospitals of the provincial capital of Balochistan, with the injured shifted to the Civil Hospital Quetta and the Bolan Medical Complex.

Previous attacks

Witnesses reported hearing at least three explosions leading up to the raid. Sources told Al Jazeera that it took at least 30 minutes before Pakistani authorities responded to the assault.

Al Jazeeras correspondent Kamal Hyder said the police training centre had come under attack in the past, with rockets fired towards it in 2006 and 2008.

Mondays assault came just hours after armed men shot and killed two customs officers and wounded a third near the town of Surab, about 145km south of Quetta.

The customs officers were targeted by gunmen riding on a motorcycle, said Zainullah Baloch, a spokesman for the local police. Baloch said two officers died on the spot and the injured one was taken to the hospital in critical condition.

Earlier on Monday, two assailants on a motorcycle killed a police intelligence officer in the countrys northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, according to Khalid Khan, a local police officer.

The Pakistan Taliban claimed responsibility for that attack. The groups spokesman, Muhammad Khurasani, said in a statement that the shooters returned to their hideout after the attack.

Pakistan has carried out military operations against armed groups in tribal areas near Afghanistan and in cities across Pakistan, but the fighters are still capable of staging regular attacks.
Officials say elite force targeted camp in Odisha near border with Andhra Pradesh where about 60 fighters had gathered.

At least 24 Maoist fighters have been killed in a clash with police in eastern India, according to Indian security officials.

They said members of Andhra Pradesh state polices elite anti-Maoist force, the Greyhounds, on Monday attacked a Maoist camp in Odisha state where about 60 fighters had gathered for a meeting.

Police acted on a tip-off that about 30 fighters had gathered close to the border with Andhra Pradesh state.

It was a makeshift training camp. Police have recovered 24 dead bodies of the Maoists during the search, Mitrabhanu Mahapatra, the chief of police in Malkangiri district, where the ambush occurred, told Reuters.

One police officer was killed in the gunfight that followed and another wounded, said Rahul Dev Sharma, superintendent of police in neighbouring Visakhapatnam.

READ MORE: Nepal  Waiting for the disappeared

Mondays clash was the biggest involving the fighters this year and police claimed it was a setback for left-wing insurgency in the region.

In March, eight Maoist fighters were killed in southern India.

Maoist fighters are active in more than a third of Indias 626 administrative districts and usually target security personnel and government installations.

Rejection of democracy

The Maoists, who reject parliamentary democracy, say their armed campaign is to secure the rights of the poor and marginalised.

They accuse the Indian state of plundering the mineral-rich and underdeveloped east and central regions of the country at the expense of the poor and landless, among whom they retain some support.

While the level of violence has fallen in recent years, and the Maoists have lost hundreds of fighters to desertions and battles with security forces, the group remains capable of staging regular hit-and-run attacks across several states.

According to the South Asia Terrorism Portal, more than 7,000 people, including civilians, fighters and security personnel, have been killed in Maoist-related violence in India since 2005.
Seeking to distract attention, fighters attack Rutba as thousands of troops focus on Mosul hundreds of kilometres away.

The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant group took full control on Monday of a town in the western province of Al Anbar as thousands of troops try to expel its fighters from Mosul, a city 700 kilometres north, Al Jazeera has learned.

ISIL, also known as ISIS, fighters stormed Rutba following territorial losses in Mosul, the groups last major urban bastion in Iraq.

ISIL fighters take over town of Rutba  western province of Anbar ; move follows territorial losses in #Mosul #Iraq  Zeina Khodr (@ZeinakhodrAljaz) October 24, 2016

Seeking to distract attention, ISIL has attempted to hit back with attacks elsewhere in Iraq.

In Rutba, they seized the mayors office, captured and executed at least five people  civilians and policemen  and controlled neighbourhoods on Monday, army commanders said.

Rutba is home to more than 20,000 people.

Rutba is a very strategic town. It is seen as a significant victory, said Al Jazeeras Imran Khan, reporting from Erbil. The fact that they lost this town is very significant.

The town of Rutba controls the road from Baghdad to Jordan and Syria.

Battle for Mosul

The campaign to retake Mosul comes after months of planning and involves more than 25,000 Iraqi troops, Kurdish forces, Sunni tribal fighters and state-sanctioned Shia militias. It is expected to take weeks, if not months, to drive ISIL out of Iraqs second largest city, which is still home to more than a million people.

ISIL has suffered a series of setbacks over the past year.

What allowed ISIL to gain large traction in Iraq was the breakdown of the political order in Baghdad, former Iraqi ambassador to the UN Feisal Istrabadi told Al Jazeera. Leaderships throughout the country will have to make the necessary compromises and political bargains to dry out the swamp that allows ISIL to thrive.





ISILs capture of Rutba came as Iraqi forces fought on Monday into two villages near Mosul as the offensive to retake Mosul entered its second week.

Several countries are involved in the battle to reclaim the key city, including Turkey which on Sunday confirmed its first attempted shelling of ISIL positions near Bashiqa, a key town near Mosul, at the request of Peshmerga forces.

The Peshmerga forces have now reached the town of Bashiqa but are not inside it yet, said Al Jazeeras Hoda Abdel-Hamid, reporting from Erbil. It may take a few days. They [Peshmerga] suspect that there are a few ISIL suicide bombers inside.

Turkeys moves on Sunday raised tensions between Ankara and Baghdad. Relations have been strained after Turkey sent hundreds of troops to the Bashiqa region to train anti-ISIL fighters.

Baghdad labels the move a violation of its sovereignty and demands Turkish withdrawal, a call which Ankara ignores.

Elsewhere, the Iraqi Federal Police, a military-style force, pushed into a small village in the Shura district south of Mosul, where they fired a large anti-aircraft gun and rocket-propelled grenades as they battled ISIL fighters.

They later appeared to have secured the village, a cluster of squat homes on a desert plain, and handed out water and other aid to civilians.

The US-led coalition said it had carried out six air strikes near Mosul on Sunday, destroying 19 fighting positions and 17 vehicles, as well as rocket and mortar launchers, artillery and tunnels.
Peshmerga fighters and volunteers face many dangers as they continue their advance on ISILs de facto Iraqi capital.

Nawaran, Iraq  Neshwan Zebari is a finance student at the University of Cihan in Erbil, the capital of Iraqs Kurdish region  but these days, he is not studying.

My dad was in the Peshmerga, so he got me access to the frontline, Zebari told Al Jazeera, sporting a black uniform and dark sunglasses and with a rifle slung over his shoulder. Im fighting for the freedom of Kurdistan. Im not worried about my studies  Every Kurd has experience with war.

Zebari is among a group of volunteers on the Peshmergas frontlines near Bashiqa, where they are participating in the Iraqi army-led operation to retake Mosul, the de facto Iraqi capital of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS) group.

As the Peshmerga continued their advance towards Mosul, preceded by coalition air strikes on ISIL positions nearby, clashes kicked off in Bashiqa last Thursday.

They told me there was a fight, so I decided to come up, Tayib, a Peshmerga volunteer, told Al Jazeera, holding a sniper rifle. I bought it myself. There arent enough snipers here.

In Nawaran, the war has left the village abandoned, filled with shot-up buildings and cars. Yet there remains a sense of normality in some areas: In one parking lot, a vendor operates a shawarma stand next to a tub of iced water full of water bottles.

When ISIL snipers fire on the area, the Peshmerga fighters fall back. When given an order, they march forward again, walking with their heads down to keep the clouds of dust out of their eyes and mouths. They stick to established paths, hyper-aware of the threat of ISIL-planted landmines.

Although the Peshmerga are the official military arm of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), there are informal aspects to their operations as well. Near Nawaran, many of the fighters are volunteers, some clad in traditional Kurdish garb rather than official Peshmerga camouflage uniforms.

I by Raed

. I have family there.]

Hamza Saleh is one of them. I came this morning, he told Al Jazeera. Im not afraid. I was at home and had my AK-47. He stopped speaking as another coalition air strike landed in the near distance.

Salehs fellow soldiers are quick to point out that he is a veteran of the Iraqi-Kurdish conflicts of the 1970s, and he commands a degree of respect for this. He uses the same AK-47 that Kurdish fighters used back then, as do some of his fellow fighters.

So much about war has changed since then, he reflected.

Others use more modern American and German-made rifles, as well as heavier weapons, including mortars and tanks.

The fighters here appear to be bracing themselves for a long battle, with construction equipment on hand to help build out their frontline bases.

Winter is coming, said General Bahram Yasin from a command centre near Bashiqa. Were building frontlines.

The Peshmerga are not fighting here alone. From a base near Bashiqa, Turkey shelled ISIL positions on Sunday. The Turkish base has provided training to Sunni militia fighters, and the Peshmerga say they welcome the assistance: Anyone against ISIS, we work with, Yasin said.

The Iraqi army is leading the offensive to retake Mosul, and they alone are planning to enter the city when the time comes. We dont want a land war with Iraq after Mosul, Peshmerga officer Shawn Warti told Al Jazeera.

Also aiding in the battle for Mosul are the Popular Mobilisation Units (PMU), and the international coalition providing air support. In addition, various Christian groups have been working with the Peshmerga north of Mosul.

For Raed Sami, a Peshmerga officer near Bashiqa, the fight is personal.

I want the operation to liberate Mosul [to succeed]. I have family there, Sami told Al Jazeera. Shortly after the interview, a loud boom cracked through the air  a suspected ISIL suicide bombing. Minutes later, a mortar fired from ISIL territory flew into the base.

The future of this region may entail escalated disputes between the KRG and Baghdad over who controls certain parts of Nineveh province, of which Mosul is a part. For now, the Peshmerga do not want to give up the land that they control here.

We protect it, Warti said, so its ours.
Announcement comes as fighting in besieged citys east intensifies again following expiry of humanitarian pause.

Russia says it is not currently considering a new truce in the Syrian city of Aleppo after a brief ceasefire ended over the weekend.

On Thursday Russia had announced an 11-hour ceasefire to allow civilians, anti-government fighters and injured people to leave opposition-controlled eastern Aleppo, promising them safe passage.

It later extended the ceasefire for another two days. The fighters, however, rejected the offer.

The question of renewing the humanitarian pause is not relevant now, Sergey Ryabkov, deputy foreign minister, told Interfax news agency on Monday, in the first official comment from Moscow on why it did not extend the ceasefire further.





In order to renew the ceasefire, our opponents must ensure appropriate behaviour by the anti-government groups that in particular sabotaged the medical evacuation that was intended during the humanitarian pause.

Ryabkov chided the US-led coalition, saying that it was criticising Syria and Russia instead of really exerting influence on the opposition, the rebels.

Over the last three days, what was needed did not happen, he said.

Ryabkov also said that he did not see the conditions for ministerial-level negotiations on Syria before the US elections on November 8, after a Lausanne meeting on October 15 that ended with no breakthrough.

Its almost no time until the US elections. To be honest, I dont see the conditions for a ministerial meeting, he said, insisting that Syria and Russia were fulfilling international agreements.

The Kremlin had previously hailed the humanitarian ceasefire as a manifestation of goodwill as it faced mounting criticism over its bombing of reastern Aleppo in support of a government offensive on the city.

But Sergey Lavrov, Russias foreign minister, also expressed concern at the small numbers of civilians and fighters leaving Aleppo, with only a handful reported to have crossed through a single passage.

Lavrov on Friday accused fighters from the Jabhat Fateh al-Sham and influential Ahrar al-Sham group of obstructing the departure of civilians and combatants prepared to leave, saying they used threats, blackmail and brute force.

The Syrian opposition, on the other hand, said civilians did not leave the city because there were no guarantees that wounded evacuees would not be arrested by government forces and no provision for supplying humanitarian aid to those remaining in the enclave.

Running out of supplies

Activists in Syria said on Sunday that people living in Aleppo were running out of supplies as government and Russian forces intensified their attacks.

They told Al Jazeera that strikes on Aleppo intensified a day after a Russian truce ended.

There were also reports of clashes between fighters and government forces on the citys outskirts.





Fighters said they were preparing to launch a major offensive to break the siege.

The tussle between Syrian government forces and opposition fighters ran in parallel with renewed clashes further away from the city between Turkish-backed opposition forces and Syrian Kurdish forces, over territory formerly held by ISIL.

The activist-run Aleppo Media Centre said Turkish forces struck over 50 Kurdish positions on Sunday alone.

The US has backed both the Turkish-backed forces and the Syrian Kurdish forces in the area, though it has clarified that it does not support the Syrian Kurdish forces that have come under Turkish attack in the Aleppo countryside.

The Turkish military intervened in the Syrian war in August this year to clear the border area of ISIL fighters and US-backed Syrian Kurdish forces linked to Turkeys own outlawed Kurdish insurgency.

The Turkish government considers both to be terrorist groups.

Between 250,000 and 300,000 civilians are thought to be trapped in eastern Aleppo, with dwindling food supplies and extremely limited medical care in underground hospitals that have been hit repeatedly by air strikes.
Fault Lines investigates the debate over encryption and whats at stake when the US government goes after private data.

On December 2, 2015, two gunmen staged a cold-blooded attack in California, leaving 14 people dead and 21 wounded. At the time, the San Bernardino shooting was called the deadliest terror attack on US soil since September 11.

So the thing about a world where the FBI never misses anything is that that's also a world where the FBI has access to everything. by Moxie Marlinspike, founder of Open Whisper Systems, developer of the Signal Protocol

One of the gunman, later identified as Syed Rizwan Farook, was a San Bernardino county employee.

Farook and his 27-year-old wife Tashfeen Malik were hunted down and killed by the police soon after the shooting.

With the killers dead, the FBI pursued the investigation. The shooters mobile phones were found smashed in a rubbish bin, but then the FBI made another discovery: they found Farooks work iPhone, which soon took centre stage.

We have a promise and a commitment to the victims and the folks that were impacted by this that we will leave no stone unturned. It was critical to get into that phone. Probably the most important reason was: are there contacts or conversations to indicate that there were co-conspirators involved in the attack? says San Bernardino Police Chief Jarrod Burguan.

The phone was a county phone, but he had the ability to lock the phone himself  The concern is that based upon that version of IOS and that version of encryption, they can only make x amount of attempts to get into the phone. And then, it would have erased all the data. So that was the dilemma the FBI was in, Burguan adds.

The FBI asked Apple to write a new version of the operating system for the phone, which would allow them an infinite number of tries to guess the password without encrypting all the data. But Apple refused.





The FBI took Apple to court, but Apple pushed back. In the end, the FBI dropped the case and announced theyd paid an unnamed entity to hack the phone. The price was a secret, rumoured to be around $1m.

To the FBIs critics, the case against Apple looked like an attempt to set a legal precedent, forcing a company to undermine its own encryption.

Apple helped a lot. Apple gave them access to all of the information they had, which included all the metadata, so they knew everybody who got called from this phone, everybody who called into this phone  Cindy Cohn, executive director of Electronic Frontier Foundation, says.

Apple vs FBI was not the first battle with the US government in the so-called crypto wars. Legal victories in the 1990s paved the way for widespread use of encryption on the internet.

In 2013, Edward Snowden leaked documents revealing the scope of the US governments surveillance programmes. They showed that the NSA (National Security Agency) had conscripted American tech and phone companies to help them spy.

Since then, more and more people are adopting end-to-end encryption to keep their communication private, blocking law enforcement from accessing information they want to investigate and prosecute crimes. Its what the FBI calls its going dark problem.

Moxie Marlinspike is one of the developers of the Signal protocol and the force behind the Signal App, which encrypts messages end-to-end by default. The protocol has been integrated by the likes of WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger.

Theres two ways to think about security. One is computer security  this has been a losing strategy for 30 years, its just not possible. the other way to think about security is information security. Instead of trying to secure computers, you secure the information itself. And thats what actually works, he says.

The FBI contends that encryption by default is slowing down investigations, sucking up resources, and making the prevention and prosecution of criminal activity more difficult.

We dont know what we dont know, and what were missing because of this issue, says Sasha OConnell, chief policy adviser for science and technology in the FBI.

But Marlinspike believes, the thing about a world where the FBI never misses anything is that thats also a world where the FBI has access to everything.

The crypto wars show no sign of coming to an end.

This is fundamental. You cant have security without strong cryptography, so if the FBI is going to continue to push for it, we have to continue to push back, because we want a secure internet, says Cohn.

In a series of interviews with hackers, software developers and government officials, Fault Lines investigates the debate over encryption  and whats at stake when public agencies want to access private data.
Saudi Arabia pushes to freeze oil production and Russia signals its support.

It seems OPEC is trying to increase prices again and strengthen oil-producing economies.

Some of the organisations energy ministers met their counterpart from non-OPEC member Russia on Sunday.

The ministers want to see greater cooperation between OPEC and non-OPEC countries to stabilise the oil market.

Prices fell to an all-time low in January.

Theyre still half what they were at their peak two years ago. OPEC is looking to review its strategy.

Will the potential agreement with Russia hold? How will we all be affected?

Presenter: Sami Zeidan

Guests:

Richard Mallinson  Energy Aspects consultancy

Mikhail Krutihin  RusEnergy Consulting
Hundreds of students twirled in colorful skirts Friday night, celebrating another year of experiences.

About 300 students attended the annual Garba celebration at the UF Florida Gym. The UF Indian Student Association co-sponsored the event with the UF Indian Graduate Student Association, said Praveen Varanasi, the president of ISA. Men and women who participated in the dance wore colorful garments and performed around a non-religious statue in the center of the room.

Even though Garba is Hindu by nature, the event was non-religious and everyone was welcome, Varanasi said. The dance celebration represents the new coming of seasons and experiences.

Its beautiful, the 21-year-old UF economics, political science and sustainability studies senior said. The entire thing is just one giant display of unity.

Sanjana Bhargava and Mughil Sriram, both 18-year-old UF microbiology freshmen, attended a dance lesson to prepare for the event. The pair agreed that learning the dances can be intimidating because some people have been doing this dance all their lives, but the community is accepting and the dance was easy to pick up.

Bhargava said her favorite part was being able to dress up.

Its great to just get out there and dance, she said.

This was Srirams first Garba, and she said the dancing was her favorite part.

This is a new experience for me, and its really fun, she said. Theres lots of fun people and nice dresses.

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Side by side, Gainesville Mayor Lauren Poe and Democratic vice presidential candidate Tim Kaine did the Gator Chomp on Sunday afternoon.

Kaine, who spoke to a crowd of about 1,200 on the Reitz Union North Lawn, admitted he just learned how to do the UF tradition backstage.

I was doing it wrong because I was left-handed, he said.

Kaine came to Gainesville on Sunday as a part of an early-voting rally campaign thats taking place throughout Florida. He touched on college affordability and making in-state tuition free, equal pay for women in the workforce and raising the minimum wage, all while taking jabs at Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump. Early voting in Gainesville begins today.

You guys are absolutely rock-solid critical to this election, he told the crowd, suggesting Floridas status as a swing state could decide the winner of the election.

Friends Alex Gimbel, 22, and Corey Jones, 23, showed up a few minutes after attendees began filtering in. The pair, who consider themselves big-time Democrats, agreed that despite not knowing a lot about Kaine, the event was a way to hear the vice presidential candidates thoughts in person.

Tim Kaine is a human hug, Gimbel, a UF political science senior, said. He just seems like a gentle person.

He is, chimed Jones, a UF sustainable development practice graduate student. He seems like a nice guy.

Before Kaine, other speakers like Jake Best, president of Gators 4 Hillary; democratic U.S. Senate nominee Rod Smith and U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson spoke about the importance of early voting and supporting Clinton in the upcoming election.

Rachel Disesa, 42, sat in the shade of the Reitz Union as she waited for Kaine to speak.

I think this is an absolutely historic election, the UF agricultural education doctoral student said.

As a working single mother and student, Disesa said shes made sure that both of her sons are politically aware. Her younger son Luke McGriff, 8, chose his own Clinton shirts, she said.

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We have to teach our children their vote does matter, Disesa said.

On stage, Kaine made sure to address Trumps statement on not accepting the election results if he loses.

Theres a word for that, its called sore loser, Kaine told the crowd, who responded with a cheer. I dont think hes going to do any soul searching or reach any conclusions.

Gainesville resident Michael Barbarette said he enjoyed listening to Kaine speak.

It was inspiring to listen to the next vice president of the United States, the 56-year-old said.
American fashion designer and businessman Steve Madden is coming to UF today.

Madden is speaking at Norman Hall, Room 137, at 5:30 p.m. for a free event, titled Sole Sessions, hosted by CollegeFashionista and UFs Retail Society. Those interested in attending must RSVP online to attend the event.

Amy Levin, the founder of CollegeFashionista, a fashion-trend media site, will be asking Madden about his career before letting students ask questions, said Katie Fabry, the marketing manager at CollegeFashionista. During the event, Madden will also talk about his business ideas, how he is self-made and what is next for him.

The choice to go to the University of Florida was primarily Steves idea, she said.

Adriana Gurdian, the president of UFs Retail Society, said representatives from CollegeFashionista reached out to the organization over the summer to coordinate this event.

This is the biggest event that has come across our table, the 20-year-old UF marketing junior said. To have such a big figure come to our university is something thats a really big deal for the business school in general.

Fabry said the event will be the first time the website is collaborating with UF. At the end of the event, Madden will be giving $10 Uber vouchers and gift cards to use on his merchandise at a shopping party, which will follow the discussion and will be at the Dillards in Oaks Mall.

(Madden) really wants to make it a learning experience for every student, Fabry said. Not just those who are interested in fashion.

A shop located in Beijing

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As U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz spoke to a group of prospective Hillary Clinton volunteers Friday night, a group of Bernie Sanders supporters protested her presence, with one interrupting her speech.

Inside the Gainesville Police station, the former chairwoman of the Democratic National Committee spoke about the importance of the presidential election and trained Clinton supporters to canvass for the candidate.

Outside, a group of about 15 protesters argued Wasserman Schultz shouldnt have bothered.

Their signs read Democracy is Dead and Arrest Debbie, while another simply said Emails.

The protest, organized by the Gainesville Wants Bernie Sanders Facebook page, was about a trove of leaked DNC emails that appeared to show that Wasserman Schultz and other staff members plotted to undermine Sanders primary run.

I do not trust her, said Miguel Valdez, a UF alumnus who acted as a District 5 Sanders delegate during the primaries. I feel like her presence here is unwelcome.

He said the released emails, discovered by WikiLeaks, implied Wasserman Schultz used her position in the DNC to help Clinton. That revelation, which led to her resignation, caused many Sanders supporters to feel disenfranchised, he said.

Inside the station, toward the end of Wasserman Schultzs speech, one protester began yelling about volunteering for Sanders, although the Vermont senator has endorsed Clinton.

Good for you, Wasserman Schultz quickly retorted.

As the man continued to shout, she spoke over him until the crowd drowned out the man with bellowing chants of Hillary.

Megan Kincaid, a Santa Fe College biology sophomore, said she was excited to hear Wasserman Schultz speak and begin canvassing for Clinton.

The 20-year-old said she was impressed with how Wasserman Schultz handled the Sanders supporters interruption and with how supportive the room was.

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She shut him down, she said.
An organization is helping UF students get to the polls for early voting today.

For Floridas Future will start shuttling students at 12:30 p.m. to submit early ballots for the 2016 U.S. and local elections. The shuttle, which will run continuously throughout the day, will pick up students at the parking lot near Little Hall and take them to the Alachua County Supervisor of Elections office, located at 515 N. Main St., where students can cast their vote.

Erin Jensen, the organizations press assistant, said students can fill out an online form so the organization can plan to fill a 12-person van.

We wanted to offer an opportunity to pick students up where they are and take them right to the polling station, she said.

Early voting gives college students with unpredictable schedules a chance to cast their ballot before Nov. 8, Jensen said.

Despite the organizations support of Democratic nominees, Jensen said any student is welcome to ride along.

Sean Turner, 22, said he is looking forward to voting early in this years election.

In the last election, I ended up having to wait quite a while to vote, the UF psychology and philosophy alumnus said.

He said hes confident in who hes voting for and doesnt need to wait until Election Day to make his decision.

The more people who vote early, the less chaotic it will be on Election Day, Turner said.

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West University Avenue resembled a moving rainbow Saturday afternoon, with hundreds of people carrying colorful flags as they marched for LGBTQ+ pride.

At the parades final resting spot, Bo Diddley Community Plaza, 17-year-old Jasper Suskin wrapped himself in a pink-and-light-blue flag, a symbol of transgender pride.

After five years of attending the Pride Parade and Pride Festival, annual free events held by the Pride Community Center of North Central Florida since the 90s, Suskin said the positive, inclusive atmosphere keeps him coming back.

Im all about equality, he said, smiling.

About 5,000 people gathered throughout the day on the plaza, listening to live music and watching dance performances until about 9 p.m. At a Kids Pride station, children got their faces painted and did cartwheels.

Helen James-Storey, the vice president of the center, said this years festival saw the transgender community represented more than ever before.

In years past, she said, people asked her where to find organizations supporting transgender people. She didnt have many places to send them, she said.

But this year, of the more than 40 tents at the plaza advertising local organizations, several were covered in pink and light blue, offering support for members of the community.

Weve wanted to see that here, and Im so glad to see that happening, she said.

Though she was excited about the number of people who attended the event, she said she wished more of those who came would volunteer at the center throughout the year.

The center provides year-round services to the LGBTQ+ community, including support groups, free HIV testing and an emergency hotline, she said.

There is a lot of work to do, she said.

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To kick off the festivities, Mayor Lauren Poe introduced Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, who was in town Friday to train Hillary Clinton campaign volunteers.

Wasserman Schultz urged members of the crowd to keep the LGBTQ+ community in mind when voting in the general elections.

Love is the law of the land, she said.

While she spoke, however, about five people shouted over her, chanting Bernie in unison. Some booed after the former chairwoman of the Democratic National Committee left the stage.

Despite the interruption, Wasserman Schultz said she was glad she could make time to attend the Pride celebration while campaigning for Clinton, which included an appearance Friday at the Gainesville Police station. That appearance was also interrupted by a Bernie Sanders supporter, as other supporters protested outside, upset at the DNCs apparent undermining of Sanders primary run against Clinton.

Wasserman Schultz did not address the hecklers, opting instead to remind the crowd of the purpose of the festival.

LGBT equality is really important to me, she said.

Morgan Millett, a 22-year-old Spirit Halloween worker, spins poi on Bo Diddley Community Plaza during the Pride Festival on Saturday. Millett said she has been practicing poi for two or three years, but she felt she was more skilled at hooping.

Malik Fogg, 4, plays cornhole on the lawn of Bo Diddley Community Plaza during the Pride Festival.

Seen through a hanging peace sign in the Soul Essentials pop-up shop at the downtown Pride Festival, Marissa DeVito, a 21-year-old bartender at Sonnys BBQ, points and laughs at a crystallized phallic symbol.

Jennifer Burke, a 40-year-old treasure hunter and jewelry maker from Ocala, poses in her Soul Essentials shop during the Pride Festival downtown on Saturday.

Morgan Millett, a 22-year-old Spirit Halloween worker, kisses Nikki Mason, a 19-year-old Florida School of Massage alumna, while doing acroyoga on Bo Diddley Community Plaza on Saturday.
Walter Anderson slumped over his horse Sunday, feigning injury during a re-enactment of the Battle of Gainesville.

About 50 Civil War re-enactors met on a large, grassy field in Archer to recreate the Aug. 17, 1864 skirmish. Dressed in uniform, they hid behind shrubs and shot rifles that fired blank rounds.

For Anderson, a 69-year-old Vietnam War veteran dressed as a cavalry soldier, the re-enactment serves as a way to preserve history.

Emma Green A Civil War actor plays a chaplain for the Confederate side of the Battle of Gainesville re-enactment on Sunday afternoon in Archer, Florida. The chaplains gave the last rights to fallen soldiers and were not supposed to be shot while on the battlefield.

If you dont tell those stories, then they are lost, he said.

The original battle, fought among about 350 soldiers, was sparked by a conflict over supplies during the war, said Keith Kohl, a 48-year-old Florida Department of Health employee who dressed as a Confederate lieutenant colonel.

In an effort to cut off supply lines in Florida, Union soldiers raided a Confederate supply station in what is now downtown Gainesville, he said.

Emma Green From left: Kyle Wade, a 28-year-old horticulturalist, and Steven D'Errico, a 53-year-old registered nurse, pose in front of their tents wearing Confederate garb after the Battle of Gainesville re-enactment on Sunday. Wade acted as a first sergeant, parroting orders during the skirmish, while D'Errico played a Southern sympathizer.

Since he first attended a re-enactment of the battle at 14 years old, it has changed locations many times, taking place at Poe Springs Park and near the Matheson History Museum, among other sites.

Bob Hink, a 49-year-old maintenance worker, bore the Confederate flag before feigning his death.

Hink said he attends 15 to 17 living-history events per year. He said it feels good to recreate events that played a role in shaping the country.

Its really rewarding for me to tell someone something they didnt know about the Civil War, he said. We wouldnt have our country if it wasnt for that.

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Civil War re-enactor and Vietnam War veteran Walter Anderson, 69, rides his horse, Sonney Boy, during the re-enactment. "History, don't get it twisted," Anderson said atop his horse after acting as a cavalry member for the Confederate side. "That's why I do what I do, so history can get untwisted."
Journalism is a pretty conservative field. The Associated Press Stylebook has yet to accept that they can be a singular pronoun and The New York Times still uses Mr. and Ms., which reinforce the gender binary. Student journalists are taught to be objective, to get both sides of every story  present the facts and tie them together.

However, this objective utopia that were taught about, if it ever existed, doesnt exist any more. MSNBC and Fox News have clear points of view. For the most part, only the journalists who dont have to interact with politics on a daily basis do not reveal their views. In fact, its this attempt to be objective, despite everything, that gave rise to Donald Trump and legitimized his campaign. Because of constant accusations

of a liberal media bias from the right, outlets went out of their ways to be objective. But Trump wasnt just any Republican presidential candidate and should not have been treated as such. As a figure in the public eye for many years, it should not have taken this long to uncover the infamous tape in which Trump brags about sexual assault. The media knew a lot about Hillary Clintons personal life, because she was in the political sphere for much of her life. As a rule, politicians are held to a

higher standard than entertainers, and

when Trump decided to be a politician, the media should have dug for what was left out of interviews and edits of The Apprentice.

With newer outlets like "The Young Turks and Vox, the traditional model in which journalists try to conceal their points of view is less and less prevalent. The journalists at these outlets embrace opinion but also get to the truth. Ive grown to prefer these outlets as someone who is pro-choice and believes that global warming is real  I just dont want to sit through programs that entertain anti-science propaganda. Based on those preferences, I select where I get my news  and so do other people, which explains the popularity of Fox News.

Two weeks ago, journalist Amy Goodman of the Democracy Now! radio show was charged with rioting after covering the protests against an oil pipeline in North Dakota. According to The New York Times, the prosecutor justified her arrest by saying, Shes a protester, basically. Everything she reported on was from the position of justifying the protest actions.

Essentially the prosecutor is using the fact that she agrees with the protestors to discredit her as a journalist. This protest has been mostly neglected by mainstream media. In many ways, her arrest not only censors a journalist, but also represents a stifling of Native American voices, because Goodmans work was trying to amplify them. The major news outlets fail to cover certain stories, and thats where programs with a point of view come in  they narrow journalists focus and allow them to tackle stories in a new way. A journalist who reports through his or her own perspective should not be penalized  in fact, pretending to be impartial can be more damaging. As a field, journalism must accept a space for opinion. These opinions might drive a reporter to tell stories that often get neglected or outright swept under the rug at major news outlets. Objectivity cannot be prized over telling stories that need to be told.

Nicole Dan is a UF political science and journalism junior. Her column appears on Mondays.

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An aspect of parenting we usually like to avoid is the birds and the bees. The beasts with two backs. The dirty deed. Dipping the wick  OK. No one says that, but thats the point. Have you noticed how we have so many euphemisms for sex? That shows just how much we try to avoid the conversation, but its necessary in order to be healthy and safe.

Our hesitancy to do that is part of the reason Naomi Ardjomand-Kermani calls the U.S. a sex-phobic nation. Naomi, who uses they/them pronouns, is the linkage to care coordinator for the WellFlorida Council. Besides being the one we have to thank for the dental dams on campus  all hail Naomi  they are an HIV-prevention specialist and sex-education enthusiast.

If youre not too sure what a dental dam is, theyre the one to talk to, and it shows why their work is so important. Ardjomand-Kermani is working to bring awareness on safe-sex practices for transgender and queer people, but in our society, it can be a little hard.

As a society we are very, very conservative, Ardjomand-Kermani said. You know, every sex scene is rushed and all kinds of exciting and dramatic, but very rarely do you ever see people negotiate condom use or talk about birth control.

If we dont even discuss sex within traditional couples, its no wonder the dialogue is severely lacking for queer couples. A simple way to start peeling back the lid on

safe sex, no matter your parts or orientation, is by being open.

If you look at the Netherlands, where having a bowl of condoms on your dining room table is something youre used to, they said, their abortion rates are very, very low. Look at their STD rates, which are very, very low. Unwanted pregnancy rates? Also very low.

I cant even imagine being in a room with my parents and a condom, and thats part of the problem. Another layer to that is when someone assumes your choice in partner is going to follow traditional rules, which is not my case nor the case for many others.

Add in the fact that not everyone experiences sexual attraction, and the end result is a dangerous lack of information. But when youre talking about something like sex, its important to be prepared.

Darlena Cunha is an instructor in UFs College of Journalism and Communications. When shes not seriously trying to prepare her students for the real world, shes trying to do the same for her identical twin daughters.

Now Cunha is worried about what her two daughters would do if their sex education entails just carrying an egg around for a day the way hers did.

I dont want my kids walking with a girl they met two weeks ago down an alley in a part of Boston theyve never been, trying to get birth control pills, Cunha said.

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Its a story about her first year in college that youd have to ask her about.

The sad part is that for those who cant have open conversations about sex with their parents because of their gender or orientation, this story sounds familiar.

Cunhas children are still young, so she says its too early to prescribe orientation to them, especially because shes not them. She admits it would be a relief if they went along a more traditional path, because then they wont face discrimination on every level for their relationship choices.

I hold out hope that in 10 years, when theyre making these kinds of life choices, society will catch up with our legislation, and our legislation will be even further along so that any orientation or self-definition my daughters choose will be recognized and supported, not just by me, but by our society at large, Cunha said.

Imagine if your parents could say the same. Imagine if you could say the same. When we think about sexual health, we need to start thinking about everyone.

Brooke Henderson is a UF international studies and journalism sophomore. Her column appears on Mondays.
What great nation has lasted an eternity? Some empires come to mind when we try to answer this question. The Roman Empire lasted roughly 507 years. While Judaism is roughly 2,500 years old, the Jewish nation has come and gone many times over the course of that history. This year, our democracy in America rejoiced in its 240th birthday.

Every great nation comes and goes. To assume our nation is eternal, dear reader, is simply absurd. Those who dont know history are doomed to repeat it. Those who do, in fact, know history are doomed to repeat it alongside everybody else anyway. To be cliche for a moment: nothing changes and everything changes.

But one thing is tangibly recognizable. While Sen. Bernie Sanders has long since lost the opportunity to represent the Democratic left in this election, the rise of people like Sanders and Donald Trump in our political landscape have forever changed the way politicians play politics.

There used to be a time when traditional party duality ruled all. Now both parties are scrambling to try and make sense of where the American political mindset is traveling. Both parties are guilty of trying to cover this up. U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan and the conservatives have absolutely no control over their candidate, Trump. They are constantly dropping endorsements, apologizing on his behalf and attempting to distance themselves from him at any waking moment. Toward the left, mountains of evidence have come out over the last year in regard to U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz being caught trying to rig the election against Sanders.

For better or worse, Trump and Sanders reshaped our political process forever. They pushed the boundaries of typical American political thought and dared their followers to dream bigger. The fact that both politicians had such a significant following, and still do, further proves this. Before, the illusion of choice within parties was clear, and on the whole, candidates in their party held extremely similar views to one another, not straying too far away from the status quo on questions of economics, abortion, foreign policy, et cetera. But with Sanders and Trump, that paradigm is shaken. While both align themselves within the larger party, their views on issues are non-traditional. Sanders advocated for radical views like subsidizing college tuition, overturning the Citizens United ruling and raising the minimum wage. Trump wants to build a wall between the U.S. and Mexico, punish women who get abortions and suspend due process. Regardless of how you may feel about any of those aforementioned policies, theres no disagreement on the fact that they are new and innovative ideas in terms of the American political landscape.

While fresh perspectives are usually appreciated, as they were with Sanders, the line between that and unfiltered nonsense has become blurred. One Trump supporter told a protester to Go back to Auschwitz. Trump has opened the gates for social degeneration to flow through, where rhetoric (rather than policy) sparks discussion. If policy is discussed, people are still insulted and told theyre an existential threat.

With Hillary up in the polls, we can temporarily breathe easy. But this simply doesnt go away after Election Day. These people and the thoughts they hold dont just disappear. Pandoras box has been opened, and what nonsense will come spewing out of it in the future is yet to be determined.










English News Belt and Road initiative points to brighter globalization

Alwihda Info | Par peoplesdaily - 24 Octobre 2016



While the initiative is sure to test the French governments wisdom and judgment when it comes to deciding how to respond to and dovetail development strategies with the Belt and Road initiative, France welcomes and supports the initiative, because it is directly linked to its interests and strategic plans.

By Jean-Pierre Raffarin Source: People's Daily The history of the Silk Road sparks numerous aspirations for the ancient route. Hadrian, the Roman Emperor depicted by French writer Marguerite Yourcenar, was fascinated with the flourishing commerce and trade along the ancient Silk Road.



The Belt and Road initiative put forward by Chinese President Xi Jinping has amazed the world. There have been three highlights of the initiative.



First of all, the markets of Asia, Europe and Africa will be integrated into a community of common interest thanks to the initiative.



As the marginal effect generated from globalization has lessened, the world economy has come to need a new growth engine. The connectivity created by the initiative will present Asia with new growth opportunities.



By helping with the infrastructure projects of countries along the Belt and Road route, China will further open itself to the world and accelerate its development as well. Whats more, China has been making efforts to internationalize the RMB and transform its economic growth towards a focus on higher quality and more inclusiveness.



As all countries live on the same planet, none can survive like an isolated Robinson Crusoe. China-Europe cooperation will bring the latter economic growth and job opportunities, while Europe, Asia and Africa will turn into a community of shared interests, responsibilities and destinies in terms of geopolitical strategy.



Though globalization led by Western countries did bring prosperity to cities and coastal areas, villages, inland areas and Oriental countries were left behind. By calling for a global rebalance, the initiative points to a brighter future for globalization.



Second, new driving forces are emerging in Asia. Asia is becoming a global engine for structural reform by reforming and opening up to the world. Its vitality will bolster European growth as well.



Since Asian countries have always believed that Europe is the key to globalization, it is more of an imperative for them to focus on the European market, especially considering that, at present, the US is neglecting Europe after pivoting toward the Asia-Pacific region.



Europe-Asia cooperation will bring balance to the future world. Europe should take this opportunity to return to the center of the world stage, and in this way, reshape the transatlantic relationship between Europe and the US.



Third, the initiative highlights both cultural and economic development. Western dominated globalization, while bringing in competition, also introduced some destructive effects: retrogression of civilization, prevailing individualism and irrational behavior. The recent chaos in the Western world, including a resurgence of populism, a chaotic US presidential election and Brexit, have shaken the world.



Given this backdrop, the geopolitical and strategic entity of Europe, Asia and Africa, which is represented by Egypt, Greece, India and China, needs to shoulder the responsibility of rejuvenating human civilization.



Right now, cultural exchanges within the framework of the Belt and Road are blossoming. For example, the second China-France culture forum, themed the Belt and Road: Cultural Communication and Integration, will be held in Lyon, France in 2017.



The Belt and Road initiative is more than just a theory, it is a new model for governance thanks to its plentiful financial instruments and multilateral mechanisms.



The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), that was proposed by Xi Jinping and established in 2013, now holds over $100 billion of subscribed capital, which will allow it to effectively propel development. The establishment of AIIB, the New Development Bank and the Silk Road Fund sends a message to the world that China is more than capable of implementing the initiative.



While the initiative is sure to test the French governments wisdom and judgment when it comes to deciding how to respond to and dovetail development strategies with the Belt and Road initiative, France welcomes and supports the initiative, because it is directly linked to its interests and strategic plans.



(The author is the former French prime minister and chairman of the Senate Committee for Military, Defense and Foreign Affairs)



Dans la meme rubrique : < > More robots entering people's daily life China sees accelerated development of express delivery sector in rural areas China's FAST discovers largest atomic cloud in universe Pour toute information, contactez-nous au : +(235) 99267667 ; 62883277 ; 66267667 (Bureau N'Djamena)
The Supreme Court, economic growth, taxation, the border, sovereignty  Republicans against Trump are looking at other considerations. Most such Republicans are familiar with the common arguments. Here are some headaches they may not have considered.

1. Trump will own the party  and he will probably run again in 2020.

To run again, all Trump has to do is maintain his health, remain in the public eye, and suggest that he will probably serve only one term if elected in 2020. If he wins this year, it will be assumed that he will run for re-election in 2020, so why not run again regardless?

"Populism" and nationalism are growing forces, and there is no high-profile advocate of these gut-level impulses on the public stage aside from Trump. HRC will pour gasoline on these trends so that an "outsider" will be even better received in 2020 than Trump was this year.

2. A Clinton presidency may lead to the breakup of the country.

Even if dreams of a GOP renaissance in four to eight years come to pass, that will be after Clinton reconstitutes the courts, likely passes an amnesty with congressional Republican help, and moves the country another four years to the left. Every day she spends in office increases the likelihood that a critical mass of Texans will throw up their hands in disgust and decide to go their own way. If Texas secedes, without Texas's electoral college votes, the Midwest and South will face the prospect of an endless parade of Obama- and Clinton-style presidents and will follow Texas out of the union. Texas has reserved the right to leave at any time, and it will be argued that other states must have that same right if we are a union of equals.

3. Republicans against Trump will share the blame for any conflict with Russia.

Few people in the world have more to lose from a conflict with Russia than Mr. Trump, particularly a nuclear conflict. Even Jill Stein knows that Clinton is more likely to involve us in war and perhaps nuclear war. It's not an academic question, and Clinton's handling of Libya is telling.

4. Democrats will deal with income inequality and trade concerns by expanding government control.

These issues are not going away. They haven't had a full airing in this election cycle. Not everyone wants to be a computer programmer, and the promises made at the time that NAFTA was passed  that we would improve our schools in order to protect workers against the ravages of globalism  were not kept. If the Democrats are allowed to deal with these issues, high tariffs and punitive regulations regarding the movement of capital are much more likely.

5. Establishment GOP House and Senate members may lose big in 2018 and 2020.

We can expect populist challengers in the primaries, and millions of GOP voters will refuse to support establishment candidates in the general election. Republicans against Trump have paved the way: if you call yourself a conservative, it is fine to desert the battlefield if you have problems with the commander.

6. Republican media will be lumped in with the rest of the media.

Now that the media have gone beyond bias and into naked collusion, the corporate media will be less popular than ever. Republican media run the risk of not only being blamed for a Clinton win, but being accused of collusion with the most mendacious people in the world  American corporate media.

7. Unity is possible only with Trump; there is no evidence that he is politically corrupt.

All Trump has to do is govern with some sense of decorum and competence, and he can unify the country. The most bitter Republicans opposing him will never come around, but for most Americans, Trump could come to be a respected and admired president.

With Clinton, there will always be the assumption that she is looting the country behind the scenes, with the help of the media and government insiders. She will never unify the country.

8. WikiLeaks and Project Veritas have changed the equation: Republicans still oppose Trump when faced with unprecedented collusion and corruption.

WikiLeaks and P.V. give Republicans against Trump the excuse they need to come back to the fold. They should take it and hope for the best. WikiLeaks and P.V. remove most of the Republicans' excuses. They can never say, "We thought she might be bad, but we had no idea how bad." Now they know.

9. Down-ballot losses will be blamed on Republicans opposing Trump.

Before the election is over, Trump will probably seek to unify the party by openly calling for all of his supporters to vote a straight GOP ticket. He will enter the final week as the force of unity. Republicans opposing him will be the only clear voices of Republican disunity. Whatever harm that comes to the GOP will likely be laid at the feet of the latter.

10. Opposing Trump now minimizes the opposition's control over Trump.

If Trump wins, he is constrained by the courts; the GOP House and Senate; and, to some extent, those who elected him. If he loses, he can turn his considerable firepower on those who are to blame, which includes the Republicans against him. Do they really want to be in the muck with Trump, fighting, or do they want to be in the position of a referee?

11. Oversight of government is possible only with Trump.

Clinton is a female. The traitorous press that gave Mr. Obama a pass on his treason and incompetence because of his "minority status" will do the same for Clinton. Trump could enter office with the intent of enriching himself at the expense of the country, and he would fail to get anywhere.

12. If Trump loses, in time, Republicans who oppose him will be classified as traitors in the classical sense.

Politics is war without bloodshed. There is no final victory to be achieved  only temporary dominance and attainment of shared goals. The NeverTrump folks are in the position of Braveheart's Lochlan and Mornay  they've come to the field in battle dress, but just as the contest is being joined, they have deserted the field, to give lectures about their distasteful commander. Their hope of bouncing back in 2020 puts Republicans against Trump in the insane position of hoping things will get bad enough that the people will turn our way. Is that really the future they want for Americans? A hostage situation?

13. Republicans against Trump are on the losing side  Americans love an underdog, and they want change.

This election is the failed establishment versus Donald Trump and millions of Americans sick of statist failure. The only alternative to succumbing to the statists is moving Americans toward conservatism by giving Americans prosperity through hard work, national pride, and meaningful freedom in an orderly society  the real American Dream.

As imperfect as Mr. Trump is, few doubt that Trump  unlike Clinton  has genuine love for America and Americans. From that starting point, we can begin to repair and unify the country.
Hillary Clintons health has become a campaign issue, not due to conspiracy theorists but based on troubling videos of her bizarre facial tics, difficulty ascending a set of stairs, lengthy coughing fits, and her collapse after the 9/11 anniversary commemoration in Manhattan. More recently, there is video showing Mrs. Clintons eyes not tracking together, crossing and misaligning.

As the focus of the campaign turns to Russian hacking, rigged elections, and sketchy polls, Mrs. Clintons health has moved off center stage. Yet it still a legitimate concern. Although she has not stumbled or had a public coughing fit, her nontracking eye movements continue to be apparent. Not to big media, which are far more interested in the latest Trump accuser, a porn star who just happens to be opening an online sex store. Yet her crossed eyes resurfaced most recently at a Cleveland campaign appearance a few days ago. The only thing missing is her campaign blaming the Russians.

What do these abnormal eye movements suggest about her neurologic health? In 2012 Mrs. Clinton fell, suffering a concussion and a brain hemorrhage requiring treatment with Coumadin, a potent blood thinning medication. More than simply a bump on her head, but instead a terrible concussion that required six months of very serious work to get over according to her husband Bill Clinton.

More specifically, she suffered a cerebral venous thrombosis, a large blood clot in her transverse venous sinus. These sinuses collect blood draining from the brain and can be injured via trauma or a variety of medical conditions which increase blood clotting tendencies.

As an aside, blood clots are not just a recent problem for Mrs. Clinton. She suffered a blood clot in 1998 when she was first lady, and only in her mid-50s. Typically blood clots at this age signify an underlying clotting disorder, likely a genetic defect in the clotting cascade. This might explain her subsequent problems a decade later. Her blood clot when she was first lady was only recently revealed, consistent with Mrs. Clintons penchant for secrecy and lack of transparency.

Late complications of cerebral venous thrombosis include speech impairment, difficulty with body movement, seizures, and altered vision, including double vision. Watching the many videos of Mrs. Clinton suggest that she has suffered all these complications.

The most recent videos show her eyes not tracking together, crossing as she gazes from one side to the other. Eye movement is controlled by six muscles attached to each eye, allowing eyes to move up, down, diagonally, and rotationally. These muscles are in turn controlled by a combination of three cranial nerves originating in brain stem, an area between the brain and spinal cord, then travelling upward to the eyes.

Mrs. Clintons original trauma and blood clot likely damaged at least one of her cranial nerves. During Congressional testimony over Benghazi, she was wearing eyeglasses with Fresnel prisms, used to correct double vision due to eye misalignment. But that was four years ago. Why are her eye movements still misaligned?

Synkinesis is a condition where nerves rewire incorrectly after trauma. This may cause one eye to look left or not move at all when the brain tells it to move right. Smiling or chewing may cause the eyes to move, which would explain Mrs. Clintons abnormal eye movements while giving a recent speech.

Funny eye movements alone are no big deal. Many people have a crossed eye, called strabismus, due to a childhood lazy eye, previous eye injury or surgery, or a small stroke of one of the cranial nerves. But in Mrs. Clintons case, there are other worrying signs, including possible seizure activity, her recent collapse, coughing fits, all on top of her history of head trauma, blood clot, and ongoing anticoagulation therapy.

Physicians are much like detectives. Sherlock Holmes is a fictional detective, created by Arthur Conan Doyle, a physician himself who briefly studied ophthalmology. Physicians observe, ask questions, gather information, and make deductions. I am writing, not as Mrs. Clintons physician, but as an ophthalmologist and political observer. Clearly she has health issues, and to most reasonable observers, her signs and symptoms suggest significant neurologic disease. What her condition is specifically is the subject of speculation. More blood clots, Parkinsons disease, malignancy, who knows?

This is not the 68-year-old pensioner living down the block but a potential commander in chief. John McCains health was the subject of much media analysis and consternation in 2008. Was he too old? Could his cancer return? Interestingly, eight years later he is alive and well, seeking yet another term in the U.S. Senate.

Hillary Clintons health and fitness for the presidency deserves similar scrutiny. If she has a neurologic condition, will it affect her thinking and judgement? Will she be coherent and clear headed when her famous 3 A.M. phone call comes in? If she is not, who will be making critical decisions? Bill Clinton? Huma Abedin? John Podesta? Cheryl Mills? Sid Blumenthal?

The only question is whether the media will treat Mrs. Clintons medical status with the same degree of urgency as they treat every one of Donald Trumps utterances or accusers?

Brian C Joondeph, MD, MPS, a Denver based physician and writer. Follow him on Facebook and Twitter.
One of the strongest arguments that shows how much Hillary hates women is her effort to ensure that a man who raped a 12-year-old girl got off with a one-year sentence.

But liberals say Hillary was just doing what she was supposed to do: use any legal trickery to ensure that the guilty walk.

This is the corrupted vision of what a fair trial is. It is what liberals have been foisting on America since the Warren Court made up rights to protect criminals.

A fair trial is one where the innocent are found innocent and the guilty are found guilty. But to liberals, a "fair" trial is one where the rules are followed irrespective of whether or not justice is served.

Clearly, police beating confessions out of defendants or breaking into houses without a warrant are not acceptable policies, but the restrictions put on the justice system by the uber-liberal Warren Court go far beyond that by excluding evidence based on clerical errors.

Liberals show their true colors by constantly worrying about unjust convictions and being quite happy with unjust acquittals. We know that unjust acquittals happen because we know that critical evidence is often excluded for purely frivolous reasons. For example, a judge issues a search warrant, and the clerk accidentally puts the wrong date on the search warrant. All the evidence found in the search is excluded because of that clerical error.

By supporting the exclusion of physical evidence, liberals show that they support defense lawyers who are eager to use any trick to eliminate evidence that damages their clients' case, no matter how guilty their clients are revealed to be by that evidence.

Defense attorneys are of course enamored of the "following the rules" philosophy since it helps them sleep at night in their mansions funded by the filthy lucre obtained by ensuring that child rapists, drug dealers, murders, and rapists are released to prey on future victims. They reason they follow the rules is so that the outcome, whatever it may be, is okay.

Clearly, defense attorneys, a source of lots of money for liberal candidates, have a selfish reason to support making it hard to convict criminals, but what's odd is that liberals in general are so much more concerned about criminals than about victims.

It may be due to the fact that when they were younger, liberals tended to break the law and use illegal drugs that made them think of the police and the justice system as their enemy. But whatever the cause, it's clear that for modern liberals, what matters most is making it hard to convict most criminals.

Part of this may be due to the racism that permeates modern American liberalism. The simple reality is that the majority of criminals whom liberals want to free prey only on blacks and are no threat to the liberal elites in their suburban homes or gated communities.

Hence, when liberals talk about the over-incarceration of blacks, they know that freeing those blacks to prey on other blacks won't increase the odds of themselves getting mugged.

Liberals defend their position by proclaiming that anyone who wants justice actually wants to throw out the whole idea of justice and eliminate defense attorneys.

Contrary to liberal claims, there is a valuable role for defense attorneys to play.

First, in cases where the attorney doesn't know that his client is guilty  which wasn't the case for Hillary, who admitted her client's guilt  a strong defense is a perfectly moral thing to do. Fighting to exclude coerced confessions or the results of cops just randomly breaking into houses is an honorable thing, as is ensuring that clients get a fair sentence for their crimes  not 20 years for a white offender and 60 years for a black offender.

What is intrinsically immoral is the deliberate effort to exclude physical evidence based on technicalities. That's wrong because it is directly designed to ensure that the trial be unjust. Because liberals are apparently unaware that victims are people, too, they think that when a guilty man is acquitted, the trial was "fair," even though it wasn't fair for his victims, past or future.

But of course, if defense attorneys sought justice, not freeing clients regardless of their guilt, they wouldn't make anywhere near as much money. Who's going to pay for a moral lawyer when he can get a shyster?

Point out to your friends that liberals hate justice and love rules that ensure that criminals can in fact get away with murder.

Hillary has demonstrated that what she cares about is rules, not justice, and that she'll do anything she can to get what she wants, which includes ensuring that a man who raped a 12-year-old girl be able to do it again in one year.

That sort of moral defect is far greater than anything Trump has been accused of. Trump is far from perfect, but Hillary is a moral abomination.

You can read more of Tom's rants at his blog, Conversations about the obvious, and feel free to follow him on Twitter.
"The White House is like a subway. You have to put in coins to open the gates."

Such were the immortal words of one Johnny Chung, who admitted to a Senate committee in 1997 that he funneled $100,000 from the Chinese military to the Democratic National Committee. In the Clinton White House, it was pay to play all the way. That either Bill or Hillary had a political life after their treasonous run on Asian piggy banks is a testament to the ever escalating corruption of the American media.

The White House honcho who made the subways run on time  no shock here  was Hillary Clinton. It was she who convened the secret meeting with adviser Dick Morris in the White House treaty room a month after the Democrats' historic drubbing in November 1994. Blamed for the debacle, the Clintons were running for their political lives. To preserve those lives would take huge amounts of money, much of it, if not most, raised and spent illegally.

"The president and his top advisors took control of the DNC and designed a plan to engage in a historically aggressive fund-raising effort, utilizing the DNC as a vehicle for getting around federal election laws," the U.S. Senate Committee on Governmental Affairs, also known as the Thompson Committee, reported in March 1998. "The DNC ran television advertisements, created under the direct supervision of the president."

The deepest pockets the Clintons plundered belonged to the Riadys, an ethnic Chinese family that worked out of Indonesia. The Thompson Committee cited any number of large-scale Riady joint ventures in China, their principal partner in the People's Republic being an enterprise called China Resources, "a company wholly-owned and operated by the PRC government." The Riadys had invested in Bill Clinton back in Arkansas and bailed him out during the 1992 primary campaign. As payback, they were allowed to put their man John Huang in the Commerce Department.

And what were Huang's talents? A letter sent by an Asian outreach advocate on the stationery of the then-president pro tem of the California state Senate was frank to a fault: "John is the Riady family's top priority for placement because he is like one of their own." The Riady family, in case anyone needed reminding, "invested heavily in the Clinton campaign." To some, those were credentials enough.

Huang's actual work was icing on the cake. The Thompson Committee makes this striking admission: "[a]lthough Huang's first day at Commerce was July 18, 1994, he was granted his first security clearance in January 1994."

Huang proved his worth in June 1994. With Clinton crony Webster Hubbell on the ropes after a scandal forced him out of his job in the Justice Department, Huang arranged a $100,000 Riady payout to Hubbell. This occurred two days after Huang and James Riady met with the president in the Oval Office and a week after Hillary met with Hubbell. That payout  and $300,000 more  helped buy Hubbell's silence. Despite a ton of legal pressure, he never talked.

It should have surprised no one that the Clintons would head for Indonesia a week after the November 1994 debacle. They saw it coming and planned ahead. Not only did the Clintons have to impress the Riadys on their own home turf, but they also had to start squeezing the CEOs accompanying them in a more systematic way. It was about this time that the $100,000 donation to travel with the Clintons morphed from a discreet expectation into the price of admission.

The Thompson Committee described what happened during the next two years. "The president and his aides demeaned the offices of the president and vice president, took advantage of minority groups, pulled down all the barriers that would normally be in place to keep out illegal contributions, pressured policy makers, and left themselves open to strong suspicion that they were selling not only access to high-ranking officials, but policy as well." This was business as usual for Bill and Hillary Clinton. "Millions of dollars were raised in illegal contributions," concluded the Thompson Committee, " much of it from foreign sources."

Nothing the Clintons have done in the last thirty years matches the scope of their treachery during this two-year period. In the way of example, among those who enjoyed an intimate "coffee" with the president was one Wang Jun, chair of Poly Technologies, a company controlled by the People's Liberation Army. One of Poly Technologies' profit centers was satellite production. Another was the "importation and distribution of semi-automatic rifles for the U.S. domestic market." Between 1987 and 1993, the company and its affiliates sold more than $200 million's worth of these guns in the United States. Clinton pal Charlie Trie had greased the Wang Jun meeting with a $50,000 payment.

To the president's humble credit, as the Thompson Committee would later report, Clinton did admit that the meeting with Wang Jun was "clearly inappropriate." The president did not apologize, however, for signing waivers for four more satellite launches by Chinese rockets on that same February 1996 day. The president approved these waivers despite reports the month before that China continued to export nuclear technology to Pakistan and missiles to Iran, the latter deal suspected of being brokered by Wang Jun.

Just a week or so after Wang Jun's excellent Washington adventure, a Chinese Long March 3B rocket carrying the Loral-built Intelsat 708 satellite crashed just after liftoff and killed or injured at least sixty people in a nearby village. This was the third Long March failure in the previous three years involving U.S.-built satellite payloads.

Loral CEO Bernard Schwartz, the largest single donor to the Clinton campaign, dispatched a Loral-led review team to China to assess the February 1996 failure of the Long March 3B rocket and suggest refinements. The Cox Committee would later describe Schwartz's actions as "an unlicensed defense service for the PRC that resulted in the improvement of the reliability of the PRC's military rockets and ballistic missiles." The White House pulled serious strings to prevent Schwartz from being prosecuted.

In the most outrageous deal of all, two months before the election, the president "unilaterally" declared a new 1.7-million-acre national monument in Southern Utah. CNN's Wolf Blitzer did not shy from the implicit controversy. He reported that the people of Utah were "furious." They claimed that it was "a land grab" by the federal government "at the economic expense of the state."

Blitzer raised the issue of coal, perhaps $1 trillion's worth of clean, low-sulfur coal that would never be mined. Blitzer, however, did not know the deeper significance of the coal. Clinton did. Said the president of this grand environmental gesture, "We can't have mines everywhere, and we shouldn't have mines that threaten our national treasures." No, not everywhere, just in Indonesia. In a stroke of the pen, Clinton had handed the Riadys a monopoly on the world's supply of low-sulfur coal.

Although Blitzer did not make the connection, the FBI did. As an FBI agent observed after his interview with John Huang, "HUANG laughed in response to questions concerning j. riady's interest in Utah coal restrictions."

Huang and the Clintons and their cronies are laughing still. They have convinced some healthy percentage of the Republican establishment that making a crude comment eleven years ago is a greater sin than betraying America for campaign cash.
At this point in the campaign, when the leaked evidence of Hillary's abuse of power and Trump's purported sexual improprieties seem to be the main topics of debate, "lesser" matters such as providing for the nation's energy needs have gotten lost in the fray. Yet those matters have a lot to do with which candidate is "fit" to be president.

Not surprisingly, Hillary's energy policy is more of the same: the same green energy waste and corruption that we have seen for eight years under Obama. By contrast, Trump has outlined a coherent program of energy development that puts America first, and he has stuck with that program from day one  unlike Hillary, who approved the Keystone XL pipeline before she opposed it.

Donald Trump's energy policies, outlined in a speech on September 22, offer a positive, pro-growth agenda for the future. These policies contrast with Hillary's more-of-the-same job-killing regulation in the name of saving the planet from, so far, nonexistent man-caused climate change. While preserving clean air and water, Trump's energy agenda offers a plan that would add 500,000 jobs and reignite the economy.

The contrast between Trump and Clinton energy policies couldn't be greater. Hillary has stated repeatedly that she intends even greater funding for a thousand new Solyndras and other boondoggles to propitiate the god of global warming. Her anti-fracking agenda, including more regulation and local veto power over new drilling, would effectively shut down much of the U.S. oil and gas business. As for new drilling on federal lands and expanded offshore exploration, there's little likelihood it would happen. As with so much else, Clinton has remained mum on this important point. As with all else, she can't be said to have an energy policy in the sense of a policy that supports the production of energy. What she has is a political position on energy, which is another matter.

Trump's policies offer hope to American workers, consumers, and investors. As he declared on Sept. 22, America possesses $50 trillion's worth of "untapped energy" on federal lands alone  energy that has been off limits during the Obama administration. Under the influence of environmentalist donors, a Clinton administration would be just as loath to open those resources to drilling. Left-wing donors would hold no such control over Donald Trump, which is why every major environmental group has adamantly opposed his election. The Environmental Defense Fund's "Action Statement on the Presidential Race" leaves no doubt where it stands on Trump.

In addition to development of oil and gas on federal lands, a renewal of Appalachian coal mining and opening up of export facilities for western coal, such as the Gateway Pacific Terminal at Cherry Point, Washington, would restore prosperity to large coal-mining regions of America. No one doubts that Obama has carried out a war on coal, but he has not been able to shut down coal exports entirely. Hillary Clinton would continue to deploy the Army Corps of Engineers and other agencies to ban coal exports via executive fiat.

Offshore drilling offers another avenue of growth. It is impossible to say how great America's offshore energy resources really are since Democrats have blocked even initial surveys off America's East Coast. Energy deposits greater than what exists in Venezuela or Saudi Arabia may lie offshore the Atlantic states. The shame is that the U.S. continues to import oil from both of those countries when it could as easily be produced at home, employing American workers and American technology. Instead of shipping hundreds of billions of dollars to dictators abroad, an energy-independent America could put that money in the pockets of American workers and investors.

The devastation of the Obama energy policies is often overlooked by those who think that only a few "oil states" and "coal states" are affected. In reality, fracking restrictions have hurt workers in every state  like those in New York, where fracking is banned outright, as well as those in manufacturing states such as Illinois and Indiana, where companies such as Caterpillar and Cummins are harmed by declining equipment sales.

Likewise for coal. According to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Obama's war on coal will cost 224,000 jobs and $550 billion in lost household income annually. It will also put our energy security at risk. It may seem that coal can be phased out in favor of natural gas and eventually wind and solar, but that phase-out is a costly and risky venture.

Hillary has vowed to continue Obama's anti-energy policies. Her infamous pledge to "put coal workers out of work" left no doubt as to her intentions. Her earlier pledge to "seize the profits of ExxonMobil and give them to green energy outfits"  those Exxon profits that belong to millions of conservative investors, large numbers of them retirees of modest means  is also revealing. The result of such Chavez-style expropriation would be economic devastation  not just for Exxon Mobil and its investors, but for the U.S. economy as a whole.

That is the reality that Hillary Clinton doesn't understand and never will: the free market operates on the basis of profit and loss, and loss spells ruin not just for private companies but for the economy as a whole. Donald Trump understands the free market. More energy production is better than less, more job growth is better than less, more profitability is better than less.

There is something very cynical about the Obama-Clinton war on domestic energy. In bowing to the environmental lobby, their policies pander to the worst and most corrupt instincts of back-room politics. Donald Trump is a patriot, not a politician, and he would bring prosperity back to the U.S. energy industry and to America as a whole.

Donald Trump is fond of saying that four more years of Obama's policies would be a "disaster." When it comes to energy policy, and much else, that assessment is exactly right.

Jeffrey Folks is the author of many books and articles on American culture, including Heartland of the Imagination (2011).
If Trump decides to not accept the election results and challenge the vote, then he should consult with Al Gore, who conducted a scorched-earth, take-no-prisoner campaign in Florida to contest the 2000 election. Gores attack was the legal equivalent of Shermans march to the sea, or a political jihad.

Bill Salmons 2001 book, At Any Cost, How Al Gore Tried to Steal the Election describes in detail the methods used by Gore. Following is a summary:

1. Gore tried to disenfranchise the military voters by challenging the overseas ballots of the military. A Democrat attorney, Mark Herron, prepared and circulated a five-page memo on the methods to challenge, such as that envelopes did not have a military postmark. It is not the responsibility of the military voter to put the military postmark on the envelope. Some ballots came in by Federal Express. The Democrats challenged military votes, and Democrats lawyers were high-fiving each other when they disqualified military votes.

2. Gore filed suit to demand selective hand recounts in two to four counties where he believed he would pick up votes. In Bush v. Gore, the Supreme Court, in a 7-2 decision, with only Stevens and Ginsburg dissenting, ruled that selective counts violate the equal protection of the 14th Amendment. Yet the Democrats continually referred only to the 5-4 Supreme Court decision that stopped the recount in the counties selected by Gore. Gore and the Democrats continually referred to Bush as selected, not elected due to the 5-4 decision. They knew that this was lie because the 7-2 decision ruled that doing a recount in only a few counties each with each different standards is unconstitutional. While the Democrats demonized Scalia and the Court, neither Gore nor the Democrats found a problem with Justice Ginsburg, whose husband contributed to the Gore campaign.

Gore and Democrats criticized the Supreme Court and continue to do so. Gore appeared with Hillary at a rally last week where the Democrats chanted You won while Hillary and Algore smiled. But they never complained about the Florida Supreme Court, all seven members appointed by Democrats, which ruled for Gore. The Supreme Court rebuked the Florida court for changing the rules of the election after the election.

3. Gore directed a smear attack on Florida secretary of state, Katherine Harris, whose duty was to certify the election so the electoral votes would be awarded to Bush as required by Florida law, where the winner gets all the votes. They shamelessly attacked an official who was only doing her job. The purpose was to cast doubt on the election by attacking the secretary of state who certified the results.

4. Democrat operative Bob Beckel, who ran the 1984 campaign for Walter Mondale, who won only one state, tried to redeem himself by trying to steal electors who were pledged to Bush in states Bush won.

5. Gore did not seek to throw out the votes of felons who voted illegally. According to the Miami Herald, 445 felons voted illegally. But Gore chose to attack the military voters on active duty who had to vote by absentee ballots.

6. Gore conceded the election at 2:30 AM. He then called Bush at 3:30 AM to un-concede, thereby adding to the English language vocabulary.

The MSM, as usual, did its part to help Gore. Margaret Carlson said the military voters chose to live in Florida because Florida does not have an income tax. She said on the Imus radio show that she did not want the election decided by tax dodgers. No problem with a draft dodger like Bill Clinton, but a problem with military retirees who live in Florida.

NBC contributed to the Gore cause by calling Florida for Gore at 6:49 PM. Polls had closed in Florida, except the voters in the western panhandle were still voting because the western panhandle counties are in the Central Time zone, so the polls were still open. NBC, ABC, and CBS dismissed this as insignificant because there was only eleven (11) minutes left. But a study by the Democrat Bob Beckel, and others, concluded that Bush lost over 8,000 votes due to the early call by NBC. The polls had shown Bush as a 2-to-1 favorite in the panhandle counties, home to many retired military retirees.

In addition, the early call for Florida affected the voters on the West Coast voting for president and local races. NBCs obvious bias in favor of the Democrats in 2000, and continuing to the present, is best exemplified when Tom Brokaw said during the election night show, But the critical states that we still have to win... He then stopped, realizing he told the truth about his support for Gore by saying we. Brokaw tried to defend himself on this slip when criticized by the Wall Street Journal. As they say, a gaffe in D.C. is when someone speaks the truth by mistake.

During Bushs first year, before September 11, Democrats continued to attack Bush about the election. For example, Terry McAuliffe, chairman of the Democratic National Committee, said: Lets not forget, Al Gore won the election. If Katherine Harris, Jeb Bush, Jim Baker, and the Supreme Court hadnt tampered with the results, Al Gore would be president. McAuliffe was rewarded by the Democrats with election to the Virginia governorship.

A corrupt MSM has viciously attacked Trump, who merely said he would wait until the election results to decide if he accepted the results. They reported the story as if Trump was the president who refused to transfer power to Hillary. Yet there is no criticism, or even mention, that the Democrats refused to accept the vote in Florida and the Supreme Court decisions. Instead, they chose to disparage and attack the election process and the Supreme Court.

In summary, the Democrats in 2000 tried to disenfranchise military voters. That should tell anyone who cares about our country that the Democrats will do anything to win, and the mainstream media will assist them.
Donald Trump is publicly accusing Hillary of "rigging the system."

Push-polling is one way to do that. It amounts to artificially blowing up the Democratic poll numbers to "push" a psy-ops mission  to encourage one set of voters to think they are winning and to demoralize the opposition voters, who think they are losing. One Alinsky rule is to do what your supporters enjoy: winning feels better than losing. Saul Alinskys lessons have gone mainstream.

Reflections on Leadership - Page 49 - Google Books Result Richard A. Couto - 2007 - Business & Economics You win a war by putting the enemy in a situation where he will not fight and where you triumph. ... He fought it because he said, "I don't want to give the enemy the impression that I ... So just to throw them off balance, we are going to have a battle. ... Saul Alinsky was a wonderful community action organizer, and he wrote ...

The Hillary Clinton campaign, in concert with allied media, has created a sense of doom for Trump supporters. Here is the five-month average according to the New York Times.

A 2008 memo revealed by WikiLeaks openly plans for oversampling. The known pattern for news polls is actual oversampling of Democrats. The memo goes to prove that it's intentional. It openly plans for oversampling. The known pattern for news polls is actual oversampling of Democrats.

Andy Meyer Sent: Thu Jan 10 21:21:07 2008 Subject: Meet and polling design Hey, when can we meet? I also want to get your Atlas folks to recommend oversamples for our polling before we start in February. By market, regions, etc. I want to get this all compiled into one set of recommendations so we can maximize what we get out of our media polling. -Tom

The term "oversampling" presumably means oversampling of Democrats vs. Republicans, because that is in fact what we see in many polling articles. The headline says, "Hillary up by 5 points," and the body of the text tells us that Dems were oversampled by some percentage. As you know, the math basis of statistics uses random variables, and whenever possible, statistical design uses equal size sample. The polling company can say it did not lie, because it reported the oversampling. The headline writers do the most important lying, because some big percentage of readers never get past the headline.

Since predictive polling is inherently imprecise, it's a guess.

I googled "Hillary ahead in polls" for 15,200,000 hits.
A new kind of explosive coolant called HFO-1234yf is being put into cars to fight global warming.

HFO-1234yf is already becoming standard in many new cars sold in the European Union and the United States by all the major automakers, in large part because its developers, Honeywell and Chemours, have automakers over a barrel. Their refrigerant is one of the few options that automakers have to comply with new regulations and the Kigali agreement.

It has its detractors. The new refrigerant is at least 10 times as costly as the one it replaces.

Daimler began raising red flags in 2012. A video the company made public was stark. It showed a Mercedes-Benz hatchback catching fire under the hood after 1234yf refrigerant leaked during a company simulation.

Daimler eventually relented and went along with the rest of the industry, installing 1234yf in many of its new cars.

None of the people in the car industry I know want to use it, said Axel Friedrich, the former head of the transportation and noise division at the Umweltbundesamt, the German equivalent of the Environmental Protection Agency. He added that he opposed having another product in the front of the car which is flammable.

While cars, obviously, contain other flammable materials, he was specifically worried that at high temperatures 1234yf emitted hydrogen fluoride, which is dangerous if inhaled or touched.

The new coolant is superior to the HFC it is replacing in its impact on global warming.
On Sept. 22, Time magazine ran European Politics Are Swinging to the Right by Simon Shuster (it ran Oct. 3 in wood pulp). The article is a nice little roundup about the emergence of new political parties in Europe and their recent electoral successes. The new populism sweeping across the continent is a response to the immigration crisis and to the heavy-handedness of the E.U.s central government, with its unelected bureaucrats in Brussels setting the rules for distant peoples. Several E.U. member states have balked at Brusselss demand to take more refugees. And then theres Brexit, which has inspired similar plebiscites in other nations, like France and the Netherlands. Shuster writes:

But the insurgency is not limited to Europe. All the rising rightist parties are aligned with Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump in what they encourage voters to fear: migrants taking your jobs, Muslims threatening your culture and security, political correctness threatening your culture and security, political correctness threatening your ability to speak your mind and, above all, entrenched elites selling you out in the service of the wealthy and well-connected.

Hear, hear! Shusters article is worth reading if one is aware that its not strictly reportage; theres a good deal of editorializing in it. Also, Shuster is incorrect on the central point of his article: the Euros arent really swinging to the right.

You see, these new parties arent calling for the downsizing of the welfare state; that would be political suicide in Europe. Nonetheless, Shuster repeatedly refers to these emerging parties and politicians as far-right. How is it far-right to want to stop an invasion or, if you prefer, to curb immigration? Shuster refers to the dearth of new job opportunities in Europe, but if some say that admitting millions of new people might exacerbate that problem, theyre labeled far-right.

How is wanting more independence, more self-determination, and more freedom a Nazi thing? And yes, Shuster ties the new parties to Nazis. After all, theyre both far-right, right? The identification (of Nazis and fascists as rightists) is a decades-old slur by one branch of the left against another branch of the left. Its the charge of the international socialists against the national socialists, and any other faction they dont approve of...like American conservatives.

Shusters article would have been better, as well as more honest, if he had identified the new parties and movements in Europe as nationalist or populist, and left it at that. But he had to trot out the far-right calumny. Even if Shuster isnt attempting to muddy the water with a little propaganda, the charge is cheap, lazy, and ahistorical. But the far right is whatever the left says it is.

Another writer who resorts to charges of far-right is New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman. (Friedman is the Times idea of a deep thinker.) In a column on June 7, Friedman wrote: America needs a healthy two-party system. America needs a healthy center-right party to ensure that the Democrats remain a healthy center-left party.

Most Americans will agree with the first sentence. But what Friedman is trying to do in the second sentence is assure his readers that Democrats are center-left. That, however, is just not true. Its the Democrats who are the true extremists; theyre far from the political center. Its the Democrats who introduced eugenics, concentration camps, and other fascist niceties to America. And with the embrace of Bernie Sanders in their primaries, it should now be undeniable that Democrats are socialists.

The center-left in American is currently occupied by most elective Republicans, which may come as a revelatory shock to Thomas Friedman (assuming he believes what he writes). Elective Republicans arent arguing for the dismantling of the welfare state; Americans are too dependent on it. Real conservatism for these Republicans is more of an ideal to strive for than a possibility anytime soon.

So if Republicans are going to become Americas center-right party, as Friedman is urging, then theyre going to need to move rightward, not leftward. Of course, if the GOP were to become a center-right party, theyd be less conservative and more libertarian. Thats because American conservatism isnt rightist; it is centrist.

Hillary Clinton and her minions have tried to tar Republicans with the charge of being in cahoots with the alt-right, a new name for old fringe groups that have found little acceptance in the halls of power. But the question serious Americans really ought to be asking is: is the alt-right really right-wing?

The alt-right is against the immigration policies of Mrs. Clinton, which are open borders and greater importation of Syrian refugees. America may soon start to resemble Germany, which is also headed by a woman whose immigration policies are at odds with the People. Voters will need to decide if Mr. Trumps ideas of a pause in immigration and of extreme vetting for immigrants from countries that spawn terrorism is sound policy. But know this: both in American and Europe, the left has no compunction about using the People as guinea pigs to vindicate their ideas about multiculturalism, and to build their voter base.

To use Friedmans word, it would be quite healthy for American politics if half of America would swing so unimaginably far to the right that they ended up in the center. But that would require that Americans know right from left, which seems a tall order for our dug in electorate.

Jon N. Hall is a programmer/analyst from Kansas City.
Former National Review editor and Margaret Thatcher speechwriter John OSullivan famously taught us, All organizations that are not actually right-wing will over time become left-wing. Currently, one plank of the progressive platform is the re-engineering of the population of the United States. Mass immigration from the Middle East is an obvious part of this transformation.

An example of the power of OSullivans First Law is offered by the organization now known as HIAS. It was originally the Hebrew Immigrant and Aid Society, a Jewish charity founded to assist Jews arriving in the United States as immigrants. At the time, there were no welfare benefits for arrivals, a situation that has now turned on its head, as taxpayers lavish huge sums on arriving refugees.

Yesterday, Clarice Feldman wrote on these pages of how Catholic Charities has become a big contractor providing assistance to Muslim refugees from Syria. These days, HIAS (which seems to get along as an acronym dropping the Hebrew part) is such a helpmate to Muslims seeking to bring their way of life, including violent Jew-hatred, to the United States that it is garnering praise in the Syrian American media. Ann Corcoran of Refugee Resettlement Watch:

HIAS (Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society), as one of nine major federal resettlement contractors, has a financial stake in the decision to admit large numbers of Syrian (mostly Muslim) refugees. More than half of their $31 million dollar budget*** is from the federal government (you!) which pays them (BY THE HEAD) to resettle refugees. They have every incentive to increase the number! HIAS doesnt focus attention on persecuted Jews and Christians/other minorities as a first priority, they help bring Somali, Iraqi and soon Syrian Muslims to your towns and cities. (snip) Here is the news about how happy Syrian Americans are that HIAS is helping get their people into America. At the Washington Post: LOS ANGELES  Advocates for Syrian refugee resettlement found unexpected allies as major Jewish groups have called on President Obama to open Americas gates to 100,000 asylum seekers from the war-torn Arab nation. The American Jewish resettlement agency HIAS has launched a petition drive calling on Obama to resettle 100,000 Syrians in the U.S., and Reform rabbis pledged to make refugee assistance a key theme for High Holiday sermons and congregational activism. Jewish American groups, saying they cant be bystanders as the worst refugee crisis since World War II unfolds, are joining Arab-American leaders in a critique of existing policies, which have sharply limited the numbers of refugees settled in the United States. (snip) HIAS has consistently called for more resettlement and pushed back against discriminatory rhetoric opposing the opening of doors to Syrian refugees, said Omar Hossino, public relations director for the Syrian American Council in Washington, D.C. It took 5 seconds to find this linking the Syrian American Council to the Muslim Brotherhood. And, btw, HIAS was a leading activist group pushing the Gang of Eight amnesty bill in the Senate (we have many posts on their lobbying activities on these pages over the years). ------- *** Have a look at the most recent Form 990 for HIAS (which re-branded itself and dropped the word Hebrew from its name awhile back). It is a $31 million dollar a year supposed non-profit group that receives 55% of its funding from the US taxpayer. Federal grants total just over $16 million and that is to resettle refugees! And they receive other funds related to their refugee resettlement efforts including over $500,000 in processing fees for loans (refugee air fare loan collections).

I think it is fair to say that an organization actively promoting the immigration of a population motivated to kill the founders and initial constituency of the group has been completely co-opted by the progressive forces operating through the state. If there were a trophy for "most completely coopted NGO," I would nominate HIAS for the award.

Hat tip: Clarice Feldman
Donald Trump's campaign manager said yesterday that Trump is behind Hillary Clinton in the polls. This is contrary to what a lot of Donald Trump supporters believe.

Some believe that a wave of new voters will come out to vote who are not being measured in the polls. Others believe that polls are systematically biased against Mr. Trump.

We are behind, Conway said on Meet the Press. Trump has fallen behind rival Hillary Clinton, who is up by double digits in some recent polls[.]

Some point to a few national polls like LA Times and TIPP, which show Trump ahead. But national polls will not decide the election, as Al Gore could tell you.

To become president, Trump needs to win Florida (where Clinton is ahead in the last six polls), Nevada (Clinton leading in 6 out of 7 polls), North Carolina (Clinton leading in all recent polls), and either Colorado or Pennsylvania.

In Colorado, Clinton is leading in 10 of the last 10 polls by an average of about 8 points. In Pennsylvania, Clinton also leads in all 10 of the most recent polls by a similarly large margin.

Who are these polling companies who took these polls in Colorado and Pennsylvania, and how biased were their predictions in 2012? Some of the polls showing Clinton widely ahead were conducted by Quinnipiac, Yougov, Marist, Mason Dixon, and CNN.

In 2012, CNN's polls were found to be biased toward the Republicans by 0.6%  in other words, pretty accurate. Marist polls were biased toward Republicans by an average of 1%. Yougov was biased toward Republicans 1.1%. Quinnipiac polls were biased toward Democrats 0.3%. Mason Dixon polls overprojected Republican success by 2.2%.

So these same pollsters who are showing Trump behind were actually quite accurate in 2012. People also cite polls by TIPP showing Trump ahead, and TIPP was also accurate in 2012, but the TIPP tracking poll is a national one and doesn't speak to Trump's chances of winning individual states.

Exit questions:

1) Is Trump's own campaign manager mistaken when she says he is behind? If so, why would he continue to employ her when she says such things?

2) Are the pollsters showing Trump way behind in key states all (10 or more independent polling organizations, including Republican pollster Gravis) going to be wrong in this election, even though most were accurate in 2012?

I would like to see Hillary Clinton lose this election. But I also want to go into this election analyzing facts logically. For Donald Trump to be ahead, everyone else, including his own campaign manager, has to be wrong.

Ed Straker is the senior writer at NewsMachete.com.
Jeep is a subsidiary of Chrysler, which survives only thanks to billions of dollars of taxpayer bailouts. Chrysler itself is a subsidiary of Fiat. This globalist entity is, as Paul Budline emails me:

 actually using terror-apologist Yusuf Islam (Cat Stevens) in its TV ads, which are meant to be 'unifying.' They even have the chutzpah to include a brief image of the Star of David, despite the fact that Yusuf Islam was deported from Israel for supporting Hamas! I find the whole thing grotesque, but not wholly unexpected.

Heres the ad: Update: Jeep seems to have removed the ad.
Before astronauts get suited up and launched into space, they spends their final days relaxing with their wives and kids in a private beach house near Cape Canaveral, in Florida. The two-story beach house, located about a mile from the launch pad at Kennedy Space Center, has played host to hundreds of astronauts and their families who have barbecued on its patio, a tradition that has been on for nearly fifty years. Situated above the dunes at the edge of a pristine beach, the house provides a spectacular view of the vast ocean and the sky, as well as the launch pad. Its isolation makes it the perfect place to bid farewells to family members.

The house was originally built in the 1940s, and was a part of the Neptune Beach subdivision at Cape Canaveral. In 1963, the property was bought by NASA to accommodate the expanding Kennedy Space Center. While most other houses and structures were torn down, the Beach House was saved from the wrecking ball.

Roofing materials, blown loose by Hurricane Matthew, lie on the ground behind the Beach House at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

Originally the beach house was called the Astronaut Training and Rehabilitation Building, and later the Kennedy Space Center Conference Center, but it has always been referred to as the Astronaut Beach House, or simply the Beach House.

In the early days, during NASAs Mercury, Gemini and Apollo Programs, astronauts were allowed to spend overnight at the beach house, but the rules changed during the shuttle era. Departing shuttle crews were taken to the beach house for a barbecue or picnic, and then left alone for some private time with their loved ones before they taken into mandatory quarantine before the launch.

In between missions, the beach house was used by the space agency as a place for official meetings, conferences and brainstorming sessions. It was also used as a gathering place for social occasions where NASA mangers entertained guests including celebrities, members of the Congress, businessmen and foreign space executives.

Although the beach house hasnt seen much use since the Shuttle program ended in 2011, it still is an important part of history. Proudly displayed within its spartan interior is a glass case with an array of wine and champagne bottles signed by various astronauts.

Photo credit: Rod Herrea/Flickr

Photo credit: Rod Herrea/Flickr

Photo credit: Rod Herrea/Flickr

Photo credit: Rod Herrea/Flickr

Photo credit: Rod Herrea/Flickr

Photo credit: Rod Herrea/Flickr

Photo credit: Rod Herrea/Flickr

Photo credit: Rod Herrea/Flickr

Sources: NASA / Wikipedia / Spaceflight Insider / Some Trust in Chariots
For a long time now, smartphone manufacturers from the Far East have steadily been growing and expanding their operations, with much of China and South East Asia dominate by names like Huawei, Oppo, Vivo and of course, Xiaomi. With Xiaomi themselves launching another big product shortly in the form of the Mi Note 2, it appears that these firms are not only battling it out with each other, but also with larger, Western names. New reports from TrendForce show that as these firms out fo China get larger and become more successful, the market share for big names like Apple and Samsung is starting to shrink, as consumers start to look elsewhere.

TrendForce, a well-known market research firm, has released new figures that shows Chinese manufacturers making a dent in the market share of Apple and Samsung, and presumably many other, smaller players. According to TrendForce, Huawei now has 9.1% of the market, Oppo had 6.1% while Vivo had 5.2% of the market during Q3 of 2016. As these are all Chinese names, its interesting to see this top three Chinese players gain 0.5% or so a piece, which might not sound like much, but as Apple and Samsung had 22.3% and 12.9% of the market, respectively, down from 24.3% and 15.0% the previous quarter, its clear that the Chinese names are having an effect on these larger players. Huawei, in particular, has been working hard to make a name for themselves in the Western world and are now the third largest manufacturer in the world behind Samsung and Apple.

The Galaxy Note 7 recall will no doubt have an effect on Samsungs position in the market. Perhaps more so, however, is the fact that these Chinese names are now shipping more smartphones than ever, and with Huawei, Xiaomi and now LeEco looking to make a big name for themselves in the West, its likely that Apple and Samsung are right to look over their shoulder a little more carefully. LeEco recently announced a slew of Smart TVs and Android smartphones that would be heading to the United States this Fall, and perhaps more Chinese names will be following their lead as we enter 2017.
Earlier this month, Google released two new smartphones: the Google Pixel and the Google Pixel XL. These devices are in some respects similar: both use the Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 chipset backed up by 4 GB of RAM with at least 32 GB of internal storage. They both use an AMOLED panel, stock Google Android 7.1 Nougat and the same Sony-manufactured 12MP rear camera. Both of these phones are manufactured by HTC, but you will not see the HTCs logo on the device, or in any of Googles marketing material. Instead, youll find a single G on the back of the device and Googles engineers proudly state that the Google Pixel is their device from the ground upwards: their hardware design, their software. Although HTC have been contracted as the manufacturer, it would appear that they are to Google as Foxconn is to Apple  an original device manufacturer, or ODM, with no input in any respect of the the design of the device.

Given HTCs experience in the Android ecosystem  they manufactured the very first Android device and have been involved ever since, including designing with Google the first Nexus device, the Nexus One  it might seem unusual for Google to completely ignore their expertise. We have also seen reports that Google and HTC worked together on the hardware design of the Pixel, but given how it is difficult to manufacture a smartphone today that doesnt look like another manufacturers product, it is difficult to draw a conclusion from this. When the Google Pixel family are pulled apart, there is little evidence to show that HTC manufactured or had input in any design decisions. And over at XDA Forums, the team have been piecing together some unusual changes in the source code for the Google Pixel XL device that point towards HTC having had some involvement in the design.

One clue is that both Pixel devices have a Google-internal codename in a similar fashion to previous Nexus devices, being called Marlin and Sailfish. This suggests that the Google Pixel and Google Pixel XL were originally designed as 2016 Nexus devices but along the design process, the remit was changed and the devices were rebranded with Pixel instead. Nexus devices are co-designed with the host manufacturer, which suggests that for at least the early part of the design process HTC were as involved with the Pixel devices as any other manufacturer with their Nexus devices. However, whilst this might make sense, there is scant evidence of this. After investigation, XDA Recognized Developer, Bumble-Bee, spotted that a HTC engineer removed a reference to htc_cerberus from the sepolicy line of the Marlin device source code back in August. This might represent Google and HTC removing evidence of their collaboration. Another developer, @jcase, tweeted that the bootchain for the Google Pixel family is: a standard HTC bootchain with some hardening/changes. This doesnt reveal much, but @jcase is experienced with HTC bootloaders and also suggests that the Pixel family were originally co-designed with HTC. Over 350 additional commits to the Markin and Sailfish kernals have been spotted with a clearly visible link to HTC: it very much appears that the Pixel devices were co-designed with HTC.

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What does this mean for the customer? Not so much as it happens. That Google partnered up with an experienced  arguably the most experienced  Android manufacturer to release its own branded device is encouraging. That HTC have worked with Google to design and manufacturer the Google Pixel family is also encouraging. It doesnt matter if the Google Pixel was originally going to have HTC Google Nexus in the name together with whatever designation used at the end; the end result is one of the finest Android devices to date and something able to take on the rest of 2016s flagship devices with the backing of one of the largest and most successful software companies in the world, Google.
Engadgets senior editor, Richard Lai, spotted something disturbing in Hong Kong: a shop selling the discontinued Samsung Galaxy Note 7 smartphone at a special price. We do not know what the special price is, perhaps the store has discounted the device because of the risk of it exploding, or perhaps the price has been increased because these are getting difficult to find? Of course, the reason why they are difficult if not almost impossible to buy is because there is a flaw in the battery design of the device, which can cause it to explode either on or off the charger. Although Samsung hasnt confirmed the exact reason for the battery failure, it has explained that the original fault is related to a short circuit. Industry experts believe this is caused by a compromised barrier between the different components of the lithium battery inside the device: when the two sides of the battery mix, this can cause a thermal runaway, which causes a rapid build up of hot gas in the battery. This can either catch fire or explode.

Samsung originally launched the Galaxy Note 7 in August 2016 and shortly afterwards, reports came in all over the world of the device suffering from battery problems. The device was recalled to be replaced with a new model  the Galaxy Note 7 has an internal, embedded battery that may not be replaced but instead the whole device needs replacing. As consumers started to receive the replacement Samsung Galaxy Note 7, things seemed to be getting back to normal until an American airliner had to be evacuated because of a Galaxy Note 7 whilst taxiing for the runway. Since then, Samsung has recalled all Galaxy Note 7 devices to be recycled or otherwise safely disposed and the smartphone has been banned from flights and mass transportation systems including Americas Amtrak.

We cannot be certain why this store has a stock of Samsung Galaxy Note 7s. It is possible that the store is unable to return these to Samsung and is instead recommending customers complete the official Samsung replacement process, and so the price is close to that of the refund from Samsung. Alternatively, perhaps the store is not saying anything to customers and instead they are buying the Galaxy Note 7 on the assumption that it may be used as an ordinary device. We may start to see third party battery vendors producing a replacement, safe battery for the Galaxy Note 7. Certainly, we are sure Samsung will move to close down this operation as any additional Galaxy Note 7 fire-related issues would be bad news for the company.
Software piracy isnt something to take lightly. While the US Department of Justice isnt exactly looking to sue every single person in the country who ever pirated a single app, organizations which facilitate software piracy on a large scale have no such luck. Four years ago, the FBI conducted one of its first major operations related to Android app piracy. In the second half of 2012, the US government managed to close Applanet, Appbucket, and SnappzMarkez, previously some of the most popular pirate app stores for obtaining illegal copies of Android apps. In the process of doing so, the FBI also collected quite a bit of evidence against people involved in running the said pirate stores.

Of course, the justice system wasnt designed to be fast in order to minimize the risk of unfair trials and mistrials. This is why most of the aforementioned cases are still wrapping up. The only related verdict secured by the US Department of Justice so far is the one which saw Scott Walton, the PR manager of SnappzMarket sentenced to serve 46 months in prison on the basis of conspiring to commit copyright infringement. That number is even more menacing when you know that Walton actually pleaded guilty so that he serves a shorter sentence. In other words, the US isnt interested in going easy on convicted pirates.

However, that isnt to say everyone accused in these cases was willing to plead guilty and go down without a fight. David Lee, a California resident with alleged links to Applanet refused to settle with the Attorney Generals office and went to trial. As things stand right now, that bold move paid off because his case just ended in a mistrial. Lee was facing accusations of conspiring to commit copyright infringement just like Walton. Other than that, he was also charged with aiding and abetting a criminal copyright infringement organization and conspiring to violate several provisions of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act.

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Interestingly enough, the prosecution has recently dropped the copyright infringement charges because of a lack of conclusive evidence. Remaining charges were argued in court earlier this month but after deliberating for close to a week, the jury failed to reach a decision. This lead to the case ending in a mistrial, i.e. David Lee being declared not guilty. While the Department of Justice still has some legal means of initiating a retrial on other charges which it previously dropped, the Attorney Generals office stated that its still in the process of evaluating its options and currently has nothing further to announce.
The Galaxy Note 7 was supposed to be a positive way of ending the year for Samsung, but as we all know now, things didnt quite work out like that. The South Korean firm had to recall the phone not once, but twice all over the world, and now the Galaxy Note 7 is no more. While there will be a handful of stores around the world looking to get rid of their stock, the Galaxy Note 7 has all but disappeared from shelves all over the world. Now, the industry and Samsung investors alike will be looking ahead to 2017, and the Galaxy S8, as well as perhaps a Galaxy Note 8.

If you thought that Samsung was a big deal in the United States, to say such a thing about their position in South Korea would be a massive understatement. The South Korean firm holds on to their home turf fiercely, and not only are they a household name, but theyre a part of the very fabric of the South Korean landscape. As such, the Galaxy Note 7 fiasco has been a massive blow for them in South Korea. Now, theyre trying to make things right and have started their Galaxy Note 7 upgrade program. You might be wondering what upgrade program given that the phone is no longer on sale, but Samsung is offering those that purchased the Galaxy Note 7 in South Korea will be able to purchase a Galaxy S7 or Galaxy S7 Edge at half price, and then upgrade to the Galaxy S8or the Galaxy Note 8 free of charge, they will of course have to exchange their existing device, however. This is the sort of program that Samsung hopes will lock in more customers, as well as help repair their good name in South Korea.

Whether or not the firm will be opening up such a program in the United States or elsewhere remains to be seen, but South Korea is no doubt an absolute priority for the firm. While having to purchase a Galaxy S7 or Galaxy S7 Edge at half price might not sound great, but with a full refund of a Galaxy Note 7 under their belt, this might be too good an offer for some Samsung fans to resist.
As has been widely reported in the media over the weekend, U.S. telecom giant, AT&T, has agreed to buy Time Warner for $85.4 billion after weeks of speculation. As expected, however, the deal has raised the hackles of many activists who have spoken out against such large-scale media consolidation, especially following on the heels of the Comcast-NBC Universal deal that brought together the gigantic cable company with the massive media conglomerate in a multi-billion dollar deal that got regulatory approval from the FCC and the U.S. Department of Justice in 2011. As for the latest deal, AT&T has agreed in principle to pay $107.50 per share, valuing Time Warner at $85.4 billion. The acquisition is yet to receive regulatory approval, but is expected to get the green signal with the ComcastNBCU deal acting as precedence.

AT&T may be putting up a pretty penny for Time Warner, but the telecom giant was apparently the only company interested in the media conglomerate if a recent interview from the Chairman and CEO of Time Warner, Mr. Jeff Bewkes, is anything to go by. Talking to CNBC about the acquisition, Mr. Bewkes claimed that AT&T was the sole bidder for Time Warner. According to him, Nobody else approached the company for a deal. While Time Warner is one of the largest media conglomerates in the country and owns some of the most profitable cable stations such as HBO and CNN, some AT&T investors and market analysts are openly wondering whether the telecom firm is overpaying for the media company that also owns Time Warner Cable and Hollywood movie studio, Warner Bros.

While Apple was also said to be evaluating the pros and cons of acquiring Time Warner, if Mr. Bewkes new revelation is anything to go by, the Cupertino, California-based tech giant very likely didnt quite go through and make an offer after all. Either way, the proposed deal has already attracted the attention of lawmakers in Washington, with influential leaders, such as Senator Bernie Sanders saying that the deal should be nipped in the bud to avoid a monopoly, which would mean higher prices and fewer choices for consumers in the long run. He has also found support from an unexpected quarter. With his distaste for the media not exactly a state secret, Republican Presidential hopeful, Mr. Donald Trump, has weighed in, invoking the Ma Bell origins of AT&T. According to his economic adviser, Mr. Peter Navarro, the deal should never be approved because it concentrates too much power in the hands of the too and powerful few.
Sailors who were released in Somalia after being held hostage by pirates formore than four years smile, with tears in their eyes, as they arrive in Nairobi, Kenya, on Sunday. AP

Nine of the 10 Chinese sailors released after four-and-a-half years as hostages of Somali pirates boarded a China Southern Airlines flight home from Kenya's capital, Nairobi, on Monday.

One who is sick remained in Kenya.

The sailors, escorted by a working group of the Foreign Ministry, were expected to arrive in Guangzhou, Guangdong province, on Tuesday morning before going to their hometowns.

The 10 Chinese sailors  nine from the Chinese mainland and one from Taiwan  were among 26 hostages released by pirates in Somalia on Saturday. The others are from Indonesia, the Philippines, Cambodia and Vietnam. They were the last of the sailors taken hostage at the height of Somali piracy, although several hostages taken later still remain.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang, at a regular news briefing on Monday, said China has always put priority on ensuring the life and security of the crew members, and he thanked the agencies and people involved in gaining the sailors' release.

Table by China Daily

The sailors were taken captive when their Omani-flagged fishing vessel, the Naham 3, was seized in March 2012 south of the Seychelles.

Pirates initially took 29 crew members hostage, but one person died during the hijacking and two more "succumbed to illness" during their captivity, according to a statement from the US-based group Oceans Beyond Piracy. Of the three who died, one was from the Chinese mainland and one from Taiwan.

"Am so, so happy. Really, am so, so happy. ... Thanks to you all," one of the hostages, Sudi Ahman, whose country was not immediately known, said after being flown to Kenya on Sunday.

Some of the sailors were unable to hold back tears on Sunday, while others hugged each other and smiled broadly.

One of the Chinese sailors arrives at Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi, Kenya, on Sunday. SUNRUIBO/ XINHUA

Bile Hussein, a representative of the pirates, was quoted by media as saying that $1.5 million in ransom was paid for the sailors' release. The claim could not be independently verified.

John Steed, coordinator of Hostage Support Partners, which helped negotiate the release, had gone to the Somali city of Galkayo to fetch the crew of the Naham 3, who had been held hostage for longer than any other crew except for four Thais released last year after nearly five years in captivity.

"The crew members are all malnourished. ... They have spent over four-and-a-half years in deplorable conditions away from their families," he said.

"We have achieved what we achieved today by getting elders, the religious community and local leaders and regional government all involved to put pressure on these guys to release the hostages," Steed added.

He said one of the hostages had a bullet wound in a foot, one had suffered a stroke and another had diabetes.

The weakness of Somalia's central government made it hard for negotiators to reach "emergency contacts", thus compromising intergovernmental efforts, said Yuan Tiecheng of Riskon International, a Beijing-based security service provider.

Such cases usually require involvement of private participants, since a large role by governments might induce kidnappers to raise the ransom amount, Yuan added.

Wang Hanling, a researcher of maritime law of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said the release was difficult due to the fact that maritime piracy had become organized in the region.

"The successful release shows that the Chinese government has indeed tried all it can to ensure the safety of the sailors held hostage, and that China's diplomacy is for its people," Wang said.

International mediators said the action marks a turning point in the long battle against Somali piracy.

Piracy off Somalia's coast was once a serious threat to the global shipping industry. Attacks have dropped off dramatically in recent years amid patrols by the navies of China, India and NATO countries.

Wang, the CASS researcher, said the incident shows that it's necessary to continue such patrols to ensure the safety of the region.

At the peak of the piracy epidemic in January 2011, Somali pirates held 736 hostages and 32 boats.

According to Oceans Beyond Piracy, while overall numbers are down in the Western Indian Ocean, pirates in the region attacked at least 306 seafarers last year.

While there has not been a successful attack on a commercial vessel since 2012, there have been several on fishing boats. Ten Iranians taken hostage last year and three Kenyans  one a seriously ill, paralyzed woman  remain in the hands of pirates, said Steed.

Agence France-Presse and The Associated Press contributed to this story.

Contact the writers at panzhongming@chinadaily.com.cn
(ANSA) - Rome, October 24 - Italian actor and director Roberto Benigni was the star of the Rome Film Festival's final day on Sunday, in one of the festival's 'Close Encounter' meetings with the public, where he told stories that ranged from meeting US President Barack Obama last week to watching 'Life is Beautiful' with Pope John Paul II.

Benigni flew with Premier Matteo Renzi to Washington, DC last Monday for the final White House State Dinner of President Obama's second and last term in office, in honor of Italy, and said the US president is "extraordinary".

"In the end, I hugged him, and I learned that his daughter is in love with Life is Beautiful. After his speech, he came down from the stage and hugged me too," he said. Benigni told of the time Pope John Paul II invited him to the Vatican for a screening of Life is Beautiful, after it won the Oscar.

"I remember that I came from Los Angeles, and found myself in the Vatican with about 40 Polish nuns and a few cardinals, until he arrived like an emperor," he said.

"At the end of the screening he said the film made him cry, and then later he wrote to ask me if I was available to read the 33rd canto of the Divine Comedy. In any case, seeing a film next to the pope, like it happened to me, is something impressive".

Benigni also had a tale involving the current pope, Francis, who he said called him at home at 8:00 in the morning after having seen his one-man show The Ten Commandments on TV.

"They told him I was sleeping and asked if he could call back the next day," he said.

"Which he did. Can you imagine, a pope being asked to call back?" The Tuscan director said his Oscar-winning Life is Beautiful, a story set during the Holocaust that was released 19 years ago, was "a triumph of love".

"I wanted to put an extreme situation in a comic body.

(It's) a film not divided into two parts, like many have said, but a real and true tragedy. One thing is for sure, I had a lot of pressure even in Italy to cut the final scene where I die, but I didn't do it".

Benigni, who will turn 64 on Thursday, lauded Italian director Federico Fellini as "the pinnacle of modern art".

"A Kafka, a Stravinsky, a Picasso, the best director of the 20th century. He made films that looked at you, or, in the case of La Dolce Vita, he showed you that life was waiting for you outside," he said.

He also recalled for the public the first time he went to see a movie, Ben Hur.

"It should be said that I saw it backwards, from behind the screen," he said.

"My family was poor in a legendary way. The only stories were those around the fireplace, and I slept in a bed with four women: my mom and three sisters. When we went to the cinema for the first time, not having any money, we watched from behind the screen. That was my first experience".


(ANSA) - Rome, October 24 - As many as 153,450 migrants have reached Italy so far this year due to a recent surge, pushing the number 10% higher than it was at the same stage last year, sources said Monday. It is also 1,300 higher than at this time in 2014, which went on to set a year-long record of 170,000 which now looks set to be beaten, the sources said. A further 4,300 migrants and refugees rescued in the last couple of days have not yet reached Italy. In the last three days, rescuers say, more than 12,000 asylum seekers have been rescued in the Strait of Sicily, indicating an increase projected to take the year-end total above 170,000. Migrant departures from Libya towards Italy have surged over the last few months.


(ANSA) - Berlin, October 24 - Italy's Premier Matteo Renzi is challenging the European Union rules under pressure on the domestic front ahead of a December 4 referendum on his constitutional reform law, conservative German daily Die Welt wrote Monday.

"Renzi defies Brussels" is the headline on a full-page article that says the premier "ignores the EU deficit rules" and that "openly stating he won't stick to European law is a significant development". EU rules clearly say "Brussels has the right to declare national budgets illegitimate, and even to impose sanctions," the paper said.

Renzi said after a European Union summit in Brussels last Friday that Italy's 2017 budget bill won't change no matter what the EU has to say about it.

Italy "is not asking for flexibility", Renzi added, but is invoking "exceptional circumstances" for spending on relief and reconstruction in the aftermath of a devastating August 24 earthquake in central Italy that caused billions in damage, plus spending on asylum seeker processing and reception. Italy and Greece bear the brunt of the refugee crisis as the first European landfall for people fleeing wars and persecution in Africa and the Middle East. "We didn't discuss the budget, but I want to make it clear we have not asked for flexibility, because flexibility is only granted once," the Italian premier explained. "We've made a spending request under treaty exceptional clauses for the earthquake and immigration".

"But the substance of the budget measures won't change," he said, adding the budget will take care of Italy's citizens not Brussels technocrats.


(ANSA) - Bari, October 24 - A Bari court on Monday sentenced an Iraqi national to three years six months for abetting illegal immigration.

Muhamad Majid, 45, is also a suspect in an ongoing international Islamist terrorism investigation.

Today he was found guilty of providing lodging and fake IDs for dozens of Egyptian, Iranian, Moroccan, Pakistani, and Turkish nationals in Italy.

The prosecution had requested eight years in prison.

Majid had been arrested December 7, 2015, on charges of abetting illegal immigration as part of an international terrorism probe into at least 10 suspects, and was transferred to a maximum security prison near the southern town of Rossano Calabro where Italy holds many terror suspects.

Majid is thought to have aided people linked to an Italian cell of an Islamist terror group and "aiding the entry into Europe of people linked to Islamist fundamentalist combatant circles," police sources said at the time of his arrest.

He had been released from an Italian prison in January 2015 after serving 10 years for international terrorism, and moved to Bari after winning an appeal against an expulsion order.

Wiretaps revealed he subsequently had telephone contact with numerous people believed to be linked to an Islamist terrorist group, and used what police believe to be code for explosives when he spoke of two kilos of "truffles" his wife sent him from Iraq.

During a February 2015 raid on a Bari apartment, police confiscated from Majid postcards he sent from prison in which he exalted the jihad, or Islamist holy war.


(ANSA) - Rome, October 24 - On Monday Italy marked the two-month anniversary of the 6.0-magnitude earthquake in central Italy that left 298 people dead and hundreds more displaced from their homes.

The day began with a series of minor earthquakes in the northern Lazio city of Rieti and nearby Amatrice, the town worst affected by the August 24 quake, shortly after midnight as well as a 2.9-magnitude tremor on Monday morning in the Umbria town of Gubbio.

Meanwhile reports said provisional homes for displaced residents of Amatrice and the other two villages where the quake hit with deadly effect - Accumoli in Lazio and Arquata del Tronto across the border in Marche - are due to arrive in the Spring pending full reconstruction. Earlier this month the government approved an emergency reconstruction decree earmarking a total of 300 million euros immediately.

It also said "a considerably larger amount" estimated at 3.5 billion for private buildings and 1 billion more for public buildings would be allotted for full reconstruction in the government's 2017 budget bill, which is due to come before parliament shortly.


(ANSA) - Rome, October 24 - The anti-establishment Five Star Movement (M5S) will vote No in the December 4 referendum on Constitutional reform because the law "deprives us of democratic rights", party bigwig and Deputy House Speaker Luigi Di Maio said on Monday.

"In our opinion, the title of the law does not in any way reflect its content, in the same way that the title of the Good School law does not in any way reflect the content of that reform," Di Maio told radio broadcaster Rtl 102.5.

The M5S recently lost a legal challenge against the question in the consultative referendum, which echoes the wording of the title of the constitutional law, arguing it amounts to a "deceptive" advertisement for the government's position in favour of a Yes vote.

On December 4, Italians will be called to answer 'yes' or 'no' on a question that reads: "Do you approve a constitutional law that concerns the scrapping of the bicameral system (of parliament), reducing the number of MPs, limiting the operating costs of public institutions, abolishing the National Council on Economy and Labour (CNEL), and amending Title V of the Constitution, Part II?".

The reform approved by parliament in April would turn the Senate into a leaner body of indirectly elected regional and local representatives with limited lawmaking powers.

Critics of the reform, including M5S and a left-wing faction within Premier Matteo Renzi's own Democratic Party (PD), say it will actually make procedures more complicated.

Di Maio was also ironic about the endorsement of the reform received by Renzi from US President Barack Obama during a recent visit to Washington.

"Let's say it is not the first time Obama has intervened concerning a referendum in another country, he supported 'Remain' in England and 'Brexit' won. Now he is backing the Yes vote and so the No front should be reassured," he said.

Di Maio went on to criticise Renzi's performance in Europe, accusing him of seeking conflict with the central institutions only as part of electioneering while "failing to bang his fists on the table at the right time".

He also dismissed criticism of the movement's performance in Rome, where new M5S mayor Virginia Raggi has struggled to get her administration off the ground.

"We have only had the defection of a budget councillor who we replaced," Di Maio said.


75 Syrian refugees arrive via humanitarian corridor in Italy Group met at Fiumicino airport by ministers, religious leaders

(ANSAmed) - ROME, OCTOBER 24 - A group of 75 Syrian refugees arrived at Rome's Fiumicino airport from Beirut on Monday morning under the project 'Humanitarian corridors' launched by the Italian government and Christian communities in Italy. It is the fifth group to have arrived in the country since February.



On Tuesday a sixth group of 53 people will land in Italy, taking the total number of arivals under the pilot scheme to 400, including many children. Overall, approximately 1,000 refugees and asylum seekers are expected to arrive as part of the project over the course of two years, not just from Lebanon but also from Morocco and Ethiopia. The latest arrivals, who come from Homs, Damascus, Aleppo and Latakia, will be housed in reception centres and other facilities in Luserna San Giovanni, Turin, Padua and Reggello. They were greeted at Fiumicino by Foreign Minister Paolo Gentiloni and Deputy Interior Minister Filippo Bubbico, as well as by Andrea Riccardi, founder of the Catholic Sant'Egidio community and representatives of the Evangelical and Waldesian churches in Italy. (ANSAmed).




(by Cristiana Missori)

BEIRUT - Freshness and originality were the common denominators of the work of two young Lebanese designers featured at the third edition of Beirut Fashion Week, which closed in the Lebanese capital on Sunday evening.



Joe Arida, 28, and Dana Malaeb, 20, both have strong ties to their country of origin.



Arida has called his brand 'La Terre est folle' (The earth is mad) and has managed to self-finance his work thanks also to the support of the Fondazione Starch created by Lebanese designer Rabih Kayrouz and PR and marketing manager Tala Hajjar to support emerging designers. Each year the foundation selects 4-6 designers and accompanies them in the creation, promotion, marketing, branding and distribution of their collection. "The next stage (was) selection to take part and represent Lebanon at the London Fashion Week dedicated to discovering young talent," Arida told ANSAmed.



"I chose elements belonging to the Lebanese tradition," he explained. One of these was the long kaftan-type dress called the abaya, which Arida reworked in eccentric and colourful styles using embroidered linen, cashmere or wool or simple print fabrics. "I started by selling items to my female friends," he said.



Now the orders also come in by internet. Malaeb instead chose to base her first collection on Arabic calligraphy, dedicating her seductive creations to Middle Eastern women and her native city Beirut. "Arab women want to be free and independent," she said.



Her work and that of Arida also appealed to foreign buyers from France, Saudi Arabia and Qatar, among other countries. "They are fresh and original, stylists to watch," the buyers said. In fact there is much young talent hiding away in the 'Boho chic' neighbourhood of Mar Mikhail and the better known Saifi Village, where talent scouts can also find art galleries, bookstore coffee shops and other showcases also having an eye to organic produce.


Italy playing part on migrants, now EU shd - Gentiloni Welcomes 75 Syrians at Rome airport

(ANSAmed) - FIUMICINO, OCTOBER 24 - Italy is doing its bit on the migrant emergency and now it's time the rest of the EU did too, Foreign Minister Paolo Gentiloni said in welcoming another 75 Syrian refugees at Rome's Fiumicino Airport Monday.



Italy, he said, is "playing its part in a civilised way but naturally we can't go it alone: it must be very clear that this is a message to Europe too," he said as the latest beneficiaries of the 'humanitarian corridors' arrived.



Italy is saving thousands of migrants and refugees a day in the Mediterranean. Premier Matteo Renzi has repeatedly urged the EU to do more to help in the effort and take its fair share of refugees via agreed relocation. (ANSAmed).




ANSAmed - Today's events in the Mediterranean

(ANSAmed) - ROME, OCTOBER 24 - The following are some of the main events scheduled for today in the Euro-Mediterranean area: VARIOUS CITIES - United Nations Day.



VALLETTA - Third edition of the Euro-Mediterranean forum on intercultural dialogue organized by the Anna Lindh Foundation (also October 25).



MADRID - King Felipe will begin consultations with political leaders ahead of a possible designation of a prime minister candidate (also October 25).



ROME - Festival of Diplomacy (until October 28). (ANSAmed).




Madrid - Spain's King Felipe VI on Monday began a round of consultations with political leaders that should lead to the nomination of People's Party (PP) leader and acting Premier Mariano Rajoy as the new premier-designate to be put to an investiture vote by parliament.



The start of consultations comes after the Spanish Socialist Workers' party (PSOE) decided to abstain from a second round of confidence votes, paving the way for Rajoy to become premier and ending the political crisis that has paralysed the country since last December. On Monday Felipe VI was to meet the representatives of the nine smallest parties, while on Tuesday he will meet with the leaders of the big four: Albert Rivera of Ciudadanos, Pablo Iglesias of Podemos, the PSOE's provisional leader Javier Fernandez and Rajoy. Parliament is due to convene for the investiture vote starting Wednesday or Thursday. (ANSAmed).


An APEC study casts a spotlight on what factors potentially hold women back in growing as entrepreneurs.

When a woman entrepreneur is presented with an economic opportunity, what considerations and decision points allow her to seize it? The answers to this question are the focus of a recently-concluded APEC study that will support APECs efforts toward an inclusive economic growth in the region.

To better understand how to create conducive policy environments for equal economic opportunities, the study looked into gender-related constraints faced by women business owners. It found that the lack of options for child care, inadequate access to capital, and the nature of motivation to venture into business are key factors worth further examination in order for economies to provide support for women to succeed and grow as entrepreneurs.

The more we understand precisely what holds women back, the greater our ability to propose policies at APEC that work for all, said Carlos Kuriyama, senior analyst for the APEC Policy Support Unit who led the study. An inclusive economic environment is one where both men and women can take advantage of opportunities to grow as entrepreneurs or as professionals.

The current picture of women in business

The study finds that women own approximately 38 per cent of small businesses across the Asia-Pacific, with one economy as an exceptionin the Philippines, 68 per cent of small businesses are owned by women.

Huani Zhu, a researcher who worked with Kuriyama on the study, said that the findings will help APEC push for policy actions that are designed to resolve issues that have long plagued women entrepreneurs.

Many emerging economies have limited means for developing their small and medium enterprise (SME) sector, said Zhu. It is hard for these economies to keep an engaged attention on the huge benefits of addressing the gender issue.

The study gives us a great picture of the types of economic activity in which women are most heavily engaged, explained Kuriyama. For example, small businesses owned by women are heavily skewed towards the services sector. These businesses account for about 65 per cent of female-owned SMEs  a far higher proportion than for men. Kuriyama pointed out.

Financing a top barrier

While there are cultural and societal factors that prevent equal access to resources, laws also play a big part in restricting womens access to finance, said Kuriyama.

Restrictive inheritance laws are a good example of this type of barrier. The practical effect is that these laws prevent women from using land as collateral when applying for loans, says Kuriyama. In some economies, women are unable to apply for credit without authorization from their husbands.

The study found that across APEC, only 45 per cent of economies guarantee the rights for men and women in terms of access to land, 60 per cent guarantee equality for access to non-land assets, and only 21 per cent guarantee equal access to workplace rights.

Because of this, women small business owners tend to turn to non-bank institutions, such as microfinance organizations, to gain capital, said Kuriyama. With this insight into the financing challenges, APEC can highlight the laws that restrict equal access to capital and hopefully encourage reform.

Necessity over opportunity

Another surprising finding in the study is that more women venture into small businesses out of necessity rather than women seeing the business as an opportunity. This makes expansion and growth a secondary concern.

In some economies, approximately 40 per cent of women who start a business said they did it out of necessity, says Zhu. Only one economy has more men starting necessity-driven businesses than women. In terms of motivation to start a business alone, there is a clear and absolute gender bias.

According to Zhu, differences in motivation have direct impact on small business and trade. Small business owners who are motivated by necessity are far less likely to internationalize their business.

The domestic factor

The report also confirms a well-known inhibitor to female economic engagement: domestic responsibilities. Data from the report highlights that across APEC, women spend far more of their time in unpaid work than men, including housework, on top of the time they devote managing their business. According to Zhu, this trend is consistent across developed and developing economies.

Even in developed economies, women spend a daily average of two more hours in unpaid work compared to men, said Zhu. This opens up discussion on the role of childcare services. For example, an implication of this finding in the broader APEC agenda will be to explore policies that encourage domestic markets to engage in child-care provision.

Sharing initiatives

To help APEC economies understand the different ways to pursue a gender inclusive agenda, Australia has led a sharing of pioneering initiatives implemented domestically to encourage small business owners to export.

It has become clear that in economies where social norms prescribe less active economic roles for women, the relevant government bodies involved in gender equality play an important role, said Zhu. In economies where gender roles are less pronounced, trade-promotion agencies have a bigger role to play.





For more information:

Ma. Lizbeth Barona-Edra | [email protected]
If youre considering a subscription to the Disney Plus streaming service, you may be wondering how much it costs. The service is available on both
This service reflects a continuous commitment to delivering exceptional experiences for passengers travelling or wishing to travel on Jazeera Airways.

The new phone number for WhatsApp use is +965 62221770 which is reachable from Kuwait and all countries. The line is attended daily 7:00 AM until 11:00 PM and the airline aims to respond to questions within 3 minutes of receiving the message. Customers can use the WhatsApp service to communicate with a service agent on a wide range of travel services, such as;

- Travel enquiries; finding travel schedules, flight frequency, arrival time, and others

- Booking and changing tickets

- Reserving seats

- Managing bookings in a faster and easier manner

Since WhatsApp quickly became one of the most frequently used social channels amongst youth and seniors, in Kuwait and the region, we wanted to make contacting Jazeera Airways easier than ever. Because of WhatsApp's accessibility, customers expect an even quicker reaction than they do on Twitter and Facebook and we are here to help them complete their travel procedures in the most convenient manner, said Dr. Mohamed Barakat, VP Marketing & Product in Jazeera Airways on the new launch.

The WhatsApp application is part of the airlines Next Big Thing series of value boosting projects and initiatives aiming at improving the customers travel experience on ground and in the air.
The conference featured speakers from major audit firms; PwC, Ernst & Young, Deloitte and airline representatives.

The three day conference included sessions about key emerging audit issues and trends, airline cost control and a holistic approach to airline risk management.

Qatar Airways Vice President of Audit Ms. Aneta Wojtun, said: Auditing in the aviation industry requires a delicate balance between conformance and effective delivery that paves the way to successful growth. Airline auditing has a role to play in the overall success of each carrier, and this forum uncovers best practices that will benefit all delegates.
Zanzibar will mark the third gateway location in East Africa offered by Turkish Airlines. Existing services fly to Dar es Salaam and Kilimanjaro.



Available from the December 12,, flights to Zanzibar will operate three times per week, flying on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays, in either direction.
YEREVAN, OCTOBER 24, ARMENPRESS. The Donald Trump campaign has admitted the Republican lags behind Hillary Clinton with just over two weeks to go before Americans cast their votes, BBC reports.

"We are behind. She has some advantages," said his campaign manager Kellyanne Conway, who added: "We're not giving up. We know we can win this."

On Friday, Mr Trump made a rare admission that he could lose.

New polls suggest Mrs Clinton remains well ahead nationally and in several battleground states.

Her campaign has predicted this is going to be "the biggest election in American history".

Campaign manager Robbie Mook told Fox News Sunday: "More people are going to turn out than ever before."

Polling in Republican strongholds like Utah and Arizona suggest these states could back a Democrat for the first time in decades.

The polls may be wrong in Arizona but if they are correct, it may be the start of a Democratic trend that doesn't just put the state in play in a Clinton 2016 rout scenario, it makes Arizona a legitimate swing state in coming elections.

"The demographics in the state are continuing to change," says Arizona State University political science professor Richard Herrera. "If there is another increase in Latino voters, which there almost certainly will be, followed with an increase in party registrants, this could become a real battleground in future elections."

For Democrats, that's a dream scenario, giving them new and plentiful paths to electoral success.

For Republicans, it could mean the start of a long-term political nightmare.

That apparent change to the electoral map has prompted a shift in strategy for the Clinton camp, which is spending money on helping Democrats running in close House or Senate races.

Mrs Clinton said she didn't even bother responding to Trump anymore and would instead spend time "emphasising the importance of electing Democrats down the ballot".

Mr Trump's campaign manager said the Clinton team had a huge financial advantage in how much they could spend on negative ads against Mr Trump, and high-profile campaigners.

"She has a former president, who happens to be her husband, campaigning for her. The current president and first lady, vice president, all much more popular than she can hope to be," said Kellyanne Conway.

But this election does not feel over when you realise the depth of support Mr Trump has on the campaign trail, she said.

However, Mr Trump reflected on defeat for the first time on Friday when he said that - win, lose or draw - he would be happy with himself.

A day later, he announced a raft of measures for his first 100 days in office, that include used curbs on lobbying and new trade and climate change negotiations.

With just 16 days until the election, much of the recent focus has been on controversies linked to his campaign.

On Saturday, he promised to sue every woman who had accused him of sexual misconduct.

He also repeated his claims that the election is rigged, because of voter fraud at polling booths and media bias.
YEREVAN, OCTOBER 24, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister of Armenia Karen Karapetyan held a meeting with Alexey Grigoriev - Co-Chairman of METRO AG Corporate Public Policy, Head of METRO AG Representative Office in Moscow, press service of the Government told Armenpress.

PM Karapetyan attached importance to the cooperation and further development of METRO AG and the Armenian export-oriented enterprises. Karen Karapetyan expressed hope the METRO AG will be able to find reliable partners among the Armenian producers with a long-term cooperation prospect. The PM stated that there are opportunities for expanding the export volumes of the Armenian agricultural products, processed production not only to the Eurasian, but also to other markets.

In his turn Alexey Grigoriev said they are interested in developing the ties with the Armenian partners and added that he sees great opportunities for that. He expressed confidence that they will manage to find ways of mutual cooperation as a result of active discussions.

A number of issues of bilateral interest, as well as the possibility of establishing METRO AG Representative Office in Armenia were discussed during the meeting.
YEREVAN, OCTOBER 24, ARMENRESS. Prince and Grand Master of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta H.M.E.H. Fra Matthew Festing says it is his duty to visit the Armenian Genocide Memorial and pay homage to the memory of the innocent victims of the 1915-1922 tragic events.

At a press conference after the meeting with President Sargsyan, H.M.E.H. Fra Matthew Festing expressed hope that such tragedies will never happen again.

There are very few nations in history, which have such ancient and such rich history as you. And its no coincidence, that you are known as the oldest Christian people. We cannot forget that tragedies happened in the history of Armenia. Today after midday, I consider my duty to visit the Memorial and pay tribute to the memory of the holy martyrs of the 1915-1922 tragic events, H.M.E.H. Fra Matthew Festing said.

He said with pride that the Order of Malta has provided humanitarian aid to Armenia during the days of the 1988 devastating earthquake and still continues humanitarian activities in Armenia.

We have humanitarian projects in your country. For instance, an orphanage in Etchmiatsin, a sanatorium in Dilijan, and we also take part in works in Yerevan. I think, this visit will give the chance to strengthen the historic ties which are present between the Military Order and Armenia. We hope that we can continue out cooperation, as well as the works which the Order carries out in Armenia, the Prince added.

According to him, the Order of Malta is committed to help people in different crisis situations. We are present in many locations. For instance, in Syria, Turkey, Lebanon, Iraq our medical groups are assisting the refugees, who flee the war and pressures. Doctors provided first aid. We also help those refugees who arrive from various North-African countries. Our associations have multiplied assistance programs in Eastern Europe. Despite the emergency situations, which we withstand, we see that our volunteers are working in 120 countries, where they help the poor and those who were left out of the societys margin. We focus on ensuring peace and security, eradication of poverty and strengthening human dignity. The Order of Malta carries out humanitarian assistance in the whole world, and our diplomatic work also greatly contribute to this. We have ties with more than 120 countries, numerous international organizations, we have a status of observer in the UN, the Grand Master said.

Prince and Grand Master of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta H.M.E.H. Fra Matthew Festing expressed confidence that the visit will allow to build bilateral, already existing excellent relations. He thanked President Sargsyan for the warm hospitality, underscoring that he enjoys his visit to Armenia.
Heres a tale you wont find in Students for a Democratic Society, A Graphic History, a new book due out soon. I always meant to write it down but never did. Im telling it now before I forget all the details, because I dont think its been recorded anywhere.

It was the winter of 1970, probably in February. Im not sure of the exact date. It must have been around the time that Tom Hayden and four others of the Chicago Seven were convicted of inciting a riot in Chicago at the 1968 Democratic Convention.

The place was Jessica Mitfords house in Berkeley, California, where a crowd of Bay Area radicals, politicos, artists, poets, journalists, professors and other high-minded riffraff had gathered. We were there to hear the latest news and to rally the troops, raise money, and generally show our solidarity with the leaders of the antiwar movement.

The house was packed. Rumor had it that Jean Genet would be there, along with the Black Panthers. They were squiring him around the country as part of their campaign to free Bobby Seale, who had been on trial with the Chicago Seven until his case was separated from theirs. (You may recall that hed been bound, gagged and chained to a chair in the courtroom).

A painters ladder was set in the middle of the living room as a sort of platform for the speakers. Several speeches had already been made when a huge red convertible with the top down roared up to the front of the house. Genet jumped out, surrounded by Black Panthers with weapons bulging under their leather jackets. Among them was David Hilliard, who had taken over running the party in Seales absence.

I no longer recall the speakers or their speeches. But I do remember Hayden, clearly the main speaker, being very low-key and looking like a Berkeley grad student in jeans and sneakers. His modesty and reasonableness were apparent. I was impressed. Hilliard was not. As soon as Hayden finished speaking, he challenged him. He wanted to know: Why was Hayden out on the street while Bobby Seale was in a jail cell? (Two of the Chicago Seven had been found innocent of all charges. Hayden must have been out on bail, while his conviction, like that of the others, was being appealed.)

Hilliards question was an accusation. Calmly and with what seemed to me a sadness in his reply, Hayden refuted the implication that he had betrayed Seale in any way. There was only one reason he was free and Seale was not. It could be summed up in the word racism. Bobby is black, he said. I am white. Those words I do recall, perhaps because they were so simple. The reply did not satisfy Hilliard. His aggressiveness seemed menacing.

At this point a friend of Haydens  I think it was a UC Berkeley student president or former president who had come with him  stepped in front of Hayden, as if to protect him. He shouldnt have. Hilliard hadnt done anything physically threatening, and Hayden was as composed as a turtle. Now, however, incited by the sudden move of the self-appointed bodyguard, Hilliard picked up an empty beer pitcher and swung it. It was a roundhouse swing that couldnt miss. He and Hayden were standing no more than an arms length apart.

Incredibly, Hilliard did miss. Instead of hitting Hayden, who somehow hadnt budged or even flinched, the blow struck a young girl (the poet Michael McClures daughter) who was sitting on the floor at their feet. Two sounds  a hollow, leaden bonk! followed by a high-pitched cry of pain  went off like a siren. This sent the crowd into a panic. People dove out of the way.

Genet went into a boxers crouch, evidently believing he had to defend himself. He was wearing an army fatigue jacket, his head had white stubble and so did his face, like he hadnt shaved. Ready to take on all comers, he planted his front foot on a coffee table. Pugnacious. I remember thinking he couldnt have understood much of what was said. From the few words hed spoken, you could tell his English wasnt very good.

Somebody shouted that the police had been called and were on their way. The crowd spilled out the front door onto the street and scattered. The last thing I remember of the pandemonium that day was how blue the sky looked and how puzzled Hayden appeared to be as he walked away unhurried, and it seemed to me, forlorn.

(Crossposted at HuffPo)

Postscript: Well, it looks like the incident took place sometime in mid- to late March. Heres an excerpt from an inelegant letter I wrote on March 27, 1970, to Carl Weissner, which a librarian at Northwestern University Library, Sigrid Perry, found for me:
Moscow, Russia  A secret Nazi-era tactical base has been discovered by Russian researchers on the island of Alexandra Land in the Arctic Circle, located 620 miles from the North Pole.The site, code-named Schatzgraber or Treasure Hunter was built by Nazis in 1942  a year after Hitler invaded Russia  and was primarily used as a tactical weather station that was crucial in planning the strategic movements of Nazi troops, warships and submarines.Before it was only known from written sources, but now we also have real proof, said Evgeny Ermolov, a senior researcher at the Russian Arctic National Park, in a statement. The written source Ermolov referenced is the book Wettertrupp Haudegen, published in 1954, and written in German.The odd tale of how the base was abandoned in 1944 has often been dismissed as a strange war-time myth. Reportedly, supplies had dwindled to dangerously low levels and the officers stationed at the outpost were forced to kill and eat polar bear, which was ultimately infected with trichinosis and caused everyone to become severely ill. The scientists stationed at the base had to eventually be rescued by a German U-boat.After 72 years, the long-lost Nazibase in the arctic has been found. Although there are no reports of the Ark of the Covenant or a UFO base, a number of wartime relics for the Nazi-era have been recovered from the outpost, according to the Russian Arctic National Park.Many of the objects appear to be marked and dated, thus allowing for confirming their authenticity. Included among the artifacts are objects bearing Swaztikas and Nazi insignia. These artifacts will eventually be taken back to Russia where they will be studied, archived and eventually put on public display.Among the ruins of bunkers, rusted bullets and other relics dating from the Second World War have been discovered at the site, many of which remain in a good condition having been preserved by the cold weather, according to the Independent About 500 items of historical value have been collected on the grounds of the former Treasure Hunter German station that operated on the Alexandra Land island of Franz Josef Land from September 1943 until July 1944, Russian Arctic National Park press secretary Yulia Petrova said in a statement. They include munitions and military equipment, everyday items, personal effects, and fragments of meteorological devices.In total, over 500 objects have been found, including a batch of well preserved documents, according to the Daily Mail . The code-name given to the base, by the Nazis, led to speculation that the outpost had a secret mission  with some experts believing that it may have served as a base for the pursuit of ancient artifacts, many of which were believed to hold supernatural powers by the Ahnenerbe The Ahnenerbe was an institute in Nazi Germany that researched the archaeological and cultural history of the Aryan race with heavy occult influences . Founded on July 1, 1935, by Heinrich Himmler, Herman Wirth, and Richard Walther Darre, the Ahnenerbe later conducted experiments and launched expeditions in an attempt to prove that mythological Nordic populations had once ruled the world.Alexandra Land, the region where the base was found, was a disputed territory for many years but is now officially recognized as part of the Russian Federation. Russia is reportedly planning to build a permanent military base in the region.Do you think the Russians found any hidden ancient artifacts or other occult objects possessed by the Nazis?
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Ecobank launches Masterpass, Africa-wide mobile payment solution

The Ecobank Group has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Mastercard to roll-out Masterpass QR, a mobile payment solution, across 33 African countries. This new agreement will give Ecobank the scale and capacity to achieve its 100 million customer ambition in a profitable and sustainable way by 2020.

The MoU signals the largest Masterpass deal of its kind for Mastercard globally, with the QR solution specifically being selected due to Masterpass QRs ease of use and convenience for merchants and consumers in the selected markets.

Ecobank customers in Nigeria already enjoy the benefits of Masterpass QR. Soon all remaining 32 countries in across Pan-African will receive the benefits of the partnership by the end of 2016.

Masterpass QR is the first mobile-driven, Person-to-Merchant (P2M) payment solution. The solution is an enhancement to the Masterpass global digital payment service that will enable millions of micro, small and medium enterprises across Africa to begin accepting fast and secure digital payments. This service addresses the challenges of expensive infrastructural issues associated with point of sale devices and eliminates the need for cash.

Group CEO Ecobank, Ade Ayeyemi said, With partnerships such as the one we have with Mastercard, we are well-positioned to meet the growing demands of consumers and merchants across Africa. We will use Masterpass QR to leverage the power of digital to bring millions of people into the formal financial sector. Our mission at Ecobank is to build a world-class Pan-African bank that contributes to the integration and socio-economic development of the continent.

Users of Ecobanks mobile banking platform across the 33 countries will be able to safely pay for online and in-store purchases by scanning a Quick Response (QR) code displayed at checkout on their smartphones, or by entering a merchant identifier into their feature phones.

Daniel Monehin, Division President, Sub-Saharan Africa, Mastercard said, Masterpass QR has been fulfilling the needs of micro merchants in Nigeria since it was launched in August this year. Our extended partnership with Ecobank signals one of the largest implementations of a digital payment solution in Africa, resulting in millions of previously excluded people joining the financial ecosystem.

Patrick Akinwuntan, Ecobank Group Executive Consumer Banking said, With Ecobank Masterpass QR, our customers across 33 countries will now be able to make fast, simple and safe digital payments via Ecobank mobile banking loaded on their mobile device where Masterpass QR is accepted globally. It will also help provide instant receipts for the numerous small, medium and large merchants across Africa.

Micro, small and medium enterprises across Africa contribute significantly to economic growth, creating around 80 percent of the regions employment and fueling demand for goods and services. The introduction of digital payment solutions such as Masterpass QR, will help these businesses become more efficient.

With Nigerians soon to enjoy the benefits of the solution first in Africa, the additional 32 markets that will receive Masterpass QR as part of the groups drive to connect with 100 million new customers by 2020 across: Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Congo (Brazzaville), Congo (Democratic Republic), Co?te dIvoire, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea Conakry, Guinea Bissau, Kenya, Liberia, Malawi, Mali, Mozambique, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Sudan, Tanzania, The Gambia, Togo, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

www.mobilemoneyafrica.com
by Mathias Hariyadi

Activities for young people and adults were organised in the month of October. The president of the Pontifical Missionary Works celebrated the final Mass yesterday. Free health care was provided to the poor, and young people visited hospices.

Jakarta (AsiaNews)  In the diocese of Weetebula, on the island of Pulau Sumba (province of East Nusa Tenggara), the local Church, led by Bishop Edmund Woga, held moments of prayer, games and activities for adults and children from October 18 to 23 to mark World Mission Day so as to deepen the missionary aspect of pastoral outreach. Fr Markus Nurwidipranoto, national president of the Pontifical Missionary Works, celebrated the final Mass yesterday together with dozens of priests.

Mgr Woga and local parish priests organised several activities for the missionary month of October. In all diocesan parishes, worshippers recited the rosary, read the Bible, and entertained kids and children with quizzes on the catechism.

Weekly activities were organised for young people and spiritual retreats for couples. The diocese also provided free health care for the poor and less fortunate in the area.

The 90th World Mission Day was also celebrated in the diocese of Atambua, West Timor. Nuns and local religious, along with diocesan priests, brought together young and old, women and men, to celebrate together. Children danced and played music.

"We want to thank everyone who helped and allowed these events to happen, said Fr Gerard Salu, a priest from Kefa. Through these activities, we encourage children and young people to love the Church and God, added Fr Nabem.

"One could touch the biblical joy in everyone," said with satisfaction Fr Salvator Towary, president of the Pontifical Mission Societies in the diocese of Atambua, with regards to the activities organised by the diocese to raise awareness of the mission and the joy of the Gospel.

Asked to work on the theme The Missionary Church, a witness of mercy, young people visited a number of local nursing homes to keep company and bring compassion to the elderly.
by Nirmala Carvalho

The National Symposium A call to freedom and justice in the family and society: ethical concerns and pastoral approaches ends with a march for life in Bandra, from St Andrews Church to Our Lady of the Mount Basilica. For Bishop Agnelo Gracias, Today, human life is threatened on many fronts.

Mumbai (AsiaNews)  The National Symposium 'A call to human freedom and justice in the family and society: ethical concerns and pastoral approaches' ended yesterday with a March for Life in Bandra.

The symposium, which began on Friday, focused on many human ethical values, such as dignity, social justice, human rights  particularly the right to life  as well as mercy from the point of view of the moral teachings of the Church.

After 20 years since its creation, the Diocesan Human Life Commission (DHLC) continues its work organising and sponsoring a number of programmes to support life.

Last year's symposium, which was attended by more than 450 people, had issued two statements about euthanasia and surrogacy. This year, the meeting, was organised jointly by the Mumbai DHLC, the Catholic Bishops' Conference of India, the Commission for Justice and Peace and the Centre for Ethics in biomedical research of the World Federation of the Catholic Medical Associations (FIAMC).

The March for Life, which took place yesterday after the symposium held at Goregaon, saw the faithful walk from St Andrew Church to Our Lady of the Mount Basilica (Bandra). Bishops, priests, and The Missionaries of Charity led the way, followed by many young people, social workers and people involved in the apostolate of the family and health.

At the church, the faithful recited their prayers in front of the memorial to the unborn and recited the rosary in an atmosphere of peace. After this intense moment of spiritual reflection, marchers went on, holding banners with slogans in favour of life, until they reached the Basilica of Our Lady of Mount.

Inside the basilica, Bishop Agnelo Gracias, Eccl Advisor, DHLC Mumbai , welcomed the faithful inviting to reflect on the three cornerstones that guided the march, first of all, the "spirit of gratitude" towards God's gift of life; second, the march as an act of solidarity to preserve, protect and promote life in all its aspects; and finally action in favour of life in every domain, including the environment.

"Today," the Bp Gracias noted, "human life is threatened on many fronts. At birth, powerful forces promote abortion to eliminate it. During life, environmental degradation is undoubtedly a real threat to it. Unless we mobilise for change, the earth will not be a livable place. And, at end of life, some strive for euthanasia!" This was followed by a Pro-Life Pledge by everyone.

His Lordship Bishop John Rodrigues Rector of the Basilica, addressed the gathering and gave the Solemn Benediction.

Bishop Savio Fernandes, Auxiliary Bishop of Bombay and new Eccl Advisor, DHLC told the faithful that 'The family remains a key element in reflection as the place in which life should be preserved and protected. God created the family to allow us to live in accordance the values of religion, tolerance, respect, acceptance, compassion, sacrifice and honesty. Each family is part of society and everything that happens within the family has consequences for society.

Later in the day, reference was made to John Paul II's apostolic exhortation on the family. In the latter, the late pope said that "the future of humanity passes by way of the family.

"It is therefore indispensable and urgent that every person of good will should endeavor to save and foster the values and requirements of the family."

The March for Life was a symbolic gesture to make people aware of the importance of life and to encourage the public to take a Pro-Life stance in their day-to-day living,
Vatican City (AsiaNews) - Behind a rigid attitudes of allegiance to the law "there's always something else", meekness, kindness, and forgiveness are gifts from God, not rigidity, said Pope Francis at Mass this morning in Santa Marta, inspired by the Gospel passage that tells of Jesus healing a woman Saturday, provoking the wrath of the chief priest of the synagogue because, he says, the law of the Lord had been violated.



"It's not easy - the Pope observed - to walk according to the Lord's Law", it is "a grace that we must seek". Jesus accuses the chief priest of the synagogue of being a hypocrite, a word that "he repeated many times with the strict, to those who have a rigid attitude in fulfilling the law", who lack the freedom of the children, who "are slaves of the law". Instead, "the law was not meant to make us slaves, but to make us free, to make us children."



"There is always something else behind this rigidity! And this is why Jesus says: hypocrites!". "This rigidity masks something hidden in the persons life. The stiffness is not a gift of God. Meekness, yes; goodness, yes; benevolence, yes; forgiveness, yes. But not rigidity! There is always something hidden behind the rigidity, in many cases a double life; but there is also some sort of illness. How the rigid suffer: when they are sincere and they realize this, they suffer! Because they fail to have the freedom of God's children. They do not know how to walk according to the law of the Lord and they are not blessed. And so much suffering! They look good, because they follow the law; but behind there is something that does not make them good: There are bad, or hypocrites or sick. They suffer!".



In this regard Francis pointed to the parable of the prodigal son, in which the eldest son, who had always behaved well, is indignant with his father because he joyfully welcomed the return of his younger son who was profligate, but repented. This attitude shows what's behind a certain goodness, "the pride of believing to be right." "There is pride behind this doing good. He knew he had a father, and in the darkest moment of his life he went to his father; the other one only knew his father as his master, he never saw him as a father. He was rigid: he rigidly stuck to the law. The other left the law to one side, he went forth without the law, against the law, but at one point he thought of his father and returned. He had forgiveness. It is not easy to walk in the law of the Lord without falling into the trap of rigidity. "



"We pray to the Lord - concluded the Pope - we pray for our brothers and sisters who believe that walking in the law of the Lord means being rigid. May the Lord make them feel that He is our Father and that He loves mercy, tenderness, goodness, meekness, humility. And teach us all to walk in the law of the Lord with these attitudes".
by Wang Zhicheng

The focus is on the issue of "strictly governing the party. Corruption remains the main concern with economic and political reforms at a standstill. New members prepare to enter the Central Committee. Wang Qishans retirement is a question as is Xis.

Beijing (AsiaNews)  About nearly 400 top members of the Chinese Communist Party met this morning at the Jinxi Hotel for the start of the Partys sixth plenum, safe from the public's prying eyes, to discuss the countrys and partys situation.

The focus is on the issue of "strictly governing the party, most notably the problem of widespread corruption among party members and the fight against them by President Xi Jinping who is also Party general secretary.

A recent Pew poll confirmed that corrupt officials are Chinas top concern, with more than 80 per cent of people polled considering this a major or somewhat major problem for the government.

The campaign Xi launched right after coming to power in 2013 went after both "tigers" and "flies", i.e. top and lowly officials alike, with hundreds of thousands of party members removed and convicted, including governments official and army generals.

Now the Plenum is expected to adopt new rules for Party members conduct. However, the anti-corruption drive has blocked every other action.

As a result of fear of getting caught, officials dare not decide because everything they do  dinners, meetings, gifts, expenses, travel, plans  could come under the close scrutiny of discipline inspectors.

Such a fear has taken the wind out of sail of Xis reform in the economy and the Party. The latter planned to liberalise the economy, stimulate foreign investment, and review the big state-owned enterprises. Yet, nothing has happened.

Inside the party itself, regulations, personnel selection and functions were supposed to come under review. Instead, the war on corruption has led to the elimination or marginalisation of Xis enemies and the promotion of his cronies or former collaborators.

For many observers, including Prof Willy Lam, Xis power has become almost absolute, like Mao Zedongs, so much so that many party members stressed the need for him to be given the core leadership role.

At this Plenum, all eyes are on promotions and who joins or leaves the Central Committee and the Politburo.

Some 12 provincial secretaries not members of the Central Committee were invited to attend this plenum, namely the party bosses of Anhui, Yunnan and Tibet, and nine government heads from Shanghai, Tianjin, Shanxi, Inner Mongolia, Jiangxi, Hubei, Hainan, Guizhou and Xinjiang.

All of them are expected to join the inner circle of Chinas ruling elite whilst all those guilty of corruption will be expelled.

The future of Wang Qishan (pictured right, with Xi), the powerful head of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, is also expected to be decided.

Wang, a key ally of President Xi Jinping, will be 69 when the party carries out a major leadership reshuffle late next year and is expected to step down from the Politburo Standing Committee.

Some experts believe however that since Xi has been hard-pressed to find reliable allies, Wang might stay on, and not retire at the informal retirement age of 68. In turn, this might give Xi an opportunity to hold onto power for many mandates, even after 2021, when he too is expected to retire.
by Bernardo Cervellera

Rome (AsiaNews) - On November 10, the diocese of Changzhi (Shanxi) will have a new bishop. Msgr. Peter Ding Lingbin will be ordained in the cathedral, dedicated to St. Peter and Paul.



The Diocese of Changzhi, with a population of 3.5 million inhabitants was founded in 1946. But the Church is present there since 1830 and was part of the Shansi Apostolic Vicariate, evangelized by the Franciscans. At present it has 51 priests, 22 seminarians, who serve more than 50 thousand faithful.



Priests and lay people are busy with preparations and are deeply relieved because place and date of the ceremony were only confirmed a few days ago. But the Vatican's appointment of Msgr. Ding came at least two years ago.



Some commentators have interpreted this vent as a green light" to the agreements reached between Beijing and Rome on the appointment of bishops, a first fruit of Sino-Vatican dialogue, a sign of a deal reached on episcopal appointments. Its true that the bishop, who had already appointed by the Holy See, has been waiting for the opportunity to be ordained and officially take possession of the diocese. The delay was due to the expectation of permission from Beijing.



The same thing can be said of the future bishop of Chengdu (Sichuan), Msgr. Joseph Tang Yuange. He, too, was appointed by the Holy See long ago and he too is waiting for the best conditions to be ordained. Although some media in China say that his ordination will be later this year, there has been no official confirmation of a time or a place. Other observers of the Church in China say the delay is due caution to prevent illegitimate and excommunicated bishops from taking part in the ceremony.



Since the day of his election Pope Francis has frequently signaled his esteem for the Chinese people and made overtures towards the President Xi Jinping. At the same time dialogue between Beijing and the Holy See resumed after almost a decade of silence. At present the delegations of the two parties meet with a certain periodicity (every three months) and they are primarily studying an agreement on the appointment of bishops. On his return from Azerbaijan a few weeks ago, while expressing optimism about this journey, the Pope himself said that the path is long and slow, "Things done slowly - he said  always turn out for the best. Things done in a rush rarely go well. Despite Francis candid confession, various media in Italy, in China and around the world continue to scrutinize every step and listen to every rumor, concluding that "the agreement is imminent."



To confirm this "imminence" they point to the fact that "by the end of" the month of October there will be a meeting of the two delegations to finalize the last details of the agreement.



But AsiaNews sources in China and others close to the Vatican have denied that this meeting will take place in October stating that it wlill take place at a later date. The Holy See Press Office has not commented on this news, but on October 22 issued a dispatch stating that October 24 to 26 " the sixth meeting of the Working Group between the Holy See and the Socialist Republic of Vietnam will be held at the Vatican, in order to develop and deepen bilateral relations between the two Parties." It seems unlikely that there would be two working groups on two very sensitive issues more or less taking place during the same days.



Some optimists may conclude the Vatican purposely wanted to hold the working groups together, to seek help from Vietnam (which accepted a non-resident nuncio) to solve its problems with China. But the fact remains that relations between Hanoi and Beijing are not at their best, thanks to divisions over the sovereignty of the islands in the South China Sea. In addition, the Communist Party Plenum started today in Beijing and all the high ranking officials are in China with their sights set on the decisions that will emerge.



In any case news reports on an "imminent" agreement are deeply upsetting for Christians who belong to the underground (unofficial) community who feel forgotten and put to one side in these dialogues. They fear that the Vatican, in a rush to achieve some results, is willing to compromises that pollute the Catholic faith.



One of these dreaded compromises is reconciliation with the eight illegitimate bishops (including three who have been officially excommunicated). Recent rumors claim that the Vatican is set to recognize four of them: Ma Yinglin of Kunming (Yunnan); Guo Jincai of Chengde (Hebei); Yue Fusheng of Harbin (Heilongjiang); Tu Shihua of Puqi (Hunan).



If it is true that China is pushing for the recognition of the eight bishops, it is also true that the Holy See continues to exact a real path of reconciliation and that implies a request for forgiveness from the excommunicated bishops, a judgment by the Pope, and a public gesture of apology from the bishop for having scandalized the faithful.



For the Holy See a similar process cannot come about by simply waving a magic wand. It requires each of the implicated bishops to follow a precise process and path. Some of these pastors presented their request for forgiveness years ago, but the Vatican has reserved the right to further investigate their situation. This means that it is unlikely that their reconciliation with the Pope will happen "later this year". In any case, this process bears no bonds to the ongoing China-Vatican dialogue, rather their own spiritual and human journey. In an article published last August 4 signed by Card. John Tong of Hong Kong, explaining the criteria and procedure of the ongoing dialogue between China and the Holy See, the Cardinal stated: " Currently in mainland China, there are still bishops not yet recognised by the pope who ought to fulfil the statutes of the Catholic Church for legitimate bishops so that they can subsequently be recognised by the pope as legitimate". In short, this recognition can only come about by "following the required conditions" and not as the result of a political deal.
by Nina Achmatova

The Patriarchate of Moscow makes this point after a meeting between the new apostolic nuncio to Russia and Metropolitan Hilarion. For years, the Russian Orthodox Church has accused Greek Catholics of promoting anti-Russian positions and supporting the Maidan protests in Kyiv.

Moscow (AsiaNews)  The Russian Orthodox Church and the Catholic Church rule out any possibility of supporting one of the parties involved in the military conflict in Ukraine.

the issue was raised in the meeting between Metropolitan of Volokolamsk Hilarion, head of the Synodal Department for External Church Relations, and Archbishop Celestino Migliore, Apostolic Nuncio to Russia, the Interfax reported citing the Synodal Departments Communication Service.

"They agreed that the Churches should act as peace mediators between the conflicting sides rather than side with a particular party to the conflict," the report said.

During the meeting, Metropolitan Hilarion expressed appreciation of the stance taken by Pope Francis and the Vatican on the situation in Ukraine.

Moscow Patriarch Kirill too had expressed with satisfaction that the Holy See itself has always pursued a balanced stance toward the situation in Ukraine and has avoided any lop-sided assessments, but has called for peace talks and an end to armed clashes.

The historic joint statement that followed the February meeting between Pope Francis and Kirill in Cuba also referred to the Greek Catholics, who are disparagingly called Uniates by the Russians.

Against the background of the Ukrainian crisis, starting in 2013, the leadership of the Moscow Patriarchate attacked Greek Catholic positions several times for backing protests in Kyivs Maidan Square and promoting anti- Russian feeling.

Sviatoslav Shevchuk, Major-Archbishop of Kyiv, has always rejected the accusations, calling for reconciliation, and for Moscow to recognise the dignity of the Ukrainian people and open a sincere dialogue based on truth and not Russias propaganda.

Mgr Shevchuk was very critical of Cuba statement, especially where it invites the Churches in Ukraine "to work towards social harmony, to refrain from taking part in the confrontation, and to not support any further development of the conflict.

"Point 26 is the most controversial," the prelate said. "One gets the impression that the Patriarchate of Moscow refuses to recognize that it is part of the conflict, which openly supports the aggression of Russia against Ukraine and blesses the military actions of Russia in Syria as a 'holy war', he noted.

The very expression 'conflict' here is dark and seems to suggest to the reader that there is a 'civil war', rather than an aggression by a neighboring state."
by Benigna Menezes*

Vijayawada (AsiaNews) - A significant ceremony of the apostolic sending to distant mission countries and perpetual profession of the Missionary Sisters of the Immaculate (Nirmala Sisters) took place during the Solemn Eucharistic Celebration at St. Pauls Cathedral, Vijayawada in Andhra Pradesh. Msgr. Joseph Raja Rao Thelagathoti SMM, Bishop of the diocese, presided at the liturgy and imparted religious God's blessing, praying that they "may be faithful to their vocation and mission."



The bishop stressed that the final profession of vows and the missionary mandate of the Sisters "is a source of great joy for the local Church". During his homily he invited the missionaries to "emulate the examples of heroic life of St. Francis of Assisi, Mother Teresa of Calcutta, St. Ignatius of Loyola." Then recalled the figure of Saint Paul, the great missionary: "Be he your inspiration when you face the challenges of missionary life in distant countries for the sake of Christ."



The missionary mandate was given to five sisters: Sister Francisca Seelam and Sister Vinitha Veedhi, who will go to Papua New Guinea; Sister Jhansee Tagaram to Guinea Bissau; Sister Josephine Vimala Soosai Raj to Bangladesh and Sister Pavani Mathangi in Hong Kong.



He gifted a crucifix to all of them, "inseparable companion of their apostolic work, protection against dangers and difficulties, comfort in faith and in death,". The Missionary Sisters of the Immaculate have dedicated their lives to God and committed themselves to proclaim the joy and salvation of the Good News through their lives, to translate it into the language of the people with whom they come in contact.



During Mass two other sisters, Sister Jyothi Sali and Sister John Kanikkai Reena Raj, made their perpetual vows, confirming the desire to follow Christ and to proclaim the Gospel in the world. They received a ring, a visible sign of the covenant that binds them forever to Christ, and the Bible, a symbol of the charism of the Missionaries and spreading the Good News. At that point Sr. Amala Rani Swamikkannu, provincial superior of Vijayawada, welcomed them officially as permanent members of the congregation.



At the end of the function the sisters celebrated with a lunch together with priests, relatives and friends at the Nirmala Convent campus.



* Missionary Sister of the Immaculate, feminine congregation associated with the Pontifical Institute for Foreign Missions (PIME)
With Halloween just around the corner in the Lower Mainland, what better way to mark the Pagan festival with a new stageplay about Frankenstein.

This version of the Mary Shelley classic is set in post-World War II Berlin. Frankenstein 1945 explores the world of Victor Frankenstein, a young doctor who has recently severed ties to the Nazi medical experiments, and Elizabeth, a young Jewish engineer returning home to Germany.

In trying to make peace with the bloodshed they have witnessed in which millions have died in the horrific war, they try to develop a way to bring back the dead. Frankenstein, 1945 is a stage-noir thriller about the monsters created by us and within us... and what happens when we let them loose.

The original book Frankenstein by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley is very important to me as a writer, says Mily Mumford, the playwright and director who has written this stage version.

I fell in love with it from a young age and it is arguably the first true work of science fiction, which is my favourite genre to create in.

Mumfords academic background is in sciences, specifically biotechnology and neuroscience so the story appeals to me from a scientific point of view as well, she says.

In an era of cloning, DNA splicing, gene therapy, and genome mapping, the themes of humans-playing-God are more relevant than ever. The ethics of medical and scientific advancement are still so important and relevant to both today and the setting I chose for this adaptation - the Nazi medical experiments and Nuremberg Trials. I also wanted to combine my love of the text with my love of film noir, which inspired the aesthetic and style of the play, she adds.

Frankenstein, 1945 features a talented cast including Munish Sharma (The Invisible Hand), Pedro Chamale (Bull) and Anais West (Dry Land).

Madelyn Osborne, playing Elizabeth says: This show excites me because as an artist I get to not only explore a true classic but I get to play an empowered, badass woman in a time when many women were being oppressed. We often only really hear one side of Germany in the 1940's and having the opportunity to explore further what it was like for German citizens during and after the war feels like a real gift.

Artistic Team:

Director: Mily Mumford

Featuring: Madelyn Osborne, Gregory Radzimowski, Natalie Davidson, Munish Sharma, Jessica Quartel, Pedro Chamale, Anais West, Zach Wolfman, Brennan Campbell and Ryan Scramstad

Set Design: Jared Raschke

Sound Design: CJ McGillivray

Lighting Design: Daniel Tessy

Stage Management and Production Management: Diane Bartosh

Details: Frankenstein, 1945 by Mily Mumford

When: October 24 Preview 8pm, 25-28th 8pm 29, 30th 2pm and 8pm

Where: Studio 1398, 1398 Cartwright St. Granville Island

Tickets: $23/$28 online at Theatre Wire - www.theatrewire.com
The Science Of Why We Love Halloween

Trending News: There's Science Behind Why We Love Halloween So Much

Why Is This Important?

Because this is why we cant wait for October 31 in spite of ourselves.

Long Story Short

A scientist from Purdue University explains that Halloween holds such an appeal because it allows us to get the thrills of powerful emotions without the genuine danger.

Long Story

If you ever needed proof of how strange human beings are, look no further than Halloween.

People spend their entire lives dreading being spooked by a ghost or coming face to face with a vampire, but on October 31 every year we cant get enough of it.

However, a scientist from Purdue University insists that our love of getting scared makes total sense as long as its within a controlled environment.

Daniel Kelly, an associate professor of philosophy, believes that human beings enjoy the thrill of Halloween because they know deep down that its fake and cant hurt them.

As quoted by the Daily Mail, Kelly said: You get to have your fear and disgust buttons pushed but youre not actually in danger. The guy with the axe isnt actually going to kill you. Youre not actually going to contract the infectious zombifying disease, Kelly told the Daily Mail.

via GIPHY

The same mental process takes place when we get on a roller coaster and even when we ill-advisedly decide to take on spicy foods.

Kelly, who wrote the book Yuck! The Nature and Moral Significance of Disgust said: There are some feelings that are manifestly unpleasant when they come in large doses, but many people actively seek them out and enjoy them in smaller, more controlled spurts. Why do people eat spicy foods when its really a chemical burn?

The theory that we enjoy being creeped out when we know its not real makes sense, and may also explain why the sightings of scary clowns across the US and Europe not at Halloween has caused such a meltdown because it has crossed that sacred line from fake scary into simply scary.

The presence of creepy clowns wont have helped the popularity of Halloween, and a survey from Mumsnet recently found that a third of parents would be happy to scrap the celebration and 16% outright hate it.

But for the rest of us who are suckers for our annual scare, rest assured its completely natural to look forward to hiding behind the sofa.

Own The Conversation

Ask The Big Question

Do you get a thrill out of being freaked out?

Disrupt Your Feed

With all the creepy clown sightings going on, I feel a bit Halloween-ed out. Maybe we should skip a year.

Drop This Fact

Halloween dates back 2,000 years to a pre-Christian Celtic festival called Samhain which some experts believe was to mark the date people believed dead peoples souls crossed into the other world.
Hawaiian Airlines Wins Right To Weigh Passengers On Samoan Route

Trending News: An American Airline Can Now Weigh Passengers Before They Fly

Why Is This Important?

Because this seems pretty discriminatory, but the airline does have a point.

Long Story Short

Hawaiian Airlines have won the right to weigh passengers before they fly on one specific route from Honolulu to Pago Pago in American Samoa. The rule is being criticized as discriminatory against Samoans, but the airline says they need to account for weight and that that particular flight uses a lot more fuel.

Long Story

Imagine having to jump on a scale before you get on a flight. Sounds pretty crappy and mean, but U.S. carrier Hawaiian Airlines insists it needs to do it to prevent the plane from crashing  and the US transportation department is into it.

The Guardian reports that Hawaiian Airlines recently won the right to weigh passengers before they board the 2,600 mile flight between Honolulu and Pago Pago, but only for that flight. Now, keep in mind that nobody will be kicked off if they're too fat  that'd be super mean  the passengers will just be seated differently to distribute weight throughout the airplane.

Still, the practice is being criticized for being discriminatory because it only targets one flight route in particular  and one group in particular.

"What they're saying is Samoans are obese," said an American Samoan man at the airport seeing his father off on the 6-hour flight, according to The Associated Press.

Hawaiian denies that they are being prejudiced, but Samoa Air, which started weighing passengers before flights in 2013 told CNN that this sort of practice is going to be more widespread in the future. The next step is for the industry to make those sort of changes and recognize that, hey, we are not all 72kg (160lb) any more and we dont all fit into a standard seat," said Samoa Air chief executive Chris Langton. What makes airplanes work is weight. We are not selling seats, we are selling weight.

As a matter of fact, American Samoans do carry a lot of weight. The U.S. jurisdiction has the highest rate of adult obesity in the world, according to the CIA world fact book, and Samoa has the sixth. So the rules aren't coming from nowhere. Still, it's definitely kind of mean.

Own The Conversation

Ask The Big Question

Should the weighing be done in a private room out of respect for the passengers?

Disrupt Your Feed

Distribute the seats properly and while you're at it add larger seats for heavier passengers to make them more comfortable.

Drop This Fact

American Samoans can enter the military, but can't vote. Watch John Oliver's must-see bit about it.
Australian dairy farmers are taking processing into their own hands





With many Australian dairy farmers still struggling with low farmgate milk pricing some are starting to take matters into their own hands and are cutting out the middle man.

Instead of selling their milk to large dairy processors, more dairy farmers are now choosing to process the milk themselves, creating their own niche brands available for sale at markets, corner stores and other independent retailers.

One example includes Gippsland Jersey, a new milk brand established in the Gippsland region of Victoria.

Gippsland Jersey came about after Steve Ronalds, a Gippsland dairy farmer, and Sallie Jones, whose father owned a Gippsland dairy farm, decided there was a need to by-pass the big dairy processors after Murray Goulburn and Fonterra decided to drop their farmgate milk prices earlier in 2016.

The farmers set up their own small processing plant (including pasteurisation and bottling in plastic bottles, and began selling their milk in farmers markets).

Gippsland Jerseys motto is telling consumers to ensure dairy farmers get a fair price for their milk. A portion of the profits are donated to the Gippsland dairy farming community.

Despite only establishing itself this year, Gippsland Jersey products are already starting to appear in small retailers, cafes and a IGA supermarket.

Crowd funding can lend a helping hand

Crowd funding is playing a role in helping independent dairy processors like Gippsland Jersey get off the ground.

At the moment, Gippsland Jersey is running an online crowd funding campaign, asking for donations and providing donors with small rewards to encourage them to donate.

Another company, Eungelladale, located near Mackay in Queensland, currently sells its own raw bath milk at local stores, but is also using crowd funding to raise money for processing equipment in hopes of making its own drinkable milk.

Equipment leasing can help out

Dairy farmers looking at producing their own products for retail sale need to consider their packaging options, something that might seem like a difficult task.

Many equipment companies are however happy to lease out what dairy farmers will need to start producing their own milk, yoghurt and other dairy products.

Surprisingly, the equipment cost can be less than AUD $200, 000, but obviously ongoing variable costs for packaging, transport and marketing need to be factored in to the final product price. However, mutual community goodwill between farmer and local towns, newspapers, online social media and retailers, offer many opportunities for free or low-cost PR publicity and promotion.

Farmers still need help

Although some dairy farmers are in a financial position, either themselves or by banding together, to start processing and marketing their own milk, other dairy farmers are still struggling to find basic food to put on the table for their own families.

Foodbank Victoria has recently expressed concerns about the severity of the financial squeeze hitting dairy farmers in Victoria very badly. It says it is receiving requests for help from farmers as much as it did during the Millennium Drought.

Related articles

 Can the Australian dairy industry be saved?

 Australian dairy industry agrees on voluntary code of conduct

 Murray Goulburn, what went wrong?

 Dairy farmers angry at milk price cuts

 Leading IGA adopts dairy focus on WCBs Sungold milk brand
Sanitarium announces major Chinese expansion strategy





Australian health foods maker Sanitarium has unveiled its plans to capitalise on new appetite in China. This follows a sudden surge for the Sanitarium Weet-Bix product manufactured in Australia.

The Australian-owned Sanitarium, which recently opened an office in Shanghai and has exported to China for more than eight years, will launch an international version of Weet-Bix called Nutri-Brex, into the Chinese domestic market from mid-November 2016.

The launch sees Sanitarium seize on an opportunity to build its brand in the largest emerging ready-to-eat cereal market in the world, while complying with new trademark restrictions that are now coming into place in China.

Capturing Chinas growing demand for Western-style breakfast

In China there is a growing trend among consumers for Western-style breakfast cereals, especially aspirational international brands with strong health and food safety credentials. This was demonstrated in May 2016 by the response to a Weet-Bix product placement on a popular Chinese TV soap, Ode to Joy. In the immediate aftermath, sales in mainland China soared, vastly exceeding forecasted expectations. Australian sales also benefited, with requests for Weet-Bix to Australian-based businesses sending products to China seeing some supermarket shelves stripped of stock.

While the size of the Chinese breakfast cereal market is difficult to quantify, Sanitarium reports its 2015/16 financial year breakfast cereal sales increased by approximately 50 percent, and it conservatively forecasts similar growth in 2016/17.

Todd Saunders, General Manager at Sanitarium Australia said the only difference between Weet-Bix and Nutri-Bix will be its name.

Different to the iconic Weet-Bix product in name only, Nutri-Brex is made in the same factories, using the same ingredients and the same traditional recipe that Sanitarium has used for almost 90 years. Its the same name that we use for Weet-Bix in the UK, our second biggest export market, Saunders said.

Despite the recent success weve enjoyed, it is still relatively early days for Sanitarium in China. Data suggests about 15 percent of Chinese households make a regular breakfast cereal purchase, compared with 90 percent of Australian households. Thats why the timing to change brand names while Chinese consumer awareness of Weet-Bix is at its highest actually works, Saunders stated.

Nutri-Brex will be positioned in China as a healthy and convenient breakfast choice for families, with its strong nutrition credentials and use of Australian wholegrain wheat in focus. The launch, which represents Sanitariums biggest push into China to date, will be supported by a digitally-focused marketing campaign that also aims to raise awareness among Chinese consumers of Sanitarium.

Sanitarium to use celebrity endorsement

As part of phase one of the launch, Sanitarium has partnered with Taiwanese-Chinese TV star Alyssa Chia to promote the brand to her We Chat social media audience which numbers in the millions. The 42-year-old celebrity mother, who recently announced her third pregnancy, has strong affinity with health and wellness in China and was chosen for her ability to influence increasingly affluent Chinese mothers seeking natural and nutritious products for their families.

Online and in-store sales strategy

Nutri-Brex will be sold in over 1,500 stores nationwide in China and multiple e-commerce channels from mid-November 2016. Currently online sales, predominantly through Sanitariums flagship store on Alibabas TMall platform, represent more than half of all sales of Sanitarium product in China.

Australias clean, green image and excellent food safety standards present us with an enviable opportunity. Chinese consumers are demanding healthy, high quality products and thats what weve built our reputation around since 1898, said Saunders.

We famously changed Australian breakfast habits back then and now were playing a part in Chinas breakfast revolution. While exports currently represent just five percent of Sanitarium total sales, were excited by the buoyant market and look forward to introducing more of the Chinese community to our healthy, wholesome plant-based products into the future, Saunders said.

Related articles
Some leadership changes have been announced at Baker & McKenzie with immediate effect.The firm has its first British chairman with Paul Rawlinson succeeding Eduardo Leite in the role and becoming the 15chair of the global firm. His appointment was made at the Annual Partners meeting in Barcelona.In Asia-Pacific, Hong Kong-based litigator, Australian Gary Seib becomes chair of the firms regional council, replacing Bruce Hambrett; and Singapores Ai Ai Wong joins the Executive Committee.The firm has also announced a new industry group. Global Consumer Goods will be created, led by Paris principal Alyssa Gallot-Auberger.Other changes include a new chair of the Global Healthcare Group, Sydney-based Ben McLaughlin; a new chair for Antitrust and Competition Group, Fiona Carlin in Brussels; and a new Tax Group chair, Simone Musa in Sao Paulo.A team from Holman Fenwick Willan including two from Hong Kong has helped with the release of 26 hostages held by Somali pirates for four and a half years.The law firm team worked with Compass Risk Management and the NGO 'Oceans Beyond Piracy' having committed to working on the release of a total of 48 hostages from the NAHAM 3 on a pro bono basis since 2013.Among those involved were Hong Kong partner George Lamplough and associate Hao-Ling Yau.The recall of Samsungs Galaxy Note 7 smartphones following reports of unsafe batteries, has already cost the Korean firm millions of dollars. Now its US business unit is facing a class action.The lawsuit filed with the US district court in New Jersey, has been brought by three owners of the smartphone who allege that Samsungs recall left them with no device while still paying monthly charges to carriers.The suit claims that some owners have been left without a device for weeks following the recall and aims to be granted class action status across three US states.
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To be qualified for SC190, or pass mark of 60 points, you only need to have 55 points plus 5 for state nomination.



But according to NSW Government, they rarely nominated anyone who has 55 points only, although there is no such minimum points requirement, since the process of applications have changed.



For some nominated occupations, 60 points may not enough to gain nomination.



Different time may also have different outcome.
Slated to debut in 2017 for the 2018 model year, the Opel Corsa F will be all-new from the ground up. Compared to the Corsa E, which shares its backbone with the Corsa D, the new kid on the block will be underpinned by the G2XX/Global Gamma platform . This switch is dearly welcomed, especially when you think that Ford and VW are preparing to redesign the Fiesta and Polo . That's fine and all, but the Corsa F has another trick up its sleeve.That trick, as you can also see, is a sedan version the rumor mill insists it will be sold in Europe by Opel . My humble opinion is that that wont be the case, at least not during an era in which Toyota Europe considers to phase out the Avensis due to sluggish sales in the sedan segment. The spied Corsa sedan prototype also reveals the unmistakable Buick waterfall grille, a small visual detail that further reaffirms my view on this particular sighting.For all intents and purposes, this is a testbed for the next generation of the Chinese-built Buick Sail, save for the fact the Buick Sail was discontinued some time ago in the Peoples Republic in order to make way for the Chevrolet Sail . If my intuition is correct, Shanghai GM might consider reviving the Buick Sail, especially because the Buick brand is huge in China.The golden bowtie, on the other hand, doesnt cut the mustard in the People's Republic, as proven by sales figures for the 2015 calendar year: 989,187 Buick vehicles compared to 612,024 Chevys. Its also possible for General Motors to sell this thing as the Chevrolet Sail in places like South America, where the Buick brand isnt as popular as Chevrolet.
British Customs Weekend Project packages just gained a new entry that will enable Triumph Speedmaster owners to turn their stock motorcycles into bobbers in a matter of days.The Triumph Bonneville Bobber is a beautiful modern interpretation of the iconic bobber style with its retro-inspired detailing including the seat pan, rear mudguard loop, drum brake-inspired rear wheel hub, ignition barrel, and "slash-cut" exhaust," explains British Customs, Southern California-based lifestyle brand, and designer of aftermarket motorcycle parts. While original within its own right for having custom looks off the showroom floor, the Bonneville Bobber openly rejects the true spirit and heritage of bobber motorcycles.To show off their new addition, British Customs built this custom bobber out of a Speedmaster in collaboration with skateboard legend and bike enthusiast Tony Hawk.The standard bike got stripped off of unnecessary accessories and gained new, simple, retro-inspired parts to turn it into a 40s-style bobber. First, the stock seat was replaced with a low profile one featuring Hybrid Gel Technology for more comfort.Next, the bars were replaced by higher ape hangers, while the wheels got swapped for bobber-style rims. The exhaust was upgraded with a full performance pack, the airbox has been deleted, while the Dynojet Power Commander V was thrown in to aid with more power.British Customs new bobber was also made to help raise awareness and donations for The Tony Hawk Foundation, which aims to build communities through creating skateparks in low-income areas.Whatever style you choose to build you ride, the Weekend Projects kits offer a wide range of options including seats, relocation kits, handlebars, foot pegs, gauge brackets, sprocket covers, chains, wheel conversion kits, lights, exhausts, air box removal kits as well as air injection removal kits.
We already knew that Rolls-Royce decided to stop building the current generation of the Phantom by the end of this year . The company already confirmed it would not replace the Phantom Coupe and Drophead Coupe, so only the sedan version of the British model will receive a successor.Its replacement will arrive in 2018, which will mean that 2017 will not have any new Phantoms manufactured by the company, and that there is no possibility of this decision being changed.It has been made clear to us that the brand has set a firm decision regarding the date when the Phantoms manufacturing line will be closed.Andrew Boyle, the Head of Global Product Communications for Rolls-Royce, has explained to us that the companys position on closing the Phantom line by December 31, 2016, is unchanged. With this confirmation from the British brand, all we can do is wait for the next Phantom to be released.The 2018 Phantom will be the eighth generation of this model, and it will feature an all-new aluminum architecture. The automaker is engaged in the process of developing the car, and we already presented spyshots of the next Phantom Future Rolls-Royce models will also use the platform introduced on the next Phantom, so the new generation is paramount for the brand.Rolls-Royce describes the Mk 8 Phantom as the Best Car in the World, and the company is not shy about this kind of statement. As the CEO of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars has previously stated, the next generation of the Phantom will be a contemporary and beautiful Phantom befitting the role as the flagship of global luxury.
The FAA says it has no objections to the controversial Yellville Turkey Drop but that seems to have inflamed controversy over the event even more. The long-standing tradition of dropping live turkeys from a Cessna 172 flying at 500 feet AGL has drawn the ire of animal rights activists in the past and this year the FAA sent an inspector to witness the event. The verdict was that dropping the turkeys didnt violate any FARs, which allow the dropping of objects from aircraft as long as they cant damage anything or anyone on the ground. In an interview with The Associated Press, FAA spokesman Lynn Lunsdford said it has no jurisdiction over the welfare of the birds, two of which died in the drop. Furthermore, Lunsford told AVweb that the FAA isnt in a position to approve or disapprove the event, only monitor whether it complies with FARs.

A total of 11 turkeys were dropped in flights that occurred Oct. 7 and 8. On each day one of the birds dropped straight to their deaths. The others were able to glide to the ground, although at least two were caught by people on the ground and will end up on their Thanksgiving tables. The announcement of the continuation of the event prompted a viral backlash aimed at sponsors but defenders of the festival maintain that because wild turkeys can fly, helping them do so from the window of a 172 cant be cruel. Yvonne Vizzier Thaxton, a poultry science professor, told Arkansas Online that, like anything else, turkeys like to make up their own minds about when to go flying. Placing turkeys in an environment that is new to them is stressful, she said. In the case of an airplane, the noise would also be a stress-producing fear reaction. Dropping one from 500 feet is a horrific act of abuse.
Rockwell Collins has significantly broadened its customer base with the $6.3 billion acquisition of B/E Aerospace. The iconic avionics and electronics maker is now in the cabin completion business but the two worlds are not that far apart. B/E is a Florida-based supplier of business jet cabin fittings from galleys to lavs. All those things need to be connected these days and thats where the two seemingly disparate companies make an interesting fit. Most of B/Es business is with airlines while much of Rockwell Collinss sales are to the bizjet market.

B/E is very strong in relationships with airlines, Rockwell Chief Executive Officer Kelly Ortberg told Reuters. Were stronger with aircraft makers as well as business aviation operators and the military. Well be able to sell our respective products into a much broader market base than either of us could do independently. Theres little product overlap between the two companies and the rationalization is expected to make both more efficient. B/E Chairman Amin Khoury said the merger allows his company to tap the lucrative luxury business jet market because of Rockwell Collins heavy penetration there. Having that information and time to market directly to the owners of the aircraft is a tremendous opportunity that were looking to take advantage of, he said. Its not something we can do on our own.
I was flying IFR from KHIO in Oregon to KMAN in Idaho and trying to avoid IMC. I saw that my ARTCC route showed a GPS altitude 2,000 feet lower than my current altitude, which would keep us below the IMC looming ahead.

Me: Seattle Center, 28M, can I get lower?

Seattle Center: 28M, negative, I need to keep you here for terrain.

Me: Roger that, I am WAAS-enabled.

I threw that last line out just in case he wasnt aware that I could accept a lower altitude with my GPS.

Seattle Center: 28M, the equipment on your aircraft does not change the height of the mountains.

Dustin Woodhouse
Armenia is ready to support initiatives aimed at curbing the destruction of Christians in the Middle East, President Serzh Sarkisian said on Monday while receiving the head of a major Roman Catholic organization in Yerevan.

Fra Matthew Festing, the Prince and Grand Master of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta, arrived in the Armenian capital over the weekend for the first-ever state visit of the head of the Rome-based organization, which is a present-day continuation of the medieval Knights Hospitaller, to Armenia.

After his private meeting with the senior dignitary, President Sarkisian said that they also spoke about the tragic situation in Syria which has turned into a humanitarian catastrophe.

We noted with pain that Christians, and not only Christians, there are being prosecuted and tortured. On behalf of Armenia, I expressed readiness to bring our contribution to the implementation of any initiative which will somehow stop the elimination of the Christians and Christian heritage at the Middle East, Sarkisian said, as quoted by his press office.

The Armenian government sent two planeloads of humanitarian aid to Syria earlier this month as hostilities intensified around Aleppo and the plight of the local population, including thousands of Armenians remaining there, dramatically worsened.

An estimated 80,000 ethnic Armenians lived in Syria before the outbreak of a bloody conflict there in 2011. The mostly middle-class community was concentrated in Aleppo, the countrys formerly largest city. In the past several years the size of the Armenian community in Syria and Aleppo, in particular, has dramatically shrunk because of the hostilities, with some 16,000 Syrian-Armenians taking refuge in Armenia. Over a hundred ethnic Armenian citizens of Syria have been killed in the conflict, with tens of thousands fleeing their homes and heading to neighboring countries, Europe or North America.

The latest escalation of violence in Aleppo has led to renewed calls for the Armenian government to help evacuate the Armenians remaining in the city. But such appeals have also sparked concerns among some leaders of the Armenian community in Syria about the possible end of Armenian presence in this Middle Eastern country altogether.

Authorities in Yerevan say the possibility of evacuating ethnic Armenians from Syria is not being considered yet.
24 October 2016 11:12 (UTC+04:00)

The Armenian armed units shattered ceasefire with Azerbaijan a total of 20 times throughout the day, Azerbaijan`s Defense Ministry reported on October 24.

The ceasefire was violated near the Chilaburt village in Tartar region, Gorgan, Horadiz and Garakhanbayli villages in Fuzuli region, as well as in the nameless hills in Goranboy, Jabrayil and Tartar regions.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts. The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations.

Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts.

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24 October 2016 10:02 (UTC+04:00)

By Bo Lidegaard

Now that it has been ratified by India and the European Union, the Paris climate agreement is set to enter into force. But the hard part is yet to come: turning the agreements vague political commitments into concrete action to mitigate global warming.

The Paris agreement, concluded last December, was a major accomplishment and an unprecedented display of political unity in the effort to tackle one of the most dangerous and complicated threats to our future welfare and prosperity. By including the entire international community in its partly binding framework, the deal establishes a new paradigm in global governance.

But, in practical terms, the agreement is hardly a guarantee of success. It provides no tools to ensure implementation of the policies and measures needed to keep global warming well below two degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, the threshold that forms the centerpiece of the deal.

The agreement provides merely a framework for reporting and reviewing on the implementation of disparate national agendas, as well as provisions aimed at nudging countries to achieve deeper cuts. Rather than establishing an enforcement mechanism to keep countries on track to meeting their targets, the agreement relies on a facilitative dialogue on collective progress to sustain momentum. But even this provision will not be tested until 2018.

Given the difficulty of such large-scale intergovernmental cooperation, a more ambitious and binding global agreement could not reasonably be expected, at least not anytime soon. But climate change is not going to wait. Its effects are already being felt worldwide, with extreme weather conditions becoming increasingly frequent.

In fact, evidence suggests that the effects of current concentrations of greenhouse-gas emissions are already at the upper end of the modeled scenarios. Climate scientists now warn that the two-degree window is closing very rapidly, if it is not already shut.

If we are to have any chance of meeting our climate targets, we need to take strong action now to reduce emissions drastically  action that goes beyond the Paris agreement. We must fundamentally transform the way we do business, with investors and companies abandoning their cautious approach to the low-carbon transition.

There are signs that such a shift in mindset is underway. Efforts and initiatives to catalyze a more rapid move toward greener practices by companies, investors, and capital markets are multiplying, spearheaded partly by business leaders eager to profit from the transformation. But the momentum remains far from strong enough, and, in general, capital markets still do not incorporate climate and carbon factors when pricing assets and evaluating risk.

With the right approach, businesses could not only help to achieve the emissions targets set out in the Paris agreement; they could also contribute to reigniting growth and delivering on the Sustainable Development Goals, approved by the United Nations last year. As a recent report released by the Global Commission on the Economy and Climate emphasizes, that approach should center on investment in sustainable infrastructure.

There is no question that the investments made today in infrastructure, as well as in extraction and utilities  will have important implications for long-term emissions. The wrong approach could easily lock the world into a carbon-based economy for another decade or more, pushing us far beyond the two-degree threshold. Green infrastructure, however, can form the foundation for a sustainable economy.

The Global Commission report sets out to identify the main obstacles to financing such infrastructure and to create an agenda to overcome them. In doing so, it represents a new approach to bringing about systemic change, different in two fundamental ways.

First, the proposed agenda adopts a more holistic perspective on the green transformation. The report includes specific recommendations on matters such as how to shift to low-carbon systems; but it presents them against the backdrop of broader priorities, such as the SDGs. In other words, it seeks not just to put the transition to a green economy at the top of the political agenda; it makes it a key component of the response to a broad range of political, social, and economic challenges.

Second, the recommendations emphasize the business opportunity presented by the ongoing disruption of the world economy. If investors recognize the benefits of getting in on the ground floor of the new economy, they will be more likely to embrace the necessary changes, thereby helping to drive forward a critical climate transition.

The new approach may make all the difference  and not only to business. What is at stake is nothing less than the worlds ability to take back control of our future.

Copyright: Project Syndicate: Beyond the Paris Climate Agreement

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24 October 2016 10:46 (UTC+04:00)

By Rashid Shirinov

A total of 78 state enterprises and facilities will be put up for privatization auction on November 22, Azerbaijani State Committee on Property Issues announced on October 24.

The enterprises put up for privatization operate in the spheres of cotton growing, agricultural chemistry, transport, construction and other fields. They are located both in Baku and in other regions of Azerbaijan.

A total of 26 of these state enterprises and objects are 30-45 percent shares in joint-stock companies. Depending on an enterprise, the nominal value of each share ranges from 0.5 to 2 manats ($0.3-1.2).

Moreover, some 36 small state enterprises and facilities, including 16 non-residential lands of 13-118 square-meters, will be put up for privatization.

The auction will be held in the auction Centre of the State Committee on Property Issues.

The portal for privatization  privatization.az, launched in July 2016, reflects all necessary information about the facilities, their addresses, location, and even initial cost and aimed at facilitation of the process. The website is available in two languages - Azerbaijani and English.

The privatization process is designed to attract both foreign and local investors, as well as improve the business environment of Azerbaijan. Why Azerbaijan is special section available on the website explains the reasons and advantages of investing in the country.

In general, over 1,000 different public facilities were privatized in Azerbaijan in 2015.

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Rashid Shirinov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @RashidShirinov

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24 October 2016 15:32 (UTC+04:00)

By Rashid Shirinov

Azerbaijan Caspian Shipping Company has launched "Shahdag" ferry for traffic on the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route, the company reported on October 24.

The ferry was returned to service after overhaul. During the renovation, which started in late September, Main and auxiliary engines, various systems, steering wheel and other mechanisms, as well as premises and accommodation were modernized during the overhau. "Shahdag" will be operated on the lines of Baku-Aktau-Baku and Baku-Turkmenbashi-Baku within TITR.

Depending on the volume of cargo, Azerbaijan Caspian Shipping Companys ships are kept in the reserve and then returned to operation, which allows to cut costs.

Given the significant increase in transportation volumes, in December 2015 the company decided to use several reserve ferries.

The Trans-Caspian international transport route, which is designed to provide transport connections between the East and West of Eurasia, runs through China, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Georgia and then to Europe via Turkey and Ukraine. The route was launched with the establishment of its Coordinating Committee in October 2013. The first test container train from China arrived at the Baku International Sea Trade Port on August 3, 2015.

The agreement to create the Trans-Caspian International Transportation Consortium was signed in April 2016 in Baku by the railway authorities of Azerbaijan, Georgia and Kazakhstan.

Azerbaijani companies ADY Express and ACSC Logistics, Kazakhstan's KTZ Express and Georgia's Trans Caucasus Terminals LLC are the members of the consortium. The Supervisory Board includes one representative from each member company, while Igbal Huseynov, the deputy head of Azerbaijan Railways JSC is the chairman of the board. Later, Ukrainian "Ukrzaliznytsya," "Ukrferry," companies, as well as Moldovan Translogistic became members of the Coordination Committee.

In January, 2016, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Georgia and Ukraine decided to apply the competitive feed-in tariffs for cargo transportation via the TITR. Single competitive rate was introduced in the framework of the route starting from June 1, 2016 with the view to reduce the costs of international cargo transportation.

About 300,000-400,000 containers are expected to be transported via the Trans-Caspian international transport route by 2020, bringing huge financial profits to Azerbaijan. Growing interest in the transport infrastructures passing through Azerbaijan's territory is expected to make the country a major transport hub in the region.

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Rashid Shirinov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @RashidShirinov

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24 October 2016 18:01 (UTC+04:00)

By Amina Nazarli

Germanys major transportation and logistics company DHL is interested in conducting freight traffic between Europe and Asia through Azerbaijan.

Spokesperson for Azerbaijan Railways Nadir Azmammadov told Trend that representatives of the German company expressed their interest in implementation of cargo traffic between Asia and Europe, using the corridor that passes through Azerbaijan.

He noted that the development and prospects of the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route, which is a part of the East-West transportation corridor, were discussed during a meeting of the head of Azerbaijan Railways, Javid Gurbanov, with the head of DHLs Shanghai branch, Allen Chen, in China.

Azmammadov noted that after commissioning of the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars (BTK) railway, which is a part of the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route, the volume of freight traffic via the corridor will increase and simultaneously, cargos delivery period between

Asia and Europe will decrease.

DHL is present in over 220 countries and territories across the globe, making it the most international company in the world. With a workforce exceeding 340,000 employees, the company provides solutions for an almost infinite number of logistics needs.



DHL is part of the worlds leading postal and logistics company Deutsche Post DHL Group, and encompasses the business units DHL Express, DHL Parcel, DHL eCommerce, DHL Global Forwarding, DHL Freight and DHL Supply Chain.

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Amina Nazarli is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @amina_nazarli



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24 October 2016 17:34 (UTC+04:00)

By Rashid Shirinov

The visit of OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs to Baku on October 22 leads to the conclusion that the negotiation process over the Nagorno-Karabakh problem has anew revived.

After the two meetings in May and June 2016, which followed the April clashes between the Armenian and Azerbaijani troops, the solution of the conflict was somehow frozen. In this context the recent visit of James Warlick, Igor Popov, Pierre Andrieu and the Special Representative of the OSCE chairperson-in-office Andrzej Kasprzyk to Azerbaijan seems to restore the peace process over the Nagorno-Karabakh problem.

Since the beginning of the conflict in late 80's, both Azerbaijani side and OSCE MG have been committed to the international law, including four UN Security Council resolutions, providing for immediate withdrawal of Armenian armed forces from Nagorno-Karabakh and seven surrounding districts. For over two decades, Azerbaijan and its 9.5-million population have been waiting, and still wait for restoration of this historical justice.

In this regard, James Warlick, the U.S. co-chair of the OSCE MG, has made a quite fair statement. There will be no agreement without the return of occupied territories of Azerbaijan, or without talks on the status of Nagorno-Karabakh, he stressed at a press conference in Baku on October 22. He also mentioned that the current status quo is unstable and there are many elements of solution to the conflict on the negotiating table.

Azerbaijan has numerously stated its readiness to discuss the status of Nagorno-Karabakh. There can be a compromise on the issues of local self-government of the Nagorno-Karabakh, and in the future, if we agree, it can be an autonomous republic, President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has recently told Sputnik news agency. Meanwhile, he firmly stated that there can be no compromise on the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan.

Turkey also expressed its view on the Nagorno-Karabakh problem. Withdrawal of the Armenian troops from at least five regions of the occupied Azerbaijani territories continues to be debated, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu stressed while addressing the PACE session on October 12, adding that if such steps are taken, Turkey will be ready to support any solution that is supported by Azerbaijan.

However, staying committed to its unconstructive policy, Armenia continues occupation of 20 percent of Azerbaijani territory. Since the beginning of the conflict, more than 20,000 Azerbaijanis were killed and nearly 1 million out of then 7.3-million population of Azerbaijan were evicted from their houses in Nagorno-Karabakh. Now they have to live a refugee life, dreaming of their return to native lands.

Moreover, the Armenian government is strongly against a meeting of the Azerbaijani and Armenian communities of Nagorno-Karabakh. Last meeting between the communities was held seven years ago, in 2009. Since then, such initiatives have stalled because of the reluctance of Armenian side. By this inaction, Armenia in fact denies the right of the Azerbaijani community to return to their historic lands. If the Armenians will meet with the Azerbaijani population, the reconciliation is possible, but the Armenian authorities do not want this, Bayram Safarov, the Chairman of the Azerbaijani Community of Nagorno-Karabakh has recently stressed.

The occupation of Azerbaijani lands harms Armenia itself  due to its policy, the country cannot benefit from the international projects. If that continues, Armenia will be even more ignored by its neighbors. Moreover, this also hinders a deeper economic cooperation between the countries of the region. If Armenia is interested in the prosperity of Karabakh, it must stop the occupation, withdraw the troops, and then Baku will do everything possible to develop the region in the interests of all nations living there.

Children of both countries should live in peace and it is necessary to achieve this through peaceful negotiations, Warlick said in Baku.

Thus, to ensure safety and prosperity in the region, to let the Azerbaijani and Armenian population of Nagorno-Karabakh live a decent life, international mediators, through rejecting double standards and staying committed to international law, should bring the justice in the region.

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Rashid Shirinov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @RashidShirinov

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24 October 2016 17:49 (UTC+04:00)

The United Nations (UN) supports peaceful settlement of the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

UN Resident Coordinator in Baku Ghulam Isaczai made the remark while talking to reporters in Baku on October 24.

He noted that the UN supports the OSCE Minsk Groups efforts on the issue and hopes for peaceful solution of the conflict.

The OSCE Minsk Group was created in 1992 to find a peaceful solution to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Currently, it is co-chaired by the Russian Federation (Igor Popov), the U.S. (James Warlick) and France (Pierre Andrieu).

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts. More than 20,000 Azerbaijanis were killed and over 1 million were displaced as a result of the large-scale hostilities. The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations.

Armenia still controls fifth part of Azerbaijan's territory and rejects implementing four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and surrounding districts.

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24 October 2016 12:23 (UTC+04:00)

An official welcoming ceremony was held for Croatian President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic, who is on an official visit in the Republic of Azerbaijan, on October 24.

A guard of honor was arranged for the Croatian President in the square decorated with the national flags of the two countries

The chief of the guard of honor reported to President Ilham Aliyev.

President Ilham Aliyev greeted President of the Republic Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic.

The chief of the guard of honor reported to the Croatian president. The national anthems of Croatia and Azerbaijan were played.

President Ilham Aliyev and President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic reviewed the guard of honor.

The Croatian president saluted the Azerbaijani soldiers.

State and government officials of Azerbaijan were introduced to President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic, and members of the Croatian delegation were introduced to President Ilham Aliyev.

The guard of honor marched in front of the presidents.

Presidents Ilham Aliyev and Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic posed for official photos.

After the official welcoming ceremony, President Ilham Aliyev and President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic have had a one-on-one meeting.

The importance of the Croatian president`s visit to Azerbaijan was emphasized during the meeting.

President Aliyev recalled his meeting with Croatian President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic on the sidelines of the Supporting Syria and the Region conference in London early this year as well as his visits to Croatia. The head of state said the two countries enjoyed high-level ties in all areas.

President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic said she was pleased to be visiting Azerbaijan.

She underlined the importance of the business forum to be held as part of the visit, further noting that Croatian companies were interested in operating in Azerbaijan.

They said there were good opportunities for the expansion of Azerbaijan-Croatia relations in various areas, and expressed confidence that the bilateral ties would continue to develop.

Later President Ilham Aliyev and President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic held an expanded meeting. The Presidents made statements for the press following the expanded meeting.

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24 October 2016 12:21 (UTC+04:00)

By Gunay Hasanova

The Caspian littoral states are keen on determining of a legal status of the Sea, which has remained disputable during the past two decades.

The Working Group on Determining the Legal Status of the Caspian Sea opened its 47th summit in Tehran on October 23. The meeting was attended by special representatives and deputy foreign ministers of the five Caspian littoral states, including Iran, Azerbaijan, Russia, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan.

Irans Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, addressing the event, described the discussions over the legal status of the Caspian Sea as in the condition of mutual understanding.

The minister noted that the parties demonstrated constructive position during the discussions.

We hope drafting the convention on the Legal Status of the Caspian Sea will be finalized soon, Mehr news agency quoted Zarif as saying.

He further urged the Caspian-littoral states to protect the marine environment of the Caspian Sea.

Azerbaijan`s deputy foreign minister Khalaf Khalafov, in turn, noted that the negotiations on the determination of the legal status of the Caspian Sea were constructive.

He further added that the decisions adopted during the meeting of the heads of states made contribution to a process of agreement of the main principles of the Convention about the legal status of the Caspian Sea.

Speaking to the event, representatives of Kazakhstan, Russia and Turkmenistan noted the importance of discussions over the all issues between the Caspian-littoral states.

The Caspian Sea is the biggest enclosed body of water on Earth, with enormous deposits of oil and gas as well as rich fisheries. It plays an important role in the transport corridors, along with being an important part of the international and regional projects.

The legal status has been remained unsolved during the past two decades, preventing development and exploitation of its disputable oil and gas fields and creating obstacles to the realization of major energy projects.

Negotiations related to the demarcation of the Caspian Sea have been going on for nearly a decade now among the littoral states bordering the Caspian. The major issues cover the access to the mineral resources (oil and gas), access for fishing, access to international waters.

Azerbaijan proposes that the Caspian Sea must be divided into national sectors based on the median line principles since it is an international boundary lake.

In turn, Iran and Turkmenistan oppose Azerbaijans position considering that the Caspian Sea must be divided into equal parts between the pre-Caspian countries so that each country must have 20% of the sea.

The five Caspian states signed a Framework Convention for Protection of Marine Environment of the Caspian Sea in November 2003.

Russia and Kazakhstan signed an agreement on the delimitation of the northern part of the Caspian seabed in order to exercise sovereign rights for subsoil use in July 1998. The two countries signed a protocol to the agreement in May 2002.

Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan signed an agreement on the delimitation of the Caspian seabed and a protocol to it on November 29, 2001, and February 27, 2003, respectively.

Additionally, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, and Russia signed an agreement on the delimitation of adjacent sections of the Caspian Sea on May 14, 2003.

The summits of the presidents of the Caspian-littoral countries were held in Ashgabat in 2002, in Tehran in 2007, in Baku in 2010 and in Astrakhan in 2014.

The next meeting of the heads of Caspian states is expected to be held in 2017.

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Gunay Hasanova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @gunhasanova

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24 October 2016 17:18 (UTC+04:00)

By Amina Nazarli

Oil nicknamed as the black gold was the main reason of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduros visit to Baku on October 22, as part of his tour to main oil producing countries to boost consensus in order to stabilize crude prices in the world market.

The visit of Venezuelan president was of great interest, as for several reasons, the tour is essentially historical. This is the first official visit of Maduro to Baku and in addition, this is the first-ever visit of the president of the South American country to Azerbaijan.

The head of Latin American countries, experiencing an acute crisis due to the fall in oil prices, was going to persuade Baku to join the initiative to freeze production of "black gold". Together with Oil Minister Eulogio Del Pino, Maduro visited oil-rich Azerbaijan for talks concerning the regulation of oil prices amid the global economic crisis.

The aim of the visit was to meet with the leadership of these [non-OPEC] countries in order to discuss regulation of oil prices amid the global economic crisis, said Maduro.

As the first country to visit, Maduro, chose Azerbaijan and, apparently, not without reasons -- oil-rich Azerbaijan enjoys a firm image of a reliable partner worldwide, especially in the oil sector.

Immediately upon his arrival in the capital of Azerbaijan Maduro put forward a proposal to develop a new formula for the stabilization of oil prices for the next 10 years. Maduros proposal at first envisages stabilization of the oil market for the next six months and then the development of a new mechanism to determine oil prices and the formula of their stabilization for a decade.

The non-OPEC counties must cooperate sincerely and openly, they should make joint correct decisions and it is necessary to develop a strong controlling mechanism in connection with execution of these decisions, Azerbaijans President Ilham Aliyev made the statement as he received the Venezuelan president.

The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) agreed in Algiers on September 28 to reduce production to a range of 32.5 million to 33.0 million barrels per day, which would be its first output cut since 2008. Another meeting on November 30 is set to firm up details of the accord.

The September agreement was reached against the backdrop of decline in oil prices. Global oil prices have dropped from some $110 a barrel to values below $50 since mid-2014, prompting the OPEC oil cartel to agree on a freeze on oil production.

Last week in an interview with Sputnik news agency, President Aliyev made a statement as saying Azerbaijan would not increase oil production and exports even without waiting for the decisions of other OPEC member countries.

As I have recently officially announced, Azerbaijan unilaterally declares that it will not increase its oil output and export, so that the world oil market gets stabilized and the oil prices increase, President Aliyev mentioned, expressing his hope that other oil countries will also support this approach, and they also, in turn, will take similar steps, as only in this case we will be able to stabilize the oil market.

President Aliyev pointed out that oil-rich countries will also get a fair price for their natural resources. Of course, all countries, especially, OPEC members and independent producers should pay great attention to the interstate coordination issues, said the president.

Non-OPEC countries should have a very sincere and open cooperation here. There should be adopted right decisions jointly and a very strong control mechanism should work for fulfilling the decisions. I am confident that if so, the oil price will rise to the proper level which would be satisfactory for producing countries, oil companies, and at the same time for the consumer countries. Thats to say, there should be a balance.

Currently, this balance has been disrupted and oil-rich countries are suffering greatly. This is injustice and this balance should be restored. I am confident that if so, everyone will be able to get benefit and a balance of interests can be ensured as well, because, it is nearly two years that the countries exporting oil to world markets have faced big losses, said the president.

President Aliyev added that the revenues of those countries, including Azerbaijan are decreasing and this is not fair.

The justice should be restored. In this regard, I would like to once again mention the special mission of President Maduro, said Ilham Aliyev. President Maduro makes great efforts to convince the OPEC and non-OPEC producers to restore this justice. I wish this mission success. Azerbaijan has already said its word. You can refer to us and say that Azerbaijan has already undertaken this obligation and waits for other countries to take similar steps.

The visit also remembered by signing of three documents, with the most significant one -- joint declaration, which according to lham Aliyev will define the main directions of future cooperation in many fields.

I would like to especially note the joint declarations paragraphs on the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. This declaration says that the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict should be resolved within Azerbaijans territorial integrity, sovereignty and inviolability of borders, said President Aliyev and expressed gratitude to his Venezuelan counterpart for this fair position.

The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict has been continuing for more than 20 years. Twenty percent of Azerbaijani territories, recognized by the international community, has been occupied by Armenians. More than a million Azerbaijanis have become refugees and IDPs on their native lands as a result of this occupation and policy of ethnic cleansing.

President Aliyev pointed out that all the main international organizations unequivocally support Azerbaijans position, and especially mentioned the UN among them. I would like to especially mention the resolution adopted by the Non-Aligned Movement, because, we have recently become a member of this organization, said President Aliyev.

As part of the visit, Maduro met with Azerbaijan's Prime Minister Artur Rasizade, who discussed opportunities for making investments in various fields.

He also visited the Azerbaijans Parliament and together with Chairman of Azerbaijans Parliament Ogtay Asadov, the sides exchanged views on prospects of cooperation in interparliamentary relations.

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Amina Nazarli is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @amina_nazarli

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24 October 2016 15:01 (UTC+04:00)

Croatian President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic, who is on an official visit in Azerbaijan, has today visited the Alley of Honors to lay a wreath at the tomb of national leader, founder and architect of modern Azerbaijani state Heydar Aliyev.

She also put flowers at the grave of prominent ophthalmologist, academician Zarifa Aliyeva.

The Croatian president then visited the Alley of Martyrs to commemorate Azerbaijani heroes, who gave their lives for the country's independence and territorial integrity, and laid a wreath at the Eternal Flame monument.

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24 October 2016 15:53 (UTC+04:00)

By Laman Ismayilova

Malta attaches great importance to cooperation with Azerbaijan, said Maltese President Marie Louise Coleiro Preca as she received Bakus Ambassador Mammad Ahmadzadeh.

The Azerbaijani ambassador with a residence in Rome presented his credentials to Maltas president.

During the meeting, the Azerbaijani diplomat noted the intensification of cooperation between the two countries in recent times.

Further, the sides mulled prospects of cooperation and it was noted that Malta, during its chairmanship at the European Union (EU) in the first half of 2017, can contribute to Azerbaijans cooperation with the EU.

As part of the visit to Malta, Mammad Ahmadzadeh also held a number of other official meetings.

Diplomatic relations between Azerbaijan and Malta was established in January 1995.

The trade turnover between Malta and Azerbaijan amounted to $142 million in 2015, and almost the entire amount accounted for the exports to Malta, according to Azerbaijan's State Customs Committee.

Azerbaijan's trade turnover with Malta totaled almost $13.3 million in the first quarter of 2016, which is almost twice more than in January-March 2015.

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24 October 2016 17:14 (UTC+04:00)

Croatia and Azerbaijan "have very good political relations without outstanding issues" and a lot of space for the development of relations, said Croatian President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic.

The Croatian president, who is on official visit to Baku, made the remark after her meeting with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev on October 24, the office of President Grabar-Kitarovic reported.

During the meeting, the two presidents agreed that Croatia and Azerbaijan are friendly countries and strategic partners with very good relations and with no open issues and for this reason have plenty of room for better cooperation in many areas.

"In Croatia, you will have a friend who will give you support in the relations with the EU, the Croatian president said.

The Azerbaijani leader said that Croatia can improve its cooperation with Azerbaijan in the fields of trade, shipbuilding, transportation, agriculture, tourism and the very important Southern Gas Corridor Project.

President Grabar-Kitarovic added that there was "room for improvement, expansion and deepening of cooperation" in economic exchanges, investment, trade, shipbuilding - especially when it comes to small boats which could contribute to security in the Caspian Sea.

She also mentioned construction, agriculture, food production, pharmaceutical industry and the IT sector, as well as, culture, education, defense and security.

Considering all of these possibilities for cooperation, the Croatian president expressed satisfaction with the Azerbaijani-Croatian Business Forum scheduled for October 24.

During the meeting, the presidents discussed bilateral and regional relations and security issues, and President Aliyev informed the Croatian president on the state of negotiations over the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict resolution.

The President of Croatia said that official stance of Zagreb was clear: "We support the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan and we believe that the solution to this conflict must be peaceful and political".

The Croatian president arrived in Azerbaijan on an official visit on October 23.

In Baku, President Grabar-Kitarovic already held talks with Azerbaijani counterpart Ilham Aliyev and PM Artur Rasizade , as well as visited the Alley of Honors and the Alley of Martyrs.

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24 October 2016 17:14 (UTC+04:00)

Azerbaijani presidents aide for public and political affairs Ali Hasanov is on an official visit to Turkey in line with President Ilham Aliyevs instruction, Azertag reported on October 24.

Hasanov met with Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu during the visit.

The sides exchanged views on a number of issues, including relations between Azerbaijan and Turkey in the socio-political sphere.

Attention was paid to defining a new strategy for the organized joint activity of the Azerbaijani and Turkish diasporas.

Moreover, the prospects of development of relations, the issue of raising the Azerbaijani-Turkish strategic alliance to a new level, as well as other issues of mutual interest were discussed during the meeting.

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24 October 2016 21:15 (UTC+04:00)

Azerbaijan hopes that at the latest stage Croatia and other countries of the Balkans will join the Southern Gas Corridor (SGC) project, said Azerbaijans President Ilham Aliyev making statements for media with his Croatian counterpart Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic in Baku October 24.

Today we also discussed cooperation in the energy area, which is very promising. And we are already partners, said Ilham Aliyev.

Croatia participated in the second Advisory Council of the Southern Gas Corridor, which took place this February in Baku, he reminded.

We have a memorandum of understanding between our countries on the project related to the gas delivery to Europe, added President Aliyev. The Southern Gas Corridor project is a global project of energy security, and Azerbaijan as a leading country is playing a very important role. This role, by the way, is appreciated and referred to in the memorandum between EU and Azerbaijan on strategic partnership in energy area.

The president said the Southern Gas Corridor project is already a reality.

Implementation of the project is on time, and I hope that at the latest stage Croatia and other countries of the Balkans will join this important project of energy security and diversification, the project of cooperation, he noted. Today seven countries are already members of the team, if I may say so. I think that several countries including Croatia will soon join it.

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23 October 2016 09:59 (UTC+04:00)

By Trend

Uzbek acting President Shavkat Mirziyoyev signed a decree on "Measures on further reforming of the judicial system, strengthening of the guarantees of reliable protection of the rights and freedoms of citizens".

According to the document, the main criteria of state policy in the judicial sphere are to ensure independence of the judiciary, strengthen the guarantees of reliable protection of the rights and freedoms of citizens.

The decree includes the requirement of strict compliance with the constitutional norms and the previously adopted legislative acts on the independence of the judiciary and the inevitability of punishment for interfering in the judiciary activity.

The decree approves the regulations envisaging the appointment (election) of judges for initial five-year period and ten-year period, and in the future - for a termless period of tenure.

A number of changes will be made in criminal law, criminal procedure, civil procedure and other legislation April 1, 2017.

The countrys Supreme Court, Supreme Economic Court, Prosecutor General's Office and others were instructed to prepare proposals to strengthen the legal protection of minors till July 1, 2017.

The Constitution of Uzbekistan and a number of legislative acts are planned to be amended.

The special laws "On the protection of victims, witnesses and other participants in criminal proceedings", "On mediation", "On the administrative proceedings" are planned to be adopted.

The implementation of the document will allow raising the countrys judicial system to a qualitatively new level, protect rights, freedoms and lawful interests of citizens, as well as strengthen public confidence in the justice.

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24 October 2016 10:35 (UTC+04:00)

By Amina Nazarli

This years observance of United Nations Day occurs at a time of transition for the world and for the UN.

UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon made the remark in his message on the occasion of the UN Day.

Humanity has entered the era of sustainability  with a global commitment to fulfill the great promise of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. In this, the Organizations 71st year, we have 17 goals to propel us towards a better future for all on a healthy planet, Ban Ki-moon said.



The world is also moving at long last beyond the mindset which viewed the burning of fossil fuels as the path to prosperity. At a time of record heat, Member States have embraced the Paris Agreement on climate change in record time. This landmark measure will enter into force on November 4. Across that historic threshold lies our best chance for greener, cleaner, low-carbon growth.

The UN is also in transition, from its eighth Secretary-General to the ninth. I have been honored to serve we the peoples for the past ten years, UN Secretary-General said.

Together, we have put in place some solid foundations for shared progress  which we must build on by working even harder to empower women, engage youth and uphold human rights for all. But we have also suffered enormous heartbreak -- including unresolved conflicts causing immense suffering throughout the troubled Middle East, South Sudan, the Sahel and beyond. On these and other frontlines of violence and disaster, courageous UN staff continue to rise to the occasion and respond to the plight of the vulnerable.

I thank people across the world for their support -- and urge all to give their full backing to Secretary-General-designate Antonio Guterres in continuing our global mission of peace, sustainable development and human rights, Ban Ki-moon emphasized.

October 24 has been celebrated as UN Day since 1948. In 1971, the UN General Assembly recommended that the day be observed by Member States as a public holiday.

UN Day marks the anniversary of the entry into force in 1945 of the UN Charter. With the ratification of this founding document by the majority of its signatories, including the five permanent members of the Security Council, the United Nations officially came into being.

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24 October 2016 11:33 (UTC+04:00)

By Gunay Hasanova

The removal of international sanctions earlier imposed on Iran over its nuclear energy program serves as an incentive for the country to attract partners from around the world and cooperate in different spheres.

Parliamentary Speaker Ali Larijani said on October 23 that Iran and Austria's longstanding ties in the fields of economic and trade cooperation are expanding after Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), IRNA reported.

He made the remarks in meeting with visiting Vice-Speaker of Austrian parliament Karlheinz Kopf.

Larijani said that development of parliamentary relations will play an important role to expand friendly cooperation and the Iranian parliament supports such ties.

Larijani expressed deep concern about worsening the humanitarian situation in the Middle East region, saying that Iran has always underlined the importance of dialogue and political negotiations as the sole way to resolve the humanitarian crises, instead of using military forces.

He said that considering commonalities between Iran and Austria on many regional issues, the two countries may cooperate on the economy, energy, science, environment and modern technologies.

Karlheinz Kopf, in turn, expressed pleasure with his visit to Iran and said that development of ties with Iran, as an important state in the region and world, is so important for Austria.

Kopf said that parliamentary relations and friendship among MPs of both countries will pave the way for the development of cooperation in other sectors.

Kopf arrived in Tehran on October 22 evening at the invitation of Majlis Vice-Speaker Masoud Pezeshkian.

He is due to meet with senior Iranian officials during his four-day stay in Iran.

Austria and Iran have had historically strong trade ties that date back to the 18th century.

Although Austria has long been one of the European countries which boosted its exports to Iran despite sanctions efforts, due to the sanctions the Austrian-Iran trade volume has declined during the last years.

Austrias current trade turnover over with Iran amounts up to $320 million, while the two countries intend to increase the trade volume up to $500 million after the complete removal of the sanctions.

About 650 Austrian companies are doing business in Iran. 35 of them have their own representations in the country. Numerous renowned Austrian companies have taken part in various trade fairs and industry exhibitions in Tehran over the last years to initiate business.

In the first quarter of 2015, Austrian exports saw a dramatic jump by over 60 percent, which is also expected to further increase following the removal of sanctions.

In addition, Iran has recently announced its will to boost ties with European countries in the aftermath of sanctions removal.

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Gunay Hasanova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @gunhasanova

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24 October 2016 15:19 (UTC+04:00)

By Gunay Hasanova

Russia, in a bid to rebuild economic ties with Turkey, has urged to speed up the process of abolition of food embargo.

Russia called on Turkey to speed up the preparation and submission of the program, which is necessary for the gradual abolition of the restrictions imposed by the Russian Federation on the supply of agricultural products, the official website of Rosselkhoznadzors (Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance) reported.

Following the negotiations held in early October, the Turkish side has undertaken an obligation to provide the Russian side within the ten days with a program of measures to ensure the phytosanitary safety of products supplied to Russia.

However, the agency reports that the Russian side has not yet received such a program, which complicates the implementation of the reached agreements.

"Taking into account the need for not only to restore but also the further development of mutually beneficial export and import of agricultural products, the Russian side asked the Turkish side to accelerate the preparation and submission of the program as soon as possible", Rosselkhoznadzor reported.

Russia banned imports of bell pepper, pomegranates, aubergines, lettuce, Iceberg lettuce, marrows and pumpkins from Turkey due to phytosanitary considerations in spring 2016.

Prior to that Russia restricted imports of oranges, tangerines, grapes, apples, pears, apricots, peaches and nectarines, plums, wild strawberries, strawberries, tomatoes, cucumbers, cauliflower, broccoli, yellow onions, as well as frozen turkey and chicken from Turkey starting January 1, according to the government decree on implementation of presidential decree on special economic measures against Turkey.



The Russian government has decided to allow on its market a number of Turkish agricultural products, including citrus, said Russian leader Vladimir Putin on October 10 after talks with Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

A day later, the government issued a decree authorizing the importation of certain fruits - the embargo lifted in respect of fresh and dried oranges and tangerines, fresh apricots, peaches and nectarines, plums and thorns.

Relations between Turkey and Russia broke down for about seven months after Turkey shot down a Russian warplane in November 2015. However, relations have improved since the August meeting of the two presidents.

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Gunay Hasanova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @gunhasanova

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
24 October 2016 18:06 (UTC+04:00)

By Gunay Hasanova

Iran and the EU will hold a new round of comprehensive talks in Brussels in December, Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Bahram Qasemi said on October 24.

The talks will cover various topics, IRNA cited Qasemi as saying.

He further said that the Iranian delegation will participate in the negotiations at the level of deputy foreign minister.

Human rights related issues also will be discussed in the talks, however it will not be the only topic, Qasemi said, noting that Iran and the EU have a lot of topics to discuss.

The Islamic Republic and Europe have different viewpoints regarding the human rights issue, he said, adding that Tehran can hear their concerns on the issue and state its own view of human rights.

Difference of positions is historical as well as natural, while we have had a long history of diplomatic relations with the EU, and it will continue in the future, since Iran provides inherent capacities for trade for the EU, Qasemi said.

Earlier in June Iran's foreign minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif announced the Islamic Republics readiness to launch human right talks with Europe, underlining that the will to talk should be mutual.

"As I already told Federica Mogherini [the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy] the human rights talks will be mutual and no doubt during that every party will hear unpleasant things," Zarif said while speaking in the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.

"However we should seriously enter the talks," he added.

Relations between the EU and Iran have been through different stages and most recently, over the last decade, conditioned by the international dispute over Iran's nuclear program, and the consequent sanctions regime that was in place against Iran.

Having reached on 16 January 2016 "Implementation Day" of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action on Iran's nuclear program (14 July 2015), the way is now opened for a renewal of broader relations.

The total trade between Iran and the EU in the first five months of 2015 amounted to 2.976 billion euros, showing a 6 percent increase compared to the same period in 2014.

The value of Iran-EU bilateral trade in the corresponding period last year stood at 2.81 billion Euros, according to the Eurostat data.

In addition, engaging directly with Iran - a key player in Syria - is for Europe one of the main benefits of the nuclear deal.

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Gunay Hasanova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @gunhasanova

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
24 October 2016 14:22 (UTC+04:00)

By Amina Nazarli

Another world-renown low-cost airline will soon perform flights to Azerbaijan.

Air Arabia, one of the first low-cost airlines of the Middle East, will open flights to Azerbaijan from next year.



The direct flight will be performed from the third largest city in the UAE  Sharjah to Baku. The launch of the flight is scheduled for March 16, 2017.

The flights will be carried out four times per week.



On Thursdays and Sundays, departing from Sharjah will be carried out at 7:55 am local time, with the arrival in Bakus Heydar Aliyev International Airport at 10:50 Baku time. The return flight will depart from Baku at 11:30 with arrival in Sharjah at 14:10 local time.



On Tuesdays and Saturdays, departing from Sharjah will be at 14:55 local time, with the arrival in Bakus Airport at 17:50 Baku time. The return flight on these days will be carried out from Baku at 18:50 with arrival at Sharjah airport at 21:30 local time.

Tickets for booking are available on the official website of the company. The roundtrip ticket from Sharjah to Baku for week on March 16 is $273.

CEO of Air Arabia Adel Al said Baku gives the opportunity to see the fusion of history and modern urbanism.



The opening of new Air Arabia flights will increase trade and tourism between the two countries. We are grateful to the Azerbaijani authorities for all their efforts and cooperation that helped launch a new route connecting Sharjah and Baku, he said.

Currently, there is a visa-free regime for persons with diplomatic and service passports, and since 2015, the UAE citizens has been visiting Azerbaijan on the basis of a simplified visa system. They can obtain entry visa, valid for 30 days stay, at any international airport in Azerbaijan.

Now Azerbaijan proposes to introduce a visa-free regime for citizens of both the UAE and Azerbaijan. The UAE government has already given prior consent, and now the issue is under consideration, said earlier Ambassador Dashgin Shikarov.

--

Amina Nazarli is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @amina_nazarli



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Lindsay Milbert and her family were out of money, had no place to live and were quickly losing hope.

Bradenton police officer helps family down on its luck

Officer Jason Nuttall helped with food, shelter



Lindsay Milbert, husband Chris and 3 kids now have apartment

That's when a Bradenton police officer stepped in and changed her family's lives.

Earlier this month, Milbert, her husband Chris and their three children moved to Bradenton from West Palm Beach to pursue a job opportunity that eventually did not work out.

The family found themselves on the side of a Bradenton road, in their car, with little money and even fewer choices.

"I didn't know what to do," said Milbert, 34. "The next thing you know, my husband looks to the right and sees the cop car pulling up, and he looks at me and goes, 'Here we go.' "

Officer Jason Nuttall approached the family and simply asked them a question: "Are you OK?"

"For him to ask me that, I literally broke down," Milbert said. "I was just like, 'No. I am not at all.' I am homeless with three kids. I do not know what to do."

Although he didn't know it at the time, Nuttall was about to become the family's guardian angel.

"When I pulled over and she said, 'Yeah we're more or less homeless right now, I said, 'All right  let's fix this,' " Nuttall said.

Taking money out of his own pocket, Nuttall's generosity started with lunch, moved on to groceries  and finally, a hotel roof over the family's head.

Now, with Nuttall's help and the help of a local Salvation Army, the family is moving into their own apartment.

"I don't feel that it's hopeless anymore," said Milbert, who added that she and her husband have both found jobs. "I feel that we're going to make it now."

Nuttall still speaks with the family and continues to help them get settled.

"To have our kids with us still  it's the best feeling in the world," Nuttall said. "That's what keeps me going every day is being to have my family with me at all times."
Hey, what could go wrong. Uber has your credit card and so does someone else. Seems they latched onto your password too. Now Uber is calling to say your car will be right there, you know, at that address in downtown Krakow, Poland 7,000 miles away. You watch as your impersonator hops in and gets delivered to the other side of Krakow. A bill for something like $3.75 Canadian arrives. This is the story Laura Hesp tells of her unwanted visit to Poland. She complained to Uber and they refunded the fare, advising her to change her password and remove her card number.

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The flashing white lights outside Darren Bagley and Reta Etie's house are hard to miss - they spell out "Trump 2016" on a homemade wooden sign, next to a slideshow of pictures of the Republican presidential candidate projected on the front of the house.

The couple's campaign enthusiasm began this spring, after their next-door neighbor put up signs for Bernie Sanders, and has escalated with the general election just three weeks away.

But theirs is one of the few prominent presidential campaign signs in Jefferson County, where the local landscape is dominated by signs for the sheriff's and judges' races also on the Nov. 8 ballot.

That's because Texas, long a reliably Republican state, hasn't been a priority for national campaigns, local candidates need the publicity more, and the party standard bearers have been less eagerly embraced this election cycle.

"Locally, obviously people have got to get their name out there, and signage is important way of doing it," said Cade Bernsen, chair of the Jefferson County Democratic Party.

Garrett Peel, Jefferson County Republican Party chair, said his party has focused on local campaigns, and the national campaign hasn't targeted resources here.

The party was selling Trump-Pence signs at its headquarters as a fundraiser for the Golden Triangle Republican Women, but those sold out this week, according to a post on the party's Facebook page. Signs for local Republican candidates, meanwhile, are available for free.

The story is the same at the Jefferson County Democratic Party office, where signs for locals are still available, but Clinton-Kaine signs are sold out. Supporters can still pick up buttons and stickers, though, and the party has saved a few of the approximately 1,000 signs it ordered to post near polling places on Election Day.

Bernsen said that Hillary Clinton's campaign hasn't allocated significant resources because Texas is assumed to be a safely red state in national elections.

"The demand has been higher than the supply," he said. "On the Democratic side, for a number of years, Texas has not been a competitive battleground state. If you're competitive, you get the resources, and unfortunately for too long, the resources have gone elsewhere."

That means local campaigns and parties don't have the same access to a national campaign's funding and supplies in a state like Texas as they would in battleground swing states like Florida or Ohio, something that carries all the way down to the number of roadside signs in Beaumont.

That could be changing, though, with recent polls showing Clinton trailing Trump by far less than Democrats usually do in Texas. A survey from the University of Houston's Hobby School of Public Affairs showed Trump leading Clinton 41 percent to 38 percent, a gap within the margin of error, with 11 percent of voters still undecided.

A Democratic presidential candidate hasn't won in Texas since Jimmy Carter, and in the past four elections, Republicans have beaten Democrats by at least 11 percent. Trump is still projected to win the state in most polls and capture the state's 38 electoral votes, but likely by less than previous candidates.

Robert Stein, a research associate at the Hobby School who supervised the survey, attributed Trump's slim lead to his lack of appeal among some Republicans and independents, and changes in the state's demographics, with an increasing Hispanic population that is more likely to vote than in past elections.

But even if Texas's presidential voting patterns do start to change, Jefferson County isn't likely to be the cause, leading the local parties to focus on their competitive local races, which are more competitive and more immediately relevant.

"We have such a momentum going on in our county," said Jefferson County Republican secretary Julian Lightfoot. Two years ago, Republicans won two countywide seats and lost by less than 4 percent in three other races. This spring's Republican primary saw record turnout, she said, though Democratic turnout exceed Republicans' by more than 2,000 voters.

Local Republicans are pushing to get a GOP majority of local officials with a "voting red for a reason" campaign at the same time that Texas Democrats are talking about 'turning the state blue."

Texas allows straight-ballot voting, where a voter can select all Democrats or all Republicans. In 2012 65 percent of Jefferson County voters cast straight-ticket ballots; 60 percent of those were for Democrats.

Lightfoot said she expects to see less of that this year, with more crossover voting for local Republicans because of the strength of the candidates.

That could be the case around the state, according to Stein.

"I think it'll be asymmetric. There will be as much straight-ticket voting among Democrats (as in 2012), but I think it'll drop dramatically for Republicans," he said. While some Republicans who don't support Trump will "hold their nose" and vote straight-ticket for the GOP, he expects Republican straight-ticket voting to drop by more than 5 percent from 2012.

Bernsen thinks the controversy of Trump's candidacy will hurt local Republicans as well.

That's not to say that the tension of the national campaign hasn't made its way to Jefferson County: Peel and Bernsen both said their offices have had complaints about people stealing Trump and Clinton signs from their yards.

"We're seeing a significant amount of signs being stolen or destroyed or run over," Peel said. Twenty people called the office between Tuesday night and Wednesday morning complaining of vandalism to their signs.

Bagley and Etie, who often sit on their front porch at night while their projector and sign are turned on, said it's not uncommon for people to yell or swear at them as they drive by.

Someone stopped a car and started walking toward the sign once but left after realizing Bagley was on the porch watching, he said. It made Bagley and Etie nervous. "I get a lot of heat for it," Etie said.

Thomas Hopper, who lives in Vidor, is worried about putting up signs for the same reason. He said his wife plans to get a Clinton-Kaine sign in the next few days from the Jefferson or Orange County Democrats, but he's worried about safety.

"I'm going to make my voice heard, but I don't want my house burned with my grandchildren in it," he said.

He said that while they don't talk politics with some friends with different political views, things have gotten heated with others. "I've never seen this kind of hostility," he said.

Both Bernsen and Peel urged people to be respectful of the opposing candidates.

"This is something that is sad," Peel said. "Everyone has the right in this country to support a candidate."

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The healthcare industry looks substantially different today than it did several years ago. Healthcare facilities are tasked with complying with more regulations to gain accreditation. Anesthesiologist Meena Desai, MD, board chair of AAAHC and managing partner for Nova Anesthesia Professionals in Villanova, Pa., has seen the industry evolve and understands the value accreditation holds in improving center's outcomes.

Here are four key thoughts:

1. Accreditation can help the industry take back control. Although an accreditation advocate now, Dr. Desai wasn't as confident about its value six years ago. In June 2010, Dr. Desai wrote an article published in American Society of Anesthesiologists' newsletter titled, "Why is Everyone Trying to Accredit My Office-Based Practice?" In the article, she questions whether all the requirements necessary for accreditation were improving the industry, especially as many small practices and ambulatory surgery centers have limited resources at their disposal.

"Things were changing very fast in the ambulatory setting," Dr. Desai says. "Accreditation takes time and effort, and it wasn't clear that care was better just because the center was accredited."

Today, Dr. Desai sees increasing value in accreditation because centers can use accreditation as a way to improve practices, rather than viewing the process as an imposed nuisance. Ultimately, medical mistakes are still happening in the surgery center space, and they are not rapidly improving. In May 2016, CMS released the results for its 2014 Ambulatory Surgical Center Quality Reporting Program, which cited the states with the highest rates and lowest rates for wrong site, side, patient, procedure and implant. The national average for the aforementioned sentinel events was 0.028, only slightly down from the 2013 average of 0.039.



"This number should be zero and we haven't made much of an improvement," Dr. Desai says. "The medical field is all about high stakes, high costs and high regulation. The industry needs to take control as lawmakers and consumers are holding providers responsible."

Dr. Desai suggests centers employ a strategy in which they use accreditation to make themselves accountable, which will give them this necessary control. As consumers become increasingly cost-conscious and shop around for services, successful centers will continually work to improve accountability and patient outcomes.

2. Centers can use accreditation as a tool for change to reap success. AAAHC accredits a variety of facilities, including student health centers, military facilities, health plans and ASCs. This year, Dr. Desai visited a state university student health center with a relatively large student population ranging from 20,000 to 30,000 students. The center's goal was to provide health coverage for all their students, and sought accreditation as a means to effect this change. After devising a plan to achieve accreditation, the state saw the work the center was doing and provided the center a $10 million grant to build a brand new facility that provided students health education and services. Going forward, the student health center can highlight the new facility, and the measured student health outcomes to recruit students. Accreditation helped the student center in a variety of ways, but gaining accreditation is no simple feat.

"You have to be dedicated to getting accredited," Dr. Desai says. "This is not something you fill out a couple forms for. You have to believe in it. It is a top down process that must permeate the entire culture for greatest success."

3. ASCs can make accreditation their own. To help centers implement changes necessary to achieving accreditation, AAAHC lays out standards and processes. However, centers that are the most successful make these processes their own. What works for one center may not apply to another, and centers should take their own culture and patient population needs into account when working toward accreditation.

"Our standards are not overly prescriptive. They give necessary basic ideas and outlines for a center. The standards and process are developed by a comprehensive panel of specialists and patient safety experts. The magic happens when you see how you can apply them to what works in your facility," Dr. Desai says.

Featuring evidence-based guidelines and communication patterns, the framework AAAHC provides organizations gives them the "instructions centers can use to infuse throughout their entire organization," Dr. Desai notes.

4. AAAHC encourages centers to perform benchmarking studies. Benchmarking allows surgery centers to assess how they are doing in relation to other centers throughout the nation. AAAHC also provides centers information on how to analyze their data and use it to drive change to improve their center's processes. As healthcare propels forward, facilities will face more regulation and reporting requirements in a value-based care payment model.

"The turn has been made, and accreditation is not something we are going to get away from," Dr. Desai says. "We should embrace change to help us improve our outcomes."
Republican Presidential Nominee Donald Trump gave a speech at Gettysburg, Pa., over the weekend to discuss his plans for his first 100 days in office, should he be elected president of the United States. Here are 12 things he would do, according to a report from The Wall Street Journal.

1. Sue the women who are currently accusing him of "making unwanted sexual advances toward them."

2. Take on mega-mergers by not approving AT&T's bid to purchase Time Warner for $80 billion and breaking up the Comcast/NBCUniversal merger.

3. File a lawsuit over what he believes were "planted protesters" at his rallies tasked with making trouble.

4. Cancel United Nations payments for climate change programs.

5. Punish illegal immigrants who returned to the United States after deportation with mandatory prison sentences and suspend immigrants from "terror prone" nations.

6. Propose term limits on Congressional members.

7. Recommend hiring freezes at some federal agencies.

8. Suggest limits on former government officials becoming lobbyists.

9. Attempt to reign in regulations by proposing a new rule that for every new regulation issued, two current regulations would need to be eliminated.

10. Reveal plans to renegotiate Nafta and leave the Trans-Pacific Partnership.

11. Request the Treasury Secretary to "label China a currency manipulator."

12. Repeal the ACA as well as tax cuts.
Here are seven updates for ASC leaders to note:

Outpatient Surgery Center of Hilton Head sells for $8M

After being listed for sale Oct. 17, the Outpatient Surgery Center of Hilton Head sold for $8 million. The center was built in 2004 and is 19,729 square feet. The center has two operation rooms, two procedure rooms and two endoscopy suites. It sold to a private investor.

Clinton, Trump talk Medicare plans during 3rd presidential debate

During Wednesday night's third presidential debate, Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump discussed their plans for Medicare and healthcare reform. Ms. Clinton said she planned to keep both Medicare and Social Security viable through "more resources and smarter decisions." To obtain resources for these programs, the Democratic candidate plans to have the wealthy and corporations "pay their fair share." Mr. Trump said he plans to revamp Medicare and Social Security by growing the economy, which Mr. Trump said will "grow at a record rate."

MEDNAX acquires Central New York Anesthesia Group

MEDNAX acquired Syracuse-based Central New York Anesthesia Group, a private physician group practice. MEDNAX will add CNY Anesthesia to its offerings in its New York market. The financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Cross Keys Capital serves as financial advisor to Anesthesia Associates of Cincinnati in sale to TeamHealth

Fort Lauderdale, Fla.-based Cross Keys Capital served as the financial advisor to Anesthesia Associates of Cincinnati and Pain Management Associates in its sale to TeamHealth. Cross Keys' Managing Director Bill Britton and Vice President Marjorie Chang led the transaction between the two companies.

Commission reviews Athens-Limestone Hospital's plans for $30M surgery center

Earlier this week, Athens Planning Commission reviewed Athens-Limestone Hospital plans for a surgery center in Alabama. The surgery center is equipped with six operating rooms. The 70,000-square-foot center costs $30 million.

CareCredit expands locations, scope of coverage

CareCredit expanded to new locations and healthcare sectors. CareCredit was established nearly 30 years ago initially for dental implant technology and has grown to include many other services. The card can help patients pay for higher deductibles and increasing out-of-pocket costs while allowing practices to collect their payment at the time of treatment.

Anesthesia Business Consultants launches MACRA guidance platform

Anesthesia Business Consultants is slated to unveil its "MACRA Made Easy Platform" at the end of the month. The "MACRA Made Easy Platform" helps anesthesia practices prepare for the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act as part of CMS' Quality Payment Program.

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West Contra Costa Healthcare District, which owns shuttered Doctors Medical Center in San Pablo, Calif., filed for Chapter 9 bankruptcy protection Oct. 20.

The healthcare district filed for bankruptcy after a hotel operator rescinded its offer to buy DMC's campus, according to the East Bay Times.

DMC closed in April 2015 after years of financial struggles. The hospital primarily served low-income and uninsured populations in West Contra Costa County.

In January, the West Contra Costa Healthcare District board accepted Royal Guest Hotels' offer to buy the majority of DMC's campus. However, Eric Zell, hospital district board chairman, told the East Bay Times the hotel operator recently pulled its offer.

"With no chance to bring in revenue in the short term to cover existing district expenses, such as worker compensation claims and medical record storage, the district board voted unanimously to file for bankruptcy to allow for the orderly disposition of remaining financial obligations, including those owed to past district employees and vendors," Mr. Zell said.

According to the bankruptcy petition, the healthcare district has at least $50 million in liabilities.

Royal Guest Hotels did not respond to the East Bay Times' request for comment.

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As markets become increasingly volatile, some hospital systems are ditching static annual budgets for more dynamic alternatives.

Traditional budgets rely on meticulous line item details to plan business expenses and anticipated revenue during the coming 12-month period. Organizations in industries outside of healthcare started ditching static annual budgets years ago in favor of a more proactive option  the rolling budget.

A rolling budget is a fiscal management approach that uses rolling forecasts, relative performance targets and increased management accountability to create a culture of continuous improvement. Due to a focus on real-time comparison, organizations update rolling budgets throughout the fiscal year.

To establish a rolling budget, financial leaders set performance targets that represent marginal improvements over last year's actual results. Staff then run a rate forecast, or an extrapolation of current financial trends based on last year's achieved results, and compare the results to their target goals. This determines how much hospital operations must improve at any point to meet target performance goals by year's end.

Switching from a structured budget to a loose financial plan can make any CFO uneasy. But representatives from four health systems spread across the U.S. explained how and why their organization abandoned traditional budgeting models.

Here are four thoughts on the advantages of fluid budgets from Mary Jo Brummel, director of finance at Nebraska Medicine in Omaha, Neb., Greg Wright, director of finance at Southern Illinois Healthcare in Carbondale, Larry Hill, vice president of finance at Mission Health in Asheville, N.C., and B.J. Miller, senior director of performance and planning at Park Nicollet Health Services in Saint Louis Park, Minn.

1. Allows for a more strategic investment of resources. Despite the amount of effort, time and resources hospitals invest in traditional budgeting processes, the end product often produces less than desirable results. Mr. Hill said Mission Health used to dedicate four or five months  and millions of dollars in personnel and resources  to its budgeting process, only to find the budget sometimes lost its relevance after just one quarter. Nebraska Medicine accountants and finance employees utilize the costs from the first six months of the fiscal year discharged patients, when they begin the financial planning process for the following year, said Ms. Brummel.

Since Mission Health implemented a rolling budget, the system has strategically reinvested its former budgeting resources to expand and develop its operational footprint.

2. Makes an enterprise financially nimble. Due to today's market volatility, the ability to review performance results in real-time and course correct throughout the year is attractive to many healthcare organizations, said Mr. Wright. By their nature, hospitals systems are often slow to execute change due to their administrative structure and cumbersome size. A rolling budget decentralizes financial management and instead enhances regional management accountability across the enterprise. As a result, each hospital site has the ability to monitor its own performance in real-time and make adjustments necessary to meet changing business conditions and achieve their unique goals.

3. Cultivates an environment of continuous improvement. The rolling budget approach is founded on the Japanese notion of Kaizen, said Ms. Brummel, which signifies continuous improvement through efficiency and the elimination of waste. All four hospital administrators agreed this approach enabled each organization to focus on long-term goals rather than short-term, annual results.

Mr. Hill said Mission Health shifted its mindset from "meeting the budget" to demonstrating improvement year-over-year. "Our numbers and targets are different every quarter," he said. This roving target allows the system to work proactively to achieve its goals. "If we're doing great we can celebrate or make plans to push that greatness forward. If we're off target, hopefully it gives us more time to react," he said. Mission Health measures and compares key operating and productivity metrics, such as total expense over unit of service and hours worked over unit of service, from the previous year.

4. Emphasizes performance management and accountability. A culture of continuous improvement increases visibility into department and management performance. Managers know their department's performance must improve compared to last year's actual results, which holds managers accountable to maintain their margins. "The performance data is available to everyone across the system," Mr. Miller said. "This slight peer pressure drives everyone to achieve their goals."
A. Marc Harrison, MD, has officially begun his new role as president and CEO at Salt Lake City-based Intermountain Healthcare. Dr. Harrison, who has a variety of clinical and executive experience in the U.S. and abroad, most recently served as chief of international business development for Cleveland Clinic and CEO of Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi.

Dr. Harrison, a pediatric critical care specialist, succeeds Charles W. Sorenson, MD, who retired as president and CEO on Oct. 15.

At Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, Dr. Harrison assembled a 3,500 member multi-national workforce and oversaw all aspects of clinical and business operations for the new medical campus, which provided services to patients from 31 countries in its first 10 months of operation. Previously, he served as CMO for Cleveland Clinic and chairman of pediatric critical care.

Although he's spent much of his career in different organizations across the U.S. and out of the country, Dr. Harrison is no stranger to the Salt Lake City area. After earning an undergraduate degree at Haverford (Pa.) College and a medical degree at Dartmouth Medical School in Hanover, N.H., he completed a residency in pediatrics and a fellowship in pediatric critical care through Salt Lake City-based University of Utah School of Medicine, working at Intermountain's Primary Children's Hospital.

Here, Dr. Harrison took the time to answer Becker's Hospital Review's six questions.

Note: Responses have been lightly edited for length and clarity.

Q: What are you most looking forward to in your new role as CEO of Intermountain?

Dr. Harrison: There are a couple of things. First of all, Intermountain is already a great organization. It is already able to organize, execute and deliver great results  the pieces are in place to do extraordinary things from a population health and value-based care standpoint. But the secret sauce here is truly the people. I hadn't looked for a new job in 17 years and I wasn't looking for one when Intermountain reached out to me. What sold me was visiting here and seeing how switched on the people are.

The organization has already transformed itself to align with where the future of healthcare is going. Having human capital of this high of caliber  I'm unbelievably excited about that. There's an expression that says usually when you turn over rocks you find scorpions, but here I found gems. These are super smart, capable and collaborative people who know where we need to go.

Q: What are your top priorities or goals for your first few months in office?

AMH: Given how good this group is, the first thing I plan on doing is listening. This is a big system. There are 22 hospitals and about 185 clinics spread over a large state. I'm going to try to meet as many people as I can, listen to what's going well and find out where the opportunities are. Come the beginning of next year I'll roll out a thoughtful plan based on what I've learned so we can go forward together. In the meantime, the organization's direction remains excellent. Dr. Sorenson set the stage for this. I don't anticipate the direction will veer off from population health and value-based care.

Q: What elements of Dr. Sorenson's legacy do you hope to continue?

AMH: The guy's amazing. He's really a role model. Dr. Sorenson has managed to keep the system's day-to-day activities completely tied to its mission, vision and values. Intermountain's mission is helping people live the healthiest lives possible; the vision is to be a model health system by providing extraordinary care and superior service at an affordable cost; and our values are integrity, trust, excellence, accountability and mutual respect. Throughout his tenure, he's tied every action back to the mission, vision, and values. I hope to continue doing that.

Another inspiring thing about him is he maintained his clinical activity while serving as CEO. I try to spend Thursday mornings up at Primary Children's Hospital to do rounds and visit the pediatric intensive care unit. I think that connection to the front lines is invaluable and it's also fun. It's really great to be around patients.

Q: Are there any particular experiences from your prior roles as a pediatrician or health system executive that you think will be especially helpful as Intermountain's new CEO?

AMH: I learned this way back as an intensivist: As an individual I was useless. Without the nurses, pharmacists, nutritionists, secretaries, environmental service workers, biomedical engineers, and everyone else who works together, I can't really accomplish much. But as part of a team I can be really effective and help a lot of people. I've always kept that lesson with me  it's always all about the team and it will continue to be that way.

Q: What elements  if any  do you plan to borrow from the Cleveland Clinic and implement at Intermountain?

AMH: Intermountain and Cleveland Clinic have had a longstanding mutual admiration. I know lots of the clinicians here watch Cleveland Clinic to see what they're doing in terms of tertiary and quaternary care, and the clinic has looked at how Intermountain has integrated mental health professionals with primary care. One thing I'm really interested in helping continue to evolve at Intermountain is its standing as a destination medical center. We have quite active groups of people who come here from Alaska and other states for bone marrow transplants and cardiovascular services. I think we can become an even more robust referral center.

Q: What is the most valuable piece of professional advice you've ever received?

AMH: One of the most valuable pieces of advice I received came from the chairman of the board of Cleveland Clinic before I headed to Abu Dhabi. He told me, "Build trust first." You can't get anything done if people don't trust you. You build trust by building personal relationships, and that's what I plan on doing here.

Another important piece of advice comes from Dr. Sorenson. He often says this and I find it rather striking. He says, "Doing the right thing almost always ends up being the best business decision. And even if it's not, doing the right thing is good in and of itself." Sticking to your core values is crucial.

My motto has always been not to ever do anything I couldn't explain to my kids. Now my kids are grown up, but I think keeping it simple is a good business and leadership principle to live by.

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JCOM published a study finding a hospitalist group with a high physician assistant-to-physician ratio yielded similar clinical outcomes when compared to a hospitalist group with a low PA-to-physician ratio.

In the study conducted between January 2012 and June 2013, researchers analyzed an expanded PA group, which featured three physicians and three PAs. The conventional staffing model group featured nine physicians and two PAs.

Here are five key notes:

1. Researchers noted 14.05 percent of patients in the expanded PA group were readmitted within 30 days, compared to 13.69 percent of patients in the conventional staffing PA model.

2. The expanded PA group had a 1.3 percent inpatient mortality rate, marginally more than the conventional staffing model's inpatient mortality rate (0.99 percent).

3. Researchers did not note a statistically significant difference in consultant use and length of stay between the two groups. The conventional group used an average of 0.56 consultants per case, while the expanded PA group used 0.55 consultants per case.

4. For the expanded PA group, the average charge to the patient totaled $2,644, less than $2,724 for the conventional group.

5. Based on the findings, the researchers concluded an expanded PA hospitalist staffing model at a community hospital yielded similar outcomes at a decreased cost of care.
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A diving business on the north coast has vowed to take on destinations for the sport like the Maldives and Red Sea as it splashes out on a new vessel.

Aquaholics in Portstewart has bought the commercial catamaran with the support of Ulster Bank.

It's aiming to increase its capacity for tourists wanting to explore Northern Ireland's deep blue sea around the north coast and Rathlin Island.

Company owner Richard Lafferty said: "With world class diving on the north coast, Aquaholics attracts a lot of groups and individuals from Europe, the US and Russia.

"Not a lot of people realise how attractive the north coast is to divers and we see a real opportunity to bring more international visitors to the area.

"This new, state-of-the-art vessel enables us to provide the high quality service our customers now expect."

Aquaholics also provides marine services to TV and film crews and has worked on underwater scenes in HBO fantasy series Game of Thrones and on productions by the BBC and Disney. It also runs Game of Thrones location trips around the coast.

Rhonda McClelland, business manager at Ulster Bank, said: "Richard has diversified the business extremely well, including his line of work in servicing media companies and film crews.

"He has also invested well in his core diving operation and we are very pleased to support this latest purchase intended to bring more international visitors to the north coast."

Aquaholics also has an online retail arm for equipment for diving and other outdoor pursuits.
The European Union's executive has called for patience in an attempt to save a free trade deal with Canada (AP)

The European Union (EU) and Canada have tried to remain upbeat about the prospects for their trans-Atlantic free trade pact despite a small Belgian region persisting in its refusal to back the deal.

After the setback early on Monday, EU President Donald Tusk and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau spoke by telephone, with Mr Tusk saying afterwards "there's yet time" to find a compromise solution.

A joint summit for signing the long-delayed trade deal is scheduled for Thursday, offering the two leaders and Belgian officials little time to persuade the Wallonia region to drop its opposition.

Without all Belgian regions supporting the agreement, Belgium cannot sign and the EU needs unanimity from all of its 28 member states.

"We think Thursday's summit still possible," Mr Tusk said in a Twitter message. "We encourage all parties to find a solution."

The EU's inability to sign would be a major embarrassment and undermine the belief that the world's biggest trading bloc is a trustworthy partner as it seeks similar deals with nations like the US and Japan.

Prospects for a signing ceremony on Thursday looked as good as dead on Monday afternoon when Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel admitted he could not get unanimity in the country's regions and legislatures.

"We have been asked to give a clear answer today," on whether Belgium could sign up as the last of 28 member states," Mr Michel said after meeting with Wallonia leader Paul Magnette. "The clear answer, at this stage, is no."

Even though Mr Michel is eager to sign the deal, Belgium's constitutional set-up means every single region in the country needs to back it, not only the national government.

As a result, opposition from a region of 3.5 million could now stop a deal between more than 500 million EU citizens and 35 million Canadians.

The EU's executive Commission called for patience in an attempt to save the free trade deal and had already dismissed a Monday-night deadline as counter-productive.

Mr Magnette insisted he would agree to nothing under the threat of an ultimatum but remained open to further talks.

The EU Commission, which has negotiated the deal on behalf of the 28 nations, insisted this week's summit was not the final deadline.

"Now, we need patience," EU Commission spokesman Margaritis Schinas said. "The commission traditionally does not set deadlines or ultimatums."

Even if Thursday's summit has to be called off, it could always be rescheduled when Wallonia has signed on to the agreement, Mr Schinas indicated.

Politicians in Wallonia argue the proposed Ceta accord (Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement) would undermine labour, the environment and consumer standards.

Proponents say it would yield billions in added trade through tariff cuts and other measures to lower barriers to commerce.

AP
Andy Burnham has raised fears that the Northern Powerhouse project will be diluted as funds are instead poured into the midlands

Labour MPs have said the Northern Powerhouse project has "all but been cancelled", with the Government's attention now focussed on the Midlands Engine.

Greater Manchester MPs Andy Burnham and Lucy Powell have demanded fresh focus on the Northern Powerhouse project, which Theresa May is reportedly less keen on than her predecessors at the helm of Government.

Ministers branded the claims "complete and utter nonsense" and said the Government was "as committed as ever" to the Northern Powerhouse, which aims to boost economic growth across the region.

Speaking during questions to the Communities and Local Government Secretary, Mr Burnham, Labour's candidate to be mayor of Greater Manchester, said: "One can't help but notice that all the talk these days is of the Midlands Engine, and suddenly the Northern Powerhouse is about as popular on those benches as its originator, the Right Honourable Member for Tatton (George Osborne).

"While I'm not against investment in the midlands, can the Secretary of State give a cast iron guarantee that manifesto commitments to invest in the north, including HS3, will not be delayed or diluted by new commitments to the midlands?"

Mr Osborne was widely credited with leading the Northern Powerhouse project in Government.

The former chancellor previously said Mrs May had "a little bit of a wobble" over the project after becoming Prime Minister.

Responding to Mr Burnham, Communities Secretary Sajid Javid said: "I know he has significant ambitions, but he mustn't talk down the north at every opportunity he finds.

"He will know this Government is as committed as ever to the Northern Powerhouse, and that includes all our commitments around investment and growth."

But Ms Powell (Manchester Central) continued the pressure on the Government later in the debate.

She told MPs: "The Northern Powerhouse project has brought much needed investment, attention and cohesion to northern cities like mine of Manchester.

"So why is it that many of those key players involved in the Northern Powerhouse project, including former ministers, now feel like the programme has all but been cancelled?"

In response, Northern Powerhouse Minister Andrew Percy, said: "This is complete and utter nonsense.

"And I have to say, if honourable members opposite are really interested in the Northern Powerhouse, they should stop talking it down at every single opportunity and trashing it.

"We have delivered through the Northern Powerhouse a record number of enterprise zones, billions of pounds of investment in public transport projects across the north.

"I know from my 10 years as a local government councillor in the north, it's a lot more than the Labour government managed to do for the north during their time in power."

Mr Osborne has set up a new think tank to drive the Northern Powerhouse forward, while former Treasury minister Lord O'Neill - another key architect of the project - last month quit his Government post.
A report indicated the importance of a trade deal to both sides in the Brexit negotiations

European Union (EU) firms will face tariff costs of almost 13 billion a year on exports to the UK while British companies will face a 5.2 billion bill for sales to the other 27 states if Brexit means leaving the customs union without an alternative free trade deal, according to new analysis.

A report by the Civitas think tank indicated the importance of a deal to both sides in the Brexit negotiations and suggested Theresa May could use the balance of trade to her advantage in talks with the remaining 27 EU leaders.

On a country-by-country basis, 22 of the 27 remaining EU members would face more tariffs on exports to the UK than UK firms would be hit by on sales to those individual nations.

Germany firms alone would face 3.4 billion in tariff costs if the relationship between the EU and UK fell back on World Trade Organisation (WTO) most-favoured nation rules. U K exporters, in return, would face 0.9 billion of tariffs on goods going to Germany.

French exporters could face 1.4 billion in tariffs on their products compared to UK exporters facing 0.7 billion, according to the study.

Supporters of Brexit have argued that German car manufacturers and French winemakers would put pressure on their governments for the EU to strike a deal with the UK to protect the valuable British export market.

The analysis suggests the European motor industry would face tariffs of 3.9 billion in car-related exports to the UK, including 1.8 billion for the German automotive sector, while British exports to the remaining 27 states would face 1.3 billion in costs.

The paper said that "realising the potential cost of re-introducing tariffs to trade between the UK and most of Europe is the first step in making the case for a trade deal that will allow both EU and UK citizens to benefit from continued tariff-free trade across the continent".

The report's author, Civitas research fellow Justin Protts, said: "These figures highlight the importance of securing a post-Brexit trade deal, not just for the UK but also for the EU.

"European exporters have a great deal to lose if without free trade across the continent - the knock-on effect of tariffs and increased prices will harm their ability to sell to the UK.

"The UK would be better-placed to adjust for these changes. It has the opportunity on leaving the EU to alter its tariff schedule in a manner that is more favourable to UK businesses, reducing tariffs on input products for UK manufacturers and other products that are not manufactured in the UK, while keeping tariffs on goods that can be manufactured in the UK that are perhaps not yet competitively produced.

"Further still, the depreciation of sterling, although it will lead to increases in import prices, will reduce the cost of buying goods from the UK.

"Both these factors will allow the UK economy to adjust for the introduction of tariffs if there is no trade agreement.

"'The EU, on the other hand, has seen the euro rise relatively against sterling. This will put pressure on EU manufacturers who export to the UK."
According to Panorama, many clothes are made in Turkey due to its proximity to Europe and because it is used to dealing with last-minute orders

Refugee children from Syria have been found making clothes for British fashion brands in Turkey.

Children as young as 15 were reportedly found working on clothes for Marks & Spencer and online retailer Asos, some working more than 12 hours a day.

Another factory that said it made clothes for Next employed Turkish children and Syrian refugees, while others were illegally working on Zara and Mango jeans, the BBC's Panorama programme found.

Investigators found seven Syrians working in one of Marks & Spencer's main factories, with refugees earning about 1 an hour - far below the Turkish minimum wage - and paid in cash on the street by a middleman.

The youngest worker, a 15-year-old, worked 12 hours a day ironing clothes before shipment to the UK.

Another refugee explained how poorly workers were treated, saying: "If anything happens to a Syrian, they will throw him away like a piece of cloth."

In another Istanbul workshop, where several Syrian children were at work, an Asos sample was found in the office.

More refugees were discovered at another factory distressing jeans for Mango and Zara, spraying hazardous bleaching chemicals without even the most basic of face masks.

And in one workhouse, Panorama found Syrian adults at work alongside Turkish children as young as 10. The owner said he had been working for Next and showed reporters a set of Next pyjamas he said the factory had helped produce.

According to Panorama, m any clothes are made in Turkey due to its proximity to Europe and because it is used to dealing with last-minute orders, allowing retailers to rush new designs into shops quicker than if they were made elsewhere.

Most refugees did not have work permits and many were working illegally in the garment industry, the programme found.

Reporter Darragh MacIntyre said Syrian workers felt they were being exploited.

He said: "They speak of pitiful wages and terrible working conditions. They know they are being exploited but they know they can do nothing about it."

All of the brands told Panorama they carefully monitor their supply chains in Turkey and do not tolerate the exploitation of refugees or children.

Marks & Spencer said its inspections have not found a single Syrian refugee working in its supply chain in Turkey but called the findings "extremely serious" and "unacceptable", promising permanent legal employment to any Syrians who were employed in the factory.

It said: " Ethical trading is fundamental to M&S. All of our suppliers are contractually required to comply with our Global Sourcing Principles, which cover what we expect and require of them and their treatment of workers.

"We do not tolerate such breaches of these principles and we will do all we can to ensure that this does not happen again."

Asos accepted its clothes were made in the workshop Panorama discovered but said it was not an approved factory and promised to financially support the workers found there.

Mango said a subcontracted factory had been used without its knowledge, while Zara's parent company Inditex said factory inspections were a "highly effective way of monitoring and improving conditions".

Next said pyjamas were made by another supplier and those seen by Panorama may have been a sample.

But Danielle McMullan, from the Business and Human Rights Resource Centre, said brands need to understand they are responsible.

She said: "It's not enough to say we didn't know about this, it's not our fault. They have a responsibility to monitor and to understand where their clothes are being made and what condition they are being made in."

:: Panorama - Undercover: The Refugees Who Make Our Clothes, is on BBC One at 8.30pm on Monday.
Former Eggheads star CJ de Mooi will "continue to co-operate with the Dutch authorities" after a failed attempt to extradite him to the Netherlands over an alleged killing.

The ex-quiz show panellist said in his autobiography that he punched a man who approached him with a knife, then threw him into a canal in Amsterdam in 1988.

On Monday, Dutch authorities reportedly abandoned an attempt to extradite 46-year-old de Mooi, whose real name is Joseph Connagh, back to the Netherlands to face questioning.

His manager said in a statement: " CJ is obviously very pleased with the result of today's hearing, and will continue to co-operate with the Dutch authorities until this matter is finally concluded.

"He would like to thank the tens of thousands of people who have contacted him via social media and in person, for their lovely words and support during this traumatic time for him; he really does appreciate each and every one of the kind messages he has received."

The actor, who lives with his husband in Caldicot, south-east Wales, was detained under a European arrest warrant at Heathrow Airport in September, after landing at Terminal 3 from a business trip in South Africa.
In the first of our exclusive extracts from her new book The Place I Call Home out this week, former MLA Anna Lo talks about how she learned to cope with a heartbreaking cancer diagnosis.

Back in 2001, a friend who had not seen me for a while remarked that I had lost a lot of weight. I had not noticed this, but was aware that I had not been sleeping well and had lost my appetite. I went to see my doctor, who discovered that I was suffering from high blood pressure and gave me medication for it.

I put it down to pressure at work and at home and thought it would be temporary. However, the condition persisted.

Soon after I became an MLA in May 2007, after a routine blood test in September in a new health clinic in the area I had moved to, a very experienced GP, Dr Darrah, called me one evening to ask me to see him first thing the next morning.

I was not particularly worried and breezed in, praising him for his efficiency. However, he looked solemn and told me that my white blood-cell count was abnormally high and that he needed to carry out some investigations. I remember asking him, 'What investigations? Do you mean cancer?' 'Yes,' he answered, gravely.

It was hard to take in - I did not seem to have any symptoms of the disease.

A week later, I was at the Special Investigation Unit at the Royal Victoria Hospital for a series of tests.

I had an endoscopy in October, two days before I left for a conference at the University of Notre Dame in the USA, where I was to make a speech about racial equality in Northern Ireland.

On arrival at the campus in Indiana, I lost my voice completely from laryngitis, possibly caused by the procedure. It was lucky that I just about got my voice back, although I was still hoarse, on the last day of the week-long conference, when I was due to speak.

Mind you, I was feeling rather low, under the dark cloud of the investigation, and did not really enjoy the conference, even though I was able to meet the renowned human rights lawyer and former president of Ireland, Mary Robinson, at the pre-conference reception and lecture.

Strangely, the results of the endoscopy found no sign of any cancer growth and the investigation was inconclusive.

In the meantime I took a course of iron tablets to alleviate my anaemia. A couple of years later I went through a series of investigations all over again - blood tests were still indicating that my body was fighting against some kind of infection.

However, once again, they failed to find anything. Crucially, I felt well and full of energy. I was not particularly concerned.

It was not until April 2012 that, after some more tests, a liver specialist in the Royal referred me to Dr Damien Finnegan in Belfast City Hospital for a bone-marrow test.

This confirmed that I had basal-cell lymphoma, a low-grade non-Hodgkin lymphoma, which usually progresses slowly over a period of months or years in cells in the bone marrow.

For this type of cancer, evidence suggests that no treatment is as good as treatment for people who are otherwise feeling well. Thus, luckily, I have so far been spared the side effects of chemotherapy. Instead, I am subject to a 'watch and wait' policy, being closely monitored until such time as the illness becomes worse.

I receive regular check-ups from the very gentle and sensitive Dr Finnegan and the wonderful staff at Belfast City Hospital. I know, too, that I have to look after myself and keep healthy.

I suspect the cancer might even have been present back in 2001, when I suddenly lost weight and developed high blood pressure, which is an associated condition of the lymphoma.

I have often wondered whether, if it had been diagnosed then, David (Watson, her first husband, a former Belfast Telegraph journalist) and I would still have separated in June of that year.

The confirmation of cancer in 2012 could not have come at a worse time.

I had just separated from Gavin (her second husband) and literally left the matrimonial home with a suitcase, moving from a luxury four-bedroom house in Jordanstown to a rented semi-detached house in a working-class area of east Belfast.

My house off the Knocknagoney Road was a stone's throw away from a loyalist estate which had flags on nearly every lamp-post in July.

I got some intimidation there. Shortly after I moved in, for example, I put up a side gate to block off access to the back of the property. Someone, for some unknown reason, kicked it open during the night and the bolt had to be reinforced.

Needless to say, incidents like this did not help me as I tried to come to terms with my diagnosis.

I did not tell many people about the cancer. Indeed, as it never seemed imminent that I would be hampered by the illness, there was almost nothing to tell.

I told my family, a couple of close friends and a few people in the Alliance Party; but I omitted to tell my close colleague, Catherine Curran, in my constituency office. It was only a year later that I happened to mention it to her. She burst into tears when she heard the news.

There was no point in wallowing in self-pity.

I had to get on with getting over the marriage break-up and fulfilling my role in the Assembly.

Perhaps my tough Chinese roots kept me going. I was thankful that I had a busy, full-time job that absorbed all my time and focus.
The dying brother of a teenager shot dead by the Army in Londonderry heard that the soldiers' commanding officer was sorry for the incident, just hours before he passed away.

Major Trevor Wilson, who was the commander of C Company of the 1st Battalion of the Worcestershire and Sherwood Foresters when Manus Deery was killed in 1972, appeared at his inquest last week.

The former officer became emotional when giving evidence and said he wished to say sorry to the Deerys.

He later had a private conversation with the family outside the courtroom. Relatives then whispered Major Wilson's words into the ear of Seamus Deery (63), who was on his deathbed.

"The killing of our brother, Manus, had such a huge effect on our whole family for 42 years. We wanted Seamus to hear the commander's apology before he died. It meant so much to us all," Helen Reynolds, Manus's sister, said.

Manus was shot dead as he ate chips with his friends in the Bogside in May 1972. The 15-year-old had left home with a comic magazine tucked into the back of his trousers. The soldier who fired the fatal shot was never prosecuted despite an official admission that the Army's own 'yellow card' guidelines - stating when the military can open fire - had been broken. He claimed that he had spotted a gunman.

Helen Deery said the inquest would not be postponed because of the death of Seamus, who will be buried today. "We were told that if we tried to get the inquest adjourned for even a few days, it could end up being put back years," she explained.

"Even though this is an extremely difficult and emotional time for our family - burying one brother and attending the inquest of another - we will see it through."

Police and civilian witnesses are due to give evidence at the inquest today in Derry courthouse.
Christian Institute support rally for Ashers bakery held at the Waterfront Hall in Belfast. In attendance is the DUP's Sammy Wilson. Photograph:Stephen Hamilton/Presseye

Pacemaker Press 26/3/2015 Daniel McArthur (General manager at Ashers Bakery) arrives at Laganside Court in Belfast with his family on thursday, Ashers face a discrimination case supported by the Equality Commission, after a dispute began when the Christian-run bakery refused a request to make a cake with a pro-gay marriage slogan. Pic Colm Lenaghan/Pacemaker

Pacemaker Press 26/3/2015 Daniel McArthur (General manager at Ashers Bakery) arrives at Laganside Court in Belfast with his family on thursday, Ashers face a discrimination case supported by the Equality Commission, after a dispute began when the Christian-run bakery refused a request to make a cake with a pro-gay marriage slogan. Pic Colm Lenaghan/Pacemaker

Pacemaker Press 26/3/2015 Daniel McArthur (General manager at Ashers Bakery) arrives at Laganside Court in Belfast with his wife Amy on thursday, Ashers face a discrimination case supported by the Equality Commission, after a dispute began when the Christian-run bakery refused a request to make a cake with a pro-gay marriage slogan. Pic Colm Lenaghan/Pacemaker

Daniel and Amy McArthur arriving at Belfast County Court to fight a challenge by Northern Ireland's Equality Commission following their refusal to make a cake bearing a pro-gay marriage slogan. David Young/PA Wire

Gareth Lee, whose lawyer put his side of the case to the court yesterday

While not identical to the Ashers gay cake controversy, this story touches on some of the same themes and dilemmas

Ashers' Daniel McArthur with his wife Amy and his parents Colin and Karen behind leave Laganside Court after the case finished

Pacemaker Press 26/3/2015 Daniel McArthur (General manager at Ashers Bakery) arrives at Laganside Court in Belfast with his family on thursday, Ashers face a discrimination case supported by the Equality Commission, after a dispute began when the Christian-run bakery refused a request to make a cake with a pro-gay marriage slogan. Pic Colm Lenaghan/Pacemaker

Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 19th May 2015 Picture by Jonathan Porter / Press Eye Ashers found guilty of discrimination in cake case. A judge has found a Christian bakery which refused to make a cake bearing a pro-gay marriage slogan guilty of discrimination. Ashers Baking Company, which is run by the McArthur family, declined the request for a cake with an image of Sesame Street puppets Bert and Ernie below the motto Support Gay Marriage. The Equality Commission took the case against the Newtownabbey based company on behalf of Gareth Lee who had trued to order the cake. Bakery owners Daniel McArthur and his wife Amy pictured outside the court after the verdict.

Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 19th May 2015 Picture by Jonathan Porter / Press Eye Ashers found guilty of discrimination in cake case. A judge has found a Christian bakery which refused to make a cake bearing a pro-gay marriage slogan guilty of discrimination. Ashers Baking Company, which is run by the McArthur family, declined the request for a cake with an image of Sesame Street puppets Bert and Ernie below the motto Support Gay Marriage. The Equality Commission took the case against the Newtownabbey based company on behalf of Gareth Lee who had trued to order the cake. Bakery owners Daniel McArthur and his wife Amy pictured outside the court after the verdict.

Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 19th May 2015 Picture by Jonathan Porter / Press Eye Ashers found guilty of discrimination in cake case. A judge has found a Christian bakery which refused to make a cake bearing a pro-gay marriage slogan guilty of discrimination. Ashers Baking Company, which is run by the McArthur family, declined the request for a cake with an image of Sesame Street puppets Bert and Ernie below the motto Support Gay Marriage. The Equality Commission took the case against the Newtownabbey based company on behalf of Gareth Lee who had trued to order the cake. Gareth Lee receives a hug outside the court after the verdict.

Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 19th May 2015 Picture by Jonathan Porter / Press Eye Ashers found guilty of discrimination in cake case. A judge has found a Christian bakery which refused to make a cake bearing a pro-gay marriage slogan guilty of discrimination. Ashers Baking Company, which is run by the McArthur family, declined the request for a cake with an image of Sesame Street puppets Bert and Ernie below the motto Support Gay Marriage. The Equality Commission took the case against the Newtownabbey based company on behalf of Gareth Lee who had trued to order the cake. Gareth Lee(centre) pictured outside the court after the verdict.

Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 19th May 2015 Picture by Jonathan Porter / Press Eye Ashers found guilty of discrimination in cake case. A judge has found a Christian bakery which refused to make a cake bearing a pro-gay marriage slogan guilty of discrimination. Ashers Baking Company, which is run by the McArthur family, declined the request for a cake with an image of Sesame Street puppets Bert and Ernie below the motto Support Gay Marriage. The Equality Commission took the case against the Newtownabbey based company on behalf of Gareth Lee who had trued to order the cake. Bakery owners Daniel McArthur and his wife Amy pictured outside the court after the verdict.

Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 19th May 2015 Picture by Jonathan Porter / Press Eye Ashers found guilty of discrimination in cake case. A judge has found a Christian bakery which refused to make a cake bearing a pro-gay marriage slogan guilty of discrimination. Ashers Baking Company, which is run by the McArthur family, declined the request for a cake with an image of Sesame Street puppets Bert and Ernie below the motto Support Gay Marriage. The Equality Commission took the case against the Newtownabbey based company on behalf of Gareth Lee who had trued to order the cake. Bakery owners Daniel McArthur and his wife Amy pictured outside the court after the verdict.

Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 19th May 2015 Picture by Jonathan Porter / Press Eye Ashers found guilty of discrimination in cake case. A judge has found a Christian bakery which refused to make a cake bearing a pro-gay marriage slogan guilty of discrimination. Ashers Baking Company, which is run by the McArthur family, declined the request for a cake with an image of Sesame Street puppets Bert and Ernie below the motto Support Gay Marriage. The Equality Commission took the case against the Newtownabbey based company on behalf of Gareth Lee who had trued to order the cake. Gareth Lee(right) pictured outside the court after the verdict.

Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 19th May 2015 Picture by Jonathan Porter / Press Eye Ashers found guilty of discrimination in cake case. A judge has found a Christian bakery which refused to make a cake bearing a pro-gay marriage slogan guilty of discrimination. Ashers Baking Company, which is run by the McArthur family, declined the request for a cake with an image of Sesame Street puppets Bert and Ernie below the motto Support Gay Marriage. The Equality Commission took the case against the Newtownabbey based company on behalf of Gareth Lee who had trued to order the cake. Gareth Lee(centre) pictured outside the court after the verdict.

Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 19th May 2015 Picture by Jonathan Porter / Press Eye Ashers found guilty of discrimination in cake case. A judge has found a Christian bakery which refused to make a cake bearing a pro-gay marriage slogan guilty of discrimination. Ashers Baking Company, which is run by the McArthur family, declined the request for a cake with an image of Sesame Street puppets Bert and Ernie below the motto Support Gay Marriage. The Equality Commission took the case against the Newtownabbey based company on behalf of Gareth Lee who had trued to order the cake. Bakery owners Daniel McArthur and his wife Amy pictured outside the court after the verdict.

Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 19th May 2015 Picture by Jonathan Porter / Press Eye Ashers found guilty of discrimination in cake case. A judge has found a Christian bakery which refused to make a cake bearing a pro-gay marriage slogan guilty of discrimination. Ashers Baking Company, which is run by the McArthur family, declined the request for a cake with an image of Sesame Street puppets Bert and Ernie below the motto Support Gay Marriage. The Equality Commission took the case against the Newtownabbey based company on behalf of Gareth Lee who had trued to order the cake. Bakery owners Daniel McArthur and his wife Amy pictured outside the court after the verdict.

Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 19th May 2015 Picture by Jonathan Porter / Press Eye Ashers found guilty of discrimination in cake case. A judge has found a Christian bakery which refused to make a cake bearing a pro-gay marriage slogan guilty of discrimination. Ashers Baking Company, which is run by the McArthur family, declined the request for a cake with an image of Sesame Street puppets Bert and Ernie below the motto Support Gay Marriage. The Equality Commission took the case against the Newtownabbey based company on behalf of Gareth Lee who had trued to order the cake. Bakery owners Daniel McArthur and his wife Amy arrive at court for the verdict.

Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 19th May 2015 Picture by Jonathan Porter / Press Eye Ashers found guilty of discrimination in cake case. A judge has found a Christian bakery which refused to make a cake bearing a pro-gay marriage slogan guilty of discrimination. Ashers Baking Company, which is run by the McArthur family, declined the request for a cake with an image of Sesame Street puppets Bert and Ernie below the motto Support Gay Marriage. The Equality Commission took the case against the Newtownabbey based company on behalf of Gareth Lee who had trued to order the cake. Bakery owners Daniel McArthur and his wife Amy arrive at court for the verdict.

Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 19th May 2015 Picture by Jonathan Porter / Press Eye Ashers found guilty of discrimination in cake case. A judge has found a Christian bakery which refused to make a cake bearing a pro-gay marriage slogan guilty of discrimination. Ashers Baking Company, which is run by the McArthur family, declined the request for a cake with an image of Sesame Street puppets Bert and Ernie below the motto Support Gay Marriage. The Equality Commission took the case against the Newtownabbey based company on behalf of Gareth Lee who had trued to order the cake. Bakery owners Daniel McArthur and his wife Amy arrive at court for the verdict.

Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 19th May 2015 Picture by Jonathan Porter / Press Eye Ashers found guilty of discrimination in cake case. A judge has found a Christian bakery which refused to make a cake bearing a pro-gay marriage slogan guilty of discrimination. Ashers Baking Company, which is run by the McArthur family, declined the request for a cake with an image of Sesame Street puppets Bert and Ernie below the motto Support Gay Marriage. The Equality Commission took the case against the Newtownabbey based company on behalf of Gareth Lee who had trued to order the cake. Bakery owners Daniel McArthur and his wife Amy arrive at court for the verdict.

Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 19th May 2015 Picture by Jonathan Porter / Press Eye Ashers found guilty of discrimination in cake case. A judge has found a Christian bakery which refused to make a cake bearing a pro-gay marriage slogan guilty of discrimination. Ashers Baking Company, which is run by the McArthur family, declined the request for a cake with an image of Sesame Street puppets Bert and Ernie below the motto Support Gay Marriage. The Equality Commission took the case against the Newtownabbey based company on behalf of Gareth Lee who had trued to order the cake. The DUP's Paul Givan(second from right) and Edwin Poots(second from left) pictured outside the court after the verdict.

Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 19th May 2015 Picture by Jonathan Porter / Press Eye Ashers found guilty of discrimination in cake case. A judge has found a Christian bakery which refused to make a cake bearing a pro-gay marriage slogan guilty of discrimination. Ashers Baking Company, which is run by the McArthur family, declined the request for a cake with an image of Sesame Street puppets Bert and Ernie below the motto Support Gay Marriage. The Equality Commission took the case against the Newtownabbey based company on behalf of Gareth Lee who had trued to order the cake. Dr Michael Wardlow(left() from the Equality Commission and Gareth Lee(centre) pictured outside the court after the verdict.

Pacemaker Press 19/5/2015 Daniel McArthur (director of Ashers Bakery) and with wife Amy at Laganside court in Belfast on tuesday, A judge has found the Christian bakery guilty of discrimination , Ashers Baking Company, which is run by the McArthur family, declined the request for a cake with an image of Sesame Street puppets Bert and Ernie below the motto Support Gay Marriage. The order placed at the firm's shop at Royal Avenue in Belfast was for a private function marking International Day Against Homophobia last May. Pic Colm Lenaghan/Pacemaker

Pacemaker Press 19/5/2015 Daniel McArthur (director of Ashers Bakery) and with wife Amy at Laganside court in Belfast on tuesday, A judge has found the Christian bakery guilty of discrimination , Ashers Baking Company, which is run by the McArthur family, declined the request for a cake with an image of Sesame Street puppets Bert and Ernie below the motto Support Gay Marriage. The order placed at the firm's shop at Royal Avenue in Belfast was for a private function marking International Day Against Homophobia last May. Pic Colm Lenaghan/Pacemaker

Pacemaker Press 19/5/2015 Daniel McArthur (director of Ashers Bakery) and with wife Amy at Laganside court in Belfast on tuesday, A judge has found the Christian bakery guilty of discrimination , Ashers Baking Company, which is run by the McArthur family, declined the request for a cake with an image of Sesame Street puppets Bert and Ernie below the motto Support Gay Marriage. The order placed at the firm's shop at Royal Avenue in Belfast was for a private function marking International Day Against Homophobia last May. Pic Colm Lenaghan/Pacemaker

Pacemaker Press 19/5/2015 Daniel McArthur (director of Ashers Bakery) at Laganside court in Belfast on tuesday, A judge has found the Christian bakery guilty of discrimination , Ashers Baking Company, which is run by the McArthur family, declined the request for a cake with an image of Sesame Street puppets Bert and Ernie below the motto Support Gay Marriage. The order placed at the firm's shop at Royal Avenue in Belfast was for a private function marking International Day Against Homophobia last May. Pic Colm Lenaghan/Pacemaker

Pacemaker Press 19/5/2015 Daniel McArthur (director of Ashers Bakery) and with wife Amy at Laganside court in Belfast on tuesday, A judge has found the Christian bakery guilty of discrimination , Ashers Baking Company, which is run by the McArthur family, declined the request for a cake with an image of Sesame Street puppets Bert and Ernie below the motto Support Gay Marriage. The order placed at the firm's shop at Royal Avenue in Belfast was for a private function marking International Day Against Homophobia last May. Pic Colm Lenaghan/Pacemaker

Pacemaker Press 19/5/2015 Daniel McArthur (director of Ashers Bakery) and with wife Amy at Laganside court in Belfast on tuesday, A judge has found the Christian bakery guilty of discrimination , Ashers Baking Company, which is run by the McArthur family, declined the request for a cake with an image of Sesame Street puppets Bert and Ernie below the motto Support Gay Marriage. The order placed at the firm's shop at Royal Avenue in Belfast was for a private function marking International Day Against Homophobia last May. Pic Colm Lenaghan/Pacemaker

Pacemaker Press 19/5/2015 Gay rights activist Gareth Lee gets a hug from a friend outside Laganside Court , A judge has found the Christian bakery guilty of discrimination , Ashers Baking Company, which is run by the McArthur family, declined the request for a cake with an image of Sesame Street puppets Bert and Ernie below the motto Support Gay Marriage. The order placed at the firm's shop at Royal Avenue in Belfast was for a private function marking International Day Against Homophobia last May. Pic Colm Lenaghan/Pacemaker

Pacemaker Press 19/5/2015 Gay rights activist Gareth Lee gets a hug from a friend outside Laganside Court , A judge has found the Christian bakery guilty of discrimination , Ashers Baking Company, which is run by the McArthur family, declined the request for a cake with an image of Sesame Street puppets Bert and Ernie below the motto Support Gay Marriage. The order placed at the firm's shop at Royal Avenue in Belfast was for a private function marking International Day Against Homophobia last May. Pic Colm Lenaghan/Pacemaker

Pacemaker Press 19/5/2015 Daniel McArthur (director of Ashers Bakery) and with wife Amy at Laganside court in Belfast on tuesday, A judge has found the Christian bakery guilty of discrimination , Ashers Baking Company, which is run by the McArthur family, declined the request for a cake with an image of Sesame Street puppets Bert and Ernie below the motto Support Gay Marriage. The order placed at the firm's shop at Royal Avenue in Belfast was for a private function marking International Day Against Homophobia last May. Pic Colm Lenaghan/Pacemaker

Pacemaker Press 19/5/2015 Gay rights activist Gareth Lee outside Laganside Court , A judge has found the Christian bakery guilty of discrimination , Ashers Baking Company, which is run by the McArthur family, declined the request for a cake with an image of Sesame Street puppets Bert and Ernie below the motto Support Gay Marriage. The order placed at the firm's shop at Royal Avenue in Belfast was for a private function marking International Day Against Homophobia last May. Pic Colm Lenaghan/Pacemaker

Pacemaker Press 19/5/2015 Gay rights activist Gareth Lee outside Laganside Court , A judge has found the Christian bakery guilty of discrimination , Ashers Baking Company, which is run by the McArthur family, declined the request for a cake with an image of Sesame Street puppets Bert and Ernie below the motto Support Gay Marriage. The order placed at the firm's shop at Royal Avenue in Belfast was for a private function marking International Day Against Homophobia last May. Pic Colm Lenaghan/Pacemaker

Pacemaker Press 19/5/2015 Gay rights activist Gareth Lee outside Laganside Court , A judge has found the Christian bakery guilty of discrimination , Ashers Baking Company, which is run by the McArthur family, declined the request for a cake with an image of Sesame Street puppets Bert and Ernie below the motto Support Gay Marriage. The order placed at the firm's shop at Royal Avenue in Belfast was for a private function marking International Day Against Homophobia last May. Pic Colm Lenaghan/Pacemaker

Pacemaker Press 19/5/2015 Daniel McArthur (director of Ashers Bakery) and with wife Amy at Laganside court in Belfast on tuesday, A judge has found the Christian bakery guilty of discrimination , Ashers Baking Company, which is run by the McArthur family, declined the request for a cake with an image of Sesame Street puppets Bert and Ernie below the motto Support Gay Marriage. The order placed at the firm's shop at Royal Avenue in Belfast was for a private function marking International Day Against Homophobia last May. Pic Colm Lenaghan/Pacemaker

Daniel McArthur (L), managing director of Ashers Bakery and his wife Amy McArthur (R) hold a press conference as they outside Belfast high court alongside family members for the so called 'Gay Cake' case verdict on October 24, 2016 in Belfast, Northern Ireland. (Photo by Charles McQuillan/Getty Images)

Judgement due on 'gay cake' appeal for Ashers Bakery. Two years ago, the family-run firm refused to make a cake for gay rights activist Gareth Lee with the slogan "Support Gay Marriage" leading to a judge ruling the Christian owners of Ashers had discriminated against him. Gareth Lee(left) and Dr. Michael Wardlow, chief executive of the Northern Ireland Equality Commission arrives at the High Court in Belfast to hear the appeal. Picture by Jonathan Porter/Press Eye

Judgement due on 'gay cake' appeal for Ashers Bakery. Two years ago, the family-run firm refused to make a cake for gay rights activist Gareth Lee with the slogan "Support Gay Marriage" leading to a judge ruling the Christian owners of Ashers had discriminated against him. Daniel McArthur of Ashers and his wife Amy arrive at the High Court in Belfast to hear the appeal. Picture by Jonathan Porter/Press Eye

Daniel McArthur of Ashers pictured leaving the High Court in Belfast after the judgement was given. Picture by Jonathan Porter/Press Eye

Gareth Lee pictured leaving the High Court in Belfast after the judgement was given. Picture by Jonathan Porter/Press Eye

Daniel McArthur of Ashers and his wife Amy pictured leaving the High Court in Belfast after the judgement was given. Picture by Jonathan Porter/Press Eye

Gareth Lee(left) and Dr. Michael Wardlow, chief executive of the Northern Ireland Equality Commission pictured leaving the High Court in Belfast after the judgement was given. Picture by Jonathan Porter/Press Eye

Gareth Lee(left) and Dr. Michael Wardlow, chief executive of the Northern Ireland Equality Commission pictured leaving the High Court in Belfast after the judgement was given. Picture by Jonathan Porter/Press Eye

Daniel and Amy McArthur of Ashers Baking Company speak to the media at Belfast High Court, as judgment is due to be delivered on an appeal brought by the Christian bakers who were found to have discriminated against gay man Gareth Lee. Photo: Niall Carson/PA Wire

Daniel McArthur of Ashers with his wife Amy and parents pictured leaving the High Court in Belfast after the judgement was given. Picture by Jonathan Porter/Press Eye

Daniel McArthur (General manager at Ashers Bakery) arrives at Laganside Court in Belfast with his wife Amy in October. Pic Colm Lenaghan/Pacemaker

Ashers Bakery lost its court appeal over a ruling that found the company discriminated against a gay man.

Directors at the business were hoping to overturn a court judgment which found they acted unlawfully by rejecting an order placed by gay rights campaigner Gareth Lee in 2014.

The court ruled against Ashers, run by the McArthur family, for refusing to fulfil an order to make a 36.50 cake with the slogan because it conflicted with their Christian beliefs.

The McArthur family insisted they did not know the sexual orientation of Mr Lee, an LGBT activist, when declining his order.

The family insist their problem was with the cake, not the customer. But Mr Lee claimed it made him feel a lesser person.

However, on Monday morning the Court of Appeal upheld the original decision that Ashers Bakery had "directly discriminated".

In delivering the appeal judgement, Northern Ireland's Lord Chief Justice Sir Declan Morgan rejected the argument that the bakery would be endorsing the slogan by baking the cake.

He said: "The fact that a baker provides a cake for a particular team or portrays witches on a Halloween cake does not indicate any support for either."

Lord Chief Justice said bakers couldn't provide a service only to customers who agreed with their religious beliefs.

In a ruling which lasted 30 minutes, Sir Declan said the original judgment had been correct in finding that "as a matter of law" Ashers had "discriminated against the respondent directly on the grounds of sexual orientation contrary to the Equality Act (Sexual Orientation) Regulations 2006".

The judge also included criticism of the NI Equality Commission.

He said the publicly funded body should also have offered the McArthur family advice during the case, as the bakers believed their rights as people of faith within the commercial sphere were being undermined.

After the ruling, speaking publicly for the first time, LGBT activist Gareth Lee said he was "grateful" for the outcome of the appeal.

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He said: "The only thing that I would like to say is I'm relieved and very grateful to the Court of Appeal for the judgment."

The Equality Commission have requested that Ashers Bakery pay their legal costs which have totalled 88,000.

Speaking after the ruling Mr McArthur said they were "extremely disappointed" with the outcome and that they would be taking advice from their lawyers on whether they can further appeal the judgement.

Mr McArthur said Ashers Bakery has served Mr Lee before and would be happy to do so again in future.

He said: "Were extremely disappointed with todays ruling. If equality law means people can be punished for politely refusing to support other peoples causes, then equality law needs to change.

"This ruling undermines democratic freedom. It undermines religious freedom. It undermines free speech.

"We had served Mr Lee before and would be happy to serve him again. The judges accepted that we did not know Mr Lee was gay and that was not the reason we declined the order. We have always said it was never about the customer, it was about the message. The court accepted that. But now we are being told we have to promote the message even though it's against our conscience.

"What we refused to do, was to be involved with promoting a political campaign to change marriage law.

"Because were Christians we support the current law. And we felt that making this cake would have made us responsible for its message.

"We wouldnt decorate a cake with a pornographic picture or with swear words. We wouldnt decorate a cake with a spiteful message about gay people. Because to do so would be to endorse and promote what was said.

"The court said the commission gave the impression it was not interested in assisting the faith community in issues like this. I think a lot of people will agree with that. Thats certainly how we have felt.

"Well have to take advice from our lawyers about whether there is a way to appeal this ruling. In the meantime, other businesses will have to take advice about whether they can refuse orders that conflict with their consciences. Or whether they too may be coerced into promoting other peoples views.

"Wed like to thank the huge numbers of people who have been supporting us and praying for us through all this. Were very grateful to you all.

"Its been a trying time. But were thankful to God for His faithfulness to us through everything."

REACTION

DUP MP Gregory Campbell called the appeal a "defeat for freedom of expression and freedom of conscience"

Mr Campbell said: Freedom of expression and freedom of conscience are vital to any democracy and most people support attempts to defend these fundamental rights. Unfortunately, today those rights have been undermined.

"People do not need to share the McArthur familys Christian faith to support the stance they have taken on this issue. No one needs to share their Christian faith to realise the ruling is a defeat for freedom of expression. As a result of this ruling will other commercial firms be forced to supply produce with political or religious slogans attached with which they profoundly disagree?

"The ruling does not advance tolerance, freedom or a more liberal society. Neither does this do anything to tackle discrimination, which cannot be justified and is rightly outlawed. It moves beyond discrimination, with implications that are not yet known.

"It remains to be seen whether all of those who are celebrating todays decision would be as content if the ruling is used to enforce a message with which they disagree. There are those who profoundly disagree with the McArthur familys beliefs, but who have recognised the dangerous precedent that could be set.

"This was a case pursued with some vigour by the Equality Commission yet, as the Lord Chief Justice noted, the other side of this case was ignored. The pursuit of this case by the Commission was not only one-sided but stands in contrast to their foot dragging in other cases such as the shameful McCreesh Park incident.

TUV leader Jim Allister called the ruling a "black day for justice".

He said: "This is a black day for justice and religious liberty.

A small family owned business has been dragged before the courts by a publicly funded quango and subjected to two years of torture. While this is a disappointing verdict the McArthur family are to be congratulated for the grace and dignity they have displayed through the process.

This is an assault on freedom of conscience and as such it should worry Christians and non-Christians alike. The aggressive gay rights lobby will see this as the green light to demand that everyone not only accepts but celebrates their lifestyle.

I trust that every appeal opportunity will be taken.

Sinn Fein MLA Sean Lynch called it a "victory for common sense and equality".

The party's equality spokesman said: "Today's decision from the Court of Appeal is welcome and makes sense.

"The original decision was the correct one and I'm glad it has been upheld.

"This is the right decision and represents another step forward for equality.

"Equality must be paramount and all forms of discrimination must be challenged."

The Evangelical Alliance called it a "sad day" for the McArthur family and for "freedom of conscience and religion".

Peter Lynas, former barrister and EA Northern Ireland director said: Ashers have lost the case, but even more importantly we have all lost some our freedom. Forcing someone to promote a view that they fundamentally disagree with is the antithesis of a free and fair society.

This was a very complex case about a very simple cake. Todays outcome is disappointing. Ashers discriminated against an idea, not a person. They would not have made a cake with that slogan for anyone - gay or straight. As they would have treated everyone the same, there can be no discrimination. That is why the majority of people in Northern Ireland support the bakers and will struggle to understand this ruling.

While the Chief Justice noted it was important that a chill factor was not created, we are concerned that that is exactly what will happen.

This case shows how far the state can go in forcing someone to act against their fundamental beliefs. We will have to wait and see if there will be further appeals to the Supreme Court. We will also have to review whether the current law is fit for purpose given how it has been interpreted. It now appears not just to protect people, but also particular public messages.

The McArthur family have been dragged through the courts for standing up for their beliefs. We hope this ruling will not discourage others from boldly and graciously standing firm in their faith.

The court noted that the Commission did not offer any assistance to the McArthurs and that in future the Commission should give advice in such cases. We have long sought a relational approach from the Commission and it is clear that bridges will have to be built with the faith community.

John ODoherty, director of The Rainbow Project welcomed the judgement.

He said: "Ashers Baking Company entered into a contractual agreement to make this cake and then changed their mind. While sympathetic as some may be to the position in which the company finds itself; this does not change the facts of the case. The judgement clearly articulated that this is direct discrimination for which there can be no justification

"We do not believe that this matter should have been brought to court. We believe that Ashers bakery should have accepted the Equality Commissions invitation to engage in mediation, where a remedy could have been found without the expense and division surrounding this court case.

"We once again extend the hand of friendship to all people of faith, churches and families. We would encourage faith leaders to engage with our community to ensure better relations and to develop trust and respect between our overlapping communities for the betterment of our society."

Last year Belfast County Court held that the bakery had discriminated against him on grounds of sexual orientation and religious belief or political opinion. The firm was ordered to pay Mr Lee 500 compensation. At an appeal in May, lawyers for the McArthurs challenged the finding by insisting it would have been sinful for them to complete the order.
A Northern Ireland aerospace firm has been bought as part of a massive multi-billion pound deal.

US aerospace firm Rockwell Collins is to buy B/E Aerospace in a deal that will bring together two of the world's biggest suppliers to airlines and aircraft makers.

B/E Aerospace has its main UK manufacturing facility in Co Down, where it employs 800 people. The Kilkeel facility was acquired by B/E Aerospace in 1993 and has since then enjoyed a period of major growth and investment.

The Rockwell deal, if approved, is estimated to be worth $8.3bn (6.8bn).

Last week, B/E Aerospace announced the creation of 50 new jobs at the Co Down plant, which makes aircraft seating.

The company, which is headquartered in Florida, plans to launch a recruitment drive in Northern Ireland, starting in Belfast this week.

B/E Aerospace at Kilkeel also recently announced a major contract to supply three seat classes - business premium, premium economy and economy - for American Airlines' new A350 Airbus fleet.

It's understood that the two companies make complementary rather than competing product lines, which may help secure jobs in Kilkeel. B/E Aerospace also revealed strong third quarter earning growth yesterday, with sales powered by strong demand from North American and Chinese airlines.

B/E Aerospace founder and chairman Amin Khoury said: "Our combination with Rockwell Collins represents an excellent outcome for B/E Aerospace's stockholders.

"We feel confident that this combination delivers significant long-term benefits neither company could realise on its own.

"We look forward to becoming part of Rockwell Collins and leveraging their technology to accelerate our long-term growth as we embark on the next chapter in the company's history."

The purchase of B/E Aerospace is subject to ratification by both Rockwell and B/E Aerospace shareholders.
Theresa May has offered to involve Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland in regular formal talks on the Brexit process

Theresa May still does not have a coherent Brexit strategy four months after the vote to quit the EU, Nicola Sturgeon has warned.

Scotland's First Minister said a Brexit summit in Downing Street between the PM and devolved leaders had contained no new information, and left the Government's stance "no clearer".

"I don't know any more now about the UK Government's approach to the EU negotiations than I did before I went into the meeting," Ms Sturgeon said.

The two-hour long talks, which Ms Sturgeon branded "feisty", saw Mrs May and the First Minister clash during a "very frank exchange of views."

Ms Sturgeon rounded on a warning from Number 10 that the devolved administrations must not try to undermine the UK's negotiating position as "nonsense" as she insisted London did not actually have a firm grasp of what it wanted.

Ms Sturgeon dismissed talk of undermining Britain's EU withdrawal deal, saying: "I think that is nonsense, and it is not what anybody is seeking to do.

"To be brutally frank about it, you can't undermine something that doesn't exist, and from everything I have heard today in Downing Street there isn't yet a UK Government negotiating position.

"I've no interest in undermining that when it does exist, but I do have a massive interest in protecting Scotland's interest. What I'm not prepared to do is stand back and watch Scotland driven off a hard Brexit cliff-edge."

Ms Sturgeon said the tone of the meeting had been robust.

"We had a very frank exchange of views. I don't mind admitting large parts of the meeting were deeply frustrating," she said.

Ms Sturgeon agreed when asked by a journalist if the Government had provided such little information because it "didn't have a clue".

Number 10 said Mrs May had told the devolved administrations she would strike a bespoke Brexit deal that works for the whole of the UK, and wanted their input in shaping a deal.

Mrs May said: "The great union between us has been the cornerstone of our prosperity in the past - and it is absolutely vital to our success in the future.

"The country is facing a negotiation of tremendous importance and it is imperative that the devolved administrations play their part in making it work.

"We have important work to do for the UK in terms of negotiating a smooth exit from the EU and getting the best possible deal for the whole of the UK."

Ms Sturgeon was dismissive about a so-called hotline being set up between the devolved capitals and Brexit Minister David Davis.

"Having a direct line is good, but it won't mean much if David Davis is not prepared to say anything when he picks up the phone. I don't have any interest in a lot of silent calls."

The First Minister said Mrs May should be under no illusion about her party's determination to hold a second independence referendum if the SNP felt that was in the best interest of Scotland.

Ms Sturgeon said it would be inconceivable for London to try to block such a vote.

"It would be inconceivable for the UK Government to be in that position given that it's them that has put us into this position in the first place."

Scotland will bring forward specific proposals for a so-called flexible Brexit that would keep the nation in the single market, even if the rest of the UK was not part of the trading agreement, in the next few weeks, Ms Sturgeon said.

Labour's Carwyn Jones said there had been no details about what happens next in the divorce talks, and warned "time is not on our side".

The Welsh First Minister said access to the single market was the most important issue, but dismissed suggestions by Nicola Sturgeon that Scotland could remain part of the trading agreement even if the rest of the UK did not.

"We need to make sure we continue to sell in one of the world's biggest markets on the same terms as we do now," he told Sky News.

Martin McGuinness, Northern Ireland Deputy First Minister, said there was a "joint responsibility" to manage the challenges posed by Brexit.

He told reporters: "As this process moves along, we need to be at the heart of it," as he warned against the imposition of a "hard border" with the Republic.

Downing Street earlier said leaders of the devolved administrations must not undermine the negotiations.

"We have been very clear that we should be working together to secure the best possible deal for the whole country," the Prime Minister's official spokeswoman said.

"We expect representatives of the devolved administrations to act in that way and to in no way undermine the UK's position."

Northern Ireland Secretary James Brokenshire reiterated the Government's commitment to maintaining current border arrangements with the Republic of Ireland.

Downing Street played down suggestions that the Prime Minister's preferred negotiating strategy was to pursue a free trade agreement with the EU after she appeared to suggest that was the plan during exchanges in the Commons.

After Mrs May updated MPs on last week's summit in Brussels with EU leaders, Tory Sir Edward Leigh asked: "Is not our objective this; that we want to conclude, having adopted every last EU law to our laws on Brexit day, we want to conclude a free trade agreement which is overwhelmingly in the interests of the rest of Europe?

"And incidentally, this would do so much for the poorest nations in the world, as we lead the battle in the world for a free trade and prosperous world?"

Mrs May replied: "I agree."

Asked about the comments, the Prime Minister's official spokeswoman said: "The point I took from it was that she was agreeing it was in Europe's interest to work with us to reach a deal."

Pressed on whether the PM's preferred negotiating position was a free trade agreement with the EU, she replied: "The PM has been very clear. We are going for a bespoke arrangement."

Mrs May told MPs there will be a "series of general debates" on the UK's future relationship with the EU before and after Christmas.
Walkers enjoying a riverside stroll in east Belfast have praised the remarkable transformation of the Connswater from a shabby backwater to scenic landmark.

For years, few people have considered the banks of the Connswater River an appealing place for a weekend stroll.

Gloomy and run-down, they had little appeal, despite including the 'Hollow' - a spot made famous by Belfast singing legend Van Morrison in his 1967 rock anthem, Brown Eyed Girl.

But today it's no longer derelict. And that was a matter for celebration at the weekend, as residents gathered to see the changes.

The event marked the completion of a major leg of the 40m Connswater Community Greenway project, which should eventually transform the river and its banks into an place of natural beauty.

Today, the area between Grand Parade and Beersbridge Road - which includes Sir Van's Hollow right beside his old primary school, Elmgrove - has been completely redesigned.

No more discarded rubbish and thorny overgrowth - instead there's now a neat footpath and a small car park to encourage visitors. Many took the opportunity to try the newly re-pointed Conn O'Neill bridge in the Hollow, or followed new signs that explain the history of the area and its connection with Van Morrison, who lived in nearby Hyndford Street.

For local couple George and Sandra Bowden, who live in Grand Parade, the revamp couldn't come soon enough.

"It's a great change," said George, who is in his 60s. "It used to be very derelict and overgrown here."

Sandra, also in her 60s, added: "Instead of going up and down the roads you can go this lovely way. Not only does it improve access for children going to school but also for older people going to Connswater Shopping Centre."

Bryan Burke (58), who has lived in the area for 25 years, said: "Many years ago it was nice but it's become a bit of a waste ground in recent times. So it's great to see the transformation. I've been looking forward to it for a while."

Mr Burke, who works as a GP, hopes it will encourage locals to be more active outdoors. "I hope it will get people out there, walking, and encourage them to exercise more," he said. "It's a lovely place for kids to come as well."

Local teacher, Simon Lemon (39), who lives in the Orby area of east Belfast, was out walking with his wife, Maria, and son, David. He commented: "Up until yesterday we could only walk up to the Grand Parade. This means we can walk right through. This is our first time down. They've done a really good job.

"When I was younger it wasn't developed at all. You could come down here and muck about, but it wasn't pedestrianised."

The revamp marks the third stage in the project.

Already completed are clean-ups of Orangefield Park and Victoria Park, and bridges named after east Belfast playwright Sam Thompson and a Van Morrison song called Avalon. Eventually, the renovation project will include the creation of a 9km linear park through east Belfast, following the course of the Connswater, Knock and Loop rivers.

Several of the rivers will be cleaned up.

In the end, the improvements will see 26 new or improved bridges and crossings, 16km of foot and cycle paths and a CS Lewis-themed civic square.
Christian Institute support rally for Ashers bakery held at the Waterfront Hall in Belfast. In attendance is the DUP's Sammy Wilson. Photograph:Stephen Hamilton/Presseye

Pacemaker Press 26/3/2015 Daniel McArthur (General manager at Ashers Bakery) arrives at Laganside Court in Belfast with his family on thursday, Ashers face a discrimination case supported by the Equality Commission, after a dispute began when the Christian-run bakery refused a request to make a cake with a pro-gay marriage slogan. Pic Colm Lenaghan/Pacemaker

Christian Institute support rally for Ashers bakery held at the Waterfront Hall in Belfast. Photograph: Stephen Hamilton/Presseye

Christian Institute support rally for Ashers bakery held at the Waterfront Hall in Belfast. Photograph: Stephen Hamilton/Presseye

Pacemaker Press 26/3/2015 Daniel McArthur (General manager at Ashers Bakery) arrives at Laganside Court in Belfast with his family on thursday, Ashers face a discrimination case supported by the Equality Commission, after a dispute began when the Christian-run bakery refused a request to make a cake with a pro-gay marriage slogan. Pic Colm Lenaghan/Pacemaker

Pacemaker Press 26/3/2015 Daniel McArthur (General manager at Ashers Bakery) arrives at Laganside Court in Belfast with his wife Amy on thursday, Ashers face a discrimination case supported by the Equality Commission, after a dispute began when the Christian-run bakery refused a request to make a cake with a pro-gay marriage slogan. Pic Colm Lenaghan/Pacemaker

The cake at the centre of the Ashers row

Daniel and Amy McArthur arriving at Belfast County Court to fight a challenge by Northern Ireland's Equality Commission following their refusal to make a cake bearing a pro-gay marriage slogan. David Young/PA Wire

Gareth Lee, whose lawyer put his side of the case to the court yesterday

More than 2,000 people pack the Waterfront Hall to show support for Ashers bakery

While not identical to the Ashers gay cake controversy, this story touches on some of the same themes and dilemmas

Daniel McArthur, general manager of Asher's Bakery gives a statement to the media before entering court

Daniel McArthur (General manager at Ashers Bakery) arrives at Laganside Court in Belfast with his family. Pic Colm Lenaghan/Pacemaker

Ashers' Daniel McArthur with his wife Amy and his parents Colin and Karen behind leave Laganside Court after the case finished

Pacemaker Press 26/3/2015 Daniel McArthur (General manager at Ashers Bakery) arrives at Laganside Court in Belfast with his family on thursday, Ashers face a discrimination case supported by the Equality Commission, after a dispute began when the Christian-run bakery refused a request to make a cake with a pro-gay marriage slogan. Pic Colm Lenaghan/Pacemaker

Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 19th May 2015 Picture by Jonathan Porter / Press Eye Ashers found guilty of discrimination in cake case. A judge has found a Christian bakery which refused to make a cake bearing a pro-gay marriage slogan guilty of discrimination. Ashers Baking Company, which is run by the McArthur family, declined the request for a cake with an image of Sesame Street puppets Bert and Ernie below the motto Support Gay Marriage. The Equality Commission took the case against the Newtownabbey based company on behalf of Gareth Lee who had trued to order the cake. Bakery owners Daniel McArthur and his wife Amy pictured outside the court after the verdict.

Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 19th May 2015 Picture by Jonathan Porter / Press Eye Ashers found guilty of discrimination in cake case. A judge has found a Christian bakery which refused to make a cake bearing a pro-gay marriage slogan guilty of discrimination. Ashers Baking Company, which is run by the McArthur family, declined the request for a cake with an image of Sesame Street puppets Bert and Ernie below the motto Support Gay Marriage. The Equality Commission took the case against the Newtownabbey based company on behalf of Gareth Lee who had trued to order the cake. Bakery owners Daniel McArthur and his wife Amy pictured outside the court after the verdict.

Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 19th May 2015 Picture by Jonathan Porter / Press Eye Ashers found guilty of discrimination in cake case. A judge has found a Christian bakery which refused to make a cake bearing a pro-gay marriage slogan guilty of discrimination. Ashers Baking Company, which is run by the McArthur family, declined the request for a cake with an image of Sesame Street puppets Bert and Ernie below the motto Support Gay Marriage. The Equality Commission took the case against the Newtownabbey based company on behalf of Gareth Lee who had trued to order the cake. Gareth Lee receives a hug outside the court after the verdict.

Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 19th May 2015 Picture by Jonathan Porter / Press Eye Ashers found guilty of discrimination in cake case. A judge has found a Christian bakery which refused to make a cake bearing a pro-gay marriage slogan guilty of discrimination. Ashers Baking Company, which is run by the McArthur family, declined the request for a cake with an image of Sesame Street puppets Bert and Ernie below the motto Support Gay Marriage. The Equality Commission took the case against the Newtownabbey based company on behalf of Gareth Lee who had trued to order the cake. Gareth Lee(centre) pictured outside the court after the verdict.

Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 19th May 2015 Picture by Jonathan Porter / Press Eye Ashers found guilty of discrimination in cake case. A judge has found a Christian bakery which refused to make a cake bearing a pro-gay marriage slogan guilty of discrimination. Ashers Baking Company, which is run by the McArthur family, declined the request for a cake with an image of Sesame Street puppets Bert and Ernie below the motto Support Gay Marriage. The Equality Commission took the case against the Newtownabbey based company on behalf of Gareth Lee who had trued to order the cake. Bakery owners Daniel McArthur and his wife Amy pictured outside the court after the verdict.

Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 19th May 2015 Picture by Jonathan Porter / Press Eye Ashers found guilty of discrimination in cake case. A judge has found a Christian bakery which refused to make a cake bearing a pro-gay marriage slogan guilty of discrimination. Ashers Baking Company, which is run by the McArthur family, declined the request for a cake with an image of Sesame Street puppets Bert and Ernie below the motto Support Gay Marriage. The Equality Commission took the case against the Newtownabbey based company on behalf of Gareth Lee who had trued to order the cake. Bakery owners Daniel McArthur and his wife Amy pictured outside the court after the verdict.

Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 19th May 2015 Picture by Jonathan Porter / Press Eye Ashers found guilty of discrimination in cake case. A judge has found a Christian bakery which refused to make a cake bearing a pro-gay marriage slogan guilty of discrimination. Ashers Baking Company, which is run by the McArthur family, declined the request for a cake with an image of Sesame Street puppets Bert and Ernie below the motto Support Gay Marriage. The Equality Commission took the case against the Newtownabbey based company on behalf of Gareth Lee who had trued to order the cake. Gareth Lee(right) pictured outside the court after the verdict.

Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 19th May 2015 Picture by Jonathan Porter / Press Eye Ashers found guilty of discrimination in cake case. A judge has found a Christian bakery which refused to make a cake bearing a pro-gay marriage slogan guilty of discrimination. Ashers Baking Company, which is run by the McArthur family, declined the request for a cake with an image of Sesame Street puppets Bert and Ernie below the motto Support Gay Marriage. The Equality Commission took the case against the Newtownabbey based company on behalf of Gareth Lee who had trued to order the cake. Gareth Lee(centre) pictured outside the court after the verdict.

Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 19th May 2015 Picture by Jonathan Porter / Press Eye Ashers found guilty of discrimination in cake case. A judge has found a Christian bakery which refused to make a cake bearing a pro-gay marriage slogan guilty of discrimination. Ashers Baking Company, which is run by the McArthur family, declined the request for a cake with an image of Sesame Street puppets Bert and Ernie below the motto Support Gay Marriage. The Equality Commission took the case against the Newtownabbey based company on behalf of Gareth Lee who had trued to order the cake. Bakery owners Daniel McArthur and his wife Amy pictured outside the court after the verdict.

Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 19th May 2015 Picture by Jonathan Porter / Press Eye Ashers found guilty of discrimination in cake case. A judge has found a Christian bakery which refused to make a cake bearing a pro-gay marriage slogan guilty of discrimination. Ashers Baking Company, which is run by the McArthur family, declined the request for a cake with an image of Sesame Street puppets Bert and Ernie below the motto Support Gay Marriage. The Equality Commission took the case against the Newtownabbey based company on behalf of Gareth Lee who had trued to order the cake. Bakery owners Daniel McArthur and his wife Amy pictured outside the court after the verdict.

Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 19th May 2015 Picture by Jonathan Porter / Press Eye Ashers found guilty of discrimination in cake case. A judge has found a Christian bakery which refused to make a cake bearing a pro-gay marriage slogan guilty of discrimination. Ashers Baking Company, which is run by the McArthur family, declined the request for a cake with an image of Sesame Street puppets Bert and Ernie below the motto Support Gay Marriage. The Equality Commission took the case against the Newtownabbey based company on behalf of Gareth Lee who had trued to order the cake. Bakery owners Daniel McArthur and his wife Amy arrive at court for the verdict.

Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 19th May 2015 Picture by Jonathan Porter / Press Eye Ashers found guilty of discrimination in cake case. A judge has found a Christian bakery which refused to make a cake bearing a pro-gay marriage slogan guilty of discrimination. Ashers Baking Company, which is run by the McArthur family, declined the request for a cake with an image of Sesame Street puppets Bert and Ernie below the motto Support Gay Marriage. The Equality Commission took the case against the Newtownabbey based company on behalf of Gareth Lee who had trued to order the cake. Bakery owners Daniel McArthur and his wife Amy arrive at court for the verdict.

Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 19th May 2015 Picture by Jonathan Porter / Press Eye Ashers found guilty of discrimination in cake case. A judge has found a Christian bakery which refused to make a cake bearing a pro-gay marriage slogan guilty of discrimination. Ashers Baking Company, which is run by the McArthur family, declined the request for a cake with an image of Sesame Street puppets Bert and Ernie below the motto Support Gay Marriage. The Equality Commission took the case against the Newtownabbey based company on behalf of Gareth Lee who had trued to order the cake. Bakery owners Daniel McArthur and his wife Amy arrive at court for the verdict.

Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 19th May 2015 Picture by Jonathan Porter / Press Eye Ashers found guilty of discrimination in cake case. A judge has found a Christian bakery which refused to make a cake bearing a pro-gay marriage slogan guilty of discrimination. Ashers Baking Company, which is run by the McArthur family, declined the request for a cake with an image of Sesame Street puppets Bert and Ernie below the motto Support Gay Marriage. The Equality Commission took the case against the Newtownabbey based company on behalf of Gareth Lee who had trued to order the cake. Bakery owners Daniel McArthur and his wife Amy arrive at court for the verdict.

Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 19th May 2015 Picture by Jonathan Porter / Press Eye Ashers found guilty of discrimination in cake case. A judge has found a Christian bakery which refused to make a cake bearing a pro-gay marriage slogan guilty of discrimination. Ashers Baking Company, which is run by the McArthur family, declined the request for a cake with an image of Sesame Street puppets Bert and Ernie below the motto Support Gay Marriage. The Equality Commission took the case against the Newtownabbey based company on behalf of Gareth Lee who had trued to order the cake. The DUP's Paul Givan(second from right) and Edwin Poots(second from left) pictured outside the court after the verdict.

Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 19th May 2015 Picture by Jonathan Porter / Press Eye Ashers found guilty of discrimination in cake case. A judge has found a Christian bakery which refused to make a cake bearing a pro-gay marriage slogan guilty of discrimination. Ashers Baking Company, which is run by the McArthur family, declined the request for a cake with an image of Sesame Street puppets Bert and Ernie below the motto Support Gay Marriage. The Equality Commission took the case against the Newtownabbey based company on behalf of Gareth Lee who had trued to order the cake. Dr Michael Wardlow(left() from the Equality Commission and Gareth Lee(centre) pictured outside the court after the verdict.

Pacemaker Press 19/5/2015 Daniel McArthur (director of Ashers Bakery) and with wife Amy at Laganside court in Belfast on tuesday, A judge has found the Christian bakery guilty of discrimination , Ashers Baking Company, which is run by the McArthur family, declined the request for a cake with an image of Sesame Street puppets Bert and Ernie below the motto Support Gay Marriage. The order placed at the firm's shop at Royal Avenue in Belfast was for a private function marking International Day Against Homophobia last May. Pic Colm Lenaghan/Pacemaker

Pacemaker Press 19/5/2015 Daniel McArthur (director of Ashers Bakery) and with wife Amy at Laganside court in Belfast on tuesday, A judge has found the Christian bakery guilty of discrimination , Ashers Baking Company, which is run by the McArthur family, declined the request for a cake with an image of Sesame Street puppets Bert and Ernie below the motto Support Gay Marriage. The order placed at the firm's shop at Royal Avenue in Belfast was for a private function marking International Day Against Homophobia last May. Pic Colm Lenaghan/Pacemaker

Pacemaker Press 19/5/2015 Daniel McArthur (director of Ashers Bakery) and with wife Amy at Laganside court in Belfast on tuesday, A judge has found the Christian bakery guilty of discrimination , Ashers Baking Company, which is run by the McArthur family, declined the request for a cake with an image of Sesame Street puppets Bert and Ernie below the motto Support Gay Marriage. The order placed at the firm's shop at Royal Avenue in Belfast was for a private function marking International Day Against Homophobia last May. Pic Colm Lenaghan/Pacemaker

Pacemaker Press 19/5/2015 Daniel McArthur (director of Ashers Bakery) at Laganside court in Belfast on tuesday, A judge has found the Christian bakery guilty of discrimination , Ashers Baking Company, which is run by the McArthur family, declined the request for a cake with an image of Sesame Street puppets Bert and Ernie below the motto Support Gay Marriage. The order placed at the firm's shop at Royal Avenue in Belfast was for a private function marking International Day Against Homophobia last May. Pic Colm Lenaghan/Pacemaker

Pacemaker Press 19/5/2015 Daniel McArthur (director of Ashers Bakery) and with wife Amy at Laganside court in Belfast on tuesday, A judge has found the Christian bakery guilty of discrimination , Ashers Baking Company, which is run by the McArthur family, declined the request for a cake with an image of Sesame Street puppets Bert and Ernie below the motto Support Gay Marriage. The order placed at the firm's shop at Royal Avenue in Belfast was for a private function marking International Day Against Homophobia last May. Pic Colm Lenaghan/Pacemaker

Pacemaker Press 19/5/2015 Daniel McArthur (director of Ashers Bakery) and with wife Amy at Laganside court in Belfast on tuesday, A judge has found the Christian bakery guilty of discrimination , Ashers Baking Company, which is run by the McArthur family, declined the request for a cake with an image of Sesame Street puppets Bert and Ernie below the motto Support Gay Marriage. The order placed at the firm's shop at Royal Avenue in Belfast was for a private function marking International Day Against Homophobia last May. Pic Colm Lenaghan/Pacemaker

Pacemaker Press 19/5/2015 Gay rights activist Gareth Lee gets a hug from a friend outside Laganside Court , A judge has found the Christian bakery guilty of discrimination , Ashers Baking Company, which is run by the McArthur family, declined the request for a cake with an image of Sesame Street puppets Bert and Ernie below the motto Support Gay Marriage. The order placed at the firm's shop at Royal Avenue in Belfast was for a private function marking International Day Against Homophobia last May. Pic Colm Lenaghan/Pacemaker

Pacemaker Press 19/5/2015 Gay rights activist Gareth Lee gets a hug from a friend outside Laganside Court , A judge has found the Christian bakery guilty of discrimination , Ashers Baking Company, which is run by the McArthur family, declined the request for a cake with an image of Sesame Street puppets Bert and Ernie below the motto Support Gay Marriage. The order placed at the firm's shop at Royal Avenue in Belfast was for a private function marking International Day Against Homophobia last May. Pic Colm Lenaghan/Pacemaker

Pacemaker Press 19/5/2015 Daniel McArthur (director of Ashers Bakery) and with wife Amy at Laganside court in Belfast on tuesday, A judge has found the Christian bakery guilty of discrimination , Ashers Baking Company, which is run by the McArthur family, declined the request for a cake with an image of Sesame Street puppets Bert and Ernie below the motto Support Gay Marriage. The order placed at the firm's shop at Royal Avenue in Belfast was for a private function marking International Day Against Homophobia last May. Pic Colm Lenaghan/Pacemaker

Pacemaker Press 19/5/2015 Gay rights activist Gareth Lee outside Laganside Court , A judge has found the Christian bakery guilty of discrimination , Ashers Baking Company, which is run by the McArthur family, declined the request for a cake with an image of Sesame Street puppets Bert and Ernie below the motto Support Gay Marriage. The order placed at the firm's shop at Royal Avenue in Belfast was for a private function marking International Day Against Homophobia last May. Pic Colm Lenaghan/Pacemaker

Pacemaker Press 19/5/2015 Gay rights activist Gareth Lee outside Laganside Court , A judge has found the Christian bakery guilty of discrimination , Ashers Baking Company, which is run by the McArthur family, declined the request for a cake with an image of Sesame Street puppets Bert and Ernie below the motto Support Gay Marriage. The order placed at the firm's shop at Royal Avenue in Belfast was for a private function marking International Day Against Homophobia last May. Pic Colm Lenaghan/Pacemaker

Pacemaker Press 19/5/2015 Gay rights activist Gareth Lee outside Laganside Court , A judge has found the Christian bakery guilty of discrimination , Ashers Baking Company, which is run by the McArthur family, declined the request for a cake with an image of Sesame Street puppets Bert and Ernie below the motto Support Gay Marriage. The order placed at the firm's shop at Royal Avenue in Belfast was for a private function marking International Day Against Homophobia last May. Pic Colm Lenaghan/Pacemaker

Pacemaker Press 19/5/2015 Daniel McArthur (director of Ashers Bakery) and with wife Amy at Laganside court in Belfast on tuesday, A judge has found the Christian bakery guilty of discrimination , Ashers Baking Company, which is run by the McArthur family, declined the request for a cake with an image of Sesame Street puppets Bert and Ernie below the motto Support Gay Marriage. The order placed at the firm's shop at Royal Avenue in Belfast was for a private function marking International Day Against Homophobia last May. Pic Colm Lenaghan/Pacemaker

Bakery owners Daniel McArthur and his wife Amy arrive at court for the verdict.

Daniel McArthur (L), managing director of Ashers Bakery and his wife Amy McArthur (R) hold a press conference as they outside Belfast high court alongside family members for the so called 'Gay Cake' case verdict on October 24, 2016 in Belfast, Northern Ireland. (Photo by Charles McQuillan/Getty Images)

Judgement due on 'gay cake' appeal for Ashers Bakery. Two years ago, the family-run firm refused to make a cake for gay rights activist Gareth Lee with the slogan "Support Gay Marriage" leading to a judge ruling the Christian owners of Ashers had discriminated against him. Gareth Lee(left) and Dr. Michael Wardlow, chief executive of the Northern Ireland Equality Commission arrives at the High Court in Belfast to hear the appeal. Picture by Jonathan Porter/Press Eye

Judgement due on 'gay cake' appeal for Ashers Bakery. Two years ago, the family-run firm refused to make a cake for gay rights activist Gareth Lee with the slogan "Support Gay Marriage" leading to a judge ruling the Christian owners of Ashers had discriminated against him. Daniel McArthur of Ashers and his wife Amy arrive at the High Court in Belfast to hear the appeal. Picture by Jonathan Porter/Press Eye

Daniel McArthur of Ashers pictured leaving the High Court in Belfast after the judgement was given. Picture by Jonathan Porter/Press Eye

Gareth Lee pictured leaving the High Court in Belfast after the judgement was given. Picture by Jonathan Porter/Press Eye

Daniel McArthur of Ashers and his wife Amy pictured leaving the High Court in Belfast after the judgement was given. Picture by Jonathan Porter/Press Eye

Gareth Lee(left) and Dr. Michael Wardlow, chief executive of the Northern Ireland Equality Commission pictured leaving the High Court in Belfast after the judgement was given. Picture by Jonathan Porter/Press Eye

Gareth Lee(left) and Dr. Michael Wardlow, chief executive of the Northern Ireland Equality Commission pictured leaving the High Court in Belfast after the judgement was given. Picture by Jonathan Porter/Press Eye

Daniel and Amy McArthur of Ashers Baking Company speak to the media at Belfast High Court, as judgment is due to be delivered on an appeal brought by the Christian bakers who were found to have discriminated against gay man Gareth Lee. Photo: Niall Carson/PA Wire

Daniel McArthur of Ashers with his wife Amy and parents pictured leaving the High Court in Belfast after the judgement was given. Picture by Jonathan Porter/Press Eye

Daniel McArthur (General manager at Ashers Bakery) arrives at Laganside Court in Belfast with his wife Amy in October. Pic Colm Lenaghan/Pacemaker

A Christian bakery has lost its appeal against being found to have unlawfully refused to make a cake with a pro-gay marriage slogan.

In a landmark verdict, senior judges in Belfast ruled that the McArthur family did directly discriminate against customer Gareth Lee due to his sexuality.

Lord Chief Justice Sir Declan Morgan said: "What they may not do is provide a service that only reflects their own political or religious message in relation to sexual orientation.

Ashers' Baking Company, run by the McArthurs, declined an order placed by Mr Lee at its Belfast city centre shop in May 2014.

The gay rights activist had requested a cake depicting Sesame Street characters Bert and Ernie below the motto 'Support Gay Marriage' for an event to mark International Day Against Homophobia.

Bosses at the bakery refunded his money for the order because the message went against their Christian faith.

The family insist their problem was with the cake and not the customer.

But Mr Lee sued, claiming he was left feeling like a lesser person.

Last year Belfast County Court held that the bakery had unlawfully discriminated against him on grounds of sexual orientation and religious belief or political opinion.

The firm was also ordered to pay 500 compensation to Mr Lee, whose legal action was backed by the Equality Commission.

But during a four-day hearing at the Court of Appeal lawyers for the McArthurs argued it would have been sinful for them to complete the order.

Counsel for the family claimed it was wrong to force them to choose between operating a business or adhering to their faith.

Rejecting allegations that the bakery subjected Mr Lee to direct discrimination, he insisted the refusal was solely due to conscience and nothing to do with the customer or his political opinion.

Anyone else asking for the same cake would have received the same response due to the family's religious beliefs, the court heard.

Northern Ireland's top law officer, Attorney General John Larkin QC, backed the McArthurs' case by contending that forcing them to complete the order could amount to cruelty.

Attorney General John Larkin QC submitted that it was wrong to force them to express a political view in conflict with their faith, adding that they should have constitutional protection.

Counsel representing the Equality Commission argued that the family's entitlement to express religious beliefs should not "trump" Mr Lee's rights.

He told the court that the bakery's objection to using the word gay meant there was direct discrimination.

Backing that position, Sir Declan, sitting with Lord Justices Weatherup and Weir, pointed out that the McArthurs had not been asked to support gay marriage.

"The fact that a baker provides a cake for a particular team or portrays witches on a Halloween cake does not indicate any support for either," he added.

Mr Lee and the McArthur family were present in a packed courtroom for the ruling.

The Lord Chief Justice said the reason the order was cancelled was that the appellants would not provide a cake with a message endorsing a right to marry for those of a particular sexual orientation.

"This was a case of association with the gay and bisexual community an the protected personal characteristic was the sexual orientation of that community," he added.

"Accordingly this was direct discrimination."

The legislation does not treat the company less favourably, the court heard.

Sir Declan held: "The answer is for the supplier of services to cease distinguishing, on prohibited grounds, between those who may or may not receive the service.

"Thus the supplier may provide the particular service to all or none, but not to a selection of customers based on prohibited grounds."

The Equality Commission is now to seek its legal costs in the case.

Outside court Daniel McArthur claimed equality law needs to change if it means facing punishment for politely refusing the support the views of others.

"This ruling undermines democratic freedom, religious freedom and free speech," he said.

Mr McArthur insisted his bakery has served Mr Lee before and would be happy to do so again in future.

But re-emphasising the difficulty was with the slogan, he said requests to decorate a cake with pornographic images, swear words or even spiteful messages about gay people would also be refused.

Mr McArthur added: "We will have to take advice from out lawyers about whether there's a way to appeal this ruling."
Gay rights campaigner Peter Tatchell has criticised an Appeal Court ruling that found against a Christian bakery which refused to make a pro same-sex marriage cake.

Ashers Bakery in Belfast has counted Mr Tatchell as one of the more unlikely supporters of its court bid to challenge a ruling that found it was discriminatory in rejecting an order for a cake bearing the slogan Support Gay Marriage.

He said the Appeal Court judgment that upheld that ruling had set a "dangerous, authoritarian precedent", claiming gay bakers could now theoretically be compelled to bake cakes carrying homophobic slogans.

The high-profile activist originally denounced Ashers for declining the cake order.

But during the long legal saga that has followed that episode in 2014, Mr Tatchell had a change of heart.

He has since argued that while he profoundly disagrees with Ashers' views on gay marriage, he supports the Christian bakers' contention that they should not be forced to endorse a message that runs contrary to their beliefs.

"This verdict is a defeat for freedom of expression," he said.

"As well as meaning that Ashers can be legally forced to aid the promotion of same-sex marriage, it also implies that gay bakers could be forced by law to decorate cakes with homophobic slogans.

"It seems that businesses cannot now lawfully refuse a customer's request to propagate a message, even if it is a sexist, xenophobic or anti-gay message and even if the business has a conscientious objection to it.

"Although I strongly disagree with Ashers' opposition to marriage equality, in a free society neither they nor anyone else should be compelled to facilitate a political idea that they oppose."

He added: "Discrimination against LGBT people is wrong and is rightly unlawful. But in a free society, people should be able to discriminate against ideas they disagree with. I am saddened that the court did not reach the same conclusion.

"The judgment opens a can of worms. It means that a Muslim printer could be obliged to publish cartoons of Mohammed and a Jewish printer could be required to publish a book that propagates Holocaust denial. It could also encourage far-right extremists to demand that bakers and other service providers facilitate the promotion of anti-immigrant and anti-Muslim opinions.

"What the court has decided sets a dangerous, authoritarian precedent that is open to serious abuse.

"Discrimination against people should be illegal but not discrimination against ideas and opinions."
DUP MP Sir Jeffrey Donaldson says self-confessed UDA boss Dee Stitt should not be the chief executive of Charter NI following the controversy surrounding the awarding of public money to the group.

In an interview with the Guardian, Dee Stitt said loyalist groupings and community workers do "brilliant" work in their communities.

He also described his North Down Defenders flute band as "our homeland security".

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DUP MP, Sir Jeffrey Donaldson speaking on the Stephen Nolan Radio Ulster show defended First Minister Arlene Foster standing alongside Mr Stitt, who once served time for attempted armed robbery, for the awarding of the cash.

He said if he were in charge of Charter NI, he would not have Mr Stitt in charge.

"We support Charter NI, we didn't appoint the chief executive, that is a matter for Charter NI," he said.

"Arlene would not have been aware of his [Guardian] comments [when she stood alongside Dee Stitt to announce funding for his group]."

Asked should Mr Stitt remain as chief executive, Sir Jeffrey said: "Charter NI have to deal with it. We don't operate some kind of Soviet regime where diktats come down from Stormont saying 'sack this person or that person'.

"I don't support the comments, of course I don't. I have opposed paramilitarism all my life. I believe the only people that protect communities are the forces of law and order and that is the PSNI.

"I have criticised what he said, it is a matter for Charter NI. I do not support his comments in anyway, I think they are highly regrettable

"If I was in charge of Charter NI, I would not have him in charge in light of these comments.

"But I am not in charge, Charter NI has a board and these things have to be done legally.

"This is not Soviet Russia."

Sir Jeffrey continued: "Charter NI do some excellent work in east Belfast. The First Minister has supported the work of Charter NI because of its transformation efforts of communities in east Belfast.

"And I am not going to condemn the work of an entire group of people because of the comments of one individual.

"I didn't appoint [Dee Stitt], nor did the First Minister, nor did the DUP.

"Charter NI has the DUP's support."

Asked what the DUP position was on Dee Stitt and if it supported him, Sir Jeffrey accused Stephen Nolan of an "ambush" saying he had been invited on to the show to talk about something else.

However, Mr Nolan denied this was the case saying he was asking the MP his view on a news story, which he has done in the past with Sir Jeffrey and many others.

"You heard the programme on Friday, and all I am doing is asking for your opinion," he said.

Sir Jeffrey hit back: "No you are not doing that.

"If you had given me the courtesy of saying 'I am going to raise this and I am going to ask you about the DUP's position' then I would have had the opportunity to give you a fulsome answer.

"As it is I can only give you a personal opinion and I have tried to be open and honest with you and that's where we are at."

Charter NI was initially set-up to help UDA ex-prisoners, but it has expanded rapidly in recent years with millions of pounds in government funding.

Mr Stitt's UDA gang in north Down has been linked to drug dealing, racketeering and intimidation. Among the gangs victims was community worker Aaron McMahon, who was attacked with hammers for opposing an illegal UDA bonfire.

The notorious loyalist served a five year prison term for an attempted UDA armed robbery in the 1990s.

In 2008, Mr Stitt was back before the courts charged with kidnapping a man in Bangor and threatening to kill him after he was discovered in the boot of a car. However, the case against him and two co-accused was later dropped.

In a 2013 radio interview Mr Stitt confessed to being a UDA member from the age of 15.

Prior to the Guardian interview, in a statement he told the Nolan show his paramilitary life which he had been a part of, was in his past.
Fewer than 30 police officers are on active patrol in Belfast at weekends, it has been claimed, prompting serious fears over public safety in the city.

The allegation follows this newspaper's revelation that it took over an hour for police to respond to the theft of a valuable artwork from the new Bullitt hotel, despite the presence of a PSNI station directly across the street.

Veteran Ulster Unionist councillor Jim Rodgers, who sits on the Belfast Policing and Community Safety Partnership, also said patrolling officer numbers in Belfast have fallen alarmingly in the last two years.

His claims have been supported by the Police Federation for Northern Ireland, who said the response time to the botched theft highlights a staffing crisis within the force. The PSNI insisted there are adequate resources to police the city.

A spokesperson for the Department of Justice, meanwhile, said the minister Claire Sugden is committed to working with the Policing Board and the Chief Constable to provide the resources needed to enable the police to keep people safe.

"People are in danger because police response times are simply unacceptable and it's a big worry," said Mr Rodgers, the city's High Sheriff.

"There are currently around 30 officers out on patrol in north, south, east and west Belfast on Saturdays and Sundays. That number has fallen from around 90 two years ago, and people are now extremely concerned about the lack of police on the ground."

He added: "We had a classic example; an incident happens just a few yards from a police station and look how long it took to respond. It's just not good enough. It also shows that, in terms of ordinary policing, people are not getting the service that they're paying big money for through their taxes."

PSNI Chief Superintendent Chris Noble, however, "absolutely refuted" that there is a lack of police resources in Belfast.

"While we do not give detailed comment on operational matters, I would like to assure the public that we always have the appropriate number of police officers available 24/7 across Belfast throughout the year," he said.

"On a daily basis, police officers and staff have to make difficult decisions. We have to prioritise resources like all other public services.

"At peak times where we see increased incidents and calls for assistance, we prioritise our response according to risk to life and vulnerability."

In relation to the Bullitt theft, Chief Superintendent Noble said enquiries began "immediately" and are "still ongoing". He added: "Whilst the incident occurred close to a police station, officers do not spend their shifts within the station complex. They are out on patrol, responding to calls and working to keep people safe."

Mr Rodgers, meanwhile, has called for an urgent review into policing.

"A few years ago we were getting a much higher standard of policing than we are presently and the last thing I want is to see vigilante groups springing up to look after their own areas, as has happened in the past," he said.

"More and more people are saying that it's a waste of time reporting a crime to the police because the response times are so bad - and sometimes officers don't even come out."

The 15,000 specially commissioned 6ft x 4ft portrait of Hollywood star Steve McQueen was removed from the newly opened Bullitt Hotel, named after one of the late actor's most famous movies.

The audacious heist ultimately failed because the striking black and white piece of art was too big to fit in the ageing suspects' getaway car, which was parked nearby.

Mark Lindsay, chairman of the Police Federation for Northern Ireland, said the PSNI's response time to the botched theft at Bullitt throws the current staffing issues into sharp focus.

"You mightn't even have had 30 officers on; with sickness and people on courses it could be even lower than that," he said.

"There are simply not enough police officers on the ground to deal with demand.

"We've seen police numbers - not only in Belfast but across Northern Ireland - become increasingly depleted.

"The police service is short-staffed. Officers are running from pillar to post in Belfast and across the province on a daily basis.

"They are not able to provide the level of service that is expected of them because they're running to the next call. Meanwhile, the calls are stacking up. Officers are coming onto duty in Belfast with 35 calls stacked up on them."

Mr Lindsay warned the Department of Justice that increasing demands on policing mean it is "absolutely crucial that there are no further cuts to the policing budget" in view of what happened at Bullitt.

"We've had 250m of cuts over the last number of years and we're starting to see the outworkings of that now, where officer stress levels and sicknesses and absences through stress are rising sharply," he said

"If further cuts are made there will be even bigger consequences and that hour could turn into two hours or three hours in the future - if there's any police response at all. They need to take stock of the consequences because it's the officers on the ground are trying to make wine from water and it can't be done. There's only so much that can be done. It can't all be done."

The Department of Justice spokesperson said that decisions on how resources are used are a matter for the Chief Constable and there are no immediate plans to conduct a review of policing.

"The entire public service has come under financial pressure in recent years. The Department has had to bear its share of that," said the spokesperson.

"However, the protection of the PSNI to 2% in 2016-17 is helping to ensure that front-line policing can be protected as far as possible."
Karl Lamont (right) carries the coffin of his father Mark at his funeral in Coleraine

Family and friends gathered in Coleraine yesterday for the funeral of Mark Lamont (54) who died two weeks after being seriously injured in an incident in the Ballycastle Road area of Coleraine.

His son Karl carried the coffin as the cortege made its way through the north coast town.

Mr Lamont, who was from the Captain Street area of Coleraine, was rushed to the Causeway Hospital in the town with fractures to his skull and face in the early hours of Monday, September 26. He was later moved to the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast where he was placed on a life support machine.

Window cleaner Richard Dalzell (35) from Newtownards has been charged with Mr Lamont's murder.

He denies the charge, insisting he acted in self-defence after being disturbed by Mr Lamont and others during a kitchen sex romp.

Dalzell is to appear at Coleraine Magistrates Court via video link on October 31.
The M2 was closed outside Belfast yesterday after the tragedy at Hightown Road bridge

The latest death at a motorway bridge has led to fresh calls for safety improvements and higher fencing to be erected before someone else loses their life.

More than two years ago there were calls for the Roads Service to build bigger barriers to stop people jumping onto the busy M2 motorway from the Hightown Bridge in Glengormley, Co Antrim.

But officials insist the design meets national standards.

It is believed the victim in Wednesday mornings tragedy may have jumped from the bridge and collided with oncoming rush hour traffic.

Assembly Member Paul Girvan called on the Department for Regional Development (DRD) to address the issue which he said needed to be taken seriously if further deaths were to be prevented.

I genuinely think it will help if it is made more difficult. Ive seen fencing on other bridges, those that curve around, he said.

This needs serious consideration; there have been several deaths from this bridge and in the light of that its a matter we need to seriously look at.

The DUP MLA for South Antrim said he and a former councillor colleague had been campaigning for changes to the bridge for several years.

We wanted the railings at the side to be much higher to make it very hard to climb over, he explained.

I would ask the DRD to have a re-look at this.

This was an issue raised by me and my colleague, now this may have happened again.

It may be no help to the family of this man, but could prevent a further death.

A DRD spokesman said that the parapet railings are designed in accordance with the latest national design standards.

This was a tragic incident on the Hightown Bridge and our thoughts and sympathies are with the family of the man who died and also the motorists who were involved in the incident, he added.

Philip McTaggart of the Public Initiative for the Prevention of Suicide and Self Harm (PIPS) said he supported the calls for action at the bridge from Mr Girvan. Suicides across Belfast continue to rise and people ask why did this happen? he said.

The only true way is partnership  a true partnership in Government.

We need to be more open in discussing the issue, he added.

If you have been affected by suicide, or would like to speak to someone, call the Samaritans phoneline on 08457 909090

Incident brings rush hour chaos to one of our busiest roads

By John Mulgrew

The horrific rush hour incident caused chaos for motorway drivers heading into Belfast after a man jumped off a bridge into oncoming traffic on Wednesday morning.

Its understood the victim  thought to be in his 40s  jumped from Hightown Bridge in Glengormley into traffic on the M2 at around 7am, striking at least one car before being dragged some 20 metres further down the road.

Under grey skies and pouring rain, police investigators and forensic teams cordoned off the scene with a large white screen.

The mans body was covered by a small grey tent a short distance away.

A further 50 metres away three cars were stopped  one appearing to have suffered crash damage.

Police said they were not treating the mans death as suspicious. There were no reports of any other injuries.

Police closed the motorway in both directions, later opening the northbound carriageway at around 11am.

But the road towards Belfast remained closed until 2pm, causing massive tailbacks.

The bridge has been the scene of a number of suicides in the last few years.

Mechanic John Daveys business is only a few metres from the bridge.

I saw two oil tankers sitting there at about 7.25am  I overtook them and was told they witnessed the man on the bridge, he said.

The police then came up and closed the area off. At that time I didnt know there was a body. Its sad.

Due to the incident, the journey for many heading into Belfast took up to five hours, with one man from Moneymore stuck in traffic for six hours.

Hugh McCloy said he had left his house to head for Belfast at 7.30am, but due to tailbacks and delays had only arrived in the city at 1.30pm.

He said: I dont know what they could have done, but it wasnt enough. We got up as far as where it was closed off and the policeman said to go to Mallusk.

I didnt know where to go.
More than 30,000 has been raised to help a Northern Ireland man who is fighting for his life after suffering a rare type of stroke in Guatemala.

Peter McGarry, from Dunmurry, suffered a subarachnoid haemorrhage on Friday, October 14.

This is an uncommon type of stroke caused by bleeding on the surface of the brain.

The 38-year-old lives in Jocotenango, Sacatepequez, in the north east of the country.

He is currently in hospital in Antigua and his family say he is in "excruciating pain".

A MRI scan showed that he has a brain aneurysm and needs surgery imminently.

However, the public hospital he is in has limited resources and his family say every time he needs a test or scan he is moved to a different hospital in another city.

They are concerned that this puts him at risk of the aneurysm rupturing.

His partner, Elvira, has to go the pharmacy every day to buy medication for the doctors to administer.

Mr McGarrys parents, Sean and Helen, and two sisters, Louise May and Joanne McGoran, have since set up a Just Giving page in a bid to raise the 50,000 needed to move him to a larger hospital in Guatemala City.

Expand Close Peter and Elvira in Guatemala in August 2015. / Facebook

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Whatsapp Peter and Elvira in Guatemala in August 2015.

Mr McGarrys sister, Louise May (35) said: Peter is in excruciating pain and, at times, has had to be sedated and restrained.

"Yesterday (Thursday October 20), an MRI confirmed that he has a brain aneurysm and needs surgery imminently. He is in a public hospital with limited resources. Every time he needs a test or a scan, he has to be moved to a different hospital in another city. This puts him at risk of the aneurysm rupturing, which could be fatal.

Compounding their distress, Mr McGarrys partner, Elvira Mendez, has restricted access to the ward and is not allowed to stay.

Louise added: Elvira is not allowed to stay with Peter and this is causing him to get very distressed when she is not there."

Founder of Guatemala Medical Travel, Lori Shea, described the the conditions in the hospital as totally barbaric and urged the family to move Mr McGarry to another facility as soon as possible.

Meanwhile a consultant neurosurgeon in the UK, who has seen Mr McGarrys MRI results, highlighted the seriousness of his condition.

"The aneurysm needs repaired. There is a 50% chance of re-bleed within 30 days with 80% chance of mortality."

Since launching their appeal, the McGarry family have been inundated with messages of love and support for Mr McGarry who they describe as fun-loving, happy and full of life.

In just three days 30,000 has been raised to date and the family have thanked the public for their support so far.

Louise said: Peter is a fighter, but he can't do this on his own. He needs your help.

Please donate whatever amount you can to help us move him to a better hospital for the best treatment and surgery there, with a view to seeing if he can be moved back home to Belfast when his condition is stable. Please do what you can to help.

To donate click here
Making off with a 15,000 print of Hollywood legend Steve McQueen from a Belfast hotel must have seemed like a good idea at the time - but now Ballymena family doctor Jill Purce admits she is bitterly regretting what she's called her "moment of madness".

Tracked down to her home in a leafy Ballymena suburb by our sister paper, Sunday Life, the part-time GP immediately confessed to the dim-witted crime caper.

"I think I did it maybe because I could do it, it was a bit like the Thomas Crown Affair," she said, referring to the 1999 film starring Pierce Brosnan about an art theft.

In the original 1968 movie that inspired the remake, McQueen staged a bank robbery.

"I'm just a huge Steve McQueen fan, I have photographs of him, signed photographs," she added.

Asked what she would have done had she and her friend managed to pull off their spur-of-the-moment caper, she said: "I would have woken up in the morning and said to myself, 'You stupid f****** b****' and driven right back down to the hotel and said, 'I did this in a moment of madness'." The doctor now says she's "too ashamed" to leave her house.

"I can't go out. I'm ashamed to go out," she explained.

Expand Close Dr Jill Purce carrying the Steve McQueen artwork / Facebook

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Whatsapp Dr Jill Purce carrying the Steve McQueen artwork

As they made their great escape from the hotel, Dr Purce and a pal were caught on security camera footage, carting the enormous print out of the new Bullitt Hotel in central Belfast. But the bumbling pair could not fit the 6ft 4in picture into their car - and had to ditch their haul outside the swish Tedford's restaurant on Donegall Quay. The black and white image of McQueen was specially commissioned by the Bullitt hotel's owner, Bill Wolsey, for the 4m establishment on Church Lane which opened on the Friday before the theft.

Mr Wolsey said last week that he had specially commissioned the piece, a still from McQueen's 1968 film, Bullitt, from an eastern European artist.

In footage from the foyer of the hotel, Dr Purce can be seen handing her friend her walking stick while she calmly removes the picture from the wall.

Dr Purce then struggles out of the building with it as guests walk by, oblivious to what's going on in front of them.

The pair can then be seen on separate footage, slowly making their way along Victoria Street, close to Musgrave police station.

The picture of the late Hollywood icon has now been returned to the hotel, and has been securely screwed to the wall.

Police are investigating the incident.
Police, ATO and dorensic officers at the scene in the Foxes Glen area of west Belfast on October 24th 2016, Northern Ireland (Photo by Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph)

Police, ATO and dorensic officers at the scene in the Foxes Glen area of west Belfast on October 24th 2016, Northern Ireland (Photo by Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph)

Police, ATO and dorensic officers at the scene in the Foxes Glen area of west Belfast on October 24th 2016, Northern Ireland (Photo by Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph)

Police, ATO and dorensic officers at the scene in the Foxes Glen area of west Belfast on October 24th 2016, Northern Ireland (Photo by Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph)

Police, ATO and dorensic officers at the scene in the Foxes Glen area of west Belfast on October 24th 2016, Northern Ireland (Photo by Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph)

Police, ATO and dorensic officers at the scene in the Foxes Glen area of west Belfast on October 24th 2016, Northern Ireland (Photo by Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph)

Police, ATO and dorensic officers at the scene in the Foxes Glen area of west Belfast on October 24th 2016, Northern Ireland (Photo by Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph)

Police, ATO and dorensic officers at the scene in the Foxes Glen area of west Belfast on October 24th 2016, Northern Ireland (Photo by Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph)

Police, ATO and dorensic officers at the scene in the Foxes Glen area of west Belfast on October 24th 2016, Northern Ireland (Photo by Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph)

Police, ATO and dorensic officers at the scene in the Foxes Glen area of west Belfast on October 24th 2016, Northern Ireland (Photo by Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph)

Police, ATO and dorensic officers at the scene in the Foxes Glen area of west Belfast on October 24th 2016, Northern Ireland (Photo by Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph)

Police investigating dissident republican activity have arrested three people following searches in Foxes Glen in west Belfast and Hamill Street in the city centre.

It is understood the police had been in the Foxes Glen area since early on Monday morning.

Army technical officers and forensics were also at the scene.

Detective Inspector Stuart Griffin said: "A number of items have been recovered from two properties and will be taken for further examination.

"Two men aged 37 and 48, and a woman aged 35 have been arrested and taken to the Serious Crime Suite at Musgrave station for questioning. There are no further details at present."

There is no further information at this time.
Press Eye Belfast - Northern Ireland 23rd October Belfast Telegraph and Pure Running RunHer Titanic 5&10K race in the Titanic Quarter of Belfast City Centre. 10k winners (L-R) Laura Bickerstaff in third, Amy Bulman in first place and Louise Smith in second along with Catriona Donaldson from Pure Running. Picture by Jonathan Porter/Press Eye
Ending the separation of prisoners in Maghaberry is a recipe for disaster, a loyalist spokesman has warned.

PUP man Ken Wilkinson hit out last night after it emerged Ulster Unionist MLA Doug Beattie is planning to ask Stormont to agree to phase out the current separation regime.

There are around 40 dissident republicans kept separately at Roe House and an estimated 30 loyalists at Bush House within the Maghaberry complex.

There are also a number of LVF-affiliated prisoners kept within the mainstream prison population.

Mr Beattie has called for the system of separation to be phased out, moving towards a fully integrated regime by 2026.

The Upper Bann MLA said all prisoners are criminals and should be treated the same.

He will introduce a debate on the matter at Stormont today.

A Sinn Fein spokesman said it plans to propose an amendment to Mr Beattie's motion, but would not share the wording last night.

Speaking ahead of the debate Mr Beattie said: "There is no question that Maghaberry is a unique prison, holding a number of prisoners in separated wings who have been convicted of paramilitary/terrorist type offences.

"A key question is that, 22 years on from the ceasefires and 18 years on from the Belfast Agreement, should we still be perpetuating the type of prison regime that existed during the Troubles?"

He continued: "It is quite clear that there are some in our society who are not willing to accept that the people of Northern Ireland want to live in a normalised society and they do not want to see guns on our streets. Whether you package them as paramilitaries, drug dealers or organised crime gangs, the truth is they are nothing more than criminals and must be treated as such."

Some of those currently held separately in Roe House include Brendan McConville and John Paul Wootton, who were convicted of the murder of PSNI Constable Stephen Carroll.

Bush House includes Milltown assassin Michael Stone and UVF killer Steven "Revels" Brown. Mr Wilkinson said proposing such prisoners be integrated is a "massive mistake". "It was agreed in 2004 to separate prisoners - we never want to go down the road of paramilitary wings, but these separated wings were set up on the principles of health and safety," he told the Belfast Telegraph.

"If the likes of me went in there and it was not separated, I wouldn't last a day, given the people I speak for. This proposal is a recipe for disaster. I would be totally and utterly opposed to it."

However, Mr Beattie said no prisoners should be treated any differently. "It is time to get serious and show that we as an Assembly and a society mean business," he said.

"What political motivation lay behind the murders of Michael McGibbon in Ardoyne in April of this year or Joe Reilly in Poleglass last Thursday night? What cause was advanced, save that of spreading fear, terror and misery?

"It is time to stand up and say, these murders are the work of criminals who deserve no special status.

"No other country in Europe would tolerate this situation and that is why, on Monday, I shall be asking the Assembly to call on the Justice Minister to move to a fully integrated regime by 2026."

Justice Minister Claire Sugden agreed that integration was generally best. "However, whilst integration is ideal, it is clear that there are prisoners who will not integrate and equally clear that if they are forced to do so, that can have a serious and disruptive impact effect on good order, discipline and security of the prison as a whole," she said.
A leading academic, whose work is frequently quoted by Sinn Fein to back its economic arguments for a united Ireland, has now said unification would cause thousands of job losses in Northern Ireland.

Professor Kurt Hubner led a research team on the economic impact of Irish unification, claiming it would benefit the island's economy by 35.6bn in eight years.

The Canada-based academic was visiting Ireland earlier this month as a guest of Sinn Fein.

He gave a presentation to the Oireachtas Good Friday Agreement Committee and addressed a public meeting organised by Sinn Fein deputy leader Mary-Lou McDonald and MEP Matt Carthy.

But in an interview with the Sunday Business Post, Professor Hubner (right) appeared to go off message, saying the high level of public sector employment in Northern Ireland, around 31%, could not be sustained.

"We assume reductions in the public sector in Northern Ireland by 2% on an annual basis," he said.

"Those are savings; rather that putting savings towards debt service or something like this, the money is being reinvested to improve productivity in the public sector, in technologies and all those kinds of things that can be used more efficiently. At the end of the day, no doubt about it, savings means, in this regard, you getting rid of jobs.

"We couldn't qualify the number of jobs. It would definitely be in the number of thousands."

Sinn Fein MLA Declan Kearney denied the statement would cause red faces for the party.

He claimed the UK Government's Brexit strategy was a far greater threat to jobs here. "Professor Hubner's own report on Irish unity demonstrates the viability and sustainability of economic and political reunification in Ireland, based upon key strategic decisions being taken with respect to currency, industrial policy, investment strategy and fiscal adjustments," he said.

"He demonstrates that the benefits of a united Ireland in terms of job creation, investment and productivity and currency harmonisation on an all-Ireland basis could deliver a 35.6bn boost."

Mr Kearney said the cost of duplication of services caused by partition could be offset by increased investment in high value private sector jobs "benefiting all of the citizens of this island, including a significant jobs uplift in the north."

He added: "The report outlines a projected increase GDP per capita in the long run by 4 to 7.5% for the north and by 0.7 to 1.2% in the south."

Ulster Unionist MLA, Steve Aiken, the party's finance spokesperson, said job losses would be one of many financial problems in a united Ireland. "We have three times the number of civil servants as Scotland so there would be considerable loss of jobs," he commented.

"Belfast is a considerable regional centre now, Dublin is doing very well but that's not true in the west of Ireland.

"So Belfast would become like Cork and struggle to have a say - significant investment would be hard to come by."

He concluded: "Northern Ireland will always benefit by being part of the UK, one of the largest economies in the world."
Ulster Unionist leader, Mike Nesbitt, has said his party can build a new political partnership with the SDLP and convince the public that there is an alternative to DUP-Sinn Fein rule.

Mr Nesbitt told the UUP's annual conference that the two parties would co-operate closely to make Northern Ireland work, and he accused the DUP-Sinn Fein administration at Stormont of failing people.

"When you vote Arlene, you're basically guaranteed to get Marty. Politically, they're joined at the hip.

"Maybe next time, we can persuade the people if you vote Mike, you get Colum. If you vote Colum, you get Mike.

"If you vote for the middle ground, you get better," he told around 600 delegates at the gathering in Belfast.

The SDLP's Colum Eastwood became the first nationalist party leader to address a UUP conference.

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He received a standing ovation when he pledged that the two parties would co-operate to challenge the "all guff and no governance" ethos of the Stormont Executive.

Mr Nesbitt criticised First Minister and DUP leader Arlene Foster's record in government. He denounced the DUP for "colluding" with Sinn Fein to use the royal prerogative to appoint journalist David Gordon as a government spin doctor.

He said that joining with "King Marty" to avoid a public appointment process was "a far cry" from Mrs Foster's previous promise to hold "rogue and renegade" nationalist ministers to account.

Mr Nesbitt rounded on Sinn Fein for using the peace process as a weapon. "Any time something inconvenient comes along, Sinn Fein call it a threat to the 'peace process'. Sinn Fein have milked the peace process for all it's worth," he accused.

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He also hit out at public funds going to community projects which included unreconstructed loyalist paramilitaries who were "lining their own pockets" and were still engaged in "racketeering and organised crime".

"If working-class unionist communities had wanted these gatekeepers to represent and lead them, they would have voted for them.

"The gatekeepers would share the blue benches of the Assembly. But they don't. Although they may have proxies in the biggest party," he said.

To applause from the floor, the UUP leader added: "I have little confidence in the arrangements in the so-called Fresh Start Agreement.

"We do not want annual reports on progress towards the disbandment of paramilitary groups. We want disbandment today - with sanctions for non-compliance."

Mr Nesbitt insisted that while the SDLP and UUP didn't agree on everything, they could do business. He suggested that a "proper shadow Executive promoting policies that actually address and solve the problems of a post-sectarian, post-peace process era" was possible.

While the Brexit argument had been settled, the UUP leader acknowledged that some nationalists had been left "shell-shocked and angry" by the referendum result.

"The days of Remainers and Brexiteers are over, but we must move on in a way that is mindful and respectful of the impact on our nationalist brothers and sisters," he added.

In his address, Mr Eastwood pledged that the SDLP and UUP would increasingly work together.

"We are different parties with different policies and different visions of the future," he stated.

"Our Irish nationalism and your unionism will not seamlessly fit any time soon (but) both the SDLP and Ulster Unionists share the common ground of wanting to make Northern Ireland work."

Mr Eastwood said that election turnout and trust in the Stormont political system had plummeted.

He insisted that, as "the architects and builders" of the institutions, the SDLP and the UUP could deliver change.

"In contrast, the DUP and Sinn Fein have no such ambition or aspiration for our people or this place. They never had," he accused. "They believe the symbolism of their coalition suffices, and offer nothing more.

"They're all guff and no governance. Even with 55 press officers, 16 special advisers and their new press secretary, they struggle to fabricate the illusion of progress."

The SDLP leader said that, together, the UUP and his party "must break up and break down" the "cosy establishment" created by Sinn Fein and the DUP. "Our success can permanently transform the politics of this place - old battles of identity will be replaced by a new battle of ideas."
Thousands of refugees and migrants have packed their bags as the first day of the Calais Jungle mass exodus draws to a close, French officials believe.

Approximately two thousand camp residents, including an estimated 300 minors, will have passed through the registration centre on the fringe of the squalid camp by the end of Monday, a spokesman for the French Interior said.

Some 39 buses so far have been sent to regions all over France except Paris and Corsica.

Crowds carrying rucksacks, holdalls and wheelie-bags, many with scarves over their faces, queued to register for accommodation centres elsewhere after being told they must leave the camp or risk arrest and deportation.

People in the queues said they had no idea where they were going but many seemed resigned to leaving the squalid camp, where demolition work is expected to begin on Tuesday.

Clare Moseley, the founder of refugee crisis charity Care4Calais told the Press Association the volume of people wishing to leave "clearly was not a problem anyone expected to have".

She said: "It's a little bit strange, I just don't think anyone expected that kind of end to it." The charity supplied people with thousands of rucksacks over the weekend and worked to prepare them psychologically for Monday's mass eviction.

Shortly before midday, at least 50 armed riot police marched in to control the crowd, as people started to push and shove at the front. While small scuffles broke out and punches were thrown, most people waited patiently, crammed inside the barriers, which police then widened to give them more space.

The general atmosphere was less volatile than after-dark scenes at the weekend when violent clashes saw camp residents throwing stones at French riot police on the perimeter, who fought back by firing tear gas.

An officer on the ground said around 1,250 police and gendarmes have been drafted in to ensure the eviction runs smoothly.

Those who travel to reception centres have been told they will have to claim asylum in France within a set period of time or face deportation.

Passengers on the first few buses waved at the media as they were driven out of the gated warehouse area on the fringe of the camp with a police motorcycle escort. Aziz, from Darfur, Sudan, said he was happy to leave the camp, where he has spent the last four months.

The 27-year-old told the Press Association: "I don't like this place at all because I want to go to a city area." Asked if he was worried, he said: "I'm feeling not worried, not happy at all. I never laugh, I never cry. Just nothing, but I want to go from this place."

He said he would claim asylum in France and is hoping to go to the west of the country.

Speaking of his home, he said: "In Sudan there is insecurity, there is war, there is a terrible situation, discrimination ... it is not possible to stay."

Those who pass through the registration centre will be sorted into groups of families, minors, vulnerable or ill people and others travelling alone and given coloured wristbands depending on which region they say they would like to be sent to.

Aid workers have advised refugees and migrants to register for the buses together as they believe this will give certain groups of friends or communities the best chance of not being separated.

A further 85 buses are expected to arrive on Tuesday and Wednesday, with officials saying the entire operation will last at least a week.

Unaccompanied minors are the only group permitted to stay in Calais, where they will be taken to shipping containers with bunk beds within a secure area of the camp. The Help Refugees charity reported that the Home Office had today been unable to register children eligible to come to the UK.

It said the "chaotic set-up" had meant minors already living in the containers had been forced to vacate them and register at the warehouse only to be sent straight back after, which was "extremely distressing and confusing" for them.

Laura Griffiths, from Safe Passage UK, said there were an estimated 900 unaccompanied minors in the camp. Doctors of the World UK reported the atmosphere inside the camp as "a mixed bag of relief, confusion, disappointment and anguish".

A spokeswoman in the ground said: "Walking around, we've come across many youngsters with no idea where to go or who to speak to. It's unnerving that we're unable to offer much advice, as we too are in the dark."

Liberal Democrat peer Baroness Shas Sheehan criticised the French authorities for failing to prioritise children, saying their actions were "too little, too late".

She said: "What we are seeing today is what I expected: minors are being pushed to one side and they are having to get to the back of the queue. "They should have been processed first and moved out of harm's way and this is not satisfactory."
A tour bus returning to Los Angeles from a casino trip smashed into the back of a lorry cab on a California highway, killing 13 people and injuring 31 others.

A maintenance crew had slowed down traffic on Interstate 10 before the vehicles crashed just north of the desert resort town of Palm Springs, California Highway Patrol Border Division Chief Jim Abele said.

He said the bus, carrying 44 passengers, was going much faster than the lorry, though a trauma surgeon said the injuries he saw indicated it was slowing down at the point of impact.

"The speed of bus was so significant that the trailer itself entered about 15 feet into the bus," Mr Abele said. "You can see it was a substantial impact."

It was not known if alcohol, drugs or fatigue played a role in the crash, about 100 miles east of Los Angeles, but the bus was inspected in April and had no mechanical issues, Mr Abele said. The bus driver was killed and the truck driver received minor injuries.

The bus was coming from Red Earth Casino in the unincorporated community of Thermal and was about 35 miles into its 135-mile trip back to Los Angeles.

CHP officers had been slowing traffic to allow Southern California Edison workers to string wires across the freeway, Mr Abele said.

Passengers said most people were asleep when the crash occurred at 5.17am. Mr Abele said it appeared the 1996 bus did not have seat belts and probably not a black box that newer vehicles feature.

The front of the bus crumpled into the cab's trailer and debris was scattered across the key route through Southern California. Firefighters used ladders to climb through the bus windows to remove bodies and tow trucks lifted the trailer to make it easier to reach the bus, whose front end was demolished.

Fourteen patients were sent to Desert Regional Medical Centre in Palm Springs, the area's only trauma centre. Five were admitted in critical condition but were stable and in intensive care by Sunday afternoon, said Dr Ricard Townsend, a trauma surgeon. Seven others had been released.

Many suffered facial injuries, a tell-tale sign they were not wearing seat belts, he said. He called the injuries unusual for this type of crash.

"When you usually see someone involved in a high-speed motor vehicle crash, the thing that you see are big-time broken bones. This was not one of the circumstances we were faced with," Dr Townsend said, referencing the collapsible trailer.

"It seemed as though most of the victims were unrestrained and were therefore flown through the air and ended up sustaining facial trauma."

Doctors treated several spinal fractures but few other bone injuries. The wounds indicated the bus was slowing down when it struck, Dr Townsend said.

Two other hospitals received patients with minor injuries.

Officer Stephanie Hamilton of the CHP told the Desert Sun newspaper in Palm Springs that the driver was one of the owners of tour bus company, USA Holiday, based near Los Angeles. The company has one vehicle and one driver, according to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.

A Facebook message from USA Holiday said it did not have much information about the crash.

The company says on social media that it has more than 25 years of experience traveling to casinos in Southern California. It posts about trips leaving the Los Angeles area to casinos in the Southern California desert area and Las Vegas.

The bus owner's neighbour said she would often see a tour bus with the sign "USA Holiday" parked on the street in front of his apartment in a working-class neighbourhood in Alhambra, about seven miles east of central Los Angeles.

Sonia Anderson said the family who lived there - a man, woman and their college student son - had lived in the apartment for about 17 years. She said the father generally drove the bus and his wife and son would sometimes travel on it with him.

She described them as a kind, close-knit family.

"All three of them are hard-working people. Good people. Beautiful family," she said, adding that t he father was "always working, coming in and out, providing for his family".

The National Transportation Safety Board is sending a team to California to investigate.

The crash comes two years after a FedEx truck veered across an interstate central reservation north of Sacramento and hit a bus full of high school students, killing 10 people. In August, a bus in central California hit a highway sign post that tore through the vehicle and left four people dead.

AP
A defiant Donald Trump has blamed his worsening campaign struggles on "phony polls" from the "disgusting" media, as he fights to energise his most loyal supporters with his prospects of winning the presidency shrinking.

With 14 days to go until election day, the Republican nominee campaigned in battleground Florida as his team conceded publicly as well as privately that crucial Pennsylvania may be slipping away.

That would leave a razor-thin pathway to the 270 electoral votes needed to win the White House on November 8.

Despite continued difficulties with women and minorities, Mr Trump is refusing to soften his message in the campaign's final days to broaden his appeal, and offered an optimistic front in the middle of a three-day tour through Florida as thousands began voting in person.

"I believe we're actually winning," he said during a round-table discussion with farmers gathered next to a local pumpkin patch.

A day after suggesting the First Amendment to the Constitution may give the press too much freedom, he insisted that the media are promoting biased polls to discourage his supporters from voting.

"The media isn't just against me. They're against all of you," he told cheering supporters later in St Augustine. "They're against what we represent."

With Mr Trump on the defensive, Democrat Hillary Clinton worked to slam the door on his candidacy in swing state New Hampshire while eyeing a possible Democratic majority in the Senate.

The former secretary of state campaigned alongside New Hampshire governor Maggie Hassan, who is running for the Senate, and Massachusetts senator Elizabeth Warren, who was merciless as she seized on Mr Trump's history of predatory sexual language and several allegations of misconduct.

"He thinks that because he has a mouth full of Tic Tacs, he can force himself on any woman within groping distance," Ms Warren claimed. "I've got news for you Donald: Women have had it with guys like you."

Mr Trump has denied a pile of recent allegations, and he addressed a new one in an interview with WGIR radio in New Hampshire.

He called the allegations "total fiction" and lashed out at former adult film performer Jessica Drake, who said on Saturday that he had grabbed and kissed her without permission and offered her money to visit his hotel room a decade ago.

"One said, 'He grabbed me on the arm'. And she's a porn star," Mr Trump said, adding: "Oh, I'm sure she's never been grabbed before."

The Republican National Committee ignored him altogether in mailshots to New Hampshire voters set to be distributed later this week, according to material obtained by the Associated Press. The mail focuses instead on Ms Clinton's credibility, featuring a picture of her and former president Bill Clinton and the words "No More of The Lying Clintons".

Mr Trump's team has publicly acknowledged in recent days that he is behind.

His campaign manager Kellyanne Conway outlined a path to 270 electoral votes on Sunday that banks on victories in Florida, Ohio, Iowa and North Carolina along with New Hampshire and Maine's second congressional district.

Assuming he wins all of those - and he currently trails in some - he would earn the exact number of electoral votes needed to win the presidency and no more.

Noticeably absent from the list was Pennsylvania, a state that a senior adviser privately conceded was slipping away despite Mr Trump's aggressive courtship of white working-class voters.

Florida was largely the focus on Monday as in-person early voting began across 50 counties, including the state's largest. Remaining counties will start in the coming week.

Early voting by mail has been under way for weeks. Nearly 1.2 million voters in Florida have already mailed in ballots.

Ms Clinton plans to visit on Tuesday and Wednesday, while her running mate, Virginia governor Tim Kaine, was making two Florida appearances on Monday. He took a shot at Florida Republican senator Marco Rubio in the first, a reminder that Ms Clinton's team is fighting to retake a Senate majority.

Mr Kaine noted that Mr Rubio previously called Mr Trump a dangerous "con artist", although the senator currently supports him. If someone can't condemn Mr Trump, Mr Kaine said, "you've got to ask the question whether they're the right person to represent you".

Democrats would take the Senate majority if they pick up four seats.

AP
A United Airlines flight from Belfast to Newark has made an emergency diversion to Shannon Airport. Pic - Flightradar24.com

A United Airlines flight from Northern Ireland to New York has made an emergency diversion to Shannon Airport.

The Belfast to Newark flight altered its route following take off after 11am.

The flight was scheduled to arrive in Newark Airport just before 2pm local time.

A spokeswoman for Shannon Airport said flight UA-76 to Newark had declared an emergency but landed safely just before 2.30pm.

Never far from news, @PA reporter @LAMcbelfast on board @united flight from Belfast to Newark forced to make emergency landing at Shannon. https://t.co/8d82Qh9dPA  David Young (@DavidYoungPA) October 24, 2016

Passengers on the plane were told there was an issue with the Boeing 757's landing gear.

There were concerns that the front wheels could not be locked to take the impact of a landing.

It is understood the pilots circled around the west coast of Ireland for about two hours burning off fuel before making their approach into Shannon.

The airport's emergency crews including firefighters were on the runway for the landing.

A spokesman for United Airlines said: "Our team at Shannon Airport is providing assistance to customers of flight UA76 (Belfast-New York/Newark) today, which diverted to Shannon Airport, Ireland because of a mechanical issue.

"The aircraft landed safely at 2.27 p.m. (local time). We apologize to our customers for the inconvenience caused."
Among the glorious things  and there are many of them  about my friend Kevin Benedict Sheehy is the fact that hes not a man who does predictable. A Catholic who joined the RUC. A high-flying graduate who could have chosen any other career but who, during policings hardest years in Northern Ireland opted to don a uniform which made him a major target for terror.

He was, as has been reported widely this week, a personal friend of the murdered Belfast solicitor Pat Finucane. He even introduced Finucane to the woman who would become his wife.

The fact that the two men held widely different political views did not shatter their friendship.

Sheehy or the Sheik as some call him, is a man of enormous integrity and exceptional personal courage. He may be a hard man where crime and criminals are concerned, but hes a gentle man in every sense, particularly when it comes to animals and their welfare.

Kevin joined the RUC in 1970 becoming the forces first Catholic graduate entrant. (There wouldnt have been too many vegetarians in the ranks back then either.)

He was photographed in a local paper alongside the first ever graduate recruit, a young woman whod just completed her training.

He told the paper that he was joining the RUC because of the worsening violence in Northern Ireland.

He said he believed the force was the one body that could bring peace and restore stability.

Coming as this did from someone whod taken part in the early civil rights campaign, a police career might have seemed an odd choice.

But to Sheehy policing was back then, as it was throughout his career, about standing up for decency and right.

And in a new book just published he recounts some of the horror and the heartache that he was to experience of the next 30 grim years.

It is a powerful, beautifully written book charting the progress from young recruit to frontline in the war against terror. And that progress was shockingly rapid.

Within a year a close friend and colleague hed trained with was to be murdered. In later years there would be many, many more.

At times it is the understatement of Sheehys recall of those years that makes his writing all the more searing. He doesnt labour the point about the courage that officers showed. Their stories do that in themselves.

And at a time when the book market seems to be stacked in favour of accounts denigrating the RUC and those who served in its ranks, Sheehy has produced a brave, impassioned, honest and deeply moving account to redress the balance.

He accepts that, as in any large organisation, the RUC featured the whole range of humanity from "morally idealistic to the outright scoundrel".

But he adds: "It was my privilege to work with people of the highest integrity, individuals committed to making a difference on behalf of the community  and my burden to have to endure the proximity and hostility of those who, in popular parlance, can only be described as scumbags."

Sadly and shamefully in his latter days with the police Kevin was to be subject to a long-drawn out investigation into ludicrous allegations against himself and other members of the Drug Squad. After two and a half years that investigation, with which hed fully cooperated, was wound up.

No criminal or disciplinary charges were ever taken.

What had prompted it in the first place? Sheehy believes it was down to comments hed made at a major drugs conference in 1995.

"Yesterdays enemies were now at the peace table. To remind the world of their on-going criminal activities, including deep involvement in drug dealing, was not deemed appropriate or helpful ... "

Kevin describes the hurt and dismay he felt about the investigation which overshadowed his final years as a police officer.

But his is not a bitter book. It is the story of the ordinary men and women in the ranks of a remarkable police force and the personal story of one man determined to live up to the values instilled in him by his father  integrity, courage, hard work and loyalty to colleagues.

And on every one of those counts, Kevin Benedict Sheehy, you succeeded.

More Questions Than Answers by Kevin Sheehy, Gill and Macmillan, 16.99
Once upon a time, a favourite song in the Sinn Fein hymnbook - often echoed on its banners - was No hierarchy of victims. Their argument was straightforward.

When it came to compensation, respect or the right to be memorialised publicly, the person who had planted a lethal bomb or shot a policeman was on a par with what normal people would call the victim.

Most law-abiding people thought that absolutely outrageous, but equally felt impotent to counter the flood of Sinn Fein propaganda.

As the years went by, republicans proved to be indefatigable negotiators, lobbyists and agitator-organisers who kept that chant going while finding loopholes  and lawyers to exploit them  that favour perpetrators.

We have now reached a position where the loudest voices demanding what they now call truth and justice are republican, for they recognise that the system is unwittingly heavily skewed in their favour.

This led the journalist and broadcaster Chris Ryder, author of The RUC 1922 to 2000: a Force under Fire, to write in this newspaper last week that it would be better for the people of Northern Ireland if the Troubles files were closed for legal purposes and investigation and analysis left to historians in the future.

I fear hes probably right, primarily because while indeed I do believe in a hierarchy of victims, the evidence suggests that the justice system these days operates more to the benefit of lawyers and bad guys than to the innocent and we need to face that reality.

After the criminal justice system failed the Omagh victims, I spent around a decade closely involved in the ultimately successful campaign to sue some of the bombers in a civil court. The families had had to raise over 1 million before Peter Mandelson prevailed upon the government to give them legal aid.

Yet, to date, the Real IRA and the four named men found guilty in 2009 have not come up with a penny of the damages awarded and they fight every step of the way at the expense of British and Irish taxpayers.

Similarly, the IRA ex-Chief of Staff Thomas Slab Murphy has never paid the more than 2 million in costs he owes The Sunday Times since his failed libel actions against it in the late 1990s.

The Bloody Sunday Inquiry cost the British taxpayer almost 200 million and was supposed to be part of the healing process, but what the public see is that the soldiers involved are being tracked down while there seems to be no pursuit of republican gunmen involved.

The British justice system is fairer than any other I know, but it is, of course, imperfect.

In 2013, the Attorney General John Larkin suggested not an amnesty but an end to further police investigations, inquests or inquiries into any relevant killings before the Good Friday Agreement.

Bluntly, he said: At present we have very good tools for critiquing the state, but we dont have them for bringing to account those who have committed offences against the state.

There was an understandable outpouring of anger, but three years on we really should discuss this rationally.

Unlike the state, the republican paramilitaries responsible for the majority of the Troubles murders have no records that courts can demand and operate an omerta code when they are not actually lying point blank.

I-was-never-in-the-IRA Gerry Adams endlessly demands new investigations and maximum state disclosure about, for instance, the use of informers.

I tweeted Mr Ryders article, which inevitably produced identikit comments like: the British state cant face its past; using death squads created a legacy issue it needs to bury.

Danny Morrison, who rarely misses a propaganda opportunity, offered: As the paper trail leads to number 10 its time to leave the past where it belongs. Funny that.

Its time we faced the truth that ruthless, clever and mendacious enemies are wreaking havoc with the legal system, and will continue to agitate for ruinously expensive investigations of soldiers and police.

If we dont want their heroes at the top of the victims hierarchy, its time to have a rethink about how we deal with the past.
As the malcontents inspiring the Scottish National Party push for a hard exit from the UK, we here cannot risk their party political peace process.

That the SNP would destroy the Union in favour of a crumbling "United States of Europe" is the act of petulant children. However, it is alarming that they seem intent on sucking into their campaign Irish republicans.

Irish republicans will no doubt find commonality with Nicola Sturgeon's dangerous sabre-rattling call, fuelling both anti-British and anti-Brexit bile.

In the referendum contest, Ukip and the DUP were on the winning side. It is, therefore, crucial that both parties make compelling contributions, confirming the rejection of any unwanted skirmishes provoked by the SNP.

Public statements from both Arlene Foster and Martin McGuinness on the SNP campaign strategy are overdue.

DAVID McNARRY

Ukip leader in Northern Ireland
Indian Maoist rebels undergo training in a forested area of Bijapur, a district in the Indian state of Chhattisgarh, July 8, 2012.

Indian security forces killed at least 24 suspected Maoist rebels during a gun battle in the eastern state of Odisha on Monday, police said.

The outlawed Communist Party of India-Maoist  as the insurgents are formally known  suffered their worst death toll in the shootout since Indian forces killed 13 in September 2013. Three months ago, Maoist rebels killed 10 members of the Central Reserve Police Force in an ambush in eastern Bihar state.

Two policemen were injured in the latest shootout that occurred early Monday in Malkangiri district, a densely forested area close to the border with Andhra Pradesh state, about 700 km (435 miles) from state capital Bhubaneswar.

Greyhounds, a special joint force from Odisha and Andhra Pradesh that undertakes high-risk operations against Maoist rebels, launched the attack following a tip about a meeting being held at a makeshift training camp in the Jantri area of the district, Superintendent of Police Mitrabhanu Mohapatra said.

We have recovered 24 bodies  17 males and seven females  from the ambush site. Some more injured Maoists escaped into the dense jungle and a search operation is on to flush them out, Mohapatra told reporters, adding that the death toll might go up because security forces were combing the area, according to Indian media.

Although we have yet to confirm the identities of the deceased, we suspect a few top leaders of the group might be among the dead, he said.

They cannot be trusted blindly

Maoists, also known as Naxalites, have been fighting Indian security forces since the late 1960s from their jungle hideouts in more than a third of central and eastern Indias 600-odd districts.

The rebels have accused successive governments of uprooting poor and landless people to exploit mineral-rich forests scattered throughout the region.

Although the level of violence has seen a sharp decline in recent years, with the government offering cash incentives to Maoists who surrender, the group stages occasional attacks on security forces and police informers.

As many as 98 suspected rebels and 27 security personnel have died during armed clashes this year to date, according to the South Asia Terrorism Portal.

An estimate by the Observer Research Foundation, a New Delhi think-tank, shows that the Communist Party of India-Maoist has about 10,000 armed cadres with access to sophisticated weapons such as AK-47 assault rifles.

Mondays police offensive was the second major encounter in Malkangiri district, considered a hotbed of guerrillas due to its close proximity to the Naxalite-infested states of Andhra Pradesh and Chhattisgarh.

In September 2013, police had gunned down 13 Maoists in a similar encounter in the district.

Yet although the police claim they dealt the Maoists a major blow in Mondays gun battle, an analyst questioned the police version.

It is hard to trust the Indian governments version on casualty figures. Whenever they (the police) kill tribals, they term the victims as Maoists. They cannot be trusted blindly, Uday Chaudhari, who has been part of many fact-finding committees on Maoist killings, told BenarNews.
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By Lalynda Cobb,

Class of 2017

Imagine being able to work for your current company while traveling around the world. Thats exactly what alumna Cassie Utt '13 had the opportunity to do through a program called Remote Year.

Utt was chosen to participate in the Remote Year program, which brings 75 people from around the world together allowing them to spend a year traveling to 12 different destinations. Those destinations include Dubrovnik, Croatia; the island Ko Tao in Thailand; and Buenos Aires, Argentina - spending a month in each location.

Utt traveled with Remote Year from June 2015 to June 2016, which came at a convenient time in her life.

Both my apartment and car leases were up. I put everything I owned into storage, and donated or sold just about everything else, Utt said.

While the timing was convenient, she still had to convince her employer, Eaton Corp., that it was a good idea.

I created a business proposal explaining the benefits of being able to connect with other Eaton companies overseas, Utt said. Most of the work that I do is communicating with people all over the world virtually, which made having to work remotely an easy transition.

Utt paid for everything on her own. The $27,000 cost covered housing, travel insurance, planned events, meals, work hubs with Wi-Fi and most of her traveling costs.

Utt was a double major at Bowling Green State University, computer science and music vocal performance, which helped her learn time management, a challenge for her while overseas.

I had to make time to connect and make friends in different countries, while also doing my job and making time to explore my surroundings, she said.

While overseas, Utt had the opportunity to visit 14 Eaton locations around the world.

I was surprised with how similar the offices overseas were," said Eaton, a multinational power management company. "The Eaton culture was in every office; everyone was very supportive and very nice to each other.

The best thing about Utts Remote Year experience was getting to know the group of people she traveled with.

Everyone came from different countries, occupation and backgrounds, she said.

Utt also was able to share some of her experiences with her friends and family. Her mother, who had never traveled overseas, came to visit her in Italy. Utt's sister met her in Vietnam for Christmas.

Being able to share some of the culture around the world with my family and friends and to open their mind to these cultures was one of the best parts of this experience, she said.

Utt, who grew up in Salem, Ohio, was able to travel outside of the destinations provided through Remote Year, making it a total of 18 countries that she visited.

One of her favorite stops was in Prague, which was the first location for the Remote Year group. Its also where she was able to work with an opera as she took a few lessons to improve her technique and musicality.

I was also able to see one of my Prague voice teachers at the National Theatre in 'La traviata,'" Utt said. "Im embarrassed to admit that Id never seen the opera before, just bits and pieces in classes at BGSU. I loved the show, and certainly hope to be a part of it someday."

Another one of her favorite visits was Istanbul, Turkey.

I appreciated the city vibe and culture and admired the focus on art and innovation, Utt said.

Utt would recommend Remote Year to anyone who may be interested, but suggests analyzing your current life situation first.

I think its really awesome if you have a job that allows you to do it, or you have the right financial security to do it on your own, she said.

Utt wrote about her experience in a blog called, Sincerely, Cassie.




First up, Joe Biden is thinking about dropping tariffs against China. But theres a spy in prison this morning that helps us understand why he shouldnt. Ill explain.





Your second brief, If youre looking for a good paying job, you might consider being a CEO for a health insurance company. One executive made $142M dollars last year. Let's talk about that.





And as always, Im keeping an eye out for developing stories. Put this one on your radar. Mexican cartels are grooming American kids online and paying them cash to traffic illegals or run drugs across the border. Ill share details.





If you enjoyed this episode of the President's Daily Brief, remember to subscribe and listen daily at podfollow.com/pdb.

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For Immediate Release, October 24, 2016 Contact: Kristen Monsell, (510) 844-7137, kmonsell@biologicaldiversity.org Appeals Court Reinstates Endangered Species Act Protections for Bearded Seals Judges Cite Loss of Sea Ice, Predictions by Overwhelming Majority of Worlds Climate Scientists ANCHORAGE, Alaska A federal appeals court today upheld the National Marine Fisheries Services decision to protect bearded seals in Alaska as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ruling reverses a 2014 lower court decision that rejected the listing as speculative, but the judges today said the listing is supported by sound science predicting steady loss of the Arctic sea ice bearded seals need to survive. Bearded seal pup photo courtesy NOAA. Photos are available for media use. Todays decision offers bearded seals the protections they truly need, according to the Center for Biological Diversity, which petitioned to list the species in 2008 and intervened in the case to defend the listing against challenges from oil companies and the state of Alaska. This is a huge victory for bearded seals and shows the vital importance of the Endangered Species Act in protecting species threatened by climate change, said Kristen Monsell, the Center attorney who argued the case. This decision will give bearded seals a fighting chance while we work to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions melting their sea-ice habitat and keep dirty fossil fuels in the ground. The seals winter sea-ice habitat in the Bering and Okhotsk seas off Alaska and Russia is projected to decline by at least 40 percent by 2050, while summer sea ice across the Arctic is projected to largely disappear in the next 20 years. These seals also face threats from proposed offshore oil and gas development off Alaska, where an oil spill in icy waters would be impossible to clean up. Todays opinion found that the Fisheries Service, in listing the bearded seal, adopted the position of the overwhelming majority of the worlds climate scientists and rejected Alaskas argument against the use of the best available climate science. Endangered Species Act listing of bearded seals offers them increased protection against the greenhouse gas emissions that are driving climate change, as well as oil and gas development. Listing of the seals does not affect subsistence harvest of the species by Alaska natives. Bearded seals have a shot at survival thanks to the powerful protections of the Endangered Species Act, but only if we take swift and meaningful action to address climate change, Monsell said. If we dont, amazing creatures like these whiskered ice seals and other animals living in the Arctic could be doomed to extinction. The Center for Biological Diversity is a national, nonprofit conservation organization with more than 1.1 million members and online activists dedicated to the protection of endangered species and wild places.


For Immediate Release, October 24, 2016 Contact: Collette Adkins, Center for Biological Diversity, (651) 955-3821, cadkins@biologicaldiversity.org

Bruce Morrison, Great Rivers Environmental Law Center, (314) 231-4181, bamorrison@greatriverslaw.org Missouri Agrees to Consider Ban on Unlimited Commercial Trapping of Wild Turtles Thousands From State Rivers Have Been Caught, Sold JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. In response to a petition filed by the Center for Biological Diversity and Great Rivers Environmental Law Center, the Missouri Department of Conservation has announced that it will consider ending unlimited commercial collection of the states wild freshwater turtles. Under current law turtle traders can legally collect unlimited numbers of common snapping and softshell turtles to sell domestically or export for Asian food and medicinal markets. Thousands of Missouris turtles have been caught and sold over the past 10 years. Common snapping turtle photo by Dakota L. Photos are available for media use. This is great news for Missouris turtles and for all of us who care about the health of the states rivers, said Collette Adkins, a biologist and senior attorney at the Center. A small number of for-profit turtle collectors should not be allowed to put the states turtles at risk. Were hopeful that the Missouri Department of Conservation will do the right thing and ban the states harmful turtle trade. Under current regulations in Missouri, holders of a commercial fishing permit may take unlimited numbers of common snappers, spiny softshells and smooth softshells from portions of the Missouri and Mississippi rivers with no closed season. According to the Department, 1,100 river miles are open to commercial turtle collection. In its written response to the conservation organizations petition, the Departments interim director, Tom Draper, stated that the Department agrees that unlimited commercial collection of common snapping turtles and softshell turtles should be addressed through the rulemaking process. The Department points to recently developed scientific information about increasing harvest pressures. The rulemaking process first requires development of a proposed rule, which would ultimately be submitted to the Missouri Conservation Commission for approval. Entrusted with preservation of our states wildlife, the future of Missouris turtles is in the hands of the Missouris Department of Conservation, said Bruce Morrison, general counsel for Great Rivers Environmental Law Center. Were pleased the Department is taking this step toward restricting commercial turtle collection and urge it to fully and finally protect these animals as an invaluable part of our state ecosystems. Background

Millions of turtles classified as wild-caught are exported from the United States every year to supply food and medicinal markets in Asia, where native turtle populations have already been depleted by soaring consumption. Because turtles bioaccumulate toxins from prey and burrow in contaminated sediment, turtle meat is often laced with mercury, PCBs and pesticides, posing a health risk. Adult turtles are also taken from the wild to breed hatchlings for the international pet trade. Characteristics such as delayed sexual maturity, dependence on high adult survival, and high natural levels of nest mortality predispose turtles to rapid declines from exploitation. Scientists have repeatedly documented that freshwater turtles cannot sustain any significant level of wild collection without leading to population declines. For example in a 2014 Missouri study researchers found that under mean demographic rates no harvest could be sustained for softshells, and that common snappers could withstand only minimum rates of juvenile harvest and no adult harvest. As part of a campaign to protect turtles in the United States, the Center has been petitioning states that allow unrestricted commercial turtle collection to improve harvest regulations. In 2009 Florida responded by banning almost all commercial collection of freshwater turtles from public and private waters. In 2012 Georgia approved state rules regulating the commercial collection of turtles, and Alabama completely banned commercial collection. And in July Iowa published proposed rules that, if finalized, would impose seasons, daily bag limits and possession limits for common snapping turtles, painted turtles, spiny softshells and smooth softshells. Also in response to a 2011 Center petition, and with the support of the Missouri Department of Conservation, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in May added four turtles  including common snapping turtles, smooth softshell turtles and spiny softshell turtles that are found in Missouri  to a list called CITES Appendix III. Trade in Appendix III species requires an export permit and documentation that the animal was caught or acquired in compliance with the law, allowing the United States to monitor trade closely. The animals must also be shipped using methods designed to prevent cruel treatment. The Center for Biological Diversity is a national, nonprofit conservation organization with more than 1.1 million members and online activists dedicated to the protection of endangered species and wild places. www.biologicaldiversity.org



Great Rivers Environmental Law Center is a nonprofit public interest environmental law firm in St. Louis that provides free and reduced-fee legal services to those working to protect the environment and public health. www.greatriverslaw.org
ABUJA, Nigeria - South Africa's MTN has denied it illegally transferred $13.9 billion from Nigeria in the latest scandal to hit the telecom firm in its largest market in the continent.

The Johannesburg-based firm is facing a parliamentary probe over accusations it connived with senior Nigerian officials to move the funds out of the country without complying with the law.

"We would like to reiterate that at no point did MTN Nigeria (MTNN) illegally repatriate funds out of Nigeria or collaborate with Nigerians to loot the external reserves of the country," Ferdinand Moolman, the chief executive officer of MTNN told the Senate hearing in Abuja on Thursday.

"MTNN is a Nigerian company and is proud to be conducting business in Nigeria. It therefore categorically refutes any accusations of money laundering, economic sabotage or tax evasion levied against it," he added.

Moolman said all monies repatriated by the company were in respect of dividend payments and capital divestment originating from legitimate foreign direct investment. "The dividend payments were made to shareholders who imported foreign capital for investment in MTNN," he said.

Moolman also exonerated Nigeria's Trade and Investment Minister Okechukwu Elenemah from the alleged capital flight. "We would like to state that Dr Elenemah has never been a director or shareholder of MTNN," he said, adding that the minister had not connived with the company to move funds out of Nigeria.

The parliamentary probe followed a motion last month by Dino Melaye, a senator from central Kogi state which called for MTN to be investigated over the alleged illegal transfers. Four local banks were alleged to have been used to move the funds with the help of the trade minister. The probe is the latest setback to hit MTN in Nigeria.

The firm was last year slammed with a $3.9 billion fine for failing to cut off 5.1 million unregistered SIM cards, amid fears that some of the affected lines were being used by Boko Haram insurgents. The conflict sparked by the jihadist group has left at least 20,000 dead and forced more than 2.6 million people from their homes since 2009.

In June, MTN announced that following negotiations with the Nigerian authorities, it had agreed to pay $1.7 billion as a final settlement.

MTN is the largest mobile phone firm in Nigeria, and the country accounts for a third of the group's total revenue. MTN threatened to pull out during the SIM card row, before the fine was reduced by nearly 70%.

Relations between Nigeria and South Africa, the continent's two economic powerhouses, have been strained over recent years on issues including economic rivalry and political friction.

South Africa's growth has been undermined by the slowdown in China and falling commodity prices; while Nigeria, the continent's top oil producer, has suffered from low oil prices, leading it into recession.

Source: AFP.
Why is Braai Day increasingly edging out Heritage Day in SA media, and what's behind the blazing commercial phenomenon that is causing upset with a large sector of consumers on social media? Brand Intelligence firm, Ornico, analysed ads associated with Heritage Day to discover who's lighting Braai Day's commercial fire.

Braai Day has been embraced by local brands as a strong sales opportunity. Oresti Patricios, CEO of Brand Intelligence company Ornico, has released results of an advertising survey on Heritage Day revealing that only some 37% of advertisers used the term "Heritage Day" exclusively in their advertising. These advertisers included government departments like Arts and Culture, who promoted cultural events to celebrate 25 September 2016.

The balance, some 63%, focussed either entirely on Braai Day or used some combination of Braai Day and Heritage Day in brand messaging. This shows that Braai Day is being strongly propelled by commercial interests.

Ornicos research discovered that some 121 unique brands used the September public holiday to associate with Heritage Day or Braai Day in ads created for print, radio or TV. The survey focused on print and broadcast media, and excluded social or digital media.

Of the 121 brand advertisers, 54, or 44,6%, branded their advertising with "Braai Day". Thats close on half of the ads that used the term "Braai Day" exclusively, or focussed offerings on braai meat and equipment, without mentioning Heritage Day.

22 of the ads - or 18.2% of them - combined both Heritage Day and Braai Day, or managed to conflate the two conceptually. By way of example, an ad that had "Heritage Day" in the copy, but that primarily used the advertising opportunity to sell braai food or supplies, was categorised as "conflated" in the research.

45 of the ads, or 37.2%, were exclusively classified as "Heritage Day" ads, and did not use the term "Braai Day" or include anything to do with a barbecue. These included public service announcements and ads for Heritage Day events (that were not braai-oriented).

The sample Ornico looked at was 121 adverts broadcast on channels like Highveld Stereo 947, and SABC TV, and published in publications like The Star, Beeld and The Diamond Fields Advertiser. As stated, the research didnt include social or digital campaigns. Brands that embraced Braai Day included Checkers, Pick n Pay, Food Lovers Market and Picardi Rebel Liquors, while those that elected to promote through Heritage Day included The Cradle of Humankind, Celltone Skincare, Rama Margarine and OK Furniture.

Oresti Patricios, CEO of Brand Intelligence company Ornico, says: "This indicates that Braai Day is a commercial construction thats being propelled by brands and advertisers who want to sell goods.

Patricios notes that this is not universally accepted by South Africans, and says that theres a strong push-back on social media that brands should be listening to. Commenters on social media echo the sentiment of writers like respected essayist T.O. Molefe, who feels that rebranding the day as "Braai Day" subverts the original intentions for commemorating the day.

If thats what even a minority of people think, then its important for marketers (and the National Heritage Council, which endorsed this idea) to take notice, says Patricios. Do you really want to alienate a vocal, upwardly mobile segment of your market?

According to SA History Online, Heritage Day  which falls annually on 24 September  replaced Shaka Day, a holiday dear to people who appreciate Zulu tradition and heritage. Parliament was set to scrap the holiday, but the IFP objected. Heritage Day was created as a compromise, so that all South Africans can celebrate their cultural heritage.

At the time, then President Nelson Mandela said that the decision to create Heritage Day was important because we knew that our rich and varied cultural heritage has a profound power to help build our new nation.

At braai.com  the website which promotes Braai Day  it is suggested that across race, language, region and religion, we all share one common heritage. It is called many things: Chisa Nyama, Braai and Ukosa The Braai Day campaign calls for South Africans to contribute to strengthening South Africa as a nation through this act of nation-building and social cohesion  through throwing some meat on the barbie.

The problem with this commercial opportunity, says Patricios, is that many people perceive that Braai Day doesnt support the aims of Heritage Day, which is to learn about, and celebrate, our cultural differences. By homogenising Heritage Day into Braai Day, we do our country a disservice. At the same time, marketers are missing the point and agitating a very vocal sector of SAs social media users.

I would advocate that marketers should rather embrace the true spirit of Heritage Day and design campaigns that reinforce the original intent behind the holiday. We have much to celebrate in this country in terms of our diversity, and we need to genuinely see each other and recognise how our differences are our strengths. So much about politics in particular divides us, why are marketers aggravating this instead unifying South Africans? the Ornico CEO asks.




Nigeria-based green entrepreneur Achenyo Idachaba is helping change the story in the riverine community of Bayeku in Ikorodu, Lagos by turning an invasive water plant that chokes Nigeria's waterways into a source of income.

Idachaba had left her corporate career in the US in 2009 in order to contribute to sustainable development in Nigeria. This leap of faith led her to form MitiMeth, a company that creates eco-friendly handicrafts like home decor and personal accessories from aquatic weeds and other agro-waste.

Idachaba's "spark moment"

Idachaba, shortly after her return to Nigeria, discovered the impact that the water hyacinth had in Bayeku, hampering fishing, trade and transport, and lowering available fish stocks. Standing on the Third Mainland Bridge, contemplating the impact of the invasive plant, she had her "spark moment". After exploring research on the possible uses of the plant, Idachaba put together a three step plan: harvest the water hyacinth, dry the stems, and weave them into products.

Idachaba, through MitiMeth, is helping turn the problematic water hyacinth into a source of income, improving livelihoods, while clearing the waterways to the benefit of Nigeria's riverine communities.

Watch Idachaba's TED Talk: "How I turned a dealy plant into a thriving business"

For more info, go to www.mitimeth.com.
For four days, the Casa de la Cultura Benjamin Carrion  where most of the conference events took place  buzzed with action. A range of diverse voices was heard in the conference precinct: from high ranking UN conference officials, to activists who fight every day for a more just city. UN-Habitat can take credit for a diverse and generally inclusive conference which delivered an optimistic  though somewhat ambiguous  outlook on the future of cities.

An inclusive conference

Efforts to make the conference inclusive  it was free and anyone could register  materialised in a big jamboree of all kinds of people interested in urban affairs (as well as complaints about long queues). The overall message of the conference emphasised the need to address social, economic and material inequalities in cities and urban areas.

Disadvantaged groups were widely represented at Habitat III. Most side events included representatives of the urban poor, such as organisations like Shack/Slum Dwellers International.

International organisations which had previously ignored the significance of cities in international development  such as UNIDO and the Red Cross  pleaded to join an increasingly popular (and highly lucrative) urban field.

Yet international experts often appeared oblivious to the enormous progress that the poorest urban communities have made to organise themselves and finance their futures. During the sessions, questions from Ecuadorian students raised eyebrows, pointing towards unexamined assumptions that international experts take for granted  such as what makes a city smart.

The New Urban Agenda

The main outcome of Habitat III was that UN nation states agreed on the New Urban Agenda (NUA): a non-binding document, which will guide policies over the next 20 years with the goal of making cities safer, resilient and sustainable and their amenities more inclusive.

The foundation for the 24-page document was a collection of papers written by six policy units, made up of experts from around the world. The NUA itself emerged from a consultative process, whereby UN-Habitat collected the inputs of a diverse community of urban scholars, leaders, planners and activists.

Ministry of Natural Resources - Rwanda/Flickr, CC BY-ND

The key message of the NUA was leaving no one behind. This points towards a vision for the future of cities, where diverse urban aspirations of prosperity and sustainable development are linked by a desire for equality.

Yet the document did not escape criticism. Its reliance on experts generated scepticism about whether the NUA could actually integrate grassroots perspectives. Meanwhile, the consensual approach  which involved redrafting the NUA a total of five times  has led to the avoidance of polemic issues. For example, LGBTQ rights were excluded from the NUA at the request of a group of 17 countries, led by Belarus.

The impact of the NUA will depend on how it is put into practice. Neither the NUA nor Habitat III have clarified how the ideals outlined should be achieved. So for the moment, the text can be thought of as a series of important goals  the consequences of which will only become evident during implementation.

Urban leaders

The role of city governments in implementing the NUA was one of the big issues discussed at Habitat III. The World Mayors Assembly which preceded Habitat III asserted two key demands. One was that city, metropolitan and regional governments should have a seat at UN negotiation tables and be able to take decisions without the interference of national governments.

The other was that mayors want direct access to international finance. Some proposed that 20% to 25% of global finance for development  in instruments such as the Green Climate Fund  should be allocated directly to cities.

But the NUA is created by and for national governments. As a result, it often appears to prioritise the role of national policies which strategically coordinate urban development at the national level. This focus may become an obstacle for local governments seeking to implement the goals.

The right to the city

The consensus around the right to the city  an idea championed by Ecuador and Brazil  was historical. The right to the city generally refers to the capacity of urban citizens to influence processes of urban development, and make a city they want to live in.

Social movements have promoted the right to the city to denounce urban processes that generate injustices, such as gentrification, privatisation of public spaces, forced evictions and the mistreatment of urban refugees. But the inclusion of the right to the city in the NUA meant watering it down, because it is not explicitly recognised as a universal human right. Instead, the NUA merely encourages governments to enshrine the right to the city in their laws.

Contradictions are already beginning to emerge around the right to the city. For instance, one representative from the Senegal delegation kicked off a high level round table on financing sustainable urban development by explaining that informal settlements are often situated on high-value land. This value, he argued, can be cashed by local governments if dwellers are willing to relocate.

However, this representative did not explain that this means of gathering finances often entails local governments leading a process of urban gentrification. Research on forced evictions has documented the tremendous negative impacts that relocation has on the livelihoods and well-being of displaced people. This is just one of many contradictions which will become visible as the NUA is implemented.

Habitat III brought together thought leaders on the future of urban areas, fostering dialogue and collaboration. It will have a lasting impact on efforts to address urbanisation  one of the global challenges of our time.

This is part of a series on publicly funded UK research at the UN Habitat III summit in Quito, Ecuador. It is a collaboration between the Urban Transformations Network, UK Economic and Social Research Council and The Conversation UK.


African stakeholders have called for water supply and sanitation to be a priority at the next meeting of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. They want the November meeting of COP22 to integrate issues related to water supply and sanitation with the climate change agenda.

Some progress has been made on water and sanitation in the past 20 years. Under the Millennium Development Goals, rates of access in sub-Saharan Africa increased by 20% for drinking water and 6% for sanitation between 1990 and 2015.

But far more needs to be done. Population growth means that the number of people without access to drinking water increased from 265m in 1990 to 316m in 2015 and those without safe sanitation from 388m to 692m.

The sector is in dire need of extensive investment. Estimates vary slightly but, to achieve the Millennium Development Goal targets, Africa would have to spend about $15bn annually while current spending is around $3.6bn.

To close the gap, there is support for greater private investment in water in developing countries. But the reality is that the financing gap in Africa can only be addressed viably and equitably with a major increase in public investment.

Privatisation, not the answer

Water privatisation in sub-Saharan Africa goes back to 1960 and became a core policy in the 1990s but it has proven to be extremely challenging. Private firms have contributed next to nothing in terms of financing the sector in the African region.

According to World Bank research, the private sector has contributed just 0.1 % of water supply and sanitation annual financial flows in sub-Saharan Africa. Funding has mostly come from government sources and overseas aid.

The low levels of private investment are predominantly due to high perceived risks. Investing in this sector requires extensive up front investment in pipes and pumps that takes many years to be recovered. Such investment is at higher risk where end users have low incomes and state capacity is weak. Given the essential nature of water, provision can be politically charged which may affect pricing and increase the investment risk still further.

This has resulted in high rates of cancellation of private contracts for water supply in Africa. About 29% of contracts have been prematurely terminated. This is a huge problem given the time and money taken up with the tendering process which then sometimes fail to result in a contract being awarded or completed. In Nigeria, for example, privatisation has been on the policy agenda since the late 1990s but still no contract has been signed.

When contracts do come through, there is little compelling evidence that the private sector is more efficient than public providers in water and sanitation. In cases where the private sector appears to be more productive, it is often as a result of cutting employment or because donor funding was conditional on privatisation.

As the limitations of water privatisation have become clear, there have been calls for innovation in private financing mechanisms. One example is the use of public resources to stimulate private sector investment through blended finance. This is where the government provides subsidies and/or guarantees to encourage commercial financiers to invest in water.

But a number of concerns have been raised with this approach. Private capital is not a substitute for public capital and is volatile and expensive. To date there seems to be little justification for diverting limited public resources toward trying to attract investors into the sector rather than investing government funds in water directly.

Financial sustainability

The focus on addressing the financing gap for water has also drawn attention to the issue of financial sustainability. Throughout the global water sector, there has been a push for full cost recovery pricing in water. This is where the service provider receives sufficient revenue from customers to cover operating and investment costs. It is seen as a prerequisite for privatisation.

In sub-Saharan Africa it is argued that since only the wealthy have connections to the piped network, a subsidised water tariff  implicit in any price that is below full cost recovery pricing - benefits the better off. Research by the World Bank has advocated an increase in water tariffs in Africa, arguing that this is affordable, particularly if consumption is lowered.

But full cost recovery raises a number of concerns in practice, again making a case for public financing:

It is not clear what cost should be recovered. How, for example, should historical costs or leakage costs be accounted for?



When taken to its logical conclusion, those that cost more to serve will be the poorest households. In Senegal, for example, poor households pay more for water from a standpipe than those that have access to a private connection.



Water distribution systems are complex. There is not a simple divide between wealthy households that consume utility water via a piped connection and poorer households that use other sources. For example, in Dar es Salaam, water produced by the public utility is re-sold by private tankers across the city. Sometimes this water changes hands several times before reaching end users. These are often individuals in low-income areas, buying by the jerry can.



Tariff increases may lead to a reduction in consumption and therefore have an adverse impact on overall revenue.



Water tariffs are already high in many African countries. Relative to incomes, these are often much higher than water prices in organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development countries, even for the income of the richest quintile.

Little attention to public sector solutions

Public sector solutions are notably absent from current policy debates even though they have been the mainstay of infrastructure development across the world.

In developed countries, universal coverage was largely achieved with government spending raised by taxation and government loans. European and US water and sewerage networks were developed with public funding mechanisms. There is also evidence that that public investment crowds in private investment.

An alternative approach to closing the financing gap is needed, focusing on increasing public revenue rather than pushing for private. There are indications that considerable potential exists to increase revenue mobilisation in the region. For example by, reducing tax breaks. These are provided to attract investment but evidence suggests they are ineffective. The continent can also focus on curbing capital flight to increase public revenue.


After 16 years in the UK building her company, Nicole Anderson has returned to Africa on what she calls a "journey of discovery" to explore the fintech potential on the continent. Although she says she had "little expectation", she seems to be pleasantly surprised by what she's found so far.

Beware of Big Tech

Anderson is co-founder and CEO of Fintech Circle Innovate, a London-based enterprise that facilitates relationships to incubate, accelerate and grow the fintech sector. Fintech is a very new industry, and although the level of investment globally has accelerated beyond our wildest dreams, its still immature .

Shes pretty tired of the word disruption and says fintech offers new business models of doing transactions. The real threat is Big Tech, aka Google Apple Facebook and Amazon, and the so-called Bank of Tech. They are already lobbying governments to change banking legislation.

Believing in Africa

According to her, the whole world is watching Africa in terms of innovation in the fintech space, particularly in East Africa and South Africa. Im deeply passionate about advocating the investability in South Africa from a fintech perspective.

I also believe in the exportability of African innovation in the area of convergence to the rest of the world, she says. At the moment, the fintech power play is based in London and New York, but there has been a geographical shift in competition and I would hate to see South Africa lose out.

Holy trinity

Anderson explains that her company is built on a holy trinity in which it helps raise early stage funding through its angel network, provides a corporate advisory to help realise strategic objectives and also addresses skills challenges. Without one of these three pillars, it would be a lop-sided temple.

In terms of skills development, Fintech Circle Innovate, produced the first crowd-sourced encyclopaedia on the subject. www.thefintechbook.com The Fintech Book]]  I know, not a very original name, laughs Anderson  comprising 18 chapters written by 80 authors who are leaders in their field. The book been adopted as learning material by business schools.

She was speaking at the launch of SAP/Barclays Africa/Rise Cape Town fintech start-up programme last week.
The Eastern Africa Grain Council (EAGC) Rwanda has called for more sensitisation about rules of origin policies between regional blocs to ensure local traders understand them to benefit from the proposed Tripartite Free Trade Area (TFTA). EAGC argues that rules of origin will be essential to foster trade in grains and cereals in the free trade area. Rules of origin help in determining a product's country of origin in international trade.

Jovan Jaric via 123RF

The proposed Tripartite Free Trade Area is trade agreement between the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), Southern African Development Community (SADC), and East African Community (EAC). If it is implemented next year as planned, it will create the largest free-trade zone in Africa, covering an area from Cape Town to Cairo, with a population of over 600 million people across 26 countries.

Creating a 'common understanding' of the rules of origin

Epiphanie Karekezi, the EAGC Rwanda market information system officer, said creating a 'common understanding' of the rules of origin between stakeholders in the sector will help spur trade in grains and cereals in the free trade area, as well as help improve quality along the value chain, ensuring better earnings for farmers.

Karekezi, however, said in an interview with The New Times on Wednesday that the country should consider issues like the volume of grains and cereals imported or exported as raw materials, and products made from these raw materials, including flour and bread, to protect local traders and firms and avoid market distortions.

"For instance, industrialists may need to import maize in case there are limited volumes on the Rwandan market. However, as a country we can impose taxes on maize flour imports to avoid unfair competition," she explained. That is why all sector players need to understand how the concept of rules of origin works and how we position ourselves in TFTA to remain competitive, Karekezi added.

Emmanuel Gahutu, the Rwanda Revenue Authority head of tariff, valuation and rules of origin unit, explained that rules of origin help the tax body determine the origin of goods, making it easy for them to apply appropriate taxes, among others. He emphasised the importance of drafting policies that are simple, flexible and transparent, arguing it would ensure easy adoption, which is crucial in trade.

Immense business opportunities

Nathan Gashayija, the director in charge of co-ordination at the Ministry of Trade, Industry and EAC Affairs, said the free trade zone presents Rwandan traders and grain and cereal exporters, in particular, immense business opportunities.

Gashayija said traders will gain from a larger market, noting that challenges associated with overlapping membership to different blocs would be removed.

"The free trade zone will also ensure competitiveness of local products, besides providing the business community an avenue to exploit untapped natural resources, among others," he said.

Of the six EAC countries, only Tanzania belongs to SADC and is the only EAC member that does not subscriber to the COMESA bloc. This means that whereas Tanzanian products can benefit from preferential treatment, including duty free access, Rwanda, Kenya, Uganda, and Burundi cannot benefit from such incentives.

Experts say that is the more reason the free trade zone is a key milestone that could deepen intra-regional and inter-country trade across the 26 states.
The 39 winners in the 2016 Sassda Columbus Stainless Steel Awards were recently announced. This year's winners were drawn from a broader spectrum of sectors due to an expansion in the number of categories.

Cees van der Burg, Welfit Oddy

This years Business Excellence Award, as well as the Overall Winner Award, went to Port Elizabeth-based tank container manufacturer Welfit Oddy. As the only manufacturer of tank containers in South Africa and the second largest tank container manufacturer globally, the company exports 95% of its local production.

Other significant winners were John Cluett, awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award for his contribution to the local brewing industry and the development and use of stainless steel in various applications within the food and beverage industry, as well as Diego Sella, also awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award for his outstanding contribution to Sassda and the stainless steel industry.

John Cluett celebrates winning the 2016 Sassda Columbus Stainless Steel Lifetime Achivement Award flanked by Sassda chairperson Charles Cammell and executive director John Tarboton.

Raising awareness of stainless steel

Looking at the enhanced stature of this years awards Sassda executive director John Tarboton says, After the huge increase in the number of entries and winners, as well as the number of categories, we truly feel that the aim of the awards has been realised; namely to boost the growth and development of the local stainless steel sector. The hype created around the awards also means theyve been invaluable in terms of raising awareness of stainless steel and its myriad uses and applications within the local and global economy.

In tandem with the increased number of entries and winners the awards judging panel was doubled in size to 12 industry experts from the fabrication, architectural, environmental, catering and welding sectors among others.

Improvement in award entries

National Stainless Steel Centre customer relations manager Tholwana Mogowane, who was also a judge, comments, I was interested to see that the mining entries revealed many operators upgrading from mild steel to 3CR12 stainless steel. This shows they now appreciate the long-term cost benefits of stainless steel as opposed to short-term savings on cheaper alternatives like mild steel that has to be replaced far more often.

She adds that the award entries also revealed that people are no longer sticking to traditional plate or coil stainless steel formats as theres obviously increasing awareness of the fact that stainless steel can be used in a variety of formats.

Overall, Tarboton comments, Our aim was to boost the aspirational value of the awards by ensuring that participants saw the clear return on investment that their participation and winning provides. Weve also embraced a more modern approach to championing stainless steel across the continent and the awards are the perfect embodiment of this, concludes Tarboton.

2016 Sassda Columbus Stainless Steel Awards winners
The South African Revenue Service (SARS) has instituted court action to terminate a contract with a service provider due to the company's failure to disclose its familial relationship between its shareholder and Commissioner Tom Moyane.

In a statement on Thursday, 20 October 2016, the revenue service said the urgent proceedings at the High Court were instituted due to Lekgotla Trifecta Consortiums (LTC) failure to disclose the family ties between its director Nhlamulo Ndlhela and SARS Commissioner Moyane.

SARS wishes to announce that it has instituted urgent proceedings at the High Court to immediately terminate the contract between SARS and LTC. This is to properly comply with the obligation the law imposes on organs of state to pro-actively raise and resolve procurement irregularities, said SARS spokesperson Sandile Memela.

SARS had previously announced that it intends to approach the High Court with the aim to declare the contract between SARS and LTC invalid should the parties fail to do so amicably.

This follows LTCs failure to declare the potential conflict of interest between its director Mr Ndlhela and SARS Commissioner, Mr Moyane, as this constitutes material irregularity and breach in the award of the tender, said Memela.

The court proceedings are intended to interdict LTC from any further steps to implement the master service agreement and any and all service request agreements concluded between SARS and LTC.

It is SARS position that TLCs failure to disclose the familial relationship between its shareholder Mr Ndlhela and the Commissioner constitutes material breach and irregularity in the award of the tender.

This action must be seen and understood from SARS uncompromising and beyond reproach manner in keeping with its Constitutional and statutory duty to maintain a high standard of professional ethics, accountability and transparency in its administration as well as the prevention of possible irregular expenditure and prejudice to the financial interest of the state.

As the matter is now the subject of legal proceedings, and out of respect to the pending judicial process, SARS said it does not intend making any further comment on the merits or demerits of the matter, said the revenue service.
Shoprite subsidiary Computicket's attempt to have anti-competitive behaviour complaints against it dismissed "because it was made by the commission not the commissioner" was dismissed by the Competition Tribunal on Friday, 21 October 2016.

The tribunal also dismissed Computicket's argument that even if the referral was made by the correct party, it "offends against the principle of legality".

The tribunal said its dismissal followed "a lengthy history of prior litigation" dating back to 2008 when five ticketing companies - Strictly Tickets, Artslink, Going Places, TicketSpace and Ezimidlalo Technologies - separately complained Computicket was unfairly securing exclusive deals with concert organisers.

The case, which was supposed to be heard in July 2011, has subsequently been dragged out for five years "by a skirmish over discovery".

"Parties are too eager to use reviews instead of availing themselves of an opportunity to defend themselves at trial," the tribunal complained in its ruling.

"A review is decided on papers. A hearing is not; it involves inter alia, the hearing of ... testimony, cross examination and full discovery. The hearing is therefore the superior process for resolving disputes of fact, and conclusions that inevitably arise in competition matters."

Shoprite said in its results released on 28 August that Computicket was struggling because of the weak rand. "The devalued rand placed leading international artists for local concert tours beyond the reach of South African impresarios."

Source: BDpro
With the addition of Mitsubishi Motors, the Renault-Nissan alliance is closing in on the level of 10-million vehicles sold per year where automakers vie for the title of biggest manufacturer.

Carlos Ghosn, chairman of Mitsubishi Motors

If Carlos Ghosn, who engineered the turnaround of Nissan which he has managed along with Renault since 2005, insists while the ranking is not the objective, size does matter as it can open up economies of scale that can tip the balance in an industry of thin margins.

At the end of July the two carmakers announced their alliance had produced 4.3bn ($4.7bn) in synergies last year. Since 2014 Renault and Nissan have shared engineering, manufacturing, logistics, purchasing and human resources. They aim to save 5.5bn in 2018.

By 2020 the alliance aims to have 70% of its vehicles built on shared platforms. It is also on the level of the alliance that the strategy for self-driving and connected vehicles is being developed.

These synergies open up the possibility of more savings by cross production. Already two Renault factories in France produce Nissan vans and the subcompact Micra. This maximises use of available facilities and avoids unnecessary investments.

Renault and Nissan, partners since 1999, remain distinct companies even if they are tied by cross-holdings: Renault holds 43.4% of its Japanese partner, while Nissan owns 15% of the French automaker.

From Wednesday, Mitsubishi Motors joins the family thanks to a 34% stake held by Nissan. The stake makes Nissan the leading shareholder in Mitsubishi Motors and Goshn becomes the chairman of the board.

But the alliance runs the gamut from budget brands with Dacia and Datsun to bling with the Infiniti marque.

It also includes the top Russian manufacturer Avtovaz as well as Samsung Motors.

With Mitsubishi, Renault-Nissan jumps into fourth place with 8.53-million vehicles manufactured in 2015.

Japan's Toyota was top last year with 10.15-million vehicles, followed by Germany's Volkswagen at 9.93-million and General Motors of the United States at 9.8-million.

But the enlarged Renault-Nissan alliance could jump to 9.5-million vehicles in 2016 thanks to an increase in sales by Renault, which has benefited from a recovery in the European market and the introduction of several new models.

Mitsubishi brings to the alliance a network of factories and presence in growing southeast Asian nations, a region where Renault and Nissan have not been strongly positioned.

Source: AFP
The City of Cape Town on Sunday said electric-powered buses would be rolled out next year as part of its MyCiTi services. "Apart from lowering our carbon emissions, local residents will also benefit from this contract through job opportunities," said Mayor Patricia de Lille in a statement.

She said that a tender had been awarded for the purchase of 10 electric vehicles.

A stipulation was made that the buses be assembled locally and that the bus bodies in part also be manufactured locally.

"The contractor will be employing local staff and will have to source some of the bus components from local suppliers.

"This would be the first time that electric buses are manufactured and assembled in Cape Town," said De Lille.

The City planned to take delivery of the buses next June.

Read this report on News24Wire.com.
Three male lions from the Tswalu Kalahari Reserve were collared and released from their holding boma into the uMkhuze section of iSimangaliso Wetland Park, South Africa's first world heritage site. The lions are genetically distinct from the pride of 16 lions presently residing in iSimangaliso, all of which are from the same bloodline. The lions remained in the boma for several weeks before being released to acquaint themselves with the existing pride.

This introduction boosts the establishment of a viable population in iSimangaliso after the last lion was shot by conservationists some 47 years ago for going rogue in what was then an unfenced park. The first lion introductions back to iSimangaliso took place in December 2013 and 2014 respectively. The first family of four lions - translocated from Tembe Elephant Park - were released in December 2013 and comprised an adult female and three sub-adult offspring. Their arrival catapulted iSimangaliso to Big 7 status. This was followed by the coalition of two males (brothers) and three females during the course of 2014.

In order to slow down the breeding rate of the lions, the females underwent partial hysterectomies which is the removal of one horn of the uterus. Lions breed prolifically and this action should halve the number of litters obviating the need for translocations to other parks in the short-term. Since December 2013, three sets of cubs have swelled the ranks.

A boost for tourism arrivals and local communities as well

The rewilding of iSimangaliso through major ecosystems restoration and the introduction of historically occurring species like lions, cheetah, wild dog, elephant, and buffalo is resulting in more sustainable conservation and economic turnaround of the park with meaningful empowerment and benefits to local communities. The introduction of lions has boosted tourism arrivals to the uMkhuze section of iSimangaliso, says iSimangaliso CEO, Andrew Zaloumis.

Recent research undertaken through the World Bank shows that iSimangaliso now generates some 7% of the province's tourism GDP and over 7,000 direct permanent tourism jobs.

All iSimangalisos adult lions are fitted with satellite collars to monitor their movements for biological and safety reasons. They are tracked daily by Park staff supported by Wildlife Act volunteers with the information feeding into Park management.

This historic introduction brings iSimangaliso closer to achieving its conservation vision: the full restoration of ecosystems functioning, and the re-establishment of the migratory patterns of historically occurring animal populations  from the top of the Lebombo Mountains to the sea  as they occurred in the times of Shaka and before fencing fragmented the landscape and constrained animal movements. It is a reversal of the historic decimation of game for apartheid military bases, commercial plantations, and other agriculture, says Zaloumis.

Other wild news

One of the most exciting sightings in the uMkhuze section of iSimangaliso Wetland Park is that of the endangered wild dog (or African Painted Dog). With an estimated 1,400 fully grown adult dogs left globally, the two packs that have been established in iSimangalisos uMkhuze form a vital part of South Africas metapopulation. A new litter of 14 healthy pups has been spotted and photographed in the last few days.

Another special resident of uMkhuze is the cheetah, a reintroduction success story despite initial challenges. Cheetah are categorised as vulnerable by the IUCN with a population of around 1,500 adults in South Africa. Today, fifteen individuals live within this area some of which have tracking collars to assist management. There is a good chance of seeing these on game drives within the park, especially while the vegetation is still so sparse. On Wednesday 19 October, no fewer than four individuals were spotted, while the previous weekend a visitor at the Mantuma Rest Camp captured photographs of a magnificent cheetah within metres of the huts.

The success of the lion, wild dog, and cheetah introductions is very rewarding for staff more so because they have overcome early setbacks that placed them in jeopardy. Snaring, though largely under control in the now fully fenced uMkhuze section of iSimangaliso, remains along with rhino poaching, one of the daily challenges facing our rangers, Zaloumis concluded.

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The Africa Travel Association (ATA) has confirmed that its 41st Annual World Tourism Conference will take place in Kigali next month. The conference that will run from 14- 17 November 2016 will bring together African leaders, international investors and travel professionals to set the tone for how tourism can be utilised as an engine for economic growth and job creation across the continent, through innovative business models, new technologies, and strategic partnerships.

Dereje Belachew via 123RF - Kigali

"The Government of Rwanda is privileged to host the Africa Travel Association's 41st Annual World Tourism Congress," Francis Gatare, the CEO Rwanda Development Board is quoted in a statement as saying.

"Rwanda has excellent infrastructure and an array of iconic tourism attractions that suits ATA's event, and Kigali city has a special fascination to visitors. The Government of Rwanda is committed to working with the Corporate Council on Africa to ensure that the event is successfully hosted."

The conference will also provide a platform to network and explore new tourism markets and products including the promotion and preservation of Africa's rich cultural heritage and wildlife.

"This year's conference will be a learning and networking opportunity, as well as a launching pad for the exciting work we will be doing with our members throughout the year. We have had great success in creating events that generate ongoing benefits and opportunities and we are pleased to be applying our expertise to the tourism industry," Stephen Hayes, president and CEO of the CCA said in the statement.

The 41st Annual World Tourism Conference will be the first time ATA's flagship conference is hosted under CCA leadership.

African Tourism is a $44 billion industry according to Africa Tourism Monitor 2015: Unlocking Africa's Tourism Potential, a joint report by the African Development Bank (AfDB), New York University's Africa House and ATA.

CCA, the leading US business association focused on African business and investment, acquired ATA in January 2016. The Africa Travel Association (ATA), a division of Corporate Council on Africa, is the leading global trade association promoting travel and tourism to Africa and strengthening intra-Africa partnerships.
It's not exactly a store, but the Google "showroom" that opened on Thursday, 20 October, in New York is the internet giant's first real-world shop and a step into terrain where rival Apple has excelled.

The success of the temporary storefront Google opened in the trendy Soho neighborhood could help the California-based company decide whether to follow Apple's lead and operate its own brick-and-mortar retail operation.

The New York pop-up shop will be open through the end of this year, and lets people get their hands on new Google devices such as Pixel smartphones which began shipping Thursday in a direct challenge to Apple's latest iPhones.

"This is not even a testing ground, just an extension of the launch," Google spokeswoman Chrissy Persico said at the showroom opening event.

"We want people to come in and experience the products."

Google early this month took on rivals Apple, Samsung and Amazon in a new push into hardware, launching the in-house designed Pixel smartphone and a slew of other devices showcasing artificial intelligence prowess.

By producing both the phone hardware and its Android software, Google is making a more direct assault on Apple and its tightly controlled ecosystem.

The pop-up shop also displayed Google's freshly unveiled Daydream View virtual reality headset, a modular wifi system, and a Home virtual assistant that will challenge the Amazon Echo device.

Nothing is sold at the Google shop, but the staff directs potential customers to the company's online store or telephone operators who can take orders for products.

A wall in the shop is decorated with an artful arrangement of blue, red, yellow and green blocks, arranged to display the internet company's trademark colors.

Only 30 or so visitors ventured into the pop-up store for its opening morning, a lean showing in comparison to mobs typically drawn to new Apple stores.

Apple has a shop in Soho, too, and many more across the country and around the world.

As differences on the hardware side of premium smartphones have faded, competitors have increasingly stressed "experiences" such as smoothly accessing content or services.

"I am interested in technology, so I just hang out in stores," Columbia University student Ravi Lakshmanan told AFP in the Google shop. "There is going to be a big battle of platforms and it's going to be interesting to watch."

Another visitor, Ike McLaughlin, said he has flip-flopped between the rivals but is on Google's side for now because he felt Apple was "playing it safe, when Google is taking risks and making a push in artificial intelligence."

McLaughlin's verdict echoes the concerns of analysts that Apple has not delivered a market-shaking new product since the death of visionary co-founder Steve Jobs in 2011.

But even if its market capitalisation has fallen below peaks hit in 2015, Apple remains the world's most valuable company based on its share price.

For the financial year ending September 2015, Apple posted a net profit of $53bn, double the figure posted in the last year of the reign of Steve Jobs.

Source: AFP
Airports Company South Africa (Acsa) has thrown its weight behind global calls for the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 to be banned from flights. Jason Tshabalala, group manager for Security at Airports Company, in a statement urged passengers to heed the communication issued by the SA Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA) to the effect that the device should not be carried on board aircraft at all.

"This notice by the SACAA goes beyond the initial stance adopted by global regulators and airlines when the problems with the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 first came to light," he said.

"Following the new rules is essential for passenger safety. We also wish to avoid unnecessary delays at security checkpoints and boarding gates which would also inconvenience other passengers," Tshabalala added.

The rule does not apply to other Samsung devices.

Samsung South Africa is currently installing exchange kiosks at airports in Johannesburg, Cape Town, and Durban after the 'exploding' Note 7 phone has been banned from several airlines. The kiosks are planned to be installed at international airports in the country's three major cities - Johannesburg, Durban and Cape Town - as a "precautionary measure" amid exploding battery reports globally, if found in possession of a Note 7, passengers could face up to a R2.5m fine at some of the world's airports.

The National Consumer Commission (NCC) is set to meet with Samsung again at the end of October to assess the company's progress with recalling of the problematic Note 7 smartphone from the South African market.

Source: Fin24

Read this report on News24Wire.com.
Colony HQ was announced as overall innovation master in the category of business with a turnover of less than R35m at the recent Accenture Innovation Index Awards 2016. Here's more on the importance of using big data to turn campaigns into customers and knowing what your customers need before they do.

Colony HQs Accenture Innovation Index Award was presented in recognition for their online aggregation and database platform that translates big data into little data, allowing clients to communicate with their customers by making use of relevant messaging at the right time.

MD Marcus Stephens tells us more about what that means and the importance of commemorating industry innovation below

1. What does the Accenture Innovation Index Award win mean to Colony HQ?

Stephens: The need to celebrate local innovators in South Africa is critical as we have so many dynamic innovators: Mark Shuttleworth, Elon Musk and Siya Xuza to name but a few. Each of these examples have their own unique road to success and thats massively important to acknowledge, however the overarching theme is that these are our homegrown talents. Colony HQ is no different, locally born and nurtured, we have a unique product ready for global success.

We have the only product that provides broadcasters with a single view of their customers, not only on-air but digitally too, and a unique product that will drive additional commercialisation opportunities for broadcasters using their data sets.

2. Interesting. Tell us more about Colony HQ and its role in the industry.

Stephens: Established in 2006, Colony is a comprehensive message aggregation tool that works across several mobile and digital platforms  giving brands the ability to manage interactions from any campaign on one easy-to-use interface. The platform is tried and trusted, with 35 million unique messages received and over R70m worth of prizes awarded through the system since 2010. Colony also tracks data garnered from various audiences through the interactions each person has with a brand/company, through multiple campaigns across platforms.

Good data means personalised communication, which in turn leads to greater success rates/responses. Colony combines a genius intelligence tool at its hub with a comprehensive collection of responsive interaction tools that affect and monitor your campaigns and audience interactions. Each feeds the other, so that you can plan campaigns better and loop your learnings to organically build the power of your base every time you use it.

3. Seems futuristic! Explain the importance of turning big data into little data.

Stephens: Big data as a term and a concept is all the rage currently and can often be intimidating to general or traditional marketers. Colony recognises that marketers and media companies arent able to define the value of big data without being able to interpret data into improving advertiser or content value, so Colony does just this: We take unstructured data, like interactions responding to an on-air call-out to the audience to interact, and translate these non-digital connections into structured interactions that we can convert into digital data. For example, Vote for your favourite South African music act on *120*34567#. Colony is able to pick and create key phrases and names to build a structured listener response against their mobile or social accounts. This drives additional value to advertisers and the broadcaster, which Colony helps unpack and drive additional revenue.

4. How do you effectively turn campaigns into customers then?

Stephens: The Colony platform seamlessly integrates campaigns across mobile, web and social media, so you can choose mechanics that suit your brand and customers. Colony interprets the big data from your campaign into meaningful pockets of small data, so performance is easy to monitor. We also provide business-relevant insights that you can understand and translate into post-campaign review and next-campaign strategy. This means you know your customer  how to reach them and what to say to them when  which secures their relationship with your brand and creates sustained sales opportunities, ultimately converting spray and pray campaigns into meaningful customer relationships. Thats important as it costs 80% less to retain a customer than it does to acquire a new customer. Watch the video embedded below for more on the Colony campaigns platform:

5. Let us in on some of the biggest digital trends well be focusing on in the latter section of 2016.

Stephens: Being able to communicate to your customer in their preferred media channel with an offer or content proposition that adds genuine value to that customer is absolutely key. As a simple example, if the weather in Johannesburg experiences heavy thunderstorms over a 24-/48-hour period, sending existing Gauteng customers a mobile/social/digital reminder to protect their vehicles from damage not only adds real value to your customer, it also delivers recency and relevance if you know this customer has had a hail damage claim in the last year. So, a number of practical suggestions and advice to reduce their exposure to hail effectively delivers the following:

My insurance company knows my claim history  from CRM

My insurance company cares about my vehicle and me  from regional weather predictions

Cost savings for vehicles moved into safe/hail-free spaces save everyone money and time  from a business risk and exposure perspective, it drives real savings.

The biggest trend is thus being able to use data to deliver customer or business benefits without being asked or prompted to  you know what your customer needs before they do.

That sounds like true business innovation to me. Click here for more on the 2016 Accenture Innovation Index winners, here to find out more about the Accenture Innovation Index conference and here for more from Colony HQ on using little data in your brand strategy.
Malawi's government has failed to protect the rights and livelihoods of people living in nascent mining communities. Families living near coal and uranium mining operations face serious problems with water, food, and housing, and are left in the dark about health and other risks from mining.

A Human Rights Watch released a 96-page report, They Destroyed Everything': Mining and Human Rights in Malawi, examines the impact of extractive industries on communities in Karonga district located on the north-western shores of Lake Malawi.

Photo: Lauren Clifford-Holmes

Malawi's government has promoted private investment in mining and resource extraction to diversify its economy. But environmental risks are common in resource extraction and mining significantly contributes to climate change, which in turn affects governments' ability to realise the rights to health, water, and food.

"Malawi shouldn't repeat the mistakes made in resource extraction in other countries in Southern Africa," said Katharina Rall, researcher at Human Rights Watch. "It is not enough to create a fertile investment climate for mining companies. The government urgently needs to protect the rights of affected communities."

The report is based on research in Malawi from July 2015 to July 2016, including more than 150 interviews, 78 of which were with people living in areas where companies are actively mining or had mining operations in the recent past. Human Rights Watch also interviewed representatives of the companies; the central, regional, and local governments; national and international non-governmental organisations; and international organisations.
SAN FRANCISCO: Facebook said that it will begin allowing more graphic or potentially disturbing newsworthy posts to be shared at the leading online social network.

"We're going to begin allowing more items that people find newsworthy, significant, or important to public interest - even if they might otherwise violate our standards," Facebook vice presidents Joel Kaplan and Justin Osofsky said in a blog post.

They explained that they were working with the social network's community and partners on how exactly to recalibrate standards regarding which posts are deemed too offensive to allow.

"Our intent is to allow more images and stories without posing safety risks or showing graphic images to minors and others who do not want to see them," Kaplan and Osofsky said.

Facebook has become a major platform for sharing news stories, and that has come with criticism for censoring some content despite it having historical or editorial value.

The California-based social network on Friday apologized for taking down a breast cancer awareness video because the images were flagged as offensive, saying the move was "an error".

Swedish cancer charity Cancerfonden had put out word that its video explaining to women how to check for suspicious lumps, featuring animated figures of women with circle-shaped breasts, had been removed from Facebook.

"We find it incomprehensible and strange how one can perceive medical information as offensive," Cancerfonden communications director Lena Biornstad said. "This is information that saves lives."

Facebook faced outrage in September for repeatedly deleting a historic Vietnam War photo included in a post by Norway's Prime Minister Erna Solberg.

It said the iconic photo of a naked Vietnamese girl fleeing a napalm bombing violated its rules, but it later backtracked on the decision.

Facebook has a ban on posts that contain nudity, with some exceptions, such as images of works of art and women breastfeeding, or educational content. The social network also bans posts inciting violence or hate.

The Wall Street Journal on Friday reported that some Facebook employees lobbied at the social network to have some posts by US presidential candidate Donald Trump - such as those calling for a ban on Muslim immigration - branded hate speech and removed.

Chief executive Mark Zuckerberg rejected the request on the grounds it would amount to censoring a political candidate, according to the Journal. Facebook boasts having some 1.7 billion users around the world.

Source: AFP
The World Bank suggests that (formal) small and medium enterprises contribute up to 45% of total employment and a third of national income in emerging economies but in South Africa, only 7% of South Africa's adult population is involved in running their own business. This is low even when compared to other sub-Saharan African countries, where the rate of entrepreneurial activity is nearly four times higher.

With South Africas expanded rate of unemployment fast approaching 40%, creating a supportive environment for entrepreneurial activity could easily fast-track economic growth and tackle the unemployment crisis.

New business constraints

The Global Entrepreneurship Monitor ranks good infrastructure and an established banking system as the two largest enablers of entrepreneurship in the country. However, it cites poor levels of educational attainment, inefficient government bureaucracy, high crime levels and rigid labour laws as key constraints to starting up new businesses.

Aside from confronting these issues, South Africa also needs to address the current low perception of opportunities to start a business. In our view, the availability of technical and industry-specific training is as important in generating higher levels of entrepreneurship, as is access to financing.

Pixabay

Incorporating a higher level of entrepreneurship education at school stage could further encourage entrepreneurial intentions, which rank poorly in South Africa, relative to other emerging markets.

As economic growth struggles to accelerate against a backdrop of incoherent policy-making, support for first-time business owners is central to generating higher rates of entrepreneurial activity. Growth in SA is likely to bottom out this year below 0.5% and is expected to stage a marginal improvement to 1% in 2017, inching higher to 2% in 2018.

Given these muted growth prospects, small business owners should negotiate payment terms, manage inventories in relation to constrained demand levels and maximise worker productivity. The latter is increasing in relevance, given proposals for a national minimum wage - unless exceptional provisions are made for small businesses.

During periods of sluggish economic growth, traditional lending institutions tend to tighten lending standards, with the impact of more stringent credit criteria squeezing lending to small and medium enterprises. Experian (a firm that specialises in data on South Africas credit industry) proposes a credit report for small businesses, including a risk score. This will allow financial institutions to maintain stable funding to worthy startups throughout the business cycle.

Government work cycle decreasing

Studies have shown that increased levels of entrepreneurship tend to lead the business cycle through boosting economic activity and giving rise to new job opportunities. Unlike the period following the 2008 global financial crisis, when government was able to create jobs in the public sector in a counter-cyclical fashion, elevated budget deficit and growing government debt levels are forcing government to rein in South Africas overextended civil servant wage bill. Consequently, the onus is on the private sector to create employment opportunities. Reducing the burden of overregulation currently stifling entrepreneurship and providing incentives for research and development can create a more enabling environment for small businesses to contribute to job creation.

Small businesses in South Africa have the advantage of being geared to the global growth locomotive, allowing for a higher diversification of their earnings base. According to the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor, a quarter of South African entrepreneurs reported that more than a quarter of their revenue comes from international sales, which is more than double the average for the rest of Africa.

An economic downturn can provide many new opportunities to small business owners. By their nature, start-up firms operate on a leaner business model and have the ability to maximise value for customers. At a time when poor economic conditions lead to a dip in investment in research and development, innovation-led solutions by smaller startups can find a place in the market.
The African Union Commission chairperson, Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, will host a joint sitting of the Africa Editors' Forum and Press Officers on Monday in Pretoria, South Africa. The theme of the engagement is 'Deepening Africa's Narrative and Capacities to Deliver Agenda 2063'.

Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma. Source: All Africa

This is the first time South Africa will host the joint sitting of up to 80 editors from across the African continent as well as press officers under the AU banner.

The previous meeting was held in Rwanda alongside the AU Heads of State Summit, this year.

Dlamini Zuma will address the forum for the last time as the chair of the African Union Commission and give African Editors an opportunity to engage with her as she concludes her four year tenure.

The two-day meeting will take place at the Government Communication and Information System head office in Pretoria.

The main objective of discussions is to reflect on African Union milestones over the past four years, create better understanding of Agenda 2063, discuss the role of African media in popularising Agenda 2063 and assessing the role of accurate reporting in shaping an African narrative and advocate media ownership among Africans.
We entertain, inform and empower African communities that inspire and build us in return.
Pay-as-you-go (PAYG) solar is a big deal in Africa, with companies like M-KOPA Solar and PEG Ghana making waves. Over in Uganda, another such company is seeing significant success from the model, even without external investment.

Pay as you go solar power

Launched last year and headquartered in Kampala, Solar Freedom Africa is on a significant growth curve. It is active in 32 districts in all four major regions of Uganda, and has sold almost 35,000 solar units.

The startup assembles and produces affordable and durable solar systems which are paid for on a PAYG basis via mobile money or off-network methods. It offers a variety of products, from basic solar lanterns through to those capable of charging phones and powering other devices.

Executive director Ronald Isabirye told Disrupt Africa the self-funded Solar Freedom Africa was seeking funding to expand its production and assembly line in Uganda, but had seen significant uptake via employing teachers and women groups as commission agents. The popularity is due to the vast shortage of power in Africa, where over 600 million people have no access to electricity.

This problem has mainly been attributed to the fact that most developing economies in Africa are still constrained by finances and corruption to extend the national electricity grid especially to rural areas where poverty thrives, Isabirye said.

Alternative energy sources led by solar energy have also had major challenges which include durability, affordability and limited flexible instalment payment options, meaning that little has been achieved in solving the problem and thus made it to persist.

Solar Freedom Africas model, like that of M-KOPA Solar and others, looks to overcome these challenges. But Isabirye said his company differs in some ways from its competitors.

Our products incorporate both on-network and off-network, for users and non-users of mobile money. Our flexible installment payment options include top-up cards, mobile money, micro loans, saving groups and employer-sponsored plans.

So flexible are the companys payment options it has seen great uptake even without financial backing, with Isabirye saying he plans to take Solar Freedom Africa into the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) next year, and South Sudan and Burundi in 2018.

Over the next two years, he said, the startup aims to hit a break-even point, and maintain sales growth of 23%. Solar Freedom Africa will also strive to continuously introduce new products which help customers to have a better experience.

Within the next two years of full scale operation, we shall be able to control more than 28% of the market share for pico solar systems in Uganda, Isabirye said. He said he was passionate about the problems around power provision because of his own past.

I grew up in a remote rural setting in eastern Uganda which is off the national electricity grid, and I recall memories of studying and doing household duties using a kerosene lamp, Isabirye said.

I personally witnessed a number of fire outbreaks in homes which resulted from burns of kerosene lamps and on some occasions it involved loss of lives.

This has made him determined to encourage a change. And, so far at least, Solar Freedom Africa is playing its part in doing so.
The latest disputes resulted in armed conflict between the two ethnic armed groups in early September this year. At the meeting, leaders from both parties agreed to stop put an end to the armed disputes from happening in the future.

Padoh Saw Thaw Thi Bwe, the joint general secretary of the KNU and leader of the Karen delegation spoke to Karen News.

We didnt dwell on the problem, but tried to find solution. Both sides have to control their organizations to stop the problems from happening. We all agreed to do everything we can to make it work.

At the meeting, 14 members from the KNU led by Padoh Saw Thaw Thi Bwe and 12 members of the NMSP led by Naing Han Tha, the vice chairman of the NMSP attended the discussions to settle their territorial disputes and to put in place a joint committee in both Mon and Karen community areas.

The on-going territorial dispute between the Karen and Mon has at times flared into armed tension between the two groups.

Naing Han Tha, the NMSP delegation leader, said that the problems between the two groups have never been completely solved. Naing Han Tha said given the current political situation in Burma, the Mon and Karen issue would only be completely solved when the countrys political situation is stable.

I think that territorial dispute should be settled by negotiating when it is peaceful [in the country].

Both delegations reached an agreement that there would not be any more armed conflict between the KNU and NMSP. Both groups agreed to the reappointment of a joint administrative committee and a demarcation committee, that was formed in 2006 and 2007 in 24 villages in the Taung Pauk areas.

The last territorial disputes that resulted in armed clash between the two armed groups was on 8th September, near Thaegyaung village in Kalainaung sub-township of Yephyu Township, in Burmas southern Tanintharyi Region.
Companies winning tenders have to sign a contract with specific rules before they begin their projects. The rules cover the companys responsibilities over the re-construction, and repairing, but not compensation if their projects or services do not meet standards. If they break the rules, they will face certain charges.

We will charge the companies that received the tenders if their services do not meet the quality standard. They have signed contracts with precise rules before they started their projects. If they break their contractual obligation, they will have to face charges in accordance with the law, said U Wanna Kyaw.

The companies will see their projects removed and face blacklisting if they transfer and change the contracts.

Simply inspecting and monitoring is not good enough. A company that receives a tender may also build structures carelessly. Therefore, this is very important for the offering of the tenders to the company and the implementation of projects by the company, said U Tun Min Aung, representative of Paung Township Pyithu Hluttaw Constituency (1).

The State Governments Tender Selection Committee will inspect whether the companies winning the tenders have services that meet standards and are finishing their projects as scheduled.

The companies wont proceed if they do not see a profit. We hear it often. Its not long after they built a school building, that the building is damaged. Recently, a company expanded a road at Kannar Lan [Strand Road], but days later, the road flooded. Clearly, it has not been kept to standard. Who will take responsibility for that? And, what will the government do? It is not enough to just say it will charge them, action is more important, said a resident, of Mawlamyine, the capital of Mon State.

At the moment, Mon State Government is calling for tenders for the construction, education and electricity sectors.
The political dialogue framework review and political talks, following the first anniversary occasion in Naypyitaw on 15 October, at the National Reconciliation and Peace Center (NRPC) in Yangon, was said to be able to agree the four from eight points United Nationalities Federal Councils (UNFC) proposal to be included in the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA).

The meeting from 18 to 20 October agreed four points were:

Establishment of a federal union;

Composition in political dialogue (Please note: it is not mentioned as tripartite dialogue);

Constitutional amendment according to the results of the political dialogue; and

To engage in heavy impact projects only in accordance with Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI).

The other four points that still need to be ironed out are:

To have Military Code of Conduct (CoC) and Joint Ceasefire Monitoring Committees (JMC) Terms of Reference (TOR), which were already drafted and agreed in November 2015 and copies given to Delegation for Political Dialogue (DPN)  negotiation organ of UNFC -for consideration after the meeting;

Involvement of foreign agencies and experts  in JMC & NCA enforcement organs -is agreed in principle, but need to discuss to what extent they should be involved; and

Discussion of ceasefire declaration after the other points tabled by the DPN have been agreed upon.

According to the Union Peace Dialogue Joint Committee (UPDJC), which is the highest organ that would oversee the NCA implementation or peace process, its Chairperson Suu Kyi would officially endorse the draft, on 28 October, that has been reviewed and agreed upon by the UPDJC members, which the UNFCs DPN would not be included, as it is a non-signatory of the NCA. To be a member in the UPDJC, one has to be a NCA signatory, according to the NCA guideline.

UPDJC is made up of 16 members each from three blocs: government, parliament and military; Ethnic Armed Organizations (EAOs); and political parties, involving 48 members altogether.

The only problem is whether the DPNs remaining four point proposal will be included, as it is only allowed to be involved in review and suggestion section and not endorsing the draft with voting rights. Thus, it could not be sure if its remaining points of suggestion would be included in the Suu Kyis approved FPD, coupled with TOR.

If the UPDJC includes what the DPN wanted, the signing of NCA for the UNFC would be easier, but if not all will be back to the square one, that only enables to conduct a partial-ceasefire agreement and the 21st Century Panglong Conference (21CPC) that is far from being all-inclusive.

Pressures on UNFC

As it is now, the UNFC is being pushed from all sides national and international to sign the NCA, without bothering to ask why it has resisted to do so.

Apart from opinion-makers of all strips, the most outstanding soliciting and advocacy comes from the European Union, United States and lately from the International Crisis Group, funded by various governments, based in Brussels.

European Union (EU)

According to Shan Human Rights Foundation (SHRF), on 16 May 2016, the delegation which included the EU ambassador to Burma Roland Kobia and other EU diplomats including Polands ambassador Miroslaw Zapata, met with a number of people during the visit including both political and military representatives as well as community leaders and civil society groups. They also met with refugees displaced by the conflict.

Fighting was ongoing just a few kilometers away from our meetings. We hope that the conflict parties in Shan State will soon lay down their arms and return to the negotiating table, Kobia said in the statement.

We came here to learn more about the reasons and root causes of the conflict. The ones who suffer most are always the civilians. In all our encounters with local leaders here we sent out a message that it is time for reconciliation, peace and ensuing socio-economic development, Kobia added.

His call for disarmament was met with EAOs rejection and blame for not understanding the nature of ethnic resistance against political injustice.

United States

According to Eleven Media Group, during his Kachin State visit from 26 to 28 September 2016, the US ambassador Scot Marciel has told a Myitkyina-based technical advisory team for the Kachin Independence Organization (KIO) to participate in the ceasefire with Naypyitaw, according to Daung Kha of the team.

However, on 3 October 2016, he said that the United States will not put pressure or any ethnic armed organization that is yet sign to the NCA, according to one ethnic armed report that came out following that meeting with US ambassador Scott Marciel in Rangoon.

The US embassy wants to inform stakeholders its action and intention to support the ongoing peace process, he was quoted as saying. It will support the building of a federal union and most assistance will be done under USAID program. Furthermore, it will not put any pressure on any group that has not signed the NCA.

The statement appears to be in response to media reports late last month that he, during a visit to Kachin State capital Myitkyina, had urged the Kachin Independence Organization/Army (KIO/KIA) to sign the NCA with Naypyitaw, says the report.

International Crisis Group (ICG)

The ICG reports have always been biased where Burma is concerned and especially, in its position of supporting the governments political agenda of the day, albeit at times thinly veiled and at another quite openly.

Its latest report Myanmars Peace Process: Getting to a Political Dialogue, in its concluding remark said: It will take difficult negotiations to convince most groups to sign the NCA, a sine qua non the government and military have each expressed.

Adding: Armed groups need to recognize that, though they have legitimate concerns about the process, they may never get a better chance to negotiate a settlement.

The advocacy concluded saying:  Now is the time to start discussing the contours of that deal, rather than continuing to focus on preliminaries.

In short, the thrust of the message is that even though the NCA maybe flawed this is the last chance that the EAOs would probably get, which in effect means a sort of do or die situation for them. In other words, the EAOs should go along, for something is better than nothing.

Let us see if this assumption is a valid assessment and if going along with the peace treaty, which the non-signatory EAOs consider to be unfair, starting with the composition of participation  meaning: rejection or unclear stance to accept tripartite dialogue  to military pressure and refusal to handle the peace process in a holistic manner, could be beneficial for them and the people of Burma. To put it differently, whether this hush-hush pushing to sign the problematic NCA would indeed ushered the country into a new era of harmony and reconciliation.

But let us now also look at the pressure stemming from the government, military and NCA signatory EAOs.

Pressure from government, military and the signatory EAOs

State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyis main message during the 21CPC, on 31 August 2016, was her regimes adherence of the NCA, formally endorsed by the parliament during the previous government tenure and her willingness that the non-signatory EAOs to sign the agreement.

She said: National reconciliation also includes reconciliation between EAOs. If there is difference of opinion between signatory and non-signatory groups, our peace journey would be delayed. In order not to have misunderstanding and difference of opinion, we are trying to have all groups under the shadow NCAs umbrella, which emphasizes the common agreement.

In the same vein, Commander-in-Chief Min Aung Hlaing has repeatedly aired his opinion that there is no other way for the non-signatory EAOs to participate in national political dialogue, other than first signing the NCA.

During the recent NCA signing first anniversary, on 15 October, Min Aung Hlaing in his speech said: The NCA was drafted through a series of discussions between the Union Peace-making Work Committee and representatives from ethnic armed groups. The NCA was drafted only after all participants reached a detailed agreement on each chapter, section, paragraph and wording. Under various circumstances, some organizations included in the NCA drafting process were not ready to sign the NCA. Primarily some groups signed the NCA.

He stressed : So, we are trying for the participation of all the non-signatories. The door is still opened and they are always welcomed. As the foundation of the peace process was laid on the facts negotiated and agreed by them, their aspiration can be reflected through their participation in the process. The agreements contained in the NCA are broader than the term ceasefire. It can obviously be seen that the chapter 1 and chapter 5 of the NCA describe Our Three Main National Causes, which are the countrys national needs and interests, twice.

He made his point, when he outlined: For our country to obtain peace and stability, ethnic armed conflicts must be ended. It needs to carry out the processes to bring ethnic armed conflicts to an end in line with the international procedures. The NCA (Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement) is the initial step of processes.

He buttressed it with the urging that the ethnic armed groups should sign the NCA.

The NCA signatory EAOs also heap the pressure on the UNFC when the Chin National Front (CNF) and Pa-O National Liberation Organization (PNLO) representatives also told the media that without signing the NCA, the UNFC wont be able to become members of the UPDJC and would not be able to vote for the possible amendments of NCA.

The PNLO patron, Hkun Okker echoed Suu Kyis line of reasoning that time is running out and no time to wait, but failed to come to the aid of sound reasoning that the DPN has tabled to be resolved before asking Suu Kyi to officially endorse it.

Perspective

The cardinal question to be asked here is why are well-meaning national and international influential actors so obsessed with the UNFC signing the NCA and havent bother to pose the question of why it is still reluctant to sign.

The simple answer would be the failure to commit to the bilateral ceasefire, all-inclusive participation and equitable composition of participation, without condition, at all levels by the government and the military in the peace process.

The militarys offensive pressures in the field against the EAOs and peace process donors any amount of coaxing, to sign the NCA without question, wont be able to distract the expression of Nothing is agreed until everything is agreed, which in different international documents, is taken as principle, mantra, Golden Rule, legal principle and even standard principle.

Like Min Aung Hlaing rightly pointed out that the NCA has not only to do with ceasefire, but includes political settlement that would alter or rewrite the constitution. And as such, one would be insane to go along with the thinking of amending the treaty later as the negotiation process progress and not to be too particular in signing the treaty now even though the treaty is not perfect, as the ICG has suggested.

True, adjustment to the implementation of the treaty could arise, but the basic principles and agreement could not be altered in anyway. And explicitly means bilateral ceasefire, all-inclusive participation and equitable composition of participation are the three core basic necessities, without which, the whole process would breakdown even before starting.

The UPDJC did entertain the discussion to incorporate the UNFCs eight point proposal, but didnt pull through to the end and instead would only abide by the deadline of 28 October, prescribed by Suu Kyi with what have been agreed upon so far and not all the proposals being tabled. In other words, the remaining four points that are pending would remain untouched.

In sum, the final endorsement of FPD, including the National  State/Regional level  Political Dialogue (NPD) and the corresponding TOR would not be comprehensive enough as the UNFC has asked for.

Because of such circumstances, those who are pressuring the UNFC to sign the NCA should first ask the government and military to fulfill the three core demands, before indulging in soliciting the UNFC to sign the treaty without reservation, which if it is done would amount to surrendered peace, and not the compromised political settlement.
High-Stressed Jobs Can Lead To Early Grave Wellness oi-Staff

If you are in a high-stress job with little or no control over the work flow, chances are you are heading towards innumerable health conditions -- even an early death -- than those who have flexibility and discretion in their jobs.

A team of researchers from Indiana University's Kelley School of Business found that individuals in low-control jobs, high job demands are associated with a 15.4 per cent increase in the likelihood of death.

Using a longitudinal sample of 2,363 people in their 60s over a seven-year period, they revealed that for those in high-control jobs, high job demands are associated with a 34 per cent decrease in the likelihood of death compared to low job demands.

"We explored job demands, or the amount of work, time pressure and concentration demands of a job, and job control, or the amount of discretion one has over making decisions at work, as joint predictors of death," explained Erik Gonzalez-Mule, assistant professor of organisational behaviour and human resources.

The team also found that people with a higher degree of control over their work tend to find stress to be useful.

"Stressful jobs cause you to find ways to problem-solve and work through ways to get the work done. Having higher control gives you the resources you need to do that," Gonzalez-Mule noted.

A stressful job then, instead of being something debilitating, can be something that is energising.

"You're able to set your own goals, you're able to prioritise work. You can go about deciding how you're going to get it done. That stress then becomes something you enjoy," the authors said.

The findings suggest that stressful jobs have clear negative consequences for employee health when paired with low freedom in decision-making, while stressful jobs can actually be beneficial to employee health if also paired with freedom in decision-making.

Gonzalez-Mule said the results do not suggest that employers necessarily need to cut back on what is expected from employees.

Rather, they demonstrate the value in restructuring some jobs to provide employees with more say about how the work gets done.

"You can avoid the negative health consequences if you allow them to set their own goals, set their own schedules, prioritise their decision-making and the like," he said.

The firms should allow "employees to have a voice in the goal-setting process, so when you're telling someone what they're going to do ... it's more of a two-way conversation."

The researchers also found that the same set of causal relationships applied to their body mass index (BMI).

People in high-demand jobs with low control were heavier than those in high-demand jobs with high control.

"When you don't have the necessary resources to deal with a demanding job, you do this other stuff," Gonzalez-Mule said. "You might eat more, you might smoke, you might engage in some of these things to cope with it."

The paper, forthcoming in the journal Personnel Psychology, revealed that 26 per cent of deaths occurred in people in frontline service jobs, and 32 per cent of deaths occurred in people with manufacturing jobs who also reported high job demands and low control.

"What we found is that those people that are in entry-level service jobs and construction jobs have pretty high death rates, more so than people in professional jobs and office positions," the authors noted.

The new study highlights the benefits of job crafting, a relatively new process that enables employees to mold and redesign their job to make it more meaningful.

Data in the study was obtained from the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study, which followed more than 10,000 people who graduated from Wisconsin high schools in 1957.

Inputs From IANS

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Story first published: Tuesday, October 25, 2016, 3:01 [IST]
Posted by DD Republished from ABC News

By Tom Hays, Associated Press



In this August 2013 surveillance photo provided by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Francisco Salgado and his sister Alejandra walk on New Yorks Third Avenue in midtown Manhattan where authorities say they made multiple cash deposits at banks within a few blocks of each other as part of a Mexican cartel money-laundering scheme. Authorities say the pair entered seven different banks making cash deposits of just under $10,000, all from piles of drug money they were carrying in designer purses and shopping bags. (DEA via AP) Less

In the photos, Alejandra Salgado and her little brother Francisco look like ordinary tourists strolling the streets of midtown Manhattan. He carries a shopping bag. She wears a white dress, a necklace and a leather tote slung over one shoulder.





But the outings were hardly innocent.





Over two hours, federal agents snapped pictures as the pair visited seven banks, stopping at each one to make cash deposits of just under $10,000  all from piles of drug money stashed in their bags.





Prosecutors say the flurry of modest deposits was one of the many schemes hatched by Mexican crime cartels trying to bring billions of dollars in drug proceeds back from the United States without attracting scrutiny from banking regulators.

Drug gangs in Mexico have managed to get resources amounting to billions of dollars. In the image, the cartel recent seizure Ismael El Mayo Zambada Photo Notimex / File

The cartels collect much of their cash proceeds from the U.S. market much the way the cocaine and other drugs come in, by sneaking it across the border.





But using regular banks remains in the mix, said James Hunt, head of the Drug Enforcement Administration's New York City office. The trick is keeping deposits small, because banks are required to report cash deposits of $10,000 or more to the government. The benefit, he said, is that if investigators do catch onto such a scheme, less cash gets confiscated. The bagmen also often face less jail time.





"It's a little more time-intensive but it's not as heavy a hit if you get caught," Hunt said.

Before they went to prison late last month, the Salgados were paid to launder up to $1 million a month collected from drug wholesalers doing business with the notorious Sinaloa cartel, prosecutors said.





Investigators say Alejandra Salgado, 59, who has a Mexico City address and was in the U.S. on an expired visa, was supervised by a high-ranking member of the cartel.





Agents began watching her in New York after her name came up in an investigation of money-laundering cells in southern California, Michigan and Arizona being conducted by investigators from the DEA Drug Enforcement Task Force, Department of Homeland Security , the IRS and local agencies.





Details from the case files of federal agents and narcotics prosecutors provided to the AP offer a look inside how the Salgados operated.





At one point she had been a courier who would drive drug money over the border.





But later, she was assigned by cartel leaders to deposit funds into multiple bank accounts held under fake names, then write checks to a produce company in San Diego controlled by the cartel.





An undercover investigator wearing a wire recorded her calling the assignment a "hassle," but safer than her previous gig.





After her handler told her there was "a lot of work" for her in New York, she and her brother, a legal resident with an Alaska address, set up shop at a Manhattan hotel in the summer of 2013.





She preferred to collect payments from local drug dealers in midtown, rather than in their home territories in the Bronx or Washington Heights, for security reasons.





"Like a friend of mine said: 'This is a business for tough people,'" she said in a conversation with the undercover agent. "And it's all based in trust."





While under investigation, the siblings made at least two dozen deposits in amounts ranging from about $8,100 to $9,600 at banks located from the Upper West Side to Canal Street.





Following the money trail was worthwhile to "gain insight into the practices" of the cartels, said Special Narcotics Prosecutor Bridget G. Brennan, whose office prosecuted the case.

At Francisco Salgado's sentencing, his lawyer, Jeffrey Taub, portrayed him as a small fish in "an unfortunate situation."





The penalties for the launderers can be lighter than in bigger federal conspiracy cases. The brother and sister took plea deals resulting in sentences of 16 months to 4 years.





Alejandra Salgado's attorney, Robert W. Georges, said it's certain his client will be deported once she serves her time  a fate she's accepted.





"She's remorseful and looking forward to getting on with her life in Mexico," Georges said.

Prison and deportation probably wasn't what Salgado had in mind when she told an undercover agent, in a recorded call, that being a money courier was a nice way to make a living in a treacherous drug world.






A file photo of INS Viraat.

KOCHI (PTI): INS Viraat, the world's oldest aircraft carrier, was accorded a grand send-off from the port city of Kochi on Sunday, after over five decades of its service to Indian Navy.



The ship, which underwent a decommissioning refit, is being towed back by three tugs to Mumbai for the decommissioning ceremony, a Navy official said.



The final journey of the carrier began with Navy officials led by the Chief of Staff, Southern Naval Command, Rear Admiral Nadkarni bidding farewell to the carrier at Ernakulam Wharf of Cochin Port Trust.



Viraat is expected to be decommissioned by end of this year, after 55 years of service, including 27 years with the Royal Navy (British Navy).



The Navy has agreed to hand over INS Viraat to Andhra Pradesh government after its decommissioning.



The AP government had shown a keen interest in getting INS Viraat, the oldest aircraft carrier operated by Indian Navy, to berth in Vizag for promotion of tourism after its decommissioning.






PANAJI (PTI): Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar has inaugurated a helicopter maintenance facility in north Goa, which is a joint venture between defence subsidiary Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and a French firm.



The facility named Helicopter Engine MRO Pvt Ltd, located in Honda village of Sattari tehsil, is a joint venture between HAL and SAFRAN Helicopter Engines, France.



Goa Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar and officials from both the companies were present on the occasion on Sunday.



"The facility will have total investment of Rs 170 crore to be invested by both the parties in phased manner. It is about maintenance, repair and overhaul of engines which are fitted on HAL designed and manufactured helicopters," HAL's Chairman T Suvarna Raju told PTI.



The engines of advance light helicopters of various versions, light combat helicopters and future light utility helicopters which are common between HAL and SAFRAN will be maintained at this facility, he said.



Raju said the first investment of Rs 44 crore has been rolled out to set up this facility.



Subsequently the investment in the plant would be increased and rolled out in phases mostly over three years.



He said both the firms have invested equally as a part of joint venture.



Raju said there will be no dearth of business for the new facility in Goa as HAL has already delivered 200 helicopters while there is a business line of 300 helicopters and they have a business plan of manufacturing 1,000 helicopters over next ten years.






PANAJI (PTI): Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar has "advised" French firm SAFRAN to set up a facility in his home state of Goa to manufacture small parts for the fighter aircraft Rafale, for which India recently signed a deal with France.



"I would also advice you to take advantage of the offset in Rafale deal. From my side I will put a word. You (SAFRAN) are supplying engines for Rafale. The offset of Rafale deal is around Rs 30,000 crore. If you are interested in setting up a manufacturing facility of some small parts then you can do it in Goa," Parrikar said during the inauguration of a joint venture between HAL and French firm SAFRAN in North Goa.



He said Rs 1,000-1,500 crore of the total offset deal can be invested in Goa.



"If that happens, Goa will provide technical support which is required for such activity," he said.



The Defence Minister also appealed state Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar for setting up courses for skill development in aeronautical engineering.



Parrikar said Goa requires engineering industry.



"Goans are in high tech jobs across India. Also a lot of talent is available locally," he added.



The Defence Minister also suggested that HAL should tie up with SAFRAN and get into manufacturing of engines.



"We are going to require 6,000-10,000 engines in next ten years and most of them are SAFRAN engines," he said.



Parrikar said the Goa government is ready to provide land and other facilities required to set up an engine manufacturing plant.






NEW DELHI (PTI): With deals over US$ 12 billion in its kitty this month, including leasing of a second nuclear submarine, Russia hopes to bag more projects as it termed itself as not just a business partner but an "ally" who stood by India in its "darkest hours".



Russia is eying the multi-billion dollar deal for the P75-I project of India under which six conventional submarines are to be built with Air Independent Propulsion (AIP) systems and the next aircraft carrier project besides the deal to jointly develop a fifth generation fighter aircraft.



Asserting that there is no limit to what India and Russia can do together, a top Russian defence official claimed the US and Europeans can never give what Moscow can and has offered.



"We are ready not just to deliver most serious weapons, most important weapons but continue to give our state-of-art technology," Sergei Chemezov, CEO of Rostec State Corporation, an umbrella organisation of 700 hi-tech civilian and military firms, told PTI.



"Russia is a friend, an ally and not a business partner.



Russia stood by India during its darkest hours. Next year will mark 70 years of our relationship. It is a long time," he said and noted that Russia had stood by India when it faced sanctions after the 1998 nuclear tests.



"Not so in the recent past, when India was under sanctions, we were pretty much the only partner for India.



"Russia has been a partner not only in every day military supplies but also most sensitive and most important supplies including a nuclear submarine which was rented to India for you to use," said Chemezov who is also a close aide of Russian President Vladmir Putin.



"Come to think about it, I would not imagine any other country to do that, he said. Not in the past or in the future.



I cannot imagine US or Europe giving India such a strategic asset," he said when asked about the tough competition that the US and Europe are giving to Russia in the Indian defence market.



Not only did Russia lease out a nuclear powered submarine, it actively helped in the building of India's first indigenous nuclear weapon carrying capable submarine, INS Arihant, which has been inducted into the Indian Navy.



Chemezov said "it is a very special year for us and will be marked by major projects and things are starting already."



He, however, admitted that from a third person's point of view, there might have been some decline in some areas of defence between the two countries. US and some European countries have managed to strike mega deals with India which the Russians were also competing for.



"It is not a linear sort of relationship.



We feel that ties are definitely developing and increasing," he said.



Giving example of the deadly BRAHMOS missile, Chemezov said that not only has Russia delivered high value equipment but has also collaborated with India on developing strategic assets.



He pointed out that in late 1990s, Russia had transferred technology for Su-30 MKI, India's frontline fighter aircraft.



"At that point of time, it was our most modern equipment, our most modern plane. When we had actually signed that agreement, Russia did not even equip its army with this.



"This was basically our newest highest technology. That shows and speaks about our relationship with India," he said.



He also gave the example of T-90 tanks, saying they are "not in any way less but in many way, modern than any advanced US or European technologies".



He said there is scope for cooperation in the P75-I and the aircraft carrier project.



"There is definitely scope for both of those. There is pretty much no limit to what we could do together. Anything that is within our realm of things and possibilities, means it is the same with India," he said.



Chemezov said that Russia has already submitted its proposals for both projects.




A file photo

BEIJING (PTI): Chinese President Xi Jinping has called for building strong armed forces - under the command of the Communist Party leadership - that commensurate with the country's international status and national security.



Speaking at a function to commemorate 80th anniversary of victory of Long March led by Chairman Mao Zedong to capture power, Xi, who is regarded as the most powerful leader after Mao, said the party's absolute leadership over armed forces is the fundamental guarantee for the army's victory.



"To build a strong country requires efforts to build a strong army, and only with a strong army can the country's security be guaranteed," said Xi, the general secretary of Communist Party of China and chairman of Central Military Commission - the high command of the Chinese military.



His comments came amid reports of murmurs of dissent over his military reforms which included retrenchment of three lakh troops to downsize 2.3-million strong People's Liberation Army (PLA) - the world's largest military.



Xi has already reconstituted military's administrative and command structure after carrying out an anti-corruption drive in which several retired and servicing top officials were indicted.



He called for efforts to foster a new generation of Chinese servicemen who are "soldiers with soul, high caliber, gut and virtue," and to build rock-solid troops with "iron-like belief, conviction, discipline and commitment."



"The Long March is the glory of the people's army, and the honourable people's army must always carry forward the great spirit and fine tradition of the Red Army in the Long March," Xi said.



He called on the armed forces to adhere to the party's absolute leadership, maintain their nature and uphold their principles as the people's army, and be the heir to the Red Army.



Moreover, he urged the military to uphold political integrity, promote reform and rule of law, and strengthen combat readiness, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.



The entire military should remain vigilant and be aware of its responsibilities, Xi said, noting that the modernisation of national defence and armed forces must advance in a bid to safeguard the country's national sovereignty, security and development interest.


Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 24/10/2016 (2198 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Sifting through rows of boxes and crates full of records, Jordan Morris was focused on finding specific albums his collection is lacking.

Today Im looking for some Thin Lizzy, Hall and Oates, The Talking Heads  but as soon as you start going through you find a ton of other stuff you didnt know you wanted, Morris said at Brandons Biggest Record and Music Sale on Sunday.

Morris comes to the sale every time it is held, despite having a record collection of more than 2,000 albums and counting, he said.

Erin DeBooy/The Brandon Sun Jordan Morris shows his dad, James Morris, his latest find at Brandons Biggest Record and Music Sale at the Royal Canadian Legion Branch No. 3 on Sunday.

Im a big record collector. Ive been one my whole life, Morris said. My dad got me into it when I was young  Ive always had a record player and a grew up listening to records  Its always been a part of my life.

Morris described listening to vinyl as an experience.

Its got its own original sound, its own quality  its even got its own feel, Morris said.

James Morris, Jordans father, remembers loving music and collecting albums as young as eight years old, starting with The Beatles.

I remember watching The Beatles in 1964  the whole British Invasion  on The Ed Sullivan Show  I have every one of (The Beatles) albums, thats what got me going, James said.

Having his son share in his love of vinyl makes the collection that much more special, James said.

Thats when we bond the most is when were playing records, Morris said.

Longtime vinyl lovers have noticed an increase of elbows bumping into them while looking through records, as more and more people start jumping on the vinyl revival bandwagon.

Erin DeBooy/The Brandon Sun Jibo Song holds his 2-year-old son, Gavin, while looking for old records from China at Brandons Biggest Record and Music Sale at the Royal Canadian Legion Branch No. 3 on Sunday.

In 2015, vinyl record sales rose 32 per cent over the previous year to $416 million, their highest level since 1988, according to the Recording Industry Association of America.

There seems to be a lot more people coming to the sales from when I started it in 2000, said organizer Don Burnett. We outgrew the Park Community Centre  this is the first year weve had it at (the Royal Canadian Legion Branch No. 3).

The first year Burnett put on the sale, they had 14 tables and about 100 people showed up, he said.

This year, he had around 41 tables and lost count of how many people attended.

Vendors are also branching out with what they sell, Burnett said, adding he has noticed a increased interest in cassettes.

I heard cassettes were coming back, Burnett said.

Some punk rock bands and other obscure bands are recording on cassettes  Theyre cheaper to make and for like, five bucks you get the whole album right there.

Erin DeBooy/The Brandon Sun A crowd of music lovers sifts through hundreds of boxes of vinyl at Brandons Biggest Record and Music Sale at the Royal Canadian Legion Branch No. 3 on Sunday.

Regardless of what the trend is, Burnett said he likes to see music lovers share their experience.

Its about getting the music community together, Burnett said. (The event) gets people out that like different types of music  You get the jazz people and the classical people mixing with the rock people  If theres a band playing somewhere, like a country band for example, the rock people arent going to go there and vice versa. This is where they all kind of intermingle.

 edebooy@brandonsun.com

 Twitter: @erindebooy
Opinion

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 24/10/2016 (2198 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Progressive conservatism is actually fading

Regarding the article in Oct. 21 paper Social Conservatism Is Fading From Existence  this is not really correct. It is progressive conservatism that is fading. That is because the progressive conservatives cannot think conservatively and simply adopt a liberal social stance. Social conservatives would have allowed for civil unions to solve many of the problems that the gay community faced. With regard to abortion, social conservatives believe that there must be some strong rules to protect the unborn human being. Instead of legalized pot, it should be decriminalized for small amounts. Euthanasia should be available for only the most serious cases and a national program of palliative care and hospice put in place. This would be proper conservative social thinking. The progressive conservative brand is in trouble throughout Canada because they look exactly like the Liberals.

Big congrats to the Sun team

Regarding the Brandon Sun project Knights of D-Day earning EPPY Award nominations from the Oct. 21 paper. Congratulations to all. Eva Wasney and her camera specialists made a wonderful presentation.

Heres hoping they learn something

I hope teachers learn how to teach students to read, write and do basic math. Whats going on in classrooms is atrocious. Has academic rigour been removed from todays public schools?

Doesnt sound like democracy to me

Regarding Justin Trudeaus carbon tax and how he is jamming it down everybodys throats in Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta, who are already hurting because of the oil industry. Shouldnt there be a referendum where Canadians can vote and show what they think should be done? What gives him the right to be a dictator and shove it down everybodys throats? He is the prime minister  he is not the absolute leader. I thought this was a democratic country.
A new awareness campaign is being rolled out to encourage people and businesses to protect their mobile devices.

An Garda Siochana is supporting Europol in the Pan-European Mobile Awareness Campaign - as part of European Cyber Security Month.

At least 70% of Irish people use smartphones - the equivalent of around 2.3 million devices, while a further 1.7 million people here have access a tablet device.

The Garda Cyber Crime Bureau is alerting people to the fact that passwords for online bank accounts may be at risk, if a mobile device is subjected to a malware attack.

The CEO of Magnet Networks Mark Kellett said that businesses need to be aware of the potential risks.

"Businesses who have been hacked in Ireland typically, and this is according to the ISME research, last no more than six months after they've been breached," he said.

"Now, 44% of Irish businesses that we've surveyed, that's over 600 businesses surveyed, have been attacked in the last year.

"They have to look at their own security in terms of in terms of passwords and strength."
Cloud and Distributed Computing is the skill most in demand by Irish employers.

New data from online networking site LinkedIn reveals that it's topped the Irish list for the second year in a row and it's also the most in demand skill globally.
Irish women are being warned to avoid a con-artist that is using the alias Wesley O'Brien.

Lauren Caffrey-Byrne shared her friend's ordeal with the man on Facebook to prevent more women falling victim to his scam.

Byrne's friend met O'Brien on Plenty of Fish.

"He used the alias Wesley O'Brien, claiming to be the nephew of Irish billionaire Denis O'Brien and after some chatting, they eventually agreed to meet up for a date where he wooed my friend and subsequently asked her to be his girlfriend."

However, during this initial period, O'Brien fed Byrne's friend "various tall stories". Including that he was best friends with Conor McGregor and he even sent her screenshots of fake conversations between him and McGregor.

He sent her copious amounts of Snapchats of flashy houses, offices and even spoke with her parents comfortably.

"She had absolutely no reason to doubt who Wesley was purporting to be, the plans that were being made or the stories that he told her as he had done his background research and could answer any question she ever had flawlessly."

Things took a turn for the worse when O'Brien pretended to book a holiday for himself and his new girlfriend. He even video recorded himself in a travel agency booking flights to New York for an upcoming MMA match where they would have ringside seats to see Conor McGregor fight.

Wesley then led his new girlfriend to believe that he had spare ringside tickets.

"My friend's mate told her that he would buy them off Wesley and jumped at the opportunity to get five ringside seats for 1500."

After the money was handed over, Wesley promised to return within a few hours with the tickets. However, he instead asked his new girlfriend to take a quick detour so he could get some work done along the way and when she dropped him off he never returned.

"Well- Wesley never did come back! Wesley gone, money gone, social network accounts deleted and mobile numbers for him, "his sister" and "his mum" all disconnected!"

The guy is certainly becoming as notorious as his "best friend". Watch out ladies.
Brazil's Miss Bumbum competition has sparked controversy after contestants posed for a NSFW version of the Last Supper painting.

The iconic religious painting traditionally showed Jesus and his disciples at The Last Supper.

The famous competition is one of Brazil's most hotly-disputed beauty contests with winners becoming overnight celebrities.

One of the women involved expressed that she regretted posing for the picture and said she had "asked forgiveness from God for a great sin."

The woman who posed as Jesus said: "I did the photo because of my contract. But I didn't like it and I wasn't happy about it. You can't play around with the word of God."

"I've already asked forgiveness from God, and I ask forgiveness from everyone else. We went too far. We were part of a great sin."

Religious leaders have branded the remake of the Da Vinci masterpiece as "deeply disrespectful".

Brazil is known to have the largest number of Catholics in the world. Catholicism has been Brazil's main religion since the beginning of the 16th century.
The Court of Appeal has halved the two-year sentence handed down to a Cork GP who groped a teenage girl 25 years ago.

Dr Kevin Mulcahy of Creggan, Lombardstown, Mallow, Co Cork, indecently assaulted her during a house call to her terminally ill mother.

This time last year, he was convicted of indecently assaulting the then-15-year-girl following a two-day trial.

The court heard he touched her inappropriately after her mother asked him to examine her for a chest infection during a house call in December 1989.

The prosecution came on the back of a complaint made by his victim six years ago. He was then sentenced to two years in prison.

His defence team successfully argued that the sentencing judge failed to give him a sufficient discount for various mitigating factors.

The Court of Appeal agreed that he should have given more weight to the fact that his career is now in ruins and he has no income as a consequence of what he did.

His previous good character and the fact that he is a first-time offender should also have been factored in to a greater degree, the court decided.

As a result, his original sentence was set aside and a fresh sentence of 12 months was handed down instead.
SIPTU nursing and support staff members in Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda, Co Louth, are to ballot on industrial action, it was confirmed today.

The decision to ballot relates to a number of ongoing disputes with HSE management at the facility.
A British banker accused of killing two Indonesian women in his Hong Kong apartment had tortured one of the victims for three days while using cocaine, a court has heard.

Cambridge University graduate Rurik Jutting, who worked at the Hong Kong office of Bank of America-Merrill Lynch, denies murdering Sumarti Ningsih, 23, and Seneng Mujiasih, 26, who were found dead in his apartment near the Asian financial centre's Wan Chai red light district.

Jutting pleaded not guilty to two murder charges, with prosecutors rejecting his attempt to plead guilty to the lesser charge of manslaughter. If convicted, he faces life in prison.

At the start of the trial, Hong Kong high court judge Michael Stuart-Moore warned jurors that evidence would include "extremely upsetting" photo and video evidence.

Ms Sumarti went to Jutting's apartment when the banker offered her "a large sum of money", prosecutor John Reading said in his opening remarks.

Ms Sumarti, who was in Hong Kong on a tourist visa, had a five-year-old son living with her parents in Indonesia, he said.

Jutting is alleged to have subjected her to "increasingly cruel acts of violence".

The prosecutor added: "After torturing her for three days, he took her into the bathroom, had her kneel in front of the toilet bowl with her hands tied behind her back, made her lick the toilet bowl and then he cut her throat with a serrated-edged knife."

Jutting is alleged to have used his phone to film himself talking about the killing, how he enjoyed dominating Ms Sumarti and how he watched pornographic videos involving extreme violence.

He also said he "definitely could not have done that without cocaine", the court heard.

After she died, the prosecution alleges that Jutting put her remains in a suitcase he left on the balcony.

Ms Seneng was officially in Hong Kong as a foreign maid but was working at a bar where Jutting met her and offered her money for sex, Mr Reading said, according to facts agreed on by both sides.

In the banker's apartment, Ms Seneng started shouting when she saw a rope gag near the sofa, and Jutting grabbed her and cut her throat with a knife hidden under a cushion, the prosecutor said.

Jutting apparently started hallucinating after using cocaine, and he called police himself, the court heard.

Officers who arrived found Ms Seneng's body and arrested Jutting. Ms Sumarti's remains were found a few hours later.

In interviews, Jutting told police everything that happened as well as discussing his drug use, Mr Reading said, adding that traces of cocaine were detected in more than two dozen small plastic bags found in the apartment.

Jutting watched the court proceedings intently and took notes from the glass-screened dock. He wore a dark blue shirt, dark-framed eyeglasses and looked much slimmer than in court appearances last year.

The trial continues on Tuesday, when jurors are scheduled to view the graphic videos found on Jutting's iPhone.

The women's murders and Jutting's arrest in 2014 shocked the city, which has a reputation for being safe but also has extreme inequality among its foreign workers.

The former British colony has a sizeable white-collar expatriate elite alongside more than 300,000 migrant domestic workers, almost all of them women from Indonesia or the Philippines.
Large quantities of hoarded material "stacked from ceiling to floor" have been found in a house blaze which is feared to have killed an elderly couple.

Firefighters were called to the semi-detached property in Allerton, Merseyside, on Sunday afternoon after a passing motorist noticed smoke coming from the building.

The high volume of combustible materials inside the address in Mather Avenue caused it to spread rapidly to the roof which later collapsed.

Merseyside Fire & Rescue Service said the "significant" levels of hoarding at the property has prevented them gaining access.

It added the building has been deemed unstable and will require access to be first gained by its Urban Search and Rescue Team and a demolition firm before forensic checks can be conducted.

A fire service spokeswoman said: "Having spoken to neighbours on scene it is possible that the couple, both believed to be elderly, will be found within the property.

"This will only be established following the removal of large quantities of hoarded material which was stacked from ceiling to floor with little or no circulation space."

It emerged that the occupiers of the property were visited by firefighters on June 29 this year but had declined a home fire safety check.

The spokeswoman added: "The service was able to give fire safety advice on the doorstep and remove a heater from the property but it was evident that there were significant hoarding issues which have caused challenges in dealing with the incident.

"We would urge members of the public to ensure they have working smoke alarms in their home, check them regularly and ensure that they have clear, safe exits in the event of a fire."
Update at 12.45am: Gunmen who stormed a police training centre in Pakistan killed 33 trainees, a health official has said.

The attack on Monday on a hostel at the centre in Quetta, capital of the troubled south-western province of Baluchistan, also saw two of the gunmen killed in a counter-terrorism operation.

Hours earlier, another attack killed two customs officers and wounded a third, the authorities said.

Earlier

Gunmen have stormed a police training centre in Pakistan's southern city of Quetta, leaving at least 11 people injured.

The incident in Baluchistan came hours after another attack around 90 miles south of Quetta in which two customs officers were killed and a third was wounded.

No one immediately claimed responsibility for either attack.

Baluchistan is the scene of on an ongoing insurgency by Baloch separatist groups, who have claimed such hit-and-run attacks on security forces and government officials in the past.

Islamic militants also have presence in the province bordering Afghanistan.

In tonight's attack, between four and six gunmen attempted to enter the hostel of a police training centre in a suburban area of Quetta.

Six trainees were wounded by gunshot and another five were injured when jumping off a roof and climbing a wall.

Baluchistan police chief Ahsan Mahboob told reporters that four gunmen attacked the training centre, attempting to enter a hostel housing the trainees. A gun battle began when the hostel guards resisted, leaving six trainees wounded by gunfire.

Police and paramilitary forces surrounded the venue. A military statement put the number of attackers at up to six, and said Army and Frontier Corps troops were conducting a counter-terrorism operation at the site.

The attack came hours after gunmen shot and killed two customs officers and wounded a third near the town of Surab.

The customs officers were targeted by gunmen riding on a motorcycle, said Zainullah Baloch, a spokesman for the local police. He said two officers died instantly and the injured was taken to the hospital in critical condition.

Earlier today, two gunmen on a motorcycle killed a police intelligence officer in the country's northern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, said Khalid Khan, a local police officer.

The attackers fled the scene after killing the officer, who had been on his way to work in the provincial capital of Peshawar.

The Pakistani Taliban claimed responsibility for that attack.

The group's spokesman, Muhammad Khurasani, said in a statement that the shooters returned to their hideout after the attack.

Pakistan has carried out military operations against militants in tribal areas near Afghanistan and in cities across Pakistan, but extremists are still capable of staging regular attacks.
A poster mocking the apparent ages of child refugees entering the UK was pinned up in Parliament.

The image, which shows an elderly man with the text "Just 3 from you could clothe and feed this 12yr old Syrian child for a week", was placed above a sink in a communal kitchen.

Chi Onwurah, the Labour MP for Newcastle upon Tyne Central, tweeted a picture of the poster and branded it "xenophobic".

Ms Onwurah, the shadow minister for industrial strategy, said: "I think it demonises and dehumanises Syrian migrants - I think that is xenophobic.

Upset someone in Parliament thought it funny to display this in the communal kitchen over the weekend. #refugeeswelcome pic.twitter.com/UJzTKy4we3  Chi Onwurah  (@ChiOnwurah) October 24, 2016

"To demonise and reduce people fleeing Syria, when we've seen what they are going through, to a meme basically saying they are liars and dishonest - I think it is offensive.

"I want to make sure it doesn't happen again and I want to make it clear that it isn't acceptable."

The poster was found this morning by her researcher Sarah Pine, who said the communal kitchen serves 17 MPs from Labour, the SNP and the Conservative party, as well as their staff.

Its discovery comes as the clearance of the Jungle camp in Calais began and a row continued over the apparent ages of child refugees.

Tory MP David Davies questioned the ages of refugees entering the UK as under 18s and said dental checks should be carried out to determine how old they are.

Critics, including the former footballer and Match Of The Day presenter Gary Lineker, hit out at the treatment of child refugees.

Mr Lineker faced calls to be sacked for calling some critics "hideously racist" to which he responded by tweeting: "Getting a bit of a spanking today, but things could be worse - imagine, just for a second, being a refugee having to flee from your home."
Benedict Cumberbatch has said the plight of young children currently stranded in the Calais Jungle is "very worrying".

The Sherlock actor, a long-time campaigner for refugees, expressed concerns at the reported speed of the eviction which is currently taking place in the makeshift community.

French authorities are poised to send in demolition teams to the sea of tents and shacks which make up the impoverished camp in the northern tip of France.

Scores of unaccompanied minors are believed to still be in the camp as bulldozers approach, despite the Government last week accelerating action to bring more vulnerable children to the UK.

On Monday, charity Help Refugees said it believed there were 49 lone children under the age of 13 remaining in the camp.

Cumberbatch has previously made headlines after launching a stinging attack on the Governments response to the refugee crisis, following a performance of Hamlet.

The actor told LBC: "Whats worrying now is the chaos and the scenes that weve seen come out of there and just worrying about those who are most vulnerable in that situation."

He added: "I dont know enough about it because Im not on the ground... so I wouldnt like to comment but it seems worrying - and enough people in the grown-up sections of charities that care for the welfare of the young and vulnerable are very, very worried about the speed with which its being done and how its being done.

"Look, I know Im a white, privileged actor but I also have a profile and a lot of attention on me and I gladly shine the spotlight on those who need that attention and not me.

"But also that includes the aid workers, the charity workers who are dealing with this first-hand, so theyre the people that you really need to ask an opinion about of this instance because theyre there on the ground trying to deal with this, but like everyone looking at the news feeds, its worrying, Its very worrying."
White students at a south Mississippi high school put a noose around the neck of a black student and "yanked backward", a civil rights group has claimed.

Ayana Kinnel, a spokeswoman for the state NAACP, said the incident took place on the afternoon of October 13 at the Stone County High School field house in Wiggins.

The group said in a statement that officials have mishandled the situation.

The NAACP said no-one has been charged with a crime and the student's parents have not told of any punishment for the other students involved.

"They failed to protect this student throughout this ordeal," the NAACP said.

"Allowing students to commit blatant hate crimes without severe consequences sends a message to students that their safety and well-being are not valuable enough to be protected."

Mississippi has struggled with a history of racial division.

It is the last state that still incorporates the Confederate battle emblem on its state flag.

In 2014, two out-of-state students at the University of Mississippi placed a noose on the campus's statue of James Meredith, the black student who integrated Ole Miss in 1962.

Both pleaded guilty to using a threat of force to intimidate African-American students and employees. Neither attends the school any more.

Names and ages of the students involved in the Stone County incident were not immediately released.

Stone County NAACP president Robert James said the black student is a football player.

According to a statement from the black student's family, he returned to practice after the incident, Ms Kinnel said.

The Stone County Sheriff's Department provides officers at local schools and typically is the first to respond to incidents.

Sheriff Mike Farmer did not immediately respond to a phone message and an email. Wiggins Police Chief Matt Barnett said his agency was not notified.

Stone County High School Principal Adam Stone referred comment to Superintendent Inita Owen.

She and school board attorney Sean Courtney did not immediately respond to phone calls and emails seeking comment.

State Department of Education spokeswoman Patrice Guilfoyle said the state usually lets local districts handle student discipline.
KARACHI: The Oil and Gas Development Company Limited (OGDCL), being the operator of Toot Mining Lease with 100...
BRISBANE: New Zealand can become the first team into the T20 World Cup semi-finals this week but first will need to...
PLEASE NOTE!

Due to the March 23, 2020 NM DOH Public Health Order, These Event Listings Are Not Accurate!

All non-essential businesses are closed, public gatherings are prohibited!

(One day some of these events will be rescheduled or will resume, but they are not happening now!)
WASHINGTON: The United States said Tuesday it was raising with Saudi Arabia a prison sentence handed to a US citizen...
A hotline that encouraged people to dob in their dealers received an average of three calls a day related to the supply and manufacturing of drugs in Canberra in a six-month period.

The number of drug-related tip-offs Crime Stoppers ACT received in the six months to August increased 40 per cent thanks to their Dob in a Dealer campaign, chairman Bryan Roach said.

The Dob in a Dealer campaign prompted more than 500 tip-offs about drug supply or manufacturing in Canberra. Credit:Erin Jonasson

The campaign encouraged Canberrans to anonymously provide information on people involved in making and selling illicit drugs in the ACT.

Mr Roach said the ACT branch received 129 tip-offs about drugs last month alone.
Paintings and watercolours by Charlie Sheard. ANU Drill Hall Gallery, Kingsley Street, Acton. Until November 6.

At 56, the Sydney-based painter Charlie Sheard is something of a Sydney institution and has been running his own art school, The Charlie Sheard Studio School, for more than 20 years. His paintings are theatrical, non-figurative, often employing a brilliant palette and the full range of alchemy of paints with spills, fluid flows and bleedings into the raw linen. He frequently appears eager to experiment with new paints, including metallic and pearlescent pigments, to create striking and unusual surfaces.

Charlie Sheard, White Poem, 2015-16 in Paintings and Watercolours at ANU Drill Hall Gallery.

Speaking recently to the curator of this exhibition, Terence Maloon, Sheard discussed his thinking on art. "One of my ideals is what the great composers did  you know, what Haydn and Mozart did, which was that they took popular melodies, they took songs and popular things that were sung in the streets, and they turned them into high art  the art of the common experience, is very vital. It has vitality but it dies quickly. The old idea that you take elements from popular forms but develop them into something of more lasting quality, I genuinely believe in that."

It is quite a large exhibition consisting of more than 20 paintings, many measuring 215 by 198 centimetres, a number of which are not particularly successful. Some that do succeed are quite spectacular. White poem, 2015-16, one of the larger canvases, is one of the most successful and has a more minimal palette than some of the baroque colour exuberance of the other work. There is an organic flow of paint into which have been embedded pebbles of texture (marble chips?) conveying the appearance of a windswept passage of wet sand, which shows the passing of time like a temporal glimpse into eternity. There is a boldness and simplicity based on intuitive responses that have been distilled through years of practice and application. It is a contemplative, spiritually engaging painting that evokes a powerful emotional response.
A NSW man accused of spiking a woman's drink with Stilnox at a Canberra bar so he could rape her is set to fight the allegations at trial.

Police allegedly seized sleeping pills, condoms and Viagra from Juswan Mokmargana's hotel room shortly before he was arrested over the alleged incident in Civic in April, the ACT Magistrates Court has been told.

Juswan Mokmargana, 45, leaves the ACT Magistrates Court in May. Credit:Megan Gorrey

Mokmargana, 45, pleaded not guilty to using Stilnox to poison a person with intent to cause discomfort, attempted rape and administering a declared substance unauthorised stemming from the incident on the night of Saturday, April 9.

He had reportedly agreed to share a hotel room with the woman the night he allegedly slipped the drug into her drink at the bar.
As for condemning a Trump voter morally for endorsing a candidate who has called for immoral policies toward Latinos and Muslims, this, too, assumes that Trump voters necessarily share his views. Of course, some may applaud the things Trump has said. But it's also morally permissible to vote for someone who has expressed moral views with which you strongly disagree. Otherwise, it would have been immoral for some Democrats to vote for Barack Obama when he still opposed gay marriage. Put another way, voting always means picking and choosing between candidates who don't share all of the voter's views.

Patronising Trump voters would also be a mistake  practically, rather than morally. The risk of condescension is especially great given polls that suggest Trump is doing better with white voters who don't have a college degree than other Republican candidates have done. It will be tempting to think  as some have already argued  that Trump voters have been hoodwinked by a skilled salesman.

Democrats and Republicans alike would do well to remember that whites without college degrees have been especially vulnerable to the reduction in manufacturing jobs in recent decades. Their historically high support for Trump can be explained by the sense that Trump is drawing attention to their political and economic concerns. That's a perfectly justifiable reason to vote for someone, no matter what you might think about the rest of his policies or his character.

That leads to the final temptation, namely to try to win over Trump voters either by crafting policies aimed at saving the white lower-middle class or by using Trump-like dog-whistle politics that scapegoat immigrants and minorities. The former is at least an admirable goal  but only provided it can be accomplished realistically, without doing much more harm than good, for example by adopting extreme protectionism and starting a trade war with China. The latter isn't even admirable  and worse, it won't work, at least not at the national level.

The alternative is to treat Trump voters as though they were ordinary, rational voters choosing among policy options available to them. That will require pretending retrospectively that this election wasn't somehow special or distinctive, and that Trump wasn't a uniquely dangerous candidate.
A one-page letter that the federal government has spent a year and a half and tens of thousands of dollars trying to keep from public sight raises explosive questions about Barnaby Joyce's conduct and "integrity".

The March 2015 letter written by Paul Grimes, the former head of the Agriculture Department, was sent 10 days before he was sacked amid fallout from the so-called "Hansard-gate" affair in which the transcript of some of Mr Joyce's statements in Parliament were quietly altered.

Mr Joyce has always blamed a rogue staffer acting without his knowledge and on March 16 last year - three days after Mr Grimes was terminated by the Coalition - he was asked on the ABC's PM program "does Paul Grimes agree with that version of events?".

"He's never told me if he has a different version of events. That is the truth, that is what happened," Mr Joyce responded.
RSL national president Rod White is taking extended leave to care for a family member, the veterans organisation has announced.

The national board will hold an emergency meeting on Tuesday to further discuss revelations that four past and present RSL New South Wales councillors, including Mr White, received shares in nearly $1 million in consulting fees while holding voluntary positions within the organisation.

That meeting was announced after Fairfax Media reported on Saturday that RSL NSW had received legal advice that the four senior figures may have broken the law by receiving the payments and not disclosing them.

"The RSL national board is deeply perturbed by issues raised in the media regarding RSL NSW state council members, past and present, and will convene an emergency meeting on Tuesday to consider current legal advice and respond in the best interests of the league," the national board said in a weekend statement.
Family First senator Bob Day is set to return to the Senate chamber to vote for the government's industrial relations legislation despite announcing his resignation from Parliament.

The South Australian announced his resignation last week after his housing construction empire went into liquidation, but is yet to hand his formal resignation to Senate President Stephen Parry.

But in a statement to Fairfax Media, Senator Day noted he had only expressed an "intention" to resign and left the door open for a return to Parliament when it resumes next month.

The delay in choosing his replacement will likely mean Senator Day returns to Parliament in November to vote for the re-establishment of the controversial Australian Building and Construction Commission and creation of a new body to oversee trade unions, legislation he has long publicly backed.
Tziporah Atarah Malkah, the Australian model and actress formerly known as Kate Fischer, is still fielding "false rumours" about her ex-fiance, James Packer.

The pair dated for five years - two of those engaged - before splitting in 1998. Despite the 18 year split and his subsequent high-profile relationships (ex-wife Jodhi Meares; ex-wife Erica Packer; rumoured ex-girlfriend Miranda Kerr; and current fiance Mariah Carey) Malkah has set the record straight on her split settlement from the billionaire businessman, who is believed to be worth an estimated $4.6 billion.

James Packer and Kate Fischer before their engagement ended abruptly in 1998. Credit:Steve Lunam

In a New Idea magazine interview titled: "You don't have to be skinny to be sexy," alongside a "vintage Vogue Italia" styled photoshoot of Malkah in a variety of lingerie and a bed sheet, she explained she was given the house they lived in.

"It sold for two million, plus he gave me a few hundred thousand dollars, but the money was half that in the US as our dollar was so low at the time time," she said.
Before Sunday's mid-season premiere of Keeping Up with the Kardashians, members of the reality TV family did what they always do: tweeted teasers and messages promoting the show. Khloe Kardashian is thinking about breast augmentation. Rob Kardashian isn't coming to the party planned for him. Momager Kris Jenner calls daughter Kim Kardashian West a "traitor!"

But as the E! series returns with new episodes, the central persona remains notably absent on social media. Kardashian West, who has made documenting her most personal moments the bedrock of her career, has been silent since a robbery earlier this month in Paris. Thieves broke into a Paris mansion, held her at gunpoint and stole more than $13 million in jewellery. The suspects remain at large.

The seriousness of the crime and how deeply it has apparently affected Kardashian West contrasts with the pseudo-drama put on display by the E! show. After the robbery, filming of new episodes was put on hiatus, with a network spokesperson saying "Kim's well-being is our core focus right now."

Some family members have resumed "limited filming" while "full production has yet to resume," a network spokesperson said late last week.
At least three sculptures have been destroyed and others damaged by high swell at Sculpture by the Sea in Sydney's east.

High tide and huge swells crashed in to Tamarama Beach on Monday afternoon, dragging some artworks down the sand towards the ocean as sightseers watched on.

One artwork, Fair Dinkum Offshore Processing by Collingwood artist Bronek Kozka, was destroyed.

The sculpture rested in a heap next to Sang Sug Kim's 1.4-metre tall carved marble artwork The Window of the Future, which was submerged at least six times but not washed away.
It's the first morning of an interim timetable that will see dozens of trains cancelled every day.

The Translink website lists 39 planned cancellations at this point, listed below, with eight services already skipped.

The italicised cancellations will not be taken into account in the journey planner until Tuesday afternoon, Translink says.

The 4.24am Bowen Hills to Northgate train is cancelled. The next train will depart Bowen Hills at 4.39am.

The 4.42am Park Road to Ferny Grove train is cancelled. The next train will depart Park Road at 5.07am.

The 4.57am Northgate to Cleveland train is cancelled. The next train will depart Northgate at 5.12am.

The 5.47am Ferny Grove to Coopers Plains train is cancelled. The next train will depart Ferny Grove at 6.02am.

The 5.54am Cleveland to Shorncliffe train is cancelled. The next train will depart Cleveland at 6.09am.

The 6.07am Shorncliffe to Cleveland train is cancelled. The next train will depart Shorncliffe at 6.24am.

The 6.19am Northgate to Park Road train is cancelled from Northgate to Bowen Hills. The next train will depart Northgate at 6.24am.

The 6.39am Cleveland to Bowen Hills train is cancelled. The next train will depart Cleveland at 6.54am.

The 6.49am Northgate to Roma Street train is cancelled. The next train will depart Northgate at 6.57am.

The 6.51am Springfield Central to Bowen Hills train is cancelled. The next train will depart Springfield Central at 7.03am.

The 6.59am Beenleigh to Central train will run express from Kuraby to Salisbury.

The 7.10am Kippa-Ring to Roma Street train is cancelled. The next train will depart Kippa-Ring at 7.16am.

The 7.19am Northgate to Roma Street train is cancelled. The next train will depart Northgate at 7.26am.

The 7.23am Caboolture to Cleveland train will stop all stations from Caboolture to Petrie, then run express from Petrie to Bowen Hills (stopping only at Northgate and Eagle Junction)

The 7.29am Caboolture to Roma Street train is cancelled. The next train will depart Caboolture at 7.35am.

The 7.39am Shorncliffe to Bowen Hills train is cancelled. The next train will depart Shorncliffe at 7.54am.

The 7.49am Northgate to Roma Street train is cancelled. The next train will depart Northgate at 7.57am.

The 8.09am Cleveland to Shorncliffe train is cancelled. The next train will depart Cleveland at 8.24am.

The 8.10am Ferny Grove to Park Road train is cancelled. The next train will depart Ferny Grove at 8.17am.

The 8.19am Northgate to Roma Street train is cancelled. The next train will depart Northgate at 8.27am.

The 10.37am Ipswich to Nambour train is cancelled from Ipswich to Redbank. The next train will depart Ipswich at 11.07am.

The 11.47am Ferny Grove to Coopers Plains train is cancelled from Roma Street to Coopers Plains. The next train will depart Roma Street at 12.52pm.

The 1.10pm Coopers Plains to Ferny Grove train is cancelled. The next train will depart Coopers Plains at 1.25pm.

The 1.38pm Nambour to Springfield Central train is cancelled from Roma Street to Springfield Central. The next train from Nambour will depart at 3.48pm.

The 2.32pm Ferny Grove to Beenleigh train is cancelled from Ferny Grove to Bowen Hills. The next train will depart Ferny Grove at 2.47pm.

The 2.46pm Bowen Hills to Springfield Central train is cancelled. The next train will depart Bowen Hills at 3.04pm.

The 3.08pm Ipswich to Kippa-Ring train is cancelled from Ipswich to Roma Street. The next train will depart Ipswich at 3.26pm.

The 3.26pm Ipswich to Doomben train will run express from Darra to Milton, stopping only at Indooroopilly.

The 3.49pm Park Road to Ferny Grove train is cancelled. The next train will depart Park Road at 3.57pm.

The 4.47pm Roma Street to Northgate train is cancelled. The next train will depart Northgate at 4.54pm.

The 5.03pm Bowen Hills to Cleveland train is cancelled. The next train will depart Bowen Hills at 5.11pm.

The 5.34pm Bowen Hills to Ipswich train is cancelled. The next train will depart Bowen Hills at 5.46pm.

The 6.24pm Cleveland to Northgate train is cancelled. The next train will depart Cleveland at 6.39pm.

The 8.12pm Northgate to Roma Street train is cancelled. The next train will depart Northgate at 8.27pm.

The 8.37pm Ipswich to Roma Street train is cancelled. The next train will depart Ipswich at 9.07pm.

The 9.54pm Roma Street to Northgate train is cancelled. The next train will depart Roma Street at 10.09pm.

The 10.42pm Northgate to Roma Street train is cancelled. The next train will depart Northgate at 10.57pm.

The 11.24pm Roma Street to Northgate train is cancelled. The next train will depart Roma Street at 11.39pm.

The 12.12am Northgate to Roma Street train is cancelled. The next train will depart Northgate at 12.27am.
South-east Queensland rail commuters have been urged to check on their services as a interim timetable, designed to cope with a controversially unforeseen driver shortage, comes into force on Tuesday.

Metropolitan rail services were thrown into chaos on Friday amid about 100 service cancellations, which Queensland Rail chief executive Helen Gluer on Monday said was the result of a "snowballing" of issues associated with the opening of the new Redcliffe Peninsula line.

South-east Queensland train services are set to be disrupted for at least another fortnight. Credit:Glenn Hunt

Those issues related primarily to the lack of drivers who had been sufficiently trained to use the new line without supervision.

Ms Gluer, who on Monday failed to receive the public confidence of Transport Minister Stirling Hinchliffe, said commuters should keep checking the Translink website for updates.
A little-known Nepalese charity that has only existed since last year has raised eyebrows after Brisbane City Council awarded it the right to run a seven-day-a-week cafe out of Teneriffe's historic engine room.

Lord Mayor Graham Quirk announced in August that tenders for a "social enterprise" to run the riverside cafe would be sought, following a $1.2 million council investment into the building.

Lord Mayor Graham Quirk announced the start of construction to repurpose the engine room in August. Credit:Glenn Hunt

On Tuesday, councillors will vote on the recommendation that a nine-year lease be granted to the Uniting Hands Foundation Australia.

According to the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission, UHFA was only registered as a charity on June 2 last year, but it claimed in its submission to the council to have been operating in Australia and Nepal since 2010.
Running for their lives through dense bush, nursing head injuries and pursued by an attacker they believed was armed was not what a pair of council inspectors had been expecting when they'd turned up at a rural property to look at some sheds.

When the men's assailant, Jonas Black, eventually came across one of the South Gippsland Shire inspectors, Justin Eades, he told him: "You know I was going to kill you back there."

Council inspector Matthew Patterson outside court in Melbourne with his wife Carolyn on Monday. The court heard that Jonas Black had developed a brooding hostility towards Mr Patterson. Credit:Julian Drape

And the grave, Black's trial was told, had already been dug.

On Monday, Black, 46, was jailed for 11 years, to serve at least 7, after a Supreme Court jury in June found him guilty of two counts of attempted murder and one of attempting to pervert the course of justice.
Nairobi: Twenty-six Asian sailors freed after more than four years of captivity in a small fishing village in Somalia arrived in the Kenyan capital Nairobi on Sunday, ahead of flights home, a maritime expert said.

The crew from China, the Philippines, Cambodia, Indonesia, Vietnam and Taiwan were seized when their ship, the Omani-flagged FV Naham 3 was hijacked by Somali pirates close to the Seychelles in March 2012, when pirate attacks were common in the area.

Sailors who had been held hostage by pirates for more than four years smile as they arrive at the airport in Nairobi, Kenya on Sunday. Credit:AP

The pirates handed the group to authorities in the northern Somali town of Galkayo on Saturday morning.

"It is great to be here today and to bring them home and to hand them over to their embassies and their families," said John Steed, East Africa region manager for the Oceans Beyond Piracy group.
Adolf Hitler with some of his deputies. Rudolf Hess, left, and Baldur V. Schirach, right, in 1936. Get the drift? Hitler was a narcissist with a taste for self-dramatisation and a "characteristic fondness for superlatives"  did someone say "beautiful" wall? There were questions about the limits of Hitler's self-control and yet, Ullrich writes, he had "a keen eye for the strengths and weaknesses of other people" and a capacity to "instantaneously analyse and exploit situations". He took advantage of economic difficulties, dysfunctional government, naive adversaries, a growing resentment of elites and a slick propaganda machine that used the latest technology. National Fascist Party headquarters, Rome, 1934, decorated with Benito Mussolini's face and the word Si in reference to the Italian general election which took place in the form of a referendum; voters could either accept or reject the Grand Council of the National Fascist Party, 99.84 per cent of voters voted "si". Credit:Alamy Hitler loved big rallies and shaped his speeches to suit the tastes of his lower middle class, conservative and nationalist followers  they would be Trump's non-college-educated white voters. Hitler would manipulate the crowds' fears and resentments before offering himself as the visionary leader who would restore law and order and "lead Germany to a new era of national greatness".

Did I just hear "make America great again?" Right-wing Spaniards make the fascist salute at a rally in Madrid in 1995 as they commemorate the 20th anniversary of the death of Spain's dictator Francisco Franco. Credit:AP Hitler was a psychopath. Trump is just a con man. I don't recall Hitler flip-flopping. Essayist Shalom Auslander Did somebody say: "I alone" Americans have seen a Trump-like figure walk from the pages of Sinclair Lewis' It Can't Happen Here, and Philip Roth's The Plot Against America. But they must wrestle with conflicting assessments in the context of analysis and reporting in the current presidential campaign.

Greek army tanks parade in the streets of Salonica during celebrations for the 57th anniversary of Ochi Day No Day, when Greece refused to comply with Italian dictator Benito Mussolini's demands in World War II. In the conservative Nation Review, Jay Nordlinger opts for several descriptions of Trump  maybe a lout, a nationalist, a demagogue  "but he's not a fascist". He detects the attitude of a king, maybe a dictator, and he's troubled that Trump is something other than an exponent of liberal democracy. There are other F-tendencies  Trump is impressed by "the power of [Beijing's] strength in putting down the Tiananmen Square protests"; he has no time for "losers"; he obsesses about intelligence (especially his own) and that it's in the breeding; physical handicaps are not good; some races and creeds are definitely inferior; he demands personal pledges from his followers; he'll stick his name on anything; he threatens companies he doesn't like; and he figures the military brass will break the law, if he orders them. The Frecce Tricolore air squadron flies over the Via dei Fori Imperiali during the military parade to mark the founding of the Italian Republic and the 150th anniversary of Italian unification after the death of Benito Mussolini. Credit:Getty Images But the Hitler comparison is a fascist too far for historian Fedja Buric. Writing in Salon magazine he'll cop to Mussolini, noting that like Il Duce, Trump lives up to the Umberto Eco definition of fascism as "a beehive of contradictions"  pro-choice, then pro-life; donated to politicians, now condemns political donations; trice-married but now embracing Christian Evangelicals; embodies capitalism, but wants to crackdown on free trade.

Like Mussolini, Trump is dismissive of democratic institutions  he wants to "dismantle the establishment". Buric lays out Trump's self-assigned challenges  he'll crack down on freedom of the press; he'll "ethnically cleanse" 11 million "illegals" and strip their US-born children of their American citizenship; he'll commit war crimes. Former Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi, foreground, who praised Benito Mussolini for "having done good". Credit:AP Elsewhere Trump's speeches are likened to an "interwar seance of once-powerful dictators who inspired multitudes, drove countries into the ground and died grim deaths"; and "like reading a comic-book version of Franco, Mussolini or Hitler". Essayist Shalom Auslander writes that the easy Hitler-Trump comparison belittles Hitler  "Hitler was a psychopath. Trump is just a con man. I don't recall Hitler flip-flopping  I don't see him saying one morning 'I'm going to invade Poland' and then softening his stance in the afternoon after meeting with Sean Hannity". An attendee salutes as the pledge of allegiance is recited at a Donald Trump event. Credit:Bloomberg

Political analyst TA Frank quibbles with what he calls the "definitional hairsplitting" by which we might conclude that Trump is not a fascist. And writing in Vanity Fair, he lets rip: "At the end of the day, fascism is just shorthand for right-wing tyranny, and that can come in many varieties. In the case of Trump, what people want to know is whether they are electing a militarist who's sympathetic to white nationalism, hostile to the First Amendment, and generally indifferent to the niceties of constitutional order. They worry about racial pogroms, extra-judicial violence and new foreign conflicts." Italian dictator Benito Mussolini. Frank declares all these to be bad. But then, something of a disclaimer  "Trump is no fascist and he's not going to be a Constitution-shredding dictator, but that's probably not going to comfort you all that much". The same ambivalence is in the assessment by Robert Paxton, a leading American authority on fascist history. He sees echoes of fascism in Trump, but "profound differences too".

Alessandra Mussolini resigns from the right-wing Alleanza Nazionale party, which descends from the Fascist regime of her grandfather, Benito Mussolini, in Rome in 1996. Credit:AP Paxton discerns a resemblance to Mussolini, in the way that Trump sets his lower jaw, the bluster and his skills in working a crowd and the news media; and particularly his capacity to enlist working-class voters against the left, just as Hitler and Mussolini did. But just as Forrest Gump and Chauncey Gardiner stumble upon events, Paxton doubts that all this is a conscious effort by Trump. He tells Slate magazine: "I don't think he's a bookish man  I'm sure he's never read a book about Hitler or Mussolini." A statue of presidential hopeful Donald Trump is placed outside a shop in Los Angeles. Credit:AP Neo-conservative historian and foreign policy analyst Robert Kagan warned during the primaries, as Trump was getting a lock on the Republican nomination: "He will have ridden to power despite the party, catapulted into the White House by a mass following devoted only to him."

Setting out the troubling levers of power a President Trump would have had his disposal, Kagan poses this question at the end of an op-ed piece in The Washington Post: "Is a man like Trump, with infinitely greater power in his hands, likely to become more humble, more judicious, more generous, less vengeful than he is today, than he has been his whole life? Does vast power un-corrupt?" He answers in despondent resignation: "This is how fascism comes to America, not with jackboots and salutes (although there have been salutes and a whiff of violence), but with a television huckster, a phony billionaire, a textbook egomaniac 'tapping into' popular resentments and insecurities, and with an entire national political party  out of ambition or blind party loyalty or simply out of fear  falling into line behind him." A visiting professor at Princeton, Italian journalist Gianni Ricotta, is adamant that Trump is not a fascist. He poses a question  "can you imagine Mussolini being accused of endorsing 'New York values'?" And he makes a statement: "Witch-hunts, racism, repression and state surveillance may plague a democracy without it morphing into a fascist dictatorship." Ricotta's national pride seems almost offended by the comparison, writing in The Atlantic: "Whereas it can be impossible to discern any logic or strategy in Trump's campaign, the fascists who marched on Rome in 1922 were relentlessly, violently focused on a clear goal: to kill democracy and to install a dictatorship." Denouncing Trump as an opportunist who will change course as he likes, and say anything, Ricotta reminds Americans of what real fascism was and of how unlikely it is: "[Trump] is not about to dissolve the Democratic Party and banish the Clintons, [Barack] Obama, Noam Chomsky, Michael Moore and Jimmy Fallon to exile on Randall's Island. Americans will not goose-step down Broadway; no screaming squadraccia of middle-aged Trump fans will occupy Grand Central; Amazon will not be nationalised as a 'strategic state asset'."

And now  drumroll, please  the Benitos! Georgetown University's John McNeil slices and dices Trump on 11 aspects of fascism, somewhat as Trump assessed the Miss Universe contestants, awarding from one to four Benitos. 1.Hyper-nationalist: By US standards yes, but not by the standards of historical fascism. Two Benitos 2.Militarism: He'll snatch Middle Eastern oil resources, but is not big on military action and he doesn't wear a uniform. Two Benitos 3.Glorification of violence: What we've heard at his rallies is well short of Mussolini's Blackshirts and Hitler's Brownshirts, who resorted to political violence extensively. One Benito

4.Fetishisation of youth: No real youth organisation and his most devoted followers are Grey Power refugees. Zero Benitos 5.Fetishisation of masculinity: Trump is big on stamina and he mocks men who he thinks are deficient in virility. Mussolini lionised his mother as the feminine ideal, but for Trump it's a supermodel, more akin to Hugh Hefner than Mussolini. But Trump does have that swaggering machismo. Four Benitos 6.Leader cult: Absolutely  that's why they call him Mr Trump. His business experience proves his leadership; can't bear to have either questioned. Four Benitos 7.Lost golden-age syndrome: Absolutely  "make America great again". Four Benitos 8.Self-definition by opposition: Always railing against politics as usual, political correctness, elites and minorities. But doesn't advocate annihilation. Three Benitos

9.Mass mobilisation and mass party: He had taken the GOP as his party, even though he never refers to himself as a Republican and a good many in the party loathe him. Two Benitos 10.Hierarchical party structure and a tendency to purge the disloyal: There's a bit of this in the Trump campaign, but not in the GOP and no role for violence. One Benito 11.Theatricality: Look at the rallies and the speeches  he constantly calls things and people the worst or the best; there's the repetitive chants; even the studied frown is a Mussolini pose. Three Benitos Trump is a loser in the fascist derby. Loading
Goffstown, New Hampshire: As Hillary Clinton laughed in the background, Senator Elizabeth Warren turned one of Republican Donald Trump's insults against him on Monday, warning that "nasty women" will be his undoing on Election Day.

Campaigning alongside Democratic presidential nominee Clinton 15 days before the election, Warren mocked Trump as a bigot and a sexist bore. She was especially colourful on the latter point.

"He thinks because he has money he can call women fat," and rate their bodies, the Massachusetts Democrat said to whoops and applause from the Democratic crowd at Saint Anselm College.

"He thinks that because he has a mouthful of Tic Tacs he can force himself on any woman within groping distance," Warren said, referring to Trump's remarks in a video that he wanted some of the breath mints in case he kissed an attractive woman.
Chicago: Six people were killed and 31 others were wounded in shootings in Chicago over the weekend as the number of murders this year climbed to nearly 200 above the same period last year.

Six people were shot in just one hour between 4am and 5am on Sunday  an average of one person shot every 10 minutes, according to according to data compiled by the Chicago Tribune.

The hour ended with the city's most recent homicide. At 5am on Sunday, 29-year-old Jason Balboa was found with several gunshot wounds near 28th Street and Pulaski Road in Little Village. He was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital and pronounced dead a few hours later.

The last shooting on the weekend was reported around 7.45pm on Sunday when a 16-year-old boy was wounded in the Gresham neighbourhood.
Dont you hate it when the woman youre working with decides to turn on you and put a price on your head while youre already sitting in prison for the crime you committed together? Oh, Im sorry, thats just whats happening to Carl Brown right now on NCIS: Los Angeles.

The team is divided in this episode, titled Ghost Gun, with Anna joining Callen, Nell and Granger to work the case, Sam doing some digging mole-wise for Hetty, and Deeks continuing to be the fiance every girl would want in the hospital. Also, Anna gets some real estate advice from Callen, whos probably the worst person to get real estate advice from. But if she turned to Sam, shed probably get his philosophy on it, so maybe its not a bad choice on her part.

NCIS: Los Angeles Recap: Is Kensi on Her Way Back? >>>

Roof-Topping, a Roid Raging Debt Collector and Back Room Manufacturing

Where better to take photos than on rooftop ledges? Thats apparently the hot new thing in Los Angeles (though the girl is standing on a bench in front of a ledge, not the actual ledge itself, so Im not sure what her complaint is). But before the security guard can overreact to the camera in the guys hand, someone shoots someone else on a rooftop nearby.

The victim is navy machinist Brandon Noah, and he was working on a classified drone project, so of course, alarms are sounding everywhere. At the crime scene, Sam and Callen find a crankset from a bike with blood on it, but they dont know if Noah was attacked, or the attacker and someone shot him in self-defense. Where did the fight start?

Noahs roommate gives them a good lead on a suspect: a roid rager defense contractor, Neil Lott, who came banging on their door and threatening to kill Brandon.

The crankset is made by a company that only sells its parts through one bike shop in southern California. The worker there, Rex, is very clearly interested in Nell. Granger, however, shuts that down at every turn. Whats her first name? Special, he answers. Does she ride? No, she doesnt, he replies. Does she want to grab a beer when she returns to the hard drive with the security camera footage on it? No, she doesnt, Granger tells him. Its hilarious and kind of sad that Rex doesnt give up.

As for Neil, he reveals that Brandon owed him money, but he recently started paying it back, $500 a week. And theres the missing piece: wherever he was getting that money from had to lead to his death. There is a custom auto shop in the area that needed a machinist with his skills, and the shop is run by Beth Kelley, who has a record for extortion and smuggling. If Brandon found out she had an illegal side business, she could have silenced him.

The security footage from the bike shop shows Brandon out back, a van pulling up and the shooter attacking him and then chasing him. While Eric works on identifying the shooter, Callen and Anna check out the custom auto shop, with Anna going in pretending she wants work done on her car. Callen sneaks around back and sees the backroom business  manufacturing parts for AR-15s  and while Annas able to flirt her way into the back, Beth catches her snooping around the office.

Nell and Granger arrive on scene to draw fire from the front, while Callen sneaks in through the back. While those three take care of Beths men, Anna chases after Beth and stops her. So does that mean that Granger will have her back? Maybe, he offers, which, as Callen and Nell assure Anna, is high praise.

Its Always About a Woman

Hetty fills Sam in on the deal she made with the Secretary of Defense (though its been a couple of episodes, so shouldnt she have told the others about this before now?) before asking if he believes that Carl was the mole. No way, Sam says, because hes not an idiot. But Carl basically is, so he had to be working for someone much smarter, more connected and more dangerous. Hetty sends him to talk to Carl and makes it clear: He must tell you everything he knows about the mole.

Carl tries to sell that he was the mole, just him, no one else, but thats about as likely as Hetty being the mole. This wasnt about money for you, Sam realizes, crossing ideology off the potential motive list as well. Oh, she was beautiful, wasnt she? And poor Carl thought she loved him. If she loved him, how come she hasnt been by to see him or even called him?

Eric calls Sam to let him know that an inmate attacked Carl in the mess hall the day before, so Sam pays that inmate, Vincent Garvey, a visit and offers to get him more time in the yard. Vincent admits that word has it hed get $50,000 for his family, but he doesnt know who was going to pay it. So he tried to kill Carl just for a rumor? As Vincent explains, for men in there, that money represents a chance at redemption, maybe forgiveness, with their families. Someone will finish the job.

Its easy to see how someone was able to manipulate Carl like they did, as he tries to insist that the people who were targeted deserved to be. He says this to Sam, whose 17-year-old son was targeted. Yeah, good luck there, Carl. Gotta love how Sam makes brushing imaginary lint off Carl and an arm around the shoulder seem so threatening. Sam knows that whoever this woman is, it was all her planning. But Carl thinks he knows Sam and knows that killing him, an unarmed man in prison, isnt a line hell cross. Well, maybe Sam wont have to, considering the price out on his head. Upon hearing that, Carl wants protection ASAP.

You, Carl Brown, are what they call a loose end, Sam has to explain to him. (And the fact that he has to explain this to him is a sign that even if he wasnt connected to the mole, Carl probably shouldnt have lasted as long as he did in NCIS.) Whats her name? Natalie Grant is the name Sam brings back to Hetty, so now they have someone to find.

Quiz: Which Special Agent TV Hunk Would You Date? >>>

A New Whats Going On with Them? Couple

Anna is back in LA, after what sounds like a stint as a Special Deputy US Marshal with a Chicago task force  and shes planning to stay in town. While Callen thinks that she should choose a place to live based on proximity to work and traffic patterns, shes leaning towards the beach.

Its not weird, her working there part-time. She checks with Callen, and he assures her its not. In fact, hes happy she moved to LA. Lets just hope this works out better for him than things did with Joelle. (It should.)

Deeks is That Guy

First of all, thank you, NCIS: Los Angeles, for mentioning that Sam and Callen have been by to see Kensi. I know theres only so much time in an episode, so I didnt expect to see those visits, but I am glad for that one line that they are going to see her.

Roberta calls Deeks from Kensis hospital room, despite a nurse trying to get her to take the call outside, and tells him that he has to be there when she comes out of the coma, citing about 10 different movies in her explanation. And while everything weve seen from Deeks since Kensi got hurt has shown how much he wants to be by her side every moment he can, that doesnt mean he doesnt have concerns.

What if, when she wakes up, Kensi needs a lot of help and he doesnt know how to help her? I want to be that guy, he tells Hetty. I want to be that guy, but what if I cant do it? Hetty assures him that wont be the case. Youre going to give her everything she needs to get better, she says before sending him to the hospital. He doesnt have to work.

Upon arriving at the hospital, Deeks finds his mother smoking outside and telling everyone that her son and his fiancee are secret agents. And after correcting that  Kensis a special agent and hes a cop  he doesnt really do a good job of calming her nerves. People die stepping in the shower, he says to I think try to make her feel better about their jobs involving people shooting at them. He kind of deserves that Martin! after that.

Deeks continues to try to be the optimist when it comes to Kensis condition. Her color seems better. Her GCS (Glasgow Coma Scale), which is used to describe the level of consciousness in a person after a traumatic brain injury, is a 12; she was 8 out of 15 when she got there. What can he do to help? he asks the doctor. Be there, talk to her, touch her; all of that can help her find her way back, the doctor says. So he does just that, staying at her side and telling her its time to come back to him. Deeks may have doubts that he can be that guy for Kensi, but everything weve seen from him shows that he can be.

Its when Deeks is going over the possibilities for their now cleaned-out garage  rent it out, make a man cave, turn it into a nursery  that Kensi begins to come around and opens her eyes, all while he encourages her and reminds her of the helicopter crash in Syria and tells her shes in the hospital in LA. He has her squeeze his hands, and while she can squeeze with her right, the same cannot be said of her left hand. Its okay, he says; she just has to be a patient patient. I love you, he continues as he assures her shes okay. Welcome back.

Are you worried about what will happen while Kensi recovers? Do you like seeing Anna work with the team? Do you want to see what can develop between her and Callen? What do you think of whats going on with the mole?

NCIS: Los Angeles season 8 airs Sundays at 8/7c on CBS. Want more news? Like our Facebook page.

(Image courtesy of CBS)
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October 31, 2022

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Poet Campbell McGrath to present 40th annual Silverman Reading

I chose McGrath because I see him as a poet with Whitmans ambition to get America into his poems, to turn outward now inward in an effort to do justice to its variety, its possibilities and its failures.

BUFFALO, N.Y.  MacArthur Foundation Genius Grant recipient and former Guggenheim fellow Campbell McGrath will present the 2016 University at Buffalo Oscar Silverman Reading at 8 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 11, at the Jacobs Executive Development Center, 672 Delaware Ave. in Buffalo.

Strongly influenced by Walt Whitman, McGrath writes mostly documentary, free-verse poems that probe American culture and commerce. McGraths collection Spring Comes to Chicago (1996), a Kingsley Tufts Poetry Award winner, turns on the axis of one of his best known and representative works, The Bob Hope Poem, a 70-page piece whose shape, he told Poetry Magazine, is not a narrative, but a symphonic structure.

The event is free and open to the public.

The annual Silverman Reading is presented in memory of Oscar Silverman, the distinguished UB scholar and teacher who chaired the Department of English, directed the University Libraries and helped develop UBs remarkable collection of 20th century poetry and rare books, including the Robert Graves poetry collection and the works of James Joyce.

Ansie Baird, Silvermans daughter, administers the readings with Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Carl Dennis, SUNY Distinguished Professor Emeritus of English.

The two alternate choosing the presenter, but dont make a final decision until they agree on a choice. This year, it was Carl Dennis turn.

I chose McGrath because I see him as a poet with Whitmans ambition to get America into his poems, to turn outward now inward in an effort to do justice to its variety, its possibilities and its failures, said Dennis. In his [recent] book (XX: Poems for the Twentieth Century) his ambition becomes historical as he tries to present his own version of the 20th century by writing a poem every year.

Its an inspiring book that challenges each of us to do the same.

Baird said she has been immersing herself in McGraths poems for the last month and finds him moving and witty at the same time.

He challenges our conventional ways of expressing ourselves, she said.

McGraths visit marks the 40th anniversary of the Silverman Reading, an event characterized by its impressive record of hosting some of the late 20th and early 21st centurys greatest poetic voices to the university.

This series has provided an opportunity for the community at large to hear distinguished poets in a pleasant atmosphere, said Baird. Many who come to the event do not go to any other poetry reading in a given year.

McGraths other poetry collections include Capitalism (1990); American Noise (1994); Florida Poems (2002); Pax Atomica (2005); Seven Notebooks (2007); and his most recent, In the Kingdom of the Sea Monkeys (2012).

In addition to the Kingsley Tufts Poetry award, McGraths work has earned the Pushcart Prize, the Academy of American Poets Prize and the Cohen Award. In 2011, he was named a fellow of United States Artists.

McGrath lives in Miami Beach, Florida, and teaches creative writing at Florida International University. His former students include award-winning poet Emma Trelles and Richard Blanco, who in 2013 became only the fifth poet to read at a U.S. presidential inauguration.
World Series Game 3 postponed due to rain in Philly

Rain is moving into Philadelphia and it could impact Game 3 of the World Series
Administrators are seeking a buyer for the business and assets of an inflatable hot tub and accessories retailer. Clever Company Ltd, which is based in Widnes and Runcorn, fell into administration after seeing demand for its products fall over recent months. The company had seen increased demand during the COVID-19 pandemic, but this has softened as a result of factors including rising energy c...continue reading
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The domestic have set their eyes on the under-served Rs 2,000-crore annual market in the Northeast and will explore opportunities to ship products to neighbouring markets such as Myanmar and Bhutan from the region. claims that most auto parts sold in the Northeast are not genuine.
The Delhi High Court (HC) on Monday stayed the execution of non-bailable arrest warrants issued by a trial court against three executives of real estate firm  chairman Ramesh Chandra and managing directors Ajay Chandra and Sanjay Chandra.
Healthians.com, a diagnostic and wellness start-up, has raised $3 million (around Rs 20 crore) in Series A Round of funding led by BEENEXT along with Digital Garage, BEENOS and others.
in India are exploring the idea of setting up offline stores in smaller towns as they look to grow their customer base and improve logistics in the unmapped areas.
The Competition Commission of India (CCI) has given its green light to the multi-layered reorganisation involving Fortis group .

Under the deal, Fortis will be carrying out the rejig that involves three entities -- (FHL), Fortis Malar Hospitals Ltd (FMHL) and SRL Ltd (SRL).

In a tweet on Monday, the CCI said it has approved the "combination involving internal reorganisation of the Fortis group".

According to the notice submitted to the fair trade regulator, there would be three "inter-linked and inter-dependent" steps under the rejig.

FMHL will be off-loading its healthcare business to FHL as a slump sale on a going concern basis for a certain consideration. Then, FHL will demerge its diagnostics business as well as investment/shareholding in SRL into FMHL, according to the notice.

In the final step, SRL will be amalgamated into FMHL following which the latter's name will be changed to SRL Ltd.

The composite scheme was cleared by the respective boards of the three in August.

Besides, the watchdog has cleared RPG Life Sciences' acquisition of assets of Sun Pharmaceutical Industries and Sun Pharma Laboratories.

Separately, CCI has approved the transfer of Raghunathpur power plant to the new joint-venture (JV) between NLC India and Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC).

DVC will be transferring the 1,200 Mw Raghunathpur power plant in West Bengal to the JV. This will be done as a slump sale on a going concern basis.
The 78-year-old Indian businessman Ratan Tata has written a letter, on Monday, to the employees of Tata Group, informing them that in the interest of the stability of and reassurance to the India's largest conglomerate, he is returning as chairman.
In this file photo of Ratan Tata (Left) with Cyrus Mistry. Tata Sons on Monday removed Cyrus Mistry as its Chairman, nearly 4 years after he took over the reins of the group. Tata makes a comeback, taking over as the company's interim boss for 4 months.
You want a trip to Philip Morris International Inc. to feel like a visit to Marlboro Country. But the companys Swiss research centre, aka the Cube, just won't play along. Perched above crystalline Lake Neuchatel, southwest of Zurich, the glass hexahedron holds secrets to a future when, Philip Morris says, the world will be blissfully smoke-free. Thats right: Philip Morris, of all companies, is telling smokers to quit. Here, beyond the sun-dappled reflecting pool, scientists in lab coats are searching for the Big Tobaccos magic bullet: cigarette substitutes that will ...
Motilal Oswal Private Equity Advisors Pvt Ltd (MOPE) has announced that its India Business Excellence Fund-II and India Business Excellence Fund-IIA have invested Rs 110 crore for a minority stake in Ice Creams Pvt Ltd (Dairy Day), a Bengaluru-based company engaged in the business of manufacturing and selling ice creams and frozen desserts.
Mobile wallet company is likely to miss the Diwali target for commercial launch of its payments bank as it is still awaiting the final clearance from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).
For those who have little knowledge about stock market trading and investing, getting started is the greatest hurdle. That is the gap that Trakinvest, a Singapore-based company started by Bobby Bhatia, an Indian-born former AIG and JP Morgan executive, looks to fill in.


Indias third largest software exporter, Wipro, has taken the design and user experience capabilities from Designit, the Danish design firm it acquired last year, in the so-called digital space to larger customers globally. Now, it wants to replicate this model in other acquisitions such as HealthPlan Services and Appirio.
In a sudden move, Tata trusts on Monday replaced as the chairman of Tata Sons. Chairman Emeritus Ratan Tata was recalled as the interim chairman and a selection committee was set up to get on board a new chairman within four months.
An plane, carrying 108 passengers and crew members onboard, on Sunday made an emergency landing at the Indira Gandhi International airport in the capital after its tyre burst while taking off from Udaipur.

The aircraft (Airbus 319 operating as flight no AI-472) took off around 7:20 PM from Udaipur's Maharana Pratap international Airport and just before it took to the skies, a loud bang was heard, officials said.

The incident was witnessed by CISF's watch tower unit at Udaipur and immediately, the air traffic control (ATC) tower was intimated, they said.

An inspection team was immediately rushed to the tarmac, who found fragments of tyre on the runway following which the pilot of the plane was alerted and also the Delhi airport, for a possible emergency landing.

"The flight, however, landed safely and all passengers and crew are safe," an spokesperson said, adding there 108 passengers onboard, besides the crew members.
In a landmark victory for female worshippers who are still barred from some of Indias holy places, the Supreme Court on Monday said women will be allowed to enter Mumbai's iconic in a month.





The Haji Ali Trust informed the apex court that the access route for women to inner sanctum will be ready in two weeks.
Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), are likely to implement a 5% increase in their total student intake from the next academic session, but do these these premier engineering colleges have enough teachers or hostels to achieve the government's targets of admitting 1 lakh students in 23 IITs by 2020?
students on Sunday staged a noisy protest outside Vice Chancellor M. Jagadesh Kumar's house in New Delhi demanding to know the whereabouts of a student who went missing nine days ago.



Meanwhile, the Vice-Chancellor M. Jagadesh Kumar resorted to Twitter to pacify the students.

Tracing Najeeb is the job of the Police. I will meet Police Commissioner tomorrow. Please stop this and come forward to find Najeeb, the V-C tweeted.

The students started their protest from the Administrative Block of the campus in the form of a human chain and proceeded to Kumar's house within the university.

The students want the university to play a more active role to trace Najeeb Ahmed and take appropriate action against alleged ABVP members who assaulted him before he disappeared on the night of October 14.

"We are protesting against the disingenuous stance adopted by the VC. He is not serious about the whole affair and hiding behind technicalities. Even the missing complaint was filed by Najeeb's parents," Birsa Ambedkar Phule Student Association (BAPSA) President Bhupali Magare told IANS.

"We want the VC to first bring to book the students who were part of the mob that attacked Najeeb," she added.

Ahmed went missing from a university hostel after a brawl with suspected ABVP students.

The findings of an inquiry launched by the administration are likely to be revealed on Monday, Magare told IANS.

The Vice Chancellor took to Twitter to ask the students to call off their agitation.

"Tracing Najeeb is the job of Police. I will meet Police Commissioner tomorrow. Please stop this and come forward to find Najeeb," he tweeted.

Kumar said he was doing all he could to trace Najeeb.

--IANS

vn/nir/mr
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday reached out to the women of Uttar Pradesh. In his first comments on the issue, the PM said lives of Muslim women cannot be ruined by . He also said a Hindu who commits female foeticide should go to jail.
The Green Tribunal (NGT) issued a notice on Monday to a non-government body, for the latter to reply to a charge that it was acting secretly on behalf of the glass industry in seeking a ban on the use of PET (polyethylene terephthalate) packaging for medicinal products.
Home Minister on Monday took stock of the situation along the International Border near Jammu where one Border Security Force (BSF) jawan was killed and three others were injured following heavy shelling and firing by Pakistani forces.

Singh, who is Bahrain on a three-day tour, spoke over phone with Director General of BSF K K Sharma, who briefed the home minister about the situation along the International Border.

"Spoke to DG BSF who apprised me of the situation in border areas of Jammu region. The BSF is capable of giving befitting reply," Singh tweeted.

"I salute the bravery and sacrifice of BSF jawan Sushil Kumar who was martyred in RS Pura sector of Jammu region last night," Singh added.

The BSF jawan was killed and three others were injured as Pakistani troops violated the ceasefire, resorting to heavy shelling and firing from automatic weapons in several sectors along the International Border in Jammu district.

There have been over 40 incidents of ceasefire violations by Pakistani troops since India carried out surgical strikes in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir after the Uri terror attack in which 19 Indian soldiers were killed.
The Supreme Court on Monday issued notice to RJD strongman Mohammad on a plea by two petitioners, seeking his transfer from Siwan jail to Tihar Jail in Delhi.

The two petitioners  Chandrakeshwar Prasad and Asha Ranjan  also want his trial to be held via video-conferencing.

Chandrakeshwar Prasad's two sons were abducted and murdered, for which was convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment, and for the murder of his third son Rajiv Roshan, the former RJD MLA from Siwan is facing trial.

Asha Ranjan is the widow of a journalist, who too was allegedly killed by henchmen of . This case is being investigated by the CBI and the investigating agency on Monday submitted the status report on its investigations.

Issuing the notice to Shahabuddin, the bench of Justice Dipak Misra and Justice Amitava Roy recorded the submission by senior counsel Dushyant Dave, telling the bench that Chandrakeshwar Prasad's third son Rajiv Roshan was killed two days before he was to give evidence against Shahabuddin in the case of murder of his brothers.

Rajiv Roshan was the sole eyewitness to the murder of his two brothers.

The bench was told that if Shahabuddin is allowed "to be a catalyst or a motivator in the crimes by operating from jail, the justice for which victims in 45 cases are crying, would face incurable hazard and jeopardy".

Of the 45 cases pending against Shahabuddin, 44 are in Bihar and one in Jharkhand.

Seeking shifting of Shahabuddin from Siwan Jail to Tihar Jail, the bench was told that "when a person goes beyond the bounds of law and becomes a history-sheeter, the court is required to pass appropriate orders" in the interest of the society.

Dave referred to the case of Rajesh Ranjan alias Pappu Yadav, who on the direction of the top court, was moved from a Bihar jail to Tihar Jail and his trial was held through video-conferencing.

The Centre and the Bihar government have also been sent the notice regarding the plea for his shifting to Tihar Jail.

The Supreme Court had on September 30 ordered former RJD MLA Shahabuddin back in jail in the Rajiv Roshan murder case, as it set aside the Patna High Court order granting him bail.

While setting aside the high court order, the apex court had pointed to the need for balancing consideration for individual liberty with societal interests.
Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has initiated a probe, sources said, into a near miss incident between SpiceJet's Hyderabad-bound plane from Goa and a GoAir aircraft operating on Nagpur-Mumbai route in Goa airspace on Saturday, according to media reports.
In a blow to the Naxalites, at least two top Maoist leaders carrying a reward of Rs 20 lakh each on their heads were suspected to be among the 21 killed in an exchange of fire with security forces on the Andhra-Odisha border on Monday.

Two senior commandos of Greyhounds, AP's elite anti-Naxal force, were also injured in the exchange of fire and were airlifted to Visakhapatnam for treatment.

Sources said Gajarla Ravi alias Uday and Chalapati, two high-ranking leaders, were suspected to be among those killed in the encounter that occurred during a routine combing operation being jointly carried out by police of both the states at Ramgurha in Malkangiri district of Odisha.

One Munna, son of Maoist top leader Ramakrishna, was also said to be among the casualties.

Besides 15 men, some women were also said to be among those killed in the face-off which lasted for almost an hour early this morning.

When asked about this, a top-ranking police official said "it could be" but did not wish to comment further.

Police recovered four AK-47 rifles from the scene of the encounter, where a Maoist den was also found.

"A large haul of weapons like AK47s and self-loading rifles (SLRs) indicates clearly that it is a case where state-level leaders could be present. Unless we identify them, we can't exactly tell who is there," Andhra Pradesh Director General of Police (in charge) Nanduri Sambasiva Rao said.

"It was a joint operation by AP and Odisha security forces. Police special parties were attacked with AK-47 rifles, SLRs and other weapons and this is what happened when they acted in self-defence," Sambasiva Rao said.

"If there is any injured Naxal, we will airlift them as well. We are more interested in evacuating the police force and special parties and also Naxals if anybody is injured," the DGP (in charge) added.

"We are in touch with the Odisha state police and we will take their cooperation (in the evacuation).We think the operation is over," he said.
Ignoring the salvos being fired at him by the loyalists of Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh for the last two days, Himachal Pradesh Congress chief Sukhvinder Singh Sukkhu on Monday said the party would achieve its 'Mission Repeat' in the 2017 Assembly polls under the guidance of Virbhadra.

Addressing the General House of Himachal Pradesh Congress Committee (HPCC), he said, "Our only goal is to make Mission Repeat successful in the next Assembly polls under the leadership of Virbhadra Singh and we have no doubt that it would be achieved."

Sukkhu said the next General House meeting would be convened at Dharamsala and a "massive rally" would be taken out to hail the achievements of the state government.

Another rally would be taken out in Kangra district on the completion of four years of the Congress government in the state on December 25, he added.

Sukkhu claimed that the 'Modi ke Bol, Jumle ke Dhol' campaign to expose the the NDA government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi was a "great success" and added that all the anti-corruption laws in the country were enacted by the Congress governments and Modi had "no role" in it.

Speaking at the meeting, Virbhadra claimed that his government had implemented "90 per cent" of its poll promises and that the government and the party were "working together".

However, he opined that state Congress chiefs should be "elected" as it would strengthen the party.

Congress general secretary Ambika Soni called upon the party workers to "remain united" to achieve Mission Repeat and ensure that the party retained power in the state.

She said there would be no quota system in allocation of party tickets and only those with a "clean image" would get them.

Deputy Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Anand Sharma said the coordination between the party and the state government was "good" and asked the workers to "expose the failures" of the NDA government.

He said it was a "matter of concern" that the RSS was "trying to control" the educational institutions.
Environmental groups such as and other international NGOs working in India had sought US government intervention after their funding came under increased scrutiny of the Modi government, according to emails released by the Wikileaks.


Representatives of over 120 organisations from 20 states will gather at Jantar Mantar here on Monday to demand a ban on commercial release of genetically modified (GM) mustard.
from India might cross 700,000 tonnes during 2016-17 as the crop size is expected to increase 70 per cent on the back of good monsoons. In 2015-16, India had exported 537,888 tonnes of groundnut.
output in 2016-17 is likely to rise by 3.8 per cent in from a year ago due to a sharp increase in yield following a favourable monsoon.
Creating a vibrant ecosystem for institutional arbitration is one of the foremost priorities of the government, which is committed to providing ease of doing business, Prime Minister said here on Sunday.

"Creation of a vibrant ecosystem for institutional arbitration is one of the foremost priorities of our government. It has recently introduced major amendments to the Arbitration and Conciliation Act to ensure that the arbitration process is easy, timely and hassle-free," Modi said at the closing session of a three-day international conference on National Initiative Towards Strengthening Arbitration and Enforcement in India.

"These amendments have brought our arbitration process in tune with global best practices. This has given us an opportunity to emerge as a leading arbitration jurisdiction," he said.

Modi said that India should be promoted globally as an arbitration hub.

"India also has a large number of retired judges, engineers, and scientists who can function as competent arbitrators in various fields... There is need to develop specialised arbitration bar associations. We also need professionally run arbitral institutions which can deliver international standards of services at reasonable costs to businesses in India," he said.

Modi pointed out the challenges, which include availability of good quality, globally recognised arbitrators, observance of professional conduct, ensuring neutrality and timely completion of proceedings and cost effectiveness.

He said the availability of quality arbitration mechanisms is an integral component of ease of doing business.

"Hong Kong and Singapore have emerged as preferred arbitration destinations. As popular business hubs, they also rank high in the levels of ease of doing business. Thus, availability of quality arbitration mechanisms is an integral component of ease of doing business, to which our government is committed," he said.

He stressed the need to "simultaneously facilitate an ecosystem for alternate dispute resolution", including arbitration, mediation and conciliation.

"An enabling alternate dispute resolution ecosystem is a national priority for India," Modi said, adding that such resolution of disputes "preserve personal and business relationships that might otherwise be damaged by the adversarial process".

"This will provide additional comfort to investors and businesses. More importantly, it will also ease the case-load on Indian courts," he said.

Modi said there should be deliberations on ways and means to supplement the efforts of the judiciary and arbitration mechanisms.

"Mediation is one such mechanism, the potential of which has not been utilised much in the country," Modi said.
Trick-or-treating is great all by itself, but trick-or-treating with the added bonus of raising money for refugee children around the world? Now that's just ghoulishly delightful. Join in the altruistic fun on Saturday, Oct. 29 , from 3-5pm at the Albuquerque Center for Peace and Justice . All are welcome to enjoy snacks and cider and participate in the costume parade. Admission is free but donations of $5-$25 are requested as all proceeds will go to the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF). Let's spread the joy around the globe. (Renee Chavez)

Trick-or-treat in costume, enjoy snacks, cider, costume parades and Halloween fun while raising money for refugee children across the world.

Trick-or-Treat-for-UNICEF Party to Raise Money for Refugee Children

Saturday, October 29, 3-5pm

The Albuquerque Chapter of the United Nations Association will host a Trick-or-Treat-for-UNICEF party Saturday, October 29, 3-5pm at the Peace Center.

The event will also celebrate the 71st anniversary of the founding of the United Nations (October 24, 1945) and raise money to support UNICEFs work helping refugee children. Today, as at its founding, the United Nations is working to provide peaceful alternatives to violence, to shelter refugees and to improve the quality of life for people all over the world. Its a formidable job.

The U.N.'s refugee agency reports that the number of displaced people is at its highest ever -- surpassing even post- World War II numbers, when the world was struggling to come to terms with the most devastating event in history. The total at the end of 2015 reached 65.3 million -- or one out of every 113 people on Earth, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). The number represents a 5.8 million increase on the year before.

Students, community members, families and kids of all ages are invited to come in costume, enjoy some snacks, cider, costume parades and Halloween fun. There is no charge for admission. However, guests are asked to contribute what you can to the big UNICEF jar at the center of the party (donations from $5-$25 [or more] per attendee will be greatly appreciated). UNICEF, the United Nations Childrens Fund, will use all the money raised to help refugee children around the world. People who want to do more, may sign up to receive a Trick-or-Treat-for-UNICEF box to collect more donations for UNICEF over Halloween and return them to the Albuquerque Chapter after Halloween.

For more info, check out the UNA Albuquerque Chapter: www.facebook.com/unaabq or una.in.abq@gmail.com
The data breach that has led to an estimated 3.2 million debit cards getting compromised is only a small manifestation of a larger malaise called cyber crime. The breach occurred due to an introduction of malware in the network of a third-party payment processor.
The Reserve Bank of India has taken complete charge of monitoring and to prevent further damage to the banking system as the data of 3.2 million cards have been compromised.
With public-sector banks finding it tough to get new promoters for companies in which they have gone for strategic debt restructuring (SDRs), Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said on Monday that the lenders would take ownership of stressed assets in steel, power and shipping sectors. Besides, public-sector undertakings (PSUs) such as NTPC and SAIL would be roped in to manage the stressed assets of banks.

Jaitley, however, stressed that this was not nationalisation.

The move is part of the governments effort to clean up the banking sector, which is facing mounting bad loans. This was discussed at the meeting of heads of key banks and PSUs with the finance minister and finance ministry officials. Before the meeting, the bankers met Steel Secretary Aruna Sharma separately to discuss issues related to bad debts in the steel sector.

According to the mechanism discussed, banks will invoke powers under the contract and convert part of the debt into equity, said Jaitley after the meeting.

They will then take up control of these units and appoint a management team to deal with the bad loans, according to the discussion.

Today, one of the legitimate problems is that whenever some asset is put out, there are no takers. So, takers will be created, he added.

Working and retired PSU executives might be appointed to manage these assets for a certain period of time.

Chairpersons of three important PSUs  NTPC, SAIL and Cochin Shipyard  were present (at the meeting). The idea is to involve the management team of certain established and successful PSUs in certain sectors to operate some of the plans as an interim mechanism, said Jaitley.

Power, steel and shipping sectors account for the bulk of gross non-performing assets (NPAs), which surged to 9.32 per cent (Rs 4.76 lakh crore) in 2015-16, from 5.43 per cent (Rs 2.67 lakh crore) in 2014-15. Besides officials in the finance ministry, the meeting was attended by key officials of the Prime Ministers Office, the ministries of steel, power and shipping, and chairpersons of SAIL, NTPC, and Cochin Shipyard. The heads of key banks, including Arundhati Bhattacharya of State Bank of India and Chanda Kochhar of ICICI Bank were part of the hour-long meeting.

Under SDR, banks, which have given loans to a corporate borrower, get the right to convert the full or part of the loans into equity shares in the company concerned.

The liberalised scheme for sustainable structuring of stressed assets (S4A) enables bank to convert unsustainable debt into equity or related instruments. The secretaries of the ministries concerned have been asked to coordinate between banks and the PSUs concerned.

More discussions will go into it, but I think theyll start immediately. The government has already taken a series of steps. In some cases, we have already seen exits to lower debts and make them more sustainable. The Overseeing Committee is dealing with some cases, which have now arisen on account of various steps that have been taken, he said.

A two-member Overseeing Committee, which includes former State Bank of India chairman Janki Ballabh and former chief vigilance commissioner Pradeep Kumar, has been set up by the Indian Banks Association in consultation with both the Reserve Bank of India and vigilance and investigating agencies, to settle NPAs in a prudent and transparent manner.

Jaitley had last week said that banks should enforce their right and recover dues in the larger interest of the economy.

The problem of NPAs is the next big challenge as far as Indian economy is concerned. We are now coming to a stage when a lot of effective steps  both legislative and in terms of policy  have been taken, he had said.
CSCS in J&K to get state services assures Minister for Electronic & IT

Union Minister of Electronic & IT and Law & Justice, Sh Ravi Shankar Prasad today assured the CSCs operating in the State of Jammu & Kashmir that the Central Government will insure that all state services are delivered by the CSCs. He said that he would personally take up the issue with the Chief Minister of J&K, Ms. Mehbooba Mufti. On the occasion he also launched two new G2C services of election and Police recruitment through CSCs. More services will be added enabling more business opportunities for the CSC entrepreneurs.

He said Governments focus is on enabling e-Swaraj at the Panchayat level, resulting in enlightened and empowered society which can actively participate in nation building. He said so far 46 lakh person have been certified, under Saksharta Abhiyan six crore persons would be trained in the next three years. Common Services Centers will play a significant role in enabling this. Such a large scale programme in this time frame has never been envisaged in the world. All CSCs are being enabled to undertake banking, insurance and pension schemes. PMJDY has been a unique initiative in the country. CSCs through these government initiatives would help in creating a financially empowered society. Mr Prasad said VLEs are well placed to give Indias Digital Programme the most needed push and ensure that rural India is an equal beneficiary. It is time for our enterprising VLEs to rise up to the challenge and bring in a digital revolution in the State, he said. An entrepreneurial VLE has the power to empower the village community he/she serves. I understand that some VLEs namely Akbar Ali, Tanuja Raichuria and Gokul Saini from Uttar Pradesh, Chattisgarh & Rajasthan have shared their journey of creating rural employment through CSCs. Such examples are many and I am expecting that VLEs in J&K would create sustainable entities and set examples for others. He said Digital India is a flagship programme of the Government of India to transform the country into a digitally empowered society and a leading knowledge economy. Digital India is aimed at closing the digital divide and ensuring that the advantages of information and communication technology are harnessed to empower citizens, especially those living in rural areas. Mr Prasad said that the NDA government is working to provide at least one CSC in every Panchayat. This he said would ensure that villages benefit equally from the ongoing Digital revolution. He said Common Services Centers are an integral part of this ambitious mission and provide the last mile delivery point through digital connectivity to translate the dream of Digital India into a reality. The CSCs have grown multi-fold in numbers. Around 2.35 lakh CSCs are now operational across India, of which 1.48 lakh are in Gram Panchayats. Our effort is to enable at least one CSC in every Gram Panchayat. Jammu & Kashmir has 6261 Panchayats. However, only 542 Panchayats are covered. The total number of CSCs in J&K is 1983. The Minister said that unemployment among youth in rural areas of Jammu & Kashmir is a major concern to all. Nearly ten thousand CSCs that are operating in the State now can generate employment to the tune of 60 to 70 thousand positions. He appeal to the State Government to expedite the process of enabling setting up of CSCs in all Panchayats and in urban areas of J&K State. Besides creating employment opportunities in J&K, All CSC SPV in the State have been directed to initiate skilling programmes for enabling self-employment in rural areas. Eight (8) skilling programmes have already been launched namely Air-conditioning, Assistant motorcycle mechanic, Assistant scooter mechanic, Basic electrician, Basic engineering drawing, Cyber wellness, Fitting foundation, Introduction to computer hardware & troubleshooting. Our Governments focus has been to use ICT for creating rural employment opportunities. CSC has also started computer assembling and LED bulb manufacturing for rural employment. We would emphasize the need for enabling J&K youth to take self-employment in computer related areas. It is also the vision of our Honble Prime Minister that every youth in J&K should have computer and computing devices to get empowerment & employment. NNK/MD

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Shri Rajnath Singh hold talks with his Bahrain counterpart

The Union Home Minister Shri Rajnath Singh has said that India and Bahrain, both the countries, are vulnerable to the scourge of terrorism. Shri Rajnath Singh, who is on a 3-day visit to Bahrain, said this during his bilateral meeting with Interior Minister of Bahrain Lt. General Shaikh Rashid bin Abdulla Al Khalifa in capital Manama today.

Expressing his concern over the terrorism, he said that the terrorism constitutes the greatest threat to humanity since World War II. There are no good or bad terrorists, he added. Shri Rajnath Singh said that terrorism should be dealt in a comprehensive manner. Segmented and partial approaches as adopted by some of the countries have been unsuccessful in countering terrorism, he added.

Shri Rajnath Singh thanked Bahraini leadership for condemning the recent terrorist attack in Uri in September and the Pathankot airbase attack in January this year. He said that it is a matter of satisfaction that the world opinion is with India in its resolution to dismantle the launching pads of terrorism from across the border.

Shri Rajnath Singh expressed happiness over the fact that the bilateral Security Dialogue at the Deputy NSA level has now been institutionalized. The second round was held in New Delhi last week, he added.

The Home Minister said that signing of agreement for Cooperation in combating international terrorism, transnational organized crime and trafficking in illicit drugs, narcotic and psychotropic substances and precursors chemicals has laid strong foundation for enhanced security/counter-terrorism cooperation between the two countries. He also said that India would like to enhance ties with Bahraini defence and security establishment.

Shri Rajnath Singh said that India is keen to strengthen trade and investment ties with Bahrain and avail of the strategic location of Bahrain as a "gateway" to the GCC market. While our bilateral trade is healthy and has reached about US$ one billion, there is still a huge potential to further expand it, he added.

Shri Rajnath Singh said that the presence of a large Indian community in Bahrain constitutes an important link between our two countries. Indians are the largest expatriate community in Bahrain, he added. He thanked the Bahraini authorities for launching the Little India in Bahrain. This is a praiseworthy gesture towards India and Indian community and will promote Indian culture in Bahrain, the Home Minister said.

During the meeting, he said that ties between the two countries go back many centuries and are based on mutual trust and respect. Both enjoy warm, close and multi-faceted relations between our two countries underpinned by cultural, religious and economic linkages, he added.

On the first day of his visit yesterday, Shri Rajnath Singh interacted with the Indian community at Indian School Bahrain, Isa Town. He said that Bahrain had supported India on many occasions and India will reciprocate the same to Bahrain, more than what Bahrain has given to India.
Top Naval Commanders to meet in New Delhi

A three day Naval Commanders Conference is scheduled to be held at New Delhi from 25-27 Oct 16. The Conference is an opportunity for the top-level leadership of the Navy to review the prevailing as well as emerging operational and functional issues.

The Conference assumes greater significance in the backdrop of recent events that have brought issues related to the countrys defence under sharper focus. Indian Navy, like the other two Armed Forces, is required to maintain a high degree of operational preparedness to deter or neutralise any threat aimed at the countrys sovereignty and territorial integrity.

On a broader canvas, the overall security situation in the Indo-Pacific region requires the Indian Navy to promote and protect national interests across Indias extended maritime neighbourhood. The Commanders Conference would be utilised by the Operational Commanders to examine and analyse different paradigms related to operations, training and resource-availability for meeting the wide range of taskings and expectations.

The Honble Minister of Defence is scheduled to address and interact with the Naval Commanders on the opening day of the Conference. The Conference will also be used as a platform for institutionalised interaction between the naval top-brass and other government officials.

As part of Navys future force-level planning, the Conference will examine a series of measures under the Make in India scheme and recommend ways to further indigenise defence procurements, in order to overcome the major challenges being faced. The Commanders would also delve on the Navys roadmap for the future, including key technology enablers, improved logistics and digitisation.

The progress of activities in 2016, which was earmarked as the Year of the Civilian Personnel, will be further reviewed during the Conference.

DKS/AC
Brazilian aerospace conglomerate Embraer on Monday announced reaching a settlement with the US and Brazilian authorities in the ongoing corruption investigation against it.

The terms of settlement include payment of $206 million to the authorities, and an external and independent monitorship for up to three years, to ensure full compliance with the settlement terms, according to a statement from Embraer.

An internal enquiry done by Embraer determined that the company is "responsible for misdeeds in four transactions between 2007 and 2011 in Saudi Arabia, India, Mozambique and the Dominican Republic", it said.

The transactions involved the sale of 16 aircraft, it added.

"The company has also agreed to payments in an aggregate amount of close to $206 million to the US and Brazilian authorities. The settlement further provides that as long as the terms of the agreements are fully honoured, no charges will be brought against the company," the statement said.

It added that the inquiry began in 2010 when Embraer was questioned by American authorities regarding potential non-conformities related to certain commercial transactions abroad.

"The company then undertook a wide internal investigation, led independently by external law firms.

"From the beginning, Embraer took the matter seriously and fully cooperated with the investigation. As events unfolded, the company voluntarily expanded its scope and shared the results with the appropriate authorities," the company said.

It added that as part of its commitment to disclose material information to investors, the company has reported the progress of the investigations to the financial markets and to the regulatory agencies in and the United States.

"The company recently concluded its internal investigation after six years of intensive effort. Hundreds of thousands of documents were analysed and more than 100 interviews with employees and third parties were conducted," it said.

The statement added that the company "acknowledges responsibility for the conduct of its employees and agents according to the facts ascertained in the investigation. Embraer deeply regrets this conduct.

"The company has learned from this experience and will be stronger as it moves forward and continues its nearly 50 years of successful existence in which it has delivered more than 8,000 aircraft in over 90 countries."

The Brazilian Federal Prosecution Service has been conducting its own investigations in parallel and is filing lawsuits against certain individuals. Embraer said it is not party to these lawsuits.

In India, CBI is probing the deal for Embraer aircarft.

In 2008, Embraer sold three EMB 145 AEW&C (Airborne Early Warning & Control) aircraft to the government of India. The deal was worth $208 million.

The Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO) had also sought explanation from Embraer over alleged kickback payment in a deal for aircraft, injured during the UPA regime.

The issue was brought to the fore after a report in a Brazilian newspaper that said investigations have been opened by the government of the United States to establish whether Embraer paid bribes in order to obtain contracts abroad.

According to the report, the company has been under investigation by the United States Justice Department since 2010 when a contract with the Dominican Republic raised the Americans' suspicions. Since then, the investigation has widened to examine business dealings with eight more countries, including India and Saudi Arabia.
A Chinese conglomerate has agreed to buy the insurer Genworth Financial of Virginia for $2.7 billion, in the latest example of Asian firms buying American insurance .
Supporting Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump's vision on immigration and terrorism, prominent Indian-Americans have said the mood in the US is "anti-establishment" and the country cannot afford any more of Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton's "bad judgements".
Oil halted its advance near $50 a barrel as Iraq threatened to derail Opecs plan to stabilise crude markets by saying it should be exempt from planned output cuts. Prices slid as much as 0.9 per cent in New York after rising 0.4 per cent on Friday. Iraq should be exempted from trimming production because its embroiled in a war with Islamic militants, Oil Minister Jabbar Al-Luaibi said Sunday at a news conference in Baghdad. Rigs targeting crude in the US rose for an eighth week to the highest level since February, according to Baker Hughes. Oil has fluctuated near $50 a barrel ...
Authorities in have frozen bank accounts with more than Rs 400 million of over 5,100 terror suspects, including JeM chief Masood Azhar who is under "protective custody" after the terror attack on the Pathankot air base, officials said.

"Following a request of the Ministry of Interior, we have frozen accounts of all top suspected terrorists, including Masood Azhar, son of Allah Bux," said a senior official of the State Bank of (SBP) who is part of a team monitoring the progress pertaining to this matter.

The interior ministry sent three different lists of thousands of suspects, including kingpins of some proscribed organisations, The News quoted the official as saying.

Around 1,200 suspects whose accounts were frozen by SBP were listed in category 'A' of the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997, a term used for terrorists put on exceptional risk or high risk, the paper reported.

Azhar has been included in the list's top suspects whose accounts were frozen by the SBP, said officials of the Ministry of Interior and SBP.

"Azhar's name was listed in category 'A' of the 4th Schedule," the paper quoted officials as saying.

"It happened since the government put the JeM chief under 'protective custody' of security agencies after terrorists attacked the Pathankot Airbase," the officials said.

After the attack on the airbase in Pathankot in January, India had in February written to the UN calling for immediate action to list Azhar under the UN Sanctions Committee.

The National Counterterrorism Authority (Nacta) sent around 5,500 names to the SBP earlier this month, they said.

National Coordinator Nacta Ihsan Ghani confirmed that over 5,000 accounts of suspects have been frozen by the SBP.

"These accounts hold net amount worth Rs 400 million," he said. About Azhar's accounts, Ghani said he would revert with latest updates later this week.

"More than 3,078 accounts of suspects whose accounts were frozen belonged to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Fata, 1,443 from Punjab, 226 from Sindh, 193 from Balochistan, 106 from Gilgit-Baltistan and 27 from the Islamabad Capital Territory," the paper said, adding that 26 suspects belonged to Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

Accounts of other suspects such as cleric of Islamabad's Lal Masjid Maulana Aziz, Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat leaders Maulvi Ahmed Ludhianvi and Aurangzeb Faroogi, Matiur Rehman of al-Qaeda, Mansoor alias Ibrahim of Tehreek-e-Taliban and Qari Ehsan alias Ustad Huzaifa and Ramzan Mengal of Lashkar-e- Jhangvi were also frozen, the paper added.Authorities in have frozen bank accounts with more than Rs 400 million of over 5,100 terror suspects, including JeM chief Masood Azhar who is under "protective custody" after the terror attack on the Pathankot air base, officials said.

"Following a request of the Ministry of Interior, we have frozen accounts of all top suspected terrorists, including Masood Azhar, son of Allah Bux," said a senior official of the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) who is part of a team monitoring the progress pertaining to this matter.

The interior ministry sent three different lists of thousands of suspects, including kingpins of some proscribed organisations, The News quoted the official as saying.

Around 1,200 suspects whose accounts were frozen by SBP were listed in category 'A' of the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997, a term used for terrorists put on exceptional risk or high risk, the paper reported.

Azhar has been included in the list's top suspects whose accounts were frozen by the SBP, said officials of the Ministry of Interior and SBP.

"Azhar's name was listed in category 'A' of the 4th Schedule," the paper quoted officials as saying.

"It happened since the government put the JeM chief under 'protective custody' of security agencies after terrorists attacked the Pathankot Airbase," the officials said.

After the attack on the airbase in Pathankot in January, India had in February written to the UN calling for immediate action to list Azhar under the UN Sanctions Committee.

The National Counterterrorism Authority (Nacta) sent around 5,500 names to the SBP earlier this month, they said.

National Coordinator Nacta Ihsan Ghani confirmed that over 5,000 accounts of suspects have been frozen by the SBP.

"These accounts hold net amount worth Rs 400 million," he said. About Azhar's accounts, Ghani said he would revert with latest updates later this week.

"More than 3,078 accounts of suspects whose accounts were frozen belonged to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Fata, 1,443 from Punjab, 226 from Sindh, 193 from Balochistan, 106 from Gilgit-Baltistan and 27 from the Islamabad Capital Territory," the paper said, adding that 26 suspects belonged to Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

Accounts of other suspects such as cleric of Islamabad's Lal Masjid Maulana Aziz, Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat leaders Maulvi Ahmed Ludhianvi and Aurangzeb Faroogi, Matiur Rehman of al-Qaeda, Mansoor alias Ibrahim of Tehreek-e-Taliban and Qari Ehsan alias Ustad Huzaifa and Ramzan Mengal of Lashkar-e- Jhangvi were also frozen, the paper added.
Representative image of an Iphone and Samsung Note into flames YouTube

Hundreds of South Korean Galaxy Note 7 smartphone owners were preparing on Monday to file a lawsuit against Samsung Electronics over the fire-prone device.

Attorney Peter Young-Yeel Ko, head of the Harvest Law Firm, said as many as 527 consumers want Samsung to compensate for the costs borne by them while visiting shops for replacement of Note 7 phones. Damage claims are being sought, citing prolonged hours of wait during the exchange process and psychological trauma caused due to a hazardous product.

Clients caliming damages include a consumer who alleges he lost thousands of pictures from a family vacation and another who drove an eight-hour round trip to return the phone.

Samsung recalled the Galaxy Note 7 phone because it tends to overheat. It recalled replacement Note 7s as well after finding they were also prone to catch fire, following which the company stopped making or selling them.

The company did not immediately respond to for comments.

Ko, a longtime Samsung phone user, said he had to visit a mobile shop three times after buying the Note 7 in August.

Responding to criticisms over its handling of the recalls, Samsung on Monday announced that Note 7 owners, who switch to Samsung Galaxy S7 or S7 Edge smartphones, can get a 50 percent discount if they decide to upgrade to Galaxy S8 or Note 8 next year.

Samsung earlier offered 30,000 won (USD 26) worth of coupons for all Note 7 users. Those switching to other Samsung phones were offered coupons worth 70,000 won (USD 62).

Kim Chae Yong, who joined the lawsuit, said he spent nearly USD 100 on gas and highway fees to return a Note 7 phone after the first recall.

Kim drove about 300 kilometers from home to Busan, where he had bought the Note 7. "I feel betrayed," the 26-year-old plant engineer said, adding he was angry and did not want to use the debvce again.
America's top diplomat for Asia said on Monday that Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte's controversial remarks and a "real climate of uncertainty" about his government's intentions have sparked distress in the United States (US) and other countries.

Daniel Russel, the Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific affairs, said he also relayed to Philippine Foreign Secretary Perfecto Yasay Jr concern over continuing killings under Duterte's crackdown against illegal drugs.

Russel's visit to the Philippines, part of a three-nation trip to Southeast Asia, comes amid increasing uncertainty about Washington's treaty alliance with Manila.

The brash Duterte, who took office on June 30, has displayed antagonism towards America, declaring his desire to scale back military engagements with the US and telling President Barack Obama "to go to hell."

Duterte's administration, however, has not formalised his public declarations to remove US counter-terrorism forces from the volatile southern Philippines and stop large-scale joint exercises involving American forces, creating confusion even among his Cabinet officials.

In a major walk-around, Duterte sparked diplomatic alarm when he announced a "separation" with the US during a state visit to Beijing last week .

Upon returning home a day after his remarks, Duterte said he did not mean he was severing diplomatic ties with Washington but wanted to end a foreign policy that's overly oriented toward the US.

"I've pointed out to Secretary Yasay that the succession of controversial statements, comments and a real climate of uncertainty about the Philippines' intentions has created consternation in a number of countries, not only in mine," Russel told reporters in Manila after a meeting with Yasay that went overtime.

The unease, Russel said, was also palpable "not only among governments, but also (i)n other communities, in the expat Filipino community, in corporation board rooms as well."

"This is not a positive trend," he said, adding that the US remains committed to continuing a solid alliance with and providing assistance to the Philippines.

Russel said that while Washington welcomes the relaxation of tensions between Manila and Beijing under Duterte, the rapprochement should not come at the expense of the US or other nations.

"It's a mistake to think that improved relations between Manila and Beijing come at the expense of the US," he said. "This should be an addition and not a subtraction."
Shares of public sector undertaking (PSU) were in focus with the S&P BSE PSU index hitting a 52-week high led by frontline stocks that were trading at multi-year highs on Monday.



Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC), Engineers India, Gujarat Mineral Development Corporation (GMDC), Gail (India), Moil, Power Finance Corporation (PFC) and Rural Electrification Corporation (REC) from the index touching their respective 52-week highs today.



At 02:59 pm, the S&P BSE PSU Index was up 1.7% at 7,953, as compared to 0.45% rise in the S&P BSE Sensex. The PSU index hit an intra-day high of 7,963, its highest level since April 20, 2015.



In past one-month, the PSU index has outperformed the market by gaining 5% against 0.4% decline in the benchmark index.



ONGC surged 5% to Rs 294 after the company said the board will meet on October 27, 2016 to consider a proposal of issue of bonus shares.
Import of dore (unrefined gold) has increased and the metals refineries have resumed normal business, with the end of discount in the import price.
On Friday, market expert Ambareesh Baliga, a regular on business television, tweeted: "My Uber cabby recognised me & started discussing stocks. Signs of extended bull run due 2 wider participation or that of an impending crack?"



The tweet generated extraordinary interest, with some ruling party bhakts also getting into action, trying comically to allay fears of a crack. Let us get to those tweets in a bit.
The 'Make of India' programme of the government has spurred strong competition among Indian states in improving the ease of doing in order to attract investments and drive the economies of their regions.

This was stated here today by Mr. Ramesh Abhishek, Secretary, Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP), Government of India, while addressing the 41st Joint Meeting of India-Japan Cooperation Committee (IJBCC).

Mr Abhishek said that as many as 16 states of India had scored over 80% in the World Bank- DIPP ranking of States based on 340 parameters on 'Ease of Doing Business'.

"We are trying to address specific policy issues that would hasten the pace of reforms and remain determined on taking up issues in areas such as infrastructure and taxation to improve the manufacturing competitiveness in States", he emphasized.

The DIPP Secretary said that the landmark goods & services Tax (GST) which will be operational from April 2017 would create a level-playing field for manufacturers in States. Currently, manufacturers have to bear the burden of a large number of state taxes which raises the cost of manufacturing; come April, this will be a thing of the past. GST, he added, would speed up the movement of goods; there will be greater predictability in assured transportation that will bring down the cost of holding inventories.

FICCI, on its, part has decided to open a 'FICCI India Plus' office in Japan, which will be launched soon. The office is expected to be of great help to Japanese companies interested in doing in India and vice versa.

Mr. Amitabh Kant, CEO, NITI Aayog, urged Japanese companies to rapidly move into the Indian market as the process of infrastructure creation and reforms will throw up ample opportunities for investment. Japanese companies, he said, must learn from Maruti's India story which has brought in a culture of manufacturing excellence to India.

He said that in the governance structure in India today there is consistency, clarity and predictability of policy. Evidence of this can be found in the structured changes that have been brought about on business process engineering and the enactment of the bankruptcy law. The India story for Japanese companies has just begun, Mr. Kant said adding that while Japanese companies are over-exposed in China, their future lies in India.

A joint statement issued at the end of the meeting noted that the two sides discussed potential areas of cooperation between India and Japan, such as pharmaceuticals and Information Technology. IJBCC highlighted the issues on market access in these areas, such as the below par share of Indian companies in the Japanese drug market and the low share of India's IT services in the Japanese IT market. The Indian side also sought improvement on the certificate of eligibility for Indian persons intending to obtain business visa for Japan.

To increase two-way investment, it was considered imperative for both India and Japan to proactively address the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RECP) negotiations.

Mr. Onkar S. Kanwar, Chairman, IJBCC and Chairman, Apollo Tyres Ltd., said that agreements for introducing Japanese Shinkansen technology for the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail (MAHSR) Project had been signed. The Shinkansen, known for its speed, reliability and safety, is seen in India as a vehicle to embark on a high-growth trajectory through better connectivity, on the lines of Japan's own transformational half a century ago.

He said that there is also a lot of scope in expanding our trade in services. In Information Technology, India has already emerged as a global hub and has a vast reservoir of intellectual capital. There is a lot of potential for bilateral cooperation in this sphere. The implementation Social Security Agreement between India and Japan from October 1, 2016 will favorably impact the profitability and competitive position of Indian and Japanese companies with foreign operations in either countries by reducing their cost of doing business abroad.

On the occasion, the DIPP Secretary and other dignitaries released a Report on India-Japan: A Snapshot of Economic and Investment Relations by Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas & Co.

Mr. Masami Iijima, Chairman, Japan-India Business Cooperation Committee (JIBCC) and CEO & President, Mitsui & Co. Ltd., in his remarks, pointed out that that Japan and India have called for a special strategic global Partnership and noted that as of October 2015, 1229 Japanese companies have come to India. He said there was an overall improvement in the business environment in India and the passage of the GST Bill in Parliament holds out great hope for making the business environment more friendly.

Mr. Kenji Hiramatsu, Ambassador of Japan to India, said that it was important for Indian companies to establish site offices in Japan and Japanese companies must be convinced of India's efforts at de-regulation of Indian business. He expressed the hope that the Indian Government would continue to strive for improving the business environment and told Japanese companies that this was the most opportune time for them to capture the visible potential that is emerging in India.

Mr. Kenichi Ayukawa, MD & CEO, Maruti Suzuki Ltd., noted that global investors were now focusing their sights on India. His company tries to find common ground to problems faced in this country by endeavoring to understand one another. The landmark taxation reform by way of introduction of the GST next year was the new buzzword which was being keenly watched by businesses around the world.

Mr. Rohit Relan, Co-Chairman, IJBCC and Managing Director, Bharat Seats Limited, said that there were huge opportunities for Japanese companies in India in manufacturing areas such as pharmaceuticals, defence, textiles, chemicals and auto components and "I hope Japanese businesses will take a closer look at these avenues for enhancing their activities and presence in India. I believe the way forward is to break new grounds of cooperation by exploring complementarities in our economic strengths and plan investments accordingly," he said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A combined team of Andhra Pradesh and Odisha police killed at least 21 Maoists, including six women cadres in an encounter near Jantri in the Panasput block of Malkangiri district in Odisha on Monday morning.

Odisha's Director General of Police B K Singh told media that several senior Maoist leaders, including Uday, were killed in the encounter. Two police constables were also critically injured.

The bodies of the deceased Maoists are being air lifted to Chitrakonda in Odisha for post mortem.

Police said that they had acted on a tip-off and added that the Maoist camp was located around 10 kilometres from the Malkangiri district headquarters.

The ultras were said to be resting after a meeting when the encounter took place.

A huge cache of ammunition and weapons, including four AK-47, 3 SLR and ten 303 rifles has been retrieved from the encounter spot. The Malkangiri district police said that a search and combing operation is still going on in the area and extra forces are being sent to the area to intensify the combing operation.

Monday's encounter is the second biggest in Malkangiri district. In September 2013, in the Podia block of the district, thirteen Maoists were eliminated in an encounter with the police.

During the past year, the strength of the Maoists has been on the wane in Malkangiri.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
South District Police raided an illegal casino in the Sainik Farm area of the capital and arrested 36 persons. Police said they had seized tokens valued at nearly Rs 1.37 crore on Sunday.

"One crore thirty six lakh and 45 thousand rupees has been have been recovered in the raid. We have also seized tokens of different values. We have also recovered 13 Indian made and imported liquor bottles. For liquor bottles we are going to launch a separate case. We got an input regarding this and launched a join operation. After getting tip we gathered our team and conducted raid," South Delhi, Deputy Commissioner of Police Ishwar Singh told media here.

DCP Singh also said they also seized 11 luxury cars and a manhunt has been launched for Harnendra Kaushik, the owner of the premises, and Kunal Chandra, the proprietor of the casino.

"Table attendants and proprietors were arrested. We would like to request the court to seal their properties. We have registered a excise act and gambling act case. The property owner is Mr. Harendra Kaushik. He is absconding and we are searching for him. The people whom we have arrested are Bobby ,Montu , Guddu Sunny alias Kunal Chandra," he added.

"Minimum five lakhs has to be deposited to play this game. Our raid took place in the mid-night. We are moving the court requesting that the premises used for the casino be sealed under the Delhi Gambling Act," he said.

Acting on a tip, the casino was raided in Neb Sarai of South Delhi.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
With the United States continuing to put pressure on Islamabad to take action against terrorist forces seeking safe haven in their territory, Pakistan High Commissioner to India Abdul Basit on Monday said his country is ready to take action against the extremist forces provided it is given appropriate evidences on the same.

In an interaction with journalists at the Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies here in capital, Basit asserted that Pakistan has zero tolerance for terrorism and was unnecessarily being blamed for the Uri terror attacks.

"As far as Pakistan is concerned there is zero tolerance for terrorism. When Uri attack was underway, Pakistan was being blamed, when we were not knowing as to what was happening. We didn't know what was happening on ground, and we were referred a terrorist state" Basit said.

He further said that it would be unwise to link Pakistan with the terror attack in which 19 soldiers were killed and called for an international probe before drawing a pre-mature conclusion.

Responding to the further deterioration of India-Pakistan relations after Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif during the 71 st United Nations General Assembly in New York lashed out at Indian forces for the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen chief Burhan Wani, Basit said "We have seen time and again as to how the development in Jammu and Kashmir has affected the Indo-Pak relations. To claim that hundred and thousand who attended Burhan Wani's funeral were instigated by Pakistan is wrong."

Basit emphasised that Pakistan is not shying from discussing the issue of terrorism with India saying, "Let's admit that Jammu and Kashmir continues to be the reason of mistrust between India and Pakistan."

He pointed out that the issue has made both countries mutually antagonistic to each other.

"We need to move from symbolism to substance and from conflict management to conflict resolution. If would serve better purpose if we tone down the rhetoric and build new bridges of trust," he said.

Last week, the United States had asserted that it is working very hard to push Islamabad to take action against terrorist groups that seek safe haven on their soil and territory.

State Department Deputy Spokesperson Mark Toner said in a press conference that another goal of the US is to push for more between Pakistan and India, which will help reduce tensions in the region.

Similarly, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh also cast doubts on Islamabad's intention to fight terrorism mushrooming in its own backyard saying that if Pakistan is serious about fighting terror, then India is ready to help them eradicate it.

"Pakistan has forgotten the difference between terrorists and freedom fighters. Terrorism in India is mostly sponsored from across the border...If Pakistan is serious about fighting terror then we are ready to help them eradicate terror, but their intention is not that," Singh said, referring clearly to the September 18 Uri terror attack.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Blaming Samajwadi Party (SP) Rajya Sabha member Amar Singh for the ongoing family feud and the expulsion of party general secretary Ramgopal Yadav, Maharashtra SP president and MLA Abu Azmi on Monday called for Amar Singh's immediate removal to save the party.

"It is due to one man, Amar Singh, that there is a rift in the party. I would say 'Amar Singh ko hatao, Samajwadi Party Bachao' (remove Amar Singh and save Samajwadi Party)." Azmi told ANI.

"The person, Amar Singh, had hurled abuses at us, and had said that he would destroy the Samajwadi Party. I think his dreams are coming true now. If you are saying that you will not expel him (Amar Singh), but your family is asking you to expel him, then, Netaji 'please no dictatorship'. I am saying this with folded hand that you should be taking into account their advice and expel him from the party, and please scold everybody - the party will work properly and nothing will happen," said Azmi.

"Ramgopalji is a person who has worked so hard for the party. When Netaji used to call Ramgopal, Ramgopalji would rush without even slippers on his feet. Do you think that we should speak such things (he is associated with the BJP)? Shivpal Bhai (PU unit chief Shivpal Yadav) should have not said that he (Ramgopalji) is associated with the BJP. Shivpal Bhai you know well who is associated with the BJP," said Azmi, while deploring the allegations levelled on Ramgopal Yadav.

"When Ketan Desai and Shubash Chandraji went with Amar Singh and got a letter from Netaji, then everybody said that Amar Singh was interfering by giving wrong advice to Netaji," he added.

When asked about his demand, Azmi said, "I demand that Netaji you always say that talk straight from your heart; Samajwadi Party is a family, and thus, speak freely; I have worked with the party for 20 years and we stayed in opposition for 20 years which is not easy Netaji. You gave us strength and we struggled in Mumbai, and I was elected as an MLA, but never went to a party for even spitting. They asked me to become a minister, but I said I will be better off as a peon in the Samajwadi party. If you understand us, I would like to appeal to you that save our family from disintegration."

Asked how long Ramgopal Yadav would be staying in Mumbai, Azmi said, "Ramgopalji is going back to Delhi by tomorrow evening's flight. He has not had any meeting with any worker; I deliberately came here to meet him. When Netaji sits today and family and party members advise him and if he takes their advice into consideration, everything will be fine."

Earlier, in a letter, Ramgopal Yadav stated that he was not sad over his expulsion, but hurt by the false allegations levelled against him by state party president Shivpal Yadav.

Defending himself, he said it is not a crime to meet leaders from any other political party in a democracy.

"Whether I am in the Samajwadi Party or not, I will continue to extend my support to Akhilesh Yadav till he becomes chief minister of Uttar Pradesh," he said.

He described Mulayam Singh Yadav not just as his elder brother, but also as his political 'guru', and as one currently surrounded by evil powers.

On Sunday, Samajwadi Party state president Shivapal Yadav expelled Ramgopal Yadav from the party for six years, accusing him of being part of a conspiracy to unsettle the party.

"Ramgopal is involved with the BJP; he met BJP leaders thrice in the last few days. He is doing such these things because his son Akshay Yadav and daughter-in-law are involved in a scam. To protect himself and his son, they are planning a conspiracy as per the direction of the BJP," Shivpal told a press conference here.

He said that Ramgopal is making the party weak, adding that Akhilesh is not understanding the facts that who is with him and who is not.

Akhilesh Yadav, on his part, sacked four state cabinet ministers, including his uncle Shivpal Yadav.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Union Minister of State for Development of North Eastern Region MoS PMO, Jitendra Singh on Monday proposed a "Mobile Air Dispensary" service for remote and far-flung areas of North east.

The service would envisage a mobile dispensary in a helicopter with a doctor, necessary equipment and medicines that can fly to remote and far-flung on regular basis and also, as and when required.

Singh said that particularly in areas from where patients find it difficult to reach a dispensary, a doctor with dispensary can reach them. The same experiment, which would possibly be the first of its kind in the country, can also be replicated in other hill States and remote areas having poor connectivity like Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh etc, he added.

On the first day of his two-day visit to Manipur, Singh appreciated Governor Najma Heptulla for having endorsed this idea by citing the example of "Royal Flying Service of Australia", popularly known as "Flying Doctors", which is meant to provide aid and primary health care service in rural and remote areas.

He said this idea has already been discussed with the Ministry of Civil Aviation and MoS Jayant Sinha has indicated the inclination to work out its feasibility.

Meanwhile, he said, he has also held negotiations with the management of some of the leading helicopter companies in the country.

Singh disclosed that soon, the officers of DoNER Ministry, North Eastern Council and the Government of Manipur will also sit with the officials of Union Ministry of Health to work out the modalities.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
May it be her short hair or her jhalli-avatar, Kangana never fails to impress fans with her attitude.

The actress grabbed the limelight yet again with the recent pictures surfacing online, where she shows off her quirk, sporting a grey hair wig.

Accompanied with her was the director Hansal Mehta, who now is working with the actress for his upcoming flick 'Simran.'

The director took to his Twitter handle to upload the snap and wrote alongside, "#PartnerInCrime - the one and only #KanganaRanaut #Simran #USA"

On a related note, the actress, who is now shooting in the United States, plays the role of a housekeeper-turned-robber, which is keeping her on toes.

Reportedly, 'Simran' is inspired by the life of Bombshell Bandit aka Sandeep Kaur, who was jailed last year for robbing banks to pay off her gambling debts. The film is set to hit the big screens next year.

Known for experimenting with her roles and looks, this image is surely an adorable surprise for her fans.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
England escaped a big scare as they claimed an unlikely 22-run win over Bangladesh in the opening Test of the two-match series, thanks to all-rounder Ben Stokes for bagging the final two wickets on day five at Zohur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium here on Monday.

Bangladesh began the day needing just 33 runs with two wickets remaining to clinch what could have been their maiden Test win over England.

Sabbir Rahman (unbeaten 64) and Taijul Islam (16) calmly added 10 runs before the latter was given lbw off Stokes' delivery after the review.

In the same over, Stokes dismissed last man Shafiul Islam for a duck, thus eventually bundling out Bangladesh for 263 in their 286 runs chase.

Earlier, Shakib al Hasan scalped a five-wicket haul to help Bangladesh bundle out the Alastair Cook-led side for 240 in the second innings after the hosts conceded a first innings lead of 45 runs.

Stokes, who also contributed a significant 85 in his side's second innings besides claiming six wickets overall, was declared 'Man of the Match'.

With the win, England have now taken an unassailable 1-0 lead in the series. The two sides will play their second and final match on October 28 in Dhaka.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Rejecting rumours of floating a new party, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav in an emotional speech addressed to his father and Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav today said some leaders in the party were conspiring against him and added that he would fight against the wrong.

The Chief Minister broke down as he addressed his party workers and leaders at a meeting called by his father.

"I will fight against wrong as you have taught me," he told Mulayam.

"Who is forming is a new party? I am not. I have many responsibilities...Some people are trying to spread confusion in the Samajwadi Party," he added.

Putting forth his stand, Akhilesh made it clear that he would act against all those who conspire against him.

"I will stop those who conspire against me. One of my responsibilities is to act against any conspiracy against me. If there's a conspiracy against Netaji or the Samajwadi Party I will act against it. And that is why I did not ask anyone else about the removals from the Cabinet," he said.

The Chief Minister also attempted to draw his father's attention to the development work done by his government as he shied away from talking about the feud within the party,

"I have told the entire Cabinet that this is your party," he said.

Declaring his loyalty towards his father, an emotional Akhilesh said that he would have resigned if 'Netaji' would have asked him to do so.

"I would have resigned if Netaji had wanted me to. I fulfilled the promises I made to Netaji. I am where I am because of Netaji but this (politics) is my career; I don't know any other profession," he said.

Akhilesh also used the occasion to vent his ire against senior party leader Amar Singh.

"I was hurt when Amar Singh said that by November Akhilesh will not be the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh. Ram Gopal ji didn't say that," he said.

Today's meeting takes place a day after Sunday0's dramatic events when Akhilesh sacked his uncle Shivpal Yadav from his Cabinet for the second time in a month. Many considered this to be a direct challenge to his father Mulayam, who has been promoting Shivpal over him.

Hours later, Mulayam ordered the expulsion of his cousin Ram Gopal Yadav, considered to be Akhilesh loyalist, from the party for six years.

This was announced by Shivpal, who alleged that Ram Gopal was tarnishing the Samajwadi Party's image by colluding with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and attempting to weaken Mulayam's hold on the party.

Meanwhile, the supporters of both Akhilesh and Shivpal gathered outside the party office in Lucknow and engaged in competitive sloganeering.

The opposition parties are keeping a close tab of today's meeting amid speculations that the Samajwadi Party is headed for a split just before assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh.

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Residents of 'The Jungle' in Calais, a French refugee camp, clashed with police as the government prepared to close the settlement.

Late Sunday night, riot police were out in force and some 1,250 police personnel have been called in to prevent crowd control problems on Monday.

The camp houses around 6,000 to 10,000 migrants and refugees living in as French authorities begin the evacuation of the patch of wasteland in a bid to improve security.

Dozens of migrants began queuing early at reception points where they will be processed and bussed to refugee centres across France, reports CNN.

The government has offered them two choices: claim asylum and move to another area of France, or return to their countries of origin.

Many are reluctant to register as refugees in France because their preferred destination is Britain.

But there is concern that some migrants will refuse to go because they still want to get to Britain, and there have been some clashes over the weekend.

The UK has begun to accept some of the estimated 1,300 unaccompanied children from the camp.

From Tuesday, heavy machinery will be sent to clear the tents and shelters that have been left behind.

The whole operation is expected to take three days.

The French interior ministry said it "does not want to use force but if there are migrants who refuse to leave, or NGOs who cause trouble, the police might be forced to intervene."

The Jungle has played host to scenes of both squalor and of violence, as migrants, mainly from Africa and the Middle East, attempt to board lorries bound for the UK, clashing with drivers and police in the process.

A UK-funded one-kilometer-long wall is being built along the main road to the port in an attempt to deter would-be stowaways.

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Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Mukul Roy has appealed to the people to give a befitting reply to the Communist Party of India (Marxist) CPIM-led Left Front government by voting against them in the polls, for not developing Tripura.

Addressing an election rally and campaigning for TMC candidate Prakash Das in the Barjala and Khowai constituencies, Roy said, "law and order has totally collapsed and there has been no development in Tripura during the Left regime under Manik Sarkar."

"If Mamata can give food security, create employment, provide health security. Why can't Manik Sarkar do all those during his long tenure in Tripura?"

Roy said, "One thing is very clear that during the last 23 years the Left Government has failed in every aspect. So people should give a befitting reply. It is the time to vote against them. I think the All India Trinamool Congress will do better and we will come up winners in this by-election."

Roy said in all sectors, be it education, agriculture, employment, health, law and order, has seen the Tripura government fail. However, the state is on top in women atrocity.

Roy also met leaders of anti-Left political parties to them to come onto one platform to fight against misrule of Tripura.

The seats fell vacant respectively after Congress MLA Jiten Sarkar resigned from the post while another CPI(M) MLA Samir Deb Sarkar died on August 28.

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The Haji Ali Dargah Trust on Monday informed the Supreme Court that it is ready to implement the Bombay High Court's order to allow women to enter the sanctum sanctorum of the shrine located in South Mumbai.

The apex court had on October 7 extended the stay on the entry of women in dargah till October 17 after the dargah management said that it would come out with a progressive stand in two weeks.

A Bench, led by Chief Justice of India T.S. Thakur, was hearing a plea by the Haji Ali Dargah Trust challenging the Bombay High Court ruling to provide equal right of entry for women and men in the Dargah's sanctum sanctorum.

On August 26, the Bombay High Court held that the ban imposed by the Trust, prohibiting women from entering the sanctum sanctorum of the Haji Ali Dargah, contravened Articles 14, 15 and 25 of the Constitution and said women should be permitted to enter the sanctum sanctorum like men.

The order came on a public interest litigation petition filed by two women from the NGO Bharatiya Muslim Mahila Andolan. It held that the trust had no power to alter or modify the mode or manner of religious practices of any individual or any group.

Noorjehan Fiaz and Zakia Soman, founders of the Bharatiya Muslim Mahila Andolan (BMMA), had petitioned the Bombay High Court against the ban, calling it unconstitutional.

Prior to 2011, the dargah did not discriminate against women and allowed free entry of people across religions. On March 2011, the dargah's board of trustees imposed a ban on women's entry, calling it a "grievous sin".

On July 10, 2015, a bench headed by Justice V.M. Kanade set aside previous order framing eight questions by an earlier bench of the High Court on maintainability and decided to hear the PIL on merits.

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Contrary to what is evident in the trailer of 'Shivaay', Ajay Devgn recently opened up about his fears and admitted that he is extremely scared of heights.

Interacting with his fans during the launch of the special edition 'Shivaay' comics at the Mumbai Comic-Con yesterday, the actor disclosed his two biggest fears of life.

The first one being the apprehension of losing his loved ones, the 'Golmaal' actor talked about his second biggest fear and said: "The second fear is a very, very stupid fear, after seeing the trailer of 'Shivaay' it would be hard to believe but I have fear of heights. Somebody asked me if you have fear of heights how did you do it? I told them that I fear heights, I do not fear, fear, so beating it to overcome."

While speaking about the movie, the 47-year-old star also said it is a father-daughter love story that celebrates the bond between them.

'Shivaay' narrates story of a Himalayan mountaineer played by Ajay.

Featuring Sayeshaa Saigal, Polish actress Erika Kaar and Abigail Eame of 'Dr Who' fame, the movie will hit the cinemas on October 28.

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Iranian leaders have urged oil producing countries outside the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) to back the resolve of the oil cartel to stabilize the oil market and boost crude prices.

According to local media reports, Iran's Minister of Petroleum Bijan Zanganeh said that he expects the non-OPEC producers to cooperate with OPEC to boost market stability, reports Xinhua.

Commenting on the meetings between Russian and Saudi energy officials, Zanganeh said that "we hope the two sides will reach agreements and the non-OPEC states and Russia will accompany members of the organization."

Asked if Russia will attend a meeting of the OPEC member states on November 30 in Vienna, Zanganeh said that "the regular session of OPEC will be attended by the oil and energy ministers of the organization in the permanent secretariat of the organization. Russia will not take part in the meeting."

On Saturday, Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei alleged that the decrease in global oil prices is leverage to exert pressure on independent countries by the United States.

He also urged "resistance and steadfastness along with prudence" to foil U.S. plots.

On September 28, OPEC members agreed during an impromptu meeting in Algeria to cut crude oil production by 750,000 barrels a day to raise crude oil prices.

OPEC nations reached a preliminary agreement for the first time since the global financial crisis eight years ago, in an effort to reduce a global glut of crude that has depressed oil prices for more than two years and weakened the economies of oil-producing nations.

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A Border Security Force (BSF) jawan was killed and another injured in heavy firing in Jammu and Kashmir's RS Pura sector late last night.

A local resident of RS Pura was also injured in the ceasefire violation.

The injured BSF jawan was brought to the Government Medical College who is currently undergoing treatment.

Ceasefire violation with heavy mortar shelling also took place in Jammu and Kashmir's Pargwal sector of Akhnoor all night.

Meanwhile, terrorists attacked a police post guarding minority houses at Sirnoo in Pulwama, Kashmir last night.

On Friday night, the Pakistan rangers had targeted the border villages and outposts (BoP) with mortar shells and opened fire from automatic weapons along the International Border in Kathua sector.

BSF soldier Gurnam Singh, who was hit in the snipper attack, had died late on Saturday night.

Multiple ceasefire violations have been reported along the International Border and Line of Control after India conducted surgical strikes across the border in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir to target staging areas for terrorists last month.

Pakistan has however denied the cross-border raids.

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New Delhi, Oct. 24 (ANI): With twelve solo exhibitions to his credit, reputed artist Kashmiri Khosa has been working as a professional painter in New Delhi since 1962.

Khosa, who originally hails from Kashmir, inherited his painting skills from his father, Pandit Somnath Khosa, also a well-known artist.

Having used ink, pencil, oils and acrylics, Khosa has been part of major and international shows in India and has been honoured with the President of India's silver plaque in 1974 and a Award in 1981.

Khosa admitted to having his fair share of ups and downs before making it big on the scene.

"Paintings didn't fetch a substantial amount of money in those days. I've reached here after a long period of struggle. In the beginning, I worked for advertising, drew pamphlets, postures and novel covers and simultaneously did my paintings. My first painting was sold for just Rs. 100, which I spent in celebration with my friends. After that, apart from doing commercials, I kept on participating in exhibitions in Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and all across the country. Gradually, my paintings started getting sold," he said.

Khosa became a painter while assisting his father in his realistic works from his childhood. His splendid work today can be found in major public and private collections in India and other countries. Unlike his father's realistic paintings, Khosa's art is figurative abstract with meta-physical themes.

"In the beginning, you struggle and you have to do all kinds of things. When you are working in a city like Delhi, then it is a mixture of emotions. Sometimes you are happy and on other days you feel gloomy. Then comes the stage of self actualization and you are satisfied with your work. This is the time you grow mentally, thoughts and ideas to get matured, which eventually gets reflected in your paintings," he said.

Khosa's paintings have been auctioned by Osian's auction house in India and many other charity organizations, including Help Age India.

For more than fifteen years, he has been trying to understand the ancient Indian texts/Upanishads and trying to transform its thought and wisdom into the modern visual language of art.

"When I was young, I used to look for materialistic work. I then turned to spiritualism and built a studio in Himachal and studied the Vedas and the Upanishads, and now, I transfer the wisdom and ancient thoughts of the Vedas to my paintings," he said.

Khosa's successful journey is an inspiration for the people struggling to carve out a niche for themselves.

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The Nepal Parliament has decided to table the impeachment motion registered against chief of the Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority, Lokman Singh Karki, on Tuesday for theoretical discussion.

The house meeting on Sunday decided to table the motion at 3 p.m. on Tuesday, reports the Kathmandu Post.

The deliberation could take one to three days depending on the number of lawmakers willing to speak.

Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Centre) lawmaker Mahendra Bahadur Shahi, the proposer of the motion, will table it in Parliament, explaining the reason for Karki's impeachment

Parliament was scheduled to table the motion and start discussion on it on Thursday but the meeting was postponed at the request of Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal.

The House meeting called on Sunday was adjourned until Tuesday as the Nepali Congress sought time for homework over the impeachment process.

A two-thirds majority of lawmakers is necessary to endorse the motion.

Since it requires 397 votes, the impeachment motion cannot be passed without the support of the Nepali Congress, which has 207 members in Parliament.

The Maoist Centre and the UML have a total of 265 Mmembers of Parliament.

Karki, considered one of the most powerful and influential figures in Nepal's state mechanism, has been accused by lawmakers of running a "parallel government" and abusing his powers.

Since his appointment in 2013, the anti-corruption czar had emerged as a political figure more powerful than the Prime Minister by targeting businessmen, politicians, lawyers, and silencing critics, editors and publishers.

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Manoj Bajpayee never fails to impress the audience with whatever he does and the latest one is his recent short film 'Ouch.'

Directed by Neeraj Pandey, this movie has been recently released at the 18th Jio MAMI Mumbai Film Festival. It has also made quite a buzz after Royal Stag Barrel Select Large Short Films uploaded it on Youtube yesterday.

After the resounding success of Sujoy Ghosh's 'Ahalya', Jaydeep Sarkar's 'Nayantara's necklace', Adhiraj Bose's 'Interior Cafe,' 'Ouch' again an effort by the Royal Stag Barrel Select Large Short Films to bolster the growth of short films category in India.

The movie, also starring former Miss India Pooja Chopra, is a black comic piece on the characters Vinay and Priya, who work together and are in a relationship for three years. But theu are married to Anjali and Rakesh respectively.

However, their passion has brought them to a point where they take a call to divorce their respective spouses and marry each other.

According to their plan, on a set date, Vinay confesses the truth to his wife and went to meet Priya at their regular place for rendezvous.

Priya, on other hand, arrives a little later carrying a suitcase. 'Ouch' is what happens next. She backs out from the plan at the moment and breaks all ties with Vinay.

As a result Vinay lands in soup!

Talking about his film, 'MS Dhoni: The Untold Story' famed director said, "The story of 'Ouch' is an amalgamation of human emotions and feelings. As the story unfolds, it is interesting to see what a man and woman who are having an affair outside of their marriages do or not do to be with each other."

"I approached the story with a contemporary Indian outlook and the way Manoj and Pooja have brought the sentiments alive through their characters, it is commendable. As a filmmaker it is very important to be able to showcase your work freely and I believe Royal Stag Barrel Select Large Short Films is a great platform that lets you be as creative as possible," he added.

On a related note, themed on the objective of "keep perfecting," the Royal Stag Barrel Select Large Short Films is a platform for aspiring directors to feature along with mainstream Bollywood directors and chase their creative energy to establish themselves in the industry. The platform gives a stage to storytellers to showcase their artistic creativity and reach out to their target audience through the online world.

Commenting on the release, Raja Banerji, Assistant Vice President, Marketing, Pernod Ricard India, said, "Royal Stag Barrel Select Large Short Films is extremely proud and honoured to present Neeraj Pandey's creation 'Ouch.' The outlook and approach by which we look at films today has completely changed and as an attempt to encourage and motivate the young and talented directors we present these short films to the audience."

"Keeping pace with the changing times, we are also happy to create a special category of short film at Mumbai Film Festival this year. This association is certainly a significant milestone for Royal Stag Barrel Select Large short films in its journey to become the destination platform for short films. Resonating with the core philosophy of Royal Stag Barrel Select, the platform is meant to help them keep perfecting their skills and establish themselves in the market," Banerji added.

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Operational preparedness and an assessment of the overall security situation will dominate the three-day naval commanders' conference that will begin from October 25 to October 27.

The conference is an opportunity for the top-level leadership of the navy to review the prevailing as well as emerging operational and functional issues.

The Indian Navy, like the other two armed forces, Indian Army and Indian Air Force, is required to maintain a high degree of operational preparedness to deter or neutralise any threat aimed at the country's sovereignty and territorial integrity.

The commanders' conference would be utilised to examine and analyse different paradigms related to operations, training and resource-availability for meeting the wide range of taskings and expectations.

Defence MInister Maohar Parrikar is scheduled to address and interact with the naval commanders on the opening day of the conference. The conference will also be used as a platform for institutionalised interaction between the naval top-brass and other government officials.

As part of Navy's future force-level planning, the conference will examine a series of measures under the 'Make in India' scheme and recommend ways to further indigenise defence procurements, in order to overcome the major challenges being faced.

The commanders would also delve on the Navy's roadmap for the future, including key technology enablers, improved logistics and digitisation.

The progress of activities in 2016, which was earmarked as the 'Year of the Civilian Personnel', will be further reviewed during the conference.

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Special Assistant to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Foreign Affairs, Syed Tariq Fatemi, has in his meeting with British National Security Adviser Sir Mark Lyall Grant briefed about the ongoing tensions in Kashmir and urged Britain to ask India to indulge in sustained dialogue process with Pakistan.

"The Special Assistant briefed the visiting dignitary about the current situation in Indian Occupied Kashmir. He also stressed that as a country with historic links to this region, and as a member-state of UN Security Council's P-5, it was incumbent on Britain to urge India to end its human rights violations in the occupied territory and to enter into a sustained dialogue process with Pakistan, so as to enable the two countries to peacefully resolve their differences," said a statement issued by the Foreign Ministry.

"Sir Mark Lyall Grant acknowledged the important role being played by Pakistan in promoting peace and stability in the region. The Minister of State also briefed the visiting dignitary about Pakistan's serious efforts to promote lasting peace and stability in Afghanistan, including the Afghan-owned and Afghan-led reconciliation process through the Quadrilateral Coordination Group," said the statement.

The statement further said that regional security issues and matters of mutual interest were also discussed during the meeting, adding the UK reaffirmed its continued support to Pakistan.

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A Philippines' Senate member has called for an international criminal investigation against President Rodrigo Duterte in an effort to stop a vicious war on drugs that has killed more than 3,800 people since June.

Senator Leila de Lima, a human rights advocate and former justice secretary, said that foreign intervention was the only hope of putting an end to "state-inspired" extrajudicial murders that have terrorised parts of the population since Duterte came to power four months ago, Reports the Guardian.

De Lima urged leaders to consider sanctions and the International Criminal Court (ICC) in the Hague to launch an investigation into Duterte and those who worked for him.

"It [ICC] should start to think about investigating already or doing an inquiry into the killings as crimes against humanity," she said.

The senator fears for her own life after she was ousted last month as chair of an inquiry looking into the vigilante death squads targeting drug dealers and users, and her address and mobile number were made public.

Duterte, who swept to power in May on a mandate to enforce zero tolerance on drugs-related crime had said in a speech that he would "be happy to slaughter" three million Filipino drug users and peddlers, and has publicly urged citizens to "go ahead and kill" addicts and dealers.

About 1,500 of the dead have been killed in police operations, but most were murdered by unidentified assassins, leading to accusations that Duterte has allowed a state of lawlessness where criminals can settle vendettas with impunity.

Meanwhile Duterte has described innocent and child victims of the bloodbath as "collateral damage".

Senator De Lima in August, as head of the senate justice committee, she launched hearings to investigate the surge in killings by vigilante gangs.

De Lima has since been accused of corruption and links to drug lords.

Duterte's war on drugs has already been condemned by the United Nations, European Union and the United States.

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A new research, through the use of nanotechnology, now aims to improve the administration and availability of drug therapies to HIV patients.

The research, led by the University of Liverpool, examined the use of nanotechnology to improve the delivery of drugs to HIV patients.

Nanotechnology is the manipulation of matter on an atomic, molecular, and supramolecular scale. Nanomedicine is the application of nanotechnology to the prevention and treatment of disease in the human body.

This evolving discipline has the potential to dramatically change medical science and is already having an impact in a number of clinically used therapies and diagnostics worldwide.

Currently, the treatment of HIV requires daily oral dosing of HIV drugs, and chronic oral dosing has significant complications that arise from the high pill burden experienced by many patients across populations with varying conditions leading to non-adherence to therapies.

Recent evaluation of HIV patient groups have shown a willingness to switch to nanomedicine alternatives if benefits can be shown. Research efforts by the Liverpool team have focused on the development of new oral therapies, using Solid Drug Nanoparticle (SDN) technology which can improve drug absorption into the body, reducing both the dose and the cost per dose and enabling existing healthcare budgets to treat more patients.

Presently, no clinically available oral nanotherapies exist for HIV populations and conventional paediatric HIV medicines are poorly available. The programme examined one current paediatric formulation that utilizes high ethanol concentrations to solubilize lopinavir, a poorly soluble antiretroviral.

Through the use of a rapid small-scale nanomedicine screening approach developed at Liverpool, the researchers were able to generate a novel water dispersible nanotherapy, hence removing the need to use alcohol in the paediatric medicine.

According to study leader Andrew Owen, "The fruits of our interdisciplinary research are beginning to be realised. Our approach has the potential to overcome challenges with current antiretroviral therapy, which include administration of high doses needed to achieve efficacious concentrations in the body, and the urgent need for better formulations for children living with HIV."

"The wide applicability of our strategy has implications for multiple therapy development programmes and we are actively engaged in the creation of nanomedicine options to impact a range of clinical needs," added co-researcher Steve Rannard.

The study has been published in Nature Communications.

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The Supreme Court on Monday adjourned the hearing on the bail plea of suspended Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) MLA Rajballabh Yadav, who has been accused of rape, till Wednesday.

The suspended RJD MLA will now have to file his reply before the court, which observed that the victim's security and circumstances to depose fearlessly are paramount.

The Supreme Court had earlier on October 18 rejected the Bihar Government's plea that the suspended RJD MLA should be taken into custody so that the minor victim could testify before the trial court.

An apex court bench of Justices A.K. Sikri and N.V. Ramana, however, directed the trial court not to record the testimony of the minor rape survivor till October 24 after the state government submitted that she felt threatened with the MLA out on bail.

Earlier in April, Yadav was named as one of the main accused in the chargesheet filed by Nalanda Police.

The suspended legislator has been accused of allegedly raping a minor girl at his residence in Bihar Sharif on February 6.

The RJD suspended him on February 14, just a day after his arrest order was issued.

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The Supreme Court on Monday issued notice to former RJD MP Mohammad Shahabuddin, the Bihar Government and the Centre seeking their reply to shift the former from Siwan district jail in Bihar to Tihar jail in Delhi .

The next hearing of the case is scheduled for November 28.

Slain journalist Rajdeo Ranjan's widow Asha Ranjan had filed a plea in the Supreme Court seeking to shift Shahabuddin from the Siwan to the Tihar jail so that witnesses in her husband's murder case are not influenced.

Hearing Asha Ranjan's plea on October 17, an apex court bench headed by Justice Dipak Mishra had directed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to complete the murder probe within three months.

The apex court also issued notices and sought responses from Shahabuddin and Bihar Health Minister Tej Pratap Yadav.

During the last hearing, Tej Pratap had admitted that he had accepted a bouquet from one of the murder accused, but denied his involvement in the murder.

Ranjan (42), the bureau chief of The Hindustan, was shot dead in July this year at Phal Mandi near the Siwan railway station, barely half-a-kilometer from the police station.

The Bihar government has recommended the CBI probe into the case.

The case came into limelight again after a photograph appeared in the media showing murder suspects Mohammad Kaif and Mohammad Javed with gangster-politician Mohammed Shahabuddin after his release from jail.

Kaif, however, later rubbished all accusations against him and said he has no involvement in Rajdeo's murder case.

Meanwhile, a separate petition filed by Chandrakeshwar Prasad, whose three sons had been murdered at the behest of the RJP leade.

Shahabuddin, who had been in jail for more than 10 years in connection with multiple cases, was granted bail by the Patna High Court on September 7 in connection with the murder of a man who witnessed the killing of two brothers in Siwan.

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Bhumata brigade chief Trupti Desai on Monday said that the Supreme Court's decision should act as a guidance for the nation to allow the entry of women in all temples.

Speaking to ANI, Desai said, "Those trustees who opposed our movement and did not allow us to enter the dargah, they had to bow down in front of us. The decision of the Supreme Court should act as an inspiration for the nation and to all temples where women are dishonored and not treated at par with their male counterparts"

"When we will receive the dates of Haji Ali, we will let you know. We will begin our rally from the place where we were stopped," she added.

Urging the trustees of the Sabarimala temple to allow the entry of women, the Bhumata brigade chief said, "Our next movement will head to Sabarimala Temple. I request all the trustees of the temple to allow the women to enter, otherwise we will protest for it in the last week of November,"

"The way public has supported us, the same role is of our nation's media. I am grateful to the media as it is their success also which eventually helped our voice reach the public," she told ANI.

The Haji Ali Dargah Trust imposed the ban in 2012 citing religious traditions. The dargah authorities defended the ban, saying the entry of women in close proximity to the tomb of a male saint would be seen as a grievous sin in Islam.

The trust had claimed that separate arrangements have been made for women to walk up to a certain point from where they can offer prayers.

The ban is contrary to Articles 14, 15, 19 and 25 of the Constitution of India.

Prior to 2011, the dargah did not discriminate against women and allowed free entry of people across religions. On March 2011, the dargah's board of trustees imposed a ban on women's entry, calling it a "grievous sin".

The Supreme Court had earlier on October 7 stayed the entry of women in Haji Ali Dargah till October 17 after the dargah management said that it would come out with a progressive stand in two weeks.

Earlier on August 26, the Bombay High Court lifted the ban imposed on women from entering the inner sanctum of Haji Ali Dargah in Mumbai.

Noorjehan Fiaz and Zakia Soman, founders of the Bharatiya Muslim Mahila Andolan (BMMA), had file a petition in the Bombay High Court against the ban, calling it unconstitutional.

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The Supreme Court will on Monday resume hearing of slain journalist Rajdeo Ranjan's widow Asha Ranjan's plea seeking to shift former RJD MP Mohammad Shahabuddin from the Siwan district jail in Bihar to the Tihar jail in Delhi so that witnesses in her husband's murder case, killed in Siwan on May 13, are not influenced.

Hearing Asha Ranjan's plea on October 17, an apex court bench headed by Justice Dipak Mishra had directed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to complete the murder probe within three months.

The apex court also issued notices and sought responses from Shahabuddin and Bihar Health Minister Tej Pratap Yadav.

During the last hearing, Tej Pratap had admitted that he had accepted a bouquet from one of the murder accused, but denied his involvement in the murder.

Ranjan (42), the bureau chief of The Hindustan, was shot dead in July this year at Phal Mandi near the Siwan railway station, barely half-a-kilometer from the police station.

The Bihar government has recommended the CBI probe into the case.

The case came into limelight again after a photograph appeared in the media showing murder suspects Mohammad Kaif and Mohammad Javed with gangster-politician Mohammed Shahabuddin after his release from jail.

Kaif, however, later rubbished all accusations against him and said he has no involvement in Rajdeo's murder case.

Meanwhile, a separate petition filed by Chandrakeshwar Prasad, whose three sons had been murdered at the behest of the RJP leader, will also come up for hearing before the same bench today.

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To spread the message of Swachch Bharat Abhiyan and Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao, Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) personnel guarding the India-Nepal border are participating in a bicycle rally from the 14, 000-feet high Om Parvat to capital New Delhi.

The rally, which started on October 12, was flagged-off by Union Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju and has covered all the lower areas of Om Parvat, that is the Nabhi Dhang camp.

The 15-day rally was kicked off from Nabidang, a small village on Indo-China border, and has been organised with the aim of spreading awareness about the environment.

SSB Inspector General Shyam Singh said, "The basic motive is to create awareness among people about 'Swachh Bharat, Swasth Bharat'. If we promote cleaning and be healthy, then our country will also remain healthy."

During the rally, the participants will cover a total distance of 1,007 kilometers. The participants will cover approximately 100 to 125 kilometers daily.

Women are also participating in the mountain rally conducted by SSB. Rally members are also chanting nationalist slogans en route to uplift the spirit of all participants.

"We are taking part in this rally for the first time and have never cycled this much and it feels great to be part of such a noble motive, as we get to learn a lot from it," Vanjeeta, a sub inspector with the SSB, said.

"We are covering a distance from Nabidang, which is at the China border, to New Delhi. The height of Nabidang is 14,140 feet. The place where we are standing now is at the height of 520 feet. Delhi is about 300-500 meters. As you can see, the altitude difference is large and the distance is 1,006 kilometers, we are daily covering a distance of 100 kilometers. Once we covered a distance of 134 kilometers," said Sashastra Seema Bal, commandant Ranbeer Thakur.

The expedition will conclude in Delhi this Thursday.

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People's Democratic Party (PDP) Minister Abdul Rehman Veeri's residence in Jammu and Kashmir's Anantnag district was attacked by terrorist forces on Monday.

This came weeks after militants attacked the residence of a ruling PDP MLA in Shopian town of Kashmir by lobbing a grenade at it.

However, there was no damage done due to the explosion that took place on October 5.

In September, some unidentified militants snatched weapons from police personnel guarding the residence of ruling People's Democratic Party's district President from Anantnag.

Six to eight militants attacked the guard post at the residence of Advocate Jawed Ahmed Sheikh, district President of PDP at Dayalgam and snatched four AK rifles from the security personnel, a police official said.

Further details awaited.

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Smriti Irani, Union Textile Minister, brightened the TEXPROCIL Export Award Function by stating that another special package for Made-ups and Home Textile Sector, similar to Rs. 6000 crore special package announced for garment sector, was under active consideration of the ministry.

Thus, the textile industry may be celebrating one more Diwali, after the current Diwali, stated Irani.

The minister further stated that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has a vision of doubling the income of farmers by 2022. "We are happy the farm yield has already increased and the country hopes to become a leading producer of cotton."

The event was inaugurated in Mumbai on October 21, 2016 with lighting of traditional lamp by Smriti Irani, who was the chief guest. Dr. Kavita Gupta, Textiles Commissioner, was also present.

Irani later distributed the awards for excellence in exports of yarns, fabrics and home textiles. Leading textile companies like Welspun Global Brands Ltd, Vardhman Textiles, Trident Ltd., Alok Industries, Arvind Ltd, Loyal Textiles, GTN Textiles, Premier Mills, Paramount Textiles, SEL Group, Lahoti Overseas among others were some of the recipients of the awards.

R K Dalmia, Chairman, Texprocil in his opening remarks congratulated all the award winners for facing the challenges of a slow global demand and intense price pressures to emerge leaders in their respective line of businesses during the year 2015-16.

He said that as per a recent WTO forecast, the global trade volumes would rise only by 1.7 percent this year. This would be the slowest increase since the 2008 financial crisis and the first time in 15 years that global trade has grown more slowly than world GDP, he added.

R K Dalmia complimented the government on the announcement of the special package of Rs. 6000 crore for the apparel sector which he said was bearing fruit as the September export figures for apparel showed a growth of 12 percent compared to a downward trend for most other sectors.

The chairman stressed that this special package also needed to be extended to the made-ups and home textile sector as that sector is equally, if not more labor intensive in comparison to the apparel sector. He also said that it will act as a pull factor for increased consumption of fiber, yarns and fabric produced domestically.

Another critical area where the government needs to move with vigor is to expedite the negotiation of Free Trade Agreements with EU, Australia and Canada, he said.

In countries like Turkey and China, high discriminatory tariff was posing a challenge in terms of market access into those countries. The chairman pointed out that cotton textiles of HS Chapter 52 was the single largest contributor accounting for almost 20 percent of our exports to China and if duties were reduced they had the potential to reduce India's trade deficit with that country.

Besides complimenting the government on the likely introduction of GST from April 2017, R K Dalmia also highlighted the oft repeated request of the industry that raw materials especially cotton should be available at international prices or lower.

Finally, Dalmia mentioned that the spinning sector was going through rough times and the sector is looking up to the government for help and support. Inclusion of cotton yarn in the MEIS and extending the interest equalization scheme to merchant exporters will go a long way in reducing the stress levels in the Spinning sector as well as increase in exports.

As part of the international promotion campaign for Indian cotton textiles, the Hon'ble Minister released Texprocil's newly designed corporate promotional literature including corporate brochures and pamphlets.

TEXPROCIL, the first Export Promotion Council set up in India in the year 1954, and is responsible for promoting exports of cotton textiles. The council is the international face of Indian textiles, a one point stop for those who wish to source textiles from India. It has 3000 members who are engaged in the exports of cotton textiles including yarns, fabrics and home textiles including made ups.

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Today is United Nations Day. The day marks as the anniversary of the entry into force of the UN Charter in 1945.

With the ratification of UN Charter, the founding document by the majority of its signatories, including the five permanent members of the Security Council, the United Nations officially came into being.

October 24 has been celebrated as United Nations Day since 1948.

This year's UN Day will be used to highlight concrete actions people can take to help achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.

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Vidooly, a video intelligence startup, is now capable of tracking performance on more than five platforms, including YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Vine. The new platform is powered by a patent pending artificial intelligence which recommends which the type of content which has the maximum potential to gain massive viewership and engagement online.

Vidooly's data engine currently processes over 250 million videos with over 500 million views and has over 20,000 creators across the globe on its platform.

The new platform called "Launchpad program" is targeted at content creators who have less than 5,000 subscribers on YouTube.

Vidooly initially started off as a video intelligence platform for Youtubers before expanding to social video platforms.

Using the AI platform, video content creators can increase their reach and engagement across online video channels. Vidooly has also released rankings for the most watched online video creators in across platforms. Creator rankings include both brands and influencers.

"We are extremely excited to announce our cross platform analytics suite for creators, brands & media companies. The platform powered by a patent pending AI which delivers customised results to smaller video content creators who lack resources of bigger studios and media companies. Over 60% of India's population is below 30 which makes it one of the youngest nations in the world. Youth these days are not just consuming content on Youtube but also increasingly on social media hence brands need to take a multiplatform approach which is why we have expanded our product to include all major video social platforms. " said Nishant Radia, CMO and co founder of Vidooly.

According to Google, India is one of the largest markets in India with Indians viewing over 400,000 hours in ads on Youtube this year.

For Facebook India is the 2nd largest user base outside of United States. According to a recent report by NASSCOM India only has 133 million internet users which is only a fraction of India's 1.2 billion population.

Cheaper data, smartphones and wider access to public wifi will fuel the next wave of content revolution of which video will be a major chunk.

Vidooly was launched in November 2014 by Subrat Kar, Ajay Mishra and Nishant Radia. It is an online video intelligence software product for content creators, brands, multi-channel networks, agencies & media companies.

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To set up thermal power plant and undertake mining activities in The Kingdom of Swaziland

JSW Energy has signed a binding MoU with Swaziland Electricity Company and the Government of the Kingdom of Swaziland to set up a thermal power plant and related activities in the Kingdom of Swaziland.

The MoU provides for setting up a thermal power plant and undertaking of mining activities pursuant to execution of definitive agreements - a long term Power Purchase Agreement to be guaranteed by the Kingdom of Swaziland and fuel supply agreement from captive coal resources; and facilitation of other consents and approvals including associated infrastructure facilities to support coal mining, power generation, evacuation and allied activities.

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Key benchmark indices edged higher in early trade tracking firmness in Asian stocks. At 9:30 IST, the barometer index, the S&P BSE Sensex was up 79.04 points or 0.28% at 28,156.22. The Nifty 50 index was currently up 22.60 points or 0.26% at 8,715.65. Oil and bank stocks led gains on the bourses.

In overseas stock markets, Asian stocks gained. Most US stocks closed slightly lower on Friday, 21 October 2016 after earnings from McDonald's helped offset a fall in energy and healthcare shares.

Closer home, the market breadth indicating the overall health of the market was strong. On BSE, 1,174 shares rose and 327 shares declined. A total of 75 shares were unchanged. The BSE Mid-Cap index was currently up 0.39%. The BSE Small-Cap index was currently up 0.65%. Both these indices outperformed the Sensex.

Wipro declined 3.36% after the company's consolidated net profit fell 8% to Rs 2070 crore on 10% increase in gross revenues to Rs 13770 crore in Q2 September 2016 over Q2 September 2015. The result was announced after market hours on Friday, 21 October 2016.

During the quarter, non-GAAP constant currency IT services segment revenue in dollar terms grew 0.9% over Q1 June 2016 and grew 7.2% over Q2 September 2015. IT services segment revenue was $1916.30 million, a decrease of 0.8% over Q1 June 2016 and an increase of 4.6% over Q2 September 2015.

IT services segment profits fell 5% to Rs 2340 crore on 9% increase in revenue to Rs 13140 crore in Q2 September 2016 over Q2 September 2015. Wipro expects revenues from its IT services business to be in the range of $1,916 million to $1,955 million.

Cairn India gained 0.69% after the company announced strong Q2 results. On a consolidated basis, net profit of Cairn India rose 139.16% to Rs 778.70 crore on 9.08% decline in net sales to Rs 2038.59 crore in Q2 September 2016 over Q2 September 2015. The result was announced after market hours on Friday, 21 October 2016.

Sun Pharmaceutical Industries gained 0.42% after the company said it completed the divestment of its seven prescription brands in India to RPG Life Sciences. This has been done after receiving approval of the Competition Commission of India and completion of all the necessary formalities for closure of the transaction, Sun Pharmaceutical Industries said in a filing. On 27 July 2016, Sun Pharma had informed that it had signed an pact with RPG Life Sciences to divest seven brands in India, owned by the company and its subsidiary, for a consideration of Rs 41 crore. The announcement was made after market hours on Friday, 21 October 2016.

Idea Cellular rose 0.57% ahead of its Q2 results today, 24 October 2016.

Power Grid Corporation of India rose 0.57% after the company announced on Saturday, 22 October 2016 that the company's board of directors in a meeting held on 22 October 2016, accorded investment approvals for three projects totalling Rs 1184.45 crore.

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By The Cotton Textiles Export Promotion Council

Nitin Spinners has been awarded followings by The Cotton Textiles Export Promotion Council:-

1. Bronze Trophy for the third Highest Exports of "Cotton Yarn Counts 50s and below" under category II for achieving exports turnover of Rs. 434 crore during the F.Y. 2015-16.

2. Bronze Plaque for the Third Highest Exports of "Grey Fabrics" under Category I for achieving exports turnover of Rs. 50 crore during the F.Y. 2015-16.

Dinesh Nolkha, Managing Director of the Company received awards from Commissioner of Textiles at a function held in Mumbai on 21 October 2016.

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ONGC rose 4.25% to Rs 291.90 at 13:49 IST on BSE after the company scheduled a board meeting on 27 October 2016 to consider a proposal of issue of bonus shares.

The announcement was made during market hours today, 24 October 2016.

Meanwhile, the BSE Sensex was up 157.83 points, or 0.56%, to 28,235.01

On BSE, so far 11.67 lakh shares were traded in the counter, compared with average daily volume of 6.48 lakh shares in the past one quarter. The stock hit a high of Rs 292.40 in intraday trade so far, which is 52-week high for the counter. The stock hit a low of Rs 278.60 so far during the day. The stock hit a 52-week low of Rs 188 on 12 February 2016. The stock had outperformed the market over the past 30 days till 21 October 2016, rising 7.92% compared with 2.42% decline in the Sensex. The scrip also outperformed the market in past one quarter, gaining 25.87% as against Sensex's 0.99% rise.

The large-cap company has equity capital of Rs 4,277.75 crore. Face value per share is Rs 5.

Meanwhile, in its clarification with respect to news titled, Bombay high court asks ONGC to release $20 million to Swiber, ONGC on Saturday, 22 October 2016 said that as per the current status the Bombay High Court decided on 18 October 2016 that parties are trying their best to arrive at an amicable settlement of their disputes. The parties are still trying to finalize the terms of the settlement and directed ONGC to release $11.1 million to the Judicial Manager, subject to a workable mechanism, so that this amount is utilized for the purpose of the project only and to deposit $8.44 million in the court before the next date of hearing on 26 October 2016.

The matter is in the normal execution of contract/project and the amount due and payable towards contract/project execution is to be deposited in the court and there is nothing material in the court decision. ONGC, Offshore Engineering Services had awarded three projects i.e. Daman Development Project, Pipeline Replacement Project-4 and C-26 Cluster Pipeline Project to Swiber Offshore Construction (SOC), Singapore a subsidiary of Swiber Holdings Pte Singapore.

ONGC's net profit declined 21.16% to Rs 4232.54 crore on 21.46% decline in net sales to Rs 17670.37 crore in Q1 June 2016 over Q1 June 2015.

ONGC is India's largest oil and gas exploration firm by sales.

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Key benchmark indices held firm after extending intraday gains to hit fresh intraday high in mid-afternoon trade. At 14:19 IST, the barometer index, the S&P BSE Sensex was up 144.23 points or 0.51% at 28,221.41. The gains for the Nifty 50 index were lower than the Sensex's gains in percentage terms. The Nifty was currently up 34.90 points or 0.4% at 8,727.95. The Sensex hit more than two-week high in mid-afternoon trade. The Nifty hit two-week high in mid-afternoon trade. Gains in global stocks aided the upmove on the domestic bourses.

The Sensex rose 179.47 points or 0.63% at the day's high of 28,256.65 in mid-afternoon trade, its highest level since 6 October 2016. The barometer index lost 1.23 points at the day's low of 28,075.95 in early trade. The Nifty rose 43.90 points or 0.5% at the day's high of 8,736.95 in mid-afternoon trade, its highest level since 10 October 2016. The index lost 8.90 points or 0.1% at the day's low of 8,684.15 in early trade.

In overseas stock markets, European stocks edged higher as investors focused on fresh economic data and corporate earnings. Data showed that Eurozone flash services PMI for October climbed to 9-month high of 53.5 and Eurozone flash manufacturing PMI for October rose to 30-month high at 53.3.

Asian stocks gained in volatile trade led by gains in Chinese stock market. China's Shanghai Composite closed 1.21% higher. Latest data showed that the Nikkei Flash Japan Manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) rose to 51.7 in October from September's 50.4, improving at the sharpest rate in nine months. Most US stocks closed slightly lower on Friday, 21 October 2016 after earnings from McDonald's helped offset a fall in energy and healthcare shares.

Closer home, the market breadth indicating the overall health of the market was strong. On BSE, 1,727 shares rose and 1,023 shares fell. A total of 222 shares were unchanged. The BSE Mid-Cap index was currently up 0.19%, underperforming the Sensex. The BSE Small-Cap index was currently up 0.69%, outperforming the Sensex.

Pharma stocks were mixed. Cipla (up 1.08%), Lupin (up 2.26%), Wockhardt (up 1.43%), Divi's Laboratories (up 1.35%), and Glenmark Pharmaceuticals (up 0.1%) gained. Aurobindo Pharma (down 0.57%), Dr Reddy's Laboratories (down 0.69%), and Cadila Healthcare (down 0.31%) declined.

Sun Pharmaceutical Industries rose 0.67% after the company said it completed the divestment of its seven prescription brands in India to RPG Life Sciences. The announcement was made after market hours on Friday, 21 October 2016. This has been done after receiving approval of the Competition Commission of India (CCI) and completion of all the necessary formalities for closure of the transaction, Sun Pharma said in a filing.

On 27 July 2016, Sun Pharma had informed that it had signed an pact with RPG Life Sciences to divest seven brands in India, owned by Sun Pharma and its subsidiary, for a consideration of Rs 41 crore.

Shares of power generation and power distribution companies gained. Torrent Power (up 1.37%), NHPC (up 0.58%), Tata Power Company (up 0.3%), Adani Power (up 1.26%), NTPC (up 1.64%), Reliance Infrastructure (up 1.37%) and Reliance Power (up 0.52%) gained.

Power Grid Corporation of India rose 0.09% after the company announced on Saturday, 22 October 2016 that the company's board of directors in a meeting held on 22 October 2016, accorded investment approvals for three projects totalling Rs 1184.45 crore.

Shares of state-run coal miner Coal India rose 2.01%.

ONGC rose 4.29% after the company said that the board of directors of the company will consider a proposal for declaration of bonus issue, if any, in a meeting, scheduled on 27 October 2016. The announcement was made during market hours today, 24 October 2016.

Separately, ONGC on Saturday, 22 October 2016 in its clarification with respect to news titled, Bombay high court asks ONGC to release $20 million to Swiber said that as per the current status the Bombay High Court decided on 18 October 2016 that parties are trying their best to arrive at an amicable settlement of their disputes. The parties are still trying to finalize the terms of the settlement and directed ONGC to release $11.1 million to the Judicial Manager, subject to a workable mechanism, so that this amount is utilized for the purpose of the project only and to deposit $8.44 million in the court before the next date of hearing on 26 October 2016.

The matter is in the normal execution of contract/project and the amount due and payable towards contract/project execution is to be deposited in the court and there is nothing material in the court decision. ONGC, Offshore Engineering Services had awarded three projects i.e. Daman Development Project, Pipeline Replacement Project-4 & C-26 Cluster Pipeline Project to Swiber Offshore Construction(SOC), Singapore a subsidiary of Swiber Holdings Pte Ltd Singapore.

Punj Lloyd rose 1.94% after the company said that the company's wholly owned subsidiary Punj Lloyd Infrastructure (PLIL) has executed definitive agreements with India Infrastructure Fund II (a Sebi registered category 1 alternative investment fund represented by its investment manager IDFC Alternatives) to divest three operating solar projects aggregating to 45 megawatts (MW) located in Punjab and Rajasthan subject to customary approvals and other conditions precedent. The announcement was made on Saturday, 22 October 2016.

As per the transaction, PLIL will divest its entire shareholding in its subsidiaries that hold the three projects. Punj Lloyd Solar Power (PLSPL) owns and operates a 5 MW solar power project selling power under a 25-year power purchase agreement with NTPC Vidyut Vyapar Nigam. PL Surya Urja (PLSUL) owns and operate a 20 MW solar power project selling power under a 25-year power purchase agreement with Punjab State Power Corporation and PL Sunshine (PLSL) owns and operate a 20 MW solar power project selling power under a 25-year power purchase agreement with Punjab State Power Corporation. The transaction is expected to be completed once customary closing conditions and approvals are obtained, Punj Lloyd said.

Union Bank of India gained 1.33% after the bank scheduled a board meeting on 26 October 2016 to consider raising of capital funds through various means. The announcement was made after market hours on Friday, 21 October 2016.

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Smart manufacturing practices will increase productivity and the quality of employment opportunities said Amitabh Kant, CEO, NITI Aayog. Kant observed that Indian manufacturing sector has to adopt advanced technologies to survive in a highly competitive environment.

Kant highlighted that productivity and efficiency are critical for the growth of Indian industry. Industry needs to produce high quality products at a competitive price to withstand the global competition. Manufacturing unit shop floors are now as fashionable and automated as any other industry and consumers are now directly influencing the shop floors. Collecting and processing data coupled with cutting edge technologies will enable shopfloors to respond to the rapidly changing consumer demands, according to him.

He informed that amalgamation of 9 systems - robotics, big data, 3D printing, analytics, additive manufacturing, automation, electronic system, design, IOTs will lead to Smart manufacturing 4.0. Globally, countries are looking at manufacturing sector for driving their GDP, Europe will be investing over 40 billion Euros in the next 5 years in manufacturing industry. He urged industry to focus on quality and productivity as essential pre-requisites for increasing exports.

Kant stressed on the need for MSMEs to be interconnected and technically agile to be globally competitive and support the Indian industry.

Productivity, cost, employment, after sales services, logistics and others facets of production are now integrated on real time basis with adoption of smart technology.

To shape the transformation, NITI Aayog has also introduced robotic technologies in the incubation centers / labs in 500 schools to promote smart manufacturing.

Anshu Prakash, Additional Secretary, Department of Heavy Industry emphasized that Smart manufacturing is a dynamic process which will happen over a period of time and Government is willing to provide enabling eco-system. Upgradation of skills and skill sets are critical for manpower to adopt smart manufacturing. Prakash informed about an umbrella Capital Goods Scheme to be announced soon. The new scheme includes technology development fund and is also incentivizing smart manufacturing.

Sumit Sawhney, Country Chief Executive Officer & MD, Renault Operations in India focused on smart thinking and smart mindset for promoting innovation in manufacturing. He illustrated the small car KWID segment has been made lean and smart with smart thinking and processes. He concluded that Think Smart - Think Innovative is key to manufacturing and automation will create more jobs in future.

Dilip Sawhney, Summit Chair & MD, Rockwell Automation India mentioned that the Summit is not just a one-off initiative of CII and is aligned with a broader objective of CII Mission Smart Manufacturing programme which aims at promoting smart manufacturing across the Indian manufacturing industry. CII Mission Smart Manufacturing creates a framework at firm level to embrace smart manufacturing technologies. In addition, as per the study conducted by CII to identify Champion Manufacturing industries which have a potential to drive the double digit growth in manufacturing sector, Technology is identified as one of the key drivers.

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Wipro's consolidated net income fell 8% to Rs 2070 crore on 10% increase in gross revenues to Rs 13770 crore in Q2 September 2016 over Q2 September 2015. The result was announced after market hours on Friday, 21 October 2016.

During the quarter, non-GAAP constant currency IT services segment revenue in dollar terms grew 0.9% over Q1 June 2016 and grew 7.2% over Q2 September 2015. IT services segment revenue was $1916.30 million, a decrease of 0.8% over Q1 June 2016 and an increase of 4.6% over Q2 September 2015.

IT services segment profits fell 5% to Rs 2340 crore on 9% increase in revenue to Rs 13140 crore in Q2 September 2016 over Q2 September 2015. Wipro expects revenues from its IT services business to be in the range of $1,916 million to $1,955 million.

On a consolidated basis, net profit of Cairn India rose 139.16% to Rs 778.70 crore on 9.08% decline in net sales to Rs 2038.59 crore in Q2 September 2016 over Q2 September 2015. The result was announced after market hours on Friday, 21 October 2016.

Sun Pharmaceutical Industries said it completed the divestment of its seven prescription brands in India to RPG Life Sciences. This has been done after receiving approval of the Competition Commission of India and completion of all the necessary formalities for closure of the transaction, Sun Pharmaceutical Industries said in a filing. On 27 July 2016, Sun Pharma had informed that it had signed an pact with RPG Life Sciences to divest seven brands in India, owned by the company and its subsidiary, for a consideration of Rs 41 crore. The announcement was made after market hours on Friday, 21 October 2016.

The board of JK Lakshmi Cement in its meeting on 26 October 2016 will consider issuing non-convertible debentures (NCDs) of upto Rs 500 crore, in one or more tranches, on private placement basis subject to requisite approval of the shareholders. The announcement was made after market hours on Friday, 21 October 2016.

Union Bank of India said its board will meet on 26 October 2016 to consider raising of capital funds through various means. The announcement was made after market hours on Friday, 21 October 2016.

Great Eastern Shipping Company (GE Shipping) said it signed a contract to buy a Supramax Dry Bulk Carrier of about 58,000 deadweight tonnage (dwt). The 2009 built vessel is expected to join the company's fleet in Q3 December 2016. The company's current fleet stands at 37 vessels, comprising 24 tankers (7 crude carriers, 15 product tankers, 2 LPG carrier) and 13 dry bulk carriers (1 Capesize, 7 Kamsarmax, 5 Supramax) with an average age of 8.93 years aggregating 2.88 mn dwt. Additionally, the company has 1 Newbuilding Kamsarmax on order. The announcement was made after market hours on Friday, 21 October 2016.

Net profit of RPG Life Sciences rose 300.39% to Rs 10.25 crore on 13.66% rise in net sales to Rs 76.38 crore in Q2 September 2016 over Q2 September 2015. The result was announced after market hours on Friday, 21 October 2016.

Net profit of SKF India rose 20.42% to Rs 60.26 crore on 10.65% rise in net sales to Rs 654.55 crore in Q2 September 2016 over Q2 September 2015. The result was announced after market hours on Friday, 21 October 2016.

On a consolidated basis, net profit of Oberoi Realty rose 12.45% to Rs 83.72 crore on 32.62% rise in net sales to Rs 250.85 crore in Q2 September 2016 over Q2 September 2015. The result was announced after market hours on Friday, 21 October 2016.

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At least 131 persons, including 74 militants, were killed and 150 others injured in clashes in an Iraq's Kirkuk city, sources reported on Monday.

Kirkuk's governor Najmeddin Karin said in a statement that Iraqi and Kurdish forces had killed 74 members of the Islamic State militant group (IS) in combats between Friday and Sunday, EFE news agency reported.

He said several IS militants had been arrested, including the Iraqi leader who had launched the attacks on Friday.

According to Karin, the city's IS faction was comprised of 100 militants, most of them from Iraq.

A Kirkuk medical source told EFE that, apart from the 74 IS members, another 57 persons were killed in the fighting, most of them members of the security forces.

During the attacks, the IS militants took control of some police stations and placed snipers on several buildings.

After Friday's clashes reinforcements were sent to several cities in Iraq's Kurdistan region.

Monday was the eighth day of the offensive to try to recover Mosul from IS.

Iraqi forces and Kurdish Peshmerga aim to expel the IS from this city which has languished under jihadist rule since June 2014.

--IANS

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As many as 24 Maoists, including eight women, were killed by security forces in a gunbattle which also left a Greyhounds commando dead near the Andhra-Odisha border on Monday, police said.

Acting on intelligence inputs, a combined team of Andhra Pradesh and Odisha Police carried out the operation in the Bejjangi forest in Odisha's Malkangiri district early in the day.

"A total 24 Maoists have been killed in the encounter and a jawan succumbed to his injuries," Malkangiri Superintendent of Police Mitrabhanu Mohapatra told IANS.

He, however, said the dead Maoists would be identified only after the bodies reached the district police.

The Maoists belonged to the outlawed Communist Party of India-Maoist.

Of the two personnel of Greyhounds, an anti-Naxalite force of the Andhra Pradesh, injured and flown to the King George Hospital in Visakhapatnam for treatment, Md Abu Bakar succumbed to his injuries.

Mohapatra said they had got the information about the presence of around 40 Maoists in the area.

Top Maoist cadre Ramakrishna alias RK is said to have managed to escape during the fighting.

"We had information about the gathering of members of Andhra-Odisha Border Special Zone Committee," Odisha Police chief K.B. Singh said.

"The joint operation was led by the Andhra Pradesh Police and Greyhounds played a major role in it," he said.

The officer said 10 .303 rifles, two SLRs and four AK-47 guns and some Maoist kits were seized from the spot.

Andhra Pradesh Director General of Police N. Sambasiva Rao said a helicopter was rushed to the scene to bring the injured personnel as well as Maoists to Visakhapatnam for treatment.

He said the police asked the Maoists to surrender but they opened fire, forcing the police to retaliate.

In Hyderabad, revolutionary poet Varavara Rao alleged that police killed the Maoists after attacking their meeting. Most of the slain Maoists hailed from Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.

Varavara Rao demanded that a murder case be booked against the policemen involved in the attack.

"Did Maoists carry out any attack after the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh? Then where was the need for this fake encounter?" asked Rao, a leader of Veerasam, a body of revolutionary writers.

Rao also demanded an inquiry into the incident by a sitting judge of the high court.

--IANS

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Supporters of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav and Samajwadi party leader Shivpal Yadav clashed outside the party office on Monday. Police and security officials had a tough time dispersing the unruly mobs.

The clash comes ahead of the crucial meeting called by SP supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav to take a "final call" on the bitter turf war within his family and the party.

Shivpal Yadav drove into the party office at the Vikramaditya Marg ahead of Akhilesh Yadav. This was the first time that the Chief Minister came to the party office after September 13, the day the present duel within the SP started.

An emotional Akhilesh addressed the crowd in which he said,"Will not break the party at any cost. I will not spare anyone who is close to Amar Singh."

Mulayam Singh Yadav also reached the party office and is slated to meet party leaders, office bearers, legislators and workers soon.

In a related development Akshay Yadav, son of expelled national General Secretary Ram Gopal Yadav, has shot off an angry letter to the party leadership, accusing the leaders of humiliating his father.

Ram Gopal, meanwhile, has said that there was no possibility of a split in the party as "Akhilesh Yadav was himself a party".

--IANS

md/in/vm

--

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Delhi Chief Minister and AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal and Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh were locked in a war of words on Monday on social media platform Twitter over holding an open political debate on Punjab.

After Amarinder Singh accepted a challenge from Kejriwal for a debate, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convener seemed to have second thoughts about it.

"Now that you've shot your mouth, don't scoot like you typically do! Show courage & come for an open debate. Choose the time, place & platform," Amarinder tweeted, accepting Kejriwal's challenge.

Kejriwal responded, saying: "I accept ur challenge sir. I suggest 4 names- H S Phoolka, Jarnail Singh, Bhagwant or Gurpreet. Speaker, date, time, place of ur choice."

Amarinder shot back: "Punjabis believe in leading from the front, not hiding behind others. Or have you already accepted that you can't face me for a public debate?"

Kejriwal again tweeted: "I am not hiding behind anyone sir. I am ready for a debate with Rahul ji or Sonia ji anytime. Our Punjab team will debate wid u."

"So you've chickened out! You're the 'Aam Aadmi' who levels allegations on everyone bt wud like to engage only with PM & Presidents of parties!" Amarinder responded.

The Congress and AAP are in the midst of a bitter political contest to challenge Punjab's ruling Shiromani Akali Dal-Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) alliance. The alliance has been in power in Punjab since 2007.

Kejriwal had earlier accused the Congress leader of using drugs money in the Punjab poll campaign.

"Sir, ppl talking in Punjab that u using (Bikram Singh) Majithia's drug money in ur campaign. Is it true? U had saved him from CBI enquiry 3 yrs back (sic)," Kejriwal had tweeted.

While saying that Kejriwal was hallucinating, Amarinder said: "When your hopes crash from 100 to 30 (seats) & still sliding, you're bound to hallucinate & see things that don't exist."

The AAP has been alleging a nexus of the Akali Dal with the Congress after Amarinder Singh was recently let off in a corruption case in Amritsar.

--IANS

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As it turns 50, Haryana has many reasons to celebrate. Be it industrialisation, corporate investments, urbanisation or agriculture -- the state has progressed rather well on most fronts.

And celebrate it will, for a whole year, starting November 1 -- the . The Haryana government has planned year-long 'Swarna Jayanti' celebrations, starting November 1, to mark the golden jubilee of the creation of the state. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will officially launch the celebrations from the Tau Devi Lal stadium in Gurgaon on November 1 with an expected attendance of over 100,000 people.

The BJP government in Haryana, headed by Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, has earmarked a Rs 1,700-crore budget for the year-long celebrations and schemes to be announced during the event.

Created on November 1, 1966, after bifurcating Punjab, Haryana has moved way ahead of its progressive neighbour in many aspects of development.

Even though Punjab has announced that it will celebrate the half centenary of the creation of 'Punjabi Suba' on a massive scale, questions are being raised on whether it should actually be celebrating the occasion at all.

"What did we get from the agitation for the Punjabi Suba? What are they celebrating? Well-known author Khushwant Singh had quipped many years back. 'Majj vech ke ghodi layee, dudh peeno gaye, lidd sitni payee' (After selling the buffalo, we bought a horse; we had to forgo milk and ended up removing shit). The Akali governments never celebrated Punjab Day earlier," former state information commissioner P.P.S. Gill, who observed and reported on Punjab over the years as a senior journalist earlier, told IANS.

In his well-researched book "Punjab: A Frozen Tear" (released last year), Gill minced no words to point out that "once a prosperous state, Punjab today is a problem state".

"From a food bowl state, Punjab has become a basket case; once a frontline state, it is now a fault-line state. Punjab is now only presenting bouquets in New Delhi to seek one or the other package for everything (over the years) that has gone wrong," Gill pointed out.

Punjab Education Minister Daljit Singh Cheema, however, seemed quite upbeat about the three-week celebrations. At least 80 events are being held across Punjab which will culminate in Amritsar with a grand celebration on Nov 1.

"Punjab was bifurcated in 1966. It lost its territory and Haryana was created. Later Himachal Pradesh was also carved out. So what is there to celebrate in the name of the Punjabi Suba? Punjab has actually shrunk and is just a small state now. In previous years, the Shiromani Akali Dal governments have never marked Nov 1 as Punjab Day. So why this move to celebrate 50 years? Does it have anything to do with the impending elections three months from now?" asked agriculturist Baldev Singh.

Punjab, the Green Revolution state that contributes 50 per cent of foodgrains to the national kitty despite having just 1.54 percent of the country's geographical area, is facing a crisis on the agriculture front with farming not being viable and indebtness leading to suicides. The state's once flourishing industry in Ludhiana, Jalandhar and Mandi Gobindgarh is passing through its worst times with most units shifting to neighbouring hill states to cash in on tax holiday benefits.

"Industry has moved from Punjab in the past decade. Agriculture is in a mess. Drugs are a major problem. Corruption is rampant. Only the ruling Badal family has done well while Punjab is under a huge debt. Out of the last two decades, the Akalis have ruled Punjab for 15 years. They cannot blame anyone else for the state's present condition," Congress leader Rajinder Deepa told IANS.

In comparison, Haryana has struck a goldmine with Gurgaon, adjoining the national capital New Delhi and development in the national capital region (NCR) areas. Nearly half of Haryana is now part of the NCR and reaping benefits.

The Gurgaon-Manesar-Bawal belt is home to multi-national companies, big industry, Information Technology (IT) and software giants and corporate offices.

Both states, however, continue to battle with contentious issues like sharing of river waters and claim over Chandigarh and some other areas. At times, like in recent months, the bitterness over these issues goes out of hand.

(Jaideep Sarin can be contacted at jaideep.s@ians.in)

--IANS

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The Australian government plans to introduce a new bill in November to legalise a six-month trial of shark nets on the North Coast, following a series of shark attacks here in recent months.

These nets would be deployed on the North Coast beaches before the Christmas holidays after Parliament passes the legislation, Xinhua news reported.

New South Wales Minister for Primary Industries Niall Blair said the state would introduce a dedicated legislation to regulate the mesh nets on a trial basis.

"No one measure can stop shark attacks, but this trial of traditional nets will complement our existing $12.17 million Shark Management Strategy, and help reduce the risk of further attacks," Blair said in a statement.

"Fisheries experts from Department of Primary Industries are investigating how mesh nets might be improved to avoid unnecessary hazard to marine life," Blair said

However, protecting human life is the first priority, he said.

The announcement came right after a 36-year-old surfer suffered wounds on his thigh during a shark attack at Broken Head near Byron Bay on Monday morning.

A statement issued by Surf Life Saving NSW said that all beaches across Byron Bay including the patrolled main beach would remain closed for at least the next 24 hours following the attack.

There were 13 shark attacks reported at NSW beaches since February.

--IANS

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Actor Chris Hemsworth has shot down reports that his marriage to model Elsa Pataky is in trouble.

Hemsworth took to Instagram on Sunday to share an image with his wife, addressing Australian magazine Woman's Day's claims that the couple was "taking a break from each other," reports aceshowbiz.com.

"Looking for a new wife according to Woman's Day and other misleading outlets," wrote the "Thor" actor, confirming that his marriage is going fine.

"Honey you still love me right? Elsa Pataky," he added.

The magazine was the first to report that the couple had "decided they need space".

"Hopefully it will be a case of absence makes the heart grow fonder, but they definitely appear to have some issues that need to be sorted out. It has raised a few eyebrows among their friends," a source told the magazine.

The magazine also claimed that Pataky's holiday in her native Spain last month without Hemsworth by her side was the proof that the couple could be "Hollywood's next big split".

--IANS

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A senior commando of Andhra Pradesh's elite anti-Maoist force Greyhounds was killed in an exchange of fire with Maoists on the Andhra-Odisha border on Monday, police said.

Over 20 Maoists, including some women, were killed in the gun battle in Malkangiri district of Odisha.

The incident occurred during a joint search operation in the forests by special forces of the two states.

"Two senior commandos of Greyhounds were injured in the exchange of fire. One of them, Abu Bakr, succumbed to his wounds before he could be airlifted to Visakhapatnam for treatment," police said.

Abu Bakr hailed from Gajuwaka area in Visakhapatnam. Deputy Inspector General of Police (Visakhapatnam range) Srikant visited the slain commando's house and consoled his family members.

--IANS

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The Hyderabad High Court on Monday directed Andhra Pradesh government to preserve the bodies of Maoists killed in a gun battle on the Andhra-Odisha border till October 27.

The High Court of Judicature here for the states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana gave this direction on a petition filed by a civil liberties activist.

The court adjourned further hearing of the case to October 26.

Over 20 Maoists and a police personnel were killed in an alleged exchange of fire between extremists and police in Malkangiri district of Odisha near the border with Andhra.

The petitioner had sought comprehensive probe into the incident and action against the policemen involved as per Supreme Court guidelines about encounter killings.

The state government informed the court that the incident occurred in Odisha and that bodies of slain Maoists were yet to reach Andhra.

Stating that it cannot pass orders on the petition at this stage, the court directed that the bodies of the Maoists be preserved at King George Hospital in Visakhapatnam.

--IANS

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On October 8, 2016, in a series of anti-militancy crackdowns, 12 Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) militants were killed in Gazipur, Tangail and Dhaka districts. Seven of them were killed in the Harinal area under Gazipur city of Gazipur district in Operation Spate 8 conducted jointly by a Counter and Transnational Crime (CTTC) unit, a Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team and the Gazipur police.

Two others were killed during an operation by a Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) at a JMB den in Lebubagan area of Gazipur district. In another raid carried out by the RAB, two other militants were killed in a three-storey building in the Mirzamath area of Tangail town in Tangail district. Separately, in Dhaka district, Nazmul Haque alias Abdur Rahman, the financier of JMB, died after he jumped off from his flat in the fourth floor to flee during a raid by the RAB.

According to partial data collected by the Institute for Conflict Management, since the July 1, 2016, Gulshan attack on a cafe, a total of 41 JMB terrorists have been killed and 80 others have been arrested across Bangladesh in different raids (data till October 17, 2016). Prominent among those killed were: 'financier' Nazmul Haque alias Abdur Rahman, 'military commander' of the northern region Ripon alias Golam Tareque alias Abu Ibrahim (29), mastermind of Gulshan attack Tamim Ahmed Chowdhury, 'military commander' Murad alias Jahangir Alam alias Omar alias Major Shaheb.

The JMB was founded in 1998 by Sheikh Abdur Rahman, with the objective of establishing Islamic rule in Bangladesh and to replace the current state and constitution. It opposes the existing political system and seeks to "build a society based on the Islamic model laid out in Holy Quran-Hadith." It opposes democracy, socialism as well as cultural functions, cinema halls, shrines and NGOs. The government did not realize the gravity of JMB's agenda until the terror group triggered a countrywide serial bombing on August 17, 2005. A staggering 459 explosions had occurred in 63 of Bangladesh's 64 districts (excluding Munshiganj) killing three and injuring more than 100 people.

In the crackdown that followed, according to an estimate of the police headquarters, a total of 160 cases were filed across the country and 1,157 JMB leaders and cadres were named as accused. Of these, 960 were arrested. Remarkably, two top leaders of the group, Sheikh Abdur Rahman and Sidiqul Islam alias Bangla Bhati, were executed on March 30, 2007. That was the end of the JMB's first phase.

Before the crackdown, the JMB was led by a seven-member Majlis-e-Shura, comprising its top leadership, including Abdur Rahman and Bangla Bhai. The group had 16 'regional commanders' and 64 'district heads', besides hundreds of 'operational commanders'.

The cadre was organized in three tiers. The first tier was known as Eshar, where the 200 members were full-timers and reported directly to the central committee. The second tier was Gayeri Easher and had about 10,000 members. The third tier was Sathis or Sudhis consisting of younger foot soldiers.

For operational requirements, the group divided the country into nine divisions - one division each in Khulna, Barisal, Sylhet and Chittagong, two each in Dhaka and Rajshahi. The JMB also had a suicide squad called Shahid Nasirullah Arafat Brigade. The members had an 'insurance policy' from the group.

The JMB took only nine years to reorganise. This time, the born-again militant outfit, Neo JMB, as called by law enforcers, is far more radicalized and fearsome. The Neo JMB is now inspired by the ideology of Islamic State (IS), skilled in modern technology and equipped with sophisticated firearms capable of causing damage more than the old JMB which a decade ago carried out suicide bombing and synchronized blasts across the country.

Emerging in 2014, the Neo JMB drew law enforcers' attention only after committing Bangladesh Commerce Bank Limited (BCBL) robbery in Ashulia, a suburban area near Dhaka city on April 21, 2015, leaving eight people dead. The Neo JMB is responsible for the July 1, 2016, Gulshan attack in which 20 hostages, including 17 foreigners, was killed. The armed attack launched near the historic Sholakia Eidgah on July 7, 2016, leading to the death of two policemen, a housewife and a militant, was also an act of Neo JMB.

Notably, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina who has consolidated Bangladesh's secular commitments reining in the Islamist extremist groups during a visit to Dhakeshwari National Temple in Dhaka city on October 8, 2016, said: "Our government has always taken stern action against and militancy and would continue to curb the twin demons with an iron hand.... There would be no place for and militancy on Bangladesh's soil."

Earlier on September 3, 2016, asking the terrorists and militants to surrender or face dire consequences, Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan said: "If you do not give yourself up to the law enforcement agencies, you will face what your accomplices have experienced in the immediate past operations."

Indeed, the re-surfacing of JMB in the form of Neo-JMB, mainly consisting of tech-savvy youngsters, has surprised Bangladesh's security forces, who are finding it difficult to detect their motives and future plans. No doubt, Bangladesh's law-enforcement agencies have neutralized a number of hardcore JMB militants who posed a serious security threat to the country. Despite the successes, law enforcers must be on their guard as the militant groups are still gaining fresh recruits.

Law enforcers should address how these organisations are being funded as the weapons collected from the dead militants suggest that they continue to receive substantial external assistance. If the source of their support can be identified and neutralized, the security forces can deal a substantial blow to their activities.

(S. Binodkumar Singh is a Research Associate at the Institute for Conflict Management, New Delhi. The article is by special arrangement with South Asia Monitor/www.southasiamonitor.org)

--IANS

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Delhi Police on Monday said they have arrested five persons for kidnapping a 23-year-old bridal artist and Bhojpuri actor from Uttar Pradesh.

The arrested kidnappers have been identified as Wasim, 32, a native of Hastsal in Uttar Pradesh, and Vinod, 31, Deepak, 28, Neeraj, 23, and Nasir, 21 -- all residents of Delhi.

They were arrested during a police raid in Hardoi district in Uttar Pradesh on Sunday night and Abhishek Khetrapal rescued from their clutches, police said.

Khetrapal had also acted as second lead role in Bhojpuri blockbuster "Chhabili" in 2012, police said.

Khetrapal, a resident of Janakpuri in west Delhi, was kidnapped dramatically at gun-point by the kidnappers from outside Radisson Blu hotel in Mahipalpur area where he was called by the kidnappers ostensibly for a bridal make-up assignment on October 20, police said.

"Khetrapal had sent a text message to his family hours before his kidnapping, which helped police bust the gang," Joint Commissioner of Police (JCP) Deependra Pathak said.

"Khetrapal's family immediately contacted Delhi Police and we formed a 15-man dedicated team to bust the gang," Pathak added.

He said the abductors had also made a first ransom call to Khetrapal's family for Rs 2 crore 22 hours after his kidnapping from Kanpur and the second call from Hardoi on October 23 using different SIM cards.

"Police identified the exact location of the kidnappers and arrested them in a raid on Sunday late night and rescued Khetrapal from their clutches," Pathak added.

The kidnappers told the interrogators that Wasim, who worked as helper in Khetrapal's family business of beauty parlour in Janakpuri, hatched the conspiracy of his kidnapping along with his friend Deepak and other associates. Wasim knew that Khetrapal was financially strong, police said.

--IANS

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The Caribbean nation of Trinidad and Tobago celebrated its annual Diwali Nagar festival where the Guyana Hindu Dharmic Sabha (GHDS) president called for purity and unity in the world.

"If we understand that the world is one family, we can achieve that illusive dream of unity in this global village," GHDS President and Guyana's Member of Parliament Vindhya Vahini Persaud said.

Addressing the 30th annual Diwali Nagar at Chaguanas, Central Trinidad, Persaud urged the Trinidad and Tobago government to transcend its borders and touch the cultural diaspora.

The annual festival was organised by the National Council of Indian Culture (NCIC), under the leadership of Deokienanan Sharma.

Among those present were newly-appointed Indian High Commissioner Bishwadip Dey and US Ambassador John Estrada.

Exploring the theme 'Ganga Maa-Mother of the Ocean and Rivers', Persaud said people must learn to act in the best interest of those with whom they come into contact every day.

"It is said that the water of the Ganga river is the purest ... this kind of purity can be attained by being pure in thought, words and deeds as life is like a river with many ups and downs. Life gives us joy, happiness and hope," she said.

Persaud urged leaders and all citizens to not only understand women and their vulnerability, but also their inherent capabilities.

"I think the people of Trinidad and Tobago definitely understand the meaning that women are pivotal to nation building," she added.

The NCIC's Public Relations Officer Surujdeo Mangaroo also hailed the ceremony for its unique spirit.

"The annual Diwali Nagar, the Council's flagship project, induces innovative programmes with increased participation of the youth -- especially women upon whom depends the future stability, progress and development of the Indian culture and Hinduism," he said

The festival attracts people of all ethnicity, culture and religions, which, in itself, is sociological therapy for the enhancement of cultural diversity, and has now become a model for similar societies, Mangaroo said.

The Indian diaspora here comprises descendants of some 148,000 East Indians, from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, brought here between 1845 and 1917 to work on enhancing local agricultural capacity.

The Indian diaspora now forms some 42 per cent of the 1.3 million population of Trinidad and Tobago.

(Paras Ramoutar can be contacted at paras_ramoutar@yahoo.com)

--IANS

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A naval ship of India will pay a goodwill visit to Fiji, the Fijian government announced on Monday.

Indian Naval Ship (INS) Sumitra, scheduled to berth on Wednesday, is expected to bring in five tonnes of vegetable seeds that will be handed over to the Fijian government to assist with the Tropical Cyclone Winston rehabilitation programme, according to Fiji's Department of Information, Xinhua news agency reported.

As part of the visit, a joint programme by Fiji's Ministry of Defense and India's High Commission there has been organised for the general public for a medical camp to conduct free medical check-ups and counselling together with a band display.

INS Sumitra will be open for visitors on Friday, said the department.

Due to historically colonial reasons, some 40 per cent of Fiji's total population today is of Indian descent.

--IANS

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Laos will host the Lao International Series from October 31 to November 5. A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the Lao Badminton Federation and the Badminton Association of Thailand, local media have reported.

According to the MoU signed on Sunday, the two organisations will jointly hold the tournament, during which Laos will also stage cultural events and arrange tours for visitors to various parts of the country, reports Xinhua news agency.

The series will be attended by badminton players from around the world, who will be looking to gain points to improve their rankings.

The event will also be an opportunity for Laos players to develop their skills. Top Laotian badminton players are scheduled to attend a training camp in Thailand alongside Thai players, according to a report by the Vientiane Times.

Meanwhile, Thai players will also have an opportunity to attend a training camp in Vientiane before they play in the competition.

The Lao Badminton Federation plans to spend $50,000 on the series, while the Badminton Association of Thailand will provide a cash prize of $8,000 for the winners of each event, assist in organising the competition, and run a training course for Lao referees before they take part in the event.

--IANS

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A huge fire broke out on Monday morning at a plastics factory in Bhopal. Fifteen fire tenders were trying to douse the blaze.

The fire broke out at a plastics factory on a landfill site of Hanumangunj in the Madhya Pradesh capital.

"The fire started at 4 a.m. Fifteen fire engines were rushed to the spot the moment we got information. We are trying to bring the fire under control," a fire officer said.

According to locals, the factory caught fire between 2 a.m. to 3 a.m. They alleged the fire brigade came nearly two hours after being informed.

The administration and fire officials said initially the fire was confined to the plastics factory but subsequently it extended to the warehouse.

--IANS

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One separatist militant was killed in Jammu and Kashmir on Monday in a gunfight with security forces in Kupwara district, police said.

Security forces had cordoned off Warnow village in Kupwara following information about some guerrillas hiding there.

"When the security forces closed in on one of the houses, where the militant was hiding, he fired upon them triggering an encounter in which the militant was killed," a senior police officer said.

The exact identity of the slain militant is still being established, police said.

--IANS

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An eight-year-old boy and a border trooper were killed and nine others injured in fresh shelling by Pakistan early Monday, damaging at least 50 villages on this side of the International Border, officials said.

Police said the injured included two Border Security Force (BSF) troopers and seven civilians.

"A BSF trooper, Sushil Kumar, and an eight-year-old boy were killed in heavy shelling and automatic gunfire by Pakistan Rangers," police said.

Sushil Kumar, a resident of Kurukshetra in Haryana, was inducted in the force in 1992.

He was killed in R.S.Pura sector while the boy died in Kanachak area, the police said.

All the injured were shifted to hospital for treatment.

Officials said Pakistan Rangers targeted around a dozen BSF outposts on the International Border. The firing began around 2 a.m.

About 50 villages have been affected by Pakistan shelling. Ten animals including milch cows, buffaloes and goats have also perished.

"Over a dozen residential houses have also been damaged by mortar shells fired by Pakistan troops. A large number of shells have fallen in agricultural fields in the affected villages causing damage to standing crops and vegetables," the police said.

BSF troopers effectively retaliated.

"The exchange of fire was triggered by the Pakistani Rangers who resorted to unprovoked shelling and firing at Indian positions around 7 p.m. yesterday (Sunday)," the police said.

Residents in the border villages in Khour tehsil and other places in Jammu district spent another sleepless night as shells from Pakistan burst in the agricultural fields close to their homes.

Border forces of the two countries have been trading fire since the September 29 surgical strikes by the Indian Army at terror launch pads in Pakistan-administered Kashmir.

On Sunday, a BSF constable, Gurnam Singh, succumbed to his injuries in firing by Pakistani snipers in Bobiya area of Hira Nagar sector. The firing took place on Friday. Gurnam Singh belonged to Bhalesar village of R.S. Pura in Jammu district.

The BSF had launched a counter-offensive on Friday and claimed to have killed seven Pakistan Rangers and a militant.

--IANS

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi will lay the foundation stone of Rs 751 crore project for doubling the railway track from Varanasi, officials said.

"Prime Minister will lay the foundation stone for the doubling railway tracks on the 120 kilometers Allahabad-Varanasi route via Madhav Singh," Chief Public Relation Officer (North Eastern Railway) Sanjay Yadav told IANS.

This will be Modi's eighth visit to his Lok Sabha constituency since becoming the Prime Minister.

According to senior officials, the project was sanctioned in the 2016 railways budget.

"It would take around two years to complete the doubling of the tracks on the route," Yadav said.

The railways will also construct seven big and 115 small bridges on the route.

--IANS

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Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav on Monday struck an emotional pitch at the crucial party meeting in the presence of his father and SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav calling him his "guru" and assuring that he could never split the party.

Akhilesh was addressing party office bearers, legislators, and supporters outside the SP headquarters where his uncle Shivpal Singh Yadav was also present.

Akhilesh said he was ready to quit if his father asked him to and if it sorted the impasse in the ruling party.

In a choked voice, the Chief Minister said he has always obeyed the SP chief and he was very thankful that his father had given him such dizzying heights in the party.

The 43-year-old, however, pointed at a conspiracy against him by some with vested interests and rued that his uncle Shivpal was also part of it.

"I have done everything for the betterment of the party and my government has worked for all-round development of Uttar Pradesh and I will continue to do that," he said.

He highlighted various development projects like the Lucknow Metro and the Agra-Lucknow Expressway which would be inaugurated on Netaji's (Mulayam Singh) birthday in November.

Trashing reports and speculation that he was anti-Mulayam, he said he had never done anything which was against party interest and had always ensured that every problem was addressed to Netaji either through letters or personal meetings.

In an important disclosure, Akhilesh referred to the sacking of minister Gayatri Prajapati in September as a decision taken on the behest of Netaji.

"Even Chief Secretary Deepak Singhal was removed on Mulayam Singh's order and I had even tipped off the top bureaucrat to go and beg for forgiveness," Akhilesh said.

--IANS

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Samajwadi Party leader Shivpal Singh Yadav on Monday demanded that party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav take over as Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, in another twist to the warring within the state's ruling Samajwadi Party family.

"He (Mulayam Singh) should take over as the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh," Shivpal Singh said while addressing party workers here, a day after he was sacked as minister by his nephew, Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav.

He also refuted the claims of Akhilesh Yadav who had denied that he will form a new party. "Akhilesh Yadav had told me that he will form another party. He said it, he said it to me," Shivpal Yadav said.

Slamming Akhilesh Yadav, Shivpal said, "Don't I have any contribution in this government? Netaji (Mulayam Singh) appreciated my work. The department under me performed well."

"But what happened... I was sacked? When I was made state president, did I work any less than Akhilesh?" he asked.

He also hailed party supremo Mulayam Singh and said that he had become an alternate to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. "Netaji you had become an alternate to Modi. Who let you down?" he asked.

Shivpal Singh also warned the party leaders of action and said, "Indiscipline will not be tolerated in this party. This party has reached such heights only because of Netaji," he said.

--IANS

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Myanmar President U Htin Kyaw on Monday hailed the United Nations for its achievements in maintaining international peace, security and sustainable development over the past decades.

In a message to commemorate the UN's 71st anniversary, U Htin said: "Peace, security and development are inter-related and inter-connected. Sustainable development cannot be achieved without peace. Peace is not sustainable without development. Poverty eradication stands as one of the solutions in addressing many of today's challenges."

The President said realisation of the 2030 Agenda for sustainable Development Goals is a priority for the UN and its member states, Xinhua news agency reported.

While stating that cooperation with the UN is a cornerstone of Myanmar's foreign policy, he pledged his country's commitment to continuing its strong support for the organisation in addressing common challenges through international cooperation.

He also reaffirmed Myanmar's faith and confidence in the purposes and principles described in the UN Charter.

--IANS

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Late actor-comedian Robin Williams's widow Susan Schneider believes that William committed suicide due to the debilitating brain disease he was suffering from.

William committed suicide in August 2014 as a result of the debilitating brain disease, which is the second most common neurodegenerative dementia after Alzheimer's and causes heightened levels of anxiety, delusions and impaired movement.

The disease was only diagnosed after an autopsy was carried out following his death, and Schneider has now joined forces with the American Brain Foundation to "cure all brain disease", reports femalefirst.co.uk.

"The biggest battle of his life was against Lewy Body Disease. This terrifying disease attacks the brain. No matter how many doctors we saw, symptoms we chased, or tests we ran, it was only in autopsy that I learned we had unknowingly been battling a deadly disease. A disease for which there is no cure," Schneider said while accepting the 2016 Angel Harvey Heart of a Patriot Award from the USO on William's behalf here.

"The devastation on Robin's brain from the Lewy bodies, was one of the worst cases medical professionals have ever seen. Yet throughout all of this, his heart remained strong," she said.

"In 1945, the American Cancer Society put all forms of cancer on the collective map and called it 'cancer'. They saw it as one disease and set out to attack each manifestation of it. It is time we take the same approach with the brain - combining medical knowledge, funding, research and efforts to look at brain disease as a whole."

Schneider said, "I have joined forces with the American Brain Foundation and have taken up their noble mission: to cure all brain disease. Together we can usher in a new era of brain care where early detection, cures and ultimately prevention become reality."

Schneider compared Williams's battle to that of America's servicemen and women and said her love for him had helped her to cope since his death.

"I'm here with you because of my husband's heart. Robin absolutely had the heart of a patriot. I cannot think of a more fitting award for him, nor one that he would be more proud to receive, especially in the presence of all of you. Robin was also a warrior, and like so many of our finest servicemen and women he had battles to face."

Schneider said, "I stand hopeful before all of you. The love my husband and I have shared has been my beacon and my guide. The love all of you give by your choice to take your worst days and use them to give someone their best days - that devotion and caring for others is my strength."

--IANS

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Russian inspectors on Monday will start observation flights over the Turkish territory under the Open Skies Treaty to monitor its compliance, a senior Russian defense official said.

The observational flights -- cancelled by Ankara in February, "will be carried out between October 24 and October 28," TASS news agency quoted Russia's Nuclear Risk Reduction Center's acting chief Sergey Zabello.

The Russian flight will use an An-30B aircraft with Turkish specialists on board and cover a maximum range of 1,900 km using Turkey's Eskisehir Air Base to refuel, Xinhua news agency reported.

The flight is part of the confidence-building measures in Europe in the post Cold War era under the international treaty.

The Open Skies Treaty establishes a programme of unarmed aerial surveillance flights over the entire European territory of 34 nations, including Russia and most members of North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).

The treaty was signed in March 1992 and took effect in 2002.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Supreme Court on Monday observed that RJD lawmaker from Bihar Rajballav Yadav -- accused of raping a minor girl -- should be "inside" rather than "outside", so that the victim girl can record her statement before the trial court without any fear.

"We want the victim to be examined fairly and without any fear and threat. We are more concerned about her safety. She should depose in the fairest manner and without any fear," observed the bench of Justice A.K. Sikri and Justice N.V. Ramana.

The court's observation came after brushing aside the RJD lawmaker's plea that he would stay away from Bihar during the period when the alleged victim girl would depose before the trial court and record her statement.

The Bihar government counsel Gopal Singh opposed the plea of Rajballav Yadav, saying that if the accused is outside jail, the victim would not depose before the trial court out of fear.

The Bihar government has moved the top court challenging the grant of bail to Rajballav Yadav by the Patna High Court.

The top court had on October 18 put on hold the deposition of a minor girl till October 24, as the accused lawmaker had sought more time to file his reply to the plea for the cancellation of his bail.

The court extended the interim order on Monday, and the hearing was again adjourned on the plea of Raballav Yadav.

The MLA from Nawada was accused of raping a school-going girl at his residence in Bihar Sharif in February this year.

He was suspended from the party as the incident surfaced. However, he continues to be an RJD lawmaker in the state assembly.

Yadav, who was denied anticipatory bail by a local court in Bihar Sharif in February, was absconding but surrendered in the court in March. He was granted bail by the high court on September 30.

Yadav was named as one of the five accused in the charge-sheet filed in April.

Besides Yadav, the charge-sheet named Sulekha Devi and three others, who were accused of supplying girls to the RJD lawmaker.

--IANS

pk/nir

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Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia on Monday raided four liquor stores in Mayur Vihar Phase II along with officers of the excise department.

Sisodia suspended the licence of one of the stores for violating terms of the licence. The store was sealed as well.

The Deputy Chief Minister said the inspection of the four shops was done on the complaints of residents of the area.

"During the inspection, we found that there were two shops running under one licence," Sisodia said.

Sisodia added that under L-12 licence, a departmental store can keep liquor in only 15 per cent of the space but in the said shop, 90 per cent of the space had liquor bottles.

"Alcohol is not banned in Delhi. But liquor mafia should not be under the impression that they can do anything because of their connections (with powerful people)," he said.

He warned liquor stores not to violate licence rules.

--IANS

vv/pgh/dg

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Indian Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday said that, after World War II, terrorism constitutes the "greatest threat" to humanity, and there should no differentiation between good and bad terrorists.

The Home Minister, who is on a three-day official visit to Bahrain, made these observation during his bilateral meeting with Bahrain Interior Minister Shaikh Rashid bin Abdulla Al Khalifa here.

"There are no good or bad terrorists," an official release quoted him as saying.

"Terrorism should be dealt with in a comprehensive manner. Segmented and partial approaches as adopted by some of the countries have been unsuccessful in countering terrorism," he added.

The visiting minister thanked Bahraini leadership for condemning the recent terrorist attack in Uri of Jammu and Kashmir in September and the Pathankot airbase attack in January this year.

"It is a matter of satisfaction that the world opinion is with India in its resolution to dismantle the launching pads of terrorism from across the border," Rajnath Singh said.

The Home Minister said that signing of agreement for cooperation in combating international terrorism, transnational organised crime and trafficking in illicit drugs, narcotic and psychotropic substances and precursors chemicals has laid strong foundation for enhanced security and counter-terrorism cooperation between the two countries.

He also said that India would like to enhance ties with Bahraini defence and security establishment.

"India is keen to strengthen trade and investment ties with Bahrain and avail of the strategic location of Bahrain as a gateway to the GCC market. While our bilateral trade is healthy and has reached about $1 billion, there is still a huge potential to further expand it," he added.

Rajnath Singh said that the presence of a large Indian community in Bahrain constitutes an important link between our two countries.

Indians are the largest expatriate community in Bahrain, he added.

--IANS

sk/sm/vt

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Top commanders of the Indian Navy will meet in the national capital from October 25-27 to review the prevailing as well as emerging operational and functional issues, an official said on Monday.

The Naval Commanders' Conference comes at a time when ceasefire violations and tension continues along the India-Pakistan border.

"The conference assumes greater significance in the backdrop of recent events that have brought issues related to the country's defence under sharper focus," a statement said.

"Indian Navy, like the other two armed forces, is required to maintain a high degree of operational preparedness to deter or neutralise any threat aimed at the country's sovereignty and territorial integrity," said the statement.

"On a broader canvas, the overall security situation in the Indo-Pacific region requires the Indian Navy to promote and protect national interests across India's extended maritime neighbourhood," it added.

"The Commanders' Conference would be utilised by the Operational Commanders to examine and analyse different paradigms related to operations, training and resource-availability for meeting the wide range of taskings and expectations," the statement noted.

The conference would be addressed by Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar and used as a platform for institutionalised interaction between the naval top brass and other government officials.

As part of the navy's future force-level planning, the conference would examine a series of measures under the Make in India scheme and recommend ways to further indigenise defence procurements, in order to overcome the major challenges being faced.

The commanders would also dwell on the navy's roadmap for the future, including key technology enablers, improved logistics and digitisation.

The progress of activities in 2016, which was earmarked as the 'Year of the Civilian Personnel', would also be reviewed during the conference.

--IANS

ao/pgh/vt

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With nearly 23 lakh individual household toilets being built in urban areas in the last two years, the target of ending open defecation in urban areas by 2019 is broadly on course, the Ministry of Urban Development said on Monday.

According to an official statement, since the October 2014 launch of the Swachh Bharat Mission, 22,97,389 individual household toilets have been constructed in urban areas. The mission targets constructing 66,42,221 toilets in urban areas by 2019.

With 22,97,389 individual household toilets or 35 per cent of the mission target having been built in two years, the construction of toilets meant for ending open defecation in urban areas is broadly on course, said the statement.

Union Urban Development Minister M. Venkaiah Naidu on the day reviewed the progress of the mission in urban areas.

Gujarat with 4,06,388 toilets and Andhra Pradesh with 1,93,426 toilets became free of open defecation (ODF) in urban areas in September, achieving the target three years ahead of the deadline.

The other leading performers were Kerala having built 62,450 of the targeted 90,986 toilets, Chhattisgarh with 1,83,726 of the targeted 3,00,000 toilets, followed by Madhya Pradesh with 2,34,377 and Tamil Nadu 2,57,781 toilets.

States like Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka and Jharkhand have built over 30 per cent of the targeted toilets.

Among the states lagging behind were Manipur, having built only 9 per cent of the targeted toilets, followed by Bihar with 7.40 per cent and Uttarakhand with 7 per cent.

Arunachal Pradesh was at the bottom having contributed 1.60 per cent of the toilets targeted to be built.

--IANS

and/ask/vt

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Last week Kashmir completed 100 days of public protests that began on July 9, a day after the Jammu & Kashmir (J&K) Police killed Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani in an encounter. The agitation leaders, including hard-line separatists like Syed Ali Shah Geelani, ensure the Kashmir Valley remains locked down, except for a two-hour period each day when the bazaars open and the streets thrum with life. Kashmiri agitators insist they will not relent until New Delhi meets conditions that no elected Indian government can. Meanwhile New Delhi, labelling all this as Pakistan-backed mischief, continues a tough line. Paralysed in this crossfire is J&K Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, heading an ineffectual coalition between her Peoples Democratic Alliance (PDP) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The PDP-BJP coalition was billed as a bridge between New Delhi and Srinagar, but that chasm remains as wide as ever.
Even as rivals like Jio and Bharti Airtel are fighting a pitched battle to woo and retain customers by offering Rs 50 a GB data packs, Vodafone in Mumbai is treading a completely different path. The British multinational telecommunication company is selling 3G data booster packs at a steep Rs 250, taking many by surprise. Either Vodafone hasnt heard of competition or it is not unduly worried, suggested a rival CEO. Or maybe it has figured deep discounting is not sustainable.
With reference to Lets get serious (October 24), I found the pungent humour in your editorial on isolating Pakistan illuminating. The profound questions posed and the solutions suggested tickled me no end. These included suggestions like if there is another cross-border outrage, the country should impose economic sanctions on Pakistan, and ask all countries to face penalties if they dont respect the sanctions, and nationalist sentiment should not be weighed in rupees and paise.
Early on in Brothers, Tapti, on her way home from visiting a prisoner in Tihar Jail, scans a newspaper and the headlines leap out at her; murder, rape.
The split in the Samajwadi Party (SP), which increasingly looks imminent, is bad news for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), not just for the 2017 Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls but also for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.
Acrimony and personal attacks marked a meeting with senior leader Shivpal Yadav snatching the microphone from his nephew and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav. Shivpal also accused his nephew of planning to float a breakaway party.
Expelled Samajwadi Party leader on Sunday said he is not sad by getting expelled from the party, but was hurt by the false allegations levelled against him by state party president Shivpal Yadav.

"I am not sad that I have been expelled from the party, but I am hurt because of the false allegations levelled against me," Ramgopal said in a statement.

Defending himself, Ramgopal said it is not a crime to meet leaders from any other political party in a democracy.

"Whether I am in the Samajwadi Party or not, I will continue to extend my support to Akhilesh Yadav till he becomes chief minister of Uttar Pradesh," he said.

Commenting on party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav, he said the former is not just his elder brother but also a political 'guru' who is currently surrounded by evil powers.

Earlier in the day, Shivpal expelled SP general secretary Ramgopal from his position and the party for the next six years while accusing him of being part of a conspiracy against the party.

"Ramgopal is involved with the BJP; he has met BJP leaders thrice in the last few days. He is doing such things because his son Akshay Yadav and daughter-in-law are involved in a scam. To protect himself and his son they are planning conspiracy as per the direction of BJP," Shivpal said.

He said Ramgopal is making the party weak, adding Akhilesh is not understanding the facts that who is with him and who is against him.

In an unexpected move, Akhilesh had on Sunday sacked four ministers including his uncle Shivpal from the Cabinet.

Narad Rai, Saiyyada Shadab Fatima and OP Singh are the other three leaders, who have been shown the door by the Chief Minister post the meeting called by him on Sunday.
There was speculation over Priyanka Gandhi Vadras role in poll-bound Uttar Pradesh after she reviewed the Congress partys strategy with seniors of the state.
Since last month, Uttar Pradeshs drawing rooms have seen interest plummet in TV serials. Many are instead tuning to news channels for the latest on the widening rift in the states first family, the Yadav clan. Now in the open, it has all the ingredients of a silver screen drama, with a sprinkling of suspense, conspiracy, jealousy, fightbacks, factionalism, et al.
In a master-stroke, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister made an emotional appeal to his father and Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav saying he would have resigned had Netaji asked him to.
BJP MLC Surinder Ambardar claimed that over 1,200 overground workers (OGWs) were helping the militants in logistics support in Jammu and and close to 235 militants were currently active in the state.

"There are over 1,200 overground workers who are helping the militants in logistics support and close to 235 militants are active in this time," he said here.

Ambardar said the students of the Valley have not been able to go to school for the last three months which was "very unfortunate".

"How can they go to school when miscreants are burning down schools there day in and day out. They (miscreants) want to destroy the education edifice of the Valley and even school buildings are not being spared," he said.
Two cab drivers and a security supervisor of a multi-national firm were today arrested in separate cases of sexual harassment of women professionals.

According to the police, on the intervening night of October 21-22, a woman employee of an MNC took the company car about 1.30 AM for returning to her home in Alwal area.

"As she was the lone passenger, the security supervisor (of the company) said he would accompany her. Though as a matter of policy he should have sat in the front seat, he sat in the rear seat," a release from Cyberabad police said.

During the journey, the supervisor allegedly misbehaved with her. She asked the driver to stop the car but he did not do that with the intention to support the misbehaviour of the supervisor, police said.

"When the employee boldly shouted at the supervisor and driver and pushed the supervisor to corner, he stopped misbehaving with her and she was dropped at her home," the release said.

She lodged a complaint with Alwal police who registered a case under section 354 A of IPC (sexual harassment) and arrested the security supervisor Induri Venugopal and the driver C Srikanth.

In the second case, on October 22, a woman working with an IT firm tweeted to Telangana DGP Anurag Sharma about a cab driver having harassed and stalked her. The DGP asked the police to take action.

Following a probe, Narsingi police today arrested K Udaybhanu Teja, the cab driver.

According to the woman, when she was returning home from office that day, on reaching Outer Ring Road at Gachibowli she stopped her car at the red signal. Teja, who was behind her, honked repeatedly.

"The victim asked him to wait due to the signal, but the accused continuously blew horn and followed her car by making obscene gestures and insulted her modesty," a police release said.

He drove very close behind her and forced her to drive off the road at one point. He thus followed her for over 12 km.

Teja has been arrested under IPC sections 354 A, 509 (word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman) and 336 (act endangering life or personal safety of others).

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Four persons, including two Uzbek women, have been arrested for smuggling gold worth Rs 73 lakh at Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) here in separate incidents.

In first case, two Afghan nationals were intercepted by the customs officials after their arrival here from Dubai yesterday.

"On detailed examination five cut pieces gold bars weighing 1.4 kgs having market value of Rs 44.55 lakh were recovered from them, which was concealed by affixing with double-side adhesive tape beneath the frame of baggage trolley on both sides of front wheel," Deputy Commissioner of customs at the IGIA, Karan Thapar, said today.

In another case, two women were intercepted after their arrival from Almaty, Uzbekistan on Friday. "On detailed examination of their baggages and personal search, nine pieces of gold discs and gold bars total weighing 916 gms having market value of Rs 28.36 lakh was recovered from them, which was found concealed in the private parts by them," a press release issued by the customs said.

The gold weighing about 2.4 kgs, having market value of Rs 73 lakh, was seized in both the cases. The accused-- including two Afghan and two Uzbek nationals--have been arrested, it said.

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Twenty six Asian sailors, including 10 from China, held hostage by Somali pirates for nearly five years, have been released, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said today.

"The 26 crew members of the Naham 3, a fishing vessel hijacked by Somali pirates in March 2012, were rescued yesterday and moved to Kenya today with the help of relevant United Nations agencies," Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying was quoted as saying in a statement.

"The Chinese government expresses sincere gratitude to all agencies and personnel that have been involved in the rescue operation and conveys heartfelt blessing to those crewmen," she said.

Twenty nine sailors of the Naham 3, including 10 from China, two from Taiwan, and 17 others from the Philippines, Indonesia, Vietnam and Cambodia, were taken captive when their Omani-flagged vessel was seized south of the Seychelles.

Three sailors died after the hijacking, including one from the Chinese mainland and another from Taiwan, state run Xinhua quoted Hua as saying.

A working group of the Chinese Foreign Ministry was sent to meet the surviving Chinese crewmen, she said.

After receiving medical examination and psychological counseling, the Chinese crewmen will return to their home, Hua said.

She also offered condolences to the families of the three sailors who died after the hijacking.

"The Chinese government strongly condemns the cruelty of the pirates that defy human dignity," Hua said.

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Three policemen were injured after they were attacked allegedly by bootleggers during a raid, at Umrat village in Bardoli teshil of Surat district, police said today.

Acting on a tip-off that Arvind Rathod was carrying a consignment of IMFL bottles, a team of police from Bardoli police station raided Mandir Falia locality in Umrat late last night, they said.

After the police seized around 44 quarter bottles of IMFL worth Rs 2,200 from his possession, they were attacked by a group of around 40-45 persons who were armed with wooden sticks and iron rods, an official at Bardoli police station said.

"Around 40-45 persons attacked a team of 5-6 policemen who were conducting the raid and injured three constables attached to the Bardoli police station," he said.

The accused then decamped with seized bottles of liquor.

Yogesh Chauhan, Bipinbhai and Satishbhai sustained serious injuries and were being treated at a hospital, police said.

A case was lodged against Rathod and unidentified persons under sections 143 (unlawful assembly), 333 (causing grievous hurt to public servant), 395 (dacoity) of IPC and relevant sections of Bombay Prohibition (Gujarat Amendment) Act, he said, adding no arrests were made so far.

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Four Philippines nationals were arrested by the marine police on charges of speaking over Thuraya Satellite phone at Arjipalli in Ganjam district of Odisha, police said.

The four who had come in a cargo vessel to Gopalpur Port to take black sands from Indian Rare Earths Ltd (IREL) were arrested yesterday on the basis of a report from the Coast Guard, Inspector In-Charge of Marine police station at Arjipalli, A K Parida said.

Coast Guard personnel came to know that the Philippine nationals were using Thuraya satellite phone, he said adding use of this satellite phone in Indian territory is prohibited and it violates the Indian Wireless Telegraph Rules.

The four were identified as Nathaniel A Faza (38), second officer, Librado P Jemina (37), chief officer, Eduardo S Gruspe (46), chief cook and Jescel B Bautista (34), a seaman, police said



Dubai-based satellite communications company, Thuraya has global customers which include industry leaders from a variety of sectors, including energy, media, marine, government and NGOs, police said.

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Only 57 borrowers have defaulted on bank loans worth a whopping Rs 85,000 crore.

The Supreme Court said this after perusing a report submitted by RBI about persons who have taken loan worth over Rs 500 crore and defaulted and asked the central bank why their names should not be made public.

"Who are these people who have borrowed money and are not paying back? Why this fact that the person has borrowed money and not paying back be not known to public," asked a bench headed Chief Justice T S Thakur.

The bench, also comprising Justices D Y Chandrachud and L Nageswara Rao, said if the bar was lowered below Rs 500 crore, then the default amount would cross over Rs one lakh crore.

Observing that if people file an RTI query, they must know who the defaulters are, it asked the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) why the information on defaulters should be withheld.

"People should know how much money a person has borrowed and how much money he needs to pay back. The amount payable should be known to public. Why should you withhold the information," the bench said.

Counsel appearing for RBI opposed the suggestion and said that not all defaulters were wilful. The cntral bank says it is working in the interest of banks and names of defaulters cannot be made public as per the statute, he said.

To this, the bench said, "You (RBI) must work in the interest of the country, not just in the interest of banks".

Advocate Prashant Bhushan, appearing for NGO Centre for Public Interest Litigation (CPIL), favoured disclosure of the outstanding loan amount and cited an apex court verdict of December 2015 to claim that RBI has to provide all information.

The bench said it will hear on October 28 the matter on the aspect of disclosure of names of defaulters.

The apex court had earlier expressed concern over the growing amount of loans not being returned and said "people are taking thousands of crores and running away by declaring their companies insolvent, but poor farmers who take small amounts of Rs 20,000 or Rs 15,000 suffer.

On April 12, the apex court had suggested making public



the total outstanding amount without disclosing defaulters' names, but RBI had resisted the proposal citing confidentiality clause.

The petition, which was filed in 2003 by the Centre for Public Interest Litigation (CPIL), had originally raised the issue of loans advanced to some companies by state-owned Housing and Urban Development Corporation (HUDCO). The plea had said that about Rs 40,000 crore of corporate debt was written off in 2015.

The Supreme Court had then directed the RBI to provide a list of companies which had defaulted bank loans of over Rs 500 crore while expressing serious concern over the growth in bad loans.

It had also asked the RBI to provide a list of companies whose loans have been restructured under corporate debt restructuring schemes.

The bench had expressed surprise that no concrete steps had been taken for recovery of loans from the defaulters.

While passing the order, the court had taken note of a report in a national daily about bad loans or non-performing assets and the inability of the banks to recover them.
Lawyers and activists today hailed the Haji Ali Dargah Trust's stand in the Supreme Court that it will allow female worshippers to enter the sanctum sanctorum of the famous shrine here, calling it a boost to women's rights movement and victory for Constitution.

Gender equality campaigner Trupti Desai termed the decision of the Trust as a "victory of women worshippers and Indian Constitution".

The Desai-led outfit Bhumata Ranragini Brigade had started a campaign against gender bias at various religious places, including Haji Ali Dargah.

"Due to pressure of the Supreme Court and women organisations fighting against gender bias, the trustees of Haji Ali Dargah had to take this decision," Desai told PTI.

Human rights activist and lawyer Abha Singh termed the development as "a boost to women's rights movement" and said it is a clear message that women cannot be chained.

"This is a clear message to all misogynistic elements that you cannot chain women anymore. It's a boost to women's rights movement. Haji Ali Dargah Trust, by agreeing to allow women to enter the sanctum sanctorum, has upheld the superiority of Constitution," she said.

"The Bombay High Court had clearly said the entry ban violated Articles 14, 15 and 25 of Constitution which gave women right to equality and prohibited all forms of discrimination," she pointed out.

The SC has granted four weeks time to the Trust to make requisite infrastructural and other changes for compliance of the Bombay High Court order lifting ban on women from entering the core area of the renowned Muslim shrine in South Mumbai.

Suhail Khandwani, a trustee of the Dargah, said a meeting of the management and others, including architects and advocates, will be convened soon to facilitate entry of women in the inner area.

Khandwani claimed the shrine's doors were always open for women, but treasury boxes put up near the sanctum sanctorum acted as barriers for their entry.

"Women's entry was already allowed with separate entrance and exit for male and female worshippers. A few boxes were placed which blocked the view of the sanctum sanctorum and became missing link between women and the sanctorum. These boxes will be shifted, paving the way for women's entry again," he said.

Khandwani said Islam as well as Constitution speaks about gender equality.

The Dargah, situated on an islet 500 metres away from the coast, courted controversy in 2012 when shrine management suddenly put curbs on women from entering the core worship area.

Activists across all faiths, NGOs and Muslim women had launched movements opposing the ban and challenged the decision in the HC.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
To tap opportunities in the defence MRO segment, Air India Engineering Services today joined hands with Tribhuvan Technologies for a strategic partnership to help the national carrier diversify its revenue stream.

As there are not many Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) facilities in India, the segment provides significant growth opportunities. While Air India does all these work within the country, most airlines carry them out overseas, at a much higher cost.

For the venture, Air India Engineering Services Ltd (AIESL) has tied up with Tribhuvan Technologies, part of the diversified SREI group.

The partnership is likely to enhance the existing business of AIESL by adding new but complementary products and service portfolio, Air India said in a release.

"The venture will primarily focus on the entry into defense MRO business and aircraft component and aviation equipment leasing business," it added.

Through the partnership, AIESL would also look to expand its customer base.

Tribhuvan Technologies is the aerospace and defence arm of Kanoria Foundation.

AIESL's Chief Executive Officer H R Jagannath said it would be a "major step" if the opportunities come through as expected.

"If we move to the defence side and if what we hope comes through, it will be a major step forward. We are having some expectations... We have always been dealing with the civilian side," he noted.

Noting that AIESL has the captive business of Air India, Jagannath said this expertise can be used for MRO works of aircraft, mostly from the Air Force.

"In Air Force, most of the aircraft are from Russia and historically Air India never had a Russian aircraft. It is a new line of business. If they (partnership) can garner the Air Force business and also get the OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) of these aircraft to support us, then sky is the limit," he said.

Presently, AIESL provides line maintenance support to around 30 domestic and international airlines at various stations in India.

It has contracts with GoAir and Jet Airways for carrying out maintenance jobs and a pact with SpiceJet is on the anvil. AIESL also does some business in the defence space.

Tribhuvan Technologies is working on setting up of India Defence Offset - VC fund wherein international defence suppliers can invest up to 25 per cent of their offset obligation in the fund. It also provides funding to defence companies.

The agreement for the partnership was signed by Jagannath and SREI Infrastructure Finance's Vice Chairman Sunil Kanoria.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Air India plans to launch flight services to Tel Aviv and Washington as well as to cities in Africa as the operationally-profitable carrier embarks on international expansion plans.

At present, the national carrier flies to 47 destinations across the US, Europe, the Gulf and South-East Asia, among others.

"We are going to connect Washington, Africa, Tel Aviv and many others (international destinations)," Air India Chairman and Managing Director Ashwani Lohani said here today.

Speaking at the launch of the airline's new mobile application, developed by airlines IT services provider SITA, he said the airline is striving to turnaround.

"We have to improve our services both onboard as well as offboard... Air India is a challenge," Lohani said.

Air India, which has been in the red for the past many years, has posted an operating profit of Rs 105 crore in the last fiscal -- first time in a decade. The carrier is also working on ways to bring down its overall debt burden, especially with respect to significant interest outgo.

"We have got a good team which is going to give us better results (going forward)," Lohani said.

Asserting that the government is "supportive" to Air India, Lohani said "the support should continue till things get back in order".

The carrier is surviving on a Rs 30,000 crore bailout package from the government that is spread over ten years.

Over Rs 22,000 crore has been provided to Air India under the turnaround plan which includes financial support towards repayment of principal as well as interest on government- guaranteed loans taken for aircraft acquisition.

Meanwhile, through the new application, passengers can book and pay for a flight by quickly and securely scanning passport as well as credit card.

In a release, SITA said passengers can fully manage their booking from their mobile device, including selecting their seat, making changes to their itinerary, buying additional services, choosing their meal and checking in.

At check-in, passengers can choose to receive their boarding pass on their phone or smartwatch. At the airport, passengers will receive regular updates on their flights and can use the app for mobile boarding.

It has been integrated with Air India's Flying Returns loyalty programme where passengers can securely access details of points earned or other updates to their accounts.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Supporting the all-party meet called by DMK on Cauvery issue, Congress in Tamil Nadu today said all political parties should join hands on such issues as it cited the unity exhibited by their counterparts in Kerala and Karnataka for common cause.

"Cauvery water dispute is a common issue. It is for the welfare of farmers. Normally, political parties in Kerala and Karnataka join hands for a common issue and go to Delhi and make a representation to the Centre. Similarly, in Tamil Nadu, if all political parties join hands, it will be good for the state," TNCC president Su Tirunavukarasar told reporters here.

He also dismissed suggestions that the all-party meeting, to be held tomorrow, had been convened by DMK with an eye on coming elections to three constituencies in Tamil Nadu.

"It is not a meeting to strengthen the alliance. Even if you participate in such a meeting it will not do any harm for your alliance considering that the issue is for the welfare of the farmers," he said.

Meanwhile, Tamil Maanila Congress President and former Union minister G K Vasan said his party would take part in the all-party meeting.

DMK Treasurer and leader of the Opposition in the assembly M K Stalin has convened the all-party meeting to be held at party headquarters to discuss the Cauvery issue.

DMK's allies, Congress and IUML, have confirmed their participation, while BJP has ruled out attending the meet.

DMK has convened the meet after the ruling AIADMK rejected demands for the all-party meet in the backdrop of non-constitution of Cauvery Management Board by the Centre.

(REOPENS MES13)



Meanwhile, Minister for Road Transport and Highways Pon Radhakrishnan alleged that the DMK had betrayed the interests of Tamil Nadu on the Cauvery issue though they had come to power promising to protect the Tamils 40 years ago.

Speaking to reporters at Thanjavur, he alleged that DMK had betrayed the state for over four decades and now they are blaming the BJP government at the Centre, he alleged.

He said Tamil Nadu should get its share of water from Cauvery river and Cauvery Management Board should be formed.

"We are focusing on Tamil Nadu getting its share of water from the Cauvery river. The river water dispute could not be solved in one month," he said.

He also said the Election Commission should ensure prevention of distribution of money during the Assembly polls in three constituencies in the state.
As the feud in the Samajwadi Party degenerated into mudslinging, senior party leader Amar Singh today said sometimes silence was the best strategic answer to all questions and allegations brought against him.

Giving his "best wishes" to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav, Singh, once a right hand man of SP supermo Mulayam Singh Yadav, told PTI "I won't comment on the matter. For me, at times silence is the best strategic answer to all questions and allegations raised against me".

When asked about his reactions to Akhilesh pointing fingers at him, Singh said "I give my best wishes to Akhilesh Yadav. I have wished him on his birthday. He is the son of my supreme leader, my best wishes are with him."



Later at another function, Singh thanked SP supremo and UP Samajwadi Party president Shivpal Yadav for standing beside him.

"I thank Mulayam Singh Yadav and Shivpal Yadav for standing beside me," he said.

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A minor girl from Assam has been rescued from Siliguri by Assam police with the help of West Bengal Police last night.

Acting on a tip off the girl hailing from Rangia Kariara village in Kamrup district was rescued in Siliguri by a police team from Rangia, a police officer said.

The West Bengal police extended support to the rescue operation.

The girl had been missing from nearby Changsari since 2014.

The girl told PTI that one woman of Changsari took her to Siliguri by train with the promise of a lucrative job.

But the woman left her at New Jalpaiguri Railway station alone and fled, the girl told the police.

Following the death of her father the girl was forced to work in an industry in Changsari where she had met that woman, believed to be part of a human trafficker gang, the officer said quoting the girl's version of events.

Seeing the girl roaming alone on the railway platform a man then had taken her to his home where she stayed for months which stretched into years, the officer said.

She somehow got an opportunity to talk over phone with her mother who informed the police here.

The police rescued the girl from the place she was staying last night and handed her over to her family after medical check up, the officer added.

Further details of the rescue operation were not available.

Police launched an operation to nab the culprits and plug the missing links of the incident.

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Iraqi security forces today ended an attack by the Islamic State group in Kirkuk city, killing at least 74 jihadists in three days of clashes, the provincial governor said.

"The attack is over and life has returned to normal," Najmeddin Karim, the governor of Kirkuk province, told AFP.

"The security forces have killed more than 74 Daesh (IS) terrorists and detained several others, including their leader."



Karim said the initial confessions of the ringleader confirmed reports that around 100 fighters attacked Kirkuk early Friday, some of them sleeper cells that joined up with militants infiltrating the city.

Some attackers are also believed to have fled the city on Saturday, later clashing with security forces in rural areas east of Kirkuk.

The spectacular attack led to three days of clashes that left at least 46 people dead, mostly members of the security forces, and the Kurdish-controlled city under curfew.

The brazen raid on Kirkuk, which lies in an oil-rich area around 240 kilometres (150 miles) north of Baghdad, appeared to be an attempt by IS to divert attention from Mosul.

Tens of thousands of Iraqi forces are pressing a week-old offensive on Iraq's second city, which is also the jihadists' last major stronghold in the country.

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A prominent Shia cleric held UP Minister Azam Khan for the present crisis in SP and accused him of "misguiding" Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav to pick up a fight with party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav and state unit president Shivpal Yadav to create a mistrust in the family and he gets the CM's post.

"Akhilesh Yadav has been misguided by none other than Azam Khan. It is the wily leader of Rampur who has been leading SP supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav's son to tread a path that would lead to disaster. He is a young man with a long future. He should understand Khan's design and mend fences with his father and uncle," Shia cleric Maulana Kalbe Jawwad told reporters here.

The Shia cleric, who was here to take part in a religious function, sought to buttress his point by stating "we must recall that a few years ago, when Khan was expelled from SP, he had vowed to destroy the party. He may have been re-inducted, but he is too vindictive to have rekindled his loyalty towards the party. He will do everything to ensure that the party, of which the Yadav family is the backbone, gets ruined."

He alleged that Khan had shown "no concern" towards the crisis in the party.

"Earlier this year, he had callously called SP a sinking ship. He has done nothing to rescue the ship. He is only ensuring that Akhilesh gets confused and agitated, and the entire family gets plagued by mutual distrust. Khan thinks in such a situation, by default, he will get a chance to enjoy the CM's post," Jawwad alleged.

Interestingly, Khan  perceived as the "Muslim face" of the party which has a following among the minority community people in the state  has been at loggerheads with clerics like Jawwad, the Shahi Imam of Jama Masjid at Delhi and hardline politicians like Hyderabad's Asaduddin Owaisi.

Without naming Amar Singh, Khan has repeatedly targeted the Rajya Sabha MP for the crisis, referring to him as "one single outsider" responsible for "unfortunate" developments in the party.

His dislike for Singh is said to be shared by Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav who was snubbed on this count by Mulayam Singh Yadav at a party meeting in Lucknow held earlier in the day. The SP supremo also backed Shivpal, who has recently come out in strong support of Amar Singh.
To save farmers from distress selling of crops in open market, Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today approved setting up of a price stabilisation fund in the state.

Interacting with a delegation of the Bhartiya Kissan Union, which called on him today, Badal said that this step would result in a self-sustaining mechanism to ensure better remunerative prices to the peasantry for their produce.

Besides, it would offer marketing support to offset the negative impact of marketing forces, Badal said.

The Chief Minister said that the state government was in constant touch with the central government "to impress upon them to overcome certain shortcomings in new crop insurance scheme launched by them (Centre) to make it a more farmer friendly policy".

"The state government has brought all the objections in the Centre's notice and will urge them to amend the scheme so that majority of farmers especially from green revolution states like Punjab, Haryana and Western Uttar Pradesh are benefitted from it," he added.

Acceding to demand of the delegation of Bhartiya Kisan Union, the Chief Minister approved to appoint those farmers and 'Arthiyas' or Commission Agents, who were educated and well versed with the ground realities of the peasantry on the state level Agricultural Debt Settlement Tribunal and district level debt settlement forums.

This, he said, was to ensure foolproof and efficient implementation of the "The Punjab Settlement of Agricultural Indebtedness 2016", which provides for a framework for expeditious determination and settlement of non-institutional agricultural debt.

During the deliberations, the Chief Minister informed the delegation, led by the Chairman of Punjab Mandi Board Ajmer Singh Lakhowal, that the state government has already released funds worth Rs 80 crore to ensure free crop loan of farmers upto Rs 50000.

Badal, according to an official release, said that the state government was fully sensitised towards the problems being faced by the farmers due to which every effort was being made to bail them out from the "current agrarian crisis".

He said "no true Punjabi" can ever forgive Congress for



sins like Operation Blue Star and the killing of innocents in 1984 anti-Sikh carnage.

On the sidelines of Sangat Darshan, the Chief Minister said he would contest the election from the seat which would be allocated to him by the party.

He said in a democratic set up party was the supreme and he had always obeyed by the decision of his party.

Flaying the shameful act of vandalisation of Gurdwara in Calgary (Canada), Badal said this incident has bruised the psyche of every human being in general and Sikhs in particular.

He said this incident needs to be condemned in strongest words as it was a crime against the humanity as the Sikh Gurus have shown the way of peace, communal harmony and welfare of all to the entire humanity.

He said the government of India must ensure the safety and security of the law abiding members of the Punjabi diaspora abroad, which have been living in across the globe for decades as most civilised and productive members of the local society.
Punjab Congress chief Amarinder Singh today came down heavily on Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and his son and deputy Sukhbir Singh Badal, alleging that they were treating the state's ex-servicemen "as pawns on their political chessboard".

"The Badals have a history of ill-treating ex-servicemen and the families of martyrs... They treat them as pawns on their political chessboard," he said.

He said the inauguration of a war memorial in Amritsar by the chief minister yesterday was a "political gimmickry" ahead of the Assembly polls.

"The ex-servicemen (who attended the function) had been told that they would be escorted to the inauguration venue but they later discovered to their shock and distress that they had been actually taken to the venue of a Badal rally," he claimed.

"With more than 50 per cent of the ex-servicemen choosing to leave the rally ground by the time the chief minister started speaking, it was clear that these loyal ex-soldiers had no faith in the Akali government, which had completely ignored their interests all these years," the former chief minister said in a statement here.

Terming the war memorial, inaugurated with much hype, as a "useless waste of public money", Amarinder said Punjab did not need more memorials.

"Rather, it needed upkeep and maintenance of the existing memorials as well as urgent measures to address long-pending woes of the ex-servicemen and war widows," he said.

Amarinder, who represents Amritsar in the Lok Sabha, took a jibe at the chief minister over his "directions" to the DCs and SSPs to "stand up from their chair whenever an ex-service personnel enters their office".

"Considering the step-motherly treatment meted out to these personnel by the Akali government, such a move is clearly nothing more than a publicity stunt with an eye on the forthcoming election," he said.

Ex-servicemen, along with war widows, constitute a substantial vote bank in Punjab, which explains the Badals' sudden interest in appeasing them, he claimed.

"However, despite their importance in the Punjab pollscape, they continue to be sidelined by the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) government," he alleged.

"War widows and family members of the 1962, 1965 and 1971 war martyrs have been up in arms against the Badal government over the delay in providing them financial compensation. They have already rejected the Rs 50 lakh special grant-in-aid announced by the state government, which (CM) Badal had on Sunday listed out as part of his government's role in the welfare of former service personnel," he said.

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The Jharkhand bandh called by opposition parties in protest against Barkagaon police firing and move to change Chhotanagpur and Santal Paragana Tenancy Act disrupted normal life in the steel city in East Singhbhum district today and mixed response in adjoining Seraikela-Kharswan.

Shops and markets, petrol pumps, business establishments downed their shutters as road traffic was thin as majority of city buses, long-distance vehicles remained off the road apprehending violence, official sources said.

Around 900 bandh supporters including senior party leaders - former Jharkhand Minister Banna Gupta and Dulal Bhuiyan, Secretary of Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (Prajatantrik) Abhay Singh - were rounded up in East Singhbhum and Seraikela-Kharswan districts.

However, autorickshaws plied on road though in depleted numbers.

In steel city bandh supporters deflated tyres of some commercial vehicles and damaged few plying auto-rickshaws, the sources said adding activists of opposition parties Congress, JVM, Left parties took to the street in support of bandh.

Gupta, Bhuiyan and Singh, who were rounded up along with hundreds of supporters in Sakchi police station, claimed that the bandh was spontaneous and successful.

Gupta, who was arrested from his house in Kadma area, questioned the state government's intention behind arresting him even before he stepped out of his home whereas the bandh was being observed in a democratic and peaceful manner.

The bandh evoked mixed response in adjoining Seraikela-Kharswan district, where around 150 bandh activists were rounded up.

No untoward incident was reported from any part of the district so far, a police officer added.

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In the wake of bird flu scare in the national capital, Delhi Development Minister Gopal Rai today cancelled his two-day visit to Goa which was scheduled to start tomorrow.

"The development minister has cancelled his two-day Goa visit owing to bird flu scare in city. Once the situation is controlled, the minister's visit will be rescheduled," said a senior AAP functionary.

The senior Aam Aamdi Party leader was to embark on a two-day visit to Goa from tomorrow to campaign for his party. The state goes to poll next year.

Fifty-eight birds have been found dead so far in the national capital and out of them, three deaths have been confirmed to have been caused by H5N8 avian influenza.

Last month, the Kejriwal government had to face criticism as most of its ministers, including Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia and Health Minister Satyendar Jain, were away from the city amid outbreak of chikungunya and dengue.

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Demanding a separate Bodoland state to be carved out of Assam, several Bodo organisations today resorted to rail blockade at Udalguri in the state to revive the Bodoland statehood movement.

The All Bodo Student Union (ABSU), the National Democratic Front of Bodoland (Progressive), the People Joint Action Committee For Bodoland (PJACBM) besides several Bodo organisations blocked rail movement for 12 hours, disrupting train connectivity in the northern part of Assam since early morning.

Over 20,000 people coming from far-flung areas of both Udalguri and Sonitpur districts joined the programme shouting slogans "No Bodoland no rest", "No discrimination against Bodos will be tolerated", an official said.

The blockade in Udalguri railway station resulted in disruption of rail communication on the Udalguri-Tezpur- Dekargaon, NJP-Rangapara-Naharlagun sections with trains stopped in different railway stations, officials said.

Coming down heavily on the "discriminatory stand of BJP" at the Centre and the state towards addressing the long pending demands of the Bodo people, ABSU President Pramod Bodo addressing the protesters here said, "we warn the government that no political conspiracy against Bodos will be tolerated".

Demanding "safety and right of the ethnic Bodo people and a united Bodo nation", he accused the NDA government of coming to power with a false commitment of solving the Bodoland issue.

"We the joint group were optimistic of resolving our half century long crisis when the national leadership of BJP raised the slogans of 'Paribartan' (change) and 'acche din aane wala hain' on the eve of the polls before they came to the power," Bodo said.

"Believing it, we met the national leadership such as Union Ministers Rajnath Singh and Kiren Rijiju repeatedly for the last two and half years. The Bodo organisations also met Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal when he was union minister many a time appealing him to resume the tripartite talks with the Bodo organisations for permanent peace and solution to the unsolved Bodo issues," he said.

The government is ignoring and undermining the issues as they are engaging in political conspiracy to exploit the marginalised groups and the communities of the country whom they promised to deliver an equitable governance and justice after more than half century of Congress rule at the Centre, he alleged.

"Since we have contribution to the BJP coming to power we had expectations from the BJP regime that something would be done to resolve the Bodo problem. So we waited for the last two and half years without taking up any agitational programme," he added.

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A book chronicling the life of fighter pilot M P Anil Kumar, who became an icon of armed forces through his prolific writings despite having been paralysed after an accident, was today released by Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar.

The minister said everyone should draw inspiration from Kumar's determination and adopt it.

MP, as he was fondly called, was MiG 21 fighter pilot. On June 28, 1988 he met with an accident which left him paralysed below the neck. He was confined to the paraplegic home in the Military Hospital at Kirkee in Pune.

MP taught himself to write with a pen clenched between his teeth. His articles on military history and current affairs began to get published and he became a regular columnist with the Indian Express, portal rediff.Com Indian Defence Review (IDR) and the Purple Beret to name a few.

His article was included in the defence section of the popular book 'India Empowered' along with luminaries like APJ Abdul Kalam and Manmohan Singh.

His autobiographical article 'Airborne to Chairborne' was included in English text books in Maharashtra and Kerala. With the earnings from his works, he sponsored two underprivileged girls through school.

Early in 2014, he was diagnosed with cancer and succumbed to the disaese on May 20, 2014.

The biography has been penned by Air commodore Nitin Sathe.

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BJP leader Asseem Goel today urged people to boycott Chinese lights and instead use earthen lamps this Diwali.

The BJP MLA from Ambala who was attending a programme at Kumar Mohalla in Ambala City to promote earthen pots said the boycott would be a mark of protest against China's support to Pakistan.

"Please boycott Chinese lights. China had supported Pakistan on various issues to weaken India. This action of China had caused anger among the Indians," he said.

Goel asked people to not buy Chinese lights even if they were cheaper in comparison to the Indian lights.

Activists have been running campaigns on roads and on social media platform to boycott products from China in protest to its "anti-India" policies.

Large number of Chinese products ranging from idols, portraits of Hindu Gods and Goddesses to decorative lights are a popular feature in the Indian market, especially during Diwali.

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British banker Rurik Jutting who is accused of murdering two Indonesian women in his upscale Hong Kong apartment filmed the attacks on his iPhone, a court heard today, the first day of his trial.

Jutting, 31, had earlier today pleaded "not guilty" to two counts of murder on the grounds of diminished responsibility. He instead pleaded guilty to manslaughter.

The prosecution rejected the lesser plea and jury selection began.

As judge Michael Stuart-Moore briefed the jury pool at the High Court, he warned them of the graphic nature of the evidence.

He said that Jutting "recorded on his iPhone much of what he did to those people", and described the footage as "very shocking indeed".

Seneng Mujiasih and Sumarti Ningsih, both in their 20s, were found dead in Jutting's flat in the early hours of November 1, 2014, after he called police to the scene.

Mujiasih was found naked and with knife wounds to her legs and buttocks, while the decaying body of Ningsih was found hours later in a suitcase on the balcony, according to initial police reports.

Jutting, a former securities trader at Bank of America Merrill Lynch, faces a three-week jury trial and life in prison if convicted on the murder charges.

The killings shocked the city of seven million - typically regarded as safe and known for its glitzy skyscrapers - and shone a spotlight on the seedy underbelly of the financial hub.

Jutting was deemed fit to stand trial following psychiatric tests and is being held at a maximum security prison.

Clean-shaven and wearing a dark-blue shirt, Jutting calmly entered his official plea for the first time today, saying: "Not guilty to murder by reason of diminished responsibility, but guilty to manslaughter".

He pleaded guilty to a third charge of preventing the burial of a body.

Outside the court, a small group of protesters from Indonesian migrant worker organisations called for a "speedy and fair trial" and for compensation for the victims' families.

It is the highest-profile murder case to hit the Hong Kong courts since American Nancy Kissel was accused of killing her banker husband in 2003.

Dubbed the "milkshake murderer", Kissel was convicted of drugging her husband - a senior executive at Merrill Lynch - with a sedative-laced strawberry drink before clubbing him to death with a lead ornament at their luxury home.

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British Prime Minister Theresa May will today meet the first ministers of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland in London, where she will face calls for each region to vote on the government's Brexit plans.

The meeting will see Britain's decision to leave the EU take centre stage, ahead of the formal negotiations with Brussels which are expected to begin next year.

May will meet with Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, Welsh FM Carwyn Jones and Northern Irish FM Arlene Foster and her deputy Martin McGuinness.

Sturgeon, leader of the secessionist Scottish National Party, has been the most vocal of the first ministers since the June 23 vote. Earlier this month she called for a fresh referendum on Scottish independence if Scotland's interests are not protected in the Brexit negotiations.

While England and Wales voted to leave the EU, a majority in Scotland and Northern Ireland voted to remain in the bloc.

In a letter to May ahead of the meeting, Sturgeon called for each of the devolved parliaments to have the chance to vote on Brexit plans.

"I also endorse the proposal that the proposed negotiating package should be subject to a vote in each of the four of the United Kingdom's parliaments and assemblies," Sturgeon wrote.

Her Welsh counterpart Jones also pushed for such a vote in a separate letter to May, in which he also said all four UK parliaments should vote on the final deal with the EU.

The prime minister has said she will trigger formal exit proceedings with Brussels by the end of March, launching a two-year negotiating period.

May said Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland will be able to participate in the plans through a new forum chaired by Brexit minister David Davis.

"The new forum I am offering will be the chance for them all to put forward their proposals on how to seize the opportunities presented by Brexit and deliver the democratic decision expressed by the people of the UK," May said ahead of the meeting.

Downing Street said the devolved governments would be able to put forward nominees to participate in the group, with plans to meet at least twice before the end of 2016.

A key point of contention will likely be whether Britain will pull out of the single market.

Downing Street has not outlined its plans in detail but has hinted towards a "hard Brexit" which would see the UK leave the single market in order to have greater control over immigration.

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The Border Security Force (BSF) on Monday paid tributes to Head Constable Sushil Kumar, who was killed in Pakistani shelling while defending the border.

Sushil is the second who laid down his life due to Pakistan Rangers' firing and shelling during the last few days.

Constable Gurnam Singh, who foiled an infiltration bid by heavily armed militants in the Bobiya area of Kathua district, was injured on Friday in a sniper attack and succumbed on Saturday night.

A wreath-laying ceremony was organised at the Jammu frontier BSF camp at Paloura where rich tributes were paid to the slain soldier.

Director General, BSF, KK Sharma specially came from Delhi. Arun Kumar, ADG, BSF Western Command, Chandigarh, Rajeev Krishna, IG (Operation), DK Upadhyay, IG, BSF, Jammu, Pawan Kotwal, Divisional Commissioner, Jammu, IG, Jammu Police, Danish Rana, the CRPF DIG, along with BSF officers and jawans paid floral tributes to the martyr at the Frontier Headquarters in Jammu.

On the occasion, Sharma said the BSF had a history of bravery and this act has once again proved that those guarding the border were always ready to sacrifice their lives when it came to the country's security.

Sushil, who was martyred during heavy firing from across the border last night, gave a befitting reply to the Pakistani soldiers from his post.

He sustained bullet injuries on the chest in the process.

"He was immediately evacuated to GMCH, Jammu where the doctors declared him brought dead at 0130 hours," an officer said.

Two more BSF personnel -- ASI RD Puri and Constable Ayyappa Babu -- sustained minor injuries. They were currently admitted in a hospital, he added.

Jammu and Kashmir Minister of Industries and Commerce Chandra Prasad Ganga also paid tributes to the martyr.

The cremation of the jawan will be held at his native Pihowa village in Kurukshetra district in Haryana tomorrow at 10 am.
The acrimony in ruling Samajwadi Party ahead of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections appears to have all the ingredients to change the electoral prospects of key players.

Beleaguered Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav has a support base among the middle class and Yadav voters, but which party the Muslims back could determine the outcome of the elections due early next year.

The crisis in the SP is being keenly watched by BSP which expects to gain most in the present scenario.

BSP has been able to consolidate Muslim electors in its support in the past too, despite SP being the main claimant to



Their votes.

Muslims account for around 12 per cent of the electorate and are a force to reckon with.

BSP chief Mayawati had started her poll campaign asking the Muslim community to vote for her as supporting SP could benefit BJP.

Analysts say her campaign coupled with the spree of attacks by 'gau rakshak' (cow vigilantes) on Muslims and Dalits have strongly polarised the electorate. With the ruling Samajwadi Party a divided house, the BSP would hope the Muslims would overwhelmingly vote for the party in order to prevent a split in minority votes which would benefit the BJP.

BSP is also wooing Brahmins with party leader S C Misra, himself a Brahmin, reminding the voters that during Mayawati's stint in power key administrative posts were held by members of that caste.

Muslims have backed Mulayam for decades, but the infighting in SP ahead of its silver jubilee celebrations only means the party, whoever is at the helm, will have to manage this crucial vote bank shrewdly in the run up to the polls just few months away.

The development has become a matter of worry for BJP as well. It has reasons to get worried because if Muslims shift their alleigance to BSP, it might upset the saffron party's applecart.

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The finance ministry is likely to propose to the Cabinet at least five different methods, including relative peer review and discounted cash flow, for valuation of over a dozen PSUs across sectors identified for strategic stake sale.

With privatisation of PSUs being considered after a gap of over 12 years, the ministry feels that valuation of equity becomes important in the case of strategic sale of companies that are not listed or in cases where capital markets may not fully reflect the intrinsic worth of a share disinvested earlier.

"The use of a particular method of valuation will depend on health of the company, the sector in which it operates and the company's intrinsic strength," an official told PTI.

For this, the ministry has proposed at least five different valuation methodologies, including balance sheet method, transaction multiple, and asset valuation procedure, for these PSUs which will be up for outright sale or involves lowering of government equity below 50 per cent.

NITI Aayog has prepared a list of public sector units where the government can sell its majority stake to private companies in order to bring in greater efficiency and professionalism in functioning.

Based on its suggestions, the Department of Investment and Public Asset Management (DIPAM) has finalised a model of strategic disinvestment.

PSUs identified for strategic sale reportedly include profit-making Bharat Earth Movers and Certification Engineers International as well as loss-making Scooters India.

Another source said the Cabinet in its next meeting is likely to consider the strategic stake sale proposal.

While valuing a company, the officials will analyse its historical performance, its competitive positioning in the industry, inherent strengths/weaknesses of the business and the opportunities/threats presented by the environment, forecasting operating performance and the global industry outlook, among others, the official explained.

The government has been shedding a minority stake of 5-15 per cent in state-owned companies across sectors through offer for sale (OFS). But after a 12-year hiatus, it has revived the strategic disinvestment plans and would bring down its holding in the PSUs to below 50 per cent.

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley had in his Budget for 2016-17 set a target of garnering Rs 20,500 crore from strategic sales this fiscal.

The last strategic sale took place in Jessop and Co in 2003-04 under the NDA government headed by Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee when 72 per cent of government stake was sold to Indo Wagon Engineering for Rs 18.18 crore.

Incidentally, the first strategic sale in a PSU also happened under NDA rule in 1999-2000 when the government sold 74 per cent equity in Modern Food Industries to Hindustan Lever for Rs 105.45 crore.

During 1999-2000 and 2003-04, the government had strategically divested stake in 16 PSUs to garner a total of Rs 6,344.35 crore. These included sale of fuel retailer IBP Ltd to state-owned Indian Oil Corp (IOC) for Rs 1,153.68 crore.

Indian Petrochemicals Corp Ltd (IPCL) was sold to Reliance Industries for Rs 1,490.84 crore, Videsh Sanchar Nigam Ltd to Tata Group firm for Rs 1,439.25 crore and Hindustan Zinc Ltd to Vedanta Group for a total consideration of Rs 768.88 crore.

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Joining the debate on triple talaq, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today opposed the practice among Muslims and in the same breath he condemned the prevalence of female foeticide in Hindu society.

"Female foeticide is a sin. So what if the sinner is a Hindu. My government has taken a number of steps (to stop this practice). Daughters, mothers, sisters should be protected. One should not consider religion. Mothers and sisters should be respected. We have raised the issue firmly.

"Now the issue of talaq has come up. Just like if any Hindu commits female foeticide he will have to go to jail, similarly what is the crime of my Muslim sisters that some one says talaq over phone and her life is destroyed," he said addressing a "Maha Parivartan Rally" here in the Bundelkhand region in poll-bound Uttar Pradesh.

Urging TV channels to not turn triple talaq into an issue of Hindu versus Muslim or BJP versus other parties, Modi said that in its submission to the Supreme Court, the central government had clearly stated that there should not be any atrocity on women and there should be no discrimination on the basis of religion.

"In democracy, there should be discussion. The government has put forward its position. Those who want to digress from triple talaq are instigating people...In the country, lives of Muslim women cannot be allowed to be ruined by triple talaq," he said.

In his speech, the Prime Minister asked the audience whether the rights of Muslim women should be protected or not and whether they should get equal rights or not?



"I am surprised that some political parties of the country in their lust for vote bank are hell-bent upon committing injustice to women in the 21st century. What kind of justice is this?



"Politics and elections have their own place but getting Muslim women their rights as per the Constitution is the responsibility of the government and the people of the country," he said.

Asking the media to not turn the issue of triple talaq as



a matter between the government and the opposition, Modi said, "The debate should be between knowledgeable persons from Muslim community knowing 'Quran'. In Muslim community, knowledgeable and progressive people are there. There are educated Muslim women who can put their views forth."



"When you do TV debate do not turn it into Hindu-Muslim issues. Debate should be between those who want change in Muslim society and those who do not want 125 crore Indians to know what is the issue," the Prime Minister said.

He said in a democracy, there should be discussion. The government has put its position but there are people who want to digress from triple talaq and are instigating the people, he said.

This was Modi's fourth public meeting in Uttar Pradesh in the past six months after Ballia, Gorakhpur and Lucknow.
The Allahabad High Court today dismissed a petition by Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Aam Aadmi Party leader Kumar Vishwas challenging summons issued by a lower court in connection with a criminal case.

Passing the order, Justice Aditya Nath Mittal of the Lucknow bench said, "For the facts and circumstances mentioned above, I do not find any sufficient ground to interfere in the present matter. I also do not find any sufficient ground to quash the entire criminal proceedings of case No.216 of 2016. The petition lacks merit, deserves to be dismissed. The petition is, therefore, dismissed."



On October 21,the court had reserved its order.

Petitioner's counsel Onkar Pandey said during the Lok Sabha elections, an FIR was lodged by the assistant election officer on April 20, 2014, against Kejriwal and Vishwas for allegedly making provocative speeches in Gauriganj area of Amethi district.

The charge sheet was filed on April 13, 2016 and on October 7, the court of additional chief judicial magistrate, Sultanpur, issued summons against them.

Both the petitioners challenged the proceedings of this case.

On behalf of the state government, additional government advocate Shivanath Tilahari opposed the petition.

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Traditional sweets no more feature among the list of desirable Diwali gifts for office employees and rather they prefer cash, coupons, prepaid cards or gadgets, says an Assocham study.

While 45 per cent of office workers want cash or gift coupons or vouchers, 35 per cent prefer gadgets, electronic items, home appliances, utensils and other such things for personal use or for their households. Only 15 per cent asked for gift-boxes of sweets or cookies while the rest opted for various other things.

The survey report was conducted online by the Assocham Social Development Foundation to gauge 1,000 full-time office workers' opinions and about 500 HR professionals on Diwali festival bonuses given by companies and their desired gifts in 10 cities - Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi-NCR, Hyderabad, Indore, Jaipur, Kolkata, Lucknow and Mumbai.

Significantly, over half of the HR professionals have opined that while cash rewards have the lowest impact and do little to improve employees' satisfaction and performance, many of them were of the view that non-financial rewards have a greater and longer-lasting effect on an employee.

Most of the HR professionals said their companies have identified staff members who have consistently performed better and deserve to be recognised with something 'tangible', the report said.

Many said that their companies adhere to the policy of meritocracy and would reward only the best staff, thereby making it performance-based and not across the board.

"Most of the companies in private sector have gradually moved away from a fixed Diwali bonus and instead provide benefits considering employees' individual performance for past few years, so hardly any change is expected on this front," Assocham Secretary General D S Rawat said.

"Though companies are not getting very generous, but considering that Diwali being one of India's widely celebrated annual festivals, corporate gifting has become a tradition to express gratitude, appreciation, develop relationships and generate goodwill amid peers and employees," Rawat said.

According to many HR representatives, though they have earmarked a certain amount towards corporate gifting, they have not increased their budget as compared to last year, the study found.

Several professionals opined that they plan to give gift hampers including assorted chocolates, imported liquor, genuine leather bags and even personalised gifts like gym or club membership to their deserving employees and clients this year.

However, crockery, sweets, dry fruits, bed sheets, gold coins, home decor, tableware, luxury watches, designer apparel, expensive writing instruments, free holiday packages, movie tickets, dinner coupons, spa vouchers and hampers with a mix of festive essentials like torans, diyas, aromatic candles certainly remained other popular gift options.

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CBI has questioned four persons in connection with Rs 20 lakh alleged bribery case against the then Central Council of Homoeopathy chief Ramjee Singh for giving clearance to a Gujarat based medical college.

CBI has examined Denish Patel, Vice President of RK University, N S Ramani, Registrar of the University, Rahul Shrivastava of a Jabalpur based Institute besides one Bhagwanjee in connection with the case, agency sources said.

Patel and Shrivastava have been named in FIR, CBI sources said.

On Saturday, CBI had arrested president of Central Council of Homoeopathy, a statutory body for regulating education in the field, in an alleged case of bribery of Rs 20 lakh for granting clearance to a college in Gujarat.

Agency sources said that along with CCH president Ramjee Singh, who also runs GD Memorial Homoeopathy Medical College in



Patna, a suspected middleman Harishankar Jha was also arrested.

Jha was allegedly receiving the bribe amount, which was a part payment for the total amount agreed upon, from a hawala operator in Karol Bagh area.

CBI Spokesperson R K Gaur had said here that a private university based at Rajkot (Gujarat) had applied for setting up a new Homoeopathy college.

"It was alleged that...The Vice President of the said University was in a regular contact with both the President of CCH and a private person for getting inspection carried out by such team of inspectors of CCH who would give favourable inspection report," Gaur had said.

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CBI has registered a case in connection with the alleged abduction of Rahul Sachan, a crucial prosecution witness in the rape cases against self- styled godman Asaram Bapu, from Lucknow in November last year.

Sachan, an Ayurvedic practitioner who was a given protection by Lucknow Police, went missing on November 25 from his residence in old Lucknow area.

He had claimed to be the personal assistant of Asumal Harpalani aka Asaram Bapu since 2009 to 2013.

"CBI has registered a case related to alleged kidnapping of Rahul Sachan, a resident of Balanganj, Lucknow on the orders of Lucknow Bench of Allahabad High Court and taken over investigation of the case which was earlier registered at Police Station Thakurganj, Lucknow," CBI spokesperson R K Gaur said here today.

The agency took over the probe on the direction of Lucknow Bench of Allahabad High Court on August 29, 2016 which underlined the "slipshod manner of investigation" while handing over the case to CBI.

Asaram has been in jail in Jodhpur since September, 2013.

He is facing trial in three criminal cases. A sessions court in Jodhpur is trying a case against Asaram on the charge of raping a 16-year-old girl, the daughter of a Shahjahanpur couple who had been his devotees for several years, in August 2013 in his Jodhpur ashram.

Another case is being tried by a Gandhinagar court which relates to allegations of rape between 2001 and 2006, levelled by a Surat-based woman against Asaram.

In yet another case, Asaram and his son Narayan Sai have been accused of rape on October 6, 2013 by two sisters also from Surat.

Nine witnesses in the case have been attacked so far and three of them have died.

A prime witness in the cases against Asaram, Kripal Singh, was shot dead in Shahjahanpur of Uttar Pradesh in July, 2015.

Before that, Amrut Prajapati, a former Asaram aide, was shot dead in June 2014 in Gujarat.

Another key witness, Akhil Kumar Gupta, who worked as a cook and personal aide of Asaram, was shot dead in Uttar Pradesh's Muzaffarnagar in January.

"...It is not possible for us to gather as to the circumstances of the missing person conclusively, in as much as the missing person Rahul K Sachan may have been quite possibly a victim keeping in view the nature of the crime or alternatively he could have gone underground voluntarily which is yet a matter of investigation.

"But the fact remains that the flaw in the investigation is clearly reflected while interrogating the gunners and the security personnel who were provided as guards for the person of Rahul K Sachan...," the High Court had ordered while handing over probe to CBI.

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The Centre is encouraging online applications for the next Haj pilgrimage so that people can get an opportunity with complete transparency, Minority Affairs Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said here today.

Naqvi, who inaugurated a meeting of Haj Committee of India and states/UTs Haj committees at the Haj House in south Mumbai this morning, said during this year's Haj pilgrimage, 45,843 people applied online, which was about 11 per cent of total applications received from across the nation.

Maharashtra was at top place regarding online applications for Haj in 2016 with 10,960 online applications, Naqvi said.

Altogether, 9,257 online applications were received from Kerala, 5,407 from Uttar Pradesh, 2,983 from Telangana, 2,426 from Jammu and Kashmir and 2,425 online applications were received from Gujarat, he said.

"We have been making efforts to make the process of online application simple and easy so that more people can apply online for next Haj pilgrimage," he said.

Altogether 99,903 people went to Saudi Arabia for Haj from 21 embarkation points across India through Haj Committee of India this year, he said.

About 36,000 Haj pilgrims also proceeded for Haj through private tour operators, he added.

During the last Haj, Ministry of Minority Affairs had sent a team of officials to two holy cities (Mecca and Medina) in Saudi Arabia to take stock of arrangements for the pilgrims, he said.

"The Centre is committed to provide best facilities to pilgrims and making their pilgrimage comfortable. We have written to Chief Ministers of all the states and MPs last week to give suggestions regarding Haj," he said.

The Ministry has already started preparations to make arrangements for the next Haj, he said. Haj Committee of India and state Haj committees should chalk out a strategy to ensure that pilgrims do not face any problems at Mecca and Medina, he said.

"The Ministry has been preparing a 10-15 minutes duration film which will provide all the necessary information to Haj pilgrims. This film will be shown to pilgrims at training camps to be organised for pilgrims. Our Ministry has been making efforts to ensure smooth Haj pilgrimage next time also," he added.

The Saudi Arabian government had cooperated a lot which ensured smooth Haj 2016, he said.

"We have started discussion with Government of Saudi



Arabia and Haj related agencies in India on suggestions received," he said.

The state Haj committees should make the people aware about 'Dos and Don'ts' regarding Haj and their journey so that they don't face any trouble during the pilgrimage, he said.

"People going for Haj should follow all the rules and regulations of the Government of Saudi Arabia regarding security, accommodation and transportation etc so that they can also cooperate with the Saudi Arabia Government for smooth pilgrimage," Naqvi said.
Alleging that the Central government is "politicising" the triple talaq issue, Women India Movement, a social organisation of Muslim women, today said it would not allow any "interference" with Muslim Personal Law.

"The Central government is politicising the practice of triple talaq to gain advantage and polarise Hindu votes in the upcoming Uttar Pradesh Assembly election, which will not be accepted," National President of the organisation Yasmin Farooqui told reporters here.

She alleged that it was the "conspiracy" of the Union government to "enforce" Uniform Civil Code for Muslims, which is a violation of right to freedom given by the Constitution.

"The Muslim women are ready for any sacrifice under the leadership of All India Muslim Personal Law Board if the government does not stop this interference," she said.

State president of the organisation Mehrunissa Khan said the Centre should instead focus on providing education and basic amenities and eradicating other social evils, like liquor, in the country.

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Nestled in the narrow bylanes of Old Delhi, Khari Baoli, said to be Asia's largest spice market, will tomorrow play host to several chefs of Heads of State from across the world, who have gathered in the capital city for a conference.

18 chefs of Heads of State today came together for the Annual General Assembly of 'Le Club des Chefs des Chefs' (CCC), touted to be world's most exclusive gastronomic society, which aims to use food as a bridge between cultures and societies.

The delegation of chefs are scheduled to visit Khari Baoli tomorrow afternoon during which they will also be given a tour of the bustling market, besides being told its history, Delhi Pradesh Trade Association said in a statement.

It is CCC's first meeting in India since its inception in 1977 in Paris by French chef Gilles Bragard.

The centuries-old market, came up around the Fatehpuri Masjid, which was built in 1650 by Fatehpuri Begum, one of the wives of Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan.

The famed wholesale market sells all kinds of spices, nuts, herbs and food products like rice and tea, and is favourite place among tourists and backpackers on heritage trail, literally for its sights and smells.

Bragard and other chefs of the club visited the Rashtrapati Bhawan kitchen yesterday, where they relished popular Indian street foods like gol gappas and aloo tikkis, cooked up by Montu Saini, Executive Chef to the Indian President, Pranab Mukherjee. They also tried their hands at making jalebis.

The visiting members including Cristeta Comerford, Chef to the President of the US, Indo-Canadian Neil Dhawan, who is Chef to the Prime Minister of Canada and Mark Flanagan, Chef to the Queen of the UK, among others, were received by President Mukherjee for high tea.

They will also meet the Prime Minister tomorrow.

Referring to the club as the "G20 summit of chefs", Bragard said the association seeks to promote the local cuisines of different nations while keeping the plate healthy.

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A Chinese conglomerate has agreed to buy New York-listed US insurance firm Genworth Financials for USD 2.7 billion, the latest in a Chinese buying spree of foreign assets.

China Oceanwide Holdings, the founder and key shareholder of China Minsheng Bank, offered USD 5.43 per share for all outstanding shares of Genworth in an all-cash transaction, according to a joint statement yesterday.

There have been a flurry of overseas acquisitions this year by Chinese firms seeking better returns and industrial know-how, with targets ranging from Hollywood studio Legendary to leading German robotics firm Kuka and Swiss seed giant Syngenta.

Genworth, founded in 1871, has nearly four million life insurance customers and also offers mortgage insurance products, according to its website.

The offer represents a 4.22 per cent premium on its Friday closing price.

"Genworth is an established leader in both mortgage insurance and long-term care insurance," Oceanwide chairman Lu Zhiqiang said in the statement.

"We are providing crucial financial support to Genworth's efforts to restructure its US life insurance business."



The Beijing-based firm also promised to offer an additional USD 600 million to Genworth to address its debt that will mature in 2018 and a USD 525 million cash injection into its life insurance business.

Tom Mclnerney, president and chief executive officer of the Virginia-based insurer, called the Chinese firm "an ideal owner" and said the investment was in the best interests of Genworth's stockholders.

Oceanwide controls several financial companies including Shenzhen-listed Minsheng Holdings.

It has also invested in several mega-properties on the US west coast, including a tower that will soon be San Francisco's second tallest and a billion-dollar condominium and hotel development in Los Angeles, according to its website.

Lu is China's ninth richest man with a net worth of 85 billion yuan (USD 12.5 billion), according to the latest ranking of luxury magazine publisher Hurun Report.

Upon completion of the deal, Genworth will become a standalone subsidiary of Oceanwide and will retain its current management team.

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China today warned the US that any interference by it in the Sino-India boundary dispute will make it "more complicated" and "disturb" hard-won peace at the border, days after the US envoy in India visited Arunachal Pradesh which Beijing claims as southern Tibet.

Asking the US to desist from interfering in the India-China border dispute, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang told a media briefing here that China is firmly opposed to the visit.

Referring to US envoy Richard Verma's October 22 tour to Tawang at the invitation of Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu, Lu said that the US envoy visited a "disputed region".

"We have also noted that the place visited by senior US diplomatic official is a disputed region between China and India. We are firmly opposed to his visit," he said.

China claims Arunachal Pradesh as part of southern Tibet and routinely protests visits by Indian leaders, foreign officials as well as the Dalai Lama to the area.

"China's position on eastern section of the China-India boundary is very clear and consistent. The two countries are now trying to resolve territorial disputes through negotiations and consultations," he said referring to the Special Representatives mechanism headed by National Security Advisors of both countries to find a solution.

Both sides held 19th round of Special Representatives' talks to resolve the disputes over the 3,488-km Line of Actual Control (LAC).

While China claims Arunachal Pradesh as Southern Tibet and India asserts that the dispute covers Aksai Chin area which was occupied by China during the 1962 war.

Lu said "any third party with a sense of responsibility should respect efforts made by China and India for peace reconciliation and tranquility rather than the opposite," he said.

The behaviour by the US contrasts the efforts made by China and India, he said.

"It will only make the dispute more complicated, disturb the hard-won peace and tranquility of border areas and sabotage peaceful development of the region," Lu said.

"We urge the US to stop its interference in the boundary issue between China and India and make more contribution to regional peace and stability," he said.

The boundary question between China and India is very complex and sensitive, he said adding that "the interference by a third party will only stir up or heighten tensions".

"At the end of the day only the peoples of the two countries will fall victims," he said.

"We believe India and China as two major countries have enough wisdom to properly to deal with this issue and safeguard the fundamental interest of the two peoples," Lu said.

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Fears that climate change is promoting a fungal disease which can devastate coffee crops may be baseless, scientists have claimed.

Media reports have linked coffee leaf rust - also known as CLR or roya - with climate change, but the new research finds no evidence for this.

Researchers from the University of Exeter in the UK, tested the hypothesis that the weather was responsible for a recent outbreak of CLR in Colombia and that climate change increased the probability of weather conditions favourable to CLR.

"We find no evidence for an overall trend in disease risk in coffee-growing regions of Colombia from 1990 to 2015, therefore, while weather conditions were more conducive to disease outbreaks from 2008 to 2011, we reject the climate change hypothesis," researchers said.

Colombian coffee production fell by about 40 per cent from 2008-11, and this decline has been linked to a severe CLR outbreak across Colombia and neighbouring countries.

Lead author Dan Bebber from the University of Exeter said there was a "perfect storm" of factors favourable for CLR at that time, including weather conditions and a decrease in fertiliser use due to price rises during the 2008 financial crisis.

"Farmers were not treating coffee bushes as they normally would, and this was probably one of the factors that led to the rise in CLR," he said.

"The climate at the time was conducive to CLR but there had been earlier periods of similar conditions when there wasn't an outbreak," he added.

Researchers found that Colombian coffee yields had been highly variable over time due to varying weather, the effects of disease, management and socio-economic factors.

Bebber said more research was needed to fully understand the causes of the 2008-11 CLR outbreak, which caused hundreds of thousands of people to lose their jobs in coffee farms in Central America.

Temperature and leaf wetness are the most important determinants of infection risk for fungal plant diseases including CLR, which does not usually kill coffee bushes but can dramatically reduce the crop they produce.

The study appears in the journal Philosophical Transactions B.

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A special court would next month deliver its order on charge against former MP Vijay Darda and five others, including his son Devendra Darda and former Coal Secretary H C Gupta, in a coal scam case relating to alleged irregularities in the allocation of a coal block in Chhattisgarh.

Special Judge O P Saini, who was scheduled to pronounce the order today on whether the accused should be put on trial, deferred the matter for November 10.

The court, meanwhile, allowed co-accused and businessman Manoj Kumar Jayaswal to visit Prague in Czech Republic from November 5 to 10 for business purposes.

The court had on August 20 last year granted bail to the accused, also including two senior public servants K S Kropha and K C Samria, and Jayaswal who had appeared before the court in pursuance to summons.

The court had issued summons against them for alleged offences under section 120B (criminal conspiracy) read with 409 (criminal breach of trust by public servant) and 420 (cheating) of IPC and under relevant provisions of Prevention of Corruption Act.

It had on November 20 last year refused to accept CBI's closure report in the case and directed it to conduct further probe the matter, stating that the Rajya Sabha MP had "misrepresented" facts in letters written to then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who was holding the Coal portfolio.

The court had said that Darda, the Chairman of Lokmat Group, had done so to get the Fatehpur (East) coal block in Chhattisgarh allotted to JLD Yavatmal Energy Pvt Ltd.

It had said that "prima facie" offence of cheating was committed by private parties in "furtherance of conspiracy" hatched between them and the public servants.

CBI had earlier alleged in its FIR that JLD Yavatmal had wrongfully concealed previous allocation of four coal blocks to its group companies in 1999-2005, but later filed a closure report saying no undue benefit was given to JLD Yavatmal by the Coal Ministry in allocation of coal blocks to it.

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With over a million of its members punished for corruption, China's ruling Communist Party has turned to big data to monitor its 88.75 million party followers.

The party launched a pilot programme in Hangzhou, capital of east China's Zhejiang Province, which is also known as China's e-commerce capital and home to Internet giant Alibaba, as well as the host of the 2016 G20 Summit.

Latest data released by the party's Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) said over 1.01 million officials were punished for corruption in the last three years in the anti-corruption campaign launched by President Xi Jinping, state-run Global Times reported today.

The Hangzhou city committee of the CPC has enlisted IT firms to help develop and apply a big data system to help manage its 661,000 party members.

"We have sorted party members' assessment criteria into 136 categories. Through updating and analysing the data, scientific intra-party management can be achieved," Shang Liping, a researcher with the city's CPC organisation department told Xinhua.

The ruling party of China has put a premium on monitoring the work performance of its 88.75 million members, which is key to the party's governance and protecting the people's interests.

"By turning the code of conduct, rules and requirements into performance indicators, we can have a closed system to supervise members' performance through monitoring and analysing the data," said Zhang Zhongcan, head of the organisation department.

"The system is so powerful. It keeps a record of everybody's work evaluation and attendance. All app users can check their ranking based on the system's monthly updates," Yang Fan, a Party member said.

"The system helps tighten the organisation mode," Zou Zijuan, secretary of the CPC branch at the Shangyangshi Street Community said.

Zou said the system also relieves grassroots party leaders from the burdensome work of giving year-end assessments for each member, as the big data system can trace members' performance and eliminate the paperwork of assessing them.

Zhang Zhongcan said the party leadership has emphasised the comprehensive and strict management of the party to improve the work style of the party and governments.

The big data system can stimulate members' own initiative in party building through timely data upgrades and rating, the Xinhua report said.

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Advocating the use of culinary diplomacy to strengthen international relations, 18 chefs of Heads of State from across the globe today came together for the Annual General Assembly of 'Le Club des Chefs des Chefs' (CCC) here.

It is the group's first meeting in India since its inception in 1977 in Paris by French chef Gilles Bragard.

Touted to be world's most exclusive gastronomic society, the group aims to use food as a bridge between cultures and societies.

"If politics divides people, a good table always gathers them. Chefs are great diplomats and good food helps in easing negotiations," Bragard said at a press conference, hosted by The Imperial.

Bragard and other chefs of the club visited the Rashtrapati Bhawan kitchen yesterday, where they relished popular Indian street foods like gol gappas and aloo tikkis, cooked up by Montu Saini, Executive Chef to the Indian President, Pranab Mukherjee. They also tried their hands at making jalebis.

"It is about exchange of culinary skills. I would like to connect it to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 'Make in India' programme, where I am showcasing India's culture to the rest of the world," Saini said.

The visiting members including Cristeta Comerford, Chef to the President of the United States of America, Indo-Canadian Neil Dhawan, who is Chef to the Prime Minister of Canada and Mark Flanagan, Chef to the Queen of the United Kingdom among others, were received by President Mukherjee for high tea.

They will also meet Prime Minister tomorrow.

Upholding the importance of culinary diplomacy, Bragard said, "Every Indian restaurant abroad is sort of an embassy of the country and Indian food is really coming up in the global arena."



Referring to the club as the "G20 summit of chefs", he said the association seeks to promote the local cuisines of different nations while keeping the plate healthy.

"We believe that the best cuisine in the world is your mother's cuisine. Since, food is very important and we see diseases coming from bad food, CCC is keen on promoting healthy food," Bragard said.

After their stay in the Capital during which they will explore the famous spice market of Chandni Chowk (Khari Baoli), the chefs will visit Agra to see the iconic Taj Mahal, followed by a trip to Jaipur, that will give them an opportunity to experience the local culture and food.

Chef Christian Garcia, Chef to Prince Albert II of Monaco, and President of CCC, said that the chefs were looking forward to becoming "ambassadors of Indian gastronomy" after their visit.

"It is great for us to discover the wonders of India. It is important for us to share our experience with each other. We will keep the memories of this trip close to our hearts," Garcia said.

Saini, along with four other visiting chefs, will also cook for a charity dinner, the proceeds from which will be donated to the Kailash Satyarthi Children Foundation.

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The CBI today told the Supreme Court that the probe into the alleged custodial death of a man, who had tried to intervene to settle a quarrel between a couple here last year, was in an advanced stage and would be completed in two months.

The probe agency, which submitted a status report on the progress made in the investigation before a bench of Justices Dipak Misra and Amitava Roy, sought more time to complete the investigation.

The incident had taken place on September 7 last year at Nand Nagri in Northeast Delhi when the victim, Shahnawaz Chaudhary, tried to intervene in a roadside fight between a couple and the police.

Chaudhary was picked up and taken to the police station. Later, he was rushed to a hospital where he was declared 'brought dead'.

The apex court had earlier said if a man has died in the police van, it means that he has died in police custody which needs to be investigated.

Additional Solicitor General Maninder Singh had said it was not a case of custodial death and the victim was drunk and taken in a van to the police station during which he had abused the cops.

Senior standing counsel Rahul Mehra, appearing for Delhi government, had alleged that the Centre has played a fraud on the court by appearing on behalf of NCT Delhi.

Senior advocate Colin Gonsalves, appearing for petitioner and the deceased's wife Rabia alias Mamta, had alleged that probe has not being done and neither has compensation been awarded.

During an earlier hearing, the apex court had asked the Delhi High Court to finalise the matter with regard to the interpretation of Article 239AA (dealing with Delhi) by July.

The High Court had on August 4 ruled that Delhi was a Union Territory and LG its administrative head. Delhi government had filed six SLPs in the apex court against the order.

The High Court had on December 3 ordered CBI probe into the custodial death saying it was "necessary to instill confidence among the general public as serious allegations are levelled against police personnel".

It had directed CBI to register a regular case in the matter on the basis of FIR already registered and said it expects all police authorities to cooperate with the agency in conducting the investigation.

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Around one lakh people, mainly dalits, participated in a march organised by Bahujan Kranti Morcha here today.

The march was taken out with the demand for strict implementation of the SC and ST Prevention of Atrocities Act.

The morcha stared from Wadia Park stadium and culminated at Chandani Chock near district collectorate, said Ashok Gaikwad and Vijay Wakhoure, the organisers of the event.

Gaikwad clarified that the morcha was not aimed at against Maratha community whose members are demanding quota in jobs and education and amendment to Prevention of Atrocities Act.

Marathas, the numerically and politically strong community in Maharashtra, have been organising huge but peaceful morchas for their demands.

A total of 65 dalit and social organisations had extended their support for the morcha.

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The son of a senior BJP leader and the sitting Member Legislative Council (MLC) Ramesh Arora today died due to dengue, becoming the first victim of the vector-borne disease in Jammu region this year.

Sadhaya Arora (26), who was under treatment at a private hospital in Punjab, died today. He was shifted to the Punjab few days ago after being diagnosed with dengue, an official statement issued here read.

However, Director Health Services, Jammu, Dr Gurjeet Singh feigned ignorance about the first case of death reported in the region due to the vector-borne disease.

"I have no knowledge about him of dying of dengue, but so far we don't have a single patient admitted in any hospital in Jammu who is suffering from dengue. 74 persons have been tested positive with dengue in the region and they are recovering at their respective homes," Singh said.

Singh said that the situation in Jammu region was under control and the health department was fully prepared to deal with any eventuality.

The director of the private hospital where Sadhaya was under treatment did not respond to repeated calls.

Meanwhile, Deputy Chief Minister Nirmal Singh in a statement condoled the demise of Sadhaya.

Praying for the departed soul; the Deputy Chief Minister expressed his heartfelt sympathy with the bereaved family, it said.

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Women's rights activist Trupti Desai today termed the decision of the Haji Ali Dargah Trust to allow women to enter sanctum sanctorum of the shrine in Mumbai as the "victory of woman worshippers and Indian Constitution".

Desai, who heads the Bhumata Ranragini Brigade, had started a campaign against gender bias at various religious places.

"Due to the pressure of the Supreme Court, and women organisations who were fighting against the gender bias, the trustees of Haji Ali Dargah had to take this decision," Desai told PTI today.

"We request the trustees of Sabarimala Temple to take a cue from Haji Ali Dargah and allow women to enter the sanctum," Desai added.

Desai said once she receive the order of the Supreme Court, they will go to the Dargah in south Mumbai to seek blessings.

Women will be granted access to the sanctum sanctorum of the Haji Ali shrine in Mumbai on par with men, the Dargah Trust told the Supreme Court today and sought four weeks to make the requisite infrastructural changes.

A bench comprising Chief Justice T S Thakur and Justices D Y Chandrachud and L Nageswara Rao granted time to the trust and disposed off its appeal against the Bombay High Court order, asking it to give equal access to women too.

Desai came into limelight after she successfully led an campaign to allow women's entry into the sanctum sanctorum of the Shani shrine in Shani Shingnapur in Maharashtra.

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More than 80 human rights and aid organizations today urged UN member states to drop Russia from the Human Rights Council over its military campaign in Syria.

Human Rights Watch, CARE International and Refugees International were among the signatories of the appeal launched ahead of elections to fill 14 seats at the 47-nation council on Friday.

Russia, Hungary and Croatia will be running for two seats representing the Eastern European group at the council, which is tasked with addressing rights violations worldwide.

The organizations urged UN member states to "question seriously whether Russia's role in Syria -- which includes supporting and undertaking military actions which have routinely targeted civilians and civilian objects -- renders it fit to serve on the UN's premier inter-governmental human rights institution."



Russia has been supporting Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's war against opposition rebels and jihadists from the Islamic State group since September 2015.

On Friday, the UN General Assembly will cast ballots to elect the members for a three-year term beginning in 2017.

Other than Russia, China and Saudi Arabia are almost guaranteed to win seats as their regional grouping is putting forward a clean slate of four countries for four seats. The other two are Iraq and Japan.

Brazil, Cuba and Guatemala will be battling for two seats representing Latin America.

Africa is also presenting a clean slate, with Egypt, Rwanda, South Africa and Tunisia set to win seats.

The United States and Britain are seeking election to the two seats representing the Western Europe and others group.

Created in 2006, the rights council monitors violations and in particular set up a ground-breaking commission of inquiry on North Korea that led to calls for war crimes prosecutions of the Pyongyang regime.

The council last week asked the commission of inquiry for Syria to carry out a special investigation of rights abuses in Aleppo.

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The Election Commission today rolled out three IT based systems- Samadhan, Suvidha and Sugam in Punjab to ensure the process is conducted smoothly.

These IT based solutions were launched during a meeting held by Chief Election Commissioner Nasim Zaidi along with two election commissioners A K Joti and O P Rawat with all Deputy Commissioners, and senior police officers here today.

Presiding over a meeting, Zaidi said this single window platform using ICT solution for quality interactions with the electors, citizens, political parties, civil societies and media will help in ensuring the election process smooth and transparent.

These IT solutions will make the system independent of human influence, further said Zaidi.

ECI has also directed that a proper training programme for officials and political parties will be provided for effective use of these IT systems.

He also said citizens and electors are most essential stakeholders of election process.

For inclusive elections, their effective participation in voting is essential. Their participation in the form of suggestions, information and complaints if any plays a major role in making elections free, fair and fearless elections, he said.

'Samadhan' is an online grievance registration and redress system which shall be put in place shortly to provide a unified and integrated platform for the registration and tracking of all kinds of complaints and suggestions from the citizens through mobile, landline, call-centre, SMS, email, fax etc, according to a statement.

The officials are directed to enquire into the complaint within the specified time-limits and close the case with feedback to the complainant. In case, the time-limit is breached for any reason, there is a provision of automatic escalation to the higher officers, it said.

'Suvidha' is a single window system for the political parties and the candidates seeking different permissions during the electioneering phase. This facility provides single window clearance within 24 hours for all the permissions in all the constituencies through online software,it said.

During the elections, district machinery will also ensure that all political parties will have full and equal opportunity to campaign holding meetings, rallies etc.

With due permissions cleared within 24hours. DMs will monitor that the permissions are granted within prescribed time frame, it said.

'Sugam', a vehicle management system- is an efficient and elegant web-based application for managing the vehicles diverted/requisitioned from other departments during election period for election work.

The details of department, vehicle registration number, driver contacts, periodical fuel allotment to the vehicle are captured in the software. The application also has provision for managing the vehicles taken from private operators on hire, it said.

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Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif should end Pakistan's "export of terrorism, religious intolerance and hatred" to Jammu and Kashmir and grant fundamental rights to the people in PoK, a memorandum submitted to Pakistan High Commission here has said.

In the memorandum addressed to Sharif, protesters demonstrating outside the Pakistan High Commission here, among whom were people from Jammu and Kashmir and PoK, said "if you are a true well-wisher of people of the former Princely State of Jammu and Kashmir, then please stop export of extremism, terrorism, religious intolerance and hatred to areas of Jammu and Kashmir and grant fundamental rights" to the people of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).

The memorandum also requested Sharif to "revisit teachings of Islam with regard to fairness".

"If still you feel we are not equal to you, citizens of Pakistan, then at least, consider us human beings and let us live with honour and dignity. Unite both areas of Jammu and Kashmir state; and let us be masters of our land and resources," the memorandum stated.

It noted that "although Islam says respect rights of neighbours, however, we sadly note that our Muslim neighbour, contrary to the teachings of Islam and civilised behaviour, has always exploited us, abused us, created problems for us, curbed our fundamental rights; and initiated such policies that aggravated the already bad situation and added to our misery and suffering."



Dr Shabir Choudhry and Abbas Butt of Kashmir National Party led the demonstration of over 50 people.

Others who signed the memorandum included Nazam Bhatti (Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front), Zulfqar Khan (United Kashmir People's National Party), Tahir Bostan (Jammu Kashmir People's National Party), Ejaz Pracha (Friends of JK) and Yogish Sharma (Voice of Jammu).

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Former SIMI functionary Saquib Nachan, booked in an attempt to murder case in 2012, was granted bail by a sessions court after Supreme Court directed it to dispose of his plea that he should be released as prosecution had failed to file charge sheet against him in stipulated time.

Nachan was booked under various sections of IPC and Arms Act for murder bid on VHP activist Manoj Raicha in Bhiwandi in August 2012. He was subsequently booked under stringent Maharashtra Control of Organised Crimes Act (MCOCA).

In his order passed on Friday, judge A S Bhaisare approved Nachan's release on a personal bond of Rs 1 lakh and surety of like amount.

The judge also asked Nachan not to tamper with evidence regarding the case and to visit the police station concerned every Monday between 3 PM and 5 PM. He was also asked to surrender his passport before court.

Nachan, convicted in the 2003 Mulund train blasts case earlier this year, was arrested in 2002 in connection with the murder of VHP leader Lalit Jain at Bhiwandi in the district. However, he was acquitted in the case in 2006 for want of evidence.

Seeking bail, Nachan's lawyer contended police had failed to file the charge sheet in the Raicha case within mandatory 90 days.

In 2012, Thane special court had rejected prosecution's plea seeking more time to file charge sheet in the case, following which police approached the Bombay High Court which stayed the special court's order.

Nachan then moved the Supreme Court against the stay which earlier this month set aside the order of the high court and directed the lower court to dispose of Nachan's application on merits.

"The special court had declined to extend the period sought by prosecution to file charge sheet on October 30, 2012. Since there is no extension for investigation and detention, the statutory period of 90 days expired on November 1, 2012. However, as no charge sheet was filed within stipulated time of 90 days, the accused has acquired indefeasible right to be enlarged on bail," Nachan's counsel Baba Sheikh argued.

In its order granting bail, the court stated that "the proviso to section 167(2) of CrPC r/w section 21 of MCOCA Act creates an indefeasible right in favour of accused on account of default by the prosecution agency in completing the investigation."



Special Public Prosecutor Sangita Phad told the court that a revision petition was filed before the high court against the apex court order.

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Shiv Sena today took a sharp dig at Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis over his role in facilitating the release of "Ae Dil Hai Mushkil" featuring Pakistani actor Fawad Khan, saying he gave up an opportunity to show that there is a "56-inch chest" government.

In a stinging editorial in its mouthpiece "Saamana", the ruling alliance partner said the developments pertaining to the release of the film, which was threatened to be blocked by Raj Thackeray-led MNS, were "horrible, ruthless and have rubbed salt into the wounds of martyred soldiers."



Fadnavis has come under a grim attack from the opposition Congress and NCP for "brokering" a truce between the film's producers and the MNS, alleging that by doing so he has shirked his prime responsibility of maintaining law and order.

"A lot has happened behind the curtains and all opposition to the film was diluted in the cup of tea at 'Varsha' (chief minister's official residence). We do not want to get into who lost and who won but the whole episode has insulted our martyred soldiers," the Saamana editorial said.

"(BJP) Central leaders are threatening Pakistan and boasting about surgical strikes. But none of them has the courage to say that films having Pakistani artistes will not be allowed to be released. Pakistan has violated ceasefire about 25 times after the surgical strikes and nobody is bothered about it. Here, everyone is rallying behind film producers seeing them in trouble," it said.

Fadnavis had the opportunity to show that there was a "56-inch chest" government in place now, that has a much stronger spine than the previous Congress-led government, which was "pro-Pakistan", it added.

"Masks of many came off after the tea session at 'Varsha'. Karan Johar was asked to pay Rs 5 crore to the Army welfare fund in lieu of release of his film. Is the sacrifice of our soldiers worth this much? The developments of the entire episode is horrible, ruthless and have rubbed salt into the wounds of martyred soldiers," the Sena said.

Justifying his intervention in defusing the stand-off over the film, Fadnavis had said the issue could be resolved because the producers guild and MNS were on the same lines, expressing solidarity with the Indian Army.

On October 22, under pressure from political and other outfits, Bollywood film producers announced that they will not engage with Pakistani artistes, clearing decks for the release of Karan Johar's film as MNS withdrew its threat to stall the screening.

"Ae Dil Hai Mushkil" starring Ranbir Kapoor, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Anushka Sharma in lead roles, is set to be released on October 28.

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Forward Party today accused Aam Aadmi Party's state convener Elvis Gomes and BJP MLA Glenn Ticlo of being involved in a number of scams in the state-run Housing Board and said it will approach the Lokayukta over this issue.

"We have procured documents under the Right to Information Act exposing a series of scams allegedly unleashed by Gomes as the managing director and BJP MLA Glenn Ticlo as the chairman of the Board.

"We are going to file a case before the Lokayukta next week," Forward Party spokesperson Durgadas Kamat said, adding the party will "expose" the "nexus" between Ticlo and Gomes in the Housing Board, during the week.

Gomes, serving as Inspector General of Prisons besides being Managing Director of the Housing Board, had opted for voluntary retirement to contest on AAP ticket from Cuncolim constituency in South Goa for next year's Legislative Assembly polls.

Producing the papers, which he said were procured under the RTI Act, Kamat alleged that Gomes and Ticlo had allotted several residential apartments to people under Housing Board's projects at Curti (North Goa) and Rumdamol-Davorlim (South Goa) without any bidding process.

"The Housing Board had directly allotted the flats to the people merely on the basis of application. The rules of the Board mention that the applicant has to apply online, pay the required fee and will be chosen from the lot. All these rules were bypassed by the Board," Kamat claimed.

He also alleged that the plots referred to the Board after the beneficiaries concerned failed to construct houses there, were reverted to the beneficiaries in violation of the norms.

"We smell a major scam in the entire dealing. We want Lokayukta to investigate whether there were any underhand dealings on this," Kamat said.

Gomes and Ticlo were not available for comments.
Underscoring the importance of Japan and India relations in growing further, Japan Ambassador Kenji Hiramatsu today said good progress is being witnessed between the two countries on political and security issues, social affairs and education.

"Both countries are now further expanding and deepening cooperation in the field of economy and investment as seen in the automobile industry and High Speed Railway.

"In addition, we see good progress in our cooperation (which) is widening in the fields of political and security issues, social affairs and education. The strategic importance of Japan and India relations is growing further," Hiramatsu said while addressing India-Japan Tourism Meet here.

The two-day event is being organised by FICCI and Embassy of Japan.

He, however, observed that travel and tourism between Japan and India is "not as active as we would expect if we take into account the important relationship" between the two countries.

Japan welcomed about 100,000 visitors from India in 2015, including 40,000 tourists, but in the same period 1.13 million Indians visited the United States.

"Therefore, I believe that there is a tremendous potential for expanding travel and tourism between Japan and India," he said.

Highlighting the importance of tourism, Union Minister Mahesh Sharma said the sector has potential to change the future of India with the generation of employment, enhanced earning of foreign exchange and women empowerment.

Noting that the relations between India and Japan date back to the 6th century due to Buddhism, he said out of eight major Buddhist tourist destinations, seven are in India--four in Uttar Pradesh and three in Bihar.

Sharma stressed that the government is working towards all tourism-related issues like the development of infrastructure, cleanliness and security of tourists.

Meanwhile, on a question on the feud within the Samajwadi Party, he claimed, "There are no second thoughts that Uttar Pradesh is suffering under the SP rule. There has been no development in the state, coupled with 'Gundaraaj', and now people have lost faith in the party because of these (recent) developments.

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An intelligence officer was today shot dead by two motorcycle-borne gunmen in restive northwest Pakistan, in an attack claimed by the ISIS terror group.

Akbar Ali, a sub-inspector with the police intelligence wing, was on his way to work and waiting at a bus stop near his home when the killers riding bike opened fire at him in Charsadda district, some 30 km from Peshawar, police said.

The body of the 43-year-old officer was shifted to district headquarter hospital in Charsadda, where doctors carried out an autopsy. He was hit by four bullets from the front and died on the spot, doctors said.

ISIS claimed responsibility for the attack.

In a short statement posted on Amaq, its affiliated agency, the group said its "fighters have killed a Pakistan intelligence agent in the Sardaryab region... Of Pakistan."



Pakistan military last month admitted that the ISIS had a presence in the country but said the plans by the dreaded group to target important personalities by and attempts to organise itself have been thwarted.

"Daesh tried to make an ingress into Pakistan, but the core of its group have now been apprehended," Army spokesperson Lt Gen Asim Bajwa had said, using an alternate acronym for the ISIS.

Bajwa said the threat of ISIS is now from Afghanistan where it is present in at least three border provinces of Kunar, Nangarhar and Khost.

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charges have been filed against a 40-year-old man who racially abused a Sikh and threw a drink at him, mistaking him for a Muslim.

The Kern County District Attorney's Office filed misdemeanour charges against David Scott Hook from Bakersfield for allegedly accosting Balmeet Singh outside a California Avenue restaurant last month, cursing him, threatening him and drenching him with a drink.

Singh, while narrating the incident, had said that he and his friends were out to dinner at the Habit Burger in Bakersfield, California. He decided to step outside of the restaurant to make a phone call and that is when the incident unfolded.

Singh said in the middle of his conversation, a man walked out of Blaze Pizza and headed straight towards him.

"He says you're trying to blow up this country, I should kill you. I'm going to kill you right now. And he used a lot of curse words and he seemed very angry," Singh was quoted as saying by KERO-TV.

Singh said he yelled back at the man that he was a racist and he was the problem. Singh said the man continued to yell and then threw a drink at him.

According to a statement from the District Attorney's office, Hook was charged on Saturday with one count of interference with the exercise of a civil right and one count of battery.

Kern County District Attorney Lisa Green was quoted by The Bakersfield Californian as saying that the civil rights charge falls under the legal category of a .

"It is alleged defendant David Hook threw liquid on another individual because he appeared to be of a different religion or race," the statement said.

The alleged attacker "said I was a threat to the country I grew up in, the country I was born in," Singh had told hundreds who gathered last week at a gurdwara in southwest Bakersfield.

The event, which included several guest speakers, was called a "dialogue against hate."

In a conversation with a Bakersfield Police Department investigator, Singh said he was told the man was identified and questioned. The man told police he thought Singh was a Muslim.
The High Court of Judicature in Hyderabad today directed the Andhra Pradesh government to preserve bodies of the Maoists who were killed in an encounter in Malkangiri district if these were brought to the state.

A division bench of acting Chief Justice Ramesh Ranganathan and Justice Venkat Narayana passed the order on a petition filed by C Chandrasekhar of Civil Liberties Committee which said the police resorted to "encounter and killed the Maoists".

Andhra Pradesh Advocate General informed the court that the state government was not sure if the exchange of fire had taken place in Andhra territory, and there was no information available till now as to whether the bodies would be brought to Andhra Pradesh at all.

The hearing was adjourned to Wednesday for further consideration after the court said if the bodies were brought to Andhra Pradesh, they should be preserved for the purpose of investigation.

At least 24 Maoists, including their top leaders, were gunned down in a fierce gun-battle with security forces in Odisha's Malkangiri district on the border with Andhra Pradesh early this morning.

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In a relief to three top officials of beleaguered real estate major Unitech Ltd, Delhi High Court today stayed the execution of non-bailable warrants against them issued by a trial court on a private complaint alleging delay in handing over of flats to buyers.

Justice Mukta Gupta granted the relief to Unitech Ltd's Chairman Ramesh Chandra and Managing Directors Ajay Chandra and Sanjay Chandra after their counsel assured the high court that they would appear before the trial court on the next date of hearing on October 26.

"Considering the fact that counsel for the petitioners says that petitioners (three officials) will appear before the trial court on the next date of hearing on October 26, till the next date of hearing the execution of non-bailable warrant (NBWs) is stayed," the court said.

Senior advocates Sudhir Nandrajog and Dayan Krishnan, who appeared for the Chandras, told the court that trial court had on September 5 summoned the three on October 4 in the complaint case by various investors who have alleged delay in handing over of flats in a housing project in Noida.

Nandrajog said since the summons were not served to them, they were unable to appear before it on October 4 and the trial court had then issued bailable warrants against the trio and fixed the matter for further hearing on October 17.

"The summons issued against us was not served. Then, bailable warrants were issued and that too was not served on us. On October 17, the trial court issued NBWs against us. Neither summon, nor bailable warrant were served," he said.

To this, the court, which also sought the reply of state by December 15 on the pleas filed by Chandras through their counsel Saket Sikri, asked "Why these bailable warrants were not served?"



Responding to this, the counsel said "they were out of Delhi due to business exigencies as they keep travelling due to their work".

However, the counsel appearing for the state claimed that summons were served upon them and after they did not appear before the trial court, warrants were issued. He said the summons were affixed on their residential address.

During the hearing, Nandrajog countered the state's claims saying it was not clear from the records as to when the summons were served as they were not present in their home. He said without execution of bailable warrant, the trial court should not have issued the NBWs against them.

Krishnan, representing Ramesh Chandra, said his client was not involved in day-to-day affairs of the company and, keeping in view his age, he should be exempted from personal appearance before the trial court.

The court said, "How can this court grant him exemption. He has to appear before the trial court and seek bail".

However, it said, "after appearance before trial court on October 26, in case the petitioner files application seeking exemption from personal appearance in future, the court will consider it as per the law".

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Former SC judge Markandaya Katju today said the apex court had made some "serious mistakes" in the Soumya case by commuting the death sentence of the accused to life, and attributed it to "judges not being able to give much time to cases due to heavy workload of pending cases".

In a Facebook post, he said, "I genuinely believe that the Supreme Court had made some serious mistakes in its judgement by reversing the death penalty awarded by Kerala High Court".

"Possibly these mistakes were made because the court was so overburdened with work that it cannot give as much time to cases as they deserve, which they would have otherwise done, had it not been for this heavy load of cases to decide," he said.

The Former Press Council Chairman also said that when he first heard that he had been issued notice, asking him to appear before the court on November 11, he was "upset" as he thought the SC was trying to "humiliate" him since he had criticised their judgement and such an order was "unprecedented".

Hence, he had initially said that he would not appear before the court as directed.

However, when he received the apex court's notice and read it, Katju said he realised the court used "very respectful language to me and had requested me, not ordered me, to appear since they seemed to be sincere about their desire to reconsider their judgement and did not have a closed mind."



"Since reading the Supreme Court notice, I felt that the judges had no intention to humiliate or insult me, rather were anxious to get my help in reconsidering their judgement, I have decided to appear on 11th November at 2 PM (the date and time fixed)," Justice Katju said.

Quoting celebrated British Judge Lord Denning, Katju said 'The Judge has not been born who has not made a mistake'.

"We are all humans, and all of us make mistakes, but a gentleman is one who realises his mistake, acknowledges it, and seeks to make amends," Katju said.

"This should apply to judges too. I myself have sometimes made mistakes in my judgements," he said.

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Jilmore, a city-based artists booking online platform, today announced that it has expanded its operations to the United States and the United Kingdom.

S P Balasubrahmanyam-mentored startup also plans to expand to Malaysia, Singapore, the UAE, Dubai, Canada and Switzerland over next six months, it said in a statement.

To meet its expansion plans, Jilmore raised Rs 1 crore from a clutch of investors, including UK-based NRIs.

"JilMore enables entrepreneurs in their local area with more opportunities with franchise business model, which is expected to bring the future growth", the company said.

JilMore CEO and co-founder Saradhi Babu Rasala said, "It has been an incredible journey we had over last year to establish our services. We added 500 artists enrolled to our platform. We have learnt great amount of business from the 350 bookings we executed over last 10 months. Our franchising model should help us scale the business faster."



Balasubrahmanyam said, "Jilmore's local franchise model is a great opportunity for the business people who are looking to start new business in their area. Feeling happy that my baby (Jilmore) not only creating new opportunities for talented artists but also creating new entrepreneurs".

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Sabyasachi Chakraborty's re-selection as iconic Bengali detective Feluda may not have been welcomed by some and the actor said he himself had never hankered for a second call but could not reject director Sandip Ray's request.

Sabyasachi, who is now 60, had started essaying the role of Feluda, the fictional sleuth created by Satyajit Ray, in television series directed by the maestro's son Sandip during mid-1990s. He has done five Feluda films for the same director in the big screen between 2003 and 2011.

"I admit I presently do not have the look as that of Feluda. But if Babuda (Sandip) wanted me to come back, what can I do! It is on his request and I tried to look younger," Sabyasachi told PTI on the sidelines of Apeejay Bangla Sahitya Utsob 2016.

Sandip had taken much younger Abir Chatterjee for his last Feluda film "Badsahi Angti" in 2014, but came back to Sabyasachi again for his next, "Double Feluda", to be released this December.

He said he himself had suggested Abir's name to Sandip as new Feluda and feels the young actor's portrayal of the sleuth was perfect in "Badsahi Angti".

"However, the director and many others were of the view that the same person doing both Feluda and Byomkesh Bakshi won't be accepted by the audience," he said.

Filmmaker Arindam Sil has made two back-to back films on Byomkesh featuring Abir in the lead role.

"As Babuda did not find any suitable replacement immediately, I was requested to step in," said Sabyasachi.

Veteran actor Soumitra Chatterjee, who had donned the detective's hat in the two Feluda films directed Satyajit Ray himself in the 1970s, recently was quoted as saying in a media interview that he did not like the idea of Sabyasachi becoming the agile, young sleuth again.

"If I am accepted as Feluda again this time, may be I will go for one more film (as Feluda). I had to look younger in 'Double Feluda' and that was a challenge," Sabyasachi said.

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Indian Air Force chief Air Chief Marshal Arup Raha today began his six-day visit to Russia during which he will meet top military officials as the two countries eye key projects like the one for joint development of fifth generation fighter aircraft and upgrade of Su30-MKI planes, besides other programmes.

The visit comes just days after India and Russia announced deals worth over USD 12 billion, including the S400 Triumf air defence systems which will be operated by the IAF.

"The visit is intended to take the existing defence cooperation between the Air Forces of the two countries to the next level," a statement by the IAF said.

The areas of cooperation presently include military and technical cooperation, exchange visits and air exercises.

During his visit to Russia, Raha is scheduled to hold talks with senior military leaders and discuss a wide range of bilateral issues on the ongoing defence cooperation.

He will also visit various Air Force and defence establishments.

Raha's visit to Russia would provide further impetus towards increasing defence cooperation and deepening the bonds of friendship between the two Air Forces, the statement said.

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Independent MLA Sheikh Abdul Rashid was today detained along with several of his supporters after he tried to stage a demonstration outside Civil Secretariat, the seat of Jammu and Kashmir government against the termination of 12 government employees last week.

Rashid and his supporters assembled at Jehangir Chowk this morning and started marching towards the nearby Secretariat building but was stopped by police, officials said.

The legislator tried to march ahead but was detained along with over a dozen supporters, they said.

On October 20, Jammu and Kashmir government announced termination of services of 12 employees for allegedly indulging in anti-national activities after dossiers were prepared against them.

The employees, who were dismissed from government service, belong to various departments including Revenue, Public Health Engineering, Rural Development and Education, a senior government official had said.

Rashid denounced the government action and announced a sit-in outside civil secretariat to press for his demand for reinstating the terminated employees.

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Rebuffing China for objecting to US Ambassador Richard Verma's recent visit to Arunachal Pradesh, India today said there was "nothing unusual" about his trip to a state which is an integral part of the country.

"The US Ambassador visited Arunachal Pradesh, a state which is an integral part of the country to which he is accredited. There is nothing unusual in it," External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Vikas Swarup said here.

Taking exception to the visit by Verma, China said it was firmly opposed to it and that any interference by Washington in the Sino-India boundary dispute will make it "more complicated" and "disturb" hard won peace at the border.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang also asked the US to desist from interfering in the India-China border dispute while referring to Verma's October 22 tour to Tawang at the invitation of Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu.

"We have also noted that the place visited by senior US diplomatic official is a disputed region between China and India. We are firmly opposed to his visit," he said.

China claims Arunachal Pradesh as part of southern Tibet and routinely protests visits by Indian leaders, foreign officials as well as the Dalai Lama to the area.

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A 30-year-old Indian-origin Muslim blogger in the UK, known for his controversial views on niqab and sharia, has thrown his hat for the second leadership contest in anti-EU UKIP party, in as many months.

A key aide of former UKIP leader Nigel Farage, Raheem Kassam, born to Tanzanian immigrant parents of Gujarati origin, is in the fray for the top spot in the United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP) along with Paul Nuttal and Suzanne Evans.

The present leadership contest in UKIP was triggered when Diane James, elected party chief in September following resignation of former boss Farage, quit after just 18 days in charge.

Farage had resigned as party leader after the June 23 EU referendum during which the UKIP had led the Leave campaign.

Kassam's bid to lead UKIP has already received the backing of the party's biggest donor, with insurance tycoon Arron Banks declaring his backing for Kassam.

Declaring his support for Kassam on Twitter, Banks said: "I've been very impressed with Raheem's ideas, despite Paul Nuttall running I think he's the candidate to beat. He's got my support."



But the Editor-in-chief of website 'Breitbart London' was also facing backlash over his controversial comments that have resurfaced in the wake of his nomination.

He has described 'niqab and sharia' as tools of "cultural jihad" and demanded a national referendum on banning the niqab.

Raised in the Ismaili sect of Shia Islam, Kassam has often described himself as non-practising Muslim opposed to all sort of religious fundamentalism, and has questioned foreign funding of religious institutions.

He has also demanded clear labelling of 'halal meat' in UK shops.

Kassam also faced backlash for the catalogue of tweets, including a now-deleted post that joked Nicola Sturgeon should have her legs taped shut to stop her "reproducing", after the Scottish National Party leader tragically miscarried.

Earlier in the day, Kassamtalked about his position in the UKIP leadership race:"I am now the front runner in this campaign and that is because I believe that we are making people excited about UKIP again.

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AIMIM President Asaduddin Owaisi has charged the BJP with trying to rake up the Ram temple issue and "fall back" on its "original agenda of polarisation" ahead of Uttar Pradesh elections as it has no positive agenda and "constructive" policies and programmes.

"After winning 71 Lok Sabha seats in the last Parliamentary elections, the BJP now still wants to rake up the old Ram Mandir issue and it shows that they don't have any constructive policies and programmes to go before the people in Uttar Pradesh," the Hyderabad Lok Sabha member said.

"It shows that BJP is insecure and has no positive agenda of development for Uttar Pradesh. (It) also exposes their loud claims of reviving economy, and everything, that has not happened. That's why they have fallen back on their original agenda of polarisation", he told PTI here.

On infighting in the ruling Samajwadi Party in Uttar Pradesh, Owaisi said, "They have failed in governance. It's basically their internal problem but they have completely failed in fulfilling the promises they have made. So, it will be good riddance. Samajwadi Party has to lose power. It's their personal egos. They are not worried about solving Uttar Pradesh's main problems".

Owaisi, who has addressed a few public meetings in Uttar Pradesh in recent times, said his party is in the process of identifying constituencies at many places in the state from where it would field candidates.

He had earlier said his party is open to the idea of electoral alliances.

During his recent visit to Ayodhya to inspect the site for setting up a Ramayana Museum, Union Minister Mahesh Sharma said those who get to do "Ram Ka Kaam" (serve Ram) were fortunate.

The proposed museum has reignited demands by BJP hardliners like Vijay Katiyar for building a Ram temple at the disputed Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid complex.

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Investors' appetite for food and agri businesses got dampened significantly this year with just 62 private equity deals worth USD 250 million, the lowest in value terms over the last five years, says a report.

The fall in food tech and online grocery deal value has resulted in the decline in transactions in this space, according to a report by CorpVCCEdge, the financial research platform of Corp VCCircle.

So far this year, there were 62 PE deals worth USD 250 million in the food and agri space, while in the previous year a total of 153 deals worth USD 1154 million were inked.

"After the irrational exuberance in 2015, self-correction this year has come in as boon. It gives entrepreneurs in food, agri and consumer business space to recalibrate their models and desist from 'me too' ideas to realign themselves with the evaluation criteria of investors," said Nita Kapoor, Head -India New Ventures, Corp and CEO, News Corp VCCircle.

Segment-wise, agri farming and processing attracted maximum investments in 2016 with six deals amounting to USD 79 million, while food tech and online groceries registered only 33 deals worth USD 67 million in 2016 and packaged foods segment witnessed 9 deals worth USD 42 million.

"Packaged foods is a segment which will see investors' interest in the future due to growth drivers like rising penetration of organised retail, changing urban lifestyle and increasing preference for convenient & hygienic food options," Kapoor said.

Dairy and poultry sector has been the only segment to witness a growth of 120 per cent with investments amounting to USD 33 million in 2016 in two deals, the report said.

In the agri farming and processing space, India Value Fund Advisors' investment of USD 40 million into the Hyderabad based Seedworks International topped the deal chart this year, followed by International Finance Corp's investment of USD 20 million in Kishore Biyani's Future Consumer Enterprises.

Going forward, Kapoor said, "in the agro space, the ability to scale up along with infrastructural development of cold chains, warehousing, farm equipment etc are factors that would determine investors' attraction in the future.

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The Islamic State group "executed" five Iraqis, including members of the security forces, during ongoing fighting in the western town of Rutba, army officers said today.

Jihadist fighters launched an attack on Rutba, a remote but strategic town near the Jordanian border in Anbar province, early yesterday.

They briefly seized the mayor's office before being pinned back by the security forces but were still deployed in some other neighbourhoods of the town, the officers said.

"Daesh (IS) controls Mithaq and Intisar neighbourhoods in central Rutba," an army colonel told AFP.

"They captured people -- civilians and policemen -- and executed them," he said. "At least five people were executed" on Sunday, the colonel said.

Lieutenant General Ismail al-Mahalawi, head of the Operations Command for the western Anbar province, confirmed the executions but said Iraqi forces were regaining the upper hand.

"Military units from the (army) 8th division and a brigade from Anbar Operations Command moved to Rutba, redeploying there to clear the positions Daesh control in the city," he said.

The attack on Rutba was seen as a fresh attempt by IS to draw attention and Iraqi military resources away from Mosul, which is their last major stronghold in the country.

Tens of thousands of Iraqi forces launched an offensive on Mosul a week ago. IS is vastly outnumbered and the outcome of the battle appears to be in little doubt.

The jihadists are offering stiff resistance however and launching attacks elsewhere in the country to mobilise Iraqi forces on several fronts.

On Friday, dozens of jihadist fighters launched a spectacular attack on the Kurdish-controlled city of Kirkuk that killed at least 46 people, most of them members of the security forces.

The Joint Operations Command overseeing the fight against IS in Iraq said that jihadists launched their attack on Rutba at dawn on Sunday.

After forcing the attackers out of the mayor's office, Iraqi forces destroyed 12 IS vehicles, killing their occupants, the JOC said in a statement.

Iraqi forces have in recent months retaken a lot of ground from IS in Anbar, a vast Sunni province which has long been considered an insurgent bastion and has borders with Syria, Jordan and Saudi Arabia.

IS fighters only control areas near the Syria border but are still able to move in desert areas and harass government forces in the province's town and cities.

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Israel's air force hit a Hamas post in the Gaza Strip today after a rocket was fired from the Palestinian enclave toward Israel, the military said.

There were no initial reports that the rocket caused any casualties.

"A rocket was fired at southern Israel from the Gaza Strip," an army statement said, but "no rockets hit Israeli territory."



Israeli public radio said it was believed the rocket fell short and landed within Gaza, which is run by Islamist movement Hamas.

"In response to the attack Israel Air Force aircraft targeted a Hamas military post in the northern Gaza Strip," the army said.

Hamas officials said there were no casualties in the attack on the post, at Beit Hanoun, near the border with Israel.

Israel and Palestinian militants in Gaza have fought three wars since 2008 and there are frequent flare-ups along the border.

Rocket fire from Gaza usually leads to retaliatory strikes by Israel.

Recent rocket fire from the Gaza Strip has been claimed by jihadists who sympathise with the Islamic State group, but Israel holds Hamas responsible for all such attacks.

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Several Indian-Americans living here are in a dilemma of whom to vote for in the November 8 presidential polls, with many of them tilting towards Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton, saying Donald Trump's statements regarding women and immigration scare them.

Issues closer to their heart reviving the economy, terrorism and immigration brings them closer to Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump. They do not want another four years of Obama administration by voting for Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton either.

However, Trump's recent rhetoric and statements regarding women scares them, which they feel is leaning towards dictatorial tendencies.

"The Republican candidate does not have the values and character to run this country," Satish Parikh, one of the key figures of the Indian-American community here told PTI.

Parikh, living here for more than three decades, in the initial phase of the election cycle, he found himself closer to the policies of Trump but not after he threatened to put Clinton in jail in the second debate and refused to accept results of the polls in the third debate.

"So my position is in limbo. I am confused now, but certainly I am not voting for Trump. We are voting against Trump, not for Hillary. If there was a better Republican, I would have voted for him. I would not have voted for Hillary," said Dhaval Chowkshi, a businessman here for more than three decades.

His father Raj came to the US at the age of 68 after retiring from the Gujarat government.

"His (Trump's) policies on immigration, terrorism are positive things but his approach towards democracy is leaning towards dictatorship. This is the reason people here (in the community) are voting against him," Raj said.

Cleveland and its neighbouring suburbs have more than 30,000 Indian-Americans who are in much diverse fields ranging from businesses to academics and research, according to unofficial estimates.

Indian-American women here said they have credibility issues with Clinton but after what Trump said against women in recent videos and the last two debates, it is unlikely that they would vote for the Republican nominee.

"I heard the debate. He used offensive language against



women. It is not good for a presidential candidate to say such words about woman. This is a democratic country and his statements and behaviour are certainly not good for it," said Meena Sethi, who has been here for the past several decades.

"There are some strong negative points against Hillary too. So we have to take a decision who is the lesser evil but certainly I am not going to vote for Trump," she said.

Her husband Ashok said Trump has issues with everybody, with women, Muslims and African-Americans.

"Today it is with Muslims. Tomorrow it could be anybody, us too. He has to realise that this is a country of immigrants. It is a country of all of us," he said.

"The issues raised by Trump are right but he is not the solution," said Chowkshi.

However, Prakash N Sinha, publisher and editor of a local Indian-American magazine 'India International', said there is a deep undercurrent in favour of Trump inside the Indian- Americans.

"People do not want to say this in public but quite a large number of Indian-Americans are supporting Trump mainly because of his comment on radical Islamic terrorism," said Sinha, a former journalist with Times of India in late 70s, after which he moved to the US for family reasons.
The CID summoned Jessop owner Pawan Ruia in connection with the alleged theft and arson at the company's factory in Dum Dum, while eight more persons have been arrested for allegedly being involved in the incident.

"We have summoned him (Ruia) and asked him to appear before us on October 26. We have some specific questions to ask for which he will be the best person to answer," a senior CID officer told PTI.

The eight persons who have been arrested are, Bishal Jaiswal (27), Sumit Jaiswal (27), Samir Das (20), Babi Mallick (28), Rubel Khan (19), Nur Islam (19), Sanjib Sheikh (19) and Mithu Sheikh (24). A mini truck and three hexode blades were seized from them, the officer said.

Five persons were arrested last week for their link to the incident. Names of all these eight persons, arrested today, surfaced after questioning the five accused we had arrested earlier, the CID officer said.

A Special Investigating Team (SIT) was formed by the CID to probe the theft at the factory premises. Last Monday, a fire had broken out in the painting department of the vacant factory premises last Monday, the third such incident in two weeks.

Former workers of the factory alleged that the fire was part of a "conspiracy by a third party", following which the West Bengal government ordered a CID probe into the mishap.

The state government has also registered a complaint against Jessop owner Pawan Ruia at Dum Dum police station.

(REOPENS CES14)



Meanwhile, Pawan Ruia filed a petition before the Calcutta High Court seeking quashing of the FIR lodged against him in connection with the fire at the Jessop factory.

The matter is likely to be moved before a vacation bench of the High Court on Wednesday, his counsel Bikash Bhattacharya said.

Reacting to the development, Ruia's spokesperson said, "Pawan Ruia is not the chairman. He is neither the director or a shareholder, or an occupier of Jessop and Co Ltd or any of its premises...
Jet Airways today said it would deploy wide-bodied planes on more number of international routes to significantly enhance capacity amid rising demand.

Additional wide-bodied aircraft services would be introduced in four key international routes from October 30. The routes are from Mumbai and Delhi to Dammam; from Mumbai to Bangkok; and from Mumbai to Doha.

In a release, the airline said it is set to introduce wide-bodied jetliners in a move to significantly enhance capacity at a time of rising demand.

"The deployment of the state-of-the-art Airbus' A330s and flagship Boeing 777-300 ERs, with their wide spacious cabins, will allow Jet Airways to offer guests flying to/from the Middle East, Southeast Asia and Europe a more relaxing, comfortable and luxurious flying experience," it said.

Jet Airways Chief Commercial Officer Jayaraj Shanmugam said deploying the wide bodied aircraft on key international routes would enable the airline to capitalise on the growing demand in these sectors.

Currently, the carrier operates a fleet of 117 aircraft that includes Boeing 777-300 ERs, Airbus A330-200/300 and Next Generation Boeing 737s.

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Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan today told the state assembly that stringent action would be taken against those who obstruct mediapersons from covering court proceedings.

Replying to a submission on the 'ban' on mediapersons from covering court proceedings, he said there was no justification for continuing the obstruction by a section of lawyers.

"It is unfortunate that the issue is still continuing. A section of lawyers are behind this," he said.

Vijayan also brought to the notice of the House the initiative taken by Kerala High Court Chief Justice to end the stand off between a section of lawyers and mediapersons and said a clear possibility had emerged to solve the issue due to the intervention of the CJ.

But, a section of people (lawyers) felt that it was not applicable to them, the Chief Minister said referring to the manhandling of four journalists, including two women, at the Vigilance Court here on October 14.

"If the obstruction continues, stern action will be taken," he said.

Raising the issue, Leader of Opposition Ramesh Chennithala (Congress) demanded withdrawal of the case against journalists filed on a complaint by an advocate in connection with the incident at the Vigilance court.

He said journalists were not able to report court proceedings in Kerala even after an assurance given by the Chief Minister.

It amounted to curbing the freedom of press, Chennithala alleged.

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Crime Branch has arrested Mohammad Azim Ahmed who had allegedly plotted Karkardooma court shootout last year in which a Delhi Police personnel was killed while three others including his adversary and under trial prisoner sustained grievous injuries, police said today.

Azim (29) was arrested by a team of Crime Branch on October 20 on the basis of an input that he was moving towards Shradhanand Marg (GB Road) from Farash Khana, Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime Branch) Ravindra Yadav said.

One semi-automatic pistol and three live cartridges, including one from the chamber of pistol, was recovered from his possession, they said.

Later, his associate Naazim was arrested on the basis of information provided by Azim, he said.

Azim had allegedly mastermind the shootout inside Karkardooma court on December 23 last year. Indiscriminate firing aiming an under trial prisoner in the police custody took place inside the court premises resulting in death of head constable Ram Kumar.

Three persons were seriously injured in the firing by four juveniles who were caught on the spot. Later, on five other persons were arrested in this connection but the main conspirator Azim was absconding.

Azim also revealed that he worked with Naasir gang and a conspiracy was hatched to eliminate their rival Irfan who ran a gang in Seelampur area. He along with his gang members Jamal, Asim and Shahrukh arranged weapons and recruited the four minors and trained them in firing in fields of Uttar Pradesh.

He had also carefully examined the entry and exit points at Karkardooma court premises and was present during the shootout alongwith his associates.

Azim was also allegedly involved in murder of a trader in Seelampur area in May and a reward of Rs 50,000 was announced on his arrest in the case, the officer said.

Police managed to unearth Azim's involvement in murder of Rubina who was girlfriend of his gang member Naazim.

In October, 2012, Naazim took her to Amroha on the pretext of attending a marriage ceremony and strangulated her with the help of Azim and dumped the body in bushes after disfiguring its face with acid, he said.

The duo were arrested in connection with looting of a cash van in Mansarovar Park area in 2013 but they had managed to hide their involvement in murder of Rubina.

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RSS today alleged that Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan was "involved" in the murder of a Sangh activist in the state way back in 1969.

The Sangh also accused the communists in Kerala of indulging in "politically motivated murders".

Holding its Akhil Bharatiya Karyakari Mandal meet here, the outfit passed a resolution seeking "intervention of governments of Kerala and Centre" in the killings of Sangh workers in the southern state.

"Attacks on Sangh members started in Kerala in 1942. The first murder took place on April 28, 1969. One RSS 'Mukhya Sikhsak' Ramakrishnan was killed. The first accused in that case at that time was a KSYF (then youth wing of CPM) worker, a 19-or 20-year-old P Vijayan. Later on he, Pinarayi Vijayan became Chief Minister of Kerala.

"Because of lack of evidence and all, the case was not clearly taken up. From that time, murder politics started in Kerala," J Nandakumar, All India Sah-Prachar Pramukh of RSS, told reporters in a briefing after the second day session.

Sangh also passed another resolution on 'Integral Humanism: The Solution for Present Global Crisis', said senior functionary and national media coordinator M G Vaidya.

The resolution said that over the last seven decades, more than 250 young, energetic and promising Sangh workers were murdered and scores of men and women incapacitated due to serious injuries in the most dreaded manner by "blood-thirsty" CPI(M) cadres all over the state with the silent connivance and approval of the leadership.

The maximum number of these victimised RSS workers are from Kannur district, supposed to be the CPI(M) citadel, it said.

"The ABKM (Akhila Bharatiya Karyakari Mandal) calls upon the government of Kerala as well as Union government to take appropriate action urgently against the perpetrators of violence and necessary measures to ensure rule of law in Kerala. The ABKM also appeals to people at large including media to create public opinion against the violent tactics of CPI(M) by raising their voice," the resolution stated.

On present global scenario, RSS called upon all the citizens, including Swayamsevaks, the Centre and various state governments, and "thought leaders of the world" to put in all possible efforts to ensure coordination among the constituents of the world order, including the nature.

"For this purpose, appropriate experiments shall have to be conducted along with development of an appropriate model. This would facilitate fulfillment of the aim of blissful life of all living beings across the globe and universal wellbeing," it said.

The AKBM is attended by 394 office-bearers of RSS and its 35 affiliate bodies.

BJP national president Amit Shah was among the prominent personalities participated in today's proceedings, a Sangh member said.

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China's ruling Communist Party on Monday began its key four-day meet here amid speculation that it may amend an over three decades-long rule on collective leadership to strengthen the powers of President who is being projected as a strong leader like party founder Mao Zedong.

The sixth plenary meeting, from October 24-27, is being attended by roughly 370 full-time and alternate members of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC).

The meeting of the plenum would discuss all major issues regarding strict party governance and documents on intra-party supervision and political life within the party, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

Media has been kept out of the meeting being held at a hotel here under heavy security.

The CPC Central Committee Political Bureau headed by Xi, which took over power in November, will submit a work report to the meeting.

The plenary comes also as a run up to the next year's party congress during which five of the seven members of CPC Standing Committee headed by Xi, which virtually rules the country, would be replaced if the party rule of 68 years retirement age is not amended for their continuation.

This will leave only Xi and Li Keqiang who will be continued till 2022 under the norm that top leaders will get a 10-year tenure.

But according to reports, the Politburo meeting of the CPC in July this year proposed to amend the 1980 rule of collective leadership to empower Xi, 63, who now controls the party, military and the presidency further and pave the way for his continuation in power beyond 2022.

The 1980 rule laid out an elaborate code of conduct for the party leadership, including setting a 10-year tenure for top leaders.

The plenum is an important chance for Xi to bolster his authority ahead of the party congress next year, Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post reported.

Ahead of Monday's meeting, Peoples' Tribune, which is affiliated with party's official organ People's Daily, said that China needs a leader like Mao and Xi "fits the bill".

The article, published on October 18, called for Xi to be named "the core" of the party leadership -- a term that carries strong political meaning.

The Tribune said that modern China needed a strongman leader and that President Xi had the qualities to make one.

China needed a strongman politician so the nation could again rise to greatness amid a time of strategic challenges and risks, it said.

Xi, as party general secretary, was widely regarded by officials and the public as such a leader, it added.

Also ahead of the today's meeting Party's Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) released a trove of statistics on anti-graft, saying that 1.01 million officials have been investigated for graft from 2013 to last month in the drive launched by Xi.

Experts said China's anti-corruption campaign is a political accomplishment for the Party and is key to maintaining the Party's leadership, state-run Global Times reported.

Eight corrupt officials at ministerial level or above were sentenced 20 days ahead of the CPC's sixth plenary session, it said.

The anti-corruption drive to clean up the party and the military won Xi public praise but also effectively helped him to weed out his opponents from different factions.

The head of the CCDI, WangWang Qishan, regarded as a close aide of Xi and one of the Standing Committee member is set to retire as he turned 68 this year.

The statistics from the Ministry of Public Security said that 409 fugitives were apprehended overseas during operation 'Fox Hunt' in 2016, 15 of whom were on the list of the 100 most-wanted.

More corrupt officials are attempting to transfer assets abroad before fleeing, and 'Fox Hunt' is a way to arrest that trend, part of a larger campaign codenamed 'Sky Net' that combines government, Party, law enforcement agencies, the central bank and diplomatic services, Xinhua reported.

"The anti-corruption campaign is a major political accomplishment for the Party since the 18th CPC Central Committee. It will continue to pile on the pressure as there are still hidden corrupt officials and some Chinese people aren't satisfied with the campaign," Zhi Zhenfeng, associate research fellow at the Institute of Law, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times.

Earlier Xi said, "(Winning) the people's support is the top political priority."

The anti-corruption drive has boosted people's faith in and support for the Party, and that people speak highly of the anti-corruption drive, he had said.
In the week since Iraq launched an operation to retake Mosul from the Islamic State group, its forces have pushed toward the city from the north, east and south, battling the militants in a belt of mostly uninhabited towns and villages.

In the heavily mined approaches to the city, they met with fierce resistance as IS unleashed suicide truck bombs, rockets and mortars. In other areas, the militants retreated, and in at least one village civilians rose up and overthrew them before the troops arrived.

IS meanwhile launched a massive assault on the city of Kirkuk, some 170 kilometers (100 miles) away, killing at least 80 people in two days of clashes in an apparent attempt to divert Iraqi forces.

Iraqi special forces captured Bartella, a historically Christian town some 15 kilometers (9 miles) east of Mosul, and celebrated victory by raising the Iraqi flag over its church and ringing the church bell.

The Iraqi army's 9th Division pushed into the nearby town of Hamdaniyah and said it captured the main government compound.

To the north, Kurdish forces known as the peshmerga have driven IS out of several villages and, along with Iraqi special forces, have encircled the town of Bashiqa.

Progress has been slower to the south of Mosul, where troops have only advanced to around 50 kilometers (30 miles) from the city.

They were hampered over the weekend after IS torched a nearby sulfur plant, sending a cloud of toxic fumes into the air that mingled with smoke from oil wells the militants had lit on fire.

The US-led coalition is providing airstrikes and ground support, with more than 100 American soldiers embedded with Iraqi units and hundreds more in staging bases near the front lines.

An American soldier was killed by a roadside bomb near Bashiqa, marking the first US casualty of the operation.

The peshmerga said yesterday that 25 of its fighters have been killed since the operation began. The Iraqi military has not released any casualty figures.

Iraqi and Kurdish forces have asked for more coalition airstrikes, and the Kurds have requested more armored vehicles and roadside bomb detectors. They say most of the fallen peshmerga troops were traveling in unarmored vehicles.

Two Iraqi television reporters have also been killed, one while covering the fighting south of Mosul and the other while covering clashes in Kirkuk.

The UN and aid organisations say some 5,000 civilians have been displaced since the operation began, a tiny fraction of the 1 million people remaining inside Mosul.

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Mumbai Congress chief Sanjay Nirupam today accused Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis of "acting as a broker" instead of taking action against Raj Thackery in the MNS-Bollywood stand off over release of Karan Johar's "Ae Dil Hai Mushkil" featuring Pakistani actor Fawad Khan.

On October 22, under pressure from political and other outfits, Bollywood film producers announced that they will not engage with Pakistani artists, clearing decks for the smooth release of Karan Johar's "Ae Dil Hai Mushkil" as MNS withdrew its threat to stall the screening.

Johar accompanied by Producers' Guild President Mukesh Bhatt had met Fadnavis at his home 'Varsha' in South Mumbai here where Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief, whose party has been opposing the release, was also present.

"Fadnavis has acted as a broker and instead of taking action against MNS chief Raj Thackeray for threatening violence, the Chief Minister called him to his official residence for talks," Nirupam told reporters here.

"Instead of arresting Raj Thackeray for threatening violence, CM brokered a deal between Raj Thackeray and film producers. Who are Raj and Fadnavis to fix price of patriotism?" Nirupam asked.

He also alleged that this would be the first instance in the country where Armed Forces have been dragged into politics.

"Who gave them authority to ask for Rs 5 crore contribution to Army Welfare Fund? The Army refused the contribution and that was an embarrassment to both Raj and Fadnavis. The CM should apologise to the people," he demanded.

The Mumbai Congress chief also demanded that details of the meeting between filmmakers, Raj and Fadnavis should be made public.

"If this is not done in two three days we will move the court," he said.

Nirupam said when Congress was in power Shiv Sena threatened to disrupt release of "My Name Is Khan" featuring Shah Rukh Khan.

"But our government provided security to all cinema halls," he recalled.

"BJP government has no daring to take on the threat issued by MNS. Instead Fadnavis acted as a broker and it is condemnable," he alleged.

Commander (Retd) Raj Saini, who was present for the briefing, said the defence forces did not need such funds.

"We are happy in what we get. Don't drag us into politics," he added.

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Maharashtra Governor Ch Vidyasagar Rao today inaugurated the 19th 'World Peace Conference' here.

"Main aim of the education institutes is to strengthen people to search truth and utilise education for development of the society," Rao said.

The conference is organised jointly by city-based Gokhale Education Society (GES) and International Association of Educators for World Peace.

The Governor lauded the role of GES for its good work towards Adivasi welfare by providing higher education.

Rao assured support to the work done by GES in Palghar district to weed out malnutrition from the region.

The Governor also presented the 'Dr M S Gosavi Excellence Award' to noted scientist Anil Kakodkar.

Former University Grants Commission chairperson Arun Nigavekar and others were present on the occasion.

"The idea of a collective consciousness of humanity to



build an organization such as the United Nations is a reflection of what is possible, when people come together. The idea of deliberative democracy is one such idea, which has taken deep in-roads in many parts of the world," noted Professor Kumar.

(Dr.) Raj Kumar, further observed that deliberation and discussion are the central ideas to decision-making in a deliberative democracy. As the largest democracy of the world, the ideas of deliberative participation, transparency and creation of a rule of law society will be central to our growth and progress as a nation. As a university we are deeply committed to promoting these causes and engaging in such discussions.

Delivering the inaugural address on the occasion, Mr. P. P. Choudhary, Hon'ble Minister of State for Law & Justice, Ministry of Law & Justice, Government of India, said, "I am delighted to be a part of this scholarly conference, that will deliberate on some of the most crucial and central issues of deliberative democracy, I am hopeful that the recommendations arising from this international conference will be able to contribute ideas that will help strengthen the democratic system of our nation."



Speaking on the importance of the freedom of the legislature, he said, "The framework of the Indian constitution specifically postulates the independence of the legislature, in the absence of independence of legislature, a deliberative democracy cannot exist." Speaking on the accountability of the legislature to the citizenry of the country, he noted, "Accountability of legislature to the people of the country is of paramount importance and is crucial for the smooth functioning of the democratic system of the country.
In a freak case, a 25-year-old man was today arrested for killing a dog and sexually abusing it.

Locals in Shastripuram area here saw the man, who was naked and abusing the dog's body near a clump of bushes. He was later handed over to the police.

A case under section 429 (mischief by killing or maiming cattle) and 377 (unnatural sex) of the IPC was registered against the man who seemed to be from Delhi, said sub-inspector J Nagachary of Mailardevpally police station.

Meanwhile, Humane Society International India said it was following up the matter with the police, and called for the highest punishment for this heinous act.

Shreya Paropkari, 'cruelty response manager' for HSI/India, said, "It is time to recognise the link between animal abuse and human violence and initiate immediate action in such matters. We are calling for maximum punishment for the accused. We hope that this forms a precedent and acts as a deterrent for such horrific crimes.

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A 27-year-old man was allegedly shot at by some unidentified men in south Delhi's Neb Sarai area over a parking row, police said today.

Sagar Malhotra was returning home yesterday after watching the India vs New Zealand ODI at a relative's place when the incident occurred. He was rushed to a nearby hospital, police said.

Malhotra's brother informed the police about the incident after which a team rushed to the spot and questioned the locals. His family alleged that he had a fight over parking of his vehicle with someone and that could have been the reason he was shot.

"They did not hear the gunshot but just saw Malhotra collapse. His family is also being questioned about any previous enmities," said a senior police officer.

Malhotra's statement was recorded yesterday, the officer said.

A case has bern registered and police is scanning the CCTV footage from the area, the officer added.

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While the killing of at least 24 Maoists, including seven of their top leaders, dealt a major psychological blow to the outlawed CPI(Maoist) in Odisha, it has boosted the morale of the security personnel as the Maoists have lost their "safe home" in Malkangiri district.

The killings took place during a joint operation by Odisha and Andhra Pradesh police at Bejingi in the Panasput gram panchayat area under Chitrakonda police station in Malkangiri district, surrounded by hills and forests on three sides and Balimela reservoir on one.

The ultras used to take shelter there after committing violence in Odisha, Andhra Pradesh or Chhattisgarh, said Nihar Nayak, a researcher of the Maoist movement in Odisha, adding that they used to take advantage of the geographical location of the area since they started operating from these parts in the 1980s.

When the Maoists had started using the place as a "safe haven" in the 80s, the then Odisha government had taken little action because the ultras refrained from creating any disturbance in the state. Their activities were mostly confined to Andhra Pradesh, said a senior police officer.

The Bejingi area, where today's operation took place, had hosted a meeting of top Maoist trainers last night. The rebels did not think that the security personnel would launch an assault in the deep forests surrounded by hills and flanked by a reservoir, the officer said.

The Maoists had eliminated at least 38 security personnel, including 35 members of Greyhound, Andhra Pradesh's elite anti-Naxal force, while they were crossing the Balimela reservoir in a mechanised boat in 2008.

At least 24 Maoists, including seven of their top leaders, were today gunned down in a fierce gun-battle with the security forces in Odisha's Malkangiri district on the border with Andhra Pradesh.

While using the place as a "safe haven", the Maoists also used the carrot-and-stick policy for the locals. The villagers who opposed them were eliminated after being branded as "police informers" and those who supported them got praise from the rebels, said a panchayat level politician from Chitrokonda area.

In their bid to keep the "cut-off area" safe and out of reach for the security personnel, the Maoists in the past had destroyed equipment used in road construction, mobile phone towers and government buildings.

Now that the Odisha government has been constructing a major bridge (918-mtr) at Gurupriya to connect 151 villages in the "cut-off area", the Maoists would further lose their "safe shelter", said a local engineer, adding that the construction of the bridge was likely to be completed by the end of 2018.

Meanwhile, the Maoists' stronghold of Narayanpatna and Bandhugaon blocks in Koraput district are now "within the reach" of the administration after a series of police operations.

"After today's operation, the Maoists have suffered a major setback in the entire south Odisha, particularly in Koraput and Malkangiri districts," a top police officer involved in anti-Maoist operations said.

Earlier, the Maoist movement had suffered a setback when Sabyasachi Panda quit the CPI(Maoist) and formed his own group, 'Odisha Maobadi Party'. Panda is in jail, leading to a decline in Maoist activities in Gajapati, Rayagada and Ganjam districts.

However, the Maoists have re-grouped in Kalahandi, Boudh and Kandhamal. Naxal cadres, mostly from Chhattisgarh, operate in the western region of the state, while the guerrillas from Andhra Pradesh operate in south Odisha, the officer said.

Today's successful operation took place when the Maoists were threatening the people to boycott the three-tier panchayat polls slated for February next.

Maoist leader Ramakrishna had reportedly addressed a meeting in the Jantri area in the "cut-off zone" earlier this month and asked the tribals to boycott the polls.
The Marathas will be taking out a 'silent march' here tomorrow as part of their statewide mobilisation to press for demands like reservation in jobs and education for their community.

The protest march, organised by Sakal Maratha Samaj will start around 10 AM from Reshimbagh ground in South-Eastern part of the city and culminate at Kasturchand Park, a member of the erstwhile royal family Raje Mudhoji Bhosale said today.

Also, cracks seem to have developed between two factions of the community, with the Maratha Kunbis, a sect predominant in Vidarbha region, being excluded from the agitation.

Now, the Sakal Maratha-Kunbi Samaj has announced December 14 as the date for its massive march.

Bhosale however denied any rift of the sort between the two sects while talking to PTI.

Members of the Sakal Maratha Samaj also downplayed the divide in the community.

"The December 14 rally is a statewide one and we too will participate in it. The community is united," an office-bearer said.

Besides, reservation for their community in jobs and educational institutions, the Marathas want a stop on the misuse of SC/ST Atrocities Act 1989.

The city police and the district administration are busy in keeping a tight vigil for tomorrow's morcha.

According to sources, clubbing and naming the banner as Maratha-Kunbi Samaj march was apparently the deal breaker between the two factions.

There is one section of Marathas (essentially the warrior clan) which has nothing to do with the Kunbi community, which is primarily into agriculture as its occupation, they said.

The Maratha-Kunbi is a mix typical to Vidarbha region where the two seem to have assimilated.

Over six decades ago, this happened with the initiatives of stalwarts like late Panjabrao Deshmukh, the Agriculture Minister in the then Jawahralal Nehru Cabinet, allowing 'roti-beti' (exchanging food and allowing marriages) relations between the two.

The descendants of the warrior community, tracing back to Chhatrapati Shivaji, want to assert their lineage and maintain separate identity, the sources said.

So far, the Maratha-Kunbi Samaj, that has overwhelming presence of members in Maratha Vidya Prasarak Mandal and Maratha Sewa Samiti, has been dominating the morcha scene.

It had earlier planned the march on October 16, but later claimed that the state-level coordination committee instructed it to defer it till December when the winter session of the Legislature commences here, to put pressure on the state government, sources added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Men's magazines also known as lads' mags normalise sexist humour, according to new research which refutes the idea that men perceive them as ironic or 'harmless fun'.

Editors of men's magazines such as Zoo and FHM have long claimed that sexist humour in their publications is harmless because male readers perceive it as ironic.

However, researchers, including those from the University of Surrey in the UK, have refuted that idea.

In the first study of 81 men in the UK aged between 18 and 50, participants were presented with sexist jokes both in and out of a lads mag context.

Young men - particularly those who scored lower on sexism measures - considered the jokes less hostile when taken in a lad's mag context (but not more ironic or funnier).

A second study, of 423 men aged 18-30, aimed to identify the correlation between sexism and lad's mag consumption.

This showed that if a man displays ambivalent sexism he is more likely to buy lads' mags than other men, but not more likely to indulge in other forms of direct sexual consumption.

A third study, conducted in the US, demonstrated that when shown evidence of the extreme hostility of content found in lad's mags, young men de-legitimise these magazines.

In this study, selected participants took part in a sorting task which involved identifying which of a group of quotations had appeared in lads' mags and which had been used by convicted rapists.

Having failed to do this effectively - correctly identifying only half of the quotations - the men who had taken part in the sorting task viewed lads' mags as less legitimate.

The three studies built on earlier research led by the University of Surrey which helped ignite a public debate about the role lad's mags may play in 'normalising' sexist attitudes.

Using the same sorting task as the recent study, a series of studies in 2012 found that men could not distinguish between quotations from lad's mags and convicted rapists - but they identified more with quotes from either source when they were said to have originated in lad's mags.

The research contributed to the decision to put lad's mags in black plastic wrappers on supermarket shelves in the UK.

"Sales of lad's mags have declined significantly in recent years, with several ceasing publication," said lead author Peter Hegarty, professor at the University of Surrey.

"But 'lad culture' and the normalisation of sexism is still a major concern, particularly on university campuses and online," said Hegarty.

"These latest studies demonstrate how a concrete source of social influence can shape the expression of a prejudice that is generally considered unacceptable in an egalitarian society.

The study was published in the journal Psychology of Men and Masculinities.

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Migrants at a camp on the Greek island of Lesbos today hurled stones at police and torched temporary offices used by asylum officials in an hour-long protest over conditions.

Jose Carreira, executive director of the European Asylum Support Office (EASO), said at least four shipping containers where interviews were conducted were entirely destroyed, and three more were damaged.

"Incidents have occurred in the past but this is the most serious one," Carreira told AFP.

"We are looking into ways of guaranteeing that this might not happen again," said Carreira, who is in Athens for meetings with Greece's immigration ministry.

No-one was hurt in the incident as the blaze was quickly brought under control by firefighters, but Carreira said it could be days before asylum interviews can resume.

Around 70 migrants took part in the protest, most of them from Pakistan and Bangladesh, a local police source said. Police made a dozen arrests.

The incident took place at the overcrowded Moria camp, one of five centres on Greek Aegean islands, which have borne the brunt of Europe's migrant crisis.

More than 15,000 migrants are being held on the Aegean islands, pending their return to Turkey under an EU-Turkish agreement reached in March this year.

Processing has been held up because the vast majority have filed for political asylum.

Part of Moria, which has a capacity for 3,500 people but currently houses more than 5,000, was badly damaged in a fire during clashes last month between migrants and police.

Nearly 66,000 refugees and migrants are currently stranded in Greece, according to official figures.

In Bulgaria meanwhile, some 300 Afghan migrants today protested in the country's largest migrant reception centre, near the Turkish border, according to a human rights group.

"They protested against the fact that they are being kept in Bulgaria against their will and demanded to be able to leave towards Serbia and then (western) Europe," said Iliana Savova, a spokeswoman for the Bulgarian Helsinki Committee for Human Rights, adding that around 300 migrants took part in the demonstration.

Bulgaria's interior ministry confirmed "tensions" at the site, which is home to around 3,800 migrants -- around half of whom are Afghans.

Some 13,000 illegal migrants remain stranded inside Bulgaria, after other transit countries along the western Balkan route shut their borders earlier this year.

And close to 50 migrants ended a brief hunger strike today in an immigration detention centre in Barcelona, police said, just days after a riot took place in a similar facility in Madrid.

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Maharashtra Labour Minister Sambhaji Patil Nilangekar today asked civic bodies of Mumbai, Nashik and Thane to immediately clear pending wages of over 8,000 contract labourers or face legal action.

The move comes a day after the Coordination Committee comprising representatives of three trade unions -- Kachara Vahatuk Shramik Sangh, Maharashtra Municipal Kamgar Union and Nashik Manapa Shramik Sangh -- issued a notice to the three municipal bodies, saying they would go on an indefinite strike from October 28 to seek minimum wages for contract labourers and payment of arrears.

The Labour Department has sent e-mails to officials concerned of the civic bodies, asking them to take quick action on the demands.

In August, Nilangekar had assured the Committee that the contract labourers will get minimum wages and also arrears for the last 20 months before Diwali and issued instructions to the three corporations in this regard.

"However, the corporations have not yet complied and have kept the wages and arrears of over 8,000 contract sweepers on hold. Till now only Nashik municipal corporation has assured the release of wages and arrears by Tuesday (October 25)," he said.

"We have given enough time to all the three municipal corporations to release the payments. Minimum wage is the basic right of contract labourers and I have asked the corporations to immediately clear their payment. No one will be spared for breaching the minimum wage rule. We have already initiated legal proceedings," Nilangekar said.

The respective Municipal Commissioners will be held responsible for non-payment of dues and action will be taken against them, the Minister warned.

"In case of any further delay, as per the provisions of the law, they will have to compensate ten times the actual pending amount," he said.

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Intensifying cross-border shelling and firing, Pakistani troops killed a six-year-old boy and a BSF jawan and injured 9 others as they pounded civilian areas and paramilitary posts in several sub sectors along International Border in Jammu district throughout the night.

The Pakistani soldiers, while violating the ceasefire, used small and automatic weapons and resorted to mortar bomb shelling to target over 25 border out posts (BoPs) and civilian areas in R S Pura, Arnia, Suchetgarh, Kanachak, Pargwal sub sectors of Jammu district since last night and it is still on, a BSF officer said in the afternoon.

A boy Vicky Kumar was killed as Pakistani forces resorted to unprovoked firing in a "complete bizarre manner" on civilian areas at Laliyal village in R S Pura, official sources said.

Vicky Kumar, belonging to a labourer family from Bihar, died due to splinter injuries from a mortar shell explosion in Lalyal-Garkhal belt of the International Border. He had spent the night in a bunker and as soon as he came out to play, the splinter hit him, officials said.

BSF constable Sushil Kumar of Kurukshetra in Haryana was also martyred and another was injured in the Pakistani firing and shelling, the BSF officer said.

Sushil Kumar was hit with a splinter in his neck at a post in R S Pura and was shifted to GMC hospital, where doctors declared him dead, the senior BSF officer said.

Nine others were injured in the overnight firing of whom condition of a woman was stated to be critical.

BSF was giving a befitting reply, the officer said.

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, who is on a visit to Bahrain, said he spoke to BSF DG K K Sharma who apprised him of the situation in border areas of Jammu region. "The BSF is capable of giving befitting reply," he tweeted.

"I salute the bravery and sacrifice of BSF jawan Sushil Kumar who was martyred in RS Pura sector of Jammu region last night," Singh added.

Jammu Deputy Commissioner Simrandeep Singh said 30 cattle had also perished and 130 others were injured in the Pakistani firing and shelling in various border hamlets in the district.

Police and Civil authorities are assessing losses to property in various villages along the IB in Jammu district on account of Pakistani shelling, the Deputy Commissioner added.

A huge damage has been caused to the houses and other properties in the border hamlets, an official said.

Meanwhile, Pakistan Army today claimed that two people, including a minor girl, were killed in "unprovoked firing" by Indian troops.

Pakistan Army, in a statement, alleged that the Indian soldiers resorted to firing and shelling in Harpal, Pukhlian and Charwah sectors on the working boundary.

Due to India's "unprovoked firing" at the working boundary last night a civilian of village Janglora and a one and a half-years old girl were killed while seven civilians were injured, it said.

There have been over 40 incidents of ceasefire violations by Pakistani troops since India carried out surgical strikes in PoK after the Uri terror attack in which 19 Indian soldiers were killed.

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A five-year-old girl was allegedly raped by a 32-year-old neighbour who kidnapped her while she was playing outside her home in northwest Delhi, police said today.

The incident was reported yesterday evening when the girl was playing outside her home while her mother was inside their home in Haiderpur village, said a senior police officer.

When the mother came out to check on her daughter, she could not find her. She was told by a passerby that a girl is lying in the nearby bushes, police said.

The girl was then rushed to a hospital where doctors told her parents that she had been sexually assaulted, said the officer.

A case was registered under section 376 (rape) of the IPC and the relevant sections of POCSO, police said.

The accused was drunk and roaming around the area when the girl was playing. He kidnapped her and then sexually assaulted her and left her in the bushes, the officer said.

The accused is absconding and police is on the lookout for him.

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Cyrus Mistry, who was part of the panel tasked to find a successor to Ratan Tata for heading the over USD 100 billion Tata Group, had himself become a surprise selection only to see his tenure cut short abruptly today within four years -- the shortest at the conglomerate.

The 78-year-old Tata is now part of the selection panel that has been asked to search the next Chairman of Tata Sons Ltd, the group's main holding company, within next four months and he would also serve as interim chairman in this period.

A low-profile man to the extent of being reclusive, Mistry, now 48, was a surprise choice to succeed Tata, who retired on December 29, 2012 as Chairman of the one of country's oldest business empires.

The only second non-Tata to take charge of the group after Nowroji Saklatvala in 1932, Mistry by virtue of his age came in with a lot of promise, specially of continuity when he became Chairman of Tata Sons -- the promoter of the major operating Tata companies at the age of 44.

However, in nearly four years since he took over the reins of the salt-to-software conglomerate, Mistry had to face many challenges in both domestic and global markets as many of the group companies faced headwinds.

He undertook a strategy of divesting assets in contrast to what his successor did.

Significant among them is the group's steel business, specially Tata Steel Europe. Earlier this year, the company had completed selling of the European long products business that three units the UK as well as a mill in France to Greybull Capital.

It had also announced plans to sell its UK operations after years of losses, although the company is yet to finalise the sale.

In July, Tata group's hospitality firm Indian Hotels



Company Ltd (IHCL), which runs Taj Group of hotels, completed sale of Taj Boston hotel for USD 125 million (about Rs 839 crore).

The hospitality firm had also sold off 12.7 lakh shares of Belmond (earlier known as Orient Express, which the Tata Group tried unsuccessfully to acquire in Ratan Tata's time) for a consideration of USD 11.96 million. IHCL had also sold BLUE Sydney, a Taj Hotel, to Australia Hotels & Properties Ltd for AUD 32 million (nearly Rs 179 crore) in 2014.

The Tata group is also engaged in a legal battle with Japan's Docomo over the split of their telecom joint venture Tata Docomo.

Contrary to these developments, Tata led the group into some notable acquisitions, starting from Tetley by Tata Tea for USD 450 million in 2000 to steelmaker Corus by Tata Steel in 2007 and the landmark Jaguar Land Rover in 2008 for USD 2.3 billion by Tata Motors.

While the reasons for Mistry's sacking by the Tata Sons board is not clear, according to sources, the decision taken on the suggestion of Tata Trusts.

"In the long term interest of Tata Sons and the Tata Group, the principal shareholders -- Tata Trusts suggested to the Board of Tata Sons that it would be appropriate to look for a change and look forward," a source said.

When Mistry took over, the Tata Group had a revenue of USD 100.09 billion in 2011-12. Since then, the group's revenue grew to USD 103 billion in 2015-16.

About 66 per cent of the equity capital of Tata Sons is held by philanthropic trusts endowed by members of the Tata family. The largest of these trusts are the Sir Dorabji Tata Trust and the Sir Ratan Tata Trust, which were created by the families of the sons of Jamsetji Tata, the Founder.

Mistry belongs to Shapoorji Pallonji, which is the single largest shareholder in Tata Sons with 18.4 per cent stake.
Highlighting the importance of free trade agreements, NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant today said India must enter into such pacts to penetrate global markets and boost exports as the country cannot rely on domestic market alone to augment economic growth.

"I am a great believer in FTAs. No country in the world has been able to do without exports. India can't grow on the back of its domestic market. India must learn the art of exports. Unless you don't penetrate global markets, it will be very difficult for India to grow," Kant said.

The government last month, reviewed the impact of free trade agreements (FTAs) on the domestic economy and employment generation amid concerns that FTAs may be helping trading partners more than India. The meeting was attended by Kant, among others.

India has implemented FTAs with several countries including Japan, South Korea and Singapore as well as the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean). It is also negotiating similar pacts with several others, including the European Union, Australia, New Zealand and Canada.

"The World Trade Organisation is not moving forward and therefore, the world is doing bilateral agreements. We should move forward with bilateral agreements," Kant said, adding that for exports to grow and for India to become a great exporting nation, it is important to move towards FTAs.

Kant, while addressing a meeting of the India-Japan Business Cooperation Committee here, said the Japanese companies "must adopt India as their home ground, must take much more risks and they will see results in the next 3-4 decades".

"In the last 68 years, we have made India a very complex, a very complicated and a difficult place to do business. We need to make India extremely easy and simple place. There has to be predictability, consistency and clarity of policies," he said.

Noting that the Indian story for the Japanese companies had just begun, Kant said, "A huge possibility and potential (exist) for them to move away from a country they are overexposed to and over-invested in -- China. The future of Japanese companies is not in Japan because of very small demand, their future is not in China, their future is in India".

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Amidst emotional scenes, the mortal remains of BSF Jawan Gurnam Singh, who martyred after being injured in a sniper attack in a forward post in the Kathua district, were consigned to flames at his native village in Bhalesar here today with full military honours.

Thousands of people from all sections of life took part in the final journey of the brave solider who laid down his life while defending the boundaries of the country.

Several state ministers, BSF officers, district administration officials and BJP leaders attended the last rites of Gurnam who succumbed to injuries at the Government Medical College and Hospital in Jammu on Saturday night.

"He was a brave son and we are proud of him," his father Kulveer Singh said.

As soon as the mortal remains of Gurnam were taken out of his house for the last rites, the atmosphere reverberated with the slogans like "Gurnam Singh Amar Rahe", "Jab Tak Suraj Chand Rahega, Gurnam Singh Tera Naam Rahega".

People were also raising "Bharat Mata Ki Jai" slogan.

"We demand stern action against Pakistan, we want peace but Pakistan keeps on disturbing the peace every now and then by killing people on our side, we want this to stop once and for all.

"Pakistan must be taught a lesson so that no mother has to ever loose her son again," Kulbushan Kumar, a local villager, said.

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A Moscow nanny today pleaded guilty to murdering the four-year-old disabled child in her charge after brandishing the child's severed head on the street.

"I plead guilty; that's what she said," an interpreter said as Uzbek national Gyulchekhra Bobokulova went on trial, Interfax agency reported.

In a chilling case, Bobokulova was arrested in February as she waved the severed head of four-year-old Anastasia outside a Moscow metro station.

The girl's headless body was later found in the family's flat, which had been set on fire.

The prosecutor at Moscow's Khoroshevsky district court read out the charges that 39-year-old Bobokulova had strangled Anastasia, who had cerebral palsy, and then beheaded her.

She then overturned an oil lamp that set the apartment ablaze and went outside carrying the child's head.

Witnesses said that the nanny paced for around 20 minutes on the street dressed in black, waving the severed head and threatening to blow herself up.

Russia's national television channels refused to cover the grisly killing in a controversial move that the Kremlin defended, saying the subject was "probably too monstrous to be shown on television."



Her trial is being covered by state television, however.

In March, at her first court appearance following her arrest, Bobokulova said that "it was what Allah ordered," speaking in broken Russian.

Bobokulova is being held in custody at a psychiatric hospital within Moscow's ageing Butyrka jail.

She has been diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia and ruled not mentally capable. Prosecutors will ask for her to be incarcerated in a high-security psychiatric facility.

She is charged with the murder of a minor, which carries a maximum sentence of 25 years in prison, as well as arson and making a false report of an explosion.

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The practice of Ministers and sitting Members of Parliament and Legislative Assemblies participating in poll campaigns for their parties has been questioned in a PIL, filed in the Delhi High Court.

The petition contends that ministers, MPs and MLAs are public servants and under the law, public servants are prohibited from participating in elections except to the extent of casting their vote.

The matter was listed today before a bench of Chief Justice G Rohini and Justice Sangita Dhingra Sehgal.

However, as the bench did not sit today, the matter has been listed for hearing on November 23.

The petitioner has contended that after MPs and MLAs are administered the oath of office, "it should be presumed that they will only work for the nation and not for any political party during the tenure of his/her office".

"Whether MPs, MLAs, Ministers and Prime Ministers who as public servants within meaning of Prevention of Corruption Act 1988, should also be treated as public servant in equal manner as other public servants of Government," petitioner Mohan Singh, a retired Sub-Inspector, has said in his plea.

Singh has said that elected representatives, during their tenure, should not be trying to gain political mileage by indulging in political activities.

He has sought directions to the Centre to treat MP/MLAs as public servants and a "direction to prohibit MPs/MLAs from participating in any political activities during tenure of their office".

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Nava Bharat Ventures today said it has successfully completed the stake sale in its subsidiaries NBLE and NPCL for USD 10.15 million.

The company has successfully completed "sale of 100 per cent of the shares of Nava Bharat Lao Energy Pte Ltd (NBLE) and thereby its 70 per cent shareholding in Namphak Power Co Ltd (NPCL), by Nava Bharat (Singapore) Pte Ltd (NBS)," Nava Bharat Ventures Ltd (NBVL) said in a BSE filing today.

According to the statement, NBLE and NPCL have ceased to be the subsidiaries of NBS and Nava Bharat Ventures Ltd with immediate effect.

NBVL's arm NBS has entered into a "Sale and Purchase Agreement" to sell 100 per cent equity stake in Nava Bharat NBLE, the wholly owned subsidiary of NBS, and thereby its 70 per cent equity stake in Namphak Power Co Ltd, which has been developing the 150 MW hydro power project in Lao PDR, for a consideration of USD 10.15 million.

The company said that the transaction was profitable and it not required to invest any more.

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The BJP-led NDA had committed some "mistakes", resulting in its drubbing in Bihar polls and same should not be repeated in forthcoming UP assembly elections, Rashtriya Lok Samta Party (RSLP) said today.

Speaking to press persons here, RLSP chief and Union Minister Upendra Kushwaha chose not to list the "mistakes" saying those should be discussed "internally", but noted there is a "possibility" of NDA registering win in the crucial UP elections.

"Since we experienced defeat in Bihar polls...Such mistakes should not be repeated in UP polls. We would not have witnessed such drubbing had we not committed some mistakes. The BJP and all of us should learn from those mistakes. We will discuss the issue from this perspective," the NDA ally said.

Whether not declaring Chief Ministerial candidate for the Bihar election was one of the mistakes, Kushwaha reiterated that those should not be discussed in public.

"Those should be discussed internally. But yes, if we don't discuss the mistakes internally too, then it will hurt in future. So, this will definitely be discussed, we will insist on that," he said during the briefing where he announced names of members of his party's national committee.

On asked about him favouring 'Ashok Rajya' at a time when NDA major BJP pitches for 'Ram Rajya', Kushwaha cryptically said "different programmes have different subjects" and refused to speak more.

About the on-going crisis within UP's ruling Samajwadi Party, the Minister said that party is on the verge of collapse "due to its own sins".

"It is a matter of their family, party. It is not right for us to speak. SP is on the verge of split. It is impossible to avert it," he added.

Kushwaha further said a RSLP team will soon visit UP to assess situation there to zero in on number of seats it will contest in the state.

He also rebuffed a question relating to his party's claiming to contest close to 100 seats in the election.

"We have not said anything on number of seats we plan to contest in UP. It is natural any party would like to contest all seats and win all of them. But it doesn't work that way," he said.

Meanwhile, to a question about some media reports suggesting that Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is sending fillers to BJP, Kushwaha said the JD(U) president is "desperate". Kushwaha said Kumar's reported efforts in this regard will not help him gain his old image.

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Nepal has set up a development committee with participation from other organisations and countries, including India, to facilitate and speed up post-earthquake reconstruction work in the country.

Formed by Prime Minister and Chairman of National Reconstruction Authority (NRA) Consultative Council Pushpa Kamal Dahal "Prachanda" yesterday, the Development Assistance Coordination and Facilitation Committee (DACAFC) will coordinate funds received from different donor agencies, NRA officials said.

A meeting of the council held on October 4 had given Prachanda the responsibility of forming the committee.

The committee, to be headed by Chief Executive Officer of the NRA, will have one representative from India, China, the World Bank and Asian Development Bank.

It will also have two members from Nepal-based International Development Partner Organisations while president or representative from Federation of Nepali Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Non-Governmental Organisation Federation and International NGOs as members.

The committee would encourage the national and international development partners, civil society and private sector for the monetary and technical assistance to the rehabilitation of the earthquake survivals and rebuilding of damaged structures.

The committee's role and responsibility will be to coordinate and facilitate the civil society and national as well as international development partners involved in reconstruction work.

Meanwhile, the UK's Department for International Development (DFID) has granted 1.5 million pounds for post-earthquake reconstruction work in Nepal.

The donation was given to support the Nepal government's efforts to rebuild critical infrastructure such as trails in remote areas.

The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), which has been active in trail reconstruction across Nepal after the earthquakes, has welcomed the DFID's grant, saying the donation will be used to rehabilitate six trails and complete engineer assessments on a further six trails in the areas that were most severely affected by the quake.

The new trails will directly or indirectly benefit approximately 55,175 people living in the mountainous areas of Dhading, Gorkha, and Rasuwa, it said.

A powerful earthquake 7.8-magnitude hit Nepal on April 25 last year, killing nearly 9,000 people and injuring 14,123 others.

According to a situation report released by the United Nation's humanitarian agency OCHA (Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs), over 1,60,000 houses were destroyed in the quake.

A total of 1,383 schools were also damaged in the powerful quake, the report said.

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Scientists have developed a new artificial intelligence (AI) system that can accurately predict the outcomes of human right trials in major international courts - an advance that could be a valuable tool to identify violation of rights.

Using the new AI method, judicial decisions of cases at the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) have been predicted to 79 per cent accuracy.

The method is the first to predict the outcomes of a major international court by automatically analysing case text using a machine learning algorithm.

"We don't see AI replacing judges or lawyers, but we think they'd find it useful for rapidly identifying patterns in cases that lead to certain outcomes," said Nikolaos Aletras from University College London, who led the study.

"It could also be a valuable tool for highlighting which cases are most likely to be violations of the European Convention on Human Rights," said Aletras.

The team found that judgements by the ECtHR are highly correlated to non-legal facts rather than directly legal arguments, suggesting that judges of the court are 'realists' rather than 'formalists'.

This supports findings from previous studies of the decision-making processes of other high level courts, including the US Supreme Court.

"The study, which is the first of its kind, corroborates the findings of other empirical work on the determinants of reasoning performed by high level courts," said Dimitrios Tsarapatsanis, from the University of Sheffield.

Researchers extracted case information published by the ECtHR in their publicly accessible database.

They identified English language data sets for 584 cases relating to torture and inhuman and degrading treatment, right to a fair trial and right to respect for one's "private and family life, his home and his correspondence".

Researchers applied an AI algorithm to find patterns in the text. To prevent bias and mislearning, they selected an equal number of violation and non-violation cases.

The most reliable factors for predicting the court's decision were found to be the language used as well as the topics and circumstances mentioned in the case text.

The 'circumstances' section of the text includes information about the factual background to the case.

By combining the information extracted from the abstract 'topics' that the cases cover and 'circumstances' across data for all three articles, an accuracy of 79 per cent was achieved.

"Previous studies have predicted outcomes based on the nature of the crime, or the policy position of each judge, so this is the first time judgements have been predicted using analysis of text prepared by the court," said Lampos.

The study was published in the journal PeerJ Computer Science.

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Scientists have developed a new method for spotting people who post false reviews, comments or tweets from multiple social media accounts to espouse opinions.

Researchers from the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) in the US, describe a statistical method that analyses multiple writing samples - a practice known as 'astroturfing'.

They found that it is challenging for authors to completely conceal their writing style in their text.

Based on word choice, punctuation and context, the method is able to detect whether one person or multiple people are responsible for the samples.

Researchers used writing samples from the most prolific online commenters on various web sites, and discovered that many people espousing their opinions online were actually all linked to a few singular writers with multiple accounts.

"Astroturfing is legal, but it is questionable ethically. As long as social media has been popular, this has existed," said Kim-Kwang Raymond Choo, associate professor at UTSA.

The practice has been used by businesses to manipulate social media users or online shoppers, by having one paid associate post false reviews on web sites about products for sale.

It is also used on social media wherein astroturfers create several false accounts to espouse opinions, creating the illusion of a consensus when actually one person is pretending to be many.

"It can be used for any number of reasons. Businesses can use this to encourage support for their products or services, or to sabotage other competing companies by spreading negative opinions through false identities," Choo said.

Candidates for elected office have also been accused of astroturfing to create the illusion of public support for a cause or a campaign.

For example, US President George W Bush, the Tea Party movement, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and current Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump have all been accused of astroturfing to claim widespread enthusiasm for their platforms.

Now that Choo has the capability to detect one person pretending to be many online, he is considering further applications for his top-tier research.

Stressing that astroturfing, while frowned upon, is not illegal, he is now looking into whether the algorithm can be used to prevent plagiarism and contract cheating.

"In addition to raising public awareness of the problem, we hope to develop tools to detect astroturfers so that social media users can make informed choices and resist online social manipulation and propaganda," Choo said.

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State-run hydro power major NHPC today discussed with the Sikkim government issues related to Teesta-IV hydro project in the state.

NHPC Chairman amd Managing Director K M Singh today called on Sikkim Chief Minister Pawan Chamling to discuss various issues related to the project, NHPC said in a release.

During the meeting, Sing apprised that the meetings of five Gram Sabhas out of 10 have been successfully completed last week for compliance under Forest Rights Act, 2006 and sought support of Sikkim Government for completing the remaining five Gram Sabhas at earliest possible, so that Forest clearance stage-II can be obtained, it said.

The meetings shall further facilitate diversion of forest land and obtaining Government sanction for the Project, it said.

The Chief Minister has assured to extend all possible help in this regard.

Teesta-IV Hydro Electric Project is a run-of- the-river hydropower scheme.

The concrete Gravity Dam is proposed to be constructed near village Chandey & Hee-Gythang and the Power Station of 520 MW (4 units of 130 MW each) is proposed to be constructed near Village Phidong in the North District of Sikkim.

The Dam site is situated at 77km from Gangtok and 148 km from Siliguri via Singtam. The Project when commissioned shall generate 2373 MUs (million units) of clean energy and contribute immensely to the Socio-economic development of the area.

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Corporators cutting across political parties have closed ranks to bring a no confidence motion tomorrow against Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) commissioner Tukaram Mundhe for his "undemocratic functioning" even as residents of various areas have come together to back the officer who has cracked a whip on illegal constructions.

The motion, unprecedented in NMMC history, will come up for discussion in the special general body meeting of the NCP-ruled civic body.

When contacted, Mundhe said, "I am absolute believer in democracy and follow the principles of democracy. I am trying to implement law and work as per the rule of law. The job of a municipal commissioner is to provide accessible and affordable civic services to the citizens.

"My job is to provide transparent, people-centric, effective and sensitive governance which I am providing through various initiatives," he said.

Though he is accused of "autocratic" style of functioning by politicians, Mundhe is getting huge support of residents, activists and intellectuals who organised a "Walk for Commissioner" yesterday.

However, the corporators across political spectrum are bent to remove the civic chief.

"This commissioner has zero respect for corporators who are the elected representatives. He believes only in bureaucracy and does not believe in democratic values at all. This is why no confidence motion has been initiated against him," NMMC Mayor Sudhakar Sonawane told PTI.

When asked whether all parties are backing the motion, Sonawane said, "There is no question of supporting this (motion) along the party lines. All the corporators are supporting it."



In 111-member NMMC, NCP has highest number of corporators and also holds post of Mayor whereas Deputy Mayor belongs to Congress. Interestingly, the 16-member crucial standing committee is ruled by opposition Shiv Sena.

When asked about the no confidence motion, Mundhe said he was just "doing his job".

Mundhe, for the first time in NMMC's history, had



proposed a survey to map properties falling under its limit. However, the survey was stonewalled for over 90 days by the unwilling corporators.

Mundhe took this decision following a "scam" wherein over 15,000 property owners allegedly found to have evaded paying property tax to NMMC over last decade.

"I have rationalised the tendering process system, cracked whip on illegal activities and have mechanised one of the best grievance redressal systems (in NMMC). People are very happy," Mundhe said.

Local residents feel that Mundhe is an "upright officer" and he was being targetted for acting against illegal constructions supported by some corporators in the area.

"Ever since Mundhe took over as the civic chief six months back, he has been going cracking against illegal onstructions, mostly raised by these corporators, across Navi Mumbai. They are targeting him as has put a full stop to the menace of illegal works," said Ravi Srivastava, a local resident and activist.

He said Mundhe was getting support from thousands of residents as well as of some corporators who are "not part of any illegalities".

The residents have vowed to fight any move by corporators to remove Mundhe tooth and nail.
The long pending nominations to 70-odd boards and corporations in Karnataka as also to the Legislative Council were finalised today by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah after discussions with the Congress central leadership.

Siddaramaiah had two rounds of talks with AICC General Secretary Digvijay Singh after which he met party Vice President Rahul Gandhi, according to sources.

The move was aimed at accomodating the legislators who were unhappy with the party for not making them ministers in the recent Cabinet reshuffle.

There are three vacancies under the nomination category in the Upper House of the legislature, while the ruling party can nominate heads to 70-odd state-run boards and corporations.

The ruling party can nominate members who have served in the field of literature, art and culture, education and social service to the Council.

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Scientists have developed a thin, flexible, lithium ion battery with self-healing properties that can be safely used in wearable electronics.

Even after completely breaking apart, the battery can grow back together without significant impact on its electrochemical properties, researchers said.

Electronics that can be embedded in clothing are a growing trend. However, power sources remain a problem.

Existing lithium ion batteries for wearable electronics can be bent and rolled up without any problems, but can break when they are twisted too far or accidentally stepped on - which can happen often when being worn.

This damage not only causes the battery to fail, it can also cause a safety problem: Flammable, toxic, or corrosive gases or liquids may leak out.

Researchers from Fudan University in China, the Samsung Advanced Institute of Technology in South Korea, and the Samsung R&D Institute in China have now developed a new family of lithium ion batteries that can overcome such accidents thanks to their amazing self-healing powers.

In order for a complicated object like a battery to be made self-healing, all of its individual components must also be self-healing.

The electrodes in these batteries consist of layers of parallel carbon nanotubes. Between the layers, the scientists embedded the necessary lithium compounds in nanoparticle form.

In contrast to conventional lithium ion batteries, the lithium compounds cannot leak out of the electrodes, either while in use or after a break.

The thin layer electrodes are each fixed on a substrate of self-healing polymer.

Between the electrodes is a novel, solvent-free electrolyte made from a cellulose-based gel with an aqueous lithium sulfate solution embedded in it. This gel electrolyte also serves as a separation layer between the electrodes.

After a break, it is only necessary to press the broken ends together for a few seconds for them to grow back together.

Both the self-healing polymer and the carbon nanotubes "stick" back together perfectly. The parallel arrangement of the nanotubes allows them to come together much better than layers of disordered carbon nanotubes. The electrolyte also poses no problems.

Whereas conventional electrolytes decompose immediately upon exposure to air, the new gel is stable. Free of organic solvents, it is neither flammable nor toxic, making it safe for this application.

The capacity and charging/discharging properties of a battery "armband" placed around a doll's elbow were maintained, even after repeated break/self-healing cycles.

The research was published in the journal Angewandte Chemie.

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Some 83 Nigerian soldiers are missing in action since Boko Haram Islamic extremists attacked a remote military base in the northeast, senior army officers said on Sunday.

The soldiers were unable to fight back and fled because Boko Haram had superior fire power, the officers told The Associated Press, speaking on condition of anonymity because they are not authorised to give information to reporters.

Morale also was low among the troops because they were being rationed to one meal a day and their allowances were being pilfered by their commanders, the officers said.

Army spokesman Col Sani Kukasheka Usman reported last week that "some" soldiers were missing and 13 wounded when the insurgents on October 17 attacked their base in Gashigar village, on the border with Niger. Usman has not responded to requests for the actual number.

Dozens of fleeing troops jumped into the Niger River and 22 were pulled from the water by soldiers from that neighbouring country, officers said. Many soldiers are feared to have drowned, they said.

In a separate development, hunters killed seven Boko Haram fighters who were burning buildings and huts in northeastern Makwaa village, the hunters and villagers confirmed today. "We engaged them in a fierce battle for close to three hours, we overpowered them, resulting in the killing of seven," hunter Aisha Gombi said of Saturday night's firefight. "One was caught alive with gun wounds and escaped into the bush."

President Muhammadu Buhari promised to better arm Nigeria's military when he was elected in March 2015, blaming corruption for the deaths of thousands including soldiers in the 7-year-old Islamic insurgency that has killed more than 20,000 people.

Billions of dollars meant to buy arms were stolen or diverted to the presidential campaign of former President Goodluck Jonathan, according to ongoing court cases.

Military officers also are currently facing courts-martial for allegedly selling arms and ammunition to Boko Haram, indicating the corruption bedeviling the country's fight against the Islamic extremists continues despite government efforts to halt graft.

Still, the military in the past year has succeeded in dislodging the insurgents from most towns and villages where they had set up an Islamic caliphate. But the extremists continue to attack remote villages and main roads that they have mined. Nigeria's army has reported thwarting and killing several suicide bombers in the past month.

The United Nations has warned that tens of thousands among the 2.6 million people forced from their homes by the insurgency are facing famine-like conditions that already are killing children.
Leading taxi-hailing app Ola today partnered with luxury carmaker BMW, which the two companies claimed will go a long way in redefining on-demand luxury mobility in India.

Ola claims it has around half a million drivers on its platform and the service, Ola Lux, is available in Mumbai, Delhi and Bengaluru to begin with, and will shortly commence in Hyderabad.

Ola already has tie-ups with luxury car makers Mercedes and Jaguar and also with Mahindra and Tata Motors. Other OEMs like Maruti Suzuki, Toyota and Nissan also have such association with aggregators.

BMW India acting president Frank Schloeder said the partnership is not exclusive, but will offer 100 per cent financing from BMW Finance, assured buyback and two-year free insurance maintenance.

Pranay Jivrajka, chief operating officer of Ola, said Ola Lux is already available with around 100 luxury cars from Mercedes, Jaguar and Audi, and it hopes to take the number of super premium cars to 1,000 with the BMW tie-up over the next few years.

Asked whether the deal with a low-cost Ola could undermine its brand value, Schloeder replied in the negative.

"Where is the question of undermining the brand value in a market that has only 1 per cent market share for luxury cars, while in the West it is 10 per cent and 5 per cent in China. Had we been a large player here, probably it would have been true," Schloeder told PTI.

"Ola Lux is one-of-its-kind luxury car offering category that allows discerning customers to enjoy an unmatched premium experience. Ola customers will now be able to travel in absolute luxury and comfort in a BMW," he said.

Jivrajka said its premium offering -- Ola Prime and Ola Corporate -- now contribute 1 per cent to its revenue.

Ola Lux is available for booking at a minimum fare of Rs



250 and Rs 20-22 for additional km.

On the draft guidelines issued by Maharashtra for cab aggregators which seek to impose a hefty Rs 2.6 lakh permit fee for high-end cars on such platforms, Jivrajka said if it is implemented, customers will be victims as the aggregators will be forced to increase cost.

He refused to elaborate on the draft rules, saying they will be meeting the government shortly. It has been reported that rival Uber has already written to the government seeking changes to the draft guidelines.
After outpacing the industry, private sector non-life insurance firm SBI General Insurance is aiming to break even during the current financial year, a top official said.

"Compared to last year, we have grown by 39 per cent in the last six months, that is till September. (Non-life insurance) industry grew by 29 per cent during the same period", SBI General Insurance Deputy CEO, Andrew Farlow told reporters.

The major growth drivers were crop, motor, health and insurance to small and medium enterprises, he said.

Asked about plans for the current financial year, he said "We had reported first time profits this year. The profits we made is Rs 6 crore (as of September 30, 2016) compared to last year's net loss of Rs 102 crore. We are well on track to meet our target. Our focus is to achieve break even. That is the plan".

The company, during the first six months of the current financial year ending September 30, 2016, has collected a gross written premium of Rs 1,200 crore, as against Rs 2,042.50 crore registered during the last financial year.

"Our focus is more on meeting the bottomline profits.", he said, adding the company's 80 per cent portfolio was in retail while the rest comprise commercial and SMEs.

To a query on whether the company was eyeing Rs 2,500 GWP during the current financial year, he said, "It depends. Focus is on growing the business very profitably".

SBI General Insurance is a 74:26 joint venture between country's largest public sector State Bank of India and Insurance Australia Group. It has about 7,500 agents across the country.

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More than 42.83 lakh metric tonnes (MT) of paddy has arrived in the grain markets of Haryana as against 34.24 lakh MT in the year ago period.

Out of the total arrival, more than 42.25 lakh MT of paddy is leviable.

The government procurement agencies have procured about 42 lakh MT of paddy and 83,790 MT has been procured by millers and dealers, an official release said here today.

About 10.30 lakh MT paddy has arrived in 'mandis' of Kurukshetra, 9.20 lakh MT in Karnal and over 6.29 lakh MT in Ambala.

Over18.45 lakh MT of paddy has been purchased by the Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Department, more than 14.27 lakh MT by HAFED, it said.

Another 4.96 lakh MT was purchased by the Haryana Agro-industries Corporation, 4.10 lakh MT by the Haryana Warehousing Corporation and 20,166 MT by Food Corporation of India, it added.

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Amid simmering tension in Indo-Pak ties, Pakistan today slammed India for trying to isolate it on terrorism, saying the country has been the worst victim of the menace even as it called for sustained diplomacy to forge an "effective cooperative paradigm" to improve relations.

Pakistani High Commissioner Abdul Basit said the issue of Jammu and Kashmir was the "root cause" of all problems between the two countries and that Pakistan does not need "misplaced jingoism and hypernationalism" to pursue its foreign policy objectives.

"How on earth it is possible to isolate a country on terrorism when that country itself is the worst victim of terrorism," he said.

He was speaking at the Indian Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies here.

It is only through sustained diplomacy that Pakistan and India can address their issues and forge an effective cooperative paradigm to their mutual benefit, he said.

Talking about his country's ties with India, he said Kashmir issue "has made us mutually antagonistic. Let its just resolution unite us in peace and prosperity."



"Pakistan is a proud country of 200 million people. It does not need misplaced jingoism and hypernationalism to pursue its foreign policy objectives," he said.

In the wake of Uri terror attack carried out by Pakistani terrorists, India has been trying to isolate Pakistan on terror internationally.

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A 6-year-old boy and a BSF jawan were killed and 10 people, including 8 civilians, were injured in the heaviest cross-border shelling by Pakistani troops which targeted civilian areas and 25 posts of the Indian border guarding force along the International Border in Jammu throughout the night.

As the ceasefire violations intensified, BSF chief K K Sharma said Pakistani forces are deliberately trying to "create a flash point" to facilitate infiltration of militants into India and asserted that these designs will be foiled.

The Pakistani soldiers used small and automatic weapons and resorted to mortar bomb shelling to target over 25 border out posts (BoPs) and civilian areas in R S Pura, Arnia, Suchetgarh, Kanachak, Pargwal sub sectors of Jammu district since last night, a BSF officer said.

"One child died and 8 civilians were injured in the firing and shelling by Pakistani troops on posts and civilian villages along IB in Jammu district," Deputy Commissioner Jammu Simrandeep Singh said.

The boy Vicky Kumar was killed as Pakistani forces resorted to unprovoked firing in a "complete bizarre manner" on civilian areas at Laliyal village in R S Pura, official sources said.

Vicky, belonging to a labourer family from Bihar, died due to splinter injuries from a mortar shell explosion. He had spent the night in a bunker and as soon as he came out to play, the splinter hit him, officials said.

BSF constable Sushil Kumar of Kurukshetra in Haryana was also martyred and another was injured in the Pakistani firing and shelling, the BSF officer said.

Sushil Kumar was hit with a splinter in his neck at a post in R S Pura and was shifted to GMC hospital, where doctors declared him dead, the senior BSF officer said.

Nine others were injured in the overnight firing of whom condition of a woman was stated to be critical.

BSF was giving a befitting reply, the officer said.

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, who is on a visit to Bahrain, said he spoke to BSF DG K K Sharma who apprised him of the situation in border areas of Jammu region. "The BSF is capable of giving befitting reply," he tweeted.

"I salute the bravery and sacrifice of BSF jawan Sushil Kumar who was martyred in RS Pura sector of Jammu region last night," Singh added.

Simrandeep Singh said 30 cattle had also perished and 130 others were injured in the Pakistani firing and shelling in various border hamlets in the district.

Police and Civil authorities are assessing losses to property in various villages along the IB in Jammu district on account of Pakistani shelling, the Deputy Commissioner added.

A huge damage has been caused to the houses and other properties in the border hamlets, an official said.

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Describing as the "epicentre" of global terrorism, India on Monday asked to "set its own house in order" and take action against terror groups instead of "ritually" raking up human rights violations elsewhere.

India, exercising the right of reply after raised the Kashmir issue during the general debate at the 135th Assembly Session of IPU, asserted that Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of India and will remain so for "eternity".

"We deeply regret the misuse of this august body by Pakistan to make tendentious references about internal matters pertaining to the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir," Lok Sabha MP R K Singh said.

"Let me make it very clear to Pakistan that the entire state of Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of India and will remain so for eternity. The people of Jammu and Kashmir have been active participants in the democratic processes at both the central and state levels," he said.

He said the "fundamental reason" for the situation in Kashmir is the cross-border terrorism sponsored by Pakistan.

"Terrorism remains the grossest violation of human rights and Pakistan has the distinction of being the epicentre of global terrorism. In fact, it is the mothership of global terror," he said.

"Internationally proscribed terrorists and terror groups are freely roaming in Pakistan with impunity while the deep State in Pakistan is busy in diverting billions of dollars received as international aid for spreading terrorism globally," he added.

Underlining that the human rights violations in entire Pakistan "cry for the world's attention", he said, "The people of Pakistan, Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, Baluchistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have become victims of sectarian conflict, terrorism and extreme economic hardship due to Pakistan's authoritarian and discriminatory policies in complete disregard of human rights".

"Given this state of affairs, Pakistan will be well-advised to focus its energies on setting its own house in order and acting against the perpetrators of terrorist attacks on its neighbours instead of ritually raking up alleged human rights violations elsewhere," Singh said.

"Pakistan has raised the issue of UN Security Council resolutions. We would suggest Pakistan to first fulfil its primary obligation under the resolutions to vacate illegal occupation of Pakistan occupied Kashmir," he said.

"We call upon Pakistan to stop inciting and supporting violence and terrorism in any part of India and refrain from meddling in our internal affairs in any matter," Singh said.
Keeping alive the 'surgical strikes' issue ahead of state polls, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said people celebrated 'choti Diwali' when the Army destroyed terrorist launch pads across LoC, and asked them not to forget valour of security forces.

Addressing a public rally after launching slew of projects in his Lok Sabha constituency, Modi asked citizens to also remember soldiers even when there are no sounds of firing of bullets and shelling on borders.

"When I saw on TV, read in newspapers and some locals informed me that residents of Kashi have celebrated choti Diwali. When the army displayed its valour on September 29, the entire Kashi witnessed celebrations.

"As your MP, I feel proud of the manner in which you paid tributes to valour of armed forces and expressed your support to them," he said.

The Prime Minister said that the nation has been able to convey to the armed forces that the entire country of 125 crore people is behind them.

He asked countrymen to send Diwali greetings to security forces.

The greetings can be sent to security forces through an App which can be downloaded by giving a missed call on 1922.

"Security forces should always feel how proud we are about them," Modi said, adding that the nation should hail their valour and courage all time.

Referring to the initiatives of his government, Modi said "we are not a government whose work stops at laying foundation stones. It is ensured that the projects are also completed".

Schemes are not about publishing advertisements in newspapers, the real aim of initiatives is proper execution and touching people's lives, he added.

Modi launched seven projects, including a gas pipeline and power projects, involving an expenditure of Rs 5,000 crore.

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With an aim of boosting development in his Lok Sabha constituency Varanasi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday launched seven schemes at the total cost of Rs 5000 crore amid his assertion that his government believes in timely completion of projects.

The schemes launched included "Urja Ganga", an ambitious gas pipeline project which will bring piped cooking fuel to residents of this ancient temple town besides catering to millions of consumers in neighbouring states.

Other programmes launched were expansion of Diesel Locomotive Works, dedication of 765/400 KV GIS Power Sub-station and inauguration of Postal Region.

Modi also laid foundation stone for second line and electrification of Allahabad- rail line and unveiled setting up of perishable cargo centre at Rajatalab Railway Station.

Speaking at the occasion, he said his government has focused on timely completion of projects and has worked towards ensuring that not only are foundations laid, but projects are also inaugurated on time.

He said the real aim of government initiatives is proper execution and touching people's lives.

"In a way, projects worth Rs 5,000 crore are being dedicated to Kashi," the Prime Minister said.

According to information made available by the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, "Urja Ganga is a 2540-km-long gas pipeline which will ensure supply of clean and eco- friendly fuel to at least seven major cities - Varanasi, Patna, Jamshedpur, Kolkata, Ranchi, Bhubaneswar and Cuttack".

"The project, which is likely to be completed by 2020, will also help revival of a number of moribund fertilizer manufacturing units.

"Besides bringing piped natural gas to millions of households, the project will also enable at least half a million vehicles to switch over to CNG mode, which will go a long way in development of smart cities", the Ministry said.

Modi also laid the foundation stone for doubling and electrification of 120-km-long Varanasi-Madhosingh-Allahabad railway line involving an expenditure of Rs 750.66 crore.

He also dedicated to the nation an expansion project of the Diesel Locomotive Works, which had commenced in 2014, months after he became the Prime Minister.

He felicitated select beneficiaries of Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana, and handed over LPG connections to select Ujjwala beneficiaries. He also released a commemorative postage stamp on Varanasi City.

Modi spoke about environment friendly initiatives, and the government's new vision for the Indian Railways, which can emerge as a growth engine for the economy.

"Usually a work started by one regime sees the light of



the day much after a change of guard. Ours is a government which believes in completing projects in time and leaving little scope for cost escalation," the Prime Minister said.

Releasing a commemorative stamp dedicated to Varanasi, Modi urged the people of the city to make sure that they used it whenever they sent a dispatch and claimed "this will go a long way in promoting tourism in this ancient town, which is already famous across the world for its cultural heritage, especially its music".

He also inaugurated the Varanasi Postal Region, dedicated a 765/400 KV Gas Insulated Switchgear (GIS) power station based in the city, and laid the foundation stone for a perishable cargo centre developed by CONCOR.

Speaking barely a couple of hours after a rally in Mahoba, where he had decried the custom of triple Talaq, Modi also gave away passbooks to five girls, aged one to five years, under the Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana.

He also felicitated pradhans of two villages where bank accounts of more than 400 persons had been opened, enabling them to avail of the various welfare schemes undertaken by his government.

This was Modi's eighth tour of his Parliamentary constituency since he assumed office in May, 2016. Four of these have taken place this year itself.

BJP, which had shown a spectacular performance in 2014 Lok Sabha polls by bagging 73 out of 80 seats, is now aiming at capturing power in Uttar Pradesh in the next Assembly polls slated early next year.
A teenaged girl, who was allegedly lured by a couple with the promise of being paid good money for her dancing skills, was rescued from Motihari in Bihar, police said.

The 17-year-old bore marks of injury and was hospitalised on their return tonight. Police had failed to arrest the couple due to resistance by locals.

Police said the accused couple from Bihar had seen the girl from Uluberia in Howrah district dance at a wedding, following a request by elders, at Kharagpur in August.

The couple, identified as Mohan Paswan and Priyanka, told her that she would be paid well for her dancing skills following which she left her parents at the wedding to go with them, police said.

Her parents, who did not know about the couple, lodged a missing diary on August 18 in Uluberia police station.

Her mobile phone had been switched off but recently it was found to be on and its location was tracked. Police then reached Motihari and rescued her from a hotel where she was locked up in a bathroom, they said.

However, a mob protected the couple and they could not be arrested, they added.

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Pope Francis on Monday granted Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro a surprise private audience at the Vatican in the midst of a deep political crisis in the South American country.

A statement from the Holy See said Francis had met Maduro because the pontiff's heart was with the Venezuelan people.

Maduro is accused by the opposition-majority legislature of committing a coup d'etat by blocking a referendum on removing him from power.

"The meeting took place in the context of the worrying situation of political, economic and social crisis which the country is going through and which has had severe repercussions on the daily life of the entire population," the statement said after the encounter.

"In this way, the pope, who has the well being of all Venezuelans in his heart, wanted to offer his contribution in support of constitutionality in the country and to every step that could help to resolve the open questions and create greater trust between the parties.

"He urged (the parties) to show courage in pursuing the path of sincere and constructive dialogue, to alleviate the suffering of the people, particularly of the poor, and to promote renewed social cohesion, which will allow the nation to look to the future with hope."

Opposition lawmakers in yesterday passed a resolution declaring "the breakdown of constitutional order" and "a coup d'etat committed by the Nicolas Maduro regime".

The measure came during an emergency session on the crisis gripping the resource-rich but recession-hit South American state.

Maduro visited the pope on his way back from the Middle East, where he was lobbying for cuts to oil production to help crude prices improve and stem the free-fall of his country's economy.

The heir to Hugo Chavez, socialist Maduro has seen his political support crumble of late with a recent poll finding that 75 percent of Venezuelan voters disapprove of him.
Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is likely to return to his alma mater, the Panjab University, which has offered him a prestigious assignment.

Soon after receiving the offer of Jawaharlal Nehru Chair Professorship from the University, Singh had approached the Rajya Sabha Chairman in July seeking advice as to whether accepting the position will attract disqualification under the provisions of Article 102(1)(a) of the Constitution for holding an 'office of profit'.

He is a Rajya Sabha member from Assam.

Now in its report submitted to the Lok Sabha Speaker on October 14, the Joint Committee on Office of Profit has made it clear that if the former Prime Minister choses to accept the offer, it "may not attract the angle of 'office of profit' incurring disqualification" as a member of Parliament.

Singh completed his MA (Economics) from the Panjab University and taught there as a professor of Economics between 1963 and 1965.

Vice Chancellor of Chandigarh-based Panjab University had informed Singh that the University Syndicate and Senate has approved his name for the Jawaharlal Nehru Chair Professorship.

The University has offered honorarium and other facilities during his visits. He is free to choose the convenient time and duration for his visits and mode of interaction and for delivery of lectures to the students and faculty.

The University informed the Joint Committee that the person appointed would occupy the Chair for a short duration.

The Chair is appointed on the recommendation by a committee consisting of eminent academicians with due approval of the governing body.

The persons appointed on this Chair is expected to visit the University for a short duration. During such visit, the person is entitled to business class air-fare; car with driver; accommodation in a hotel or university guest house; an honorarium at the rate of Rs 5000 per day during days of visit.

"According to the Panjab University, the person appointed on the Chair is required to interact with the faculty, staff and students of the University, by way of discussions/lectures. This Chair Professorship neither have any administrative responsibility nor any decision making power including that of appointment/removal/influence or power by way of patronage," the Committee said in its report.

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Amid the raging internal war in ruling Samajwadi Party in Uttar Pradesh, Priyanka Gandhi for the first time today participated in a strategy session of Congress leaders from the poll-bound state.

Convened by AICC General Secretary Ghulam Nabi Azad, the hour-long meeting saw Gandhi intensely interacting with the state leaders including PCC Chief Raj Babbar, Congress CM candidate Shiela Dikshit and campaign chief Sanjay Singh.

Party spokesman R P N Singh said that this was for the first time Gandhi participated in such a meeting of leaders from UP where the Assembly polls are scheduled early next year.

The interaction saw some state leaders suggesting tie-ups with smaller parties like RLD and Peace Party while some pitching for block level meetings to garner support instead of taking out yatras.

The impact of Rahul Sandesh Yatras, currently touring all districts in the state, was also discussed.

At the party briefing, Singh, however, steered clear of the questions whether Priyanka would be campaigning outside Amethi and Rae Bareli Lok Sabha constituencies where she has been restricting her role so far in previous Assembly polls.

"It would be better if the decision is left to her" was the refrain of Singh to such questions. He spoke in similar vein when asked as to why Congress, which projects itself as a democratic party, leaves such a decision to the family.

There have been strong demands from partymen in the state that Priyanka play a larger role in the campaigning to help revive the organisation in the state. Congress is out of power in the state for 27 long years.

In the last Lok Sabha polls, the party had secured just two seats-Amethi and Rae Bareli in the backdrop of a Modi wave that saw BJP and its allies secure 73 of the total 80 seats. In the last Assembly polls, Congress had secured just 28 seats out of 403.

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Students in Sri Lanka's Jaffna University today held a march and blocked highways to protest the killings of two Tamil students in police firing last week.

The students blocked the main A9 highway in a sit down protest and handed over a petition to the District Secretaries of Jaffna and Kilinochchi urging government action in the police firing last Friday that killed two Tamil students.

The protesters were demanding filing of murder charges against the policemen responsible for the firing and adequate compensation for the families of the killed students.

Six Tamil political parties will stage a similar protest tomorrow.

The former Tamil National Alliance (TNA) lawmaker Suresh Premachandran said the incident had once again brought to the fore the need to de-escalate the military presence in Jaffna, the erstwhile bastiob of the LTTE.

At least five policemen have been remanded for the shooting which killed the two students.

Police said the students had defied the order to halt their motor cycle at a road block check point.

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PUCL favours the release of all Hurriyat leaders and "unconditional talks" with them and other sections of the Kashmiri society for a permanent resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute.

This and the repeal of AFSPA was among the major recommendations put forth by a fact-finding team of the rights body that toured the violence-hit state between October 14 and 22.

PUCL (People's Union For Civil Liberties) also demanded a a judicial commission headed by a sitting judge of the Supreme Court to look into the killing of militant commander Burhan Wani which it termed as "extra-judicial".

"The GOI and J & K Government should release all Hurriyat leaders and hold unconditional talks with them and representatives of the other sections of the people, including the youth, in order to break this impasse and move towards a permanent resolution of the Kashmir dispute.

It also demanded that activist Khurram Pervez be released, the ban on Kashmir Reader newspaper be immediately withdrawn.

As many as 85 people, including two cops, have been killed and several thousand others injured in the ongoing unrest in the Valley



The ongoing unrest in Kashmir has affected the education as schools, colleges and other educational institutions continue to remain shut in the Valley.

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The Madras High Court was today informed by Railway Police that Rs 67.94 crore under Nirbhaya Fund would be utilised for installing CCTV cameras at various stations under the jurisdiction of Southern Railway.

The high court had on June 28 directed the Tamil Nadu government to submit a report on installing CCTV cameras at important places, including railway stations, in the wake daylight murder of 24-year-old woman IT professional at a city station in June.

Reply affidavits were filed on behalf of the state government, Home Department and Railways.

The bench which had directed amicus curie to go through the replies filed by the state government and Railways after scrutinising.

Senior Divisional Security Commissioner of Railway Police Force, Chennai Division, said in the affidavit that already electronic surveillance has been put in use and CCTV cameras with well equipped control rooms have been set up at seven important railway stations including Chennai Central with integrated security system.

Noting that there are 158 railway stations at Chennai Division of the Southern Railway, the affidavit said already 10 railway stations are provided with CCTV cameras and 82 stations are earmarked for provision of video surveillance system.

It further said there was a proposal to set up 47 additional CCTV control rooms at various stations in Tamil Nadu and total of Rs 67.94 crore Nirbhaya Fund is going to be utilised for it.

It further said four security control rooms are existing in various divisions all over Tamil Nadu which are effectively functioning round the clock co-coordinating with all RPF posts and out-posts within the respective divisions.

The state government submitted that it was made mandatory as a condition for issuing licence under relevant provisions of Municipal Corporation/Municipal Acts and Rules and the Tamil Nadu Urban Local Bodies (Installation of CCTV units in Public Buildings) Rules 2012 and Under section 347 of the Chennai City Municipal Corporation Act 1919 to install CCTV's in all public buildings.

The police department has identified 72,629 important places such as intersections in roads and other public places including the public buildings after consulting the stake holders for installation of CCTV cameras throughout the state.

It further said the government had already sanctioned Rs 12.21 crore for setting up modern control rooms.

The bench posted the matter for further hearing to December 7.

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India today told Bahrain's top leadership that Pakistan's use of terrorism as "an instrument of state policy" was a matter of concern and the incitement from across the border was the main reason behind the current unrest in Jammu and Kashmir.

Home Minister Rajnath Singh, who is here on a three-day visit, made the remarks during his meeting with Bahraini Interior Minister Rashid bin Abdullah Al Khalifa.

Singh also called on Bahrain King Hamad bin Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa and Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa and shared with them India's concern over terrorism.

"We shared concern over terrorism and human trafficking," Singh tweeted after the meetings.

Bahrain is a key member of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference in which Pakistan is also a member.

Singh apprised Rashid about Islamabad's open support and participation to glorify slain Hizbul Mujahideen militant Burhan Wani in Pakistan, saying it indicates continued free movement that terrorists and their supporters enjoy there.

Wani was killed in an encounter on July 8 and since then the unrest has been continuing in Kashmir Valley.

"Pakistan is a country which refuses to give up use of terrorism as an instrument of state policy," Singh is said to have conveyed to his Bahraini counterpart.

He raised the issue of the arrest in July of Pakistani terrorist Bahadur Ali, who was armed and trained in LeT camps and then exfiltrated into Jammu and Kashmir with instructions to mingle in crowds for throwing grenades at security forces.

"Since there is no change in Pakistan's approach of sponsoring terrorism we cannot take at face value any of the assurances that Pakistan provides in regard to stopping terrorism," Singh said.

Asserting that Jammu and Kashmir is an internal matter of India and no interference is acceptable, he said the central government as well as the Jammu and Kashmir government and other relevant authorities in India are involved in addressing the situation in the state and various efforts have been undertaken to redress the grievances of the local population.

He conveyed that there is complete political consensus in India on reaching out to the people of Jammu and Kashmir and substantial progress has been made in this regard.

Singh told his counterpart about the lack of progress in the investigation into the Pathankot airbase terrorist attack and on the Mumbai terror attack trials in Pakistan.

"It betrays Pakistan's selective approach to terrorism. We have conveyed to Pakistan that we are ready to discuss various aspects of the challenge of terrorism that is directed from Pakistan against us, which has been our core concern and is at the centre of the current situation in Jammu and Kashmir," he is believed to have said.

The two leaders rejected the linking of terrorism to any race, religion or culture.

"The two sides agreed on their strong stances against all forms of terrorism, saying terrorism is a hazard to all countries and communities," said a joint statement.

The Home Minister also met Bahrain's Deputy Prime



Minister Shaikh Ali Bin Khalifa Al Khalifa and Foreign Minister Shaikh Khalid Bin Ahmed Al Khalifa separately.

Addressing the Indian community last night, Singh said terrorism is a global problem and the international community must join hands to root out the menace.

Singh had also said the Narendra Modi government has made several structural and procedural changes and that resulted in successfully reducing the "wholesale corruption" in India.

The Home Minister said both India and Bahrain are vulnerable to the scourge of terrorism and there were extensive discussions about the menace during his talks with Interior Minister of Bahrain.

Expressing his concern over the terrorism, Singh said terrorism constitutes the greatest threat to humanity since World War II and there are no good or bad terrorists.

He said terrorism should be dealt with in a comprehensive manner and segmented and partial approaches as adopted by some of the countries have been unsuccessful in countering terrorism.

He thanked the Bahraini leadership for condemning the recent terrorist attack in Uri in September and the Pathankot airbase attack in January this year, an official release said.

He said it is a matter of satisfaction that the world opinion is with India in its resolution to dismantle the launching pads of terrorism from across the border.

Singh expressed happiness over the fact that the bilateral security dialogue at the Deputy NSA level has now been institutionalised and the second round was held in New Delhi last week.

The Home Minister said signing of agreement for cooperation in combating international terrorism, transnational organised crime and trafficking in illicit drugs, narcotic and psychotropic substances and precursor chemicals has laid strong foundation for enhanced security and counter-terrorism cooperation between the two countries.

He said India would like to enhance ties with Bahraini defence and security establishment.

Singh said India is keen to strengthen trade and investment ties with Bahrain and avail of the strategic location of Bahrain as a "gateway" to the GCC market.

"While our bilateral trade is healthy and has reached about USD one billion, there is still a huge potential to further expand it," the release said.

Singh said the presence of a large Indian community in Bahrain constitutes an important link between the two nations. Indians are the largest expatriate community in Bahrain.

He thanked the Bahraini authorities for launching the 'Little India in Bahrain'. This is a praiseworthy gesture towards India and Indian community and will promote Indian culture in Bahrain, he said.

Singh said Bahrain had supported India on many occasions and India will reciprocate in the same manner, more than what Bahrain has given to India.
Kerala Opposition leader on Monday claimed he and his family had received death threats from abroad, asking him to stop making remarks against beedi tycoon Muhammed Nisham, who is lodged in jail for killing a security after hitting him with his car.

He informed the state Assembly that he had been receiving calls from abroad at night since October 22, threatening that he or any of his family members would be physically harmed if they spoke against Nisham.

Chennithala said he had also received a threatening message on October 23 at 11.22 PM on his mobile.

The senior Congress leader said the government should conduct an enquiry and take strict action in this connection. He later gave a letter in this regard to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and the DGP.

The chief minister said the government would take the issue seriously and enquire into it without any laxity.

Nisham was sentenced to life imprisonment by a court in Thrissur in January this year besides an additional 24 years and slapped a fine of Rs 80.30 lakh for killing the security guard of his residential complex.

He had assaulted the guard in an inebriated state and later rammed his luxury vehicle against him in the early hours of January 29, 2015, irked over the delay in opening the main gates of his posh residential complex in Thrissur.

The guard died on February 16, 2015.
The quantum of levy for funding the government's ambitious regional air connectivity plan will be decided on the basis of "overall requirement", seating capacity and routes where the flights are to be operated.

UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Naagrik), launched by the government last week, seeks to connect small cities by air as well as make flying more affordable for the masses.

To provide viability gap funding for the flights operated under regional connectivity scheme, the Civil Aviation Ministry would be charging a levy on every departure in major air routes such as the national capital, Mumbai, Chennai, Hyderabad, Bengaluru and Kolkata.

While the quantum of levy is yet to be announced, the Ministry maintains that it would be "very small" amid most of the domestic airlines opposing the idea of cross subsidisation on grounds that airfares in general could go up.

The funding is being provided since the fares of half of the seats operated in a particular flight under UDAN would be capped at Rs 2,500 for one-hour duration. This cap would be applicable for distance of 476-500 kilometres.

As per a notification, the central government may impose a levy on scheduled flights being operated within India to fund the RCF.

The government would notify the rate of levy from time to time after taking into consideration "the seating capacity of the aircraft used for the scheduled flights and the routes on which such flights are operated and the overall requirement of Regional Air Connectivity Fund," the notification issued on October 21 said.

It has been issued after seeking the views of the stakeholders, including airlines and airport operators.

For UDAN, the government would be creating the Regional Connectivity Fund (RCF) by way of a "levy or fee per departure on all domestic flights" subject to certain exemptions.

There would be no levy on departures on routes which fall in Category II/ Category IIA under the route dispersal guidelines. Besides, flights on RCS routes as well as those using small aircraft with less than 80 seats irrespective of routes would be exempted.

"The premium realised, if any, from the allotment of additional capacity entitlements on international routes will also fund the RCF, as provided under New Civil Aviation Policy 2016", the final RCS guidelines issued on October 21 said.

The limit of RCS airfare would vary from Rs 1,420 to Rs 3,500 for fixed-wing aircraft. For helicopters, half-an-hour ride under the scheme would cost Rs 2,500 and for over one- hour duration, the cap would be Rs 5,000.

While launching UDAN last week, Minister of State for Civil Aviation Jayant Sinha had said the scheme aims to make even a common man to travel by air.

"Hawai chappal wale ko bhi hawai jahaz mein hume bithana hai (We want even a person wearing slippers to travel in a plane)," he had said.

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Rear Admiral Vennam Srinivas today took charge as the Flag Officer Submarines from Rear Admiral Sanjay Mahindru.

Srinivas was commissioned on July 1, 1897 and has served 25 years in the submarine arm. He has commanded two conventional submarines, a destroyer prior assuming command of the nuclear submarine INS Chakra, a Naval release issued here said.

Whilst serving ashore, the officer commanded the Navy's submarine training establishment and has been the principal director at Naval Headquarters, it said.

According to the release, Srinivas is an alumnus of College of Naval Warfare and has also completed the Staff Course in Defence Services Staff College at Wellington in New Zealand.

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Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon todaywarned British Prime Minister Theresa May of holding an independent referendum if Scotland's vote against Brexit is "not respected".

After talks in Downing Street, she said she was not prepared to see "Scotland driven off a hard Brexit cliff- edge".

She and the first ministers of Wales and Northern Ireland have demanded to be fully consulted on Brexit negotiations with the EU.

But Downing Street said it was vital not to "undermine" the UK's position.

The Scottish and Welsh leaders want the devolved legislatures and Parliament, all to vote on the UK's approach when formal talks begins with the European Union about Brexit.

In the June referendum, a majority of Scots, as well as voters in Northern Ireland, had opted to stay in the EU whereas Wales and England had a majority for leaving.

The issue was discussed as the joint ministerial committee - bringing togetherMay, Sturgeon, Welsh First Minister Carwyn Jones and Northern Ireland's First Minister Arlene Foster and Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness - met for the first time since 2014.

Asked about calls for different parts of the UK to be able to opt in or out of the single market, the prime minister's official spokeswoman said a united UK negotiating position was "vital to protect the UK's interest as a whole".

After the meeting, Sturgeon said she had received "no more information or detail" about the UK negotiating position, hearing only "warm words" from the UK government.

She said : "I'm not going to stand by and watch Scotland driven off a hard Brexit cliff-edge. Scotland's vote to stay has to be respected.

"There's not a bit of what I'm doing just now that's bluffing or game-playing. This is not a game of chicken. It's not a game at all."



She told reporters: "If all we get from the negotiations is a door slammed in our face, Scotland should be able to chose a better option."



In 2014, Scottish voters decided by 55.3 per cent to 44.7 per cent against independence from the UK.

Foster, also speaking in Downing Street after the meeting, said: "It's important that we are involved in the heart of [the Brexit negotiation] process.

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Representatives of over 120 organisations from 20 states will gather at Jantar Mantar here tomorrow to demand a ban on commercial release of GM mustard.

"At a juncture when the government is disregarding voices of experts and farmer leaders, of state governments and citizen groups on all these matters, this assembly in Jantar Mantar assumes great significance," said Kavitha Kuruganti from Alliance for Sustainable & Holistic Agriculture (ASHA).

She said leaders from various political parties, major farmer unions, trade unions, honey industry representatives, people's movements and other civil society formations and scientists will join to show solidarity towards the issue.

"Citizens from 20 states of India, who are mainly representatives of around 30 large national organizations or alliances and more than 120 state level or local bodies will join Sarson Satyagraha protest against GM Mustard and to press home their demand for an immediate ban on it and other such GMOs," she said.

Even as anti-gm activists organise the protest, the Centre today told the Supreme Court that it would not commercially release GM Mustard crop seeds without its permission.

Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi appearing before a bench headed by Chief Justice T S Thakur said if there would be any decision to go ahead with the field trials of the GM crop and for its commercial release, then it would first seek the apex court's permission.

Kuruganti said that the country's biotech regulator Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC) has closed its "farcical" public consultation processes without publishing any biosafety data related to GM mustard.

Much evidence presented by members of Sarson Satyagraha, especially with regard to the dangers of herbicide tolerant GM mustard also been "disregarded".

"The demand for better processes of appraisal has been turned down too with the intention of sneaking in a dangerous GMO through a compromise on scientific rigour, without a needs assessment or alternatives assessment and without many valid concerns of farmers," she said.

GEAC had constituted a sub-committee to review the technical details and dossier related to environmental release of Genetically Engineered Mustard. The report was uploaded on the Ministry's website inviting comments from various stakeholders till October 5.

After receiving hundreds of comments from various stakeholders, the Ministry had forwarded it to the sub- committee which after studying it will submit its final report to the GEAC.

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With no trace of missing JNU student Najeeb Ahmed for over 10 days, Delhi Police today announced an increase in reward for any information leading to him from Rs 50,000 to one lakh even as agitating students knocked at the doors of Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung over the issue.

Vice Chancellor M Jagadesh Kumar today met Delhi Police Commissioner Alok Kumar over the missing student issue.

"The Vice Chancellor and the Rector expressed the JNU community's anguish over the missing JNU student and appealed to the Police Commissioner to expedite and strengthen the search for Najeeb.

"They were told that the police department has taken several serious steps to find him and has decided to increase the amount of reward for information regarding Najeeb from Rs 50,000 to Rs one lakh," the university said in a statement.

Meanwhile, JNU students today staged a march from Mandi House to Jantar Mantar demanding expedited efforts to trace the student. A delegation of JNU students union went to submit a memorandum to the office of Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung in this regard.

The agitating students were joined by Left leaders Sitaram Yechury and D Raja at Jantar Mantar, who also consoled the aggrieved family of Najeeb.

"We know how with the patronage of this government certain students' organizations have been working in various campuses in order to browbeat the opposition. They do so in order to ensure that students do not have their legitimate democratic rights and their right to debate dissent," Yechury said while addressing the students.

Yechury said he met President Pranab Mukherjee on Monday and that he is aware of the missing student's case.

A student of School of Biotechnology, Najeeb Ahmed, allegedly went missing on last Saturday following a brawl on the campus allegedly with members of ABVP, the night before.

JNUSU has been agitating since then alleging inaction on the administration's part. The students had even confined the VC and other senior officials in the administrative building for over 20 hours last week.

The special branch of Delhi Police had also sent a report to the Home Ministry stating that the issue could give rise to communal tension, said a senior police official.

Following the report and intensifying protests, the Home Minister had directed Delhi police to form a Special Investigative Team to trace the missing student.

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A manager of a grain trading company was robbed off Rs 9.70 lakh by four unidentified bike-borne youths in Shikarpur town today, police said.

Lalit Kumar, Manager of Mittal Trading Company, was on his way to shop after withdrawing Rs 10 lakh from Punjab National Bank when the youths tried to snatch his bag from him, they said.

"When Lalit resisted the loot, the bandits fired at him but their cartridge did not work. In the melee that later ensued, Rs 30,000 slipped from the grip of the looters," a police official said.

"An FIR has been lodged upon the complaint of the owner of the grain trading company Manoj and investigation in the case is on," he added.

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A city court today granted bail to seven persons, arrested in connection with a gambling case in which an illegal casino was busted in South Delhi's posh Sainik Farms area.

Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Sonu Agnihotri enlarged on bail seven men who were yesterday arrested for alleged offences under the Delhi Excise Act and Delhi Gambling Act.

The accused were produced before the court by the police which had sought judicial custody for them.

The police had arrested 36 people, including businessmen and four women, out of whom, 29 had secured bail yesterday from the police station as their offence was bailable.

A joint police team of Neb Sarai and Malviya Nagar had conducted a raid at J-255, Sainik Farms in the wee hours yesterday after they got a tip-off.

Police said almost two dozen people were found playing casino in the premises and "eleven luxury vehicles, 23 bottles of foreign made liquor and gambling chips worth Rs 1,36,45,000 have been seized".

"We have also seized 250 packets of playing cards, wheel, spinning ball and other tools used in casino," it said, adding that crores of rupees were wagered each day and a player had to spend a minimum of Rs five lakh for entry and each chip was worth Rs one lakh.

According to police, many of the arrested persons belong to reputed business families of Gurgaon, Faridabad and Delhi and among those held included players, table attendants and proprietors.

Two separate cases under the Delhi Gambling Act and Delhi Excise Act have been registered at Neb Sarai Police Station here.

Police said more people, including owner of the premises, are likely to be arrested in the case and they will take steps to seal the property under the provisions of Delhi Gambling Act.

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A lenders' consortium led by SBI is looking for a strategic investor for an under-construction 600 MW power plant at Raigarh in Chattisgarh.

The consortium comprising SBI, State bank of Bikaner & Jaipur, L&T Infrastructure Finance and PTC Financial Services has proposed to conduct a Swiss Challenge auction for the under construction 600 MW (2x300 MW) thermal power project located in Raigarh, Chattisgarh, according to the bid document.

IDBI Capital has been appointed as advisor for the transaction.

The consortium has already received an offer from an interested party.

As per the bid document, a company is in the process of constructing a coal-fired thermal power plant of 1200 MW capacity Independent Power Plant in Raigarh District of Chhattisgarh in two phases of 600 MW each; of which Phase-I 600 MW is currently under implementation along with entire required infrastructure for 1200 MW project.

The original cost of the project was appraised at Rs 3,787.20 crore by the lenders in the debt-equity ratio of 75:25. But due to delay it has over-run to Rs 5,673.2 crore.

The company has sought further revision in project capital cost to Rs 5673 which is still to be approved by the lending group.

The company had received the consent to establish the project in January 2011. The original scheduled commissioning date of the project was April 1, 2014 and July 1, 2014 for Unit 1 and 2 respectively.

"However, the project suffered a delay due to various factors including non-performance by the selected EPC contractor," as per the document.

Commissioning dates were revised to March 2016 and June 2016 for Unit 1 and 2 respectively in July 2015 and were accepted by the lenders also.

However, the company has again submitted their request for extension for commissioning date till December 2016 to the lenders.

Located in a over 500 acre area, the project is being setup on land located in the Raigarh district close to National Highway 200 (NH 200) which connects Raipur in Chhattisgarh with Chandikhole in Orissa in the section between Bilaspur and Raigarh.

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Supreme Court today sought responses from controversial RJD leader Shahabuddin, sent back to jail by the apex court, and Bihar government as to why he should not be shifted out of the state and kept in Tihar Jail here from where trial in over 45 cases can be conducted through video conferencing.

A bench comprising Justices Dipak Misra and Amitava Roy granted four weeks to Shahabuddin and Bihar government to respond to two separate pleas filed by Siwan-based Chandrakeshwar Prasad alias Chanda Babu whose three sons were killed in two incidents and Asha Ranjan, wife of slain journalist Rajdev Ranjan.

Rejecting Shahabuddin's plea for grant of more time to file his response, the bench said "the concept of fair trial is not one-sided. You should be fair to other side also."



Senior advocate Dushayant Dave, appearing for one of the petitioners, said Shahabuddin should give an undertaking that he would "not commit any crime" during his stay in Siwan jail.

The counsel for Shahabuddin vehemently opposed the plea and said that adequate time be given to him for filing reply.

Prashant Bhushan, appearing for Chandrakeshwar Prasad, said trials in over 45 cases against Shahabuddin have been stayed after he filed an application that he has no money and be provided legal aid.

Against this, Bihar government went in appeal in the Patna High Court and consequently, the proceedings were stayed. This is bizarre, Bhushan said.

The lawyers also including Kislay Panday, appearing for the widow of the slain scribe, referred to a previous apex court order by which another Bihar muscle-man politician, Pappu Yadav alias Rajesh Ranjan, was shifted out of Bihar and kept in Tihar Jail in Delhi from where trial proceeded through video conferencing.

Shahabuddin's bail was cancelled by the apex court last week setting aside the Patna High Court order granting him bail in a murder case, saying the discretion to release him must be applied in "judicious manner" and "not as a matter of course".

Chanda Babu, whose three sons were killed in two separate incidents, alleged in his plea that Shahabuddin's "confinement to the prisons of Bihar has failed to deter him in any manner as he has been abusing the rules and regulations of jail with impunity in collusion with the jail administrations".

"The Petitioner is an eye witness to the murder of his third son who has also got killed by Respondent No. 3 (Shahabuddin) as he was an eye-witness to the murder of his two brothers. The trial in the murder of third son is still pending," the plea said.

Prasad was also the petitioner on whose petition the apex court had cancelled the bail of Shahabuddin. His plea was also supported by Bihar government which had filed separate plea against the Patna High Court order granting bail.

The other plea, filed by Asha Ranjan, has sought the transfer of the RJD leader to the Delhi jail.

Earlier, the court had transferred the murder probe in the case of Rajdev Ranjan to CBI and asked it to conclude the investigation in three months.

Ranjan, 42, a senior journalist working with a vernacular daily, was shot dead on the evening of July 22 in Siwan town in Bihar.
The Supreme Court today did not interfere with an ongoing probe into a strike by junior doctors of a Uttar Pradesh hospital which had allegedly led to the death of several patients, but decided to hear an appeal against Allahabad High Court verdict directing the authorities to penalise them.

"Let the inquiry go on," a bench headed by Chief Justice T S Thakur said when senior advocate Sidharth Luthra was making submissions to assail the order of High Court which had also directed that Rs 25 lakh compensation be given to each family, the amount of which would be deducted from salaries, stipend and allowances of the striking doctors if deaths were found to have taken place due to the strike.

The bench, also comprising Justices D Y Chandrachud and L Nageswara Rao, issued notices and sought response of the state government, Health Department, Director of Medical and Health, Vice Chancellor of King George Medical University and an individual on whose PIL the High Court had delivered the judgement.

Luthra, appearing for the doctors' body, Medico-Legal Action Group (MLAG), stressed that the direction to recover the compensation amount from the striking doctors will lead to many complications and therefore it needed to be examined by the apex court.

MLAG has challenged the June 2 verdict of the High Court asking the state government to form a high level committee to probe the matter within two months.

It said the high court had passed the order against the medical practitioners who were not party to the case and were also not heard but saddled with the possibility of deduction of a huge amount from their salary.

"The members of the medical profession, who are already under great stress because of several legal provisions and judgements against them, would be further demoralised by judgements like the impugned judgement and this would result in further demotivating bright and deserving young persons from opting to pursue the medical profession in a scenario where there is a shortage of doctors in the country," the special leave petition (SLP) said.

The plea claimed that the high court disposed of the PIL



on the first hearing, merely on the basis of "unverified" newspaper reports.

"What is most surprising is the fact that adverse orders against doctors were passed after Essential Services Maintenance Act had been promulgated and strike had been already called off, as per official information provided by the state to the high court during the course of hearing," it claimed.

The plea said the question of strike by doctors had come up before the apex court earlier also and it had held that it cannot pass orders that under any circumstances, doctors should not proceed on strike.

"The impugned judgment (of HC) has the effect of violating the earlier orders of the Supreme Court in this regard. If the impugned order is not set aside, it would result in perpetuation of various illegalities...," it said.

KGMU junior doctors (post graduate students) were on strike from May 30 to protest state government's decision to conduct fresh admissions in post-graduate courses in state medical colleges.

Admissions were done in April on the basis of Uttar Pradesh Medical Entrance Examination 2016 but were cancelled on May 26 following the Supreme Court order which directed state government to conduct admissions afresh after allotting up to 30 per cent additional marks to candidates of Provincial Medical Health Services who have served in rural areas. The strike was called off on June 2.

The high court's order had come on a PIL filed by advocate Moti Lal Yadav against the strike.
BJP is unfazed by Shiv Sena's alliance with the rebel RSS leader Subhash Velingkar-led Goa Suraksha Manch for the upcoming and says that it will hardly have any effect on the ruling party's winning prospects in the state.

"There will be no impact of Shiv Sena and GSM aligning in the forthcoming Goa polls," state BJP General Secretary Sadanand Tanawade told PTI on Monday.

He said the BJP vote base is intact and has been increasing due to the developmental works of the state government.

"We need not fear. Our organisation is strong. The voters are with us. We will form the next government," Tanawade said.

Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackarey had announced last weekend that his party in-principle has agreed to align with Goa Suraksha Manch (GSM).

Thackarey, during his two day visit to Goa, even held a meeting with Velingkar. Sena has already submitted a formal proposal to GSM wherein the saffron party wants to contest on 20 out of the 40 Assembly seats.

The formal discussion on seat sharing will be held after Diwali. Elections for the state Legislative Assembly are due before March next year.
The developments pertaining to the release of "Ae Dil Hai Mushkil", featuring Pakistani actor Fawad Khan, were "horrible, ruthless and have rubbed salt into the wounds of martyred soldiers", Shiv Sena on Monday said taking a dig at Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.

On October 22, under pressure from political and other outfits, Bollywood film producers announced that they will not engage with Pakistani artistes, clearing decks for the smooth release of Karan Johar's "Ae Dil Hai Mushkil" as MNS withdrew its threat to stall the screening.

Johar accompanied by Producers' Guild President Mukesh Bhatt had met Fadnavis at his home 'Varsha' in South Mumbai here where Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray, whose party has been opposing the release, was also present.

"A lot has happened behind the curtains and all opposition to the film was diluted in the cup of tea at 'Varsha'. We do not want to get into who lost and who won but the whole episode has insulted our martyred soldiers," the Sena said in an editorial in party mouthpiece 'Saamana'.

"(BJP) Central leaders are threatening Pakistan and boasting about surgical strikes. But none of them have the courage to say that films having Pakistani artistes will not be allowed to be released. Pakistan has violated ceasefire around 25 times after the surgical strikes and nobody is bothered about it. Here, everyone is rallying behind film producers seeing them in trouble," it said.

According to the editorial, Fadnavis had the opportunity to show that there is a "56-inch chest" government in place now, that has much more spine than the previous-Congress led government, which was "pro-Pakistan."



"Masks of many came off after the tea session at 'Varsha'. Karan Johar was asked to pay Rs 5 crore to the Army welfare fund in lieu of release of his film. Is the sacrifice of our soldiers worth this much? The developments of the entire episode is horrible, ruthless and have rubbed salt into the wounds of martyred soldiers," the Sena said.

"Ae Dil Hai Mushkil" starring Ranbir Kapoor, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Anushka Sharma in lead roles, will release on October 28.
The toll in the October 20 fireworks mishap here rose to nine, with a doctor succumbing to his injuries today, police said.

Janakiraman, a doctor at the scan centre, situated close to the cracker shop, died at a private hospital in Madurai today, police said, adding he had been in coma for the last few days.

On October 20, eight people, including six women, were killed in a fire cracker mishap in Sivakasi.

The mishap had occurred when a fire broke out while crackers were being offloaded from a vehicle to a cracker shop, resulting in its spreading and affecting a nearby scan centre.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Six persons were injured, two of them seriously, in an explosion in a cracker shop in this district of Jammu and Kashmir this evening.

"A blast took place apparently in a box containing Chinese crackers inside a shop at Ward No 7 this evening in which six persons were injured," Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Kathua, Pawan Kumar Parihar told PTI.

He said the forensic science laboratory of the police has taken up the samples from the blast site to ascertain the nature of the explosion.

"Initially it seems to be a blast of Chinese crackers, but samples have been taken to find out the exact nature of the explosion," Kumar said.

He said out of the six injured persons, two have been shifted to Government Medical College (GMC) Jammu for treatment, whereas four were admitted to district hospital here.

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Six more painted storks died between last night and this morning at the municipal zoo here taking the number of birds which died due to a suspected new sub-type of bird flu at the zoo to 24.

With this, the entire population of painted storks numbering 24 at the civic-run zoo has been wiped out.

All the painted storks were dead, Gwalior Municipal Corporation commissioner Anay Dwivedi told PTI today.

The remaining 300-odd birds of other species were in good health and the zoo was being disinfected, he said.

Three falcons which shared the enclosure with the painted storks too were fine though they were quarantined after samples of dead painted storks tested positive for H5N8 virus, Dwivedi said.

Bodies of dead birds were disposed of with utmost care, he said.

The zoo was closed last week after H5N8 virus infection among the painted storks was confirmed. "I think we will have to keep the zoo closed for a month," Dwivedi said.

Madhya Pradesh Animal Husbandry Director Dr R K Rokde said there was no report of bird deaths from elsewhere in the state. "We are keeping watch across the state," he added.

According to 2012 census, MP had a population of 119 lakh domestic fowls. Dr Rokde said the state had 400-odd private poultry farms and nine government-run ones. A hen had died of bird flu in Burhanpur district of the state in February 2006.

Recently, the National Zoological Park in Delhi was shut down temporarily amid bird flu scare following the death of some birds.

(Reopens BOM24)



Meanwhile, following the death of painted storks at



Gwalior zoo, authorities are now monitoring the movement of poultry birds into the state from Rajastan through Nayagaon area.

"We are going to station teams at Nayagaon on the border of MP-Rajasthan tonight to check birds coming in from that state," Neemuch district collector Rajnish Shrivastava said.

Alert has been sounded in entire state following the death of 24 storks at Gwalior zoo.
The government today said the target on construction of toilets in urban areas in the country under Swachh Bharat Mission has been "broadly on course" after it brought down its aim of building 66.42 lakh toilets from the earlier 1.04 crore target by 2019.

"During the two years of Swachh Bharat Mission, 22,97,389 individual household toilets have so far been constructed in urban areas of the country as against the five year mission target of 66,42,221 such toilets to be built by 2019.

"With 35 per cent of mission target being met in two years i.E. 40 per cent of the mission duration, construction of toilets meant for ending Open Defecation in urban areas is broadly on course," an official release said.

Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh have met the mission targets three years ahead in September this year with Gujarat constructing 4,06,388 toilets and Andhra Pradesh building 1,93,426 toilets in urban areas, it added.

Minister of Urban Development M Venkaiah Naidu reviewed the progress of the mission in urban areas today.

Other leading performers are Kerala (meeting 68 per cent of the mission target) Chattisgarh (61 per cent) Madhya Pradesh (46 per cent) and Tamil Nadu (43 per cent).

However, the states and UTs who have built less than 10 per cent of mission targets are : Manipur, Bihar, Uttarakhand, Odisha, Mizoram and Arunachal Pradesh.

Swachh Bharat Mission was launched on October 2, 2014 with a target to construct 1.04 crore individual household toilets in urban areas.

"Subsequently, taking into consideration the construction of toilets during 2011-14, mission target in this regard has been revised to 66,42,221 toilets based on the assessment of states/UTs," the release said.

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Tata Steel Noamundi Hospital has been conferred with the 'Prime Time Global Healthcare Excellence Awards 2016' under the category of "Best Patient Centric Hospital in Jharkhand".

The award was received by Dr Dhirendra Kumar, Chief Medical Officer, Noamundi Hospital, from Amar Singh, Member of Rajya Sabha and Samajwadi Party Leader at an award ceremony in New Delhi recently, a Tata Steel press release said here today.

Expressing happiness on receiving the award, Pankaj Satija, General Manager (Ore, Mines & Quarries), Tata Steel said, "Healthcare for the community is one of the thrust areas for our company's social involvements. This honor will significantly propel us to set higher benchmarks and live up to our commitment to society".

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India today told Bahrain that terrorism emanating from Pakistan remains its most important concern and support from across the border has incited the current unrest in Jammu and Kashmir.

This was conveyed by Home Minister Rajnath Singh to Bahraini Interior Minister Rashid bin Abdullah Al Khalifa during a bilateral meeting here.

Bahrain is a key member of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference in which Pakistan is also a member.

Singh, who is on a three-day visit to the Gulf country, apprised Khalifa about Islamabad's open support and participation to glorify slain Hizbul Mujahideen militant Burhan Wani in Pakistan, saying it indicates continued free movement that terrorists and their supporters enjoy there.

Wani was killed in an encounter on July 8 and since then the unrest has been continuing in Kashmir Valley.

Pakistan is a country which refuses to give up use of terrorism as an instrument of state policy, he said.

The Home Minister raised the issue of the arrest in July of Pakistani terrorist Bahadur Ali, who was armed and trained in LeT camps and then exfiltrated into Jammu and Kashmir with instructions to mingle in crowds for throwing grenades at security forces.

"Since there is no change in Pakistan's approach of sponsoring terrorism we cannot take at face value any of the assurances that Pakistan provides in regard to stopping terrorism," Singh is said to have conveyed to his Bahraini counterpart.

Asserting that Jammu and Kashmir is an internal matter of India and no interference is acceptable, Singh said the central government as well as the Jammu and Kashmir government and other relevant authorities in India are involved in addressing the situation in the state and various efforts have been undertaken to redress the grievances of the local population.

The Home Minister conveyed that there is complete political consensus in India on reaching out to the people of Jammu and Kashmir and substantial progress has been made in this regard.

Singh also told Khalifa about the lack of progress in the investigation into the Pathankot airbase terrorist attack and on the Mumbai terror attack trials in Pakistan.

"It betrays Pakistan's selective approach to terrorism. We have conveyed to Pakistan that we are ready to discuss various aspects of the challenge of terrorism that is directed from Pakistan against us, which has been our core concern and is at the centre of the current situation in Jammu and Kashmir," he is believed to have said.

The Home Minister also met Crown Prince of Bahrain Salman



bin Hamad Al Khalifa at Gudaibiya Palace and discussed various bilateral issues.

Singh will meet Bahrain King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, Prime Minister Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa.

Addressing the Indian community last night, the Home Minister said terrorism is a global problem and the international community must join hands to root out the menace.

Singh had also said the Narendra Modi government has made several structural and procedural changes and that resulted in successfully reducing the "wholesale corruption" in the country.

(Reopens FGN 8)



The Home Minister said both India and Bahrain are vulnerable to the scourge of terrorism and there were extensive discussions about the meance during his talks with Interior Minister of Bahrain.

Expressing his concern over the terrorism, Singh said terrorism constitutes the greatest threat to humanity since World War II and there are no good or bad terrorists.

Singh said terrorism should be dealt with in a comprehensive manner and segmented and partial approaches as adopted by some of the countries have been unsuccessful in countering terrorism.

He thanked the Bahraini leadership for condemning the recent terrorist attack in Uri in September and the Pathankot airbase attack in January this year, an official release said.

He said it is a matter of satisfaction that the world opinion is with India in its resolution to dismantle the launching pads of terrorism from across the border.

Singh expressed happiness over the fact that the bilateral security dialogue at the Deputy NSA level has now been institutionalised and the second round was held in New Delhi last week.

The Home Minister said signing of agreement for cooperation in combating international terrorism, transnational organised crime and trafficking in illicit drugs, narcotic and psychotropic substances and precursor chemicals has laid strong foundation for enhanced security and counter-terrorism cooperation between the two countries.

He said India would like to enhance ties with Bahraini defence and security establishment.

Singh said India is keen to strengthen trade and investment ties with Bahrain and avail of the strategic location of Bahrain as a "gateway" to the GCC market.

"While our bilateral trade is healthy and has reached about USD one billion, there is still a huge potential to further expand it," the release said.

The Home Minister said the presence of a large Indian community in Bahrain constitutes an important link between the two countries. Indians are the largest expatriate community in Bahrain.

He thanked the Bahraini authorities for launching the 'Little India in Bahrain'. This is a praiseworthy gesture towards India and Indian community and will promote Indian culture in Bahrain, he said.

Singh said Bahrain had supported India on many occasions and India will reciprocate in the same manner, more than what Bahrain has given to India.
Terrorism is a global problem and the international community must join hands to root out the menace, Union Home Minister said here tonight as he began his three-day visit to the Gulf country.

Addressing the Indian community in Bahrain, Singh also said the Narendra Modi government has made several structural and procedural changes and that resulted in successfully reducing the "wholesale corruption" in the country.

"Terrorism is a global problem and the entire international community has to come together to face the challenges posed by the menace," he said.

Highlighting various initiatives of the Modi government, the Home Minister said the NDA dispensation is creating an environment that will make every Indian "proud".

"India today is the fastest growing economy in the world and now it has become the most favourite destination for investments.

"India has attracted maximum FDI in one year which is more than even of the United States and China. India attracted $ 51 billion FDI in one year," he said.

Singh said that schemes like 'Jan Dhan Yojana', Skill India, Digital India, Make in India and others are having a positive impact on India's economy.

"Our Prime Minister is very imaginative and extremely hard-working leader. He is working to minimise economic disparities in India," he said.

The Home Minister said Bahrain has started a "Little India in Bahrain" project and both the countries are coming closer on "emotional level" as well.

Earlier, upon his arrival, the Home Minister was received at the airport by Bahrain's Interior Minister Rashid bin Abdullah Al Khalifa.

Singh will meet Bahrain King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, Prime Minister Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa and the Interior Minister and will discuss with them various bilateral issues.

Pakistan's continuous support to cross border terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir is expected to be raised by the Home Minister in his meetings with the top leadership of Bahrain, official sources said.

There will be extensive discussions on how to enhance bilateral cooperation with regard to tackling terror and each other's fugitives at the meeting between Singh and his Bahrain counterpart Rashid bin Abdullah Al Khalifa, sources said.
Tamil Nadu Finance Minister O Panneerselvam, who has been allocated portfolios of ailing Chief Minister Jayalalithaa, today chaired a Cabinet meeting, the second this month.

As in the first meeting on October 19, Panneerselvam chaired the cabinet meeting today with a picture of Jayalalithaa placed on his desk and understood to have discussed key issues concerning the state.

The state government released a picture of the Cabinet meeting in session but did not spell out anything on the subjects that were deliberated.

However, sources told PTI that several issues, including the Cauvery river water row with Karnataka were discussed.

All state ministers, top bureaucrats including Chief Secretary P Rama Mohana Rao, participated in the meeting.

Governor Ch Vidyasagar Rao had recently allocated the portfolios of Jayalalithaa to Panneerselvam in view of her hospitalisation since September 22.

Meanwhile, the state government today notified the appointment of Special Officers for administration of local bodies from tomorrow in view of cancellation of the elections to them slated for October 18 and 19.

Block Development Officers of the respective Panchayat Unions have been appointed as Special Officers of the respective Village Panchayats effective tomorrow.

An ordinance for appointment of the officers was promulgated last week since the terms of the present local bodies came to an end today.

The Madras High Court in its interim order of October 4 had quashed the poll notification for local body polls in the state. The court had directed issuance of a fresh notification, and ordered conduct of polls before 31 December this year.

It had also directed administration of local bodies by appointing special officers till the elections are held.

In the notification issued today, the government said, "the TN State Election Commission and the Director of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj have requested the government to appoint Special Officers to administer the Village Panchayats as the terms of the Village Panchayats are due to expire on October 24, 2016.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Famed '60s anti-war activist Tom Hayden, whose name became forever linked with the celebrated Chicago 8 trial, Vietnam War protests and his ex-wife actress Jane Fonda, has died.

He was 76. He died yesterday after a long illness, said his wife, Barbara Williams.

Hayden, once denounced as a traitor by his detractors, overcame his past and won election to the California Assembly and Senate where he served for almost two decades as a progressive force on such issues as the environment and education.

He was the only one of the radical Chicago 8 defendants to win such distinction in the mainstream political world.

He remained an enduring voice against war and spent his later years as a prolific writer and lecturer advocating for reform of America's political institutions.

Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti praised Hayden. "A political giant and dear friend has passed. Tom Hayden fought harder for what he believed than just about anyone I have known. RIP, Tom," Garcetti says on his Twitter account.

Hayden wrote or edited 19 books, including "Reunion," a memoir of his path to protest and a rumination on the political upheavals of the '60s.

"Rarely, if ever, in American history has a generation begun with higher ideals and experienced greater trauma than those who lived fully the short time from 1960 to 1968," he wrote.

Hayden was there at the start. In 1960, while a student at the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, he was involved in the formation of Students for a Democratic Society (SDS), then dedicated to desegregating the South.

By 1962, when he began drafting the landmark Port Huron Statement, SDS and Hayden were dedicated to changing the world.

"We are people of this generation, bred in at least modest comfort, housed now in universities, looking uncomfortably at the world we inherit," began the statement which outlined a plan for a revolutionary campus social movement.

Hayden was fond of comparing the student movement that followed to the American Revolution and the Civil War.

In 1968, he helped organize anti-war demonstrations during the Democratic National Convention in Chicago that turned violent and resulted in the notorious Chicago 7 trial.

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Top naval commanders will meet here tomorrow to review the prevailing as well as emerging operational and functional issues.

The three-day conference assumes greater significance in the backdrop of recent events that have brought issues related to the country's defence under sharper focus, a statement by Navy said.

Indian Navy, like the other two Armed Forces, is required to maintain a high degree of operational preparedness to deter or neutralise any threat aimed at the country's sovereignty and territorial integrity.

On a broader canvas, the overall security situation in the Indo-Pacific region requires the Indian Navy to promote and protect national interests across India's extended maritime neighbourhood.

The Commanders' Conference would be utilised by the Operational Commanders to examine and analyse different paradigms related to operations, training and resource-availability for meeting the wide range of taskings and expectations.

Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar will address and interact with the Naval Commanders on the opening day of the Conference.

The Conference will also be used as a platform for institutionalised interaction between the naval top-brass and other government officials.

As part of Navy's future force-level planning, the Conference will examine a series of measures under the 'Make in India' scheme and recommend ways to further indigenise defence procurements, in order to overcome the major challenges being faced.

The Commanders would also delve on the Navy's roadmap for the future, including key technology enablers, improved logistics and digitisation.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
21 Maoists, including two top commanders Gajarla Ravi and Chalapati, were today killed in an exchange of fire with security forces on the Andhra-Odisha border, dealing a severe blow to the Naxalites in the region.

Two senior commandos of Greyhounds, AP's elite anti-Naxal force, were also injured in the exchange of fire and airlifted to Visakhapatnam for treatment.

Sources said Ravi alias Uday and Chalapati, two high-ranking Maoists leaders, were suspected to be among those killed in the encounter that occurred during a routine combing operation being jointly carried out by police of both the states at Ramgurha in Malkangiri district of Odisha.

The two were carrying a reward of Rs 20 lakh each on their heads.

One Munna, son of Maoist top leader Ramakrishna, was also said to be among the casualties.

Besides 15 men, some women Maoists were also said to be among those killed in the face-off which lasted for almost an hour early this morning.

When asked about this, a top-ranking police official said "it could be" but did not wish to comment further.

Police recovered four AK-47 rifles from the scene of the encounter, where a Maoist den was also found.

"A large haul of weapons like AK47s and self-loading rifles (SLRs) indicates clearly that it is a case where state level leaders could be present. Unless we identify them, we can't exactly tell who is there," Andhra Pradesh Director General of Police (in charge) Nanduri Sambasiva Rao said.

"It was a joint operation by AP and Odisha security forces. Police special parties were attacked with AK-47 rifles, SLRs and other weapons and this is what happened when they acted in self-defence," Sambasiva Rao said.

"If there is any injured Naxal, we will airlift them as well. We are more interested in evacuating the police force and special parties and also Naxals if anybody is injured," the DGP (in charge) added.

"We are in touch with the Odisha state police and we will take their cooperation (in the evacuation).We think the operation is over," he said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
At least 24 Maoists, including their top leaders, were gunned down in a fierce gun-battle with security forces in Odisha's Malkangiri district on the border with Andhra Pradesh, giving a major blow to the ultras.

A senior commando of the elite anti-Naxal force, Greyhounds of Andhra Pradesh was also killed, while another commando was injured in the encounter that took place in the cut-off area of remote Chitrakonda on Andhra-Odisha border, Malkangiri SP Mitrabhanu Mohapatra said.

"The bodies of 24 Maoists, including that of some women, were recovered from the site after the joint operation conducted by the Odisha police and Greyhounds, while a few of the rebels are suspected to have fled," the SP said.

He said two senior Greyhounds commandos, who were injured in the gun-battle in the wee hours, had been airlifted to Visakhapatnam for treatment and one of them, identified as Abubacker, succumbed to injuries in a hospital there. The other commando is undergoing treatment.

Some high-ranking Maoist leaders, including Uday and Chalapati who carried heavy rewards on their heads, were suspected to be among those killed in the encounter that took place in a mountainous forest area between Bejing and Muchiputam under Panasput grampanchyat, the police said.

Stating that the operation was launched on the basis of intelligence inputs, Odisha GDP K B Singh said 10 rifles, four AK-47 rifles, three SLRs, kit bags and huge ammunition have been recovered from the site and search operation was continuing.

There was information about the presence of cadres of Andhra Odisha Border Special Zonal Committee in the area and Odisha police teams also got it verified that Naxal camps were operating there, the DGP said.

"Since the area is located in the cut-off area on Andhra-Odisha border, the operation was launched from the other side and Greyhounds took the lead," Singh said.

Meanwhile, arrangements are being made to airlift the bodies of the slain Maoists to Malkangiri, the SP said adding that combing operation was also intensified in the forest in Andhra-Odisha border areas to locate bodies, if any, and the fleeing Maoists.

Noting that the encounter site was located in a highly remote area which is accessible by road only through Andhra Pradesh, he said the bodies are to be airlifted by helicopter to Malkangiri.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
In a scathing attack on Hillary Clinton, Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump has said his Democratic rival was responsible for emboldening Iran like never before and bringing endless "humiliation" for America.

"Hillary Clinton's foreign policy has squandered trillions in American wealth overseas. Yet, for all the money spent, all Clinton delivered was death, destruction and terrorism. She unleashed ISIS and turmoil in Iraq, Syria and Libya," Trump, 70, said at an election rally in Naples, Florida yesterday.

Terming Hillary as "trigger-happy", Trump alleged that she wanted to start a shooting war in Syria that could involve nuclear-armed Russia.

He alleged that Hillary had bad judgment, bad instincts and is too reckless to be allowed into the Oval Office.

"Hillary also started the negotiations that led to the Iran deal - and thus ultimately leading to the USD 1.7 billion ransom for American hostages. Clinton gave Iran everything they wanted and more - including Iraq. Now, Iran is emboldened as never before," Trump said.

In the latest insult to America, the government of Iran is demanding "many billions" in new ransom payments for a US businessman and his ailing father, he said, adding that Iran releasing a video of the captive including footage from earlier this year of American soldiers being forced to their knees at gunpoint was adding to the insult.

"The humiliation for our country never seems to end - and it's the humiliation brought on by a Secretary of State who was more interested in getting paid by foreign countries, than in representing the country she lives in," Trump said.

He alleged that to cover-up her crimes as Secretary of State, Hillary bleached and deleted 33,000 emails, lied to Congress under oath, made 13 phones disappear - some with a hammer - and then told the FBI she couldn't remember 39 times.

"The best evidence that the system is rigged is that Hillary Clinton is even allowed to run for President in the first place. The Clintons grew their gross income by USD 60 million while Hillary was Secretary of State," Trump said.

"She's not a diplomat - she's a grifter, always looking for an easy way to sell government favors and access in exchange for cash. The Clintons end up with the money, and America ends up with the humiliation. When I am President, America will be respected in the world once again," he said.

He said it also meant standing up against the oppression of the Castro regime in Cuba, and standing in solidarity with freedom-loving people in Venezuela and across Latin America living under oppression.

"The Obama-Clinton Administration has abandoned our friends in Latin America and delivered only poverty and joblessness for Hispanic-Americans here at home," Trump said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
proves himself unfit for presidency "every single day", US President Barack Obama has said as he slammed the Republican leaders for going along with the rhetoric of the party's White House nominee till recently.

"For all the progress we've made, if we don't work as hard as we can in these next 16 days, all that progress could be out of the window. Because competing for the job I currently hold, you've got a guy who proves himself unfit for this office every single day, every single way," Obama said at an election rally in Las Vegas, Nevada.

"On the other side, you've got somebody who is as qualified as has ever run for the presidency -- Hillary Rodham Clinton," he said amidst applause from the audience.

Obama said for years, Republican politicians and the far-right media outlets have pumped up all kinds of crazy stuff about him and about Clinton.

"They said I wasn't born here. They said climate change is a hoax. They said that I was going to take everybody's guns away. They said that, when we were doing military exercises that we've been doing forever, suddenly this was a plot to impose martial law. This is what they've been saying for years now. So, people have been hearing it, and they start thinking, well, maybe this is true," he told the audience.

"So if the world that they've been seeing is that I'm powerful enough to cause hurricanes on my own, and to steal everybody's guns in the middle of the night, and impose martial law, even though I can't talk without a prompter then is it any wonder that they end up nominating somebody like " Obama said.

The fact is that there are a lot of politicians who knew better, he noted.

"But they went along with these stories because they figured, you know what, this will help rile up the base, it will give us an excuse to obstruct what we're trying to do, we won't be able to appoint judges, we'll gum up the works, we'll create gridlock, it will give us a political advantage," Obama said.

The US President said the politicians just stood by and said nothing.

"And their base began to actually believe this crazy stuff. So did not start this. Donald Trump didn't start it. He just did what he always did, which is slap his name on it, take credit for it, and promote it. That's what he does," Obama said amidst applause.

"And so now when suddenly it's not working, and people are saying, wow, this guy is kind of out of line, all of a sudden, these Republican politicians who were okay with all this crazy stuff up to a point, suddenly they're all walking away -- 'Oh, this is too much'," he said.
Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump will break the monopoly of new media conglomerates, his campaign has asserted while alleging that they are attempting to influence US' political process and helping his rival Hillary Clinton in the White House race.

"Donald Trump will break up the new media conglomerate oligopolies that have gained enormous control over our information, intrude into our personal lives, and in this election, are attempting to unduly influence America's political process," said Peter Navarro, senior economic advisor to Trump Campaign.

Navarro said the very corporations that have gained from shipping America's factories and jobs offshore are the very same media conglomerates now pushing Hillary Clinton's agenda.

She is the official candidate of the multinational ruling elite, he alleged.

"NBC, and its Clinton megaphone MSNBC, were once owned by General Electric, a leader in offshoring factories to China. Now NBC has been bought by Comcast, which is specifically targetingthe Chinese market - even as Comcast's anchors and reporters at MSNBC engage in their Never Trump tactics," he alleged.

"AT&T, the original and abusive "Ma Bell" telephone monopoly, is now trying to buy Time Warner and thus the wildly anti-Trump CNN.

Donald Trump would never approve such a deal because it concentrates too much power in the hands of the too and powerful few," he said.

"The New York Times strings are being pulled by Mexico's Carlos Slim, a billionaire who benefits from NAFTA and supports Hillary Clinton's open border policies," he said.

"Amazon, which controls the Washington Post, profits from the flow of illegally subsidized foreign products through its distribution channels. Lower costs mean higher margins -- no matter if bad trade deals lead to massive unemployment in America," he added.

"This oligopolistic realignment of the American media along ideological and corporate lines is destroying an American democracy that depends on a free flow of information and freedom of thought," Navarro said.

"Donald Trump will drain the swamp of corruption and collusion, standing against this trend and standing for the American people," he said.

And then people aren't attending anything or John Lewis



is the first person to skip his inauguration. Not true," he said.

The pool report that Trump has removed a bust of Martin Luther King junior, he noted, is part of the same pattern.

"I think over and over again there's this constant attempt to undermine his credibility and the movement that he represents," Spicer said.

"We want to have a healthy dialogue, not just with you but the American people because he's fighting for jobs, he's fighting to make this country safer", he said.

But when you're constantly getting told that can't be true, we doubt that you can do this, this won't happen, and that's the narrative when you turn on television every single day, it's a little frustrating," he said.

Yesterday, White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus said the Trump administration will "rethink" its ties with the media if the "obsessed" press tries to "delegetimise" Donald Trump's presidency by false reporting, asserting they will fight such coverage "tooth and nail every day".
The war of words between Arvind Kejriwal and Amarinder Singh turned ugly on Twitter today after the Delhi Chief Minister accused the Punjab Congress chief of using an Akali leader's "drug money" to fund his election campaign and the latter shot back, saying the AAP leader was "hallucinating" and challenged him to a debate.

While Kejriwal accused Amarinder of using "drug money" of Akali leader Bikramjit Majithia and then asked why the BJP was out to defend him, the state Congress chief hit back, saying the Delhi CM would next claim US' Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump was conspiring with him (Amarinder) against the AAP leader.

"Sir, ppl talking in Punjab that u using Majithia's drug money in ur campaign. Is it true? U had saved him from CBI enquiry 3 yrs back,"(sic) Kejriwal tweeted.

Majithia is Punjab's Revenue Minister and brother-in-law of deputy chief minister Sukhbir Singh Badal, whom AAP has accused of partonising the drug mafia, a charge rejected by him.

Kejriwal rejected Amarinder's challenge to have a debate with him and instead suggested a panel of AAP Punjab leaders for it. He, however, agreed to debate with Sonia Gandhi or Rahul Gandhi after he was accused of "hiding behind others" by Amarinder.

The former Punjab chief minister shot back, accusing the AAP chief of "chickening out" and said that the one who hurls accusations at everyone is seeking to engage only with the Prime Minister or party presidents.

"When your hopes crash from 100 to 30 and still sliding, you're bound to hallucinate & see things that don't exist. You are day dreaming and watching stars during the day.

"Now that you've shot your mouth, don't scoot like you typically do! Show courage and come for an open debate. Choose the time, place and platform," Amarinder wrote in the microblogging website.

After Kejriwal said, "I accept ur challenge sir" and suggested names of H S Phoolka, Jarnail Singh, Bhagwant Mann or Gurpreet Ghuggi and asked the Congress leader to select the speaker, date, time and place of his choice, the former Punjab CM accused him of "hiding behind others".

"Punjabis believe in leading from the front, not hiding behind others. Or have you already accepted that you can't face me for a public debate?," Amarinder said.

Kejriwal hit back saying, "I am not hiding behind anyone sir. I am ready for a debate with Rahul ji or Sonia ji anytime. Our punjab team will debate wid u."



At this, the Congress leader said, "So you've chickened out! You're the'Aam Aadmi' who levels allegations on everyone bt wud like to engage only with PM & Presidents of parties!"



With Kejriwal insisting that Amarinder debates with his Punjab team, he needled him saying, "But Sir, why is the entire BJP team defending you".

Amarinder's parting shots then silenced the twitter war.

"Morning you started with Majithia, now you're bringing in BJP, next you'll say Donald Trump is conspiring with me against you," he said on Twitter.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
: A special court here sentenced two youths to life imprisonment today for murdering a mason in the city some three years ago.

The prosecution case was that Kalidas and Kaliyappan had accosted the wife of Murugan (30) in a bus while he had gone to purchase some things in the bus stand on the night of February 15 2013 and asked her to come with them.

The woman narrated what had happened to her husband when he came back, following which he slapped one of the youths.

The duo then dragged Murugan out of the bus and stabbed him many times in full public view and fled.

Though Murugan was admitted to the government hospital here, he died the following day.

The duo later surrendred before a Mahila court and a court in Tirupur.

Special Court judge Christopher, who delivered the judgement, sentenced them to life imprisonment.

He also slapped a penalty of Rs 5,000 each on them.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
It took seven years, traveling to to two countries and finally a series of challenging surgeries by the city doctors here to make Rasheed Obaid Hassan Motawa from UAE stand up again after a fateful accident, and finally walk.

Rasheed met with a devastating bike accident in his home town of Fujairah on the east coast of United Arab Emirates (UAE) in November 2009, which left him paralysed with severe injuries in his brain, chest and legs.

"Rasheed was only 16-years-old and studying when the accident happened. He had a memory loss and lost his ability to speak which eventually hampered his education," Hassan's father Obaid Hassan Motawa said.

He (Rasheed) was riding the bike with his friend as pillion rider, when a truck hit them from the rear, he said.

"His friend died on the spot, but Rasheed survived miraculously though he turned into a vegetable," he added.

Visits to several hospitals in UAE, however, failed to deliver any fruitful results for the then class XI student.

It was almost five years that Rasheed was lying on bed as his entire left side was paralysed with the hip-joint and ankle of his left leg being totally damaged.

"His education was stopped and we had no clue what to do. Then on the suggestion of one of our family friends, we decided to take him to Thailand," Obaid said.

In Thailand, doctors tried twice to reconstruct the damaged thigh and ankle, but nothing helped his cause.

Rasheed underwent six surgeries in total, but remained the same. The doctors in the UAE and Thailand never gave us hope that he would be able to walk again, Obaid, who runs a steel manufacturing factory in UAE, said.

One day one of my employees, who is a Bengali, suggested us to bring Rasheed to Kolkata where Apollo Gleneagles Hospital's Orthopaedic and Reconstructive unit has the facilities to treat him, the father said, adding he brought his youngest son to the city in October 2015.

Orthopaedic and shoulder specialist Abheek Kar assured Obaid Hassan that his son would be able to stand up on his legs and walk.

"There were many challenges. Rasheed had a deformed



hip-joint with old metal screws, a deformed and scarred thigh and leg, completely flail knee, ankle and foot. Not only these, but the main nerve of his left leg was also not functional," Kar told
A group of former US diplomats held closed door talks at the weekend with senior Pyongyang officials, even as international efforts gather pace to further isolate North Korea, diplomatically and economically.

The two-day meeting in Kuala Lumpur, which was confirmed by the South Korean and US governments, was the latest in a series of unofficial talks commonly referred to as Track 2 that are closely monitored in the absence of any official contact between Washington and Pyongyang.

In July, the North cut off its only remaining official channel of diplomatic communications with the United States in retaliation for American sanctions against its leader, Kim Jong-Un.

The so-called "New York channel" had previously served as a key point of contact between North Korean and US diplomats at the United Nations.

American participants at the talks in the Malaysian capital included Robert Gallucci, who had led the US negotiating team that brokered a 1994 deal with Pyongyang on freezing its nuclear weapons programme.

Among those on the North Korean side was vice foreign minister Han Song-Ryol, who previously served as deputy ambassador to the UN.

The meeting came after North Korea on Thursday test-fired a powerful new medium-range missile and Leon Sigal, an academic specialising in the Koreas who attended the talks, said the North's nuclear weapons programme had dominated the discussion.

Sigal told South Korea's Yonhap agency that the North had reiterated the need to sign a peace treaty with the United States before moving on its weapons programme.

The US side stressed that the moves to scrap the nuclear programme had to come first, said Sigal.

Under President Barack Obama, the United States has eschewed an official dialogue with the North, but with a looming change in the White House, there is growing speculation as to whether a new administration might adopt a different track.

Critics of the current policy say sanctions and non-engagement have done nothing to prevent the North's accelerated drive towards a credible nuclear deterrent that could directly threaten the US mainland.

South Korea, which has stood shoulder-to-shoulder with the US hardline on Pyongyang, stressed that the talks with North Korea had no governmental involvement.

"We are aware that the US government maintains a firm stance that rushing into dialogue in the absence of North Korea's will to denuclearise will only justify their wrong behaviour," a foreign ministry official told AFP.

The UN Security Council is currently discussing a new resolution to punish North Korea over its fifth nuclear test in September - having already imposed tough economic measures after a fourth test in January.

The Track 2 talks have been taking place sporadically for years, with meetings in Singapore, Berlin, Beijing and elsewhere.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Bilateral ties between India and the US are very cordial and America supports India's effort to bring peace in the region, US Consul-General in Kolkata said here today.

"India and Pakistan is to work out what will be their relations. But, the relation between India and the US is very cordial and had never been so close earlier. We support India's effort to bring peace and counter terrorism in this region," US Consul-General in Kolkata Craig L Hall told reporters here today.

With any change of leadership in the ensuing elections in the US, there would be no impact on the relations between the two nations, he said.

"Be it Bill Clinton, George Bush or Barrack Obama, all have worked towards strengthening Indo-US relation, which will be carried forward," Hall said.

The US was interested to see the regional cooperation between India's North Eastern region and other South Asian countries.

"Cooperation between the Indian state of Tripura and Bangladesh is a perfect example of regional cooperation, where both had benefited from improved and increased connectivity," Hall added.

Hall and his wife today also met Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar.

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Venezuela's government and opposition have agreed to launch talks in the hope of settling the political crisis in a volatile country stricken by food shortages.

The national dialogue aims to calm tensions after the opposition accused socialist President Nicolas Maduro of trampling on democracy by blocking their bid for a vote on removing him.

Months of tension were threatening to boil over after authorities enraged the opposition last week by annulling their drive for a recall referendum.

With the opposition vowing mass street protests as analysts warned of an increased risk of violent unrest, the Vatican stepped in on yesterday.

Papal envoy Emil Paul Tscherrig joined a meeting in Caracas of government and opposition representatives and announced afterwards they had agreed to launch formal talks.

Maduro meanwhile received a private audience at the Vatican with Pope Francis.

"I thanked him in the name of for all the support, so that at last, definitively, a formal dialogue could be started in between the opposition and the legitimate Bolivarian government that I lead," Maduro said in televised comments afterwards.

In Caracas, Tscherrig announced that the sides had agreed to launch formal talks on October 30 on the Venezuelan Caribbean island of Margarita.

That appeared to be the most significant gesture of appeasement by both sides since the opposition took control of the legislature in January following an election victory.

Yesterday's preliminary meeting "took place in a respectful, cordial atmosphere of political will," Tscherrig told a news conference.

The talks will seek "to improve the economic, social, political and institutional circumstances that are fundamental for democratic harmony."



In a private audience with Maduro, the pope urged the parties "to show courage in pursuing the path of sincere and constructive dialogue, to alleviate the suffering of the people, particularly of the poor, and to promote renewed social cohesion," a Vatican statement said.

Tscherrig's announcement came as a surprise after a weekend of rising tension.

The opposition had earlier vowed to fight what it called Maduro's "dictatorship" as it embarked on a new strategy to oust him.

It threatened to put him on trial and stage massive nationwide protests from tomorrow.

Maduro's opponents were furious over a decision by electoral authorities last Thursday to block a referendum on cutting short the presidency of the man they accuse of driving Venezuela, once a booming oil giant, to the brink of collapse.
Venezuela's opposition-majority legislature declared that President Nicolas Maduro's government had committed a coup d'etat by blocking a referendum on removing him from power, vowing mass protests and international pressure.

Furious over the electoral authorities' decision to suspend the process of organizing a recall vote, opposition lawmakers yesterday passed a resolution declaring "the breakdown of constitutional order" and "a coup d'etat committed by the Nicolas Maduro regime."



In an emergency session on the economic and political crisis gripping the South American oil giant, lawmakers called on Venezuelans to "actively defend" the constitution and declared they would ask the international community to "activate mechanisms" to restore democracy.

"A continual coup d'etat has been perpetrated in Venezuela, culminating in the decision to rob us of a recall referendum. We're here to officially declare the regrettable and painful rupture of the constitution," said majority leader Julio Borges of the center-right opposition coalition, the Democratic Unity Roundtable (MUD).

Pro-Maduro lawmakers accused the opposition itself of seeking to stage a coup.

"Don't try to take advantage of these hard times to finish off our nation," deputy Earle Herrera said.

Opposition lawmakers stopped short of voting to put Maduro on trial, as they had threatened to do in the day's agenda.

The session briefly descended into chaos when a group of Maduro supporters forced its way past security guards and burst into the National Assembly, causing lawmakers to halt the proceedings for 45 minutes.

Despite its harsh words, the legislature's resolution is largely symbolic.

The Supreme Court has declared the legislative majority in contempt of court for defying it by swearing in three lawmakers at the center of an electoral fraud investigation.

The opposition, which says the accusations are trumped up, condemns the high court as a Maduro lapdog.

The court has slapped down every bill passed by the legislature since the opposition took control in January.

Venezuela's crisis hit a new low Thursday when the National Electoral Council (CNE) indefinitely suspended the recall referendum process after criminal courts in five states ruled the opposition had committed fraud in an initial petition drive.

Holding a recall referendum -- a right guaranteed under Venezuela's constitution -- was the opposition's main strategy to get rid of the man they accuse of driving the once-booming country to the brink of collapse.

The opposition had been gearing up for the last hurdle in the complex process: a three-day drive starting Wednesday to collect signatures from four million voters demanding a recall vote.

Now that the authorities have stymied that bid, furious opposition leaders have promised the start of a new wave of nationwide protests on Wednesday.

A recent poll found more than 75 percent of Venezuelans disapprove of the socialist leader.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Telecom operator Vodafone today announced customised offer for individuals visiting any of its stores in Tamil Nadu coinciding with the Diwali festival.

"Vodafone customers can enjoy a unique Diwali offer from October 25 to 27".

"As per the offer, Vodafone will provide its customers visiting any of the 60 stores in the circle, with a customised offer best suited to their requirements", a company statement said here.

Vodafone has about 16 million customers in the circle, it said.

"At Vodafone, we are driven with the singular objective of delivering superior experience to our customers. We realise that each customer has a different need and hence offer innovative products and services relevant to their needs", Vodafone India, Business Head - Tamil Nadu, S Murali said. "Diwali is one of the most important festivals in the country and a perfect time to invite customers to our stores and present customised offers along with gifts.", he said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Iraqi forces advancing on Mosul today faced stiff resistance from the Islamic State jihadist group despite an unprecedented wave of air strikes by the US-led coalition in support of the week-old offensive.

Federal forces and Kurdish peshmerga fighters gained ground in several areas, AFP correspondents on various fronts said, but the jihadists were hitting back with shelling, sniper fire, suicide car bombs and booby traps.

IS has also attempted to draw attention away from losses around Mosul with attacks on Iraqi forces elsewhere in the country, the latest coming yesterday near the Jordanian border.

Following a weekend visit to Iraq by US Defence Secretary Ashton Carter, American officials said the coalition was providing the most air support yet to the operation.

"One week into Mosul operation, all objectives met thus far, and more coalition air strikes than any other 7-day period of war against ISIL (IS)," Brett McGurk, the top US envoy to the 60-nation coalition, wrote on social media.

"There were 32 strikes with 1,776 munitions delivered" against IS targets between October 17 and 23, coalition spokesman Colonel John Dorrian told AFP.

He said those strikes had destroyed 136 IS fighting positions, 18 tunnels and 26 car bombs.

The offensive, launched on October 17, aims to retake towns and villages surrounding Mosul before elite troops breach the city and engage die-hard jihadists in street-to-street fighting.

On the eastern side of Mosul, federal troops were today battling IS in Qaraqosh, which used to be the largest Christian town in the country.

Army forces entered the town for the third day running but armoured convoys deployed around it were met with shelling from inside, an AFP correspondent reported.

Federal forces also scored gains on the southern front, where they have been making quick progress, taking one village after another as they work their way up the Tigris Valley.

On the northern front, Kurdish peshmerga forces were closing in on the IS-held town of Bashiqa.

Turkey, which has a base in the area, said yesterday it had provided artillery support following a request from the peshmerga.

The presence of Turkish troops on Iraqi soil is deeply unpopular in Baghdad and the Joint Operations Command today vehemently denied any Turkish participation.

But AFP reporters near Bashiqa said artillery fire coming from the Turkish base had been sighted on several occasions since the start of operations a week ago.

While an increasingly pragmatic IS has tended in recent months to relinquish some of its positions to avoid taking too many casualties, US officials said the group was mounting a spirited defence of Mosul.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The UK will strike a "bespoke" Brexit deal that works for the whole of the UK," Prime Minister Theresa May said today but the details did not satisfy the first ministers of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

In a statement released by 10 Downing Street after her meeting with leaders of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland this morning, May said "Working together, the nations of the United Kingdom will make a success of leaving the European Union - and we will further strengthen our own unique and enduring union as we do so".

She said "the great union between us has been the cornerstone of our prosperity in the past and it is absolutely vital to our success in the future. The country is facing a negotiation of tremendous importance and it is imperative that the devolved administrations play their part in making it work".

May told the leaders of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland repeatedly that how the UK leaves the EU should not be seen as a series of binary choices and will instead amount to a "bespoke" agreement from the UK.

Business Secretary Greg Clark also outlined the government's new industrial strategy and called upon the devolved administrations to play a part in helping to shape it, Downing Street said.

It also said May wanted the Joint Ministerial Council meetings to take place more regularly and would set up another session early next year.

May has offered to involve Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland in regular formal talks on the Brexit process but she has ruled out allowing special deals for the three units.

Michael Russell, Scotland's Brexit minister,warned that Scottish National Party leader Nicola Sturgeon believes "full independence has got to be on the table".

He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme, "Nicola Sturgeon has been absolutely clear that we must keep all options open. It would range from independence and other options would be available too. Of course independence has to be an option. It would be ridiculous to say it shouldn't be. We have been put in a situation we didn't ask to be in".

May said, "I am determined that as we make a success of our exit from the European Union, we in turn further strengthen our own enduring union. The great union between us has been the cornerstone of our prosperity in the past - and it is absolutely vital to our success in the future".

But leaders in Wales and Scotland have called for the UK Parliament and the three devolved legislatures to be given their own votes on the negotiating position the government intends to take and said that Article 50 should not be triggered until there is an agreed approach.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange first outlined the hypothesis nearly a decade ago: Can total transparency defeat an entrenched group of insiders?



"Consider what would happen," Assange wrote in 2006, if one of America's two major parties had their emails, faxes, campaign briefings, internal polls and donor data all exposed to public scrutiny.

"They would immediately fall into an organizational stupor," he predicted, "and lose to the other."



A decade later, various organs of the Democratic Party have been hacked; several staffers have resigned and Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton has seen the inner workings of her campaign exposed to the public, including disclosures calling into question her positions on trade and Wall Street and her relationship with the party's left . Many of these emails have been released into the public domain by WikiLeaks.

Some see the leaks as a sign that Assange has thrown his lot in with Republican rival Donald Trump or even with Russia. But others who've followed Assange over the years say he's less interested in who wins high office than in exposing and wearing down the gears of political power that grind away behind the scenes.

"He tends not to think about people, he thinks about systems," said Finn Brunton, an assistant professor at New York University who has tracked WikiLeaks for years. "What he wants to do is interfere with the machinery of government regardless of who is in charge."



WikiLeaks' mission was foreshadowed 10 years ago in "Conspiracy as Governance," a six-page essay Assange posted to his now-defunct blog.

In the essay, Assange described authoritarian governments, corporations, terrorist organizations and political parties as "conspiracies" - groups that hoard secret information to win a competitive advantage over the general public. Leaks cut these groups open like a double-edged knife, empowering the public with privileged information while spreading confusion among the conspirators themselves, he said. If leaking were made easy, Assange argued, conspiratorial organizations would be gripped by paranoia, leaving transparent groups to flourish.

When the group published 250,000 U.S. State Department cables in 2010, it helped launch a multimillion dollar quest to unmask insider threats at home while causing problems for U.S. Diplomats overseas. The recent leaks have affected the Democratic National Committee in much the same way, with staffers advised to use caution when communicating about sensitive topics.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A 32-year-old woman was today shot at allegedly by a man in Najafgarh area of south west Delhi, police said.

Reena, who works as an executive in a travel agency, sustained gun shot injuries on her shoulder at around 7.30 AM, they said.

She was rushed to a hospital where her condition is said to be stable, a police official said.

A case has been registered and also the alleged attacker was identified, he said, adding he would be nabbed soon.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The head of Wallonia's parliament said today it would not respect an EU ultimatum to back a massive trade deal with Canada blocked by the Belgian region.

"It won't be possible to respect this ultimatum," Andre Antoine told RTL radio in Belgium, referring to a late-today deadline set by EU president Donald Tusk for the country to say whether it could support the pact.

Belgium has so far been the only EU member not to sign up to the CETA trade deal, which has been seven years in the making, because French-speaking Wallonia has refused to endorse it.

Antoine said it was important to get CETA right as it could pave the way for future trade pacts with powers such as the US and China. "We must therefore have a solid legal basis," he added.

He also pointed to the massively complex nature of the text, saying he has "300 pages of the treaty, 1,300 pages of appendices."



The pact known as the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) would link the EU market of 500 million people with the world's tenth biggest economy.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was to sign the agreement at a summit Thursday in Brussels.

CETA is opposed by anti-globalisation groups who say it is a test model to push through an even more controversial EU-US trade deal called TTIP, talks on which have also stalled.

And Wallonia has some support around Europe.

On Saturday, 8,000 people including young people, farmers, union leaders and entrepreneurs joined a rally in Amsterdam in a show of solidarity, organisers said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Braveheart Martyr Gurnam Singh is an icon of motivation for the youth of this border belt who inspires them to join the force as they want to follow his foot-steps.

Even in his death, Gurnam, the BSF soldier who attained martyrdom after he was injured in a sniper attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Kathua sector, has become an inspiration for the youth of the border belt, who want to join the force like him.

As the mortal remains of 26-year-old Gurnam were consigned to flames at his native village Bhalesar today hundreds of youth took a pledge to follow the footsteps of Singh and join the BSF.

"When he was alive he was an inspiration and now after his martyrdom he has become a role model for the youth in our area," Gurjeet Singh, a class 12 student who had come to attend the funeral, said.

Gurjeet said he would work hard to follow the footsteps of Gurnam and join the BSF to guard the border of the country.

"I want to follow his footsteps and join BSF or Army to defend the borders of our motherland," Pankaj Kumar, a third year graduation student, said.

Thousands of people gathered to bid their final adieu to the brave son of the soil.

Several senior functionaries and ministers of the ruling alliance partner BJP, senior BSF officers and local police also attended the funeral of Gurnam Singh.

"He was a young boy and his family was planning to see him get married, but destiny had something else in store for him, but in his death also he has become an inspiration for the people of this border belt," Surinder Kumar a local resident, said.

Kulveer Singh, Gurnam's father, said he feels proud that his son attained martyrdom while defending the country.

"It is a proud moment for us and our entire family that our son has become an inspiration for others to follow. His martyrdom will not go waste and he would be remembered for his sacrifice for times to come," he said.

Kulveer said his son always wanted to join the BSF as it was his childhood dream to don the uniform and defend the borders.

"When he was in school, he used to say that he would join the BSF and five years ago when he joined the force, he was the happiest man," Kulveer said.

The BSF had said it would recommend the name of Gurnam Singh, who was instrumental in repulsing a major infiltration bid along the International Border, for the highest gallantry award posthumously.

When asked if Gurnam's name would be recommended for the highest gallantry award, ADG BSF Western Command Arun Kumar had told reporters yesterday, "Absolutely the gallantry award would be a lesser possible award for him as he deserves much more... But we will be recommending for that."



"With his supreme sacrifice he has made not only the BSF but the whole nation proud," Kumar had said on the sidelines of a wreath laying ceremony.

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By Promit Mukherjee and Aditi Shah

MUMBAI/DELHI (Reuters) - Ratan Tata, patriarch of one of India's most influential families, will take over as interim chairman of salt-to-software conglomerate Tata Sons, after the board ousted Cyrus Mistry in a surprise move on Monday.

Tata, who had stepped down as chairman and was replaced by Mistry in late 2012, will head the group for four months while the company seeks a replacement.

Tata Sons is a large shareholder in a string of listed Tata Group companies - a business empire ranging from Jaguar Land Rover cars and steel mills to aviation and salt pans.

In a statement, the board said it was decided "it may be appropriate to consider a change for the long-term interest of Tata Sons and Tata group."

While the board gave no detailed reason for the change, some media reports said there has been discontent with some of Mistry's actions, including asset sales.

The 48-year-old has been trying to shake up the $100 billion company by changing the management structure to bring in new faces at senior levels.

He has also battled issues on a number of fronts in recent months, including a costly settlement with Japanese telecom operator NTT Docomo and the sale of Tata Steel's loss-making UK business.

Britain's referendum vote in June to exit the European Union was a big setback for the steel sale, which Tata has now put on hold.

The Brexit vote has also cast a shadow over Tata Motors' luxury car unit Jaguar Land Rover (JLR), which has a large UK manufacturing base. Tata Motors' quarterly profit halved as the pound slumped following the Brexit vote, and JLR's CEO warned that some customers in Europe, its biggest market, no longer wanted to buy British cars.

SURPRISE MOVE

Mistry's ouster still took many by surprise, though analysts and investors saw Ratan Tata's appointment as interim chairman as a way to ease concerns. "The impact will be a little softer with Ratan Tata taking over," Gaurang Shah, analyst at Geojit BNP Paribas, told BTVi television.

The board made its decision at a lengthy meeting on Monday, with six of the nine board members backing Mistry's ouster, said one person familiar with the discussions. The person was not authorized to publicly discuss the matter, and did not want to be identified. Two members abstained. Mistry, who could not vote, remains a board director.

CNBC TV18 reported that Mistry's Shapoorji Pallonji family, one of the biggest shareholders in Tata Sons, may legally contest the move. The channel said the Tata Sons board had taken legal advice before making the decision.

"Shapoorji Pallonji could challenge this decision, although I think all the rules were strictly followed and I was convinced," said Mohan Parasaran, a senior Supreme Court advocate who was consulted by the Tata family about a month ago.

Since stepping down as chairman in 2012, Ratan Tata has pursued venture capital investments in ride-hailing firm Ola, e-commerce firm Snapdeal and payment solution provider Paytm.

International revenues make up close to 70 percent of Tata Group's total turnover, and the majority of its capital spending has been overseas in the last three years.

The group's cash cows are Tata Consultancy Services and Tata Motors, together generating half the total annual revenue of $103.5 billion.

(Reporting by Promit Mukherjee and Aditi Shah, with additional reporting by Suvashree Choudhury, Abhirup Roy and Manoj Rawal in Mumbai; Editing by Ian Geoghegan)

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The proposed multiple rate structure will be "disastrous" and nothing more than same old VAT rates in a "new shape", former finance minister P Chidambaram said on Monday.

"We sincerely hope that we do not misinterpret the design of standard, standard minus and plus rates of . We can have 20 rates. It will be disastrous and that cannot be GST, it will be fooling the country," Chidambaram told an interactive session with IIM Calcutta students on economic reforms.

"A well designed is expected to have standard rate, plus and minus standard rate. That latitude interpreted to me as multiple rate  zero to 100  that's not GST. That is simply existing VAT rates in a new shape, old wine in a new bottle," he said.

He said he hoped better counsel would prevail which would reduce the number of rates to "three or so".

The new Goods and Services Tax (GST) will subsume a number of indirect taxes at the state as well as central level and is targeted for rollout from April 1, 2017.

About states disagreeing and joining the second wave of GST reform, Chidambaram said that even when UPA had implemented VAT, some had not joined initially and they had joined later, and so eventually all states will fall in line.

"Whatever, be the standard rates it will raise service tax," he said.

At the GST Council meeting last week, there was virtual consensus among states on imposing of the cess, which tax experts and industry have opposed vehemently, saying it defeats the very concept of one-nation, one-tax.

Besides, a four-slab tax structure of 6, 12, 18 and 26 per cent with lower tariff for essential items and the highest bracket for luxury and sin goods also found favour with them but a decision was put off to the next meeting on November 3-4.
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Deal making in food and agri-businesses hits 5-yr low in 2016

According to VCCEdge Funding Insights, fall in food tech and online grocery deal value has resulted in 62 PE deals worth only $ 250 million during the year in the food and agri space

According to VCCEdge Funding Insights, fall in food tech and online grocery deal value has resulted in 62 PE deals worth only $ 250 million during the year in the food and agri space

The year 2016 has so far registered 62 PE deals worth $ 250 million in the food and agri space, the lowest in terms of deal value over the last five years, according to the VCCEdge Funding Insights presented by News Corp VCCircle. In comparison to the previous year of 2015, which saw a massive 153 deals worth $ 1154 million, 2016 YTD (year to date) has seen a fall of 78 percent in deal value and 59 percent in number of deals. While the number of deals in the sector at the going run rate is better than 2012 and 2013 which witnessed 45 and 64 deals respectively, the deal value is ...

BS B2B Bureau
Shares of Mindtree tanked over 5 per cent to hit over two-year low after the IT services and consulting company posted 37 per cent fall in consolidated profit for the September quarter.

The stock of the Mindtree fell as much as 5.63 per cent on the BSE to hit its lowest level since July 22, 2014. Scrip posted its biggest intraday percentage loss in nearly a month.

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The Bengaluru-based firm's net profit stood at Rs 150.8 crore in the July-September quarter last fiscal. Its revenue grew 11 per cent to Rs 1,295.4 crore in the quarter under review from Rs 1,165.7 crore in the year-ago period.

"The volatile macroeconomic environment has resulted in slower ramp-ups and cautious spending in a few large clients across our verticals," Mindtree CEO and MD Rostow Ravanan said.

He added that the company is, however, "encouraged" by its new wins and strong pipeline.

Mindtree had already warned of its revenue in the second quarter to be lower than the first quarter, impacted by cross-currency movements, project cancellations and slower ramp-ups in a few large clients across different verticals.
Even by the 'surgical' standards of the corporate world, it's unprecedented to remove a group chairman without a whiff, let alone by the molly-coddling ways of the $102 billion Tata group which prides itself in being humane in its treatment to the lowest of its employees.

The swiftness with which Cyrus Mistry was 'replaced' with Ratan Tata as interim chairman for 4 months is drowning the corporate world in needless rumours.

But the fact that Mistry either didn't get an opportunity to resign or refused to resign speaks of a deep mistrust between the executive chairman Mistry and the man representing its largest shareholder, Tata Trusts-Ratan Tata himself. Tata Trusts, including the biggest-- Sir Dorabji Tata Trust and Sir Ratan Tata Trust-own 66 per cent of Tata Sons. What were the circumstances that Cyrus wasn't given an opportunity to make a graceful exit?

A decision of this nature is also unprecedented because the group has a stated 'humane' policy of removing employees only on ethical grounds or under grave circumstances. In recent times, a managing director of one of the group companies was given more than a year to find his way out of the group after it was decided to ask him to leave.

Group companies and their employees are governed by the 'The Tata Code of Conduct' which is a set of principles that guide and govern the conduct of Tata companies and their employees in matters relating to business. "The Code is a dynamic document that reinforces the Tata canon of honourable behaviour in business," says Cyrus Mistry signing off the Tata Steel Cod of Conduct in 2013 after fresh modifications were introduced. "These modifications have reinforced the Code, and enable it to reflect the diverse business, cultural and other factors that have a bearing on the health of the Tata brand."

The code says: "Every employee shall be responsible for the implementation of and compliance with the Code in his / her environment. Failure to adhere to the Code could attract severe consequences, including termination of employment".

Speculation is rife. Does it have to do with control of Tata Sons? Remember, Mistry family owns 18.4 per cent equity in Tata group holding company Tata Sons. Mistry family buying the stake from minority shareholders in the 1930s didn't go down well with the Tata family which considered it having being done behind their back.

Or, else, what were those grave circumstances under which it was considered necessary to humiliate the group chairman by replacing him? After all, it's one thing to ask the group chairman to resign, give him enough time to make his way out and pretend it was an honourable exit. At least, that's how most of corporate world, including in India and the world, operates. It's another to replace him in a swift action, dealing a blow to his reputation and respect across the group.

Tata group would have been better off without those. Instead of a two-paragraph statement that leaves more people guessing than informed, a detailed statement would have rendered this futile.
Google's Pixel and Pixel XL smartphones will go on sale starting October 25 in offline as well online portals. "The future is exciting. And by future we mean 3 days from now. #Pixel will start reaching stores on 25th October #madebygoogle," the official Google account tweeted on Saturday.

While announcing the launch of the smartphones in San Francisco earlier this month, Google had revealed that India will be amongst the first six countries to receive the new devices by the end of October.

The tech giant has also revealed a few online and offline partners for the Pixel smartphones. The devices will be available at over 1000 plus organized and multi-brand retail stores with leading retail partners including Reliance Digital, Croma and Vijay sales among others. The Pixel devices come with dedicated phone support with support hours between 9:00 am to 6:00 pm, seven days a week. Google is also offering support at 56 walk-in service centres across 30+ cities in India. For after-sales support, Google has partnered with HTC India.

The Pixel features a 5inch QHD AMOLED display with Gorilla Glass 4 protection. It is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 64-bit chipset clocked at 2.15Ghz with 4GB RAM. Google claims to have added the best camera optics in the smartphone, featuring a 12.3 MP rear camera with f/2.0 aperture with features such as HDR+, smartbust. It can capture 4K videos and comes with video stabilization. There is an 8MP front facing camera. But the biggest highlight of Pixel is the inbuilt Google Assistant and the Google Duo app, which will be pre-installed on the device. Google is also offering unlimited storage cloud for high resolution images and even 4K videos captured by the Pixel. With the 2770 mAh battery onboard, it also supports quick charge too.

While the hardware specifications of both the Pixel smartphones are same, Pixel XL features a 5.5 inch display, along with a 3450 mAh battery. Both the devices will have aluminium unibody, polished glass combination and will be available in 32GB and 128GB storage capacities.

The Google Pixel will retail for Rs 57,000 for 32GB and Rs 66,000 for 128GB in India. The elder sibling, Pixel XL, is priced at Rs 67,000 for 32GB and Rs 76,000 for 128GB. Google has announced the new smartphones in three colours including Blue, however, only Quiet Black and Very Silver will be available in India.
FoodCloud Hubs has been officially opened by Minister for Social Protection, Leo Varadkar today.



FoodCloud, the internationally acclaimed Irish social enterprise that pioneered the distribution of leading retailers surplus food to local charities, is joining forces with Bia Food Initiative, the very successful operator of three large-scale food redistribution depots across Ireland which matches surplus food from food manufacturers and distributors to charities.



Bia Food Initiative is now known as FoodCloud Hubs. Working together with FoodCloud they will now offer a solution for surplus food at every step of the supply chain.



This ground breaking solution will see 4,000 tonnes of food being saved from going to waste in Ireland and the UK in 2017.



Working together, FoodCloud and FoodCloud Hubs will offer businesses an integrated, ethical, sustainable and environmentally friendly solution to help them to process the estimated 400,000 tonnes of organic waste that is generated every year by the industrial food producing sector in Ireland. Much of this food is not waste, but high quality-food that is wasted, due to order cancellations, mistakes in packing and other factors.

Commenting on the announcement, Minister Varadkar said, "Robert Kennedy famously said some see the world as it is and ask 'why'. Others see the world as it might be and ask 'why not'. This is a great example of that philosophy in action. FoodCloud Hubs is possible because a network of businesses across Ireland made a decision to come together and ensure that good food is put to good use, rather than going to waste. In so doing, they are making a big difference to society."

Source: www.businessworld.ie

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The Irish Independent has today reported that Intel executives warned the Government that keeping commitments on broadband rollout is "crucial" to its strategy to create jobs.

According to the report, it came during a high-level meeting between Intel's boss in Ireland, Eamonn Sinnott and Dermot Mulligan, the Assistant Secretary General of the Department of Jobs.

Partially redacted minutes of the May 13 meeting were released to the Irish Independent under freedom of information laws. Three Intel executives met with Mr Mulligan and another official at the Jobs Department.

The company could not tell the Government if there would be compulsory redundancies in Ireland on the back of global restructuring announced in April. The Intel executives said they expected them to be "largely voluntary" but it would depend on the uptake of the voluntary scheme around the world.

Intel is worth 1bn to the economy, according to a report by accountancy firm PwC quoted in the minutes.

Source: www.businessworld.ie

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Representatives of the Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish governments will get a chance to tell Brexit minister David Davis how they hope Britain's future relationship with the EU will work, under plans the government announced on Monday.

At a meeting on Monday, Prime Minister Theresa May will offer the leaders of the three devolved governments, which have varying degrees of autonomy, formal discussions on Brexit at least twice before the end of the year, her office said.

"The country is facing a negotiation of tremendous importance and it is imperative that the devolved administrations play their part in making it work," May said in a statement her office released before the meeting.

"The new forum I am offering will be the chance for them all to put forward their proposals on how to seize the opportunities presented by Brexit and deliver the democratic decision expressed by the people of the U.K."

Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, leader of the Scottish National Party, has said her government is preparing for all possibilities including independence after Britain leaves the EU.

Scots voted by a large margin to remain in the bloc and Sturgeon has said Scotland wants to keep as many of the advantages of membership of the EU's single market as it can and is looking for a bespoke deal to do so.

The British government has said it will negotiate a one-size-fits-all Brexit deal on behalf of the whole United Kingdom.

May, who has dismissed labels such as "hard Brexit" and "soft Brexit" for describing how clean a break Britain makes with the EU, will also tell the devolved leaders no final decisions have been taken on the EU exit strategy, and that how Britain leaves the bloc will not boil down to a binary choice. (Reuters)

Source: www.businessworld.ie

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FTI Consulting held their Business Breakfast in the Merrion Hotel, Dublin on Friday 21st October 2016 which looked at how data analytics is driving business performance.

One of the guest speakers, Simon Howard, who is a divisional Finance and Risk director with RSA UK, related how the use of targeted data analytics was pivotal in successfully controlling indemnity spend.

The audience also heard that in Ireland, traditional companies like utilities, banks and insurance are about 4-5 years behind the best practice companies and while they are making strong strides technologically, they still had a way to go before they can approach organisations like Uber, Amazon and Netflix for whom the use of data analytics is ingrained in their cultural DNA.



Senior Managing Director of FTI Consultings Performance Analytics Division, Mark Higgins said, "Achieving value from investments in data analysis has proven difficult for many companies. Progress can be constrained by infrastructural legacy issues, a disjointed approach to adoption and a lack of understanding on what is required to operationalize analytical insights across ones business processes. Real commercial advantage is not achieved if the insight is not effectively translated into measurable action."

He added, "In other words, dont rush straight into the cool stuff of building the analytical models without clarifying why you want to do this and what is going to be involved in realizing the associated benefits."

Source: www.businessworld.ie

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Irelands annual Internet Day will be hosted by the IE Domain Registry (IEDR) this year to mark International Internet Day.



Irelands Internet Day 2016 will be opened by Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment, Denis Naughten.

It will look at how SMEs can build their online presence and will highlight the benefits of e-commerce through a series of keynote addresses and panel discussions from other entrepreneurs and business owners that have been there and done that.



Irelands Internet Day 2016 will also look at how SMEs can weather the Brexit storm, engaging e-commerce to reduce the risk that a weaker sterling presents in terms of Irish customers migrating to sterling websites or cross-border shopping.

The headline speaker is Emma Sinclair MBE, who, at 29, was the youngest ever person to float a company on the London Stock Exchange. Emma is also the first UNICEF business mentor.



There will also be a number of SME panellists including speakers from Hailo, AppliancesDelivered.ie, Avoca, BorrowMyDoggy, Bizimply, WorldBOX.ie, Brandtone, The Organic Supermarket and more.



Source: www.businessworld.ie

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Big international banks are preparing to move some of their operations out of Britain in early 2017 due to the uncertainty over the country's future relationship with the European Union, a top banking official said.

Writing in the Observer newspaper, Anthony Browne, the chief executive of lobby group the British Bankers' Association, said the public and political debate was "taking us in the wrong direction" and businesses could not wait until the last minute.

"Most international banks now have project teams working out which operations they need to move to ensure they can continue serving customers, the date by which this must happen, and how best to do it," said Browne.

"Their hands are quivering over the relocate button. Many smaller banks plan to start relocations before Christmas; bigger banks are expected to start in the first quarter of next year."

Many of the world's major banks have their European headquarters in Britain, where the financial sector employs more than two million people and makes up almost 12 percent of the economy.

Banks in London depend on a European "passport" to serve clients across the 28-country European Union from one base and lenders worry that this right will end after Brexit.

Browne said while finance minister Philip Hammond and Brexit minister David Davis were "making the right noises," he was concerned that some high-profile Brexit supporters believed banks did not need passporting and could rely on so-called equivalence, under which the EU can allow access to its markets for countries whose regulations are similar to the bloc's.

"The EU's equivalence regime is a poor shadow of passporting, it only covers a narrow range of services, can be withdrawn at virtually no notice, and will probably mean the UK will have to accept rules it has no influence over," he said.

"For most banks, equivalence won't prevent them from relocating their operations."

Banks have already said they are making contingency plans to move some of their operations to continental Europe if Britain does not negotiate access to the EU single market after Brexit.

Prime Minister Theresa May has said she will trigger formal talks to leave the EU by the end of March 2017 after Britain voted to leave in a referendum last June.

She has said she will fight to retain access to the single market but several EU leaders have insisted that will depend on Britain accepting free movement of workers from the EU - a condition Britain has vowed to curtail. (Reuters)

Source: www.businessworld.ie

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Recently a local affiliate of the Utah Down Syndrome Foundation (UDSF) honored Sherry Joy of USUs Center for Persons with Disabilities for her work as an advocate over the past 20 years, starting when she co-founded an organization for parents.

Maria Leishman, leader of the Cache/Box Elder Community Group of the UDSF, has known Joy for 10 years.

We were told there was a little play group, said Leishman, Moms would come, Sherry brought treats and they would chat.

The current Cache/Box Elder Community group of the UDSF grew out of those efforts. The group remains a place where parents can relax and do the same things any parent would do.

Whether (parents of children with Down syndrome) think they do or they dont, they still have their guard up when theyre out and about, said Leishman, whose son Kyler is a 12-year old with Down syndrome.

She said one example is that children with Down syndrome do not have much of a concept of danger and it is common for them to wander off without supervision.

If we are at an activity and suddenly a child is gone, its common for everybody to get into high gear as we look for that child. Also, sometimes they get overstimulated because there is just too much noise going on. So they might be grumpy and want to be by themselves.

She said the foundation provides parents a chance to relax among other parents who understand the issues they face. Theyre also able to gather information from other parents who have been there: on heart conditions or hearing aids or glasses.

Leishman said the website UDSF.org is the best source for news and events.
LOGAN  A 36-year-old man has pleaded guilty to inappropriately touching a teenage girl and will now wait to be sentenced.

Seth J. Martin appeared in 1st District Court Monday morning. The Logan man accepted a plea deal from prosecutors, pleading guilty to sexual abuse of a child, reduced to a second-degree felony. As part of the agreement, a similar charge was dismissed.

State attorney Jacob Gordon told the court, Martin grabbed the breasts of the 12-year-old girl several times around the first of the year. He reportedly knew the victim, who reported the assault to law enforcement.

The plea agreement will keep the victim from having to testify in court.

Judge Thomas Willmore asked Martin if he was aware of the possible penalties for pleading guilty, up to 15-years in prison and $10,000. The defendant acknowledged that he was, and said he was guilty.

Judge Willmore scheduled sentencing for December 12 and ordered Martin to appear again then.

<hr /><p style=text-align: center;>will@cvradio.com
| BY Lynchy |

In response to a spate of media buying scandals the AANA has today released two documents, the AANA Media Contract October 2016.pdf and the AANA Media Contract Guidance Notes October 2016.pdf to help advertisers obtain greater transparency over the return and effectiveness of their media investment.

The AANA also announced that it has partnered with legal advisors, Bird&Bird in Australia to provide capability training on contract drafting to AANA members and Ebiquity and FirmDecisions to provide capability training to help members navigate the increasingly complex nature of media buying and contract negotiations.

The AANA said the contract template had been adapted specifically for the Australian market from the version prepared by the Association of National Advertisers in the US.

The template has been written to equip advertisers with a starting point to each element of the contract negotiation. We believe that appropriately detailed contractual agreements together with capability training are the keys to achieving transparency in media buying and ensure that media buying dollars are spent with the sole objective of securing the best outcome for the brands they are promoting, Matt Tapper, the AANAs Chair said.

The purpose of the guidance notes is to provide advertisers with a long-list of considerations and questions that should be addressed, if theyre to reduce or eliminate non-transparent and non-disclosed practices that relate to the advertisers media spend. They are designed to ensure that all revenue earned by agencies and related parties is detailed in the contract, unless explicitly agreed otherwise by the advertiser.

The dealings agencies undertake with third party media and technology vendors, and the media owners themselves, are much more complex today than a few years ago so these initiatives are very timely. Individual brand owners, as the buyers of the services, must always take primary responsibility for carrying out their own due diligence and our role is to look to ways to help them by providing guidance and tools to do so. Were very grateful to the ANA for allowing us to use their contract template and to Bird& Bird (Australia) for adapting it for the Australian market, Sunita Gloster (pictured), the AANAs CEO said.

The AANA plans to conduct capability training for its members from early 2017 and said it invited feedback on the template and guidance notes.

We invite ongoing feedback both in terms of improving their current usefulness and in terms of maintaining relevance given the rapidly evolving technology and media landscape. Were delighted to have secured the involvement of Ebiquity and FirmDecisions to provide capability training for AANA members. They have been intimately involved in helping both the ANA and the World Federation of Advertisers respond to transparency challenges so are ideally positioned to provide capability training to our members, Ms Gloster said.
| BY Ricki Green |

PayPal Australia has today announced its latest integrated marketing campaign Shop Off The Beaten Path. The campaign, jointly developed by Isobar, Edelman and Vizeum, encourages Australians to shop off the beaten path and discover gifts they didnt know existed from more than 100 Australian small businesses this Christmas.

The campaign was inspired by the insight that Christmas shopping, with its high expectations, large crowds and time demands, can lead to considerable angst. In response to this angst many Australians resort to buying the same, predictable presents each year because they run out of time, inspiration or energy.

PayPals Shop Off The Beaten Path addresses this by offering an online portal that helps Australian shoppers connect with Australian merchants offering a range of unique, bespoke and memorable gifts. The portal is a search engine for the perfect gift using categories such as bespoke, beautiful, geeky, quirky, adventurous and trending to connect gift givers with a wide range of local merchants.

Says Elaine Herlihy, marketing director, PayPal Australia: Many of us are time-poor at Christmas yet we still want to give unique and special gifts that our friends and family will love. This year we wanted to break the cycle of forgettable gifts by doing something we havent done before. We wanted to change how people searched for and found the perfect gift.

Our Shop Off The Beaten Path portal offers an easy way to find those amazing gifts while at the same time supporting local businesses so every shopper can find something special for the people they love.

Using smart technology, coupled with creative media placements, the socially-led and solely-digital campaign is underpinned by a data-driven media strategy. PayPal-owned customer data combined with the companys advanced understanding of mobile purchasing habits have been used to ensure Shop Off The Beaten Path resonates with Australian shoppers and is tailored to consumer habits.

Examples of some of the gifts shoppers can find on Shop Off The Beaten Path this gift-giving season include:

 The Daily Edited: Personalised leather accessories for the fashionable sort looking for bespoke presents;

 Odd Pears: Quirky socks arranged in mismatching pairs of 3; and

 DadShop: a collection of gifts handpicked with a genius male spin.

Says Herlihy: The campaign combines two things we are deeply proud of  our local merchants and a frictionless online shopping experience. By making it easier to find the perfect gift and promoting innovative Australian small businesses, were hoping that Shop Off The Beaten Path will mean this Christmas is even more memorable than the last.

Client: PayPal Australia

Digital: Isobar Australia

Public Relations: Edelman Australia

Social Media: Edelman Australia and Isobar Australia
| BY Ricki Green |

Continuing to focus on the power of creative content, Red Engine SCC has announced a significant bolstering of the creative team with the arrival of creative director Mitch Alison (right) and senior content creative Ben Harrison (left).

Alison is a creative director with global experience, having worked in the US, Europe, Asia and New Zealand, on brands like Coca Cola, VW, BMW, Samsung and Pepsi. His work has been awarded at every major show, including Cannes, D&AD and One Show.

Says Alison on his recent appointment: Red Engine is one of the few creative agencies that not only specialises in social and content, but has strategy, creative and production under the one roof.

You need high end production skills to bridge the gap between traditional ad campaigns and social content. Having a hybrid creative department and full production capabilities at our disposal allows us to do exactly that.

Also looking forward to working closely with the Red Engine SCC senior creative team is Harrison, who comes to the agency after having worked as a content creative for millennial minded brands such as Pepsi, McDonalds and Wrigley. He is passionate about social media and believes a great idea needs the right channel.

As social content manager at DDB, Harrison worked on award winning campaigns such as Drop into Maccas and Mac It Better for McDonalds. As social media and content manager for Microsoft in Australia, he worked on the successful Tech.Ed conferences.
| BY Lynchy |

IPG Mediabrands socially-led marketing agency Society is continuing to expand its management team with the appointment of Johan Micheelsen as head of planning across the Sydney, Brisbane and Perth agencies. His appointment follows the arrival of Alex Erasmus as general manager of Society Sydney in August.

Micheelsen will be based in Sydney and will lead Societys paid media planning across three offices. He has extensive digital media experience, starting in e-commerce 10 years ago. He developed his career as a search planner, becoming head of search for Mindshare in Denmark and then progressing through Group M to become head of the agencys programmatic trading desk. He then moved to Australia and has most recently been a digital account director with OMD.

Johan will be the primary point of escalation for our rapidly growing social planning team, said Society Australia managing director Simone Blakers. Our national staff is now well in excess of 40 people and it is important for us to have the best available talent to drive our skills development to benefit all clients.

Blakers said Society was focusing on core social-media skill sets in strategy, content, native media and in traditional and online media.
On pokies reform, he rejected the Greens' call for $1 maximum spins. The Greens also want mandatory pre-commitment on pokies so gamblers nominate up front how much they will spend. Mr Barr said he was open to that for new machines "but a retrospective roll-out across all the existing machines would be a very expensive way forward".
"As experienced as a judge may be, and Justice Ashley is a very experienced judge, even a judge of such experience, at the end of the day, may be found to have apprehended bias," Mr Tehan said.
"It's always been the case that the scheme has been designed, and these changes are also designed, to try and ensure that as many mothers are participating in the workforce and are able to re-participate after the birth of a child, having provided for a fair amount of time to bond with the child after birth," he said.
Our Promise: Welcome to Care2, the world's largest community for good. Here, you'll find over 45 million like-minded people working towards progress, kindness, and lasting impact.

Care2 Stands Against: bigots, racists, bullies, science deniers, misogynists, gun lobbyists, xenophobes, the willfully ignorant, animal abusers, frackers, and other mean people. If you find yourself aligning with any of those folks, you can move along, nothing to see here.

Care2 Stands With: humanitarians, animal lovers, feminists, rabble-rousers, nature-buffs, creatives, the naturally curious, and people who really love to do the right thing.

You are our people. You Care. We Care2.
The Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) across the country have decided to increase the intake of foreign students by 10%. It means, there will be around 1000 foreign students apart from the already existing students at the IITs.

The Indian Institutes of Technology took this paramount decision at a meeting of the Joint Admission Board (JAB). Chairpersons of the IITs had participated in the meeting and Prem Bisht, IIT Madras who is the chairman of the organizing committee presided over the meeting.

The IIT Council chaired by HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar has plans to increase the total intake of students into IITs. The council looks forward to see admissions of up to 1 lakh students by year 2020.

Old IITs have a different stand

Increasing the intake of domestic as well as foreign students is welcomed by all the IITs. However, the newly established IITs have shown more interest in the increased admissions compared to the old ones.

The newly built or established Indian Institutes of Technology have no issues of space for accommodating the extra number of students. And they also have advanced facilities required to cater to the academic needs of the newcomers.

As far as the old institutes are concerned, they do not have sufficient space to fit in the extra students. A senior IIT-Kharagpur official said, "We are in no position to admit extra students despite the government wanting each IIT to increase intake."

"Most of the seat increase has taken place in the newer IITs, which offer more courses than last year and have expanded their intake. At the older IITs, there is a serious space crunch. Even if we can build accommodation, classrooms and other infrastructure from government funding, it takes many years to build world class laboratories which offer state-of-the-art facilities to students. And we would not like to compromise on providing quality education", he added.

Although it is a good development from the point of view of extending academic aides to students of other countries, there seem to be various challenges to implement the same. One has to wait and watch how the HRD Ministry along with the IIT Council will tackle these genuine concerns.

Project Vishwajeet: HRDM's Mission To Step-up IITs In Global Rankings. Here's What You Should Know.
The Chief Minister of Delhi, Arvind Kejriwal, has asked Education Department to include those teachers in its original proposal who have not cleared CTET. This will increase the salary of the guest teachers.

The department on Saturday tabled its proposal in front of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to increase salaries of guest teachers who have cleared 'Central Teacher Eligibility Test in the Cabinet meeting, but the CM directed it to also include non-CTET guest teachers in its proposal.

The sources have said that the Chief Minister has asked Education department to include those teachers who have not cleared CTET, in its original proposal so that all guest teachers will get benefits. The government wants to increase salaries of guest teachers from the existing Rs 17,000-19,000 to Rs 32,000-34,000.

There are about 15,000 guest teachers working in around 1,025 schools in the national capital. The education department will be giving a new proposal in the next cabinet meeting, after inclusion of non-CTET teachers.

About CTET:

Central Teacher Eligibility Test (CTET) is conducted to check the eligibility of a candidate to become a teacher for class I - VIII. This test is conducted by Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE).

The rationale for including the TET as a minimum qualification for a person to be eligible for appointment as a teacher is as under:
The results for the Tamil Nadu State Eligibility Test has been declared. Candidates who have appeared for the examination held on February 21, 2016 across Tamil Nadu can view their results on official webiste of TNSET.

Steps to check TNSET 2016 Results:



Candidates have to log on to the official website of TNSET

In the given slots, candidates have to input their personal details like register number, roll number, subject opted, location where you have appeared for the exam, mobile number and email id

On successful submission of the above details, results will be displayed on your screen

Candidates are required to take a print out of the result sheet for future reference

About TNSET:

TNSET is conducted by Mother Teresa University. It is held for recruitment of candidates into various teaching posts in government colleges in the state of Tamil Nadu.

About Mother Teresa Women's University:

The Mother Teresa Women's University is an approved University working under the Government of Tamil Nadu. This university is located in Kodaikanal, Tamil Nadu. It was established in 1984. The Main Motto of Mother Teresa Women's University is "Empowerment of Women through Education". It also offers Consultancy Services & Research for Women Studies. This university offers various Post Graduate & Under Graduate Courses in various disciplines.
As Canadas minivan sales leader, FCA is expanding their segment-leading 2017 Pacifica lineup by adding two new trim levels and more value to the range.



Along with the previously available Touring-L, Touring-L Plus and Limited versions, the new LX and Touring trims bring the total number of Pacifica models to five.

Priced from $37,995 MSRP, this new entry-level 2017 Pacifica LX model comes with a 3.6-liter Pentastar VVT V6 engine, a 9-speed automatic transmission, active noise cancellation, Keyless Enter n Go, tri-zone air con with manual temperature control and the companys Uconnect 5.0 multimedia center with a 5 touchscreen display and six speakers.

The Touring on the other hand costs $39,995 MSRP and adds 17 alloys, dual power-sliding doors, automatic headlights, the Stow n Place roof rack system, interior door handle LED lamps, a power 12-way drivers seat with 4-way power lumbar adjustment, a power liftgate, proximity entry for all doors, SiriusXM Satellite Radio with a one-year subscription and a Stow n Go Assist drivers seat.

Both versions offer options such as segment-exclusive 8-passenger seating, ParkView Rear Back-Up Camera, the all-new KeySense programmable key fob, Trailer Tow Group, the SafetyTec Group which features Blind-Spot Monitoring with Rear Cross-Path Detection and Park-Sense Rear Park Assist with Active Braking, as well as the award-winning Uconnect 8.4 Multimedia Centre.

As part of our launch rollout, which began in February 2016, were now able to expand Pacificas offerings and bring even more value to Canadian shoppers, said Reid Bigland, President and CEO, FCA Canada. Our minivans have been best sellers since FCA created the segment more than 30 years ago, and with the unmatched new features and technology Pacifica provides, these additional models are another win for Canadian families.

Both new versions of the 2017 Pacifica are now available for order at FCA dealers.

PHOTO GALLERY
Osaka was the place to be this weekend for every Ferrari enthusiast, as the Prancing Horses local arm celebrated its golden anniversary.



For its 50th birthday, Ferrari Japan threw a riverside party, during which approximately 100 Ferrari owners came from across the country to display their prized vehicles in front of roughly 3,000 fans.

Besides taking a closer look at some of the most iconic machines the Italian-based car company produced over time, including the Testarossa, LaFerrari, 599 GTO, 488 GTB and California T, attendees were captured by the highlight of the event  a river parade of the iconic models on the boats.

During their one-hour journey, the supercars left Nakanoshima Island, led by the Ferrari F2003-GA, for a trip to the Dotombori bridge, a famous landmark spot for Osakas residents and tourists.

Osaka shows a great connection with the Ferrari brand this year again, said Senior VP of Ferrari S.p.A. Commercial and Marketing, Enrico Galliera, reminding of the 2015 Midousuji Festival, when F1 cars were dynamically driven around the city. I appreciate all of you who attend the event, and thank you for organizing another great event where we celebrate 50 years of Ferrari in Japan.

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The 2017 Honda Clarity has the best range rating of any electric vehicle that lacks an internal combustion engine in the United States.



According to the Japanese automaker, the fuel cell model returns the gasoline equivalent of 68 mpg (3.46 lt/100 km) combined, which translates into an EPA driving range of 366 miles (589 km) on a single tank of hydrogen.

Not only does the Clarity Fuel Cell fit five passengers and refuel in three to five minutes, it offers customers a driving range on par with gasoline-powered cars. The Clarity leads the pack with a 366-mile driving range rating, and with a growing network of hydrogen stations and fast fueling time, the zero-emissions family road trip is no longer science fiction, said American Hondas VP of the Environmental Business Development Office, Steve Center.

The Clarity comes with a fuel cell system and integrated powertrain almost the same size as a V6 engine, which fit entirely under the hood, thus allowing for more space inside. The North American model should have similar specifications to the Japanese market Clarity, which uses a 174 horsepower electric motor and has a fuel stack capacity of 100 kW.

Honda has yet to release pricing details for the hydrogen-powered sedan, but its expected to cost roughly $60,000.

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Moonbot Studios, the Shreveport, Louisiana-based animation studio responsible for the Oscar-winning The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore and many other popular pieces of short-form content, started laying off some of its 70 employees last week, according to a report published this afternoon in The Shreveport Times.

The article does not say how many people are being laid off, although it indicates that jobs were eliminated in the animation department, among other parts of the company. The piece speculates that the company has been sold and will relocate to another location. No employees of the company would speak to the paper due to the non-disclosure agreements they signed as a condition of receiving severance packages.

People, however, are speaking to Cartoon Brew. A source tells us that the buyer of the company is Magic Leap, the secretive virtual reality/augmented reality startup located in Dania Beach, Florida that has raised over $1.4 billion in venture capital from investors. The company has not yet released a product nor revealed what it is making. Cartoon Brew has not been able to officially confirm that Magic Leap is the buyer, but our source said:
OK, now youre up to speed on how the voting works. Heres a look at the state of play with the films that could be competing for best vfx, sorted into most-likely, likely, and outlier contenders.

The Most-Likelys

The stand-out amongst the crowd in the most-likelys is Jon Favreaus The Jungle Book. Essentially shot entirely against bluescreen with only one live-action actor, the film made the most of virtual production techniques, detailed animation, and advances in photorealistic rendering to bring its cg characters to life. Plus, it was a hit with audiences and, you can assume, Academy voters.

Another thing on The Jungle Books side is that Disney made no secret about the amount of CG in the filmsometimes studios dont like audiences to peek behind the curtainpossibly partly due to not necessarily being able to rely on a main star actor to promote the film. That means theres been a lot of behind the scenes featurettes about the final visual effects, as well as some looks into the on-set puppeteering and special effects needed to help integrate live-action with CG.

You can expect Disney to engage in a slightly different kind of marketing behind the visual effects of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. Here, as they did with The Force Awakens, Disney is likely to highlight the practical shooting side of the filmmaking, even though of course digital visual effects are likely to be a key part of the final product. Arguably, thats a response to an on-going commentary about films being too-CGI, causing some filmmakers and studio marketing teams to talk up the practical aspects. Still, based on the trailers and clips released so far, Rogue One has to be a shoe-in for a vfx nomination.

Captain America: Civil War is another film that could easily sell its practical shooting wares, despite a whole lot of digital work (consider the airport sequence, for example). Marvel hasnt yet had any luck in the vfx Oscar race, although several of its films have been nominated in past years. One thing that Civil War has going for it, in particular, is how many of its characters were digital creations or hybrids  Black Panther, Spider-Man, Iron Man, Captain Americawithout the audience necessarily noticing.

With its kaleidoscopic and psychedelic scenes, Doctor Strange is almost the most effectsy film of the most-likelys. Its one of the big event films of the year, too, which will bring its effects much attention. Right now, the trailers are showing off some of the city folding Inception-like mind-bending imagery, but Marvel does always tend to leave more up its sleeve and each of their films tend to have one huge, memorable sequence (often achieved with spectacular visual effects).

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice didnt win much approval at the cinema when it was released, but theres certainly a lot to admire in its visual effects. One area likely to be pushed is the blurring of the lines between real and digital characters. In many films, an edit to a wide shot and then a close-up will evidence the change between real and digital, but on Batman v Superman, those transitions are often indistinguishable. Its a big accomplishment and helped with the storytelling in this fast-paced actioner.

The Likelys

There are simply more and more films each year featuring stunning vfx artistry, and that means there are more Oscar contenders (thats one reason the Academy did up the number of possible nominees from three to five in 2010). Heres a collection of films that could easily find themselves nominated.

Warcraft and The BFG are two possibles, both pushing the boundaries of performance capture. Despite their high tech approaches, each film was able to deliver characters with strong emotion that could also see digital actors being the subject of more discussion this year (previous work involving performers such as Andy Serkis has often stirred debate in the vfx Oscar category).

Deadpool and X-Men: Apocalypse are superhero films that might benefit from each having a couple of stand-out vfx sequences, the kinds that audiences talk about long after the film is over. In the case of Deadpool, thats the highway chase, and in Apocalypse its the Quicksilver mansion rescue, possibly the best visual effects scene this year. Add to the mix Suicide Squad, which included a mix of grounded effects and some much more magical, fractal-based work.

Star Trek Beyond showcased a new approach to Trek vfx, via Fast and the Furious director Justin Lin. That required some extra grittiness to the outer space shots as well as the usual high-fidelity alien creatures and ship realizations. Were likely to see a similar high fidelity in the space adventure Passengers, although we wont know the full extent of the vfx until December.

The as-yet unreleased Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them is one of the harder likelys to assess. Theres clearly going to be a lot of vfx artistry involved in bringing to life its several Beasts and magic effects, but will it take things beyond what the previous Harry Potter films were able to achieve in visual effects? Its another film to wait-and-see.

The Outliers

The vfx Oscar does tend to include outliersthose films that gain nominations but that no one thinks will necessarily win (until they do, like Ex Machina). In previous years, other outliers might include Hereafter, Snow White and the Huntsman, and The Lone Ranger. Each had complicated and impressive visual effects, but leaning towards invisible variety. For this reason, a couple of films with seamless and slightly different approaches to their visual effects just might make the list.

One is Deepwater Horizon, the story of the drilling rig disaster in the Gulf of Mexico. The spectacular explosion and sinking of the rig came together on film via an enormous scale set that was filmed with the aid of huge LED screens standing in for interactive lighting, then heavily augmented with digital sets, backgrounds, fire, and smoke. Few might notice the extent of the vfx work, and that would be a big factor in the films favor.

Another is Voyage of Time. Terrence Malick looked to many practical visual effects approaches to tell his origin of the universe story (and the death of it, too). Its possible the films old-school approaches with cloud tanks, motion control shoots, and hands-on effects photography could resonate positively with both a visual effects and Academy voting audience.

What do you think? Let us know in the comments which film you believe will be a vfx Oscar contender.
Photo: Contributed

The founder of one of Vernon's longest running businesses has died.

Roland (Rolly) Kober passed away in his home on Oct. 18.

Serving Vernon and area since 1954 and incorporated in 1962 as an auto-electric service shop, Roko Service Ltd. grew to provide electrical services for farm machinery, logging, mining equipment, outboard/inboard starting and charging systems as well as all manner of automobile.

Kober is survived by Erna, his wife of 62 years, his three children and numerous grandchildren and great grandchildren.

A celebration of life will be held Tuesday, Oct. 25 at 11 a.m. at the Church of God, 4312 - 25th St.
Photo: Contributed

The missing head of a statue of baby Jesus has been returned, and the bright orange clay head that replaced it has been removed.

Gerard Lajeunesse, the priest at the Ste. Anne des Pins parish in Sudbury, Ont., says the head was returned to him on Friday.

The statue had recently been fitted with the temporary clay head  topped with a spiky orange crown  crafted by a local artist, which garnered international attention and was compared online to a character on The Simpsons or to the infamously botched restoration of a fresco of Jesus in Spain.

Lajeunesse says the stolen head was returned to him on Friday, by a woman he knew.

He says the woman, who he wouldn't identify, came upon the head through her work, but didn't realize it belonged to the church until she saw the media reports about the orange replacement.

Lajeunesse says the replacement had already been removed by the time he got the original head back.

He says it was necessary to prevent the orange clay from staining the white stone of the statue.

Lajeunesse says for now, the statue will remain headless. Before replacing it, the church needs to figure out how to secure it safely to the statue and prevent it from being stolen again.
Photo: CTV

An Ottawa police officer is facing charges under the police act in connection with online comments about the death of Inuk artist Annie Pootoogook, remarks the city police chief has said were inappropriate and had "racial undertones."

The Ottawa Police service said in an email that two counts of discreditable conduct have been laid under the Police Services Act, but the email did not identify the officer.

Pootoogooks body was found in the Rideau River on Sept. 19.

Police at first did not consider her death suspicious, although they were calling for assistance in retracing her steps in her final days.

A few days later, racially charged comments from a Facebook account stated Pootoogooks death was not connected to missing and murdered Indigenous women.

The Ottawa Citizen has reported that the Facebook post included a passage that read: Because much of the aboriginal population in Canada is just satisfied being alcohol or drug abusers, living in poor conditions etc. ... they have to have the will to change, its not societys fault.

The comments, which have since been deleted, sparked outrage among the First Nations community.

Police Chief Charles Bordeleau has called the comments "inappropriate" and said "they have racial undertones and they don't reflect the values of the Ottawa Police Service."

A hearing on the allegations is set for Nov. 1st.

Investigators continue to probe suspicious elements of Pootoogooks death.

The association that represents Ottawa police officers did not immediately return phone calls on the matter.
Photo: CTV

The woman at the centre of one of the most iconic pictures from the Vietnam war is talking about Facebook's banning of the photo.

Taken on June 8, 1972 by Associated Press photojournalist Nick Ut, shows then-nine-year-old Kim Phuc naked and screaming, fleeing an aerial napalm attack on suspected Viet Cong hiding places.

Phuc became known as 'napalm girl' and is speaking out after Facebook temporarily banned the photo.

I was really saddened by the people who just looked at the nudity rather than focus on the powerful message (the photo) conveys, Phuc, now 53, told CTV Kitchener on Sunday. She visited the southern Ontario town to speak about her experiences at a local church.

The Pulitzer Prize-winning photo was seen around the world, to become one of the most iconic photos of the 20th century.

More than four decades later, the photo made headlines again this summer after Facebook removed it from a Norwegian authors page, saying it violated the social networks rules on nudity.

In protest of the ban, Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg posted the picture on her Facebook page only to have it removed as well.

The social media giant initially stood by its decision, saying it was too complicated to create a distinction between allowing some photographs that featured child nudity but not others. After widespread revolt, however, Facebook reversed that decision in early September. Facebook said it recognized the history and global importance of the image and has since adjusted its policy on nudity to exclude images that are newsworthy or historically significant.

- with files from CTV
Photo: The Canadian Press

UPDATE: 10:15 a.m.

Ontario's highest court has dismissed an appeal by the convicted killer of eight-year-old Victoria Stafford.

Michael Rafferty was sentenced to life in prison in 2013 with no chance of parole for 25 years for kidnapping, sexual assault causing bodily harm and first-degree murder in the death of the Woodstock, Ont., girl.

Rafferty's accomplice, Terri-Lynne McClintic, pleaded guilty in 2010 to first-degree murder.

Rafferty's lawyer, Paul Calarco, argued earlier today that the judge made several errors, including failing to warn the jury against relying on the testimony of McClintic, and arguing that she could have been the driving force behind the murder.

Calarco also said some of Rafferty's actions after the killing  such as cleaning his car, disposing of clothing and giving a false alibi  were "equally consistent" with being an accessory after the fact.

The appeal court judges dismissed Rafferty's appeal before hearing the Crown's arguments.

ORIGINAL: 6:55 a.m.

The man convicted of killing eight-year-old Victoria Stafford seven years ago will ask Ontario's top court for a new trial Monday, trying to pin the blame on his accomplice.

Michael Rafferty was sentenced to life in prison in 2012 with no chance of parole for 25 years for kidnapping, sexual assault causing bodily harm and first-degree murder in the death of the Woodstock, Ont., girl.

His former girlfriend, Terri-Lynne McClintic, pleaded guilty in 2010 to first-degree murder, initially telling police Rafferty killed the girl, but testifying at his trial that she delivered the fatal blows.

Rafferty's lawyer, Paul Calarco, argues in documents filed with the Court of Appeal for Ontario that the judge made several errors, including failing to warn the jury against relying on the testimony of McClintic, "a person of unsavoury character, with a serious history of violence and lying."

The Crown's case was strongest on the kidnapping count, Calarco concedes, but since forensic evidence could not prove a sexual assault, that conviction was almost entirely dependent on McClintic's version of events, he argues.

"While the Crown had some evidence against Mr. Rafferty, the worst aspects of the case depend almost entirely on McClintic's evidence," Calarco writes.

"It was essential the trial judge give a clear, sharp warning against relying on her in the absence of substantial corroboration."

But the Crown argues there was in fact a significant amount of corroboration.

"Her testimony was supported by a compelling body of confirmatory evidence, including surveillance video footage; cellphone records; cell tower location data; forensic evidence; and analysis of the victim's blood and DNA from the appellant's car," Crown lawyers Howard Leibovich and Randy Schwartz write in documents filed with the court.

Defence at trial asked the judge not to give jurors such a warning, the Crown notes. The judge concluded that the jury could assess McClintic's demeanour in videotaped police statements, as well he took into account that the defence could cross-examine her, the Crown argues.

"The trial judge gave a fair and balanced charge and provided the jury with all the requisite tools to properly assess McClintic's testimony without highlighting the confirmatory evidence," the lawyers say.
Photo: The Canadian Press

Voters go to the polls in a sprawling riding in southern Alberta today that hasn't elected a Liberal MP since 1968.

The byelection in the Medicine Hat-Cardston-Warner riding called after MP Jim Hillyer died of a heart attack earlier this year in his Parliament Hill office.

Medicine Hat-Cardston-Warner was a new riding in the 2015 election  it was formerly Medicine Hat.

The last MP Medicine Hat voters elected who wasn't from a right-of-centre party was Bud Olson. He was originally voted in as a member of the Social Credit, crossed to the Liberals and was re-elected when the party swept to power under Pierre Trudeau in 1968.

Both Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and interim Conservative leader Rona Ambrose dropped into the riding in the past couple of weeks in hopes of boosting the chances of their local candidates.

There are six candidates running for the seat including Conservative Glen Motz and Liberal Stan Sakamoto.

"We've got over 11 per cent unemployment here. We really have been a forgotten corner for so long  for decades. The gut feeling I have, if I can get more employment for people here, I'd be proud to do that," said Sakamoto.
Photo: Kelowna RCMP

Kelowna Mounties are looking to reunite lost or stolen Christmas decorations with their rightful owner after they were abandoned on Bernard Avenue.

Police were contacted at nearly midnight on Oct. 23 after someone saw a young man stacking boxes, which were then abandoned in a parking stall outside an apartment in the 1200 block of Bernard Avenue.

Police found the contents of the boxes to be Christmas decorations, but were unable to find the man who was reportedly stacking the boxes.

Kelowna RCMP released a photo showing just a few of the items, with hopes the owner will recognize them and come forward.

One of the items is a snowman Christmas tree ornament with the names "Rod & Pam" and the year "2007" written on it.

The found property will be held for a period of 90 days, before it is either donated or destroyed.

If you are the owner of the decorations, and you can describe the unique items you are missing, you are asked to contact Const. George Minshull of the Kelowna RCMP at 250-762-3300.
If you have just started your journey in an online casino or are looking for a new site to play,...
Biomass matters

Dr Michael Clark By

Published 24 October 2016

When accounting for CO 2 emissions from the manufacture of cement clinker it is important to know the biomass content of the fuels used to fire the cement kiln, as that biomass content is deemed to be carbon neutral and therefore does not count in the CO 2 emission.

As this months Technical Forum is being written, China and the USA have announced their ratification of the Paris Agreement on climate change ahead of the G20 meeting in Hangzhou, China. This is an important milestone as between them China and the USA generate ~40 per cent of anthropogenic CO 2 emissions. For the Paris Agreement on climate change to enter into force, 55 parties representing at least 55 per cent of global emissions must ratify the agreement and join. Therefore Chinese and US ratification is a major step towards the agreement coming into force and virtually guarantee that it eventually will.

To continue reading this story and get access to all News, Articles and Video sections of the CemNet.com website, please Register for a subscription to International Cement Review or Login
Tunnel Hill map Future section of Mountain Goat Trail Cumberland Rosinweed Cowan Tunnel Previous Next

The Land Trust for Tennessee announced the protection of Tunnel Hill  411 acres just west of Sewanee in Franklin County.

Officials said this forested property was the last remaining, unprotected, private tract separating Hawkins Cove State Natural Area and Bear Hollow Wildlife Management Area.

With a bridge loan from Open Space Institute (OSI), The Land Trust purchased the property from long-time Sewanee resident Peter Keeble earlier this year. The property then transferred to the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) to be managed as part of the 15,000-acre Bear Hollow Wildlife Management Area on Aug. 31.

Land Trust officials said, "The property is critical for connectivity and is home to numerous rare species of plants, including a large population of the Cumberland rosinweed (Silphium brachiatum), a state-endangered species only found in just a few counties in Tennessee and Alabama.

"The northern property boundary is a former railroad right-of-way that is in the process of being transformed into part of the Mountain Goat Trail. The Land Trust is pleased to partner with others on this Rails-to-Trails project creating a multi-use recreational trail connecting several communities in Grundy and Franklin Counties.

"The property also contains Cowan Tunnel, an active railroad tunnel that is still used by CSX today. The property adjoins Hawkins Cove State Natural Area, a 249-acre property managed as part of the South Cumberland Recreation Area and a 200-acre conservation easement held by the Tennessee Parks and Greenways Foundation.

"In addition to state and federal funding through TWRA, the project was supported by grants from OSI because of the tracts importance in facilitating wildlife adaptation to climate change. OSI assembled the funding from Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, Lyndhurst Foundation, Benwood Foundation and Merck Family Fund."
Celebrating jailhouse recovery Audio Article Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle Sears paid a visit to the Chesterfield County Jail last week, meeting with over 50 of the men and women participating in the HARP (Helping Addicts...

An icons legacy memorialized Audio Article Enon Library was dedicated in memory of the Rev. Wyatt Tee Walker on Friday, Oct. 21. Board of Supervisors Chair Chris Winslow, right, was joined by Walkers daughter, Patrice Walker...
The HealthCare.gov 2017 web site home page as seen in Washington, Monday, Oct. 24, 2016. The Obama administration is confirming that premiums will go up sharply next year for health insurance sold to millions of consumers through HealthCare.gov. (Pablo Martinez Monsivais / AP)

The wait is over: People who want to buy health insurance on the state's Obamacare exchange can go online to see their options and prices, but they may not like what they find.

The plans unveiled online Monday contain far fewer choices and significantly higher prices, and arrive toward the end of a presidential campaign in which Republican candidate Donald Trump has called for the repeal of the Affordable Care Act and Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton has said she wants to fix it.

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President Barack Obama recently defended the law under which the exchanges were created  the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act  while conceding it's not perfect. On Monday, administration officials insisted that coverage on the exchange will still be affordable for most Americans.

Most Illinois residents get health care coverage through their employers or government programs such as Medicare or Medicaid. But this year, more than 300,000 Illinoisans bought insurance on the Obamacare exchange.

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Consumers can begin signing up for plans on the exchange Nov. 1.

In Illinois, rates will increase by an average of 44 percent for the lowest-priced individual bronze plans, 45 percent for the lowest-priced silver plans and 55 percent for the lowest-priced gold plans. Higher-level plans, such as gold plans, typically have higher monthly costs and lower out-of-pocket costs than lower-level plans.

In Illinois, a 27-year-old who buys the second-lowest price silver plan on the exchange will pay an average of $298 a month before tax credits  a 43 percent increase over this year. A family of four in Illinois will pay an average of $1,078 a month for the second-lowest price silver plan before tax credits.

There are also far fewer plans to compare. In Cook County, individual consumers will have 38 plans to choose from, down from 71 plans this year. In Lake County, there are 18 plans, down from 49 this year. McHenry County went from 42 plans to 14, DuPage from 48 to 34 and Kane from 48 to 25.

The federal government, however, says with the help of tax credits, 60 percent of Illinois residents who buy on the exchange will still be able to choose plans costing no more than $100 a month.

"The Affordable Care Act was designed with price-sensitive consumers in mind," Aviva Aron-Dine, senior counselor to the U.S. Secretary of Health & Human Services, said in a call with reporters Monday. "It was designed to protect them, and this year, just like in previous years, that's what it will do."

But many consumers still will have to make difficult choices.

Highland Park cancer survivor Michelle Applebaum said she's having trouble finding a PPO plan on the exchange that includes her oncologist and her primary care doctor. She wants a PPO plan so she can still cover two children in their early 20s who live out-of-state. HMO plans don't have an out-of-network option.

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Only one insurer, Blue Cross and Blue Shield, is offering PPO plans on the Illinois exchange next year, down from five this year. Blue Cross' networks for its PPO plans are largely the same as they were this year, spokeswoman Colleen Miller said.

"I don't mind paying more," said Applebaum, who owns a consulting business. "I mind not being able to see my doctors and insure my children."

Miller said Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois set networks and prices the way it did this year in hopes of helping to stabilize the market for the long term. Many of the insurers that left the exchange cited financial struggles as their reason for exiting.

In some parts of Illinois, deductibles range from about $1,000 to more than $7,000, depending on the type of plan and the county. A deductible is the amount a consumer must pay toward health care costs in a year before the insurance starts covering many expenses.

Frank Vance, a former president of the Chicago Southland Association of Health Underwriters, said people ultimately will pay higher prices for the hospitals and doctors they need.

"The days of going wherever you wanted to go are gone, and you're basically having to be selective with whatever plan you choose," said Vance, owner of EganVance Insurance in Chicago.

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Stephani Becker, a senior policy specialist at the Sargent Shriver National Center on Poverty Law, said Illinois residents' experiences shopping on the exchange will depend on their income levels and where they live. People who qualify for subsidies, for example, won't feel the full effect of the price increases. This year, 75 percent of Illinois residents who bought coverage on the exchange got the tax credits.

"I would agree we need to make some fixes in terms of affordability but the fact that these options are available to so many people is a very positive thing," Becker said.

Kathy Waligora, director of the health reform initiative of EverThrive Illinois, said it's important for consumers to take advantage of online tools and free in-person help, offered through the exchange. On healthcare.gov, individuals can enter their income levels to see how much plans might cost after tax credits and their preferred hospitals and doctors to see if they're in-network on each plan.

The Obama administration expects another 1.1 million people nationwide to buy insurance on the exchanges for next year, bringing the total up to 13.8 million.

lschencker@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @lschencker
Tabitha Dardes tries on a marked down designer coat at the TJMAXX in Langhorne, Pa. "I love the selection here," she said. (Suzette Parmley/Philadelphia Inquirer)

Philadelphia  Tabitha Dardes dresses stylishly, holds a good-paying job and lives in a tony suburb.

So how come she's a regular at T.J. Maxx?

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"It's more like treasure hunting," she said.

As Dardes spoke, she looked at a mirror while holding up a suede, camel Calvin Klein knee-length dress with a $69.99 price tag; it originally retailed for $120. The dress eventually made it into her nearly full cart.

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"I love the selection," Dardes, 54, a public relations director, said, noting she visits a T.J. Maxx once a week. "It's cheaper than department stores."

Therein lies the not-so-subtle reason so many department-store chains  from Macy's, J.C. Penney and Sears to Aeropostale, Victoria's Secret and the Gap  are shuttering stores.

Internet shopping is one reason for their slide. The Pew Research Center said 68 percent of Americans now own a smartphone  an increasingly popular tool for shopping.

But retail experts say off-price retailers  such as TJX Cos. (which owns T.J. Maxx and Marshalls), Ross Dress for Less, Burlington Coat Factory and Nordstrom Rack  have replaced mainstream mall players and taken the hearts and wallets of middle-income shoppers.

"The challenge is that American consumers went into frugality mode during the recession, and though the economic news is much better now, they still have largely not emerged," said Garrick Brown, vice president of Retail Research of the Americas at Cushman & Wakefield. "Luxury and high-end retail bounced back within about 18 months of the recession. Discount and off-price thrived" as well, Brown said.

"But mid-priced retail hard-goods players got hammered," he said, "because so many of the goods they offered could be found online, as well with Amazon and other pure-play e-commerce players."

Moody's Investors Service predicts that the same four value-oriented chains will "continue to outperform the apparel retail segment over the next five years."

"Off-price retailers are anticipated to experience apparel revenue growth of 6 to 8 percent, outperforming the broader apparel segment by a collective 4 percent," the August report said.

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In contrast, the department-store industry is losing share "as online competition increases and mall traffic continues to decelerate," noted Christina Boni, a Moody's senior analyst.

Even more telling is how off-price retailers are adding stores while the footprint of traditional department stores keeps shrinking. Moody's expects the off-price segment's market share in sales to grow to about 10 percent of apparel sales by 2018, from 8.8 percent in 2015.

"The off-price incumbents are able to purchase high volumes of disparate goods from suppliers through their significant scale, flexible purchasing, strong vendor relations, and adaptable real estate strategies," the Moody's report said.

The home category  which includes towels, pillows and other furnishings  was cited as pivotal to boosting sales for off-price retailers, as well as diversifying their offerings.

Ironically, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, annual median income growth last year of 5.4 percent was the biggest jump Americans had seen in 49 years, and the job market set a record for its longest consecutive streak of employment growth (71 months in a row and nearly 16 million jobs created).

"Basically, we are at full employment with strong upward pressure on wages," Brown said. "Meanwhile, cheap gas has also benefited the consumer. The only downside is that health care and housing costs have grown since 2010 above historic norms  but the American consumer is clearly in the best position he or she has been in for the past seven years, and arguably, the last 20 years.

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"Yet, the shopping patterns have not gone back to where they were," Brown said.

Even Nordstrom, a more upscale player, hasn't been immune. The company's growth is all coming from Nordstrom Rack. Outside of a planned New York flagship, the only new full-line Nordstrom department stores that have opened are in Canada. The company closed two U.S. department stores in recent years, including one in downtown San Diego.

Meanwhile, Burlington Coat Factory wants to add 80 to 100 stores this year; Ross, T.J. Maxx and Marshalls want to open 40 to 60 new stores each; and Nordstrom Rack is planning 35 stores.

Madeline Hurley, retail analyst at IBISWorld Inc., in New York, said: "Consumers feel that they are receiving a better value when shopping at off-price stores than at traditional department stores. Especially as off-price retailers expand their online offering, department stores will have an even more difficult time competing."

Frank Badillo, director of research at MacroSavvy.com, which tracks consumer and economic trends, added: "One, there isn't as much price-cutting overall at (discount) apparel stores, and in the category generally this year compared with last year.

"So if you're looking for a good deal, these off-mall, off-price apparel retailers are standing out even more than usual as a good value," Badillo said. "In many cases, they have a smaller percentage of shoppers who are big online shoppers, and in particular who are Amazon Prime members. As a result, they are somewhat less susceptible than department stores to losing sales to the shift online."

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At the entrance of a Nordstrom Rack in downtown Philadelphia, a sign reads: "The ultimate treasure hunt destination."

Inside, Smita Patel, 55, was all smiles after paying $159 for a designer handbag, down from $298.

"I got this for half price!" she boasted to husband V.J. Patel, 56, as he leafed through men's shirts. "Look at it  it's a Michael Kors."

Philadelphia Inquirer | Tribune News Service
Former U.S. Rep. Aaron Schock appears March 6, 2019 after his scheduled hearing at the U.S. Dirksen Courthouse in Chicago. Federal prosecutors have agreed to drop all charges against him if he pays back money he owes to the Internal Revenue Service and his campaign fund. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)

WASHINGTON  Former Rep. Aaron Schock has agreed to pay a $10,000 civil penalty from the Federal Election Commission after he asked a top GOP official for a $25,000 contribution to help another Illinois Republican, documents released Monday show.

The decision drew criticism for how long it took to conclude the case.

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In 2012, Rep. Adam Kinzinger, of Channahon, was in a bitter primary race against Rep. Don Manzullo from the Rockford area. Schock was in Congress when he asked then-Rep. Eric Cantor, R-Va., who was House majority leader, for $25,000 from Cantor's political action committee for a group broadcasting ads in support of Kinzinger.

Federal officeholders may not seek contributions of more than $5,000 from federal PACs in such cases, according to the FEC, which handles civil enforcement of federal campaign-finance law.

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A spokesman for McGuireWoods, Schock's law firm, said Monday that the settlement "was reached to avoid the delay and expense of litigation."

"It was expedient and practical for Aaron to resolve this very old matter with a mutual settlement agreement," said the spokesman, Mark Hubbard.

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Schock, of Peoria, quit Congress in March 2015 after becoming the target of a federal criminal probe examining how he spent campaign funds and his $1 million-plus annual office budget. The status of that case was not known because grand jury proceedings are secret, and the U.S. attorney's office in Springfield declined to comment on Monday.

Brett Kappel, a Washington lawyer for Akerman LLP, said the law allows Schock to use leftover campaign cash to pay the penalty. "You only have to use personal funds if the violation is unrelated to your campaign or status as a member of Congress," Kappel said.

At the end of September, Schock had about $315,000 left in campaign cash, records show.

"It's not every day that the current FEC actually enforces campaign finance laws," said Larry Noble, general counsel of the Campaign Legal Center, one of the groups that filed the FEC complaint against Schock.

Noble called it "absurd" that it took the FEC more than four years to "resolve a straightforward violation."

kskiba@tribpub.com

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The Chicago History Museum has a new enhanced reality app, which overlays historical material, via your phone, into the actual real-world sites. The first version looks at the Eastland maritime disaster in the Chicago River. (Steve Johnson/Chicago Tribune)

It is easy, these days, to think of the Chicago Riverwalk as a happy, fun place, a spot for party boats, wine bars and leisurely strolls along a walkway thick with fellow pleasure-seekers.

But a new and groundbreaking smartphone app from the Chicago History Museum can help you see that today's good time, as with almost any Chicago spot, is only one layer of a complex and sometimes tragic history.

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Stand on the quay side on the northeast corner of LaSalle Street and Wacker Drive, call up the Chicago 00 app, and suddenly you can superimpose photos and video of one of Chicago's most horrifying events, the sinking a century ago of the SS Eastland, onto today's tranquil scene, on pretty much the exact spot those images were captured.

Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 26 WARNING GRAPHIC CONTENT: Rare glass-plate negatives, found in the Tribune's basement archive, capture the aftermath of one of Chicagos worst maritime disasters: the sinking of the SS Eastland in 1915. To view a digital graphic novel of the disaster, click here. In this photo, a victim is carried up the SS Eastland as the steamship lies on its side in the Chicago River after slowly rolling over and drowning 844 people July 24, 1915. (Chicago Tribune historical photo)

"If you were standing here in 1915, this is approximately what you would see," said John Russick, the museum's vice president for interpretation and education, demonstrating the app on an iPad late last week.

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Working with Chicago filmmaker Geoffrey Alan Rhodes, the museum crafted a fascinating new use for augmented reality, the technology that became a worldwide sensation with the summer's introduction of Pokemon Go.

This isn't Pokemon. There are no Eastland disaster landmarks to find for points in this first "chapter" of Chicago 00, so named for the Chicago street-numbering baseline. And the goal is more stop than go. The aim is to "bring history out of the archive," said Russick, to provide fresh perspective, in this case, on the greatest maritime disaster in Great Lakes history: 844 passengers and crew died that July day.

Rhodes, an associate professor at the School of the Art Institute and the lead on the technology side of the project, said, "The really short pitch I'd always use is, if you think about photo archives and the way they've been shown, it's pretty much been coffee table books and documentary film for a century. And this is a new way to put them out there."

So now, instead of bringing your Eastland coffee table book to the Chicago River, you call up the app  a free download for Apple and Android available via the Apple App Store, Google Play and at www.chicago00.org  and let it know approximately where you are standing from a selection of points surrounding the Eastland site: the Riverwalk side, the bridges on either side, or in front of the old office building on the north side of the river.

The site was significant in choosing the Eastland for the first edition of Chicago 00, Russick said. To make the superimposition work, you need a space that is easily accessible to the public and that lets users stand where the photographers stood.

Over 800 people died when the SS Eastland capsized in the Chicago River on July 24, 1915. Now, 100 years later, recently unearthed photos from the Chicago Tribune and recently discovered film from various newsreel sources have given historians a new look at this American maritime tragedy. (John Owens, Chicago Tribune) (Chicago Tribune)

Also significant is the depth of documentation. "The Eastland story, it's so dense," Rhodes said. "It's kind of fascinating the numbers of pictures and films from a single day."

You line up your device by using the outline of a bridge or a building. And then, from each spot, a series of photographs appears so that, for instance, you'll see the Eastland rolled over at the dockside  this was a slow-motion, almost shockingly unspectacular tragedy, considering the level of devastation. You see, for instance, officials standing on its hull while divers pull out another body.

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You can tap on a photo to get caption info and have it fill your screen. Pinch and spread your fingers to zoom in, drag to move to a different spot. When you're done with that one, swipe it away to then find the next. You can even take a screenshot of the superimposition and save it to your device's memory.

"This is one of my favorite images," Russick said. "Look at that rescued boy. He's wearing a man's suit jacket. There were a tremendous number of orphans" because of the disaster.

Museums have taken augmented reality out of their buildings before, Rhodes said, but it has largely been as a promotion. A London museum, for instance, put objects from its collection around the city, and the Andy Warhol Museum did something similar in Pittsburgh, he said.

"It was all about pulling some attention back into the museum, like an ad campaign," said Rhodes. "We were always thinking about (Chicago 00) as a publication. Just put it out there for people to see."

Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 12 A bouquet floats in the Chicago River to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Eastland disaster. (Brian Nguyen, Chicago Tribune)

So they've built it, but they are not sure who will come. "Who is the audience?" Rhodes wondered aloud. "Is it the history buff or the iPhone aficionado?" The intersection "has got to be a narrow point: 'Man, I'm really into Chicago history and I'm really into augmented reality.'"

But the only way to grow an audience, of course, is to give them something to see. So the Eastland disaster chapter of Chicago 00 is up, and Russick said that on deck is one about the Riverwalk itself: more layers of history to enrich what seems like a simple tourist destination.

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sajohnson@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @StevenKJohnson

RELATED STORIES:

100 years since Eastland disaster: 'We must continue to remember'

Disaster on the Eastland: An illustrated narrative

Rare Eastland disaster photos discovered in Tribune basement







Watch the latest movie trailers.

Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 126 Woody introduces the gang to a homemade spork toy with self-esteem issues in "Toy Story 4." Read the review. (Pixar / AP)
The convulsions of modern China, the impact of political tyranny and the divided loyalties of the immigrant are among Ha Jin's great themes in an impressive body of award-winning fiction and essays.

Himself a Chinese immigrant, Ha Jin writes in his adopted language of English and directs the creative writing program at Boston University. His settings, in novels such as "Waiting," "War Trash" and "A Free Life," have ricocheted between the Chinese countryside and urban America, between past and present. His characters often share a sense of displacement. They struggle to reconcile  or choose between  Chinese traditions and American values.

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In Jin's latest novel, "The Boat Rocker," his eponymous protagonist, Feng Danlin, is a New York-based journalist and newly naturalized American citizen writing in Chinese for an organization called the Global News Agency.

As much a polemic as a work of fiction, "The Boat Rocker" describes an Orwellian world in which a single questionable judgment, coupled with a stubborn adherence to principle, exposes Danlin to life-shaking consequences.

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The bad judgment  far-fetched but not entirely implausible in our anything-goes, blog-obsessed, digital-first journalistic age  is Danlin's acceptance of an assignment that epitomizes conflict of interest. On the eve of the fourth anniversary of 9/11, Danlin's boss, Kaiming, asks him to investigate the grandiose claims swirling around a novel, "Love and Death in September," by his ex-wife, Yan Haili.

Danlin's memories of Haili emerge as unprintable epithets. When he arrived in New York from China to join her after a long separation, she greeted him with divorce papers. Though he has since acquired a sexually talented girlfriend, Danlin remains bitter and unreconciled to his loss. (Neither ex-spouse has broken news of the divorce to Danlin's parents, still living in China and hoping for grandchildren.)

In Danlin's view, Haili is an "embarrassingly amateurish" writer. But now her publisher is trumpeting a promised endorsement of her work by the White House, as well as a major U.S. movie deal and translation of the book into 30 languages.

For her part, Haili is promoting the plot of her "exotic, whirlwind love story," about a woman who loses her newlywed husband at the World Trade Center on 9/11, as autobiographical. That at least is an obvious fabrication: Haili's current husband, Larry, is alive and well and working on Wall Street.

"I wouldn't let her get away with it this time," Danlin thinks. "I'd figure out a way to expose all her chicaneries and vanity. Even if she begged me on her knees, I wouldn't relent."

In furtherance of that goal, Danlin meets with Haili, who improbably offers him sample chapters to read. The low quality of the writing confirms his contempt, and, with his boss's backing, he embarks on a crusade to expose her  along with her publisher and editor  as a literary fraud.

But Danlin's journalistic independence is quickly embattled. China's pervasive influence extends to government bureaucrats, who deny him a visa to travel to China; his book publisher, who cancels his forthcoming Chinese-language essay collection; and, finally, the Global News Agency itself.

Danlin also is hobbled by his own ego and desire for fame. "My acid tongue was legendary, my comments heart-stabbing, my views uncompromising, and my predictions sometimes even oracular," he declares early on. As his troubles mount, he digs in and doubles down, imagining himself a First Amendment champion rather than a vengeful ex-spouse. "If only I could sell my soul without a qualm!" he muses self-righteously.

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Written in Ha Jin's typically plain-spoken style, "The Boat Rocker" is not one of his finest works. Its plot turns seem both unlikely and cynical, and its dialogue can be stiffly political. But the author's own genuine anger at hypocrisy ultimately renders the title character, and his plight, sympathetic.

"This is America," Danlin declares optimistically at one point. "Here people go by the rules, and reporters publish the truth." But by rocking the proverbial boat amid unfavorable political and journalistic currents, Jin's flawed hero will come perilously close to drowning.

Julia M. Klein is a freelance writer.

The Boat Rocker

By Ha Jin, Pantheon, 222 pages, $25.95
Kristen O'Meara had her three daughters fully vaccinated after she had a change of heart about immunizations. (Zbigniew Bzdak / Chicago Tribune). (Zbigniew Bzdak / Chicago Tribune/Chicago Tribune)

It took a family bout of rotavirus, a measles outbreak tied to Disneyland and stricter school enrollment rules to get Kristen O'Meara to take a harder look at and eventually switch her once-defiant stance against vaccinations for her children.

But the 40-year-old Palos Park mom said if a doctor had taken the time to educate rather than scold her, she might have changed her mind sooner. And her family, including three young daughters, might have avoided being sick for days with the nasty intestinal bug.

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Childhood immunizations remain a deeply divisive issue. And though studies purporting to link vaccines to autism have been widely discredited, pockets of parental resistance persist: According to surveys by Elk Grove Village-based American Academy of Pediatrics of its member physicians, more doctors in 2013 than in 2006 reported encountering vaccine-hesitant families.

In a report released in September, the academy also revealed that as parents decline to have their children vaccinated, more pediatricians are turning such families away in the name of safeguarding the health of other patients.

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Kristen O'Meara, 40, is greeted by daughters Natasha, 6, center, and twins Aine, and Lena, 4, as she comes home after work in Palos Park on Sept. 29, 2016. Kristen O'Meara once refused to vaccinate her three young children but after a nasty bout of rotavirus and some research, O'Meara changed her mind and now her daughters are fully vaccinated. (Zbigniew Bzdak / Chicago Tribune)

The academy, in newly released guidelines for pediatricians, said excluding families who refuse to vaccinate their children can be "an acceptable option" if used as a last resort in areas where doctors are not scarce, and only after several attempts to educate and quell concerns. The report details reasons why some parents are skeptical of vaccines and suggests ways to address them.

Some local pediatricians had already made it their policy not to accept new patients who are not vaccinated; other doctors have severed ties with existing patients.

But other health-care professionals say keeping unvaccinated patients and their parents under their wing is better for public health, offering the best shot at swaying their views.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, along with the pediatrics academy, recommend a schedule of vaccinations for children unless a medical reason, like cancer treatment that suppresses the immune system, dictates otherwise. The new AAP report stresses the need for further education for parents even before their children are born.

"We have to talk to our patients, our parents and make sure they understand," said Dr. Kathryn Edwards, a Vanderbilt University pediatrics professor who co-wrote one of the AAP reports. "You need to listen to what they're asking, answer their questions and give them (websites) that will help."

He didn't bring me into the fold. He really wanted to point his finger at me. I didn't expect to be treated that way.  Kristen O'Meara

"The decision to dismiss a family who continues to refuse immunization is not one that should be made lightly, nor should it be made without considering and respecting the reasons for the parents' point of view," the report states. "Nevertheless, the individual pediatrician may consider dismissal of families who refuse vaccination as an acceptable option."

Edwards said research points to a few main reasons why parents question vaccines: They wrongly believe that the diseases the shots protect against aren't serious, they question the safety of vaccines or they think any requirement to vaccinate is an infringement on personal rights.

That skepticism was behind O'Meara's hesitancy.

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As a first-time mom six years ago, she worried about the potential side effects of vaccines.

But instead of discussing and trying to allay her concerns, one pediatrician simply "shamed" her, O'Meara said.

"He didn't bring me into the fold. He really wanted to point his finger at me," said O'Meara, a Chicago Montessori schoolteacher and mother of 4-year-old twins and a 6-year-old. "I didn't expect to be treated that way."

The encounter, O'Meara said, left her angry and only heightened her mistrust of the mainstream health-care industry. She soon found a nontraditional doctor who supported her decision against vaccines.

It was the measles outbreak that spread through Disneyland visitors starting in 2014 that initially gave O'Meara and her husband second thoughts, leading her to start researching scientific papers on the topic.

Then, in March 2015, the entire family got sick with rotavirus, including O'Meara's mother, who regularly cared for the children.

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"When I realized it was rotavirus, I thought, 'Huh, there's a vaccine for that,'" O'Meara said. "It was eye-opening. (I thought), 'We're not as protected as I thought we were. Maybe I need to do more research. Maybe we just suffered through something that we didn't have to.'"

Around the same time, the preschool O'Meara's oldest daughter attended stopped accepting unvaccinated children. And O'Meara learned that Illinois had made it more difficult for parents to receive waivers from school vaccination requirements based on religious objections.

"I thought to myself, 'I might as well take them in and vaccinate them, because they're cracking down, anyway,'" O'Meara said.

A month later, O'Meara found a new pediatrician, and inquired about a catch-up schedule of vaccines for all three children. Since earlier this year, they've been fully vaccinated and have had no bad reactions, O'Meara said. Now she wishes she'd had more guidance from physicians who could have pointed her to the science earlier.

Kristen O'Meara, 40, with her daughters Natasha, 6, left, and twins Aine and Lena, 4, right, at their home in Palos Park on Thursday, Sept. 29, 2016. Kristen O'Meara once refused to vaccinate her three young children. After several factors, including a nasty bout of rotavirus, O'Meara changed her mind and now her daughters are fully vaccinated. (Zbigniew Bzdak / Chicago Tribune)

"It was just a whole bunch of things that happened during that time," she said. "It wasn't only that we had gotten sick. It was the catalyst."

Dr. Don Seidman, an Elmhurst pediatrician and chair of pediatrics for DuPage Medical Group, said its doctors will continue to treat unvaccinated patients while trying to persuade their parents to have them immunized.

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Seidman said in his experience, and according to one AAP study, about half the parents who are hesitant about vaccines change their minds after discussions with a doctor. And sometimes the prospect of losing their pediatrician will be enough to change parents' minds.

"It's worth it to make the effort," Seidman said.

Simply turning parents away because they don't want to vaccinate their children is "a lazy way out," he said. "It's dumping (the pediatrician's) responsibility to do this greater good for our community, and hoping another decent practitioner . . . will make the effort.

"I say that with clear recognition of how exhausting and frustrating that process is," he added.

That frustration, Seidman said, stems from time spent repeatedly explaining the science behind vaccinations, and trying to debunk myths  some stemming from the opinions of celebrities.

Advocate Medical Group, one of the Chicago area's largest, recently established a policy not to admit new patients who aren't vaccinated into its pediatric or family medicine practices. Existing patients are allowed to stay but will continue to receive education.

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Other area doctors' groups have drawn harder lines. After a measles outbreak in Palatine last year, McHenry County-based Centegra Physician Care decided to treat only vaccinated patients, according to a news release on its website. Families were given a month to find a new doctor.

"It was a very difficult decision to make," said Dr. Frank Belmonte, a pediatrician and a vice president for Advocate Children's Hospital.

Advocate doctors were seeing both an increased number of unvaccinated patients and a growing concern from other parents about unvaccinated patients. As a result, Advocate spent 18 months developing the new policy, which took effect this past June, Belmonte said.

New patients are told upfront. If they are willing to receive information on vaccines, the parents have three visits to begin the immunization process, he said. If they still resist vaccines, they are dismissed.

"Our goal is to work with families, educate them and give them every opportunity to follow . . . the guidelines, but if we come to an impasse, and there's a lack of trust with the provider, at that point, we terminate the relationship," Belmonte said. "We will do everything in our power to convince a family to do this . . . but there comes a time when you say, 'I've given you all the education.'"

The Advocate group discussed extending the policy to existing patients but, given its size, decided such a measure could be too drastic. The policy will, however, be reexamined in a year, he said.

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At Pediatric Health Associates, which has offices in Bolingbrook, Naperville, Plainfield and West Chicago, parents are given the first several visits to consent to having their children immunized. If they refuse, they're discharged, said founding pediatrician Dr. Tim Wall.

The policy was developed because of a concern for the other children in the practice, especially those who are immune-suppressed and cannot receive vaccines, Wall said. In many cases, parents either are convinced after further education, or return to the practice after they've left and then come to the conclusion to vaccinate on their own, he said.

kthayer@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @knthayer
Here are some of the more interesting events, deals, websites and other travel tidbits that have come across our desk recently:

Traverse City, Mich., will be holding its annual Beer Week on Nov. 11-17. Local brewpubs and breweries will put on tastings, dinners, workshops, lectures and more. The town has nearly 20 craft breweries, brewpubs and taprooms, and Craftbeer.com calls it one of America's "Five Beeriest Beach Towns." www.traversecity.com/tcbw

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The Putnam Museum in Davenport, Iowa, has mounted a new exhibit, "Shipwreck! Pirates & Treasure," which will be on display until Jan. 15, 2017. It includes hundreds of artifacts recovered from shipwrecks, and also a collection of Civil War-era coins and bottles. 563-324-1933, http://tinyurl.com/jg639jj

The Ellwood House Museum in DeKalb, Ill., will hold its annual Holiday Traditions Tours from Nov. 15 to Dec. 4. The mansion will be decorated for the holidays, and there will be guided visits. 815-756-4609, http://tinyurl.com/j7r34m9

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The Freeport/Stephenson County Visitors Center in northern Illinois will have its Holiday Gift Expo from Nov. 18 to Jan. 1, 2017. More than 100 vendors will offer gifts either produced in the county or that represent local history or culture. 815-233-1357, http://tinyurl.com/jhgvbdg

Cedar Creek Settlement in historic Cedarburg, Wis., is having what it's billing as Festive Fridays on five dates leading up to the holidays. Music, food and special activities will follow a theme. On Nov. 18, the theme will be Feliz Navidad, with a Latin Christmas focus; Nov. 25 is Home for the Holidays, pegged to Thanksgiving; Dec. 2-4 is The Settlement Christmas Showcase, with handmade artisan gifts; Dec. 9 is Santa's Workshop; and Dec. 16 is A Taste of Christmas, with shopping, munchies and wine tastings. 866-626-7005, www.cedarcreeksettlement.com

The historic Fox Theatre in Detroit has an upcoming schedule heavy on holiday cheer. "Elf The Musical" is set for Nov. 15-20, followed by "Cirque Dreams Holidaze" on Nov. 22-26, "Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer: The Musical" on Dec. 3-4, "The Hip Hop Nutcracker" on Dec. 11, "Mannheim Steamroller Christmas by Chip Davis" on Dec. 16, Moscow Ballet's "Great Russian Nutcracker" on Dec. 18 and "A Christmas Story, The Musical" on Dec. 20-24. http://tinyurl.com/zlyml35

The ninth annual Grand Rapids International Wine, Beer & Food Festival, billed as Michigan's premier tasting event, will be Nov. 17-19 and will feature samples of 1,600 wines, beers, ciders and spirits. There will also be a variety of seminars and workshops, live music and food samples at area restaurants. One-day and three-day passes can be purchased online. 800-328-6550, www.grwinefestival.com

Special events are planned Nov. 12 to Dec. 31 as part of the annual Christmas in Shipshewana celebration in the Indiana town known for its Amish community. A holiday light parade and lighting ceremony are planned Nov. 12, and there will be a Christmas Tree Trail and other activities the remainder of the year, including an Ice Festival on Dec. 27-28. http://tinyurl.com/oqub5oh

Azores Airlines is offering round-trip flights from Boston to Barcelona, Spain, as low as $549 per person. The sale runs until Dec. 15 for travel in 2017 from March 28 to July 1 and from Aug. 31 to Oct. 28. The flights involve a stop in Ponta Delgada, Azores. http://tinyurl.com/zqyyrd5

Montreal Tourism is running a Sweet Deal Package through the end of the year. Participating hotels are offering 50 percent off the second night of your stay. The website also lists major festivals and events for the remainder of 2016. http://tinyurl.com/z5fyqvr

The Museum of Modern Art PS1 in New York City is presenting the largest exhibition to date of the work of British artist Mark Leckey. The exhibit is titled "Mark Leckey: Containers and Their Drivers" and will be on display until March 5, 2017. http://tinyurl.com/j8up8an

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Trek Travel is taking early reservations for its 2017 tours that will offer the chance to ride stages of the Tour de France. http://tinyurl.com/zw7j3gs

Deals and websites have been checked for availability as of press time. Listings are not endorsements. Send tips at least a month in advance to ChicagoTribTravel@gmail.com.

Phil Marty is a freelancer.

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A 16-year-old boy was killed and at least 11 other people were wounded in Chicago shootings from Monday morning through early Tuesday, police said.



The boy, identified as Jaylen Howard, of the 1300 block of North Massasoit Avenue, was shot several times around 4:45 p.m. in the 1200 block of North Pulaski Road in the West Humboldt Park neighborhood, according to police and the Cook County medical examiner's office.

Howard was pronounced dead at 5:25 p.m. at Stroger Hospital, the medical examiner's office said.

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Other shootings:



 About 5:05 a.m. Tuesday, a 24-year-old man was shot in the Brighton Park neighborhood. He was in the 4500 block of South Francisco Avenue when he was hit in the arm, hand, knee and abdomen, police said. He went to St. Anthony Hospital and was to be transferred to Mount Sinai Hospital.



 Just before 12:10 a.m., a 47-year-old man was shot in the Marquette Park neighborhood. He was on a front porch in the 6300 block of South Rockwell Street when he was hit in the thigh. He went to Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, and his condition was stabilized.



 About 11 p.m. Monday, an 18-year-old man was shot in the buttocks in West Englewood. He was walking on the sidewalk in the 5500 block of South Honore Street when two people came up and fired, police said. He went to Stroger Hospital, and his condition was stabilized.



 About 8:40 p.m., a 19-year-old man was seriously wounded in a Little Village shooting. He was in the 3100 block of South Lawndale Avenue when someone shot him in the side. He went to Mount Sinai Hospital in serious condition.



 About the same time, a 36-year-old man was shot in the leg in the 5900 block of South Maplewood Avenue in the Chicago Lawn neighborhood. He went to Mount Sinai Hospital in good condition.



 About 6:05 p.m., a 16-year-old boy was walking in the 10900 block of South Princeton Avenue in the Roseland neighborhood when an attacker on foot fired shots and hit him in the foot, police said. The boy got himself to Roseland Community Hospital, where he was in good condition, police said.

Willis Tower sits in the background as a member of the Chicago Police Department investigates a triple shooting in the 1300 block of South Central Park Avenue on Oct. 24, 2016, in Chicago's Lawndale neighborhood. (Armando L. Sanchez / Chicago Tribune)



 About 4 p.m., three men were shot in Lawndale, officials said. A 22-year-old man was shot in the lower back, a 26-year-old man was hit in the abdomen and grazed in the face, and a 32-year-old man was shot in the chest, police said. All three were listed in critical condition at Mount Sinai Hospital after the attack in the 1300 block of South Central Park Avenue.

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Raw video shows police responding to the scene of a shooting in the Austin neighborhood the afternoon of Oct. 24, 2016. (WGN-TV) (WGN-TV/Chicago Tribune)



 About 3:25 p.m. in the Austin neighborhood, a 19-year-old man was shot in the left leg in the 1700 block of North Linder Avenue, police said. He was taken to West Suburban Medical Center in Oak Park, and his condition was stabilized.



 The day's first shooting was at 8:15 a.m., when a 21-year-old man was wounded in the 10300 block of South State Street in Fernwood. Someone shot him in the abdomen, and he was taken to Advocate Christ Medical Center in serious condition, she said.
The crime shocked the Chicago area nearly 40 years ago: a wealthy commodities trader shot to death in his home in quiet, tony Inverness while his wife and three of their children were tied up in a closet.

The case stymied investigators for decades until another shocker in 2013: Authorities had charged the dead man's wife with first-degree murder, alleging the home intrusion was staged and that she was in on the plot.

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Jacquelyn Greco, now 69, is scheduled to go to trial this week in Cook County's Rolling Meadows branch court in the 1979 killing of her husband, Carl Gaimari, 34. Jury selection began Monday morning and, with the jury seated by midafternoon, opening statements were due to begin Tuesday morning.

According to authorities and court records, the former Jacquelyn Gaimari raised suspicions early on because she had been having an affair with a Chicago police officer who moved into the Inverness home days after Carl Gaimari's death and married Jacquelyn within a few months.

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In pretrial hearings, Assistant State's Attorney Maria McCarthy told Judge Marc Martin that Greco believed her husband was worth $1 million but was seeking a divorce because of his wife's infidelity.

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"She wanted to kill her husband rather than go through a divorce," McCarthy said. "In a divorce, she would not get all the money."

Jacquelyn and the Chicago police officer, Sam Greco, divorced in 1990, records show, though Jacquelyn Greco kept his name. She eventually moved to the tiny community of Crystal Falls in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, where she was arrested after giving an incriminating statement to police and to a family member in phone conversations recorded by investigators, prosecutors say.

Sam Greco, now retired, has not been charged in Carl Gaimari's death. Greco has not responded to multiple requests for comment.

Jacquelyn Greco's defense attorneys have said their client was a victim of abuse and manipulation. They have noted that, in her police statement, Greco said she tried to stop the plot from proceeding.

Jacquelyn Greco was at home with three of her four young children in April 1979 when two men with stockings over their faces rang the doorbell. The men tied her and her children up in a closet and then shot Carl Gaimari with his own handguns when he returned home. Witnesses saw the men walking away from the house carrying pistols, but they have never been apprehended or identified.

In 2010, Inverness police Detectives Mike Kirby and Bill Stutzman began reviewing evidence, leading to Jacquelyn Greco's arrest.

George Houde is a freelance reporter.
Chicago police are reporting an attempted criminal sexual assault Monday morning on the Far Northwest Side.

A 37-year-old woman was walking through a parking garage in the 8400 block of West Bryn Mawr Avenue on her way to a CTA Blue Line station about 4 a.m. when a man approached her from behind and knocked her to the ground, according to a community alert from Area North detectives.

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The attacker demanded that she remove her clothing, but she struggled and was able to flee and get to a safe area, the alert said.

The attacker, who fled south from the parking lot, is described as a black man about 25 years old who is 5-foot-5 to 5-foot-7, the alert said.

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He weighs about 135 pounds and has brown eyes, black hair and a light complexion. He was wearing a gray hooded sweatshirt, the alert said.

Anyone with information should call detectives at 312-744-8261.
A video of a Chicago activist removing a Trump sign has generated thousands of views and prompted police in one suburb to issue a statement explaining why they did not charge him with sign theft.

Jedidiah Brown posted a video on Facebook on Oct. 18 showing him removing the large sign from an unspecified location and placing it in the back of his car.

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"I think this it is my duty as a citizen of the United States of America," Brown says to the camera as he pulls his car over and walks toward the Trump-Pence sign. "I'm clearly in a predominantly white area because that would never roll on the South Side of Chicago."

Earlier in the video, Brown says, "I'm sure I'm going to jail" and asks for viewers to send bail money. As the video ends, Brown says people are approaching and he hastily leaves.

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In fact, Brown did get pulled over a short time later in suburban Northfield and was charged with driving with a suspended license and running a red light along Frontage Road, Northfield police said.

That apparently created confusion among some who saw the video and Brown's subsequent posts about the traffic stop. Northfield police on Monday said they were getting calls from around the country, in some cases from people who wondered why Brown had not been charged with stealing the sign, and in other cases from those who erroneously thought he had been.

"We have received media inquiries based on the incorrect belief that we gave Mr. Brown a pass for stealing Mr. Trump's signs," Northfield police said in a statement issued Friday. Authorities said they lacked sufficient evidence that the sign in the video was taken in Northfield and in fact referred the case to a community in Wisconsin based on a location overheard on Brown's GPS in the video.

In an interview with the Tribune, Brown did say he was headed back to Chicago from Wisconsin when he took "a lot" of Trump signs, but only from public property. Political signs generally can only be placed on private property. Brown didn't specify where he took the signs but said it was not from Northfield.

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Brown said, however, that he was pulled over in Northfield "almost immediately" after getting off the highway because of heavy traffic. He had the Trump signs in his car and "I thought they caught me. They got me for the Trump signs," he said. "I didn't ask why he pulled me over because I felt I knew."

He instead was booked on the alleged traffic and license violations, and police called him "cooperative and polite." Brown said he told police that he had taken care of his suspended license recently. He, too, said the Trump signs were not a factor.

"The Northfield Police Department experience was by far the best experience I ever had with a police department, and I hate that they have gotten the backlash of people putting all of this stuff together and making it into one narrative that it wasn't," Brown said.

Brown, who has been active in protesting police shootings in Chicago, said seeing the signs reminded him of a Trump rally in Chicago last spring he attended as a demonstrator, where the candidate's appearance was canceled amid unrest.

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Brown said he was told by Trump supporters there to go back to Africa, and he saw Trump supporters yelling at Muslims praying outside the rally. Brown is the protester who rushed to the stage, tore up a Trump sign and was removed by security guards. He said he had to defend himself against a Trump supporter who started fighting him.

One point of disagreement regarded Brown's claim on Facebook that, during the traffic stop, "arresting officers took pictures with me when they realized I was at the Trump rally." Northfield police called that "absolutely untrue."

Brian L. Cox is a freelance reporter; Alexandra Kukulka is a Pioneer Press reporter.
Working on a film about Emmett Till, the African American teen brutally slain in 1955, had already been an emotional experience for Kevin Wilson Jr.

A graduate film student at New York University, Wilson set out to document Till's life earlier this year, speaking with one of Till's cousins who was there 61 years ago when the 14-year-old was abducted, mutilated and dumped in Mississippi's Tallahatchie River.

Wilson said the interview left him shaken.

"I'm struggling to keep it together," he wrote in a post on the film's fundraising page over the summer. "To be able to hear the voice of someone who shared laughs, cries, food, and a bed with Emmett Till is quite emotional."

Wilson's research led him to another unsettling encounter last week.

As he was scouting locations for his project, he visited a memorial marker near the site where Till's severely beaten body was removed from the river. The purple sign describing the incident was riddled with dozens of bullet holes.

Wilson snapped a picture and posted it to Facebook.

"Clear evidence that we've still got a long way to go," he wrote.

With racial tensions running high in the country, the post struck a chord. It has since been shared more than 13,000 times.

Till, a Chicago native, was visiting relatives in Money, Miss., in August 1955, when he spoke and interacted with a white female grocery store clerk. Later, the woman's husband and another man allegedly went to the house where Till was staying and abducted him, beating him severely and throwing him in the river with a cotton gin fan weighing him down.

When his body was discovered days later, Till's mother insisted on an open-casket funeral. His death and his alleged killers' trial - Roy Bryant, the woman's husband, and J.W. Milam were acquitted of all charges by an all-white jury - became a rallying cry for civil rights leaders around the country.

The sign that marks the spot where Till's body was discovered has been stolen and vandalized on several occasions since it first went up in 2008, according to the Clarion-Ledger. The Emmett Till Memorial Commission has installed eight markers like it around the county, and the sign near the river has seen the most damage.

"These are easy targets, a low-risk outlet for racism," Dave Tell, an associate professor at the University of Kansas who is part of the Emmett Till Memory Project, told the Clarion-Ledger. Some people, he said, see "civil rights monuments as a form of reverse discrimination, a threat to their own well-being."

People have posted photos of the sign after it was vandalized in previous years.

The Emmett Till Interpretive Center told WJTV that it has replaced damaged signs over the years, but the costs are beginning to mount. Police have yet to make any arrests in connection with the vandalism, WJTV reported.

A fundraiser to replace the sign passed its $15,000 goal Sunday night, raising more than $18,000.

Wilson said he didn't feel any danger or threat when he first came across the sign during his scouting trip - only an "immense sadness" at seeing the bullet holes.

"It just kind of spoke to the racial climate in this country, not just in the area," he told WJTV. "There are still people who are living in those areas who still hold those ideologies dear to their heart - ideologies that we're trying to get away from."

In a disturbing contrast, Wilson also visited the site marker near the home of J.W. Milam, one of the two white men acquitted by an all-white jury of all charges related to Till's slaying. That sign, he said, appears perfectly intact.

"It is preserved and adorned with flowers," Wilson said. "We have a long way to go."
Samuel Velasco's day in court was coming, and, after years of delays, there was little he could do to stop it.

He was accused in 2005 of molesting his 4-year-old stepdaughter, who had told her mother about the abuse. The girl was too young to testify, so the only witness for prosecutors was the mother - Velasco's now-ex-wife, Ruth Sagredo.

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Velasco's attorneys had succeeded in getting the case continued seven times, but they were out of chances. A judge in El Paso had scheduled a jury trial for Nov. 12, 2008.

Sagredo was "very adamant about getting [Velasco] prosecuted and have him pay for what he did," the child's father, Eduardo Avalos, told CBS News.

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So a few weeks before the trial, Velasco and his siblings sat around his kitchen table thinking up ways to kill his ex-wife, court documents say.

"They discussed needing to eliminate Ruth so she would not testify against him," FBI Special Agent Jason Kaunas testified during a pretrial hearing last year.

"They came up with a plan in order to get her - to lure her into Mexico because they didn't want to do the killing in the United States. At that point, the plan was devised to kill Francisco, the father, in order to have a funeral happen in Mexico which would force Ruth to travel to Mexico."

Velasco had the experience and the resources to pull off a complicated international murder scheme, Kaunas told the court.

Velasco had been under investigation for smuggling Mexican drugs through El Paso, then laundering the drug money through his shoe business. His brother, Emmanuel, and sister, Dalia Valencia, also were key players.

The group also operated a kidnapping ring in Juarez, from 2009 until 2013, according to court documents. Velasco was at the top of the organization, which operated on both sides of the Rio Grande.

The group's "hit teams" targeted business owners, medical professionals, students and children, according to a Vice News article on the Velascos. After the kidnappings, it was Samuel Velasco who called worried families to start negotiations.

Francisco Sagredo, Velasco's former father-in-law and a wealthy businessman, fit the profile of the group's typical targets.

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To get Velasco off the hook for the sexual assault charge, Francisco Sagredo had to die in a very specific way.

"They wanted to hire a hit team to basically attack the father, Francisco, and rob him and make it look like a cartel hit, and that way a funeral would be held in Mexico," the FBI's Kaunas said.

Francisco Sagredo was in his home in Juarez on Oct. 3, 2008, when three men burst in wearing masks and holding guns.

"They locked family members in the bathroom while they took the victim, Francisco, into another room, then eventually shot him," Kaunas said.

Then they emptied the safe.

But Francisco Sagredo's death didn't succeed in baiting his daughter, who didn't attend her father's funeral, according to court documents.

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So the Velascos chose a new target - Cinthia Sagredo, his ex-wife's sister.

Cinthia Sagredo ran a hotel in Juarez. On Nov. 20, her killers waited for her to walk outside.

"Several armed men drove up to the hotel, opened fire, and killed her outside in front of the hotel."

Ruth Sagredo traveled to Mexico two days later to bury her sister - her second family funeral in as many months.

The killers finally found their target.

According to court documents, "several armed men in two separate vehicles drove up to her vehicle, boxed her in and opened fire, killing her inside."

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Vice reported that the sex assault charges against Samuel Velasco were dropped the following March "after the complaining witness . . . requested dismissal."

In the United States, Samuel Velasco continued to evade arrest, although the feds continued to build their case against his drug smuggling and kidnapping organization.

He was arrested in the murder-for-hire plot in September 2015. His sister and brother, who came to his house to plan the killings nearly seven years prior, were also charged.

All three will probably spend the rest of their lives in prison, authorities said.

Dalia Valencia and Emmanuel Velsaco pleaded guilty to the conspiracy charge. They are scheduled to be sentenced in December.

Samuel Velasco pleaded not guilty but was convicted last week.

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He will be sentenced to mandatory life in prison in January.

The Washington Post
Tom Hayden, the preeminent 1960s radical who roused a generation of alienated young Americans, became a symbol of militancy by leading riotous protests at the 1968 Democratic National Convention, and added Hollywood glamour to his mystique with an activist partnership and marriage to film star Jane Fonda, died Oct. 23 in Santa Monica, Calif. He was 76.

Hayden's wife, Barbara Williams, said he died after a long illness, according to the Associated Press. He had heart disease and was hospitalized for a stroke in 2015.

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At a moment in history - June 1962 - before U.S. escalation in Vietnam, the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, the civil rights March on Washington and the awakening of the environmental and feminist movements, Hayden emerged as one of the most articulate spokesmen of youthful angst.

At 22, a year out of college in Michigan, he drafted the Port Huron Statement, an expansive Utopian manifesto that extolled "participatory democracy" as an antidote to the complacency and conformity of the Eisenhower decade.

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The ideological lodestar of Students for a Democratic Society, which became the largest and most influential organ of the 1960s New Left, the Port Huron Statement was credited with drawing hundreds of thousands of idealistic, restless youths into an anti-authoritarian movement that rocked society at its foundation.

Decades later, the landmark text reverberated in popular culture as a punch line in the 1998 film "The Big Lebowski," in which the old hippie protagonist declares himself an author of "the original Port Huron Statement, not the compromised second draft." Although others weighed in on the final version, it adhered to Hayden's buoyant themes, which have echoed in contemporary movements for democratic engagement around the world, from student protests in the Middle East to Occupy Wall Street.

The proclamation, named for the SDS gathering on the shores of Lake Huron north of Detroit, owed much to Hayden's combination of iconoclasm and deep social conscience forged by his Catholic upbringing.

For the fledgling SDS, he had conducted fearless front-line activism in the South. But his master stroke for the organization was the 64-page tour de force that confronted a hypocrisy in American ideals, disillusionment with social progress and anxiety in a supposed age of prosperity.

Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 8 Dec. 6, 1973: Political activist Tom Hayden, husband of Jane Fonda, tells newsmen in Los Angeles that he believes public support was partially responsible for the decision not to send him and others of the Chicago 7 to jail for contempt. (George Brich / AP)

"We are people of this generation, bred in at least modest comfort, housed now in universities, looking uncomfortably to the world we inherit," Hayden wrote in the oft-quoted first lines of the statement that he and a few friends hand-delivered to the Kennedy White House before a mass distribution of 60,000 copies sold for 25 cents each.

He went on to assume influential roles in many of the most important student upheavals of the period before focusing his rage on the United States' involvement in Vietnam.

In 1965, as a guest of the North Vietnamese, he became one of the first Americans to visit wartime Hanoi. Years later, he urged Fonda to make the trip, a public relations disaster that saddled the actress with the derisive nickname "Hanoi Jane."

With Rennie Davis, Abbie Hoffman and other radical leaders, Hayden went on to plot the massive antiwar demonstrations that turned Chicago's streets into a battleground for five days in August 1968.

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Tom Hayden in 2008. (Candice C. Cusic / Chicago Tribune)

"Let us make sure that if our blood flows, it flows all over the city," he told throngs of young protesters in the city's Grant Park on the day Vice President Hubert Humphrey became the Democratic presidential nominee.

Confronted by Democratic Mayor Richard J. Daley's 12,000 Chicago police in addition to 6,000 Army troops and 5,000 National Guardsmen, Hayden exhorted the demonstrators to "turn this overheated military machine against itself."

After arrests and injuries ran well into the hundreds, Hayden and seven others were charged with conspiracy to incite violence. The Chicago Eight, as they were initially known, became the Chicago Seven when Black Panther leader Bobby Seale was separated from the case. Hayden was found guilty but the conviction was overturned in 1972 by an appeals court, which cited improper rulings by an antagonistic trial judge.

The rebel who by 1967 had earned a spot on the FBI's Rabble Rouser Index would later spend the bulk of his public life trying to change the system from within.

Calling himself a "born-again middle-American," a claim that some detractors found opportunistic, Hayden reinvented himself in the liberal mainstream, was elected to the California legislature in 1982 and for 18 years represented an affluent swath of Los Angeles County.

Dec. 26, 1972: Actress Jane Fonda, right, and Tom Hayden, one of the founders of SDS, talk at the home of a friend in London, after their arrival from Paris. (Anonymous / AP)

With funding from the profitable Jane Fonda workout franchise, he and Fonda founded the Campaign for Economic Democracy, a progressive, grass-roots organization later known as Campaign California that gave him an enduring prominence that eluded many of his old friends from the '60s.

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He was "the most influential politician to come out of the New Left," said Todd Gitlin, a Columbia University sociologist and historian of the '60s who succeeded Hayden as SDS president. Unlike many on the left who disdained hierarchy, "Tom was one of very few people I knew who actually wanted to lead and liked power," Gitlin said.

Thomas Emmett Hayden was born in Royal Oak, Mich., a middle-class Detroit suburb, on Dec. 11, 1939. His father was a former Marine who worked for Chrysler as an accountant. He was also a violent drunk and, by the time Tom was 10, his parents had divorced. He was raised by his mother.

He grew up worshipping at the church led by Father Charles Coughlin, the "radio priest" who gained national prominence during the Depression as an advocate for the jobless but later revealed himself to be a rabid anti-Semite.

Disturbed by Coughlin's teachings, Hayden drifted away from the church in his teen years. In his farewell column as editor of the high school paper, he used the first letter of successive paragraphs to spell "Go to hell." He was banned from attending graduation.

In 1957 Hayden entered the University of Michigan and, by his senior year, was editor of the student newspaper.

The pivotal event of his college career came during what he later called his "summer of transformation." On a picket line outside the 1960 Democratic National Convention in Los Angeles, he interviewed the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. "Ultimately," King told him, "you have to take a stand with your life."

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"As I left the line, and later as I left Los Angeles, I asked myself why I should be only observing and chronicling this movement instead of participating in it," Hayden recalled in "Reunion," his 1988 memoir.

Feb. 1970: If ever a modern American trial deserved to be called a circus in a courtroom, it was the case of the "Chicago Seven." Front row: Rennie Davis, Jerry Rubin, Abbie Hoffman. Back row: Lee Weiner, Bob Lamb and Thomas Hayden. Lamb was not one of the "Chicago Seven." (Associated Press)

After graduating in 1961, he accepted an offer from SDS founder Al Haber to become the fledgling group's field secretary in the South. He was beaten by segregationists and, on his 22nd birthday, he found himself in a jail cell in Albany, Ga., after participating in a Freedom Ride from Atlanta.

Hayden was helping organize the urban poor in Newark, an extension of his SDS experience, when he joined Marxist historian Herbert Aptheker and radical historian Staughton Lynd on a peace mission to Hanoi. Ignoring State Department prohibitions on travel to North Vietnam, Hayden arrived in Hanoi on Dec. 21, 1965, and spent much of the next 10 days surveying the destruction caused by U.S. bombs.

Two years later, Hayden made a second trip to Hanoi and wound up escorting three captured American soldiers from Phnom Penh back to the States, a North Vietnamese gesture of solidarity with the American peace movement.

Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 45 Delegates on the Democratic National Convention floor chant "Stop the war" after a speech by Pierre Salinger, President John F. Kennedy's press secretary, on Aug. 28, 1968. Salinger urged adoption of the dove plank on the Vietnam War. (John Austad / Chicago Tribune)

In 1968, determined to find a way to "lance the tumor that Vietnam was in our lives," he joined Hoffman and Davis as the critical Chicago leaders of the National Mobilization Committee to End the War in Vietnam.

On the worst day of violence in Chicago, he was among a crush of demonstrators driven through the windows of the Hilton Hotel's Haymarket Lounge by police brandishing batons and tear gas. Much of America watched the scene unfold live on their TV sets.

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Three months later, Republican Richard M. Nixon, who had pledged to restore order in America, won the presidency by a decisive margin.

Portrait of the Chicago Seven and their lawyers as they raise their fists in unison outside the courthouse where they were on trial for conspiracy and inciting a riot during the 1968 Democratic National Convention, Chicago, Illinois, on October 8, 1969. (David Fenton / Getty Images)

At an antiwar event in Ann Arbor, Mich., in February 1971, Hayden met Fonda, then in the midst of a transition from sex symbol in movies ("Barbarella") to dramatic actress and left-wing activist. They did not cross paths again until early 1972, when Hayden, in cheap rubber sandals and a long braid, approached her after a speech in Los Angeles. Fonda later wrote of the "electric charge" she felt when he placed a hand on her knee.

They married in 1973, when Fonda was three months pregnant with their son. They named him Troy after a North Vietnamese dissident and chose a Hayden family name, Garity, for his last name.

By then, they were consumed by the Indochina Peace Campaign, with the objective of reviving opposition to the war and Nixon's conduct of it.

Before embarking on a 90-city speaking tour in fall 1972, they decided to leave "behind our counterculture trappings," Fonda wrote in her memoir, "My Life So Far." "It wouldn't do if the way we looked turned people off to what we were saying. So I trimmed Tom's hair, bought him a suit and tie, exchanged his rubber sandals for brown leather, and got myself a couple of wrinkle-proof conservative outfits."

In early 1973, the Paris Peace Accords were signed and much of the antiwar movement shut down. Hayden began to reposition himself for an extraordinary second act, culminating in his successful run for the California state assembly in 1982.

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Fonda knocked on doors for him and poured hundreds of thousands of dollars into his campaign. But their united front belied increasing tensions, including his constant belittling of her fitness and movie career. Their 1990 divorce was bitter.

Hayden's brief early marriage to civil rights worker Sandra "Casey" Cason ended in divorce. Survivors include his third wife, actress Barbara Williams, whom he married in 1993; their son, Liam; a stepdaughter, Vanessa Vadim, from Fonda's marriage to French filmmaker Roger Vadim; and Garity, an actor who portrayed his father in the 2000 Abbie Hoffman biopic "Steal This Movie."

Hayden vied for other offices, including the California governorship and Los Angeles mayor, but he could not fully shake his radical past, despite his assertions that he no longer clung to what he called "overly romantic" beliefs that had driven him against the establishment during a tumultuous decade.

"You don't navigate challenges and remain unchanged," he told Rolling Stone on the 50th anniversary of the Port Huron Statement. "Not that you don't sometimes yearn to be young again, but you'll never see the world the way you did when you were truly young."
Democrat Hillary Clinton and Republican Donald Trump each launched fresh attacks against the other on Monday, signaling that harshly negative closing arguments may dominate the final two weeks of the campaign.

Clinton's campaign tried to build on its case that Trump doesn't respect women, while Trump again questioned the integrity of the election process - this time asserting that polls showing Clinton ahead across the country are "phony" and "rigged."

Perhaps the most intense rhetoric of the day came from Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., one of Clinton's top allies, who said Trump's disregard for women would be his undoing in the election. As Trump continued to suggest that he might not accept a Clinton victory on Nov. 8, Warren seemed to revel in the role that women may play not only in defeating him but also in electing the first female president in the nation's history.

"I've got news for you, Donald Trump," Warren said, standing on a windswept stage in this college town alongside Clinton and U.S. Senate candidate Maggie Hassan - and riffing on Trump's reference to Clinton as a "nasty woman" during their third presidential debate. "Women have had it with guys like you. And nasty women have really had it with guys like you. Yeah, get this, Donald: Nasty women are tough, nasty women are smart, and nasty women vote."

Although the Clinton campaign has been working for weeks to portray Trump as a misogynist, allies and surrogates jumped on his latest utterance to continue the effort. Pop star Katy Perry wore a T-shirt emblazoned with "Nasty Woman" while knocking on dormitory doors at George Mason University in the Washington suburbs of Northern Virginia. Other merchandise, including cross-stitch pillows and coffee mugs, popped up for sale on the Internet.

"He thinks because he has a mouth full of Tic-Tacs that he can force himself on any woman within groping distance," Warren said Monday, referring to a 2005 video in which Trump lewdly described forcing himself on women and then took the breath mints as he explained he liked to kiss women without asking permission.

With just 15 days left until Election Day, Trump spent Monday in Florida, telling supporters that the national media has deliberately skewed polls to undermine his candidacy and that he is actually winning.

During a discussion with farmers at Bedner's Farm Fresh Market in Boynton Beach, Florida, Trump devoted nearly half of his seven-minute public remarks to criticizing the news media.

"I believe we're actually winning," he said, speaking in a thatched-roof structure adorned with decorative gourds. He asserted that the majority of public opinion polls, which show Clinton leading nationally and in most battleground states, reflect the "crooked system, the rigged system I've been talking about since I entered the race."

"What they do is they show these phony polls where they look at Democrats, and it's heavily weighted with Democrats, and then they'll put on a poll where we're not winning, and everybody says, 'Oh they're not winning,' " he added.

His campaign manager, Kellyanne Conway, acknowledged Sunday that her candidate trails Clinton, saying, "We are behind." But Trump said Monday that he trusts the two polls that have shown him leading - Investor's Business Daily and Rasmussen - as more reliable.

Later Monday, as Trump campaigned in St. Augustine, Florida, his supporters said they were unfazed by Trump's "nasty woman" comment or Warren's attempts to raise it.

"Pocahontas has lied before," said Cleta Van Horn, 78, of St. Augustine, referring to a disparaging nickname Trump often applies to the senator from Massachusetts.

Van Horn was seated at the rally next to her daughter, Laura Nelson, 47, also of St. Augustine. Nelson said she also was not bothered by Trump's remark and Democratic attempts to use it against him.

"I think they are overblowing everything," said Nelson, who passionately waved a Trump-Pence sign over her head when the GOP nominee took the stage.

Among Clinton supporters, however, there was evidence of a ripple effect of Trump's remark.

Diana Hess, a Clinton supporter who is now an advocate for people with disabilities, said that the phrase has ricocheted across her social circle on social media and elsewhere.

"My friends have been saying to me: 'We're nasty women who vote,' " said Hess, 58. "We took it as a call to action. Women don't deserve to be treated the way they've been treated by Donald Trump."

Trump then turned his fire on Clinton's use of a personal email server while secretary of state. He said the FBI and Justice Department had inappropriately let her off the hook.

"We have to investigate the investigation, folks," Trump said.

Trump on Monday also addressed the latest accusations of inappropriate sexual contact made against him, saying of the accuser, an adult film performer, "Oh, I'm sure she's never been grabbed before."

Calling into WGIR radio's "New Hampshire Today," Trump characterized the allegations against him as "total fiction," including the behavior alleged by Jessica Drake. On Saturday, she accused Trump of grabbing her and kissing her without permission and offering her money to go up to his hotel room about a decade ago.

"She's a porn star," Trump said. "You know, this one that came out recently, 'he grabbed me and he grabbed me on the arm.' Oh, I'm sure she's never been grabbed before."

Trump also seized on a Wall Street Journal report that the political action committee of Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe, D, a leading Clinton supporter, gave $452,500 to a Northern Virginia state Senate candidate last year.

The candidate, Jill McCabe of Loudoun County, Virginia, is married to FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe, who oversaw the bureau's investigation into Clinton's use of the private server. The state Democratic Party reportedly gave McCabe's campaign another $207,788.

Trump called the donations "absolutely disgraceful" and alleged without presenting evidence that "Hillary knew this money was being paid."

Aides to McAuliffe and others said Monday that the timeline of events was inconsistent with any suggestion of wrongdoing.

McAuliffe's support of Jill McCabe was part of a much broader effort at the time to try to win back a Democratic majority in the Virginia Senate, and his PAC gave greater amounts to other candidates. At the time McAuliffe recruited Jill McCabe to run for office, her husband was in another job, and there was no publicly known FBI investigation into the Clinton emails.

By the time he was promoted to deputy director and assumed responsibility for the Clinton email investigation, his wife had been out of politics for several months.

Clinton and her backers sought to capitalize on Trump's declining poll numbers by lifting up candidates lower on the ballot this fall. The appearance with Warren was also designed to promote the candidacy of Hassan, the current governor of New Hampshire who is challenging Sen. Kelly Ayotte, R.

Warren's appearance was part of the Clinton campaign's effort to flood swing states with high-profile endorsers as the campaign comes to a close. It was also a tacit show of unity between Clinton and very liberal voters who consider Warren a champion and who, in New Hampshire, preferred liberal primary challenger Sen. Bernie Sanders over the moderate Clinton by a wide margin.

But mostly Warren, whose lines got louder applause than Clinton's, was there as the best provocateur the Clinton campaign can field against Trump. He has engaged in several fierce attacks on Warren, often via Twitter.

"She gets under his thin skin like nobody else," a delighted Clinton said at the start of her remarks.

Later Monday, Clinton was scheduled to attend a high-dollar fundraising party in Manhattan with a birthday theme and entertainment by singer and composer Stevie Wonder. Clinton turns 69 on Wednesday.

The New York event and another on Tuesday in South Florida are likely to be Clinton's last in-person fundraisers of the campaign. They cap a 19-month run since she announced for president in April 2015 in which the candidate rarely went more than a few days without headlining some kind of event with paying guests. Clinton's reliance on big checks from wealthy donors brought sharp criticism from primary rival Sen. Bernie Sanders earlier this year, but the strategy gave her an edge in fundraising over Trump.

President Barack Obama also plugged Clinton's candidacy on Monday.

"The good news is that at the moment the polls show that Hillary is enjoying a lead," Obama said outside a fundraiser in La Jolla, California. But he added that the "volatile" nature of the race meant that "we can't take anything for granted."

"There are a lot of states like Ohio and Florida that are way too close to call," he said, adding that it was important to "make sure that people actually turn out to vote."

Trump started the week with a focus on two critical states in the Southeast: Florida and North Carolina. In a sign of the intense battle over Florida, Trump's plane and that of the Democratic vice-presidential nominee, Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia, were parked on the same Miami tarmac Monday.

Before leaving Miami, Trump did a radio interview with WBT Radio host Bo Thompson, making his case to listeners in Charlotte, North Carolina.

He accused the media of engaging in "a pile-on, the likes of which nobody's ever seen."

"I'm going to protect the people, and the media are the exact opposite, and they, you know, represent the opposite," Trump said. He added he has a development near Charlotte that has been a "tremendous success" and would contribute to his winning the state. "So I understand North Carolina very well."

Despite his claims elsewhere that he's winning, Trump conceded during the interview that he's trailing in the polls. But he also predicted an upset victory nonetheless.

"I think we're gonna have a Brexit situation," said, he referring to the British referendum in which voters unexpectedly decided to leave the European Union. "You know, that one was behind in the polls, and I guess I'm somewhat behind in the polls but not by much. I mean, in your state, I'm one point, two points and even in three polls. One point, two points and even."

Trump also announced Monday that his Facebook page would start hosting "nightly campaign coverage from Trump Tower."

He did something similar before the final debate, promoting a webcast featuring surrogates and a video message from his daughter Ivanka. The announcement comes as some observers have speculated that Trump might start a media venture if he is not elected president. He has sought to tamp down such speculation.

---

Sullivan reported from Florida. Wagner reported from Washington. Juliet Eilperin and Abby Phillip in Washington contributed to this report.
The Las Vegas Review-Journal became the first major newspaper to endorse Donald Trump for president this election season, stating that, while the candidate has flaws, he'll bring needed disruption and change to Washington.

"Mr. Trump represents neither the danger his critics claim nor the magic elixir many of his supporters crave," the paper said in its endorsement. "But he promises to be a source of disruption and discomfort to the privileged, back-scratching political elites for whom the nation's strength and solvency have become subservient to power's pursuit and preservation."

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Trump tweeted, "Thank you Las Vegas Review Journal" with a link to the editorial.

The paper was bought by Sheldon Adelson last year, a major Republican donor who is also another billionaire linked to casinos. It remained unclear who bought the newspaper at the time of the deal, but many speculated whoever it was - that person really wanted to own this newspaper.

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Soon after, it was reported that Adelson bought the Review-Journal for a whopping $140 million.

"Suspicions about his motives for paying a lavish $140 million for the newspaper last month are based on his reputation in Las Vegas as a figure comfortable with using his money in support of his numerous business and political concerns," the New York Times reported in January.

The Review-Journal has a circulation of about 98,000 daily, 119,000 on Sundays and "remains a prime target for anyone seeking to influence voters in Nevada," The Post's media critic Paul Farhi wrote.

Adelson and his wife, well-known Republican donors, gave $5,400 to Ted Cruz in November and the same amount to Lindsey Graham in March, before the South Carolina senator dropped out.

Although smaller papers have endorsed Trump, several large conservative-leaning newspapers have broken ranks and endorsed Hillary Clinton for President in recent months.

The San Diego Union-Tribune broke a 148-year-long streak of endorsing Republicans for president on Sept. 30 and encouraged its readers to vote for Hillary Clinton.

The Arizona Republic (formerly, the Arizona Republican), tweeted out a photo of Clinton gazing into the distance while announcing its endorsement. It's the first time the Republic has endorsed a Democrat since 1890.

The Republic received death threats after its endorsement was announced, as The Post's Katie Mettler reported:

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"Within hours of publication, on Sept. 27, the newspaper's Facebook link to the editorial was flooded with outraged comments, threats to cancel subscriptions and proclamations of perceived betrayal."

The Dallas Morning News, whose editorial board had picked a Republican each time since before World War II, said Trump "plays on fear - exploiting base instincts of xenophobia, racism and misogyny - to bring out the worst in all of us, rather than the best."

The Cincinnati Enquirer, which had endorsed Republicans for nearly a century, called Trump "a clear and present danger to our country. ... Our reservations about Clinton pale in comparison to our fears about Trump."

The endorsement could be too late for Trump, whose campaign has been reeling after several women accused the Republican candidate of inappropriate sexual advances. Earlier this month, The Post published a 2005 video in which Trump bragged that his celebrity gave him the ability to grab women "by the p---y. You can do anything."

A survey of key battleground states last week showed Clinton with a decisive lead.

According to The Post's Dan Balz and Scott Clement, Clinton is "leading in enough states to put her comfortably over the 270 majority needed to win the presidential election in November."
As the biggest news organization in Chicago and the Midwest, the Chicago Tribune wants to inform our readers and encourage them to push an agenda for a more vital community. The most direct way they do that is in choosing who will lead their governments.

Our readers make up their own minds when they cast their ballots. Our aim is to inform those choices by providing an honest assessment of the candidates. Our endorsements are based in part on the questionnaires completed by candidates. You can read them here.

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Take this one-page list of our endorsements with you to the polls. Yes, it's legal.
Retirement benefits will shift slightly for both Aurora Ald. Robert O'Connor and Mayor Tom Weisner when O'Connor takes over as Aurora mayor next week.

With O'Connor filling out the final six months of Weisner's term, his retirement benefit could increase a little, while the mayor's benefit would be a bit lower than if he filled out his final six months. Both have retirement benefits through the Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund.

Weisner announced earlier this year he would not seek a fourth term and then announced he would leave six months early due to health concerns. The mayor has battled cancer for the better part of his 11 1/2 months in office and wants to be free to pursue a more aggressive treatment.

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Both O'Connor and Weisner have been in office long enough to qualify for IMRF's Tier One benefit  basically anyone participating in the retirement program before Jan. 1, 2011. That was the point where a new state law kicked in establishing Tier Two beneficiaries, those entering the system after that date.

Aurora Alderman Robert O'Connor (City of Aurora / Handout)

John Krupa, IMRF communications manager, based in Oak Brook, said a participant's final benefit is determined by two major things: the number of years a person has been an IMRF employee and has been paying into the system and the highest salary that employee has had for 48 consecutive months in the last 10 years.

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"In general, the longer you work, the higher the benefit," Krupa said. "Even if you stayed longer, and your salary stayed the same, you would receive more."

O'Connor has been alderman at large for 31 years, since first being elected in 1985. Weisner has been mayor for about 11 1/2 years, since being elected to his first term in 2005. Before that, he worked several jobs at City Hall , so he has been in the system for longer than his mayoral terms. He could get credit for more time in, but only his salary since being mayor can be considered in the formula.

Weisner's current salary is $140,000, and his salary in 2013 was $118,590. At $140,000, his monthly salary is about $11,583. That has been his salary since 2015, when it went up slightly. His salary part of the formula would be based roughly on the $11,583.

But with him leaving six months early, going back to his 48 highest consecutive months would mean taking into account the final six months of his second term, when he was paid less than $10,000 a month. So, his benefit goes down slightly by leaving six months early.

O'Connor as an alderman is paid $19,231 a year and makes about $300 a month more with the $75 per diem he gets for attending meetings. Those rates apply for all aldermen. O'Connor attends at least four meetings a month  a full council meeting, a Committee of the Whole meeting and two Finance Committee meetings. In any given month, he could attend more, and he also could miss meetings.

His monthly pay is roughly $1,900, which will jump to the mayoral rate of $11,583 a month for the next six months. Those are the two rates of pay O'Connor's benefit would be based on if he retired after fulfilling the six months as mayor.

O'Connor could choose to run for alderman at large again. If he did, and if he were re-elected and served out his entire term of four years, or 48 months, then the additional pay he receives for the next six months as mayor would not figure into the benefit.

The alderman has not said yet if he would run for alderman at large again and does not have to file for the position until December. He noted earlier this month that he notoriously waits until the last minute to announce his intentions.

IMRF has about 420,000 active, inactive and retired members. There are 3,000 participating units of local government. Those units of government contribute about 26 percent of IMRF's revenue, with employees themselves contributing about 12 percent. Most of IMRF's revenue, or about 62 percent, comes from investment income.

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Krupa pointed out that the state of Illinois does not fund IMRF  other than what it pays as contributions for some of its own employees  as it does for some of the other public pensions.

slord@tribpub.com
Customers walking into Buffalo Grove restaurants soon may be able to bring their own alcohol with them.

During their Oct. 17 meeting, Buffalo Grove trustees lifted the village prohibition on bring-your-own-bottle service. Effective immediately, any restaurant that already holds a liquor license can apply for a second license that allows patrons to bring their own bottles of wine or beer into the business.

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The license costs $150. Village President Beverly Sussman said the intent behind the new license is to stop the movement of consumers who travel outside Buffalo Grove to dine at BYOB restaurants.

"It's really not for funding," Sussman said. "In my mind, we would lose money on that side because when people don't buy alcohol at the restaurant, that's less revenue for us."

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But the trustees are wagering that it will mean more revenue for the restaurants that decide to opt in and pay for a BYOB license, she said.

Buffalo Grove officials said in September that they would gauge restaurant owners' interest in the new license after they unveiled the new proposal. Some restaurant owners at the time told Pioneer Press that a BYOB license could damper their own alcohol sales.

If Buffalo Grove eateries do pay for the new option, their customers only can bring in beers or wines that have the manufacturer's seal.

Participating businesses also will need to have the proper insurance and put their employees through state-mandated training for handling BYOB customers, Sussman said.

rwachter@pioneerlocal.com

Twitter @RonnieAtPioneer
Deerfield-Bannockburn Fire Protection District firefighter Micah Montondo (at podium) accepts his Life Safety Award from the Illinois Fire Safety Alliance as Jim Kreher (left), the organization's president, and Chris Logston, the second vice president, look on. (Courtesy of Illinois Fire Safety)

Deerfield-Bannockburn Fire Protection District firefighter and paramedic Micah Montondo says children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities have a special place in his heart.

When the child of friends was diagnosed with a severe disability, Montondo reached out to organizations that helped make the lives of those with disabilities happier and safer.

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Montondo's efforts with the Center for Enriched Living in Bannockburn and with local schools earned him a Life Safety Award from the Illinois Fire Safety Alliance. The honor was presented Oct. 13 in Woodridge.

Ray Larson, the department's deputy chief, said Montondo's passion led to more people being put into a position to help themselves should the need arise. Larson said Montondo was one of eight award winners this year.

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"This is an area that does not get the coverage it should," Larson said. "He decided to reach out to people with disabilities directly."

The first thing Montondo did was get educated. He said he reached out to schools in Deerfield, Bannockburn and Riverwoods, the North Suburban Special Recreation Association and especially the Center for Enriched Living to learn how first responders can help.

"One of the most important parts of our job is relationships," Montondo said. "They taught us how to deal with individuals with intellectual disabilities."

The Center for Enriched Living is a community center for youth and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities, according to Melissa Juarez-Ehlers, the organization's director of program services.

Not only did Montondo learn how do assist a disabled person in a stressful situation when first responders descend on a building, but he also learned how to recognize that a person may need special attention.

"When we show up there are two to five people all walking in at once," Montondo said. "We limit it to one (for an intellectually disabled) person who gives simple directions so the person is not flooded with emotions. We do that before we talk to the person who called the fire department."

The effort has worked. Juarez-Ehlers said his efforts have helped the members at the center develop a comfort level with Montondo and his colleagues.

"The biggest thing he does is relate to our members," Juarez-Ehlers said. "He has brought that back to the fire department for training. Our members have become more comfortable with first responders who are there to help them."

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Montondo's efforts with members at Center for Enriched Living as well as the schools are not all about education. He has found ways to add some fun and excitement to their lives while making them more comfortable with first responders.

Montondo has organized a program where people from the Center for Enriched Living are firefighters for a day.

"They get to sit in the fire trucks and touch the equipment so they can know what it's like to be a firefighter," Larson said.

Along with the firefighter program, Montondo said members from the center were invited to the fire station for a cooking class and lunch.

"We stand around the oven, get to know each other and share a moment," Montondo said. "We sit around the table, laugh together and have a hot dog."

While Montondo said he was "ecstatic" when he learned he won the award, he was quick to give credit to all he considered involved in the effort.

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"I wish it could be given to the whole department and the Center for Enriched Living," Montondo said. "There are so many people who are a part of this. It was a real collaboration."

Steve Sadin is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.
Annah Mitchell, owner of Gobble Doggs, received recognition from Kane County Clerk Jack Cunningham for her efforts encouraging residents to register to vote. (Gloria Casas / The Courier-News)

Annah Mitchell's Gobble Doggs parked outside the Kane County clerk's office recently, but the food truck wasn't there to sell its signature turkey hot dogs.

Instead, Clerk Jack Cunningham gave Mitchell a certificate of recognition for her efforts to register Kane County residents.

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"We want to thank you," Cunningham said, as he held a framed certificate.

"Thank you so much, I appreciate it so much," Mitchell said.

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Cunningham's office has been holding a Voter Outreach Program to encourage Kane County residents to register early and vote early for the Nov. 8 general election. Cunningham said his office has been reaching out by recruiting businesses to post information on their signs, through theater trailers and social media.

Among the business that have helped the clerk's office are Merlin 200,000 Miles Shops in St. Charles, Aurora and Glendale Heights; DuKane Corp. in St. Charles; South Elgin Parks and Recreation Department; Arcada Theater in St. Charles; and Elgin American Legion Post 57.

Mitchell has provided a computer for customers to use allowing them to register to vote on the clerk's website. She has also encouraged people to vote via the food truck's Facebook page.

"We are just trying to keep up the momentum, especially among millennials," Mitchell said.

Her family has long been involved in elections. Mitchell's father was an election judge for over 20 years in their Aurora precinct.

"I remember my Dad getting up at 4 a.m. and going to the precinct and being there until 7 or 8 at night," she said.

This year, her 18-year-old twins voted for the first time in the spring primary.

Illinois voters also may do same-day registration.

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Cunningham continues to urge residents to vote early. Early voting is underway at the clerk's office in Geneva only and additional early voting polling places opened throughout the county Monday. The clerk's website lists all polling locations.

The clerk's office has had 10,000 early ballots cast, Cunningham said. The figure includes mail-in ballots and ballots sent to military servicemen and servicewomen stateside and overseas, he said.

The figure is higher than previous years at this time, he said.

He is not sure if early voting is higher because of his office's efforts or because of the candidates running for president, Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump.

"It may be Trump and Hillary," Cunningham said.

Gloria Casas is a freelance reporter for The Courier-News.
State Senator Julie Morrison, D-Deerfield, is facing a Republican challenger in her first reelection bid since winning the 29th District seat previously held by Democrat Susan Garrett.

Her opponent, Benjamin Salzberg, describes himself as a professional problem-solver who wants to pull Illinois out of its fiscal mess by addressing the root causes of the state's financial problems.

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"The number one reason our state is falling apart is they're trying to tax people who don't have any money," said Salzberg, 46, of Northbrook. "You cannot milk a bull if the bull doesn't have any milk."

Morrison won the seat in 2012 following a legislative remapping. The district takes in Highland Park, Deerfield and Lake Forest and portions of Northbrook, Glenview, Arlington Heights and Buffalo Grove and a dozen other communities. Morrison, 59, previously served four terms as West Deerfield Township supervisor before she ran for the legislature.

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Salzberg, a first-term Oakton Community College trustee, is making his first run for state office.

"I think the next two years are going to be incredibly critical for the state," said Morrison, of her reasons for seeking a second term. "I think I've been an effective legislator and I'm hoping to be part of the solution to the issues facing our state in the next two years."

Morrison said the state must find a way to prioritize the delivery of services to its most vulnerable residents during budget negotiations, so the state does not lose its safety net. Agencies the state contracts with have been laying off staff, and in some cases, closing their doors.

"We also need to rebuild our economy, so we keep the best and brightest students in our state," Morrison said.

She vows to continue reaching across party lines to find solutions.

"For six months, the legislative leaders and the governor never sat in the same room," said Morrison, of the long impasse while the state operated without a budget. She made an appointment last year to meet with Gov. Bruce Rauner in Chicago. "I said, you have a turnaround agenda, and I have 212,000 people that I represent. Let's get a budget established."

She added, "Honestly, I think it is going to be rank and file members and not necessarily leadership that gets this resolved."

Salzberg feels lawmakers are too quick to look at new, or higher taxes as a solution to deficits without addressing the root causes of the state's money problems  an unwelcoming business climate. Salzberg said Illinois must lure back corporations that have fled the state and retain businesses looking to leave.

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"I am seeing a lot of companies wanting to leave Illinois," said Salzberg, of his work as a turn-around consultant. "When companies leave the state, so do jobs. Tax revenues goes out the door, too."

Morrison agrees that the long-term solution to Illinois fiscal problems depends on building up the state's economy to be competitive with neighboring states.

Despite the state's budget hole, Morrison does not support reinstating the portion of the temporary income tax increase that was rolled back at the start of 2015.

"So far, I see absolutely no justification for that," said Morrison. She wants to reexamine the "700 checkbooks" and continuing appropriation lines in the state budget each year, and do away with unjustifiable expenses like continuing to run two state fairs that lose money.

Morrison was one of only a few suburban Democrats to vote against a fiscal 2017 budget that was out of balance by $8 billion.

"There was pressure across the Senate chamber to vote 'yes'," she said, of the budget that arrived from the House on the last day of session. "There was no way I was going to vote for something that out of whack."

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On the issue of school funding, Morrison said she voted against Senate Bill 231, the latest attempt to redistribute school funding and direct more dollars to the neediest districts. She said every school system in her district would have lost money. The bill passed the Senate but stalled in the House.

"While I feel bad for the people downstate who don't have enough money to fund their schools, I am never going to vote for any kind of proposal that takes dollars out of our schools," Morrison said.

Salzberg believes a necessary first step toward reform is to look at how school districts are spending money.

"We need to make it fair and support areas that need the money, that are operating efficiently," he said. "In order to do that, we need to know how efficient the district is in its operations. The state lottery was supposed to solve our education funding problems, but that didn't happen."

Both candidates have heard plenty about high property taxes while walking the district during the campaign.

Morrison said that while constituents feel fortunate to have benefited from excellent schools while raising their families, they're questioning whether they can remain in their communities.

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"It is serious money, especially as people are winding down their careers or retiring," said Morrison. She supported a two-year freeze on property taxes that did not pass the General Assembly. She also co-sponsored a bill that would allow voters to dissolve certain units of local government by referendum.

Salzberg said one Highland Park woman told him she was moving because she couldn't pay her property taxes and the lender was foreclosing on her home. He also heard from a Buffalo Grove man who'd been unable to find a new job as an electrical engineer after being laid off two years ago by Motorola.

"Unless you go out and talk to people, you wouldn't hear that," Salzberg said, of the kinds of stories he's heard over and over again.

Campaign finance reports filed with the Illinois State Board of Elections show that Morrison had about $415,000 on hand as of Sept. 30. The Senate Democratic Victory Fund also is paying postage and printing costs for direct mailings on her behalf, and contributing to the salary of her campaign manager.

Her opponent showed about $31,500 on hand at the end of the reporting period.

NAME: Julie Morrison, Democrat

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AGE: 59

EDUCATION: Bachelor's degree in political science from Knox College

OTHER ELECTED POSITIONS: Served four terms as West Deerfield Township supervisor

TOWN OF RESIDENCE: Deerfield

NAME: Benjamin Salzberg, Republican

AGE: 46

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EDUCATION: Bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering, University of Illinois; MBA from the Illinois Institute of Technology, master's degree in secondary education from National Louis University.

OTHER ELECTED POSITIONS: Trustee of Oakton Community College District 535. Elected in 2015 to a six-year term.

kberkowitz@pioneerlocal.com

@KarenABerkowitz
A former Lake County adult probation public service coordinator pleaded guilty Monday to several counts of official misconduct for trading unearned public service credits for cash and sexual favors.

Anselmo Magana, 46, of Lindenhurst, pleaded guilty to six counts of official misconduct under a negotiated deal approved Monday by Lake County Circuit Judge Victoria Rossetti. In exchange, five additional counts of official misconduct were dismissed.

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Magana faces a sentence ranging from probation to five years in prison at a sentencing hearing scheduled by Rossetti for Dec. 12.

Tom Brown, an attorney with the Illinois Attorney General's Office, is prosecuting the case because one of Magana's relatives formerly worked as a secretary with the Lake County State's Attorney's Office, and officials said they wanted to avoid any possible appearance of a conflict.

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Magana is represented by defense attorney Jed Stone.

Brown said in court Monday that the counts to which Magana pleaded guilty involved five incidents in which Magana traded public service credits to men and women on probation in exchange for cash, and one in which he traded credit to a woman in exchange "for sexual favors."

A Lake County Grand Jury indicted Magana in June 2015 on 11 counts of official misconduct

According to the indictments against him, Magana received money in exchange for service hours on nine occasions and received sexual favors from the same woman in two separate incidents.

In all, four women and two men on probation received the credits, officials said.

Undersheriff Ray Rose said last year that an extensive investigation into Magana included an audit of other probation employees, and there was no evidence any other probationary personnel were involved.

The adults on probation were not required to make up the hours involved in the allegations, in part, Rose said, out of consideration for the time they spent cooperating with investigators on the case. The probation clients involved had been convicted of low-level crimes, he said.

Authorities said that in January 2014, an internal circuit court probation services investigation was initiated into allegations of misconduct by Magana.

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After it was determined the actions involved could potentially be criminal, detectives with the Lake County Sheriff's Office's Criminal Investigation Division were notified and began to investigate.

Magana was arrested at his workplace last year and initially jailed on $250,000 bail, but he has been free from custody since posting bond shortly after.

Brown said the incidents Magana pleaded guilty to occurred in 2012, 2013 and 2014.

jrnewton@tribpub.com

Twitter @jimnewton5
Listings are subject to change. Please call the venue in advance.

Wednesday

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Highland Park/Ravinia Farmers Market: Shop for fresh and organic produce, baked goods, meat, flowers, crafts and more at the weekly market that runs through the end of October. 7 a.m. Wednesday, Dean Ave. and Roger Williams Ave., 475 Roger Williams Ave., Highland Park, free

Zumba Fitness Classes with Live Drummers: Zumba Fitness Class led by Melissa Kerpel, Kate Wettergren & Ruben Zapata. Licensed Zumba Instructors, AFAA Group Exercise Certified, CPR Certified. Saturdays, 8:30 a.m. -9:30 a.m. with live drummers, and Wednesdays, 6:30 p.m.-7:30 p.m. JCYS/Lutz Center, 800 Clavey Road, Highland Park. For more info: www.melissazumba.com and 312-961-8484. 6:30 p.m. Wednesday and 8:30 a.m. Saturday, JCYS Lutz Family Center, 800 Clavey Road, Highland Park, $10/drop-in OR punch card ($35/5 classes, $70/10 classes), 312-961-8484

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Linkedin's Advanced Features: Come learn the power of this professional network, by taking advantage of newly introduced techniques and applications. This is presented by Michael Yublosky, JEM Consulting. 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, Career Resource Center, 40 East Old Mill Road, Lake Forest, Free for CRC Members; $20 fee non members, 847-295-5626

Zumba Gold at the Lake Forest Rec Center: Zumba Gold is a crazy, fun dance exercise class without impact on the joints. It's for everyone. The fees are: $138 persession for members; $172 - $207 per sessionfor non-members. 6:30 a.m. Wednesday, Lake Forest Recreation Center, 400 Hastings Road, Lake Forest, $138-$207 per session, 847-810-3935

Substance Series From Use to Abuse: Substance Series: From Use to Abuse: What You Need to Know about Substance Use Disorder and Addiction. 7 p.m. Wednesday, Northwestern Medicine Lake Forest Hospital, 660 North Westmoreland Road, Lake Forest, free, 847-295-9075

Quilting and More: Join friends for quilting and discussion. 9 a.m. Wednesday, Holy Cross Lutheran Church, 29700 N St. Marys Road, Libertyville, free, 773-523-3838

Thursday

"Passion": A handsome army captain, assigned to a remote outpost far from his married lover, finds himself pursued by a mysterious woman with a dangerous obsession. Intimate, raw, erotic and dark, "Passion" explores universal yet often unspoken truths. Experience this remarkable work that many consider to be Stephen Sondheim's deepest and most powerful evening of music theatre. 7 p.m. Thursday-Saturday, Karger Center, 1850 Green Bay Road, Highland Park, $40, 917-691-3633

Building the Pyramids: Egypt and Nubia are home to many pyramids built over a span of 2,000 years, but 3 pyramids in particular on the Giza plateau have continued to hold the fascination of the world for centuries. A talk by Egyptologist Foy Scalf, highlights the most recent research regarding pyramid construction and the impact it had on ancient Egyptian society. 7 p.m. Thursday, Lake Bluff Public Library, 123 East Scranton Ave., Lake Bluff, free, 847-234-2540

Thursday Night Emotions Anonymous: Depressed? Anxious? Emotions Anonymous is a Twelve Step organization similar to Alcoholics Anonymous. Our fellowship is composed of people who come together in weekly meetings for the purpose of working toward recovery from emotional difficulties. The only requirement for membership is a desire to become well emotionally. 7 p.m. Thursday, Christ Church of Lake Forest, 100 North Waukegan Road, Lake Forest, free

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LFCDS Special Speaker Series: LFCDS welcomes best-selling author, child development expert and columnist Jessica Lahey, Oct. 27. Reserve your seat for this event. 10 a.m. Thursday, Lake Forest Country Day School, 145 South Green Bay Road, Lake Forest, free, 847-234-2350

"The Birds": The play is an adaptation of a short story by Daphne du Maurier that is best known as the source material for Alfred Hitchcock's 1963 horror film. Directed by Citadel Theatre Artistic Director Scott Phelps, "The Birds" will attack Citadel Theatre's audience with a story of people struggling to survive in the midst of societal collapse. 7:30 p.m. Thursday, 8 p.m. Friday and 8 p.m. Saturday, Citadel Theatre Company, 300 S. Waukegan Road, Lake Forest, $15-$38, 847-735-8554

Navigating Your Insurance Options: If you're losing health insurance coverage, trying to figure out and understand your options is often difficult and confusing. Learn how COBRA laws and the Affordable Care Act impact your health insurance needs and what's available to you. This is presented by Rebecca Bloomfield, Partner, Jerry S. Pearlstein Insurance Ltd. 10:15 a.m. Thursday, Career Resource Center, 40 East Old Mill Road, Lake Forest, free, 847-295-5626

Cancer with Grace support group: Cancer with Grace offers spiritual and emotional support in a confidential setting to help us live each day to the fullest. 1:30 p.m. Thursday, First Presbyterian Church of Lake Forest, 700 N Sheridan Road, Lake Forest, free, 847-234-6250

LinkedIn 101: Looking to get a job, network with other professionals or stay on top of industry news? If so, you'll want to use LinkedIn. Join in learning everything you need to know to getthe most out of this essential social network. Registration is required, eitherthrough District 128's Community Education Department at the websiteor by calling. 7 p.m. Thursday, Libertyville High School, 708 W. Park Ave., Libertyville, $25, 847-247-4576

Adult Coloring: Coloring for adults is a popular way to reduce stress and relax. Coloring sheets and colored pencils are provided to both children and adults, and there are refreshments. 6 p.m. Thursday, North Chicago Public Library, 2100 Argonne Drive, North Chicago, free, 847-689-0125

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iPad Intermediate: Delve deeper into the other apps and settings on your iPad. Explore Facetime, iCloud, iMessage. The library staffdiscuss options to transfer photos to your computer, and point you in the direction of how to check out ebooks from local libraries. Attendees should bring their iPads, and library cards (if interested in the library information). 6 p.m. Thursday, Vernon Hills High School, 145 Lakeview Parkway, Vernon Hills, $25, 847-247-4576

Daniel O'Donnell: With special guest Mary Duff. 7 p.m. Thursday, Genesee Theatre, 203 N. Genesee St., Waukegan, $53-$83, 847-782-2366

Friday

Taste of Shabbat Service and Program: Congregation Ahavat Olam gathers on the second and fourth Fridays of the month to celebrate Shabbat with a warm, very musical and participatory service led by Cantor Nancy Landsman. "Taste of Shabbat" is a very brief service without prayer books, followed by a discussion with different guest speakers on a variety of topics. Open to the public. 7:30 p.m. Friday, Christ United Methodist Church of Deerfield, 600 Deerfield Road, Deerfield, free, 312-431-3632

Har Shalom's Shabbat Service: All are welcome to Har Shalom's weekly Shabbat Service each Friday evening at 7:30 p.m.Join our email list for details about monthly special Shabbat program for young families and other events. 7:30 p.m. Friday, Har Shalom at Lakeside, 1221 Lake Cook Road, Highland Park, free, 847-814-7456

Stage Premiere Limited Run  Kevin Lucero Less' "Wormwood": Award-winning stage and film artist Kevin Lucero Less presents the limited engagement, intimate premier of "Wormwood," a darkly comedic play about the toll taken on a young man driven from obscurity into movie stardom. Featuring an L.A., Boston, Toronto and Chicago ensemble cast, this language-driven two-act play is alive with physicality and will leave no one disengaged. Hauntingly moody, a good fit for a Halloween outing. PG-13. Running time: less than 90 minutes, no intermission. Limited seating, book early. A special event of The Art Center  Highland Park. 7 p.m. Friday and 7 p.m. Saturday, The Art Center of Highland Park, 1957 Sheridan Road, Highland Park, $20, 847-432-1888

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Author Lauren Groff: Join Lauren Groff, author of "Fates and Furies," as she discusses every story has two sides. Every relationship has two perspectives. 12:30 p.m. Friday, Lake Forest Book Store, 662 N Western Ave., Lake Forest, free, 847-234-4420

Terror at the Bay Haunted House: Dare to enter the crazy asylum that was once Barefoot Bay? Be prepared for a terrifying experience as you are haunted by the tormented souls and mad demons that inhibit the Bay in October. 7 p.m. Friday and 7 p.m. Saturday, Barefoot Bay Family Aquatic Center, 1461 N Midlothian Road, Mundelein, $10, 847-566-8661

Ghosts of Chicagoland: Ursula Bielski presents eerie tales of Chicago hauntings. 7 p.m. Friday, Round Lake Area Public Library, 906 Hart Road, Round Lake, free, 847-546-7060

Saturday

Ghost Story Tellings: The Fort Sheridan Historical Society hosts a "Ghost Story Telling" event at the Tower on Leonard Wood So. in the Town of Fort Sheridan, Highland Park. Attendees gather around 6:30 p.m. and the storytellers,Susan Stone, Founder and Jim May,go on around 7 p.m. Parental discretion is advised for children under eight years old. Pleasepay at the "door." 6:30 p.m. Saturday, Fort Sheridan, 80 Cliff Road, Highland Park, $8 adults; $3 children under 10, 847-433-4333

5K Lake Bluff Pumpkin Chase: Amateur runners and professionals gather for this annual Lake Bluff PTO Pumpkin Chase 5K and 1 Mile Fun Run. All proceeds benefit the Lake Bluff School District 65. The 5K run begins at 8 a.m., and the 1 Mile Fun Run race immediately follows at approximately 9:15 a.m. New this year, the Pumpkin Chase is part of the CARA Runner's Choice Race Circuit. For more info and to register, go to the event website. 8 a.m. Saturday, East School Park, 121 E Sheridan Pl, Lake Bluff, $10-$33

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Boo Bash: Enjoy this Halloween-themed event with the entire family. Candy and treats are provided by local businesses. Other activities include games, prizes, story-telling and visits by familiar costumed characters. Tractor-pulled wagon rides are provided by the Lake County Farm Heritage Group. The event is held rain or shine, and no registration is needed. Costumes are encouraged and parental supervision is required of all children. Food is available for purchase. 4 p.m. Saturday, Mundelein Community Center, 1401 North Midlothian Road, Mundelein, free, 847-566-0650

Sunday

Psychosis Haunted House: Experience Illinois' most interactive haunted house and help support The Buddy Foundation, Elgin's YWCA and more. 7 p.m. Sunday, Psychosis Haunted House, 882 Anita Ave, Antioch, $20-$27.

"Passion": A handsome army captain, assigned to a remote outpost far from his married lover, finds himself pursued by a mysterious woman with a dangerous obsession. Intimate, raw, erotic and dark, "Passion" explores universal yet often unspoken truths. Experience this remarkable work that many consider to be Stephen Sondheim's deepest and most powerful evening of music theater. 3 p.m. Sunday, Karger Center, 1850 Green Bay Road, Highland Park, $40, 917-691-3633.

Stage Premiere Limited Run: Kevin Lucero Less' "Wormwood": Award-winning stage and film artist Kevin Lucero Less presents the limited engagement, intimate premier of "Wormwood," a darkly comedic play about the toll taken on a young man propelled from obscurity into movie stardom. Featuring an L.A., Boston, Toronto, and Chicago ensemble cast including Nathan Wainwright as Liam, and Julia Gorban as Ms. Lilah  this language-driven two-act play is alive with physicality and sure to entertain. Hauntingly moody, a good fit for a Halloween outing. The play is PG-13. Run time is less than 90 minutes, no intermission. This is a special event of The Art Center-Highland Park. 5 p.m. Sunday, The Art Center of Highland Park, 1957 Sheridan Road, Highland Park, $20, 847-432-1888.

Film Showing and Discussion: Immigrants in film is the topic of the new series of showings and discussions. Bob Coscarelli introduces each film and leads a discussion after the showing. Please call or visit the library's website for more details. 2 p.m. Sunday, Highland Park Public Library, 494 Laurel Ave., Highland Park, free, 847-681-7033.

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Trunk or Treat: Trunk Or Treat is celebrated with children being treated to decorated trunks, sweets, games, and food. It is "dress in costume" Sunday at church this day. Bring a canned food item or a free-will offering for the Thanksgiving Food Drive. All are welcome. 11:15 a.m. Sunday, St. Peter United Church of Christ, 47 Church St., Lake Zurich, Canned food item, 847-438-6441.
Incumbent state Rep. Scott Drury (D- Highwood) and Republican challenger Martin Blumenthal have some things in common.

Both are attorneys, both would like to have legislative maps redrawn and both agree the state budget  or lack thereof  needs work.

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To come up with a balanced budget, Blumenthal suggests pension reform and changing the state income tax from a flat percentage of income to a progressive system where higher income earners pay more and lower income earners pay less.

"I would go with other like-minded people, including Democrats, to get a truly balanced budget without borrowing us into insolvency," Blumenthal said.

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Drury agrees that getting a balance budget is important but says it's challenging.

"Neither Republicans or Democrats have offered a balanced budget in the last two years," Drury said. "Each side is scared to submit a balanced budget because it will contain cuts or new revenue. The solution is both parties should submit their balanced budget under seal, open them and debate them. The problem is we don't really have a proposal to vote on."

Asked about revenue sources they would specifically support or oppose, Blumenthal said he's against taxing services to raise money.

"As a practicing lawyer, I know a lot of my clients couldn't afford taxes on top of fees," Blumenthal said.

Drury said everything should be "on the table" but without a budget or deficit estimate, it's unclear how much money is needed.

"I'd hate to take a guess and propose too much or too little," Drury said.

Blumenthal would like to see state government change its approach on funding education, although he didn't offer any specific proposals.

"I don't think a kid downstate should have any less opportunity than someone in the North Shore," Blumenthal said, adding that "I don't believe the rest of the state should bail out Chicago Public Schools."

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Drury agrees that school districts with more property tax revenue have better schools but says the first step is to define the problem.

"What's working in good schools and not working in bad schools?" Drury said. "Facilities? Socioeconomic issues? A lot of times these problems are more complicated than focusing on one thing."

The 58th District includes all or portions of Bannockburn, Deerfield, Glencoe, Highland Park, Highwood, Knollwood, Lake Bluff, Lake Forest, Lincolnshire, Northbrook, North Chicago and Riverwoods.

Martin Blumenthal

Resides: Highland Park

Age: 63

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Profession: Attorney and CPA

Education: University of Illinois, Northeastern University, Kent College of Law

Previous office: Ran for Lake County recorder in 2012

Scott Drury

Resides: Highwood

Age: 43

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Education: University of California, Northwestern University School of Law

Profession: Attorney, adjunct professor at Northwestern University

Previous office: Elected state representative in 58th District in 2013

mlawton@pioneerlocal.com

Twitter @reporterdude
People gather at the Kirk of the Lakes Presbyterian Church in Mundelein for a ceremony recognizing $700,000 in donations to of 34 different charities, on Sunday, October 23. (Mark Kodiak Ukena / Pioneer Press)

Almost a month after holding its last Sunday service, officials from Kirk of the Lakes Presbyterian Church announced their intent to give $700,000 in donations to various organizations.

Pastor Nancy Dolan said most of the 68-member church was involved in building a list of over 30 local, national and international organizations, of which some are religious and some are not. A few of those groups sent representatives to a ceremony at the church on Sunday.

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"While it was very sad for us to close the church, it was a really strong act of faith because we believe God's work in the world isn't confined to a particular church or a building or an institution," Dolan said. "It happens when people who act in love and generosity go out and do good things for other people. This was a strong act of faith that our ministry would continue beyond us through other people."

Mundelein High School's board of education voted in April to buy the neighboring 15,864-square-foot church and 4.1 acres of property for $1.6 million and the transaction closed in May, but Dolan said the church has been allowed to function since then.

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"The plan was to go until August so we could allow time for people to find other church homes in the fall before the Christmas season," Dolan said.

Many members have already found new churches from a variety of denominations, according to Dolan, while some are still visiting prospective churches and weighing their options.

The $700,000 in donations is what's left over from the Mundelein High School money after the church paid its mortgage and other outstanding bills, Dolan said. Other items within the building were given to other churches and various photos have been given to the Lake County Historical Society, she said.

Some of the chosen charities include St. Jude's Children Hospital, the Alzheimer's Association, the Salvation Army, Kirk Players, the Kirk Scholarship within the Mundelein High School Foundation, the Pat Tillman Foundation, P.A.D.S and Mano a Mano Family Resource Center, among others.

"These groups were chosen by the congregation based on past partnerships in serving those in need and also organizations that met the needs of various members of the congregation," Dolan said.

The group considered using the proceeds to rent space elsewhere on an as-needed basis for worship or events, but Dolan said they ultimately decided against it because the donations were more meaningful than continuing to struggle. She said membership was not growing.

According to its website, Kirk of the Lakes Presbyterian Church was approved by authorities in May 1961 and its building was constructed in 1965. The church hit its peak membership in the 1970s and 1980s with totals as high as 250 people, its website reads.

"We considered a lot of different options but we felt like we could be more faithful to what God is calling us to if we instead support the efforts of other congregations," Dolan said.

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One of the efforts started by Kirk of the Lakes Presbyterian Church will continue indefinitely. Dolan said this summer was the third Mundelein summer lunch program, where eight churches work together to provide lunch for children in two parks in Mundelein every weekday for the 10-week summer break.

"Feeding the hungry was a big part of the Kirk ministry," Dolan said. "We realized that for some kids it was a struggle to eat over the summer without their free or reduced lunch at school."

Ron Girard, Mundelein High School's public information officer, said the school district does not have any plans for the building so far. He said the building is currently being used for cheerleading and dance team practices, as well as overflow parking in the parking lot and occasional practices on the yard.

The school used to rent space elsewhere for those school activities, he said.

"We are thrilled to see life in the building with kids everywhere and the parking lot filled," Dolan said.

Speaking generally and on her own behalf, Dolan said it's those younger generations that are not populating churches, and religious institutions of all kind are searching for the right model that can serve those people.

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"I don't think Mundelein is any exception," Dolan said. "If you look at all the studies about religion in North America today, younger people still believe and have strong faith but are looking for something different in a church."

rkambic@pioneerlocal.com

Twitter @Rick_Kambic
Former Winnetka Village President Jessica Tucker, who favors term limits, is trying to deny a fourth two-year term to the incumbent state Democratic Rep. Robyn Gabel from Illinois' 18th House district.

Republican Tucker is used to term limits, having had to bow out, according to local law, as Winnetka village president after her second term ended in 2013. She's a fan of Gov. Bruce Rauner's turnaround plan, which includes a provision to limit state lawmakers to eight years, and she sees her opponent as a good example of why term limits make sense.

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"She's been in office six years, and the state is in worse shape now than it was when she came," Tucker said.

Gabel said that her examination of the issue indicates that where term limits exist, "they don't make better legislators, better leaders, or better laws," and the General Assembly isn't that old, anyway: in her first four years, she moved up from 118th in seniority to 54, indicating that there was a lot of turnover.

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She said that if the real reason for term limits is to try to change the leadership of the House and Senate, she's tried, with a bill early in her career to limit the time any one person gets to stay in any one position, such as House speaker.

The two agree on a lot of issues, Tucker said, but one of them that they don't is fiscal policy.

Gabel says that new forms of revenue have to be considered, including a hike in income taxes.

"I don't think it's possible to balance the budget on reducing waste," she said.

But Tucker said she oppose taxes "until we've really drilled down on the expense side, until we really do what we can to contain costs."

She said the General Assembly should operate as fiscally responsibly as Winnetka, which she said has kept its levies at or below the cost of living for decades.

"They've had a super-majority since 2012, and a majority for three decades, and they can't come up with a balanced budget," Tucker said of General Assembly Democrats.

The Democrats' supermajority was effectively lost, however, in 2015, when Ken Dunkin, D-5th, began siding with Rauner.

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Gabel said that she sponsors an average of 15 successfully-passed bills every two-year term, and is willing and able to walk across the aisle to cooperate for a new budget.

One of the battlegrounds in the fight for budget balance is workers' compensation. Tucker said she wants to change how workers' compensation is awarded, and Gabel said she wants to give the state Department of Insurance more power to enforce the regulations that now exist.

For her part, Gabel questions at least one of her opponent's actions as Winnetka's' village president: her 2011 tie-breaking vote to table the village's discussion of affordable housing, despite her professed support of lower-cost  though higher than state standard  housing.

"If you're a proponent, and you have that opportunity, you should take it," Gabel said.

Tucker said that those who weren't in the room that night shouldn't point fingers.

"We decided to let the discussion rest, and pick it up at a later date," she said. "That was a hard decision to make."

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Gabel said that towns like Winnetka and Northbrook, which talk about more expensive standards for affordable housing than the state recommends, should at least move forward at those levels.

"I think the affordability level should be linked to the community, and every community should do its fair share," she said.

The 18th district includes all or part of Northbrook, Northfield, Kenilworth, Winnetka, Wilmette and Evanston.

ileavitt@pioneerlocal.com

Twitter @IrvLeavitt

The candidates

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Robyn Gabel

Age: 63

Party: Democrat

Residence: Evanston

Family: divorced mother of one daughter

Employment: full-time legislator; served as executive director of the Illinois Maternal and Child Health Coalition, a nonprofit advocacy organization, from 1988 to 2010; worked as legislative aide to Chicago Ald. Luis Gutierrez, now a U.S. representative.

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Education: master of jurisprudence, health law, Loyola University; master's in public health, University of Illinois at Chicago; bachelor's degree in anthropology, Beloit College

Background: serves on Illinois House committees for mass transit, insurance, small business empowerment & workforce, international trade & commerce, environmental health, appropriations-human services (vice chairperson), health & healthcare disparities, environment & energy, and a Medicaid subcommittee

Jessica Tucker

Age: 57

Party: Republican

Family: married mother of three

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Residence: Winnetka

Employment: attorney, partner in law firm

Background: Former Winnetka village president; active in Winnetka Historical Society, the Winnetka-Northfield-Kenilworth League of Women Voters, the Winnetka Club, the Woman's Club of Evanston and the Rose Friedman Society  Policy Circle of Wilmette; served as co-chair of 2015 Winnetka Caucus Council; 2014 New Trier Caucus; Winnetka Youth Organization Board of Directors; Hubbard Woods School Parent-Teacher Organization Executive Board; Willow Wood Preschool Board of Directors.
A blank block among 34 milestones of Park Ridge history at Hodges Park has been reserved for Hillary Clinton's accomplishments, according to Milton Nelson of the Park Ridge Heritage Committee. (Jennifer Johnson / Pioneer Press)

A single granite block, one of 34 surrounding the Campfire Girls fountain at Park Ridge 's Hodges Park, remains blank.

The last in a series of engraved "milestones" of Park Ridge history dating back to the first European settlers in the 1830s, the stone was purposely left without text, even though some members of the Park Ridge Heritage Committee, which spearheaded the history project, had an idea of what might eventually go there.

"Years ago, the suggestion was made that it would be appropriate for Hillary Clinton ," said Milton Nelson, presiding member of the committee.

In 2007, when the restoration of the fountain and the installation of the milestone wall were nearing completion, Clinton, who grew up in Park Ridge, had announced her plans to run for president in the Democratic primary.

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This time around, she's the Democratic nominee in an election that is just days away.

Some elected officials are saying that now may be the time for Clinton  a former first lady, U.S. senator, secretary of state and the first woman to receive a major political party nomination for U.S. president  to receive some type of permanent, public recognition in the center of the city in which she once called home.

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"I guess that's still the plan," Nelson said. "The final, missing plaque in Hodges Park is for Hillary Clinton, win or lose."

Though Maine East and Maine South high schools have featured the woman formerly known as Hillary Rodham as a distinguished alumna on their respective "walls of honor," the city's only recognition has been an honorary "Rodham Corner" street sign outside her childhood home at 235 Wisner St., installed in 1997 when Clinton, as first lady, visited Park Ridge.

Sixth Ward Ald. Marc Mazzuca recently suggested that if Clinton is elected president on Nov. 8, the city do more to be "good stewards of history" and "honor [the] connection" Clinton has to Park Ridge.

"Regardless of party affiliation, I think there's a minimum we should be doing in terms of planning and preservation to recognize that connection," Mazzuca told aldermen during a City Council meeting on Oct. 17.

"If the election goes a certain way, I think there will be a lot of intense interest in the future about where Hillary Clinton grew up," he added. "I want to make sure as we think of our strategic plan and other types of preservation activities in town, we keep that in mind."

A blank block among 34 milestones of Park Ridge history at Hodges Park has been reserved for Hillary Clinton's accomplishments, according to Milton Nelson of the Park Ridge Heritage Committee. (Jennifer Johnson / Pioneer Press)

Mazzuca pointed to information from the National Park Service, which shows a number of childhood homes of past presidents have been designated as historic sites.

Clinton's childhood home is privately owned, and messages left at the residence were not returned. The owners have not sought local landmark designation, said Judy Barclay, chairwoman of the Park Ridge Historic Preservation Commission.

Discussion of the house among commission members has also been limited, Barclay said.

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"It isn't old enough to be on the 100-year-old house [honor roll], and the significance of her being first lady or secretary of state didn't really knock anybody's socks off," Barclay said.

But, she added, the title of president might "put a different light" on things.

"We will discuss it if and when it happens," Barclay said. "We'll see how we feel about it. We can say it should move forward [as a local landmark], but it's still up to the owner."

Acting Mayor Marty Maloney has suggested that acting City Manager Joe Gilmore connect with some organizations in the city to put recognition of Clinton's accomplishments "on somebody's radar." The only other response to Mazzuca's suggestion came from 2nd Ward Ald. Nicholas Milissis, who said the city should "cross that bridge when we have to."

In a subsequent email, he said he was not opposed to "the city exploring the designation of the Rodham home as historical marker," but said another issue  flood remediation  is more pressing at this time.

In September, Maloney said Park Ridge should take a "leadership position" on recognizing Hillary Clinton should she become president.

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"If she does win, it's something the city should recognize and we need to figure out an appropriate way to do that," he said. "I know (Clinton) is a polarizing figure; many people love her and many people don't."

Long viewed as Republican town with a long line of Republican city leaders, more Park Ridge residents have been voting Democrat in recent years, election results have shown. In the spring 2016 primary, Clinton won every Park Ridge precinct over Democratic opponent Bernie Sanders and about 160 more Park Ridge residents pulled a Democratic ballot over Republican ballot, an analysis of Cook County election data for the city's precincts shows.

In the 2008 primary, more Park Ridge residents also voted Democrat, but they ultimately chose Barack Obama over Clinton, according to the vote totals. Park Ridge voters went on to choose Obama over Republican challenger John McCain in the November general election.

As a child, Clinton attended Field Elementary School, which is still standing today, and the old Emerson Junior High, which has since been demolished, said District 64 Superintendent Laurie Heinz. Clinton attended Maine East High School in Park Ridge for three years, but transferred to the new Maine South High School for her senior year, graduating in 1965. She wrote about growing up in Park Ridge in her memoir, "Living History," and has referred to her upbringing on the campaign trail.

Sandy Deines, a retired Maine South social science teacher and Clinton supporter, said she hopes to lobby Maine Township High School District 207 to put up signs outside both high schools declaring them alma maters of Hillary Clinton. A shop in Uptown selling items highlighting Clinton and her Park Ridge connection is another idea, Deines said.

"People will be coming to our town  even if it's an after-thought during a trip to Chicago," she said.

District 207 spokesman David Beery said any additional recognition of Clinton at Maine South and Maine East will be discussed based on the outcome of the election.

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Heinz said recognition of Clinton's accomplishments and her run for president is scheduled for the District 64 school board's Nov. 14 meeting, which will be held at Field School.

"Should she be elected as the 45th president of the United States, we will announce a series of steps that District 64 will be taking to mark this historic accomplishment for Field School and for District 64," Heinz said in an email.

Mary Wynn Ryan, a former alderman and Park Ridge Park District commissioner, attempted to get the park board to name the newly acquired Youth Campus after Clinton in 2014, citing the national offices she held, but the board ultimately chose Prospect Park for the new name.

"I don't know that I would open up that conversation again, but I think there's definitely something major we need to do," Ryan said last week. "We would be remiss as a municipality to not do what Ronald Reagan's hometown [of Dixon, Ill.] did and make as big a deal out of this as we possibly can. I would hope there would be a nonpartisan, unified public display of pride in what our town can produce."

Kirke Machon, president of the Park Ridge Historical Society, said regardless of what happens on Nov. 8, the society has plans to include Clinton as part of a future exhibit on "the empowerment of women."

"There are four women that would be part of that, and obviously one of them is Hillary Clinton," Machon said. "That is how we would recognize her: As an important woman who came from Park Ridge."

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The plan is for the exhibit to be included in the historical society's future history center inside Solomon Cottage at Prospect Park. The park district and historical society recently reached an agreement on the funding of renovations for the building.

Other women with ties to Park Ridge who will be featured in the exhibit are Mother Cabrini, Kalo Silver Shop founder Clara Welles and Hannah Solomon, who established the National Council of Jewish Women, Machon said.

A new book about Park Ridge, written by Milton Nelson of the Heritage Committee and entitled "Park Ridge: Milestones of History," will also feature Clinton, with information about her school years and family, Nelson said. The cover of the book, featured on the publishers' website, includes a photo of Clinton alongside the Pickwick Theatre and sculptor Alfonso Iannelli.

"Our final story [in the book] is about the 2016 presidential race ," Nelson said.

jjohnson@pioneerlocal.com

Twitter: @Jen_Tribune
Close-up magic combined with comedy is at the heart of Magic Mark Alan's shows.

Mark McDermott, who performs as Magic Mark Alan, returns to Canterbury Theatre (formerly Mainstreet Theatre) in Michigan City Saturday.

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"For this year's show I'm featuring a Halloween theme with haunted-type magic," said McDermott, whose first foray onto the venue's stage took place in October 2015.

"There's a lot of comedy still and kid stuff with cards and ropes. It's more of a platform type of show. There's no great big stage illusions but I like to interact with the audience and get everybody involved. It makes for a better show."

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The performance also includes mind reading and coin magic.

McDermott, who lives in Michigan City approximately 10 blocks from the venue, also has been part of First Fridays Open Mic Nights, which run September-May at Canterbury Theatre.

"I've done the First Fridays thing and I really love it. The people are really nice," said McDermott, who cited the late Brant Beckett, former director of the Canterbury Winter Arts Series and longtime Festival Players Guild board member, as the one who initially booked him.

"I've been doing magic for over 40 years," said McDermott, who also performs at corporate and private events.

McDermott's fascination with magic started after a trip to Abbott Magic, which has been doing business since 1934.

"It's a magic shop. I've performed up in Michigan for magic conventions and done different states and been on TV and been on cable. I was on WGN. I forget what magic trick I first saw. When you see something and you don't know how it's done you're just very curious."

McDermott said magic appeals to all ages.

"Everybody needs to escape from the reality we live in. It's a getaway from your normal everyday routine," said McDermott, who has worked as a computer numerical control operator at New York Blower Co. in LaPorte for 18 years.

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"I do incorporate comedy into it so it makes it fun. Everybody needs to laugh. The world's too serious. Everybody just needs to get away from that and have a good time. It's all clean comedy so everybody gets it."

McDermott said the way magic is presented has changed in the more than four decades he has been involved.

"It used to be more staged in the olden days. You went and you saw a bunch of big-box tricks on the stage. Now everybody does get the audience involved," he said.

"Most of it is more close-up type magic. I just think it's better because people see it right in front of their eyes. It's more of a wonderment."

Jessi Virtusio is a freelance writer.

Magic Mark Alan

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When: 7 p.m. Oct. 29

Where: Canterbury Theatre, 807 Franklin St., Michigan City

Tickets: $12 adults; $10 children; $2 off for children in costume

Information: 219-874-4269 or www.canterburytheatre.org
A federal grand jury indicted a Merrillville woman Monday over allegations she stole more than 1,000 iPads and other computer equipment while employed in the City of Gary's Information Technology Department.

Monique Bowling-Boyd, 44, is charged with one count of theft from local government receiving federal funds stemming from the alleged theft of the computer equipment. She is also charged one count of aggravated identity theft and four counts of mail fraud over an alleged scheme to cash pension checks of a deceased person.

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Federal authorities arrested Bowling-Boyd on Monday, according to court documents.

In 2016, a State Board of Accounts special audit uncovered the alleged scheme to purchase computers, tablets, printers and wireless cellphones with city accounts payable vouchers. The equipment was later uncovered during a police traffic stop in Chicago.

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The audit found multiple instances where invoices attached to accounts payable vouchers did not match the invoice numbers and amounts listed on vouchers prepared by Bowling-Boyd.

In January, Indiana Attorney General Greg Zoeller sued Bowling-Boyd seeking repayment of $1.4 million from the allegedly fraudulent purchases.

The city fired her last spring and moved the Information Technology office in City Hall to the police department.

Jim Masters is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.
If city officials get their way, Gary's municipal budget for the upcoming calendar year will include more employee pay raises than originally intended.

Mayor Karen Freeman-Wilson had always wanted to complete her past promise of a 10 percent pay raise for city police officers and firefighters, and also wanted to provide a 10 percent boost to the workers now receiving under $40,000 a year  many working in clerical jobs.

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But the mayor, in continuing talks privately with Finance Committee Chairwoman LaVetta Sparks-Wade, D-6th, said she came to the conclusion that more city workers could also use a pay boost.

The two have come to sort of an agreement, with Finance committee officials getting a chance to express their views when they met Friday at City Hall, that city workers earning between $40,000 and $60,000 per year should receive a 3 percent pay hike.

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Freeman-Wilson says those raises would cost the city about $480,000 more per year, and she admits she hasn't yet figured out where in the budget the money would come from to cover the cost. "We're still trying to confirm how we'll pay for this," she said. "We will secure a way to do that."

The raises for lower-paid workers were largely covered by equivalent cuts in office supplies and equipment purchased for various city agencies and programs.

Councilwoman Ragen Hatcher, D-at large, said the fact that raises are being seriously contemplated is a major factor in trying to ensure that city employees actually reside in Gary. "Do we really want to give raises to people who don't live in Gary, absolutely not," she said.

Public hearings on the city budget were held last week when the Common Council met in full. Changes made by the Finance committee on Friday were then posted for the record, with state law saying a 10-day period now must take place before a final vote can be taken on the budget.

That would allow for a final vote at the Nov. 1 Common Council meeting, which also happens to be the deadline by which municipalities across Indiana are required to have final budgets in place  or else risk having their funding frozen at 2016 levels, which would deny them any chance to take advantage of increased income that could arise.

Tamara Young-King, who serves on the board of directors for the Gary Public Transportation Corp., said the city's bus company is concerned that circumstance could occur. "We'd be in a precarious position if we had to work within the (tax) levy," she said, saying the bus company budget counts on a 4 percent tax levy increase to raise enough money to cover costs of bus service throughout the Gary area.

Hatcher questioned why all city employees shouldn't get some sort of raise, although Freeman-Wilson said that with regard to city employees earning more than $60,000, they would be in higher tax brackets and any 1 percent or 2 percent pay hike Gary would try to offer wouldn't result in actual boosts in their income.

Gregory Tejeda is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.
A municipal pension reform plan proposed by the recently installed president of the Illinois Municipal League is generating mixed reactions throughout portions of Lake County.

Karen Darch, who also serves as the Barrington village president, was elected president of the advocacy group in September and during her acceptance speech expressed a desire to merge local police and fire pensions into the Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund (IMRF) or to create a similar program.

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"I think it should be a priority," Darch told Pioneer Press on Oct. 14. "Pension reform is a huge issue for all of the municipalities, so it has been at the top of everyone's list for a long time."

The IMRF has been operating for 75 years and provides employees of local governments and school districts in Illinois a system for the payment of retirement and other employee benefits. The fund currently has almost 3,000 participating employers .

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Darch said a key component is for each community to have separate accounts within the system  just like IMRF  so the better-funded municipalities don't lose ground by the merger.

Currently, each village, city, county and fire protection district appoints members to a pension board that selects investment options and reviews local issues.

A new statewide system would have a greater investment power and bring in more revenue while saving municipalities adviser fees, Darch said.

"This consolidation is one way to approach the problem given the (court's) decision on what can and can't be changed in terms of reforming the existing system," Darch said. "Consolidating the system really provides help that can be achieved now without changing the employee benefit structure."

Darch said this idea has been floated around for a few years and she wants to renew the push. She said colleagues at the Northwest Municipal Conference and the Pension Fairness For Illinois Communities coalition are researching the issue.

"The devil is in the details," Darch said. "Many state legislators have heard of these plans, but they recognize it's not something you can move on real quickly."

So far no bill has been proposed, Darch said.

Among the many topics for discussion, Darch said the group wants to find out what laws would need to be changed and how much it would cost to create a new system and merge the 650 separate municipal pension funds.

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Vernon Hills Mayor Roger Byrne called attention to the idea during an Oct. 4 meeting where village officials were calculating the financial risk associated with giving a $20 million subsidy to a developer.

"Think about how much each individual fund pays for investment adviser fees," Vernon Hills Finance Director Nikki Larson said. "I think it's millions of dollars statewide that would be saved."

Larson said Vernon Hills' police pension is 82 percent funded under the state's formula, but she said it "back-loads" larger payments. Under a custom format with evenly spread payments and a lower assumed interest return, Larson said the pension is 66 percent funded.

Trustee James Schultz said he's open to the idea primarily because Vernon Hills' pensions are in much better shape and he's in favor of gaining even more ground.

However, Schultz said he still wants to know how the proposed system would handle disability hearings. He said pooling resources could be helpful, but staying local could be quicker and allow for more familiarity.

"There is some potential with this idea, namely cost savings and greater return on investments," Schultz said. "But all the details need to be flushed out."

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Mundelein Village Administrator John Lobaito said he's unaware of Darch's idea.

"At this time I prefer not to comment other than to say that I agree with Mayor Darch's comments that IMRF is a good example to follow for public pensions," Lobaito said.

Mundelein's police pension account has 41 percent of the needed $58 million liability while the fire pension account has 56 percent of the needed $31 million, according to Finance Director Doug Haywood.

In Libertyville, Mayor Terry Weppler was steadfast in his opposition to giving up control.

Libertyville's police pension account has about 49 percent of the needed $56.5 million liability and the fire pensions are over 59 percent of the needed $42.4 million, according to Finance Director Patrice Sutton.

"I don't want the state to have any control over our money because they've proven to be ineffective in handling money period," Weppler said.

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According to IMRF's website, four executive trustees are elected by participating units of government while three are elected by employees invested in the system. Furthermore, Darch said stern bylaws could be written into any proposed legislation.

Weppler said he's still cautious of letting go.

"Any ability for the state to get their hands on money is a bad thing," Weppler said.

This is not the first time pension reform has come up.

Senate Bill 3317 was proposed in February by then-Senator Dan Duffy of Barrington, who later resigned to take a job in the private sector.

The bill would have transferred "investment power for eligible downstate police and downstate firefighter pension funds to the Illinois State Board of Investment."

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"Downstate" means all non-Chicago communities, according to state officials.

At the time, Vernon Hills and Libertyville village officials opposed the idea.

When Duffy resigned, the bill was reassigned to Senator Jim Oberweis of Sugar Grove. However, Oberweis said that he was unaware of it until municipal leaders started calling his office to complain.

Oberweis said Gov. Bruce Rauner asked Duffy to sponsor the bill, and when Duffy resigned he ended up with all of his bills.

The bill died between sessions, according to Oberweis, primarily because he didn't know he had it and didn't file any paperwork on it.

rkambic@pioneerlocal.com

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The southwest China city of Chengdu will host a key general aviation exposition in late November with the participation of over 200 manufacturers of business and utility jets from around the world, organizers said Sunday.

The 2016 China International General Aviation Expo will be held at Xinjin Airport in Chengdu from Nov. 25 to 27 by the Civil Aviation Administration of China and the Chengdu Municipal Government.

Jet makers and equipment suppliers, including Raytheon, Conrad, and ANPC of the United States, Thales of France, and Lufthansa Technik of Germany are expected to showcase the latest innovations in the industry, the organizers said.

More than a hundred aircraft will be on display and some will be flown in an air show. The public is also invited to assemble models or try flight stimulation.

General aviation is considered a fledgling industry in China. The market is estimated to grow to 150 billion yuan (about 22 billion U.S. dollars) by 2020.

Bill Schultz, senior vice president of Textron Aviation's China operations, said that as business jets are relatively new in China, the company is confident about its market growth in the country.
A girl looks at high tech products of China's technology products at a mobile phone store in Bogota City, capital of Colombia, on May 21, 2015. [Xinhua]

Zhang Jing, 29, who works at a research institute in Shenzhen, has been using a Samsung Galaxy Note 3 smartphone for two years. Its exquisite design and high-megapixel camera made her a big fan of the South Korean tech giant. Zhang had planned to upgrade to a Note 7.

But the love affair came to an end after explosions of the newly launched Note 7 were reported. Samsung said earlier this month it would recall about 190,000 Note 7 phones in China to avoid further battery explosions.

"It is a matter of trust. I don't think I will buy Samsung smartphones any more. Local brands are good alternatives," she said.

Zhang was not alone. The ongoing Note 7 recall crisis is drawing more consumers away from Samsung to local players, analysts said, highlighting broader problems foreign smartphone vendors face in China as homegrown brands Huawei and Oppo quickly catch up.

Of 57,000 Chinese netizens polled by research institute Penguin Intelligence in September, 7.2 percent said they planned to buy a Samsung smartphone while 38 percent of them chose Huawei as their top choice for the next handset. "We already have noticed a fall in the sales of Samsung's full product lineup, including both its premium handsets and low-to-middle-end devices," said Jin Di, research manager at International Data Corp China.

The South Korean firm, with a market share of less than 7 percent in China in the second quarter of this year, is likely to see a further decline in shipments, she added.

As Chinese smartphone vendors make steady improvements in hardware and software, foreign firms are losing their shine, said Nicole Peng, research director at Shanghai-based consultancy Canalys.

Domestic players account for 85 percent of China's smartphone market, and the figure is likely to reach 90 percent within a year, she said.

Samsung's foreign peer Apple, for instance, is also wrestling with a drop in sales. Its latest model, iPhone 7, failed to inspire the enthusiasm seen among local consumers when earlier versions were released.

Over 70 percent of the 57,000 Chinese consumers polled said they would not buy iPhone 7, citing limited improvements and the high price tag as major reasons.

Wu Wenjun, who has been selling phones and accessories in Beijing's Chaoyang district for two years, said that in the past, consumers would come in and grab an iPhone or Samsung handset without shopping around. Now, however, Wu says more want to try out local models.

"I use the Huawei P9. Previously, I would remove the 'Sent from my Huawei' signature at the bottom of the email app because Chinese brands often were associated with inferior design and systems," Wu said.

"But now, everybody knows Huawei, and many of them have become fans."

In the second quarter, Huawei, Oppo and Vivo were the top three brands in China, with a combined share of 47 percent of the market, according to IDC.

Samsung barely registered in market rankings in China in that quarter, and Apple was fifth. That marks a drastic change from several years ago, when the two firms dominated the world's largest smartphone market.

Though Apple and Samsung still have a big presence in the above-3,000 yuan ($445) handset market, local players are eroding their share, said James Yan, research director at Counterpoint Technology Market Research.

"It is Chinese vendors, not foreign firms, that are actively experimenting with new technologies that resonate with local consumers, such as wireless charging, bigger storage and phones that support multiple carriers," he said.

Apple, for instance, did not offer dual cameras until the iPhone 7 Plus, which was unveiled last month, about half a year later than Huawei's P9, which comes with Leica dual lenses.

In smaller cities, Oppo and Vivo have seen big sales jumps after hiring celebrity endorsers and creating a large network of brick-and-mortar partner stores to sell their phones.

"Since the Chinese smartphone market is reaching saturation and is driven chiefly by replacement users, consumers in third-tier to fifth-tier cities also are demanding high-quality handsets, and most of them have chosen local brands," said Peng from Canalys.
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Hung Hsiu-chu, leader of Taiwan's Kuomintang (KMT) Party, will lead a delegation to visit the mainland from Oct. 30 to Nov. 3, a Chinese mainland spokesman said on Monday.

Hung will visit Nanjing and Beijing, and activities are under discussion, said An Fengshan, spokesman for the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office.
As the cages opened, Hua Yan and Zhang Meng did not hesitate and ran into the wild. The two pandas disappeared into the mountains within seconds. China released its sixth and seventh pandas at the Liziping Nature Reserve in southwest China's Sichuan Province Thursday morning, in an attempt to diversify the species' genetic pool.

Giant panda Hua Yan is released into the wild at a nature reserve in Yaan City, Southwest Chinas Sichuan Province, Oct. 20, 2016. (Photo: China News Service/An Yuan)

"Releasing them to the wild is just the beginning. We will continue to monitor them and see whether they can survive in the wild," said Huang Yan, a panda reintroduction specialist. "What we are most looking forward to is whether they can mate and breed in the wild."

With a consensus on giant panda protection reached at the International Conference on Giant Panda Conservation that finished Friday, global efforts on panda protection are set to be strengthened.

REINTRODUCTION ENDEAVOR

According to Huang, releasing pandas back into the wild is not easy. It is a complicated process involving many twists and even failure.

The China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda (CCRCGP) started its reintroduction program in 2003, releasing its first captive-bred panda Xiang Xiang into the wild in 2006.

However, Xiang Xiang died roughly a year later after fighting with wild pandas for food and territory. In 2014, Xue Xue, the fourth captive panda to be released, died of illness a month after being released.

Zhang Hemin, the CCRCGP director, came under criticism for sending pandas into the danger of the wild.

But Zhang did not back down.

"The purpose of captive breeding is to keep the number of pandas at a stable level; as a species they belong to the wild," Zhang said.

Under cooperative programs with 10 countries, including the United States, Japan and Belgium, 32 pandas now live in overseas zoos.

"Pandas are adorable, and people love them. But they are not pets, and they should go back to the wild. And the process of captive breeding, wild training and releasing is a road that must be travelled," Zhang said.

"The whole reintroduction program is an experiment. Putting pandas back into the wild is a very complicated process," said David Wildt, head of the Center for Species Survival at the Smithsonian's National Zoo in Washington D.C.

Despite the setbacks, the CCRCGP is continuing its release program. The center released Tao Tao (a male) in 2012, Zhang Xiang (a female) in 2013, and Hua Jiao (a female) in 2015.

"Zhang Xiang has established her own territory, which is an important step to surviving in the wild," Huang said. "Tao Tao and Zhang Xiang have adapted to the wild, and they are expected to naturally mate and breed in the next two to three years."

"They do not just release the animal. There is work before it is released, while it is being released and after it is released. So they learn and they can build on that data, so next time they can release it more successfully. They are learning from each of the reintroductions," Wildt said.
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Lithuania's Peasant and Greens Union (LVZS) took the lead in the runoff of parliamentary elections on Sunday, the Central Electoral Commission (CEC) data shows early Monday morning local time.

A voter casts her ballot in a polling station for the parliament election in Vilnius, Lithuania, Oct. 23, 2016. [Photo/Xinhua]

Based on the data after counting all ballots in the 1,922 polling stations, the agrarian party is set to form the new Lithuania's government for the next four years term with 54 mandates in the Seimas, Lithuanian parliament.

"We can expect a big responsibility; we assume that and we are ready to take it," Ramunas Karbauskis, leader of LVZS was quoted as saying by local website 15min.lt.

He did not rule out negotiation both with the conservative Homeland Union - Lithuanian Christian Democrats (TS-LKD) and Social Democratic party (LSDP), which fall behind the agrarian party respectively as second and third.

"I believe we can agree about wide coalition, given the other political forces understand the need to work together," Karbauskis said in direct local broadcaster LRT's show after the election.

However, Karbauskis himself does not intend to become the new prime minister. Saulius Skvernelis, the leader of the agrarian's party electoral list, is being mentioned as a potential candidate for the office. Some political analysts see this move as a controversial choice as usually leader of the winning party becomes the head of government in Lithuania.

TS-LKD, the conservative political force which won the first round of the election, falls behind the agrarians in the runoff with 31 mandates secured after preliminary results were announced. Social democrats won 17 mandates, the preliminary data from CEC shows.

According to Karbauskis, separate negotiating groups will be formed on Monday for talks with both conservatives and social democrats.

The idea to separately negotiate with two competing parties was severely criticized by Gabrielius Landsbergis, leader of TS-LKD.

"The plan to form two negotiating groups, for two separate negotiations; my question would be, if this is a market place, we will buy bananas or oranges?" said Landsbergis in an interview with Lrt.lt.

"There are some principal values, such as transparency, responsibility and readiness to work; if these principles seem suitable to other forces, we are ready for talks," Landsbergis added.

Meanwhile, Karbauskis repeatedly said the government should be formed out of professionals.

He also said his party would not concede on some particular issues such as Lithuania's Visaginas nuclear plant project which, in the politician's words, should be "cancelled".

The leader of the agrarian party also insists on creating state-controlled alcohol selling monopoly in Lithuania. The idea is heavily questioned by nearly all other Lithuanian political forces.

Karbauskis is an agricultural millionaire aged 47 and famous for the initiative to hold alcohol-free family festivals in his native village Naisiai. He is also a writer and producer of TV series Naisiu Vasara (Summer in Naisiai), based on stories from the village.

Saulius Skvernelis, the leader of the agrarian party's list on the elections, earlier said he saw opportunities to work in coalition with all political forces.

The political leaders also commented on President Dalia Grybauskaite's role while forming the ruling coalition.

"I think her opinion is very important, however, people's choice goes first," Skvernelis said.

"The president's stance is important no doubt, we could see how she participated in forming governments before, in an intelligent way; we will see how it goes this year," Landsbergis, leader of conservatives, was quoted as saying by local media.

"In a democratic country we must first pay attention to what voters say," Landsbergis commented to reporters.

Meanwhile, the country's incumbent Prime Minister Algirdas Butkevicius repeatedly said on Sunday he saw his social democratic party to work in opposition.

Together with early votes, 37.85 percent of Lithuanian eligible voters casted their ballots in the Lithuanian parliamentary runoff election, CEC announced on its website.

The Seimas, the parliament of Lithuania, consists of 141 MPs. 71 of them are elected directly in single-member constituencies and 70 are elected in the multi-member constituency based on political parties' lists.

The latest data shows nine parties and one electoral coalition have entered the Seimas, together with four independent candidates.

Besides LVZS, TS-LKD and LSDP, the other parties are Liberal movement, 14 seats, Order and Justice, eight seats, Electoral Action of Poles in Lithuania - Christian Families Alliance, eight seats, Labour party, two seats, Lithuanian Green party, one seat, and Political party "Lithuanian List", one seat. The anti-corruption coalition of Naglis Puteikis and Kristupas Krivickas, formed by Lithuanian Centre party and Lithuanian Pensioners' party, also has secured one seat.

The CEC must confirm the final voting results, both from the first round on October 9 and the second on Sunday, by October 30. The commission will announce the full list of new members of parliament by then.

It is expected that the first meeting of the parliament will take place by November 14 at the latest.

The same day when the new parliament has its first seating, the current government's powers will expire, however, it will remain as a caretaker government until the new government is formed.
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A suicide car bomber killed two people and injured four others on Sunday evening in the Somali capital Mogadishu, a local official said.

Somali police force checks the wreckage of the suicide car in Mogadishu, capital of Somalia, Oct. 23, 2016. [Photo/Xinhua]

Bondhere District Commissioner Qasim Abdullahi told reporters at the scene that the suicide bomber detonated his car outside an eatery near the Daljirka Dahsoon Monument in Bondhere district.

Daljirka Dahsoon is "a popular place for people in the evening", said Abdullahi.

Police and witnesses said there was a huge blast, sparking panic.

"We heard a heavy blast near Daljirka. Everybody was running around and we learned it was a car explosion," witness Hassan Shire told Xinhua.

No group has yet claimed responsibility, but Somalia-based Islamist group Al-Shabaab carries out frequent attacks in the country, many of them in Mogadishu.
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The reason Turkey insists on participating in the battle to free the Iraqi city Mosul from the Islamic State (IS) militants, in addition to Turkish president's declared nostalgia for the Ottoman dominion, is that the country has security concerns about the terror threats and mass migration it may face, local experts say.

The president's comments are not simply an "Ottoman nostalgia," but a reflection on the possible security outcomes of the Mosul operations in Iraq, Serhat Erkmen, an associate professor from 21st Century Turkey Institute told Xinhua.

"We will be in the field and at the table. Our preparations are underway," Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Oct. 17, referring to the current Mosul battle.

He cited "Misaki Milli," a document adopted by the Turkish parliament in 1920 that claimed Mosul as part of modern Turkey. Mosul was once part of the Ottoman Empire.

Erkmen said Erdogan recalled Turkish "historical responsibility" in Mosul to raise public awareness about the battle and pursue international legitimacy for the country's participation in it.

"Turkey will not remain a spectator on issues that threaten its security," the president said on Saturday.

Turkish leaders are worrying about the power vacuum in its neighboring country and the possible influx of refugees during and after the battle in Mosul, said Erkmen.

Consequently, Turkey will be "at the table" in Mosul despite no invitation from the Iraqi government or the coalition forces, since the coalition forces cannot act in Iraq without the role of neighboring countries, he added.

Bilgay Duman, a Middle East expert from the Center for Middle Eastern Strategic Studies, agreed that who will rule the province after the battle is what worries Ankara.

Turkey is concerned that the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), the IS militants or other terror groups may take advantage of such power vacuum, the expert said.

Duman said the PKK took hold of Sinjar after the northern Iraqi town was cleared of IS militants in late 2015, due to the inability of the Iraqi government to control it.

Last week, the Iraqi army, backed by the U.S.-led coalition airstrikes, launched a much-anticipated military offensive to retake Mosul, which was overrun by the IS in 2014.
By Lena Ge, China Aviation Daily | Oct. 24, 2016

Hainan Airlines will launch five new international services from Shenzhen to New Zealand, Vietnam and Thailand over the next two months, the Haikou-based carrier announced at a press conference on Friday.

Starting November 28, Hainan Airlines will start a twice-weekly service to Danang, followed by thrice-weekly and twice-weekly services to Thailand's Chiang Mai and Phuket on December 15 and December 17, respectively. Thereafter, the airline will fly directly between Shenzhen and Nha Trang, Vietnam on December 18, followed by a thrice-weekly service to Auckland on December 29.

All of these points, except Phuket, are new destinations from Shenzhen Bao'an International Airport.

As China Southern Airlines launched its Shenzhen-Sydney service in January 2016, Shenzhen has gone from having no long-haul routes. Under the nation's 13th Five-Year Plan (2016-2020), Shenzhen was tagged as an international aviation hub and its airport sees "Internationalism" as one of its development strategies in the next five years.

With the launch of four new services, Hainan Airlines could help the airport build itself as an international hub, as well as enforce its presence in Shenzhen.

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Workers at Mindray's Nanjing unit test bulbs for surgery theaters of hospitals. [Photo provided to China Daily]

Shenzhen Mindray Bio-Medical Electronics Co, which has already built up a solid market presence in developed markets, will deploy more resources and manpower in countries along the Belt and Road Initiative to further compete with its foreign rivals.

China's largest private medical equipment maker by sales revenue currently operates eight branches in Europe and has built extensive market channels in more than 4,000 hospitals and top-notch teaching hospitals in Europe, including the United Kingdom, France, Germany, the Netherlands and Italy.

"The opportunities come from these countries' increasing demand for public services and infrastructure projects, as well as building a modern healthcare service system in fast-growing markets including India, Kenya, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Turkey," said Yin Luntao, the group's vice-president and general manager of international marketing and sales.

Yin Luntao, vice-president of Mindray Bio-Medical Electronics Co.

The infrastructure and trade network proposed by China in 2013 envisions a Silk Road Economic Belt and a 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, covering about 4.4 billion people in more than 60 countries and regions in Asia, Europe and Africa.

Take Kenya, for instance. Mindray, which has already launched some projects, is on its way to supply, install and maintain equipment for the national government's healthcare projects in 98 hospitals across the country. The hospitals can offer services to 80 percent of the country's total population.

To make better healthcare solutions more accessible to humanity, Mindray focuses its development in three key business lines, namely patient monitoring and life support equipment, in-vitro diagnostic devices and medical imaging systems for both the domestic and exports markets.

"Our core strengths lie in innovation and quality. In addition, strengthening services for staff training and after-sales service is an effective way of building a firm foundation for us to further cut financial risk in emerging markets," said Yin.

"Mindray's 'accessible innovation' philosophy drives us to provide high-quality products at affordable prices. This, along with localized and fast-response services, makes Mindray a competitive player in the market."

The company so far has built an extensive market and service network with 42 subsidiaries and branch offices in 32 countries in North and Latin America, Europe, Africa and Asia-Pacific, as well as 32 branch offices in China. Its products are sold to more than 190 countries and regions.

The private medical device manufacturer has three plants in Shenzhen and Nanjing, as well as more than 2,000 researchers. More than 10 percent of the company's sales revenue goes into research and development activities.

The company has not released the financial report for its 2015 fiscal yet. Its sales revenue was 8.1 billion yuan ($1.21 billion) in 2014, thanks to its fast growth in both developed and emerging markets.

Mindray's first subsidiary in Europe was established in the UK in 2005. "Similar to other parts of western Europe, the competition in the UK is ferocious because buyers have so many options," said Yin. "You really do have to grab their attention with quality and innovative products, localized service and outstanding marketing."

And because many of its medical products are bought by the UK National Health Service, the price advantage that Chinese sellers can offer is not necessarily tempting. "Quality is by far the most important thing," said Yin.

Mindray bid to be a supplier to the NHS through a procurement procedure in 2008. "We were assessed as a business holistically, including our product quality, commercial qualification and after-sales service. We passed the test and have remained in their procurement system ever since. By now, our products can be seen in many major European teaching hospitals," said Yin.

Mindray's key advantage in Europe is not its price, but its product innovation, quality and localization, Yin said. Most hospitals have a procurement process whereby prices are not made known at first.

Eager to enhance its earning ability, it has also established a regional logistics center in the Netherlands to ensure prompt shipments and proper storage.

All of Mindray's products sold abroad have been certified by regulators in the European Union, and its products sold in North America have also received the US Food and Drug Administration's clearance.

One milestone for Mindray's global expansion was its $200 million acquisition of New Jersey-based Datascope's patient monitoring business in 2008, which turned the company into the third-largest player in the global patient monitoring device industry.

The R&D center in clinical research in Datascope's previous headquarters Mawah, New Jersey, became a valuable asset to Mindray. The deal also gave Mindray a direct sales force in Europe and North America, which was an improvement over the previous practice of selling through distributors.

It also acquired Zonare, a California-based maker of high-end ultrasound machines for $105 million in 2013. The deal was seen as helping it become a market leader in premium imaging products.

"It's difficult for any Chinese company, no matter how experienced or smart, to break into developed markets."
A member of a Chinese business delegation speaks with an employee (R) of Israeli high-tech firm ironSource at his office in Tel Aviv in this file photo. [Photo/Reuters]

Avi Cohen, CEO of The Floor, a Tel Aviv-based incubator of financial technology firms, hosts visitors, mostly Israel entrepreneurs, all the time. But, on a recent September weekend, his guests were 30 chairpersons of Chinese firms.

"Traditionally, Israeli entrepreneurs tend to look at Western markets for growth. But that is changing with the growing interest from Chinese investors," Cohen said.

The Floor was established eight months ago. So far, it has raised $2 million from Pando Group, a venture capital fund backed by China's Bloomage BioTechnology Corp Ltd. The Floor plans to open a Shanghai branch next year.

The investment is part of a broad trend unfolding in Israel, a global innovation hotspot which has become a popular destination for Chinese capital as China works hard to upgrade from a manufacturing hub into a tech beehive.

"Currently, every week, there is a Chinese delegation visiting Israel. They can be entrepreneurs, scholars or government officials," an official at the Chinese Embassy in Tel Aviv told China Daily.

In 2015, Chinese investments in Israeli startups and funds exceeded $500 million, showing a growth of 300 percent since 2012, data from the Israeli Ministry of Economy and Industry shows.

Tech giants such as Baidu Inc and Alibaba Group Holding Ltd, as well as players in traditional industries, have all joined the race. Last year, Chinese firms contributed 40 percent of money raised by Israeli venture capital funds.

"Israel's tech scene is a can't-miss these days," said Song Chunyu, vice-president of Beijing-based Lenovo Group Ltd. In charge of Lenovo's investment unit, Song visits Israel at least once a year.

According to him, the Middle Eastern country, which was ranked by Bloomberg as the second most innovative country in terms of R&D capabilities in the world in 2015, is highly complementary to China's economy.

"Israeli entrepreneurs are willing to spend years and decades on a specific core technology, but their growth is often limited by its small domestic market," Song said.

On the other hand, China, with a stable economy and a population of 1.3 billion, is a huge market but lacks ultra-modern technologies. "The two countries are a perfect match in the tech sector," he said.

Lenovo has so far poured $20 million into six Israeli startups, including Neura, a platform that helps users personalize connected devices while guarding their data.

It plans to invest $100 million more in local startups over the next three years to tap into Israeli talents.

Hila Engelhard, an official at the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said: "China is like a giant computer and Israel can serve as a processor in it."

According to her, a big portion of Chinese money is flowing into areas like agriculture, medical technology mobile internet and other high-tech industries.

Chinese industrial conglomerate Fosun International Ltd, for instance, spent $240 million to acquire a 97 percent stake in Israeli medical tech firm Alma Lasers Ltd.

Last year, Baidu Inc invested $5 million in Tonara, which developed an interactive music education app, along with its Israeli VC partner Carmel Ventures. Prior to that, it invested $3 million in local video capture firm Pixellot.

The trend is fueled by the national governments' efforts to deepen bilateral ties. A 10-year multiple entry visa policy will take effect next month. The two sides will also start talks for a free trade agreement. That will be preceded by a three-year deal to promote bilateral cooperation.

Such enthusiasm was very much in evidence at the second China-Israel Innovation and Investment Summit, which was held in Tel Aviv in late September. About 100 Chinese firms and 300 Israeli companies showed up and negotiated investment proposals totaling $1.5 billion, according to the conference organizer.

Among them is Chinese social networking heavyweight Tencent Holdings Ltd, which is looking for startups in artificial intelligence, augmented reality and cloud computing.

A group of CEOs from 40 smaller Chinese manufacturing firms was also present, looking for technologies that can upgrade their factories or help build new growth engines, as they wrestle with mounting pressure of an economy whose growth rate is slowing.

Chinese IT firm Neusoft announced at the start of the conference with Israeli-Chinese private equity fund Infinity Group that it would jointly set up a $250-million fund to invest in Israeli medical technologies over the next three years.

Shen Meng, director of Chanson & Co, a boutique investment bank in China, said a few Chinese startups do have "core technologies", but have been over-valued, pushing up the investment cost, which is prompting investors to look for the real gold in Israel.

"But China's budding businesses that are competitive won't suffer from this trend. After all, China has a lot of investable funds now. What we really lack are good ventures," Shen said.

Eran Wagner, general partner of Israeli VC fund Gemini, said Chinese firms often adopt two approaches to investing in Israel: they either pour money into local VC funds whose network can help them effectively reach early-stage startups or directly pump capital into late-stage firms that have mature technologies and products. "Chinese investors prefer later-stage firms."

But as China is moving rapidly from being a manufacturer to a global R&D center, the appetite for risk and willingness to fund technologies that are not fully developed, are growing, he said.

Compared with their Western counterparts, however, deep-pocketed Chinese firms are still newcomers to the Middle Eastern country. The language barrierEnglish and Hebrew are predominant in Israelcultural differences and a different startup ecosystem all add up to the challenges that Chinese investors face.

"It is quite important to develop trustworthy local advisors to navigate the differences between the two countries," said Chen Hongwei, executive director for Tencent's mergers and acquisitions.

Things are already moving in that direction rapidly. Legal firms, HR firms that supply workers, translators and guides, and platforms connecting Israel and China, are mushrooming.

Geekpark and 36Kr.com, two popular Chinese technology websites, rolled out Israeli business trip projects last month for small Chinese firms keen to visit Tel Aviv for investments.

Wang Xin, a Chinese student at Hebrew University, is itching to jump on the bilateral tech bandwagon. "I wanna stay in Israel to help deepen China-Israel business connections upon graduation. This is an opportunity too precious to miss."
People look at a housing project near the Dianchi Lake in Kunming, Southwest China's Yunnan province, on Oct 21, 2016. [Photo/VCG]

China's banking watchdog has ordered strict control of financial risks related to real estate as bank loans to the sector surged.

Regulations over property loans must be rigorously implemented, and financial business related to real estate agents and developers should be conducted in a prudent manner, according to a statement on the website of the China Banking Regulatory Commission (CBRC).

Irregular inflow of loans or wealth management funds into the property sector must be banned, said the statement.

By the end of September, financial institutions in China had lent 25.33 trillion yuan ($3.74 trillion) to the property sector, up 25.2 percent year on year, central bank data show.

While the property sector has been a significant growth driver for the Chinese economy so far, policymakers have tried to prevent an asset bubble following drastic price rises in some first- and second-tier cities.

As a result of government curb policies, including purchase limits and tightened mortgage restrictions, the month-on-month price index for new homes in 15 first- and second-tier cities retreated in the first half of October from September, according to the National Bureau of Statistics.

The CBRC also urged efforts to avert risks related to local government debts and industrial sectors with excessive capacity.
Zhang Yong, CEO of Alibaba Group announces the launching of 2016 Tmall 11.11 Global Shopping Festival in Hong Kong, on Oct 20, 2016. [Photo/VCG]

Tmall, China's largest e-commerce site, will not only sell discounted items such as toilet paper and milk during the upcoming 11/11 shopping frenzy this year, but also exclusive luxury brands, such as Maserati automobiles and Guerlain's night cream, priced at 9,500 yuan ($1,400) for 50 milliliters.

Twenty Maserati Quattroporte GranLusso cars, retailing for 1.54 million yuan in China, will be sold exclusively on Tmall, the Italian auto brand jointly announce with Tmall on Sunday in Shanghai. Some other brands will also be sold as part of the festival warmup.

Alibaba said 80 percent of the world's first-class lifestyle brands are available on its B2C platform. By encouraging the brands to introduce new products during the 11/11 shopping frenzywhich will last 24 days instead of 24 hours this year, starting on Oct 21the company expects the festival will tap into a higher-end market.

"The match of Maserati and Tmall has already been a success," said Pan Weili, senior marketing manager at Maserati China. In March, the company sold 100 SUVs in 18 seconds during a special promotion for the launch of its flagship on Tmall.

Maserati Quattroporte V8 [Photo / Maserati.com]

The target are customers Alibaba lists as Apass members. With an approach similar to the invitation-only Black Card system, Alibaba said its Apass members drove 100 million yuan in sales on its two retail platformsTaobao and Tmallevery day in 2015. It declined to reveal the number of members.

"Online shopping has actually helped me to save money," said Amy Liu, a 28-year-old mother and Alibaba Apass member who spent more than 400,000 yuan last year. The bulk of her purchases are fashion pieces, including shoes, bags and clothes.

Last year, Alibaba achieved sales estimated at more than 91.2 billion yuan on Nov 11.

This year, the number of parcels delivered is projected to exceed 1 billion, up by 35 percent, according to company figures.
Ten aspiring Israeli tech and medical startups made an extraordinary pitch in Tel Aviv recently. Extraordinary because their audience was 3,000 km away: 50 prospective Chinese investors in Shanghai, Beijing and Nanjing who hooked up online to assess the startups' virtual pitches in English.

A translator helped both sides make sense of the video conference, part of the TechCode Israel China Innovation Center's broad plan to connect startups in the Middle Eastern country with cash-rich Chinese investment firms on the prowl for cutting-edge technologies.

"We plan to hold such events twice a month. Eventually, we hope it'll be once a week," said Holo Zheng, general manager of TechCode Israel.

It is one of the first Chinese incubators in Israel. It opened in March to serve firms at different stages of growth. As part of its services, it offers startups office space, business mentors, financial support and guidance on brand promotion.

"Chinese and Israeli economies are highly complementary. The bilateral ties are also getting increasingly closer, which offers a perfect timing to set up a presence here," Zheng said.

TechCode Israel hosts dozens of startups engaged in the fields of robotics, big data, cyber security and medical care. By the year-end, the aerospace industry will be also covered.

According to her, Israeli entrepreneurs are open to Chinese investments and eager to broaden their ken about China, even mastering nuances like the apt way to exchange business cards and picking a suitable Chinese name for the company.

But it is not easy for TechCode to stand out, given the big number of Israeli incubators The key lies in how to help startups enter into China market, she said.

"Israeli entrepreneurs tend to sell their startups before their technologies are fully commercialized, partly because the domestic market is too small. We are working hard to solve this problem," Zheng said.

TechCode has established an incubator for early-stage startups and two accelerators for growth-stage firms. It guides startup founders on how to pitch to Chinese investors. Mature firms receive advisory services on topics like going public in China.

TechCode's partners include China Fortune Land Development Co and other investment firms backed by provincial and municipal governments of China. In Israel, it partners with legal firms, universities' technology transfer firms and IBI, a major investment firm.

TechCode Israel, part of a global network of innovation centers in the United States, Europe, and Asia, helps budding businesses to take advantage of each country's unique characteristics and enjoy the flows of talent and capital.
Oct 21 China's sovereign wealth fund CIC has made a large investment in German residential real estate, adding to a string of recent buys of Chinese groups in Europe's largest economy, sources close to the deal said on Friday.

German property group BGP has been sold to vehicles advised by Morgan Stanley Real Estate Investing (MSREF) at a value of more than 1.1 billion euros ($1.2 billion) including debt, BGP said in a statement.

The bulk of the money involved in the deal came from CIC, two people close to the transaction said.

CIC was not available for comment after regular business hours.

China's shopping spree in Germany has hit the headlines this year with, among other acquisitions, Midea's 4.5 billion euro purchase of industrial robot maker Kuka.

The BGP buy, however, is the first major Chinese investment in German homes.

CIC and its co-investors beat out German property groups Vonovia and Deutsche Wohnen in the auction for BGP. A stock market listing had also been mulled as a divestment option.

In August 2015, a planned sale of BGP to Austria's Conwert fell apart.

BGP's apartments are located mainly in Berlin and North Rhine-Westphalia. The flats had represented one of the few large German property portfolios in private hands that had been up for sale.

BGP was formed in 2005 as a joint venture between Australian investment group Babcock & Brown and property group GPT and at one stage was worth 4 billion euros. But many of its assets have been sold off.

Babcock & Brown was liquidated in 2009, and GPT shareholders received shares in BGP. These securities were held mainly by funds and 58,000 primarily Australian retail investors.

Lazard advised the sell side on the transaction
Wang Jianlin, Chairman of Dalian Wanda Group, speaks during a meeting in Kunming city, Southwest China's Yunnan province, Oct 29, 2014. [Photo/IC]

There are now around 89,000 Chinese individuals worth more than 100 million yuan ($14.77 million), said China Ping An Insurance Group.

During the ongoing Ping An Family Wealth Management Summit held in Sanya, the company's sales department manager Yang Jingdong pointed out that 60 percent of the China's multi-millionaires have assets overseas.

Due to reasons such as limited allocations to overseas shares and unfamiliar foreign markets, most of these individuals only invest some 10 percent of their total gross assets into properties outside of China.

Based on analysis, the features of their investment can be characterized as a focus on saving and investing relatively little. Their investment categories are highly concentrated, along with a high proportion of non-financial assets, said Yang Jingdong.

According to the latest figures released by Hurun Wealth Report, the year-on-year growth rate of the Chinese mainland's individuals with a net worth over 100 million yuan or more reached 14 percent in May 2016.

In terms of the regional distribution, China's eastern part enjoys the largest number of Chinese multi-millionaires, accounting for 43 percent of this population. It's followed by the northern and southern parts of China, with 23 percent and 15 percent respectively.

At the provincial level, Guangdong province replaced China's capital city, Beijing, in 2016 and attracted the majority of individuals with at least 10 million yuan in assets. Guangdong claimed the fastest rate of increase at 18 percent.

The roundup of the top 4 is Beijing, Shanghai and Zhejiang province. It's noted that 843,000 individuals worth at least 10 million yuan live in these four regions, or 63 percent of their population.

The Hurun report further indicates that entrepreneurs, gold-collar workers, real estate speculators, and professional stockholders compose this population of multi-millionaires, occupying 55 percent, 20 percent, 15 percent and 10 percent separately.

For the financing method, most multi-millionaire's families are in favor of bank savings or pour their money into real estates and insurances.

The Boston Consulting Group predicts, by the end of 2010, there will be 3.8 million households in China with available financial assets soaring to 10-thousand billion yuan.
Corinne Saunders, CEO of Emerging& Developing Markets unit of Wolters Kluwer. [Photo provided to China Daily]

The Netherlands-based Wolters Kluwer, which provides information, software and digital services to professionals in a wide range of fields, plans to expand in China to harness the huge potential in the health industry, said Corinne Saunders, CEO of the company's emerging and developing markets unit.

China is already one of the fastest-growing markets for Wolters Kluwer. Founded in 1836, the Dutch company reported 2015 annual revenues of 4.2 billion euros ($4.7 billion).

The company's digital tools, content and services help professionals understand and comply with regulations and rules related to their field, thus boosting their operational efficiency, decision-making ability and confidence.

"We have been present in China since 1985. We established more focused operations about 10 years ago," said Saunders.

Over the last six years, the company has expanded its China team from 100 to over 600. It has launched a Chinese-language version of its online medical encyclopedia app UpToDate last year.

The English app is popular among medical professionals in the United States. It is an evidence-based clinical decision support resource authored by physicians to help clinicians make right decisions at the point of care.

It is accessed by about 1.1 million physicians around the world and consulted about 26 million times per month to answer diagnostic and treatment questions.

"We see much demand for resources like UpToDate in the Chinese market. This is the first time we fully translated a product anywhere in the world," said Saunders.

More than 4,000 Chinese associate chief physicians from over 200 local leading hospitals contribute to the effort.

Saunders said, "The Chinese government is committed to chronic disease management and investing in raising the standard of medical practices across the country."

A shortage of healthcare professionals, aging population and China's emphasis on increasing productivity and standards created huge opportunities for Wolters Kluwer, she said.

The company will continue to step up its investment in China. Emphasis will be on evidence-based medicine which holds vast untapped potential, she said.

"As we look at new opportunities we will keep our pace of investment. We do that because we believe the market conditions in China are particularly favorable for our solutions," said Saunders.

There is a lot of demand for authentic and useful content among professionals in China across key sectors like legal, tax, accounting, finance, and healthcare, due to the rapid growth of professional classes and adoption of mobile technology, she said. "This is creating a huge demand for information solutions."

Saunders has gained extensive knowledge of emerging markets in her past jobs. That helps her in her brief to establish a long-term presence for the company in key emerging markets like China, India, Latin America, the Middle East and Africa.

High-growth markets like China, India and Brazil are key as the revenue base here has tripled in the past five years.

"To succeed in these new markets, it's fundamental that you have to understand those markets as they are," said Saunders. "We do a lot of market research to understand the complexity of the market. We work together with local partners."

She said a major difference in the emerging markets is the capacity to use English content. "In India, English is widely used. Even in (Portuguese-speaking) Brazil, physicians are able to consult English content but not nurses.

"In China, we need to translate all our content. So, we've invested in localizing our flagship point-of-care solution UpToDate into Chinese."

The company is always looking for opportunities for growth, by developing organic initiatives, establishing partnerships and possible acquisitions. "We adopt a flexible, market-driven strategy in M&A."

To lead a foreign company effectively in China is not easy, she said. "You need to create a very clear vision, build a very strong local pool of talent, engage with key stakeholders as well as understand the market dynamics."

Yet, sometimes, hardships and setbacks are inescapable. "To learn, adapt and adjustthat's very important to go through the process."

In this regard, her life philosophy helps. "I prefer to do everything with a passion. Doing what you like and doing it with a passion is something I try to do."

For her, team is very critical for success in career. "It is very important to create a strong support system, which could support you when you are in difficult times."
Night view of Chongqing. [Photo by Jiang Nan/chinadaily.com.cn]

As the latest addition to China's Free Trade Zone project, Chongqing will focus on policy innovation to become a pivot in the country's go-west campaign, according to its FTZ development blueprint.

China's Commerce Minister Gao Hucheng announced on Aug 31 the third batch of FTZs, including Chongqing, Henan, Hubei, Liaoning, Shaanxi, Sichuan and Zhejiang.

The total number of FTZs has reached 11, just three years after the Shanghai FTZ opened for business.

As the only municipality in west China under the direct leadership of the central government, Chongqing is located at the intersection of the Belt and Road Initiative's trade route and the Yangtze River Economic Zone.

It is also the operational center of China-Singapore (Chongqing) Demonstration Initiative on Strategic Connectivity, the third intergovernmental project between the two countries. It will foster cooperation in fields ranging from financial services, aviation, transportation and logistics to information and communications technology.

Therefore, the central government requires the city's FTZ to play a vital role in the opening up and development of inland China.

According to a previous proposal, Chongqing FTZ, with a coverage of 120 square kilometers, comprises three partsLiangjiang New Area, Chongqing Logistics City and Chongqing Microelectronics Park.

Liangjing New Area, established in 2010, is the third national development and opening zone in Chinaand the first in the inlandapproved by the State Council, after Shanghai Pudong New Area and Tianjin Binhai New Area.

"We should combine the Sino-Singapore program with the FTZ project so that we can achieve the real free flow in trade, human resources and commodities," said Tang Zongwei, deputy director of the Liangjiang New Area Administrative Committee.

According to its FTZ blueprint, Chongqing will build itself into a pilot zone of inland free trade with convenient investment and trade environment, efficient supervision and complete finance services.
Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange in New York City. [Photo/Reuters]

Some of the largest China-focused hedge funds are reversing losses they posted early this year as the stock market recovers, although a comeback remains elusive for the industry as a whole.

The $1.5-billion Greenwoods Golden China Fund and the $728-million Pinpoint China Fund rose in September, extending a rebound that started in mid-2016 after losses earlier in the year, according to updates to investors.

Chinese mainland-focused hedge funds are having their worst year since 2011 with almost two-thirds showing losses through September, data from Eurekahedge show.

Like peers around the world, hedge funds investing in China are struggling to regain their footing in a year that's been marked by market shocks and volatility. Performance at global hedge funds such as Ken Griffin's Citadel and Izzy Englander's Millennium Management are on the upswing after recent gains helped offset earlier losses.

Declines have been deeper at China hedge funds, which are trailing global counterparts for the first time in five years, after they hemorrhaged an average 8.8 percent in January amid a stock rout triggered by worries about China's economic slowdown.

Concerns have eased in recent months as economic data and corporate earnings beat estimates, helping China stocks climb since this year's low in January. A gauge of China's stock market volatility last month fell to the lowest in two years amid policymakers' resolve to shore up the equity market.

"We've seen signs of stabilization with both mainland's macro economy and equities market," said Joseph Zeng, the partner in charge of the Hong Kong office at Shanghai-based Greenwoods Asset Management. "The forthcoming Shenzhen-Hong Kong Connect is expected to be a catalyst for Hong Kong-listed equities," referring to a link between the markets scheduled to start in November that will help cross-border investments.

The Golden China Fund returned 3.3 percent in September, the fourth straight month of gains, bringing this year's advance to 1.2 percent. Profit drivers in the month included bullish bets on US- and Hong Kong-listed internet and technology companies, energy and consumer stocks, Zeng said. The fund also made money from bearish wagers on some Hong Kong-listed companies, he added, without identifying them.

Pinpoint China Fund added an estimated 1.1 percent in September, taking this year's return to 3.3 percent, according to an investor update. The fund has generated positive monthly returns since July.

Other China funds narrowed losses in September. APS Asset Management, the Singapore-based investment firm, booked a 0.2 percent September gain for its APS China A-Share Fund, which has $2.3 billion of assets including related strategies. The fund has lost 4.9 percent since the beginning of the year, compared with a 13 percent loss in the CSI 300 Index, according to the firm. Class-A shares are yuan-denominated and trade on the Shanghai and Shenzhen stock exchanges.

Hedge funds investing in China as a group are down about 1 percent this year. After three straight months of gains, though, the number of funds with positive returns for 2016 has more than tripled to 34 percent since June, according to Eurekahedge data.

Some China funds extended gains in September. The $240-million Zeal China Fund has risen nearly 13 percent this year, after a 1.2 percent return in September. It profited from bullish bets on Hong Kong and mainland-listed stocks. Materials companies, including those involved in chemicals, metals and mining, paper, drove most of the performance, William Shek, Hong Kong-based head of marketing and investor relations at Zeal Asset Management, said in an email.

The $85-million long-short GH China Century Fund, managed by Singapore-based Lygh Capital, returned 0.7 percent in September. The $85-million fund beat markets this year with its 13.4 percent gain.

Bloomberg
A clerk counts yuan bills at a bank in Huaibei, East China's Anhui province. [Photo/IC]

BEIJING - Outstanding loans by Chinese financial institutions to small and micro businesses stood at 19.92 trillion yuan ($2.97 trillion) by the end of September, up 15.9 percent year on year, according to the central bank.

With authorities encouraging loans to small and micro businesses to help shore up the economy, the growth rate of such loans exceeded the growth rate of loans to big- and mid-sized enterprises by 6.8 and 9.9 percentage points, respectively, said the People's Bank of China (PBOC).

Outstanding loans to small and micro businesses accounted for 31.4 percent of the total outstanding loans to enterprises at the end of September, up 1.6 percentage points year on year, according to the PBOC.

Chinese authorities have encouraged banks to support the development of small businesses, which have difficulty accessing bank loans.

The banking regulator has implemented differential regulatory policies to improve the coverage of loans for small businesses and reduce their financing costs.
A music show on the southern side of the Pearl River, with several landmark buildings in Tianhe as the backdrop. [Photo provided to China Daily]

Naoko Tsukada has been living in Tianhe central business district in Guangzhou for more than two years. The 44-year-old Japanese housewife moved to the capital of Guangdong province from a northern city in 2014 after her husband was transferred to work in the southern Chinese city.

Compared with her time in the north, Tsukada said her life in Guangzhou is more "colorful and interesting".

"Apart from the daily routine of sending my son to a Japanese primary school and going shopping at a supermarket near my residence, I can attend various interesting activities," said Tsukada, who lives at the Canton Residence serviced apartments, owned by the New World China Land Ltd of New World Group Hong Kong. "Besides, the environment here is pleasant and the facilities are good."

Several months ago, Tsukada attended a Chinese traditional art event organized by the residence. It invited egg carving master Sun Kaifu to give an introduction on the history and production of traditional crafts and to teach people how to make egg crafting pieces.

"I loved this activity," Tsukada said. "Not only did I get to learn something about Chinese culture, but also I was able to make friends with people from many other countries, like the United States, South Korea and Australia. It's a really international community here."

The Canton Residence, where 90 percent of residents are foreigners, is part of Canton Place, is a high-quality international life circle in Tianhe CBD built with the vision of integrating the world and demonstrating the international quality of life in contemporary Guangzhou, formerly known as Canton.

Various activities have been organized by Canton Place to help foreigners integrate into Chinese society and culture, and to enrich their lives in the country, including cross-border miniconcerts between China and Brazil and fruit-picking activities on farms on the outskirts of the city.

"Working and living in Tianhe CBD, I don't feel like I am in a local community," said Igor, a Russian businessman.

"There are Thai restaurants, Italian restaurants and restaurants from other countries everywhere. There are always international events being held here. You can find overseas food easily in supermarkets. More importantly, you don't feel any discomfort from being a foreigner here as you are very well treated. It is highly internationalized."

While Tianhe CBD strives to build itself into an internationalized area with an open, diverse and inclusive environment as the number of overseas businesses and professionals grows, it is also, at the same time, making efforts to preserve its traditional culture.

The Hung Sin-nui Art Center was built in the city to recognize the well-known Cantonese Opera artist Hung Sin-nui's distinguished contribution to culture. The art center, a cultural landmark building in Tianhe CBD, covers 3,000 square meters and includes an exhibition hall and a theater.

The traditional culture of Liede village, which has a history of 800 years, has also been protected and preserved by combining modern and fashionable lifestyles with ancient traditions.
A view of Zhujiang New Town, a major part of Tianhe Central Business District, in Guangzhou, capital of Guangdong province. [Photo/VCG]

Guangzhou, capital of Guangdong province, is a South China trading center with centuries of history and a bright future.

Despite being beaten in some competitiveness lists by other burgeoning cities, it still attracts the interest of a host of companies.

According to Sina online news, Zung Fu China, one of the country's leading Mercedes-Benz retailers, is moving its headquarters, national operations and management from Shenzhen to Guangzhou Tianhe central business district.

The GDP of Shenzhen's own Nanshan business district increased by 9.3 percent last year, compared with a more than 8.8 percent rise at Tianhe CBD.

However, in the first quarter of this year, Nanshan's GDP growth rate slowed to 8.3 percent while Tianhe CBD recorded growth of 9.1 percent.

Such competition even occurs within the same city, with the Guangdong Free Trade Zone's Nansha New Area in Guangzhou also looking to attract companies with preferential pilot policies.

Jiang Sangeng, executive director of the Central Business District Development Research Base in Beijing, said most CBDs in China were targeting the same clients.

He suggested that each one should attempt to highlight its own unique selling points, such as the level of development of its market economy.

Qiu Weiqing, chairman of Tianhe CBD Administrative Committee, said companies needed little encouragement to set up shop in the district.

"We don't have so many preferential policies, so companies who choose to locate their offices here are mostly attracted by our business and trading environment," he said.

As an example, Qiu mentioned foreign diplomatic ventures, with more than 75 percent of Guangzhou's consulates and chambers of commerce based in the CBDwhere the offices are either rented or bought, instead of being assigned by the government.

Guangzhou had planned an area for such organizations in another district, but they chose the CBD of their own accord, Qiu said.

Xiong Yifang, founder of leading drone maker Ehang, said his team had worked in Beijing, Singapore and the US, but finally settled on Guangzhou because of its complete supply chain and "down-to-earth" attitude toward investors.

Many high-tech companies like Ehang have chosen Tianhe CBD.

In January, 13 businesses based in Guangzhou were listed among the top 50 innovative companies in China, evaluated by the Chinese version of Fast Company, an American business magazine. Six of them are located in Tianhe CBD alone, equal to the total number of selected companies in Shenzhen.

Based on such a high level of marketization, Qiu of the Tianhe CBD Administrative Committee said two to three international enterprises would choose to establish their regional headquarters in the district each year.




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Nissan Motor completed its acquisition of a $2.3 billion stake in Mitsubishi Motors, clearing the way for Carlos Ghosn to take over as chairman of a scandal-plagued partner and embark on his bid to turn around a third major automaker.

Ghosn, already chairman and chief executive officer of the Renault-Nissan Alliance, promoted Chief Competitive Officer Hiroto Saikawa as co-CEO of Nissan. The move allows Ghosn to dedicate more time to repairing trust in Mitsubishi after a months-long fuel economy scandal that could lead to the carmaker's first annual loss in eight years.

"I know my limits," Ghosn, 62, said Friday in an interview with Bloomberg Television from Nissan's headquarters in Yokohama, Japan. "Obviously, this move is taking into consideration short-term needs but also it is in the perspective of the continuous development of our alliance."

Nissan is coming to the rescue after Mitsubishi's admission that it improperly measured fuel economy and manipulated test data. A push toward electrification and autonomous-driving technology is leading smaller carmakers to join with bigger rivals to share resources and save costs, exemplified by Suzuki Motor's talks to form an alliance with Toyota Motor.

Mitsubishi and Nissan have agreed to share plug-in hybrid and autonomous-driving technology, to finance company resources and a multipurpose vehicle model for Southeast Asian markets.

Mitsubishi sees the alliance with Nissan leading to 25 billion yen ($241 million) in synergies for the fiscal year ending in March, said Osamu Masuko, chairman of Mitsubishi, who will remain president while ceding the chairman role to Ghosn. Nissan estimates 60 billion yen in savings next fiscal year.

"With time, we are going to develop much more synergy," Ghosn said at a press conference on Thursday. "What we see today is low-hanging fruit."

A Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi alliance creates the world's fourth-largest auto group, after Toyota, Volkswagen and General Motors. One of the first decisions Saikawa, 62, will have to make along with Ghosn will involve Nissan's presence in the UK in the wake of the country's vote to leave the EU. The nation's top auto assembler will determine next month whether to continue making Qashqai SUVs at its Sunderland plant, Ghosn said.

Executive changes

At Mitsubishi, Ghosn and three other Nissan executives will join the board of directors. Nissan Chief Performance Officer Trevor Mann will become the chief operating officer at Mitsubishi.

Masuko wanted to leave his job to take responsibility for Mitsubishi's fuel economy wrongdoings, which include improper testing going as far back as 1991, according to Ghosn, who said he asked his counterpart to stay.

"Ghosn and Masuko have developed a sense of trust," said Koji Endo, a Tokyo-based auto analyst at SBI Securities. "Ghosn will need Masuko in that position to coordinate with his restructuring job. That's better than finding a new guy that he hasn't worked with before."

Margin boost

Nissan paid 468.52 yen per share for about 34 percent of its outstanding stock, Mitsubishi said in a statement. Partnering with Nissan will boost Mitsubishi's operating profit margin by about 1 percentage point this fiscal year and at least 2 percentage points in each of the following two years, Masuko said. The company forecast a steeper loss for this fiscal year on Wednesday.

Shares of Mitsubishi have slumped 48 percent this year in Tokyo, while Nissan has declined 21 percent. The TOPIX index dropped 11 percent.

Bloomberg
Zhang Rui, the founder of the startup Chunyu Doctor, speaks at the Digital China Forum at the Second World Internet Conference's closing ceremony in Wuzhen, East China's Zhejiang province, Dec 17, 2015. [Photo/VCG]

The premature death of the 44-year-old founder of a prominent mobile health app startup has spurred a bout of soul-searching in the Chinese tech community, where working long hours in the hope of making a quick fortune has become a way of life.

Zhang Rui, founder and chief executive officer of the startup Chunyu Doctor, died from a heart attack on Oct 5. Heart attacks can have many causes and Chunyu spokesman Tan Wanneng said there's no evidence that Zhang's death was due to overwork.

Yet, as tech executives mourn his passing, that hasn't stopped some from wondering about the deeply competitive nature of their industry and the potential health burdens they face.

"The stress and loneliness that startup founders feel can't be comprehended by normal people," Leon Li, founder of Huobi, one of China's largest bitcoin exchanges, wrote on his WeChat account in response to Zhang's death. "Especially in the internet sector, where entry barriers are low and competition is fierce, it's like stepping on thin ice."

Inspired by the rise of Alibaba Group Holding Ltd, which raised $25 billion in a 2014 initial public offering, China's new generation of entrepreneurs has been engaged in a fierce battle for capital and talent.

The country saw the startup of 1.2 new internet companies every day in the second quarter. While Silicon Valley is also renowned for its competitive culture and lengthy hours, China's entrepreneurs face a unique set of challenges because the industry is more nascent, and regulations and funding are in constant flux.

"The China startup community is under a lot of pressure, if not as much but even more than in the Valley or in the States," said Dave McClure, the founding partner of Mountain View, California-based venture firm 500 Startups. "Unfortunately, I think people don't think about health issues that much."

McClure said that among the more than 3,000 founders that he has invested in globally, at least six have passed away, with even one committing suicide.

Zhang died at a critical juncture for Chunyu. In June, it completed a 1.2 billion yuan ($178 million) round of Series D fundraising at a valuation of about $1 billion and was planning to go public, according to Tan. Startups with a valuation exceeding that mark are known as "unicorns."

For a few months when Chunyu was first founded, the company sometimes required a so-called "996 schedule"Chinese slang for working from 9 am to 9 pm six days a weekTan said, adding that the company is long past that stage.

Zhang started out as a journalist at a Beijing newspaper, and worked as deputy editor-in-chief at NetEase, a Chinese internet portal. In 2011, he founded Chunyu, which allows patients to have online consultations with doctors, skipping the wait at overcrowded public hospitals.

Chinese executives have for years talked about the difficulties in balancing work and life. After fighting cancer, Kai-Fu Lee, a longtime tech executive, published a book last year saying that he saw the disease as a sign of protest from his body after decades of 15-hour workdays during a high-flying career.

Lee is currently running his own company called Sinovation Ventures that invests in startups and he previously held jobs at Apple Inc and Microsoft Corp, and served as Google Inc's Greater China vice president from 2005 to 2009. Jean Liu, president of taxi-hailing app Didi Chuxing, has encouraged her staff to exercise more and take care of their health.

People who work for more than 55 hours a week face an increased risk of stroke and coronary heart disease compared to those working the standard hours of 35 to 40 a week, according to a study based on data from more than 600,000 individuals, published last October in the medical journal The Lancet.

The unexpected death of a founder can also highlight the importance of succession plans, according to Paul Asel, Palo Alto, California-based managing partner at Nokia Growth Partners. Chunyu in an Oct 6 statement said its businesses are operating as normal with Zhang's duties taken up by co-founder Li Guanghui.

Startup executives face long hours, conflicts with partners and family, and worries about fundraising, Wang Lifen, founder of Youmi, a provider of training courses for entrepreneurs, said in an article mourning Zhang's death in her Weibo microblog.

"This is a group of people who are surrounded by envious looks from outsiders, who appear at forums and under the spotlight bearing the fine title of entrepreneurs, but do not have a moment of peace in their hearts," said Wang.

BLOOMBERG
Members of a Chinese business delegation attend a presentation by Israeli high-tech firm iron-Source's CEO Tomer Bar Zeev (L) at the company's office in Tel Aviv in this file photo. [Photo/Reuters]

As Chinese investors flock to Israel in search of new technologies, top universities there are forging cooperation agreements with their Chinese counterparts and firms for R&D as well as technology transfer services.

For instance, Haifa University, known for its science research, is working on a joint research laboratory with East China Normal University. The lab, funded by the Chinese government, will focus on big data, neural biology and other medical areas.

Amos Shapira, president of Haifa university, said the proposed research center would help bring more Israeli technologies to China and push the envelope of technology by partnering with leading Chinese scientists.

The move came shortly after a similar initiative in April between Ben Gurion University, a force in computer science education, and Jilin University in northeastern China.

Tsinghua University in China and Tel Aviv University launched a $300-million research center way back in 2014, prioritizing partnership in nanotechnology, particularly with medical and optics applications.

"The close cooperation between the two countries' universities is partly spurred by Chinese government officials and investors. They realize that setting up joint research centers in China is a more efficient way to tap into Israel's technology than simply investing in Israel," said Shen Meng, director of Chanson & Co, a boutique investment bank in China.

Top Israeli universities are also interested in deeper ties because they want to achieve wider applications of their technologies in a big market and access more funds for their research.

A conference to this effect was held on Tuesday in Hangzhou, capital of Zhejiang province and home to several thousand small and mid-sized private enterprises. Representatives of four Israeli universities including Haifa and Tel Aviv participated in the conference.

Up for grabs were more than 1,000 technologies in search of partners. Areas covered were medical science, agriculture, new material, computer science and other tech niches.

Zong Qinghou, founder of China's largest beverage company Hangzhou Wahaha Group, who helped organize the conference, said Israeli universities' pioneering research has yielded cutting-edge technologies that Chinese entrepreneurs could harness.

Wahaha is already cooperating with Israeli universities in sensors, bio-engineering, and mechanical and electrical engineering research.

Benjamin Soffer, CEO of T3, the technology transfer unit of premier Israeli university Technion, said it regularly files applications in China to patent technologies invented by Technion's professors. This is to prepare for possible applications in the world's second largest economy. In the past, Technion would file for patents only in Western countries.

Last year, it launched a technology institute in China by partnering with Shantou University in southern China. The institute will train its students in water protection, biotechnology and other sectors. It has received $130 million in financial backing from Hong Kong-based tycoon Li Ka-shing.
Aviation researchers in China are developing solar-powered drones capable of staying airborne for at least a month, a senior designer has revealed.

Shi Wen, head of unmanned aircraft development at the China Academy of Aerospace Aerodynamics, said in an exclusive interview that his team has developed prototypes to demonstrate new technologies and equipment.

Last week, his team conducted the maiden flight of a giant solar-powered drone at an airport in northwestern China. Shi said the 14-meter-long drone has a 45-meter wing span, longer than a Boeing 737, and can carry a payload of 20 kilograms.

He said mass-produced models will eventually be able to fly for one to six months, and added: "We plan to make one that can stay in the air for five years. Our next-generation drones will have a 60- to 70-meter wing span and will be able to carry a payload of at least 50 kg."

Scale models of the solar-powered drone as well as advanced combat drones developed by the academy will go on show at the 11th China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition, commonly known as the Zhuhai Air Show, on Nov 1.

The academy began to research drones in 2002 and conducted its first test flight three years later, according to Shi, who said its engineers have gone on to develop advanced aerodynamic designs, ultralight frames, flight control systems and high-quality solar cells.

Scientists are continuing work to improve batteries and motors, he said, adding that China is already a top maker of solar-powered drones, second only to the United States.

The academy, part of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp, is one of the country's largest military drone developers. Shi said its CH series has been sold to 20 military buyers in more than 10 countries.

Solar-powered drones can fly at altitudes of 20 to 30 kilometers for a long time, which means they can be used as "atmospheric satellites" to provide services conventionally dominated by satellites in space, Shi said.

He added that they have big potential in military reconnaissance, electronic warfare, maritime surveillance, traffic navigation, telecommunications and aerial surveys.

Shi said he expects solar-powered drones to have an enormous market and they are receiving a lot of attention from potential users.

Wu Peixin, an aviation industry analyst in Beijing, said researchers around the world are striving to develop high-efficiency solar cells, reliable ultralight frames and power management systems to promote solar-powered drones for large-scale use.

Technology company AeroVironment Inc in California has been developing solar-powered unmanned aerial vehicles since the late 1970s, and some of its models have been funded by the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

Internet giant Facebook has also invested in the field in the hope of being able to connect the entire world to the web. The company has developed a drone called Aquila that will beam internet signals to rural areas that lack the telecom infrastructure needed for internet connectivity, fortune.com reported.

The Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich has produced the solar-powered AtlantikSolar unmanned aircraft system to demonstrate and test technologies.


Video footage from inside an elevator of a mother being beaten by a man has received wide attention online since it was posted on Weibo on Thursday.

The incident happened on the morning of Oct 12 in an apartment elevator in Langfang, Hebei province. The women, surnamed Li, entered the elevator with her son. A man who appeared to be in his early 30s followed. He was smoking a cigarette.

Li asked the man to smoke in the hallway, not in the elevator, which is prohibited. The man responded by punching Li in the head repeatedly for more than 30 seconds in front of her child. She tried kicking him away, but was overpowered.

The footage shows the man exiting the elevator and Li following him in an attempt to take his picture on her cellphone.

"I have never seen such savagery in my life. He is an animal," Li told police officers shortly after the incident. An investigation is ongoing. The man has not yet been apprehended.

The video has been viewed more than 4.3 million times on China Central Television's Miaopai account, with many netizens condemning the man's behavior and praising the mother.

"He may have the right to smoke and harm his lungs, but she has the right to not be exposed to secondhand smoke. Everybody should stop smoking in public," said Mu Feifan on Sina Weibo.

However, some public opinion shifted focus when online celebrity and social critic Wang Xiaoshan criticized the mother for being irresponsible.

"She should know better than to confront the smoker and put her son in danger," Wang said on Weibo on Friday. "She left her son alone in the elevator to film the attacker. The elevator door almost crushed the kid. She deserves another beating for this."

Wang was criticized for his remarks, with many netizens calling him a hypocrite and accusing him of "blaming the victim".

Li Mingshun, a professor of law at China Women's University, said: "Society shouldn't turn a blind eye to misdemeanors. In hindsight, she might have dealt with the issue differently, but her principle of upholding what's right should be celebrated, not criticized."

Others expressed concerns about violence in general.

"Violence is contagious," said Shi Feike, a researcher at East China University of Political Science and Law. "I don't wish for China to be ruled by the law of the jungle. Government institutions should prevent and discourage violence."

zhangzhihao@chinadaily.com.cn
E-commerce-savvy Chinese smartphone vendors are seeking to expand their offline retailing presence, as online sales of smartphones has plateaued, signaling an important change in their efforts to wrestle with the slowing demand in the country.

Xiaomi Corp, which once led a meteoric rise in web-only sales, has become one of the first local players to diversify its retailing channels after online sales slowed.

Lei Jun, CEO and founder of Xiaomi, said the company will open more than 1,000 offline experience stores over the next three to four years, as it works to reduce its overreliance on online shopping platforms, which account for more than two-thirds of its sales volume.

"The proportion of online sales is too big," Lei said. "Expanding offline retail is key to maintaining the stellar growth we have seen in the past four years."

Xiaomi rival Lenovo Group is also increasing its focus on brick-and-mortar stores, with Chen Xudong, its senior vice-president, saying: "It will be impossible to survive the competition if we can't get a strong foothold in the offline retailing market."

Honor, the sub-brand created by Huawei Technologies to compete with Xiaomi, has made similar moves, partnering with more retailers, so that consumers can have a hands-on experience with their latest products.

Zhao Ming, head of Honor operations, said: "Consumers are becoming more quality-conscious. Offering low-price smartphones online is not enough to motivate them to make purchases. They want to touch the phones."

The trend emerged after little-known firms Oppo Electronics Corp and Vivo Mobile Communication Technology became two of the top-five vendors in China by forming brick-and-mortar partners hips in small cities.

Tay Xiaohan, an analyst at International Data Corp, said that "in the past, Xiaomi started the trend of selling cellphones online, and other vendors soon followed suit".

However, with China's smartphone market reaching the saturation point, companies are now pouring more resources into offline retail, Tay said.

Data from research firm Counterpoint Technology Market Research show that e-commerce accounts for 30 percent of China's total smartphone sales, and telecom carriers' retail channels account for another 30 percent. Offline retail stores account for the remaining 40 percent.

"It will be difficult for firms such as Xiaomi to establish a successful offline retail network in the short term, as they lack both experience and talent," said C.K. Lu, principal analyst at consulting firm Gartner Inc.

masi@chinadailycom.cn.
Less-developed areas attract little interest as benefits, opportunities lag behind big cities

Applicants for China's national public servants' exam, or guokao, are showing unprecedented interest in certain jobs, but paying little attention to others, according to the State Administration of Civil Service.

The test, along with job preferences, is required for people applying for the more than 27,000 government posts available. The test application period closes on Monday.

A vacancy at the Central Committee of the China Democratic League's reception office attracted a record-breaking 6,233 applications, but more than 400 other bureaus, mostly in poor regions, had received no applications by Saturday, according to the administration.

A total of 849,328 people passed the first round of screening, meaning that an average of more than 31 candidates will compete for each vacancy, roughly the same number as last year.

The State Administration of Taxation's nationwide branches seemed to be the most highly desired employer, with its offices in Guangdong, Shandong and Sichuan provinces all attracting more than 29,000 candidates each.

Last year, 2,274 people competed for a vacancy at the China Employment Training Technical Instruction Center, while in 2011 and 2013, most people vied for a position at the State Ethnic Affairs Commission. These jobs tend to have a lower threshold for first-round selection and are located in big cities.

Zhu Lijia, a professor of public administration at the Chinese Academy of Governance, said the polarization of applicants' choices has existed for the past seven or eight years.

"When people make choices, they tend to go with the principle of economics. They want their gains maximized," Zhu said. "It is natural for them to choose jobs with better benefits, more opportunities for development and good locations."

Less-developed areas continue to struggle to attract workers. For example, Hohhot Railway Public Security Bureau in the Inner Mongolia autonomous region is looking to hire 12 new workers, but by Saturday had not received a single application. The State Administration of Civil Service even issued a public announcement online to draw people's attention to the neglected vacancies.

Zhu expects the pattern to continue, despite the central government's attempts to drive more talent to rural and poor areas.

"It matters little what the government says," Zhu said. "If the pay and benefits are not significantly improved in poor regions, little will change."

Last year, only one out of 33 participants managed to secure a government post, while the enrollment rate for the national college entrance examination, or gaokao, has surpassed 70 percent every year since 2011, according to public records.

Government posts have long been perceived by Chinese as secure lifelong jobs, with stable pay and good benefits. Hence applicants for such vacancies have been soaring since 1994, when the national selection for government employees was first made public.

However, some potential applicants have said that the central government's anti-graft campaign launched in 2013 to fight corruption and extravagance, including the "eight-point rules" to cut bureaucracy, has put them off.

chenmengwei@chinadaily.com.cn
An intermediate court in Heilongjiang province has sentenced the former manager of a State-owned coal mining company to death with a two-year reprieve for accepting bribes totaling 306.8 million yuan ($45 million) over six years.

According to the verdict, which was issued on Friday, Yu Tieyiwas guilty of accepting bribes in exchange for handing out bloated procurement contracts between 2005 and 2011, when he was in charge of supplies at Heilongjiang Longmay Mining Holding Group.

The verdict said the total amount of the bribes Yu accepted was "huge", adding that the State suffered "a great loss", both of which warrant the most severe penalty: a death sentence with no reprieve.

However, the court said, it would show leniency because Yu behaved well during the investigation, reported the crimes of his accomplice and returned most of the bribes.

The court said Yu's illegal gains and all his personal assets would be confiscated. Yu was also deprived of the chance to have his prison terms reduced.

A sentence of death with a two-year reprieve often results in life in prison, as long as the convict does not commit new offenses in the two years.

Yu has decided not to appeal the ruling, the sources said.

China launched an anti-graft campaign in 2013 to crack down on misconduct by government officials. The campaign has seen some of the highest ranking officials arrested and sentenced.
TIANJIN -- China is well prepared to launch the Chang'e-5 lunar probe in 2017 to collect and bring back moon rock samples for scientific research, a leading Chinese scientist said Sunday.

Chief Scientist of China's Lunar Exploration Project Ouyang Ziyuan told reporters in northern city of Tianjin that the launch of Chang'e-5 represents the third stage of China's lunar exploration endeavor.

The first stage of lunar expedition was achieved by sending Chang'e-1, a circumlunar satellite, in 2007. For the second stage, China landed its lunar probe Chang'e-3 on the surface of the moon in 2013.

The scientist said the analysis of the structure and component of the samples to be collected by Chang'e-5 would help scientists deepen the study into the formation and the evolution of the moon.

"We are ready. Every lab is ready," he said. "Once the samples are back, we can begin our analysis right away."

He said the launch of Chang'e-5 would improve China's space science technology.

Ouyang also confirmed the launch of Chang'e-4, a relay of Chang'e-3, in 2018 to land on the far side of the moon, a breakthrough in human history.

The launch of the two lunar probes were first announced by State Administration of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense earlier this year.


Jets of the Red Arrow, officially known as the Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team, fly over the sky in Zhuhai, South China's Guangdong province, Oct 22, 2016. The British aerobatic team will perform at the 11th China International Aviation & Aerospace Exhibition, which will be held from Nov 1 to 6 in Zhuhai. [Photo/Xinhua]
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BEIJING -- A compilation of remarks by Chinese President Xi Jinping at a gathering to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the success of the Long March has been published by the People's Publishing House, the publisher said on Monday.



Xi, who is also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, hailed the Long March as an "epic, human miracle," and called for efforts to realize the "two centenary goals" and the Chinese dream of national rejuvenation in "a new Long March."



The book is available at Xinhua Bookstore outlets nationwide.



China has set two goals: building a moderately prosperous society in all respects by the time the CPC celebrates its centenary in 2021; and turning the nation into a modern socialist country that is prosperous, strong, democratic, culturally advanced and harmonious by the time of the People's Republic of China's centennial in 2049.



The Long March was a military maneuver carried out by the Workers' and Peasants' Red Army of the CPC from 1934 to 1936. During the period, they left their bases and marched through raging rivers, frigid mountains and arid grassland to break the siege of the Kuomintang (Nationalist Party) forces and continue to fight the Japanese aggressors. Some of them marched as far as 12,500 kilometers.


Wang Qijun (right),donated his oil painting "Cai Yuanpei" to Lin Jianhua, president of Peking University, in the opening ceremony of the 2016 Peking University International Culture Festival. [Photo provided to www.chinadaily.com.cn]

Visitors to the second floor of the Peking University Hall are impressed with a solo painting exhibition depicting true-to-life Peking Opera characters and riverside towns in Jiangnan.

Jiangnan is a name that describes the areas south of the Yangtze River famous for beautiful scenery.

The exhibition by Wang Qijun, a professor at the Central Academy of Fine Arts in Beijing and an overseas visiting scholar at Peking University, is a major event of the 2016 Peking University International Culture Festival which will be held till early next month.

With the theme "Vision: Voice and Action," the festival has drawn overseas students from 60 countries and regions who are studying at Peking University, festival organizers said.

In the opening ceremony held on Sunday, Wang donated his oil painting "Cai Yuanpei" to Lin Jianhua, president of Peking University.

In 1917, Cai (1868-1940) started working as Peking University's president  a position he would hold for a decade. His concept of free ideas is the cornerstone of education at the university.

Wang has done the painting of Cai specially for the festival.

With his artistic talent demonstrated in his childhood, Professor Wang Qijun published picture-story books when he was less than 20, said Hardy Yong Xiang, a professor in the School of Art at Peking University and a vice president of the university's Institute for Cultural Industries.

"Professor Wang Qijun's adeptness in different categories including arts and crafts, architectural arts, oil and traditional Chinese painting and calligraphy shows his profound art of composition," he said in his preface to Wang's new painting collection "Singing while Traveling in Nostalgia."

As a native of Jiangsu province, part of the Jiangnan region, Wang has painted riverside towns for many years.

He had his thesis "Picturesque Scenes in Dwellings in Jiangnan" published to explain why so many painters have shown a strong interest in the riverside towns of Jiangnan. He wrote that they combine the beauty of traditional dwellings and that of river channels.

Peking Opera also originated in the Jiangnan region, developed to be a quintessential part of Chinese culture and became the definitive art form showing the value of the Chinese culture.

"Professor Wang Qijun, with his unique insight, selected Peking Opera as a theme of painting. No matter the long stroll drawing with many lifelike characters or the works of individuals of different postures, he applies the superb technique of modern figure drawing and depicts exceptionally ingenious artistic figures," Xiang said.


Antony Harrold (second right), a 13-year-old dual British-Polish national, takes a photo at an exhibition in Beijing earlier this month to commemorate the Long March.Wang Zhuangfei / China Daily

Eighty years after its conclusion, the legacy of the Chinese Red Army's Long March continues to transcend borders and influence people across the world. Sun Xiaochen reports.

This month, as China commemorates the 80th anniversary of the Long March-a strategic military shift against the forces of the Nationalists - the epic trek still resonates with non-Chinese observers, who acknowledge the effort, determination and sacrifices made by Mao Zedong's army against almost overwhelming odds.

In October 1934, about 200,000 Red Army officers and soldiers of the Communist Party of China set out on a 12,500-km expedition to break through the encircling Nationalist troops.

During its two-year odyssey, the Red Army fought more than 600 battles against better-armed forces and traversed hundreds of raging rivers, precipitous mountains and dangerous swamps before arriving at Yan'an in the northwestern province of Shaanxi, where it laid the foundations for victory in the civil war.

After learning about the maneuver through literature from the late 1930s, generations of interested foreigners have retraced the route, studied archival material and handed down stories about the expedition.

Discovering China's soul

In 2005, David Ben Uziel spent five months following in the marchers' footsteps, visiting almost every major town and village on the route from Jiangxi province to Shaanxi. The 81-year-old Israeli national describes his own trek as a journey to rediscover the soul of China.

"The same question was repeated in every county and village I visited: 'Why would a 70-year-old foreigner want to retrace the Long March?' My answer was that I wanted to find the soul of China. People looked at me and asked 'What is the soul of China?' I said it's the leadership," said the former lieutenant colonel in the Israeli army.

"All the soldiers of the Red Army who fought, starved and froze, yet continued to walk the Long March are the foundations upon which China was united," said Uziel, who gave a speech in Tel Aviv, Israel, on Sept 20, to promote knowledge of the Long March among his compatriots.

Like many older people, Uziel was inspired by Red Star over China, the famous account of the Long March written by Edgar Snow, a journalist from the United States who spent months with the Red Army and conducted extensive interviews with Party leaders Mao Zedong and Zhou Enlai in Yan'an in 1936.

Retracing the route across the dangerous terrain of West China helped Uziel put the sacrifice of the Red Army leaders and soldiers into perspective.

"The Long March was unique because of the conditions, which were so cruel. The Red Army's secret weapon was the soldiers' and the leaders' personal examples (of sacrifice for each other)," he said.

According to a documentary broadcast by China Central Television, the Red Army had to march about 37 km and fight at least one battle every day, while every kilometer gained saw the deaths of three marchers on average, as a result of combat injuries, illness or sheer fatigue.

Rebirth of a nation

Even after eight decades, the archives, sculptures and relics, such as pistols and blankets, displayed at numerous museums along the route can still take visitors back in time.

When he visited a museum dedicated to the Long March in Yan'an earlier this year, John Ross, an economic researcher with the Chongyang Institute for Financial Studies at Renmin University of China in Beijing, was impressed by the living history on display.

He said reviewing the indelible history of the event through exhibits, such as Mao's chess table and the caves where the soldiers avoided Nationalist air raids, offer intriguing ways of better understanding modern China.

"It's fascinating to see all those details on show at the museum, because when you have a better sense of how people struggled and lived, you have more feeling for what shaped them," said Ross, who worked as an economic and business policy advisor to London mayor Ken Livingstone during his term in office.

"It was one of the most important events in China's history. The rebirth of China was only possible because of the people who made the Long March, which was an incredible sacrifice that allowed modern China to come into being. It's impossible to understand the real dynamic in China without studying that period of history."

New insights

Although the archived materials may seem too weighty to appeal to young people, a TV adaption of Red Star over China, which is currently being screened in China, has provided a new generation with an entertaining way of commemorating the epic journey.

The 30-episode-long adaptation tells the story of Snow's experiences in China before, during and after the Long March, while depicting military and political history during the civil war.

Matthew Knowles, an actor from the US who played Brigadier General Evans Carlson of the US Marine Corps, said working on the series gave him the opportunity to learn about his character, who was a friend of Snow, and also helped him gain insights into the Long March and Chinese culture.

"Through doing the research and the acting as I actually experienced it, it was a lot different," said Knowles, who has been developing a career in China since 2013, when he accepted an offer to study drama at the Beijing Film Academy.

Knowles, who learned to speak and read Chinese during two years as a volunteer teacher in Guizhou, one of 14 provinces the Red Army crossed during the Long March, studied archival material about Carlson in Chinese and English, plus works about important historical events and meetings.

"Every line in the script had something I had to research to figure out what really happened. There is so much history in that one event. It gave me a different perspective of how huge an event it was, one that changed the history of China," he said.

"The Long March is a huge part of Chinese culture, and it has shaped China in the last 80 years. The more you understand it and the history of communism in China, the more you understand the collective will of the people and why the country runs the way it does."

Zhao Xinying contributed to the story.

Contact the writer at sunxiaochen@chinadaily.com.cn
In violation of China's sovereignty and security interests and in breach of Chinese and international laws, the Pentagon sent the destroyer USS Decatur to the waters of China's Xisha Islands on Friday, sparking a series of forcible countermeasures from Beijing.

The Pentagon's so-called freedom of navigation operation came as Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte wrapped up a four-day visit to China and the two countries signed a number of cooperative agreements to aid the full resumption of normal bilateral ties.

According to Chinese and international laws, foreign warships must gain approval from China in advance before entering its waters. The provocative move has once again exposed the negative energy of the United States' "pivot to Asia-Pacific" and highlighted its role as a troublemaker in the South China Sea. At a time when ties between China and the Philippines show signs of improvement, the US has deliberately sought to reignite tensions. The move sends an unequivocal message that Washington does not want to see a peaceful and tranquil South China Sea free of disputes.
Resource-rich and strategically located, city stands to prosper in coming years

Yulin, an ancient hub city in Northwest China's Shaanxi province, is ready to benefit from the country's Belt and Road Initiative.

"As the home of the legendary Terracotta Warriors, Shaanxi resembles the shape of a half-kneeling Terracotta warrior. Yulin is the warrior's head," said Zhang Haifeng, deputy mayor of Yulin, when introducing the city.

The province's northern most city has been a key area in Shaanxi since ancient times, thanks to not only its strategic geographic position, but also its bountiful mineral resources.

Today, Yulin vows to be a forerunner in the implementation of the nation's Belt and Road Initiative in Shaanxi province and bring itself closer to the outside world.

New impetus

Founded in the Spring and Autumn (770-476 BC) and Warring States (475-221 BC) periods, Yulin grew into a prosperous border town during the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties.

In modern times, the city is better known as a national industrial chemical-energy base producing coal, natural gas and other minerals.

The development of Yulin received a strong push in 2013, when President Xi Jinping announced the ambitious Belt and Road Initiative, which aims to connect China and other countries along the ancient land and maritime Silk Roads.

"The initiative not only provides an important platform for symbiotic development with countries along the routes, but also brings new opportunities for China's western region," Zhang said.

Zhang noted that Shaanxi is the start of the ancient Silk Road in China and as an important part of Shaanxi, Yulin has already been taking steps to carry forward the plan.

"With broad horizons, an inclusive spirit and a practical attitude, the city will increase exchanges and cooperation with countries covered by the Belt and Road Initiative, explore new means of development and connect with the whole world," Zhang said.

Propelled by its rich resources, Yulin has become a major economic force.

Last year, the GDP of Yulin amounted to 262.1 billion yuan ($38.8 billion), ranking second in the province following the provincial capital, Xi'an.

It was ranked as one of the top 10 cities with the most potential for creating wealth nationwide in 2012 and a model city for new energy.

One of the city's goals is to become a regional hub for the energy and chemical industries of bordering regions.

The prefecture-level city is where Shaanxi, Gansu, Shanxi provinces, Ningxia Hui and Inner Mongolia autonomous regions meet.

Over the past decade, Yulin has also developed new industries including coal-electricity, coal liquefaction and newmaterial manufacturing.

To integrate itself into the Belt and Road Initiative, the city has been active in forging ties with countries along the route.

For example, its coal-related products have been exported to countries along the route such as Kazakhstan and India.

During the city's 11th International Coal and Energy Expo which concluded on Sept 27, 101 domestic and overseas deals were made with a total value of 119.7 billion yuan, the highest in history, according to the government.

Future tourism hub

In Yulin's plan, tourism is seen as a new source for cooperation with foreign countries.

Boasting a history of 5,000 years, the city is home to various historic and scenic sites including Tongwan city, the ancient capital city of the Huns and the Red Rock Canyon, the biggest cliff inscriptions in Shaanxi.

The Yellow River, the mother river of the Chinese nation, flows through Yulin along its east border while the Great Wall, the quintessential symbol of China, winds from northeast to southwest through the city.

Yulin enjoys a convenient traffic system of highways, railways and airports linking it with major cities in China such as Beijing and Shanghai.

With the longest highway mileage in Shaanxi - 938 km - Yulin enables tourists to easily reach cities such as Xi'an, Taiyuan, Hohhot, Lanzhou, Yinchuan and Beijing within a day.

The Yuyang Airport in Yulin has 21 flights linking the city with 24 large-and-medium-sized cities within China.

The capacity of the airport reached 1.39 million passengers in 2014, making it the second-largest airport in Shaanxi. Yulin has established its customs and e-port, the latter now applying to be updated to a first class aviation port.

In five years, the city will increase its capacity to receive 60 million tourists annually from both China and abroad, said Cui Yuan, the top official in charge of tourism in Yulin.

Cui said the city is in talks with countries such as Malaysia, Cambodia and Thailand to increase cooperation in tourism.

"We will accelerate the construction of important tourism areas, improve hosting services and create a unique tourism brand for Yulin," Zhang said.

liujing-4@chinadaily.com.cn

Reporters from leading Asian media view product samples at the Yulin International Coal and Energy Expo which concluded in late September.Photos Provided To China Daily

Reporters pay a visit to Yanchang Petroleum Co Ltd. The city is renowned for its rich resources including petroleum, coal and natural gas.Liu Jiyuan / For China Daily

Longzhou in Yulin boasts Danxia landform and magnificent scenery.

Tongwan city, the ruins of the ancient city of Huns, is located in the desert in the city. Yulin banks its future on the tourism sector.Liu Jiyuan / For China Daily

(China Daily 10/24/2016 page7)
Employees check a Ssangyong Motor Korando C SUV during final inspection on the production line at the company's factory in Pyeongtaek, South Korea, in August 2014. Cho Seong-Joon / Bloomberg via Getty Images

Automaker aims to overcome roadblocks to build first overseas plant in China

China has long been "a field of hope", as Mercedes-Benz claims, for automakers worldwide, and most of the industry's biggest names have localized their production in the world's largest car market, with some smaller players poised to follow suit.

The latest to make the attempt is Ssangyong Motor, but the road ahead seems bumpy for this South Korean brand.

Ssangyong, part of India's Mahindra Group, signed a letter of intent with China's Shaanxi Automobile Group on Oct 11 to examine the feasibility of the proposed venture, as well as the capability of manufacturing plants to produce both engines and entire vehicles in Xi'an, capital of Northwest China's Shaanxi province.

Shaanxi Auto, established in 1968, produces heavy and special-purpose trucks as well as new energy ones.

According to a Mahindra company document, the proposed plant will have the capability to build 150,000 cars a year by the end of 2019, and the plans allow for the production of 300,000 cars a year if necessary.

If built, the plant will be Ssangyong's first production base outside of South Korea. Its CEO Choi Johng-sik expressed his hope that the plan would be realized.

"It is essential to have a local plant with comprehensive capacity in China, both to increase our competitiveness in the rapidly growing Chinese car market and to increase our sales volume," he said.

The automaker said it will also look to establish an automotive cluster with its major suppliers, both to ensure product competitiveness and work on production of Ssangyong's current models, as well as models that are now under development.

The plan, while ambitious, faces a number of challenges, the first of which is gaining the approval of the government.

On Oct 8, just three days before Ssangyong signed the letter of intent, the State Council, China's cabinet, decided that "in principle it will not approve new joint ventures that produce gasoline cars".

Pang Qinghua, head of Pangda Automobile Trade Co, Ssangyong's sales agent in China, is pessimistic about the carmaker's plan.

"It (the plan) is very unlikely to be realized. In addition, they merely signed a memo, which is not a legally-binding document," he told the National Business Daily newspaper.

The company's declining sales, along with its weak brand awareness in China, are also stumbling blocks on its road of localization.

Statistics show it sold 2,460 units in China last year, a dramatic fall on the 12,000 units sold in 2014.

Due to its weak sales in China, Ssangyong is little known in the country, despite the fact that China's SAIC Motor was one of its largest shareholders for more than five years.

One reason behind Ssangyong's enthusiasm for the plan could be that the proposed joint venture may be dedicated to new energy vehicles, said Alfred Tian, an expert on mergers and acquisitions in the automotive industry.

Tian wrote on Sina Weibo that Ssangyong is planning to build electric versions of its hit SUV Tivoli, which will be capable of traveling 300 km on a single charge.

Ssangyong's total global vehicle sales reached 144,764 last year, with its compact SUV Tivoli accounting for more than 40 percent of the total.

"That means the electric Tivoli will be crucial to the future of both Ssangyong and Mahindra. It is not that they are unaware of China's policies - quite the contrary: They have a good understanding of them," said Tian.

Policy-wise, China advocates the production and use of new energy vehicles, including electric, plug-in hybrid and fuel cell models.

Tian said that the letter of intent is no different in nature to the agreement struck last month between Volkswagen and Anhui Jianghuai Automobile.

On Sept 7, Volkswagen AG signed a memorandum of understanding with JAC about establishing a 50:50 new energy vehicle joint venture.

The companies will evaluate the feasibility of the new venture that will focus on the research, manufacturing and sales of new energy vehicles and spare parts.

They aim to sign a formal partnership agreement within five months, according to the memo.

lifusheng@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily 10/24/2016 page18)
A sacrificial ceremony is held to commemorate ancient Chinese philosopher Zhuangzi in Mengcheng county, Anhui province, Oct 23, 2016. [Photo/VCG]

More than 100 scholars, lovers of the Chinese classic Zhaungzi, and other guests gathered at the Zhuangzici at Anhui province's Mengcheng county on Sunday to commemorate the ancient Taoist philosopher Zhuangzi. With melodious ancient music, people offered incense to the statue of Zhuangzi, and performers presented ancient customs to pay respect to Zhuangzi, to pass forward Taoist culture and history.

Mengcheng county is the hometown of Zhuangzi, where the traditional ceremony to sacrifice Zhuangzi has existed since the Song Dynasty (960-1297). Whereas, the event suspended for many years and was restarted by the local folks since 2012, attracting a batch of experts and scholars.
When strangers come home Updated: 2016-10-24 10:23 By Honey Tsang(HK Edition)

As more people in Hong Kong sign up for Airbnb, inviting international visitors to stay with them for a fee, Honey Tsang weighs the pros and cons of unregulated hospitality.

Airbnb, an online platform listing privately-owned spaces for accommodation, was founded in 2008 in San Francisco. It has a cult following among budget travelers. Even armchair travelers browse the portal to check out lofts owned by strangers.

Airbnb has a market valuation of $25.5 billion. The online platform now lists more than 2 million vacation home options worldwide. Industry watchers call it a "disruptive innovation" challenging all other traditional holiday accommodation.

There is a growing demand for short-term private rental lodging the world over. Douglas Quinby, vice-president at Phocuswright, a global travel market research company, told China Daily that 32 percent of travelers from the United States chose paid private accommodation, instead of a hotel, in 2015, compared to 25 percent a year earlier.

Closer home, 10 percent of Chinese mainland tourists said they rented a private apartment in 2015. Another 7 percent rented a room, or a space, in the Phocuswright survey.

Even in Hong Kong, which boasts a sophisticated hotel scene, the popularity of Airbnb seems to be growing significantly. According to Inside Airbnb, a data-oriented research platform, in August 2016 there were 6,474 Airbnb listings for private properties in Hong Kong, up 68 percent from 3,851 in September last year.

Millennials love it

Most Airbnb users are young people who prefer homey apartments rather than elegant hotel rooms. Airbnb seems to have hit the right note with those born in the 1980s and 1990s. They like informal lodging and have no hang-ups about socializing with strangers.

"Younger travelers are looking for less formal city accommodation options that have a less corporate and 'shirt and tie' feel," said Brian King, associate dean of School of Hotel and Tourism Management at Hong Kong Polytechnic University.

These days, more travelers in their 20s to mid-30s value experience more than coziness. Airbnb's photo-driven app, bolstered by a mapping function, offers an intriguing online experience to smartphone-toting young adults who love to "experiment with app-based ways of making bookings", King said.

"It seemed like fun to stay in a local person's home, and get to know them. At the time, I thought hey, it's worth a shot," said John Pang Ming-hon, 25, a civil servant from Hong Kong, who made his first Airbnb booking for a stay in Singapore (for HK$410 a night), through the firm's mobile app last year. "The homely atmosphere made me feel like a local, embedded in the fabric of the community," added Pang.

When in Rom ...

The desire for a personalized, less-mechanical travel experience informs the lodging preferences of youngsters today. Frequent travelers are more likely to rent a flat, or a room, preferably with a kitchen, in a hip neighborhood to get a feel of "living" in rather than "visiting" the destination.

"The number one reason people choose Airbnb is that they want to live like a local," Airbnb's co-founder and CEO Brian Chesky had declared earlier, in a press release.

Airbnb recently polled travelers across 14 cities, including New York, Paris, London and Berlin. A whopping 91 percent of all respondents said they wanted to "live like a local" on excursions. Pricing is the other clincher. Airbnb opens up a wide range of economical lodging alternatives for travelers who'd like to cut back on hotel bills and spend more on local food and other options.

The average rate per night for staying at a Hong Kong Airbnb was HK$774 in August 2016, says Inside Airbnb. The price is about 42 percent lower than HK$1,337, the average rate of a standard Hong Kong hotel in 2015, according to Hong Kong Tourism Board figures.

Home sharing appears to espouse the value of thrift. It's a good way to save, especially if the plan is to travel over a period of time. Renting an Airbnb accommodation works best in big cities where the cost of living is relatively higher, added Pang, who paid HK$456 per night for staying in a room in the attic of a house over a four-day stay in London in June.

Airbnb data suggests its users stay 2.1 times longer in major cities of the world, compared with hotel guests. By and large, Airbnb visitors spend an average of 1.5 nights, 2.5 nights and 2.9 nights more in London, New York and Paris, respectively.

Challenging the old ways

Whether Airbnb adversely impacts Hong Kong's hotel business remains debatable. "To date, we observe minimal impact at the middle and upper end of the hotel industry," Professor King told China Daily. "But at the economy end, the additional competition from Airbnb and its equivalents may be contributing to lower accommodation rates in Hong Kong."

By the end of July 2016, Hong Kong had 258 registered hotels, with a total supply of 74,083 rooms, according to an official hotel industry report. Even as Hong Kong's presence on the Airbnb list grew significantly, the city's hotels continued to enjoy high occupancy levels over the past three years. Average occupancy rate peaked at 90 percent in 2014, dropping slightly to 86 percent in 2015, and 85 percent during the first seven months of 2016.

The overall revenue made by the hotel industry, however, has dipped noticeably. The Hong Kong Hotel Industry Review report shows that the revenue made from a single hotel room, including surcharges, over a year was HK$634,697 on an average in 2015, down 7.5 percent from the year before.

Learning from Airbnb

As the growth of Airbnb shows, the human touch can make a significant difference in the hospitality industry. Some of Hong Kong's hotel chains are beginning to rethink their sales strategy to win over some of the tourist traffic now streaming to Airbnb-listed accommodations.

Ovolo Hotels, a chain headquartered in Hong Kong, runs five lifestyle hotels in town. The group has been trying to introduce fresh ideas to design a customized travel guide. Their Silver Egg blog is meant to help guests feel fully immersed in the Hong Kong experience.

"Airbnb has the power to force the traditional lodging industry to reevaluate its approach to hospitality, and provide experiences instead of just standard lodging," said Tim Alpe, general manager for Ovolo Southside, and director of sales and revenue for the Ovolo Group.

Boutique hotels, which put design, style, and service, high on their business agenda, have long sought to provide a chic, home-away-from-home feel to lure frisky young travelers, or whoever is less loyal to the conventional hotel model. J Plus Hotel by Yoo, Hong Kong's first boutique hotel, which targets style-conscious customers, is among them.

Having noted that millennials opt to spend more time socializing, or even working, in a shared space, than in their rooms, the hotel arranges nightly social events, with a free flow of wine served in the lobby. The idea is to provide a venue for guests to "mingle" with each other, said Vivian Chau, general manager of J Plus.

Chau also encourages the staff to interact with customers on a more casual, less rehearsed, basis. Each room is given a smartphone at no extra cost. Guests lost for directions while exploring the city, are welcome to call up the hotel and ask for tips to get around. The hotel staff at the other end responds instantly, "just like friends will do," says Chau.

"We don't merely provide a space," says Chau. "There's a heartfelt passion to create a full experience, packed with personal touches, to give our guests an experience they won't easily forget."

On the flip side

The Airbnb scene has its negatives too. The experience could be a let-down for the host or the guest, sometimes for both. On Airbnb's Hong Kong Facebook page, comments left by disgruntled tourists are common. Some complain about misleading descriptions on listings, others are unhappy with the irresponsible behavior of a host or guests.

For much of 2016, black travelers in the United States have railed against racist treatment at Airbnb-listed facilities. The refusal by some hosts to put up black people has led to an online campaign, #AirbnbWhileBlack, to give voice to victims of racial prejudice.

There are also a few legal points to consider for Airbnb hosts. For example, in New York City, it is illegal to rent out three or more units in a residential property for fewer than 30 days, unless the host is also living in the same property - a condition that certain Airbnb-listed properties have ignored.

In Hong Kong, short-term rental (fewer than 28 continuous days) of a property without a valid license to operate as a guesthouse, is deemed illegal, under the Hotel and Guesthouse Accommodation Ordinance.

The data gathered by Inside Airbnb shows owners of multiple units - considered commercial listings - make up the bulk, or 59.4 percent, of all Hong Kong's Airbnb hosts. The figure is significantly higher than in Sydney (28.5 percent), New York (27.5 percent) and London (41.3 percent).

As more Airbnb-listed spaces are turned into purely profit-driven operations, the very idea of home-sharing, which supposedly distinguishes Airbnb from traditional accommodation options, is lost.

Not every owner who lists his property on Airbnb is out to make a fast buck. Kevin Lau, a self-employed software engineer, lists a room of his apartment in Central on Airbnb (HK$388 per night). But he won't consider listing more than one property as a landlord, rather than a host. Lau would rather stay on the right side of the law.

Lau says opening up a part of his home to guests from time to time "is just a fun way to meet different people from all walks of life." He earns over HK$1 million a year and does not quite need to supplement his income by renting out rooms, he added.

Legal issues

Unlicensed guesthouses have been a feature of the local lodging scene for a long time. The number of inspections by the city's Office of Licensing Authority has quadrupled from 2,430 in 2009 to 9,889 in 2013. A total of 433 people were convicted for illegally renting out property by the first quarter of 2014, in the consultation document issued by the Home Affairs Department.

The growth of Airbnb poses more regulatory challenges for the SAR. The income from it is not taxed by the government. Professor King however says these are "short-term, tactical concerns." Airbnb is willing to combat illegal listings through "its commitment to the screening of vendors and purchasers," he says.

From June 2015 to June 2016, the company carried out a "one home, one host" action to combat illegal listings in New York, striking off 2,233 entries. When asked about Airbnb's prospects, King said: "Despite roadblocks in particular cities including Hong Kong, I see a bright future for Airbnb and its equivalents across Asia, including the Chinese mainland."

Professor King remains positive that the hassles will be overcome over a period of time. He predicts some countries and regions in Asia will see home-sharing service as a competitive advantage, "bringing in visitors who would not otherwise have come."

(HK Edition 10/24/2016 page8)
'The climate is mild, and the scenery is relaxing. Why don't you come?"

Faded posters with these lines enticing people to move to Kagawa prefecture are visible at many bus stops on its second largest island of Shodoshima.

Like the rest of Japan, Kagawa is faced with a shrinking, aging population and economic decline. The smallest prefecture in Japan sits on Shikoku Island facing the SetoInland Sea, known as the Japanese version of the Mediterranean Sea.

The Seto Inland Sea that separates Honshu, Shikoku and Kyushuthree of Japan's four main islandshad long been used for maritime transport. Heavy industry, along with illegal dumping of industrial waste, caused pollution, which affected the livelihoods of people on many of the smaller islands.

When major industries and workers moved away, and a large number of young island folk leave for larger cities, the area is on the verge of becoming obsolete.

Road signs are rusty, homes are abandoned, and schools are closed. The islands' destinies are left to a handful of remaining residents, mostly elderly, who have no strength and vision to revitalize their moribund hometowns themselves.

Until the Setouchi Triennale was launched in 2010, few Japanese would have had much occasion to visit these islands, never mind foreigners.

It was private patrons that came up with the idea of reinvigorating the islands through art as opposed to industry.

The Triennale, which runs in spring, summer and autumn, has expanded the venues from seven islands in 2010 to 12 islands and two ports now. This year, the event has brought 177 groups of artists from 25 countries and regions to the ordinarily sleepy region.

Taking inspiration from the history and landscapes of these venues, the artists have created artworks of various sizes and mediums that stand in the rice fields, around the ports, and in the woods. Artists use local materials and create art that comes together with the environment.

It is a ground breaking endeavor. One of the projects takes abandoned old houses and other buildings in Naoshima and transforms them into permanent site-specific art exhibition spaces.

In Naoshima alone, visitors can explore the Chichu Museum, Benesse Art House, Lee Ufan Museum and the Art House Project as well as numerous installations around the island, many outdoors.

Much of the artwork remain standing after the festival, justifying a visit to the area at any time of the year.

Islanders have joined the art festival, giving the artists a helping hand and material.

Museums and art installations attract tourists who bring business to the local cafes, restaurants and accommodation. Magic has gathered on those islets.

In 2010, the 200 or so inhabitants of the small island of Ogijima faced a grim future and feared that their cultural sanctuary would die out. After the 2013 Triennale, people with family roots, artisans, or others who just wanted to live a quiet island life started moving to the island.

Ogijima's population has been growing, and its school reopened in 2014. The kindergarten will reopen soon.

The organizers of the Setouchi Triennale want to bring vitality back to those islands where nature and the lifestyles of the people have coalesced together. This year's event was titled "Restoration of the Sea". More than a million visitors are expected to turn up.

The sustainable future of the islands remains unsure as the Triennale may not bring enough residents. But the art is making people happy.

The author is China Daily Tokyo bureau chief.

caihong@chinadaily.com.cn
A man takes his dog for a spin on the back of a motorized tricycle in a Beijing street last month. The city plans to strengthen management of dogs in the future in an effort to combat the spread of rabies, which can be fatal if it is not treated in time. [Provided to China Daily]

A virus that infects your brain, makes you want to bite things, and which is almost always fatal after symptoms appear probably sounds like something from a zombie movie. But this has been the modus operandi of rabies since at least 2300 BC, when it was described in the Eshuma Code of Babylon. The word's Sanskrit etymologyrabhas, meaning "to do violence"dates back even further, to 3000 BC.

In principle, no human in this day and age should die from rabies, and yet, according to a 2015 study, canine rabies kills 59,000 people each year. That's 160 people every day, and the actual number is higher as cases go unreported. Most of these deaths occur in Asia and Africa, with India alone accounting for one-third of the world's total mortality from rabies.

That total is not as high as the death toll from tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS, and malaria; but, unlike those diseases, every mammal appears to be susceptible to rabies. Dogs, the predominant host in most regions, can become infected from any rabid wild animal, and then infect humans. Dogs showing symptoms may bite a human, but they can also transmit the virus simply by licking if their saliva comes into contact with a scratch, damaged skin, or mucous membrane.

Fortunately, unlike most vaccine-preventable diseases, rabies allows for post-exposure inoculation.

French scientist Louis Pasteur formulated the first rabies vaccine in 1885, by injecting the virus into rabbits, waiting for it to kill them, and then drying the infected nerve tissues to weaken the virus to the point that it could be safely administered. Then he successfully tested it on a 9-year-old boy who had been bitten by a rabid dog. In today's world, Pasteur would be thrown in jail for practicing as an unlicensed physician and not following proper clinical-practice standards; but we can all be thankful for his discovery.

Today, rabies vaccines are grown in a lab using cell cultures. The virus is then rendered inactive, purified, and administered by injection into the arm. The World Health Organization recommends pre-exposure vaccinations for anyone at risk of encountering rabies. This applies to everyone in rabies-endemic countries; unfortunately, not everyone in these countries gets vaccinated.

The rabies vaccine is on the WHO List of Essential Medicines, and has an average wholesale price of $11 per dose in the developing world, and as much as $250 per dose in the United States. Of course, because the alternative to post-exposure vaccination is death, the treatment is extremely cost-effective however one looks at it.

Smallpox, which is believed to have emerged even before rabies, has now been eradicated, and programs are currently under way to put an end to polio, and other infectious ailments. So why is rabies still prevalent?

One reason is that the virus is almost always transmitted by animals, rather than by other humans. To address this, we should be investing in pet vaccinations, reducing stray-animal populations, and enforcing strict quarantines on animals crossing national borders.

In developed countries, preventing rabies largely requires controlling and immunizing wildlife populations, which has proved effective in Switzerland and Germany. In Latin American countries where bat rabies is a threat, bovine vaccines have been used, as have anticoagulants, to kill bats that feed off the blood of the treated cattle.

Ultimately, the world's poorest regions still bear most of the rabies burden. Dogs are not widely vaccinated, as they are in developed countries; and even when they are, their populations turn over very rapidly. Within a year of a large-scale vaccination effort, a new population of unvaccinated dogs will be roaming the streets and increasing the chances of an outbreak.

Meanwhile, developing countries' healthcare systems are already grappling with tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS, and malaria; and post-exposure prophylaxis supplies are limited. Barring real progress on these challenges, one of the world's oldest known viruses will continue to afflict humans and animals alike.

The author is a regional medical expert at Sanofi Pasteur.
Cai Meng/China Daily

Of the more than a dozen Chinese cities that have recently released their draft plans on management of car-hailing services, Chengdu, capital city of Southwest China's Sichuan province, is arguably the most tolerant.

In general, the tone of its draft rules is softer and more considerate. Unlike Beijing which requires ride-sharing drivers to possess a local household registration, and their vehicles to have engine displacements of at least 2.0L or 1.8T and a wheelbase longer than 2.65 meters, Chengdu demands none of that. Rather, it has made clear its confidence in the sharing economy and the market.

To encourage citizens to choose greener, safer and more efficient transport, Chengdu has set specific rules ranging from drivers' responsibilities and information security to passengers' right to supervise and make complaints, and it has elaborated on each of them.

In particular, its pledge to compensate passengers if their complaints are well-founded but remain unanswered by the drivers, sets a good example for the protecting of residents' legal interests that should be learned by other Internet Plus business models. In comparison, other cities have been inclined to take a different approachsetting higher thresholds for drivers to stay in the car-hailing businessin an attempt to protect passengers.

However, keeping a tighter rein on ride-sharing platforms such as Didi Chuxing and their drivers is not necessarily in line with people's needs and demands and may cast a shadow over the innovation-driven economy. The Beijing government, for example, said it would exercise its pricing right "if need be". The government in Chengdu, on the other hand, has promised to let the market decide how much passengers should pay for their rides.

Relinquishing the government guided-price system, in fact, is unlikely to cause irrational pricing in the ride-sharing market. When an oversupply of vehicles occurs, more drivers will choose to quit as their earnings will wane as passengers opt for the cheapest ride pushing down prices and thus drivers' incomes. Likewise, an undersupply could lead to a rise in fares that would attract more drivers to get involved. The market always better judges how many taxis are required than transportation authorities.

But the clashes are not just between these visible and invisible hands, but also between traditional taxis and emerging ride-sharing cars. Chengdu government's solution is to break the boundaries that separate them. According to its latest draft rules, qualified taxi drivers are allowed to use car-hailing platforms without giving up their job with a traditional taxi company or using another car.

On the one hand, they have the freedom to choose the way of doing business on the basis of market demand, and can work for multiple platforms at the lowest cost. On the other hand, the integration between taxi industry and car-hailing services is a boon to the former's long-sought reform. Beijing and Shanghai are right to buy some time for an overhaul in the management of taxis, but this cannot be done at the cost of the ride-sharing business. They are better dealt with together than separately.

On the qualifications for car-hailing drivers and vehicles, Chengdu's plan also makes more sense. It not only welcomes new energy vehicles to the ride-sharing business, but also has less strict requirements for engine displacement (1.6L and 1.4T or above). Besides, non-local drivers with a local residence permit can also work for car-hailing platforms.

Beijing's draft regulations would exclude traditional taxis and high-end vehicles, as well as non-locals, from the ride-sharing business. The household registration restriction is controversial, unnecessary, even a bit discriminatory, and may be deemed invalid because it contradicts with the Administrative Licensing Law that forbids exclusion of non-local products and services. Both passengers and drivers should be given the equal access to enjoy the dividends of the sharing economy, which has greater potentials to optimize urbanization and improve employment than overreaching governance.

The author is deputy director of the Communication Law Center at China University of Political Science and Law.
Tourists visit the Site of the First National Congress of the CPC in Shanghai. [Photo/VCG]

The key to solving China's problems lies in upholding and strengthening the leadership of the country by the Communist Party of China.

As the country is still experiencing rapid economic growth and profound social transformation, the Party should enhance its construction and improve its governing capabilities. To do this, it should adhere to the Party strictly ruling the Party.

At the news conference given by the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the 18th CPC Central Committee in 2012, Party chief Xi Jinping, representing the new Party central leadership, said that sticking to the principles of the Party strictly ruling the Party, effectively solving the prominent problems of the Party, improving the Party's working style and ensuring it has close links with the people, were the responsibilities of the new leadership in order to ensure the Party is a strong core for Socialist cause with Chinese characteristics.

This is the Party leadership's understanding of national governance, as well as its solemn commitment to society.

Strictly ruling the Party in an all-round way is the fourth of Xi's guiding principles for governance known as the Four Comprehensives, and it has been incorporated into the Party leadership's national governance.

Starting from improving the working style of its members and resolutely carrying out the anti-corruption campaign, the Party leadership has made the construction of a clean government one of its priority tasks.

The Party leadership has shown its determination to fight against the four unhealthy working styles of formalism, bureaucratism, hedonism and extravagance, which have undermined people's trust in the Party.

The eight-point code of behavior it introduced struck at the four problems, which people were becoming increasinglly concerned about and critical of, and its effective implementation and enforcement of the eight-point code has been warmly welcomed by the public.

The Central Committee's resolve in ensuring the code and its setting an example for the whole of the Party have given the public more confidence in the Party and its rule.

It has dared to strictly "rule the Party in an all-round way", and in this way it has instilled confidence in its leadership.

And, in strictly ruling the Party, it has strengthened the awareness among Party members that they should be people-oriented and try to solve the problems that people are most concerned about. This is also an effective deterrent to unhealthy working styles and corruption.

The Three Stricts and Three Steadies campaignthat officials should be strict in cultivating their moral character, preventing abuse of power and in disciplining themselves; and steady in their planning of undertakings, starting of undertakings and in conducting themselveshas incorporated the proper working style of the Party into the practical work of the government down to the grassroots level.

At present, strategic deployment and systematic construction are the key tasks for the Party. It's high time the leadership's vision of clean governance became the consensus of the Party, which in turn would provide a solid ideological basis for improving the construction of the Party. On one hand, the Party's political culture and ecology need to be refashioned. On the other hand, construction of the Party organizations at the grassroots level, as well as the connections between Party members and Party organizations should be enhanced, as this would effectively incorporate the Party members into the Party's construction cause. After all, the Party is dependent on its members.

The author is director of the Center for Anti-corruption Studies, China University of Mining and Technology, Beijing.
A VIDEO CLIP has been widely spread online showing a woman with her child within an elevator being beaten by a young man after she asked him to stop smoking. The police have been investigating the incident, and the Ministry of Public Security has called for the man to turn himself in. Xinhua News Agency comments:

It is an ugly deed to smoke in an elevator, but it is even uglier when the person smoking assaults someone who asks them to stop.

Some might say that smoking in public areas is a small thing and people should not pay too much attention to it. The problem is, smoking in the public is illegal and if such law-breaking is tolerated it might lead to the broken-window effect, namely if one window is broken and not repaired, vandals tend to break more, and other crimes become rife.

The incident is even worse than the broken-window effect, because a person who asks the lawbreaker to stop breaking the law is attacked. If the lawbreaker goes unpunished, who will dare to stop illegal deeds in the future?

It should be noted that the smoker has broken at least two laws, by smoking in a public place and by assaulting someone. The Ministry of Public Security has already published a description of the assailant on social media platforms, and we hope the local police can quickly catch him.
Heavy smog covers Beijing on March 16, 2016. [Photo/Xinhua]

A 7-METER-HIGH SMOG-CLEARING TOWER has been put up in a square in the Wangjing district of Beijing, which designed by an artist from the Netherlands, is said to clean the air by collecting the small particles in it. But the tower is more a piece of art than a functioning anti-pollution device, says Science and Technology Daily:

It seems the tower looks rather nice and is

ecologically sustainable. It has a beautiful shape, attracts eyeballs, and the carbon pollutants it collects will be used to make industrial diamonds, according to reports.

But will such a tower truly help improve Beijing's air quality? It is reported that it is able to process 30,000 cubic meters of air every hour. That figure looks sizeable, but it is only equivalent to the emissions of a middle-sized restaurant. To expect the tower to clean the air of Beijing is like throwing a sponge into a lake in the hope of drying it out.

A rough estimate shows that you would need at least 100,000 such towers to clean the air within the fifth ring road in Beijing. That shows how ridiculous it is to place the hope of cleaner air on the tower.

Yet some realty developers and local governments near Beijing were reported to be trying to reach the designer, hoping to talk with him about introducing the tower in their communities. It is easy to see that the realty developers are simply trying to gain attention for their developments by doing so.

But when local governments rush to do the same, that should be cause for concern, because it is their job to cut the overcapacity of heavily polluting industries and adjust industrial structures, which is the only sure way of solving the smog problem. When they pay too much attention to such towers, they might forget these responsibilitieswe hope that's not the intention of the local governments near Beijing.
In violation of China's sovereignty and security interests and in breach of Chinese and international laws, the Pentagon sent the destroyer USS Decatur to the waters of China's Xisha Islands on Friday, sparking a series of forcible countermeasures from Beijing.

The Pentagon's so-called freedom of navigation operation came as Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte wrapped up a four-day visit to China and the two countries signed a number of cooperative agreements to aid the full resumption of normal bilateral ties.

According to Chinese and international laws, foreign warships must gain approval from China in advance before entering its waters. The provocative move has once again exposed the negative energy of the United States' "pivot to Asia-Pacific" and highlighted its role as a troublemaker in the South China Sea. At a time when ties between China and the Philippines show signs of improvement, the US has deliberately sought to reignite tensions. The move sends an unequivocal message that Washington does not want to see a peaceful and tranquil South China Sea free of disputes.

Duterte's remark during his visit that the Philippines' better ties with China will cause anxiety in the US hit the nail on the head.

No country intends to weaken the influence of the US in the Asia-Pacific, but the US should know that such influence can only be acquired and maintained through actively participating in and pushing forward common regional development.

It is not only for a few days that the US has dealt with China in the South China Sea, so Washington should know that Beijing will not waiver from maintaining its sovereignty and territorial integrity. China will intensify its patrols in the waters and strengthen the construction of its defense capabilities. To intrude into China's territorial waters in the South China Sea under the pretext of "freedom of navigation" is a lie, what Washington pursues is only its own "absolute safety".

Any military provocations from Washington will only strengthen China's resolve to defend itself if necessary.
A gavel in a court. [Photo/IC]

Jia Jinglong is to be executed anytime soon, after he and his attorney were reportedly informed of the Supreme People's Court's approval of his death sentence.

We are not in the position to call a halt. Yet we feel strongly that the order must not be carried out. Not because social media are rife with cries against the ruling. But because the circumstances are anything but normal, and there are some outstanding questions that need to be properly answered. Legal experts, from professors to lawyers, deem the sentence problematic.

Jia shot and killed the head of his village in 2013, and he was convicted of murder. His death sentence is controversial, though, for the murder was a reaction to the ruthless, illicit forced demolition of his home that the victim allegedly masterminded.

Legal professionals have argued that Jia qualifies for a lesser sentence, a reprieve for instance, as he tried to turn himself in and confess to police afterwards.

Considering both the judicial authorities' new emphasis on prudence in applying the death penalty, and the reasonable doubts surrounding the sentence, we urge the court to demonstrate discretion, and avoid the double tragedy to which we are dangerously close.

Whatever happens, Jia's case should not be allowed to slip away as if it were just another regular criminal offense. Because it is not. Outside the courtroom, there are pricey lessons to be learnt.

"I am a victim...from the very beginning," Jia told the first-instance court in self-defense. "I would not have embarked on such a road of no return had there been a way out."

The murder took place months after his home was demolished by force. He called the police in the vain hope of stopping the demolition. He tried to negotiate for compensation afterwards. He lodged complaints to local authorities. He found himself helpless, hopeless, with no way to have justice done.

As in many similar cases, Jia used to be an ordinary citizen concerned primarily about living a normal life. Like others who ended up desperate, vengeful and hurting themselves and others to have their injustices noticed, Jia would probably not have acted as he did if his loss had been properly taken care of.

When residents are victimized by those who have power in their hand, they should not be deprived of the hope of having their wrongs addressed and justice delivered.
A new cruise ship, Majestic Princess, owned by the global cruise company Carnival Corporation, will arrive in Shanghai in July. [Photo by Xu Lin/China Daily]

Cruise travel, already growing in popularity among Chinese with disposable income, will enjoy a boom over the next decade, according to industry experts at a recent trade show.

A growing number of Chinese travelers are enjoying cruises as a leisurely way of travel, relaxing as they enjoy delicious cuisine, activities on board and hospitality from an international service team.

"China's cruise industry will develop even faster in the next decade, entering into its golden period," says Zheng Weihang, executive vice-chairman and secretary-general of the China Cruise and Yacht Industry Association, at the recent China Cruise Shipping and International Cruise Expo in Tianjin. Cruise company executives, travel agency representatives and government officials participated in the show.

Over the past 10 years, the number of cruise ships that operate in China has increased from one in 2006 to 18. International cruise ports in China have grown from zero to seven, with three under construction. It's estimated that 1.6 million Chinese will travel overseas on a cruise this year.

"Many Chinese travelers still think cruises are only a type of transport. It's important to make them realize that cruises are also destinations, and they can spend more time on board," says Zheng.
Indonesia's island of Bali has long been favored by foreign tourists. [Photo/China Daily]

Indonesia's tourism brand, Wonderful Indonesia, had received a prestigious award from an influential travel media outlet Travel Weekly Asia, a statement released by the Tourism Ministry said on Oct 17. The best destination marketing award 2016 was announced last week at a media event in Singapore.

The Wonderful Indonesia brand got the award for the tremendous positive response given by Travel Weekly Asia readers, the statement says.

"This is a gladdening achievement. Wonderful Indonesia gets more and more appreciations. They praised on how we organize the marketing of tour destinations," says Risky Handayani Mustafa, the tourism ministry official who received the award.

Intensive promotion of the Wonderful Indonesia brand that represents Indonesia's tour industry has been conducted by the ministry since last year.

The World Economic Forum has ranked Wonderful Indonesia brand at 47 from 144 countries in its Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Index this year.

With an ambitious target to welcome 20 million visitors by 2019, a 100 percent increase from 2015, Indonesia has worked aggressively to meet the target.

The government has reformed regulations aimed at luring more visitors to come to the archipelago nation, including enabling tourists from cruise ships to visit tour destinations across the country through several authorized seaports.

The government also has shortened the Clearance Approval for the Indonesian Territory procedure for foreign yachts planning to sail in Indonesian waters from the previous three weeks to just three hours.

Indonesia is now in the process in developing 10 new tour destinations, expected to be on par with the leisure island of Bali that has long been favored by foreign tourists.

These efforts have been coupled with the ministry's moves to develop attractions in tour destinations as well as accommodation for tourists.

Besides taking part in designing flight access to the destinations, the ministry has initiated the consolidation of state-run hotels to provide Indonesian-style accommodation to tourists.

The ministry has also launched a 100,000 homestay program for tourists, which is expected to boost the local economy.

To grab more tour package sales in destinations across the country, the ministry held a Travel Mart Expo. Last week's event in Magelang, Central Java, attracted buyers from Malaysia, Singapore, India, Japan, South Korea and Myanmar that accounted for 80 percent of the total sales.

Indonesia hopes that tourism can be a major earner amid the downturn in its oil and gas, coal and palm oil sectors.
Ettore Francesco Sequi, the Italian Ambassador to China. Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn

Editor's note: The Italian Ambassador to China, Ettore Francesco Sequi, shared his thoughts with China Daily in a written interview about Italy's December referendum on constitutional reform.

Refuting parallels between the referendum and the "Brexit" vote, Sequi elaborated on the content of the reform, Italy's efforts to boost its economy as well as the Italian government's pro-European attitude.

1. Italy will have a referendum on Dec 4 over Prime Minister Matteo Renzi's constitutional reform. Could you elaborate on the reform proposals brought up by Mr Renzi, and why is a referendum needed?

On Dec 4 Italian citizens will be asked to express their preference (for or against) constitutional reform approved by the Italian parliament in April.

Let me read, for your reference, the referendum question.

"Do you approve the text of the Constitutional Law concerning the overcoming of equal bicameralism, reducing the number of MPs, the containment of operating costs of the institutions, the abolition of the National Council for Economy and Labor and the revision of Title V of part II of the Constitution"?

As you can understand from the question, the scope of the referendum is purely internal and does not involve, as wrongly reported by some media, the issue of leaving the EU and it is not a sort of "Italexit".

2. How do you expect the referendum to affect Italy and its policy-making?

The purpose of the law approved by the Italian parliament is to streamline the legislative process, to avoid contrasts of competencies between central and local governments and ultimately to reduce the costs of the political system. In the spirit of the reform, overcoming the so-called "equal bicameralism" would serve to make the legislative process more rapid and effective.

In the new system, the House of Deputies would approve the laws and the Senate would have a limited period to discuss and propose amendments, upon which the chamber would express the final decision.
China Telecom Americas (CTA) has opened an office in Dallas to handle the state's increasing presence of Chinese companies and Chinese.

From left, Li Shaolin, president ofthe Houston chapter of China General Chamber of Commerce USA, Consul General of China in Houston Li Qiangmin, and China Telecom Americas Vice- President Zhao Hui attend CTA's Texas office ceremony in Houston on Oct 20. MAY ZHOU / CHINA DAILY

CTA held an opening ceremonyfor the branch on Oct 20 in Houston. The office will focus on promoting carrier service under the brand CTExcel, corporate information, communication and technologies (ITC)and cloud solutions,as well as business collaboration with its partners such as AT&T, Huawei and ZTE USA, all with headquarters in Dallas.

Zhao Hui, vice-president at CTA, said that the company primarily focused on serving US companies when it first came to the US in 2000. Beginning in 2013, CTA set up a team to concentrate on serving Chinese companies and Chinese.

``In the past three years, our business has been growing at 60 percent a year," said Zhao. "We provide comprehensive ICT services to some of the major Chinese companies in the US, including Bank of China, Fuyao Glass America which produces a quarter of auto glass in the US. In the past three years, our business has been growing at 60 percent a year."

CTA's CTExcel carrier service has signed up more than 50,000 customers in the US in a little more than a year, said Zhao. Its service package offers duel sim cards with a US number and a China number, plus free minutes between China and the US. The service has been very popular among Chinese students studying in the US and business people who travel a lot between China and the US.

"Our numbers show that there are more than 300,000 Chinese university students and scholars in the US. If counting primary schools, the number is as high as 450,000. There are many opportunities," said Sun Feng, CTA's mobile business director. In Houston, there are five CTExcel retail stores, with more to come, he said

CTA has provided service for many high-level visits to the US by Chinese government officials, such as Chinese President Xi Jinping's 2015 state visit and Chinese Premier Li Keqiang's recent visit to the United Nations.

The opening event was co-hosted by the Houston chapter of China General Chamber of Commerce USA (CGCC), with scores of executives attending from Chinese companies, many of them CTA's corporate customers.

Li Shaolin, president of the chamber's Houston chapter, welcomed CTA to Texas and as a new member to the local chapter.

"Our chapter has grown from 39 to 70 in a little over a year. Our goal is to increase it to 80 by August next year. We plan to add associate membership and admit US companies to further benefit our member's business collaboration," he said.

Li Qiangmin, China's consul general in Houston, said that competition in the US telecom market is very fierce, but that CTA's business strategy in the US reflects its confidence in expanding its international business. With more Chinese and businesses coming to Texas, "CTA's Texas office will surely bring new growth to the company," he said.
SEOUL - The president of the Republic of Korea (ROK) Park Geun-hye on Monday stressed the urgency to increase the country's defense budget in response to fast-advancing nuclear capability of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK).

Park said in her parliamentary speech for the 2017 budget plan that Pyongyang is about to enter a phase of nuclear weapons beyond the phase of nuclear device test by conducting three atomic bomb tests since top DPRK leader Kim Jong Un took power in late 2011.

To respond to the DPRK's nuclear and missile threats, Park said the government will make all-out efforts to secure core defense capabilities such as the Kill Chain, the Korea Air and Missile Defense (KAMD) and the Korea Massive Punishment and Retaliation (KMPR) systems.

Tensions mounted on the Korean peninsula after the DPRK's fifth nuclear detonation on Sept 9 when the country's state media reported the successful test of a nuclear warhead that can fit on ballistic missiles.

Pyongyang claimed to have succeeded in standardizing a nuclear warhead beyond the miniaturized warhead, indicating its massive production of nuclear warheads for various types of its ballistic missiles.

The ROK government and the ruling party agreed last week to speed up the development of the three missile defense and preemptive strike systems by aiming to bring forward their introduction to the early 2020s from the previous goal of the mid-2020s.

The KAMD is a project to develop its indigenous missile defense system to shoot down incoming DPRK missiles at multiple layers. The project includes the development of interceptors, including medium-range surface-to-air missiles (M-SAM) and long-range surface-to-air missiles (L-SAM) that can intercept missiles at an altitude of less than 100 km.

The Kill Chain project aims to preemptively strike the DPRK's missile launch sites when signs of first strike are detected. The KMPR is a system to preemptively strike the DPRK's leadership and headquarters with massive missile attacks when Pyongyang's first strike signs are spotted.
A.A. Milne's lovable creation has become ideal reading material for the country's youngsters, Liu Xuan reports.

Winnie the Pooh and his frendis. [Photo/Agencies]

It is hard to track when Winnie-the-Pooh was introduced to China. But one thing for sure is that the cute yellow teddy bear is widely loved by Chinese, from children to adults.

Many find the stories of Winnie and his friends to be educational and inspiring.

Huang Fangfang, mother of a 5-year-old girl nicknamed Hu Lu, knows Winnie well and read stories of the famed bear to her daughter when she was very young.

"I love Piglet most," Hu Lu said after counting all the characters. "Piglet, Piglet," she said, chanting the name of the small pink pig who is Winnie's friend. Although still at preschool, Hu Lu has watched Winnie-the-Pooh cartoons and read many of the books in both Chinese and English.

Back in the 1920s, when A.A. Milne saw a teddy bear among his son's toys, he came up with an idea to portray a series of cartoon characters living in a forest.

Winnie-the-Pooh, named after a Canadian black bear in London Zoo, made his debut on Dec 24, 1925, in a Christmas story commissioned and published by the London newspaper The Evening News.

In October 1926, the first collection of this fluffy bear as well as his friends became available to the public.

In the series, Winnie-the-Pooh and his friends Piglet, Eeyore, Kanga, Roo, Tigger, Owl and Rabbit, live in Ashdown Forest in Sussex, England. The stories are mostly about their daily lives and adventures.

The Winnie-the-Pooh series has won the hearts of Chinese parents, who have found it to be ideal reading material for their children.

"The contents are suitable for children. The stories are warm and touching, as well as educational," Huang said.

"The language is plain, but the stories are more than just simple. Winnie and his buddies often show kids how to make friends, encourage them to think and act, and even relate some philosophies that will benefit them for a lifetime."

To illustrate her point, Huang takes as an example one chapter in which Winnie and his friends become super detectives.

The story calls on children to keep thinking, try to find enough clues and to finally solve the problem."On one hand, it can fulfill the children's curiosity," Huang said. "And on the other, it can also encourage young ones to find the perfect solution."

In 2003, China's national broadcaster China Central Television imported The New Adventures of Winnie-the-Pooh, a new series on the bear produced by Walt Disney Television for its children's channel. This made Winnie a household figure in China, particularly among children.

Dong Lujing, who works at Peekabook House, a Beijing library providing books in Chinese and English specifically for children, said, "Winnie-the-Pooh is really innocent, direct to the point and also simple. But this kind of simplicity is exactly what children need, for they can't understand the complicated world of adults."

Unlike the popularity it has enjoyed in the educational field in China, Winnie-the-Pooh has not had similar success in the merchandising sector.

Compared with other Disney cartoon figures such as Mickey Mouse, it is hard to find Winnie-the-Pooh products.

In 2005, a Disney-authorized store opened in SOGO Beijing, occupying 400 square meters and with product lines including Winnie-the-Pooh.

Eleven years later, the sales area has been reduced to less than 10 square meters and only five or six Winnie-the-Pooh items are available.

However, Winnie lovers can still count on online shopping.

On Taobao.com, one of the biggest online shopping platforms in China, thousands of Winnie-the-Pooh products are available.

A stuffed Winnie toy costs between 5 and 650 yuan (74 cents and $96) depending on the size. However, the best seller is not a Disney-authorized one.

"I would love to buy from a Disney store," one online buyer complained. "But there's not one in my city."

A female Winnie-the-Pooh fan said in her post: "I just can't stop buying Winnie stuff. If I can't afford it, I will take a photo of it."

Netizen "Xiao Mo", the administrator of the Winnie Bar on Baidu. com, China's biggest search engine, said she fell in love the moment she saw Winnie.

"He's simple and honest," she said. "I hope I can find a boyfriend like him."

Like her, many followers in the Winnie Bar are young women who also say they want Winnie-type boyfriends.

Contact the writer at liuxuan@chinadaily.com.cn
Winnie-the-Pooh brings memories of my childhood flooding back to me, like millions of other kids worldwide.

At home we didn't have a television until I was about 7 and books were very much part of my world, and that included my mother reading Winnie-the-Pooh books to myself and my brother and sister before we went to sleep.

Growing up, I learnt to appreciate the understated humor of the animals in Five Hundred Acre Wood, and Pooh's naive but trusting nature.

I have to confess I still occasionally read A.A. Milne's original stories, maybe because they hark back to an era of innocence, a kind of middle-class comfort blanket.

There's a terrific book, The Enchanted Places: A Childhood Memoir written by Christopher Milne, A.A. Milne's son who is portrayed as Christopher Robin in the book.

It paints a delightful picture of his childhood, and shows his father as a family man who lived for writing and poetry.

Two of my most treasured possessions are an original print of E.H. Shephard's drawing of Pooh and Piglet, and a brown teddy bear.

Brown Bear, as he's known in the family, was in fact one of the first teddy bear shipments from Canada to war-torn England in 1947, and was presented to me by my Canadian godfather shortly after I was born.

For years he was to me Winnie-the-Pooh, although the rest of my family didn't get it. Grandson Joe is now his proud guardian.

There was considerable outrage in the UK when Walt Disney Co. secured the rights to the Pooh stories, but in a clever move, the studio based its animations on Shephard's original drawings and stuck closely to Milne's characters. It used English accents, too.

I think the main attraction of Winnie-the-Pooh is its pure EnglishnessI often tell friends from abroad that if you want to understand the English character read Shakespeare, Graham Greene's novels and Winnie-the-Pooh, not necessarily in that order.

Of course, there are other exports of children's childhood characters that spring to mind.

Beatrix Potter wove a fantasy world around the character of Peter Rabbitt, and from television came the Teletubbies, both hugely successful exports, with the BBC's Teletubbies being viewed by an estimated 300 million kids, if the programs' agents are to be believed.

At this point I would like to apologize to everyone in China for the UK's decision to inflict Tinky-Winky, Dipsy, LaLa and Po on an unsuspecting viewing public.

My two daughters and my grandchildren never took to Peter Rabbitt or the Teletubbies, but Winnie-the-Pooh was a different thing.

When my eldest daughter was barely 9 months old, we drove from our home in Paris to Oxford in England, and the only thing we could play for her on the car's tape deck was a French version of a Winnie-the-Pooh song.

To this day I can still hear the "Winnie l'Orson" jingle in my head and Kim's yelling when we dared turn it o7 .

I think I'll go into Eeyore mode.

Chris Peterson is Managing Editor, Europe for China Daily. Contact him on chris@mail.chinadailyuk.com
Events and stories coming up in the next few days

Irish firms get close look at Pudong area

Businesses in China has organized a forum about the Pudong Free Trade Zone, along with the Pudong Committee of Commerce, Pudong Software Park, and Pudong Software Outsourcing Centre. The event is taking place on Monday in the conference room at the Guinness Enterprise Centre in Dublin, Ireland, and is aimed at businesses involved in the business services, cloud computing, software, financial services, and internet sectors.

Shenyang delegation seeking financial ties

A roundtable meeting between companies that are members of the China-Britain Business Council and a delegation from the Shenyang municipal government is set for Monday at Portland House, in Bressenden Place, London. The delegation is seeking financial cooperation between Shenyang and British companies. Delegates from China include Zhao Zhongbin, vice-mayor of Shenyang; NaNa, deputy director of the Shenyang financial work office; and Xiang Hongfeng, deputy director of the Shenyang Financial and Commercial Development Zone.

Economy's Latin America impact examined

The London School of Economics is hosting a public discussion about the likely impact Latin America will feel following China's reduced demand for raw materials. Sustainable Development or Exploitation: Lessons from China in Latin America will be held on Wednesday in Clement House at 99 Aldwych, London. Alvaro Mendez, a researcher and the co-founder of the LSE's Global South Unit, will chair the discussion.
MADRID - King Felipe VI of Spain on Monday starts a brief round of talks with the leaders of the country's political parties, as the country appears to move towards the formation of a new government.

The talks come a day after the Federal Committee of the Spanish Socialist Party (PSOE) voted to abstain in a future investiture vote to allow People's Party leader, Mariano Rajoy to form a minority government.

The King's talks are designed to see if Rajoy has the necessary support to form a government. After meeting Rajoy on Tuesday afternoon, Felipe will meet with the Speaker of the Congress Ana Pastor to propose Rajoy as the candidate to be the next Prime Minister of Spain. Pastor will then set a date for an investiture debate in congress.

The process is complicated by the requirements of the Spanish Constitution, which states that in order to become Prime Minister,Rajoy has to win an overall majority in the first investiture vote.

According to the PSOE resolution on Sunday, they will vote against Rajoy in the first investiture debate, Rajoy will fail to win that overall majority in the first vote.

The Constitution then states Rajoy needs just a simple majority in a second investiture vote held 48 hours later. It is in this vote that the PSOE will abstain and the 137 seats of the PP added to 32 of center-right party Ciudadanos will be enough to allow Rajoy to become the leader of a minority government.

The Constitution also imposes a timescale on events and the second vote has to be concluded on October 31, otherwise congress will be dissolved and new elections called.

That means Ana Pastor is likely to call the first investiture vote for October 28 or 29, with the second and decisive vote two days later.
Travel bookings from China to western Europe are down by as much as a quarter in the year since multiple terror attacks in Paris killed 130 people, according to a travel industry analysis published on Monday.

Travel industry data specialist ForwardKeys said France was hard hit by a decline in bookings from the Asia-Pacific region in general. But neighbouring countries, including Italy and Germany, were also affected by a trend that coincided with heightened security concerns in Europe.

Bookings from China to France were down 23.4 percent, around the average for the Asia-Pacific region. Travel to Milan, Rome and Venice was also down by as much as a quarter. Chinese bookings to Istanbul, where more than 40 people were killed in a gun and bomb attack at Ataturk airport in June that was blamed on the so-called Islamic State, were off by as much as 27 percent.

Other countries benefited from a rise in bookings from China that could be attributed to travellers seeking to avoid potentially insecure destinations. The ForwardKeys analysis showed that destinations such as Moscow, London, Dublin or Manchester were seeing a higher interest from Chinese visitors.

That was partly due to security concerns, but in the case of the UK it was also linked to a fall in sterling of up to 20 percent since Britain voted to leave the European Union in June. The lower pound has made travel to Britain, and goods bought there, a more attractive proposition for Chinese and other visitors.

Visits from China to Britain were already up by 46 percent last year, moving it into Britains top 10 most valuable markets. ForwardKeys said earlier this month that flight bookings from China to the UK were up 24 percent for October to December.

Places seen as more secure destinations also included Copenhagen, up 14 percent, Helsinki (13.1 percent and Stockholm (12 percent). Moscow saw the biggest increase, 23 percent year-on-year, reflecting the Russian capitals growing popularity with Chinese visitors and the downturn in bookings to France.

The writer is a senior editorial consultant for China Daily UK.

To contact the reporter: harvey.morris@gmail.com
A senior US diplomat said on Monday that Washington supported Manilas blossoming ties with Beijing, but he assured the Southeast Asian nation that Washington remained its trusted ally.

Daniel Russel, US assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific Affairs

Daniel Russel, US assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, said after meeting with Philippine Foreign Minister Perfecto Yasay in Manila that Washington welcomes improved relations between the Philippines and China, although it should not come at the expense of the United States.

We dont want countries to have to choose between the US and China, he said.

Russels two-day visit came after Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte concluded his first state visit to China, during which he announced his countrys separation from the US and growing ties with China. But Duterte clarified that he only meant a more independent foreign policy and not severance of ties with the Philippines closest friend.

Su Hao, a professor of Asia-Pacific studies at China Foreign Affairs University, said Russels comments showed the typical logic of the US that the interests of regional countries should conform to those of Washington.

This is what Dutertes predecessor had done, but Duterte has realized that this does not help the Philippines and decided to make an adjustment, he said.

Xu Liping, a senior Southeast Asian studies researcher at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said Washington understands Manilas willingness to conduct practical cooperation with Beijing.

However, alliance is the core interest of the US; it will never give it up, he added.

Duterte was expected to begin a visit to Japan on Tuesday. During the visit, Tokyo might ask Manila to resume close relations with Washington, perhaps using economic aid as a condition, Su said.

Reuters and AP contributed to this story.

mojingxi@chinadaily.com.cn
Pleats of Matter, 2015. [Photo/Provided to China Daily]

The University of Oxford's Ashmolean Museum opened a new exhibition on Thursday featuring 19 ink paintings by leading Chinese contemporary artist Liu Dan.

The exhibition focuses on Liu's iconic rock paintings, in which the artist depicts the inorganic objects in fine detail through the use of traditional Chinese ink painting combined with Italian

Renaissance techniques. The paintings reveal the intricacy of the forms and show them to be small versions of larger landscape elements.

Liu, who was born in Nanjing in 1953, moved to Hawaii in 1981 and lived in the US for more than 20 years before moving back to Beijing in 2005.

His experience and artistic styles represent a generation of contemporary Chinese painters whose work draws inspiration from both Eastern and Western aesthetics.

It was while in Hawaii that Liu made a conceptual breakthrough. Essentially, he observed that rocks, which have always been a key element in Chinese landscape paintings, are not stable forms but change with every angle from which they are viewed. For Liu, they function as stem cells', meaning that they can be replicated in infinite variety to represent the natural world.

The exhibition, which will be open for four months, is titled Liu Dan: New Landscapes and Old Masters, and rides on a wave of popularity for Chinese paintings in the UK.

In 2013, London's Victoria and Albert Museum displayed more than 70 famous Chinese paintings that had been created between 700 and 1900. Jonathan Jones, the Guardian's art critic, hailed the showing as a "great exhibition (that turns) the story of art upside down".

More recently, the School of Oriental and African Studies showed a collection of paintings in its Brunei Gallery by Chinese contemporary artist Hong Ling (born 1955), who is known for his rich landscapes, rigorous handling of pictorial space and complex layering of paint.

Shelagh Vainker, curator of Chinese Art at the Ashmolean Museum, said the rising profile of Chinese contemporary artists internationally in recent years has increased the UK public's interest in Chinese art.

Chinese art exhibitions at the Ashmolean Museum grew with the opening of the Michael Sullivan Gallery in 2000. The gallery is named after the Oxford professor who, along with his wife Khoan, built up a collection of some 400 works by Chinese artists that was left to the museum in 2013.

Vainker described Liu's brushwork as outstanding.

"When you look at the brushwork, you can't see the trace of the brush. Liu has taken landscape rocks, which are painted over and over again in Chinese traditional painting, but the composition is different. So, the juxtaposition between the very traditional and new is unique," Vainker explained.

Zhang Hongxing, a senior curator at the V&A, who curated the 2013 Chinese paintings exhibition, described Liu is an artist with a scholarly interest in Chinese art history.

"His works show a great understanding of painters' methods and techniques developed during Song and Yuan period," Zhang said.

Liu now has exhibitions showing in museums and galleries across China, Europe and the US. Sotheby's in New York showed a selling exhibition of more than 50 early works this year, comprising drawings, ink paintings and prints, including work inspired by the artist's visit to the Dunhuang caves, the Hawaiian landscape, and his iconic studies of flowers and rocks during his New York period.

If you go:

Liu Dan: New Landscapes and Old Masters, is showing between Oct 20 and Feb 26 at the Ashmolean Museum
(Photo : ROKA) South Korean soldiers patrol the DMZ.

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The United States and North Korea held informal talks at Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia over the weekend to lay the groundwork for new talks to denuclearize North Korea, but seem to have hit an early impasse as both sides stuck to their old demands that scuttled previous talks.



It's also rumored that peace talks to end the Korean War might also have been discussed. The Korean War is officially not over since North Korea and China only signed an Armistice with the United Nations Command that ended fighting on July 27, 1953.



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A North Korean delegation led by the country's deputy ambassador to the United Nations Jang Il-hun held talks with a four-member U.S. delegation that included Robert Gallucci and former high-level U.S. federal government officials. Gallucci, a diplomat and academic, was the chief U.S. negotiator that negotiated a historic nuclear freeze deal during the North Korean nuclear crisis of 1994.



Both sides met on Oct. 21 and 22 to discuss pending issues such as the North's nuclear and missile tests. The Americans described the talks as informal or unofficial. The talks follow North Korea's fifth and most powerful nuclear test in September where a 10 kiloton nuclear weapon was detonated underground.



Jang hinted he had consulted with Beijing before the talks and revealed both sides discussed "pending issues and each other's thoughts on them."



Both panels mainly talked about North Korea's nuclear and missile issues during the informal dialogue, said Leon Sigal, director of the Northeast Asia Cooperative Security Project at the Social Science Research Council (SSRC) in New York.



Sigal also said the North Koreans demanded the two sides begin talks for a "peace treaty" to establish diplomatic relations between North Korea and the United States.



This demand for a peace treaty seems to have become an obstacle during the informal talks. The North Koreans are reported to have insisted peace talks should precede any moves to address its nuclear and missile program while Washington has again insisted on the opposite: the North first abandon its nuclear ambition before any peace talks can take place.



Sigal said his team reiterated the U.S. position North Korea must first stop its nuclear program but indicated the two sides sought ways to resume dialogue that has been stalled for years.



Sigal also said the talks "gives us a chance to explore things that you know go beyond what the government is saying right now to see if we can find a way back to negotiations."



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TagsUnited States, North Korea, PEACE TALKS, denuclearization, Korean War, Robert Gallucci, Jang Il-hun
(Photo : Getty Images) More than 400 members of China's Communist Party have gathered to discuss reforms for the organization.

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Around 400 top members of the powerful Communist Party of China (CPC) have started a four-day private meeting on Monday to discuss how the world's largest political party can be better managed.



Analysts said the meeting, which is being held at the exclusive Jingxi Hotel, will include talks on drastic reforms on how the party should be governed and a review Chinese President Xi Jinping's anti-corruption campaign.



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According to Xinhua, the meeting will focus on resolving issues on "party discipline" and would tackle the downfall of several powerful and high-ranking party leaders such as former security czar Zhou Yongkang who has been jailed on charges of corruption.



Sixth Plenum



Dubbed the Sixth Plenum, the meeting comes following a series of corruption scandals that have rocked China's Communist Party.



To date, more than a million communist party members have been punished for graft and corruption.



Analysts claim that since assuming the highest position in the party in 2012, General Secretary Xi Jinping has managed to bend the party to his will and has wielded more power than any leader since Mao Zedong.



In his efforts to propel China to reach its goal of the "Great Rejuvenation," Xi has reportedly branded the party as a "magic weapon" to introduce reforms necessary to realize his ''Chinese Dream."



Long and difficult time



Political observers say it would be difficult for Xi to realize his dream of a great China if party members do not cooperate in pushing for reforms.



Already, attempts to rein in unresponsive state-owned companies have been met with major resistance from party members who have vested interests in these business enterprises.



Analysts say that these state-owned enterprises which control sectors of the economy have been made milking cows of alleged party members.



"These reforms have really gone nowhere over the last three years," said Anthony Saich, an expert on Chinese politics at Harvard University.



Saich said that Xi does not trust society or the government to push the necessary reforms that he wants to be implemented saying it is only the communist party that can push the reforms.



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TagsCommunist Party of China, General Secretary Xi Jinping, anti-corruption campaign, internal reforms, party discipline, corruption scandals, china
(Photo : Indian Navy) INS Viraat in her glory days.

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The aircraft carrier INS Viraat, flagship of the Indian Navy from 1987 to 2012, will be decommissioned by the end of this year.



The Andhra Pradesh State Government, however, seems to be interested in berthing the warship at Visakhapatnam, headquarters of the navy's Eastern Naval Command, to promote tourism after its decommissioning.



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The "Grand Old Lady," as she's fondly called, is also the world's oldest aircraft carrier at 55 years-old. A British-built carrier, she spent the first 27 years of her life with the Royal Navy before being commissioned in the Indian Navy in 1987.



The INS Vikramaditya, also an aircraft carrier, replaced the Grand Old Lady as the navy flagship in 2013.



The Grand Old Lady was given an emotional send-off at Ernakulam Wharf at the Cochin Port Trust in Kochi as she began her final voyage to Mumbai where she will be decommissioned. Among the dignitaries at the send-off were the Chief of Staff of the Southern Naval Command Rear Admiral Ravindra Jayanti Nadkarni.



In her glory days, the Viraat carried two squadrons of BAE Sea Harrier V/STOL carrier-borne strike fighters. She had a crew of 1,500 men. Her most prominent feature was her 12 degree ski jump used for launching aircraft.



She was the lead ship in the navy task force taking part in Operation Vijay that blockaded Pakistan during the Kargil War in 1999. She has taken part in many multinational naval exercises.



The navy said Viraat (the Sanskrit word for giant) spent 2,250 days at sea, and sailed a distance of 10,94,215 km, which is equivalent to circling the Earth 27 times.



She was originally commissioned by the Royal Navy as HMS Hermes on November 18, 1959. A Centaur-class aircraft carrier, she served as the flagship of the Royal Navy's task force during The Falkland War against Argentina that lasted 72 days in 1982. She was decommissioned from active duty in 1985.



In April 1986, Hermes was towed from Portsmouth Dockyard to Devonport Dockyard to be refitted, re-activated and sold to India.



Last July 23, Viraat sailed for the last time under her own power from Mumbai to Kochi, where she was dry-docked and prepared for decommissioning.



She was towed back to Mumbai on Oct. 23 for her formal decommissioning ceremony.



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TagsINS Viraat, Indian Navy, Aircraft carrier, HMS Hermes, BAE Sea Harrier
(Photo : Getty Images) Police in Wuhan have detained a suspect for spreading rumor about a labor unrest.

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A suspect has been detained by the police in China's central city of Wuhan for allegedly spreading rumors in a video. A state-owned newspaper claims that the video was purported to show a demonstration involving workers from Wuhan Iron and Steel Factory.



The detained person's name is reportedly surnamed Rong. A statement by Wuhan police posted on Weibo said that Rong was arrested on Friday and will be kept in detention for next five days.



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China Youth Daily has also confirmed that a person in Wuhan city has been detained for posting a video that allegedly showed laid-off Wugang workers in a mass protest.



The video was reportedly shot by propaganda officials from Wuhan Steel Group during night time and showed surging crowd.



Wuhan Steel Group was in the news recently after it was reported that Baoshan Iron & Steel would acquire the indebted steel company. The deal was considered crucial to tackle the operational inefficiencies and huge overcapacity in China's steel sector.



Labor unrest is not very common in China. However, reports of labour protest rarely appear in Chinese media rarely.



Meanwhile, the Chinese government is making earnest efforts to address the issue of overcapacity in the country's steel sector as it is likely to stroke labor unrest across China. The government's decision to fix this issue has reportedly led to job cuts in several steel factories and mills.



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Activist blasts Air Force officer & his commander for Jesus comments -- again 24 October, 2016 by Gregory Tomlin , |

INCIRLIK AIR BASE, Turkey (Christian Examiner)  The Military Religious Freedom Foundation's Mikey Weinstein is angry again that the organization's demands haven't been met to his satisfaction.

This time he's angry over the official response to his complaint about an officer in the medical unit of the 39th Air Base Wing at Incirlik Air Base in Turkey.

Earlier this month, MRFF demanded that Lt. Col. Michael Kersten be admonished for what the organization called his "improper, coercive" comments, in which he said in an online publication that Jesus Christ has influenced the way he makes decisions.

In an Oct. 6 letter to Col. John Walker, commander of the 39th, Weinstein  a former Air Force lawyer and president of MRFF  said Lt. Col. Kersten violated military regulations when he answered.

Weinstein claimed he had received nearly 100 complaints from other airmen about the comment and that its publication ran the risk of offending America's Turkish allies on the base. That is a real possibility in a country that has been known to have systematically eliminated Christian seminaries and looked the other way while Christians are persecuted for their beliefs.

As a Christian, my example is to be like Christ. He is my guide and affects all of my decisions. He teaches to do all things as unto the Lord and I believe this is synonymous with integrity first and excellence in all we do.

Lt. Col. Kersten was asked in the article titled, "Meet your leadership," if there was a leader from his career that influenced him the most and how that leader affected his leadership style.

"There's no ONE in particular," Kersten said. "As a Christian, my example is to be like Christ. He is my guide and affects all of my decisions. He teaches to do all things as unto the Lord and I believe this is synonymous with integrity first and excellence in all we do."

On Oct. 13, Col. Walker responded to the Weinstein's claim. In a letter to the activist, he acknowledged receipt of the letter and thanked him for his "concerns regarding our service members here at Incirlik Air Base, Turkey."

"The Air Force places the highest value on the rights of its personnel in matters of religion by its members. Our Airmen are sworn to protect our rights and liberties as Americans, including the right of all Airmen to practice their religious faith of to practice no faith at all," Walker wrote in the short response.

Weinstein has since fired off another letter to the colonel, demanding clarification and restating his demand Lt. Col. Kersten should be punished. He said Col. Walker's response was "the equivalent of a signed glamour shot sent by a celebrity to everyone who writes to them, regardless of the content of the correspondence."

"Perhaps you misunderstood our position concerning Lt. Col. Kersten's statements and our demand for appropriate and visible consequences," Weinstein wrote.

"This demand is a matter of ensuring that all religious expression  particularly by military leaders  conforms to the mandates of the Constitution and Air Force Regulations. While Lt. Col. Kersten certainly has the right to share his religious beliefs, he is not entitled to publicly declare that all of his decisions are based his personal faith, rather than upon his oath of office and allegiance to the U.S. Constitution."

Importantly, Kersten did not say he is incapable of fulfillining his oath to the Constitution because of his faith, nor did he say he uses Scripture or prayer to determine how his unit should abide by military regulations. He also did not claim, contrary to Weinstein's original complaint, that he would treat Christian airmen preferentially.

For Weinstein, however, a Christian "influence" on the officer's decisions means he is incapable of functioning without imposing those views on others.

"Lt. Col. Kersten plainly undermined the effectiveness of response to command when he announced that his decisions will be based on his personal Christian beliefs, rather than objective merit. He further stated that at least two core Air Force values are synonymous with the teachings of Christ, thus implying that non-Christians cannot adequately exercise those values," he wrote.

Weinstein was miffed at the "boilerplate response" Col. Walker provided. He asked for clarification as to whether or not the officer intended to rebuke Lt. Col. Kersten for his "unconstitutional endorsement" of religion in a public forum and "appropriately and visibly punish" the officer.

Weinstein said the commander should issue an apology to all personnel on the base, as well as to America's Turkish allies (military and civilian). He also said Col. Walker should affirm an air of inclusiveness for the "respect and dignity" of all airmen.

"If you will not take appropriate action, we must take appropriate action on behalf of our clients. Therefore, we must insist, sir, on a real response from you that states unambiguously whether you will take any action concerning our demand," Weinstein wrote.
A Christian ministry has joined with local government leaders to launch an effort to combat the harmful effects of pornography in Australia.

The Christian Post reports that Christian ministry City Women of Toowoomba, together with local Toowoomba city leaders are hoping to make their city porn-free.

City Women Chief Executive Letitia Shelton acknowledges that making the city porn-free is an ambitious goal, but she is confident progress will be made.

She compared the porn-free city campaign to the anti-smoking campaign:

But look at the anti-smoking campaign, there has been a huge reduction in smoking. You'll never stop it, but you can show people the impacts it has on your life."

Recently, a rally was held in Toowoomba to raise awareness of the harmful effects of pornography and ways to prevent it.

Around 250 people gathered at the rally where speakers shared stories about how their lives were affected by porn and participants were given pledge cards titled A City Free from Porn which read, "I acknowledge that viewing pornography promotes the exploitation of women and violence against women, and it damages families. I commit that I won't view porn and I will help create a city free from porn."

Other countries, including the U.S. have started campaigns to combat the harmful effects of porn. The state of Utah even declared porn a public health crisis earlier this year.

Publication date: October 24, 2016
Iraqs parliament has passed a law banning the sale, production, and purchase of alcohol which primarily affects the countrys Christian population.

ChristianToday.com reports that the new law was proposed by Mahmoud al-Hassan, who argued that the Iraqi constitution forbids any law against Islam.

Muslims are not allowed to drink alcohol due to their religion.

Christian parliamentarian Joseph Slaiwa, however, argued that the constitution also protects the rights of religious groups to live freely.

"This ban is unconstitutional, as the constitution acknowledges the rights of non-Muslim minorities and ethnic groups who live alongside Muslims in Iraq," he said. "To those Muslim lawmakers I say: Take care of your religion and leave ours for us, we know how to deal with it."

Much of the alcohol consumed in Iraq is sold by Christian business owners, and the new alcohol law will have a negative impact on Christian livelihood and lifestyle.

Christians and other Iraqis also condemned the timing of the ban, saying that the Iraqi government should be focusing on the effort to retake Mosul from Islamic State militants.

One political cartoon even showed men with their backs turned on Mosul while they were shooting at a bottle of liquor.

Photo courtesy: Thinkstockphotos.com

Publication date: October 24, 2016
The 21 girls released by Boko Haram Oct. 13 have met President Buhari to thank him personally for his part in their release. Addressing a crowd at the presidential villa, one of the girls, Rebecca Mallum, burst into song. She later said: We are happy to see this wonderful day because we didnt know we would come back to be members of Nigeria. Let us thank God for his love.

Speaking to CNN, some of the girls said they plan to return to school  Boko Haram translates in the local Hausa language as Western education is a sin.

On their release last week one girl revealed more about life in captivity, said a parent who wished to remain anonymous. The parent said that one of the girls had refused to marry a Boko Haram fighter and was told she would be killed. In the end she was given 100 lashes.

The girls have been undergoing intense psychological evaluations at a medical facility in the capital, Abuja.

Previous update (18 Oct.):

Nigerias Information Minister, Lai Mohammed, has spoken about the release of 21 girls and a boy born in captivity to one of their number: This is only the first step in what we believe will be total liberation and release of all the remaining girls.

Already we are on phase two and we are already in discussions, he said on Sunday (16 Oct.). But of course you know these are very delicate negotiations, there are some promises we made also about the confidentiality of the entire exercise and we intend to keep them.

According to the governments Senior Special Assistant for Media and Publicity, Malam Garba Shehu, a splinter group of Boko Haram is willing to negotiate the release of 83 more girls. CNN reported that the other 114 girls are dead, or, reportedly, dont want to leave their kidnappers because they are now married or have been radicalised.

This release is only the second time any of the 219 long-term captives (over 50 girls escaped shortly after being taken) have found freedom. Amina Ali Nkeki, 19, was the first of the 219 to be found alive when she was discovered by vigilantes in the Sambisa Forest. Nkeki revealed that she knew of six of the remaining 218 who had died. If negotiations to release 83 more are successful, that leaves at least 100 girls either still among Boko Haram or unaccounted for.

There are conflicting reports about the terms of the girls release, which was brokered by the Swiss Government and the International Committee of the Red Cross.

The government has denied any prisoner exchange, but, according to Associated Press, two military officers have said four detained Boko Haram commanders were freed; AP reports that a Nigerian who negotiated previous failed attempts also said a large ransom was paid by the Swiss government on behalf of Nigerian authorities.

The released girls finally met with their families on Sunday in Abuja after some parents had travelled for days for the emotional reunion.

One of the girls, Gloria Dame, said they had survived for 40 days without food and narrowly escaped death at least once.

Muta Abana, who has been reunited with his daughter, Blessing, said he thought the girls abduction had been politicised, complaining that peoples children arent money, peoples children are not clothes you wear to campaign, peoples children are their pride.

The girls are currently receiving medical attention and trauma counselling in a hospital.

Previous update (14 October):

Details have now emerged about the conditions of release of the 21 Chibok girls. They were freed before dawn on 13 Oct. in the north-eastern town of Banki, near the border with Cameroon. They were then transported to the capital, Abuja, where they met the Vice President.

The whole country has been waiting that one day we will see you again and we are very happy to see you back, said Yemi Osinbajo.

The president in particular has asked me to tell you how excited he is. When you were away, he kept saying that if it were his daughter he wouldnt even know what to do.

So we are all very excited that you are here. We are all happy that God has preserved your lives and brought you back.

Presidential aide Garba Shehu said the girls release was the outcome of negotiations between the administration and the Boko Haram brokered by the International Red Cross and the Swiss government.

There was speculation that the girls were handed over in exchange for the release of Boko Haram fighters. AFP quoted a local source in saying that four Boko Haram prisoners had been swapped for the girls, but the information minister, Lai Mohammed, denied this.

Please note that this is not a swap. It is a release, the product of painstaking negotiations and trust on both sides, he said.

We have nothing to add, said a Swiss government official, when asked if it had been a prisoner swap.

The talks with the radical Islamic group will continue, according to the Nigerian government.

Pictures released by local media and a presidency official showed one of the girls holding a baby when they met Vice President Osinbajo. Many of the girls looked frail. Most of the girls were reportedly forcibly converted to Islam and forced into marriage by their captors.

The government also released the names of the 21 girls:

1. Mary Usman Bulama

2. Jummai John

3. Blessing Abana

4. Luggwa Sanda

5. Comfort Habila

6. Maryam Basheer

7. Comfort Amos

8. Glory Mainta

9. Saratu Emmanuel

10. Deborah Jaafaru

11. Rahab Ibrahim

12. Helin Musa

13. Mayamu Lawan

14. Rebecca Ibrahim

15. Asabe Goni

16. Deborah Andrawus

17. Agnes Gapani

18. Saratu Markus

19. Glory Dama

20. Pindah Nuhu

21. Rebecca Mallam.

Previous article (13 Oct.):

Boko Haram has released 21 of the girls kidnapped in Chibok in April 2014 to the Nigerian Army in Maidugiri, capital of Borno state (where the Islamist group has been strongest), according to the Nigerian Presidents spokesman. This has not yet been independently confirmed.

Its been two and a half years since 275 schoolgirls were kidnapped from their dormitories in Chibok, in the north-eastern state of Borno. Their disappearance eventually generated headlines around the world and fuelled a social-media storm, with the hashtag #bringbackourgirls.

Today is the first time any of the schoolgirls have been found since May, when two girls were discovered in the space of two days.

A Christian girl, Amina Ali Nkeki was found on 17 May in the Sambisa Forest, close to the border with Cameroon. Two days later, Nigerias army said it had rescued a second girl, Serah Luka, believed to be the daughter of a pastor, though she was later found to not have been among the Chibok girls.

Nkeki had escaped with the Boko Haram fighter to whom she had been forcibly married, and with their child. She appealed for support for the young man, whom she implied might have been himself forced into becoming a fighter, saying he had not treated her too badly, and that she missed him.

I would have celebrated even if one person was freed. I am very, very happy to hear that 21 of them are free. My heart is also rejoicing that one day soon  the majority of them, if not all of them, are going to be freed.

--Rev. Joel Billi, EYN

A month after she escaped, some members of BringBackOurGirls (BBOG)  an advocacy group campaigning for the safe rescue of the girls  expressed concerns over Nkekis whereabouts, saying she had been kept under close control by the government, and that she appears to be now treated as if shes become a Muslim (which she would have done against her will).

President Muhammadu Buhari had promised the government will do everything possible to ensure she receives the care to make a full recovery and to be reintegrated fully into society. But some of the group were concerned she had not been allowed to return to her Christian family, which they assumed would be a strong element in her recovery from trauma.

Rev. Joel Billi, president of the Ekeklesiya Yanuwa Nigeria (EYN) Church, told World Watch Monitor that 201 of the kidnapped girls belong to his church.

I would have celebrated even if one person was freed. I am very, very happy to hear that 21 of them are free, he said. My heart is also rejoicing that one day soon  the majority of them, if not all of them, are going to be freed.

When I heard about this news, I said that the church has to come out and talk to the federal government. The church should be in forefront of all things because Anima, who was rescued few months ago, as I am talking, we dont know where she is. This is to say we have mixed feelings about the whole thing.

Meantime, in September, the Nigerian government had for the first time disclosed the details of its failure to secure the release of the girls during negotiations which began in July 2015, shortly after Buhari took office.

Three times the negotiations were derailed  once at the last minute, even after the president had agreed to free imprisoned Boko Haram fighters. Another time, talks failed because key members of Boko Haram's negotiating team were killed.

Buhari, who has been criticised by parents and activists, again appealed for the parents trust.

In August, Boko Haram had released a video which appeared to show some of the Chibok girls looking physically weak and traumatised. It showed a masked man demanding the release of militants in exchange, and one girl, who called herself Maida Yakubu, asking her parents to appeal to the government.

Anima, who was rescued few months ago, as I am talking, we dont know where she is. This is to say we have mixed feelings about the whole thing.

--Rev. Joel Billi, EYN

In April, the Boko Haram group had released a separate video, apparently filmed on Christmas Day 2015 and broadcast on CNN  amongst other outlets  showing 15 of the girls pleading with the Nigerian government to co-operate with the militants for their release. The girls said they were being treated well but wanted to be with their families.

Some parents who attended a screening of that video in Maiduguri identified some of the girls. Two mothers, Rifkatu Ayuba and Mary Ishaya, said they recognised their daughters in the video, while a third mother, Yana Galang, identified five of the missing girls, Reuters reported. One mother said her daughter looked well, much better than she had feared, giving some hope to the families.

The parents have been under a lot of strain: at least 18 of them have died of stress-related illness; three others have themselves been killed by militants; many others have persistent health problems brought on by stress.

Forced to convert and marry

Most of the girls were reportedly forcibly converted to Islam. It is feared that many have been sexually abused and forced into marriage by their captors.

A report by Nigerias Political Violence Research Network, Our Bodies, their Battleground, detailed this kind of treatment of minority Christians in northern Nigeria going back to 1999. It reveals how tremendously effective and efficient it is to focus attacks on women and girls  because the knock-on effects are devastating to the community. Entire families and Christian communities are thus dishonoured, regularly leading husbands to reject wives who are victims of rape, and embarrassment and shame for their children.

The fact that Christian women and children suffer at the hands of Boko Haram is a carefully calculated part of the movements multi-pronged front-line offensive, designed to intimidate the population into accepting political-religious change, points out the report.

The use of rape was also justified by Boko Haram militants on the basis of sex as jizya, a reference to a tax that early Islamic rulers demanded from their non-Muslim subjects for their own protection.

For hundreds of women and girls kidnapped by Boko Haram militants, their ordeal did not end when they escaped, nor when Nigerian soldiers rescued them and reunited them with their families.

Instead of being admired for their bravery, many have become outcasts in their communities, stigmatised due to their perceived association with Boko Haram, reports humanitarian news agency IRIN.

Moreover, others  pregnant after rape by their captors  have been shamed and are now accused of spawning or seeking to spawn future Boko Haram fighters, says IRIN.

This all backs up Angelina Jolies message of rape as a policy aimed at terrorising and destroying communities. It's a message she first spoke about at the UK Parliament in June 2014 and repeated at the House of Lords in September 2015.

[Islamist groups such as] Islamic State are dictating [it] as policy ... beyond what we have seen before, said Jolie, a UN Special Envoy. The Hollywood actress said the groups know it is a very effective weapon and they are using it as a centre point of their terror and their way of destroying communities and families, and attacking and dehumanising.

Jolie shared stories of girls she had met in war zones, who had been repeatedly raped and sold for as little as $40. In 2014, she co-hosted a global summit in London, attended by representatives from more than 100 countries, aimed at raising awareness and tackling the issue of sexual violence in conflict, especially rape as a weapon of war.

Courtesy: World Watch Monitor

Publication date: October 24, 2016
At Whitworth University, a Christian liberal arts college in Spokane, Washington, one hears faint echoes of a social expectation thats common to Christian campuses: ring by spring. Its the idea that college students should have given or received an engagement ring by the spring of their senior year. Ring by spring is not encouraged in any official way, and its generally invoked with a heavy dose of derision. But as sociology professor Dr. Stacy Keogh George has observed in a recent study, this dismissive humor belies a very real pressure felt by some students to measure success by finding a marriageable partner. According to George, this not-so-hidden culture emphasizes engagement instead of encouraging men and women of faith to live out their individual vocations, which may or may not include marriage.

In the fall of 2014, George gathered some initial data on students attitudes about ring by spring. The results of her study are forthcoming in Christian Reflection. I had the chance to talk with George about her research, the surprising sticking power of ring by spring cultureespecially at a time when the age of first marriage in the US keeps climbing and its implications for Christian college students.

How did you get interested in studying ring by spring culture in the first place?

I am a graduate of a Christian college in the US, and when I was a student, I heard this ring by spring thing was happening on campus and I had no idea what it was. I realized very quickly that Christian colleges are seen as a place for women to find their spouse. And I say that very intentionallyfor ...

1
Judicial Watch Will Monitor Virginia Polls on Election Day Contact: Jill Farrell, Judicial Watch , 202-646-5172 WASHINGTON, Oct. 24, 2016 / Christian Newswire /  Judicial Watch today, as part of its ongoing Election Integrity Project, announced that Judicial Watch volunteer poll observers will monitor polling sites in Virginia on Election Day. Judicial Watch poll monitors will be in Virginia in response to significant concerns about the integrity of the election process there:  , or residents who are not U.S. citizens, were on the voter rolls in 8 Virginia counties. If that rate of non-citizen registration held in the rest of Virginia's counties, that would mean that about 6,500 non-citizens are registered to vote in Virginia.



1,046 aliens , or residents who are not U.S. citizens, were on the voter rolls in 8 Virginia counties. If that rate of non-citizen registration held in the rest of Virginia's counties, that would mean that about 6,500 non-citizens are registered to vote in Virginia.  A September 2016



A September 2016 report by the Public Interest Legal Foundation and the Virginia Voter's Alliance shows: "In the 8 jurisdictions that provided us with lists of aliens recently removed from their voter rolls, we discovered that 31 non-citizens had cast a total of 186 votes between 2005 and 2015. The most alien votes were cast in 2012 followed by 2008, the year President Obama was elected to his first term." There are 133 total Virginia voting jurisdictions, so the number in this report represents a mere fraction of the true total of illegal votes.  individuals recently re-registered to vote in Virginia.



19 deceased individuals recently re-registered to vote in Virginia.  In 2013, the Interstate Voter Registration Crosscheck Program ( In 2013, the Interstate Voter Registration Crosscheck Program ( Crosscheck ), which provides a lists of voters who are registered in more than one of the 26 states participating in the program, revealed that 57,923 Virginia voters were registered to vote in at least one other state. Of course this number would be much higher if the Crosscheck program included every state  including New York, California, and Texas, the most populous states in the country. Judicial Watch's Election Integrity Project leader, Robert Popper, will train Virginia's poll watchers. He is a former deputy chief of the Voting Section, in the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice and a veteran poll observer for the Department of Justice. Judicial Watch's Election Integrity project began in February 2012. Since that time Judicial Watch has put several state and county officials on notice when they are in violation of federal laws requiring them to clean up their voter rolls. Judicial Watch has also participated in lawsuits defending photo ID and other commonsense election integrity measures. Judicial Watch has also filed successful lawsuits in states like Ohio and Indiana that resulted in cleaner voter rolls and have achieved victories in the United States Supreme Court to stop race-based elections in Hawaii . Judicial Watch has fought federal electoral laws that have the effect of making it easier for non-citizens to register to vote, and harder to remove them once they are registered. And Judicial Watch has conducted election monitoring before, for example in New Hampshire in 2014. "Judicial Watch will monitor voting places in Virginia to expose and deter any voter fraud," said Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton. MORE

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home US Atheist billboard in Nebraska taken down after residents complain

An advertising company was forced to take down a billboard sponsored by Lincoln Atheists after customers threatened to boycott the gas station where the advertisement was displayed.

"The Good Life without God?" the sign stated. "It's possible. Visit us at LincolnAtheists.org."

According to a report from Lincoln Journal Star, Lamar Advertising was supposed to display the billboard for a whole month starting on Oct. 10. The atheist group was told on Oct. 18 that sign would be taken down early due to complaints from local residents who threatened to boycott the gas station where the ad was put up.

Scott Morton, general manager of the Lamar's branch in Lincoln, said the company has to obey the wishes of the landowners where it leases advertising space.

"At this point, we're just going to refund them all of their money, even though they got some display time," said Morton.

The manager added that he and the staff take free speech rights when making decisions about an advertisement but the company also has to consider the possibility that billboards could have words that would be deemed offensive by its viewers.

"I've turned away so many messages over the last 28 years, I can't tell you," he said.

Brian Aden, the president of Lincoln Atheists, said the purpose of the billboard was to reach out to other atheists. He added that the group might consider putting another advertisement elsewhere.

"My first choice would be to put it up somewhere else in Lincoln," Aden said. "If that's not possible, we're not upset at Lamar. It's unfortunate because I don't think there's anything offensive about it," he continued.

Aden said the billboard did not receive too many reactions before he learned of its removal. He noted that the group still has not directly received any negative comments. He also shared that the group's Facebook page saw an increase in members after it was displayed. The advertisement was also featured in a blog called the Friendly Atheist.

Hai Dao, the owner of the gas station, said that he did not pay much attention to the sign and did not even know how long it has been on display. He stated that he called Lamar after receiving several complaints from the customers.

"I want to make my customers happy," he said. "I have my regulars, they say they love my business, but they don't like to see [the ad] out there," he added.
home World Chinese Christians on trial for spying as part of crackdown against churches

Two members of a Protestant house church in southern China are currently on trial for spying while another is being tried for "illegal business activities" as part of an ongoing crackdown on unofficial churches.

Wang Yao and Yu Lei, both members of Huoshi Church, stood trial for "deliberately revealing state secrets" at Guiyang Intermediate People's Court in the southwestern province of Guizhou.

"Wang Yao's trial was on Monday and Yu Lei's was on Wednesday," a fellow member of Huoshi Church told Radio Free Asia (RFA).

The anonymous church member said that members of Wang's family and the two lawyers that they hired were not allowed inside the court.

"There have been people watching me in the past few days from my neighborhood committee and the local police station," the church member said. "They follow me wherever I go. The police have placed very tight controls on all Huoshi Church members," the member added.

Yang Hua, the pastor of the church, is reportedly suffering from health problems due to torture and ill treatment in jail. He has been detained since December 2015 for "divulging state secrets." His lawyers had predicted in August that he will stand trial soon but no date has been announced yet.

In Guangzhou, a house church member named Li Hongmin was accused of printing more than 11,000 copies of Protestant tracts. He pleaded not guilty when he was tried on Monday for "running an illegal business."

His lawyers maintained that Li was only exercising his constitutional right to the freedom of religion.

Ma Ke, the pastor of Guangfu Church, told RFA that the tracts that were printed were meant for distribution only within the church.

The Chinese Communist Party recently implemented a more stringent set of laws against religious activities. The new rules allow members of the party to hire and fire church leaders as well as change religious doctrines. Churches are also required to pledge their loyalty to the party.
home Entertainment Christian rapper Lecrae battles depression caused by loss of black lives

Award-winning hip hop artist Lecrae expressed his grievances about the African-American lives that have been lost in the past few years. He revealed that the losses caused his depression and made him want to quit.

In an open letter published by Huffington Post, the rapper stated that he has become frustrated because he is often misunderstood when he speaks out against the killings of African-Americans. He added that his friends and supporters abandoned him when he shared his sentiments and he encountered some comments that were "evil and hurtful."

Lecrae clarified that he does not hate the police because he has friends and relatives who worked in the field of law enforcement and corrections. However, he stated that he has experienced several incidents that led him to conclude that there is injustice in the system.

"I've been pulled over before a show, spoken to like I was less than human, unlawfully searched for drugs, and left to put my destroyed car back together and make it to my show as the cops drove off," he wrote.

The rapper emphasized the distinction between the sentiment behind "Black Lives Matter" ("BLM") and the organization that bears the same name. He said that his agreement with the sentiment does not equate to an endorsement of the organization.

"I don't condone violence or rioting for which BLM is so often blamed, and I don't believe these isolated acts express the values of the BLM organization or the sentiment either," he added.

On top of his other grievances, he revealed that he had a 34-year-old cousin who passed away and one of his longtime friends betrayed him.

"Life has really been crumbling over the past year, which brought on depression and so many doubts," he said.

The rapper confessed that he wanted to quit because he cannot meet other people's expectations. He admitted that he is fallible but acknowledged that God is still working on him.

At the end of the letter, he asked for grace and mercy and urged his supporters to continue praying for him.

Lecrae released a new song titled "Can't Stop Me Now (Destination)," in which he raps about his depression and doubts.
home World Christians have no home to return to when ISIS is out of Mosul, says aid worker

As an Iraqi-led coalition fights to free Mosul from ISIS, many displaced Christians are hopeful they can return home soon. But some are not eager to go back, fearing that they would not have a home to return to.

Iraqi-led forces moved in to liberate the Christian town of Qaraqosh last week but they are facing heavy resistance from ISIS fighters. The town was home to 50,000 Christians before it was taken over by Islamic extremists. A general of a Christian militia, Gen. Amr Shamoun, said that part of Qaraqosh has already been reclaimed.

Vernon Brewer, head of a Christian humanitarian organization World Help, said that many Christians living in displacement camps see an "air of hope" in the latest move to liberate Mosul.

"There is an air of expectancy. There is an air of hope," Brewer said in a phone interview with The Christian Post. "We saw that today in the camp we were in. There is definitely a hope that something positive is about to happen," he added.

Brewer, who is currently in Kurdistan helping displaced Iraqis, said that many of the Christians he talked to cannot wait to return home. However, he added that there are others who simply do not want to go back.

"I talked to some people who say they never want to go back to Mosul," he explained. "The food is scarce and cost prohibitive for most people," Brewer continued.

"Another family told me that they have called their neighbors and asked them if they watched their house and their store while they were gone. There neighbors said, 'No, we have moved in and we have just taken your house and store,'" he narrated.

Brewer said there are many Christians who are still hopeful and there are some who even carried their house keys with them to keep as a reminder. He added that many would not want to return home until they believe it is completely safe from ISIS and other jihadis.
home US Dobson urges pro-life centers to defy California abortion law

Dr. James Dobson, founder of Focus on the Family, called on operators of crisis pregnancy centers in California to defy the law that requires them to promote abortion. He suggested that the operators should choose to go to jail rather than violate their conscience.

"If California attempts to enforce this law, then do not comply. Make them put you in jail," he said in a statement released on Tuesday.

The Reproductive FACT Act, which requires all licensed pregnancy centers in California to provide information about "free or low-cost access" to abortions, was upheld by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals last Friday. Those who are found in violation of the mandate will face fines amounting to $500.

"This ruling now forces these clinics to violate their sincerely held religious beliefs, and it is an affront to our constitutionally mandated rights to life and to religious freedom," Dobson wrote.

Dobson brought up the significance of the elections and pointed out that either Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton will be appointing justices to the Supreme Court. He emphasized that the Supreme Court will ultimately decide whether the Reproductive FACT Act would remain a law in California and whether it will become the law across the nation.

"This law a and laws like it a violate the U.S. Constitution, and they are a violation of our Christian conscience, and this ruling is yet another example of the power of activist judges. I encourage anyone with a voice to use it and to do so urgently," Dobson continued.

The law, which went into effect on Jan. 1, was challenged by three pregnancy care centers namely the National Institute of Family and Life Advocates (NIFLA), Pregnancy Care Center and Fallbrook Pregnancy Resource Center. The complainants argued that the law infringes on the freedom of speech and the free exercise of religion.

The court contended that the pregnancy centers are only required to disseminate a message that provides information to the reader and it does not encourage or imply that women should undergo abortions.

NIFLA President Thomas Glessner told LifeNews that the organization and its attorneys are discussing the most effective legal options to pursue. "This battle is far from over," he said.
home US US presidential polls latest update: Election forecasts favor Hillary Clinton over Donald Trump by a wide margin

As election day nears, Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton is still favored to win in the latest election forecasts from different organizations.

FiveThrityEight predicts that Clinton has an 86 percent chance of winning while Trump only has 13.9 percent. The former U.S. Secretary of State is expected to take 340.1 of the electoral votes against Trump with 197. She is leading against Trump when it comes to the popular vote at 49.6 to 43.2 percent.

The forecast from Upshot shows Clinton with a 93 percent chance of winning the elections against Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump who only has 7 percent.

The Democratic candidate's chances increased in several states including Arizona, Texas, Georgia, New Hampshire, Florida, South Carolina and Minnesota. Trump's chances increased slightly in Ohio and Iowa.

Other forecasts also reveal that Clinton will most likely win the election. She has a 93 percent chance of winning in the forecast by Huffington Post. She got 91 percent from PredictWise, 95 percent from the Daily Kos and 99 percent from Princeton Election Consortium.

Clinton is also favored in most polls. In the Scholastic Student Vote, Clinton is leading against Trump at 52 to 35 percent. The latest results from Reuters/IPSOS show that she is ahead by almost 5 points at 44.2 to 39.5 percent.

The ABC News tracking poll shows that she has a 12 point lead in a four-way poll against Trump, Gary Johnson and Jill Stein. Trump and Clinton are tied at 44 percent, according to the LA Times/USC tracking poll.

Clinton beats Trump by 6 points at 45.2 to 39.2 percent in the USA Today poll tracker.

On the state level, Trump is leading in Louisiana by 11.5 points. Other states where Trump is ahead include Arkansas, South Carolina, Missouri, Utah, Georgia, Texas, Indiana, Iowa and Ohio.

The election will be held on Nov. 8 but more than four million have already voted in advance, according to a study conducted by Pew Research Center. The survey predicts that as many as 50 million could cast their ballots before election day.
home US Mel Gibson drops more hints about "Passion of the Christ" sequel

Prominent actor and director Mel Gibson dropped another hint about the planned sequel to "Passion of the Christ" in a recent interview with televangelist Joel Osteen.

Gibson talked about the possibility of making the sequel, which he referred to as "The Resurrection," in an earlier interview with pastor Greg Laurie at the SoCal Harvest in California.

In the interview with Osteen, the director talked about the complexities of making a film on the subject of the Resurrection.

"It's going to take some time because you don't half do something like this," Gibson said. "You do it so that it makes sense. You do it so that it surprises. You do it so that it enlightens," he added.

Gibson emphasized that simply telling the story would not be good enough. He said that the movie has to explore theological issues that have never been considered before.

"So that's going to take some doing," he added. "Not easy, but achievable," Gibson said.

Osteen asked Gibson whether the theme would focus on the Resurrection.

"We were talking about it. We're getting into some interesting areas on this that, between the Crucifixion and the Resurrection, like, what was going on in there," the director added. "You know, maybe I've said too much already," he quipped.

Gibson's latest film "Hacksaw Ridge" is scheduled for release in U.S. theaters on Nov. 4. It tells the true-to-life story of Seventh Day Adventist soldier Desmond Doss who refused to fire a single shot in battle due to his religious convictions. It received a 10-minute standing ovation during its premiere at the Venice Film Festival last September.

The film has received rave reviews from critics and there are some rumors circulating that it could be nominated for an Oscar.

"You can't listen to that. You hear it. It is somewhere in the back file but one can't put much stock in that," said Gibson to Fairfax Media, referring to the Oscar rumors.

The director maintained that he just wants people to enjoy watching the film and learn something from it.

The cast of includes Andrew Garfield, Hugo Weaving, Vince Vaughn, Sam Worthington, Teresa Palmer and Luke Bracey.
home World More than 80 percent of Christians have fled Iraq since 2003

Christian advocacy group Open Doors U.K. reported that more than 80 percent of Christians have fled Iraq since the war broke out in 2003. In Syria, about half of the Christians have left the country since 2010.

According to the New York Times, there were as many as 1.5 million Christians in Iraq before the fall of Saddam Hussein. The numbers dwindled to less than 500,000 in 2015.

Open Doors is urging the British government to provide better living conditions for the Christians that chose to remain. Lisa Pearce, CEO of Open Doors U.K., tells Premier that those who stay know about the risks but they choose to remain to "serve those around them."

According to Pearce, many Christians choose not to go to organized refugee camps for fear of persecution. The advocacy group is encouraging the government to use the networks of Christian and Muslim faith leaders to distribute aid alongside the usual channels such as NGOs and the U.N. to reach those who are not in the camps.

Pearce says that there are no easy solutions when it comes to the situation in Iraq and Syria. She adds that the international community must include Christians and other minorities in the agenda when it comes to discussions about providing aid and intervening in the crisis.

"It is making sure that they are part of that discussion, part of that framework that we are considering when we are looking at different ways to intervene because there is great danger in all these debates about Sunni, Shia and Russia," she says. "There are huge parties involved, but those groups who aren't a large population, they fall through the cracks. Not just in the country, but in our plans to support the region as well," she continues.

Open Doors and its partners are currently providing aid to 15,000 displaced families in Iraq. A coordinator for the group says that the current battle in Mosul would have no immediate impact on their work.

According to the coordinator, most Christians will wait until the entire Nineveh Plain is completely safe before they return.
home US Nationwide ban stays on Obama's transgender school bathroom policy

A Texas federal judge reaffirmed the nationwide injunction against the school bathroom policy which requires public schools to allow transgender students to use bathrooms and locker rooms that corresponds to their gender identity.

The Justice Department has requested earlier that the injunction should be limited to the 13 states that were opposed to the policy but U.S. District Court Judge Reed O'Connor upheld the nationwide ban which was issued last August, Politico reports.

"It is clear from Supreme Court and Fifth Circuit precedent that this Court has the power to issue a nationwide injunction where appropriate. Both Title IX and Title VII rely on the consistent, uniform application of national standards in education and workplace policy. A nationwide injunction is necessary because the alleged violation extends nationwide," O'Connor stated in his ruling.

O'Connor asserted that the ban would be ineffective if it only applied to the states that issued the complaint. He clarified that the decision only applies to "intimate facilities" and not to other transgender discrimination cases.

The judge has made a ruling on whether the order affects the enforcement of similar policies in the Labor Department and whether it also applies to bathrooms and lockers shared by students, teachers and other staff.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who represented the 13 states, acknowledged O'Connor's ruling.

"The court's reaffirmation of a nationwide injunction should send a clear message to the president that Texas won't sit idly by as he continues to ignore the Constitution," Paxton said in a statement.

The U.S. Department of Education and other federal parties involved in the suit have indicated that they are appealing the injunction to the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, which is based in New Orleans. It is considered as one of the most conservative circuit courts in the U.S.

Back in August, Paxton filed a lawsuit to block a federal health care policy that would prevent doctors, hospitals and insurers from discriminating against transgenders.
home US Ninth Circuit hears arguments regarding footage of baby parts for sale

Judges, pro-life investigators and abortion industry organizations presented arguments before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit on Tuesday regarding the release of videos that exposed Planned Parenthood's alleged sales of baby parts.

According to The Recorder, the pro-life group Center for Medical Progress (CMP) signed confidentiality agreements before it infiltrated the annual meetings of National Abortion Federation (NAF) to record secret footage. CMP claimed that the video showed abortion providers discussing the sale of fetal organs.

The court is expected to decide whether the injunction blocking the release of the videos should be permanent or not.

Last February, U.S. District Judge William Orrick III of the Northern District of California issued a preliminary injunction against the release of the videos. The injunction required law enforcement to go through a subpoena process in order to view the footage.

Marc Hearron, an attorney for NAF, believed that the district judge made the right decision but two judges from the panel were not convinced.

"What if there was a video that showed that a full-term baby that was born and the physician put its hand over the child's mouth?" Judge Consuelo Callahan asked Hearmon. "I'm very concerned that you seem to be saying that they can't go to the police," he continued.

Hearron tried to point out that the main goal of CMP was to release the videos online and not to surrender them to the authorities. Judge Andrew Hurwitz replied that the group has been "dying to" turn the videos over to law enforcement.

Brunn Roysden of the Arizona Attorney General's office argued that Orrick was mistaken in limiting the ability of law enforcement to gather evidence. He said that his office was able to obtain a footage but it could have accessed it sooner without the restriction.

Catherine Short of the Life Legal Defense Fund, stated that the confidentiality agreements should not hinder individuals from releasing information in the name of public interest, providing that it was not classified.

"What standing do you have to represent the public's right to know as opposed to your client's right to speak?" Hurwitz asked in return.

According to a public information officer that spoke to LifeSiteNews, the ruling will be handed down after several meetings. In one of the meetings the judges will discuss the decision and assign who will write the court's opinion. The judges will meet again to agree on the wording of the written opinion.
home US Progressive Christian group releases anti-Trump ad featuring Max Lucado

The non-profit organization Faith in Public Life (FPL) launched an advertising campaign that questioned Donald Trump's moral capability to lead as the president of the U.S. One of the advertisements featured best-selling Christian author Max Lucado denouncing the Republican presidential nominee.

Four short videos have been released by FPL on popular social media sites such as Facebook, Youtube and Pandora. According to Christian Post, FPL will also run the advertisements on news websites targeting key battleground states such as North Carolina, Ohio, Virginia, Georgia and Florida.

In the video titled "Lucado," the author is heard criticizing Trump for insulting women while calling himself a Christian.

"I would not have said anything about Mr. Trump if he didn't call himself a Christian," he said. "Here's a man who holds up a Bible one day and calls a lady 'bimbo' the next," Lucado added.

The author was referring to one of Trump's social media posts in which he retweeted a supporter who referred to Fox News host Megyn Kelly as a "bimbo." The advertisement also played a clip from the candidate's interview with CNN where he remarked, "You could see there was blood coming out of her eyes. Blood coming out of her wherever," referring to Kelly.

Lucado went on to denounce Trump for having "the audacity to make fun of a lady's menstrual cycle."

Another FPL video showed a clip from another CNN interview where Trump asked whether he should repent and ask forgiveness if he has not committed any mistakes. The third advertisement questioned the candidate's ability to be a role model for children.

Near the end of the three advertisements, a narrator asks the question, "Is this the kind of leadership Christians want for America?"

The narrator concluded the first three videos saying, "Let's tell Donald Trump to be more respectful."

The fourth advertisement alleged that Trump praised the dictator Saddam Hussein and Vladimir Putin.

"He praises Saddam Hussein, who gassed his own people including women and children. He praises Vladimir Putin, who's killed his political opponents," the narrator declared.

At the end of the video the narrator said, "Let's tell Donald Trump to stop praising the dictators."

Earlier this month, FPL president Rev. Jennifer Butler led over 700 Christian women in signing a joint statement condemning Trump for his lewd comments against women.
home World Scorcese film 'Silence' about 17th century Christians in Japan set for December premiere

Oscar-winning director Martin Scorsese announced that his the long awaited film "Silence" will be released in theaters on Dec. 23.

"Silence," based on a novel by Shusaku Endo, tells the story of two Jesuit priests who encountered brutal persecution when they attempted to spread Christianity in 17th century Japan.

The production of the movie has been delayed several times. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the film took 26 years to make and it has been the subject of various legal battles.

Scorsese was sued multiple times by Cecchi Gori Pictures for choosing to finish other films ahead of "Silence." Court papers revealed that he blamed the delay partly on "a cloud on the title to the Picture."

The film was almost shutdown during its pre-production in Taiwan in 2014 for lack of funds. Filming began in early 2015 after Fabrica de Cine and Morah Media offered to provide capital.

There was also a lawsuit regarding the writing credits of the film but the parties involved decided to settle the case in order to avoid causing a delay in the release of the movie.

Scorsese said that he went to the places that were mentioned in the book and interviewed the descendants of hidden Christians. Japanese Christians practiced their faith underground during the 17th century due to severe persecution. They only came out of hiding in the 1860s when Japan ended its self-imposed isolation.

"What came out of that for me was the extraordinary power and sacrifice, the commitment and conviction of their ancestors who were martyrs to the faith," the filmmaker said to AFP. "For me this was almost like meeting one of the hidden Christians from the 17th century and it changed my perception of how to deal with those scenes and the characters," he added.

Slash Film reported that the movie was initially supposed to run for 195 minutes but it has been cut down to 159 minutes.

The cast of "Silence" includes Andrew Garfield, Liam Neeson, Adam Driver and Tadanobu Asano.
home US Theologian criticizes Biblical convention for suspension of Intervarsity Press

A prominent theologian criticized the Society of Biblical Literature (SBL) for its proposal to suspend InterVarsity Press (IVP) from setting up a book stall at its annual convention in 2017.

Rev. Michael Bird wrote an open letter to SBL executive director Dr. John Kutsko highlighting the several problems that could arise from the suspension of IVP from the convention.

IVP is the publishing arm of InterVarsity Christian Fellowship which has come under fire lately due to its controversial policy that requires its staff to disclose their views about gay marriage. InterVarsity vice president Greg Jao explained that the staff members are expected to let their employers know if they disagree with the organization's stance on sexuality.

Bird, an IVP author and a member of SBL, pointed out that IVP had published books from a variety of perspectives. He also noted that the activities of the IVF campus ministry is distinct from IVP. He added that no authors are required to disclose a statement of faith to the publishing house.

He urged Kutsko to issue a press release to voice out his disagreement with the policies of IVF instead of suspending IVP from the convention. The theologian shared his concern that the ban might also apply to IVP-UK which he says is independent from IVP-USA.

Bird also took note of SBL's declaration that it is committed to "a variety of critical perspectives ... diversity of participation and unhindered critical discourse ... free inquiry and expression."

"John, mate, I don't want to be confrontational, but can you explain to me how does banning a publisher from the annual conference increase the diversity, free inquiry and expression of SBL?" he asked.

Bird argued that IVP's suspension inhibits free expression and diminishes diversity instead of increasing it.

"Let me be clear, to ban IVP from the annual convention does not safeguard the academic freedom of SBL members, it amounts to censorship, which many of us are very, very sensitive about," he added.

SBL and IVP released a joint statement declaring that the matter will be discussed at a meeting on Oct. 29. The statement also clarified that the notification that was sent to IVP about the suspension was a "question" rather than a decision.
home World Turkey orders deportation of American pastor for missionary activities

Turkish authorities recently detained an American pastor for his alleged missionary activities. On Sept. 28, Andrew Craig Brunson, pastor of Izmir Resurrection Church, received a notification from the Izmir Immigration Authority that he and his wife Norine are due to be deported.

According to Hurriyet Daily News, the couple, who have been living in Turkey for over 20 years, was detained on Oct. 7 when they went to the police station to respond to the notice. They were accused of conducting missionary activities and receiving foreign funds which are said to be "against national security."

World Watch Monitor reported that the authorities did not permit the couple to contact U.S. consular officals or lawyers. Initial attempts to send personal items to Brunson and his wife have been denied. Earler this week, the officials allowed them to receive clothing and medicine but a Bible was refused.

A lawyer that tried to visit the Brunsons was told that they already signed a statement saying they do not want an attorney. The authorities were not able to produce the signed statement.

Norine was released on Oct. 19 but her husband was transferred to the Cigli Detention Center in the northern part of Izmir on Thursday.

The U.S. embassy in Ankara is already following the case of the Brunsons, according to an Izmir church leader.

Other foreign Christians have also received similar deportation orders from the Interior Ministry in Turkey. David Byle, a Candadian-American, was detained in April when his application to renew his residence visa was denied. Immigration authorities were advised to deport Byle and consider him as a "danger to public order."

Three cases have been filed by Byle's lawyer to challenge his arrest, deportation order and re-entry ban. He continues to live in Turkey while the cases remain on hold.

Over 100 foreign Protestants have faced deportation in the last four years, according to Al-Monitor. There are concerns that Protestants have been increasingly targeted since Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan declared a state of emergency on July 21, following a July 15 coup attempt.
home US Wayne Grudem decides to support Trump again, preferring his policies to Clinton's

Popular theologian Wayne Grudem has expressed his support for Donald Trump again after retracting his endorsement earler. He explained that he is voting for the Republican presidential nominee because his policies are better than Hillary Clinton's.

Grudem rescinded his support for Trump and urged him to withdraw from the presidential race after the release of a scandalous video where the real estate developer was heard bragging about groping and kissing women.

In an article for Townhall, the theologian noted that his retraction gained a lot of attention from the mainstream media. He said that he got numerous requests for interviews but he turned them all down.

Grudem stated that voting for Clinton is not an option for him. He explained that he is left with the choice to either vote for Trump or a third-party candidate "whose hopes of winning belong to fantasy, not reality."

He argued that voting for a third-party candidate would have the effect of electing Clinton because it would take away votes from Trump. He said that he would now vote on the basis of the candidate's policies since he finds both of them morally objectionable.

"It isn't even close. I overwhelmingly support Trump's policies and believe that Clinton's policies will seriously damage the nation, perhaps forever," he wrote.

"On the Supreme Court, abortion, religious liberty, sexual orientation regulations, taxes, economic growth, the minimum wage, school choice, Obamacare, protection from terrorists, immigration, the military, energy, and safety in our cities, I think Trump is far better than Clinton," the theologian continued.

Grudem said he is not persuaded by the objections of those who chose not to vote for Trump. He emphasized that voting for Trump does not mean that he approves of the candidate's treatment of women.

"Trump has a morally tainted past. I will be voting for him, not with joy but reluctantly because of his deplorable past mistreatment of women," he said.

Grudem noted that he has disagreements with Trump on some issues but these are outweighed by their similar stands on other subjects.

"My conclusion is that the most likely result of voting for Trump is that he will govern for the most part in the way he promises to do, bringing good to the nation in many areas," Grudem said.
home US World Relief, churches resettle over 9,700 refugees in the U.S.

A record number of 9,759 refugees have been resettled in the U.S. this year by charity organization World Relief with the help of 1,180 churches. It is reported to be the largest number of refugees assisted by the organization since 1999.

"The task set before us last month was nothing short of monumental," World Relief president Scott Arbeiter told Christianity Today. "But the work our dedicated staff and volunteers have accomplished has been equally impressive," he added.

In September alone, World Relief resettled 1,400 refugees through its local offices and church networks.

A study conducted by the Pew Research Center has revealed that 84,995 refugees have been resettled by the end of the 2016 fiscal year on Sept. 30.

Last month, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry announced plans to admit 110,000 refugees in the fiscal year of 2017. The charity organization and other religious groups are supportive of the government's proposal.

The Church World Service (CSW), which represents 37 Christian groups, has urged the U.S. government to increase the number to 200,000.

However, World Relief vice president for advocacy and policy Jenny Yang said that the U.S. Congress and some states are resisting the idea of resettling more refugees.

Since the recent terrorist attacks in Paris, there had been concerns that some terrorists might be posing as refugees. Some are also worried that refugees might be carrying communicable disesases such as tubercolosis and HIV.

"Texas recently decided to pull out of the refugee resettlement programs, as did Kansas and Idaho," Yang told Christianity Today. "The House of Representatives also recently had language in one of their bills to limit funding to only 70,000 refugees," she added.

Popular Christian author Ed Stetzer suggested that Christians should participate in debates over the refugee crisis as well as other issues. In January, he collaborated with other evangelicals to assemble the GC2 (Great Commission and the Great Commandment) summit, a conference that focused on helping refugees.

"It's a counter-cultural moment for the Church. How could we sit out the greatest refugee crisis in history and still say that we love our neighbor?" Stetzer told Christianity Today.
Arrested Christian Teens Sing and Pray In Ethiopian Prison: 'To Be Jailed For God's Kingdom Is an Honour'

For practicing their Christian faith, four teenage girls were arrested and locked up in jail in Ethiopia earlier this month, with one of the girls even subjected to brutal beating.

According to World Watch Monitor (WWM), the four girlsEden, 15, Gifti and Mihiret, both 14, and Deborah, 18were arrested for distributing a book about Christianity in Babile, around 550 km east of the capital Addis Ababa.

Christians decided to distribute the book to the people in the Ethiopian town following a cross-cultural evangelism training.

However, local authorities deemed the act illegal and ordered the arrest of those caught distributing the book.

The four girls who were arrested were eventually released on bail after paying 3,000 Birr (around $135) to the court in the nearby city of Harar. However, Deborah was re-arrested just hours after her release for still unknown reasons.

The Christian book that triggered the girls' arrest and beating was titled "Let's speak the truth in love: Answers to questions by Ahmed Deedat," the late South African Islamic scholar and former head of the Islamic Propagation Center International.

Written in Amharic, Ethiopia's main language, the book answers questions about the Christian faith.

Muslim leaders in the area claimed that the book insulted Islam, sparking an outrage that led to mobs attacking churches and threatening Christian leaders.

The teenagers were subsequently arrested by local police. One of the girls, Eden, suffered a beating on her first night in prison.

A WWM's source visited the girls in prison and spoke to Eden and Deborah.

Eden said their faith remains unshaken. "This [suffering] is an honour for us. We should expect persecution. We are not afraid. We are singing and praying here in prison," she said.

Deborah added, "It is an honour to be jailed for God's Kingdom."

According to the 2016 World Watch List compiled by Open Doors, Ethiopia is ranked 18th of 50 countries in which it is most difficult to live as a Christian.

"Ethiopia has many tribes...[who are] not necessarily favorable to Christianity, and in some places like Afar and the Somali regions, tribes are interconnected with Islam," The Open Doors report states. "The ruling party in the country has blocked all the channels for freedom of expression and assembly, and has also tried to control all religious institutions in a bid to curb dissent."
As Battle For Mosul Endures, Pope Francis Weeps For Suffering Of Innocents

As the battle to liberate Mosul advances with the recapture of Bashiqa from Islamic State,Pope Francis has made a passionate appeal for peace in Iraq.

Pope Francis said: "In these dramatic hours, I am close to the entire population of Iraq, especially that of the city of Mosul."

He added: "Our hearts are shocked by the heinous acts of violence that for too long have been perpetrated against innocent citizens, whether they be Muslims, whether they be Christians, or people belonging to other ethnic groups and religions."

He had shed tears over the cruelty of the killings of so many, including children.

"I was saddened to hear news of the killing  in cold blood  of many sons and daughters of that beloved land, including many children. This cruelty makes us weep, leaving us without words."

Pope Francis was delivering his traditional Angelus to 50,000 pilgrims in St Peter's Square, Rome.

He said: "Along with this word of solidarity goes assurance of my remembrance in prayer so that Iraq, while gravely stricken, might be both strong and firm in the hope of moving toward a future of security, reconciliation and peace."

The recapture of Mosul will be a signficant defeat for Islamic State and remove it from its last remaining key strategic position. Hundreds of people, including young children, are being used as human shields by the terrorists as they retreat.

In his reflection before the Angelus, Pope Francis spoke of the day's designation as World Missionary Day.

He referred to St Paul describing his life as an offering or sacrifice, and to fighting the "good fight".

Pope Francis stressed that Paul's mission was effective, righteous and true thanks solely to his closeness to Jesus.

"In Paul, the Christian community encounters its model, in the conviction that it is the presence of the Lord that makes apostolic work and the task of evangelisation successful.

"The experience of the Apostle of the Gentiles reminds us that on the one hand, we must engage in pastoral and missionary activities as though the result depended on our efforts, with the spirit of sacrifice of an athlete who does not stop even when faced with defeat, and on the other, however, in the knowledge that the true success of our mission is a gift of grace: it is the Holy Spirit Who makes the Church's mission in the world effective."

He added: "Today is a time of mission and a time of courage  courage to strengthen our faltering steps, to commit ourselves to the gospel, to regain confidence in the strength that mission brings.

"It is a time of courage, even though having courage does not mean having a guarantee of success. We are required to have the courage to fight, not necessarily to win; to proclaim but not necessarily to convert. We are required to have the courage not to conform to the world, without however becoming polemical or aggressive.

"We are required to have the courage to be open to all, never to diminish the absolute and unique nature of Christ, sole Saviour of all."
Ashers Has Lost And So Has Democracy

So Ashers Baking Company has lost its appeal.

There were no dissenting judges at Belfast's Court of Appeal as it upheld District Judge Brownlie's ruling from May last year, though the court criticised Northern Ireland's Equality Commission, which brought the case, saying it should have offered advice first.

To recap: Gareth Lee, a gay man associated with the campaigning organisation QueerSpace, ordered a cake from Christian baking company Ashers with the slogan "Support Gay Marriage" and a picture of Sesame Street puppets Bert and Ernie. Ashers originally accepted the order, but Karen McArthur, the manager, subsequently telephoned him to say they couldn't do it after all because they were a "Christian business".

She explained later: "Having taken the order, I immediately felt guilty about it. I knew that using our skills and creativity to produce a cake supporting gay marriage  which we consider to be contrary to God's word  was something which would be on my conscience. If we provided the cake in these terms, I would feel that I was betraying my faith and failing to live in accordance with what God expects of me."

However, in her original ruling Judge Brownlie didn't agree. She noted that there were "competing rights" under the European Convention on Human Rights  the defendants (Ashers) to manifest their religion without unjustified limitation, and the plaintiff (Lee) not to face discrimination for his sex orientation.

Finding for Lee, she said: "To do otherwise would be to allow a religious belief to dictate what the law is."

She continued: "The defendants are entitled to continue to hold their genuine and deeply held religious beliefs and to manifest them but, in accordance with the law, not to manifest them in the commercial sphere if it is contrary to the rights of others."

Now the appeal court has agreed, and that's troubling.

For the avoidance of doubt, in this particular case I'm with Ashers. It seems to me that to compel someone to create a slogan for a cause they are fundamentally opposed to is profoundly undemocratic. It's certainly authoritarian and verges on totalitarian. If a Corbynite Labour baker had been required by law to make a UKIP cake he could justifiably feel aggrieved.

In this case, Gareth Lee ordered a cake supporting gay marriage, and because he is gay  a protected characteristic in law  Ashers had to bake it. But this is to confuse a protected characteristic with a particular opinion; Lee wasn't refused service because he was gay, but because Ashers didn't agree with his views. And Karen McArthur made this perfectly clear. She also said: "I wish to emphasise that this is in no way related to Mr Lee's sexual orientation. We have many gay customers whom we serve regularly without any difficulty. We also have at least one gay member of staff."

Now, it's easy to spin Northern Ireland's very own Gay Cake case into something that it's not: an all-out assault on the forces of good by the (gay) forces of evil. It's much more complicated than that. And it's very important to say that neither Judge Brownlie nor the judges on the Court of Appeal are part of a Satan-inspired anti-Christian conspiracy, They are highly qualified lawyers, and if the law is an ass it's not their fault but the fault of the politicians who passed it. It doesn't really help for campaigners to cry foul.

But there are a few points still worth making.

First, this case has shown up a weakness in legislation, whereby in the tension  inevitable, acknowledged and usually manageable  between strongly held minority religious beliefs and the norms of wider society, those religious beliefs are not adequately defended. This is troubling.

Second, it signals the extraordinarily fundamentalist nature of a particular view of sexuality. Any dissent from the current view that homosexuality is, at every level and in every expression, entirely acceptable, is punished by the label of "bigot". But the McArthurs aren't bigots, they just disagree. However, this makes any legislative push-back against the law as it stands extremely problematic; why, it would be argued, should the law protect bigots?

Third, and following on from that, conservative Christians need to realise just how bad their image is when it comes to issues around sexuality, and how strongly the tide has set against them. In its summary of the case, the Court of Appeal outlines the context for the appeal by referring to this. Homosexual acts in private were criminalised in Northern Ireland until 1985. Gay people were blackmailed and intimidated. And, it says: "The potential for conflict between the rights of the LGBT community and the religious community has unfortunately long been a feature of public debate in Northern Ireland and the strongest opposition to the decriminalisation of homosexual acts between consenting males came from the religious community."

So there aren't just questions for Northern Ireland's lawmakers about how far they want to be genuinely democratic and hospitable to different views. There are questions for the province's Christians: how can we atone for the mistakes of the past and show genuine grace and lovingkindness to people who have suffered very greatly? The answer to that question is unlikely to be found in the law courts.

Follow Mark Woods on Twitter: @RevMarkWoods
'Behead The Unbelievers': The Threats Faced By Christian Refugees In Germany

The persecution of Christian refugees living in a German reception centre has prompted drastic measures to reduce religiously-motivated violence, Open Doors reports.

The Christian persecution charity released on Monday a case study on a centre for refugees in Rotenburg, central Germany.

Researchers found that Christians living in the centre had faced death threats from Muslim refugees, and 'sentencing' by unofficial 'Sharia councils'.

On 10 July, a number of Christian refugees returned from church to find a notice in one of the rooms that said: "To all Muslims: now is the time to behead the unbelievers".

The Christians were temporarily moved to live in a local church to avoid attack.

One Iranian refugee told interviewers that one night a group of men shouted: "Whoever finds an Iranian woman today may rape and kill her. Kill them all. You may kill and rape them. You can do it, everywhere. Wherever you find them, you may do that."

"We came here to live a free life, but now we are being oppressed heavily," she said. "It is just like the Daesh [ISIS]: we feel very oppressed... I am living her under constant pressure and cannot take it any more. Nobody is allowed to know that I am a Christian, for I am afraid that they might find out about it in Iran. I am living under constant fear and oppression."

Another Iranian Christian said a Muslim woman had taken her Bible and tore it apart. "I fled from Iran because I want to live and now the same is happening to me here, again," she said. "I am living in fear here, in this accommodation, because again everybody is asking me: 'Why are you a Christian?' I fled from these attacks and now I have to live with it in such a confined space."

A third refugee recalled a death threat in June. "They told me: 'We are going to kill you! You are a Christian and you have left your religion,'" she said.

Open Doors recorded the testimonies of 32 refugees affected by religiously-motivated attacks in the Rotenburg centre, from countries including Iran, Syrian, Eritrea and Iraq. A number of them said that security staff at the centre had failed to take their concerns seriously, and that they were afraid to report incidents to the police.

The case study follows a wider report released by Open Doors earlier this month, which found that hundreds of Christian refugees had been beaten and sexually abused in German refugee camps.

A total of 743 Christians and 10 Yazidis were victims of religious motivated attacks in camps between February and September 2016, the report showed, but it warned the figure was the "tip of the iceberg".

It said "a number of unreported cases" must be assumed as only 17 per cent of refugees affected reported the incidents to the police because they feared their situation would become worse.

At the Rotenburg centre, however, steps have been taken to improve religious tensions. Christians have now been housed together in a separate part of the compound and Christian personnel have been hired to supervise Christian refugees.

"Since these changes were made, there have been no reports of religiously motivated attacks at the centre," Open Doors reports.
Bishop Angaelos: Never Forget Your Responsibility To Preach The Good News

Bishop Angaelos used the annual Coptic New Year service in Westminster Abbey to remind Christians of their "responsibility to proclaim the good news, to set captives free and to be light and sight to those who may live in darkness and blindness".

The general bishop of the Coptic Church in the UK said it had been a "challenging" year in the ceremony last week, citing the EU referendum and ISIS. Messages from the Prime Minister Theresa May and the Archbishop of Canterbury were also delivered to the congregation that included MPs, peers and government officials.

"Today as we start this year, 'The Spirit of the Lord is upon us'; we are anointed, mandated and sent into this world as hope, light and promise," said Angaelos. "It is God in us Who enables us to do this, and so today we really do stand together in this sacred place, with the saints, in unity of heart. Let nothing take that away from us, and let nothing defeat that spirit that allows us to defeat all that seeks to silence us."

Justin Welby paid tribute to the Copts as a "suffering community" in a message delivered by the Bishop of Lambeth.

He also hinted at closer ties between Copts and Anglicans. "Thank you for your friendship in the gatherings of Church leaders of this country and your willingness to be so constructive in relationships between Churches," he said.

"I hope and pray that we can increase the love and understanding between our churches that we may draw nearer to our Lord's desire that 'all may be one'."

Lord Bourne, the minister responsible for faith, spoke at the service and thanked Angaelos for his "tireless work" for Christians in Egypt and elsewhere who suffer for their faith. "Our communities here do not live in isolation from events abroad and sadly prejudices and fears do not stop at borders," he said.

"As the Integration and Faith Minister, I am committed to improving our communities, to ensuring that bridges are built between communities and that this is a country for everyone. I make that oath to you tonight and ask you to join me in committing to fight to ensure that marginalised voices are heard and that people can follow their faith or belief free from fear, no matter where they live."

Human Rights Watch has warned that Copts face increasingly persecution in their homeland of Egypt. Deputy Middle East director Joe Stork said there was a "climate of impunity for violent crimes that target Christians".

Most Christians in Egypt are Coptic Orthodox and they are believed to make up between six and ten per cent of the 93 million population.

In the UK there are around 20,000 Copts.
Britain Must Resist Sharia Law Warns Pakistan-Born Evangelical Bishop

A leading evangelical bishop has warned that a Government inquiry into Sharia law in Britain is "deeply flawed" and will fail.

Dr Michael Nazir-Ali, former Bishop of Rochester who now leads the Oxford centre for training, research and advocacy, warns that the review is wrong to emphasise how Sharia is applied.

Instdead, MPs should be investigating the nature and content of Sharia law itself.

In Britain, there is a "very long tradition" of people being equal under the law, says Nazir-Ali.

"The problem with Sharia is that it is inherently unequal for certain kinds of people. Muslims and non-Muslims are treated unequally. Similarly, men and women are treated unequally."

The Home Affairs Committee is looking at how Sharia councils work in Britain, such as in resolving family and divorce disputes. The committee is also looking at how Sharia fits into the secular British legal system.

In his written evidence to the inquiry, Nazir-Ali warns: "If Sharia is recognised in anyway in terms of the public law, it will introduce a principle of contradiction in the body of the law, which will cause enormous problems."

He says the review is deeply flawed because "the terms of reference disproportionately emphasise the application of Sharia law, as opposed to its nature and content."

He also condemns the panel for failing to include a human rights lawyer and any non-Muslim experts on Islam.

Sharia law covers politics, finance, war, personal, and social issues and contains three fundamental inequalities.

Muslims and non-Muslims are not treated equally. For example, non-Muslims cannot inherit from Muslims.

Men and women are not treated equally in divorce and the custody of children, and nor are slaves and free people.

"Western law, by contrast, embraces the fundamental principle of equality of all people before the law."

While accepting that Muslims should be free to practice Sharia in their private lives, Nazir-Ali argues it should not be recognised in public law in this country and warns that if it is, communities will be further segregated.

"We appear to be accepting modern Islamist interpretations as the official Islamic position. In this way, we may end up with a more powerful form of Sharia law here in this country than exists in many Islamic countries."

Nazir-Ali raises concerns about the age of consent under Sharia, which is understood by Islamists to be the age of physical puberty.

Baroness Caroline Cox, also a committed Christian, says in her evidence to the inquiry: "There are increasing concerns that many women and girls in this country today are suffering from systematic religiously-sanctioned gender discrimination, with particular reference to the application of Sharia law operating as a parallel quasi-legal system."

Cox adds: "In a free society, individuals must be able to organise their affairs according to their own principles, whether religious or otherwise. However, we cannot condone situations where rulings are applied which are fundamentally incompatible with our country's laws, values, principles and policies.

Prime Minister Theresa May, when she was Home Secretary, warned: "There is evidence of women being 'divorced' under Sharia law and left in penury, wives who are forced to return to abusive relationships because Sharia councils say a husband has a right to 'chastise', and Sharia councils giving the testimony of a woman only half the weight of the testimony of a man."
Chinese Megachurch Pastor Released After Seven Years In Prison

A megachurch pastor who was arrested and imprisoned seven years ago for protesting the demolition of a house church in China has been released, according to reports.

Christian persecution watchdog China Aid reports that Pastor Yang Rongli was arrested along with her husband in 2009.

They had been travelling to their hometown of Linfen in Shanxi province, where a church was set for demolition by the authorities, following a prayer rally they had organised on September 14.

Pastor Yang and her husband, Wang Xiaoguang, were sentenced to seven and three years in prison respectively on charges of "gathering a mob to disturb public order", and ordered to pay a fine of 40,000 Yuan (US $5,860).

Two years of that prison sentence was to be served in a labour camp.

According to China Aid, Yang was released on October 10 but "showed physical signs of the brutality she endured while incarcerated".

Her hair had greyed "due to malnutrition and a lack of sunlight", the charity reports, and she is suffering from diabetes, kidney stones and a heart problem.

She remains under government restrictions and was therefore unavailable for interview.

The ruling Chinese Communist Party is believed by human rights campaigners to be becoming increasingly concerned about the influence of Christianity in the country. A report published by China Aid earlier this year found that persecution against Christians in the country has increased sevenfold since 2008.

Up to 1,700 churches have been demolished or had their crosses removed in the province over the past two years and hundreds of human rights activists, lawyers and pastors have been arrested.

In July, parents who attended one house church in Guizhou were told if they didn't stop bringing their children to church, they would not be allowed to attend college or a military academy.

In addition, anyone who brought a minor to church was warned they would be sued.
Guilty Pleas After Teenage Boy Beaten To Death For Wanting To Quit Church

The pastor and three members of a small Christian sect in New York have pleaded guilty to beating a teenage boy to death and injuring his brother.

The two teenagers were beaten for 14 hours through the night in October last year in an attempt to persuade them not to leave the Word of Life Christian Church.

Pastor Tiffanie Irwin pleaded guilty to manslaughter and assault. Her brother Joseph Irwin pleaded guilty to assault. Linda Morey and her son David, both church members, also pleaded guilty to assault

A total of nine people have now been charged and convicted for the death of Lucas Leonard, 19, and assault of Christopher Leonard, 17, who survived the "counselling session" with injuries, according to the Mail. When Lucas was taken to hospital by church members, medical staff thought he had been shot.

Scott McNamara, Oneida County District Attorney, said the case was a tragedy. "I can only hope that Luke can rest in peace, Chris can get on with his life."

Christopher Leonard described at an earlier hearing how he and his brother where repeatedly beaten with an electrical cord for "sins" including the use of a voodoo doll.

He also confessed to "inappropriately" touching his half-sister's children when he testified in the trial of Sarah Ferguson, among those who were charged in connection with the death of his brother. Ferguson found out about the touching during the beating session.

A videoed testimony of Grace Leonard, the boys' 16-year-old sister, showed her telling the court yesterday that her brothers had touched her inappropriately.

Earlier the teens' father, Bruce Leonard, pleaded guilty to first- and second-degree assault. Their mother, Deborah Leonard, pleaded guilty in December to assault charges.
Inside Bartella: The Historic Christian Town Liberated From ISIS

A historic Christian town just nine miles outside Mosul has been liberated from ISIS control, two years after militants overran the city.

The Iraqi army on Thursday reclaimed Bartella as part of an offensive to take back Mosul, Islamic State's last stronghold in Iraq.

Though ISIS has now fled, devastation remains in the jihadis' wake.

The Mart Shmony Syriac Orthodox Church in Bartella has been seriously damaged. Left charred by a fire, inside the church pews were overturned, and hymn books and Bibles torn apart and thrown on the floor.

According to the Telegraph's Josie Ensor, graffiti scrawled on the walls of the church read: "Our God is higher than the cross".

Photographs sent to Christian Today by A Demand For Action (ADFA), an Assyrian Christian group working to support and protect religious minorities in Iraq and Syria, showed church officials beginning the clean up effort.

"The church, a foundation and a community gathering place for years, has been damaged and left in ruins. No doubt the restoration work will commence once its citizens start returning," ADFA said.

"This marks a very important step towards Assyrian Christians returning to their homes and no longer living as IDPS in camps. Bartella is returned to its owners once again."

Ensor posted a video to Twitter of the church bells ringing for the first time in two years.

Went with Iraqi Golden Division today to newly liberated Christian town Bartella. Church bells ring again after two years under ISIS #mosul pic.twitter.com/mWZ8w87veQ  Josie Ensor (@Josiensor) October 22, 2016

One member of the Nineveh Plains Forces, a Christian militia fighting ISIS, was among those who helped raise the cross at the church after liberation.

"We're feeling something you can't describe  that's how happy we are," Hussam Matteh told the Financial Times. "We are now back home in the land of our ancestors, our churches and our heritage."

He added: "I want to tell my people: don't go. Stay. There is no reason to flee Iraq and go abroad. This our land, we have it  and from now on, we will be the ones who defend it."
Iraq Passes Surprise Law Banning Alcohol, Angering Christians

Iraq's parliament has passed a law forbidding the selling, production or importing of alcohol, in a move that has surprised and angered many in the country's Christian community who rely on the trade.

The law, passed late on Saturday night, imposes a fine of up to 25 million Iraqi dinars, or $21,000 (17,200), for anyone violating the ban. But according to the Associated Press (AP), it is unclear how strictly the law would be enforced. It could still be struck down by the supreme court.

Although alcohol is forbidden under Islam, it has long been available in Iraq's larger cities, mainly from shops run by Christians. Those shops are currently closed because of the Shiite holy month of Muharram.

The country's parliament, which is dominated by Shiite Islamist parties, announced the ban on its website but did not say how many MPs voted for or against it.

Christian parliamentarian Joseph Slaiwa said the "unjust" ban was slipped into a draft law regulating the income of municipal authorities without law-makers being notified. The original article only called for imposing taxes on liquor stores and restaurants serving alcohol, he said.

"This ban is unconstitutional, as the constitution acknowledges the rights of non-Muslim minorities and ethnic groups who live alongside Muslims in Iraq," he said. "To those Muslim law-makers I say: Take care of your religion and leave ours for us, we know how to deal with it."

Slaiwa added that MPs will submit an appeal at the High Federal Court.

The bill was proposed by Mahmoud al-Hassan, a judge and law-maker from the State of Law coalition, the largest bloc in parliament. He insisted it was in keeping with Article 2 in the constitution, which bans any legislation that goes against Islam.

"The constitution preserves democracy and the rights of non-Muslim groups, but these rights must not violate the religion of Islam," he said. "Some of the law-makers' vote was religiously-motivated, but many others voted to avoid anything unconstitutional."

The publisher of the biweekly newsletter Inside Iraqi Politics, Kirk Sowell said the bill was clearly supported by Shiite Islamists but came "as a bit of a surprise because it has not been a subject of major debate or discussion." He said that the supreme court could strike it down.

Of the other Muslim-majority countries that have laws restricting alcohol, only a few - including Saudi Arabia and Kuwait - enforce a complete ban. The AP reported that the Iraqi law was unlikely to be enforced in the largely autonomous Kurdish region, which is home to a sizeable Christian community.

The bill comes as Iraq is waging a massive military operation to retake the northern city of Mosul from Islamic State, which brutally enforces a ban on alcohol, cigarettes and other drugs in the territory under its control.

Iraqis debated the alcohol ban on social media, with many criticising law-makers for ignoring more pressing concerns, like the war against IS, an economic crisis brought about by low oil prices, and the government's own corruption and paralysis.

A cartoon that was circulating online depicted men with their backs turned on Mosul, shooting a bottle of liquor.
Judgement Day For Ashers Bakery 'Gay Cake' Case

The "gay cake" case will end on Monday morning with the final judgement from the Royal Courts of Justice in Belfast expected around 10am.

Ashers Bakery Company refused to bake a cake with the slogan "support gay marriage" for Gareth Lee because it went against their Christian beliefs. They were found to have broken discrimination laws in 2014 but appealed the ruling.

The Equality Commission for Northern Ireland (ECNI) bought the case against the Belfast-based company and argued the company's actions violated equality laws in Northern Ireland and alleged discrimination under two anti-discrimination statutes. Finding Ashers guilty in May last year, Judge Isobel Brownlie said: "The defendants are not a religious organisation. They conduct a business for profit. I believe the defendants did have the knowledge that the plaintiff was gay.

"As much as I acknowledge their religious beliefs this is a business to provide service to all. The law says they must do that."

In a dramatic session at Northern Ireland's court of appeal the Attorey General John Larkin QC intervened and said if the initial County Court ruling against Ashers was right, the laws used against the bakery fall foul of Northern Ireland's constitutional law.

Larkin said: "Although the case for the Plaintiff is put pleasantly and with every appearance of sweet reasonableness, what cannot be disguised is that the Defendants are being compelled, on pain of civil liability, to burn a pinch of incense at the altar of a god they do not worship. The constitutional law of Northern Ireland, supplemented by the ECHR, resists such a compulsion."

The case was adjourned and will return to court today for the final ruling.

It has become a totemic case with the balancing of different rights, with one side arguing for freedom to express a religious belief and the other for freedom from discrimination.

The judgement comes as a poll found 86 per cent of evangelicals in the UK support a business' right to refuse to print a message with which it doesn't agree. In a poll for the Evangelical Alliance found only five per cent disagreed a "business should have the right to refuse to print, publish (or write in icing on a cake) a message with which it does not agree".
Pakistan Christian Pastor And Family Beaten And Evicted From Their Home

A Christian pastor and his family have been forcibly evicted from their home in Pakistan.

Michael Robert, pastor of the Seventh Day Adventist Church in Farooqabad, a city in Punjab, is the victim of a dispute over the house, which he bought about two years ago.

The property appears at the same time to have been transferred to a third party, according to Morning Star News, an organisation that helps persecuted Christians around the world.

Pastor Robert's family filed a suit for fraud and the judged issued a restraining order barring anyone from forcibly evicting them until ownership was settled.

However, this appears to have been disregarded when more than 50 armed Muslim men stormed the house and attacked the family, a lawyer for advocacy group The Voice Society told Morning Star News.

Aneeqa Maria said: "The attack left Pastor Robert, his father Robert Masih and his wife seriously injured. The assailants arrived in the dark of night and started firing in the air with their weapons to terrorise the locals. They then forced open Pastor Robert's gate and attacked the family, thrashing them violently as they threw household items out in the open."

She said the Christian family was threatened with "grave consequences" if they did not vacate.

A concerned local resident called police who intervened to stop the attack.

Maria accused Islamists of trying to fan religious tensions in the area in the area.

She said that during a meeting at the police station on Friday afternoon, a member of a hard-line group warned that they would take out protest rallies and would make every bid to stop the Christian family from re-entering their home because it was "a Muslim's property".

She said she fears Pastor Robert and his family could be vulnerable to further violence. "Our first priority is to retake possession of the pastor's house," she said.
Sexual Violence: Why Christians Have To Talk About It

On average, two women in England or Wales are killed each week by a current or former male partner. Approximately 85,000 women are raped in the UK every year. In 2009, NSPCC research found that 27 per cent of girls aged 13 to 17 had experienced sexual violence in a relationship and almost three quarters had experienced emotional abuse.

These statistics should horrify us  and not just because they make for shocking newspaper headlines, hard-hitting reports and infographics with impact. These statistics are the stories of our friends and relatives; the systemic abuse of women touches us all. I haven't met a woman who has never been catcalled or groped. Even if we haven't experienced it ourselves, we can usually name someone we know who has been emotionally or physically abused, raped or stalked.

We may not be able to escape the effects of violence, abuse and unhealthy relationships, but teaching on these issues within the Church and wider Christian culture is often sadly lacking in advice and support. At best, it often focuses on an ideal of marriage that perhaps assumes Christian couples aren't affected by such issues and leaves everyone involved unequipped to deal with them when they do come up. At worst, it can condemn survivors, leaving them feeling unsupported and ashamed.

What's becoming increasingly clear is that the numbers of survivors within the Church are higher than many may think. In summer 2015, Soul Action surveyed young, female delegates at the Momentum festival about their sexual experiences. More than half of those surveyed had experienced unwanted sexual touching. 30 per cent said they had experienced fear of their partner in a relationship and 42 per cent had felt pressured to perform sexual acts by a partner.

As these young women revealed their experiences of abuse, Just Love, a justice-focused charity working with UK students and Restored, an international Christian organisation working to end violence against women, began to collaborate on a campaign that would challenge Christian students to stand against abuse. The result was Unashamed, an initiative that last week engaged young adults across the UK in discussions about a more helpful response to gender-based violence.

"One of the things that inspired us to come up with the idea for Unashamed was the fact that many universities have been running workshops on consent and sexual violence," says Hannah Mitchell, Just Love's southern coordinator.

"We had found a real disconnect within Christian student groups about these issues, with Christian young adults believing that such events weren't for them because they were not sexually active. The aim of our campaign has been to help Christian students understand that we all have a part to play in challenging abuse and promoting healthy relationships."

Rachel Gardner, Relationship Lead at Youthscape and founder of Romance Academy, believes Christian young adults face a "tricky dilemma" when it comes to sex and relationships education.

"Their churches and families often haven't talked much about sex and relationships outside of the standard teaching on abstinence," she says.

"They're facing so many pressures from society, but they still want to do relationships differently and therefore sometimes don't feel comfortable with more secular teaching. The Church needs to support them by exploring issues like consent and healthy relationships in a biblical framework. At the moment, so many young people feel isolated and are getting no support."

Abstinence teaching: the downside

It's some time since my own experiences of youth group and university, but what stands out, more than a decade later, is the overwhelming focus on abstinence, dating 'rules', gender roles and finding the 'right' person over building healthy relationships and looking out for 'red flags'. And both Gardner and Mitchell have concerns that the Church's overriding approach to talking about sex and relationships with young adults is still somewhat one-dimensional.

With subjects like sexual violence considered taboo, the focus is often solely on purity and 'saving yourself', with promises that waiting for the 'right' person  the person that God has planned for you  will go much of the way towards ensuring a happy and healthy relationship.

"We're not helping young Christians," says Gardner. "Instead of a positive, exciting approach to relationships, what we often see is more of a 'sin management' approach that leaves people disconnected from their sexuality."

When the silence surrounding these issues is broken, women tend to respond very positively to having the opportunity to talk about things like negative experiences of relationships or abuse. The power of women talking about the reality of their lives has a long history of creating safe spaces that galvanise us into action  from the feminist consciousness-raising groups of the 1960s to the present day  something Just Love groups have observed during sessions run as part of the Unashamed campaign.

"We've had really positive feedback from women students: it has been very empowering and healing for them," says Mitchell. "We've had women say their lives have already been changed by feeling that others are there to support them and that they don't need to feel condemned and ashamed for having suffered sexual violence."

She hopes Unashamed will serve as a first step for many young Christians, motivating them to advocate in their churches and communities against sexual violence and for healthy relationships.

"The Church needs to get its house in order," says Mitchell. "We want to see men challenging other men to be part of the solution and women feeling supported and accepted."

Gardner believes the Church is slowly waking up to the impact growing up in today's culture surrounding sex and relationships is having on young people, but that there is much work to be done.

"At Youthscape we're doing work on sexual violence and abusive relationships and we're hoping that more conversations will be started among youth workers as a result," she says. "But we need to see more people on platforms at Christian festivals discussing these issues, groups in universities talking about it. Churches need equipping so they have the confidence to tackle the issues theologically."

"The Church has the potential to be a place of support but too often it just contributes to the silence and shame surrounding violence and abuse. Instead we need to be salt and light."

Gender justice specialist Natalie Collins works to educate young people about abuse, domestic violence and healthy relationships through the DAY Programme. She agrees that the Church needs to transform the way it looks at sex and relationships.

"When we teach that all pre-marital sex is bad we can disable young people from knowing the difference between consensual sexual activity and being sexually abused," she says. "We need open hearts and open minds to recognise that currently, Christian culture is a melting pot of messages about gender, sexuality and power that contributes to sexual violence, misogyny and abuse."

Collins believes, like Gardner, that approaching the issues theologically is a key step for churches, who have some hard questions to ask themselves.

"What is our theology around power, gender, relationships and sexuality? Are we being intentional about this, or are we just accepting received wisdom uncritically? We also need to approach this in the context of society as a whole," she said.

"Christian culture may often feel like a protective bubble, but it's not. We need to think about what the world says about these things. How can we equip young people if we don't even know what they're up against?

"We also need to approach this as prayer warriors," she adds. "Patriarchy is a spiritual principality and power that many of us are oblivious to. We need to pray for transformation in our communities and hearts."

As we look towards the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence next month, it's time to reflect on the ways the Church could better equip itself to address the many facets of violence against women and support those it affects. It's particularly a time to reflect on the messages we're sending young adults about sex and healthy relationships. These messages stay with us into adulthood, shaping our lives and leaving us with many things to unpick, unlearn and heal from. The Church cannot be seen to be silent while so many within it are hurting.

Hannah Mudge writes about feminism and faith and is one of the founders of the Christian Feminist Network. She works in digital communications and fundraising for an international development organisation. Follow her on Twitter @boudledidge
Christian Charity Launches Urgent Appeal For Child Refugees From Calais 'Jungle'

Steve Chalke, the founder of the Oasis Trust, has launched an urgent appeal for donations towards its care of teenagers coming to the UK from the Calais 'jungle'.

The first boys being housed by Oasis, aged 16 and 17, arrived on Friday at a "safe house" in east London funded by the Christian charity. These came under the Dublin Agreement which commits the UK to housing the relatives of other refugees here.

A new tranche of young people is set to arrive today at the safe house, which is a former hostel, under the Dubs amendment which requires Britain to take in some 300 unaccompanied vulnerable child refugees.

Speaking to Christian Today, Chalke said: "Our job is to provide them with protection, care, a loving environment, food, medical help and clothing. We've put in place some therapy for them.

"These young people have been through an horrific two years  they are lonely, frightened and traumatised  they all look like sticks. They hadn't slept for 36 hours before coming to us."

Oasis has been told by the Home Office that the boys who arrived on Friday will be with them for just a few days but the charity is expecting to house them for longer.

Of the new set of children, arriving today, Chalke said: "They have no relatives to go to so they will be with us for much longer. Home Office talking to us about 6-8 weeks. It could be longer."

Oasis is providing 24-hour cover, with three shifts a day and a manager for each shift plus five support staff, along with medical staff, thereputic staff, translators and security. "We've kitted them out with clothes, pyjamas, underwear, books, medical supplies," said Chalke, a Baptist minister.

"It's the existing capacity of Oasis that meant the Home Office talked to us," Chalke said. "We were greatly helped by the fact that this week is half term  so teaching staff who would be on a half term holiday can help out. It means we had a huge number of people volunteering. We're operating on a mix of staff and volunteers  but by next week it's got to be all staff because our school staff will be back at work."

Asked about the nature of the debate in the UK, which has seen Conservative MPs calling for dental tests to check the age of the refugees, and media reports of them being older than children, Chalke said: "It's been really depressing. Some politicians haven't helped: this talk about they are not kids, they are all 30 year olds, why don't we do a dental test  I have a friend who is a professor of dentistry: he says it's ridiculous  you cannot tell a person's age from checking their teeth."

Chalke added: "All of the boys who came to us are clearly boys."

Oasis has received abuse on its Facebook page. "We have had what can only be described as xenephobic and hate-driven postings," said Chalke.

The minister, who founded Oasis more than 30 years ago, paid tribute to his staff at the charity and at his church in south London. "We feel really privileged that the Home Office approached us and talked to us and that has to do with all the hard work of so many people of the church in Waterloo  and all of the hard work of all the people in Oasis over so many years.

"Our goal is to set up a long term housing project for refugees. It's your hard work  your prayer with boots on  and engagement and involvement that creates the relationships that make these things possible."

Donations to the Oasis appeal can be made via this link.
Sweden, 'Least Religious Nation in West,' Opens Its First Atheist Cemetery  With Church Blessing

In this European country, atheism has become so popular that its influence extends even to the grave. The country is Sweden, which has now opened its first atheist cemetery.

More surprisingly to some people, the Church of Sweden has given its nod to the project, even saying that they will help maintain the graves, but will not be involved in other stages, The Local reported. The cemetery is located near a church called Stora Tuna.

However, such a reaction is not really surprising as far as the Swedish Church is concerned. This is because many of its members are atheist, according to Gunnar Sjoberg, head of communication for the Swedish Church, in an earlier report from The Local.

"...To be a member [of the Church of Sweden] is not just to do with your personal beliefs. Many Swedes are supporting the social work we are doing, so that is one reason we have a lot of members. People know we need the church in Sweden even if they are not believers," Sjoberg said.

Since it's an atheist cemetery, it will be devoid of any and all religious symbols.

The cemetery is opening in Borlange in central Sweden, a country sometimes referred to as the "least religious nation in the Western world."

"There's a place on this earth for everybody and we shouldn't be limited in how we choose to live or how we choose to be buried," said Josef Erdem, the teacher who first thought of putting up such a cemetery.

He said the cemetery is not only for deceased atheists since it would also accept religious people as long as they agree beforehand that no religious symbols would be placed on their graves.

"People can decide for themselves what their graves should look like, but the cemetery will be free of all religious and nationalist symbols," Erdem said.

The cemetery remains unoccupied for now, but several Swedes have already expressed an interest in the place as their final resting place.

"I don't want a burial place with a stone that needs to be cared for. I also don't want a church burial because I'm not a believer so this suits me great," teacher Gunnar Lindgren told broadcaster SVT.

Erdem said he has spoken to many people, including the religious, about his project, and that their response "has been overwhelmingly positive."

This is not surprising since a 2014 study found that nearly eight out of 10 Swedes are either "not religious" or "convinced atheists."

The WIN/Gallup International poll at the time found that only China, Hong Kong and Japan have a greater proportion of atheists than Sweden.
Why The Pope's Historic Trip To Sweden Is So Significant

The Pope travelling to Lund in Sweden next week ahead of the 500th anniversary of the Reformation is "a matter of great symbolic significance," according to a veteran of Lutheran-Catholic dialogue who is accompanying him on the trip.

Bishop William Kenney, the co-chair of the dialogue talks, was speaking to Christian Today before the trip, which comes 500 years to the day after Martin Luther nailed his Ninety-five Theses to the door of All Saints' Church in Wittenberg on October 31, 1517.

The visit is the first by any pope to Scandinavia since John Paul II visited Norway, Iceland, Denmark, Finland and Sweden in 1989  visits coordinated by Kenney, who speaks fluent Swedish.

"Pope Francis is a man of the symbol  he is going to travel  so this is a matter of great symbolic significance," Bishop Kenney said.

"The Lutheran-Catholic dialogue has progressed in leaps and bounds since the 1999 document," Kenney added, referring to the Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification signed between the two Churches. That agreement "removed most of the things that people thought caused the Reformation  the excommunications on the Catholic side, and the condemnations on the Lutheran side  and we said sorry, both sides got it wrong. This left us with the big reasons for the Reformation not being there but it's [about] finding out what that means."

Kenney described last year's follow-up document, From Conflict To Communion, as "more popular and easily read" adding that "it lays out some of the ways in which we are coming towards each other".

He added: "Pope Francis is saying yes, the theological dialogue must continue but it's not enough  we must do things on a much more popular level and show that Catholics and Lutherans are human beings. We are getting there but we need to do more."

Kenney is a former president of Caritas Europe and lived in Sweden for 37 years. In 2013 he was appointed by the Holy See as co-chair of the international dialogue between the Lutheran World Federation and the Vatican's Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity.
Will Christians And Muslims Be Able To Live Side By Side In Iraq After ISIS?

As news of Christian towns in Iraq being liberated from ISIS rolls in, religious minorities in the country are now in desperate need of help to begin rebuilding their lives, Christian Today has been told.

Juliana Taimoorazy, founder and president of the Iraqi Christian Relief Council (ICRC), said today that the sense of community in Iraq has been desecrated by Islamic State.

When militants overran the Nineveh Plain in 2014, capturing Mosul  now the group's last stronghold in Iraq  they also took numerous surrounding villages and towns. Among them was Qaraqosh, once home to Iraq's largest Christian community. Hundreds of thousands of people fled.

Christians were considered a particular target. Houses in Mosul were sprayed with the Arabic letter 'N', a symbol meaning 'Nazarene' so that the homes of Christians were easily identifiable and targeted. Militants issued an ultimatum to Christians, telling them to convert to Islam, pay a tax or flee. Those who refused to comply were killed, and there are now believed to be none left in the city.

Churches have been desecrated, and even used as slaughterhouses, or to house female prisoners. The St Ephrem Syriac Orthodox Church in Mosul was draped with Islamic State's notorious black and white logo, emblazoned with the words "There is no God but Allah". ISIS declared it would be reopened as a "mosque of the mujahideen".

The displaced from Mosul and surrounding areas are now living in camps in northern Iraq, neighbouring Lebanon and Jordan, or even further afield. Of the 1.6 million Assyrian Christians living in Iraq prior to 2003, there are now believed to be fewer than 200,000 left.

"The Nineveh Plain is the ancestral home for Assyrians," Taimoorazy told Christian Today. To be displaced from the region has been devastating. An ancient branch of Christianity, the Assyrian Church of the East has roots dating back to the 1st century AD. Assyrian Christians speak Aramaic, the language of Jesus, and have origins in ancient Mesopotamia  a territory which is now spread over modern day northern Iraq, north-east Syria and south-eastern Turkey. Many are desperate to return home.

And it's finally looking like that could be possible. After more than two years of ISIS occupation, coalition forces began on October 17 the battle to recapture Mosul. Government troops backed by the US and other forces launched an air and ground offensive in the biggest operation since the Iraq invasion in 2003. Many of the surrounding towns and villages have since been retaken by Iraqi military, including Bartella  a Christian town about nine miles from Mosul. On Saturday, the bells of the Mart Shmony Syriac Orthodox Church were rung for the first time since 2014.

But though Christians are among the millions of Iraqis longing to return home, it won't be a simple process.

"Now the real heartache begins," Taimoorazy said. "For the last two and a half years they've lived with the hope of returning home, and now they can. But fathers will no longer be there because they've been executed by ISIS. Mothers and sisters will have been sold into sex slavery. Friends will be missing because they've been kidnapped or gone to the diaspora. It is even more imperative for us to embrace these Christians... to build a sense of family and community."

For the last two years, the ICRC has been working with action groups on the ground  including the Assyrian Church of the East Relief Organisation, the Dominican Sisters of St Catherine and the Assyrian Aid Society  to distribute vital emergency aid to people caught up in the violence. "Before, we put food on their table to sustain them," Taimoorazy. "Now, it's a lot more than that. Now it's time for them to rebuild family. The community has been so broken. We want to bring healing."

For the ICRC, that means rebuilding an Iraq where religious minorities are protected, and can live alongside one another in harmony. Taimoorazy is also a senior fellow at the Philos Project, which wants to create a homeland for all minorities within Iraq  Christians, Yazidis and Turkmen. Article 125 of the Iraqi constitution gives religious minorities the right to have their own province, and this was guaranteed by the Council of Ministers in January 2014. Having a designated 'safe zone' for minorities in Iraq would not isolate communities from one another, but would afford vulnerable people vital protections, Taimoorazy said.

Many Christians are afraid to return home, particularly to Mosul, because of the scale of the barbarity perpetuated by ISIS. When militants first entered the city, some Christians were identified by their Muslim neighbours. They feel betrayed, and unable to return.

And yet, there is still hope for Iraqi Christians and Muslims to live side by side again.

The bells that tolled at the Mart Shmony Syriac Orthodox Church in Bartella on Saturday to mark the town's liberation from ISIS were rung first by Muslim soldiers from the Iraqi military, Taimoorazy said. Muslim fighters also made a wooden cross and raised it on the roof of the church. "It gives you an image of what Iraq once was," Taimoorazy said. "A beautiful mosaic, made up of people of different cultures and religions. It is a strong message for us and Assyrian Christians of Iraq  other Iraqis want us back."

She recalled an Iraqi Sheikh, who once told her that if Iraq is represented by a flower, then Christians are the scent.

"If you take the scent away from the flower, it is still beautiful to look at, but it is not enchanting any longer because it's essence has been taken away," he said. "Christians are the essence of Iraq."
Collecting guide: The classical myths behind ancient treasures

Antiquities specialist Alexandra Olsman recounts the legends of the sky god who lost an eye, the unborn child who was sewn into a thigh, and more  illustrated with works from the Antiquities auction on 25 October 2016 in New York

1

Helen and Paris

Open a larger version of this image An attic red-figured squat lekythos. Attributed to the Circle of The Meidias Painter. 5 5/16 in (13.4 cm) high. This lot was offered in Antiquities on 25 October 2016 at Christies in New York and sold for $32,500

On this squat lekythos, an ancient Greek vessel for storing oil, Eros, the winged god of desire, interacts with a young human couple, presumably Paris and Helen, the mythological lovers whose illicit liaison sparked the Trojan War. According to legend, the Olympian gods had been invited to attend the wedding celebration of Peleus, King of Pithia, to the sea goddess Thetis. The one exception was Eris, the goddess of discord. In retribution for this slight, Eris inscribed a golden apple with the words To the fairest and rolled the apple into the ceremony, knowing that more than one goddess would want the title. Aphrodite, the goddess of love, Athena, the goddess of wisdom, and Hera, the goddess of women and the wife of Zeus, king of the gods, each claimed the apple as rightfully hers. To settle the dispute, Zeus chose the mortal Paris, the son of the Trojan king Priam, to make the judgement. Although each goddess tried to bribe Paris with favours, he chose Aphrodite, who promised him the hand of the most beautiful woman in the world. Unfortunately, the most beautiful woman, Helen, was already married. The 12-year Trojan War erupted after Paris abducted Helen and her husband, King Menelaus of Sparta, attempted to reclaim her.

2

Horus

This Egyptian bronze falcon and faience ring relate to a significant foundation myth. The ancient Egyptians believed that their Pharaoh was the incarnation of the sky god Horus, son of Osiris and Isis, the king and queen of the gods. When Horuss uncle Seth killed Osiris in a fit of jealousy, Horus, often represented as a falcon, avenged his fathers death by battling for the throne. Although Horus initially lost one of his eyes in the fight, the eye was later restored, and subsequently became a protective symbol for the ancient Egyptians.

3

Sekhmet

Open a larger version of this image An Egyptian bronze Sekhmet. Third Intermediate Period, c. 1069-664. 10 in (27.3 cm) high. This lot was offered in Antiquities on 25 October 2016 at Christies in New York and sold for $247,500

The above representation of Sekhmet, the lion-headed Egyptian goddess of pestilence and war  and daughter of the sun god Ra  speaks to the power of women in the Egyptian pantheon. Concerned about conspirators plotting against him, Ra sent his daughters Hathor and Sekhmet to Earth in order to destroy any mortal who might challenge his reign. Sekhmet took readily to the task, nearly exterminating the human race. To stem the rampage of his murderous daughter, Ra poured out beer that he had dyed red, which Sekhmet then mistook for blood. Sekhmet became so drunk that she ended her killing spree and returned peacefully to the heavens.

4

Dionysus

Dionysus, a particularly popular Olympian  perhaps because his domain included spirited activities and objects such as wine, theatre, fertility and ritual madness  was the offspring of an affair between Zeus, king of the gods, and the mortal Semele, a princess of Thebes. Tricked by Zeuss jealous wife Hera into requesting to gaze upon Zeus in all of his glory, Semele was overwhelmed at the sight and subsequently perished. However, Zeus chose to save his unborn son Dionysus by sewing him into his thigh. Dionysus has since been referred to as born of two mothers and, perhaps because of this unconventional birth, often assumes androgynous features, such as those seen in the Roman marble of Bacchus (the name given to the god by the Romans) above.

Symbols associated with Dionysus include grape vines, leaves and berries, ivy, and serpents or bulls, which were a nod to his status as a fertility god.

5

Athena Athena, goddess of wisdom, warfare and domestic crafts, was the patron deity of the city-state of Athens, and the daughter of Zeus and the titaness Metis. The Roman marble below originates from a sculptural group that would have also included the satyr Marsyas.

According to myth, Athena invented the aulos, or double flute, and had held a concert for other Olympians to showcase her new creation. However, when the gods mocked how her cheeks bulged as she played, she threw the instrument away in anger, cursing whoever should pick it up next. That unlucky fate fell on the satyr Marsyas, whom Athena then struck for daring to use the cursed instrument. Pliny the Elder and Pausanias attribute the marble connecting the two figures to the sculptor Myron, giving historical weight to the piece by referencing the statue group in their writings.

6

Asclepius Asclepius, son of Apollo by the mortal Coronis, has come to symbolise the medicinal arts. While pregnant with Apollos son, Coronis had an affair with the human Ischys. On learning of the liaison, Apollo sent his twin sister Artemis, goddess of the hunt, to kill Coronis. Apollo, subsequently riddled with guilt at the prospective death of his unborn son, then saved the child by cutting open Coroniss womb as she burned on a funeral pyre, essentially performing the first caesarean section.

Apollo then entrusted the care of his young son to the centaur Chiron, who trained Asclepius in the medical arts. Almost always depicted as a middle-aged man with a thick head of hair and full, curling beard, Asclepius typically holds the caduceus, a rod wrapped with a serpent, which has become the universal symbol of physicians and medicine.

7

Venus Of all the Olympic gods, Aphrodite, the goddess of love who set the cultural standard for femininity, is perhaps the most frequently represented in ancient art. Known as Venus to the Romans, she emerged from the sea foam produced when Cronus, father of Zeus, castrated his own father, Uranus, and threw his severed genitals into the water.

Her beauty became a source of tension among the gods, all of whom wanted to take her as his wife. To calm matters, Zeus decided that Aphrodite would marry Hephaestus, the crippled smith god. Hephaestus treasured his wife and fashioned for her a magic girdle to ensure her fidelity. However, she proved unfaithful and had multiple affairs with both mortals and gods. The Roman marble head of Venus above models an idealised image of the goddess, while the Roman terracotta Venus below offers the goddess at her toilette, sporting the hairstyle popularised by the Roman empress Julia Domna.
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Engineering News-Record, a weekly trade magazine for architects, engineers, and builders, has named the international terminal expansion at Houston's William P. Hobby Airport a "2016 Project of the Year."

The 280,000-square-foot terminal, which features five gates and a U.S. Customs and Border Protection station, opened in October 2015 and came in $10 million under budget at $146 million. Southwest Airlines funded the project.
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After more than 18 months of exhaustive media coverage, two grueling nomination fights and three combative debates, voters in Harris County and across Texas lined up in record numbers Monday to cast early ballots in the presidential election.

Monday's turnout of 67,471 in-person voters shattered the county record of 47,093 set in 2012 for the first day of early voting. Another 61,543 mail ballots had been returned as of Monday, bringing the total number of early voters so far to 129,014 in Texas' most populous county.

Records were also broken by substantial margins in counties such as Dallas and Tarrant, which reported first-day turnouts of about 43,000 each. Bexar and Travis counties reported about 30,000 first-day voters apiece.

For many in Harris County and across the state, a complex mix of factors drew them to the polls on opening day in an historic, bitterly fought presidential campaign between Democrat Hillary Clinton, the first female nominee, and Republican Donald Trump, the billionaire businessman who has made mass deportations of undocumented immigrants the hallmark of his campaign. The contest has been so negative and seemingly endless that some in line may simply have wanted to fulfill their duties as citizens and move on.

On HoustonChronicle.com: See who's turning out to vote early in Harris County

"We just want to get it over with," Sam Tabb said as he stood in line at a polling station in Pasadena. "We will be glad when this whole thing is over. It's just been a real zoo. In my lifetime, it's probably the worst election ever."

Brandy Holmes, a 31-year-old engineer who said she'd marked Monday on her calendar weeks ago, echoed that sentiment. "Let's just get this over with."

Harris County Clerk Stan Stanart said he'd expected a record-breaking turnout of as many as 55,000 voters, but that even he was surprised by the number who actually came out.

Stanart said his office did receive numerous complaints about long lines at early-voting spots. He recommended that those planning to vote this week check the turnout numbers by location at HarrisVotes.com and head to a spot with low turnout to avoid long lines.

Elections officials will be sending extra laptops to select locations on Tuesday in order to speed up the process, Stanart said.

READ MORE: Where do Clinton, Trump actually stand on the issues

The lines started forming early and stayed long throughout the day, snaking around buildings at polling places at several locations. By the afternoon, Harris County election officials said voters were casting 6,000 votes per hour. As the polls closed, people were still in line at some places.

"This is tremendous," said Ronald McCulloch, a veteran poll worker and staff election judge for Stanart, as he watched the queue wrapped around the inside of the Trini Mendenhall Community Center in Northwest Houston. "I've never seen anything like this before."

He recalled long lines at polling places, but not on Day One of early voting.

At the Metropolitan Multi-Service Center on West Gray, typically among the county's most popular polling spots, a line of voters stretched out the door and across the patio even before the doors opened at 8 a.m.

James Tan, a 62-year-old teacher's aide, dropped his children off at Carnegie Vanguard High School a few blocks away, then drove to the early-voting spot he'd patronized for 15 years. He was surprised to find the parking lot full, so he parked across the street and waited in a line longer than he'd ever seen there.

READ MORE: Houston Trump fans fear a 'rigged' election, too

Many voters said they turned out early because they felt the stakes were too high.

"If this polling place is any indication of what the others are doing, we're going to be looking at a great turnout," said state Sen. Sylvia Garcia, who had gathered at the location with a cohort of local Democratic officials.

Another recalled the heavy turnout for Barack Obama's historic 2008 presidential campaign. A record 15 million-plus Texans are registered to vote this year, up from 13.6 million in 2012.

"It's been like when Obama first ran," said John Smith, a safety representative at a refinery, as he stood in line at the Northeast Multi-Service Center on Tidwell Road.

In Pasadena, dozens of people were already in line when a poll worker opened the doors of the Kyle Chapman Annex and hollered, "Good morning Texas!" An hour later, hundreds had lined up  a surprise to Pasadena voter Cathy Crate.

"I always early-vote because I don't like standing in line, but there's a line and this is awesome," she said. "This is great. This is inspiring."

Crate said the Nov. 8 general election amounted to "a choice between freedom and socialism."

READ MORE: Texas congressman says "sometimes a lady needs to be told when she's being nasty"

Other Republican voters stressed the importance of electing a president who would nominate conservatives to the U.S. Supreme Court. Contractor Calvin Frank, 54, said he felt like "our classic American values are at stake."

By 10:30 a.m., retired minister Michael Bingham arrived at the Chapman annex to find almost 20 vehicles waiting to park and a line of voters that he estimated would take him "five hours" to get through, so he decided to cast his ballot another day.

Voters who identified themselves as Democrats said their primary motivation for turning out early was to keep Trump out of the White House  a possibility they repeatedly described as "dangerous."

Others cited a variety of apprehensions, mostly centered on the presidential race.

Kathy Newsom, 63, a retired legal secretary, said securing Social Security topped her list of concerns. Teresa Velazquez, a 51-year-old homemaker, said it was increasing funding for schools and teachers. Mark Riner, 26-year-old student, wants to see better management of the national debt. Keuna Morris, a 22-year-old student, said she wants to see a reduction in gun violence, especially random public shootings. Richard Garza, a 62-year-old chemist, called public safety and border security his chief concern.

The sense of urgency even drew 83-year-old Cecilia Covarruias out to vote for her first time. Born in Texas to an American mother and a Mexican father, she said she felt that people of Hispanic heritage would be treated badly under a Trump administration.

Linda Andersson, a 69-year-old retired teacher, said she stopped watching television because she didn't want to hear about it any more. She made up her mind to vote for Hillary Clinton about a year ago and described the continuing election coverage as "annoying."

"Let's just do this thing," she said while waiting in line.

READ MORE: New UH poll bodes well for Harris County Democrats

Local Democratic leaders, eager to see the predictions for a local Democratic surge materialize, held a news conference Monday morning at the West Grey center.

At the press conference, U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson-Lee cited the historically narrow gap between Trump and Democrat Hillary Clinton in Texas, now within the margin of error in several recent polls, and a reason for Democrats to turn out to vote.

"We can win this," the Democratic congresswoman said.

Former Houston Mayor Annise Parker also told the crowd, "I think this is the year that Harris County turns blue."

The latest polling from the University of Houston has shown a surge in local Democratic voters, which pollsters said could amount to a significant leftward swing for the region after this election.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
This past week a British foodie site posted its rendition of elote, a traditional Mexican dish, which is grilled, flavorful corn. Sometimes served on the cob, others serve it in a cup to be eaten with a spoon.

Tastemade UK posted its recipe procedural last week on October 20 and it started garnering hate and disbelief from the internets foodies, complaining about its questionable ingredient choices.

RELATED: New York Times gets major backlash for putting peas in guacamole

What stuck in the craw of most commenters was the usage of yogurt, feta and Parmesan cheese, paprika, and chives. Heck some people even complained that the corn was supposed to be white instead of yellow.

You can see the rather cheery video on the Tastemade site. It's produced well, even if they used paprika at the end.

Now a lot of people have seen mayonnaise used in elote recipes, especially at DIY booths at a fair.

I'm reporting this video for graphic content, since this was traumatic to watch. Yogurt and mayo together on a corn? Its insulting to call this Mexican, the only thing they got right was the mayo, one commenter wrote, no doubt with gritted teeth.

RELATED: Vegan 'brisket' is a thing at Dallas' new V-Eats restaurant

Granted in England they dont have access to all the wonderful authentic ingredients we have here in Texas. Tastemade UK did the best they could with what they have at hand. Theres likely not a lot of cotija in Europe to be had.

Most commenters would have preferred more butter, you know, for health reasons. The feta would be eliminated and Crema Mexicana used instead.

We cant imagine feta in the elotes weve had in and around Houston. The bitterness

RELATED: People Magazine dares to suggest putting apples in your guacamole

The Tastemade UK team finally responded to one of the top comments to the video  which now has over 5 million views  to explain that they were just re-imagining the dish not redefining it. This was after some commenters went off the handle and claimed racism of all things on the part of the recipe makers.

We'd like to apologize. We didn't mean to suggest that this as an authentic recipe at all, but a creative spin on a dish we've come to love and should have reflected that in the description, Tastemade UK wrote.

We're happy that everyone here has been so passionate to show us the right way to make this recipe. In the future, we'll definitely leave out the yoghurt. So, please accept that we're sorry, and rest assured we love your country and its vibrant, delicious food.

Hey guys, they said they are sorry at least. Just be thankful we have everything we need here in Texas to make our own elotes pop.
Seth King, father of five, hasn't lost his sense of humor, despite facing the myriad things that could go wrong every school-day morning.

In fact, the Utah dad seems to be having a ball with his Instagram account, @latenotes, where he posts the clever, and extremely legible, handwritten notes he pens for his tardy children.
State higher education officials gave Texas A&M University a nod of approval last week in the system flagships efforts to expand into the fast-growing, high-poverty Rio Grande Valley.

The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board said Thursday that the university could begin constructing an academic center on 100 acres of land in McAllen, Hidalgo County. Construction will begin on the $40 million, 60,000-square-foot building of classrooms, laboratories and offices in December.

Students will be considered part of Texas A&M University, earning a diploma and an Aggie class ring while taking classes in the remote center. The university said it will begin enrolling students in fall 2017 in a temporary facility during construction of the main center, which it expects to complete by fall 2018.

Within the Valley, theres a lot of students that are really place bound  they need to remain there to continue working and help support their families, said James Nelson, associate vice chancellor and director of special academic initiatives for the Texas A&M University System. We have an opportunity to bring an A&M education to them.

The center will allow Texas A&M University to channel money from the multi-billion dollar state Permanent University Fund into education in the metro area, where the poverty rate is more than double the national average.

The university follows the University of Texas system in this regard. In 2015, UT launched its merged University of Texas Rio Grande Valley from the University of Texas at Brownsville and the University of Texas at Pan American. The new institution could similarly use these funds, which come from oil and gas revenue.

Texas A&M University now must ensure that program offerings do not compete with UTs offerings.

Nelson said that the center will offer interdisciplinary engineering courses to prepare students for jobs in emerging fields, like robotics and automation. Programs in engineering technology and biomedical sciences may also proceed if state and higher education regulators deem these degree plans sufficiently distinct from UTs, Nelson said.

University of Texas Rio Grande Valley president Guy Bailey said he has "no objections" to Texas A&M University's plans -- as long as there is no duplication. Applications to the university grew to about 13,332 from last year's 11,030, he said, showing high demand.

"There's certainly more room for higher education in the Rio Grande Valley," he said.

Texas A&M University said it will pay for the initial building with student tuition and fees, state appropriations, special initiative funding and gifts. The city and county have pledged to contribute a total of $10 million for infrastructure and utilities, A&M said. Construction is set to begin on Dec. 15.
Sixty-six business owners whose properties are needed to make room for the widening of a 3-mile section of Texas 146 from Red Bluff south through Seabrook have a major decision to make  relocate to keep their business open or close.

For Vinny Schillaci, owner of sandwich shop Neptune Subs in Seabrook, the decision is a no-brainer.

"We're moving," he said. "There is too much here to shut it down."

Schillaci's restaurant is among 66 businesses that have been identified by the Texas Department of Transportation as property that will be eaten up by the highway widening project. Seabrook has the highest number of businesses, 60, impacted by the construction project.

Neptune Subs is located at 1917 Bayport Boulevard and fronts Texas 146. When the restaurant opened in 1978, Schillaci said the location near the highway was good for business. Since then, years of population increases to the south of the city has resulted in daily gridlock for commuters. Schillaci said some of his customers don't want to go to his restaurant because highway traffic has made it difficult for them to get in and out of its parking lot.

"They haven't learned where to park and how to turn around and back into the parking lot," he said. "It takes a little skill to eat here."

According to city officials, every day an estimated 41,000 vehicles pass by Neptune Subs and the 59 other businesses with property in the city identified as needed for the highway widening project. On the east side of Texas 146, 35 companies have been noted for relocation. On the west side of the freeway, all 25 businesses are tagged for relocation.

Businesses identified for right of way acquisition have already been notified by TxDOT. The state's transportation agency also has already begun the process of acquiring property.

Texas 146 is a multilane, paved highway with a center turn lane or grassy median along the 3-mile project route. The project would restructure the road to a six- to 12-lane freeway, add access roads to some locations and add express lanes over Clear Creek. Construction could start summer 2018.

Eighty-percent of the estimated $189 million project is being funded by the federal government. The state is covering the remaining 20 percent.

Seabrook City Manager Gayle Cook said the expansion of Texas 146 is needed to alleviate the daily traffic congestion that creeps through the city. It also is necessary to provide safe passage for motorists during hurricane evacuations, she said. The highway is a designated hurricane evacuation corridor.

Once the project is complete, the roadway's path through Seabrook will look similar to other parts of the state highway that run through the city of La Porte, Cook said.

The crowded highway isn't only creating longer commute times for those trying to get to and from work. Cook said the traffic is making it hard for fire, police and emergency medical personnel get to the numerous accidents that occur on the highway.

It requires special maneuvering to get through rush hour when any emergencies occur. Cook said that often means emergency services vehicles driving on the median to get around the traffic.

Although business owners may be worried about relocating, Cook said they have time to find a new location since construction won't begin until August 2018. Plus, she said, the city of Seabrook wants to help businesses continue to operate within the city and is working with the Seabrook Economic Development Corp. to help business owners identify suitable property for relocation.

Nearly all of the businesses in Seabrook that are impacted directly or indirectly by the widening project have indicated they want to reopen and stay in the city, said Paul Chavez, executive director of the Seabrook EDC. There are many reasons local businesses being forced out of their current locations would want to stay in Seabrook, he added.

"The Seabrook trade area is good for business, they like the access to Texas 146 and NASA Parkway for customer traffic, the business owners and employees live in the Seabrook area, or they simply like being near the waterfront," Chavez said.

TxDOT has a relocation reimbursement program that will help the business owners set up in a new location. Neptune Subs' owner, Schillaci, is working with a relocation counselor and although he has found a place he thinks will be a prime location for his business to move to, in the end, it is a gamble.

"The site hasn't been approved by TxDOT yet, so I don't want to divulge the location," he said. "It is real close to 146, but not on 146. I hope it will be a good location. We will see, I guess."

Schillaci also doesn't even want to start a move until the holiday season is over, possibly in March.

"So far, I'm happy with the communication I've had with TxDOT," he said. "They really don't want me to go broke while getting into my new place. They will help me immensely."

In addition to Neptune Subs, Auto Zone and CVS Pharmacy are among the businesses indicating a willingness to relocate within Seabrook, Chavez said. Although he said none of the business owners impacted by the project have shown they are unwilling to relocate within the city, the biggest concern many have is the ability to afford to move their operations.

The TxDOT relocation program won't help everyone because many of the business owners are in locations where the rental rates are below market. That has made it difficult for business owners to scout out new leasing options.

To help fix the problem, the city and the Seabrook Economic Development Corp. are hoping a plan to revitalize the city's Old Seabrook District will help.

Part of a plan to boost economic development, Seabrook officials announced it would rename one of its streets "Main Street." Doing so allowed the city to apply for grants and other funding. The Old Seabrook District, Chavez said, could allow more options for lease spaces.

Due to the highway project's planned August 2018 letting date, businesses could start closing and demolished sometime mid- to late next year. Chavez knows no one is going to be happy to see their lifelong business forced to move.

"It has already been a difficult process to walk owner and tenants through thinking about this project as a necessity for the region," he said. "Looking at mobility from a regional perspective as opposed to a local level is very different. Good or bad, Seabrook is in the heart of growth and growth has required changes to the infrastructure."

City officials also are expecting a loss of sales tax and property values due to the right of way acquisition. As a proactive measure, the city established the SH 146 Stabilization Fund to help minimize the financial loss.

"It is expected that if no business were to remain or reopen, we could lose a combined revenue total of $800,000-plus," Chavez said. "Many years ago, they city recognized the need for an additional reserve for the uncertain loss and created a special fund of $800,000 in order to withdraw from while the anticipated rebuilding of businesses took place and not impact our residents and the property tax rate required to maintain consistent levels of service."

Detailed maps of the three-mile section of the Texas 146 widening project can be found at www.txdot.gov.

The city of Seabrook also has information about the project at www.seabrooktx.gov.
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When Rick Knapp first told his good friend Loyd Thornton his concept of putting a floating bar on a Clear Lake pier, he was sold.

"I thought it was a crazy idea, but a good crazy good idea," Thornton said.

Rick's Turtle Club opened in 1983 and this New Year's Eve, as Lance's Turtle Club, it will serve its last round of drinks, steaks and good times, while leaving 33 years-worth of memories to its faithful regulars.

"There's no place like it," said Kathy Morales, a Baytown resident who has been coming to the Seabrook/Clear Lake area floating institution for more than 20 years.

Owner Lance Stephens recently announced the selling of the property to a land speculation and investment company.

"It's been wonderful, but it's time for me to leave," Stephens said.

Morales, 56, remembers a Labor Day weekend at the bar in the late 90s that "sealed the deal" for her and her husband after they had known each other since junior high school.

"It holds a lot of personal memories for me," she said.

While known as a local watering hole for boaters in the Kemah, Seabrook and Clear Lake area, it's mostly those kind of personal connections that made a place like the Turtle Club more than a funky novelty bar on the water.

"There is no other place like it around here," Morales said. "Where are we going to dock our boats?"

Stephens, who has owned and operated the Turtle Club since purchasing it from Knapp in 1995, was there in the beginning. Two months after its opening, Hurricane Alicia arrived.

The first floor of the original structure, which had been built on an old, out-of-commission Brown & Root deck station purchased by Knapp, sank underwater. That structure was rebuilt and it has since weathered several storms.

"I came to work for him (Knapp) after Hurricane Alicia, helped him rebuild and get it reopened," said Stephens, originally from Brownsville, Texas.

Stephens had worked in the restaurant industry in Houston before coming to work for Knapp, and while left briefly from 1987-1990, he has been the constant in Turtle Club history.

"You can always count him being there, he's very committed to his customers and friends," said Morales.

Just as it had taken off at first, the Turtle Club became the place to be for both those guests simply curious about the local "floating tavern" and people in the area who appreciated the unconventional surroundings and didn't mind the subtle rocking from the water currents, Stephens said.

"Part of what draws everybody to it is the fact that it actually floats," he said. "I can always tell by looking across the room at somebody by the look on their face that they're not sure what's wrong. They'll be sitting there and I'll walk up to them and say, 'You're okay'  but it moves so subtly that most of the time you're not aware of it and forget."

The term, Turtle Club, originally referred to a fraternity of World War II pilots who used passwords and riddles to identify other members.

Lance's Turtle Club has its signature Bushwacker, the house drink, its Steak Night as well as a few its own quirky traditions. For instance, special guests, or those who answer the correct answers to its own series of riddles, are initiated as an official VIT, or "very important turtle", while Stephens is known as the "imperial turtle".

"It's all in good fun," he said.

It wasn't meant to be fancy or high-end, and that was part of its charm, said Thornton.

"It felt like home when you went there," Thornton said. "If there was anybody there who had problems - had too much to drink, car trouble  someone would be there to take care of them. There was a lot of camaraderie there."

It was also the unofficial home for the Texas Offshore Performance Powerboat Squadron, a boating club for which Thornton, 65, was a founding member. The bar was the perfect setting for people who loved life on the water, Thornton said.

"There are so many good times, so many memories and it was a great place to watch gorgeous sunsets," he said. "It was unique and you could pull up by boat or car."

As much as she'll miss the house drink and Stephen's homemade blue cheese salad dressing, Morales will mostly miss the experiences.

"The location, the people, and friends we made, Lance - that's what I'll remember," she said. Stephens said it was simply time for him to move on.

"I've been working here for 30 years and I just think it's time for me to step away," he said.

He said he will spend the next few months "tying up loose ends", with plans to sell the building barge next.

"Somebody new will hopefully take it over and do whatever they want to do with it, maybe carry on the tradition or rebrand it," he said. "It's just the end of this journey."

When Stephens, 61, announced he was closing the Turtle Club, he heard from his disappointed regulars.

But the memories aren't going anywhere, he said, for him or for those who made it more than a "good crazy idea."

"I've been here a long time, and I'm going to miss a lot of the people," he said. "Overall, we're going to be remembered absolutely fantastically for many, many years to come. That means a lot to me."

Lance Turtle Club is located at 2613 E. NASA Parkway in Seabrook; for more information, visit its Facebook page.
After more than 20 years of on-and-off discussions about resolving traffic congestion at League City's tangle of intersections known as "Five Corners," preliminary work has started on a road realignment project there.

"We're excited to move the project forward," Deputy City Manager John Baumgartner said. "The community has been very patient."

Five Corners is where FM 518, FM 2094 and FM 270 converge. In addition to numerous retail businesses and fast food restaurants in the area, the site is just southwest of Veteran's Memorial Stadium, Clear Creek High School and Clear Creek Intermediate School.

Traffic estimates in 2014 put 5,000 to 6,000 vehicles at Five Corners during peak hours.

"I wasn't here when it was designed, but I have to think there was a flaw in the design," City Manager Mark Rohr said. "It's been a major bottleneck for the city."

The planned improvements, which have been approved by the Texas Department of Transportation, essentially involves moving the FM 270-FM 2094 intersection about two blocks east.

After League City finishes preliminary work at Five Corners - workers already have removed trees, taken down a billboard and demolished a Mattress Firm building - TxDOT will begin requesting bids for road construction.

Total project costs are estimated at nearly $9 million, which includes approximately $5 million for the six land acquisitions made by the city. TxDOT will pay about $1.9 million of the $2.8 million construction cost.

Project plans call for a new connector road that will begin at northbound FM 518, where FM 518 forms a T intersection with FM 2094 (Marine Bay Drive).

The connector will proceed north, past FM 2094, go around a Shell station and connect with FM 270 (Egret Bay Boulevard) on the north side of the gas station.

When complete, city officials say, the connector will facilitate the movement of traffic heading westbound and northbound at Five Corners, reduce the need for turns at the acutely angled intersections and play an overall role in easing Five Corners' bottlenecks.

"What we'll see is a dramatic improvement there," Baumgartner said.

The forward momentum on the realignment is a major plus for area residents, he added.

League City leaders have been discussing possible congestion relief options for the site since the early '90s.

"The city looked at a variety of solutions, but developing a consensus has always been a problem."

The plan in place now, for the most part, was developed in 2012 and finalized with input from community stakeholders.

Now, League City is about a month away from completing project preparations, Baumgartner said.

TxDOT originally was scheduled to start requesting bids for construction in February, but the city plans to petition the department to begin that process in December.

"That (requesting and reviewing bids) should take about three months, and then the work will start," Baumgartner said.

"By this time next year, we'll have a new roadway to drive on."

Baumgartner added that to date, Mattress Firm is the only business that was affected by the Five Corners project.

"They moved about a half mile away, to FM 518 and Texas Avenue, in August," Baumgartner said. They didn't miss a day of business."

Rohr says the current congestion at Five Corners can be attributed, at least in part, to the steady growth in League City, which has been gaining about 1,000 homes a year.

League City is nearing a population of 103,000.

That number is projected to exceed 200,000 within the next 20 to 30 years.

The Five Corners project is included in League City's "Roadmap to the Future," which identifies short-term, mid-term and long-term goals for the city.

It also serves as a report cards of sorts for residents, who will be able to monitor the city's progress.

The document was presented to City Council in February 2015.

As of August 2016, 64 percent of the short-term goals, 70 percent of the mid-term goals and 50 percent of the long-term ones were underway, the city reports.

Along with transportation improvements, Roadmap to the Future identifies downtown revitalization as one of its key short-term goals.

Plans for the first phase of the revitalization project (leaguecity.com/downtown) were approved by City Council in May 2016.

For city updates on the Five Corners project, visit leaguecity.com/index.aspx?NID=1208.
A 2003 Alief Hastings High School graduate and Houston native recently returned to the United States from an overseas deployment with the largest amphibious warship in the Navy.

Petty Officer 1st Michael Oshin, is a logistics specialist serving aboard USS Boxer (LHD-4), based in San Diego, California.

As a logistics specialist, Oshin is responsible for budgeting the ships account, dispersing money throughout the departments and in charge of all inventory for parts for the ship

"Most jobs you don't get to interact with a lot of people," said Oshin. "My job is great because I get to reach out to a variety of people by helping them get the needed equipment to do their jobs, all the while building relationships with my fellow peers."

Boxer is an amphibious assault ship that resembles a small aircraft carrier. When deployed overseas, it is designated as the flagship of Combined Task Force 151, the international anti-piracy task force pursuing pirates off the coast of Somalia.

Boxer is famous for playing a critical role in the rescue mission of Capt. Richard Phillips on April 12, 2009. U.S. Navy SEALS and other special operations forces from USS Bainbridge (DDG 96) rescued Phillips who was later transferred to Boxer for medical evaluation and care. This successful rescue mission was portrayed in the 2103 movie, "Captain Phillips," starring Tom Hanks, and featuring crewmembers from the USS Boxer.

The ship is armed with two semi-active radar-guided NATO Sea Sparrow missile systems (NSSMS) for anti-air warfare protection, two rolling airframe missile (RAM) systems and two Phalanx close-in weapon-system (CIWS) mounts to counter threats from low-flying aircraft and close-in small craft. It's 844 feet long 106 feet wide, displaces more than 40,000 tons, and reaches speeds in excess of 23 miles per hour.

As a member of the U.S. Navy's amphibious assault ship, Oshin said he is proud to be part of most capable amphibious force in the world.

"This is the biggest ship that I've served on but being on deployment has shown me how we can all come together for a greater purpose, like a family," said Oshin.

"I've learned leadership traits being on this ship while being on deployment. The Navy has given me a lot of opportunities to lead people from different backgrounds and all walks of life and how to get them all to work together as one unit to complete a common goal."
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Two Westbury Christian School student artists who competed in the I Madonnari Sidewalk Art Competition during the 38th Festa Italiana Houston Italian Festival on the campus of the University of St. Thomas on Oct. 15 received cash prizes for finishing in the top two spots.

Junior Jessica Cao of Missouri City received first place and a $300 cash prize, and senior Lindsay Kim of Stafford earned a $200 cash prize for finishing in second.
Normally the halls of the administration building at Liberty ISD are full of students awaiting their turn for recognition at the school board meeting, but Tuesday night there were none. Yet, even though there were no recognitions or celebrations during the regular board meeting, time set aside for such moments, there was plenty for administrators and school board members to celebrate.

The recent release of the state STAAR results showed positive results for every campus in Liberty ISD. At every level, the students met or surpassed the state requirement. In some cases, they exceeded the mandate by double digits.

It was definite cause for celebration.

"Our teachers, parents, students and campus administrators are all working hard to ensure we meet those standards," said LISD superintendent Cody Abshier.

More Information How did LISD do in 2016? Index for 2016 / State Target / LISD / State Target LHS / LHS Achievement / 60 / 68 / 60 / 66 Progress / 22 / 35 / 17 / 18 Performance / 28 / 34 / 30 / 34 Readiness / 60 / 74 / 60 / 75 See More Collapse

But Abshier said he didn't want Liberty students just meeting the standard, but excelling well above that.

"We have students who are at that level, but not all of them. Some are struggling and our principals at the campuses are devising strategies to identify and work with those students whether it's after school or strategies in the classroom," the superintendent said.

Each department, whether English, math or others, he said, are working to be the best.

"We have friends in the education community who we have identified to work with in helping us with those strategies," Abshier said.

While consultants do cost money, the district also partners with other districts who can use the same consultants and split the cost making it easier on both of their budgets.

The superintendent likes to model the classroom after the mantra of a least restrictive environment.

"To the extent that we can, we like to have all students in their regular classroom," he said. "Research has shown over the years that when you pull kids out of the classroom because they're struggling, they have a new teacher and a different room, sometimes that can be helpful, but at the same time, it can also be harmful to them."

Another emphasis this year for administrators and educators across the district is a move to common assessments.

"What that means is we are trying to by the concept of constantly checking for mastery but on a shorter period than before," the superintendent said.

In the past, assessments were made every nine weeks, but administrators believe it's too long of a period between the presentation of the content and the test to determine mastery.

"By that time the information that was given to the kid was two or three weeks old and when the kid shows that they're not doing well on that, you've already moved on," he said.

A coordinated effort between departments means shorter times between assessments and a compilation and dissemination of the information amongst staff. The evaluation helps staff know which kids are struggling and the area they're struggling in.

"We use that in a prescriptive way to determine our tutorials in the afternoon. We're just trying to be smarter in how we help our students," he said.

In addition to the scores, Abshier said they were also committed to character education across the district.

"It's more important is this day and age ever," he said. "We need to support our students and to make sure that they grow up accepted to do whatever they want to do," he said.

The training has been comprehensive and includes not only teachers and staff, but also bus drivers who pick them up and deliver them home in the evenings.

"We believe this is a great community to attend school in," he said.

In other really good news, business manager Julie Hebert reported the district would add an additional $1.7 million to the general fund following the close of the 2015-2016 school year. It is a remarkable amount for a small school district.

Last year, Hebert conservatively estimated that the district would receive approximately $9.4 million locally in tax revenue, but in actuality received closer to $10.2 million. On state aid, she estimated the district would receive $8 million, but received $9 million instead.

"It's such a hard thing to predict," Abshier said. "It's a roller coaster of up and down."

Business managers typically tend to be more along the conservative side of local and state aid, but this mark was a welcome end to the fiscal year.
The San Jacinto County Chamber of Commerce welcomed a new organization into its membership with a ribbon cutting ceremony on Oct. 18 for the Republican Women of San Jacinto County.

The Republican Women of San Jacinto County is an organization based in Coldspring that formed in August 2014. Although the organization consists of Republican women, it is not a part of the Republican Party.

"We're a PAC (political action committee)," said President Kelly Selmer. "We're not affiliated with the party."

The organization's mission is to support the Republican Party and its candidates while also providing strength and unity through political action, encouraging Republican women to run for office, train women to be more effective Republican Party workers, inform members through political education and more.

"We all try to work together," Selmer said.

She added that the organization decided to get out more in the public, prompting them to join the Chamber.

The Republican Women of San Jacinto County also works to endorse candidates in local elections, although they can only do this after the primaries.

Selmer says the club formed after San Jacinto County Republican Party Chairman Dwayne Wright made the suggestion.

The Republican Women of San Jacinto County is under the control of the Texas Federation of Republican Women, which oversees many clubs like the one in Coldspring.

The Texas Federation of Republican Women also has a program that the San Jacinto County group is expected to participate in called Caring for America. Chapters under the Texas Federation participate in helping their communities without involving the political aspects of their respective organizations.

"I believe we're going to work with the (Coldspring) senior center," said Selmer.

Selmer did make note that this is not finalized as the Republican Women of San Jacinto County must first take a vote on what they are going to do for the Caring for America program.

For more information, visit rwofsjc.org.
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Brazil's 6th Annual Miss Bumbum beauty pageant stole the spotlight Monday morning for all the wrong reasons.

The competition is facing severe scrutiny after they had eight of their contestants pose for a recreation of the iconic religious painting "The Last Supper." The "sexiest" contestant posed in the center of the table, like Jesus did in the original painting by Leonardo da Vinci, and the other contestants surround her with their backsides on full display.

Religious leaders in Brazil are furious with the remake, according to reports. The International Business Times reports that Brazilian religious leaders called the it "deeply disrespectful" and said it "caused a great offence to Catholics."

BEAUTY PAGEANT CONTROVERSY: Miss Corpus Christi Latina contestants sue, claiming winner's past should disqualify her

One contestant in the photo tells IBT that as a practicing Catholic, she feels she was a part of a "great sin."

"I completely understand people being angry about it, because even I'm angry and I'm in it. For me it is blasphemy," Daiana Fegueredo told the Daily Mirror. "I feel really bad deep inside of me." She goes on to say that since the photo shoot, she's asked forgiveness from God and forgiveness from everyone.

Miss Bumbum founder Cacau Oliver stood by the image saying it was "not offensive to the church" and "never meant to shock anyone."

The Miss Bumbum competition is in its sixth year and 15 women will be vying for the crown of Brazil's best derriere. The champion will be crowned on Nov. 9 in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

LOOK BACK: Last year's contestants of the Miss Bumbum beauty pageant vie for the crown
Another Halloween means yet another Maxim costume party for the stars of Hollywood to show off their imaginative side with their costumes.

From actress Karrueche Tran to R&B artists like Ne-Yo and Chris Brown, Maxim's fiesta was filled with celebrities decked out in crazy - and always sexy - costumes.
On Oct. 4, 1966, Jesse H. Jones Hall for the Performing Arts made its grand debut.

Saturday night, some five decades later, the Bayou City's old and new guard clinked glasses several times over for "Jones Hall 50th Ball: A Mad Mid-Century Celebration"  but not everyone was happy about the festivities.

Black Lives Matter protesters raged outside the tented cocktail reception on Jones Plaza. Although their motive remains unconfirmed  the tense upcoming presidential election, perhaps?  little could dampen the convivial spirit of chairs Alexandra and David Pruner and Jim Postl's tony fete in three parts.

Following rounds of champagne and hors d'oeuvres, 350 black-tie patrons, many of whom subscribed enthusiastically to the evening's "Mad Men" theme dress code, joined an additional 1250 concert-goers for Itzhak Perlman's legendary performance with the Houston Symphony orchestra. The short but sweet program, which included multiple standing ovations, paid tribute to the arts' organizations  Society for the Performing Arts, Houston Grand Opera, and Houston Ballet  who have called Jones Hall home. The Houston Endowment, which relinquished the venue to the City of Houston in 1966, and the Jones family were also applauded for their contributions to the city's cultural landscape.

Afterward, the privileged few returned to the plaza's tent-turned-"Palm Court" hotel ballroom reminiscent of the 1960s Rat Pack era. Martinis, Manhattans, and plenty of bubbly circulated as notables Phoebe and Bobby Tudor, Andrea and Bill White, Margaret Williams and Jim Daniel, and Sybil Roos navigated the space swathed in the Beverly Hills Hotel's iconic Martinique print. Joanne King Herring and Judy Margolis wowed in the very same gowns that they wore to the 1966 opening night. Even Lynn Wyatt, who was feeling under the weather, couldn't resist a blink-and-you'll-miss-her cameo; the Valentino-clad doyenne entered then exited the party in under 10 minutes flat.

Attendees who lingered were rewarded with City Kitchen's throwback lump crab salad, New York strip ala Delmonico, and a frozen Neapolitan parfait.

Dancing to New York City's Lester Lanin Orchestra capped off the shindig following an announcement that more than $1.1 million had been raised toward the renewal of Jones Hall.
The 27th annual Texas Mennonite Sale and Auction for World Relief will be held Saturday, Nov. 12, at Holy Cross Lutheran Church, located at 7901 Westview at Wirt Road in the Spring Branch area of Houston.

This event, sponsored every year by Mennonite churches from across Texas, includes one of Houston's largest charity quilt auctions. All proceeds benefit the relief, development and peacemaking work of Mennonite Central Committee (MCC).

A collection of more than 30 quilts is expected for this auction. These quilts include both traditional and contemporary designs and a wide variety of sizes from small wall hangings and crib quilts up to and including queen size. Many of the quilts have been quilted by hand -- the traditional but increasingly rare method of quilting. Quilts have been contributed from Texas, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, Kentucky and Kansas. Quilts will be on display beginning at 9 a.m. with the auction beginning at noon.

Other items on the auction block will include woodworking, needlework, and a variety of other handcrafted and commemorative items. Photos of the quilts and other items can be viewed at www.texasreliefsale.org.

This event will also feature the sale of unique crafts from more than 20 countries through Ten Thousand Villages. Sale of these items creates jobs and income for tens of thousands of people in developing countries.

Other items offered at the sale will include an assortment of baked goods, crafts and needlework by Texas Mennonites, art work, and a variety of books from Mennonite publishers. A silent auction will include a variety of donated items and services from local businesses and others. Sale of crafts and baked goods will begin at 9 a.m. Lunch will be served, featuring homemade Mexican and Latin American food, beginning at 11 a.m.

My Coins Count, a collection of coins, will be continuing throughout the day. Proceeds of the My Coins Count collection will directly support Mennonite Central Committee's support for refugees throughout the world.

Voran Roxie, Sale Chairman of The Texas Mennonite Sale and Auction for World Relief, believes that the event is always such a success because "People come with a spirit of generosity when they understand that the event as a whole is raising funds for the work of MCC."

Mennonite Central Committee has repeatedly been recognized as one of the best relief and development organizations by several evaluating agencies. MCC has consistently received high marks for the relatively small amount spent on fundraising and promotion and for the effectiveness of its programs. Through the efforts of more than 1,200 workers in over 60 countries, including the United States and Canada, MCC ministers to people suffering from hunger, poverty, conflict and natural disaster.

"Helping others is one of the basic elements of the Mennonite faith. We don't simply look out for ourselves, but we believe we are put on earth to help others when they are in need. This event is just one expression of that." Roxie said.

The majority of the funds raised will be undesignated to be used wherever needed most in MCC's work throughout the world. However, during the auction attendees will have the opportunity to donate toward several specific projects that will be described and highlighted.

The Texas Mennonite Sale and Auction for World Relief is one of 45 such events held each year across North America. This event has raised over $900,000 since its inception. Everyone is invited to attend; admission and parking are free. For more information, call (713) 416-4904, visit the web site at www.texasreliefsale.org or Texas Mennonite Sale and Auction on Facebook.
School of the Woods in Montessori will present two evening open house programs on Monday, Nov. 14, and Tuesday, Nov. 15, to discuss how Montessori philosophy impacts students.

On Monday, the Woods Middle School faculty will discuss how 7th- and 8th-grade students are impacted by Montessori and how the school promotes love of learning in this age group.
The smell of Whataburger is considered by some to be a life-altering experience, but it was a life-saving experience for one stray cat in Kemah on Friday, Oct. 21.

When Kemah Police Sgt. Jerry Barmore and Officer Justin Stanton responded to a call of a cat stuck in a drain hole, they found that calling from opposite ends of the drain was not enough to coax the kitten to safety.
Razzle Dazzle 3D Pink Luncheon

sets fund-raising record

Hundreds of donors helped raise more than $400,000, benefiting the Bobetta C. Lindig Breast Care Center at Memorial Hermann Memorial City during the seventh annual Razzle Dazzle "3D Pink" luncheon. It is the highest amount ever raised by the event.

The Oct. 6 luncheon, chaired by Kristina Somerville and Hallie Vanderhider, was at The Westin Houston Memorial City.

Elin Hilderbrand, who served as this year's keynote speaker, is a breast cancer survivor and best-selling author who has lived on Nantucket for 23 years and has written 20 novels that transport her readers to its sandy shores. In 2014, her focus shifted from stories about Nantucket to writing about health and wellness after her own battle with cancer and a subsequent double mastectomy. Hilderbrand remained in the spotlight throughout her treatment and, according to her, has found a true calling to help others heal and cope with the battle of cancer.

"Cancer has given me a couple of gifts  a real and renewed enthusiasm for life and a desire to reach out and talk to other women. If I had my life to live over, I would choose cancer again because only in facing what threatens our being do we learn what it means to be alive," shared Hilderbrand at the event.

More than 560 guests filled the room, which was decorated to a "3D Pink" theme. Guests, who included patients and survivors, sipped pink lemonade and champagne and were given an opportunity to make a donation in exchange for a surprise gift card featuring various luxury brands, high-end retail establishments, service providers, and top-tier restaurants. Jewelry designer Robert Procrop, whose clients include actress Angelia Jolie, donated two items for the silent auction.

KHOU 11 local anchor Chita Craft served as emcee for the event, which honored Mayor Pro Tem Ellen R. Cohen and community leader Mary Ann McKeithan. Both women are breast cancer survivors and advocates for early detection and education.

A short video, underwritten by KHOU, detailed the mission by Memorial Hermann Memorial City Medical Center to offer all the elements of breast cancer care under one roof. Leigh Rozelle, a breast cancer survivor and spokeswoman in the film, shared her story with breast cancer and discussed the treatment she received at Memorial Hermann.

Since its inception in 2010, Razzle Dazzle has generated more than $1.65 million to support breast cancer patients and their families who receive care at the Bobetta C. Lindig Breast Care Center. One of the innovative measures incorporated into the program, as a result of the success of the luncheon, is tomosynthesis 3D mammogram technology.

"Many of us know someone who has had breast cancer or is currently battling the disease. It is up to all of us to remind each other to take vigilant care of ourselves and to provide a strong shoulder to lean on for those stricken with breast cancer. Thank you for providing the funds to help those who are battling cancer regain the strength to live their lives," said Vanderhider.

Memorial City opens center for pelvic floor issues

The National Institutes of Health reports more than one-third of U.S women have a pelvic floor disorder, and that number goes up as a woman ages. Unfortunately, the American Urogyneocologic Society reports many women are reluctant to talk with their physician about conditions they consider to be very private. That's why Memorial Hermann Memorial City Medical Center recently opened the Pelvic Floor Health Center, offering a comprehensive program to treat pelvic floor disorders in a space that aims to be comfortable for both men and women.

Pelvic floor disorders range from urinary incontinence to uterine prolapse. Symptoms include a sudden urge to urinate, pain in the genital area, a bulging pressure in your pelvic area and abnormal cramping during menstruation. The center is supported by board-certified specialists in OB/GYN, urology, gastroenterology, reconstructive surgery as well as a board-certified women's health physical therapist and dedicated nurse navigator who work together to give patients an individualized plan to treat their specific issues.

The 4,200 square-foot center features private therapy rooms, a noninvasive nerve stimulation room, and dedicated male and female dressing areas, including warm robes for those needing a procedure.

The Memorial Hermann Pelvic Floor Health Center- Memorial City is located at 925 Gessner, suite 350 in Medical Plaza 4.
The Fort Bend ISD school board decided at an Oct. 17 meeting what they want the Legislature to be working on in the upcoming session.

Fort Bend ISD has had legislative priorities in the past, Board President Kristin Tassin said. What's new this year is formal board involvement throughout the process, and the board passing resolutions in support of the priorities.

The board unanimously approved five resolutions calling for state legislators to reform the school finance system, to support all public schools instead of advocating for school choice, to overhaul the current accountability and assessment system and limit high stakes testing, to streamline the number of curriculum requirements and to fund Senate Bill 507, a currently unfunded mandate that requires schools, at parents' request, to put cameras in certain classrooms serving special education students.

The shift in formal board involvement came about when Tassin took over as board president last spring.

She formed a legislative committee and was appointed its board liaison.

The other two members of the committee are district Superintendent Charles Dupre and district Chief Communications Officer Nancy Porter.

"I thought it was important that the board agreed to pass resolutions about these issues so that the legislature would know that we're serious," Tassin said. "We feel strongly about these issues and how they affect the students of Fort Bend ISD and the teachers of Fort Bend ISD."

Missing from the five priorities was a resolution on the expanding special education services, an issue that hits home for Tassin, who has advocated for over a decade for her own daughter and other students in special education.

A recently published Houston Chronicle investigation found that state officials set an arbitrary 8.5 percent benchmark for the portion of students in Texas school districts that should receive special education.

As a result, thousands of students went without services.

At a workshop meeting on Oct. 10, the board opted to give the Texas Education Agency a chance to make changes, before adding a resolution about special education to its list of priorities.

"At this point, it's a wait and see," Tassin said.

Tassin and Fort Bend ISD trustee Jim Rice will meet with Texas Commissioner of Education Mike Morath soon to get an idea of what the Texas Education Agency's next steps will be, Tassin said.

Fort Bend ISD officials and trustees have been vocal in the past about issues that made it into this year's priorities.

That includes school finance reform, which officials and trustees have advocated for in the past.

Fort Bend ISD faces a $4.4 million decrease in state revenue for this school year, despite growth in its student population and local property values, according to the board's resolution.

By the 2017-2018 school year, the districts expects a $9 million deficit, before any teacher raises, according to the resolution. The same year, Fort Bend ISD anticipates opening three new campuses.

Tassin has also previously spoken out about another legislative priority, Senate Bill 507.

She testified on behalf of the bill at the end of the last legislative session.

Now, she and the rest of the board are asking for funding - the unfunded mandate is expected to cost Fort Bend ISD $5 million - so other student services won't be cut, Tassin said.

Next steps for the board are to contact and meet with legislators representing Fort Bend ISD, reach out to other school boards and have an action plan in place, Tassin said.

The plan will not require board approval, but Tassin's goal is to have it ready for board feedback by November.
A multimillion dollar renovation at West End Baptist Church, a more than 110-year-old campus at 802 Shepherd Drive in Houston's Rice Military Area, is complete and set to make its official debut next month.

The most noticeable change is glaring. Now known simply as West End Church, a new neon sign mounted to the facade of the campus' historic sanctuary highlights the yearlong project that resulted in a blending of modern worship services with a traditional church environment.

The name was shortened to West End Church since the property is no longer Baptist-affiliated. Established in 1895, it is now a part of River Pointe Church, a three-campus nondenominational Christian ministry based in Fort Bend County. River Pointe merged with West End Baptist last year, with the nondenominational ministry absorbing the Baptist church's small congregation and deteriorating three-building property.

The merger prevented River Pointe from having to spend upward of $40 million to construct a new house of worship from scratch within Houston's Inner Loop. It also stopped the Baptist church's 17 members from having to come up with millions to renovate a sanctuary in need of a total overhaul. River Pointe spent approximately $6.5 million to bring the building "back to life," said pastor Patrick Kelley, who founded River Pointe in Richmond in 1996.

"It is amazing," he said. "We kept the traditional look of the building and mixed in modern components. We didn't want to lose the history of West End."

A new center isle was created in the sanctuary. Roof repairs were needed, and the building's electrical, plumbing and air conditioning systems were updated. The original brick was restored. Wooden pews were refurbished. The lobby was expanded. New restrooms were installed. The ceiling was raised. A stained glass window depicting Jesus with a flock of lambs was made more vibrant and visible. Also, stage lights, audio equipment and high-definition video monitors were installed.

A two-story building at the site was converted into an educational center. A courtyard was created between the educational center and the sanctuary. A corner stone saved from the church's original 1985 building destroyed in a storm in 1900 is embedded in the courtyard grounds. Custom-made fountains also were installed in the courtyard.

"The bones of the church were still strong," Kelley said. "We maintained the architectural integrity of the buildings as much as possible."

A third building was to be turned into a community cafe. However, funding ran out, Kelley said. That project is on hold until an unspecified time.

When River Point hosts a Nov. 6 grand opening of its new West End Church, guests will not just see a renovated church campus, they will hear it.

"The Baptist church had a chorus, and the (sanctuary) building was designed for that," Kelley said. "We are bringing a little bit of rock 'n' roll to the church."

That means the building's congregational area had to be made acoustically sound for drums, bass and electric guitars. West End's congregation has gotten a taste of the visual and auditory changes as church services are already being held Sundays in the renovated sanctuary. Kelley said the music gets people moving and worshiping and is very different to the traditional hymns the remaining and primarily older members of the church's former Baptist congregation are used to hearing.

Anzeo David is River Pointe's new worship pastor. He oversees the musical direction of all three of the ministry's campus bands. Although the music at West End is quite different for its former Baptist congregation, he tries to mix in traditional choir hymns into the modern and often high-energy worship music River Pointe is known for. During a recent worship segment David calls "the soul moment," he took four of his favorite hymns that his grandmother used to sing to him when he was a child and mashed them together and remixed them for a modern church audience.

"We kept some of the traditional elements of the building while making it more modern," David said. "It is the same with the music. I received texts from the church's Baptist members thanking me for not forgetting the music performed at West End 20 or 30 years ago."

History of the Church

The original campus was known as Brunner Baptist Church until it was destroyed by a storm in 1900. Six years later, the charter members of the church reorganized in 1906 and renamed it West End Baptist Church. The oldest building on the campus was constructed in 1924 and replaced in 1964. The main sanctuary was built in 1954. During the church's heyday in the 1960s, the sanctuary often didn't have enough spaces in its pews for the roughly 2,000-member congregation.

Many pastors, teachers, lay ministers and Christian got their initial training and development at West End Baptist, but the often changing makeup of the surrounding neighborhood resulted in a gradual membership decline. Before the merger with River Pointe, West End Baptist was the spiritual home to about 17 people.

Many of the church's stained glass windows had been boarded up for some time when a little more than two years ago Kelley first started scoping out Houston's Inner Loop for possible places to lease as a satellite campus for River Pointe. He drove by West End Baptist and thought the boarded-up windows meant it was abandoned. The size of the sanctuary, he said, made it a great contender.

After some research, however, Kelley discovered the church still had a congregation. He reached out to West End Baptist's part-time pastor, Michael Quintanilla, to see if its members would be interested in leasing the sanctuary to River Pointe. After several weeks of talks, leaders of the two churches couldn't come to an agreement.

River Pointe eventually entered into a short-term lease with St. Thomas High School on Memorial Drive, to use its Moran Fine Arts Center for Sunday worship services. Nine months later, Kelley checked back with Quintanilla and learned that the congregation was ready to work out a deal. West End's campus had become a blessing and a curse to its small group.

"They really couldn't do any meaningful ministry because they were taking care of this big place," Kelley said in a December 2015 interview.

West End Baptist's leaders were worried that they would eventually lose the legacy of their historic church. Quintanilla said the Baptist church's members all had an equal say in the decision to merge with the nondenominational River Pointe. The decision wasn't easy.

"We prayed about it and talked a lot about it," Quintanilla said during an interview conducted last year before the renovation project began. "The merger allowed us to keep the mission of the church, the core values of the church that its founders had worked so hard to establish over the years."

On Aug. 26, 2015, the church's 17 members voted to merge with River Pointe Church. Quintanilla described the merger as learning to live with someone new.

"I don't think anybody has a problem with it being a different denomination," Quintanilla said. "It is more about adjusting to having new people in the space and getting used to changes in services and things like that."

Before the merger, the Baptist church had enough funds to continue services. However, there wasn't enough money to make needed changes to the campus's buildings to meet new city of Houston occupancy regulations. The congregation had considered selling the property, but no one wanted to see the church demolished.

"The congregation essentially gave the church away to keep it in the community," Quintanilla said. "It can continue its mission. It was a selfless act on the part of the congregation."

During a recent interview, Kelley said the property that was probably worth about $10 million at the time. Selling, however, would have meant demolishing the church and replacing it with high-rise apartments.

"West End Baptist didn't want that," he said. "They wanted to preserve the legacy."

Kelley promised the church's members he would work hard to preserve West End Baptist's heritage. In addition to pumping millions of dollars into the renovation reflecting the traditional design of the campus' buildings, River Pointe's board of directors decided to keep "West End" in the satellite campus' name as a tribute to its history.

West End today

The merger meant more than absorbing the assets of West End Baptist Church. It also required the blending of two different approaches to worship. The Baptist church's congregation was made up of an older generation. Its services consisted of traditional biblical teachings and low-key hymnal singing. West End now attracts a younger generation from the Washington Corridor with River Pointe's loud and energetic worship style.

"We live in a post-denomination age," Kelley previously stated. "Typically, once people leave home they leave the church. Now Millennials are leading the way in saying they want something familiar, casual and authentic and that's what we are all about."

Approximately 250 people attended a recent Sunday service at the newly renovated church. And Kelley is hoping to draw in even more people to West End Church.

Before the planned grand opening, the church is hosting services at 5 p.m. every Sunday. The church also is hosting a Fall Festival from 5-8 p.m. Oct. 31. The event is free and will include candy, food trucks, games and a hayride. Guests may wear costumes.

During the Nov. 6 grand opening, two services will be held  one at 10 a.m. and another at 5 p.m. West End Church's band also is scheduled to perform with some special guests, Kelley said.

"You've got to see this place," he said. "We've rebuilt it as a place of grace, spiritual health, genuine community, and meaningful relationships and we have some amazing music."
Katy ISD recently created two positions that will affect the district's operations in a significant way.

The district will add an in-house attorney while pulling back resources to its outside legal consultant, Thompson & Horton LLP. It will also add a deputy superintendent position to assist Superintendent Lance Hindt in his duties.

"With a district of our size - 73,000 kids and 9,000 employees - the position of deputy superintendent would act as the chief operations executive officer in my absence. With the (attorney), I'm looking for someone who would centralize our approach," Hindt said. "We can save some money and provide better services to our campuses."

The district has spent $1.6 million on Thompson & Horton legal fees in the past two years, Hindt said. At this point, it is unknown how much money the district will save with an in-house attorney.

The in-house attorney will be used for matters related to topics such as the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act.

The creation of a deputy superintendent position has been Hindt's idea for some time now. He said the district would not spend any more money in creating the position because it previously existed in a different capacity, so there is already a budget line item for it.

Both positions should be filled by the beginning of the 2017-2018 school year, Hindt said.

Katy ISD officials recently discussed an update to the district's legislative agenda process, which, when completed, will serve as a lobbying tool for local legislatures regarding issues the district believes should be focused on during the next Texas legislative session in January.

The district provided a survey from Sept. 20 to Oct. 2 to district residents in order to gather community input for the agenda.

Final survey results revealed recently show that most of the roughly 3,500 participants indicated support for the legislative agenda to include items such as the district having more local control over its operations, for the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills curriculum to be streamlined and for the state to fund costs associated with mandatory testing.

A committee formed by 16 district residents, including two trustees, is meeting publicly to compose recommendations for the agenda that will be presented to the board soon.

District officials have previously identified topics such as high stakes testing and state funding as issues to be included in the agenda.

Finance and high stakes testing are both subjects that many school districts statewide will watch for during the legislative session.

In May, the Texas Supreme Court ruled that the state's public school finance system, while deeply flawed, is constitutional. Katy ISD, along with more than half of the state's school districts, sued the state years ago to contend that the funding system is unconstitutional based on issues such as the unequal distribution of funds.

This year, major glitches in the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness, or STAAR, forced the state to not count test scores for several grades.

The board is expected to draft its legislative agenda in November.
On Monday, Katy ISD trustees unanimously voted in favor of pursuing a "District of Innovation" status, which would give the district added flexibility in its operations but which critics have also warned could become a slippery slope into destructive decisions.

The Texas Legislature last year voted to have the designation implemented. It mainly allows eligible districts more freedom in factors such as state reporting, hiring practices, school length day and what date the school year begins.

"The district of innovation is good because it gives flexibility and local control," said board president Rebecca Fox. "Our community demands the best; they expect the best. So, we want to deliver them the best."

Districts must have a "met standard" accountability rating under the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness in order to be eligible.

Some in the education field worry that school districts' use of the designation could have a negative effect on factors such as classroom size and teacher contracts.

Districts with the designation, for example, could hire professionals without teacher certificates to teach lessons on subjects such as engineering. It could also lead school districts to approve class sizes beyond the 22-1 student/teacher ratio in K-4 classrooms without having to seek state approval.

Beyond that, the designation doesn't tackle what many parents and educators mainly have a problem with: curriculum and testing.

"The district of innovation creates a trojan horse opportunity where private corporations could privatize the provision of providing of classroom teachers to districts and create a two-tier system of teachers," said George Scott, a district trustee. "It's the beginning process to allow school districts to breach contracts."

Scott argues that the Texas Education Agency, the governing body of the state's public education, as well as the Legislature, could ultimately be trying to have districts save money because certified teacher payroll consumes most of each school district's budget.

Several KISD community members spoke at a recent board meeting, both in favor and in opposition to the designation.

The designation "leads to computer-based education of our kids with oversight by facilitators with personalized learning endorsements, instead of specialized teacher certifications," said KISD parent Kim Belcher Gutierrez.

Katy ISD, however, is pursuing the designation for three specific reasons, according to Superintendent Lance Hindt.

The first reason would be to move the start of school date back from the mandated fourth Monday of August to allow for more flexibility throughout the year. The second would be to eliminate the "behavior specialist" position from campuses to save money and because schools have likewise positions such as assistant principals.

The final reason would be to hire professionals for specialized courses found mostly at the district's Miller Career & Technology Center, which has veterinary, dentistry and other specialized classes.

"I have no appetite for increasing class size. I have no appetite for taking teacher contracts away. I have no appetite probably for about 90 percent of what's listed as options in district of innovation," Hindt said. "As long as public education is alive, there will always be concerns of taking public education into privatization. I'm not looking for this broad approach to a charter type of atmosphere in a school district. I want flexibility."

The district has previously experienced situations where classes in the technology center have been filled with substitutes for months because the district cannot find a specialized instructor that has passed through the teacher certification process, Hindt said. Pursuing the designation would fix this issue, he added.

His points drew support from multiple KISD members in the recent meeting, who also expressed care for altering the district's start of school year date.

Katy ISD could join Houston-area districts in Humble, Spring Branch and Huffman to receive the designation. At least eight area districts are seeking to join the 35 public districts statewide with the designation.

An Innovation Plan Committee will meet to develop a Local Innovation Plan that trustees will eventually vote on. If the board adopts the plan, it will be sent to state education commissioner Mike Morath for approval.

The plan would then be affective for five years and could be amended throughout using the same process as required for the initial adoption.
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Newmark Homes received five awards at this year's Greater Houston Builders Association's Houston's Best PRISM Awards held Oct. 1.

The Houston-based builder won Specialty Product Design Home over $1 Million, Specialty Room, Specialty Front Elevation Home Over $1 Million and Specialty Front Elevation Home $750,000 to $1 Million.

Newmark's Melissa Guerra won Marketing Professional of the Year.

Newmark also was a finalist in eight other categories: Product Design $400,000 to $500,000, Volume Builder Bedroom, Volume Builder Bath, Volume Builder Outdoor Living Space, Interior Merchandising of a Model $600,000&, Volume Builder Billboard of the Year and Volume Builder Marketing Campaign of the Year for its Sell Away Realtor Program.

"To be recognized by such prestigious organization as the Greater Houston Builders Association is truly an honor," said Mike Moody, president of Newmark Homes. "We pride ourselves on the quality of our products marketing efforts and most importantly - our people."

The association has hosted the awards for nearly 40 years, recognizing the industry's best people, products and promotions. Entries are judged by an independent panel of experts from across the nation.

Newmark Homes and Fedrick, Harris Estate Homes, part of the Newmark family of companies, can be found in 11 Houston-area developments including Riverstone, Harvest Green, Towne Lake and Jordan Ranch. Visit www.newmarkhomes.com for more information.
A Sugar Land family is honoring a husband and father with photographic exhibition of French ancestor's work: "The Maynal Photographer/Le Photographe de Maynal" through November at the Alliance Francaise in Houston, 427 Lovett Blvd., Houston. Visit www.alliancehouston.org for information.

On opening night, the family shared and talked about a photographic exhibition which gives a retrospective of early 20th Century country life in the little French village of Maynal, as captured through the eye and lens of pioneer photographer Xavier Vaucher (1869-1946). The black-and- white canvas prints taken from original glass plate negatives demonstrate with clarity and composition the rural life in a bygone era.

Xavier was originally from the small winemaking village of Maynal in the Jura region on the east side of France. He initially studied law in Lyon where he met the famed photography icons, the Lumiere brothers, who fed his passion for the photographic processes and trained him in this new art form.

Xavier's prolific work demonstrates his keen eye  at a time when the art of photography was just as nascent as the technology  as he captured many striking scenes of life in a French village during the early 1900s. These scenes include agricultural images of villagers hard at work such as the grape harvest or watering the cattle at the village fountain, and also leisure pastimes such as family picnics and bathing in a river.

The exhibition came to Houston because Bernard Vaucher, longtime Sugar Land resident and great-nephew Xavier Vaucher, died at MD Anderson Hospital in Houston in 2014. He never got to attend the first 2014 exhibition near his home in France entitled "Le Photographe Meconnu," or "(The Unknown Photographer)," showcasing the work of his great-uncle. This exhibition particularly included the portraits Xavier took of most of the Maynal families for their menfolk to take with them to the battlefront in World War I.

Bernard's wife, Jane, and their three children did attend this exhibition, hence the inspiration for her to bring Xavier to Houston with a further exhibition put together in Bernard's honor. This would introduce his ancestor's talent to Texas and put in the limelight a small French country village, so very dear to Bernard as his family roots.

The success of the initial 2014 exhibits also inspired the Vaucher family to display in Houston more extensive examples of Xavier's work. This Houston exhibition is a selection from Xavier's life work between approximately 1895-1920, rediscovered over the years in the family home in Maynal in the form of fragile glass photographic plate "negatives," the medium of early cameras of Xavier's time.

The photographic laboratory SITEP in Lyon, carried out the restoration and scanning, leading to such clear and striking images which vividly capture French rural life in a small French country village in times gone by, said Jane Vaucher.

At the exhibition opening, Alain and sister-in-law Jane also presented not only the historical context for ancestor Xavier and his role in photography in France, but also the processes creating the original photos more than 100 years ago, and how the photographic plates were rediscovered in attics many years later, and only recently brought to public display.

Jane conveyed how life was so very different and simplistic just 100 years ago, and her explanations complemented the pictures showing clothes and methods of agriculture and transport of the early 20th century.
Brick by brick, Pastor Joseph Johnson has built a new home for his congregation.

The Greater Mt. Oliver Missionary Baptist Church was destroyed by Hurricane Ike in 2008 - but Sunday the church unveiled its brand new building with a dedication ceremony.

"We are here to give God all the praises and the glory," Johnson told the enthusiastic crowd.

Before the morning's service, Johnson stopped his opening day preparations for a quick pew-side interview.

"It's been a long process," he said. "We [were] here in 2008 when Hurricane Ike came along and destroyed the church with a big sycamore tree and we've been holding church in another building."

In 2012, the church embarked on its lengthy rebuilding process.

Johnson, along with his wife, friends and neighbors, personally took part.

"Give God the praise and he'll give you the blessings," the pastor said.

His supportive wife showed up to watch the parishioners fill up their new sanctuary.

"We dedicate this church to that tree because if it wasn't for that tree that fell in and destroyed that old church, my husband would still be continually patching up that old church," Johnson's wife Shawndra said.
One fan saw something and said something, leading to a very grateful response from an Olympic swimmer.

Australian gold medalist Mack Horton posted on social media thanking an anonymous fan for contacting his team doctor about a suspicious mole on his chest.
The Pasadena Second Century Corporation recently approved plans to issue a request for proposal for a new hotel to be built at the convention center.

The PSSC, which directs the city's economic development efforts, discussed the proposal and invited citizens to offer their feedback at a public hearing on Monday, Oct. 17.

"It is our understanding that some people in Houston have a desire to bid on this project and we'd like to see if we can get some interest in trying to acquire a hotel (at the convention center)," PSSC Chairman Roy Mease said. "It's just another gamble and I hope that we can do it."

Resident Larry Peacock told board members he opposed the proposal.

"I have been talking to many people around Pasadena about this, probably between 30 to 40 people, and most don't understand why we want to build a hotel out there. A lot of people don't want to commit that kind of money and are very much against this," Peacock said. "A lot of people don't want this hotel out there at all."

"Well, there are probably some people that do want this hotel." Mease said.

When contacted by The Citizen, Danny Patel, who owns the Palace Suites Motel on Spencer Highway, was more optimistic about the project.

"I think it could be a good thing for my business," Patel said. "If the convention center hotel brings more overnight visitors to the city it could mean increased sales for other hotels if there's an overflow from large events. Many people go to downtown Houston for events. But, if Pasadena could offer a convention center venue with a nice hotel some of those groups might hold their events here, which would be good news for everyone."

In addition to $3 million in funding for the proposed convention center hotel project, the recently-approved PSSC budget included $5 million for improvements to the convention center facility and another $6 million to enclose the rodeo arena and install air conditioning.

Regina Pippins, Director of Regional Sales for the Fairfield Inn in Pasadena said a new convention center hotel could provide a boost for other hotels, but only if the convention center sales staff can leverage that investment to book large trade shows and conventions every month on a consistent basis.

"It could be a good thing for other hotels or it could be a bad thing. It depends on whether they are prepared and can bring in more events and draw out-of-town visitors to the city," she said.

Currently, the convention center hosts three major events each year: a gun show, the Strawberry Festival and a rodeo.

"The gun show and the Strawberry Festival didn't have much of an impact on our business this year. Many people who attend those events are from the local area and don't stay in a hotel," Pippins said. "But, we did see increased room sales from the rodeo."

A new convention center hotel would add to the city's hotel room inventory, which could mean fewer guests for other hotels if convention center events don't draw a large number of visitors to the city every month, Pippins said.

"These things can piggyback off one another. If there is a large trade show or event and the convention center hotel is full other hotels will benefit from the overflow. But, without increased demand there is a risk they will oversaturate the market."

Pippins pointed out a new Residence Inn just opened last month which added 104 rooms to the hotel room inventory. In addition, a new Home2 Suites by Hilton Houston is scheduled to open in the coming months which will add another 122 rooms.

"I also just saw a new sign that a Candlewood Suites Hotel is being built on Vista Road," she said.

"That will add even more rooms and some hotels might have to lower their rates to be able to compete for business.

So, with more and more hotels coming to Pasadena, it could be damaging to the local market here."

According to reports released by the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, hotel room revenues for Pasadena hotels decreased last year, going from $12,855,000 in 2014 to $12,739,000 in 2015. Occupancy rates also fell, going from 71.4 percent in 2014 to 67.9 percent in 2015. In addition the number of hotel rooms sold decreased from 199,300 in 2014 to 190,070 in 2015.
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A 2008 Thurgood Marshall High School graduate and Houston native and a 1999 Mount St. Mary's Namagunga High School graduate in Uganda, Africa and Sugar Land native recently returned to the United States from an overseas deployment.

Both Petty Officer 3rd class Markem Carter, a personnel specialist, and Petty Officer 2nd Class Barbara Nassimbwa, a hospital corpsman (lab tech), serve aboard USS Boxer (LHD-4), based in San Diego, Calif.

As a personnel specialist, Carter is responsible for taking care of sailors on the ship administratively, ensuring their pay is correct and responsible for the overall accountability of sailors coming and leaving the Boxer.

"What I enjoy most about my job is interacting with different people, providing good customer service and meeting and helping people from all different walks of life," said Carter.

As a hospital corpsman, Nassimbwa is responsible for collecting and analyzing specimens and reporting back the results to the provider in order to diagnose and treat patients.

"I enjoy everything about my job," said Nassimbwa. "Being able to quickly and accurately assist in diagnosis and treatment of patients, to seeing organisms on a microscopic level, my job is so interesting and fascinating."

Boxer is an amphibious assault ship that resembles a small aircraft carrier. When deployed overseas, it is designated as the flagship of Combined Task Force 151, the international anti-piracy task force pursuing pirates off the coast of Somalia.

Boxer is famous for playing a critical role in the rescue mission of Capt. Richard Phillips on April 12, 2009. U.S. Navy SEALS and other special operations forces from USS Bainbridge (DDG 96) rescued Phillips who was later transferred to Boxer for medical evaluation and care.

The ship is armed with two semi-active radar-guided NATO Sea Sparrow missile systems for anti-air warfare protection, two rolling airframe missile systems and two Phalanx close-in weapon-system mounts to counter threats from low-flying aircraft and close-in small craft. It's 844 feet long 106 feet wide, displaces more than 40,000 tons, and reaches speeds in excess of 23 mph.

"I enjoy the camaraderie here because it's a true testament of will, maturity, structure and performing every day to a higher standard always meeting expectations," said Carter.

"Serving has made me more grateful, appreciative, and humble traveling to different countries and experiencing different religions, which has opened my mind to a new whole spectrum," added Carter.

"Being on this ship has been very challenging but there is a lot of cohesion in our medical department that makes our job easier to be a part of a team that works well together," said Nassimbwa.

"I feel like I can accomplish any task given to me regardless of the time of day because of the demanding schedule while being at sea," said Nassimbwa. "Deployment and the Navy has made me more resilient and confident that I can complete any mission with the assistance of our great team. Time management and accountability are also keys to being successful. The Navy has taught me how to appreciate the differences in people and their cultures and despite our differences, we can come together to complete a common goal."
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The growing pains of being part of the downtown landscape in Tomball has come with a price to some merchants.

Merchants with businesses along Tomball's main street are asking the city council for help after the loss of street parking earlier this year triggered a dip in business revenue.

Francesca Garcia, who owns and operates Birds of a Feather at 406 West Main Street, made her initial plea to the Tomball City Council on Oct. 3, and said the loss of on-street parking had decreased the amount of foot traffic around the shops during the past couple of weeks.

"We have lost our stop-and-shop (option), due to the (loss) of parallel parking," she said. "So what does the city have in play to help us so that we don't continue to lose any more revenue, as we have already lost revenue in the past two weeks? We are here to help and we are here to start a dialog."

In June, the Texas Department of Transportation began a two month, $3 million road overlay project to improve FM 2920 through downtown Tomball to Four Corners at Business 249 and also segments of Business 249.

The project involved installing new traffic signals, new asphalt and lane restriping.

While the roads improved, merchants lost the valuable parallel street parking that had been a mainstay in downtown Tomball for decades to new turning lanes.

Since 2010, the city has been preparing for eventual loss of those parking spaces with the construction of new parking near the train depot, and in front of the Harris County Tax Office at Walnut and Market streets.

Rodney Hutson, who owns numerous lots in downtown, said the city has done an excellent job of providing parking on the south side of Main Street, particularly in the 100 to 200 blog areas, but there are still issues in the 300 to 400 block area of Main Street, and suggested using Oak Street as a parking alternative

"It's a quick, easy and inexpensive way to get parking," he said.

Craig Meyers, Tomball's community development director, shared plans to add more than 200 additional spaces by incorporating angled or head-in parking spots along Commerce Street, and angled parking on Oak Street and Walnut Streets.

The estimated cost of this project would be about $2.5 million and include a comprehensive engineering study, intersection improvements, and possibly adding sidewalks, new asphalt and restriping those areas.

"That is actually the worst case scenario," said Tomball City Manager George Shackelford.

While the changes could enhance the ever-changing landscape of downtown Tomball, none of that will happen soon enough for some downtown merchants.

"These are wonderful, but they are long term. We need short term solutions quick," Garcia said. "If we don't get them, I know personally I will have to close in three or four months."

Garcia suggested the city create temporary signage that points shoppers to parking alternatives.

City council agreed to the temporary signage directing customers to nearby parking, and will add temporary lines for parallel parking on Oak and Walnut Streets.

The new lines are expected to be in place within the next two weeks.

Main Street parking in Tomball

2012: Tomball opens parking lot between Main Street and Market Street.

2013: Tomball opens parking areas near the depot.

June: TxDOT begins road overlay project that eliminates street parking on Main Street

August: Overlay project is completed.

September: Merchants on Main Street begin to see decline in foot traffic

October: Merchants ask City Council for help
Who do you trust? That is the critical question as you consider who has earned your vote to serve on The Woodlands Township Board of Directors. Who do you trust to stop the tired habit of putting the interests of the developers and county politicians above the interests of our residents? Who do you trust to responsibly plan for our community's future?

I trust Director Gordy Bunch for Position 1, a proven leader in our community with a record of fighting for our residents. I trust Brian Boniface for Position 2, a nurse and retired Texas Army National Guardsman with a thoughtful and calm temperament who talks less so that he can listen more. I trust John Anthony Brown for Position 3, an experienced facilities manager at Huntsman and a long-time member of the Alden Bridge Village Association. And I trust Bruce Rieser for Position 4, a successful and seasoned businessman who will bring natural leadership skills to the board. Each of these candidates will put the residents' interests first and each of these candidates has the resolve to stand up to the special interests.

How can you tell which candidates will put residents' interests first? One indicator is where they stood on the Woodlands Parkway extension contained in the May 2015 road bond. No one worked harder than Director Gordy Bunch to defeat the Woodlands Parkway extension. He stood up for the interests of our residents and he stood up to the special interests who wanted to use our tax dollars to make our traffic worse. While Director Bunch was fighting for us, his opponents were standing on the sidelines. John Brown (Position 3) and Bruce Rieser (Position 4) both opposed the May 2015 road bond with the Woodlands Parkway extension, while their opponents openly supported the bond in defiance of roughly 85% of voters in The Woodlands.

The Position 2 race, with Director Mike Bass running for re-election against Brian Boniface, deserves an expanded discussion. Director Bass not only supported the bond containing the Woodlands Parkway extension, he made it his mission to shame residents of The Woodlands into providing a free road for developers. Instead of joining with Director Bunch, then-Director Peggy Hausman, and me to present a united front to the county in opposition to the Woodlands Parkway extension's inclusion in the road bond, Director Bass said that taking a stand against the project was holding the bond "hostage." He chastised our residents who vocally opposed the extension, saying "I hope all of you complaining about this one road and want to oppose this bond don't come to us in one year if this bond is defeated and say you want to do something about traffic because you have been the ones who have defeated the opportunity to do something about it."

Director Bass didn't listen to you, and he certainly didn't stand up for you. But why? He was conflicted because of his decision to run for Precinct 3 County Commissioner against James Noack. Campaign filings show that from early March 2015 to June 2015-including during the height of the debate over the May road bond-he spent thousands of dollars on political consultants related to his candidacy to unseat Commissioner Noack. When he was lecturing us that we should vote against our interests and worsen traffic on Woodlands Parkway, we were not his real audience. With a significant percentage of Precinct 3 residents living outside The Woodlands, Director Bass was actually currying favor not only with the county politicians with whom he hoped to serve on Commissioners' Court, but also with a different constituency with vastly different interests than the residents of The Woodlands. Only after the crushing defeat of the May 2015 road bond in The Woodlands did he drop his bid for County Commissioner and vow never again to seek any public office. This is not the conduct of a director who puts the interests of The Woodlands' residents first. Rather, his are the actions of a typical politician who will say and do anything to further his political ambitions. In contrast, candidate Brian Boniface is a principled and thoughtful man who will listen to voters and will not condescendingly lecture our residents. Mr. Boniface's measured demeanor will be a welcome change to Position 2.

Determining which candidates are committed to prudently planning for our community's future and honestly informing our residents about the pros and cons of our governance options is crucial in this election. By now, many of you have received mailings and pamphlets or seen Facebook ads from the so-called "Concerned Taxpayers" group run by Bruce Tough. The group repeatedly makes at least two demonstrably false claims: that there are Township Board candidates who seek to "incorporate now," and that there are Township Board candidates who want to increase your property taxes by 70%. These claims have been discredited so many times and in so many ways that it truly is mind-boggling that the group continues to make them. Some candidates willingly aligned themselves with the Concerned Taxpayers at the outset of its smear campaign, and only now are they distancing themselves because of the negative reception the group's scheme has received from the public. Their cynical political calculation should not be rewarded. You will know which candidates lined up behind the Concerned Taxpayers because their pictures are displayed on the group's materials. (What you won't know is who is bankrolling the group because it cleverly structured its organization to avoid disclosing its donors.) Can you trust candidates who wedded themselves to a group whose sole tactic is to mislead voters, and who only tried to distance themselves once they saw that it was hurting their campaign?

In stark contrast to the candidates affiliated with the Concerned Taxpayers, Director Gordy Bunch, Brian Boniface, John Brown, and Bruce Rieser are committed to putting the interests of our residents first and taking sensible measures to plan for our future. They will seek and provide accurate and unbiased information so that, at the right time, our residents can make an informed decision regarding the pros and cons of incorporating. By re-electing Gordy Bunch and electing Brian Boniface, John Brown and Bruce Rieser, you will ensure that the residents' voices are not drowned out by the powerful, well-funded special interests who are desperate to dictate the direction of our community.

So, who do you trust?
A 51-year-old man was arrested Oct. 14 after a road rage incident.

A deputy was dispatched to 1212 Lake Robbins regarding a disturbance. Upon arrival, a woman said the suspect had been driving extremely close to her vehicle and honking. Then when they stopped, the driver attempted to open her door while yelling at her.

When she advised him she was on the phone with the police, the man went around to the passenger side of her vehicle and reached through the window knocking her phone from her hand before leaving the scene. Units patrolling the area located the man, who admitted to being a part of the road rage incident and slapping the phone out of the woman's hand.

District 2  South County

* A 27-year-old Spring man was arrested Oct. 10 for public intoxication. A deputy was sent to the 25600 block of Interstate 45 in reference to a welfare concern involving an intoxicated male that was passed out. The deputy located and detained him.

* A 35-year-old Cleveland man and a 24-year-old Conroe man were arrested Oct. 10 after a fight. A deputy was notified of a disturbance in the 700 block of Blue Gill Road involving two men. The deputy met with a man who advised he and his roommate had gotten into an argument and his roommate had struck him several times with a closed fist. The roommate was detained. Other deputies arrived on scene as a second man decided to interfere with the ongoing scene. He was also detained.

* A 30-year-old Porter man was arrested Oct. 11 for illegally carrying a gun. A deputy observed a man on a bicycle approach a store in the 7900 block of FM 1488. The man entered the store with his right hand inside his unzipped open sweater jacket. The man observed deputies inside the location and decided to leave. He was stopped outside the store and a handgun was found on him.

* A 21-year-old Spring man was arrested Oct. 12 for a drug possession. A deputy stopped a vehicle on a traffic violation in the 24600 block of Interstate 45. During the investigation, the male driver was found to be in possession of a controlled substance.

* A 21-year-old man was arrested Oct. 12 for trespassing. A deputy was sent to a trespassing call in the 40500 block of Roundup Drive. During the investigation, a man was detained for criminal trespass.

* A 23-year-old Conroe man was arrested Oct. 15 for driving while intoxicated. A deputy stopped a vehicle on a traffic violation in the 2400 block of FM 1488. The male driver was found to be intoxicated.

* A 32-year-old Houston man was arrested Oct. 15 after he tried to forcibly move into a friend's apartment. A deputy was notified of a criminal mischief call in the 300 block of Valleywood Road. The deputy met with a woman who advised a friend of hers had come over to hang out and started moving his personal items into her residence without her permission. She stopped the action and left. When she arrived back at the scene the man had used a tool and entered the apartment. The man was charged with criminal mischief, a felony probation warrant out of Clay County, unlawful possession of a firearm by felon and three counts of possession of a controlled substance.

* A 20-year-old Conroe man was arrested Oct. 16 for a drug possession. A deputy responded to a welfare concern in the 26200 block of Eastwood Hill involving two men who were passed out in a vehicle.

District 6  The Woodlands

* A 35-year-old man was arrested Oct. 12 for public intoxication. A deputy was dispatched to 10500 Gosling Road in reference to a trespasser on location. Upon arrival, the deputy made contact with a man who was exhibiting slurred speech, red glassy eyes and was having difficulty maintaining his balance.

* An 18-year-old man was arrested Oct. 12 for public intoxication. A deputy was flagged down in the parking lot of 3040 College Park Drive in reference to a theft in progress. Once inside, the deputy located the suspect who had consumed approximately two beers and three whip cream chargers.

* A 20-year-old woman was arrested Oct. 13 for a drug possession. A deputy was dispatched to a suspicious vehicle on Maple Glade Path. The vehicle was occupied by two men and one woman. While retrieving her identification from her purse, the deputy observed three glass jars containing marijuana.

* A 17-year-old girl was arrested Oct. 15 for stealing almost $200 worth of merchandise. A deputy was dispatched to The Woodlands Mall in reference to a shoplifter in custody call. The girl attempted to take $197.96 worth of merchandise from JC Penny's Department Store.

* A 30-year-old woman was arrested Oct. 16 for a theft. A deputy was dispatched to 1201 Lake Woodlands in reference to a shoplifter in custody call. A woman attempted to take $264 worth of merchandise from Macy's Department Store.
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Precinct 3 Commissioner James Noack is proposing a digital public message board that would allow the commissioners to communicate publicly outside a called meeting.

While County Judge Craig Doyal said he sees some benefits, he said he isn't sure all the commissioners would use a digital message board.

The court was scheduled to discuss the item at Tuesday's meeting.

For Noack, it would help provide more transparency of county business. A quorum of commissioners discussing county business outside a publicly called meeting is prohibited by the Texas Open Meetings Act.

In fact, Noack visited with the County Attorney's Office last year about the idea.

"What it does is it allows only members of the commissioners court to publicly make statements on issues in an online forum where the community can see what they are posting," Noack said. "It gives us the opportunity to talk about issues and not have to be in court.

"I am going to ask the County Attorney's Office to begin to move forward with the creation of that."

Government Code 551.006 allows for a written electronic communication database that is viewable and searchable by the public. Doyal said the message board might be useful in emergency situations; but he added when there is such a situation, the court is allowed to call emergency meetings without the 72-hour requirement to publicly post an agenda and notice of a quorum.

"It's probably not a bad idea, I just don't know how much it would get used by our court," said Doyal, adding he had asked the County Attorney's Office to review the legality of the proposal.

"I want to make sure in today's climate there isn't any questions or concerns," Doyal said of having such a message board.

The idea of the message board for more transparency comes four months after Doyal, Precinct 2 Commissioner Charlie Riley and Precinct 4 Commissioner Jim Clark were indicted on a charge of conspiring to circumvent the Texas Open Meetings Act regarding the November 2015 road bond referendum. In addition to Doyal, Riley and Clark, political consultant Marc Davenport was indicted on the same charge.

The trial date for all four men is set for Nov. 7.
OCT. 14

An Officer observed a vehicle traveling northbound at high rate of speed 55 mph in 30 mph posted zone. The Officer initiated a traffic stop in the 3100 block of Amherst. Upon further investigation, the driver was arrested for suspicion of driving while intoxicated.

OCT. 15

At 1:50p.m., an officer was dispatched to the 4000 block of Browning in regards to a criminal mischief that already occurred. Through interviews and investigation, it was discovered the victim had lied about the incident.

OCT. 16

At 7:38 am, an officer was dispatched to a residence in the 5800 block of Auden in regard to a report of criminal trespass. A criminal trespass warning was issued. The subject left after signing a trespass warning.

OCT. 17

Officers were dispatched to the 4000 block of Bellaire for a robbery in progress. Officers arrived and searched the area for the suspect. Other police agencies were notified of the incident.

OCT. 18

No crimes reported

OCT. 19

No crimes reported

OCT. 20

An officer was dispatch to the West U PD lobby to meet with a victim who wanted to report an Identity Theft.

An Officer observed a vehicle in the 3000 block of Pittsburg traveling eastbound who failed to stop at a designated point of a stop sign. Upon further investigation, it was discovered the vehicle displayed a fictitious Texas temporary license plate.

OCT. 21

No crimes reported
Assault charges against a Houston oil executive accused of injuring a Houston police officer at the Houston Rodeo and Livestock Show more than three years ago were dismissed Monday on the eve of trial.

William D. Driver, a 50-year-old senior vice president with C & J Energy Services, was facing a maximum of 20 years in prison if convicted of assaulting an off-duty officer working security at an event Driver and his wife were attending on Feb. 21, 2013.

Driver, who was arrested after the officer used a stun gun to shock the back of his head, had pleaded not guilty and was scheduled to pick a jury in his case Monday when prosecutors dismissed the charges without giving a reason.

"He got attacked and Tasered by police officers and did nothing to provoke it," said Paul Looney, Driver's attorney. "They're out tens of thousands of dollars, three and half years of anguish over whether he will keep his job or go to prison."

Prosecutors with the Harris County District Attorney's Office declined to say why the case was tossed. The dismissal form, which was signed by visiting judge Jim Anderson, notes only that the charges were dismissed with the notation: "See state's memo."

Driver said he was attacked by police working security who then shocked him at least three times with a Taser as they held him on the ground.

Bystanders at the rodeo used mobile phones to record Driver's arrest, which were posted online and which Looney showed to prosecutors before his client was indicted.

"Nothing has changed in this case. There's no new witness. There's not one shred of new evidence. This decision could have been made five days after he was arrested," Looney said. "This is just hellish prosecutorial abuse."

Outside the courtroom Monday, Driver and his wife Nancy, said the allegations have caused many a sleepless night.

"I'm relieved," Driver said. "It's been a nerve-wracking experience."

His wife was more emphatic.

"It's been so stressful. It's a weight lifted off uslots of sleepless nights. It's been scary," Nancy Driver said. "And what was so disturbing was that he never touched (the officer)."
Charging that the run-up to the 2016 presidential election resembles the darkest days of pre-civil rights America, leaders of a new progressive association of religious leaders Monday called on Houston voters to reject candidates whose campaigns have been marked by the "rhetoric of hate and violence."

The call for "moral voters," issued on the steps of City Hall, came as area polls opened for the first day of early balloting. While they stopped short of naming candidates who should be opposed, members of the recently formed Faith Leaders Coalition of Greater Houston expressed disapproval of aspects of Republic presidential candidate Donald Trump's bid for office.

"This has been a contentious election season, one that has been marked with the language of exclusion and fear, especially over the social media," said the Rev. Jonathan Page, coalition president and pastor of First Congregational Church. "As faith leaders, we unequivocally condemn Islamophobia, racism, sexism, xenophobia and anti-Semitism in all its forms."

The group's vice president, the Rev. Lisa Hunt, pastor of St. Stephen's Episcopal Church, charged that the "moral authority of faith leaders has been co-opted by political parties which seek to leverage our numbers and influence for their consolidation of power. The parties encouraged focus on narrow wedge issues of the culture wars, so that the voices of faith leaders have been drowned out.  The Faith Leaders Coalition of Greater Houston arises to say 'no more.' "

Progressive policies

Page said the coalition consists of 50 religious leaders, representing a wide spectrum of mainstream Protestant traditions. The group also includes Catholics, Humanists, Muslims and Reform and Conservative Jews. He characterized coalition members as "liberal to moderate."

Notably absent from the organization are Southern Baptists and other evangelical Protestants.

Trump actively has courted white evangelical voters, and a recent Public Religion Research Institute poll reports that almost 70 percent of that group favors his candidacy. Only 15 percent indicated support for Democrat Hillary Clinton.

Page said his organization, which will continue to advocate for progressive social policies after the election, will reach out to local evangelical leaders in the near future.

He said the new coalition coalesced around such issues as 2015's heated political battle over Houston's equal rights ordinance. The city ordinance, which would have for the first time barred discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity, was opposed by some evangelical clergy and rejected 2-to-1 by voters.

"I thought it got twisted unfairly," he said of the anti-ordinance campaign, which presented the measure's gender identification aspects as an opportunity for sexual predators to access women's restrooms.

'Same kind of fears'

Hunt told those gathered at City Hall that the coalition will "work together for the wholeness of our citizens in areas including the environment, housing, health and education.  While our individual members may not agree on every issue, we will work together to form a more equitable, just and peaceful city."

Also speaking was coalition member Mustafa Carroll, executive director of the Houston chapter of the Muslim advocacy group, Council on American-Islamic Relations.

Quoting Mississippi civil rights leader Fannie Lou Hamer, he said, "I'm sick and tired of being sick and tired."

The current political climate resembles that of pre-civil rights Mississippi, he said.

"The same kind of fears are being stoked," Carroll said. "Maybe it's in our DNA, but I know our DNA is better than that. Vote, but we want you to be politically active. Vote at all times.  As the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King said, we're at a point of time that we should live together as brothers and sisters or we shall all perish as fools."

Monday's announcement was attended by approximately 20 coalition members, but received little attention from pedestrians at City Hall.
A 19-year-old man has been charged in the north Houston shooting of two men and a 15-year-old boy Friday evening, police said Monday.

Darius Montell Hubbard was charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.
A man died after being shot about noon Friday in the middle of Bremond Street near Sampson,just south of downtown Houston.

The victim was selling bootleg movie discs near 3410 Bremond when an unknown masked suspect walked up and shot him with a rifle, Houston police said Monday. The suspect fled to a waiting vehicle about a block away.
On Monday, Houston police identified a suspect in the shooting early Saturday of an off-duty reserve deputy in north Houston.

Rajoun Johnson, 23, is wanted on charges of aggravated robbery with a deadly weapon.

HPD homicide investigators gave this account of the incident:

An off-duty Harris County Precinct 1 reserve deputy constable gave a ride to an acquaintance, dropping the man off about 1 a.m. at Cavalcade and Wipprecht Street. Before the man left the deputy's car, he used a gun to hit the deputy's head and demanded money.

The men then struggled, and the suspect allegedly shot the deputy, who returned fire. The suspect, who may have been struck, fled on foot.

Paramedics took the deputy to Memorial Hermann Hospital in stable condition. His injuries were not life-threatening.

Police detained a wounded individual at Ben Taub Hospital who was found not to be the suspect.

Police ask that anyone with information about Rajoun Johnson's whereabouts contact the HPD Homicide Division at 713-308-3600 or Crime Stoppers at 713-222-TIPS.

More for you Harris County constable, passenger injured in shootout

Following standard procedure whenever a law enforcement officer shoots someone in city limits, police said the case is being investigated by the HPD Homicide Division and the Harris County District Attorney's Office.
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An alleged North Texas car thief is probably wishing he had picked on someone less feisty.

Jerome Smallwood, 39, wound up in jail last week after the woman whose car he allegedly took tracked him to the State Fair of Texas in Dallas, where she confronted him, according to the Dallas Morning News.

He was later released on bail, and the case on Monday was pending the outcome of a grand jury referral, a spokeswoman for the Dallas Police Department said by email.

READ MORE: Fried Jell-O among top food winners for State Fair of Texas

Smallwood was arrested late Oct. 18 after a woman told Dallas police that a man had yanked her out of her car about noon as she returned to the vehicle from a restaurant on East Ledbetter Drive. She fell and hit her head as the man drove off, the Morning News reported.

Using a tracking device installed on the car, she determined that the vehicle was in the vicinity of the State Fair. She and her sister went to the fairgrounds and spotted the car, with Smallwood inside it.

The woman confronted Smallwood, who insisted the car was his as he backed out to leave. The owner sustained another injury when her arm got caught in the car's closing door, the paper reported.

READ MORE: Car salesman turns tables on carjackers during test drive

A State Fair employee flagged down an officer, and Smallwood was eventually arrested. He was released Oct. 22 on $100,000 bail, according to the Dallas County Sheriff's Office.

The Dallas Police Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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With any luck, no one taking advantage of a "shotgun wedding" sale in West Texas will actually need the shotgun to have the wedding take place.

But, courtesy of a jewelry store in Lubbock, anyone buying an engagement ring at the end of October will get a free Remington 870 shotgun or a bolt action rifle.

Thacker Jewelry in Lubbock has held the "shotgun wedding" sale for about three years. The concept is simple: Anyone buying an engagement ring will also get a gift certificate for a shotgun or a rifle with LSG Tactical, a local gun dealer.

READ MORE: Fort Bend Sheriff's Office post gun warning on Facebook

"The idea, of course, is the word play and the old shotgun wedding," jewelry store owner Joe Thacker told KLBK-TV in Lubbock. "Not going back to the negative connotation playing off of that and it's been a lot of fun. We had a lot of people participate and this year we've even gotten into it more."

LSG Tactical owner Steve Burns called the sale "a natural for most Texans."

"Most guys grew up hunting or at least exposed to hunting if not by their family, but by their friends, or social groups," Burns told the station.

READ MORE: Gun store warns 'prices will skyrocket' if Hillary Clinton is elected

Thacker hopes the sale from Oct. 27 through Oct. 29 will draw plenty of couples looking to tie the knot.

Who doesnt want to get a shotgun or a rifle and in the process capture the love of their lives? Thacker asked.
The summers final Live on the Waterfront concert was held Wednesday evening at Prince Arthurs Landing. The popular series in Thunder Bay has completed nine weekly shows that began on July 13. Wednesdays concert was unique as it was held one hour later in the evening to mesh with the 10 p.
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The total bill for bankruptcies and bailouts in South Koreas ocean freight transportation and shipbuilding sector could also result in redundancies and layoffs of around 10,000 workers, according to a recent report from the International Monetary Fund.



The total bill for the corporate restructuring of South Koreas troubled shipping and shipbuilding industries could reach 31 trillion won (U.S. $27 billion), according to a report released over the weekend by the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

By comparison, Seoul sent a 12 trillion won support package for the state-owned Korea Development Bank (KDB) and Export-Import Bank of Korea (KEXIM), which have a combined 10 trillion won in internal loss-absorption capacity.

In the report, Benefits and Costs of Corporate Debt Restructuring: An Estimation for Korea, the IMF said the employment impact of bankruptcies and bailouts in the shipping sector will total around 10,000 workers.

This baseline estimate suggests a timeline for recovery of about 10 years, according to the fund.

The economic cost of debt restructuring is not directly a fiscal cost, but may imply the need for fiscal support to incentivize corporate restructuring; to compensate individuals that might be affected by the employment impact of corporate restructuring (e.g. by providing unemployment benefits and retraining); to maintain the solvency and viability of banks that may recognize losses; and to offset the short-term drag on economic activity from lower output and consumption, the IMF said. Higher fiscal revenue associated with accelerated medium-term output growth and hiring post-restructuring may help offset the short-term fiscal costs.

The reported added that, Overall, the key qualitative insight is that corporate debt restructurings pay off. The quantitative results hinge on a set of assumptions and estimates that, although being reasonable first approximations, can be refined to better reflect country-specific and industry circumstances.

However, any refinement will still support the key qualitative result. When benefits and costs of debt restructuring are considered jointly, it becomes apparent that the economic costs of debt restructuring  both the cost to the creditors and the employment impact  are offset in the medium term by more rapid output growth and higher hiring.

The IMF said Korea should serve as an instructive case for consideration of the costs and benefits of corporate restructuring.

After years of rapid growth, many of Korean export-oriented industries face headwinds from a global economic slowdown. Shipping and shipbuilding are especially affected. Steel and petrochemicals may become distressed if the global slowdown deepens. The technology intensive industries, such as automobiles and electronics, are exposed to intensifying international competition, it said.

Corporate debt vulnerabilities are high, and the government is taking steps to to agree, and then swiftly implement, plans for the operational and financial restructuring of vulnerable firms, while ensuring an adequate social safety net to assist affected workers.

According to an analysis in the Korea Times, Financial Supervisory Service data submitted to Rep. Chae Yi-bai of the minor opposition Peoples Party suggests the South Korean government has already poured 38.7 trillion won into the shipping and shipbuilding sector so far, including 20.8 trillion for 26 companies since 2008 alone. Primary creditor banks, however, have only been able to recover about 11 trillion won of the nearly 40 trillion invested in the beleaguered firms.

Rep. Chae reportedly said Seouls repeated bailouts of shipping companies have only exacerbated the issues faced by the industry, warning that the current restructuring must have a clear vision in order to affect real change.

Most financial support came from state-run banks during the restructuring of shipbuilding and shipping companies, and misjudgments by policymakers only aggravated the problem, the lawmaker said.
Caritas Cehia in cautarea unui expert/unei experte sau unei echipe de experti in prestarea serviciilor de consiliere psihologica (pe segmentul burnout) pentru echipa mobila de prestare a serviciilor psiho-sociale pentru refugiatii ucraineni
We can all agree its been a rough season for the news media. Hostile political crowds, accusations of slander, and struggles with what Guardian editor Katharine Viner has called the waning power of evidence and diminishing status of truth.

Today more than ever, the news medias role as a mediator and gatekeeper of civic discourse is being questioned. Jeffrey Rutenbeck, American Universitys Dean of the School of Communication, voiced what many are feeling when he observed in a recent Knight Foundation report, Journalism has had the luxury of not having to ask itself the existential question of why anyone should pay any attention to us at all.

He proposed an interesting way to tackle the problem. I think journalists could learn a lot from hanging around with successful librarians.

Why librarians? Their job is to navigate the world of information, help scholars and students get what they need, and distinguish good information from bad. Theyve faced their own technological disruptions, and have responded by developing a set of principles to help their public assess the credibility of information and use it ethically. They call this framework information literacy.

Olivia Ivey, an AU public affairs librarian and specialist on information literacy, says its principles help students to pay attention to the source of information, ask whether it can be verified, and consider the context. Success, she says, is when a student inquires, Says who? Based on what authority? What evidence? An outstanding practitioner goes further and refutes inaccurate information.

Todays information landscape challenges many long-held assumptions. Take the issue of plagiarism. In a 2015 journal article, two University of Maryland librarians described the challenges they faced teaching freshmen about citing sources, plagiarism, and academic integrity. The students were skeptical. The lesson did not correspond to their experiences on social media, where information is routinely recycled, repackaged, and repurposed.

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So the librarians used Twitter to demonstrate their point, citing the case of a user who plagiarized comedians tweets, changing the wording slightly to avoid detection by search engines. This time the students understood the harm being done.

Illustrating the ongoing complexity of these issues, however, students then asked about using the same material on different media platforms. They wondered if there was such a thing as self-plagiarism.

The kind of discussion that led to the students awareness of these issues is an important principle of information literacy. Its not a passive approach or a checklist. Its a dynamic process that occurs through conversation and discourse. Acknowledging this, the librarians called their article Scholarship is a Conversation.

Conversation is also the theme of Reclaiming Conversation: The Power of Talk in the Digital Age, the latest book by MIT professor and clinical psychologist Sherry Turkle. She studies technologys impact on people and their relationships. She believes the publics increased reliance on digital communication and social media at the expense of face-to-face conversation is harming civic discourse, impairing peoples ability to listen to alternative viewpoints and to develop skills to dialogue, compromise, and build consensus.

She paints an unflattering portrait of the news media in her chapter on public discourse. She says her students believe the media supports a view of the world as a series of emergencies, an unending series of catastrophes it covers as disasters that need disaster relief.

Seen on their mobile devices, snippets of lifetragic, joyful, heroic, unjustscroll by on a screen, accompanied by personalized ads. Opinion and sentiment outweigh facts. Its difficult to place information in context or understand underlying causes, let alone feel empowered to seek solutions.

Perhaps as a consequence, they are less interested in news. A Pew Research Center report found adults aged 18 to 29 have more negative attitudes towards the news media and are much less likely to engage with news than older adults. They are the least likely to say the media is doing a good job. Only 28 percent say they are very loyal to their sources of news, the lowest percentage of any age group. Although they prefer to get their news online and are more likely to see it on social networking sites, many dont trust information they get there. They are more likely than other age groups to sense media bias.

The information literacy framework offers them a more meaningful way to engage with and manage information. The librarians encourage users to focus on inquiry rather than opinion, to evaluate a range of sources, take into account diverse viewpoints and perspectives, and to develop the ability to pursue new avenues as they gain new understanding.

They also urge users to assess the value of information in its various forms. Is it being used as a commodity, a way to understand the world, a means to influence, a path to educate, or some combination of these? They regard users not only as knowledge consumers, but also as knowledge creators.

By this point, you are probably wondering how a longtime journalist and media educator (thats me) got interested in librarians (delightful people, by the way.) It began when I started to look at possibilities for collaboration between the media, communities, and research institutions like universities to address many issues that now go uncovered due to lack of resources.

Three different cultures, some with a mixture of public and/or private funding, they need a common language to communicate. Rummaging through librarians toolkits, I found a treasure trove of resources newsrooms could use. Information literacy is one of them.

If utilizing this framework can help journalists begin to persuade a skeptical public that the media is making a genuine effort to understand them and present them with credible information, thats a big step forward. Many news organizations are taking strides in this direction by reinstating or adding internal fact-checking operations.

For journalists, the framework can serve as a navigational tool to help chart a course in destabilized terrain, and around social media echo chambers. It adds a needed element to the traditional gatekeeper, All the News That [We Think] is Fit to Print approach, to which an information literacy user would respond, Says who? On what authority?

Its a critical component for news organizations that may wish to collaborate with the public on a project. There needs to be some common understanding of how information will be evaluated and used. It also signals a journalist is open to diverse perspectives and the possibility of changing his or her mind, moving towards what New York Times public editor Liz Spayd calls a dynamic relationship that feels more like a conversation.

Has America ever needed a media watchdog more than now? Help us by joining CJR today

Louise Lief is Scholar in Residence at the American University School of Communication Investigative Reporting Workshop.
The presidential debates and their aftermath offered many tidbits for language lovers. Nearly as entertaining, though, were the ways people tried to look things up. Google is a wonderful search engine, and it can often anticipate what youre looking for, but it still records the actual search. Merriam-Webster also tracks what people look up, and frequently comments on their search strategies and results.

The M-W Trend Watch blog, in particular, was busy remarking on some words looked up during the debates, including nasty (an instant internet meme), locker-room talk, and bigly, which is a real word, notwithstanding the derision it has drawn.

One phrase that particularly gained traction was bad hombres, which Donald Trump used to describe some undocumented immigrants coming over the border with Mexico: But we have some bad hombres here, and were gonna get em out, Trump said.

First, the history of hombres. It is a Spanish word, literally meaning man. The Oxford English Dictionary says it first entered English usage in 1630 to refer to a man, especially one of Hispanic or Spanish origin. It later came to mean any man, equivalent to guy. (That use of guy itself is an American invention, the OED says, coming in as late as 1847.) Guys can now refer to any group of people, male, female, or mixed, though folks might be less offensive when women are involved.

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The Concise New Partridge Dictionary of Slang and Unconventional English attributes part of the spread of hombre in English to Hollywood westerns, ubiquitous in the 1930s through 60s (and Paul Newman in the 1967 movie Hombre). It had a neutral flavor, meaning just a man. Partridge says its usage to mean male friend may have been informed by a phonetic similarity to homeboy, which it traces not to the streets of an American inner city but to the United Kingdom in 2001. But OED and others trace it much earlier: 1861 in the US and South Africa, and 1965 as urban slang.

As Merriam-Webster points out, the phrase bad hombre has been in use since at least 1893.

Trumps comment spurred more instant memes and criticism, some based on his Spanglish and others bordering on the lewd. At least one was based on a homophone of hombre, ombre. An ombre is a shade of color that fades into another, and is a popular hair coloring technique. Its also spelled ombre, comes to English from the French verb ombrer, to shade, and its related to umbra, a shaded area or shadow. (The area of a total eclipse is in the umbra cast by the Moon; the areas of partial eclipse are in the penumbra.) Its related not at all to hombre.

People running to Merriam-Webster for clarification on hombre during the debate instead looked up ombre and ombre. In a roundabout way, they were correct, at least about ombre: it also is an old card game, played with three hands, and originally calledwait for ithombre.

While its great that people can type incorrect search terms and still come up with the right answer, it can also be entertaining. During the first debate, Merriam-Webster tweeted that more people were looking up lepo than Aleppo. (Gary Johnson, the Libertarian candidate for president, learned that one the hard way.)

Note that more people are looking up lepo- (as in, whats a lepo?) than Aleppo. #debate https://t.co/SvAqKWp3bz  Merriam-Webster (@MerriamWebster) October 10, 2016

But people arent the only ones making mistakes. ABC News, which automatically transcribed the last debate, could easily set off a meme of its own with its rendering of Trumps hombres comment:

But we have some bad arm brace here and were gonna get him out.

Has America ever needed a media watchdog more than now? Help us by joining CJR today

Merrill Perlman managed copy desks across the newsroom at the New York Times, where she worked for twenty-five years. Follow her on Twitter at @meperl.
The family of a Des Moines, Iowa, woman who died of a prescription drug overdose is appealing a judges rejection of their motion seeking to name the doctors former health system as defendants.

Brandy Stoutenbergs relatives originally blamed Dr. Daniel Baldi for her 2010 death, the Des Moines Register reported Saturday. The family pressed on with a lawsuit against him after Baldi was acquitted in 2014 of criminal counts of manslaughter for the deaths of nine patients, including Stoutenberg and Paul Gray, a founding member of the band Slipknot, who also died in 2010.

During Baldis criminal trial, another doctor testified that he had prescribed a powerful stimulant and anti-anxiety medication to Stoutenberg  testimony that jurors said helped shape their decision to acquit Baldi.

The Stoutenberg lawsuit was scheduled to go to trial Monday. But a judge dismissed it last month, noting that an expert hired by the family agreed with defense experts that the death was not Baldis fault. The family then sought to move forward with the lawsuit against his former health system, now known as UnityPoint.

But District Judge Douglas Staskal said it would be improper to allow a plaintiff to effectively switch targets six years after a death. The amended complaint is in reality a completely new and different claim that substantially changes the issues in the case, the judge said.

Under Iowa law, patients generally have two years after an injury occurs to file a medical malpractice lawsuit.

A UnityPoint spokeswoman declined to comment to the newspaper. An attorney for Baldi, Guy Cook, said Friday that the former pain relief specialist is grateful the truth came out.

Several other lawsuits involving former Baldi patients have been settled for undisclosed amounts.

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Jaxport CEO Eric Green said the $23.5 million grant marks a milestone in our initiatives to build the port of the future and move cargo in the most efficient and eco-friendly way possible.
Texas Health Clinic Owner Pleads Guilty to Insurance Fraud

The owner of a Houston, Texas, health clinic pled guilty to insurance fraud after billing for medical services  often provided to injured employees  despite having no licensed medical staff at the clinic. Instead, investigators found that the clinic was using foreign medical students to provide care.

Rosemary Phelan, the owner of Roses Houston Healthcare Clinic, entered a guilty plea in Harris County Court and was sentenced to seven years deferred adjudication and ordered to pay $88,000 in restitution.

A joint investigation by the Texas Department of Insurance Division of Workers Compensation and Texas Mutual Insurance Company revealed that Phelans clinic had no licensed medical providers on staff yet continued to accept patients. She would then file fraudulent workers compensation claims to collect from insurers.

According to investigators, the clinic had a licensed doctor on staff at one time. When that doctor left in 2012, Phelan began hiring foreign medical students to act as doctors and treat patients.

Workers Compensation Commissioner Ryan Brannan said this case was particularly egregious. Someone filing false claims is bad enough, he said. But this scam put peoples health at risk. Its unconscionable.

Phelan submitted $166,843 in fraudulent workers compensation claims, representing more than 50 injured employees, claiming they had been treated by the clinics previous doctor.

Phelan pled guilty to second degree insurance fraud and a felony charge of practicing medicine without a license. The investigation found that her clinic was supplying narcotics to patients using the credentials of doctors and physician assistants who no longer worked at the clinic without their knowledge.

$5M Bond Revoked for Missouri Arson Suspect

A judge has revoked a $5 million cash bond paid by a central Missouri businessman accused of arson.

The Columbia Tribune reports that 62-year-old Mehrdad Fotoohighiam was charged with arson in 2015 after authorities accused him of paying another man $500 to set fire to a mobile home, injuring a woman.

A probable cause statement says the defendant wanted to buy the womans land to expand his Columbia area engineering company, and she refused to sell.

A judge Monday revoked Fotoohighiams $5 million bond, which he paid earlier. Hes now being held in Boone County. Prosecutors wanted the bond revoked because they were concerned he might flee the U.S.

His lawyer says Fotoohighiam is innocent and isnt a flight risk. His next court date is Dec. 5.

Man Wanted for Fraud in Arizona Arrested in New Jersey

Authorities in New Jersey have arrested a man wanted on fraud and theft charges in Arizona.

Detectives found 43-year-old Brian McFarland living in Swedesboro.

McFarland is accused of bilking nearly 90 insurance customers of more than $450,000.

He waived extradition and agreed to return to Arizona.

Its not known if he has a lawyer.

Former Iowa trooper accused of theft in workers comp case

A former Iowa state trooper has been charged with theft, accused by state authorities of improperly receiving workers compensation payments.

The Iowa Public Safety Department said Thursday that 38-year-old Lance Below turned himself in Wednesday to the Hardin County Sheriffs Office. Court records dont show the name of an attorney who could be contacted to comment for him. Below was released without bail.

The patrol says he left the department in September 2015.

Authorities say Below improperly receiving workers compensation for an ankle problem while working for the patrol and for another employer without notifying that employer or his workers compensation provider that he was being paid for the second job, which would have reduced his compensation.

Court records say Below, of Hubbard, was overpaid nearly $27,000.

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Gov. John Bel Edwards bumped up his request to more than $4 billion for federal flood disaster aid to repair south Louisianas flood destruction, according to a letter to the White House released Friday.

The Democratic governors earlier request totaled $2.8 billion for the flooding in August. While he praised the federal response, Edwards said updated damage estimates have driven up the price tag.

Our data on housing damages is getting more and more clear, impacts to small businesses are starting to come into view and we are just beginning to gather critical data relative to infrastructure damages, Edwards wrote to President Barack Obama. Our needs are still great.

The money would pay for rebuilding after the August flood and an earlier March flood that struck north Louisiana. Congress would have to approve the spending. Edwards is hoping for support from the Obama administration for the request.

Louisiana already has received $438 million in disaster recovery aid from Congress, leaving about $3.6 billion of Edwards request still pending.

Most of the money sought is to help homeowners, since an estimated 78 percent of homeowners with flood damage didnt have flood insurance. Other dollars are requested to aid renters and businesses, to pay for a river diversion project and to repair roads and bridges.

The state also is asking for $600 million for water management, flood control and other projects aimed at reducing the threat of future flooding.

I understand that this is a relatively new approach to disaster funding, but I believe the state of Louisiana is the ideal place to make this type of far reaching, long-sighted investment in the future of our communities, a future that relies less on federal assistance, Edwards wrote.

The governor also asked for support of proposals by U.S. Rep. Charles Boustany, a Lafayette Republican, to offer new and expanded tax breaks in the flood area, along with below-market mortgages.

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
BRUNSWICK HILLS --- Theft, Center Road: A manager at the 5270 Center Rd. Discount Drug Mart reported the theft of more than $300 worth of Red Bull and other cans of soda from the store at 3 p.m. Oct. 14. A woman suspected of stealing Red Bull from other Discount Drug Mart stores in Amherst, Elyria, Strongsville, and Fairlawn was seen on surveillance footage taking four packs of Red Bull - approximately 35 cans - and four 12-packs of soda from the Brunswick Hills store. Police tracked the woman to two potential addresses in Medina. The incident was still under investigation at the time of the report.

Drug possession, Plumb Creek Parkway: Police responded to a call to Plumb Creek Park at 6:50 p.m. Oct. 4 for a possible drug overdose. The caller told police he and his wife saw two men who appeared to be under the influence of drugs and that one told him he had "snorted some pills." Police found evidence of crack cocaine inside the car. Both men admitted to snorting Klonopin pills that day and one said he had also smoked crack. The second man was taken to Cleveland Clinic Brunswick by a Brunswick EMS squad.

Drunken driver, Grafton Road: Police pulled over a 16-year-old driver at 1:39 a.m. Oct. 15 after seeing the car he was driving travel "completely over the solid yellow line." Reports noted that "if there was a vehicle coming eastbound...it would have been struck." After failing field sobriety tests, the boy was given a blood-alcohol breath test at the police station, with his parents present. He also failed the Breathalyzer test and was released to his father after being cited for driving outside marked lanes, driving under the influence of liquor, underage liquor possession, and open container in a public place.

Theft, Fallen Leaf Trail: A resident reported his front license place stolen from his car overnight Oct. 16. The plate was last seen by the man at his wife on the evening of Oct. 15 and the car was parked inside their garage overnight.

If you would like to discuss the police blotter, please visit our crime and courts comments page.
Cleveland police car 2.jpg

A pizza delivery driver was robbed at gunpoint on Lorain Avenue in the Detroit-Shoreway neighborhood early Sunday.

(File photo)

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Police are investigating after a pizza delivery driver was robbed at gunpoint in the Detroit-Shoreway neighborhood.

The incident happened early Sunday on Lorain Avenue near West 80th Street, according to a Cleveland police report.

The delivery driver, an 18-year-old Lakewood man, told police he suspected someone set him up to get robbed.

He delivered pizza to the resident of a Lorain Avenue apartment building about 1:15 a.m., then headed back toward his car, the report said.

By the time the driver returned to his car, the customer had retreated upstairs to his apartment, police said.

A robber approached the driver as he crossed the street, told him "give me the money," and pulled a revolver from his waistband, police said.

While ordering him to fork over the cash, the man placed the tip of his gun against the driver's stomach.

The driver handed over all the cash he was carrying, which totaled $64, police said.

The robber ran to a car that was parked down the street.

The delivery driver returned to his own vehicle and drove back to a Domino's on Lorain Avenue, where he called police.

To comment on this post, please visit Monday's crime and courts comments page.
world series food collage.jpg

Progressive Field adds a pair of special menu items for the World Series between the Cleveland Indians and Chicago Cubs.

(Delaware North)

CLEVELAND, Ohio - The Cleveland Indians will have a couple of new food items offered for the World Series.

Delaware North, the team's food, beverage and retail partner, will launch the "Nap Attack" and "When Pigs Fly." Each item costs $13.

The Nap Attack, a nod to Mike Napoli, is a giant turkey leg braised in Ohio Apple Cider and butter, and smoked. During the regular season, Napoli clubbed 34 home runs - the most of his 11-year career. It will be at the Throwing Smoke stand near sections 159-160.

When Pigs Fly is five crispy pork shank wings tossed in maple hot sauce. It references the World Series drought for the Chicago Cubs and Indians. The Cubs haven't been to the series since 1945 and have not won since 1908. The Indians haven't been since 1997 and have not won since 1948. When Pigs Fly will be in the Ball Park Classic stand on the upper deck.

Progressive Field beefed up its concession offerings by featuring several local craft breweries and restaurants this season:
Thank you to The Plain Dealer for the recent extensive coverage on the impacts of Hurricane Matthew on the people of Haiti.

For a people who have yet to fully recover from the 2010 earthquake and the cholera epidemic that soon followed, this latest disaster is devastating. More tragic, however, is the daily reality that is Haiti, a reality that intensifies each new challenge because of the lack of resources to rebound.

Adding to the natural devastation are issues like deforested land, poverty and a lack of infrastructure.



Although I do not have the expertise to understand how U.S. policy could assist Haiti to become self-sufficient, I am concerned about the decision made in September by the Department of Homeland Security to revoke the policy that allowed survivors of the earthquake to enter and stay in the United States.

Deportation of Haitians back to Haiti at this time can only add to the suffering being experienced by the Haitian people.



Sen. Sherrod Brown is one of 12 senators who have signed a letter asking the administration to grant Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haitians who recently arrived and are living in the United States. I support Senator Brown's action and hope others will as well.



Mary Pat Cook

Rocky River
H2O Ultra Lounge in Maple Heights.JPG

H2O Ultra Lounge in Maple Heights is temporarily closed after a fatal shooting and a large fight.

(Evan MacDonald/cleveland.com)

MAPLE HEIGHTS, Ohio -- A Maple Heights bar is temporarily closed after two recent incidents left one man dead and another man in a coma.

The Cuyahoga County Prosecutor's Office called the H2O Ultra Lounge a nuisance in a complaint filed Friday in Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court. Officials are trying to close the bar after an Oct. 15 fatal shooting and an Oct. 16 fight. Both incidents happened in the parking lot outside the bar.

Judge Matthew A. McMonagle granted a temporary injunction to close the bar. The matter will be discussed at a hearing Friday in Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court.

Maple Heights officers responded to 65 calls to the bar from Oct. 1, 2015 to Oct. 21, 2016, prosecutors said in the complaint. Those calls included the homicide, shootings, felonious assaults, drug possession, open container violations and noise complaints, prosecutors said.

"The criminal felony violations that have occurred and are still occurring at the [bar] have created a hazard to the community," prosecutors said.

The bar's owners could not be reached for comment Monday morning.

Detectives are still searching for the gunman who shot Jacques L. McDuffey in the head outside the bar located at the Southgate USA Shopping Center on Libby Road. The 21-year-old died after a medical helicopter took him to University Hospitals.

Two fights broke out inside the bar shortly before the shooting. One man pulled out a gun and pointed it at several patrons, prosecutors said.

The fights moved to the parking lot. Witnesses said approximately 10 people had guns during the shooting.

Investigators later found 26 shell casings and nine bullets in the parking lot. Four bullets hit parked cars.

The next night, officers spotted a large fight just before 2:30 a.m. outside the bar. One man involved in the fight suffered brain swelling and bleeding and remains in a coma at Hillcrest Hospital, prosecutors said.

City officials met with a bar representative in July to discuss safety concerns but the conditions have not improved, prosecutors said.

The complaint also accuses ownership of failure to pay taxes or maintain a valid liquor permit. The bar's most recent liquor permit expired Oct. 1. Ownership applied for a new liquor permit but a check mailed to the state's Division of Liquor Control bounced, prosecutors said.

Earlier this year, a Cuyahoga County judge granted a preliminary injunction to keep a Cleveland Heights bar closed after a fatal shooting. In his ruling, Judge Jose Villanueva agreed with the city's contention that the bar is a nuisance and said the ruling "is necessary to prevent irreparable harm to the residents of Cleveland Heights."

If you'd like to comment on this story, visit Monday's crime and courts comments section.
AMHERST, Ohio - One hundred years ago, three trains collided on the tracks in what is now Amherst's Sandstone Village, killing 27 people and seriously injuring 47. The tragedy created heroes, drew villains and allowed Mary Pickford, the greatest film actress of the day, to play a real-life heroine.

On March 29, to mark the anniversary of the disaster, Amherst erected a simple, somber monument to tell the story of the city's catastrophe at Sandstone Village, a recreated 1800s town on Milan Avenue.

Historian Jim Wilhelm, who also serves as the assistant fire chief of Amherst, has made it his personal mission to educate people about the tragedy.

It started with two trains headed east to Pittsburgh and ultimately New York City. The second train had been added to carry the overflow from the crowded first train, and it followed nine minutes behind it.

As the first train approached the old Amherst switching station around 3:15 a.m., the engineer stopped because a danger signal light was on. Heavy fog kept the engineer from seeing very far down the tracks. He got out to talk to the switching station worker, fearing there was a broken track or an obstacle on the tracks ahead.

"It turned out to be a bogus signal," Wilhelm said. "It turned itself off before the engineer reached the tower. The engineer got back on board and tried to get the train moving again. That was the trouble, he could not get it moving from the dead stop. The wheels spun on the tracks."

The train finally started to inch forward. The dense fog prevented the engineer on the second train from seeing that the first one was barely moving.

"He plowed right into it," Wilhelm said. "The second train tore right through the two rear cars of the first train, and knocked other cars over onto the tracks."

Minutes later, a westbound train, headed from New York to Los Angeles, crashed into the derailed trains.

Wilhelm said the sounds of the crash and the sounds of trapped victims screaming cut through the still night and could be heard for miles.

Thousands of people converged at the crash site.

Some came to render whatever assistance they could. Although 27 people were killed in the crash, a 28th died the next day of injuries, and at least 47 people were badly injured. Missing or crushed arms and legs and massive head injuries were common. Doctors, nurses and rescue workers helped the injured and transported them to nearby hospitals.

Other heroes were the workers who had the monumental task of moving hundreds of tons of twisted metal off the tracks.

Still others drawn to the scene were heartless thieves.

"It was pretty awful," said Wilhelm. "People were stealing whatever they found at the crash scene. There was so much going on the police could not prevent it all. One man in Lorain actually stole a scalp that was torn from the head of one of the victims. Lorain police learned about the theft and confiscated the scalp."

Lurid newspaper headlines shouted about victims screaming in agony and about looters stealing from the victims.

But Wilhelm likes to talk about the heroes, and there were many.

Among them was a wispy young woman of 24 named Mary Pickford, the most famous silent film actress of her time. With her was another actress, Ella Hall, who served as her understudy.

"The railroad people managed to get one engine and several cars righted and able to move," Wilhelm said. "They loaded up the injured and others, and prepared to take them to the hospital in Elyria. Pickford and Hall refused to go, they wanted to stay and help the injured. In her time, Pickford was bigger than Meryl Streep is today, she was the biggest star in movies, but she chose to stay and help."

That came as no surprise to Cari Beauchamp, who works for the Mary Pickford Foundation, a charity that spends millions to help people in need.

"She was always philanthropic," she said. "She always ran toward people in need, not away. She was the founder of the Motion Picture Relief Fund, now called the Motion Picture Television Fund, that helps people in the industry. Her entire life she was concerned about the poor and the elderly."

Beauchamp said Pickford was returning to Los Angeles after finishing the film, "Hulda From Holland," which was being shot in upstate New York. Ella Hall was also a star, but not as well-known as Pickford.

Oddly enough, Pickford's role in the crash's aftermath went unnoticed by Ohio newspapers. Other newspapers, including the New York Times, wrote about her.

"Mary Pickford and Ella Hall were on board the 20th Century Limited returning from New York to their studio on the Pacific coast," reported the Kansas City Globe on March 30, 1916. "They got out and worked with the injured. (They) bandaged arms, heads and legs of those being brought from the wreckage."

Pickford, known as "America's Sweetheart," was one of the last people to leave the scene, making sure that the injured were first taken away for help.

She and Hall were not the only heroic women on that train.

Mrs. Robert Hotz had just completed training as a nurse at St. Joseph Hospital Nursing School in Lorain. She was returning to Chicago after boarding in Elyria, minutes before her westbound train crashed into the other two.

"She immediately went to work," said Wilhelm. "She is credited with saving eight to 10 people who would have died if not for her efforts. She put every bit of training she just learned to use that morning."

Wilhelm has put together a 14-panel display that tells the story of the crash, its aftermath and the people involved. He will occasionally put on displays in Amherst, even taking the show to nearby cities when asked.

The monument to the train crash stands less than 75 feet from where the crash occurred, on the tracks above Sandstone Village, which was created by the Amherst Historical Society.

Watch the Amherst Historical Society's website for announcements of future showings of the display.

Any chance of putting the whole story on a web page?

"I don't think so," Wilhelm said as he carefully folded up the display and put the panels into a protective bag. "I think this is something that people need to see up close, to feel what it must have been like."
Body found under bridge near Cleveland zoo.JPG

The body found Saturday under a bridge near the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo was wrapped in a blue tarp, according to a police report. A woman searching for wild mushrooms found the body near the railroad tracks, which are not on zoo property.

(Evan MacDonald/cleveland.com)

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The body found Saturday along railroad tracks in Old Brooklyn near the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo was wrapped in a tarp with one hand sticking out, records say.

Investigators on Monday had not yet identified the body, and the Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner's Office is expected to conduct an autopsy as early as Monday.

The body was discovered about 1:45 p.m. under the West 25th Street bridge near Wildlife Way, police said.

A woman searching for wild mushrooms along railroad tracks saw a hand sticking out from beneath a blue tarp on the edge of a wooded area near the tracks, the report says.

The medical examiner's investigators took the body still wrapped in the tarp to their office, police said.

Homicide detectives searched the area for additional evidence.

The woman told police that the body looked like a male, the report says, and a Cleveland police spokeswoman said Saturday that the body belonged to a male.

News of the discovery sparked relatives of several men reported missing to flood police with calls, police said.

The scene where the body was discovered is not on zoo property and investigators said the death is not connected to the zoo.

To comment on this post, please visit Monday's crime and courts comments page.
Gabina VOA is designed to be an infotainment youth radio show broadcasting to Ethiopia and Eritrea in the Amharic language. The show brings varied perspectives on issues concerning young people in the Horn of Africa region. Gabina in the Amharic language is a front row taxi ridesymbolic of the shows content as a fun ride that takes audiences from point A to point B. Gabina VOAs main goal is Enlightening young people, introducing them to cutting-edge technological innovations, exposing them to new processes and ideas so they can be productive, informed and self-governing citizens.
BURTON, Ohio--Century Village Museum wants boards from old barns or sugarhouses to panel a syrup shrine.

Leaders of the historic Century Village complex in Burton hope to open a Geauga County Maple Museum late next year. They want to line the interior with wood that reflects the county's rich farming traditions.

Century Village Trustee Bill Jackson says of syrup, "It's an important part of our identity." Century Village preserves the history of Geauga County from the late 1700s, when white settlers first arrived, to about 1900. That history is thick in syrup.

Geauga leads Ohio in boiling down maple sap into a sweet golden goo. In pioneer days, lushly forested Ohio led the nation in syrup. Settlers took up the craft from Native Americans, partly to keep busy during the winter, when they couldn't sow or reap.

According to the Ohio Maple Producers Association, syrup gained popularity in the North during the Civil War to replace cane sugar harvested by slaves in the South. Clarence Crane later built the world's biggest syrup company in Warren, Ohio, and used the sweetener to create Lifesavers in Cleveland.

The Buckeye State still ranks fourth or fifth in syrup most years, with some 900 farms making about 100,000 gallons worth $5 million per year, according to the maple association.

Last year, Jackson put out a call last year for boards and got about half of what he needs to fill a space about 50 feet long, 30 feet wide and nine feet high. He's looking for boards six to 12 inches wide and at least nine feet long.

The boards will be cut and pieced together to fill the walls. Information will be displayed about the donors.

Early every year, Century Villagers work about 1,200 taps and turn out anywhere from 225 to 400 gallons. Some 120 volunteers also demonstrate farming, milking, blacksmithing and other traditions here.

This complex of 22 original or recreated historic buildings sits on 65 scenic acres at 14653 E. Park St., just off Burton's town square, about 41 miles east of Cleveland's Public Square. The grounds are open for free, but about 25,000 visitors per year pay for tours and special events, including pancake breakfasts.

For many years, villagers boiled the sap in a sugar house conveniently located near a grove of maples but inconveniently far downhill from the village's other buildings. So they raised a new sugar house in 2010 and began to make syrup in part of the building. About two-thirds of the building is earmarked for the maple museum.

The museum got a boost last month from the Burton-Middlefield Rotary. Thanks partly to about $3,500 in a national Rotary grant and another $3,500 in a local match, Rotary volunteers helped to wire and insulate the museum space.

The museum is just one of several recent developments here. Earlier in the year, Century Village turned a former Wild West building into an old-time apothecary, with a drugstore, exam room, waiting room and meeting space for the Geauga County Medical Society.

Last Saturday, Oct. 22, 2016, Century Village auctioned off several historic items. The Hambden Township Fire department bought back its first truck, a 1938 pumper donated to Century Village in 1990. All told, the auction raised more than $30,000.

Potential donors of boards may call Century Village at 440-834-1492 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. on weekdays or visit centuryvillagemuseum.org. Visitors are welcomed from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekdays, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturdays and noon to 5 p.m. on Sundays.
CLEVELAND, Ohio - The arrival of 10,000 Syrian refugees to the U.S. this year, including more than 85 in Cleveland, has become a bogus political issue, according to Isam Zaiem, a board member of the Cleveland chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Cleveland).

Zaiem, a native Syrian who has lived in the U.S. for 46 years, said that during this election year, "unfortunately a lot of rhetoric is using refugees and people from other parts of the world as a tool to scare people and get more votes from those who don't read the whole story

"Fear is being used by some politicians to inflame xenophobia," he added.

He cited a number of myths and misperceptions that have surfaced regarding Syrian refugees.

These include:

Syrian refugees coming to the U.S. are not screened

The ranks of Syrian refugees include terrorists.

Syrian refugees are supported by tax dollars.

Refugees take American jobs.

Refugees are a drain on local economies

Syrian refugees get a free ride

Part of the issue involving refugee misconceptions involves a lack of understanding, particularly of Muslims who represent less than one percent of the nation's population, according to Zaiem.

"The problem is usually when you don't know somebody, so it becomes easy to create that fear in their heart," he said.

The solution is getting to know thy neighbor, according to Zaiem, who suggested visiting a mosque, reading about Islam, or attending CAIR-Cleveland events designed to introduce the local Muslim community to Cleveland. One such "Teatime for Peace" was held October 18.

"As people educate themselves and learn more, they will not have these attitudes and hatred and Islamophobia," Zaim said.

"Unfortunately, in our history as Americans we have, in the past, discriminated against a lot of segments of society - Japanese, Germans, Irish, Chinese, African-Americans," he added. "You'd think we would have learned our lessons."
Donald Trump

Donald Trump speaks about the possibility of mass voter fraud on Saturday, Oct. 22, 2016, in Cleveland.

(Evan Vucci, Associated Press)

Both major presidential candidates campaigned in Cleveland over the weekend. While Hillary Clinton focused on early voting success, Donald Trump discussed the possibility of mass voter fraud. Read more in today's Ohio Politics Roundup, brought to you by Robin Goist.

Clinton in Cleveland on Friday: Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton touted early voting numbers during her Friday visit to Cleveland, cleveland.com's Mary Kilpatrick reports.

"What a time to be here in Cleveland," Clinton said at Cuyahoga Community College. "You really are Believeland," she said, two days after the Indians clinched their spot in the World Series.

Fun fact: Clinton's opponent, Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, once considered buying the Cleveland Indians.

"In the first four days of in-person, early voting here in Ohio, more people showed up to vote than they did at the same time in 2012," she said, echoing her campaign's state director, Chris Wyant, who said last week in a memo obtained by cleveland.com that Clinton "won the first days of early voting."

But things could be better for the Clinton campaign in Ohio. Overall absentee ballot requests are down to 1.1 million as of Oct. 17 compared to 1.4 million at that point in 2012, reports ABC News' Alana Abramson. Elections expert Michael McDonald said the decline could suggest that Ohio Democrats are underperforming, particularly in Franklin and Cuyahoga counties. In Cuyahoga County, the number of ballot requests from registered Democrats was, as of Oct. 18, 40 percent lower than at the same point in 2012.

Wyant, in his memo, pointed to the high number of requests coming from traditionally Democratic counties that are expected to favor Clinton over Trump.

Speaking of absentee ballots: Still waiting to receive your absentee ballot? Wondering who to call if there's a problem? Cleveland.com's Robert Higgs has solutions to absentee ballot problems.

HRC, BLM and CLE: Clinton met with two prominent Black Lives Matter activists, DeRay Mckesson and Brittany Packnett, before her Cleveland rally. They discussed racial issues as part of an ongoing conversation to inform Clinton's criminal justice reform plan.

The Trump campaign criticized Clinton for not meeting with police.

"Hillary Clinton shows where her priorities lie when she meets with radicals from Black Lives Matter but refuses requests to meet with our local police officers here in Cleveland, Ohio, and across the nation," said Steve Loomis, president of the Cleveland Police Patrolmen's Association and a Trump supporter.

Trump in Cleveland on Saturday: During a 45-minute speech at the I-X Center, "Trump offered a glimpse of the potentially potent 'change candidate' message he has failed to consistently leverage," writes cleveland.com's Andrew J. Tobias. "Even with his missteps, Trump's anti-trade, pro-police and culturally conservative tone has resonated in Ohio to the point that he remains a viable candidate here, even as other swing states appear to be slipping from his grasp."

Loomis attended Saturday's rally, but was not in uniform this time.

Before traveling west, Trump gave a speech earlier Saturday in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania in which he vowed to file post-election lawsuits against the various women accusing him of sexual misconduct. However, in the Buckeye State, Trump stayed on script and focused his criticism on Clinton, President Barack Obama and the media.

He also toned down his "rigged election" talk, but did point to a 2012 study by the Pew Center on the States that found 24 million voter registrations are inaccurate, and that 1.8 million dead people are listed as voters. The study does not suggest people are casting votes in those people's names, but says the figures reflect the need for voter rolls to be updated.

"Oh, there's no voter fraud," Trump said, sarcastically. "The system is rigged. Believe me," the billionaire businessman added.

Ohio Secretary of State Jon Husted has contested this claim. The Republican elections official has said that voter fraud does exist, but is rare, and occurs nowhere near the scale needed to tip a state or national election.

Looking at Brook Park: While Trump was introduced by Brook Park Mayor Tom Coyne, his son, Eric Trump, tweeted about the Cleveland suburb last week. "For anyone who wants to know what jobs leaving the USA looks like, here is the closed Ford plant in Brook Park, Ohio," Trump's son tweeted.

The Detroit Free Press' Brent Snavely explains why Trump's tweet was misleading, since Brook Park's Cleveland Engine Plant No. 1 continues to operate and employs 1,750 employees there.

Borges confirms: After public doubt and turmoil, Ohio's GOP chairman has decided to vote for his party's presidential nominee, reports the Cincinnati Enquirer's Chrissie Thompson.

Chairman Matt Borges, an ally of Trump critic Gov. John Kasich, wrote in a Sunday email to Ohio Republican insiders, "I will be supporting a straight Republican ticket - starting with Donald Trump for President." In a statement to The Enquirer, Borges said he chose Trump because the possibility of Clinton winning the White House "is just unacceptable to me."

Who are the candidates campaigning for? From suburban women to millennials to African Americans, The Cincinnati Enquirer's Jessie Balmert explains how these three blocs make up the coalition Clinton needs to win Ohio, and how Trump is vying for them, too.

Pence's packed calendar: After speaking to evangelical Christians and festival-goers Saturday in Circleville and joining Trump at the I-X Center, Trump's running mate, Gov. Mike Pence, is set to campaign in Ashland Tuesday. He will appear at the Myers Convocation Center at 2 p.m.

And after that rally, Pence will campaign in Marietta Tuesday evening.

Dems respond: Ahead of Pence's Marietta visit, Washington County Democratic Party Chair Willa O'Neill issued a statement. "In keeping with his record of making big promises but only stifling working people, Trump says he's for coal miners but refuses to support legislation to provide much-needed health care for nearly 13,000 retirees," O'Neill said. "He says he supports American jobs, yet buys steel from China. And Pence, an aggressive supporter of right-to-work, is no friend of working families."

Trump's broken promises: Voters are attracted to Trump because he makes "over-the-top promises," but are learning he can't deliver on them, Jake Sullivan, senior policy adviser Clinton's campaign, said in an exclusive interview with The Youngstown Vindicator's David Skolnick.

"The big part of the dynamic that's been played out is people were attracted to Trump because of the big promises he was making, and people have become turned off by Trump as they come to realize that he's got a poor track record where he comes out OK and everyone else basically gets stiffed," Sullivan said Friday. Trump has "a simple message, but that message is basically built on quicksand," he added.

Senate race blues: Frances Strickland, wife of U.S. Senate candidate and former Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland, wrote a folk song that praised her husband and criticized Trump, reports The Cincinnati Enquirer's Balmert.

Get Battleground Briefing, our FREE politics newsletter, delivered to your inbox: Sign up here. Tips or links? Send here. Follow along on Twitter: @robingoist
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Donald Trump's campaign manager Kellyanne Conway is admitting that her candidate trails in the presidential race.

(Rainier Ehrhardt, Associated Press)

Donald Trump's campaign manager discusses why her candidate is falling behind Hillary Clinton. The State Department releases more Clinton emails. Trump receives his first endorsement from a major newspaper. Read more in today's Politics Extra.

"We are behind:" Donald Trump's campaign manager admitted Sunday that her candidate trails in the presidential race, reports CNN. "We are behind. She has some advantages," Kellyanne Conway said on "Meet the Press," explaining that Trump's opponent, Hillary Clinton, "has a former president, happens to be her husband, campaigning for her; the current president and first lady, vice president - all much more popular than she can hope to be. And she's seen as the incumbent."

Clinton leads nationally: Clinton is ahead of Trump by 12 percentage points, according to the first ABC News tracking poll. The survey, which showed Clinton at 50 percent and Trump at 38 percent, was conducted Thursday through Saturday. It represents a swing from an ABC News/Washington Post poll that showed Clinton ahead by just 4 points.

Women voting early: In three crucial battleground states - North Carolina, Florida and Georgia - women are casting early ballots in disproportionate numbers, reports Politico. In North Carolina, 87,000 Democratic women have already cast early ballots compared with just 60,000 Republican women. Men in the state, meanwhile, were more closely divided, with 52,000 Democrats and 50,000 Republicans.

More Clinton emails: The State Department released 247 additional pages of email from Clinton's private server Friday as part of a court-ordered effort to produce some of her more recently discovered correspondence before the November election, according to ABC News. Similar to the first group of emails published on Oct. 7, the State Department says many of the documents in this batch were near or complete duplicates of previously published emails.

More Podesta emails: WikiLeaks revealed additional emails Saturday from Clinton's campaign chairman John Podesta's accounts, reports CBS News. An exchange receiving attention involves a discussion about the lavish May 2015 meeting of the Clinton Global Initiative that was based on a $12 million pledge from Moroccan King Mohammed VI to host the event. While this points to the possibility of an ethical concern, Clinton Foundation records do not show any direct pledge from the king or government of Morocco.

Clinton camp responds: Campaign strategist Joel Benenson said Sunday on ABC's "This Week," "These emails, we have no idea whether they are authentic or not, or whether they've been tampered with."

"I've seen things that aren't authentic," Benenson continued. "What's ridiculous about this whole conversation is that 17 intelligence agencies have said the Russians are responsible for this."

Kaine shrugs: Even though WikiLeaks has twice taunted Clinton's running mate, Sen. Tim Kaine, by saying he is in for a "surprise," Kaine does not seem to be bothered, reports the Chicago Tribune. In an interview with The Associated Press on Saturday, Kaine said he is a "regular human being" and has nothing to be "overly concerned about." He added that it's not his style to write nasty emails that could come back to haunt him.

Trump's message clashes with Republican governor: As North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory focuses on economic achievements instead of the contentious social issues in his state, Trump keeps coming to town and telling voters how terrible the state's economy is, reports Politico. It's one of the more apparent examples of the disconnect between Trump's campaign and the Republican establishment, especially given that McCrory faces the toughest reelection challenge of any governor in the country this year.

LGBT GOP: The Log Cabin Republicans, the nation's largest group of LGBT Republicans, declined Saturday to endorse Trump, reports The New York Times. The statement from the group's board indicated that they are united against Clinton, but voted to "withhold" an endorsement of the Republican nominee. "Mr. Trump is perhaps the most pro-L.G.B.T. presidential nominee in the history of the Republican Party," Log Cabin Republicans said in a statement. "Rhetoric alone regarding L.G.B.T. issues does not equate to doctrine," it added.

A look at the numbers: Wall Street is set up for a major crash if Trump is elected, according to new research released Friday. "Wall Street clearly prefers a Clinton win certainly from the perspective of equity prices," said Dartmouth College's Eric Zitzewitz, one of the authors of the new study. "You saw Clinton win the first debate and her odds jumped and stocks moved right along with it. Should Trump somehow manage to win, you could see major Brexit-style selling."

Trump endorsement: The Las Vegas Review-Journal became the first major newspaper to endorse Trump this election season, reports The Washington Post. The editorial board wrote that, while the GOP nominee has flaws, he will bring needed change to Washington. Although smaller papers have endorsed Trump, several large conservative-leaning newspapers have broken with tradition to endorse Clinton.

In third-party news: Evan McMullin said Sunday on "This Week with George Stephanopoulos" that he could become the first third-party candidate since George Wallace to win a state, reports Politico. If the race between Trump and Clinton is close, then the independent conservative candidate, who is polling strong in Utah, could block either of them from winning the Electoral College. "If it isn't close, then it will be a strong message, I think, to Washington that people in this country, at least here in the Mountain West, and elsewhere in this country, still stand on principle, the very same principles that made this country the most powerful and prosperous on Earth," McMullin said.
Patrick Tiberi

U.S. Rep. Pat Tiberi speaks during a Dec. 3, 2015 congressional hearing in Washington, D.C.

(Jacquelyn Martin, Associated Press)

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- U.S. Rep. Pat Tiberi's refusal to endorse Donald Trump is already costing him in his politicking for a likely 2018 bid for the U.S. Senate.

Tiberi had been locked in as a keynote speaker at an Oct. 26 Preble County Republican Party function. However, officials in the rural county, which is west of Dayton and adjacent to the Indiana border, rescinded the invitation shortly after Tiberi issued an Oct. 8 statement that called on Trump to step down as the Republican presidential nominee over his vulgar and sexually aggressive comments in a 2005 Access Hollywood tape.

Preble County GOP officials replaced Tiberi with his likely opponent in the 2018 Republican senate primary, Ohio Treasurer Josh Mandel, who has endorsed Trump.

"Rep. Tiberi was looking forward to meeting Preble County Republicans at their annual fall rally," spokeswoman Olivia Hnat said in an email. "However after Trump's Access Hollywood tapes were revealed, I think everyone can agree that this wasn't the appropriate event for him to keynote."

In a statement, Mandel campaign spokesman Chris Berry said: "Treasurer Mandel appreciates the support he's earned from Preble County and from conservatives throughout the state. Everywhere he goes, conservatives are thanking him for his courage to take on the establishment and stand up for conservative principles."

A flier for the Oct. 26 event obtained by cleveland.com invited event attendees to "Jump on the Trump Train!" and offered donors who gave $250 or more seating at the "Table Trump Train conductors. "Tiberi had agreed to appear at the event in August, and didn't realize the program would be billed as a Trump event.

Preble County Republican Party Chair David Haber could not be reached for comment.

Both Tiberi and Mandel have signaled interest in challenging Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown for his seat in 2018.

Tiberi is a close ally of Ohio's most prominent Republican Trump critic, Ohio Gov. John Kasich, whose former Central Ohio congressional seat Tiberi now holds. Trump's Ohio campaign also has had a public falling out Ohio Republican Party Chairman Matt Borges, who is closely aligned with Kasich.

Mandel, meanwhile, has found himself at odds with Kasich at times. Borges earlier this year criticized Mandel for endorsing Florida Sen. Marco Rubio's presidential bid, and not Kasich's.

While the Preble County dinner may seem small, it's typical of the retail politicking required of candidates running for statewide office. For example, Lt. Gov. Mary Taylor, considered a likely gubernatorial candidate in 2018, held a fundraiser in the Preble County village of West Alexandria just last Thursday, Oct. 20.

And, the speaker switch offers an early peek at the possible risks and rewards GOP candidates may face when making their calculations over whether to back Trump, oppose him or remain on the fence. While Tiberi issued a statement to reporters emphasizing he had never endorsed Trump, GOP elected officials -- U.S. Sen. Rob Portman and Ohio Auditor Dave Yost -- rescinded their endorsements over his comments in the video.

To get an idea of how they are positioning themselves for the 2018 Republican primary, compare how Tiberi and Mandel responded to the Oct. 7 release of the 2005 tape, in which Trump discussed women in a vulgar in sexually aggressive way.

On Oct. 8, Tiberi issued a statement to reporters that called Trump's comments "reprehensible, vulgar and extremely disrespectful."

"He was not my choice for our nominee and I never endorsed him," Tiberi said in the statement. "I have always said that I want to see a positive message and winnable strategy against Hillary Clinton from the Republican nominee. It is disappointing, especially for Americans who are looking for real leadership and integrity in their presidential candidate, that Trump has not been able to clear that bar."

"Americans deserve better choices for the highest office in the land," Tiberi's statement continued. "Trump should consider stepping aside. Otherwise, this will continue to consume the remainder of the campaign and help Clinton become the next president."

A Mandel spokesman issued a statement to cleveland.com a few days later "strongly" condemning Trump's "offensive and wrong" comments.

But the statement continued: "He also believes this election is a choice between Hillary Clinton continuing the disastrous policies of the Obama administration, or Donald Trump having the opportunity to change them. For the sake of the Supreme Court, Second Amendment, religious liberty, fight against radical Islam and many other issues, his endorsement and vote for Mr. Trump still stands."
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Three people are accused of kidnapping a woman during an argument Sunday in Rocky River.

(File photo)

ROCKY RIVER, Ohio -- Three people are accused of kidnapping a 26-year-old woman during an argument Sunday morning in Rocky River, police said.

Rocky River officers stopped a car and arrested the trio minutes after a witness reported that a man forced a woman into a car at gunpoint on Detroit Road near Linda Street, police said.

Officers stopped the car just after 11 a.m. and arrested a 30-year-old Parma man, a 64-year-old Parma Heights man and a 48-year-old Parma Heights man. Officers also found a gun and drugs in the car, police said.

Investigators have not said whether the three have been formally charged in the incident.

The Cleveland woman found in the car had a prior relationship with the suspects. She had been involved in a dispute with one of the suspects, police said.

There is no reason to believe there is an ongoing threat to public safety in Rocky River, police said.

The city on Tuesday is hosting a previously planned community outreach event to discuss public safety. The event begins at 7 p.m. in Memorial Hall at the Rocky River Civic Center, police said.

If you'd like to comment on this story, visit Sunday's crime and courts comments section.
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The grounds and buildings that make up the University Heights City Hall complex will soon be monitored by security cameras.

(Jeff Piorkowski/special to cleveland.com)

UNIVERSITY HEIGHTS, Ohio -- City Council dealt with three issues concerning police at its meeting Oct. 19, including legislation that will lead to the purchase of more body-worn cameras for officers.

Council voted unanimously to spend $15,600 on 20 cameras that will be worn on officers' uniforms.

"We have four body cameras now," University Heights Police Chief Steven Hammett said. "We got them in 2014.

"We've been passing (the four cameras) on from shift to shift. Now, all of our officers will have cameras when they're on patrol, and some administrative staff will have them, too."

Hammett said that since the four cameras were purchased, only one or two of the three or four officers working per shift wore cameras.

The chief said that the cameras have been helpful in rectifying some situations when residents or those dealing with officers have questions. Currently, each of the department's squad cars have dashboard cameras.

The cameras will be purchased from L3 Mobile Vision Inc.

Some members of council asked about whether video from the body-worn cameras qualify as public records.

"It isn't considered public record as of now," Mayor Susan Infeld said. "House Bill 585 was introduced in July (in the Ohio House) and no action has been taken yet on it."

HB 585, would declare camera videos to be public records, but would allow law enforcement to redact portions of video and audio that concern personal information not related to a crime, a sex crime involving a minor, a conversation between a victim and an officer at a hospital, and a private property without a public entrance.

"We would keep (the video)," Infeld said. "In University Heights, we have a records retention policy for all city records. We keep them all for a period of time."

Council also passed without opposition, legislation that will have the city purchasing a closed circuit television system for the city hall complex at a cost of $62,680 from 12C Technologies.

Hammett suggested that the city take the action to ensure better security.

"We did a security assessment and a risk management assessment and it was determined that a closed circuit television system would improve security," Hammett said. "I felt it would make sense to initiate it."

"This is a preventative measure," Infeld said. "The Department of Homeland Security has stated that municipal complexes are soft targets (for terror actions)."

In all, 24 cameras are expected to be in place in about six weeks. Cameras will monitor all city hall complex buildings -- the police station and its jail, city hall, the service department building, the fire station and the building department, as well as the new city park off Fenwick Road.

Council also passed a third piece of legislation that will have the city buy a new computer server for the police department, also from L3 Mobile Vision Inc. The new server, at $28,790, will be capable of storing more information than the nine-year-old server it will replace.

All three purchases were made under a state contract with the supplying firms.

In other University Heights news, a community meeting will be held at 7 p.m. Nov. 2 in the Donahue Auditorium of the Dolan Science Center at John Carroll University. The meeting will be held for the owners of the 800 homes and businesses that will switch water service from Cleveland Heights to the Cleveland Water Department in January, 2017.

Representatives from the Cleveland Water Department will be present to answer residents' questions about the transition, or any other matters concerning water service.

For easy access, those attending should enter via the JCU guard house gate off Fairmount Circle.
We all have lifestyle needs and need money to fulfill them. However, we may not have cash on hand at all times. This is when 
ETFs are the smartphone apps of the investing world. It's hard to imagine how we used to get by without them. They are remarkably cheap to create and own. A small handful of the most popular ones dominate usage. There are new ones arriving weekly targeting every narrow interest. And there are far, far too many of them. In a bit more than 20 years, exchange-traded funds have gone from an innovation no one was asking for ("Why would anyone want to trade a mutual fund in the middle of the day?") to the dominant new-product category in retail investment management. Because of their structure allowing brokerage firms to create and redeem ETF shares without trading the underlying securities, they are inexpensive to own and tax-efficient. This gives them a dual nature for investors, the way light to physicists is both particle and wave: a highly efficient trading instrument that's also ideal as an inexpensive portfolio to hold forever. This has made ETFs the one growth area in asset management, at the expense of traditional mutual funds, which are valued and change hands once a day, after the markets close. There are some 1,700 ETFs now listed, with assets under management of $2.4 trillion. Yet even that isn't enough to go around, given how concentrated the assets are in a few funds and firms. The 10 largest ETFs  dominated by broad index vehicles such as the original SPDR S & P 500 (SPY) and Vanguard Total Stock Market (VTI)  command more than a quarter of all ETF assets. And the four top firms in the business  BlackRock, Vanguard, State Street and Invesco PowerShares  oversee about 80 percent of that $2.4 trillion in industry ETF assets. This is a tough equation facing the industry, given the relentless downward pressure on ETF fees, from already low levels. For a representative glimpse of the daunting economics of this business, consider two large funds that are almost the same size, around $75 billion: BlackRock's iShares Core S & P 500 (IVV) and Fidelity Contrafund (FCNTX), a well-performing actively managed fund. The iShares fund charges just four basis points, or 0.04%, in total fees, or $30 million on its $75 billion in assets. Contrafund charges 71 basis points  pretty reasonable for an active fund with a big research team trying to beat the market. Total fees on Contrafund's present asset base are a lush $540 million. Steve Sachs, who runs the ETF business at Goldman Sachs Asset Management, told us on CNBC Closing Bell this month that management fees on "straight beta" ETFs  pure index funds  are on "the long road to zero," even if they don't vanish entirely. With customers collectively opting for low-cost index trackers over expensive stock-picking funds, the industry effectively is trying to make it up on volume and scale, churning out plenty of new ETFs in hopes of capturing some hot pocket of the market or embedding a strategy that catches investors' fancy. Most of these efforts fail. More than half of all ETFs have less than $100 million in assets, a common threshold for determining viability. More than 100 have been de-listed so far this year. And an ETF deathwatch site , using assets and trading volume as criteria to identify vulnerable funds, now lists 444 ETFs. This is what happens when the business gets gimmicky and launches funds to track the whiskey industry, or goes too cute in stuffing leverage and complex hedging or futures-rolling into funds that promise sophisticated hedge-fund-style tactics in an exchange-listed wrapper. The main way fund sponsors are trying to steer clear of the zombie-fund trap is to focus on "smart beta," a term used for a fund based on a quantitative stock-section criteria or strategy as opposed to simply a broad or sector index. These funds attempt to deliver enhanced performance or offer targeted exposure to some theme or investment factor such as valuation, volatility or size. The earliest smart beta funds were introduced by Rob Arnott and his team at Research Affiliates, which weighted large companies by fundamental factors such as revenue and price-to-book ratio rather than market capitalization. His indexes are used in a series of Charles Schwab products. Goldman Sachs has gone from zero to more than $2 billion in assets in its first year offering smart-beta ETFs based on its established quantitative stock-selection methods - a relative success story. Still, marketing success in this realm can tilt over to investing hazard. As widely discussed the PowerShares S & P Low Volatility ETF (SPLV) - meant to hold more steady stocks that over time have offered market-like returns without as many wide price swings  has become more volatile than the regular old S & P 500 index. That's because these stocks have become coveted for their dividends and the comforting promise of a smoother ride, making the stocks quite expensive and jumpy. Arnott warned recently of this perverse effect through many areas of smart beta. Keep in mind that a smart beta fund only comes into existence when some twist on factor investing strategy has persisted for a long time, become exploited by faster money, was structured into a smart-beta "index," got approval and was deemed catchy enough by the marketing folks to be a winner with the masses. In many respects, the ETF business is simply doing what the mutual fund business did in the '80s and '90s heyday  refine and over-engineer a good, popular product to the point that sows investor overload and confusion. But here's the good part: an investor can safely ignore the most narrowly constructed and trendy ETFs, while enjoying the considerable virtues of inexpensive, tax-efficient market exposure from the simpler and more useful names. In technology and economics, they call this "consumer surplus": A highly competitive market delivers more and better products at a price that can't generate a decent return for their producers. The customer reaps most of the benefit  so long as he or she knows not to buy some hyped "next new thing" that no one really needs.

Saul Gravy | Getty Images
Don't believe the hype about a Singapore property pick-up, Nomura said, as it addressed some "half-truths" about one of Asia's long-time real estate hotspots.

That came as buyers and sellers looked cues for whether the city-state's property market had finally neared the bottom.

Singapore's private residential property prices dropped 1.5 percent on-quarter in the third quarter, according to government data, marking 12 straight quarters of declines and the largest quarterly drop since 2009, during the global financial crisis.

But the first "half-truth" about the market's next step was that the city-state's private home sales had seen strong gains, Nomura said in a note dated Thursday. In September, sales of new private residential properties picked up, rising 49.3 percent on-year and nearly 9 percent on month to 509 units.

But the bank noted that on a rolling 12-month average, developers' private home sales had hovered around 600 units a month since the end of 2014. It didn't expect that some large sales figures for October, such as a new development called The Alps Residences, and that Forest Woods had sold a combined 607 units, would matter much to the full picture.

But in a more encouraging sign, secondary market transactions have picked up, averaging 690 private homes each month for 2016's first eight months, up from 560 in the same period last year and 480 in 2014, Nomura said.

Secondly, Nomura said signs of a demand pickup for prime luxury properties were overstated.
The front end of a charter tour bus is completely demolished after it crashed into the back of a big rig, killing 13 people.

A tour bus crashed into the back of a tractor-trailer on a Southern California highway before dawn on Sunday, killing 13 people and injuring 31, authorities said.

The bus was traveling west on Interstate 10 when the crash occurred near Palm Springs, a city about 100 miles (160 km) east of Los Angeles, California Highway Patrol (CHP) Chief Jim Abele told reporters.

Abele said because of the bus' speed, the truck's trailer pushed about 15 feet into the bus. The bus driver was among the 13 killed, he said. Abele said he believed the 31 injured passengers had minor to moderate injuries, but some could be worse.

"In almost 35 years I've never been to a crash where there's been 13 confirmed," deaths, Abele said. "So it's tough. It's tough for all of us."

Abele said the bus had been inspected as recently as April and there was no indication of mechanical problems. He said several survivors reported most of the passengers, all of whom were adults, were sleeping at the time of the crash.
The Bank of America headquarters in Charlotte, North Carolina. Joe Daniel Price | Getty Images

If you're not great at managing your finances, Bank of America 's new chatbot is there to help. Monday at the Money 20/20 conference, Bank of America's president of retail banking, Thong Nguyen, unveiled an artificially intelligent bot to help customers make smarter decisions. The new digital assistant "Erica"  a play on the bank's name  will be available inside the bank's mobile app staring next year. Customers can chat with Erica via voice or text message.

With Erica, the company hopes to help consumers create better money habits, said Michelle Moore, Bank of America's head of digital banking. For example, Erica might send someone a predictive text: "Michelle, I found a great opportunity for you to reduce your debt and save you $300."

Click the text to launch the app, and get Erica's advice. "Based on your typical monthly spending, you have an additional $150 you can be putting towards your cash rewards Visa. This can save you up to $300 per year."

Though many banks have bots with some level of artificial intelligence, the customer experience has not always been great, said Daniel Latimore, senior vice president of Celent's banking practice. Consumers are now accustomed to the types of seamless mobile experiences provided by apps like Uber and Airbnb and want better banking experiences, he said. "The whole notion of customer experience for banks is so, so critical right now," said Latimore. "They have challenges like security and being bulletproof  but consumers don't care about all the constraints. They just know they can get great experiences elsewhere and they want it from their bank too."

Erica will use artificial intelligence, predictive analytics and cognitive messaging to help customers do things like make payments, check balances, save money and pay down debt. She will also direct people to look up their FICO score and check out educational videos and other content.

Through Erica, Bank of America hopes to extend some of the benefits of the one-to-one personal service and advice usually reserved for top-tier customers to the masses, said Moore. The bank's customers did more than 246 billion payments in the third quarter. Mobile banking customers logged into their accounts more than 950 million times  or 46 times per user  over that same period. With all that data, BofA has a good idea what sort of queries to program into the algorithm behind Erica's brain, said Moore.

Of course, unlike the bank's human employees, she will be available 24/7 to provide guidance and execute transactions. Artificial intelligence has been creating a lot of buzz so far this year, particularly in the tech sector, with executives from all the major tech companies highlighting its promise. Six percent of U.S. jobs  including some in customer service  will be lost to artificial intelligence within the next five years, Forrester has predicted. Erica is designed to streamline the banking process, not replace jobs, said Moore. This makes sense, as this type of technology is still very young, and correspondingly limited in what it can do. Over time, Bank of America's programmers will add new features and make Erica "smarter" thanks to the vast amount of data she will handle.
Shares of B/E Aerospace gained 16 percent Monday, following news the company will be acquired by Rockwell Collins , which was down more than 6 percent.

B/E Aerospace was tracking for its best day since May 2009, when it gained 17.8 percent.

Rockwell saw its worst day since August 2011, when it lost 7.2 percent.



The companies announced the acquisition Sunday, in a deal worth $6.4 billion, plus the assumption of $1.9 billion in debt. The combination expands the range of products Rockwell Collins supplies to major commercial and business aircraft.

Share price of B/E Aerospace and Rockwell Collins, year to date.

The U.S. Aerospace & Defense ETF (ITA) climbed 1 percent Monday, its best day since September 22, when the ETF gained 1.25 percent.

B/E Aerospace was leading the way for the ETF, while Rockwell Collins was dragging it down as the worst performer in the index Monday morning.

Both companies have little product overlap. Rockwell is best known for avionics, flight control systems and cabin connectivity, while B/E Aerospace is a major provider of aircraft seats, galleys, lighting and other systems.



Rockwell agreed to pay $34.10 per share in cash and $27.90 in shares of Rockwell Collins stock, a 22.5 percent premium to B/E Aerospace's closing price on Friday.



Other top performers in the index included: Astronics , Boeing and Taser International , each gaining more than 1 percent.

CNBC's Gina Francolla and Reuters contributed to this report.


Karol Serewis | Gallo Images Poland | Getty Images

After seven years of negotiations, a trade partnership between the European Union and Canada is in danger of never seeing the light of day. A small Belgian region is currently blocking the so-called Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) agreement, fearing its impact on the agricultural sector and welfare standards. This is preventing Belgium and the other 27 EU member states from giving a final green light to the deal, which is due to be officially signed by both sides this Thursday. More broadly, freezing the approval of the trade deal is also questioning the EU's ability to carry out any commercial partnerships, including with the U.S.



The EU and Canada started negotiating a trade agreement in 2009 and concluded the text in 2014. The accord, which is available here, aims to cut 98 percent of custom duties since day one of its application, and save EU exporters nearly $550 million, according to data from the European Commission.

The European Commission, which is the EU body responsible for negotiating trade deals on behalf of the 28 member states, says CETA is the most modern agreement conducted until now. It includes a new "investment court system", dissipating some public fears that such a deal would favor multinationals over small businesses. "In fact it's the best (agreement) the EU has ever negotiated," Cecilia Malmstrom, the EU's commissioner for trade, said at the Federal Chamber of Representatives of Belgium last month. She also argued that the deal is "highly effective" from an economic point of view.

Is Belgium really to blame?

"This time the commission decided under pressure, from especially Germany, with the tacit support of other countries, that national parliaments should also decide," Fredrik Erixon, director of the European Center for International Political Economy, told CNBC in an email. "It was a move by Sigmar Gabriel (Germany's economy minister) in order to appease critics in his own party that wanted the SPD (The Social Democratic Party of Germany) to block CETA  Wallonia (the Belgium region) has just ended up in this fight because Gabriel thought he could solve an internal party problem and that other countries would not have troubles supporting CETA. Now it turns out he was not informed about Wallonian politics," he added.



What are the implications?

Martin Wimmer | E+ | Getty Images

"The main impact is on TTIP (transatlantic trade investment and partnership)," Andre Sapir, a senior fellow at the Brussels-based think tank Bruegel, told CNBC over the phone. Sapir explained that there are three possible outcomes: CETA goes through with some modifications, meaning it will be fully approved but at a later stage; CETA goes through but without some of the parts that are deemed more sensitive; or "the least probable scenario" that the whole agreement is scrapped. The first case would be "good news", because the EU would still be able to take CETA as a template in the current trade negotiations with the U.S., and without being forced to make concessions. The other two options would damage the EU's reputation as a trade partner even further and weakening its negotiating power. TTIP, which began to be negotiated in 2013, is far from reaching initial hopes that a "skeleton" of an agreement would be done before U.S. President Barack Obama leaves office at the end of 2016. Meanwhile, Chystia Freeland, the Canadian minister for trade, said last week that the EU was "not capable" of signing a trade deal and that her country was "disappointed." "It seems evident for me and for Canada that the European Union is not now capable of having an international accord even with a country that has values as European as Canada," Freeland said.



What about an EU-UK trade deal?

Several media reports have begun questioning the EU's ability to negotiate and reach a consensus over its future trade relationship with the U.K., following the Brexit vote in June. "No one is keen to negotiate with and give concessions to a trade partner they can't rely will ratify the final agreement. I would expect it would put the entire EU trade policy into hibernation," Erixon said. However, Sapir finds such comments on a future EU-U.K. trade deal "exaggerated". The most controversial items in CETA, such as the investor dispute settlement, would not need to feature in such accord, he said.



Justin Trudeau Jonathan Ernst | Reuters
A British former banker pleaded not guilty to two counts of murder as his trial opened with the judge warning that the jury would see "unpleasant photographs" during the trial.

Rurik Jutting, 30, is charged with two counts of murder for the deaths of two Indonesian women, Sumarti Ningsih, 25, and Seneng Mujiasih, 29.

Both were found dead inside his flat at J Residence on Johnston Road, in Wan Chai.



Jutting, who had been in custody since November 1, 2014  the day the two corpses were found  appeared in the High Court on Monday morning.
As U.S. lawmakers and industry groups scrutinize the AT&T and Time Warner $85.4 billion merger, CNBC's Jim Cramer warned the two companies on Monday about what he calls a government atmosphere against "big companies."

AT&T CEO told CNBC Monday that the deal wouldn't cause reduced competition, but rather would result in "vertical integration."

Cramer said he understands the CEO's comments, but warned that pitch may not work on the current U.S. Justice Department.

"That's what a lot of the lawyers have done in these deals. But the traditional metrics have not been in play depending upon a bit more populist Justice Department," Cramer said on "Squawk on the Street."

"The deals that have been stopped, most of them should have been approved," He said. "...There used to be a Justice Department. It was independent, and it made rules."

Cramer added that the Justice Department does not really like big companies. He compared the acquisition deal to the one by Comcast of NBCUniversal, which was subject to intense scrutiny. He said that was a deal that worked.

"I think it was an asset that wasn't well run and they've made it well run," He said. "...If I were AT&T I would say, 'Hey, the worse that happens is maybe we become like Comcast."



Disclosure: Comcast is the owner of NBCUniversal, the parent company of CNBC and CNBC.com. Furthermore, Jim Cramer's charitable trust owns shares of Comcast.
Check out which companies are making headlines before the bell:

Time Warner  AT&T will buy the media giant for $85.4 billion in cash and stock, worth $107.50 per share compared to a Friday close of $89.48. Lawmakers are already promising heavy scrutiny of the deal because of competitive concerns. Separately, AT&T reported adjusted quarterly profit of 74 cents per share, matching estimates, and raised its dividend by a penny to 49 cents per share.

3M  3M was upgraded to "overweight" from "equal weight" at Barclays, based on a recent pullback and a recovery in emerging markets, where 3M has significant exposure.

Comcast  Macquarie upgraded the NBCUniversal and CNBC parent to "outperform" from "neutral," mentioning Comcast's DreamWorks acquisition, digital initiatives, and the focus on distribution and content highlighted by the AT&T/Time Warner deal and other transactions.

Dick's Sporting Goods  Cowen upgraded the sporting goods retailer to "outperform" from "neutral," citing increased customer traffic and a rise in consumer satisfaction.

Williams-Sonoma  Citi tapped the household goods retailer as a top holiday stock pick, mentioning easy comps and upbeat spending projections from industry sources.

VF Corp.  The apparel retailer earned $1.19 per share for its latest quarter, four cents a share above estimates. Revenue fell below forecasts, however, and the company also cut its outlook for the full year. Jeans brands Wrangler and Lee are seeing declining sales, although outdoor brands like Vans and Timberland are growing, the company said. VF also raised its quarterly dividend by 14 percent to 42 cents a share.

Kimberly-Clark  The consumer products company missed estimates by two cents a share, with adjusted quarterly profit of $1.52 per share. Revenue also fell short of estimates amid what the company calls a "challenging" economic and competitive environment.

MetLife  MetLife is back in court today, trying to get the Financial Stability Oversight Council to remove its designation of the insurer as a "systemically important financial institution." Such a designation subjects companies to increased federal scrutiny, and MetLife feels that the designation is unjustified.

GlaxoSmithKline The drugmaker has filed for U.S. approval of its shingles vaccine Shingrix, which analysts feel has the potential for $1 billion in annual sales.

Genworth Financial  Genworth struck a deal to be bought by China Oceanwide Holdings for $2.7 billion in cash. The $5.43 per share deal represents a 4.2 percent premium for the insurer's closing price on Friday.

B/E Aerospace  The company will be bought by aircraft component maker Rockwell Collins for $62 per share in cash and stock. The value of the deal to buy the maker of aircraft interiors is worth $6.4 billion, not including assumption of debt.

Boeing  Boeing is stepping up its participation in the market for aircraft replacement parts, according to a Reuters report which notes that the move puts Boeing in competition with some of its major suppliers. The replacement and repair market is worth an estimated $62 billion per year and growing.

TD Ameritrade  The online brokerage and Toronto-Dominion Bank are buying brokerage Scottrade Financial for $4 billion.

LinkedIn  Microsoft 's deal to buy LinkedIn for $26 billion is getting more intense review from European Union regulators, according to The Wall Street Journal, which said officials have sent questionnaires to competitors about the possible deal.

Amazon.com  Amazon saw its price target raised to $1,050 from $920 at Goldman Sachs, which maintains a "conviction buy" rating on the stock. Goldman cites both outperformance in Amazon's retailing operation, as well as growth in the Amazon Web Services business.
"Nasty women are tough. Nasty women are smart. And nasty women vote. ... We nasty women are going to march our nasty feet to cast our nasty votes to get you out of our lives forever," Warren said at a rally in the battleground Northeastern state.

In a pitch to New Hampshire voters, Warren seized on Trump calling Clinton a "nasty woman" in last week's presidential debate. Clinton and supporters have claimed the term as a badge of honor, saying Trump has used similar terms to demean strong women in the past.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren on Monday hammered Donald Trump for his remarks about women, predicting that "nasty women" will mobilize to elect Hillary Clinton .

Clinton's campaign, with the aid of surrogates such as Warren and first lady Michelle Obama, has aimed to mobilize women by not only highlighting plans for women's issues but also slamming Trump for his remarks about women in the past. Obama recently devoted an emotional New Hampshire speech to criticizing Donald Trump's 2005 hot mic comments in which he boasted about groping women without consent.

Warren kept up those attacks on Monday, saying Trump "aggressively disrespects more than half of the human beings in this country."

"He thinks that because he has money that he can call women fat pigs and bimbos. He thinks because he's a celebrity that he can rate women's bodies from 1 to 10. He thinks that because he has a mouth full of Tic Tacs that he can force himself on any woman within groping distance," Warren said, referencing the breath mint Trump said he used in the 2005 video.



She also tried to appeal to voters by touting Clinton's plans to boost college affordability and support equal pay for women.

Opinion surveys show Clinton with a strong advantage in New Hampshire: An average of recent polls including third-party candidates shows Clinton with an 8-point lead in the state, according to RealClearPolitics.

The stop in New Hampshire also aimed to garner support for Gov. Maggie Hassan, a Democrat locked in a tight Senate race with Republican incumbent Kelly Ayotte. Hassan spoke before Warren and Clinton at the rally as she made the final push in a race that will help to determine which party holds the Senate.

Both Hassan and Warren attacked Ayotte for her past support of Trump, particularly her earlier comment that the GOP presidential nominee should be seen as a role model. Warren contended that Ayotte is "running away from" Trump as public opinion has turned against him.
Genworth Financial shares shed 8 percent Monday after the U.S. mortgage insurer struck a deal with China Oceanwide Holdings Group .



China Oceanwide will acquire all outstanding shares of the company for approximately $2.7 billion, or $5.43 per share in cash.



The sell is subject to approval by Genworth's stockholders as well as other closing conditions, according to Sunday's announcement.

CEO Tom McInerney said in a press release, "We believe that this transaction creates greater and more certain stockholder value than our current business plan or other strategic alternatives, and is in the best interests of Genworth's stockholders. China Oceanwide is an ideal owner for Genworth going forward."



The deal is expected to close after mid-2017.

Five-day performance of Genworth:


To help solve this problem, Alphabet 's Google has partnered with Visa and Mastercard to extend the reach of Android Pay  which lets users verify their identity without a password, using a fingerprint, for example  to merchants that accept online payments through Visa Checkout or Masterpass .

People pick easy ones and don't update them, making them insecure, or they forget them and abandon carts full or merchandise  lost money for retailers.

The new partnerships will open up hundreds of thousands of new sites to Android Pay starting in 2017. Google announced the news in a press release during the Money20/20 conference in Las Vegas. Pali Bhat, global head of payment products at Google will give a keynote address today at 2 p.m. Pacific.

"We see today's partnerships as being hugely beneficial for both merchants and consumers  one that enables merchants to drive higher conversions without extra development work, while offering online shoppers a frictionless payment experience that no longer requires them to remember passwords/pins, or even open an app," said Bhat, via email.

Android Pay's open platform makes it especially easy for partners to build new shopping experiences for Android users, he said.
Shipping containers are offloaded from a cargo ship at Port Everglades on June 24, 2016 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

South Korean container shipper Hanjin Shipping said on Monday that it would close all 10 of its European businesses operations, The Wall Street Journal reported.

Hanjin, which was the world's seventh-largest container shipper when it filed for receivership on August 31, has also put assets from its Asia-U.S. routes up for sale and was in talks with Mediterranean Shipping Co. over selling its Long Beach Terminal stake, the report said.

The full Wall Street Journal report can be read here.
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New Yorker Angela Silverstein became around $13,000 richer in a matter of about five minutes. Tax-free, and with no risk, either. How? She was simply able to locate money that was owed to her but that had been missing for years  in one instance, decades.

According to the latest figures from the National Association of Unclaimed Property Administrators, more than $40 billion is sitting in state unclaimed property programs nationwide.

In New York alone, the state comptroller's office pays out about $1 million per day. There is no current data on the average daily payout across all U.S. state unclaimed funds offices, according to NAUPA.

The process of retrieving that money was surprisingly easy, said Silverstein. New York State comptroller Thomas DiNapoli said that in many instances, people can get money back in a matter of days or sometimes weeks.

"Typically, it involves someone who has moved," said DiNapoli. "And the bank or the financial institution, the insurance company, the utility where there was a security deposit does not have the up-to-date contact information."

Steven Puetzer | Getty Images

DiNapoli advises people to always make sure that when they move, they inform all of their financial relationships of their new contact information, including address and phone number.

Searching for missing money online is usually the best bet, either by going through the comptroller's website or a more general missing-money website where one can narrow down the location, based on state.

A Google search of the office of unclaimed funds for whichever state the individual resides will get one there, as well. The system will prompt a user for the information needed and can verify the connection to the account. The main source of the funds is from banks. Banks are required to keep records over a certain number of years. However, when an account has been dormant for a certain period of time (the exact number of years varies depending on the bank), the institution is required under federal and state law to turn the money over to the state. That's so the state can return the funds to their rightful owner  if and when that person comes to claim it.

I would say the majority of my clients have found something lying out there in unclaimed property. Paul Schatz president of Connecticut-based investment advisory firm Heritage Capital

Most of Silverstein's findings were small commission checks, as well as utility refunds, a leasing refund and a dividend account she had a rollover from. She got the funds back tax-free  as is sometimes the case with unclaimed funds  because she had originally paid taxes on those portions of the monies that were taxable.

Financial advisors say it is a good idea to make a habit out of checking with state offices. "I advise clients to check unclaimed property in their states every year to 18 months, as remnant passbook accounts and other accounts seem to be left behind," said Paul Schatz, president of Heritage Capital. "I think it's a good exercise."
The typical American retires at age 62. One Minneapolis-based Millennial plans to shave more than 20 years off that average and retire by age 37. "The Money Wizard," who goes by the pen name Sean and asks to remain anonymous, is well on his way to early retirement. He opened his first investment account at age 16. By age 25, his net worth hit six figures. Now, at age 26, he has nearly $150,000 in the bank, thanks to smart saving and investing habits and a dash of good luck. "No inheritances, no windfalls," he writes on his blog, My Money Wizard. "Just lots of saving, basic investment, and a desk job in the finance industry that places my salary barely above the median household income." CNBC spoke with the 26-year-old financial analyst and blogger who's on pace to retire in a little over a decade. Here's a look at how he's making it happen.

He started saving early

"I always thought that in order to have enough money to retire, or to be financially independent, you had to hit it big," he says. His grandfather changed his perspective and motivated him to start investing at age 16. "He didn't appear rich at all," says Sean of his grandfather. "He raised five kids, he drove old cars, and he never made more than low five-figures." Yet he managed to save $1.3 million in the stock market, thanks to two key ingredients: time and compound interest. "It really speaks to the power of starting early, living reasonably, and of compound interest." Thanks to both of those factors, Sean  who puts about $33,000 a year into low-risk investments  expects to have $750,000 in the bank by age 37.

He set an achievable goal

After reading Jacob Lund Fisker's "Early Retirement Extreme" at age 22, Sean decided to fast-track his retirement and get serious about saving. "I had always assumed, like most people, that I needed several millions of dollars to retire," he says. "Yet here the author was proving retirement was possible on far less than I ever imagined. It's not one size fits all for everybody  it depends on how much money you spend and what your expenses are." Sean graduated debt-free at 23 and landed a financial analyst position in Denver. "I was very fortunate to graduate with no student loans, thanks to extremely generous parents," he explains. He started setting aside 35% to 40% of his $50,000 entry-level salary. After relocating to Minneapolis a year ago and moving in with his girlfriend, with whom he splits various fixed costs, he's able to set aside more than 60% of his now $70,000 salary.

Minneapolis, St. Paul Minnesota. Walter Bibikow | Getty Images

Using the "4 percent rule"  the somewhat controversial guideline used to help you determine the amount you can withdraw from your retirement savings each year without running out  Sean figured he needed $750,000 in the bank to retire comfortably. He plans to live off of about $30,000 per year, which gives him some leeway, considering he currently spends less than $25,000. He's confident he'll be able to cover large, future expenses, such as a house or kids, because his savings model is so conservative. It assumes he'll never get another raise (though he already has), that he won't earn a penny after retiring, and that any potential spouse will never save a dime.

"All of these things are pretty unlikely, so the conservative assumptions should allow for significant wiggle room in the budget," he explains. "As it turns out, in the past year, my expenses have actually gone down and my salary has increased, meaning I'm technically on pace to not only reach my number sooner than anticipated, but I also need less in retirement that I originally planned." This doesn't mean he's adjusting his plans, he notes: "Instead, I'm just creating even more of a safety net for the planned and unplanned increases in life expenses."

He adopted a minimalist mindset and keeps his fixed costs low

Kikkerdirk | Getty Images

"A minimalist mindset is simply realizing that more is not always better," Sean writes. "It means becoming aware of the things that you own, becoming aware of the burden 'stuff' can create, and carefully scrutinizing items before bringing them into your life." Living minimally has allowed him to keep his expenses at bay. "If you look at my spending compared to most people, the two main areas I save the most on are rent and car payments," he says. "I drive a 13-year-old truck that's completely paid off and I split rent with my girlfriend in Minneapolis." Here's a breakdown of his monthly fixed costs: His share of the rent, which he splits with his girlfriend: $640

His share of the utilities, which he splits with his girlfriend: $30 to $40



His share of the Internet, which he splits with his girlfriend: $10



His share of the groceries, which he splits with his girlfriend: $100 to $150

Car insurance: $50



Gas: $50 to $100

Gym membership: $27 Total fixed costs: $907 to $1,017 Additionally, he spends $150 to $200 dining out, which he calls a vice. Miscellaneous expenses fluctuate between $400 and $1,500 a month since travel is, he explains, another vice.

He puts his money to work
An Afghan policeman destroys poppies during a campaign against narcotics in Kunar province, April 29, 2014.

Opium production in Afghanistan has increased 43 percent in the past year, according to a new report from the United Nations.



Opium can be processed chemically to manufacture illegal drugs such as heroin and Afghanistan is seen as responsible for the vast majority of illegal opiates on the world market.



The UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) said in the report on Sunday that areas in the country used to plant the opium producing poppy plant had increased to 201,000 hectares, a rise of 10 percent.

UNODC Executive Director, Yury Fedotov, said the new report shows a "worrying reversal" in efforts to combat illegal drugs and their impacts.

While the higher production is in part due to the larger area of cultivation, the UN report also claimed growing fields were also achieving higher yields.

The report said the average yield per hectare had hit 23.8 kilograms per hectare, 30 percent more than in 2015.

The province of Helmand is identified within the study as the main production region, accounting for more than two thirds of Afghanistan's opium output.
There's business logic and then there's political logic. There are business realities and then there are political realities. Unfortunately for AT&T, Time Warner and their $85.4 billion merger agreement, business and political logic and realities are not remotely on the same page right now. And that spells doom for this deal. The only question is how much longer it will take before the business types figure it out.

Already, some of the expected and unexpected big political names have weighed in against the merger. Senator Bernie Sanders says the Obama administration "should kill" the deal, tweeting a statement that it will mean higher prices and fewer choices for consumers. He didn't bother to explain exactly how that will happen, but the week is young.

Joining Sanders in his clear opposition to the combination was none other than Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump. During a campaign speech on Saturday, Trump said that the merger is, "a deal we will not approve in my administration because it's too much concentration of power in the hands of too few." Perhaps just as importantly, Trump used the same speech to bash media mergers that have already been sealed for years.



Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton hasn't yet weighed in on the merger plan. Confident of a victory on Nov. 8, she and her campaign are starting to play it super safe. But Clinton running mate Tim Kaine did say he has "concerns and questions" about the deal, but would not say much more than that.

You don't need all this weekend's sound bites to know the political sentiment over big merger deals in Washington right now is extremely negative, perhaps more negative than it's been since the days of President Teddy Roosevelt's "trust busting" era. Sanders and Senator Elizabeth Warren have won the hearts and minds of the Democratic side of the country and Congress.

Trump and his devoted supporters are clearly no fans of big business. And the more established Democrats and Republicans like Clinton and House Speaker Paul Ryan are certainly not rushing to defend them. In Ryan's case that's especially notable, because AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson has been a strong supporter of established Republicans and has made numerous donations to the GOP including a $30,000 gift to the RNC last year and a $1,000 donation to Ryan himself just seven months ago. And the Wall Street Journal reports that AT&T's PAC has given $70,000 to Ryan's joint fundraising committee as part of more than $4 million in overall donations to hundreds of different establishment candidates from both parties so far this year.

But the funny thing about money is that politicians can always find a new place to get it. And even if they can't right away, they're much more attracted to political capital than actual capital while they're still in office. That's why all of Pfizer's supposed political connections, including having a chief lobbyist with very close ties to the Obama administration, didn't save its merger deal with Allergan this year.

The continuing negative feelings against big business that peaked during the economic downturn of 2008-09 are still out there. And the people leading the charge against Wall Street/Corporate America, like Sanders and Senator Elizabeth Warren, are stronger than ever politically as a result of this unusual business cycle.

That begs the question of whether AT&T and Time Warner were in their right minds to announce this deal barely two weeks before Election Day. The political climate is hard enough for big mergers now, why make it worse by announcing a deal at a time when a candidate like Trump would have little to lose by publicly denouncing it? And now that Trump's made that statement, even the uber-cautious Clinton may now feel pressure to do the same.

The only conclusion that makes sense in this case is that America's corporate leaders are just too tone deaf to get it. Why? Perhaps it's because the donation windows in the Clinton campaign are still being jammed with their money. Perhaps it's because congressional Republicans still have their hands out as well. Perhaps it's because there's simply no blueprint for operating in a climate when Washington is this politically opposed to big business. But whatever the reason, America's CEOs need to wake up to new realities.

As those realities stand now, there's little chance the AT&T/Time Warner deal will survive as is. It's more likely that several political entities from the Federal Communications Commission to the Federal Trade Commission will gut a good deal of it at best and kill it completely at worst.

Maybe then corporate leaders will realize they need to find a way to improve their image with the public more than they need to keep pushing big money into Washington.
Portuguese bond yields slipped to lows not seen since the start of September on Monday as investors breathed a sigh of relief that the country's credit rating had not been slashed to junk status. Canada's Dominion Bond Rating Service cited Portugal's budget deficit reduction as a key reason to maintaining a BBB investment grade late on Friday.



Crisis averted for the moment

Richard Baker | Getty Images

As one of Europe's weakest economies, Portugal will have undoubtedly been thankful for this decision as this means the nation's debt can still be purchased by the European Central Bank's (ECB) bond-buying program. Investors had been prepared for a mass sell-off in the event of a downgrade and Portugal's 10-year bond yield tumbled down 9 basis points to 3.11 percent on Monday's European trading open as a potential crisis was averted. The ECB has a set limit on how many bonds it can purchase from one particular country and though some investors have claimed the central bank could change its ruling, an overhaul of the purchase limit does not appear to be imminent.

ECB already backtracking
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Fun Facts About Natalie Beckers Lonely Childhood and Eventual Career Success Natalie Becker is an actress of South African descent who became famous for her appearance in films like The World Unseen and The Scorpion King 2: Rise of a Warrior. A multitalented individual, Natalie is also a television/radio presenter. She is also a co-founder of the Thought Leader Global Media which she runs together with ...

Top 3 Female CNN News Anchors You Didnt Know Were Africans CNN is one of the leading news agencies in the world. The satellite and cable news network was founded in 1980 by Ted Turner and has been one of the best sources of news for a number of years. It also boasts of the best journalists and presenters all around in media broadcasting. The company is a ...

Channels That Aided Katie Pavlichs Growth as a Journalist and All About Her Marriage To Friedson If you have ever come across any Fast and Furious featuring Barack Obama, it is the handiwork of Katie Pavlich. The book which claims to have exposed Obamas bloodiest scandal and the shameless cover-up thereof, has been earning Pavlich much praise and fame ever since it was published in 2012. Nonetheless, Pavlich is more famed ...

Is Oprah Winfrey Married? Husband, Children, Biography, House, Facts Oprah Winfrey is a billionaire philanthropist, talk show icon, producer, actress, and writer. The media icon famously dubbed The Queen Of All Media owns and hosts the highest-rated television program in the media circle. Read more about the powerful television star below. Oprah Winfrey Biography Oprah was born as Orpah Gail Winfrey on January 29, 1954, to a ...

Who Is Arsenio Hall, What Happened To His Talk Show and Why Do Fans Think He Is Gay? He is one of the funniest beings to have graced the comedy constituent of the American entertainment industry. Arsenio Hall has a reputation for the rib-cracking disposition always portrayed in his comedy roles. He is not just a comedian; he is also an actor and a former talk show host for his popular show, The ...

What Is Woah Vicky Famous For and Who Are Her Family Members? Like most social media celebrities in this digital era, Woah Vicky is one of those stars that have utilized the internet as a powerful tool to propel themselves to instant fame. The social media space, such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, etc., offers lots of people the right opportunities and potentials to become superstars overnight. Not everyone achieves ...

Where Is Michael Strahan Since His Retirement From The NFL and Who Is His Partner? Michael Strahan is a retired American football player turned media personality. He played the defensive lineman position and holds the record for most sacks in a single NFL season. He also only played for the New York Giants throughout the entire 15-year professional career that saw him win a Super Bowl ring. In February 2014, ...

How Wendy Williams Went From Being a College DJ to Having Her Own Talk Show and More About Her Divorce Wendy Williams is a former radio personality, now talk show host, who is known for her outspokenness and brash no-nonsense attitude. She gained fame and notoriety for her on-air clashes with celebrities before moving on to host her own talk show. Since 2008, Williams has hosted the nationally syndicated television talk show, The Wendy Williams Show. ...

Who is Sunny Hostin? Her Husband, Family & Net Worth Sunny Hostin is no ordinary Latina  American lawyer but also a successful columnist, multi-platform journalist, and social commentator. A happily married woman and mother of two, Hostin is the Senior Legal Correspondent and Analyst for ABC News and co-host of ABCs popular morning talk show, The View. She is a legal expert popularly known as a former ...

Who Is Robert Costa and Is He Married, Who Is His Wife? Robert Costa is a political analyst for NBC News and MSNBC who is regarded as being part of Americas next generation of journalists. The University of Notre Dame graduate, who is of Italian/Portuguese descent, has been lauded for his fresh political perspectives in an industry full of old heads. In addition to his work listed above, Costa ...

Team Valor Pokemon Go  7 Key Facts You Need To Know Team Valor Pokemon Go  The craze of the new game Pokemon Go is one that took the gaming world by storm sending teenagers and adults alike into a frenzy and one of its teams Team Valor, has proven to be instrumental in making it so. Before the game was created, Pokemon was a cartoon ...

Sheryl Underwood  Husband, Family & Net Worth She is known for her trademark smile which can be described as the brightest and broadest smile ever seen on planet earth. She is none other than Sheryl Underwood the comedian, actress, and TV host whose funny wits has left America in great awe. Although Sheryl has risen to become an important personality in the industry, ...

Team Mystic Pokemon Go: 7 Facts You Need To Know And Signs You Are One Team Mystic of the break out game Pokemon Go is a team that is full of sass and chivalry. With an enchanting monicker, Team Mystic stands out from the rest of its counterparts and deserves to take the crown as champion in the Pokemon gaming-verse. To be a member of this exceptional team of Pokemon battle ...

Exploring Guy Beahms Dr Disrespect Persona, Wife and Why He was Banned Permanently From Twitch Guy Beahm who is popularly known by his online alias  Dr DisRespect, is an award-winning Twitch.tv streamer. He has leveraged on the Twitch platform to become an internet personality that is quite widely known. His online success is just more proof that anyone who is good at what they do can attain celebrity status ...

Critical Facts About Lee Ann McAdoo  The Infowars Anchor Lee Ann Mcadoo is a conservative journalist and television host whose interests in conspiracies and astrology has established her as a famous American reporter. Often referred to as Wonder Woman, McAdoo is a reporter who works for InfoWars.com, a controversial right-wing website run by radio show host, Alex Jones. Who Is Lee Ann McAdoo? Lee Ann McAdoo was born on 7 ...

Millie Weaver  Age, Husband & Infowars Career Millie Weaver is an American model, journalist, political activist, and social commentator. The young and beautiful journalist rose to fame working as a reporter for a controversial right-wing website InfoWars.com. Also known as Millennial Millie, Weaver is a social media influencer with over 100,000 subscribers on her YouTube channel and over 35,000 followers on Twitter. Who Is Millie Weaver and What Is ...

Is Jessica Tarlov Married? What Are Her Height & Weight? Jessica Tarlov is an American political consultant, strategist, and analyst whose influential and regular TV presence has made a popular figure. A good example of beauty with brains, Tarlov has appeared on various TV networks, mostly the FOX News Network where she is known for her liberal views on political analysis and insights. She is also the senior director ...

Who Is Kelly Rebecca Nichols  Alex Jones Ex-Wife? Kelly Rebecca Nichols is the ex-wife of controversial American radio show host, Alex Jones. She got nationwide attention following her divorce and subsequent custody battle with her estranged husband. Nichols, who worked with PETAs public relations department, was herself no stranger to controversies as she was involved in several publicity stunts of the non-profit animal rights ...

Who Is Bree Morgan  Cole Sprouse Ex-Girlfriend And What Is She Up To Now? Although Bree Morgan became famous through the Instagram, she also sapped some dose of popularity from Disneys sweetheart, Cole Sprouse of the Sprouse brothers. She is not only an Instagram star but also a YouTube vlogger whose popularity has long exceeded the ordinary level. Bree is conspicuously prominent on the internet and has her digital savviness ...

Does Vanna White Have Husband or Children, What Is Her Net Worth / Salary? For over three decades, Vanna White has been a household name, famous as the co-host and letter turner of the iconic NBC game show Wheel of Fortune. The talented and beautiful television personality is also an actress with several TV series and films to her credit. Since making her Wheel of Fortune debut in 1982, she has become one ...

Liz Wheeler  Biography, Husband & Net Worth Liz Wheeler is the kind of girl who sets the room on fire whenever she comes around. In this situation, however, she sets our screens on fire each time she appears as the host of One America News Tipping Point. She is, therefore, a presenter, publisher, consultant and a member of the Board of Zoning ...

Betty White  Net Worth, Children & Husband The entertainment industry will remain indebted to personalities like Betty White who brought something extra to the table and kept the world entertained for donkey years. The comedienne, actress, and writer graced the big screens in the early 50s as a show host and has been a delight since then. She is the queen of ...

Is Bill Nye (The Science Guy) Dead or Alive, What Are His Net Worth & Education? Everyone will always remember Bill Nye as the Science Guy. Besides his TV show Bill Nye the Science Guy, he is well-known for his Netflix show Bill Nye Saves the World which started airing in 2017 as well as his appearances in many famous media projects as a science educator. The star studied mechanical engineering ...

Is Cesar Millan Dead, Who Is The Wife & What Is His Net Worth? Cesar Millan is the famous dog whisperer who often stirs up mixed emotions. The Mexican-American is precisely speaking, a dog behaviorist; he has been in the game for over 25 years. His Emmy-nominated television series, Dog Whisperer with Cesar Millan further pushed his method and tactics into the limelight. The series was produced from 2004 ...

Is Thomas Sanders Gay and Does He Have A Boyfriend? By the time Vine was shut down in January 2017, Thomas Sanders was already popular within and beyond the internet community for his heavy involvements on the online video hosting platform. After the tragic shutdown of Vine impacted on the growing career of the multi-talented personality, he immediately switched over to YouTube where he continued to upload ...

Is Shepard Smith Gay, Who Is The Boyfriend & What Is His Net Worth? There are only a few media personalities who are as bold and confident as Shepard Smith. Apart from his impressive stint at Fox News Channel which includes but not limited to his classic news delivery, upfront stance on virtually every issue and much more; he loves his job as much as he loves his personality. Smith ...

Is Milo Yiannopoulos Gay? His Husband and Net Worth Milo Yiannopoulos is a popular writer, journalist, polemicist, public speaker, and political commentator who is also known as the founder of The Kernel, an online blog. He has been said to be among the list of 100 weird and influential people in the United Kingdom. He appeared on this list as a result of personal beliefs and ...

Does Ryan Seacrest Have A Wife Or Girlfriend, What Is His Net Worth? From radio to television, Ryan Seacrest is a household name and a force to be reckoned with in showbiz. The radio personality, television host, and producer is best recognized as the host of the popular TV talent search contest American Idol. Heres how the media personality who always knew what his lifes ambition was and diligently pursued ...

Is Anderson Cooper Gay, Who is The Boyfriend or Husband? For many, the thought of becoming a millionaire by writing and talking about other people appears unachievable but this is the reality of the prominent American journalist Anderson Cooper who gathered millions of dollars for conducting accurate political analysis and other vital reports on TV. He is the main anchor of the CNN news show Anderson ...

Is David Muir Gay or Does He Have A Wife, What Is His Salary? David Muir is an Emmy Award-winning journalist who works for the ABC broadcast-television network and anchors the ABC World News Tonight with David Muir program while also co-anchoring the magazine program 20/20. The Ithaca College graduate, whose show has become the most-watched newscast in America, has covered stories from all across America and the world; reporting ...

Joel Osteen  Divorce Rumors, Net Worth & Family Members Joel Osteen is an American Televangelist, Senior Pastor of Lakewood Church based in Houston, Texas, a husband and a father of two. He is an author of many books, seven of which are New York Times Best Sellers and his televised sermons capture more than 7 million viewers per week and 20 million every month ...

Who Is Todd Chrisley? What To Know About His Children, Gay Rumors & Net Worth Premiered on the USA network in 2014, Chrisley Knows Best is one of the most watched family reality TV shows in the U.S. The series which is currently in its sixth season is centered around U.S real estate mogul Todd Chrisley and his family. The show reveals Todd the patriarch of the Chrisley family as a strict dad who rules ...

Who Is Shannon Bream Of Fox News? Her Husband, Children & Net Worth Shannon Bream who hosts the iconic primetime program started her journalism career in the late 1990s debuting as the evening and late-night news reporter for the CBS affiliate, WBTV. The beauty from America currently works for the Fox News Channel and she is best known for anchoring the primetime program. She also hosts Americas News ...

Is Troye Sivan Gay, Who Is His Boyfriend and What Is His Net Worth? Troye Sivan is an Australian singer and songwriter best known for songs like Happy Little Pill, Youth, Heaven (with Betty Who) and The Boyfriend Tag (with Tyler Oakley) which have all garnered him different awards and ranked on the Billboard Charts. Sivan, who was born in South Africa but now resides in the United States, is ...

Did iDubbbz Have Cancer, Is He Gay and Who Is His Girlfriend Now? iDubbbz is one YouTuber who has made a career out of courting controversy. Renowned for his absurdist channels and comedy video series, the Los Angeles based personality is the owner of two channels, iDubbzTV, and iDubbzTV2, as well as the brains behind comedy video series such as Content Cop, Kickstarter Crap, Gaming News Crap, and ...

Inside Greg Gutfelds Love Story With Wife Elena Moussa and Why Fans Thought He Was Gay Greg Gutfeld is a seasoned American television producer whose career in the media industry has spanned over a decade. He is a man of many talents who makes extra income through comedy, journalism, and editorial works. Gutfeld regularly appears on Fox News Channel as a panellist and co-host of the political talk show The Five ...

Works That Made Bo Burnham A Household Name and How Much He Is Worth Now One of YouTubes first viral stars and the worlds most exciting young comedian, Bo Burnham, has always amazed critics and comedy aficionados alike. Often regarded as the Justin Bieber of comedy, thanks to his fresh looks, floppy blond hair and hoodies, he has a multi-faceted career bigger than many comedians twice his age. It wouldnt ...

Is Louie Anderson Gay And What Is His Net Worth? Louie Anderson has one of the most abstract faces in the industry and equally knows how to use it to his advantage. He is not only a stand-up comedian but also an actor and television host who is known for his distinctive comic wits. Some of his notable projects include Family Feud, where he was ...

Is Don Lemon of CNN Gay, Who is His Partner and What Is His Salary? Don Lemon has risen to become one of the most recognizable faces on CNN over the past few years. The fiery journalist, who anchors CNN Tonight with Don Lemon, is liked and somewhat disliked for his strong and candid opinions on a variety of matters that do not just include politics but also race, significantly, matters that ...

Is Rachel Maddow Gay, Who is the Wife and How Much Does She Earn in Salary? Rachel Maddow is an award-winning American journalist, political commentator, and television news anchor. She is best known for hosting the popular nightly TV show The Rachel Maddow Show on MSNBC. Prior to this, she hosted a talk radio program on Air America Radio from 2005 to 2010. As of now, the TV sensation co-anchors MSNBCs ...

Demystifying Pokimane  Her Real Name, Ethnicity & Boyfriend Like most social media celebrities in this digital era, Pokimane Thicc is one of those stars who took advantage of the internet to make a name for herself. Given the unlimited potentials which the social media space offers, many people have been instantly propelled to fame just by posting creative online contents. Not only has ...

A Breakdown of Kris Jenners Net Worth, Sources Of Income and Relationships Over The Years Standing outside and looking in, Kris Jenner looks like the oil that greases the wheels of the entire Kardashian/Jenner machine. She has been dubbed a momager and rightfully so because she seems to have had a part to play in the trajectory of each and every one of her daughters individually and the Kardashian brand ...

Pursuits That Brought Liza Koshys Fame To its Zenith and Her Love Life Since David Dobrik Liza Koshy is an American actress who has leveraged YouTube as a platform to promote her comedy while also serving as a television host on occasions. She is talented and funny and has gathered a lot of fans from around the world. Koshy started on Vine in high school and was able to get millions of ...

Alex Aiono Biography  Inside The Life Of The American Singer Not everyone who started from the streets has attained the heights where Alex Aiono is currently. His story could be referred to as the perfect definition of rising from Grass to Grace. He came into the limelight after he started out as a YouTuber, singer, and producer. One fascinating thing about the young YouTuber is ...

Virginia Vallejo Biography And Her Love Story With Pablo Escobar Virginia Vallejo can be referred to as one of the oldest whistleblowers in history after her involvement with Pablo Escobar which made her famous. Over the years, many questions have been raised about her relationship with the drug lord and why she endangered her life to be with him despite his notorious acts. The death ...

Princess Love Bio  Ethnicity, Real Name & Parents For many people, Princess Love is simply Ray Js wife but there is so much more to this feisty lady than meets the eye. She is a star in her own right and has many feathers on her cap. Princess Love is a reality TV star, a model, video vixen, and fashion designer. She and her ...

Who is Papa Franku Also Known As Filthy Frank or Joji, Where is He Now? The social media as we all know today has given people the opportunity to be creative and innovative and at the same time, make something of themselves. YouTube is one of the known social platforms we have today that makes it possible for people to express their God-given talents and post videos they created to ...

Who Is Molly Qerim, How Did She Become a Famous Sports Anchor and Who Is Her Husband? Molly Qerim is an American sports anchor popularly known for moderating First Take, a highly rated sports talk show, on ESPN. Prior to joining ESPN, Qerim hosted Fantasy Live and NFL AM on NFL Network. It is quite obvious that the widely acclaimed television personality is in a class of her own when it comes ...

Safiya Nygaard  Height, Parents & Net Worth Safiya Nygaard is an American YouTuber, writer, content producer, and director who is popular for posting makeup, beauty and fashion videos on YouTube. Her videos regularly top at least one million views, thanks to her lively character as well as her willingness to experiment with outrageous outfits and different beauty products. Here are the things to ...

The Rigors of Sunlen Serfatys Career Journey Until CNN and Fun Facts About Her Personal Life CNN correspondent, Sunlen Serfaty is an Emmy Award-winning journalist known for covering a broad range of breaking news stories, national news, and Washington politics. She has been able to garner widespread recognition for herself which even goes beyond the sphere of her work. Her profile also increased with the extensive work she did in covering ...

Demystifying Jazz Jennings Real Name, Boyfriend & Family Of One The Youngest Transgenders Jazz Jennings is an unusual personality who became famous as a transgender activist and was recorded as the youngest documented public figure to be seen as transgender. She is also a YouTube personality and spokesmodel for brands, her fans, and other transgenders. She fought for acceptance in her high school with her super supportive family for over ...

Inside Fred Armisens Life  Ethnicity, Romantic Relationships and Gay Rumors Fred Armisen is an award-winning American comedian, he is also a writer, an actor as well as a musician. He was a cast member of the legendary comedy show, Saturday Night Live for 13 years and also one of the brains behind the successful satirical show Portlandia. Find out more about this incredibly talented guy ...

Ed and Lorraine Warren Biography: Cases, Kids, and Family Life Have you ever woken up with fear you could not explain, or felt a strange presence that made the hair at your nape rise or even experienced strange occurrences around you? Well, these were some of the promptings that made the well-known paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren delve into trying to explain the ideas ...

Truth About Tony Romos Wife, Kids and Life Since His NFL Retirement Tony Romo grew from the field as a quarterback to the screens as an American Football Analyst. He was a quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys in the richest football league in the world (NFL) before retiring. As a junior, he was honored as an All-Ohio Conference Member, an Ohio Valley Conference Player of the Year and ...

Who is Brittany Venti, The Controversial Game Streamer and YouTuber? In recent times, many people live stream themselves playing video games. This has become a popular pastime on the internet and many highly skilled gamers have become internet celebrities through this means. However, some of them rather than becoming renowned for their gaming skills and great commentary, have become controversial and infamous. A good example ...

Rob Dyrdeks Family: His Kids And Relationship With Wife Bryiana Noelle Flores A multi-talented star and an elite pro skateboarder, Rob Dyrdeks success story began at a remarkably young age. Yet another proof that schooling doesnt always correlate with success, Rob has established himself not just as a phenomenal sportsman but also as a successful entrepreneur. Besides perfecting his skill as a natural talent on the board, ...

xChocobars  Biography and Everything You Should Know About Her Having distinguished herself and recorded massive successes in an industry notably dominated by men, it is very safe to say that Xchocobars deserves all the attention and cash she makes from her career. A household name on Twitch (a smart live streaming video platform), the online-gamer is popularly known for streaming classic games such as Stardew ...

Everything To Know About Mary Padian, Her Boyfriend and Net Worth Mary Padian is a famous American television reality personality best known for her involvements on the Reality show Storage Wars. She also has her own shop called Mary finds where she displays her antique collections. Since her childhood, Padian has been a creative learner. At the time, she used to create new items out of reusable ones and ...

Betsy Woodruffs Family Life: Is She Married or Related To Bob Woodruff? An old name in the world of journalism, Betsy Woodruff has warmed her way into the hearts of many with her impressive talents. Through hard work, Woodruff has carved a niche for herself in a very competitive field. Betsy has strong family and work values and is also an advocate for equal opportunities for everyone ...

Matpat (Matthew Patrick)  Wife, Height & Net Worth As far as internet business is concerned, Matpat remains one of the most dynamic and seasoned figures. He boasts a wealth of experience that has helped him in growing his business from one level of greatness to another. Like most successful people, MatPat started out small but today, he makes millions of dollars from his ...

Facts About Ricegum  His Girlfriend, Real Name & Net Worth Ricegum is an online gamer and YouTube sensation who ditched college; took advantage of the digital era, and made a name for himself on the internet. Though he began as a gaming YouTuber, Ricegum soon gained recognition as a controversial internet star following his many diss tracks. Here is everything you need to know about the youngster ...

Joy Taylor Once Married MLBs Richard Giannotti  Inside Look At Her Love Life and Family The erosion of the sexist idea that women have no business in sports broadcasting created a host of women celebrities who attained fame outside of modeling and acting. One of them, Joy Taylor, a radio personality and TV host for Fox Sports 1, has been in the industry since 2009, becoming one of the most ...

What To Know About Conan OBriens Wife, Kids & Family Today The name Conan OBrien is one that jumps right at you almost immediately you start talking about the most popular television hosts in the USA and this is no surprise because the man behind that name has risen to become one of the most admired men in the business. Known for hosting the late-night talk ...

David Letterman  Net Worth, Wife & Son In all of American, one man whose face has been seen frequently by late night TV talk show lovers is none but David Letterman. The comedian and TV show veteran has been hosting late night talk shows for more than three decades. His Late Night with David Letterman show began on February 1st, 1982 aired ...

Demystifying Sssniperwolfs Family Background And The Boyfriends Shes Had Since she launched her eponymously named channel in 2013, Sssniperwolf has been on the rise when it comes to video game influencers. She is one of the biggest names in the online gaming subgenre of YouTube videos. Real name Lia Shelesh, she started with Call of Duty: Black Ops II but has diversified with other ...

Lester Holt  Wife, Family & Net Worth Lester Holt is a multiple award-winning journalist, newscaster, reporter, and actor who has worked for notable media houses like WCBS TV, CBS, MSNBC and among others. His remarkable feat in journalism has endeared him to the hearts of many and earned him some awards and recognitions. Read on to get acquainted with his biography, ethnicity, ...

What Is Louis C.K. Doing Now, Where Are His Family And How Much Is His Net Worth? It is not easy to make it in comedy. It takes more than a funny bone and the ability to elicit a few giggles from a listening audience. For all the complexities that go into making a successful career in comedy, Louis C.K, the Washington D.C-born comedian, did it. For years, he was at the ...

The Progression of Hoda Kotbs Career, Her Ancestry and Family Life Hoda Kotb gained fame as a television host and news anchor for NBC. She anchors the shows signature show Today, and it has been an excellent vehicle for her skills in front of a camera. Kotb has won several awards, including Daytime Emmys and Peabody Awards. Simply put, she is one of the most successful ...

Jerry Seinfelds Family: All About The Amazing Comedians Wife and Kids Apparently one of the highly important entertainers in America, Jerry Seinfeld is a man of many talents. A very funny man, he is considered to be one of the most successful comedians in the USA who has been in the business as a professional rib-cracker for more than 40 years. As an actor, he has ...

The Rigors Of Sarah Silvermans Rise To Prominence And Rundown Of The Men She Has Dated A comedian, writer, and actress, Sarah Silvermans art and craft is as unique as you would ever find. Her poignant use of comedy to discuss social issues such as race, sexism, politics, and religion has gained her an impressive following. As unorthodox as her style is, so is her life experiences. She previously suffered from epiglottitis ...

Who Is Hannibal Buress, Does He Have A Wife or Girlfriend & Why Was He Arrested? Making people laugh when they are tense or not in the mood is a tough order and to ply the trade, it must indeed take some guts and expertise, this is what the humor maker, Hannibal Buress has been able to achieve and sustain after his inital teething process. The African-American is a screen writer, stand-up ...

The Success of John Mulaneys Career Efforts Since His Work On Saturday Night Live and Facts About His Wife John Mulaney had been working as a professional comedian for years before Saturday Night Live changed his status for life and like many who are now his fans, you probably did not know of him then. However, that changed when he joined the sketch comedy show in 2008. Since then, he has been one of ...

Jeff Dunham  Wife, Children and Net Worth Ventriloquism is a very subtle method of making an inanimate object (like a puppet, doll or dummy) appear to be saying words which are actually coming from the person (holding the inanimate object). In effect, the individual throws his/her voice to the puppet and can even appear to be having a conversation with it. Not ...

Ellen DeGeneres  Net Worth, Wife  Portia de Rossi & Parents Ellen DeGeneres is an American female standup comedian who has proven that whatever a man can do, a woman can also do. Since her journey as a standup comedian started in 1981, she has held swirl as one of the finest comedians America and the world at large has seen. She is often referred to ...

Revisiting Joan Rivers Death  The Daughter, Husband & Net Worth She Left Behind Joan Rivers was a renowned American comedian, TV host, writer, and actress. Her brand of comedy consisted of scathing one-liners and no individual or topic is spared. She hosted her own talk shows in the 80s and 90s and was a pioneer for women in stand up comedy. She was the first woman to host a late night ...

The Struggles of Margaret Chos Childhood, How It Influenced Her Career Growth and Love Life Margaret Cho is best described as a comic star who knows how to maneuver everything related to life into a rib-cracking joke. She is also known to criticize every social and political problem, especially those involving race and sexuality. Apart from her talents as a comic actress, she does amazingly well as a singer and ...

Where Is Eric Bolling Today? Who Is His Son & What Is His Net Worth? Eric Bolling who was once a notable figure on Fox News, is an American TV personality, an author, and versatile Journalist. As a political and financial analyst/commentator, he anchored discussions bothering on finance for Fox Business Channel. Here is everything there is to know about his career, family, and allegations that led to his exit ...

Who Is Chelsea Handler and Does She Have A Husband or Boyfriend? Chelsea Handler is one of Americas top female comedians. She is also an actress, writer, television host, producer, and activist. She is known to be very outspoken even with things that are very personal. In separate interviews with The New York Times, Handler revealed that she had an abortion twice when she was 16. She has authored five books ...

How Did Laura Lee Achieve Fame, How Much is She Worth and Who is Her Husband? Laura Lee is a popular American YouTuber, make-up artist and beauty blogger. From posting videos of her makeup routines on Instagram, Lee has transformed into a beauty influencer and a YouTube sensation. Today, her YouTube Channel has over 630 million views and 4.5 million subscribers. Asides having millions of followers across all social media platforms, ...

Madison Gesiotto Bio  Ethnicity, Parents & Measurements Madison Gesiotto is no ordinary woman; although she excelled in quite a number of pageants and competitions while she was in school, it is her views on politics and issues in America that has made her name known to most people. She possesses beauty and intelligence in a seemingly equal measure and has been able ...

Who Is Lil Tay? Parents, Brother, Sister, Age, Net Worth, Ethnicity Child stardom is nothing new in the entertainment world. With the advent of social media, we have seen more stars made from the internet than ever before, and Lil Tay is one of them. Her uploaded rap videos trademark is cursing, swearing, cash-throwing, and use of obscene languages. Her fame went wild after she dropped ...

What To Know About Tig Notaros Wife, Kids and Family Today Tig Notaro is an American stand-up comic star, writer, actress, and radio analyst. Since she started her career in 2001, she has become one of Americas best comedians, particularly when it comes to observational comedy. One prominent aspect of her routine involves her family, which includes a wife and two children. Interestingly, Tig Notaro is part ...

Who Is Chantel Jeffries? What To Know About Her Age, Ethnicity & Net Worth Chantel Jeffries is a lady of many talents. Beyond being celebrated as a DJ, she has fared well as a model, an actress, musician, and as an artist. She first rose to fame on Instagram where she has a large following. However, in recent times, she has hit the spotlight for her rumored relationships with some ...

Is Ellen DeGeneres Married, Who Is The Brother  Vance DeGeneres and Family Members? Ellen DeGeneres is one of a kind celebrity in todays world as she has used her wealth for the greater good for many people. She has served a host of famous awards shows like the Grammy, Primetime Emmy and Academy Awards. Moreso, she is probably one of the most decorated entertainment personalities around the world and ...

Carli Bybel Bio  Height, Boyfriend & Net Worth Video blogging is now on the rise and YouTube is the place where most of it happens. If you are a lady who cares about her looks or a guy who likes to help his woman out with her looks, then one person whose name rings a bell when it comes to giving beauty tips ...

Who Is Lexy Panterra? What To Know About Her Ethnicity, Boyfriend & Net Worth Lexy Panterra is one of the YouTube personalities whose breakout came through the Twerk dance videos she posted on her social media handles and YouTube which has so far generated over 13 million views for her. From there on, she created her LexTwerkOut workout program in 2014. She is sure very talented as she as moved ...

Who Is AnneMunition? What Is Her Ethnicity & Does She Have A Girlfriend or Boyfriend? AnneMunition is a professional gamer and content creator of American origin. She is one of the most sought-after streamers on Twitch  a popular online platform for watching and streaming videos, especially video games. AnneMunition has almost half a million followers on Twitch and her channel has accumulated at least 13 million views. Her favorite games ...

Norm MacDonald  Former Wife, Son & Net Worth Recently, 59-year-old former Saturday Night Live stand-up comic Norm MacDonald caused a not-so-funny stir when he expressed his personal opinion about the #MeToo movement speaking in defense of Louis CK and Roseanne Barr. Following the backlash of his actions, he is diligently doing damage control for his questionable opinion by posting a public apology on ...

Inside Iliza Shlesingers Life With Husband and How Much She is Worth Now Witty, spontaneous, and truly humorous, Iliza Shlesinger is an American comedian who is clearly proving that the stereotypical claim that women are not really funny is not only incredibly wrong but completely outrageous. Having been in the game for more than 10 years, Shlesinger has grown bigger with each step, stunning fans with her incredible ...

Who Is Nessa Diab? Details of her Parents, Ethnicity & Relationship With Colin Kaepernick Nessa Diab has gained more fame as the girlfriend of different footballers than in her career. She is currently with the popular National Football League (NFL) player, Colin Kaepernick, and has stood by his side during his most trying times. Also known for her mononym, Nessa, she recently engaged in a tweet battle with the ...

Samantha Bee  Inside the Life of Full Frontal Comedian and Presenter We have over the decades seen various brands of humor and personalities who have walked the ropes. One of the formidable forces in the world of comedy is no other than the iconic Samantha Bee of the Daily Show who now runs her own television show on TBS channel. She is a Canadian-American political commentator, ...

What Happened To Jessica Williamss Boyfriend And Which Are Her Best Works? Jessica Williams is a woman who has a lot of feathers in her cap  and keeps acquiring more. The former senior political correspondent of the comic Daily Show, who is also a comedian and actress whose recent movie appearance include starring as a playwright just recovering from a recent split with her boyfriend, Damon, and ...

Who is Nicole Byer? Here are 5 Facts You Need To Know About The Comedian Nicole Byer, an American comedian, actress, and writer, made a name for herself after she played supporting roles on MTVs prank show Ladylike and the reality show Girl Code. The latter was a series that featured comedians who analyzed in minute details, all the issues that young women deal with daily, from period to dating, to weird friendship dynamics and questions about sex. Currently, ...

A Closer Look At Bart Kwans Ethnicity, Height & Personal Life Bart Kwan is one of few Asians who is known for being successful in the comic industry at an international level. His fame broke out after the YouTube channel which he created with his close pal Joe Jo garnered up massive followings. The talented duo has been running the channel since 2007 and their success ...

Heres How VanossGaming Achieved Fame Online, His Worth and Other Facts About The Gamer For many years, the decision to drop out of college to pursue an online career was considered to be foolish and self-destructive by conventional wisdom. It was no different when Evan Fong, popularly known as VanossGaming, dropped out of college to pursue a YouTube career. However, that radical move paid off, and he stands shoulder to ...

Desi Perkins  Ethnicity, Net Worth & Husband YouTube is littered with videos of makeup tutorials by different people but if you are interested in learning how to do your makeup like a pro, there is just one person on that platform who you must follow. She is none other than Desi Perkins! She is a popular make-up artist, Instagram star, and vlogger. Desi, ...

The Phases of Casey Neistats Pursuits and His Love Story With Candice Pool YouTuber, vlogger, filmmaker, and creator extraordinaire; these are just a few hats that Casey Neistat wears and the story of how he got here is incredible. A native of Connecticut, Neistat started out by making refreshingly-authentic short films and videos that featured content that was based on everyday life and called attention to serious issues. He ...

Connor Franta  Inside The Life of American YouTuber YouTube has produced a lot of young celebrities in modern times and Connor Franta happens to be one of them. Apart from being a YouTuber, the young American is also an entrepreneur, entertainer, and writer. His journey to fame began almost a decade ago when he started a self-named YouTube channel where he uploads content ranging ...

Rhett and Link  Bio, Who are Their Wives, Net Worth and Family Facts Rhett and Link refer to an American comedy duo who are very popular on YouTube. They are known for their comic songs, viral commercials, skits and the daily show, Good Mythical Morning. Good Mythical Morning is the most watched daily show online, averaging 100 million views in a month. The show has featured guests such ...

A Walk Through The Maze of Ryan Higas Career Pursuits And Relationship With Arden Cho Ryan Higa is not only celebrated as a YouTube star, but he is also famed for appearing on television screens as an actor and comedian. Nigahiga, his Youtube channel, has gathered over 20 million subscribers and billions of views with his different comic acts, short films, and music videos uploads. With the rise in his career, ...

What to Know About The Shows That Made Craig Ferguson a Star and His Family Ties Rising to the top of your profession can sometimes be a hard and difficult process. It requires days and nights of working consistently hard to be better than what you were yesterday. It requires not giving up when all of your experiences seem to be pushing you to quit. It is because of these challenges ...

David Dobrik Married Liza Koshy for One Month  Inside His Family and Relationships David Dobrik is a YouTube sensation who has garnered fame not just for his vlogs but his love life too. Given his career as a YouTuber, his channel is one place where he shares his romantic escapades. With a cute boyish look like his, this Slovakian young man is definitely a good catch, and not ...

Merrell Twins Bio  Ethnicity, Parents & Boyfriend One of the beautiful things about modern life is social media. As rudimentary as it might seem, it could turn out to be the greatest thing that would be invented in the next 50 years because of its impact on human life. Very few tools have revolutionized human behavior and culture as much as social ...

Who Is Bunny Meyer, Is She Married & What Is Her Net Worth? Bunny Meyer is a YouTube celebrity who has amassed over 8.8 million subscribers with 1.5 million viewers on her channel. She is popularly known as Grav3yardgirl and is one of the highest-paid YouTubers in the world. She initially started out as a fashion designer and later chose the path of a YouTuber. Grav3yardgirl has used her knowledge on fashion, makeup, ...

Ninja  Inside The Life of The American YouTuber and Internet Personality Ninja is a talented video game player known for his mastery of Fortnite and other seemingly difficult games he plays with ease. The video gamer made a career out of what is ordinarily the hobby of many people and has since then amassed a huge online following. Find out about him here, including the controversies that ...

What Is Eva Gutowskis True Sexuality and How Did She Rise So Fast As an Influencer? Ever since Eva Gutowski joined YouTube in 2011, it has been an interesting journey for her, moving from one milestone to the other. Backed by an army of young women and teenage girl fans known as Evanators, she has risen to become one of the most-talked-about personalities in the digital stratosphere. She has also leveraged ...

Emma Chamberlain Biography  Age, Height & Net Worth Before now, people in the entertainment industry could only achieve popularity after many years of dedication and hard work but since social media came into the scene, massive success and overnight popularity became possible. That is the story of Emma Chamberlain who encountered fame as a fifteen-year-old. Emma is one of the many young people who became ...

Anna Akana  Ethnicity, Boyfriend & Net Worth There is a new crop of YouTubers known by their different contents with a very strong uniqueness that stands every one of them out, some upload video games, some fashion while some others have comedy video contents to showcase on their channels. Anna Akana has used her platform to showcase her comedy contents to the ...

Revealing Truths About Lilly Singhs Ethnic Background, Family and Her Relationship With Yousef Erakat Lilly Singh is an Indian-Canadian YouTube personality, actress, and comedian also known as Superwoman. She kicked off her YouTube career in 2010 with the launch of her channel IISuperwomanII and followed it up with a vlog channel in 2011. This paved the way for her fame and success which led to a world tour. The ...

Who Is Andrea Constand, Is She Married and What Is Her Connection With Bill Cosby? Many people got sexually molested but could not voice out due to the stigma victims suffer and what will become of them thereafter. Very few of the victims danm every consequence to seek justice and bring the perpetrator to the book, like Andrea Constand. She never got any media buzz, not until her friend cum molester; ...

Who Is Lazarbeam (Lannan Eacott)? Here Are Facts You Need To Know Lannan Eacott became a person of interest after his YouTube channel, LazarBeam pulled him to the limelight. Initially, he started with uploads of Madden Challenge videos before deciding to build his own channel in January 2015. Within the space of three years, his YouTube channel had gathered over 7 million loyal subscribers. Today, he has not ...

Puzzling Facts About Wengies YouTube Success and More About Her Fiance Among the many YouTubers who have succeeded in winning the hearts of millions of people is Wengie. She is a Chinese-Australian YouTube personality, vlogger, singer, and voice actress. Wengie is famous for a lot of things, from her simple life hacks, DIYs, craft ideas to fun experiments, tricks and pranks. Her content portfolio also includes hair tutorials, diet & fitness tips, lookbooks, ...

Is Jeffree Star A Billionaire and How Much Does He Make On YouTube? If looks can be deceptive then theres no other person who proves this maxim better than Jeffree Star. A quick look at Stars pictures would likely leave you wondering whether or not to tag him a male or female. But who says being controversial has to be a curse? For Star, his looks have caught ...

The Place of Rosanna Pansinos Career Hats In Her Rise To Fame and Facts About Her Personal Life There are a few phrases that could summarize Rosanna Pansinos rise to fame. None of them can do it better than the famous axiom, no knowledge is lost. Her popularity YouTube comes out of her foray into other professions, specifically acting. Although acting now occupies one of the major professional hats in Rosannas resume, it was ...

Muselk (Elliott Watkins) Biography  Age, Girlfriend and Net Worth The new and best in-thing in terms of career is video gaming and we have over time seen young men and women make massive income from an activity that was purportedly designed to serve as a hobby or a relaxation activity. One of such individuals is the Australian-born YouTube Celebrity and Twitch streamer, Muselk, whose ...

PopularMMOs Biography: 5 Interesting Facts You Need To Know We have over the years seen social media millionaires, especially on the YouTube social platform. These celebrities cum millionaires have made names for themselves after carving out niches on the internet, and a typical example of one of such exciting media personality on the YouTube is American Minecraft gamer and YouTube star, PopularMMOs whose channel ...

Jason Nash Once Married Marney Hochman  What To Know About His Ex-Wife and Kids The now-defunct video-sharing app Vine was the path that led Jason Nash to fame. With it, he built an audience of over two million followers, which he parlayed into a significant YouTube career. That move has seen him become one of the most popular personalities on the internet, with the cash income to go with ...

Where Does Dantdm Live? What Do We Know About His Net Worth, Wife and Brother? Most parents buy video games for their kids to occupy their time leisure, while other parents frown at their kids when they play video games. Despite the disparity, every parent would be proud of their child if he/she eventually turns a celebrity or millionaire through playing video games like Dantdm. Biography of Dantdm Dantdm was born Daniel ...

LaurDIY  Biography: 5 Facts You Need To Know About The YouTuber LaurDIY is the YouTube channel of Lauren Riihimaki which she created on December 1, 2011, when she was still a college undergrad with the sole aim of giving Do It Yourself (DIY) as well as practical fashion and beauty tips to her followers. She has used the channel to establish herself as a YouTube personality ...

Lachlan Ross Power  Bio And Family Life Of Australian The YouTube Star It is amazing the varied sources of income that the internet has made possible in this day and age. Internet fame can get its holder a whole lot of monetary and social benefits, but it must be noted that it does not come easy or cheap. For those who desire fame, content is the sacrifice ...

Alfie Deyes  Bio and Net Worth: Everything You Need To Know Alfie Deyes is one internet personality you definitely would like to know about. He boasts of over 10 million subscribers on three of his YouTube channels and has three bestseller books to his name. He is probably the most renowned young personality on YouTube today and his vlogging empire continues to grow by the day. ...

Colleen Ballingers Love Story With Husband Erik Stocklin and How Much She Is Worth Now Colleen Ballinger is an American comedian and YouTuber who is a very funny, adventurous, and highly talented woman. She is also an actress, singer, and writer. Collen is widely known for her work on YouTube where she posts content on her channel, Miranda Sings. The comedian has gained many subscribers over the years and has ...

Who Are The Dude Perfect Members and How Much Are They Worth? Entertainment in the 21st century can be digested in many forms and with platforms like YouTube, the creators and purveyors of entertainment have been democratized. Today, one of the most popular platforms to exhibit ones creative talents is YouTube, even though there are other platforms like Twitter, Facebook, who suffer in comparison to YouTube because ...

Who Is Rudy Mancuso, What Is His Earning Power and What Do We Know About His Girlfriend? Rudy Mancuso started his internet journey on Vine. He would later transition to YouTube where he solidified his place among the internets most beloved comedic creators. He is now regarded as one of the renowned internet personalities in the world, with a presence in mainstream TV and film projects like Comedy Centrals Drunk History and ...

Vsauce (Michael Stevens) Biography and Net Worth: All You Need To Know The advent of YouTube and the internet as a whole revolutionized how human beings consume information. With each passing year, the percentage of learning that is done in a traditional classroom decrease as a seismic shift to internet-based learning happens in our education industry. From open courses online to YouTube classes and videos, there are ...

How did Jake Paul Make His YouTube Big Break and Who is His Wife? One of the most interesting Social Media personalities of the 21st century is the young and popular Jake Paul whose elder brother is the famed Vine star, Logan Paul. Jake has utilized the power of the internet to bring himself to the limelight with a channel named JakePaulProductions that has amassed up to six billion ...

5 Facts You Need To Know About Reaction Time (Tal Fishman)  The American YouTuber Before 2015, the leading meaning of reaction time was the amount of time it takes to respond to a stimulus, until Tal Fishman started his channel, Reaction Time on YouTube and the dominant meaning changed. Today, a google search of Reaction Time would deliver Tal Fishmans videos and YouTube channel link with a few physics ...

Grace Helbig  Net Worth, Boyfriend and Family Life of The YouTuber Grace Helbig is an American internet personality, comedian, actress, and writer. She became popular due to her daily vlog series, DailyGrace, which ran on My Damn Channel from 2008 to 2013. Helbig is also popular for her own indie series on YouTube, ItsGrace, which she launched in 2014. Her vlogs which feature random stuff such as ...

Mark Wiens Bio  Ethnicity, Wife and Parents Food is a great way to connect with people. We all love to eat, if not for the pleasure of food, the satisfaction of quenching hunger, and the very process of providing and sharing that food is part of the strongest bonds that bind humanity together. Maybe it is our historical connection to food, where ...

Is Filthy Frank Dead, What Happened To Him and How Much Is He Worth? As George Kusunoki Miller, he was a nobody. However, as Filthy Frank, George was one of the most famous internet personalities on the planet. The Filthy Frank Show, a sketch series on his YouTube channel, TVFilthyFrank, was one of the platforms most influential creations. He is the reason a crazy dance song, Harlem Shake, made it ...

CaptainSparklez Bio  Net Worth, House and Cars of The Famous YouTuber Sometimes, what society wants from its citizens is quite different from what the citizens want for themselves. This is evident in the life and career of video blogger and American YouTube personality, Jordan Maron famous for his YouTube channel CaptainSparklez. He dropped out of school after discovering his talent in playing an online game called Minecraft. ...

Who is Simply Nailogical (Cristine Rotenberg)? Here are Facts You Must Know Canadian Youtube personality, Simply Nailogical (Cristine Rotenberg) originally started out polishing and designing nails even before it became a trendy culture in the social media. Simply Nailogica started out her showbiz career in her early days as a child actress, acting in commercials for game and toy companies. Aside from acting, she is blogger, vlogger, specializing ...

5 Interesting Facts You Need To Know About Huda Beauty In the world of entrepreneurship, it is interesting when an individual has a mentor who he/she looks up to, this yield more productivity on the part of the individual. The iconic and rich American beautician and makeup artist Huda Kattan nicknamed Heida is the founder of the Huda Beauty blog which is number one Instagram beauty blog ...

Is Dino MasterChef Gay? Details About His Ethnicity, Girlfriend, Where He Is Now Food, for the better part of the early years of human life, was nothing more than what we needed for survival. There was no artistry or curation to the method of cooking. The scarcity of food left no room for artistic expression until we figured out agriculture and we could make as much as we ...

Who Is Gabbie Hanna And How Did She Become Famous? As the world shifts to digital media and depends more and more on streaming services for its news and entertainment content, YouTubers have become one of the leading creators in the new media world. Their understanding of the online audience: how to create, maintain, and increase followers, are all handy skills that have primed them ...

Jacksepticeye  Height, Girlfriend & Net Worth Jacksepticeye is a YouTuber and actor who gained popularity with a series of gaming videos he uploads on his channel to the delight of millions of his subscribers. He is Known primarily for his comic video game series titled Lets Play and his vlogs. His channel was formerly ranked 46th in the list of most subscribed ...

Chris Heria Personal Details: About His Wife, Height & Ethnicity Background In this generation, keeping fit has become one of the major criteria for being hale and hearty. In fact, most occupations these days are majorly concerned with ones body mass, weight and looks. Unlike the past where most people have to register in a gym to keep fit, social media has made it quite easy ...

Everything You Need To Know About Game Grumps Gaming is becoming incredibly popular on YouTube these days with game vloggers make millions of dollars out of them yearly. One of the most popular up-coming gaming YouTube channels is Game Grumps. The Lets Play series was created in 2012 and celebrated its fifth anniversary on July 18th, 2017. In six years of its existence, the ...

Daithi De Nogla Biography, Girlfriend and Net Worth YouTube has created an avenue for many to make wealth and become famous from the comfort of their homes while having fun. Many have built a career out of the platform, uploading numerous videos that have earned them the admiration of viewers across the globe. For Daithi De Nogla, he is loved for his humorous commentary on ...

Does Phoebe Robinson Have A Boyfriend or Husband and What Do We Know About Her Family? Phoebe Robinson is a New York-based comedian, writer, and actress. She is best known as the co-creator and co-host of the WNYC Studios podcast 2 Dope Queens. Just like some other female comedians, she never had any original plans of becoming a stand-up comedian even though, according to her, she took a class on a whim at Carolines on Broadway. After ...

Who Are Lex and Alana from Listed Sisters? What Is Their Ethnicity & Is the Show Cancelled? America is a country built on diversity. Everywhere you look all over the country, a countless number of immigrants or children of immigrants have become an integral part of the fabric of the country. From entertainment to business, immigrants are creating a niche for themselves and climbing to the summit of their respective professions. One ...

Riveting Facts About Danielle Lombard And What She Is Best Known For The American entertainment industry is one that provides many avenues for aspiring hopefuls to express their talents and become famous. From films to television shows and game shows, there is no shortage of ways for men and women who desire fame to pursue and earn it in the United States of America. Another tested medium ...

Unearthing New Details About The YouTube Success And Personal Life of Alex Burriss of Wassabi Productions Wildly hilarious and truly audacious, Alex Wassabi is an American YouTuber who has become a very popular face on the video-sharing platform after having garnered millions of subscribers over the years by keeping people glued to his channel with his witty parody video releases. If you have always loved parody videos, there is every chance ...

Everything You Need To Know About H2O Delirious H2O Delirious whose full birth name is reported to be Jonathan Gormon Dennis has successfully kept himself mystified by hiding his face behind the masks leaving his loyal fans speculating who he really is for many years. The American YouTube star is easily identified by the Jason Mask Style with make-up which he wears on his ...

Who Is HolaSoyGerman and What Happened To Him? German Garmendia has certainly seen it all when it comes to internet success. His channels, HolaSoyGerman and JuegaGerman are in the top twenty most subscribed channel on YouTube. The Chilean YouTuber found a way to tap into one of the worlds greatest inventions and make a living from it. He has been able to build ...

Who Are Glenn Becks Family, What Is His Net Worth And What Happened To Him? The American political commentary space is filled with different personalities. A few of them, through their rhetoric, charisma, and resources have been able to build a large following of men and women who listen to them for insight and direction for various political and social issues in the United States. For Conservatives, the story is ...

Following Charissa Thompsons Rise Through The Ranks Of Sports Casting and All About Her Boyfriend Superstar TV host and sportscaster, Charissa Thompson, has been hailed as one of the highest-profile women journalists in America, and the reason is there for all to see. She has worked for popular establishments such as Versus, Yahoo! Sports, ESPN, GSN, and Big Ten Network. She currently hosts the popular pre-game show, Fox NFL Kickoff, ...

Is Chris Kattan Gay or Does He Have A Wife? What Is His Net Worth? Chris Kattan is a popular American comedian and actor. He has appeared in several comic movies and TV series such as The Middle, A Night at the Roxbury and Bunnicula. Kattan is, however, most popular for his six-year stint as a cast member of Saturday Night Live. During his time on the legendary show, he ...

Everything You Should Know About the Rise of Insta Star Claire Abbott and Why She Gave It All Up A lot of young Americans have shot into the limelight for uploading different kinds of videos on YouTube. Some of these young stars include Connor Franta, Desi Perkins, Emma Chamberlain, the Dolan Twins (Ethan and Grayson), and Claire Abbott. The latter became a social media celebrity for uploading sexy bikini pictures of herself on social media. Apart from ...

5 Facts You Need To Know About The YouTube Channel  h3h3Productions H3h3Productions is a YouTube channel that specializes on Comic responses or reactions of other contents or trendy stories. The celebrity couple that created the channel has over time racked up sizable views for their commentaries and contents. Even though they had their own fair share of copyright cases, thankfully they scored an unprecedented victory in all ...

Lilypichu Bio  Height, Brother and Love Story With Albert SleightlyMusical Chang Like most popular internet celebrities, Lilypichu is one of those Twitch streamers who spend their lives on camera. From daydreaming about the possibility of becoming a full-time professional streamer, she grew to live out her dreams on the popular live streaming platform where people play games, make crafts, and showcase their day-to-day activities. Given the rise of ...

KSI  What To Know About His Girlfriend, Brother  Deji Olatunji & Net Worth Assuredly, when Internet inventors Vint Cerf and Bob Khan created the technological masterpiece, they probably did not know how massive the creation will be harnessed by many for different purposes including as a platform for earning money through content creation. One of such person who smiles to the bank regularly today for spending time creating ...

The Interesting Progression and Highlights of Carrie Keagans Career as a Host and Actress Carrie Keagan has garnered huge fame through her various stints on television. She is not just your regular TV host but one with a difference. Keagan has hosted several high profile events and TV shows, including VH1s Big Morning Buzz Live and Fox News Channels Red Eye with Greg Gutfeld. However, not many know she ...

The Gist On Elise Jordans Marriages And Her Rise To Prominence Political commentaries tend to be boring when it is handled by someone who does not have a knack for it. However, when you see the likes of Elise Jordan run the same commentary, you will have a lot of reasons to look forward to watching her again as the journalist is well-versed in the field ...

What Is Timmy Thick Best Known For and How Successful Is The Star? Thanks to the internet, many people whose talents would have ordinarily gone unnoticed have become famous. A very good example of this modern-day internet celebrity is Timmy Thick, an American social media star. He became popular on Instagram due to his penchant for posting raunchy pictures of himself. He also often posted videos of himself ...

What Does Heather Storm Do For a Living and Who Is She Dating? Reality Television is a great way to make a name for oneself as well as amass a fortune. Heather Storm can attest to this as she is one of those who have made a name and earned a lot from reality TV. She made her name appearing on shows like Car Fanatics, Awesome Autos, and, ...

Matt Carriker Biography  Net Worth, Wife & Height Unlike your regular veterinary doctor next door, Matt Carriker chose to spice up his noble profession with the unusual. Though he is known to many as a medical practitioner, Carriker is better renowned as a YouTube star and an animal lover. Having recorded huge successes on his various YouTube channels, the vet doctors name and ...

Jillian Mele of Fox News Career Achievements, Husband & Measurements There are quite a good number of presenters on radio and television who listeners and viewers may never wish to miss any of their shows because of their sensational golden voice, beauty or the special way or artistry they anchor their shows. Jillian Mele is one of such. She has been at the top of ...

Who is Gillian Turner of Fox News? Her Fiance or Husband and Net Worth Gillian Turner is well-known as a news correspondent for Fox News Channel but before she became a TV personality, she built an intimidating resume working for different institutions, including the American government. She served in different capacities at the White House National Security Council during the administration of former US Presidents  George W. Bush and Barack Obama. ...

Gloria Govan Bio  Age, Ethnicity & Height Even as Gloria Govan is famous as an American actress, author, a TV host, and reality television star, shes more popular as the wife of the former NBA player, Matt Barnes. She became known after appearing on the Florida version of the reality television series, Basketball Wives and later, Basketball Wives: LA  after Matt was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers. Sadly, ...

Michael Fishmans Interesting Start as an Actor and Why He Divorced His Wife of Many Years When one door closes, another one opens. As silly as that axiom may seem, it is the story of the resurgence of Michael Fishman, who plays D.J Conner on the popular show, Roseanne. Having played the character for several years as a child actor into his teenage years; when the show originally ended, Michael did ...

Who Is October Gonzalez  Tony Gonzalezs Wife? All You Need To Know October Gonzalez is a popular American TV host and media personality. Additionally, she is also a model. Gonzalez has hosted several TV shows such as Beat Shazam, Entertainment Tonight, and Rachel Ray. She has also featured in several reality TV shows. Gonzalezs fame is not just due to her profession but also because of her ...

Who Is Tony Berlin  Harris Faulkners Husband: His Children and Family Facts Tony Berlin is a popular American media guru. He has variously worked as a reporter, anchor, and producer for some of the biggest TV networks in America. They include CNN, CBS, NBC, and ABC (where he hosted the popular Good Morning America). Berlin has now diversified into public relations and owns his own PR firm. ...

The Progression of Gianna Tobonis Journalism Career and Details About Her Marriage to Kyle Buckley Gianna Toboni may not be your ideal newscaster but her unusual reporting is what made her a household name. The American journalist is renowned for her hard-hitting and authentic reportage. A motivator and activist for total press freedom, Gianna loves to explore pervasive cultural issues. Not only does this unique and ambitious journalist call for all ...

Dog The Bounty Hunters Family Including Details of His Late Wife and Kids Popularly known as Dog, a name which he got from the television series, Dog The Bounty Hunter, Duane Chapman, an American bounty hunter, and one-time bail bondsman, went from being convicted for a felony to being a reality TV star. He was brought to the limelight following the capture of the convicted criminal, Andrew Luster in 2003 and this eventually made ...

Vicky Karayiannis, Chris Cornells Wifes Bio, Children and Family The world of showbiz is made up of different people who serve different roles, and function in a variety of capacities, and one of the most important people are those in the background. Publicists are undoubtedly one of these background people yet they are vital to the life and fame of most of our favorite ...

Joe Rogan Has A Step-Daughter and 2 Other Kids With Wife Jessica Ditzel  Meet His Family Joe Rogan is a popular American stand-up comedian and TV host. His journey to stardom began in the late 80s and has seen him host several shows, the most popular is the game show titled Fear Factor. The exciting show dares contestants to face some of their greatest fears and embark on challenging stunts. The ...

Josh Gates and Wife Hallie Gnatovich Have 2 Kids But Who Has the Higher Net Worth? Best known for his explorations and adventures, Josh Gates, is a television presenter with a voracious appetite for seeing the world and the beauties in it. Some of that beauty, however, is in his home, in the form of two children he shares with his wife, Hallie Gnatovich. Not excluded is their marriage which has lasted ...

Holly Sonders Wiki, Plastic Surgery & Why She Divorced Her Husband  Erik Kuselias After trying everything within her capacity to have a low key wedding, Holly Sonders was drawn to the public because of her husbands controversy at his workplace. Well, the two are rumored to be divorced but the article below will give more light on how true these rumors are. Meanwhile, Holly Sonders is yet to ...

Nadeska Alexis Bio  Age, Boyfriend & Net Worth Journalism is one diverse profession that allows the practitioners to choose their area of specialty, build a career on it by reporting the truth and facts which in the long run will distinguish them as deserving commendation and recognition among their peers. Some choose to specialize in political journalism, while to others it is sports ...

Media Platforms Charlamagne Tha God Has Explored and All The Controversies He Has Courted Charlamagne Tha God is an American on-air personality, radio presenter, and more recently, author. He is popularly known as a co-host on New York radios nationally syndicated show, The Breakfast Club, a program he has been hosting alongside DJ Envy and Angela Yee since 2010. However, his early years had no connection to his current career ...

A Look At Jimmy Fallons Net Worth and Family Including His Wife & Kids Sometimes, a childs passion for something is a pointer to what he/she would become in the future. As a child, Jimmy Fallon was literally obsessed with watching the late-night comedy program, Saturday Night Live (SNL). Then, his parents would tape the clean parts for him to watch and later, he and his sister would re-enact sketches from the ...

Kay Adams Biography  Does The Sportscaster Have A Husband or Boyfriend? When you hear the phrase sports enthusiast, women are hardly the first group that comes to mind. Well, thats changing pretty fast. Especially with the rise of female sports analysts and broadcasters like Kay Adams who is famed for knowing more about sports than most men do. And why not, shes paid handsomely for it ...

Ben Shapiros Family  Meet His Wife, Kids and Sister Who is Popular for the Wrong Reasons A multi-talented man, Ben Shapiro is a man of controversial nature, an attribute that has made him an unusual public figure. An intellectual whose career path was clearly defined even before he became a man, the Jewish conservative commentator has always had his way with words. He became popular by sharing his critical and often ...

QVC Shawn Killinger Bio  Husband, Net Worth & Facts To Know Shawn Killinger is a prominent TV personality who has worked her way to the top. Though not initially a journalist by training, she defied the odds and today has established herself as a household name, as well as, worked alongside some industry legends. More than just being a reporter, newscaster, and anchor, heres all you ...

Liv Lo  Dissecting the Ethnicity, Parents and Personal Life of Henry Goldings Wife While many are aware that Liv Lo is the better half to Crazy Rich Asians star Henry Golding, only a few understand why his beautiful wife appears increasingly endearing to fans. A former model turned TV personality, and fitness star, Liv has an impressive resume which when combined with that of her statuesque spouse is considered a perfect ...

Stpeach Age, Husband and Other Facts About The Twitch Streamer Lisa Vannatta, famously known by her online alias, STPeach is a Canadian video game streamer cum vlogger who has garnered fame through her appearances on different video-sharing/social networking platforms such as Youtube, Instagram, Twitch, Reddit, and Twitter. The beautiful lady got her career to a start in August 2015 when she joined the live streaming video platform, Twitch. She rose to ...

Insights into Seth Meyers Wife, Family and What His Net Worth Is Celebrities are mostly remembered and known for the work they do. For Seth Meyers, his career as a comedian, writer, actor, TV host, and producer is his biggest identifier. He was on Saturday Night Live SNL show as a head writer and cast member for more than ten years during which he built a reputation ...

Who Is Jessica Gadsden  Age, Net Worth & All About Charlamagne tha Gods Wife Jessica Gadsden is an American fitness coach as well as a personal trainer. She is better known as the spouse of popular American media personality, Charlamagne Tha God. Charlamange Tha God is a well-known TV and radio personality in the U.S. He has featured in several shows (both on the radio and TV) and is ...

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The U.S. has been using a drone missile campaign to fight terrorists. Now, ISIS has turned the tables and scored success by using booby-trapped drones as its own weapons.

The terror group's ability to innovate and use small aircraft for nefarious purposes underscores how the off-the-shelf drone technology could supply extremists with a potent platform on our own soil to deliver explosives. Moreover, there is evidence that international terrorists have looked at other ways to weaponize drones and "have been attracted to the high-lethality potential associated with the use of chemical and biological weapons," according to a report released Thursday by the Combating Terrorism Center at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point

It's an ongoing game of cat and mouse between the offense and defense like you see in a lot of military areas Andrew Hunter Center for Strategic and International Studies

"We have to be poised and ready on the U.S. side to innovate whenever a new threat appears, and this is definitely a new threat," said Andrew Hunter, director of the defense-industrial initiatives group at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a defense think tank.

Islamic State has increasingly been using drones for surveillance and for attempted attacks on the battlefield, particularly against Iraqi forces, according to experts. Earlier this month, a small drone killed two Kurdish soldiers fighting the terror group when an explosive-laden craft unexpectedly detonated after being downed. "It's an ongoing game of cat and mouse between the offense and defense like you see in a lot of military areas," said Hunter. "People have seen this coming. It's sort of a natural extension of the whole IED [or improvised explosive device] threat."

Enemy drone swarms

In July, the U.S. Army issued a new handbook to raise troop awareness of the threat of multiple swarming drones. "They can be preprogrammed or remotely piloted as an expendable asset at relatively low cost," it stated. "The swarm itself can be used to disrupt our own reconnaissance efforts or overwhelm an entry control point."

The military is taking the threat seriously and expects the use of hostile drones to continue. "Coalition forces understand that ISIL is a determined, adaptive and unscrupulous adversary," said a Department of Defense spokesman in a statement. "There is a wide array of technology angles we are looking into  from blocking the electromagnetic spectrum and disrupting control of the device, to physically capturing or disabling the device."

Taking 'appropriate precautions'

Additionally, the DoD spokesman said they are taking "appropriate precautions to protect Coalition forces and our partners on the ground from the full spectrum of threats in the operating environment so that they can carry out their mission of training, advising and assisting indigenous forces in Iraq and Syria as they work to deliver ISIL a lasting defeat."

Closer to home, the threat of a domestic terrorist using an inexpensive hobby drone in an urban area remains real. It's not just for the use of deadly payloads but the Combating Terrorism Center report also discusses how drones could be used "as a diversionary device to channel a crowd to another location where attackers could be lying in wait." "The Department of Homeland Security has ongoing research and development efforts focused on the detection, tracking and interdiction of small Unmanned Aerial Systems," Patrick Carrick, the director of the federal government's Homeland Security Advanced Research Projects Agency within the Department of Homeland Security, said in a statement.

Experts suggest that the unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) pose a nuisance threat, too. Rogue drones have been detected around stadiums, nuclear plants, prisons and even interfered with fire emergencies. There also have been drone intrusions in sensitive government locations in the nation's capital, including on the White House lawn.

We have ways to deal with the UAV threat, and major U.S. defense companies already known for big-ticket defense systems are active participants in selling the newest anti-drone technology. "There is a need to roll things out here in the U.S. while we're also protecting our soldiers internationally," said Doug Booth, Lockheed Martin's director of business development for cyber and electronic warfare.

Lockheed Martin has two anti-drone systems. One, a Star Wars-like laser weapon technology has not been field tested yet. Another is what's known as Icarus, a non-kinetic system that has been fielded and designed to detect, recognize and intercept drones.



Boeings anti-drone Compact Laser Weapons System. Source: Boeing

According to Booth, Lockheed has "a classified customer" for the Icarus system and has conducted several other field exercises for additional customers who are "getting ready to obtain the system."

Meanwhile, Boeing shot down its first UAV during a 2007 test aboard a combat vehicle. The company has since made its new drone-killing technology  known as Compact Laser Weapons System  more portable and has demonstrated how it can track and disable UAVs.

"We've tried to reduce the size, weight and the footprint of these laser weapons to try to get them down into a size that is more applicable to a modern battlefield," said Rich Choppa, Boeing's director of global sales and marketing for strategic missiles and defense systems. In April, Boeing mounted the anti-drone device on a Stryker armored vehicle made by General Dynamics and shot down over 20 UAVs. Choppa said the test included other targets, and pointed out that it was done at the request of the U.S. Army. "We're on the cusp of the first purchase by the military of these types of systems," said Choppa. "I believe we'll see them on the battlefield." Elsewhere, Raytheon demonstrated a laser weapon system in 2010 that destroyed four drones; it has shown missiles can do the job, too. In addition, there's a Phalanx rapid-fire weapon system capable of countering UAVs. The defense contractor declined comment for this story.

Battelles DroneDefender, an anti-drone weapon that can bring down UAVs. Source: Battelle
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Large banks with a presence in the U.K. feel the country's government is not fully receptive to the financial services sector in the wake of the uncertainty surrounding the Brexit vote, an industry source with knowledge of the situation, has told CNBC. The source, who wished to remain anonymous due to the sensitive nature of the topic, said a wide range of banks, both big and small, felt that while the U.K. Treasury is very receptive to their ideas about a "smooth Brexit", other government departments are less sympathetic The source further added that a number of banks are planning to move their operations out of London due to the uncertainty surrounding Brexit. "Banks with large numbers of customer accounts in Europe and banks financing infrastructure projects, bonds and derivatives in Europe are among those looking to move out of London," the source added. This comes after the British Banking Authority (BBA) chief, Anthony Browne, wrote an article in the U.K.'s Observer newspaper Sunday saying big banks were preparing to relocate out of the U.K. early next year.



Uncertainties ahead?

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The BBA head said the political and the public debate is taking us in the wrong direction. He wrote that most international banks have project teams working on which operations to move and when, adding that their hands are quivering over the relocate button. "Many smaller banks plan to start relocations before Christmas; bigger banks are expected to start in the first quarter of next year," Browne wrote in the article. A number of bank chiefs and market analysts have said in the past that London will continue to remain a major global financial center, but the uncertainty around Brexit negotiations has the financial sector worried. "Banks are concerned about the uncertainty over 'passporting' rights and want a transition agreement to be put in place that will cover a period of time when the current regulatory framework continues before the new Brexit deal kicks in," the source told CNBC. Passporting is an important feature of the EU's single market access, especially for banks, as it means U.K. businesses can provide financial services anywhere in the 28-country bloc while being based and regulated in the U.K.



'Very severe shock'

Demonstrators take part in a protest aimed at showing London's solidarity with the European Union following the recent EU referendum, in London, June 28, 2016. Dylan Martinez | Reuters

One analyst told CNBC Monday that while banks may have some plans to relocate, they haven't done anything so far. "Brexit uncertainties are very much relevant for this sector. However, although banks may have some plans under different scenario to relocate, they have done nothing so far to change their behavior after Brexit. Eventually if the financial sector has to move it will be a very severe shock for the economy but for now nothing has really changed," Thanos Vamvakidis, head of European G-10 FX strategy at BofA Merrill Lynch Global Research said. Vamvakidis further explained that only after "Article 50" is invoked, will we know the impact of U.K.'s decision to leave the European Union. "Article 50" is the section of the EU's treaty governing leaving the 28-country bloc which details what happens when a member leaves the group. "It is too early to tell. Clearly the headlines have been more towards the direction of 'hard Brexit'. However, we have to wait for 'Article 50' to be triggered and most likely we are not going to see any serious discussions before the German elections. We will know the actual direction of events in 2018. It is too early to tell at this stage." But while banks may be struggling with uncertainty surrounding Brexit, the European banking index has reversed all post-Brexit losses and is trading at its highest since June 23.


After weeks of ugly headlines, the worst of the fallout may just be starting for Wells Fargo , according to a new study on the bank's troubles.

The scandal in which Wells Fargo admitted to signing up millions of customers for programs without their knowledge or consent initially cost it a $185 million fine. However, that could be only the beginning as the reputational damage intensifies.

The bank stands to lose $99 billion in deposits, $4 billion in revenue and a customer base that could dwindle by up to 30 percent, a study released Monday by cg42 showed. Ultimately, about 14 percent of customers are actually projected to switch banks, an at-risk level that a cg42 principal still said is "dramatically higher" than what would be expected from any of Wells Fargo's competitors.

"While the lion's share of Wells Fargo customers we surveyed had not directly reported being affected by the scandal, it didn't matter," Steve Beck, founder of cg42 and a competitive strategy expert, said in a phone interview. "The breach of trust the scandal created has fundamentally changed the way that they think about their institution, the way they think about the bank."

Indeed, just 3 percent of those surveyed said they suffered direct impact from the scandal in which the bank admitted that 2 million customers were enrolled in products like debit and credit cards and additional checking accounts even if they didn't want them. The effort to get customers into additional products is known as cross-selling and served as a cornerstone of the San Francisco-based bank's growth strategy.
The American general on coins of the Philippines

Military leaders are a popular subject of world coins. A pair of popular world coins are the 1947-S coins from the Philippines honoring Gen. Douglas MacArthur, the American general. A 50-centavo coin is a companion to a silver peso also showing the general.

Military leaders are a popular subject of world coins, and even Americans like Gen. Douglas MacArthur can appear on a non-U.S. coin.

Editor's note: this is the second part of a story by Jeff Starck about Americans on world coins. The story first appeared in the November monthly issue of Coin World.

Military leaders are a popular subject of world coins, and Tecumseh is not the only native-born American to find himself honored on world coins.

A pair of popular world coins are the 1947-S coins of the Philippines honoring Gen. Douglas MacArthur, the American general. A 50-centavo coin is a companion to a silver peso also showing the general.

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Gen. MacArthur famously declared I shall return upon leaving the Philippines during World War II, heading to Australia after the Japanese invasion of the island chain. MacArthur made a triumphant return later in the war, during the Oct. 20, 1944, invasion of Leyte.

His post-war return to the islands is in the form of his visage on two silver coins of the Philippines, a .750 fine 50-centavo piece and a .900 fine peso issued in 1947, commemorating his importance as commander of the forces that defended and liberated the islands.

The two coins were struck at the San Francisco Mint and bear a design by famed sculptor Laura Gardin Fraser.

These were the first coins struck for the new Republic of the Philippines. Although released after the U.S. obligation had officially concluded, the two coins are nonetheless of major U.S. interest.

The Philippine Islands were a U.S. commonwealth for part of the 20th century. During this time, the Manila Mint was a Branch Mint of the U.S. Treasury Department. It was not uncommon, though, for Philippine coins to be struck at other U.S. Mint facilities, chiefly the San Francisco plant.

Three additional Filipino coins show Gen. MacArthur, a 25-piso coin from 1980, a 5-piso piece from 1994, and a 5-peso piece from 2014, all honoring the Leyte landing.

Coins of the Philippines also include a presidential American connection.

Keep reading about Americans on world coins:

Americans abroad: Honoring Tecumseh beyond the border: In rare instances, world coins depicting Americans makes total sense. There could be no more suitably American subject for a Canadian coin than the Shawnee war chief.

President Franklin Roosevelt makes history on coins of the Philippines: The birth of the Philippine Commonwealth was commemorated by three silver coins designed by Professor Ambrosio Morales of the National University.

Popular President Ronald Reagan oft-honored on non-U.S. coins: Though he is not without critics, President Reagan remains one of the most popular presidents of the 20th century.

World coins showing Americas The Greatest and The King abound:The only American honorees on world coins more popular than presidents are entertainers.
An image of Mickey Mouse from the 1932 cartoon Mickeys Nightmare appears on the Proof .920 fine gold 50 coin in the program.

The obverse of the Proof .950 fine silver 50 coin shows the evolution of the iconic character of Disney from 1928 to the present day, through five renderings.

Walt Disneys character Mickey Mouse is the latest subject of the Monnaie de Paris Youth series of collector coins.

Walt Disneys character Mickey Mouse is the latest subject of the Monnaie de Paris Youth series of collector coins.

Walt Disney was born Dec. 5, 1901, in Chicago. In 1923 he created with his brother Roy an animation studio named Disney Brothers Studio, which became Walt Disney Productions in 1928, the same year that Mickey Mouse was born.

Disney and his long-time friend Ub Iwerks created the character Mortimer Mouse, who the year after became the well-known character Mickey, in Steamboat Willie, a black-and-white animated short.

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In 1955 one of the first theme parks in the world, Disneyland, opened in California. This project was born after many years of development and design. Walt Disney died in 1966, and the company was led by Roy Disney until 1971.

The Monnaie de Paris Mickey Mouse series of coins features two silver issues and three gold coins.

Designs across series

The smaller silver issue, a Proof .900 fine 10 coin, depicts a pair of designs celebrating the early image of the mouse and a modern interpretation.

According to the Mint, the obverse shows the historic design from 1928. The mouses body and clothing are colorized by handmade deposits of black, red and yellow resins. In the center of the coin in the background, an incused outline of Mickeys head, which is highly polished, helps to highlight the central character. The inscription Mickey through the ages in French reflects the goal of the commemorative coin program, showing the emblem of Disney across the years.

The reverse carries Mickeys head as we know it today, and this design is used as a sort of template for all the reverse images in the series, the denomination and background pattern changing for each subsequent coin.

The obverse of the Proof .950 fine silver 50 coin shows the evolution of Disney mouse from 1928 to the present, through five renderings. Hand-deposited resin including red and yellow pigments magnify three representations of the character, while the two older versions are depicted in black and white, using only the black resin deposits.

Again, in the center of the coin, an incused polished outline of Mickeys head highlights the characters.

A different classic interpretation of Mickey graces the obverse of the Proof .920 fine gold 50 coin. This image comes from the short film named Mickeys Nightmare in 1932, and is closer to todays version of Mickey than to the Steamboat Willie version.

The obverse of the Proof .999 fine gold 200 depicts the Steamboat Willie image of Mickey that launched the long mythical career for the mischievous mouse.

The highest-denomination issue in the Mickey Mouse program is a Proof .999 fine gold 500 coin, which depicts the image of Mickey Mouse from the 1928 short film Plane Crazy.

Specifications and pricing

Though the series is part of a program geared toward young collectors, the pricing (affected by Disney licensing) will likely put most if not all of the coins out of reach of purchase by young collectors.

The 10 coin weighs 22.2 grams and measures 37 millimeters in diameter. It has a mintage limit of 3,000 pieces and retails for 74.

The Proof .950 fine silver 50 coin weighs 163.8 grams and measures 50 millimeters in diameter. The coin has a mintage limit of 500 pieces and retails for 508.

The Proof .920 fine gold 50 coin weighs 8.45 grams and measures 22 millimeters in diameter. It has a mintage limit of 1,000 pieces and retails for 536.

The Proof .999 fine gold 200 coin weighs 31.104 grams and measures 37 millimeters in diameter. It has a mintage limit of 500 pieces and retails for 2,130.

The Proof .999 fine gold 500 coin weighs 155.5 grams and measures 50 millimeters in diameter. It has a mintage limit of 99 pieces and retails for 10,658.

To order the Mickey Mouse coins, visit the Monnaie de Paris website.
October 24, 2016

 China's latest astronauts to launch into space have landed on a series of stamps and related postal souvenirs celebrating their on-going mission.



Jing Haipeng and Chen Dong, who docked their Shenzhou 11 spacecraft to China's Tiangong-2 space lab on Tuesday (Oct. 18) beginning a month-long stay at the complex, are featured on the new postage stamps issued by the China National Philatelic Corporation, which is authorized by the China Post to sell stamp products to the public.



The stamps feature the portraits of Jing and Chen. A third issue depicts the crew's Shenzhou 11-Tiangong 2 mission patch. There is also a dated pictorial cancellation mark that includes an image of the two spacecraft docked together.



The China National Philatelic Corporation is also offering stamped envelopes  "covers" as referred to by collectors  that are also adorned with photos of the taikonauts and a graphic design showing the launch of their Long March 2F rocket. The stamps and covers, which were first issued on Oct. 17, are offered individually or as sets presented in collectible folders.







Chinese stamp depicting the Shenzhou 11 mission patch. (CNPA)

Jing, who turned 50 on board Tiangong-2 on Monday (Oct. 24), is the first Chinese astronaut to make three flights into space. As part of his current mission, Jing is filing journals for the state-run Xinhua news agency.



"This is my third time to fly into space," wrote Jing. "This is also my second time to enter a Tiangong. Tiangong-1 was quite good, but Tiangong-2 is much more comfortable. It is perfect in layout, decoration and matching of colors."



Shenzhou 11 is Chen's first spaceflight. He, too, is writing reports about his experience for Xinhua.



"Being in space for the first time is unusual," Chen wrote. "My big brother Jing Haipeng has really helped me adjust to life up here, and I am slowly getting used to the feeling of zero gravity, and, you know what  I'm starting to enjoy it more and more."



In addition to penning journals, the astronauts have also begun conducting an array of experiments on Tiangong-2, including working with a student-suggested study of live silkworms to see how the larvae react to the microgravity environment.







China's "The Star Dream" collectible set with Shenzhou 11 stamps and postmarked envelopes. (CNPA)

The orbiting laboratory, which is intended as a precursor to a Chinese modular space station, is also equipped with a cold atomic clock and a gamma ray burst study, the latter a joint project by Swiss, Polish and Chinese scientists.



Shenzhou 11 is not the first Chinese crewed mission to be honored on the country's stamps. Similar commemorative issues date back to China's first taikonaut in space, Yang Liwei, and his Shenzhou 5 mission in 2003.



China also established a "virtual post office" aboard its first space lab, Tiangong-1, in 2011. The so-called "China Post Space Office" invited the public to e-mail visiting taikonaut crews. They could also purchase stamps and covers via a ground-based counterpart office in Beijing Aerospace City.
Our struggle is to bring social, political, and economic justice to our nation. This is an effort of the Chicano/Mexican American Digital History Project. https://sites.google.com/site/chicanodigital/
Webber at a glance

Personal: Age 33. Single.

Education: Bachelor's degree in economics from St. Louis University, 2006; law degree from MU School of Law, 2013.

Occupation: State representative, attorney.

Background: Earned Eagle Scout rank with Boy Scout Troop 707 of Columbia; represented Missouri at American Legion Boys Nation while attending Hickman High School; veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps and the war in Iraq; former aide to U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill; member of Iraq Afghanistan Veterans of America and the American Legion; volunteer for Missouri Boys State.

Campaign website: votewebber.com

Endorsements:
Report details family's care for Santulli

Danny Santulli's family has created a hospital room for him in the living room of their Eden Prairie, Minnesota, home, his dad wrote in a report.
YEREVAN, OCTOBER 24, ARMENPRESS. The Defense Ministry of Nagorno Karabakh told Armenpress the Azerbaijani side made over 50 ceasefire violations across the Nagorno Karabakh-Azerbaijan line of contact.

The Ministrys announcement reads: Overnight October 23-24 the Azerbaijani side violated the ceasefire regime 50 times by firing over 900 shots from various caliber small arms at the Armenian positions in the Nagorno Karabakh-Azerbaijan line of contact.

In the northern, southern and eastern directions the Azerbaijani forces fired also ISTIGLAL and SVD sniper rifles (83 shots).

The Defense Army forces are in full control of the situation in the frontline and continue confidently fulfilling their military tasks.
Donna James Leads a Bold Plan to Revive Victorias Secret

James has a proven record as a C-suite executive and adviser. Now, shes guiding the lingerie giant toward a more inclusive, financially sound future.
YEREVAN, OCTOBER 24, ARMENPRESS. A cyclone will hit Armenia starting the evening of October 24 through the 26th.

Precipitations are expected from the evening of October 24 until overnight October 26-27, the Ministry of Emergency Situations told ARMENPRESS.

Intense precipitations are forecasted overnight October 25-26.

Snow, fog, low visibility and black ice are expected in the territory of Armenia, except Yerevan, Ararat Plain, Aragatsotn and Vayots Dzor foothills.

The cyclone will be especially strong in Gegharkunik, Kotayk and Vayots Dzor Provinces, bringing up to 20-25cm of snow on October 26.

The temperature will fall by 8-10 degrees in all provinces.
Since the earliest days of NFC mobile transactions, one of the most oft-repeated criticisms was, "What happens when the phone battery dies?" Well, one mobile payment system says it has solved that problem, but the truth is that it's only solved part of it. Still, something is better than nothing.

On Oct. 10, Vodafone made this claim for its own payment system. "Vodafone Pay can even be used to make a payment when the phone is switched off or out of battery life because the contactless SIM can contact automatically to the contactless terminal to make the transaction," said Vodafone's statement.

But like most things in technology, the truth is a bit more complicated. To understand what Vodafone Pay can and can't do without phone power, it's critical to first define "out of power." For most consumers, "out of power" on their phone means, reasonably enough, that it has stopped functioning. In reality, that merely means that the battery's power level has dropped so low that the phone chooses to not function. This work-stoppage, if you will, is the phone's way of demanding that you plug it into a power source to recharge.

That phone, however, still has residual power, which allows data to be retained and some bare-minimal OS functions, such as the clock, to function. A phone can stay at that level for quite a few days, given that it is then using so little energy.

Vodafone, in a written statement to clarify its technical workings, was more conservative, saying that "mobile phones usually stay in battery low mode for 12h  24h, depending on battery quality. The remaining power is usually sufficient to perform 10-15 contactless transactions. Once the phone battery is fully discharged, it enters into battery power-off threshold, where there is no residual power to support NFC functions and Vodafone Wallet no longer functions."

Think of this as being akin to how a starving person's body almost shuts down. It's holding onto to life in an extreme low-power mode, hoping to get a charge (or food) before it dies completely.

What Vodafone Pay is using to make payments is that residual power. That minimal power is just enough to power its NFC controller and SIM card. That is sufficient because the bulk of the transaction's power  the RF field  is powered by the POS and the card reader.

Therefore, it's not true that the transactions can happen if the phone is completely "out of battery life." As a practical matter, though, very few consumers ever have phones that get that drained. That means that for the overwhelming majority of transactions where a phone seems to be dead, these transactions will still work. Well, almost.

There's one more caveat and it's one that may make this low-energy approach of minimal value for other NFC payment offerings.

"Vodafone Wallet users can also switch payment cards between two user-selectable payment modes  manual (where a transaction needs confirmation from the user) and an 'automatic' payment mode. Transactions in battery low mode only work if the payment card is set to automatic, as manual mode requires user interaction on the screen," Vodafone said in a statement sent to Computerworld. "So customers can choose between convenience using automatic mode (giving them the same security level of a contactless plastic card) or a higher level of security using manual mode, which provides a security level higher than contactless plastic cards, but requires battery power."

In other words, because the screen and the keyboard won't function in low-power mode, the normal authentication procedures can't happen. No fingerprint scan, no selfie, no confirmation at all. The phone pretty much is reduced to pretending to be a regular contactless payment card. That may be a deal-killer for Apple Pay and Android Pay, but it's an interesting  albeit geeky  differentiator for Vodafone Pay.
The plan by AT&T to acquire Time Warner for US$85.4 billion has come under the microscope of U.S. politicians and public interest groups that are concerned about the antitrust implications of the mega-deal.

On Saturday, Randall Stephenson, AT&T chairman and CEO, said the deal would let it combine premium content with the networks to deliver it to every screen, including mobile displays.

But many politicians including Democratic party presidential candidate Hillary Clinton and her Republican rival Donald Trump are concerned about the implications of the deal.

U.S. Senators Mike Lee, a Republican from Utah, and chairman of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Antitrust, Competition Policy, and Consumer Rights, and ranking member Amy Klobuchar, a Democrat from Minnesota, said they will hold in November a subcommittee hearing on the proposed acquisition.

We have carefully examined consolidation in these industries to ensure that existing market leaders do not block or co-opt new options for receiving video content or exercise disproportionate control over the video content market, the senators said Sunday. We will continue to carefully review and investigate any consolidation in this industry to makes sure that it does not harm consumers.

There is concern that as the owner of pipes to the consumer such as DirecTV, the satellite TV company it acquired last year, and its broadband and mobile services, AT&T could skew the market by giving preference to content from Time Warner over that of its rivals.

DirecTV might favor Time Warner content by crowding out or refusing to carry other programming that viewers might prefer, wrote John Bergmayer, senior counsel at Public Knowledge, a public interest organization in Washington, D.C., when press reports of the proposed acquisition first started making the rounds.

AT&T might also make it expensive or difficult for competitors to DirecTV or to its streaming service to access Time Warner programs, so as to drive customers to its own platforms, Bergmayer said in a statement last week, which expressed similar concerns about AT&T favoring its own content on its broadband networks.

Clinton has also weighed in favor of a close scrutiny by regulators of the AT&T-Time Warner deal, her spokesman told reporters on Sunday. Brian Fallon said that there were "a number of questions and concerns" about the proposed acquisition "but there's still a lot of information that needs to come out before any conclusions should be reached," according to Reuters.

Her Republican rival Donald Trump had earlier stated that his administration would block the deal, claiming it would result in too much concentration of power in the hands of too few.

The Twitter account of Senator Bernie Sanders, who earlier withdrew his bid for the Democratic party nomination, on Sunday tweeted that the administration should kill the Time Warner/AT&T merger. This deal would mean higher prices and fewer choices for the American people.

AT&T expects that the transaction with Time Warner will close by the end of 2017, and said it was subject to review by the U.S. Department of Justice, and possibly the Federal Communications Commission to the extent that FCC licenses may have to be transferred to AT&T under the deal. But AT&T may be too optimistic about the time line as political and other forces line up against the deal.

A similar acquisition proposal by Comcast to acquire NBC Universal in 2009 likewise came under regulatory scrutiny and the deal was finally cleared in 2011 after a number of conditions were imposed.

"AT&T's reported proposal to acquire Time Warner for more than $80 billion raises some immediate flags about consolidation in the media market, which is an area I've worked to address for years," said Senator Al Franken in a statement Saturday. The senator from Minnesota said he would be asking for more details on the deal in the next few days as he was skeptical of huge media mergers because "they can lead to higher costs, fewer choices, and even worse service for consumers."

Franken said regulators often agree as was evident when Comcasts bid to buy Time Warner Cable was stymied last year.

AT&Ts rivals are also likely to watch closely as events unfold, more so as Time Warner has been a coveted acquisition in the past. Disney has said that the deal will have to be reviewed by regulators. "A transaction of this magnitude obviously warrants very close regulatory scrutiny," Zenia Mucha, chief communications officer for the Walt Disney Company, told some media outlets.

Late Sunday, AT&T said that the editorial independence of CNN, a part of Time Warner, would be maintained. "Our intent is to operate Time Warner as it operates today, with autonomy in its divisions," it said in a statement.
Unless you are a complete fanboy devoted to a particular brand, then considering which specific features various phones offer are part of the decision-making process when buying a new smartphone; the fact that the phone is not prone to catching fire should not be a feature.

Worrying reports are starting to trickle in about more Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge phones catching fire. There have been two such reports within the last week, several within the last few months, and even one about the S7 catching fire.

An unnamed source, who works for a big U.S. wireless carrier, contacted PhoneArena after a customer brought in a Galaxy S7 Edge which had exploded. The owner claimed the phone was left charging overnight using the OEM charger. The tip included two photos of the melted phone. Adding insult to injury, the owner of the charred S7 Edge only had it for two weeks after he traded in his Samsung Galaxy Note 7.

Two days earlier, Canadian Elisha Loewen posted pictures of his melted Galaxy S7 Edge after it burst into flames as he was driving. Something smelled like it was burning, but he originally thought it was his engine. He wrote, Then I notice smoke coming from my console under my radio where I keep my phone. I picked it up and it was extremely hot, then threw it out the car window. I pulled over and covered it in snow to snuff the flame.

Samsung wanted pictures and the four he posted show extensive damage. Loewen wrote, I just want a refund so I can buy a phone thats not a Samsung.

In September, a Galaxy S7 Edge owner in the Philippines posted pictures on Facebook after her phone caught fire while her daughter was allegedly using it.

Android Headlines noted that another S7 Edge fire had occurred in China after the phone was left to charge overnight.

PhoneArena reported on yet another S7 Edge fire that occurred in September while the owner left the phone charging overnight via the original charger.

Also in September, a fire chief in Painseville, Ohio, blamed a charging S7 Edge as the most likely cause of a house fire.

Earlier this year, a Galaxy S7 Edge reportedly caught fire in a mans pocket and caused third-degree burns. (Warning, some of images are intense and show the burns.)

Its not only the S7 Edge; in September, a teacher from Essex had her Galaxy S7 catch fire while she was in a busy restaurant.

According to an October 13 report, a survey of 1,000 Samsung smartphone owners found that 40 percent said they will not buy another Samsung phone. Now there are two reports of Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge fires within the last week and several within the last few months.

Samsung was already worried, taking a big hit after the Galaxy Note 7 fire fiascos; today Samsung announced a Galaxy Upgrade Program for South Korean customers. Users would only need to pay half the price of a Galaxy S7 device and could then exchange it for the upcoming S8 or Note 8.

iPhone 7s have caught fire too

Its not just Samsung phones either. Last week, surfer Mat Jones in Australia claimed to have left his week-old iPhone 7 wrapped in clothes inside his locked car while he was surfing. His car was spewing smoke when he returned because his iPhone had caught fire. The car was destroyed since portions of the front seats and dashboard were charred and melted. Apple is investigating the claim.

Back in August, an Australian man fell off his bike and hit the ground where his iPhone was in his pocket, causing it to explode. The fall caused minor injuries, but the iPhone exploding in his pocket caused burns which were extensive enough to require a skin graft. However, thats not the same thing as a battery spontaneously combusting.

If those fires were a result of the iPhone getting too hot while stored in a locked car or because the phone hit the ground in the just wrong way, that doesnt explain the iPhone 7 Plus fire allegation made in September. The phone hadnt even been used and was still in the shipping package at the time.

If phone fire reports keep coming in at this rate, people might actually start making smartphone purchasing decisions based on how likely it is the phone will catch fire. That buying guide scenario would be really messed up.
GYUMRI, OCTOBER 24, ARMENPRESS. Model Lilit Martirosyan has represented Armenia in the Miss Intercontinental 2016 contest held in Sri Lanka from October 3-18. The Armenian beauty has returned home with various awards and proposals. The Armenian beauty is originally from Gyumri.

65 countries submitted applications for the contest, however two were disqualified, thus only 63 models competed.

19 year old Heilymar Rosario Velazquez from Puerto Rico was announced winner of this years contest.

In addition to the main contest, various competitions were held, the most important of which being a contest organized by BIONA  a beauty product company, and the main sponsor of the Miss Intercontinental.

4 models were initially selected, and later BIONA chose Lilit Martirosyan as the winner with the best skin.

She was also one of the favorites of Missosology  a company analyzing beauty contests, and she often appeared in photos. As result, Lilit received numerous proposals from modeling agencies from Vienna, New York and Sri Lanka. New Yorks No.3 magazine will soon publish an article on Lilit.

In an exclusive interview to ARMENPRESS, Lilit says she received a letter of appreciation for her creativity and participation in the Cuisine challenge contest.

Lilit Martirosyan was under the spotlight not only for her perfect skin and hair, but she was also the tallest among the models  1.81 cm, and she also impressed the jury with her knowledge of languages  she speaks English, Russian, Iranian and Spanish.

During the contest Lilit wore a designer dress by July Khanjyan and Gayane Martirosyan, and bikini by designer Anushik Saroyan from Gyumri, and a national dress by Lilit Melikyan from the Teryan Culture Center. Martirosyan was wearing jewelry by designer Gayane Martirosyan, and she is thankful to all of them.

She also thanks dermatologists Arthur Chopuryan and Seda Tadevosyan.

My skin was highly praised not only due to nature and genes, but also due to correct care, she says.
The $65 bus to

Frank Torres, 64, a driver in black slacks, descended from his perch above it all.

"This is true drama," he said, surveying the scene. A boy wailed to his left. Travelers burdened by packages passed on his right. Mr. Torres, snacking on a coconut Popsicle, took a meaty bite. "Separation. You see a lot of that. The mother leaving her child. The child leaving the mother. This is how it goes."
Four years ago, the TaxPayers Alliance reported that in the last year, five times more Labour people were appointed to public bodies than Tories.

Since then, the figures have varied, and some Conservative members or supporters have been selected to fill important posts.

Nonetheless, it remains the case that, since it took office in 2010, our Party has punched beneath its weight when it comes to public appointments. One of the reasons seems to be that Tories simply dont apply in the same number as Labour supporters.

To help remedy this, every fortnight we put up links to some of the main public appointments vacancies, so that qualified Conservatives might be aware of the opportunities presented.

         

Institute for Apprenticeships  Chair

The Chair will provide strategic leadership and direction to the shadow Institute during a critical phase in its development pre-April 2017. The Chair will be a strong figurehead and ambassador for the organisation, delivering its vision. The role will involve developing and managing effective relationships with senior stakeholders, seeking to bring them on board and win their commitment to the functions of the Institute. The Chair must at all times observe the highest standards of probity, impartiality, integrity and objectivity in relation to management of the organisation and when making strategic decisions, ensuring that high standards or corporate governance are observed at all times.

Time: 2 days per week.

Remuneration: 140,000 pro rata.

Closes: 26 October

         

UK Statistics Authority  Chair

The Chair is responsible for providing support, oversight and guidance to the National Statistician, in their role as the Chief Executive of the Authority. The National Statistician is the Chief Executive of the Authority Board, Permanent Secretary of the Department, head of the Office for National Statistics and the leader of the wider Government Statistical Service. The UK Statistics Authority Board defends the public interest in statistics and holds the National Statistician to account.

Time: Two and a half days per week.

Remuneration: 71,250 per annum.

Closes: 28 October

         

Equality and Human Rights Commission  Non-Executive Commissioners

The key role of the Commissioners is to set a clear strategic direction for the Commission and drive continuous improvement in its performance. We are seeking to appoint Commissioners who can demonstrate a commitment to, and knowledge or experience of, equality and/or human rights. We are particularly seeking to appoint a Commissioner who has experience or knowledge relating to religion or belief.

Time: Approx 1-2 days per month.

Remuneration: 400 per diem.

Closes: 01 November

         

Nuclear Decommissioning Authority  Chair

Accountable for a total planned expenditure of 3.2 billion (2016/2017), the candidate will have a collaborative approach and be focused on the long term. They will have a style and personality which will fit with the other Members of the Board and Government stakeholders. They must be committed to spending the time that is necessary to become an effective team oriented board member, including familiarising themselves with the breadth of stakeholders and NDAs activities.

Time: Up to 2 days per week.

Remuneration: 150,000 per annum.

Closes: 11 November

         

Electoral Commission  Electoral Commissioner for Wales

You will be an important ambassador for the Commission in Wales, building relationships with senior political and local government stakeholders, appearing before Committees of both the UK Parliament and the National Assembly, and from time to time as required representing the views of the Commission to the media. You will work closely with the Head of the Wales Office to develop our strategy, acting as a sounding board for the team [and] will be the Chair of the Electoral Commissions Wales Advisory Group (which was established after the May 2016 elections), and the Wales Assembly Parties Panel.

Time: 4-5 days per month.

Remuneration: 374 per diem.

Closes: 11 November

         

Office of the Schools Adjudicator  Schools Adjudicator

Schools Adjudicators make legally binding decisions on a range of school matters. Most frequently they deal with objections to and referrals of admission arrangements. Adjudicators also make decisions and give advice in relation to securing places for children who need them; resolve disputes about school land and make decisions in certain circumstances about school organisation matters. The appointment will be for a period of three years and the first year will be probationary.

Time: Part-time, 60 days per annum minimum.

Remuneration: 355 per diem away from home/58 per hour at home.

Closes: 18 November

         

Veterans Advisory and Pensions Committee  Chair

The VAPC Chairperson and members play a central role in promoting the interests and welfare of Veterans and their families. The committees meet between 2 and 4 times per year and members are expected to be involved in a wide ranging agenda of issues relating to the functions of the committee set out above. Suitable candidates may come from a wide range of backgrounds and, whilst knowledge of service life would be useful, it is not necessary.

Time: 2-4 meetings per annum.

Remuneration: Voluntary.

Closes: 20 November
Civicus Monitor, a global civil society alliance based in Johannesburg, South Africa, in its first-ever online tracking of 104 countries, has noted that the civic space in India is being increasingly constrained because of government interference with the freedoms of association, expression, and peaceful assembly. Placing India under the obstructed category in the company of 21 other countries, including Armenia, Bhutan, Brazil, Burkina Faso, Ecuador, Indonesia, Israel, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Malaysia, Moldova, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, and Ukrain, Civicus regrets, Indias many civil society organizations have until recently enjoyed an enabling operating environment.Local and foreign civil society organizations describe an uneasy atmosphere under the current government of Narendra Modi, it says, adding, This has been caused by the governments targeting of CSOs, including Greenpeace India, as well as statements leaked to the media indicating that civil society is receiving large sums of money to pursue foreign agendas in India.It further notes, While many organisations providing social services can operated unimpeded, and in many cases collaborate effectively with the state, human rights defenders face threats, harassment and intimidation, and space for the expression of diverse views and dissent is shrinking.Placing countries in five different categories (closed, repressed, obstructed, narrowed and open) Civicus notes, under the closed categories are 16 countries such as Cuba, Ethiopia, Iran, Libya, North Korea, Saudi Arabia, Syria, and Vietnam; and under the repressed category are 32 countries, including Afghanistan, Bangladesh, China, Egypt, Iraq, Mexico, Myanmar, Pakistan, Russia, Rwanda, and Thailand.Then, under the narrowed category there are 26 countries, including Argentina, Australia, Austria, Canada, Chile, France, Georgia, Japan, Poland, South Africa, Spain, United Kingdom, Uruguay, and USA; and under open there are just nine countries  Andorra, Belgium, Cyprus, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Netherlands, Norway, and Sweden.Especially referring to the situation in Kashmir in the context of India, Civicus says, it remains extremely volatile, with the death toll reaching over 90, and with thousands of civilians injured, and conditions for civic activism in the region are closing rapidly under pressure from the authorities.As tensions mount over the disputed region between India and Pakistan, the people of Kashmir are increasingly caught in the crossfire of mortar shells between the two nations, Civicus underlines, adding, As instability between the two nations grows, many fear that the situation could rapidly escalate; making almost impossible conditions for civil society even worse. Civicus particularly notes how things have gone so far India India, where there was a travel ban on prominent Kashmiri human rights activist, Khurram Pervez, who was prevented from boarding a flight bound for United Nations Human Rights Council meeting in Geneva and was subsequently detained.Civicus also notes that India has recently taken what it calls several retrograde steps towards curtailing associational rights, which includes the government's recent proposal to extend the ambit of anti-corruption legislation in order to create a stricter environment for CSOs and their receipt of funds, with efforts to examine how accountability of NGOs could be tightened.Other examples noted by Civicus of obstructions suffered by civil society include the momentum of protests by the Dalit community in Gujarat, violent protests between residents of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka on the Cauvery river water sharing arrangement, mass protests against land acquisition by extractive companies in Jharkhand.
YEREVAN, OCTOBER 24, ARMENPRESS. By the invitation of Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan Prince and Grand Master of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta Fra Matthew Festing has arrived in Armenia on a state visit on October 22, press service of the Presidential administration told Armenpress.

On October 24 an official welcoming ceremony of His Most Eminent Highness Fra Matthew Festing and the delegation led by him was held in the Presidential Palace, which was followed by an extended format meeting between the Armenian President and the Grand Master with the participation of official delegations of the two states.

Your Eminence,

I warmly welcome You in Armenia. It is a great honor for me to host You and the respected delegation led by You. Your visit in Armenia is a very important event in the history of our diplomatic relations, and I am confident it will enable us to intensify our cooperation.

The connections of the worlds first Christian nation and the oldest Christian Order during the Crusades were formed on the basis of mutual respect and mutual benefit. We have the same Christian values, and those are the grounds which enable us today to establish active inter-state relations. I know You are holding a full agenda active meeting in Armenia. I hope You will have a chance to get acquainted with our people, our Christian culture which is somehow similar to the common Christian culture, but also it is unique and special, the President said in a welcoming speech.

Prince and Grand Master of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta Fra Matthew Festing expressed gratitude to President Sargsyan for the warm words and hospitality and attached importance to his state visit in Armenia in terms of further strengthening the bilateral ties.



I was really fascinated when I had a chance to meet You in St. Peters Basilica when You arrived to take part in the Mass dedicated to the memory of the Armenian Genocide innocent victims. And I think it is especially important that the representatives of the Christian people and organizations to be able to establish close cooperation with each other in this time of ruling secular morals. This is especially important in terms of emergency issues that now we are witnessing, in particular, the migration flows, refugee issues, their movements. I think in this context we must always stay in contact, exchange views and compare our approaches. And that is the reason that these relations are so important, Fra Matthew Festing said.
YEREVAN, OCTOBER 24, ARMENPRESS. REN TV has acquired footage from the scene where two Armenian citizens were gunned down in an apartment of Moscows New Moscow district.

According to initial reports, the bodies of two men  aged 39 and 46  were found at the scene with gunshot wounds. The victims are Armenian citizens, who were in Moscow for employment.

Earlier, Yulya Ivanova  a Moscow official of the Investigative Committee has confirmed the report and said an investigation task force is operating at the scene. A criminal case has been initiated.

She added the bodies were discovered in a rented apartment in Rodnik microdistrict of the New Moscow district, Moscow.

Investigators are currently at the scene, they are questioning neighbors and possible witnesses. An Investigation is underway to determine the circumstances of the incident, she said.
YEREVAN, OCTOBER 24, ARMENPRESS. Asylum Service employees were forced to leave their offices at Moria refugee camp on the Greek island of Lesbos, which were set on fire during the protest of refugees, according to local media, Sputnik News reports.

Asylum service buildings at Moria refugee camp on the Greek island of Lesbos have been set on fire, as hundreds of migrants protest over the long stay in the camp.

According to the Athens News Agency, a large number of migrants, mostly from Pakistan, came out to protest against delays in the examination of asylum applications. Asylum Service employees were forced to leave their offices, which were set on fire during the protest.

The fire brigade is currently at the hotspot trying to extinguish the flames, while the riot police has entered the camp in an attempt to restore order.

Around 60,000 refugees are estimated to be stuck in Greece. The country is the main transit point to Europe for refugees coming across the Aegean Sea from Turkey. Those who arrived after March 20 are supposed to be returned to Turkey as part of a deal between the Brussels and Ankara.






YEREVAN, OCTOBER 24, ARMENPRESS. The constructively developing diplomatic ties between the Republic of Armenia and the Sovereign Military Order of Malta have years of history, President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan told a press conference after the meeting with Prince and Grand Master of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta H.M.E.H. Fra Matthew Festing.

However at this moment a historic bridge is being formed between the worlds first Christian nation and the ancient Christian Military Order. It is also symbolic that the existing close political and cultural ties during the Crusades between the Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia and the Order of Malta are getting new breath today. With your visit, Your Eminence, we believe in attaching new quality to the bilateral cooperation, President Sargsyan said.

The President said issues relating to both bilateral cooperation and regional, international situations were discussed in a frank atmosphere with Prince and Grand Master of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta H.M.E.H. Fra Matthew Festing.

Of course, I expressed our deep appreciation to the Military Order of Malta for the humanitarian aid, delivered during the 1988 devastating earthquake and until now, which is significant, and of course, didnt stay unnoticed by us, President Sargsyan said.

Issues related to the possible expansion of bilateral cooperation in the fields of medical services, population safety during emergency situations were discussed.

We both stated that we have the most important thing for further development of cooperation  a value basis, which allows a same approach to solving issues. Its no secret, that the historic path of the Armenian people is full of struggles, for preservation of Christian identity and values, for Christian culture, for humanism, President Sargsyan said.

The President added that during the meeting they also discussed the strong ties between Armenia and the Holy See, the 2015 April 2 Holy Mass by Pope Francis in memory of the Armenian Genocide victims in St. Peters Basilica and the Popes visit to Armenia.

President Sargsyan thanked H.M.E.H. Fra Matthew Festing for his participation in the Mass.
After she was killed, the coroner issued a death certificate for Cheryl Ann Wick and contacted her parents in Minnesota. This came as quite a shock to them, considering that Cheryl was alive and well in Minneapolis. After getting a good night's sleep to make sure this wasn't some Fight Club-esque gaslighting, the police confirmed that the real Wick was living in Minneapolis and had had her purse stolen a few years earlier, including her ID and birth certificate. Investigators snooped around and found more places the victim had lived and worked under names like Cheryl Kaufman, Shannon Wiley, and Kelly Carr, all of which were equally made up. People she had worked with said that Cheryl had variously claimed to be in witness protection (nope), that her father was in the Mafia, and that she was on the lam after pulling some bank robberies -- because if you're going to create a fake past, it should at least be something badass.

El Dorado Police Department

Did anyone try to remove her mask to see if Patrick Swayze was under there?

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McAlphin claims to know her true identity and that he had met Cheryl's mother and sister, but he ain't saying shit. He refuses to give any information to the police unless they do something for him -- evidently not giving him a life sentence for murder wasn't enough. He's currently back in prison, serving 10 years for domestic battery, because once an asshole, always an asshole.
United States Grand Prix - Race results

Max Verstappen has taken responsibility for his phantom pit-stop during the United States Grand Prix and explained why he parked up his car in an unfortunate position as gearbox gremlins forced only a second mechanical retirement for Red Bull in 2016.

In an eventful afternoon for the youngster, Verstappen was running a fourth at the Circuit of the Americas having passed Kimi Raikkonen during his second stint, only to pull into the pit-lane without having been asked to do so.

Arriving to his box with mechanics jumping into action, Verstappen revealed he simply believed he had been asked to come into the pit lane.

"They told me to push hard the lap before so I thought that was an indication to box," he told reporters after the race. "So I drove into the pit lane and suddenly realised they didn't box me. That was definitely my fault and not very clever, but it didn't make any difference.

POINTS: Who sits where in the overall standings after the United States Grand Prix

With Verstappen's race ending only a few laps later when he suffered a gearbox failure, the Dutchman caused more headaches for his team when he pulled over in a position that would force a Virtual Safety Car, unintentionally hampering his team-mate Daniel Ricciardo in his fight for second with Nico Rosberg.

However, Verstappen says it was the team urging him to continue before telling him to pull over, only to suffer a further issue with the car that would prevent it from being rolled back. With the car having to be removed by crane, the VSC was called, allowing Mercedes a 'free' stop to get Rosberg ahead of Ricciardo.

"The team told me to keep on going, I said there was a serious issue and at one point they told me to stop 'over there'. It was in neutral and then the car got stuck, then you can press the button on the top but it didn't work. Otherwise you could just push the car into the gap."

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YEREVAN, OCTOBER 24, ARMENPRESS. On October 24 President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan and H.M.E.H. Prince and Grand Master of the Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of Malta Fra Matthew Festing held a separate private meeting in the Presidential Palace, but before it an award ceremony took place, press service of the Presidential administration told Armenpress.

President Sargsyan awarded His Most Eminent Highness Fra Matthew Festing with the Order of Glory for the strengthening and development of inter-states relations between Armenia and the Sovereign Military Order of Malta, as well as the significant input on the Armenian Genocide recognition issue.

Grand Chancelor of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta H.E. Albrecht Freiherr von Boeselager, Grand Hospitaller H.E. Dominique Prince and Count de La Rochefoucauld-Montbel have been awarded with the Orders of Honor for the significant input on strengthening and development of friendly relations between Armenia and the Sovereign Military Order of Malta. Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta to Armenia Jean-Michel Oughourlian has been awarded with the Order of Friendship.

By the decision of H.M.E.H Fra Matthew Festing and the Sovereign Council President Sargsyan has been awarded with the Highest Award of the Order of Malta  the Collar pro Merito Melitensi. Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian received the second highest award of the Order of Malta Grand Cross pro Merito Melitensi, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Armenia at the Holy See Michael Minassyan was awarded the Grand Officer Cross pro Merito Melitensi, the Chancellery of Holy Echmiadzin Archbishop Arshak Bishop Khatchatryan received a high award of the Order of Malta the Grand Cross pro Merito Melitensi.

After the award ceremony, President Serzh Sargsyan and the Prince and Grand Master of the Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of Malta Fra Matthew Festing summarized the results of the negotiations in the statements made for the representatives of the mass media.

In honor of the Prince and Grand Master of the Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of Malta Fra Matthew Festing, who is in Armenia on a state visit, President Serzh Sargsyan gave a state dinner.

***

Statement by President Serzh Sargsyan for the mass media on the results on the meeting with the Prince and Grand Master of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta Fra Matthew Festing

Your Most Eminent Highness,

Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen,

Today is a momentous day for all of us: Today the Prince and Grand Master of the Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of Malta is conducting his first visit to Armenia. Diplomatic relations between the Republic of Armenia and the Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of Malta, which are developing in a friendly and constructive atmosphere, have a years-long history. However at this moment a unique, I would say, a historic bridge is being established between the worlds first Christian nation and the oldest Christian military order. It is also symbolic because back in the time of the crusades, the Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia and the Order of Malta had close political and cultural ties, which today are getting a new life. The visit of Your Most Eminent Highness inspires us to give a new quality to our bilateral cooperation.

Moments ago, Fra Matthew Festing and I, in the atmosphere of sincerity and great mutual understanding discussed prospects of bilateral cooperation, as well as important regional and international issues.

We certainly expressed our profound thanks for the humanitarian assistance which the Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of Malta has been providing since the devastating earthquake of 1988; the assistance has been significant and certainly didnt go unnoticed.

We have also discussed opportunities for expanding the cooperation in the areas of medical services, protection and organization of the civilian population in emergencies, joint historical research in which the Order of Malta and Armenia have accumulated impressive experience. On this I certainly believe a very useful work can be carried out: As a result of that useful work we may obtain additional information on the cooperation between the crusaders and the Kingdom of Cilicia.

We concurred that we possess the most important thing for the further development of our cooperation  the same system of values which translates into similar approaches for the resolution of problems. It is no secret that the history of the Armenian people has been full of struggle  for the preservation of our Christian identity and values, for the Christian culture, for the promotion of humanism. One can say that after the adoption of Christianity, Armenians have been carrying out their historic mission in line with the motto of the Order of Malta - Tuition of Faith.

We have also spoken about the special relations existing between Armenia and the Holy See, a mass offered by the Holy Father on April 12, 2015 at the Saint Peters Cathedral and dedicated to the innocent victims of the Armenian Genocide and certainly about the visit of the Pope to Armenia last June, which in these violent days was a brilliant example of the inter-church solidarity. Taking the opportunity, I thanked His Most Eminent Highness for being present at the mass and for remembering in his prayers the sons and daughters of the Armenian people.

We have certainly spoken about the tragic situation in Syria which became a humanitarian catastrophe. We noted with pain that the Christians, and not only the Christians, there are being prosecuted and tortured. On behalf of Armenia, I expressed readiness to bring our contribution to the implementation of any initiative which will somehow stop the elimination of the Christians and Christian heritage at the Middle East.

Your Most Eminent Highness, once again  welcome to Armenia, welcome to the first Christian nation where we are always delighted to receive Armenias distinguished guests.

Thank you.
Tearing A Page From Dell's Playbook

Lenovo, a Chinese PC vendor that rocketed to worldwide IT fame with its 2004 purchase of IBM's PC business, followed by its early 2014 acquisition of IBM's x86-based server business, really wants to get into the data center. But a low-margin PC and server business does not a data center player make.

Dell figured that out about 15 years ago when it first entered in a deal to resell EMC storage, gaining its first foothold in the enterprise. That reseller agreement eventually died as Dell made a few acquisitions, but with Dell's acquisition this year of EMC, the company is now a top provider of data center infrastructure solutions.

Lenovo knows it needs to have a viable storage strategy to make its mark in the data center, and it's already on the way with a new partnership to bring its servers together with storage arrays from all-flash storage and hybrid storage vendor Nimble Storage.

But this is only a first step. Lenovo's storage plans are much larger. To find out, turn the page.
The captain and crew of Holland America Lines ms Veendam were honored recently by the Association for Rescue at Sea with a AFRAS AMVER Award for the 2015 rescue of a pilot who ditched his aircraft in the Pacific Ocean near Hawaii.

The Automated Mutual Assistance Vessel Rescue System was implemented by the U.S. Coast Guard in 1958, and the AMVER Awards were created in 1971 to recognize vessels that participate in the program.

Holland America Line received the award at the annual Coast Guard Award Ceremony Sept. 21, 2016, at the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C. Veendams Captain Eric van der Wal accepted the honor on behalf of the cruise line.

The pilot rescue in the Pacific Ocean is a proud moment in our company history, and we are honored to receive the AFRAS AMVER Award from the Association for Rescue at Sea, said Orlando Ashford, Holland America Lines president. We are proud to support the AMVER motto, No Call for Help Goes Unanswered, and on behalf of Veendams captain and crew we thank you for the recognition.

The ceremony was hosted by California Rep. Duncan Hunter, chairman of the House Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Marine Transportation, with additional members of Congress and the Vice Commandant, Adm. Charles D. Michel, of the United States Coast Guard and his senior staff also in attendance.

This was the third rescue at sea by a Holland America Line ship in 2015. On Jan. 3, ms Zuiderdam rescued eight crew members from a sinking vessel in the Caribbean, and on Jan. 4 ms Zaandam came to the aid of seven stranded crew members at the Arctowski Polish research station at King George Island in Antarctica.
YEREVAN, OCTOBER 24, ARMENPRESS. A criminal case has been initiated by the Russian Investigative Committees Moscow Department on the murder of two Armenian citizens. The victims have been identified, the Investigative Committee of Armenia told ARMENPRESS.

Chairman of the Investigative Committee of Armenia tasked Ilya Varov  Armenian IC representative in Russia, to contact authorized agencies in Russia who is regularly briefed on the proceedings of the criminal case.

According to reports of the Russian Investigative Committee, on October 23, at 15:40 Moscow time, Russian law enforcement agencies received a call from Armenian citizen Hasmik Nshanyan, who said she cant contact her brother since October 17, who resides in Moscow.

Law enforcement officers were immediately dispatched to the address (provided by Hasmik Nshanyan), and discovered the corpses of two men, with gunshot wounds. Both of the victims are Armenian citizens and ethnically Armenian. Their identities were revealed to be : Eduard Nshanyan  born 1973 (gunshot wound to the head), and Armen Israyelyan  born 1970 (gunshot wound to the head).

Initial reports suggest the two died 3-5 days ago. Seven 5.45mm cases and 2 bullets were found at the scene.

A criminal case has been launched in Moscows Investigative Committee.

Forensic expertise is underway.

Law enforcement agencies have already a potential suspect, who, according to preliminary reports, is also an Armenian citizen. A manhunt is underway to locate and apprehend the suspect.
EMS computers in Guilford County, NC were exposed for an unknown length of time, because the server managing system updates was publicly available on the internet. The problem was discovered earlier this month by a researcher scanning the internet for Rsync servers.

Salted Hash was alerted to the servers existence by MacKeeper's Chris Vickery, a security researcher who is known for finding exposed systems and databases.

Vickery said he was scanning the internet for exposed Rsync servers when he discovered one being used by EMS systems in Greensboro, NC  or all of Guilford County, to be exact.

Shortly after discovering the server, Vickery contacted the Greensboro Police Department. When he brought the issue to our attention, Salted Hash alerted other county officials, including the director for Guilford County Emergency Services.

At first I thought I had discovered something related to an enterprise email backup server, Vickery told Salted Hash. In fact, these types of servers are what he normally finds when scanning.

Vickery downloaded the software on the server and examined the configuration scripts. In them, he discovered the administrator password ( Lpdw223$ ), which could be used to access local EMS systems individually.

Additionally, Vickery said the server contained SunGard MCT software. This software runs on the computers that are inside of police, fire, and ambulance vehicles.

The software I've downloaded contains mapping files for all of Guilford County, as well as all the images and sound notifications that can appear through this dispatch-based software. The installation configuration file sets up a Windows scheduled task that checks this Rsync server for updates at regular intervals and deletes previous files. Vickery explained.

The concern was that a malicious actor could upload corrupted or blank files in place of the real ones, triggering system crashes that could have serious physical consequences to the 507,000 people who live in the county.

A Guilford County official told Salted Hash that the problem only impacted EMS, and it didnt affect other public safety users. The statement also confirmed that the server Vickery discovered was used to update devices in the field.

The server houses these updated files which are synced regularly to a local folder on our field devices. This is its only function. Users manually initiate the update process via a shortcut on their desktops when notified by us that an update exists, the statement explained.

However, the county also said server logs show that no one outside of emergency services had accessed the server. Yet, at the very least, the logs should show Vickery accessing the server and downloading files. It isn't clear why the county missed that, or why the server didn't log Vickery's actions.

Also, the statement overlooks Vickerys entire point, which was that the individual systems were at risk, as they accessed the update server remotely. In fact, Vickery has a copy of the script that would prompt a user to update the device, so an attacker would have had no problems getting emergency personnel to update.

The county said that the files on the server were read-only, which Vickery couldnt confirm as doing so would place him in legal hot water, but the fact that there was no username or password necessary to access the server strongly hints that the files could have been replaced, Vickery said.

Still, the county took the disclosure seriously. The local administrator passwords were changed, and the Rsync server itself is no longer publicly available.

It may be convenient to bypass authentication requirements for rollout update servers, but that leaves you open to disastrous consequences (not to mention professional embarrassment). Never skimp on security, Vickery said via email, when asked for his final thoughts on the incident.

But sometimes, skimping is exactly what happened. Often, the networks powering emergency services, as well as police and fire departments, are chaotic. They have outdated hardware and software, and they use servers such as the one Vickery discovered not because theyre lazy or incompetent, but because theyre whats available.

Budget crunch is a real problem for many IT teams working in emergency services. In fact, the term team is being generous; many counties operate with just a single IT person doing the job of six people.

In those situations, the county will make do using whatever is affordable or gets the job done.

Youll see a lot of cities using AVG free, because they cant afford anti-virus, said Nick Selby, a Texas police detective and information security consultant.

Anythings that free, theyll do, because they dont have the budget. Theres another big problem, which is that a lot of things that are being used in public safety were invented somewhere else, for something else, Selby added.

He recalled a situation that came to light a few years ago, where police video cameras were found to be vulnerable.

Those cameras were originally sold to the school bus industry, but later they were sold to police departments with no additional security or protection. As a result, police were using cameras that could be controlled remotely.

Around the same time he found the EMS server, Vickery also discovered an Rsync server that belonged to a law firm. The video footage on that server raised questions about the official report issued by the La Habra police department, after an inmate took his own life while in custody.
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BRIDGEPORT  The next city school superintendent will make a salary of $260,000 plus benefits, but also must have a residence in the city, the Board of Education has decided.

The decision was reached during a lengthy sit-down between the board and representatives from Ray and Associates, the search firm that is finally on board to help the district find a new schools chief.

The advertised salary would be the most any Bridgeport school superintendent has made. Interim Superintendent Fran Rabinowitz makes $190,000. Before leaving in 2014, Paul Vallas made $234,000, and before he was fired, John Ramos earned $229,000 annually.

Even though many consider the district to be woefully underfunded, the compensation would be on par with a number of wealthier, albeit smaller, Fairfield County school districts. Westports new superintendent, Colleen Palmer, makes $285,000 a year. Darien School Superintendent of Schools Dan Brenner earned $267,000 in the last school year.

Greenwich, which is also searching for a new schools chief, paid its last superintendent close to $239,000 annually. It has not publicly disclosed how much Greenwich intends to pay its next one.

Ray and Associates, with offices in Iowa and New Jersey, is assisting in the Greenwich search as well.

Mike Rush, a consultant with the firm, told members of the Bridgeport school board that the goal is to show the troubled city school district of more than 21,000 students in the best possible light.

I dont know your political climate, other than what I read, Rush said.

The search comes at a time when board members are so much at odds with one another that Chairman Dennis Bradley is refusing to call regular meetings and the interim superintendent announced she is quitting early because of what she called constant harassment from Maria Pereira, another board member.

At the special meeting held with the search firm, however, it was all business.

A timeline outlined by Rush and Ismael Carreras, another Ray search consultant, suggests a new superintendent for the district could be identified by the end of February. The selected candidate would start next summer.

In early November, the search firm plans to meet with a host of stakeholders, including staff, parents, students and members of the community.

The board decided to include a select group of city officials and business leaders in the mix of stakeholders, although the vote not unanimously.

Absolutely not, Pereira said, when voting on adding the business community. She and Ben Walker also objected to city officials. Walker said city officials with kids could attend a parent session.

The community forums, along with a written survey that will go out in multiple languages to schools and on the district website, will help the firm develop a profile for a new superintendent.

Sometime in December, plans call for the position to be advertised, with candidates given until the end of January to apply. Carreras said the district could see 50 or more applicants.

The firm promises to thoroughly vet candidates so as to avoid what happened in New London when a selected superintendent candidate  advanced by another search firm  ended up not having the degree he claimed.

We dont want to be embarrassed or embarrass you, Carreras said.

The board decided it prefers candidates with doctoral degrees and who are willing to move to Bridgeport, in the least renting an apartment in the city. It stopped short of requiring it be their primary residence and require the superintendents family to move, which is something Pereira wanted.

I think it is important, Pereira said. They will be the highest paid employee in the city and should be a resident ... I want a real member of this community.

Simply renting a studio in the city didnt signal the commitment she is seeks.

Others worried that could be a deterrent for a job that on average has a three-year life span.

Rush said the search, which is expected to cost the district about $30,500, comes with a two year guarantee. If the superintendent doesnt work out within the first two years, Ray will make another search for free.

lclambeck@ctpost.com; @lclambeck
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BRIDGEPORT  Mayor Joe Ganim properly appointed two people to fill vacancies on the citys embattled Board of Education, a judge ruled Monday.

Lamenting that state laws are not clearly written so average citizens can understand them, Superior Court Judge Barbara Bellis said two laws, taken together, give Ganim the authority to make appointments to the board when it is deadlocked.

The mayor properly exercised his authority, the judge ruled.

Clearly, Im disappointed with the decision, said Maria Pereira, a board member who filed suit to block the appointments. But I believe we have a basis for an appeal, and my lawyer and I need to discuss that over the next seven to 10 days and make a decision.

It is unfortunate that this issue had to go to court, Ganim said later. I am very thankful to Judge Bellis for taking such a thorough look at the issues and supporting the legality of the appointments I made to the board of education.

Pereira, an elected member of the board, challenged the mayors authority to appoint Annette Segarra-Negron to replace David Hennessey, who resigned in the spring, and Rafael Fonseca to replace the more recently departed member Andre Baker.

The board had been unable to agree on replacements for Hennessey and Baker.

Ganim may shortly be in a position to name a third board member, if the fractured board cannot agree within 30 days on a replacement for Republican Kevin McSpirit, who resigned on Oct 5.

About the Segarra-Negron and Fronseca appointments, Ganim said, I do not want to be in the position of appointing members to the board, but given the reality that there was simply no consensus to choose replacements for members who resigned, I was compelled to act. Nothing is more important for the future of our city. My hope is now that the board can come together and move a positive agenda forward for the good of our schools, teachers, and most importantly for our students.

No one disagreed with the assessment that the current state of the Board of Education is a mess. Pereira has clashed with other board members to the point that the chairman, Dennis Bradley, declared no further regular meetings would be held until she agreed to resign.

Interim Superintendent of School Fran Rabinowitz, citing constant verbal attacks by Pereira, has submitted her resignation, effective at the end of December.

During an hour-long hearing Monday afternoon, Pereiras lawyer, Kevin Smith, argued that according to the citys charter, the remaining board members and no one else are entitled to name replacements.

We have a board that is in gridlock, and the education of the citys children is in peril, Associate City Attorney Bruce Levin countered. I fail to understand the plaintiffs position. To remain in deadlock is absurd.

Levin argue that two state laws give the mayor authority to make appointments when the board cannot fill a vacancy on its own.

Also, in the case of Segarra-Negron, Smith contended that Hennessey had been elected to the board as a Democrat, and while he had later switched to being a Republican, a Democrat should replace him. Segarra-Negron is a Republican.

But Bellis agreed with the city, that because Hennessey was a Republican when he resigned, he should be replaced with a Republican.

Now the city can get back to the business of educating children, said Paul Ganim, an attroney who represented Segarra-Negron and Fonseca.
DERBY  The lower end of Caroline Street has a fresh coating of asphalt.

Streets get paved and re-paved all the time, so this is not, in and of itself, newsworthy. What is noteworthy is this asphalt replaced cobblestones that were set in place in the early 19th century.
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For the past few years, whenever people talked about millennials and real estate, it was all about renting.

Now, a Zillow report has come out saying millennials are moving out to the suburbs and buying homes. In fact, Zillow reports that half of U.S. home buyers are under the age of 36 and they are spending a median price of $200,000 on their first home.

This is based on a national report, but are those findings reflected here in southwestern Connecticut where real estate prices are significantly higher than the rest of the country?

The short answer: kind of.

How much are millennial buyers spending in southwestern Connecticut?

Libby Mattson of Houlihan Lawrence Real Estate based in New Canaan, says about 25 to 30 percent of her clients are millennials buying for the first time. Most of them, she says, are newly weds in their late 20ssome with babies, some without.

Mattson who works primarily in lower Fairfield County (Greenwich up through Redding) where many of the homes are large single-family houses, usually priced at a million dollars or more. But that's not what millennials want, she said.

More for you Report: Why renters choose to rent

"The millennials are not coming in with a lot of money buying higher end, and that's impacted the New Canaan market because you don't have these kids'Wall Street young money' moving in," she said. "From what I've seen it's more moving into Stamfordmaybe a condo; definitely under the million dollar mark."

This has to do in part with the fact that millennials are graduating college with more debt than any other generation, so they cannot afford expensive homes as early on as their parents could. However, Mattson says, even when they can afford it, they just don't want to.

Millennial buyers want convenience

"They don't want big homes even if they do have money  they want to be near towns, near trains and access to everything," she said. "Houses that are close to trains, restaurants and shopping go quickly. Everything far back is harder to sell."

It's all about convenience. Millennials want what's called "turnkey houses," meaning houses that are ready to move into without any work or renovation. They also want small yards that require minimal maintenance.

"There's the realization that if something goes wrong with your house, you can't just call the super to come and fix it," said Jimmy Tatarzycki, 29, who recently moved with his wife, Nikki, 29, out of a Manhattan apartment to a house in Danbury.

Millennial buyers are transient

Millennials are also not looking for a "forever" home the first time around.

"I think they see it as a stepping stone, a temporary home. I don't think they see themselves here for 20 years," Mattson said. "I think change is part of their culture. That's how they've been birthed into this life  they change with technology, homes, jobs. They don't fear that."

Nikki Tatarzycki mirrors that sentiment. But for her, buying a "starter" home was more a financial choice than a lifestyle choice.

"I just can't afford my dream home right now, that's the only reason," she said.

The newlywed couple decided to buy a house when they found out they were having a baby.

"We both still worked in Manhattan, so we wanted to get out of the city but stay within a reasonable commute distance," Jimmy Tatarzycki said. "We both grew up in Danbury and have many family members and friends in the area. We looked at some surrounding townsBrookfield, Bethel but ultimately the best option was Danbury."

Who are southwestern Connecticut's millennial buyers?

Mattson said most millennial home buyers in southwestern Connecticut have some ties to the area, whether they are moving back to their hometowns, have family close by or have been renting in nearby New York City. Those relocating from other pars of the country tend to be older home buyers.

Another group of millennials moving into southwestern Connecticut are from Westchester County. Mattson says many come over the border because taxes are somewhat better here than in New York. But taxes are just one small part of the financial decision for millennials who are more prepared than ever when it comes to budgeting.

Millennial buyers are financially savvy and knowledgeable

"They want to make a good investment. They want to be able to protect their hard earned cash," Mattson said. And so, they come to her having already done their research, factoring taxes, maintenance, remodeling and travel costs into their decision.

"When you buy, there are a ton more steps than simply finding a place and signing a lease. You need a mortgage broker, a real estate agent, lawyer, home inspectors," Jimmy Tatarzycki said.

"They want a good deal and make sure they are not overpaying  it's a merger of 'I love the house' and 'it's the right price,'" Mattson said. "They want what they want."

That's where Mattson says mortgage brokers are so important, especially for first time home buyers.

"You might be able to afford more than you think," she said referring to financial plans and help available to first time home buyers.

With the help of his mortgage broker, John Mascolo, Jimmy Tatarzycki said he was able to take advantage of a CT first-time home buyers program.

Millennial buyers are changing the real estate world

While millennials are growing up and making life changes like buying homes, they are also changing the way real estate works. Mattson said it has been an adjustment to cater to the needs of a new generation of buyers. She said having a web and social media presence is crucial for a real estate firm to succeed.

"You need to speak on their platform because they're not walking in and calling; they're doing it all online," she said. "The older generation wants to walk into the office but in 20 years from now we may not even need to pay for an office. It definitely is a different era and a different culture."
Cuba to present a larger business portfolio at FIHAV 2016

Submitted by: Juana

Havana

international

Business and Economy

10 / 24 / 2016



The Minister of Foreign Trade and Investment, Rodrigo Malmierca, informed today that Cuba will present on November 1st the third upgrade of its business portfolio, which includes a higher number of projects.

In a meeting with the press in Havana, Malmierca specified details on what will happen from October 31 to November 4 at Havanas International Trade Fair, FIHAV 2016, the 34th edition of which seeks to continue boosting foreign investment and diversify the islands economic relations to the maximum.

The also president of the Organizing Committee of the meeting, to take place at the Expocuba showground, pointed out that the renewed portfolio includes new propositions, with presence in all the sectors prioritized by the country for the concretion of business with foreign partners.

According to Malmierca, companies coming from 75 nations have so far confirmed their attendance, a higher figure of participants as compared to the previous edition, a sign of the interest of international entrepreneurs in Cuba and of the rejection of the blockade that the United States imposes on the Island.

It was known that the coming fair will be the largest in terms of its exhibition area -18,400 square meters, two thousand more than that contracted in 2015.

Orlando Hernandez, president of the Chamber of Commerce, pointed out that the Fair will include business meetings, the presentation of projects for the export of national goods and services, lectures, and the first forum on investment, which will be held on November 1 and 2.

He also said that in the 5,000 square meters of the Central Pavilion of the showground -traditionally reserved for the host country- 125 entities representing 325 Cuban companies will present their goods and services.

Abraham Maciques, general director of the Palco Business Group, highlighted that Ethiopia, Gabon and Tanzania will participate for the first time. (acn)
YEREVAN, OCTOBER 24, ARMENPRESS. Minister of Finance of Armenia Vardan Aramyan received on October 24 Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the Republic of Armenia Seyed Kazem Sadjadi. As Armenpress was informed from the press service of the Ministry, the parties discussed financial and trade issues. Particularly, Minister Arasmyan noted that bilateral investments are on a very low level. Iranian investments in Armenia amount to 3 million USD, while Armenian investments in Iran amount to 250 thousand USD. This means that we have much to do here and drastically increase the numbers considering the centuries-old trade potentials between the two countries, he said.

The Armenian minister noted that trade turnover can be increased by the elaboration and implementation of mega projects, which was impossible in the past due to the economic sanctions against Iran. The economic sanctions on our neighbor impact us as well and we have always raised alarm over this to our European partners. Now we have a new reality. We are happy to see Iran regulating its economic relations with other countries and I am convicted we can achive much more together, Minister of Finance of Armenia said.

Ambassador Seyed Kazem Sadjadi congratulated Vardan Aramyan on assuming the post of the minister and mentioned that he had a meeting with the previous minister a year ago, and since structural changes have taken place during this period, he inquired about the new functions of the ministry and changes in the banking and custom spheres. The Ambassador was particularly interested in expanding cooperation in the sphere of insurance, prospects for opening a new branch of Mellat bank, as well as bilateral cooperation in international financial platforms.

Minister Aramyan noted that Armenia has always supported Iranian projects in international financial platforms. If Iran records high rates of economic development, it will directly impact the economic development of Armenia. Therefore, Armenia is interested in the sustainable economic development of the neighboring country, the Minister said.

The interlocutors shared the opinion that the current economic indicators are not satisfactory and it is necessary to work harder to fill the gap. In the context of the mega projects Minister Aramyan noted the only one, the energy project, is underway, while there are prospects for cooperation in other spheres as well, such as the construction of North-South highway or the construction of slaughterhouses which can be implemented based on public-private investments.
YEREVAN, OCTOBER 24, ARMENPRESS. Russian law enforcement bodies suspect some Armenian citizens in the murder of two Armenian citizens in New Moscow district, Armenpress reports, citing Ria Novosti, Russian Investigative Committee informed.

The Russian Investigative Committee informed that a criminal case has been initiated over a murder of two or more people. According to data of Armenian Embassy in Russia, Eduard Nshanyan  born in 1973, and Armen Israyelyan  born in 1970 are the killed citizens of Armenia.

The investigators possess information of the identity of the suspects. According to preliminary data, they are citizens of Armenia, press service of the Russian Investigative Committee informs.

A criminal case has been initiated by the Russian Investigative Committees Moscow Department on the murder of two Armenian citizens. The victims have been identified.

Chairman of the Investigative Committee of Armenia tasked Ilya Varov  Armenian IC representative in Russia, to contact authorized agencies in Russia who is regularly briefed on the proceedings of the criminal case.

According to reports of the Russian Investigative Committee, on October 23, at 15:40 Moscow time, Russian law enforcement agencies received a call from Armenian citizen Hasmik Nshanyan, who said she couldnt contact her brother since October 17, who resides in Moscow.

Law enforcement officers were immediately dispatched to the address (provided by Hasmik Nshanyan), and discovered the corpses of two men, with gunshot wounds. Both of the victims are Armenian citizens and ethnically Armenian. Their identities were revealed to be : Eduard Nshanyan  born 1973 (gunshot wound to the head), and Armen Israyelyan  born 1970 (gunshot wound to the head).

Initial reports suggest the two died 3-5 days ago. Seven 5.45mm cases and 2 bullets were found at the scene.

A criminal case has been launched in Moscows Investigative Committee.

Forensic expertise is underway.

Law enforcement agencies have already a potential suspect, who, according to preliminary reports, is also an Armenian citizen. A manhunt is underway to locate and apprehend the suspect.
STEPANAKERT, OCTOBER 24, ARTSAKHPRESS: The Ministrys announcement reads: Overnight October 23-24 the Azerbaijani side violated the ceasefire regime 50 times by firing over 900 shots from various caliber small arms at the Armenian positions in the Nagorno Karabakh-Azerbaijan line of contact.

In the northern, southern and eastern directions the Azerbaijani forces fired also ISTIGLAL and SVD sniper rifles (83 shots).

The Defense Army forces are in full control of the situation in the frontline and continue confidently fulfilling their military tasks.
Several days ago, Najat Vallaud-Belkacem, the Minister of Education, Higher Education, and Research of France, launched an initiative.

October 24, 2016, 10:00 France education minister establishes genocide research mission

STEPANAKERT, OCTOBER 24, ARTSAKHPRESS: The initiative envisions the studying of genocides and mass crimes, with the objective of grasping them to the utmost as well as fighting against denial, reported Nor Haratch Armenian newspaper of France, informs News.am.

This mission, which is to be established one year after the Armenian Genocide Centennial, will be entrusted to Vincent Duclert, General Inspector of National Education of France.

He will head the 46-member team comprising citizens of 12 countries.

This team shall prepare a report on genocides and mass crimes, so as to facilitate their comprehension and create new ways for their prevention.

The mission shall summarize its respective conclusions within one year.

Minister Vallaud-Belkacem noted that she hereby wishes to run a policy of just memory. She added that in this era, when denial is a reality and it prospers, the transmitting of history becomes an imperative in the fight against lack of memory.
The first issue of "Israelahayer" (Armenians in Israel) newspaper was published in 2014.

October 24, 2016, 16:21 Armenians in Israel need News from Homeland: Editor of "Israelahayer" Newspaper

STEPANAKERT, OCTOBER 24, ARTSAKHPRESS: Editor-in-Chief of the newspaper Artiom Chernamorian said that "Israelahayer" is the only daily newspaper published in Eastern Armenian, which published each month.

"Armenian non-governmental organizations created in Israel, we have a formed Armenian community. We needed an Armenian newspaper also. In the newspaper, we mainly focuses on the Armenian community in Armenia and on the events that take place in the country. Our goal is to present to the world the Armenian community of Israel. Our relationship with Artsakh and Armenia is very strong; however, there is no great cooperation in the information field. Unfortunately, we have no relation with the local media. Of course, there are some websites presenting the events taking place in Artsakh and Armenia, but they are very limited. We visit Armenia 1 or 2 times a year and provide information about Armenia and Artsakh for Armenians living in Israel. The Armenian community of Israel includes 7000 Armenians," he said.

Editor-in-Chief of Israel newspaper said that during the April events every Armenian living in Israel becomes both a soldier and a spokesperson, living with news coming from homeland. "In Israel, we have created a common body in 2013, which is called Joint Committee in Jerusalem. It includes representatives of various NGOs. At the initiative of Joint Committee in Jerusalem and Nairi Union, we visited Artsakh with a special mission. We brought medical assistance to Artsakh, equipped with Israeli special technologies. Now, collaborating with the central military hospital of Stepanakert, we want to invite surgeons to Israel to undergo training courses. These activities are in progress, said Chernamoryan and added that during April events the Armenians living in Israel held protest in front of the Israeli Foreign Ministry and government buildings. Their group was joined by Jewish intellectuals who loudly in English and Hebrew gave a shame on Israeli officials, who sell weapons to terrorists.
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A talking tiger, an underworld princess, David Bowie and a sunny-side up bikini.

The spectacle of New Zealand's World of WearableArt (WOW) did not fail to impress in its 28th year with 133 garments taking to the stage at Wellington's TSB Bank Arena for sold-out shows.

With designs from the United States, Australia, the United Kingdom, China and Germany, Kiwi Gillian Saunders' Supernova stole the show and snagged to top award for the night.

Saunders said her multi-coloured stunner drew inspiration from Thierry Mugler's iconic haute couture Chimera dress.

New Zealander Gillian Saunders' Supernova won the Brancott Estate WOW Supreme Award

Lippydeema was created by Daisy May Collingridge, from the United Kingdom, who won the international award for the UK and Europe

Fried Eggs was entered in the bizarre bra category and paid homage to the breakfast dish - eggs on toast. The bra was created by Kelsey Roderick and Rhys Richards, from New Zealand

Come Fly With Me by USA's Julian Hartzog was entered into the bra bizarre category and featured silver wings

'I was inspired by the texture and colours of... the iridescent spiny fins of the Hippocampus from the Percy Jackson movie The Sea of Monsters and some incredible NASA images taken by the Hubble telescope,' the designer said.

'Each scale has been individually cut, shaded with marker pens and then hand sewn onto the garment.

'Each gem has had its sticky backing removed and then glued on by hand.'

Supernova was crafted from recycled leather, gems and marker pen ink for the avant garde section of the competition.

Another crowd favourite was the unusual Lippydeema which was designed by Daisy May Collingridge, from the UK and based on the concept of a 'joyful creature who likes to dance when no one is watching'.

An entrant into the performance art section, the striking figure, which looks like a person wearing their internal muscles on the outside, was made of out of hand-dyed jersey, wadding and pellets.

Supernova was crafted from recycled leather, gems and marker pen ink for the avant garde section of the competition

Lord Maharaja And Star Bride was designed by United Kingdom artist Liam Brandon Murray

The show was tied together with the inclusion of a talking tiger who played host for the night

Buttercup Bra (left), Strike A Chord (centre) and Edinbra (right) made up three entrants of the WOW competition

Brighter Side of Pail (left) created by Julie Brawley from New Zealand, and Mai (I) (right) made by Pritam Singh and Vishnu Ramesh from India

Khepri - an Egyptian god represented by the beetle - is a vision created by USA's Miodrag Guberinic and Alexa Cach

Digital Stealth Gods, an artwork by New Zealand's Dylan Mulder, was made from 3D prints, Arduino and self-balancing technology

Pictured centre is Renewal by USA's Alexa Cach, Miodrag Guberinic and Corey Gomes

This year's show kicked off with one of the most impressive collections of bizarre bras where designers were challenge to recreate the humble bra.

They took inspiration from the Scottish thistle, the traditional breakfast of eggs on toast, teacups and vintage cameras.

The show was tied together with the inclusion of a talking tiger who played host for the night and belted out renditions of David Bowie's Space Oddity and Prince's Cream - an obvious homage to the artists who died earlier this year.

One of the most beautiful and intricate creations came from the costume and film category where designers gave a nod to the baroque and rococo periods.

Many of the costumes appeared to be inspired by the French court where Marie Antoinette, the wife of Louis XVI, became an icon of fashion.

New Zealand's Carolyn Gibson created Voyage To Revolution with scenes of the French Revolution printed on the skirt

Heritage Rocks, from India's Shantanu Singh, is made of polywood felt and is inspired by New Zealand's Maori culture

In A Bubble created by USA's Talia Baker is inspired by New Zealand's coral reefs and is made up of plastic and wool

Tangaroa is the guardian of the ocean. Made of steel, the art work was crafted by New Zealand's Kelsey Roderick and Rhys Richards

Pictured left is Australia's Victoria Edgar made Cascade from silver, copper, brass, pearls and glass, and on the right is Incognita made by New Zealand's Ian Bernhard

Inspired by medieval knight armour and chain-mail elements, The Knight was put together by China's Jiawen Gan

During show the Aotearoa section featured patterns projected on a near naked men, causing quite a stir in the audience with its creativity

The Renaissance Happens Again from China's Yu Tan made from nylon, knit and foam

Audiences were kept captivated by the spectacle on stage that featured elaborate sets and projections

Gold Grandeur made by New Zealand's Cassandra Thomson and Coral Ellis for the costume and film category

Chameleon by Australians Catherine O'Leary and Cheryl McHugh lived up to its name in the performance art category

New Zealand's Carolyn Gibson created Voyage To Revolution with scenes of the French Revolution printed on the skirt, including the famous painting, Liberty Leading The People by Eugene Delacriox.

Not forgetting its New Zealand heritage, WOW paid tribute to Maori and Pacific cultures with its Aotearoa section.

The two-person Tuki Tuki took in New Zealand's spectacular landscapes with Maori cloaks depicting the nation's clear and pure waters with its see-through panels and greenery.

The porous In A Bubble was inspired the coral reefs dotting the island nation, and the metallic goddess, Princess Niwareka from the Maori underworld, captured the audience's attention with its glamorous silver facade.

During show the Aotearoa section featured patterns projected on a near naked men, causing quite a stir in the audience with its creativity.

The more arguably colourful characters came from the creative excellence section which drew from surrealism, cubism and expressionism.

Queen Angel was a piece made out of latex and wood from the UK's Adam McAlavey

Minuet And Trio features three women playing musical instruments to a Minuet cat

The aptly named Darling was a stand-out in the WOW show that was made of laser-printed spandex and stuffing

Baroque Star was a play on the Virgin Mary that was made out metal, glitter, flock, china, cotton and PVA by New Zealand's Natasha English and Tatyanna Meharry

Pictured left is Stella Nova depicts a futuristic traveller by USA's David Walker and on the right is Renascence from China's Yuru Ma and Siyu Fang

USA's Christina Uebelein made Bravada Cycling (centre) from recycle and vintage bicycle parts

Goodbye Versailles Starring Madam Du Barry's Monkey

One of the most elaborate costumes came from Australia's Philippa Stichbury who created Minuet And Trio, which features three faces - representing sisters - playing the violin as a Minuet cat listens on.

Another musically themed creation came from China's Xiaoping Huang whose Instruments Played In The Street Corner was inspired by the piano accordion.

In the performance art section, artists and designers allowed their creativity to thrive with weird and colourful costumes such as Chameleon, Clown With A Saw Head, Hula-Lah and Serengeti.

American artist Robert Reed's Omgeoge! A Diamond In The Fluff. That's Tutu Much! and United Kingdom's Adam Alavey's Queen Angel made audiences want to reach and touch their art works.

In particular Queen Angel was most curious as it was made out of wood and latex, which let its lower half move independently of its body.

As always, the WOW show was a glory of beautifully crafted costumes, carefully co-ordinated dance routines to complement each theme, and a theatrical and musical triumph.
For the third time in three years a six-year-old girl is fighting for her life.

Ivy Steel, from Victoria, has battled aggressive leukaemia since she was three and was rushed to hospital last Friday as the disease once again overwhelmed her body.

Desperate for a cure, her family was dealt a 'devastating' blow when they learnt a treatment that may give Ivy a shot at survival was not available in Australia.

Desperate: Ivy Steel, six, was flown to hospital last Friday with excruciating stomach pains - a side effect of her chemotherapy treatment

Devastating: Two weeks ago Ivy was told her cancer had returned for the third time in three years. The red rings around her eyes are a side effect of chemotherapy

'This is now the third time in as many years that our precious girl has been forced to fight for her life against cancer,' mother Jenna wrote in a heartwrenching plea posted to Facebook.

'We have now been dealt a devastating blow.

'We have been told, in no uncertain terms, that the number one and best treatment option that could provide Ivy with the greatest possible chance of not only survival, but possible cure, is not currently available within Australia, at all.

'Frankly, this is an absolutely cruel, heartbreaking kick to the guts.'

Heartbreaking: Having gone through so much in her short life, the return of Ivy's cancer was cruel, her mother Jenna said

Two weeks ago Ivy's family learnt her cancer had reoccurred for the third time in as many years.

Then, last Friday, she was rushed to hospital as the 'excrutiating' side effects of chemotherapy once again took their toll.

'Ivy was flown from Hamilton on Friday morning suffering from severe abdominal pain from a condition called mucositis,' mother Jenna said.

'This unfortunately is an extremely painful side effect of chemo.

'Having witnessed this many times before, it tears my heart to pieces to see my baby go through this yet again.

'It is just so cruel. There is only so much you can inflict on a child before it breaks your soul and theirs.'

'Tears my heart to pieces': Ivy's mother said it was excruciating to watch her daughter in so much pain

'We need help': The best chance for beating Ivy's cancer was an expensive treatment in the United States

Ivy's parents now face a race against time to save the $400,000 needed to treat their daughter in the United States.

The costly CAR T-Cell treatment they are seeking is offered by the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and involves infusing Ivy with immune cells that aim to seek out and destroy the cancer.

'I know this sounds like a lot, believe me I know. But I would not be putting this out there if we had any other viable option,' Jenna said.

'And believe me, I have asked.

'We need help. As much help as we can get, from wherever we can get it.

'I know $400k is a very big call, it's a huge amount to raise in a short period of time.'

Race against time: Her parents were desperately trying to save the money needed to get their daughter treatment

The treatment was Ivy's last chance, her mother said, and without it she would die.

'I am determined to do whatever it takes, ask whoever I can to raise this money.

'I need my child. I need her to beat this b****** disease again and live. But this is her last chance. I will beg, on my knees with my broken heart open to the world for someone to please help us. I refuse to stand by and let my child die simply because of where we live, poor timing and our lack of financial resources.

'Ivy has been through so much in her short life, she has fought so hard for so long.

'Ivy deserves this chance to survive.'

To help Ivy you can visit the Ivy's Army Facebook page.
Melissa Odabash started her career as a swimwear model after being scouted by an agent at the age of 18.

In 1999, she set up her own swimwear brand, now a favourite of the Duchess of Cambridge, Gwyneth Paltrow and pop star Rihanna.

Melissa lives in London with her husband, Nicolas, a brand strategist, and their two teenage daughters.

Mother-of-two Melissa Odabash, who lives in London with her husband revealed that 15 years ago the wife of a rock star, asked her for a bespoke bikini, as she couldnt have breast reconstruction after surgery

I had my light bulb moment  about creating swimwear for women affected by breast cancer  15 years ago. I had just started designing when a client of mine, the wife of a rock star, asked me for a bespoke bikini, as she couldnt have breast reconstruction after surgery.

I came up with an idea and called my factory in Italy, but just couldnt explain it over the phone. so the swimsuit didnt work.

Then, ten years ago, my sister Jamie was diagnosed with breast cancer. She was only 40. Thankfully, she made a full recovery, but it affected her confidence and femininity.

She needed designs that were cut higher on the neck to hide her scarring. Then, two years ago, after attending a lunch for breast cancer charity Future Dreams, the women behind the charity asked me if I could get involved in some way.

Melissa said: 'Im learning all the time: not every woman has the same scarring or sensitivity. Being able to give women the confidence to go to the beach gives me a huge sense of satisfaction' (pictured in 2003)

I said yes  here, finally, was my chance to launch a range of stylish post-surgery swimwear.

I talked to my pattern cutters, sent drawings back and forth to the Italian factory and we came up with a range.

We were able to alter patterns to include sewn-in moulded cups, wide, adjustable straps and high-back bands, with the option to insert a breast form in the most supportive and natural way possible.

There are no seams as breast tissue can be sensitive after chemo and surgery.

Im learning all the time: not every woman has the same scarring or sensitivity. Being able to give women the confidence to go to the beach gives me a huge sense of satisfaction

Luxury fashion site Net-a-Porter took the whole collection  and it sold out within six weeks.

Breast cancer survivor and former British Olympic gymnast Jacquie Beltrao, 51, modelled the designs.

Im learning all the time: not every woman has the same scarring or sensitivity. Being able to give women the confidence to go to the beach gives me a huge sense of satisfaction.
They help define who you are.

But on the occasion you want to cover your freckles, one talented make up artist has the answer.

Maria Mari, a make up artist from Brazil, has a face full of freckles, but with the right products, is able to completely conceal them to transform her look.

Scroll down for video

Transformation: Brazilian make up artist Maria Mari is able to completely cover her freckles using make up

Flawless: She achieved the look by using a combination of foundation and bronzer, and sometimes uses concealer for extra coverage

Miss Mari, who has 1.3 million Instagram followers, regularly shared before-and-after photos of her face with and without make up.

The end result is a face completely free of freckles.

But rather than looking caked on, the make up gives a luminous dewy finish.

Wide audience: Miss Mari has an incredible 1.3 million Instagram followers where shares her make up tricks

Tricks of the trade: She applied a thick layer of full-coverage liquid foundation before adding depth with a cream bronzer

To obtain full coverage, Miss Mari uses a combination of concealer, including orange and green concealers, a full-coverage foundation, bronzer, blush and a highlighter.

Using orange and green concealers on the face helps counteract colour on the skin.

Redness can be counteracted using a green concealer, while orange covers blue or purple undertones.

In other videos, she liberally applies full-coverage foundation and a cream bronzer to cover her freckles.

Varying coverage: While she often hides her freckles, she also posts photos where they are proudly on display

But while she is able to masterfully cover them, Miss Mari also has tutorials on how to best enhance your freckles for a natural look.

The Brazilian make up artist is not the first to cleverly conceal her freckles.

Kelsie Swygart, an aspiring make up artist from Ohio, highlighted the power of make up on her own freckle-banishing tutorial.

'I don't wear this much makeup ever,' she wrote on Instagram.

'I just did this for the sake of the challenge. Most days I don't wear any make up at all unless I'm at work and even then it's just brows, liner and mascara.'

Impressive: Kelsie Swygart, an aspiring make up artist from Ohio, applied 'full glam' cosmetics to one half of her face - the make up completely covering up her freckles

End result: She achieved the look using foundation and powder and finished with a smokey eye and defined brow

'For everyone saying "Too much" or "Too dramatic" etc. can suck eggs. Even if I did this full glam look every day, it would be nobody's concern but my own.

'I do feel beautiful with or without makeup. This challenge was so freaking fun and I will be doing it again sometime soon! Thank you everyone for your kind and supporting comments!'
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Rain on a wedding day is said to be good luck.

But immersing yourself completely underwater after saying 'I do'? That's something else entirely.

Wedding photographer Adam Opris has shared incredible photos of couples taking part in an underwater wedding shoot.

The photos show the bride and groom kissing on the ocean floor and surrounded by stingrays.

And it's safe to say the shoot is an experience they will never forget.

Magic moment: The photos show a bride and groom kissing on the ocean floor

Making a splash: This couple appears to have been joined by a stingray and a turtle

You may now kiss the bride: In the magical photographs the bride's dress can be seen billowing out behind her

Mr Opris, of Adam Opris Photography, is based in South Florida in the U.S.

In an interview with The Huffington Post, the talented photographer said the underwater shoots add 'a whole new dynamic of creativity and art into their memories'.

A behind-the-scenes video shows a couple going out to sea on a boat, before diving in to the water with scuba gear.

Dressed to impress: Dappled sunlight filters through the water in this mesmerising picture, with the bride joined by colourful fish

Tender moment: While underwater, the couple remove face masks to pose for the shot

Into the deep: When they are not posing for photographs, many couples use an oxygen tank to breathe through

Another world: This bride's dress is captured in stunning detail while the sea appears in inky contrast behind her

While underwater, the couple remove their face masks to post the photo.

The couple are surrounded by a crew of divers, including the photographer, who captures the incredible moment on camera.

In between shoots, the bride and groom are shown breathing through the oxygen tank.

Ethereal look: 'I used to see photos of underwater worlds in the Amazon River from divers and was always drawn to them,' the photographer said

Surrounded by bubbles: Mr Opris said it was important to get the right lighting underwater, to capture the scene perfectly

Serenity captured: 'The proper lighting is necessary to preserve skin color,' he said

'I used to see photos of underwater worlds in the Amazon River from divers and was always drawn to them,' Mr Opris told The Huffington post.

'Most people dont realise that to create amazing photos the posing is much different than on land.

'The proper lighting is necessary to preserve skin color and make sure the clients are not blue like the water.'

The look of love: Mr Opris uses a special underwater camera to capture his stunning images

Underwater flowers: This bride even took her floral wedding bouquet into the depths with her

A kiss for the bride: This groom reaches for his new bride's hand and presses it to his lips in one photograph

The photos are taken using a special underwater camera, and Mr Opris told Inside Edition he liked to see how the dynamics between couples changed under water.

'People try and help each other float or mess with each other's hair underwater and make it fun and crazy,' he said

But perhaps unsurprisingly, such an elaborate wedding day shoot doesn't come cheap. According to wedding website The Knot, prices for Mr Opris' photography range between USD$3,000 and USD$4,999.
A successful business woman who turned over almost $9 million dollars just four years after launching her company is on track to make up to $20 million this year.

Nourished Life started as a blog Irene Falcone developed to vent about natural and organic beauty products in 2011.

But the Sydney mother-of-four identified a gap in the market and decided to forge ahead herself, investing a meagre $100 in products when the Australian dollar was worth five cents more than the US dollar in 2012.

Buying 100 lip balms at US$1 each and reselling them for $6 in Australia, Irene quickly realised the value to be found in selling toxin-free beauty products.

Sydney mother-of-four Irene Falcone is the woman behind the 'Nourished Life' company

The hugely successful store sells over 3,000 health and beauty products and is on track to make up to $20 million this year

Nourished Life started as a blog Ms Falcone developed to vent about natural and organic beauty products in 2009, but quickly snowballed into an empire

'It all started when I wanted to share my journey and started a blog. I had no idea how many people would be interested,' Ms Falcone told Daily Mail Australia.

'I said to my husband "If I get 100 people following me on Facebook I will be really happy".'

Selling her car and house to get out of her mortgage, Ms Falcone had just $20,000 leftover in her bank account - enough to last a year's worth of rent.

'I am an information platform with my blog, not a shop': Ms Falcone relies on social media and her blog to connect with customers

Splurging a further $100 on a website domain name, she immediately connected with customers using a WordPress blog and Facebook page - both of which are free.

Four years later and the savvy entrepreneur is the driving force behind a hugely successful business that churns out more than a million in sales each month while empowering women to choose natural beauty products without any of the nasty ingredients.

'I am an information platform with my blog, not a shop,' she explained.

'My business is really based on sustainability and making sure Australian women have access to beautiful products while reducing their carbon footprint.'

Her company has shown phenomenal growth, with Ms Falcone boosting her turnover from $1.9million to $8.9million in 12 months.

She said the key to her success was creating a platform where consumers could do their own research instead of feeling like they are having a product pushed on them.

'We are not in the age where people want to be sold to,' she said.

'People want to do their research so you simply need to be able to provide them with the information through blogging, social media or beautiful pictures and they will connect.'

Ms Falcone's breakthrough came when she bought 100 lip balms at roughly US$1 each and reselling them for $10 in Australia

Now her store stocks more than 3,000 toxin-free, eco-friendly products

Ms Falcone won the entrepreneur award at the 2016 Telstra NSW Business Women's Awards

Ms Falcone - who won Telstra's entrepreneur of the year award in October - says her focus for the moment is to target the 69 per cent of Australian women who have no idea what chemicals they are applying to their body every day.

'A lot of people say I should focus on the international market but that is not what this is about for me. I feel very passionately about helping Australian women.'

'Everyone that works here are mums - they work school hours, they live locally ... my customers are Australian mums.'

'I dont believe I need to sell to the Chinese market to have a successful business.'

She encourages others to chase their dreams and work hard to make them a reality.

'I have absolutely no formal education, I come from a really poor family, Ive never had money and I couldnt afford to go to uni but I started this business with 100 dollars and if I can do it, anyone can.'
He may have his own special title when he's spending time in Scotland - the Earl of Strathearn.

But Prince William, 34, didn't quite get into the spirit of things as he arrived in Stirling this morning on an official visit.

The royal visited the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders Regimental Museum where he received a traditional welcome from a kilt-clad bagpiper.

Prince William, 34, looked in great spirits as he arrived in Scotland despite rumours of strife within the royal family over the role of his cousins Eugenie and Beatrice

William was warmly welcomed by a band of eager young people who were keen to get a high five from the royal visitor

Prince William offers a high five to a delighted young boy as he meets school children outside Stirling Castle

William gives a cheerful wave to well wishers as he arrives at the museum at Stirling Castle

The royal visited the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders Regimental Museum where he received a traditional welcome from a kilt-clad bagpiper

A cheerful Prince William interacts with young well wishers outside Stirling Castle

William kept things more formal in a navy suit with a blue and green striped tie as he was greeted by project director Colonel AL Miller.

But he showed off his more relaxed side as he exchanged high fives with dozens of excited school children who had gathered outside to greet they royal visitor with Union Jack flags.

The Duke has become the patron of the Thin Red Line Appeal, to secure the future of the museum at Stirling Castle.

The project will enable the museum to be redeveloped to meet the expectation of visitors to one of Scotland's key heritage sites.

A helicopter carrying Prince William flies past the Wallace Monument after he left the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders Regimental Museum at Stirling Castle

William high fives a young royal fan on his visit to the museum at Stirling Castle

William arrives to promote his role as patron of the Thin Red Line Appeal to redevelop The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders Regimental Museum

A young fan seemed very impressed to be meeting the royal visitor and he looked up at William with wide eyes

Forget a royal handshake! Down-to-earth William was happy with a more relaxed approach as he shared high fives with local children

The Duke of Cambridge interacts with youngsters as he spends time at Stirling Castle

It will also help to educate future generations on the remarkable role played by the soldiers of one of Scotland's great Highland Regiments over the last 220 years.

On arrival, he touched the castle key being held by the Earl of Mar, the castle key keeper.

And inside, he gave a speech speaking about the fondness he shares for the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders with the Queen.

William meets children from The Queen Victoria Schools wearing traditional Scottish attire

A pupil from The Queen Victoria Schools shakes hands with the Duke of Cambridge

William shares a joke as he is introduced to retired servicemen at Stirling Castle

The Prince is introduced to members of the Army cadet force

The dad to Prince George and Princess Charlotte looked very much at ease as he mingled with younger members of the crowd

'I know my Grandmother holds a special affection for the Argyll's, having been made their Colonel in Chief in 1947, a relationship that is acknowledged and continued within The Royal Regiment of Scotland,' he said.

'I am honoured to be Patron of the Thin Red Line Appeal, to ensure that the history of one of Scotland's most iconic regiments can be preserved as part of the nation's story here in Stirling.

'The names of the Regiments dead can be found recorded on war memorials in every town and village nearby.

Retired Lieutenant Coloner Alexander Grant shows William a picture of the 1967 Aden conflict in which he is featured

William stands next to the painting, The Thin Red Line during a visit to Stirling Castle

Prince William touches the castle key being held by the Earl of Mar, the castle key keeper, as he arrives at Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders Regimental Museum at Stirling Castle

The key to Stirling Castle, which was presented to the Duke of Cambridge

William received a rousing welcome from a bagpipe player on arrival in Sterling

Father-of-two William chats to young royal fans on a visit to Stirling Castle

Youngster waved Union Jack flags to welcome the royal visitor to Scotland

The Duke of Cambridge, known as the Earl of Strathearn in Scotland, talks to project director Col AK Miller

William gave a speech honouring the sacrifice of members of the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders regiment

'They are part of the history of this great nation. We are the guardians of that memory, of their contribution and of their sacrifices.'

Brigadier Bruce Russell, the chairman of the Museum Trust, gave his gratitude to the royal for his support for 'a unique part of the British Army'.

He said: 'I am delighted that the Duke of Cambridge, the Earl of Strathearn, has given his support and encouragement to this appeal, designed to safeguard the memory of a unique part of the British Army and of the nation's proud military and cultural heritage.'

WILLIAM'S SPEECH AT THE MUSEUM AT STIRLING CASTLE 'I am very pleased to be here today in Stirling Castle, the spiritual home of the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders and the museum dedicated to safeguarding 'The Argyll's' legacy for future generations. 'The Argyll's can trace their connection to Stirling and its Castle back to 1794. Its soldiers came from the countryside and towns of west and central Scotland and, of course, Sutherland; creating a very unique and spirited character. 'The Argyll's are renowned for their bravery in battle and immortalised as The Thin Red Line for defeating the Russian Cavalry Charge at the Battle of Balaclava in Crimea. 'The names of the Regiments dead can be found recorded on war memorials in every town and village nearby. They are part of the history of this great nation. We are the guardians of that memory, of their contribution and of their sacrifices. 'I know my Grandmother holds a special affection for the Argyll's, having been made their Colonel in Chief in 1947, a relationship that is acknowledged and continued within The Royal Regiment of Scotland. I am honoured to be Patron of the Thin Red Line Appeal, to ensure that the history of one of Scotland's most iconic regiments can be preserved as part of the nation's story here in Stirling. 'A very significant commitment, in terms of both time and funding, has already been made by the Trustees and staff to bring this project to life. I would particularly like to acknowledge Historic Environment Scotland for their support  their role is key to the successful renovation of the museum. 'We have recently had the terrific news that the Heritage Lottery Fund has also agreed their support. In doing so we have an important catalyst to help raise the 4 million required to realise this vision. This is a substantial amount, but I am confident that the target is achievable. 'Some of you here represent organisations and bodies that have already given generous support; for which I thank you. With your support and that of others around you, this Appeal will gain the momentum we need to deliver a first class and, importantly, sustainable museum. 'It is apparent to me that there is a real determination to succeed and I am confident, that in 2019, we will have a new museum that does credit to this collection of national importance and will attract, inform and educate many thousands of visitors in the years ahead.' Advertisement

William's engagement comes amid rumours of strife within the royal family over the role of his cousins Beatrice and Eugenie.

The Queen has reportedly been pulled into the centre of a row between her sons over the Princesses.

Prince Andrew, 56, is said to want his daughters to carry out royal duties full-time, giving them roles similar to their cousins Prince William and Prince Harry.

He also said the princesses, who are seventh and eighth in line to the throne, should be given larger living quarters within Kensington Palace, the Sunday Express reported.

The Duke of York allegedly put the concerns in a letter to his mother, who passed on the issue to Prince Charles.
Queen Mathilde of Belgium has admitted she's expecting an 'intense and emotional' few days as she arrived in Jordan to begin a humanitarian visit.

The monarch, 43, began her trip to the Middle East by visiting Jordan's biggest refugee camp Al Zaatari in Mafraq near the Syrian border, which is home to 80,000 people.

Mathilde smiled warmly as an elderly woman attempted to kiss her hand, despite wearing an oxygen mask as she spoke to patients at the UNICEF Makani Centre.

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Queen Mathilde smiled warmly as an elderly woman attempted to kiss her hand, despite wearing an oxygen mask as she spoke to patients at the UNICEF Makani Centre

Belgium's Queen Mathilde visits Jordan's biggest refugee camp Al Zaatari in Mafraq near the Syrian border, which is home to 80,000 people

She arrived in the Middle East last night, and told a journalist on her flight that she was expecting the next seven days to be 'emotional and intense'.

The royal is a UN Special Advocate for the Sustainable Development Goals and today's visit coincided with United Nations Day.

This morning, the Belgian royal court issued a statement from the Queen, praising Jordan's humanitarian efforts.

'From Jordan where I am currently on a humanitarian mission, I wish everyone a happy United Nations (UN) Day,' she said. 'I specially thank the many UN workers for their permanent engagement.

Queen Mathilde chats to refugees who have fled conflict in Syria on a humanitarian visit to Jordan

Queen Mathilde of Belgium Queen is greeted by a patient at the UNICEF Makani Center in Mafraq

The Queen looked moved as she listened to accounts from refugees who have fled the conflict in Syria

The Belgian monarch is shown the vast refugee camp near the Syrian border which houses 80,000 displaced people

'As an advocate of the UN Sustainable Development Goals, I can see how big the humanitarian needs are in Jordan and I recognise the enormous efforts made by Jordan in order to receive refugees from the region.

'All refugee children need access to education and good healthcare. Many children who fled the war in Syria are in need of psychological care.

'This is why I am asking that a special attention be given to education and healthcare of refugees and to their mental well-being in particular.

'I praise all humanitarian workers for their daily engagement that does not go without risks. I also thank the Jordan volunteers and families who give these vulnerable persons a home.

A smiling Mathilde greets an elderly patient as she begins a seven day humanitarian visit to Jordan

Mathilde is visiting the Middle East in her capacity as a UN advocate for sustainable development

A smiling Mathilde mingles with inhabitants of the Al Zaatari refugee camp in Mafraq

The Belgian Queen, casually dressed in cream trousers and a burgundy top, surveys her surroundings

My presence on the field is a way of giving these persons a face and a voice.'

The mother-of-two is travelling without her husband King Philippe, but has been accompanied by International development minister Alexander De Croo.

She opted for an understated look with ankle skimming cream trousers and a patterned burgundy top, which matched her ballet flats, and accessorised with a straw shoulder bag.

The mother-of-two, who is travelling without her husband King Philippe, meets people who have fled the Syrian conflict

Queen Mathilde arrives at Marka airport Amman, Jordan ahead of a humanitarian mission

The royal looked smart in a blue jacket and statement beaded necklace

On arrival in Jordan yesterday, she looked smart and polished even after a six hour flight.

She stepped off the plane wearing a blue jacket and black trousers, adding a statement necklace to her ensemble.

Jordan and Belgium are seeking to boost ties between the two nations.

Mathilde's trips follows on from a visit by King Abdullah II and Queen Rania to Belgium in May this year.

She will visit humanitarian workers who are tackling the refugee crisis in the country where more than 600,000 people have fled since the outbreak of conflict in Syria.

The royal will also reunite with Queen Rania, who she spent time with during the Jordanian visit to Belgium earlier this year.
A personal development guru who reckons she has cracked the formula to a happy life, has identified 15 things you need to give up in order to be truly satisfied.

Romanian blogger Luminita Saviuc, who is known as the Purpose Fairy, outlined her list of 15 things you must stop doing to secure emotional wellbeing in a Facebook post, which was shared more than 1.3 million times.

And now she has turned her advice into a book, 15 Things You Should Give Up To Be Happy, which promises to help people let go of the things that cause pain, stress and suffering.

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Romanian blogger Luminita Saviuc, who is known as the Purpose Fairy, has listed the 15 things you need to give up in order to be happy, including blame, fear and excuses

Luminita's message is the result of her own story of overcoming the trauma of childhood physical abuse at the hands of her father, which she says she blamed herself for, believing there must be something wrong with her.

'I crafted my life based on that belief,' she explained in an emotional talk about her past.

As an adult she turned to personal development books, which helped her to accept the past and realise that she needed to let go of self-judgement, criticism and control.

1. Give up the need to always be right

Luminita advises taking the advice of self-help guru Wayne Dyer whenever you feel the overwhelming need to prove your point: 'Would you rather be right, or would you rather be kind?'

If you feel the urge to get into an argument that you know will hurt someone else, just to drive home the fact that you're correct, take a pause.

Ask yourself how much it really matters and if your ego really can't handle just letting it go.

2. Give up the need to be in control

Many of struggle with needing to be in control of every situation.

It could be something that arises in your working environment, a conflict that breaks out with a stranger on the street, or even the behaviour of a loved one .

Allowing them to just 'be' and accepting that you can't control situations or other people's behaviour will make you feel a lot calmer.

Luminita turned her viral Facebook post on a book on how to be happy

3. Give up on blame

This is all about taking personal responsibility.

Stop placing the blame on to others for your own feelings or for things that you don't have in life.

They may have hurt you or taken something away from you, but blaming them just dilutes your personal power and prevent you from taking responsibility for your own life.

4. Give up self-defeating inner thoughts

'How many people are hurting themselves because of their negative, polluted and repetitive self-defeating mindset?' Luminita said.

'Dont believe everything that your mind is telling you  especially if its negative and self-defeating. You are better than that.'

5. Give up your limiting beliefs

Stop telling yourself that you can't do certain things or that what you want out of life is impossible.

This will do nothing but keep you stuck in a rut.

The blogger and author learned from experience after suffering physical abuse at the hands of her father as a child

6. Give up complaining

This is a reminder that situations can only make you feel upset if you allow them to.

If you complain that something is making you feel sad, angry or anxious rather than looking at it positively then you will experience all of those things.

15 THINGS YOU NEED TO GIVE UP TO BE HAPPY 1. Always being right 2. Always being in control 3. Apportioning blame 4. Self-defeating thoughts 5. Limiting beliefs 6. Complaining 7. Criticising 8. Impressing other people 9. Resisting change 10. Labelling people 11. Fear 12. Making excuses 13. The past 14. Attachment 15. Living up to others' expectations Advertisement

7. Give up criticising

Resist the temptation to criticise situations or people who are different to you.

Realise that everyone is the same in terms of their need to be loved and their desire to be understood and that we all have dreams.

8. Give up trying to impress people

There's no point trying to be something you're not in order to make other people like you.

Accepting yourself and revealing the real you will mean people are naturally drawn to you without any effort.

9. Give up resisting change

Stop seeing change as a negative and realise it's something that will actually help you see improvements in your life.

10. Give up labels

If you see things, people or events that you don't understand as 'weird and different' then you will never be able to grow and learn.

Stop labeling those things, people or events that you dont understand as being weird or different and try opening your mind, little by little. Minds only work when open.

11. Give up your fears

You'll be surprised how freeing it is if you decided to stop being afraid of a situation or person that fills you with dread.

Fear is created in the mind and doesn't exist outside of it, so you can choose not to fuel it.

Dont believe everything that your mind is telling you  especially if its negative and self-defeating. You are better than that.

12. Give up excuses

For the most part, excuses do nothing but stop us from growing.

Instead of improving and moving forward, they keep us stuck and lying to ourselves when a lot of the time they aren't event real.

13. Give up the past

Living in the past will do nothing but prevent you enjoying the present moment.

And while it's good to have a clear vision for what you want in the future, your priority should always be living in the here and now.

14. Give up attachment

Luminita admits that this is something she found hard and still struggles with.

'The moment you detach yourself from all things, you become so peaceful, so tolerant, so kind, and so serene,' she said. 'You will get to a place where you will be able to understand all things without even trying. A state beyond words.'

15. Give up living your life according to others' expectations

Too many people live their lives according to what other people think is best for them and ignore their own needs and ambitions.

This can only lead to losing control and forgetting about what makes you truly happy.
As one of the world's most stylish royals, Queen Letizia never puts a sartorial foot wrong - and Monday was no exception.

The Spanish royal was dressed for success as she arrived at the World Health Organization headquarters in Geneva.

The 44-year-old looked polished and pretty in a plum hued blazer and figure-hugging pencil skirt.

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Queen Letizia (C), flanked by Maria Neira (L) WHO Director for Public Health, Environmental and Social Determinants, and Anne Marie Worning (R) acting Assistant Director-General for Family, Women's and Children's Health of WHO, arrive for the congress 'Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative' at the headquarters of the World Health Organization (WHO) in Geneva

She teamed the bold look with a chic cream ruffled blouse and matching heels. The glossy royal toted a matching clutch bag and added some sparkle to her look with colourful crystal chandelier earrings.

The mother-of-two was attending a Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative at the headquarters of the World Health Organization (WHO) in Geneva, Switzerland.

The Queen arrived flanked by Maria Neira, WHO Director for Public Health, Environmental and Social Determinants, and Anne Marie Worning, acting Assistant Director-General for Family, Women's and Children's Health of WHO.

The Spanish royal was dressed for success as she arrived at the World Health Organization headquarters in Geneva

The glossy royal toted a matching clutch bag and added some sparkle to her look with colourful crystal chandelier earrings

Queen Letizia took her seat at the headquarters of the World Health Organization (WHO) in Geneva, Switzerland, on Monday

The 44-year-old looked polished and pretty in a plum hued blazer and figure-hugging pencil skirt. She wore her brunette locks up in a chic chignon

As one of the world's hardest-working royals, Queen Letizia was in the northern Asturian region just yesterday.

It might have been a cloudy day but Queen Letizia did not let the weather dampen her style.

The Spanish royal looked radiant in a vibrant fuchsia coat as she and husband King Felipe VI greeted villagers in the northern Asturian region.

Braving the mountain mist, the couple met with artisans in Los Oscos, a rural area with a population of just 1,300.

Splash of colour: Queen Letizia was greeted by dozens of well-wishers in Los Oscos, Spain

Personal touch: The Spanish royal was affectionately welcomed by elderly villagers, right

Relaxed: Letizia and husband King Felipe VI were happy to spend time chatting to locals

Dozens of well-wishers lined the streets of one village as they waited to welcome their king and queen.

Letizia, 44, opted for a tried and true combination of grey straight-leg trousers with a simple black top, finishing the look with a pair of black boots.

The mother-of-two wore her hair in soft waves, pulling back the front section in a feminine half up-do.

The queen added a splash of colour to the ensemble with her bold felt coat, believed to be by Spanish designer Marcos Luengo.

King Felipe VI, 48, looked smart in black trousers and white shirt, paired with a green jacket.

The couple were in the area to name Los Oscos as winner of the best Asturian village on behalf of the Princess of Asturias Foundation, named in honour of their 11-year-old daughter, Leonor Princess of Asturias, who is heir to the throne.

The king and queen met dozens of well-wishers, including a number of elderly villagers who greeted Letizia with a kiss on the hand.

They also met with a blacksmith and seamstresses, taking time to hear about the local craftsmanship.
Many times in PNG I have personally experienced the calmness and acceptance of old people faced with death. Let me give you some brief case studies.

This is in contrast with my experience from Irish culture, where death seems to be faced with great fear and apprehension.

When If I ask myself what I have learned, one of the first things that comes to mind is that older people face death in a peaceful and accepting manner and without fear.

MANY expatriates who have lived in Papua New Guinea will acknowledge that, while they themselves may have contributed much to the country, they also learned much from the people in their time there.

Ongka of Kawelka

Onkga the son of Kaepa from Bagl near Kotna, was a bigman of the Kawelka tribe. He was an important figure and his life story was transcribed by the eminent anthropologist Andrew Strathern. Onkga, who is pictured between me and Michael Pagl above, had also featured in a documentary film entitled Ongkas Big Moka.

He later moved to Kuk in the Baisu area, the well-known site where evidence was found that people had been agriculturalists from about 9,000 years ago.

I got to know Ongka in 1999 when I was based in the Mt Hagen town parish which also took care of Kuk and Baisu. I often visited the area where he lived and he was always friendly and keen for a chat.

Ongka was now old and not in good health and determined to settle his affairs before he died. He asked his family to send out word to his former friends and business partners that he would be dying soon and he wanted to settle any debts.

If anything was owed, the people should claim it before he died. His son Simon Keni later told me that one man did come and claimed that Ongka owed him a pig. Ongka duly acknowledged the claim and gave the man a pig.

Having settled his debts, Ongka passed away peacefully, content that he did not owe anybody anything. The mourning (hauskrai) was at the old government station at Kuk.

Nugints of Mokei Pangump

In 1975, Nugints was old. When he was baptised in 1965 and took the baptismal name Paulus it was estimated that he was about 75. Ten years later he grew weak and his clan realised he would not live much longer.

In earlier days, the dead were not buried in coffins. Sometimes the body was wrapped in the bark of a tree and buried. Then, with the advent of outsiders, there came the custom of burying people in wooden coffins.

Sometimes the coffin would be home-made, often a rough wooden box made from discarded planks, pieces of old crates or plywood.

I have officiated at funerals where the timber on the home-made coffin had been taken from old crates and still bore stenciled messages such as This Side Up, Use No Hooks or Fragile.

Nugints was well respected and his clan decided to buy him a decent coffin, a proper well-made coffin. They decided on this before he died.

In fact they purchased the coffin before he died because they wanted him to see that they respected him and cared for him. If they waited until after he died, then Nugints would not know how much they esteemed him.

When I was told Nugints was dying, I went to his house at Palimrui adjacent to Mt Hagen town. As I entered the house, I was surprised to discover that he was already lying in the coffin. He was wearing a new white tee-shirt and a white trousers and was smiling at me and looking very pleased with himself.

He did not say much but he was fully conscious. He joined in the prayers and appeared happy. Anyway I anointed him in the coffin and gave him communion. He seemed to be happy lying in the coffin and I could imagine him saying, Well I might as well get used to it!

Paulus Nugints died a few days later. He was buried in the coffin that he had slept in.

Nani of Mokei Kiminka Penambimp

Nani (pictured at right) the son of Nami was a bigman of the Mokei Kiminka Penambimp tribe. He was now a gentle old man but in his younger days had been a well-known warrior. His clan had been involved in a major war against the Kemi-Kukilika Pair tribe.

In old age, in 1973, he was baptised, taking the name Joseph. Nani lived at Biabrui near Mt Hagen and had several wives. When I met him as parish priest in Rebiamul, he was no longer able to move around much, so I would visit him regularly.

In 1983 in the middle of the coffee season, Nani, realising he was getting weaker, peacefully told his people he would soon die.

His sons, of whom there were many, were concerned.

If you die now we will have a long mourning period and we will not be able to pick the coffee and we will lose the harvest, they told him. You cannot die now, later on is OK.

His people were not really concerned about the coffee, they wanted to hold on to Nani for a bit longer.

Nani postponed dying until after the coffee was harvested towards the end of 1983. There was a large funeral.

Mit of Mokei Koibuga-Kelingamp

In 2013 Philip Pilip Kobun was 80 years old. He was born in 1933, the year Jim Taylor and the Leahy brothers first entered the Mt Hagen area, and was baptised on Christmas night, 1945. He was given the name Philip probably because he already had the local name Pilip, a Melpa word for a type of sugar-cane.

Pilips father was Kobun of the Mokei Nampakae clan. They lived at Gumats next to Rebiamul where I was based. Pilips mother, Mit, was from the Mokei Koibuga-Kelingamp clan. She was baptised together with a large group of catechumens in 1962 and given the name Rosa.

While at Rebiamul I used to help out at the parish church. I had known Pilip from 1973 and some years ago I had helped him with some problems. Now, in 2013, he was 80 years old and seemed healthy enough.

I had not seen Pilip for some weeks when I got a request to visit the sick at his house in Gumats right at the back of Rebiamul.

When I got to the house I saw Pilip standing outside his house looking hale and hearty. I said to him Mi tink yu sik na u singautim mi, tasol mi no tink yu luk sik (I thought you were ill and you called me, but you do not look ill).

He said to me, Ino mi sik, em Mama bilong mi sik (Its not me who is sick, it is my mother). (In Pidgin one can refer to an aunt or related older woman also as Mama but this was the mama tru of Pilip, his birth mother.

One of his clan came out of the house carrying Pilips mother Rosa Mit in his arms. She was small and frail. She did not talk but gave a nice smile and looked very much at peace. We said prayers and I gave her communion and anointed her.

Pilip himself was certainly 80 years old and his mother was probably 100 or even older. shortly afterwards. She died later that year, 2013, and there was a report about this grand woman in the Post-Courier newspaper.

All of these people accepted death peacefully. There appeared to be no great fear of death. Some of the men had been involved in tribal fighting in their youth and may even have killed people. But they were ready to face the end and were not afraid.

These four people were among the many I have known in the Mt Hagen area to die peacefully and without fear. They taught me a lesson.

Yossarian, a character in the famed novel, Catch 22, said he was going to live for ever or die in the attempt!

I am not saying we should not try and live healthy lives for as long as we can, but am saying that, when the time comes, we can face death peacefully and without fear.

Maybe if I had lived long enough in Ireland I would have learned the same lesson from old people there, but in fact it was a lesson I learnt from the old people of Papua New Guinea.

When the time comes may we all have the courage and the peace that these old people showed.
Lauren Bush Lauren's son James is already proving himself to be the perfect little ambassador for his grandfather Ralph Lauren's fashion line, after modeling a head-to-to ensemble from the brand during a fun-filled fall day out with his mother.

32-year-old FEED founder Lauren took to Instagram on Sunday to share a sweet snap photo of 11-month-old James sitting on the ground, surrounded by fallen leaves, while gazing up at the camera.

'Fall wonder,' Lauren captioned the image, which sees her son dressed in a red plaid Ralph Lauren outfit, complete with a navy coat and a pair of white sneakers from the brand.

Model in the making? Lauren Bush Lauren shared this sweet snap of her 11-month-old son James dressed in a cute Ralph Lauren ensemble over the weekend

What a difference! James regularly features on his mother's Instagram story; last month she posted a picture of him crying (right) while they took their first 'solo flight' together

They grow up so fast! The tot has certainly grown a lot over the past few months and looks a lot bigger than he did back in September when the family took a Labor Day trip together

James, whose father David is the youngest son of designer Ralph, looked incredibly festive in a red and black flannel ensemble that was paired with white Velcro Polo sneakers.

The little boy is getting bigger by the day, and in the sweet photo he is looking up at the sky with his big blue eyes.

Many commenters noted that James' chubby cheeks are absolutely adorable, and while one person said he looks just like his dad, another thinks he resembles Lauren.

James will be celebrating his first birthday on November 21, and over the past 11 months, Lauren and David have shared numerous photos of their growing boy.

Lauren has also been actively posting images of her son on her Instagram story in recent weeks, even documenting her first 'solo flight' with the tot at the end of September.

The ultimate spokesmodel! James has also served as the perfect model for his mother's charitable FEED merchandise

Parents' night out: Last week Lauren and James joined a host of celebrities at the God's Love We Deliver Golden Heart Awards in New York

Busy lady: Lauren also took a trip to Los Angeles at the start of October to host a FEED lunch

In a hilarious picture posted to the social media app, Lauren could be seen holding onto a very upset baby James while sitting on the plane, with her caption explaining: 'First solo flight with baby James...

'So many thanks to the nice people at American, at DFW, and the patient people on my flight!'

Last month the family enjoyed a fun-filled trip to Colorado for Labor Day weekend, and David and Lauren celebrated FEED's fifth annual Run 10 Feed 10 race.

'So proud of our fifth annual #run10feed10 and 5 Million meals provided and counting!' Lauren captioned a photo of her and David with her mom, Sharon Bush.

In the photo the threesome are happily posing for the camera while modeling their FEED racing gear.

Over the past few weeks, Lauren has hosted numerous FEED events, and despite her Republican ties, the niece of former President George W. Bush also revealed that she is supporting Hillary Clinton in the upcoming election.
It was once the case that mums-to-be would hide their bumps under baggy clothes, wearing nothing more fashion-forward than a floaty floral dress.

But thanks to celebrities such as Kim Kardashian, Blake Lively and Chrissy Teigen who carried on rocking the tightest of dresses and the highest of heels during their pregnancies, a new trend for 'bump swag' has emerged.

Nothing is out of bounds from hot pants to crop tops to body con dresses, and proud mothers-to-be have been sharing their maternity fashion on Instagram with the hashtags #bumpswag and #pregnancyswag.

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Melbourne blogger Rozalia_russian is one of the mums-to-be embracing the 'pregnancy swag' trend, showing off their bumps in fitted dresses, crop tops and swimwear

Pregnancy swag means flaunting your bump in body con dresses, not being afraid to wear hot pants (right) and never ditching your heels

According to fashion expert and stylist Naomi Isted the look is definitely a direct result of seeing famous mums-to-be stay on-trend during pregnancy.

'Maternity swag has definitely come about from the influence of the super glam maternity mummies and polished celebs, namely Kim Kardashian,' she told FEMAIL.

'At times she wore some looks that were completely unflattering and incredibly uncomfortable - remember those perspex heels - to try and remain stylish.

'But I think getting the balance right is key. To be honest a lot of maternity wear is really unflattering.

Rozalia Russian in a pink fitted dress with over the knee suede boots - a look that could be a hybrid of Kim Kardashian and Chrissy Teigen's maternity style

Canadian blogger ShareeseReilly wears a Chrissy Teigen-style duster coat over a fitted dress (left) while another mum-to-be shows off her shape in a daring crochet dress (right)

Thigh high splits are no problem when you're pregnant as women move away from frumpy floral frocks in favour of something more stylish

Shareese Reilly and Sasha Smith show off their growing bumps in swimwear

'So the key is to work with your regular style, try and stay glam but trying too hard just looks too much.'

Naomi's styling tips include rocking leather leggings and high heels as long as you feel comfortable.

'Leather leggings are great as they can glam up any look and obviously your cleavage will be blossoming during pregnancy so embrace it,' she said.

Russian blogger Sasha Smith is not shy about showing off her blossoming tummy in a crop top

Whether you're going out for the night or working out, stylist Naomi Isted says there's no need to resort to shapeless clothes during pregnancy

A glam mum-to-be shows off her pregnancy figure in a daring cut out dress

'Just because you're pregnant doesn't mean you have to wear flats all the time.

'I was incredibly disappointed at the lack of cool maternity clothes and love what these glam mummies are doing, but to a point.

'So stretchy materials that emphasise your bump and cleavage are fab. When you want to add a touch of glam add heels.

'Wear trendy logo tshirts with leather leggings and high top trainers for day and glam those legging up for night with heels and a lower cut lace top rather than boring floaty florals.

Stylist and fashion expert Naomi Isted advises expectant mothers that there's no need to deviate too much from their normal style during pregnancy and to embrace their blossoming figures

'Go for monochrome as thats always stylish and lovely fabrics like lace, leather effect and silk.'

Rozalia_russian a Melbourne blogger and 'social ambassador', has her maternity swag perfected, showing off her bump in fitted dresses teamed with over the knee boots.

And like other style conscious mums-to-be, she's not afraid to show off her blossoming figure in a bikini.

Chrissy Teigen was all about the duster coats, body con dresses and skyscraper heels during her pregnancy

The wife of John Legend was not shy about showing off her figure in hot pants while pregnant with their daughter Luna

Kim Kardashian attends the LACMA Art and Film Gala in November 2015 while pregnant with her son Saint

Blake Lively struts out of the Greenwich Hotel in New York wearing Louboutin heels during her second pregnancy

While some would be anxious to avoid swimwear at any time, never mind while heavily pregnant, the mother-of-one posed in a black cutout swimsuit with a sheer lace dress over it as a cover up.

And her fellow glamorous mother-to-be, Russian blogger Sasha Smith has also been flaunting her bump in a glamorous leopard print bikini.

Canadian blogger Shareese Reilly also showed off her pregnancy shape in a mauve bikini with a matching fabric choker.
A growing group of women may be boycotting her eponymous label, but Ivanka Trump had no problems showing off her latest designs during a family outing on Monday morning.

The 34-year-old and her husband Jared Kushner, 35, were flanked by Secret Security agents as they were photographed taking their children Arabella, five, Joseph, three, and Theodore, seven-months, on a morning stroll in New York City.

The mother-of-three kept warm in a $380 maroon wrap coat, but left her legs bare to show off her $140 matching lace-up maroon heels, both of which are pieces from the Ivanka Trump Collection.

Family stroll: Ivanka Trump and her husband Jared Kushner were photographed walking with their three children on Monday morning

Like twins! Ivanka, 34, wore a maroon coat and matching heels from her eponymous collection while her daughter Arabella, five, wore a maroon bow and tights

Arabella, who was presumably being walked to school, was her mother's mini-me in a maroon bow and matching tights.

At one point the kindergarten student helped her mom push Theodore's stroller as they left their Park Avenue apartment.

Meanwhile, Joseph was the spitting image of his dad in his blue school uniform, which included a navy tie.

Jared, who was pushing Joseph in a stroller, was dressed for a casual day at the office in a light blue button-down shirt worn under a navy blue sweater and paired with khaki pants and black sneakers.

Bad news: Over the weekend it was reported that a growing group of women are boycotting the Ivanka Trump Collection over her ongoing support of her father Donald

Hitting back? The mother-of-three defiantly wore pieces from her collection on Monday during their morning school run

Ivanka wore sunglasses during the outing, and while she mustered a small smile she appeared more tense than usual as she chatted with her daughter.

Although Ivanka was praised for wearing a $158 dress from her collection to the Republican National Convention in July, her father Donald's controversial presidential bid is now reportedly hurting her business after a recent turn of events.

Some women are calling on the stores that carry the brand, including Nordstrom, Bloomingdale's and Macy's, to stop selling it because of her continuous support of her father Donald despite the allegations of sexual harassment against him.

Since the release of a 2005 audio tape capturing him bragging in lewd terms that he can do whatever he wants to women, 11 women have accused him of sexual misconduct.

All together: Arabella helped her mom with baby Theodore's stroller while Jared, 35, pushed three-year-old Joseph

Just like dad! Joseph sported a blue school uniform that looked similar to his father's business casual attire

Big sister Arabella beamed at her baby brother as they walked

'If Ivanka Trump had distanced herself from the campaign I would not be boycotting her,' Shannon Coulter, who called on Americans to boycott the brand earlier this month, told the Guardian. 'But something changed for me when that tape was released.'

Shannon, who shared her own experience of sexual harassment at the hands of a male superior, launched the hashtag 'GrabYourWallet' on October 11, a reference to Donald's offensive 'grab them by the p***y' remark from the audio tape.

In the hot mic recording obtained by the Washington Post, Billy Bush laughed along in 2005 as Donald made the offensive remarks.

The Republican presidential candidate also detailed how he tried to seduce the married Nancy O'Dell, who was Bush's co-host on Access Hollywood at the time.

Social media campaign: A growing group of women are asking popular retailers, including Nordstrom and Macy's, to stop selling the Ivanka Trump Collection

Boycott: Shannon Coulter launched the hashtag 'GrabYourWallet' on October 11, a reference to Donald's offensive 'grab them by the p***y' remark from the audio tape

Total ban: Gillian Bagwell used the hashtag when asking women to stop shopping at retailers that carry the Ivanka Trump Collection

Opinion: They argue Ivanka should have distanced herself from her dad following the release of a 2005 audio tape capturing him bragging in lewd terms about what he can do to women

A spokesperson for Ivanka supplied this statement to the DailyMail.com regarding the controversy.

'My father's comments were clearly inappropriate and offensive and I'm glad that he acknowledged this fact with an immediate apology to my family and the American people,' said Ivanka.

In addition the Chief Brand Officer for Ivanka, Abigail Klem said that sales were still strong among women.

'We are proud that our business is growing rapidly and that our brand resonates strongly with women who are inspired by our messaging and excited about the polished and chic solution-oriented products that we offer.

No worries? Despite the controversy, Ivanka was all smiles as she enjoyed a 'date night' with Jared at at Beneduce Vineyards in New Jersey on Saturday night

'This little boy can't wait until Halloween!' She also shared a snapshot of Theodore wearing a Mickey Mouse costume

'Over the past year many more women have discovered and become loyal to the brand, leading us to experience a significant year over year revenue growth.'

Despite the controversy, Ivanka didn't look like she had a care in the world as she spent the weekend with her family at their home in New Jersey.

On Saturday night she and Jared had a 'date night' at Beneduce Vineyards, and the next day she took to Instagram to share sweet photos of Joseph cuddling Theodore and an image of her youngest son in a Mickey Mouse costume.
A stunning Russian model is getting plenty of attention for her uncanny resemblance to Kendall Jenner  even though she has been booking high-fashion editorials for years.

Kate Bogucharskaia, 22, has become an online sensation thanks to her dark hair, high cheek bones, and deep set eyes, all of which happen to resemble 20-year-old reality star's striking features.

Kendall even appears to be a fan of her doppelganger, who was hired to model her and her 19-year-old sister Kylie's Kendall + Kylie designs for their Spring 2017 lookbook.

Like twins! Russian model Kate Bogucharskaia (left) has been dubbed Kendall Jenner's doppelganger (right). Kate is featured in the Spring 2017 Kendall + Kylie lookbook (left)

Uncanny resemblance: Kate (left) and Kendall (right) share dark hair, high cheek bones, prominent brows, and deep set eyes

With her middle-parted waves and smoldering stare, Kate is the spitting image of Kendall in the photos, which debuted in September.

At first glance, the Pestravka-born beauty looks just like Kendall, and they share more than just facial features.

At 5'11'', Kate is only a half an inch taller than Kendall, and both have equally similar measurements and shoes sizes.

Body double: At 5'11'', Kate, 22, is only a half an inch taller than Kendall, 20, and both have equally similar measurements and shoes sizes

Interesting: And though it is Kendall who is the household name, Kate was actually the first to start scoring high-fashion editorials and shows

The only major difference between the two is that Kendall's chocolate brown eyes are slightly darker than Kate's hazel peepers.

The two are also represented by different agencies. Kendall joins model Adriana Lima at The Society Management, while Kate is with Alexa Chung's agency, Next.

And though it is Kendall who is the household name, Kate was actually the first to start scoring high-fashion editorials and shows.

To close to call: With her middle-parted waves and smoldering stare, Kate is the spitting image of Kendall

Wide-eyed ladies: The only major difference between the two is that Kendall's chocolate brown eyes (right) are slightly darker than Kate's hazel peepers (left)

Kate walked semi-exclusively for Chloe and Louis Vuitton's Spring 2013 shows, while Kendall's big break as a model didn't come until she was cast in Marc Jacobs' Fall 2014 show a few seasons later.

But, ironically enough, it is Kate's resemblance to Kendall that has turned her into on overnight internet sensation.

While she has an impressive 67.9 thousand Instagram followers, those numbers are nothing compared to Kendall's massive following of 67.6 million.

Seasoned veteran: Kate's resemblance to Kendall has turned her into an overnight internet sensation, but she started walking the catwalk back in 2013

Big break: Kendall made her runway debut at Marc Jacobs' Fall 2014 show during New York Fashion Week

Meanwhile, some of Kate's fans think she resembles another famous model  20-year-old Bella Hadid.

'Shes a combo of Kendall Jenner and Bella Hadid,' a fan commented on one of Kate's recent Instagram photos.

'She looks like Bella Hadid not Kendall Jenner,' someone else added.
Tatjana Piplica (pictured), 40, lives in Kennington, South London, with her partner Mark and daughter Lily (pictured)

Would you pay 3,600 for a pink mink shrug  for a ten-year-old girl? Or 13,200 for a chinchilla coat, to be worn over a frothy confection of a party dress costing nearly 3,000?

Welcome to the world of super-luxe childrenswear and the mothers who are wealthy enough  some would say mad enough  to buy it.

One of their shrines is the fourth floor of Harrods. The store recently launched a 'superbrands' area, to give tiny trend-setters a shopping experience like their mothers enjoy.

The very idea would be dismissed by many as not only vulgar but also obscenely wasteful. But for a growing number of parents, devoted to lavishing every luxury on their little darlings, outfitting them in designer gear at this exclusive Knightsbridge enclave is the ultimate status symbol.

The decor on the shop floor is a tasteful blend of muted greys. A few choice items  mostly scaled-down versions of adult must-haves  are elegantly displayed.

There are tiny Lady Dior Nano handbags, in pink or tangerine patent calfskin, for a breath-taking 1,500. (What, one wonders, does a three-year-old keep in her handbag?) A Dolce and Gabbana tulip-print dress is priced at 775, while a teddy bear hat in real fur is 1,110.

Many parents would recoil in horror at the ludicrous prices and the blatant attempt to turn children into voracious consumers. After all, shouldn't they be playing outside, making a mess  and dirtying their mercifully inexpensive clothing in the process?

And yet, for some mothers, a designer wardrobe is more important for their offspring than it is even for them.

Tatjana Piplica, 40, lives in Kennington, South London, with her partner Mark, who owns a tailoring company. Their four-year-old daughter, Lily, started school in September.

Hanging in Lily's wardrobe are 120 dresses from French label Zadig & Voltaire, cashmere cardigans from Brora for 150 each and even 20 underwear from Petit Bateau. But buying Lily's school uniform proved more challenging. Tatjana found shopping in Marks & Spencer and John Lewis traumatic.

Tatjana, who works at a salon in Bond Street, says: 'Designer brands just don't do school-approved clothing. I know uniforms have to be hard-wearing and affordable, which is why they are mostly made of polyester, but I feel like I'm in some sort of mourning. It's been a bit of a shock.'

The start of term only made things worse. 'When Lily gets home, she either wants to keep her uniform on or run around in her underwear, so she has all these beautiful autumn clothes that she's never worn.'

Lucinda Sargeant (left) gives her 13-month-old Phoebe a wardrobe fit for a princess while Jade Buck (right) lives in Chelsea with her partner and their four-year-old son Jabin

Of course, at Lily's age, anything left languishing in her wardrobe will quickly be outgrown. It is something Tatjana has had to get used to, since she has dressed her daughter almost entirely in designer clothes since infancy.

'She had a beautiful dress from Baby Graziella that cost 200, but the first time she wore it, aged three months, she was sick all over it. I decided to keep it for best, but before I knew it she had outgrown it.

'The most I've ever spent on a single item is 230 for a coat from luxury brand Caramel. In fact, I bought two in different sizes so she has one to grow into.

'My sister lives in New York, and when we visit I buy bags full of clothes for Lily. I spend hundreds of pounds at a time.

'I try not to tell Mark how much I spend, and sometimes I hide the clothes from him.'

The family are not generally such lavish spenders and Tatjana is the first to admit that her own wardrobe is far less extravagant.

'I shop in Jigsaw and Karen Millen, but I am totally hooked on having a designer wardrobe for Lily. As she outgrows her clothes, I pass them on to friends. It helps ease my guilt.'

So, what drives a normally sensible shopper to such excess? It seems that with professional couples delaying parenthood and often opting to have smaller families, they have more money to splash out on lavish treats.

Babyboomer grandparents, too, have reserves of cash that they are eager to fritter away on their darling grandchildren  often spending far more than they would have on their own children when they were young.

Tatjana says: 'I don't enjoy buying clothes for myself, or trying them on, but I adore buying for Lily. I suppose it is like having a little doll that I can dress as a princess.'

For many women, navigating the rails at their local department store is a trying experience. Buying designer clothes, made to fit impossibly skinny models, can be even more depressing.

And so, busy mothers with a taste for luxury and a secret hankering for designer gear may find an outlet in dressing up their daughters as exquisite mini-mes, complete with miniature versions of all the fancy labels and accessories that they crave.

Expensive clothes for children are a fairly modern phenomenon. The first luxury designer to get into childrenswear was Paris couture house Dior, back in 1967. Ralph Lauren followed a decade later.

Now, doting mums and dads can dress their daughters in Fendi, Chloe, Armani Junior, Little Marc Jacobs, and many others. While some of these garments are exquisitely well-made, even billionaire brats are prone to smearing chocolate down their sequinned party frocks.

Common-sense considerations haven't deterred 30-year-old Lucinda Sargeant, however, from giving 13-month-old Phoebe a wardrobe fit for a princess.

Lucinda, who lives in Surrey with her husband Leon, 32, who owns a heating company, is an habitue of the Harrods children's department. It was there that she bought Phoebe her first pair of shoes  Tod's trainers costing 140  when she was four months old.

'She didn't even get to walk in them before she'd grown out of them,' admits Lucinda. 'But they looked very cute.'

Other purchases include silver Sophia Webster shoes at 95. Then there was the pale grey velvet Gucci dress with a satin collar that cost more than 300: Phoebe wore it for a couple of hours on Christmas morning before her mum put her into a comfy Babygro. 'She's never worn it since,' says Lucinda. 'Even I am quite ashamed about that particular purchase.

Harrods (pictured) has recently launched a 'superbrands' area, to give tiny trend-setters a shopping experience like their mothers enjoy

'The trouble is, I just can't help myself. I will happily spend hours on the internet looking for new clothes for her.

'My friends laugh at me, but I just don't like her wearing things from Next and M&S. I like her to look a bit more glamorous, which I'm aware sounds silly.

'When she was born, a lot of friends very kindly bought clothes for her, but anything that was High Street and not to my taste, I sold on eBay.'

So what is driving women to spend more on their daughters' clothes than on their own?

Lucinda believes she inherited her shopping habit from her mother.

'Mum tries to lecture me  but she was a lot worse when my sisters and I were little. She used to fly to Le Touquet and Marbella purely to buy dresses for us,' she says.

It's an explanation that rings true to Sarah Pennells, a financial expert who runs the Savvy Woman website. 'There is some evidence that your financial mindset is fixed early on,' she says. 'Adult habits with money can be set by age seven. If children see parents wasting vast amounts on designer clothes, that is a lesson they are likely to absorb.'

Spending on childrenswear is forecast by researchers at Verdict to hit 5.3billion this year. 'The premium luxury segment of the kidswear market is one of the fastest-growing,' says Honor Strachan, a retail fashion analyst at Verdict. 'Retailers are chasing parents who love designer labels. Online shopping sites such as Alexand-alexa.com, which is a mini version of Net-a-Porter or MyTheresa, are extremely popular.'

She admits: 'It is a bit mad.'

So, is it wise to fritter away such tremendous sums on a small child who can hardly appreciate the gift?

'It's up to mums to spend their cash on whatever they want, but this kind of extravagance on kids does feel uncomfortable to me,' says Sarah Pennells.

'Mothers  even wealthy mothers  should be aware that this is not the best use of resources. Think about what you could do with the money that would bring much more long-lasting benefits for your child, such as a deposit on a flat, university fees or even a downpayment on a pension. Such investments will be paying dividends long after a pretty dress has been outgrown or discarded.'

Of course, the heady world of fashion is often far from rational. And for many women, dressing up their daughters is an outlet for their own fantasies. Lucinda Sargeant says: 'Leon tells me off for dressing Phoebe in 'over-the-top tutus'. I tell him that this is my hobby. It really is. Every day I sit in her bedroom to put together an outfit for her.

'He's got expensive hobbies of his own  he's just got his pilot's licence. And I've sacrificed how much I spend on myself so I can spend more on Phoebe,' she says.

'She has an enviable collection of cashmere, including three jumpers which cost from 70 to 120. I got some in Bonpoint at a designer outlet. I read that Victoria Beckham buys Bonpoint for Harper, so that's what drew my attention to it.' She is not alone in taking inspiration from celebrity children. Five-year-old Harper attracts hundreds of comments on her style whenever she appears in her parents' social media posts.

Celebrity culture and the proliferation of images on the internet have turned the offspring of famous people into style icons in their own right  and made parents aspire to heights of chic for their children that were unthinkable in their own youth.

Prince George and Princess Charlotte prompt a buying frenzy every time they appear in new outfits. And Tamara Ecclestone's two-year-old daughter Sophia was recently pictured in a pink Tom Ford leather biker jacket costing 4,000.

Most of these mini fashion slaves are girls, but Honor Strachan says the boys are catching up. 'Menswear has been growing fast, and that is filtering down to boys,' she says.

That is certainly true for Jade Buck, 30, who is studying for an MA and lives in Chelsea with her partner, a property developer, and their four-year-old son Jabin.

'Like most mums, I have Jabin's first pair of shoes as a keepsake,' she says. 'They are Louis Vuitton and cost 300. In fact, he has two pairs, bought for him by his Daddy.

'Jabin's style is very much refined English gentleman. I enjoy dressing him like Prince George sometimes. He has a lovely white Gucci shirt that I pair with silk shorts and matching shoes.

'My penchant for luxury clothes is pretty well known, so I was horrified after Jabin's first birthday party to see that someone well-meaning had bought him a T-shirt and trousers from Sainsbury's Tu brand!'

While most four-year-olds might get dragged on their family's weekly expedition to the supermarket, Jabin goes to Harrods with his parents every Sunday. Purchases include two 200 Aquascutum coats, a 350 Fendi blazer and a 500 Burberry mac that is a miniature copy of his mother's.

Jade has now turned to a website, Childsplay Clothing, that offers an on-demand styling team. 'I call them and within minutes their team of stylists has chosen an outfit and arranged for it to be delivered.'

Jade reckons she spends up to 10,000 a year on her son's clothes, but says she knows other mums who spend ten times as much.

Frustratingly, however, Jabin is beginning to have his own views on style and sometimes demands to wear trainers and jeans.

'Thankfully, he does still love a cashmere jumper, but I will be horrified if he ever wants to wear a T-shirt bearing a picture of a cartoon character. I don't think I could allow such a thing in the house.'
A former RAF sniped who was kicked out of the military after suffering a heart attack has gone on to become a strongman - despite knowing it could kill him.

Matt Coleman, 31, from Peterborough, was discharged from the RAF after his congenital heart disease revealed itself in 2014.

In a bid to distract himself from being discharged from the military, he began to visit the gym - sometimes as often as six times a week.

But a year later, he suffered his second heart attack just three days after proposing to his partner while on holiday in Bali.

Doctors gave him medication - which he will have to take for the rest of his life - to prevent a third heart attack from happening.

And now, weighing 18st 12lbs with the ability to lift double his body weight, he has become a strongman competing at events across the UK.

Matt Coleman, 31, was discharged from the RAF after suffering his first heart attack two years ago. But now, after having another, he has become a strongman - weighing 18st 12lbs with the ability to lift double his body weight - despite knowing it could kill him

Mr Coleman told MailOnline: 'I was devastated, I was going to spend my entire life in the military.

'I'm still coming to terms with it now really, it's not one of those things you just progress out of  it's still completely a part of me now.

'It's just a case of when they told me I was 28 and had a heart attack that shocked me.

'The pain never goes away  but that's where competing as a strongman comes into it. It gives me that environment to fight again.

'I want to push myself to the point where my body is as strong as it physically ever will be.'

His line of duty saw him travel to Afghanistan three times and Iraq twice  but his promising military career was stopped prematurely after he suffered his first heart attack.

His first heart attack happened in January 2014, giving the RAF no choice but to discharge him from duty for his medical impairment. He spent four days in hospital as doctors conducted an angioplasty with a camera to check for a blockage in his arteries

It happened in January 2014, giving the RAF no choice but to discharge him from duty for his medical impairment.

He - weighing 14st at the time - spent four days in hospital as doctors conducted an angioplasty with a camera to check for a blockage in his arteries.

They revealed his right anterior artery was severely blocked and could only transport 10 per cent of blood to the heart.

While they also said his left was 40 per cent blocked as a result of his congenital heart disease.

Doctors then placed an emergency stent in his heart to re-open the artery but said there was another blockage they couldn't do anything about.

They also said it could potentially lead to another heart attack  which this time could be fatal.

He spent a year being transitionally removed from the military, allowing him the time to find his 'perfect partner', Krissma Samworth, 36, who supported him throughout his tough period.

They revealed his right anterior artery was severely blocked and could only transport 10 per cent of blood to the heart. Despite an emergency operation to re-open the artery, they revealed he was likely to have another

He took up lifting weights in an attempt to stop him from thinking about his difficult departure from his beloved career.

While at the gym with his friend, someone commented on his ability to lift very heavy weights  asking him whether he thought about doing it professionally.

He regularly visited the gym, sometimes as often as six times a week, and caught 'the bug' for bulking up.

Miss Samworth organised a trip to take the couple to a week-long holiday to Bali in September 2015 for his birthday - giving Mr Coleman the perfect platform to propose.

However, just three days after he popped the question on the tropical island, he suffered a second heart attack as a result of his arterial blockage.

He spent 10 days in hospital, relying on his medical insurance to save his life.

Doctors conducted surgery to implement a further stint into his artery and removed the remaining blockage.

Just three days after he asked his partner Krissma Samworth, 36, to marry him on holiday in Bali a year later, he suffered a second heart attack as a result of his arterial blockage

He took up lifting weights in an attempt to stop him from thinking about his difficult departure from the military. He visited the gym as often as six times a week, and caught 'the bug' for bulking up. And now he competes at strongman competitions up and down the country

Following the surgery, they then allowed him to fly back to England to seek further treatment.

He is now on life-long medication to prevent a third heart attack from ever happening  as Mr Coleman hopes for a long and happy life as he and his fiance get ready to start a family.

And now, the 18st 12lbs brick wall of a man competes at strongman competitions up and down the country  showcasing his hobby.

The fact he had already been close to death twice never stopped him from achieving his dream of becoming a strongman.

And just last week, he won his first competition in his home town  beating eight other competitors from across the region to the title.

Mr Coleman told MailOnline: 'I'm one of these people that won't stop if there is an obstacle put in front of me and there isn't a way to get round it.

'You find a way around something if you want it enough. You have to keep going and don't let anything beat you, because if it does you'll just end up stagnant.'

Despite his condition, no doctor advised him against becoming a strongman.

Mr Coleman, from Peterborough, told MailOnline: 'I was devastated, I was going to spend my entire life in the military'

In fact, his sister  who is also a doctor  told him to just hurry up and chase his dream because he was so determined to do so.

WHAT IS CONGENITAL HEART DISEASE? Congenital heart disease is a general term for a range of birth defects that affect the normal workings of the heart. The term means the condition has been present from birth. It is one of the most common types of birth defect, affecting up to 9 in every 1,000 babies born in the UK. In most cases, no obvious cause of congenital heart disease is identified. Many cases are diagnosed before a baby is born during an ultrasound scan in pregnancy. However, it's not always possible to detect congenital heart defects in this way. Congenital heart disease can have a number of symptoms, including: rapid heartbeat

rapid breathing

excessive sweating

extreme tiredness and fatigue

a blue tinge to the skin (cyanosis)

tiredness and rapid breathing when a baby is feeding People with congenital heart disease often need treatment throughout their life and therefore require specialist review during childhood and adulthood. Source: NHS Choices Advertisement

However, his friends and family regularly question him about whether or not it is the right decision for his own health.

But surgeons revealed there was a very slim chance of him ever having a third heart attack because the surgery was successful and he takes his medication regularly.

They couple now own a house together and are looking ahead to starting their own family. They are due to get married in December.

Speaking about Miss Samworth's impact on his life, he added: 'I love her with all my heart  even though it's broken and she only gets part of it.

'I couldn't see my life without her, I'd have to be mad to not want to get married to her still out of fear of another heart attack.

'She is such a strong person, she took someone on who had just been kicked out of the military, had just had a heart attack and had no idea what he wanted to be outside the army.

'She moulded me into the person I am today and supported me entirely throughout it. There have been some really tough times but we've got through it together.

'I would be mad to lose that.'

As a general rule, it is better for people with a heart condition to avoid strenous activities that cause grunting or straining, the British Heart Foundation say.

This type of activity can be harmful as it causes a sudden rise in blood pressure, which puts strain on the heart.

Chest, Heart and Stroke Scotland recommend that any heart attack sufferers avoid certain activities due to the strain it puts on the heart.
Doctors should think twice before offering chemotherapy to dying cancer patients, according to senior medical experts.

The treatment is unlikely to work, may raise false hopes and can do more harm than good.

Currently thousands of cancer patients have so-called palliative chemotherapy to relieve symptoms in their final months.

The drugs can ease pain and may also extend their lives, giving them extra time to spend with loved ones.

But guidelines by the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges state that the treatment will probably only be of small benefit.

Instead, the organisation wants doctors to have proper discussions with patients about the unpleasant side effects  and the fact the treatment probably wont work.

Doctors should think twice before giving chemotherapy drugs, according to guidelines from the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges. File photo

Cancer Research UK appeared to question the advice and said palliative chemotherapy does relieve symptoms for some patients. The new guidelines published today urge staff to avoid a total of 40 apparently unnecessary procedures which also include plaster casts for broken arms and X-rays for back pain.

But they will prompt concern that the academy is trying to save the NHS money by urging doctors to avoid costly treatments.

The organisation is hugely influential and represents 24 royal colleges and other health bodies.

Professor Dame Sue Bailey, its chairman, said staff had a duty to look after resources  but insisted money wasnt its motivation.

She said too many doctors were currently offering patients treatments or tests just because they were available.

There are no figures for the numbers of cancer patients given palliative chemotherapy but the academy said it was happening frequently. The guidelines  aimed at doctors and patients  state: Chemotherapy is by its very nature toxic. Therefore the combination of failing to achieve a response and causing toxicity can do more harm than good.

Finally, the use of chemotherapy with a low chance of a meaningful response can raise false hopes.

If you have advanced cancer, the use of chemotherapy where the benefit is likely to be small and the harm may be great should be carefully considered.

Dame Sue insisted the guidelines hadnt been plucked out of the air. She added: We all have a duty to look after resources in healthcare, especially when the NHS is under so much pressure, but thats not the main motivation for this initiative.

Whats much more important is that both doctors and patients really question whether the particular treatment is really necessary.

Using chemotherapy to relieve symptoms  when we know it actually causes patients more distress  has to be considered.

Vanda Taylor, Cancer Research UKs senior cancer information nurse, said: In some cases, chemotherapy does help relieve symptoms of advanced cancer. It can have side effects, and this is why patients need to talk this over with their doctor before making a final decision. Any treatment suggested has to be carefully weighed up in terms of the likely benefit.

The guidelines also tell staff not to give children a plaster cast if they have a small fracture as they get better with a removable splint.
New drugs could be available to patients on the NHS sooner under plans to cut red tape

Patients will be offered promising treatments for cancer and dementia far more quickly under Government plans to slash red-tape.

Ministers have promised to speed up the time it takes from a drug being developed in the lab, to being offered to patients by four years.

Currently it takes an average of 12 years from a drug being created to it eventually being given to patients on the NHS.

But proposals announced today to reduce bureaucracy will see this reduced to eight years.

The Government also claims that Brexit will help speed-up this process as the UK will be able to bypass EU red tape.

Under the existing system, drugs can only be given to patients once they have been rigorously checked by EU and NHS regulators.

They have to undergo tests involving tens of thousands of patients spanning several years to prove they are effective.

Results are then scrutised by the European Medicines Agency  who decides on whether to give them a licence.

They are then assessed by NICE who considers whether they are cost-effective to be offered on the NHS.

The proposals will see a British group of scientists assessing new drugs before they have been approved by the EMA.

Health Minister Lord Prior said the report is a 'strong basis to make the right decisions about how the health system can be adapted to meet the challenges of the future'

The fast track process proposed means it could take eight years instead of 12 to get drugs from the lab to patients. File photo

Any promising treatments will be put through a fast-tracked system at NICE so they can be offered to patients far more quickly.

The Government claims the UK will be a world leader in offering new drugs  currently the process is slower than in the US and other European countries.

Health Minister Lord Prior said: We are determined to make the UK the best place in the world to develop new drugs and other products that can transform the health of patients.

The report provides us with a strong basis to make the right decisions about how the health system can be adapted to meet the challenges of the future, attract inward investment, grow the thriving life science industry and use innovation to improve patient outcomes and tackle the financial pressures on the NHS.

Sir Hugh Taylor, former permanent secretary of the Department of Health who chaired the proposals said: This ambitious plan will prepare the health system for an exciting era in medical innovation.
A 27-year-old woman discovered she had breast cancer after her boyfriend noticed a lump while he was spooning her.

Amber Arkell never examined her own breasts, so when Kieran Wilson, 31, mentioned the bump to her in October last year she consulted her GP.

Doctors conducted a series of tests on her two months later before diagnosing her with grade two breast cancer.

But after an initial operation to remove the tumour, she discovered her cancer was far more aggressive than experts previously thought.

She had to undergo six months of chemotherapy and a double mastectomy during her battle.

Now she is urging women to check their breasts regularly and to seek medical advice if they find anything unusual.

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Amber Arkell, from Auckland, New Zealand, was in bed when her boyfriend noticed found a lump on the lower right side of her breast in October last year

Miss Arkell, from Auckland, New Zealand, said: 'Breast cancer doesn't discriminate against age. It can happen to anyone.

'But really, there is no going back to normal. Once you've had cancer, you've changed.'

Experts revealed at the start of this year she was actually suffering from a triple positive cancer which was receptive to changes in her hormones.

Her cancer was also then increased from a grade two to a grade three, meaning it was more aggressive than initial thought.

Doctors told her that she would need chemotherapy as soon as possible.

Miss Arkell never examined her own breasts, so when Kieran Wilson, 31, mentioned it to her she consulted her GP. Doctors conducted a series of tests on her two months later before diagnosing her with breast cancer

But worried the treatment may make her infertile, a few days later she started IVF.

After two weeks, five mature eggs were extracted from Amber and put into storage, in case she became infertile.

But despite giving Mr Wilson the option to leave, he chose to stick around and help her through her treatment.

She underwent a procedure to insert a port into her chest so chemotherapy could be easily administered just days later.

Her treatment began in February - but just hours later she was stung by a bee and spent two more nights in hospital with an infection.

She shaved her long dark hair off and her friends and family made a cake in the shape of breasts.

For the next six months she underwent chemotherapy every three weeks, which made her very sick.

But after an initial operation to remove the tumour, she discovered her cancer was far more aggressive than doctors previously thought. She was then forced to undergo six months of chemotherapy and had a double mastectomy during her battle

Miss Arkell said: 'Breast cancer doesn't discriminate against age. It can happen to anyone' (pictured with Mr Wilson at the start of her treatment)

Wanting a slower pace of life, the couple moved to Christchurch where she had a double mastectomy and implants inserted.

Miss Arkell started a blog to document her experiences  videoing herself undergoing treatment, having her head shaved and in hospital.

It proved so successful that she managed to get 4,000 followers.

She said: 'It was so therapeutic but it served a greater purpose too  to remind women to check their breasts.'

'On a weekly basis I get messages from women of all ages saying they've just found a lump or been diagnosed.

'It is a place for all women to share their stories.

'I try and spread the message that not all diagnoses are the same and everyone deals with it differently.

Now, as part of a blog she started during her time in hospital, she is urging women to check their breasts regularly and to seek medical advice if they find anything unusual

Her treatment began in February - but just hours later she was stung by a bee and spent two more nights in hospital with an infection. She shaved her long dark hair off and her friends and family made a cake in the shape of breasts to boost her spirit

'I'm naturally quite positive but there are down days and I've done my best to highlight that  the ups and the downs.

'The blog really brings women together so we can really learn from each other.'

In an attempt to get more people to check their own breasts, she has allocated the 8th day of every month to doing so.

She added: 'Turn an eight on its side and it looks like boobs. But there is a serious message. It happened to me.

'But it could happen to you. And if I can do anything to change that, I will.'
How to get the enviable physiques of the stars.

This week: Sienna Millers legs

Strolling through New York in a summer dress recently, Sienna Miller showed off her trim legs in a pair of Robert Clergerie heels

Strolling through New York in a summer dress recently, Sienna Miller showed off her legs. So how does the 34-year-old actress keep her pins in shape?

Although not a fan of exercise classes, the mother of one says yoga and walking keep her trim.

I do yoga three times a week in London, more because Im searching for some equanimity, she has said.

Its very easy to feel exhausted by schedules and time zones.

What to try:

The Farmers Walk  which mimics farmworkers carrying loads  will result in toned calf muscles if done regularly.

Hold dumbbells or bottles of water at your sides at arms length. Stand on your toes and walk forward (or in a circle) for 60 seconds. Rest for 15 seconds.

Repeat this three to five times.
On behalf of the leaders of Wakunai, I call on the national government and the ABG to work closely together to implement the peace agreement, and the provisions of the national constitution.

It seems to forget that the Autonomous Bougainville Government (ABG), and its powers and responsibilities to make decisions for Bougainville, come from the national constitution.

THE PAPUA New Guinea national government sometimes seems to believe that it can make decisions about matters in Bougainville that the peace agreement makes clear are responsibilities of Bougainville.

Extract from a statement on behalf of the Chiefs and Councils of Elders of Wakunai, Bougainville

They particularly need to cooperate now, as we head towards the referendum [on Bougainville independence]. In setting the date for the referendum, the ABG needs to meet good governance, weapons disposal and fiscal self-reliance benchmarks.

In addition, because the peace agreement and the national constitution require the referendum to be free and fair, much needs to be done in terms of weapons disposal, good governance, and establishing basic respect for the rule of law.

The main objective of the peace agreement is to achieve restoration of total peace within Bougainville and between Bougainville and Papua New Guinea. For that to happen, the national government must do two main things.

First, it must do everything needed to give Bougainvilleans full faith in the ABG - only in that way can Bougainvilleans judge whether autonomy really meets their needs.

Second, it must fully support the agreed, constitutionally based referendum arrangements. Those arrangements were included as part of the compromises that all parties made. If what was agreed about the referendum is not honoured, progress towards restoration of peace will stop. That will be a recipe for a return to conflict.

The national government must assist the ABG and the people of Bougainville in carrying out a reconciliation process in Bougainville before the referendum is held.

The national government must avoid dealing with Bougainville issues unless it does so through the ABG, or with its agreement. There is no other way of dealing with Bougainville issues.

Bougainville is not a province, the ABG is not a provincial government. No  Bougainville is an autonomous region, and the ABG has full autonomy to decide matters given to it by the PNG constitution.

The peace agreement states why we agreed to autonomy  it was to empower Bougainvilleans to solve their own problems and realise their own goals. The ABG was the main institution established to enable Bougainvilleans to do this.

When the national government refuses to work with the ABG, or attacks the President for speaking up on behalf of Bougainville, the chances of the agreement bringing peace are undermined.

It is heartbreaking to hear statements made by certain national government leaders attacking the president of Bougainville. He was voted by more than 60,000 Bougainvilleans. As a defeated presidential candidate, I fully recognise him and support him as the true leader of Bougainville. Not only is he president, he is also a paramount chief and deserves nothing but respect.

The recent decisions made about the 17.4% Rio Tinto shareholding in BCL are an example of what happens when the national government ignores the ABG. The national government has refused to listen to the ABG, and has interfered in Bougainvilles internal affairs in ways that could cause serious problems and internal conflict. And yet the 17.4% BCL shares are almost worthless.

The whole Rio Tinto issue was badly handled by the national government. It negotiated direct with Rio Tinto without consultation with the ABG. It allowed Rio to walk away without dealing with environmental damage, the terrible problems of relocated villages, and other legacy issues.

The 17.4% Rio share issue is seen by most Bougainvilleans as evidence of a divide and rule tactic by the national government. The landowners now are left with all the legacy issues, and shares worth nothing. Yet other Bougainvilleans think those same landowners should be contributing compensation for those who died during the conflict.

Under the peace agreement, the Joint Supervisory Body (JSB) is intended to be the main body that implements the agreement. It is also supposed to deal with disputes between the two governments. So it is an important institution. It cannot be treated as just a rubber stamp for the national government.

There are now so many major issues where the ABG and the national government are in dispute. They include the calculation of the restoration and development grant and other grants, revenues from migratory fishing licences associated with Bougainville, and the Rio shares issue.

The national government must seriously engage with the ABG to resolve these and other major outstanding issues as soon as possible, and certainly well before the referendum.

Because of internal conflict in Bougainville, I ended up fighting against some of my own people in support of the national government. I worked with over 4,000 others in the Bougainville Resistance Forces. I shed the blood of some of my own people. We negotiated the peace agreement to end all of this.

If the national government fails to implement the agreement in full, it will be a betrayal of me and my more than 4,000 brothers who supported the national government during the conflict.

Now it is time for the national government to assist me, just as i assisted the national government  it must fully implement the Bougainville Peace Agreement, in partnership with the people of Bougainville.

Sam Akoitai was PNG's Minister for Bougainville Affairs from 1997-2000 and Minister for Mining from 2002-07. He was responsible for the establishment of PNG's Mineral Resources Authority, the statutory authority which regulates the mining industry and has held numerous roles in the PNG resources industry.
Do you really need the medical treatment you're being offered?

As the Mail reported yesterday, experts from 11 specialities have identified a whole range of procedures that aren't always necessary.

Here, we reveal some of the more common treatments the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges says might be pointless.

MENOPAUSE BLOOD TEST

Women over 45 often want blood tests for reassurance their menopausal-like symptoms aren't something more serious, says Dr Helen Stokes-Lampard, chair-elect of the Royal College of General Practitioners.

'But if you're over 45 and having irregular periods, hot flushes and sweats, there is no need for a blood test to confirm you're going through the menopause,' she says.

Women over 45 often want blood tests for reassurance their menopausal-like symptoms aren't something more serious

'Blood tests aren't expensive, but they waste GP and hospital appointments. In any case, they are not accurate  at least not until after you have gone through the menopause. Until then, hormone levels can vary by the day.'

PLASTER CAST FOR BROKEN TOE

Small fractures of the bone that connects to the little toe don't usually need a plaster cast as they'll heal as quickly in a removable boot.

But Professor Tony Kochhar, a consultant orthopaedic surgeon at the London Bridge Hospital, warns: 'It's too easy to lump all these fractures together.

'Fractures should be X-rayed and a specialist or surgeon must determine whether they will self-heal or potentially require surgery.'

CHEMO IF CANCER IS ADVANCED

Patients with advanced cancer are often offered chemotherapy to relieve pain and extend their lives.

New guidelines suggest this is 'unnecessary and should be minimised because it rarely works and can lead to side-effects'.

However, Vanda Taylor, a senior cancer information nurse with Cancer Research UK, says: 'In some cases, chemotherapy does help relieve symptoms of advanced cancer.

'This is why patients need to talk it over with their doctor before making a final decision.'

Patients with advanced cancer are often offered chemotherapy to relieve pain and extend their lives. New guidelines suggest this is 'unnecessary and should be minimised'

CHOLESTEROL LEVEL CHECK

It's not necessary to have cholesterol levels checked routinely if you're taking a statin at a recommended dose.

'We put people who have high cholesterol and who've had a heart attack or stroke on a high dose to achieve the maximum benefit, irrespective of the starting level of cholesterol,' says Rob Henderson, a consultant cardiologist at the Trent Cardiac Centre, Nottingham University Hospitals and honorary secretary of the British Cardiovascular Society.

X-RAY FOR BACK PAIN

People who have back pain without an obvious injury are unlikely to need X-rays, according to new recommendations.

However, the situation is more complicated than the advice makes out, says Dr Brian Hammond, chairman of the charity BackCare.

People who have back pain without an obvious injury are unlikely to need X-rays, according to new recommendations

'If you have back pain and are going to be prescribed anti-inflammatories or acupuncture or told to take exercise, then an X-ray would expose you needlessly to radiation.

'However, for chiropractors, osteopaths and physiotherapists, being able to see an X-ray of a patient's spine can help them to determine whether they can give the patient treatment such as manipulation.'

MINOR HEAD INJURY SCAN

Minor head injuries do not normally require a scan, says the new guidance.

But Dr Ron Daniels, a consultant in critical care at Heart of England NHS Foundation Trust in Birmingham, warns there are telltale signs in children or adults that demand attention at A&E.

'Even a brief loss of consciousness, vomiting and abnormal behaviour, blood or fluid from the nose or ears needs to be checked,' he says.

MISCARRIAGE DRUGS

Medicines such as aspirin, heparin or progesterone should not be used to reduce the risk of further miscarriages in women who've had unexplained or recurrent miscarriages, according to the new advice.

Some research has suggested blood thinners such as these could treat the problem where it was linked to bloods clots, but this was a small-scale study.

Medicines such as aspirin, heparin or progesterone should not be used to reduce the risk of further miscarriages in women who've had unexplained or recurrent miscarriages

And when experts looked into claims that progesterone taken early in pregnancy could reduce the risk of miscarriage, a five-year study of 800 women found the hormone therapy was not effective.

Gedis Grudzinskas, former emeritus professor of obstetrics and gynaecology at St Bartholomew's Hospital in London, believes that the new advice is common sense.

'These drugs are being used too widely for women who will gain no benefit,' he says.

STERILE WASH FOR CUTS

There's no need to use sterile saline solution to clean and wash cuts and grazes, says the Academy.

'Drinking quality' tap water is just as effective.

A far more important preventive consideration 'is to make sure patients have had tetanus jabs', says Ian Maconochie, consultant in paediatric emergency medicine at St Mary's Hospital, Paddington.

HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE PILLS

You should 'only be considered for medication to treat high blood pressure, to prevent heart disease and stroke, if you have other risk factors and blood pressure readings consistently above 140-159/90-99' is the new advice.

This is the range for blood pressure regarded as 'normal'.

You should 'only be considered for medication to treat high blood pressure if you have other risk factors and blood pressure readings consistently above 140-159/90-99

If you treat people whose blood pressure doesn't exceed these thresholds, the risk of side-effects probably outweighs the benefits, says Rob Henderson, a consultant cardiologist at the Trent Cardiac Centre, Nottingham University Hospitals.

POLYCYSTIC OVARY SCAN

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), a condition that affects how the ovaries work, shouldn't first be tested with a transvaginal ultrasound, but with blood tests to measure hormone levels.

These can accurately pinpoint those who need further tests, says Professor Grudzinskas.

DISLOCATED JOINTS OP

Some injuries  such as hip and shoulder dislocations  do not need treating under general anaesthetic, and can be treated under sedation in A&E, the advice states.

But Professor Kochhar advises: 'If doctors in A&E try to treat a serious case, they can end up making it worse, for example, by causing a joint fracture.'

Some injuries  such as hip and shoulder dislocations  do not need treating under general anaesthetic, and can be treated under sedation in A&E, the advice states

CHECK-UP FOR THE COIL

Women who have a coil (intrauterine device, IUD) don't need to have it checked regularly to see if it's in place, say the recommendations.

'Women should be taught to check they can feel the threads after their period,' says Mike Bowen a consultant gynaecologist and obstetrician at Medical Legal Chambers UK.

They will need to see their GP only if they can't feel the threads or if they experience pain.

END-OF-LIFE MEDICINE

People who are frail or have been told they have less than a year to live may not need all their medications and should try to reduce them to only those used to control symptoms, says the Academy.

Stopping any medication that has become irrelevant will only improve health, says Bill Noble, medical director of Marie Curie and Professor of Community and Palliative Care at Sheffield Hallam University.

People who are frail or have been told they have less than a year to live may not need all their medications, says the Academy

'That's why doctors attending a patient who is dying should advise them to stop any medicines that are not directly involved in controlling symptoms.

'There are a few drugs  notably statins  that only provide long-term benefit. At the same time, there's no certainty about the end of a terminal illness, even for cancer.

'You don't want the health of someone who survives a terminal illness to deteriorate because they have stopped taking a statin.'

CHILDBIRTH MONITORS

Electronic foetal monitoring  when an ultrasound machine monitors the baby's heartbeat  is needed during labour only if the mother has a higher than normal risk of complications, according to the new advice.

This monitoring is routinely offered to women who are at greater risk of complications because of her age or a pre-existing medical condition such as diabetes.

'However, it should not be used generally because it can increase the risk of unnecessary interventions such as C-sections or forceps delivery,' says Professor Grudzinskas.

Clinicians should use their skill and experience to assess the risks to mother and baby.

Electronic foetal monitoring  when an ultrasound machine monitors the baby's heartbeat  is needed during labour only if the mother has a higher than normal risk of complications

PROSTATE TEST

Unless you are at risk of prostate cancer because of race or family history, having a test for a protein produced by the prostate (Prostate Specific Antigen, PSA) is not necessary, suggests the Academy, as it does not lead to a longer life.

But Professor Chris Eden, a consultant urologist at the Royal Surrey County Hospital in Guildford, Surrey, is alarmed by this advice.

'There is no scientific evidence to back this up,' he says. 'In fact, the opposite is true.'

TRANSFUSIONS FOR LOW IRON

The advice for blood transfusions is that patients should receive one only 'if it is really necessary, such as for major bleeding or severe anaemia, and not if alternatives are available such as iron treatment if you have iron deficiency anaemia'.

Some transfusions are unavoidable: to replace blood lost during major surgery; to treat anaemia (low levels of red blood cells) that has failed to respond to other treatments; and to treat some inherited blood disorders, such as sickle cell anaemia, in which the red blood cells are misshapen and can stick in blood vessels.

The advice for blood transfusions is that patients should receive one only 'if it is really necessary, such as for major bleeding or severe anaemia

In general, the advice is 'entirely reasonable', says Dr Ron Daniels, a consultant in critical care.

'We know there is often no benefit in transfusing and yet we persist in doing so,' he says.

'Some research suggests blood transfusions may subsequently raise the risk of stroke or heart attack.

INHALER FOR VIRUS IN KIDS

Bronchiolitis  inflammation of the small breathing tubes in the lung  in children should get better without treatment.

They should not be treated with medications called bronchodilators, 'which cause a widening of the small breathing tubes in the lung, as they have been shown to have little or no effect', say the new guidelines.

Bronchodilators, such as salbutamol or steroids, are used to treat asthma, where the airway muscles go into spasm.

Bronchiolitis should not be treated with medications called bronchodilators, 'which cause a widening of the small breathing tubes in the lung'

But they have no impact on bronchiolitis, in which the airways become irritated, generally by a viral infection, and are blocked by excessive production of mucus.

Dr Daniels says that while the new advice is strictly correct, it's a slightly unfortunate message because most patients won't even have heard of bronchiolitis, let alone know how to spot it.

'If a parent is worried their child has breathing difficulties, they should rightly seek assessment by a medical professional, whether by phoning 111 or making an appointment with a GP or going to the emergency department.'

HELMETS FOR BABIES

So-called helmet therapy  wearing a special helmet that corrects the shape of the skull  is not effective for flat head syndrome, according to the recommendations.

'By the time a child has reached five, the problem has resolved itself,' says paediatric consultant Dr Maconochie.

'There is not a lot of difference in head shape between children who have worn helmets and those who have been left untreated.

'The helmet mould is not actually very helpful: it doesn't make the bone and cartilage grow into the right shape.

So-called helmet therapy  wearing a special helmet that corrects the shape of the skull  is not effective for flat head syndrome, according to the recommendations

'Moreover, it is hot and sticky, and the helmet makes the wearer stand out.'

KIDNEY STONE CALCIUM TEST

You don't need a second calcium test if you've had one within the past three months following symptoms of kidney stones, bone disease or nerve-related disorder, says the Academy.

The exception is if you undergo major surgery or become seriously unwell.

SLING FOR CHILD'S WRIST

Small fractures on one side of a child's wrist don't normally need a plaster cast or follow-up in a fracture clinic, the new advice says.

Small fractures on one side of a child's wrist don't normally need a plaster cast or follow-up in a fracture clinic, the new advice says

'In children, the bones naturally remodel themselves back into shape over three to four weeks,' says Dr Maconochie.

'As long as there is no damage to blood vessels or nerves, it is best to let the bones reform themselves.'

A splint can stop the joint moving around and analgesic pain relief can help, he says.
Women are drinking nearly as much as men thanks to a booming wine oclock culture, experts say.

A major study spanning more than 100 years reveals that the gender gap in alcohol consumption has almost vanished.

Todays young women are almost as likely to drink as men  and they binge and drink to dangerous levels nearly as often.

Women are drinking nearly as much as men thanks to a booming wine oclock culture, experts say. Stock image

The global study, published in the medical journal BMJ Open, warned that women risk paying the price with their health.

Last night, campaigners said the trend is being driven by a British wine oclock culture in which women regularly drink at home, consuming cheap alcohol bought from supermarkets.

The trend, partly driven by the decline of the male-dominated pub, means it is more acceptable than ever for women to drink at home, whether young or old. Images of celebrities enjoying themselves on nights out have also helped remove some of the stigma attached to drinking by women. Todays research  which considered the results of 68 previous studies  was led by the University of New South Wales in Australia and Columbia University in New York.

It found that young men born between 1991 and 2000 are 1.1 times more likely to drink at all than women of the same age. But men born between 1891 and 1910 were 2.2 times more likely to drink than women, the study found.

A major study spanning more than 100 years reveals that the gender gap in alcohol consumption has almost vanished

Todays young men, now aged between 16 and 25, are 1.2 times more likely than women to have what researchers class as problematic alcohol use, compared to a threefold gap a century ago.

And young men today are only 1.3 times more likely to suffer health problems than women  a gap that a century ago stood at 3.6-fold. Overall, drinking levels in Britain are going down among adult men and women. But the gender gap is closing, and a hard core of women, about a fifth of all female drinkers, drink to hazardous levels.

Doctors all too often assume that heavy drinking is a male phenomenon, but the research shows that women are also paying the price with their health. Alcohol is a known risk for cancers of the bowel, liver, larynx and oesophagus, as well as increasing the risk of strokes, heart disease and brain damage. More than 64,000 women were admitted to English hospitals as a specific result of drinking in 2013/14, a 2.1 per cent increase on the year before. The figures for men went up by 0.7 per cent.

Women aged 15 to 19 were a third more likely than men of that age to be admitted to A&E for alcohol poisoning in 2013/14. There has been a 65 per cent rise in the number of over-60s women treated for alcoholism in the last five years.

Katherine Brown, of the Institute of Alcohol Studies, said: Women are increasingly subjected to heavily-targeted marketing practices by alcohol companies. This is a global phenomenon, with drinks manufacturers producing sweet, often pink, fizzy alcoholic beverages that appeal to young women, with glamorous advertising campaigns.

The Portman Group, founded by the alcohol industry to promote responsible drinking, said: Government data shows significant declines in womens alcohol consumption, frequency of drinking and binge-drinking rates over the last decade.

In Britain, alcohol consumption and harmful drinking patterns among both men and women are declining, but the greatest reductions are among women.

Alcohol is a poison that will catch up with them

COMMENTARY BY DR SARAH JARVIS FOR THE DAILY MAIL

Thirty years ago, drinking was done in clubs and pubs, which were almost exclusively male domains. Lots of pub lounges were barred to women.

In a bizarre way, that shocking sexism was doing women a favour, by preventing them from slipping into harmful behaviours. For today, our drinking habits have changed, and women are the ones paying the price.

These days, most pubs make an effort to be equally welcoming to both men and women, and while working mens clubs have died out, wine bars are perceived as a more feminine preserve. Girls nights out  for cocktails and prosecco  are commonplace. Many drinks marketed now are targeted shamelessly at women  pink, fizzy, prettily labelled.

The global study, published in the medical journal BMJ Open, warned that women risk paying the price with their health. Stock image

Then theres drinking at home. Wine oclock comes around, and middle-aged women feel weve earned a liquid treat. We deserve it.

But the truth is that alcohol is doing colossal harm to our national health, and it is hurting people aged 45 to 64 most of all. And in that age group, an increasing proportion of drinkers are women.

Across Britain there are more than a million admissions to hospital every year for alcohol related conditions.

Most people know that booze damages the liver, but they forget about the wide range of other serious illnesses.

For women of all ages, a single small glass of wine a day, just one unit of alcohol, increases the risk of breast cancer by between 7 per cent and 11 per cent. Many women have been told that wine, in particular red wine, can have health benefits after the menopause. Sadly, whatever benefits do exist are outweighed by that cancer risk.

At first glance, the latest figures might look like good news. The number of men who have consumed alcohol in the past week has fallen. So has the number of women  but by considerably less. I am seriously concerned that the gap between male and female drinking habits is closing. For one thing, theres a good reason that many men have cut back: the safe recommended limits were sharply reduced by the Chief Medical Officer at the start of this year, to a maximum of 14 units weekly spread over several days.

Wine oclock comes around, and middle-aged women feel weve earned a liquid treat

Perhaps that came as a sharp wake-up call to many men. But women were not given the same warning: their recommended levels remained the same, which sent out a false message of reassurance.

Most people now dont think of alcohol as any sort of indulgence, but as a normal part of the weekly shop.

We hear shocking stories of younger people binge-drinking till they pass out. There is a particular danger posed by the new trend for pre-loading  downing several drinks at home, to save money before hitting the town. But the biggest danger from that lifestyle can emerge many years later, in middle age.

We are now seeing the former ladettes of the Nineties reaching their 40s. They think theres no risk from their drinking, simply because they are not going out and drinking until they fall down as they used to do.

They also tend to think, perhaps sub-consciously, that they broke the rules, got away with it and will continue to get away with it. They wont. Alcohol abuse has a way of catching up with everyone.

Among women aged 45-64, alcohol consumption has not fallen at all in the past ten years. Thats a real worry, not least because anyone who drinks regularly develops an immunity to the effects. But as you drink more because your tolerance increased, your liver, heart, hormones and cancer-risk all suffer.

People ask, Can one more drink really hurt? Well, think about this  if you currently have two large glasses of wine a day, and you cut back to two medium glasses five days a week instead, you almost halve your danger of dying from an alcohol-related disease  from a risk of 9.1 per cent to 4.9 per cent.

However much you deserve wine oclock, that is a statistic worth pondering.
Patients who take statins and other heart medication after a major operation treble their chances of surviving without complications, a study has found.

Scientists tracked more than 3,000 heart patients for eight years after they had either a heart bypass or a procedure to fit a stent in a major artery.

They found that patients who regularly took cholesterol-busting statins, blood-thinning aspirin or stress-relieving beta blockers were far more likely to survive without further heart problems.

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Patients who take statins and other heart medication after a major operation treble their chances of surviving without complications, a study has found. Stock image

Most patients are prescribed one or more of these drugs after a major heart operation. But one in four patients do not carry on with their prescription, abandoning them as soon as they start to feel better.

Many claim this is because statins give them side effects. But experts say problems are rare, and patients too often blame any strain or muscle pain on their pills, when it may be due to another cause.

The researchers from Columbia University in New York found that patients who rigidly took their drugs for the full course were 2.79 times more likely to survive without further heart problems than those who abandoned their drugs or took them intermittently.

People who have a bypass or a stent fitted are usually prescribed at least one year of aspirin, to make sure their blood does not clot, and an indefinite course of statins, to keep their arteries from becoming clogged again.

Many are also prescribed beta blockers, which reduce stress on the heart.

Paul Kurlansky, a cardiac surgeon who led the study, said: A great deal of clinical research has been devoted to comparing outcomes in people who have had bypass surgery or a stent. But very few studies have looked at what happens to those outcomes when patients do not adhere to their prescribed medical therapy.

This is particularly important because roughly one quarter of revascularisation patients eventually stop taking their medications, due to issues such as medication costs, side effects, and a lack of noticeable symptoms.

The study covered 3,228 patients from eight community hospitals who underwent either a heart bypass or a stent-insertion procedure in 2004.

Dr Kurlansky said: While larger, prospective studies are needed to replicate our results, this study underscores the importance of educating patients about the need to stick to their prescribed regimens, even if they feel just fine.

Most patients are prescribed one or more of these drugs after a major heart operation. But one in four patients do not carry on with their prescription

The study was published in the Circulation medical journal,

Separate research, published by the University of Sydney last month, suggested that taking statins doubles the chance of surviving a heart attack.

The researchers found that heart attack patients who had taken statins were 48 per cent less likely to die, compared with those who had not taken statins. They were also 9 per cent less likely to suffer a repeat heart attack that did not kill them.

Statins have been used since the 1980s to help reduce cholesterol, saving an estimated 7,000 lives in Britain every year.

But some patients complain about side effects  particularly muscle pain  and doctors sometimes have to persuade them to stay on the drugs.

The Lancet medical journal this year published a major study that it claimed was the final word on the matter  concluding the pills were safe and their benefits far outweigh any harm.
to the Indian Independence movement and he was instrumental in the transition from Empire to Commonwealth

Clement Attlee, Britains post-war Prime Minister and the man who saw through the final days of India's fight for Independence

Clement Attlee, Britains post-war Prime Minister and the man who saw through the final days of Indian Independence, was once described by Winston Churchill as 'a sheep in sheeps clothing'.

Churchill would also claim that his Labour rival was, a modest man with much to be modest about, and once he quipped, An empty taxi arrived at 10 Downing Street, and when the door was opened, Clement Attlee got out.

In terms of his physical appearance Attlee, and again in sharp contrast to Churchill, was more Patterdale Terrier than British Bulldog.

However, an appearance that might once have suggested timidity, Indira Gandhi described Attlees slightly unimpressive bearing as the non-imperial face of Britain, a reassuring counterweight to the haughty mien of the Raj in India.

Gandhi went on to add that, Lord Attlee was a good example(of the) understatement which characterises the best in Britain.

First Class: The Royal Mail launched a set of special stamps featuring the greatest British Prime Ministers from the last 200 years

Clement Attlee (right), the man who was once described as 'a sheep in sheeps clothing' by Churchill (left)

In a new biography titled, Citizen Clem: A Biography of Attlee, historian John Bew looks at Attlee, but not as an understated politician, but as a British patriot, albeit in the form of a mild-mannered, political giant.

Known best for the NHS and Britains post war social reform, which ensured that those who had suffered most during the war would not return to the squalor of life before the war in Britain, Attlee also played a crucial role in Indias journey to winning its Independence.

The book captures Attlees career in its entirety, but alongside the ups and downs of his career so too runs the India question.

Historian and author John Bew talks to MailOnline India about a number of seminal moments in Attlees career that helped shape history.

In terms of his physical appearance, Attlee was more Patterdale Terrier, than British Bulldog

Attlee the Patriot: The journey from Empire to Commonwealth, that begins in the East End of London

Attlee was born in 1883 in Putney, London, the seventh of eight children.

His father was a solicitor and his mother a secretary at The Art Union of London.

He did all the things expected of a young, privileged man of the age - he went to prep school in Kent, then onto Haileybury, followed by University College, Oxford, where in 1904 he graduated BA with second-class honours in Modern History.

He then trained as a barrister at the Inner Temple and was called to the Bar in 1906.

As Bew suggests, It is the upbringing of someone trained for imperial service. Attlee was from the classic British establishment, and was trained to serve the British Empire in its various forms.

However, 1906 would be an important year for Attlee, Britain, and eventually India.

Attlee comes to political consciousness in a world in which Britain is the greatest, most powerful nation on the earth, he has been trained for service in what was seen at the time as the modern Roman Empire.

But after University, between the years 1906 and 1909, Attlee worked as manager of Haileybury House, a club run by his old public school for working-class boys in the East End of London.

And it is here, according to historian Bew, that we first see Attlees particular brand of patriotism.

When Attlee goes to the East End of London in 1906, he asks himself, 'How can the world's greatest nation be so ugly in the heart of its own metropolis? And so unfair'.

According to Bew, 'It's frankly embarrassing to someone who has been grown brought up and taught that Britain is this wonderful place, to then see how ugly and poverty stricken the East End was at the time.

'So this patriotism is actually at the core of everything he does. It's this shock that makes him less complacent about what Britain should be. This is seen in domestic and foreign policy, and this patriotism drives him on.

'It's not a lazy flag-waving patriotism, it's a genuine love of his country and a desire to improve life for those living in it, and also those associated with it abroad'.

The Simon Commission: How Attlee went from Mr Disposable, to become Britains most respected voice on India

Prime Minister Ramsey MacDonald in 1931 at work preparing speeches for his election campaign

Zooming forwards, past Attlees service in the First World War, and past the early days of the Labour party and Attlees seat in Parliament for Limehouse, East London and we arrive in 1929 where Labours Ramsey MacDonald finds himself as Britains Prime Minister for the second time.

Needless to say, at the height of Americas Great Depression, it was a difficult time to be in government.

The political grammar of the UK's left had shifted from Liberal to Labour but Attlee, although there from the beginning, was not exactly at the spear-tip of the Labour leadership.

Thanks to the momentum of the Congress leaders like Vallabhbhai Patel, Abul Kalam Azad, Jawaharlal Nehru and Gandhi, the India question was back on the agenda and the Indian Statutory Commission (or Simon Commission) was put together to further investigate the feasibility of Indian self rule.

Attlee was sent to India, according to Bew, not because of any obvious brilliance, or talent on foreign issues. But rather, Attlee the man who would do so much for the Indian cause was sent to India because he was dispensable. No one in the Labour party at the time would even notice hed gone!

Attlee was sent to India, according to Bew, not because of any obvious brilliance, or talent on foreign issues. But rather, Attlee the man who would do so much for the Indian cause was sent to India because he was dispensable.

However, if history is indeed merely a cluster of coincidences, what was at first considered something of a political exile for Attlee, according to Bew, became the second pillar of his interest in India and its journey towards winning Independence.

As Bew suggests: It was really just a case of, 'off you go Clem, frankly we can do without you. Ramsey MacDonald knew that he would decide India policy when it came to the crunch, but right now we just need a Labour voice on a Conservative dominated commission.

There was another problem in the typically British idea of sending British politicians to India to talk about India but only amongst themselves - no Indian people were permitted to contribute by being on the commission that would test the idea of Indian self rule.

The Simon Commission might well have been seen as a slur for any other aspiring politician, but as Bew describes,What was really a political exile, ended up becoming the second pillar of Attlees interest in India.

The first pillar, says Bew, was Attlees fascination and love for India from childhood, conveyed in his fondness for Rudyard Kipling's poems and stories.

While the second pillar in upholding his Indian foreign policy, is was his experience in on the Simon Commission:

He travelled around, got to see much of India in these two trips. And he also got the sense of how complex and difficult an issue this is.

At this point he's quite conservative on the imperial issue, and he's criticised by those on the left of the Labour party for not going far enough.

But he is basically the first to understand how complex the India issue is and that there is no quick fix, or easy solution here.

Attlee, Labour, War and India after MacDonalds betrayal

With the decimation of the Labour party after what was dubbed, Ramsey MacDonald's betrayal, by 1935 Attlee, Bew says, had become more important within the Labour party, really just by default.

Still quite a limited politician on foreign policy, India is one of the issues on which Attlee can speak with absolute authority.

By this point, according to Bew, 'he becomes the Labour party's "India guy".'

Betrayal: Prime Minister Ramsey MacDonald pictured leaving Number 10 Downing Street

As such, another important character on the British side of the India story was Labour MP for Bristol South East, Stafford Cripps.

Although they would often deem his efforts to be overly conservative, Cripps knew the Indian Nationalist leaders well, and would host them regularly. Attlee, would also attend and this would further strengthen his authority on the issue.

Stafford Cripps

Before the Second World War, India is one of the issues on which Attlee can stand and speak with absolute authority and genuine expertise, and others would listen to as a leading voice.

But how then did Attlee manage to throw the Indian Nationalist Leaders - Gandhi, Nehru et al - in prison if he understood their struggle and wanted, perhaps more than any other British leader, to help India win their Independence and fulfil the final promise of Empire?

Once the Second World War started, two things are happening in relation to India, Bew says.

One is Attlee is pushing the case for Indian Independence internally and quite assertively. It's the one issue over which he falls out with Churchill. They have thunderous arguments.

Stafford Cripps, on a special mission to India, conversing with Mr Gandhi on the steps of Birla House, Delhi

Simultaneously, the most important thing at this point for Attlee is beating Hitler and winning the war.

And when the Indian Nationalist leaders begin to act in a way that threatens the war effort, Attlee, although continuing to push for independence with one hand, doesn't hesitate to give the order for their imprisonment.

He has absolutely no doubt that it's the right thing to do at that critical moment.

Attlee still has this capacity to act in an essentially imperialist way. There's no ambiguity at all that imprisoning Gandhi is the right thing to do.

Interestingly, Gandhi himself was believed to have said that India's self-rule should not rise from the ashes of a destroyed Britain, and as Bew confirms, India played a huge part in the defence of Britain.

India's contribution to Allied efforts during the Second World War was hugely significant, and has never really been fully acknowledged.'

Lord and lady Mountbatten with Indian children on the eve of Indian Independence

Muhammed Ali Jinnah, president of the Muslim League,in the study of his home in New Delhi

Victory against Churchill on India

The Cripps mission was something of a success and also a failure for Attlee.

The very fact that, with no one having much of an idea as to what Indian Independence might actually look like, sending over his colleague Stanley Cripps to begin negotiations was a sign that both Conservative and Labour MPs were warming to Attlees ideas on India, and perhaps even more importantly - largely ignoring Prime Minister Churchill on the issue.

The Indian demands were, in short, full independence in exchange for support during the war.

The Cripps mission was something of a success and also a failure for Attlee

The idea of imposing an 'Anglo-Saxon face on a Mogul system of government was problematic to say the least. As such, the dialogue was muddled and the Cripps mission failed miserably.

Seen as too radical for Churchill, and too conservative for Gandhi, it led to the arrest of the Indian leaders, with the exception of Jinnah (leader of All-India Muslim League and founder of Pakistan) who rejected the quit India movement and encouraged Indian Muslims to fight for Britain against Hitler and Japan.

Although one might think that having the leaders of an independence movement locked up in prison might be something of a set back, actually back in Britain an important change of opinion was underway.

As Bew says: Although we can never really underestimate the sophistication of (Prime Minister) Churchill's thinking, the feeling at the time was that he wasnt particularly fleet-of-foot on the India issue.

Attlee however, when it comes to India is given a lot of credit by those on the Conservative benches.

When Churchill spoke on India, he never really had his party with him. He alienates his party in the 1930s over India by being too extreme.

This allows Attlee to take enough of the Conservative party with him to make Churchill look out of date and even rather cantankerous on the issue.

Sir Stafford Cripps and Pandit Nehru: The Cripps mission failed because the dialogue was muddled and no one knew how much influence Cripps actually had.

Queen Victorias ghost and her great-grandsons appointment

Churchill and Attlee had completely contrasting views on India. Unlike Churchill, who saw India as the centrepiece in the British Imperial project, Attlee saw Independence as an achievement and merely the next chapter in the journey from Empire to Commonwealth.

Attlee genuinely believed in the Commonwealth. And when Labour won the 1945 election with a 12.0% national swing (still the largest ever) from the Conservative Party to the Labour Party, Attlee had a clear mandate to create a tax-funded universal National Health Service, to embrace Keynesian economic policies, and to create a cradle-to-grave welfare state.

National opinion had followed Attlee and it was said that after the war that the British people preferred aspirin to Empire.

As Bew says: Although we can never really underestimate the sophistication of (Prime Minister) Churchill's thinking, the feeling at the time was that he wasnt particularly fleet-of-foot on the India issue'. (pictured - Clement Attlee and Winston Churchill with HM King George VI in the grounds of Buckingham Palace).

According to Bew, Attlee sees the transition to Commonwealth as crucial. Because, in his mind and going right back to his earliest days, what he's doing is completing the promise always implicit in the Empire.

There was always a vague promise held out of self-government: "This is trusteeship and you'll govern your own affairs eventually". This is never delivered upon of course.

And Attlee very much sees Indian Independence in the Commonwealth as the fulfilment of that original promise. He says, Queen Victoria would have been proud.

In 1946, Attlee put in a call to Prince Louis of Battenberg, known to his friends as Lord Mountbatten.

Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru and Dr Radhakrishnan welcoming Viscount Louis Mountbatten and his wife to India at New Delhi Airport

Mountbatten was an aristocrat, a royal, but had also distinguished himself as a very capable soldier and military commander.

Mountbatten oversaw, with General Slim under him, the recapture of Burma from the Japanese. It was the stuff of Boys Own novels when British troops returned to the island Singapore and forced the surrender of General Itagaki Seishiroto.

Not to mention, Mountbatten's great-grandmother was Queen Victoria, and Bew believes that Attlee rather liked the connection between the first Empress of India, on one hand, and the man who would become the last Viceroy of India, on the other.

Attlee offers him the job and announces it to be a critical moment in India's timetable for independence. 'I feel sure that the first Empress of India would be glad to see a descendent complete the last part of a century's work, he wrote.

Mountbatten: Attlee rather liked the connection between the first Empress of India, and the man who would become the last Viceroy of India.

Bew believes that Attlee saw the royal connection, and it mattered to him. There's an odd sentimentality with Clem. He saw Mountbatten to be a certain moral authority on India.

He also had the ability to act swiftly - and take control. He was very impressed by this soldierly mentality: (he had) a vital combination of great urgency, and moral authority.

Attlee asks Mountbatten to secure, the closest and most friendly cooperation between India and the UK, while writing the last chapter, by 'completing the work of Empire, and not just jettisoning England's imperial past.

History doesnt often credit the guy who hires the best guy for the job in hand, but in a country only just coming to terms with its age of Empire is coming to an end, the wrong appointment to the position of Viceroy could have greatly prolonged Indias journey toward independence and potentially cost thousands of lives even before a bloody partition.

And, according to Bew, 'Mountbatten, like King George VI, was deeply sympathetic to the Labour party and had a great respect for the working classes'.

Mountbatten praised Attlee, saying: The man who made it possible was yourself. Without your guidance and unwavering support, nothing could have been accomplished here.

First Independence Day of India celebration in Mumbai

Academics argue on the nature of Indian Independence: Was India begrudgingly relinquished by Britain after posting too many troops abroad, and being financially impoverished after two World Wars? Was it won by the brilliance, intelligence, patience and persistence of the Indian Nationalist leaders of the time?

One thing we know for sure is that Indias Independence wasnt gifted by Attlee.

Bews biography shows how Attlee, after many years of deep thought and deed, became like a schoolboy hall monitor, ushering the final important people, safely to their rightful place in history.

Historys heavyweights during the final days of Indias Independence struggle were Attlee and Queen Victorias ghost, the great Pandit Nehru, and Mountbatten the moral authority.
The ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has joined the BJP in the tirade against Chinese goods in the Capital.

A move that is largely associated with the BJP and its sister organisations has been replicated by the AAP - that too a few days before Diwali.

It seems that the AAP has also gauged public mood against Chinese products, more so after Chinas support to Pakistan post the surgical strike across the LoC.

The ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has joined the BJP in the tirade against Chinese goods

The AAP trade wing has also decided to oppose Chinese goods during this festive season.

Incidentally, the AAP trade wing started the campaign in the Chinese products hub of Karol Bagh market.

AAP MLAs and traders from different markets joined the campaign and burnt an effigy of Chinese light bulbs, mobiles and other accessories.

A padayatra in the market area was also organised to aware traders and buyers.

The trade wing distributed 3,000 pamphlets with the slogan Chinese Bhagao, Swadeshi Apnao.

AAP trade wing convenor Brijesh Goyal said, China is openly supporting the terrorist state of Pakistan. It is our big enemy after Pakistan.

"On the other hand, India is the biggest market of Chinese products and we buy goods worth $6.1 billion from China.

The boycott has been largely associated with the BJP and its sister organisations, but has been replicated by the AAP - that too a few days before Diwali

"A boycott of Chinese products is very necessary to weaken Chinas economy and teach it a lesson for siding with our enemy".

He further added, We request Prime Minister Narendra Modi to come up with a long term policy to make India a production hub to destroy our dependency on Chinese products.

"We need to encourage our small and medium scale industry".

The AAPs trade wing is conducting the campaign in all wholesale markets such as Chandni Chowk, Sadar Bazar, Chawri Bazar and Kamla Nagar.

It is to be noted that the Swadeshi Jagran Manch, an affliate of the RSS, has been campaigning vehemently against Chinese goods during the festive season. It is also organising a fair to promote Indian artisan-ship and handicrafts.
The army has yet to receive any formal communication from either the producers of motion picture Ae Dil Hai Mushkil, the Devendra Phadnavis government in Maharashtra or even Raj Thackeray, chief of the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena on the proposed donation of Rs 5 crore for the army welfare fund.

Officially the Army refused to comment on media reports of Karan Johar being coerced to donate Rs 5 crore by MNS but unofficially top sources said the men in uniform are unhappy being used as pawn in a game of political one-up-man-ship in Maharashtra.

Top sources in the Army Headquarters told Mail Today: "This is the nations Army. We take great pride in being secular and apolitical. Being used as pawn in a game to score political points in Maharashtra is most unfortunate and completely uncalled for".

The army has received no formal communication from either the producers of motion picture Ae Dil Hai Mushkil or the government over the proposed donation of Rs 5 crore

Raj Thackeray-helmed MNS demanded filmmakers to pay 'penance' of Rs 5 crore to Army Welfare Fund

"We are not into coercion or hafta wasooli."

The army Welfare Fund has been set up for welfare of kin of soldiers killed in action.

After the Uri terror attack in which 19 soldiers were killed, a large number of people offered to pay for education of children of the soldiers killed in action.

"We are not open to money that may have been coerced out of film producers, sources added.

"The producers Guild offered to contribute for the welfare of families of soldiers.

"When they told me their feelings, I said there is no compulsion and this had to be completely voluntary, Devendra Phadnavis, Maharashtra Chief Minister told Mail Today.

"After their meeting with Raj Thackeray, the producers of Ae Dil Hai Mushkil also decided to offer their respect to the soldiers killed in the Uri terror attack and other terror strikes in a slide before the movie starts. I told them this should be implemented, Phadnavis added.

The Producers Guild has also decided not to hire Pakistani actors in future ventures till there is an improvement in India Pakistan relations.

However noted film personality and former Rajya Sabha MP Shabana Azmi came down heavily on the alleged bullying tactics of MNS and Chief Minster Phadnavis reportedly buckling under pressure.

"What a sorry state of affairs, she tweeted.

"CM brokers deal and buys patriotism for Rs 5 crore. After home minister (Rajnath Singh) had promised peaceful passage for ADHM," she added.

"MNS will decide whether I am patriotic or not. I bow to the Indian constitution, Raj Thackeray does not. Whose patriotism needs questioning she questioned in another tweet.

Film personality Naseeruddin Shah also took on Raj Thackeray and the MNS.

COEAI is still not ready to release the movie in four states and want Karan Johar to meet them

"The film industry is an easy target. We have not broken diplomatic ties with Pakistan nor are we in a state of war or have sealed our borders.

"Only artistes who aim to spread peace and love are being targeted, he was quoted saying.

While serving soldiers cannot comment on record till cleared, veterans came out all guns blazing against Raj Thackerays alleged coercive tactics.
Nalini Sriharan, convicted for the assassination of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi has written to National Commission for Women (NCW) requesting her release from prison.

In a letter written to NCW chairperson yesterday, Nalini said that she has spent 25 years in prison watching other women being released on special occasions.

"No day passes without tears. I have almost become depressed. My only longing is whether I would be able to see my daughter, who is abroad and whether I would be able to arrange her marriage in my lifetime," she wrote.

Nalini Sriharan, convicted for the assassination of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi has written to National Commission for Women (NCW) requesting her release from prison

Nalini, one of the seven convicted for assassinating Rajiv Gandhi, has noted that she is eligible for release under various schemes in Tamil Nadu but all her hopes for release from prison have vanished.

The Supreme Court commuted the death sentence given to the seven convicts including Nalini Sriharan and instead, sentenced them to life imprisonment in 2014.

Rajiv Ratna Gandhi was the Prime Minister of India, serving from 1984 to 1989. He took office after the 1984 assassination of his mother, Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, to become the youngest Indian Prime Minister.

Since then, an unending legal battle has pursued.

Though Tamil Nadu government under Jayalalithaa is willing to release them, it requires Centres nod to go ahead.

This is Nalini Sriharans second letter to NCW in the past two months.

Nalini Sriharan is the longest serving women prisoner in India, she has been incarcerated for 25 years.
Medical ethics bodies are supposed to uphold standards of ethics and enforce them. What do you do when such bodies themselves indulge in unethical practices of the highest order?

This is the question that arises from the recent happenings at the World Medical Association (WMA), which is a body of medical associations.

It has members representing leaders in medical ethics such as the British and American Medical Associations.

The disgraced former MCI chairman, Ketan Desai, has been appointed as president of WMA

In a shocking move, WMA this week installed Ketan Desai, disgraced former Chairman of Medical Council of India (MCI) and former President of the Indian Medical Association (IMA), as its President.

Desai is perhaps the most tainted medical officials globally, facing charges of bribery and blatant violation of medical ethics.

By opting to have Desai as President, WMA has compromised on its basic objective of establishing and promoting the highest possible standards of ethical behaviour and care by physicians.

With a physician accused of taking money to sanction Medical Colleges and of running a medical in India at its helm, WMA may have lost moral authority to discharge its responsibility of upholding medical ethics globally.

Desai has single-handedly eroded medical education and ethical oversight in India as MCI President and as someone who controls the body even today through his puppets.

He has cronies in IMA who have apparently misled WMA into believing that Desai is an epitome of medical standards and that he has been absolved of all charges.

The world body should know that Desai is still an accused in the eyes of criminal justice system of India.

Just a few months ago, the Parliamentary Standing on Health and Family Welfare was shocked to find that compromised individuals have been able to make it to the MCI referring to Desai and the rot within MCI.

The panel had observed: How could it happen that the MCI, which has laid down elaborate duties and responsibilities of a physician under the MCI Code of Ethics Regulations, 2002, could have at its very top a person who was arrested on charges of corruption in 2010?

Desai was elected in 2009 to take over as President of WMA in 2010. But his presidency was suspended in 2010 after he was arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

The association lifted his suspension in 2013 after IMA produced false information that all cases have been dropped against Desai. This week he finally took office.

When asked why the Association has elected a tainted doctor, a WMA spokesperson told me over e-mail that to the best of our knowledge all criminal charges have been dismissed against Dr Desai.

When I confronted the spokesperson with evidence of pending cases against Desai in the Indian courts, he had no further comments to make.

It is intriguing that the Global Medical Ethics Body has been constantly ignoring evidence of wrongdoing by an unethical doctor.

Tuberculosis death cases doubled in India

India has revised its estimate of the number of new tuberculosis cases occurring every year from 2.2 million to 2.8 million.

The number of tuberculosis deaths have more than doubled from 2,20,000 to 4,80,000.

This is a voluntary revision of figures and the result of better collection of data from sources - improved system of case notification, sales of TB drugs in private sector, household surveys and plugging of under-reporting.

The number of tuberculosis deaths have more than doubled from 2,20,000 to 4,80,000.

The numbers may go up when the first national prevalence survey is completed in 2018.

These increases reflect incorporation of more accurate data, not an increase in rates, with both TB incidence and mortality decreasing from 2000 to 2015, points out health minister J P Nadda in a commentary he has co-authored with WHO senior official Poonam Khetrapal Singh in medical journal, The Lancet.

The task ahead is massive if India is to achieve targets set under the End-TB strategy of WHO and the Sustainable Development Goals.

The target is to achieve 90 percent reduction in TB deaths and 80 percent reduction in TB incidence by 2030.

As a signatory to these global commitments, India is supposed to take measures to meet targets.

A revolutionary invention

It almost looks unreal when you see this experiment. By just pouring water at room temperature on a contraption that looks like an improvised solar panel mounted on a thin plate resembling terracotta, one can produce electricity enough to run an array of tiny LEDs or a small table fan.

It is indeed water sprinkled at room temperature, but what happens on the cell is a matter of high science and a remarkable new technology developed at National Physical Laboratory in New Delhi.

Dr Ravinder Kumar Kotnala and his colleague Dr Jyoti Shah have developed a hydroelectric cell that uses water to produce electricity.

Dr RK Kotnala and his colleague, Dr Jyoti Shah, in their laboratory

The cell consists of magnesium ferrite pellets, zinc anode and silver cathode. When water is sprinkled on it, water molecules disintegrate into hydrogen and hydroxide ions, due to nanoporous ferrite.

In the electrochemical reaction that follows, zinc hydroxide gets deposited at the anode and hydrogen gas is produced at the silver electrode.

Hydronium ions trapped in nanopores develop electric field.
Noted Bangladeshi author Taslima Nasrin is upset over the ban imposed on Pakistani actors in India.

She believes the country, her 'home' right now, is in danger of becoming another Pakistan or Bangladesh if the powers-that-be dont restrain the fundamentalists.

When I say that these actors should not be banned, my premise is that India should not become the photocopy of Pakistan, says Nasrin, who is living in exile in India after facing death threats from fundamentalists in Bangladesh.

Taslima Nasrin emphasised that Indias skewed sense of secularism is not just hurting the countrys liberal credentials, but also giving rise to the Right-wing.

I totally understand such sentiments in the country as so many people have been killed by Pakistan-based and Pakistan-inspired terrorists. But banning actors is hardly a solution.

Nasrins words have come in the wake of filmmaker Karan Johars statement pledging he would not engage with talent from Pakistan in future.

In the aftermath of the Uri terror attack last month, in which 19 Indian jawans were killed, Johars latest film Ae Dil Hai Mushkil faced the Maharashtra Navnirman Senas ire over Pakistani actor Fawad Khan.

Fatwa was issued on Taslima after the release of Lajja

I felt sad when I heard Karans highly emotional statement and the way he was arm-twisted to go for compromise with Raj Thackeray. It shouldnt have happened in the first place.

There are several anti-terrorist people in Pakistan too. We should encourage such elements rather than club them with jihadis, says the controversial Lajja author as she reminds how she herself hails from Bangladesh which, according to her, is now beyond redemption.

I dont see myself ever going back to Bangladesh, howsoever I may want to. It is beyond redemption, with the liberal space shrinking by the day, says Nasrin.

She reminds how more than two dozen liberal writers, artists and bloggers have been killed in Bangladesh over the past three years.

Nasrin emphasizes that it is Indias skewed sense of secularism that is not just hurting the countrys liberal credentials but also, in reaction, giving rise to the Right-wing.

View of a book stall where copies of the new book of Bangladeshi writer Taslima Nasreen is on display (bottom row)

Criminals are here free to do whatever they want to, while people like me are punished for telling the truth, says the author as she recalls how she was packed off to Jaipur in 2007 by the West Bengal government after she was attacked by the Muslim fanatics in Hyderabad.

Instead of arresting those goons, I was accused of inciting violence. I believe the then Left Front government used my case to divert attention of Muslims from its Nandigram excesses.

The author, in her latest memoir, Exile, reveals how the West Bengal government even lied to its Rajasthan counterpart, then run by the BJP, that she would be visiting Jaipur for a literature festival.

I realised the falsehood soon after I reached the Pink City. The authorities in Rajasthan were told that I had come to attend a literature festival, about which I had no information.

Taslima Nasreen's supporters protesting the cancellation of the launch of the Bangladeshi author's new book at the Kolkata Literary Meet (file picture)

I couldnt go back to Kolkata thereafter, despite my several attempts to do so. It was the second exile for her. But what hurt her most was that it happened this time in India, that too in the highly progressive state of West Bengal.

The primary reason for this is the distorted interpretation of secularism that has found currency in India. Here, in the name of minority protection, the fanatics are being given shelter.
With the warring factions in the Samajwadi Party exchanging blows in full public view on Monday, a new axis appears to be emerging in the state - that of Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi and the embattled SP scion Akhilesh Yadav.

Such an alignment has the strength and capability to seriously challenge any aspirant of UP throne in the upcoming 2017 polls, sources told Mail Today.

An indication to this possibility came when hours after the scuffle between uncle Shivpal and nephew Akhilesh, a high-level meeting of top Congress leaders was presided over by none other than Priyanka Gandhi.

A possible Akhilesh-Rahul combination has become a moot point of speculation as the two have been seen as cordial to each other of late.

The huddle is said to have discussed lending support to Akhilesh in the event of a split in the SP and the subsequent floor test in state assembly.

The partys CM face Sheila Dixit and state president Raj Babbar were also present in the meeting.

The official Congress line, however, denied any such stand.

A possible Akhilesh-Rahul combination has become a moot point of speculation as the two have been seen as cordial to each other of late.

Immediately after the public feud, a high-level meeting of top Congress leaders was presided over by none other than Priyanka Gandhi. (File picture)

Political observers pointed that both Rahul and Akhilesh were seen as Young Turks who did not have any tolerance, much less reverence, for the old guard, which relies on traditional support from muscle and money.

While Rahul had become infamous in his party owing to this attitude, Akhilesh is the new entrant to the club who has finally chosen to come out from under the wings of his father.

Those within the SP told Mail Today that the raging fight was as much a family dispute as ideological.

A Samajwadi Party MLC requesting anonymity, said: Akhilesh wants to recast the party in a modern image as he is convinced that politics has changed and the party too must accordingly.

"But, this means shunning the old ragged ways of politics represented by Shivpal. The other camp is not ready to relinquish its power in turn.

The tables could be turned in the event of a Rahul-Akhilesh combination becoming a reality.

The Congress, said observers, had always been in the good books of the Muslim community but due to their inability to defeat the BJP, they could not turn the goodwill into votes.

A large chunk of the Muslim vote bank could be attracted if Akhilesh forms a front with the Congress.

Such a possible scenario, nonetheless, will see a tripartite division of the minority votes in UP giving the BJP succor.

SP sources said Akhilesh is firm on his agenda of developmental politics and eager to go on with his new bunch of innovative zealots.

Hitherto, the BJP has been wary of the Mahabharata in SP as Muslims would gravitate towards the BSP giving it a formidable Dalit-Muslim combination.

The SP feud is bad for us and it should end soon, said a top UP BJP leader.

Janak Pandey, political analyst and retired professor of Allahabad University, said: It is for sure - this (split of Muslim votes) will not be a decisive factor in the upcoming poles, but will definitely give an edge to the BSP and the BJP. However, the BSP will be a looser on this ground also."

"Of course it also possible. If, at all, Akhilesh splits from the SP, the young brigade will follow him and will not object on any kind of alliance with the Congress (Rahul) that is searching for its lost ground for over a decade in UP, Pandey explained.

SP sources said Akhilesh is firm on his agenda of developmental politics and eager to go on with his new bunch of innovative zealots.

Added to that, the majority of the young blood in the party (leaders and workers) is with Akhilesh.

Akhilesh has been seen praising the Congress vice president on several occasions and on various public platforms.

He is a nice man and a good boy. He has the potential to work, Akhilesh recently remarked on Rahul.

He also went on to support the Khoon Ki Dalaali remark by Rahul to attack Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Meanwhile, the Congress has denied any alliance.

Congress spokesperson Meem Afzal said: We have made our official line very clear and very early on. We are going to polls alone. We will not ally with anyone in UP.

"How can we fight the polls with SP and BSP who have brought the state to utter shambles. Anyway, we have already even declared our chief ministerial face.

The weakening of the SP owing to the internecine feud has made things easier for Mayawati-led BSP, said observers, as the Muslim vote bank could be expected to be more inclined to vote the BSP owing to their traditional opposition to BJP, hence their gravitation towards who was in a better position to drub BJP.

Yadav Family Values Ep.2: How the drama unfolded

By Rajat Rai, in Lucknow

The ongoing Mahabharata in the Yadav clan took an ugly turn on Monday afternoon as acrimony, bitter exchanges and personal attacks marked a meeting of Samajwadi Party leaders.

The high-voltage power struggle in the first family has split open the party just a few months before the elections.

Mulayam Singh Yadav tried to play the peacemaker and called a closed-door meeting of the party MLAs and MLCs at the Samajwadi Party headquarters in Lucknow, but it soon descended into chaos as the two factions led by UP CM Akhilesh Yadav and his uncle Shivpal Yadav almost came to blows both inside the venue as well as outside it.

The high-voltage power struggle in the first family has split open the party just a few months before the elections

The much awaited family proceedings started around 10:30am as party supremo Mulayam, Akhilesh and senior cabinet minister Shivpal shared the dais together after a long time.

At the very outset, Mulayam made clear his support for Amar Singh, describing him as his brother and Shivpal Yadav as a mass leader.

He also made it clear that Akhilesh will remain in the party. The SP supremo said the party was facing a difficult situation and party members should not fight with each other.

Shivpal (above) and Akhilesh had a public scuffle

After instructions by Mulayam to bury the hatchet, Akhilesh and Shivpal hugged each other but it failed to have the calming influence that Mulayam had hoped for.

The two soon started throwing barbs at each other and got into a scuffle on the dais and the meeting had to be ended abruptly.

The crisis in the ruling party seems to have only worsened on Monday with Mulayam, Akhilesh and Shivpal- all exchanging heated words in the meeting.

The political drama was also punctuated by clashes between rival factions outside as police had to step in to stop the protests.

The meeting started with a five-minute speech by Shivpal, who went all out against his nephew and said that he wants to float his own party.

Akhilesh was planning to float a new party I am ready to take a pledge with Gangajal in my hand. Even officers are not listening to me at the behest of the CM, Shivpal said.

Speaking after Shivpal, he began by saying that he has learned politics from Netaji.

Netaji is my political mentor and Guru. Why should I float a new party? he asked.

The CM broke down during his address and said that he would have quit if Mulayam Singh had asked.

If Netaji (Mulayam Singh) asked me for resignation I would have given it, Akhilesh Yadav said.

Akhilesh also alleged that some people, including Amar Singh, are conspiring against the party.

But he lost his cool when he saw suspended SP leader Ashu Malik standing beside Shivpal on the dais.

Malik allegedly had issued a letter to an English daily and a report was published using derogatory words against Akhilesh and Mulayam.

At the behest of Amar Singh, Malik got a report published in which I was called Aurangzeb and Netaji was called Shah Jahan, Akhilesh said, but Shivpal snatched the microphone from him and started giving a clarification.

It is all rubbish the CM is lying, Shivpal said.

Akhilesh then tried to snatch the microphone back from Shivpal and it led to a scuffle between the two.

The uncle-nephew had to be separated by security personnel. Mulayam tried to quickly wrap up the meeting and said he could not hear anything against Amar Singh and Shivpal Singh.

If Amar Singh had not saved me, I could have ended up in jail for at least seven years. He is like my brother and you (Akhilesh) are abusing him? I can never hear anything against Amar and Shivpal," he said.

Pulling up Akhilesh, Mulayam said: What is your capability? Can you win elections?

Ending his speech, Mulayam also warned party workers to remain united and respect all party leaders.

'Learn family values from PM': Mulayam's message for son

Mulayam Singh also had a message for his warring son: look at Prime Minister Modi

In his scathing remarks aimed at chief minister Akhilesh Yadav following reports of split in the Samajwadi Party, father and supremo Mulayam Singh also had a message for his warring son: look at Prime Minister Modi.

Look at PM Modi. He became PM with dedication and struggle. He comes from a poor family and says he can't leave his mother, Mulayam said in his address at the crucial party meet in Lucknow on Monday.

While the 76-year-old father did not dwell on his reference to Modi, the message was not lost: Mulayam wanted his son to stand by him, just the way Modi continues to stand with and revere his mother.
The battle-lines have been drawn on social networking site Twitter as Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal and former Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh engaged in a war of words.

The two political heavyweights went on to promise an open debate ahead of the 2017 Assembly elections in Punjab.

Interestingly, Kejriwal went a step ahead and suggested four names from AAP for the debate, when the Congress leader asked him to choose the date, time and place for the same.

The battle-lines have been drawn on social networking site Twitter as Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal and former Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh engaged in a war of words

The two leaders locked horns after the AAP chief accused the Congress chief ministerial hopeful of using drug money in his campaign.

"Sir, ppl talking in Punjab that u using (Bikram Singh) Majithias drug money in ur campaign. Is it true? U had saved him from CBI enquiry 3 yrs back (sic), Kejriwal tweeted.

Majithia is Punjabs revenue minister.

The Punjab Congress chief was quick to respond, saying Kejriwal was seeing stars during the day.

The two leaders locked horns after the AAP chief accused the Congress chief ministerial hopeful of using drug money in his campaign

When your hopes crash from 100 to 30 & still sliding, youre bound to hallucinate & see things that dont exist, Singh tweeted.

Kejriwal has been alleging a connection between Congress and the ruling Akalis in poll-bound Punjab. He has sarcastically dubbed Singh their joint chief ministerial candidate.

Sir, Badals closed corruption cases against u just a few months before elections. Why? Punjab asking whats the deal? Kejriwal had tweeted on Sunday, to which Singh asked him to set his own house in order first, before he sets sights on Punjab.

Kejriwal was referring to the Punjab Vigilance Bureaus clean chit to Singh on his alleged role in the Amritsar Improvement Trust land scam case.

It was then that Singh challenged Kejriwal to an open debate. "Now that youve shot your mouth, dont scoot like you typically do! Show courage & come for an open debate. Choose the time, place & platform, he tweeted.

Kejriwal, who released the party manifesto on Sunday and vowed to end the drug mafia in Punjab if voted to power, suggested the names of H S Phoolka, Jarnail Singh, Bhagwant or Gurpreet for the debate.

Singh responded sarcastically asking if Kejriwal himself is scared to face him.

Punjabis believe in leading from the front, not hiding behind others. Or have you already accepted that you cant face me for a public debate? Singh tweeted.

But Kejriwal wasnt the one to back down. He replied, I am not hiding behind anyone sir. I am ready for a debate with Rahul ji or Sonia ji anytime. Our Punjab team will debate wid u".

Hitting back, Singh wrote, So youve chickened out! Youre the Aam Aadmi who levels allegations on everyone bt wud like to engage only with PM & Presidents of parties!

The Delhi chief minister is presently touring Punjab and has targeted Singh on issue of drugs and secret understanding with the Badals.

Kejriwal had accused Congress and Akali Dal of using dirty drug money in the elections.

The Delhi chief minister is presently touring Punjab and has targeted Singh on issue of drugs and secret understanding with the Badals

He said both the Congress and SAD have an understanding and are conspiring against AAP.

Singh did not leave the chance to take a jibe against the conspiracy theory either, retorting, Morning you started with Majithia, now youre bringing in BJP, next youll say Donald Trump is conspiring with me against you.

The Congress dubbed the AAP government in Delhi as mafia raj and asked Kejriwal if he wanted to replace the Punjab mafia with Delhi mafia.
The 17th India-Russia summit in Goa on October 15 was opportune for reviewing bilateral ties as well as regional and global developments by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Vladimir Putin.

Some Russian policies at the regional level are causing India concern and risk eroding mutual trust that has traditionally characterised India-Russia ties.

Summits

While annual summits ensure oversight of the relationship at the highest level, the downside is the political burden they carry to demonstrate progress so that any impression of stagnation or even failure is avoided.

The 17th India-Russia summit in Goa was an opportunity to review bilateral ties as well as regional and global developments by Narendra Modi and Vladimir Putin

In Russias case, pressure for announcing defence contracts gets build up, as defence remains the core of the bilateral relationship.

It is not feasible to announce annually billions of dollars worth of new contracts, especially if it remains a buyer-seller relationship.

Russias willingness to give us access to platforms and technologies that other countries will not no doubt imparts a special value to the relationship, but this should not be a reason not to work for its reconfiguration in a way that the Modi governments Make in India in defence manufacturing campaign becomes a reality in time.

The summit saw further progress on already known projects, but no new projects were green-lighted.

Inter-Governmental Agreements for the acquisition of five batteries of the powerful S-400 air defence system and four additional frigates were signed.

The shareholder agreement for establishing a Joint Venture to manufacture Ka-226T helicopters in India with HALs participation- again a project already assigned to Russia-was inked.

The summits joint statement places this in the context of joint design, development and production of high technology military equipment.

Whether this objective is achieved and production of these helicopters does not follow the familiar pattern of licensed manufacture without adequate transfer of technology remains a question.

This concern may explain why no progress on the Fifth Generation Fighter Aircraft was announced during the summit.

Russia and India have been working on improving the effectiveness of the Brahmos missle

Sources indicate that decisions to substantially extend the range of the Brahmos missile and lease a second nuclear powered submarine from Russia were taken at the summit.

If so, one should welcome them. In the area of civilian nuclear cooperation site work for Kudankulam (KK) Units 3 and 4 was formally launched by the two leaders.

For KK 5 and 6 the General Framework Agreement and the Credit Protocol are expected to be concluded by end 2016.

The second site for Russian reactors in Andhra Pradesh has still not been announced as the Indian side wants to make sure that all seismic studies are completed to full satisfaction before the allocation of the site is officially announced.

Although the joint statement speaks positively about local manufacturing of equipment and components for the upcoming Russian supplied reactors, the reality is that this will take time.

India-Russia cooperation in the hydrocarbon sector has begun to make substantial progress.

The joint statement notes that investment in Tass-Yuryakh and Vankor oil fields is the largest equity oil acquisition hitherto by Indian companies.

As against this the acquisition by Rosneft and associated groups of Essar Oil and Vadinor port is the biggest FDI by Russia, and is in line with the foothold Russia has always sought in this sector in return for opening up its oil and gas sector to India.

Terrorism

Russias seeming reluctance to point a direct finger at Pakistan publicly on the terrorism issue, especially after Prime Minister Modi has begun targeting it on this issue with unusual force and tenacity, is noticeable.

Modi has expressed satisfaction with Russian assurances given privately, but some clear public statement by Putin on cross-border terrorism would have been advisable.

India-Russia cooperation in the hydrocarbon sector has begun to make substantial progress

Russias stakes in Pakistan are limited no matter the arguments given to justify arms transfers and military exercises with it.

If the Islamic State (ISIS) is a threat through Afghanistan, pressuring Pakistan that provides safe havens to extremist groups is required, not courting it.

Russia has experience of Pakistan's deceit in Afghanistan. The joint statement repeats past formulations on terrorism that have begun to sound platitudinous.

Surprisingly, it does not mention LeT and JeM or mentions support for the designation of Masood Azhar as an international terrorist.

Support

Russia would not have done more than restate the UNSC decisions on LeT and JeM to which it is a party, and on Azhar re-affirm the position it presumably took in the relevant UNSC committee.

Its willingness to allow our side to express its appreciation for Russias unequivocal condemnation of the terrorist attack on army base in Uri in the joint statement is, however, a saving grace.

For the rest, Russia has again strongly supported Indias NSG membership, that of APEC and our candidature for UN Security Council permanent membership.

Russia has experience of Pakistan's deceit in Afghanistan. The joint statement repeats past formulations on terrorism that have begun to sound platitudinous

On the vexatious product support issues relating to Russian defence equipment, an Indo-Russian Military industrial Conference will now address them.

To bolster economic ties Russia will be the partner country in the International Engineering Sourcing Show 2017 in India.

Some steps to strengthen bilateral diamond trade have been taken.

The setting up of a bilateral investment fund by the National Infrastructure Investment Fund of India and the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) is a good step.

All in all, the India-Russia summit has showed progress in bilateral relations, but on geopolitical issues gaps that are not in consonance with the special and privileged strategic partnership between the two countries are appearing and need to be closed.
Alice wants others to know about the dangers of entering the sex industry

A former sex worker has lifted the lid on the secret world of prostitution and claims violence, child sex fantasies and rape are commonplace for the women who sell their bodies in the industry.

Alice started working as a prostitute in Queensland at the age of 22 when she lost her job and could not find employment while she studied a law degree.

But the 28-year-old said she learned to use her body at a much younger age after being sexually assaulted at the tender age of five.

Alice said the profession slowly stripped her of her humanity and has spoken out against the industry that allowed her to be verbally abused, beaten, degraded and raped in the hopes she can stop other women being lured into prostitution.

Alice started working as a prostitute in Queensland at the age of 22 when she lost her job and could not find employment while she studied a law degree (Pictured: Ad used by brothel)

Alice said the profession slowly stripped her of her humanity and has spoken out against the industry that allowed her to be verbally abused, beaten, degraded and raped

Alice said her descent into the world of sex work started when she would trade sexual favours for cash, mobile phone credit or alcohol as a teenager.

'People, including myself, had been using my body to make money since I was five so [prostitution] wasn't a new idea to me and wasn't something that shocked me,' she told Daily Mail Australia.

After being rejected from numerous jobs as she was overqualified, Alice applied for a position as a bartender, but surprised when she was offered a role as a stripper.

She worked one shift and realised how easy it was to get a well-paying job with no experience or references so decided to 'give up' on mainstream positions and start working in the sex industry full-time.

'At first I thought I was really clever - I had found a job that I thought was pretty easy, was going to make me a tonne of money, get me attention from guys and increase my self confidence and self-esteem,' Alice said.

But it only took a week for those feelings to subside after realising her clients and employers were happy to treat her like trash and felt entitled to do so as they had paid her for her services.

Alice said her descent into the seedy world of sex work started when she would trade sexual favours for cash, mobile phone credit or alcohol as a teenager

But the 28-year-old learned to use her body at a much younger age after being sold into a child sex ring at the tender age of five (pictured)

Alice had always looked young for her age and while she was advertised as a 19-year-old, many of her clients liked to believe the brothel used a false age so they did not get in trouble for having a minor working there.

She said she was 'disturbed' by he number of clients who chose her to act out their paedophilic fantasies without the risk of being found out by family members or police.

'I lost count of the number of clients that told me they came to me because they wanted to molest or have sex with a child that they knew but didn't want to go to jail,' she said.

One man in his 70s told Alice to dress up as a child and call him 'Daddy' before revealing he had molested his young daughter.

Alice (pictured) always looked young for her age and while she was advertised as a 19-year-old, many of her clients liked to believe the brothel used a false age

'It is just so distressing to me to know that people who have paedophilic inclinations are going to sex workers to role-play their fantasies instead of going to seek help from the appropriate channels,' she said.

'I worry that one day they will escalate to hurting an actual child.'

Sexual assault was also part of Alice's daily routine, with many clients forcing themselves on her despite her pleading for them to stop

Sexual assault was also part of Alice's daily routine, with many clients who did not come in for sex forcing themselves on her despite her pleading for them to stop.

She recalled one man pushing her onto a bed and holding his forearm over her throat as he raped her.

'Clients get violent frequently - sometimes they don't even realise that what they are doing is violent and threatening,' she said, adding that it was common for men to re-enact violent fantasies they see in porn.

Alice said she had her hair pulled, she was slapped and called a 'b**ch or wh**e', but her employers would always turn a blind eye as it was not in their interests to upset their clients.

'Violence is considered part of the job - you are expected to just "get on with it",' she said.

'You are always worried that the next client may be the one who goes too far, who doesn't stop when you say stop - the client that kills you.'

Alice confided in a friend (pictured), also in the sex industry,about her fears and was told her she deserved better

Alice said she and the other girls she worked with would abuse drugs and alcohol in a vain attempt to disassociate from the horrors they would experience each day.

'Thinking about it now, we never ever sat around speaking about how much we loved our jobs and our lives,' she told Daily Mail Australia.

'We always spoke about the trauma of it all - and there seemed to be a never-ending supply of stories about the horrible and unwanted things clients had done.'

Alice's mental health quickly declined, with the once vibrant young woman becoming so desperate to end the pain she tried to take her own life.

'You are always worried that the next client may be the one who goes too far, who doesn't stop when you say stop - the client that kills you.'

After four years in the industry, Alice reached breaking point when a man made her write offensive slurs on her body in permanent marker before asking her to insert various objects inside herself while he photographed her.

When she declined, he threatened to dob her in to her boss and expose her as a sex worker to her friends and family.

'I thought these things about myself and believed them to be true and was used to people calling me them, but to see them written out on my skin somehow made them feel all the more real,' Alice said.

'It was awful standing there, feeling so exposed as though the whole world knew what a horrible person I really was,' she added.

Alice said she and the other girls she worked with would abuse drugs and alcohol in a vain attempt to disassociate from the horrors they would experience each day

Alice said she feared for her safety, even once the session was over and left the words emblazoned on her skin 'to punish' herself for the rest of the weekend.

'The whole event was just so traumatic and upsetting that I didn't want to ever return to work, but leaving the sex industry is not that easy - it's not something you just walk away from with no strings attached,' she said.

At the age of 26, Alice confided in a friend about the distressing incident.

Her friend, also in the sex industry, told her she deserved better, and while Alice was convinced she didn't, the idea slowly started to resonate with her.

When she returned home for a Christmas holiday in 2014, Alice met the love of her life who also worked tirelessly to build up her self confidence and worth.

After returning home from a holiday for Christmas, Alice decided she would never work in the sex industry again

She said he made her realise she did not need to sell her body to random men and vowed never to step foot back in the industry again.

Alice said there was no one to tell her how 'damaged and broken' she would be after working in the sex industry and had shared her experiences in the hopes she can inform others that it was not the 'empowering' profession she once thought it was.

'You hear about women having a lot of financial success and feeling very empowered as a result of working in the sex industry, but I've personally never ever met one of these women,' she said.

'I don't know where they are hiding.'

Alice's fiance helped her build her self confidence and worth after leaving the sex industry in 2014

Alice believes the only people benefiting from the industry are those who make money from vulnerable young women selling themselves - namely the club owners, managers and pimps.

She said sex workers are far more likely to be the victims of homicide and other violent crimes, with many 'living in fear' every time they go to work.

'The abuse of sex workers by clients happens so frequently that people don't even consider it to be abuse, especially because the clients are paying you,' Alice said.

'They think that just because you sell sex then you should just put up with it and not complain.'

The former sex worker said she had faced a torrent of abuse since writing about her experiences in 'Prostitution Narratives: Stories of Survival in the Sex Trade'.

But the 28-year-old is adamant she will not be deterred from sharing her story 'no matter how hard the sex industry and it's supporters try to silence me'.

'I certainly did not know before I started working in the sex industry that doing so would destroy me physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually,' Alice said.

'I did not know that clients would rape me, force me to do things I didn't want to do, that my bosses would do nothing about this abuse, that the workers use drugs and alcohol to cope with their work or any of the other dangers.

'If I had known any of this there is no way I would have made the choice to enter the industry.'

Alice spoke out against the sex industry after sharing her story in the book 'Prostitution Narratives: Stories of Survival in the Sex Trade'

Alice said she had a particularly nasty incident with a group that advocates for sex worker rights only minutes after she had shared her harrowing story of trauma and abuse.

She was encouraged to re-enter the industry in New South Wales, where the 'conditions' were better and pimps took a smaller cut of their earnings.

'I was disappointed that she thought it was appropriate to suggest I should give sex work "another go" - as if I perhaps hadn't tried hard enough the first time and that was the reason I didn't have a positive experience,' Alice said.

Alice said she wanted other girls out there to know her life did not resemble that of the character Hannah Baxter from the television program 'Secret Diary of a Call Girl' - a fantasy she had once believed her life could be like.

She was not a 'confident, happy, rich and care-free woman'.

Instead, she was left broken, fearful and ashamed, and wants others to know there are far better options than entering the sex industry.

'I want anyone thinking of entering the industry to know that there is this darker, dangerous side to it,' Alice said.
Andy Cohen is finally willing to dish some dirt.

In an explosive upcoming memoir, Superficial: More Adventures from the Andy Cohen Diaries, the overlord of all of Bravo's notorious 'The Real Housewives' franchises, is set to tell tales on his many divas, DailyMail.com can reveal.

The openly gay talk show host and TV producer also dishes about a threesome he once had with a married couple and shares intimate scenes from his fabulous celebrity-studded life - Cohen's inner-circle includes Anderson Cooper, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kelly Ripa.

The 48-year-old's earlier books, Most Talkative and The Andy Cohen Diaries, were fun reads but short on gossip.

But in advance publicity for his latest memoir, Cohen promised this time will be different.

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In one snippet of Superficial: More Adventures from the Andy Cohen Diaries, Cohen tells Kelly Ripa about a threesome he was going to have with a married couple

Cohen notes that the Beverly Hills housewives, about to film one of their notoriously vicious reunions (one pictured above), are 'really dosed up on pills'

'People are going to be pissed, because I'm really revealing a lot,' he told ET in June. 'I'm moving the goal post, and I just feel like if I'm going to do it again, it has to be bigger and better and dishier.'

The book isn't out until November 15, but DailyMail.com was given an exclusive run down of its contents and Cohen doesn't disappoint.

The diary dates from September 2014 to May 2015 and some entries drop tantalizing nuggets.

He writes about the difficult conversation he had with Carole Radziwell, a close friend and member of the New York cast, telling her she wasn't invited to a party

Cohen notes that the Beverly Hills housewives, about to film one of their notoriously vicious reunions, are 'really dosed up on pills'.

He writes about the difficult conversation he had with Carole Radziwell, a close friend and member of the New York cast, telling her that she and Bethenny Frankel won't be invited to a party his friend Anderson Cooper is hosting in his honor.

When Radziwell learns the same would be true for his annual Christmas gala, she awkwardly protested that his friends are her friends too.

Cohen can only tell her that it wouldn't be fair to the other women on the show.

Another gem inside the book comes when Cohen decides to get honest about his romantic pursuits that often take shape as a steamy sexual encounter.

When a married couple he was hoping to seduce into a threesome sent him a picture, he immediately send it to his celebrity friends  including Kelly Ripa and her husband Mark Consuelo - to digest.

The wife was a beautiful blonde, the husband a muscular, tanned mechanic. And Cohen confesses he didn't want to go to his grave never having had sex with a woman.

In that respect, he considers himself a 46-year-old virgin.

Cohen tells how a drunk Lindsay Lohan tried to sell him on an app to lease private planes for a buy in of $8,000

'Jake's very handsome and Angela is beautiful and I am very happy for you,' Ripa assured him.

Her husband, Mark Conseulos, was succinct: 'Dude!'

In the hotel room, the stoned and happy threesome thoroughly enjoyed each other, but Cohen notes that while 'I did things with a girl for the first time in thirty years, I did not lose my virginity.'

On another night the Emmy winning producer is having dinner at Dirty French, a posh New York bistro, with Bethenny Frankel and her close pal from the Beverly Hills franchise, Kyle Richards.

Eric Stonestreet, star of Modern Family, was also part of the evening.

Richards, known for her highly attuned celebrity radar, kept mentioning that Lindsay Lohan was two booths away.

Cohen wasn't convinced it was actually her even as Richards waved the woman over.

He was nervous a stranger was headed their way, but it turned out that it was, indeed, the dissolute former star.

Lohan plopped herself down and in an affected bizarre European accent, informed them she was now living in London, Dubai and Morocco, though maybe it was Monaco. Cohen says he can't remember.

Cohen says that one of his favorite evenings of performing was at a 50th birthday party for his dear friend Sarah Jessica Parker

But she had a story to tell and she couldn't have found a better audience.

Lohan said she was in town to do community service for two weeks.

That day, former New York housewife, Jill Zarin, had accompanied her.

That sounds like community service itself, Frankel said snidely - her ugly feud with Zarin ranks high in the annals of Housewives' fall outs.

Lohan said she loved Zarin like family. She then busied herself trying to sell Cohen on an app to lease private planes for a buy-in of $8,000.

Cohen's upcoming book, Superficial: More Adventures from the Andy Cohen Diaries hits stores on November 15

When Cohen left for home, Lohan was outside smoking. He dodged the bullet by quickly ducking into his Uber.

One of his favorite evenings was the night he performed at the Carlyle for his dear friend Sarah Jessica Parker.

She was turning 50, and her husband, Matthew Broderick, had friends perform songs from Annie, the musical she starred in as a 12-year-old.

In the famous Bemelmans Bar in Manhattan, Cohen took the stage to warble out Annie hit You're Never Fully Dressed Without a Smile.

Fellow guest, Canadian actor Victor Garber, did a more polished turn with Daddy, the Warbucks song. Broderick belted out Little Girls.

Hearts broke when Parker's 12-year-old son, James Wilkie, sang Maybe directly to this mother. Cohen says he sobbed.

Other gems in the much anticipated book include his warm feelings for Teresa Giudice, the New Jersey housewife who went to prison convicted of tax fraud.

It seems her husband, Joe, was drinking three bottles of wine at a sitting before starting his own prison term in March.

Cohen's celebrity-packed weekend in Hollywood during the Oscars is next to feature.

From that delirious swirl of parties Cohen recalls eyeing George Clooney and his wife, the glorious Amal, 'all over each other' at an A-list shin-dig.
Pictures have emerged of coffins containing the bodies of migrants being unloaded from an oil platform supply ship in the Sicilian harbour of Palermo.

The bodies of 17 migrants who had died from suffocation, dehydration, hypothermia or simple exhaustion were unloaded from the Siem Pilot on Monday.

The Siem Pilot, a vessel built as an oil platform supply ship but now used by the EU border force Frontex in its Mediterranean rescue operations, was part of an operation that saw 1,000 migrants rescued from the coast of Libya, including traumatized children and toddlers.

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A coffin containing the body of a migrant is disembarked from the Norwegian vessel Siem Pilot in the Sicilian harbour of Palermo

A doctor holds a baby as they disembark from the Siem Pilot

The Siem Pilot is a vessel built as an oil platform supply ship but is now used by the EU border force Frontex in its Mediterranean rescue operations

A small child disembarks from the Siem Pilot, clutching a cuddly toy

A young migrant clutching a toy giraffe walks down Siem Pilot's gangplank

Pal Erik Teigen, a Norwegian police officer in command of operations on the Siem Pilot, said that the night's operation was complicated by the arrival of aggressive people smugglers determined to recover their dinghies.

He told AFP: 'For us, when we do the rescue, the most important thing is to rescue the people first. And then we could try to catch or take hold of the facilitators (smugglers). Their boat headed away once we began sailing for Palermo with 1,093 people on board.

'To have so many people on the boat is difficult. But those on the boat are taken good care of. They get blankets, they get food and they get water. We have a doctor and nurses and we have a medical room to use when necessary.'

Staff members prepare coffins to be used to contain the bodies of the dead migrants

Pal Erik Teigen, a Norwegian police officer in command of operations on the Siem Pilot, said that the night's operation was complicated by the arrival of aggressive people smugglers determined to recover their dinghies

During the night, a baby boy was also born, prematurely at 1.25 kg (2.75 pounds), and later taken ashore on the Italian island of Lampedusa.

'That was the first time we have had a baby born on the Siem Pilot,' said Teigen.

Teigen explained that he had had to make a tough call on Saturday  to sail away from desperate migrants in the water in order to safeguard the lives of others.

The drama began at around 8 pm, 20 nautical miles off Libya, as rescuers were transferring migrants onto the Siem Pilot.

The migrants were being transferred from a tanker with over 900 people on board, said Teigen.

At around 3 am, the crew spotted a number of dark rubber boats coming towards the Siem Pilot.

'We followed them with the search lights and as the sun rose, we saw a total of 12 rubber boats,' he said.

The Norwegian military ship Siem Pilot, shown in 2015, brought more than 1,000 rescued migrants from 20 nautical miles off the coast of Libya to Palermo, Italy

Some of the more distant migrants were rescued by other military or civilian boats, including medical charity Doctors Without Borders' Dignity 1, whose crew could do nothing for some 10 people who fell into the sea before it arrived.

'We had four (rubber dinghies) close to the Siem Pilot. We transferred some of (the people on) them to the Siem Pilot until we reached the limit of capacity,' Teigen said, adding that everyone was given a life vest and that if anybody had been in imminent danger they could have been taken on board immediately.

But then one of the dinghies began to motor towards the Siem Pilot.

Following instructions from the crew, the boat stopped a little way off, but then the people on board began jumping into the water.

It was then that Teigen took the decision to sail away, confident that 'everybody had their life vest, so we knew they would float'.

'The main reason to move the Siem Pilot was to keep the other people inside the boat,' said Teigen, adding that this also gave room for other small craft to go to the migrants' rescue.

'The small (rescue) boats picked up the 24 (people) that had jumped into the water and took them over to the tanker. We stabilised the situation and everything was quiet after that and nobody drowned,' he said.

The rescue came as Belgium's Queen Mathilde arrived in Jordan to begin a humanitarian visit.

The rescue came as Belgium's Queen Mathilde (pictured) arrived in Jordan to begin a humanitarian visit

The monarch, 43, began her trip to the Middle East by visiting Jordan's biggest refugee camp Al Zaatari in Mafraq near the Syrian border, which is home to 80,000 people.

Mathilde smiled warmly as an elderly woman attempted to kiss her hand, despite wearing an oxygen mask as she spoke to patients at the UNICEF Makani Centre.

She arrived in the Middle East last night, and told a journalist on her flight that she was expecting the next seven days to be 'emotional and intense'.

The royal is a UN Special Advocate for the Sustainable Development Goals and today's visit coincided with United Nations Day.
A man was fatally shot by police after he ignored an order to put down his rifle during a domestic call, Kentucky State Police say.

Trooper Billy Gregory said that 38-year-old Kenny Tomblin of Edmonton was shot by troopers just after 1am on Sunday.

Gregory says a woman told Metcalfe County dispatchers that she and Tomblin had been involved in a physical altercation.

Kenny Tomblin, 38, (pictured) was fatally shot by police after he ignored an order to put down his rifle during a domestic call

The woman said Tomblin was 'outside shooting a gun into the air' and called 9-1-1 from a neighbor's home.

The dispatcher was able to hear gunshots over the phone, police said.

A sheriff's deputy encountered Tomblin, who went into his residence, brought out the rifle and approached troopers who had arrived.

A woman told Metcalfe County dispatchers that she and Tomblin had been involved in a physical altercation

The woman said Tomblin was 'outside shooting a gun into the air' and called 9-1-1 from a neighbor's home. When police arrived, Tomblin allegedly fired into the air

Gregory says Tomblin refused to put the rifle down and discharged the weapon. Troopers returned fire, striking him.

No one else was injured.

Metcalfe County Police are investigating the shooting.

Edmonton is about 115 miles south of Louisville.
The 'expensive and increasingly unaffordable' housing market has incited a push from federal government to release more land and re-evaluate planning rules.

Treasurer Scott Morrison said he will discuss the possibility of axing rules that prevent or stop new homes from being built with state and federal treasurers during a meeting in December, according to The Sydney Morning Herald.

Mr Morrison also said he will address incentives for state governments to alter their laws to make more land available to buyers who are 'finding it harder and harder to get into the market.'

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Treasurer Scott Morrison said on Monday the 'expensive and increasingly unaffordable' housing market in Australia has incited a push to release more land and re-evaluate planning rules (stock image)

In a speech prepared for the Urban Development Institute of Australia, Mr Morrison (right) said he will speak with state and federal treasurers in December about incentives to make more land available

'Housing affordability is also not just a problem for prospective home buyers. As younger people and families are delayed or frustrated in purchasing their first home, this is placing pressure on the private rental market and, in turn, concessional or affordable housing accommodation and ultimately social housing,' Mr Morrison will tell the Urban Development Institute of Australia on Monday, according to an advance copy of the speech seen by The Sydney Morning Herald.

'State governments cannot do much about the physical geography occupied by our cities, [but] they could do a great deal to improve planning processes and the provision of infrastructure.'

'The government will therefore also be discussing with the states the potential to remove residential land use planning regulations that unnecessarily impede housing supply and are not in the broader public interest. This will be the strong focus of my discussions at the next Council on Federal Financial Relations that I will convene in early December,' Mr Morrison will say.

He will also discuss the reassessment of planning rules that prevent or stop new homes from being built (stock image)

'State governments cannot do much about the physical geography occupied by our cities, [but] they could do a great deal to improve planning processes and the provision of infrastructure,' Mr Morrison said (stock image)

Mr Morrison denied that cheap credit is boosting an investor-driven property bubble.

He said capital city prices have grown by 65 percent and 40 percent in Sydney and Melbourne, respectively, since 2012.

It now takes a couple with two incomes almost eight years to save for a 20 percent deposit on a home in Sydney, compared to 5.8 years in 2010, he said.

It would take the same couple 5.8 years, compared to 5.3 years in Melbourne.

But large cities in other states, such as Perth and Darwin, have seen a decrease in the number of years needed to save for a deposit, Mr Morrison said.
Witnesses said masked man shot 20-year-old twice in the leg in attack

Shooting was part of war between gangs with terror links, it is reported

Gang members with alleged links to ISIS are believed to have torched a car in Sydney's west after it was used in a targeted shooting, police say.

Dramatic footage shows the vehicle exploding millimeters away from firefighters as they attempt to put it out on Sunday night in the city's Guilford neighborhood.

Officers told 9 News that the fire was likely an attempt to destroy evidence which they believe links the vehicle to a shooting the previous day.

This is the moment a burning car exploded in western Sydney after police say it was deliberately set on fire to destroy evidence from an earlier shooting

A 20-year-old man was taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries at around 1.20pm on Saturday after being shot twice in South Granville.

Witnesses told the Sydney Morning Herald that a man in a white car wearing a black mask pulled up to the victim before opening fire.

The victim is thought to have been shot once in the leg and another time in the buttock before the attacker fled. No arrests have yet been made.

Officers say the daylight attack was targeted, while experts told 9 News that it is likely the result of a turf dispute between organized gangs.

Police say the car was used in a daylight attack on Saturday in which a 20-year-old man was shot twice in the leg

Experts believe the attack was part of a gang turf war, while sources have told 9 News that some of the members have links to ISIS

Sources have since told the news station that the bullets were meant for another man who recently returned from Syria and is believed to have links to ISIS.

News of a potential gang turf war comes after agents from the Middle Eastern Organised Crime Squad raided five homes in Western Sydney in search of drugs and weapons last week, including one in Guilford, where the fire took place.

Police seized $145,000 cash, seven firearms and bullets, 1.5kg of cannabis, 113 milligrams of meth, MDMA, a grenade, and plain package cigarettes.

The police also found two stolen luxury vehicles, stolen items and a dismantled hydroponic operation and clandestine laboratory. Eleven people were arrested.

Witnesses said a man wearing a black mask and riding in a white car approached his victim at around 1.20pm in Sydney on Saturday before opening fire
With a little more than two weeks to go until Election Day, Democratic candidate Colleen Deacon has secured her biggest endorsement yet in the 24th Congressional District race.

President Barack Obama threw his support behind Deacon, D-Syracuse, in her bid to unseat U.S. Rep. John Katko, a freshman Republican congressman.

In a statement, Obama cited the need to elect Democratic leaders who will "get things done for the middle class."

"Colleen is a champion for central New York families and will to create an economy that works for everyone in this district," Obama said. "She isn't afraid to take on the tough fights, like defending a woman's right to make her own health care decisions, protecting Social Security and Medicare, making sure we keep our sacred promises to our nation's veterans and their families and addressing the crushing burden of student loan debt felt by so many central New York students and families."

The president added, "Colleen is the kind of tough and smart leader who will build on all we've accomplished and take our nation forward, and that's why I know central New York can count on Colleen."

Deacon has already received support from several prominent Democrats, including House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and U.S. Rep. Xavier Becerra, a top House Democrat who visited central New York earlier this month and campaigned with Deacon.

New York's U.S. senators, Kirsten Gillibrand and Chuck Schumer, also have endorsed Deacon.

Deacon was Gillibrand's central New York regional director for six years until she left the position to run for Congress.

The endorsement  a Democratic president backing a Democratic congressional candidate  isn't surprising, but it could give a boost to Deacon's campaign in the final weeks of the race.

A Time Warner Cable News/Siena College poll released last week showed Deacon trailing Katko by 23 points. Political forecasters have moved the race's rating from a "toss up" to "leans Republican."

While Katko appears to have a sizable lead, both parties continue to treat the race as one of the more competitive House contests in the country.

Democrats and Republicans are airing new television commercials in the Syracuse media market and outside groups have invested more than $3 million this cycle, according to Federal Election Commission records.

With Obama's endorsement, Democrats could be energized to support Deacon leading up to Election Day and at the polls on Nov. 8.

"I am beyond honored to have the endorsement of Barack Obama," Deacon said. "In Congress, I will take on the tough fights just as I've done for central New York small businesses, veterans, seniors and families to cut through the red tape and make government work for them."
A man has been caught driving more than six times over the blood as he was arriving home.

Two members of the public notified police of a 4WD driving carelessly in Cranbourne East, east of Melbourne.

One of them even followed the vehicle as it drove to a house on Linsell Boulevard at 1.30am on Monday.

Members of the public notified police of a 40-year-old man driving erratically. Officers intercepted the man just metres away from his door and gave him a preliminary breath test (stock image) where he tested positive

Officers were able to catch up with the man as he was pulling into his driveway.

Police who spoke with the 40-year-old man driver and who returned a positive preliminary breath test.

He was taken to the Narre Warren Police Station for further testing and recorded an alcohol reading of 0.316 per cent.

The man is expected to be charged on summons with drink driving related offences.
Rapper Perm (pictured left), the son of Dean Whyte, a close friend of British boxing heavyweight Dillian Whyte (pictured inset below), was gunned down in Brixton, south London, last night following a car chase. The pursuit ended in the death of delivery driver Guilherme Messias Da Silva (pictured right), who was riding his scooter (pictured inset above) to his final delivery of the night when he was struck by a vehicle containing the rapper. According to the police, the drill star then jumped out and tried to outrun his gun-wielding pursuer, but was shot down. The killer escaped the scene and has yet to be found by police - sparking a manhunt. Today boxing manager Dean - who often refers to Dillian as his brother - announced the news on Instagram. In an emotional post Dean, who has become famous in his own right for helping to promote Dillian's fights, wrote: 'R.I.P my boy. Daddy loves u. Life has changed forever'. The heavyweight boxer, 34, this morning shared the Instagram story with his own, adding a number of broken heart emojis. It comes after colleagues of Deliveroo driver Guilherme claimed he was just minutes away from finishing his shift when he was killed in Sunday's shooting. They paid tribute to Guilherme, who is believed to have lived in the UK for the last two years, having moved from his hometown of Petrolina de Goias, near the Brazilian capital Brasilia. Fellow driver Paulo Silva, 42, described him as a 'good boy' and said he had been planning to go back to Brazil in December. He said: 'He was a very nice guy. It is so sad. He had planned to return to Brazil soon but it will not happen now.'
Two teenagers who were arrested and charged with murdering an 18-year-old wrote 'disturbing' Facebook posts, police said.

Suspects Dakota White, 17, and Brandon Warren, 18, were taken into custody late Wednesday before a search party found Sam Poss' dead body in the woods of Houston County, Georgia.

A preliminary autopsy on Friday concluded that Poss, who suffered stab wounds in his torso, was strangled to death, according to Perry police captain Heath Dykes.

Dykes confirmed White's Facebook page was listed under the pseudonym TG Rilla, where he wrote: 'I wouldn't mind taking a knife, shoving it into someones throat and just watch them choke on their own blood until they die.'

Warren's Facebook also included an ominous introduction which read: 'Who could love you but the mold that sprouts from your cold sad corpse.'

Dakota White, 17 (left) and Brandon Warren, 18 (right) have been arrested in the killing of a missing Georgia high school graduate

Sam Poss, 18, pictured with his mother on the day of his graduation, was found dead in the woods Wednesday

Poss, a recent high school graduate who had aspired to join the US Navy, was reported missing last Saturday morning.

He was last seen alive at around 1.30am on Saturday walking barefoot along a wooded trail leaving White's House on the 1100 block of Tucker Road in Perry.

A large-scale search operation was launched after Poss failed to return to his father's home located just a half-mile away on Frank Satterfield Road.

White initially told police that he picked up Poss so he could work on his computer, but Dykes later said that was not true, adding White's account has since changed.

Poss was killed sometime between 11pm Friday and 7am Saturday at White's home, according to Warrens arrest warrant cited by13WMAZ.

His body was found partially decomposed about five miles away from White's home in the woods near Lake Joy on Wednesday, and an autopsy concluded he died from suffocation and strangulation after he was stabbed in the chest.

White and Poss were friends who often played computer games together, while Warren was an acquaintance of the victim, the TV station reported.

All three teens attended Perry High School together at one point, although police have not been able to establish a motive.

Warren's Facebook also included an ominous introduction, although it is unclear when it was written. It does not appear to be a quote or song lyric

Warren (pictured) was an acquaintance of the victim, while White and Poss were friends who often played computer games together, according to WMAZ

All three teens attended Perry High School together at one point. Police have not been able to establish a motive. Pictured, Warren

Police confirmed White's Facebook page was listed under the pseudonym TG Rilla. In one, Warren appeared concerned about his friend's inability to sleep (above)

It is unclear when Warren wrote his Facebook intro about mold sprouting from a corpse - a statement that does not appear to be a quote or song lyric - but his page made a number of references to suicide and tended towards the macabre.

White, writing under the account TG Rilla, wrote on September 13, 2015: 'I wouldn't mind taking a knife, shoving it into someones throat and just watch them choke on their own blood until they die.'

On October 4, he shared: 'When you go to finally lay down and realize there is blood all over your pillow lol.'

He also shared numerous links to news stories about Poss' disappearance, with one post declaring, 'Please share'.

Dykes, who looked over both teenagers' social media pages, as well as their phones, computers and PlayStations, told the Telegraph: 'Honestly, they are disturbing.'

Commenting on the entire case, Dykes, a veteran police investigator, told WMAZ: 'There's a lot of really weird things in this case. This case is disturbing. I don't know why anybody would do this to someone.'

He also said: 'This young man Sam lost his life for merely nothing. I mean for no reason whatsoever.'

Poss' autopsy concluded he died from suffocation and strangulation after he was stabbed in the chest (pictured, the victim with his parents)

Poss was killed sometime between 11pm Friday and 7am Saturday at White's home, and his body was found partially decomposed about five miles away on Wednesday

Two of Warren's friends said he while he was technically a senior at Perry High, he was attending Edge Academy, the Telegraph reported.

According to a manual published by the school, 'The purpose of Edge Academy is to provide interventions for students having difficulty meeting standards....'

One of Warren's friends said White was not enrolled in school and had a history of trouble.

Warren and White appeared in court on Thursday morning, and a judge ordered they both be held without bond.
Sweatshops in Turkey have been accused of exploiting children and Syrian refugees to make cheap clothes for British fashion chains.

Third-party suppliers to the likes of Marks & Spencer, Asos, Zara and Mango are implicated, according to a BBC investigation.

M&S has described the findings as 'extremely serious' and has offered permanent legal employment to any Syrians who were working at one supplier's factory.

Seven Syrians were working in one of the main factories used by a supplier to M&S, according to BBC Panorama.

Third-party suppliers to the likes of Marks & Spencer (pictured), Asos, Zara and Mango are implicated, according to a BBC investigation.

The refugees often earned little more than 1 an hour  well below the Turkish minimum wage  and were employed through a middleman who paid them in cash.

One of the refugees said the workers were poorly treated. 'If anything happens to a Syrian, they will throw him away like a piece of cloth,' he said.

M&S said its own investigations have not found a single Syrian refugee working in its supply chain in Turkey.

The company said: 'The findings are extremely serious and are unacceptable to M&S. We are working closely with this supplier to take remedial action'. Several Syrian children were found hard at work in a backstreet workshop in Istanbul.

Researchers discovered an Asos sample in the office.

Asos accepts its clothes were made in the factory, but says it was not an approved supplier.

The company has since inspected and found 11 Syrian adults and three Syrian children under 16 at work.

The web fashion giant said the children will be financially supported so they can return to school and the adult refugees will be paid a wage until they are found legal work.

The investigation also discovered Syrian refugees working 12-hour days in a factory that was distressing jeans for Mango and Zara.

They were spraying hazardous chemicals to bleach the denim, but most of them did not even have a basic face mask.

Mango said the factory was working as a subcontractor without its knowledge.

Its subsequent inspection did not find any Syrian workers. It found the conditions were 'good' except for some personal safety measures.

Zara's parent company, Inditex, had already found significant non-compliance in June and had given the factory until December to make improvements.

The investigation also discovered Syrian refugees working 12-hour days in a factory that was distressing jeans for Mango and Zara (pictured)

In another Istanbul factory, Panorama found Syrian adults at work alongside Turkish children as young as ten.

The owner said he had been working for Next and showed the undercover team a set of Next pyjamas that he said the factory had helped produce.

Next insisted the pyjamas were made by another supplier. Danielle McMullan, from the Business and Human Rights Resource Centre, said the fashion brands need to do more to ensure their suppliers abide by bas ic ethical standards.

She said: 'It's not enough to say 'we didn't know about this, it's not our fault.' They have a responsibility to monitor and to understand where their clothes are being made'.

Panorama reporter Darragh MacIntyre, who spoke to dozens of Syrian workers, said: 'They speak of pitiful wages and terrible working conditions.

'They know they are being exploited but they know they can do nothing about it.'
him out just a month later

Two of Donald Trump's closest former aides are linked to a firm that lobbied to help the Russian government spy on its own people, sources say.

Both former Trump campaign Chairman Paul Manafort and ex aide Rick Gates allegedly have ties to EyeLock, a New York firm which produces 'iris-reading' technology.

The company had lobbied Vladimir Putin's government which was looking to secretly install 'iris-reading' technology in their subways to locate people on their watch lists, sources told the New York Post.

Former Trump campaign Chairman Paul Manafort (left) and ex aide Rick Gates (right) allegedly have ties to EyeLock, a New York firm which produces 'iris-reading' technology

'It raises a lot of questions about national security and what should have been publicly disclosed to get a better handle on ties between the Trump campaign and the Russian government,' a former White House official told the Post.

The technology could scan as many as 50 people within a minute - allowing Russia to keep track of anyone walking through including political figures, diplomats, journalists or even tourists.

'They had some people on a naughty list, a black list, and they wanted to track these people,' a former executive told The Post. 'It was more surveillance, hit a black-list database, send up an alert.'

Eyelock did not get the contract.

But its ties to Putin's government raised questions about two of Trump's closest former aides.

Manafort was a major early investor in EyeLock, investing $1 million which gave him a 10 percent share in the company until his stake were diluted when the company was acquired last year by Voxx International.

Meanwhile Gates was hired by EyeLock as an independent contractor to build business in the Middle East.

Both Manafort and Gates were aware of its plans to enter the Russian market, sources said.

But Manafort was forced to resign in August amid increasing pressure over his ties to Ukraine's pro-Russian government.

His consulting company, David Manafort & Freeman, had helped elect Viktor Yanukovich, Ukraine's pro-Putin president, sources claim.

Gates stepped down just one month later.

EyeLock, a New York firm which produces 'iris-reading' technology, lobbied Vladimir Putin's (pictured) government which was looking to secretly install 'iris-reading' technology in their subways to locate people on their watch lists, sources said

Trump hired Manafort, whose experience with presidential contests stretches back to the Gerald Ford era, in March to supervise what was expected to be a bloody fight over a thin margin of delegates needed to capture the GOP presidential nomination.

Manafort brought in Gates and other longtime associates to work under him, professionalizing the campaign but also introducing the uncertainty that comes with new blood.

Gates was also named to DailyMail.com by several sources with knowledge of the steps that led to Melania Trump delivering a her now famous plagiarized speech.

Gates has said previously that he had no involvement at Eyelock with the Russian market.

Neither he or Manafort responded to reporters' request for comment.

EyeLock deny Manafort had any direct involvement with the company but was simply a minority shareholder.

'There is an entity which holds a minority interest in EyeLock LLC,' the company said in a statement.

'The Company understands that Mr. Manafort has (or had) a .03% indirect interest in EyeLock LLC through that entity. The notion that small, indirect interest would give Mr. Manafort a financial incentive to attempt to act on behalf of EyeLock is preposterous.'

Trump hired Manafort, whose experience with presidential contests stretches back to the Gerald Ford era, in March (pictured together in July)

There is no suggestion that EyeLock broke any rules by entering the Russian market.

But news that two of Trump's closest aides have been doing business with Putin's government is unwelcome news for the Republican candidate who is facing scrutiny over his own relationship with the Russian leader.

Trump, who has previously said Putin is a stronger leader than President Obama, was even accused of being his 'puppet' in a fiery presidential debate by rival Hillary Clinton.

After claiming that Putin had 'no respect' for Clinton, she had fired back: 'Well that's because he'd rather have a puppet as president of the United States.

'You continue to get help from him because he has a very clear favorite in this race,' Clinton said.

A supporter of hers, former CIA deputy director Michael Morell, has said Trump may be an 'unwitting agent' of the Russian Federation, citing a series of campaign ties and policy positions.

Trump has previously praised Putin saying, ' The man has very strong control over a country,' when asked about Putin's past praise for him at a commander in chief forum on NBC.

EYELOCK'S IRIS SCANNING TECHNOLOGY New York-based firm EyeLock describes itself as a leader in biometric technology, and a provider of iris-based identity authentication products and technology solutions. They have several products which are able to scan someone's iris - while that information is relayed back to a database which searches for a match. They include the HBOX, an overhead iris scanner which can be discretely installed above a crowd on the wall or ceiling. The tech recognizes up to 50 people per minute, both while moving and at-a-distance. EyeLock's website states it is 'ideal for high throughput environments such as building lobbies, border control, transportation (airports), stadiums, manufacturing / construction and theme parks.' The biometric experts also offer the NXT - an iris scanner used for door or building entrance - and the Myris device. The $250 Myris is a handheld device which scans a user's iris to create an encrypted code which can be used for an extra security step for online passwords. Once registered, each user can add various online passwords to their Myris profile. Next time the user visits one of these accounts, instead of entering a password, they can scan their eyes for immediate and secure access. According to EyeLock, the False Acceptance Rate of the average fingerprint sensor, in which the system is hacked by an unknown print, is one in every 10,000 scans. For iris scans, this increases to one 1 in 2.25 trillion scans. Biometric experts at New York-based firm EyeLock create a dongle fitted with an iris scanner Advertisement

'I think when he calls me brilliant I'll take the compliment, okay?' Trump said when pressed about Putin, whose regime is under U.S. and international sanctions over Russia's incursion into Ukraine. 'The fact is, look, it's not gonna get him anywhere,' he added.

'If he says great things about me, I'm going to say great things about him.'

Trump also took heat in July when he spoke about encouraging Russia try to uncover Hillary Clinton's emails.

'Russia, if you're listening, I hope you're able to find the 30,000 emails that are missing,' Trump said.

He later claimed he was joking and insisted that 'nobody knows for a fact' that Russia has been behind the DNC leaks.

Trump's campaign denies any knowledge of Manafort and Gates' ties to EyeLock.
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A perfectly formed rainbow arching over Lake District waters has led to a small pot of gold for the photographer who captured it.

The perfectly-framed shot of a figure standing by Wast Water, in Cumbria, under the rainbow picked up the Great Britain prize at the Landscape Photographer of the Year Awards - netting Mr Gilligan 1,000.

This category was for images which showcased the diversity of experiences that can only be had on a trip across the UK.

Director of marketing at prize sponsor VisitBritain, Robin Johnson, said of the image: 'It is a fantastic example of the powerful role that imagery plays in inspiring people to travel and experience new destinations, allowing them to literally "put themselves in the picture".'

But Mr Gilligan's effort was just one of many stunning photographs that were honoured at the ceremony.

This photograph was taken by Mark Gilligan of Wast Water, in Cumbria, and is entitled Finding Gold

Matthew Cattell's picture captured in Brighton, East Sussex, entitled Starling Vortex, won the Landscape Photographer of the Year 2016

Martin Birks' image of Chrome Hill in the Peak District, Derbyshire, won the Living the View gong

This photograph of Caister-on-Sea, Norfolk, taken by Damian Ward has scooped the Adobe Prize Winner at this year's ceremony

Dougie Cunningham's photograph of Loch Stack in Sutherland, Scotland, entitled Shelter from the Storm, which has won the Classic View prize

An image of starlings swirling around the remains of Brighton's West Pier scooped the top prize and a 10,000 reward.

The dramatic shot by Matthew Cattell, from Bracknell, Berkshire, which judges likened to the tornado in the Wizard of Oz, beat thousands of entries showcasing the UK landscape.

An atmospheric black and white photograph of a walker on a ridge above a spreading tree in the Peak District and an image of the delicate tracery of a sandbank against calm water were among the category winners in the competition.

A view of a windswept cottage in the Scottish Highlands, a dramatic shot of urban tower blocks being demolished, and a railway viaduct forming the backdrop to a rocky landscape in the Yorkshire Dales also won categories.

Charlie Waite, landscape photographer and founder of the Take A View Landscape Photographer of the Year awards, said of the overall winner: 'The sense of movement is palpable in Matthew's photograph and you really feel what it would have been like to stand beside him.

This photograph taken by Tony Higginson of Shifting Sands, at Silverdale, Lancashire, picked up the Your View award

The demolition of the Red Road Flats, in Glasgow, Scotland entitled Demolition, was captured by Lesley Smith and earned her the won the Urban view 2016

A photograph taken by Rachael Talibart of Storm Imogen at Newhaven, East Sussex, which has won The Sunday Times Magazine Award Winner 2016

Hannah Faith Jackson won the Young Landscape Photographer of the Year for this picture of Mirror Bar, in Glasgow

'The starlings seem to be swirling around the iconic remains of Brighton's West Pier in a manner reminiscent of the tornado in the Wizard of Oz.

'A judicious choice of shutter speed suits both birds and water. An intriguing image.'

Hannah Faith Jackson, aged 15, from Strathaven, South Lanarkshire, won the Young Landscape Photographer of the Year in the competition for her shot of the reflections in a Glasgow bar window.
Tribal Huk gang leader Jamie Pink says he lost an eyeball as he dealt to meth dealers overrunning the town he lives in.

With a patch over his right eye and bandaged arms and hands, the notorious gang president arrived at a New Zealand newspaper office in a blood-stained, armoured vehicle loaded with weapons.

He was there to announce victory over methamphetamine dealers in the North Island town Ngaruawahia, which he summed up in three words: 'it is over', Stuff reported.

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Tribal Huk leader Jamie Pink (pictured) says he has lost an eye during a confrontation relating to his gang's methamphetamine purge

The interior of Pink's bullet-riddled Ford Explorer which is now in the hands of police

The exterior of the vehicle also shows numerous bullet holes where it was shot at

Bullet holes riddle the side of Pink's black Ford Explorer

His gang recently gave dealers 24 hours to leave town before clearing out 14 homes associated with them.

Over the weekend he was involved on a back-road confrontation but aside from being 'a little battered and bruised', he was otherwise okay.

'I've lost an eyeball, but all good.'

He abandoned the vehicle, a Ford Explorer, at the newspaper offices for police, who had collected it and were investigating.

Pink pictured driving through Ngaruawahia claiming victory over methamphetamine dealers

Members of the Tribal Huk gang from Waikato, in New Zealand's North Island

Tribal Huk president Jamie Pink pictured in a 2015 documentary

Bullet holes punctured the doors and windows and the rear windscreen was gone altogether.

Bags of cement, a punching bag and a metal plate had been arranged inside to armour the vehicle and presumably stop further bullets, Stuff reported.

In an earlier visit to the newspaper, Pink told reporters his vehicle had been shot at as payback for running meth dealers out of Ngaruawahia.

Despite Pink's claims, New Zealand Police earlier said there had been no reports of violence involving meth houses in the area during the purge.

The Tribal Huk decided to rid the town of meth after observing the impact it had had on children and families in the community.

In previous years, the gang has attracted attention for helping feed poverty-stricken school children by making up to 1000 sandwiches a day for their lunches.

The Tribal Huk decided to rid the town of meth after observing the impact it had had on children and families in the community
As many as 70 unaccompanied migrant children are being sent to an isolated village.

Locals in Great Torrington, which has a population of less than 6,000, are said to be concerned about the influx of youngsters from the Jungle camp.

The group will be taken to a temporary Home Office respite facility near the village, 14 miles south of Barnstaple.

As many as 70 unaccompanied migrant children are being sent to the isolated village of Great Torrington, which has a population of less than 6,000

Devon County Council said the hostel would provide a safe, welcoming place before the children are moved to other parts of the UK.

Councillor James McInnes added: These will be vulnerable young people. They will be frightened and exhausted. But one community leader said the choice of location was bizarre and claimed Government and council officials had failed to consult residents.

Nick Hallam said: We are a very tolerant, accommodating community, but that is a very large amount of people.

Mr Hallam, of the Great Torrington Cavaliers fundraising group, added: This is the first we have heard about it and I think that the Home Office should have consulted the community.

The group will be taken to a temporary Home Office respite facility near the village, 14 miles south of Barnstaple

Fifty to 70 is a huge number. Its a very rural area and you have to think that there are very restricted public transport services.

Access to dentists and doctors is very limited. Geoffrey Cox, Tory MP for Torridge and West Devon, told the BBC the move will not be permanent.

He added: The majority of the children will only be here for a few days.

They will be under 18 and there is no question of anyone over 18 coming.

Devon County Council said the hostel would provide a safe, welcoming place before the children are moved to other parts of the UK

The youngsters were brought into Britain under the so-called Dubs scheme.

Set up by Labour peer Alf Dubs, it allows vulnerable children  such as girls and those under 13  to come to the UK, even if they have no family ties. But sources said most coming to Great Torrington were over 16.
She is the mystery woman Gable Tostee - the Australian man cleared of his Tinder date's murder and manslaughter - turned to for support during his trial.

Daily Mail Australia can reveal New Zealand woman Lizzi Evans was the 30-year-old Gold Coast carpet layer's shoulder to cry on during his two-week trial.

Ms Evans was at the courthouse with Mr Tostee's family as a Supreme Court jury of six men and six women deliberated the 30-year-old's fate.

She was a constant presence by his side during the court proceedings and in the days since.

At the weekend, she even posted a late-night video to social media of 'Gable' reading news stories about himself.

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New Zealand woman Lizzi Evans was one of Gable Tostee's closest supporters throughout the nine-day murder trial at the Brisbane Supreme Court

Ms Evans (left) sat with his family in the public gallery of the courthouse throughout the trial

Mobbed by media, Gable Tostee (centre) savours a moment to himself on Thursday after being found not guilty of Warriena Wright's murder and manslaughter

During the four tense days the jury spent deliberating and asking questions last week, Ms Evans took pride of place in a private room for Mr Tostee's family.

She sat in the front row of the public gallery on several days, including as the jury unanimously acquitted him of all charges on Thursday afternoon.

Mr Tostee's supporters gasped as the dual 'not guilty' verdicts were read to the Court and Ms Evans was the first to leave the room with the acquitted Mr Tostee.

Ms Evans has posted a happy moment with Gable to Snapchat since the trial's conclusion.

'All Gable ever does is just read about himself,' she says during one late night clip - as he flicks through news stories apparently concerning his trial.

A smug Mr Tostee turns and tells the camera: 'I'm not up myself or anything.'

Ms Evans, pictured, shot a Snapchat video of Gable at the weekend

Mr Tostee said he was 'not up myself' in a video (screengrab left) commentated by Ms Evans at the weekend. Tostee (right) has previously boasted about wooing scores of women

Ms Evans also leapt to Mr Tostee's defence online, writing to New Zealand journalist Rachel Smalley 'had you sat through the trial you would understand why' he was found not guilty

Ms Evans has also mounted a defence of him online, writing to New Zealand journalist Rachel Smalley after she wrote a column about the Tostee trial.

She even described Ms Wright as a 'self confessed 'psycho drunk' whom felt it was OK to assault people without warning on their own home'.

'You continue to point the finger at an innocent man who acted in self defense,' Ms Evans wrote, in a scathing Facebook post.

'Correct the jury found him not guilty and had you sat through the trial you would understand why but I certainly didn't see you there.

'What a judgmental and narrow minded report about a situation you clearly know nothing about.'

In another post, she described Mr Tostee as a 'very strong willed' and 'determined' man who has been smeared by the media and was studying architecture.

Daily Mail Australia contacted Ms Evans for comment on Monday.

The Queensland coroner will now investigate the death of Warriena Wright, pictured with Gable Tostee in a selfie picture in the hours prior to her fall

It was revealed last week that Mr Tostee told friends he plans to 'start fresh' now the proceedings are over and he is a free man.

There is little doubt his life was changed forever by Tinder date Warriena Wright's fatal fall from his 14th floor Surfers Paradise apartment on August 7, 2014.

His lawyer Nick Dore has told media Mr Tostee wanted to express his condolences to Ms Wright's family but did not because of his advice.

'He is very sympathetic to Ms Wright's family,' Mr Dore said last week.

Ms Evans sat with Gable Tostee's parents Gray (on left) and Helene (right) through the final days of his trial. Gable was acquitted of Warriena Wright's murder and manslaughter

Lawyer Nick Dore (foreground) has told media Mr Tostee did not express sympathy to Warriena Wright's family before the trial because Mr Dore did not want it to be misconstrued

'It was purely at my discretion that a expression of sympathy was not forthcoming.

'His life was under a microscope...

'The last thing I wanted to do was contributed any further words that could see it being misconstrued.'

In a statement to a press pack on Thursday, Mr Dore said Mr Tostee was 'relieved' by the jury's not guilty verdict.
Sally Faulkner and a 60 Minutes crew spent two weeks in a Lebanese jail after a botched child recovery operation - but it could have been a lot worse.

The driver of the getaway car that ferried Ms Faulkner, her children and recovery agents to their safe house claims they were lucky not to be shot by the army.

Khaled Barbour said the area Ms Faulkner's estranged husband Ali Elamine lived with their children was controlled by militant group Hezbollah.

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The driver of the getaway car for ferried Sally Faulkner and her children claims they were lucky not to be shot by the army

The moment Ms Faulkner's children were snatched off a Beirut street

Khaled Barbour (pictured) said the army was on high alert in Sainte Therese, a southern suburb of Beirut, and he was a target speeding away after the children were snatched.

He said the army was on high alert in Sainte Therese, a southern suburb of Beirut, and he was a target speeding away after the children were snatched.

'The army has orders to shoot any car going towards a checkpoint opposite the traffic, and at the blind speed I was going the army would have shot,' he told Australian Story.

'If the army had shot at the car, no one would have gotten out alive.'

The operation aimed to recover Ms Faulkner's children from her estranged husband Ali Elamine (all pictured together)

Mr Barbour said Ms Faulkner's children Lahela and Noah were terrified when they were snatched as their grandmother walked them to school

Ms Faulkner opened up about the botched child recovery operation on Australian Story

The children's grandmother stumbles away as they are bundled into the car

Mr Barbour told the program, which airs its second part on Monday night, Ms Faulkner's children Lahela and Noah were terrified when they were snatched as their grandmother walked them to school.

'The cameraman in the front starts filming the children and the grandmother. I was surprised, what kind of filming is this?' he said.

'The kids were yelling and screaming, and the foreigners were yelling.'

Ms Faulkner, also interviewed on the show, said she had to keep telling them 'it's mummy' and calling their names before they recognised her and calmed down.

Lahela, five, and Noah, three, now live with their father in Lebanon

When they reached the safe house, Ms Faulkner realised she was stranded as she couldn't contact the 60 Minutes crew or recovery team leader Adam Whittington, who had been arrested.

She had to beg the house's resident Yasmine Hamza to stay overnight, who agreed because she couldn't 'throw a woman with her kids out onto the street'.

Australian Story also delved into the planning and execution of the child recovery, which was condemned by regional experts.

Lahela and Noah playing in Lebanon where they stayed with their father after Ms Faulkner and the crew were arrested

Ms Faulkner has not seen or spoken to either of her children since she said goodbye in a playground on April 22 and left Beirut, signing away her parental rights for good

Lebanese intelligence services were onto them as soon as the 60 Minutes crew showed their passports to their five-star hotel.

The crew was easily found and arrested after 60 Minutes had Ms Faulkner call her husband to gloat, and the call was traced to Mr Whittington as he owned the phone.

Ms Faulkner has not seen or spoken to either of her children since she said goodbye in a playground on April 22 and left Beirut, signing away her parental rights for good.
Oct. 24, 1936

1937 MODELS WILL SOON BE HERE SO WE HAVE REDUCED OUR USED CARS TO 1937 PRICES -- LOOK -- 1935 Ford Tudor Sedan $395.00; 1935 Ford Deluxe Coupe, $400.00; 1931 Ford Coupe, $100.00; 1932 Ford Tudor Sedan $225.00; 1933 Ford Fordor Sedan, $325.00; 1935 Ford Touring Tudor, $435.00; 1934 Ford Victoria, $300.00; 1934 Ford Deluxe Fordor, $395.00; 1931 Ford Roadster, $85.00. And 25 other cars at correspondingly Low Prices. Visit our Seminary Avenue Lot. Henderson & Lathrop Inc., Auburn, N.Y.

Oct. 24, 1961

Miss Marion Corrigan was honored by the Cayuga County Medical Society at a dinner last evening at Springside Inn. Miss Corrigan is director of social service and public relations at Auburn Memorial Hospital. In addition to her duties at Auburn Memorial Hospital, Miss Corrigan serves as Chairman of Cayuga County Chapter of the National Fund and is an active board member of the Cayuga County Health Association, Cayuga County Citizens Council, Catholic Family Center and Cayuga County Chapter of the American Cancer Society.
A group of four wealthy graziers are locked in a multi-million dollar bidding war with Australia's richest woman to buy up the sprawling Kidman cattle empire.

Tom Brinkworth, Sterling Buntine, Malcolm Harris and Viv Oldfield, known collectively as BBHO, have made a $386 million bid to acquire 100 per cent of S Kidman and Co.

Their offer betters mining magnate Gina Rinehart and Chinese partner Shanghai CRED's bid by $21 million.

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A group of four wealthy graziers are locked in a multi-million dollar bidding war with Gina Rinehart to buy up the sprawling Kidman cattle empire. Pictured is Sterling Buntine

Tom Brinkworth (pictured), Sterling Buntine, Malcolm Harris and Viv Oldfield, known collectively as BBHO, have made a $386 million bid

Ms Rinehart and her bidding partner have the right to match the quartet's offer.

BBHO say their offer would mean Kidman would be wholly Australian owned and would not require the green light from the Foreign Investment Review Board.

They also say they would triple the size of the cattle herd marketed under the Kidman, which has a herd of 185,000 cattle.

'The four families comprising the consortium are deeply committed to honouring and preserving the Kidman heritage and brand which will continue under the stewardship of highly regarded and successful Australian graziers,' Mr Buntine said in a statement on Sunday.

Their offer betters mining magnate Gina Rinehart (pictured) and Chinese partner Shanghai CRED's bid by $21 million

Mr Oldfield runs transport company Tanami Transport, which counts S Kidman and Co as a customer

Along with running cattle stations in the Northern Territory and South Australia, he is part owner of Shamus Award (pictured with jockey Craig Williams in 2014)

Earlier this month, Ms Rinehart lodged a $365 million Australian-majority bid for 67 per cent of S Kidman and Co, with Chinese-owned Shanghai CRED to hold the other third, which does require FIRB approval.

An earlier bid this year from a Chinese-led consortium was scuttled by Treasurer Scott Morrison.

To mitigate against that, the Rinehart bid excludes an area up to 26,000 hectare that is close to the politically sensitive Woomera weapons testing range.

A spokeswoman for Ms Rinehart's company Hancock Prospecting said another local buyer had been lined up for that land and therefore the real difference in value between the bids was only between $1 million and $2 million.

WHO ARE THE MEN BEHIND AUSTRALIA'S BBHO BID? Sterling Buntine The West Australian farmer was worth $270 million and appeared in the top 200 of BRW's Rich List in 2012. He is the owner of two cattle stations in the Northern Territory - Alroy Downs and Dalmore Downs - both located next to each other east of Tennant Creek in the Top End. Mr Buntine previously managed about 2.5 million hectares of land, and his expansive portfolio also includes Lissadell, Bedford Downs and Lansdowne in Western Australia's Kimberley region. Tom Brinkworth Mr Brinkworth controls a smaller portion of lands - more than 400,000 hectares - and does not speak often about his business dealings. There were rumblings a few years ago the farmer hailing from South Australia was trying to build an empire to rival the Kidman patriarch, Sir Sidney Kidman. He owns 100 rural properties across the country, where he keeps both sheep and cattle. Mr Brinkworth's most recent purchase was 18,000 head of cattle from the Gulf of Carpentaria in 2013. Viv Oldfield His cattle properties expand across the Northern Territory and South Australia, and takes in his co-managed stations - Andado, Horsehoe Bend and New Crown. Mr Oldfield is also a well-known race horse trainer who has won $2.2 million worth of winning since 2000. He also runs transport company Tanami Transport, which counts S Kidman and Co as a customer. Malcolm Harris Mr Harris and his family run Gogo Station in Western Australia as well as Benmarra Station and Rockhampton Downs in the Northern Territory. Source: ABC/Fairfax Advertisement

She also argued the BBHO consortium was no guarantee of getting state government approvals, needed to get pastoral leases transferred, because of dubious 'track records'.

That was a reference to Mr Brinkworth, who has previously been fined for illegal land clearing and charged with animal cruelty but found not guilty.

Crossbench Senator Nick Xenophon said the BBHO should be the successful bidder.

BBHO say their offer would mean Kidman (pictured is Anna Creek which is part of the portfolio would be wholly Australian owned

Senator Xenophon said the BBHO bid came from 'families with great depth of experience and commercial acumen in running cattle empires and they have a plan to grow Kidman'.

'Where there is a credible, 100 per cent Australian bid, then it would be unforgivable for the federal government not to approve a 100 per cent local bid,' he told AAP on Sunday.
A decades old case of a newborn baby being thrown from the second floor of a Brooklyn apartment complex is still baffling police some 23 years after it happened.

It was November 8, 1993 when the superintendent of a building in the Crown Heights area of Brooklyn found the body of a baby girl inside a trash bag.

The infant was discovered as he was retrieving empty garbage cans in a courtyard between two buildings.

Upon closer inspection, he found the newborn, naked with a white and red striped dish towel tied around her neck.

The baby died after being strangled. She was less than 24 hours old and her umbilical cord was still attached when she was put into a garbage bag and thrown from the second floor

A superintendent found the newborn girl in a trash bag, in a courtyard (pictured) between two apartment buildings on Montgomery St at Rogers Ave in Crown Heights on November 8, 1993

The condition of her injuries led cops to suspect that the baby had been thrown from the second floor of the building in the bag after being strangled to death.

A tenant living there at the time recalled hearing a 'thump' between 9pm and 11pm the night before.

According to the New York Times, the child was less than 24 hours old, with her umbilical cord and placenta still attached.

Police believe the mother was young and scared, but don't believe she was addicted to alcohol or drugs, based on the baby's condition.

The police said they had no suspects and a sketch that was produced was based upon photos taken of the baby at the scene.

'Right now, we're drawing at straws,' Lt. David Nilsen, who commands the Police Department's Cold Case Squad, told The Daily News. 'We have zero idea about the identity of the mother.'

The gate to the courtyard behind these buildings was locked and not open to the public, yet police are hoping with the passage of time that someone may now decide to come forward

Cops believe she frequented the building, but may not have lived there.

'We did comprehensive tenant records, and we broke down records of who was there then, who is there now, who lived on different floors, who's been arrested in those buildings throughout the years to try to come up with something,' Nilsen said. 'Just one roadblock after another. No solid tips.'

Police Department spokeswoman Officer Sophia Mason, is hoping that the sketch of the child may jog some memories.

'We hope to pull at some heartstrings,' she said. 'They're just trying to find justice for the baby.'

Although the police say there is no specific reason for them to look into the case again, they are hoping that someone who may have been too scared to come forward 23 years ago may now decide they have something to share.
When I was growing up as a girl in the Seventies, I wanted to be a boy, writes Julie Bindel

When I was growing up as a girl in the Seventies, I wanted to be a boy. It wasnt simply that I knew I was sexually attracted to women  much more importantly, I looked around and saw boys had more power, more freedom, more fun. Of course I wanted to be a boy.

If I were a teenager today, well-meaning liberal teachers and social workers would probably tell me that I was trapped in the wrong body. They might refer me to a psychiatrist who would prescribe fistfuls of hormones and other drugs. And terrifyingly, I might easily be recommended for gender re-assignment surgery just because I didnt like the pink straitjacket imposed on girls.

This weekend two news stories deeply disturbed me, and made me feel grateful to have grown up in an era before boys and girls who dont fit the sexist stereotypes of behaviour were assumed to be transgender, rather than merely rejecting the gender rules.

One was the case of a 14-year-old girl who wants to be known by a boys name, as a step towards changing sex. The girls parents believe their daughter is too young to make this decision and parental responsibility should take precedence until the child is 16 or 18.

The local authority, however, disagrees and the familys solicitor fears the teenager will be taken into care unless the parents comply with the demands of social workers, who already refer to this vulnerable child as a boy.

Social workers want the teenager to be assessed at a gender clinic, for drug therapies prior to a sex change.

I do not agree with the couple on their view of gender  they apparently cannot accept someone can have a different emotional and psychological identity from their biological sex  but I do know of other, secularist parents going through similar turmoil. Parents who feel conflicted about their young child being referred to gender clinics.

It worries me deeply to think of a council intervening in such a sensitive case, setting up sides and threatening to dismantle a family.

The second case is worrying in a different way. A boy of seven brought up as a girl by his mother, who had been convinced he was a girl trapped in a male body. Despite concerns of the school and the boys desperate father, social workers did nothing.

So sensitive a political issue has gender identity become that authorities were afraid to intervene to help this unfortunate boy. Last week, a court stepped in and the judge ordered that he goes to live with his father.

These two contrasting stories have a common theme  the liberal establishment apparently in thrall to transgender evangelists. The most obvious difference is the childrens ages. A boy aged seven is not sexually mature. His masculinity, according to the judge, is evident in his urge to climb trees and play soldiers. I dont believe this makes him male, any more than wearing nail varnish and singing along to Disney musical Frozen would make him female. But its clear he doesnt want to be forced into dresses and called by a girls name, no matter how much his mother wishes it.

The 14-year-old, on the other hand, may be beginning to experience sexual feelings, and has formed a close relationship with a 13-year-old girl. The social workers insist on calling this a heterosexual relationship, because they identify the older child as transsexual.

If I were a teenager today, well-meaning liberal teachers and social workers would probably tell me that I was trapped in the wrong body (File photo)

This appals me. What is on offer is not support for a young lesbian, but the promise of a medical conversion. Any idea this is liberal, progressive behaviour is completely wrong. It pushes us back to the dark ages, to a time when lesbianism wasnt even recognised.

In Iran, sex-change surgery is routinely carried out on those whose behaviour does not conform to their biological sex. Girls who want to play with trucks and boys who like pushing a doll in a pram are seen as genetic aberrations who must be physically corrected.

That is using the surgeons knife to operate on societys problems. Its a dreadful situation and I am horrified to see it becoming increasingly normalised here.

Let me be plain. Those who feel gender dysphoria  experiencing distress over what they perceive as a mismatch between gender identity and sex  deserve and require support. It can be a huge, painful struggle. I accept these feelings may occur before adulthood, causing confusion and unhappiness.

But it must also be said that they can be transitory, which is why every effort must be made to ensure those who want to change their sex fully understand the implications of the enormous decision they are taking.

And the key point is that I do not believe children are capable of appreciating that enormity, which is why I feel so uncomfortable about them visiting transgender clinics.

Any adult convinced they want a sex change deserves our complete support. If they have fully understood what is involved, it is nobodys business other than their own.

Equally, any adult who wants to live as the opposite sex without having surgery or other medical treatment should be completely respected, and protected. Its nobodys business but mine whether I wear a dress or trousers, and that must apply to everyone.

A good friend of mine knows this better than anybody  in the 1980s, as a deeply troubled gay man in his 20s, he was referred to a psychiatrist named Russell Reid.

They might refer me to a psychiatrist who would prescribe fistfuls of hormones and other drugs (File photo)

After a consultation lasting just 20 minutes, my friend was diagnosed as a transsexual. He had a sex change, an operation now hugely regretted, and today lives rather unhappily as a woman. Had my friend been able to live as an out gay man, rather than be punished for behaviour that didnt conform to gender, he would not have wanted to go down this route.

That man would have diagnosed a German Shepherd dog as transsexual, if he was being paid, she now says bitterly.

Reid was accused of serious professional misconduct in 2006 and investigated by the General Medical Council. He was found guilty and is now retired. My friend believes she would have been better off staying as a man.

If adults can be talked into such terrible errors, what chance do children have of resisting liberal pressures to conform to the new gender stereotypes?

I thought we established years ago that boys dont have to be macho and play with plastic swords. Girls are not obliged to dream of white wedding dresses with layers of satin meringue. It was one of the real, tangible victories of feminism: every child free to grow up as a human being, without pink or blue labels on everything they touched and did.

Surely we all know being a rough-and-tumble boy or a lets-play-dollies girl is not influenced by biology. Its nothing to do with hard-wiring in our brains. You might as well pretend males are designed by their DNA to earn more money than their women colleagues  its a spurious nonsense.

When I was young, lesbians were still regarded as such an aberration that young women were sent to the psychiatrist to be repaired. We saw this for exactly what it was: a punishment for being different. It was another way that society bullied us.

Now, the same cruel treatment is not called punishment. It is dressed up by middle-class liberal professionals and parents as positive support. But it amounts to the same thing: girls and boys who dont conform to narrow gender rules are bundled off to the doctors.

We have no way of knowing what the future will be like for children persuaded to transition today. They are just starting their lives  surely they should be able to grow up before such momentous decisions are urged upon them.

The World Association for Transgender Health says the majority of children with gender identity disorder grow out of it by adolescence, with most going on to be lesbian or gay.
Serial child killer Robert Black was responsible for the murder of newspaper girl Genette Tate, police have confirmed to her family.

Officers who investigated the disappearance of the 13-year-old paper girl were weeks from charging the child killer before he died in prison.

The youngster's father, John Tate, 74, has now said he is certain that Black - who died aged 68 earlier this year - killed his daughter.

He revealed he has been informed by police that they presented a file to the Crown Prosecution Service in April but it could not be pursued because Black died.

And it emerged that Black told police he had visited the small village in Devon where Genette went missing 38 years ago.

Detectives are convinced serial killer Robert Black (left) murdered Genette Tate (right)

Genette Tate's bicycle lies abandoned in the spot from which she was snatched in 1978

Their lengthy report, which was made up of 500 pages, revealed that officers knew he visited Aylesbeare because they got hold of his petrol receipts.

A chilling black and white photograph taken at the time showed the youngster's abandoned bicycle on a path in Aylesbeare, Devon, in 1978.

Her body has never been found since she vanished while delivering evening newspapers in the village eight miles east of Exeter.

The case into her disappearance is believed to be the longest running missing person inquiry in Britain.

Mr Tate told the Daily Mirror: 'I'm now convinced Robert Black was the culprit. I feel very emotional.

'I'd like to find her body after 38 years searching for answers, but what do I do now? I'm lost now  this has dominated my life. I end up crying about it.'

John Tate (pictured) was told by detectives who investigated the disappearance of his daughter that they were weeks from charging the child killer before he died in prison

Black (pictured) - who died aged 68 this year - told officers he had visited the small village in Devon where Genette went missing 38 years ago

After the teenager went missing Black - who was a delivery driver - became the main suspect.

He was convicted in 1994 for the rape and murder of three girls during the 1980s and he was arrested and questioned in 2005 over the Tate case but was never charged.

Devon and Cornwall Police said: 'We've kept the family informed throughout. We have no other comment.'
As Donald Trump is faced with more sexual assault allegations and bad poll numbers in the run up to the election, he reportedly is also hurting his daughter's business.

Women are turning on Ivanka Trump as she continues supporting her father despite allegations of sexual harassment against him and a 2005 audio tape capturing him bragging in lewd terms that he can do whatever he wants to women.

Now, the growing group of women are boycotting her eponymous line of clothing, jewelry, perfume and accessories sold as part of the Ivanka Trump Collection.

They are also calling on the stores that carry the brand, including Nordstrom, Bloomingdale's and Macy's, to stop selling it.

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A growing group of women are boycotting Ivanka Trump's eponymous line of clothing, jewelry, perfume and accessories sold as part of the Ivanka Trump Collection

The women feel they can no longer support her collection or the stores that carry it as she continues to support her father despite mounting allegations of sexual assault against him

'If Ivanka Trump had distanced herself from the campaign I would not be boycotting her,' Shannon Coulter, who called on Americans to boycott the brand earlier this month, told the Guardian.

'But something changed for me when that tape was released.'

Coulter, who shared her own experience of sexual harassment at the hands of a male superior, launched the hashtag 'GrabYourWallet' on October 11, a reference to Trump's offensive 'grab them by the p***y' remark from the audio tape.

In the hot mic recording obtained by the Washington Post, Billy Bush laughed along in 2005 as Trump made the offensive remarks.

The Republican presidential candidate also detailed how he tried to seduce the married Nancy O'Dell, who was Bush's co-host on Access Hollywood at the time.

Shannon Coulter, who called on Americans to boycott the brand earlier this month, shared this tweet with the names of Donald Trump's alleged victims

A growing group of women are boycotting Ivanka Trump's eponymous line of clothing, jewelry, perfume and accessories sold as part of the Ivanka Trump Collection

Fury: Incensed at her unwavering support for her father more women posted their anger

Difficult: The election has become so divisive and Ivanka has begun taking flak for her own family

Plea: Nordstrom also came under fire for their continued association with Ivanka Trump

'I moved on her and I failed. I'll admit it. I did try and f*** her. She was married', Trump says in the recording.

A spokesperson for Ivanka supplied this statement to the DailyMail.com regarding the controversy.

'My father's comments were clearly inappropriate and offensive and I'm glad that he acknowledged this fact with an immediate apology to my family and the American people,' said Ivanka.

In addition the Chief Brand Officer for Ivanka, Abigail Klem said that sales were still strong among women.

'We are proud that our business is growing rapidly and that our brand resonates strongly with women who are inspired by our messaging and excited about the polished and chic solution-oriented products that we offer. Over the past year many more women have discovered and become loyal to the brand, leading us to experience a significant year over year revenue growth.'

The 34-year-old, who last month rejected the label of Trump campaign 'surrogate', also admitted that her father's words can be 'uncomfortable for us.'

Meanwhile, Trump insisted his comments were only 'locker-room talk.'

Since announcing his candidacy, Trump's retail collaborations have reportedly suffered but Ivanka's clothing line, which had a sales revenue exceeding 100million last year, is growing, according to Forbes.

Last week at Fortune's Most Powerful Women conference, Ivanka suggested evidence of brand decline surrounding her family's business was unreliable.

Join the fight: Twitter users also attacked the quality of Ivanka's clothing and footwear line and declared her not to be a feminist

Brutal: Women are turning on Ivanka Trump as she continues supporting her father despite allegations of sexual harassment

Ivanka shown above modeling her collection. Her clothing line clothing line reportedly had a sales revenue exceeding 100million last year

During the Republican National Convention in July, she turned heads when she wore a dress from her collection

Ivanka has since said her father's comments in the audio tape were 'clearly inappropriate and offensive'

United: Online campaigners are calling on the stores that carry the brand, including Nordstrom, Bloomingdale's and Macy's, to stop selling it

'We're one of the fastest growing luxury hotel companies in the world,' she said, according to Forbes.

Ivanka's clothing line and Trump's menswear are both manufactured in China.

During last week's conference, she attempted to separate her women-centered brands from her father's campaign.

'I've always tried to maintain complete separation between [my brand] and the campaign,' Ivanka said.

But many women feel they can no longer do the same.

As Coulter explained in an interview with Cosmopolitan, '[women] were ready to give Ivanka a pass because shes his [Trump's] daughter and its hard to be objective about your dad.'

However, after the tape, women took particular offense 'to the fact that Ivanka tries to make feminism a part of her brand but is standing by, as an official campaign surrogate, a guy who is an alleged serial sexual assaulter of women,' according to Coulter.

'The disconnect was too big. And they were ready to speak up about it and flex their consumer power about it,' the San Francisco-based brand and digital strategist said.

Coulter noted that if Ivanka was not campaigning for Trump she would be happy for her business.

Affordable glamour: Ivanka Trump's line at Nordstrom has proved very popular

Stylish: Ivanka Trump's line at Nordstrom has proven to be one of its more popular collaborations

On display: The fashion link-up between Ivanka and Nordstrom is coming under pressure because of her father, Donald Trump's controversial run for presidency

Grab your wallet: Online campaigners have declared the best way to hurt the Trump family and Ivanka is to stop buying their products

Popular: Ivanka Trump sells her clothing line at Macy's, Nordstrom and Bloomingdales among other outlets across the United States

Coulter also shared a list of retailers who stock Ivanka Trump's collection so that boycott supporters could avoid those stores

The list of retailers carrying the collection includes Nordstrom, Macy's and Dillard's

However, she told the Guardian she thinks Ivanka is being used to whitewash the candidate and make him more palatable,' adding 'the boycott is actually a mark of respect for her.'

Since launching the hashtag, Coulter has estimated that more than 50,000 respondents have voiced support for her campaign, according to the Guardian.

She has also compiled a list of stores that carry Ivanka Trump's line, including Amazon, DSW and Neiman Marcus.

Coulter has encouraged boycott campaign supporters to call the retailers' customer service and protest the selling Ivanka Trump brand products.

Under the hashtag 'GrabYourWallets' and 'GrabYourWallet' several people have taken to social media to back support for the campaign, including a few stars such actress Laura Silverman.

Actress Laura Silverman and actor Don Cheadle have retweeted news of the boycott campaign

'Ivanka knows their brand is deteriorating rapidly and her dad has no awareness. Smart business man, I think not,' Grant Brisacher tweeted along with the hashtag.

Meanwhile a woman with the username 'Robin' tweeted about how she was in a store and her daughter liked a dress with a Trump label, but she told her to find something else.

'We are not buying anything with the name Trump on it,' she wrote.

While most retailers have not publicly commented on the boycott, Nordstrom released a statement to the Guardian noting it did not currently have plans to stop offering the collection.

As Trumps lewd comments about women have struck a raw nerve, women believe Ivanka needs to take a stand

Ivanka's chief brand manager also sent a statement to the Guardian, but it did not directly address the boycott.

'We are proud that our business is growing rapidly and that our brand resonates strongly with women who are inspired by our messaging and excited about the polished and chic solution-oriented products that we offer,' the statement read.

As Trumps lewd comments about women have struck a raw nerve, women believe Ivanka needs to take a stand.

'I dont blame her for being supportive to her family,' Lindsey Ledford, who has joined the boycott campaign, told the Guardian of Ivanka.
Mr Murfitt, 81, from Orewa, New Zealand, died in hospital a day later

A grandfather has suffered a fatal heart attack while watching a 'traumatic' episode of his favourite TV soap, Coronation Street.

Trevor Murfitt, 81, was watching an episode of the show at his home in Orewa, New Zealand, on October 14 and went into cardiac arrest just as a number of the main characters were involved in a minibus crash.

He died the next day at North Shore Hospital.

'Trevor's last words were: 'that bus is going to go over the edge',' said Barbara, his wife of 41 years, Stuff reported.

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Trevor Murfitt, 81, (pictured with his wife Barbara) was watching an episode of Coronation Street at his home in Orewa, New Zealand, on October 14 when he went into cardiac arrest

Mr Murfitt's wife, Barbara, said the episode he was watching when he collapse was particularly distressing for lifelong fans of the British soap, which is shown in New Zealand on TVNZ

She said the episode was particularly distressing for lifelong fans of Coronation Street.

It was believed the episode involved is one that screened in the UK early last year and was just shown in New Zealand.

In the episode, the staff of Underworld are involved in a devastating minibus crash. With Steve McDonald as the designated driver, the accident leaves Sinead Tinker (played by Katie McGlynn) with her life hanging in the balance.

The scene shows the bus with several characters aboard run off the road by a car load of male racers.

'We were all watching the screen and half a minute later I turned to look at Trevor and he'd collapsed in his favourite chair,' Mrs Murfitt said.

Mr Murfitt suffered a number of long-term health ailments and passed away surrounded by family.

At his funeral, his grandson Johnathon Marshall said he was devastated Mr Murfitt would not be there to meet his first child in March.

A spokesperson for TVNZ, which airs the long-running British soap in New Zealand, said the network offered its condolences to Mr Murfitt's family.

The spokesperson said they had never heard of someone collapsing during an episode of the show before.

A TVNZ spokesperson offered the network's condolences to Mr Murfitt's family and said it had never heard of someone collapsing during an episode of Coronation Stree before

During the 'traumatic' episode one of the main characters was knocked unconscious reaching down to retrieve a phone from the floor without her seat belt. The minivan was then left hanging perilously off the edge of a cliff

'We were saddened to hear the news of Trevor's death and send our condolences to Barbara and the rest of their family,' the spokesperson said.

Coronation Street is Britain's longest running soap and has featured on ITV since December 1960.
A man accused of murdering young Queensland mother Alexis Jeffery made an anonymous call to Crime Stoppers weeks before his arrest to declare the person police suspected over the crime, a court has heard.

Robert Trebeck, a 35-year-old pig hunter, pleaded not guilty to murdering the 24-year-old mum-of-three on Monday as he stood trial in the Toowoomba Supreme Court in Queensland.

Ms Jeffery had gone out on March 16, 2014, to the Queensland Hotel, where she had met Trebeck, before the two were later seen by police becoming intimate in a park.

Her partially clothed body was later found on the banks of the Macintyre River in Goondiwindi and her jeans - the weapon prosecutors said was used to smother her to death - were found about 100metres away.

Robert Trebeck, the man who allegedly killed Queensland mother Alexis Jeffery (pictured), called Crime Stoppers weeks before his arrest to declare the innocence of the person of interest

The body of Ms Jeffrey, a 24-year-old mother-of-three, was found on the banks of the Macintyre River, west of Brisbane, in March 2014 (pictured)

Elana Jeffery (pictured), mother of Alexis Jeffery, is seen leaving the Magistrates Court in Toowoomba on Monday

Prosecutor Carl Heaton QC told the court Trebeck made an anonymous call to Crime Stoppers 'on behalf of the person of interest' in early June but his phone had already been tapped by police.

'He essentially said that the person of interest had been set up,' Mr Heaton told the jury on Monday.

'He also, during the course of that call, asserted that the person of interest was innocent, had done nothing wrong, and was not involved in the killing.'

The court heard a pair of black reef boots Trebeck wore on the night he met Ms Jeffery had disappeared.

He told Crime Stoppers 'the person of interest' was being set up by their sister and brother-in-law, who had taken the boots.

A few weeks later Trebeck was arrested and charged with Ms Jeffrey's murder.

Trebeck, who police said was a person of interest soon after Ms Jeffrey's death, told Crime Stoppers 'the person of interest' was being set up by their sister and brother-in-law

Police released CCTV footage of Ms Jeffrey's and a male companion on the night she was killed during their investigation

Elana Jeffrey was at the court on Monday for the Trebeck's court appearance

Mr Heaton told the court Ms Jeffery suffered blunt force trauma to the face and two pools of blood were found on the grass near her body.

A post-mortem examination concluded she was strangled, smothered or a combination of both.

She was found partially naked, but there was no evidence of sexual assault.

A pair of jeans found stuffed in a hedge contained the 'tell-tale sign' of a murder weapon, Mr Heaton said.

'The right leg of those jeans had been scrunched, they'd been placed around her face - the centre of the jeans was where the blood was - and wrapped around her face and her neck until she died.'
A man has pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the brutal 2012 stabbing murder of a young Toowoomba man.

Kyle Mitchell Dumesny, 21, on Monday pleaded guilty in Toowoomba Supreme Court to one count of manslaughter over the slaying of 19-year-old Jake Lasker, who was stabbed 102 times during an Xbox session in November 2012.

The move came on the first day of a planned murder trial but prosecutors accepted Dumesny's plea to the lesser charge.

19-year-old Jake Lasker, who died after he was stabbed 102 times during an Xbox session in November 2012

Joanne Lasker receives a hug outside the Toowoomba Magistrates Court on Monday after Kyle Dumesny has today pleaded guilty to a charge of manslaughter relating to her son's death

John and Joanne Lasker, parents of murder victim Jake Lasker, leave the Magistrates Court in Toowoomba on Monday

He will be sentenced on Tuesday.

Another man, Max Peter Smith, is already serving a life sentence for Mr Lasker's murder.

A bail hearing for Dumesny last year heard he did not stab Mr Lasker himself and was not even in the room when he was murdered but encouraged Smith to kill him in a series of about 250 text messages.

Outside court on Monday, Mr Lasker's father John said he was happy with the outcome and described the past four years as 'tough' for the family.
A man who allegedly beat a toddler to death accused police of playing 'mind games' when he denied stashing the young girl's body in a roof cavity.

John Clifford Torney admitted to stashing Nikki Francis-Coslovic's battered body in the roof cavity of her family home in Mildura, north-west of Melbourne, in August 2015 but denied killing her at the start of his Victorian Supreme Court trial last week.

But in his police statement given after his arrest on August 25, 2015, the 32-year-old denied any involvement in Nikki's death and became irate when police questioned him about accessing the roof just hours after her body was found.

'Are youse playing f**king mind games or something with me, you f**k heads?' the court heard Mr Torney say in an interview recorded at 2.15am at Mildura Police Station.

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John Torney (pictured) was charged with the murder of two-year-old Nikki Francis-Coslovic

The battered body of Nikki Francis-Coslovic (pictured) was found in the roof cavity of her family home in Mildura, north-west of Melbourne, in August 2015

He told officers he searched the entire house for the young girl after 'shagging' her mother and had only access the roof on one occasion when he boarded up some air conditioning vents in winter to warm the house.

'The only thing I've ever done with the roof in that house is put f**king covers over the vents  when it was the middle of winter just to warm the house up,' his police statement said.

Mr Torney, who had been dating Nikki's mother Peta-Ann Francis for around four months, and said he loved all his partner's children and said he would never hit a child.

'I don't know [what happened]. I love all them girls like my own,' Mr Torney told officers.

'I never smack my own kids. I would never smack anybody else's,' he added.

Mr Torney has previously told the court Ms Francis could not handle the pressure of motherhood and beat Nikki to death - leaving him to hide the young girl's body when she went out to do errands.

Welfare officers feared slain two-year-old Nikki Francis-Coslovic was at significant risk from her 'violent, unstable and verbally abusive' mother Peta-Ann Francis (pictured)

He told police during the interview the Department of Human Services had intervened when officers found her house in disarray and a mark on one of Nikki's sisters.

The child's body was later found stuffed in a roof cavity in the house

'She had welfare working with her when I first got with her. We only got rid of them and apparently it was only because the house was messy,' he said.

'I also heard a story it was because [Nikki's sister] had a big f**king hand print on her.

'I'm always on to Peta, like, to calm down with the girls and s**t as well cause I don't believe in hitting kids.'

The court heard on Monday that the two-year-old had the type of injuries seen in high-speed vehicle accidents, or a fall from a great height.

But the bruises and abrasions appeared to have been caused by a clenched fist, according to pathologist Yeliena Baber who conducted Nikki's autopsy.

Dr Baber said the cause of death was blunt force trauma from 'repeated blows to her abdomen and chest'.

'It would have to be someone strong to inflict those injuries, not a small person,' she told the Victorian Supreme Court on Monday.

Dr Baber compared the injuries to the type sustained in 'a high-speed vehicle accident and said she did not think they had been caused by an 'implement'.

Mr Torney claims his former parnter could not handle the pressure of motherhood and beat Nikki to death - leaving him to hide the young girl's body when she went out to do errands

An officer from the Department of Human Services told the court on Thursday there were significant concerns for Nikki and her sisters as her Ms Francis neglected to care for them and the home they shared.

Teresa Cavallo said the house was covered in animal faeces and food scraps, while case notes indicated Ms Francis was 'unstable' and violent, the Herald Sun reported.

She told the court there was a 'dramatic change to household management' once Mr Torney started spending time there and argued he had improved the young girl's living conditions in the months he spent dating her mother.

Torney told police Ms Francis had checked the toddler was in her bed around 1pm on August 25 before they went into her bedroom to have sex.

TRANSCRIPT OF TORNEY'S POLICE INTERVIEW This is a portion of the interview between Detective Leading Senior Constable Matthew Tuininga and John Clifford Torney at 2am in Mildura Police Station Detective: Okay. So when police searched the house - right, John? Torney: Yep. Detective: They found Nikki and where they found her was - can you look at me when I tell you this, John? It's important. They found her in the roof. Torney: The what? Detective: In the roof of the house. Torney: In the roof of Peta's house? Detective: Peta's house? Torney: Are youse playing f***ing mind games or something with me, you f*** heads? Detective: No ... Given now that I've told you where she was found, can you tell me a little bit about that roof area of the house there, what you know of it? Torney: Every house has a f***in' roof doesn't it? Detective: Exactly. So how would you access it, for example? Do you know where that is? Torney: No, the only thing I've ever done with the roof in that house is put f***ing covers over the vents, the old vents when it was the middle of winter, just warm the house up. Advertisement

Nikki Francis-Coslovic, 2, sustained injuries to her kidney, liver and skull and had lost one third of her body's blood volume before her body was found

Mr Torney's lawyer painted Ms Francis (middle) as a liar who had misled police and urged the jury not to get caught up in the assumption that a mother would not harm her children

When he went to wake Nikki around 2.45pm he discovered she was gone, Torney said.

'Peta was the last one to check on Nikki and she was in her bed,' Torney told police in his record of interview, which was played to the court.

Torney said he began a search of the house and yard, including 'the cupboards, the fridge, f***ing freezer' and the washing machine, the court heard.

He cried during his record of interview.

Sergeant Kaare Anderson, who responded to the missing person report on August 25, gave evidence on Monday that Ms Francis was smiling and appeared happy when he arrived at the house around 3.28pm.

'I immediately thought that was very odd,' Sgt Anderson said.

Torney appeared upset and 'slightly teary', Sgt Anderson told the court.

He told Sgt Anderson Nikki had seemed 'pretty tired but pretty good' earlier in the day, the court heard.

Mr Torney's lawyer said 'inconsistencies' in Ms Francis' story about the last time she put Nikki to bed indicated she had a 'guilty conscience' (Ms Francis pictured right with Nikki's father and her three other children)

In the opening of Mr Torney's trial, Mr Torney's lawyer Julie Condon painted Ms Francis as a liar who had misled police.

Ms Condon told the court Ms Francis had asked Mr Torney dispose of the young girl's body and go along with a 'fabricated' missing persons report.

He said Ms Francis had told him she went 'too far' with Nikki and that she was not breathing in a police interview after his arrest.

Prosecutor Gavin Silbert QC has argued Mr Torney 'consciously, voluntarily and deliberately killed' Nikki when Ms Francis was out of the house.

The court heard Mr Torney smoked several cones of cannabis, had sex, and fell asleep with Ms Francis before she woke up at 2.40pm and realised her daughter was missing.

The trial is expected to last for three weeks.

WHAT HAPPENED TO SLAIN TODDLER NIKKI FRANCIS- COSLOVIC ON AUGUST 25, 2015? Nikki was reported missing by her mother on August 25 last year after she discovered the little girl's bed was empty. The toddler had spent the morning at home with her mother's de-facto partner John Torney while she ran errands. Nikki's body was discovered in the roof cavity of the home by a police officer. He had noticed dirty fingerprints on a manhole cover in the hallway and climbed on a chair to investigate. The officer noticed the girl was not moving and carried her down to a bedroom. Paramedics were called, and on arrival they observed rigor mortis had set in. Advertisement
The search has been called off for a Portland hiker who was last seen by friends a week ago.

Rescue crews in Columbia Gorge worked throughout the weekend searching for Anna 'Annie' Schmidt, 21, but officials believe there is little hope the young woman is alive, more than a week after she vanished.

Investigators say they believe she likely became lost or injured herself while hiking the Gorge.

Annie, who is the daughter of a member of the Utah-based music group The Piano Guys, was last seen by her roommate a week earlier, on Sunday October 16 in Portland.

Her car was found parked near Tooth Rock Trailhead by Bonneville Dam some 40 miles away.

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The search for Anna 'Annie' Schmidt, 21, has been called off more than a week after she went missing. It is believed she was injured or became lost on her hike in central Oregon

Annie was the daughter of The Piano Guys' Jon Schmidt. She was last seen on Sunday October 16, Portland police said

One of the last posts on her Twitter account showed a scenic view with the caption, 'FILL your life with GOOD VIBES'

On Saturday, nearly 200 volunteers and 50 search and rescue crews descended on Toothrock Trailhead in the second full day of searching for Annie, KGW reported.

Volunteers and law enforcement rescue crews have now covered more than 150 miles of the Columbia Gorge trail system.

On Sunday, they retraced their steps one more time looking for other possible clues that would lead them to her whereabouts.

'For us, we take this as personal as those who are out searching from the family. The conditions aren't average, they are extreme out here,' said Marion County Sheriff Lieutenant Chad Gaidos to KATU.

The twitter account belonging to Annie has since been taken over by her roommate who appealed to the public for help in locating Annie (shown above)

Annie pictured on one of her adventurous trips. She was reported missing last Wednesday, and her car was found a day later near Bonneville Dam

'Unfortunately we've looked everywhere that we feel like we can look safely, that are the trails, things like that,' said Mark Hornibrook, a local LDS church leader.

Officials say they are fully prepared to resume the search for Annie if any further credible leads are uncovered.

A plane and drones were deployed to scan the more treacherous areas.

Annie's mother, Michelle Schmidt from Salt Lake City, Utah, said the trails have been really well searched.

She told KOIN-TV she had arrived in Portland last week to go on a camping trip with her daughter.

Annie, who enjoyed hiking, had recently bought a new tent and backpack.

Crews were searching the area surrounding the Toothrock Trailhead on Saturday morning and retraced their steps on Sunday

Her father said she might have attempted to set up the tent she had just received.

Annie, said to be adventurous and a risk taker, could have also gone off trail while hiking, according to her mother.

Michelle also said the battery in her daughter's cell phone dies quickly and added that it could have run out by the time she arrived at the Columbia River Gorge.

Previously, the mother said she did not believe her daughter meant to go overnight by herself.

'She wasn't prepared. She hadn't taken any of her equipment,' Michelle told KOIN.

'We're not sure what happened to her but we think that she's either injured or lost.'

Authorities at this time said there are no signs of foul play.

Annie's parents Michelle and Jon Schmidt are pictured above as they joined in the search for their daughter on Friday

Annie's family joined search crews in Oregon. Her mother fears she could have gone off trail

Search and rescue pictured in Oregon above. Authorities said there are no signs of foul play

'I have to face the reality she may not still be alive,' Michelle previously told Fox 13.

In the meantime, the mother said the hardest part for her and the family is waiting.

'I called my daughter last night, who's my youngest, and sat on the phone and cried and cried and cried and cried,' she told KGW, 'but we have to be logical and do all we can.'

Annie's father joined her mother in Oregon at the search command post on Friday.

'If anyone was up here hiking Sunday afternoon, please take a look at the picture,' Jon said.

'If you know anyone who was hiking here, have them take a look at her picture, see if you recognize her.'

Jon Schmidt (pictured left and right) is a member of the Utah-based music group The Piano Guys

Jon serves as a pianist and songwriter in the four-member music group, The Piano Guys.

After gaining a big following through YouTube, the group signed with Sony.

On Friday, a post on The Piano Guys' Facebook page made a plea for help in finding Annie.

'We need everyone's prayers,' it said in addition to describing where she was last seen and what she was wearing.

Annie tweeted several times on October 16 - the last day she was seen by her roommate.

One of those tweets included a scenic view of rough terrain filled with what appears to be a small body of water.

She captioned the photo 'FILL your life with GOOD VIBES' and posted it around 2.25pm.

The Piano Guys is made up of four members including (from left to right): Al van der Beek, Schmidt, Steven Sharp Nelson and Paul Anderson

On Friday, a post on The Piano Guys' Facebook page made a plea for help in finding Annie

In her final tweet that day, she shared a link to a song on Soundcloud.

The nature-loving woman had also tweeted that she was planning a backpacking trip across Asia and India.

She was reported missing on Wednesday, and her car was found a day later with her cell phone and camping gear still inside.

Annie moved to Portland from Salt Lake City in July for a new job.

She was last seen wearing a gray or green beanie, and is said to be 5ft4", 125 pounds and has brown hair and brown eyes.
The Cayuga County Sheriff's Office has accused a Port Byron man of fleeing from a traffic stop Saturday and striking a patrol officer's vehicle in the process.

Aaron D. Greene, of 21 Orchard St. Apt. A, was charged Monday with fourth-degree criminal mischief and third-degree unlawfully fleeing a police officer in a motor vehicle, both misdemeanors. Deputies said traffic tickets will also be issued for speeding and other offenses.

The charges stem from an incident that occurred at around 8:39 p.m. Saturday on Ira Hill Road, between Ferris Road and Farnam Road, in Ira, according to the sheriff's office. Authorities said Deputy James Taber had stopped a 2001 Chevy pickup truck for speeding.

Deputies said the operator of the truck, Greene, quickly pulled away from Taber after the deputy had requested Greene's paperwork and traveled west toward Ferris Road. Within minutes, Taber found the vehicle in the parking lot of the Ira Methodist Church on Ferris Road.

Authorities, however, allege that Greene, 36, saw the deputy pull up and sped out of the parking lot, striking the side of Greene's patrol vehicle. Deputies said there were no injuries, but Greene's vehicle side-swiped the patrol car and struck the passenger's side, including the mirror, front-quarter panel and door.

Area law enforcement were then told to be on the lookout for a red pickup truck. The sheriff's office said deputies worked with members of the New York State Police for several hours searching for Greene's vehicle, but were unsuccessful.

Further investigation over the weekend led deputies to Greene at an acquaintance's residence on 25 Utica St. in Port Byron where he was taken into custody without incident, the sheriff's office said.

Greene was arraigned and sent to Cayuga County Jail on $2,000 cash bail, $4,000 bond. Deputies said he will return to town of Ira Court on Nov. 14.
A new scheme allowed the troubled pair to improve their parenting skills

Political commentator Miranda Devine says meth-addicted parents should be sterilised to prevent them from having children.

Ms Devine's remarks come after it was revealed that a meth-addicted couple were allowed to keep custody of their young child, despite all eight previous children being removed from their care.

Ms Devine made the controversial comment on the Today Show on Monday, leaving viewers shocked.

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'How can someone who is ice-addicted look after a child?' Political commentator Miranda Devine (pictured) said

'How can someone who is ice-addicted look after a child?' she said.

'It's ridiculous that the taxpayer is expected to actually have a full-time carer in there to look after the baby that the parents can't take care of; that's not an ideal situation.

'I mean, ninth child, obviously these parents are no good at being parents.'

Miranda Devine (pictured) said giving meth-addicted parents an incentive to not have children and instead get sterilised was a reasonable option

She said giving meth-addicted parents an incentive to not have children and instead get sterilised was a reasonable option.

'We pay them for sterilisation. It sounds like a dramatic thing but it's babies who are being damaged in this and I think that would be by far a better solution than having these poor children born into situations where they're neglected and abused.'

The parents, from Blacktown, in Sydney's western suburbs, benefited from a new NSW Government child protection scheme that allowed them to hold onto their child.

'It sounds like a dramatic thing but it's babies who are being damaged in this and I think that would be by far a better solution than having these poor children born into situations where they're neglected and abused' Miranda Devine (pictured) said

Under the scheme  which has also been used by eight other families  the couple had a carer living part-time with them.

Revisiting the subject again on Today Extra, host David Campbell said Australia was not Neo-Nazi Germany and sterilisation was not an acceptable option.

'You can't just take babies away from people, we have a whole stolen generation for that,' he said.

But panellist Ben Davis, a 4BC presenter, clashed with Mr Campbell claiming the child should be taken off its drug-addicted parents.

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Today Extra host David Campbell (centre left) clashed with panellist Ben Davis, a 4BC presenter, (far right) on Monday during the show

'Eight children this couple has had taken off them and now number nine's ok? I mean how many chances do we get in life, I know we don't get eight,' he said.

Mr Davis also took offence that the program  giving parents the support to keep their child  should not be funded by taxpayers.

'This is a real serious concern, and especially when it is government funded, it is taxpayers money that's going in here,' he said.

'This is a real serious concern, and especially when it is government funded, it is taxpayers money that's going in here,' Ben Davis (pictured) said

He claimed children in similar situations were better off in foster care 'with parents who actually want to put their hand up and say we will look after a child'.

'Rather than these parents who obviously don't want to look after their child,' he said.

But host Mr Campbell shot back at the panellist claiming parents with an addiction to drugs did not necessarily mean they didn't want their children.

'It does not mean they don't care, that means they're an addict, it's a big difference,' he said.

'It's an addiction, you can't just judge them for their addiction.'

'It's an addiction, you can't just judge them for their addiction,' host David Campbell (centre left) argued on Today Extra on Monday morning

The Sydney couple - one who was reportedly addicted to ice and the other who reportedly had a history of domestic violence - had a seven-month old, according to the Daily Telegraph.

Under the scheme - which allowed them to keep custody of their child - they get parenting therapy sessions as well as a carer living part-time with them.

The revelation came as Brad Hazzard, the NSW Family and Community Services Minister, admitted some parents 'know more about dope than they do about the food necessary to keep their babies alive'.

NSW government minister Brad Hazzard (pictured) has admitted some parents 'know more about dope than they do about the food necessary to keep their babies alive'

Mr Hazzard said 'far too much domestic violence, far too much drugs (and) far too much alcohol' created 'recipes for disastrous lives for children'.

More than 2,000 young children in NSW were judged as falling into the same 'at risk' category as the couple's ninth baby.

However Mr Hazzard admitted automatically taking children away from their parents wasn't always the answer.

'There is absolutely no question that removing a baby from a mum is no guarantee that baby is going to have a positive future,' he said.

And that decision appears vindicated according to Kylie Hughes, a health coordinator for the Western Sydney District.

Ms Hughes said the scheme had allowed the parents in question to overcome their drug, alcohol and domestic violence issues and 'thrive' with their ninth child.

The new foster care scheme comes in the wake of the 'Girl X' (pictured) inquest that rocked the foster care system

'Girl X' died of a drug overdose aged just 15 after being repeatedly raped by foster carers (pictured)

'We had someone in their house with them for 40 hours a week assisting them with their interactions with the baby (and) observing them and ensuring that there was no more violence,' Ms Hughes said.

Kylie Hughes (pictured) said the parents had overcome their issues and were 'thriving' with their ninth child under the scheme

'Now we've managed to reduce the number of services and they go out to visit the service and they have case management outside of the home.'

Of the nine couples to take part in the scheme, seven have kept their kids while two have had them taken into care.

The new scheme comes in the wake of the 'Girl X' scandal that rocked the NSW health system.

'Girl X' died of a drug overdose aged just 15 after being repeatedly raped by foster carers.
A British banker accused of killing two Indonesian sex workers tortured one for three days with pliers and sex toys before forcing her to lick the toilet, a court heard.

Rurik Jutting, 31, was high on cocaine when he filmed himself slitting the women's throats in a 'horrifying' attack in his luxury Hong Kong flat in 2014, prosecutors said.

The Cambridge University graduate today pleaded not guilty to murdering Sumarti Ningsih, 23 and Seneng Mujiasih, 26, whose bodies were found in his apartment.

Jutting, who earned 350,000-a-year when he worked for Merrill Lynch, attempted to plead guilty to the lesser charge of manslaughter - but this was rejected at Hong Kong's High Court today.

Prosecutor John Reading told the court how Jutting subjected Ms Ningsih to 'cruel acts of violence' using his belt, sex toys, a pair of pliers and his fists.

British banker Rurik Jutting, 31, pictured in 2014, has pleaded not guilty to the murders of two Indonesian sex workers

Prosecutor John Reading told the court how Jutting subjected Ms Ningsih (shown) to 'cruel acts of violence' using his belt, sex toys, a pair of pliers and his fists

After torturing her for three days, Mr Reading said Jutting forced her to lick the toilet bowl while he cut her throat with a serrated-edged knife.

Jutting, who studied at 34,000-a-year boarding school Winchester College, continued to saw through her neck when she did not immediately die.

'After torturing her for three days, he took her into the bathroom, had her kneel in front of the toilet bowl with her hands tied behind her back,' Mr Reading said.

'He made her lick the toilet bowl and then he cut her throat with a serrated-edged knife.'

Ms Ningsih went home with Jutting on 25 October 2014 after he offered her 'a large sum of money', the court heard.

The sex worker, who was in Hong Kong on a tourist visa, had a five-year-old son living with her parents in Indonesia.

Jutting was charged with the murders of Sumarti Ningsih (left) and Seneng Mujiasih (right), whose bodies were found in his upmarket apartment near Hong Kong's red-light district

Ms Mujiasih (pictured) was allegedly killed by Jutting, who is said to have filmed the attacks on his phone

Jutting (pictured in 2014) used his phone to film himself talking about the killing, saying how he enjoyed dominating Ms Ningsih, the court heard

Officers discovered Ms Mujiasih's naked body with knife wounds to her legs and buttocks

Mr Reading said Jutting previously met Ms Ningsih when he paid to have sex with her.

But on that occasion, she offered to give back half the money if she could leave early because he had been so rough.

Jutting used his phone to film himself talking about the killing, saying how much he enjoyed dominating Ms Ningsih.

He also said he 'definitely could not have done that without cocaine'.

In some shots, Ms Ningsih's body can be seen on the floor of the shower. At one point he wrapped it up and stuffed it in a suitcase that he left on the balcony.

Just days later, Jutting took Ms Mujiasih back to his apartment near Hong Kong's Wan Chai red-light district after meeting her in a bar and offering her money for sex.

Michael Vidler, lawyer of British former banker Rurik Jutting, arrives to represent him today

After they undressed, Ms Mujiasih spotted a gag made of some rope that he had left next to the sofa and started to shout, prosecutors said.

Jutting grabbed her, took a knife he had hidden under a cushion, held it to her throat and told her he would cut her throat if she didn't stop.

'She continued to struggle and shout, and he cut her throat,' Mr Reading told the jurors.

He made more video recordings, including one that showed Ms Mujiasih's body, and told police he used up the rest of his cocaine.

He apparently started hallucinating and called the emergency number after believing the police were coming to get him.

Officers discovered Ms Mujiasih's naked body with knife wounds to her legs and buttocks.

The decaying body of Ms Ningsih was found hours later in a suitcase on the balcony, according to police reports.

Jutting was arrested and he told officers everything that happened as well as discussing his drug use in police interviews.

Mr Reading said traces of cocaine were detected in more than two dozen small plastic bags found in Jutting's apartment.

The Cambridge graduate today pleaded not guilty to two murder charges after prosecutors rejected his attempt to plead guilty to the lesser charge of manslaughter.

Jutting, who wore a dark blue shirt, glasses and was visibly slimmer than in his court appearances last year, was put into a glass-screened dock when he arrived in the court.

Jutting was working for Merrill Lynch when he moved to Hong Kong - where he was reportedly earning 350,000 a year by the time

Jutting, who studied at Winchester College, one of Britain's most prestigious private schools, continued to saw through Sumarti Ningsih's neck when she did not immediately die

The decaying body of Ms Ningsih was found in a suitcase on the banker's balcony (shown)

When the clerk asked what his plea was to the two murder charge, he replied 'not guilty to murder by reason of diminished responsibility but guilty of manslaughter', which the prosecutors refused to accept, meaning the trial on the murder charges will proceed.

A third charge was also read out - unlawful burial of Sumarti Ningsih's body, to which he pleaded guilty.

Jutting worked for Bank of America-Merrill Lynch in structured equity finance and trading. If convicted, he faces life in prison.

Judge Michael Stuart-Moore said to jurors before the selection began that there were 'particularly horrifying aspect to this case, with one victim subject to extreme violence and cruelty amounting to torture,' before she died.

He said the evidence includes colour photographs that 'are not pleasant photographs to look at.

'They are extremely upsetting.'

Armed policemen guard the entrance as a prison car carrying British former banker Rurik Jutting enters High Court in Hong Kong

A prison vehicle escorting Jutting leaves the High Court in Hong Kong today

A migrant workers alliance group holds placards to protest the killings of two Indonesian women in 2014 outside the High Court in Hong Kong today

He added that 'the defendant even recorded on his iPhone part of the torture he inflicted on his first victim,' which will be shown to the jury.

'Much of what the jury will see or hear is very disturbing indeed,' he said, but added that the Jutting is entitled to a fair trial.

While Jutting's initial guilty manslaughter plea was rejected, the judge told jurors that they could still decide between finding him guilty of murder or manslaughter.

His parents - engineer Graham and teacher Helen - are expected to attend the trial.

Jutting, who graduated from Peterhouse College, Cambridge, in 2005, moved to Hong Kong three years ago and was regularly spotted in lap dancing clubs.

The victims had originally come to Hong Kong as foreign maids. But Ms Mujiasih had let her domestic worker visa lapse and Ms Ningsih had returned on a tourist visa.

They were among the more than 300,000 migrant domestic workers employed in Hong Kong, almost all of them women from Indonesia or the Philippines.

The case shocked the former British colony, which has a reputation for being safe, while also highlighting the city's extreme inequality.
for host of offences including burglary and assault

Mrs Stubley also entered the home and

Mr Radford forced his way in and repeatedly punched the man in the face

Jason Radford and wife Cheryl then visited one of the alleged attackers' homes

police of the attacks on her 25-year-old daughter

A couple have pleaded guilty to assault and burglary after they raided a home in a dispute over the couple's daughter and bashed the owner.

Jason Radford and his wife Cheryl Stubley, both 44, entered the man's house, and Radford punched the victim in the face multiple times before the couple lied to police about ever visiting the home, The Herald Sun reports.

The bashing came a fortnight after Stubley told police 'If you don't do anything this time I'm going to have to take it into my own hands', referring to several attacks on her daughter.

Jason Radford (left) and Cheryl Stubley (right) pleaded guilty to a host of charges including aggravated burglary and assault offences

The court heard Stubley had recently warned police of the attacks on her 25-year-old daughter from an acquaintance and the unidentified person's friend.

The court heard Stubley and Radford visited one of the acquaintances' homes on October 4 last year, before the husband forced his way into the house.

The court heard Mrs Stubley (Left) had recently warned police of the attacks on her 25-year-old daughter

Radford then repeatedly punched the victim in the face, while Stubley - holding a pool cue - went inside after waiting for her husband and threatened a woman.

Their lawyer told court Radford had been affected by alcohol and the couple had only gone over to the house to talk to the victim. Taking the pool cue was just a coincidence, he said.

'Their intention initially was to communicate and talk to them,' their lawyer said.

'A verbal conversation was the intention. Their intention was not to cause any physical injuries.'

The couple pleaded guilty to a host of charges including aggravated burglary and assault offences.

Judge Richard Maidment took both 44-year-old offenders into custody awaiting sentencing.
The country's second highest law officer has quit his job saying his relationship with Attorney-General George Brandis had been irretrievably broken.

Australian Solicitor-General Justin Gleeson and the attorney have been embroiled in a public spat over changes to Mr Gleeson's role, principally that no-one including the prime minister could seek the solicitor-general's advice without the attorney's permission.

Mr Gleeson said while he regretted having to take the decision, it was the necessary step to resolve the impasse between them.

Australia's Solicitor-General Justin Gleeson appears before a Senate inquiry at Parliament House in Canberra earlier in October

Attorney-General George Brandis at a Legal and Constitutional Affairs Senate Estimates Hearings at Parliament House in Canberra on October 18

'The best interests of the commonwealth can be served only when its first and second law officers enjoy each others' complete trust and confidence within a mutually respectful relationship.

'When such a relationship is irretrievably broken, as is the case here... there must be some resolution to the impasse.'

Earlier this month, Mr Gleeson told a Senate inquiry the 'radical change' to his role was unlawful and threatened his independence.

Mr Gleeson said he had not seen the new direction until May 4, after it was issued by Senator Brandis, and that he had asked the attorney to withdraw the order and engage in proper consultation.

Senator Brandis has rejected claims he was undermining the solicitor-general, and that the directive amounted to a power grab.

In his letter, Mr Gleeson said his resignation did not mean he withdrew any of the positions and claims he made in 'matters of controversy' between himself and the attorney.

Solicitor-General Justin Gleeson has tendered his resignation following controversy over his relationship with Attorney-General George Brandis

Australia's Solicitor-General Justin Gleeson appears before a Senate inquiry at Parliament House in Canberra

It would in fact enable an objective analysis of the issues he'd raised.

'I also make perfectly plain that I reject absolutely each and every attack and insinuation that has been made in recent times upon me personally, or upon my office, by government members of parliament, including you, in the Senate committee process,' Mr Gleeson wrote to Senator Brandis.

'My decision is unrelated to any finding the Senate Committee may make in favour of or adverse to any person.'

Senator Brandis, who announced the move on Monday, said Mr Gleeson's resignation was the 'proper course of action'.

'I will immediately take steps to identify and recommend to the Cabinet a suitable person to be the next Solicitor-General,' Senator Brandis said in a statement.

'In the meantime, the Government will recommend to His Excellency the Governor-General the appointment of Mr Tom Howe PSM QC as the Acting Solicitor-General.'

Mr Gleeson will step down from the job on November 7.

Opposition Leader Bill Shorten said Mr Gleeson was an honourable man who was pushed out of office by a dishonourable government.

'(Malcolm) Turnbull should hang his head in shame,' Mr Shorten posted on Twitter.

The solicitor-general's job comes with a $731,140 a year pay packet.
Issa once called Obama's administration 'the most corrupt in history', but now promoting the work they've done together to get voters

President Barack Obama got into the Las Vegas spirit on Sunday as he told Nevadans they have a winning hand in Democrats Hillary Clinton and Senate candidate Catherine Cortez Masto.

Obama was campaigning to boost Clinton's prospects and help Democrats retake Senate control, scheduling a stop in tightly-contested Nevada before headlining party fundraisers in California.

'You've got black jack,' Obama told a crowd of 3,000 boisterous supporters packed into a local high school, while another 2,100 were in an exterior courtyard.

Obama was unsparing in his criticism of Trump, describing the billionaire businessman as unfit to serve as president.

President Barack Obama touched down in Las Vegas on Sunday to campaign for Hillary Clinton and Democrat Senate candidate Catherine Cortez Masto

Obama was campaigning in Nevada to boost Clinton's prospects and help Democrats to retake Senate control in the tightly contested state

The president told the crowd that Republican politicians and far-right media outlets have trumped up 'all kinds of crazy stuff' about him, Clinton and Reid.

He cited as an example those who questioned whether he was born in the US or alleged that he would take everybody's guns away.

'Is it any wonder that they ended up nominating somebody like Donald Trump,' Obama asked the crowd, claiming that Republican lawmakers stood by and said nothing because it gave them a political advantage.

'So Donald Trump did not start this,' the president said. 'He just did what he always did, which is slap his name on it, take credit for it and promote it.'

But Obama also tried to make life difficult for Republican candidates who have recently sought to distance themselves from the GOP nominee.

And on Sunday, he specifically set his sights on Nevada Rep Joe Heck.

Obama said Cortez Masto (pictured together) would be the first Latina to serve in the US Senate and believes that every family should have the chance to pursue the American dream

Cortez Masto and Republican Rep Joe Heck are vying to replace Sen. Harry Reid, the leading Democrat in the Senate who is retiring after serving out his fifth term

Heck and Cortez Masto are vying to replace Sen Harry Reid, the leading Democrat in the Senate who is retiring after serving out his fifth term.

Cortez Masto, whose grandfather is from Mexico, would be the first Latina to serve in the US Senate.

After a 2005 video emerged of Trump making vulgar remarks about women, Heck said he couldn't support the Republican presidential candidate.

But Obama said that Heck was 'too late', and like many GOP candidates was simply reacting to Trump's slipping poll numbers.

'You don't get credit for that,' he added.

Polls indicate that the presidential and Senate races in Nevada are extremely tight.

Reid's seat is considered the only one Republicans could reasonably flip to their side this election, and outside groups have spent tens of millions of dollars trying to influence the outcome.

After Las Vegas, Obama made his way to San Diego to help get out the Democrat vote

Meanwhile, Hillary Clinton campaigned at the University of North Carolina in Charlotte

Obama's standing in the polls has made him a popular surrogate for congressional candidates hoping that a decisive Clinton victory will benefit them as well.

The White House has said that Obama's primary mission in the next two weeks will be helping Clinton, but he will also use his appearances at campaign events and in television ads to support Democratic candidates up and down the ballot.

Heck was one of the first GOP candidates to withdraw his backing from Trump, a decision that could both help him appeal to moderate voters while alienating some of the Donald's most ardent supporters.

Democrats need to pick up five seats to gain the majority in the Senate, or four if they hang onto control of the White House due to the vice president's tie-breaking vote.

Obama flew to San Diego after his speech, telling some 60 donors paying $10,000 a person that some of the greatest progress during his tenure took place during his first two years when Democrats controlled both chambers.

The president said he had a congressional majority that delivered and was willing to take tough votes. Obama was prepared to veto many bills when Republicans took over, but said 'they are not even organized enough to get their own stuff done.'

Obama hit out at both Nevada Republican Rep Joe Heck (right) and GOP California Rep Darrell Issa (left) on Sunday for not speaking out against Donald Trump soon enough

The president added that the strongest message that could be sent in the upcoming election was if Nancy Pelosi was once again the House speaker.

He then took particular aim at Republican Rep. Darrell Issa, who is in the fight of his congressional career against political newcomer Doug Applegate. Issa represents a congressional district in the San Diego area.

Obama recalled that Issa had called his administration perhaps the most corrupt in history. Now, Obama said he was using the president's photo on one of his brochures about how they had worked together on some issues.

'That is the definition of chutzpah,' the president said.

He added that Issa spent his time trying to obstruct and feed the same sentiments that resulted in Donald Trump.

'Darrell Issa was Trump before Trump,' Obama said.

Obama will participate in another fundraiser for Clinton on Monday in San Diego.
A former foster carer has been charged with child sex offences after he allegedly abused a girl in his care and supplied her with drugs.

The man, aged in his 60s, allegedly sexually and indecently assaulted a 14-year-old girl while caring for her on the New South Wales mid north coast.

Police from the State Crime Commands Child Abuse Squad Port Macquarie started an investigation in September after reports the girl had been indecently assaulted.

A former foster carer has been charged with child sex offences after he allegedly abused a girl in his care and supplied her with drugs (stock image)

Following the investigation a man was arrested at Taree Police Station on October 21.

He was charged with two counts of aggravated indecent assault, sexual intercourse with a person aged 14-16 years and supplying a prohibited drug to a child.

Police allege the 60-year-old sexually assaulted the girl and also supplied her with cannabis.

The man was refused bail and appeared at Taree Local Court on October 22.

He was then bailed to appear at the same court on October 25.

The girl was placed in an alternate care arrangement in September.

Anyone with concerns about child sex abuse or exploitation should call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or the Child Protection Helpline on 132 111.
A married man with a foot fetish has been given permission to undergone IVF with his wife, despite indecently assaulting an 11-year-old girl a decade ago.

The retail worker pleaded guilty in 2005 to indecently assaulting the girl in a Sydney shopping centre by looking at her thong and kneeling to kiss her foot.

Despite his past, the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal has overruled Victoria's Patient Review Panel, and allowed the man to undergo IVF with his wife.

The retail worker, known as IKG, has been convicted of assaulting a girl and a shop assistant

The man, known as IKG, has a long history of indecent assault.

In April 2005, he followed the 11-year-old girl in a shopping mall as she was accompanied by her father and another girl, before asking to look at her thong.

IKG was convicted and placed on the Child Protection Register and the Sex Offender Register, before he returned to Victoria.

Whilst undergoing treatment he indecently assaulted a Victorian female shop assistant in June 2007.

The victim was working at the back of the store when he grabbed both her arms and forcibly attempted to kiss her on the mouth.

In April, Victoria's Patient Review Panel ruled four to one that IKG be barred from getting IVF with his wife, whom he married in 2012.

IKG and his wife, a nurse, appealed that decision.

On September 15, 2016, the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal concluded IKG's foot fetish was in remission.

'The tribunal is satisfied that IKG is a person whose circumstances have changed materially since the offending conduct and that to exclude him from treatment would be unfair,' it said.

'For these reasons, the tribunal is satisfied that no barrier to treatment exists and that the carrying out of the treatment procedure is consistent with the best interests of a child born as a result of the treatment procedure.'

The man was convicted in 2005 of indecently assaulting a girl in a NSW shopping mall
A man with distinctive facial tattoos is on the run from police after he failed to appear in court over serious assault charges.

Raymond Jones, 30, from Smithfield in the northern outskirts of Adelaide, was placed on home detention while on trial for a serious assault.

But on the last day of his trial in court last Wednesday he never showed up, prompting South Australia Police to issue a warrant for his arrest.

He was also convicted despite his absence in court.

Adelaide man Raymond Jones (pictured), 30, is on the run from police after failing to appear in court over serious assault charges last Wednesday

Jones is Caucasian and has a number of tattoos across his face, including 'LOGAN' etched across his neck and words above and beneath each eye.

He is 171 centimetres tall with a bulky build and has blonde hair and blue eyes.

Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

Many social media users poked fun at the man's heavily tattooed face, suggesting that it would make it much harder for him to avoid authorities.

'If only he had some distinguishing features that would make identifying him easier...,' wrote one woman.

'I'm sure he's just misunderstood,' added another man.

Many social media users poked fun at the man's heavily tattooed face, suggesting that it would make it much harder for him to avoid authorities
A mother-of-four suffering from a terminal disease was denied chemotherapy but told she could have assisted suicide drugs for just $1.20, despite wanting to prolong her life.

Stephanie Packer, 33, from California, has however now won the right to drugs which will buy her more time with her husband and children.

Mrs Packer, who suffers from scleroderma, a chronic autoimmune disease for which there is no cure, is now one of the faces of the 'right to live' movement battling lawmakers in a growing number of US states which have permitted assisted suicide.

Stephanie Packer, 33, was diagnosed with scleroderma, a chronic autoimmune disease in 2012 and told she had three years to live (here pictured with her family)

Taking a stand: Packer spoke in a video distributed by The Center for Bioethics and Culture Network about her struggle to get the appropriate drugs

First diagnosed in 2012, Mrs Packer was told she had three years to live.

Her insurance company initially refused to pay for chemotherapy medicine while she battled her illness.

But bosses admitted their policies meant suicide drugs could have been approved if she had requested them - with a co-payment of just $1.20.

It was only when she put pressure on the firm and threatened to tell her story that insurance bosses relented, approving the drug which may buy her more time.

She is now determined to spend as much time with her children aged between seven and 13.

Packer, who is a devout Roman Catholic, told the New York Post: 'I want my kids to see that death is a part of life.'

She said in a video distributed by The Center for Bioethics and Culture Network: 'For a while, five months or so, weve been trying to get me on a different chemotherapy drug for the infusions, because my doctor felt that it would be less toxic than some of the other drugs that we were going to be using.

Packer is determined to spend as much time with her children aged between seven and 13

'And I was going back and forth, and finally I had heard back from them, and they said, "Yes, were going to get it covered, we just have to fix a couple of things."'

Speaking on her website, Stephanie's Journey, she said: 'If everyone had a doctor who cared, no one would even consider ending their own life.

'Patients don't know how to find that doctor or how to navigate the complicated health care system and they don't have the tools or information they need.

'They're so tired and don't have the strength to deal with the fight. Instead, they'll take the assisted suicide option because it's easier.'

Packer is standing against the growing wave of pro-euthanasia campaigns which have gained in power since the case of cancer sufferer Brittany Maynard who legally took her own life with barbiturates.

But Sean Crowley from the euthanasia charity Compassion & Choices said he supported Packer, adding: 'We're heartbroken for this woman. People battle drug companies every day.

'They go through awful pain and suffering just to get well. We think people should be able to do whatever they want.'

Californian lawmakers in June gave doctors the power to carry out assisted suicide despite a fight by pro-life campaigners.

It follows similar laws in Oregon, Washington state, Vermont and Montana which allow patients, who are mentally competent but believed to have six months to live, the right to die with doctors' help. Colorado will vote on November 8 for a similar proposal.

The spread of assisted dying has reached Canada, Japan, Colombia and parts of Europe.

The Dutch government is looking into allowing the elderly to end their lives if they feel they have 'completed life' despite not suffering from terminal illnesses.
Former Emmerdale star Leah Bracknell (pictured) is raising more money for her lifesaving cancer treatment because she said she needs to have 'several sessions'

Former Emmerdale star Leah Bracknell is raising more money for her lifesaving cancer treatment because she said she needs to have 'several sessions'.

The actress, who played Zoe Tate in the soap for 16 years, has already raised 60,000 for treatment since being diagnosed with terminal lung cancer seven weeks ago.

But the 52-year-old says it is now likely she will need more donations to fund her treatment.

Leah, who plans to travel to a clinic in Germany for immunotherapy treatment which is not available on the NHS, says the initial 50,000 target will only cover one session and it is like she will need several more.

Writing on her Facebook page, she said had been hugely grateful for the messages and the donations but that the fundraising would still be 'continuing'.

'Please know how grateful I am, and how I appreciate each and every message,' she wrote.

'Not in Germany yet, as there are many procedures to undergo first. But everything is moving in the right direction.

'The fundraising will still be continuing, as the initial target will likely cover only my initial visit, and it is more than likely I may need several more.'

Leah announced earlier this month that she had been diagnosed with stage four lung cancer.

In an emotional post about her condition, the mother-of-two - the first British soap character to come out as a lesbian - described how she had been enjoying life as a 'fit and healthy' yoga teacher when her world was 'unexpectedly turned on its head'.

Writing on her fundraising page, Leah vowed to fight the cancer with 'a glass half full', describing how her priority was 'to defy expectation'.

Leah announced earlier this month that she had been diagnosed with stage four lung cancer. She is pictured in an Emmerdale episode with Effie Harrison (Phillipa Peak), her on-screen girlfriend

The actress, who played Zoe Tate in the soap for 16 years, has already raised 60,000 for treatment since being diagnosed with terminal lung cancer seven weeks ago. She is pictured in Emmerdale in 2005 (left) and in 1999 (right)

Leah played Jenny Carrington (pictured) in 43 episodes of The Royal Today in 2008

'Please imagine me writing this and speaking in quite an upbeat and cheerful voice,' she wrote.

'Do NOT imagine me sitting here writing through a veil of tears. I am not. Or feeling sorry for myself. I am not (yet).

'My priority is getting well and strong, so that I can continue to endeavour to be a good, mother, daughter, wife, or at least the best I can be.

Leah, who plans to travel to a clinic in Germany for immunotherapy which is not available on the NHS, says the initial 50,000 target will only cover one session

'My priority is to defy expectation. My priority is to love, to laugh, and, as Bob said, to "keep on keepin' on".'

Shortly after, her partner Jez Hughes launched an online appeal through GoFundMe to raise a minimum of 50,000 for the treatment at the private Hallwang clinic.

Treatment costs between 9,000 and 27,000 a week, with the average stay lasting three to four weeks.

The clinic specialises in immunotherapy, which reprogrammes the bodys defence system to attack cancerous cells. Trials show it could stop cancer from spreading and reduce tumour size.

In Germany  which has one of the highest cancer-survival rates in Europe  clinics operate under fewer regulations so they can provide treatments that have not been ruled safe in Britain.

Patients have compared the centre to a spa hotel where they are given restaurant-quality food.

Jez said the family are 'determined to fight' the cancer and have Mexican shamans in the hospital attempting to heal her.
OWASCO  State representatives met at the Owasco Town Hall Monday afternoon to learn where the $600,000 allocated to Owasco Lake watershed projects is going, and what can be done next.

The announcement that the funds had been released came last week, and was great news for Bob Brower, president of the Owasco Watershed Lake Association. While Brower had been helping direct a blue-green algae bloom surveillance program, the Cayuga County Health Department was testing both untreated and treated water samples for blue-green algae toxins, with treated water samples testing positive on a sporadic basis over three weeks between September and October. It was the first time in New York state that toxins had been detected in the drinking water, though below the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's levels of concern.

While the funds were already allocated in last year's legislative budget, Brower showed state Sens. James Seward and John DeFrancisco and Assemblymen Gary Finch and Bob Oaks where some of the money had already been spent and where new projects would pick up.

When state officials asked what was causing the increase in the frequency of harmful algal blooms and their intensity, the answer was largely unknown. But David Matthews, a research scientist with the Upstate Freshwater Institute, said the answer to reducing those blooms has always been clear  reducing nutrient loading, specifically, phosphorous.

But what has mystified the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, is that according to the state's Nutrient Standards Plan, its guidance level for the amount of phosphorous is higher than what Owasco Lake has measured over the past couple of years. Because of the seemingly low phosphorous levels, Cayuga County officials had to advocate for Owasco Lake to be on the DEC's list of impaired water bodies, citing the number of harmful algal blooms.

Matthews said he believes the state needs to rethink its guidance level for Owasco Lake, and maybe its guideline of 20 micrograms per liter of phosphorous overall. He's not sure what Owasco Lake's phosphorous threshold is, but, he said, reducing phosphorous is the only answer to reducing the blooms.

Brower said $386,000 of the state funds is going toward specific watershed restoration projects, which would reduce nutrient loading. Sampling and monitoring of the watershed takes up the second largest chunk at about $109,000. Project management is expected to cost about $85,000, with the remainder of the budget, about $20,000 focused on stakeholder communications and administration. Brower said that some of the projects, such as two buoys which measure data collected from the lake, had already been paid for by Owasco Watershed Lake Association members with faith that the state funds would come through.

Brower also showed who the Owasco Watershed Management Council has contracted with for this work. The Cayuga County Soil and Water Conservation District will be the primary contractor, expecting to complete more than $360,000 worth of projects in the watershed. Brower said they planned to focus work on Van Ness and Sucker brooks, which are closer to the city of Auburn and the town of Owasco's water treatment plant intake pipes.

Doug Kierst, executive director of the district, did not have projects yet slated for the funds, but said his team would compile a list and tackle the best ones first. He said while the funds would go a long way, "realistically," he said, "it's a good-sized watershed. We'll see how we go with the funding."

Finch asked Kierst for a wish list, and how much it would cost. Hesitant to give a number, Kierst said it would cost millions to do everything the district wanted to do. That added to another financial request from those in the audience  many who were city, town and county officials.

Seth Jensen, director of Municipal Utilities for the city of Auburn, said both treatment plants have requested $75,000 each from the state to fund an engineering study. From those studies, Jensen said they hope to decide what modifications can be made so that no blue-green algae toxins are detected in the drinking water next year. So far, options that have been discussed include increasing the amount of powder activated carbon used, or extend the intake pipes further out into the lake.

"We will be looking for other ways that the state can be of assistance to solving this problem, of course financially, but in other ways as well," Seward said.
An arachnophobe has refused to get into a new 20,000 Hyundai car he received on the Motability scheme after spotting a huge spider inside.

Brendan Morris, 33, of Padiham, Lancashire, who is registered as disabled, wants to swap the Tucson two weeks after being given it because he cannot get back in.

The father-of-three was left terrified while driving to the supermarket with his wife Wendy, 28, after spotting the arthropod crawling down the passenger door.

Arachnophobe: Brendan Morris, 33, of Padiham, Lancashire, who is registered as disabled, wants to swap the Tucson two weeks after being given it because he cannot get back in

Taken away: Motability staff are 'discussing his application for another car through the Motability scheme with him to ensure that whatever vehicle he chooses will be suitable'

He stopped the car in the road before they jumped out. It happened just two days after he received the vehicle, and he has refused to get back in for ten days since.

Mr Morris told The Sun: We were absolutely terrified  it was the size of my palm. Imagine if I was driving on the motorway? I certainly would have crashed.

Experts fumigated the car in case it had laid eggs  but Im not taking this risk. My skin has been crawling ever since  I am terrified of them.

Speaking to the newspapers reporter Ruth Warrander, Mr Morris added that he was thankful that his young children were not in the car at the time.

Scary: The father-of-three was left terrified while driving to the supermarket with his wife Wendy, 28, after spotting the arthropod crawling down the passenger door

He researched the arachnid online and believed it was a poisonous yellow-backed spider from the Czech Republic, where the car was manufactured.

Experts fumigated the car in case it had laid eggs  but Im not taking this risk. My skin has been crawling ever since - I am terrified of them Brendan Morris

But experts have since claimed it is actually a wolf spider species, which are large but non-dangerous and spend their time hiding - so are rarely seen.

A Motability spokesman told MailOnline: Mr Morris has informed us of his unfortunate experience with his current vehicle.

Having reviewed his individual circumstances, we are discussing his application for another car through the Motability scheme with him to ensure that whatever vehicle he chooses will be suitable for his needs over the next three years.

Frightened: Mr Morris researched the arachnid and believed it was a poisonous yellow-backed spider from the Czech Republic, but experts have since claimed it is actually a wolf spider

The spokesman said there is help given to Motability users who have problems with vehicle or changes to their health meaning they can no longer use their vehicle.

She added: Disabled people who decide to lease a vehicle through the Motability Scheme are able to choose from around 2,000 cars.

They pay for their lease using their own funds, specifically from their mobility allowance, topped up, in some cases by an additional up-front advance payment.
The principal of an elite private school has admitted allegations boys were raping fellow students with implements were not properly investigated.

A boy, known as CLB, claimed older students at Trinity Grammar had tried to rape him by 'lifting his legs in the air and pumping at his bottom' on August 11, 2000.

CLB reported the incident to the Summer Hill, inner-west Sydney, school the same day with allegations they had raped him with objects more than 50 times. He said they had been sticking a 30cm wooden dildo made in wood-tech class up other students' bottoms.

Principal Milton Cujes told the royal commission into child abuse the school had to decide on a punishment for the culprits 'in the context of a Friday afternoon' ahead of trial HSC exams the following week.

A boy claimed older students at Sydney's Trinity Grammar (pictured) had raped him with objects more than 50 times

Mr Cujes said he trust three other staff  his deputy, the boarding house master and the school counsellor  to handle the allegations, and that he adopted his deputy Peter Green's recommendation to suspend the students responsible for the weekend.

He was questioned on Monday about his response to multiple claims of rape and simulated rape in the boarding school dormitories.

He said the school response was 'adequate' considering the HSC trial exams which started the following Monday could not be stopped.

'In the context of the Friday afternoon before the trial examinations we needed to act and demonstrate that it was completely unacceptable, hence the endorsement of the suspension, he said, Daily Telegraph reported.

When asked how he followed up the allegations, Mr Cujes said two weeks 'were taken up with exams'.

Principal Milton Cujes was questioned by the royal commission into sex abuse (commissioners are pictured) on Monday about his response to multiple claims of rape and simulated rape in the boarding school dormitories

Commissioner Peter McLellan (pictured on Thursday) pressed the matter: 'If a serious incident of this nature was not reported to you, and appropriate reporting to the authorities was not taken, it suggests a failure in the management of your school, doesn't it?'

Mr Cujes claimed he was only aware CLB had his face blackened with boot polish in a 'dorm rumble that got out of hand'.

'I didn't read [CLB's incident] report sir, that's not my recollection,' Mr Cujes told counsel assisting David Lloyd.

CLB told the school counsellor, Katherine Lumsdaine, the same boys had used a variety of pole-like objects to rape him more than 50 times.

Ms Lumsdaine reported the incident to the deputy, Mr Green, but he did not pass it on to Mr Cujes, the principal told the commission.

His recollection contradicted Mr Green, who last week told the commission he had provided Mr Cujes with incident reports.

Mr Green said he had even spoken with the principal about the allegations of assault, and Mr Cujes had 'reacted in shock', ABC reported.

Two months passed before CLB's family were notified of the abuse allegations.

Mr Cujes admitted the school failed to conduct a proper investigation

The only person who stressed the need for formal investigation was Ms Lumsdaine, the commission heard.

Mr Cujes admitted the school failed to conduct a proper investigation.

'We failed in that sense,' Mr Cujes said.

'And that's a failure by you, isn't it?' Ms Lumsdaine's lawyer Peter O'Brien asked.

'I'm involved in that,' Mr Cujes replied.

Commissioner Peter McLellan pressed the matter.

'If a serious incident of this nature was not reported to you, and appropriate reporting to the authorities was not taken, it suggests a failure in the management of your school, doesn't it?' commissioner McLellan said.

Mr Cujes, who is still principal of the school, said his role was to be a 'court of appeal' and he did not investigate incident reports.

He denied the school tried to 'hide things under the carpet'.
Caged up and 'waiting for death' Liszka the terrified dog could barely walk.

But miraculously the brave canine is now running again after finally being saved by rescuers in Poland.

In a horrific case of animal cruelty Lizka was locked up in a cage and forced to lie in her own faeces without food or water.

Caged up and 'waiting for death' Liszka the terrified dog could barely walk

Contractures had developed on her legs making walking nearly impossible

'She was lying and waiting for death. She was somewhere between scrap and waste,' said the rescuers from OTOZ Animals, based in northern Poland's city of Gdynia.

Contractures had developed on her legs making walking nearly impossible, and she developed a fear of people and shook in fright when her saviours finally arrived.

Now she has a new home and is well on her way to recovery, as a heartwarming video shows.

She is no longer scared of people, and is enjoying being finally able to run around, despite her serious walking problems.

Vets have been massaging her legs to relax the muscles, allowing her to scramble around across the floor.

Miraculously the brave canine is now running again after finally being saved by rescuers

Liszka has new home and is well on her way to recovery, as a heartwarming video shows

The dog is no longer scared of people, and is enjoying being finally able to run around, despite her serious walking problems

Police are investigating the case of the abusive owner, who has been reported to the prosecution.

Sylwia Zajac, from OTOZ Animals said: 'This is not the first police intervention this man has faced.
A car abandoned after crashing into a tree in Melbourne has been turned into an impromptu work of art.

The Toyota Camry sedan had been dumped for several weeks at Fitzroy North near the city.

The eyesore on the corner of McKean and Michael streets became a social media hit on Monday, thanks to some deft gold paint work with a spray can.

The abandoned Toyota Camry (pictured) after being covered with gold paint in Fitzroy North

Twitter reviews were mainly positive on the car, which reportedly had the keys in the ignition when it was dumped.

'When a car wreck becomes a golden piece of art. Thank you North Fitzroy, we loved it,' @AngelucciArchi tweeted.

Bill Bainbridge was less charitable.

'Never abandon a car in Fitzroy. Too many people with time on their hands and ideas.'

Toyota's Altona factory in Melbourne's west manufactured the dumped sedan between 1997 and 2000.

That factory will stop making the Camry in 2017, signalling the end of Australian car manufacturing.

A supporter of the impromptu gold Camry artwork has a few kind words to say on Twitter

Another tweet in support of the crashed Toyota Camry sedan on a Fitzroy North intersection

A tweet from eight days ago showing the Toyota Camry wreckage before gold paint added

A Melbourne council truck stops next to the gold-painted Toyota Camry to take a closer look

Gold-painted Toyota Camry (pictured) across the road from a later model Camry sedan (left)
Nicola Sturgeon has lashed out at Theresa May for 'driving Scotland over a hard Brexit cliff' after a stormy meeting in Downing Street.

The First Minister voiced 'frustration' after 'feisty' showdown talks with the Prime Minister, accusing her of having no vision for the UK's future outside the EU.

She told Mrs May to stop 'closing the door' on proposals for trade deals, and reiterated her determination to hold a second independence referendum if there were no concessions on the approach to leaving the EU.

But the premier hit back by demanding that the devolved administrations 'play their part' in forging a Brexit package for the whole UK.

The angry comments came moments after end of discussions between the PM, Mrs Sturgeon, Carwyn Jones and Arlene Foster - the First Ministers of Wales and Northern Ireland respectively - in London.

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Theresa May gathered the leaders from the rest of the UK in Downing Street today. From left are Cabinet Office minister Ben Gummer, Business Secretary Greg Clark, Cabinet Secretary Sir Jeremy Heywood, and Mrs May. From right are Northern Ireland deputy first minister Martin McGuinness, Northern Ireland first minister Arlene Foster. Welsh first minister Carwyn Jones is pictured fourth from the right; and Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon is second from the back on the right.

Mrs May has promised to give the leaders a 'hotline' into Brexit negotiations, with regular meetings with David Davis.

But Downing Street dismissed suggestions from Ms Sturgeon that Scotland could stay in the single market, even if the rest of the UK leaves.

Speaking to reporters outside No10, Mrs Sturgeon denied 'nonsense' claims that seeking a separate deal would undermine the UK's wider strategy.

'I'm not seeking to undermine anyone. I don't know what the UK's negotiating position is, so there's nothing there that I can see to undermine,' she said.

'I'm the First Minister of Scotland, 62 per cent voted to remain.

'I wouldn't be doing my job if I wasn't out there talking to people and doing my best to protect Scotland's interests.

'I can't undermine something that doesn't exist, and at the moment it doesn't seem to me like there is a UK negotiating strategy, which is one of the sources of great frustration.'

Mrs Sturgeon said she was not prepared to 'sit back and see Scotland driven over a hard Brexit cliff edge'.

According to No10, Mrs May told the meeting: 'We have important work to do for the UK in terms of negotiating a smooth exit from the EU and getting the best possible deal for the whole of the UK.

'The UK has chosen to leave the EU and we're going to make a success of it.'

In a statement issued after the talks, Mrs May said a deal had to work for the 'whole of the UK'.

'The great union between us has been the cornerstone of our prosperity in the past - and it is absolutely vital to our success in the future,' she said.

'The country is facing a negotiation of tremendous importance and it is imperative that the devolved administrations play their part in making it work.'

Mrs May was in the House of Commons later filling in MPs on last week's EU summit

Mrs Sturgeon denied suggestions from Downing Street that her stance could 'undermine' the UK's negotiating position

The tense meeting came as Mrs May told MPs that Britain still wants to strike a free trade deal with the EU after we leave.

She rejected fears that the collapse of Canada's trade agreement with Brussels showed the scale of of the challenge the UK faced.

And she revealed that MPs will get a chance to debate the 'broad principles' underpinning the looming negotiations before Christmas.

The latest tantalising glimpse of Mrs May's approach to future relations with Brussels came as she answered questions in the House of Commons.

She insisted the government was determined to get a 'bespoke' post-Brexit arrangement and would be 'ambitious and bold'.

Making a statement on last week's EU summit, Mrs May said it was not a 'binary choice' whether Britain would remain in the European customs union.

Pressed on whether she was determined to go for a 'hard Brexit', she replied: 'There is no suggestion of that whatsoever.

Mrs May was hosting the first meeting of the Joint Ministerial Council since 2014

Earlier in the day Downing Street dismissed suggestions from Mrs Sturgeon that Scotland could stay in the EU single market even if the UK leaves.

The PM's official spokeswoman poured cold water on the prospect of parts of the UK having different trade deals after Brexit.

'We have been clear that it is important that the UK is united,' the spokeswoman said.

Carwyn Jones said there had been no details about what happens next in the divorce talks, and warned 'time is not on our side'.

The Welsh First Minister said access to the single market was 'the most important issue', but dismissed suggestions by Nicola Sturgeon that Scotland could remain part of the trading agreement even if the rest of the UK did not.

'We need to make sure we continue to sell in one of the world's biggest markets on the same terms as we do now,' he told Sky News.

'The scale of the challenge is truly gigantic. Nobody has any details yet as to what happens next.

Nicola Sturgeon arrived at Downing Street with Scottish Brexit minister Michael Russell this morning for a crucial Brexit meeting with Theresa May and the leaders of the devolved governments in Wales and Northern Ireland

'We are waiting for the UK Government to tell us what its general principles will be in advance of the negotiations in March.'

Martin McGuinness, Northern Ireland Deputy First Minister, said there was a 'joint responsibility' to manage the Brexit process.

He told reporters: 'As this process moves along, we need to be at the heart of it.'

STURGEON'S GROWING LIST OF DEMANDS FOR BREXIT Nicola Sturgeon has demanded Scotland be given a special status in Brexit Britain in a number of areas from immigration to international trade The SNP has made a number of bold demands to be given special treatment in Brexit negotiations since Scottish voters bucked the trend and voted 62-38 per cent in favour of staying in the EU. 1. Single market: First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has demanded Scotland remain in Europe's single market even if Theresa May takes the rest of the UK out. But this has been described as impossible by constitutional experts because it would require a 'hard' economic border between Scotland and the rest of the UK to stop the movement of goods, services and people. 2. Immigration: Ms Sturgeon wants the Scottish government to gain control over migration if the Tories opt for 'hard' Brexit. The SNP argues that Scotland has skills shortages and other demographic challenges different to the rest of the UK and needs more immigration to help the economy. 3. International trade: At the SNP's conference earlier this month Ms Sturgeon also announced her intention to demand Scotland gains the power to strike new international trade deals. Both this and the immigration proposals have already been dismissed as unworkable by Britain's Brexit Secretary David Davis. 4. Brexit veto: Among the boldest demands from Scottish nationalists has been the suggestion that the Scottish government has a veto over Brexit. Ms Sturgeon said she was in a 'very, very strong position' following a meeting Mrs May to discuss her approach to Brexit shortly after she became Prime Minister in the summer. This led to suggestions she would seek to block Britain's departure from the EU unless it delivered a favourable agreement for Scotland. Advertisement

Downing Street earlier said leaders of the devolved administrations must not 'undermine' the negotiations.

'We have been very clear that we should be working together to secure the best possible deal for the whole country,' the Prime Minister's official spokeswoman said.

'We expect representatives of the devolved administrations to act in that way and to in no way undermine the UK's position.'

The Institute for Government has warned of a 'full-blown constitutional crisis' if the PM fails to secure an agreement on the Government's approach with all nations of the UK.

In a report published today, the think tank insists that the four governments must agree the 'core planks' of the UK's negotiating position before Mrs May triggers Article 50, which formally starts the process of Britain's departure from the EU.

It says that imposing a Brexit settlement on Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland may be legally possible but it would be a 'reckless strategy' that could lead to the possible break-up of the UK.

Ms Sturgeon was joined in Downing Street today with Welsh leader Carwyn Jones, Northern Ireland's Arlene Foster and her Sinn Fein deputy Martin McGuinness at the meeting today.

Mrs May has pledged regular formal talks with the First Ministers and urged them to help make a 'success' of the UK's departure from the EU.

The Prime Minister has been embroiled in an increasingly bitter stand-off with Ms Sturgeon's after she threatened to call a second independence referendum before 2019 if the Brexit deal looks to be running against Scotland's interests.

Mrs May has insisted that the Holyrood government has no mandate for a second referendum after independence was rejected in 2014 and the issue could cast a shadow over the talks on Monday.

But Ms Sturgeon has upped the ante by promising to present the premier with 'specific proposals' to keep Scotland in the single market, even if the rest of the UK leaves.

The devolved leaders have also joined forces to renew demands for a parliamentary vote on Mrs May's approach to the negotiations before she triggers Article 50 - which formally starts the process of cutting ties with Brussels.

The PM has offered the first ministers a 'direct line' to Brexit Secretary David Davis, who will chair a new forum bringing them together for regular talks on the situation.

Mrs May said: 'I am determined that as we make a success of our exit from the European Union, we in turn further strengthen our own enduring union.

'The great union between us has been the cornerstone of our prosperity in the past - and it is absolutely vital to our success in the future.

'The country is facing a negotiation of tremendous importance and it is imperative that the devolved administrations play their part in making it work.

Theresa May has promised to give the leaders of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland a 'hotline' into Brexit negotiations. Pictured, Brexit Secretary David Davis (left) and Northern Ireland First Minister Arlene Foster (right) arrive at No 10 this morning for the crucial meeting

First Minister of Wales Carwyn Jones (pictured arriving at Downing Street today, left) wants each of the four UK parliaments and assemblies to be given a vote on her Brexit position before she invokes Article 50 next spring. Northern Ireland's Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness (right) arrives in No 10 this morning for the crucial meeting

'The new forum I am offering will be the chance for them all to put forward their proposals on how to seize the opportunities presented by Brexit and deliver the democratic decision expressed by the people of the UK.'

The new sub-committee of the JMC chaired by Mr Davis is expected to hold its first meeting by the end of November and at least one more by Christmas as negotiations progress before Article 50 is triggered by the end of March 2017.

But leaders in Wales and Scotland have called for the UK Parliament and the three devolved legislatures to be given their own votes on the negotiating position the Government intends to take and said that Article 50 should not be triggered until there is an agreed approach.

Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon and Scottish Brexit minister Michael Russell arrive at No 10 this morning. Ahead of the meeting Ms Sturgeon threatened to call a second independence referendum before 2019 if the Brexit deal looks to be running against Scotland's interests

Nicola Sturgeon (pictured outside Downing Street today) set out a consultation on legislation for a second independence referendum on Thursday in Glasgow

'We believe that a UK Negotiating Framework should be developed, based on principles and aims (but without revealing a detailed 'negotiating hand') and this, linked to invoking Article 50, should be the subject of a vote in all four of the United Kingdom's parliaments and assemblies,' Mr Jones said in a letter to the Prime Minister.

'Such an approach would properly reflect the stated position of the UK Government that the UK is a family of nations, a partnership of equals.'

He also said the final 'exit deal' should also be subject to votes in all four UK parliaments and assemblies.

Ms Sturgeon backed Mr Jones' position, telling the Prime Minister: 'It will not be acceptable for the devolved administrations to simply be consulted on UK Government plans. We must have meaningful input into the decision making structure and the formation of negotiating positions.'

Nicola Sturgeon's administration has drawn up draft legislation for a second referendum on independence, with the First Minister suggesting Scots should have the ability to reconsider the issue in light of the vote for Brexit.

Mrs May and Ms Sturgeon had a cordial first meeting in Edinburgh in July but the pair's public comments have hardened as Mrs May's Brexit strategy has emerged

Today's IfG report acknowledged the difficulties that will be faced in reaching consensus between Mrs May, Ms Sturgeon, Welsh leader Mr Jones and Northern Ireland's Ms Foster and Mr McGuinness, but warned of a 'serious breakdown in relations' if agreement was not reached.

'There is little common ground between these leaders on the future of the UK or almost anything else,' the report said.

'So, as with the dog walking on its hind legs, perhaps we should be impressed if the four governments work together at all rather than overly critical of how skilfully they perform the task.

'But the stakes are high. If it proves impossible to find consensus and the dog topples over after a few tentative steps, the result may be a serious breakdown in relations between the four governments (and nations) of the UK.'

The three devolved governments would 'almost certainly' seek to vote on whether to give consent to the terms of Brexit, the report said.

Although the UK Parliament is sovereign and it would therefore be legally possible to ignore the views of Holyrood, Cardiff Bay and Stormont, this would be a 'reckless strategy for a government committed to the Union, since it would seriously undermine relationships between the four governments, and increase the chances of Scottish independence and rifts in Northern Ireland's fragile power-sharing arrangements'.

The IfG recommended setting up a new committee made up of lead Brexit ministers from each government, which would hold monthly meetings to agree the UK's Brexit strategy.
A Stop the War chief who refused to protest outside the Russian Embassy over the Syria bombings because his group only 'focuses on the British government's actions' went to the Pakistani High Commission to call for the release of 'Lady al-Qaeda'.

Stop The War deputy leader Chris Nineham said this month that his group would not stage any demonstrations because 'our focus is on what our Government is doing.'

He said a protest outside the Russian Embassy would 'contribute to increasing the hysteria and the jingoism that is being whipped up against Russia' and claimed the Foreign Secretary's calls for demonstrations were 'characteristically trivialising'.

But, it has now emerged that Mr Nineham chose to campaign outside the Pakistani High Commission for the release of Aafia Siddiqui - known as jihadi 'Lady al-Qaeda'.

Stop The War deputy leader Chris Nineham (left) campaigned outside the Pakistani High Commission for the release of Aafia Siddiqui - a jihadist known as 'Lady Qaeda' (right)

Jihadist Siddiqui, 42, a mother-of-three, was jailed for 86 years after being arrested in Afghanistan in 2008 for the attempted murder of a U.S. army captain.

She was found with two kilos of poison sodium cyanide and plans for chemical attacks on New York's Brooklyn Bridge and the Empire State Building.

She was handed to the Americans and convicted of attempted murder two years later in a U.S. court.

Protesters have regularly campaigned for her release with regular demonstrations held outside the Pakistani High Commission. Many terrorist groups have also called for her to be freed in exchange for western hostages such as James Foley - the American video journalist who was beheaded by ISIS extremist Mohammed Emwazi.

It has now emerged Mr Nineham has been a part of the protests to free Siddiqui, with him claiming his anti-war organisation is offering her 'support and solidarity'.

He declared his coalition's support for her release just weeks after the Taliban reportedly demanded that she be exchanged for Linda Norgrove  the British aid worker killed in Afghanistan during a failed rescue attempt.

Jihadist Aafia Siddiqui, 42 (pictured above), a mother-of-three, was jailed for 86 years after being arrested in Afghanistan in 2008 for the attempted murder of a U.S. army captain

Siddiqui (above) was arrested in Afghanistan after being found with two kilos of poison sodium cyanide and plans for chemical attacks on Brooklyn Bridge and the Empire State Building

His appearance at the Pakistani High Commission in 2010 was discovered by anti-extremism website Harry's Place and he has now been accused of hypocrisy after telling BBC Radio 4 last week that he would refuse to protest outside the Russian Embassy.

He joined the Calls to Arms Bring Aafia Home protest on September 23, 2010, and even joined ex-Guantanamo detainees Ruhal Ahmed and Shafiq Ruhal in making a rallying cry.

Advertisements for the 'free Aafia' protest said Siddiqui was likely to endure a harsh prison regime, in solitary confinement, and unlikely to see her children again until she is eligible for release in 2094 at age 122, if indeed she remains alive then.

'Join us in our call to return the daughter of the nation', the campaign said. 'There is no deed more precious in the sight of Allah, nor greater in reward, than a good deed done during the ten days of Sacrifice.'

Siddiqui's story, one of the most intriguing of the 'war on terror' era, began in March 2003 when Al-Qaeda number three and alleged main 9/11 architect Khalid Sheikh Mohammed was arrested in Karachi.

Mohammed, referred to by his initials KSM, was handed to the Americans and transferred to Guantanamo Bay, where he was repeatedly waterboarded and 'rectally rehydrated' as part of interrogations, according to a report on CIA torture.

A rally on International Women's Day in Karachi on March 8, 2014 for the release of Siddiqui

Demonstrators hold pictures of Aafia Siddiqui during a protest on Human Rights day in 2014

Soon after his arrest, Siddiqui -- suspected of Al-Qaeda links by the US -- disappeared along with her three children in Karachi.

The few US media reports about the incident described her as the first woman to be suspected of links to Osama bin Laden's terror network -- earning her the moniker 'Lady Al-Qaeda'.

Five years later she turned up in Pakistan's war-torn neighbour Afghanistan, where she was arrested by local forces in the restive south-eastern province of Ghazni.

According to US court papers, she was carrying two kilos of sodium cyanide hidden in moisturiser bottles, along with plans for chemical weapons and New York's Brooklyn Bridge and Empire State Building.

The Afghans handed her to US forces who began questioning her. During her interrogation she grabbed a rifle and opened fire, according to witnesses, at US agents while screaming 'Death to America' and 'I want to kill Americans'. The soldiers escaped unhurt, but she was injured.
Animals are dying in unnecessary agony because of a lack of understanding over how stunning stops them feeling pain when their throats are cut, research shows.

In conventional slaughterhouses, cows, sheep and chicken are stunned, usually with an electric shock, to ensure they are unconscious before their throats are cut.

This minimises suffering but in a number of Muslim abattoirs the animals are not stunned over fears it is not permissible, or 'halal'.

In a number of Muslim abattoirs animals are not stunned before slaughter over fears it is not permissible, or 'halal' but research suggests this is due to ignorance of the process (file image)

A study by researchers at the University of Bristol suggests some Islamic scholars are ignorant about the humaneness of stunning, leading to animals dying in pain,The Times reported.

Widespread research shows the welfare benefits of pre-slaughter stunning. The electric shocks lessen the pain felt by animals when their throats are cut.

A number of industry bodies have spoken out against the slaughtering of animals without pre-stunning, with the British Veterinary Association saying there is an 'unacceptable time lapse between slaughter and the onset of permanent insensibility [loss of feeling] when animals are not stunned'.

Animals must also be stunned before slaughter under EU regulations.

However Britain allows an exemption for those who oppose because of religious beliefs and the number of animals killed without stunning appears to be on the rise.

RITUAL KILLING OF ANIMALS FOR RELIGIOUS REASONS HALAL Halal slaughtering involves cutting through the large arteries in the neck with one swipe of a blade, while a Muslim butcher recites a religious verse. All blood is then drained away since the consumption of blood is forbidden under Islamic law. Under Islamic law, an animal must be slaughtered by having its throat cut while it is conscious. KOSHER According to the laws, in order for a meat to kosher it must come from an animal that meets the kosher rules. These are the animal must be ruminant and have split hooves. Ruminant animals chew food once and swallow, before regurgitating it and chewing again. Animals that Jews can eat include cows, sheep, goats and deer. They cannot eat pigs despite the fact it has split hooves because it is not a ruminant animal. Before slaughtering, the animal must be healthy and uninjured and a sharp knife is used to slice through the main arteries and windpipe, causing a drop in blood pressure that causes the animal to lose consciousness. Jews believe this is a way of killing that shows 'respect and compassion' as set out in Jewish law. Advertisement

Some 2.4 million sheep and goats were put to death using the religious method in halal and kosher abattoirs in 2013  a rise of 60 per cent on 2011.

According to analysis by the Food Standards Agency, some 37 per cent of sheep and goats, 25 per cent of cattle and 16 per cent of poultry were killed in this way in halal premises.

Researchers from the University of Bristol School of Veterinary Science questioned Islamic scholars and Halal consumers on the use of pre-slaughter stunning.

The study is published in the journal Meat Science.

Some 69 per cent of scholars said they did not agree that stunning prior to slaughter had been showed to reduce the pain felt by animals, according to The Times.

However more than 95 per cent of the scholars and 53 per cent of consumers agreed that if stunning did not result in death, cause physical injury or obstruct bleed-out, the meat would be considered Halal.

The study said: ' The lack of understanding of stunning among some scholars has resulted in the issuance of confusing fatwas on the suitability of stunned meat for consumption by Muslims.

'There is an urgent need for these scholars to be given theoretical and practical education on stunning and other modern slaughter techniques such as mechanical slaughter.

'This will help them make informed decisions about the suitability of these techniques for Halal production.'

Gudrun Ravetz, president of the British Veterinary Association said: 'Our view is that all animals should be stunned before slaughter, based on peer reviewed evidence that indicates an unacceptable time lapse between slaughter and the onset of permanent insensibility when animals are not stunned.

Britain allows an exemption for those who oppose because of religious beliefs and the number of animals killed without stunning appears to be on the rise. File image

'A number of notable bodies including the Farm Animal Welfare Committee and the EU Food Safety Authority all agree that there is a high probability that the cutting of sensitive tissues at the neck will trigger a significant pain response in a conscious animal.

'Given the barrage of evidence about the humaneness of stunning before slaughter the veterinary profession is persuaded that animals must be stunned.
Material doesn't melt on skin when exposed to bullets or fire like synthetic

It has been snapped up by the Ministry of Defence for SAS soldiers

A British company has developed a superfine wool which has been snapped up by the Ministry of Defence for SAS soldiers battling on the front line.

Derbyshire based Armadillo Merino designs and manufactures next-to-skin protective clothing for astronauts, firefighters and special forces.

Founded by New Zealander Andy Caughey, 53, the company spins sheep wool into a special yarn which is just 17 microns thick - less than a quarter of the breadth of a singe human hair.

Derbyshire based Armadillo Merino designs and manufactures next-to-skin protective clothing for astronauts, firefighters and special forces including SAS soldiers

US police wearing Armadillo Merino are pictured training how to deal with petrol bombs

The resulting super-tough fabric has some astonishing properties.

It does not melt onto the skin like the synthetic materials usually worn by members of the armed forces during combat; as a natural fabric it does not release chemicals which are absorbed into the skin.

It also does not trap odours, meaning it can be worn for a week in extreme conditions without becoming smelly; and it manages moisture levels by dragging sweat away from the skin, making it perfect for athletes.

Armadillo Merino has recently won contracts to supply the SAS, Italian special forces, US police SWAT teams and Nasa.

Armadillo Merino has recently won contracts to supply the SAS, Italian special forces, US police SWAT teams and Nasa (pictured)

Founded by New Zealander Andy Caughey, 53, the company spins sheep wool into a special yarn which is just 17 microns thick - less than a quarter of the breadth of a singe human hair

The naturally flame resistant range of tops and leggings are ideal for those professionals operating in extreme weather or environments where there is the risk of fire or burns.

Mr Caughey, who grew up on a sheep farm, began developing the specialist fabric after hearing how synthetic materials worn by soldiers combust when exposed to bullets, shrapnel and fire - causing severe burns and leaving military personnel needing operations to remove the melted and dripping fabric from their flesh.

He told MailOnline that while synthetic materials melt at 160C, merino is flame resistant to 600C.

He said: 'I was living in the United States when I saw what IEDs were doing to soldiers.

The naturally flame resistant range of tops and leggings are ideal for those professionals operating in extreme weather or environments where there is the risk of fire or burns

'The heat of the explosions were melting the synthetic materials and causing unnecessary and extremely painful injuries as the material melted and dripped on to their skin.

'On top of that synthetic materials release chemicals on to your skin as you sweat, which then absorbs these toxins right into your body.

'I just thought, this is not right. We should be helping these people who aewe sacrificing their lives for us on the front line.

In 2014 Armadillo Merino's specialist t-shirts began being worn by NASA astronauts and Russian cosmonauts and the company clinched three contracts with the space agency to supply the specialist clothing.
The movement of child refugees from Calais to the UK has been 'paused' while the operation to dismantle the 'Jungle' camp continues.

The Home Office said the French authorities had requested the process be put on hold while the action was ongoing.

A spokesman said: 'Due to the operation activity that is taking place today the French authorities have suggested, and we have reluctantly agreed, to the transfer process being temporarily paused.'

Migrants have been lining up at processing centres at the makeshift camp in Calais known as the Jungle. French authorities are beginning a complex operation to shut it down

French authorities have requested a 'pause' in the transfer of child refugees to the UK while the action is taking place

Around 200 refugees, all claiming to be under 18, have been bussed to the UK from the Jungle camp over the past week.

About 40 were driven into an immigration centre in Croydon, South London yesterday.

Up to 70 young refugees have been given permission to travel under the Dubs scheme, which allows particularly vulnerable children  such as girls and those under 13  to come to the UK even if they do not have family connections.

Previously, all the young refugees who have arrived in Britain have been brought under the Dublin regulations, which require the children to have a relative living in the UK.

The exodus of refugees and migrants from the Calais camp began early this morning.

Crowds surged towards the warehouse where processing was taking place as police opened the gates just after 7am UK time on Monday.

The exodus of refugees and migrants from the Calais camp began early this morning

Police vans and fire engines had gathered on the perimeter of the rat-infested slum as migrants and refugees queued in the dark to register for accommodation centres elsewhere in France after being told they must leave the camp or risk arrest and deportation.

People in the queues said they had no idea where they were going but many seemed resigned to leaving the sprawling camp, where demolition work is expected to begin tomorrow.

The atmosphere in the queues was in contrast to scenes at the weekend when there were violent clashes, with camp residents throwing stones at French riot police on the perimeter who fought back by firing tear gas.

The scenes at the camp this morning were in stark contrast to the dramatic protests yesterday
Tesco has more than doubled the cost of petrol station air to pump up tyres from 20p to 50p.

The move comes after the supermarket giant posted pre-tax profits of 162million earlier this year.

The retail chain justified its price hike by saying it now offered five minutes - rather than two - to pump up tyres.

Motorists will have to pay 50p to pump up their tyres after Tesco more than doubled the cost

The cost of pumping up tyres at Tesco has risen from a minimum of 20p to 50p

But motorists have accused Tesco of 'pure greed' saying two minutes was enough to pump up tyres.

They could also put in more money if they needed more time.

Critics also pointed out that Sainsbury's offered the same service for free.

Asda also gives drivers the chance to pump up their tyres for 20p, while Morrisons charges 20p for two minutes.

Motorist Christian Robinson said: 'Very disappointed with Tesco charging 50p to up tyres when Sainsbury's offers free tyre air.'

Andrew Hamilton wrote on Twitter: 'Tesco tyre air...up 20p to 50p.... What a rip-off.. Going to Sainsbury's where it's free.'

Another added: 'The price of air has gone up 150 per cent! It now costs me 50p to blow up a damn tyre.'

Drivers said they didn't need five minutes to pump up their tyres, which was Tesco's reasoning for increasing the price

Motorists said they were going to pump their tyres up at Sainsbury's instead

Driver Joe Hanson, 60, from London, said: 'It's pure greed.'

Megan French, Consumer Writer at MoneySavingExpert.com, told MailOnline: 'Keeping your tyres properly inflated is important, not only from a safety point of view, but it can also help keep your fuel costs down.

'It would be worth remembering where you can top up your tyres for free, so you can call in when you're passing or nearby.

'With rising fuel prices it's also worth a quick check of forecourts in your area, using apps and tools such petrolprices.com, to see where you can get the best price and save more money.'

A spokesman for Tesco said: 'The price of our Air and Screen Wash unit has remained the same at 10p per minute.
Fifteen years ago the term right-sizing became another political buzz-phrase, a code for the elimination of perceived waste. Sometimes it was used as coded language to justify firing government workers, but typically it referred to the built environment and infrastructure of cities. Crushing an ugly, empty building can make people feel like they actually did something, at least for a little while.

As time has passed, the approach of destroying what is not currently in use has not been proven effective. In Youngstown, Ohio, the population has seen a precipitous drop in the past generation, from 150,000 to 70,000 people. For the past dozen or so years, many buildings and zombie houses have been blighted and demolished. This approach, while certainly logical on the surface, is misguided and mostly a mere political expedient.

Cities never become attractive to investment by demolition, which tends to neuter parcels and reduce the plots to the value of the land, which in cities losing population is almost never more valuable than the structure on top, even if it is a zombie. Luckily, there are examples of successful cities that implemented urban renewal from a rehabilitation rather than a demolition standpoint, and were actually able to give a high return on public investment as a result.

One such place is Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where the most successful developers use the core and shell method. This refers to the rehabilitation of roofs, facades and utilities of zombie homes, which are then resold at reduced prices to DIY-minded owners. This type of development recognizes the value of neighborhoods as a vital functioning unit of a city. While Pittsburgh still experienced population loss, properties that were creatively rezoned and rehabilitated have brought some of the highest returns on public investment anywhere in the country. Not only that, neighborhoods remain intact and cohesive.

New York has recently given eligible cities the chance to win grants between $75,000 and $350,000 under the Zombie Remediation and Prevention Initiative to deal with these trouble properties. These funds are geared toward expanding the inherent value of the built environment in places with low land values by seeding revolving funds and working with land banks. For those who balked at the suggestion to create single-family rentals, this funding stream may provide the opportunity to experiment with decreased risk. Flipping the houses for sale to low- and moderate-income families could increase the number of property owners and reduce taxes overall.

To be sure, some vacant homes are too dangerous to remain standing for the sake of health and human safety. If those involved can think in terms of blocks rather than parcels, a sense of place can be maintained. The only thing worse than a neighborhood with vacant and abandoned homes is a neighborhood of sporadic empty lots. In a city like Auburn, where the architecture on the land is of higher value than the land itself in most cases, this would be a frightening use of funds.
Heathrow Airport is the only sensible choice for expansion in the wake of Brexit, the governments independent adviser on airports has said.

Sir Howard Davies, the chairman of the Airports Commission, said the case for expanding Heathrow is now overwhelming and has strengthened in recent months since Britain voted to leave the European Union.

He also dismissed Gatwick as catering too much to European short haul travel - suggesting that capacity should be added in the Midlands before the Sussex airport gets the go-ahead.

Ministers are finally expected to announce their decision on airport expansion tomorrow

How the proposed development at Heathrow will affect the surrounding area

The comments come just a day before Theresa May will announce the governments favoured option on airport expansion.

Sir Howard, who spent four years examining the options on behalf of the government, criticised David Cameron as an 'immovable object' that had prevented the decision being made sooner.

In a swipe at the governments Brexit negotiations, Sir Howard wrote: The arguments for making a decision now, and for Heathrow, have strengthened in recent months.

'Overseas, the lack of a decision is seen as a symbol of Britains inability to decide on its future as a trading nation.

And the need for a clear strategic direction is more important since the referendum result. The rhetoric about becoming a European Singapore with a blue water trading focus seems empty if we cannot connect to the new markets we wish to serve.

He added: Gatwick is largely a European short-haul airport. It is also oriented towards outward tourism.

'About 70 per cent of its tourist passengers are Brits going to the sun. Sadly, relatively few residents of Marbella and Corfu come here for their summer break.

An artist's impression of the expanded site at Heathrow Airport, which was recommended by the government's commission

At Heathrow the tourist traffic is largely inbound. With our huge balance of payments deficit we need more high-spending American and Asian tourists to balance the books.

Sir Howard warned that it would be a mistake to expand both Heathrow and Gatwick airports, adding: Allowing two proposals to continue could mean neither is built.

The business expert added it was simply not possible to put the decision off any longer if London is to grow and prosper following the vote to leave the EU.

Sir Howard suggested that Birmingham could be a better decision for a second round of airport expansion expected in the coming years than Gatwick.

Sir Howard Davies spent four years examining the options on behalf of the government

The Prime Minister will allow ministers to have their say without worrying about collective responsibility ahead of the contentious vote.

Mrs May has herself previously clashed with Heathrow over the impact of the flight path for her Maidenhead constituents.

A decision will be made by the airports cabinet committee and announced in the House of Commons on Tuesday.

Transport secretary Chris Grayling admitted he was braced for challenge and opposition whatever option is chosen.

Mr Grayling told the BBCs Andrew Marr show that no decision has been taken on any of the three options; extending an existing runway at Heathrow or building a new runway at either Gatwick or Heathrow.
The tour sees them visiting cities including Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Hong Kong

They are currently on their Middle East and Asia tour which

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The Red Arrows have arrived in China as the countdown to their first performance in the country begins.

The world leading aerobatic display team are attending the Zhuhai Airshow in southern China which is held from November 1-6.

Photos released show the team landing and practicing in southern China.

Incredible: 12 Hawk aircraft of the Red Arrows fly in the sky before the upcoming 11th Zhuhai Airshow in southern China

On the ground: Aircraft belonging to the Red Arrows arrive in Zhuhai for the upcoming Zhuhai Airshow

This marks the first visit to China for the Red Arrows who are stopping in cities including Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou

The Red Arrows are in the middle of their largest overseas deployment for a decade and are visiting China for the first time.

They were greeted with a ceremony in Zhuhai upon their landing on October 22.

In a statement Wing Commander Martin Higgins, Officer Commanding of the Red Arrows said: 'Each member of the Red Arrows is excited by the prospect of the team visiting and performing in China for the first time.

'The visit showcases the strong links between the UK and China.'

Ready to put on a show: A Red Arrows plane taxies on the tarmac at Zhuhai Airport in China

Arriving for the tour: The logistics C-130 airplane for the Red Arrows lands at Zhuhai Airport

Up in the air! 12 Hawk aircraft of the Red Arrows fly before the upcoming Zhuhai Airshow in China

The Red Arrows will stop off in cities including Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou before performing displays at Zhuhai Airshow, the largest airshow in Mainland China.

The exercise will also see the Squadrons technicians and other ground staff travel in support.

To celebrate their visit to China, the Red Arrows have a new routine.

Zhuhai Airshow is held every two years.

In 2014, 28,000 people came to watch displays from countries such as the UAE, Russia and China's version of the Red Arrows, the Bayi display team.

According to this year's organisers, 700 teams from 42 countries are scheduled to participate in this year's show.

Planes on tour: The Red Arrows are in China as part of their Middle East and Asia Tour which ends in December

Hawk aircraft of the Red Arrows fly in the sky before the upcoming Airshow in Zhuhai

The Red Arrows, fly British-built Hawk fast-jets and have completed over 4,800 performances since 1965.

Following their performance in China, the team will have displayed to 57 countries across the globe.
Jane Fonda's ex-husband Tom Hayden who protested against the Vietnam War and was one of the Chicago Seven has died.

His wife Barbara Williams confirmed this morning that her husband, who was aged 76, had passed away after a long illness.

At the height of the Vietnam War, Hayden was branded a traitor but managed to move into the political mainstream in later years, serving for two decades in the California Assembly and Senate. He concentrated on environmental issues and education.

Tom Hayden, pictured here with Jane Fonda, right, in 1972, was married to the star for 17 years

Hayden, left, in later life described his marriage with Fonda as a case of 'beauty and the beast'

Hayden began his activism career attempting to desegregate the southern states in 1960

He visited Vietnam in 1965 and organized the massive anti-war protests at the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago.

Hayden and seven other activists were arrested and accused of inciting a riot.

The anti-war activist came to national prominence as a student leader during the mid 1960s. It was at this time that he first met Fonda, who became known as Hanoi Jane after she posed with an anti-aircraft gun during a visit to Vietnam.

Hayden's social justice work began in 1960 as a student at the University of Michigan where he was one of the founders of Students for a Democratic Society.

One of the group's main aims was to desegregate the south.

The high-profile couple also became heavily involved in the anti-nuclear power campaign

Hayden, right, admitted in his memoir that he had no interest on reporting on the world, he was committed to changing it and helped with more than 100 bills in the Californian legislature

In the early 1960s, Hayden was viewed as a long-haired student protester, but by 1971 he had married the glamorous Jane Fonda, before going onto a career in the political mainstream. They divorced acrimoniously in 1990.

He once wrote: 'Rarely, if ever, in American history has a generation begun with higher ideals and experienced greater trauma than those who lived fully the short time from 1960 to 1968.'

His story began in America's heartland - Royal Oak, Michigan - where Thomas Emmet Hayden was born on December 11, 1939, into a middle-class family. He attended the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, a hotbed of student politics. It was there that he cast his lot with the counterculture movement.

He took up political causes, including the civil rights movement, wrote fiery editorials for the campus newspaper and contemplated a career in journalism. But upon graduation, he turned down a newspaper job.

Hayden, pictured in 1973, said public support helped him avoid jail after the Chicago 7 trial

He wrote in his memoir: 'I didn't want to report on the world; I wanted to change it.'

In 1960, the year that he graduated, he was involved in formation of Students for a Democratic Society (SDS), then dedicated to desegregating the South. By 1962, he became one of the key authors of its landmark Port Huron Statement, a call to students on campuses everywhere to take up political protest.

'We are people of this generation, bred in at least modest comfort, housed now in universities, looking uncomfortably at the world we inherit,' began the statement, which outlined a plan for a revolutionary campus social movement.

Hayden was fond of comparing the student movement that followed to the American Revolution and the Civil War.

He went freedom riding for civil rights in the South and was beaten and briefly jailed in Mississippi and Georgia. He married a fellow activist, Sandra 'Casey' Cason, and together they witnessed the violence of the battle against segregation.

Yearning for a more influential role, Hayden returned to Ann Arbor to work on the Port Huron Statement.

In later years, Hayden wrote his memoir, Reunion, pictured, discussing his political activism

'I didn't want to go from beating to beating, jail to jail,' he wrote. '... There was an entire generation to arouse, primarily about civil rights but also about the larger issues.'

The largest issue at the time was the Vietnam War. In 1965, Hayden made his first visit to what was then North Vietnam with an unauthorized delegation.

In 1967, he returned to Hanoi with another group and was asked by North Vietnamese leaders to bring three prisoners of war back to the United States. With the prisoners suffering medical problems, the US State Department thanked Hayden for his humanitarian action.

Firmly committed to the anti-war movement, Hayden participated in sit-ins at Columbia University, then began traveling the country to promote a rally in Chicago for the 1968 Democratic National Convention. It became a turning point in his life.

A single event galvanized him - the 1968 assassination of his friend, Senator Robert F. Kennedy, in Los Angeles.

The 1968 Democratic National Convention saw violent clashes between protesters and police

In an interview in 1988 he said: 'I went from Robert Kennedy's coffin into a very bleak and bitter political view. I think it confirmed for me that there was no future and brought out a lurking belief that this was a really violent country and that I was headed into apocalyptic times.'

Police assaults on student demonstrators in Chicago seemed to confirm his belief. The violence resulted in the circus-like Chicago Seven trial.

'In 1968, I thought it was reasonable to anticipate a police state,' he recalled. 'But in 1972, the people who were running the Democratic Party four years before were out and the people who were in the streets were in. In the next year, the people who wanted to put me in jail began the road to jail themselves with Watergate.'

'The radical pressure caused the reforms,' Hayden said. 'But it's fair to say the system reformed itself.'

In 1971, Hayden met Jane Fonda who was a latecomer to the protest movement.

'She came from the orbits of fame, power and success. A popular actress and the daughter of Henry Fonda, she burst like a dislocated star onto the movement scene... but came only slowly and haltingly into my life,' he wrote.

Following the Vietnam War, Hayden, pictured campaigned against the use of nuclear power and instead insisted that using alternative forms of energy to reduce environmental damage

After he heard her give an eloquent anti-war speech in 1972, Hayden said they connected and became a couple. He was divorced from Cason by then and Fonda was divorced from director Roger Vadim and had a daughter, Vanessa Vadim.

'I was 32, she 34, both of us were starting over,' he wrote. 'The passion of our common involvement no doubt caused our involvement in passion for each other.'

He acknowledged ruefully that their marriage in 1973 may have appeared to some as 'a remake of Beauty and the Beast.'

He was a rumpled longhaired activist who still cast himself as an outsider. She was a glamorous, world-famous movie star and heiress to a Hollywood dynasty. They were married for 17 years and had a son, Troy.

Both Hayden and Fonda were demonized by the political right after she visited North Vietnam in 1972 and was photographed posed on a North Vietnamese anti-aircraft gun. It took many decades to minimize her 'Hanoi Jane' moniker.

Hayden once expressed regret about his past. In a 1986 piece he wrote for the Los Angeles Times, he said: 'I regret most of all that I compounded the pain of many Americans who lost sons and loved ones in Vietnam. ... I will always believe the Vietnam War was wrong. I will never again believe that I was always right.'

In the late 1970s, Hayden plunged into mainstream politics, winning election to the California Assembly. He also served in the state Senate before stepping down in 2000. He ran unsuccessfully for Los Angeles mayor and California governor.

In later years, he focused on writing, teaching and lecturing. Hayden married actress Barbara Williams, and they had a son, Liam.

He acknowledged contentment with his later life but confided that nothing would ever match the excitement of his early years.
Ashers Bakery manager Daniel McArthur is pictured with his wife Amy in Belfast today

Christian bakers found to have discriminated against a gay man by refusing to make him a cake told of their extreme disappointment today as they lost their appeal against the ruling.

The owners of Belfast-based Ashers Bakery declined an order placed by gay activist Gareth Lee for a cake with a pro-gay marriage slogan, claiming the message was inconsistent with their deeply held religious beliefs.

Last year, they were found to have breached equality legislation following a high-profile court case in Belfast.

The appeal was heard at Belfast's Court of Appeal in May, where it was claimed the outcome would have implications for freedom of expression across the UK - and the reserved judgment was delivered this morning.

Mr Lee, a member of the LGBT advocacy group Queer Space, had wanted a cake featuring Sesame Street puppets Bert and Ernie with the phrase Support Gay Marriage for a private function marking International Day Against Homophobia.

He paid the 36.50 cost in full at Ashers' Belfast city centre branch but was telephoned two days later and told the company could not fulfil his order.

Standing firm: Mr McArthur (pictured with his wife Amy today) previously told the court that his family could not compromise their religious beliefs, despite the legal ramifications

Through the legal proceedings, Ashers manager Daniel McArthur insisted Mr Lee's sexuality was never an issue, rather the message he wanted the bakery to create.

Speaking outside court today, Mr McArthur - whose company now faces a legal bill of 88,000 - said he was 'extremely disappointed' by the ruling.

Standing with his father Colin, mother Karen and wife Amy, he said the family would be taking legal advice on whether there was a way to appeal against the judgment.

Mr McArthur said: If equality law means people can be punished for politely refusing to support other people's causes, then equality law needs to change.

This ruling undermines democratic freedom. It undermines religious freedom. It undermines free speech.

He continued: 'What we refused to do was to be involved with promoting a political campaign to change marriage law in Northern Ireland.

Decision: Thanking all the family's supporters, Mr McArthur ended his comments with a passionate declaration of his Christian faith

Defeat: The Christian bakers found to have discriminated against a gay man by refusing to make a cake bearing a pro-gay marriage slogan lost their appeal against the ruling today

Because we're Christians, we support the current law and we felt that making this cake would make us responsible for its message.

We wouldn't decorate a cake with a pornographic picture or with swear words. We wouldn't even decorate a cake with a spiteful message about gay people, because to do so would be to endorse and promote it.

This ruling undermines democratic freedom. It undermines religious freedom. It undermines free speech Daniel McArthur, Ashers manager

He added: In the meantime other businesses will have to take advice about whether they have to refuse orders that conflict with their conscience or whether they have to be coerced as well into promoting other people's views.'

Thanking all the family's supporters, he ended his comments with a passionate declaration of his Christian faith.

Mr McArthur said: We'd like to thank huge numbers of people all across the country whove been supporting us and praying for us through this.

Complaint: The Northern Ireland Equality Commission brought the civil suit on behalf of gay rights activist Gareth Lee (pictured today with Dr Michael Wardlow, NIEC chief executive)

Mr Lee had wanted a cake featuring Sesame Street puppets Bert and Ernie with the phrase Support Gay Marriage for a private function marking International Day Against Homophobia

'Were very grateful to you all. Its been a trying time but were thankful to God and His faithfulness to us through everything.

TATCHELL BACKS BAKERS He has been one of the more unlikely supporters of Ashers Bakerys court bid to challenge a ruling that found it was discriminatory. And gay rights campaigner Peter Tatchell has criticised the Appeal Court judgment today, saying it had set a dangerous, authoritarian precedent, claiming gay bakers could now theoretically be compelled to bake cakes carrying homophobic slogans. The high-profile activist originally denounced Ashers for declining the cake order. But during the long legal saga that has followed that episode in 2014, he had a change of heart. He has since argued that while he profoundly disagrees with Ashers' views on gay marriage, he supports the bakers' contention that they should not be forced to endorse a message that runs contrary to their Christian beliefs. This verdict is a defeat for freedom of expression, he said. As well as meaning that Ashers can be legally forced to aid the promotion of same-sex marriage, it also implies that gay bakers could be forced by law to decorate cakes with homophobic slogans. It seems that businesses cannot now lawfully refuse a customer's request to propagate a message, even if it is a sexist, xenophobic or anti-gay message and even if the business has a conscientious objection to it. Although I strongly disagree with Ashers' opposition to marriage equality, in a free society neither they nor anyone else should be compelled to facilitate a political idea that they oppose. He added: Discrimination against LGBT people is wrong and is rightly unlawful. But in a free society, people should be able to discriminate against ideas they disagree with. I am saddened that the court did not reach the same conclusion. The judgment opens a can of worms. It means that a Muslim printer could be obliged to publish cartoons of Mohammed and a Jewish printer could be required to publish a book that propagates Holocaust denial. It could also encourage far-right extremists to demand that bakers and other service providers facilitate the promotion of anti-immigrant and anti-Muslim opinions. What the court has decided sets a dangerous, authoritarian precedent that is open to serious abuse. Discrimination against people should be illegal but not discrimination against ideas and opinions. Advertisement

'He is still on the throne, He is the ruler of heaven and of earth and He is our God and we worship and we honour Him.'

Mr Lee claimed the episode left him feeling like a lesser person. Emerging from the Royal Courts of Justice in Belfast, he made a brief statement expressing his relief.

'The only thing that I would like to say is I'm relieved and very grateful to the Court of Appeal for the judgment,' Mr Lee said.

In the original case, District Judge Isobel Brownlie ruled that religious beliefs could not dictate the law and ordered the firm to pay damages of 500.

Ashers, a name with Biblical connotations, has six branches, employs more than 80 people and delivers across the UK and Ireland.

Throughout the legal battle they have been supported by The Christian Institute, which has organised public rallies and garnered financial backing for the case.

Mr Lee's case was taken in conjunction with the Northern Ireland Equality Commission.

It has spent 88,000 on the case to date and has asked that Ashers now foot that bill.

In delivering the appeal judgment, Northern Ireland's Lord Chief Justice Sir Declan Morgan said Ashers had directly discriminated.

He rejected the argument that the bakery would be endorsing the slogan by baking the cake.

The fact that a baker provides a cake for a particular team or portrays witches on a Halloween cake does not indicate any support for either, he said.

In a 30-minute ruling, Sir Declan said the original judgment had been correct in finding that as a matter of law Ashers had discriminated against the respondent directly on the grounds of sexual orientation contrary to the Equality Act (Sexual Orientation) Regulations 2006.

The judge did however include some criticism of the NI Equality Commission.

He said the publicly funded body should also have offered the McArthur family advice during the case, as the bakers believed their rights as people of faith within the commercial sphere were being undermined.

Mr Lee was embraced and shook hands with supporters after the judges left the court.

Members of the McArthur family sat impassively on the front bench of the public gallery as the rest of the crowded court emptied.

Peter Lynas, the Northern Ireland director of the Evangelical Alliance, told Premier Christian Radio today: We're saddened. This is a sad day for freedom of conscience and religions.

Ashers, a name with Biblical connotations, has six branches, employs more than 80 people and delivers across the UK and Ireland.

Ashers have lost this case, but more importantly I think we've all lost some of our freedoms in this moment because they've been forced to promote a view they fundamentally disagree with, and that is the antithesis of a free and fair society, so it is deeply worrying this outcome.

But Michael Wardlow, chief commissioner of the Northern Ireland Equality Commission, denied that the ruling favoured the gay community.

He told Premier: The idea somehow that there's mission creep, that the Equality Commission, first of all, doesn't consider faith when it deals with people, is wrong.
Suman Das, pictured with his wife Sonia, was convicted of molesting a teenage girl during a flight from Qatar to England while sat next to his wife

A married Indian holidaymaker faces jail after he was convicted of molesting a teenage girl during a flight from Doha to Manchester.

Suman Das, 46, was arrested when the plane landed at Manchester airport after the 18-year-old victim claimed he touched her between the legs while she was sleeping.

She woke up to a 'rubbing sensation' and ran crying to the back of the plane where she alerted a member of the cabin crew.

At the time of the assault Das' wife, Sonia, was sat beside him unaware of her husband's actions.

The 46-year-old initially claimed he must have touched the girl by accident while fidgeting in his seat at 30,000 feet.

He later claimed he could not have carried out the assault as he was asleep.

The incident occurred in July five hours into the flight from the Qatar capital.

Das and his wife were visiting the UK for a 'holiday of a lifetime' while the girl was returning to England after spending two months in Thailand.

The victim told the hearing: 'He knew exactly what he was doing and he wasn't sleeping. He was looking at me, I saw he was looking at me.

'He must have been looking at me to see if I was awake. He did move very quickly once he saw that I was awake.'

The distressed girl ran to the back of the plane and told a member of the cabin crew.

The incident occurred in July five hours into the flight from Doha on a Qatar Airways flight (stock image)

Prosecuting Holly Holden said: 'In this case the victim has zero motivation to make a false claim. Her evidence has been consistent and credible throughout. This was an 18-year-old flying alone. She said that the defendant touched her between the legs over her clothing.

'One person sitting next to another may jostle someone with their elbow but to touch them between the legs without knowing is a deliberate action. He gave two versions of events and said he was very concerned that this could prevent him from getting a UK visa and would destroy his life.'

During the hearing Das' wife of 23 years said she had 'complete faith in her husband' and added: 'I have had no concern. Until today I have faith in my husband and still today I have total faith in my husband.'

She also told the court that Das told her following the flight that if he saw the girl and her mother he wanted to talk to them to apologise.

Das, 46, was arrested when the plane landed at Manchester airport after the 18-year-old victim claimed he touched her between the legs while she was sleeping

Ellie Akhgar, for the defence, told the court: 'This man has no previous convictions, so why would he now decide to take the plunge into criminality and sexually assault a stranger on a plane, with his wife sat next to him.

'He is a family man and a visitor to this country and has been here for the last three months. These cases are always very difficult cases. They are difficult emotive and very highly charged.

'You have seen the victim to be emotional and you have seen the defendant also becoming very emotional. But the fact is that emotion can be manufactured. She feels a rubbing sensation, a light rubbing sensation and she feels an arm moving away from that very tight constricted area.

'She doesn't say "what the hell are you doing?"

'This is a young woman who had been travelling to Thailand for two months. She would have had to have some degree of confidence - enough to say something to Mr Das.

'Being awoken by the "sensation" of sexual assault does not mean a sexual assault took place. The whole time she says nothing. This was a very, very long flight and this man is being scrutinised for fidgeting.

'The mother of the victim went to work the very same afternoon as her daughter told her of the attack. She was described as being very calm from hearing that her daughter had just been sexually assaulted.

'It is easy for a man of his age and his culture to apologise - he wanted to calm the waves in a turbulent sea of confusion. He apologised because he wants to fix what it is he has done wrong. This is a case of a very serious misunderstanding. Very serious misunderstandings can happen.'

However Das, who has been staying with friends in Bolton since his arrest, was convicted of sexual assault.
and said it would improve

A toy manufacturer has admitted to gender stereotyping after a furious mother complained about a 'sexist' product.

Gina Zuk Gerber from Baltimore came across the pink SUV toy, which says 'time for yogurt and a smoothie' when a button is pressed, at Toys 'R' Us.

She criticised Fisher Price in a post on Facebook and said women needed to be shown in leadership roles at work.

Furious Gina Zuk Gerber came across the pink SUV toy promoted with the words 'time for yoga and a smoothie' when she visited Toys 'R' Us

Mom Gina Zuk Gerber, from Baltimore, seen above came across the pink SUV toy which says 'time for yogurt and a smoothie' when a button is pressed when she visited Toys 'R' Us

The toy includes a 'mom looking figure' inside the vehicle and doesn't represent working women, Zuk Gerber claimed.

In her Facebook post she said: 'My son's favorite toys growing up were Little People. I always just grabbed the fire truck or barn and didn't think much about it.

'Today when shopping for toys for Anna I was disgusted to see the "girl" versions of Little People.

'The only ones with all girl figures were all smothered in pink and purple, they worked in interesting places like the "home", and they all lacked the multiple educational elements the "boys" toys had.

'Then I set my eyes on this prize: "SUV" and a clearly mom looking figure.

'Please note tagline "time for yoga and a smoothie".

'It's 2016 people. Fisher Price needs to step it the f up and show women working in all types of fields and in leadership roles.'

The toy includes a 'mom looking figure' inside the vehicle and doesn't represent working women, Zuk Gerber claimed

One of her friends joked: 'Do they have car seats and Starbucks in that thing?'

While another said: 'Because all woman do is yoga and sip smoothies... oh Fisher Price you screwed up big time!'

Fisher Price sent a direct message to Zuk Gerber on Twitter, it was reported.

Bosses said they 'could have done a better job' and would focus on the issue in the future.

The statement said: 'You've made us step back and see our product and package through a consumer's eyes.

'We think you're absolutely right; we could have done a better job.

'Our intention with this product and its package was to represent a moment in time many of today's families could relate to  just an example of something a parent might do  but we understand how some see it as gender stereotyping.'

Zuk Gerber, seen above with her family, wrote in her Facebook post: 'Today when shopping for toys for Anna I was disgusted to see the 'girl' versions of Little People'

In recent years Fisher Price has tried to battle stereotypes with products featuring women in fire fighter, dentist, post worker and farmer roles, the company said.

'As parents and people who work for one of the most iconic child development brands, those are the kinds of playtime moments we want to be known for,' the message continued.

'Because time and again, we've seen that kids don't make the assumptions adults tend to do  boy or girl, if they see a toy that looks like fun, they dive right in and play!
Dutch authorities filed 'dodgy' case and don't have a name for the victim

His autobiography said: 'I punched him so hard in the face, knocked the knife out of his hand and threw him in the canal. I fully suspect I killed him'

CJ, real name Joseph Connagh, said he believed he killed a man in 1998

Free: The Dutch police today dropped its attempt to extradite Egghead CJ de Mooi over allegations he killed a homeless man

The Dutch today dropped its attempt to extradite Egghead CJ de Mooi over allegations he murdered a homeless man after punching him and throwing him in an Amsterdam canal in 1998.

The 46-year-old TV quiz show star, whose real name is Joseph Connagh, confessed 'I fully suspect I killed him' as he recalled the incident in his controversial autobiography.

He was the subject of a European Arrest Warrant issued on May 27 but this was abandoned today.

The former panellist on the BBC quiz show Eggheads was wanted for alleged 'murder, manslaughter and assault' more than 20 years ago and arrested as he arrived at Heathrow after holidaying in South Africa.

But Dutch officials have admitted they had made embarrassing errors and told Westminster Magistrates' Court today that they would no longer be seeking extradition.

However, they did say they wanted Mr de Mooi to co-operate with them and may question him in the UK over allegations that only came to light when he released his autobiography in 2015.

The BBC quiz show star revealed he carried out the attack after being threatened by a knife-wielding mugger while living on the streets in Amsterdam in 1998.

Mr de Mooi, who is originally from Rotherham, Yorkshire, said he is convinced he delivered a fatal blow as he fought off the man.

After throwing him into the water, Mr de Mooi says he then left the scene without reporting the incident to the police.

He wrote: 'He caught me on the wrong day and I just snapped - I punched him so hard in the face, knocked the knife out of his hand and threw him in the canal.' He added: 'I fully suspect I killed him.'

BBC quiz show panellist CJ de Mooi (pictured left) revealed he carried out the attack after being threatened by a knife-wielding mugger while living on the streets in Amsterdam in 1998 He is pictured right in London in 1990

Arrest: Mr de Mooi arrived back at Heathrow after a break in South Africa (pictured at Table Mountain in Cape Town) only to be held on suspicion of murder

His European Arrest Warrant was discharged today at Westminster Magistrates' Court after a judge described it as a 'dodgy case'.

His spokesman said: 'CJ is obviously very pleased with the result of todays hearing, and will continue to cooperate with the Dutch authorities until this matter is finally concluded.

THE COLOURFUL CAREER OF QUIZ STAR CJ DE MOOI CJ de Mooi became a panellist on the BBC Two show Eggheads, which features five quiz champions competing as a team against different challengers, in 2003 after winning a series of game shows. De Mooi, who is originally from Rotherham, Yorkshire, claimed he was sacked from Eggheads earlier this year. De Mooi as previously said he ran away from home at the age of 17 following an abusive childhood and became homeless in Rotherham and Sheffield. He described how he then travelled to Amsterdam via London, spending 18 months on a staircase in Amsterdam central train station. It was during this period that the alleged killing was said to have taken place. From Amsterdam de Mooi moved to Cologne in Germany, where a chance meeting outside a gay bar led to the beginnings of his modelling career. De Mooi adopted his surname when modelling, and he translates it as Dutch for 'handsome'. After five years he returned to Amsterdam and by 2000 he was applying to appear on television game and quiz shows. He was a contestant on Pass the Buck and Fifteen to One, but it was The Weakest Link that led to him receiving national attention. Despite consistently being the strongest player he was the third voted off and launched into a now infamous rant in his post game interview. In 2003 de Mooi received a phone call about a new concept quiz show called Eggheads, which features five quiz champions competing as a team against different challengers. One of the original quiz champions, in 2011 the star took a break to focus on his acting career before returning two years later. He was also involved in a bitter row at the British Chess Championships in 2011 when he claimed he was barred from presenting the prizes because he was wearing a T-shirt promoting the gay rights organisation, Stonewall. A former president of the English Chess Federation (ECF), de Mooi later offered his resignation to the ECF but it was rejected. Advertisement

'He would like to thank the thousands of people who have contacted him via social media and in person , for their lovely words and support , he really does appreciate it.'

Rachael Scott, prosecuting, said: 'Towards the end of last week a letter was received from the Dutch authorities responding to questions from the Crown Prosecution Service.

'It addressed two heads, whether there was a domestic arrest warrant in the Netherlands, an essential requirement for a valid warrant, and secondly, whether a decision had been made to charge Mr Connagh.

'The response to this set out that no, there was not a domestic arrest warrant, and he was not being charged.'

Ms Scott added that police here are still interested in talking to De Mooi, and he said he was happy to do so in the UK.

She added: 'He stated at the first hearing that he would cooperate with that questioning.'

It had emerged at an earlier hearing that the Dutch warrant was 'very very poorly worded'.

Chris Stevens, defending, said: 'There doesn't even appear to be a name of the victim.'

At a previous hearing his lawyer Chris Stevens said there was a 'lot of missing information' from the warrant.

'The words were in his own book, the information provided in that book,' he added.

'There doesn't appear to be a named victim in the warrant, date of birth or even an address where this matter took place.'

He said the inquiry by the Dutch authorities was based on 'something that might have happened' and which 'could arguably be self defence'.

Mr Stevens continued: 'There isn't anything to suggest the Dutch authorities are in a position to charge him with this.'

De Mooi was approached by Scotland Yard for questioning by Dutch police in February this year, the court was told.

He agreed to be questioned but only if it was 'formally in an interview setting with the appropriate protection'. He did not hear about the matter again, Mr Stevens said.

He added: 'He has carried on with his life as normal, gone to pursue work and a career'.

The 46-year-old was detained under a European arrest warrant last month at Heathrow Airport, after landing at Terminal 3 from a business trip in South Africa.

He first appeared in the dock at Westminster Magistrates' Court on September 26.

Former Eggheads star CJ de Mooi (pictured in Cape Town with his husband Andrew Cox) had the trip of a lifetime in South Africa months after he was wanted for questioning over the death of a homeless man

Trip: De Mooi said in his book that he punched a homeless mugger, then threw him into an Amsterdam canal in 1988. He tweeted a picture of himself in the Dutch capital in May last year

CJ has remained in good spirits and tweeted his 15,000 followers recently about staying positive

Mr de Mooi described the violent retaliation as one of the biggest regrets of his life.

But he admitted he failed to report the incident to police and has 'no idea' what happened to the man, who he says was a homeless drug addict.

The 45-year-old said: 'It was the only outburst of violence I've ever done. That's one of the reasons why I absolutely abhor all violence.'

The panellist, who is also a part-time actor, said the incident took place as he was standing in a telephone box.

The man apparently approached Mr de Mooi with a knife and told him to empty the contents of his bag. Dutch police have now reportedly said they will investigate the incident.

In his new book, Mr de Mooi also revealed how he became a prostitute in London and then Amsterdam after finding himself homeless and penniless in his late teens.

Mr de Mooi said he wound up working as a rent boy in a brothel in the Dutch capital after fleeing from his Rotherham home at the age of 17. He later moved to Cologne, Germany, where he was scouted as a model.
David Davis (pictured in Downing Street today) has been warned that every other EU government is spying on him in an attempt to discover his strategy for Brexit

David Davis has been warned that every other EU government is spying on him in an attempt to discover his strategy for Brexit.

The Brexit Secretary was told he should expect the 27 other EU countries to be trying to listen in on his private conversations and intercept his phone calls when he took up the position in July.

The UK Government will start formal negotiations over Brexit will start when Theresa May triggers Article 50 next spring but each side is eager to gain an advantage before talks begin by discovering the opposite number's red lines and strategy.

Mr Davis was told he is now 'a painted man' by Oliver Robbins, the new top civil servant for the Department for Exiting the European Union, The Sun reported today.

Mr Robbins is a former deputy National Security Adviser who oversaw intelligence.

His boss Mr Davis, an ex-SAS reservist, will be one of very few people in government who will know Mrs May's negotiating position going in to Brexit talks with Brussels next year.

Despite being allies and fellow EU member states, spying has been known to occur between nations.

GCHQ was last year accused of bugging a laptop of an official in German Chancellor Angela Merkel's office, while Berlin was itself accused of monitoring communications made in French President Francois Hollande's office and also offices of EU institutions in Brussels.

The revelation came as Mrs May promised to give the leaders of the devolved governments in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland a 'hotline' to Mr Davis to reassure them over her Brexit strategy.

If the devolved governments agree, Mr Davis will chair a new forum that brings them together for regular talks on Brexit and they will meet for the first time at the end of November to plot a common way forward before Article 50 is triggered in the spring.

Mrs May said: 'I am determined that as we make a success of our exit from the European Union, we in turn further strengthen our own enduring union.

The Brexit Secretary David Davis (pictured at the Tory party conference in Birmingham earlier this month) was told he should expect the 27 other EU countries to be trying to listen in on his private conversations and intercept his phone calls when he took up the position in July

Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon (pictured arriving in Downing Street this morning, left) and Northern Ireland's First Minister Arlene Foster (right) have been promised a 'hotline' to Brexit Secretary David Davis during Brexit negotiations

'The great union between us has been the cornerstone of our prosperity in the past - and it is absolutely vital to our success in the future.

'The country is facing a negotiation of tremendous importance and it is imperative that the devolved administrations play their part in making it work.

'The new forum I am offering will be the chance for them all to put forward their proposals on how to seize the opportunities presented by Brexit and deliver the democratic decision expressed by the people of the UK.'

But leaders in Wales and Scotland have called for the UK Parliament and the three devolved legislatures to be given their own votes on the negotiating position the Government intends to take and said that Article 50 should not be triggered until there is an agreed approach.

In a letter to the Prime Minister, Welsh leader Carwyn Jones wrote: 'We believe that a UK Negotiating Framework should be developed, based on principles and aims (but without revealing a detailed 'negotiating hand') and this, linked to invoking Article 50, should be the subject of a vote in all four of the United Kingdom's parliaments and assemblies.'

'Such an approach would properly reflect the stated position of the UK Government that the UK is a family of nations, a partnership of equals.'

First Minister of Wales Carwyn Jones (pictured arriving at Downing Street today) wants each of the four UK parliaments and assemblies to be given a vote on her Brexit position before she invokes Article 50 next spring

He also said the final 'exit deal' should also be subject to votes in all four UK parliaments and assemblies.

Ms Sturgeon backed Mr Jones' position, telling the Prime Minister: 'It will not be acceptable for the devolved administrations to simply be consulted on UK Government plans. We must have meaningful input into the decision making structure and the formation of negotiating positions.'

In a hint at the prospect of a second independence referendum, she added that 'all possible options' were being considered.

She told Mrs May: 'As you know following Scotland's unequivocal vote to remain in the EU, the Scottish Government has a democratic duty to protect all of Scotland's interests and we are considering all possible options to ensure Scotland's continuing relationship with, and place in, Europe.

'I welcomed your willingness in July to consider proposals for different arrangements for Scotland as part of this process and will set out those proposals in the coming weeks.
For years arguments over whether William Shakespeare wrote all of the plays attributed to him have raged on.

Now, in a nod to the collaboration believed to be behind some of his famous works, fellow playwright Christopher Marlowe is to be named alongside the bard as the co-author of three of his history plays.

Marlowe, who was slightly older than Shakespeare and famed for his work Doctor Faustus, is to be credited as a co-author of the three Henry VI plays in a new Oxford University Press edition of Shakespeare's works.

Christopher Marlowe (left), long known to have been an influence on William Shakespeare, is to be be named as the co-author of the bard's Henry VI trilogy

Shakespeare is credited with writing more than 35 plays as well as more than 150 sonnets and the amount of work attributed to lead some critics to insist he must have had help from his contemporaries.

A team of 23 academics from around the world have now backed the case for the Henry VI plays to be partly credited to Marlowe, known to be an influence of Shakespeare.

Marlowe, who died when he was stabbed in Deptford, south London in 1593, is thought to have worked alongside Shakespeare on the plays, which was first performed in 1592.

Florida State University's Gary Taylor, who took part in the research, said: 'This is the first edition that has ever on the title page of the [Henry VI] plays identified Marlowe as the co-author.

'We have been able to verify Marlowe's presence in those three plays strongly and clearly enough.'

Henry VI being performed in 2006. It is thought the two writers wrote alongside each other to produce the work, which tells the story of the 15th century monarch

He said that it is now believed that Shakespeare collaborated on the writing 17 of 44 plays he was involved in.

Four centuries on from his death, arguments over the authenticity of Shakespeare's work are still being fought.
A heroic former British army soldier who sprinted across the tracks and stopped a man plummeting 35ft to his death at London Bridge has said 'anyone else would have done the same.'

Fijian-born Francis Tuinasakea, a keen rugby player, dragged the man down from the wall at the station as he attempted to clamber over it.

The cable worker, 31, then hauled the man back to safety during the dramatic incident at the station.

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Fijian-born Francis Tuinasakea, a keen rugby player, dragged the man down from the wall at the station as he attempted to clamber over it

The Fijian-rugby player and ex-soldier ran after the man when he sprinted across the tracks

The ex-British soldier said his army instincts kicked in as he dramatically dragged the man to the ground

Mr Tuinasakea was working on the night shift when he spotted the man running across railway lines - which are 750 volts - from platform ten to platform one.

The muscular Fijian, who lives in Kent, told the London Evening Standard: 'If he had touched one of the lines he would have been gone.

'Before he got to the last line I dragged him across and pinned him down.

'When I let him go so he could explain himself he just ran towards the wall where there is a big drop.'

Video footage showed the man running off and then scaling the wall as one man shouts 'where you going? Don't jump over there. Get him Francis!'

Mr Tuinasakea, who played rugby at inside centre for Old Merchant Taylors', said: 'I tried to grab his T-shirt but it was tight so I couldn't and then I managed to grab his trousers and pull him off.

'He was shouting and I just said "I am not going to let you do that" - I did not want him to hurt himself.'

The agitated young man attempted to jump over a wall which had a 35ft drop on the other side

The 31-year-old said his army instincts kicked in as he dramatically dragged the man to the ground.

He said: 'I think that was part of it because I trained as an infantry soldier and we had training about how to respond to that sort of situation, so I reacted quickly.

'I was not really thinking, until after. Then I thought to myself "s*** he could have died".

'I am just glad that he is safe and sound. I think anyone else would do the same in that situation.'

At the end of the footage the man shouted repeatedly 'I am trying to get away from here'.

One worker told him: 'You nearly killed yourself mate.'

Another said: 'If you jumped over there, you'd be dead.'

The footage closed with the agitated man pinned to the ground after his near-death experience, while the tracks were closed and police called.
Samantha Cameron appears to be wasting no time rekindling her high-powered retail career now husband David has quit politics.

The businesswoman was photographed leaving an office building in Kensington, west London on two separate occasions over recent weeks.

The sighting comes amid speculation that she is planning to launch her own clothing range after years in the retail industry.

Just weeks ago it was revealed she has set up a company called Samantha Cameron Studio Limited.

High-powered: Samantha Cameron spent the day at an office building in west London on October 14. At lunch she popped into a nearby branch of upmarket grocery store Whole Foods

Mrs Cameron, 45, who also works part-time as a consultant for Smythson, has spent at least two days at the London office over the last two weeks.

One day she was seen stepping out in a stylish mid-length skirt and leather jacket ensemble, adding a splash of colour to the all-black look with a moss green scarf.

Mrs Cameron picked out the same accessory three days later, this time teaming it with sleek black trousers and on-trend block heel loafers.

Her black tote bag looked to be packed with documents.

She was seen popping into upmarket grocery store Whole Foods at lunchtime, apparently stocking up supplies for husband David and their three children.

Stylish: Mrs Cameron also spent the day at the office building on October 17. Her black leather tote bag, pictured, appeared to be packed with the documents needed for the day

According to Companies House filings, Samantha Cameron Studio Ltd is registered in the north Lincolnshire market town of Brigg, near the Normanby Hall estate where she grew up.

Mrs Cameron owns at least 75 per cent of the new company. The fashion label will be launched under a different name once it starts trading.

The fine art graduate is understood to be itching to resume her high-powered career after years in Downing Street.

Back to the office: Mrs Cameron is reportedly preparing to launch her own fashion label after years of working in retail. Pictured, the businesswoman on her lunch break on October 14

In addition to her clothing label, there is also speculation over her resuming her career with Smythson, where she earned 400,000 a year as creative director, and still works part-time as a consultant on a reported 100,000 a year.

Mrs Cameron is also an ambassador to the British Fashion Council, and supports British labels such as Preen, Alexander McQueen and Jonathan Saunders.

She credits her work ethic to her mother Lady Astor, who set up her first business aged 17 and later co-founded upmarket furniture company Oka.

Mrs Cameron's sister Emily Sheffield is deputy editor of British Vogue.

Ambitious: Mrs Cameron, 45, who works part-time as a consultant for Smythson, spent at least two days at the London office over the last two weeks. Pictured, at the office on October 14
Stefano Brizzi is accused of murdering a London policeman he met on gay dating app Grindr before chopping up his body

A Breaking Bad-obsessed crystal meth addict accused of strangling a policeman acted 'as cool as a cucumber' when confronted by a neighbour over the smell coming from his flat.

Stefano Brizzi, 50, allegedly murdered PC Gordon Semple, 59, and dismembered his body over the seven days at his south London flat after organising a rendezvous on Grindr.

Neighbour Steve Harris told Brizzi's murder trial today that he thought the smell coming from Brizzi's flat was like a 'dead body' from the start.

Describing a doorstep exchange on April 4, the witness said: 'I said to him "excuse me mate, there's a complaint about a bad smell in the block".

'He said to me "I'm sorry about that, I'm just cooking for a friend, that's the reason I've got the candle on the stairs".'

On April 7, he told his brother Martin, who called police and produced an official-looking Coastal Forces Veterans Association badge to confront the defendant.

When Brizzi opened the door, he was wearing Aviator sunglasses and looked like actor Tom Cruise in the film Top Gun, the witness said.

Martin Harris told jurors the smell was by now 'putrid' and Brizzi was dressed only in Speedo-style pants.

He said: 'This gentleman opened the door to me. He was trying to put his glasses on and trying to put a bathrobe on. He was cool as a cucumber.

'I knew something was wrong. If you've got a smell like that, you know what it is. I smelt it before many years ago.'

The body of PC Gordon Semple was found a week after the meeting at the south London flat

DEFENDENT 'GLORIFIED' BREAKING BAD TV SERIES The founder of a support group for crystal meth addicts which Brizzi attended said he 'glorified' the TV series Breaking Bad. In one episode of the show (pictured, above)  which tells the story of crystal meth dealers - a murder victim's remains are dissolved in acid. Brizzi's profile picture on Facebook showed him sporting a Breaking Bad t-shirt, with a scene from the show as his background, the court heard. Alexander Roberts, who knew Brizzi from the drug users' group, told the jury: 'I think he was broken, I think his life was falling apart.' He added: 'He said he was into bondage - he was very specific about bondage and about masters and slaves.' 'When he was in meetings he would talk about bondage - some people would freak out. 'Once he came to a meeting saying "Aunty Tina [a code Brizzi used for crystal meth] is dead". 'He wanted to get rid of the drugs so he put them in a box, made it look like a coffin and buried it somewhere - he showed us the pictures of it.' A few weeks later Brizzi turned up high to a meeting and announced 'Aunty Tina has been resurrected'. Advertisement

Pc Semple's partner, Gary Meeks, reported the victim missing the day after he had met his death in Brizzi's flat, the court heard.

Mr Meeks said he last saw his partner on the evening of March 31, when PC Semple went to bed and he stayed up for an hour watching television. When Pc Semple got up for work as usual, Mr Meeks was asleep.

At about 2pm, Mr Meeks called to say there was shepherd's pie in the fridge for dinner and they arranged to meet later at their local pub.

His last contact with Pc Semple was to ask him to record Gogglebox on the television at about 7.45pm, the court heard.

Earlier today, the court heard from another Grindr user who came to join PC Semple and Brizzi 'at the very moment' Brizzi was said to be strangling the officer on 1 April this year.

But Brizzi sent him away, claiming he 'had a situation' and someone was feeling unwell after taking drugs, the jury was told.

The witness said Brizzi - a former web developer for City firm Morgan Stanley - was so calm, he thought someone was probably just being sick on his carpet.

Prosecutors allege however that, at that time, PC Semple was lying dead in the flat.

The body wasn't discovered until seven days later when police were alerted to a 'smell of death' coming from the flat on the Peabody Trust Estate in Southwark on 7 April.

Some of the officer's remains were found dissolving in a bath of acid, other body parts were found in Brizzi's bin, and in the communal bins of the Peabody Estate in Southwark where the Italian lived, the court heard.

Before the alleged murder, the two men had been trying to persuade other gay men in the area to join them for a 'Chemsex', or drug-fuelled, party, jurors heard.

Only one man agreed to join them, but was sent away by Brizzi via intercom who told him: 'We're having a situation here. Someone fell ill but we're taking care of it. So our party is cancelled.'

The witness, who cannot be named for legal reasons, arrived just before 7pm on April 1 and only spoke to Brizzi over the intercom.

Jurors have been shown CCTV footage of Brizzi buying a bin he allegedly used to dissolve PC Semple's body. Other footage showed PC Semple moments before he was allegedly murdered

Describing the exchange, CD said: 'He spoke first, he said 'I'm sorry we are having a situation here' which I found strange because I wondered what the word 'situation' could mean.

'He said someone was falling ill or unwell and said not to worry because they were taking care of it.

'I asked if there was anything I could do to help, he said no, everything is okay but our party is cancelled - the sex party.'

The court heard the last call PC Semple made was to his partner reminding him to record a TV programme

Speaking about his conversation with Brizzi through the intercom, he told the court: 'He sounded concerned and a little bit upset but okay. He didn't sound worried - he was upset and concerned.'

'To be honest what I imagined was that someone was throwing up on his carpet. That was the impression he gave me. I thought he's probably cleaning up some mess right now.'

He said he had been in a similar situation a few weeks before and had to take a man to hospital after a bad experience on drugs.

He added: 'Usually the first time I meet a person I prefer that it's just the two of us, but I thought if I don't like it when I get there I would have no problem at all saying 'sorry this is not my thing'.'

Brizzi was reportedly obsessed with hit US TV series Breaking Bad - in one episode of which a murder victim is dissolved in a bath of acid.

He initially admitted the killing, saying 'I promised the devil I would kill at the first chance,' but now claims PC Semple died during a sex game involving strangling.'

Brizzi, of the Peabody Estate Trust, Southwark, southeast London, denies murder.

He admits obstructing the coroner in his duty by dismembering PC Semple's body in order to dispose of it.

The trial, which is expected to last three weeks, continues.
The woman, 29, who plunged 10-metres to her death from an apartment balcony has been identified as a New Zealand woman.

Chantelle Klasema and a 35-year-old man fell from his third-floor balcony on Smith Street, Collingwood, inner north-east Melbourne, on Saturday morning.

Ms Klasema, who had been working at an IT company, died at the scene and the man remains at Alfred Hospital in a stable condition.

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Chantelle Klasema, 29, plunged 10-metres to her death from an apartment balcony in Collingwood, Melbourne

She grew up in Havelock North in New Zealand's North Island before moving to Australia in her early 20s

The 29-year-old grew up in Havelock North in New Zealand's North Island, before moving to Australia in her early 20s, according to Facebook.

Family have been mourned her sudden death and described her as a keen traveller, Herald Sun reported.

Her father, Jaap Klasema who lives in Thailand, said he was 'desperate' to find out how she fell.

'I'm walking around in a daze, being so far away,' he told Herald Sun.

Ms Klasema and a 35-year-old man fell from a third-floor balcony about 11.30am on Saturday (scene pictured)

The man remains at Alfred Hospital in a stable condition

Mr Klasema described his daughter as an 'intelligent  sweet person' who had a 'big heart'.

Her brother, Steve, has updated his profile picture to an image of the pair and received an outpouring of support.

Ms Klasema had dual New Zealand and Dutch citizenship.

The pair are believed to have been up partying all night.

Her father, Jaap Klasema who lives in Thailand, said he was 'desperate' to find out how she fell

Mr Klasema described his daughter as an 'intelligent  sweet person' who had a 'big heart'

The man is believed to have lost his balance on his apartment balcony which had a low railing and may have grabbed Ms Klasema to save himself but accidentally pulled her to her death, 7 News reported.

Victoria Police are not treating the incident as suspicious.

They both fell onto the tarmac in an enclosed carpark at the apartment block.

The pair were found about 11.30am on Saturday and are believed to have fallen shortly beforehand.

The New Zealand woman's death comes just days after Gold Coast man Gable Tostee, 30, was acquitted over the balcony fall death of Wellington woman Warriena Wright.
Michael Vance, 38, escaped from officers by shooting two of them

Authorities have warned that a gunman on the run after firing on police officers and trying to behead his aunt and uncle - who were later found dead in a car he stole - has HIV/AIDS and may try to spread the disease.

A manhunt is underway for Michael Vance, 38, who police say shot at two officers with an AK-47 in Wellston, Oklahoma, on Sunday night before escaping in a police truck.

On Monday, an Oklahoma County judge issued an arrest warrant for Vance for two counts of first-degree murder in the slayings of Ronald Everett Wilkson, 55, and Valerie Kay Wilkson, 54.

In an affidavit, Oklahoma County Deputy Michael Belanger wrote that Ronald Wilkson was shot once and suffered knife wounds 'consistent with an attempt to sever his head.'

The affidavit says Valerie Wilkson had similar knife wounds to her neck as well as several defensive wounds on her arms.

Vance recorded a Facebook Live video which showed his face (left) and his gun (right)

Vance also has a 'medical condition' and 'may try to spread disease,' the Oklahoma Highway Patrol announced without revealing further details. He has HIV/AIDS, KWTV reported.

Vance is suspected in the shooting of two police officers in Wellston near Oklahoma City, then making his getaway in a patrol car.

Oklahoma County Sheriff's Office spokesman Mark Opgrande said authorities believe he then stole another vehicle from a woman whose condition has not been released, then killed his aunt and uncle.

The woman's Lincoln Continental was found about 35 miles northeast of Oklahoma City containing the suspect's relatives.

Police discovered their bodies at a mobile home in Luther on Sunday night as they searched for Vance.

After shooting the officers earlier on Sunday, Vance filmed part of the police chase using Facebook Live.

The officers shot down by Vance, Shawn Stewart and Jim Hampton, were injured in the foot and leg. Their injuries are not thought to be life-threatening.

Vance has filmed parts of the chase on Facebook Live showing the assault rifle and telling his family it was 'too late now'

'This is more intense than I thought it was going to be, to say the least,' he says in one video.

Vance is in a shirt that appears to be covered in blood and says he's about to steal a vehicle, adding it's 'gonna be intense.'

'This truck is about dead. I needed it to get out of the road because I am about to steal another car like right now,' he says. 'This s*** is going to be intense.'

In a second video, the same man shows a long gun on the passenger seat of what appears to be another vehicle and says: 'Letting y'all know, look, this is real.'

He later refuses to speak to his sister, saying: 'I love you sis, it's too late now. I'm not answering the phone.'

Vance was wounded after police shot him twice in the torso during the firefight.

Another suspect was detained by officers and is being questioned following the shootout.

Police believe he is now in a third vehicle - a gray Mitsubishi - and warned he was still armed and dangerous.

Police and ambulances at the scene after two officers were shot in Oklahoma

Lincoln County Sheriff Charlie Dougherty said: 'We got three of our units there, and they started trying to gather information when a gentleman came out with an AK-47 and just opened fire on everybody.'

Vance has been under investigation over child sexual assault charges and was due to appear in court next week after being released from Lincoln County jail.

The Oklahoma Highway Patrol says authorities believe Vance is driving a silver 2007 Mitsubishi Eclipse with an Oklahoma license plate of 943LQQ.

Vance is described as Native American, standing 5 feet 11 inches tall and weighing 212 pounds.

Officials told drivers to avoid the area near Highway 66 and S. 3310 Road so police can search the area.
A drunk driver crashed into a fire truck before plowing into an emergency helicopter responding to a road traffic accident in New Mexico.

Emergency services were at the scene of the initial collision near Gallup in McKinley County when the black jeep lost control at high speed.

The jeep's driver, Glenn Livingston, 26, of Gallup, was arrested at the scene and charged with aggravated DWI and resisting arrest. He also had an open container inside his vehicle.

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This emergency medical helicopter was badly damaged after a suspected drunk driver crashed into it after colliding with a fire truck outside Gallup in New Mexico

Witnesses said the helicopter was tasked with evacuating the casualty from an earlier accident when the jeep crashed into it, knocking it on its side.

Fortunately, the aircraft had been shut down at the time of the collision and its rotors were not turning. The aircraft's crew were not in the aircraft at the time and escaped without injury.

The sheriff's office confirmed Livingston's jeep, the helicopter and the fire truck had all to be towed from the scene following the collision.

Frank Hernandez, who was at the scene with his tow truck to remove the original vehicle said it was amazing that no-one was killed.

Glenn Livingston, 26, of Gallup, New Mexico has been charged with aggravated DWI and resisting arrest following the high-speed collision which wrecked the medivac helicopter

He told Kob.com: ' I noticed after we got the vehicle picked up, this black Jeep flew past us. I was thinking "what the heck is this guy doing?" Because they had people out there trying to stop traffic, already he almost hit two ladies.

'Youve got to be pretty drunk. Ive seen them where theyve taken vehicles off the road and they dont know they did that, or not.'

Luckily, the original crash victim managed to survive despite the helicopter being taken out of commission.

Julia Azua, a spokesman for the paramedics, said: 'Our medical team did an outstanding job.
Police suspect the behaviour may be from

A man in a suspected drug-induced psychosis has gone on a rampage in a south western WA town, punching a doctor, stealing her car, threatening a woman and her baby and attacking a man with a shovel.

The female doctor was attacked about 7.20am on Monday morning in the carpark of Bunbury Hospital, reported The West Australian.

The man allegedly punched her in the face before stealing her Toyota Landcruiser.

A man has gone on a rampage in a south western WA town, punching a doctor, stealing her car, threatening a woman and her baby and attacking a man (pictured) with a shovel

The man, who police suspect may have been in a drug induced psychosis, attacked a doctor outside Bunbury Regional Hospital in WA (pictured), stole her car and drove to a nearby house

He then drove to a nearby house on Lakeside Drive in the suburb of College Grove, jumped the fence and threatened a Stephanie Skilbeck and her 10-month-old baby.

When Ms Skilbeck's partner Lee Walker intervened, the man is believed to have hit Mr Walker over the head with a shovel four times.

Ms Skilbeck told 7 News: 'He saved us, who knows what would have happened if he hasn't been there.

The man threatened Stephanie Skilbeck (pictured) and her 10-month-old baby, before hitting Ms Skilbeck's partner Lee Walker over the head with a shovel

'The guy came at me with a shovel and tried to attack me, and I screamed for Lee and he came out and tackled the guy.'

Ms Skilbeck managed to get the shovel off the alleged attacker by biting his finger and hitting him in the ribs.

She then ran next door to her neighbour, Scott Gordon, who managed to restrain the man until police arrived.

Police arrested the man and he is being assessed at Bunbury Hospital.

Mr Walker, who was hit with the shovel, is in the same hospital and receiving treatment for an extensive cut to his head and a bite on his hand.

The female doctor has a suspected broken nose but is in a stable condition.

Daily Mail Australia has contacted WA Police for more information.
A man has been charged with sexually assaulting a woman in her bed during an alleged aggravated burglary.

Police allege the 33-year-old man broke into a house in the central Victorian city of Bendigo last week.

He was arrested on Monday morning and charged with aggravated burglary, attempted rape, assault with intent to sexually assault and sexual assault.

A man has been charged with allegedly sexually assaulting a woman in her bed (stock image)

He is alleged to have committed the offences at Perry Lane, in suburban Epsom, on Thursday, October 13 about 10pm.

Authorities released closed-circuit TV footage of the man loitering in the area, and asked the public for information on Monday.

The defendant from Harcourt, south of Bendigo, has been remanded to appear at Bendigo Magistrates Court on Tuesday.
Aiden Webb, 22, fell 10,000ft to his death in Vietnam as he tried to tackle a mountain alone, an inquest has heard

A British student fell 10,000ft to his death in Vietnam as he tried to tackle a mountain alone just days after assuring family and friends that he was a 'very safe climber', an inquest has heard.

Aiden Webb, 22, had set out on a solo ascent of Mount Fansipan in the north west of the country when he tried to circumnavigate a landslide and lost the trail path.

His girlfriend Bluebell Baughan - who was also in Vietnam and stayed in touch with Mr Webb via Facebook - urged him to turn back.

But the experienced climber continued trying to reach the summit, slipping and injuring his knee on his way.

The following day, after spending half the night on the mountain, he admitted he needed help and sent Miss Baughan his location.

But her replied never delivered to his phone. One week later, his body was found in a ravine in an area with cliffs, deep gorges and slippery surfaces.

Before setting off, Mr Webb had posted on Facebook that he was a 'safe climber'.

He wrote: 'Apologies in advance to all family members who think I'm loco, and reckless I'm actually a very safe climber and know my limits.'

At an inquest into his death, a coroner heard how Miss Baughan stayed in contact with Mr Webb via text messages and Facebook posts.

Despite slipping and injuring himself, Mr Webb - who had set out at 8am on June 3 - initially told the 25 year-old not to get help as he was 'determined' to reach the summit.

But, in a statement read at the inquest, she described how Mr Webb only had one pair of shorts on, was shivering and wanted to find shelter.

'I was becoming very fraught when he said he had become lost and couldn't find the trail,' she said.

'We realised the last cable car was gone and he had to spend the night on the mountain.'

Miss Baughan then kept messaging him into the early hours of June 4. At 3.29am, Mr Webb sent a message to say he had decided to try going back down the mountain on a trail beside a stream with waterfalls.

In a final text message sent at 6.18am he agreed for Miss Baughan to raise the alarm and request help. But Miss Baughan's reply to him failed to deliver to his phone.

Before setting off, Aiden posted on Facebook that he was a 'safe climber'. He later injured himself and his girlfriend Bluebell Baughan (pictured) urged him to turn back

Norfolk Coroners' Court heard that Aiden, who had been out since the Friday morning, sent Bluebell (pictured together) his location early on Saturday as he agreed he needed help

After his body was found, his parents request that the Vietnamese authorities did not carry out a post-mortem examination.

The same examination in the UK found no signs of fractures or serious bleeding and a toxicology report on his blood and urine came back clean.

But the examination was unable to ascertain a cause of death, partly because his body had been embalmed.

An external medical examination by the Vietnamese concluded that he died 'in a mountain climbing accident by way of drowning after falling unconscious'.

Aiden's parents, Trevor Webb and Simone Taylor, said their son (pictured) was a a 'joy to be around'

At the inquest today, Yvonne Blake, area coroner for Norfolk, recorded an open conclusion.

She said: 'We know that he was trying to climb Fansipan mountain alone.

'We know that he got into difficulties, he was injured and had a deep cut on his arm.

'He said he badly hurt his knee and couldn't move very well, and we know he was found in a stream.

'The medical cause of death was unascertained as he was embalmed.'

Mr Webb and his girlfriend met at Anglia Ruskin University in Cambridge, where Mr Webb studied drama and Ms Baughan studied performing arts.

In the months before his death, Mr Webb's Facebook posts showed him trekking up mountains, caving and motorbiking in Vietnam.

Days before he went missing, he posted about completing his first 'official free soloing rock climb' on May 28.

His post said: 'Never had so much fun and never had my mind so clear and empty.

'Definitely no 'El Capitan', but regardless. This is something I've felt I've needed to do in a long time.

'(Apologies in advance to all family members who think I'm loco, and reckless I'm actually a very safe climber and know my limits).'

Speaking at the time Aiden went missing, his girlfriend said: 'I kept asking if I could get him help but he was determined that he would make it to the top of the mountain.

Mr Webb was climbing Mount Fansipan, in the north of Vietnam, in South East Asia (pictured)

'He started to say he was getting cold and quite scared because he had hurt his arm and knew the climb to get back down would be extremely difficult.

'In the hours of the morning he decided to move but I told him to stay where he was.

'But he fell and hurt his knee quite badly and that's when he finally let me get him some help.'

Aiden's parents, Trevor Webb and Simone Taylor were not at the hearing but a short statement on their behalf said: 'Aiden was such a joy to be around. We were a very close family and it was a privilege to be his parents.'
A murder trial is set to begin in Germany of a couple accused of luring young women to their deaths through lonely hearts ads in newspapers.

The pair, dubbed the German Fred and Rose West, allegedly turned their home in the town of Hoxter into a torture chamber where police and prosecutors say at least two women were murdered and many more abused.

One victim was kidnapped, tortured, chained up, abused and finally died of her injuries thought to be inflicted by 47-year-old Wilfried W., and his ex wife, aged 46, identified only as Angelika B.

A murder trial is set to begin in Germany of a couple Wilifried W, pictured and Angelika B., accused of luring young women to their deaths through lonely hearts ads in newspapers

Her death led to a raid on the home and the arrest of the duo and the discovery of at least one more murder victim who was killed, stuck into a deep freeze, thawed out and burned in a stove. Her ashes were later strewn from a car window.

The pair - married but divorced and living in the quiet community as brother and sister - are accused of preying upon lonely hearts across the country looking for women for Wilfried to wed so they could then fleece them of their savings.

Once lured to their squalid home, prosecutors say the women were chained up, beaten, forced to sleep in a bathtub and turned into domestic slaves.

A 40-strong police murder squad branded the couple 'The Horrors of Hoxter.'

The terrible secret of the house in Hoxter was revealed in April this year when Susanne F. 41, a divorced woman who answered one of their bogus adverts, died of a brain hemorrhage resulting from her ill treatment.

The terrible secret of the house in Hoxter was revealed in April this year when Susanne F. 41, pictured, a divorced woman who answered one of their bogus adverts, died of a brain hemorrhage resulting from her ill treatment

Police said she replied to Wilfried's small ad looking for a girlfriend and moved into the house, believing the lie that his ex-wife was his sister. Immediately she was subjected to savage and sustained abuse.

Ralf Ostermann, the police chief heading up the murder squad codenamed Bosseborn - after the part of town where their house is situated - said: 'She was abused for nothing. If the knife was not laid on the correct side of the plate, that was a trigger for punches, stomping, kicking, abuse.'

Once she was seen out shopping with her tormentors - totally bald. 'They pulled out her hair,' said Ostermann.

During one beating, according to Angelika B. who has turned against Wilfried since they were arrested in May, she fell and hit her head on a cabinet, triggering the brain blood clot which would lead to her death.

The couple, sensing that she was on the brink of death, laid her on the backseat of their car intending to drive her to her own apartment. But the car broke down en-route.

Mr Ostermann added: 'The pair called an ambulance apparently because they were overwhelmed by the situation.'

The woman died two hours later in the hospital on April 21. The doctors found bruises all over her body and called the police.

The pair, dubbed the German Fred and Rose West, allegedly turned their home in the town of Hoxter into a torture chamber where police and prosecutors say at least two women were murdered and many more abused

Investigators search the couple's home. Once lured to their squalid house, prosecutors say the women were chained up, beaten, forced to sleep in a bathtub and turned into domestic slaves

The dead woman, from Bad Gandersheim in the state of Lower Saxony, was found to have met her killer through a small ad.

Her tormentors were arrested and taken to separate jails where Angelike laid all the blame at the door of her partner. He has said nothing to police since his arrest.

The first victim was a woman, 33, from Lower Saxony named Annika, who met the accused in the summer of 2013 after he placed a lonely hearts advert in a newspaper.

She then moved to Hoxter and married Wilfried W. in the autumn of that year. Police say she was severely abused in a two-month long ordeal which ended with her death.

Afterwards her body was kept in a chest freezer before being dismembered with a chain saw and then burned in the heating stove piece by piece, The ashes were later scattered from their car window in drives around the region.

And in an act prosecutor Ralf Meyer described as 'perfidious,' Wilfried texted Annike's mother on her own mobile phone after he had killed her to say she had move to Amsterdam 'but is in good health.'

He said that the case 'got to' the experienced officers of the homicide squad.

'It was an abyss, what they did up there,' he said referring to the house where they lived and killed the strangers who fell into their grasp.

Police said that the pair took out so many adverts in so many publications across the whole of Germany that there were only two newspapers that they did not owe money to. They also trawled for victims with advertisements placed in Czech newspapers.

Police said that the pair took out so many adverts in so many publications across the whole of Germany that there were only two newspapers that they did not owe money to. Pictured is the inside of the house

The duo, who both lived off Hartz IV welfare payments, the most meager in Germany for the long-term jobless, are being held in separate jails.

Angelike B. has said - and police say they believe her - that she was also massively abused by Wilfried soon after marrying him in 1999.

Four years earlier in 1995 he was sentenced to two years in jail in August 1995 for inflicting life-threatening injuries on a woman. Angelike was given probation.

When the case received wall-to-wall coverage in Germany a woman came forward in Berlin to say that she once lived in the house with them, was abused and badly injured, but allowed to leave.

One of the crimes they were suspected of is the murder of 21-year-old Frauke Liebs who vanished from her home 40 miles from Hoxter on June 20, 2006 and whose corpse was found in a field on October 20 that year.

'We are still examining this case to see if her death is linked to this couple,' added Ostermann.

He added that the duo did not act out of sexual motives, but from a need 'to exercise power.' According to his ex-wife, Bochum-born Wilfried W. was 'the boss - his word was law.'
Adventurous pair completed the journey to raise funds for Save the Children's Child Refugee Appeal

Due to adverse weather conditions they had to row almost the entire way for around six hours every day

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An adventurous couple spent 56 days rowing from Devon to the south of France in their home-made boat - although they did require a car ferry to transport them across the Channel.

Mat and Polly Hilton battled adverse weather conditions during their 900 mile journey that took them from the Devon village of Rewe to Sete in the southeast French region of Languedoc-Roussillon.

They travelled in their home-made 13ft timber craft called 'Dunlin', named after the small wader bird.

The boat was created entirely from scratch and Mr Hilton, a carpenter, had also modified a small tent so it could be placed over the top of the vessel overnight.

The couple spent 56 days rowing from Devon to the south of France during their epic journey

Mr Hilton, a carpenter, made the boat himself and said it was thrilling to complete the voyage in his home-made creation

Mr Hilton takes a break from the strenuous rowing efforts - during the couple's 900 mile trip

After spending six months creating the boat, the couple set off on the journey from the village of Rewe.

From there, they rowed to Poole in Dorset, where the boat was put on a ferry and taken across the English Channel.

They then rowed from Cherbourg-Octeville to Picardy and headed inland down the River Somme towards Reims, which took them into the Marne.

Following the winding waterways south-west, they eventually joined the Rhone.

The couple headed towards the coast via Lyon, Valence and Avignon before finishing their trip at Sete, where they celebrated with a bottle of champagne.

This route map shows the journey taken by Mat and Polly Hilton - which saw them travel from Dover to Sete

The boat in its construction phase - Mr Hilton, a carpenter, said he loved the building stage

The couple said the journey put 'immense strain' on their backs as they rowed for 56 days

Although the wooden boat had a small sail, the couple rowed 95 per cent of the journey.

Mrs Hilton, 28, who runs her own cider-making business, said: 'We endured some horrific weather at times. It rained for the first three weeks, which made things very difficult.

'I had never seen thunder and lightning like it.

'The weather got better but the conditions for sailing didn't so we rowed almost the entire way.

'Over the course of the 56 day journey we probably only sailed five days.

'It had an immense strain on our backs and left us feeling very tired at the end of each day.'

As well as the driving rain, the couple also ran into trouble when they lost their lighting in a three-mile long pitch black tunnel.

The couple spent around six hours a day rowing as they journey from the Exe Estuary to Sete

The couple completed the journey to raise funds for Save the Children's Child Refugee Appeal

The couple battled tough weather conditions which meant they only used their sail for a few days

Mrs Hilton at Lulworth Cove in Dorset at the beginning of their 900 mile trip to the south of France

Mr Hilton, 29, who took time off work to complete the journey, said it was thrilling to do it in his own boat.

He said: 'Completing the journey in our own boat was appealing because it posed more of a challenge.

'We passed lots of people in luxurious boats, which is nice, but we both wanted to test ourselves.'

He added: 'I loved the building process, hopefully its something I can do more of in the future.'

The couple have so far raised 3,160 for Save the Children's Child Refugee Appeal.

The boat was created entirely from scratch and Mr Hilton had also modified a small tent so it could be placed over the top of it

Amenities were scarce and the couple spent nights under canvas aboard the small boat

The couple had to row almost the entire way due to appalling weather conditions
Hotly-tipped Ukip leadership contender Suzanne Evans has insisted it must become the party of hard Brexit.

In an article for MailOnline, Ms Evans said she was clear that the country had to quit the single market altogether, cut all ties with EU law, and end free movement.

She condemned those who have been trying to 'mess with the will' of the British public - and signalled her desire to target Labour heartlands in the North that voted heavily for Brexit on June 23.

Suzanne Evans, pictured yesterday, has entered the race to be Ukip leader declaring that Britain must leave the single market entirely and end free movement

The race to succeed Nigel Farage is already promising to be a bare-knuckle brawl - with no fewer than eight candidates in the frame.

The party has been plunged into civil war by the dramatic resignation of Diane James just weeks after she was elected to replace Mr Farage.

Formally declaring her candidacy yesterday, Ms Evans branded controversial rival Raheem Kassam 'toxic' and accused him of wanting to push the party to the 'far right'.

Mr Kassam, who has been endorsed by the party's biggest donor Arron Banks, hit back to claim he was the only contender who was not a 'PC robot'.

Paul Nuttall, the former party chairman and deputy leader, also weighed in by claiming he was the 'unity candidate' and the only man capable of ensuring Ukip does not go out of business altogether.

Mr Farage has had a long-running feud with Ms Evans, who wrote Ukip's 2015 general election manifesto before they fell out spectacularly over the party's future direction.

He made clear yesterday that he will not be voting for Ms Evans, who was suspended from the party during the last contest.

In her article today, Ms Evans warned that Brexit was 'in peril' as the 'political class' could not bring itself to accept the outcome.

'Rather than decide to re-engage with the great British public who voted to leave the EU in unprecedented numbers, they have decided instead to subvert democracy,' she wrote.

Leadership rival Raheem Kassam has defended his politics and said he is not a 'PC robot'

The candidate said Theresa Mat had made 'most of the right noises' about Brexit, but there was a concerted effort to 'drag her away from the EU exit door'.

'It is up to Ukip to pick up the other end of the rope and drag Mrs May's administration towards that exit door as quickly as possible,' she said.

'We need to be the champion of those 17.4 million Brexit voters. We need Tory MPs and Labour MPs alike to understand that if they start messing with the will of the people then the people have somewhere else to go.'

Ms Evans said the party had to be 'breathing down the necks' of Mrs May and Jeremy Corbyn.

'The British people voted to take back control of their borders, their laws and their money,' she wrote.

'That means leaving the single market, removing ourselves from the jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice and ending free movement.

Ukip deputy leader Paul Nuttall has claimed to be the 'unity' candidate in the race to replace Mr Farage, warning the party faced an 'existential crisis'

'A Norwegian-style halfway house deal is totally unacceptable.'

The former Ukip deputy chairman said she could reach out beyond the four million people who voted for the party at the last general election.

'I will do that by leading a patriotic party of the common sense centre - the real centre ground in which people want to cut foreign aid and increase defence spending, to boost the NHS but also to clamp down on health tourism, to cut taxes for working people but make sure that multi-national corporations start making a fairer contribution to funding public services.

'And I will take the fight to Jeremy Corbyn's Labour - the least patriotic official opposition party in my lifetime.

'The party with a leader who will not sing the national anthem, a shadow chancellor who lauded the IRA over the British Army and a shadow foreign secretary who cannot bear the sight of the English national flag.'
I spent several months with him in the field and he was always a delight to have involved,' said Climate Change Institute Director Paul Mayewski

He is survived by his wife Fiona and their two adult sons Martin and Calum

His body was recovered and is being returned to Maine

The 50-year-old University of Maine professor was thrown down a 100-foot crevasse after crashing his vehicle in

A University of Maine professor and researcher at the Climate Change Institute was killed on Saturday in Antarctica in a snowmobile accident.

Dr. Gordon Hamilton, 50, was working on White Island when he crashed his snowmobile and was thrown down a 100-foot crevasse.

He is survived by his wife Fiona and their two adult sons Martin and Calum.

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Tragedy: Gordon Hamilton (above) died in a snowmobile accident on Saturday

Family: Hamilton is survived by his wife Fiona and their two adult sons Martin and Calum (Hamilton above with his wife and oldest son)

Hamilton's body has been recovered and is being returned to Maine, according to the Bangor Daily News. An accident investigation is underway.

Climate Change Institute Director Paul Mayewski spoke about Hamilton in an interview on Sunday, saying: 'He was just a delightful person. He was super friendly and he could always be counted on to have a good sense of humor, even in sometimes stressful situations.'

He later added: 'I spent several months with him in the field and he was always a delight to have involved.

'Its hard work. Its very cold. Just even getting to and from these places is a lot of work and once youre there, youre in the field for weeks to months and its pretty much seven days a week.'

University of Maine also released a statement about Hamilton's death on Sunday.

'The University of Maine has lost one of its leading scientists,' said Susan Hunter, the president of the university.

'Gordons glaciology research around the world - from Antarctica to Greenland - was second to none.

'He leaves a legacy as an outstanding scientist, and a caring mentor and well-known teacher to undergraduate and graduate students.'

Accident: The 50-year-old University of Maine professor (above) was thrown down a 100-foot crevasse after crashing his vehicle in Antarctica

Work: Hamilton, a physical glaciologist, was working on White Island when the crash occurred as part of his job with the Climate Change Institute

Hamilton, a physical glaciologist, had been working with the Climate Change Institute since 2000, soon after he joined the staff at the University of Maine.

He received his his doctorate from the University of Cambridge in 1992, and had previously worked at the Byrd Polar and Climate Research Center at Ohio State University and the Norwegian Polar Institute in Norway.
Police are offering $1 million for information on a bushfire that killed three people almost 20-years-ago.

The 1997 fires in Ferny Creek at Melbourne's Dandenong Ranges were deliberately sparked, but the firebug responsible has never been caught.

The blaze killed Graham Lindroth, 26, his wife Jennifer, 24, and neighbour Genevieve Erin, 50, on January 21 - a 35 degree day with strong winds and a total fire ban.

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Police are offering $1 million for information on a bushfire that killed three people almost 20-years-ago at Ferny Creek in Melbourne's Dandenong Ranges

Graham Lindroth, 26, and his wife Jennifer, 24, were killed in the 1997 blaze

Graham and Jennifer had sought shelter in their garage, and died in each-other's arms.

Genevieve had fled and died hiding under the Lindroth's home.

A total of 42 houses were destroyed, and another 45 were damaged, leaving a repair bill of $6.5 million.

A surviving elderly neighbour had described the fire as an '80ft wall of flames'.

Graham's father, Ron, said justice needed to be brought to their son's killer so the family can move on.

Their neighbour Genevieve Erin, 50, died taking shelter beneath their home

Graham's parents Ron and Lyn are pictured. Ron said he's angry they have never got justice from the person responsible

'Right now, the anger is that person has never been brought to account,' he told Nine News.

'There's no justice in this.'

His mother Lyn said she hadn't just lost her son and daughter-in-law, but her 'two best friends'.

Despite extensive investigations, police have not found the person responsible.

The Arson and Explosive Squad is now looking at the fire with fresh eyes and hope the $1 million reward will help bring anyone with information forward.

A total of 42 houses were destroyed, and another 45 were damaged, leaving a repair bill of $6.5 million

A surviving elderly neighbour had described the fire as an '80ft wall of flames'

'We believe whoever lit those fires chose the perfect day and there was a definite intent to cause extensive damage,' Arson Squad Inspector Michael Roberts said.

'By making a renewed appeal to the public and finding the person responsible for such senseless devastation, we are hoping to provide the families of the victims with some answers.'

A reward of up to $1 million will be paid for information leading to the apprehension and subsequent conviction of the person or persons responsible for the suspicious fires.
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Tucked away in the middle of Detroit lies one of the city's many hidden gems.

Abandoned since 2005, the Woodward Avenue Presbyterian Church was once a cornerstone of the local community.

Constructed in 1911, the century old building was built by Detroit's Presbyterians who wanted a place to meet and worship.

The Woodward Avenue Presbyterian Church opened in 1911 at a time when Detroit was rapidly expanding

Dozens of highly ornate buildings were constructed in the city which was booming along with the rise of the motor car

However, as with much of Detroit, the church which once had more than 2,000 members is being slowly allowed to decay

The abandoned church is now an all too familiar sight in a city that has been struggling financially in recent years.

Photographer Ioanna Sakellaraki, 26, took the images of the historical building on a recent visit to the city.

Ioanna said: 'I went on a tour around Detroit visiting historical places that are now in decay after the Motor City went into decline.'

Since its closure in 2005 due to declining numbers of worshipers, the gothic-style building has been left to slowly rot away - a feature that attracted the attention of Holywood movie producers.

The church was closed down in 2005 due to the falling number of worshipers in downtown Detroit

A fundraising drive in 1910 secured $100,000 - more than $3 million in today's money for the English Gothic style building

The church was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982 but despite that it continued to decline

Ioanna explained: 'Over the summer of 2011, the church was used as a set for the movie Alex Cross and in preparation for shooting, much of the debris was cleared out of the building.'

During its height, the church had more than 2,000 members and was the pride and joy for the local Presbyterian community.

By the middle of the 20th century the local demographic in the city began to change with more black families moving from the Baptist-dominated southern states.

An influx of new black families was followed by many white upper-class families moving to different parts of the city, and as a result the once popular church began to lose congregation numbers as well as its importance in the community.

The location was used in the filming of the 2011 movie Alex Cross, based on the James Patterson crime fiction series

Since the church closed in 2005, the building has become increasingly dilapidated threatening its very survival

Many of the former congregation of the church abandoned downtown Detroit and moved to the suburbs

Despite its steadily decreasing numbers the church was still considered a historical landmark in the city and in 1982 was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

However the historic and nostalgic value of the church mattered little to people in the area with congregation numbers dwindling to the hundreds, a far cry from its heyday.

With no investment opportunities, the church has been left virtually untouched and very little has been done by the local government to restore this once iconic building.
A son who secretly remortgaged his parents' home to finance a buy-to-let property portfolio while claiming benefits has been jailed for four years.

Nicholas Leroy Forrester, 50, took out a 300,000 loan on the 1.5million six-bedroom Hammersmith property - his family's home of 35 years.

He used the money to help purchase three properties in east London while having the rent paid on his own discounted housing association flat by taxpayers.

Nicholas Leroy Forrester, 50, took out a 300,000 loan on his parents house of 35 years

Mr Forrester's father, Ivor, pictured left) has lived in the 1.5million six-bedroom property (right) in Hammersmith, West London, for 35 years

Father-of-two Forrester, of West Kensington, London was convicted of obtaining a 300,000 money transfer by deception between February 1 and June 30, 2006.

He also pleaded guilty to five counts of making a dishonest representation to obtain benefits, namely Jobseekers Allowance; Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit totalling 10,000.

He received three years and four months imprisonment on Friday after Isleworth Crown Court heard he deceived his 83 year-old father Ivor Forrester.

'Your behaviour as far as your father's property was concerned was profoundly dishonest and false representations were used towards your father and almost certainly your mother,' Judge John Dennis told him.

He used the money to help purchase three properties in east London while having the rent paid on his own discounted housing association flat on thisb street (pictured) by taxpayers

Forrester no longer owns the three investment properties, which included a house on this road in Leytonstone (pictured) which he bought with the help of a 65,000 cash deposit

'It was well-planned, taking advantage of vulnerable individuals.

'You became fixated with the opinion that this house was your house and when the equity rose you were determined to strip it out to pursue your own commercial ventures, which did not go well.

'Your family has now effectively rejected you and your father feels let-down by you and defrauded.'

Forrester no longer owns the three investment properties, which included a house in Napier Road, Leytonstone he bought with the help of a 65,000 cash deposit.

Prosecutor Benjamin Waidhofer told the court the family home was transferred to Nicholas in 1999 during his father's bankruptcy, with his dad continuing to pay all the bills.

However, in 2006 he persuaded his parents to sign paperwork for a new loan. 'The defendant had no right to make this application and Ivor would never have made it.

'This defendant was always saying the house was his in that it was going to be his inheritance.

'He claimed benefits as somebody who was unemployed, owned no properties and had no savings or income.'

The High Court returned the property title to Ivor, who continues to live there, but he must make the 1,100 per month repayments on the loan taken out by his son.

'He was in debt and out of work,' said Forrester's lawyer Miss Sam Bonner. 'The properties he bought were all repossessed and taken from him.

'The family relationships are very fractured now and he is extremely low, very stressed and extremely remorseful.
A statue depicting a naked Donald Trump sold at a Los Angeles auction over the weekend for $22,000.

The piece titled 'The Emperor Has No Balls' was one of several Trump statues created by an anonymous artist collective called INDECLINE.

The group says that the proceeds from the auction will benefit the National Immigration Forum, a group that lobbies for immigrants' rights.

A statue depicting a naked Donald Trump sold at a Los Angeles auction over the weekend for $22,000. Pictured above on exhibition at Julien's Auctions on October 17

The statue was one of several that appeared over the summer in cities across the country. The statue in Los Angeles (pictured above) is the one that was auctioned off on Saturday

'We want to redirect attention,' a spokesman for INDECLINE told the Los Angeles Times.

The statue was one of several that popped up this summer across the country including in San Francisco, Cleveland, Seattle and New York.

While most of the other statues were taken down by their respective cities, the one that appeared on Hollywood Boulevard was saved and sold to the highest bidder at Julien's Auctions on Saturday.

The identity of the person who won the statue has not been revealed. Early estimates suggested that the statue could go for as high as $10,000, but it more than doubled that prediction in the bidding this weekend.

A similar statue depicting a nude Hillary Clinton was erected in New York City last week. The statue was made by a different artist

The Trump statues aren't the only politically charged pieces that INDECLINE has made lately.

At the beginning of his campaign, when Trump described many Mexican immigrants as rapists, the group painted a mural on a wall on the U.S.-Mexican border reading 'Rape Trump'.
Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe, one of Bill and Hillary Clinton's most consistent backers, donated nearly $500,000 to the Virginia state Senate campaign of a candidate who is married to the FBI's deputy director.

A PAC McAuliffe's controls donated $467,500 to the 2015 state Senate campaign of Dr. Jill McCabe, part of McAuliffe's ill-fated plan to try to take control of the Virginia Senate.

The donations poured in just a few months after McCabe launched her Senate campaign in March 2015, the Wall Street Journal reported.

McCabe's husband, Andrew McCabe, ran the bureau's Washington field office, which in July 2015 launched an investigation into Clinton's email practices.

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Virginia Governor Terry McAulifee, who spoke at the Democratic convention in Philadelphia, had his PAC donate $500,000 to a state senate candidate whose husband, Andrew McAbe, is now the number two official at the FBI

Dr. Jill McCabe didn't win her race for the state Senate, but got a big assist from Governor Terry McAuliffe, whose PAC kicked in $500,000

The state Democratic Party also donated $208,000 to Jill McCabe's campaign, which ultimately was unsuccessful.

McAuliffe's is one of the closest backers of the Clintons, having been Bill Clinton's top fundraiser. Both Clintons backed McAuliffe in his campaign to capture the governorship.

In a statement posted Sunday night, the FBI said McCabe 'played no role, attended no events, and did not participate in fundraising or support of any kind. Months after the completion of her campaign, then-Associate Deputy Director McCabe was promoted to Deputy, where, in that position, he assumed for the first time, an oversight role in the investigation into Secretary Clinton's emails.'

According to a further statement Monday: 'When Jill McCabe first considered running for the state Senate seat, ADIC McCabe consulted with top FBI headquarters and field office ethics officers for guidance, including briefings on the Hatch Act, to prevent against any actual or potential conflict-of-interest, in the event she decided to go forward.'

According to the bureau 'When she chose to run, ADIC McCabe and FBI lawyers implemented a system of recusal from all FBI investigative matters involving Virginia politics, a process followed for the remainder of her campaign.'

During the campaign, he played no role, attended no events, and did not participate in fundraising or support of any kind. Months after the completion of her campaign, then-Associate Deputy Director McCabe was promoted to Deputy, where, in that position, he assumed for the first time, an oversight role in the investigation into Secretary Clinton's emails.'

Andrew McCabe rose to become deputy director of the FBI. Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe, a key ally of Bill and Hillary Clinton, had a PAC donate $500,000 to McCabe's wife's state Senate campaign. McCabe was promoted following to the bureau's director, James Comey's (right) decision not to recommend charges against Hillary Clinton

Dr. McAbe's office said there was no conflict because her husband was not involved in her campaign in any way. He didn't take over his position, which would have provided authority over the investigation, until her race was over.

'Once I decided to run, my husband had no formal role in my campaign other than to be a supportive husband to me and our children,' she told the paper. 'As a federal official ... everyone who participated in our campaign understood and respected that he could not participate.'

Jill McAbe is a physician who hadn't run for office before. Her campaign effort spent $1.8 million on her unsuccessful effort. McAuliffe was working to help Democrats take over the state Senate, which had been working to stymie his efforts.
Officers fired multiple shots and Davis was pronounced dead at the scene

Two of Davis' three children were also inside the home, according to police

That friend called the police, who say they found her at home with a gun

Had history of depression; told friend she didn't feel right, foster sister said

Police in Washington have fatally shot a pregnant mother of three who they say was suicidal and was brandishing a gun.

Renee Davis, of Auburn, died on Friday night after two officers went to check on her at home after a worried friend called police.

The officers claim they knocked on her door several times and when they entered found Davis, 23, was armed inside with two young children.

Authorities have not clarified yet what happened next, but Davis was shot dead by the deputies, leading her family to say they had a lot of questions about the circumstances of the shooting.

Scroll down for video

Renee Davis (left and right), 23, died Friday night after two officers came to her home in Auburn, Washington, and shot her. They say Davis, who was five-month pregnant, had a gun

'It's really upsetting because it was a wellness check,' her foster sister Danielle Bargala told the Seattle Times. 'Obviously she didn't come out of it well.'

Davis had a history of depression and had texted a friend Friday night saying she wasn't feel, Bargala said.

That friend called the police, who sent two officers to check on Davis around 6:30 pm. Several shots hit Davis, who was pronounced dead at the scene.

The two children inside, aged 2 and 3, were Davis', Bargala said. They weren't injured.

When the officers entered, Davis was holding a handgun, Sergeant Cindi West told KOMO.

Bargala said Davis owned a hunting rifle but did not know whether her sister possessed a handgun.

'I don't know what led up to the shooting,' West told Q13 Fox. The two officers, who have been in the force for eight and three years, both opened fire. They are being questioned and have been placed on paid leave.

Davis (pictured) had three children aged 5, 3 and 2, whom she raised as a single mother. The two youngest were inside the house Friday night

Davis, a single mother of Native American heritage, also had a five-year-old, who was staying at a family friend's home that night.

'She was such a soft person,' Bargala told the Seattle Times.

While hunting, Davis had recently killed a deer and an elk - the meat of which Bargala still has in her freezer.

Davis recently worked as a preschool teacher's aide for children from low-income families.

Relatives have taken in her children while the family figures out who will take care of them.
Children of serving RAF personnel went to the Russian embassy in London yesterday to protest against Vladimir Putins bombing of Aleppo.

Seventeen youngsters, some as young as nine, are begging Moscow to stop killing civilians in the Syrian city  described as a slaughterhouse - where tens of thousands of children are trapped.

Their protest comes after Boris Johnson urged anti-war campaigners to stage protests outside the embassy  but Stop the War refused to do so, saying it would contribute to hysteria.

The children including Grace Mathews, 11, Felicity Eustace, 10, and Phoebe Hawkins, 11, protest at the Russian Embassy in London yesterday

The children of RAF servicemen brought a CD of the song 'Tears of the World' which the group created to protest against Russia's actions in Syria

Now the children have said they will be the ones to protest against war crimes being committed after the foreign secretarys comments fell on deaf ears.

One of the children who went to the embassy to protest on Saturday, said: I think the people who are bombing need to stop what they are doing and think about the poor children that have not done anything wrong.

The nine-year-old, whose father is in the RAF, said: It makes me sad that children like me cant go to school or play and have a normal life.

She was joined by Grace Matthews, 10, also the daughter of a serving RAF officer, Phoebe Hawkins, 11, and Felicity Eustace on Saturday.

Felicity, 10, said: It is so sad to see what is happening in Syria. I wish the people can do something, can hurry up and sort out their differences before anymore get hurt.

We should all be friends, stay happy and have respect for everyone not hurt each other.

Her father is in the RAF and her mother is in the military wives choir.

An estimated 270,000 people, including 100,000 children, are trapped in Aleppos eastern districts as bombs continue to rain down on the city in what has been described as a humanitarian catastrophe

Children are seen fleeing a village south of Aleppo last week after the city was targeted by the Russia-backed Syrian government

The four girls protesting outside the Russian embassy yesterday were among seventeen youngsters, some as young as nine, who are begging Moscow to stop killing civilians in the Syrian city  described as a slaughterhouse - where tens of thousands of children are trapped

Phoebe Hawkins added: I wonder why todays world leaders dont seem to learn from the mistakes of the past?

An estimated 270,000 people, including 100,000 children, are trapped in Aleppos eastern districts as bombs continue to rain down on the city in what has been described as a humanitarian catastrophe.

Jim Dooley, a campaigner for veterans, said: Evil happens when good men do nothing. An appeal from our foreign secretary for protest to stop the indiscriminate bombing of Aleppo has fallen on deaf ears. It seems it is down to 9 and 11-year-olds to answer the call.

The children  who are part of a group called YoungstArs  went to the Russian embassy to deliver a CD of their charity record, The Tears of the World.

The song is designed to persuade leaders of the countries involved to stop bombing children and innocent people.

The protest comes after Boris Johnson urged anti-war campaigners to stage protests outside the embassy  but Stop the War refused to do so, saying it would contribute to hysteria

All proceeds from the song will go to Lincolns Bomber Command centre, dedicated to those who lost their lives during the Second World War. It will be released on November 11th to coincide with Remembrance Day.

Mr Johnson sparked a diplomatic row with the Kremlin last week as he called for demonstrations to be held outside the Russian embassy in London.

Former head of MI6, Sir John Sawers, warned the comments risked retaliation from Moscow and urged politicians to be careful and mindful of the security of British embassy staff.

In response, Stop the War Coalition said protesting outside the Russian embassy over Syria would increase the hysteria and jingoism that was being whipped up against the country.

Mr Johnson then hit back, saying:  To the point about demonstrations outside the Russian embassy, I merely draw attention to the paradox and peculiarity that the Stop the War Coalition has never seen fit to demonstrate against the barbarity, the barbarism, taking place in Aleppo.
Plans for an EU trade deal with Canada have collapsed after Belgium said a deadline for the agreement was 'not compatible with democracy'.

Belgium's Prime Minister Charles Michel has told European Council President Donald Tusk his country cannot agree to the deal - having failed to secure the backing of regional authorities.

The EU had given Belgium until today to overcome opposition to the CETA trade deal from its French-speaking south.

But Tusk is now expected to contact Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and call off an EU-Canada summit that was scheduled for Thursday in Brussels.

Belgium's Prime Minister Charles Michel (pictured) has told European Council President Donald Tusk his country cannot agree to the deal having failed to secure the agreement of regional authorities

But Michel said he was still open to dialogue with the main holdout, the region of Wallonia, and that it was too early to say whether CETA was dead.

EU and Canadian leaders have said they are keen to conclude the deal after years of negotiation

Last night Wallonia dealt a fresh blow to the proposals by rejecting a 24-hour ultimatum from the bloc to end its objection to the agreement.

In an embarrassment for the 28-nation EU, Belgium has so far been the only member not to sign up to the CETA trade deal, blocked by French-speaking Wallonia, which has refused to endorse it.

The EU has warned that unless Belgium makes its position clear, it will cancel a summit on Thursday to sign the accord with Ottawa, and indicated that it expected Prime Minister Charles Michel to come up with an answer today.

Paul Magnette, the leader of the Wallonia region, told the Belga news agency that an 'ultimatum is not compatible with the exercise of democratic rights'.

Magnette hit out at the EU, despite efforts by the bloc to provide reassurances to his government over investment protection - one of the major sticking points in negotiations between Brussels and Wallonia.

One European diplomat said that the reassurances 'responded to all of Mr Magnette's concerns'.

The EU had given Belgium until today to overcome opposition to the CETA trade deal from its French-speaking south before it would probably have to cancel a Thursday summit with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau (pictured) to sign the pact

A European source said European Council President Donald Tusk would call Michel on Monday afternoon or evening to see if the deal can be salvaged.

Tusk will ask Michel 'one simple question: will Belgium be in a position to sign the agreement on Thursday, yes or no?' said the European source.

The EU Council chief will also call European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker 'to share an assessment of where we are,' and lastly Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau 'to decide whether to maintain the summit'.

'Regarding Thursday, if Belgium is not in a position to say that they guarantee they can sign, it's very clear for Tusk that it doesn't make sense to have a summit, and there will be no summit, and there will be no date set for a new summit,' the source said.

The source added that any decision would be made jointly by Tusk and Trudeau.

Canada's trade minister Chrystia Freeland flew home from Brussels on Saturday saying the ball was in the EU's court after talks on Friday failed to overcome the differences.

The CETA - or Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement - would link the EU market of 500 million people with the world's tenth biggest economy.

The deal is opposed by anti-globalisation groups who say it is a test model to push through an even more controversial EU-US trade agreement called TTIP, talks on which have also stalled.

Sebastian Dullien, a senior policy fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations, criticised the Commission for its role in the failure of negotiators to secure an agreement on the deal.

'The European Commission carries part of the blame because it didn't quickly seek a dialogue with doubters. And for this type of deal, you need a large consensus,' he said.

Wallonia has some support for its position elsewhere in Europe.

On Saturday, 8,000 people including young people, farmers, union leaders and entrepreneurs joined a rally in Amsterdam in a show of solidarity, organisers said.

They held banners saying 'Our world is not for sale' and 'Stop these bad trade treaties'.

Wallonia has also enjoyed support from activist groups like Greenpeace which charged that the deal risked satisfying 'corporate greed' and trampling on people's rights and health standards on both sides of the Atlantic.
A poster mocking the age of child migrants coming to Britain has caused fury after being put up in a kitchen for MPs in Parliament.

Labour's shadow minister for Industrial Strategy, Chi Onwurah, tweeted the image with the text: 'Just 3 from you could clothe and feed his 12yr old Syrian child for a week'.

But instead of showing a Syrian child, the poster contains an elderly man in a headscarf.

Ms Onwurah, who represents Newcastle Central, said that someone had put it up deliberately in a kitchen serving 12 MPs and their staff.

It came as the row over whether all the migrants entering the UK from Calais are all under 18 after one was found to be an adult.

Shocking: A poster mocking the age of child migrants coming to Britain has caused fury after being put up in a kitchen for MPs in Parliament

Explaining what happened the MP said: 'It was spotted sellotaped above a sink so it was not by accident. I thought it was really upsetting. It shouldn't have a place in Parliament'.

Chi Onwurah, pictured, who represents Newcastle Central, said that someone had put it up deliberately in a kitchen serving 12 MPs and their staff

The kitchen serves MPs from Labour, the SNP and the Tories.

Ms Onwurah told Huffington Post: 'There's been an increasing xenophobic commentary in politics and the Tory Party Conference had numerous examples of that and so by condoning that kind of hostility you're making this more likely to happen'.

And in a message to other MPs and their staff she said: 'It's a communal area, not everybody shares your sense of humour.

'There are many things I get angry about but I'm not going to force that on my work colleagues.

'I don't think it's funny. Not when you see what people have been through coming from Syria.

'People often share jokes but this is a communal area and I and others shouldn't have to suffer what you think is funny.'

Anger: Ms Onwurah was upset by the poster, which has since been removed by her researcher

Pictures of child migrants arriving in Britain have sparked controversy, and on Friday the Home Office put up a 15ft fence to hide the faces of those starting their new lives in the UK.

One refugee, dubbed the 'man in blue', had wrinkles and stubble, which led to one charity falsely assuming he was an adult interpreter.

Politicians are among those to have questioned their ages.

Tory MP David Davies said some dont look like children and was later condemned by dentists after calling for tests on teeth to verify the age of child migrants.

Ex-Home Secretary Jack Straw even led a clamour for age tests on child refugees brought to Britain.

He warned that the row over whether the child migrants were really adults threatened to undermine public confidence in the entire asylum system.

Row: A 15ft screen runs the length of the street outside the Home Office immigration centre as controversy continues over the possible ages of the child migrants

Row: A migrant entering Britain has been found to be lying about his age - but it is not the so-called 'man in blue', pictured on Wednesday, charities falsely claimed was an adult interpreter

The Home Office yesterday refused to order dental checks on the new arrivals - insiting they were intrusive.

The following day the Mail revealed that the Home Office is already using dental checks to assess the age of child migrants.

The embattled department is under fire for ruling out dental X-rays for youngsters coming from the UK from the Calais Jungle camp.

Calls for tooth tests have surfaced amid mounting concern that adult refugees are lying about their ages to gain entry to Britain.

Suspiciously mature-looking child migrants are among the 50 or so who have arrived this week.

Ministers dismissed the demands, claiming checks were inaccurate, inappropriate and unethical.
In a touching moment at Disney World at the weekend, a blind man visiting from Brazil met Mickey Mouse for the first time.

Basilio Santana, 21, lost his sight when he was nine-years-old after being diagnosed with Devic's disease, a rare disease that resembles multiple sclerosis.

After winning a contest, he traveled to the US with his mother and visited Disney World in Orlando, Florida.

There, Mickey Mouse was well-prepared to meet Santana, and had even learned some basic Portuguese to speak with him, KDVR reported.

Special meeting: Basilio Santana, 21, who has been blind since he was nine, won a competition and got to meet Mickey Mouse at Disney World in Orlando

In a video of the special moment taken by one of Santana's friends and posted to Facebook, Santana is seen touching Mickey's ears and nose and holding hands, while smiling the whole time.

'Wow! All the way from Brazil? Cool. My friends have been teaching me some Portuguese,' Mickey can be heard saying to Santana in the video.

Mickey then takes Santana's hands and runs his fingers across his face.

'I ran my hand across his head, arms, hands, and clothing. It was a very exciting time and unforgettable for me,' Santana told KDVR afterwards.

Basilio traveled to the US with his mother, but said that meeting Mickey was the best part

The video has been viewed more than 1.5 million times.

'I was crying like a baby. Basilio is amazing. The energy in that room was so strong. Everybody was crying,' said Nataly White, the friend who took the video.

Santana's mother, who also has Devic's disease, also gave Mickey a big hug.

'She was hugging Mickey and saying, 'Thank you! Thank you! I love you!' And she was crying so much. That killed me,' White said.

Santana said that meeting Mickey was the best part of his trip.
The two celebrity chefs who abandoned plans to open restaurants in Donald Trump's flagship hotel have revealed the Republican nominee's refusal to apologize for calling Mexicans 'rapists' and 'murderers' is what doomed the project.

Jose Andres and Geoffrey Zakarian are currently being sued by the Trump brand for allegedly breaking leases they had signed to open restaurants in Trump's new Washington DC hotel.

The two chefs pulled out of plans to open restaurants in the hotel after the now-infamous remarks Trump made when launching his presidential campaign last year.

Jose Andres (left) and Geoffrey Zakarian (right) backed out of plans to open restaurants in Donald Trump's new hotel because of the comments he made about Mexicans

'When Mexico sends its people, theyre not sending their best... Theyre sending people that have lots of problems, and theyre bringing those problems... Theyre bringing drugs. Theyre bringing crime. Theyre rapists,' Trump said in June 2015.

It has now been revealed just how damaging those comments were to Trump's glitzy new hotel, with both chefs citing them as the reason they had to abandon plans, according to the Washingtonian.

Andres was the first of the two chefs to distance himself from Trump, but the magazine shows how he first reached out to the nominee's children to try to salvage the potential deal.

'Getting crushed over DJT comments about Latinos and Mexicans. Need your help,' Kimberly Grant, CEO of Andress ThinkFoodGroup, texted to Ivanka Trump nine days after he father's shocking comments.

Both chefs said Trump's comments about Mexicans - who he said were 'rapists' and 'murderers' - motivated them to leave his Washington DC hotel

'I would never live with myself to know that Im associating myself with somebody who demeans them in that way,' Andres (pictured receiving the National Humanities Medal from President Barack Obama) said

Ivanka then sent the message on to her brother, Donald Jr, and senior Trump company vice-president David Orowitz.

Orowitz replied: 'Ugh, this is not surprising and would expect that this will not be the last that we hear of it.'

Donald Jr added: 'Yeah, I was waiting for that one. Lets discuss in the a.m.'

Ivanka then tried to smooth things over with Andres, telling the chef - who was naturalized in 2013 - her father was allowed to have his own opinions.

However, the 47-year-old chef was preparing to part ways with Trump, according to a friend who spoke to the magazine.

'He said, "You know how many busboys I have? How many people are out in the fields picking the produce I serve in my restaurants?",' Jorge Guajardo told the Washingtonian.

'Getting crushed over DJT comments about Latinos and Mexicans. Need your help,' Kimberly Grant, CEO of Andress ThinkFoodGroup, texted to Ivanka Trump in the wake of the remarks

People are seen protesting outside Donald Trump's hotel in Washington DC on July 9, 2015

'"You know how many customers I have who are Mexican? I would never live with myself to know that Im associating myself with somebody who demeans them in that way".'

A short time later, Andres announced he was walking away from the hotel, telling the Washington Post it would be 'impossible' to work with Trump.

The magazine went on to reveal Zakarian's relationship with the Trump brand could have been salvaged, if only its name-sake was willing to apologize for his comments.

The 57-year-old star of Iron Chef and Chopped had grown close with Donald Jr during the process of opening a restaurant in the new hotel, so much so that he called him 'Donnie'.

However, once Andres backed out of the deal, the relationship between Zakarian and the Trump clan was almost immediately ruined.

Zakarian pleaded with Trump Jr in a phone call: 'I said, "Donnie, its a very difficult phone call for me to make... You got to tell me that [Trump] going to publicly apologize and put this behind us.'

Zakarian (pictured) tried to find a way to stay in the hotel after Trump's comments, and asked Donald Jr if his father would be willing to apologize

After Donald Jr (right) told Zakarian his father would 'never' apologize, the celebrity chef pulled out of the hotel

However, any hopes of the restaurant being salvaged were dashed when Donald Jr replied that his father would, 'never do that'.

Donald Jr then forwarded Zakarian a statement Trump had issued about his comments, to which the chef replied: 'Thanks. But this is in no way an outright apology. I respect you enormously. Thanks for your kindness and respect.'

According to the Washingtonian, it was the last message he would send Donald Jr.

The next day, he denounced Trump in the New York Times and said he was not opening a restaurant in the hotel.

He has since taken aim at the suit, saying the Trump brand should sue Donald instead of him.

'If [Trumps children] should be suing someone, they should sue Donald senior,' he said in a deposition. 'He f***ing did this. He did this. He rendered this Chernobyl.'

Protesters hold signs denouncing Trump's controversial remarks outside the Republican nominee's flagship Washington DC hotel

The article goes on to detail how even the company Trump hired to find potential clients to move into the now-vacant space discussed walking away from the hotel.

Streetsense is a design firm the Trump brand hired to help organize and complete the hotel construction. The Washington-based company specializes in retail and hospitality design.

'I think this issue has evolved to a point where we need to discuss if we want to maintain Trump as a client,' Streetsense co-CEO and vice chairman Guy Silverman wrote in an email, according to the Washingtonian.

'The public outcry continues to grow. It is toxic as of today. Not sure how long before it gets better, at least not until he drops out of the race and probably not then either.'

But ultimately, the company decided to stay with Trump because it did not consider it was working with Trump, but rather his children.

'We work for Ivanka is my rationale,' Streetsense's managing principal Jeffrey Pollak said.

'I think if we stand with Ivanka, who called me directly after this, and David Orowitz, and help them in a time of need, it may pay off in the long run.'

However Pollak was still in favor of appearing to have distanced the company from Trump, adding: 'We dont have to be very obvious at work with our continued involvement for now.'

Trump's new Washington DC hotel (pictured) is located on Pennsylvania avenue between the U.S. Capitol and the White House

Eric Trump, Donald Trump Jr., Donald Trump and Ivanka Trump attend the Trump International Hotel Washington DC Groundbreaking Ceremony in July 2014

Streetsense did manage to find some stars of the industry who were willing to consider filling Zakarian's empty space.

Chef Jeff Tunks toured the hotel, according to the Washingtonian, however he quickly said no.

'My fiancee would leave me if I opened a restaurant in the Trump hotel,' he told the magazine.

Others expressed mild interest, but almost two months later, Donald Jr decided they were out of time and the space was converted into a conference room.

'Plug pulled,' Pollak said in an email to his colleagues announcing the change of plans.

Trump is suing Andres and Zakarian for breach of contract and is trying to win $10 million from each. He claims it is for damages and a loss of rental income.

Both chefs' companies have filed counter-suits.

All of the suits are still ongoing.
The organisers of an educational program which teaches school children 'men are the greatest threat to women' have received a barrage of hate mail.

Privately run Frame Initiatives travels between about 30 Western Australian schools to teach children about respectful relationships.

Last week, a Perth student set off outrage when he took a picture of a slide with the words 'globally and historically, men are the greatest threat to women' and posted it online, The Australian reported.

Last week, a Perth student set off outrage when he took a picture of a slide with the words 'globally and historically, men are the greatest threat to women' and posted it online

The slide was part of the Men of Respect workshop for boys in Years 7 to 9.

Critics have accused Frame of teaching superficial and biased content, and appears to have led the organisers to delete its Twitter account.

Director Dan McGrechan said the words were taken out context and was referencing US comedian Louie C.K.

The controversial statement was intended to 'stimulate discussion', he told Daily Mail Australia.

'This quote was used as a discussion starter, with students encouraged to reflect on the ways that this might and might not be true.

'The sharing of this slide has led to a number of false claims being made about Frame. The main claim is that Frame exists to "demonise boys" according to some agenda. These claims are unfounded and untrue. The slide forming the basis of these claims has been taken out of context completely.'

The slide was part of Frame Initiative's Men of Respect workshop for boys in Years 7 to 9

Mr McGrechan said the programs are 'factual and based on current research findings'.

'It is not driven in any way by any philosophy or belief about gender or sexuality or anything else.'

He said Frame has received positive feedback from schools.

A spokesperson for the WA Education Department told Daily Mail Australia school principals decide whether to use the program.

'The Department has requirements for external groups who work in schools. This includes Working with Children checks and complying with the schools duty of care for students,' the spokesperson said.

The programs for girls include Please Like Me and Back Off: Sexual Harassment. Other programs for boys, aside from the Men of Respect workshop in question, include Problems with Porn, Sexual Harassment, and Date Rape and Consent.

The programs Frame Initiatives teaches boys at about 30 Western Australian schools
This is the moment a man confessed to murdering and raping a four-year-old girl - under questioning by a television host.

Himmet Akturk had agreed to appear on a Turkish television programme which specialises in investigating family dramas.

Presenter Muge Anli was looking into the disappearance of Irmak Kupal, four, who went missing while playing outside her home in the Alasehir district of western Turkey's Manisa Province.

Video captured the moment Himmet Akturk (right) confessed to murdering and raping a four-year-old girl - under questioning by television host Muge Anli (left)

Himmet Akturk (pictured) had agreed to appear on a Turkish television programme which specialises in investigating family dramas

Presenter Muge Anli was looking into the disappearance of Irmak Kupal (pictured), four, who went missing while playing outside her home in the Alasehir district of western Turkey's Manisa Province

Anli piled the pressure on Akturk on the show and the suspect then finally broke down and admitted being responsibility for her death.

He was immediately arrested by police and taken in for questioning where he allegedly made a full confession.

Akturk reportedly told police that he raped Irmak, strangled her and then buried the body.

He said that he put her body in a sack, stashed it underneath his wheelbarrow and dropped it off in a public bin.

But when he realised the dumpster had not been emptied the following day, he retrieved the body and buried it in a nearby vineyard.

Akturk reportedly told police that he raped Irmak, strangled her and then buried the body. He said that he put her body in a sack, stashed it underneath his wheelbarrow and dropped it off in a public bin

Anli piled the pressure on Akturk on the show and the suspect then finally broke down and admitted being responsibility for her death

He was immediately arrested by police and taken in for questioning where he allegedly made a full confession

The footage was part of his court case where he was then convicted but a further hearing will now be held to determine sentencing

Police started digging in the area where he said he had disposed of her body and found her remains two days later.

Officers working with police dogs also found hair and blood, believed to be from the girl, at Artuk's home.

The footage was part of his court case where he was then convicted but a further hearing will now be held to determine sentencing.

Local Mayor Gokhan Karabocan said people had been shocked by the case, adding: 'This is a very bad incident for Alasehir. I can't even call human the person who did this.'

Police launched a wide-ranging search for Irmak when she first went missing but called it off when it was revealed that a genetic foot condition meant that she could not walk far.

The investigation then switched to a suspected kidnapping and her heartbroken family approaching presenter Anli to ask her to investigate the case on her TV programme.
The Ukip leadership contest descended into further farce today after a man who once claimed a gay donkey raped his horse became the eighth candidate to enter the race.

John Rees-Evans made the bizarre claim while campaigning as a parliamentary candidate in 2014 but as he entered the race to replace Nigel Farage as leader today, he apologised and dismissed the comment as 'playful banter'.

He was also asked about reports he took a handgun into an Ikea store in Bulgaria 'in case terrorists laid siege to the building'.

The Ukip leadership contest descended into further farce today after John Rees-Evans (pictured), a man who once claimed a gay donkey raped his horse, became the eighth candidate to enter the race

Today Mr Rees-Evans, a father of three, acknowledged the incident but insisted the story was an 'embellishment' of the truth.

He announced he is standing for the Ukip leadership in a live TV interview today, joining a crowded field of eight candidates in what is already promising to be a bare-knuckle brawl.

But as he tried to set out his vision for the party, he was challenged about his previous comments and controversies, including an incident in December 2014 when he was filmed discussing with a fellow Ukip member whether 'some homsexuals prefer sex with animals'.

Mr Rees-Evans, who was campaigning for the Cardiff South and Penarth constituency, responded to the Ukip member: 'Actually, I've witnessed that. I've got a horse and it was there in the field. And a donkey came up, which was male, and I'm afraid tried to rape my horse.'

He added that his horse had bitten the 'homosexual donkey' in self-defence.

Asked about the comments on BBC's Daily Politics show, Mr Rees-Evans sought to downplay the remarks. 'It was a bit of playful banter with a mischievous activist,' he said. 'I'm sorry if I offended anyone in doing that.'

'I concede it was a mistake to be playful with an activist in a street. The fact is I'm not a politician. The guy was just asking me questions in the street. It was an error of judgment.'

He was also forced to confront reports he persuaded Ikea staff in Bulgaria that he should be allowed to take his Glock 17 handgun into the store.

Mr Rees Evans explained: 'That particular day I was doing some training, which is quite normal in Bulgaria. I do speed pistol shooting. I was trained by the British army to operate weapons, it's a waste of taxpayers' money if I don't maintain those skills, of course.

'It simply wasn't safe to hand [the gun] over to the security and I had some things that I had to get. That little story about laying siege to the building  quite simply, they said to me the reason they don't allow weapons to go in there was in case there was an attack  and I said, surely you want law abiding people to be armed if people are going to come in here to attack you?'

Suzanne Evans, pictured yesterday, has entered the race to be Ukip leader declaring that Britain must leave the single market entirely and end free movement

Mr Rees Evans, who was brought up in apartheid Johannesburg in South Africa, is the latest candidate to enter the race to replace Mr Farage following the sensational resignation earlier this month of Diane James after just 18 days in charge of the party.

In an article for MailOnline, hotly-tipped leadership contender Suzanne Evans insisted Ukip must become the party of hard Brexit.

She said she was clear that the country had to quit the single market altogether, cut all ties with EU law, and end free movement.

Ms Evans condemned those who have been trying to 'mess with the will' of the British public - and signalled her desire to target Labour heartlands in the North that voted heavily for Brexit on June 23.

Formally declaring her candidacy yesterday, Ms Evans branded controversial rival Raheem Kassam 'toxic' and accused him of wanting to push the party to the 'far right'.

Mr Kassam, who has been endorsed by the party's biggest donor Arron Banks, hit back to claim he was the only contender who was not a 'PC robot'.

Leadership rival Raheem Kassam has defended his politics and said he is not a 'PC robot'

Raheem Kassam, pictured posing with a gun during a visit to a gun roadshow in America

Paul Nuttall, the former party chairman and deputy leader, also weighed in by claiming he was the 'unity candidate' and the only man capable of ensuring Ukip does not go out of business altogether.

Mr Farage has had a long-running feud with Ms Evans, who wrote Ukip's 2015 general election manifesto before they fell out spectacularly over the party's future direction.

He made clear yesterday that he will not be voting for Ms Evans, who was suspended from the party during the last contest.

In her article today, Ms Evans warned that Brexit was 'in peril' as the 'political class' could not bring itself to accept the outcome.

'Rather than decide to re-engage with the great British public who voted to leave the EU in unprecedented numbers, they have decided instead to subvert democracy,' she wrote.

Ukip deputy leader Paul Nuttall has claimed to be the 'unity' candidate in the race to replace Mr Farage, warning the party faced an 'existential crisis'

The candidate said Theresa Mat had made 'most of the right noises' about Brexit, but there was a concerted effort to 'drag her away from the EU exit door'.

'It is up to Ukip to pick up the other end of the rope and drag Mrs May's administration towards that exit door as quickly as possible,' she said.

'We need to be the champion of those 17.4 million Brexit voters. We need Tory MPs and Labour MPs alike to understand that if they start messing with the will of the people then the people have somewhere else to go.'

Ms Evans said the party had to be 'breathing down the necks' of Mrs May and Jeremy Corbyn.

'The British people voted to take back control of their borders, their laws and their money,' she wrote.

'That means leaving the single market, removing ourselves from the jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice and ending free movement.

'A Norwegian-style halfway house deal is totally unacceptable.'

The race to replace Nigel Farage (pictured yesterday on ITV's Peston on Sunday show) now includes eight candidates in what is already promising to be a bare-knuckle brawl

The former Ukip deputy chairman said she could reach out beyond the four million people who voted for the party at the last general election.

'I will do that by leading a patriotic party of the common sense centre - the real centre ground in which people want to cut foreign aid and increase defence spending, to boost the NHS but also to clamp down on health tourism, to cut taxes for working people but make sure that multi-national corporations start making a fairer contribution to funding public services.

'And I will take the fight to Jeremy Corbyn's Labour - the least patriotic official opposition party in my lifetime.

'The party with a leader who will not sing the national anthem, a shadow chancellor who lauded the IRA over the British Army and a shadow foreign secretary who cannot bear the sight of the English national flag.'
When the three presidential debates were planned for this fall, some political prognosticators speculated that Donald Trump, the country's most unconventional candidate in years, might skip the televised back-and-forths against Hillary Clinton.

Now, with no more debates and only 15 more days to make his case, Trump's campaign manager Kellyanne Conway said she'd like to see another debate added to the schedule.

''I really feel like the country benefits from this type of forum, and we'd be willing to have another one if they can squeeze it in,' Conway said.

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Donald Trump's campaign manager Kellyanne Conway said yesterday that she'd like to see Trump and Hillary Clinton face off on the debate stage one more time

Last Wednesday's debate in Las Vegas between Hillary Clinton (left) and Donald Trump (right) was the last of the presidential debates before election day

During the interview, Conway spelled out why she'd like to see the candidates onstage again.

'I think Donald Trump would challenge Hillary Clinton to another debate for a very simple reason: unless you are a money donor, you are not going to have much access to Hillary Clinton out on the stump now,' Conway said Sunday during a radio interview with John Catsimatidis.

'So, to give people a free opportunity to see them side by side and have them really mix it up on the issues to me is the purest form of democracy,' Conway also argued.

While Conway, not surprisingly, suggested it was Clinton's elusive behavior  which is debatable as the Democratic nominee will be among voters on the campaign trail practically every day  that should inspire a fourth debate between the major party nominees, in reality another debate could give a bounce to Trump's sagging poll numbers.

Yesterday's ABC News tracking poll had The Donald 12 points behind, suffering from the fallout of the hot mic-ed 'p****' video and then a dozen female accusers coming forward, saying they were kissed and groped by the billionaire without their approval.

With such little time left, Trump would need to do something drastic to win, if the polling is right.

Trump and Clinton already met three times onstage, the first at Hofstra University on New York's Long Island, the second at Washington University in St. Louis and a third this past Wednesday at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

Running mates Mike Pence, the Republican governor of Indiana, and Tim Kaine, a Democratic senator from Virginia, also had their time to shine, going head to head earlier this month at Longwood University in Farmville, Virginia.

While the more scientific polls had voters handing each of the debates to Clinton, Trump's performance only got better each time.

On Wednesday he was lauded for his conservative answers on abortion and guns, though attacked by both Democrats and Republicans for saying that he might not concede on election night, after complaining for weeks that this year's election is 'rigged.'

'I will tell you at the time,' Trump said. 'I will keep you in suspense.'

Days later he vowed to go along with the election results, before saying that the condition for that was if he 'wins.'

While ABC News surveyed likely voters for three days after the final debate, Conway suggested that internal polling is actually showing good things for Trump.

'We see some positive movement in some of the swing states,' she said.

'I wish there were more debates frankly,' she noted.
A billionaire Facebook founder has agreed to donate $20million to defeat Donald Trump just weeks before the election.

Dustin Moskovitz, 32, announced his latest donation in a post he wrote for Medium earlier this month, stating: 'The events of the past few weeks have only deepened my conviction that Hillary is the best choice for America. I hope that these contributions will help make that outcome a reality.'

Just one month prior, Moskovitz revealed in another Medium post that he has donated $15million to help elect Clinton and other Democrats.

But despite these staggering donations, many in the Democratic party know very little about Moskovitz, who is worth $10.7billion according to Forbes.

Big money: Facebook co-founder Dustin Moskovitz (above) announced earlier this month he was donating $20million to defeat Donald Trump in the election

Big fan: That donation came just one month after he donated $15million to Hillary Clinton (above) and other Democrats

Moskovitz explained his reasons for supporting Clinton and his disdain for Trump in his September Medium post.

'We cannot ignore the remarkable alignment between these two visions for society and the choices in this years election. The Republican Party, and Donald Trump in particular, is running on a zero-sum vision, stressing a false contest between their constituency and the rest of the world,' wrote Moskovitz.

'We believe their positions, especially on immigration, which purport to improve the lives of Americans, would in practice hurt citizens and noncitizens alike.

'In contrast, the Democratic Party, and Hillary Clinton in particular, is running on a vision of optimism, pragmatism, inclusiveness and mutual benefit.'

Moskovitz is not the only major Facebook employee to support Clinton during this election.

Chris Hughes and his husband Sean Eldridge held a fundraiser at their $5million Soho apartment for Clinton last year.

Hughes is now worth an estimated $850 million and was the owner and publisher of The New Republic before selling the magazine this past February.

Half of the $20million Moskovitz and his wife, journalist Cari Tuna, are giving will go to the League of Conservation Voters and to a political action committee called For Our Future.

The latter group is a get-out-the-vote effort in battleground states that is paid for primarily by labor unions and hedge fund billionaire Tom Steyer.

Moskovitz and Tuna also are giving directly to Clinton's campaign and to party committees helping Senate and congressional Democrats.

Moskovitz became the youngest self-made billionaire in history when Facebook went public.

He and Tuna, a former Wall Street Journal reporter, also recently joined forces to create the philanthropic organization Good Ventures.

The couple live together near Silicon Valley.

Relationship: Moskovitz, who is worth $10.7billion, is married to journalist Cari Tuna (above)

Cause: 'We need to figure out how to bring everyone with us, and we believe the Democratic platform currently is more aligned,' said Moskovitz (above in 2007)

'As a nation, we need to figure out how to bring everyone with us, and we believe the Democratic platform currently is more aligned with ensuring that happens,' wrote Moskovitz on Medium.

'In comparison, Donald Trump's promises to this group are quite possibly a deliberate con, an attempt to rally energy and support without the ability or intention to deliver. His proposals are so implausible that the nation is forced to worry that his interest in the presidency might not even extend beyond winning a contest and promoting his personal brand.'

Politico reports that before this cycle, Moskovitzs only recorded political donations had been $5,200 to the failed 2014 House bid of Eldridge in New York, who lost his race by 30 points.

Only Steyer has given more this year to Democrats, campaign finance records show. The Californian has put up almost $40 million so far, to promote environmental issues and help elect Clinton and other Democrats.

Steyer is worth far less than Moskovitz however, with a net worth of just $1.61billion.
The brother of a woman gassed to death in a suspected murder-suicide by her own husband is demanding answers about why her cries for help were ignored.

Police believe Maria Claudia Lutz was gassed inside her family home on Sydney's Northern Beaches last Monday- with the bodies of her husband Fernando Manrique and two severely autistic children Elisa, 11, and Martin, 10, found alongside her.

But in the lead-up to her death, a friend revealed Ms Lutz was calling family services 'nine times a day' as she struggled to look after her two non-verbal kids.

Now Ms Lutz's brother Juan Lutz Pena, a doctor from Colombia, has flown to Sydney and wants to know why his sister was left in such a desperate state by authorities.

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The brother of a woman gassed to death in a suspected murder-suicide by her own husband is demanding answers about why her cries for help were ignored (he is here pictured with his niece and nephew Elisa, 11, and Martin, 10, who also died in the home)

Ms Lutz (left), her husband Fernando Manrique (middle right), daughter Elisa (right) and son Martin (middle left) are believed to have been gassed inside their family home in Sydney

'Juan is deeply upset by the death of his sister and wants to know why the relationship between Family and Community Services broke down,' a source close to the family told the Daily Telegraph.

'He was very close to Maria and, as a father himself, adored Elisa and Martin. He longed for them all to come back to Colombia to be close to family.'

A photograph uploaded on Mr Lutz Pena's account reveals him kneeling alongside his nephew and niece, before their tragic deaths last week.

There are over 100 comments on the photograph, mostly messages offering kind words of support from friends written in Spanish.

Ms Lutz's brother Juan Lutz Pena, a doctor from Colombia, has flown to Sydney and wants to know why his sister's (pictured together) cries for help were ignored

In the lead-up to her death, a friend revealed Ms Lutz was calling family services 'nine times a day' as she struggled to look after her two non-verbal kids

Mr Manrique was seen tinkering with pipes in the roof only days before the family-of-four's bodies were found.

It is believed he set up an elaborate system of pipes to pump odourless carbon monoxide gas into the house, which resulted in his family's deaths.

Gas bottles were found inside the kitchen and police said they were not seeking any other suspects in the deaths.

Ms Lutz was discovered in a room with one of her children, while her other child was found in a separate room. Mr Manrique was in a different room on his own.

Bouquet of flowers and card from mourning neighbours now line the fence of the home where the family-of-four were found dead

Police believe Mr Manrique set up an elaborate system of pipes to pump odourless carbon monoxide gas into the house, killing his entire family and himself

WHAT IS NONVERBAL AUTISM? Nonverbal autism is described as having the ability to speak but not the language skills to do so in a meaningful way. Others cannot verbally communicate, but instead use typed language or sign language to communicate, as well as nonverbal cues like facial expressions and body postures. It is suggested speech therapy, music therapy and using tools like picture cards and sign language can help build language skills. Source: Very Well and Autism Speaks Advertisement

Friends said the couple had grown apart, with Ms Lutz desperate to return to her native Colombia so her family could help raise the two kids as Mr Manrique often travelled for work.

'Maria was so anxious and depressed that if [the Family of Community and Services] called to change an appointment or cancel [then] it threw her,' a friend told the Daily Telegraph.

'She would ring them sometimes nine times a day to confirm they had cancelled or changed things - or to ask for extra help.

'She felt completely alone and was a broken woman and depressed.'

Police on Tuesday said 'extensive forensic testing' would be carried out on the bodies during post-mortem examinations, to establish exactly what killed the family of four.

Mr Lutz Pena and his parents Alicia and Ernesto now have the macabre job of identifying the bodies, before making funeral arrangements.
With Chrysler and General Motors entering bankruptcy protection, Toyota global sales continuously falling, several European auto companies applying for government loans, the global auto industry pattern is undergoing a new-round shift. What do these changes imply? How does the current shift impact on main MNC auto companies? Will they adjust their strategies in china market? What do these changes mean to local auto companies? There are a lot of questions arising in the new situation.

Gasgoo.com has an interview with Klaus Paur, Regional Director Automotive for North Asia at TNS, on these questions.

Gasgoo.com: Will the current change in North American auto industry radically change the global auto industry? What will happen to the balance of strengths among European, American, Japanese and Korean automakers?



Klaus Paur: The current auto market shake-out will indeed change the automotive landscape. The American car industry is going to lose influence, mainly because of GMs dramatic decline. Although GM will continue to operate after the Chapter 11 filing, its operations will have been considerably downscaled, with several iconic brands sold or discontinued (Saturn, Hummer, Pontiac) and a withdrawal from European continent (sales Opel, Vauxhall and Saab ). Despite Toyotas current difficulties the Japanese auto industry will be able to remain strong due to its strong presence in all relevant markets and a leading position in the development of alternative energies. Europe seems to step up its influence on the global scene in particular due to a growing performance of Volkswagen and an ambitious expansion strategy of Fiat. To note also that in the context of economic downturn the Korean car makers benefit from a growing cost consciousness of consumers worldwide which helps them to reinforce their market position in most of the countries. Finally, we can see the first steps of Chinese car makers attempting to raise awareness on the global scene. With the mainland manifesting itself as number one auto market in the world, and domestic manufacturers eventually acquiring foreign brands, we can expect China to establish itself as an additional pole within the global auto industry.

Gasgoo.com: How will the current change influence the long-term development of GM, Toyota, VW and Hyundai? Have the factors changed that decide the competitiveness of automakers in the transition from conventional vehicles to new-energy vehicles? What is the impact of the current series of regional changes on the China strategies of global automakers?

Klaus Paur: We are currently witnessing another wave of consolidation within the global auto industry. While a critical size still counts in order to achieve economies of scale, the fall of GM shows nevertheless that size alone does no longer guarantee sustained success. Auto makers must continuously adapt their marketing strategies according to the developing needs of consumers in the various markets. Worldwide, we experience an increasing sophistication of car ownership in which consumers appear to emphasize the notion of value for money, where they may be willing to abandon some unnecessary equipments (gadgets) but expect elevated levels of safety and quality. Linked to the aspect of value for money and supported by a rising sensitivity for environmental issues, fuel efficiency is a main driver of development, which eventually will lead to more alternative energy offers in the market. The R&D drivers value for money, fuel efficiency and alternative energies also apply for China. As the mainland is the most important growth market for most car makers, we can expect a particular dynamic of developments happening in China.

Gasgoo.com: What measures will global automakers take to win the competition in China? Will they launch many new vehicle models specially developed for the Chinese market?



Klaus Paur: The Chinese car market is quickly maturing, and to be successful in the long term it is essential to read the development trends correctly. Ingredients for winning brands will be an accurate combination of cutting-edge technology, equipment level and styling. This can lead to specifically designed vehicles for China, but does not be necessarily so. Nevertheless, vehicles manufactured and marketed in China will have to be adapted to Chinese tastes. With China taking a much more prominent role in the global automotive industry, we may see more design centers be established in the mainland, which is supposed to incorporate more Chinese elements in styling in the long term.



Gasgoo.com: Does the collective collapse of North American automakers indicate the failure of the inter-regional M&A (mergers and acquisitions) pattern? Will the future auto industry see further integration in the form of the Renault-Nissan Alliance?

Klaus Paur: Overall we can expect a further consolidation within the global automotive industry with many brands regrouped by fewer car manufacturers. By its nature, automotive M&A have been and still will be intercontinental. The Fiat/Chrysler acquisition brings European and American operations together, Daewoo is still owned by GM and combines American and Korean makes. If the Hummer deal receives approval, a Sino-American collaboration will be established. The biggest challenge for all these M&A is the strategic and cultural integration. The Renault-Nissan alliance is a successful example of it.



Gasgoo.com: What influence will the current adjustment of the auto companies have on the auto-parts suppliers? Will it lead to a wave of M&A among auto-parts companies?



Klaus Paur: Auto parts suppliers were heavily affected by the global decline of auto sales, but have been under much pressure already before. We can expect to see also a consolidation process in this sector, and Chinese companies may play a major role in it.

Gasgoo.com: How will the restructuring of the global auto industry impact on Chinese auto brands? What will be the pros and cons of this impact?
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As his street war on crime and drugs intensifies and bodies lie strewn in the streets, the president of the Philippines has been accused of committing crimes against humanity.

Rodrigo Duterte has launched a brutal crackdown on narcotics since being elected to office in June and at least 3,700 suspected drug dealers have been killed in less than four months.

Many are thought to have been gunned down by vigilante groups, who are paid in cash for each confirmed kill, with many leaving cards labelled pushers next to bodies to prove the hit.

Heavy rain pours as police investigate inside a narrow alley where a man was killed by unidentified gunmen riding motorcycles in Manila

A policemen inspects the scene of the body of a man, who police said was a drug dealer shot dead during a drug buy-bust operation, along a street in Quezon city

ATTENTION EDITORS - VISUAL COVERAGE OF SCENES OF DEATH AND INJURY The bodies of two men, who police said were killed after a drug "Shabu" (Metamphetamine Chloride) buy-bust operation, lie on a sidewalk with revolvers near their hands

Jennelyn Olaires, 26, weeps over the body of her partner, who was killed on a street by a vigilante group, according to police, in a spate of drug related killings in Pasay city

These groups are a key part in Duterte's pledge to kill 100,000 drug users and dealers and fill Manila Bay with their bodies.

However, the purge has been criticised by the international community and now a senator in the Philippines has called on world leaders to condemn Duterte and bring him before the International Criminal Court.

Leila de Lima, an ex-justice secretary and human rights advocate, says that the only way the killings can stop is with the help of other nations.

She told the Guardian: 'It [ICC] should start to think about investigating already or doing an inquiry into the killings as crimes against humanity.'

Armed security forces storm a neighbourhood in the capital of the Philippines, Manila and raid several houses looking for drugs

A baby looks on as an armed member of a police SWAT team conduct a drugs raid as part of a crime crackdown in the country

Janeth Mejos breaks down and falls to the ground as the body of her father Paquito Mejos is taken out of their home shortly after he was killed in a police operation in Manila

Ms de Lima has already been ousted from government after critcising the crime crackdown and is currently in hiding after receiving death threats.

Her comments come as new pictures from the Philippines capital Manila show dead bodies strewn across the streets and relatives of the dead breaking down in tears.

Other images show armed security forces carrying out drug raids while those thrown in prison are shown sitting in cramped cells.

The pictures come as the top US envoy for Asia warned that Duterte's fiery rhetoric and deadly crime crackdown is becoming a growing concern.

People sit on a street after they were rounded up as they wait to be brought to a police station for verification if they are involved with drugs

Those that are taken to a police detention centre are thrown into cramped cells and charities are forced to come in and hand out food

US assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Daniel Russel met the Philippines' defence and foreign ministers today , after Duterte last week announced his nation's 'separation' from the United States.

Duterte quickly walked back from the statement, saying he did not plan to sever their seven-decade alliance.

But Russel signalled many people around the world were becoming increasingly worried about the Philippine president's repeated tirades.

He said: 'The succession of controversial statements, comments and a real climate of uncertainty about the Philippines' intentions have created consternation in a number of countries.

'Not only in mine and not only among governments, but also growing concern in other communities, in the expat Filipino community, in corporate boardrooms as well. This is not a positive trend.'

Residents of a slum in Parola look out from inside their house at the scene where a man identified to be on a drug watchlist was killed in a shooting

Duterte has frequently voiced deep anger at American criticism of his efforts to eliminate drugs in society, repeatedly branding President Barack Obama as a 'son of a whore' and telling him to 'go to hell' for expressing concerns.

And Russel indicated Duterte's foul-mouthed abuse was being taken personally in Washington.

He added: 'It is hurtful and mystifing to be called names by a close friend, to be called names by the leader of a wonderful democracy.
Six fraudsters rigged English language tests for hundreds of overseas students applying for visa extensions, a court has heard.

The gang allegedly charged 'very large sums of money' to read out the answers to multiple choice tests or provide substitutes to sit the exams on behalf of candidates.

The gang also provided forged bank statements and academic records so non-EU citizens could illegally extend their stay in the UK, Southwark Crown Court heard.

The alleged scheme was intended to help students dishonestly apply for visa extensions from the Home Office.

The scam was uncovered by a BBC Panorama investigation that secretly filmed the rigged examinations taking place.

Harinder Kumar, 31, and Hemant Kumar, 40, are accused of plotting to facilitate the commission of breaches of immigration law between 17 October 2012 and 10 February 2014

Harinder Kumar, 31, Hemant Kumar, 40, Talal Chowdhury, 30, Shaheen Ahmed, 33, Wahida Sultana, 39, and Mohammed Hasan, 37, are accused of plotting to facilitate the commission of breaches of immigration law between 17 October 2012 and 10 February 2014.

The case involves three companies, Studentway Education in Southall, Middlesex, Eden College International in Bow, east London, and Total Care London, in Whitechapel, east London.

The firms ran tests devised by one of the world's largest language testing firms, Educational Training Services Global (ETS), jurors heard.

Prosecutor David Walbank said: 'This case involves the provision by these defendants of fraudulently obtained English-language examination results by having a proxy or a substitute sitting the exam for them, or by having multiple choice tests and simply reading out the answers to them'.

He said the six defendants worked with a number of others to 'exploit the vulnerability' of people who have come to the country on a student visa but have no 'genuine intention to study here'.

Shaheen Ahmed, 33, (left) and and Mohammed Hasan, 37, are also accused of rigging English language tests for hundreds of overseas students

He continued: 'All of this was done by these six defendants and the others with whom they conspired to facilitate, to assist, hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of persons who were already here on student visas to lodge fraudulent applications to the Home Office.'

Harinder Kumar and Hemant Kumar, both of Southall, Middlesex, Chowdhury, of Rainham, Gillingham, Ahmed, of Orpington, Kent, Sultana, of Plaistow, east London, and Hasan, of Dagenham, Essex, all deny the charge against them.
Salim Mehajer long threatened to leave Australia and his troubles behind, and now he's finally come good on his promise it seems he's enjoying himself.

The controversial socialite and former local councillor has taken to Instagram to share a series of modelling photographs taken while on a lavish European vacation.

Seemingly channeling his best Zoolander impression, Mehajer showed off a series of high-end outfits and accessories from atop the stunning Greek coastline.

The 30-year-old changed between a stylish blue suit and more casual attire during the shoot, but never parted way with his signature Dita sunglasses.

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Salim Mehajer (pictured) has shared a series of modelling photos taken from high on the hills of the stunning Greek Islands

The former deputy mayor of Auburn council channeled his best Zoolander impression during the shoot

The controversial socialite and former local councillor changed outfits multiple times during his photoshoot, but never parted ways with his signature Dita sunglasses (pictured)

While Mehajer openly tagged himself on the Greek island of Santorini, he was very secretive about his end destination when flying first class out of Australia in early October.

And in a year that has seen the breakdown of his marriage to wife Aysha, the trip seems to have become somewhat of a journey of discovery.

'Being on top of the world doesn't mean anything unless you know what it feels like to be at the bottom,' Mehajer captioned one photo.

'Just turn away.....but don't look back,' he wrote next to another.

'When everything feels like an uphill struggle, just think of the view from the top,' he then wrote.

Mehajer, who is rumoured to be dating 'Kim Kardashian lookalike' Constance Siaflas, seemingly travelled to Greece by himself.

Mehajer was very secretive about his end destination when flying first class out of Australia in early October, but publicly tagged himself on the Greek Island of Santorini on Instagram

In a year that has seen the breakdown of his marriage to wife Aysha, the trip seems to have become somewhat of a journey of discovery for Mehajer

He has captioned the majority of his photos with words of wisdom or meaningful phrases

But that doesn't appear to be dampening the holiday for the former deputy mayor of Auburn Council in Sydney's west.

In addition to his modelling shots, Mehajer has also shared other photos and videos from his overseas trip.

Again, alongside most of them, he shared his own personal pearls of wisdom.

'Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference,' he captioned one.

His trip came just days after a failed appeal against an apprehended violence order (AVO) banning him from approaching the father of a Lindt Cafe siege survivor.

In July, his former wife Aysha also applied for an AVO against Mehajer.

In addition to visiting the Greek Islands, Mehajer also visited the nation's capital Athens
Hillary Clinton personally ordered a consultant to use a nonprofit group to troll the Trump campaign with a 'Donald Duck' mascot, according to the Democratic operatives who say they arranged it with a nonprofit organization.

The action, if true, would be a black-letter violation of federal election law, which prohibits presidential campaigns from coordinating activities with outside groups that can collect unlimited 'dark money' from contributors  and don't pay taxes on what they collect.

The conservative muckraking group Project Veritas Action released video footage on Monday showing Robert Creamer, a convicted felon who was forced out of his executive role at the liberal consultancy Democracy Partners, saying Clinton chose the duck stunt.

'In the end, it was the candidate, Hillary Clinton, the future president of the United States, who wanted ducks on the ground. So by God we would get ducks on the ground,' Creamer says in the video.

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The Americans United for Change-sponsored Donald Duck lookalike mascot has trolled Donald Trump outside campaign events and his real estate properties for months. In this photo, the duck protests outside the newly opened Trump International Hotel in Washington

Caught on camera: The footage shows felon Robert Creamer, who has now been forced out of campaigning, boasting that Hillary Clinton was behind an attack on Trump

By any means: What the undercover camera caught the liberal consultancy staff saying

The far-left nonprofit Americans United for Change was tasked with carrying out the work.

AUFC is tax-exempt under Section 501(c)(4) of the federal tax code, allowing it to conduct limited amounts of electioneering as long as it doesn't directly advocate voting for or against candidates.

It also doesn't have to publicly identify its donors, distinguishing it from super PACs which must disclose their income sources but can electioneer more aggressively.

The Federal Election Commission prohibits campaigns from working with outside groups where a tangible dollar amount is tied to back-and-forth communications.

Money spent to buy the duck costume, pay staff to wear it, and publicize each campaign stunt would be considered an illegal campaign contribution to Hillary For America.

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

Hillary Clinton personally asked for the duck to be deployed instead of an Uncle Sam character, according to the Democratic operative who says he arranged it  which would be considered an illegal campaign contribution since a tax-exempt nonprofit did the work

AUFC's duck costume has been a staple in front of Trump Tower and at the Republican presidential nominee's campaign events in recent months.

Project Veritas Action is the same group that upended the campaign environment this week with video showing Creamer and a subcontractor describing their efforts to 'birddog' Trump events by sending activists into his rallies with instructions to start physical fights.

They were also caught on camera describing a scheme to bus Americans across state lines to commit voter fraud.

James O'Keefe the Project Veritas Action founder, has become a major conservative player in this year's battle of October surprises. Trump's campaign brought him to last week's final presidential debate in Las Vegas, and the candidate himself referenced his videos on stage.

'If it looks like a duck, if it walks like a duck, and if it sounds like a duck ... then it's probably a duck,' he said in Monday's video. 'They broke the law.'

Creamer, whose wife is Illinois Democratic congresswoman Jan Schakowsky, has visited the Obama White House 342 times, according to official records. He met with the president at least once in the Oval Office, despite his criminal conviction for bank fraud.

Robert Creamer, a convicted fraudster, is married to Illinois Democratic Rep. Jan Schakowsky

Creamer's Oval Office visit and others in the West Wing and the White House residence  342 in all  are chronicled in the Obama administration's own official visitor logs

When the undercover interviewer says, 'So it's her. Wow,' Creamer lets the cat out of the bag and adds: 'Don't repeat that to anybody.'

'She really wanted this duck figure doing this stuff,' he says.

Creamer says the original plan was to have an Uncle Sam-costumed man instead of the duck, baiting Trump to release his personal income tax returns.

That costume would have been far easier to buy and license, since the Walt Disney Company owns the rights to the Donald Duck character.

Hillary For America Deputy Communications Director Christina Reynolds called Creamer personally to relay the message from the Democratic presidential nominee, he declares on tape.

'Christina Reynolds calls,' he says, 'saying, "I have good news and bad news. The good news is the candidate would like to have a mascot following around ... Trump. But the bad news is she wants it to be Donald Duck."

'My answer is, "Christine, if the future president wants ducks, we will put ducks on the ground,' he boasts.

Hillary Clinton campaign manager Robby Mook insisted on Sunday that Creamer and his underlings have never had any contact with the campaign, something that Creamer's hidden-camera confession now disputes

Clinton campaign manager Robby Mook said Sunday on CNN's 'State of the Union' program that Creamer and his staff have 'never had a relationship with the Clinton campaign.'

The Wall Street Journal reported in August that the Democratic National Committee launched the 'duck' campaign, Three weeks later, however, the liberal advocacy group Americans United for Change took over the operation.

'The DNC is no longer associated with the duck,' the Journal's Law Blog reported.

DNC press assistant Jenna Price told the Project Veritas provocateurs that the party was still involved, however.

'We kind of divvy up responsibilities,' she says in the video.

'So sometimes it will be, like, campaign owned. So sometimes you will see that they advised something, or they are taking credit for things. So, like, we aren't taking credit for the duck anymore. That's like, random ally groups. But it's still something that we're involved in.'

Adam Hodge, the DNC's communications director, told DailyMail.com in a statement that the 'discredited' O'Keefe 'is well known for doctoring videos to advance his ideological agenda.'
Two of Velasco's siblings have pleaded guilty to conspiracy-related counts; sister Monica Velaso, a Texas teacher, remains at large

Ruth Segrado, 40, was shot in the face from a machine gun while riding in her sister's funeral procession; her friend Roberto Martinez was also killed

When that plot failed, he hired gunmen to

of conspiracy to commit murder in a foreign country and conspiracy to cause foreign travel for murder for hire

A Texas man has been found guilty in connection to a 2008 murder-for-hire scheme in Mexico in which his wife, her sister and their father were assassinated.

Samuel Velasco Gurrola, 41, of El Paso, faces a mandatory life sentence after he was convicted last week of conspiracy to commit murder in a foreign country and conspiracy to cause foreign travel for murder for hire.

Two of his siblings have pleaded guilty to conspiracy-related counts and face up to life terms, and a third sibling remains at large and is being sought by the authorities.

Texas prosecutors say Velasco was charged in 2005 with aggravated sexual assault of a child and indecency with a child and wanted to stop his wife, 40-year-old Ruth Sagredo Escobedo, from testifying against him.

Twisted plot: Samuel Velasco Gurrola, 41, has been found guilty of concocting a murder-for-hire plot, which resulted in the deaths of his wife, father-in-law and sister-in-law in Mexico

Eduardo Avalos Sr, Sagredos first husband and the father of their children, told the court during Velascos trial that Ruth was determined to testify in the case against Velasco, reported CBS 4 Local.

She was very adamant about getting this person [Velasco] prosecuted and have him pay for what he did, he said.

Around that time, Ruth and Samuel Velasco were in the process of getting a divorce.

Carlos Sagredo, Ruth's brother, testified during the trial that his sister was scared because she was being followed, she was getting threatening phone calls, and dead birds were left at her house.

According to Carlos, Velasco had concocted a plot to kill his father-in-law in an effort to lure his wife to his funeral, reported El Paso Times.

In October 2008, a group of masked men broke into the Juarez, Mexico, home of 69-year-old Francisco Maria Sagredo Villareal, Ruth Sagredo's father, stole money from his safe and killed him.

As Velasco had planned, his wife crossed the border to attend his funeral, but Carlos Sagredo told the court earlier this month that the assassins his brother-in-law had hired were unable to carry out the contract killing because there were too many police officers at the cemetery that day attending funerals for two of their colleagues who had been murdered.

Wanted woman: Velasco's sister, Texas elementary school teacher Monica Velasco, is being sought in connection to the assassination scheme

Velasco then hatched a new plan to have his sister-in-law killed in order to draw his wife to Mexico once again, the prosecutors argued.

On November 20, 2008, Cinthia Sagredo Escobedo, 40, was shot dead by masked gunmen outside her late father's hotel in Juarez.

Two days later, her sister Ruth was riding in a limousine in the funeral procession in Ciudad Juarez when a masked man opened fire on her from a machine gun.

Sagredo's friend Roberto Martinez, who was sitting in the back of the limo next to her, was also killed.

'I saw Roberto's head just gone,' Carlos Sagredo recounted for the jury. 'I saw my sister  with a bullet in her eye. She expired in front of me.'

The sexual assault case against Velasco was dropped in 2009, a year after his wife's assassination.

It took jurors three hours to convict Samuel Velasco last Monday. His sentencing was scheduled for January 2017.

His brother, Emmanuel Velasco Gurrola, has pleaded guilty to three counts of conspiracy to injure property of foreign government. He is scheduled to be sentenced in December.

His sister Dalia Valencia also has been arrested and charged in connection to the murder-for-hire plan.

The US Marshals Service is still searching for Velasco's other sister, Monica Velasco, who at one time had worked as a teacher at Thomas Manor Elementary School in Lower Valley.
Beirut police officers investigating the botched 60 Minutes child abduction were able to track down Tara Brown after googling her name, according to reports.

Brown was jailed in April along with three of her colleagues - producer Stephen Rice, sound recordist David Ballment and cameraman Ben Williamson.

The four spent two weeks in a Lebanese prison on kidnapping charges following the botched child recovery operation of Brisbane mother Sally Faulkner's two young children, who were snatched from a bus stop in Beirut on April 6.

According to ABC's Australian Story, intelligence officers had worked out that Brown and her team were Australian television correspondents via a quick Google search.

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Tara Brown was identified by Beirut police via a Google search before the botched child abduction in April

Middle East correspondent Martin Chulov told the show: 'Theyd worked out that among them were a couple of very well known Australian television correspondents so they knew something was up.

'On the day of the abduction itself the intelligence officers see members of the abduction crew, who they knew had come from the boat, leave the hotel in a small grey car. But they didnt know where the car was going.

'They didnt have the capacity to follow it but they phoned it in and they knew something was up.'

Yasmine Hamza whose house was being used as a safe house after the abduction took place said that Brown left Sally Faulkner and her two children at her house and said she felt sorry for the young mother.

Sally Faulkner (pictured with her two children) were left in the Beirut safe house alone by Brown and the 60 Minutes crew

Brown and the 60 minutes crew were detained not long after they left the safe house

'We didnt know what to do. I cant throw a woman with her kids out into the street,' Hamza said.

Sally didnt sleep the whole night from anxiety and fear. She started to cry and make phone calls but no one would answer her.'

The safe house within hours of the abduction became compromised and police raided the next day arresting Sally and reclaiming the children.

The 60 minutes crew were detained not long after they left the safe house.

According to Sally's Lawyer Ghassan Moughabghab her estranged husband Ali Elamine dropped the charges that were brought against Sally and the crew of 60 Minutes.

'He requested $1million US dollars and then he accepted the amount of $500,000.' Moughabghab said.

Brown along with three of her colleagues spent two weeks in a Lebanese prison on kidnapping charges following the botched child recovery operation
The role would see him posthumously win a Best Supporting Actor Oscar

He played The Joker in the film The Dark Knight, which released a month after his death

When Heath Ledger died of an accidental drug overdose in 2008, police found his apartment turned into a shrine to the Joker - his most torturing role.

Inside the 'immaculately clean' New York City apartment, investigators found several items showing Ledger's obsession with the Batman villain, a law enforcement source told the New York Post.

Those items included Batman comic books, research on the origin of the Joker and clowns, small clown statues and recordings of Ledger practicing his own version of the Joker voice that would haunt a new generation of DC Comics fans.

Heath Ledger (left, in September 2007) reportedly turned his Manhattan apartment (right) into a shrine to the Joker before his accidental drug overdose death in June 2008

'He was studying up on the origins of clowns and all of the previous Jokers like Jack Nicholsons character and Cesar Romeros, who was the first Joker on TV,' a source said.

'He was trying to make his role different from the roles of the other actors. He was even studying how to make his voice different from theirs.'

He was a perfectionist who clearly had a lot of respect for the character. All of that stuff was very tidy. He cared a lot about it. Law enforcement source

The source says the cleanliness and organization of the apartment showed Ledger's devotion to the character.

'He was a perfectionist who clearly had a lot of respect for the character. All of that stuff was very tidy. He cared a lot about it,' the source recalled.

Ledger moved into the apartment after breaking up with actress Michelle Williams, who he shares a daughter with, in September 2007.

In the wake of Ledger's death in June 2008, many blamed the role for causing him to slip into a dark period.

In an interview with Empire magazine before his death, Ledger said he locked himself away in a London hotel room for about a month, writing a diary as the Joker and experimenting with different voices.

After filming The Dark Knight, Ledger told a New York Times reporter that he was struggling with insomnia. Above, Ledger in his role as the Joker

After his death, that very journal was found, and on one of the last pages was an ominous 'bye bye' scrawling. The book also included creepy photos, comic strips, drawings of the villain - as well as illustrations of clowns and hyenas.

Ledger told the New York Times in November 2007 that he was struggling with insomnia and would sometimes only sleep two hours a night.

His official cause of death was ruled an accident, from abusing a lethal combination of sleeping pills, pain killers, and anti-anxiety drugs.

Ledger was found dead by a masseuse who arrived at his loft in the Soho neighborhood of Manhattan for a scheduled appointment.

The next month, The Dark Knight was released and became a major blockbuster success - grossing over a billion.

Ledger's role as the Joker is considered by many critics to be the best iteration of the villain, and also Ledger's finest work. The role saw posthumously win the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.
A dog that was taken to an animal care center has been accidentally euthanized after a computer error.

Melissa Jackson took her four-year-old pooch, Coco, to the Detroit Animal Care and Control center after she crawled under a fence and bit a neighbor's dog earlier this month.

Michigan law requires any dog that bites another has to be quarantined for 10 days and tested for rabies. However just one day into her stay, Coco was killed.

Coco the dog (pictured) has been accidentally euthanized after being taken to an animal care center because of a 'computer error'

Shockingly, Jackson found out her pet had been killed when she drove to the center after receiving a phone call to collect her dog.

When she arrived there was no sign of Coco, and after an excruciating wait Jackson was put on the phone with the Detroits animal care and control director, Melissa Miller.

'She told me, "Im sorry, we had to euthanize your dog because she was aggressive to the other dogs",' Jackson told Detroit's WXYZ.

'But Im not understanding, if every dog is in their own cage, how could she get to another dog? I searched the whole building, there were no dogs running loose.'

Melissa Jackson took Coco (pictured) to the Detroit Animal Care and Control center after she crawled under a fence and bit a neighbor's dog earlier this month

'She told me, "Im sorry, we had to euthanize your dog because she was aggressive to the other dogs",' Jackson (left) said she was told by the center's director

Eventually, Jackson found out her dog had been killed as a result of a computer error.

She was also told her dog had been dead for nearly a week before she found out.

'I just bust out crying and theyre just rubbing my back and saying were sorry,' Jackson said.

'And no, when were yall going to call me and tell me? When I get there, she had already been dead six days without anybody telling me anything.'

The center released a statement explained the error.

'As a result of a computer status error, a tragic and unacceptable euthanasia was authorized,' the Detroit Animal Care and Control center (pictured) said in a statement

'As a result of a computer status error, a tragic and unacceptable euthanasia was authorized,' the statement, given to ABC13, read.

'Our hearts are with Ms. Jackson during this time of loss.

'We are thoroughly examining all procedures and systems that led to this and we are committed to putting safeguards in place to prevent this from happening again.'
Britain wants to strike a free trade deal with the EU after we leave, Theresa May has said.

The Prime Minister also rejected fears that the collapse of Canada's trade agreement with Brussels showed the scale of the challenge the UK faced.

And she revealed that MPs will get a chance to debate the 'broad principles' underpinning the looming negotiations before Christmas.

Prime Minister Theresa May was giving a statement in the Commons today filling in MPs on the EU summit she attended last week

The latest tantalising glimpse of Mrs May's approach to future relations with Brussels came as she answered questions in the House of Commons.

She insisted the government was determined to get a 'bespoke' post-Brexit arrangement and would be 'ambitious and bold'.

Making a statement on last week's EU summit, Mrs May said it was not a 'binary choice' whether Britain would remain in the European customs union.

Pressed on whether she was determined to go for a 'hard Brexit', she replied: 'There is no suggestion of that whatsoever.

'The gentleman seems to think all of these decisions are binary, whether you can control immigration or you can get a free trade deal.

'That is not the case. We are going to be ambitious in what we hope to get for the UK, a good trade deal as well as control on immigration.'

Asked by leading Tory Brexit campaigner Sir Edward Leigh whether the UK should make it clear we wanted a free trade agreement with the EU, Mrs May said: 'I agree.'

Mrs May said she shared the disappointment of EU states and Canada at the apparent collapse of the long-running trade negotiations.

A regional assembly in Belgium has blocked the deal - raising questions on how easy it will be for Britain to agree a trade deal with Europe.

Mrs May told the Commons she was 'disappointed' by the news.

I share everyones disappointment over the stalled talks between the EU and Canada and we will of course do anything we can to try and get these discussions back on track,' she said.

Mrs May signalled that she wanted to strike a free trade deal with the EU

But to those who suggest that these difficulties have a bearing on our own future negotiations, Id remind them that were not seeking to replicate any existing model that any other country has in relation to its trade with the EU.

We will be developing our own British model, a new relationship for the UK with the EU. A deal that is ambitious and bold for Britain.

Belgian prime minister Charles Michel has admitted he cannot sign the agreement because of opposition from the Walloon region of just 3.5million people.

In a major embarrassment for the EU, the Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau is now expected to call off a planned trip to Brussels on Thursday to finalise the deal that has taken seven years to negotiate.

The French-speaking region of Belgium is refusing to give its support for the free trade agreement.

Mr Michel said yesterday: We have been asked to give a clear answer today and the clear answer at this stage is no.

Even though Mr Michel is eager to sign the deal, Belgium's byzantine constitutional setup means every single region in the country needs to back it, not only the national government.

As a result, opposition from the small region has derailed the deal between over 500 million EU citizens and 35 million Canadians.

The Walloon government said it was concerned that the deal would give multinationals the ability to legally challenge governments on their policies.

The Prime Minister dismissed fears that the apparent collapse of the EU-Canada trade deal boded ill for the UK

Trade experts last said the shambles had wrecked the EUs credibility. John Clancy, FTI Consulting Senior Advisor and former EU trade spokesperson, said: Even if the blockage of the EU-Canada trade deal by the Walloon government is solved in the coming weeks, the damage is already done to EU trade policy and to the EUs credibility as the worlds biggest trading bloc.

Any number of future trade partners  from Japan to the U.S. - will be getting extremely worried that deals can be scuppered or taken hostage by even the smallest political vested interest.

The events of the past few days raise profound questions about the EUs ability to fulfil one of its core functions: breaking down the barriers to help European companies do business internationally.




He pleaded not guilty to production of child pornography and possession of child pornography

A woman who saw the video reported him to the police

Authorities had seized cell phone which allegedly contains disturbing videos of Thorson molesting a child of 'elementary school age'

A former Amazon employee from Des Moines who was indicted by a federal grand jury this week on child pornography charges is also alleged to have tried to bully the witness who reported him to police.

Robert D. Thorson, a 57-year-old man, was arrested by authorities in May for allegedly molesting a young child of 'elementary school age' and videotaping the abuse on his cell phone, according to the Seattle Post-Intelligencer.

He was indicted this week at US District Court in Seattle.

In addition to the charges of sexually exploiting three minors, Thorson is also alleged to have intimidated a woman who reported him to the authorities.

Robert D. Thorson, 57, was indicted this week by a federal grand jury on charges of child pornography. The indictment was read in US District Court in Seattle (pictured above)

When the woman  whose identity has not been revealed  saw a video of Thorson allegedly assaulting the young child, she notified the police.

In the video, Thorson is said to be seen rubbing his genitals against the child.

Investigators are also reportedly in possession of other videos that show Thorson committing indecent acts against children, although the exact nature of what is on those videos is not known.

In an eight-page letter, the Iowa native allegedly threatened to 'destroy everyone's life' if the woman continued cooperating with authorities.

At the time of his arrest, Thorson was an employee of e-commerce giant Amazon (above is an Amazon sign attached to one of its e-commerce centers in Gdansk, Poland)

'I don't want to cut loose the dogs of war, but I will be forced to if you won't help me,' Thorson allegedly wrote to the woman from his cell in King County Jail.

'You know I am a good person,' the letter to the woman reads.

'You don't want me to die in prison... Also burn or destroy this letter. Don't leave it where anyone can find it and (illegible) to the D.A. as I am fight for my life.

'We need to rein this whole thing back in a little and think of all the people who would get hurt when all this can be avoided by 30 minutes of your time,' Thorson wrote.

'Make the call. No one has been hurt yet.  I hope you get this and I don't destroy everyone's life because you didn't get it.'

Thorson has pleaded not guilty to production of child pornography and possession of child pornography.

At the time of his arrest, Thorson was employed by Amazon as a warehouse worker.
Harris watched the video five days before his son Cooper, 22 months, was found dead in the back of his SUV on a hot June day in 2014

The video shows Dr Ernie Ward, a North Carolina veterinarian, demonstrating how heat can quickly rise to deadly levels inside a car

The court in the trial of Justin Ross Harris over the hot car death of his son was shown a YouTube video on Monday

The court for the trial of Justin Ross Harris were shown a YouTube video about the dangers of leaving animals in hot cars, which Harris watched just five days before his own son died in the back of his family SUV.

Harris's defense is arguing that the death of Cooper, age 22 months, while his father worked away at the office in June 2014 was an accident.

But the court on Monday was shown the YouTube video Harris watched and commented on less than a week before his son died.

The video shows Dr Ernie Ward, a North Carolina veterinarian, as he demonstrates how heat can quickly rises to deadly levels inside a car even with the windows cracked open.

Harris commented on the video, writing ' I would hate for that to happen to my son', according to testimony.

Ross Harris shuts his eyes as the YouTube video he had previously watched on pets in hot cars is shown to the jury. The video shows Dr Ernie Ward, a North Carolina veterinarian, as he demonstrates how heat can quickly rises to deadly levels inside a car even with the windows cracked open

After ten minutes the interior temperature was 106 degrees, Ward says in the video shown to the court Monday. The temperature was 113 degrees after 25 minutes, even with the car's windows cracked two inches, he added. 'I would hate for that to happen to my son,' Harris commented on the video, according to testimony

'I thought I would put myself in a parked car and let's just see how hot it gets,' Dr. Ward says on the video.

After ten minutes the interior temperature was 106 degrees, he said. The temperature was 113 degrees after 25 minutes, even with car's windows cracked two inches, he added.

'This kills,' the veterinarian says, his scrub shirt soaked in sweat. 'Everything in my body is saying "Get out!"

'It's a lousy way to die.'

Detective Phil Stoddard, lead investigator in the Ross Harris trial, took the stand again Monday and described the interrogation of the 35-year-old of Marietta, Georgia.

Cooper Harris looked up at his dad and said 'school!' as they exchanged kisses in the car. Those words may have been his last, Stoddard said.

Stoddard told the court that Harris argued with police that day over the felony charges on cruelty to children and felony murder.

'There was no malicious intent' in accidentally leaving his son in the car, Harris insisted.

'How is that against the law?' he asked.

'What you did is murder,' Stoddard advised him. Harris then asked to hear the actual Georgia statute for 'what constitutes murder', Stoddard said.

Stoddard explained to the jury that he hadn't mentioned the 'malicious intent' phrase to Harris.

Harris wept in court last week when this image - one of the last taken of Cooper before his death - was shown to the jury. Right, Ward's video recorded his experience as the temperature crept over 112 degrees

'I understand you guys are doing your job,' Harris said, 'but I can't miss supporting my family,' he pleaded.

Records of Harris' numerous sex-drenched text messages with dozens of women landed like hand grenades in the courtroom, one after another, as testimony continued Monday.

Det. Phil Stoddard shared pages of transcripts of Harris' text messages from the social sites Whisper and Kik that left little to jury's imagination.

Stoddard also shared Harris' text with a woman while he played guitar in his church praise band, 'I'm really horny,' he typed. The woman answered, 'In church?'

'I know it's not good but I'm addicted to sex,' he replied.

'You plan on getting married?' she asked.

Harris answered, 'I'm married' and said he had 'one kid.'

She asked why Harris didn't just get a divorce.

Harris replied, "Kid. It's just sex.'

Stoddard also read texts that talked of 'blow jobs' and 'age of consent.'

He typed, 'I don't want to go to jail' for becoming involved with an underage girl, the evidence revealed.

Harris looked tired and embarrassed as his texts were real aloud, often shielding his face with a hand.

ROSS HARRIS RAUNCHY TEXT MESSAGES

Det. Phil Stoddard shared pages of transcripts of Harris' text messages from the social sites Whisper and Kik that left little to jury's imagination: 'I'm addicted to sex. It's like my drug.' 'I just want to f*** a lot of girls, drink a lot and have fun.' 'Wish I was single.' 'I'm tire[d] of living with my wife sometimes.' 'I hate being married sometimes, too.' 'I settled down. Kinda regret it.' 'I'm a bit miserable, too.' 'I love my son, but that joker just drains my paycheck.' 'I have sex with strangers to block out a lot of my pain.' 'My wife doesn't know.' 'I have two lives.' 'I have a sex addiction I've acted on. I kinda regret that.' Advertisement

Earlier Stoddard told how Harris recapped that day's events during his lengthy interrogation at Cobb Police headquarters.

Harris explained to police that Cooper was wide awake at Chick-fil-A, where the two enjoyed a 'daddy-son' breakfast.

Harris told him how he then strapped his son into his car seat and exchanged kisses before they left the Chick-fil-A car park. Harris said his plan was to drive him to his company-provided day care center a few minutes away, Stoddard told the court.

But Harris didn't do that. Instead of turning left to head to the day care center, he drove straight to work with his son still in the car seat, evidence showed.

The jury watched as several videos were shown that retraced the drive from the Chick-dil-A to the satellite office, a journey of 0.6 of a mile that took less than than three minutes, according to the investigator.

Stoddard also told the jury he was struck by the 'foul odor' when he sat inside the Harris SUV, even hours after Cooper's body had been removed.

'It was a stale, foul odor that comes from a dead body. It was the smell of death,' he said.

The prosecution case in the trial of Justin Ross Harris (right, in court Monday) is expected to wrap up this week, after which Harris's defense attorneys will get to work persuading the jury that the death of 22-month-old Cooper was an accident

Security video of Harris shown to the court sees him entering his office after leaving his son in the car

It is the last week of the prosecution case in the trial, which has attracted national media coverage.

Harris's defense attorneys are preparing to lay into the state's case against him, as they try to convince the jury that the hot car death was an accident.

The prosecutors have attacked Harris as a sexual deviant who wanted his son out of his life. He is charged with first degree murder.

Harris's defense rests on convincing the jury that he forgot his son was in the family vehicle. They are expected to attack Stoddard - whose shocking testimony two years ago helped turn public opinion against Harris - as well as the Cobb County police department.

A jury even had to be found 300 miles away in Brunswick because a judge ruled that no impartial one could be found in Harris's hometown.

The jury has already heard from a series of young women on the witness stands, including a teen and a prostitute, who testified to conducting relationships with the married father-of-one and sexting with him on the day that Cooper died.

The jury has also had to see crime scene photos of Cooper's body and sat through a medical examiner's testimony of his agonizing death during the seven long hours he was in the car outside his father's office in Marietta, Georgia in 2014.

Stoddard told the court then that Harris searched online for how to survive in prison, and that after discovering Cooper's body he never called 911.

The defense will attack lead detective Phil Stoddard, pictured - whose shocking testimony two years ago helped turn public opinion against Harris

Security video of Harris leaving the office with his son in the car and the windows rolled up

Images of the parking lot with the SUV where Cooper died were shown to the court during harrowing testimony

Police also said that Harris told them he had searched online for how hot a car had to be to kill a child.

Stoddard's testimony, given two weeks after Cooper's death, was enough for a Cobb County magistrate to find probable cause for the case against Harris to move forward.

But the defense say Cobb police have misrepresented facts in the case.

Harris's attorneys, led by Maddox Kilgore, are likely to target four key prosecutor claims in particular, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

The first is that Harris Googled the phrase 'how long it takes a dog to die in a car,' which Kilgore says is not true.

A computer forensics expert, Detective Ray Yager of the Cobb County police, said on Oct. 14 in court that he was told Harris and his wife Leanna researched child deaths online. But he could not find any such searches on any of his numerous computers, cell phones or external hard drives, he told the jury.

The only topic revealed was a Reddit link to 'child free', he added

Back in 2014 Stoddard pointed to the link as evidence that Cooper's death was deliberate.

But last week a Home Depot co-worker of Harris's said that he sent him the link as a joke. Harris clicked on the site and quickly replied 'Grossness', Kilgore showed the court.

The link was not mentioned in opening statements by prosecutor Chuck Boring. Kilgore said in his own statement that Harris had not sought out the group, and that the allegation was 'made up by the Cobb police department'.

Police video shows Harris as he argues charges that would be filed against him for death of his son Cooper. After Stoddard told Harris about the cruelty to a child charge, Harris said 'there was no malicious intent', the detective said. At that point, Stoddard said he had never mentioned anything about 'malicious intent' to Harris.

Kilgore also said in his opening statement that Harris did show emotion, contrary to Stoddard saying he was unemotional when interviewed by investigators.

Police video shown to the court has shown Harris wailing, taking deep breaths and putting his hands on his head while alone. When talking to investigators he is calm and relatively talkative.

Police have also said that there was a 'stench of death' coming from Cooper's body - and that therefore when Harris got back into the car he must have realized his son had died.

Stoddard and two other Cobb police officer said they smelled such an odor, a claim which Stoddard repeated Monday. But the two other officers only noted it in supplemental reports, filed about a year later.

Cobb Police Captain James Ferrell said earlier this month that he noticed 'a unique odor of death' on the scene.

But a former chief medical examiner for Cobb said that not enough time would have elapsed for there to have been an odor of decomposition, and instead there would have been a stale smell mixed with urine.

There is also the matter of Harris revisiting the car during the day to drop off some light bulbs after having lunch with his co-workers. In 2014 Stoddard said Harris must have realized his son was in there because he leaned 'all the way inside the frame...He's in there. He has a clear view.'
Those involved were kicked out before the man carried out his car attack

The fight was reportedly over taking the lead in the

A Turkish wedding guest mowed down his rivals in a car after previously brawling with them about leading a traditional Anatolian dance.

Both of the dramatic scenes were captured on camera in the Dilovasi district of the north-western Kocaeli Province.

In the first film the man, identified in local media by his initials O.K, is seen fighting at the reception.

Men engage in a violent brawl at a wedding party in Turkey over who should lead the Halay - a traditional Anatolian dance

He was rowing about his position in the Halay, reports Turkish news site Beyaz Gazete.

The Halay is an Anatolian folk dance traditionally played during weddings on the zurna, beginning slowly and slowly speeding up.

Guests had to the break up the disturbance at the party, and those involved were kicked out.

After the brawl, 'O.K' then spotted five of his foes outside on the street while driving.

Shockingly he decided to run them down and a security camera caught him narrowly missing one and ploughing into the others as they walked past the wedding car.

He swerved straight into them sending the men flying by the force of the impact.

Those involved in the fight were then kicked out. These five were then spotted by a rival as they walked past the wedding car

Shockingly the driver decided to run down his rivals and a security camera caught him ploughing into four of them

Four of the five men in the group were launched into the air and had to be rushed to hospital

Four of the five, who were later identified as Yakup Sozmen, Zekiriya Yildiz, Sedat Dusek and Mertcan Dusek, were rushed to the Derince Research and Training Hospital.

Mertcan reportedly suffered 'permanent damage' to his face according to his father, reports Hurriyet. The other victims were discharged.
Nicola Sturgeon says there should be no triggering of Article 50 until all devolved legislatures have agreed on their approach

Can you imagine trying to get divorced from Nicola Sturgeon?

Trying to extricate yourself from the Ginger Dwarf from the North would be the second biggest mistake of your life, after marrying her in the first place.

If her reaction to Brexit is anything to go by, shed take you to the cleaners. Shed want the house, the car, your pension, and monthly maintenance for the kids you never managed to see - together with acknowledgement that she is still a strong and independent woman.

Its like negotiating with ginger custard.

First she wont accept the result of the Scottish referendum in 2014. She says she does, but more than two million Scots know otherwise.

As the increasingly popular Scottish Tory leader Ruth Davidson points out, Scotlands business community doesnt want another independence referendum, and the majority of the people of Scotland dont want another independence referendum.

The fact that Nicola Sturgeon is desperately pushing for one shows she has given up on being a First Minister for all of Scotland in favour of championing her own separatist agenda.

Unabashed, Sturgeon told Theresa May she thinks a second referendum is absolutely on the table. (No mention that shed need a high chair to reach it.)

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First Sturgeon (pictured today at 10 Downing Street) wont accept the result of the Scottish referendum in 2014. She says she does, but more than two million Scots know otherwise

Her failure to grasp the results of referendums does not extend only to Scottish ones. Oh no! She cant accept that 52 per cent of the United Kingdom voted to leave the EU, either.

You might imagine instead of using Brexit to further her own political ambitions, Nicola Sturgeon would be working closely with the British government to address the risks and explore the opportunities this decision creates for industries and sectors across Scotland.

But no. Outraged by the temerity of the British people (well the English, actually) in knowing their own will and asserting it, the Poison Pixie has another set of unreasonable demands. She wants Scotland to be given a vote on the terms of Brexit, for the devolved legislatures to be given roles in negotiating our approach.

Sturgeon says there should be no triggering of Article 50 until all devolved legislatures have agreed on their approach.

Ground Control to Major Tom Thumb. Are you receiving?

We voted Out. To Leave. We voted for Brexit.

And Theresa May can and will trigger Article 50 without a vote in Parliament, certainly without a vote from the people of Wales or Scotland on the terms of us leaving.

Sturgeon told Theresa May (left) she thinks a second referendum is absolutely on the table

No amount of Remoaning is going to change that.

Hardier than herpes, the Dwarf from the North has another fantastical demand.

She wants Scotland to maintain access to the single market.

Yes, you may be divorcing her, but she still wants access to the fridge freezer and your broadband connection.

She says the British government is expected to strike a deal with the Republic of Ireland to maintain free movement of people across the border to Northern Ireland, so Scotland should be able to achieve the same deal.

Academics have tried to show her she is wrong. Profession Michael Keating, one of the most eminent constitutional experts, rejects her argument outright.

Our deal with Ireland would not apply to the trade of goods and services, with barriers and tariffs applying if the Republic of Ireland is inside the EU single market and the UK is outside.

Even the European Commission has tried to make Sturgeon see sense.

It confirms that members of the EU single market do not have the power to negotiate bilateral trade deals with countries outside the EU.

As the increasingly popular Scottish Tory leader Ruth Davidson points out, Scotlands business community 'doesnt want another independence referendum'

Sounding increasingly like a mad woman with all the bargaining power of a Vietnamese dong, she also wants Scotland to control immigration into the country. I can only assume she has a picture of Angela Merkel above her lair and aspires to be the Scottish Mother of all Migrants. No consideration for what might happen when they discover the average temperature is minus four and the national dish is a chuffing great sausage. Presumably they'll all be on the first Megabus south.

SNP MP Pete Wishart asked the Scottish Secretary if the UK Government accepted Scotland had demographic challenges and immigration requirements that were different to the rest of the UK.

But the Cabinet minister told the committee: If you are asking me if Scotland needs a different immigration system, then obviously the answer to that question is no.

Clinging like a migrant to the back of a lorry as it weaves to try and shake her off, Sturgeon says that anything is possible because Brexit is uncharted territory.

Clinging like a migrant to the back of a lorry as it weaves to try and shake her off, Sturgeon says that 'anything is possible' because Brexit is uncharted territory

Professor Keating says it has never been done before because it is not possible.

She really is quite something. Once she has an idea she clings to it like a ginger limpet on a rock. Not for the people of Scotland  for her own political ambition.

Nicola. The word you are unable to hear is no.

No. You will not have a second referendum. You cant keep asking the question until you get the answer you want. You are not three.

No. You will not have another say in Brexit. We voted on June 23. And we voted out.

And no, there will not be a special deal for Scotland. You are part of the UK  a fact which costs English taxpayers, who indulge Scots with an additional 1,200 per head of public cash.

You are desperate to cling to the coat tails of Westminster and the Barnett formula, to the 100,000 jobs we provide for Scotland or the 48.5billion in Scottish exports we buy, yet you parade yourself as representative of a strong and independent Scotland.

You are every lazy divorcee I cannot stand. Too pampered to stand on your own two feet. Making utterly unreasonable demands, trying to claw-back your ex-husbands cash whilst making his life hell.
Racist thugs have shot bullets at a memorial sign to a black teenager who was castrated, lynched and dumped in a river for allegedly 'whistling' at a white woman in 1955.

Emmett Till, 14, was visiting relatives in Money, Mississippi, when he was accused of whistling at Carolyn Bryant, a married white woman, at a grocery store.

Her husband Roy and his brother-in-law J W Milam abducted and murdered Emmett, but escaped justice for their horrific crime.

Emmet Till, 14, was murdered at this spot near the town of Money, Mississippi in 1955

Emmett Till, pictured about six months before his murder in 1955, was visiting relatives in Money, Mississippi, from his home in Chicago when he was abducted and killed

The pair kidnapped, tortured, castrated and lynched him before dumping his body in the Tallahatchie River.

The murder became a turning point in the civil rights movement in the U.S. - partly because Emmett's mother, Mamie, held an open-casket funeral for her son.

This showed the world the brutal nature of the crime as people could see the youngster's badly bloated body and the terrible injuries inflicted by his killers.

The two men accused of the murder were later acquitted by an all-white jury before admitting the crime later in a magazine interview.

Nearly 100,000 people visited Emmett's glass-covered casket, pictured, following his murder

These images show the some of the bulletholes are almost big enough to put a finger through

The memorial to Emmett was recently hit with at least 40 bullets.

The vandalism was spotted by film maker Kevin Wilson Jr, who arrived in Tallahatchie County to make a documentary on the teenager.

He was shocked by the damage.

In a message posted on Facebook, which has been shared more than 13,000 times, Wilson Jr made a simple statement after discovering the vandalism.

He wrote: 'I'm at the exact site where Emmett Till's body was found floating in the Tallahatchie River 61 years ago. The site marker is filled with bullet holes. Clear evidence that we've still got a long way to go.'

The attack on the sign was blamed by social media users on racists in Mississippi

A fundraising drive to replace the sign exceeded its $15,000 target in a matter of days

The Emmett Till Interpretive Center began raising money immediately to replace the sign.

One person responding to the appeal claimed: 'Racism is still an ongoing battle.'

Speaking to WJTV, Wilson Jr said: ' That marker was just evidence that there are people who are still living in those areas who still hold those ideologies dear to their heart. Ideology that were trying to get away from.'

Wilson said the sign had been previously vandalized back in 2008.

Since launching the appeal, almost $19,000 has been raised to replace the sign.

According to the foundation: 'We have reached our goal! But we are not done. We hope to continue our work of telling the truth.
Donald Trump's Alfred E. Smith dinner roast of her went 'too far,' says Hillary Clinton, and that's why guests shouted him down.

Clinton and Trump sat a a seat away from each other, with the Archbishop of New York acting as a go-between, at the glitzy Manhattan dinner last Thursday.

The evening before Trump had called Clinton a 'nasty woman' to her face at the third and final presidential debate. The tension between them Thursday was palpable.

At another face-off, a town hall style clash the week before in St. Louis, Trump followed Clinton around the stage as she spoke to undecided voters.

Clinton told a radio show host that his behavior was 'unusual' - he 'just was walking in circles, lurking behind me  it took a lot of concentration.'

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At another face-off, a town hall style clash the week before in St. Louis, Donald Trump followed Hillary Clinton around the stage as she spoke to undecided voters. She said his behavior was 'unusual' - he was 'lurking behind me  it took a lot of concentration'

The Democratic presidential candidate joked as she has in recent days that her four and a half hours on the stage with Trump proves she has the 'stamina' to man the Oval Office.

Clinton taped an interview with Sam Sylk of Cleveland's WZAK 93.1 that was scheduled to air Monday morning on the Ohio station as she traveled to New Hampshire for a rally with Elizabeth Warren.

Sylk told her as interview began, 'Im pumped up on why to vote.'

Clinton replied, 'Well, that makes one of us.' Responding to the awkward comment, the radio host said, according to a transcript, 'Yeah, makes one of us, huh? Okay...'

The radio show host went on to ask Clinton about Trump's numerous claims that the election is being 'rigged' through fraud and media bias.

The Republican has indicated that he's likely to contest the outcome if Clinton is declared the winner.

'That is horrifying. And so Im hoping that everybody, no matter what the issue is you care about, turns out and votes and repudiates that kind of attack on our fundamental institutions,' Clinton told Sylk.

Clinton used the topic as a jumping off point for an attack on Trump's questioning of the legitimacy of sitting President Barack Obama and his lack of 'respect' for the officeholder.

'Donald Trump was behind continuing the racist lie about the Presidents birth not being in the United States,' she told the black radio show host.

Trump and Clinton each had a chance to air their grievances from the dias in the dinner's custom. The billionaire went first, starting out strong with a joke about Clinton asking him for a 'pardon' after bumping into him

'Now its not just that he has attacked and denigrated our President, as well as women and African-Americans, Latinos, and POWs, and Muslims, and just about everybody else; hes now attacking our democracy,' she said.

In the course of the interview he asked her about the Al Smith dinner, an annual Catholic charity event that attracts New York's most elite.

Trump and Clinton each had a chance to air their grievances from the dias in the dinner's custom.

The billionaire went first, starting out strong with a joke about Clinton asking him for a 'pardon' after bumping into him and plummeting after he said his opponent 'hates Catholics' and called her 'corrupt.'

Attendees of the dinner booed him. Trump playfully said at one point he couldn't be sure whether they were yelling at him or Clinton and someone shouted, 'You.'

'They expressed their disapproval during his presentation,' Clinton said on Sylk's show, per a transcript of the interview that was provided to her traveling press corps.

He started plummeting after he said his opponent 'hates Catholics' and called her 'corrupt.' The audience booed. Clinton did not look amused

'The purpose of it is to have an evening of fun; some gentle jabs, and some jokes at each others expense, including ones about yourself. And he just went over  too far, and I think that was why people reacted so strongly.'

Some of Clinton's jokes were quite harsh, too, yet she was not booed.
Nathan Sumner arriving at Sheffield Magistrates Court under heavy police guard earlier this year

A 35-year-old man who left a female police officer with a fractured skull and a finger hanging off after attacking her with an axe has been cleared of attempted murder.

After deliberating for two-and-a-half hours, a jury at Sheffield Crown Court found Nathan Sumner guilty of an alternative charge of causing PC Lisa Bates grievous bodily harm with intent.

The jury had heard how PC Bates was attacked by Sumner after she and a colleague were called to a disturbance at his Sheffield flat on April 13.

Sumner did not deny attacking PC Bates, who was also left with an 8cm gash on the back of her head and a broken leg following the incident.

The defendant was suffering from a psychotic episode at the time, the jury of six men and six women was told.

Judge Julian Goose QC said he wanted to hear more about Sumner's current mental state before he is sentenced on December 2.

But Sumner's lawyers told Sheffield Crown Court he did not intend to kill the officer, nor cause her really serious harm.

PC Lisa was left with a a fractured skull, a finger hanging off, an 8cm gash on the back of her head and a broken leg following the attack

35-year-old Sumner was suffering from a psychotic episode at the time, the jury of six men and six women was told

Forensics teams scour the block of flats in Gleadless, Sheffield, where PC Bates was seriously injured

The area was cordoned off while investigations into the incident were carried out

The jury heard how PC Bates and her colleague PC Mark Garrett were on duty in a marked police vehicle when they were called to Sumner's maisonette in the Gleadless area of Sheffield by a neighbour.

PC Bates told the court that Sumner shouted 'aggressively' as he answered the door and attacked her colleague, punching him and pinning him against a wall.

She said she tried to pull him away but he was too strong so she used an incapacitating gas spray, which had no effect on the defendant but affected her colleague's vision.

PC Bates told the jury that Sumner reappeared with the axe shouting 'Come on then, you f*****s' and she ran, breaking her leg as she jumped down a flight of stairs in an attempt to escape.

She said Sumner then attacked her. The officer told the jury: 'He was hitting me from behind. I felt it was heavy and cold and I turned around with my hands up and he just kept hitting me with the axe.'

She continued: 'I asked him to stop. I begged him to stop. When I was getting tired and couldn't defend myself any more, I just said 'please stop, I'm begging you'.'

PC Bates described how the attack stopped and a man who lived in another maisonette, Simon Ellis, dragged her into his home.

Blood covers the floor of the Co-Op where Sumner was arrested following the attack in April

A cleaner clears away the blood in the store. But Sumner's lawyers told Sheffield Crown Court he did not intend to kill the officer, nor cause her really serious harm

The jury was shown video footage of Sumner's arrest in this nearby Co-op store which shows police trying to subdue the defendant in the shop and then using a Taser on him

The jury was shown video footage of Sumner's arrest in a nearby Co-op store which shows police trying to subdue the defendant in the shop and then using a Taser on him.

David Brookes, defending, said it was agreed that his client was suffering from a psychotic episode at the time.

The defendant did not give evidence during the trial at Sheffield Crown Court.

Sumner, 35, from, Sheffield, denied attempting to murder PC Bates and the alternative count of causing her grievous bodily harm with intent.

He did admit causing the officer grievous bodily harm.
Tracey Curtis-Taylorhas hit back and denied she made 'false assertions' about flying solo

The self-proclaimed 'Bird in a Biplane' who flew from South Africa to the UK has dismissed claims that she lied about being the sole pilot on the 8,000-mile expedition.

Tracey Curtis-Taylor retraced Lady Mary Heath's trailblazing 1928 journey in 2013 - flying in a classic 1940s open cockpit Boeing Stearman biplane from Cape Town to Goodwood, Sussex.

It was claimed she only flew a handful of the 36 legs alone, but the 54-year-old has hit back and denied she made 'false assertions', saying she will be taking legal action.

Ms Curtis-Taylor spoke out after it was revealed an award she received for her flight from South Africa has been rescinded.

She said: 'I have never sought to mislead anyone about the way that my flights were undertaken.

'It is clear from what I say about the Africa flight and subsequent expeditions that they were not solo flights and that I was accompanied by a support crew.'

She added: 'I began with the intention of trying to fly the Africa flight solo but a combination of elements resulted in fundamental changes being made to the nature of that expedition.

'Several people flew with me on multiple legs between Cape Town and the UK. These included sponsors, film crew and my engineer, Ewald Gritsch.'

She said Mr Gritsch was not her flying instructor and did not pilot her aeroplane instead of her on any of the flights - including expeditions to Africa, Australia or the US.

She was awarded the coveted Bill Woodhams Trophy which it awarded to her in 2015 for flying from Cape Town to Britain (she is pictured here embarking on a flight to Australia)

An overwhelming majority of 123 members voted for her to be stripped with just 65 in favour of her keeping the trophy

'Ewald's primary role in all of these expeditions has been to provide engineering, technical and flight planning support,' Ms Curtis-Taylor said.

'He is my principal crew and the only person who is fully qualified to look after the aeroplane in what have been some very testing circumstances.'

It was reported Mr Gritsch alleged he occupied the forward cockpit of the plane for most of the legs of her solo flights, saying she only flew four of them alone.

But in a statement he dismissed the claims he made such allegations and said Ms Curtis-Taylor was 'the sole pilot on all her expedition flights'.

She was unceremoniously stripped of the trophy at an angry meeting at which LAA members claimed she had mislead the public over her exploits

She completed the 36-leg, 10,000-mile-flight in 2013 and in 2015 received the award from the Light Aircraft Association for the feat

'She has more than enough flight-experience as well as piloting and navigational skills to perform all of these flights on her own,' he added.

'My role during the expedition from Cape Town to England was initially the reassembly of the airplane in Cape Town and the technical support during the expedition.

'Additionally I had to take over the flight planning across Africa at short notice, which was done together with the professional African pilots in our team and two major aviation companies.'

He stressed he 'did not act as a pilot nor as a flight instructor' on the flights, and has 'never been' her flight instructor.

Allegations emerged about Curtis-Taylor's vintage plane being equipped with GPS navigational equipment and the presence a support plane

At their annual general meeting in Northamptonshire, the Light Aircraft Association (LAA) stripped Ms Curtis-Taylor of the Bill Woodhams trophy awarded for navigation following the allegations.

An overwhelming majority of 123 members voted for her to be stripped with just 65 in favour of her keeping the trophy.

Ms Curtis-Taylor, 54, attended the AGM in a bid to head off the motion.

An LAA spokesman said: 'We can confirm that a motion was raised by a member to rescind an award of the Bill Woodhams Trophy, made in 2014.

'We confirm that the motion was voted on at our AGM on Saturday, October 22 and was carried by a majority of voting members.
Having battled Donald Trump in three presidential debates, Hillary Clinton brought outspoken lefty senator Elizabeth Warren to repeatedly slam the mogul for his 'disrespect' of women in remarks that made hay out of Trump's 'nasty woman' comment.

'She gets under his thin skin like nobody else,' Clinton told a crowd of supporters in New Hampshire after Warren's fiery introduction.

'Whether she's calling him out about his mysterious tax returns  she exposes him for what he is: temperamentally unfit and totally unqualified to be president of the United States,' Clinton said while campaigning with Warren in New Hampshire.

Within hours of the event  where Clinton hailed Warren for going after bank execs  the candidate jetted to Manhattan for a fundraiser with 300 well-heeled supporters.

According to the Clinton camp, guests paid between $10,000 and $33,400 to attend, meaning the event banked between $3 million and $10 million. The event was held at Hudson Mercantile on the West Side. Musician Stevie Wonder and actor Kevin Spacey were spotted entering the event.

Warren brought her pounding attacks on Trump, returning to the 11-year-old 'p****' tape that came out weeks ago that gave Clinton supporters a field day in appealing to women voters.

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Firebrand: Ultra-liberal Elizabeth Warren brought her pounding attacks on Trump, returning to the 11-year-old 'p****' tape that came out weeks ago

She's with her: Elizabeth Warren went all-in for Hillary Clinton despite leaked emails revealing the animosity of the candidate's staff towards her

'And Donald disrespects  aggressively disrespects  more than half the human beings in this country,' Warren said. 'He thinks that because he has money he can call women fat pigs and bimbos. He thinks because he is a celebrity, that he can rate women's bodies from one to 10.'

Continuing her harangue, Warren said: 'He thinks because he has a mouthful of Tic Tacs that he can force himself on any woman within groping distance. Well I have news for you, Donald Trump. Women have had it with guys like you  and nasty women have really had it with guys like you!'

Clinton laughed in the background during Warren's attack on her rival.

'Get this Donald,' Warren told Clinton's rival. 'Nasty women are tough. Nasty women are smart and nasty women vote!' she said.

'And on November 8th, we nasty woman are going to march our nasty feet to cast our nasty votes to get you out of our lives forever!' Warren concluded her riff.

The joint appearance was at St Anselm College in Goffstown, New Hampshire. Clinton believes the state is in play, especially after its Republican sitting senator, Kelly Ayotte, was caught in an embarrassing flip-flop over saying Donald Trump is a role model for children the describing what she said as a mistake.

Warming to Warren's attacks, Clinton blasted Trump for tweeting over the weekend the U.S.-backed campaign to retake Mosul is already a 'disaster.'

'Imagine: This is a guy who says he knows more about ISIS than the generals  I don't think so,' Clinton said.

Trump tweeted Sunday evening: 'The attack on Mosul is turning out to be a total disaster. We gave them months of notice. U.S. is looking so dumb. VOTE TRUMP and WIN AGAIN!'

Clinton blasted back in New Hampshire. 'He's basically declaring defeat before the battle has even started. He's proving to the world what it means to have an unqualified commander in chief. It's not only wrong  it's dangerous and it needs to be repudiated on November 8.'

TOGETHER AGAIN: Clinton and Warren campaigned on stage in New Hampshire on Monday

SIDE BY SIDE: After the event, Clinton flew to New York for a fundraiser

Clinton continued to hammer Trump for refusing to say during the final presidential debate that he would accept the results of the election.

'That is a direct threat to our democracy,' Clinton said. 'I'm not going to try to call it anything else because that's what it is.'

'All this talk about the elections being rigged, trying to stir up people who are supporting him at his rallies. That is a direct threat to our democracy,' Clinton continued.

'I went to 112 countries. And I went to countries where people were jailed for being political opponents  were exiled where they were killed. I take this really seriously, she said. Supporters at Trump's rallies regularly chant 'lock her up!'

'For me the peaceful transition of power is one of the things that makes our country great,' Clinton continued.

In what looked like an elaborate effort at campaign color coordination, Clinton, Warren, and three other female candidates all came out simultaneously wearing brightly colored blazers.

Clinton wore a pastel blue, while Warren wore bright red. Also sporting monotones were Rep. Annie Kuster and former Rep. Carol Shea Porter, as well as Governor Maggie Hassan, who is running for senate.

All the candidates came on stage at the same time for a eye-catching photo-op during New Englands leef-peeping season. The campaign forwarded a Secret Service estimate of a crowd of 4,000, although there was room for more attendees in empty grassy areas.

Clinton hailed Warren for refusing to let Wall Street executives 'off the hook.'

'Some of the best TV you can see is on c-span when Elizabeth is going after a bank executive or a regulator,' Clinton said.

After their event, Clinton flew to Manhattan for a big bucks fundraiser.

Clinton previously campaigned alongside Warren after Warren provided her coveted endorsement.

But the engagement at St Anselm was their first joint appearance since the hack of Clinton campaign chair John Podesta's emails, which got posted on WikiLeaks.

The emails show the Clinton camp's desperate efforts to keep tabs on Warren and prevent her from endorsing fellow lefty Bernie Sanders for the Democratic nomination.

'I am still worried that we will antagonize and activate Elizabeth Warren by opposing a new Glass-Steagall,' Clinton consultant and Warren advisor Mandy Grunwald wrote in October 2015, referencing the New Deal-era banking reform that got repealed under Bill Clinton's administration. 'I worry about defending the banks in the debate.'

'We are not including Elizabeth's core point about this  that the five biggest banks are now 30 percent bigger than they were five years ago,' wrote Grunwald.

Then she revealed the greatest concern. 'I understand that we face phoniness charges if we 'change' our position [on the bank law] now  but we face political risks this way too,' she wrote. 'I worry about Elizabeth deciding to endorse Bernie.'

According to another email, by longtime Clinton aide Huma Abedin, Warren's staff had begun to chafe at constant interference by the Clinton camp.

'I think every time EW says something interpreted as not being effusive enough or critical, she hears from a Neera, Gillibrand, Mandy,' Abedin wrote, in reference to Neera Tanden, New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, and Grunwald.

Clinton addressed supporters at an outdoor rally at St. Anselm College in Manchester, New Hampshire

FIRED UP: Clinton walks down the stairs of her campaign plane holding a cup of coffee before her event with Warren Monday afternoon

Even Clinton campaign communications director Jennifer Palmieri took a picture of the picturesque fall event

'Basically her people are saying enough already, lets just talk direct,' Abedin wrote. The two women eventually set up a confab at Clinton's Washington, DC home.

Warren endorsed Clinton, but after her primary battle against Sanders was all but over.

Clinton returned to the Granite State in part to campaign for Governor Maggie Hassan, who narrowly trails Senator Kelly Ayotte in the battle to capture a GOP senate seat. Ayotte is on the list of vulnerable GOP senators.

Clinton's lead over Trump in the state has risen to 15 points in one recent poll, but the campaign is increasingly focused on trying to recapture the Senate.

A Democratic takeover would be essential to getting any of Clinton's agenda through should she win the White House. It could also would confirm her judicial appointments, and could put a stop to a counterweight to any investigations launched by House Republicans if they maintain control of that chamber.

Another email showed Warren's camp passing on a list of possible staff hires to Clinton.

A January 2015 email from Clinton speechwriter Dan Schwerin sums up a conversation with Warren aide Dan Geldon, Politico reported, indicating that Warren was focused on personnel following her recent meeting with Clinton.

Geldon was 'intently focused on personnel issues' and 'laid out a detailed case against the [former Treasury Secretary] Bob Rubin school of Democratic policymakers, was very critical of the Obama administration's choices, and explained at length the opposition to Antonio Weiss,' who Warren helped block from a top Treasury post, according to the email.

The emails were obtained through a hack of Clinton campaign chair John Podesta. U.S. security officials say the Russian government was likely behind the hack.

Introducers at the rally stressed not just Clinton, but Democratic candidates in Congress.

Former Rep. Carol Shea Porter called for bringing 'a trainload of Democrats in Washington making sure we stay on track.' Rep. Annie Kuster also spoke.
Marmite sales have rocketed since the high-profile row between makers Unilever and Tesco, it was revealed today.

The spat between the two business giants - dubbed Marmitegate - pushed up sales by 61 per cent compared to the same period last year, retail experts said.

Shoppers grabbed an extra 335,000 worth of jars off shelves as the yeast spread hit the headlines in a pricing dispute between Britain biggest supermarket and the country's largest grocery supplier, new figures show.

The bumper rise in sales for the week ending October 15 equalled nearly 130,000 jars.

Marmite sales have rocketed since the high-profile row between makers Unilever and Tesco

Shoppers have purchased an extra 335,000 worth of jars off the supermarket shelves

Marmite, which is a 114-year-old brand, normally reports flat sales of about 500,000 a week and 28 million a year, according to trade magazine The Grocer.

Experts say sales of Marmite are not usually affected by outside influences such as weather, unlike other Unilever brands such as Ben & Jerry's ice cream.

The row occurred after Tesco refused to stock Unilever brands because the grocery giant imposed a 10 per cent Brexit price hike.

Tesco won the battle when Unilever did a U-turn and said it would not put up prices.

According to retail analysts IRI, Marmite enjoyed a bumper sales boost in all supermarkets, not just Tesco.

Martin Wood, head of strategic insight for retail, said the sales increase was very unusual.

occurred after Tesco refused to stock Unilever brands (pictured) because the grocery giant imposed a 10 per cent Brexit price hike

Tesco (pictured) won the battle when Unilever did a U-turn and said it would not put up prices

He said the uplift was 'clearly' the result of media coverage of Marmitegate, which put the brand at the front of shoppers' minds.

Mr Wood said: 'Marmite was splattered everywhere. Sales were higher than we would usually see after a major TV advertising campaign.'
Gary Condit is speaking out for the first time in 15 years about the murder of Chandra Levy.

In an interview with Dr. Phil set to air on Thursday, Condit denies claims that he and Levy ever had an affair or any sort of sexual relationship.

'I saw her one time. I saw her one time outside the office, at a restaurant. And she came by my condo once,' Condit tells Dr. Phil during the interview.

When Dr. Phil asks if Condit is certain it was only once, the former congressman stumbles over his words, and begins to change his story.

'Maybe twice. Yeah I think it was twice she came by,' says Condit.

'But once again I want to make this clear, there's nothing unusual about someone coming by my condo. A lot of people did.'

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Opening up: Gary Condit (above) is speaking for the first time in 15 years about the death of Chandra Levy

In an interview with Dr. Phil, Condit denies ever having an affair with Levy (above)

Chandra had just finished up her internship at the Federal Bureau of Prisons when last heard from on May 1, 2001.

She emailed her parents Susan and Robert to inform them about her travel plans as she prepared to head home to California for her graduation.

Chandra had ended her apartment lease and cancelled her gym membership in the area around this time as well according to authorities.

Her parents attempted to contact her for three days before reaching out to police on May 5 and filing a missing persons report.

The next day, on May 6, they called Condit, who was their congressman in California, for help locating their daughter.

'When Chandra went missing, her father called my home in California. He had been trying to get a hold of his daughter and she was not responding. He asked if I could be helpful,' Coindit tells Dr. Phil during the interview.

'He knew I was the congressman for the district and knew that she had visited my office several times. '

Condit and Chandra had a friendship according to the congressman, though it was later reported that the two were far closer and that the married politician had been intimate with Chandra while the University of Southern California student was interning in the nation's capitol.

In the months after Chandra's disappearance more and more details were revealed about her alleged relationship with Condit, which led him to hire a criminal defense team while still denying he had anything to do with her disappearance.

A search of the park where the young woman often jogged meanwhile turned up no evidence suggesting that Chandra had been in the area when she went missing.

Authorities announced that July there was a good chance that Chandra's body might never be found, and though Condit was cleared as a suspect his political career never recovered and he was defeated in the California primary the following March.

Confusing story: Condit tells Dr. Phil he only met Levy once outside work, but that number soon changes to two or three times during the interview (Condit and Chandra above)

Gone too soon: Chandra was 24 and about to graduate college when she disappeared while in Washington DC where she worked as an intern

Two months after that, in May 2002, a man found human bones and a skull in Washington's Rock Creek Park, where police had previously searched for Chandra's body.

The park's administrative office was also one of the last searches on Condit's computer the day that Chandra went missing.

Her death was determined to be a homicide soon after, and a month after her skull and bones were found private investigators hired by her parents also found her shin bones less than 100 feet from where her remains had initially been discovered that May.

Condit, who served in Congress from 1989 to 2003, moved to Arizona with his wife Carolyn after losing his seat and opened an ice cream franchise with Baskin-Robbins.

However, in 2008 the company sued the family to seek unpaid franchise and other fees. The Condits lost the suit and were ordered to pay roughly $98,000.

He at one point also served as president of the Phoenix Institute of Desert Agriculture, a nonprofit group, but it is unclear if he still holds that job.

Condit's son Chad ran for a seat in the California House of Representatives in 2012, and his daughter Cadee is married to Adam Gray, a former aide for Condit who now serves in the California State Assembly.

Chandra's murder case may soon be reopened after charges were dropped against Ingmar Guandique, who had been convicted of the crime and was serving time.

Off the hook: Condit was never charged with any crime, and in 2003 moved to Arizona with his wife Carolyn after losing his congressional seat (Rock Creek park where Chandra's body was found above)

Ingmar Guandique was convicted of Chandra's murder and sentenced to 60 years in prison in 2010, but all charges were dropped against him in July

It was months before the discover of Chandra's body in 2002 that Guandique was introduced as a suspect, when a prison informant said he had spoke about murdering Chandra.

Guandique had also been accused of assaulting two other female joggers in the park.

He was behind bars at the time on drug charges but was never formally charged in the death of Chandra and her case went cold until 2006 when it was reopened by the city's new police chief.

After a three-year investigation, Guandique was charged with Chandra's murder in 2009 and later indicted on six counts including kidnapping, first-degree murder committed during a kidnapping, attempted first-degree sexual abuse, first-degree murder committed during a sexual offense, attempted robbery, and first-degree murder committed during a robbery.

He was convicted in November 2010 and sentenced to 60 years in prison the following February.

His attorneys petitioned for a retrial soon after and prosecutors dropped their opposition last year saying that the 'passage of time and the unique circumstances of this case' made it difficult to oppose the retrial.

They also stated at that time that they still agreed with the jury's verdict.
Israel's Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman has warned Hamas the next war with them would be their last 'because we will completely destroy them'.

He said he remained committed to a two-state solution and told the Palestinian al-Quds newspaper: 'I would like to clarify that we have no intention of starting a new war against our neighbours in the Gaza Strip or the West Bank, Lebanon or Syria.'

But Mr Lieberman, one of the most hawkish ministers in the Israeli government, urged Palestinians in the Gaza Strip to tell Hamas to 'stop your crazy policies'.

Avigdor Lieberman, (pictured, centre) is the leader of the right-wing Yisrael Beiteinu party, which is a member of the ruling coalition and draws support from many Russian-speaker Israelis

He said: 'In Gaza, like the Iranians, they intend to eliminate the state of Israel...If they impose the next war on Israel, it will be their last. I would like to emphasise again, it will be their last confrontation because we will completely destroy them.'

The last war, which last three weeks between December 2008 and January 2009, led to the deaths of 1,300 Palestinians and 13 Israelis.

Israel and Hamas have fought three wars since 2007, when the militant group seized power in Gaza after ousting forces loyal to Fatah leader Mahmoud Abbas in street battles.

An Israeli airstrike hits Gaza City in 2014. An uneasy ceasefire has existed in the last two years but Mr Lieberman warned Hamas that if war were to break out again they would be 'destroyed'

Hamas now rules Gaza and Fatah governs Palestinian areas of the West Bank which are not completely occupied by Israeli forces.

A ceasefire has held since 2014.

Mr Lieberman, whose Yisrael Beiteinu party is part of a right-wing coalition led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, lives in a West Bank settlement and is known as a hardliner.

He said today he still believed in a two-state solution, although he believed Palestine and Israel should swap certain parcels of land.

Palestinian children with guns celebrate the end of the war in January 2009, which was known by the Israelis as Operation Cast Lead

Although they are illegally built on land which, under UN resolutions is occupied by Israel, Mr Lieberman reiterated his view that the main settlements in the West Bank should remain part of Israel under any peace deal.

He offered to trade areas of Israel which have large Arab populations, such as the city of Umm al-Fahm, north of Nablus.

In the same interview Mr Lieberman said Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas was incapable forcing through a peace deal with Israel.

He said: 'This agreement needs someone else, someone capable of taking a tough decision.'

Hamas spokesman Fathi Hammad said: 'We are in no way afraid and this is a powerful message from Gaza to Lieberman.'

The Palestinian Ministry of Information responded by criticising the al-Quds reporter as 'giving a stage to the murderer Lieberman'.

Mr Lieberman (left) claimed Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas (right) was 'incapable' of securing a peace deal with Israel

Al-Quds (which means Jerusalem, in Arabic) was also targeted on Twitter by critics, using the Arabic hashtag for 'media of normalisation', who were furious with the newspaper for publishing Mr Lieberman's views.

One Twitter user wrote: 'The conflict with the enemy isn't only about power, it is also ideological, cultural, and natural. Therefore, any type of normalisation with Israel must be forbidden.'

Another social media user wrote: 'It's an embarrassment that we are hosting the murderer and war minister of the occupation in our media. No to normalisation.'

In the interview Mr Lieberman said Israel was ready to invest in an airport, sea port and industrial park in Gaza if Hamas 'stops building tunnels and launching rockets.'

'Gaza could be the Singapore or Hong Kong of the Middle East,' he said.
Within weeks of the Pentagon allowing transgender service members to serve openly, Army officials said 10 soldiers have formally asked to be recognized as their new, preferred gender.

The small number represents only those who have publicly said they are transgender, and doesn't include soldiers who may be considering or beginning gender transition or those who don't yet want to make an official paperwork change.

Gen. Mark Milley, chief of staff of the Army, said the key now is to educate the force, particularly commanders who will have to make decisions about soldiers in their units who request a gender change.

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Ten soldiers have asked to be identified by their preferred gender, just weeks after the Pentagon ended the ban on transgender persons serving openly in the military. Above, the Pentagon

'Is the army ready? Well, we are educating ourselves, and we are trying to get ready,' Milley said in an interview with The Associated Press.

'We're well-past the issue of debating and arguing about transgender. We are now into execution, to make sure the program is carried out with diligence, dignity, respect.'

The Pentagon policy took effect October 1, and Army Secretary Eric Fanning approved the service's new transgender guidelines earlier this month. Defense Secretary Ash Carter announced in June that he was ending the ban on transgender individuals serving openly in the military.

Transgender troops are now able to receive medical care and begin changing their gender identifications in the Pentagon's personnel system. Next year, the military services will begin allowing transgender individuals to enlist, as long as they meet required standards and have been stable in their identified gender for 18 months.

'We're monitoring implementation closely, and everything we've seen so far points to a military organization fully committed to treating everyone equally and providing medically necessary care to all troops, not just some,' said Aaron Belkin, director of the California-based Palm Center, an independent research institute. 'My conclusion, so far, is that implementation has proceeded smoothly and successfully.'

Milley and other military leaders expressed concerns that the department was moving too fast.

'The issue to do it or not to do it, to me is not an issue - the answer is yes,' Milley said. 'The question of how to do it so that it is deliberate, well thought out, executed with professionalism - that's a horse of a different color. Frankly I asked for more time.'

Milley said he did a lot of 'self-education', meeting with transgender individuals, both military and civilian, as well as other groups.

Now, he said, the Army is getting education programs out to the force to make sure troops and commanders know the new rules, process, medical criteria and who has the authority to make decisions on a service member's gender change.

Under the new Army guidelines, training must be developed by November 1, and it must be completed throughout the force by next July.

'It's going to take a little bit of time, but there are some things I don't think you need to necessarily be trained on,' Milley said.

'Rule One is treat your soldiers, your subordinates, your peers and your superiors as you want to be treated. Treat everybody with dignity and respect. Period. Flat out. Full stop.'

Transgender troops currently serving can request that their gender be officially changed, and they can submit required documentation, including medical approval saying the person has been stable in his or her preferred gender for 18 months and a driver's license showing the preferred gender.

Commanders will have 30 days to respond for active duty troops and 60 days for soldiers in the National Guard and Reserve.

The transgender service members will be able to use the bathrooms, housing, uniforms and fitness standards of their preferred gender only after they have legally transitioned to that identity and it's documented in their military personnel records.

The new policy, however, gives military commanders some flexibility, noting that not all gender transition cases are the same. Commanders will have the discretion to make decisions on a case-by-case basis, including on job placement, deployments, training delays and other accommodations, based on the needs of the military mission and whether the service members can perform their duties.

According to the Army guidelines, commanders can allow 'reasonable accommodations' including changes to housing, bathroom and shower use to respect the modesty or privacy interests of soldiers and maintain moral, order and discipline.

But, it prohibits creating transgender-only areas and says that any privacy accommodations that are made must be open for use by all soldiers, not just transgender individuals.

And commanders can't force a soldier to use a bathroom or shower of the person's preferred gender before their legal transition.

According to Carter, a RAND study found that there are between 2,500 and 7,000 transgender service members in the active duty military, and another 1,500 to 4,000 in the reserves.

Milley said the Army numbers so far are low, but the service doesn't track the number of soldiers who may be starting the gender transition process.
Keith Vaz (pictured) has put himself on the Commons Justice committee despite an on-going probe into allegations he paid for rent boys and offered to buy them drugs

Keith Vaz has put himself on the Commons Justice committee despite an on-going probe into allegations he paid for rent boys and offered to buy them drugs, MailOnline can reveal.

The remarkable move by the Leicester East MP, dubbed 'Mr Vazeline' in Westminster, comes just weeks after he was kicked out as chairman of the influential Home Affairs committee.

His position was untenable because the committee was carrying out a high profile report on sex workers.

It makes Mr Vaz's decision to join the Justice committee extraordinary, particularly considering Scotland Yard has yet to decide whether to launch a criminal investigation after undercover footage showed him with two gay escorts at a flat he owns in Edgware, north-west London in the summer.

The undercover video also showed him telling one of the Romanian rent boys he would pay for cocaine, although he said he did not want to take the drug himself.

Remarkably, no Labour MP is contesting Mr Vaz's place on the Justice committee, which was revealed in an internal Labour party document seen by MailOnline.

The position on the committee was made vacant after departing members joined Jeremy Corbyn's frontbench.

Tory MP and fellow Leicestershire MP Andrew Bridgen said: Keith Vazs guile knows no bounds.

'Joining the Justice committee is particularly interesting when Scotland Yard has still not ruled out investigating him on conspiracy to supply a controlled substance,' Mr Bridgen added, referring to claims he offered to pay for cocaine.

Lashing out at Labour for failing to prevent Mr Vaz joining the justice committee, he added: ' Obviously still has the full support of the Labour party otherwise he wouldnt be standing unopposed.'

Keith Vaz was covertly filmed with two gay escorts at a flat he owns in Edgware, north-west London in the summer

Mr Vaz, 59, would have needed fellow Labour MPs to nominate him to the role, showing he still enjoys support in the party despite his fall from grace.

In addition to a possible investigation by police, Mr Vaz will also be the subject of a probe by Parliament's sleaze watchdog.

Tory MP and fellow Leicestershire MP Andrew Bridgen (pictured) said: Keith Vazs guile knows no bounds'

Parliamentary Standards Commissioner Kathryn Hudson announced she will conduct an official investigation into Mr Vaz's conduct and determine whether he breached MP rules.

She will investigate whether the Leicester East MP broke Clause 10 of the MPs' Code of Conduct, which covers public interest and whether damage was done to the reputation of the House of Commons.

It states: 'Members shall base their conduct on a consideration of the public interest, avoid conflict between personal interest and the public interest and resolve any conflict between the two, at once, and in favour of the public interest.'

The investigation will also probe whether he breached conflict of interest rules as chair of the home affairs committee.

His committee had conducted investigations into drug use and prostitution.

The Guide to the Rules Relating to the Conduct of Members on select committees states that 'a Member who has personal interest which may reflect upon the work of the Committee or its report should stand aside from the Committee proceedings relaying to it.'
In what could be the most A-list campaign trail showing yet, rapper Jay Z is expected to perform at a concert in Cleveland, Ohio, on behalf of Hillary Clinton.

Buzzfeed first reported the news, citing three sources close to the Democratic nominee's campaign.

A Democratic source also told the website that Cleveland Cavaliers star LeBron James, who endorsed Clinton at the beginning of the month, will likely appear.

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Rapper Jay Z (left) is expected to headline a concert for Hillary Clinton in Cleveland, Ohio, and a source told Buzzfeed that LeBron James (right) could also stop by

Hillary Clinton is getting big names in music and Hollywood involved in her campaign for the last few weeks, enlisting the likes of Jay Z, Katy Perry, Miley Cyrus and Jon Bon Jovi

While the Clinton campaign has announced a number of 'Love Trumps Hate' concerts that are supposed to motivate certain blocs of voters  such as one with Jennifer Lopez this Saturday in Miami  this show will be the first to specifically target the young black voters.

If Clinton can motivate enough black voters, and especially young black voters, to get to the polls in this swing state, which has been friendly to rival Donald Trump for most of this cycle, she'll be able to easily win the White House over the billionaire.

Trump needs to run the table in Ohio, Florida and also Pennsylvania if he expects to win on November 8.

Jay Z, and his powerhouse wife Beyonce, endorsed Clinton as their presidential pick months ago.

The couple has performed for the Democrats before, with Jay Z doing a concert with Bruce Springsteen during President Obama's re-election bid.

Beyonce infamously lip-synced the national anthem at Obama's inauguration the next year.

Both Jay Z and Beyonce have spoken out and sung about police violence against black Americans a topic Democrats have embraced and Republicans have pushed back against using slogans like 'Blue Lives Matter' and 'All Lives Matter,' instead of 'Black Lives Matter.'

Beyond the Jay Z and J Lo shows, band members of The National will perform a concert in their hometown of Cincinnati, Ohio. Jon Bon Jovi, who stumped for Clinton in his native New Jersey during the Democratic primary and performed at Bill Clinton's Clinton Global Initiative in September in New York, is slated to play two shows, one in Pittsburgh this Thursday and another in Tampa on the Saturday before election day.

This weekend, the Clinton campaign deployed pop star Katy Perry to Nevada to help young people early vote. Pop star Miley Cyrus knocked on dorm room door's in Northern Virginia as well.
Arnold Schwarzenegger (pictured last month) said in an interview published Monday that he would have run for president this year if he had been able to

Arnold Schwarzenegger could have been the one battling Hillary Clinton in the race for the White House.

The former California governor, 69, said in an interview published Monday that he would have run for president if he could. This year, according to him, would have been an ideal time to launch his campaign.

Schwarzenegger, an Austrian native, became a naturalized citizen in 1983.

However it is impossible for him to run for president, in a country where only natural-born citizens - born either in the United States or on foreign soil from at least one US citizen parent - can hope to become president or vice-president.

Earlier this month, Schwarzenegger announced he wouldn't vote for a Republican candidate for the first time in his American life.

But he will replace Donald Trump for the next season of Celebrity Apprentice in early 2017, after Trump left the show to run for office.

'If I'd been born in America, I would've run,' Schwarzenegger told Adweek. 'Because now? This was a very good time to get in the race.'

Schwarzenegger didn't elaborate more on what he meant by that. But earlier this month, he publicly shunned Donald Trump, becoming one of many long-time Republicans who have disavowed this year's nominee.

'For the first time since I became a citizen in 1983, I will not vote for the Republican candidate for president,' Schwarzenegger wrote.

'As proud as I am to label myself a Republican, there is one label that I hold above all else: American.

'So I want to take a moment today to remind my fellow Republicans that it is not only acceptable to choose your country over your partyit is your duty.'

Schwarzenegger, who came to the United States in 1968 aged 21, said during the 2004 Republican National Convention that he had labelled himself a Republican because the Democratic party reminded him too much of socialism.

'I remember I arrived here with empty pockets but full of dreams, full of determination, full of desire. The presidential campaign was in full swing,' he said.

'I remember watching the Nixon-Humphrey presidential race on TV. A friend of mine who spoke German and English translated for me. I heard Humphrey saying things that sounded like socialism, which I had just left.

'But then I heard Nixon speak. Then I heard Nixon speak. He was talking about free enterprise, getting the government off your back, lowering the taxes and strengthening the military.

'Listening to Nixon speak sounded more like a breath of fresh air. I said to my friend, I said, "What party is he?" My friend said, "He's a Republican." I said, "Then I am a Republican." '
A financial writer and publicist who has been charged with repeatedly striking a woman on the head with a beer bottle at a trendy Manhattan nightclub last year now claims that his new medication was to blame for his violent actions.

John Jannarone, 36, formerly a senior writer at CNBC, was arrested in May 2015 for allegedly assaulting Princeton graduate Erin Jennings at Southside, a popular lounge in the Nolita section of the city.

Jennings filed a lawsuit against the club this past May, claiming that after she was attacked by Jannarone, Southside bouncers helped him flee as she was being transported to a hospital.

Blame Rx: A lawyer for publicist John Jannarone, 36 (left), claims his 'new medication' was to blame for a May 2015 beer bottle attack that left Princeton graduate Erin Jennings (right) bleeding from her head at a posh Manhattan nightclub

According to Jennings' civil complaint, on May 17, 2015, she and a group of friends were at Southside when Jannarone approached them and made an advance at one of her friends.

After being rejected, Jennings claimed in her lawsuit that Jannarone came and hit her over the head with a beer bottle at least twice, causing her to fall to the ground while bleeding profusely from her head.

Jennings was rushed to the hospital but one friend stayed behind to make sure police arrested Jannarone. According to court papers, that is when the bouncers helped him get out of the club and into a cab so he would not be on the scene when police arrived.

Jannarone was arrested more than a week after the incident, on May 26.

In new court documents filed by Jannarone's attorney in response to Jennings' lawsuit, and obtained by the New York Daily News, the publicist denied that he was at fault.

'Jannarone lacked any intent to harm plaintiff, and his actions, with respect to the matters alleged in the complaint, were solely the result of a sudden, unexpected and unforeseeable incapacitation due to a new medication he was taking,' the filing read.

Sued: Jennings filed a civil suit against the Nolita lounge Southside (above), claiming that bouncers at that establishment helped Jannarone flee after the beating

The court documents did not specify which medication the financial writer was on at the time of the incident.

Jannarone, who now has his own financial PR firm, JRJ Strategy, is due back in court in December.

Jennings suffered a concussion as a result of the attack and had to get seven staples at the hospital. She claimed in court papers from May that she still suffers from migraines.

Her LinkedIn page states that she is currently a post-baccalaureate pre-medical candidate at the Thomas Jefferson School of Biomedical Sciences.

Jannarone's attorney previously told the Daily Mail Online: 'To the extent the complaint against Southside relates to Mr. Jannarone, he plans to aggressively respond to the misleading allegations and looks forward to a prompt judicial resolution.

Jennings (center), 26, claimed in court documents that she suffered a concussion as a result of the attack and had to get seven staples at the hospital

'Given that the dispute is in litigation, Mr. Jannarone is unable to comment further on the matter at this time.'

A lawyer for the club said that they 'look forward to vigorously contesting' some of the statements made by Jennings in her complaint, while also saying they 'don't dispute that Jennings has been injured or hurt'.
Support for Malcolm Turnbull has dropped below predecessor Tony Abbott's last voter satisfaction reading before his ousting as prime minister in September 2015.

The Australian reports that the latest Newspoll survey shows the Prime Minister's satisfaction rating sits at 29 per cent, compared to Mr Abbott's last ranking as leader of 30 per cent.

Opposition leader Bill Shorten's satisfaction rating was static at 36 per cent.

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Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull's approval rating has slumped to 29 per cent

On a preferred prime minister basis Mr Turnbull remains ahead at 42 per cent, to Mr Shorten's 32 per cent.

Labor has maintained its lead over the coalition for the third consecutive reading, sitting at 52 per cent for the government's 48 per cent on a two-party preferred basis.

On a primary vote reading, the coalition sits on 38 per cent, Labor at 37 per cent, Greens at 10 per cent and independents at 14 per cent.

This is lower than former PM Tony Abbott's rating before he was dumped last September

Meantime, c abinet secretary and key Malcolm Turnbull confidant Arthur Sinodinos has refused to rule out Mr Abbott returning to the top job.

Senator Sinodinos said he wouldn't put money on Mr Abbott becoming prime minister again, but told the ABC's Q&A program he had learnt through 'bitter experience' not to rule anything in or out.

'I'm always careful in these things because in life I've learnt in politics it's the thing you least expect that can come back,' Senator Sinodinos said on Monday night.
Suge Knight has filed a lawsuit against former friend Dr. Dre, accusing the rapper and entrepreneur of trying to have him murdered in August 2014, and then again just a few months later.

In court papers obtained by TMZ, Knight alleges that Dre did not want to pay him his 30 per cent stake in Beats by Dre after he sold the company to Apple.

Knight claims that he was owed the money because of a lifetime contract between him and Dre, but that Apple did not want him associated with the brand because he is currently on trial and facing a murder charge in the death of Terry Carter.

He is asking for $300million in his lawsuit, claiming that Dre made $1billion in the deal with Apple.

Dre's lawyer said in a statesmen after Knight filed his lawsuit: 'Given that Dre has had zero interaction with Suge since leaving Death Row Records in 1996, we hope that Suge's lawyer has lots of malicious prosecution insurance.'

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Suge Knight (above in 2007) claims in a new lawsuit that Dr. Dre twice hired a hit man to have him killed

Knight claims that Dre (above) did not want to pay him the 30 per cent share he was owed after the rapper sold Beats by Dre to Apple

Knight claims that the first time Dre tried to have him killed was in September 2014, when a gunman opened fire at a MTV Video Music Award hosted by Chris Brown at 1OAK in Los Angeles.

He was shot multiple times in the abdomen, chest and arm and the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department later said through a spokesperson that the gunman appeared to target Knight.

In his lawsuit however Knight claims that a man named T-Money who was later questioned by the police said that he was hired by Dre to target Knight.

No arrests have been made in the case two years later, and earlier this year Knight sued party host Brown for failing to provide adequate security at the venue.

That lawsuit also accuses Brown of having gang ties, as well as a 'well-documented track record of hosting events and/or parties in which violence frequently erupted.'

Knight claims that just a few months later, in January, Dre again tried to have him murdered, this time by Cle 'Bone' Sloan.

That incident occurred on the same day that Knight drove over Carter, killing the man.

Knight has claimed he only acted in self-defense however, trying to escape from Sloan.

'I f***** him up!' Sloan, a former gang member, told the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department shortly after he too was hit by Knight's car.

Sloan reportedly admitted to attacking Knight, the co-founder of Death Row records, as he lay in a hospital bed suffering from multiple head wounds.

In his lawsuit, Knight claims that Dre paid Sloan $300,000 to try and have him killed that day.

Knight is also suing Apople and Tam's, the fast food restaurant where the incident with Sloan and Carter occurred in January of last year.
A grandmother on benefits boast she earns 400,000-a-year growing cannabis in her own home - because police will never suspect her, a new documentary reveals.

The woman, whose face is obscured, claims 'groppers' - grannies who run cannabis growing operations - are on the rise because they are less likely to get caught.

Showing off the industrial weed production equipment in her home, she boasts that the sixteen plants in a single room yield 1,000 every 12 weeks.

A grandmother on benefits boast she earns 400,000-a-year growing cannabis ion her own home - because police will never suspect her, a new documentary by VICE reveals

Speaking to presenter Matt Shea (pictured), she shows off the industrial equipment in her home and boasts that the 16 plants in a single room yield 1,000 every 12 weeks

It is part of a series of VICE documentaries lifting the lid on drug use in the UK, and it also features Lee Harris, 80, who has campaigned for the legalisation of cannabis for 50 years

And with six growing rooms, she earns a total of 400,000-a-year, with little chance of ever being caught, she says on the new VICE documentary High Society.

The grandmother, who is on disability benefits, says she does not have to worry about the criminal underworld because she has family links to Birmingham's brutal gangland.

Her only concern, she says, is keeping her electrical bills down, which she does through 'rigging' the meter in an elaborate scam that also helps hide the operation.

'Rig your electric, where the meter itself can stop, or if you're next-door to an empty house, rig it up to next-door and cover the room so that the light is not detected,' she ells presenter Matt Shea.

In the documentary, which shows the true extent to which police now turn a blind eye to use of the Class B drug:

Officers are seen standing by as 1,500 people smoke cannabis in London's Hyde Park at an annual celebration, during which just 20 people were arrested, it is claimed

Thieves fly drones with heat-seeking cameras that they use to locate grow-houses to target, and boast of industrial scale thefts

Liberal Democrats leader Tim Farron talks of how he supports legalisation of the drug, claiming it could raise 1billion-a-year from taxing sales

Relishing in her criminal exploits, she hugs the VICE reporter as she welcomes him into her home in the new documentary series, lifting the lid on drug production, dealing, and taking in the UK.

She shows him into her front room, a light and comfortable space with leather sofas, family photographs on the shelves, flowers in vases and pictures on the walls.

He meets Matt Shea in Hyde Park, London, on the annual celebration of weed on April 20, when hundreds of people are seen openly smoking it - while police do nothing

It also features a UK rapper called Black The Ripper, who has made his name by openly smoking cannabis in public places and writing songs about the drug

The woman, whose face is obscured in the footage, reveals how gangs now prefer to use female pensioners to grow drugs because they are less likely to get caught than young men.

She says: 'There are more groppers than men, groppers dont get caught, groppers dont go to prison, [it's] less likely.

'Its less likely for them [police] to think that a woman is a drug grower...I just grow it, dry it, sell it on.'

Groppers dont get caught, groppers dont go to prison 'Gropper', who grows cannabis in her house on an industrial scale

She is then asked if she has to worry about criminal gangs in the area, where thieves use drones with heat-seeking cameras to scan for crop-houses they can raid.

In footage, the thieves show off the high-tech equipment and boast: 'We're using a heat-seeking camera to find crops so that I can just go in when the crop's ready, take the door off, bag the plants up as they are and that's it we'er out of there.'

However, the grandmother says that she feels as out of reach to the criminal underworld as she does to the law.

'I dont have to worry about criminal gangs. I've got gang members in every corner of my family so I dont have to worry, theyve got my back. I dont use them but I know they are there if I was to want to use them,' she says.

She then shows him into the growing room, lit up by special lamps that raise the temperature to an optimal level for growing and covered with plastic sheeting, creating a greenhouse atmosphere.

Asked what the point of 'The Movement' is, Black The Ripper (pictured) replies 'we're just banging', and later explains: 'If I didn't smoke weed, I wouldn't have aspired to have this van'

The woman, whose face is obscured in the footage, reveals how gangs now prefer to use female pensioners to grow drugs because they are less likely to get caught than young men

Not only does the plastic sheeting keep the warmth in, it also stops police or thieves from being able to detect the heat from outside, she says.

Huge, green plants grow as high as her neck, producing super-strength Skunk, she says, as she wanders through the miniature forest, checking the buds as she talks to Mr Shea.

It is just one of six rooms she has for growing, in which she produces different varieties of the drug, reeling off various types including 'high-grade, cheese, blue'.

I'm on disability, three kids with one dependent going to uni September, so it finances me

'It sounds like you enjoy it,' says Mr Shea, and she replies: 'I do actually do, and its helping me financially too, you just have to keep your electrical bills down.'

She goes on to reveal why her income from the plants is so essential, telling Mr Shea: 'I'm on disability, three kids with one dependent going to uni September, so it finances me, finances the kids and finances my immediate family.'

The documentary is one of a series that investigate the huge appetite for drugs in Britain, and the opening sequence reveals people smoking drugs and sprinkling white powder on their tongues.

'With the highest consumption on the continent, no-one take drugs quite like the British,' it states at the beginning of the episode.

It discusses how many police forces have deprioritised cannabis in the UK, choosing not to investigate or prosecute those found in possession, and instead concentrating on organised crime.

The documentary is one of a series that investigate the huge appetite for drugs in Britain

And it even features Tim Farron, leader of the Liberal Democrats, who talks about his support for the legalisation of the drug.

'It is illegal because there is a fear amongst politicians who are very often franlkly pretty shallow and chicken about attacking an issue and dealing with an issue where very often they end up getting bad tabloid headlines if they do.

'For me all the evidence says that whatever anyone thinks about cannabis that the regularisation, the legalisation of it would make more sense in terms of tackling criminality.

Tim Farron (pictured, file image)

'You would tax, of course, the sale of cannabis and our best guess is that we would bring in something like a billion pounds of tax revenue a year in England and our commitment is that we would spend that money on the NHS.'

High Society, about 'weed' in Britain, discusses how half a million people support the legalisation of 'weed', and visits Lee Harris, the 80-year-old campaigner who once ran to be London's mayor.

Speaking to Mr Shea, he openly smokes 'weed' in public and the presenter talks to officers who watch others take the drug in Hyde Park, London, but take no action.

Asked by Mr Shea why they don't just 'cast the net, an officer in uniform says 'We'd need a pretty big net' as hundreds of people take drugs on April 20, an annual celebration of cannabis all over the world.

The grey-haired pensioner, who represented the Cannabis is Safer than Alcohol party in the mayoral election, greets numerous people with the words 'one love' as he walks around the park smoking the drug.

They also talk to UK rapper Black The Ripper, who has made a name for himself by smoking cannabis in public places, and talks about how he regularly smokes and drives his van.

Asked what the point of 'The Movement' is, he replies 'we're just banging', and he later explains how 'if I didn't smoke weed, I wouldn't have aspired to have this van'.

The documentary also delves into the medicinal values of the drug, featuring someone who suffers from Crohn's disease, who claims it relieves his symptoms.
Law enforcement officials in North Dakota said on Sunday that they shot at a drone believed to be operated by protesters who are fighting the construction of an oil pipeline on land that Native Americans consider sacred.

The Morton County Sheriff's Office released a statement on Sunday in which it said an unmanned aerial vehicle had approached a helicopter in a 'threatening manner', CBS News reported.

An officer in the helicopter told law enforcement officials on the ground that the pilot and the passengers were 'in fear of their lives' because of the approaching drone.

The drone was damaged by what is being described as 'less-than-lethal' ammunition and it was landed by its operators.

Protesters gather in Mandan, North Dakota, on Sunday near the route of the 1,200-mile long Dakota Access Pipeline demanding a halt to construction there

Members of the Standing Rock Sioux tribe and their supporters block a roadway on Sunday. Eighty people were arrested by law enforcement

One of the arrested protesters is seen above on Sunday. Protesters have clashed with police and private security guards in an attempt to halt construction of the pipeline

An aerial drone similar to the one in this stock image was flown in what North Dakota law enforcement officials say was a 'threatening manner'

Morton County Sheriff's Office issued a statement on Sunday saying that 'less-than-lethal ammunition' was used to force the drone to land

The incident occurred just west of Bismarck along the banks of the Missouri River, where protesters, police, and private security personnel have engaged in a months-long standoff over a controversial oil pipeline.

The event was the culmination of a tense weekend during which some 80 people were arrested and a highway was blocked as protests over the Dakota Access Pipeline continued.

The Standing Rock Sioux want construction of the $3.8billion pipeline halted, saying it could taint water supplies and encroach on tribal burial sites.

The route of the pipeline, which is being built to carry crude oil, stretches from North Dakota into South Dakota, Iowa, and finally to Illinois.

Protesters pitched an encampment on Sunday along a highway in Mandan, just west of the North Dakota town of Bismarck

Also known as the Bakken Oil Pipeline  a name it took after the oil-rich area in North Dakota  the project, which is being built by a private Texas-based company called Energy Transfer Partners, envisions the transport of 470,000 barrels of oil per day.

Developers of the underground pipeline say that the project is necessary because it is the most cost-effective and environmentally sound way to transport crude oil.

They argue that its construction will generate thousands of construction jobs and generate tens of millions of dollars in taxes and income in the areas it crosses.

Protests supporting the tribe have been going on for months, with 269 people arrested as of Sunday.

Protesters fear the pipeline project could potentially cause irreversible harm to the drinking water for the Standing Rock community - who live just one mile from the river - as well as the river's ecosystem.

Hundreds of people gathered in Los Angeles on Sunday show support for activists demonstrating against the project.

Native Americans ride with raised fists to a sacred burial ground that was disturbed by bulldozers building the Dakota Access Pipeline on September 4, 2016

Dana Yellow Fat (left) of the Standing Rock Sioux speaks near Cannon Ball, North Dakota, where tribesmen and their supporters gathered to protest the pipeline on September 3, 2016

Several Hollywood stars, including Mark Ruffalo and Susan Sarandon, were among the more than 800 people who attended the climate rally in MacArthur Park.

Rallygoers carried signs urging to 'shut it all down now' and chanted slogans like 'water is life.'

'Not only is it an environmental, but it's a problem in terms of social justice,' Sarandon told the rally. 'We can do it. We can stop fracking. We can stop the pipeline. But really it's only because of great numbers of people.'

Also among celebrity attendees was actress Shailene Woodley, who earlier this month was arrested in North Dakota while protesting the planned pipeline in an incident that was live-streamed on Facebook.

Morton County Sheriff Kyle Kirchmeier said drones flying near protests and near where hundreds have been camping out in protest of the $3.8 billion pipeline are not being operated according to federal regulations and their investigations will be sent to the states attorney's office for possible charges.

Native Americans (seen here marching to the site of a sacred burial ground being dug up for the underground pipeline) say the project threatens their water supply and cultural heritage

Energy Transfer Partners, the Texas-based company building the pipeline, says it will be an economic boon to the states it traverses because it will generate jobs, income and tax revenue

Actresses Susan Sarandon (left), Frances Fisher (center), and Shailene Woodley (right) lend their support to the Dakota Access Pipeline protesters during an event Sunday in Los Angeles

Two people operating drones during the protests have already been charged. Also Sunday, protesters put up two roadblocks on State Highway 1806.

The first, which went up about 2pm, was made of barbed wire, cars and later hay bales, tree stumps and logs.

Law enforcement authorities spoke with protesters, and the blockade came down before 5pm.
Shawn Ross quit high school at 17.

I became a dad, he said, smiling. I had to pay for diapers.

So he went to work, and even without a high school diploma, he received certification in Bioquell bio-decontamination equipment and services and landed a good job at Flagstaff Medical Center. Yet, his failure to get a high school diploma haunted him.

Having that little piece of paper opens a lot of doors, Ross said.

So, at the age of 42, he went to Coconino Community College to ask questions about the Adult Education program. While there, he learned of a program that would help him not only get his GED but also help him get certified in computer repair and maintenance at little or no cost.

Ross and seven other GED students are part of the CCC Integrated Basic Education Training, or I-BEST, program, said Greg Cross, CCCs Adult Education Program Director.

Its a national model, Cross said, adding that I-BEST allows students to simultaneously take college courses for skills training while satisfying the basic-education requirements for a GED.

Bill Branch, CCC instructor in Computer Information Systems in charge of the professional/technical component, said that the delivery of the curriculum will be the easy part.

I think, more than anything else, they learn confidence, Branch said, adding that helping the students realize their worth is immeasurable. Thats what makes my day.

While learning the basics of the requirements to successfully receive GEDs, the students will gain skills on fixing computers, mobile phones, tablets and printers, Branch said. They will learn to access wireless networks, learn critical thinking skills and develop strategies for deploying hardware throughout company departments. All the training is geared to prepare students to test for A-Plus certification to become computer technicians.

The program cost is about $1,000 per student, funded with the help of Arizonas Adult Education Services, which means that the program will be able to train 22 students this fiscal year. With the eight students enrolled this semester, that leaves room for an additional 15 next semester.

But if we fill up this class next semester (24 students), well make it work, Cross said.

Along the entire journey, the students will be assisted with college and career advising.

Student Brittany Perkins has three children at home and wanted to go back to school to broaden her horizon.

I want to make a better future for all of us, she said.

She added that shed always been tech-savvy, so when she heard of the I-BEST program, she jumped on the opportunity.

Her hope is to get a well-paying job to support her children and herself. She said she also wants to continue her education and go to university. Shes been talking with an advisor, and shes knowledgeable in writing, nutrition and exercise. She has a whole host of possibilities now open to her.

Everything happens for a reason, Perkins said. Well see where this goes.

Ross said that the training has been inspiring, and the staff and faculty have been helpful.

It was a really great experience, Ross said. Its a great first step to being in college, too. Of course, when youre shown the light, you want more of it, you know?
The ex-wife of disgraced former Subway Sandwiches spokesman Jared Fogle is suing the company, claiming they knew he was a pedophile for more than decade before he was arrested.

Kathleen McLaughlin claimed in new legal documents that senior Subway officials were tipped off about Fogle's behavior, with the earliest reported incident taking place in 2004.

Fogle allegedly 'approached a young girl at a promotional event' and solicited a sex act, the documents filed in the Hamilton Superior Court in Indiana.

The incident predates when McLaughlin and Fogle began dating in 2008. She also said in the documents she would not have married him in 2010 had she known.

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Kathleen McLaughlin, ex-wife of disgraced former Subway Sandwiches spokesman Jared Fogle, claims the company knew he was a pedophile for more than decade before he was arrested.

The claim states: 'Driven by sales rather than the safety of kids, Subway sent its then Senior Public Relations Manager to ask Jared and the franchisee owner, rather than the victim, about the incident.

'Other than sending a public relations employee to ask the wrongdoer about the incident, Subway did nothing more in relation to this event or to otherwise more fully investigate the allegations.

'Subway did not thoroughly investigate the report and did not alert the authorities as they were legally required to do.'

It then slams the company, adding: 'A responsible corporation would take immediate action when hearing of this behavior, even if it was only allegations.'

The second incident alleged in the papers took place in 2008, when Florida franchisee Cindy Mills told then-CEO Jeff Moody she heard Fogle making comments about young girls.

The documents claim Mills heard Fogle say he, 'really liked them young' and said he had had sex with minors between the ages of nine and 16.

Kathleen McLaughlin (pictured during a press conference speaking about the new allegations on Monday) claimed in new legal documents that senior Subway officials were tipped off about Fogle's behavior, with the earliest reported incident taking place in 2004

The court documents say Fogle (pictured in November 2015) 'approached a young girl at a promotional event' and solicited a sex act, the documents filed in the Hamilton Superior Court in Indiana

Mills also said, according to the court documents, that Fogle: 'suggested (she) prostitute herself'.

Moody allegedly interrupted and said: 'Please dont tell me any more. Dont worry, he has met someone. She is a teacher and he seems to love her very much, and we think she will keep him grounded.'

McLaughlin is the teacher to which Moody alleged referred.

The Florida franchisee said after Moody indicated he had heard and dealt with similar complaints in the past, she took it a step further and reported the same information to her regional Subway franchise office.

She also told two other senior officials with the company when she saw them at a NASCAR race.

Mills approached the executives because she was afraid of Fogle, according to the documents.

However, a similar pattern emerged as what allegedly happened in 2004, with the papers stating: 'Subway sent its Senior Public Relations Manager to ask Jared about the complaint.'

'Subway did not thoroughly investigate the report and did not alert the authorities as they were legally required to do,' the new papers read. Fogle is pictured leaving a mobile evidence-gathering lab outside of his home in July 2015

He denied the allegations, and they were not pursued any further.

The document accuses Subway of massive failures in how they handled the accusations, and the suggestion that marrying McLaughlin would in some way stop the abuses from occurring in future.

'Having neither expert knowledge of pedophiles predatory compulsions nor seeking guidance from experts, Subway made a terribly misguided assumption that Jareds marrying (Katherine) would correct Jareds pedophilia behavior,' it reads.

The third incident came in 2011, when a Florida journalist approached the sandwich company and said she had concerns about Fogle, 'being around children'.

Fogle is currently serving 15 years in federal prison in Colorado on child porn and sex with a minor charges

The document states: 'Rochelle Herrnan-Walrond has publicly indicated Jared made comments to her about his desire to perform illegal sexual acts with children and Jared asked for Herman-Walronds help in getting him access to children.'

The papers go on to criticize Subway for continuing to promote Fogle as a family man, despite being aware of the allegations.

Fogle is currently serving 15 years in federal prison in Colorado on child porn and sex with a minor charges.
Donald Trump lashed out at the FBI on Monday, and at Democrats who he claims corrupted the agency's investigation into Hillary Clinton's classified email scandal.

A PAC controlled by Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe, one of Bill and Hillary Clinton's most consistent backers, donated $467,500 to the Virginia state Senate campaign of Dr. Jill McCabe. Her husband is FBI deputy director Andrew McCabe, who runs the Washington Field Office  the subagency in charge of investigating Clinton.

The Virginia Democratic Party, normally at McAuliffe's beck and call, also donated $208,000,

Trump said in St. Augustine, Florida that the 'rigged' process was predestined to clear Clinton  despite the appearance that she violated federal espionage laws by hosting classified documents on an unsecured basement email server.

'She never had a chance of being convicted!' he blared.

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Attack: 'The man that was investigating her  from the FBI  his wife runs for office and they give her more than $675,000 to run,' Trump told supporters in St Augustine, Florida

Virginia Governor Terry McAulifee, who spoke at the Democratic convention in Philadelphia, had his PAC donate $500,000 to a state senate candidate whose husband, Andrew McAbe, is now the number two official at the FBI

In his sites: Trump called the revelation about the background to Clinton escaping prosecution 'shocking'

Trump called the news a 'shocking' revelation 'about how the Clinton campaign has corrupted our government.'

'The man that was investigating her  from the FBI  his wife runs for office and they give her more than $675,000 to run. And it just came out. They just figured it out,' Trump said as boos and shouts of 'Lock her up!' echoed through the St. Augustine Amphitheater.

'We've never had a thing like this in the history of this country,' he said. 'It's absolutely disgraceful. It's absolutely terrible.'

Trump hinted that he sees the financial transactions as a pair of smoking guns that explain how Clinton was able to escape prosecution and an embarrassing earlky exit from the presidential race.

'It's unbelievable how Hillary Clinton got away with the email lie, the email scam, the email corruption,' he said, shaking his head. 'But now at least we have a pretty good idea.'

Trump made one claim that leaps ahead of what news reports have outlined, claiming that his Democratic opponent was aware the money was being contributed to support the political aspirations of her main inquisitor's spouse.

Honest Abe: A man dressed as Lincoln signaled his approval for Trump at the Florida rally

Lock her up: The audience of Trump supporters reacted to the candidate's condemnation of the revelations around the FBi's deputy director with chants of disgust at Clinton

'Yet another crime. One of so many, and she has to be held accountable because she knew that money, $675,000-plus, was being paid,' he charged. 'So how is she to run for president? How is she allowed?'

Trump blamed the press corps for taking so long to root out the story, which broke in The Wall Street Journal.

'These thieves and crooks, the media ... they're the most crooked. They're almost as crooked as Hilary,' he shouted.

'Without the dishonesty and the deceit of the media, Hillary Clinton would be nothing. Nothing.'

Dr. Jill McCabe didn't win her race for the state Senate, but got a big assist from Governor Terry McAuliffe, whose PAC kicked in $500,000

McAuliffe, the Virginia governor, is one of Bill and Hillary Clinton's closest backers, a former Bill Clinton fundraising chairman and a onetime chairman of the Democratic National Committee. Both Clintons backed McAuliffe in his campaign to capture the governorship.

In a statement posted Sunday night, the FBI said McCabe 'played no role, attended no events, and did not participate in fundraising or support of any kind. Months after the completion of her campaign, then-Associate Deputy Director McCabe was promoted to Deputy, where, in that position, he assumed for the first time, an oversight role in the investigation into Secretary Clinton's emails.'

According to a further statement Monday: 'When Jill McCabe first considered running for the state Senate seat, ADIC McCabe consulted with top FBI headquarters and field office ethics officers for guidance, including briefings on the Hatch Act, to prevent against any actual or potential conflict-of-interest, in the event she decided to go forward.'

According to the bureau 'When she chose to run, ADIC McCabe and FBI lawyers implemented a system of recusal from all FBI investigative matters involving Virginia politics, a process followed for the remainder of her campaign.'

Andrew McCabe rose to become deputy director of the FBI. Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe, a key ally of Bill and Hillary Clinton, had a PAC donate $500,000 to McCabe's wife's state Senate campaign. McCabe was promoted following to the bureau's director, James Comey's (right) decision not to recommend charges against Hillary Clinton

Jill McCabe supported that version of events.

'Once I decided to run, my husband had no formal role in my campaign other than to be a supportive husband to me and our children,' she told The Wall Street Journal.

'As a federal official ... everyone who participated in our campaign understood and respected that he could not participate.'
Dramatic footage shows the moment a lorry driver using his mobile phone on a motorway careers into the back of a car.

Razvan Rusu, 30, injured two drivers and caused a pile-up when he crashed into slow-moving traffic on the M1, in Edgware, north London, Scotland Yard said.

Rusu, of no fixed address, was jailed for eight months at Harrow Crown Court after pleading guilty to dangerous driving.

Razvan Rusu, 30, was jailed for eight months after ploughing into the back of two cars when dashcam footage (pictured) showed him on his phone at the wheel

The footage, caught on two dashboard cameras, shows the HGV driver staring at his phone as he hurtles towards traffic at around 8.20am on March 17 last year.

The driver in front averted injury by swerving out of the way upon noticing Rusu's fast approach, the Metropolitan Police said.

But two drivers were taken to hospital to be treated for their injuries after Rusu drove for more than a mile while using his phone, the Met said.

Rusu, a Romanian national living in the UK, returned to his home country but was arrested on his arrival back in the UK, the force added.

Detective Sergeant Stephen Pidgeon, of the Serious Collision Investigation Unit, said: 'Rarely is it possible to see such a clear example of the risks some drivers are willing to take with mobile phones and the danger that using them whilst driving can cause.

'It is only down to the quick thinking of one of the drivers who moved just before impact that there weren't multiple serious injuries or even worse.

'That the driver was willing to take these risks whilst being aware that he was being filmed is even more incredible.'
Britain is footing a 36million bill for the closure of the Jungle migrant camp in Calais.

Home Secretary Amber Rudd said the UK would help pay for the evacuation that began on Monday and for measures to keep the site shut.

The UK has already pledged 80million to pay private security firms to patrol ports in northern France for three years.

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More than 2,000 migrants were moved from the Jungle on Monday but many more remain (pictured) and there are fears a hardcore will refuse to budge

And a few weeks ago the British government agreed to fund the 2million Great Wall of Calais to stop stowaways sneaking across the Channel.

It means British taxpayers face a total bill of 118million to secure the Jungle site and the French ports over the next three years, despite charities warning many migrants will inevitably return.

The frontrunner for the French presidential elections, Alain Juppe, has also threatened to tear up the Le Touquet deal that allows Britain to carry out border checks in France.

Amber Rudd (left) is willing to give France 118 million to help clear up the migrant mess and secure borders but Alain Juppe (right, with a supporter) wants to remove Britain's right to carry out border checks on the French side of the border

French authorities finally began evacuating the makeshift Jungle camp ahead of its demolition, which was due to start today.

The first 2,000 migrants were evacuated to temporary accommodation centres around France.

But in a series of developments:

Charities warned thousands more migrants could refuse to leave over the coming days because of their desperation to reach Britain;

Hundreds gathered in protests, chanting UK, UK, UK, and vowed to build a new Jungle;

Others vowed they would return to Calais if relocated, and step up illegal efforts to cross the Channel;

British police joined the search to identify up to 200 British anarchists intent on fuelling protests at the camp;

Up to 70 young male refugees arrived at a 17th Century manor house in Devon;

France asked Britain to temporarily suspend the transfer of child refugees.

In an urgent statement to the Commons Miss Rudd said responsibility for Calais rested with the French government, but insisted border controls between the two countries were vital to Britains security.

She said: The UK Government will be contributing up to 36m to maintain the security of these controls, to support the camp clearance and to ensure in the long term that the camp is kept closed. This funding will also be used to help keep children safe in France.

A young migrant cycles through the remains of the camp on Monday night. Most of those still inside the Jungle are young men, mostly from Africa

This contribution is not made unconditionally, and we will continue to work with the French Government to ensure that the clearance operation is full and lasting.

The Home Secretary said British officials were only given access to the camp to begin interviewing children last week.

Britain could not begin transferring unaccompanied children until it had permission from France, which was only given recently, she said.

But in Calais, migrants said they would build a new Jungle as buses began taking hundreds of mainly Sudanese and Eritrean men to temporary accommodation centres around France.

A migrant from Ethiopia's persecuted Oromo tribe hugs a friend as he leaves the Jungle today

Many left willingly but others said they would rather die than give up on their dreams of reaching the UK.

Scuffles broke out as a poorly-managed crowd of migrants was penned together by French riot police while they waited to be processed.

As dusk fell, protests were held by those unwilling to leave, who chanted UK, UK, UK! and fires raged in the camp amid claims that migrants had torched an area used as a base by British charity workers.

Riot police were on standby amid fears up to 200 anarchists from the British group No Borders had infiltrated the camp over the weekend and were intent on violence.

A 16-year-old migrant from Ethiopia cries as he waits to register at a processing centre in the the Jungle near Calais

A helicopter flew overhead and two specialist spotter officers from the Metropolitan Police joined their French counterparts to help search for suspects.

Many migrants told the Daily Mail the closure of the camp meant they would step up efforts to cross the Channel by any means necessary.

Imran Ali, 20, from Afghanistan, said: We must get to the UK. If I die its no problem. I would rather die than stay here. In France they dont like refugees. They treat refugees like dogs.

Another man fleeing Afghanistan admitted several of his friends in their 20s had tried to register as children in a bid to reach Britain.

The migrants were registered before getting onto buses which took them from Calais to reception centres the length and breadth of France

His admission follows widespread concern that some of the child refugees brought to Britain appeared to be far older than 18.

In Calais four men were spotted attempting to board a British-registered lorry as it halted at traffic lights in the town centre.

Christian Salome, president of the French charity Auberge des Migrants, said he expected 2,000 people in the Jungle to refuse to leave.

He told French newspaper La Voix du Nord: They still want to get to England.

'If the evacuations have been calm on Monday, you have to be far more careful in the coming days when the only ones left are the ones who dont want to leave, and are adamant that they are going to keep trying to get to England.

Many migrants are still determined to get into Britain by hook or by crook

French authorities admitted those willing to leave had been delayed by a lack of buses, and one accommodation centre in Loubeyrat, central France, was set alight just hours before the migrants were due to arrive.

The Home Office said it had temporarily suspended transferring child refugees from the camp to Britain at the request of the French.

Labour MP Luciana Berger said social workers working in the UK had described a bureaucratic shambles, with wrong names and addresses given out and the wrong forms submitted.

The Home Secretary told the Commons there were 36 British officials working to find and prioritise the youngest and most vulnerable children and Britain had a moral responsibility to help.

She said British officials have interviewed around 800 children in the Jungle and almost 200 have been brought to the UK so far, including 60 girls said to be at high risk of sexual exploitation.

Charities estimate more than 1,000 children could still be inside, including 49 unaccompanied children aged under 13, and three under 11, and warned they remained at risk of trafficking and abuse.

The Home Secretary said several hundred more children would arrive in Britain in the next few weeks, but new children who arrived in Calais after the Jungle was cleared would not be accepted in this country.

England Test star of the future? Migrants play cricket in the camp just before dusk on Monday

French newspaper Le Figaro said around 500 unaccompanied children in Calais were claiming to have family in the UK, meaning they were eligible to come here.

Miss Rudd said 800 had been interviewed and 200 had been transferred to Britain, with several hundred more expected to follow in the next few weeks.

She said children accepted as unaccompanied refugees would not be allowed to sponsor their parents to come and join them in the UK.

Conservatives called for Britain to step up its border security to prevent migrants making last-ditch attempts to make their way across the Channel.

Charlie Elphicke, MP for Dover in Kent, said: People will be more desperate than ever to see if they can break into Britain.
The newest, hippest Donald Trump hotel properties to be developed won't bear the mogul's name, but will be called 'Scion,' under a decision announced by the company.

The new hotels will be labeled 'Scion,' in a name that could be a nod to Trump or his heirs, but that is nondescript enough many bookers might have no idea of its connection to the Trump name.

Although it applies only to newer properties, it is a strategic Trump, whose branding philosophy has been to plaster his name on as many properties and products as possible  even projects in which he is merely a minority owner.

The name change, reported by Travel & Leisure and announced by the company, will not affect the high-profile hotel Trump is officially launching this week in the historic Old Post Office Pavilion in Washington, D.C. bearing the Trump name.

That hotel will still be called the Trump International Hotel Washington D.C.

Trump has regularly plugged that property throughout the campaign, even mentioning it in the last presidential debate, although the hotel has experienced booking problems.

Donald Trump speaks at the groundbreaking ceremony for the Trump international Hotel Washington D.C. The hotel will now be branded as part of the 'Scion' line

Scion is meant to apply to future projects catering to younger guests and in resort areas. It will be a notch below the more luxurious Trump Hotel properties.

Scion was also the name of a Toyota.

The D.C. hotel project drew controversy almost immediately after Trump launched his presidential campaign with remarks about Mexican 'rapists.' Celebrity chef Jose Andres backed out of a deal to open a restaurant there.

STATEMENT FROM TRUMP HOTELS IS JETTISONING TRUMP NAME Trump Hotels today revealed the official name and concept details for its much-anticipated new hotel brand, Scion. Scion, which means 'descendant of a notable family,' is a multi-faceted lifestyle brand developed in response to the boom in social clubs and the 'we' economy. 'Our business at Trump Hotels is stronger than ever and we are incredibly excited about the future of Scion, the newest brand in our hotel portfolio,' said Ivanka Trump, Executive Vice President of Development & Acquisitions, The Trump Organization. 'Under the leadership of our CEO, Eric Danziger, along with our world-class leadership team, we are so pleased to leverage our collective knowledge and experience to launch a brand that is vastly different from anything the industry has experienced before. We will develop this brand with the same determination and exacting standards we have become known for.' Scion is designed to connect and engage guests and others with compelling spaces and a strong sense of community. The brand will deliver locally relevant, meaningful and sought-after experiences to those looking for a sense of connection during their travels as well as when they return home. 'We wanted a name that would be a nod to the Trump family and to the tremendous success it has had with its businesses, including Trump Hotels, while allowing for a clear distinction between our luxury and lifestyle brands,' said Trump Hotels Chief Executive Officer Eric Danziger. He continued, 'Trump Hotels has long been recognized as home to the most iconic and luxurious properties, where guests are treated to meticulous service and unparalleled experiences. Scion will bring the same 'never settle' philosophy to a new and different type of guest in more locations around the globe.' The brand is expected to develop in city and resort locations that have a true sense of place and personality. 'Fashioned with the developer and owner in mind, Scion is the solution for those looking for a brand that is relevant, lasting and offers a compelling return on investment,' said Kathleen Flores, Trump Hotels Executive Vice President of New Brands and Innovation. Advertisement

'We wanted a name that would be a nod to the Trump family and to the tremendous success it has had with its businesses, including Trump Hotels, while allowing for a clear distinction between our luxury and lifestyle brands,' Trump Hotels CEO Eric Danziger said in a statement.

The D.C. hotel has reportedly had problems filling rooms. Rooms were going for below $500 when the International Monetary Fund was meeting in Washington even as other five-star properties sold out, New York Magazine reported.

The Travel publication cited an analysis by Hipmunk that bookings were down 59 per cent in the first half of 2016 as well as data from Foursquare showing a drop of 17 per cent in foot traffic since Trump announced his presidential bid.

Trump's branding remains a central part of the new D.C. hotel, despite some high profile controversies.

'Our guests at @TrumpDC can experience DC history with walk down our Old Post Office Museum Gallery Walkway!' according to its most recent Tweet, sent Oct. 22, a day after the Scion announcement.

According to the statement: 'Trump Hotels today revealed the official name and concept details for its much-anticipated new hotel brand, Scion.'

'Scion, which means 'descendant of a notable family,' is a multi-faceted lifestyle brand developed in response to the boom in social clubs and the 'we' economy.'

'Our business at Trump Hotels is stronger than ever and we are incredibly excited about the future of Scion, the newest brand in our hotel portfolio,' Ivanka Trump said in the statement.

'We will develop this brand with the same determination and exacting standards we have become known for,' she said.

Danziger added: 'Trump Hotels has long been recognized as home to the most iconic and luxurious properties, where guests are treated to meticulous service and unparalleled experiences. Scion will bring the same 'never settle' philosophy to a new and different type of guest in more locations around the globe.'

'Scion is designed to connect and engage guests and others with compelling spaces and a strong sense of community. The brand will deliver locally relevant, meaningful and sought-after experiences to those looking for a sense of connection during their travels as well as when they return home,' She

Trump is known for prominently displaying his name on properties, including the Trump Tower Hotel & Casino, located on the Las Vegas Strip

Trump's name will remain atop the Old Post Office hotel opening this week in D.C.

When the L.A. Dodgers stayed at the Trump International Hotel and Tower in Chicago in May, first baseman Adrian Gonzalez, who is Mexican American, wouldn't go there.

I had my reasons,' Gonzalez said, NBC reported.

Deluxe rooms in the D.C. hotel go for up to $575 a night, in a part of downtown that is still relatively sleepy.

Other luxury properties including the Four Seasons, the Hay-Adams, and the St. Regis can go for more.

The official ribbon-cutting for the D.C. hotel is set for Oct. 26th.

Asked about media reports that Trump's D.C. hotel was having its name change, Hwee Peng Yeo of Glodow Nead Communications responded that such reports were 'not true.'

'Trump Hotels is NOT being rebranded  this is false,' she told DailyMail.com. 'Scion is a secondary brand that was announced earlier this year,' she said. 'And to confirm, the Trump hotel in DC will remain a part of the five-star luxury portfolio.'
The back door to Fife's home had been kicked in, and police are

A 91-year-old great-grandmother was found stabbed to death inside her in Oklahoma over the weekend, according to police.

Investigators say a relative performing a welfare check came upon the lifeless body of Florence Fife in her home in the 1200 block of East Main Street in Shawnee Saturday evening.

Family members of the victim said Fife appeared to have been stabbed in the neck, and her home had been ransacked.

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Crime scene: Florence Fife, 91, was found stabbed to death inside her home on East Main Street in Shawnee, Oklahoma (above)

Detective Jason Crouch, of the Shawnee Police Debarment, told The Shawnee News-Star that the elderly woman's death is being investigated as a homicide, based on evidence of foul play found at the scene.

According to police, family members who looked after Fife arrived at her home late Saturday when they could not reach her by phone.

The back door had been kicked in and the residence appeared to have been plundered, although it is unclear what, if anything, had been taken, reported the station KFOR.

Family members of the victim said Fife appeared to have suffered a wound to her neck, and her home had been ransacked

Nearby residents described Fife as a kind woman who had been a fixture in the neighborhood for many years.
told police that Etan would talk about his friend 'Johnny'

Vanished: Six-year-old Etan Patz disappeared on May 25, 1979, in SoHo, Manhattan, in a case that shocked America

Etan Patz's 'imaginary friend' may have been a real person  and his killer, the defense has claimed.

The victim's childhood friend Chelsea Altman, now 44, testified at accused killer Pedro Hernandez's retrial Monday.

P olice reports show that Altman told investigators in the 1980s that her friend Etan - who disappeared on May 25, 1979, in Soho, Manhattan - would talk about his friend 'Johnny'.

She said he had talked about going away with his mysterious friend shortly before he went missing.

Lawyers for Hernandez, who confessed to strangling the six-yer-old in 2012, claim that the boy's friend Johnny was really child molester Jose Ramos.

But prosecutors say all references Etan made about Johnny were referring to his imaginary friend 'Johnny France America.'

'Johnny was real, correct?' Hernandez's lawyer Harvey Fishbein asked, according to NY Daily News.

But the witness, a restaurateur and actress who grew up across the street from the Patz, insisted that she thought 'he was imaginary'.

'I know in my overall memory that I believed it was imaginary, that it was a game,' she said.

But F ishbein raised past interviews where Altman allegedly talked about having been given candy by 'Johnny' and saying Etan was hiding his friendship from his mother.

He quoted her as having said: 'Etan was very afraid of (his mother Julie) finding out about Johnny and that Johnny promised him a lot of presents  when they ran away together.'

Pedro Hernandez (left) is on trial again after he confessed to strangling the boy in 2012 but his defense lawyers claim that convicted child molester Jose Ramos (right) was the real killer

Altman denied any memory of the interview.

Six-year-old Etan disappeared on May 25, 1979, the first day parents Stan and Julie allowed him to walk the two blocks from their New York home to his bus stop alone.

It was only in 2012 that a suspect was taken to court after Hernandez confessed to strangling Etan.

But in May 2015, after three months of testimony and 18 days of deliberations the jury was left deadlocked. Now Hernandez is on trial again.

After his disappearance from a New York City school bus stop, Etan became one of the first missing children whose face was put on milk cartons, and his case caused many parents to stop letting their children roam their neighborhoods alone.

Prosecutors will have to reassemble a murder case that was already complicated by faded memories, the deaths of witnesses and the fact that no trace of Etan has ever been found.

The defense goes in knowing the last jury voted 11-1 to convict in May 2015.

Loss: Parents Stan and Julie Patz (left in 1980) had allowed to walk to his school bus stop for the first time that day

And Etan's parents face revisiting both their child's disappearance and suspect Pedro Hernandez's account of choking him, given in recorded confessions that defense lawyers say were false.

Still, Etan's father has said the first trial succeeded in providing long-sought answers for the Patzes, if not in resolving the case.

Now, finally, 'we hope it will be over soon', Stanley Patz said by email last month, declining to elaborate ahead of the retrial.

Hernandez was then a teenage stock clerk at a corner store near the Patzes' SoHo home at the time of Etan's disappearance.

But he didn't become a suspect until 2012, when his brother-in-law told police that Hernandez had told a summer 1979 prayer group he had killed a child in New York.

His ex-wife and a neighbor later said he'd also made similar statements to them.

Julie Patz, left, mother of Etan Patz, arrived at court in New York with Assistant District Attorney Joan Illuzzi-Orbon, to testify in the retrial of Pedro Hernandez on Friday

Murder: Stan Patz (pictured in 2015) had to listen as Hernandez described strangling Etan in a store basement. But the defense said Hernandez is mentally ill and suffers delusions

Detectives then got a confession from Hernandez himself, who told them how he choked the boy.

'I wanted to let go, but I just couldn't let go,' he told them in a videoed confession. 'I felt like something just took over me.'

He claimed to have killed Etan after luring him to the convenience store basement with the promise of a soda. Prosecutors suggest the motive was sexual.

Hernandez's defense says the Maple Shade, New Jersey, man has mental problems that made him imagine he attacked Etan.

A defense psychiatrist diagnosed Hernandez, now 55, with schizotypal personality disorder; symptoms can include delusions, which Hernandez's family says he has had.

'Pedro Hernandez is the only witness against himself,' defense lawyer Harvey Fishbein told jurors last year. 'Yet he is inconsistent and unreliable.'

After the first trial, many jurors said they felt Hernandez's confession was compellingly detailed and supported by his earlier admissions. Some jurors attributed his mental problems to a guilty conscience.

Deadlock: The jury at the May 2015 trial was deadlocked. Hernandez's retrial begins this week. Julie Patz (pictured in 2014) will have to relive the terror of those early days over again

But the lone holdout said he felt that Hernandez's mental health history was a big factor and that there wasn't enough non-circumstantial evidence to convict him.

Prosecutors' and defense lawyers' central arguments and evidence haven't changed, but both sides are approaching the retrial mindful of the deadlock and the growing passage of time.

During jury selection, the defense asked prospective members to vouch that if they ended up becoming a lone holdout for or against conviction, they wouldn't change their minds just because no one else agreed.

And the prosecution asked whether any potential jurors felt the 37-year-old case was 'enough already' and shouldn't be pursued further. None said yes.

Hernandez's defense also argued that a different, longtime suspect was the more likely killer.

Ramos was a convicted child molester who was friends with Etan's babysitter and had been accused by boys in the neighborhood of trying to lure them into a drainpipe.

When police investigated the pipe, they found photos of Ramos and of a young boy resembling Etan.

Shocking: Etan's shocking disappearance appalled America. He became one of the first children to appear on milk cartons, and many parents stopped letting their kids wander alone

Ramos had allegedly told a US states attorney that he took a boy to his apartment to rape him on the day Etan disappeared, and a jailhouse informant said Ramos had said he knew what happened to Etan, and even knew his bus route.

However, police could not charge Ramos in the 1980s. He was held liable in a civil wrong death suit in 2004 and a symbolic sum of $2.7million was awarded.

But that judgement was overturned in July this year after the Patzes became convinced of Hernandez's guilt during his time in court.

About five percent of felony trials end in hung juries, and roughly one-third of them are retried, rather than plea-bargained or dismissed, researchers have found.

Officials and court groups don't have statistics on the outcomes of retrials.
Donald Trump forced employees of his hit reality television show The Apprentice to return to work in the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Sandy.

The former staffers are still smarting from being forced to report to Trump Tower in Manhattan the day after Sandy devastated the New York metropolitan area.

In fact, a number of former staffers said that The Donald ran a 'dictatorship' while helming the show, according to The Daily Beast.

'We all had to come in right after Sandy,' said one individual who worked on the NBC hit show.

'We were in his building, and we fought with [a] manager, who said, "It's not from me, it's from [Donald Trump] himself".'

Donald Trump (left, seen here in 2015 with Celebrity Apprentice contestant Shawn Johnson) reportedly forced staffers on his show to report to work the day after Hurricane Sandy

'Ivanka [Trump] did very nicely [come down] and thank us for coming in,' the ex-staffer said. 'She really was very nice but we were all [thinking], "Well, it was easy for you Trumps to simply come downstairs, why are we here"?'

In 2015, Trump launched his presidential campaign by using the fame he had amassed as host of The Apprentice, an NBC reality show in which the real estate mogul served as a judge and mentor to contestants who had to prove their business acumen.

The show aired for 14 seasons on NBC and was a ratings success.

The claims made by ex-staffers clash with the public image that Trump has tried to cultivate  one of a businessman with philanthropic sensibilities in the wake of disasters like Sandy and the attacks of September 11.

Sandy left 52 people dead and caused damage to property estimated at over $70billion.

Emails obtained by The Daily Beast show that staffers were informed that they needed to report to work at Trump Tower in Manhattan even as the area was being ravaged by the storm

While film crews and celebrity apprentices did not have to come to work, low-to-mid-level staffers were required to report, even as the city shut down

In New York and New Jersey, the storm collapsed buildings and flooded streets, tunnels, and subway lines.

Residents in the area were left without electricity for days and businesses shut down.

The storm barrelled through the New York area on October 29. By the next day, Trump had sent a directive through his subordinates letting it be known that mid-level employees of the show were expected to be at work.

Internal emails obtained by The Daily Beast showed that employees reported to work that day.

The storm killed over 50 people and caused tens of billions of dollars worth of damag. Above are the remains of over 50 homes destroyed in the Breezy Point section of Queens, New York

Water rushes into the Carey Tunnel (previously the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel) caused by Hurricane Sandy, October 29, 2012, in Lower Manhattan

'There was an internal email that [had] gone out for the crew - Hurricane Sandy hit, and we were all made to come into [Trump Tower] the day after the storm,' a former Apprentice employee said.

'I was personally really pissed off Everyone said Trump was fully aware.'

The Daily Beast quoted the former employees anonymously since they were legally bound by nondisclosure agreements that bar them from speaking openly to the press.

The celebrity apprentices and film crew were given the day off, but lower level employees had to report for work.

There were 'more than a dozen people with nothing to do, it was really stupid,' one source said.

Trump (center, flanked by his children, Ivanka and Donald, Jr) tweeted that he gave shelter to hundreds of people at Trump Tower during Sandy

Despite the claim of providing refuse to masses of people, there is no evidence to back up the assertion

'This was not safe, it was a mess we were all f***ing pissed off,' the source said.

When a group of angry employees confronted one of their superiors, they were told that the decision to have them report to work was 'some f***ing Trump bullshit.'

The claims were corroborated by other Apprentice staff members.

'We all worked the day after,' said another former worker on the show.

'The whole city was shut down. It was really irresponsible and selfish Like, no one was under the illusion that we were making fine art here, that it had to be pushed that hard. It was crazy. Business in the city had basically shut down.'

'This was all Trump,' another former Apprentice employee said.

Summer Zervos, a contestant who appeared during the fifth season of the show, gave a news conference in Los Angeles (above) earlier this month claiming Trump sexually asaulted her

'If he had wanted us to not brave the aftermath and come to his dumb tower, he could've done that. It was clear to everyone he was saying the show must go on. It was un-freakin'-believable.'

While his employees were bitter, Trump took to Twitter and touted his generosity in allowing people to seek refuge in the Trump Tower atrium.

'We are taking care of hundreds of people in the Trump Tower atriumthey are seeking refuge. Free coffee and food,' he tweeted on October 29, 2012, the day the hurricane battered New York.

A day later, Trump claimed that he gave shelter to 'thousands,' though there is no evidence that these claims are accurate, particularly since the website for Trump Tower says that the atrium holds up to 350 people.

'The Trump Tower atrium is such a great place & kept thousands of people warm & safe during the stormthanks, staff!' he wrote on October 30.

This is not the first time that Trump has ruffled feathers among those tied to his hit show.

A woman who was a contestant on the fifth season came forward earlier this month claiming that she was sexually assaulted by Trump.

Summer Zervos appeared at a press conference in Los Angeles alongside her attorney Gloria Allred to recount the alleged encounter that occurred between herself and the Republican nominee in his room at the Beverly Hills Hotel back in 2007.

She claims that she reached out to Trump a year after her season of the Apprentice aired to speak about possible business opportunities, and when she met with him he kissed her 'open mouthed' multiple times, and at one point placed his hand on her breast.

Trump then allegedly had Zervos lie in bed with him she said telling her he wanted to watch 'telly telly,' but soon after began 'thrusting his genitals' at her despite her pleas asking him to stop.

Zervos broke down in tears throughout the press conference, and said towards the end of her remarks: 'After hearing the released audio tapes and your denial during the debate, I felt I had to speak out about your behavior.

'You do not have the right to treat women as sexual objects just because you are a star.'

She is not pressing any charges or seeking any money in a civil suit from Trump, and stated that she told two friends about the incident at the time.
Only one inbound lane is open and motorists are advised to avoid the area

The lost load was initially believed to be rolls of white toilet paper

The male driver was not injured and crews are clearing the roads

Rolls of paper were strewn across the road causing significant delays

Truck has lost its road on the Hume Freeway Craigieburn, Melbourne

Rolls of white paper have been strewn across a freeway causing significant delays after a truck lost its load.

The unravelled rolls, used for cash register receipts, were spread across 500metres on the Hume Freeway at Craigieburn, Melbourne, on Tuesday at 5:45am.

There were long delays for drivers as the paper strewn across the road closed all but one lane.

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Rolls of white paper have been strewn across 500 metres on the Hume Freeway at Craigieburn, Melbourne

The truck which has been left teetering on its side lost it's load at 5:45am on Tuesday

The truck has been left teetering on its side on a grass median strip as it's side is destroyed leaving the remaining boxes on the verge of falling out.

Crews have been rushing to clean the paper off the road as the traffic continued to line up but it is expected to take a 'couple of hours'.

'The male truck driver was not injured,' a spokesperson for Victoria police told Daily Mail Australia.

Crews are rushing to clean up the paper after significant delays occurred

Motorists have been advised to avoid the area and use the Hume Highway

Motorists have been snapping pictures of the paper lining the streets as they commute to work

'Police remain on scene as they await heavy haulage to arrive,' the spokesperson said.

'The south-bound traffic has been diverted between the Hume Highway and Craigieburn Road and drivers are urged to avoid the area if possible.'

The lost load was initially believed to be toilet paper rolls but police later amended this.

This comes five weeks after another truck carrying toilet paper cause significant delays on the Metropolitan Ring Road after falling onto its side.

Police are currently on scene as they await heavy haulage to arrive
A 15-year-old girl has been indicted in the murder of her stepmother, while her 20-year-old boyfriend, who was also a suspect, died after committing suicide in his jail cell.

A grand jury decided on Thursday that Jenna Oakley will be charged as an adult for complicity to murder and theft by unlawful taking over $10,000 after Rhonda Oakley, 52, was found dead inside her home in Danville, Kentucky on September 1.

That day, Jenna went missing, only to be found two days later in her mother's car with boyfriend Kenneth Nigh nearly 1,200 miles away in a motel parking lot in Tucumcari, New Mexico.

Nigh, who was charged with possessing stolen property and contributing to the delinquency of a minor, hanged himself in his jail cell and died in the hospital, WDRB reported.

Jenna's father Phillip Oakley mourned the death of his 'soulmate' and had harsh words for his own daughter, telling ABC: 'The whole time I knew who did this. And so no it is not a surprise...She deserves everything she gets.'

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Jenna Oakley, 15, (left) has been indicted in the murder of her stepmother, while her boyfriend Kenneth Nigh (right) who was also a suspect, died after committing suicide in his jail cell

On September 1, Rhonda (pictured with husband Phillip Oakley, Jenna's biological father) was found dead in the basement of her Kentucky home and her Honda Civic was reported missing

On September 1, Rhonda was found dead in the basement by her 13-year-old stepson when he returned home from school, and her white Honda Civic was reported missing.

The Boyle County Coroner has not released details on the cause of Rhonda's death.

Jenna, who went missing that day, was traced through her cell phone to a truck stop in New Mexico.

A criminal complaint reveals 911 dispatchers in Tucumcari referred to Jenna Oakley as 'a primary suspect of a homicide that occurred in Boyle County, Kentucky,' according to WDRB.

On September 3, officials found the missing car in a Motel 6 parking lot nearby, with Jenna sitting in the driver's seat with Nigh.

An officer asked Nigh to roll down the window, but he locked the doors instead, while Oakley started the vehicle.

But authorities managed to arrest the couple.

The teenager and her boufriend were found two days later nearly 1,200 miles away from Danville in a motel parking lot in Tucumcari, New Mexico

Shortly after his arrest, Nigh tried to hang himself in a New Mexico jail, and he was taken to a local hospital before being transferred to another in Amarillo, Texas, where he was placed on a ventilator.

Nigh, who was charged with possessing stolen property and contributing to the delinquency of a minor, had been considered a suspect in Rhonda's murder, but had not yet been charged because of his medical condition,WLKY reported.

On Friday, Quay County Sheriff confirmed Nigh had died, according to WDRB.

Jenna was returned to Kentucky, where she is held without bond in a juvenile detention center.

She was indicted as an adult by a grand jury in Boyle County, Kentucky, with an arraignment scheduled on November 1, WKYT reported.

The indictment said Jenna 'committed the offense of murder by causing the death of 52-year-old Rhonda Oakley, or that another person did so by acting in complicity with the defendant to commit this crime.'

The indictment said Jenna 'committed the offense of murder by causing the death of 52-year-old Rhonda Oakley (pictured), or that another person did so by acting in complicity with the defendant to commit this crime'

Phillip previously declared his hatred for Jenna and said he hoped both she and Nigh 'rot in hell'. Following his daughter's indictment, he said he was not surprised

Phillip, who previously said he hoped both she and Nigh 'rot in hell', told ABC: 'I have no remorse for whatever happens to Jenna. She deserves everything she gets.'

Last month, he told the Lexington Herald-Leader that he knew who murdered his wife, adding: 'I can tell you that I hate my daughter. I do not care about my daughter.

'I'm worried about the people that I need to protect and that's not one of them.'

He also said his wife's death was 'unnecessary'. They would have celebrated their third wedding anniversary this December.

In an earlier interview with local station WDRB, Oakley said: 'You grow up and you have children and you know, you say youve got unconditional love for your children.

'Thats not true. Thats not true. I found some way to not have unconditional love for my child.'

He added: 'What people say about Jenna, I dont care. Say, feel however you want about her. I dont care.'

Phillip, who would have celebrated three years of marriage with his wife in December set up a GoFundMe page to recover his wife's stolen car after it was impounded in New Mexico.

He paid tribute to the mother and grandmother, saying she adored all of her children and grandchildren.
The Coconino National Forest is now offering permits for collecting live trees, known as wildings, from the forest. The wilding season runs until Nov. 27 and corresponds with the time that the plants are dormant.

Permits will be available for coniferous trees only (Douglas fir, white fir, ponderosa pine, pinyon pine, and juniper). Aspen seedlings will not be offered.

Trees up to 12 feet tall may be collected. However, for the best chance of successful transplanting, foresters recommend that selected seedlings be much smaller in size  less than four feet. The fee is $1 per foot, with a minimum fee of $20 per permit. Maps of designated gathering locations, along with transplanting recommendations, are provided with the permit.

Permits are available at:

Coconino National Forest Supervisors Office, Flagstaff; 928-527-3600; 8 a.m.  4 p.m.

Flagstaff Ranger Station, Flagstaff; 928-526-0866; 8 a.m.  4 p.m.

Christmas tree permits

The Kaibab National Forest will sell over-the-counter and through-the-mail Christmas tree tags on a first-come, first-served basis beginning Nov. 16 and continuing until they are sold out.

Permits are $15 permit and allow the cutting of one tree of a particular species that is not more than 10 feet in height within a designated area on the Kaibab National Forest. The tag is only good for a tree on the ranger district from which it was purchased and cant be used to cut a tree on a different district unless specifically noted.

Permits are available at:

North Kaibab Ranger District (any species). Physical address: 430 S. Main St., Fredonia, AZ 86022; Mailing address: P.O. Box 248, Fredonia, AZ 86022 (928) 643-7395

Williams Ranger District (pinyon or juniper only).Physical and mailing address: 742 S. Clover Rd., Williams, AZ 86046 (928) 635-5600

Tusayan Ranger District (pinyon or juniper only). Physical address: 176 Lincoln Log Loop, Grand Canyon, AZ 86023; Mailing address: P.O. Box 3088, Grand Canyon, AZ 86023 (928) 638-2443
Diane Abbott sparked anger yesterday after she said she felt ashamed to be British

Diane Abbott sparked anger yesterday after she said she felt ashamed to be British when MPs called for the age of migrants to be assessed using dental checks.

The shadow home secretary accused politicians of treating migrants like cattle as she attacked them for saying there should be teeth X-rays for youngsters coming to Britain from the Calais Jungle.

In a speech over the weekend, Jeremy Corbyns ally also accused the government of being racist.

Calls for the tests surfaced last week amid mounting concern that adult refugees are lying about their ages to gain entry to Britain.

Labours ex-home secretary Jack Straw was among those who backed the introduction of dental tests to check age of the child refugees.

Speaking at a Labour assembly against austerity event on Saturday, Miss Abbott said: What commentators in this country have to understand is that nobody would leave their home, cross the Sahara in many cases, risking their lives, cross the Mediterranean, in particular risking their lives, if they were not desperate.

If they were not facing catastrophic war. And I have to say that Im ashamed of being a British person when you have British members of parliament suggesting you should treat refugees like cattle, and test their teeth, what has this country come to?

She also said the government was responsible for catastrophic economic outcomes, adding: It also happens to be one of the most racist governments that I have experienced as a member of parliament for 30 years.

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Last night MPs accused her of being out of touch with British voters.

Tory MP Philip Davies said: Diane Abbott is the one who has shown how out of touch her and the Labour party are with public opinion.

She should be ashamed that Britain has been taken for a ride and treated like mugs. Our generosity is being abused.

Her comments came after she faced criticism for saying people who were concerned about freedom of movement do not like seeing people who look foreign on their streets.

As Labours health spokesman last month she said people who talk Brexit had attacked and assaulted ethnic minority voters and East Europeans after the referendum.

Speaking in the Commons yesterday she shrugged off concerns that some adult migrants might be pretending to be children to get into Britain.

In a speech over the weekend, Jeremy Corbyns ally also accused the government of being racist

She condemned the British Governments failure to ensure that all children in the squalid camp were spoken to and assessed before it began to be cleared by the French.

She added: The media is in uproar about the supposed failings in the processing, and commentators are in a lather over whether some of these children are 17 and a half, 18 and a half, or, God forbid, 19 and a half.

As if being a year over the legal definition of childhood makes you miraculously immune to illness caused by freezing temperatures and raw sewage in front of your tent, fear caused by violence, and the deadly attentions of sex traffickers.

If the commentators who are now suggesting that these young people should be treated like cattle and have their teeth tested had made as much noise about the Governments slowness in processing these child refugees in the first place, we would not be in the situation we are in.

Pictured is a child migrant whose face was checked by a computer which said he was 38

A spokesman for Diane Abbott said: Diane Abbott MP, spoke around the Tory government scapegoating of immigrants to distract from their failing policies.

She said that this government is one of the most racist and damaging that has come into power since she became an MP nearly 30 years ago.

She said it made her ashamed that Members of Parliament called for the teeth of refugee children to be inspected, as if they were livestock.
A massive explosion destroyed part of a populous town in north-west China today, killing at least 10.

Residents from Xinmin town in Fugu county, Shaanxi province, said the huge blast had been caused by explosives hidden in a residential building, according to Huanqiu.com, an affiliation to People's Daily Online.

The explosion left a 13-foot-wide and 6.5-foot-deep crater and rescue teams are searching for survivors trapped under the debris.

A massive explosion occurred in Xinmin town, China's Shaanxi Province, on Monday

Streets were destroyed by the huge blast said to be caused by illegally stored explosives

The explosion sent a huge cloud of dust into the air. Picture taken by a witness from afar

The explosion occurred at around 2pm local time in a residential building across Xinmin town's hospital.

At least 10 people have been confirmed dead and 157 people hospitalised as a result of the blast, according to a statement released by the Xinhua News Agency.

Pictures emerged on social media show the building had collapsed and the nearby streets had been destroyed.

Xinmin town has around 9,000 residents.

Survivors sustained serious injuries as they were seen leaving the explosion site soaked in blood.

The explosion occurred today in a residential building in Xinmin, Shaanxi province

The explosion rocked the Xinmin town, which has around 9,000 residents. Six people have been confirmed injured and have been hospitalised, according to Fugu Police

The fire brigade dispatched 10 fire engines and over 70 firefighters to search for survivors after part of the town was ripped apart by the explosion

An ER doctor from the Xinmin Hospital told local media that they had received more than 30 patients from the explosion.

Most of them suffered minor injuries, claimed the doctor.

The fire brigade dispatched 10 fire engines and over 70 firefighters to search for survivors after they were informed of the accident at 2:06pm, said the Shaanxi General Fire Brigade in a statement.
Dramatic footage has captured the moment Chinese villagers rescued a beached whale and returned it to the ocean.

The video was recorded in Leizhou, southern China's Guangdong province, on October 23.

Over 60 people turned up to help save the whale and send it back to deeper waters of the ocean.

Helping hand: Villagers pour water over the whale to help keep it hydrated in the hot weather

Amazing moment: Villagers helped carry the whale towards deeper water to help it

According to the People's Daily, around sixty people worked together to rescue the stranded whale.

Villagers found the whale at around 2pm on October 23.

The whale was 16 feet long and is said to have weighed several tonnes.

Due to the high temperatures, rescuers were concerned that the whale was dying.

Police officers were informed and they joined in the mission to rescue the animal.

During the rescue process, some villagers held umbrellas over the animal to give it shade while others continued to dig to introduce sea water.

Villagers then managed to lift the whale and carefully carry it towards the sea.

After an hour, the whale finally swam towards deeper water.
Advertisement

In the depths of the Black Sea lies a landscape of complete darkness, where there is no light and no oxygen.

Archaeologists have long believed this 'dead zone' holds of a perfectly preserved graveyard of shipwrecks.

Now, a mapping expedition has proved them right, after accidentally uncovering more than 40 ancient shipwrecks from the Ottoman and Byzantine periods.

More than 40 shipwrecks have been discovered from the Ottoman and Byzantine periods, many of which provide the first views of ship types known from historical sources. Pictured is a shipwreck from the Ottoman period

BLACK SEA'S 'DEAD ZONE' With no light and no oxygen in the Black Sea's lower, anoxic layer, no life can survive. This means the environment cannot support the organisms that typically feast on organic materials, such as wood and flesh. As a result, there is an extraordinary opportunity for preservation, including shipwrecks and the cargoes they carried. Advertisement

The expedition has been scouring the waters 5,900ft (1,800 metres) below the surface of the Black Sea using an off-shore vessel equipped with some of the most advanced underwater equipment in the world.

The vessel is on an expedition mapping submerged ancient landscapes which were inundated with water following the last Ice Age.

The project, known Black Sea Maritime Archaeology Project (Black Sea MAP), involves an international team led by the University of Southampton's Centre for Maritime Archaeology.

Professor Jon Adams, principle investigator on the project, said: 'We're endeavouring to answer some hotly-debated questions about when the water level rose, how rapidly it did so and what effects it had on human populations living along this stretch of the Bulgarian coast of the Black Sea.

'The primary focus of this project is to carry out geophysical surveys to detect former land surfaces buried below the current sea bed, take core samples and characterise and date them, and create a palaeoenvironmental reconstruction of Black Sea prehistory.'

The vessel is based on board the Stril Explorer, and carries some of the most advanced underwater survey systems in the world.

The researchers are using two Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs) to survey the sea bed.

One is optimised for high resolution 3D photography, while the other, called Surveyor Interceptor, 'flies' at four times the speed of conventional ROVs and carries an entire suite of geophysical instrumentation, as well as lights, high definition cameras and a laser scanner.

The researchers used two Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs) to survey the sea bed. These have discovered several wrecks, including this one from the Byzantine period (pictured)

The wrecks, such as this one from the Medieval period, are astonishingly well preserved due to the anoxic conditions (absence of oxygen) of the Black Sea below 150 metres

BLACK SEA'S HISTORY Many of the colonial and commercial activities of ancient Greece and Rome, and of the Byzantine Empire, centred on the Black Sea. After 1453, when the Ottoman Turks occupied Constantinople (and changed its name to Istanbul), the Black Sea was virtually closed to foreign commerce. Nearly 400 years later, in 1856, the Treaty of Paris re-opened the sea to the commerce of all nations. Advertisement

Since the project started, Surveyor Interceptor has set new records for depth at 5,900ft (1,800 metres) and sustained speed of over six knots (7mph), and has covered 1,250 kilometres (776 miles).

Among the wrecks are ships from the Ottoman and Byzantine Empires, which provide new information on the communities on the Black Sea coast.

Many of the colonial and commercial activities of ancient Greece and Rome, and of the Byzantine Empire, centred on the Black Sea.

After 1453, when the Ottoman Turks occupied Constantinople (and changed its name to Istanbul), the Black Sea was virtually closed to foreign commerce.

Nearly 400 years later, in 1856, the Treaty of Paris re-opened the sea to the commerce of all nations.

Professor Adams said: 'The wrecks are a complete bonus, but a fascinating discovery, found during the course of our extensive geophysical surveys.

The Remotely Operate Vehicles captured the shipwrecks in stunning detail, including this intricate stern of a ship from the Ottoman period

While the primary focus of the project is to carry out geophysical surveys, shipwrecks, including this one from the Ottoman period, have given new insights into how communities live on the shores of the Black Sea

The exploration vessel is based on board the Stril Explorer, and carries some of the most advanced underwater survey systems in the world

'They are astonishingly preserved due to the anoxic conditions (absence of oxygen) of the Black Sea below 150 metres.

'Using the latest 3D recording technique for underwater structures, we've been able to capture some astonishing images without disturbing the sea bed.

'We are now among the very best exponents of this practice methodology and certainly no-one has achieved models of this completeness on shipwrecks at these depths.'

SCANNING THE BLACK SEA BED The researchers are using two Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs) to survey the sea bed. One is optimised for high resolution 3D photography, while the other, called Surveyor Interceptor, 'flies' at four times the speed of conventional ROVs and carries an entire suite of geophysical instrumentation, as well as lights, high definition cameras and a laser scanner. Since the project started, Surveyor Interceptor has set new records for depth (1,800 metres) and sustained speed over six knots (seven miles/hour), and has covered 1,250 kilometres (776 miles). A collection of more than 40 shipwrecks have been discovered and inspected, many of which provide the first views of ship types never seen before. Among the wrecks are ships from the Ottoman and Byzantine Empires, which provide new information on the communities on the Black Sea coast. Advertisement

This Remotely Operated Vehicle, called the 'Work Class Supporter', which is optimised for high resolution 3D photography, is designed to capture high resolution 3D photography and video. The researchers are using two Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs) to survey the sea bed.

The project has been scanning the bottom of the Black Sea, and has so far covered 1,250 kilometres (776 miles)

The Surveyor Interceptor 'flies' at four times the speed of conventional ROVs and carries an entire suite of geophysical instrumentation, as well as lights, high definition cameras and a laser scanner

Many of the colonial and commercial activities of ancient Greece and Rome, and of the Byzantine Empire, centred on the Black Sea (pictured)




Hangzhou Xiongmai webcams are thought to be among the devices involved in last week's cyber attack. They are being recalled in the US

Chinese firm Hangzhou Xiongmai Technology is recalling webcams that were hijacked to stage a major cyber attack last week.

The cyber siege took down a wide range of major websites including Twitter, Spotify and Reddit.

The attack targeted internet service company Dyn, which controls the 'address book' of the internet for dozens of major companies.

Security experts believe that 'Internet of Things' or IoT smart home devices were harnessed by hackers and use to bombard the websites with requests for information, overloading them and effectively shutting them down.

Chinese firm Hangzhou Xiongmai Technology is recalling webcams that were hijacked to stage a major cyber attack last week (stock image)

WHAT IS A DDOS ATTACK? DDoS attacks are a primitive form of hacking using botnets - networks of computers that hackers bring under their control. They do this by getting users to inadvertently download software, typically by following a link in an email or agreeing to download a corrupted file. Even smart home gadgets such as connected cameras and DVRs can be taken over in this way. These botnets are then used to bombard the servers with simple requests for information carried out simultaneously, causing them to become overwhelmed and shut down. Advertisement

Hangzhou Xiongmai, which makes parts for surveillance cameras, said in a statement on its official microblog that it would recall some of its earlier products sold in the US, strengthen password functions and send users a patch for products made before April last year.

It said the biggest issue was users not changing default passwords, adding that, overall, its products were well protected from cyber security breaches.

It said reports that its products made up the bulk of those targeted in the attack were false.

While internet-connected home devices may make life easier, last week's attack proved that they could also make us more vulnerable to hackers.

This is known as a DDoS (Distributed Denial of Service) attack.

'The all day disruption of DNS services first in the Eastern USA and later impacting customers of Dyn, a DNS provider, globally might be the beginning of a new era of internet attacks conducted via 'smart' things,' said Chester Wisniewski, principal research scientist from security firm Sophos.

'Clearly they aren't as smart as we think, if they can be so easily commandeered by random deviants on the internet to impact major services like Twitter, Reddit and Spotify.

'Going forward, it is critical that manufacturers eliminate default passwords and ensure devices can be remotely and automatically updated against security threats to help prevent this type of event recurring'.

Last week's attack allegedly used a botnet comprised of approximately 500,000 compromised smart security cameras, explains Mr Wisniewski.

'There are 10s of millions more insecure "smart" things that could cause incredible disruptions, if harnessed' he said.

The hack is though to to have been the result of the Mirai' code.

Security experts believe that 'Internet of Things' or IoT smart home devices, including smart TVs could be harnessed by hackers again in future

And last month, web security analysts warned of a flood of online attacks from hackers after the Mirai code for a bot used to carry out a huge hack was published online.

The code, which can turn unsecured devices such as web cameras, routers, phones and other hackable internet-connected devices into bots, can be used to target websites, knocking them offline.

THE MIRAI CODE Last month, web security analysts warned of a flood of online attacks from hackers after code for a bot used to carry out a huge hack was published online. The code, which can turn unsecured devices such as web cameras, routers, phones and other hackable internet-connected devices into bots, could be used to target websites, knocking them offline. Security expert Brian Krebs, highlighted the publication of the code and warned of the potential for a huge hike in attacks by internet of things Advertisement

A separate report last month from security experts Symantec warned that cybercriminal networks were taking advantage of lax IoT device security to spread malware and create 'zombie' networks capable of carrying out DDoS attacks.

'More than half of all IoT attacks originate from China and the US, based on the location of IP addresses to launch malware attacks', said the report.

High numbers of attacks are also emanating from Germany, the Netherlands, Russia, Ukraine and Vietnam.

In some cases, IP addresses may be proxies used by attackers to hide their true location.

While the amount of attacks on internet-connected home devices is high, the report explained that the hackers are usually trying to harness the power of the gadgets for a DDoS attack, rather than trying to hack into the individual's home network.

The danger is that people don't tend to spend as much effort ensuring that IoT gadgets are secure, as they would for their online bank account, or their computer.

Last week, a major cyber attack took down a wide range of major websites including Twitter, Spotify and Reddit. The outage was thought to be largely the result of hijacked smart home devices

'From laptops and mobile phones, to fitness trackers and routers to home security systems, smart TVs and baby monitors, any internet-connected device is a potential target but the ones with default passwords, infrequent updates and poor security protocols are the first to target' said Nick Shaw, vice president and general manager of security firm Norton EMEA.

'Often consumers dont register that their connected wearables or home devices are exposed to the same risks as their laptop or mobile phone.

'As such they dont take the steps to secure them properly.

'To reduce their risk of infection, consumers can change the default devices credentials, disabling unused services, modifying the privacy settings of the device and ensuring its firmware is up to date'.

The firm also released a list of the most common passwords used to break into internet-connected devices, including '12345' and 'password'.

'Unfortunately similar attacks are very likely,' David Emm, principle security researcher at security software firm Kaspersky Lab told MailOnline.

'This isnt the first time we have seen connected devices used as a vehicle for attack.

TIPS FOR KEEPING YOUR SMART HOME KIT SECURE Owners of IoT devices including smart TVs, lights, thermostats should: - Keep software up to date and regularly check for updates - Immediately change to a strong password - Disable features and services that are not needed - Turn off IoT devices when not in use - Check privacy settings Advertisement

'In recent years baby monitors and webcams have hit the news on account of vulnerabilities which allow criminals to access the devices and redirect them for malicious purposes.

'This method of attack relies on human complacency.

'Consumers need to think twice about what IoT devices really need to be connected, disable superfluous functionality and change the default login and password credentials to something unique and complex right out of the box to prevent them being remotely accessed,' he added.

Sophos recommends that owners of smart TVs, lights, thermostats, routers and other internet connected devices keep the software on their devices up to date and immediately change the default passwords to something unique

Symantec also recommends that people should disable features and services that are not required on IoT devices and disable them when they're not being used.
Carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has reached a symbolic threshold which it will not fall below for many generations, scientists have said.

In 2015, for the first time, carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere were at 400 parts per million (ppm) on average across the year as a whole, the World Meteorological Organisation's (WMO) annual greenhouse gas bulletin reveals.

But it may not all be down to emissions.

The bigger-than-average increase in carbon dioxide in the atmosphere between 2014 and 2015 was fuelled by the El Nino phenomenon, the report says.

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Carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has reached a symbolic threshold which it will not fall below for many generations, scientists have said.The bigger-than-average increase in carbon dioxide in the atmosphere between 2014 and 2015 was fuelled by the El Nino phenomenon

WHAT IS EL NINO? El Nino is caused by a shift in the distribution of warm water in the Pacific Ocean around the equator. Usually the wind blows strongly from east to west, due to the rotation of the Earth, causing water to pile up in the western part of the Pacific. This pulls up colder water from the deep ocean in the eastern Pacific. However, in an El Nino, the winds pushing the water get weaker and cause the warmer water to shift back towards the east. This causes the eastern Pacific to get warmer. But as the ocean temperature is linked to the wind currents, this causes the winds to grow weaker still and so the ocean grows warmer, meaning the El Nino grows. This change in air and ocean currents around the equator can have a major impact on the weather patterns around the globe by creating pressure anomalies in the atmosphere. Advertisement

The longest established greenhouse gas monitoring station in the world, at Mauna Loa in Hawaii, predicts carbon dioxide concentrations will stay above the symbolic 400ppm for the whole of 2016 and reach new highs.

It will not dip below the 400ppm mark again for many generations, the experts said.

This value is considered to be a grim tipping point for atmospheric carbon dioxide, with heavy implications for future climate conditions.

The growth spurt in carbon dioxide levels, which saw a bigger-than-average increase in the greenhouse gas in the atmosphere between 2014 and 2015, was fuelled by the El Nino weather phenomenon in the Pacific.

The strong El Nino, which started in 2015 and continued into this year, triggered droughts in tropical regions and reduced the ability of forests, vegetation and oceans to absorb carbon dioxide, leaving more in the atmosphere.

El Nino is caused by a shift in the distribution of warm water in the Pacific Ocean around the equator.

'The 2015/2016 El Nino was one of the eight strongest since 1950 and was associated with 16 consecutive months of record global temperatures,' the report says.

In an El Nino, the winds pushing the water get weaker and cause the warmer water to shift back towards the east. This causes the eastern Pacific to get warmer.

But over the longer term it is the increase of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide from human activity including industry and agriculture which caused a 37 per cent increase in the warming effect on the planet between 1990 and 2015.

Around two-thirds of the warming effect, known as radiative forcing, by long-lived greenhouse gases comes from carbon dioxide.

Levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere stood at around 278ppm before the Industrial Revolution, a concentration which the WMO said represented a natural balance on Earth.

Petteri Taalas, Secretary general of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) attends a news conference on the annual Greenhouse Gas Bulletin on concentrations of CO2 at the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland

ATMOSPHERIC CARBON DIOXIDE INCREASE: IN NUMBERS Levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere stood at around 278ppm before the Industrial Revolution, a concentration which the e World Meteorological Organisation said represented a natural balance on Earth. Human activities have altered the natural balance and in 2015 global average levels of carbon dioxide were 44 per cent above pre-industrial levels. In 2015, for the first time, carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere were at 400 parts per million (ppm) on average across the year as a whole, the World Meteorological Organisation's (WMO) annual greenhouse gas bulletin reveals. The longest established greenhouse gas monitoring station in the world, at Mauna Loa in Hawaii, predicts carbon dioxide concentrations will stay above the symbolic 400ppm for the whole of 2016 and reach new highs. It will not dip below the 400ppm mark again for many generations, the experts said. Atmospheric carbon dioxide has reached a historic threshold as levels remain above 400 parts per million  the point in which values typically drop to their lowest. Global monthly mean C02 since 2012 is shown above Advertisement

Recent daily and weekly averages have hovered above 400 ppm all month, as seen in the graph above. The annual low point in the Mauna Loa CO2 curve typically occurs around the last week of this month, but this year, they have not dipped back into the 300s

CLIMATE CHANGE IS KILLING A study published in September has revealed the dangers of climate change are already affecting humanity and led to the death of hundreds of people across Europe sixteen years ago. A heatwave in 2003 killed 506 people in Paris and 315 in London, experts have said in a new study. A fifth of those deaths can be blamed on man-made pollution. The study led by University of Oxford scientists said there were 315 heat-related deaths in London as Europe experienced its hottest summer on record, out of which 64 were caused by climate change. Advertisement

Human activities have altered the natural balance and in 2015 global average levels of carbon dioxide were 44 per cent above pre-industrial levels.

The greenhouse gas bulletin was released ahead of the next round of climate talks, which will mark the early entry into force of the Paris Agreement, the world's first comprehensive deal to tackle climate change agreed in the French capital last year.

'The year 2015 ushered in a new era of optimism and climate action with the Paris climate change agreement,' said WMO secretary-general, Petteri Taalas.

'But it will also make history as marking a new era of climate change reality with record high greenhouse gas concentrations.'

'The El Nino event has disappeared,' he added. 'Climate change has not.

'Without tackling carbon dioxide emissions, we cannot tackle climate change and keep temperature increases to below 2C above the pre-industrial era,' he said.

'It is therefore of the utmost importance that the that the Paris Agreement does indeed enter into force well ahead of schedule on November 4 and that we fast-track its implementation.'

The animation released by Nasa last month shows how ocean temperatures have fluctuated since the start of 2015

In September, climate scientists warned it's 'almost impossible' that these numbers will fall, and likely won't dip below 400ppm in the foreseeable future. The graph shows how levels have increased over the years

The Paris agreement commits countries to keeping temperature rises to 'well below' 2C and to pursue efforts to limit increases to 1.5C, by cutting greenhouse gas emissions to net zero in the second half of the century.

Data from the Mauna Loa Observatory show the recent daily and weekly averages in September have hovered above 400 ppm all month, according to Climate Central.

The low point reflects the transition between summer and fall, when the uptake of CO2 by vegetation weakens and is overtaken by the release of CO2 from soils, explains Ralph Keeling, head of the Scripps Institute for Oceanographys CO2 Program, in a blog post.

Is it possible that October 2016 will yield a lower monthly value than September and dip below 400 ppm? Almost impossible.

A study published in September also revealed the dangers of climate change are already affecting humanity and led to the death of hundreds of people across Europe sixteen years ago.

A heatwave in 2003 killed 506 people in Paris and 315 in London, experts have said in a new study.

A fifth of those deaths can be blamed on man-made pollution.

The study led by University of Oxford scientists said there were 315 heat-related deaths in London as Europe experienced its hottest summer on record, out of which 64 were caused by climate change.
But their warning came too late to

Glaciologists have been left puzzled by two unprecedented avalanches that occurred just a few miles apart.

In July 2016, an unexpected avalanche sent snow and glacial ice down flying down a valley in the Aru Range of Tibet, killing nine people.

Experts were left baffled as the glacier that collapsed was resting on relatively even ground, while both temperatures and rainfall in the months leading up to the incident were nothing out of the ordinary.

The first image (left) shows the area before either avalanche occurred, while the second image shows the first avalanche. A third image (right) shows the area after both avalanches

WHAT HAPPENED? Since the first avalanche, scientists linked to the International Association of Cryospheric Sciences and the International Permafrost Association had been trying to work out what caused it. They analysed optical and radar data from satellites for the months prior to the collapse and noticed a distinctive pattern of crevasses on the the glacier surface, along with changes in height. Both of these suggested that it was in the process of surging - the unusually rapid flow of ice from the upper part of a glacier to the lower part. Previously, surging glaciers have not been known to cause sudden avalanches. However, the images from Nasa's satellites suggest that the surging process could have primed the glaciers for collapse. The first glacier, began to surge before September 2015, but later stalled when it reached a narrow valley. Swiss scientists carried out computer simulations that suggested that the this blockage may have caused extra water to build up beneath and inside the glacier. This extra lubrication may have made the glacier more likely to collapse, said the researchers. Advertisement

The plot thickened in September 2016, when a second massive avalanche occurred a few kilometres south of the first.

'Even one of these gigantic glacier avalanches is very unusual,' said Andreas Kaab, a glaciologist at the University of Oslo.

'Two of them within close geographical and temporal vicinity is, to our best knowledge, unprecedented.'

Luckily, satellites captured images of the two avalanches, reports Nasa's Earth Observatory.

One image, taken on 24 June by the Landsat 8 satellite, shows the area before either avalanche occurred, while a second image, taken by the the Sentinel-2 on 21 July shows the first avalanche.

A third image, taken by a synthetic aperture radar (SAR) on the Sentinel-1A satellite on 24 September, shows the area after both avalanches.

Since the first avalanche, scientists linked to the International Association of Cryospheric Sciences and the International Permafrost Association had been trying to work out what caused it.

They analysed optical and radar data from satellites for the months prior to the collapse and noticed a distinctive pattern of crevasses on the the glacier surface, along with changes in height.

Both of these suggested that the glacier was in the process of surging - the unusually rapid flow of ice from the upper part of a glacier to the lower part.

Previously, surging glaciers have not been known to cause sudden avalanches.

However, the images from Nasa's satellites suggested that the surging process could have primed the glaciers for collapse.

The first glacier, began to surge before September 2015, but later stalled when it reached a narrow valley.

Swiss scientists carried out computer simulations that suggested that this blockage may have caused extra water to build up beneath and inside the glacier.

This extra lubrication may have made the glacier more likely to collapse, said the researchers.

An image captured by the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) on Nasas Terra satellite shows both avalanches in false color. This image was acquired on 4 October 2016

After noting the distinctive crevasses and changes in height that occurred before the first collapse, the researchers predicted that a second avalanche could be imminent.

Despite trying to warn Chinese scientists and government officials, their warning arrived too late.

'Just a few hours before the warning arrived, the second glacier had already collapsed in spectacular fashion', said Nasa's Earth Observatory.

Luckily, no one was killed in the second collapse.

The scientists are still searching for a definitive physical connection between the collapse of the two glaciers.
Islanders in the Pacific Ocean may be may be carrying traces of a long lost human species locked up in their DNA.

Today, modern humans inherit a small chunk of our genes from Neanderthals, with evidence that some of us carry the genetic remnants of a lesser known sister group, called the Denisovans.

But genetic analysis of people living in modern Melanesia suggests they carry traces of a third, as yet unidentified prehistoric relative distinct from the others.

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Genetic analysis of people living in modern Melanesia suggests they carry traces of unknown prehistoric relative of humans. Pictured are people from Papua New Guinea at a cultural Hagen show

The island groups of Melanesia  which includes Papua New Guinea, Fiji and the Solomon Islands and others  are geographically cut off by the Pacific Ocean, with their DNA providing a unique window into how human ancestors spread across the region.

The latest research, presented at a meeting of the American Society for Human Genetics in Vancouver, bolsters previous findings that there may be another strand to the story of modern humans, with multiple groups of prehistoric human interbreeding.

Genetic analysis of Europeans, Asians and others with non-African descent hints that ancient humans interbred with Neanderthals.

Some groups inherited as much as four per cent of their DNA from these extinct human cousins.

A single finger bone and a few teeth found in a cave in Russia revealed another branch of the family tree, the Denisovans, also left their genetic calling card in modern humans, accounting for as much as four per cent of peoples DNA in Melanesia.

Native people from Papua New Guinea in Melanesia are believed to owe between two and four per cent of their DNA to Denisovans and carry less Neanderthal DNA than other Asians. But genetic data reveal their ancestors may have bred with a third species of ancient human

ANOTHER TWIST IN THE TALE OF HUMAN EVOLUTION? The tantalising genetic evidence offers a hint of another branch of the human family tree The island peoples in the Pacific Ocean have a distinct genetic ancestry. Genetic analysis shows their ancestors bred with two groups of ancient humans, the Neanderthals and Denisovans. This link is made by comparing samples of islanders with DNA sequences extracted from remains of these ancient human species. But studying the rate of genetic mixing in Melanesia revealed a high proportion of other extinct ancestry which was unaccounted for. Researchers believe this genetic evidence of a third unknown group of human species which predated the Denisovans by hundreds of thousands of years. The tantalising genetic evidence offers a hint of another branch of the human family tree. But unlike Neanderthals and Denisovans, there are no known physical remains to compare it with. This unknown third group could add another twist in the tale of human evolution. Advertisement

Now, the latest number crunching has revealed another genetic twist in the tale of modern humans.

Ryan Bohlender, a geneticist at the University of Texas, and colleagues looked at the rate of genetic mixing which would account for whats seen in modern Melanisians and found that something didnt add up.

As expected, their analysis found the genetic calling cards of Denisovans and Neanderthals, but it also revealed a high proportion of other extinct ancestry unaccounted for.

To explain this mystery DNA, the team believe that ancient Melanesians must have bred with a third group of hominids.

Presenting their findings in Vancouver, the team explained: We suggest that a third archaic population related more closely to Neanderthal and Denisova than to modern humans introgressed into the San genomes studied here.

Modern humans carry remnants of Neanderthals and Denisovans. The links have been made by comparing samples of modern human with DNA extracted from remains of these ancient human species, such as the tooth of a Denisovan found in Russia (pictured)

Genetic analysis of Europeans, Asians and others with non-African descent hints that ancient humans interbred with Neanderthals, with some groups inheriting as much as 4 per cent of their DNA from these extinct human cousins. Pictured is a Neanderthal skull

By working out the amount of DNA shared by Neanderthals and Denisovans, they calculated that this third extinct human species likely branched off from their common ancestor 440,000 years ago.

'Overall, our findings confirm the human family tree is more complicated than we think it is,' said Dr Bohlender.

He exlained: 'Other archaic populations are likely to have existed, like the Denisovans, who we didn't know about except through genetics.'

Previous studies have shown that ancient Melanesians trysts with Denisovans may have helped them to adapt to new environments and spread across the Pacific and into Australia.

Among the Denisovan genes are those which boost resilience to viruses and provide metabolic benefits, including increasing blood glucose levels and breaking down fats.

Tracing the genetic lineage has revealed that modern humans interbred with Neanderthals a number of times and Denisovans at least once, before these two human cousins died out.
With the latest iPhone 7 measuring 6.7 centimetres (2.6 inches) in width, it can be difficult for users with small hands to type with just one hand.

But it appears Apple may have a one-handed keyboard hidden in code, which has 'been there since at least iOS 8.'

The mysterious feature was revealed by a developer, but unfortunately it is not yet available.

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It appears Apple may have a one-handed keyboard hidden in code, which has 'been there since at least iOS 8.' The mysterious feature was revealed by a developer who hacked an iOS Simulator, but unfortunately it is not yet available

MICROSOFT WORD FLOW Other firms, including Microsoft and Google, have one-handed keyboard apps, designed to make typing easier for those people with small hands. In April, Microsoft introduced 'Word Flow' app from the iTunes Store, which has a 'fan-like' keyboard that allows users to easily access the entire keyboard. Word Flow can then intelligently suggest the next word, auto-correct mistakes and learn over time. Advertisement

Steve Troughton-Smith, a developer from Ireland discovered the feature while he was using an iOS Simulator.

He tweeted screen-grabs showing the keyboard, writing: 'Today's fun hack (been there since at least iOS 8); the iOS keyboard has an unused left/right one-handed mode. Activated by edge-swipe.'

In 2014, Apple introduced a similar 'Reachability' feature on iOS 8 to coincide with the launch of its iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, both of which had bigger screens than on previous handsets.

A double-tap on the home button, drops whatever is at the top of the screen to halfway down the display, making it easier to reach when using the handsets one-handed.

The feature is also included in the latest iOS software.

Today's fun hack (been there since at least iOS 8); the iOS keyboard has an unused left/right one-handed mode. Activated by edge-swipe pic.twitter.com/zIk7x7CVmu  Steve Troughton-Smith (@stroughtonsmith) October 19, 2016

Other firms, including Microsoft and Google, have one-handed keyboard apps, designed to make typing easier for those people with small hands.

In April, Microsoft introduced 'Word Flow' app to the iTunes Store, which has a 'fan-like' keyboard that allows users to easily access the entire keyboard.

Word Flow can then intelligently suggest the next word, auto-correct mistakes and learn over time.

The hidden iOS version appears to push the keyboard over to your chosen side, making it easier to reach the key on the side furthest from the thumb.

The hidden iOS version appears to push the keyboard over to your chosen side, making it easier to reach the key on the side furthest from the thumb (stock image)

But sadly for iPhone users, the feature hidden in the code is not usable.

Apple has not made it clear why the feature is hidden, and has not replied for comment on whether it will ever become readily available for its users.

But for those desperate to access the feature, Mr Troughton-Smith has released a tutorial, explaining how he activated it.
It can be easy to take for granted the images of the Earth we see captured from space.

From Nasa satellites monitoring ice in the Arctic to astronauts taking pictures of Northern Lights, the way the planet looks from above is a familiar sight.

But 70 years ago it was a very different story, until this day in 1946 when the world saw its very first glimpse of the Earth as it looks from space.

This photograph was taken on the 24 October 1946 by a camera on board a US Army rocket. The US had employed a surrendered German rocket scientist towards the end of the Second World War, and used a Nazi missile to carry a Devry 35-millimetre camera

HITLER'S SPACE RACE After the first was fired in 1944, Hitler deployed thousands of these missiles against targets in London, Antwerp, and Liege, in what was seen as his last throw of the dice. Around 1,500 V-2 rockets, the V stood for Vergeltungswaffe, or Vengeance Weapon, were fired at London and the south east of England. After the war a team of surrendered German rocket scientists secretly moved to America and worked with the US Army on their space programme. They worked on the V-2 rocket to test its capabilities for space exploration and military defence, and this led to the first photograph of the Earth from space. Advertisement

The photograph was taken on the 24 October 1946 by a camera on board a US Army rocket that launched from White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico.

The US had employed a group of surrendered German rocket scientists towards the end of the Second World War, who used a Nazi missile to carry a Devry 35-millimetre camera to capture the image.

The camera on board was enclosed in a steel case to protect it when the rocket plummeted back to Earth at 500 feet per second (150m/s).

Even with this case it was a risky experiment, and the group of soldiers and engineers watching the launch of the rocket were overjoyed when they discovered the film had survived the crash.

'They were ecstatic, they were jumping up and down like kids,' said Fred Rulli, who was involved in the camera recovery team, according to Air & Space Magazine.

Then, 'when they first projected [the photos] onto the screen, the scientists just went nuts.'

Taken at an altitude of 65 miles (104km), the black-and-white image reveals the Earth's curvature and shows a sweep of cloud cover over the American Southwest.

The camera was aboard a V-2 rocket, part of a series of missiles developed by the Nazis.

Hermann Oberth, an Austro-Hungarian-born German physicist and engineer, was believed to be one of the designers of the rocket.

After the first was fired in 1944, Hitler deployed thousands of these missiles against targets in London, Antwerp, and Liege, in what was seen as his last throw of the dice.

Around 1,500 V-2 rockets, the V stood for Vergeltungswaffe, or Vengeance Weapon, were fired at London and the south east of England.

The camera was aboard a V-2 rocket (replica left, diagram right), a series of missiles developed by the Nazis. After the first was fired in 1944, Hitler deployed thousands of these missiles against targets in London, Antwerp, and Liege, in what was seen as his last throw of the dice

A cutaway of the V2 rocket compiled by American intelligence forces. Hermann Oberth, an Austro-Hungarian-born German physicist and engineer, was believed to be one of the designers of the rocket

THE OVERVIEW EFFECT Few people have had the opportunity to look at the Earth as a globe. But those who have had this chance have reported changes in their awareness of the world. The overview effect is the name given to this change in awareness reported by some astronauts and cosmonauts during spaceflight. It is often reported while viewing the Earth from orbit or from the lunar surface. Advertisement

After the war a team of surrendered German rocket scientists secretly moved to America and worked with the US Army on their space programme.

They worked on the V-2 rocket to test its capabilities for space exploration and military defence, and this led to the first photograph of the Earth from space.

Since then, spacecraft have captured images of Earth from much further away.

On 14 February, 1990, the Voyager 1 spacecraft looked back at our solar system and snapped the first-ever pictures of the planets from beyond Neptune.

A narrow-angle colour image of the Earth, dubbed 'Pale Blue Dot', was part of this first ever 'portrait' of the solar system taken by Voyager 1.

Precursor of the space race: The V2 rocket, or Vengeance weapon, was designed by the Germans to retaliate for devastating Allied bombing strikes on German cities

While preparing for his return to Earth, British spaceman Tim Peake managed to find the time to take a few final snaps of the stunning Northern Lights from his viewpoint 249 miles above the Earth in June this year (pictured)
WSJ: Clinton Ally Aided Campaign of FBI Officials Wife

Group linked to Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe donated nearly half a million dollars to 2015 state Senate candidate

The political organization of Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe, an influential Democrat with longstanding ties to Bill and Hillary Clinton , gave nearly $500,000 to the election campaign of the wife of an official at the Federal Bureau of Investigation who later helped oversee the investigation into Mrs. Clintons email use.

Campaign finance records show Mr. McAuliffes political-action committee donated $467,500 to the 2015 state Senate campaign of Dr. Jill McCabe, who is married to Andrew McCabe, now the deputy director of the FBI.

The Virginia Democratic Party, over which Mr. McAuliffe exerts considerable control, donated an additional $207,788 worth of support to Dr. McCabes campaign in the form of mailers, according to the records. That adds up to slightly more than $675,000 to her candidacy from entities either directly under Mr. McAuliffes control or strongly influenced by him. The figure represents more than a third of all the campaign funds Dr. McCabe raised in the effort.Mr. McAuliffe and other state party leaders recruited Dr. McCabe to run, according to party officials. She lost the election to incumbent Republican Dick Black.A spokesman for the governor said he supported Jill McCabe because he believed she would be a good state senator. This is a customary practice for Virginia governors Any insinuation that his support was tied to anything other than his desire to elect candidates who would help pass his agenda is ridiculous.Among political candidates that year, Dr. McCabe was the third-largest recipient of funds from Common Good VA, the governors PAC, according to campaign finance records. Dan Gecker received $781,500 from the PAC and $214,456 from the state party for a campaign that raised $2.9 million, according to records; and Jeremy McPike received $803,500 from the PAC and $535,162 from the state party, raising more $3.8 million that year for his candidacy.The governor could recall only one meeting with Mr. McCabewhen he and other state Democrats met with the couple on March 7, 2015, to urge Dr. McCabe to run, according to the spokesman.The FBI said in a statement that during his wifes campaign Mr. McCabe played no role, attended no events, and did not participate in fundraising or support of any kind. Months after the completion of her campaign, then-Associate Deputy Director McCabe was promoted to Deputy, where, in that position, he assumed for the first time, an oversight role in the investigation into Secretary Clintons emails.FBI officials said that after that meeting with the governor in Richmond on March 7, Mr. McCabe sought ethics advice from the bureau and followed it, avoiding involvement with public corruption cases in Virginia, and avoiding any campaign activity or events.Mr. McCabes supervision of the Clinton email case in 2016 wasnt seen as a conflict or an ethics issue because his wifes campaign was over by then and Mr. McAuliffe wasnt part of the email probe, officials said.Once I decided to run, Dr. McCabe said, my husband had no formal role in my campaign other than to be a supportive husband to me and our children. As a federal officialeveryone who participated in our campaign understood and respected that he could not participate.Mr. McCabe is a longtime FBI official who focused much of his career on terrorism. His wife is a hospital physician who campaigned in northern Virginia, where the couple live with their children.The 2015 Virginia State senate race was Dr. McCabes first run for office and her campaign spent $1.8 million. The race was part of Mr. McAuliffes failed effort to win a Democratic majority in the Virginia legislature, which would have given him significantly more sway in Richmond, the state capital.At the end of July 2015, Mr. McCabe was promoted to FBI headquarters and assumed the No. 3 position at the agency. In February 2016, he became FBI Director James Comeys second-in-command.As deputy director, Mr. McCabe was part of the executive leadership team overseeing the Clinton email investigation, though FBI officials say any final decisions on that probe were made by Mr. Comey, who served as a high-ranking Justice Department official in the administration of George W. Bush.Mr. McAuliffe has been under investigation for months by the FBIs Washington field office, a probe that includes an examination of donations made on behalf of a Chinese businessman, according to people familiar with the matter. His lawyers have denied any wrongdoing and said the investigation is seeking to determine if Mr. McAuliffe may have violated a law requiring people to register as agents of a foreign entity.It was unclear the extent to which Mr. McCabe may have recused himself from discussions involving Mr. McAuliffe. When Mr. McCabes wife began her campaign, he shied away from involvement in Virginia public corruption cases, according to officials.Once the campaign was over, officials said, Mr. McCabe and FBI officials felt the potential conflict-of-interest issues ended.
The team hopes to bring the concept into the 21st century with new materials and

The US space agency may be best known for sending rockets to the moon and rovers to Mars, but it also has its sights set designs for aircraft on Earth.

Nasa engineers are working to develop a plane whose wings can change shape during flight, boosting their efficiency.

Their adaptive design includes a hinge that enables the wings to fold by as much as 75 degrees during flight, which could reduce drag and improve how it handles in the air.

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Nasa engineers are working to develop a prototype folding wing concept. By tweaking the shape of the wing a few degrees in flight, pilots could find the optimal position - which could prove key to stability in hypersonic flight. Pictured is prototype for testing the concept

SPANWISE ADAPTIVE WINGS Nasa engineers are working with Boeing and Area-I to develop a prototype of its folding wing concept. Folding wings have been used for decades as a means of reducing the space aircraft take up on aircraft carriers and in hangers. The approach was also incorporated into a US nuclear bomber in the 1960s, the XB-70 Valkyrie, but only the tips folded during flight. Engineers hope that their spanwise adaptive wing (SAW) concept will bring folding wings into the 21st century with new technology and materials. They believe that by tweaking the shape of the wing by a few degrees in flight, pilots could find the optimal position to cut through the air with less drag and generate more lift - which could prove key to stability in hypersonic flight. Advertisement

Folding wings have been around since the 1940s, used as a means of reducing the space aircraft take up when they are on the ground, crucial when space is at a premium, such as on aircraft carriers.

Engineers from Nasas Armstrong Flight Research Center in California are working with teams from the Langley Research Center in Virginia, and Glenn Research Center in Ohio to develop the concept for aircraft in flight, called the spanwise adaptive wing (SAW).

By tweaking the shape of the wing by a few degrees, pilots could find the optimal position to cut through the air with less drag and generate more lift.

Just as the flaps on a commercial aircraft switch between take-off and landing, the wings on the Saw concept would use a hinge to tilt and improve performance.

Ideally, we would be able to take that portion of the wing and articulate it up or down to the optimal flight condition that youre in, said Nasas Matt Moholt, principal investigator for Saw.

So lets say youre a condition that requires a climb-out. The optimal position might be up 15 degrees or down 15 degrees, and you would be able to get that.

The folding wing approach was incorporated onto a US nuclear bomber in the 1960s, the XB-70 Valkyrie, but only the tips folded during flight.

Nasas vision would look to bring the approach into the 21st Century using modern technology and materials.

We are revisiting folding-wing aircraft because new technologies that did not exist in the 1960s allow actuation to be put in tighter wings, in smaller volumes, added Moholt.

Folding wings have been used for decades, mainly to reduce space on the ground. But thr technology was also incorporated into a US nuclear bomber in the 1960s, the XB-70 Valkyrie (pictured), but only the tips folded during flight

Now you can articulate a very small, thin [aerofoil], whereas before the actuator technology didnt exist.

Advanced actuation could potentially provide a compact, lightweight design which minimises stress experienced by the wings.

Beyond standard aircraft, the team believes the adjustable wing design could help planes travelling at supersonic and hypersonic speeds to fly more efficiently.

Once through the sound barrier, aircraft experience more lift but also more yaw  the twisting motion where the tail swings from side to side.

Engineers hope that their spanwise adaptive wing (SAW) concept (illustrated) will bring folding wings into the 21st century with new technology and materials

By adjusting the shape during flight the Saw concept could reduce this wobble, providing greater stability at higher speeds.

Nasa has not provided hard details on how the folding system would work, but that it would be an extension of previous solid state systems, driven by electric motors.

The aerospace agency is working with Boeing and Area-I to develop a prototype.

Once developed, the technology will be tested on a scale model called Ptera, fitted with a full suite of instruments to measure the effect of inflight folding.
Researchers have devised a new method that infiltrates Android devices without exploiting software vulnerabilities.

Dubbed Drammer, this attack employs an existing bug known as Rowhammer and takes advantage of RAM chips' weak physical design  allowing hackers to easily alter memory.

This app doesn't require permission for installation, which gives cyber criminals access to millions of Android handsets including devices from Google, Samsung, LG and Motorola.

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Drammer is an attack that employs an existing bug known as Rowhammer and takes advantage of RAM chips' weak physical design. Pictured is an LG Nexus 5 at the moment it is rooted using Rowhammer-induced bit flips

IS YOUR PHONE AFFECTED? The researchers tested 27 Android devices from different manufacturers, 21 using ARMv7 (32-bit) and six using ARMv8 (64-bit) architectures. They managed to flip bits on 17 of the ARMv7 devices and one of the ARMv8 devices, which means they are vulnerable to the attack. The team successfully rooted the following handsets: the Nexus 4, Nexus 5, and G4 from LG; Moto G models from 2013 and 2014 made by Motorola; the Galaxy S4 and Galaxy S5 from Samsung; and the One from OnePlus. However, they also found that the results were inconsistent - only 12 of the 15 Nexus 5 models were successfully rooted, while only one of two Galaxy S5 were compromised. Advertisement

This vulnerability derives from the push so many manufactures make to add more dynamic random-access memory (DRAM) capacity onto the every decreasing chips.

'Our work is the first to show that Rowhammer is possible on mobile, ARM-based hardware,' said researchers in the VUSec Lab at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam in a report.

'Drammer is the first Android root exploit that relies on no software vulnerability and is an instance of the Flip Feng Shui exploitation technique.'

Rowhammer is a hardware bug that lets hackers alter data in the electronic's memory without actually accessing - it does so by reading its location.

The new attack developed by researchers does not require the user's permission, allowing it to inconspicuously install the targeted app, reports Ars Technica.

Rowhammer changes certain bits of data in a way that completely roots name brand Android devices from LG, Motorola, Samsung, OnePlus, and possibly other manufacturers.

HOW DRUMMER WORKS? Researchers have developed a new attack called Drammer. This app employs an existing hack known as Rowhammer Rowhammer is a hardware bug that lets hackers alter the data in memory without actually accessing it by reading its location. An app containing the researchers' rooting exploit requires no user permissions and doesn't rely on any vulnerability in Android to work. Rowhammer changes certain bits of data in a way that completely roots name brand Android devices from LG, Motorola, Samsung, OnePlus, and possibly other manufacturers. Advertisement

'Until recently, we never even thought about hardware bugs [and] software was never written to deal with them,' one of the researchers, Victor van der Veen, wrote Dan Goodin with Ars Technica in an e-mail.

'Now, we are using them to break your phone or tablet in a fully reliable way and without relying on any software vulnerability or esoteric feature.'

'And there is no quick software update to patch the problem and go back to business as usual.'

This app doesn't require permission for installation, which could give cyber criminals access to millions of Android handsets including Nexus, Samsung, LG (pictured is the LG G4 that was compromised during experiments) and Motorola.

The researchers tested 27 Android devices from different manufacturers, 21 using ARMv7 (32-bit) and six using ARMv8 (64-bit) architectures.

They managed to flip bits on 17 of the ARMv7 devices and one of the ARMv8 devices, which means they are vulnerable to the attack.

The team successfully rooted the following handsets: the Nexus 4, Nexus 5, and G4 from LG; Moto G models from 2013 and 2014 made by Motorola; the Galaxy S4 and Galaxy S5 from Samsung; and the One from OnePlus.

However, they also found that the results were inconsistent - only 12 of the 15 Nexus 5 models were successfully rooted, while only one of two Galaxy S5 were compromised.

Researcher say they notified Google about the vulnerabilities on July 25, however, it is believed that Google did not notify their hardware partners about the flaws until October 2.

The new attack developed by researchers does not require the user's permission, allowing it to inconspicuously install the targeted app. It allows hackers to alter memory, on a Samsung Galaxy S5 for example, without actually accessing it

BE ON THE LOOK OUT An investigation by Israeli security analyst Gal Beniamini found Android devices using full disk encryption and running Qualcomm processors were most at risk. According to Beniamini's analysis, the vulnerabilities are down to a combination of factors, namely how the processors verify security and the Android kernels  the core operating system. It could leave millions of Android users open to so called 'brute force attacks'  where hackers overwhelm security measures using a persistent trial and error approach. Google and Qualcomm have worked to release security patches, but Beniamini advises hardware upgrades may be required to fix the issue. Advertisement

The Android Security team said it would issue a partial fix for the flaw (CVE-2016-6728) with its November security bulletin.

Researchers explained that Google's patch will make it much harder for an attacker to launch a Drammer attack, but it does not eradicate it.

'We hope to see a more sophisticated fix soon,' according to researchers.

The team has also developed a separate app that tests devices for the Raowhammer bug, which also allows them to share their results.

This app uses a native binary for which we also released the source code and uploads anonymized output.

Drammer was a collaboration with the University of California, Santa Barbara hwo showed how Stagefright mitigation techniques can be easily bypassed using a Drammer attack.

'By tricking the victim into opening a malicious URL, an attacker gains remote shell access to the vulnerable device,' the researchers wrote.

'Since the exploited mediaserver is not running with root-privileges, however, he still cannot access /sdcard, for example.
Lieutenant Catia Pellegrino, the commander of the patrol vessel Libra, who has a presidential medal of honour for rescues shes co-ordinated, is one of those suspected of mishandling the situation

Several Italian naval officers are being investigated by prosecutors for culpable homicide as a result of their alleged failure to rescue migrants from a sinking fishing boat  an incident in which around 300 people lost their lives, including over 100 children.

Lieutenant Catia Pellegrino, the commander of the patrol vessel Libra, who has a presidential medal of honour for rescues shes co-ordinated, is one of those suspected of mishandling the SOS situation.

The tragedy, which occurred in the Mediterranean on October 11, 2013, appears to be the result of confusion over who should come to the aid of the boat between the Italian and Maltese authorities, its been reported.

The Italian navy has faster vessels, but it was Malta who was handed responsibility for coming to the boats aid.

The fishing boat, which came from Syria and was carrying 480 people, sank about 60 miles (100km) south of the Italian island of Lampedusa, which is around 135 miles from Malta. However, search and rescue responsibilities fall to Malta in these waters.

A survivor of the incident, Aleppo doctor Mohanad Jammo, said he called the Italian coastguard at 11am.

Nothing happened, he told Italian magazine LEspresso, The Times reported, so he called the coastguard again at 1pm but alleged that the person that answered the phone gave him a number for the Maltese authorities then hung up.

A Maltese rescue boat didnt arrive until 5.51pm. At this point most of the children were dead.

Pellegrinos Libra arrived on the scene shortly afterwards.

A spokesman for the Italian navy told The Times: Anything is possible but a procedural error seems unlikely to me. These are certainly moments of anguish and worry for the officers placed under investigation and their families.'

Speaking at the time, Maltese Prime Minister Joseph Muscat said: This is not just another wake-up call for Europe. This is the time for action. This is a European problem, not a problem for Italy or Malta only.

MailOnline has asked the Italian Navy for a comment.

On Sunday Italian officials said that 14 bodies had been recovered in a two-day period on smugglers' boats packed with migrants making the perilous journey across the Mediterranean.

Thousands of migrants have risked their lives crossing the Mediterranean sea. Pictured are migrants from Eritrea jumping into the water on August 29, 2016, from a crowded wooden boat near Libya as they are helped by an NGO

The Italian Coast Guard says the dead included a 25-year-old pregnant woman. In all 5,700 migrants were rescued from dozens of small boats and rubber dinghies between Friday and Saturday.

Premier Matteo Renzi appealed to his European partners to come up with a fundamental solution to the migrant issue during a visit to Sicily on Saturday, saying "we cannot go on this way." He called for financial penalties for eastern European countries that refuse to take in migrants.
over the flats were no doubt once

One of the few areas of the world

As our guide Miles struggles to steer our hovercraft, it quickly becomes clear why these machines were such a short-lived fad. Piloting one is not quite as simple as driving a car.

It has the steering capability of a supermarket shopping trolley, admits Miles.

Broome in north-western Australia is one of the few places in the world where hovercraft still have a role to play  the Indian Ocean retreats about a mile at low tide. In such circumstances, its handy to have something capable of travelling on soggy flats as well as the sea.

Broome in north-western Australia is one of the few places in the world where hovercraft still have a role to play  the Indian Ocean retreats about a mile at low tide. In such circumstances, its handy to have something capable of travelling on soggy flats as well as the sea

These giant marks were made about 120 million years ago, but were discovered only in the 1970s. They belong, scientists believe, to a brachiosaurus

During a very low tide, you can see seaplanes that were destroyed during the Second World War, says Miles.

Theres also plenty of birdlife to admire, and the occasional crocodile venturing from its preferred home territory.

After a blast across Roebuck Bay on the hovercraft, Miles puts his trusty yellow steed into a spin which is designed to land the front section on the beach. And what a beach it is, with spectacular red cliffs towering over the sand.

But Miles is more interested in the rocks on the beach. We walk over to them, and he gets us to stand in formation. The first guinea pig stands over an oval shape, before the rest of us are shepherded into similar spots.

When we look around at each other, theres a clear pattern. Thats because youre standing in dinosaur footprints, explains Miles.

These giant marks were made about 120 million years ago, but were discovered only in the 1970s. They belong, scientists believe, to a brachiosaurus. At the time, it would have been forest floor rather than rock the dino was walking on. The centuries, however, have compressed everything. Theyre not the only dinosaur footprints in these parts. Hundreds of sets have been found around Broome  largely because the landscape is so benign.

There have been no earthquakes or volcanoes to change things since the dinosaurs died out and their historic highway became considerably hotter.

Hundreds of sets of dinosaur footprints have been found around Broome  largely because the landscape is so benign. There have been no earthquakes or volcanoes to change things since the dinosaurs died out and their historic highway became considerably hotter

After some quality time spent with these startling remnants of the past, its time to head back in the hovercraft, which bounces over the flats until we spin to a stop, and Miles pulls out a picnic table from a secret compartment.

Canapes and a glass of champagne on the squelchy flats seems like an odd way to end a tour, until the sun starts descending. The little pools of water left behind by the retreating tide reflect the sun as it goes into its brilliant orange and red phases.

Its quite the light show  and one that Mama Brachiosaurus probably would have enjoyed 160 million years ago.

TRAVEL FACTS Emirates (emirates.com) flies to Broome from Heathrow via Dubai and Perth. Return fares cost from 785. Rooms at Pinctada McAlpine House (mcalpinehouse.com.au) cost from A$195 (119) per night. Broome Hovercraft Adventure Tours sunset tour costs A$185 (113). For more information, visit broomehovercraft.com.au. Advertisement




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Excited about Halloween? Looking to freak yourself out?

Then spend the night this month at a hotel widely rumoured to be haunted, or situate yourself close to some of the world's most morbid museums to feed your appetite for scares.

Some ghosts are thought to have set up camp in hotels long, long ago: the spirit of alleged 1800s American axe-murderess Lizzie Borden, for example, who is said to still roam the corridors of a Massachusetts bed and breakfast.

Other establishments appear to have welcomed newer ghostly residents, like The Chelsea Hotel in New York, where Sex Pistols guitarist Sid Vicious is accused of stabbing his girlfriend to death in 1978.

Or why not take your chances at England's Chillingham Castle in Northumberland, which to this day has a 'haunted room' and a gruesome torture chamber which guests can wander around to learn of its grim history.

If it's ghosts you seek this October, or at the least rumours of their presence, you'll find them here in MailOnline Travel's creepy round-up.

Chillingham Castle, Northumberland, England

As the name suggests, this 12th century building boasts a serious back catalogue of doom, with a torture chamber displaying horrific tools that hark back to its former days and a 'haunted' bedroom, the infamous Pink Room

Lizzie Borden Bed & Breakfast, Fall River, Massachusetts

Once a hideous crime scene and now a shrine, this was the spot where spinster Lizzie Borden allegedly hacked her father and stepmother to death with an axe in 1892 - photos from the massacre now line this B&B's walls

The 1886 Crescent Hotel & Spa, Eureka Springs, Arkansas

Now a swanky hotel and spa, this establishment has a history that doesn't get much darker: in 1937, it was a 'cancer hospital' run by a fake doctor, 'Dr' Normal Baker, who used it as a front for his experiments on humans, both dead and alive

The Mermaid Inn, East Sussex, England

This centuries-old coaching inn, pictured (left) in 1901 and (right) today, has apparently been the setting of creepy chairs which rock on their own and clothes that turn wet when hung by the fire - yours for 80 a night

The Marshall House in Savannah, Georgia, USA

It is believed that this former hospital still plays host to spirits from the Civil War which the owners say are 'friendly', with guests reporting ghosts in the hallways and foyers, children running down the halls and taps turning on by themselves

Hawthorne Hotel in Salem, Massachusetts, USA

Located in Salem, a town notorious for hanging 20 women during the witch trials of 1692, this hotel has been reported to have housed the ghost of a weeping child, and an invisible force which 'strokes' guests

Deetjens Big Sur Inn, California, USA

This charming old hotel in California's Big Sur is right near the Point Sur Lighthouse, which runs moonlight ghost tours, and is said to haunted by the inn's founder 'Grandpa Deetjen', who has been heard slamming doors there

Hotel Cecil, Los Angeles, USA

Notorious as once being home to infamous serial killer Richard Ramirez, it's also the location of the strange and unexplained death of tourist Elisa Lam, who was found decomposing inside the rooftop water tanks in 2013

The Chelsea Hotel, New York City, USA

Host to countless stars and writers in the past - Dylan Thomas lived and died here - it is thought to be haunted as a result of the Sex Pistols' guitarist Sid Vicious, who was accused of stabbing his girlfriend to death here

Battery Carriage House, Charleston, South Carolina

It bills itself as 'Charlestons most romantic inn,' but bizarrely also claims to be the most haunted. Guest sightings - most of them in rooms eight or ten, have included the apparition of a headless torso and a conversely civilised 'gentleman ghost'

Toftaholm Herrgard, Lagan, Sweden

This former country home is said to be roamed by the ghost of a peasant who hanged himself on the day of his beloved's wedding because she didn't return his love - not the most romantic of stories but a pretty setting nonetheless

Akasaka Weekly Mansion, Tokyo, Japan

The setting of (literally) hair-raising stories including the guest who insists a ghost once dragged across her room by her locks, while others have reported lights flicking on and off by themselves and odd shapes emerging from the air vents

Dragsholm Slot, Sealand, Denmark

During this former castle's renovation in the 1930s, a skeleton clad in a white dress was found within its crumbling walls, allegedly the daughter of a former nobleman known as 'the white lady' whose spirit still mopes around today

The Heathman Hotel, Portland, Oregon, USA
The decorated American equestrian vaulter is expecting her first child with Mel Gibson.

And Rosalind Ross, 26, showed off her burgeoning baby bump as she stepped out for the World Poker Tournament's Four Kings and an Ace charity event in Beverly Hills on Friday night.

Later in the evening the actor, 60, who has been dating the brunette beauty for two years, pledged $100,000 to be a Mending Kids Hero during the auction period.

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Beaming beauty: Mel Gibson's girlfriend Rosalind Ross, 26, showed off her burgeoning baby bump as she stepped out for the World Poker Tournament's Four Kings and an Ace charity event in Beverly Hills on Friday night

The raven-haired beauty turned heads in a two-tiered orange frock, which showcased her lithe limbs.

The thigh-skimming dress rested gently against her growing belly, giving fans a preemptive glimpse of the baby she is due to deliver early next year.

Rosalind kept her accessories simple, matching a black ring and black earrings with a pair of strappy black heels.

Short and sweet! Mel posed with friends Vince Vaughn and Gene Simmons as he posed for cameras ahead of the World Poker Tournament's charity event on Friday

Hollywood actor Mel rocked a smart casual look as he posed with other A-listers Vince Vaughn and Gene Simmons.

The Hacksaw Ridge star wore an oversized grey tartan jacket over a pair of dark denim jeans paired with a blue dress shirt.

Curves in all the right places! At the premiere of Mel's recent release, Hacksaw Ridge, the superstar equestrian vaulter showed off her pregnancy curves in a fitted black dress

His bushy salt and pepper beard appeared to have been styled for the event and he finished his look off with a pair of black leather loafers.

Despite the actor's success in Hollywood, Mel's career has been overshadowed by scandal, including controversial remarks about minority groups.

In 1991, he made derogatory comments about the LGBT community, and in 2006 and 2010 respectively he was criticised for making antisemitic and racist comments.

Rosalind's baby will be the actor's ninth child and the first for his partner of two years.

The former equestrian superstar is a decade younger than his eldest child.

Mel has seven children with ex-wife Robyn Moore: Hannah, 36, twin boys Christian and Edward, 34, William, 31, Louis, 28, Milo, 26, and Thomas, 17.

He also has a six-year-old daughter, Lucia, with former girlfriend Oksana Grigorieva.
She's had 18 men vying for her attention on The Bachelorette and is now down to her final three.

But according to New Idea, Georgia Love's family are less than impressed with her choice in men and have labelled her time on the show as a 'mistake.'

Georgia's father Dr Christopher Love reportedly refuses 'give his blessing' to Lee Elliott and Matty Johnson - because he prefers her 'secret' policeman boyfriend Nick Grubb.

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Ouch! According to New Idea magazine, Georgia Love's family are less than impressed with her choices of men and have labelled her time on The Bachelorette as a 'mistake'

A source told the publication that Georgia was struggling to decide who she'd choose out of Lee and Matty and was shocked when her family told her they didn't like either of them.

'Everyone could see she was fighting back tears,' the source - who claims to be a friend - said.

'Georgia is very close to her dad and he absolutely has her best interests at heart and he just didn't think the process was very sincere.'

'She was fighting back tears': Georgia is seen here with her father, Dr Christopher Love

No tick of approval here! She was reportedly shocked when her family told her they didn't like either Lee (L) or Matty (R)

His pick! Georgia's father Dr Christopher Love reportedly refuses 'give his blessing' to Lee Elliott and Matty Johnson - because he prefers her 'secret' policeman boyfriend Nick Grubb

According to the magazine, her sister Katie also preferred Nick as her chosen suitor and the family doesn't like the fact that she went on TV to boost her career and leave Nick on the sidelines.

The report comes after New Idea reported Matty and Lee were seen filming the upcoming finale in Singapore.

Jake also was in Singapore but it is believed he does not make the final two.

Earlier this year, New Idea reported Georgia was dating Tasmanian policeman Nick when she was approached by The Bachelorette producers.

Three's a crowd? Jake Ellis (pictured) is also in the final three but it has been reported he fails to make the final two

Friends told the magazine Nick was left 'absolutely heartbroken' by her decision to go on the show.

She reportedly 'promised' him that she would remain loyal to him and would just be 'acting' on TV.

At the time, Georgia told Daily Mail Australia the reports were 'completely false and fabricated'.

Meanwhile, the former trapeze artist has hit back at claims she decided to go on the show to boost her profile.

She told Woman's Day she had 'risked everything' in an attempt to find the right man.

Having her say: The former trapeze artist has hit back at claims she decided to go on the show to boost her profile

During the debut episode of the dating series, her father told Georgia he wants her to chose the right man.

'What I want for you is somebody who will put you number one,' he told her, referencing past relationships and wanting someone who will treat his girl right.

'Because I just think, a little bit, with boyfriends in the past that they've been number one in the relationship, and I want someone that makes you number one,' he added.

Georgia - who had given up her journalism job for the show - said to her mother Belinda how she wants to find a love like her mother and father share.

'I want you to find someone who puts you number one': During the debut episode of the dating series, her father told Georgia he wants her to chose the right man

'I'm doing this because I realise that family and love is what is important at the end of the day,' Georgia said to camera.

She said to her mother: 'I think, especially with everything you're going through at the moment, and have been going through, I've seen what it's like to be, you know, loved.'

It was reported on Monday that Georgia's mother Belinda has been admitted to palliative care, just days before the finale this week.

Network Ten told The Daily Telegraph in a statement: 'Georgia and her family are going through a very difficult time with seriously family health issues.'

Belinda was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer around the same time her daughter was approached to star on The Bachelorette.

Sad: It was reported on Monday that Georgia's mother Belinda has been admitted to palliative care, just days before the finale this week
Rumours of a fling between The Bachelorette's Georgia Love and Michael Turnbull surfaced last year after they were spotted 'flirting' at the 2015 Melbourne Cup.

Speaking to Woman's Day, a source claims the pair exchanged more than just numbers at the event, saying they were overheard planning to meet up again later that night.

Georgia had not been chosen for the new season of the Bachelorette at the time, but was supposedly interested in seeing where things may go with Michael.

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Spring fling: Rumours of a secret hook-up between The Bachelorette's Georgia Love and Michael Turnbull surfaced last year after they were spotted 'flirting' at the Melbourne Cup

'They spent the night together,' the source alleges. 'Georgia was keen to see where things would go, but Michael was enjoying being single on the back of his Bachelorette fame.'

A few months later, Georgia was announced the new star of the hit reality TV series with Michael wasting no time to congratulate his friend on social media.

The 35-year-old wrote on Instagram: 'Congratulations to my friend and Australia's new Bachelorette Georgia Love.

'You're an amazing woman and deserve to find someone special. Good Luck x.'

'They spent the night together': A source claims the pair exchanged more than just numbers at the event, saying they were overheard planning to meet up again later that night

He also added the hashtags: 'Whoever wins her heart is a lucky man' and 'Team Georgia'.

Sources told Woman's Day the pair made a decision not to speak about their brief encounter after the Melbourne Cup in light of Georgia's newfound fame.

When asked about the night, Michael told the publication: 'We had a lot of fun together, but as you'll understand I won't comment further.'

Daily Mail Australia has reached out to Michael and Georgia for comment.

'Tis the season to be racey': Georgia met Michael when attending the Melbourne Cup breakfast in a plunging black and white ensemble and glamorous head piece (pictured)

Last men standing: Meanwhile Georgia is in for a difficult decision between Matty J (L), Lee (C) and Jake (R) this week with season two of The Bachelorette quickly coming to an end

Meanwhile Georgia is in for a difficult decision this week with season two of The Bachelorette quickly coming to an end.

Home visits have already seen Georgia meeting the families of finallists Matty Johnson, Jake Ellis and Lee Elliott.

Two bachelors were recently spotted in Singapore, although Jake was nowhere to be seen, suggesting that Matty and Lee may be the final two.

The next episode of the Bachelorette will air on Wednesday at 7.30 on Channel Ten.
On Sunday, the Regency Village Theatre in Westwood played host to the Los Angeles premiere of the animated musical Trolls.

Anna Kendrick, the film's leading lady, bared her pencil thin legs in a flared-sleeve Oxford blue miniskirt that appeared to be made of velvet.

Zooey Deschanel, who plays a scullery maid called Bridget, clashed with her surroundings in a midnight blue dress with black patterned strips down her cleavage and about her waist.

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Dynamic duo: On Sunday, Anna Kendrick (left) and Zooey Deschanel (right) attended the Los Angeles premiere of their new film Trolls

A matching scarf was wrapped about Kendrick's neck and dangled past her waist. Sequin streaks resembling rays of light glistened across the outfit.

The 31-year-old had pulled her partially braided hair severely back into a ponytail and lengthened the look of her legs via black ankle-strap stilettos. When she turned about, she revealed her dress was backless.

Meanwhile, Deschanel's dress featured a lacy black ring encircling her hem, matching another such ring a bit higher on the pleated dress.

Leading lady: The 31-year-old headed up the cast as the titular creatures' Princess Poppy

Reveal: When she turned about, she showed that her gleaming dress was backless

Shining star: Streaks of sequins resembling rays of light spread across her mini-dress

World-saving mission: Her character in the film must save her ceaselessly cheerful species from creatures called Bergens that can only experience joy by devouring Trolls

Cut off mid-thigh, the outfit allowed the 36-year-old to emphasise her svelte legs, which were wrapped in black stockings.

Her husband of one year, Jacob Pechenik, kept his outfit rather casual. A white dress shirt was untucked over dark jeans and black and white trainers.

The couple seemed to be enjoying the premiere, stopping between photos to chat and laugh with each other.

Fraternising with the enemy: The 36-year-old plays a Bergen scullery maid who defects to help the Trolls

Catching up: The two ladies seemed pleased to see each other when they met on the carpet

Friendly colleagues: They hugged outside the Regency Village Theatre in Westwood, where the premiere was held

The two women hugged once they met on the carpet, grinning as they stood for the cameras together.

Based on the famous dolls of the same name, the film centres on the ceaselessly cheerful titular creatures, who find themselves faced with depressive beings called Bergens that can only feel joy when they devour Trolls.

It's up to the uniquely glum Troll Branch, played by Justin Timberlake, to help Kendrick's character Princess Poppy prevent her subjects being picked off.

Sharing a laugh: The New Girl star's (left) husband Jacob Pechenik accompanied her

A year on: The pair have been married since 2015

Bridget is one of the Bergens and serves their royalty, but she allies with Princess Poppy and Troll Branch in return for getting a date with Prince Gristle.

Timerblake had donned cat-eye sunglasses to the event, buttoning up his salmon dress shirt all the way and leaving it untucked over his burgundy trousers.

A well-fitted midnight blue blazer settled over his toned figure, and a pair of white trainers clashed against the dark slack hems resting on them.

Leads: The Up In The Air actress posed with Justin Timberlake, whose character, the uniquely glum Troll Branch, helps hers on her mission

Dashing: The 35-year-old pulled a dark blazer over his salmon dress shirt and burgundy trousers

Contrast: His white trainers clashed elegantly against the rest of the outfit

The 35-year-old had slicked up his short hair almost into a bouffant, and he'd allowed a faint trace of stubble onto his face.

He, too, stood for a duo photo with Kendrick, the two of them looking rather serene as the photographers snapped away.

Each of them was gracious enough to approach some gathered female fans and take a selfie with them.

James Corden, who plays another Troll, paired his anchor grey suit with a pair of white and charcoal trainers.

Gracious: The husband of Jessica Biel posed for a selfie with a group of female fans

On-brand wigs: The End Of Watch actress took a selfie with fans as well

The voices behind three trolls: James Corden (centre) posed with Aino Jawo (left) and Caroline Hjelt (right) of Icona Pop

Though he'd gone with out a tie, his baby blue dress shirt did provide a dapper touch by way of a mismatching white collar.

Kunal Nayyar, whose Troll character never wears clothes, wore an almost identical shirt with his Prussian blue suit. His brown shoes looked on the verge of falling apart.

His wife Neha Kapur was stood at his side, her flared-hem black trousers draping about her vertiginous legs.

Quvenzhane Wallis, whose character is called Harper, propped a black-strapped red fedora on her head, matching a red jumper that sported black and white stripes at the collar and cuffs.

Sticking to the theme: The musical act both wore long multicoloured braids

Dapper: The host of The Late Late Show wore an anchor grey suit with black and white trainers

Adorable: Quvenzhane Wallis posed in a red fedora with a black buckled strap

Her faded jeans folded at the hem over black and white trainers, the 13-year-old Oscar nominee posed adorably for the cameras.

The bombshell's cream top included a sash that tied at the waist and fell to below her knee. She held a white clutch against her thigh, her robe-like blouse opening at the neck but stopping short of conceding any cleavage.

Icona Pop, who play a pair of stylish Troll twins, stuck to the film's aesthetic by way of large coloured braids that fell past their hips.

Caroline Hjelt, whose braid was yellow and orange, wore a black mini-dress that fell off one shoulder and, at the other shoulder, bulged outward in a mass of fabric.

Happy couple: Kunal Nayyar (right), who plays a perpetually undressed troll, posed with his wife Neha Kapur (left)

Her silver high heels were tied up with white laces in order to make them appear like trainers, and a slender bracelet sat on her left wrist.

Aino Jawo's braid was blue and purple, and her full-sleeved gleaming dress was a subdued shade of rose gold. Beige stiletto boots did the trick for her as far as footwear was concerned.

In one photo, the I Love It hitmakers flanked the The Late Late Show host and slung their braids across his front whilst he folded his hands, pulling a bemused face.

Quintet: Christopher Mintz-Plasse (left) posed with his castmates (from left) Nayyar, Kendrick, Corden and Deschanel

For a groups hot, Kendrick, Corden, Deschenl and Nayyar posed with Christopher Mintz-Plasse, whose alter ego in Trolls is Bridget's princely love interest.

A few names not in the film walked the carpet as well, including a midriff-flashing Victoriah Bech, whose sky blue crop top showed off her bulging cleavage.

Her gleaming metallic choker matched a metallic pattern on her cream miniskirt, and she'd let her curly blonde hair spill over her shoulders.

Family photo: Mario Lopez (back row left) stood for photographs with his wife Courtney Mezza (back row right), their three-year-old son Dominic (back row centre) and their six-year-old daughter Francesca (front row)

When you got it: Victoriah Bech bared her cleavage and midriff in her red carpet outfit

Francesca Capaldi's dress featured ice cream cones of many colours on a black field, and she'd bundled her curly red hair into a ponytail.

Mario Lopez' chiselled figure shone through his sheer purple polo shirt as he posed with his wife Courtney Mezza, their six-year-old daughter Francesca and their three-year-old son Dominic.

Trolls opened in Britain on Friday and will begin its mass release in American cinemas on November 4th.

In the offing: The film opened in Britain on FRiday and will begin its American mass release on November 4th

As part of her promotional rounds, Deschanel's also taped an episode of The Ellen DeGeneres Show.

She'd cinched a yellow belt about her black and white striped dress, accenting her enviably trim waistline, and thrown a dark jacket over the whole affair.

The interview is reportedly set to air on Monday morning.

Doing the rounds: The New Girl star also taped an interview on The Ellen DeGeneres Show ahead of the film's US release
It's a question sometimes posed by even her most adoring fans - just why exactly is Kim Kardashian famous?

But the reality star extraordinaire has opened up about her 'talent' - explaining she has the knack of making people 'like me'.

Talking in an interview for 60 Minutes recorded before this month's terrifying Paris heist, Kim explained just why she was famous.

Asked about her talent, she said: 'It is a talent to have a brand that's really successful off of getting people to like you for being you.'

Interesting: Kim Kardashian sat down for an interview with 60 Minutes as part of 'The Influencers' piece aired on Sunday

She also conceded 'I guess so, yeah,' when asked if she had 'figured out how to monetize just the act of living.'

This month the star saw the negative and terrifying side of that fame, as she was robbed at gunpoint in her Paris hotel.

But in her pre-recorded interview she told interviewer Bill Whitaker: 'I do believe that the pros in my situation and my lifestyle have been more beneficial than the negative things'

Opening up: The 36-year-old reality star believed that the positives outweighed the negatives as she said: 'I do believe that the pros in my situation and my lifestyle have been more beneficial than the negative things'

However Kim did recognise that there could be negativity that comes as a result but she could deal with it.

She explained: 'There are pitfalls. Lack of privacy, loss of privacy. And that's not for everyone. For me, I can handle it.'

Elsewhere in the interview she explained: 'I totally attribute my career to social media.'

Other social media stars highlighted in the piece were Logan Paul, King Bach and Zach King.

'I totally attribute my career to social media': She also raved about her life online in the interview conducted before the Paris heist

'That's not for everyone': Kim said that a 'lack of privacy' is one of the pitfalls of fame but added that she 'can handle it'

Just the two of us: She is seen walking with interviewer Bill Whitaker

The interview was screened after Kim retreated from public view following her terrifying experience three weeks ago.

The incident saw Kim pulled from her bed in the early hours of the morning and robbed at gunpoint in a $11 million heist.

At the time of the incident, Pascal Duvier, the family's mammoth security ace was not around as had accompanied Kim's sisters, Kourtney Kardashian and Kendall Jenner to a party.

The robbery included Kim's 20-carat emerald cut Lorraine Schwartz ring, which had been a special gift from Kanye following his Adidas deal.

She means business: Kim looked smart in the clip, clad in a little black dress and blazer

Keeping up with her accounts: Kim has been silent on social media since the robbery, but was previously never without her phone

Moving on: There was footage shown of Kim and husband Kanye West shown out in Paris before her robbery ordeal

New generation: Other social media stars including King Bach were showcased in the piece

The star had gushed about the romantic gift, which has Adidas engraved on the band, to Andy Cohen on his SirirusXM program, Radio Andy, just ahead of the horrible incident.

She had also shared a selfie featuring the massive sparkler, as well as her ample cleavage, on Instagram ahead of the robbery.

Kim has not posted on social media since the incident, with her assistant taking to her website to share that she would be 'taking some much needed time off.'

Eye-catching: Ahead of the robbery Kim had shared a selfie which put her 20-carat emerald cut Lorraine Schwartz ring (which was stolen in the heist) on display

And it seems the star may be over her all access pass social media style, as on Tuesday People reported that Kim 'is still having a difficult time.'

'She has zero desire to resume her old life,' a source told the publication about the star, who has been laying low with her family in Los Angeles.

The source added that Kim, who has cancelled public appearances as well as her 36th birthday celebration since the ordeal, 'is still figuring out what she wants to do. She has no plans for any public appearances.'

Confident: Before the incident, Kim had been happy to show off her Balenciaga look during Paris Fashion Week, also posting a series of snaps to social media

Showing some skin: The star had been on a sheer kick ahead of the robbery, flaunting her toned figure in lace, such as at the Givenchy show on October 2

Kim also 'just wants to be with her kids,' following the robbery, though a source added that 'no one is pressuring' the star to be more public, noting: 'She has the best support from her family.'

The reality star has reportedly rarely left the house, aside from visits to mother Kris Jenner's house, and for important appointments, and is always accompanied by a body guard.

'Before the robbery, she would enjoy solo outings. This has totally changed now,' a source said of the Selfish author.

Family affair: Kim documented all aspects of her life on social media, including bonding time with her family, such as three-year-old daughter North West

An insider has shared that Kim seems 'much more nervous,' and though she used to love showing off her fit figure and showstopping fashion, she now 'doesnt want to be photographed.'

'Kims whole life has basically changed,' the source added, noting: 'Before, she was like a social butterfly. Now she acts much more withdrawn.'

The 60 Minutes interview airs in the US on Sunday, October 23 at 7:30pm ET and 7pm PT.
The Democratic Partys Permanent Majority

By Pujie Zheng

Liang Chen said, One very strange and perplexing thing I find in American politics is that all the coastal states (NY, CA, MA...), which are usually more economically and intellectually developed, firmly choose to side with Democrats, whose policy often work against economical development, individual rights and free speech. The underlying self-conflicting logic is quite puzzling for me. Especially, when silicon valley CEOs all side with Hillary and bombard Peter Thiel's support for Trump, while their success largely depend on a Free enterprise environment instead of heavy government regulations.



This is a very good question that I have been asked before. Not understanding the answer to that question is probably the reason for the inability to understand Trumps difficulties.



We will take California for example. Although the numbers of New York are different, the conclusion is the same.



Californias population is 37 million, comprising several solid Democratic voting blocks, adding up to a permanent Democratic majority.



First, the poor: For years, the generous welfare system has attracted the poor to California. For a state that has only 12% of the nation's population, it has 34% of the nations welfare recipients.



Supported by 14 million employees (among them 12 million are in the private sector), California has 1.4 million TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families) receivers, 4.1 million SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) receivers, and 7.3 million Medicaid receivers.



In addition, the poor people who want to become rich tend to avoid California and go to states that encourages entrepreneurship, such as Texas. I had a fairly long conversation with someone from Texas recently. He started poor, have been in jail when his wife divorced him, etc., not your typical good-student turned rich, Silicon-Valley type millionaires, but he is full of hope to become rich. (Since he is making six figures already, probably I should say that he is full of hope to become richer.) He is staying in Texas and supporting Trump. With the difficult business environment in California, these people would not think about moving to California.



One should not underestimate the power of welfare, i.e., free money. At the end of 2012, nationwide, there were 109,631,000 living in households (35.4% of the population) taking federal benefits of one kind or another. If we add non-means-tested federal programs, such as Social Security, Medicare, unemployment, and veterans benefits, 153,323,000 people (49.5% of the population) were getting some form of federal benefits. The benefits give them the incentive to vote for big government. (It is buying vote with other peoples money.)



Trump said that he wants to cut corporate tax to allow the companies to move overseas cash into the U.S., and give the corporations an incentive to start businesses (and hiring people). Those 50% of the people would not respond to that. To them, Trump merely wants to reduce tax revenue which represents the reduction of the pool of money from which they are paid.



Second, the government vested power: California has 2.4 million government employees, twice as many as people at work in manufacturing. That is about one government employee for every 16 residents. If they are from a family of two, that would get big-government Democrats one in eight (or 12%) of votes.



These people are well paid and with good benefit, so they are distinct from the first group. You add 12% to 50%, it is 65% support for big government.



In addition to that, the government contractors, who also rely on the taxpayers dollars, would strongly support big government, because the bigger the government, the bigger their business opportunities.



Third, the ignorant: In 2012, 80% of the Chinese voted for Obamas second term. I, for one, could not fathom a reason for so many Chinese to vote for Obama. We are from China, and have seen the damage of communism under Mao and fascism today, as well as the one party dictatorship. Why do we want a fascist America? (Here, fascism is used simply to denote the social system where traditional liberal democracy is replaced by totalitarian big-government rule. Today, in the U.S., the traditional one party rule is replaced by the two-party collusion toward the same goal.)



In 2014, Latinos overtook the white and became the majority in California. The Latinos, although more reasonable than the Chinese, is nonetheless pro-Democratic.



Fourth, the income tax structure: Almost 50% of the people do not pay federal income tax. The question is: If they dont pay into the taxpayer fund, what is going to make them vote no on getting money from the taxpayer fund?



That was Mitt Romneys frustration in 2012 when he said: There are 47 percent of the people who will vote for the president no matter what. All right, there are 47 percent who are with him, who are dependent upon government, who believe that they are victims, who believe the government has a responsibility to care for them, who believe that they are entitled to health care, to food, to housing, to you-name-it -- that that's an entitlement. And the government should give it to them. And they will vote for this president no matter what. ... These are people who pay no income tax. ... [M]y job is not to worry about those people. I'll never convince them they should take personal responsibility and care for their lives.



It is the moment of truth for a politician who normally does not tell us what he or she thinks. When they vent, we know what they really think. For instance, Clinton vented that half of Trump's supporters into what I call the basket of deplorables" and "11 million [Trump supporters] are irredeemable. Obama vented, as he told entrepreneurs, If youve got a businessyou didnt build that. Somebody else made that happen. Those moment truth often show the true feelings of the politicians. For Romney, it is the frustration of the tax structure.



Fifth, Silicon Valley CEOs, the movie industry closer to home (as I am writing from Los Angeles), or big banks, are also for Democratic big-government system.



The U.S. has a government-controlled public educational system, which does not explain different social systems, such as socialism, communism, or fascism, to students.



I looked up fascism online when writing this article. Fascism is said to be rightist, against the liberal left. However, todays liberals are not for any liberal ideas. They are for big government control. Also fascism is described as one-party authoritarian rule, but todays two-party collusion could reach precisely the same goal.



The educational system does not explain to people, that socialism is destined to degenerate into either fascism or communism, as Hayek had explained in his The Road To Serfdom. Since Marxism is considered bankrupt today, communism is not really anyones choice. In the Chinese reform, Deng Xiaoping changed China from a communist system into a fascist system although the Leninist governing structure still remains.



However, that does not stop Clinton from using Marxism as her main attacking weapon. As Mao Zedong had said that class struggle always works, Clinton is waving the banner of class struggle (the poor against rich) to great effect. Her supporters, with hatred, do not see the contradiction of poor-against-rich with her Stronger Together slogan.



In addition, corporation is the single most important invention that brought us the industrial revolution, because with stock market, the form of organization allows massive number of people, who do not know the identity of one another, to get together and put money toward the same goal. Today, the government-run educational system has succeeded in making corporations the source of all social evils. It is trying to return us to the medieval times, absolutely crazy, but Clintons supporters could not see that.



I have all the respect for the Silicon Valley CEOs, to their hard work to learn the technologies, to their risk-taking spirit, and to their stamina of taking failure after failure until the success, but they do not understand social systems, especially, they dont understand the alternatives of capitalism. When they see problems, they want the government to the rescue, thinking that it takes a village to solve the problems, because the government-run educational system does not show students the clear history of problems of all alternatives to democracy and capitalism. They are simply too busy doing what they do best and have no time to study Marxism, history of communism and fascism, The Road To Serfdom, or The Federalist Papers, which is a debate by our founding fathers on how to avoid all those evil systems, more than 100 years before any of them first appeared in the world.



By the way, interestingly, the elite preference of big government control also exists in China, where the government is a dictatorship. Even the elite does not know how leaders are produced in that big black box called the Great Hall of People in Tiananmen Square. When they were young, many of the Chinese elite, who belong to the Tiananmen Massacre generation, was against the communist or fascist rule, but their leftist and liberal ideology (in todays western sense) has put them on the same bed with the ruling Communist Party. The result is the weird Chinese structure: one billion people are exploited by the 300-million strong middle class, which is exploited by a few million through the tailor-made real-estate market, stock market, and other schemes.



Back to our topic, there are other reasons for this group to support big government, such as big corporations colluding with the big government (especially the banks), or the fancy of being close to the power (especially the Hollywood stars, who know nothing about socialism, fascism, or communism).



Sixth, the politically correctness atmosphere: The establishment has established a politically correctness atmosphere. For people like Trump, who dare to point out that the emperor has no clothes on, the establishment could easily label him as obnoxious and cause those who are used to pampering and button pushing to hate him, as we have seen today. Voters living under the politically correctness atmosphere are no longer thinking (or read long articles such as those in the Federalist Papers, or the ones that I write). That is the assurance for the political establishment, by using the political correctness to close the minds of their supporters.



Trump, as a fresh air in the suffocating political correctness atmosphere, speaks his mind as a habit. Clinton is trying, quite successively, to hit him with hateful labels. Many people hate Trump because he is not politically correct, and speak about the uncomfortable truths all the time.



The result of the aforementioned five voting blocks, when put under the politically correctness atmosphere, is the permanent Democratic state of California. Even when a Republican could win the governorship at one time or another, such as Arnold Schwarzenegger, Democratic controlled legislature could quickly reduce him into what he called a girlie man (yes, with the accent please).



Among 18 million registered voters in California, 7.9 million or 43.9% are Democrats, with only 5.2 million or 28.9% Republicans. The Democrats has a 15.0% advantage, which is impossible for any politician to overcome.



The Democratic Party, taking California as their example of success, is trying to replicate this model to the entire nation. It is a present and clear danger. Trump, the hardworking quick study, is probably the best choice to America to counter that movement. His first debate is amateur-against-professional. His second debate is 50-50. His third debate is a clear victory over Clinton. One could only imagine what would happen if there had been more debates.



Facing all Clintons problems (criminal incitement of violence in Trump rallies, criminal attempts to rig the election by, among other things, illegal voter registrations, a campaign so boring that attracts few people, and her serious unexplained health problems unfit to be the president of the United States) and Trumps clear show of his abilities, the country is still leaning toward Clinton.



Freedom is such a fragile thing.



Pujie Zheng is an attorney in Los Angeles



First published on October 24, 2016



Contact information:



For discussions: http://www.facebook.com/pujie.zheng



For past articles: http://pujielaw.blogspot.com/


Bindi Irwin has made her debut in the 2016 Henleys Maxim Hot 100 countdown of Australia's most beautiful women.

The daughter of the late 'Crocodile Hunter' Steve Irwin has been in the spotlight for years but made headlines in 2015 for winning Dancing With The Stars.

It would appear she was featured in Maxim's annual list upon her first year of eligibility, as she turned 18 just three months ago.

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Wildlife warrior: Bindi Irwin has made her debut in the 2016 Henleys Maxim Hot 100 countdown of Australia's most beautiful women just three months after turning 18

The Hot 100 celebrates the 'most gifted and gorgeous' females in the country, and includes models, TV stars and politicians.

And the Queensland wildlife warrior made an impressive debut, placing at No. 8, ahead of Ruby Rose and her good friends, The Veronicas.

Bindi, a conservationist from a young age, is also well-known internationally due to her reality TV appearance last year.

Birthday girl! Bindi celebrated her 18th birthday in July at Australia Zoo with her family and American boyfriend Chandler Powell (L)

THE MAXIM AUSTRALIA HOT 100 - TOP 10 1. Margot Robbie 2. Jessica Marais 3. Delta Goodrem 4. Jennifer Hawkins 5. Renee Somerfield 6. Miranda Kerr 7. Olympia Valance 8. Bindi Irwin 9. The Veronicas 10. Ruby Rose Advertisement

THE MAXIM AUSTRALIA HOT 100 - BOTTOM 10 91. Jessica Rowe 92. Kate Langbroek 93. Lucy Turnbull 94. Celeste Barber 95. Sophie Page 96. Tanya Plibersek 97. Caroline Wilson 98. Julie Bishop 99. Kitty Chiller 100. Pauline Hanson Advertisement

Household name: Bindi, a conservationist from a young age, is also well-known internationally after winning the US version of Dancing With The Stars last year

Meanwhile, Hollywood actress Margot Robbie topped the list, having placed second in last year's Maxim Hot 100.

Miranda Kerr, Jennifer Hawkins and Neighbours star Olympia Valance also featured in the magazine's top 10.

Maxim editor-in-chief Santi Pintado said: 'Our definitive list of Australias most beautiful, successful and talented women of the year celebrates the outstanding ladies who have wowed us with their aptitude, intellect, humour, mega-talents, coolness, sexiness and more, in 2016.

Fame: The daughter of the late 'Crocodile Hunter' Steve Irwin has been in the spotlight for a while and appears to have made Maxim's annual list on her first year of eligibility

'And Australian men have spoken loud and clear  they simply cant get enough of these 100 talented homegrown beauties.'

He continued: 'This is a list of the nations most beautiful women. And beauty comes in many forms.

'The requirements for making the HOT 100 varies for each woman on the list and covers many aspects including their career achievements, how theyve fared in the last 12 months and whether or not our parents would like her. Oh, and they have to be Australian, of course.'

Maxim Australia is available on Monday
She's getting ready to welcome a baby boy in January.

And Katherine Heigl showcased her blossoming bump as she stepped out with her family so-far, on Sunday.

The 37-year-old star was joined by her husband Josh Kelley, their two adopted children - Nancy, seven, and Adalaide, four, and her mother Nancy, in Glendale, California.

Growing family: Katherine Heigl showcased her blossoming bump as she stepped out with her family so-far, on Sunday

The Grey's Anatomy actress looked positively glowing, as she sweetly held hands with her eldest daughter.

She cut a casual style in frayed blue cropped denim jeans.

Her pregnant tummy was wrapped in a navy shirt, which she left untucked.

Growing family: The 37-year-old star was joined by her family, including adopted daughter Nancy, seven

Combining comfort and style, the beauty added pale blue ballet pumps with a scalloped seam.

Proving pregnancy suits her, the 27 Dresses star added a braid to the front of her short blonde tresses.

She covered her features with a pair of oversized shades as she accessorised with a simple pair of silver drop earrings.

Family: She was also accompanied her her mother - also called Nancy, as they stepped out in Glendale, California

Plenty to carry: They looked to be doing some serious retail therapy

Busy parents: Her husband Josh Kelley walked with their youngest daughter Adalaide, four

Day out: The Grey's Anatomy actress looked positively glowing, as she sweetly held hands with her eldest daughter

Casual style: Combining comfort and style, the beauty added pale blue ballet pumps with a scalloped seam

Baby on board: She showcased her bump, ahead of welcoming a son in January

Her husband kept hold of Adalaide as they enjoyed some retail therapy - picking up plenty of shopping bags en route.

Their son will be their first biological child, after previously adopting daughters Nancy Leigh 'Naleigh' Mi-Eun, seven, from South Korea in 2009 and four-year old Adalaide Marie Hope, from the US in 2012.

The Knocked Up star has been hard at work on the set of CBS drama Doubt after the American TV network rescheduled its original 2015-16 release date to 2016-17 following a disappointing response to an initial pilot episode.

CBS have since commissioned a new pilot after recasting its two central characters, with Katherine replacing KaDee Strickland as Ellis and Steven Pasquale stepping in as love interest William 'Billy' Conway, a role originally taken by Teddy Sears.

The forthcoming show will also be the first to feature a transgender series regular in Orange Is The New Black star Laverne Cox, who retains the role she initially played in its doomed first pilot.

The star admitted recently she 'feels chubby' as she prepares for the birth of her son in January.
It's enjoyed 12 successful seasons in Australia.

But Dancing With The Stars has been axed from Channel Seven's programming schedule for 2017, The Daily Telegraph reports.

The news comes just weeks after Todd McKenny told to Daily Mail Australia that he was returning to the series for a new season.

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Curtain call: Dancing With The Stars Australia has been cancelled after 12 seasons, The Daily Telegraph reports (2015 winners Emma Freedman and Aric Yegudkin pictured)

'There will be another season of Dancing With The Stars. My contract arrived today,' the 51-year-old revealed at the My Fair Lady premiere in Sydney on September 6.

Clearly, plans have changed, with a spokeswoman telling the Telegraph the show has been canned due to 'disappointing'numbers.

'We've had a great deal of enjoyment and fun during the incredible 12 years of tulle and twirling Dancing has given us all,' the spokeswoman said.

Change of plans: The news comes after Todd McKenney revealed there would be another season of the show, in which he would continue as judge

'The audience numbers from the last season were disappointing though, and the show will not return in 2017.'

Daily Mail Australia has contacted Seven for further comments.

Last year's series saw radio personality Emma Freedman, 27, take the title along with her dance partner Aric Yegudkin.

Lack of audience: Seven's spokesperson told the Telegraph 'disappointing' numbers have led to the show's cancellation (Emma and her partner Aric pictured winning the title last year)

The series was pushed back earlier this year to make way for Seven's Olympics coverage.

Since its debut in 2004, the show has seen a string of celebrity hosts, judges as well as contestants.

Sonia Kruger hosted the first 12 seasons with Daryl Somers and Daniel MacPherson, before she departed to join rival Nine Network.

Cancelled: Shane Warne's ex Kym Johnson (right) joined Todd (middle) and Helen Richey (left) on the judging panel in 2013

Originals: Sonia Kruger and Daryl Somers hosted the show at its debut in 2004, with Sonia defecting to rival Nine Network in 2012

Mel B stepped in to replace the Today Extra host for one season before most recent host Edwina Bartholomew took up the role in 2013.

The Sunrise news presenter went on to host alongside comedian Shane Bourne up until last year.

Past stars who've impressed on the dance floor and brought home the winning trophy have varied from actresses Bec Hewitt and Ada Nicodemou to country music star Adam Brand and chef Manu Feildel.
Geordie Shore is set to return without fan favourite Charlotte Crosby, who quit earlier this year over her tumultuous relationship with Gary 'Gaz' Beadle.

Speaking to NW, Gaz, said he initially found it 'weird' that Charlotte wasn't there while filming the new season, but added, the show is established enough to survive without her.

When asked what was going on between the estranged lovers, Gaz, 28, made it clear he didn't want to be 'associated with her' saying he's finally found happiness.

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'I do not want to be associated with her': Gary 'Gaz' Beadle is set to return on-screen in reality TV show Geordie Shore without his estranged girlfriend Charlotte Crosby but says he won't miss her

'I do not want to be associated with her. I don't want to talk to her. I will never speak to that girl again! I'm done with that part of my life. I'm actually happy.'

Geordie Shore will return for its first ever season without Charlotte, who broke up with Gaz following an ectopic pregnancy and cheating scandal.

The 28-year-old went on to tell the publication he hadn't spoken to Charlotte in ages when things 'got a bit nasty' around the time she quit.

'That was probably to try and make everyone hate me,' he added.

'She wanted everyone to hate me': The pair split after a tumultuous on-again-off-again relationship which saw Charlotte suffer an ectopic pregnancy amid claims Gaz cheated on her

Charlotte announced her departure from the MTV reality show, earlier this year.

Speaking to Heat Magazine Charlotte revealed that she suffered an ectopic pregnancy after falling pregnant with Gaz's baby.

She confessed that it happened in April while Gaz was away filming Ex On The Beach, and that she was rushed to hospital for an operation.

New cast: This will be the first of twelve seasons that Charlotte won't star in after quitting earlier this year over her relationship with Gaz

Originals: Geordie Shore is a British reality television series which first broadcast on MTV in 2011 and has seen thirteen seasons under its belt

Charlotte said she wasn't even aware she was pregnant at first, and that she thought the pain was down to a heavy period.

'I thought I had a really bad period because I was bleeding and cramping - I can't describe the pain, it was awful,' she explained.

The pair ended when Gaz slept with a contestant on Ex On The Beach prior to finding out about Charlotte being pregnant - and in hospital.

'At the end of the day, I was going to be a dad': Gaz said he felt sad about the ectopic pregnancy but things between him and Charlotte could not be mended

At the time Gaz spoke out to the Daily Star claiming that as soon as he found out he immediately asked to go home.

'At the end of the day, I was going to be a dad. We were going to be parents, then this happened. It's bloody awful. I am devastated for the both of us.'

But the pair went their separate ways after Charlotte found out that Gaz had slept with with someone else on Ex On The Beach.
She recently celebrated 20 years of marriage to Hollywood star Hugh Jackman.

And Deborra-Lee Furness claims the Wolverine actor is 'thrilled' with her return to Australian television in Channel Nine's series Hyde & Seek.

'He wants me to to more work. He's very supportive and was thrilled I took this on,' Deborra-Lee told TV Week.

'He wants me to to more work': Deborra-Lee Furness has revealed husband Hugh Jackman is 'thrilled' with her return to Australian television in Channel Nine's new series Hyde & Seek

The 60-year-old actress and producer hasn't featured in an Aussie TV production since starring in an episode of ABC's Sea Change in 2000.

'It was scary coming back to work', she revealed.

'It was like, ''Damn, do I remember how to do this?'' But it's like riding a bike. It was fun to get back on set and act again.'

'Do I remember how to do this?' Deborra-Lee, 60, hasn't featured in an Aussie TV production since starring in an episode of ABC's Sea Change in 2000

Deborra-Lee joins an all-Australian cast in the crime thriller, fronted by Underbelly actor Matt Nable and Love Child's Mandy McElhinney.

She plays the role of Claudia Rossini, chief of Australian intelligence agency ASIO.

'Usually this genre is so dominated by men, but not this series,' she previously told News.com.au.

'I love that there are strong, interesting and multidimensional women and the character I'm playing, Claudia, is just a babe. She's sassy, interesting and smart.'

'It's like riding a bike': Deborra-Lee's earlier worries about returning to work quickly faded

In July, Hugh took to Instagram to express his excitement at his wife's new role, sharing a screenshot from the Nine show.

'Australia! Check out the new trailer to Hyde & Seek. Featuring the amazingly talented Deborra-lee Furness! #ProudHusband,' he wrote in the caption.

Deborra-Lee has had a long and successful career on Australian TV , finding fame in 1988 and meeting Hugh on set of Correlli back in 1995.

The couple were married the following year in Melbourne.

Loved-up: Deborra-Lee and Hugh met filming Correlli in 1995. They married the following year

After 20 years together, Deborah and Hugh jetted to the Caribbean island of St. Barts in April to celebrate their anniversary.

The holiday came after Hugh and his family visited Australia for the premiere of his new movie Eddie The Eagle.

Hyde & Seek airs on Channel Nine on Monday at 8.45pm.
As legions rested, Alessandra Ambrosio spent her Sunday working up a sweat.

The Victoria's Secret Angel was spotted maintaining the figure that made her one with a trip to a Tracy Anderson gym in Malibu.

Her seemingly airtight workout gear bared not only her bulging cleavage, but also her enviably flat midriff as she crossed the car park.

A model's work is never done: On Sunday, Alessandra Ambrosio was spotted heading to a Tracy Anderson gym in Malibu

The 35-year-old had pulled on a pair of high-waisted black leggings that were rolled up to the knee and framed her svelte legs.

Despite the fact she was heading to a workout, she'd popped on a healthy amount of jewellery: not only a gleaming necklace, but several bracelets and rings as wella s a pair of earrings.

A white purse with a tassel dangled from her right shoulder, artfully matching the white trainers she wore for her exercise trip.

Always glamorous: She'd worn a fair bit of jewellery to the gym, including multiple bracelets and rings, a necklace and a pair of earrings

This June, the Erechim native spoke to Vogue Paris and divulged a few details about how she pummels her body into such exquisite form.

'I love swimming and playing volleyball, either on the beach or in the pool,' she said, adding: 'Jumping right in and fully immersing myself in the water is my remedy for easing the pressure when it's all getting a bit too much.'

Whilst she didn't hold forth on her entire nutrition regime, she did describe her 'perfect breakfast' as 'an avocado with a freshly squeezed juice, a big cup of coffee, and boiled or fried eggs lightly browned with coconut oil. You can't beat it.'

The body she worked for: Her skintight workout gear showed off not only her bulging cleavage but also her enviably flat midriff

Her Snapchat Story on the day of her workout had shown an adorable day of fun with her two children, eight-year-old daughter Anja and four-year-old son Noah.

The two whippersnappers, products of her marriage to Jamie Mazur, scampered about an ocean view balcony with a friend.

Little Anja and the girl she was with practised some dance moves as well, Ambrosio documenting the cute episode on video.

More updates also showed the breathtaking vistas on display from the family's perch, particularly during the dazzling sunset.

Play-date: Her Snapchat that day had shown her two children, eight-year-old daughter Anja and four-year-old son Noah, scampering about an ocean view balcony with a friend

Adorable: The proud mother filmed her daughter dancing with her friend

Enjoying the vistas: Her Snapchat updates also included the sight of the ocean from her perch
Chris Hemsworth has wasted no time shutting down rumours of trouble inside his marriage to Elsa Pataky.

Taking to Instagram on Monday, the 33-year-old showed off his witty sense of humour with a post addressing Woman's Day's claims.

'Looking for a new wife according to @womansdayaus and other misleading outlets! Honey you still love me right?! (sic)' the Thor: Ragnorak star captioned a photo of himself and his wife enjoying a cruise.

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What split? Chris Hemsworth has addressed Woman's Day's claims his marriage to Elsa Pataky is facing trouble

The handsome actor tagged the 40-year-old Spanish actress in the photo and added the hash-tag: 'thanks for the heads up'.

In less than 15 minutes, Chris' post had been 'liked' by over 51,000 people, including model Cheyenne Tozzi and Neighbours actress Olympia Valance.

According to Woman's Day, the married couple had been 'taking a little break from each other' and had 'issues' to sort through.

Forever in love: A glance at the couple's social media accounts show there's nothing but love between the genetically-blessed couple as Elsa posts this pic of the happy couple later on Monday night and captions: 'Always and Forever'

Furthermore, the magazine claimed Elsa's recent holiday to her native Spain without Chris by her side raised alarm bells amongst their friends.

'He's [Chris] away again in November, so you might think Elsa would want to be there to spend every moment with him, not go away without him,' the publication's source claimed.

The former Home And Away hunk's recent outing at the AFL grand final in September with his brother Liam and parents Craig and Leonie, during which Elsa was notably missing, hinted at trouble in paradise.

Going strong: Despite the magazine's claims, the couple have continuously gushed about each other on social media

Meanwhile, the weekly tabloid also claims the Fast & Furious actress has been leaning on her brother Cristian Prieto for support.

The blonde beauty recently shared a sibling snap via Instagram, captioning it: 'I smile because you are my BROTHER, I laugh because there is nothing you can do about it!'

Meanwhile, a glance at the couple's social media accounts show there's nothing but love between the genetically-blessed couple.

A few hours later Elsa posted a loved up pic of them together and captions the post: 'Forever and always'.

Doting dad: The Thor star is often seen doting on his children, India, Tristan and Sasha

Space: Chris was recently spotted at a football game without his wife by his side, fueling the magazine's reports that there might be trouble in paradise

Elsa and Chris recently spent a kids-free break away at Hamilton Island's exclusive Qualia resort, where they flaunted their romance in postcard-worthy Instagram photos.

Chris and Elsa - who moved from Los Angeles to laid-back Byron Bay in 2015 - met in early 2010 and married shortly after in December that year.

They welcomed their daughter India in 2012 and their twin sons, Tristan and Sasha later in 2014.
Her concerts are known for being anything but family friendly, and Miley Cyrus' expletive-laced performance for a show set to air on PBS was no exception.

The 23-year-old cursed repeatedly and made an excuse about smoking too many cigarettes after she botched the lyrics to a version of My Way during a performance at The Mark Twain Awards at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC.

Luckily, help was on the way, as guest of honor Bill Murray, 66, came to the rescue.

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Isn't this airing on PBS? According to AP, Miley Cyrus cursed repeatedly and made an excuse about smoking too many cigarettes after she botched the lyrics to a version of My Way during a performance at The Mark Twain Award at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. (pictured performing on stage with Paul Shaffer during the show)

The actor joked with the crowd from his seat as Miley and the crew set up for a second attempt at the song, which went more smoothly.

Bill received the prestigious Mark Twain Prize for American Humor on Sunday night, following in the footsteps of previous recipients Tina Fey and Richard Pryor.

After he was presented with a bust of Mark Twain, Murray handed it to a man in the first row of the audience and urged the crowd to pass it around.

Known for living outside the Hollywood bubble, Murray admitted he was uncomfortable sitting in a box with his family while more than a dozen of his co-stars and collaborators spoke warmly about his body of work.

Man of the hour! Bill Murray received the prestigious Mark Twain Prize for American Humor on Sunday night, following in the footsteps of previous recipients Bill Murray, Tina Fey, and Richard Pryor

An unforgettable performance: Cyrus no doubt had audience members in the palm of her hands

Miley, meanwhile, has been using her celebrity status to drum up support for presidential candidate Hillary Clinton in Virginia.

The former Disney star surprised George Mason University students by knocking on their dorm room doors in a bid to earn the Democratic presidential candidate extra millennial votes.

In a video clip posted on social media, Cyrus, who is sitting next to a window looking down on a huge crowd of students, tells the camera: 'They're saying Hillary, I swear.'

Seeing stars: On Saturday, Cyrus captioned a selfie of herself, 'Supreme Court celebrating Bill f**kin Murray!!!!!'

Crowd pleaser: The hit-maker sported a star-themed ensemble as she posed up with another fan

She then adds, 'they're saying Miley,' and laughed.

Miley made her way around campus in a Stars-And-Stripes-themed outfit by Spanish designer Agatha Ruiz De La Prada, with a red and white striped skirt and a blue bow for a crop top.

She talked with students about topics including LGBTQ rights, pineapple fried rice and Clinton's white pantsuit during the third presidential debate, which Miley loved, according to reporter Emma Loop, who was on campus and live-tweeted the visit.

The fans love her! Cyrus and a fan playfully stuck out their tongues during the show
Emma Stone was among the stars in attendance at the Kennedy Center Sunday as Bill Murray was awarded the Mark Twain Prize for his considerable legacy in comedy.

The Oscar-nominated star of Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) looked every bit the Hollywood beauty in the nation's capital.

She wore a sangria colored dress with shimmery horizontal silver embellishments around the waist and vertical ones under the waistline. She rounded out the get-up with silver heels.

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All that glitters: Emma Stone, 27, looked amazing as she attended Sunday's Kennedy Center honors of her friend Bill Murray, who received the vaunted Mark Twain Prize

The 27-year-old has formed an unlikely friendship with the 66-year-old actor, who she's shared the screen with in films such as 2015's Aloha and 2009's Zombieland.

Last year, The Help actress told Yahoo! that the veteran funnyman was 'pretty sweet' to her in filming Aloha, as she was battling 'a really bad acne problem' amid sleeping issues she was dealing with during production of the Cameron Crowe film. (The blemishes were subsequently edited out, she said.)

She said that 'on a daily basis, [Murray] would bring [her] nice little presents' to cheer her up amid the frustrating flare-up. Stone added: 'Like he would go to a concert and bring me a keychain,' said the Scottsdale, Arizona native, 'or he would go to a store and bring me Maui Onion potato chips  a visor, some slippers.'

Collaborators: Stone and Murray have worked together on the films Aloha and Zombieland

A friend in need: Stone said that Murray was a comforting presence as they filmed Aloha, bringing her gifts everyday amid an acne breakout that had her stressed

Man of the moment: Murray, 66, has mastered both the comedy and drama genres in his formidable career

LOLs: Comedy stalwarts such as Jimmy Kimmel (with wife Molly McNearney) and Bruce Vilanch were in the nation's capital to honor the Quick Change actor

Who ya gonna call: Murray's Ghostbusters' co-star Sigourney Weaver was there to support him

Murray made clear his fondness for Stone speaking with Esquire in 2012, telling the publication, 'I love that Emma ... just a doll.'

Stone was one of many prominent stars to show up for the Groundhog Day's big night, as there were plenty of other names in attendance at the swanky function. Others included late night legend David Letterman, 69, and his bandleader Paul Shaffer, 66; late night legend-in-the-making Jimmy Kimmel, 48, and his wife Molly McNearney, 38; and famed comedy writer Bruce Vilanch, 67.

In addition to Stone two of Murray's prominent co-stars - Saturday Night Live's Jane Curtin, 69, and Ghostbusters' Sigourney Weaver, 67 - were on hand for the Illinois native's comedy coronation.

Out and about: Bill Hader and wife Maggie Carey posed on the red carpet at the Washington D.C.-based ceremony

Future of comedy: Netflix star Aziz Ansari looked dapper in an all-black suit with grey tie

Familiar face: David Letterman's longtime bandleader Paul Shaffer looked thrilled to be there

Elsewhere, prominent personalities on hand included Master of None star Aziz Ansari, 33; Stripes and Meatballs director Ivan Reitman, 69; SNL's Bill Hader, 38; and musician Rhiannon Giddens, 39.

Past recipients of the award, which was first given out in 1998, include Jay Leno (2014), Ellen DeGeneres (2012), the late George Carlin (2008) and Bill Cosby (2009). Last year's winner, Eddie Murphy, joked about the inclusion of the latter, as he said in his acceptance speech, "Bill has one of these - did you all make him give it back?'

According to the Kennedy Center, 'the Mark Twain Prize recognizes people who have had an impact on American society in ways similar to the distinguished 19th century novelist and essayist best known as Mark Twain.
Teresa Giudice and her daughters struggled to come to terms with imprisoned Joe's absence on Sunday night's episode of The Real Housewives Of New Jersey.

While Teresa tried to stay strong for her family, her children took the start of their father's jail stint badly  especially 10-year-old daddy's girl Milania.

'Since Joe's been gone Milania just wants to make her daddy proud of her, to make him happy, by taking on his jobs,' Teresa explained.

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Tough time: Teresa Giudice and her daughter had a tough time dealing with the absence of Joe on Sunday's episode of The Real Housewives Of New Jersey

Milania, who helped her mother clean out the garage, complained: 'We're only doing it the way that dad did it. We're not doing it your way.'

When Teresa moaned that she was getting wet as Milania sprayed water into a mop bucket, her daughter shouted: 'You're such a baby.'

She added: 'Every time I do something wrong you make it sound like a big deal. When me and dad did this, he wouldn't fight with me, he would like what I'm doing.'

Teresa's brother Joe Gorga and his wife Melissa went round with Chinese food on the family's first night without Joe Giudice.

Hugged it out: The reality star hugged her daughter Milania who was struggling the most

When Teresa joked that she now had to entertain Milania 24 hours a day, seven days a week, her daughter fired back: 'That's because you're boring. Daddy would take me quad riding every Sunday.'

As Teresa explained that they were still waiting for an email from Joe, Milania said: 'I'm going to have grey hair by the time my dad gets back.'

Teresa could see that Milania was struggling.

Daddy's girl: Milania flat out told Teresa that she couldn't replace her father

'Milania is the most sensitive and she is the closest to Joe. It's only been a day but I can already see how hard this is on Milania,' she said.

Joe Gorga stepped in as Milania raced off on her father's quad bike and warned her not to ride it so fast.

'When you want to go fast you call me. I will come and we'll go together,' he said.

Call me: Joe Gorga rushed out to stop Milania from driving a quad so fast

He told the camera: 'What is this poor little girl thinking? Her daddy's gone. It's killing me, but as soon as my sister had one child I became theirs and I'm going to be there for them one hundred per cent no matter what.'

'He just left but I miss him already,' Teresa told Melissa.

'I just can't imagine,' Melissa said. 'I think it's going to get harder and then you're going to get used to it.'

Killing him: The thought of his nieces without their father was killing Joe

Showing support: Melissa and Joe brought over Chinese food for Teresa and her girls

Asked what she missed about her father, Milania stubbornly told her mother: 'No one will replace my dad.'

'I'm not trying to replace him,' Teresa reassured her during their garage clear out. 'Just tell me what I can do that's fun that daddy used to do with you.'

'I don't want you to do it with me,' Milania said. 'I'd rather do it with Uncle Joe.'

Missing him: Milania said she'd rather do fun things with her Uncle Joe

Teresa told the camera: 'I can handle anything, but to see my daughters hurt? That breaks my heart.'

While Teresa and her girls stayed at home waiting for a phone call from Joe, the rest of the Housewives went to Dolores Catania's housewarming party.

Fearful that there could be fireworks between Melissa and Jacqueline Laurita, Dolores asked her 102-year-old grandmother: 'How many wars have you lived through? You might live through another one tonight, but you can be the referee.'

Housewarming party: Dolores Catania threw a housewarming party attended by her grandmother

While Melissa vowed to stay out of Jacqueline's way, Jacqueline turned up in a T-shirt that read 'Namast'ay away from me'.

After his wife went home sick, Chris Laurita beckoned Joe Gorga over and told him: 'What happened in Vermont upset me. Jacqueline got herself in the middle and she wasn't given the opportunity to tell her side of the story. I would have expected a phone call from you to say sorry about what happened.'

Joe protested: 'First of all, I didn't know you were upset. I respect you. You'd better stick up for your f***ing wife, but when they're wrong you say 'listen, you were a little out of line'. Jacqueline went buck wild on Melissa.'

Nice shirt: Jacqueline Laurita wore a T-shirt with a message for Teresa

Man to man: Joe and Chris Laurita talked about the fight between their wives

Chris disagreed: 'She didn't go buck wild. She defended herself like she should have.'

Joe acknowledged: 'I think they were both wrong. That's it. I think they just had a little girl fight and it is what it is. It's done.'

But while Melissa and Jacqueline managed to stay out of one another's way, it was Dolores and Jacqueline who fell out a few days later after Jacqueline was too ill to attend her 'ladies' night' extravaganza.

Wall flowers: Jacqueline stayed next to Chris before leaving early

Under the weather: After leaving the party early Jacqueline got in an argument with Dolores

'She's accusing me of setting her up and making it look like she was a no show,' Dolores told Siggy.

'How can I make her look like a no show she's twisting it around and telling people it's because I didn't put her on the flier.

'Where this is coming from I have no idea. Her and I had some words, we exchanged words, they weren't nice, I lost my temper. 'F*** you' I said, actually. I text her 'answer the phone so I can say this to your face'.'

Exchanged words: Dolores told Siggy how she had words with Jacqueline

A confused Siggy said: 'This is not even making any sense to me.'

Dolores told her: 'I've heard nothing but her bad-mouthing me from last night to today. I am so upset and so hurt. She's now alienated herself from me. What the f*** more do you want from me Jacqueline? Is there something wrong with you? I'm not going to be a whipping post.'

Teresa after becoming a yoga devotee during her stint in federal prison also taught a class at Dolores's gym.

She lead a large group class and they got a special reward of drinks at the end.

The Real Housewives Of New Jersey season finale airs on Sunday on Bravo.

Yoga teacher: Teresa instructed a yoga class at Dolores's gym

Good form: Siggy, Robyn and Dolores took part in Teresa's yoga class
Even jail can't slow Shailene Woodley down.

The Fault in Our Stars actress - who was arrested weeks back during a North Dakota protest of a pipeline - was front-and-center on Sunday at MacArthur Park in Los Angeles to take part in an environmental rally dubbed Climate Revolution.

The surging actress, 24, wasn't the only famous face in the crowd, as she was snapped with Jaden Smith, 18, at the demonstration aimed at eradicating ongoing use of fossil fuels and other elements damaging to Mother Earth.

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Raise the roof: Shailene Woodley was front-and-center on Sunday at MacArthur Park in Los Angeles to take part in an environmental rally dubbed Climate Revolution

United: The 24-year-old and Jaden Smith, 18, were among the famous faces that headlined an environmental rally

Star power: Susan Sarandon, 70, Frances Fisher, 64, and Woodley united for a common cause

The socially-fueled event also drew notable personalities such as Academy Award winner Susan Sarandon, 70; Oscar-nominated actor and activist Mark Ruffalo, 48; actor and decades-long environmentalist Ed Begley Jr., 67; Titanic beauty Frances Fisher, 64; The Vampire Diaries star Kendrick Sampson, 28; and journalist Greg Palast, 64.

Activities at the expansive demonstration, which was centered around the park's Levitt Pavilion, kicked off with a rally.

After that attendees were treated to a concert which featured performances from artists such as Ozomatli, Gabriel Mayers and the L.A. River Choir.

Leader of the pack: Woodley snaps smartphone shots of her fellow demonstrators

Focused: The surging star is using her celebrity to promote environmental awareness

Decades of activism: Acting great Ed Begley Jr., with beautiful daughter Hayden, has been an outspoken environmentalist dating back to the 1970s, having written multiple books on the topic

Gold standard: Sarandon and Mark Ruffalo, like Begley, are longtime activists for social causes near and dear to their hearts

That was followed by a screening of an environmentally-focused documentaries from famed filmmaker Josh Fox, How to Let Go of the World And Love All the Things Climate Can't Change.

The Divergent beauty Woodley made national headlines after she was arrested in connection with criminal trespass and engaging in a riot October 10 at the construction site of the four-state $3.8 billion Dakota Access pipeline.

The outspoken Snowden star, who's aligned with a group in opposition to the pipeline called the Standing Rock Water Protectors, wrote in an Instagram post from the rally: '#NoDAPL March right now in LA. we stand with you standing rock. #istandwithstandingrock #MniWiconi #onlovesside #dakotaaccesspipeline #LA.'

Plans by Dallas-based Energy Transfer Partners have the controversial structure connection through Iowa, Illinois, North Dakota and South Dakota.
Their raunchy stage return has been marred with controversy.

Yet the Little Mix girls remain defiant in the face of their critics after they were slammed by many, including former Spice Girls star Mel C, for their raunchy stage ensembles which were deemed 'inappropriate' and akin to 'strippers'.

Leading the defiant response to their haters was Jesy Nelson, who took to Instagram ahead of Sunday's Radio 1 Teen Awards to share an image of her super sexy mini skirt with the words 'Too provocative?' emblazoned across the derriere.

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Too provocative? The Little Mix girls remain defiant in the face of their critics after they were slammed by many, including former Spice Girls star Mel C, for their raunchy stage ensembles which were deemed 'inappropriate' and akin to 'strippers'

Jesy, 25, used her clothes to make a statement as she shared an image from the back in which her skirt was adorned with the words.

Making her declaration even bolder was the saucy length of the skirt paired with her racy thigh-high boots, which added to the sizzling and 'provocative' look.

After their performance on The X Factor earlier this month to debut their new single Shout Out To My Ex, the girls caused mass controversy as Twitter went wild with critical responses to the ensembles.

Former girl band star Mel C was a shocking addition to the critics as she appeared to forget the racy looks favoured by the Spice Girls when she hit out at the girls.

'Strippers'? Leading the defiant response to their haters was Jesy Nelson, who took to Instagram ahead of Sunday's Radio 1 Teen Awards to share an image of a super sexy mini skirt with the words 'Too provocative?' emblazoned across the derriere

Not taking it lying down: Jesy, 25, used her clothes to make a statement as she shared an image from the back in which her skirt was adorned with the words

She said: 'I love Little Mix. I loved them from The X Factor. I just thought they were so different. But they are getting more provocative.'

Jesy's Instagram snap was swarmed with over 1,000 comments with a divisive response, with many fans tagging Mel C in the post, while others remained saddened by the fashion choices.

One impassioned commenter wrote: 'When you're fan base is 12 years old, I'd say dressing like a hooker is a little 'too' provocative yes. But gets you headlines doesn't it. Guess it depends which you value more - your innocent fan base or your own press and publicity (sic).'

Another fan however threw her support behind their defiant stance, writing: 'You tell 'em girl! Love how Jesy and the girls aint scared to speak their minds.'

Further adding to the argument was this year's X Factor girl group Four Of Diamonds, who survived Sunday night's elimination, as they were asked on Good Morning Britain on Monday morning what they thought of the outfits.

The said: 'If theyre comfortable with the bodies, then great.'

Support: Jesy's Instagram snap was swarmed with over 1,000 comments with a divisive response with many fans tagging Mel C in the post, while others remained saddened by the fashion choices

After The X Factor the girls were accused of 'dressing like strippers' on the family favourite show as they performed the new track but they found plenty of support in Loose Women star Coleen Nolan - Jesy's future mother-in-law.

Comparing their outfits to Beyonce's stage-wear, she said: 'Goodness me. Really they had kind of swimsuits on and that was it. They didnt have their boobs out.'

And the former Nolans star - whose son Jake Roche is engaged to Jesy - said fans have to accept they are not the same young girls who started out in the industry in 2010.

Coleen continued: 'When they first came out they were a very sweet and innocent girl band. Over the years, as you do, you develop as a woman, you experience life more. They go out there.

'Theyre so confident with themselves. They are all different shapes and sizes. They say, this is me. Ive seen a lot worse. No one screams and shouts when Beyonce comes out!

Support network: Comparing their outfits to Beyonce's stage-wear, she said: 'Goodness me. Really they had kind of swimsuits on and that was it. They didnt have their boobs out'

No different: Janet Street Porter, who appeared on the panel alongside Coleen, agreed: 'I cant see the difference between that and what Beyonce wore'

'I am biased they are talking about my future daughter-in-law, and I wont have it.'

Janet Street Porter, who appeared on the panel alongside Coleen, agreed: 'I cant see the difference between that and what Beyonce wore.'

After their set, Twitter was awash with comments about both the band's song and outfits, with one shocked fan tweeting: 'Yep Little Mix might as well be strippers. Gosh #XFactor'. Whilst another added: 'I love little mix but what they're wearing ain't appropriate for a family show.'

Support: After The X Factor the girls were accused of 'dressing like strippers' on the family favourite show as they performed the new track but they found plenty of support in Loose Women star Coleen Nolan - Jesy's future mother-in-law

Underwear as outerwear: Another user quipped: 'Was Little Mix running late, because they seem to have come out wearing just their underwear? It's not a case of less is more! #XFactor'

Another user quipped: 'Was Little Mix running late, because they seem to have come out wearing just their underwear? It's not a case of less is more! #XFactor.'

But not everyone was up in arms, as one fan pointed out: 'Imagine being offended by what a band wears when they perform "dressed like strippers" B***H WHO GIVES A F**K LET THEM LIVE.'
It is not much fun spending the day at a climate change rally without some company.

So no wonder Jaden Smith looked so happy to be accompanied by girlfriend Sarah Snyder at the Climate Revolution Rally in Los Angeles on Sunday.

The pair were looking very environmentally friendly as the revelled in each other's presence at the bustling event at MacArthur Park.

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Eco warriors: Jaden Smith and girlfriend Sarah Snyder at the Climate Revolution Rally in Los Angeles on Sunday

Karate Kid star Jaden, 18, looked every inch the dashing eco warrior in a trendy ensemble of grey jacket, yellow top, jeans and trainers.

Model Sarah, 21, who started dating the cheeky young scallywag last year, looked in fine form in a black top, grey trousers and brown boots.

Jaden certainly knows how to treat a girl to an exciting day out.

For the socially-fueled event also drew notable personalities such as Divergent star Shailene Woodley, 24, who was there following her criminal trespass and engaging in a riot arrest earlier this month at the construction site of the four-state $3.8 billion Dakota Access pipeline

Beats a night out at the movies: The pair seemed engrossed as they took part in the rally

Woodley believe it: Divergent star Shailene was there taking pictures of her famous friends

Others in attendence included noted ping pong exponent Susan Sarandon, Avengers star Mark Ruffalo, 48; actor Ed Begley Jr. Titanic beauty Frances Fisher, The Vampire Diaries star Kendrick Sampson and 64-year-old journalist Greg Palast.

Activities at the expansive demonstration, which was centered around the park's Levitt Pavilion, kicked off with a rally.

After that attendees were treated to a concert which featured performances from artists such as Ozomatli, Gabriel Mayers and the L.A. River Choir.

That was followed by a screening of an environmentally-focused documentaries from famed filmmaker Josh Fox, How to Let Go of the World And Love All the Things Climate Can't Change.

Power to the people: Citizen Smith would have had a ball alongside Jaden, Frances Fisher and Kendrick Sampson
She's famous for reality TV dating shows like The Bachelor and The Bachelorette.

But on Monday, Sam Frost decided to give singing a try by going busking with Rove McManus to record a segment for their 2Day FM radio show.

The pair, who were joined by Australian Idol's Shannon Noll, proved that they should stick to talking, not singing, as they showed off their terrible vocal chops in front of unlucky bystanders in Sydney's World Square.

Block your ears! Sam Frost and Rove McManus busked in Sydney's World Square on Monday

The twosome warbled and screeched their way through Nollsie's best known hit, 'What About Me,' with total disregard for the poor souls who were forced to listen to them.

'There's lots of people around,' remarked Sam before the performance.

Rove added: 'Lunchtime rush!'

'There's lots of people around:' The pair, who covered Shannon Noll's 'What About Me,' didn't care how many innocent people they subjected to their singing

After butchering the track, Nollsie took over to perform a flawless rendition of his chart-topping cover of the Moving Pictures hit.

After both performances were done, the trio checked to see how much money they'd earned from busking.

Despite their atrocious vocals, Sam and Rove were still able to pull in a respectable $96.80.

He won! Shannon performed after the pair, and raised more money busking due to his superior vocal skills

However, Nollsie had them beat with a more substantial $107.50.

Shannon recently released the music video for his long-awaited comeback single, 'Who I Am.'

His fifth studio album is due out early next year.
It is one of the most highly-anticipated dramas of the year.

But just before it becomes available to stream, the cast of The Crown headed to MOMA in New York to host a special screening of the show on Sunday.

The stars of the show were leading the charge, with Matt Smith, Claire Foy and John Lithgow all arriving for the epic regal drama's first airing.

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A right royal affair: Matt Smith, Claire Foy and John Lithgow lead the cast of The Crown as they headed to MOMA in New York to host a special screening of the show, on Sunday

Leading lady Claire, who plays Elizabeth II in the decade-spanning show, cut a stylish figure in her navy floral-print dress.

the 32-year-old actress looked a far-cry from the prim and proper image she cut on set, as Her Majesty, The Queen.

Trading in the vintage clothes for a lightweight floor-length number, Claire managed to dazzle in the demure yet chic number, which was cinched in at the waist to highlight her figure.

Sporting bleach blonde locks in a swept back style, the actress added a flash of bold colour to her look by wearing scarlet lipstikc.

Her highness: Claire, who plays Elizabeth II in the decade-spanning show, cut a stylish figure in her navy floral-print dress (pictured with producer Suzanne Mackie and Nina Wolarsky)

Matt, who plays Prince Philip in the show, looked the epitome of an English gent as he arrived suited and booted.

The 33-year-old former Doctor Who star sported a classic charcoal pinstripe suit teamed with a white shirt and black spotted tie.

Two-time Oscar nominee John, 71, went for a suave yet slightly laid-back look.

The Interstellar star, who plays Sir Winston Churchill in the series, teaming his black two-piece suit with a pale blue open-necked shirt.

Upping the wow factor: Claire's co-star Vanessa Kirby, 28, looked sensational in a low-cut pink top teamed with a jazzy red and white fitted skirt

Proud as punch: British leads Claire and Matt, 33, looked utterly delighted to be unveiling the show for the first time (pictured with Suzanne and fellow producer Andy Harries)

The three lead actors were joined by a host of the cast, crew and other VIP guests at the special event.

Other notable names at the event included their co-star Vanessa Kirby (Princess Margaret), and show producers Suzanne Mackie and Andy Harries.

A reported $100million has been ploughed into the show, which traces the life of Queen Elizabeth II from her wedding in 1947 to the present day.

A blockbuster: A reported $100million has been ploughed into the show, which traces the life of Queen Elizabeth II from her wedding in 1947 to the present day

A tale to end all tales? The tagline for the show has a dramatic ring to it, which promises plenty of excitement, reading: 'Two houses, two courts, one Crown'

According to The Telegraph, The Crown is the most expensive drama ever made by the US streaming company and its first to be made in the UK.

Billed as the 'the inside story of two of the most famous addresses in the world  Buckingham Palace and 10 Downing Street', the drama promises a look at the intrigue, love lives and machinations behind the most notable events.

The tagline for the show has a blockbuster ring to it, which promises plenty of excitement, reading: 'Two houses, two courts, one Crown.'

Netflix subscribers can tune into the regal drama on the 4 November 2016.
She was left heartbroken to discover her boyfriend was sexting other women.

Yet Megan McKenna looked as though she was finally ready to smile again following beau Pete Wicks' distressing scandal as she led the TOWIE cast headed to filming on Sunday.

The 24-year-old former Ex On The Beach star was dressed to impress in an edgy brown fur coat with a thigh-skimming shirt dress and racy heels as she joined her co-stars at the launch of the boys' calendar.

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Fur real: Megan McKenna looked as though she was finally ready to smile again following beau Pete Wicks' distressing scandal as she led the superstar arrivals as the TOWIE cast headed to filming on Sunday

Megan discovered Pete's extra-curricular activity during the show's annual pilgrimage to Marbella, where she launched an explosive tirade at the tattooed hunk when he was caught texting former flame Jacqui Ryland.

Since then the reality veteran, famed for stints on EOTB, Celebrity Big Brother, Britain's Got Talent and X Factor, has been seen looking forlorn over her woes.

As Pete desperately pleaded for her forgiveness, he also visited both her mum and dad to ask them to accept him back in their family - much to the McKenna's chagrin.

On Sunday night's episode, Megan managed a smile when repentant Pete gave a gushing speech to her, saying: 'My life ain't been the same without you. I miss you sitting on the toilet when I'm in the bath. I miss you dribbling on my chest when you're sleeping.'

Smiling again: The 24-year-old former Ex On The Beach star was dressed to impress in an edgy brown fur coat with a thigh-skimming shirt dress and racy heels as she joined her co-stars at the launch of the boys' calendar

Moving on up: Since then the reality veteran, famed for stints on EOTB, Celebrity Big Brother, Britain's Got Talent and X Factor, has been seen looking forlorn over her woes

Naughty boy: Megan discovered Pete's extra-curricular activity during the show's annual pilgrimage to Marbella, where she launched an explosive tirade at the tattooed hunk when he was caught texting Jacqui Ryland

Since then the couple were seen heading to Champney's Health Resort and it seems the make or break getaway was the tonic needed as Megan looked glowing as she arrived at the day of shooting.

Going for a quirkier look than usual, the brunette beauty wore the thigh-skimming brown coat over a chic, crisp shirt dress which showed off her endless legs.

She boosted her height with staggering gold heels which featured a saucy lace-up detail extending the length of her leg while she also clutched an envy-inducing Louis Vuitton rucksack.

We can get through this... Since then the couple were seen heading to Champney's Health Resort and it seems the make or break getaway was the tonic needed as Megan looked glowing as she arrived at the day of shooting

Kooky: Going for a quirkier look than usual, the brunette beauty wore the thigh-skimming brown coat over a chic, crisp shirt dress which showed off her endless legs

Dropped for a moment: Megan returned to her sombre state momentarily

In out: Perhaps feeling overheated in her fur she stripped off

Fringe benefits: Naturally, her beauty regimen was flawless, as she continued to exhibit her post-break-up fringe while the rest of her hair was scraped into a high bun

Naturally, her beauty regimen was flawless, as she continued to exhibit her post-break-up fringe with the rest of her hair scraped into a high bun.

Also looking more laid-back than in recent days was Pete who wore a crew-neck navy jumper with a flat cap and rounded glasses - although he was trendy as ever.

Following Megan in the glam stakes was Lydia Bright who wowed in a boxy teal jacket with a cape detail and hip-skimming length while paired with a tight black pencil skirt.

She boosted her height with a pair of round toe heels while clutching a cream and black handbag.

Chatting away: Also looking more laid-back than in recent days was Pete who wore a crew-neck navy jumper with a flat cap and rounded glasses - although he was trendy as ever

Chatting away: The handsome star was locked in conversation in the bash

The future's Bright: Following Megan in the glam stakes was Lydia Bright who wowed in a boxy teal jacket with a cape detail and hip-skimming length while paired with a tight black pencil skirt

Blonde beauty: As ever Lydia showed off her flare for retro fashion

All the boys: The TOWIE lads pulled it out of the bag for their calendar shoot

Kate Wright and Danielle Armstrong opted for similar looks as they sported muted nude palettes, which were perfectly suited to the incoming autumnal chill.

The ex-girlfriend of resident hunk Dan Edgar showed off her phenomenal figure, the result of working out seven days a week, in tight black trousers and a plunging nude jumper.

Danielle meanwhile wore a knitted coord comprising of a nude round neck jumper with a midi skirt complete with a tie detail around the middle.

Stunners: Kate Wright and Danielle Armstrong opted for similar looks as they sported muted nude palettes, which were perfectly suited to the incoming autumnal chill

Chic: The ex-girlfriend of resident hunk Dan Edgar showed off her phenomenal figure, the result of working out seven days a week, in tight black trousers and a plunging nude jumper

Knitted up: Danielle meanwhile wore a coord comprising of a nude round neck jumper with a midi skirt complete with a tie detail around the middle

Sleepy time: Returning from a short hiatus and determined to turn heads was Gemma Collins who opted for the pyjama trend in a crimson satin top with tight black leggings and heels

Laid back: Georgia Kousoulou went for a more street style than her colleagues as she wore a thigh-skimming white T-shirt dress with thigh-high boots which coordinated with her bomber jacket

Returning from a short hiatus and determined to turn heads was Gemma Collins who opted for the pyjama trend in a crimson satin top with tight black leggings and heels.

Georgia Kousoulou went for a more street style than her colleagues as she wore a thigh-skimming white T-shirt dress with thigh-high boots which coordinated with her bomber jacket.

Courtney Green and Chloe Meadows looked typically glamorous with the former flashing her legs in a super short dress and the latter in chic polka dot trousers.

Making a striking addition to the bash was stunning Chloe Lewis who looked statuesque in wide-legged black trousers with a chic fur gilet.

The boys looked as stylish as the girls as they went for a humdrum of styles with Dan Edgar looking swish in a smart grey jacket while James Lock looked tough in a leather jacket.

Sophisticated: Courtney Green and Chloe Meadows looked typically glamorous with the former flashing her legs in a super short T-shirt dress and the latter in chic polka dot trousers

Chic: Making a striking addition to the bash was stunning Chloe Lewis who looked statuesque in wide-legged black trousers with a chic fur gilet

Snap snap: Chloe took some pictures with her personalised phone case

The lads: Tommy Mallet and Dan Edgar headed out to see their images

Having a giggle: The boys could barely contain their excitement ahead of the launch

Tough guy: James looked slick in his leather jacket as he headed into the bash
The Australian actress will be trying her hand at directing next year.

And Rachel Griffiths is already hard at work sussing out her filming locations, with the film centred around Michelle Payne's historic Melbourne Cup win last year.

The 47-year-old turned heads in a navy blue dress as she posed with the Cup during the Melbourne Cup Carnival Launch at Flemington Racecourse on Monday.

Standing proud: Rachel Griffiths looked stoic as she posed with the Melbourne Cup on Monday just weeks ahead of filming for her new movie Ride Like A Girl

The Hacksaw Ridge actress looked demure in her fitted deep blue frock, which featured a collar detail neckline.

Her blonde locks were styled to a windswept look and she chose to accentuate her natural beauty with a light application of makeup.

Rachel decided to keep her look casual, and did not wear accessories or a fascinator for the Cup Launch.

Proud as punch! The actress and director posed with Emirates staff and Myer ambassador Rachael Finch

The Muriel's Wedding star will collect footage from this year's Melbourne Cup for her upcoming film, Ride Like A Girl.

Based around Michelle Payne, the first female jockey to win the Melbourne Cup, the film will be directed by Rachel and written by Andrew Knight and Elise McCredie.

The esteemed actress and now director posed alongside Myer ambassador Rachael Finch and Emirates staff.

Keeping it clean: The 47-year-old wore a white glove to keep her fingerprints off the prestigious racing trophy

Also in attendance was former Big Brother contestant and blogger Tully Smyth.

The 29-year-old looked youthful in a white lace dress which flared delicately at the hem.

She wore a full face of makeup and drew attention to her pearly whites with a statement red lip.

The reality tv contestant posed for a photo with a muscular horse which appeared to have balloons for a head.

She was later seen laughing with friends, who were dressed in patterned blue frocks for the big event.

Horsing around: Former Big Brother contestant Tully Smyth looked demure in lace as she posed with a horse statue at Friday's launch
Daisy Lowe appeared in high spirits when she was pictured heading back to her hotel on Sunday, along with the rest of the Strictly cast.

With a big smile on her face, no doubt the 27-year-old was thrilled to have been kept in the competition another week - as Lesley Joseph was eliminated after they both appeared in the dance-off that night.

The outing comes as BBC's Strictly continued to trounce it's ITV rival X Factor in the ratings war.

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Happy: Daisy Lowe (left) appeared in high spirits when she was pictured heading back to her hotel on Sunday, along with the rest of the Strictly cast

Battle on: The outing comes as BBC's Strictly continued to trounce it's ITV rival X Factor (pictured) in the ratings war with 10.8million peak viewers

Strictly attracted 10.8million peak viewers, compared to X Factor's 6.9million, with an average of 9.08 against 5.9 on Saturday night's show.

Last week, the show's figures dropped from an average of 6.2million viewers, from 5.8million.

And it looks as though the rest of the Strictly contestants were pretty pleased by the show's success as they beamed in front of the camera.

Gone: Lesley Joseph has been voted off Strictly Come Dancing after losing to Daisy Lowe in the dreaded dance off

Judge Rinder, Greg Rutherford and Danny Mac were among the group, as well as professional dancers Giovanni Pernice, Karen Clifton and Aljaz Skorjanec.

MailOnline has contacted a spokesperson for Strictly and X Factor for further comment.

Lesley Joseph has been voted off Strictly Come Dancing after losing to Daisy Lowe in the dreaded dance off.

Looks like she made it: With a big smile on her face, no doubt the 27-year-old was thrilled to have been kept in the competition another week

Dancing to their beat: Fellow contestants Danny Mac (left) and Judge Rinder (right) were also present

Stunner: Professional dancer Karen Clifton matched her bag to her outfit as she joined the group

Lads! Greg Rutherford (left) was also joined by professional dancer Giovanni Pernice (right)

Taut: Natalie Lowe flaunted her toned tummy in a tracksuit and cropped T-shirt

The 71-year-old actress found herself in the bottom two after scoring a lowly 24 points for her Tango to Whatever Lola Wants with Anton Du Beke.

But it was a surprise that she faced model Daisy - who had scored a healthy 32 points on Saturday's show - proving the public vote can be cruel.

After Daisy, and Aljaz Skorjanec danced their Charleston to Happy Feet by Manhattan Rhythm Kings, the judges unanimously voted to save her.

Craig Revel Horwood explained his choice: 'I love both couples for completely different reasons. But for me tonight, for precision, for an improved performance in this particular Dance Off, and finishing on time, the couple I would like to save is Daisy and Aljaz.'

Unlucky: Lesley failed to impress the judges with her Tango to the Gotan Project version of Whatever Lola Wants on Sunday's show

Happy days: Model Daisy Lowe made it through to the next round

Improving: Daisy Lowe and Aljaz impressed with a Charleston to Happy Feet by Manhattan Rhythm Kings

Spooky: The pair began in darkness so that only their white gloves and shoes were visible

Darcey Bussell made the same choice: 'Again this is very difficult, I wouldn't want these two couples here at all, and to choose between them is very difficult. But the couple I would like to save on their cleanness and the quality of their dance that stood out to me is Daisy and Aljaz.'

Bruno Tonolini said: 'Well I love both of these girls for many different reasons. They're gorgeous look at them. But I have to really choose the stronger dance on every aspect  technique and performance. And for that reason I am choosing to save Daisy and Aljaz.'

And Head Judge Len Goodman agreed with his colleagues, saying: 'I did agree. I would have saved Daisy and Aljaz.'

Seeing red: Lesley was in bottom two and looked very disappointed when it was announced

Joy: Danny Mac made it though to the next round and was delighted

Disbelief: Anastacia was given a new lease of life with her new partner Gorka

Delight: Louise Redknapp - who used to be a judge on the BBC's So You Think You Can Dance - was chuffed to make it through

How have we done that? Greg couldn't believe he got through after his poor performance

Relief: Ore Oduba was very grateful to be heading to next week

When asked by Tess what her highlight had been, Lesley said; 'Learning a new dance every week has just been lovely, working with him (Anton) has been an absolute joy and we've laughed a lot. And yeah it's been just a lovely lovely lovely journey and it's come to an end and that's absolutely fine. We've loved it.

An emotional Anton said: 'I would just like to say thank you very much, you enriched my whole Strictly experience this year. Dancing with you has been an absolute joy. You pushed me, I don't know about me pushing you, you pushed me to try and be more creative and make the numbers better and that's just down to you and you're just an absolute joy. And I love you dearly.'

Larking around: Head judge Len got involved in the opening dance

Frantic: The opening dance got the audience in the mood

Having a blast! The professional dancers were out in full force to open the show

Up she goes: It was a rather impressive routine that the pro dancers had prepared

In character: Craig Revel Horwood played appeared to play himself in the 1920s-themed dance

Sneering: He jokingly turned his nose up at the dancer scrubbing his shoes

Fun and games: Tess and Claudia joined in with the fun at the start of the show

Sunday's Results show also featured a performance from LeAnn Rimes singing her new song How To Kiss A Boy.

Next week spiders, witches, broomsticks and ghosts return to the Strictly ballroom for the Fright Night Halloween special - the spookiest event in the Strictly Come Dancing calendar.

The remaining ten couples will take to the dancefloor once more next week when Strictly Come Dancing returns on Saturday 29 October at 6.45pm with the results show on Sunday 30 October at 7.15pm on BBC One.

Proving their worth: Even the judges had the chance to let their hair down

Saved: Ed Balls was voted through to the next round despite coming bottom of the leaderboard

Look away Yvette! Ed embraced his dance partner Katya when they found out they were through

Scared about next week: Ed was scared by his partner who wore a scary mask in the back of his car

Impressive: Sunday's Results show also featured a performance from LeAnn Rimes singing her new song How To Kiss A Boy
He has made it into the final three on the current series of The Bachelorette Australia.

Now, finalist Lee Elliot has revealed the moment he fell head over heels for Georgia Love.

During an interview with Popsugar, the 35-year-old admitted he felt 'something special' between Georgia and himself after watching her blend in with his family during home town visits

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Falling in love: Bachelorette finalist Lee Elliot has revealed the moment he fell head over heels for Georgia Love

'After taking her home to meet my family, that was when I really had a moment,' he began to explain.

'I already knew there was something special, but you can also wonder whether you're getting caught up in all this.

'I sat back and watched her with my family and just took it in and went, "Hang on, there's far more here. This is something special",' he concluded to gush.

The moment: The 35-year-old admitted he felt 'something special' between Georgia and himself after watching her blend in with his family during home town visits

His touching comments comes he admitted he struggled with confidence when first stepping into the Bachelorette mansion, as a result of bullying when he was younger.

Speaking to Who, the heartthrob confessed he was initially hesitant to join the show but was 'slowly but surely running out of single friends'.

'There were a couple of mornings I woke up and said, "What am I doing? What could Georgia possibly see?"

Details: He explained: 'I sat back and watched her with my family and just took it in and went, "Hang on, there's far more here. This is something special"'

'People mistake me for being confident and self-assured but that couldn't be further from the truth. It's silly but it's still there.'

Lee, who opened up about being bullied to the point of tears in high school, said being on the reality show has catapulted him out of his comfort zone.
Actress Shailene Woodley is to stand trial in North Dakota early next year on charges related to her protest against the Dakota Access pipeline.

Woodley was among 27 activists arrested Oct. 10. The Divergent star, who livestreamed her arrest on Facebook, pleaded not guilty last week to criminal trespass and engaging in a riot.

Mug shot: Shailene Woodley was arrested Monday, Oct. 10, 2016, during a protest against the Dakota Access pipeline

Court documents show Woodley's trial is scheduled Jan. 25 in state court in Mandan.

She could face two months in jail and $3,000 in fines if convicted of the two misdemeanors.

The Standing Rock Sioux want construction of the $3.8 billion pipeline halted, saying it could taint water supplies and encroach on tribal burial sites.

Protests supporting the tribe have been going on for months, with 269 people arrested as of Sunday.

Protesters fear the pipeline project could potentially cause irreversible harm to the drinking water for the Standing Rock community - who live just one mile from the river - as well as the river's ecosystem.
Melodee Ann (Beach) Costello, 67, A Celebration of Life Memorial Service will be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 29, 2016 at the Griffiths-Hovendick Chapel in Beatrice with Rosanne Beach Woodyard officiating. Inurnment will be in the Evergreen Home Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, a memorial has been established to the family's choice with the funeral home in charge.

Willard Dean Dezort, 92, of Beatrice. Graveside Memorial Services 11 a.m. Wednesday, Oct. 26, 2016 at Evergreen Home Cemetery in Beatrice with Pastor David Bigley officiating. A register book will be available from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 25, 2016 at Harman-Wright Mortuary in Beatrice. Memorials are suggested to familys choice in care of the mortuary.

Geraldine E. Geri Kozak, 88, of Beatrice. Memorial Services 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, Nov. 5, 2016 at Beatrice Good Samaritan Chapel with Pastor Greg Gabriel officiating. Inurnment will be at a later date. A memorial has been established to the familys choice. A guestbook for signatures will be available on Friday, Nov. 4, from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. at the Fox Funeral Home of Beatrice and at the Beatrice Good Samaritan Chapel one hour preceding the services on Saturday.

Dorothy Schramm, 96, of Fairbury. Services will be Tuesday, Oct. 25, 2016 at 10:30 a.m. at Our Savior Lutheran Church in Odell, with Pastor Greg Stuckwisch officiating. The family will greet friends Monday evening from 78:30 p.m. at the Vance Gerdes Funeral Home in Odell. Memorials will go to the church.

John T. Jack Warren, Manhattan, Kan. A service celebrating his life at 1 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 29, at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Manhattan, 481 Zeandale Road, Manhattan, KS 66502. Private inurnment with military honors will be in Sunset Cemetery, Manhattan, KS. Memorials to the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Manhattan, and the Good Samaritan Fund at Meadowlark Hills. Contributions may be left in care of the Yorgensen-Meloan-Londeen Funeral Home, 1616 Poyntz Avenue, Manhattan, KS 66502.

Virginia Maxine Cook Wienke, 90, of Fairbury. Funeral services Friday, Oct. 28, 2016 at 3 p.m. at Gerdes-Meyer Funeral Home with Darlene Novotny officiating.
Rebel Wilson took in the sights of Florence on Monday.

The 36-year-old took a particular liking to the statue of David, a 14ft marble creation depicting the biblical character fully nude.

Rebel took the opportunity to share a video with her 3.8 million Instagram followers in front of Michaelangelo's famous statue.

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Statuesque: Rebel Wilson paid a visit to the Accademia Gallery to see Michaelangelo's statue of David

The Pitch Perfect star is seen posing in front of the statue before turning to marvel at it.

Rebel struck a serious-looking pose with her arms folded, causing some fans great amusement.

The main root of their amusement was that the Sydneysider seemed to be enjoying a private viewing of David, with no one else in shot.

Strike a pose: The usually busy Accademia Gallery was a ghost town for the star's visit on Monday

Walk the walk: The 36-year-old looked to be having a great time as she posed in front of the 14ft marble statue

Visitors usually flock in their thousands to the statue's home in the Accademia Gallery to catch a glimpse of one of the world's most famous works of art, yet Rebel had him all to herself.

The actress is fresh from being recognised at last week's Australians in Film Awards in Los Angeles.

Rebel broke down in tears after she scooped the inaugural Annette Kellerman Award, named in honour of the swimmer-turned-actress who was a trailblazer for Australian women in early Hollywood.

Winner: Rebel's exploits in Hollywood were recognised when she picked up an award at the Australians in Film Awards

Speech: Rebel picked up the Annette Kellerman Award and went onto pay tribute to her late father

Proud moment: The Pitch Perfect star felt the prize was reward for all her hard work in the film industry

Her acceptance speech featured a tribute to her late father and also said it was a reward for her hard work in the film industry.

'We both overcame a lot of obstacles and naysayers to have a big international career I have worked very hard to get here,' said Rebel as reported by The Daily Telegraph.
The Australian television presenter gave birth to twins just one month ago.

But Bec Judd appears to have snapped back to her pre-pregnancy size in just weeks, with the WAG showing off her tiny frame in a picture posted to Instagram on Monday.

Dressed in a fitted, bright pink strapless dress, the model's flat stomach is clearly visible.

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Pretty in pink! Bec Judd shared a photo of herself in a fitted pink dress to Instagram on Monday, which showed off her flat stomach - just weeks after she gave birth to twins

The image shows Bec in what appears to be a room she has styled for her Bec Judd Loves blog.

Previous posts show the model displaying a home room by room and pointing her followers to a link where they can purchase similar homewares.

'Finally left the house (between feeds) to check out our finished Prahran home for @thestyleschool,' she wrote.

'It is looking sensational! Can't wait for you all to see it.'

Ready to burst! Though exercise and healthy eating stopped the mother-of-four from gaining an excessive amount of pregnancy weight, it was impossible to miss her very pregnant belly

Do their hands look big in this? Bec shared an adorable snap of her newborn twin boys to Instagram last week, pointing to the large size of her premature newborns' hands

On September 29, the trained speech pathologist gave birth to twin boys Tom and Darcy.

Just two weeks later, she shared a photo of herself in jeans and a striped top which left her Instagram followers shocked at her rapid weight loss.

In the photo, she praised the invention of maternity jeans and joked that she 'may live in these forever'.

Growing family: Tom and Darcy join the loving family of Bec and Chris Judd, and their two children Oscar, 4, and Billie, 2

Since, the mother-of-four has happily returned to her pre-pregnancy wardrobe of fitted dresses and waist cinching skirts.

On Thursday, the model posed prettily in a sequined gold skirt paired with a denim shirt and strappy nude stiletto heels.

The skirt showed off Bec's trim pins and accentuated her tiny waist - which appeared miles away from the one that so recently carried two baby boys.
He's busy filming the third instalment of Grantchester.

And James Norton was in high spirits as he filmed scenes for the forthcoming ITV drama in the village of Grantchester near Cambridge on Monday.

Wearing his full clerical garb, and carrying a bar of dark chocolate as he headed to his next location, the 31-year-old actor looked over the moon to be back on set.

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Man of the cloth: James Norton looked cheerful as he filmed scenes for the forthcoming ITV drama, Grantchester near Cambridge on Monday

Laughing and joking with cast and crew, the Yorkshire raised actor chatted away to his co-star Tessa Peake Jones, of Only Fools and Horses fame, who plays his housekeeper.

James also spent plenty of time talking to Morven Christie, who plays his on-screen love interest Amanda Kendall in the 1950s detective series.

The 31-year-old, who plays crime-fighting vicar Sidney Chambers, was seen peering around a front door with Morven, who plays Amanda Kendall in the 1950's detective drama.

It's a sign: Wearing his full clerical garb, and carrying a bar of dark chocolate as he headed to his next location, the 31-year-old actor looked over the moon to be back on set

Downtime: In between filming James chatted to the crew as he took some direction

Co-star: Laughing and joking with cast and crew, the Yorkshire raised actor chatted away to Tessa Peake Jones, of Only Fools and Horses fame, who plays his housekeeper

The couple appeared to be getting ready to film some scenes together, with James peering around a front door alongside his on-screen girlfriend.

James, who is dating actress Jessie Buckley in real life, plays Sidney Chambers - a crime fighting Anglican vicar who develops a sideline in investigation with the help of Detective Inspector Geordie Keating, played by Robson Green.

The drama is a small-screen adaptation of crime-fiction book series The Grantchester Mysteries by James Runcie, with the first series based on the six stories from the first book.

Spiritual intervention: James plays a crime fighting Anglican vicar who develops a sideline in investigation with the help of Detective Inspector Geordie Keating, played by Robson Green

Pensive: The drama is a small-screen adaptation of crime-fiction book series The Grantchester Mysteries by James Runcie, with the first series based on the six stories from the first book

Popular: The first series of the detective drama pulled in an average of 6.6million viewers when it debuted in October 2014

The first series pulled in an average of 6.6 million viewers when it debuted in October 2014. A second series was broadcast in March and April 2016.

Underneath Geordie's carefree exterior there are new feelings of vulnerability, and this puts a strain on his relationship with wife Cathy and his friendship with Sidney.

The six new episodes are being filmed in London and Grantchester as well as in Cambridge's city centre, and will air in 2017.

Dramatic end: A second series was broadcast in March and April 2016
Her ex-boyfriend Jeremy McConnell reportedly compared her to Britney Spears during her breakdown on his Instagram page last week.

But Stephanie Davis is keeping her head held high amidst their sniping feud with her former flame, turning her attentions on social media to her unborn son instead.

The 23-year-old took to Instagram on Monday to flaunt her burgeoning bump in a skimpy orange bikini for fans - writing a gushing message beside it, which expressed her huge excitement at her new arrival.

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Posing with one leg cocked in a vibrant orange bikini, the reality star looked incredibly confident and proud to show off her blossoming bump.

With the skimpy bottoms cutting high up her thigh and the strapless top secured by a zip down her bust, the brunette put on a sexy display in the snap, showing off her slender legs and leaving her dark tattoos on show.

Posting the throwback shot from a recent holiday, Stephanie wrote in the caption: 'Me and my boy on our holidays. Take me back!'

However not stopping there, the former Hollyoaks actress continued to express her excitement at the prospect of becoming a mother.

Online attack: Fans noticed on Thursday morning that Jeremy McConnell posted a meme on his Instagram account, which he swiftly deleted, where he appeared to compare his ex Stephanie Davis to Britney Spears during her 2007 breakdown

She gushed beside the photo: 'Not long now little one, time has gone so fast I can't believe I'm now counting down the days and were in 2 digits now not three.

It's scary but so exciting! I just can't wait to hold you in my arms!'

Before finishing: 'I'm so lucky, my dreams came true, my perfect little boy, wow.... Just craziness! Counting down... hope it hurries.'

Stephanie announced she was pregnant earlier this year following her split from fellow CBB star Jeremy McConnell, who she claims is the baby's father - something he staunchly denies.

However after keeping a low profile in the summer, the Irish hunk seemingly launched another online attack at his pregnant ex girlfriend on Friday - his second in a week.

Another dig? The caption allegedly posted by Jeremy reads: 'Great having a laugh with the ex last ni' alongside a bald-headed emoji'

According to The Sun, fans noticed on Thursday morning that the CBB star posted a meme on his Instagram account, where he appeared to compare Stephanie to Britney Spears during her 2007 breakdown, before he swiftly deleted the post.

Stephanie, who is expecting Jeremy's child, meanwhile hit back following another attack from Jeremy made earlier in the week.

The Sun claim Jeremy, 28, shared the mocking meme on Thursday morning, which showed a photo of Britney from 2007 after she shaved her head.

The caption allegedly posted by Jeremy reads: 'Great having a laugh with the ex last ni' alongside a bald-headed emoji.

A representative for Jeremy has been contacted by MailOnline for comment.

Keeping mum: Steph tweeted on Thursday night that she no longer wished to give her ex any attention following his online attacks this week

The meme follows another post still on Jeremy's Instagram profile in which the reality star mocked Steph's claims that their relationship caused her hair to start falling out.

Sharing a picture of his former love, 23, he wrote: 'Aw stop I'm in knots, not cause you dye it white blonde from dark brown.

'Any time I see an attention seeking article that makes me laugh I'm posting it.'

Steph tweeted on Thursday night that she no longer wished to give her ex any attention, writing:

Ouch: The meme follows another post still on Jeremy's Instagram profile in which the reality star mocked Steph's claims that their relationship caused her hair to start falling out

'I have no desire publicly or otherwise to discuss that any further. I wish him all the best.'

'Contrary to reports earlier this week any mention of my previous relationship was in response to questions asked.'

The former Hollyoaks star is set to welcome her first child in January with her ex-beau and confessed that her blonde hair from earlier this year was a wig helped to disguise thinning.

The actress made the revelations as she spoke about the pros of pregnancy hormones on her OK! blog stating:

Back and forth: Jeremy wrote of Steph's claims: 'Aw stop I'm in knots, not cause you dye it white blonde from dark brown'

'Ive been working hard to repair my hair as when I was "blonde Steph, my hair snapped a lot and it also started to fall out with all the "stress I was under".

'My hair went really thin and I went in total shock which was really upsetting. Everyone always said one of my best features was my long dark hair that was all natural and here it was falling out.

'If I touched it, it would just come out in my hands and I was told it was all the pressure I was under. I had a cry about it quite often because I didnt feel like myself. It makes you feel womanly in a sense.

'A lot of people don't know this but when it was long and blonde it was actually a wig because my hair was just done for, I'd lost so much.'

'I looked ill without it': She started wearing a wig after strands of locks would continuously shed in her hands

Not a care in the world: Jeremy was soon back to his old partying ways, and headed out for a night on the town with a pal

Brunette beauty: The hair loss was hard for Stephanie to deal with as people always told her that her dark locks were her best features

And justifying the enhancement, Stephanie explained, 'I looked ill without it and just didn't feel human.

'It's in much better condition now and obviously with the pregnancy it's growing back a bit but I've just found out it can fall out again after giving birth! I'm dreading it.'

Meanwhile, Stephanie has been taking pregnancy in her stride and showed off her best 'baby bump pose' as she took to Instagram on Tuesday.

Clad in a figure-hugging grey jumpsuit, the mum-to-be displayed her pregnancy curves before sharing a snap of her own yummy mummy, sending her followers wild.

Working her angles: She's gearing up to welcome her first child in January. And Stephanie showed off her best 'baby bump pose' as she took to Instagram on Tuesday

Posing with her hands clutching her bobble hat beanie, the former Hollyoaks actress crossed her legs and arched her back to show off her blossoming bump.

'Mummy to be and [baby emoji] baby bump pose!' she wrote alongside the snap.

And whilst her fans went wild for the sweet snap, it was a picture of her youthful looking mother Pauline, 50, that really whipped them up into a frenzy.

Yummy grand-mummy to be! Whilst Stephanie's fans went wild for the sweet snap, it was a picture of her youthful looking mother Pauline, 50, that really whipped them up into a frenzy

She captioned the sweet snap: 'Took this little cutie for some food and laughs before I see my fave cuz xx'

And her fans immediately flooded the pair with compliments, with one fan writing: 'Your mum is so beautiful, can see where you get your looks from, and it's lovely to see the bond you two have #precious.'

Another added: 'your like sisters your mum looks so young [sic]', whilst one commented: 'your mum looks stunning, your just like her.'

One fan said that good looks must run in the family, as they commented: 'You've got good genes! Your Mam looks amazing! X'

Youthful: Fans were full of praise for Stephanie's mother, with several pointing out the striking resemblance between the beautiful pair

Stephanie also spoke further of her ex Jeremy, stating she doesn't want him at the birth.

She told OK! magazine: 'He doesnt deserve to be there. I dont think he wants to be there either. I dont think I could ever forgive him for how hes been.

Stephanie - who fell for the inked hunk during a whirlwind romance in Celebrity Big Brother at the beginning of the year - insists she is happy to be just a unit with her baby boy after the tattooed reality star cut off all contact with her.

She adds: 'I used to send him scan photos but he doesnt care and he never has. Its just me and my son now. I never thought hed be that type of guy.'
She has enjoyed a wildly successful showbiz career spanning two decades.

Yet Katie Price's younger sister Sophie appears to be taking a very different direction in life to her famous sister as she graduated with a degree in history on Monday morning.

The 38-year-old former glamour model kept the day well-documented on social media as she celebrated alongside her family, husband Kieran Hayler and Derrick Pountney - the ex-husband of her former best friend and love rival, Jane, who hit the headlines after her fling with Kieran was exposed in 2014.

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Proud sister: Katie Price's younger sister Sophie appears to be taking a very different direction in life to her famous sister as she graduated with a degree in history on Monday morning

The pair, who have managed to remain friends despite Jane's infidelity, later posed for a fun selfie that Katie shared with followers across social media.

Captioning the shot, she wrote: 'Me and d Besty Derrick Poutney.'

Katie looked unusually demure for her day at the ceremony in which she opted for a smart suit jacket with a white T-shirt beneath.

Despite the presumed awkwardness between Kieran and Derrick, she didn't let any potential animosity ruin her sister's special day and continued to upload videos and pictures of Sophie collecting her degree, along with images of herself and various family members including her parents and aunt.

Indeed, the blonde beauty appeared attached to her phone as she filmed clips, took selfies and shared snaps.

Still close: Katie was also joined by Derrick Pountney - the ex-husband of her former best friend and love rival, Jane, who hit the headlines after her fling with Kieran was exposed in 2014

We are family! The 38-year-old glamour model kept the day well-documented on social media as she celebrated alongside her family, husband Kieran Hayler and bizarrely Derrick Pountney - the ex-husband of her former love rival

Joined by Kieran, she took pictures before filming a clip in which she said: 'Waiting for Sophie to get her award', before her husband awkwardly interrupted: 'Degree'.

Also attending the ceremony was her beloved mum Amy, step-father Paul and half-brother Paul, as the duo all gathered for a family snap.

Proud Katie snapped selfies and added the captions: 'My sister @sophie_pricey... My clever geeky sister @sophie_pricey... she has got her degree in History #brainy #geek.'

While many of the guests were natural attendees, Derrick's presence was undoubtedly a shocking addition to the group.

Derrick's wife Jane, who was previously best friends with Katie, shared a shocking adulterous affair which Katie discovered when they were embracing on a sun lounger during a holiday to Cape Verde in May 2014.

Awkward! Joined by her handsome husband Kieran, she took pictures before filming a clip in which she said: 'Waiting for Sophie to get her award', before Kieran awkwardly interrupted: 'Degree'

Daddy dearest:Also attending the ceremony was her beloved mum Amy, step-father Paul, who she calls her dad, and half-brother Paul, as the duo all gathered for a family snap

Stunner: Katie's sister Sophie is certainly a stunner as she looked sweet in her cap and gown

Katie previously revealed what happened after she found Jane intimately pleasuring Kieran: 'I got up and proper got her. I thought I was a cage fighter or something... I was that angry I just clutched her hair. I'm not hard but I've done training.

'And then Kieran called security. The worst thing is Jane's two kids came in and they saw me attacking their mum. Security walked in and I just wouldn't get off her. I said: "What state is she in?" And she said that she had a black eye and I knocked her tooth out.'

Last year, Katie explained the exact moment she found the duo together, leading to her heartbreak and very public rows.

Furious: Katie previously revealed what happened after she found Jane intimately pleasuring Kieran: 'I got up and proper got her. I thought I was a cage fighter or something... I was that angry I just clutched her hair. I'm not hard but I've done training'

She said: 'I remember going down to the bar one day in Cape Verde to ask the staff if they had seen my husband. They pointed towards the beach and said he'd gone that way. I asked them if he was with anyone and they said no. At that point, I knew he had gone to meet her.

At the time of the betrayal, Derrick broke his silence about his shared heartache with Katie as he said: 'Katies similar to me  were a couple of big softies really. Kieran and Jane are the ones that have taken advantage of the situation.

'Katie is bringing it all up again (on TV) because shes hurting, and so am I. I was a friend of Katies [first]. Shes alright, Katie, shes a good girl.'
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He's the king who can't be killed.

But it seems like Jon Snow is still keen to make some powerful allies while he plots his next move in Game of Thrones, as he meets Tyrion Lannister and a contingent of Dothraki when the fearsome warriors land in Westeros.

Shooting scenes for the seventh and final series in Zumaia, Spain, Kit Harington and Peter Dinklage were seen making what appeared to be a king-making pact during the latest spate of filming for the HBO epic.

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Bad news for Cersei! It seems like Jon Snow is still keen to make some powerful allies while he plots his next move in Game of Thrones, as he meets Tyrion Lannister and a contingent of Dothraki when the fearsome warriors land in Westeros

Meeting on the beach in the midst of a fearsome contingent of the Dothraki, loyal to Daenerys Targaryen, Eddard Stark's son looks to be slightly more inclined towards a pact with a Lannister than his late father was.

Clad in his familiar leather armour and mail, Kit was instantly recognisable as fan-favourite Jon Snow thanks to his trademark long black hair.

Sporting a scruffy beard, the young King looked much more regal than his time as the Captain of the Night's Watch - looking more like his murdered half-brother, Rob.

The deal to end all deals? Shooting scenes for the seventh and final series in Zumaia, Spain, Kit Harington and Peter Dinklage were seen making what appeared to be a king-making pact during the latest spate of filming for the HBO epic

Peter Dinklage's infamous character, Tyrion, wasn't hard to spot either amongst the burly and outlandish garb of the actors playing the warriors of Daenerys.

Looking smarter than he did before he became an ally of the Khaleesi, as well as the usual lordly medieval garbs, Tyrion also appeared to be sporting The Hand's pin following Daenerys' proclamation in the last series that he would serve her in the lofty position.

Though it isn't the half-man's first turn at being The Hand, as he served Joffrey briefly before he was framed for the evil young king's murder.

A Lannister always pays his debts: Meeting on the beach in the midst of a contingent of the Dothraki, loyal to Daenerys Targaryen, Eddard Stark's son looks to be slightly more inclined towards a pact with a Lannister than his late father was

Hello my old friend: Jon and Tyrion are reunited in scenes to be aired in the forthcoming seventh season of Game Of Thrones

Best laid plans: Following on from scene's shot last week(pictured), Tyrion and Ser Davos Seaworth (Liam Cunningham) have convened a meeting between the newly crowned King in the North and emissary's of the last of the Targaryens

Talking tactics: Liam, Kit and Peter gather round for a chat between takes

Colder than the wall? In-between takes Liam, Kit, Peter and Nathalie Emmanuel (Missandei) all wrapped up as the crew re-set for the next shot. And it seems the gents were getting on well together, as they all shared a joke whilst chatting away

Apparently following on from scene's shot in Northern Spain last week, Tyrion and Ser Davos Seaworth (Liam Cunningham), Jon's trusted adviser, have convened a meeting between the newly crowned King in the North and emissary's of the last of the Targaryens.

While Jon, Ser davos and a small retinue of soldiers all sporting swords and armour, the Dothraki outnumber the men of Westeros - armed with spears and their deadly arakhs (scythe weapons).

Also accompanying Tyrion is Missandei (Nathalie Emmanuel), one of the Khaleesi's most trusted confidants and servants.

Hard to miss: Clad in his familiar leather armour and mail, Kit was instantly recognisable as fan-favourite Jon Snow thanks to his trademark long black hair

Here come the horse lords: As the shoot got underway the group of Dothraki are seen arriving on the unknown beach, possibly the rocky royal island of Dragonstone, in a boat

As the shoot got underway the group of Dothraki are seen arriving on the unknown beach, possibly the rocky royal island of Dragonstone, in a boat.

Showing off their strength, the men lift the boat clean out of the water as other surround Jon Snow and his men.

During the shoot, the actors were surrounded by an army of cameras and crew, who worked hard to ensure that everything ran smoothing in the windy and wet conditions.

The crew and cast are currently filming scenes in Northern Spain's Basque Country, where they have taken over the Itzurun beach.

All washed up: Jon Snow was seen arriving by boat in an earlier scene from the forthcoming penultimate series

Fearsome weaponry: Jon looked ready for battle as he examined his scythe like arakh

Fearsom guests: Showing off their strength, the men lift the boat clean out of the water as other surround Jon Snow and his men with spears and arakhs drawn

This way Jon: Davos leads the way as a pivotal Game Of Thrones scene is filmed in Zumaia

Quiet on set: Conleith Hill and Peter Dinklage were surrounded by members of the production team as they prepared to shoot scenes on Sunday

The long walk back: The two actors were joined by co-stars Emilia Clarke, Jacob Anderson and Natalie Emmanuel

The beach is famous for its rock formations called flysch, which has transformed the sand shore into an almost alien landscape - perfect for the fantastical world of Game of Thrones.

Itzurun famed for its rock strata, which is one of the longest continuous examples of the geological phenomenon in the world.

According to When On Earth, the rock formation is 'thought to have formed over a period of over 100 million years by the crashing of the waves against the cliffs'.

Not a dragon in sight: The cast were in high spirits as they gathered round a rental van on the Spanish set

A strange stretch of coast: The crew and cast are currently filming scenes in Northern Spain's Basque Country, where they have taken over the Itzurun beach

Straight out of fiction: The beach is famous for its rock formations called flysch, which has transformed the sand shore into an almost alien landscape - perfect for the fantastical world of Game of Thrones

Life in Spain: Other locations for this run of shooting have also included the shoreline of La Muriola in Barrika, two hours to the West of Zumaia, where Peter and Liam were seen filming last week

The formation is a mix of hard layers (limestone and sandstone) and soft layers (clay and loam), and the strange wonder extends eastward and westward from Zumaia, stretching a total of 8 kilometers.

Other locations for this run of shooting have also included the shoreline of La Muriola in Barrika, two hours to the West of Zumaia, where Peter and Liam were seen filming last week.

It's also believed that cast and crew will be filming on the San Juan de Gaztelugatxe islet, close to Barrika.
Last month the former Miss Universe Australia announced she would be the new face of Freedom Foods.

And Jennifer Hawkins' commitment to healthy living appears to have paid off.

The supermodel flaunted her very trim figure during a photo shoot for the health food brand.

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Bikini body: Jennifer Hawkins showed off her fit figure and sun kissed skin in a crop top and denim shorts after signing as an ambassador to Freedom Foods

The 32-year-old showed off her taut torso in a purple crop top and a pair of loose fitting denim shorts.

Her muscular calves were on display as she posed barefoot on the wooden staircase.

Jennifer's golden locks hung loosely below her shoulders and rested on her sun-kissed skin.

Hanging up the heels? Jennifer Hawkins showed off her long legs last month as she dressed in a pair of skinny jeans while on a farm to promote the health food company

Representing: Along with her most recent business venture, Jennifer is an ambassador for Mount Franklin and is also the face of the Trinity Point development at Lake Macquarie

Speaking to the Daily Telegraph last month, the model revealed she joined the Freedom Foods team in a bid to promote healthy living in Australia.

'In one of my first meetings with the team from Freedom Foods, they told me that 95 per cent of Australians do not shop in the health food aisle,' she said.

'I was amazed because I think it's important for people to know where to find healthier options, and what brands to trust.'

Power couple: The model has built a business empire aside from her work on the catwalk, and has launched some ventures alongside her husband Jake Wall

While revealing she will be the face of the company's upcoming campaign, Jennifer explained she joined the organisation because of her love for fresh foods and healthy living.

'I am very excited to be working with Freedom Foods; food is such an important part of my life and I have been a fan of their products for a few years now,' she said.

Along with her most recent business venture, Jennifer is an ambassador for Mount Franklin and also the face of the Trinity Point development at Lake Macquarie.

Busy schedule: Jennifer is also the host and judge on Australia's Next Top Model

For the last seven years, she has also been busy representing Myer as a brand ambassador and model and recently signed on for another two years.

Since 2012, Jennifer has also served as the host and judge on Australia's Next Top Model.

The business-minded model founded Cozi swimwear and JBronze by herself, and Sesion Premium Tequila and J GROUP Projects & Developments with her husband Jake Wall.
With their big day just around the corner, the tension has been ramping up for Whitney and Lee in Albert Square.

But the happy couple have yet more drama to come before they tie the knot, with Ryan Malloy set to cause a stir when he returns to surprise his half-sister on her wedding day.

Played by actor Neil McDermott, Ryan is set to catch everyone unawares as he makes Whitney's special day by turning up unannounced.

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Tears of joy: Ryan Malloy causes a stir when he returns to surprise his half-sister Whitney on her wedding day

Ryan last returned to the Square in September after spending nine months in prison for manslaughter, before being released early due to lack of evidence.

Whitney, played by Shona McGarty, is clearly overjoyed by the unexpected arrival, with tears in her eyes as she embraces her brother.

With a tiara, veil and feather edged shrug the bride to be looks radiant, with perfect wedding day make-up and diamond drop earrings.

Unhappy times: Whitney and Lee's relationship has been marred by philandering, chlamydia and a miscarriage

A beautiful fresh flower bouquet made up of roses, peonies and lavender still in her hands, she pulls Ryan close to welcome him back.

Although keen to wed, Whitney and Lee's relationship has been marred by philandering, chlamydia and a miscarriage.

Yet despite the complications and wrong-turns it seems they may finally find their happy ending.

Will they have a happy ending? The couple looked set for a bright future, but will they actually get it?

The hen do: Sharon, Linda, Whitney, and Stacey enjoy a girls night in as they prepare for the big day

Whitney is determined to try for a baby with Lee again as part of her their new perfect future, but Lee is a little less keen.

And yet another family clash is set to arise as the pair celebrate their hen and stag parties prior to their big day.

With the boys celebrating in the Old Vic, along with blow up dolls and army themed costumes, the girls spend the night in pampering each other and relaxing in their PJs.

However, Whitney's girlie evening takes a downward turn when she reveals she has her eye on a flat in Stratford, much to her future mother-in-law Linda's devastation.

The wedding scenes are set to be broadcast on Friday 4 November, but fans can catch up with the latest in Walford at 7:30pm on Tuesday.
Geoffrey Edelsten is known for his love of young, busty, American blondes.

And despite disastrous splits with ex-wives Brynne Gordon and Gabi Grecko, it appears that the wealthy 73-year-old has yet to learn his lesson.

On Tuesday, the outrageous businessman unveiled his latest conquest: American Playboy model Ashley Kirk.

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Meet Ashley! Geoffrey Edelsten has revealed his new girlfriend to the world, 26-year-old Playboy model Ashley Kirk

'We have a lot in common and there is sensational chemistry between us,' the quirky Casanova confessed to The Daily Telegraph.

Geoffrey explained that he believes Ashley, who is 47 years his junior, is attracted to his brains and educational credentials.

The pair reportedly met in the U.S. a few weeks ago when the geriatric playboy was in the country for a business trip.

'We have a lot in common and there is sensational chemistry between us,' the 73-year-old Casanova confessed to The Daily Telegraph on Tuesday

She isn't shy! The blonde beauty, who is 47 years younger than Geoffrey, loves to flaunt her enviable physique on social media

Model behaviour! Ashley has plenty of experience in front of the camera, including a racy boudoir photo shoot by Miami photographer Enrique Romero

As for his estranged wife Gabi Grecko, the medical entrepreneur says she's 'old news' and that he's already lodged divorce papers to end their tumultuous marriage.

With her plump pout, sizable chest, and bleach blonde hair, Ashley bears a striking resemblance to both Gabi and Brynne.

The Michigan-born bombshell also loves to document her racy antics on social media.

Come get me Geoffrey! The Melbourne businessman is known for his enthusiasm for young, blonde models - and Ashley certainly has the right credentials

They could be sisters! Ashley has a similar 'Hollywood blonde' look to Geoffrey's ex-wife, infamous New York prostitute Gabi Grecko

Fancy a leg up? Geoffrey has claimed he can 'mentor' Ashley and help the aspiring actress with her Hollywood career

Fairytale romance: Ashley and Geoffrey reportedly met in the U.S. when the geriatric playboy was in the country for a business trip a few weeks ago

And she acts! The multi-talented blonde is also an actress who has landed small roles in movies alongside Bruce Willis and Ray Liotta

Her Instagram account is filled with a seemingly endless stream of busty selfies and scantily-clad photoshoots.

The raunchy blonde posed nude in Playboy when she was 23, and has also worked as a body-paint model at the Playboy mansion.

The multi-talented model is also a Hollywood actress, with blink-and-you'll-miss-it cameos in Ray Liotta's Pawn and the Bruce Willis action flicks Vice and Precious Cargo.

Flashback: Geoffrey received widespread attention in 2009 when he married Brynne Gordon, a then 25-year-old fitness instructor from California

Upgrade: After splitting with Brynne, Geoffrey married Gabi Grecko, a 24-year-old model and escort that he met on a sugar daddy website

Geoffrey Edelsten received widespread attention in 2009 when he married Brynne Gordon, a then 25-year-old fitness instructor from California, in a lavish ceremony worth $3 million.

Brynne went on to appear on Dancing With The Stars, Celebrity Splash, and her own reality show, Brynne: My Bedazzled Life, before the couple split in 2014.

A few months later, Geoffrey was engaged to Gabi Grecko, a 24-year-old American model and escort that he met on a sugar daddy website.

Working girl: Blonde bombshell Ashley posed nude in Playboy when she was 23, and has also worked as a body-paint model at the Playboy mansion

Spot the difference! Ashley (left) shares a striking resemblence to Geoffrey's last two wives, Brynne Gordon (center) and Gabi Grecko (right)

The couple married a year later, and like Brynne, Gabi used the notoriety of dating Geoffrey to become a reality star by appearing on The Celebrity Apprentice.

The pair split shortly after the show went to air.

Gabi was later caught in a prostitution scandal after she was paid to perform sex acts on a handful of now-disgraced New York Police officers on a private jet.

'I can't believe I married a prostitute,' Geoffrey told the Daily Mail Australia after the scandal broke earlier this year.
Social media went wild last week with claims that Shout Out To My Ex was a copy of GRL's Ugly Heart.

But now Little Mix have hit back at the claims, which appeared to be supported by GRL, saying it's all been about the other band getting 'publicity'.

In an interview with Belgian radio station Qmusic, Perrie Edwards and Jade Thirlwall addressed the furor and told the other girl band to 'stop trying to hop on the bandwagon'.

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'Stop trying to hop on the bandwagon!': Now Little Mix have hit back at the claims, which appeared to be supported by GRL, saying it's all been about the other band getting 'publicity'

The claims were first made during Little Mix's debut performance of number one single, Shout To My Ex, on the X Factor earlier this month.

GRL made their views about the two songs clear, when their official Twitter account used the hashtag ShoutOutToUglyHeart following Little Mixs appearance.

However, Little Mix - which consists of Jade, Perrie, Jesy Nelson and Leigh-Anne Pinnock - hit back at the US group's claims during their interview on Friday.

'We're actually friends with Emmalyn from GRL and she loves the song,' said Jade.

Publicity-seeking: In an interview with Qmusic, Perrie Edwards and Jade Thirlwall addressed the furor and told the other girl band to 'stop trying to hop on the bandwagon'

'Every song is going to have a similar chord sequence, slightly similar lyrics and melodies  it happens all the time. It doesn't mean that they're not both incredible songs.'

And finishing her train of though, the Northern beauty said: 'I think maybe because it was a girl band as well, I just think people like to have something negative to say.'

Perrie weighed in on the debate, making her thoughts on the whole subject very clear, saying: 'I just think, stop trying to hop on the bandwagon.'

'I just think people like to have something negative to say': Jade hit back at the US group's claims during their interview on Friday

And Jesy echoed the sentiment, adding: 'Stop trying to get publicity.'

The war between the two girl bands kicked off following Little Mix's headline-grabbing performance on the X Factor earlier this month.

However, while their outfits made headlines the live debut of Shout Out To My Ex had fans talking about the remarkably similar tune to a previous girl band hit.

Twitter was ablaze with comments comparing the Little Mix song with GRL's 2013 single, Ugly Heart, while the US girl band themselves also seemed to allude to the similarities with a well aimed tweet.

Familiar: Little Mix performed their new single Shout Out To My Ex for the first time on Sunday night's X Factor but fans have claimed the sassy song sounds very similar to GRL hit Ugly Heart

Perrie Edwards, Jesy Nelson, Leigh-Anne Pinnock and Jade Thirlwall only performed their anticipated new song for the first time on the X Factor results show two weeks ago.

But it wasn't long until the comparisons started online.

One fan tweeted: 'this little mix cover of Ugly Heart is great,' while another added: 'Little Mix's new single "Shout Out to My Ex" sounds identical to G.R.L.'s "Ugly Heart". I smell a lawsuit.'

Dig? GRL seemed to catch onto the Twitter comments as a tweet from their official account read: '#ShoutOutToUglyHeart'

A few hours later and GRL seemed to catch onto the Twitter comments as a tweet from their official account read: '#ShoutOutToUglyHeart'. The message quickly gained nearly 2,000 likes while the hashtag was used by fans.

GRl released Ugly Heart in 2013 with the tune reaching number two in the US charts and 11 in the UK.

The song also became a chart hit a year later after band member Simone Battle was tragically found dead in her Hollywood home.

Outrage: One fan tweeted: 'this little mix cover of Ugly Heart is great,' while another added: 'Little Mix's new single "Shout Out to My Ex" sounds identical to G.R.L.'s "Ugly Heart"'

Little Mix's latest single, which is said to have been inspired by the girls' previous relationships, saw the four-piece storm through a sassy and racy, high-tempo set on Sunday night.

Opening the performance in a pointed way, Perrie, who split from One Direction star Zayn Malik last year, sang: 'This is a Shout Out To My Ex, heard he in love with some other chick, Yeah yeah that hurt me I'll admit.

'Forget that boy I'm over it, I hope she's gettin' better sex, Hope she ain't fakin' it like I did, babe.'

Riding high: The Little Mix girls looked in great spirits as they headed off for a round of early morning radio interviews the day after their X Factor performance

Glam: Leigh-Anne and Jade dressed to the nines for their busy day of promo

Sassy: Perrie and Jesy matached in racy thigh-high boots as they strolled inside

Shout Out To My Ex, which comes from the group's new album, Therapeutic, contains a number of lines which are believed to be a direct swipe at Zayn.

The sassy live performance is the first time the girls have performed the song live and to an audience.

The track is the first single to be taken from their upcoming fourth album, due for release this November.

Cloud nine: Perrie couldn't hide her huge smile after debuting the band's new track which is said to be inspired by her break up from 1D star Zayn Malik
In light of continued developments, primarily since 2008, there exists in these United States a Legal System which operates on a proved Two Tiered approach to justice rendered, which primarily benefits Democratic Elites and Woke Ideological Virtue Signalers, representing their co-dependent wards, to the expressed exclusion of normal hardworking American citizens: What is your suggestion in remedying this widespread injustice and, if not corrected, its existential outcome for our Constitutional Republic?

Complete overhaul of the Department of Justice and their enforcers - the FBI - to reflect a far more honest justice system to keep patriots remaining calm.

Disband the FBI, and request that congress investigate all unethical and non patriotic practices to partially right the wrongs of a distrusted and politically weaponized "Department of Justice."
Victoria's Secret officials are said to be worried about a possible terrorist attack during their 2016 Fashion Show in Paris.

The lingerie giant normally announces their annual runway show in the spring of each year but waited until Monday October 24 to unveil this year's location.

Fears of the high profile event being targeted by terrorists reportedly delayed VS officials from announcing where the show would take place.

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Victoria's Secret officials are said to be worried about a possible terrorist attack during their 2016 Fashion Show in Paris

Victoria's Secret had settled on the location of the Fashion Show months in advance but kept it under wraps, TMZ claims in a new report.

The publication goes on to claim these same fears are behind VS keeping the Paris venue a secret.

The show, which plays host to an impressive roster of A-list celebrities in attendance each year, takes place in December.

Big news: VS announced their Paris show with a video released on Monday

VS officials are also said to be working closely with French National security agencies to ensure the safety of the event.

The Victoria's Secret Fashion Shows normally take place in New York City.

However, in 2014 the runway show was held in London and in Cannes, France, in 2000.

Last year Selena Gomez performed at the star-studded show

The roster of Angels for this year already includes: Adriana Lima, Alessandra Ambrosio and Lily Aldridge, Elsa Hosk, Jasmine Tookes, Josephine Skriver, Lais Ribeiro, Martha Hunt, Romee Strijd, Sara Sampaio, Stella Maxwell and Taylor Hill.

The fashion show will air on television in the US on December 5 on CBS.
One of his most famous roles was the uplifting Air Force DJ Adrian Cronauer in Good Morning Vietnam.

But the real Robin Williams was just as renowned in the US military  and on Saturday he was honoured for it.

The late comedian was awarded the 2016 Angel Harvey Heart of a Patriot Award by the USO of Chicago for his service entertaining thousands of troops.

Honoured: Robin Williams' widow Susan Schneider accepted military the 2016 Angel Harvey Heart of a Patriot Award for her late husband on Saturday (pictured 2012)

His widow Susan Schneider accepted the award on his behalf on what would have been their fifth wedding anniversary.

'I'm here with you tonight because of my husband's heart,' she told the servicemen and women in an emotional speech.

'Robin absolutely had the heart of a patriot. I cannot think of a more fitting award for him, nor one that he would be more proud to receive, especially in the presence of all of you.

'Robin was also a warrior, and like so many of our finest servicemen and women, he had battles to face.

Behind them: The USO of Chicago honoured the actor for his years service entertaining thousands of troops (pictured in Baghdad in 2003)

Art imitating life: One of his most famous roles was the uplifting Air Force sergeant Adrian Cronauer in Good Morning Vietnam

The legendary actor committed suicide on August 11, 2014; and autopsy revealed he had been suffering from the early onset of Lewy body dementia.

'The biggest battle of his life was against Lewy Body Disease,' she continued. 'This terrifying disease attacks the brain.

'No matter how many doctors we saw, symptoms we chased, or tests we ran, it was only in autopsy that I learned we had unknowingly been battling a deadly disease. A disease for which there is no cure.

'The devastation on Robin's brain from the Lewy bodies, was one of the worst cases medical professionals have ever seen. Yet throughout all of this, his heart remained strong.

Gone but not forgotten: Robin committed suicide on August 11, 2014; and autopsy revealed he had been suffering from the early onset of Lewy body dementia (pictured with daughter Zelda in 2011)

She said her late husband had brought light of dawn to a new mission: to eradicate all brain disease, revealing she had teamed up with the American Brain Foundation to try and do just that

'The love my husband and I have shared has been my beacon and my guide,' she said. 'Today is your 75th anniversary. Today, October 22nd, is Robin and my wedding anniversary too, and there's no place I would rather be.

'It feels like Robin wanted me here on this day to celebrate with all of you. I also think my honey may have wanted me to put on a pretty dress and to just feel the love in this room tonight.'
She seemed to have been dwelling on split with Joshua Jackson after sharing cryptic posts on Instagram.

But on Saturday Diane Kruger's attention was certainly directed elsewhere, as she filmed tense scenes for upcoming German-language film In the Fade (or Aus dem Nichts).

The 40-year-old got hands on in one scene, as she was spotted on the ground, tussling with a co-star in the rain.

Happy to be here! Diane Kruger showed off a smile as she hit the Hamburg set of upcoming drama In the Fade

Rough and tumble: The German beauty showed off a darker side as tense scenes had her fighting another co-star in the rain

Diane bundled up in a black jacket, worn over a coordinating, hooded sweatshirt, at times sporting an extra layer with a puffy, tan coat with a fur-lined hood.

Those were teamed with fitted, black trousers, and a pair of black, leather motorcycle boots.

Diane's shoulder-length blonde tresses were styled in soft curls, with a section from the top pulled back into a small bun, at times.

Fresh-faced: The star went make-up free for the dramatic scenes on Saturday

She looked to be showing off a natural look for the scenes in Hamburg, sporting little to no make-up.

And the Inglourious Basterds star looked to be in good spirits, showing off a smile during a break from filming.

Diane's tense scene saw the actress holding one hand on a co-star's neck after seemingly throwing them onto the ground.

Monochromatic: The Inglourious Basterds star wore a black jacket over top of a coordinating, hooded sweatshirt, finishing off the look with black trousers and motorcycle boots

The scene was made even darker by the fact that the two were shot fighting in the rain.

The project marks Diane's first German-language film, and it will be directed by Fatih Akin. It is a follow-up to Fatih's Why We Took the Car, which was adapted from Wolfgang Herndorf's bestselling novel Tschick

The filming comes amid a series of cryptic Instagram posts Diane had shared, seemingly about her relationship with ex Joshua.

Cryptic: That same day Diane, who split with partner of 10 years Joshua Jackson in July, had taken to Instagram to share a a cryptic quote about relationships

One, entitled 'Final Thought,' read: 'A relationship without trust is like having a phone with no service. And what do you do with a phone with no service? You play games.'

Shortly after that Diane posted a screenshot of a song she was listening to called Feels Like We Only Go Backwards.

Diane and Joshua, 38, ended their 10-year romance in July, and since then the actress has shared a number of quotes seemingly pertaining to love and dating.

Still in her thoughts? Diane has shared a series of cryptic quotes about dating since her split with Joshua, (pictured in February, their last public appearance as a couple)

The Troy actress had begun dating Joshua in 2006, the year she finalized her divorce from Marion Cotillard's current partner, Guillaume Canet.
Jaimie Alexander smouldered as she covered a photo shoot in New York.

The Blindspot actress is the next cover star for LaPalme magazine.

She had a high fashion shoot at a stunning location at The Smyth Hotel.

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Stunner: Jaimie Alexander smouldered as she covered a photo shoot in New York

The magazines Creative Director & Stylist Derek Warburton were on hand at the shoot.

One of her gorgeous outfits was an elaborate monochrome dress, complete with gold detailing on the sides.

The high neck dress was made of black lace material as she wore a beautiful silver necklace over the top.

Beautiful: The Blindspot actress is the next cover star for LaPalme magazine

Wonderful: One of her gorgeous outfits was an elaborate monochrome dress, complete with gold detailing on the sides

Her short raven locks were styled in an edgy fashion, as they spike it up to give it extra volume.

She also wore a flowing green gown, which featured a tight and fitted bodice.

The simple detail of a criss-cross across her chest made the dress that much more chic.

The actress plays the lead on NBC's Blindspot, which is a crime drama.

It follows a woman called Jane Doe, played by Jaimie, who is found in Times Square with no memory and mysterious tattoos on her body.

Mesmerizing: She also wore a flowing green gown, which featured a tight and fitted bodice

She plays opposite the very talented Sullivan Stapleton.

Jaimie can also be seen in the upcoming sequel, Thor: Ragnarok, 2017.

The star-studded cast includes leading man Chris Hemsworth along with Idris Elba, Tom Hiddleston and Anthony Hopkins.

Edgy: Her short raven locks were styled in an edgy fashion, as they spike it up to give it extra volume

Cate Blanchett, Mark Ruffalo and Jeff Goldblum are also among the talented actors in this movie.

Jaimie has another film coming out later this year, London Fields.

Clairvoyant femme fatale Nicola Six, played by the beautiful Amber Heard, has been living with a dark premonition of her impending death by murder.

Lady in red: The actress donned several fashion savvy outfits for the high class shoot

She begins a tangled love affair with three uniquely different men, one of whom she knows will be her murderer.

Cara Delevingne, Theo James and Billy Bob Thornton star in this upcoming crime thriller.
She settles for a supporting role in new film Doctor Strange, but Rachel McAdams received top billing on Monday evening while attending its UK launch at London's Westminster Abbey.

The Canadian actress, 37, outshone leading man Benedict Cumberbatch in a sweeping off-the-shoulder gown as she continues to promote her latest movie, a superhero adventure adapted from the popular Marvel comic book franchise.

With a cinched waistline, beneath which a sheer lower half fully exposed her pert bottom and toned legs, Rachel ensured she commanded attention while posing for photos alongside her cast-mates.

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Stunning: She takes a supporting role in new film Doctor Strange, but Rachel McAdams received top billing on Monday evening while attending a special fan screening at Westminster Abbey in London

Bold embellishments appearing to illustrate a flock of birds in flight added to the outfits distinctive design, as did its single sheer sleeve.

The actress allowed her ensemble to take centre stage by opting for limited accessories, while her blonde locks were neatly tied into a simple, effortless bun.

Rachel, who plays Doctor Strange love interest Christine Palmer in the film, was in high spirits as she posed alongside co-star Benedict, who looked typically dapper in a smart two-piece suit.

Leading the way: The Canadian actress sported a sweeping off-the-shoulder gown as she continues to promote her latest movie, a superhero adventure adapted from the popular Marvel comic book franchise

All eyes on me: With a cinched waistline, beneath which a sheer lower half fully exposed her legs, Rachel ensured she commanded attention while posing for photos

Side by side: The actress was joined by British co-star Benedict Cumberbatch on Monday evening

The British star, 40, completed his smart evening ensemble with a crisp white shirt and black tie, while polished dress shoes rounded things off.

Reunited on the red carpet, the two actors greeted one another like old friends as they prepared for the latest screening of their forthcoming superhero adventure.

The pair were joined by co-star Tilda Swinton, 55, whose androgynous trouser suit ensured she claimed her fair share of the spotlight.

Winging it: Bold embellishments appearing to illustrate a flock of birds in flight added to her outfits distinctive design, as did its single sheer sleeve

Fancy meeting you here! Benedict and Rachel greeted one another like old friends ahead of Monday evening's screening

Plenty to smile about: The two co-stars beamed while posing for photos

Revealing: Rachel's striking sheer dress fully exposed her dress as she made her way into the iconic London venue

Over here Rachel! Somewhat predictably she took centre stage as photographers jostled to get a picture of the Canadian star

Pinched, eighties inspired shoulders gave the outfit a distinctive retro flourish, while its fitted design drew attention to her slender physique.

The celebrated actress added to her look with a pair of conventional stiletto heels, while her liberal use of bold red lipstick gave the overall look an added splash of vibrancy.

Mads Mikkelsen, another of the film's stars, was also in attendance on Monday night.

The Danish actor, 50, opted for a classically styled three-piece suit with smart pin stripes for his appearance at the one-off event.

In good company: Rachel and Benedict were joined by co-star Tilda Swinton, whose androgynous trouser suit ensured she clained her fair share of the spotlight

In you go: Rachel led the glamour on Monday evening as Marvel prepared to screen the latest addition to their rapidly growing film franchise

My girl: Benedict was also joined by his glamorous wife, Sophie Hunter

In attendance: Other guests on the night included Damien Hirst's ex girlfriend Roxie Nafousi (L) and TV presenter Sarah-Jane Crawford (R) who carried a a kate spade new york bag

Hitting the high notes: Classical singer Camilla Kerslake made a glamorous entrance at Westminster Abbey on Monday, along with Doctor Strange actress Katrina Durden (right)

Pals: Co-stars Tilda Swinton, Mads Mikkelsen and Rachel McAdams posed for a number of snaps

Head-turning: Tilda and Rachel attended Marvel Studios and British GQ hosted reception in The Cloisters at Westminster Abbey

All smiles: Scott Adkins, Zara Phythian, Tilda, Katrina Durden and Alaa Safi were all smiles at the GQ hosted bash (pictured left to right)

Party pals: Actor Scott Adkins, his wife Lisa and Camilla Kerslake posed for pics at the glitzy bash

Glowing: Tilda looked radiant alongside fashion designer Pam Hogg and Josh Quinton at exclusive event in The Cloisters at Westminster Abbey

A vision: British perfume designer Azzi Glasser looked sensational in a black midi with sheer panelling

Elsewhere leading man Benedict had good company in the form of wife Sophie Hunter - just days after it was revealed that the 38-year old is expecting their second child.

The brunette covered up in a garish pink cape dress while posing for photos alongside her husband.

Sophie completed her look with a pair of strappy red heels, while soft pink lipstick added an extra pop of colour to an already eye-catching ensemble.

Big news: Benedict was making an appearance with Sophie just days after it was revealed that the 38-year old is expecting their second child

Well hello there: Rachel posed up a storm ahead of the latest Doctor Strange screening

Say cheese: (L-R) Co-stars Benedict Wong, Tilda Swinton, Benedict Cumberbatch, Rachel McAdams and Mads Mikkelsen

The pair's appearance comes after the two told E! they were 'absolutely thrilled' about the prospect of expecting a second child.

They welcomed their son Christopher in June 2015, just a few months after their Valentine's Day wedding.

Benedict has previously said he hoped to add to his brood, joking he might 'go for a (Cumber)batch of boys.'

Hand in hand: Benedict and Sophie's appearance comes after the two told E! they were 'absolutely thrilled' about the propspect of expecting a second child

Thumbs up: Guest Roxie looked excited as she made her way into the launch event

Strike a pose: The night was all about her new film, but Rachel's dress provided a major talking point on Monday evening

Dapper dude: Mads Mikkelsen, another of the film's stars, was also in attendance on Monday night

Other guests on the night included artist Damien Hirst's ex-girlfriend Roxie Nafousi, classical singer Camilla Kerslake and presenter Sarah-Jane Crawford, who looked typically stylish in a strappy grey evening dress.

Benedict stars in the Marvel comic book movie as a brilliant surgeon Stephen Strange who is injured in an accident.

He is then trained by the Ancient One, played by Tilda Swinton, in the magical arts which he then uses to take on the evil Kaecilius, who is played by Hannibal star Mads.

Doctor Strange hits UK cinema screens on October 25.

Glamorous in grey: Sarah-Jane cut a stylish figure in a strappy fitted evening dress and black stiletto heels
He's already got two children from his previous marriage to Joanne McGuinness.

But it seems Elliott Wright, 35, will soon be adding to his brood as fiancee Sadie Stuart insists she wants six kids.

Speaking to OK! magazine, the 24-year-old beauty said: 'I would have six kids, but as Elliotts got two already I would happily settle on four! Everyone in my family has more than four kids.'

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Happy couple: Elliott Wright's fiancee Sadie Stuart is keen to have a brood of six kids as the pair begin to plan their wedding

Elliott then joked: 'Well have one and see how it goes. Basically Ill be 60 with a walking stick by the time Sadie has had enough kids!

The former TOWIE hunk proposed to Sadie on his reality show Player in Marbella and she admitted: 'When he got down on one knee I genuinely thought he was doing his shoe laces up!

The loved-up couple confirmed that the big day will be next September and while Elliott admits he wants to celebrate at his new Marbella restaurant, Olivias, Sadie wants to marry in the UK so her family can come.

New love: The star recently relaxing by the beach with Sadie - who looked amazing in a pink bikini

Crazy in love: Revealing the happy news on Twitter, the ex-TOWIE star wrote: 'I met this girl 10 months ago... I knew then she was special... Today even more so! Thankfully she said... Yes!'

He said: 'So were now looking into both. Shes taking liberties  she wants an expensive wedding in the UK and then a big wedding party at Olivias in Spain! I dont know what well do!'

Elliott, who raises 10-year-old Elliott and Olivia, seven, had been dating Sadie for 10 months before he popped the question this summer.

Read the full story in OK! - out now

The handsome star, who quit TOWIE last year to move back to Spain and focus on his successful restaurant business which he has built over nine years, already has two adorable children from his previous marriage.

Speaking about the moment he knew she was 'The One', Elliott told MailOnline: ' Sadie is stunning, she's incredible. My children love her.

'That's important for any parent. If it was a case my children didn't like her, or she wasn't interested then it would be a no go area.'

He added: 'I knew she was the one. I got down on one knee to propose. It's the finale - I tried my hardest.

'As a dad when you see the way your woman bonds with your children it's automatically a massive tick on the box. Hopefully you'll see the fun side of Sadie on the show too.'

Talking about Sadie's desire for more children, he joked: 'I'm gonna be quite grey by the time I've finished. Maybe (his cousins) Mark and Jess [ Wright] will come and babysit - you never know.'

Read the full interview in OK! magazine, out now
They recently announced they're expecting their second child.

And with the exciting news out, Benedict Cumberbatch and wife Sophie Hunter looked the picture of happiness as they attended the London screening of his new flick Doctor Strange on Monday night.

Sporting a pregnancy glow, the brunette beauty stunned in a fashion forward fuchsia cape dress that fell to her ankles.

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Cumberbaby! Benedict Cumberbatch and wife Sophie Hunter looked the picture of happiness as they attended a screening of his new flick Doctor Strange in London on Monday

Despite attempting to cover her lithe figure, Sophie's style savvy high-necked ensemble teased at her blossoming bump as she supported her A list husband.

Adding to her statuesque frame, the acclaimed theatre director slipped on a pair of clashing red mid-heeled shoes as she teased her chin-length locks loose into a chic wave.

Sophie opted to keep her accessories to a minimum, simply wearing her wedding band and engagement ring on her hand while she worked statement drop earrings.

Highlighting her radiant glow, Sophie accentuated her piercing blue eyes with lashings of mascara as she worked a nude gloss across her pout.

Baby on board: The dashing pair recently announced they're expecting their second child

What a Marvel! Despite attempting to cover her lithe figure, Sophie's style savvyhigh-necked ensemble teased at her blossoming bump as she supported her A list husband

Putting on a suave appearance, actor Benedict donned a dapper navy two-piece suit with a crisp white shirt and textured blue tie.

Completing his dashing look, the 40-year-old walked the red carpet in his patent leather brogues as he smiled for waiting cameras.

The pair's appearance comes after the two told E! they were 'absolutely thrilled' about expecting a second child.

The couple welcomed their son Christopher in June 2015, just a few months after their Valentine's Day wedding.

All smiles: The pair's appearance comes after the two told E! they were 'absolutely thrilled' about expecting a second child

Suave: Putting on a suave appearance, actor Benedict worked a dapper navy two-piece suit with a crisp white shirt and textured tie

Dapper: Completing his dashing look, the 40-year-old walked the red carpet in his patent leather brogues as he smiled for waiting cameras

Benedict has previously said he hoped to add to his brood, joking he might 'go for a (Cumber)batch of boys.'

Making a splash arriving at the Doctor Strange event, Benedict stars in the Marvel comic book movie as a brilliant surgeon Stephen Strange who is injured in an accident.

He is then trained by the Ancient One, played by Tilda Swinton, in the magical arts which he then uses to take on the evil Kaecilius, who is played by Hannibal star Mads Mikkelsen.

Doctor Strange hits theatre screens on October 25.
She's the bubbly Sunrise host who's fabulous at 40.

And Samantha Armytage is the 12th most beautiful woman in Australia according to the 2016 Henleys Maxim Hot 100 list.

But despite being deemed hotter than Chilean-born beauty Pia Miller and bikini model Natalie Roser, the Sunrise host's co-star Dave 'Kochie' Koch insists the blonde beauty was 'robbed' in the annual countdown.

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'You were robbed!' David 'Kochie' Koch insists his co-star Samantha Armytage was cheated out of the top spot on the Maxim Hot 100 countdown

'You were robbed!' the 60-year-old presenter told his co-host on Tuesday morning's episode of Sunrise while discussing the list.

Kochie was clearly not happy about his vivacious co-star dropping six places from last year, although she is eight places ahead of Jesinta Campbell and miles ahead of Sophie Monk.

Meanwhile, Suicide Squad star Margot Robbie climbed from last year's second place to top the list this year.

Fabulous at 40: The Sunrise co-host dropped six places from last year's countdown to 12th place

Tough competition: Samantha did however, edge out Home And Away actress Pia Miller (left) and bikini babe Natalie Roser (right), who placed 13th and 14th respectively

The Wrong Girl's Jessica Marais, Delta Goodrem, Jennifer Hawkins and Instagram sensation Renee Somerfield rounded out the top five.

Neighbours stunner Olympia Valance, The Veronicas, Ruby Rose and Bindi Irwin also made it into the top 10.

It would appear Bindi made the list in her first year of eligibility, having just turned 18 three months ago.

Blonde ambition: The Wrong Girl star Jessica Marais (left) came in at second place, while Delta Goodrem (right) got third place

THE MAXIM AUSTRALIA HOT 100 - TOP 10 1. Margot Robbie 2. Jessica Marais 3. Delta Goodrem 4. Jennifer Hawkins 5. Renee Somerfield 6. Miranda Kerr 7. Olympia Valance 8. Bindi Irwin 9. The Veronicas 10. Ruby Rose Advertisement

THE MAXIM AUSTRALIA HOT 100 - BOTTOM 10 91. Jessica Rowe 92. Kate Langbroek 93. Lucy Turnbull 94. Celeste Barber 95. Sophie Page 96. Tanya Plibersek 97. Caroline Wilson 98. Julie Bishop 99. Kitty Chiller 100. Pauline Hanson Advertisement

Meanwhile, former Bachelorette Sam Frost tumbled 50 places this year to 54 - which may be the result of her feud with Maxim which began in November.

Other high-profile media personalities on the list included Carrie Bickmore, Jackie 'O' Henderson and Sonia Kruger.

Maxim editor-in-chief Santi Pintado said: 'Our definitive list of Australia's most beautiful, successful and talented women of the year celebrates the outstanding ladies who have wowed us with their aptitude, intellect, humour, mega-talents, coolness, sexiness and more, in 2016.

Making her debut: Wildlife conservationist Bindi Irwin made her debut on the list at number eight, having just turned 18 three months ago

Bombshell: Neighbours star Olympia Valance made the top 10 at seventh place

Catwalk queen! Miss Universe Australia 2010 Jesinta Campbell just made the top 20

'And Australian men have spoken loud and clear  they simply can't get enough of these 100 talented homegrown beauties.'

He continued: 'This is a list of the nations most beautiful women. And beauty comes in many forms.

'The requirements for making the Hot 100 varies for each woman on the list and covers many aspects including their career achievements, how they've fared in the last 12 months and whether or not our parents would like her. Oh, and they have to be Australian, of course.'

Maxim Australia is available now.
He's always been open about his battle with the bulge.

But on Tuesday, Australian radio star Kyle Sandilands had another serious health scare, this time over breast cancer.

The 45-year-old had his breasts checked live during his KIIS FM breakfast radio show by their on-air doctor, who recommended an ultrasound on inspection, after Kyle complained he was sore.

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Oh s**t Ive got tit cancer': Australian radio star Kyle Sandilands had another serious health scare, this time over breast cancer on Tuesday morning's show

Sore spot: The 45-year-old had his breasts checked live during his KIIS FM breakfast radio show by their on-air doctor, who recommended an ultrasound on inspection

The shock jock seemed worried and blurted out: Oh s**t Ive got tit cancer.'

'That's it. Thanks for coming in.'

'Make sure you cash in your cheques because once I'm dead who knows what they pay around here,' he told Dr KIIS.

It came after the doctor felt Kyle's chest for a lump and focused on one particular point.

Cause for concern? 'I reckon that probably is just a little thickening of the fat layer just under your skin,' Dr KIIS noted

'What's that?' Kyle asked, nervously.

'I reckon that probably is just a little thickening of the fat layer just under your skin,' Dr KIIS noted.

The medical professional added he doesn't think Kyle has breast cancer but just wanted Kyle to get checked out for his general health.

Struggles: Kyle has previously said how he wants to overhaul his lifestyle, after admitting on his radio show earlier this year he tipped the scales at 138 kilograms

Kyle has previously said he wants to overhaul his lifestyle, after admitting on his radio show earlier this year he tipped the scales at 138 kilograms.

Last year he made headlines after missing a number of radio shows and even failing to show up as a guest co-host on The Project due to his ill-health.

And during an appearance on The Morning Show in August, Kyle revealed he had become acutely aware that something desperately needed to be done.

Health scares? Last year he made headlines after missing a number of radio shows and even failing to show up as a guest co-host on The Project due to his ill-health (seen last October)

'I'd like to live a bit longer': And during an appearance on The Morning Show in August, Kyle revealed he had become acutely aware that something desperately needed to be done

'I think I am going to have to do something about the weight,' he said. 'I am a mess and would like to live a bit longer.'

Kyle is dating fashion designer and former model Imogen Anthony, 25, with the pair have been together for almost five years.

Imogen recently revealed on Instagram that she isn't ready yet for children.

Posting a selfie of herself clutching her beloved canine, Imogen wrote: 'My furless fur baby FengShui is half the reason I'm waiting to have children.'
Her son Deacon Phillippe celebrated his 13th birthday over the weekend.

And on Monday Reese Witherspoon looked to be continuing the celebrations as she treated Deacon to breakfast in Brentwood, California.

The 40-year-old showed off a big smile as she and her son were seen leaving Early World Cafe together.

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Table for two! Reese Witherspoon looked to be in good spirits as she treated her son Deacon Phillippe to breakfast after celebrating his 13th birthday over the weekend

The doting mom - who also has 17-year-old daughter Ava with ex Ryan Phillippe, and four-year-old son Tennessee with husband Jim Toth - went for a laid-back look in a blue, button down top with the sleeves rolled up.

She teamed that with a frayed, dark wash denim skirt, and sported an orange and white sweater tied around her waist.

Reese finished off her look with a trendy pair of tan ankle booties, and hid her eyes behind a pair of black, cat eye sunglasses.

Plaid to see you! The blonde beauty went for a more casual look with a button down top and denim skirt

Throwing shade: The stylish star, who founded lifestyle site Draper James, hid her eyes behind a pair of trendy, black cat eye sunglasses

Natural beauty: Reese opted for a natural look with little make-up on Monday, and wore her long, blonde tresses in a side part, and styled in soft curls

She accessorized with a small, gold necklace as well as coordinating, small, gold hoop earrings.

The Oscar winner, who went for a natural look with little to no make-up - wore her long, blonde tresses in a side part, and styled in soft curls.

Deacon dressed casually as well, sporting a black, short-sleeved Nike T-shirt along with grey trousers.

Mother-son bonding: Reese flashed a big grin as she left the restaurant with Deacon on Monday

Getting her fix! The Oscar winner sipped on iced coffee following breakfast

'my sweet boy' Reese gushed about her son in a birthday post shared on Sunday, writing: 'You are such a ray of sunshine in all of our lives. Your sense of humor, kindness, and joy never cease to amaze me!!!'

He sported black and red high-top sneakers as he stepped out with his mother for breakfast, the day after his 13th birthday.

On Sunday Reese shared a photograph of her son Deacon, from what looked to have been a beautiful hike.

She wrote 'Happy Birthday Deacon!' in orange font on the photo, with three blue heart emojis and bright blue lines drawn around it like fireworks.

Another one! Reese and her family had just celebrated her youngest son Tennessee's fourth birthday in September

'17 Dancing Queen' And on September 9 Reese had shared a sweet message for her daughter Ava, who turned 17

The celebratory birthday photo was captioned: '#HBD to my sweet boy Deacon on this special day! You are such a ray of sunshine in all of our lives.'

Reese continued: [sun emoji] Your sense of humor, kindness, and joy never cease to amaze me!!! I [heart emoji] you! #13.'
Top Chinese Communist Party meeting starts in Beijing

A key conclave of China's Communist Party elite kicked off Monday in Beijing, the official Xinhua news service reported, as leader Xi Jinping seeks to tighten his control over the organisation.

Nearly 400 top members of the world's most powerful political party have gathered at the exclusive Jingxi Hotel to discuss changes to party structure and management for four days.

They will focus on reforming the "norms for political life" and the party's internal rules for supervising cadres, Xinhua said.

"This years plenum on party-building is key to Xis entire political project, and could very well turn out to be the most important of his first term," said Trey McArver Money Sharma (AFP)

The dry rhetoric around the Sixth Plenum, as the meeting is known, hides what may be a ferocious, high-stakes battle for control over the world's second-largest economy.

"This years plenum on party-building is key to Xis entire political project, and could very well turn out to be the most important of his first term," said Trey McArver, China analyst at Trusted Sources.

It "looks certain to further consolidate his grip over the party", he added.

Since taking its helm in 2012, General Secretary Xi Jinping has sought to bend it to his will, and taken control of more levers of power than any leader since Mao Zedong.

His most powerful tool for bringing the party to heel has been an anti-corruption campaign that is now "the longest-lasting, (and) widest-ranging in party history", McArver said.

The party's Central Commission for Discipline and Inspection, its feared internal watchdog, said at the weekend that between 2013 and last month, more than one million members had been punished for graft.

China's ruling party has 88 million members.

Xi has felled top generals in the People's Liberation Army and seemingly invincible bastions of power such as former security czar Zhou Yongkang, eliminating potential rival sources of power.

But it has laid waste to the party's organisational chart, paralysing grassroots bureaucrats petrified of making a mistake, a problem compounded by unclear and contradictory signals on what policies to pursue.

New policies will seek to address "outstanding problems" and compel senior leaders to be a good example for lesser officials, Xinhua said.

That could mean tightening regulations governing cadres' behaviour and strengthening enforcement, analysts say.
India police kill 24 Maoists in shoot-out

Indian police on Monday killed 24 rebels in a shoot-out in eastern India, one of the heaviest casualties inflicted in recent years on the Maoists who are waging a long-running insurgency.

Police said one commando was also killed after they ambushed at least 40 Maoist rebels gathered at a forest camp near the border of Odisha and Andhra Pradesh states, triggering the gunbattle.

"A total of 24 Maoists are dead, seven of them are women. We have identified seven bodies so far," Mitrabhanu Mahapatra, the police chief of Malkangiri district where the clash occurred, told AFP by phone.

Indian police claim they ambushed a meeting of 30 to 40 Maoists in a forest near the border of Odisha and Andhra Pradesh states, killing 21 rebels

"We can confirm that two senior Maoist leaders are among the dead. One police commando who was injured in the gunbattle has also died."

Weapons including four AK-47s and three self-loading rifles were recovered from the scene, some 640 kilometres (400 miles) from the state capital Bhubaneswar, said another officer, local sub-inspector C.K. Dharua.

India's Maoist insurgency began in the 1960s, inspired by Chinese revolutionary leader Mao Zedong, and has since cost thousands of lives.

The rebels, described by former prime minister Manmohan Singh as India's most serious internal security threat, say they are fighting authorities for land, jobs and other rights for poor tribal groups.

Ten paramilitary commandos were killed in July in the eastern state of Bihar after suspected Maoist rebels ambushed their convoy and set off a series of homemade bombs.

- Deadliest incident -

In March suspected rebels triggered a powerful landmine blast in the central state of Chhattisgarh, killing seven policemen.

The South Asia Terrorism Portal (SATP) website, which tracks separatist violence, said the Maoist casualties were the heaviest suffered in a single incident in the last few years.

The insurgency has claimed more than 7,000 civilian lives between 2005 and 2016, according to SATP.

Maoist sympathiser and author Varavara Rao cast doubt on the police description of Monday's clash as a shoot-out.

"Cops surrounded a Maoist meeting and shot them in cold blood and terming it as an encounter..." Rao told the Indian Express.

"The influence of Maoists has come down and they have not launched any major attacks. So what was the reason for such drastic action against them?"

The rebels operate in at least 20 Indian states but are most active in the forested and resource-rich areas of Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Bihar, Jharkhand and Andhra Pradesh.

They draw recruits from tribal communities whose members are often desperately poor and living in underdeveloped areas neglected by successive governments.

Government critics say attempts to end the revolt through tough security offensives are doomed to fail, and the real solution is better governance and development of the region.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been seeking to stem the insurgency by earmarking development funds for revolt-hit areas and improving policing.

Last year Modi urged Maoists to put down their guns and take up ploughs, saying "violence has no future".

The remote forests of Malkangiri district are a major transit point for rebels because they border Maoist strongholds in Chhattisgarh and Andhra Pradesh, the Hindu newspaper said.

Malkangiri was the scene of an attack by the guerrillas on Indian security forces in 2008 in which 21 commandos were killed.
Stokes seals thrilling Test win for England over Bangladesh

Ben Stokes took the last two Bangladesh wickets in three balls as England won a thrilling first Test by 22 runs in Chittagong Monday, narrowly depriving their hosts of an historic victory.

Bangladesh, needing 33 runs for what would have been their first win over England in nine attempts, added just 10 runs to their overnight total and were all out for 263 after 20 minutes of play on the fifth and final day at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury stadium.

Sabbir Rahman, the overnight half-centurion, was left stranded on 64 as the allrounder Stokes dismissed the other two batsmen in his second over.

England players including captain Alastair Cook (arms aloft) celebrate after beating Bangladesh during the final day's play of the first Test match in Chittagong on October 24, 2016 Dibyangshu Sarkar (AFP)

Stokes had Taijul Islam lbw for 16 following a successful review, after umpire Kumar Dharmasena initially turned down a muted appeal.

Two balls later it was the turn for Bangladesh to ask for a review as Dharamsena declared the number 11 batsman Shafiul Islam out lbw for a duck.

The replay again came to England's aid as Hawk-Eye indicated that the ball was hitting off stump, meaning the umpire's initial decision stood.

England captain Alastair Cook, who had flown back to Bangladesh only days after attending the birth of his daughter back home, said that both sides had played their part in thrilling match.

- 'Held our nerve' -

"It was a really good Test match, to think we were here on day five with that wicket," Cook said after the game.

"It was such a tight game, so credit to both sides. I'm glad we held our nerve, the quality we have in our attack, we got it reversing."

Despite coming agonisingly close to what would have been their most famous Test victory, Bangladesh captain Mushfiqur Rahim said he was proud of his team's performance.

"Probably it was not in our favour, 33 runs and two wickets, but the boys put in so much effort over the last five day. After 15 months, I'm really proud," Rahim said.

"Our boys fought it out which is really impressive and hopefully we'll do the same in the next match."

The match was Bangladesh's first Test in nearly in 15 months but showcased how the one-time whipping boys of international cricket have made steady progress in recent years.

The hosts played some impressive cricket during the match, with the debutant Mehedi Hasan taking six for 80 in England's first innings.

Bangladesh had appeared on course for a comfortable first-innings lead but lost their last six wickets for just 27 runs to give England a crucial 45-run lead.

They then had England reeling at 52 for five in the tourists' second innings before Stokes and Jonny Bairstow turned the match with a partnership of 127 for the sixth wicket.

Stokes was named man of the match for taking six wickets in the two innings and also scoring a swashbuckling 85 in England's second innings which included six fours and three sixes.

"We started off pretty well but we have a long way to go from here," said Stokes.

The second and final Test will start in Dhaka on October 28 before England then head to India for a five-Test tour.

Bangladesh's not-out batsman Sabbir Rahman reacts after England took the final wicket to win the first Test match in Chittagong on October 24, 2016 Dibyangshu Sarkar (AFP)

England's Ben Stokes (L) and teammate Moeen Ali celebrate the wicket of Bangladesh Tamim Iqbal on the fourth day of the first Test at Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Cricket Stadium in Chittagong on October 23, 2016 Dibyangshu Sarkar (AFP)
China firm to buy US insurance giant Genworth for $2.7 bn

A Chinese conglomerate has agreed to buy New York-listed US insurance firm Genworth Financials for $2.7 billion, the latest in a Chinese buying spree of foreign assets.

China Oceanwide Holdings, the founder and key shareholder of China Minsheng Bank, offered $5.43 per share for all outstanding shares of Genworth in an all-cash transaction, according to a joint statement Sunday.

There have been a flurry of overseas acquisitions this year by Chinese firms seeking better returns and industrial know-how, with targets ranging from Hollywood studio Legendary to leading German robotics firm Kuka and Swiss seed giant Syngenta.

Beijing-based China Oceanwide Holdings conglomerate has agreed to buy New York-listed US insurance firm Genworth Financials for $2.7 billion Ed Jones (AFP/File)

Genworth, founded in 1871, has nearly four million life insurance customers and also offers mortgage insurance products, according to its website.

The offer represents a 4.22 percent premium on its Friday closing price.

"Genworth is an established leader in both mortgage insurance and long-term care insurance," Oceanwide chairman Lu Zhiqiang said in the statement.

"We are providing crucial financial support to Genworths efforts to restructure its US life insurance business."

The Beijing-based firm also promised to offer an additional $600 million to Genworth to address its debt that will mature in 2018 and a $525 million cash injection into its life insurance business.

Tom Mclnerney, president and chief executive officer of the Virginia-based insurer, called the Chinese firm "an ideal owner" and said the investment was in the best interests of Genworth's stockholders.

Oceanwide controls several financial companies including Shenzhen-listed Minsheng Holdings.

It has also invested in several mega-properties on the US west coast, including a tower that will soon be San Francisco's second tallest and a billion-dollar condominium and hotel development in Los Angeles, according to its website.

Lu is China's ninth richest man with a net worth of 85 billion yuan ($12.5 billion), according to the latest ranking of luxury magazine publisher Hurun Report.

Upon completion of the deal, Genworth will become a standalone subsidiary of Oceanwide and will retain its current management team.

Investors cheered the news in Monday afternoon trading, with Oceanwide Holdings rising more than two percent on the Shenzhen market. It was flat in Hong Kong trade.
Unofficial US-N. Korea talks held in Malaysia

A group of former US diplomats held closed door talks at the weekend with senior Pyongyang officials, even as international efforts gather pace to further isolate North Korea, diplomatically and economically.

The two-day meeting in Kuala Lumpur, which was confirmed by the South Korean and US governments, was the latest in a series of unofficial talks commonly referred to as Track 2 that are closely monitored in the absence of any official contact between Washington and Pyongyang.

In July, the North cut off its only remaining official channel of diplomatic communications with the United States in retaliation for American sanctions against its leader, Kim Jong-Un.

North Korean vice foreign minister Han Song-Ryol repeated the need for a peace treaty with the US in closed-door talks between Pyongyang and Washington on October 22, 2016 in Kuala Lumpur

The so-called "New York channel" had previously served as a key point of contact between North Korean and US diplomats at the United Nations.

American participants at the talks in the Malaysian capital included Robert Gallucci, who had led the US negotiating team that brokered a 1994 deal with Pyongyang on freezing its nuclear weapons programme.

Among those on the North Korean side was vice foreign minister Han Song-Ryol, who previously served as deputy ambassador to the UN.

The meeting came after North Korea on Thursday test-fired a powerful new medium-range missile and Leon Sigal, an academic specialising in the Koreas who attended the talks, said the North's nuclear weapons programme had dominated the discussion.

Sigal told South Korea's Yonhap news agency that the North had reiterated the need to sign a peace treaty with the United States before moving on its weapons programme.

The US side stressed that the moves to scrap the nuclear programme had to come first, said Sigal.

Under President Barack Obama, the United States has eschewed an official dialogue with the North, but with a looming change in the White House, there is growing speculation as to whether a new administration might adopt a different track.

Critics of the current policy say sanctions and non-engagement have done nothing to prevent the North's accelerated drive towards a credible nuclear deterrent that could directly threaten the US mainland.

South Korea, which has stood shoulder-to-shoulder with the US hardline on Pyongyang, stressed that the talks with North Korea had no governmental involvement.

"We are aware that the US government maintains a firm stance that rushing into dialogue in the absence of North Korea's will to denuclearise will only justify their wrong behaviour," a foreign ministry official told AFP.

The UN Security Council is currently discussing a new resolution to punish North Korea over its fifth nuclear test in September -- having already imposed tough economic measures after a fourth test in January.
Israel's next Gaza war will be 'last' one: Lieberman

Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman said Monday that Israel's next war with Gaza militants would be their last "because we will completely destroy them," but added he remains committed to a two-state solution.

Lieberman, speaking in an interview with Palestinian newspaper Al-Quds, said however that he did not want another war in Gaza, which would be the fourth since 2008.

The outspoken former foreign minister urged Palestinians to pressure Hamas, the Islamist movement that runs the Gaza Strip, to "stop your crazy policies".

Israel launched its 2014 offensive against Hamas militants following the kidnapping and murder of three teenagers and also to prevent Palestinian rocket attacks from the Gaza Strip Gil Cohen Magen (AFP)

"As minister of defence, I would like to clarify that we have no intention of starting a new war against our neighbours in the Gaza Strip or the West Bank, Lebanon or Syria," he told the Jerusalem-based newspaper.

- Criticising Abbas -

"But in Gaza, like the Iranians, they intend to eliminate the state of Israel... If they impose the next war on Israel, it will be their last. I would like to emphasise again: It will be their last confrontation because we will completely destroy them."

Lieberman is part of what is seen as the most right-wing government in Israeli history, with several prominent members of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition openly opposing a Palestinian state.

But while he lives in a West Bank settlement and is known as a security-minded hardliner, Lieberman believes in a two-state solution to the conflict based on land swaps.

He reiterated that position in the interview, saying he sees the main settlement blocks in the occupied West Bank remaining part of Israel under a final peace deal.

He raised the possibility of trading Arab areas of Israel on the edge of the northern West Bank, such as the city of Umm al-Fahm, in exchange for settlements.

Land swaps have long been part of proposals to resolve the decades-old conflict, but the two sides remain far apart on issues such as the status of Jerusalem and the return of Palestinian refugees.

Peace efforts have been at a complete standstill since a US-led initiative collapsed in April 2014.

- 'Sermons and lies' -

"Today, I think the majority of our people do not believe it is possible to reach any agreement regarding the final status solution, and the same with the Palestinians," said Lieberman.

"The first step would be convincing the people it is possible by making serious improvements in the state of the economy and fighting unemployment, poverty and misery among the Palestinians. And for Israelis, provide security without terrorism or bloodshed for a while."

He spoke of a period of three years without violence and with economic improvement in the Palestinian territories as being capable of leading to progress.

Lieberman, who took office in May, also criticised Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas, accusing him of failing to make compromises.

He predicted Abbas would lose if elections were held, with polls showing most Palestinians would like the 81-year-old to resign.

Such elections could lead to Hamas taking power in the West Bank, where Abbas's secular Fatah party dominates, but Lieberman said he believed a different outcome was possible.

"There are enough sensible people in the (Palestinian Authority) who understand the situation and know if there is a choice to make between Hamas and Israel, they think partnering with Israel will be better for them," said the leader of the hardline nationalist Yisrael Beiteinu (Israel Is Our Home) party.

Lieberman has recently spoken of trying to bypass Palestinian leaders and reach out directly to communities, and his interview appeared to be part of that effort.

Al-Quds, the top-selling paper in the Palestinian territories, was heavily criticised on social media by Palestinians who say it should not have agreed to the interview as it amounted to sanctioning "normalisation" with an occupying power.

The Palestinian foreign ministry accused Lieberman of "promoting a bunch of sermons and lies that contradict signed agreements and violate international law."

Before taking over as defence minister, Lieberman made a series of controversial statements, including one directed at Ismail Haniya, Hamas's Gaza leader.

Lieberman said he would give Haniya 48 hours to hand over two detained Israeli civilians and the bodies of soldiers killed in a 2014 war "or you're dead".

He has since backed off and said he is committed to "responsible, reasonable policy".

Israeli Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman believes in a two-state solution to the Middle East conflict based on land swaps with the Palestinians Abir Sultan (Pool/AFP)
Death toll in Cameroon train crash hits 79

The death toll in last week's train crash in Cameroon has climbed to 79 after rescuers finished combing through the wreckage, authorities said Monday.

On Sunday, 11 more bodies were pulled from the debris of the packed passenger train that derailed on Friday between Cameroon's two main cities, CRTV state radio reported.

More than 500 people were injured, the radio added, when the train travelling from the capital Yaounde to the economic hub of Douala, came off the rails near the central city of Eseka.

The train was travelling between Cameroon's two main cities, Douala and Yaounde

The train was crammed with people because a collapsed bridge made travelling the same route by road impossible. Extra carriages had been added to accommodate the additional passengers.

"Searches at the site of the accident wound up on Sunday," a Camrail railway official who asked not to be identified told AFP. On Saturday a Camrail official said the toll had hit at least 60.

Cameroon was observing a day of national mourning Monday, with flags flying at half mast and church services planned across the country.
Russia rules out early renewal of Aleppo ceasefire

Russia, blaming failures by the US-led coalition and meagre hopes for diplomacy, on Monday ruled out early moves to renew its ceasefire in Aleppo after a brief truce ended at the weekend.

"The question of renewing the humanitarian pause is not relevant now," deputy foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov told Interfax news agency, in Moscow's first official comment on why it did not extend the ceasefire further.

Heavy fighting resumed in the devasted Syrian city on Saturday after Russia, a government ally, ended its three-day cessation of hostilities.

Smoke rises after reported opposition fire from buildings in an eastern government-held neighbourhood of the northern Syrian city of Aleppo on October 20, 2016 George Ourfalian (AFP/File)

In order to renew the pause, "our opponents must ensure appropriate behaviour by the anti-government groups that in particular sabotaged the medical evacuation that was intended during the humanitarian pause," Ryabkov said.

He chastised the US-led coalition, saying that it was criticising Damascus and Moscow instead of "really exerting influence on the opposition, the rebels."

"Over the last three days, what was needed did not happen," he said.

Ryabkov also said that he did not see the "conditions" for ministerial-level negotiations on Syria before the US elections on November 8, after a Lausanne meeting on October 15 that ended with no breakthrough.

"It's almost no time until the US elections. To be honest, I don't see the conditions for a ministerial meeting," he said, insisting that Damascus and Moscow were fulfilling international agreements.

The Kremlin had hailed the humanitarian ceasefire as a "manifestation of goodwill" as it faced mounting criticism over its bombing of rebel-held eastern Aleppo in support of a brutal regime offensive on the city.

But Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov on Monday questioned the viability of humanitarian pauses under current conditions in comments to journalists.

So far the US-led coalition has not managed to separate moderate rebels from hardline "terrorist" groups, he said, and attacks continued "all these days" on checkpoints for exiting the city and the main routes for supplies of humanitarian aid.

"All this is far from helpful, either for the pauses or the process of supplying humanitarian aid," Peskov said.

The Kremlin and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov earlier expressed concern at the small numbers of civilians and fighters leaving the city, with only a handful reported to have crossed through a single passage.
Attack in Iraq's Kirkuk over, 74 IS jihadists dead: governor

Iraqi security forces on Monday ended an attack by the Islamic State group in Kirkuk city, killing at least 74 jihadists in three days of clashes, the provincial governor said.

"The attack is over and life has returned to normal," Najmeddin Karim, the governor of Kirkuk province, told AFP.

"The security forces have killed more than 74 Daesh (IS) terrorists and detained several others, including their leader."

Iraqi Kurdish security forces patrol a street in the southern suburbs of Kirkuk after jihadist gunmen attacked the city, on October 22, 2016 Marwan Ibrahim (AFP/File)

Karim said the initial confessions of the ringleader confirmed reports that around 100 fighters attacked Kirkuk early Friday, some of them sleeper cells that joined up with militants infiltrating the city.

Some attackers are also believed to have fled the city on Saturday, later clashing with security forces in rural areas east of Kirkuk.

The spectacular attack led to three days of clashes that left at least 46 people dead, mostly members of the security forces, and the Kurdish-controlled city under curfew.

The brazen raid on Kirkuk, which lies in an oil-rich area around 240 kilometres (150 miles) north of Baghdad, appeared to be an attempt by IS to divert attention from Mosul.
Four killed in India-Pakistan cross border firing: officials

Two children and another civilian were killed along with a soldier in firing across the border between India and Pakistan, officials from both sides said Monday, as tensions soar between the nuclear-armed rivals.

Pakistan's military said an 18-month-old girl and another civilian were killed on its side of the border in "unprovoked firing" by the Indian army.

"Due to Indian unprovoked firing last night a civilian, Muhammad Latif of village Janglora, and a minor Haniya, age one and a half, embraced shahadat (martyrdom) while seven civilians were injured," a military statement said.

Pakistani villagers show the damaged wall of a house caused by heavy mortar shells fired by the Indian Border Security in the Sialkot border village of Chaprar on October 24, 2016 Abid Hussain Mehdi (AFP)

The firing took place across the border between Indian-held Kashmir and Pakistan's Punjab province in the villages of Harpal, Pukhlian and Charwah, the statement said.

Indian police said the late night heavy exchange of firing occurred in its RS Pura sector, killing an Indian border security guard and a six-year-old boy.

The Border Security Force (BSF) soldier died after he received splinters from a mortar shell fired by Pakistan rangers, Danish Rana, inspector general of police for the area, told AFP.

"The boy and the BSF soldier died during the intense exchange of small arms fire and mortars throughout the night along the border," Rana said.

Six other civilians were also injured during the exchange, said another Indian police officer speaking on condition of anonymity.

Relations between the two countries have plummeted in recent months, with India blaming Pakistani militants for a raid on an army base in its part of disputed Kashmir in September that killed 19 soldiers.

India later said it launched "surgical strikes" across the border in Pakistan on militant targets, prompting fury from Pakistan which denied the raids took place.

Pakistani military said late Monday a strong protest was lodged with the United Nations Military Observers for India and Pakistan over the Indian firing.

Indian and Pakistani troops regularly exchange fire across their de-facto border in Kashmir, but rarely send ground troops over the line.

The overnight incident comes days after Indian border security forces said they shot dead seven Pakistani soldiers in retaliation for a ceasefire violation, with Pakistan refuting the claims.

Muslim-majority Kashmir has been divided between India and Pakistan, but claimed in full by both, since the two countries gained independence from Britain in 1947.
On Syria border, Mosul refugees trapped under IS fire

They have escaped the Islamic State group stronghold of Mosul but hundreds of Iraqis seeking refuge in neighbouring war-torn Syria are now trapped on the border under jihadist fire.

As hungry and thirsty children wander in tears between makeshift tents, a motorbike suddenly roars towards the encampment in the Rajm al-Salibeh border area, just inside Syrian territory.

Syrian Kurdish fighters manning the border open fire, fearing an IS scout, or even a suicide bomb attacker.

Refugees who fled Mosul, the last major Iraqi city under the control of IS group, arrive in the desert area of Rajm al-Salibeh on the Iraq-Syria border south of al-Hol in Syria's Hassakeh province on October 22, 2016 Delil Souleiman (AFP/File)

The vehicle disappears from view but then reemerges and is again met by fire from the Kurdish forces a second time before it retreats.

The incident heightens the tension and fear at the border, where Iraqis fleeing IS-held Mosul ahead of an army operation to recapture the city are seeking refuge in their war-torn neighbour.

"A mortar shell fell and an Iraqi family was injured. Day and night there are clashes. We're living in danger here," said one Iraqi in his thirties, who refused to give his name.

He said he feared reprisals against relatives still in Mosul, and spoke with his checkered keffiyeh over his face to hide it from the camera.

Around him in the desert, hundreds of Iraqis waited in the heat.

Despite the war that is ravaging Syria and has displaced millions of its residents, the Iraqis are desperate to reach the UN-run Al-Hol refugee camp in Syria's Hasakeh province.

The wait is long: this group has been stuck on a stretch of Syrian border for 10 days, with IS-held Iraqi territory just behind them.

- Trapped on the frontline -

Kurdish and Arab fighters from the Syrian Democratic Forces man earth berms on the border, and regularly skirmish with IS fighters coming from Iraq.

The jihadists sometimes send scouts to see where people have gathered and then launch mortar shells at fleeing civilians.

"We're on the front here, there is constant fire," said another Iraqi refugee, his face also covered, this time with a black scarf.

"My son is sick from the heat. Why won't they help us and let us enter Al-Hol?" he asked, also refusing to give his name for fear of reprisals.

Local officials say the delays are necessary to prevent IS fighters from entering the country and the camp.

"There are security procedures to follow. We're afraid that Daesh (IS) elements might try to infiltrate disguised as civilians," camp official Roder Younes told AFP earlier in the week.

Al-Hol lies some 200 kilometres from Mosul, territory that those fleeing must navigate mostly on foot, dodging IS mines and sniper fire intended to keep civilians from escaping.

The waiting families lie on blankets under makeshift fabric tents that shade them from the blazing sun.

Men and women haul heavy bags stuffed with their remaining belongings, as barefoot and in some cases visibly malnourished children nibble biscuits that temporarily distract them from crying.

- Hungry, thirsty -

"The heat and the hunger are killing us," said Nawal, dressed in black.

"At night it is so cold we dig a hole to bury our hands in and warm them up," she added, sitting with her three children in a group of other women.

At Al-Hol, the camp is being expanded to accommodate the refugees already arriving and the many more who are expected to come as the operation to recapture Mosul advances.

Some 6,000 people have been at the camp for around the last two years, and it is being expanded to receive 30,000 people.

On Friday, the United Nations refugee agency UNHCR said 912 Iraqis had arrived at the camp in recent days.

But for those trapped on the border, the process is not moving fast enough.

"We're been here a week, we're thirsty and a container of drinking water is 1,500 Syrian pounds ($3), we can't afford that," complained Ibrahim al-Khalaf, sitting in a makeshift tent with his wife and six children.

"We fled oppression, and we hope we won't be oppressed here too."

Updated map of the Mosul region with the latest military developments Iris ROYER DE VERICOURT, Alain BOMMENEL, Kun TIAN, Paz PIZARRO (AFP/File)

Refugees who fled Mosul, the last major Iraqi city under the control of the IS group, arrive in the desert area of Rajm al-Salibeh on the Iraq-Syria border south of al-Hawl in Syria's Hassakeh province on October 22, 2016 Delil Souleiman (AFP)
16 dead in heavy bombardment on Syria's Idlib: monitor

Sixteen civilians, including three children, were killed on Monday in heavy bombardment across rebel-held Idlib province in northwest Syria, a monitoring group said.

In Khan Sheikhun, a town in the province's south, air strikes killed seven people, including two women and a child, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

The Britain-based Observatory said the raids were carried out by either Syrian or Russian aircraft.

Syrian civil defence volunteers search for victims amid the rubble of destroyed buildings following overnight air strikes in the rebel-held town of Kafar Takharim, in Idlib province on October 24, 2016 Omar haj kadour (AFP)

Another seven people, including four women and two children, were killed in raids on Kafr Takharim, further north in the province.

Those raids hit three residential buildings, a local government building, and a stadium, shortly after midnight, AFP's correspondent in the town said.

In the morning, rescue workers were still trying to pull bodies out of the rubble.

"My sister's house was standing right here. She and her daughter are dead, along with another family," Abu Mohammad told AFP.

"There was no military base here. All the military positions are outside the town," the devastated man said.

Another man and a woman were killed in rocket fire in the nearby town of Kafr Awid.

Idlib province is controlled by the Army of Conquest, an alliance of rebel groups and jihadists including the Fateh al-Sham Front, which changed its name from Al-Nusra Front after breaking off ties with Al-Qaeda.

According to the Observatory, heavy bombardment has battered the northwest province in recent days.

Since Thursday, bombardment has killed 44 civilians, including 11 women, nine children, and one rescue worker.
UN troops, C. Africa protesters face off, warning shots fired

UN troops fired warning shots on Monday as angry protesters marched through the Central African Republic capital, Bangui, demanding that "passive" UN peacekeepers be sent home for failing to do their job.

Shops and banks in several Bangui districts remained shut as irate residents threw up roadblocks in response to an upsurge of militia violence across the country in recent weeks.

Angered by the flare-up, a coalition of civil society groups had called for a one-day strike in the city of one million to press demands for a pullout of the UN's 12,000-strong MINUSCA force.

United Nations peacekeepers patrol in Bangui on January 2, 2016 Issouf Sanogo (AFP/File)

As the protesters marched on MINUSCA headquarters at midday, peacekeepers fired warning shots into the air to hold them back, witnesses told AFP.

CAR has been in chaos since early 2013 when longtime president Francois Bozize, a Christian, was ousted by a mainly Muslim Seleka rebel group -- triggering revenge attacks and a spiral of atrocities in which thousands were slaughtered.

Fears of a sectarian bloodbath led to the dispatch of UN peacekeepers the following year.

"By staying home the population will show its support towards civil society demands for MINUSCA's withdrawal and its outrage over the killings that are taking place across almost all of the country," said the civil society coalition's coordinator Gervais Lakosso.

MINUSCA had a clear mandate to stamp out militia groups "but wherever the UN forces go there is violence," he said.

"Civil society believes MINUSCA has shown passivity and complicity."

Rejecting the allegations, UN spokesman Vladimir Monteiro said "you can't lie to Central Africans and say there are (national) armed forces that can defend them."

It would also be misleading to "just focus on the problems and forget the action undertaken," he added on Radio Ndeke Luka.

Dozens of people have been killed in recent weeks however, prompting severe criticism of the peacekeepers.

The violence between Christian and Muslim groups has displaced one in 10 of the country's 4.5 million people.
Nearly 100 civilians dead in Turkey-backed Syria op: monitor

Nearly 100 civilians have been killed in a two-month offensive by Turkey and allied rebels in northern Syria, a monitoring group said on Monday.

No comment could be immediately obtained from Turkish officials, but in the past Ankara has disputed accusations of civilian deaths in its campaign.

The "Euphrates Shield" operation was launched in northern Syria on August 24 to fight both the Islamic State jihadist group and a Kurdish militia that Ankara considers a "terrorist" group.

An air strike by a Turkish jet fighter hits the Syrian village of Jarabulus on the Syrian-Turkish border during fighting against the IS group on August 24, 2016 Bulent Kilic (AFP)

Since then, Turkish air strikes and shelling as part of the assault have killed 96 civilians, including 22 children, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

The Britain-based monitor said rebels involved in the assault were leading the fight on the ground with Turkey lending heavy firepower -- mostly air strikes and artillery fired from Turkish soil.

"Ninety-two of the civilians, mostly Kurds, were killed in areas controlled by the Islamic State group," said Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman.

He said the remaining four were killed in areas held by the Syrian Democratic Forces, a Kurdish-Arab alliance of fighters dominated by the People's Protection Units (YPG).

Turkey views the YPG and the Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD) as linked to the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party, which has been staging an insurgency in Turkey since 1984.

The PKK is proscribed as a terrorist organisation by the United States and European Union.

The Observatory in late August reported at least 40 civilians had been killed in Turkish shelling and air strikes, while Turkey's state-run Anadolu reported the deaths of 25 Kurdish "terrorists."

Ankara's operation overran the IS stronghold of Jarabulus along the Turkish border on its first day, and went on to seize the symbolic town of Dabiq in mid-October.

The Turkish-backed fighters have already seized more than 1,000 square kilometres since the operation began, according to Anadolu.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said he wants to push further south to create a 5,000-square-kilometre (1,900 square-mile) safe zone in Syria.
British PM to lead trade delegation to India

British Prime Minister Theresa May announced Monday she will be leading a trade delegation to India next month, as her government seeks new relationships after Britain leaves the European Union.

"I'll be visiting India in early November and I'm pleased to say that I will be taking a trade delegation with me," May told the House of Commons.

"We'll be focusing on small and medium-sized enterprises to try to ensure that we boost the relationships between smaller and medium-sized businesses here in the UK with the important Indian market."

British Prime Minister Theresa May will lead a trade delegation to India in November 2016 Stephane de Sakutin (AFP/File)

Individual EU member states cannot hold bilateral talks on free trade deals with non-EU states as long as they remain part of the bloc.

But updating lawmakers on last week's European summit, May's first since taking office following the June vote to leave the bloc, she said there could be "discussions".

"There is a limit to what we can do in terms of entering into a trade arrangement before we've left the European Union, but that doesn't mean we can't scope out negotiations and start to have those discussions and indeed we are doing with a number of countries," she said.
Kenya commutes sentences of over 2,700 on death row

Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta on Monday commuted the sentences of 2,747 death row inmates, who will now serve life in prison.

Kenyatta signed documents commuting the sentences during a ceremony at his official residence and also pardoned 102 convicts who were serving long jail terms.

Amnesty International welcomed the move, and urged Kenya to officially abolish the death sentence. Kenya has not carried out an execution since 1987

Amnesty International welcomed the move to commute nearly 3,000 death row inmates to life in prison by Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta, seen in September 2016, and urged Kenya to officially abolish the death sentence Mohamed Abdiwahab (AFP/File)

"The decision to commute death sentences brings Kenya closer to the growing community of nations that have abolished this cruel and inhuman form of punishment," said Muthoni Wanyeki, the rights group's regional director.
Battle lines harden at global whaling meeting

Pro- and anti-whaling nations clashed at a key meeting Monday where Japan sought to ease a 30-year-old moratorium on commercial hunts while others pushed for an Atlantic whale sanctuary.

Host Slovenia urged compromise the sake of the marine mammals -- some species of which were hunted to near-extinction in the 20th century -- but member states of the International Whaling Commission (IWC) soon split into familiar factions.

Japan, which conducts a yearly whale hunt in the name of science, which its detractors say is for meat, insisted that stocks of some species have recovered sufficiently to make them fair game.

Protesters demonstrate during the 66th International Whaling Commission (IWC) meeting in Portoroz, Slovenia, on October 24, 2016 Jure Makovec (AFP)

These included the southern hemisphere minke whale, Japan's IWC commissioner Joji Morishita told journalists on the conference sidelines.

"Many species can actually stand a limited take," Morishita said.

Japan's yearly hunt is a recurring and deeply divisive issue at the 88-member IWC's biennial gatherings.

The organisation's 66th meeting, scheduled to run until Friday, opened in the Adriatic resort of Portoroz on Monday.

Scientific hunts are exempt under the IWC's 1986 moratorium, but critics insist Japan abuses the provision.

The meat ends up on supermarket shelves and in restaurants, in line with an IWC stipulation that whales taken for science must be eaten.

"It is a loophole that the IWC never anticipated being routinely exploited by a country in order to kill whales for profit," said Kitty Block of conservation group Humane Society International.

The International Court of Justice ruled in 2014 that Japan abused the scientific exemption.

Tokyo cancelled its 2014-15 hunt, only to resume it the following year, killing 333 minkes in the Southern Ocean -- many of them pregnant, according to observers.

New Zealand and Australia want the IWC to introduce stringent reviews of scientific whaling projects.

- Licence to kill -

"There are lots of methods that can be used, like acoustic tracking and satellite tagging and underwater listening stations, where you can conduct effective research without killing whales," Australia's environment minister Josh Frydenberg told AFP.

"Global stocks have nowhere near recovered to where they were before the whaling period."

Several other countries, including the European Union bloc, urged Japan to stop its hunts, some accusing it of using the scientific exemption as "a licence to kill".

Japan, in turn, opposes the creation of a South Atlantic whale sanctuary.

This proposal by Argentina, Brazil, Gabon, South Africa and Uruguay has the backing of the European Union and others.

"Today... there is a whale killing and catching in the (Southern Ocean), who may tell us that if a particular species begins to be depleted the whale catchers for science will not come to the South Atlantic?" Brazil's IWC commissioner Hermano Ribeiro told AFP.

"We want to avoid that. It's protection for today, protection for the future."

Countries are to vote on the sanctuary, which has been on the IWC's agenda for 15 years but voted down every time, on Tuesday morning.

It requires 75 percent of the vote to pass.

Morishita highlighted the intractability of the divide.

"One side... is supporting the total protection of whales under any circumstances, no kill, no one whale should be killed," he said.

The other, "like Japan, is supporting sustainable utilisation of marine living resources including whales.

"These positions are so... fundamentally different and that is causing the difficulties or stalemate or deadlock of this organisation. Unless we address this issue in some manner we will just be repeating the same thing, meeting after meeting."

Besides Japan and communities which received aboriginal whaling licences from the IWC, Norway and Iceland conduct commercial hunts, having submitted objections to the moratorium.

This year's meeting marks the 70th anniversary of the commission's founding, and the 30th birthday of the moratorium estimated to have prevented the killing of tens -- even hundreds -- of thousands of whales.

Conservationists say the creatures still face a multitude of perils, from hunters and ship strikes to getting snared in fishing gear and pollution.

"(...) It is in the interests of all of us to give back to the cetaceans their living environment," Slovene Environment Minister Irena Majcen urged delegates on Monday.

"This is something that should unite us."

Endangered whales Gustavo Izus, Esther Poveda, Anella Reta (AFP)

Japan's International Whaling Commissioner Joji Morishita attends the 66th International Whaling Commission meeting in Portoroz, Slovenia, on October 24, 2016 Jure Makovec (AFP)
Brazil's Embraer in $205 mn US bribery settlement

Brazilian aerospace company Embraer SA on Monday settled with US authorities for $205 million over bribery allegations in the Dominican Republic, Saudi Arabia, and Mozambique.

The company took in nearly $84 million in profits on aircraft sales after paying bribes, the US Justice Department and Securities and Exchange Commission announced jointly.

"Embraer paid millions of dollars in bribes to win government aircraft contracts in three different continents, Assistant Attorney General Leslie Caldwell, head of the Justice Department's criminal division, said in a statement.

Brazilian aerospace company Embraer SA took in nearly $84 million in profits on aircraft sales after paying bribes Evaristo Sa (AFP/File)

The company will pay a $107 million fine to the Justice Department as well as give up $98 million in ill-gotten gains, or disgorgement, to the SEC. Embraer also agreed to retain an independent consultant to monitor its legal compliance for a period of three years.

However the SEC will offer Embraer up to $20 million in credit depending on the amount of disgorgement it pays to Brazilian authorities in a parallel legal proceeding, according to the SEC.

Brazilian authorities have also charged 11 people for their alleged involvement in bribes paid in the Dominican Republic. Saudi authorities have brought charges against two individuals, according to the Justice Department.

Under the US Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, it is illegal for companies and people to pay bribes to foreign officials to win business.Embraer fell under US jurisdiction because its shares are traded on the New York Stock Exchange.

The Justice Department said Embraer had admitted to a conspiracy to violate the FCPA and had wilfully failed to create internal accounting controls which could have prevented the corruption.

The alleged bribery included payments of $3.5 million to "an influential government official" in the Dominican Republic for a contract on the $92 million sale of eight aircraft to the local air force; $1.7 million to an official at a Saudi state enterprise for a $93 million sale of three aircraft; and $800,000 to a senior representative of a Mozambican state airline to win a $65 million sale.

The company also allegedly made $5.8 million in payments via a shell company in connection with a contract to sell three aircraft on to the Indian air force.

In a statement, Embraer said it had conducted an exhaustive internal investigation and was improving its internal controls for adhering to the law.
Jihadist traps lie in wait for Iraqi soldiers

On the edge of Karamlech, the Iraqi infantry commander triumphantly announced the capture of the village, even as bursts of gunfire crackled and thick smoke blackened the horizon.

In their advance from the southeast towards the city of Mosul, bastion of the Islamic State jihadist group in Iraq, tanks of the 9th Armoured Division on Monday rolled into the Christian village which lies 10 kilometres (six miles) away.

There had been some resistance, as witnessed by an overturned and burnt-out tank and the shell-pocked and charred walls of any homes left standing.

Iraqi forces hold a position near Al-Shura village on October 24, 2016, during an operation to retake Mosul from the Islamic State, which included efforts to capture other nearby villages such as Karamlech, Bartalla and Qaraqosh Ahmad al-Rubaye (AFP)

"We caught them by surprise this morning and neutralised the IS elements in the village. Militarily, our mission here is over," non-commissioned officer Sadeq, perched on top of a tank, told AFP.

But although the hours-long barrage of tank fire was over, mopping up operations were only just starting in Karamlech, like in the nearby towns of Bartalla and Qaraqosh where they have been ongoing for three days.

The army's capture of the village was also helped by a withdrawal of IS fighters.

Some made off to the north and Mosul, while soldiers said others could have taken refuge in the many tunnels which the jihadists have dug around the village and in its sewers.

One soldier, Ryad, let rip with his machinegun from atop a tank to lure return fire and force any militant to give away his hiding place.

Divided into small groups, the soldiers went from house to house, letting off bursts of gunfire.

- Mushroom cloud -

"We're inspecting the houses, the tunnels and the sides of the road, looking for bombs," said a soldier, his face masked to protect against the clouds of dust kicked up strong winds.

They especially looked out for explosive-rigged vehicles, which IS fighters have left at the entrances to villages and towns since the start of the offensive to recapture Mosul a week ago.

Officers jumped as an explosion erupted at the edge of the village. After a bright flash, a large mushroom cloud rose from a university building.

"It was a truck loaded with explosives that they left behind in the building," Captain Samer told AFP, after speaking to his men inside the village by radio.

General Tawfiq added: "Our men triggered the explosion. It's all under the army's control."

Karamlech is strategic because seizing the village would open up the road to Mosul, he explained.

Inside the village, soldiers wearing the green bandana of Shiite fighters around their foreheads paraded on the church's rooftop, for the first time in two years waving the Iraqi flag instead of IS's black banner.

They improvised a cross from two pieces of wood and fixed it on the top of the building.

On the hill beside the church, where the stairs were covered with burning tyres and metal debris, a gust of wind swept up a thick white tarpaulin from the ground.

It hid the entrance to a tunnel. Jihadists have been known to spring out of underground passages like this to take Iraqi troops by surprise.
Four killed in violent C.Africa anti-UN protests

Four civilians were killed Monday when protests against United Nations peacekeepers turned violent in the Central African Republic, with gunfire and looting reported across the capital Bangui, the UN said.

Five UN peacekeepers were among 14 people injured during the demonstrations called by a coalition of civil society groups to demand the withdrawal of the more than 10,000-strong MINUSCA force over alleged failures to stop the rise of armed militias.

The groups also organised a one-day strike in the capital to press demands for a pullout.

UN peacekeepers, shown patrolling a vote-counting center in the Central African Republic in January 2016, were in the country to support the new administration of President Faustin-Archange Touadera, who was elected in February Issouf Sanogo (AFP/File)

MINUSCA "intervened from the early hours of Monday in Bangui to dismantle the barricades erected by hostile demonstrators", the UN force said in a statement.

The force said it "strongly condemns the incidents that struck several areas of the capital and regrets that they led to the death of four civilians and injured 14 people," adding that five of the injured were peacekeepers.

UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric called for calm in the capital and said that patrols would be strengthened.

The MINUSCA statement rejected the protests as a "smear campaign" against the peacekeeping force, and threatened "international criminal prosecution" for those accused of violence against the mission.

Armed militias have been blamed for dozens of deaths in recent weeks.

Earlier this month, 30 people were killed and 57 wounded when fighters from the Muslim Seleka militia group staged an attack in the central town of Kaga Bandoro.

A few days later, 11 people were shot dead in a camp for displaced people in Ngakobo, northeast of Bangui.

The MINUSCA force is seeking to support the administration of President Faustin-Archange Touadera, who was elected in February.

Gervais Lakosso, the coordinator of the civil society coalition calling for the UN to withdraw, said Monday that "wherever the UN forces go there is violence".

"Civil society believes MINUSCA has shown passivity and complicity," he added.

One of the world's poorest countries, the Central African Republic descended into sectarian bloodshed after the March 2013 ouster of president Francois Bozize, a Christian, by the Seleka rebel alliance.
MANDAN, N.D.  Two participants in the Dakota Access Pipeline protest have been charged with crimes related to using drones in what may be the first criminal cases in North Dakota against drone operators.

One man is charged with stalking after he used a drone to photograph private security workers and another man is charged with felony reckless endangerment for allegedly flying a drone near a North Dakota Highway Patrol aircraft.

Meanwhile, the use of drones and other surveillance tactics by the pipeline company and law enforcement are being questioned by attorneys representing the pipeline resistance camp.

Open records requests filed recently by the American Civil Liberties Union and the National Lawyers Guild seek to find out what surveillance methods have been used by law enforcement and whether any of it has been unconstitutional.

Its a very tricky area, drone use, and we are very concerned about law enforcement and government use of drones, said Jennifer Cook, policy director for the ACLU of North Dakota.

In Morton County, prosecutors charged Myron C. Dewey, 44, Marysville, Wash., with stalking, a Class A misdemeanor, after employees of Leighton Security reported they were filmed by a drone operated by Dewey on Oct. 8.

The security officers told law enforcement they were working security for Dakota Access in their vehicles east of Highway 1806 on the Cannonball Ranch when they saw a drone flying above their vehicles that they believed was attempting to get photos or videos of the officers and their license plates, court records say.

Both security officers stated they were in fear for their lives and their families lives because the drone was possibly live streaming video to social media, states the court affidavit.

Also in Morton County, authorities issued a warrant last week for Aaron Sean Turgeon, 32, Winner, S.D., for three criminal charges related to his use of a drone.

Turgeon is charged with reckless endangerment, a Class C felony, for allegedly flying a drone near a Highway Patrol aircraft on Sept. 6 during a pipeline protest in Morton County.

Highway Patrol Sgt. Shannon Henke wrote in a court affidavit the reckless operation of the drone put the NDHP aircraft pilot in greater danger due to the possibility of an in-air collision that could have easily resulted in serious injury or death to the pilot.

Aaron Birst, executive director of the North Dakota States Attorneys Association, said he believes the criminal cases are the first ones of their kind in the state.

In my experience, that would probably be the first time that somebodys been charged with a crime in connection with a drone, Birst said. We have just not had that kind of activity in North Dakota.

North Dakota legislators passed a bill related to drones last session, but it was primarily aimed to address law enforcement use of drones, Birst said.

But even without specific laws related to drone operators, people can be charged with crimes if they use a drone as an instrument to commit a crime, said Alan Frazier, a deputy for the Grand Forks County Sheriffs Office.

Criminal cases against operators of drones are relatively rare, but they are increasing as a result of the fact that more people are utilizing drones, said Frazier, also an associate professor for the University of North Dakotas School of Aerospace Sciences.

Some attorneys are challenging the case against Dewey, arguing he is an independent journalist and his use of the drone is protected by the First Amendment.

Its ridiculous that hes been charged with stalking, said Angela Bibens, an attorney who is part of a legal team working with the self-described water protectors. To me its a perversion of what that charge is intending to punish.

Cook also objects to the charges against Dewey and questions whether the security officers had a reasonable expectation of privacy.

If you can drive by on the gravel road and take a look at them, then certainly using a drone to view them is likely just as permissible, Cook said.

The court complaint against Dewey alleges he was using the drone to frighten, intimidate and harass the security officers. The court complaint notes that some protesters have posted on social media personal information about private security and law enforcement.

Bibens also claims the drone was illegally seized by law enforcement during a traffic stop in violation of the Fourth Amendment. The court complaint says the drone was in plain view in the vehicles back seat.

Attempts to reach Dewey for comment for this story were not successful. His court-appointed attorney did not return a call seeking comment.

In the other criminal case, the most serious charge against Turgeon relates to allegations he flew a drone higher than 400 feet in close proximity to the Highway Patrol aircraft.

In addition, Turgeon also is charged with misdemeanor reckless endangerment for allegedly flying a drone above 150 to 200 protesters, which law enforcement said in court documents put the protesters and law enforcement at risk of injury or possibly death. He also is charged with misdemeanor physical obstruction of a government function for preventing law enforcement from seizing the drone.

Federal Aviation Administration rules require operators of small unmanned aerial vehicles to yield to manned aircraft. The rules also prohibit flying over people unless a waiver is obtained.

Frazier said FAA rules prohibit flying a drone over large gatherings of people because the unmanned aircraft are more likely to come out of the air unexpectedly due to mechanical failure or operator error.

These particular aircraft really havent matured to the level of reliability that manned aircraft have, Frazier said.

Attempts to reach Turgeon for comment through social media were not successful last week and attorneys at the camp said they were not familiar with his case.

Turgeon, also known as Prolific the Rapper, appears in music videos that have gone viral on social media that criticize Dakota Access and the law enforcement response to the protest.

Camp under surveillance?

Residents of the Oceti Sakowin camp north of the Standing Rock Sioux reservation say low-flying helicopters and airplanes routinely pass over the camp, sometimes waking campers up at night or early in the morning.

They circle the camp sometimes for hours during the morning and at various other times during the day, Bibens said. We think they might be using a variety of technologies to try to ascertain whats going on in the camp.

Campers also have seen drones flying overhead that do not belong to registered media or anyone staying at the camp, said Dallas Goldtooth, an organizer with the Indigenous Environmental Network.

We dont know whether its Dakota Access or its law enforcement, Goldtooth said.

The ACLU of North Dakota and the National Lawyers Guild recently submitted information requests to multiple local and federal agencies to find out what surveillance methods are being used. The organizations said theyre seeking to promote transparency and challenge any violations of constitutional rights.

Law enforcement shouldnt go on fishing expeditions to find possible criminal activity, Cook said.

Donnell Preskey, a spokeswoman for the Morton County Sheriffs Department, said law enforcement will not comment on what surveillance methods are being used in connection with the Dakota Access protest or whether law enforcement is using drones.

Energy Transfer Partners also will not comment on what surveillance methods the company or its private security firms are using.
Islamist militants wearing suicide vests have stormed a police academy in Pakistan killing at least 60 people and wounding dozens more.

Three gunmen from the Pakistani Taliban-linked group burst into the sprawling academy in Quetta targeting sleeping quarters that are home to some 700 recruits, gunning them down and sending some flee.

The shoot out is one of the deadliest extremist attacks this year and gunfire was still ringing out from the building several hours after the attackers stormed it.

The bodies of police cadets shot dead in a terror attack on a police academy are lined up on the ground in Quetta, Pakistan

A police cadet who was injured during an attack on a police academy in Pakistan is taken to a hospital. Islamist militants killed 60 during the attack on the Balochistan Police College

Three gunmen from the Pakistani Taliban-linked group burst into the sprawling academy in Quetta targeting sleeping quarters that are home to some 700 recruits. Pictured is an injured recruit receiving treatment

It is believed the attackers had first targeted a watch tower sentry before killing a security guard and entering the academy grounds

A Pakistani volunteer and a police officer rush an injured person to a hospital in Quetta after the attack

The attack on the Balochistan Police College began around 11.10pm yesterday when the three attackers burst into the building.

It is believed they had first targeted a watch tower sentry before killing a security guard and entering the academy grounds.

ISIS later released a picture of the men they claimed carried out the attack on the academy

One cadet said: 'I saw three men in camouflage whose faces were hidden carrying Kalashnikovs.

'They started firing and entered the dormitory but I managed to escape over a wall.'

A picture released by ISIS which claims to show the three attackers responsible for storming the Pakistani police academy

Security was tight outside the academy this morning, with media kept out of the building as a large contingent of security forces swept the area.

Weeping relatives arrived at the academy and were sent to the main hospital, where authorities were starting to prepare for funerals.

Major General Sher Afgan, chief of the paramilitary Frontier Corps in Balochistan, which led the counter-operation, said 'the attack was over in around three hours after we arrived'.

It is believed that the attackers covered their faces and used Kalashnikovs during the raid. Pictured is an injured cadet

The shoot out is one of the deadliest extremist attacks this year and gunfire was still ringing out from the building several hours after the attackers stormed it

A trainee police officer lies injured in hospital while is relatives crowd around his bedside

He added that communications intercepts showed the militants belonged to the Al-Alimi faction of the Lashkar-e-Jhangvi militant group -- which is affiliated with the Pakistani Taliban.

He said: 'They were in communication with operatives in Afghanistan.' The group itself has not claimed the attack.

The area was plunged into darkness when the counter-offensive was launched, while security personnel threw up a cordon and ambulances zoomed in and out, taking the injured to hospitals. Military helicopters circled overhead.

After the attack began, Pakistani army soldiers arrived at the police academy in a counter terrorism operation

The area was plunged into darkness when the counter-offensive was launched, while security personnel threw up a cordon

Ambulances were also seen zooming in and out, taking the injured to hospitals while military helicopters circled overhead

Mineral-rich but impoverished Balochistan, Pakistan's largest province, is beset by sectarian strife, Islamist violence and an on-off separatist insurgency that has lasted for decades.

The army has also repeatedly been accused by international rights groups of abuses in Balochistan, particularly against nationalists demanding autonomy and a greater share of the region's resources.

In August, a suicide bombing at a Quetta hospital claimed by the Islamic State group and the Jamaat-ul-Ahrar faction of the Pakistani Taliban killed 73 people, including many of the city's lawyer community who had gone there to mourn the fatal shooting of a colleague.

Pakistan has been battling an Islamist insurgency since shortly after it decided to ally with the US following its invasion of Afghanistan in 2001.

Pakistani family members of victims visit a police training center where gunmen opened fire in Quetta

The weeping relatives comforted each other after being told their loved ones had been sent to the morgue

Violence has declined in recent years following a series of military offensives in the northwest border areas as well as concerted efforts to block the militants' sources of funding.

But the remnants of militant groups are still able to carry out periodic bloody attacks, particularly in the northwest.

Monday night's attack also came a day after separatist gunmen for the Baloch Liberation Army on a motorcycle shot dead two coast guards and a civilian and wounded a shopkeeper in a remote southwest coastal town in the same province.

Balochistan is also a key region for China's ambitious $46 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) infrastructure project linking its western province of Xinjiang to the Arabian Sea via Pakistan.
Nearly 50 flee rebel-held Aleppo: Syrian state media

Nearly 50 people fled battered eastern districts of Aleppo into the government-controlled west of the city on Monday, Syria's state news agency SANA reported.

The incident comes after a unilateral three-day ceasefire declared by Russia and government forces ended on Sunday without any evacuations by the United Nations.

"Forty-eight people from... the eastern districts were able to flee towards the western districts, where a Syrian Arab army unit welcomed and secured them," SANA said late on Monday.

Syrians who were living in the rebel-held side of Aleppo are seen inside an ambulance after nearly 50 people fled the eastern districts of the battered city into the government-controlled west on October 24, 2016 George Ourfalian (AFP)

It accused rebel groups in the east of using civilians there as "human shields".

An AFP photographer saw three buses full of civilians on the government side of the Bustan al-Qasr crossing.

There was no UN presence, but a heavy deployment of government security forces.

They were given government-provided aid and taken to temporary housing.

It was unclear whether they were civilians or rebels, which eastern districts they had left or how they had reached the western part of the city.

The brief ceasefire in Aleppo had been intended to allow civilians and rebels to leave the east via eight evacuation corridors.

But by the time it expired on Sunday, only a handful of civilians were reported to have used a single crossing point.

Nearly 500 people have been killed and more than 2,000 wounded since the Syrian army launched an operation to recapture eastern Aleppo on September 22.

The UN had asked Moscow to consider extending the pause until Monday evening, but there was no indication from Russia that it would do so.
US to deploy 330 troops in Norway

The United States will deploy over 300 troops in Norway, the Norwegian government announced Monday, in a move set to upset neighbouring Russia.

The 330 Marines, to be stationed on rotation around 1,000 kilometres (600 miles) from the Russian border, will be engaged in training and manoeuvres in almost Arctic conditions, the Norwegian defence ministry said.

The announcement comes against a backdrop of increasing tensions between Russia and the West over Ukraine and the conflict in Syria, although Norway itself enjoys good relations with its giant neighbour.

The 330 Marines, to be stationed on rotation around 1.000 kilometres (600 miles) from the Russian border, will be engaged in training and manoeuvres in almost Arctic conditions John Moore (Getty/AFP/File)

The US already has vast amounts of military equipment positioned in NATO ally Norway -- notably in tunnels dug into mountains -- but no troops.

"This US-initiative is welcome and also fits well within ongoing processes in NATO to increase exercises, training and interoperability within the Alliance," Norwegian Defence Minister Ine Eriksen Soreide said in the statement.

"The defence of Norway is dependent on allied reinforcements, and it is crucial for Norwegian security that our allies come here to gain knowledge of how to operate in Norway and with Norwegian forces," she added.

Before joining NATO in 1949, Norway allayed Russian fears by pledging not to open its territory to foreign combat troops so long as Norway was not attacked or threatened with attack.

This pledge was later amended to allow foreign troops to conduct manoeuvres in Norway.

The deployment, which will begin in January, is a US initiative which Oslo is presenting as a trial to be evaluated during 2017.

Last week the Russian embassy in Oslo expressed surprise as the idea of stationing US troops in Norway was mooted.

"Taking into account multiple statements made by Norwegian officials about the absence of threat from Russia to Norway, we would like to understand why Norway is so much willing to increase its military potential, in particular through the stationing of American forces in Vaernes," embassy spokesman Maxime Gourov said in an email sent to AFP on Friday.

Former senior Norwegian army officer Jacob Borresen said the planned deployment "sends negative signals eastwards".

The big risk, he told broadcaster NRK, is that the move creates a Cold War-style "confrontation zone".
UN chief hopes South Africa will reconsider ICC withdrawal

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said Monday he hopes South Africa will reconsider its decision to withdraw from the International Criminal Court.

Ban said in a statement that he regretted the decision which followed a dispute over South Africa's refusal to arrest Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir and hand him over for trial at the ICC for war crimes.

Pretoria last week presented a formal letter to the United Nations announcing its decision to pull out of the Rome statute, the founding treaty of the ICC.

The UN said "a letter withdrawing the withdrawal" would be sufficient to halt South Africa's pullout of the International Criminal Court, seen in 2015 Martijn Beekman (ANP/AFP/File)

The withdrawal will take effect one year after the letter was received, making South Africa the first country to pull out from the court.

Ban "hopes South Africa will reconsider its decision before its withdrawal takes effect," his spokesman said.

The UN recalled that South Africa was among the first signatories of the treaty and stressed that the ICC is "central to global efforts to end impunity and prevent conflict."

Established in 2002, the ICC is often accused of bias against Africa and has struggled with a lack of cooperation, including from the United States, which has signed the court's treaty but never ratified it.

Ban said countries that have concerns about the functioning of the court should address them in the assembly of states that have signed the Rome statute.

UN officials meanwhile were working behind the scenes to try to persuade South Africa to reverse course and to prevent other countries from following suit.

UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric declined to give details, but said there were discussions "with some concerned member-states" and that "a letter withdrawing the withdrawal" would be sufficient to halt the pullout.

Earlier this month, Burundi said it would leave the ICC, while Namibia and Kenya have also raised the possibility.

The United Nations has yet to receive an official letter from Burundi notifying it of the withdrawal and a UN envoy was in Bujumbura for talks on Monday that were expected to touch on that decision.

Welcoming South Africa's decision, Sudan last week urged other African member nations to follow suit.

"South Africa has made a profoundly negative decision for victims and the rule of law and it needs to reconsider, said Richard Dicker, director of Human Rights Watch's international justice program.
ICC urges dialogue with African nations set to quit

The International Criminal Court on Monday urged member states to seek a consensus with critical African nations, while stressing that South Africa and Burundi's announced departures would not take place for at least year.

"Today more than ever, there is a huge need for universal justice," said Sidiki Kaba, president of the assembly of state parties to the ICC founding treaty, evoking "the tragedies which are happening in front of our eyes".

Kaba, also Senegal's justice minister, said it was necessary "to engage in dialogue with the nations which want to leave the ICC. For that we must listen to their concerns, their recriminations and their criticism".

Senegalese Justice Minister and International Criminal Court official Sidiki Kaba, seen in 2013, urged African member states thinking of leaving the ICC to "give dialogue a chance" before making a final decision to withdraw Seyllou (AFP/File)

South Africa dealt a heavy blow to the troubled international court on Friday by announcing it was withdrawing from an institution set up to prosecute the world's worst crimes.

The decision followed a dispute last year when Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir visited the country for an African Union summit despite facing an ICC arrest warrant over alleged war crimes.

And earlier this month, Burundian lawmakers overwhelmingly voted to withdraw from the ICC.

Rights organisations said Burundi's government was trying to hide abuses from the eyes of the world.

Namibia and Kenya have also raised the possibility of leaving the ICC, which has often been accused of bias against African leaders.

Of the 10 ICC probes since 2002 when the court was established, nine have been into African countries and one into Georgia, although most ICC cases have been referred to the court by African governments themselves.

Kaba told reporters in Dakar that any formal withdrawal request would only take effect after a year.

He urged the members states considering such a move to "give dialogue a chance," adding that the next general assembly in November would be a good forum for finding "a dynamic consensus".
US, Iranian chief diplomats win prize for Iran nuclear deal

US Secretary of State John Kerry and Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif have won an international diplomatic prize for their part in a historic agreement on Iran's nuclear program, organizers announced Monday.

The two officials, who negotiated the deal face-to-face and together with counterparts from the P5+1 powers (the United States, China, Russia, France, Britain and Germany) between 2013 and 2015, won the Chatham House Prize "in recognition of their crucial roles" to resolve "one of the most intractable diplomatic stand-offs in international affairs in the 21st century," Britain's Chatham House think-tank said in a statement.

The agreement -- aimed at stopping Iran from using its civilian nuclear industry to develop a nuclear weapon in exchange for the lifting of sanctions against Tehran -- was signed in July 2015 and implemented in January.

US Secretary of State John Kerry speaks at a press conference at the State Department in Washington, DC, on October 19, 2016 Nicholas Kamm (AFP/File)

The deal that "many thought impossible" sealed "a victory for diplomacy as well as against nuclear proliferation," the prestigious London research center said.

In Washington, the State Department -- which does not maintain full diplomatic relations with Tehran's Foreign Ministry -- said Kerry was "grateful for being selected for this prize," stressing that the deal was "a team effort internationally, with the other members of the P5+1, as well as the European Union."

After the deal's signing, rumors circulated about a possible Nobel Peace Prize for the P5+1 group or Kerry and Zarif last year.

The major diplomatic breakthrough helped initiate a tentative thaw in relations between the United States and Iran. However, ties have been further strained recently over Shiite Tehran's part in Syria's conflict and elsewhere in the Middle East, as well as Western banks' reluctance to invest in the Islamic republic.

Recent Chatham House Prize recipients include former US secretary of state and current presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, Burmese leader Aung San Suu Kyi and the aid organization Doctors Without Borders.
The Latest: Authorities: 2 roadblocks near pipeline protest

MANDAN, N.D. (AP)  The Latest on the protests in North Dakota over the four-state Dakota Access Pipeline (all times local):

6:35 p.m.

Officials say Dakota Access pipeline protesters created two separate roadblocks in southern North Dakota, one of which has been taken down.

The Morton County Sheriff's Office said in a news release Sunday night that the first roadblock on State Highway 1806 was built about 2 p.m. using barbed wire, cars and later hay bales, tree stumps and logs. Law enforcement authorities spoke with protesters, and it blockade came down before 5 p.m.

The sheriff's office said a second blockade was still up as of 5:30 p.m. Sunday that was built with vehicles, campers and a state Department of Transportation message board.

The office also said there are 100 protesters on private property along the pipeline construction route near an encampment and that there were at least 10 temporary structures on the land.

It comes during a weekend of protests, including one Saturday that Morton County says ended up with 126 people being arrested. One person was arrested for trespassing Sunday.

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4:30 p.m.

Law enforcement authorities in North Dakota say a helicopter they were using to monitor a protest against the Dakota Access pipeline was approached by a drone in a "threatening manner."

The Morton County Sheriff's Office says an officer on board the helicopter Sunday reported to law enforcement on the ground that the pilot and passengers were "in fear of their lives" and that the unmanned aircraft was going after them.

The sheriff's office says law enforcement used less-than-lethal ammunition to fire at and damage the drone. The drone operator then landed the device.

Morton County Sheriff Kyle Kirchmeier says drones flying near protests and areas where demonstrators have camped out for weeks are not being operated according to federal regulations.
South Korea's leader proposes revising presidential system

SEOUL, South Korea (AP)  South Korea's president on Monday proposed revising the country's constitution, which limits leaders to a single five-year term. Critics immediately called it an attempt to divert attention from corruption scandals involving her associates.

It wasn't immediately clear if President Park Geun-hye intended the change to allow her to run for office again, though analysts said that was unlikely. Park pledged during her presidential campaign four years ago to try to change the system.

South Korea adopted the current system in 1987, ending decades of military-backed dictatorships, including one by Park's father, Park Chung-hee. Under the current system, a president is barred by law from seeking a second term. Park's five-year term ends in early 2018.

South Korean President Park Geun-hye delivers a speech at the National Assembly in Seoul, South Korea, Monday, Oct. 24, 2016. Park proposed revising the country's Constitution to change the current single five-year presidential system. Critics quickly criticized Park's overture, saying it appears aimed at diverting public attention away from a snowballing corruption scandal involving a purported longtime confidant of hers. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)

Park said in a speech before parliament that the current system makes it difficult for the government to maintain a continuity of its policies, including those dealing with rival North Korea, which regularly threatens nuclear war against its southern rival.

Park said her government would launch an organization to create a draft revision.

Park's proposal came as her approval ratings have dropped to new lows amid allegations that a purported longtime confidant used her connection to Park to push companies to make massive contributions to set up two non-profit foundations. Park has also faced a separate corruption scandal involving a senior aide.

The main liberal opposition party issued a statement criticizing Park's proposal, saying it won't take part in any discussions on a constitutional change that appears meant to distract from the scandals.

"What matters is the timing. Why does President Park propose a constitutional change at a time when she faces so many problems (involving her associates)?" said Kim Sung-Joo, an honorary professor at Seoul's Sungkyunkwan University.

Talk of amending the constitution is a divisive issue in South Korea. There are camps that favor a parliamentary Cabinet system or a U.S.-style system in which a president can have a second four-year term, or a system in which a president and a prime minister split key state responsibilities.

South Korean President Park Geun-hye, center, is greeted by lawmakers after delivering a speech at the National Assembly in Seoul, South Korea, Monday, Oct. 24, 2016. Park proposed revising the country's Constitution to change the current single five-year presidential system. Critics quickly criticized Park's overture, saying it appears aimed at diverting public attention away from a snowballing corruption scandal involving a purported longtime confidant of hers. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)
France moving more than 6,000 migrants from makeshift camp

CALAIS, France (AP)  France began the mass evacuation Monday of the makeshift migrant camp known as "the jungle," a mammoth project to erase the humanitarian blight on its northern border, where thousands fleeing war or poverty have lived in squalor, most hoping to sneak into Britain.

Before dawn broke, long lines of migrants waited in chilly temperatures to board buses in the port city of Calais, carrying meager belongings and timid hope that they were headed to a brighter future, despite giving up their dreams of life across the English Channel in Britain.

Closely watched by more than 1,200 police, the first of dozens of buses began transferring them to reception centers around France where they can apply for asylum. More police patrolled inside the camp, among them officers from the London police force.

Migrants sit on a bus going to Normandy, as they leave the makeshift migrant camp known as "the jungle" near Calais, northern France, Monday Oct. 24, 2016. French authorities are beginning a complex operation, unprecedented in Europe, to shut down the makeshift camp, uprooting thousands who made treacherous journeys to escape wars, dictators or grinding poverty and dreamed of making a life in Britain. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)

Authorities were expected to begin tearing down thousands of muddy tents and fragile shelters on Tuesday as the migrants vacated them.

Migrants have flocked to the Calais region for nearly two decades, living in mini-jungles. But the sprawling camp in the sand dunes of northern France became emblematic of Europe's migrant crisis, expanding as migrant numbers grew and quickly evolving into Europe's largest slum, supported by aid groups, and a black eye on France's image.

"It's not good, the jungle," said 31-year-old Mahmoud Abdrahman of Sudan. "Eating not good. Water not good, shelter not good, no good toilets." He said he would leave Tuesday when lines were shorter, gesturing to a black knapsack that was all packed to go as proof he was ready.

Ultimately, Abdrahman said, he wanted one thing more than anything else.

"I need peace," he said. "Anywhere."

Home to migrants from Afghanistan, Sudan, Eritrea, Syria and elsewhere, the closing of the camp fell like a stone on many as the reality of the evacuation sunk in and plans had to be made. Uncertainty and a lack of precise information left many fearful.

"What should I do?" asked a 14-year-old newly arrived Afghan.

"It is really hard because we have found some good friends over here," said Tariq Shinwari, a 26-year-old Afghan.

The camp shutdown left some, like Imran Khan, an Afghan who was fingerprinted in another country before coming to France, with a tough choice  get on a bus and risk expulsion or go on the run as winter approaches. Under European rules, asylum seekers must be returned to the country where they were fingerprinted on arrival.

"I will decide tomorrow what to do," the 35-year-old said.

By nightfall on Monday, French Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve said 1,918 people had been processed and sent to 80 centers around France. Another 400 unaccompanied minors were being housed in heated shelters at the camp.

The numbers were lower than the 3,000 expected to be evacuated Monday. The operation, expected to last a week, would continue as long as necessary, Cazeneuve said. "This is an operation we want to be peaceful and under control. So far it is," he said.

Authorities say the camp holds nearly 6,500 migrants, while aid groups put the number at more than 8,300, with more than 1,200 unaccompanied minors among them.

Unaccompanied minors, many with family members in Britain, were to be housed on-site in containers set up earlier this year as their files are studied in London to see if they qualify for a transfer across the English Channel. The humanitarian organization France Terre d'Asile says 1,291 unaccompanied minors live in the camp.

In a breakthrough, Cazeneuve announced late Monday that Britain had agreed to take in unaccompanied minors with family ties in Britain, an important step after months of prodding by France.

Officials have said that there will be a solution for each migrant, though expulsion may be among them for those who don't qualify for asylum. Meanwhile, France will spend 25 euros a day on each migrant in the reception centers, according to officials.

As the day dragged on, a group of Sudanese got tired of waiting and returned to their shelter in the camp, bags slung over their shoulders and laughing. They said they'd try again on Tuesday.

The camp, which sprang up 18 months ago, was previously tolerated but given almost no state help. Aid groups, and hundreds of British volunteers, have provided basic necessities. It devolved into a slum where tensions bubbled, friendships formed and smugglers thrived.

The forced departure of thousands is an enormous task, planned for months, but authorities have had practice. They dismantled the southern half of the camp in March, a chaotic, often brutal, bulldozing operation that drew complaints from human rights groups.

This time, France hopes to restore some pride by closing the camp that has been seen as a national disgrace in a peaceful, humane operation.

Some doubt the camp's dismantling will end the migrant influx into northern France which predates the slum. A 2003 French-British accord effectively put the British border in Calais, stopping migrants there and putting the onus on France to deal with their plight.

While a sense of camaraderie grew inside the camp, so did tensions. Two of the largest communities, Afghans and Sudanese, have clashed in the past and whole sectors of shelters burned down.

Life at night is the toughest. In the dark, migrants invade the roadway, throwing tree branches and other objects into the path of oncoming trucks heading to port ferries to slow traffic enough to hop on the back.

Fourteen migrants have died this year in the Calais area, mostly in hit-and-run accidents.

"I'm three months in the jungle. I feel like I've stayed three years," said Amin, a 32-year-old Sudanese with perfect English  and a brother in Britain.

Amin, who asked not to be further identified because of concerns for his future, lost his best friend in a hit-and-run accident this summer, a man he shared the treacherous journey with to Calais.

"Nobody looked after this case. He's a murderer," Amin said of the driver who struck his friend. "There was no mention in the newspaper that he died."

Amin said he will take a bus tomorrow and seek asylum in France.

"We have tried but we're fed up. France is good," he said.

___

Associated Press writers Thomas Adamson and Sylvie Corbet in Paris and Jeffrey Schaeffer in Calais contributed to this report.

A 16-year-old migrant from Ethiopia cries as he waits to register at a processing centre in the makeshift migrant camp known as "the jungle" near Calais, northern France, Monday Oct. 24, 2016. Long lines of migrants waited calmly in chilly temperatures Monday to board buses in the French port city of Calais, as authorities began evacuating and dismantling the squalid camp they call home. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)

An unidentified migrant carrying his luggage leaves a makeshift camp known as "the jungle" near Calais, northern France, to register at a processing centre, Monday Oct. 24, 2016. Oct. 24, 2016. French authorities say the closure of the slum-like camp in Calais will start on Monday and will last approximatively a week in what they describe as a "humanitarian" operation. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)

Migrants line-up to register at a processing centre in the makeshift migrant camp known as "the jungle" near Calais, northern France, Monday Oct. 24, 2016. French authorities say the closure of the slum-like camp in Calais will start on Monday and will last approximatively a week in what they describe as a "humanitarian" operation. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)

Migrants carrying their belongings leave a makeshift camp known as "the jungle" near Calais, northern France, to register at a processing centre, Monday Oct. 24, 2016. Oct. 24, 2016. French authorities say the closure of the slum-like camp in Calais will start on Monday and will last approximatively a week in what they describe as a "humanitarian" operation. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)

Migrants line-up to register at a processing centre in the makeshift migrant camp known as "the jungle" near Calais, northern France, Monday Oct. 24, 2016. French authorities are beginning a complex operation, unprecedented in Europe, to shut down the makeshift camp, uprooting thousands who made treacherous journeys to escape wars, dictators or grinding poverty and dreamed of making a life in Britain. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)

A migrant carrying his belonging leaves a makeshift camp known as "the jungle" near Calais, northern France, to register at a processing centre, Monday Oct. 24, 2016. Oct. 24, 2016. Lines of migrants with their lives in small bags are walking to a registration center in the French port city of Calais, the first day of the mass evacuation and destruction of the filthy camp they called home. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)

Migrants line-up to register at a processing centre in the makeshift migrant camp known as "the jungle" near Calais, northern France, Monday Oct. 24, 2016. French authorities say the closure of the slum-like camp in Calais will start on Monday and will last approximatively a week in what they describe as a "humanitarian" operation. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)

Migrants carrying their belonging arrive before being registered at a processing centre in the makeshift migrant camp known as "the jungle" near Calais, northern France, Monday Oct. 24, 2016. French authorities say the closure of the slum-like camp in Calais will start on Monday and will last approximatively a week in what they describe as a "humanitarian" operation. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)

Migrants line-up to register at a processing centre in the makeshift migrant camp known as "the jungle" near Calais, northern France, Monday Oct. 24, 2016. French authorities say the closure of the slum-like camp in Calais will start on Monday and will last approximatively a week in what they describe as a "humanitarian" operation. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)

A migrant carrying his belonging leaves a makeshift camp known as "the jungle" near Calais, northern France, to register at a processing centre, Monday Oct. 24, 2016. Oct. 24, 2016. French authorities say the closure of the slum-like camp in Calais will start on Monday and will last approximatively a week in what they describe as a "humanitarian" operation. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)

Migrants line-up to register at a processing centre in the makeshift migrant camp known as "the jungle" near Calais, northern France, Monday Oct. 24, 2016. French authorities say the closure of the slum-like camp in Calais will start on Monday and will last approximatively a week in what they describe as a "humanitarian" operation. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)

Migrants carrying their belongings leave a makeshift camp known as "the jungle" near Calais, northern France, to register at a processing centre, Monday Oct. 24, 2016. Oct. 24, 2016. French authorities say the closure of the slum-like camp in Calais will start on Monday and will last approximatively a week in what they describe as a "humanitarian" operation. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)

Migrants carrying their belongings leave a makeshift camp known as "the jungle" near Calais, northern France, to register at a processing centre, Monday Oct. 24, 2016. Oct. 24, 2016. French authorities say the closure of the slum-like camp in Calais will start on Monday and will last approximatively a week in what they describe as a "humanitarian" operation. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)

A migrant sits on some disused rail tracks as he waits to register at a processing centre in the makeshift migrant camp known as "the jungle" near Calais, northern France, Monday Oct. 24, 2016. French authorities are beginning a complex operation, unprecedented in Europe, to shut down the makeshift camp, uprooting thousands who made treacherous journeys to escape wars, dictators or grinding poverty and dreamed of making a life in Britain. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)

A migrant is seated on his suitcase as he prepares to leaves a makeshift camp known as "the jungle" near Calais, northern France, to register at a processing centre, Monday Oct. 24, 2016. Oct. 24, 2016. French authorities say the closure of the slum-like camp in Calais will start on Monday and will last approximatively a week in what they describe as a "humanitarian" operation. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)
Bill Murray honored as he accepts Mark Twain prize for humor

WASHINGTON (AP)  In an evening filled with jokes about Bill Murray's elusiveness and quirky personality, it was David Letterman who provided the most touching moment as Murray was honored with the nation's top prize for comedy.

Murray, 66, received the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor on Sunday night at the Kennedy Center, joining several other "Saturday Night Live" alumni to win the annual award. After he was presented with a bust of Mark Twain, Murray handed it to a man in the first row of the audience and urged the crowd to pass it around.

Known for living outside the Hollywood bubble, Murray admitted he was uncomfortable sitting in a box with his family while more than a dozen of his co-stars and collaborators spoke warmly about his body of work.

Bill Murray arrives at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts for the 19th Annual Mark Twain Prize for American Humor presented to Bill Murray on Sunday, Oct. 23, 2016, in Washington. (Photo by Owen Sweeney/Invision/AP)

"It's really hard to listen to all those people be nice to you for two days," Murray said. "You just get real suspicious."

His acceptance speech followed a heartfelt tribute by the bearded Letterman, who made a rare public appearance since his late-night show ended last June. Murray was a guest on Letterman's shows 44 times over the years, and the two grew close, even spending time together at Letterman's vacation home in Montana.

After an appearance in 2003, Letterman told Murray that his then-infant son would be christened that weekend. An hour later, Letterman said, a package was delivered to his office containing a handmade Irish linen christening gown.

"That Saturday, my son, in Bill Murray's christening gown, was christened at St. Ignatius in Manhattan, and we have this memory, we have this gift, we have this gesture for the rest of our lives," Letterman said.

There were plenty of laughs at Murray's expense in evening that took on the tone of a gentle roast. Jimmy Kimmel, Aziz Ansari, Sigourney Weaver and Steve Martin were among those who ribbed Murray for being aloof, unpredictable and difficult to reach  and somehow still lovable.

"I think you and I are about as close as two people can be, considering that one of them is you," Martin said in a video tribute.

The show, which was taped for broadcast Friday on PBS, had one major stumble, courtesy of Miley Cyrus, who cursed repeatedly and made an excuse about smoking too many cigarettes after she botched the lyrics to a version of "My Way." Despite not having a microphone, Murray came to her rescue, joking with the crowd from his seat as Cyrus and the crew set up for a second attempt at the song, which went more smoothly.

After getting his break on "Saturday Night Live," Murray went on to star in some of the most successful comedies of the 1980s and 1990s before transitioning into more dramatic roles. He was nominated for an Oscar for his soulful turn as a washed-up actor in Sofia Coppola's "Lost in Translation."

He's become a folk hero in the social-media era by turning up unannounced at wedding receptions, kickball games and house parties. He's also a regular at Chicago Cubs games and celebrity golf tournaments.

This weekend, he got to meet President Barack Obama. And what did the two men talk about? "Putting," Murray said before the show.

Murray lives in South Carolina, doesn't have an agent or a publicist and rarely does in-depth videos. He famously forces people offering him scripts to call an 800 number and leave a voicemail. He said he would have been happy to skip the festivities surrounding the prize, especially if his beloved Chicago Cubs hadn't already advanced to the World Series.

"If this could all have been done in a letter that I received, that would have been enough," Murray told The Associated Press on the red carpet. "It's hard to stand still for this. It's a squirm-a-thon for me."

The prize was first awarded in 1998 and goes to those who influence society in the tradition of Samuel Clemens, the writer, satirist and social commentator better known as Mark Twain. Other "Saturday Night Live" alumni who've received it include Tina Fey, Will Ferrell and last year's winner, Eddie Murphy.

In his speech, Murray  the fifth of nine children  also paid tribute to his older brother, Brian Doyle-Murray, who helped him get his start in improvisational theater. His brother had to be the breadwinner for the family after their father died, and Murray said it took courage for Brian to pursue his dreams.

"My brother had more guts than anyone I ever knew, and the only reason I'm here tonight is because of the guts of my brother Brian," Murray said. "He's been waiting a long time to hear that."

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Follow Ben Nuckols on Twitter at https://twitter.com/APBenNuckols .

Bill Murray is honored with the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts on Sunday, Oct. 23, 2016, in Washington. (Photo by Owen Sweeney/Invision/AP)

Bill Murray, center, is honored with the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts on Sunday, Oct. 23, 2016, in Washington. (Photo by Owen Sweeney/Invision/AP)

Bill Murray arrives at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts for the 19th Annual Mark Twain Prize for American Humor presented to Murray on Sunday, Oct. 23, 2016, in Washington. (Photo by Owen Sweeney/Invision/AP)

Bill Murray is honored with the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts on Sunday, Oct. 23, 2016, in Washington. (Photo by Owen Sweeney/Invision/AP)

Aziz Ansari arrives at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts for the 19th Annual Mark Twain Prize for American Humor presented to Bill Murray on Sunday, Oct. 23, 2016, in Washington. (Photo by Owen Sweeney/Invision/AP)

Emma Stone arrives at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts for the 19th Annual Mark Twain Prize for American Humor presented to Bill Murray on Sunday, Oct. 23, 2016, in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Owen Sweeney/Invision/AP)

Jimmy Kimmel, left, and Molly McNearney arrive at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts for the 19th Annual Mark Twain Prize for American Humor presented to Bill Murray on Sunday, Oct. 23, 2016, in Washington. (Photo by Owen Sweeney/Invision/AP)

Bill Hader arrives at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts for the 19th Annual Mark Twain Prize for American Humor presented to Bill Murray on Sunday, Oct. 23, 2016, in Washington. (Photo by Owen Sweeney/Invision/AP)

Ivan Reitman arrives at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts for the 19th Annual Mark Twain Prize for American Humor presented to Bill Murray on Sunday, Oct. 23, 2016, in Washington. (Photo by Owen Sweeney/Invision/AP)

Rhiannon Giddens arrives at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts for the 19th Annual Mark Twain Prize for American Humor presented to Bill Murray on Sunday, Oct. 23, 2016, in Washington. (Photo by Owen Sweeney/Invision/AP)
BISMARCK  Standing Rock Sioux Tribe Chairman Dave Archambault II is calling on the U.S. Department of Justice to intervene in the increasingly tense situation unfolding between law enforcement and protesters of the Dakota Access Pipeline after 127 people were arrested over the weekend.

Archambault said in a statement late Sunday that the situation deserves the immediate and full attention of the Justice Department.

Furthermore, the DOJ should impose an injunction to all developments at the pipeline site to keep ALL citizens  law enforcement and protesters  safe, Archambault said. The DOJ should be enlisted and expected to investigate the overwhelming reports and videos demonstrating clear strong-arm tactics, abuses and unlawful arrests by law enforcement.

Authorities arrested 126 people Saturday on charges including reckless endangerment, criminal trespass, engaging in a riot, assault on a peace officer and resisting arrest, bringing the total number of arrests to 269 since Aug. 10. Officers used pepper spray to protect themselves and control protesters who were trespassing on private property, the Morton County Sheriffs Department said, though protesters pointed to video they said showed the use of pepper spray was unwarranted.

One person was arrested Sunday as protesters erected teepees and tents as a frontline camp directly in the path of the oil pipeline on the historic Cannonball Ranch, which Dakota Access LLC recently purchased from local rancher David Meyer.

The frontline camp is on the east side of Highway 1806, across from where Dakota Access security guards armed with dogs and pepper spray clashed with protesters on Sept. 3.

By Monday morning, 17 teepees, about 100 tents and 50 cars were at the frontline camp, said Morton County spokesman Rob Keller.

Red Warrior Camp spokesman Cody Hall confirmed those numbers and said more people were arriving.

Theyre all bypassing the big camp and going to the frontline camp, Hall said.

A statement from groups involved in the protest explained that the self-described water protectors took back unceded territory affirmed in the 1851 Fort Laramie Treaty between the federal government and Plains tribes, including the Lakota and Dakota.

Today, the Oceti Sakowin has enacted eminent domain on DAPL lands, claiming 1851 treaty rights. This is unceded land.  We will be occupying this land and staying here until this pipeline is permanently stopped, said Mekasi Camp-Horinek, a coordinator of the Oceti Sakowin Camp, the main protest camp about two miles south of the frontline camp.

Morton County Sheriff Kyle Kirchmeier said, Individuals trespassing on private property cant claim eminent domain to justify their criminal actions.

On Monday, protesters re-established the roadblock put up Sunday on Highway 1806, north of the camp.

Even though DAPL bought that from the Meyer family, to us its an illegal sale because it is unceded territory, said Hall, adding the sale of unceded lands is null and void.

If needed, protesters can move the roadblock to allow first responders through, Hall said.

Meanwhile, Dakota Access LLC, a subsidiary of Dallas-based Energy Transfer Partners, said in a letter to the North Dakota attorney generals office Monday that it purchased the ranch land in and around the pipeline route in southern Morton County last month to enhance the safety of its workers and to better manage ingress and egress to the right of way.

The company had to explain how its purchase of more than 7,000 acres  including most of the Cannonball Ranch  complied with the states anti-corporate farming law, which prohibits non-family corporations from owning farm and ranch land, with some exceptions, including for industrial purposes.

After construction of the pipeline is complete, DAPL will transfer ownership of the property or use the property for some other use in compliance with state law, Bismarck attorney Lawrence Bender wrote for the company.
Policy Prescriptions Trump and Clinton on global trade

WASHINGTON (AP)  Donald Trump wants to blow up the way the United States does business with the rest of the world.

Hillary Clinton repudiates an ambitious Asia-Pacific trade deal she once praised and vows to appoint a special prosecutor to keep U.S. trading partners in line.

American trade policy is taking a bipartisan beating this election year, reflecting voters' deep skepticism over the benefits of open trade with China and other countries at a time of sluggish economic growth and stagnant incomes.

The hostility is jeopardizing a mainstay of U.S. policy: Since World War II, the United States has championed free trade as a way to promote global peace and prosperity. It has coaxed countries like China to join the World Trade Organization and other institutions and to sign trade agreements that bind them to a code of conduct in the global marketplace.

"Make no mistake, the proposed trade policies of both former Secretary (of State) Hillary Clinton and Mr. Donald J Trump are huge deviations from ... decades of consensus," Adam Posen, president of the Peterson Institute for International Economics, said at a conference on the candidates' trade policies in September.

Expanded trade has taken a toll on U.S. manufacturing jobs, especially in industries such as textiles and furniture-making that are vulnerable to low-wage competition overseas. The U.S. last year ran a $500 billion trade deficit with the rest of the world, most of it with China.

In a report earlier this year, economists David Autor of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Gordon Hanson of the University of California, San Diego, and David Dorn of the University of Zurich found that the damage from trade with China was worse than they expected. Americans who were thrown out of work by the "China shock" bounced from job to job and suffered a drop in lifetime pay.

Asked about threats to U.S. workers, 80 percent of more than 5,000 Americans surveyed in October by the Pew Research Center cited the outsourcing of jobs to foreign countries and 77 percent pointed to competition from foreign imports.

Still, many economists say it was technology  not foreign competition  that took away most of the 7 million manufacturing jobs lost since 1979.

Trump and Clinton say trade policy can be overhauled to do a better job of creating or protecting American jobs  though Trump is willing to be far more aggressive in overturning U.S. economic relations with the rest of the world.

Here is a summary of their proposals:

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RETHINKING TRADE DEALS

TRUMP: The Republican candidate blames job losses on unfair trade agreements. The man who wrote "The Art of the Deal" says incompetent U.S. negotiators are routinely out-maneuvered by sharper foreigners. He threatens to tear up existing trade treaties, including the North American Free Trade Agreement between the U.S., Canada and Mexico, calling it "the worst single trade deal ever approved in this country."

Most economists say NAFTA had little impact on the overall job market or the economy, confounding the optimistic predictions of its supporters and the dire warnings of opponents.

CLINTON: Like Trump, Clinton has come out against the Trans-Pacific Partnership, an ambitious trade pact the Obama administration negotiated with 11 Pacific Rim countries. TPP awaits congressional approval. Critics say the deal exposes U.S. workers to competition with low-wage workers in countries such as Vietnam. Clinton's opposition is a flip-flop: As President Barack Obama's secretary of state, Clinton called the TPP "the gold standard" for trade deals.

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CRACKING DOWN ON CHINA AND OTHER COMPETITORS

CLINTON: The Democratic candidate has promised to appoint a chief trade prosecutor and triple the number of trade enforcement officers to crack down on unfair practices by the United States' trading partners.

TRUMP: He has vowed to name China a "currency manipulator" and punish it with trade sanctions. He says Beijing keeps China's currency, the yuan, artificially low to give Chinese companies a price edge in international markets.

Economists say Trump's charges are outdated. Three or four years ago, China was pretty clearly holding the yuan down. But more recently, market forces, not government bureaucrats, have been pushing the currency lower as the Chinese economy decelerates. If anything, the Chinese government has been intervening in the currency markets to slow the yuan's drop. On Oct. 14, the U.S. Treasury Department once again decided not to label China a currency manipulator.

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TAXING IMPORTS

TRUMP: He threatens to impose tariffs  or taxes  of 45 percent on Chinese imports and 35 percent on goods shipped in from Mexico in an attempt discourage American companies from moving south of the border.

Congress normally approves tariffs and trade agreements. But Gary Hufbauer, senior fellow at the Peterson Institute, says that lawmakers over the years have given the White House the power to act unilaterally in foreign affairs. Nothing "prevents President Trump from imposing blunderbuss tariffs against one or more foreign countries," Hufbauer wrote. The World Trade Organization could later rule that the U.S. acted unfairly  but Trump has threatened to pull out of the WTO, too.

Whatever the legality of Trump tariffs, other countries would almost certainly retaliate by slapping their own taxes on U.S. goods. The Peterson Institute warns that Trump's trade proposals "could unleash a trade war that would plunge the U.S. economy into recession and cost more than 4 million private sector American jobs."
Policy Prescriptions: Clinton and Trump on guns

ATLANTA (AP)  If there was ever an issue underscoring the differences between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton, it's gun rights.

Trump, the GOP presidential nominee, is a lifelong member of the National Rifle Association who believes the Second Amendment provides an absolute right to buy and own firearms. Democrat Clinton has advocated limiting the sales and possession of guns.

Both claim their approach as an answer to the gun violence that is a top concern of Americans  from terror attacks and mass shootings to the proliferation of guns on city streets.

Trump's acceptance speech at the Republican convention heavily backed law enforcement in a tough-on-crime message to address gun violence. "An attack on law enforcement is an attack on all Americans," he said.

Clinton and her convention showcased the stories of gun-violence victims, from former congresswoman Gabby Giffords, critically injured by a gunman in 2011, to mothers whose children were killed. "If we're serious about keeping our country safe, we also can't afford to have a president who's in the pocket of the gun lobby," she said.

The next president will have significant influence over how the nation's gun laws are applied through an appointment to the U.S. Supreme Court to fill the vacancy created with the death of Justice Antonin Scalia.

Here is a summary of their proposals:

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BACKGROUND CHECKS

Under federal law, background checks for firearms purchases must be completed within three days or the sale goes ahead without it. Since the online system began in 1998, nearly 246 million background checks have been performed, and in that time nearly 1.4 million purchases have been denied, the FBI says. Most denials were because of a prior criminal history that made the person ineligible to buy a firearm. Relatively few  just a little over 25,000  were denied because of a mental health issue.

TRUMP: Supports keeping the current system but making it more effective by ensuring that states provide criminal and mental health records so the system has the most up-to-date and accurate information. He criticizes efforts to expand background checks, saying it ignores that criminals rarely purchase their firearms through legal channels.

CLINTON: Advocates expanding background checks to include the sale of firearms at gun shows or via the internet. She also pledges to close the so-called "Charleston loophole," named for the shooting deaths of nine people at a South Carolina church during Bible study, which allows a gun sale to take place if the background check is not completed within the required three days.

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ASSAULT WEAPONS BAN

For a decade the sale of so-called assault weapons, or AR-style semi-automatic rifles, and large-capacity magazines was banned. The ban expired in 2004 and such weapons remain much maligned among advocates for gun control because of their use in high-profile mass shootings, including the 2012 Sandy Hook massacre, which left 20 elementary school children and six school employees dead, and the shooting in June at a gay club in Orlando, Florida, which left 49 dead and 53 wounded.

TRUMP: Opposes efforts to reinstate the ban, which had been put in place in 1994 under the administration of Bill Clinton. "Law-abiding people should be allowed to own the firearm of their choice," Trump says in his position paper on the Second Amendment. "The government has no business dictating what types of firearms good, honest people are allowed to own."

CLINTON: Has supported reinstating the ban on assault weapons. "Military-style assault weapons do not belong on our streets," Clinton has said.

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CONCEALED-CARRY PERMITS

TRUMP: Advocates a national system making a concealed-carry permit valid in all 50 states.

CLINTON: Hasn't spelled out views on such permits. She has advocated raising the age to legally own a firearm from 18 to 21.

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GUN-FREE ZONES

Federal law makes it illegal to carry a firearm in a school zone. There are exceptions, including states that allow firearms on school property if they are kept in a locked vehicle. Some states also carve out an exception for people who have a concealed-carry permit. The issue of gun-free zones also arose in the immediate aftermath of last year's mass shooting at a military recruiting center and reserve center in Chattanooga, Tennessee, in which four Marines and a Navy sailor were killed.

TRUMP: Has said gun-free zones only invite attacks and has vowed to scrap them at military bases. "Banning our military from carrying firearms on bases and at recruiting centers is ridiculous. We train our military how to safely and responsibly use firearms, but our current policies leave them defenseless," Trump says in talking points posted on his campaign website.

CLINTON: Supports retaining gun-free zones at schools. "Parents, teachers and schools should have the right to keep guns out of classrooms, just like Donald Trump does at many of his hotels."

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Policy Prescriptions: Trump and Clinton on military defense

WASHINGTON (AP)  Donald Trump calls the U.S. military "depleted." It urgently needs more planes, ships, troops and nuclear weapons, he says, to ensure American predominance in the world.

Hillary Clinton has a much different view of the defense and military challenges facing the next president. Her prescriptions are largely echoes of the Obama administration. She begins with the argument that the U.S. military already is head and shoulders above any competitor and does not require a major overhaul.

Here's a summary of their proposals:

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A BIGGER MILITARY OR A BETTER MILITARY?

TRUMP: Echoing concerns of many Republicans, Trump argues that the military is too small to accomplish its assigned missions. He would increase the size of the active-duty Army to 540,000. The current total is 475,000 soldiers, which is due to shrink to 460,000 by the end of the current budget year in September 2017. He also would put the Navy on track to increasing its active-duty fleet to 350 ships, compared to the current Navy plan of growing from today's 272 ships to 308 sometime after 2020. He has not said how he would pay for these increases, other than calling for an audit of the Pentagon's books and economizing in broad ways like "reducing duplicative bureaucracy."

CLINTON: The former secretary of state has offered fewer specifics in her defense plan. Her emphasis has been on military innovation rather than military growth. Her website says she would "invest in innovation and capabilities that will allow us to prepare for and fight 21st-century threats." She has offered few details, however, while making broad promises like "modernizing" the Army, Navy, Marine Corps and Air Force and sharpening America's ability to defend itself against cyber intrusions and attacks.

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NUCLEAR WEAPONS

TRUMP: He has asserted that the U.S. military has fallen dangerously behind Russia in nuclear capability. This does not square with the facts, and Trump has demonstrated only a limited knowledge of U.S. nuclear weapons. The implication of his remarks is that he would endorse the Obama plan for a complete modernization of the nuclear arsenal, and perhaps even accelerate it. He has suggested that the nuclear arms treaty negotiated by the Obama administration during Clinton's tenure at the State Department, known as New START, has put the U.S. at a competitive disadvantage.

CLINTON: This is one of the few areas of defense policy where the Democratic candidate has been specific about her intentions. She has defended the New START treaty as benefiting the U.S., and she has promised that early in her presidential term she would undertake a top-to-bottom review of the nation's nuclear weapons requirements and capabilities. That could set the stage for changes more significant than any President Barack Obama has made. For example, Clinton has told her supporters that she sees little need for a new-generation nuclear-armed cruise missile, which the Obama administration has supported as part of a broader nuclear modernization program.

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DEFENSE BUDGET

TRUMP: He says he would work with Congress to repeal what Washington calls "sequestration," or across-the-board budget cuts. Without that repeal, or other legislative action to stabilize the defense budget, Trump would have little or no room for the kinds of increased spending he has proposed. He has promised, for example, to invest unspecified amounts in a "serious" missile defense network to protect the United States from potential long-range missile strikes from North Korea and Iran.

CLINTON: She has emphasized eliminating sequestration for defense and non-defense spending. Like Obama, she has argued that American military strength requires not just a big defense budget but also a commitment to strengthening alliances like NATO and building partnerships with countries that are not treaty allies. She has promised "good stewardship of taxpayer dollars," said she would put a high priority on "curbing runaway cost growth" in military health care and pledged "defense reform initiatives."

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DEFEATING THE ISLAMIC STATE

TRUMP: He says his administration would "crush and destroy" the Islamic State group, arguing that his approach would be more aggressive and more effective than Obama's. The outlines of his plan, however, are similar to what the Obama administration has been trying to do. Trump says he would pursue "international cooperation to cut off" the extremists' funding, expand intelligence sharing with allies and partner nations, and use cyberwarfare to "disrupt and disable their propaganda and recruiting."

CLINTON: She has called for intensifying the air campaign in Iraq and Syria but not said how that would be done, including whether it would require deploying more U.S. troops. She also has advocated increasing the flow of arms to local Arab and Kurdish forces in Iraq and Syria, and she has broken with the Obama administration by calling for the establishment of "safe zones" for civilians in Syria that would be protected by U.S. and coalition air power. Like Trump, she says more can be done to interrupt the extremists' use of the internet to communicate and to recruit new fighters.

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WHAT ABOUT AFGHANISTAN?
Policy Prescriptions: Trump and Clinton on energy

WASHINGTON (AP)  Energy independence has been a goal of every president since Richard Nixon, but it remains elusive.

Still, an ongoing drilling boom has lowered dependence on imports of fossil fuels such as oil and natural gas. In 2015, the U.S. relied on net imports for about 24 percent of petroleum use, the lowest level since 1970.

Domestic production of all types of energy except coal has boomed in recent years, thanks to improved drilling techniques and discoveries of vast oil supplies in North Dakota and Montana and natural gas in states such as Pennsylvania, Ohio and West Virginia. Hydraulic fracturing  a drilling technique better known as fracking  has also increased production in traditional energy states such as Texas, Oklahoma and Louisiana.

After President Barack Obama's two terms, business and environmental groups see a game-changing election on energy. Donald Trump has vowed to ramp up oil and gas production even further, while rolling back Obama policies aimed at slowing climate change and boosting renewable energy.

Hillary Clinton says she will expand Obama's climate policies and push even harder for renewable energy such as wind and solar power that have gained under Obama. Meanwhile, Clinton's comment that she is going to "put a lot of coal miners and coal companies out of business" has become a rallying cry for the GOP.

Natural gas, cleaner than coal, has been embraced by politicians from both parties, including Clinton and Trump. Still, critics worry that fracking and other techniques such as horizontal drilling could be harming our air, water and health and even causing earthquakes.

Wind and solar power have grown in recent years, thanks in part to support from Obama, but renewable energy sources accounted for just 10 percent of total U.S. energy consumption in 2015. Renewable energy is generally more expensive to produce and use than fossil fuels. Clouds impair solar energy, and calm skies slow wind farms.

Here's a summary of their proposals:

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OIL AND GAS

CLINTON: She generally supports oil and gas drilling on federal lands, but would bar drilling in the Arctic and Atlantic oceans. While Clinton would cut subsidies currently given to oil companies, she has said natural gas serves as an important "bridge" to more renewable fuels. She says fracking should not take place where states and local communities oppose it and pledges to reduce methane emissions from all oil and gas production and protect local water supplies. She also would require energy companies to disclose the chemicals used in fracking.

TRUMP: He complains that "energy is under siege by the Obama administration" and vows to "unleash" an American energy revolution, allowing unfettered production of oil, coal and natural gas. He would sharply increase oil and gas drilling on federal lands and open up offshore drilling in the Atlantic Ocean and other areas where it is blocked.

Trump says restrictions supported by Clinton would hurt energy-producing states such as Colorado, Pennsylvania, North Carolina and Virginia  battleground states in the election.

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RENEWABLE ENERGY

CLINTON: Pledges that under her leadership, the U.S. will be able to generate enough renewable energy to power every home in America within 10 years, with 500 million solar panels installed by the end of her first term. She also vows to reduce U.S. oil consumption by one-third through cleaner fuels such as biodiesel and natural gas and more fuel-efficient cars, boilers, ships and trucks.

Clinton vows to use tax incentives and other steps to bolster wind and solar power, as well hydroelectricity, geothermal power and other forms of renewable electricity.

TRUMP: Argues that tax credits and other subsidies for wind and solar power "distort" the market, but says the U.S. should "encourage all facets of the energy industry," including wind and solar power, as a way to achieve energy independence. He has characterized solar energy as an "unproven technology" with a low return on investment and says wind energy has killed birds and is a "very, very poor source of energy."

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COAL

CLINTON: After running as a champion of coal in 2008, Clinton has faced a backlash from coal communities after she declared earlier this year that she was going to "put a lot of coal miners and coal companies out of business." Clinton has said she misspoke as she tried to reassure voters that her policies would benefit out-of-work miners and other poor people in Appalachia affected by the coal industry's downturn.

Clinton says she will protect health and pension benefits for coal miners and fight efforts by coal companies to use bankruptcy proceedings to deny benefits to thousands of retired miners and their families. She supports sweeping reforms to the federal black lung benefits program and will adjust black lung benefits to reflect cost-of-living increases.

TRUMP: Vows to revive the struggling U.S coal industry and says the U.S. has enough coal reserves to "last for 1,000 years." He vows to end "all job-destroying Obama executive actions as well as reduce and eliminate all barriers to responsible energy production." He says his plan "will end the war on the American worker, putting our coal miners and steel workers back to work."

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CLIMATE CHANGE

CLINTON: Calls climate change a real and urgent problem and says the U.S. can take the global lead in addressing it. She vows to meet Obama's goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 30 percent by 2025 and says America "can rally the world to cut carbon pollution" while fulfilling "our moral obligation to protect this planet for our children and our grandchildren."

TRUMP: Calls climate change a "hoax" perpetrated by China and others and says he will rescind Obama's Clean Power Plan rules to curb greenhouse gas emissions from the utility sector. The plan, a lynchpin of Obama's climate strategy, has been delayed by the Supreme Court while legal challenges are heard. Trump also would cancel the 2015 Paris climate agreement and stop U.S. money going to U.N. global warming programs.

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NUCLEAR POWER

CLINTON: Offers cautious support for nuclear power, calling it a tool to address climate change.

TRUMP: Says he will ensure the U.S. remains the world's leader in nuclear energy.

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Policy Prescriptions: Clinton and Trump on health care

WASHINGTON (AP)  Hillary Clinton has been involved in the nation's health care debate for more than 20 years and, as her campaign likes to say, she has the scars to prove it.

The Democratic presidential candidate failed in her 1990s effort to steer her husband's universal coverage program through Congress, as the complex plan collapsed for lack of political support. Since then, she has tacked sometimes to the right on health care, and sometimes to the left.

Clinton is campaigning as the candidate of continuity and would leave all major health care programs in place. She has a long list of tweaks and adjustments that reflect her familiarity with policy and would expand the government's role in health care.

Donald Trump calls President Barack Obama's health care law "a disaster," and vows to repeal it. He'd provide a new tax deduction for health insurance premiums, but also limit federal support for Medicaid, which covers low-income people. An independent analysis recently estimated his seven-point plan would cause 20 million people to lose coverage.

Trump's ideas on health care have shifted over time, and his latest plan hews to basic GOP talking points. He's expressed a belief that an economically advanced country like the United States can't have people "dying in the street" for lack of medical care.

Here is a summary of their proposals:

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MEDICARE

The government's premier health insurance program covers about 57 million people, including 48 million seniors and 9 million disabled people under age 65. It enjoys strong support from voters across the political spectrum, although its long-term financial outlook is uncertain.

CLINTON: She would authorize Medicare to negotiate drug prices with pharmaceutical companies, and she supports allowing patients to import lower-cost prescriptions from abroad. Medicare beneficiaries represent a big share of the market for medications.

Clinton would also allow people ages 55-64 to buy into Medicare, although her campaign has not released much detail on how that would work.

TRUMP: He promises not to cut Medicare, and has suggested that other Republicans like House Speaker Paul Ryan made a political mistake by calling for major changes. But it remains unclear how Trump's proposed repeal of "Obamacare" would affect its improvements to Medicare benefits, including closing the prescription drug coverage gap known as the "doughnut hole."

Earlier, Trump spoke approvingly of giving Medicare legal authority to negotiate prescription drug prices, but that idea currently is not mentioned in his health care plan. Instead, he also supports allowing drug importation.

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MEDICAID

The federal-state program for low-income individuals covers more than 70 million people, from pregnant women and children to elderly nursing home residents. Under Obama's health care law, states can expand the program to include more low-income adults. Medicaid has sometimes carried a social stigma, but polls show the program has a solid base of public support.

CLINTON: She'd work to expand Medicaid in the 19 states that have yet to take advantage of the health law. She's proposing three years of full federal funding for those states, the same deal given to states that embraced the law right away.

TRUMP: In 2015 Trump told an interviewer: "I'm not going to cut Social Security like every other Republican. And I'm not going to cut Medicare or Medicaid. Every other Republican's going to cut."

But his campaign plan would convert Medicaid into a block grant, ending the open-ended federal entitlement and capping funding from Washington. Over time, such an approach is likely to result in a big cut.

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PRIVATE INSURANCE

About 177 million people under age 65 have private health insurance, with nearly 9 in 10 getting their coverage through an employer. Rising out-of-pocket costs such as insurance deductibles and copayments are a sore point with consumers.

CLINTON: She has proposed a new tax credit of up to $5,000 per family, or $2,500 for an individual, for households that face "excessive" out-of-pocket costs. The credit would be refundable, meaning that people who don't owe income tax could still get money back. An independent analysis of her plan defined "excessive" costs as exceeding 5 percent of household income.

Clinton would also require insurers to cover three sick visits to the doctor each year without patients needing first to meet their plan's deductible, the annual amount patients pay before their insurance kicks in.

TRUMP: He has no similar proposals on out-of-pocket expenses but has called for requiring hospitals, clinics and doctors to disclose prices so patients can shop around to reduce costs. And he would expand the use of tax-sheltered health savings accounts, used to pay for medical expenses not covered by insurance.

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PRESCRIPTION DRUGS

More than half of U.S. adults take prescription drugs, and according to a recent Kaiser Family Foundation poll most of those patients report no major problems affording their own medications.

But consumers have been alarmed by the introduction of breakthrough drugs costing tens of thousands of dollars a year, along with a spate of seemingly random price hikes for older medications. More than 3 out of 4 say the cost of prescription drugs is unreasonable. A majority favors government action to curb costs.

CLINTON: She has several proposals, including a new government board with the power to penalize drug companies for "unjustified, outlier price increases," a monthly limit of $250 on patients' copayments for prescription drugs, lowering the period of protection from generic competition for biologic drugs from 12 years to 7 years, and requiring drug companies to provide rebates for medications used by low-income Medicare recipients.

Those ideas are on top of Medicare negotiations and allowing patients to import lower-cost prescription drugs from abroad.

TRUMP: In addition to backing drug importation, he also has called on Congress to remove barriers to competition from lower-price, equally effective medications.

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'OBAMACARE'

The 2010 Affordable Care Act expanded coverage for the uninsured and made carrying health insurance a legal obligation for most people. It offers subsidized private insurance for people who don't have access to a job-based plan, along with a state option to expand Medicaid.

About 11 million people are covered through the law's private insurance markets, while the Medicaid expansion has added at least 9 million to that program. It's unclear if all those people were previously uninsured, but experts say the law deserves most of the credit for 21 million gaining coverage since its passage. Americans, however, remain deeply divided over "Obamacare."

CLINTON: She wants to strengthen Obama's signature law. Clinton would resolve a "family glitch" that denies health insurance subsidies to some dependents, sweeten subsidies for people buying coverage on the health law's markets, and offer a new government-sponsored insurance plan to compete with private companies.

Her proposals would expand coverage to about 9 million more uninsured people, according to a recent study by the Commonwealth Fund and the RAND Corporation.

But Clinton would repeal the law's tax on high-cost insurance, known as the "Cadillac Tax." Many economists are critical, saying repeal of the tax would eliminate a brake on costs.

TRUMP: He would completely repeal the 2010 law and start over again. Trump has proposed a tax deduction for health insurance premiums, and also allowing insurers to sell policies across state lines, a longstanding GOP idea.

Critics say a deduction, usually claimed after the end of the tax year, wouldn't do much to help lower-income people squeezed to pay premiums.
Authorities find no sign of braking by bus driver in crash

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (AP)  Ana Car didn't remember the sudden impact, only that she woke up among dead and injured passengers in a dark bus filled with screams of terror and agony.

The retired factory worker had spent an evening gambling at a desert casino and was sound asleep when the bus heading to Los Angeles smashed into the rear of a slow-moving tractor-trailer. The crash killed the bus driver and 12 passengers and injured 31 other people.

"I can't believe how many died," she said, sobbing Monday as she recovered from bumps, bruises and a sore back. "It was so horrible. These images are going to stay in my head for life."

Past tour bus riders hug each other at makeshift memorial at a tour bus stop in Los Angeles on Monday, Oct 24, 2016. The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating a tour bus crash that left 13 dead and 31 injured early Sunday morning, just north of the desert resort town of Palm Springs, Calif. The bus was returning home to Los Angeles from a casino trip when it plowed into the back of a semi-truck on a Southern California highway. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

The National Transportation Safety Board was investigating the collision, which is one of the deadliest wrecks in California history.

The truck was creeping along at 5 mph because of utility work that had gone on throughout the night along Interstate 10 near Palm Springs. That's when the bus, moving as fast as 65 mph, slammed into it, authorities said.

"There's no indication whatsoever that the driver applied the brakes," said California Highway Patrol Border Division Chief Jim Abele, citing the power of the impact and the fact that no skid marks were found.

Initial reports said four people were dead, but many bodies were later found in the front portion of the bus that ended up inside the trailer.

"They just kept pulling bodies stuck in between the seats," he said. "It's just due to this bus going so fast into the back of the truck. Why he did that, that's what we're trying to find out."

Car, 61, was sitting toward the back of the bus when it rammed the truck around 5:15 a.m. Sunday. She awoke to find herself standing amid bodies flung everywhere. Those who could move were pushing and shoving in the pre-dawn darkness to climb out from under each other.

She clambered to a broken window to yell for help, panicked she would be trapped if the bus caught fire. Motorists who stopped to help pulled her out the broken window.

"I couldn't stand when they got me out," Car said. "I sat on the side of the road, watching them pull so many people out. I saw so much blood and two dead bodies. I was so scared."

The NTSB planned to look into the history of the bus, its owner-driver, Teodulo Elias Vides, and other circumstances, such as what he was doing during the four to five hours the bus was at the Red Earth Casino in the desert town of Thermal before making the 135-mile trip back to LA.

Vides, 59, owned USA Holiday and was listed as the only driver, according to federal and state records. He had a valid commercial license and a clean record in recent years. And the bus had passed annual inspections.

USA Holiday was licensed to travel between states, which subjected Vides to federal limits on driver work hours. Under the scenario officials described  leaving Los Angeles at 8 p.m. and returning less than 12 hours later  Vides would have been within those limits, which cap driving time to 10 hours within a 15-hour span and do not prescribe specific rest requirements.

A call to the company was not returned.

Vides was named in lawsuits stemming from three freeway collisions, though he was not the driver in any of the cases, according to court records.

In 2007, a USA Holiday bus collided with a Honda Civic in Riverside, killing the car's driver and two passengers. Family members filed a personal injury and negligence lawsuit against the driver of the bus and Vides, whose attorneys argued that the Honda driver lost control. That case was dismissed.

The 1996 bus did not have seat belts and was old enough that it probably did not have a data recorder that would reveal how fast it was traveling and whether the driver braked before impact.

At the street corner where the bus was supposed to arrive, candles and flowers surrounded a tree.

"It's painful," said Cartier Houpe, who occasionally rides the bus to the casinos but skipped the latest trip. "I'm still trying to find out the names of people. Once we find out, it'll be more painful."

The Riverside County sheriff-coroner's office identified 12 of the 13 people killed. The dead included 10 women between 52 and 72, plus the driver and a 62-year-old man. One man remained unidentified. Most were from Los Angeles.

Four passengers remained hospitalized in critical condition, officials said.

One of the fatalities was Zoila Aguilera, 72, a retired cook who liked to head out every other weekend to play the slots for fun, said her grandson, Bryan Ramirez.

Ramirez said he was having breakfast and watching a soccer game Sunday morning when his family heard the news of the crash. He said he immediately started calling his grandmother's phone, hoping she would pick up.

Aguilera insisted on sitting near the front of the bus, rebuffing her son, Ramirez's father, who tried to get her to sit toward the rear.

"She loved to sit in the front. There was no changing her mind," Ramirez said. "She just felt safer there."

Car said she ended up toward the back of the bus because she bought a $20 last-minute ticket after running into her friend, Rosa Ruiz, who persuaded her to take the journey to a different casino that night.

They knew each other from previous gambling jaunts, and she enjoyed Ruiz's sense of humor.

When she got back on the bus after playing quarter slots, she chatted briefly with Ruiz and then sank into her seat and quickly fell asleep. She was devastated to learn Ruiz, 53, was killed.

"She was such a happy person," Car said. "I feel so bad."

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Watson contributed from San Diego. Associated Press writers Justin Pritchard, Brian Melley, Alicia Chang and John Antczak in Los Angeles, Amy Taxin in Tustin and Courtney Bonnell in Phoenix contributed to this story.

People gather at makeshift memorial at a tour bus stop in Los Angeles, Monday, Oct 24, 2016. The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the collision of a tour bus crash that left 13 dead and 31 injured just north of the desert resort town of Palm Springs, in Calif. The bus was returning home to Los Angeles from a casino trip when it plowed into the back of a semi-truck on a Southern California highway early Sunday. It's not known if alcohol, drugs or fatigue played a role in the crash. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

Adriana Umana, originally from El Salvador, an acquittance of the tour bus driver for over 30 years gathers at makeshift memorial at a tour bus stop in Los Angeles, Monday, Oct. 24, 2016. The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating a tour bus crash that left 13 dead and 31 injured just north of the desert resort town of Palm Springs, Calif. The bus was returning home to Los Angeles from a casino trip when it plowed into the back of a semi-truck on a Southern California highway early Sunday. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

People gather at makeshift memorial at a tour bus stop in Los Angeles, Monday, Oct 24, 2016. The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating a tour bus crash that left 13 dead and 31 injured just north of the desert resort town of Palm Springs, Calif. The bus was returning home to Los Angeles from a casino trip when it plowed into the back of a semi-truck on a Southern California highway early Sunday. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

California Highway Patrol Indio Division Commander Jim Abele, right, answers questions from the media Monday, Oct. 24, 2016, regarding the tour bus crash in Palm Springs on Sunday during a press conference at his station in Indio, Calif. To the left is NTSB board member Earl Weener. (Stan Lim/The Press-Enterprise via AP)

A makeshift memorial sits Monday, Oct, 24, 2016, in Los Angeles, near a tree for the victims of a vehicle collision. A tour bus returning home to Los Angeles from a casino trip slammed into the back of a semi-truck causing multiple fatalities and injuries near Palm Springs, Calif., on Sunday. (AP Photo/Alicia Chang)

Workers remove debris from a semi-truck that crashed with a tour bus on Interstate 10, west of the Indian Canyon Drive off-ramp, in Desert Hot Springs, near Palm Springs, Calif., Sunday, Oct. 23, 2016. A tour bus and the semi-truck crashed on the highway in Southern California early Sunday, killing at least a dozen of people and injuring at least 30 others, some critically, the California Highway Patrol said. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Pena)

The damaged front of a tour bus is seen that crashed into the back of a semi-truck on Interstate 10 just north of the desert resort town of Palm Springs, in Desert Hot Springs, Calif., Sunday, Oct. 23, 2016. Several deaths and injuries were reported. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Pena)

Investigators make pieces of evidence after a tour bus crashed into the back of a semi-truck on Interstate 10 just north of the desert resort town of Palm Springs, in Desert Hot Springs, Calif., Sunday, Oct. 23, 2016. Several deaths and injuries were reported. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Pena)
GOP's commanding House advantage will be tested

Republicans hold a commanding House advantage with their biggest majority since 1931. Democrats are expected to cut into that edge next month, and with Donald Trump's declining presidential fortunes, they are hoping to capture House control. They'd need to pick up 30 seats, a gain they've achieved only once since the mid-1970s.

A look at the House landscape:

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In this photo taken Oct. 18, 2016, Florida Democratic Congressional candidate Stephanie Murphy meets with voters at a senior center in Altamonte Springs, Fla. Rep. John Mica, R-Fla., is seeking a 13th term in Congress from central Florida, but its not an easy path. The veteran Republican tells supporters turnout is critical. And hes offers them this advice about his re-election contest: ``Dont let it get caught up in any of the other races or issues. That seems code for Donald Trump, whose presidential run carries mixed blessings in a tight district. More than Trump is threatening Micas career. In a battle of old school versus new, Mica faces Murphy, a 38-year-old political neophyte. (AP Photo/John Raoux)

Current party breakdown: 247 Republicans, 188 Democrats. Two of those Democratic seats are vacant after the resignation of Pennsylvania Rep. Chaka Fattah following his conviction on federal corruption charges and the death of Hawaii Rep. Mark Takai in July. The one Republican vacancy was created by the resignation of Kentucky Rep. Ed Whitfield.

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Some incumbents to watch:

Four-term Rep. Mike Coffman, R-Colo., has run ads criticizing Donald Trump in this swing district as he tries to hold off Democrat Morgan Carroll, a state senator .

First-term Rep. Brad Ashford, D-Neb., represents a Republican-leaning district and is locked in a close race with retired Brig. Gen. Don Bacon.

Two-term Rep. Robert Dold, R-Ill., faces a rematch against former Democratic Rep. Brad Schneider in a state that will be tough for Republicans.

Seven-term Rep. Scott Garrett, R-N.J., is in a challenging race in his suburban district against Josh Gottheimer, a former speechwriter for President Bill Clinton who's raised plenty of money.

Twelve-term Rep. John Mica, R-Fla., is seeking re-election in a reconfigured district against Democrat Stephanie Murphy, a political newcomer for whom national Democrats are pumping in lots of cash.

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The November winners will meet on Jan. 3, 2017, when the 115th Congress begins its two-year session. Lawmakers will vote on speaker and other members of the leadership.
In renewed Aleppo attacks, Syrian troops capture high ground

BEIRUT (AP)  Syrian government forces and their allies on Monday captured strategic high ground in embattled Aleppo as Russia  a key ally of Syrian President Bashar Assad  said it was not planning more "humanitarian pauses" in the fighting in the city's eastern, rebel-held districts.

The fighting in Aleppo came as airstrikes hit towns in the northwestern province of Idlib, killing at least 13 people, according to the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and the Local Coordination Committees. They said the people killed were in the towns of Kfar Takharim and Khan Sheikhoun, where a market was hit.

Fighting resumed in Aleppo over the weekend, following a days-long lull announced by Moscow that was meant to allow rebels and civilians to leave the eastern districts. The rebels rejected the Russian offer and none of the civilians left.

In this photo taken Sept. 26, 2016 and provided by the local council of Aleppo city, Syrians workers clean damaged after airstrikes, in Aleppo, Syria. The opposition-held districts of the Syrian city have been surrounded and under siege for months. Russian and Syrian warplanes are bombing the streets into rubble and government forces are chipping away at the pocket of opposition control. (Local Council of Aleppo City via AP)

Government troops launched a fresh offensive and on Monday took the hilltop of Bazo on the southern edge of Aleppo, near military bases, and shelled the rebel neighborhoods, according to opposition activists.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Bazo was taken amid heavy bombardment. Both the Observatory and the Aleppo Media Center, an activist collective, reported government shelling in eastern parts of the city.

A video released by the Syrian army showed tanks and cannons pounding rebel positions in the area. The state SANA news agency, meanwhile, said the rebels shelled government-held neighborhoods in western Aleppo, killing one person and wounding seven.

A pro-opposition media outlet circulated footage of a powerful and hard-line Islamist rebel coalition known as Jaish al-Fatah announcing that the campaign to break the government's siege of the city's east would begin "within hours."

Syrian troops have besieged rebel-held parts of Aleppo for weeks, subjecting the districts to some of the worst air raids since a cease-fire brokered by the United States and Russia collapsed on Sept. 19. Opposition activists say more than 600 people have been killed in Aleppo and neighboring villages since then.

Jaish al-Fatah commander Ali Abu Odai al-Aloush told the Qasioun News Agency that "zero hour has drawn near," and that his militants had begun moving toward Aleppo. It was unclear when the interview was recorded.

A spokesman for the Nour el-Din al-Zinki rebel faction in Aleppo said an operation to break the government's siege of the rebel-held eastern districts of Aleppo was "coming."

The spokesman, Yasser al-Yousef, said the rebels would not intentionally target civilians in Aleppo's government-held districts, but warned of collateral damage from the anticipated operations.

In Moscow, Russia's deputy foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov said Russia wasn't planning another humanitarian pause in Aleppo anytime soon.

"In order to resume it, our opponents need to make sure the anti-government groups behave properly," he said in comments carried by Russian news agencies, blaming the rebels for the fact that medical evacuations from eastern Aleppo, planned during the pause, were scrapped at the last moment.

"What needed to happen didn't happen ... that's why resuming a humanitarian pause is not on the agenda," Ryabkov said. He also said that Moscow doesn't expect any new round of Syria peace talks in the Swiss city of Lausanne until after the U.S. elections.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault called for an end of the "massive bombing raids" by Russia and Syrian government forces in Aleppo to allow for the delivery of aid to beleaguered populations and the resumption of peace efforts in Syria.

Speaking during a joint news conference with his Turkish counterpart in Ankara Monday, Ayrault said: "it's the only way that humanitarian aid can reach populations that really need it; it's the only that that the negotiations can resume."

Ayrault also said that there cannot be a "lasting peace" in Syria "outside of a political solution."

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35 Turkish diplomats, family members seek asylum in Germany

BERLIN (AP)  Officials say 35 Turkish diplomats and family members have applied for asylum in Germany since the failed military coup in Turkey.

The Turkish government has launched a massive crackdown on people suspected of sympathizing with the U.S.-based Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen, who it accuses of instigating the coup attempt in July.

German Interior Ministry spokesman Johannes Dimroth declined Monday to say how many of the 35 asylum seekers were diplomats and how many were family members, citing privacy rules.

He also said that since diplomatic status isn't normally part of the asylum application the actual figure might be higher.
A mobile home fire in Georgia started by an improperly installed wood stove killed six people, including four children, authorities said Monday.

The blaze happened around 10.30pm on Sunday and killed parents Miron Bradley 'Brad' Jones, 29, and Demi Josephine 'DJ' Jones, 22, according to Glenn Allen, a spokesman for the state fire marshal's office.

Their children Clair McKenzie Jones, five, Lola Rosanna Jones, three, and Olivia Josephina Jones, three months, were also killed in the fire.

Miron Bradley 'Brad' Jones (top), 29, and Demi Josephine 'DJ' Jones (left), 22, and their children (pictured) died after their mobile home in Georgia caught fire

Clair McKenzie Jones (bottom, left), five, Lola Rosanna Jones (top, left), three, Olivia Josephina Jones (top, right), three months, and cousin Jada Marie Kendrick (bottom, right), five, all died in the Sunday night fire

Jada Marie Kendrick, five, a cousin of the children, who was spending the night at the home, died, also.

The parents died while trying to save the four children from the blaze.

Family member Sharon Pope told WSBTV: 'DJ was the best mother you ever want to meet. She was deaf, but when it comes to those babies, that was the best thing for her.

'Brad was going to make sure those babies were warm, and he had no other option, so he did what he thought was right to keep them warm and it cost them their lives.'

Police determined that a wood stove that was installed Sunday was placed too close to an interior wall with wood paneling, and that's what caused the fire

Neighbors said they could see the blaze from down the road and initially thought someone was burning garbage

State investigators on Monday ruled the wood stove fire accidental.

Allen said they determined that the wood stove that was installed Sunday was placed too close to an interior wall with wood paneling, and that's what caused the fire.

Neighbors said they could see the blaze from down the road and initially thought someone was burning garbage.

By the time they realize a home was on fire, it was too late to save the family.

Fourteen people were killed in Georgia house fires over the weekend, including those the Jones family and their cousin

'I thought they were burning trash at first and when I got over here I could see it was just engulfed in flames coming out of the window.

'It was fire underneath, fire everywhere. (There) wasnt nothing you could do and by that time the fire department had finally showed up,' Brian Osburn told WSBTV.

Fourteen people were killed in Georgia house fires over the weekend, including those the Jones family and their cousin.
A Paradise Valley landowners sentimental attachment to a 1940s hay barn has set in motion a 500-acre donation of land to the Custer Gallatin National Forest.

The two parcels that would be gifted to the forest include 60 acres along Mill Creek, a tributary to the Yellowstone River, and more than 440 acres along the southern side of 9,122-foot high Arrow Peak, land thats surrounded by national forest.

Ultimately its a huge, generous, conservation-minded donation, said Alex Sienkiewicz, the Yellowstone District ranger in Livingston.

Sentimental value

The landowner sees the pending deal a bit differently.

I didnt have a choice, said Ed Bazinet, a multimillionaire from New York City. As it turns out, a hay barn built in the 40s was on a National Forest strip coming off of Mill Creek. I fell in love with (the barn) for nostalgic reasons. Its really cool looking.

Bazinet said he has owned acreage along Mill Creek and on the side of Arrow Peak for 16 years. Five percent of the Arrow Peak property is co-owned by Walt Weissman.

I was from Minnesota and I loved Montana, so I scouted all over and found that piece, he said.

Eden Prairie, Minn., is where Bazinet built his fortune as the co-founder of Department 56 in 1976, a business based on the manufacture of hand-painted ceramic villages. Although he retired in 1997, in 2007 Bazinets accumulated wealth was estimated at $100 million.

In his book Richistan, author Robert Fuller described Bazinet as a soft-spoken Catholic resembling a college professor or corner bookstore owner who spends most of his days shuffling around his (five story, 10,000 square foot) Manhattan penthouse, collecting art, running his charity and doting over his two prized ocicats

Hay barn

A business founded on crafting nostalgic buildings, many of which Bazinet designed and meticulously oversaw the creation of, may help explain the former Minnesotans attachment to an old Montana hay barn.

Its sentimental, he said.

The barn was built by Wayne Fuller out of reclaimed timber sawn in nearby Counts Creek when owners Arch and Margaret Peg Allen owned the land, Bazinet said.

I turned it into a calving barn when we had cattle in there, he said. Right now it just holds hay.

Unfortunately, when the structure was built the location wasnt checked to make sure it was on the Allens property. Two thin strips of forest land cross Mill Creek east to west to provide public access to the forest.

It was probably a deliberate effort to reserve rights of way to get to the public domain, Sienkiewicz said, laid out in the late 1800s or early 1900s during the homesteading era as cattle driveways.

Sienkiewicz said he discovered the strips of public lands a few years ago while going through old files.

Generally speaking we want to get encroachments off the national forest, Sienkiewicz said.

When Sienkiewicz approached Bazinet to let him know that the barn had to be torn down, moved or a deal worked out, the land donation was conceived.

Ultimately the landowner came around to make a generous offer, Sienkiewicz said.

The land donation idea may have been helped along by Bazinets co-owner of the Arrow Peak property, Walt Weissman. Weissman is the founder of TradeLink Holdings LLC, a Chicago-based alternative investment and proprietary trading firm. He owns the Snowy Range Ranch, a 112-acre inholding along nearby East Fork Mill Creek. In 2011 he negotiated a land trade with the Custer Gallatin National Forest to resolve encroachments along the creek that resulted in the forest acquiring an inholding along Taylor Fork Creek, a tributary to the upper Gallatin River.

In return

In return for Bazinets donation of land, the Custer Gallatin National Forest will sell him the land on which the old hay barn sits  about 8/10ths of an acre.

It seems like a bad deal for me, but theres not going to be a wall up between my property and the forest, Bazinet said.

Conservation groups and others have praised the donation of the Mill Creek bottomland, with Sienkiewicz calling it a kind of wetland wonderland.

Bazinet agreed, saying it is a number one property for fish and wildlife, including black bears and moose.

Weve had a female moose with a baby in there a couple of times over the years, he said.

Fish, Wildlife and Parks fisheries biologist Scott Opitz, of Livingston, said in a letter of support that his agency has a particular interest in the stretch of creek because of FWPs work on preservation of Yellowstone cutthroat trout.

Sienkiewicz said it could take a year, or possibly less, to finish the transactions to sell and donate the lands.
Romania: technocrat PM agrees to be candidate for Liberals

BUCHAREST, Romania (AP)  The leader of Romania's Liberal Party says the prime minister has agreed to be the party's candidate for premier ahead of parliamentary elections.

Securing the agreement of Dacian Ciolos, a technocrat, is a boost for the Liberals. They are projected to come in second in Dec. 11 parliamentary elections after the Social Democratic Party, which is not expected to win a majority.

Ciolos, prime minister since Nov. 2015, who was an EU Commissioner for agriculture, is generally respected for his serious manner and modern approach.

Liberal Party chairman Alina Gorghiu met Ciolos Monday and said he would not join the party, which needs to approve her choice.
5 dead in wrong-way crash on Massachusetts highway

MIDDLEBOROUGH, Mass. (AP)  Five people, including four college students, died early Monday in a fiery crash caused by a woman driving the wrong way on a Massachusetts highway, state police said.

A car traveling south on the northbound side of Interstate 495 in Middleborough, about 35 miles south of Boston, slammed head-on into a vehicle traveling in the correct direction shortly after midnight, investigators said.

The northbound car burst into flames after the crash, killing all four young men in the vehicle.

"There is no indication that time allowed for evasive action by the (northbound) motor vehicle operator, to avoid the vehicle traveling the wrong way," said Maj. Anthony Thomas of the Massachusetts State Police.

Authorities said they would not release the names of those who died until Tuesday out of respect for family members, but said the driver and sole occupant of the wrong-way vehicle was a 31-year-old woman whose last known address was in Fall River.

The driver of the other car was a 20-year-old man from Osterville, and three passengers were a 19-year-old Harwich man, a 19-year-old Hyannis man and an 18-year-old man from West Babylon, New York.

All four were students attending colleges in Massachusetts, police said.

The principal of Barnstable High School on Cape Cod said two of the men were recent graduates of the school.
Three women traveling from Chicago were killed when a vehicle ran a red light and slammed into their Uber ride in Milwaukee Sunday.

The Milwaukee County Medical Examiner's Office released a statement Monday identifying the victims as 32-year-old Amy Taylor, 30-year-old Ashley Sawatzke and 35-year-old Lindsey Cohen.

The 23-year-old driver of the Lexus that police say smashed into the Uber car initially ran away but turned himself in Monday afternoon.

Horror crash: Police in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, say a Lexus smashed into an Uber vehicle, killing its three passengers Sunday morning

Victims named: Three friends from Chicago were killed in the Milwaukee hit-and-run crash (L to R): Ashley Sawatzke, Amy Taylor and Lindsey Cohen

The 41-year-old driver of the Uber car was taken to a hospital with what police described as non-life threatening injuries. Police have not released his name.

Police have said two of the passengers died at the scene and a third died at a local hospital, reported the station WISN.

According to police, the deadly crash took place at around 3am on Sunday when a 2015 Lexus R350 going southbound on North 2nd Street blew through a red light and crashed into a 2013 Ford Fusion traveling west on Clybourn Avenue.

The Ford was an on-duty Uber vehicle that was transporting Sawatzke, Taylor and Cohen, all three from Chicago.

Two of the women were pronounced dead at the scene. The third passenger died later at a hospital.

Two male occupants of the 2015 Lexus R350 (pictured) fled the scene on foot after the collision

Two of the victims died at the scene, and the third succumbed to her injuries at the hospital

Following the fatal collision, two men who were in the Lexus fled from the scene on foot. Police say the Lexus was not reported stolen, according to ABC 7 Chicago.

The person who was behind the wheel of the luxury car surrendered to police late Monday afternoon. As of 5pm, he has not been charged.

Information available on social media sites indicates that the three victims were friends, and at least two of them at one time had been co-workers.

Ashley Sawatzke worked as account supervisor at the Chicago branch of the global advertising firm Leo Burnett, where she had been hired just five months ago, according to her LinkedIn profile.

Colleagues: Sawatzke, 30 (left), and Taylor, 32 (right), had until recently worked together at the Chicago-based ad agency Energy BBDO

Prior to that, she had spent four years working at the Chicago-based ad agency Energy BBDO, which was also the place of employment of Amy Taylor and Lindsey Cohen.

On Monday afternoon, a representative of Leo Burnett confirmed in an email to Daily Mail that Sawatzke was an employee, but declined to comment on her passing out of respect for her family.
UK police arrest man in City Airport chemical incident

LONDON (AP)  British police have arrested a man in connection with a suspected chemical incident that sparked the evacuation of London City Airport last week.

Police said Monday they arrested the 25-year-old man on Saturday on suspicion of using a noxious substance to cause serious damage an offense under counter-terror laws. He was released on bail pending further inquiries and an investigation is continuing.

Some 500 travelers and staff were evacuated to a parking lot Friday. The terminal was declared safe after a three-hour investigation.

People stand outside of London City Airport during an evacuation after what the emergency services called a reported "chemical incident.", Friday, Oct. 21, 2016. London Fire Brigade says City Airport has been declared safe, three hours after it was evacuated by a suspected chemical incident. (Victoria Jones/PA via AP)

The Metropolitan Police said a search uncovered a "CS gas spray," also known as tear gas, which causes stinging eyes and a burning throat.

East London's City Airport is the smallest of the British capital's international airports. It offers mostly short-haul flights to British and European destinations.

Emergency services outside London City Airport after people were evacuated after what the emergency services called a reported "chemical incident.", Friday, Oct. 21, 2016. London Fire Brigade says City Airport has been declared safe, three hours after it was evacuated by a suspected chemical incident. (Victoria Jones/PA via AP)

A view of London City Airport, after people were evacuated after what the emergency services called a reported "chemical incident.", Friday, Oct. 21, 2016. London Fire Brigade says City Airport has been declared safe, three hours after it was evacuated by a suspected chemical incident. (Victoria Jones/PA via AP)

Passengers stand after an evacuation of London City Airport, in London, Friday, Oct. 21, 2016. London Fire Brigade says City Airport has been declared safe, three hours after it was evacuated by a suspected chemical incident. (Victoria Jones/PA via AP)
Former secretary defends fish safety testing after oil spill

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP)  The former head of Louisiana's wildlife and fisheries department is defending seafood testing done after the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill.

Robert Barham pushed back against auditors' suggestions the work was shoddy, saying he has no question the seafood was tested thoroughly.

In a preliminary draft report, the Louisiana Legislative Auditor's Office found insufficient sampling of fish and excessive spending in part of the $10.5 million seafood safety program overseen by the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries when Barham was agency secretary.

Barham, now overseeing the Office of State Parks, said auditors didn't understand that testing plans changed as it became clearer how the oil was moving in the spill's aftermath.
The Latest: Ex-attorney general released after posting bail

NORRISTOWN, Pa. (AP)  The Latest on the sentencing of former Pennsylvania Attorney General Kathleen Kane (all times local):

6:25 p.m.

Pennsylvania's former top prosecutor has been released from jail about two hours after she was placed in a holding cell for illegally disclosing details from a grand jury investigation and lying about it under oath.

Former state Attorney General Kathleen Kane leaves court in handcuffs after her sentencing at the Montgomery County Courthouse in Norristown, Pa., Monday, Oct. 24, 2016. Kane is sentenced to 10-to-23 months in county prison and 8 years probation. In August, Kane was found guilty of felony perjury and an assortment of misdemeanors related to a leak of secret grand jury materials. (Dan Gleiter/PennLive.com via AP, Pool)

Former Attorney General Kathleen Kane was ordered Monday to serve 10 to 23 months in county jail in the perjury and obstruction case.

Warden Julio Algarin says Kane was processed and briefly held before she paid her $75,000 bail with a cashier's check shortly before 6 p.m.

A jury this summer found that Kane leaked grand jury material to the press to embarrass a rival and then lied about it under oath. Her attorneys had pushed for probation sentence.

Algarin says the 50-year-old was treated like every other convict brought to the facility.

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3:40 p.m.

Former Pennsylvania Attorney General Kathleen Kane will remain in custody until she posts cash bail following a judge sentencing her to jail.

Kane was sentenced Monday to 10 to 23 months in jail in a perjury and obstruction case. The judge said Kane's ego had driven her to take down enemies and break the law.

Kane was handcuffed in the courtroom before she was led out the side door. Her family declined to comment afterward.

She will remain in custody until she posts $75,000 cash bail, higher than she had previously posted.

No surrender date was given, presuming she does post bail.

The 50-year-old Democrat was convicted in August of two felony charges of perjury and seven misdemeanor charges.

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3:30 p.m.

The first woman elected Pennsylvania's top prosecutor has been sentenced to 10 to 23 months in jail for illegally disclosing details from a grand jury investigation to embarrass a rival and then lying about it under oath.

Former Attorney General Kathleen Kane was also sentenced Monday to eight years of probation. The judge told Kane her children were "collateral damages" of her own actions.

In the final year of her first term, the 50-year-old was convicted Aug. 15 of two felony charges of perjury and seven misdemeanor charges. She resigned the next day.

Kane's lawyers had argued the loss of her career, law license and reputation was punishment enough. They said she needed to be home to raise her two sons.

Kane was also the first Democrat elected attorney general.

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2:05 p.m.

Former Pennsylvania Attorney General Kathleen Kane says her two sons have been struggling since her conviction in her perjury and obstruction trial.

Kane was found guilty of leaking grand jury documents to embarrass a rival and then lying about it under oath. She is due to be sentenced Monday. She is seeking probation or house arrest. Prosecutors are asking for jail time.

She says in court, "I really don't care what happens to me."

But, she says: "There is no more torture in the world than to watch your children suffer and know you had something to do with it."

Kane says her 14-year-old son, Zachary, didn't attend the sentencing because "he couldn't even bear it." Her 15-year-old son, Chris, asked a judge for leniency for his mother earlier Monday.

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1:45 p.m.

Former Pennsylvania Attorney General Kathleen Kane says the agonizing wait to learn her sentence in a perjury and obstruction case has been like "watching the potential funeral of your own family."

Kane faces a sentence Monday that could range from probation to a lengthy prison term in a felony case prompted by a political feud.

A jury found Kane leaked grand jury documents to embarrass a rival and then lied about it under oath. Her lawyers plan to appeal.

Kane told a judge that she ran for the office to help people, not to seek power or carry out any personal agenda.

Kane says she doesn't want her two sons to join the vulnerable group of high-risk children with mothers in prison.

Kane shares joint custody with her estranged husband.

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12:15 p.m.

Former deputies in the Pennsylvania attorney general's office are describing a workplace demoralized by Kathleen Kane's leadership.

They spoke Monday ahead of sentencing for the former attorney general in her perjury and obstruction case.

A jury found Kane leaked grand jury material to the media to embarrass a rival and then lied about it under oath.

Former deputy Clarke Madden says a dark cloud permeated every corner of the office as victims, witnesses and other law enforcement agencies feared working with them after the investigation of the grand jury leak became public.

Current Chief Deputy Attorney General Erik Olsen says Kane created a "terror zone" in her office "through a pattern of systematic firings and Nixonian espionage."

Prosecutors want Kane sent to jail; she is seeking probation or house arrest.

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Noon

The 15-year-old son of former Pennsylvania Attorney General Kathleen Kane has testified as one of her character witnesses ahead of her sentencing in a perjury and obstruction case.

Chris Kane called her "his rock" and said "it would be tough for all of us" if she went to jail. The teenager said Monday that he had decided to testify "because things weren't looking good." Prosecutors declined to cross-examine him.

The other defense witnesses included a retired police chief and Roman Catholic priest who said Kathleen Kane had been the rare politician to make inroads to address drug-related crime in Hazleton. Kane's college-age niece also testified to the help Kane offered when she struggled with an eating disorder.

Kane has requested probation or house arrest at her sentencing.

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1:15 a.m.

Supporters of Democrat Kathleen Kane once hoped the ambitious lawyer might reach the U.S. Senate.

But the one-term Pennsylvania attorney general instead will learn Monday whether she's going to jail in a perjury and obstruction case that stemmed from a political feud.

The case is being heard in Montgomery County, where former President Bill Clinton stumped for her in 2012.

Kane's lawyers say she has been punished enough after losing her career, law license and reputation. They will ask for probation or house arrest so she can raise her teenage sons.

But Democratic District Attorney Kevin Steele calls the case "egregious" and will seek jail time.

A jury this summer found Kane leaked grand jury material to the press to embarrass a rival and then lied about it under oath.

CORRECTS TO AFTER SENTENCING HEARING, NOT BEFORE - Former Pennsylvania Attorney General Kathleen Kane is escorted from Montgomery County courthouse after her sentencing hearing in Norristown, Pa, Monday, Oct. 24, 2016. Kane was sentenced Monday to 10 to 23 months in jail for illegally disclosing details from a grand jury investigation to embarrass a rival and lying about it under oath. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

Former Pennsylvania Attorney General Kathleen Kane arrives at Montgomery County courthouse for her scheduled sentencing hearing in Norristown, Pa., Monday, Oct. 24, 2016. Kane, a Scranton-area Democrat, will learn if she is going to jail over a perjury and obstruction case that stemmed from a political feud. (Dan Gleiter/PennLive.com via AP, Pool)

Former state Attorney General Kathleen Kane leaves court in handcuffs after her sentencing at the Montgomery County Courthouse in Norristown, Pa., Monday, Oct. 24, 2016. Kane is sentenced to 10-to-23 months in county prison and 8 years probation. In August, Kane was found guilty of felony perjury and an assortment of misdemeanors related to a leak of secret grand jury materials. (Dan Gleiter/PennLive.com via AP, Pool)

Former Pennsylvania Attorney General Kathleen Kane arrives at Montgomery County courthouse for her scheduled sentencing hearing in Norristown, Pa., Monday, Oct. 24, 2016. Kane, a Scranton-area Democrat, will learn if she is going to jail over a perjury and obstruction case that stemmed from a political feud. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

Former Pennsylvania Attorney General Kathleen Kane arrives at the Montgomery County courthouse for her scheduled sentencing hearing in Norristown, Pa., Monday, Oct. 24, 2016. Kane, a Scranton-area Democrat, will learn if she is going to jail over a perjury and obstruction case that stemmed from a political feud. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

Former Pennsylvania Attorney General Kathleen Kane arrives at Montgomery County courthouse for her scheduled sentencing hearing in Norristown, Pa., Monday, Oct. 24, 2016. Kane, a Scranton-area Democrat, will learn if she is going to jail over a perjury and obstruction case that stemmed from a political feud. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

Former Pennsylvania Attorney General Kathleen Kane arrives at the Montgomery County courthouse for her scheduled sentencing hearing in Norristown, Pa., Monday, Oct. 24, 2016. Kane, a Scranton-area Democrat, will learn if she is going to jail over a perjury and obstruction case that stemmed from a political feud. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
Finnish fans celebrate surprise title for IFK Mariehamn

HELSINKI (AP)  Fans of IFK Mariehamn have gathered in the main square of the remote Finnish town to celebrate their team's surprise league title.

"I feel very proud," the club's managing director, Peter Mattsson, told The Associated Press in a telephone interview on Monday, adding that "thousands" were expected to turn up for the party.

Watched by more than 4,000, Mariehamn clinched the Finnish title on Sunday with a 2-1 home victory over Ilves, from the industrial city of Tampere.

Mariehamn held off 11 other teams, including the traditionally strong Helsinki club, HJK, and defending champion SJK from western Finland. It ended three points clear of second-placed HJK for its first league title.

Local media dubbed the team "Leicester" after the surprise English Premier League champions last season.
Maduro meets pope as Vatican steps into Venezuela crisis

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP)  Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro met Monday with Pope Francis as the Vatican took a more active role trying to defuse a tense political standoff in the South American nation.

Maduro spoke with the Pope in a private meeting on his way back to Venezuela following a tour of oil-producing nations of the Middle East.

As news of the surprise papal meeting surfaced, back in Venezuela Monsignor Emil Paul Tscherrig, who Francis dispatched in a bid to jumpstart dialogue between the government and the opposition, announced that representatives of the two sides would meet Oct. 30 on the Venezuelan island of Margarita under the auspices of the Vatican and the Union of South American Nations.

FILE - In this July 21, 2016 file photo, Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro stands with Spain's former Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, left, and former Dominican Republic President Leonel Fernandez, during a photo opportunity after a meeting at Miraflores presidential palace in Caracas, Venezuela. Venezuelas government says Pope Francis met with Maduro at the Vatican on Monday, Oct. 24, 2016. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano, File)

"It's important to have light, a lamp to guide us through this tunnel of a fight that we've entered," opposition alliance chief Jesus Torrealba said prior to his meeting with the Tscherrig, the Vatican's representative to Francis' native Argentina. "We're embarking on a process of struggle that will be complex and difficult."

When Maduro arrives back to Venezuela in the coming hours he'll be stepping into a political crisis months in the making that hadn't yet erupted when he went abroad. Shortly after he left Thursday for Azerbaijan, electoral authorities suspended a recall referendum seeking his removal, prompting the opposition-controlled congress to call for demonstrations and declare that the government had carried out a coup.

The Vatican said the pope urged Maduro to courageously take the path of "sincere and constructive dialogue" to alleviate the suffering of the Venezuelan people, especially the poor. He called on Maduro to promote a climate of renewed social cohesion that would allow everyone to look to the future with hope, the Vatican said in a statement.

It's not clear how much influence the Vatican will have in bringing the two sides together in a country that for almost two decades has been bitterly divided.

As soon as the meeting was announced some of Maduro's most-prominent critics expressed dismay that hours after declaring itself in open rebellion and calling for a mass protest Wednesday the opposition alliance was now engaging with the government.

Meanwhile, socialist strongman Diosdado Cabello was already accusing his opponents of using the dialogue as a smoke screen to hide its intent to violently force Maduro from power.

Maduro, speaking from Rome, thanked the pope for helping bring about dialogue "between the distinct factions of the opposition and the legitimate and Bolivarian government I preside over."

Tscherrig said the talks scheduled for next week are aimed at building confidence and a mechanism for peacefully resolving disputes. As such, he said the two sides had agreed to work together so that demonstrations in the coming days are safe and peaceful.

"Today the national dialogue has begun," Tscherrig said.

The decision to halt the referendum process scuttles the opposition's best chance of peacefully removing Maduro from office before his term ends in 2019. Polls show three out of four Venezuelans want Maduro to leave office this year, blaming him for a collapse in living standards caused by triple-digit inflation and widespread food shortages.

Many of Venezuela's neighbors are also expressing concern. On Friday, 12 nations, including the U.S. and even leftist-run governments like Uruguay and Chile, issued a statement saying the referendum's suspension and travel restrictions on the opposition leadership hurt the prospect for dialogue and finding a peaceful solution to the crisis.

On Monday, the presidents of Argentina and Uruguay said they would meet with the other two members of the Mercosur trade bloc  Brazil and Paraguay  to decide whether Venezuela should be expelled for breaking the group's "democratic clause." Venezuela joined Mercosur in 2012, fulfilling a long-held dream of Maduro's mentor, the late Hugo Chavez, of uniting the region's most-powerful agricultural and energy markets.

"If you read the declaration by (the Venezuelan) congress, it's more than clear that all the reasons are there to carry out the democratic clause," Argentine President Mauricio Macri told a news conference with Uruguayan President Tabare Vazquez.

___
An intensive care nurse who contracted Ebola while caring for the first person to be diagnosed with the disease in the US has settled a lawsuit against a Texas hospital group.

Nina Pham was diagnosed with the deadly virus in 2014 along, with co-worker Amber Vinson, after treating Thomas Eric Duncan at a Dallas medical center. He later died of the disease.

She survived her battle with the disease but filed a lawsuit against Texas Presbyterian Hospital, claiming she became the 'symbol of corporate neglect', as senior officials failed to adequately prepare for the crisis.

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Nina Pham (pictured with her dog) was diagnosed with the deadly virus in 2014 along, with co-worker Amber Vinson, after treating Thomas Eric Duncan

On Monday, attorneys for Pham announced the settlement with the hospital's parent company Texas Health Resources. Both sides said in a join statement that they would not release the settlement terms.

Pham caught Ebola in 2014 while treating Duncan, who contracted the virus in his native Liberia and became ill during a trip to the US.

The nurse said that she was 'the last person' to find out that he was positive for Ebola.

'You'd think the primary nurse would be the first to know,' she told The Dallas Morning News. 'I broke down and cried, not because I thought I had it but just because it was a big "whoa, this is really happening" moment.'

Pham said she considered not going back to care for Duncan after his diagnosis, with her colleagues insisting they would back up her decision. But she felt she had to.

Privacy issues: A doctor wearing a video camera came into her room, claiming he was making an educational video. She did not give permission for the video, which was subsequently released to the media

Pham (pictured boarding a private flight to Maryland in a hazmat suit in 2014) survived her battle with the disease but filed a lawsuit against Texas Presbyterian Hospital, claiming she became the 'symbol of corporate neglect'

Criticizing how the hospital prepared for the crisis, she said the extent of her training was a single piece of paper one of her superiors found online.

The day after Duncan died, Pham met with someone from the CDC and the hospital's employee health manager to review Duncan's care. They also deemed her 'no risk' in terms of contracting the Ebola virus.

When tests confirmed she had the virus, she broke down crying, and asked medical staff that her name be released as 'Jane Doe' to protect her privacy. The request was refused and from then on Pham became the face of the fight against Ebola in the United States.

She said: 'Just knowing the whole world's watching but you're so isolated and the people that are coming [in to care for me] are risking their lives.'Touching me is life-threatening. It's very lonely.'

Before she was transferred to Maryland, a doctor wearing a video camera came into her room, claiming he was making an educational video. Pham said she did not give permission for the video, which was subsequently released to the media.

She told the Morning News: 'They had just a PR nightmare with what happened with Mr. Duncan  and then us being infected with Ebola. Not just one nurse, but two. People lost faith in them, especially after we got sick.

Texas Health Resources gave the paper a statement saying: 'Nina Pham bravely served Texas Health Dallas during a most difficult time. We continue to support and wish the best for her, and we remain optimistic that constructive dialogue can resolve this matter.'

Concerns: Nina Pham, who was diagnosed with the deadly disease in October 2014, says the experimental drugs used in her treatment is causing her hair to fall out and makes her suffer aches, pains and fatigue

Smiles: Pham posed excitedly with her 'best friend' Mr Bentley and one of the vets that cared for him

However her attorney Charla Aldous said she was simply used as a 'PR pawn'.

Pham said her own treatment had a massive impact on her life, causing her hair to fall out, insomnia, aches and pains and even damaged her social life.

Doctors have also warned her to check for signs of vision loss as well as sensory and organ failure.

She split up with her boyfriend, who was quarantined as a precaution, after she was released from hospital and struggles to interact with friends because 'Ebola always comes up'.

In her lawsuit against the hospital's parent company, Pham said that the 'sum total' of information she was given to protect herself after being told she would be treating a patient suspected of having Ebola was 'what her manager 'Googled' and printed out from the Internet.'

A day later, Duncan tested positive for the disease.

The lawsuit called Pham 'a casualty of a hospital system's failure to prepare for a known and impending medical crisis.'

It described a chaotic situation at the hospital, in which nurses scrambled to decide what kind of personal protective equipment to wear 'without any formal guidance or training' from their supervisors.

On Monday, attorneys for Pham announced the settlement with the hospital's parent company Texas Health Resources. Both sides said in a join statement that the would not release the settlement terms

Clear drop cloths were taped to the ceiling and walls of the hallway to create a makeshift containment facility, nurses had to dispose of hazardous waste, which they weren't trained to do, and hazardous material placed in the room next to Duncan's was allowed to pile up, the lawsuit alleged.

On the first day Pham treated Duncan, when Ebola was suspected but not yet diagnosed, she wore a regular isolation gown, double gloves, a surgical mask with a plastic shield and double booties. The lawsuit said her hair and neck were exposed and that she wasn't given a change of clothes to wear home, so she went home in the scrubs she wore while treating Duncan.

After his diagnosis, nurses put on hazmat suits with double gloves and added 'chemo gloves' and taped them to the suit. They also added a personal respirator they covered with a gown. These decisions, the lawsuit said, were made without any formal guidance or training by supervisors.

The lawsuit said that after Duncan died, Pham was told that what she had worn was safe and that she had no risk of contracting Ebola.

Confident in what hospital officials had told her, she spent time with friends and family. The lawsuit said that she began feeling ill two days after Duncan died. The next day, she drove herself to the hospital and was diagnosed with Ebola.

In a response to the lawsuit, the hospital operator denied allegations of poor training and improper preparation.

An independent review released in September 2015 found the hospital wasn't adequately prepared for a patient who had Ebola and stumbled because of communication failures.

Sufferer: Miss Pham was diagnosed with the deadly disease along with co-worker Amber Vinson after treating Thomas Eric Duncan (pictured) the first patient to die from the illness in October

Happy: Pham has since recovered from the deadly disease. Pictured above giving a hug to President Barack Obama on October 24 2014

The report led by a former chief executive of the Mayo Clinic found communications at the hospital were inconsistent, such as when Duncan's travel history gathered by a nurse wasn't verbally communicated to a doctor.

The report also faulted the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which it said failed to prepare the hospital in the use of personal protective equipment, waste management and 'other challenges.'

Pham eventually was transferred to the National Institutes of Health in Maryland for treatment and recovered.

The lawsuit said, though, that she worried about her long-term health and doubted she'd ever return to being a critical care nurse again because of the stress and anxiety of the trauma she experienced and the 'fear and stigma' that follow her.

After her recovery, Pham continued to be a hospital employee but didn't return to work.

Her employment status following the settlement of the lawsuit was unclear. T

he two parties said in their statement announcing the settlement that they would not be making additional statements.
HELENA  A wandering wolf traveled nearly 700 miles through three states and one Canadian province before being shot and killed near Judith Gap last month for preying on sheep.

Washington Fish and Wildlife biologists collared the 2-year-old male wolf in February north of Spokane. Last June they tracked the animal as it left the Huckleberry Pack's territory, turning east into Idaho and north into Canada.

Dispersal is a necessary and a very risky component of wolf population dynamics, said Ty Smucker, wolf specialist with Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks. As young wolves mature they typically disperse from their natal pack in search of potential mates and vacant territories in which to start their own packs.

On the Fourth of July the wolf re-entered the United States near Eureka and headed southeast. In late July he emerged on the Rocky Mountain Front, staying in the area until September. Then he headed east, traveling west of Great Falls and north of the Little Belt Mountains.

I was communicating with the biologist in Washington and we were keeping our fingers crossed that hed keep out of trouble," Smucker said.

By Sept. 22 the wolf moved west of Judith Gap, when Wildlife Services received reports of predation on sheep. Federal officials confirmed the predation was by a wolf, and they shot the animal on Sept. 29 as it left a band of sheep it was reportedly preying on, Smucker said.

He moved into an area where there were a lot of sheep, so unfortunately sooner or later he was probably going to kill one, he added. It was pretty obvious he was attacking sheep at night, and it doesnt get a whole lot clearer than that when they saw him leaving the area.

The wolf killed at least four sheep, and an additional 13 were bitten. Officials have not determined what ate two other sheep, he said.

Nonlethal methods were not tried, as predation began soon after the wolfs arrival and no known wolf packs occupy the area.

Smucker explained that while wolves are managed by the state, federal officials have discretion under a memorandum of understanding to respond lethally to livestock losses. Part of that discretion comes with the remoteness of many predation incidents and related delays in response.

Marc Cooke, president of the Bitterroot Valley-based advocacy group Wolves of the Rockies, says he has concerns with the killing, particularly because the wolf was collared. He pointed out that Gov. Steve Bullock asked FWP to use education to avert killing collared wolves near national parks.

If this guy from Wildlife Services sees a collar on a wolf, and even our own governor of Montana has encouraged (FWP) that if a wolf has a collar dont kill it, then the directive should be nonlethal, not killing it, he said.

Smucker said it was not clear whether the federal agent knew the wolf was collared.

Cooke also criticized the killing because wolf dispersal is important for genetic exchange.

Its a sad story that this wolf makes it through the killing fields of Idaho and then gets whacked in Montana, he said. This is a known wolf behavior, and how are we ever going to get a corridor down into Colorado up through the Yaak to improve genetic diversity if theyre so quick on the trigger?

Jim Brown with the Montana Wool Growers Association noted Montana law dictates that lethal control is appropriate when predation occurs.

This is an example where authorities came together and acted appropriately where a wolf has depredated on livestock, he said. Obviously the Montana Wool Growers supports that part of state law as a protection of private property. Lethal control is generally the last option taken when you have a species such as the wolf.

Predator management works better with the support or tolerance of the agriculture industry, Brown contended, and allowing lethal measures when necessary builds that tolerance.

Regardless of debate over wildlife management, the wolfs travels are amazing and shows the populations dispersing, he said.

As wolves increase in number and range across the Northern Rockies, Washington and Oregon, their propensity for long travels have generated headlines and fascinated wildlife enthusiasts.

In 2015 a wolf left its packs territory west of Missoula and ended up in British Columbia 600 miles away, according to FWP.

A wolf named OR7 was collared in Oregon in 2011 before a 1,000-mile journey into California and back to Oregon. The wolf continued to move back and forth between the states before establishing a pack in 2013, according to California Fish and Wildlife.

Montanas wolf population has remained stable the past eight years with a minimum of more than 500.
Christopher Blackett, 25, killed himself in his prison cell on Sunday

A Fort Bragg soldier who was jailed for murdering his 17-year-old neighbor has committed suicide in his prison cell.

Christopher Blackett, 25, was jailed in 2011 for 26 years over the death of teenager Vincent Carlisle II.

He shot Carlisle and left his body in the woods seven miles from their neighboring homes in Spring Lake, North Carolina.

Blackett was found dead in his cell on Sunday afternoon at Lanesboro Correctional Institute.

Details surrounding his death are being investigated.

The soldier, from Vista, California, was a specialist in the US army.

He enlisted in 2009 and worked as a motor transport operator in the 82nd Airborne Division.

His roommate and fellow soldier Sebastian Gomez was also charged over Carlisle's death in 2011. He is yet to face trial.

The pair lived together in a house less than five miles from Fort Bragg and near where Carlisle grew up with his grandparents.

They often played basketball together, neighbors said after the teenager's death.

The Fort Bragg soldier (left in 2011) shot 17-year-old Vincent Carlisle II (right) four times and left his body in the woods near their neighboring homes in Spring Lake, North Carolina

Blackett believed the teenager (above) had broken in to his house when he killed him

Blackett served at the nearby Fort Bragg military base in Fayetteville, North Carolina (pictured), at the time

Carlisle's family reported him missing on August 14, 2011, four days before his body was recovered.

Sebastian Gomez, who was also charged, is awaiting trial

After being arrested, Blackett and Gomez are said to have told police they believed the teenager had broken in to their home.

Blackett pleaded guilty to his killing and apologized.

'I only want to say that I'm sorry,' he told the court, The Fayetteville Observer reported at the time.

His story to police changed several times before he was convicted.

He claimed Carlisle had been dealing drugs and broke into his home for a second time on the night of his death.

Carlisle was shot four times including once in the heart and twice in the backside.

Police found seven casings around his decomposing body four days after he went missing in August 2011.
Four teenagers have been arrested after mobs of juveniles staged a series of vicious attacks on students around the Temple University campus.

Police said students were surrounded, punched, kicked, robbed and in some cases knocked to the ground in a spate of attacks by groups of teens on Friday night.

Packs of between 20 and 100 young people roved the area near the university campus in northern Philadelphia for nearly two hours from 8pm and picked on people at random.

Six students were injured and a university police officer was hurt when he was knocked over. A 15-year-old boy also punched a police horse in the face.

In a separate incident, a young woman was left covered in bruises after she was held down and stomped on repeatedly before employees from a nearby pizza restaurant intervened, her father said.

Another student, a junior, posted pictures of her black eye after she was beaten.

She says the attackers punched her in the face as she walked back to her apartment with her boyfriend.

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Father Joe Lauletta (left) wrote on Facebook that his daughter Christina Lauletta (pictured on the right in black shorts) was a victim of one of the horrifying mob attacks at Temple University on Friday night

Joe Lauletta's Facebook post (pictured) has been shared more than 4,000 times. It details how he was watching his son play football when his daughter phoned him, revealing she had been jumped while walking back to her apartment

Another junior, who didn't wish to be identified (left), posted pictures of her black eye. She says the attackers (pictured right on cell phone video) punched her in the face as she walked back to her apartment with her boyfriend

Temple spokesman Ray Betzner told television station NBC 10 that the mobs of teenagers played a 'cat-and-mouse game' with police.

Joe Lauletta wrote on Facebook on Saturday that his daughter Christina Lauletta was a victim of one of the horrendous attacks.

In his post, which has been shared 4,000 times, he claims she was held down and kicked and stomped until every part of her body was bruised.

He wrote: 'I find out that her and her 2 male friends where badly beaten by a group of 30-40 black teenagers on their way home from the Temple football game.

'This happened after they got off the subway at Broad and Cecil B Moore. These sick animals held her down and kicked and stomped on her repeatedly.

'Thank god, the people from the pizza place intervened. They arrested 2 people at the scene.'

'I have not let Christina out of my sight, she is resting. Every part of her body is badly bruised, it makes me cry just thinking about it. No broken bones.

'If you have children at Temple, tell them to be careful. Please keep Christina Lauletta in your thoughts.'

The father said: 'I have not let Christina out of my sight, she is resting. Every part of her body is badly bruised, it makes me cry just thinking about it. No broken bones.' Christina Lauletta is seen in a Facebook photo

Joe Lauletta wrote on Facebook regarding the attack: 'I find out that her and her 2 male friends where badly beaten by a group of 30-40 black teenagers on their way home from the Temple football game.' He and Christina are pictured together

Two people face aggravated assault, criminal conspiracy and robbery charges over the attack, Philly.com reported.

In a different incident that led to an arrest, a boy threw a Temple University officer to the ground.

The 15-year-old boy has been charged with aggravated assault and resisting arrest, according to Philly.com.

In another incident, a 15-year-old boy punched a police horse twice in the face as mounted officers were trying to break up one of the crowds.

Authorities have charged him with assaulting a police service animal, Philly.com reported.

In all, 50 juveniles were taken into custody.

One unidentified female student told The Tab that she was walking with her boyfriend at 8pm when they were set upon.

The junior Environmental Sciences Major did not want to be identified, fearing for her safety.

She said her boyfriend was hit and managed to get away but she was grabbed by the hair and was beaten in the head and back before being pushed to the ground in the struggle.

'I remember shoes coming for my face and after that I heard other kids from the group saying Yo chill, yo chill its just a girl and they pulled my attackers off me,' she said

The student has been left with bruises to her head, two black eyes, an aching jaw and swollen hands.

Four teens have been arrested in flash mob attacks around Temple University in which college students were beaten, an officer was knocked down and a police horse was punched in the face, police said Monday. Pictured are authorities arresting young people

Temple campus safety director Charles Leone (pictured) told television station WPVI that it appears victims were picked at random and that students were not targeted

Leone said the university and city police will be stepping up patrols through the rest of the semester, especially because next weekend is Halloween

Temple campus safety director Charles Leone told television station WPVI that it appears victims were picked at random, but said students were not targeted specifically.

But he said, 'It's very concerning that you can get a group of juveniles to pull together that quickly and some become violent.'

He said the university and city police will be stepping up patrols through the rest of the semester, especially because next weekend is Halloween.

Temple serves about 34,000 full-time students.
Guard seeks federal aid for soldiers told to return bonuses

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP)  Members of Congress and veterans leaders on Monday called for federal action to absolve the debts of nearly 10,000 soldiers in California alone who have been ordered by the Pentagon to repay enlistment bonuses a decade after they signed up to serve in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Lawmakers from California expressed outrage, including Democratic Sens. Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer; House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, a Republican; and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, a Democrat.

Maj. Gen. Matthew Beevers said the California National Guard is working with members of Congress to introduce legislation that, if approved and signed by the president, would order the National Guard Bureau to clear the debts of soldiers who were wrongly told they were eligible for bonuses of $15,000 or more.

FILE - In this Friday, Oct. 21, 2016 file photo, Robert D'Andrea, a retired Army major and Iraq war veteran, holds a frame with a photo of his team on his first deployment to Iraq in his home in Los Angeles. Nearly 10,000 California National Guard soldiers have been ordered to repay huge enlistment bonuses a decade after signing up to serve in Iraq and Afghanistan, the Los Angeles Times reported Saturday. (Al Seib/Los Angeles Times via AP, File)

The total amount given out in bonuses is not clear, but The Los Angeles Times reported $22 million has been recovered in California so far.

"This is how you destroy all faith in a Pentagon that is supposed to have your back," Brian Duffy, head of the national service organization Veterans of Foreign Wars, said in an emailed statement. "Instead of seeking repayment, the Pentagon owes them a debt of thanks and an apology for insulting their honorable service to our nation."

The Guard offered the bonuses and student loan aid to re-enlist at the height of the two wars in the 2000s.

The Pentagon demanded the money back after audits revealed overpayments by the California Guard under pressure to fill ranks and hit enlistment goals. If soldiers refuse, they could face interest charges, wage garnishments and tax liens, the Times reported .

"We understand other states may have been affected but are pending verification of which ones," National Guard Bureau spokeswoman Laura Ochoa wrote in an email to The Associated Press. "California is where the majority of this occurred."

Soldiers told the newspaper that they feel betrayed by having to repay the money. They can apply for a federal review of their debt, but that appeals process does not guarantee it will be waived.

"Our military heroes should not shoulder the burden of military recruiters' faults from over a decade ago," McCarthy said in an emailed statement.

His statement said the House would investigate the reports, but spokesman Matt Sparks declined to comment on what that would entail.

In California, four people were convicted of fraud over the improper bonuses.

At least 54 members of Congress and the California Legislature sent letters to Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter asking that he halt the collections and provide further information.

Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton also said she was appalled by what she described as a mistreatment of veterans and called for legislation.

Navy Capt. Jeff Davis, a Defense Department spokesman, encouraged service members to appeal the debt and said the department would work with the Army, National Guard Bureau and California Army National Guard to "strengthen efforts to respond to this situation."

"We take doing right by our service members very seriously, and the senior leadership of this department is looking very closely at this matter," Davis said.

A federal investigation in 2010 found thousands of bonuses and student loan payments were improperly doled out to California Guard soldiers. About 9,700 current and retired soldiers received notices to repay some or all of their bonuses with more than $22 million recovered so far, the Times reported.

The California Guard's former Bonus and Incentive Manager, Army Master Sgt. Toni Jaffe, pleaded guilty to fraud for misappropriating the funds and was sentenced to 30 months in prison in 2012. Jaffe gave out $15.2 million in bonuses and loan repayments that she knew soldiers were ineligible to receive, federal prosecutors said at the time.

Three additional officers pleaded guilty to the fraud.

Beevers said the California Guard also fired one general and two colonels. The Guard punished more than 100 other soldiers following the incident; most of them are no longer in the service.

"Folks who are in leadership now are the ones who have spent several years correcting that issue," spokesman Capt. William Martin said.

___

Associated Press National Security Writer Robert Burns in Washington contributed to this report.
Frequent exams only treatment for pregnant woman with Zika

MIAMI (AP)  Yessica Flores is getting ultrasounds more frequently than the average pregnant woman, but there's a cruel downside accompanying the joy of seeing how much her unborn daughter grows every few weeks: fear of possible defects caused by Zika.

Flores became infected early in her pregnancy, and frequent ultrasounds and bloodwork are the only comfort doctors can offer in what so far looks like an issue-free pregnancy despite Zika, which can cause shrunken heads and other problems.

Flores and her husband have gotten used to hearing their doctors respond to questions about their baby's future with a simple sentence: "I don't know."

Yessica Flores, who became infected with the Zika virus early in her pregnancy this summer, speaks to the news media following a news conference at Jackson Memorial Hospital, Monday, Oct. 24, 2016, in Miami. Flores is being treated by the University of Miami's Zika Response Team. So far, Flores' daughter seems to be developing normally. However, the family still faces years of uncertainty and monitoring after the baby is born in February. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

"It is really hard to hear something like that. It is scary at times," Flores said Monday at Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami, where she is being treated by the University of Miami's Zika Response Team.

"There's great joy, but it was very hard to bring this child into the world with this type of news," Flores said in Spanish, speaking through an interpreter. "It's a mix of emotions."

Flores' unborn daughter  named Daniela  seems to be developing normally. That's a relief, because Zika can cause severe brain-related birth defects when pregnant women become infected.

However, the family still faces years of uncertainty after the baby is born in February. There are no tests to determine whether Flores' child will suffer from hearing, vision or developmental problems as she grows into a toddler.

Flores' experience illustrates the gaps in doctors' understanding of how Zika affects pregnancy, said Dr. Christine Curry, Flores' obstetrician-gynecologist and the co-director of the Zika Response Team. For example, doctors don't currently know why the virus  which is mainly spread by city-dwelling mosquitoes but also can be sexually transmitted  remains detectable in a pregnant woman's bloodstream far longer than in the bloodstream of a man or a woman who is not pregnant.

"It's hard to continue to say, 'I don't know,' but it's not unexpected with a disease that's really made its mark only in the last few years," Curry said.

Flores had not shown any Zika symptoms, but testing performed when she was 16 weeks pregnant in late August confirmed that she had been infected. Her husband also was tested for Zika, but his results were negative.

It's not clear where Flores contracted the virus. She lives and works in Miami's Wynwood neighborhood, the first area in the continental U.S. to have mosquitoes spread the virus, but she traveled to Honduras earlier in the summer at the beginning of her pregnancy.

Until this summer, the only cases of Zika on the U.S. mainland stemmed from travel to areas with Zika epidemics  mostly the Caribbean and Latin America. Of the more than 4,000 U.S. cases to date, nearly 900 were pregnant women.

The Miami area comprises the bulk of Florida's Zika caseload, and U.S. health officials now recommend Zika testing for all pregnant women who have spent time anywhere in Miami-Dade County.

Over 110 women in Florida have been diagnosed with Zika, and Curry said about a third of them have been cared for by University of Miami Health System doctors at Jackson Memorial Hospital.

Like Flores, many expressed shock and sadness at their Zika diagnosis before resolving to learn more about how they could help their babies, Curry said.

Flores had some advice for other pregnant women with Zika: "First of all, have faith. Then make sure you go see your doctor, and just know that everything is going to be OK if you keep up with the recommendations from the doctors."

Yessica Flores, who became infected with the Zika virus early in her pregnancy this summer, hugs hugs Dr. Christine Curry, left, following a news conference at Jackson Memorial Hospital, Monday, Oct. 24, 2016, in Miami. Curry is the Co-Director of the University of Miami's Zika Response Team, which is treating Flores. So far, Flores' daughter seems to be developing normally. However, the family still faces years of uncertainty and monitoring after the baby is born in February. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
Want to see World Series at Wrigley? It will cost thousands

CHICAGO (AP)  Fans hoping to see the Cubs play in the World Series for the first time since 1945 are finding a seat could cost them more than what their grandparents paid for their houses.

The euphoria from Saturday night's victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers gave way Monday to the realization that history doesn't come cheap.

Wrigley Field box seats on ticket-selling sites such as StubHub were $50,000 and up, with one seller asking $100,000 for a seat and another asking for just under $1 million. But there are lots of box seat tickets in the $5,000 to $10,000 range. Tickets to just get into the park and stand behind those with actual seats were going for more than $2,200 each. List prices for World Series tickets at Wrigley range from $85 to $565, according to Major League Baseball figures.

Chicago Cubs baseball fan Robert Lyons, who lives in Los Angeles and was raised in Berwyn, Ill., shows his World Series tickets outside Wrigley Field Monday, Oct. 24, 2016, in Chicago. (Michael Tercha/Chicago Tribune via AP)

World Series tickets are costing a lot more in Cleveland, too  well above the $83 to $750 list price range that MLB provided for Progressive Field  but are not as expensive as those in Chicago. And there are indications that Cubs fans, getting a look at what they would pay at Wrigley versus Progressive, are buying two tickets: one for a plane and one for a game.

Ticket brokers were being flooded with calls from fans looking for tickets and, as of Monday, they were willing to pay as much as $12,000, said Dan Makras of Classic Tickets in Chicago. But he said prices might climb because Cubs fans are proving to be reluctant to sell no matter how much money they're offered.

"People have waited so long for this," he said.

How long? Well, the last time the Cubs were in the World Series, a ticket in the upper grandstand was $6.

That pent-up desire might explain why more than 2.6 million people  about the population of Chicago  signed up for a drawing for a chance to buy the few thousand tickets the Cubs are now selling themselves.

Fans with more creativity than luck or money are making some unusual pitches to pry tickets from the hands of their owners.

In Southern California, Annie Coffman posted on Craigslist an offer to exchange no fewer than two tickets for a week at her ski cabin near Big Bear Lake. "Rental for a week is about $9,000," said Coffman, who grew up near Chicago. Not only that, but her sister owns a ski cabin near Lake Tahoe and would be willing to sweeten the offer.

"If someone wants to make it a whole tour of California, we could do that," Coffman said.

Jesse Altig, a firefighter in Portland, Oregon, who grew up watching Cubs games on television with his dad in the 1980s, also took to Craigslist. He placed an ad offering to take whoever gives him a ticket on a tour that includes Mt. Hood, the coast of the Pacific Ocean and the fire station where he works.

"I am a regular guy with a family and mortgage and these prices for tickets are kind of astronomical," Altig said. "Maybe there's somebody looking for an experience versus a monetary gain."

Some Chicago fans apparently are going with Plan B and heading to Cleveland.

Cameron Popp of StubHub said a quarter of the tickets being sold on the site for Game 1 in Cleveland on Tuesday are being paid for with credit cards associated with Illinois ZIP codes. In comparison, only about 2 percent of the sales to Game 3 at Wrigley are coming from Ohio.

No wonder. Papp said the average ticket price for Game 1 is about $1,000.

Such a bargain does not tempt Tom Wilbeck of Chicago.

"Tickets to Wrigley are three times as much and I asked myself if the experience is three times as cool," said Wilbeck, who is willing to go as high as $20,000 for two Chicago at-home tickets. "And the answer is yes. So many people died wishing the Cubs would win the World Series at Wrigley and you can't let this pass you by."

___

Associated Press writer Mark Gillispie contributed to this report from Cleveland.

FILE - In this Oct. 22, 2016, file photo, Chicago Cubs fans celebrate outside Wrigley Field after the Cubs defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers 5-0 in Game 6 of baseball's National League Championship Series in Chicago. Fans who are hoping to see the Cubs play in the World Series for the first time since 1945 are finding that if they want a seat it will cost them what their grandparents paid for their houses. (Ashlee Rezin/Chicago Sun-Times via AP File)

In this Oct. 24, 2016 photo, a bronze lion sculpture in front of the Michigan Avenue entrance to the Art Institute of Chicago is seen wearing a Chicago Cubs batting helmet. Both lions at the museum entrance have been dressed in team helmets to honor other Chicago sports teams who've made it to their league championship, but this is the first time they've worn Cubs gear. (AP Photo/Teresa Crawford)
Man won't get to cover neo-Nazi tattoos during murder trial

LAS VEGAS (AP)  A Las Vegas man who was allowed to use makeup to cover his neo-Nazi tattoos during his robbery trial and conviction in in August will not get to hide them during his upcoming murder trial punishable by the death penalty, a judge has ruled.

Clark County District Court Judge Michelle Leavitt last week denied a defense lawyer's request to order makeup for Bayzle Dylan Morgan, saying she believes fair and impartial jurors can be found who will disregard Morgan's tattoos even if they don't like them, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported (http://bit.ly/2eqk2lq ).

Morgan has a swastika within a clover permanently etched under his left eye, the words "Most Wanted" on his forehead, "Baby Nazi" on his neck and white supremacist tattoos instead of eyebrows.

FILE - In this July 21, 2016, file photo, Bayzle Morgan appears in his robbery trial at the Regional Justice Center in Las Vegas. Morgan, who was allowed to use makeup to cover his neo-Nazi tattoos during his robbery trial and conviction in August 2016, will not get to hide them during his upcoming murder trial punishable by the death penalty. (Richard Brian/Las Vegas Review-Journal via AP, file)

He gained media attention when a different judge ordered the tattoos covered with makeup during a trial at which Morgan was found guilty of threatening a man and stealing his motorcycle.

Morgan is charged in the murder case with breaking Jean Main's home in northwest Las Vegas, hitting the 75-year-old woman with a pistol so hard that the trigger guard broke into pieces and shooting her in the back of the head. Main was found dead in a first-floor bathroom.

The judge has postponed Morgan's trial until at least next month.

Morgan, 25, is in prison awaiting sentencing in the case involving the motorcycle. That conviction can be cited to a jury that would consider the death penalty if Morgan is convicted of killing Main.

Defense attorney Dayvid Figler said Morgan got the tattoos in prison after he was sentenced in 2010, at age 18, to up to four years for possession of a stolen vehicle.

Jurors are by law supposed to consider only the facts of a case, not a defendant's appearance.

The jurors who decided Morgan's guilt in the robbery trial without seeing his tattoos told the Review-Journal that they did not feel deceived that his tatoos were covered up.

Prosecutors say Main's slaying happened days after the robbery, and Chief Deputy District Attorney Giancarlo Pesci said none of the evidence in the murder case relates to Morgan's tattoos.

A 49-year-old getaway driver, Keith Smith, was sentenced this month to four to 10 years in prison on burglary charges.

Prosecutors said left when he heard gunshots but returned and saw Morgan with a suitcase of items taken from the Main's house.

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Information from: Las Vegas Review-Journal, http://www.lvrj.com

FILE--This 2013 booking file photo provided by the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department shows Bayzle Morgan. Morgan, who was allowed to use makeup to cover his neo-Nazi tattoos during his robbery trial and conviction in in August will not get to hide them during his upcoming murder trial punishable by the death penalty. (Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department via AP, file)
Driver who fled Milwaukee crash that killed 3 surrenders

MILWAUKEE (AP)  Milwaukee police say a motorist who fled after causing a car crash that killed three women from Chicago and injured their Uber driver has surrendered to authorities.

Investigators say the 23-year-old man driving a Lexus SUV ran a stop light in downtown Milwaukee early Sunday and slammed into a car whose 41-year-old driver was giving the women an Uber ride.

The Milwaukee County Medical Examiner's Office has identified the victims as 32-year-old Amy Taylor, 30-year-old Ashley Sawatzke and 35-year-old Lindsey Cohen. The Uber driver was taken to a hospital with serious injuries.
Policy Prescriptions: Trump and Clinton on transparency

WASHINGTON (AP)  Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton have both broken from tradition during their campaigns for president by sharing less information with the public than did their predecessors, although the Democratic nominee is more forthcoming than her Republican rival.

Both candidates are secretive when it comes to fundraising. They have also blocked the complete implementation of a "protective pool" of traveling reporters who follow their every movement, Trump more so than Clinton, leaving the public with little idea of where they are at times.

Trump has also has refused to release his tax returns, becoming the first presidential nominee from a major party to do so in four decades. The Republican nominee has also held fewer press conferences as Election Day nears, at a time when Clinton has started speaking regularly with reporters.

Here is a summary of their records when it comes to issues of transparency:

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TAX RETURNS

CLINTON: She has publicly released her returns for every year dating to 1977. She and her husband, former President Bill Clinton, earned $10.6 million last year and had a federal tax rate of 34.2 percent. Clinton's campaign also released 10 years of returns from her running mate, Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine, and his wife, Anne Holton.

TRUMP: He has refused to release any of his tax returns, saying he will do so only after a "routine audit" by the Internal Revenue Service is complete. The IRS has said Trump is free to release them. His running mate, Indiana Gov. Mike Pence, has released a decade worth of his tax records.

Trump has released a personal financial disclosure, as required by law, which outlines many of his assets and net worth. The disclosure offers only a partial picture of his assets, however, and does not reveal his effective tax rate, what kind of taxes he has paid or his charitable contributions.

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FUNDRAISER ACCESS

TRUMP: Despite railing against political donors, Trump has maintained an active fundraising schedule since becoming the Republican nominee. But it's unclear exactly where he's going, whom he's meeting with and what he's telling them  Trump has refused to allow journalists inside any of his fundraising events. He's also refused to release a post-event rundown of basic details, such as location, the number of attendees and the amount raised.

Trump has also refused to release the names of his bundlers, who are fundraisers who collect donations from other supporters.

CLINTON: With a handful of exceptions, Clinton has refused to open her fundraisers to journalists. Since announcing her presidential bid in April 2015, Clinton has held more than 300 fundraising events. Fewer than 10 have been open to any news coverage.

The decision marks a break with the Democrat she hopes to succeed. Since his 2008 campaign, President Barack Obama has allowed reporters traveling with him to witness his remarks at the start of such events. While reporters are escorted out before the juicier Q&A, the president's approach offers at least a limited measure of accountability that some fear may disappear when Clinton or Trump moves into the White House.

Unlike Trump, Clinton's campaign does provide post-event details and posts online a list of her bundlers.

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NEWS CONFERENCES

CLINTON: During the primary campaign, she did not hold a news conference for more than nine months, although she did hundreds of one-on-one interviews. After Labor Day, Clinton began speaking with her traveling press corps more regularly, often several times a week. She's also made a number of appearances on comedy shows, web outlets and other less traditional media.

TRUMP: Trump held press conferences on a regular basis until he accepted his party's presidential nomination at the national convention in late July. Since then, he has held only one. Trump often speaks to local reporters before rallies, although the conversations are generally short, and does regular one-one-one interviews with friendly hosts on Fox News Channel. Additionally, he answered questions from reporters in the "spin room" after the first presidential debate.

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TRAVELING PRESS/PROTECTIVE POOL

TRUMP: He has refused to accommodate a protective pool, a practice used at the White House and with past presidential nominees that allows a handful of reporters to be as close as possible at all times. Trump also does not travel on the same plane as reporters. His campaign organizes a "chase plane" for the media  paid for by the media  that often follows Trump's plane to and from public campaign events. Reporters are sometimes in his motorcade as well. But there are often long stretches in which reporters who pay to travel with Trump's campaign do not know where he is.

CLINTON: Reporters began traveling on Clinton's campaign plane after Labor Day. She's partially accommodated a protective pool, allowing two vans of reporters to travel in her motorcade with her to fundraisers and other closed events. But she doesn't always include them in her movements.
Police: Man dressed as tree arrested for blocking traffic

PORTLAND, Maine (AP)  Police say they've arrested a man dressed as a tree for blocking traffic in Maine.

They say the man didn't respond to officers when they warned him against obstructing traffic in a busy intersection in downtown Portland.

WCSH-TV posted video of the man being arrested after he blocked traffic again.

A friend of the man says he was trying to study the city's traffic patterns.

The man appeared to be dressed as a pine tree or other type of evergreen.
Costa Rica relocates croc that attacked US man in beach town

MEXICO CITY (AP)  A crocodile that seriously injured an American man in a Costa Rican beach town popular with surfers and eco-tourists has been captured and relocated to a wildlife refuge, community leaders and residents said Monday.

The Tamarindo Community Development Association said in a statement posted online that the croc was captured Sunday. Association board member and local brewery owner Joe Walsh said biologists first had to green-light the reptile's removal from the area, where a national park abuts a public beach.

"There's very strong environmental laws in this country, so ... they had to do an entire environmental study and bring in experts that could basically look at the situation, realize, 'OK, there are crocodiles whose behavior has changed because they were illegally being fed,'" Walsh told The Associated Press by phone from Costa Rica.

They also had to identify the crocodile in question, which is said to have grown larger than usual.

The man was bitten several times in the leg and head in the July 22 attack at a river estuary in Tamarindo, on the northwest Pacific coast of the Central American nation famed for its beaches and natural reserves. A friend was credited with fighting off the croc with his bare hands, and the victim was then attended to by lifeguards and emergency medical workers.

"It was an isolated incident, and I think it was maybe bound to happen sooner or later when you get thousands and thousands of people coming into close contact with mother nature," Walsh said.

Tamarindo lifeguard Pat McNulty, one of the first responders to the attack, said the man lost his right leg below the knee but he hears he is doing well in physical therapy and adjusting to his new prosthetic.

"He never gave up," McNulty said. "He was a fighter, and he'll continue to do well because of his attitude."

McNulty added that officials and community leaders have been meeting daily since the attack and would soon put up signs warning people of the danger. Authorities have also been patrolling to make sure estuary tour operators are not feeding the crocs, a practice that risks conditioning them to becoming used to the presence of humans.

"Everyone wants to cooperate because not only is it a danger, but there is also that potential that tourists don't want to come here so then they lose their income," McNulty said.

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Republicans hope to gain a majority on the Montana Land Board for the first time in decades, arguing they would create more jobs through responsible development of state lands.

In turn, Democrats have touted their Land Board votes as proof they do not obstruct natural resource industries as the GOP often claims.

The governor, attorney general, superintendent of public instruction, auditor and secretary of state comprise the Montana Land Board. The group meets once a month to oversee the use, maintenance and sometimes sale of more than 5 million acres of state trust lands and more than 6 million acres of mineral rights. While that is only a fraction of Montanas total 94.1 million acreage, the parcels checkerboard the state and are leased for farming, ranching, mining, timber harvest, oil and gas extraction, and public recreation, among other uses, to generate funds for public education. The group also provides final approval of other state land purchases and swaps, such as those for wildlife management areas handled by Fish, Wildlife and Parks.

If Republicans gain control of the Land Board, theres a possibility we could see a more proactive approach to trying to find ways to sustainably develop some of our natural resources, said Attorney General Tim Fox, the only GOP member of the current board. Also, Republicans in general are committed to recreational access to public lands. I believe there would be a concerted effort to do more of that in a way thats sustainable.

Democrat Gov. Steve Bullock, who first joined the board as attorney general in 2008, said he is proud of the Land Boards work, downplaying GOP suggestions that Democrats have obstructed the lease of state lands. Like others, he noted that the majority of decisions reached by the board are unanimous.

I want to manage these lands in a way that the next generation will be able to get the value out of them, he said, noting the constitutional duty to generate education funding must be balanced with broader environmental and recreational priorities. This isnt just about dollars and cents.

Over the last year, Montanans joined others across the nation in debating how well federal officials have managed public lands. Some conservatives have suggested federal lands should transferred to states for more local control. Some, like Republican gubernatorial candidate Greg Gianforte, have said federal leaders should keep ownership but contract with states for management. Add in concerns about the future of Montanas coal industry and increased competition from Canada on some timber harvests, and both political parties found themselves with fresh campaign material and renewed voter interest in land management issues.

The Land Board has become a central focus in several statewide campaigns.

Twice this year, Republicans at the top of the state ticket have toured the states major cities together to talk about their land board philosophies. Republican legislator Elsie Arntzen has argued that she would be more supportive of development than Democrat Denise Juneau, the current superintendent of public instruction, who is running for the U.S. House.

Republican state auditor candidate Matt Rosendale frequently argues that his years in real estate development are a key reason voters should elect him. His Democrat opponent, Jesse Laslovich, says that experience is of limited value given the broad authority of the land board and adds that the Republican would not give adequate consideration to the environmental effects of some development projects.

Perhaps the most critical statewide race when it comes to the tone of the land board is that between Bullock and Gianforte.

The governor not only serves as the executive over the Department of Natural Resources and Conservation, but serves as the chair of the Land Board, Trust Lands Division Manager Shawn Thomas said. The governor has a little more influence to set the direction.

Gianforte has campaigned on a promise to replace leaders at numerous state agencies with people who have expertise in or have worked within the industries regulated by them, which he hopes will lead to quicker permitting decisions and better customer service.

Weve let these environmental extremists dictate policy and our historical natural resource industries are going away, Gianforte said broadly of the states role managing lands and permitting development.

Bullock has criticized the pitch to replace agency leaders as evidence Gianforte would weaken necessary industry oversight, a claim the Republican denies.

Land board decisions also are shaped by other forces. The Legislature oversees laws that guide many decisions about permitting, lease rates and conservation. Conservation groups and a coalition of school leaders also have sued the state several times over management issues, resulting in rulings or settlements that set additional rules land board members must consider in votes.

Within that framework, the trust lands division handles the daily management, including inspections, applications and bidding as well as analyses of land productivity that identify parcels that might be sold so that more profitable properties can be purchased. Thomas said much of that work is routine and handled by experts with a clear sense of purpose and mission to generate maximum revenues for schools while following best practices of land management.

Since January 2004, there have been only 30 split votes out of more than 1,200 action items placed before the board, according to a Lee Newspapers analysis of minutes. In large part, candidates said this could be because of the professional set-up work done by the trust lands management division to vet and prepare projects, working out most of the kinks before the issues ever reach a land board vote. Others say the consensus is primarily because of Democrats' long-held majority.

The votes that have been divided, even on all-Democrat boards, reveal flashpoints about conservation, public access and natural resource development that might be handled differently should Republicans gain control of the board.

Juneau has been the sole opposition vote on some timber projects involving logging of old-growth trees that have drawn criticism from conservationists. Years before that, conservationists had called for the board to halt timber sale decisions until DNRC could update relevant guidelines. Juneau also has stood alone in opposing easements for an oil pipeline and a mines railroad spur. Bullock, and sometimes Juneau and/or Auditor Monica Lindeen, have voted against land sales or swaps that involved parcels with existing public access. Lindeen once opposed new agricultural lease rates on the ground that the details needed tweaking. Fox has made one dissenting vote to oppose elements of new rules on the lease rates for cabin sites following a legal settlement with a coalition of schools.

All those measures nonetheless passed with majority approval.

The split vote most often highlighted in campaigns this year was the 3-2 decision in 2010 to lease Otter Creek tracts to ArchCoal for development. The company later filed for bankruptcy and never mined any coal there. Three Democrats  then Gov. Brian Schweitzer, Secretary of State Linda McCulloch and Lindeen, who now is running to fill McCullochs post  approved the lease while Bullock and Juneau dissented.

I felt this was the right thing for the state, Lindeen said. I understand how much money is generated through coal production for the state and everyone benefits. I was willing to lease that and if production had ever happened would have been working to make sure it was done in a responsible manner.

Bullock has defended his Otter Creek vote, noting that his opposition was not focused on environmental concerns but the fact that he thought the lease rate was too low and therefore would rob schools of reasonable additional funding.

Juneau has said her vote was influenced by the opposition of the Northern Cheyenne Tribe and other neighbors to the project site, who feared damage to one of the states most scenic areas.

That was a very difficult vote, Juneau said. Thats why I had to listen to the people in the area who opposed the development. I still stand by that vote.

Land board decisions have not drawn significant scrutiny or public attention in recent years. It is not clear what could spark future division among members.

Nonetheless, Montana Conservation Voters Executive Director Clayton Elliott encouraged voters to consider the land board when casting their ballots  even when making decisions about offices like superintendent whose primary duties do not focus on land management.

The organization that promotes public recreational access has endorsed every Democrat running for statewide office this election cycle except for attorney general candidate Larry Jent. Elliott said the group chose not to make any endorsement or spend any of its action fund money to influence that race.

In the last year or two there have not been as many major headline-grabbing issues, Elliott said of the land board. But through the course of time there could be more.
Ben Stokes denies Bangladesh as England secure thrilling first Test victory

Ben Stokes was England's saviour as he took both wickets needed to wrap up a 22-run victory in the first Test over Bangladesh on a nerve-shredding final morning in Chittagong.

Stokes had both Taijul Islam and Shafiul Islam trapped lbw in the space of three balls to deny a spirited Bangladesh, who began the day needing just 33 runs to complete a historic maiden Test win over England.

As it was, Stokes rode to the rescue and not for the first time in the match, having taken four for 26 in the first innings followed by a mature 85 from 151 balls to ensure England left a testing victory target of 286 which proved tantalisingly out of Bangladesh's reach.

Ben Stokes was England's hero on the final morning

Sabbir Rahman marked his Test debut with an incredible 64 not out, running out of partners at the end, to take the Tigers within reach of what would have been their finest hour in the format, but England prevailed after 3.3 overs and 19 minutes on the fifth day.

Bangladesh were chasing just their eighth win from 94 Tests and first over England, who had won all eight of their previous encounters in the longest format.

Bangladesh's previous wins have come twice against an under-strength West Indies and five times over lowly Zimbabwe, while this is their first Test in nearly 15 months.

For those reasons, an England defeat, on paper, may have been regarded as embarrassing but Bangladesh have proved more than a match on a pitch which has offered plenty of turn from ball one as well as some reverse swing later on for the seamers.

It was with the pacemen, notably Stuart Broad and Stokes, whom England captain Alastair Cook put his trust on another hot day on Monday morning.

Broad opened the bowling after a fine spell on Sunday night that yielded two for 14 from nine overs and he nearly had a third wicket when Rahman's inside edge narrowly avoided his stumps.

It was pace from both ends and Stokes' bumper found Taijul's glove, only for the ball to sail over wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow for four and the first boundary of the morning.

Stokes had more fortune in the next over when an inswinger glanced off Taijul's pad with umpire Kumar Dharmasena's not out decision overturned on review - the 25th challenge of the match, with 11 referrals reversed.

Eight of those decisions overturned have come at Dharmasena's expense but he he was vindicated by technology two balls later when Shafiul padded up to another in-darter from Stokes, with Bangladesh's review proving fruitless as they were all out for 263.
Maro Itoje injury blow for England ahead of autumn Tests

England boss Eddie Jones has suffered another crushing injury setback after European player of the year Maro Itoje was ruled out of this season's autumn internationals.

Itoje's name has been added to an alarming casualty count that will test England's resources.

Jones names his squad on Wednesday for Twickenham appointments with South Africa, Fiji, Argentina and Australia on successive weekends - and 21-year-old lock Itoje is set to be the most significant absentee.

Saracens and England lock Maro Itoje will be out for six weeks after fracturing his right hand

Itoje's club Saracens confirmed the injury - a broken right hand - which happened during Saturday's European Champions Cup victory over the Scarlets at Allianz Park.

Saracens say that he requires surgery and will be sidelined for six weeks.

In a statement released by Saracens, the club's rugby director Mark McCall said: "For any team to lose a player of the ability of Maro is a blow, and he will be missed through the autumn for both Saracens and England.

"What's now important for Maro is his recovery, and we look forward to his return later this season."

Jones has already lost the likes of Itoje's Saracens and England second-row partner George Kruis, who has an ankle injury, in addition to players like James Haskell (foot), Anthony Watson (fractured jaw) and Jack Clifford (ankle)

Itoje was replaced in the 46th minute of Saracens' 44-26 success against the Scarlets after his arm was trapped awkwardly while making a tackle.

And of all the injury blows Jones has been dealt, Itoje's loss is arguably the most damaging, given the rapid strides he has made to world-class status in a remarkably short space of time, starring for England and Saracens.

Itoje helped England to the Six Nations title and Grand Slam glory last season in his debut campaign of international rugby, then started all three games when Jones' team claimed a memorable 3-0 Test series whitewash against Australia Down Under.

And he was a hugely-influential figure during Saracens' march to winning the European Champions Cup and retaining the Aviva Premiership title last term.

With Itoje and Kruis out of action, it looks as if Jones will now turn to seasoned campaigners Joe Launchbury and Courtney Lawes as his second-row partnership for the Springboks clash on November 12.

Itoje had also been talked about as an openside flanker option for Jones, with Haskell and other candidates like Leicester's Mike Williams and Wasps' Sam Jones all injured.
Australia's largest private trade delegation to visit China

By Harry Pearl

SYDNEY, Oct 23 (Reuters) - Australia's largest ever private trade delegation is due to arrive in China on Sunday, just over a week after 18 employees from Australian gaming giant Crown Resorts Ltd were detained there for alleged gambling crimes.

More than 200 delegates, including Queensland state ministers, agricultural producers and exporters will be on the visit to Shanghai aimed at building on the A$160 billion ($120 billion) trade relationship between Australia and China.

"We have brought together businesses from banks to exporters and freight companies," Ben Lyons, the group's leader, said in a statement.

The 18 employees of Crown Resorts, Australia's top casino operator, including three Australians, have been held by Chinese authorities since last weekend.

As of Sunday, no charges had been laid, but the arrests have raised fears of a wider crackdown.

Among the high profile members of the "AccessChina" delegation are Qantas Airways Ltd and both National Australia Bank and Australia and New Zealand Bank's agribusiness units.

Qantas Freight, which is looking to expand capacity in Asia, is hosting a networking dinner that Lyons said would help "educate the Shanghai business community on our regional capability when combined with an international freight provider".

The group left from Wellcamp Airport, a new A$200 million privately built air freight facility in Queensland, which will begin weekly freight-only flights next month. Cathay Pacific will operate the service from Wellcamp and Hong Kong.

Australia has been pushing to become the "delicatessen of Asia", tapping its favourable climate to send crates of produce such as figs and edible flowers to store shelves across the increasingly affluent region.

But finding space on flights has proven a headache for some Australian producers, who say freight export capabilities are not keeping up with growing demand for products from Asia's middle class.
Outlook dims for Singapore Inc as economy moonwalks

By Anshuman Daga and Marius Zaharia

SINGAPORE, Oct 24 (Reuters) - During Singapore's full moon festival last month, employer John Kong was focused more on cost-cutting than celebrating.

Not sending his clients traditional mooncake gift packages saved him S$14,000 ($10,000), and his 60 workers at building materials supplier M Metal Pte Ltd didn't get a pay rise either.

Having grown at a break-neck pace that transformed what half a century ago was a seedy colonial port into an Asian Manhattan, Singapore is now bracing for a prolonged period of low growth, darkening the outlook for the city-state's deeply indebted firms.

"When you talk to building infrastructure groups, it sounds depressing," said Kong, who faces a 10-15 percent sales drop this year, the firm's first in its five-year history.

"Everyone seems to be asking 'what's going to happen to me in three months?' Companies are not getting the orders, there are fixed overheads, so the first thing they do is slash marketing budgets and the next thing is they cut the number of people."

As a regional centre for trade, oil services and wealth management, Singapore's $300 billion economy punches above its weight and serves as a barometer for Asia's other export dependent economies.

China's slowdown has hit the city-state's manufacturers and shippers, the slump in commodity markets is weighing on its oil and gas sector, while a rise in bad debts and a regulatory crackdown has hurt its financial services industry.

The result: earnings forecasts for Singapore-listed companies are falling at among the fastest rates in the world.

Projections for next year's net income have come off by 4 percent on average over the past three months versus a 0.2 percent fall for the rest of Asia Pacific, according to data from Thomson Reuters.

Companies are also struggling with debt burdens that have ballooned since the financial crisis, even as bottom lines have shrunk.

While net incomes are down almost 40 percent since June 2008, net debt has more than doubled, according to Thomson Reuters data, as commodity markets boomed and companies took advantage of cheap credit.

STIMULUS NEEDED?

Analysts have cut earnings projections for the likes of commodity firms Wilmar International and Noble , and offshore marine heavyweights Sembcorp Marine and Ezion Holdings.

The profitability and asset quality of banks such as top lenders DBS Group Holdings and Oversea Chinese Banking Corp have also come under pressure because of their loans to those troubled sectors.

In addition, the spillover from a money laundering scandal involving Malaysia's state fund 1MDB has weighed on the financial industry, with banks forced to spend hefty sums on compliance, which is not generating revenue. And a tax amnesty in neighbouring Indonesia has triggered large outflows from the wealth management industry.

The problems extend beyond larger listed companies.

The head of the Association of Small and Medium Enterprises, which represents 12,000 companies, says firms are not expecting a swift recovery like that which followed the financial crisis.

"This is not '08-'09, it's not a V-shape. It's a sustained, deep-end plateau," said president Kurt Wee. "Industrial support industries or building contractors and oil and gas are very badly affected and that has a broad based effect on everything else on the ground."

Economists say the deteriorating earnings outlook raises the prospect that Singapore's economy performs worse than policymakers expect, requiring further fiscal or monetary stimulus.

The central bank has prepared investors for a protracted period of subdued growth, unexpectedly introducing forward guidance in its latest policy statement.

The government is "prepared to consider introducing a range of contingency measures, which could include broad-based as well as sector-specific measures," Lim Hng Kiang, Singapore's minister for trade and industry told parliament.

Data earlier this month showed a shock 4.1 percent contraction in the third quarter.

DEPRESSED CONSUMERS

To be sure, Singapore is better placed than many to weather a slowdown. It is one of the most politically stable countries in the world, with hefty reserves and a top ranking in the World Bank's ease of doing business index.

Even so, Singapore is showing signs its first recession in seven years is likely.

Entire floors at central shopping malls are empty, tourists are cutting spending and some property developers are taking on projects at a loss to keep business going.

A Mastercard survey showed Singapore posted one of the biggest drops in consumer confidence among 17 Asia-Pacific nations in the first half of 2016, notching up its lowest reading since June 2009.

Key factors dragging it down were perceptions about the quality of life, regular income and employment.

Jessica, a 39-year-old who only gave her first name and recently lost her job as an audit supervisor, can relate.

"I've definitely cut down on spending," she said as she left a job fair.
UK PM to offer Scotland, Wales, N.Ireland talks with Brexit minister

LONDON, Oct 24 (Reuters) - Representatives of the Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish governments will get a chance to tell Brexit minister David Davis how they hope Britain's future relationship with the EU will work, under plans the government announced on Monday.

At a meeting on Monday, Prime Minister Theresa May will offer the leaders of the three devolved governments, which have varying degrees of autonomy, formal discussions on Brexit at least twice before the end of the year, her office said.

"The country is facing a negotiation of tremendous importance and it is imperative that the devolved administrations play their part in making it work," May said in a statement her office released before the meeting.

"The new forum I am offering will be the chance for them all to put forward their proposals on how to seize the opportunities presented by Brexit and deliver the democratic decision expressed by the people of the U.K."

Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, leader of the Scottish National Party, has said her government is preparing for all possibilities including independence after Britain leaves the EU.

Scots voted by a large margin to remain in the bloc and Sturgeon has said Scotland wants to keep as many of the advantages of membership of the EU's single market as it can and is looking for a bespoke deal to do so.

The British government has said it will negotiate a one-size-fits-all Brexit deal on behalf of the whole United Kingdom.
Chile's right wins big in local elections as political tides shift

By Gram Slattery

SANTIAGO, Oct 23 (Reuters) - Chile's right snatched dozens of mayoralties on Sunday from the governing center-left coalition, in a boost to former leader Sebastian Pinera, the front-runner to lead the conservative coalition in next year's presidential election.

With over 90 percent of results counted on Sunday night in local elections, the right-leaning Chile Vamos pact looked to be the big winner. It had won slightly more votes than President Michelle Bachelet's left-leaning Nueva Mayoria coalition, despite the left going into the vote with a large incumbent advantage.

Conservative candidates won the majority of key swing cities, including central Santiago, a municipality inside the capital and considered an electoral bellwether.

"This reflects that residents are tired of incomplete promises," the conservative mayor-elect of central Santiago, Felipe Alessandri, told Reuters. "Citizens have made their annoyance at the old practices of politicians clear, and they have made clear that they expect to be listened to."

Voters have turned sour on Bachelet's government after a series of corruption scandals, an ambitious reform drive that fell flat with many Chileans, and weak economic growth.

The results were seen benefiting Pinera, a conservative politician and businessman who served as president from 2010 to 2014 between Bachelet's two terms and is widely expected to seek a return to office.

"Sebastian Pinera is going to sleep with the presidential sash on tonight," tweeted Patricio Navia, a political scientist at New York University and Universidad Diego Portales in Santiago. "What a beating for the Nueva Mayoria."

The results were a further sign the political tide had shifted toward the right in Latin America, after electoral disappointments for left-wing candidates elsewhere in the region over the past year including in neighboring Argentina and Peru.

Independent parties - previously a non-player in Chilean politics - also outperformed, raising the possibility that Chile's 26-year-old two-coalition system could rupture.

With disaffection with the entire political class running high, Sunday's vote was also marked by relatively high absention rates.

Bachelet, who is constitutionally barred from seeking re-election in 2017, lamented the low turnout in broadcast comments on Sunday night.

"We are going to redouble our efforts to respond to the demands and dreams of our citizens ... this is a very serious message, not just for our coalition but all political leaders in the country."
Hong Kong jury to see "torture" video as British banker's trial begins

By Farah Master

HONG KONG, Oct 24 (Reuters) - A Hong Kong judge warned jurors that they will have to view video filmed by former British banker Rurik Jutting of the torture and vicious killing of two Indonesian women he is accused of murdering as the trial got under way on Monday.

Jutting, who studied at Cambridge University and Winchester College, one of Britain's most prestigious private schools, pleaded not guilty to murder on grounds of "diminished responsibility". He was arrested two years ago after the victims' bodies were found in his luxury high rise apartment.

The 31-year-old pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of manslaughter, and to a third charge of preventing lawful burial of a body.

During the jury selection, Deputy High Court Judge Michael Stuart-Moore warned potential jurors that if they were unable to cope with viewing extreme violence they should not take part.

"There is a particularly horrifying aspect of the case. One of the victims was subject to extreme cruelty and violence," the judge said, explaining that a number of gruesome, and extreme colour photographs could be presented during the trial.

"The defendant even recorded on his IPhone the torture inflicted on the first victim before she died."

Jutting filmed a series of videos including one showing the first killing, while in other videos he talks about his plans for the second, according to a court fact sheet.

The judge said the defence and prosecution were largely in agreement over the physical evidence, but the dispute may lie in psychiatric and psychological evidence provided by the defence to determine whether it was a case of murder or manslaughter.

Looking trim and dressed in a dark blue shirt, Jutting was clean shaven with short cut hair, in stark contrast to his initial court appearances when he looked heavily overweight and wore a thick dark beard.

The grisly nature of the case has cast a harsh light on the seamy side of Hong Kong, offering an insight into how some wealthy professionals binge on sex, drugs and alcohol.

Jutting who previously worked at Bank of America Corp in Hong Kong, was accused of murder in October 2014 after police found the bodies of Sumarti Ningsih, 23, and Seneng Mujiasih, 26, in his apartment. Both women's throats were slit.

Ningsih, who had a son in Indonesia, was visiting Hong Kong on a tourist visa. Her mutilated body was discovered inside a suitcase on Jutting's balcony, while Mujiasih, a domestic helper, was found lying inside with wounds to her neck and buttocks. She was working in a bar when she met Jutting, according to the fact sheet.

"HIGHLY GRAPHIC" VIDEO

Before the jury selection, Jutting's barrister Tim Owen explained the argument for diminished responsibility was based on the grounds of a personality disorder.

Prosecutor John Reading stated that psychopathic behaviour was not a reason for diminished responsibility, setting up the arguments both parties will make during the trial.

Jutting was found fit to plea after undergoing psychiatric assessment at the end of 2014.

The jury has to decide if it is a case of murder, which carries a mandatory life sentence, or manslaughter, which carries a maximum of life thouh a shorter sentence can be set. On Tuesday, the jury will watch 30 minutes of "highly graphic" video. The public in the courtroom will not be able to see the video, though the sound will be audible.

The fact sheet said Ningsih was tortured for three days using Jutting's belt, sex toys, a pair of pliers and his fists. He eventually killed her in the bathroom, cutting her throat with a serrated-edged knife.

In video footage Jutting talked about watching porn including depicting violence and turning his fantasies into realities. He also talked about whether to turn himself in or hide the body and fly to Britain.

He called police to report the second murder. In a recording played in court Jutting sounded coherent, stating "obviously bad stuff has happened."

Investigators also found cocaine at his apartment, according to the fact sheet.

"I definitely could not have done that without cocaine," it quoted Jutting saying.

Hong Kong, a former British colony, still retains a British legal system after being handed back to China in 1997.

The case is being closely watched by Hong Kong's 300,000-strong migrant domestic helpers community, many of whom come from Indonesia and the Philippines. Outside the High Court, about a dozen of their representatives held placards reading "Justice for Wanchai Murder Victim" and "Stop Violence".
South Korea's Park proposes multiple-term presidency

By Ju-min Park and Christine Kim

SEOUL, Oct 24 (Reuters) - South Korean President Park Geun-hye on Monday proposed amending the constitution to allow presidents to serve multiple terms or to establish a parliamentary system, saying the single-term presidency has served its purpose after nearly 30 years.

The South Korean presidency was limited to a single five-year term in the 1987 constitutional amendment that ended the country's military dictatorship.

South Korean presidents serving a single five-year term typically become lame ducks in the second half of their tenure, limiting their effectiveness.

Park herself would not be able to serve a second term.

"Through the single-term presidency, it is difficult to maintain policy continuance, see results of policy and engage in unified foreign policy," she said in an address to parliament at the start of annual budget deliberations.

Critics of the presidency believe a parliamentary system in which the executive branch centred on a prime minister and the cabinet would allow for more stable policymaking and ensure greater accountability.

Park, the first woman president of South Korea, is in the fourth year of a term which ends in February 2018.

A Realmeter poll released in June found 70 percent of South Koreans think the existing constitution should be revised and 40 percent say allowing a president to serve two four-year terms would be preferable.

Park asked parliament to form a special committee to discuss revising the constitution, calling for the change to be completed before her term ends.

In South Korea, the president or parliament can propose a constitutional amendment, which must be approved by a two-thirds majority in the single-chamber assembly and then by a majority in a national referendum in which more than half of eligible voters participate.

Under the current constitution, the sitting president is barred from serving again under any potential amendment.

"I've reached a conclusion that we can no longer delay discussing amending the constitution, which was also my campaign promise, to break down limits we face in the big picture for the Republic of Korea's sustainable development," Park said.

Despite broad public consensus for constitutional reform, it is not clear how debate will play out, with political power split between a powerful presidency and a fractious parliament.

Park's proposal was welcomed by her Saenuri Party but drew suspicion from rival parties which saw it as a move to divert attention from an influence scandal involving old acquaintances and to keep herself relevant as her presidency winds down.

Park's father, Park Chung-hee, who took power in a coup in 1961 and served as leader until he was assassinated by his spy chief in 1979, forced through a constitutional amendment in 1972 to extend his presidency.
Poland - Factors to Watch Oct 24

Following are news stories, press reports and events to watch that may affect Poland's financial markets on Monday. ALL TIMES GMT (Poland: GMT + 2 hours):

ORANGE POLSKA

Poland's dominant telecom Orange Polska will release its third-quarter results after the bourse session.

KERNEL

Ukrainian agriculture group Kernel said its net profit in the financial year ended June 30 rose to $225 million from $107 million reported a year earlier.

MBANK

Poland's financial regulator KNF told mBank it should hold funds to hedge the risk stemming from its foreign currency-denominated mortgage portfolio with the ratio at 3.81 percentage points, down from previously required 4.39 percentage points, the bank said on Friday.

COAL MINES

Polish state-owned troubled coal miner KHW lacks money to pay out a traditional extra bonus for miners worth a monthly salary or 80 million zlotys in total, Dziennik Gazeta Prawna said quoting unnamed sources. The paper also said, quoting a trade union representative, that miners may start protests if the bonus is not paid.

INITIAL PUBLIC OFFERINGS (IPO)

Poland and Belarus may sign an agreement on launching an IPO centre, designed to inform and help Belarusian companies, both state-run and private, to debut on the Warsaw bourse, Rzeczpospolita daily said.

FX LOANS

The costs of solving the problem with FX mortgages should be covered by banks, Poland's president Andrzej Duda told wSieci weekly.

****Reuters has not verified stories reported by Polish media and does not vouch for their accuracy.****
Samsung offers upgrade programme for S.Korea Note 7 customers

By Se Young Lee

SEOUL, Oct 24 (Reuters) - Samsung Electronics is offering an upgrade programme option to Galaxy Note 7 customers in South Korea who trade in their recalled device for a Galaxy S7 phone, marking its latest attempt to retain customers.

In a statement on Monday, Samsung said customers who trade in their Note 7 phone for either a flat-screen or curved-screen version of the Galaxy S7 can trade up for a Galaxy S8 or Note 8 smartphone launching next year through an upgrade programme.

The world's top smartphone maker permanently ended Note 7 sales due to continued reports of fire from the flagship device. In addition to offering refunds or exchanges for a Galaxy S7 smartphone, Samsung has already offered financial incentives amounting to 100,000 won ($88.39) to affected customers in South Korea.

Users in the upgrade programme will need to pay only half the price of a Galaxy S7 device, rather than the full amount, before exchanging to the S8 or the Note 8, Samsung said.

In offering the Note 8 upgrade option, Samsung indirectly reinforced previous statements that the Note series will not be discontinued. The company said the availability of such a programme in other markets will be dependent on the situation in each country. It did not elaborate.

Samsung has stepped up marketing and promotion for its Galaxy S smartphones to try to make up for some of the lost sales. The Note 7's collapse is already costing Samsung $5.4 billion won in operating profit between the third quarter of this year and the first quarter of 2017.

Some analysts say Samsung will need to offer incentives to affected customers as part of their efforts to limit long-term damage to its brand and reputation from the Note 7's failure.

The South Korean firm is facing legal challenges from customers, as well. Harvest Law, a domestic law firm, said on Monday one of its lawyers, Peter Young-yeel Ko, and 526 others have filed a lawsuit in a South Korean court against Samsung seeking compensation of 500,000 won ($442.61) per person. Samsung did not immediately comment on the suit.
An educator development group based at Montana State University Billings became part of a national network earlier this month, opening up grant opportunities for work in Eastern Montana schools.

The Elk River Writing Project is the latest addition to the National Writing Project, a California-based organization that coordinates professional development programs with an emphasis on writing and composition.

Housed at MSUB, the Elk River group joins other official sites at Montana State University in Bozeman and the University of Montana in Missoula.

The new site will seek grants to fund educator training programs in schools throughout Eastern Montana. It aims to be a development model for teachers that focuses on different areas of writing and critical thinking.

One of its main programs will be the College-Ready Writers Program for middle and high schools.

The goal is to provide access to professional development in rural communities and travel to those communities and provide this professional development," said Casey Olsen, a high school English teacher in Columbus.

Olsen is on the national leadership team for the National Writing Project's College-Ready Writers Program. Now that the Elk River Writing Project is an official chapter of the national network, he hopes to use those resources to promote the program in rural schools.

Olsen said that the writing program seeks to foster critical thinking and substance in writing. It puts a premium on the research and fact-finding process prior to taking a stance on an issue.

In 2012, the National Writing Project received nearly $15 million in grants from the U.S. Department of Education for its College-Ready Writers Program. Now the local chapter is looking for a piece of that.

The money will be used to host teacher development events and to build a community around the curriculum, Olsen said. The materials are available for free through the National Writing Project, and the local groups set up the training grounds for regional teachers.

We plan to have a yearlong advanced institute where we try to bring together at least 15 teacher leaders to really study this in-depth, Olsen said.

Through startup retreats, the Elk River Writing Project already has a roster of educators on board. They held the events, called "institutes," last summer in Billings, Hardin, Harlem and Pablo.

"Locally, just within the Billings area and surrounding area, we have around 50 people who have been trained," said Tami Haaland, co-director of the Elk River project and chair of the MSUB English department.

The Elk River Writing Project plans to work with teachers from kindergarten through college levels. Haaland said that there could be other initiatives in the future, like community programs and partnerships.

But the ball is rolling on the College-Ready Writing Program, and the group hopes to expand into the hard-to-reach school districts of Eastern Montana.

And while the core of the program is academic writing, Olsen said that the process transcends subject area and career choice. The value lies in the practice of seeking facts and expressing an informed position.

Being college ready is just the beginning," he said. "This type of argument writing empowers students to have a voice in the world.
Battle for Mosul can shape or break Iraq

By Samia Nakhoul, Michael Georgy and Stephen Kalin

ERBIL, Oct 24 (Reuters) - It has taken two years of training a demoralised army, and the backing up by the air cover and special forces of the world's greatest powers, for Iraq to mount an offensive to recapture Mosul from Islamic State.

Almost a week into the U.S.-led onslaught, many of those running the campaign say the battle to retake the city could be long and hard. But they have also identified what they think is a chink in the jihadists' armour.

If local fighters in Mosul can be persuaded to drop their allegiance to Islamic State, there is a chance that the battle can be brought to a more speedy conclusion, and that could have major implications for the future of Iraq.

Against a background of splits and rebellions in the Islamic State ranks in Mosul, some opposing commanders believe that a successful attempt to win over those local fighters could mean the battle will last only weeks rather than months.

Mosul, Iraq's second biggest city, is where IS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi declared his Sunni caliphate in 2014, after his alliance between millenarian Islamists and veteran officers from the disbanded army of Saddam Hussein roared back into Iraq from bases they set up in Syria. Five Iraqi army divisions melted away in the face of a few hundred jihadists.

Now the battle to retake Mosul pits an unwieldy coalition of a 30,000-strong Iraqi regular force backed by the United States and European powers, alongside Kurdish and Shi'ite militias, against jihadists who have exploited the Sunni community's sense of dispossession in Iraq and betrayal in Syria.

The political sensitivity with which the battle is handled could determine the future of Islamic State and of Sunni extremism, as well as the shape of this part of the Middle East, which is being shattered into sectarian fragments.

Islamic State fighters, estimated at between 4,000 and 8,000, have rigged the city with explosives, mined and booby-trapped roads, built oil-filled moats they can set alight, dug tunnels and trenches, and have shown every willingness to use some of Mosul's 1.5 million civilians as human shields.

Islamic State seems to have a plentiful supply of suicide bombers, launching them in explosives-laden trucks against Kurdish Peshmerga fighters converging on Mosul from the east and northeast, and against Iraqi forces, spearheaded by counter-terrorism units, advancing from the south and southwest.

"Mosul will be a multi-month endeavour. This is going to take a long time," a senior U.S. official said in Iraq.

CALIPHATE

Karim Sinjari, Interior Minister in the self-governing Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) of northern Iraq, said IS would put up a fierce fight because of Mosul's symbolic value as capital of its self-proclaimed Islamic caliphate.

"If Mosul is finished, the caliphate they announced is finished. If they lose in Mosul, they will have no place, just Raqqa (in Syria)," Sinjari said.

IS is adept at exploiting divisions among its enemies, and last Friday's dawn assault by its fighters on Kirkuk, for example, was not just an attempt to divert Iraqi and Kurdish forces and relieve pressure on the main front.

It was also intended to galvanise Sunni Arab opinion against the Kurds, whose Iraqi Peshmerga and Syrian Kurdish militia are the most effective ground forces deployed against IS.

That is why many of those involved in the battle for Mosul stress the need to break the cohesion of IS and the allegiance it has won or coerced among alienated Sunnis, in Mosul and beyond.

The opportunity is there, they say.

They believe that while foreign jihadists will fight to the finish to protect their last stronghold in Iraq, the Iraqi fighters, many from Mosul itself, may lay down their arms.

"Most of the (IS) fighters now are local tribal fighters. They have some foreign fighters, they have some people from other parts of Iraq and Syria, but the majority are local fighters," says a senior Kurdish military intelligence chief.

"If we can take this away from them, the liberation of Mosul is a job of a week or two weeks."

FISSURES

Fissures are widening inside the IS camp, with Iraqi, Kurdish and Western sources reporting resistance in Mosul and a spate of attacks on the group's leaders.

Sinjari, also the KRG's acting defence minister, says there is growing resentment against IS brutality.

"There is information that many people are revolting and carrying out attacks against IS. A number of Daesh members were killed on the streets at night," Sinjari said. This was confirmed by the U.S. official but could not be independently verified.

But it fits with accounts of a recent abortive uprising against IS, led by a former aide to Baghdadi, that ended with the execution of 58 Daesh dissidents.

Crucially, more than half IS's fighting strength comes from Sunni tribes who were initially relieved they were being freed from sectarian persecution at the hands of a Shi'ite-dominated government in Baghdad and a corrupt and brutal army.

Some strategists believe those tribes could turn against the brutality of IS rule - just as the Sunni tribal fighters of the Sahwa or Awakening turned against al-Qaeda in Iraq a decade ago - if Baghdad guarantees their lives and livelihoods.

In Mosul, there are Iraqi tribal people in IS who pledged allegiance when the group arrived, a Kurdish intelligence chief said.

"If the Iraqis send a message and reassure these Sunni Iraqis that they will be given a second chance, I think it is wise to do so, because if they put their weapons down you are definitely taking out 60 percent of their (IS) fighting force."

The official emphasised the need for the coalition's close involvement in Mosul, especially after the experience of the recapture of Falluja, Ramadi and Tikrit, IS-held cities where refugees and local Sunnis suffered at the hands of Shi'ite militias.

In the battle for Mosul, it has supposedly been agreed that neither Shi'ite fighters nor Kurdish Peshmerga will enter the city when it falls to avoid stoking a sectarian backlash.

While the anti-IS coalition has gained momentum, military strategists and intelligence officials say the closer the Iraqi forces get to Mosul, the harder it will be.

"If they decide to defend the city then it will be more difficult and the process will slow down," the intelligence chief said.

Once inside Mosul, Iraqi special forces would have to go from street to street to clear explosives and booby traps set up by Islamic State.

"The roads are very narrow. You can't use vehicles or tanks, so it will be a fight, person by person," Sinjari said.

VILLAGES

Until now, it has been easy for the coalition to hit IS positions in deserted villages around Mosul, but the air strikes will slow down once Iraqi forces get into the city.

Islamic State, Iraqi commanders say, has succeeded in the past in blocking army troops from moving against it by staging suicide attacks and rigging explosives.

But they say that would no longer be an obstacle in Mosul as the Iraqi army has recently received an effective guided missile system that destroys explosives-packed vehicles.

The Iraqi commanders say their tactic now would be to cut Islamic State fighters off from the hinterland of supporting villages and then split the city into different neighbourhoods.

Brigadier Haider Abdul Muhsin al-Darraji, from the army's 10th division, said military units would launch simultaneous attacks from multiple fronts on Mosul and divide the city into sectors to isolate IS fighters. With the coalition launching air strikes, the jihadists will have little chance of getting reinforcements from the western side of the city, which has been left open to encourage their departure towards Syria.

The difficulty is how to hit IS targets inside Mosul without causing massive civilian casualties.

"It's just like a tough surgery to remove a brain tumour," Darraji said.

Colonel Mahdi Ameer, from the 9th Iraqi army division fighting south of Mosul, said Islamic State had "deliberately blocked residents from leaving the city to use them as human shields and prolong the battle".

Islamic State's enemies do not underestimate the group's strength, which depends on experienced former senior Baathist officers and Islamist radicals willing to blow themselves up to defend their Sunni heartland.

"They are much more organised than the Peshmerga and others. They have good administration, a good support system and enough weapons and ammunitions," said the Kurdish official.

The Mosul offensive will be the most important battle fought in Iraq since the U.S.-led invasion in 2003. What happens next will shape or break an already fractured Iraq.

"There are growing concerns about fixing the ... peace the day after liberating Mosul," said Hoshyar Zebari, a top Iraqi politician and former finance minister.

"How will this multi-ethnic, multi-sectarian city ... be governed and run without communal conflict, without revenge killing, without a large displacement of people? That needs some political planning on how the city will be governed," he said.

Zebari said there should be "strong representative governance" in Mosul.

But the battle against radical Islamists in the region would not end with the liberation of Mosul.
Retailer French Connection shares jump on M&A report

By Noor Zainab Hussain and Esha Vaish

Oct 24 (Reuters) - Shares in fashion retailer French Connection Group Plc rose more than 20 percent on Monday after a media report said overseas investors were looking to buy the British firm that has posted four year of losses.

The Telegraph reported on Sunday that interested buyers were thought to be a mix of European and U.S. private equity firms, as well as investment manager Neuberger Berman, and that French Connection had approached investment bank Moelis & Co for advice. http://bit.ly/2dAzTzy

French Connection and Moelis declined to comment. Neuberger Berman did not immediately respond.

French Connection, which has struggled against competition from fast-fashion rivals such as ASOS, Forever 21 and Inditex's Zara, has failed to post an annual pretax profit since 2011/12 as the success of its once-popular FCUK logo has waned.

Private equity firms could be a natural fit for French Connection as they could push through operational changes to extract profit, and revive the company's brand appeal, said Neil Saunders from retail consultant Conlumino.

The retailer has been the source of takeover speculation in the past, and some sector experts said there was now more pressure on the company following years of underperformance and little sign of underlying issues being addressed, despite turnaround measures including store closures and the hiring of new management and design teams.

Activist investor Gatemore, which has an 8 percent stake, last month urged the retailer to speed up its store closure programme after its first-half results showed another loss.

As of Friday's close of 32.75 pence - a fraction of highs of more than 500p set in 2004 - French Connection had a stock market value of 31.5 million pounds. Founder Stephen Marks held a 41.65 percent stake in the company as of March 15, according to Thomson Reuters data.

British companies have become cheaper for overseas buyers in recent months as Britain's vote to leave the European Union has driven the pound to its lowest in about three decades.
Protesters attack EU asylum offices on Greece's Lesbos

ATHENS, Oct 24 (Reuters) - Asylum-seekers attacked the premises of the European Asylum Support Office (EASO) on the island of Lesbos on Monday, protesting against delays in dealing with asylum claims, Greek and EU authorities said.

About 70 people, most from Pakistan and Bangladesh, threw rocks and burning blankets at EASO containers inside the Moria migrant camp, damaging three of those, a Greek police spokesman for the island said.

EASO Spokesman Jean-Pierre Schembri said protesters had hurled petrol bombs while interviews with asylum-seekers were taking place. EASO staff had evacuated the camp.

"They burnt our offices this morning ... The process will not resume for the time being," he said. "We have to evaluate security issues and in our view we need more presence of Greece police to be in place."

More than 15,000 asylum-seekers are living in overcrowded camps on Greek islands close to Turkey, stranded by a European deal with Ankara to seal the main route into the continent for a million refugees and migrants last year.

Asylum-seekers wait for weeks or months for their claims to be processed.
Chinese vice foreign minister visits North Korean capital

SEOUL, Oct 24 (Reuters) - Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Liu Zhenmin arrived in North Korea on Monday, North Korean state media reported, in the first visit by a high-ranking Chinese official since February, according to Japan's Kyodo news agency.

Liu's visit comes as Washington and its allies urge Beijing to agree on tough new United Nations Security Council sanctions against North Korea after it conducted a fifth nuclear test in September.

North Korea's KCNA news agency said Liu led a Chinese delegation attending the third meeting of the DPRK-China border joint committee. The Democratic People's Republic of Korea is the North's official name.

China is North Korea's main ally but is angered by Pyongyang's nuclear and ballistic missile tests.
As death toll mounts, Duterte deploys dubious data in drugs war

By Clare Baldwin and Andrew R.C. Marshall

MANILA, Oct 24 (Reuters) - Philippines' President Rodrigo Duterte ended a recent speech in Manila with a now-familiar claim: Two policemen were dying every day in his violent battle to rid the country of illegal drugs.

But police statistics have shown that figure to be exaggerated. From July 1, when Duterte launched his "war on drugs," to Oct. 12, when he spoke in Manila, 13 police officers were killed. That's an average of one every eight days.

This is not the only dubious claim Duterte has used to justify his bloody anti-narcotics campaign, according to a Reuters review of official government data and interviews with the president's top anti-drug officials.

These officials say that data on the total number of drug users, the number of users needing treatment, the types of drugs being consumed and the prevalence of drug-related crime is exaggerated, flawed or non-existent. But they say the problematic statistics don't matter because the campaign has focused attention on a long-neglected crisis in the Philippines.

"I don't see it as a problem," said Wilkins Villanueva, the Metro Manila regional director for the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), the country's leading anti-narcotics agency. "Before, our fight against dangerous drugs was a lonely battle Now, everybody's helping us - the community's helping us."

Nearly 2,300 people have been killed in police operations or by suspected vigilantes since Duterte took office on June 30, according to the Philippines police. That figure was revised down this month by the police from an original tally of 3,600 deaths.

In response to questions from Reuters, Presidential Communications Secretary Martin Andanar said the story was "malicious" and referred Reuters to the Philippine National Police.

The crackdown has been criticised abroad but enjoys widespread support in the Philippines, which Duterte has said faces collapse if the "drug menace" isn't tackled.

REAL-WORLD IMPACT

In his inaugural State of the Nation Address on July 25, Duterte declared that there were 3.7 million "drug addicts" in the Philippines.

"The number is quite staggering and scary," he said. "I have to slaughter these idiots for destroying my country."

But according to a 2015 survey by the Office of the President's Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB), the main drug policy and research unit, the Philippines has fewer than half that many drug users.

And rather than being "addicts," as Duterte refers to all drug users, about a third of the 1.8 million users identified in the DDB survey had taken drugs only once in the previous 13 months. Fewer than half of them - 860,000 - had consumed crystal meth, or shabu, the highly addictive stimulant widely blamed by officials for high crime rates and other social ills. Most were marijuana users.

PDEA's Villanueva said he didn't care if President Duterte "overestimates" the number of drug users as long as it made people aware of the problem.

Officials in the president's media office contacted by Reuters could not say where the data came from to back up another of the government's central claims: that 75 percent of serious crimes in the Philippines are drug-related.

Police and senior officials have used the claim to justify tough measures against drug users and pushers, and say those measures have been vindicated by a drop in crime since the anti-drug campaign began.

The faulty figures have other real-world implications. They determine, for instance, how many people the government says must be targeted to eradicate drug demand in the Philippines. That has led to the drawing up of police "watch lists" with the names of drug suspects, hundreds of whom have been shot dead either in police operations or by unknown gunmen.

The president's statistical claims continue to drive policy. In September, Duterte said the number of "addicts" would rise to four million by the end of the month and vowed to extend his drug war for another six months - to June 2017. That statement came after remarks on Sept. 30, when Duterte seemed to compare himself to Hitler and said he would be "happy to slaughter" three million drug addicts.

BURDEN OF HARM

A senior Philippines law enforcement officer said Duterte's "arbitrary" figures had put pressure on police and government officials.

"The problem is, every time the president says something, it's already some sort of a policy statement," said the officer, who spoke on condition of anonymity. "We have to toe the line."

The officer pointed, for example, to the more than 700,000 people who have registered in the past three months with the authorities as drug users or pushers, a process known as "surrendering." But, he said, authorities were expected to produce at least 1.8 million "surrenderers" to match the number of users cited in the DDB report.

"That's the reason we are having a hard time. We need to produce," he said. "Even if we add up everything...we are not even close to 1.8 million."

PDEA's Villanueva said the president's assessment of the drug problem was reasonable, and he felt no pressure.

"He just exaggerates it so we will know that the problem is very big," Villanueva said of Duterte. "The implication is that we have to work hard to solve the problem and we have to work hard so that...occasional drug users do not turn into regular drug users."

Statements by Duterte and other officials not only fail to distinguish between users and problem users, say drug-treatment specialists, but also between users of shabu and marijuana. Shabu is a highly addictive stimulant with side effects that can include aggression and psychosis.

"They are completely different substances in terms of risk profiles and harms," said Robert Ali, director of a University of Adelaide research centre on drug and alcohol treatment who works with the World Health Organization. "Shabu has a higher risk of addiction. It is associated with a greater range of physical and psychological harms."

While drug abuse is a real problem in the Philippines, said Ali, it was hard to devise an effective national response based on flawed data. "With public health, whether it's diabetes or drug use, you need a sense of the burden of harm to understand how to use your resources," he said.

Joanne Csete, a specialist in health and human rights at the Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University in New York, said that the term "current drug users" usually refers to those who have used drugs in the past month. However, the DDB survey counts anyone who has used drugs in the past 13 months, which Csete says could inflate the number of users.

"So the president can make up whatever numbers he likes - the survey does not adequately estimate current use," she said.

"BLATANTLY UNSUPPORTED"

The claim that 75 percent of "heinous crime" in the Philippines is drug-related features in an official booklet called "Winning the First Phase of the Drug War." It was handed out by the president's media team in September at a regional summit in Laos attended by world leaders.

According to the booklet, heinous crimes include murder, rape, human trafficking and treason.

It is not clear where the president's media team got the 75 percent figure. The booklet identifies the source of the number as the Philippines National Police Directorate for Investigation and Detective Management (DIDM). But six officials in the office responsible for the booklet and at the DIDM were unable to point to a specific study or explain how the figure was calculated.

Nimfa Reloc, who monitors heinous crime cases for DIDM, said the office had released no such data or analysis and did not know where the number came from. She said 15 percent of heinous crimes are drug-related.

Benjamin Reyes, the DDB's chairman, said there was "actually no data" on crimes committed under the influence of drugs.

An estimated 18 percent of convicted prisoners worldwide are in jail for drug-related offences, according to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).

"Illegal drugs do create a substantial burden on societies, and it's important that governments respond in ways that reduce the economic cost of drug use...and reduce pain and suffering from drug use," said Alison Ritter, a researcher at Australia's National Drug & Alcohol Research Centre.

But crime is complicated, and the rise and fall in crime rates can't be attributed to a single campaign or even a single institution such as the police, Ritter said. "To argue that killing people for consuming drugs is associated with crime reduction is blatantly unsupported," she said.

"Index" or serious crimes in the Philippines dropped by 31 percent in January to August this year compared with the same period in 2015, according to police statistics presented to a Senate hearing on extrajudicial killings on Oct. 5.

"If you don't call it winning, I don't know what to call it," said Villanueva at PDEA.

But the same police statistics show serious crime was already in decline during the administration of Duterte's predecessor, President Benigno Aquino, who did not conduct a war on drugs.

In fact, Aquino was still in office for most of the period covered by the 2016 statistics. The police figures show that in the January-August period of 2015, serious crime was down 22 percent compared with the same period the previous year. In 2014, it declined 26 percent.

While the crime rate has been dropping for several years, under Duterte the murder rate has risen since he launched his anti-drug campaign. In the first three months of his administration, police recorded a total of 3,760 murders, compared with 2,359 in the same period last year, a rise of 59 percent.

"Compared with last year, we are better off this year," said Dionardo Carlos, the national police spokesman. "Most of the victims this time are the drug users."

In Davao City, where Duterte was mayor for 22 years, he led an equally brutal anti-drugs crackdown. There, death squads killed hundreds of alleged drug dealers, petty criminals and street children, said Human Rights Watch in a 2009 report. Duterte denied any involvement in the killings.

Despite the crackdown, Davao still ranks first among 15 cities in the Philippines for murder and second for rape, according to police crime data from 2010 to 2015.

METH VERSUS MARIJUANA

Senior anti-narcotics officials in the Philippines also invoke conflicting or incomplete data in trying to identify how many people are problem users, which drug they use and what treatment they might need.

While the DDB survey says about 860,000 people are shabu users, PDEA chief Villanueva puts the number at 1.4 million. He explained to Reuters how he reached this number.

Villanueva started with an estimate based on drug-rehab facility data that he said showed 75 percent of patients at these facilities were shabu users. He then applied this percentage to the DDB's 1.8 million figure for all drug users.

He acknowledged that rehab data was already skewed towards shabu users, who seek treatment more often than users of less addictive drugs, and that applying the percentage to another study was problematic.

"Actually, the 75 percent does not translate, but it's a pretty good assumption," said Villanueva, who spent 12 years with PDEA in Davao City, where he said he got to know Duterte.

Of the 1.4 million shabu users Villanueva had identified by his method, about 700,000 people had already "surrendered" to the police as drug users and pushers, he said.

"We are taking away already one half of the demand," said Villanueva.

Treatment experts dispute this claim, since the severity of drug use among those who surrender is unclear. A spokesperson at the Philippines' Department of Health said he didn't know how many "surrenderers" had been medically screened.

This matters, said Ali, the University of Adelaide treatment specialist, because "drug use is not necessarily drug dependence." Only about 10 to 15 percent of shabu users might require residential care, he said. Ali said he based this estimate on his clinical experience and the experience of treatment services in the United Kingdom.

The DDB's survey does not distinguish between users and problem users.

"We did not try to categorize them, whether or not they were addicts, problematic drug users, or just plain users," said DDB chairman Reyes.

To calculate the number of problem users, said Reyes, the DDB relied on global estimates from the UNODC that say 0.6 percent of drug users are problem users, which means they require treatment.

Reyes said he rounded this figure up to one percent and applied it to the figure of 1.8 million users, and concluded that the Philippines had, at most, 18,000 drug users in need of treatment.

"It's a small number," he said.

"HARDLINE APPROACH"

Yet Reyes said domestic support for the drug war wouldn't change even if it was widely known that the country had far fewer drug users than Duterte claims. "There is really a perception that we need a hardline approach to the problem," he said.

Other top backers of the drug war agree. The 3.7 million figure cited by Duterte "doesn't mean anything," said Villanueva. "I believe he has his own survey, aside from the DDB. But it's not a scientific one."

What's important, he said, is that the president is now marshalling the resources needed to address the drug problem. PDEA is hiring and training another 400 agents and is expecting more firearms, vehicles and surveillance equipment, he said.

Philippines Senator Vicente Sotto, a former DDB chief who supports Duterte's drug war, said inflated figures serve a purpose if they scare users into quitting.
Owner of Ukraine's Ukrlandfarming in talks to sell stake -Interfax

KIEV, Oct 24 (Reuters) - Ukrainian businessman Oleh Bakhmatyuk, the major shareholder in agricultural group Ukrlandfarming, is in talks with Chinese and Middle East investors about possibly selling a stake in the company, Interfax news agency said on Monday.

Ukrlandfarming's main businesses are grain and sugar production, livestock farming, the distribution of agricultural products and the production of eggs and egg products. It owns London-listed egg producer Avangardco.

The flotation of 20 percent of Avangardco on the London stock market in 2010 put Bakhmatyuk on a Forbes list of the world's youngest billionaires.

But his businesses have struggled to turn a profit since the 2014 separatist uprising in Ukraine pushed the country into an economic slump and hit sales.

"I understand that to attract investors is the only way out," he told Interfax. It did not say what size stake he might sell.

Avangardco, Europe's largest producer of shell eggs and dry egg products, reported a $158 million loss for 2015, widening from a $26 million loss in 2014.
Oil industry workers split between Trump and Clinton

By Grant Smith

NEW YORK, Oct 24 (Reuters) - U.S. oil and gas industry workers have contributed only slightly more money to the campaign of Democrat Hillary Clinton than to Republican Donald Trump since the two clinched their parties' nominations for the White House, according to Reuters' review of federal disclosures.

The nearly even support suggests ambivalence in the industry between two rivals who have put forward wildly different energy visions. Trump calls for a drastic reduction in regulations to bolster drilling, while Clinton advocates tougher environmental protections and more renewables.

Employees in the industry gave Clinton $114,141 and Trump $99,302 since July 1, Reuters found in reviewing individual campaign contributions exceeding $200 and donations funneled through their joint fundraising committees. Both were officially nominated by their parties in mid-July.

Several oil and gas industry employees reached by Reuters said they did not donate just because of the candidates' energy policies. Most requested anonymity, citing the sensitivity of the election.

"I am moved by the disturbing nature of what I see in Trump's vision for America on trade, the economy and national security," said American Gas Association head Dave McCurdy, who has contributed to Clinton's campaign.

He added, however, that he agreed with Clinton on reducing carbon dioxide emissions blamed for climate change and felt natural gas would play a role in that effort.

The association has not endorsed a candidate.

Continental Resources Inc Chief Executive Officer Harold Hamm, who has contributed repeatedly to Trump's campaign, has argued in favor of the candidate's energy policies. Hamm has said bolstering U.S. drilling would reduce dependence on Middle East oil, whose proceeds he says finance terrorist attacks.

A Continental official did not respond to a request for comment from Hamm.

An energy lobbyist based in Washington said he understood the industry's ambivalence. "Clinton is pro-regulation, which hurts," he said, requesting anonymity. "And Trump has no record in the industry, so there's no evidence he understands the issues."

Clinton had far exceeded Trump in campaign contributions from industry employees during the primaries, but donations to the Republican side of the ledger were split among a much larger number of candidates than on the Democratic side.

During the Republican primaries, the industry had taken an early liking to former Florida Governor Jeb Bush, giving him more than all his rivals combined, before he dropped out of the race in February.
Ferocity of Kirkuk attack points to tough fight for Mosul

By Babak Dehghanpisheh and Michael Georgy

KIRKUK, Iraq, Oct 24 (Reuters) - At least 100 fighters sneaked into Kirkuk in the early hours of Friday with machine guns, rocket propelled grenades, suicide vests and a message: "Islamic State has taken over."

The message blared out from several mosque loudspeakers while the militants went on a rampage.

By the time they had blasted their way across the city in a brazen and complex attack, 99 civilians and members of the security forces were dead and 63 of their own were in the morgue, according to Iraqi security officials.

The scale of the operation - the largest of several by Islamic State to divert an advance on their stronghold in Mosul - shows how tough the battle for Mosul may become and points to a continued ability of the militant group to undermine security across the country even if its northern bastion falls.

Accounts gathered by Reuters from residents, police, security and intelligence officials suggest it was carried out by forces that were highly trained, well-prepared and - alarmingly for the government - supported from inside Kirkuk.

"What was surprising is it was done so easily," said Ranj Talabani, a senior Kurdish intelligence official.

Like the Islamic State attacks on Paris last year, the operation appeared aimed at spreading chaos and fear rather than seizing territory. Although the heaviest fighting was over by Friday night, clashes continued for two days and officials are still searching for Islamic State units in the city.

The blackened and bullet-ridden facade of two hotels near Kirkuk's governorate building, one of the targets of the attack, are a clear sign of its ferocity. The smell of smoke and cordite still linger.

"PROFESSIONAL" FIGHTERS

Kirkuk, 100 km (60 miles) southeast of Mosul, is close to oilfields which hold much of Iraq's vast crude reserves. It also lies near northern Iraq's semi-autonomous Kurdish region, and has been controlled by Kurdish forces since the Iraqi army retreated from advancing Islamic State forces in 2014.

The attack took place four days after the launch of an offensive against Islamic State in Mosul by Kurdish peshmerga, Iraqi soldiers and a U.S.-led international coalition.

The fighters appeared well-trained for urban combat, a sign that the battle for Mosul, Iraq's second largest city, could be drawn-out and bloody, according to Iraqi security officials.

"These were the most professional fighters that I have seen since 2003," said Halo Najat Hamza, director of the Asayesh, a Kurdish security and intelligence force, in Kirkuk.

On Sunday afternoon, two and a half days after the attack began, two snipers detonated their suicide vests during a heavy exchange of fire with security forces at an elementary school. But no local official was prepared to say the attack was completely over.

"We are still hunting them," said one Kirkuk official who asked not to be identified for security reasons.

The operation was not improvised: a video found on a Samsung Galaxy phone on the body of a fighter shows footage of targets around the city filmed before the attack.

"It involved a lot of preparation," said Iraq's former finance and foreign minister Hoshiyar Zebari, a Kurd.

FEROCIOUS BATTLES

The operation began at approximately 3 a.m. on Friday morning, when fighters arrived in pickup trucks and were dropped off on the southern perimeter of the city.

The group broke up into 20 teams of five and fanned out across the city on foot. Several teams worked together to attack the first two targets: a base for the Asayesh and a police station in southern Kirkuk.

A ferocious gunbattle broke out at both locations. "They looked wild," said Hamza.

He described the fighters as having long beards, long hair and "Afghan robes", although Iraqi security officials say they did not find any documents on dead fighters to suggest they were foreign combatants, and local people who encountered the fighters said they spoke a local Iraqi Arabic dialect.

At around 4 a.m. two teams of snipers reached the centre of the city and broke up, one group headed to the rooftop of the Senobar hotel and the other headed to the Dar al Salam hotel across the street. Both hotels were closed for repairs.

Their target was a few hundred metres away across a roundabout: the Kirkuk governorate building.

At approximately the same time, fighters shot their way through door locks and took over two houses in an adjacent neighbourhood, demanding residents give them shelter and asking for keys to their cars.

Video footage from one of the houses shows fighters in south Asian-style shalwar kameez clothing, toting machine guns, an RPG and several reserve clips of ammunition.

One fighter is seen running to the head of the street next to the Senobar hotel and shooting off an RPG at the governorate building which explodes in a ball of fire and sparks.

A few blocks away at the Kirkuk general hospital, Samim Hamza, a policeman, heard the explosions and machinegun fire. "It was obvious this wasn't an ordinary attack," said Samim, who lost five police colleagues in the attack.

SLEEPER CELLS

At the time the clashes were spreading out across Kirkuk, four Islamic State militants wearing suicide vests also attacked a power station in the town of Dibis, 30 km away. At least 11 people were killed, among them three Iranian engineers who had been working at the plant.

Back in Kirkuk, sleeper cells in the city helped the fighters, according to Iraqi security officials and a U.S. military official. Residents report seeing cars driving up near the Senobar hotel during the clashes and dropping off ammunition for the fighters.

By daybreak, gunfire and explosions reverberated across the city, as the jihadists fought street battles with security forces and snipers picked off targets.

"Their goal was to create chaos here," said Hamza. "They thought it would cut the number of fighters that can be sent to Mosul."

As the extent of the attack became apparent, security officials called for reinforcements: up to 3,000 peshmerga were called up from Erbil and Suleimaniya. The U.S. military also carried out air strikes, according to a Western diplomat familiar with the operation.

Even after reinforcements arrived, heavy fighting continued for several hours. The shootout at the Asayesh building only ended at five p.m. on Friday, roughly 14 hours after it began.

Local TV footage showed tracer fire zipping across the sky and smoke rising from the city centre on Friday night. Sporadic clashes continued through Saturday and Sunday.

For security officials trying to prevent another attack, the biggest concern is the extent of support within the city for Islamic State.
Time to declare: Ukrainian anti-corruption reform faces threats

By Pavel Polityuk and Margaryta Chornokondratenko

KIEV, Oct 24 (Reuters) - The prime minister urged his cabinet colleagues to be brave enough to do it, saying it was like shutting one's eyes before parachuting out of a plane.

But as the deadline for its completion nears, an IMF-backed reform forcing Ukrainian politicians and officials to declare their assets online is facing what some lawmakers and anti-corruption activists say are persistent attempts to sabotage it.

"There is an attempt to discredit the system in order to destroy it technically, physically," said Viktor Chumak, an independent lawmaker and the deputy head of the parliament's committee on fighting corruption.

The reform comes at a critical time for Ukraine. More than two years after street protests ousted a Kremlin-backed president, political leaders in Kiev must be seen to make good on promises to transform the country and tackle corruption.

The reform has faced hostility from the start, and the original August launch date was delayed because the software wasn't given security clearance. Several lawmakers introduced bills to try to water the reform down and others want it delayed.

The system finally went live in September but MPs say it is full of problems that make it difficult to complete the form properly. Its designer says those problems were introduced after he handed control of the software to the authorities.

The consequences of Ukraine missing the Oct. 30 deadline for some 50,000 people to declare their wealth may be far-reaching, and the prospect of that happening prompted the EU to send an urgent letter to the speaker of parliament.

The International Monetary Fund sees the deadline as a "structural benchmark", and failing to meet it would weaken the case for the IMF to disburse more aid as part of a $17.5 billion bailout by the end of this year.

UNPRECEDENTED DISCLOSURE

Artem Shevalev, Ukraine's representative to the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, said it didn't look feasible for Ukraine to implement difficult reforms such as the asset declaration system by then.

"When I read some of the feedback from some of my colleagues in Kiev it is clear it is very difficult technically, but also the level of disclosure is unprecedented," Shevalev said.

"It's anything, literally anything, even down to every piece of jewellery you have."

The EU has linked the reform to granting a visa-free regime to Ukraine. If the reform fails, it would add to the impression that Kiev's Western-backed leaders do not have the will to tackle corruption. Other measures, such as privatising state companies or cleaning up the customs service, also face threats.

"It is absolutely obvious for me that the president's declarations to the international community, that the system would operate fully, are artificial in order to create an image that Ukraine is fulfilling its obligations," said Oleksandra Drik, head of the Civic Lustration Committee, an anti-corruption body.

Politicians have had to fill in asset declaration forms before, but the new one is more comprehensive and carries prison sentences for false statements.

President Petro Poroshenko told local television on Sunday that the form was not perfect and he didn't much like it.

"But it cannot be a reason not to fill it in," he said, and he would submit his on time.

TESTED TO DESTRUCTION

Based on the principle that sunlight is the best disinfectant, the measure was designed to expose the wealth of politicians, officials, prosecutors and judges in a country that thrives on kickbacks and tax evasion.

Some politicians, officials and businessmen have amassed fantastic wealth. To many, this was encapsulated by the luxurious residence of Viktor Yanukovich, the Russian-backed president who fled into exile two years ago.

Similarly, police found 42 kilograms of gold and $4.8 million in cash during a search of the apartments of former Energy Minister Eduard Stavytsky two years ago. And last year, large quantities of diamonds and cash were found at the homes of two high-ranking prosecutors.

As of Monday, just over half the 50,000 declarations had been submitted. Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman said his was almost done.

"I think it's something like a parachute jump," Groysman said at a televised government meeting. "Close your eyes and jump. It needs to be done once and everything will fall into place. If you're afraid, don't be."

The man whose company MIRANDA designed the software said he handed over control in August to a state anti-corruption body, which asked the State Service of Special Communication to make changes to the programme.

After that, "all sorts of errors and problems" were introduced, said Yuri Novikov, the designer. "The video tutorials are still ours, but the system is different. We look at the system and understand that all this is very sad."

For example, one addition asks for the passport numbers of dead relatives who have passed on inheritances, even though Ukrainians often hand passports in to the authorities when a person dies, Novikov said.

Another addition is that the system now asks how much physical cash a person holds and then asks for the name of the bank where they've stored it: a contradiction in terms that several MPs identified as a problem to completing the form.

The State Service of Special Communication and Information Protection did not respond to a request for comment.
Patriarch steps in at India's Tata Sons after board ousts chairman

By Promit Mukherjee and Aditi Shah

MUMBAI/DELHI, Oct 24 (Reuters) - Ratan Tata, patriarch of one of India's most influential families, will take over as interim chairman of Tata Sons after the salt-to-software conglomerate's board ousted Cyrus Mistry, who had sought to shake up the firm's management.

Tata, who had stepped down as chairman and was replaced by Mistry in late 2012, will head the group for four months while the company seeks a replacement.

Tata Sons is a large shareholder in a string of listed Tata Group companies - a business empire ranging from Jaguar Land Rover cars and steel mills to aviation and salt pans.

The board said in a statement on Monday it was decided "it may be appropriate to consider a change for the long-term interest of Tata Sons and Tata group."

While the board gave no detailed reason for the change, some media reports said there has been discontent with some of Mistry's actions, including asset sales.

The 48-year-old has been trying to shake up the $100 billion company by changing the management structure to bring in new faces at senior levels.

He has also battled issues on a number of fronts in recent months, including a costly settlement with Japanese telecom operator NTT Docomo and the sale of Tata Steel's loss-making UK business.

Britain's vote in June to exit the European Union was a big setback for the steel sale, which Tata has now put on hold.

Brexit has also cast a shadow over Tata Motors' luxury car unit Jaguar Land Rover (JLR), which has a large UK manufacturing base. Tata Motors' quarterly profit halved as the pound slumped following the Brexit vote, and JLR's CEO warned that some customers in Europe, its biggest market, no longer wanted to buy British cars.

SURPRISE MOVE

Mistry's shock exit took many by surprise, though analysts and investors saw Ratan Tata's appointment as interim chair as a way to ease concerns. "The impact will be a little softer with Ratan Tata taking over," Gaurang Shah, analyst at Geojit BNP Paribas, told BTVi television.

The board made its decision at a lengthy meeting on Monday, with six of the nine members backing the ousting of Mistry, said one source who was not authorized to publicly discuss the matter, and did not want to be identified. Two members abstained. Mistry, who could not vote, remains a board director.

The source also said that Mistry's departure was deliberated over months and was a result of a difference of opinion between him and the board, without elaborating on the differences. The source also said that Tata was disbanding the group executive council (GEC) - a team of core advisers that Mistry had formed

Of the five GEC members, two, including Dr Mukund Rajan and Harish Bhat, will take on senior level responsibilities within the group, said the source, adding it is unclear what roles, if any, would be offered to the other three, Madhu Kannan, former CEO of the Bombay Stock Exchange; NS Rajan, former partner at Ernst & Young; and Nirmalya Kumar, former professor at London Business School.

Indian news channel CNBC TV18 reported that Mistry's Shapoorji Pallonji family, one of the biggest shareholders in Tata Sons, may legally contest his departure, adding that the Tata family had sought legal advice before making the decision.

"Shapoorji Pallonji could challenge this decision, although I think all the rules were strictly followed and I was convinced," said Mohan Parasaran, a senior Supreme Court advocate who was consulted by the Tata family about a month ago.

'HARD DECISIONS'

Unlike his predecessor, Mistry has stayed away from the limelight, limiting his speeches to company events.

His style of doing business also differed from Ratan Tata's, who spent billions of dollars acquiring global companies like steelmaker Corus and Jaguar Land Rover.

In a rare interview last month, in Tata's in-house magazine, Mistry admitted the challenges facing some of the Tata group companies would "entail hard decisions on pruning the portfolio."

Since stepping down as chairman in 2012, Ratan Tata has pursued venture capital investments in ride-hailing firm Ola, e-commerce firm Snapdeal and payment solution provider Paytm.

International revenues make up close to 70 percent of Tata Group's total turnover, and the majority of its capital spending has been overseas in the last three years.
In addition to a consultants report on the proposed One Big Sky Center, the Billings City Council will decide on other tax increment financing matters Monday.

The regular business meeting begins at 6:30 p.m. in council chambers at City Hall, 220 N. 27th St.

A closed executive session to discuss pending litigation will begin at 5:30 p.m.

The city council is also scheduled to decide whether to approve up to $350,000 in tax increment funds to reimburse the Society of St. Vincent de Paul for interior construction, a service kitchen and equipment in a building that will replace the current charity office at 2610 Minnesota Ave.

The charity plans to sell its building and move its charity office to the Crane building at First Avenue South and S. 30th Street. The board of directors for the Downtown Billings Partnership has already approved the request for TIF funds.

Once it's heard from its consultant, Springsted of St. Paul, Minn., the city council will have a pair of One Big Sky Center decisions to make on Monday.

Its being asked to approve a predevelopment memorandum of understanding between the city and MontDevCo LLC for the redevelopment site north of First Avenue North and on both sides of N. 29th Street.

The MOU designates MontDevCo as the exclusive developer of the site, which will allow MontDevCo to market the $165 million project and, according to a memo by Assistant City Administrator Bruce McCandless, obtain financing for it.

The MOU contains no concrete commitments or responsibilities, but it authorizes the staff to work with the developers to produce an acceptable development agreement by June 30, 2017, McCandless wrote.

In addition, the city council will decide on a resolution that will allow the city to use bond proceeds to reimburse itself for the projects development expenses, including engineering, financial, legal and other services, before the bonds are issued. According to McCandless, Internal Revenue Service rules prevent cities from using bond proceeds to reimburse themselves for these expenses unless the bond issuer adopts a reimbursement resolution early in project development.

The reimbursement will occur only if the city issues the bonds.

Three other public hearings are scheduled Monday. The first is over approving and adopting about $1.3 million in budget amendments for the current fiscal year. The largest are for the 14th Street West storm sewer project and a pair of water projects.

The second is over special review of a proposed public parking lot at 331 Calhoun Lane. The applicant wants to redevelop buildings at the northeast corner of Calhoun Lane and Vaughn Lane and needs off-street parking to meet the site development requirements.

The third public hearing is over a zone change request on about 3.5 acres in the Lake Hills Subdivision on Cherry Hills Road in the Billings Heights.

Mondays consent agenda includes these items of business:

Authorizing about $172,000 to purchase two circuit breakers and the associated switchgear on the citys water reclamation facility site.

Approving an approximately $651,000 contract with CTA Architects Engineers for design, bidding services, construction administration and other services for the planned new 911 call center.

Approving three professional engineering services contracts worth a total of about $1.7 million for water main and sanitary sewer replacement projects.

Voting on a development agreement between the city and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints over the proposed new meeting house off 54th Street West south of Trail Creek Drive.

Accepting a $9,600 donation to the Fire Department from ExxonMobil for a pair of jet skis and a trailer. The equipment will be used to make water rescues and assist other first responder agencies.
Mexico's streets filled with color and skeletons for Catrina parade

By Roberto Ramirez

MEXICO CITY, Oct 24 (Reuters) - Hundreds of people donned costumes and face paint, disguising themselves as the iconic Mexican skeleton figure known as "La Catrina" or "Elegant Skull," and flooded the streets of Mexico City for a pre-Day of the Dead parade.

La Catrina was created by the Mexican illustrator-artist Jose Guadalupe Posada, who died in 1913 but has been an influence on many Latin American artists and cartoonists because the satirical acuteness and political engagement of his work.

The parade took place on Sunday, well ahead of Nov. 2 date for the Day of the Dead, or Dia de los Muertos, a pre-Hispanic tradition in which families remember their dead and celebrate the continuity of life. Mexicans set up offerings to the dead that include photographs, food, candles, flowers, personal items, skulls made of sugar, skeletons of papier mache and sweets.

Parade organizer Jessica Esquivas explained the festival's link to Mexican history by saying, "For us, it's very important to rescue the culture of our country, our tradition, and get back to our roots."

Participant Edith Gonzalez, her faced painted like a skull and wearing a hat with a black veil, said the parade was a way to make Mexican traditions stand out.

"Well, it's a part of Mexican culture. It's a tradition that is being lost, as it's hard to compete with Halloween," she said. "The costumes are part of returning to our traditions and that's why we brought our kids to share in this."
After rail crash, Cameroonians vent grief, frustration with longtime ruler

By Sylvain Andzongo and Joel Kouam

YAOUNDE/ESEKA, Cameroon, Oct 24 (Reuters) - Cameroon observed a day of mourning on Monday for victims of a deadly rail accident that has killed at least 75 people and exposed widespread frustration with one of Africa's longest-ruling presidents.

At the Eseka train station near where a packed passenger train carrying more than 1,300 people from Yaounde to the port of Douala derailed and flipped over last week, thousands of people gathered to mourn.

Many wore black and carried small branches from the local "peace tree" associated with sorrow during the inter-religious service where they sang religious hymns.

The official death toll from the accident is expected to rise further, with an unspecified number of unidentified bodies being kept in a Yaounde morgue, according to state television.

The work has been complicated by the fact there were no official lists of passengers since many did not have tickets.

"I still cannot find my brother who was on this train," said Arouna in Yaounde, who did not want to give his full name. "Nobody has been able to help me since Friday."

In Eseka, some residents said they had seen many more bodies than had been officially reported although this could not be independently verified. Around 600 people are still being treated for injuries and officials made urgent calls for blood donations to help those who still needed transfusions.

On the streets of the capital Yaounde, many openly criticised the reaction of President Paul Biya's government to an accident which they say should have been avoidable.

A train run by the same company, Camrail, a unit of French industrial group Bollore, also derailed in 2009 near Yaounde, killing five people and injuring more than 200.

"Many people are dead because they did not receive help that could have saved them at the right time," said Baudelaire Kemajou, a survivor of the crash who lost several friends in the accident and had to wait four hours for help.

A local travel agency sent cars to transport the injured before official help arrived, witnesses said.

Demand for tickets on the Camrail train had been especially high due to the collapse of a portion of a main highway on the same route and extra carriages were added at the last minute.

It is unclear whether this played a role in the crash.

INDIFFERENCE AT THE TOP?

Biya, who has ruled since 1982, arrived back in the country on Sunday afternoon after a 35-day absence following the U.N. General Assembly in New York and a "a private stay in Europe", according to his website.

While Biya is often absent for long periods, some expressed anger that he had not returned earlier to manage the crisis.

"Cameroonians are exasperated by his repeated shows of indifference during the tragedies of this country over the past 34 years," said Jean Michel Nintcheu, a member of parliament for the opposition Social Democratic Front.

Government officials have previously defended the absences, saying he does not need to be physically present to rule. Biya has called for an investigation into the crash and said the government would pay hospital fees for the injured.

Other Cameroonians said that his wife Chantal's decision to step off the plane wearing a bright pink suit jarred with the national mood of mourning.

"Her choice of clothes shows the disdain she has for the poor...She doesn't show her compassion," said Paulin, an economy ministry official who declined to give his full name.

However, Hans De Marie Heungoup, Cameroon analyst with International Crisis Group, said he doubted the incident would have major long-term political consequences for Biya.
Time Warner banks on Delaware's new distaste for shareholder suits: Frankel

By Alison Frankel

NEW YORK Oct 24 (Reuters) - On Monday, Time Warner filed a disclosure at the Securities and Exchange Commission of its $85 billion merger agreement with AT&T. The SEC filing includes a provision notifying investors that Time Warner amended its bylaws over the weekend to direct all shareholder litigation to Delaware Chancery Court.

That forum selection clause, as such provisions are known, is a very good way to restrict scrutiny of the $85 billion deal by the plaintiffs' bar.

Shareholder lawyers I talked to Monday about the Time Warner deal - and the other just-announced mergers buoying the stock market - seemed almost wistful about how difficult it has become to litigate M&A class actions in Delaware Chancery Court.

You can be sure some investor will file a class action challenging AT&T's takeover of Time Warner. As Fordham law professor Sean Griffith told me Monday, Time Warner's decision to reach a deal with AT&T without seeking competing bids is an open invitation for plaintiffs' lawyers to argue that shareholders aren't getting a fair price.

But according to three top-notch plaintiffs' lawyers who talked to me on background, a series of recent decisions from the Delaware Supreme Court and Chancery Court has made it much tougher for investors to police corporate boards and advisers, to block shareholder votes on deals involving a single bidder and to recover damages for disclosure violations if shareholders have voted in favor of a merger.

The net effect of this recent precedent, they said, is to encourage shareholders to file M&A class actions in federal court, alleging violations of federal disclosure laws, rather than bringing fiduciary duty suits in Delaware.

These lawyers weren't even talking about Chancery Court's celebrated 2015 crackdown on "deal tax" settlements. You probably remember that Delaware judges acted in concert to squelch M&A class action settlements in which corporations received broad releases from shareholder claims in exchange for additional, often immaterial, proxy disclosures.

Chancery Court's refusal to sign off on six- or seven-figure fees for plaintiffs' lawyers who negotiated disclosure-only settlements has already sharply reduced the number of M&A challenges filed in Delaware.

According to a Cornerstone Research study published this summer, nearly two-thirds of all deals valued at more than $100 million still provoked shareholder litigation, but that's way down from the 2013 peak of 94 percent - and shareholder lawyers are much more likely to file investor suits outside of Delaware. (Thus explaining Time Warner's new forum selection clause.)

MORE SHAREHOLDER ROADBLOCKS

For all of the attention paid to the clampdown on disclosure-only settlements, the Delaware Supreme Court's 2015 opinion in Corwin v. KKR may turn out to have been a more important disincentive for shareholder lawyers to sue in Chancery Court.

In the Corwin decision, written by Chief Justice Leo Strine, the state supreme court held that if a deal is approved by "fully informed, uncoerced" shareholders, the board's actions during the sale process should be reviewed under the extremely forgiving business judgment standard.

Effectively, the Corwin ruling spelled the end of post-closing damages claims in deals shareholders voted to approve.

In a much-discussed decision earlier this month, for example, Vice-Chancellor Joseph Slights dismissed a shareholder class action against board members of OM Group, a specialty chemical company bought out by the private equity firm Apollo in 2015.

Plaintiffs alleged the board sold the company on the cheap to avoid the "embarrassment and aggravation" of agitation by an activist investor, ignoring the advice of OM's own financial adviser, who said shareholders would obtain maximum value if the company were broken up and sold in pieces.

The judge said that however "disquieting" the allegations, plaintiffs failed to allege that the board withheld material information from shareholders, 89 percent of whom voted in favor of the buyout. Under Corwin, Vice-Chancellor Slights found, OM directors are in the clear.

In another interpretation of Corwin, Chancellor Andre Bouchard in August dismissed post-closing breach-of-duty claims against board members of C&J Energy Services, acquired by Nabors Industries in 2015.

The plaintiffs alleged that C&J didn't disclose a competing bid (among other supposed disclosure failures) so shareholders were not actually informed at the time they voted to approve the deal. The chancellor held plaintiffs waited too long to allege the disclosure violations, which they should have raised before the shareholder vote.

The message to plaintiffs' lawyers, in other words, is that the only way to win an M&A challenge in Delaware is to come up with evidence of serious disclosure violations in a short time frame.

But plaintiffs' lawyers say Chancery Court judges are simultaneously tightening the standard for expedited discovery in M&A cases, stripping them of the tools to obtain that evidence.

SEE YOU IN FEDERAL COURT

The answer, they say, may be to stop litigating M&A challenges as fiduciary duty cases in Delaware and instead start asserting violations of federal securities law, which, after all, prohibits corporations from making false or misleading proxy filings.

Cornerstone's study this summer detected an early move for M&A class actions from Delaware to federal court. Decisions like C&J Energy and OM Group will probably hasten that move.

So look for shareholders to sue Time Warner in federal court, and to argue that a class action asserting only a cause of action under federal law is not subject to the company's forum selection clause.
Srlandet, the oldest of the three Norwegian Tall Ships and the oldest full rigged ship in the world still in operation has arrived in Colombo yesterday, the Royal Norwegian Embassy said.

The ship, nicknamed The pearl of Norway was on a two year circumnavigation of the world with seventy high school students from A+ Academy, a boarding school at sea with an exotic itinerary and Advanced Placement curriculum.

The Embassy said that during the stay in Colombo the students would greet Sri Lankan maritime students, and the ship would be part of several events hosted by the Royal Norwegian Embassy.

Srlandets visit to Colombo was only one of 44 ports and 22 countries it had visited on its two year circumnavigation. On October 27, it would be welcomed Mahapola Training institute where the Sri Lankan maritime students would get a real life and hands on experience of a true sail ship.

On October 30, the Pearl of Norway would once again sail to its next destination, the Maldives.

It was reported that in 1927 O.A.T. Skjelbred, ship owner built Srlandet for 25,000 pounds sterling and its maiden voyage was to Oslo in 1927 which was inspected by King Haakon and Crown Prince Olav.

It has also sailed to Chicago to take part in the World Fair in 1933 and during World War II it was used by the German navy and served as a prison ship for deserters. It was recorded as the first Norwegian training ship to cross the Atlantic Ocean.
The Socialist Youth Union affiliated to the JVP today filed a complaint against Minister Sajith Premadasa with the Bribery Commission against a recently leaked video clip which purportedly showing him recommending jobs to a group of youth.

National Organiser of the SYU Comrade Eranga Gunasekera said they hoped the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (BC) would soon start investigations into the complaint.

Speaking to the media while leaving from the Commission premises, Gunasekera said that the Minister had played with tears of the unemployed people, which are around 3.5 million in Sri Lanka, for his personal political agenda.

The Housing and Constructions Ministry belongs to the government and it is not his private property to give jobs to whoever he wants, based on certain selective methods, he said.

He also said even though the political appointment were not something new and strange to the Sri Lankan society, this kind of strong evidence had not been publicised earlier. (Piyumi Fonseka)
Foreign aid from England to Sri Lanka had been significantly increased after a Sri Lankan businessman oversaw donations of more than 1 million British pounds () to the Conservative Party, the Daily Mail today reported.

An article published on Mail Online said David Cameron had announced last November that 6.6 million was being set aside for Sri Lanka over three years, including help for Tamils forced from their homes during the civil war.

In the year before the announcement, the Tory Party registered donations of more than 1million from businessman Subaskaran Allirajah and his controversial telecoms firm Lycamobile.

There are now questions about what has happened to the money, with UK aid money since going to the area in northern Sri Lanka where Mr. Allirajah grew up.

Subaskaran Allirajah with David Cameron at the Tory's Black and White Ball last year

Mr. Allirajah, 44, is the founder and chairman of Lycamobile, a firm that sells pre-paid phone cards. He grew up in Mullaitivu, a Tamil area in the north of Sri Lanka. He is now worth 160million and is reportedly the 640th wealthiest person in Britain.

The revelations come after Mr. Allirajah faced scrutiny over claims of tax fraud and money laundering at his firm.

In 2009, the UK ceased aid to Sri Lanka for all but humanitarian emergencies after the end of the civil war in the country.

But after Lycamobile started donating to the Tory Party two years later, funds were allocated to the country from the conflict pool  a pot set aside for tackling instability overseas.

In 2011, the Tories reported donations of 176,000 from Lycamobile. This rose to 250,000 in 2012. In that time, total UK aid to Sri Lanka jumped by more than two thirds to 5.5 million, with 1.3 million coming from the conflict pool. By 2013, total aid to Sri Lanka was 10.2 million, almost 3 million more than given to Iraq that year.

In November 2013, then-prime minister Mr. Cameron became the first foreign leader to visit the north of Sri Lanka since it became independent in 1948. He called on the non-Tamil president to set up an independent inquiry into alleged war crimes against Tamil people. And he pledged 2.1 million over two years for a de-mining programme in three districts, including Mullaitivu.

In March 2014, Foreign Office minister Hugo Swire expressed concerns at the arrests of two human rights activists in Sri Lanka, who had been trying to secure the release of a Tamil mother and daughter.

Just 13 days later, the Tories registered donations of 105,000 from Lycamobile, followed by 15,000 three days after that.

In the year before Mr. Cameron announced the 6.6 million to Sri Lanka, the Conservatives reported donations of 967,000 from Lycamobile and a personal donation of 100,000 from Mr. Allirajah.

Less than two months before the 2015 general election, Mr. Cameron met Sri Lankan president Maithripala Sirisena, who promised to identify land to return to the Tamils. Six days later, the Tories registered donations of 370,000 from Lycamobile.

In March 2015, Mr. Allirajah attended the Tory black and white ball in Mayfair, central London. He got the loudest cheer of the night after pledging 210,000 for a small bronze statue of Margaret Thatcher.

When the Tories made the 6.6 million announcement last November, it said the money would be spent over the next three years on reconciliation, military reform and to help people who were forced from their towns and villages during the civil war.

The Mail has for more than a month been asking the Foreign Office to disclose exactly how much of the money has been spent and where it has gone, but a spokesman refused.

Lycamobile has donated a total of 2,209,712 to the Tory Party since 2011.

Some 569,300 of this has come in 2016, even though the firm has during this time faced a police investigation after three of its workers were filmed dropping off rucksacks stuffed with cash at post offices in London.

In June, 19 people connected to Lycamobile were arrested in a raid in France amid allegations of VAT fraud and money laundering of at least 13.4million.

Lycamobile has previously denied financial malpractice. The firm and Mr. Allirajah, who lives in a 3 million mansion with his wife in Chigwell, Essex, had not responded to requests for comment.

A spokesman for the Tory Party said: 'All donations to the Conservative Party are properly and transparently declared.'
Dr. Patrick Dixon, a globally acclaimed futurist, a growth strategist and a keynote speaker, will address Lankan CEOs this Friday at the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce (CCC).

Chairman of Global Change Limited and co-founder of Global Innovators, he advises global corporations on innovations, evolving trends, strategy and risk management.

Dixon has been r anked among the worlds 20 most influential business thinkers alive today by Thinkers 50.

Hosted by the CCC, he will speak to Lankan CEOs on October 28, 2016, at 11:30 a.m., under the title Take Hold of Your Future and elaborate on key global trends and how they will impact your business.

An author of 16 books on global trends including his latest publication The Future of (Almost) Everything. He is among the worlds leading keynote speakers and speaks at corporate events in over 50 countries every year.

His clients include firms such as Google, Microsoft, IBM, KLM, Air France, BP, ExxonMobil, World Bank, Siemens, Ford, the World Bank and the European Commission among many others.
Batticaloas former mayor Sivageetha Prabhakaran, her husband E. Prabhakaran and two others were remanded till November 7 today on charges of operating a brothel at her residence in Batticaloa.

They were produced before Batticaloa Magistrate M. Ganesharaja today. (Jaufer Khan)
Four members of the administrative panel of the Jummah Mosque in Nallandaluwa, Puttalam were remanded indefinitely by Puttalam Magistrate Bandula Gunaratne today -- on charges of beating a woman, who had earlier been sexually abused, with a coconut spathe bowl (hanassa).

The suspects had allegedly beaten the woman a hundred times with the hanassa.

The woman had been sexually abused by a man at her residence a few days earlier.

The woman had complained to the Police about the sexual abuse. She had later been beaten by the members of the administrative panel of the mosque while police investigations to apprehend the suspect were in progress.

The victimised woman had later lodged another complaint, through her lawyer, over the second incident.(Hiran Priyankara Jayasinghe)
Greg Gianforte likes to portray Gov. Steve Bullock as a career politician in many of his dark money ads on TV. I, however, see Bullock more as a career public servant, who has the best interests of all Montanans in mind when he leads our state.

I am a proud public school teacher, and I have seen Bullock support our public schools, public employees and public lands for four years, despite efforts from Republican extremists to privatize all of these services in our state.

Gianforte, who funds a private school that excludes students with special needs, would like to see our tax dollars funding private schools like his. This would take precious tax dollars out of our public schools where we meet the needs of all students, and put those dollars into exclusive private schools who have no such mandate or priority.

Elsie Arntzen, a candidate for superintendent of public instruction, has voted against public schools in her multiple terms in the Montana Legislature and supported taking tax dollars to fund private schools.

Gianforte and Arntzen would be a disaster for Montana public schools and employees. I prefer public servants like Gov. Steve Bullock, and advocates for public schools like Melissa Romano, to candidates like Arntzen and Gianforte, who would take the public out of public schools and employees.

Julie Hippler

Billings
By Joint Oppositions Parliamentary Group Leader Dinesh Gunawardane, in an interview with Daily Mirror , says President Maithripala Sirisena has finally realised the veracity of allegations against the FCID, CID and the Bribery Commission. He says the government is in a serious crisis. Excerpts:

Not excited by emotional outbursts

The unitary state should not remain only in the name board

Western powers are interested in creating a Federal system

Countrys unitary status never to be compromised

Q How do you see the unfolding political situation in the country in the aftermath of the Presidents outburst?

For the last 12 months after the General Elections, people had fresh hopes as promised by the UNP-led government. The Joint Opposition, both during the 100-day program and after, held that the extra and special mechanisms created with the intention of political victimisation of the opposition should not be pursued against politicians, security forces personnel and others.

But, this continued unabated. According to the Presidents clear statement, he has understood what we said. He has especially referred to the attitude towards the former Defence Secretary, the retired navy chiefs, army personnel and others. It seems that various groups, with vested interests were taking decisions. This is a serious statement for the President of the country to make against the backdrop of political problems within the government. It has been taken seriously both locally and internationally.



Q Where will it end in your opinion?

There will be attempts to patch up. The UNP and the Presidents group may try it out. They will try to cover up the issue because both sides want to govern. Yet, it is crystal clear that there is a crisis. If they are to run the government, there will be efforts to avoid open confrontations as much as possible. However, the problems remain unresolved. They cannot be resolved in that sense. You see now there is a committee appointed to look into the budget. The committee representing the UNP, the Presidents group and the Finance Minister, is meeting. It means there are issues yet to be agreed upon by all. Unanimity is absent.



Q How does the Joint Opposition respond to the situation?

We maintain what we have been agitating for. We have aired out our views over the last 18 months regarding the violation of democratic norms, practices and procedures, political victimisation of MPs and other opponents, government servants and others. We have held the correct position. We will now ask the President to put into action what he said. Otherwise, the Presidents statement will sound hollow.



Q Some people talk about the possibility of a change of government. How realistic is it?

This is not a one party government. It is also not a two-party government. There are differences emerging as the problems increase in the country. There are issues confronting the armed forces that resurrected the country from the scourge of terrorism. We have issues on the economic front. Economic mismanagement is serious. As a result, the cost of living is going through the roof. Public hopes are shattered. Waste and corruption in the Central Bank bond issue have exposed the government. The government is unable to face people at the local government elections. All these add up to a situation that exerts immense political pressure on the government MPs and political groups.

New differences will emerge further. If it aggravates, the government will not be able to run with a majority. This is what people talk about.



Q How ready is the Joint Opposition to give leadership to it?

The Joint Opposition is the leading force against this government. It is a known fact in Parliament. It is a fact known to the general public. It has emerged as the biggest political force to reckon with, challenging the UNP-led government. We, under the leadership of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, will harness the situation. We are not getting excited for the sake of emotional outbursts. We know the crisis is much more severe underneath on all accounts be it social, economic or political.



Q Apart from that, you participate in the deliberations of the Steering Committee assigned for evolution of constitutional proposals. How far have you progressed?

The Constitutional Assembly has met only once. The Steering Committee has been meeting. They deliberate by getting reports from various experts and advisors. The subcommittees, comprising MPs, were appointed. They have reported to the Steering Committee. On the key issues, the Joint Opposition has taken stands. We have submitted our proposals highlighting the areas that should not be compromised at any cost.

One is the unitary state. It should never be compromised. Then, we have stressed the importance of supremacy of Parliament and the need to change the Executive Presidency. The Provincial Councils can be considered without endangering the unitary state or the national security of the country. We have clearly taken positions that the north and the east should not be merged. It should not be allowed at any cost. A mixed system of electoral reforms should come. The local authorities should be given more powers. The Prime Minister should be elected by Parliament. There is a firm no to land alienation to foreigners. The Joint Opposition members and other members of the committee have big differences. That is the status quo.

As the Chairman of the Steering Committee, the Prime Minister, said a report would be submitted to Parliament. Finally, the House will have to decide on the report.

The Joint Oppositions position is clear.



Q How confident are you that a new Constitution will be a reality in Sri Lanka?

At the rate things are moving, how can a constitution be enacted against the wishes and will of the people?



Q But, the government has a two-third majority in Parliament?

The government may be having a majority. They have to refer it to the people at a referendum. If they cannot get public approval at a referendum, the government will not be able to make it. We have a clear stand. We have taken uncompromised stands regarding certain matters. The government cannot ignore our position.



Q Do you believe whether the government will devise means to avoid a referendum?

How can they do it? It cannot be done. The present Constitution clearly says any amendment to certain provisions of the Constitution need a referendum.

In the resolution adopted by the Constitutional Assembly, it clearly says the proposed constitution will be drafted based on the Steering Committee only if it is approved by two-thirds. Otherwise, the whole process ends there. It is spelt out in the resolution. Then, if they get two-thirds for the draft, it should be concluded, referred back again to Parliament. After that, it should be referred to the people at a referendum. That is there in the resolution. The government cannot violate the basic principles of the resolution and the Constitution.

"It seems that various groups, with vested interests were taking decisions. This is a serious statement for the President of the country to make against the backdrop of political problems within the government. "

Q In the Steering Committee, how accommodative is the government in incorporating your proposals?



Of course, they listen to all. As a result, nothing is finalised. The government must be having its own plan. We know that. In addition to the local component in making this constitution, the western powers are also interested in creating a Federal system. The Joint Opposition has rejected such a system. A number of members of the government have also rejected it.

Q Then, it is unlikely that the process will make its way through Parliament?



It should be unlikely. No MP wants the unitary status of the country to be compromised for the installment of a Federal System.

Q But, there is a perception in the country that the government will do away with labels such as Unitary and Federal. In fact, one MP of your side charged that the government was trying to bring a constitution which is Unitary by name, but Federal in content. What are your views?



That is not so easy. That is the reason for us to take a stand. The unitary state should not remain only in the name board. It should be there with substance. Relevant safeguards should be there as in the present constitution. There is a famous judgment. It is not an easy thing to hoodwink masses on constitutional matters. If it is attempted, it will be exposed overnight. There is speculation thought that the government will try something.The Joint Opposition is clear that Article 9 related to the status accorded to Buddhism should not be touched. It applies cutting across the country including the North and the East. We condemn Northern Chief Minister C.V. Wigneswarans statement on the erection of Buddha statues. The government is not in a position to do what is not acceptable to the country.

Q You were involved in working electoral reforms at one time. What is the latest stand at the Steering Committee?



There is general consensus on the electoral reforms. It is a mixed system to elect more from the First Past the Post System (FPP) and less from the National Proportional Representation System (PR).

Perhaps there might be another level proportional representation. All will appear in the report.

The positions regarding electoral reforms, the executive presidency, devolution and the nature of state should be agreed upon.

Q Besides, you raised questions about those affected by the explosion of the armoury at the Salawa military camp. What is the latest situation there now?



Six months has already lapsed. The inquiry report has not yet been publicised. It is a major explosion. Secondly, some people have not been compensated to rebuild their homes and businesses. The situation has not been properly addressed. It is same with the Aranayake incident. These are the two main disasters-one natural disaster and the other a man-made disaster. In the latter, the Army is not responsible it is the government then. The government cannot bluff. The Army camp should be relocated.
In the aftermath of the killing of two Jaffna university students, six Tamil political parties have called for a hartal (stoppage of civil activities) in the north tomorrow, a former MP said yesterday.

Former Tamil National Alliance (TNA) MP Suresh Premachandran told Daily Mirror yesterday the six parties- ITAK, TELO, PLOTE, EPRLF, TULF and ACMC- would organize this event.

He said this would be done to register their protest with the government over the incident, and call for action against the wrongdoers. We suspect a hidden hand behind this incident. We asked for the scaling down of the military presence in the North in the belief that the police can look after law and order there, he said.

He said the use of force by the police could not be condoned at any cost.(Kelum Bandara)
he tragic deaths of two Jaffna university students in an alleged police shooting raise disturbing questions. Police fired at the two when they were speeding away on a motorbike, allegedly ignoring orders to stop at a checkpoint.One was hit by a bullet, and lost the control of the bike, which crashed on to a wall. Police who admitted the students to hospital have now been accused of distorting evidence that they had met with an accident. The IGP was made to believe the same narrative, so was the President. It was only after the intervention by the neighbours, who claimed to have heard gunshots in the night and the fellow students who demanded justice and the intervention by Opposition Leader R. Sampanthan, that the police retracted the story. The President ordered an investigation, and the postmortem examination had revealed a gunshot injury on one of the students. Five police personnel were later interdicted.

This is another example of how hard it is to clean up the rot in the state institutions, no matter who runs the government. It is easier to change governments, but not that easy to change the old habits of State institutions. Last weeks deaths could well have passed off as whatever the police wished, had it not been for the intervention by the President. However, the President having to intervene to secure justice to victims implies a major breakdown in the system.

"The postmortem examination autopsy revealed a gunshot injury on one of the students"

It was not long ago that the police could tell with a straight face that handcuffed suspects jumped across a river or were shot when attempting to pull out a gun or knife from its hiding place while being blindfolded. The culture of impunity that was cultivated for decades, most blatantly under the former regime, would not wither away easily. And this is not a problem unique to Jaffna. Perhaps, had this happened in the South, and the victims were not university students, the governments response would have been different. An ASP who was accused of pushing a youth to his death from a third floor of a building in Embilipitiya in January this year was later reinstated in service without much ado. If justice is delivered selectively and on the basis of political calculations, it would do little to invoke public confidence in the system. Also the use of torture to extract confessions is still widespread and legal remedies to counter that are complicated by the complicity of the JMOs. Preaching human rights to the cops would be useful, however, the most effective deterrence against such violations is increasing the cost of such actions by introducing enhanced punitive measures. That deterrence is eroded when the errant cops are reinstated in their posts after the public outcry dies out. Addressing those concerns would require concerted long-term efforts. In fact, even under the former regime, while its image was regularly blemished by the culpability in extra judicial killings, police managed to improve their relations among the people to some extent. However, like any other institutional building, this is a long haul process. If the government gets overwhelmed by security concerns as its predecessors had been, that process would be left unattended. That makes peace and stability in Jaffna vital for democratisation of the whole country.

"Local demands for the restoration of normality is perfectly justified"



In Jaffna, there are other existential factors that compound the situation. Residents there and their political representatives want it to be a normal City like any other town in the South. Jaffna nonetheless has been a normal city until the early 80s, when a nascent Tamil militancy took hold of it, partly exploiting lax security there at the time. Now the residual effects of the war and the continuation of the military infrastructures built there to fight terrorism hinder civil life and are a source of discontent. Local demands for the restoration of normality is perfectly justified, however they have been recently hijacked by an increasingly vocal and potentially dangerous minority within the Jaffna community. That group will do more harm to Tamils, than any good.

The immediate danger now is that the killings of two students, no matter their unresolved circumstances could be exploited by those groups for their extreme ends. If the recent history of Tamil nationalism is any guide, there are plenty of examples. The latest attempt of mass mobilization by Northern Province Chief Minister C.V. Wigneswaran is attributed to his scheming to take the upper hand in a contest between him and parliamentarian M.A. Sumanthiran for the next generation of Tamil leadership. So far, Mr. Wigneswaran has been nice enough not to fish in troubled waters. He has been muted in his response to the two killings. However, forces he recently goaded through the mass rally Eluga Thamil (Rise Up Tamils) and other gimmicks may not exercise the same restraint.

That was the same lesson the TULF old guards who fostered the then nascent militancy learnt through the devastating consequences. Now the tragic loss of two lives provides these groups the perfect pretext to protest. However, if those sentiments are exploited to radicalize the youth, and to keep the Eelam pot boiling, long term repercussions for the Tamil community and the country at large would not be nice.

"The latest attempt of mass mobilization by Northern Province Chief Minister C.V. Wigneswaran is attributed to his scheming to take the upper hand in a contest between him and parliamentarian M.A. Sumanthiran"



In the wake of the police shooting last week, two intelligence officers were attacked with swords in Jaffna on Sunday. It is naive to rule out a link between the two incidents. Such attacks would only justify the continuation of military presence in the peninsula, which is not in the interest of the majority of people there or in the South.

Politics in Jaffna has been intrinsically linked to the health of democracy in the South. Extreme postures taken by the Tamil political leadership in the past and lately the Tamil militancy provoked a reaction which resulted in overall deterioration of democracy and civil liberties in the country. While two JVP insurrections were also instrumental in this overall decline, they were short lived, strains on the social fabric caused by them could have been repaired much easily if the country was not held hostage by the LTTE terrorism.

The same dynamics are at work today, though their impact is weakened largely due to the sanity that prevails in the current TULF leadership. Tamil people themselves are no longer romanticizing the Eelam struggle. However, Sri Lanka has a history of providing plentiful of willing foot soldiers to self-interested elites. Recent developments in Jaffna show the fragility in its peace. Those numerous political actors there and, especially those who are newly empowered, have a responsibility not to break that peace, because people in Jaffna will be the biggest losers if they ever do so.



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Jaffna University students launched a protest today over the shooting of two university students who are alleged to have disregarded orders to stop their motorcycle when asked to do so at a police roadblock.

The two students had died on admission to hospital.

The protesting students blocked the entrance to the Jaffna District Secretariat and boycotted lectures demanding that justice be meted out to the two students.

They claimed that a fear psychosis prevailed among the people with regard to the civil administration in the Peninsular after what they described as an unwarranted act by the police who had shot the students over a minor incident. (Romesh Madushanka)
he death of two university students at Kokkuvil in Jaffna when they were shot at by the police when they had defied orders to stop the motorcycle they were riding is making headlines for the past several days, especially in the Tamil media. The sword attack on the two policemen on Sunday at the Chunnakam market automatically gains more weight in the belief that it is connected to the death of the two students.

However, the two incidents do not appear to be connected. Many media outlets have to be commended for highlighting the circumstances that led to the sword attack. It is said to be an accidental attack which had taken place after a ransom incident. At the same time it is sad to note that a section of the Tamil media and some politicians are giving the Kokkuvil incident an ethnic colouring. Even some Indians have joined them. The pro-LTTE Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam leader Vaiko has said the shooting in Kokkuvil showed that the attacks on Tamils by the Sri Lankan State have not ceased.

The Jaffna University Teachers Association has berated Defence Secretary Karunasena Hettiarachchi for what they call belittling the death of the students by saying at a function in Anuradhapura that these things might happen anywhere in the country. However, if the Defence Secretary has really meant that there was no ethnicity involved in the Kokkuvil shooting incident and similar incidents might happen even in the South, he was correct. It was wrong only if he meant to belittle the seriousness of the highhanded

police action.

Police highhandedness is a countrywide phenomenon. A best case in point was the recent clash between the police and the people in Embilipitiya where a youth died after falling from the upper floor of a building. Therefore people have to voice their protest against such highhanded acts irrespective of where they occur or which community is affected. Hence, the Inter University Student Federations call for the students of all universities in the country to protest against the shooting of Jaffna university students by the police is justified.

The Kokkuvil incident has taken place at a time when crimes in the Jaffna peninsula were reported to be on the rise and while an operation by the police to nab anti-social elements was on. According to reports from the North there are various criminal groups such as the Aava group and a recent sword wielding group operating in the North. It has to be pointed out that State Minister Vijayakala Maheswaran had stated recently that the discipline that prevailed in the North when the LTTE was active had drastically declined now. She had said that even a woman was able to walk on the street at night when the LTTE was powerful. A High Court Judge had recently ordered the police to contain criminal elements. It goes without saying that these points warrant action by the law enforcement authorities. It was no secret as to how the LTTE maintained discipline in the areas they controlled. Therefore it was unfortunate that two students had ignored the situation to defy police orders to stop their motorcycle.

However, as many point out, shooting at motorists, especially motorcyclists who seem to be not armed but defy orders cannot be accepted, now that there is no threat of insurgency in the North or South. Minister Mano Ganesan has questioned as to what use the 1000 CC motorbikes issued to the police if the police were if they did not use them to chase fleeing offenders. He also had questioned the training given to the police personnel who cannot shoot at the tyres of a fleeing vehicle or below the knee of a fleeing offender.

It is true that the first police version on the incident was wrong and reminded us of a case from the South, the confession made by Kondaya last year. However, orders have gone from the highest level -- from President Maithripala Sirisena to conduct an impartial investigation on the death of the students and accordingly five police personnel who were on duty at the scene have been remanded.Therefore, it is the duty of the Tamil leaders not to allow the incident be given a communal colouring.
A senior Minister well past his sixties, representing a constituency North of Colombo has openly confessed his unhappiness over the unavailability of two female members on either side of his seat in Parliament.

He has said that if there are two fair members next to him on either side, it would buoy up his spirits. The Minister has said that if there is at least one fair member seated by his side wafting a sweet fragrance it would keep him in good cheer for the whole day.
The Leader of the House Lakshman Kiriella says that equal rights of the people should be ensured through power sharing with the periphery. In an interview with Daily Mirror, he says President Maithripala Sirisena got a mandate with the main backing of the UNP, and it should be understood by all concerned.

Excerpts:

Constitution making process progressing well

In history the Kandyan Sinhalese asked for devolution first

Ruhunu, Maya, Pihiti were the three Federal States sought by them

He is our President, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe led the campaign to get him elected

Technically, we are broke

Q How do you see the unfolding political situation after President Maithripala Sirisenas outburst?

It is exciting and challenging. One must expect this because this government consists of several parties. It is not run by a single party. So, differences emerge. It has to be expected. There are differences of opinion because of the governments diversity.



Q What is the kind of impact it will have on the governments stability anyway?

First, one must realise that President Sirisena got a mandate with the main backing of the United National Party (UNP). He is our President. Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe led the campaign to get him elected. At the moment, there are several people trying to claim the ownership of the President. Particularly, those who worked to defeat him have no right to own him. The title is with us. We will always try to safeguard the President and the government. We are the ones who elected him.



Q How do you respond to the allegations of the President in terms of veracity?

For example, if an MP is to be arrested, the Speaker should be kept informed as a courtesy. But, the Speaker cannot stop the arrest. Likewise, when the President has periodic meetings with the FCID, CID and the Bribery Commission, he should be informed of scheduled arrests of prominent figures. It is to inform him. Otherwise, it is not to stop the arrest. Apparently, in this instance, it has not been done. If I were in his shoes, I would have felt the same. The countrys rulers- the President and the Prime Minister- should be informed. That is it.



Q What is the mechanism for the two parties to work together hereafter?

Actually, one must realise that the President was strongly backed by the UNP. He got a mandate because of that. People in the government from other parties must respect that mandate. No other party has the mandate. Only the mandate received with the support of the UNP is there with the President.

We have appointed a committee with ten each from the UNP and the SLFP. We have met once now. We are scheduled to meet next week to iron out differences that may arise. The President has got a mandate. The section of the SLFP- defeated at the election, has other views. As long as those views are not in conflict with the mandate, we can accommodate them.

"Well, Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake has a difficult job at hand. To put it in short, our annual income is insufficient to pay annual loan installments and interests accrued. Technically, we are broke. We are bankrupt technically. If a persons income is not enough for repayment of debt, he will be considered bankrupt by court"

Q How do you look at the passing of the 2017 budget in this context?



Well, Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake has a difficult job at hand. To put it in brief, our annual income is insufficient to pay annual loan installments and interests accrued. Technically, we are broke. We are bankrupt technically. If a persons income is not enough for repayment of debt, he will be considered bankrupt by court.

This is the problem our Finance Minister is grappling with. Foreign debt is the biggest problem. We have borrowed at high rates during the last seven or ten years. We have constructed monsters with no returns, like the harbor, and the port. The government is now trying to dispense with some of the burdens by converting a certain percentage of debt to equity. In this manner, we can get relieved of a burden of one million US dollars.



Q How far have you progressed regarding the Economic and Technology Cooperation Agreement (ETCA)?

Minister Malik Samarawickrama and others have discussed it initially. They keep very good contacts with India. ETCA is in our favour. We have a population of 20 million. Yet, India has 1,300 million people. So, the purpose of ETCA is to get duty concessions. The plan is for investors to come to Sri Lanka and establish factories. Then, their products can be exported back to India. That is the plan. So, many investors have informed the government that they would come here for investment once the ETCA was signed. The Indian market is huge.



Q Does the government intend to conclude it this year?

I think it will be completed by early next year. Under it, no professionals-doctors or engineers- will be allowed to come here for work. That is there in black and white.



Q Then, how do you intend to cover other modes of service trading?

For example, when an Indian company gets a contract to build 1000 apartments, there are engineers needed. The company concerned can bring in engineers to work in that particular project. Professionals cannot come on their own seeking employment.



Q How is the constitution- making process at the moment?

It is progressing very well. All parties in parliament are in it. No single party has taken extreme positions.



Q What are the areas you have agreed upon?

There is basic agreement on electoral reforms. The report will be submitted to Parliament next month. It will have points we have agreed upon. Also, it will highlight points yet to be agreed upon. Only Parliament, sitting as the Constitutional Assembly, can decide on the proposals to be adopted. That is in the House. It will be a process fully open to the media. Nothing will be done in secret.



Q What is the UNP viewpoint on key matters such as devolution, the character of the State etc?

There is 99 percent agreement on electoral reforms. Other subject matters are under discussion. We, the UNP, have a view. We have not taken hard and fast stands. We are willing to be flexible to accommodate other views. No party has expressed rigid views on anything.

The new constitution, giving equal rights to everybody, will be very important. Had we done this at the time of Independence the 30-year war would have never erupted. When we got Independence, we were seen as the Switzerland of Asia. We did not have any employment problem as such. We did not have racial tensions. At that time, the countries like Singapore took Sri Lanka as a model. Malaysia was behind us. Where are they now? Where are we now?

At the time of Independence, all the leaders managed this ethnic conflict.



Q When you say equal rights, how do you ensure it in the constitution?

That is by power sharing with the periphery. We did not manage the ethnic tension after Independence. We were dragged into a war as a result. Other countries managed

it properly.

A very few people read. Many people do not know the history

of devolution.

The first people who asked for devolution were the Kandyan Sinhalese. When Lord Soulbury came before Independence to create the new Constitution, Kandyan Sinhalese went before him and said that they had been a separate country for 400 years and that they had a crown and a throne. That was what they said. They asked for a Federal State. What they suggested were three Federal States -Ruhunu, Maya and Pihiti.

Their basic argument was to seek devolution on the lines of the Indian constitution that was in the making at that time. The strange thing is that Tamil parties did not want devolution at that time.

They preferred the status quo. The problems started after Independence. The parties that came to power offended the sentiments of Tamil people. Voting rights of estate Tamils were taken away. The Sinhala only Act was introduced. The Federal Party was born after Independence.
A collective of media and civil society organizations today staged protest outside the Fort Railway Station condemning the death of two Jaffna University students. Pix by Pradeep Pathirana
The Colombo Crimes Division (CCD) has identified the suspects involved in the Mattakkuliya shooting which killed four and critically injured three yesterday.

Police said seven individuals were admitted to the Colombo National Hospital and four were declared dead upon admission.

Investigations revealed the shooting was a result of a personal dispute between two groups involved in heroin smuggling and underworld activities.

Rivalry between the groups had led to the murder of a father of a gang member, which in turn had prompted the murder the mother of a gang member of the other group.

Inspector General of Police Pujith Jayasundare has directed the CCD to launch an investigation into the incident. CCD Director SSP Nishantha Soysa said the investigators had identified the suspects and operations were underway to arrest them.

The deceased were identified as Prasad Chaturanga (24), Denuwan (26), Nuwan Sanjeewa (29) and Mohammed Husain Mohammed Nasar (29). The victims were residents at Samith Pura, Mattakkulliya. (Darshana Sanjeewa)
Many Montana District Court judges and justices of the Supreme Court are deeply concerned by the dark money attacks on a present candidate for the Montana Supreme Court, and its potential impact on the integrity and independence of the Montana Judiciary.

Dirk Sandefur has been a respected Cascade County District Court Judge for 14 years. He is widely respected for his intelligence, integrity, common sense and work ethic. In his last election, he received 88 percent of the votes in Cascade County, where he is best known. Before he went to law school, he was a police officer in Havre. To suggest he is soft on crime is not true.

Yet, he is being portrayed in political attack ads as soft on sex criminals and basically unfit for office. Cherry-picked, from the thousands of cases Judge Sandefur has handled, are a few cases which are then inaccurately portrayed. The sentences in each of those cases were consistent with the recommendations of the prosecuting attorneys, and the guidelines established by the legislature.

The media attacks against Judge Sandefur are extremely misleading and unfair. Hundreds of thousands of dollars will be spent on television, newspapers and direct mail attacks, paid for by undisclosed dark money. Neither the source of the money nor the agenda of the contributors are ever revealed.

This is not intended to be an endorsement of either candidate. It is intended to strongly encourage voters to seek out information about judicial candidates from reliable sources, not from this kind of misleading political attack.

District Judge James Manley

Polson and Thompson Falls

Editor's note: Manley's letter has been signed by 24 other Montana jurists, including Supreme Court Chief Justice Mike McGrath, Supreme Court Justice James Shea, Gallatin County District Judge Mike Salvagni and Yellowstone County District Judges Ingrid Gustafson and Gregory Todd.
I read Tim Fox's guest opinion in The Billings Gazette, and while yes, he has done some good things for the state of Montana and the people, I have to wonder at whose expense? I have to wonder if he knows whats going on in the Justice department, right under his nose.

Does he know that employees in the DNA section at the crime lab are being forced to work 20 hours of comp time a month for the foreseeable future? Does he know they arent being paid overtime? Its one-for-one comp time, and if they quit, they dont get paid for it. Is he promoting that state employees work for free? And does he actually care that overworked people make more mistakes? Peoples lives are at stake if they screw up. It would seem that his current administration is more worried about numbers and looking good, than they are about doing the right thing and actually bringing about justice.

His sex assault evidence kit backlog project is going to fail because the lab doesnt have the capacity to handle the work it is going to cause them. They cant even handle the work that is coming in right now. Is Fox just going to mandate they work 40 extra hours a month?

I really hope not, because I want my wife back, and our three young kids need their mom.

Steven Van Grisven

Bonner
Lee Newspapers statewide erroneously reported online on Oct. 19 that the Montana Trap-Free Public lands initiative (I-177) has largely been backed with out-of-state funding. This false claim was not corrected for hours.

Instead of doing basic journalistic research, the reporter simply echoed the trappers falsehoods. This not only casts doubt on medias objective reporting, but it also damages a citizen-based effort to achieve trap-free public lands.

The Montana Trap-Free Public Lands initiative (I-177), is a grassroots effort which has been supported and funded primarily by Montanans. This stands in stark contrast to the Montana Trappers Association and their PAC, who have been raking in large amounts of money from out-of-state lobbying organizations.

Trappers take in outside corporate money to protect their hobby savaging and killing our wildlife  just to sell the fur outside the U.S. More than one-third of their reported income comes from outside Montana, while only 5 percent of donations to I-177 come from other states.

This is just one of the long list of false claims that the MTA is making (e.g., well be forced to use poison within cities if I-177 passes or that we will be overrun by wolves and other wild animals).

Trappers have been grossly misleading the public about I-177 and its many benefits for people, pets and wildlife. Recreational and commercial trapping is a disgrace for humanity. Learn more on www.yeson177.com and vote Yes on I-177.

Anja Heister

Missoula
GSK plc, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the creation, discovery, development, manufacture, and marketing of pharmaceutical products, vaccines, over-the-counter medicines, and health-related consumer products in the United Kingdom, the United States, and internationally. It operates through four segments: Pharmaceuticals, Pharmaceuticals R&D, Vaccines, and Consumer Healthcare. The company offers pharmaceutical products comprising medicines in the therapeutic areas, such as respiratory, HIV, immuno-inflammation, oncology, anti-viral, central nervous system, cardiovascular and urogenital, metabolic, anti-bacterial, and dermatology. It also provides consumer healthcare products in wellness, oral health, nutrition, and skin health categories. The company offers its consumer healthcare products in the form of nasal sprays, tablets, syrups, lozenges, gum and trans-dermal patches, caplets, infant syrup drops, liquid filled suspension, wipes, gels, effervescents, toothpastes, toothbrushes, mouthwashes, denture adhesives and cleansers, topical creams and non-medicated patches, lip balm, gummies, and soft chews. It has collaboration agreements with 23andMe; Lyell Immunopharma, Inc.; Novartis; Sanofi SA; Surface Oncology; Progentec Diagnostics, Inc.; Alector, Inc.; and CureVac AG., as well as strategic partnership with IDEAYA Biosciences, Inc. and Vir Biotechnology, Inc. The company was formerly known as GlaxoSmithKline plc and changed its name to GSK plc in May 2022. GSK plc was founded in 1715 and is headquartered in Brentford, the United Kingdom.
GREEN RIVER, Wyo.  Parents will be sentenced after pleading no contest in the death of their infant daughter.

The Rock Springs Rocket-Miner reports Jacob Anthony Triplett is scheduled for a two-day sentencing hearing that starts Monday and Amanda Triplett's sentencing is set for Nov. 21.

Doctors determined 4-month-old Susan Triplett was malnourished and dehydrated when she died in September 2014.

An autopsy found signs of child abuse.

Each parent faces a sentence of 20 years to life in prison on a second-degree murder charge and additional years for several child abuse charges.

Court documents say Susan's twin and two boys in the home, ages 2 and 4, were malnourished and showed signs of abuse as well.

The couple has given up parental rights.
On Sunday, President Barack Obama campaigned in Nevada a battleground state for fellow Democrat Hillary Clinton who wants to be his successor. However, Obama spent the majority of his time discussing the Senate race in the state.

Democrats want to gain control again of the U.S. Senate on election day November 8. They are sending out Obama, his wife first lady Michelle Obama and Vice President Joe Biden to different states where races are close and could tip the senate balance in their favor.

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In Nevada, President Obama reserved the majority of his speech for mocking Joe Heck the three-term Republican U.S. House Representative, who supported Donald Trump the GOP presidential candidate until a release of a video showing him bragging about kissing and groping women.

Obama said now Heck does not want to be associated with the words of praise he gave Trump prior to knowing about the video.

It was the second straight campaign rally that Obama spent the same amount of time or more discussing the Senate as he did Clintons quest for the White House.

Only a few days ago, the President severely criticized Marco Rubio the Republican Senator from Florida who is in a tough race with Patrick Murphy the Democratic challenger, for not rejecting Trump.

In both 2008 and 2012, Obama was victorious in Nevada. Current polls show that Clinton leads Trump by 4.2% in the battleground state.

The Senate seat for Nevada is the only race for the Senate this year that Republicans have a chance of flipping to them. Senator Harry Reid, who has decided to retire, has held the seat for a long time.

Obama was given an introduction at the event in Nevada by Catherine Cortez Masto, a Democratic running for the Senate seat. She is a two-term attorney general in Nevada who would become the first Hispanic woman elected to the Senate if she is to win.

Obama said during his speech that the country could not elect Hillary then saddle her with a U.S. Congress that does nothing because it is dominated by Republicans.

Cortez Masto is currently holding a slim lead of 2% over Heck. Reid complained that there was outside money from political foes David and Charles Koch that was being used in this race for the senate.
State Street Corporation, through its subsidiaries, provides a range of financial products and services to institutional investors worldwide. The company offers investment servicing products and services, including custody; product accounting; daily pricing and administration; master trust and master custody; depotbank services; record-keeping; cash management; foreign exchange, brokerage and other trading services; securities finance and enhanced custody products; deposit and short-term investment facilities; loans and lease financing; investment manager and alternative investment manager operations outsourcing; performance, risk, and compliance analytics; and financial data management to support institutional investors. It also engages in the provision of portfolio management and risk analytics, as well as trading and post-trade settlement services with integrated compliance and managed data. In addition, the company offers investment management strategies and products, such as core and enhanced indexing, multi-asset strategies, active quantitative and fundamental active capabilities, and alternative investment strategies. Further, it provides services and solutions, including environmental, social, and governance investing; defined benefit and defined contribution; and global fiduciary solutions, as well as exchange-traded fund under the SPDR ETF brand. The company provides its products and services to mutual funds, collective investment funds and other investment pools, corporate and public retirement plans, insurance companies, foundations, endowments, and investment managers. State Street Corporation was founded in 1792 and is headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts.
Energy regulation and climate change have failed to dominate this presidential election cycle, with controversies over emails and lewd remarks overshadowing policy issues.

Yet the next presidents energy policy is key to the direction of the Wyoming economy.

Oil, gas and coal provide the state with the bulk of its cash and have swelled a rainy day account with savings meant for lean years. Those industries have also built Wyoming schools and employ thousands of Wyoming workers.

However, dependency on oil, gas and coal has made the last few years difficult, as prices in all three markets plummeted and state and local governments quickly shaved budgets to survive.

All of this makes the decision on Nov. 8 extremely important for Wyoming and particularly its coal industry, which has experienced intense pressure from natural gas competition, 30-year price lows and potential regulations that could hinder the markets rebound.

A closer look at the two candidates position on energy shows two paths for Wyoming coal. In one scenario, the state slowly deviates from the traditional fuel source. In the other, regulations that have added pressure to the market could be rolled back.

The two candidates

Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton has promised to continue many Obama administration policies that seek to reduce emissions and move toward more renewable energy sources in the countrys future.

Republican nominee Donald Trumps energy platform is primarily about deregulation, including a promise to kill the Clean Power Plan, which is under consideration by the courts.

Under the Clean Power Plan, production of coal from Western states could fall by 155 million tons between 2015 and 2040, according to the Energy Information Administration. Two-thirds of Western coal comes from the Powder River Basin in northern Wyoming and Montana.

But all candidates offer promises. Experts interpret what they mean.

Where influence matters

Both candidates will have extensive influence, from executive orders to setting policy for U.S. agencies, said Rob Godby, director of the Energy Economics and Policies Center at the University of Wyoming.

It is not so much what Trump would do as what he would undo that affects the coal industry.

Trump would have the ability to move back on regulations, including regulations on federal lands like the coal lease moratorium or water standards that affect mining, Godby said.

The effect of deregulation could incentivize the building of power plants that use coal and be a boon in years to come, said Sen. Michael Von Flatern, R-Gillette.

The possibility of regulations on coal has made the electricity market think in terms of natural gas in its long-term plans, he said.

What if for the next eight years the [Environmental Protection Agencys] regulations were all thrown out the window? Von Flatern said. You want to build a coal-fired power plant  the plans that have been shelved, you could say Hey, lets pull them out. We can get permits now. We can build now. We dont have to worry about our CO2 emissions.

That would offer a market for coal for years to come, he said.

That is the difference [Trump] would make, he said.

Without a doubt, a vote for Hillary will be to unemploy a good share of my constituency. The goal of Sec. Clinton is to go to renewables only  thats her eventual goal. By voting for her, you are basically agreeing that in the future we will be all renewables. Thats 20, 30, 40 years out, but you are basically starting the process today.

There is consensus on Clintons plan. Clinton would be business as usual, Godby said.

And that means continuing in the direction of regulations that affect energy production.

Clinton will likely continue the move from traditional energy sources by setting the agenda for federal agencies, supporting the Paris climate agreement and continuing to push for the Clean Power Plan. In the short term, her presidency could be a boon for natural gas, further pressuring the coal sector  natural gas main competitor. Eventually, Clinton has promised investment in renewables.

What they cant promise

Both candidates have made claims that would require more than the word of the next president to keep.

Trump has made a number of promises in regard to revitalizing the market. He has promised more jobs, more production in all markets. But that is not how the market functions, Godby said.

You cant bring back coal jobs and gas jobs. Its been natural gas thats hurt coal, he said. Those sorts of dynamics havent been fully spelled out, other than he says he would eliminate regulations that actually work against these sectors. Then of course on the manufacturing side its going to be a trade argument that causes all these jobs to re-emerge.

Von Flatern echoed those sentiments. Trump cannot fix the downturn. Even the coal lease moratorium means little right now, because there are no buyers for coal reserves, he said.

Clinton, on the other hand, has said she would offer federal assistance to communities transitioning away from coal, largely by offering federal dollars for retraining workers. Shes also promised a program for schools in those communities, where federal money would make up the difference from diminished industry revenue.

Those promises are problematic, as they would require congressional budgetary approval for her to make good on her word, Godby pointed out.

It is likely that the Senate and House will be divided, so no promise depending on congressional support is going to be a shoo-in, he said.

For coal communities, Clintons promise of help is more insult than assurance.

What coal communities hear is a promise to end their mining, Von Flatern said.

Party loyalty trumps issues

Yet the presidential platforms, even on issues of supreme importance locally, arent as relevant as some would believe, said Andrew Garner, a political science professor at the University of Wyoming.

Garner studies voting habits, elections and comparative politics.

What we know about polarization is that party identification is the single best predictor of how people vote, he said. Its the single best predictor of how people view the candidates and the issues themselves. Issues actually matter a lot less than most people think they do.

People are more likely to adjust their views on an issue than on their party or political identity, he said.

Other factors, like Wyomings economic troubles of late, generally dont change that rule, he said.

Its likely to affect the voting pattern by making voters more polarized, blaming the states economy on decisions and actions of a liberal White House, he said.

The reverse would be true as well if liberals were under a conservative administration.

But party lines are relevant in this election for another reason: the open Supreme Court seat, said Godby.

Right now weve had a lot of split decisions on environmental issues that affect energy production, and under a Clinton administration I think youd expect that the current vacancy would be filled by a liberal, he said. Youd probably have a majority  more often have a majority  on issues pertaining to climate or energy regulation that would be in favor of expanded regulation.

Whats next for Wyoming?

The race has narrowed as Nov. 8 approaches, with many polls suggesting a Clinton victory, though a number of states are wavering.

If Clinton makes it to the White House, Wyoming will face changes even decades from now.

The projection says there will be a slow decline in the coal market for Wyomings revenue in the next few decades, said Sen. Chris Rothfuss, D-Laramie.

We absolutely need to be doing more to diversify and use the coal for value added purpose, he said. We need to look at totally non-energy markets like information technology, biotechnology and manufacturing, the kind of things that dont necessarily rely on coal, oil and gas.

Von Flatern pointed to investment in projects like the Integrated Test Center in Gillette as a way to continue using carbon in alternative ways.

However, nothing will fully replace what the industry has been for Wyoming, he said.

It will take a review of our taxing structure before we mature, grow up and face reality, Von Flatern said. We need to re-look at our taxing structure, to be like other states that have an income stream that is relatively steady.
The would-be developer of a nonexistent Wyoming power plant pleaded guilty Friday to one charge of fraud and could face up to five years in prison and thousands of dollars in fines.

Federal officials accused Michael Ruffatto, developer of the Two Elk power plant project in Campbell County, of collecting millions of government dollars and using them in unacceptable ways.

The fraud plea is one more strike against a project mired in controversy. In two decades, it has faced accusations of unpaid property taxes, misused funds and air quality violations.

Ruffatto, president of North American Power Group of Denver, first proposed the 300-megawatt power plant in 1996 as a way to use waste coal. The plant was never built despite receiving millions of dollars in federal and state grants.

The developer pleaded guilty to one charge alleging that in 2011 he fraudulently billed a federal agency for $363,668 from a Department of Energy stimulus grant. The grant was intended to research carbon sequestration and storage, according to documents filed Aug. 9 in the U.S. District Court of Pennsylvania.

Two Elk Energy Project also won about $10 million in stimulus dollars in 2009 and 2010. Of the $7.8 million given to the developer and company, the government demanded $5.7 million be returned because the money was used for unauthorized costs, federal officials said. Uses included $5.6 million paid to North American Land and Livestock, $3,000 in legal fees and $528 in travel costs.

The grant application stated the money would be used to drill three shallow wells, one deep well and collect new data.

Company officials have said they will return the funds.

Ruffatto will be sentenced Feb. 3.
MAIDUGURI, Nigeria  After her husband was killed by a Boko Haram suicide bomber late last year, Hajjagana Mbasaru was forced to pull her children from school and rely on friends to feed them. Like other widows of civilians fighting the Islamic extremists in northern Nigeria, she spent long months waiting for any kind of government support.

Finally, last week, officials in northeastern Borno state stepped up with a small handout: two bags of rice and some beans. Though modest, Mbasaru said it was a welcome change from months of being ignored.

"I am indeed very happy that, for once, the government has remembered me," Mbasaru said.

During its seven-year uprising, Boko Haram extremists have killed more than 20,000 people and displaced more than 2.6 million in Nigeria and neighboring Cameroon, Niger and Chad. Frustrated by the ineffective military response, thousands of ordinary residents in northeastern Nigeria joined local militias.

In Borno, most signed up for the same one as Mbasaru's husband, the "Civilian JTF," a play on the acronym used to describe the joint military and police taskforce in the region.

Often armed with only machetes, iron bars and batons, the men worked to round up suspected Boko Haram fighters and intercept suicide bombers. They soon became targets, and since 2013 nearly 700 have been killed, according to Jibrin Gunda, legal adviser to Civilian JTF.

While praising the sacrifice of the fighters, the government has done very little to help their families adjust to life without them, Gunda said. "Many of them had wives and many children. They had their aged parents who were part of their dependents, and who are now bereaved," Gunda said.

Last week's distribution of food is part of a broader program intended to make up for that neglect, said Satomi Ahmad, executive chairman of Borno*s emergency management agency. More than 150 widows such as Mbasaru were selected to be part of the first round of beneficiaries, and more will be included in the weeks to come, he said.

It was not clear whether families would get just one distribution of food or be able to receive the handouts multiple times.

The idea originated with current vigilante fighters who pleaded for support for the families of their fallen comrades, Ahmad said. "We immediately welcomed the idea because these are youth who volunteered to sacrifice their lives in safeguarding the territorial integrity and internal security of our nation. And the majority of them were breadwinners for their families," he said.

That was the case for Hauwa Li's husband, a businessman who died fighting Boko Haram last year.

"He joined the militia because, at the time, Boko Haram were just killing everyone," Li said. "About 20 months ago, when they set out for the bush, he didn*t come back alive. They brought his corpse alongside others who were killed."

Li, a 30-year-old homemaker, was left alone to support six children under 12. She has worked to find odd jobs to help her family, but she often falls short. "The days we sleep with hunger are more than the days we have our stomachs filled up," she said.

Though they were surprised not to have received any state aid earlier, the widows who picked up food last week said their families are grateful for the help.

Fadi Ali, a 41-year-old widow with 10 children, held back tears as she looked at the bags of food that had been placed at her feet. "God has made provisions for every mouth that needs to eat," she said.

In addition to helping these families, Ahmad said officials hoped the food distribution program will motivate the civilian defense fighters who are still battling the extremists: "We believe it will help to boost the morale of those who are still active in the ongoing war against terrorism."
Highway 1806 has been indefinitely closed beginning in the area of Fort Rice, according to the Morton County Sheriff's Department. The move is in response to demonstrations that took place Saturday and Sunday, law enforcement revealed today during a press conference at the Mandan City Hall.

Some of the 127 protesters arrested over the weekend are making initial court appearances today in Morton and Burleigh counties via video conference and at the courthouses.

On Saturday, 126 people were arrested during demonstrations at a Dakota Access Pipeline work site. Charges include reckless endangerment, criminal trespass, engaging in a riot, assault on a peace officer and resisting arrest.

Morton County Commissioner Cody Schultz indicated that protesters, over the weekend, did move closer to the pipeline easement.

Capt. Bryan Niewind, of the North Dakota Highway Patrol, reported that officers used pepper spray during a confrontation on Saturday. He said at least two arrows were shot toward law enforcement.

"The activities were intentionally planned to incite fear," Niewind said of the protesters.

Another person was arrested Sunday for trespassing and refusal to halt, according to the Morton County Sheriff's Department. On that day, protesters set up three blockades in the area, which were subsequently taken down at the request of officers. Law enforcement also reported shooting a drone over the weekend as it came within 30 to 50 feet of a helicopter's rotors. However, the drone was not downed.

"We support a legal protest," said Morton County Sheriff Kyle Kirchmeier. "We do not support the illegal activities ... that hinder public safety."

In addition to the road closure, more officers from Wisconsin, South Dakota, Wyoming, Nebraska, Indiana and Minnesota have been asked to help reinforce the presence of law enforcement in Morton County.

Some protesters were taken to jails throughout the state, including Cass, Mercer, McLean, Stark and Stutsman counties, as well as Devil's Lake, according to Morton County Assistant State's Attorney Gabrielle Goter. They are scheduled to appear Monday in court via video conference.

Goter, who approximated the number of protesters seen today due to some bonding out, said in Morton County, nine were seen today who were being held in the jail there. Eighteen appeared this morning in Burleigh County, including 14 who were housed in the Burleigh County Detention Center and four who appeared via video conference from McLean County.

An additional five appeared this morning in Morton County via video conference from Stark County, Goter said.

The rest  36 protesters  are scheduled to appear this afternoon, she said.

Check back later for updates.
 Fluvanna County Sheriff Eric B. Hess and Commonwealth Attorney Jeff Haislip will offer a Public Safety Community Forum from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Fluvanna Community Care Center in Fork Union. (434) 589-8211.

 Jefferson Scholars Foundation holds the Warren F. Chauncey Lecture Series in American History with Edward L. Ayers presenting The Mystery of Emancipation and Reconstruction, followed by a question-and-answer session, from 6 to 7 p.m. Thursday at 112 Clarke Court. jeffersonscholars.org. (434) 293-9029.

 Kluge-Ruhe Aboriginal Art Collection hosts Aboriginal artist Damien Shen, speaking about his Fabric of the Ngarrinderi Body exhibit, from 7 to 9 p.m. Thursday at 400 Worrell Drive. (434) 244-0234.

 Miller Center presents the American Forum as a public discussion with Gold Star father Khizr Khan at 6:30 p.m. Nov. 1 at Cabell Hall at UVa s. (434) 924-7236.

 More Than the Score lecture series hosts Barbara Perry presenting Supreme Court Appointment Battles from 10 to 11 a.m. Saturday at Alumni Hall. (434) 924-4491.

 The Public Education Foundation of Charlottesville-Albemarle's Education and the Creative Economy Luncheon has been rescheduled for Feb. 9, 2017. Tickets: pefca.org. (434) 825-4575.

 St. Annes-Belfield School presents its Inspiration Speaks lecture series with Madeline Levine, author of Teach Your Children Well: Parenting for Authentic Success, speaking from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Nov. 1 in the Greenway Rise Auditorium. (434) 296-5106.

 University of Virginia Center for Biomedical Ethics and Humanities will host Karen Masterson and Courtney Davis presenting When the Nurse Becomes the Patient: A Story in Words and Images from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. Wednesday in McLeod Hall Auditorium at UVa. (434) 924-5974.

 University of Virginia Institute for Advanced Studies in Culture hosts a panel discussion with Garnette Cardogan, Emily Raboteau and Maurice Wallace on the book The Fire This Time: A New Generation Speaks about Race from 4 to 5:30 p.m. Tuesday in Room 101 of Nau Hall at UVa. (434) 243-4514.

 University of Virginia School of Law hosts the symposium and panel discussion Environmental Crime: Current Issues in Corporate Prosecution beginning at 10 a.m. Friday at the Caplin Pavilion. law.virginia.edu. (434) 924-7354.

 Virginia Foundation for the Humanities hosts Don DeBats presenting A New View of Reconstruction from noon to 1 p.m. Nov. 1 at the VHF Conference Center. (434) 924-6562.
The top executive at Genworth Financial Inc. said this morning that the Henrico County-based company's proposed sale to a China-based investment firm represents the the best option to preserve and create value for shareholders.

On a conference call with analysts, Thomas J. McInerney, Genworths president and CEO, said the companys leadership concluded that a cash sale to China Oceanwide for $2.7 billion is the best possible strategic alternative for the stockholders, that eliminates downside risks to shareholders from ongoing problems in the companys long-term care insurance business.

McInerney, who has been CEO since 2013, was asked what other potential deals Genworth considered. He did not give specifics of other deals.

But he said the proposed sale, which requires shareholder approval, is the result of a nearly two-year long, internal review of strategic alternatives for the company.

Genworth announced Sunday evening that its board had agreed for the company to be acquired by Beijing-based China Oceanwide, a privately held, family-owned international financial holding company, for about $2.7 billion.

Under the proposed sale, Genworth shareholders would get $5.43 per share for their stock.

Shares opened on the New York Stock Exchange this morning at $4.95, down from Friday's close of $5.21 per share. Shares have traded between $1.57 and $5.36 over the past 52 weeks.

The transaction is expected to close by mid-2017.

If the deal is approved, Genworth, a Fortune 500 company and a major seller of home mortgage insurance and long-term care insurance, would become a subsidiary of China Oceanwide. It would keep its headquarters in Henrico.

The proposed sale has to get regulatory approval in multiple jurisdictions, including from state regulators in Virginia and several other states, along with regulators in China, Mexico and Canada.

It also must be reviewed by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, or CFIUS, an inter-agency committee of the U.S. federal government that reviews transactions that would result in the control of a U.S. business by a foreign person.

Lu Zhiqiang, the chairman of China Oceanwide Group of Beijing, has been listed by Forbes magazine as one of Chinas richest businessmen, with an estimated net worth this year of $5.2 billion, ranking him at No. 298 among the worlds billionaires, according to Forbes.

The company has been adding to its portfolio of international holdings, including buying real estate in New York City in 2015.

McInerney said the deal was structured to give it the best possible chance of receiving regulatory approval. In addition to buying Genworth shares, China Oceanwide would make a cash infusion and debt reduction of $1.1 billion in Genworths U.S. life insurance businesses.

It is our belief that the additional $1.1 billion in capital from China Oceanwide will facilitate regulatory approval, McInerney said.

Genworth executives including McInerney, and Zhiqiang, the chairman of China Oceanwide, met with Gov. Terry McAuliffe and Virginia Secretary of Trade and Commerce Todd Haymore last week, briefed them on the deal, and answered questions about its impact on Virginia, according to the company and Haymore.
Charlottesville police are investigating anti-Semitic graffiti left on a private apartment building near the University of Virginia.

The graffiti  an orange spray-painted Star of David above the word Juden, a German phrase for the Jewish people  was left on a building at the GrandMarc at the Corner, an apartment complex on 15th Street, between Sunday night and Monday morning, according to Allen W. Groves, the universitys dean of students.

The graffiti was an apparent reference to the infamous yellow badges used to identify Jews in Nazi-occupied parts of Europe during World War II. Groves said it was designed to target and intimidate individuals of the Jewish faith.

Although the GrandMarc is private property, it also represents the home of a great many students, Groves said in a statement Monday. As a community, we categorically reject this type of hateful message, which is anathema to our shared values of inclusiveness and trust.

Many students reported the graffiti through the universitys online tip system, Just Report It.

Students have reported several cases of racial bias or intimidation near UVa Grounds this fall.

On Oct. 14, university President Teresa A. Sullivan sent a university-wide message saying the administration had received many reports from nonwhite students who said they were taunted or threatened by people in passing cars. Most of the incidents had occurred at night, Sullivan said, along University Avenue.

Sullivan said shes not sure whether those instigating the incidents are students, but asked anyone who saw such incidents to report them.

Remember that every one of our students earned the right to be part of this community, and no student should be subjected to insults or threats intended to make him or her feel frightened or unwelcome, she said.

Anyone who wishes to report an instance of bias, hazing or sexual or gender violence at UVa can submit a report at virginia.edu/justreportit.
The Dakota Access Pipeline protest movement has the potential to affect tribal and state government relations far into the future, according to state officials.

Scott Davis, executive director of the state Indian Affairs Commission, said earlier this month it's been a delicate balance keeping various stakeholders informed and on the same page.

This has probably been the most challenging time in my position, he said. "Its been stressful."

Coordinating communication among state and local governments, law enforcement and tribal officials has been hectic, according to Davis, who said keeping people on all sides talking is critical to any solution.

At the end of the day, you cant force any government to come to the table, he said, adding hes encouraged by the tribes actively engaging with the state.

The 1,172-mile, 30-inch-diameter pipeline project is to run from North Dakota to Illinois with a cost of nearly $3.8 billion. It will carry 470,000 barrels of crude oil per day, with the ability to increase that capacity to 570,000.

Protesters camping in Morton County are concerned over potential impacts to the Missouri River, where a crossing is planned under the riverbed less than a mile from the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation boundary.

Numerous demonstrations have taken place at construction sites resulting in more than 140 arrests since August. North Dakota construction work on the pipeline is close to 90 percent complete.

Recently, a federal appeals court rejected a request for an injunction by the Standing Rock tribe, allowing work to continue within 20 miles of Lake Oahe. A trio of federal agencies continue to block construction on U.S. Army Corps of Engineers land adjacent to the lake and continue to ask the company to voluntarily not work on private lands.

Standing Rock Sioux Tribe Chairman Dave Archambault II has said opposition will continue and has called on President Barack Obama to weigh in.

President Obama has the power to change the fate of the water users who stand to lose clean water. We need him to take action now, Archambault said. Our lives are at risk, and the places we hold sacred are at risk. Millions have stood with us in opposition to this pipeline, and he must heed their call.

Davis said the tribe has scored some significant victories: It had its day in court, won a temporary delay in construction, and drew attention to its grievances from a state, national and global audience.

The tribe has to recognize that this is a win. Im encouraging the tribe to resolve this on their terms, said Davis, who has been to the protest camps numerous times to speak with tribal leaders.

As a member of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, Davis said one thing strikes him: I think the most beautiful thing Ive seen out of all of this is my people come together. Theres never been a time in my life that Ive seen that. Theres no doubt this is history.

A key thing is bringing the protests to a peaceful conclusion, according to Davis.

Thats my prayer every day. My prayer is that its a peaceful day. If it ends in a tragic way, then thatll be the definer, he said.

Gov. Jack Dalrymple has expressed continued support for what he considers a strong working relationship with tribal leaders.

We have always appreciated and supported open and constructive dialogue dealing with our tribal leaders. State and tribal leaders strive to work through issues in a respectful and productive manner, and we fully expect that will continue, he said.

Regardless, some are concerned by the economic impacts of the protest movement.

Sen. Oley Larsen, R-Minot, vice chairman of the state's interim Tribal and State Relations Committee, said his main concern is potential backlash by residents who decide not to visit the casino, patronize Standing Rock businesses or use recreational facilities.

Committee member Sen. Dave Oehlke, R-Devils Lake, said Spirit Lake Nation members hes spoken to have come away from the protest camp with a new appreciation for their heritage. Hes also spoken to constituents in his district who are supportive of law enforcement.

If it was really only our tribes from North Dakota involved in this, it would be something more amenable to an open discussion, Oehlke said.

Davis says its unclear when tribal and state officials might choose to sit down and figure out an endgame.

At the end of the day, when this is all over, we still have to live here, he said. Important to our tribal-state relations is how we treat each other now is going to reflect on how we treat each other five years, 10 years from now.
Gov. Terry McAuliffe on Sunday received a special Swanson Courage Award for Civil Rights, in association with the Albemarle-Charlottesville NAACP, at an annual event to celebrate the fight by attorney Gregory Hayes Swanson to desegregate the University of Virginia.

Evans Hopkins, nephew of Swanson and chairman of the Swanson Legacy Committee, which held the event, said McAuliffe was honored in part because of his work to restore voting rights to felons.

Because the struggle goes on, its never over with, Hopkins said. He issued that executive order and what happened? He was attacked for it, he was taken to court for it. And what did he do? He did not give up.

That fills me with a certain amount of hope because I was one of those who was affected by his order and so now Im able to vote for the first time since 1974, he said.

Swanson sued UVas Board of Visitors in 1950 after he was denied entrance to the law school because of state segregation laws. He won a unanimous decision and became the first African-American admitted to UVa. The commemoration was held in the former federal courthouse, now downtown Charlottesvilles Central Library, in the room where a three-judge panel handed down the decision.

McAuliffe talked about how hard it was for Swanson to come into the courtroom, and that that was only the beginning.

When he went to school, they didnt let him go to dances, they didnt let him go to any of the sports, he couldnt live on campus, he had to pay boarding off campus, and so that struggle continued, he said.

Ive tried to do that as governor, he said. I promised everybody we would make Virginia open and welcoming to everybody.

McAuliffe said that as soon as he was elected he got to work to restore the rights of felons, reducing the original 13-page form down to one, making all drug offenses non-violent and getting rid of the requirement that felons write a letter to the governor.

In July, the Supreme Court of Virginia ruled that McAuliffes blanket restoration of rights to 206,000 felons was unconstitutional. McAuliffe will have to restore rights individually.

As of today, Ive done 85,719, he said. Ill have all 200,000 done by the end of the year, and its exciting. I can tell you the stories, after stories, after stories. It is the right thing to do. People deserve second chances.

The committee also honored long-time civil rights activist and former local NAACP President Eugene Williams and his wife, Lorraine Williams, who both fought to end Massive Resistance and the closure of Charlottesville schools in 1958.

To ensure that Swansons story becomes as familiar on Grounds as it is in the Charlottesville community, said Kim A. Forde-Mazrui, director of the UVa law schools Center for the Study of Race and Law, the law school is in the process of establishing a historical marker that will be inaugurated at the universitys bicentennial and Martin Luther King Jr. celebration in January 2018. They also will inaugurate a law school award in honor of Swanson, to be given as part of the annual commemoration of the case.

The isolation and marginalization and hostility that he previously faced as a law student has, thankfully, dramatically decreased for students today, Forde-Mazrui said. We have a much more diverse student body and facility, and our curricular offerings are much better.

But, as speakers before him also said, the struggle continues and there is still much more to be done, he said.

Many students [of color] have told me privately and in my racial justice seminar ... that they have experienced isolation and marginalization, Forde-Mazrui said. They have confronted cultural ignorance, racial insensitivity and sometimes overt prejudice.

Forde-Mazrui said there are many student groups at the law school that provide the academic, social and emotional support that minority students need to succeed.

Del. Jennifer McClellan, D-Richmond, and state Sen. Donald McEachin, D-Henrico, both UVa graduates, also received the Swanson Courage Award on Sunday. McClellan read from the House joint resolution commemorating the legacy of Swanson.

This is almost over half a century late, she said of the resolution. But better late than never.
The University of Virginias Miller Center will host Charlottesville resident Khizr Khan for a public conversation at 6:30 p.m. Nov. 1 at Old Cabell Hall.

Khan is best known for remarks he made at the Democratic National Convention. His son U.S. Army Capt. Humayun Khan, a UVa graduate, was killed in the line of duty in Iraq in 2004.

Khans comments resulted in give-and-take between him and Republican candidate for president Donald Trump. Khan has since been featured in a TV ad supporting Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton.

The Khans moved to Charlottesville after the death of their son and have been involved with the ROTC program at UVa.

Khan will discuss his experiences and share his perspective with the host of the Miller Centers American Forum TV program, Pulitzer Prizewinning author Douglas Blackmon, and will take questions from the audience following the interview.

This event is free and open to the public. Tickets for entry will be distributed at Old Cabell Hall on the day of the event beginning at 4:30 p.m. on a first-come, first-served basis. Doors will open at 5:30 p.m.
This is Up and Down, where we give a brief thumbs up and thumbs down on the issues from the past week.

Up

The State Health Department is in the process of revising permits for special oil field waste companies to require monitoring of all loads that have potential for radioactivity. The change was prompted after the department this summer found three of 12 special oil field waste operators had illegal radioactive material at their landfills. The departments action makes sense. It provides more inspection and it helps reassure the public that waste is being monitored for radioactive material.

Down

The discovery of dead and wounded livestock in Sioux County is appalling. Why someone would want to kill the animals and mutilate them is beyond comprehension. There also are 30 head of cattle missing in the county. Hopefully, the missing stock just wandered away. Its unfortunate, but the state suffers periodic senseless attacks on livestock. Theres never a good explanation for the killings. The North Dakota Stockmens Association has offered a $14,000 reward for the arrest and conviction of whoever is responsible for the attacks. We hope that helps solve the case.

Up

The Bank of North Dakota continues to perform well for the state. The bank has posted record annual profits for 12 consecutive years, with profits of $130.7 million in 2015 and $111 million in 2014. Now, bank president Eric Hardmeyer says its likely 2016 will be another record year. The bank reported net income of more than $109.2 million for the first three quarters of the year, about 5.4 percent above projections for the year to date. So, if the bank doesnt have another record it seems guaranteed to have an excellent year. The bank remains an institution thats unique in the nation and that residents can brag about.

Down

A fire on Oct. 17 destroyed a livestock feed business in the grain elevator in Medina. Diamond W Feeds didnt let the fire put them out of business. The company is operating out of another location and plans to rebuild. Diamond W Feeds has been operating at the elevator since 2003 and ships bulk livestock feed throughout North Dakota and into neighboring states. This is a "down" item because the fire obviously makes it difficult for the business to keep operating. It also could be an "up" item because the owners arent letting the blaze stop them from serving their customers.

Up

A week ago a judge dropped charges against journalist Amy Goodman for events that occurred Sept. 3 during a Dakota Access Pipeline protest. While some may not care for how Goodman approaches her job, she was covering the news. The news that day took her on property where pipeline workers were operating. If she hadnt gone where the news was occurring her story wouldnt have been as complete. The judges decision was correct. Going after a journalist also is going after the publics need and right to know. Covering the news often requires quick decisions and Goodmans instincts told her to follow the news.
Bob Dylan has won the Nobel Prize for Literature. Is a professor at Virginia Military Institute responsible?

The answer, my friend, is blowing in the wind.

Ah, that was too easy, wasnt it? On the other hand, thats just one example of how Dylans lyrics have slipped into our common tongue. One scholar has estimated that Dylan has contributed more phrases to the English language than any writer since Rudyard Kipling.

The announcement by the Nobel committee has stirred conversation about the Nobel Prize on Facebook. As Dylan himself once sang, the times they are a-changing.

That was likely the Nobel committees point all along.

It was also the point of a determined band of Dylan enthusiasts who have campaigned for two decades to secure a Nobel for Dylan  not just because they thought he was worthy of the prize, but because they wanted to enlarge the definition of what is considered literature and thought Dylan was their best vehicle for doing so.

One of those was Gordon Ball, for many years a professor at Virginia Military Institute and now, since his retirement from VMI, a visiting professor next door at Washington & Lee University.

Gordon Ball first saw Dylan perform at the Newport Folk Festival in 1965  the famous concert where Dylan angered folk purists by plugging in an electric guitar. He even met Dylan once  briefly. In later years, though, Ball was teaching literature at VMI, where his specialty was the Beat Generation. He wrote a book about the poet Allen Ginsberg, edited three of his books and became famous in his field.

In 1996, two Dylan fans from Norway launched a campaign to nominate Dylan for a Nobel Prize. Not just anyone can nominate someone for a Nobel. The nomination has to come either from a past winner, members of The Swedish Academy (which oversees the prize), presidents of national writers groups, or  professors of literature. The two Norwegians wrote Ginsberg for help; his office put them in touch with Ball.

For the next dozen or so years, Ball dutifully sent in a nomination. There were other professors who did the same, but Ball may have been the most prominent. He studied the Nobel rules, which laid down two criteria. The honorees work must have an idealistic tendency. It must also have conferred the greatest benefit on mankind. Nowhere, though, does it say that literature must be defined as a book. But never had a songwriter won.

If the Nobel committee was ever going to recognize a songwriter, who better than Dylan? His work is so lyrically rich and capable of multiple interpretations, Ball says. Hes provocative. Surprising combination of words. Memorable use of language.

Dylans work has also been culturally influential, thus satisfying the Nobels criteria that the work be of the greatest benefit on mankind. Dylans songs were the soundtrack for much of the civil rights movement in the 1960s, and his words have been quoted many times since  from presidents to popes.

But literary critics scoffed. The Scottish writer Irvine Welch of Trainspotting fame was outraged: An ill-conceived nostalgia award wrenched from the rancid prostates of senile, gibbering hippies, he complained.

Ball, though, thinks Dylans prize will do at least one thing. My hope is that this will enlarge and deepen our sense of what literature can be.

Adapted from The Roanoke Times.
We need to vote yes on Measure 4 this Nov. 8 to raise the cigarette tax in North Dakota. As a former smoker, I know how easy it is to start smoking and how hard it is to quitand the health risks if you cannot quit. We know who is opposing Measure 4. Tobacco companies because they are only interested in making a profit and not about their customers best interest or our loved ones who are still addicted to their tobacco products.

Raising the tobacco prices is often the last straw for many people and forces them to seek cessation programs that help them quit. I dont want anyone else to have a scan of their lungs with the doctor telling them he is looking for lung cancer. That happened to me.

Make your vote count this November by voting yes on Measure 4 to raise the cigarette tax in North Dakota from an abysmal 44 cents per pack to $2.20 per pack. Currently, every state adjacent to North Dakota has a tobacco tax at least three times as high as ours, and Minnesota is seven times the rate of North Dakotas!

As government relations director for the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network in North Dakota, I know raising tobacco taxes will save lives by getting people to quit smoking and preventing kids from ever starting. Smoking is the number one cause of preventable death in North Dakota

As taxpayers, we have a right to see the costs of smoking offset with a higher tobacco tax. And, we also can hope for a better future for the next generation of North Dakotans who will be given a fighting chance to resist the temptations of tobacco industry advertising.
The Virginia Community Colleges System has recently directed $5.3 million to community colleges around the state to enhance or create new workforce credential training programs based on local needs and innovative proposals.

Germanna Community College will receive $462,550 to expand its training capacity for its Virginia Educational Center for Asphalt Technology at its Culpeper, Orange and Fredericksburg area locations and its new Fredericksburg Center for Advanced Technology opening in Central Park next spring, according to Germanna spokesman Mike Zitz.

The state grant augments a program passed by the 2016 General Assembly and signed into law by Gov. Terry McAuliffe earlier this year, allowing Germanna students to pay one third of the cost to enroll in non-credit, workforce programs for jobs that are in demand.

The New Economy Workforce Credential Grant Program is designed to create and sustain a demand- driven supply of credentialed workers to fill occupations where demand outstrips supply in Virginia. The program does this by increasing industry certifications and occupational licenses that count for jobs and business growth. The program makes attainment of these workforce credentials more affordable to Virginians.

Its great for the local economy, said Jeanne Wesley, Germannas vice president for workforce development and interim VP for academic affairs. Its about access and affordability, helping people obtain in-demand credentials to improve their chances of employment and career success. We hope to serve more residents in our community and close the skills gap for local employers.

Among the programs included: computer repair, masonry apprenticeship, core craft skills with pathways to electrical maintenance, other trades like HVAC and plumbing, commercial truck driver training and Germannas new asphalt certification program through which Wesley said, Folks can progress form entry level field worker and lab technician to a bachelors degree.

Theres also a huge demand for CDL drivers, she said, adding that the program is about one month long upon successful completion and the schools trainer provides assistance with job placement.

The program awards a maximum of $3,000 per workforce training program per Germanna student. There is no limit on the number of non-credit workforce training programs that a student may enroll in and complete, said Zitz. Funds are provided on a first-come first-served in courses aligned to a high-demand field.

Expanding capacity for workforce credential training has major implications both in the near-term and long-term to help people prepare for meaningful and rewarding careers, said Glenn DuBois, Chancellor of the VCCS Our ongoing goal is to meet the needs of Virginians who want good jobs, as well as serve businesses eager to hire workers with the right skills and credentials.
Woodbridge man pleads guilty to trying to help friend join IS

ALEXANDRIA  A Virginia taxi driver pleaded guilty Monday to charges that he tried to help a friend join the Islamic State group.

Mahmoud A.M. Elhassan of Woodbridge was arrested in January, as was his friend, Joseph Farrokh, following a government sting. The two had been in regular contact with a government informant who they believed could help them travel to Syria to join the Islamic State, prosecutor Dennis Fitzpatrick said.

At a plea hearing Monday in federal court in Alexandria, Elhassan admitted driving Farrokh in January to the Richmond airport, where they believed they would face less scrutiny from security and where Farrokh planned to start a trip to Syria. Elhassan also admitted that he lied to federal agents who interviewed him about the true nature of Farrokh's trip.

Prosecutors said Monday that they believe Elhassan also planned to travel to join the Islamic State at a later date. Elhassan's attorney disputed the assertion that Elhassan ever had any serious intention of joining the group.

Farrokh has already been sentenced to 8  years in prison, and renounced his support of the Islamic State. He and Elhassan are among a half-dozen northern Virginia men charged this year with trying to help the Islamic State. Most of the cases have developed out of government stings.

VML appointment is milestone for Gordonsville mayor

Gordonsville Mayor Robert Coiner was recently elected president of the Virginia Municipal League, marking the first time an elected official from the small town in Orange County was chosen for the top post representing more than 200 cities, towns and counties.

Coiner is the first mayor of Gordonsville to serve as VML president in the statewide municipal associations 111-year history, according to a news release. He is also the first mayor from Central Virginia to lead the group, making Gordonsville (population 1,555) the tiniest locality in league history to produce a president.

Im very appreciative of this honor and support Ive received through the years from Virginias cities, town and counties, Coiner said.

In his new role, he announced a community health initiative Coiner said he hoped would positively impact all Virginians.

I will also be working with the governor and General Assembly to protect localities and local taxpayers from unfunded mandates and other attempts by the state to shift state-level responsibilities to the localities, he said.

Coiner has served on the Gordonsville Town Council since 2000 and was first elected mayor in 2004.

Rappahannock inn/restaurant wins global accolade

The esteemed Paris-based Michelin Guide recently launched its first ever guide to Washington D.C and it included The Inn at Little Washington in Rappahannock County, according to a news release. The Inn was awarded two stars, making it one of only three restaurants in the D.C. area to earn the guides highest rating.

"This is a lifelong dream come true, said Chef/Proprietor Patrick O'Connell. When the Inn at Little Washington opened in 1978, we had no role models in America comparable to a Michelin-starred restaurant in the countryside. Every year we made gastronomic pilgrimages to the starred restaurants of Europe for inspiration and measured the gap between what they were doing and what we were doing here until one day our well-traveled guests told us there was no longer a gap. Michelin's acknowledgement is a wonderful affirmation for our team."

According to Michelin, its two-star award indicates excellent cooking, worth a detour." Winners were chosen by anonymous inspectors who assessed quality using criteria: product quality, preparation and flavors, the chef's personality as revealed through his or her cuisine, value for money, and consistency over time and across the entire menu.
Conservative independent presidential candidate Evan McMullin and his running mate, Mindy Finn, are not going to be the next president and vice president. The ticket may, however, outstrip expectations and thereby lift the hopes of despondent Republicans looking for a message and messengers in the post-Trump era.

Since the Access Hollywood tape of Donald Trump bragging about sexual assault surfaced, McMullin has climbed into contention in Utah. CBS reports:

Matthew Burbank, an associate professor of political science at the University of Utah, predicts Trump will narrowly win the state, making McMullin mainly an interesting historical footnote similar to Ross Perots 1992 showing in Utah when he finished second to George H.W. Bush but ahead of Bill Clinton.

But hes among those impressed by how well McMullin has maneuvered this years bizarre political landscape to earn widespread attention. McMullins strategy to stake out general, conservative ideas seems to be working because most voters arent looking for detailed plans about what he would do as president because they know thats not realistic.

McMullin has also spoken extensively on public character and public servicewhere Trump falls far short. As a frequent guest on cable TV news, he eloquently eviscerates Trump from the conservative point of view. In a CNN interview with S.E. Cupp, he provided in-depth analysis of the Syria situation, ending with this exchange:

Cupp: Trump said in the last debate that Iran, Russia and Assad are killing ISIS, essentially repeating Syrian and Russian propaganda. We know this isnt trueis he uninformed or in bed with our enemies?

McMullin: He is absolutely aligning himself with our enemies. He is an authoritarian. He has no respect for any check on his power. He has not experienced those checks in his own life. Or when he does experience it, he reacts violently to it. He would leverage our executive authority to deprive us of our own civil rights. He is absolutely one of them.

Cupp: What about Trumps plan to steal Iraqi oil? Why wouldnt that work to starve ISIS?

McMullin: Its hard to know where to start. First, its a silly idea. Its a violation of the sovereignty of Iraq. Weve had this international system since World War I and World War II based on the idea of sovereignty, that borders cannot be changed by force, resources cannot be taken by force. Its the basic framework for the international system since the two great wars. Some people like Trump would say, whats that gotten us? Well, its a period of time since the two great wars during which there havent been further (great) wars. Its facilitated the spread of democracy around the world. At the time of World War I there were about 14 democracies, now there are about 100. Its led to the lifting out of poverty of 900 million people. What Trump proposes is a degradation of that order. There are still conflicts around the world, but the absence of great warsTrump proposes to dismantle that. And that is exactly what Vladimir Putin wants, this would advance the interests of Putin and other expansionist authoritarians around the world ...

McMullin drew loud applause when he said, A real conservative, when they see somebody else being attacked for their religion or because of their race, a real conservative will stand up and protect other people.

Some supporters said they were drawn to McMullin because they couldnt stomach voting for Trump or Clinton.

It was my ticket out of the circus, said Leslie Reinhold about her support for McMullin.

McMullins campaign tells me there are plenty of signs his message is catching on. There was a 2,000 percent increase in online activity relating to him last week. More people were searching online for McMullin in Idaho, Utah and Wyoming than Hillary Clinton or Trump. The campaign also claims a dramatic spike in online searches for write-in, with McMullin as the No. 1 accompanying search. He has held events in multiple states, including California, Utah, Idaho, Georgia and Minnesota. Once in the dozens, his crowds now are in the hundreds and in some cases top 1,000.

Yes, a vote for McMullin would be a protest vote of sorts, but his supporters argue that in a year in which our politics has sunk far lower than any imagined, theres a lot to be said for voting on and for principle.
This May, in a visit to Vietnam, President Barack Obama announced he was lifting the embargo on selling lethal arms to Hanoi as part of an effort to normalize relations long after the Vietnam War. While celebrating Vietnams deepening economic and security ties to the United States, Obama cautioned that to really get ahead, it should respect freedom of expression, assembly and religion. There are still folks who find it very difficult to assemble and organize peacefully around issues that they care deeply about, he said.

It seems clear from Vietnams recent actions that the rulers in Hanoi did not believe they had to pay attention to Obamas advice. On Oct 7, they declared that the California-based pro-democracy group Viet Tan, or the Vietnam Reform Party, is a terrorist organization and warned of severe penalties for anyone who contacted it. The group, which describes itself as a pro-democracy organization working to promote social justice and human rights through nonviolent means, said this was the first time it has been formally designated as terrorist under Vietnams laws. Three of the groups members are serving long prison terms for their blogging and community organizing.

On Oct. 10, police in the south-central province of Khanh Hoa arrested a popular blogger, Nguyen Ngoc Nhu Quynh, 37, who writes under the pen name Mother Mushroom. She is co-founder of a network of independent bloggers who often find themselves in the crosshairs of a regime that strictly controls the news media and does not tolerate dissent. Radio Free Asia quoted the network as protesting that Quynh is an activist who has advocated for human rights, improved living conditions for people, and sovereignty for many years.

Most recently, Quynh had been blogging extensively about a chemical spill in April that devastated marine life and left fishermen and tourism industry workers jobless in four provinces. In June, a Taiwanese-owned company acknowledged it was responsible for the pollution and pledged to clean it up, but the spill has provoked protests by Vietnamese who criticize the government for remaining silent about the cause of the spill at the outset and then failing to provide information about health and environmental dangers. Many of the protests were mobilized on Facebook.

When taken into custody, Quynh was accused of publishing propaganda against the state. A police statement said she had posted a report compiling 31 cases in which civilians died in police custody, which showed hostility towards the police force.

When Obama visited in May, it was clear that security cooperation and normalization of relations were on the front burner as the United States and Vietnam face an increasingly aggressive China. It is notable that Vietnam also agreed to economic and labor reforms required by the Trans-Pacific Partnership. But these are not sufficient. Vietnam also must free its people to blog, protest and speak out without fear.
My name is Jerod Tufte and I am running for the North Dakota Supreme Court because our state is facing serious challenges including shrinking budgets and continuing high caseloads in our courts. I am well prepared to bring a new generation of leadership to our states high court.

I was born and raised in North Dakota and I have an enthusiasm for our state that comes from having lived in other states and returned home to raise my own kids in this very special place.

I bring broad legal experience, an analytical mind, and a temperament that is deliberative and able to engage contentious issues with reason and not simply passion. As an elected prosecutor I carefully chose appropriate criminal charges that reflected the seriousness of the offense, and tried cases before North Dakota juries when the defendants exercised their right to a jury trial. As a Judge Advocate in our Army National Guard, I deployed overseas as a legal adviser to military commanders and I also defended individual soldiers in disciplinary matters. I have practiced both as a member of a large law firm working for large corporations and as a solo attorney representing individuals and small businesses.

As legal adviser to the governor I developed a deep understanding of legislation, separation of powers, and the importance of citizen engagement to keep government responsive and accountable. As a district judge, I have demonstrated the fair, impartial approach we expect of our judges. You dont have to take my word for it: more than 200 lawyers who know my work rated me highest by a wide margin in integrity, temperament and competence.
BOWMAN -- Weather modification is the agricultural communitys version of politics and religion -- a subject they dont talk about.

But come Election Day, residents of Bowman County are going to make a decision whether or not they want to continue with the practice.

When our income for our year depends on how our crop, how our livestock, how our hayground produces, Tess Palczewski said. And if you have somebody interrupting the weather program based on a scientific theory and we dont see the payout, its very hard not to raise a voice and say I dont want you to do this anymore because youre affecting our way of life.

The Palczewskis are farmers and ranchers near Scranton who started a petition, which received 358 signatures, to let the people of Bowman County decided whether or not they want to abolish the Cloud Modification Project program.

John Palczewski said he wanted to do the petition for awhile because he would rather see Mother Nature be and not have planes seeding clouds to help determine weather. He believes that other farmers and ranchers in the area feel the same way.

When you need rain bad and theyre up seeding clouds and you see the clouds disappear, its pretty disheartening when you got tons of thousands of crops sitting out there, he said.

The Cloud Modification Project is a program that seeds clouds for hail damage reduction and rain enhancement in western North Dakota. Counties currently participating in the program are Bowman, Burke, McKenzie, Mountrail, Ward, Williams and part of Slope.

The program began in the 1950s when Bowman County farmer-rancher Wilbur Brewer came together with pilot neighbors Bill Fisher and Bill Mazaros to form Weather Modification Inc., the state's first all-airborne commercial cloud-seeding company, which is now based out of Fargo. When cloud seeding began, it was originally just for a few townships. However, it later expanded to encompass entire counties throughout much of North Dakota. At the time, the program was entirely locally sponsored.

Bowman County currently splits costs for the program with the state, with each putting in approximately $96,000.

Darin Langerud director of the North Dakota Atmospheric Resource Board said there have been many studies over the years that have looked at the program. He said, in regard to rainfall, the studies show a 5 to 10 percent increase in precipitation from the seeding program.

As far as hail goes, studies show that the program was able to reduce crop hail losses by about 45 percent, Langerud said.

Does it really work?

Bowman County received far less rainfall than normal this year, even with the program in place.

Recently, the U.S. Department of Agriculture designated Bowman County as a primary natural disaster area due to losses caused by a recent drought.

Langerud said they often get questions about whether or not the cloud seeding affects weather downwind where the clouds arent seeded. But, Langerud said there is no scientific evidence that shows cloud seeding, which enhances rainfall in one area, produces dry conditions downwind.

The evaluations of the program here and other places where cloud seeding is done -- and its done in many other places in the U.S. and around the world -- those evaluations show that the seeding effect persists for a while downwind and actually those areas downwind will also receive additional precipitation until the seeding effect wears out, Langerud said.

But, John Palczewski believes thats just not the case and he says hes not alone.

He said many neighboring farmers and ranchers want to see the program leave, as well as many of the older farmers who were around during the early years of the program.

Tess Palczewski said she didnt grow up on a farm, but has watched clouds grow and dissipate near their home on several occasions.

The biggest thing for us is we cannot prove what theyre doing works or doesnt work, just as much as they cant prove if they didnt fly the cloud, we would have got anymore or less moisture, she said. So thats the hardest part, because thats what so controversial is no body can hands down, 100 percent prove what theyre doing.

During an informational meeting Wednesday at the Bowman City Hall, many farmers and ranchers expressed their opinions about the program.

Some in attendance, like Palczewski, said while they believe the program does suppress the hail, they believe the seeding dissipates the amount of rain that comes from the clouds.

However, others at the meeting said they believe in the program and said while it doesnt always stop the hail, it does reduce the damage caused by it. Many mentioned they remember times when crops would get hailed out nearly every year and said that doesnt happen anymore because of the program.

Bowman County farmer Ernest Schober said he visits with older farmers in his neighborhood about weather modification.

They used to get hailed out one of every three years and we still get hail, but its not that severe, Bowman County farmer Ernest Schober said.

Schober added that North Dakota is located in area that doesnt get as much rain in general and that can also affect whether or not a growing season is good or not.

Others also expressed concern about whether or not leaving the program would affect the Bowman radar program. However, Langerud said that is not really the case.

If Bowman County were to pull out of the weather modification program, the eight surrounding counties that utilize the radar would have to come up with an additional $14,000 combined to run the radar during the summer months when the State Water Commission was paying for its use for the seeding program.

The last available county count on weather modification from the State Water Commission is from 1976. At that time, there were 17 counties involved in the program -- many in the eastern half of the state, including Barnes, Benson, Eddy, Foster, Griggs, Kidder, Nelson, Sergeant and Wells counties.

However, all of those counties dropped out of the program by 1981. While the reasons for the dramatic dropoff are not exactly clear, Langerud said part of the reason is due to cuts in state assistance during that time and claims that the eastern half of the state gets slightly more rain and a little less hail.

Dealing with Mother Nature

Langerud claims that since the weather modification program reduces hail damage, it can help to increase crop production by $12 million to $20 million combined for the counties involved in the program.

Thats a significant impact locally for the producers, he said. Theyre gaining a little bit extra yield.

Langerud said ultimately, even from a statistical standpoint, its difficult to prove either way. But he added they collect as much data as they can over varying lengths of time and never take credit for individual storms producing more rain or less hail.

Theres no way to eliminate hail at this point, he said. That would be a very, very difficult thing to conceive of -- even in the future -- how that might happen. But, one of the ways I think a lot the producers look at this program in North Dakota is its another tool they have to manage their risk.

Hans Ahlness, vice president of operations of Weather Modification Inc., the company that is contracted to fly the clouds for the Atmospheric Resource Board, said he knows it can sometimes be difficult for farmers to be able to tell what theyre going to get from the program, especially since the results arent exactly tangible.

You cant hand them a check at the end of the year and say, Well, heres the money you made because of the cloud-seeding project, he said. You cant give them a truckload of wheat and say, Heres the extra wheat you were able to grow because of the rain that you got during the growing season.  If we could do that itd be a lot easier to give people something tangible.

John Palczewski said he would much rather just buy hail insurance and have Mother Nature be in control of whether or not he suffers a loss or a gain because of storms and rainfall.

We can financially risk our operation with hail insurance, John Palczewski said. You cannot insure yourself for lack of moisture.

He added that he didnt set out to make people angry or make anyone upset. He just wants to give people a chance to let their voices be heard and do what he thinks is best for his land and family.

We just would rather see Mother Nature be and not have someone up seeding clouds to try and control the luck we have, he said.
A group of pipeline protesters moved their camp to Cannonball Ranch, an area directly on the pipeline route, which protesters say is treaty land, but was recently purchased by Dakota Access.

"Water protectors took back unceded territory affirmed in the 1851 Treaty of Fort Laramie as sovereign land under the control of the Oceti Sakowin, erecting a front line camp of several structures and teepees on Dakota Access property," according to a press release from several protest groups, including the Red Warrior Camp and the Camp of Sacred Stones.

"The Oceti Sakowin has enacted eminent domain on DAPL lands," said Mekasi Camp-Horinek, a camp coordinator, in a statement. "We will be occupying this land and staying here until the pipeline is permanently stopped."

Law enforcement immediately condemned the move as illegal.

Individuals trespassing on private property cant claim eminent domain to justify their criminal actions, said Morton County Sheriff Kyle Kirchmeier in a statement.

During the move on Sunday, protesters set up blockades on Highway 1806 and on County Road 134 directly to the west, according to the protesters' statement. This led to authorities closing Highway 1806 for several hours in the afternoon, during which time drivers were rerouted along Highway 6.

According to the Morton County Sheriff's Department, protesters constructed the barrier north of the camps from hay bales, rocks, tree stumps and logs around 2 p.m. Photos shared on the Red Warrior Camp Facebook page show the block had signs with slogans, such as "NO DAPL" and "Defend the Sacred."

The roadblock north of the camp on Highway 1806 was removed after negotiations with law enforcement, who told protesters they would be liable if an emergency would occur and first responders could not get through, according to the Morton County Sheriff's Department. As of 5:30 p.m. the block on County Road 134 remained in place.

Around 11 a.m., officers used less-than-lethal force to shoot down a drone that was allegedly endangering a helicopter flying above the protests, according to the Morton County Sheriff's Department.

Kirchmeier said he was pleased that "common sense prevailed" when protesters took down the block on Highway 1806, but criticized the day's events, calling them "outright unlawful."

From halting traffic with their own roadblocks, trespassing on private property and endangering lives with illegal drones, these are the tactics of out-of-state agitators who have an agenda of causing fear, terror, and economic devastation," he said in a statement.

Kellie Berns, an opponent of the four-state, $3.8 billion oil pipeline, said protesters have set up about 15 teepees and 50 tents at the new camp, on the recommendation of elders and group leaders. Women and children are being encouraged to remain at the main Oceti Sakowin camp.

"They're asking as many people as they can to move," Berns said.

The relocation comes a week after the Standing Rock Tribal Council voted 8-5 to set aside land on the reservation for a winter camp. The Forum News Service reported that not everyone was inclined to move there.

The site of this new camp is on Cannonball Ranch, which Dakota Access purchased from a local landowner last month. Part of the ranch was the site of a clash between protesters and private security guards with dogs. The Standing Rock Sioux Tribe has said the land contains sacred burial sites. The new camp is across the road from where the clash took place, according to the protest groups. It is directly behind where a row of tents has been staged for the past two months.

An email sent to a Dakota Access spokesperson was not immediately returned on Sunday evening. A phone message left for Standing Rock Tribal Chairman Dave Archambault was not immediately returned either.

Authorities used an ATV to arrest one person for criminal trespass and fleeing on Sunday, according to the sheriff's department.

A total of 126 people were arrested during major demonstrations on Saturday, as officers used pepper spray to control a group of protesters, according to the sheriff's department. This is an updated figure from the 83 reported Saturday. Charges include reckless endangerment, criminal trespass, engaging in a riot, assault on a peace officer and resisting arrest.

Protesters were brought to jails throughout the state. At least two were legal observers, according to Bruce Ellison, an attorney for the protesters. He said some people have bonded out, but it is not clear if everyone has.
Standing Rock Sioux Tribe Chairman Dave Archambault II is calling on the U.S. Department of Justice to intervene in the increasingly tense situation unfolding between law enforcement and protesters of the Dakota Access Pipeline after 127 people were arrested over the weekend.

Archambault said in a statement late Sunday, Oct. 23, that the situation deserves the immediate and full attention of the Justice Department.

Furthermore, the DOJ should impose an injunction to all developments at the pipeline site to keep ALL citizens  law enforcement and protesters  safe, Archambault said. The DOJ should be enlisted and expected to investigate the overwhelming reports and videos demonstrating clear strong-arm tactics, abuses and unlawful arrests by law enforcement.

Authorities arrested 126 people Saturday on charges including reckless endangerment, criminal trespass, engaging in a riot, assault on a peace officer and resisting arrest, bringing the total number of arrests to 269 since Aug. 10. Officers used pepper spray to protect themselves and control protesters who were trespassing on private property, the Morton County Sheriffs Department said, though protesters pointed to video they said showed the use of pepper spray was unwarranted.

One person was arrested Sunday as protesters erected teepees and tents as a frontline camp directly in the path of the oil pipeline on the historic Cannonball Ranch, which Dakota Access LLC recently purchased from local rancher David Meyer.

The frontline camp is on the east side of Highway 1806, across from where Dakota Access security guards armed with dogs and pepper spray clashed with protesters on Sept. 3.

A statement from groups involved in the protest explained that the self-described water protectors took back unceded territory affirmed in the 1851 Fort Laramie Treaty between the federal government and Plains tribes, including the Lakota and Dakota.

Today, the Oceti Sakowin has enacted eminent domain on DAPL lands, claiming 1851 treaty rights. This is unceded land.  We will be occupying this land and staying here until this pipeline is permanently stopped, said Mekasi Camp-Horinek, a coordinator of the Oceti Sakowin Camp, the main protest camp about two miles south of the frontline camp.

Morton County Sheriff Kyle Kirchmeier said, Individuals trespassing on private property cant claim eminent domain to justify their criminal actions.

Meanwhile, Dakota Access LLC, a subsidiary of Dallas-based Energy Transfer Partners, said in a letter to the North Dakota attorney generals office Monday that it purchased the ranch land in and around the pipeline route in southern Morton County last month to enhance the safety of its workers and to better manage ingress and egress to the right of way.

The company had to explain how its purchase of more than 7,000 acres -- including most of the Cannonball Ranch -- complied with the states anti-corporate farming law, which prohibits non-family corporations from owning farm and ranch land, with some exceptions, including for industrial purposes.

After construction of the pipeline is complete, DAPL will transfer ownership of the property or use the property for some other use in compliance with state law, Bismarck attorney Lawrence Bender wrote for the company.

Archambault said the militarization of local law enforcement and enlistment of multiple law enforcement agencies from neighboring states is needlessly escalating violence and unlawful arrests against peaceful protesters at Standing Rock.

We do not condone reports of illegal actions, but believe the majority of peaceful protesters are reacting to strong-arm tactics and abuses by law enforcement, he said.

Protesters set up a roadblock on Highway 1806 at about 2 p.m. Sunday afternoon, stringing barbed wire and positioning vehicles across the highway and fortifying it with hay bales, rocks, tree stumps, logs and vehicles, the sheriffs department said. They later removed the roadblock after speaking with law enforcement officials who warned them about the liability they could face if something happened at the camp and emergency vehicles couldnt get through.

Opponents of the $3.8 billion, 1,172-mile pipeline also set up roadblocks on Highway 1806 south of the main camp and on County Road 134, an access road to the pipeline construction sites. They said the frontline camp is on the final 3 miles of the pipeline route before it connects with the drill pad that will take the pipeline under Lake Oahe, a dammed section of the Missouri River. Construction was about 2 miles west of the frontline camp as of Sunday, they said.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is currently withholding the lake crossing easement for Dakota Access. In a Sept. 9 statement with the DOJ and Department of Interior, the Corps said it needed to determine whether it should reconsider its previous decisions about the lake crossing under the National Environmental Policy Act or other laws.

U.S. Rep. Kevin Cramer, R-N.D., said last week he doesnt expect a decision on the easement until after the Nov. 8 election.

The Standing Rock Sioux Tribe is suing the Corps over permits issued for the four-state pipeline, which would carry 470,000 barrels of crude oil per day. Tribal members fear the pipeline would leak and contaminate their water supply, and they say construction will desecrate sacred sites on their ancestral lands.
Dallas-based AT&T said late Saturday the deal would need approval of the US Justice Department and the companies were determining which Time Warner US Federal Communications Commission licenses, if any, would transfer to AT&T as part of the deal.

AT&T Inc may bypass a powerful telecommunications regulator by offloading a Time Warner broadcast station, analysts say, as the telecommunications giant braces for what is expected to be a lengthy and tough antitrust review of its proposed $85.4 billion deal to buy Time Warner Inc.

Dallas-based AT&T said late Saturday the deal would need approval of the US Justice Department and the companies were determining which Time Warner US Federal Communications Commission licenses, if any, would transfer to AT&T as part of the deal. Any such transfers would require FCC approval.

AT&T has clashed with the FCC in recent years on a number of fronts. An AT&T spokesman declined on Sunday to elaborate on whether the FCC would need to formally approve the transaction. FCC spokesman Neil Grace declined to comment.

Comcast's 2011 takeover of NBCUniversal - the last marriage of a distribution powerhouse with a major media and content provider, such as AT&T and Time Warner - was reviewed by both the Justice Department and the FCC. The FCC played a key role in that review and, by a 4-1 vote, approved the deal with significant conditions, some of which last until 2018.

The Justice Department has to prove a proposed deal harms competition in order to block it. But the FCC has broad leeway to block a merger it deems not to be the "public interest" and can impose additional conditions.

Despite its big media footprint, Time Warner has only one FCC-regulated broadcast station, WPCH-TV in Atlanta. Time Warner could sell the license to try to avoid a formal FCC review, several analysts said.

But, even if AT&T acquires no licenses in the deal, BTIG analyst Rich Greenfield said the FCC still may play an indirect role in the merger review. David McAtee, AT&T senior executive vice president and general counsel, said in a statement Sunday history is on the company's side in winning approval.

"In the modern history of the media and the internet, the U.S. government has always approved vertical mergers like ours, because they benefit consumers, strengthen competition, and, in our case, encourage innovation and investment," he said.

ROCKY FCC RELATIONSHIP

AT&T, which has repeatedly clashed with the FCC over the past several years over major industry regulations, said on Saturday one benefit to its buying Time Warner is that the programming company is "lightly regulated compared to much of AT&T's existing operations."

AT&T has criticized much of FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler's ambitious proposed agenda, including new broadband privacy regulations, reforms to the $45-billion-a-year business data services market and a plan to allow consumers to ditch pay-TV set top boxes.

AT&T was among those who sued the FCC in 2015 to block the Obama administration's landmark rules barring internet service providers from obstructing or slowing down consumer access to web content.

The FCC proposed fining AT&T's Mobility unit $100 million in June 2015 for misleading customers about unlimited mobile data plans. The FCC has taken no further action to enforce the proposed fine, and the company has it would "vigorously dispute the FCC's assertions."

AT&T and the FCC are working together on some issues. AT&T chief executive Randall Stephenson is chairing a task force to crack down on robocalls after the FCC's Wheeler in July urged new industry action. Both are attending a task force meeting Wednesday in Washington.

Experts expect tougher regulatory, political and consumer scrutiny of the deal compared to Comcast's purchase of NBCUniversal. A US Senate antitrust committee plans to hold a hearing on the new deal in November. While the Comcast deal offers a potential roadmap for winning approval by agreeing to conditions, it also could lead to tougher and more enforceable conditions that opponents already are demanding.

In 2011, Comcast agreed to 150 conditions, including sacrificing day-to-day control of popular video website Hulu and making NBCUniversal programs available to competitive streaming services. Others were aimed at ensuring Comcast, as the owner of major content from NBC and various cable channels, dealt fairly with rival cable and satellite providers.

Matt Wood, policy director at public interest group Free Press said "the lessons from Comcast/NBC are that it's hard to enforce any behavioral conditions, ever, especially in timely fashion. A remedy isn't worth much to a competitor if it takes years in court and millions of dollars in legal fees to get it."

John Bergmayer, senior counsel at Public Knowledge, a digital rights advocacy group, said "regulators need to anticipate how their good intentions might be thwarted ... and maybe just adopt simpler conditions that leave less room for lawyering."

Comcast declined to comment Sunday. But, in 2014, the company defended its compliance, saying "Comcast is a company that keeps its promises and plays fair."

Greenfield said that in the Comcast deal, regulators had come to regret allowing Comcast to pledge to "behavioral conditions' - such as equitable treatment of competitors - and viewed "structural" conditions, such as promises to sell certain assets, as easier to enforce.

"Regulators will fear that AT&T will use its distribution footprint to favor Time Warner content vs. third-parties," Greenfield said in a note.
Chennai: After outpacing the industry, private sector non-life insurance firm SBI General Insurance is aiming to break even during the current financial year, a

top official said.

"Compared to last year, we have grown by 39 per cent in the last six months, that is till September. (Non-life insurance) industry grew by 29 per cent during the same period", SBI General Insurance Deputy CEO, Andrew Farlow told

reporters.

The major growth drivers were crop, motor, health and insurance to small and medium enterprises, he said.

Asked about plans for the current financial year, he said "We had reported first time profits this year. The profits we made is Rs 6 crore (as of September 30, 2016) compared to last year's net loss of Rs 102 crore. We are well on track to meet our target. Our focus is to achieve break even. That is the plan".

The company, during the first six months of the current financial year ending September 30, 2016, has collected a gross written premium of Rs 1,200 crore, as against Rs 2,042.50 crore registered during the last financial year.

"Our focus is more on meeting the bottomline profits.", he said, adding the company's 80 per cent portfolio was in retail while the rest comprise commercial and SMEs.

To a query on whether the company was eyeing Rs 2,500 GWP during the current financial year, he said, "It depends. Focus is on growing the business very profitably".

SBI General Insurance is a 74:26 joint venture between country's largest public sector State Bank of India and Insurance Australia Group. It has about 7,500 agents across the country.
SoftBank recently said it was focussed on consolidating its position in the Indian market.

New Delhi: Japan's SoftBank Corp is likely to invest up to Rs 2,000 crore in Ola, a funding that will help India's largest taxi-hailing service compete with US-

based rival Uber.

According to sources close to the deal, ANI Technologies Pvt's Ola may raise USD 250-300 million in a new round of funding led by the Japanese telecom and Internet major, and other existing investors may also participate.

They added that the announcement is expected to be made in the next few weeks. When contacted, both Ola and SoftBank declined to comment

on the matter.

Recently, SoftBank Group International President Alok Sama had said the company was focussed on consolidating its position in the Indian market and aggressively backing its investment here. Its two largest investments in India include Ola and e-commerce major Snapdeal.

Ola's fund-raising comes at a time when Uber is stepping up its investment in the country. Uber has said it will aggressively ramp up its operations in India after it exited China in July.

The Bengaluru-based firm has raised over USD 1.3 billion (roughly Rs 8,600 crore) from investors, including SoftBank Group, Tiger Global, Matrix Partners, Steadview Capital, Sequoia India, Accel Partners US and Falcon Edge.

With over 4.5 lakh vehicles registered on its platform, Ola offers services across more than 100 cities in India.

Ola has been aggressively on-boarding driver partners on its platform and has also expanded to new categories like luxury car rentals and subscription services to attract premium customers. It had launched its leasing business to strengthen supply of drivers.
Mumbai: Mystery surrounds Mondays abrupt announcement on dislodging Cyrus Mistry as the Tata Groups chairman after a decision to this effect by the Tata Sons board. In a terse four-line statement, the company said, Tata Sons today announced that its board has replaced Mr Cyrus P. Mistry as chairman of Tata Sons. The decision was taken at a meeting held today.

His predecessor Ratan Tata replaced him as interim chairman for four months, and the board also named a five-member search committee, that includes Mr Tata, to choose a successor as chairman.

Late on Monday, Mr Ratan Tata wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi informing him of the change in top management in the Tata Group.

The selection committee includes, besides Mr Tata, TVS Group chief Venu Srinivasan, Amit Chandra of Bain Capital, former ambassador to the US Ronen Sen and Lord Kumar Bhattacharya. All of them, except Bhattacharya, are on the board of Tata Sons.

It was only in September this year that Mistry had said, We are building the Tata Group of the next 150 years. The Tata Groups international revenues are close to 70 per cent of its composite turnover.

The unexpected removal of Cyrus Mistry as the chairman of Tata Sons has shocked the industry and investors alike as none of them had any inclination about a possible change of guard at Indias largest business group that has a history of long- serving chairmen. What has disturbed market participants the most was the manner in which the replacement was announced.

Its not like any other company. Its a big group. If the issue were about non-performance, he should have been allowed to continue during the interim period till they find an appropriate replacement. However, the way he was replaced raises a lot of questions, said a fund manager who did not wanted to be named.

One section of market participants believe that the dispute between Tata Group and the Japanese Telecom firm Docomo along with the crisis in Tata Steels UK operation have blemished the reputation of the group, which is known to follow the highest standard of corporate governance and ethics.

Mr Mistry has been vocally raising issues about certain businesses and was very much in favour of consolidation, which I believe didnt go well within the group that is known for keeping their legacy businesses alive.

The market knows that the group is going through a challenging phase and also expected some painful restructuring in coming days. However, the removal of Mr Mistry was unexpected, said Deven Choksey, managing director, K.R.Choksey Securities.

According to him, the shares of Tata Group companies are likely to see selling pressure in coming days unless the group provides more clarity on the issue. I am sure the regulator (Sebi) would also seek more information on the matter, Mr Choksey added.

However, U.R. Bhat, founder of Dalton Capital that advises foreign portfolio investors (FPI) believes that the move is neither positive nor a big negative from the markets perspective.

The market didnt react much when Mr Mistry was appointed as the chairman of Tata Sons four years back. So his exit also shouldnt worry the markets. However, his removal was unexpected and to that extent it is negative, Mr Bhat added.
There are also the losses that most Tata companies have been incurring, with only Tata Power and Tata Chemicals faring better. The groups turnover was down to $103 billion in 2015-16, from $108 billion in previous fiscal.

Mumbai: It was only in September this year that Mistry had said, A majority of the groups capital expenditure in the last three years has been in international geographies. With the opening up of two new markets of Iran and Myanmar, several Tata Group firms are gaining traction there.

Mr Mistry was removed summarily without any explanation. He was appointed, literally handpicked, by Mr Ratan Tata to succeed him as chairman at the end of 2012, though there was also a panel appointed to find a successor.

The Irish-born Mr Mistry, who comes from the construction magnate family of Shapoorji Pallonji Mistry, was only the second non-Tata family member to head the over 100-year-old steel to salt conglomerate. The first was Nowroji Saklatwala. In the absence of any reason for Mr Mistrys sudden ouster, there is speculation and the reasons range from the losses the group companies have been incurring to the smudge on the Tata Group image over the alleged stealing of information from the US Epic Systems. TCS had to pay a fine of $940 million in the US plus $700 million in punitive damages.

TCS, however, said it did not benefit from the information that was stolen by one of its staffers. In another instance, the Tata DoCoMo venture with NTT of Japan took an ugly turn. Tata Sons had to pay $1.17 billion to NTT after an order by the London Court of International Arbitration for breaching a shareholder agreement. The case is still under way. All this did not good to the Tata image, which the Tatas pride themselves on.

There are also the losses that most Tata companies have been incurring, with only Tata Power and Tata Chemicals faring better. The groups turnover was down to $103 billion in 2015-16, from $108 billion the previous year, and the debt increased to $24.5 billion from $23.4 billion.

Tata Motors survives profitably only due to Jaguar Land Rovers profitability, while Tata Steel is yet to recover from the costly takeover of Europe-based Corus for $12.5 billion under Mr Ratan Tata.
New Delhi: Highlighting the importance of free trade agreements, NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant today said India must enter into such pacts to penetrate global markets and boost exports as the country cannot rely on domestic market alone to augment economic growth.

"I am a great believer in FTAs. No country in the world has been able to do without exports. India can't grow on the back of its domestic market. India must learn the art of exports.

Unless you don't penetrate global markets, it will be very difficult for India to grow," Kant said. The government last month, reviewed the impact of free trade agreements (FTAs) on the domestic economy and employment generation amid concerns that FTAs may be helping trading partners more than India.

The meeting was attended by Kant, among others. India has implemented FTAs with several countries including Japan, South Korea and Singapore as well as the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean).

It is also negotiating similar pacts with several others, including the European Union, Australia, New Zealand and Canada. "The World Trade Organisation is not moving forward and therefore, the world is doing bilateral agreements.

We should move forward with bilateral agreements," Kant said, adding that for exports to grow and for India to become a great exporting nation, it is important to move towards FTAs.

Kant, while addressing a meeting of the India-Japan Business Cooperation Committee here, said the Japanese companies "must adopt India as their home ground, must take much more risks and they will see results in the next 3-4 decades".

"In the last 68 years, we have made India a very complex, a very complicated and a difficult place to do business. We need to make India extremely easy and simple place. There has to be predictability, consistency and clarity of policies," he said.

Noting that the Indian story for the Japanese companies had just begun, Kant said, "A huge possibility and potential (exist) for them to move away from a country they are overexposed to and over-invested in China. The future of Japanese companies is not in Japan because of very small demand, their future is not in China, their future is in India".
A recent study of Ethiopian workers released last week by the US National Bureau of Economics Research found sweatshops were unpleasant, risky, and paid even less than self-employment in the informal sector. But, the researchers also found, countries were still better off than not having those jobs at all. As Michael J. Coren of Quartz writes,

By encouraging mass hiring in the economy, even low-wage factories could lift everyones wages. Fewer desperate workers competing for jobs meant employers must pay more for labor, argue economists Chris Blattman of the University of Chicago and Stefan Dercon of Oxford University in the latest study. But countries could ensure those factories treated their workers more fairly, and remove barriers for entrepreneurs building their businesses. More manufacturing firms is a good thing, said Blattman in an interview. This is going to happen. This is the development process in most countries. We shouldnt sugar coat it.

I think thats the right approach: Dont sugar coat the hardships such work entailsbut dont ban sweatshops either.

A sweatshop is the pejorative term for a workplace that has working conditions those of us in the West deem socially unacceptable. Because of Western laws and norms, sweatshops are now found mostly in developing countries.

To understand the defense of sweatshops requires recognizing that it is not a defense of deplorable living or working conditions. In fact, a moral defense of sweatshops is based on limiting or ending deplorable living or working conditions. The disagreement centers around how we go about that task of pursuing justice.



Several years ago Steven Garber wrote an essay in which he explained the concept of proximate justice:

Proximate justice realizes that something is better than nothing. It allows us to make peace with some justice, some mercy, all the while realizing that it will only be in the new heaven and new earth that we find all our longings finally fulfilled, that we will see all of Gods demands finally met. It is only then and there we will see all of the conditions for human flourishing finally in place, socially, economically, and politically.

On the opposite end of the spectrum from proximate justice is absolute justice, the idea that we should never settle for some justice but must always seek, as a matter of duty, the maximal amount of justice. The absolute justice advocate would say that the working conditions in sweatshops are unacceptableand the proximate justice advocate would agree. But the proximate justice advocate would ask, What are the alternatives? Invariably, the absolute justice advocates preference is either unworkable, unrealistic, or would lead to worse living conditions for the sweatshop worker.

Proximate justice requires that we dont improve peoples lives or bring them justice by making their lives worse. As Benjamin Powell says, Because sweatshops are better than the available alternatives, any reforms aimed at improving the lives of workers in sweatshops must not jeopardize the jobs that they already have.

The reality is that we live in a sinful world, and people dont always know what is best for themselves. However, in many casessuch as employmentindividuals do have relevant information about their situation and their preferences that the rest of us do not have. We should certainly do our part in advocating just working conditions for every worker. But lets not let our noble attempts to do justice hinder workers from choosing goods that lead to their flourishing.
Mumbai: After facing uncertainty over its release for the past few weeks, Karan Johars Ae Dil Hai Mushkil is all set to release on its scheduled release date of October 28. Raj Thackerays political party Maharashtra Navnirman Sena had opposed the release for featuring a Pakistani actor Fawad Khan in it, but the party finally relented when Karan Johar along with Producers Guild President Mukesh Bhatt met Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis at his residence along with Thackeray and the producers of the film.

The party put forth demands that a mention paying tribute to the martyrs of the attacks in Uri would be shown at the start of the film, and that any producer casting a Pakistani actor in the film should pay Rs. 5 crores to the Army Welfare Fund.

This demand to pay 5 crores has not gone down well with several Bollywood celebrities, some of them terming it as extortion.

Shabana Azmi, too, took to Twitter expressing her unhappiness over the demand and even slammed Fadnavis for brokering the deal between the makers of Ae Dil Hai Mushkil and Thackeray, and for showing scant regard for Home Minister Rajnath Singhs assurance of a safe release for the film.

Ae Dil Hai Mushkil stars Ranbir Kapoor, Anushka Sharma, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan in lead roles.
The film, that has been granted a U/A certificate by the CBFC, has also had to let go of a few sexual innuendos and double entendre dialogues.

Mumbai: The makers of Ae Dil Hai Mushkil, had been heaving a forced sigh of relief post the MNS agreeing to a safe release to the film. But the censor board doesnt seem to be in the mood to relent.

The films censor certificate, which went viral on social networking platforms, reveals adequately that the films had to bear the censor scissors brunt and backtrack on creative liberty.

The kissing scenes between Anushka Sharma, who plays Alizeh in the Karan Johar directorial, and Ranbir Kapoor who plays Ayan, have been substantially cut down, though there is no mention of the highly publicised intimate scenes between Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, who plays Saba Taliyar Khan and Ranbir.

The film, that has been granted a U/A certificate by the CBFC, has also had to let go of a few sexual innuendos and double entendre dialogues.

A line which goes 'Kiska zyada hot hain has been disastrously replaced by Ki kaun zyada hot hain' and 'Saraswati ko dabao will become Saraswati ko chupao in the film.

The film had been mired in some serious controversy over the casting of Fawad Khan, a Pakistani actor, in the wake of the Uri terror attack. The MNS had publically declared that they would not allow the film or any other film which has a Pakistani in its crew, to release their film in the country. Complying with the MNS demands, Karan Johar had allegedly agreed to pay Rs 5 crore to the soldiers fund along with paying a tribute to the martyrs of the Uri terror attack, which would be shown as a slide at the beginning of the film.

The army had severely lambasted Raj Thackerays extortionist means and the industry had also condemned the turn of event.

With all the controversy and hype surrounding the film, it would be great to see how things turn out once its released.
Mumbai: Shahid Kapoor was at MAMI film festival on Sunday when he got vocal about a lot of things, including his upcoming films, his lovely wife Mira, his little bundle of joy Misha and fatherhood.

While addressing the media at a press conference, the actor opened up about his biggest fear. It takes a year or two to finish a film, so sometimes you feel what is relevant to you today, might just turn out to be an old concept by the time it releases, and I guess thats my biggest fear; to be working on a story which is old or the fear that similar films might just release till the time I finish shooting for my film and the audience will get bored of my film. And this has happened with every actor at some point in their careers. Every actor feels that This is working at the time, so lets do this but till the time it comes out, it has lost its relevance.

When asked which of his films would he like to see in the festival, Shahid instantly replied, "'Haider' or 'Udta Punjab' because I think they are more relevant and they are trying to break through in terms of cinema that works.

Shahid, who teamed up with filmmaker Vishal Bharadwaj for the third time with 'Rangoon', informed the media that he hasn't yet seen the final product and is extremely nervous about the film. I am very curious as I haven't seen the film yet. I just met Vishal sir and requested him to show me the film as I am extremely nervous because this is my third film with Vishal sir. People appreciated our previous collaborations so you know, you dont want to fall short of everyones expectations."

The film, which is all set to release on February 24, 2016, also stars Saif Ali Khan and Kangana Ranaut.
'Kaabil,' directed by Sanjay Gupta, is slated to release on Janurary 26, 2017.

Mumbai: Hrithik Roshan is a man looking to avenge things and nothing more than this picture could've offered more credence to the fact.

The poster comes just a few days after his magnificently vulnerable voice insinuated cold-blooded vendetta in the film's first teaser, which incidentally, let go of the actor's enviable physicality and concentrated solely on his emotive timber.

The upcoming Sanjay Gupta helmed 'Kaabil,' has been in the news owing to multiple reasons, and the teaser has only piqued the interest surrounding the highly anticipated movie.

Hrithik, who plays a blind voice-over actor in the film, can be seen looking into vast oblivion in the gruesomely dark still, holding a stick to guide him.

The actor, who's still reeling under the debacle that was 'Mohenjo Daro,' desperately needs a hit, and the film, produced by father Rakesh Roshan, seems to be making all the right noises.

The actor had taken to Twitter to share his first look from the film on Monday and was evidently excited about it.

'Kaabil' is all set to clash with Shah Rukh Khan's eagerly awaited 'Raees' at the Republic Day box-office, but the cast and crew seem unaffected by it.

The film also stars Yami Gautam as his better-half, who also plays a blind woman. Yami, who's previously played a deceased subject of vengeance to an avenging spouse in 'Badlapur' as well as 'Action Jackson,' is all set to play a similar role, albeit with a difference.

The two look absolutely adorable together and look every bit their part.

Fans are eagerly awaiting the trailer of the film, and so are we!
Kangana Ranaut and Hansal Mehta are currently in Atlanta, US.

Mumbai: Ranaut, who will soon be seen portraying an intense role in Hansal Mehtas Simran, was bonding with the director in between shots.

On his Twitter account, Hansal posted a picture of the two with Kangana wearing a grey-coloured wig. The Aligarh director wrote: #PartnerInCrime - the one and only #KanganaRanaut #Simran #USA

Just a few days back, Ranaut and some of the crew members had met with an accident. While the crew members sustained minor injuries, Kangana escaped unhurt.

Kangana will soon be seen in Vishal Bharadwajs period drama Rangoon along side Saif Ali Khan and Shahid Kapoor.
Mumbai: On Sunday, Shahid Kapoor attended MAMI film festival in Mumbai where the actor opened up about his wife Mira, little baby girl Misha and fatherhood.

While speaking during a chat session at the ongoing 18th Jio MAMI International Film Festival with Star, Shahid was asked why he married a girl outside the industry, to which the actor cleared his stand by saying that he was never against marrying someone from the industry itself but was looking for a partner who is real and more in-connect with the world than him.

I am an actor and have great respect for what I do. So it is not like I have a problem with that or anything. I have had relationships with actresses and that have been public. I just felt like it was important to find somebody who, ideally for someone like me who lives in a bit of a bubble, its nice to find somebody who is real and normal and reminds you of everything that you kind of get isolated from. Whether you like it or not, the minute you become a celebrity, you are not gonna be able to do everything that a normal individual can do, and that immediately starts limiting your exposure to everything that is real and normal. Even though you try your best to be normal, from a normal persons point of view, youre very not normal," Shahid said.

The actor also said how everything has changed ever since Mira entered his life. "There are things that Mira tells me, which are just so normal and I am still connected with that. I had probably forgotten 50 per cent of that, but she brings them right back at my life. Like, the price of petrol and how much I spend on online shopping." He added.

Shahid, who has a sea facing house at Juhu beach, revealed how Mira loves to stay outdoors but now that people recognise her, she doesn't get to do it more often anymore. "Mira loves outdoors. But she complains that 'now people recognise me, I hate it.' It is just nice to be with someone who is connected to reality. Because I missed that side of my life. She is 13 years younger than me so, she shows me the perspective of my audience."

He added, "Sometimes when I read a script and can't relate to it, she looks at me and is like 'Are you insane? This is exactly what normal people talk about. How can you not relate to this?'"

Now, a new addition, Misha, has joined Shahid and Mira's happy family and things have changed for the better. The actor told everyone how fatherhood has made him stronger. He said, "It (fatherhood) gives me a lot of strength. I feel very strong, because I want to fight for Misha, be my best for her. That's inherently the feeling every morning. I want to get up and do better work because I want her to be proud of me."
Mumbai: After wrapping up his upcoming filmTubelights shoot in Manali, Salman Khan returned to Mumbai and the actor is already spending some leisure time with his little nephew, Ahil.

The actor took some time off his busy schedule and visited his farmhouse in Panvel where his little bundle of joy, Ahil joined him. Just few months old, Ahil is already a social media sensation and a complete charmer.

Ahils father, Aayush Sharma shared a cute candid snap of his son with his uncle Salman. In the picture, we see Ahil sitting on Salmans lap as he smiles cheerfully while Salman looks on. This cute picture of the two will surely make your day!

'Tubelight,' set against the backdrop of the Sino-Indian war of 1962, also stars Sohail Khan and Chinese actress Zhu Zhu. The film is scheduled for a 2017 release.
Mumbai: Varun Dhawan, who is currently busy shooting for his upcoming film 'Badrinath Ki Dulhania' in Singapore, is having a gala time. In a recent video shared by film's director Shashank Khaitan, we see the actor being taken around on piggyback ride.

In the video, we hear the filmmaker telling fans how Varun is insisting him to retake a particular shot, which eventually will not even make it as the final cut, while Alia is heard asking Varun, "why retake?" in the background.

The video is just too cute and you can watch it below:

A regular day on the sets of #badrinathkidulhania @varundvn @aliaabhatt A video posted by Shashank Khaitan (@shashankkhaitan) on Oct 24, 2016 at 1:13am PDT

Varun Dhawan and Alia Bhatt are re-uniting, hoping to score a hattrick with 'Badrinath Ki Dulhania', the second instalment in the 'Dulhania' franchise, first being their hit 'Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania'.

'Badrinath Ki Dulhania, written and being helmed by Shashank Khaitan, is scheduled to release on March 10, 2017.

Gauhar Khan will be working with Varun and Alia for the first time.
An actor having fan clubs is a common occurrence in Ktown now. It was Trisha who was the first south actress to have a fan club nine years ago. Later, Namithas fans association was started. Now, Keerthy Suresh, hardly a year old in Tamil cinema, has one for herself, all thanks to teaming up with stars like Vijay, Dhanush, Suriya and Sivakarthikeyan.

Close sources say that a few people, claiming to be hardcore fans of Keerthy, met the Rajini Murugan actress, holding posters, and told her that they have started a fan club for her. Reportedly, the bubbly actress was initially taken aback, but soon became excited. The fans also mentioned that they would be erecting huge banners during her films release. Currently, the Thodari girl is in Switzerland to shake a leg alongside Ilayathalapthy Vijay for her upcoming flick Bairavaa.
London: Men's magazines also known as lads' mags normalise sexist humour, according to new research which refutes the idea that men perceive them as ironic or 'harmless fun'.

Editors of men's magazines such as Zoo and FHM have long claimed that sexist humour in their publications is harmless because male readers perceive it as ironic. However, researchers, including those from the University of Surrey in the UK, have refuted that idea.

In the first study of 81 men in the UK aged between 18 and 50, participants were presented with sexist jokes both in and out of a lads mag context. Young men - particularly those who scored lower on sexism measures - considered the jokes less hostile when taken in a lad's mag context (but not more ironic or funnier).

A second study, of 423 men aged 18-30, aimed to identify the correlation between sexism and lad's mag consumption. This showed that if a man displays ambivalent sexism he is more likely to buy lads' mags than other men, but not more likely to indulge in other forms of direct sexual consumption. A third study, conducted in the US, demonstrated that when shown evidence of the extreme hostility of content found in lad's mags, young men de-legitimise these magazines.

In this study, selected participants took part in a sorting task which involved identifying which of a group of quotations had appeared in lads' mags and which had been used by convicted rapists. Having failed to do this effectively - correctly

identifying only half of the quotations - the men who had taken part in the sorting task viewed lads' mags as less legitimate.

The three studies built on earlier research led by the University of Surrey which helped ignite a public debate about the role lad's mags may play in 'normalising' sexist attitudes. Using the same sorting task as the recent study, a series

of studies in 2012 found that men could not distinguish between quotations from lad's mags and convicted rapists but they identified more with quotes from either source when they were said to have originated in lad's mags.

The research contributed to the decision to put lad's mags in black plastic wrappers on supermarket shelves in the UK. "Sales of lad's mags have declined significantly in recent years, with several ceasing publication," said lead author Peter Hegarty, professor at the University of Surrey. "But 'lad culture' and the normalisation of sexism is still a major concern, particularly on university campuses and online," said Hegarty.

"These latest studies demonstrate how a concrete source of social influence can shape the expression of a prejudice that is generally considered unacceptable in an egalitarian society. The study was published in the journal Psychology of Men and Masculinities.
"We always thought that she was far too pretty to keep at home. Even our weekend walks draw a crowd (Photo: Facebook/Luke Kavanagh)

Sydney: A stylish black Afghan canine in Australia has become an Internet sensation after a photo of hers went viral on social media, landing her a job as the "spokesdog" of a luxury dog food brand, a media report said today.

Tea, the five-year-old black Afghan hound dog, has more online fans than most internet celebrities with a few advertising companies approaching its owner to use it as the official face of their brands.

Tea enjoyed a successful career as a show dog but, since her formal show retirement, her popularity has grown.

Dog's owner Luke Kavanagh of Oyster Bay area said his family is lapping up the dog's celebrity status, dailytelegraph.com.au reported.

"We always thought that she was far too pretty to keep at home. Even our weekend walks draw a crowd. She pretends she does not need the attention, but she definitely loves it, just like any supermodel," he was quoted as saying by the daily.

A photo of hers was shared over a million times online, with blog sites, Twitter accounts and companies using the image, which her owner termed "nothing special". "I guess people were mostly drawn to it because of her silky coat coupled with that dignified look that Tea has, but that is just her being her," Kavanagh said.

A few advertising companies even approached Kavanagh to use Tea as the official face of their brands, which sparked her second career as an animal actor, the report said. Tea has now appeared in an online and TV campaign for Harriot and Hounds' dog perfume and is the "spokesdog" for Royal Canine, the luxury dog food brand, it said.

While the family has been riding the wave of Tea's new-found fame, Kavanagh said he is happy she is officially retired, with no plans of taking Hollywood by storm in the near future, the report added.
Yoga is an ancient Indian practice that has risen to popularity worldwide for its numerous health benefits and being an exercise that contributes the holistic development on the body and mind.

By regulating blood pressure, bringing down stress and adding to flexibility of the body, yoga is clearly a good choice for improving sex life since a sound mind and blood flow are largely responsible for increased sex drive and physical compatibility.

Not only does yoga improve performance in the bed physically, it also removes negative energy through combining meditation and exercise, hence allowing couples to bond better and understand each others needs better. Yoga is also known to cure premature ejaculation better than an anti-depressant prescribed for the problem.

As the brain plays a major part in sexual satisfaction and stimulation, here are some asanas which are best suited to provide a boost to your sex life.

1. Bhujangasana

Also known as the Cobra Posture, this asana involves lying face down and placing palms on floor besides the chest. This is followed by placing the tip of feet on the floor, tucking down the tailbone and raising the chin and then the chest while inhaling. Then the performer has to take inhale five times and return to the starting position.

This asana is said to work wonders for helping people suffering from erectile dysfunction, which is a major sexual health issue.

2. Noukasana

The boat pose requires a person to inhale slowly, raise legs, head and abdomen to a 45 degree position. Then the shoulders and back must be lifted while holding the breath after which the person should go back to original position as they continue breathing.

It helps with problems regarding ejaculation and is ideal for helping a man last longer in bed and enhancing pleasure.

3. Ashwini Mudra

In this asana, a person should sit in the lotus and inhale while bending the head to fix the chin in a jugular position as they hold their breath. This is followed by contracting and relaxing the anal sphincter.

This one is also recommended for solving ejaculatory problems in men.

4. Halasana

This asana literally meaning the plough position requires the person to lie on the back with arms on the sides and palms pressed on floor. The legs must be lifted to a 90 degree angle using abdominal muscles while inhaling and then the hips and back must be raised using support of the hands. The legs should sweep over the head to a 180 degree angle until toes touch the ground as the position is held for five seconds.

This asana might seem difficult to perform but it is simple and causes a tremendous increase in sex drive for men as well as women.

While these are some of the best asanas, consistently practicing yoga can transform your sex life, so go ahead and try out these positions for a soothing and energising experience.
New South Wales Premier Mike Baird is set to visit the Opera House next Friday night to witness the colour change on Diwali. (Photo: AP)

One of Australias renowned landmarks, the Sydney Opera House, will be bathed in golden light in honour of the upcoming festival of Diwali.

New South Wales Premier Mike Baird is set to visit the Opera House next Friday night to witness the colour change, according to the Xinhua news agency. Moreover, Baird is also expected to attend the traditional Hindu ceremony which is to be held at the Museum of Contemporary Art.

Diwali, which is also known as the festival of lights, will fall on October 30th this year.
A 4-year-old Russian girl has left the online world impressed by displaying her ability to speak fluently in no less than seven languages. Bella Devyatkina despite her young age can communicate well in a variety of languages like Russian, English, German, Spanish, French, Chinese and Arabic.

A video of the gifted girl participating in a reality show, Incredible People, shows her reading questions from a huge screen in English and French, answering them, and even singing a Spanish song.

Interestingly, Bellas mother believes that her child was able to learn so many languages from different nannies who spoke in their mother tongues. Her talent has ensured that she is one step closer to winning the top prize money  $20,000  at the reality show.

Click on the link below to view the video:
Delhi police on Monday raided an illegal casino in the Sainik Farm area of the national capital and arrested 36 persons. (Photos: ANI/Twitter)

New Delh: South District police raided an illegal casino in the Sainik Farm area of the national capital and arrested 36 persons. Police said they had seized tokens valued at nearly Rs 1.37 crore on Sunday.

"One crore thirty six lakh and 45 thousand rupees have been recovered in the raid. We have also seized tokens of different values. We have also recovered 13 Indian made and imported liquor bottles. For liquor bottles we are going to launch a separate case," South Delhi Deputy Commissioner of Police Ishwar Singh said.

"We got an input regarding this and launched a join operation. After getting tip we gathered our team and conducted raid," Singh said.

DCP Singh also said they also seized 11 luxury cars and a manhunt has been launched for Harnendra Kaushik, the owner of the premises, and Kunal Chandra, the proprietor of the casino.

"Table attendants and proprietors were arrested. We would like to request the court to seal their properties. We have registered a excise act and gambling act case. The property owner is Mr. Harendra Kaushik. He is absconding and we are searching for him. The people whom we have arrested are Bobby ,Montu , Guddu Sunny alias Kunal Chandra," he added.

"Minimum five lakhs has to be deposited to play this game. Our raid took place in the mid-night. We are moving the court requesting that the premises used for the casino be sealed under the Delhi Gambling Act," he said.

Acting on a tip, the casino was raided in Neb Sarai of South Delhi.
Gurgaon: The police on Saturday arrested a cab driver and his friend who robbed two women at gunpoint, who had hired a cab to go to their home in Delhi. The two men even tried to rape the women after they robbed them, but the brave women fought back and managed to foil the rape bid.

According to a report, the women who are security guards at event Management Company, had boarded a private cab (a white Mahindra Xylo) after finishing their work. Since it was supposed to be a share cab, the women did not find it odd that there was another man in the vehicle apart from the driver in the front seat.

The accused cab driver had been identified as 25-year-old Vikas and his friend as 27-year-old Pawan, both of them residents of Gurgaon.

According to the women, the driver, Vikas, was driving very slowly, when they asked him to drive fast, he said he was looking for more passenger. But after some time, Vikas stopped the car at an isolated spot near the Rapid Metro station in Sikanderpur and his friend Pawan shifted to the middle row where the women were sitting on the pretext of searching for something.

Pawan then touched on of the women and slapped the other when she protested against his indecent act. He pulled out a gun and asked them to hand over their belongings to him. The women said they were carrying their salaries for the month and handed it over to the thief. He started groping and molesting them, despite their protests, while Vikas began to drive slowly again.

Soon, the younger of the two women used her presence on mind and threw herself at the driver and moved the steering wheel, which threw the car of balance, hitting a divider.

That is when the women managed to get out of the car and get the attention of passersby. While Vikas managed to flee, the crowd caught hold of Pawan and turned him over to the police. Later, Vikas was nabbed by the police too.
A 22-year-old woman from Meghalaya was allegedly stabbed to death by a man in Gurgaon on Monday. (Representational image)

Gurgaon: A 22-year-old woman from Meghalaya was allegedly stabbed to death by a man at the MG Road station of Delhi Metro network on Monday.

Officials said the incident occurred around 9:30 am in the gallery area of the station.

They said the accused, identified as 25-year-old Jitendra, allegedly used a knife to stab Pinky who was married to a man from the Northeast.

CISF personnel and other Metro staffers rushed to the spot, which is at the entrance of the station.

Pinky was taken to a hospital where she died around 11.30 am.

"The incident happened in the unpaid area where there is no CISF presence. Train operations are normal," one of the officials said, adding further details about the attacker was awaited.
New Delhi: The Supreme Court will on Monday hear the bail plea of self-styled religious figure Asaram Bapu, an accused in a rape case of a minor girl.

A medical board of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) had on October 3 told the apex court that the health of Asaram Bapu was stable.

Asaram had earlier refused to undergo several tests, the seven-member board said in its report filed before the bench of Justices A. K. Sikri and N. V. Ramana.

On August 11, the top court had denied interim bail to Asaram in a rape case and directed the AIIMS to set up a medical board to ascertain his health before taking up his regular plea for bail.

The Rajasthan High Court had earlier rejected Asaram's bail plea citing that the case had reached its "fag end" and thus it was not "appropriate" to grant him bail.

This was his ninth regular bail application to be rejected.

In 2013, a minor girl had alleged that Asaram had sexually assaulted her at his ashram in Jodhpur.

The self-styled godman was subsequently arrested on August 31, 2013, and has been in jail since.

Asaram's counsel had sought bail citing that the accused has been suffering several ailments.
The new system that could restrict the sale to deserving persons only has not been implemented anywhere else in the state. (Representational image)

Hyderabad: About 10 per cent of the 11,659 kilolitres kerosene that the state gets to distribute to 85.87 lakh families having food security cards is diverted to the black market.

The kerosene is used to adulterate petrol and diesel; for use in factories, small paint companies, small scale industries and for use by bitumen road contractors.

Under the governments ePass system, kerosene is released after biometric authentication of the beneficiary. Using this system, the sale of kerosene has plunged in the GHMC and urban areas of Ranga Reddy district. Five years back, Hyderabad district used to draw about 3,500 kilolitres of kerosene under PDS. After implementation of ePass, the quantity needed fell to 1,869 kilolitres in September 2015 and to 1,100 kilolitres this month.

Facts and figures.

A ration dealer from Circle-II in the old city said the number of FSCs at this shop fell from 1,600 to 600 after the ePass system eliminated bogus and ineligible beneficiaries.

Despite the obvious savings, ePass has not been implemented elsewhere in the state. This has resulted in kerosene being black-marketed in the city from other districts

This fact came to light from raids conducted by the Vigilance and Enforcement personnel on the city outskirts in 2015, and by the Hyderabad South Zone Task Force police during a raid in January last.

The Cyberabad Special Operations Team arrested 34 persons and seized about 37 kilolitres of kerosene from their possession and lodged 19 cases. The Hyderabad Task Force seized about 25 kilolitres of kerosene last year.

Task Force DCP, B. Limba Reddy and Additional DCP N. Koti Reddy said earlier that the kerosene was being supplied to a few petrol bunks and unauthorised petrol vendors. The use of kerosene to adulterate fuel results in the emission of harmful gases like carbon monoxide while also damaging the vehicle engine.

Civil supplies commissioner C.V. Anand told this newspaper that strict surveillance continues on transport vehicles. We have increased the number of vigilance teams to curb black marketing. When I was dealing with the Cyberabad Commissionerate, I had formed special teams against black marketers. Similar steps will be taken across the state, he said.
New Delhi: The Bihar government on Monday approached the Supreme Court seeking cancellation of the bail granted to Rocky Yadav in connection with the murder of Aditya Sachdeva in a road rage case in Gaya earlier on May 7.

The apex court agreed to hear the matter on October 28.

Rakesh Ranjan Yadav alias Rocky, the son of suspended Janata Dal (United) MLC Manorama Devi, was granted bail by the Patna High Court earlier on October 19.

Read: Rocky Yadav walks out of jail, aggrieved parents meet senior cop

The police arrested Rocky from his father Bindi Yadav's mixer plant in Gaya earlier on May 10.

Rocky's parents, accused of sheltering him while he was on the run after the murder, were recently granted bail.

The police filed a chargesheet in a Gaya court against Rocky and another accused in connection with this case.

They have also filed chargesheets against Rocky's cousin Teni Yadav, his father Bindi Yadav and his MLC mother's bodyguard Rajesh Kumar in the case.

The state government had put the case on speedy trial. The investigation was completed within three weeks and the chargesheet was filed within a month of the incident.
Indian security personnel inspect a house damaged allegedly from firing from the Pakistan side of the border, at a residential area near the international border at Bidipur, in Ranbir Singh Pura, about 35 Kilometers from Jammu. (Photo: PTI)

Srinagar: One Border Security Force (BSF) jawan was killed and another injured in heavy Pakistan shelling and firing along International Border in Jammu, an Army official has said.

The injured soldier was taken to a nearby hospital in Jammu where he succumbed to his injuries Sunday night.

Read: Pakistan troops violate ceasefire in RS Pura sector of J&K

A BSF spokesperson has said that Pakistani troops had violated the ceasefire along the International Border (IB) at RS Pura sector twice on Sunday.

"A few rounds were fired from the Pakistani side this evening which hit the mound near the border, " the spokesperson added.

He said there was no retaliatory firing from the BSF which was keeping a "strict vigil" along the border.

On Friday night, Pakistan Rangers had targeted the border hamlets and border outposts (BoP) with mortar shells and had opened fire from automatic weapons along the IB at RS Pura sector.

Seven Pakistan Rangers personnel and a terrorist were killed and three others seriously injured in a befitting retaliatory action by the BSF as the Pakistani troops had targeted six sectors in Jammu, Kathua, Samba, Poonch and Rajouri districts of Jammu and Kashmir.
Mahoba (UP): Joining the debate on triple talaq, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on opposed the practice among Muslims and in the same breath he condemned the prevalence of female foeticide in Hindu society.

"Female foeticide is a sin. So what if the sinner is a Hindu. My government has taken a number of steps (to stop this practice). Daughters, mothers, sisters should be protected.

One should not consider religion. Mothers and sisters should be respected. We have raised the issue firmly.

"Now the issue of talaq has come up. Just like if any Hindu commits female foeticide he will have to go to jail, similarly what is the crime of my Muslim sisters that some one says talaq over phone and her life is destroyed," he said addressing a "Maha Parivartan Rally" in Mahoba in the Bundelkhand region in poll-bound Uttar Pradesh.

Urging TV news channels to not turn triple talaq into an issue of Hindu versus Muslim or BJP versus other parties, Modi said that in its submission to the Supreme Court, the central government had clearly stated that there should not be any atrocity on women and there should be no discrimination on the basis of religion.

"In democracy, there should be discussion. The government has put forward its position. Those who want to digress from triple talaq are instigating people...in the country, lives of Muslim women cannot be allowed to be ruined by triple talaq," he said.

In his speech, the Prime Minister asked the audience whether the rights of Muslim women should be protected or not and whether they should get equal rights or not?

"I am surprised that some political parties of the country in their lust for vote bank are hell-bent upon committing injustice to women in the 21st century. What kind of justice is this?

"Politics and elections have their own place but getting Muslim women their rights as per the Constitution is the responsibility of the government and the people of the country," he said.

Asking the media to not turn the issue of triple talaq as a matter between the government and the opposition, Modi said,

"The debate should be between knowledgeable persons from Muslim community knowing 'Quran'. In Muslim community, knowledgeable and progressive people are there. There are educated Muslim women who can put their views forth."

"When you do TV debate do not turn it into Hindu-Muslim issues. Debate should be between those who want change in Muslim society and those who do not want 125 crore Indians to know what is the issue," the Prime Minister said.

He said in a democracy, there should be discussion. The government has put its position but there are people who want to digress from triple talaq and are instigating the people, he said.

This was Modi's fourth public meeting in Uttar Pradesh in the past six months after Ballia, Gorakhpur and Lucknow.
New Delhi: The Congress on Monday alleged that the efforts being made by Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav in the wake of the escalating tension between Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav and his uncle Shivpal Yadav would not make much of a difference, adding the ruling party in the politically crucial state will fight among themselves in the upcoming assembly elections.

"If Mulayam Singh ji wants to save the party then he should take everyone into confidence. But I think the rift in the party has increased up to such an extent that any of his actions will hardly make a difference," said Congress leader Meem Afzal.

Earlier on Monday, extremely upset with the ongoing rift within the family and party, Mulayam Singh after the meeting with Akhilesh Yadav and Shivpal Yadav said that the priority at this point of time should be to decrease the differences instead of fighting with each other.

Monday's meeting takes place a day after Sunday's dramatic events when Akhilesh sacked his uncleShivpal Yadav from his Cabinet for the second time in a month. Many considered this to be a direct challenge to his father Mulayam, who has been promoting Shivpal over him.

Hours later, Mulayam ordered the expulsion of his cousin Ram Gopal Yadav, considered to be Akhilesh loyalist, from the party for six years.

This was announced by Shivpal, who alleged that Ram Gopal was tarnishing the Samajwadi Party's image by colluding with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and attempting to weaken Mulayam's hold on the party.

Meanwhile, the supporters of both Akhilesh and Shivpal gathered outside the party office in Lucknow and engaged in competitive sloganeering.

The opposition parties are keeping a close tab of today's meeting amid speculations that the Samajwadi Party is headed for a split just before assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh.
Lucknow: Lashing out at Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav, Samajwadi Party state chief Shivpal Yadav on Monday said that he had worked no less than his nephew and added that he played a prominent role in forming the party along with his elder brother Mulayam Singh Yadav.

Addressing the Samajwadi Party workers and leaders at a meeting called by Mulayam, Shivpal said indiscipline will not be tolerated in this party.

"I have been working for the Samajwadi Party since 1972. Do I get no credit for building the party to what it is today? Did I work less than the Chief Minister? Did our department work less than the Chief Minister?" Shivpal asked.

"I have been a Samajwadi Party worker before Akhilesh was born...Which orders of the CM did I not follow? I followed every order given by the Chief Minister," he added.

As Akhilesh rejected rumours of floating a new party, Shivpal confirmed that the former had earlier told him about forming a new party.

"I want to say this in front of Netaji that when I went to meet the Chief Minister, the Chief Minister had said that he will form a new party. I give you my word that the Chief Minister had said this," he said.

Continuing his outburst against Akhilesh, Shivpal said the party will not tolerate people who do 'dalali'.

"Only those who work for the poor and the farmers will work for the Samajwadi Party. Dalali (brokering deals) will not do. Akhilesh has conspired against the party," he said.

Shivpal, who was yesterday sacked from the Uttar Pradesh Cabinet, further said there are many liars in the party.

Read: Your CM is a liar: Chaos at SP meet as Mulayam, Akhilesh argue heatedly

"Nobody has made Mukhtar Ansari join the party...and you (Akhilesh) take the name of Mukhtar Ansari? We will not tolerate people who do dalali!" he added.

Shivpal also made it clear that strict action would be initiated against those trying to weaken and break the Samajwadi Party.

"This party has been formed by the hard work of Netaji...not by the people who raise slogans. Such people need to be thrown out of the party," he added.

Shivpal also backed senior leader Amar Singh.

"The critics of Amar Singh are not worth the dust on his feet," he said.

Shivpal further said everyone in the Samajwadi Party needs to dedicate themselves to winning the 2017 Uttar Pradesh assembly elections.

"One of the agendas for this meeting was to decide a strategy for the 2017 polls. And now look what this meeting has been reduced to," Shivpal said.

"Netaji, please give me permission to throw away all those spreading lies within the party. The people hate 'looteras and dalals'. We will never win the elections through them," he added.

Clearly referring to Akhilesh, Shivpal said, "I want to say: first find out properly about your responsibilities."

Shivpal further said that the people, who work to weaken the Samajwadi Party, should know that the party would form the government yet again with Netaji's sweat and blood.

The Chief Minister earlier rejected rumours of floating a new party.

In an emotional speech addressed to his father and Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav, Akhilesh said some leaders in the party were conspiring against him and added that he would fight against the wrong.

The Chief Minister broke down as he addressed his party workers and leaders at a meeting called by his father.

"I will fight against wrong as you have taught me," he told Mulayam.

"Who is forming is a new party? I am not. I have many responsibilities...Some people are trying to spread confusion in the Samajwadi Party," he added.

Putting forth his stand, Akhilesh made it clear that he would act against all those who conspire against him.

"I will stop those who conspire against me. One of my responsibilities is to act against any conspiracy against me. If there's a conspiracy against Netaji or the Samajwadi Party I will act against it. And that is why I did not ask anyone else about the removals from the Cabinet," he said.

The Chief Minister also attempted to draw his father's attention to the development work done by his government as he shied away from talking about the feud within the party,

"I have told the entire Cabinet that this is your party," he said.

Declaring his loyalty towards his father, an emotional Akhilesh said that he would have resigned if 'Netaji' would have asked him to do so.

"I would have resigned if Netaji had wanted me to. I fulfilled the promises I made to Netaji. I am where I am because of Netaji but this (politics) is my career; I don't know any other profession," he said.

Akhilesh also used the occasion to vent his ire against senior party leader Amar Singh.

"I was hurt when Amar Singh said that by November Akhilesh will not be the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh. Ram Gopal ji didn't say that," he said.

Today's meeting takes place a day after Sunday's dramatic events when Akhilesh sacked his uncle Shivpal Yadav from his Cabinet for the second time in a month. Many considered this to be a direct challenge to his father Mulayam, who has been promoting Shivpal over him.

Hours later, Mulayam ordered the expulsion of his cousin Ram Gopal Yadav, considered to be Akhilesh loyalist, from the party for six years.
New Delhi: "Did Rahul Gandhi say that Akhilesh is a good chief minister?" Congress asked on Monday as it came down hard on the Samajwadi Party rule in poll-bound Uttar Pradesh saying the party was "imploding from within".

Amid the high-voltage power struggle in the family with Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav and his father Mulayam Singh Yadav trading barbs, Congress spokesman R P N Singh claimed there has been "no development" in the four-and-a- half-year of the SP rule in the state.

Besides, he said the law and order is "worsening" day-by-day and the state government has "gone back" on every promise it made to the people.

He lamented that though the Samajwadi Party was given full mandate by people, it has "failed" to fulfill the poll promises leading to "worsening plight" of the farmers, farm labourers and poor.

Asked whether Congress supported Akhilesh or Mulayam, he dismissed it as a hypothetical question. He said no one has approached the state governor complaining that there was a constitutional crisis.

When told that the Congress Vice President had recently hailed Akhilesh as a "good guy" indicating that he was backing the Chief Minister, Singh countered saying: "Did Rahul Gandhi say that Akhilesh is a good chief minister?"
New Delhi: Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is likely to return to his alma mater, the Panjab University, which has offered him a prestigious assignment.

Soon after receiving the offer of Jawaharlal Nehru Chair Professorship from the University, Singh had approached the Rajya Sabha Chairman in July seeking advice as to whether accepting the position will attract disqualification under the provisions of Article 102(1)(a) of the Constitution for holding an 'office of profit'.

He is a Rajya Sabha member from Assam.

Now in its report submitted to the Lok Sabha Speaker on October 14, the Joint Committee on Office of Profit has made it clear that if the former Prime Minister choses to accept the offer, it "may not attract the angle of 'office of profit' incurring disqualification" as a member of Parliament.

Singh completed his MA (Economics) from the Panjab University and taught there as a professor of Economics between 1963 and 1965.

Vice Chancellor of Chandigarh-based Panjab University had informed Singh that the University Syndicate and Senate has approved his name for the Jawaharlal Nehru Chair Professorship.

The University has offered honorarium and other facilities during his visits. He is free to choose the convenient time and duration for his visits and mode of interaction and for delivery of lectures to the students and faculty.

The University informed the Joint Committee that the person appointed would occupy the Chair for a short duration.

The Chair is appointed on the recommendation by a committee consisting of eminent academicians with due approval of the governing body.

The persons appointed on this Chair are expected to visit the University for a short duration. During such visit, the person is entitled to business class air-fare; car with driver; accommodation in a hotel or university guest house; an honorarium at the rate of Rs 5000 per day during days of visit.

"According to the Panjab University, the person appointed on the Chair is required to interact with the faculty, staff and students of the University, by way of discussions/lectures. This Chair Professorship neither have any administrative responsibility nor any decision making power including that of appointment/removal/influence or power by way of patronage," the Committee said in its report.
Kolkata: As the feud in the Samajwadi Party degenerated into mudslinging, senior party leader Amar Singh on Monday said sometimes silence was the best strategic answer to all questions and allegations brought against him.

Giving his "best wishes" to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav, Singh, once a right hand man of SP supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav, told PTI "I won't comment on the matter.

Read: SP feud continues, Akhilesh refuses to meet Shivpal Yadav for truce

For me, at times silence is the best strategic answer to all questions and allegations raised against me".

When asked about his reactions to Akhilesh pointing fingers at him, Singh said "I give my best wishes to Akhilesh Yadav. I have wished him on his birthday. He is the son of my supreme leader, my best wishes are with him."

Later at another function, Singh thanked SP supremo and UP Samajwadi Party president Shivpal Yadav for standing beside him.

"I thank Mulayam Singh Yadav and Shivpal Yadav for standing beside me," he said.
China claims Arunachal Pradesh as part of southern Tibet and routinely protests visits by Indian leaders, foreign officials as well as the Dalai Lama to the area. (Photo: File)

New Delhi: Rebuffing China for objecting to US Ambassador Richard Verma's recent visit to Arunachal Pradesh, India on Monday said there was "nothing unusual" about his trip to a state which is an integral part of the country.

"The US Ambassador visited Arunachal Pradesh, a state which is an integral part of the country to which he is accredited. There is nothing unusual in it," External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Vikas Swarup said in Delhi.

Taking exception to the visit by Verma, China said it was firmly opposed to it and that any interference by Washington in the Sino-India boundary dispute will make it "more complicated" and "disturb" hard won peace at the border.

Read: 'Don't sabotage our talks with India': China hits out at US over Arunachal

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang also asked the US to desist from interfering in the India-China border dispute while referring to Verma's October 22 tour to Tawang at the invitation of Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu.

"We have also noted that the place visited by senior US diplomatic official is a disputed region between China and India. We are firmly opposed to his visit," he said.

China claims Arunachal Pradesh as part of southern Tibet and routinely protests visits by Indian leaders, foreign officials as well as the Dalai Lama to the area.
Hyderabad: AIMIM President Asaduddin Owaisi has charged the BJP with trying to rake up the Ram temple issue and "fall back" on its "original agenda of polarisation" ahead of Uttar Pradesh elections as it has no positive agenda and "constructive" policies and programmes.

"After winning 71 Lok Sabha seats in the last Parliamentary elections, the BJP now still wants to rake up the old Ram Mandir issue and it shows that they don't have any constructive policies and programmes to go before the people in Uttar Pradesh," the Hyderabad Lok Sabha member said.

"It shows that BJP is insecure and has no positive agenda of development for Uttar Pradesh. (It) also exposes their loud claims of reviving economy, and everything, that has not happened. That's why they have fallen back on their original agenda of polarisation", he told PTI.

On infighting in the ruling Samajwadi Party in Uttar Pradesh, Owaisi said, "They have failed in governance. It's basically their internal problem but they have completely failed in fulfilling the promises they have made. So, it will be good riddance. Samajwadi Party has to lose power. It's their personal egos. They are not worried about solving Uttar Pradesh's main problems".

Owaisi, who has addressed a few public meetings in Uttar Pradesh in recent times, said his party is in the process of identifying constituencies at many places in the state from where it would field candidates.

He had earlier said his party is open to the idea of electoral alliances.

During his recent visit to Ayodhya to inspect the site for setting up a Ramayana Museum, Union Minister Mahesh Sharma said those who get to do "Ram Ka Kaam" (serve Ram) were fortunate.

The proposed museum has reignited demands by BJP hardliners like Vijay Katiyar for building a Ram temple at the disputed Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid complex.
An 8-year-old boy died and 4 other civilians were injured in fresh shelling and firing by Pakistani border guards in Kanachak sector of Jammu. (Photo: PTI/Representational)

Srinagar: A total of three civilians, including a one-year-old baby and an 8-year-old boy, were killed in India and Pakistan in overnight cross border firing between the border guards of the two countries along the International Border (IB) in Jammu and Kashmir.

Police sources said that an 8-year-old boy died and 4 other civilians were injured in fresh shelling and firing by Pakistani border guards in Kanachak sector of Jammu along IB late on Sunday night.

Two persons, including the one-year-old baby, were killed and seven others were injured in overnight firing by Indian troops across the border, Pakistani authorities said on Monday.

A Border Security Force (BSF) head-constable Sushil Kumar who was injured in the Pakistani Rangers firing in the R.S. Pura sector of the IB on Sunday succumbed in a Jammu hospital late in the night.

He had sustained a splinter injury in the upper part of his chest while retaliating to the firing and shelling by the Pakistan Rangers, officials said on Monday. Another BSF jawan was injured in the Pakistan firing, they added.

This came a day after the death of another BSF jawan Gurnam Singh, who was hit in the sniper attack in Hiranagar sector along the IB in Kathua district on Friday night.

Pakistan Rangers violated the November 2003 ceasefire agreement twice on Sunday in the R.S. Pura sector of Jammu district, BSF officials said. They violated ceasefire in neighbouring Pargwal and Kanachak areas as well, officials added.

Giving the details of the incidents, a BSF spokesman said the Pakistan Rangers targeted 13 border outposts and villages in R.S. Pura and neighbouring Pargwal and Kanachak, using mortar shells and firing small arms.

The BSF had earlier warned Pakistan against any misadventure saying, Were ready for any eventuality". Its Additional Director General, Arun Kumar, on Sunday said: If they try to do anything, they will be given a befitting reply. We are fully prepared for that.

The BSF and the Army have accused their Pakistani counterparts of indulging in multiple ceasefire violations both along the IB and the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir following the surgical strikes in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). India, in the last week of September, said it conducted surgical strikes on the launch-pads of terrorists in PoK.

Pakistan strongly denied the cross-border raids, while alleging that the Indian troops targeted its forward posts in violation of ceasefire agreement that left two of its soldiers dead.

The BSF had last week claimed killing seven Pakistan Rangers in the retaliatory firing in Hiranagar sector of the Kathua district. However, Director General of Pakistans Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Asim Bajwa had termed BSFs claim of killing 7 of Pakistan Rangers as false, while admitting that the BSF targeted the Pakistan Rangers positions in Shakargarh area facing Hiranagar.

He said that no Pakistani trooper was hit or killed in the Indian firing.

On Monday, the ISPR said in a statement, "Due to unprovoked Indian firing at the Working Boundary last night, a civilian Muhammad Latif of village Janglora and a minor Haniya embraced shahadat while seven civilians were injured."

It claimed that the Pakistan Rangers Punjab responded "befittingly" to Indian firing and shelling in Harpal, Pukhlian and Charwah sectors on the border and that intermittent exchange of fire continued through the night.

It also said that the injured civilians have been shifted to Combined Military Hospital Sialkot. In an earlier statement issued on Sunday night, the ISPR had said that BSF troops opened fire in the Chuprar and Harpal sectors.
SRINAGAR: Kashmirs chief Muslim cleric and chairman of his faction of Hurriyat Conference alliance, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, was on Monday evening released from a sub-jail here and taken to his residence where he was subsequently placed under house arrest.

The 43-year-old separatist leader was on August 27 this year shifted to a makeshift detention centre in the foothills of Zabarwan range here from a City police station. A day before, the police had detained him as he came out of his residence in Srinagars Nigeen area to march on Citys Eidgah grounds where the separatists had planned to hold an azaadi rally on August 26. Since he remained lodged in a cottage in the high-security Chashmashahi near the Raj Bhavan turned into a sub-jail.

A spokesman of the Mirwaiz-led Hurriyat Conference said that soon after he reached his Nigeen residence here, a large contingent of the J&K police arrived there to announce that he has been placed under house arrest.

The Mirwaiz is among three key separatist leaders who are part of an alliance which has been issuing protest calendars which are largely obeyed by the people of the Valley following the killing of Hizb-ul-Mujahedin commander Burhan Muzaffar Wani on July 8.

Nearly 100 people have died and thousands wounded during this period. Also, about 9,000 people, mainly youth, have been arrested by the police in a tough campaign launched by it to contain the unrest.

The Mirwaiz has been released on a day when media reports emanating from Delhi said that in an effort to initiate Track II diplomacy towards seeking a solution to the Kashmir crisis, a 6-member team set up by Central government is visiting Srinagar during this week.

The team led by former Union Minister for External Affairs, Yashwat Sinha, has also been asked to assess the ground situation in the Valley, the reports said. The other members of the team are MP Jairam Ramesh, Former Chairperson of the National Commission for Minorities and Chief Information Commissioner of India Wajahat Habibullah, Former Air Vice Marshal, Bharat Bhushan, Journalist (Editor of Catch News) Kapil Kak, and Executive Director, Centre for Dialogue and Reconciliation Sushobha Barve , the reports added.

Meanwhile, suspected militants targeted the ancestral house of senior ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leader and public works department minister Abdur Rehman Veeri in southern Anantnag on Monday evening without causing any casualties or damage to the property, however.

Officials said that the policemen guarding the house returned fire and that after some time the attackers fled the scene. There was no one present in the house and there have been no casualties, police sources said adding that reinforcements from the J&K police reached the spot but the gunmen had already left. It was actually an attack on the policemen guarding the house and not the ministers property as such, a senior police officer who spoke on condition of anonymity added.

Police said that on Monday evening, some miscreants in order to impose shutdown call lobbed a petrol bomb on a moving tipper near Khanpora on the outskirts of Baramulla town, injuring its driver Irshad Ahmed. The police has registered an FIR under relevant sections of law for attempt to murder.
Thiruvananthapuram : Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Monday told the state assembly that stringent action would be taken against those who obstruct media persons from covering court proceedings.

Replying to a submission on the 'ban' on media persons from covering court proceedings, he said there was no justification for continuing the obstruction by a section of lawyers.

"It is unfortunate that the issue is still continuing. A section of lawyers are behind this," he said.

Vijayan also brought to the notice of the House the initiative taken by Kerala High Court Chief Justice to end the stand off between a section of lawyers and mediapersons and said a clear possibility had emerged to solve the issue due to the intervention of the CJ.

But, a section of people (lawyers) felt that it was not applicable to them, the Chief Minister said referring to the manhandling of four journalists, including two women, at the Vigilance Court here on October 14.

"If the obstruction continues, stern action will be taken," he said.

Raising the issue, Leader of Opposition Ramesh Chennithala (Congress) demanded withdrawal of the case against journalists filed on a complaint by an advocate in connection with the incident at the Vigilance court.

He said journalists were not able to report court proceedings in Kerala even after an assurance given by the Chief Minister.

It amounted to curbing the freedom of press, Chennithala alleged.
Call it the governments attempt to woo agitated Kapu youths or to diffuse the agitation, the government recently introduced the foreign education scheme exclusively for the Kapus. (Representational image)

Visakhapatnam: Kapu youths are flying high in Andhra Pradesh with the government introducing a foreign education scheme called Videshi Vidya Deevena for eligible youths from the community.

Often considered a progressive community, Kapus had in the recent times hit the streets demanding reservations in jobs and educational institutions on the lines of certain marginal classes.

The stir was likened to the Pateldar agitation in Gujarat. Patels too are seen progressive and affluent. Call it the governments attempt to woo agitated Kapu youths or to diffuse the agitation, the government recently introduced the foreign education scheme exclusively for the Kapus.

Under the scheme, 160 youngsters were selected so far and they will be provided with Rs 10 lakh each for foreign education. They will also be eligible for a Rs 5-lakh education loan from nationalised banks as recommended by the newly-formed Kapu Corporation.

Under the Andhra Pradesh State Kapu Welfare and Development Corporation Limited scheme Videshi Vidya Deevana, 400 students who want to pursue courses from recognised universities in the US, the UK, Australia, Canada, Singapore, Germ-any, New Zealand, Sweden, the Netherlands, France, Denmark, Russia, the Philippines, Kazakhstan and China, will be considered for this scheme annually. The offer for the Philippines, Kazakhstan and China is for medical students. The scheme is open for Kapu, Balija, Telaga and Ontari students from economically weak families.

The annual income of the eligible candidates family should be `6 lakh or below. However, the new foreign education scheme, which is the first of its kind in the state for a community or caste, has not found favour with other communities.

Foreign education is not an easy affair. If its the US, one needs to spend more than Rs 25 lakh to pursue PG. And when a family is ready to bear the remaining expenses, which come to more than Rs 20 lakh after the government sponsors Rs 10 lakh, how can they be called a marginal class? Such scheme should also be extended to other eligible backward classes, SCs, especially Tribals. I see the scheme as a bait to diffuse the Kapu reservation stir and a part of the vote bank politics by the ruling party, said All- India BC Development Front Federation state president V.S. Divakar Pakki.
Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday said a conspiracy was being hatched to disrupt harmony in the state, and asked people not to tolerate those trying to create differences.

"The administration is with you. I ask common people that if you see injustice happening, you should protest. Do not tolerate those who are trying to create division among people," she said at a function in the state secretariat in Kolkata.

The Chief Minister said those who divided people on religious lines would divide families and neighbourhood one day.

Without naming anyone, the Trinamool supremo said a conspiracy was being hatched by those who did not want the state to feel proud in the international market.

She also asked people not to respond to any provocation ahead of Kali Puja.

"There are some people who want to create trouble...They know only destruction and not creation. They do not want life, only death," Banerjee said.

In the meantime to augment the fire fighting capability of the state, the CM flagged off 50 new water tenders.

Equipped with latest technology, the tenders have been procured at a total cost of Rs 13.2 crore.

In the last two years, a total of 22 tenders have been procured through e-tendering process adding to the existing fleet of 674 fire fighting vehicles.
New Delhi/Ahmedabad: Prime Minister Narendra Modi's outreach to people on the triple talaq issue and urging the intellectuals who participate in the TV debate to not to make it a Hindu-Muslim issue has drawn mixed reactions from women activists.

Bharatiya Muslim Mahila Andolan co-founder Zakia Soman on Monday welcomed the statement made by the Prime Minister and said the statement will go a long way in enabling and supporting struggle for gender justice in Islam, particularly to Muslim women in India.

Urging the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) which has remained defiant in scrapping the discriminatory practice, Soman said the Muslim law board stands exposed and they should accept that they have denied justice to Muslim women since the independence.

Read: Can't allow lives of Muslim women to be ruined by triple talaq: Modi

"I would appeal to Muslim board and other patriarchal institutions to give up this un-winnable and unethical fight, their insistence on the continuation of triple talaq is unethical, un-Quranic and unconstitutional, they should give up this demand and they should acknowledge us," she said.

Meanwhile, the general secretary of the Communist Party of National Federation of Indian Women, Annie Raja has criticised the Prime Minister for making selective statements on triple talaq and remaining silent on the women reservation bill.

"He remained mute to women reservation bill. He has been in power for the past two and a half years, he has the majority in parliament. But no single word from the Prime Minister shows the double standard of towards women," Annie told ANI.

Addressing a rally in Mahoba, Uttar Pradesh, Prime Minister Modi criticised political leaders and people on the TV debates saying such discussions on Triple Talaq would keep women "deprived of their rights".

"I request people who participate in TV debates to not make women rights a Hindu- Muslim issue. It is a development issue. The debate should be between the Muslims who are pro and anti-reforms," he said.

He also said that justice would be given to Muslim women under the Constitution.
RS Pura (IB): Amidst emotional scenes, the mortal remains of BSF Jawan Gurnam Singh, who was martyred after being injured in a sniper attack in a forward post in the Kathua district, were consigned to flames at his native village in Bhalesar in RS Pura on Monday with full military honours.

Thousands of people from all sections of life took part in the final journey of the brave solider who laid down his life while defending the borders of the country.

Several state ministers, BSF officers, district administration officials and BJP leaders attended the last rites of Gurnam who succumbed to injuries at the Government Medical College and Hospital in Jammu on Saturday night.

"He was a brave son and we are proud of him," his father Kulveer Singh said.

As soon as the mortal remains of Gurnam were taken out of his house for the last rites, the atmosphere reverberated with the slogans like "Gurnam Singh Amar Rahe", "Jab Tak Suraj Chand Rahega, Gurnam Singh Tera Naam Rahega".

People also raised "Bharat Mata Ki Jai" slogan.

"We demand stern action against Pakistan, we want peace but Pakistan keeps on disturbing the peace every now and then by killing people on our side, we want this to stop once and for all.

"Pakistan must be taught a lesson so that no mother has to ever loose her son again," Kulbushan Kumar, a local villager, said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Barack Obama greet each other during the group photo session at the 11th East Asia summit in Vientiane, Laos earlier this year. (Photo: PTI)

Agartala: A senior diplomat of United States posted in India expressed that the current Indo-U.S. ties are at an all time best, adding that India has the full support of the U.S. in its efforts to bring peace to the region.

"United States has said that the India's relationship with Pakistan is for India and Pakistan to workout but it is also true that United States and India have never been closer in terms of agreement on working together to counter terrorism and our military and intelligence relationship now is closer than ever been. We support India's effort to bring peace to the region," said US Consul-General in Kolkata Craig L Hall in Agartala on Monday.

According to him, the outcome of the November Presidential election in America and whichever party wins, be it Democrat or Republican, there won't be any impact on the Indo-US relationship which has become more and more strong over the years.

He said that be it Bill Clinton, George Bush or Barack Obama, all of them have worked towards strengthening Indo-US relations, which would be carried forward.

"There is a bipartisan agreement among Republican and Democrats in United States that the United State's relation with India is very important and I think that if you look back over recent history, Presidents from both Republican and Democratic parties starting with Bill Clinton then followed by George W Bush and then President Obama ensured that their relation with India is quite important," Hall said.

The US envoy sighting how his nation is involved in the regional development of Northeast India and viewed that the cooperation between Tripura and Bangladesh is a perfect example of how with improved and increased connectivity in various sectors both can be in a win-win situation.

Earlier Hall along with his wife had a discussion on various issues including regional connectivity and economic cooperation with Chief Minister Manik Sarkar of the Left ruled Tripura state.
New Delhi: Pakistani authorities have frozen the bank accounts of some 5,100 terror suspects, including that of Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) chief Masood Azhar.

According to a report in Hindustan Times, more than Rs 400 million were contained in these accounts.

Among those whose accounts were frozen by the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP)  the countrys central bank - are 1,200 suspects included in category A of the Anti-Terrorism Act of 1997, which covers terrorists who pose an exceptional or high risk.

The 5,100 suspects are all listed in the Fourth Schedule of the Anti-Terrorism Act of 1997, said the report.

Following a request of the ministry of interior, we have frozen accounts of all top suspected terrorists, including Masood Azhar, son of Allah Bux, a senior official of SBP told The News.

Maulana Masood Azhar, released by India during the 2001 Kandahar hijack and wanted in connection with Pathankot and Uri attacks, is believed to be in the protective custody of security agencies in Pakistan.

Pakistan national coordinator of the National Counter-Terrorism Authority (NACTA) also confirmed that accounts of 5100 terrorists had been frozen.

The accounts include those of 3,078 suspects from Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and the tribal areas, 1,443 from Punjab, 226 from Sindh, 193 from Balochistan, 106 from Gilgit-Baltistan, 27 from the Islamabad Capital Territory and 26 from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

Apart from Azhar, Maulana Abdul Aziz of Islamabads radical Lal Masjid, Ahmed Ludhianvi of the Ahl-e-Sunnat Wal Jamaat, Matiur Rehman of al-Qaeda Pakistan and Qari Ehsan of Lashkar-e-Jhangvi are some of the major names whose accounts were frozen.
Varanasi: Keeping alive the 'surgical strikes' issue ahead of state polls, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said people celebrated 'Choti Diwali' when the Army destroyed terrorist launch pads across LoC, and asked them not to forget valour of security forces.

Addressing a public rally after launching slew of projects in his Lok Sabha constituency, Modi asked citizens to also remember soldiers even when there are no sounds of firing of bullets and shelling on borders.

"When I saw on TV, read in newspapers and some locals informed me that residents of Kashi have celebrated choti Diwali. When the army displayed its valour on September 29, the entire Kashi witnessed celebrations.

"As your MP, I feel proud of the manner in which you paid tributes to valour of armed forces and expressed your support to them," he said.

The Prime Minister said that the nation has been able to convey to the armed forces that the entire country of 125 crore people is behind them. He asked countrymen to send Diwali greetings to security forces.

The greetings can be sent to security forces through an App which can be downloaded by giving a missed call on 1922.

"Security forces should always feel how proud we are about them," Modi said, adding that the nation should hail their valour and courage all time.

Referring to the initiatives of his government, Modi said "we are not a government whose work stops at laying foundation stones. It is ensured that the projects are also completed".

Schemes are not about publishing advertisements in newspapers, the real aim of initiatives is proper execution and touching people's lives, he added.

Modi launched seven projects, including a gas pipeline and power projects, involving an expenditure of Rs 5,000 crore.
Delhi police on Monday raided an illegal casino in the Sainik Farm area of the national capital and arrested 36 persons. (Photos: ANI/Twitter)

New Delhi: A city court on Monday granted bail to seven persons, arrested in connection with a gambling case in which an illegal casino was busted in South Delhi's posh Sainik Farms area.

Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Sonu Agnihotri enlarged on bail seven men who were yesterday arrested for alleged offences under the Delhi Excise Act and Delhi Gambling Act.

The accused were produced before the court by the police which had sought judicial custody for them.

The police had arrested 36 people, including businessmen and four women, out of whom, 29 had secured bail yesterday from the police station as their offence was bailable.

A joint police team of Neb Sarai and Malviya Nagar had conducted a raid at J-255, Sainik Farms in the wee hours on Sunday after they got a tip-off.

Police said almost two dozen people were found playing casino in the premises and "eleven luxury vehicles, 23 bottles of foreign made liquor and gambling chips worth Rs 1,36,45,000 have been seized".

"We have also seized 250 packets of playing cards, wheel, spinning ball and other tools used in casino," it said, adding that crores of rupees were wagered each day and a player had to spend a minimum of Rs five lakh for entry and each chip was worth Rs one lakh.

According to police, many of the arrested persons belong to reputed business families of Gurgaon, Faridabad and Delhi and among those held included players, table attendants and proprietors.

Two separate cases under the Delhi Gambling Act and Delhi Excise Act have been registered at Neb Sarai Police Station in New Delhi.

Police said more people, including owner of the premises, are likely to be arrested in the case and they will take steps to seal the property under the provisions of Delhi Gambling Act.
The Supreme Court will on Monday hear an appeal filed by December 16 Nirbhaya gangrape convicts. (Photo: PTI)

New Delhi: The Supreme Court will on Monday hear an appeal filed by December 16 Nirbhaya gangrape convicts - Akshay, Vinay Sharma, Pawan and Mukesh.

They had challenged their death sentence awarded by the Delhi High Court in the apex court.

The top court had on April 4 begun final hearing of the convicts' appeal almost two years after staying their execution.

Two of the four death-row convicts had written to Chief Justice T S Thakur and Justice Deepak Misra, stating that they do not approve of the defence counsel appointed by the court to argue their case before the top court as they had given statements against them to the media in the past.

The trial court had in September 2013 awarded death sentences to the convicts.

Six months later, the Delhi High Court upheld their conviction and sentence. All the convicts moved the apex court in 2014, which stayed their execution.

Six people, including a juvenile, had assaulted the woman in a moving bus in South Delhi.

Later, the accused threw out the victim and her male friend at an isolated spot.

She died in a Singapore hospital on December 29, 2012, triggering nation-wide protests that resulted in giving more teeth to laws related to rape and other formes of sexual harassment.
A senior police officer said that the security personnel attacked the Maoists in the forest area along AOB (Representational Image)

Malkangiri: At least 21 Maoists were killed on Monday morning and two other cadres injured in an exchange of fire with the Andhra Pradesh and Odisha police in between Busiput and Bejangi areas under Panasput gram panchayat in Odishas Malkangiri district.

According to Odisha police director general of police (DGP) K B Singh, the police have recovered 21 bodies from the encounter site.

Till now, the police have recovered 21 bodies. Search operation is still on in the area. W we are waiting for further information on the exchange of fire, said Mr Singh.

The DGP confirmed that Maoist leader Udaya was killed in the encounter. No concrete information is available about Maoist Ramakrishna alias RK, another top Maoist leader.

Maoist leader Uday has been killed in the encounter. He was carrying a reward of Rs 2 lakh on his head, the DGP said. The police was verifying Ramakrishna was present during the exchange of fire, the DGP said.

Eight of the 21 slain rebels are female cadres.

Malkangiri superintendent of police Mitrabhanu Mohapatra informed that based on reliable intelligence inputs, top Maoist leader Ramakrishna was holding a meeting in Bejing jungle under Panasput gram panchayat, when the joint team raided the place in the early hours on Monday.

We had information that at least 40-50 rebels were holding a meeting in Panasput area. The Greyhound Jawans of Andhra Pradesh and Odisha police carried out a joint operation carried this morning which resulted in this huge success, said SP Mr Mohapatra.

Sources added as the security personnel advanced towards the Maoists camp, the radicals, who had thrown a strong security ring around their top leaders opened fire on the personnel. This resulted in a fierce gun-battle between both sides.

The security personnel have seized 20 firearms, including four AK 47 rifles, 10 numbers of 303 rifles, two SLR rifles and live cartridges from the spot.

According to Visakhapatnam superintendent of police ((rural) Rahul Dev Sharma one police officer has suffered injuries during the encounter.
Thiruvananthapuram: Former Supreme Court judge Markandey Katju on Sunday said he would appear before the Supreme court on November 11 in the Soumya rape case, as directed by it.

In a Facebook post, he said "I will be appearing before the Supreme Court in the Soumya case on 11th November at 2 pm to explain why the judgement requires review and the death sentence be imposed on the accused Govindachamy."

He said he had received the notice given by the Supreme Court.

On October 17, the top court had issued notice to Justice Katju, asking him to appear in person before it on November 11 and participate in the proceedings as to whether the judgement and order passed by the bench 'suffers from any fundamental flaw so as to require exercise of the review jurisdiction'.

Justice Katju had in a Facebook post had stated that the court's September 15 order needs to be reviewed in an open court hearing.

"Such a view coming from a retired Judge of this Court needs to be treated with the greatest of respect and consideration. Office to register a suo motu review petition," the bench had said in its order.

Justice Katju had last month stated that the Supreme Court had 'grievously erred by law' in the Soumya case, in which the death sentence of the accused Govindachamy was commuted.

The top court had last month quashed Govindachamy's death penalty, but upheld life imprisonment for raping 23-year-old Soumya on February 1, 2011.

The death penalty had been imposed by a Fast Track Court in Thrissur,which was later upheld by Kerala High Court. A review petition filed by the Kerala government and Soumya's mother is pending before the top Court.

Meanwhile, after her recent meeting with Justice Katju became controversial, Additional Director General of Police today said her visit had nothing to do with the Soumya case.

Advocate General C P Sudhakara Prasad had also expressed displeasure over the meeting.
Lucknow: Hours after branding nephew Akhilesh Yadav a liar, UP Samajwadi Party chief Shivpal Yadav made a dramatic appearance at the Chief Minister's residence tonight, in an apparent attempt at rapprochement.

Party observers said the meeting could have been at the behest of SP patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav, who had earlier in the day wished that Akhilesh and Shivpal transcended all differences and hugged each other at a key SP meeting at the party headquarters here this morning.

However, reports that the two drove in the same car to meet Mulayam, who was having a severe toothache, seemed to be misleading. Instead, ANI reported that Shivpal left the SP chief's residence after CM Akhilesh refused to meet him.

The drama began on Monday when an all-important meeting convened by Mulayam to bring warring factions together on one dais turned ugly in the morning when Shivpal snatched the microphone from the Chief Minister and called him a liar.

After the party supremo asked his son to hug his uncle to bury the hatchet and send a message that all was well in the party, Akhilesh took up the matter of his being referred to as Aurangzeb in an English newspaper.

While Akhilesh was referring to the report in which he was branded as ruthless Mughal emperor Aurangzeb as part of a "conspiracy" and took the name of MLC Ashu Malik to support his claim, Shivpal emerged from behind, snatched his mike and remarked, "CM is telling a lie...I will also speak" bringing the meeting to an abrupt end.

Later, clarifying as to how the scene turned ugly, Malik said he was being called by the chief minister on the dais to tell Mulayam Singh Yadav the truth behind the story published in the newspaper last month.

"It is half truth which led the supporters to create acrimony...I was called by the Chief Minister to tell how I had sent a notice to the newspaper over the issue for which they (newspersons) said they were tipped off by someone in Delhi after which a corrigendum was also published the next day," Malik said.

"But before I could say anything, things turned bad," he said, adding he was manhandled by some partymen at the Chief Minister's residence earlier this morning.

Party patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav sided with his younger brother Shivpal and friend Amar Singh, and reprimanded son Akhilesh Yadav but ruled out his removal as Chief Minister.

Amid speculation about a possible split ahead of the assembly polls, the bitter power struggle in SP's first family played out on stage at a meeting called by its supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav of party legislators, MPs and other leaders where Akhilesh, blowing hot and cold, first offered to step down in a choked voice but later accused Amar Singh and those close to him of hatching a "conspiracy" against him and his father.

There were sharp exchanges between Akhilesh and Mulayam, who virtually dismissed him as an insignificant entity in UP politics who could not win an election without his support.

"What is your capability? Can you win elections?" he said, snapping at Akhilesh.

The bile-filled exchanges came a day after the continuing battle of attrition between Akhilesh and his uncle Shivpal Yadav, state SP chief, saw the Chief Minister sacking Shivpal and three other ministers close to him, and Mulayam striking back with vengeance expelling from the party for six years his cousin Ram Gopal Yadav. Ram Gopal, a Rajya Sabha member. has been backing Akhilesh in his fight against Shivpal.

Addressing the gathering Akhilesh ruled out forming a new party, a claim which Shivpal disputed, saying he was prepared to "swear" by his son and "Ganga Jal" that the Chief Minister had told him he would indeed float a new party and contest the assembly polls in alliance with some political party.

Shivpal also demanded that Mulayam take over the helm of the government.

In his speech, Akhilesh sought to scotch speculation that he was planning to form a new party and offered to step down.

"Let 'netaji' (Mulayam) install a chief minister who he feels is honest. Why should I form a new party?" he posed in an emotionally choked voice, calling the SP supremo his "pita (father) and guru (teacher).

The Chief Minister said many people were trying to create divisions within his family using various machinations and that he had taught himself how to oppose any wrong doing.

At one point, Akhilesh appeared to extend an olive branch when he said,"Rath bhi chaley, sthapana diwas bhi maney (my rath yatra will go on and establishment day of the party will be celebrated)." There has been speculation that he would give the SP's silver jubilee celebration on November 5 by proceeding on his 'rath yatra' two days earlier.
Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav on Monday broke down while addressing supporters at the Samajwadi Party and offered to resign from the top job if his father Mulayam Singh Yadav so desired.

He said that he was hurt when his father Mulayam removed him as the party chief but dismissed reports of him planning to form a new party.

"People are saying a new party will be formed. Who is forming a new party? I am not," Akhilesh said.

Reports suggested that the party was inching closer to a split when Akhilesh sacked his uncle Shivpal Yadav along with three other ministers close to him on Sunday.

Shivpal Yadav countered Akhileshs claims and said that the CM has told him about floating a new party.

Akhilesh Yadav had said to me that he will form another party, he said it, he said it to me. We can not tolerate liars in SP, we just can't, Shivpal said on Monday.

Shivpal, who is the partys state president, had expelled SP MP Prof. Ram Gopal Yadav from the party for six years. Shivpal Yadav alleged that Prof. Ram Gopal Yadav was working at the behest of the BJP to save his son and daughter-in-law from the CBI. He said that the two were involved in the Yadav Singh-Noida Authority corruption case.

Ram Gopal Yadav had triggered off the events by dropping a letter bomb on Sunday morning in which he said that those who were opposing Akhilesh Yadav should not be allowed to succeed.

I am legitimate political heir, says Akhilesh Yadav

The three ministers who were sacked along with Shivpal Yadav were Om Prakash Singh, Narad Rai and Shadab Fatima. Ms Jaya Prada has also been removed from the post of vice-chairperson of UP Film Council.

The Chief Minister informed party MLAs and MLCs of these decisions at a meeting at his residence. Shivpal Singh and ministers and legislators close to him were not invited to the meeting.

The Chief Minister said in the meeting that those close to Amar Singh will not remain in my cabinet, said a legislator from Mainpuri Raju Yadav. The Chief Minister also announced that he was his fathers legitimate political heir and there was no question of a split in the party.

Shivpal Singh Yadav later told reporters that it was wrong on the part of the CM to level direct allegations at him. Earlier, immediately after the news of the sacking of ministers spread, senior SP leaders rushed to Mulayam Singh Yadavs residence for parleys.
Hyderabad: Telangana Congress chief N Uttam Kumar Reddy has vowed to not shave his beard till Congress comes to power in the state.

Reddy told PTI on Monday that he was recently asked by some media persons how come he, a former top Indian Air Force officer, is growing beard.

"My reply was I will maintain beard till Congress comes to power in Telangana," he said.

Reddy, who served as ADC and Comptroller to the President and flew MIG-21 and MIG-23 aircrafts while in the Air Force, had always been a clean shaven man.

"But, it (growing beard) has enthused party cadres," said the 54-year-old MLA from Nalgonda district.

Reddy has been leading a number of agitations in recent times against the TRS government on issues like the ruling party's promise of farmers' loan waiver and release of dues for reimbursement of students' tuition fees and 'Arogya Sri' health scheme.

On Sunday, he took part in a 'padayatra' for revival of Nizam Sugars at Bodhan.

Congress in Telangana was left disappointed in 2014 Legislative Assembly elections over not coming to power despite "delivering" on the long-pending separate statehood demand.

Congress had won 21 seats in the 119-member Assembly.

The next Assembly elections are due in 2019, along with general elections.
Pune: Women's rights activist Trupti Desai on Monday termed the decision of the Haji Ali Dargah Trust to allow women to enter sanctum sanctorum of the shrine in Mumbai as the "victory of woman worshippers and Indian Constitution".

Desai, who heads the Bhumata Ranragini Brigade, had started a campaign against gender bias at various religious places.

"Due to the pressure of the Supreme Court, and women organisations who were fighting against the gender bias, the trustees of Haji Ali Dargah had to take this decision," Desai told PTI today.

"We request the trustees of Sabarimala Temple to take a cue from Haji Ali Dargah and allow women to enter the sanctum," Desai added.

Desai said once she receive the order of the Supreme Court, they will go to the Dargah in south Mumbai to seek blessings.

Women will be granted access to the sanctum sanctorum of the Haji Ali shrine in Mumbai on par with men, the Dargah Trust told the Supreme Court today and sought four weeks to make the requisite infrastructural changes.

A bench comprising Chief Justice T S Thakur and Justices D Y Chandrachud and L Nageswara Rao granted time to the trust and disposed off its appeal against the Bombay High Court order, asking it to give equal access to women too.

Desai came into limelight after she successfully led an campaign to allow women's entry into the sanctum sanctorum of the Shani shrine in Shani Shingnapur in Maharashtra.
Sahranpur: Union Minister of State Giriraj Singh on Sunday said that religion can protect us only if we do the same for it, stressing that the Hindus need to increase their population in the country.

"People of the country are demanding a Ram temple, but how will a Ram temple be made if there are no Ram-bhakts in the country," he said while addressing a programme at Devbad area of Saharanpur district.

"The Hindu society needs to increase their population, it has been continuously decreasing in eight states of the country," the minister of state for MSME said.

At the time of partition, there were 22 per cent Hindus in Pakistan which has now decreased to 1 percent, while in India the Hindu population at that time was 90 per cent and Muslims constituted 10 per cent, but now the population of Muslims has gone up to 24 per cent while that of Hindus have declined to 76 per cent, he said.
Two bodies of Naxalites recovered by Greyhounds from the encounter site

BHUBANESWAR/MALKANGIRI (ODISHA): In one of the biggest encounters, at least 24 Maoists and a Greyhounds commando of Andhra Pradesh Police were killed on Monday morning at Bejing jungle under Panasput gram panchayat in Odishas Malkangiri district. Of the 24 rebels killed, seven were women.

Malkangiri SP Mitrabhanu Mohapatra said the AP-Odisha joint police team raid was consequent on intelligence inputs that top Maoist leader Ramakrishna was holding a meeting in Bejing jungle.

Odisha DGP K.B. Singh said the police recovered bodies of the slain rebels from the encounter site. An AP Greyhounds commando, Mohammed Abu Bakar, was killed in the exchange of fire. AP Police has announced a Rs 40 lakh ex gratia to the family of Abu Bakar. No concrete information is available about Maoists top leader Ramakrishna alias RK.

Big success for AP and Odisha police

The DGP confirmed that Maoist leader and Malkangiri divisional secretary Gajrala Ravi alias Uday was killed in the encounter. No concrete information is available about Maoists top leader Ramakrishna alias RK.

Maoist leader Uday has been killed. He was carrying a reward of `2 lakh on his head. Till now, the police have recovered 18 bodies, Mr Singh said. The police is checking if Ramakrishna was present during the encounter.

We had information that at least 40-50 rebels were holding a meeting in Panasput area. The Greyhounds and Odisha police carried out a joint operation this morning, said SP Mohapatra.

Visakhapatnam rural SP Rahul Dev Sharma said as the cops advanced towards the Maoists camp, the rebels opened fire. The police seized 20 firearms, including four AK-47 rifles, 10 .303 rifles, three SLR rifles, one Insas rifle, two kitbags, one laptop, and Rs 2.16 lakh.

Reports said bodies of 14 slain Naxals were flown to Malkangiri district police headquarters in the evening. By evening, six bodies were identified.

They are Venkataramana alias Ganesh and Daya alias Kistappa (AOB state committee members), Chalapathi, Gajarla Ravi, Suresh and Munna. Munna is the son of Ramakrishna. AP-Odisha joint police team raid conducted following intelligence inputs that top Maoist leader Ramakrishna was holding a meeting in Bejing jungle.
Visakhapatnam: Mohammed Abubakar, a senior commando of Greyhounds, was home on leave just a week ago. Three days ago, he received a call to join duty for an urgent operation. The operation turned tragic as the commando died in the battle with ultras in the Malkangiri forest area on Monday.

The 27-year-old Abubakar had left home and reported for duty following a phone call from higher officials. After reaching the Munchingput area on Wednesday he told his parents Mohammed Madina and Unnisa Begum that he was on an important mission on the Andhra-Odisha border and requested them not to make any phone calls, says the parents of the slain commando.

My son said that he would return soon after the operation is over and assured us that he would stay at least a week at home. But, it was my sons body with blood stains that arrived,' says his parents.

The family of the slain commando was inconsolable. His father, who is an auto driver suffered much in bringing up Abubakar and his sister. The parents of Abubakar said that the commando liked his sisters children a lot and used to call them every Sunday.

AP DGP N. Sambasiva Rao and other police officials, visited the slain commandos home. The DGP gave them a cheque for Rs 20 lakh as ex-gratia and promised them another Rs 18 lakh. His parents will get his salary till superannuation. Dismissing allegations that the Maoists were killed in cold blood Mr Rao said the rebels were killed in battle.
Hyderabad: The HC on Monday directed TS revenue authorities and Navayuga Engineering Company Ltd not to enter private land in Yellur in Mahbubnagar district without the owners consent.

A division Bench comprising acting Chief Justice Ramesh Ranganathan and Justice A. Shankar Narayana granted the interim order on an appeal by Ms Naga Jyothi and others, challenging an order of a single judge dismissing their appeal.

Their counsel informed the court that revenue officials and representatives of the company had conducted a survey of their lands under the guise of redesigning of the Palamuru-Ranga Reddy lift irrigation scheme without following procedure listed in Section 12 of the Central Land Act, 2013.

When the appellants had moved a petition, the single judge had dismissed it following an affidavit filed by the revenue department and the company stating that they were only surveying government land.

The petitioners, however, alleged that the respondents were entering the lands of the appellants and carrying out the survey. The Bench directed the respondents not enter the lands of the appellants and issued notices to the respondents to file counter affidavits.

Agri Gold: AP to file affidavit

The High Court on Monday directed the Andhra Pradesh government to file an affidavit explaining the steps it would have taken to repay depositors of the Agri Gold if they had not moved the court.

A division Bench comprising Justices V. Ramasubramanian and S.V. Bhatt was dealing with a petition by the Telangana Agri Gold Customers and Agents Welfare Association seeking a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the cases against the company.

Mr N.S. Arjun Kumar, counsel for the petitioners, told the court that the Andhra Pradesh CID had stated that they were unable to move further in the case in view of the pendency of the Public Interest Litigation.

He informed the court that the West Bengal government had paid `500 crore to depositors from its exchequer in a similar case. The courts poser to the CID and Andhra Pradesh counsels about what they would have done in case no case came was in reaction to this.

The Bench told the counsel to submit the plan of action for getting money to the depositors of Agri Gold consortium expeditiously and to file the affidavit in court by October 27.
An 6-year-old boy died and 4 other civilians were injured in fresh shelling and firing by Pakistani border guards in Kanachak sector of Jammu. (Photo: PTI/Representational)

SRINAGAR: Three civilians including a one-year-old baby and a 6-year-old boy were killed and sixteen others wounded as Indian and Pakistani border guards exchanged small arms and mortar fire along the International Border (IB) in Jammu and Kashmirs R.S.Pura and neighbouring areas over night and during the day on Monday.

Also, a Border Security Force (BSF) head-constable Susheel Kumar who was injured in the Pakistani Rangers firing in the R.S. Pura sector of the 193-km long border called Working Boundary by Islamabad and International Border by New Delhi on Sunday succumbed in a Jammu hospital late in the night. Another BSF trooper was injured in the firing, officials said in Jammu on Monday.

This came a day after another BSF soldier Gurnam Singh, who was hit in a sniper attack in Hiranagar sector along the border in Kathua district on Friday night died in hospital.

Police officials in Jammu said that a 6-year-old boy died and 9 other civilians were injured in fresh shelling and firing by Pakistani border guards in the R.S Pura sector and neighbouring areas along the IB. The Pakistanis resorted to unprovoked firing "in a complete bizarre manner" towards civilian areas at Laliyal village in R. S. Pura, killing the boy and injuring nine others one of whom-a woman- is critical, an official said.

A BSF spokesman added that the Pakistan Rangers opened "indiscriminate" firing and mortar shelling on 25 Border Outposts (BoPs) and civilian areas in R.S.Pura and its neighbourhood. There has been firing of small and automatic weapons and shelling of mortar bombs on over 25 BoPs and civilian areas in R. S. Pura, Arnia, Suchetgarh, Kanachak and Pargwal sub sectors of Jammu district since last night and it is still on, the spokesman said. He also said that the BSF gave a "suitable reply" using the same calibre weapons.

In Islamabad, the Pakistani authorities said that two persons including a one-year-old baby were killed and seven others injured in unprovoked firing by the BSF across the border.

The BSF had earlier warned Pakistan against any misadventure saying Were ready for any eventuality". Its Additional Director General, Arun Kumar, said on Sunday, If they try to do anything, they will be given a befitting reply. We are fully prepared for that.

The BSF and the Army have accused their Pakistani counterparts of indulging in as many as 40 ceasefire violations both along the IB and the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir after India in the last week of September said it conducted surgical strikes across the border in Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir to target what it alleged were the launch-pads of terrorists. Pakistan strongly denied the cross-border raids but in counter-charge said that the Indian troops targeted its forward posts along the de facto border in violation of ceasefire agreement which left two of its soldiers dead.

The BSF had last week said it killed seven Pakistan Rangers in the retaliatory firing in Hiranagar sector of the Kathua district. Gen. Asim Bajwa, the Director General of Pakistans Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), while responding did say that the BSF targeted the Pakistan Rangers positions in Shakargarh area facing Hiranagar but termed its claim of killing 7 of Pakistan Rangers as false. He said that no Pakistani trooper was hit or killed in the Indian firing.

On Monday, the ISPR said in a statement, "Due to unprovoked Indian firing at the Working Boundary last night, a civilian Muhammad Latif of village Janglora and a minor Haniya embraced shahadat while seven civilians were injured." It claimed that the Pakistan Rangers Punjab responded "befittingly" to Indian firing and shelling in Harpal, Pukhlian and Charwah sectors on the border and that intermittent exchange of fire continued through the night.

It also said that the injured civilians have been shifted to Combined Military Hospital Sialkot. In an earlier statement issued on Sunday night, the ISPR had said that BSF troops opened fire in the Chuprar and Harpal sectors.
Guwahati: Manipur Chief Minister, Okram Ibobi Singh, escaped a major bid on his life on Monday when heavily armed Naga rebels opened fire on his helicopter soon after it landed at the Ukhrul helipad. Security forces said that NSCN (I-M) rebels were involved in the incident. Though, the Chief Minister and his deputy, Gaikhangam, escaped unhurt, two security personnel of Manipur Rifles sustained bullet injuries.

Ibobi along with his deputy Chief Minister had gone to Ukhrul, a district dominated by Tangkhul Nagas, to inaugurate a hospital and an office. The locals had called for the boycott of the inaugural ceremony as they accused that work on the district hospital was yet to be completed.

The Chief Ministers helicopter immediately took off from Ukhrul and left for Chingai a remote village but could not land at the remote village also due to protests of locals, security sources said. The Chief Minister then cancelled his programmes and flew back to the state capital Imphal where he called an emergency cabinet meeting, security source said.

The chief minister had several official programmes lined up at Hunphung village and at Chingai village in Ukhrul district. Ibobi was to travel to Hunphung to inaugurate the 100-bedded Ukhrul district hospital besides a power sub-station.

Earlier, shortly after midnight on Sunday unknown miscreants had detonated a bomb near the newly constructed district hospital. The pandal where the public meeting of Chief Minister was planned was destroyed. One IRB personnel had also sustained injuries in the blast. Meanwhile, Ukhrul public torched two police vehicles in retaliation to search operations by the security forces.
Hyderabad: With several infrastructure projects to ease traffic congestion still on paper, the state government has drawn up plans to construct a 6.5-km elevated expressway from Uppal to Narapally junction. It has also revived a pending flyover project at Che Number Chowrasta at Amberpet.

Projects such as elevated corridor from Patny to Shamirpet and Paradise to Bowenpally, the Regional Ring Road and the flyover at Balanagar T-junction have not taken off due to land acquisition issues.

Former scientist at Central Road Research Institute T.S. Reddy said it was not easy to construct such projects. They not only need huge land acquisition but also money. Plans that are drawn up should be pursued seriously. The contract to execute the projects should be given only after the government acquires land, he said.

The projects drawn up by the government require a total of 120 acres of land and at least Rs 15,000 crore. Neither the GHMC, HMDA nor the roads and buildings department has this kind of money, a senior official said.

The proposed 1.5-km flyover at Che Number Chowrasta would have at least two lanes on either side. It would cross the Che Number Chowrasta and the junction at Sri Ramana Talkies at Amberpet and touch down at Gandhi statue.

This and the proposed Uppal expressway are aimed at cutting travel time on the Hyderabad-Warangal highway as traffic jams at Amberpet and Uppal are common even during non-peak hours.

Mr I. Ganapathi Reddy, roads and buildings engineer-in-chief (national highways), said the Uppal-Narapally flyover had been planned to provide seamless travel up to Outer Ring Road near Ghatkesar.

There is in-principle approval from the Union transport ministry for projects like Regional Ring Road and Che Number Chowrasta flyover. We will seek funds for the Uppal elevated corridor also, he said.
Hyderabad: The Hyderabad High Court has ordered the AP and Telangana police to preserve the bodies of Maoists who were killed in an encounter during a joint combing operation by the Greyhounds and the Odisha police at Malkangiri in Odisha on October 23 night till Thursday, in case any of the bodies are brought inside AP and Telangana.

A division bench comprising Acting CJ Ramesh Ranganathan and Justice A. Shankar Narayana was dealing with a petition by AP Civil Liberties Committee general secretary C. Chandrasekhar seeking declaration of the police action of conducting a hasty post-mortem without following legal procedures and also not taking steps for preserving the bodies of the dead as illegal.

Counsel V. Raghunath who appeared for the petitioner told the court according to preliminary information the police indiscriminately opened fire at a group of Maoists who had gathered in the forests without any warning.

He said the bodies were dumped in a hospital where there were no basic facilities and as per the statement of the DGP so far only three bodies have been identified. He told the court that in the spite of the ruthless killings one would at least expect proper preservation and identification of the bodies and handing over to relatives.

He said that AP and Odisha are conflict zones and that governments have to follow International Humanitar-ian Law. Counsel V. Raghunath urged the court to direct the authorities to preserve the bodies and to conduct post-mortem as per guidelines of the SC and the NHRC and also to book murder cases against the police personnel involved.

AP advocate general Dammalapati Srinivas submitted that as per information the encounter took place within the jurisdiction of the Odisha police and the AP police have no definite information on whether the bodies would be brought to AP or Telangana or not.

The bench told the police to preserve the bodies till October 27 in case they are brought within the boundaries of both states. The bench adjourned the case to October 26.
New Delhi: In a victory for womens rights, Mumbais Haji Ali Dargah Trust on Monday informed the Supreme Court that it will allow entry of women inside the inner sanctum sanctorum on par with men.

Taking note of a resolution passed to this effect by the trust, a three-judge bench of Chief Justice T.S. Thakur and Justices D.Y. Chandrachud and L. Nageswara Rao disposed of an appeal filed by the trust against a Bombay High Court order directing entry of women inside the sanctum sanctorum.

Senior counsel Gopal Subramanium, appearing for the trust, told the court that in a months time women will be allowed till its inner sanctum sanctorum.

He said, We have already passed a resolution on October 11 to this effect and need two weeks time to implement it. Some flooring has to be done and we also need to remove some obstructions like wooden windows and treasury boxes.

Protect women, axe triple talaq: Narendra Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday supported equal rights for women in the Muslim community and said he favoured discontinuation of triple talaq. He was addressing a Maha Parivartan Rally in Mahoba district in the Bundelkhand region on Monday when he said one should not consider religion when it comes to treating mothers and sisters with respect.

The PM called upon TV news channels to not turn triple talaq into an issue of Hindu versus Muslim or BJP versus other parties, Mr Modi said that in a submission to the Supreme Court, the Central government had clearly stated that there should not be any atrocity on women and there should be no discrimination.
Kochi: Security forces of the southern states have decided to conduct joint operations after they got specific intelligence inputs of retreating CPI Maoists increasingly using hilly forest in the tri-junction area of Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka as a safe heaven. The specific plans detailing out the role of various security formations of each state were discussed and modalities worked out to prevent the Maoists hiding in border districts of Kerala and Karnataka besides the Nilgiris in Tamil Nadu.

We got reliable information that the retreating Maoists from states like Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh move out to the tri-junction area to go underground. It also includes senior leaders who would control operations from these parts. Upon action by police forces from one state, the Maoists could easily cross the border and escape. Hence the need for the joint action by the three states, a senior officer said.

The meet held here was attended by senior police and intelligence officers of the three southern states, Rapid Action Force and other security agencies and was presided over by CRPF Director General K Durga Prasad. Senior officers from Kerala Police including S Sreejith, Inspector General, Ernakulam Range, attended the meet held as per the direction of the Ministry of Home Affairs. There was information about a secret meet held by the Maoists on September 14 in Wayanad in which a Maoist Central Committee member reportedly attended. The intelligence agencies believe the senior Maoist cadre came to the meet from the hiding camps at the tri-junction area.
Chennai: BJP national secretary H. Raja lashed out at DMK chief M. Karunanidhi for criticising Prime Minister Narendra Modi for chanting Jai Sri Ram at Ram Leela event in Lucknow.

Contending that there was nothing wrong in Mr Modi chanting the name of Lord Ram Mr Raja questioned the secular credentials of Mr Karunanidhi who never failed to greet the minorities during Christmas and Ramzan but not the Hindus during important festivals like Diwali.

He also took strong exception to retired IAS officer Christodas Gandhi for his remark during a recent TV debate that secularism means having the right to hit Lord Ram with slippers and said he would initiate legal action on the former civil servant.
KOCHI: Traditional fishers are observing a 'sea hartal' on Wednesday protesting the deep sea fishing by unauthorised vessels in the state's territorial waters. A joint action committee of non-political trade unions called for the hartal along the Manjeswaram to Parassala coastal sea. They say the bottom trawling boats from the neighbouring state are fishing in deep waters in the state due to apathetic attitude of the Central and state governments.

A major reason cited for depletion in marine fisheries resources is deep bottom trawling by unauthorised boats. While traditional fishers keep away from the sea during the 90-day trawl ban period, the mechanised trawlers illegally enter the Kerala coasts and loot the fisheries resources. The state government has failed to take any effective steps to prevent entry of large trawl vessels, alleged V.D. Majeendran of joint action committee.

Though catching juvenile fishes of 14 varieties was banned last year to conserve the marine fisheries resources, the authorities have failed to enforce it. The catch of juveniles by trawlers for supplying to the fish manure factories located outside the state is cited as a major cause for the depletion of resources along Kerala coasts.
Chennai: In line with the practice followed by President Pranab Mukherjee, Tamil Nadu Governor CH Vidyasagar Rao on Sunday directed discontinuation of prefixing His Excellency to his name.

Mr Rao, who is holding additional charge of Tamil Nadu, said only Honourable, should be prefixed to his name. Ch Vidyasagar Rao, the Governor of Tamil Nadu, has directed that henceforth, on all ceremonial occasions and in official and other communications, the word Honourable Governor or its Tamil equivalent Maanbumigu Aalunar, may be used, a press communique from Raj Bhavan said.

Mr Rao has followed Mr Mukherjee, who in 2012 after taking over as President of India, had directed that his Excellency can no longer be prefixed to his name. Governors of all states followed suit.

In a departure from the British era practice of addressing Governors as His Excellency, Rao directed that the present practice of using the salutation His Excellency the Governor, or the Tamil equivalent Methagu Aalunar, may be discontinued.

However, the salutation His Excellency will continue to be used in interaction with foreign dignitaries, the release said. After taking over as Governor of Kerala in 2014, former CJI, P. Sathasivam too had dispensed with the practice of using the words His Excellency.
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A couple of Kerala government websites too suffered cyber attacks amidst reports of a cyber war between Indian and Pakistan hackers on the backdrop of the tension on the border. This has prompted the state government's IT wing to step up vigil. The website of the state Food Safety Commissionerate and a Wayanad-based dairy society under a local body were hacked in the last one month, amidst reports that pro-Pakistan hackers are targeting government sites in India. Though it is yet to be ascertained whether the attacks were part of the cyber war, the state IT wing is maintaining caution against any cyber attacks on the state data centres, where majority of government sites are hosted.

However, many government agencies have still hosted their websites in private servers, despite repeated security alert from state IT department. The website of Food Safety Commissionerate, 'www.foodsafety.kerala.gov.in' was hacked about three weeks back. Another website of a dairy society under a local body in Wayanad was also hacked during the same period. During preliminary inquiry one of the sites was found to be hacked by a pro-Pakistan group and the other by a group from Syria, government sources said.

Ever since we came across reports of cyber attacks by Pakistani hackers, we are maintaining a vigil against possible cyber attack attempts on two state data centres," an official of the Kerala State IT Mission told DC. The state had been conducting frequent security audits of the sites hosted on the state data centres since there had been a series of defacement of key government sites. Even the state government's official portal www.kerala.gov.in was hacked last year. A massive attack on 30 government websites was also reported last year. The investigators could not trace the exact sources of any of these attacks, especially since the attacks were made though proxy servers.
Mysuru: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has denied claims made by state BJP president B.S. Yeddyurappa and asserted that no Congress MLA will join the saffron party.

Speaking to mediapersons on his arrival at Mysuru airport Sunday morning, the CM reacted to a claim by Mr Yeddyurappa that all Congress MLAs were heading towards the BJP and said, It is only an illusion. He has lied so many times. Lying is another strategy of theirs. On the celebration of Tipu Jayanti he said, Tipu was a freedom fighter who fought the British. What is wrong in celebrating the birth anniversary of a freedom fighter? We have done it once, we will celebrate it this year also. We will take all precautions to ensure that it is celebrated peacefully.

To a question on the RSS claim that Tipu Jayanti goes against Hinduism, he said, It is a misinterpretation by the narrow minded. What more can we expect from the Sangh parivar? Their objective is to disturb peace. On the attack on Kannadigas in Goa he said, We have directed the Chief Secretary to speak to his counterpart in Goa to ensure protection for Kannadigas there.

To a statement by former Mysuru MP H. Vishwanath that the critical statement of former Union minister Mr C.M. Ibrahim on his performance as CM was true and that the Congress was not in good health, the CM said, I do not need the certificate of Mr Ibrahim or Mr Vishwanath. They are disgruntled leaders, we can never satisfy them.
Sheila Dikshit said Congress is waiting for Priyanka to participate in Uttar Pradesh poll campaign. (Photo: PTI)

New Delhi: Congress chief ministerial candidate Sheila Dikshit on Monday asserted that Priyanka Gandhi will act as a catalyst and give the grand old party's campaign in the politically crucial state of Uttar Pradesh a major boost.

The Congress veteran, who has been aggressively campaigning in Uttar Pradesh that is scheduled to go for polls early next year, said all party workers are patiently waiting for Priyanka to participate in the poll campaign.

"I hope that she campaigns but the final decision is hers. We are eagerly waiting and willing. All our workers are willing and her participating in the campaign will have a massive positive impact too," said Dikshit.

The Congress members are seeking a Priyanka push for the party to regain some poise ahead of the crucial Uttar Pradesh elections after its former state chief Rita Bahuguna Joshi joined the BJP on Thursday.
New Delhi: Punjab Congress President Amarinder Singh on Sunday said former BJP MP Navjot Singh Sidhu is not in talks with Congress and no one from the party is in touch with him, even as he extended an olive branch to him saying he was welcome to join "unconditionally".

"Sidhu, like other leaders who have joined Congress in the past, is welcome to come on board unconditionally," he said in Delhi on Sunday after a meeting with top Punjab Congress leaders at his residence this morning to discuss the Punjab campaign schedule of Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi.

"Anyone including Navjot Singh Sidhu is welcome to join the Congress unconditionally. So far, no one from the Congress has spoken to Sidhu nor has Sidhu reached out to Congress," he said.

Senior state leaders had discussed the plan of Rahul Gandhi and made some proposals about what the nature of his campaign should be, he said.

"We held discussions. Proposals have come and we will send these to the Congress Vice President for his approval," Mr Singh said.

When asked about Mr Sidhu, he referred to his own surname, 'Sidhu', and in a lighter note said, "Yes, Sidhu was in the meeting. Amarinder Singh Sidhu was in the meeting."

Sunday's meeting at the PCC chief's residence in Delhi was attended by senior leaders of the Punjab Congress including state's campaign committee head Ambika Soni, Congress in charge Punjab Asha Kumari, Congress secretary for Punjab Harish Choudhry and Congress Legislature Party Leader Punjab CS Chani.

Besides Rajinder Bhattal, Lal Singh, Manpreet Badal, Partap Singh Bajwa, Santokh Choudhry, Raj Kumar Chhabewal, and Ravneet Bittu.

The leaders are also learnt to have discussed issues around which Rahul Gandhi's state campaign should revolve.

They have proposed issues ranging from drug problem to farmers' distress to the recent border village evacuations by Punjab government.

Leaders have proposed both road shows and rallies for the Congress Vice President's Punjab campaign.
Lucknow: Chaos broke out at the Samajwadi Party meet on Monday at the party's headquarters in Lucknow as Mulayam Yadav and his son, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav got into a heated argument.

The leaders engaged in a verbal spat during Mulayam's address when he said, "Your chief minister is a liar (Aapka mukhyamantri jhooth bolta hai)".

However, following the acrimonious meeting, Akhilesh met his father at the latter's residence.

The party inched closer to a split when Akhilesh sacked his uncle Shivpal Yadav along with three other ministers close to him on Sunday. Shivpal, who is the partys state president, retaliated by expelling Ram Gopal Yadav, who is close to Akhilesh, from the party for six years.

Following are the highlights of what happened:

Akhilesh and Shivpal Yadav hug each other at Mulayam's insistence following the meeting.

I am not a weak person, even to this day. Do not think that the youth is not with me. If you can't face criticism, you can't be a leader, Mulayam said in a veiled attack on the CM. He claimed that power had gone to Akhilesh's head after the latter became CM.

Mulayam expressed sadness over the escalating internal rift in his party at a time when his leaders must be working for the upcoming Uttar Pradesh polls.

I feel really sad because of this rift in our family. Instead of fighting our weaknesses we are fighting amongst ourselves, Mulayam said, referring to the growing differences between his son Akhilesh Yadav and brother Shivpal Yadav.

However, Mulayam stated that Akhilesh would not be removed from his post as the UP CM.

Mulayam Singh came out in strong support of Amar Singh and said I can't leave Amar Singh or Shivpal Yadav. All of Amar Singh's sins are forgiven.

"I can't tolerate anything against Amar & Shivpal; Amar saved me from going to jail; mere donning of red cap does notmake one Samajwadi," Mulayam said.

I will never forget the work Shivpal has done for me and Samajwadi Party. We have worked really hard to form this party, Mulayam said.

UP CM Akhilesh Yadav offers to resign from the top job, says he was hurt when his father Mulayam removed him as the UP party chief.

"Let 'netaji' (Mulayam) install a chief minister who he feels is honest, my father is my guru, Akhilesh" said.

"People are saying a new party will be formed. Who is forming a new party? I am not," Akhilesh said.

Shivpal Yadav countered Akhileshs claims and said that the CM had told him about floating a new party.

Akhilesh Yadav had said to me that he will form another party, he said it, he said it to me. We can not tolerate liars in SP, we just can't, Shivpal said

Supporters of rival Samajwadi Party factions on Monday clashed outside the party headquarters here ahead of the crucial meeting called by Mulayam Singh Yadav.

Camp followers of Akhilesh and his sacked uncle Shivpal Yadav exchanged blows as tensions mounted before the meet.

Police used force to disperse the slogan-shouting supporters who tried to break the cordon to march towards the party office.

Akhilesh on Sunday first sacked Shivpal, his uncle and party's state unit chief, along with three other "pro-Amar Singh" ministers from his Cabinet. Mulayam, in a tit-for-tat action, expelled Ramgopal, pro-CM cousin and SP's national general secretary, from the party for six years.

The crisis in the first family of Uttar Pradesh unfolded on Sunday when Akhilesh held a meeting of party legislators, a day ahead of a mega meeting of party MPs, MLAs, MLCs and ministers called by Mulayam.

After the meeting, the Chief Minister recommended to Governor Ram Naik that Shivpal, Narad Rai and Om Prakash Singh (all Cabinet ministers) and Sayeda Shadab Fatima (MoS -Independent charge) be sacked from his ministry. This was accepted immediately.
Mumbai: The developments pertaining to the release of "Ae Dil Hai Mushkil", featuring Pakistani actor Fawad Khan, were "horrible, ruthless and have rubbed salt into the wounds of martyred soldiers", Shiv Sena on Monday said taking a dig at Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.

On October 22, under pressure from political and other outfits, Bollywood film producers announced that they will not engage with Pakistani artistes, clearing decks for the smooth release of Karan Johar's "Ae Dil Hai Mushkil" as MNS withdrew its threat to stall the screening.

Johar accompanied by Producers' Guild President Mukesh Bhatt had met Fadnavis at his home 'Varsha' in South Mumbai here where Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray, whose party has been opposing the release, was also present.

"A lot has happened behind the curtains and all opposition to the film was diluted in the cup of tea at 'Varsha'. We do not want to get into who lost and who won but the whole episode has insulted our martyred soldiers," the Sena said in an editorial in party mouthpiece 'Saamana'.

"(BJP) Central leaders are threatening Pakistan and boasting about surgical strikes. But none of them have the courage to say that films having Pakistani artistes will not be allowed to be released. Pakistan has violated ceasefire around 25 times after the surgical strikes and nobody is bothered about it. Here, everyone is rallying behind film producers seeing them in trouble," it said.

As per the editorial, Fadnavis had the opportunity to show that there is a "56-inch chest" government in place now that has much more spine than the previous-Congress led government, which was "pro-Pakistan."

"Masks of many came off after the tea session at 'Varsha'. Karan Johar was asked to pay Rs 5 crore to the Army welfare fund in lieu of release of his film. Is the sacrifice of our soldiers worth this much? The developments of the entire episode is horrible, ruthless and have rubbed salt into the wounds of martyred soldiers," the Sena said.

"Ae Dil Hai Mushkil" starring Ranbir Kapoor, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Anushka Sharma in lead roles, will release on October 28.
Kolkata/Lucknow: As the feud in the Samajwadi Party degenerated into mudslinging, senior party leader Amar Singh on Monday said sometimes silence was the best strategic answer to all questions and allegations brought against him.

Giving his best wishes to UP Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav, Singh, once a right hand man of SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav, said, I will not comment on the matter. For me, at times silence is the best strategic answer to all questions and allegations raised against me. Later at another function, Singh thanked SP supremo and UP Samajwadi Party president Shivpal Yadav for standing beside him.

Earlier in the day, the bitter power struggle in SPs first family played out on stage at a meeting called by its supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav of party legislators, MPs and other leaders where Akhilesh, blowing hot and cold, first offered to step down in a choked voice but later accused Amar Singh and those close to him of hatching a conspiracy against him and his father.

Acrimonious scenes were witnessed at the meeting of the Samajwadi Party where Mulayam Singh Yadav and his son Akhilesh Yadav exchanged heated words, with the party supremo making clear his support for Amar Singh, describing him as his brother and Shivpal Yadav as mass leader.

The SP supremo said the party was facing a difficult situation and party members should not fight with each other but his words had little effect as chaos broke out at the venue and heated words were exchanged on the dais leading to an abrupt end of the meeting.

Fresh clashes broke out outside the venue with supporters of rival sides exchanging blows, giving police a tough time. At a meeting of party legislators, MPs and ministers, which ended abruptly, Mulayam said, I can not tolerate anything against Amar and Shivpal. Amar saved me from going to jail.

Mulayam said mere donning of red cap (colour of SP's cap) does not make one Samajwadi. Admonishing Akhilesh, the party supremo said he had been abusing Amar Singh.

Amar has helped me a lot. If Amar was not there I would have been in jail, he is like my brother, Mulayam said, describing the Rajya Sabha member as his brother. Some ministers are just sycophants, he added. I cannot forget the work done by Shivpal Yadav, he said while describing Shivpal as a mass leader.

Mulayam said he had to struggle hard to give his Samajwadi Party a shape. He said he followed the ideals of Ram Manohar Lohia and fought for the poor and the farmers. He said he was sad over the current developments in the party though I kept myself aloof from what was happening.

He said some leaders indulged in sycophancy and I do not like such sycophants. Referring to those criticising the party, he said those who cannot tolerate criticism, cannot become leaders. He also defended merger of QED with SP and described Ansaris family as respectable. Monday was the birthday of Akhilesh, who touched the feet of his father and uncle Shivpal to seek their blessings.
Hyderabad: The Telangana government is ready to share the money but not the assets of 10th Schedule-institutions listed in the AP Reorganisation Act, with AP, on population basis. While TS and AP quote the same Act, the Sections are different.

AP says that according to Supreme Court judgment, the assets of 10th Schedule institutions should be shared on population basis between the states. However, TS officials insist that there is no clarity in the Supreme Courts judgment.

According to them, Section 75 of AP Reorganisation Act says, Government of the state of AP or of TS, as the case may be, shall, in respect of the institutions specified in the Tenth Schedule to this Act, located in that state, continue to provide facilities to the people of the other state. They said that the Act does not speak about the sharing of assets of 10th Schedule institutions between the two states.

Funds in banks.

AP argues that according to Section 47 and 52 of AP Reorganisation Act, the assets of these institutions should be shared between the two states. TS argument is that these two Sections are not applicable to 10th Schedule institutions but are only for government departments.

They said that the funds of APPCB were shared between the two states but not the assets. Similarly, TS is ready to share the funds of these institutions available in the banks, they said.

Sources said that the TS government has taken a firm decision on this matter and the same will be communicated at the apex committee meeting. The AP government said that the total assets and funds of 10th Schedule institutions are worth over Rs 39,000 core and claims its share amounts to Rs 24,000 crore on the basis of population.
Hyderabad: Barely 24 hours after Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao met Governor E.S.L. Narasimhan seeking allotment of AP Secretariat blocks to TS, Chief Secretary Rajiv Sharma on Monday held a high-level meeting and directed all secretaries to move their departments to new buildings in the city.

The Chief Secretary gave a 10 day-deadline for the move. Sources said that the Chief Secretary has appointed a committee with senior IAS officers to monitor the shifting of Secretariat departments.

The committee comprises IAS officers Adar Sinha, M.G. Gopal, Ashok Kumar, Vikas Raj, B.R. Meena, R. Sunil Sharma, Rajeswar Tiwari and Salini Misra.

According to sources, the Chief Secretary directed the Secretariat departments to move into offices of the Heads of Department (HoDs) concerned.

For example, the irrigation department will move into the office of the Engineer in Chief of Irrigation at Errumanzil, agriculture department will move in with the Commissioner of Agriculture and energy department will move into Vidyut Soudha.

Departments like general administration and finance which did not have HoDs in the city will move into Burgula Ramakrishna Rao Bhavan.

Sources said that the TS government is taking steps to vacate the Secretariat departments quickly to exert pressure on the AP government to vacate the Secretariat blocks and hand them over.

AP government is likely to take a positive decision on handing over of Secretariat buildings to Telangana government.

Sources said that the Telangana government is planning to locate the ministers chambers at Greenlands Guesthouse or at Manjeera Guesthouse.

It also plans to lay the foundation stone for the construction of new Secretariat buildings next month. After vacating the Secretariat departments, the state government will take up demolition of Secretariat buildings.

Mumbai-based Hafeez Contractor will submit the designs for new Secretariat buildings by the first week of next month.
It shouldnt be any surprise that the government and the judiciary are on the same page on creating a vibrant dispute resolution ecosystem. Prime Minister Narendra Modi feels the speedy resolution of commercial disputes will act to facilitate the ease of doing business, in which index India scores a poor 130 of 189 nations. The Chief Justice of India is, however, more concerned with the burden of cases on courts, which are so phenomenal in number that by one calculation it would take 300 years to clear the backlog only in the Supreme Court and High Courts. An alternative dispute resolution system with arbitration, mediation and conciliation to resolve commercial disputes has much to commend itself. A whole new mindset will be needed, of course, if litigants are to accept the findings of such an alternative system.

It will be self-defeating if, as it now happens in most commercial arbitration cases, the adversaries simply refuse to accept the decisions and go back to a civil court. The ideal solution lies in future: not only will the system have to train arbitrators to settle disputes but also pass legislation to lend the weight of law to their rulings. When the judiciary and the government are at loggerheads over judges appointments, such commonality of purpose on an alternate dispute resolution system should be welcomed. Will the two major arms of governance speed up this process?
The fallout of the trans-border raids in an active hot peace environment between India and Pakistan in Jammu and Kashmir is always unpredictable, because there are just too many imponderables. The surgical strike by hunter-killer teams of the special forces of the Indian Army on fidayeen bases across the Line of Control in the Naugam-Hot Springs-Nangi Tekri area in Kashmir on the night of September 28/29 was one such raid. It must have been ordered only after cool-headed, cold-blooded calculation of all possible results  political, diplomatic and, of course, military. In this particular instance, fortune did favour the brave. The operation was an almost flawless success  an astonishing rarity where no plan survives contact with the enemy  and delivered summary retribution on those responsible for the attack on the Indian Army outpost at Uri on September 18 where 19 Indian soldiers had lost their lives.

In so doing, India served notice that under the present political dispensation, India would no longer passively endure a situation which it was quite capable of curing, and Kashmir would no longer be one-way traffic, but a whole new ballgame. The surgical strike introduced a fresh element of tension and uncertainty into an old situation which had rusted into a static immobility and which Pakistan could further ignore only at its own peril. On the Indian side there are questions too. The death toll of Indian soldiers in the initial incident has been heavy  and the Indian Army needs to know why. Similar other questions are blowing in the wind regarding the mode of initial ingress by the fidayeen breaching a wire obstacle belt seeded with anti-personnel devices, as well as the possibility of local assistance for the intruders from militant sympathisers on the Indian side. It is, therefore, important that the National Investigation Agency is involved in the investigations right from the initial stages, to unearth any underground support structures for intruders from PoK that might exist on the Indian side.

The economics of fidayeen warfare are adversely stacked against India and cheering public euphoria must never obscure these hard realities. The exchange rate in terms of the human resources involved have all along been advantageous for Pakistan and adverse for India, pitching large numbers of minimally trained, but intensely indoctrinated fidayeen levies from madrasas and Daura-e-Aam training camps in Pakistan against regular troops of the Indian Army. Trans-border operations along the LoC in a hot peace environment will always be high risk, knife-edge missions not to be undertaken without thorough and detailed planning and preparations. In the type of frontier warfare which has engaged the Indian Army along the LoC in Kashmir ever since 1947, the difference between success and failure is often wafer thin and the best man does not necessarily win every time. Uri has demonstrated again that Pakistan is yet to break out of its bubble philosophy of the thousand year war against India and continues to remain the same pathologically hostile neighbour it has been since the dawn of Independence in 1947.

The surgical strike by the Indian Armys special forces captured the imagination of the Indian public, seething with frustrated rage after the earlier Pakistani fidayeen attack at Uri. It also triggered a secondary political cataclysm within the country as rival political parties squabbled to extract maximum political mileage from the military success of the special forces, which will undoubtedly be a significant factor in the electioneering prior to the coming elections in a number of states. Again, for the record, it must be reiterated that the Indian armed forces have extensive experience in carrying out precision surgical strike operations, under a variety of operational conditions, many quite different to those obtaining on the LoC in Kashmir. Perhaps the most notable amongst these would be the precision strike par excellence carried out by four MiG-21 fighters of the Indian Air Force on December 14, 1971, during the penultimate stages of the Bangladesh War of Liberation, targeting the meeting hall under the dome of the Durbar Hall of the Government House at Dhaka on December 14, 1971, at the precise moment when a very reluctant Mr Abdul Malik, a mild mannered Bengali academic, was being coercively sworn in there as the governor of East Pakistan.

The ceremony, of course, ended abruptly as did the War of Liberation in Bangladesh a few days later. It is also a matter of historical record that the Congress Party, at that time the political party in government, launched extensive political campaigns to reap electoral benefits in the general elections which were to follow, most notably the slogan Indira is India, and India is India coined by Dev Kanta Barooah, a Congress Party apparatchik, trumpeting his totally sycophantic devotion to Mrs Indira Gandhi, equating the country with the persona, and even suggesting that the persona was in some respects even greater than the country itself.

Needless to say, the Congress won the general elections of 1972 almost effortlessly. Similarly, the performance of the Indian Army and Air Force at Kargil in 1999, led to a huge upsurge in public support for the incumbent Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee and electoral success for the BJP. To the victors go the spoils is an old adage which is also standing political practice, so it should not be at all surprising if the success of the special forces at Uri in 2016 does create enhanced political support, personally for Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and hence also for the political party he leads. The surgical strike by Indian soldiers at Uri immediately preceded the advent of the festive season of Dussehra and Durga Puja in the country. Both festivals celebrate the victory of good over evil  a symbolism which has not been lost on Indians. Also, the Indian soldier has once again proved himself as the Indian icon.
Rating:

Bluetooth speakers have been one of the highly purchased accessories after power banks. And with smartphones having dull audio quality on their own, a Bluetooth speaker is probably the best to own alongside. If you are a person who consumes a lot of audio/video content on the move, a Bluetooth speaker is what you should have on you at all times. However, though there are several portable speakers offered by a lot of brands, it gets difficult to choose the right one, unless you have the option to get a demo from each one. While there are well-known brands that manufacture quality Bluetooth speakers, most are pretty expensive, and many have portability issues. Le Eco has a Bluetooth Speaker that can be high on your list if you are concerned about quality.

Le Eco, the Chinese smartphone manufacturer that stepped into the Indian market a while ago, has a range of smartphone accessories under its brand. The Letv Bluetooth speaker is one that speaks for itself and can probably give rivals a run for their money. With a powerful audio output and small footprint, the Letv Bluetooth Speaker is definitely recommended for all speaker hunters.

The Letv Bluetooth Speaker is a simple, no-brainer audio system that provides a great audio quality for a value price. Built with a metal mesh front and plastic housing, the speaker is a simple audio extension to your smartphone, tablet or laptop on the go. It comprises of a single large button on the top that does all the needful for simple audio speaker. The power button doubles up as Bluetooth pairing and call answer/disconnect switch too, apart from play and pause. Sadly, there is no volume control on the device, but you can control the same from your smartphone directly. The power button has a circular ring light around it which indicates in blue when connected/pairing and in red when charging. Sadly, the device does not sport any audio in or AUX ports where one can attach an external audio player to use the speaker. However, with almost all audio/video gadgets available today, Bluetooth is a connectivity option available by default and you wont need the AUX port anyways.

Cylindrical in shape with soft curved edges, the device has a rugged exterior and comes in four different colours. The speaker is comfortable to hold, but a bit too bulky and uncomfortable to place in your pocket and you would need to carry it along in your bag. In shortthis speaker is perfect for your desktop.

The Letv Bluetooth Speaker features a total of three speakers within the 6.5-incher chassis. While two are placed upfront and meant for full range, one is for bass. The speaker has a built-in 1200mAh battery that can be charged via any micro USB charger and the device is good to play for almost eight hours at a stretch.

As for the performance, we were impressed. The audio volume is not very loud, but is good enough for a small house party and sorts. The audio quality is impressive and delivers clear and defined tones. Music listening is a pleasure; movie watching is great since vocals are clearly audible with highs and lows pretty well balanced. Bass thump is good, but not excellent  its toned down a bit since the speakers would tend to vibrate too much and add to audio distortion.

We did find one issue though  the speakers are highly directional. If the speaker front is facing you, the audio is crystal clear. But if they are facing the other direction, you can immediately tell the difference. In short  if you are using it for solo movie watching or audio pleasure, the device is your friend, but if you are using it for a short audio party, your guests could be a little disappointed.

The Letv Bluetooth Speaker is a basic speaker with great audio and a simplistic design. Though not highly portable, we would definitely recommend the product if you are looking for a personal, portable wireless audio speaker system. The LeEct Letv Bluetooth Speaker is priced at Rs 1,999, which competes directly with Xiaomis counterpart, but the latter seems to be highly portable, has a higher audio volume and features an AUX in port too.

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South Korean company LG is reportedly planning on ditching its support for modular accessories with their speculated flagship LG G6 that is expected to be released in 2017.

It is heard that LG Electronics has decided not to modularize its next smartphone. Corresponding products such as boards and audio chips are currently being prepared accordingly, reported South Korean news agency ET News.

The company first introduced the new modularized structure with its G5 smartphone earlier this year. However, if reports are believed to be true, the companys upcoming G6 smartphone is expected to have an integral structure just like previous LG smartphones and other products.

It probably was not easy for LG Electronics to put up with risks since its smartphone business is already not doing too well, the report further quoted a representative from the industry.

LG Electronics is expected to announce its latest G6 in the spring of 2017. Reports suggest the smartphone will come equipped with added functions that were not present in the previous flagships. The company has not confirmed anything as of yet.

Click on Deccan Chronicle Technology and Science for the latest news and reviews. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter.
Ala Chebbi who presents the show Andi Mankolek, was interviewing a woman named Hajar when she told him that she was raped by three members of her family. (Photo: YouTube)

Tunis: A Tunisian talk show host sparked outrage across the country after he told a pregnant rape survivor to marry her alleged rapist and 'close the case'.

According to a report in the Independent, Ala Chebbi who presents the show Andi Mankolek, was interviewing a woman named Hajar when she told him that she was raped by three members of her family.

Andi Mankolek translates to 'I've something to tell you'.

During the interview, Hajar told Chebbi that she had been sexually assaulted since she was 14 years old.

She also said that she is eight months pregnant and was forced to drop out of school due to her health and poverty. She said that she currently worked at their family farm.

Hajar told the interviewer that she was thrown out of the house when her family learnt about her pregnancy, to which he replied, "whoever did it should marry her to close the case."

When asked about who she thinks the father of her unborn child is, Hajar said that although she was unclear about it, she suspected it was her stepmother's brother.

Furthermore, the interviewer also told her that she should have reported the sexual abuse to her father and asked forgiveness for getting pregnant. He also allegedly told Hajar, "Admit that you are at fault."

Chebbi's insensitive remarks sparked a nationwide outrage with many people criticising him on social media.

Defending himself, Chebbi said that his remarks had been taken out of context and that Hajar had made a mistake by enduring the pain in silence. "This is the case of many Tunisian girls who have been raped and did not say anything. Silence is the core of this case," he added.
Stone works at the brothel and offers non-intercourse services to raise money for her family. (Photo: Twitter)

Nevada, United States: A 20-year-old woman from Nevada has offered to sell her virginity for 325,000 to raise money for her family after their home was gutted down by a fire in 2014.

According to a report in The Sun, Katherine Stone from Seattle has shifted to Nevada to work in one of the legal brothels after she spotted a suitable advertisement on Facebook.

Stone said that she is advertising and offering to sell her virginity online and is open to accept bids for the same. However, she said that she will not accept any bid until she feels a 'connection' with the person.

She said that she had faced a lot of criticism for her decision, with many people telling her that she should be having sex for the first time for 'love' and not money. But, she claims that is exactly what she's doing.

"People say you are supposed to do it for love. But if you think about it, I am doing it because I love my family," Stone said.

Meanwhile, Stone works at the brothel and offers non-intercourse services to raise money for her family.
She has been charged with felony assault after she poured a window cleaning agent into the coffee maker at her job over several weeks, police said. (Photo: Representational Image)

Washington: A disgruntled woman employee has been arrested in the US for allegedly poisoning her colleagues by pouring window cleaner into the office coffee maker.

Mayda Rivera-Juarez, 32, who worked as a cleaner at a freight company, was arrested in Sterling, Virginia, as several of her co-workers fell ill after drinking the toxic coffee.

She has been charged with felony assault after she poured a window cleaning agent into the coffee maker at her job over several weeks, the Loudoun County Sheriff's Office said.

Colleagues at JAS Forwarding Worldwide, a freight company, claim they suffered severe digestive problems and diarrhoea.

"The employees at this place had been getting sick, didn't quite know what was going on," Loudoun County Sheriff Mike Chapman was quoted as saying by WJLA-TV.

"When she was coming in to get terminated, some of this came to light," he said.

The Loudoun County Sheriff's Office said Rivera-Juarez was a disgruntled employee and that is why she put cleaning products in a Keurig coffeemaker used by her co-workers.

She lost her job at the company following the allegation and is now being held at the Loudoun County Adult Detention Center without bond.

Chapman said some employees were getting sick and did know why until the allegation against Rivera-Juarez came to light. She is not the first person to be charged with poisoning colleagues using cleaning products.

Earlier this year, Melissa Swift was sentenced to eight years in prison after admitting poisoning co-workers at Goldfield Court care home in West Bromwich, near Birmingham.
Seoul: South Korea's president on Monday proposed revising the country's constitution, which limits leaders to a single five-year term. Critics immediately called it an attempt to divert attention from corruption scandals involving her associates.

It wasn't immediately clear if President Park Geun-hye intended the change to allow her to run for office again, though analysts said that was unlikely. Park pledged during her presidential campaign four years ago to try to change the system.

South Korea adopted the current system in 1987, ending decades of military-backed dictatorships, including one by Park's father, Park Chung-hee. Under the current system, a president is barred by law from seeking a second term. Park's five-year term ends in early 2018.

Park said in a speech before parliament that the current system makes it difficult for the government to maintain a continuity of its policies, including those dealing with rival North Korea, which regularly threatens nuclear war against its southern rival.

Park said her government would launch an organization to create a draft revision.

Park's proposal came as her approval ratings have dropped to new lows amid allegations that a purported longtime confidant used her connection to Park to push companies to make massive contributions to set up two non-profit foundations. Park has also faced a separate corruption scandal involving a senior aide.

The main liberal opposition party issued a statement criticizing Park's proposal, saying it won't take part in any discussions on a constitutional change that appears meant to distract from the scandals.

"What matters is the timing. Why does President Park propose a constitutional change at a time when she faces so many problems (involving her associates)?" said Kim Sung-Joo, an honorary professor at Seoul's Sungkyunkwan University.

Talk of amending the constitution is a divisive issue in South Korea.

There are camps that favor a parliamentary Cabinet system or a US-style system in which a president can have a second four-year term, or a system in which a president and a prime minister split key state responsibilities.
The court heard Jutting filmed both women on his iPhone and jurors were warned by judge Michael Stuart-Moore that the footage was "very shocking indeed". (Representational image)

Hong Kong: A Hong Kong court Monday heard how British banker Rurik Jutting tortured one of his victims for three days as the trial opened into the killings of two Indonesian women at his upscale apartment.

Jutting, 31, had earlier Monday pleaded "not guilty" to two counts of murder on the grounds of diminished responsibility. He instead pleaded guilty to manslaughter. The prosecution rejected the lesser plea.

The court heard Jutting filmed both women on his iPhone and jurors were warned by judge Michael Stuart-Moore that the footage was "very shocking indeed".

"The defendant even recorded on his iPhone part of the torture that he inflicted on his first victim," Stuart-Moore said.

Sumarti Ningsih and Seneng Mujiasih, both in their 20s, were found dead in Jutting's flat in the early hours of November 1, 2014, after he called police.

Prosecutor John Reading said Ningsih was tortured for three days at Jutting's apartment in Wan Chai -- where expensive homes lie close to a red-light district.

Jutting then killed her in the shower with a serrated knife, Reading said.

Ningsih who was in Hong Kong on a visitor visa, had sex with Jutting on a previous occasion at a hotel for an amount of money, Reading said, but had offered to refund half the cash to be allowed to leave early, because he treated her violently.

She had reluctantly agreed to meet Jutting again on October 26 when he offered her another amount of money which was not specified.

After she was killed, her body was wrapped in plastic sheets and blankets, and put inside a suitcase, Reading said.

Jutting recorded footage describing how he had enjoyed the killing and saying he could not have done it without using cocaine.

Hunting prey

Late on October 31, Jutting met Mujiasih at a bar in Wan Chai and brought her home after offering her money for sex -- they had never met before, said Reading.

Mujiasih was in Hong Kong on a domestic helper visa, he said.

Before going out to meet her, Jutting hid two knives under sofa cushions. He had also bought a small blowtorch, plastic ties and a hammer, Reading said.

"In one of his interviews with the police, the accused explained how he went out that evening hunting for prey, and that Mujiasih was his prey," Reading said.

Jutting cut Mujiasih's throat that night.

When police arrived after Jutting called them, they discovered her body in a pool of blood in the living room, said Reading.

Ningsih's body was found hours later in a suitcase on the balcony.

Cambridge graduate Jutting, a former securities trader at Bank of America Merrill Lynch, faces a three-week jury trial and life in prison if convicted on the murder charges.

The killings shocked the city of seven million -- typically regarded as safe and known for its glitzy skyscrapers -- and shone a spotlight on the seedy underbelly of the financial hub.

Jutting was deemed fit to stand trial following psychiatric tests and is being held at a maximum security prison.

Clean-shaven, much thinner than during his first court appearances, and wearing a dark-blue shirt, Jutting calmly entered his official plea for the first time Monday, saying: "Not guilty to murder by reason of diminished responsibility, but guilty to manslaughter".

He pleaded guilty to a third charge of preventing the burial of a body.

Outside the court, a small group of protesters from Indonesian migrant worker organisations called for a "speedy and fair trial" and for compensation for the victims' families.
Sydney: New Zealand Prime Minister John Key had to delay a visit to India on Monday after his plane broke down en route in the north of Australia.

"It is a little bit sub-optimal," Key told reporters in the coastal city of Townsville in northeast Queensland.

Planned meetings with Indian businessmen in Mumbai would be cancelled and the delegation would fly directly to New Delhi in a replacement plane on Tuesday, Michael Fox, a spokesman for Key, told Reuters by phone.

A meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi will go ahead as scheduled.

Key's Royal New Zealand Air Force Boeing 757 left Whenuapai air base at Auckland and stopped in Townsville for refuelling, but mechanical problems prevented it taking off again as scheduled, Fox said, without specifying the precise trouble.

The New Zealand Air Force was not immediately available for comment.
The Maltese government said the aircraft was a Fairchild Metroliner Mark III registered in the United States and leased to a Luxembourg company. (Photo: Representational Image)

Valletta: A French-chartered plane monitoring trafficking activity in the Mediterranean crashed in a ball of flames at Malta's international airport on Monday, killing all five people on board, officials said.

The plane, which had been chartered by French customs, plummeted into the ground shortly after take-off for the surveillance flight, the Maltese government said in a statement.

It added that all the victims were French nationals and that there was no indication of an explosion on board prior to the crash.

The French defence ministry confirmed the deaths, describing the plane as having been involved in "reconnaissance missions in the Mediterranean".

The Maltese government said the aircraft was a Fairchild Metroliner Mark III registered in the United States and leased to a Luxembourg company.

It took off around 7.20 am (0520 GMT). Shortly afterwards it was seen plunging nose-first towards the ground and exploding into a ball of flames.

"Official information, footage and eyewitnesses, including three members of the Armed Forces of Malta at the nearby barracks, and two commercial airline pilots, clearly indicate that there was no explosion prior to impact," a government statement said, adding that an investigation was under way.

Remains of all five victims had been recovered.

"The flight was part of a French customs surveillance operation which has been taking place for the past five months, with the aim of tracing routes of illicit trafficking of all sorts, including human and drug trafficking amongst others. The flight was registered with the Malta Air Traffic Services as a local flight and was to return to Malta within hours without landing in third countries," the government said.
De Lima urged world leaders to consider sanctions and the International Criminal Court (ICC) in the Hague to launch an investigation into Duterte and those who worked for him. (Photo: ANI)

London: A Philippines' Senate member has called for an international criminal investigation against President Rodrigo Duterte in an effort to stop a vicious war on drugs that has killed more than 3,800 people since June.

Senator Leila de Lima, a human rights advocate and former justice secretary, said that foreign intervention was the only hope of putting an end to "state-inspired" extrajudicial murders that have terrorised parts of the population since Duterte came to power four months ago, Reports the Guardian.

De Lima urged world leaders to consider sanctions and the International Criminal Court (ICC) in the Hague to launch an investigation into Duterte and those who worked for him.

"It [ICC] should start to think about investigating already or doing an inquiry into the killings as crimes against humanity," she said.

The senator fears for her own life after she was ousted last month as chair of an inquiry looking into the vigilante death squads targeting drug dealers and users, and her address and mobile number were made public.

Duterte, who swept to power in May on a mandate to enforce zero tolerance on drugs-related crime had said in a speech that he would "be happy to slaughter" three million Filipino drug users and peddlers, and has publicly urged citizens to "go ahead and kill" addicts and dealers.

About 1,500 of the dead have been killed in police operations, but most were murdered by unidentified assassins, leading to accusations that Duterte has allowed a state of lawlessness where criminals can settle vendettas with impunity.

Meanwhile Duterte has described innocent and child victims of the bloodbath as "collateral damage".

Senator De Lima in August, as head of the senate justice committee, she launched hearings to investigate the surge in killings by vigilante gangs.

De Lima has since been accused of corruption and links to drug lords.

Duterte's war on drugs has already been condemned by the United Nations, European Union and the United States.
London: London-based representatives of political parties in Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK), have in a memorandum to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, urged his government to reconsider policies on Kashmir and stop the export of extremism, terrorism, religious intolerance and hatred, as also to stop being obsessed about capturing Jammu and Kashmir by force.

"(We) Note with regret that despite our suffering and great human and economic loss of Pakistan, Jammu and Kashmir and India, Pakistan has not abandoned its obsession to capture Kashmir by force," said the memorandum presented to Sharif on Black Day.

"(We) urge you to reconsider the rationale of this policy which is imperialist in nature. If you are a true well-wisher of the people of the former princely state of Jammu and Kashmir, then please stop the export of extremism, terrorism, religious intolerance and hatred to areas of Jammu and Kashmir state; and grant fundamental rights to the people which live under your control in so called Azad Kashmir and Gilgit Baltistan," it said.

The memorandum called upon Sharif to revisit the teachings of Islam with regard to equality and fairness.

"If still you feel we are not equal to you, citizens of Pakistan, then, at least, consider us human beings and let us live with honour and dignity. Unite both areas of Jammu and Kashmir state; and let us be masters of our land and resources," it said.

Pointing out that Islam associates great importance on honouring agreements, the memorandum said, "It is sad to note that the Islamic Republic of Pakistan openly and aggressively violated the Standstill Agreement which Maharaja Hari Singh, as an independent Ruler of Jammu and Kashmir State, concluded with Pakistan."

"Islam rightly attaches great importance on saving human life and saving the dignity of women and the old, it pains me to point out that those who attacked our motherland, Jammu and Kashmir on 22 October 1947, looted and plundered our cities, villages and killed innocent people, burnt our shops and houses, kidnapped women and raped them. It adds to our suffering that all this was done in name of Islam and jihad," it said.

The memorandum was signed by representatives of the Kashmir National Party, Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF ), United Kashmir People's National Party (UKPNP), Jammu Kashmir People's National Party (JKPNP) and others.
Sandringham Estate, the British monarchs country retreat in Norfolk, will lose close to 700,000 pounds a year when EU farming subsidies end while the farms near Windsor Castle will be around 300,000 pounds down, the Sunday Telegraph reported. (Photo: AFP)

London: Britains Queen Elizabeth II faces massive losses on her royal estate following the countrys vote to leave the European Union (EU), a media report claimed on Sunday.

Sandringham Estate, the British monarchs country retreat in Norfolk, will lose close to 700,000 pounds a year when EU farming subsidies end while the farms near Windsor Castle will be around 300,000 pounds down, the Sunday Telegraph reported.

The estates of Prince Charles, the heir to the throne, are also facing a funding cut from Brexit of 100,000 pounds a year while the Crown Estate, which manages Royal land, will also be hit, taking the total to an estimated million pounds.

The losses will mirror those of estates and country houses across Britain as well as many farmers, who benefit from Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) payments, the EUs system of rural support.

The billions of pounds of subsidies will end when Britain leaves the EU, which on current timescales will be by 2019.

Analysis by the Telegraph has revealed the full extent to which royal estates benefit from the subsidies, totalling more than 1 million pounds last year.

In 2015, Sandringham received 665,000 pounds, the Royal Farms in Windsor got 298,000 pounds, the Duchy of Cornwall was given 129,000 pounds and the Crown Estate got 350,000 pounds.

A source familiar with royal finances told the newspaper the loss of funding had caused concern before and after the EU referendum.

I dont think it was a budget-busting concern, it wasnt something people were losing sleep over. But it was something people were conscious of as a post-referendum impact, the source said.

A Buckingham Palace spokesperson said Subsidies are open to all farmers; and like others with agricultural interests, subsidies are received on The Queens private estates. We would not comment beyond the detail that is already in the public domain as a matter of record.
London: Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon warned on Monday she would not watch her country "driven off a hard Brexit cliff" as she voiced frustration at her latest talks with British Prime Minister Theresa May.

"Large parts of the meeting were deeply frustrating," she said after talks with May and the first ministers of the UK's other devolved administrations, Wales and Northern Ireland, in Downing Street.

"I don't know any more now about the UK government's approach to the EU negotiations than I did before I went in to the meeting," she told Sky News.

The nationalist leader has threatened a second vote on independence for Scotland if it does not have continued access to Europe's single market after Britain leaves the European Union.

Sturgeon said she would "try to be reasonable" but warned: "What I'm not prepared to do is to stand back and watch Scotland thrown off a hard Brexit cliff edge."

May has promised EU leaders that she will start the formal negotiations on Brexit by the end of March, but has refused to set out her strategy beyond saying she would prioritise cutting immigration.

There are fears that this would inevitably mean leaving the single market, a move opposed by businesses and the government in Scotland, where a majority voted in the June referendum to stay in the EU.

Earlier, May's spokeswoman said she was determined to secure a "united approach" to Brexit and rejected the idea of a separate arrangement for Scotland.

"A single UK position is vital to protect the UK's interests as a whole. We need to be sure we are not putting up barriers to trade within the UK," the spokeswoman said.

After Scottish ministers visited Brussels to try to secure support for their case, the spokeswoman warned against working to "undermine" Britain's strategy.

But Sturgeon retorted: "I can't undermine something that doesn't exist. It doesn't appear to me that there is a negotiating strategy."

Truly gigantic challenge

Welsh First Minister Carwyn Jones dismissed the idea of a separate deal for Scotland, but he is also pressing for continued access to the single market for all of the UK.

"The scale of the challenge is truly gigantic. Nobody has any details yet as to what happens next," he said.

The first ministers are also pushing for each of the devolved parliaments to vote on the government's plans.

May has refused to allow the British parliament a vote before she triggers Article 50 of the EU's Lisbon treaty, starting a two-year countdown to withdrawal.

However, MPs are likely to vote on the final deal.

In a statement after the two-hour meeting, May said: "The country is facing a negotiation of tremendous importance and it is imperative that the devolved administrations play their part in making it work."

Monday's talks were also attended by First Minister Arlene Foster and Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness, who share power in Northern Ireland.

Many in the province -- which like Scotland voted to stay in the EU, unlike England and Wales -- fear the effect of Brexit on the fragile peace process, notably the introduction of a hard border with EU member Ireland.
Smoke rises from a building where two militants are believed to be holed up, according to Rudaw TV, in Kirkuk, Iraq. (Photo: AP)

Kirkuk, Iraq: Iraqi security forces on Monday ended an attack by the Islamic State group in Kirkuk city, killing at least 74 jihadists in three days of clashes, the provincial governor said.

"The attack is over and life has returned to normal," Najmeddin Karim, the governor of Kirkuk province, said.

"The security forces have killed more than 74 Daesh (IS) terrorists and detained several others, including their leader."

Karim said the initial confessions of the ringleader confirmed reports that around 100 fighters attacked Kirkuk early Friday, some of them sleeper cells that joined up with militants infiltrating the city.

Some attackers are also believed to have fled the city on Saturday, later clashing with security forces in rural areas east of Kirkuk.

The spectacular attack led to three days of clashes that left at least 46 people dead, mostly members of the security forces, and the Kurdish-controlled city under curfew.

The brazen raid on Kirkuk, which lies in an oil-rich area around 240 kilometres (150 miles) north of Baghdad, appeared to be an attempt by IS to divert attention from Mosul.

Tens of thousands of Iraqi forces are pressing a week-old offensive on Iraq's second city, which is also the jihadists' last major stronghold in the country.
Fighting resumed in Aleppo over the weekend, following a days-long lull announced by Moscow that was meant to allow rebels and civilians to leave the eastern districts. (Photo: Representational Image/AFP)

Beirut: Syrian government forces and their allies on Monday captured strategic high ground in embattled Aleppo as Russia - a key ally of Syrian President Bashar Assad - said it was not planning more "humanitarian pauses" in the fighting in the city's eastern, rebel-held districts.

Fighting resumed in Aleppo over the weekend, following a days-long lull announced by Moscow that was meant to allow rebels and civilians to leave the eastern districts. The rebels rejected the Russian offer and none of the civilians left.

Government troops launched a fresh offensive and on Monday took the hilltop of Bazo on the southern edge of Aleppo, near military bases, and shelled the rebel neighbourhoods, according to opposition activists.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Bazo was taken amid heavy bombardment. Both the Observatory and the Aleppo Media Center, an activist collective, reported government shelling in eastern parts of the city.

A video released by the Syrian army showed tanks and cannons pounding rebel positions in the area. The state SANA news agency, meanwhile, said the rebels shelled government-held neighbourhoods in western Aleppo, killing one person and wounding seven.

A pro-opposition media outlet circulated footage of a powerful and hard-line Islamist rebel coalition known as Jaish al-Fatah announcing that the campaign to break the government's siege of the city's east would begin "within hours."

Syrian troops have besieged rebel-held parts of Aleppo for weeks, subjecting the districts to some of the worst air raids since a cease-fire brokered by the United States and Russia collapsed on Sept. 19. Opposition activists say more than 600 people have been killed in Aleppo and neighboring villages since then.

Jaish al-Fatah commander Ali Abu Odai al-Aloush told the Qasioun News Agency that "zero hour has drawn near," and that his militants had begun moving toward Aleppo. It was unclear when the interview was recorded.

A spokesman for the Nour el-Din al-Zinki rebel faction in Aleppo said an operation to break the government's siege of the rebel-held eastern districts of Aleppo was "coming."

The spokesman, Yasser al-Yousef, said the rebels would not intentionally target civilians in Aleppo's government-held districts, but warned of collateral damage from the anticipated operations.

In Moscow, Russia's deputy foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov said Russia wasn't planning another humanitarian pause in Aleppo anytime soon.

"In order to resume it, our opponents need to make sure the anti-government groups behave properly," he said in comments carried by Russian news agencies, blaming the rebels for the fact that medical evacuations from eastern Aleppo, planned during the pause, were scrapped at the last moment.

"What needed to happen didn't happen that's why resuming a humanitarian pause is not on the agenda," Ryabkov said. He also said that Moscow doesn't expect any new round of Syria peace talks in the Swiss city of Lausanne until after the US elections.
Bartella: Iraqi forces shelled Islamic State positions outside Mosul on Monday as fighting to retake the extremist-held city entered its second week. A rights group, meanwhile, urged a probe into a suspected air strike last week that mistakenly hit a mosque, killing over a dozen civilians.

The purported air strike in northern Iraq struck the women's section of a Shiite mosque on Friday in the town of Daquq amid a large Islamic State assault on the nearby city of Kirkuk. That assault was meant to distract the Iraqi forces and their allies from the massive operation around Mosul.

Human Rights Watch said Daquq's residents believe the attack was an air strike because of the extent of the destruction and because planes could be heard flying overhead. The New York-based watchdog said at least 13 people were reported killed.

The U.S.-led coalition and the Iraqi military, which are waging the offensive to drive IS from the northern city of Mosul, are the only parties known to be flying military aircraft over Iraq.

Col. John Dorrian, a U.S. military spokesman, said the coalition had "definitively determined" that it did not conduct the air strike that killed civilians in Daquq, and had shared its findings with the Iraqi government, which is carrying out its own investigation.

"The Coalition uses precision munitions and an exhaustive process to reduce the possibility of civilian casualties and collateral damage because the preservation of civilian life is paramount importance to us," Dorrian said.

Iraqi Brig. Gen. Yahya Rasool, the spokesman for the Joint Military Command, confirmed the Iraqi government was investigating the attack. He declined to say whether Iraqi or coalition planes were flying in the area at the time of the explosion.

The strike in Daquq, around 40 kilometers (25 miles) south of Kirkuk, took place as dozens of IS militants attacked several government and police compounds in the city of Kirkuk, some 170 kilometers (100 miles) southeast of Mosul.

Daquq Mayor Amir Khodakram said on Saturday that the alleged air strike killed 17 people, mainly women and children, and wounded another 50. He said it wasn't clear who carried out the air strike.

Over the past week, Iraqi and Kurdish forces have been battling IS in a belt of mostly uninhabited towns and villages to the north, east and south of Mosul, pushing to within 9 kilometers (5 miles) of the city.

On Monday, Iraqi special forces began shelling IS positions before dawn near the town of Bartella, said Maj. Gen. Haider al-Obeidi. Bartella, a historically Christian town 15 kilometers (9 miles) to the east of Mosul, was retaken by Iraqi special forces last week.

Shortly afterward, a convoy of special forces advanced toward the village of Tob Zawa, encountering roadside bombs and trading heavy fire with the militants. Loudspeakers on the Humvees blared Iraqi patriotic music as they pushed toward the village.

The campaign to retake Mosul comes after months of planning and involves more than 25,000 Iraqi troops, Kurdish forces, Sunni tribal fighters and state-sanctioned Shiite militias. It is expected to take weeks, if not months, to drive IS out of Iraq's second largest city, which is still home to more than a million people.

The militants captured Mosul in the summer of 2014, when they swept across much of northern and western Iraq. IS has suffered a series of setbacks over the past year, and Mosul is its last major urban bastion in Iraq.
"Daesh (IS) controls Mithaq and Intisar neighbourhoods in central Rutba," an army colonel said. (Representational Image)

Baghdad: The Islamic State group "executed" five Iraqis, including members of the security forces, during ongoing fighting in the western town of Rutba, army officers said Monday.

Jihadist fighters launched an attack on Rutba, a remote but strategic town near the Jordanian border in Anbar province, early on Sunday.

They briefly seized the mayor's office before being pinned back by the security forces but were still deployed in some other neighbourhoods of the town, the officers said.

"Daesh (IS) controls Mithaq and Intisar neighbourhoods in central Rutba," an army colonel said.

"They captured people -- civilians and policemen -- and executed them," he said. "At least five people were executed" on Sunday, the colonel said.

Lieutenant General Ismail al-Mahalawi, head of the Operations Command for the western Anbar province, confirmed the executions but said Iraqi forces were regaining the upper hand.

"Military units from the (army) 8th division and a brigade from Anbar Operations Command moved to Rutba, redeploying there to clear the positions Daesh control in the city," he said.

The attack on Rutba was seen as a fresh attempt by IS to draw attention and Iraqi military resources away from Mosul, which is their last major stronghold in the country.

Tens of thousands of Iraqi forces launched an offensive on Mosul a week ago. IS is vastly outnumbered and the outcome of the battle appears to be in little doubt.

The jihadists are offering stiff resistance however and launching attacks elsewhere in the country to mobilise Iraqi forces on several fronts.

On Friday, dozens of jihadist fighters launched a spectacular attack on the Kurdish-controlled city of Kirkuk that killed at least 46 people, most of them members of the security forces.

The Joint Operations Command overseeing the fight against IS in Iraq said that jihadists launched their attack on Rutba at dawn on Sunday.

After forcing the attackers out of the mayor's office, Iraqi forces destroyed 12 IS vehicles, killing their occupants, the JOC said in a statement.

Iraqi forces have in recent months retaken a lot of ground from IS in Anbar, a vast Sunni province which has long been considered an insurgent bastion and has borders with Syria, Jordan and Saudi Arabia.

ISIS fighters only control areas near the Syria border but are still able to move in desert areas and harass government forces in the province's town and cities.
Jerusalem: Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman said on Monday that Israel's next war with Gaza militants would be their last "because we will completely destroy them," but added he remains committed to a two-state solution.

Lieberman, speaking in an interview with Palestinian newspaper Al-Quds, said however that he did not want another war in Gaza, which would be the fourth since 2008.

The outspoken former foreign minister urged Palestinians to pressure Hamas, the Islamist movement that runs the Gaza Strip, to "stop your crazy policies".

"As minister of defence, I would like to clarify that we have no intention of starting a new war against our neighbours in the Gaza Strip or the West Bank, Lebanon or Syria," he told the Jerusalem-based newspaper.

"But in Gaza, like the Iranians, they intend to eliminate the state of Israel. If they impose the next war on Israel, it will be their last. I would like to emphasise again: It will be their last confrontation because we will completely destroy them."

Lieberman is part of what is seen as the most right-wing government in Israeli history, with several prominent members of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition openly opposing a Palestinian state.

But while he lives in a West Bank settlement and is known as a security-minded hardliner, Lieberman believes in a two-state solution to the conflict based on land swaps.

He reiterated that position in the interview, saying he sees the main settlement blocks in the occupied West Bank remaining part of Israel under a final peace deal.

He raised the possibility of trading Arab areas of Israel on the edge of the northern West Bank, such as the city of Umm al-Fahm, in exchange for settlements.

Criticising Abbas

Land swaps have long been part of proposals to resolve the decades-old conflict, but the two sides remain far apart on issues such as the status of Jerusalem and the return of Palestinian refugees.

Peace efforts have been at a complete standstill since a US-led initiative collapsed in April 2014.

"Today, I think the majority of our people do not believe it is possible to reach any agreement regarding the final status solution, and the same with the Palestinians," said Lieberman.

"The first step would be convincing the people it is possible by making serious improvements in the state of the economy and fighting unemployment, poverty and misery among the Palestinians. And for Israelis, provide security without terrorism or bloodshed for a while."

He spoke of a period of three years without violence and with economic improvement in the Palestinian territories as being capable of leading to progress.

Lieberman, who took office in May, also criticised Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas, accusing him of failing to make compromises.

He predicted Abbas would lose if elections were held, with polls showing most Palestinians would like the 81-year-old to resign.

Such elections could lead to Hamas taking power in the West Bank, where Abbas's secular Fatah party dominates, but Lieberman said he believed a different outcome was possible.

"There are enough sensible people in the (Palestinian Authority) who understand the situation and know if there is a choice to make between Hamas and Israel, they think partnering with Israel will be better for them," said the leader of the hardline nationalist Yisrael Beiteinu (Israel Is Our Home) party.

Sermons and lies

Lieberman has recently spoken of trying to bypass Palestinian leaders and reach out directly to communities, and his interview appeared to be part of that effort.

Al-Quds, the top-selling paper in the Palestinian territories, was heavily criticised on social media by Palestinians who say it should not have agreed to the interview as it amounted to sanctioning "normalisation" with an occupying power.

The Palestinian foreign ministry accused Lieberman of "promoting a bunch of sermons and lies that contradict signed agreements and violate international law."

Before taking over as defence minister, Lieberman made a series of controversial statements, including one directed at Ismail Haniya, Hamas's Gaza leader.

Lieberman said he would give Haniya 48 hours to hand over two detained Israeli civilians and the bodies of soldiers killed in a 2014 war "or you're dead".

He has since backed off and said he is committed to "responsible, reasonable policy".
Turkish air strikes and shelling as part of the assault have killed 96 civilians, including 22 children, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. (Photo: AFP)

Beirut: Nearly 100 civilians have been killed in a two-month offensive by Turkey and allied rebels in northern Syria, a monitoring group said on Monday.

No comment could be immediately obtained from Turkish officials, but in the past Ankara has disputed accusations of civilian deaths in its campaign.

The "Euphrates Shield" operation was launched in northern Syria on August 24 to fight both the Islamic State jihadist group and a Kurdish militia that Ankara considers a "terrorist" group.

Since then, Turkish air strikes and shelling as part of the assault have killed 96 civilians, including 22 children, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

The Britain-based monitor said rebels involved in the assault were leading the fight on the ground with Turkey lending heavy firepower -- mostly air strikes and artillery fired from Turkish soil.

"Ninety-two of the civilians, mostly Kurds, were killed in areas controlled by the Islamic State group," said Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman.

He said the remaining four were killed in areas held by the Syrian Democratic Forces, a Kurdish-Arab alliance of fighters dominated by the People's Protection Units (YPG).

Turkey views the YPG and the Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD) as linked to the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party, which has been staging an insurgency in Turkey since 1984.

The PKK is proscribed as a terrorist organisation by the United States and European Union.

The Observatory in late August reported at least 40 civilians had been killed in Turkish shelling and air strikes, while Turkey's state-run Anadolu reported the deaths of 25 Kurdish "terrorists."

Ankara's operation overran the IS stronghold of Jarabulus along the Turkish border on its first day, and went on to seize the symbolic town of Dabiq in mid-October.

The Turkish-backed fighters have already seized more than 1,000 square kilometres since the operation began, according to Anadolu.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said he wants to push further south to create a 5,000-square-kilometre (1,900 square-mile) safe zone in Syria.

IS, which seized control of large parts of Syria and Iraq in mid-2014 and declared an Islamic "caliphate", has been dealt a series of military defeats this year and is now facing an assault on its key Iraqi stronghold Mosul.
The FBI recently started to track animal cruelty crimes in its National Incident Based Reporting System, and its good to see the military join the movement to treat animal cruelty with the seriousness that it deserves. Photo by iStockphoto

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Even the U.S. military, possessed with so many brave, self-sacrificing individuals, has not been immune from a handful of its recruits perpetrating some very awful cases of cruelty. In recent years, authorities charged a U.S. Marine couple living at Camp Pendleton in California with shattering their dogs legs and binding his mouth with rubber bands for days. In Fort Bragg, North Carolina, law enforcement charged a soldier, who had a history of domestic violence, with slitting the throats of two dogs and then dumping their bodies in trash bags. In another well-publicized case in El Paso, Texas, a Fort Bliss soldier and his wife adopted two dogs and just two weeks later, one dog was dead and the othera puppyhad suffered a broken leg that hardly seemed accidental.

The soldiers were charged with animal cruelty by the local sheriffs offices but had these offenses happened on a military base anywhere in the world, there would have been no action taken against them because U.S. state cruelty laws cannot be applied internationally.

Recently, President Obama signed an executive order closing this loophole in our anti-cruelty laws. The new provision under the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) will now apply anywhere in the world where the military is stationed and will be on a par with states animal cruelty statutes. Violations will be separated by abuse, neglect, or abandonment of an animal and bestiality. The maximum punishment will include bad conduct discharge, forfeiture of all pay and allowances, and jail time ranging from up to one year to up to five years, depending upon the offense.

This is a significant advance from the prior circumstance when animal abuse was classed under a general provision with other disorders and neglects to be addressed with a general, special, or summary court-martial, according to the nature and degree of the offense. The HSUSs Sherry Ramsey worked diligently for five years to see this new policy adopted. Were also grateful to Representative Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., for leading a letter cosigned by a bipartisan group of 13 of his colleagues, urging the Administration to amend the UCMJ to include the specific crime of animal cruelty.

The FBI recently started to track animal cruelty crimes in its National Incident Based Reporting System, and its good to see the military join the movement within the federal government to treat animal cruelty with the seriousness that it deserves. This reflects a now widespread recognition about the close link between animal cruelty and violence toward humans.

We also hope that the adoption of the UCMJ provision will provide Congress with an additional reason to close other existing loopholes in our federal government, by passing the Preventing Animal Cruelty and Torture Act (S. 2293/H.R. 1831) pending in Congress.

The PACT Act would empower the FBI and U.S. Attorneys to prosecute animal abuse cases that occur in interstate commerce or on federal property, and its a common-sense piece of legislation. Theres no meaningful opposition to it, and a raft of support. It would be an easy matter to take this up in the lame duck session of Congress and do something good for the country, delivering a blow to the worst offenders of animals everywhere.
Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal (centre) with Arunachal Pradesh CM Pema Khandu (right) and US Ambassador to India Richard Verma (left) at Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh. (Photo: PTI)

Beijing: China admonished the United States on Monday for sending its ambassador in India to a contested stretch of land on the India-China border, warning that a third party's meddling would only complicate the dispute between Beijing and New Delhi.

China claims more than 90,000 sq km (35,000 sq miles) of Arunachal Pradesh, which China calls South Tibet.

US Ambassador to India Richard Verma posted photos on his Twitter account on October 21 of his recent trip to Arunachal Pradesh, thanking Indian officials for their "warm hospitality" and calling the region a "magical place".

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang said China was "firmly opposed" to the US diplomat's actions, which he said would "damage the hard-earned peace and tranquillity of the China-India border region".

"Any responsible third party should respect efforts by China and India to seek peaceful and stable reconciliation, and not the opposite," Lu told a regular press briefing.

"We urge the United States to stop getting involved in the China-India territorial dispute and do more to benefit this region's peace and tranquillity," he said, adding that China and India were handling the matter appropriately through talks.

The boundary question between China and India is very complex and sensitive. Interference by a third party will only stir up or heighten tension. At the end of the day only the peoples of the two countries will fall victim, Lu claimed according to a report.

India would have expected Chinas reaction to the Verma visit, because the neighbouring country reacted in a similar manner even when PM Narendra Modi visited Arunachal in February 2015.

Back then, it said there was huge controversy in the eastern border region between the two countries.

China on Friday lodged strong representation with India to express diametrical opposition to Prime Minister Narendra Modis visit to a disputed zone along the China-India borders, ministry spokesperson, Hua Chunying had said in the statement in February, 2015.

Modis visit is not conducive to properly resolving and controlling disputes between the two sides, China had claimed.

China could also interpret Vermas visit to Arunachal as US support for India in the border dispute. In fact, earlier this year, China had reacted sharply after Craig L Hall, US Consul General in Kolkata, had said that Washington considers Arunachal Pradesh an integral part of India.
The protesters were demanding filing of murder charges against the policemen responsible for the firing and adequate compensation for the families of the killed students. (Photo: Representational Image/AP)

Colombo: Students in Sri Lanka's Jaffna University on Monday held a march and blocked highways to protest the killings of two Tamil students in police firing last week.

The students blocked the main A9 highway in a sit down protest and handed over a petition to the District Secretaries of Jaffna and Kilinochchi urging government action in the police firing last Friday that killed two Tamil students.

The protesters were demanding filing of murder charges against the policemen responsible for the firing and adequate compensation for the families of the killed students. Six Tamil political parties will stage a similar protest on Tuesday.

The former Tamil National Alliance (TNA) lawmaker Suresh Premachandran said the incident had once again brought to the fore the need to de-escalate the military presence in Jaffna, the erstwhile bastion of the LTTE.

At least five policemen have been remanded for the shooting which killed the two students. Police said the students had defied the order to halt their motor cycle at a road block check point.
At least 24 Maoists, including their top leaders, were gunned down in a fierce gun-battle with security forces in Odisha's Malkangiri district on the border with Andhra Pradesh, giving a major blow to the ultras.



A senior commando of the elite anti-Naxal force, Greyhounds of Andhra Pradesh was also killed, while another commando was injured in the encounter that took place in the cut-off area of remote Chitrakonda on Andhra-Odisha border, Malkangiri SP Mitrabhanu Mohapatra said.



"The bodies of 24 Maoists, including that of some women, were recovered from the site after the joint operation conducted by the Odisha police and Greyhounds, while a few of the rebels are suspected to have fled," the SP said.



He said two senior Greyhounds commandos, who were injured in the gun-battle in the wee hours, had been airlifted to Visakhapatnam for treatment and one of them, identified as Abubacker, succumbed to injuries in a hospital there. The other commando is undergoing treatment.



Some high-ranking Maoist leaders, including Uday and Chalapati who carried heavy rewards on their heads, were suspected to be among those killed in the encounter that took place in a mountainous forest area between Bejing and Muchiputam under Panasput grampanchyat, the police said.



Stating that the operation was launched on the basis of intelligence inputs, Odisha GDP K B Singh said 10 rifles, four AK-47 rifles, three SLRs, kit bags and huge ammunition have been recovered from the site and search operation was continuing.



There was information about the presence of cadres of Andhra Odisha Border Special Zonal Committee in the area and Odisha police teams also got it verified that Naxal camps were operating there, the DGP said.



"Since the area is located in the cut-off area on Andhra-Odisha border, the operation was launched from the other side and Greyhounds took the lead," Singh said. Meanwhile, arrangements are being made to airlift the bodies of the slain Maoists to Malkangiri, the SP said adding that combing operation was also intensified in the forest in Andhra-Odisha border areas to locate bodies, if any, and the fleeing Maoists.



Noting that the encounter site was located in a highly remote area which is accessible by road only through Andhra Pradesh, he said the bodies are to be airlifted by helicopter to Malkangiri.



Malkangiri served as a major transit belt of the Naxals. In September 2013, as many as 13 Maoists were killed in an exchange of fire with the police in the Padia area of Malkangiri district.



The operation is seen as a revenge of the attack on June 29, 2008 when Maoists had ambushed a boat carrying Greyhound jawans in the reservoir at Alampaka. Altogether 38 persons, including 35 Greyhound jawans from Andhra Pradesh, had been killed in the attack.




Supporters of rival SP factions today clashed outside the party headquarters here ahead of a crucial meeting called by Mulayam Singh Yadav.





Camp followers of Akhilesh and his sacked uncle Shivpal Yadav exchanged blows as tension mounted before the meet.



Police used force to disperse the slogan-shouting supporters who tried to break the cordon to march towards the party office.



Tension was palpable much before the meeting began with youth supporters of Akhilesh, who sought to mount pressure on the leadership in support of the chief minister.



The meeting, where Akhilesh was present, assumed significance a day after he engaged in a face-off with his father by sacking each other's loyalists Ramgopal Yadav and Shivpal Yadav.



Akhilesh yesterday first sacked Shivpal, his uncle and party's state unit chief, along with three other "pro-Amar Singh" ministers from his Cabinet. Mulayam, in a tit-for-tat action, expelled Ramgopal, pro-CM cousin and SP's national general secretary, from the party for six years.



The crisis in the first family of Uttar Pradesh unfolded yesterday when Akhilesh held a meeting of party legislators, a day ahead of a mega meeting of party MPs, MLAs, MLCs and ministers called by Mulayam.



After the meeting, the Chief Minister recommended to Governor Ram Naik that Shivpal, Narad Rai and Om Prakash Singh (all Cabinet ministers) and Sayeda Shadab Fatima (MoS - Independent charge) be sacked from his ministry. This was accepted immediately.

While the meeting was underway, hundreds of Akhilesh's supporters were raising slogans in his favour outside.



Significantly, before Akhilesh announced the sacking of Shivpal and three other ministers, Ramgopal issued a letter written to party workers, expressing support to the Chief Minister and warning those opposing him.



After his sacking, Shivpal met Mulayam at his residence, which is just nearby that of the CM's bungalow.



Hours later, he announced that the SP chief had expelled Ramgopal from the party for six years.


Manipur Chief Minister Ibobi Singh today escaped unhurt when suspected militants opened gunfire as he was getting out of his helicopter at the Ukhrul helipad, CID officials said.





A jawan of the Manipur Rifles was injured in the firing which took place when the Chief Minister stepped out of the helicopter and was being greeted by government officials, the officials said.



The CM's helicopter immediately took off and left for Chingai but could not land at the remote village due to protests, the official said.



The Chief Minister then cancelled his programmes and flew back to the state capital where he called an emergency cabinet meeting, the source said.



The CM had several programmes lined up at Hunphung village and at Chingai village in Ukhrul district. Ibobi was to travel to Hunphung to inaugurate the 100 bedded Ukhrul district hospital besides a power sub-station, the sources said.



Civil Society organisations had called a curfew and put up a road blockade along the three km route to Hunphung from the helipad, the sources said, adding that two vehicles had also been set ablaze by the protesters.



Earlier, a jawan of the Indian Resserve Battalion sustained splinter injuries in a bomb attack by suspected militants on the newly constructed hospital in the wee hours today before its scheduled inauguration, police said.



Two bombs were fired at the hospital either from a lethod gun or rocket launcher, the official said. At remote Chingai village, Singh was scheduled to inaugurate a power sub-station, a BDO office and a bank building. Tension prevailed in the area, the official said.
A group of former US diplomats held closed door talks at the weekend with senior Pyongyang officials, even as international efforts gather pace to further isolate North Korea, diplomatically and economically.





The two-day meeting in Kuala Lumpur, which was confirmed by the South Korean and US governments, was the latest in a series of unofficial talks commonly referred to as Track 2 that are closely monitored in the absence of any official contact between Washington and Pyongyang.



In July, the North cut off its only remaining official channel of diplomatic communications with the United States in retaliation for American sanctions against its leader, Kim Jong-Un.



The so-called "New York channel" had previously served as a key point of contact between North Korean and US diplomats at the United Nations.



American participants at the talks in the Malaysian capital included Robert Gallucci, who had led the US negotiating team that brokered a 1994 deal with Pyongyang on freezing its nuclear weapons programme.



Among those on the North Korean side was vice foreign minister Han Song-Ryol, who previously served as deputy ambassador to the UN.



The meeting came after North Korea on Thursday test-fired a powerful new medium-range missile and Leon Sigal, an academic specialising in the Koreas who attended the talks, said the North's nuclear weapons programme had dominated the discussion.



Sigal told South Korea's Yonhap news agency that the North had reiterated the need to sign a peace treaty with the United States before moving on its weapons programme.



The US side stressed that the moves to scrap the nuclear programme had to come first, said Sigal.



Under President Barack Obama, the United States has eschewed an official dialogue with the North, but with a looming change in the White House, there is growing speculation as to whether a new administration might adopt a different track.



Critics of the current policy say sanctions and non-engagement have done nothing to prevent the North's accelerated drive towards a credible nuclear deterrent that could directly threaten the US mainland.



South Korea, which has stood shoulder-to-shoulder with the US hardline on Pyongyang, stressed that the talks with North Korea had no governmental involvement.



"We are aware that the US government maintains a firm stance that rushing into dialogue in the absence of North Korea's will to denuclearise will only justify their wrong behaviour," a foreign ministry official told AFP.



The UN Security Council is currently discussing a new resolution to punish North Korea over its fifth nuclear test in September - having already imposed tough economic measures after a fourth test in January.



The Track 2 talks have been taking place sporadically for years, with meetings in Singapore, Berlin, Beijing and elsewhere.
Three dozen people were arrested and over Rs 1 crore and 11 luxury cars have been recovered in a raid conducted at a casino, illegally operating from a farmhouse, in south Delhis posh Neb Sarai area on late Saturday night.





The farmhouse is situated a few metres away from a police station.

Those arrested in a high profile raid included including dealers, customers, organisers and staffers working at the betting den.



The casino used to operate from midnight to dawn at a farmhouse in Sainik Farms, owned by one Harender Kaushik. The police said that among those arrested, four had rented the property from Kaushik to run the illegal casino.



Kaushik and his partner Kunal Chandra are still absconding.



There were five tables inside the casino and chips worth Rs 100 to Rs 5 lakh were made available to players  most whom belong to Delhis elite class. Bets were made through tokens and accordingly, players used to exchange hard cash the next day.



According to the police, the gamblers were members of a particular group and thus, knew each other well. The illegal casino also employed four female bartenders and spent a lot on comfort and luxury of customers. The police said CCTV cameras were also deployed to monitor police action.



The players had to pay an initial entry fee of Rs 5 lakh. We recovered Rs 1,36,45,000 in chips and seized 23 bottles of unlicensed liquor and 250 packs of playing cards, informed DCP (South) Ishwar Singh.



The Honourable Court is being requested to seal the property under provisions of the Gambling Act, added the official.



Two separate cases of Delhi Excise Act and Delhi Gambling Act have been registered. The raid was conducted by a joint team of Neb Sarai and Malviya Nagar police stations under the supervision of ACP Diwan Chand Sharma.
The Reading melas started last week caught up with the government school students in its second week with 50 such melas being held. Hundreds of schoolkids were seen attending the reading melas, held to improve the reading ability of children, on Sunday.





The programme was started last week as part of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) governments Every Child Can Read campaign, according to which it hopes to achieve the 100 per cent readability target by November 14, observed as Childrens Day.



According to a baseline assessment conducted by the government, out of over two lakh students in class six in Delhi government schools, 46 per cent encounter problems with reading anything, even their own textbooks. Of the remaining 54 per cent, only 26 per cent can read their textbooks.



Moreover, 74 per cent cannot read a paragraph from their Hindi textbook, eight per cent could not identify Hindi alphabets, and 46 per cent could not read a story of standard two level.



The assessment further showed that 13 per cent children could not identify English alphabets and 75 per cent children could not read an English story of standard two level.

The survey was done for the governments ambitious Chunauti scheme, which aims at improving learning levels in class six to nine and arresting the dropout rates.



While last week not many schools and School Management Committees participated in the programme, it caught pace with students as attendance increased this Sunday in schools, community centres and parks where it was held.



SMCs in areas like Kondli, Janakpuri, Greater Kailash, Jahangirpuri, Lajpat Ngara, Chandra Vihar, Madipur, Patpadganj, Subhash Nagar, etc held the exercise. Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, who holds the education portfolio also visited one of the schools to oversee the programme.



They are either being organised in community spaces or schools, where children and their parents jointly work on ensuring the childrens ability to read. It is also an attempt to increase parents awareness about their childrens learning levels and involvement in their academic progress.



Volunteers identified by SMC members have been asked to conduct the melas till November 14 and use various government-provided tools through which reading can be learnt in a fun way.



Also, every Saturday, till November 14, each childs reading level will be individually assessed.


Taking exception to the visit by US envoy in India to Arunachal Pradesh which it claims as southern Tibet, China today said any interference by Washington in the Sino-India boundary dispute will make it "more complicated" and "disturb" hard-won peace at the border.





Asking the US to desist from interfering in the India-China border dispute, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang told a media briefing here that China is firmly opposed to the visit. Referring to US envoy Richard Verma's October 22 tour to Tawang at the invitation of Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu, Lu said while replying to a question that the US envoy visited a "disputed region".



"We have also noted that the place visited by senior US diplomatic official is a disputed region between China and India. We are firmly opposed to his visit," he said. China claims Arunachal Pradesh as part of southern Tibet and routinely protests visits by Indian leaders, foreign officials as well as the Dalai Lama to the area.



"China's position on eastern section of the China-India boundary is very clear and consistent. The two countries are now trying to resolve territorial disputes through negotiations and consultations," he said referring to the Special Representatives mechanism headed by National Security Advisors of both countries to find a solution.



Both sides held 19th round of Special Representatives' talks to resolve the disputes over the 3,488-km Line of Actual Control (LAC). While China claims Arunachal Pradesh as Southern Tibet and India asserts that the dispute covers Aksai Chin area which was occupied by China during the 1962 war.



Lu said "any third party with a sense of responsibility should respect efforts made by China and India for peace reconciliation and tranquility rather than the opposite," he said. The behaviour by the US contrasts the efforts made by China and India, he said.



"It will only make the dispute more complicated, disturb the hard-won peace and tranquility of border areas and sabotage peaceful development of the region," Lu said. "We urge the US to stop its interference in the boundary issue between China and India and make more contribution to regional peace and stability," he said.



The boundary question between China and India is very complex and sensitive, he said adding that "the interference by a third party will only stir up or heighten tensions". "At the end of the day only the peoples of the two countries will fall victims," he said.



"We believe India and China as two major countries have enough wisdom to properly to deal with this issue and safeguard the fundamental interest of the two peoples," Lu said.


Marking the beginning of its 50th anniversary year PFLAG National has elected the first Indigenous person to serve on its board of directors...




This was conveyed by Home Minister Rajnath Singh to Bahraini Interior Minister Rashid bin Abdullah Al Khalifa during a bilateral meeting here. Bahrain is a key member of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference in which Pakistan is also a member.





Singh, who is on a three-day visit to the Gulf country, apprised Khalifa about Islamabad's open support and participation to glorify slain Hizbul Mujahideen militant Burhan Wani in Pakistan, saying it indicates continued free movement that terrorists and their supporters enjoy there.





Wani was killed in an encounter on July 8 and since then the unrest has been continuing in Kashmir Valley. Pakistan is a country which refuses to give up use of terrorism as an instrument of state policy, he said.





The Home Minister raised the issue of the arrest in July of Pakistani terrorist Bahadur Ali, who was armed and trained in LeT camps and then exfiltrated into Jammu and Kashmir with instructions to mingle in crowds for throwing grenades at security forces.





"Since there is no change in Pakistan's approach of sponsoring terrorism we cannot take at face value any of the assurances that Pakistan provides in regard to stopping terrorism," Singh is said to have conveyed to his Bahraini counterpart.





Asserting that Jammu and Kashmir is an internal matter of India and no interference is acceptable, Singh said the central government as well as the Jammu and Kashmir government and other relevant authorities in India are involved in addressing the situation in the state and various efforts have been undertaken to redress the grievances of the local population.





The Home Minister conveyed that there is complete political consensus in India on reaching out to the people of Jammu and Kashmir and substantial progress has been made in this regard.





Singh also told Khalifa about the lack of progress in the investigation into the Pathankot airbase terrorist attack and on the Mumbai terror attack trials in Pakistan.





"It betrays Pakistan's selective approach to terrorism. We have conveyed to Pakistan that we are ready to discuss various aspects of the challenge of terrorism that is directed from Pakistan against us, which has been our core concern and is at the centre of the current situation in Jammu and Kashmir," he is believed to have said.





The Home Minister also met Crown Prince of Bahrain Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa at Gudaibiya Palace and discussed various bilateral issues. Singh will meet Bahrain King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, Prime Minister Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa.





Addressing the Indian community last night, the Home Minister said terrorism is a global problem and the international community must join hands to root out the menace.



Singh had also said the Narendra Modi government has made several structural and procedural changes and that resulted in successfully reducing the "wholesale corruption" in the country.

India today told Bahrain that terrorism emanating from Pakistan remains its most important concern and support from across the border has incited the current unrest in Jammu and Kashmir.
In a dramatic development that took the corporates and others by surprise, Cyrus Mistry was today sacked as Chairman of Tata Sons and was replaced by Ratan Tata, from whom he had taken over the reins of the over USD 100 billion salt-to-software conglomerate four years ago.





The surprise announcement came after the Board of Tata Sons met here and decided to replace 48-year-old Mistry and appoint Ratan Tata, 78, as interim head.

The board named a five-member search committee, which includes Tata, to choose a successor to Mistry within four months.



Mistry was chosen as Tata's successor in November, 2011, and was appointed Deputy Chairman of Tata Sons, whose board he had entered in 2006. He was made chairman on the basis of his representation from Shapoorji Palonji, the largest shareholder in Tata Sons.



There were no reasons given for the change of leadership of the man who was brought in with much fanfare but it is believed that Tata Sons was unhappy with Mistry's approach of shedding non-profit businesses, including the conglomerate's steel business in Europe, and concentrating only on cash cows.



"Tata Sons today announced its board has replaced Mr Cyrus P Mistry as Chairman of Tata Sons. The decision was taken at a board meeting held here today," a Tata Sons statement said.



Tata Sons is the main holding company of the group. CEOs at the operating company level of the group have not been touched in the rejig, company sources said.



The board constituted a selection committee comprising Tata, TVS Group head Venu Srinivasan, Amit Chandra of Bain Capital, former diplomat Ronen Sen and Lord Kumar Bhattacharya. All of them, except Bhattacharya, are on the board of Tata Sons.


Rebuffing China for objecting to US Ambassador Richard Verma's recent visit to Arunachal Pradesh, India today said there was "nothing unusual" about his trip to a state which is an integral part of the country.





"The US Ambassador visited Arunachal Pradesh, a state which is an integral part of the country to which he is accredited. There is nothing unusual in it," External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Vikas Swarup said here.



Taking exception to the visit by Verma, China said it was firmly opposed to it and that any interference by Washington in the Sino-India boundary dispute will make it "more complicated" and "disturb" hard won peace at the border.



Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang also asked the US to desist from interfering in the India-China border dispute while referring to Verma's October 22 tour to Tawang at the invitation of Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu.



"We have also noted that the place visited by senior US diplomatic official is a disputed region between China and India. We are firmly opposed to his visit," he said.



China claims Arunachal Pradesh as part of southern Tibet and routinely protests visits by Indian leaders, foreign officials as well as the Dalai Lama to the area.
Cyrus Mistry, who was part of the panel tasked to find a successor to Ratan Tata for heading the over USD 100 billion Tata Group, had himself become a surprise selection only to see his tenure cut short abruptly today within four years -- the shortest at the conglomerate.



The 78-year-old Tata is now part of the selection panel that has been asked to search the next Chairman of Tata Sons Ltd, the group's main holding company, within next four months and he would also serve as interim chairman in this period.



A low-profile man to the extent of being reclusive, Mistry, now 48, was a surprise choice to succeed Tata, who retired on December 29, 2012 as Chairman of the one of country's oldest business empires.



The only second non-Tata to take charge of the group after Nowroji Saklatvala in 1932, Mistry by virtue of his age came in with a lot of promise, specially of continuity when he became Chairman of Tata Sons -- the promoter of the major operating Tata companies at the age of 44.



However, in nearly four years since he took over the reins of the salt-to-software conglomerate, Mistry had to face many challenges in both domestic and global markets as many of the group companies faced headwinds. He undertook a strategy of divesting assets in contrast to what his successor did.



Significant among them is the group's steel business, specially Tata Steel Europe. Earlier this year, the company had completed selling of the European long products business that three units the UK as well as a mill in France to Greybull Capital.



It had also announced plans to sell its UK operations after years of losses, although the company is yet to finalise the sale. In July, Tata group's hospitality firm Indian Hotels Company Ltd (IHCL), which runs Taj Group of hotels, completed sale of Taj Boston hotel for USD 125 million (about Rs 839 crore).



The hospitality firm had also sold off 12.7 lakh shares of Belmond (earlier known as Orient Express, which the Tata Group tried unsuccessfully to acquire in Ratan Tata's time) for a consideration of USD 11.96 million. IHCL had also sold BLUE Sydney, a Taj Hotel, to Australia Hotels & Properties Ltd for AUD 32 million (nearly Rs 179 crore) in 2014.



The Tata group is also engaged in a legal battle with Japan's Docomo over the split of their telecom joint venture Tata Docomo.



Contrary to these developments, Tata led the group into some notable acquisitions, starting from Tetley by Tata Tea for USD 450 million in 2000 to steelmaker Corus by Tata Steel in 2007 and the landmark Jaguar Land Rover in 2008 for USD 2.3 billion by Tata Motors.



While the reasons for Mistry's sacking by the Tata Sons board is not clear, according to sources, the decision taken on the suggestion of Tata Trusts.



"In the long term interest of Tata Sons and the Tata Group, the principal shareholders -- Tata Trusts suggested to the Board of Tata Sons that it would be appropriate to look for a change and look forward," a source said.



When Mistry took over, the Tata Group had a revenue of USD 100.09 billion in 2011-12. Since then, the group's revenue grew to USD 103 billion in 2015-16.



About 66 per cent of the equity capital of Tata Sons is held by philanthropic trusts endowed by members of the Tata family. The largest of these trusts are the Sir Dorabji Tata Trust and the Sir Ratan Tata Trust, which were created by the families of the sons of Jamsetji Tata, the Founder.



Mistry belongs to Shapoorji Pallonji, which is the single largest shareholder in Tata Sons with 18.4 per cent stake.
Hours after branding nephew Akhilesh Yadav a liar, UP Samajwadi Party chief Shivpal Yadav made a dramatic appearance at the Chief Minister's residence tonight, in an apparent attempt at rapprochement.





What exactly transpired between the nephew-uncle duo could not be known immediately as there was no word from them or their aides.



Party observers said the meeting could have been at the behest of SP patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav, who had earlier in the day wished that Akhilesh and Shivpal transcended all differences and hugged each other at a key SP meeting at the party headquarters here this morning.



Both of them later drove in the same car to see Mulayam who retired for the day amid reports that he was having a severe toothache.



The all-important meeting convened by Mulayam to bring warring factions together on one dais turned ugly when Shivpal snatched the microphone from the Chief Minister and called him a liar.



After the party supremo asked his son to hug his uncle to bury the hatchet and send a message that all was well in the party, Akhilesh took up the matter of his being referred to as Aurangzeb in an English newspaper.



While Akhilesh was referring to the report in which he was branded as ruthless Mughal emperor Aurangzeb as part of a "conspiracy" and took the name of MLC Ashu Malik to support his claim, Shivpal emerged from behind, snatched his mike and remarked, "CM is telling a lie...I will also speak" bringing the meeting to an abrupt end.



Later, clarifying as to how the scene turned ugly, Malik said he was being called by the chief minister on the dais to tell Mulayam Singh Yadav the truth behind the story published in the newspaper last month.



"It is half truth which led the supporters to create acrimony...I was called by the Chief Minister to tell how I had sent a notice to the newspaper over the issue for which they (newspersons) said they were tipped off by someone in Delhi after which a corrigendum was also published the next day," Malik said.



"But before I could say anything, things turned bad," he said, adding he was manhandled by some partymen at the Chief Minister's residence earlier this morning.
The war of words between Arvind Kejriwal and Amarinder Singh turned ugly on Twitter today after the Delhi Chief Minister accused the Punjab Congress chief of using an Akali leader's "drug money" to fund his election campaign and the latter shot back, saying the AAP leader was "hallucinating" and challenged him to a debate.





While Kejriwal accused Amarinder of using "drug money" of Akali leader Bikramjit Majithia and then asked why the BJP was out to defend him, the state Congress chief hit back, saying the Delhi CM would next claim US' Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump was conspiring with him (Amarinder) against the AAP leader.



"Sir, ppl talking in Punjab that u using Majithia's drug money in ur campaign. Is it true? U had saved him from CBI enquiry 3 yrs back,"(sic) Kejriwal tweeted.



Majithia is Punjab's Revenue Minister and brother-in-law of deputy chief minister Sukhbir Singh Badal, whom AAP has accused of partonising the drug mafia, a charge rejected by him.



Kejriwal rejected Amarinder's challenge to have a debate with him and instead suggested a panel of AAP Punjab leaders for it. He, however, agreed to debate with Sonia Gandhi or Rahul Gandhi after he was accused of "hiding behind others" by Amarinder.



The former Punjab chief minister shot back, accusing the AAP chief of "chickening out" and said that the one who hurls accusations at everyone is seeking to engage only with the Prime Minister or party presidents.



"When your hopes crash from 100 to 30 and still sliding, you're bound to hallucinate & see things that don't exist. You are day dreaming and watching stars during the day.



"Now that youve shot your mouth, dont scoot like you typically do! Show courage and come for an open debate. Choose the time, place and platform," Amarinder wrote in the microblogging website.



After Kejriwal said, "I accept ur challenge sir" and suggested names of H S Phoolka, Jarnail Singh, Bhagwant Mann or Gurpreet Ghuggi and asked the Congress leader to select the speaker, date, time and place of his choice, the former Punjab CM accused him of "hiding behind others".



"Punjabis believe in leading from the front, not hiding behind others. Or have you already accepted that you can't face me for a public debate?," Amarinder said.



Kejriwal hit back saying, "I am not hiding behind anyone sir. I am ready for a debate with Rahul ji or Sonia ji anytime. Our punjab team will debate wid u."



At this, the Congress leader said, "So you've chickened out! You're the'Aam Aadmi' who levels allegations on everyone bt wud like to engage only with PM & Presidents of parties!"



With Kejriwal insisting that Amarinder debates with his Punjab team, he needled him saying, "But Sir, why is the entire BJP team defending you".



Amarinder's parting shots then silenced the twitter war.



"Morning you started with Majithia, now you're bringing in BJP, next you'll say Donald Trump is conspiring with me against you," he said on Twitter.



Amarinder had earlier said, "You and your shoot and scoot politics!! Tell us how many of those who you accused before elections have been put behind bars till now?.



"Country is increasingly sick of your theatrics just to grab headlines.



"Kejriwal better set his own house in order, before he sets his sights on Punjab," he said.



The AAP leader also said, "Sir, Badals closed corruption cases against u just a few months before elections. Why? Punjab asking what's the deal?."



The two leaders have been increasingly trading barbs on Twitter as the Assembly election approach.



Kejriwal has been alleging a "nexus" between Congress and the ruling Akalis in poll-bound Punjab. He has dubbed Singh their "joint chief ministerial candidate".



"Sir, Badals closed corruption cases against u just a few months before elections. Why? Punjab asking what's the deal?" Kejriwal had tweeted yesterday, responding to which Singh asked the AAP chief to "set his own house in order, before he sets his sights on Punjab".



Kejriwal was referring to Punjab Vigilance Bureau's clean chit to Singh over his alleged role in the Amritsar Improvement Trust land scam case.
Globally, conservationists view India as a country with great tolerance for wildlife. Where else does a population of 1.2 billion people live alongside an array of wildlife, from elephants that raid crop fields to king cobras that curl up in the attics of peoples houses? However, ask conservationists in India about the state of affairs of its wildlife, and their answer will be a grim one. For one, this tolerance that India is touted to have for its wildlife wears thin as conflicts between humans and animals increase alarmingly. For another, a large part of the diverse wildlife that India is home to is restricted to a few pockets of land.



Of these pockets, only 4.9% receives protection in the form of national parks or wildlife sanctuaries. Areas surrounding these protected areas too are important for animals as they know no boundaries. However, these areas are occupied by some of Indias vast population. A population, whose livelihood often depends on agricultural farms and plantations. Due to habitat loss and fragmentation, and conflicts with people, which sometimes end in retaliation, animals in the bordering areas are under threat of blinking out of existence. Bringing more of these pockets under protection is not always an easy solution.



But why not take advantage of the famed tolerance that India has for its wildlife? Why not make people guardians of the wildlife they share space with, and make it profitable for them to do so? The Foundation for Ecological Research, Advocacy and Learning (FERAL), supported by the Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund (CEPF), set out to do just this.



They chose the areas surrounding the Srivilliputhur Grizzled Giant Squirrel Sanctuary in Tamil Nadu. This sanctuary is in one of the most biodiverse regions of the world  the Western Ghats. It is home to many endangered fauna, including large mammals such as the Asian elephant, Asiatic wild dog and the lion-tailed macaque. Many invertebrates and plant species here still remain unknown to science.



Most notably, it is home to the near- threatened grizzled giant squirrel which is found only in southern India and Sri Lanka. There are less than 500 individuals left in India, which are reported to occur in only six locations in the Western Ghats. Of this, the largest population of around 200 individuals is found in the Srivilliputhur Sanctuary. Many of these squirrels have spread out from the sanctuary and now live in privately owned lands with mango and tamarind orchards. So, researchers from FERAL chose one such village called Saptur to put their plan into action.



As per the project, landowners and farmers who were willing to participate in the programme could choose which of the conservation activities they wanted to undertake. The activities fell in two groups: the first included providing a safe habitat for the grizzled giant squirrel by stopping to lop or cut trees and reducing fuel wood collection: the second involved converting their farms and other uncultivated areas into squirrel-friendly habitats by planting native nesting and fruiting trees, along with commercial fruit trees.



Deciding on the cost

Before this, FERAL had to assign monetary value to the land of each of the volunteering farmers. This was decided based on the number of activities the landowner was willing to carry out and by surveying the land for its habitat quality. The cost incurred by the landowner in carrying out conservation activities had to be decided by him. If the difference between these two amounts is profitable, the landowner could opt to participate in the programme. The actual amount that each landowner received was decided by an auction.



The auction ensures the maximum number of landowners participate within a limited available budget, says Senthil Babu, senior fellow at FERAL. He goes on to explain that it also removes any bias towards a particular landowner that may exist if these payments had to be decided through individual negotiations.



To begin with, nine landowners were committed to this idea. A total of 136 acres of land was set to become squirrel-friendly. The progress was monitored over a year, based on milestones that were set in consultation with the landowners.



The results were heartening. The area occupied by giant squirrels increased in fields that had been maintained or restored by landowners. Whats more, the protected land had higher amount of carbon in the soil, greater number of butterfly species (an indicator of habitat quality) and an improved vegetation. The landowners profited from the programme too, and the success of the programme sparked interest among others.



Now that the programme was successfully implemented for a year, FERAL hopes that the government will adopt it and carry it forward, both in Tamil Nadu and other parts of India. The Tamil Nadu Forest Department has shown interest in including it in their management plan, to manage conflict and protect squirrel populations in other buffer areas around the sanctuary. The key challenges of this model, says Srinivas Vaidyanathan, the lead scientist from FERAL, is to win the trust of the landowners and understand the prevalent social and political situation of the area.



There are thousands of villages like Saptur across the Western Ghats and other parts of India, which can be brought under this participatory model. It will ensure conservation at a larger landscape level, rather than protecting only a few isolated pockets of land.



FERAL may have hit upon a simple solution that can work in India: recognise and compensate for peoples tolerance towards wildlife. By providing a livelihood to people in exchange for their tolerance and conservation of wildlife, everybody wins.
Finding a pattern in natures rumblings



Earth has a violent heartbeat. We feel it whenever the ground quakes and volcanoes erupt. An interactive app released recently links 50 years worth of earthquakes and eruptions across the globe, revealing a pattern. These events are concentrated along plate boundaries, the app shows  the locations where Earths crust is created or destroyed.

Our planet has an internal heat engine. Its like a warm-blooded animal, said Elizabeth Cottrell, the director of the Global Volcanism Program at the Smithsonian Institution (Washington D.C.), which created the app.

Nicholas St Fleur



**********************************************************************



A shot at a new home in the wild

Meet the Jamaican rock iguana. Its scaly body stretches around two feet long, tail not included. Slate blue spikes stick up along its spine, and a sac of loose skin wraps around its head like a hoodless cowl.

Once common in Jamaica, this iguana is among the most endangered species in the world. Indeed, it was believed extinct until 1990, when a hunting dog sniffed out a living, breathing specimen in the Hellshire Hills.

Conservationists had hoped to return the iguanas to a threat-free habitat in which they once thrived, the Goat Islands, just one mile off Jamaicas mainland. But two years ago, the Jamaican government announced plans to build an international seaport there. Now, after an announcement made on Twitter by Jamaicas prime minister, Andrew Holness, it appears that there may be no seaport after all. Although officials have yet to confirm the policy change, conservationists were thrilled.

The task is to get Great Goat Island as a sanctuary, said Diana McCaulay, the founder and chief executive of Jamaica Environment Trust. Because if we dont, well have some other investor there in a few years.

Joanna Klein



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Of million blooms in the desert

Even as fall colours the Northern Hemisphere, a carpet of spring flowers is still spreading across the South African desert. Few so-called superblooms erupt as consistently as the flower show in Namaqualand.

Millions of wildflowers bloom every year along 600 miles (1,000 km) of South Africas western coast. Namaqualand isnt the only place to see desert flowers, but the regions yearly rainfall makes this one of the most predictable shows.

The consistent moisture makes it easier for underground bulbs that store up energy, producing spectacular flowers rarely seen in deserts.

Joanna Klein



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Eels: travelling at their own pace

Every year, when autumn sets in, eels travel downstream to the sea. Then they disappear. Researchers have struggled to understand what happens to European and American eels on the migration to their spawning grounds in the Sargasso Sea. It has been assumed that they arrive together in the spring.

But a study of European eels finds that many arrive fashionably late and dont spawn until the next season. Its just like people, said David Righton, a behavioural ecologist in Britain. Some go fast, some go slow, and most are somewhere in the middle.

Steph Yin

The New York Times



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A dispute between Iraq and Turkey has emerged as a dramatic geopolitical sideshow to the complicated military campaign to retake Mosul, Iraqs second-largest city, from Islamic State (IS).





President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey has insisted on a role in the battle for Mosul, trying to ramp up an involvement in Iraq that has already alarmed the Iraqi government.

We have a historical responsibility in the region, Erdogan said in a recent speech, drawing on his countrys history of empire and defeat, from Ottoman rule of the Middle East to its loss in World War I. If we want to be both at the table and in the field, there is a reason.

In response, the normally mild-mannered Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, warned last week of a military confrontation between Turkey and Iraq. If Turkish forces intervene in Mosul, he said, they will not be in a picnic. We are ready for them, al-Abadi said. This is not a threat or a warning. This is about Iraqi dignity.



The rift between Turkey and Iraq is no mere diplomatic row; it is a stark example of the complete breakdown in sovereignty of not just Iraq but Syria as well. IS has erased the borders between the two countries, while Turkey has stationed troops in both countries without the permission of either government.



Turkey has angered the Iraqi government by keeping a unit of troops at a base in Bashiqa, an area of northern Iraq near Mosul and surrounded by IS territory. For more than a year, the Turks have also been training Kurdish peshmerga forces and Sunni Arab fighters in Iraq, including a militia led by a former governor of Mosul, Atheel al-Nujaifi.



The Turkish military deployment, even just to train local forces, has been bitterly opposed by the Iraqi government, and al-Abadi has demanded that the troops leave.



Now that the battle for Mosul has started, Erdogan has given a number of incendiary speeches in which he has seemed to suggest that he is itching for the Turkish military to become directly involved in the fighting.



The battle for Mosul began last week with a push by Kurdish and Iraqi forces, backed by US advisers and US airstrikes, to take back dozens of villages outside the city. For the US, Turkey, a Nato ally, has again proven itself a difficult partner in the fight against IS.



As it has in Syria, where Turkey has opposed, and sometimes bombed, Syrian Kurdish allies that are working with the US to fight the IS, Turkey has undermined US goals in Iraq by insisting on playing a role in the fight for Mosul.



For almost a year, US diplomats have sought to contain the crisis. They have encouraged the Turks to respect Iraqs sovereignty and aid the fight against the IS by carrying out activities under the umbrella of the US-led coalition.



But Turkey has kept its troops in Bashiqa, a deployment the Iraqi government says it never approved. According to a US State Department official, Turkey has about 600 to 800 troops at Bashiqa, equipped with tanks and artillery, and has sometimes fired on IS positions from there. Turkish troops did so on Sunday in support of Kurdish peshmerga fighters, officials said.



Zalmay Khalilzad, a former US ambassador to Afghanistan and Iraq, warned in a recent article in The National Interest that Turkey and Iraq may be heading for war. He wrote that there was a danger of a war within a war that could damage the prospects for retaking and stabilising Mosul.



Those fears seem extreme, if only because the Iraqis have their hands full with the IS. But defusing the tension has become another challenge for US diplomats.



The United States is trying to broker a compromise in which the Turks would not directly participate in the Mosul offensive but stick to training and perhaps medical and humanitarian support. In a visit to Turkey in recent days, US Defence Secretary Ash Carter said there was an agreement in principle between Turkey and Iraq, which the Iraqi government immediately denied. Iraq appears to want a commitment from the Turks that they will leave after Mosul is retaken.



Carter said the US is trying to balance our respect for the sovereignty of Iraq and our respect also for Turkeys historic role in the region.



Turkey has a number of strategic reasons for maintaining a military presence in northern Iraq. It wants a bulwark against the Kurdistan Workers Party, or PKK, which is waging an insurgency in southeast Turkey and keeps bases in the mountains of northern Iraq. The PKK fought in the battle for Sinjar, in northern Iraq, last year.



Ottoman glory

Turkey, a Sunni power, also says it wants to protect ethnic Turkmen and Sunni Arabs in northern Iraq and counter the presence of Shiite Iran, which is dominant in Iraq and controls several well-equipped militias. More broadly, and in keeping with Erdogans vision of reclaiming Ottoman glory, Turkey wants to project influence around the region, in Iraq but also in Syria, where in August the Turkish military intervened to push IS out of the city of Jarabulus.



At times, Erdogan has seized on the issue of Mosul to highlight, for his own public, century-old grievances that linger from the end of World War I, when Western powers divided the former Ottoman lands of the Middle East. We did not voluntarily accept the borders of our country, he said. He has also referred to a manifesto from the last Ottoman parliament, as the empire crumbled, claiming Mosul as part of Turkey. Our most important task is to teach this to a new generation, he said recently.



Mensur Akgun, director of the Global Political Trends Centre in Turkey, said that for Turks, there is also an emotional side to the issue. Referring to Mosul, Akgun said: A century ago, that place was Turkey. A big geography was Turkey. It is committed in the memories that British and French imperialism was responsible.



Erdogan has said he is worried about the presence in Iraq of Iranian-backed militias, which have been accused of abuses against Sunni civilians. At the same time, Turkeys presence has inflamed sectarian passions within Iraq.



In the run-up to the Mosul battle, the US worked closely with Iraqis to put together a force that included the Iraqi army, Kurdish forces and Sunni tribal fighters but not Shiite militias. But because of Turkeys insistence on playing a role, Shiite militia leaders now say they, too, might join the battle.


Trump Clinton debate

Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump shakes hands with Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton following the second presidential debate at Washington University in St. Louis, Sunday, Oct. 9, 2016. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)

(AP Photo)

Good Monday Morning, Fellow Seekers.

It's pretty safe to say that no technology yet exists to bridge the gap separating the supporters of Republican

Donald Trump

and Democrat

Hillary Clinton

on the core issues of Campaign 2016.

But as a new Pew Research Center poll suggests, the disagreement is even more profound than that: Trump and Clinton voters can't even agree on the basic facts that underpin them.

More than eight in 10 respondents to the poll say that Trump and Clinton supporters not only disagree on plans and policies but also "basic facts."

Just 18 percent say that while the two campaigns' respective supporters break on the issues, they still agree on the facts on the ground.

Oddly, that's the rare point of agreement between the two factions. Eight in 10 voters on both sides acknowledge the break in facts, the Pew poll found.

The survey was conducted from Sept. 27 to Oct. 10 and was largely completed before the release of the "Access Hollywood" video. It includes 4,132 adults, with a sub-sample of 3,616 registered voters.

Some other highlights:

Nearly two-thirds of voters (63 percent) say they think

More than three-quarters (77 percent of respondents think it is very important (53 percent) or somewhat important (24 percent) that the losing candidate on Nov. 8 "publicly acknowledges the winner as the legitimate president." Just 22 percent say this is not too or not at all important.

Six-in-ten voters who favor

Split-ticket voting is pretty much history. Just eight percent of voters in the 34 states with Senate races say they will vote for either Clinton or Trump for president and a Senate candidate from the opposing party. Just 4 percent expect to vote for a Democrat or Republican for president and a House candidate from the other party, the poll found.

The rest of the day's news starts now.

So you might have heard by now that former Attorney General Kathleen Kane will learn her fate this Monday morning. She's angling for house arrest. Prosecutors want jail time.

The Tribune-Review profiles the two candidates for Pennsylvania Treasurer - that one guy and the other guy who's running against him ...

The Post-Gazette looks at hopes by state Democrats that they'll pick up some seats in the state House on Nov. 8.

PhillyMag profiles a York County couple who were kidnapped by the Taliban in 2012 and remain in captivity.

The Daily News' John Baer checks in on the U.S. Senate race.

Here's your #Harrisburg Instagram of the Day:

WITF-FM profiles the college professor who's trying (again) to unseat U.S. Rep. Pat Meehan, R-7th District.

In one graphic, NewsWorks/WHYY-FM explains how 25 years of funding inequities created winners and losers in Pennsylvania school districts.

The Morning Call takes a look at exaggerated claims of ethics claims in the U.S. Senate race.

Stateline.org takes a look at staffing shortages for State Police forces across the country - it's not just Pa.

With two weeks to go, Hillary Clinton is training her attention on flipping the U.S. Senate to the Democrats, Politico reports.

And President Barack Obama is focusing on Democratic pick-ups in the U.S. House, Roll Call reports.

What Goes On.

With some major items still on their respective plates, the state House and Senate convene for their final voting sessions of 2016 this Monday. The two chambers are set to gavel in at 1 p.m.

WolfWatch

Gov. Tom Wolf has no public schedule today.

What Goes On (Nakedly Political Edition).

11 a.m.: Luncheon for Rep. Steve Bloom

5:30 p.m.: Reception for Rep. Marty Flynn

5:30 p.m.: Reception for Senate candidate John DiSanto

You Say It's Your Birthday Dept.

Best wishes go out this morning to Kevin Zwick of Capitolwire. Congratulations and enjoy the day, sir.

Heavy Rotation.

Here's an old favorite by Edwyn Collins that popped up on the way to work this morning. This one never gets old.

And now you're up to date. See you all back here in a bit.
Members of the Freedom Fighters Association gathered at the Subbarayanakere Grounds, here, on Monday, to commemorate the Mysuru Chalo movement, when 13 districts of Karnataka, in the then princely state of Mysore, became Independent. The district administration had organised the function in a symbolic way, however, on November 16 elaborate programmes will be organised.



Not many know that Mysuru and other 12 districts - Mandya, Chamarajanagar, Hassan, Ramanagar, Bengaluru Urban, Bengaluru Rural, Tumakuru, Kolar, Chikkamagaluru, Shivamogga, Davangere and Chitradurga - got Independence on October 24.



Mysore princely state was ruled by the Wadiyar kings under the paramountcy of the British. On August 15, 1947, when India gained Independence from the British Raj, princely states had two options - to join the Indian Union or declare themselves independent. Dewan Arcot Ramasamy Mudaliar advised maharaja Jayachamaraja Wadiyar against accession despite the general populations support for joining the Indian Union. The maharaja signed the Instrument of Accession, but rejected the Mysore State Congress demand for establishment of a democratic government.



However, it has to be noted that democracy was not new to Mysore. The Mysore Representative Assembly was inaugurated in 1881 itself by the Wadiyar kings, during the rule of Tenth Chamaraja Wadiyar, four years earlier to the birth of the Indian National Congress.



Kyasamballi Chengalaraya Reddy and Deshamudre Mallappa had founded the Praja Paksha in 1930. It became Praja Samyukta Paksha in 1934 and soon joined the Mysore State Congress. The aim of the Praja Paksha was to establish a responsible government.



K C Reddy called for the launch of a Satyagraha Mysore Chalo. On September 1, 1947, Reddy listed the demands of the Satyagraha at Subash Nagar, in Bangalore (now Bengaluru).



The demands were proclamation of the formation of a democratically accountable government; formation of an interim ministry and establishment of a constitutional committee of around 25 persons for drafting of a state constitution; and release of all political prisoners. Over 40,000 people were witness to Reddys speech and unfurling of the Indian Union flag. Reddy mobilised the people of Mysore, calling upon them to march to the Palace. On the first day of the Satyagraha, a mile-long procession of men, women, and students marched to the town hall in city. Villagers from all nine districts (now 13) of Mysore, as well as supporters from out of state, began marches toward the city to urge the maharaja to relinquish his throne and establish a democratic government.



On September 4, 1947, police arrested Reddy and other Congress leaders. Arrests of protesters and police brutality agitated the crowd, and efforts to force the maharaja to establish a democratic government intensified. Many marchers never succeeded in reaching the city, but they ensured that the act of marching in itself was a significant display of will.



The government imposed curfew in major cities, censored many daily newspapers, and closed schools. During a student protest at Maharajas College, police forces moved in to disperse a peaceful protest. One officer fired at the crowd, killing a student. On September 6, 1947, police opened fire at protesters attempting to break into the Palace, killing one person. In response to the incident, the government clamped a 48-hour curfew on the city. The same day, police overcame crude roadblocks set up by protesters in Malleswarm, at Bangalore, and opened fire at agitated crowds, killing two people. Over the course of the campaign, police firing had killed over 20 people.



The Indian Union had set September 14, 1947, as the deadline for rulers of princely states to join. On that day, the Mysore State Congress called upon the people to intensify their protests. Despite police efforts to prevent protesters from reaching the Palace and new groups from entering the city, crowds persisted in marching through the streets, picketing law courts, barricading main roads, and displaying the national flag.



On September 19, 1947, city police officers in Bangalore went on a strike in support of Mysore Chalo and marched from station to station, imploring their colleagues to join them. On September 25, 1947, 8,000 workers in two of Mysores four gold mines abruptly stopped work.



Protesters continued flooding the city. Rural areas of the state rejected the maharajas right to rule and began setting up their own parallel governments. Losing the support of both the police and the labourers and in face of massive protests by the people, the maharaja announced the establishment of a new democratic government on October 24, 1947.



Thus, Reddy was sworn in as the unofficial chief minister of the state of Mysore on October 27, 1947. He served as chief minister of the interim ministry till the elections of 1952.



The untold story of Ramaswamy Circle



The intersection of the Jhansi Lakshmi Bai Road and Chamaraja Double Road, which was known as five-light junction, is now well-known as Ramaswamy Circle in the city, reports DHNS from Mysuru.



Ramaswamy, a young student, fell to the bullets of the police during the Mysore Chalo movement. On September 9, 1947, when police opened fire at the agitators, three persons were killed. One of them was Ramaswamy, who resided near Subbarayanakere. Ramaswamy was a student of Hardwick High School and was on his way home when he was caught in the crossfire. The other two victims were Tooranayak and Ranga.



The circle was named after Ramaswamy as per the wishes of the freedom fighters and his family members. In the late 50s, a memorial was installed at the site.
The city police have arrested Mohammed Shahanawaz in connection with the assault on principal of Milagres College Fr Michael L Sathumayor on Monday evening at Pumpwell.





Shahanawaz is a 3rd year BBM student. He had assaulted the principal on October 20, for not being permitted to write the exam due to shortage of attendance.



Earlier on Monday, Vicar general of diocese of Mangalore Dennis Moras Prabhu submitted a memorandum to City Police Commissioner M Chandra Sekhar in Mangaluru, urging the arrest of the culprit.



Addressing the delegation of Christian community, led by Vicar General Dennis Moras Prabhu, the police commissioner described the incident as unfortunate. We have considered the issue as one of utmost importance and seriousness. Three teams have been constituted to nab the accused. The police will leave no stone unturned to arrest the culprit, the police commissioner had assured them further.



The commissioner, who said that he was equally shocked to learn about the incident as the rest of them, also said that the case will be taken to its logical end.



He additionally requested the college and school authorities to henceforth to keep an eye on those students and try to curb them at the initial level, before waiting for them to reach an extreme level.



Earlier, the vicar general, who read the letter of memorandum drafted by the Bishop of the diocese Rev Dr Aloysius Paul DSouza said, We are shocked and deeply hurt by this incident  the principal cum priest being assaulted while he was performing his duty in the college. It is sad that the accused has not been arrested till date.



The Catholic community has been serving the people of Dakshina Kannada district through hundreds of educational institutions for over three centuries. The community is pained that their priest was treated in such a inhuman manner, said the vicar general.



The same delegation later called on Deputy Commissioner Dr K G Jagadeesha at the latters office and submitted a memorandum.


Make in India has spurred strong competition among states in improving the ease of doing business in order to attract more investment, a World Bank-DIPP ranking of states has revealed.





At least 16 states have scored over 80% in the World Bank-DIPP ranking of states, based on 340 parameters on ease of doing business, Ramesh Abhishek, Secretary, Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP) said at a joint meeting of India-Japan Business Cooperation Committee (IJBCC).



He said that the government was trying to address specific policy issues that will hasten the pace of reforms further in areas such as infrastructure and taxation to improve the manufacturing competitiveness in states.



The DIPP Secretary hoped that GST will create a level-playing field for manufacturers, who have to bear the burden of a large number of state taxes, which raise the cost of manufacturing.



Niti Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant urged Japanese companies to rapidly move into the Indian market as the process of infrastructure creation and reforms would throw up ample opportunities for investment.



Japanese companies, he said, must learn from Marutis India story which has brought in a culture of manufacturing excellence to India.



A joint statement issued at the end of the meeting noted that the two sides discussed potential areas of cooperation between India and Japan, such as pharmaceuticals and information technology. It highlighted the issues on market access in these areas, such as the below par share of Indian companies in the Japanese drug market and the low share of Indias IT services in the Japanese IT market.



The Indian side also sought improvement on the certificate of eligibility for Indian persons intending to obtain business visa for Japan.



To increase two-way investment, it was considered imperative for both India and Japan to proactively address the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RECP) negotiations.


The activists of the VHP and the Bajrang Dal are ready to lay down their lives to stop Tipu Jayanti, said Vishwa Hindu Parishat regional organising secretary Gopal.



Speaking at the Hindu Jaighosh meeting of the Bajrang Dal at Kadri grounds on Sunday, he said that last year, violence erupted in Kodagu following the death of Hindu activist Kuttappa. The state government must drop the idea of conducting Tipu Jayanti, he said.



The chief minister has been eying the vote bank and is giving the title of national leader to Tipu Sultan, who have been murdering Hindus. He should not test the patience of the majority, warned the leader.



He clarified that Bajrang Dal activists are the real protectors of cattle. The activists would not have captured the illegal transporters of cattle if the government had implemented the ban on the slaughter of cattle.



VHP national joint secretary Surendrakumar Jain urged the state government to work to stop the murder of Hindu activists.



VHP zonal working president Prof M B Puranik criticised attempts to portray Bajrang Dal activists as hooligans and casteists. He said that the organisers of Udupi Chalo are using the terms Dalit and Ahinda for political gain.



AJ Shetty Dental College dean Dr Sridhar Shetty said that one must go through works on history to know about Tipu. The people of Karnataka are supposed to celebrate the death anniversary of Tipu instead of his birthday, he added.



The convention passed a resolution to implement complete ban on slaughter of cattle, declaring cow as national animal, and ban on export of beef among other points. A separate resolution to urge the government to take measures to protect Hindus.



A rally was taken out by Bajrang Dal activists from Dr B R Ambedkar Circle to Kadri grounds, prior to the meet.
Tata Sons has assigned an arduous task of selecting a new chairman on a new selection committee which consists of Ratan N Tata, Venu Srinivasan, Amit Chandra, Ronen Sen and Kumar Bhattacharyya. The committee has been mandated to complete the selection process in four months.





Ratan Tata, who has been appointed as the interim chairman of Tata Sons, was the chairman of Tata Sons from 1991 till 2012-end.



Kumar Bhattacharyya was born in Dhaka and is the chairman and founder of Warwick Manufacturing Group. He is a past member of the UK Council for Science and Technology. He has also served as a scientific adviser to the government of South Africa and sits on the Policy Advisory Council of the Institute for Public Policy Research and served on the National Consumer Council from 1990 to 1993.



Venu Srinivasan, chairman, Sundaram-Clayton and TVS Motor Company, was appointed as non-executive director on the board of Tata Sons with effect from August 25, 2016.



Srinivasan has served as the president of the Confederation of Indian Industries (CII) for the year 2009-10, president of the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) from 1999-2001 and chairman of the National Safety Council, Government of India. Srinivasan is also the managing trustee of the Srinivasan Services Trust (SST). Srinivasan has an engineering degree from the College of Engineering, Chennai, and a master's degree in management from Purdue University.



Amit Chandra has a background of being an investment banking profession and was appointed to the Tata Sons board with effect from August 26, 2016. He joined Bain Capital as a managing director in early 2008. For a part of 2007, Chandra was a partner of NSR Advisors, which advised NSR Private Equity, a $1.3 bn fund focused on the sub-continent.



Ronen Sen is an independent director on the board of Tata Sons. Sen was Indias ambassador to the United States from 2004 to 2009.



CYRUS MISTRY: PROFILE

*Cyrus Pallonji Mistry was born on July 4, 1968

*Mistry was born to a Parsi family in Mumbai, and studied at the Cathedral & John Connon School

*Mistry is the youngest son of construction tycoon Pallonji Mistry and Patsy Perin Dubash

*His grandfather Shapoorji Pallonji was the financier of Mughal-e-Azam, the 1960 Indian epic historical drama film directed by K Asif, starring Prithviraj Kapoor, Dilip Kumar, Madhubala and Durga Khote

*Shapoorji Pallonjis father first bought shares in Tata Sons in the 1930s, a stake that currently stands at 18.4%.

*Mistry graduated from Imperial College, London, with a BSc degree in civil engineering, and went on to graduate as a Master of Science in Management from the London Business School. He is a fellow of the Institution of Civil Engineers

*Mistry is married to Rohiqa Chagla, the daughter of lawyer Iqbal Chagla, and the granddaughter of eminent jurist M C Chagla

*Mistry took over as Chairman of Tata Sons on December 28, 2012

*Mistry was the sixth chairman of the group, and the second not to be named Tata, after Nowroji Saklatwala

*Mistry was removed as chairman on October 24, 2016



Ready to perform role for stability

Taking over as the interim Chairman of the Tata Sons after the sacking of Cyrus Mistry, Ratan Tata wrote to employees stating he agreed to take up the role of interim Chairman in the interest of stability and reassurance to the group.

In a letter, Tata, 78, said the board of directors of Tata Sons in its meeting on Monday replaced Cyrus P Mistry as Chairman, with immediate effect.

A new management structure is being put in place and a selection has been constituted to identify the next Chairman of Tata Sons, he said.

Tata, who became Chairman Emeritus of the group when he retired on December 29, 2012, further said: The committee has been mandated to complete the process in four months. In the interim, the board has requested me to perform the role of Chairman and I have agree to do so in the interest of stability of and reassurance to the Tata group.

Before he hung up his boots nearly four years back, Tata had led the salt-to-software conglomerate for 21 years after being chosen successor by his uncle, the iconic JRD Tata, in 1991.












German industrial and engineering giant Bosch has said that it would invest Rs 1,100 crore in India this year, across its 10 group companies.





The technology major has also bet big on the large potential available in areas beyond mobility, with plans to build its India business in the realms of energy, transportation, and smart cities, among others.



Addressing reporters at the companys mega event Beyond Mobility 2016 on Monday, Bosch Managing Director and President of the Bosch Group in India, Steffen Berns, said, Overall, Bosch has invested heavily on expansion. In the last four years, we have invested Rs 3,500 crore. This year, we will be investing Rs 1,100 crore, across the 10 divisions of the Bosch Group.



Berns, however, said that the company sees huge potential in areas beyond mobility, and will be investing in them whenever required. Globally, 40% of Boschs share is contributed by businesses beyond mobility, with 60% by mobility solutions. However, in 2015, the business sectors (beyond mobility) comprising Industrial Technology, Consumer Goods, and Energy and Building Technology, contributed around 15% to the groups turnover in India, he informed, adding that there is a huge potential for growth here.



As part of the event, Bosch, for the first time, showcased its extensive range of connected and smart solutions in the business sectors beyond mobility in India, while drawing knowhow from the latter.



In the smart city segment, for instance, Bosch offers end-to-end solutions, drawing knowledge from its core expertise in mobility solutions.



Customers are increasingly looking for suppliers who can offer them end-to-end solutions. Bosch is leveraging the combined strengths of its products to offer integrated solutions to meet the demands of customers across key growth sectors of India, Berns said.



Bosch is uniquely positioned to offer meaningful solutions by harnessing its expertise across hardware, software and services, Berns said, adding that India benefits significantly from this aspect as it is home to Boschs largest engineering centre outside Germany, and the company understands the countrys local market requirements. Bosch offers connected solutions and services for smart cities, home appliances, smart manufacturing, packaging, construction, transportation, mining, energy and agriculture.


Mahindra Electric, a part of the Mahindra Group, launched its new electric car e2oPlus on Monday.





The car comes with four doors, and is priced between Rs 6.73 lakh and Rs 9.51 lakh (ex-showroom Bengaluru). On a full charge, the Mahindra e2oPlus can travel for up to 140 km, and can achieve a top-speed of 85 kmph.



The e2oPlus has four variants  P2, P4, P6, and P8. The P4 is priced at Rs 6.73 lakh, P6 at Rs 7.31 lakh and P8 at Rs 9.51 lakh (ex-showroom Bengaluru). However, the company did not disclose the price of its P2 variant, which it said is for fleet owners.



We have now with the e2oPlus, eSupro for passenger and cargo, and the eVerito, we believe that we have covered the entry-level segment for commercial and personal use, Mahindra Electric Chief Executive Officer Arvind Mathew said.



We have done four launches in this year, and we will just keep doing this more and more, because we believe that we have to provide choice to the consumers, he said.



There has never been a better time to embrace electric vehicles as it not only serves the purpose of a smart city car, but also fulfills the need to contribute positively to the environment. The launch of the e20Plus marks the companys foray into the mass market electric city car segment, Mahindra Electric CEO-designate Mahesh Babu noted.



The e20Plus is primarily meant for city commuting and comes with various features such as easy hone charging, hill assist, reverse camera, charging ports and smartphone connectivity, among others.



The cars are available in four colours  coral blue, sparkling wine, arctic silver and solid white.



The company imports lithium-ion batteries From China. Mathew said, There are only three countries in the world which build lithium-ion batteries namely China, South Korea and the US. The volumes are not so huge, or else we could have built the batteries in-house.



Currently, Mahindra will focus only on the domestic market and has no plans to export the new e2oPlus to any other global market, Mathew added.


As many as 24 Maoists were killed in an encounter in Malkangiri district of Odisha along the Andhra Pradesh border during the early hours on Monday.





According to the police, the encounter took place when Greyhound commandos stormed a Maoists gathering near Ramgurha forest area between Ramgarh and Panasput in the district.

A large cache of arms and ammunition were recovered from the encounter site.



According to Andhra Pradesh Director General of Police Nanduri Sambasiva Rao, 25 Maoists had gathered for a plenary session deep in the forest near the border. The Greyhounds along with the Odisha Police were on a joint combing operation. There was an exchange of fire, during which 24 Maoists, including women, were killed. Two Greyhound commandos were also injured, he said.



The police said combing operations are on. The presence of four AK-47 assault rifles, two self-loading rifles and two Insas rifles indicate that senior Maoist leaders were present during the encounter. We are yet to identify all the Maoists killed in the operation, Visakhapatnam Superintendent of Police Rahul Dev Sharma said. He also said the injured commandos were air-dashed to King George Hospital in Visakhapatnam.



Top Maoist leaders Gajarla Ravi alias Uday and Bakuri Venkata Ramana alias Ganesh were killed, the police said. It is said that Ravi was the mastermind behind the Alipiri blast targeting Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu in 2003. He also participated in the peace talks with the Y S Rajasekhara Reddy government.



The police said another leader Rama Krishna escaped the attack. However, his grandson, Munna, who recently joined the outlawed outfit, is feared dead.



Meanwhile, the Telangana Democratic Forum (TDF) and Revolutionary Writers Forum termed the encounter fake and condemned the killing.



We demand a judicial enquiry into the encounter. We believe that the police have been using Israeli drones to detect and eliminate Maoists. We want the police to reveal the faces of all the Maoists, including those they claimed to have killed, and provide medical aid to the injured leaders, Maoist emissary and revolutionary writer Varavara Rao said. He also demanded that a case be registered.



The TDF, on the other hand, blamed the Naidu government for the encounter. The encounter portrays the fascist and inhuman rule of Chandrababu Naidu in Andhra Pradesh, read a joint statement by TDF leader Prof Haragopal and Justice (Retd) Chandrakumar, among others.



Regrouping worries



The encounter has once against brought to the fore doubts whether the extremists are regrouping in the region after a lull in their activities, DHNS adds from New Delhi.



Maoists have been active along the border in the past. But sustained police action and government intervention had brought down their influence in the region.



The killing of top Maoist commanders is also viewed by the security establishment as a blow to the insurgents.



The ultras are already facing a leadership vacuum and the elimination of two of their commanders has only added to their woes.



Official sources believe that Maoists were conducting training camps in the area.



Though the numbers have decreased over the years, sources said, security agencies are looking at whether there is a spurt in Maoist activities in the region. Andhra Pradesh and Odisha together have witnessed 940 violent incidents since 2011, during which 272 people have lost their lives.



According to official statistics, Odisha alone has witnessed 723 Maoist incidents since 2011. Till September 15 this year, there were 64 such incidents, in which 18 people were killed. During the same period last year, there were 65 incidents, in which 18 lost their lives.



Andhra Pradesh recorded 217 incidents in the past five years, in which 67 people were killed. Till mid-September this year, there were 15 incidents and six people were killed, while in the same period last year, there were 22 such incidents and seven deaths.



The figures also showed that the number of incidents and casualties are decreasing over the years.


Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday opposed the practice of triple talaq (divorce by uttering the word talaq three times in one go) and said that this practice should stop.





Muslim women should have equal rights....how can any one say talaq thrice on telephone and ruin the lives of Muslim women, Modi said, while addressing a rally at Mahoba, about 300 km from here.



He also urged the media not to turn the issue of triple talaq into a religious one.



We will not allow discrimination against Muslim women in the name of religion, he added. It is the prime ministers first remark on the contentious issue.



Modi also referred to the ongoing family feud within the Samajwadi Party (SP) and said that the people of the state should throw the SP and the BSP out and instead support the BJP. One party is bothered about family while another party is only concerned with grabbing power....we are concerned about the development of UP, the prime minister said.



He said that both the BSP and the SP have looted the state and have done little for its development. We want to make Uttar Pradesh Uttam (good) Pradesh, he added.



Modi exuded confidence that the BJP will form the next government in the state after the upcoming Assembly polls, which is due early next year. The prime minister claimed that the Centre provided enough funds to both Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh for the development of the arid Bundelkhand region. While Madhya Pradesh has used the funds properly, in Uttar Pradesh the funds have not been used properly, he said.
 Shutterstock woman taking a shower There is some science behind the benefits, and drawbacks, of morning versus evening showers.

It's time to come clean: Are you a morning or a night person when it comes to showering?

The time of day you shower may come down to personal habits and scheduling, but there is some science behind whether there are benefits, and drawbacks, to whether you soap up before work or go to bed .

Morning showers can have a meditative effect on people by allowing them to relax and reboot. That mental state can encourage creativity, according to Harvard psychology lecturer Shelley Carson.

"If you were to come up with a problem that you wanted to solve creatively, and you were working and working on it and couldn't come up with a solution, then you could put it on the back burner of your mind and allow it to stew there while unconscious processes mull it over," Carson told The Greatest.

Morning showers also are good for people who tend to cut themselves while shaving, since bodies get a surge of "clot-forming platelets" in the morning, which means bleeding stops faster.

Evening showers also have their advantages, especially for people who have a hard time unwinding from their day or getting to sleep.

"That rapid cooling after you get out of the shower or out of the bath tends to be a natural sleep inducer," Christopher Winter, a fellow at the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and medical director at the sleep center at Martha Jefferson Hospital, told The Greatest. "So it's a nice way to fool your body into thinking it's time to go to bed."

Evening showers also help keep the skin clean, washing away the dirt, oil and allergens that build up over the day and can rub off on your bedsheets.

So like anything else in life, the best time to take a shower? It really just depends.
Citizens Against Steel Flyover on Monday telephoned MLAs and MPs of Bengaluru requesting them to urge the state government to drop the steel flyover project.





Concerned citizens rang up the elected representatives, on the eve of a meeting of city MLAs and MPs convened by Bengaluru Development Minister K J George on Tuesday to convince them on the necessity of the steel flyover and decide the next course of action.



Srinivas Avalilli, member of Citizens Against Steel Flyover said they had made phone calls to MLAs and MPs on October 12, a day before a human chain against the flyover was formed from Chaulkya Circle to Hebbal. Many MLAs and MPs had supported the cause then. This time, we are requesting them to take the opinion of the over 48,000 people who have voted against the steel flyover and communicate the same to George and the chief minister. We are again voicing out public opinion as the government has not collected peoples views on the project so far, he added.



The volunteers from across the city started making calls to MLAs/MPs in their area from 7.30 pm onwards. In half-an-hour, they were able to reach out to at least 10 elected representatives. They tried to convince them that Bengaluru does not need a steel flyover. Volunteers also used social media to reach out to the politicians.



Meanwhile, Governor Vajubhai Vala has agreed to meet citizens and volunteers against human chain at Raj Bhavan on Tuesday. On October 21, the volunteers had sought to meet Vala, but were unable to do so due to protocol issues. They were directed to seek a formal appointment.
The Sadaramangala lake in Bengalurus IT hub of Whitefield has dried up by more than half as encroachment on and dumping of construction debris into the lakebed go on unchecked.





Local residents allege that private builders are trying to push the boundary of the lake and gobble up the lakebed. And their efforts appear to have succeeded as some structures have come up in the 75-metre buffer zone of the waterbody.



Residents blame the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), which maintains the lake, for its poor condition. A volunteer for Whitefield Rising group recalled seeing construction activity going on in full swing in the lakebed. Despite making complaints to the civic agency, no action has been taken yet to stop the construction, the volunteer said on condition of anonymity. He feared that another waterbody in Whitefield, Rampura lake, was being eyed upon by private builders and it would also shrink fast.



Veerendra, a volunteer for Save Whitefield group, said that encroachers were making constant efforts to violate the lakes buffer zone that was determined by the National Green Tribunal (NGT). No property should come up in the buffer zone. This rule is being blatantly violated, he said.



BBMP Chief Engineer, Mahadevapura zone, Parameshwaraiah, acknowledged that residents had complained to him about fresh encroachments. He said the BBMP had permitted a puja pandal to be erected on the lakebed. A temporary shelter is being built on the lakebed for puja. We gave the permission as the structure will be not permanent and we will demolish it once the puja concludes, he said. We have informed the aggrieved residents about this. We are monitoring the situation and have zero tolerance towards encroachments.
The Shivamogga police, on Monday, nabbed the two prime suspects in the rape of a minor girl.





With this, the number of arrested in the case has risen to six, including a woman. The prime suspects are Sharukh, an autorickshaw driver, and his friend Taufiq. All the six suspects would be produced before the court on October 25.



The police had nabbed Amjad, Yusuf, Parveen Banu and Mubarak from Urgadur Layout, Shivamogga, in connection with the rape of the 17-year-old from Bengaluru, who is studying at a PU college in Kolar.



Amjad has been charged with rape, while the others have been arrested on charges of keeping the girl confined.



The victim had no interest in studies and was depressed.



On September 7, she boarded a train and arrived in Shivamogga. Sharukh, an autorickshaw driver, along with his friends Taufiq and Amjad, took her to Sakrebailu forest area on the pretext of helping her. The trio then raped the girl.
A 29-year-old bank employee jumped to his death from the fifth floor of the building housing his bank, near Santosh theatre in Upparpet, on Monday morning.





V R Vasanth, a native of Andhra Pradesh, was working in Central Bank at Kempe Gowda Circle here. He was transferred to Bengaluru from Musheerabad in Telangana some eight months ago. He was unmarried, the police said.



He came to the bank around 8 am. Claiming that he had some work, he requested the security staff to open the door. He went into the bank on the fifth floor and jumped to his death, said the police. He was rushed to a nearby hospital, where he was declared brought dead. Vasanth has not left any death note.



After post-mortem at Victoria Hospital, the body was handed over to Vasanths brother, the police said.
With the government declaring Bhimgad forest in Khanapur taluk of Belagavi district a wildlife sanctuary in 2011, the problems of villagers living in its ambit have compounded.





Villagers living in the core area have been put to hardship as the Forest Department is not allowing any development work apart from forest-related activities in the reserve forest.



While people are willing to relocate, for the past one year the state government is delaying formation of a five-member District Rehabilitation Committee headed by assistant commissioner to determine the rehabilitation package. There has been no response to a letter by the Belagavi deputy conservator of forest (DCF) on rehabilitation, which was forwarded by deputy commissioner to state government in 2015.



Of the 13 villages with a total population of 4,000 that lie in the wildlife sanctuary, eight are in the core forest area. Residents of six of these villages are voluntarily willing to relocate outside the forest area, but within Khanapur taluk, if they are given fair compensation.



Experts say that as per National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) guidelines, at least Rs 10 crore is required to rehabilitate villagers living in the core area.



The state government has already sanctioned the posts for rehabilitation process and only officers need to be appointed. It will be done in a few days," said Belagavi Deputy Commissioner N Jayaram. If the villagers are willing to relocate, the administration will support them by providing compensation as per guidelines, he added.



Jayaram said that they would first try accommodating the villagers on government lands within Khanapur taluk and go in for land acquisition in case of land shortage. DCF B V Patil said that once the committee is formed and compensation fixed, the government will initiate rehabilitation process in a phased manner.



However, the villagers say that the compensation of Rs 10 lakh per family, (to be read as all individuals aged above 18 and not dependent on others) as per the NTCA rules, is too less. We are losing fertile land and ancestral houses. We have been demanding fair compensation, rehabilitation within Khanapur taluk and scientific evaluation of our immovable properties, said Satheri Parashuram Dabale (71) of Talewadi, one of the core area villages, who is losing 30 acres of wet land.



It is not the fear of wild animals that is forcing us to leave our village, but lack of facilities, said Dabale.



During every monsoon, Krishnapur, Karnatakas last village bordering Goa, is cut off from the mainland due to the spate in the rivulet. We have carried pregnant women who had developed labour pain on bikes for nine kilometres on tough terrain, he added.



In the last four years, they have hardly received compensation from the government for crop or cattle losses caused by wild animals, he said. Agriculture alone cannot sustain us. The government has left us with no option but to relocate, Dabale added.



Belagavi District Wildlife Warden Sachin Patil said, Relocation is a win-win situation for wildlife conservation and villagers.



Bhimgad and surrounding forest is a catchment area, which meets 90% water requirement of the region. Instead of spending crores of rupees on afforestation elsewhere, there is a readymade highly bio-diverse hotspot here. The delay in expediting the relocation process shows the governments priority for environment, he said.


A woman attempted suicide by consuming poison at the Bangalore Development Authoritys (BDA) head office on Monday to protest against the agencys failure to pay her compensation for her land it acquired for an infrastructure project.



Mangala, 38, a resident of Mahalakshmi Layout, was rushed to Bowring Hospital. She is out of danger and is responding to treatment, the police said.



The BDA had acquired 6,750 sq ft belonging to Mangala for a grade separator project near Kanteerava Studios and promised her a compensation of Rs 3.76 crore. She lost her house and a shop in the acquisition. Mangalas family started facing financial hardship as the BDA did not keep its promise. She did not get any compensation despite several visits to the BDA.



On Monday too, Mangala went to the BDA office to meet officials in this regard. BDA land acquisition officer Noorjan Khan told DH, Mangala met me at 3.15 pm with a letter in her hand. She told me that she was in trouble as the BDA had failed to pay the compensation. She told me that committing suicide was the only way for her to come out of the financial crisis. Suddenly, she opened a bottle and consumed poison. We rushed her to a nearby hospital. Later, she was shifted to Bowring Hospital.



A note written by her was recovered from the place where she consumed poison. She has written that BDA officers were responsible for her death. She has also stated that former BDA deputy commissioner Vasanth Kumar had tortured her mentally and thus she decided to commit suicide.



The BDA officers claimed that the BDA Chairman, Mahendra Jain, and BDA Commissioner Rajkumar Khatri had inspected certain projects recently and had planned to disburse the pending compensation to land losers at the earliest.



Mahalakshmi Layout MLA K Gopalaiah said that the BDAs negligence had forced Mangala to take the extreme step. The BDA has no money to pay the Rs 3.76-crore compensation and the officers are in a hurry to implement the Rs 1,971-crore steel flyover project, he said.

Gopalaiah said that many people had lost their land for BDA projects and were still awaiting compensation.



They have approached the BDA more than 100 times, but are yet to receive the compensation. The JD(S) legislator said he would stage a protest if the BDA did not pay the pending compensation.

BJP dharna on November 2



The BJP will stage a dharna in front of the BDA headquarters on November 2 to protest the callous attitude of the officials of the civic agencies towards citizens.



BJP spokesperson and Rajajinagar MLA S Suresh Kumar told reporters that the BDA had to hold public grievance meetings every Wednesday. But these meetings have never been held. There was inordinate delay in refunding deposits to those who had unsuccessfully applied for BDA sites, he said.


JD(S) state president H D Kumaraswamy said on Monday that former chief minister B S Yeddyurappa was aware of the source of the cash seized from an advocate at the Vidhana Soudha in Bengaluru recently.





Addressing reporters in Hassan, Kumaraswamy said Yeddyurappa would be able to give clear information on the matter. A probe will expose who is involved in the transactions, he said. The police, at the entry gate of the Vidhana Soudha, had seized Rs 1.97 crore that was being carried by advocate Siddhartha in his car.



Hitting back at Kumaraswamy, the BJP termed his charges as irresponsible and childish.

Addressing a press conference in Bengaluru, BJP state spokesperson and MLA S Suresh Kumar said, The BJP totally denies Kumaraswamys charge. It is baseless and politically motivated. We never expected such an irresponsible statement from a person who has held the post of chief minister. People who held high positions should act and speak responsibly, Kumar said.



He said Kumaraswamys statement was borne out of frustration, after witnessing the overwhelming response to the ST convention organised by the BJP at Lingsugur in Raichur district on Sunday.



Kumar said Delhi Chief Minister Aravind Kejriwal usually made such hit and run statements.

It seems Kumaraswamy has been bitten by the Kejriwal bug, he said.



On being told that Siddhartha was Yeddyurappas advocate, Kumar said, It may be true that the duo share a lawyer-client relationship. But that does not mean that one can make imaginary statements.



Yeddyurappa has already sought a high-level enquiry into the incident, the BJP leader said. Kumar said his party had never sought details of the origin of the funds spent by Kumaraswamy to produce the film Jaguar, starring his son Nikhil Kumar.



Crores of rupees had been spent on the film, most part of which has been shot abroad, Kumar said. He said the BJP had never made it a political issue as it did not serve any purpose.
The Every Student Succeeds Act makes plenty of changes to education policy, including several key ones that provide more control to states. But heres one thats been largely overlooked in discussions about ESSA: the possibility that the law will ultimately enable private schools to obtain more federal aid to K-12 than they have previously.

Heres what we mean: As with the No Child Left Behind Act, ESSA requires that districts provide equitable services to certain students in private schools, after consulting with private school officials. This can impact migrant students in private schools, students who are English-language learners, and others. (The delivery of equitable services has been complicated by the growth of school choice program s, according to a recent report from the federal Government Accountability Office.)

A summary of ESSA spending and fiscal rules provided by the Council of Chief State School Officers states that under equitable services requirements, Expenditures for eligible private school children must be equal, taking into account their number and educational needs, to the expenditures for participating public school children.

So how does ESSA change equitable services for private school students?

 Theres a change from NCLB to ESSA in the calculation of how much Title I money districts must distribute to private schools for equitable services. In essence, the share of money that districts must draw on for equitable services money for private schools has grown under ESSA. That GAO analysis on equitable services studied a few districts in four states, and the most amount of money spent on those services for any one district was $35 million in Title I money for about 6,500 private school students in a large, urban Wisconsin district (the district was not identified).

 ESSA creates a new ombudsman at the state level who oversees the distribution of these federal funds by districts to private schools, in order to comply with the equitable services requirement. The state education agency appoints this ombudsman.

 Under ESSA, private schools can ask the ombudsman to have the state provide these services instead of the school district, if these schools can show that the district has not been providing money for equitable services as required.

 This ombudsman must also notify private schools about the amount of federal aid they are entitled to through equitable services.

 Theres also a specific change to Title II dollars for teachers and professional development that should be noted. Under NCLB, districts had to provide money for equitable services to private schools only out of Title II dollars spent on professional development. Under ESSA, there is no specification that the amount spent on equitable services is tied to the amount spent on professional development, according to CCSSO.

So what does all that mean? The first bulleted item we mentioned above could pretty directly lead to a greater share of public dollars for private schools, said Sheara Krvaric, an attorney with the Federal Education Group, which consults with states and districts on K-12 finance.

But the ability for private schools to appeal for more funds to new state-level ombudsmen could create a new political dynamic around federal money available for equitable services at private schools. And the changes appear to put more teeth into the provision of equitable services, Krvaric said.

Lots of private schools were complaining about this, Krvaric said of the setup under NCLB.

A newsletter from the Council for American Private Education does indicate that the first change we noted, at least, favors private schools:

ESSA includes important provisions championed by the private school community to improve equitable services to private school students and teachers. For example, under Title I, which provides assistance to school districts to help high-need students do well in school, a school district now has to calculate funds for services to private school students based on its total Title I allocation, without excluding certain expenditures for other purposes, which it was allowed to do in the past.

However, Krvaric did note that the exact impact of some of these changes wont be known until the U.S. Department of Education weighs in.

Under NCLB, private schools did have the option of seeking more money for equitable services by appealing directly to the Education Department, she noted.

Follow us on Twitter at @PoliticsK12 .
The city police have decided not to probe further into the seizure of Rs 1.97 crore from an advocate at the Vidhana Soudha on Monday.





The Vidhana Soudha police had deposited the cash, recovered from advocate Siddhartha H M, in the court as he had failed to provide documents on the source of the money. The Karnataka Bar Council has stated that it will decide on the action against the advocate based on the police report.



A senior police official said that the advocates versions regarding the source of the money were unconvincing.



His claim that he received money from various clients has not been supported with documents. The police cannot continue investigation in the case, since except for the unaccounted money, there is no other offence involved. A case was registered under Section 102 of the Criminal Procedure Code regarding seizure of the money. However, Siddhartha has not been booked for any offence. The money has been deposited in the court and he will have to claim the money in the court by furnishing proper documents, Additional Commissioner of Police (West) K S R Charan Reddy said.



Siddhartha, who has an office at High Point building at Basaveshwara Circle, was caught with the cash while he was trying to enter the Vidhana Soudha through the west gate on Friday. He had claimed that he received the money from four clients and was carrying it to buy a property.



Meanwhile, Karnataka Bar Council chairman C M Jagadish has demanded a CBI enquiry into the cash seizure.



Since the cash was being carried into the Vidhana Soudha, a high-level investigation must be ordered. There is a suspicion that the money was being transported to be given to some influential person. The state government should hand over the case to CBI for an impartial enquiry, Jagadish said. He said that the Bar Council would hold an enquiry against the advocate after a probe by investigating agencies.



Meanwhile, the Income Tax Department officers obtained statements from Siddhartha, realtor Gaffar and his friend Rajappa. The officers had served notices on the trio to appear before them on Monday. The trio have made contradictory statements. Gaffar did not disclose the source of the money, while Rajappa sought time to provide documents.



Siddartha told the officers that he was carrying the money as he wanted to buy an office space at High Point building.



As per Bar Council register, Siddhartha was enrolled as an advocate in 2005 and had provided a residential address at National Games Housing Complex in Koramangala.


Police investigation into the murder of R Rudresh has found that the RSS volunteer was killed over a political rivalry with a former BJP worker.





A senior police officer involved in the investigation said that there were strong reasons to suspect that Rudreshs murder was plotted by a former BJP worker. Investigation carried out in the last one week points to a political motive for Rudreshs murder. A local worker, who was once Rudreshs friend, may have played a role in the murder, the officer said, requesting anonymity.



The local worker, along with Rudresh, had organised the Ganesha festival in Shivajinagar in the past. But the two men developed disagreements when Rudresh hogged the limelight. They parted ways and this man even quit the BJP, the officer said.



This year, Rudresh organised the Ganesha festival on a larger scale. The events success not only boosted his political career but also earned him enemies in the BJPs Shivajinagar unit. This man (former BJP worker) may be indirectly involved in the murder or may know the killers. We will shortly detain him for questioning, the officer said.



This apart, police have found no evidence to suggest that Rudresh was killed over ideological reasons. Not only that, police are certain that the murder was carried out by contract killers from outside Bengaluru. The investigation so far has ruled out the possibility of locals being involved in the murder, the officer said.



Rudresh, 35, the mandal president of the RSS Shivajinagar shakha and secretary of Shivajinagar BJP, was hacked to death with a machete on October 16 on Kamaraj Road, central Bengaluru, after participating in a patha sanchalana (route march).
The pain I had endured for the last 23 years has now come to an end, said this overjoyed 28-year-old, whose search for her biological parents finally ended on Monday morning after a three-year hunt.





At the age of six, Jyothi Svahn, a Swedish citizen, knew that those she called mum and dad were not really the ones who had given birth to her. Their skin was white, but mine wasnt, she said, recollecting the vague memories of a woman who bid her and her sister Gayathri goodbye, several years ago.



All I can recall is the memory of a woman crying constantly, said Jyothi while speaking to DH, soon after her reunion with her biological father Dasharath Rao, who resides in Kumaraswamy Layout in the city. It was a big relief when I finally got to meet my father today. Our meeting was not awkward at all. He was laughing with joy when he first saw me. He is such a cute old man - he is very kind- hearted, said Jyothi.



Jyothi and Gayathri were only five and four years old, respectively, when their mother Kamala Bai gave them up for adoption in 1993. According to the adoption agency, Kamala Bai had forsaken her children as she had no means to take care of them. She had deserted her six-year-old son Maruthi and husband Rao, after a fight with the latter.



In 2013, Jyothi began the search for her biological parents in Bengaluru, along with her Swedish parents. She had to return home disappointed.



Jyothi got in touch with NGO Sakhee, a Pune-based organisation that works in the field of child protection and the Netherlands-based NGO Against Child Trafficking, which made a breakthrough last year. Last week, Sakhee president Anjali Pawar landed in Bengaluru, and Jyothi followed suit. On Sunday, she made an appeal on a television channel, following which things started falling in place. The same night it was established that Rao was still residing in Bengaluru.



While Jyothis mother is no more, Rao has remarried and has a daughter from the second marriage.



My wife left me and my son after a fight. She took Jyothi and Gayathri with her.



I looked for them for months, but to no avail. I had never dreamt that I will ever meet them, said Rao. Jyothi, who is a social activist and writer, plans to return to India next year, so that she can be closer to her new-found family. She said that her sister too was planning to visit India soon.


The Department of Kannada and Culture has tied up with the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) for hosting Kannada books on the Institutes server. It would be formally launched on November 1, Kannada Rajyotsava Day.





The IIScs digital library already has about 5.5 lakh books. There are nearly 3,000 Kannada e-books. But the new tie-up under which the premier research institute has agreed to share online space will help the department upload a large number of books. The plan is to upload not less than three lakh books in a phased manner. Even the rarest of the rare books in Kannada would be digitised.



To begin with, Kavirajamarga, the earliest available work in Kannada, and the 21 volumes on Dr B R Ambedkar would be uploaded among a host of other government publications, according to department director K A Dayanand.



Ravindra Hegdal, IT consultant to the department, said that till the URL address is formed, the link would be given on the kanaja.in of the department and redirect the search to IISc e-library. All prominent works in Kannada, novels, poetry, vachanas as well as Mankuthimmana Kagga, would be made available online which could be easily and legally downloaded free of cost.



With space not being a constraint for the super computer being used by IISc, we would be able to make available a large number of Kannada books to readers. We would like to host even audio and videos. When we go by the language profile of Google analytics, Kavirajamarga, which is a textbook for degree students of Bangalore University, has witnessed 1.5 lakh downloads. The highest downloads were in the UK and the UAE. Other regional languages such as Tamil and Telugu already have a large number of e-books compared to Kannada, Hegdal said.



Dayanand said if a language has to survive, then it has to get technical support. And, hence the department is working towards it. The department had earlier digitised hundreds of books under the Creative Commons licence and had uploaded on Wikisource. But the IISc server, technically would be a better option, he added.



World Kannada conference



The department is busy in preparing itself to host the third World Kannada conference. The venue is yet to be decided. But the choice would be between the Kalaburagi or Bengaluru revenue divisions, Dayanand said.



The first Vishwa Kannada Sammelana was held in Mysuru in 1985 and the second one in Belagavi in 2011. This time it could be either in Bengaluru or Kalaburagi division. The government has already set aside Rs 30 crore for organising the conference, he added. With 2016 being 60th year of reorgnisation of Karnataka, the department is planning its literary and cultural programmes for a year from November 1. The department will also soon re-launch the Janapada Jaatre programme, which used to be held in Bengaluru some years ago.


The Earth Institute, 475 Riverside Drive, 520, New York, New York 10115

www.earth.columbia.edu

18 October 2016 Dear Prime Minister Solberg, A year ago I wrote an open letter urging you to carry out an act of transformational climate leadership. I held the faint hope that your government might yet waken to the realities of climate change, heed the call of thousands of Norwegians and rescind the 23rd licensing round, which allows oil companies to exploit massive fossil resources in the Barents Sea. That act of responsible stewardship  pulling out of an Arctic oil race that puts all of humanity at risk  would have salvaged Norways reputation as an environmental champion and set a bold example for the rest of the world. It would also have secured your legacy as one of a handful of political leaders reacting decisively to the greatest threat civilization has ever faced. Clearly my hopes were misplaced. Over the past year your government has not only upheld plans to drill for oil in the Arctic, but doubled down by announcing a 24th licensing round. This happened only months after Norway signed the Paris Agreement and paid lip service to the moral imperative of our time: keeping the climate within a safe threshold of 1.5C. For years, scientists have warned governments that climate stability is unattainable unless most of the worlds remaining fossil fuels are left in the ground. Those democracies that have benefited most from fossil fuel production must be the first to rise to the challenge. Coal, tar sands, and Arctic oil must be the first resources left untouched in a rapidly warming world. A recent report by Oil Change International shows how there is simply no room for new fossil fuel exploitation within humanitys remaining carbon budget. As a scientist, I understand that the worst climate consequences will not be on the timescale of the current electoral cycle, but we risk unleashing catastrophic climate events within the lifetimes of your children. I will not mince words, Mrs. Solberg. Your governments actions are utterly at odds with the scientific consensus that underpins the Paris Agreement. Norway appears hell-bent on sabotaging the treaty before it has even come into effect. Fortunately, there may be a way to block the actions of what many are beginning to consider a climate rogue state. Over the past few years, I have been in touch with Norwegian lawyers and climate activists who are making the case that large-scale oil production in the Arctic is unconstitutional according to Norwegian law. In Oslo over the next few days, Ill be meeting with friends, allies and young people who are filing a law suit to stop the 23rd licensing round based on Article 112 of the Norwegian Constitution. Article 112 states that Every person has a right to an environment that is conducive to health and to a natural environment whose productivity and diversity are maintained. Natural resources should be managed on the basis of comprehensive long-term considerations whereby this right will be safeguarded for future generations as well. Few nations have codified rights of future generations in such a powerful, binding way. And few nations show such blatant disregard for these rights. Norways own per capita fossil fuel CO2 missions exceed those of Sweden by about 70 percent and Norways fossil fuel production is about 20 times its own use. This excess production yields a tidy revenue stream, but makes Norway a disproportionate source of global climate change. Article 112 further states that: Citizens are entitled to information on the state of the natural environment and on the effects of any encroachment on nature that is planned or carried out. Your government has failed to provide this information to Norwegian citizens, thus undermining the legitimacy of the Arctic oil rush over which you preside. During the next few days, I will do my best to convey to the Norwegian public the folly of Arctic oil exploration. Getting the information out is a prime objective of the lawsuit now being filed by a broad movement of Norwegian citizens. They will have my wholehearted support. Dr. James E. Hansen

Climate Science, Awareness and Solutions

Columbia University
Trump wants to end criticism of Trump. But more than that, he wants to silence the women he boasted about groping.Specifically, he wants America to be more like England, where "they actually have a system where you can sue if someone says something wrong."

Alas, he's both wrong and incorrect. Jedd Legum:

Trump is right that he would have a better chance of prevailing under English law where an allegedly defamatory statement is presumed to be false. There, it is up to the defendant in a libel suit to prove that their statements are true. But even if U.S. law were more like England's, Trump might still have difficulty in prevailing against his accusers or the New York Times. Many of Trump's accusers have witnesses who can corroborate their stories. The reporter for People Magazine who says she was assaulted by Trump, for example, has six different people supporting her version of events. English defamation law was also amended in 2013 to add a "public interest" exemption. This change would potentially allow the New York Times to escape liability in England even if they were unable to definitely prove the truth of their reporting.

The historically plaintiff-friendly libel laws in the U.K. were gross enough that other countries (including the U.S.) passed laws making it difficult to domesticate or enforce U.K. libel verdicts locally. But there was a curious silver lining to it all: though the law gave outrageous power to bluffing plaintiffs, when their bluff was called it could result in the total reputational immolation they deserved in the first place.

Trump is exactly the sort of person you could expect to overplay his hand in English courts.

Correction: This post originally attributed the phrase "too much protection" to Mr. Trump, referring to the First Amendment. This phrase was actually part of the question posed to Mr. Trump by a reporter; Trump agreed, but did not use those words.
It is pretty funny how this was not kept secret, insider trading issues and all:



After a weekslong courtship, Qualcomm (QCOM) reportedly is set to marry NXP Semiconductors (NXPI).



San Diego-based Qualcomm has reached an agreement to acquire Dutch chipmaker NXP for about $110 a share in cash, CNBC reporter David Faber said Friday. Other details are still being negotiated, he said. The deal would value NXP at roughly $37 billion. Reuters also reported that a deal has been reached. By the closing bell Friday, Qualcomm shares added 0.9% to 67.93 on the stock market today. NXP stock, however, dropped 2.7% to 101.71.

Click here to read more ...




Grenoble, France  Shanghai, China  October 24, 2016 -- Launching any SoC on a highly competitive market demands a differentiation for which Hisense was searching for an ultra low-power solution to extend battery life-time of wireless-connected devices. Designing such an integrated circuit introduces new challenges: silicon area, power consumption and BoM cost must be aggressively reduced, while dealing with noise issues in a mixed-signal SoC embedding multiple power domains with diverse power modes.

Dolphin Integrations SoC Fabric offering covers the SoC networks of clocks and regulated voltages, for a SoC designed with power domains, to deal with these new challenges.

When we first discovered Dolphin Integration, we had in mind to acquire some vital Silicon IPs. Their intensive pre-sales support made us realize that they could provide us with a complete set of SoC Fabric IPs together with the transfer of know-how for implementing safely our low-power SoC. explained Shawn Zhong, CEO of Hisense Microelectronics.

Dolphin Integration's SoC Fabric firstly stars their library of voltage regulators, compliant with the 8 rules of DELTA to enable mix-and-match from diverse regulator suppliers. Their second contribution automatically manages the in-rush current to share a regulator between multi-mode power domains with their patented "Transition Ramp Controllers". The third innovation was needed to build fast and safely the Activity Control Unit of a SoC with multi-mode power domains, thanks to a kit of modules in the always-on domain.

We are pleased to announce Hisense as a licensee for our SoC Fabric IPs said Frederic Renoux, Sales Director at Dolphin Integration. For their foundry partner and for Hisense themselves, our innovative and silicon-proven SoC Fabric reduces the Time-to-Market of leading edge and robust low-power SoCs at TSMC 55 nm uLP/uLPeF.

For both the foundry and the IP provider, proving on silicon a SoC Fabric required the block-busting innovation of a Demochip: code-named TaiShan, it provides IP Compatibility Insurance (IPCI) for an assembly of Silicon IP in dynamic interplay while proving the robustness of such SoC Fabric IPs.

I want more information about these offering

About HiSense

Hisense Microelectronics is committed to bringing its customers semiconductor solutions that can differentiate their end products with rich features so that they can build and grow successful businesses today and in the future. It designs, develops, and supplies a range of semiconductor solutions that comprise advanced image processing, human machine interaction and IoT connectivity. Applications for the products include the following end markets: smart TVs, new display terminals such as ultra short-throw laser projection TVs and medical displays, and smart home appliances.

About Dolphin Integration

Dolphin Integration contributes to "enabling low-power Systems-on-Chip" for worldwide customers - up to the major actors of the semiconductor industry - with high-density Silicon IP components best at low-power consumption.

"Foundation IPs" includes innovative libraries of standard cells, register files and memory generators as well as an ultra-low power cache controller. "Fabric IPs" of voltage regulators, Power Island Construction Kit and their control network MAESTRO enable to safely implement low-power SoCs with the smallest silicon area. They also star the "Feature IP": from ultra-low power Voice Activity Detector with high-resolution converters for audio and measurement applications to power-optimized 8 or 16 and 32 bit micro-controllers.

Over 30 years of experience in the integration of silicon IP components, providing services for ASIC/SoC design and fabrication, with its own EDA solutions, make Dolphin Integration a genuine one-stop shop addressing all customers' needs for specific requests.

It is not just one more supplier of Technology, but the provider of the Dolphin Integration know-how!






Here's Why A Businessman From Maharashtra Sent A 320 Rupees Cheque To Karan Johar!
A Counterpoint Research report states that a drastic fall of 23% is expected to hit Samsung India in the premium smartphone market, and is being attributed to the Galaxy Note 7 fiasco, and strong, timely sales of Apple's new iPhones.

Samsung has been one of the leading sellers of premium smartphones in India, holding a 58% market share of all premium or flagship smartphones being sold in the country. However, a recent report by Counterpoint Research states that the company may expect a drastic drop in its flagship market share in Q4 2016. According to Counterpoint, Samsungs 58% market share in Indias premium smartphone market may go down to as low as 35% in the last quarter of 2016.

To clarify, the premium segment of smartphones in India is considered for devices priced upward of Rs. 30,000. Two reasons that have contributed to this downfall are the failed Galaxy Note 7, and strong initial sales of the Apple iPhone 7 in India. Samsung had unveiled the Galaxy Note 7 in India, and had even received great initial reviews. However, a flaw in the battery pack of the flagship smartphone led to the two nodes of the cell internally fusing with each other and caused multiple units of the Note 7 to explode across the world. Even after an attempted recall, Samsung could not entirely fix the issue of the exploding Galaxy Note 7, and the device has been eventually discontinued.

Meanwhile, Apples new flagship and prime competitor for Samsungs flagships, the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus, began sales on October 7 in India. The two iPhones have also received positive reviews, and initial sales have been going strong, according to reports. As a result, Counterpoint states that this may lead to Apple taking up nearly 57% of Indias flagship market share, which may lead to significant loss of ground since Samsungs exponential growth with the Galaxy S6 lineup.

We have reached out to Samsung India regarding this, and await a response. Meanwhile, Samsung will look to focus on consolidating its market presence with the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge, which still remain among the highest rated smartphones in India. We have also heard rumours surrounding Samsung speeding up a launch of its next generation flagship smartphone, the Samsung Galaxy S8, to make up for lost ground.

Global estimates have projected a $19 billion loss in market revenue, fueled by the Galaxy Note 7 fiasco. This, combined with the loss of the top spot to prime rivals Apple, makes for a slightly difficult phase of operations for Samsung India. It will be interesting to see how Samsung bounces back, with its future flagship smartphones.

Source
Airtel, Vodafone and Ideas are being fined for their failure to release adequate Points of Interconnection (PoIs) for Reliance Jio

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has recommended a fine of Rs. 3050 crores on three telecom majors in India; Bharti Airtel, Vodafone India and Idea Cellular for refusing to provide adequate Points of Interconnection (PoIs) to new entrant Reliance Jio. Jio has claimed that the refusal of PoIs has resulted in a call failure rate of over 75% on the Jio network. The maximum permitted call failure rate is 0.5%. Jio had earlier accused the telcos of deliberately withholding interconnection points, through which a call from one network connects to another.

The Business Standard quoted a letter sent to the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) which stated that the regulatory body had suggested a fine of Rs 1050 crores each for Vodafone India and Bharti Airtel at the rate of Rs 50 crores per zone for 21 zones, except for Jammu and Kashmir. Idea Cellular has been fined Rs 950 crores for 19 zones except for Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and the north-eastern states.

TRAI added that it stopped short of revoking the licenses of the three companies, keeping in mind the inconvenience it would cause customers. Furthermore the regulatory body stated that the refusal to provide PoIs to Jio seemed to be motivated by the desire to stifle Jios services and termed their actions as anti consumer.

However, the authority is mindful of the fact that revocation of the licence will entail significant consumer inconvenience and therefore in view of the larger public interest involved, the authority recommends a penal action of Rs 50 crore per LSA (circle), the letter stated.

Bharti Airtel, Vodafone India and Idea Cellular had earlier argued that they had released adequate PoIs and any failure in Jios network was due to Jios lack of preparedness before launching its product. BS quoted an Airtel Spokesperson who stated, We are continuously augmenting the PoIs provided to Reliance Jio and the pace of augmentation has been the fastest ever done by us. Further, we are in full compliance of the requirements of grade of service set by Trai.

Earlier this month Jio had written to its rivals asking them to release PoIs which were long overdue. In its letters, Jio stated, As you are aware, you never adhered to the schedule for providing E1s (PoIs) under one pretext or the other and this continues to date. It added, None of the pretexts raised by you have any standing based on facts or on law inasmuch as your obligation to provide the requisite E1s to meet the QoS regulations are not contingent on any reasons or restrictions. The letter stated that the call failures would continue so long as Jios demands for PoIs are not met. In June, Jio had asked for PoIs for estimated 22 million subscribers. It had also projected that the network would host as many as 50 million customers by September 2016, 75 million by December 2016 and 100 million subscribers by March 2017.
Plus500 , an AIM-listed online service provider for retail customers to trade contract for differences (CFDs) internationally, experienced a 47% surge in new customers to 25,083 during the three-month period ending 30 September 2016.

The number customers who deposited real money into their account for the first time was 25,083 during the period. The number of active customers, i.e. a customer who makes at least one trade using real money on the trading platform during the period, increased by 33% to 69,989.

The groups revenue on the other hand decreased by 4% to $77.5m. Average revenue per user (ARPU) also fell by 28% to $1,107 due to a combination of a continuing increase in active and new customers and a slight decrease in customer churn which is consistent with the previous quarter.

The average user acquisition cost (AUAC) fell by 11% to $1,300. The lifetime value of the groups customers is however increasing with more higher value customers being added and customer loyalty growing.

The earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) margin rose in the third quarter to 43% from 37% in the first half of 2016. The board feel this shows the strength of the companys business model and its robust operating platform.

The company said its marketing activity has resulted in stable revenues from Western European countries, which accounted for 75% of total sales in the third quarter.

The group also increased its global presence during the period with new licenses secured in Israel and New Zealand.

Now that the company had attracted a record number of new customers, management said it intends to focus on profitability for the remainder of the year and consolidate the benefits of this expenditure.

Chief Executive Asaf Elimelech said: "Our third quarter continued the strong progress of the first half, with a significant number of new customers being gained, and margins recovering. We remain on track to achieve our expectations for the year as a whole."

The share price fell 5.78% to 631.25p at 1012 BST on Monday.
These were the movements in some of the most widely-followed 10-year sovereign bond yields:

US: 1.77% (+3bp)

UK: 1.08% (-1bp)

Germany: 0.02% (+2bp)

France: 0.30% (+2bp)

Spain: 1.11% (-1bp)

Italy: 1.39% (+2bp)

Greece: 8.42% (-2bp)

Portugal: 3.15% (-4bp)

Japan: -0.05% (0bp)

A stronger than expected reading on the state of the US factory sector helped push the odds of a 25 basis point rate hike by the Fed at its December meeting to 74.5%, according to Fed funds futures -a six-month high.

Somewhat ironically, that coincided with rather 'dovish' Fedspeak from two US central bank officials, the presidents of the Chicago and St.Louis Feds, with each arguing in his own way for a very gradual pace of rate hikes.

James Bullard, from the St.Louis Fed, was the most dovish of the two, apparently calling for just one additional tightening move.

Fed governor Jerome Powell and New York Fed chief William Dudley did not make any policy-relevant remarks on Monday, ahead of the start of the self-imposed 'black-out' before the monetary authoritys next policy decision, on 2 November.

Against that backdrop, Gilts outperformed as the Confederation of British Industrys industrial orders index for October came quite wide of the mark (to the downside).

To take note of, the survey revealed that as many as 47% of the UKs manufacturers believed the net impact of the weakness in sterling since the referendum had been negative.

During the CBIs survey period the pound averaged 1.28 versus the US dollar, the business lobby said in a statement.

Eurozone bonds were generally higher following a large positive surprise on the macro front, as IHS Markits composite euro area output index jumped from 52.6 in September to a reading of 53.7 for October (consensus: 52.9).

Portuguese bonds did best on the heels of the decision by DBRS to reaffirm its investment grade rating on the countrys long-term debt after the close of trading in London, on 21 October.

Spanish bonds also advanced, albeit only slightly, after the countrys centre-left PSOE party paved the way over the weekend for a 10-month long political deadlock to be broken.

For her part, speaking from Hong Kong the Bank of Englands Minouche Shafik made the case for greater cooperation on financial regulation, given the international links between financial markets.

Nonetheless, she admitted that political considerations might prove an obstacle.

"The body of evidence required to justify including the interests of other nations in the setting of domestic policy is understandably large, even when the long run benefits would be to all. This is more true now than ever, as the unequal distribution of benefits from globalisation has increased scepticism about international cooperation."
A whistleblower has provided The Intercept with leaked documents about Endace, an obscure New Zealand company based in Auckland, revealing that the company  which received millions in government funding  developed the mass surveillance equipment used by the UK spy agency to engage in illegal mass surveillance on fiber-optic lines that traverse the UK, and that Endace's customer list also includes a who's-who of telcoms companies, spy agencies, and the Moroccan secret police, who make a practice of spying on people, then kidnapping and torturing them.

Endace called the surveillance tech it developed for GCHQ "Medusa," and the docs reveal that GHCQ used it to spy on fiber links, indiscriminately harvesting huge quantities of data on innocent people not suspected of any crime.



The government clients appear to be mostly intelligence agencies. A 2008 Endace customer list included: GCHQ; the Canadian and Australian defense departments (where their electronic spy agencies are located); a U.S. government contractor called Rep-Tron Systems Group, located in Baltimore, Maryland; and Morocco's domestic surveillance agency, the DGST. Other Endace customer lists contained in the leaked trove include the U.S. Army and the U.S. Navy's Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command, called SPAWAR; the Israeli Ministry of Defense (home of its Unit 8200 electronic spy agency); the government of India, the Spanish Ministry of Defense; and Denmark's Defense Intelligence Service. Endace's apparent dealings with the Moroccan agency, the DGST, are particularly controversial. Moroccan authorities have been persistently accused over more than five decades of committing a range of severe human rights abuses. Amnesty International, in a 2015 report, specifically singled out the DGST agency as a key perpetrator of recent abuses, accusing it of detaining people incommunicado and using brutal torture methods that included beatings, electric shocks, sexual violence, simulated drowning, drugging, mock executions, and food and sleep deprivation.

The Little-Known Company That Enables Worldwide Mass Surveillance

[Ryan Gallagher and Nicky Hager/The Intercept]
Acacia Minings shares rose on Monday as Deutsche Bank reiterated a buy rating and lifted its target price to 580p from 570p, citing progress on the companys turnaround.

The miner last Friday reported it swung to a pre-tax profit for the third quarter and said full-year gold production is now expected to be about 5% higher than the top end of the previous output guidance.

Gold production jumped 25% to 204,726 ounces and sales of the commodity increased 24% to 206,488 ounces in the third quarter. Gold was sold at $988 per ounce, down 16% on the same quarter a year ago.

Production was driven by a strong performance at North Mara, which delivered output of 112,523 ounces, offsetting disruptions at the Bulyanhulu mine and slightly lower production at Buzwagi.

Acacia also reiterated its full year all-in costs guidance at the bottom of the $950-980 per ounce range, compared to $1,112 per ounce in 2015.

Acacia's turnaround story is progressing well and the group increased its cash balance by another US$18m, during the quarter, to U$302m, said Deutsche Bank.

This should help in periods of more muted gold price performance, we maintain our buy rating.

Deutsche noted that Acacias earnings before interest tax depreciation and amortisation of $125m was materially higher than its $100m estimate, primarily due to the low-cost ounces coming from North Mara. It was also $104m higher than the third quarter of 2015.

With total capital expenditure of $53m during the quarter and minor changes in working capital, the free cash flow of $43m was another positive outcome, Deutsche said.

We forecast full year 2016 free cash flows of $192m. The group pays 15% to 30% of the free cash flow as dividends.

However, the bank said it sees downside risks include lower gold prices, higher-than-expected costs and taxes, and volatility in the Tanzanian shilling.

Deutsche also highlighted the risk related to Barrick Gold, which could further sell down its 64% majority stake in Acacia.

Shares rose 2.27% to 541p at 1109 BST.
AT&T's attempted acquisition of Time Warner will face a number of obstacles from rivals, lawmakers and antitrust authorities in the US, threatening the $85.4bn

Several members of Congress and industry groups from media and telecommunications, as well as both Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton's presidential campaigns, expressed concern regarding the deal, which was announced by AT&T on Saturday evening.

If the purchase was to go ahead, it would create one of the largest media companies in the US and globally, and fears have been expressed that it would have too much control in the market.

At a presidential campaign rally in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania on Saturday, before the deal had even been announced, Trump said that the deal had the potential to "destroy democracy".

While Hillary Clinton has not yet spoken specifically on the subject, a spokesperson for her campaign said that she had concerns, without fully coming out against it.

"There are a number of questions and concerns that rise in that vein about this announced deal but there is still a lot of information that needs to come out before any conclusion should be reached," Brian Fallon told reporters.

AT&T has history of having deals blocked by authorities, after its attempted purchase of T-Mobile US was halted in 2011.

Chief executive of the company, Randall Stephenson, has played down the effect of regulators on the deal, but resigned that it was likely to face an investigation.

"It is going to have to go through a regulatory review process that is dictated by rules, regulations and laws," Stephenson told The Wall Street Journal. "I can't control what the politicians say and feel about it."
Iraq balked at cutting its levels of crude oil production following a meeting of Gulf producers and Russia over the weekend, raising fresh doubts among some market participants that the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries would be able to decide on an output cut when it next met.

Speaking on Sunday, Iraqi oil minister Jabber Al-Luaibi said his country was currently pumping over 4.7m barrels a day of oil and not the 4.2m b/d which OPEC had recently estimated.

We are with OPEC policy and OPEC unity, but this should not be at our expense, Al-Luaibi said.

Al-Luaibi's remarks turned Iraq into the fourth member, after Iran, Nigeria and Libya, who had asked to be exempted from curbs on its output.

The need to finance the war against Islamic State was the reason aduced by Iraq for asking for an exemption.

However, losses were capped by Iran's deputy oil minister Amir Hossein Zamaninia saying Tehran would encourage other OPEC members to join an output freeze.

Also on Sunday, the Russian Federation refused to commit to a coordinated reduction by all the world's main producers.

Following talks with Gulf Arab representatives, in Riyadh, on Sunday, Russian energy minister Alexander Novak said his country cannot yet say whether it will participate in any reductions and that it was studying various scenarios.

We see reasons to take steps to balance the market in coming months to bring investments back and reduce volatility.

We discussed issues related to levels of limiting oil production by Russia and by other countries that may join the agreement, but its too early to tell the concrete figures because the process of finalizing positions is going on, Novak said.

As of 1137 BST front month Brent crude oil futures were lower by 0.04% to $51.76 per barrel on the ICE.
One widely-followed gauge of economic activity Stateside picked-up in September.

The Federal Reserve bank of Chicago's national activity index rose from -0.72 points in August to a reading of -0.14.

All four categories of indicators contributing to the CFNAI - production, sales, orders and inventory, employment-related and personal consumption and housing - made negative readings in September, albeit less so than in the previous month.

The three-month moving average for the CFNAI slipped from -0.14 to -0.21, suggesting that growth in national economic activity was some somewhat below its historical trend, the Chicago Fed said.

Sixty seven of the 85 individual indicators improved from one month to the next in September and 17 worsened, with 41 making positive contributions and the rest acting as a drag.

Production-related indicators registered the largest change, subtracting -0.01 in September after a -0.39 in August.

August's monthly reading was revised lower from a preliminary estimate of -0.55 to -0.72.
Spain 's Popular Party will return to power, albeit in a minority government, after the country's second largest party, the Socialist PSOE, voted to allow current interim prime minister Mariano Rajoy to govern.

The opposition Socialists had the option of forcing a third election in 12 months, or allowing the PP to form a government. The party had previously had internal infighting of its own, which led to the departure of leader Pedro Sanchez.

Socialist delegates voted 139 to 96 at a special congress on Sunday to abstain in an upcoming confidence vote.

Decades of traditional two-party rule in Spain was broken by the emergence of new parties "Podemos" and "Ciudadanos", who have haemorrhaged millions of votes to leave a hung parliament in Madrid.

Concluida la votacion, los resultados son:

-Si: 139

-No: 96

-No votaron: 2#ComiteFederal  PSOE (@PSOE) October 23, 2016

Speaking in the capital at the weekend, Rajoy said he was glad that the dispute had been resolved.

"Soon we will have a government that is open to dialogue and understanding, that will uphold the law and make sure it's upheld," said Rajoy.

The new minority government is likely to face a turbulent four years attempting to force through its legislation as it will no doubt face opposition from various factions within the chamber.

Spain is slowly emerging from an economic downturn as its unemployment edges down and growth has been steady at 3% since 2015. A significant budget deficit still remains however, and it will face pressure from the EU to reduce it.
Campaign representatives for US presidential candidate Donald Trump have admitted for the first time that Hillary Clinton has a lead over the New York businessman, with just over two weeks until the election.

Despite the former Secretary of State holding a convincing lead in the majority of national polls, Trump has maintained that the electorate still remains on his side.

"We are behind. She has some advantages," said campaign manager Kellyanne Conway. "We're not giving up. We know we can win this."

"He's going to visit all of these swing states many times and we feel that with Hillary Clinton under 50% in some of these places, even though she has run a very traditional and expensive campaign, that we have a shot of getting those undecided voters."

Clinton's campaign has also adopted an unnatural stance, warning against complacency as it seems to be taking an advantage in various swing states.

"These battleground states are called that for a reason," said campaign manager Robby Mook on CNN on Sunday. "They are going to be incredibly close. We don't want to get ahead of our skis here. We are just as focused on Ohio, Iowa, Florida as we have ever been."

Trump has lost the support of several high-profile Republicans during the course of the campaign due to a raft of controversial comments, and has even suggested that he would not accept the result of the election.

US citizens will go to the polls on Tuesday fortnight to decide the next president of the country, in a race that has been characterised by controversy and insults, as much as policy and performance.
US presidential candidate Donald Trump has defiantly launched a campaign blitz in the key battleground state of Florida, hoping to prove wrong several national polls which hand a significant lead to his opponent Hillary Clinton .

It is likely that the Republican will have to win Florida's 29 electoral college votes if he wants to claim an unexpected victory in the 8 November election.

After flying into Collier County Fairgrounds on Sunday, Trump gave a rousing speech to fire up his supporters with just over two weeks to go until election day.

He raised a familiar topic during the speech, promising to secure the US' borders and launch an attack on radical terrorists.

"If I'm elected president, I'm going to keep radical Islamic terrorists the hell out of our country," he promised.

He maintained his stance on the alleged corruption of the media, who he has repeatedly accused of working in collusion with the campaign of his rival Clinton.

"Without the media, she doesn't doesn't have a chance," he added. "The best evidence that the system is rigged, is that Hillary Clinton is even allowed to run for the presidency of United States in the first place. She shouldn't be allowed to run."

The first national poll conducted since the last debate between Clinton and Trump shows the former with a 12-point lead, suggesting the gap between the two is widening.
London stocks had erased early gains by midday as investors weighed a sharp drop in monthly UK industrial orders against better-than-expected Eurozone services and manufacturing data.

The FTSE rose 0.03% to 7,022.88 points while the pound increased 0.02% to $1.2237.

The Confederation of British Industry's monthly industrial orders balance fell to -17 in October from -5 in September, well below the consensus of -5. However, CBI said manufacturing output and orders grew in the last quarter.

Manufacturers are optimistic about export prospects and export orders are growing, following the fall in sterling," said CBI's chief economist Rain Newton-Smith.

However, the weaker pound is also feeding through to costs, which are rising briskly and may well spill over into higher consumer prices in the months ahead."

IHS Markits flash eurozone composite purchasing mangers index jumped to 53.7 in October from 52.6 in September, ahead of forecasts of 52.8 and above the 50 level that separates an expansion from a contraction.

The manufacturing PMI rose to 53.5 in October from 52.6 a month earlier, beating expectations of 52.7. The services PMI climbed to 53.5 from 52.5, compared to an estimated 52.4.

Particularly impressive data came from the manufacturing sector which seems to have staged an unlikely comeback, with eurozone, French and German manufacturing PMIs all hitting 2016 highs, said IGs Joshua Mahony.

Coming at a time when the euro is tumbling back to a seven-month low, it is clear that producers are enjoying somewhat of a renaissance following a period of uncertainty.

Japans manufacturing PMI also rose to 51.7 in October from 50.4 in September.

The US manufacturing PMI is due at 1445 BST.

Meanwhile, oil prices fell as Iraqi oil minister Ali al-Luaibi said the nation wanted to be exempt from an OPEC deal to cut production. However, losses were capped by Iran's deputy oil minister Amir Hossein Zamaninia saying Tehran would encourage other OPEC members to join an output freeze.

Brent crude dipped 0.03% to $51.76 per barrel and West Texas Intermediate declined 0.11% to $50.79 per barrel at 1145 BST.

In company news, Petra Diamonds advanced as it reported a 30% increase in first quarter production to 1,097,523 carats.

Acacia Mining shares rose as Deutsche Bank reiterated a buy rating and lifted its target price to 580p from 570p, citing progress on the companys turnaround.

Cobham slumped after it cut its trading profit guidance to 255-275m, including favourable currency impacts, due to softer conditions in the wireless and satellite communications markets.

Market Movers

FTSE 100 (UKX) 7,022.88 0.03%

FTSE 250 (MCX) 17,934.99 0.00%

techMARK (TASX) 3,445.08 -1.07%

FTSE 100 - Risers

Provident Financial (PFG) 3,092.00p 2.90%

easyJet (EZJ) 944.50p 2.83%

International Consolidated Airlines Group SA (CDI) (IAG) 407.90p 2.05%

ITV (ITV) 174.50p 2.05%

Schroders (SDR) 2,851.00p 1.60%

Marks & Spencer Group (MKS) 339.70p 1.58%

Antofagasta (ANTO) 526.50p 1.54%

Standard Life (SL.) 341.70p 1.48%

DCC (DCC) 6,675.00p 1.44%

London Stock Exchange Group (LSE) 2,901.00p 1.26%

FTSE 100 - Fallers

British American Tobacco (BATS) 4,570.50p -2.05%

Hikma Pharmaceuticals (HIK) 1,872.00p -1.84%

Shire Plc (SHP) 4,962.50p -1.79%

AstraZeneca (AZN) 4,882.00p -1.41%

InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) 3,117.00p -1.36%

Burberry Group (BRBY) 1,476.00p -1.27%

Royal Bank of Scotland Group (RBS) 188.10p -1.00%

Associated British Foods (ABF) 2,498.00p -0.95%

GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) 1,646.00p -0.75%

Pearson (PSON) 770.00p -0.71%

FTSE 250 - Risers

Petra Diamonds Ltd.(DI) (PDL) 147.40p 5.44%

B&M European Value Retail S.A. (DI) (BME) 247.50p 3.77%

Senior (SNR) 179.00p 2.58%

CYBG (CYBG) 276.70p 2.14%

Rathbone Brothers (RAT) 1,842.00p 2.05%

Wizz Air Holdings (WIZZ) 1,533.00p 2.00%

Acacia Mining (ACA) 539.50p 1.98%

Tullow Oil (TLW) 292.90p 1.88%

Laird (LRD) 171.20p 1.84%

JRP Group (JRP) 125.70p 1.78%

FTSE 250 - Fallers

Cobham (COB) 133.00p -17.19%

Countryside Properties (CSP) 234.80p -2.69%

Hunting (HTG) 526.50p -2.32%

Inmarsat (ISAT) 680.00p -2.16%

Berkeley Group Holdings (The) (BKG) 2,402.00p -2.08%

Countrywide (CWD) 200.90p -1.86%

AO World (AO.) 172.50p -1.77%

Daejan Holdings (DJAN) 5,600.00p -1.50%

NCC Group (NCC) 215.90p -1.42%

Wetherspoon (J.D.) (JDW) 887.00p -1.39%
Ultra Electronics announced on Monday that its Ocean Systems business, based in Braintree, Massachusetts, has been awarded a contract valued at just over $6.6m from Lockheed Martin.

The FTSE 250 company said the deal was for the non-recurring engineering and production of the MK 48 Torpedo Array Nose Assembly as well as engineering services and spares.

Options to extend the contract for a further four years could increase the initial value to $27m.

Under this new contract, Ultra will provide fully integrated Array Nose Assemblies to increase the US Navy inventory of MK 48 torpedoes.

The MK 48 is used by all classes of US Navy submarines as their primary anti-submarine warfare and anti-surface warfare weapon, the board said, with potential for production orders from the Navy of more than 250 MK 48 torpedoes over the next five years.

I am pleased that Ultra has been awarded this contract, said chief executive Rakesh Sharma.

It reinforces Ultra's Ocean Systems position as a leader in the Undersea Warfare environment through the provision of highly complex acoustic products and capabilities to both the US Navy and international customers.
The contract, with the Hibernia Management and Development Company consortium, offers the potential for two further five-year extensions.

Wood Group, which announced a similar contract with HMDC in November 2014, did not say how much the contract would be worth.

Via its Eastern Canada operations, in St. Johns, Newfoundland & Labrador, the company will provide engineering, procurement, construction and maintenance services to the Hibernia platform.

Since first oil in 1997, Wood Group has been the incumbent contractor for many of these services on the Hibernia platform. The first producing field of Canadas East Coast, it has been a cornerstone of our business in the region," said Michele McNichol, CEO for Wood Groups Asset Life Cycle Solutions business in the Western Hemisphere.

This new contract demonstrates the confidence this key client has in our team. Wood Group has provided a high level of service, retained specific knowledge to the platform, and executed work safely with local talent  even in the harshest of environments.
The world's most sophisticated security experts have been bombarded with recruiting offers from UAE-based company Darkmatter, which bills itself as a major state security contractor  but people who've taken the bait say they were then told that they were being hired to weaponize huge arsenals of zero-day vulnerabilities so that the UAE can subject its own population to fine-grained, continuous surveillance.

Darkmatter denies this, but numerous near-hires say they had similar experiences with the company. The company has poached talent from some of the world's most respected tech firms, "including Google, Samsung, Qualcomm, McAfee, and even a co-founder of the encrypted messaging service Wickr" (disclosure: I am an advisor to Wickr).

Darkmatter has also acquired some of the other offshort contractors that did business with the UAE, creaming off their top engineering talent.

The main Darkmatter recruiter is an American named Victor Kouznetsov, who, hilariously, denied that he was Victor Kouznetsov when The Intercept called his cellphone ("When asked why his voicemail message gave his name as 'Victor,' he hung up.")

Most disturbing is that Darkmatter is seeking to become a certificate authority, which would allow it to stage undetectable man-in-the-middle attacks on most of the internet's security infrastructure, allowing it to eavesdrop on connections to financial institutions and corporate networks, to send out fake, poisoned software updates, and stage other attacks.

Darkmatter is believed to have hired the team behind the Stealth Falcon attack on human rights journalists.



Several researchers whom DarkMatter approached, including Margaritelli, confirmed they were specifically told they would be working on offensive operations. In Margaritelli's case, he was informed the company wanted to install a set of probes around Dubai, including base transceiver stations  equipment that allows for wireless communication between a device and a network  wireless access points, drones, surveillance cameras, and more. The probes could be installed by DarkMatter surreptitiously or facilitated by telecoms tacitly agreeing to the surveillance setup, and the company could attach an offensive implant directly onto the probes capable of intercepting and modifying digital traffic on IP, 2G, 3G, and 4G networks. Anyone with a cellphone or using a device to connect to a wireless network connected to one of the probes would be vulnerable to hacking and tracking. As Margaritelli explained it, the software DarkMatter originally designed to penetrate the probes "does not scale well enough" and therefore couldn't handle the massive amounts of traffic it would be intercepting  forcing the need for a second team of hackers to do the job. The company wanted him to help solve the problem. Margaritelli's account is the most revealing, but several other sources discussed similar projects proposed by DarkMatter, including researching and developing exploits for zero-day vulnerabilities, as well as deploying and developing some of the same stealth malware implants Margaritelli was asked to work on. DarkMatter asked one researcher, who has discovered and reported bugs to Facebook, Google, and other major technology companies, to use his vulnerability research "to allow them to have access on trusted domains." Basically, he would find a flaw in a website that would allow DarkMatter to manipulate it to help spread malware to targets without being detected. The researcher, who spoke anonymously, said he refused, even after getting an offer for more money, because, in contrast to DarkMatter's proposal, "what I'm doing is ethical hacking."

Spies for Hire [Jenna McLaughlin/The Intercept]

(Image: DarkMatter CEO Faisal Al Bennai)
Barclays is locked in negotiations with its African subsidiary about the details of their divorce, which analysts estimate could cost the British bank as much as 1bn. Having announced in March that it planned to sell down its controlling stake in its Johannesburg-listed African operation, Barclays now must agree the terms on which the two will split. - Financial Times

The European Union has given Belgiums federal government until late on Monday to secure backing for an EU-Canada trade deal from the region of Wallonia or a planned summit to sign the pact will be cancelled. European Council president Donald Tusk, who chairs the collective body of the EUs 28 national leaders, will speak to Belgian prime minister Charles Michel by late on Monday, an EU source told Reuters, so that Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau can decide whether to fly to Brussels for the signing on Thursday. - Guardian

Big banks are expected to take another 2 billion hit on payment protection insurance this week because of the longer time allowed for new claims. Lenders will make the provisions with quarterly results that will be scrutinised for the impact of Brexit on the economy, while the weakening pound and heightened market activity will also have an affect on results. - The Times

A verdict by a California judge last week may have opened up a new multibillion-dollar litigation risk for Deutsche Bank, the German bank still in the grip of settlement talks over mortgage-backed securities with the US Department of Justice. The risk relates to claims from a group of institutional investors that Deutsche should have done a better job as the administrator of trusts that held residential mortgage-backed securities in the years after the crisis. Lawyers for the investors  led by BlackRock  claim that as those assets plummeted in value, Deutsche had a duty to return them to the originators, and order them to replace them with better loans. - Financial Times

BAE Systems is today identified as the employer that will struggle the most to honour pension promises in an analysis of retirement provision by British companies. The defence group heads two out of four measures of potential strain in an assessment by Hymans Robertson, consulting actuaries. - The Times

A majority of the British public will back extra government spending on road, rail and housing to improve the countrys infrastructure, according to an exclusive poll for the Guardian that indicates strong support for Philip Hammond to boost public investment in next months autumn statement. Almost two-thirds of Britons agree the country is not doing enough to meet its infrastructure needs and 76% believe investment in infrastructure is vital to future economic growth.

An unlikely resurgence in the price of coal could deliver an $18 billion boost to the four big mining groups listed in London. Despite falling foul of increasingly stringent environmental regulations around the world, the unfashionable fuel has rebounded spectacularly this year, making it one of the best-performing commodities. - The Times

Investors from the worlds three largest economies are increasingly sceptical about doing deals in the UK due to uncertainty over Brexit, according to a report from one of the worlds top accounting firms. The UK dropped out of the top five global destinations for mergers and acquisitions for the first time in the seven-year history of the EY Global Capital Confidence Barometer survey. - Guardian

Companies across the EU would suffer more than double the hit from trade tariffs than their UK counterparts if Britain leaves Europe without a free trade deal, research from the right-of-centre thinktank Civitas says. It would cost EU businesses in the 27 remaining member states a total of some 12.9bn every year to export their goods into the UK if a deal is not reached with Europe and trade is conducted under World Trade Organisation rules, Civitas found. - Telegraph

Rolls-Royce has taken a step forward in developing more powerful and efficient jet engines for commercial passenger aircraft with successful tests of a vital component for its UltraFan design. The company has started tests of a powered gearbox linking the turbine at the back of the engine with the giant fan at the front. - Telegraph

Microsoft is to increase its prices by as much as 22pc in the UK because of sterlings recent decline, a rise that is likely to affect thousands of businesses and could cost the Governments tens of millions of pounds. The software giant is the latest big-name company to force through a post-referendum price rise, saying the move would harmonise its prices across Europe. - Telegraph

New European cars with petrol engines will be allowed to overshoot a limit on toxic particulates emissions by 50% under a draft EU regulation backed by the UK and most other EU states. Campaigners say that a simple 25 (22) filter could drastically cut the pollution, but it is understood that car-makers have instead mounted a successful push for loopholes and legislative delay. - Guardian

The new owners of BHS have unveiled plans to expand the department store overseas, six months after its UK operations collapsed into administration. Al Mana Group, a Qatari retail congolmerate which bought BHSs online and international operations from administrators in June, is in the final stages of agreeing contracts with three new franchise partners in Africa, the Middle East and Europe. - Telegraph
Shares in Petra Diamonds shined bright at the start of the week as the outfit reported what one analyst described as first quarter results which were "very much in-line" with expectations.

Significantly, the company said it was still on track to turn cash-flow positive in the first half of the 2017 financial year, as its capital expenditures decline. Full-year production guidance was also unchanged at between 4.4m ct and 4.6m ct.

Wizz Air was caught in the updraft from a positive recommendation change from UBS on rival easyJet.

The Swiss broker upped its view on the stock of the budget airline carrier from 'neutral' to 'buy', although it trimmed its target price from 1,070p to 1,050p.

"Shares are pricing in material future value destruction  we dont think this will be the case," analyst Jarrod Castle said in a research report dated 24 October.

Castle also said the stock now looked "attractive" following its "material" de-rating and the risks to the carrier's 2017 earnings forecasts now looked "balanced".

NCC and Hunting were among the worst performers to the downside on follow-through selling from the previous week.

Stock in cyber security and risk mitigation group NCC continued to slide after warning on 20 October that profit growth would be "more biased towards the second half of the year than initially expected".

On that occassion, management warned that profits growth will be hit by "a number of setbacks" in its core IT assurance division that included the cancellation of three large contracts, the deferral of another and delays with renewals of some contracts in managed services.

Hunting meantime continued to fall back after analysts at UBS called time on share price gains for the European oilfield services sector - after an approximate 30% rise since January - in a note issued on 21 October.

In the previous week, stock in Hunting had reached the 50% Fibonacci retracement of the share price plunge seen since October 2014.
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Why national Republicans are pinning hopes on Ohio Senate race

While the GOP deals with unpredictable races in states such as Pennsylvania, Republicans hope Ohio will show up for Senate candidate J.D. Vance.
Subscriber content preview

By PATRICK WHITTLE

Associated Press

PORTLAND, Maine  A property owner was acquitted Friday of manslaughter in a building fire that killed six people but was convicted of a code violation in converted attic rooms described by prosecutors as death traps.

Gregory Nisbet was found not guilty of the most serious charges of manslaughter, which carry a penalty of up to 30 years in prison. He was also acquitted of some lesser charges but was convicted for not having adequate means of escape from third-floor rooms.





. . .
With deals over $12 billion in hand, Moscow seems to be looking for wider defence ties with India, saying that Russia is not just a business partner but an "ally" who stood by India in its "darkest hours". Russia last week signed a number of defence agreements with India, including leasing of a second nuclear submarine, and hopes to bag more projects from its perpetual ally. Reports say, after last month's sabotage in which an Australian newspaper published technical details of the French submarine project in India (See: More Scorpene papers surface; sacked sub-contractor blamed), Russia is eying a multi-billion dollar deal for P75-I project of India under which six conventional submarines are to be built with Air Independent Propulsion systems. Russia also hopes to secure another aircraft carrier project besides the deal to jointly develop a fifth generation fighter aircraft. There is no limit to what India and Russia can do together, a top Russian defence official said, adding that neither the US nor the Europeans can match what Moscow can and has offered India. "We are ready not just to deliver most serious weapons, most important weapons but continue to give our state of art technology," a PTI report quoting Sergei Chemezov, CEO of Rostec State Corporation, an umbrella organisation of 700 hi-tech civilian and military firms, as saying. "Russia is a friend, an ally and not a business partner. Russia stood by India during its darkest hours. Next year will mark 70 years of our relationship. It is a long time," he said and noted that Russia had stood by India when it faced sanctions after the 1998 nuclear tests. "And, in the recent past, when India was under sanctions, we were pretty much the only partner for India. "Russia has been a partner not only in every day military supplies but also most sensitive and most important supplies, including a nuclear submarine which was rented to India for you to use," said Chemezov who is also a close aide of Russian President Vladmir Putin. "Come to think about it, I would not imagine any other country to do that, he said. Not in the past or in the future. I cannot imagine US or Europe giving India such a strategic asset," he said when asked about the tough competition that US and Europe are giving to Russia in the Indian defence market. He also pointed out that Russia not only leased out a nuclear powered submarine, but has also actively helped India in the building its own indigenous nuclear submarine, INS Arihant, which has been inducted into the Indian Navy. "It is a very special year for us and will be marked by major projects and things are starting already," Chemezov said. He, however, admitted that there has been some decline in Moscow's defence supplies to India and that US and some European countries have managed to strike mega deals with India which the Russians were also competing for. "It is not a linear sort of relationship. We feel that ties are definitely developing and increasing," he said. But, he said, not only has Russia delivered high value equipment but has also collaborated with India on developing strategic assets. He cited the example of the deadly BrahMos missile, adding that in the late 1990s, Russia had transferred technology for Su30 MKI, India's frontline fighter aircraft. "At that point of time, it was our most modern equipment, our most modern plane. When we had actually signed that agreement, Russia did not even equip its air force with this. This was basically our newest highest technology. That shows and speaks about our relationship with India," he said.










US-funded activists working against Adani's coal project in Australia: report

The Australian government is worried over foreign funded activists working against the state's interests by thwarting efforts to exploit its natural resources and create jobs for millions.

Federal ministers and the Queensland Premier, Annastacia Palaszczuk, have warned of the danger posed by activists to jobs and investment in Australia.

Palaszczuk questioned the links of the so-called environment groups in Australia and their US funders to the chairman of Hillary Clinton's Democratic election campaign, John Podesta.

The Queensland premier's comments follow Indian power minister Piyush Goyal's revelations that the years of legal challenges to the vast Carmichael coal project have been funded by multi-million-dollar foundations in the US, which, he said, ''will certainly dampen future investments'' from India.

After a meeting with Goyal, Australian federal Resources Minister Matt Canavan, who has previously criticised the campaign to block the Indian project, said, ''We need to be able to take advantage of the demand for coal in Asia.''

Coal is in demand in Asia, including India and China, and any denial of mining rights in Australia or elsewhere would curb that demand. India and China will look for cheaper alternatives to Australian coal, which could only worsen the level of pollution.

Goyal also said while large Indian projects in Australia would help expand investment here, India's growing demand for coal could be met from other sources, such as Indonesia and South Africa.

''So it is not as if coal is not available; coal is available from other parts of the world. It is up to Australia to decide whether they want to expand their economy, whether they want to create jobs in their states, or whether they want to forgo that business altogether,'' he said.

It is estimated the Adani project would create up to 10,000 jobs in its construction phase.

Writing in The Australian on Sunday, Minerals Council of Australia executive director Brendan Pearson said foreign funds have been used ''to initiate vexatious legal challenges and cynically induce objections from indigenous groups while using every ruse to avoid disclosure of the source of the funds''. He raised questions about the knowledge of these strategies ''by one of Washington DC's ultimate political insiders''.

Meanwhile, John Hepburn, the executive director of the Sunrise Project, the US-funded, Australia-based campaign leader against Adani, on Saturday said he did not know his emails were passed on to Hilary Clinton's campaign manager Podesta and denied a ''link'' with the Democrats.

The Weekend Australian revealed that ''progressive'' US foundations were funding opposition to the Adani project and passing reports from Sunrise Australia, which was using legal challenges and advice to indigenous groups against the mine, to Mrs Clinton's campaign chairman, Podesta.

In August last year environmentalists won a court fight against Adani over the protection of a skink and a snake (See: Australian court revokes approval for Adani's $12.2 bn Carmichael coal mine), but last month the Indian company won the latest round in the Federal Court. Goyal said India had to develop its economy and provide cheap power to hundreds of millions of people, yet faced opposition from ''environmentalists and so-called NGOs''.

''We are trying to tackle them. We are looking at their sources of funding seriously,'' he said. ''It is time other parts of the world get together and take this up as a challenge. I need to get electricity to those 200 million who don't have electricity. I need to make sure that electricity is affordable.''

Goyal declined to comment on links between the Australian Sunrise Project, the Sandler Foundation and the US Democrats.

Senator Canavan said, ''Asian countries want our resources and our coal. China and Japan already take a lot and India wants more. We need to be able to take advantage of that demand.''

''That a major US philanthropist has been emailing the senior adviser to the likely next US president about the expansion of coalmining in Australia highlights a major diplomatic risk for the Turnbull government,'' Hepburn said, adding that the risk was ''that a Clinton administration will hold a mirror to Australia's climate inaction and pursuit of new coal reserves''.

''It is no surprise that the ongoing expansion of coalmining in Australia is on the radar of Clinton's most senior adviser.

''While the world is ratifying the Paris climate agreement in record time, Australia is becoming a global embarrassment for being the first developed country to go backwards on climate policy.

''With the UN climate conference in Marrakesh only weeks away, this leak adds to the wider pattern of international concern over Australia's failure to meet our international obligations and dogged commitment to give special treatment to the coal industry while the rest of the world rapidly shifts to clean energy. Of course we and other environmental groups are fighting tooth and nail to stop the Adani project.''

The Sunrise Project boasted in its secret briefings passed to Podesta that it was trying to hide its funding sources from the Australian parliament.

Australia's elected government, as John Howard pointed out, cannot decide what mining projects are to be opened up in the country and the circumstances in which they open. Such authority has been usurped by overseas governments (including prospective US presidents or their staff), self-appointed meddling international activists or local vigilante ''lawfare'' litigants funded by activists.


With possibly as few as 4,000 snow leopards surviving in the wild, a shock report from TRAFFIC has found that hundreds of the endangered big cats are being killed by poachers each year across their range in Asia's high mountains. Snow Leopard mother and cub.  David Lawson / WWF-UK According to the report there could be as few as 4,000 of the cats left in the wild as they are being illegally shot and trapped in alarming numbers. Snow leopards have one of the most luxuriant and desirable of all fur pelts, which are sold for a small fortune on the black market. The animals weigh a little more than a Labrador retriever but are fast, powerful and intelligent, a combination that gives them the advantage over prey three times their size. Livestock have become an easy target for the animals across a range that stretches over 12 Asiatic nations where human populations are rising and once remote mountain habitats are being turned to grazing pastures.



The new report from TRAFFIC, the wildlife trade monitoring network, showed that killing snow leopards for their silvery dappled coats could fetch a hunter a year's wages by selling one leopard pelt, though hunting now accounts for fewer deaths than from human conflict. According to the TRAFFIC report, the majority of snow leopards have been killed in retaliation for attacks on livestock (55 per cent) or by non-targeted methods, such as snares (18 per cent), with only 21 per cent of snow leopards poached specifically for the illegal trade in their pelts and products. The highly camouflaged snow leopard is found across 12 countries including China, Bhutan, Nepal, India, Pakistan, Mongolia, Tajikistan and Russia. The animals have thick hairy coats and furry feet, which enable them to survive in the harsh cold. According to the study, the animals, which normally live at altitudes between 1,000 and 5,400 metres above sea level had been poached at the rate of 221 to 450 every year since 2008. "We think that what most observations, seizure records and expert opinion shows is that the majority is still happening because of retaliatory killing," said James Compton from Traffic, BBC reported.










Deutsche Banks potential fine of $14 billion proposed by the U.S. Justice Department to settle allegations concerning mortgaged backed securities sold before the financial crisis by Deutsche Banks U.S. unit. The largest U.S. banks have already settled, and Deutsche Banks fine would not be the largest one. Volkswagens nightmare legal situation in the U.S., and, to a lesser extent, in other countries, as a result of VW's dieselgate fraud. Acquisition of German robotics company Kuka by Chinese firm Midea. Proposed acquisition of lighting specialist Osram by Chinese firm Sanan Optoelectronics.





EVs vs Big Oil: A move away from oil as a transportation fuel could send global oil majors, such as ExxonMobil, Chevron, Total, and Royal Dutch Shell, into an investor death spiral, says a new report by Fitch Ratings. Transportation accounts for 55% of oil consumption. Widespread adoption of battery-powered vehicles is a serious threat to the oil industry ... [and] could tip the oil market from growth to contraction earlier than anticipated.-- : A move away from oil as a transportation fuel could send global oil majors, such as ExxonMobil, Chevron, Total, and Royal Dutch Shell, into an investor death spiral, says a new report by Fitch Ratings. Transportation accounts for 55% of oil consumption. Widespread adoption of battery-powered vehicles is a serious threat to the oil industry ... [and] could tip the oil market from growth to contraction earlier than anticipated.-- FitchRatings.com

Apple AAPL Oct 25 5:00pm EDT

Neustar NSR Oct 27 4:30pm EDT

Alphabet GOOG Oct 27 4:30pm EDT

Verisign VRSN Oct 27 4:30pm EDT

Twitter TWTR Oct 27 5:00pm EDT

Amazon AMZN Oct 27 5:30pm EDT

Some German CEOs reportedly want a(Germany Inc.). Deutschland AG was a network of banks, insurance companies, and industrial companies in the latter half of the 20th century, largely dismantled in the 1990s. BDIs Kerber toldRelations withhave become increasingly difficult, these executives are reported to have said, as foreign firms cannot start their own subsidiaries in China but have to do it with local partners in joint ventures, and even then, technology transfers are required, plus foreign firms cannot takeover Chinese firms but are only allowed to buy stakes in them.(to take just one example), has continuously been following its own nationalistic and protectionist policies, why has the World Trade Organization (WTO) and its other member nations allowed it to do so? The rise of nationalism and protectionism, in large part, is a reaction to the failure of the World Trade Organization (WTO), and other nations (U.S. included), to hold China (and others) accountable. We may be at aif EU-Canada Trade Deal Fails:"On a global level, the school of thought that the health of railroad stocks tracks the health of the overall economy may hold true.Boris Schlossberg, managing director of FX strategy at BK Asset Management, said Thursday on "Power Lunch." Schlossberg pointed to a miss in industrial production in China this week, a "massive" miss in Australia's employment numbers and central bank leaders' recent warnings about, referring to recent remarks by Bank of Canada Governor Stephen Poloz.Schlossberg said."-- CNBC.com , US recession storm gathers:| : Q3 2016 financial results coverage this coming week on
Australia's crash testing authority has rewarded Toyota for dragging its oldest product into the 21st century.

ANCAP has presented the brand with a five-star safety rating for its updated 70-Series four-wheel-drive, which now features traction and stability control as well as extra airbags.

The three-decade-old workhorse is a staple in rural and regional Australia, where its rugged underpinnings and reputation for reliability have earned a loyal following.

The updated model features a stronger body along with the addition of side curtain airbags, a driver's knee airbag, seat belt pretensioners and new seats to help it score a five star rating  but only in single cab chassis form, as other body styles have not been tested.

ANCAP chief executive James Goodwin praised Toyota's efforts.

"It is encouraging Toyota has responded to consumer demand, particularly from commercial and fleet buyers, and implemented design changes and safety upgrades to improve the LandCruiser safety rating," Goodwin says.

"Safety is a key consideration for everyday consumers and corporations with a significant proportion of businesses requiring minimum 5 star vehicle standards for not only their own fleets but also their contractors.

"This competitive pressure has resulted in a two-star jump for the LandCruiser 70 and will have a tangible effect on the safety of worksites and, more broadly, Australasia's vehicle fleet."
Dutch consultancy firm HKV has recently been appointed by the World Bank to implement the Oti flood risk hazard assessment project.

The project aims to build capacity at water authorities in Ghana and Togo, to determine the flood risk, the effectiveness of flood risk mitigation measures, both structural and non-structural, as well as to establish a flood early warning system.

Project stakeholders include Ghanaian and Togolese water authorities, meteorological institutes and disaster management authorities.

Upstream the Oti river forms the border between Burkina Faso and Benin, and downstream the border between Ghana and Togo (see photo).

Consultation stakeholders

A HKV team started consultation of relevant stakeholders in Accra (Ghana) and travelled onwards to Lome (Togo).



The assignment includes data collection, a field survey, modelling, the installation of a transboundary early warning system and training of national staff.

The project is expected to be completed by the end of 2017.

Volta river basin

The Oti river is a transboundary river in the Volta Basin. Its origin is in Benin, then it flows through the Northern part of Togo where some tributaries from Burkina Faso discharge into the river.

The river is part of the border between Togo and Ghana, and finally the Oti discharges in Lake Volta.

The project adds to the presence of HKV in the Volta Basin. HKV is active in this region since 2011, when it started a project on the White Volta, followed up by an early warning system for floods and drought for the National disaster management organisation (NADMO) of Ghana.

This news item was originally published on the website of HKV.

Read also on this website

 HKV launches four rainfall apps covering Ghana, Ethiopia, Malawi and Mozambique, 4 March 2016

 HKV and Royal HaskoningDHV to assist in development early warning system for floods and droughts in Ghana, 8 July 2014

 World Bank assigns Antea to assist India and Benin with integrated river basin and coastal projects, 12 September 2016

 Country: Ghana



More information

HKV

Lelystad, the Netherlands

+31 320 294242

www.hkv.nl/en
The founders of a healthcare organisation that operates in challenging and under-resourced environments have been jointly named 2016 Australian EY Entrepreneur Of The Year.

As the Australian winners, Dr Andrew Walker and Glenn Keys of Aspen Medical Pty Ltd will travel to Monaco in June, next year, to compete against national winners from more than 60 countries, for the chance to be named the 2017 EY World Entrepreneur Of The Year.

Founded by Dr Walker and Keys in 2003, Aspen Medical employs more than 2,200 healthcare professionals and support staff across Australasia, Africa, the United States, Europe and the Gulf Region.

Chair of the independent judging panel Josephine Sukkar, the co-owner and principal of Buildcorp, said Dr Walker and Keys stood out from other finalists due to their organisations capacity to drive economic and social change on a global scale.

Aspen Medical is an extraordinary business with the potential to make a huge impact in the health sector, she said.

Andrew and Glenn design solutions to problems in a way that can move the world forward. It is an innovative and noble Australian business with global reach.

Five other Australian entrepreneurs took home national trophies at the ceremony held at Sydneys Star Casino, last Thursday.

Emerging category  Tim Gurner, GURNER

Social entrepreneur  Bec Scott, STREAT

Technology category  Ray Dennis, Lightforce Australia

Industry category  Radek Sali, Swisse Wellness

EY Family Business Award of Excellence  The Honan Family, Manildra Group

EY Oceania CEO and Area Managing Partner Tony Johnson congratulated the winners, saying at a time when innovation and entrepreneurialism is top of mind for the Australian government and business community, there is much to be celebrated.

The quality and creativity of the finalists this year is proof of the overwhelming potential of Australian businesses and entrepreneurs, he said.

The entrepreneurial spirit and bold efforts of Dr Andrew Walker and Glenn Keys are to be applauded. Aspen Medical combines philanthropy with a service model that delivers affordable, efficient, and exceptionally high quality health solutions.

As businesses and governments respond to previously unimaginable levels of disruption, entrepreneurship has never been more important to our future. Recognising the contribution of leading entrepreneurs and empowering them to innovate is key to EYs purpose of building a better working world.

I congratulate not only the very deserving winners in each category, but also the finalists for continuing to raise the bar and driving our economy forward.

About the awards

The regional, national and global EY Entrepreneur Of The Year awards programs honour entrepreneurs whose ingenuity and perseverance have created and sustained successful, growing business ventures. Launched in 2001, the Australian awards program is conducted in five regions culminating in the national awards. For more information, visit www.ey.com/au/eoy.
There is something to be said about youth who manage to escape harsh realities imposed upon them by inhumane systems, by imagining a way forward, a more beloved community. The children who go without water, who dont have enough to eat, who move between homes or schools many times before they leave their adolescence, yet somehow find enough humanity in their souls to keep creating.

I can recall the day I made a working lamp for my bedroom out of a dish liquid bottle. I was in elementary school. I couldnt begin to recount the formula I used to create my concoction, but I do recall that at that time in my development, I had no knowledge of the impossible. I believed that whatever I wanted to do could be done. Whatever I wanted to create could be created. My imagination was powerful. It was the one space where I could escape any curveball life threw at me. And life did throw its share of curveballs my way.

Growing up in poverty in my early years, although very tough, afforded me an opportunity to see beyond what was present before me. By middle school I had handmade napkin holders, key chains, dollhouses with popsicle sticks and lots of other cool items, that I would actually use at home. I was lucky enough to have teachers who nurtured a space that allowed me and the other learners in my classes to innovate. A space that allowed us to discover our talents and imagine our solutions. I have been an artist for as long as I can think back, so I didnt always appreciate the academic portion of school. Ive always valued the skills I learned in my woodshop, home economics and newspaper classes. They helped me to build character and taught me life skills that I still use today. Its unfortunate that this creative energy is not a priority in every academic institution. It has been proven that the cookie cutter testing model has failed so many of our children. So, no matter what we feel about an institution, children exist inside of them and our focus must be on them.

A couple of years ago, I was invited to visit the Brightmoor Maker Space at Detroit Community High School by teacher Bart Eddy. When I arrived I was immediately nostalgic. I witnessed Black children building rain barrels, making wooden signs for neighbors in their community, rehabbing and turning trikes into fruit and vegetable delivery tricycles, and designing and printing their own t-shirts. The young people showed so much pride in what they were doing and were very knowledgeable about the importance of their new skillsets.

I was so impressed that I invited the students to showcase their work at the New Work New Culture Conference I co-organized in Detroit with the James and Grace Lee Boggs Center to Nurture Community Leadership and other community partners in 2014. The students designed a custom trike as well as t-shirts for the conference, and taught young people and adults who visited their station some of their skills. It was wonderful to watch their interactions.

In early 2015, I received a call from Bart telling me that the young people felt compelled to do something about the water crises in Detroit and Flint. They had been donated some industrial trikes by the UAW and wanted to use them to help support people without water. Bart invited me to speak to the students about the water crises and I accepted. I spent a half-day with the students and instructors, and by the time I left that day, they were well on their way to designing a water filtration trike. Brightmoor Makerspace agreed to donate the first trike beyond their prototype to We the People of Detroit, an organization that has done tremendous work supporting the efforts of residents in Detroit, Flint and other cities across the globe that are struggling with a water crisis. They recently produced the book, Mapping the Water Crisis: The Dismantling of African American Neighborhoods in Detroit, through the We the People of Detroit Research Collective.

I was ecstatic about the possibilities of the water filtration trike when I left the Brightmoor Maker space that day, but had no idea what the trike would become.

A few months ago, I received an email update from Bart and I could sense the joy in his print.

The great thing about this project is that it has been a truly collective and imaginative effort on the part of students and instructors to connect with a real community need with global implications i.e. Climate Change. It also addresses the more immediate needs of residential water shut offs in Detroit and the lead water crisis in Flint . . . There is much more that can be said, but I will leave that for a further letter.

The intergenerational team who calls themselves the Water Cyclers have since completed their prototype and are currently working on their first production model for donation to We the People of Detroit.



Photo credit: Brightmoor Makerspace, used with permission

Through this project, the students of DCH have been able to collaborate with The Stamps School of Art Design at University of Michigan, Ross School of Business, community activists and many others who have invested in helping them to see their vision forward.

A bit about the Renewable Energy Industrial Trike:

Battery-operated electronic assist

Solar-charged

Dual water purification with battery powered pump

Can be connected to rain barrel water collection systems

Through the innovation of this trike, the students are not only attempting to address the issue of clean water, but they are attempting to tackle the issue of immobility that ironically plagues the motor city by creating a trike that can travel up to 30 miles per hour.

Of course, this is just the beginning for this dynamic team, but be on the look out for more from these brilliant young minds, as they teach us that no idea is too large when you have a big enough imagination and a village that supports you.
As I mentioned in our podcast last week, we have some very exciting news this morning. I am thrilled announce the addition of our newest member of Team Eclectablog, Tawana Honeycomb Petty of Detroit. Its hard to improve on the bio from her website so Im simply going to reproduce it in part here:

Tawana Honeycomb Petty is a mother, anti-racist social justice organizer, youth advocate, poet and author. She was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan and is intricately involved in water rights, digital justice and visionary organizing work. She is the past recipient of the Spirit of Detroit Award, the Woman of Substance Award, the Women Creating Caring Communities Award, the Detroit Awesome Award, the Black Law Student Associations Justice Honoree Award, and was recognized as one of Whos Who in Black Detroit in 2013 and 2015. Tawana is a board member of the James and Grace Lee Boggs Center to Nurture Community Leadership, a Data Justice Community Researcher for the Detroit Community Technology Project, a Detroit Equity Action Lab (DEAL) Fellow, a member of Detroiters Resisting Emergency Management, and The Detroit Digital Justice Coalition.

As an organizer, Tawana has organized a vast array of social justice initiatives bringing together thousands to advocate for social justice and create alternatives and solutions.

In 2014, she spoke with comrades on water rights issues at the United Nations in New York on International Peace Day and in 2015, and was a featured speaker at the School of Americas Watch Vigil (SOA Watch Vigil) in Georgia.

Also known as Honeycomb on stage, she is the author of Introducing Honeycomb and Coming Out My Box.

Here is a video of Tawana on-stage:

Id like to personally thank Monica Lewis-Patrick for connecting me and Tawana.

I sat down with Tawana for a short interview to introduce her to our readers. Later this morning shell publish her first piece. Please give her a hearty Eclectablog welcome.

Welcome to Team Eclectablog! Ive already described the work you do and some of the amazing awards that youve won and its an impressive list. Tell us a bit about your art, what a Honeycomb performance looks like, what types of topics you get into.

Pretty much no topic is off limits in my art. Whatever I am experiencing at the time, emotionally, politically, spiritually, its covered in my art. Ive been writing poems since I was 7 years old. I used to think that I was practicing escapism in my art, but realized as I got older, that I often brought the things I was trying to escape with into my art with me.

In addition to being an artist, youre also a passionate activist. Talk about what motivates your activism and what sorts of issues you are involved with.

Im involved in water rights, digital justice, womens rights, and youth advocacy work in Detroit, but I try to connect a lot of my work with whats going on globally. Im motivated by a passion to leave this world better than I received it, better than my son received it, better than we all received it. Ive gotta believe that we have yet to experience the world we all deserve. Im committed to doing my part, however small, to get us there.

Do you consider yourself an artist who engages in activism or an activist who does art?

Its funny you ask that. Im always thinking about this. I teach workshops called, Poetry As Visionary Resistance, because I firmly believe that my art is also part of my activism. Some people call that artivism. Toni Cade Bambara said, The role of the artist is to make revolution irresistible. I strive to embody that role.

What is your proudest achievement for your art, for your activism, and in your personal life? It can be three different things!

My proudest achievement for my art has been the recent release of my 2nd book, Coming Out My Box and the production of my one woman show of the same name. I decided to do both on my 40th birthday. I was super nervous and cancelled the show in my head about 20 times. Luckily, I mustered up the courage to go through with it. It was an incredibly transformative experience. I am also proud that Ive consistently being given opportunities to share my art as activism, to teach my workshops.

In my personal life, my consistently proud moment has been watching my son grow from a wonderfully brilliant and compassionate young person into a wonderfully brilliant and compassionate adult.

What types of things do you see yourself writing about at Eclectablog?

I see myself sharing the stories of the voices who are often absent from dominant narrative, including the true voices of Detroiters. I am also a risk taker. Sometimes the stories I write arent the most popular, but I pride myself on being truthful and keeping humanity at the center.

If you could be doing anything you want in five years, what would that be?

I can see myself becoming more of a full-time artist/educator, teaching more workshops, writing more books and performing. There is nothing more rewarding than nurturing the glow of inspiration in young minds and hearts.

Whats one interesting thing about you that most people dont know?

I have 5 tattoos. I used to think Id never get another one, but Ive been tempted to add a bit more body art lately.
Perhaps still reeling from whats widely viewed as the bruising he took in a debate watched by more than 80 million people on TV earlier this week  countless more online  Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump on Wednesday opened a campaign rally with a previously discredited attack.

Trump began his speech at the Waukesha, Wisconsin, event by touting an online Google poll that showed him up two points nationwide  but then followed that by saying Googles search engine was biased in favor of his Democratic rival, Hillary Clinton.

Google was manipulating search results to suppress negative stories about her, Trump claimed.

Trump did not elaborate on the basis for his accusation or indicate whether his campaign had made any formal complaint about the issue. Campaign officials did not respond to our request for further details.

Debunked Conspiracy Theory

The allegation echoes a conspiracy theory that surfaced after Clinton clinched the Democratic nomination earlier this year. In brief, it accuses Google of meddling with its autocomplete algorithm to prevent negative results from turning up in response to searches of Hillary Clintons name.

However, Googles autocomplete feature is designed to avoid completing name searches with offensive or inappropriate material regardless of who is the subject of the search, explained Tamar Yehoshua, vice president of product management for Google Search, in a post published in response to those charges.

Autocompletion is not an exact science, and the output of prediction algorithms depends in part on the popularity and freshness of search terms, Yehoshua wrote.

Those making the accusations had suggested there was a conspiracy between the Clinton campaign and Eric Schmidt, chairman of Google parent Alphabet and a supporter of President Obama.

A Google spokeperson declined to comment on Trumps Wednesday remark but pointed to the companys earlier denials of bias and its explanation of the autocomplete feature.

Clinton campaign officials did not respond to our request to comment for this story.

Difficult to Pin Down

Trumps accusation is so vague, it is hard to say just what we are talking about, let alone whether it has any merit, Rick Edmonds, media business analyst at the Poynter Institute, told the E-Commerce Times.

It is unlikely that an outside party can predict with any degree of accuracy whether Googles algorithms are biased one way or the other, suggested Kevin Krewell, principal analyst at Tirias Research.

Googles news aggregation service also is based on algorithms, as are a great many online information services.

Its impossible to make a definitive analysis of whether Googles news feed has a bias against Donald Trump, Krewell told the E-Commerce Times, but Googles news feed is based on an algorithm which likely weighs the relative importance of the sources.

The news algorithm, therefore, would favor widely read sources and more reliable sources over smaller, less established niche sites.

Facebook Brouhaha

A controversy over Facebooks alleged algorithm-tampering erupted earlier this year, following publication of an inside story accusing staff of manipulating its Trending Topics.

Human team members were curating the feed, according to the report, downplaying certain information that came from politically conservative outlets.

The company conducted an internal investigation and found no systematic effort to manipulate trending topics. However, after sitting down with a group of conservatives, including media pundits and officials, CEO Mark Zuckerbergagreed to make several changes in how it compiled the Trending Topics.

For example, Facebook ended the policy of relying on outside websites or news outlets to determine whether stories were worthy of inclusion.
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By Nadia Prupis

More than 80 people were arrested in North Dakota Saturday, as police armed with pepper spray descended on a protest near the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL) construction site.

Riot police at Saturdays prayer protest. Rob Wilson

The 83 water protectors were hit with charges ranging from rioting to criminal trespass, according to the Morton County sheriffs department. The Bismarck Tribune reported:

Kellie Berns, a protester who hung back behind a fence at the scene, said she received reports of people being pepper-sprayed and thrown to the ground and described law enforcement as being more aggressive than in past incidents. She said protesters were encircled by police as they walked onto the site.

People came back very distressed, she said of those who returned to the fence following the demonstration. The pipeline is getting a lot closer, so the stakes are getting higher.

Protests against DAPL have been ongoing for months, as the Standing Rock Sioux, along with other tribes and environmental activists, say the $3.8 billion, 1,100-mile pipeline threatens their access to clean water and violates Native American treaty rights.

Last week, riot charges against Democracy Now! host Amy Goodman were dismissed after she turned herself in to North Dakota police. An arrest warrant was issued after Goodmans crew videotaped a private security team hired by the pipeline company assaulting peaceful protesters with attack dogs and pepper spray. Meanwhile, documentary filmmaker Deia Schlosberg faces up to 45 years in prison for reporting on the protests.

This string of arrests constitutes nothing less than a war on journalism and a victory for fossil fuel interests that have banked on the pipeline, Food & Water Watch Executive Director Wenonah Hauter said last week.

Saturdays arrests follow reports of escalating police abuse at the protest sites, including beatings and unnecessary strip-searches of those arrested.

On Twitter, Ojibwe activist and attorney Tara Houska wrote:

Journalists, attorneys, indigenous protectors arrested & maced while demonstrating today. Whose interest is North Dakota protecting? #NoDAPL pic.twitter.com/xZaVGxiUJ3  tara houska  (@zhaabowekwe) October 22, 2016

Construction on the pipeline is continuing despite a request from the federal government to put a halt on activity so that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers can properly consider objections.

UPDATE:

On Sunday morning, water protectors took back unceded territory affirmed in the 1851 Treaty of Ft. Laramie as sovereign land under the control of the Oceti Sakowin, erecting a frontline camp of several structures and tipis on Dakota Access property. This new established camp is 2.5 miles north of the Cannon Ball River, directly on the proposed path of the Dakota Access Pipeline.

According to Honor the Earth:

To ensure the protection of this new camp from overtly militarized law enforcement, water protectors have established two road blockades. One north of the Frontline Camp, on Highway 1806, and another immediately west of Highway 1806, on county road 134.

Police have discharged weapons, using rubber bullets to shoot down drones being used to document the police activity and actions.

This frontline camp is located on the final three miles of the proposed pipeline route, before it connects with the drill pad that will take the pipeline beneath the Missouri River. Active construction of the Dakota Access pipeline is two miles west of this frontline camp. Oceti Sakowin water protectors continue an on-going pledge to halt active construction as frequently as possible.

Today, the Oceti Sakowin has enacted eminent domain on DAPL lands, claiming 1851 treaty rights, Mekasi Camp-Horinek, an Oceti Sakowin camp coordinator, said.

This is unceded land. Highway 1806 as of this point is blockaded. We will be occupying this land and staying here until this pipeline is permanently stopped. We need bodies and we need people who are trained in non-violent direct action. We are still staying non-violent and we are still staying peaceful.

We have never ceded this land, Joye Braun of Indigenous Environmental Network said. If DAPL can go through and claim eminent domain on landowners and Native peoples on their own land, then we as sovereign nations can then declare eminent domain on our own aboriginal homeland. We are here to protect the burial sites here. Highway 1806 has become the no surrender line.

Reposted with permission from our media associate Common Dreams.
Have scientists figured out the mystery of the Bermuda Triangle? Thats the claim that is going viral on the internet following the discovery of strange, hexagonal clouds at the western tip of the triangle.

Science Channel screenshot

According to a Science Channel documentary, the clouds were captured by satellites over the Bahamas peaking meteorologists interest. The shape of the clouds appeared to have straight edges which, meteorologists say, is not normal.

You dont typically see straight edges with clouds, Dr. Steve Miller, satellite meteorologist at Colorado State University, said. Most of the time, clouds are random in their distribution.

The clouds, measuring between 20 and 50 miles across, have also been found in the North Sea in Europe and are believed to create air bombs, formed by microbursts of air that blast out of the bottom of the cloud and hit the ocean creating massive waves and sea-level winds at up to 170 mph.

not the case.

NBC meteorologist Kevin Corriveau didnt even seem convinced that the clouds seen in the Bahamas would create air bombs.

When I look at a hexagonal cloud shape in the Bahamas, this is not the cloud signature of what a microburst looks like, he told NBC News. You would normally have one large to extremely large thunderstorm that wouldnt have an opening in the middle.

Rather, he said, the odd shapes could be due to the small islands of the Bahamas heating the air differently than the long coastline of Florida, creating erratic weather patterns.

The Bermuda Trianglea region of ocean bordered by Florida, Bermuda and Puerto Ricohas gained notoriety over the past century as the location many ships and aircrafts reportedly disappear without a trace.

Violent weather has been blamed for mysterious disappearances in the Bermuda Triangle before, along with other explanations ranging from compass problems, the Gulf Stream, methane hydrates that can reduce the density of the water and sink ships, and even paranormal activity.

While this theory adds to the discussion, there is still much more to learn about its occurrence and effect in the area of the Bermuda Triangle.
By Laura Goldman

In the desert near Scottsdale, the new tourist attraction Dolphinaris Arizona opened for business on Oct. 15. Customers will pay hundreds of dollars for the opportunity to swim with its three captive dolphins.

How did those dolphins get there? They were flown from Hawaii by FedEx.

Two activists from the nonprofit advocacy group, Animal Rights Hawaii, went inside a FedEx cargo warehouse at the Honolulu Airport in late September and filmed a container holding the dolphins. The video was posted on the Animal Rights Hawaii Facebook page.

The dolphins were likely kept inside the shipping crate for at least 12 hours, based on the flight itinerary.

I think it was definitely shocking for a lot of people to see that FedEx is transferring live animals in a box, Alexis Thomas of Animal Rights Hawaii told Hawaii News Now.

The dolphins were provided by Dolphin Quest, a swim-with-dolphins company with two locations in Hawaii and one in Bermuda.

Ive been with these animals since they were born, Michelle Campbell, Dolphin Quests vice president of animals, told Hawaii News Now. Theyre second-generation dolphins under our care and no one cares more about them than we do.

But Alexis Thomas, who took the video, said one of the dolphins was showing signs of stress.

The Dolphin Quest trainers were consoling the animal, who seemed to be in obvious distress, likely from the confinement of the box that it was in, of course, all of the noises that were happening, the fear of the unknown, she told Hawaii News Now.

Once their flight began, the dolphins were likely bombarded with foreign sounds, sensations, changing air pressure during flights and are known to vocalize and thrash out in fear, Lisa Arnseth, co-founder of Dolphin Free AZ, told CBS 5.

The dolphins scary experience didnt end when they finally landed in Arizona the next morning. The three are now part of the interactive Dolphin Swim Experience at Dolphinaris Arizona.

Learn About Dolphins by Shaking Their Fins and Rubbing Their Tummies

Join the pod! Youll love our dolphin swims, says the website. Swim with our dolphins in shallow water. Then interact by shaking a dolphins fin, listening to their unique sounds and learning about their amazing evolutionary adaptions for life in water or simply caressing a dolphins back or tummy!

This is the firstand hopefully lastDolphinaris tourist attraction in the U.S. There are also several locations in Mexico, where the company is based. CBS 5 reports that its newest facility is regulated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, but is not bound by state-level regulation, which is troubling.

Dolphinaris Arizona is described on its website as unique in design with an emphasis on providing animals variable enrichment and habitat. The only thing enriching about places like this that allow people to swim with dolphins are all those tourist dollars going into the owners pockets.

As for the habitat, summer temperatures in Scottsdale average in the triple digits. But no worries! The Dolphinaris Arizona website notes that there are shades over the habitat, though some direct sun is natural and healthy for dolphins. I dont understand what is natural and healthy about the desert sun beating down on these captive dolphins.

Not only is the heat an issue, but allowing people to swim with dolphins has been proven to have a negative impact on these animals. The stress has caused behavioral abnormalities, illness and lowered resistance to disease and death, according to Whale and Dolphin Conservation. For these reasons, TripAdvisor recently did the right thing and stopped booking tickets to attractions that allow people to interact with captive wild animals.

More Than 167,000 Care2 Members Opposed Dolphinaris Arizona

As soon as Dolphinaris Arizona announced it planned to open in Scottsdale, animal lovers began to protest. More than 167,000 Care2 members signed a petition urging the CEO not to open the tourist attraction. Their signatures were hand-delivered on Oct. 16.

Regardless of the petition and the fact that similar tourist attractions like SeaWorld are experiencing huge drops in attendance, Dolphinaris Arizona opened for business anyway. Hopefully, anyone who cares about the welfare of animals will boycott it and tell everyone they know to boycott it as well.

And as for FedEx, the company needs to follow in TripAdvisors footsteps and stop contributing to this cruel industry by transporting animals held in captivity. Please join more than 121,000 Care2 members who have signed and shared this petition telling FedEx to stop transporting live dolphins for the captivity industry.

Reposted with permission from our media associate Care2.
Earths abundant inner heat, or geothermal energy, has incredible potential as a renewable energy source. For traditional geothermal projects, hot rocks produce steam for turbines. Over in Iceland, however, a consortium of researchers and companies want to dig much, much deeper into Earths crust in order to explore the renewable energy potential of molten magma.

Iceland is drilling the worlds hottest hole to harness energy from molten magma Flickr

The

Iceland Deep Drilling Project (IDDP) is drilling a 5-kilometer (3.1-mile) hole into old lava flows in the Reykjanes, a region in southwest Iceland filled with geothermal sites. Once drilling is complete by the end of 2016, the Nordic nation will be home to the hottest hole in the world with temperatures between 400 and 1,000 degrees Celsius (or 752-1,832 degrees Fahrenheit), according to New Scientist.

This effort is being led by Icelandic energy companies such as Hitaveita Sudurnesja, Landsvirkjun and Orkuveita Reykjavikur, as well as the National Energy Authority of Iceland.

Since Aug. 12, the IDDPs rigactually named Thorhas been drilling deep into a landward extension of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, an underwater mountain range that extends above sea level through the center of Iceland.

People have drilled into hard rock at this depth, but never before into a fluid system like this, Albert Albertsson, assistant director of a geothermal energy company involved in the project, explained to New Scientist.

At this depth, seawater that has penetrated the ocean bed has not only been superheated by magma, its also highly pressurized (more than 200 times atmospheric air pressure). The team expects to find water in the form of supercritical steam, aka dragon water, which is neither liquid nor steam but holds more heat energy than both.

Albertsson said that a well capable of harnessing this steam has an energy capacity of 50 megawatts, about 10 times more than a conventional geothermal well. Theoretically, IDDPs new well could power 50,000 homes compared to the 5,000 homes powered by a single geothermal well.

If they can get supercritical steam in deep boreholes, that will make an order of magnitude difference to the amount of geothermal energy the wells can produce, Arnar Gumundsson from Invest in Iceland, a government agency that promotes energy development, told New Scientist.

If this project this sounds a little dicey, as Motherboard explained, this isnt the first time IDDP has tapped into Icelandic lava power:

In 2009, an IDDP rig located in Krafla, northeast Iceland, accidentally struck a magma reservoir just over a mile underground. Excited about the prospects of new geothermal energy, the project partnered with Icelands National Power Company, and installed a perforated steel casing at the bottom of the well. This successfully allowed the flow of magma to create superheated, extremely pressurized steam at temperatures exceeding 800Fat the time, a world record for geothermal heat.

Power created by the Krafla borehole was never fed back into the grid, and the project was shuttered in 2012 after a critical valve needed repairing.

In the future, the success of this drilling and research project could lead to a revolution in the energy efficiency of high-temperature geothermal areas worldwide, said Wilfred Elders, a professor emeritus of geology at the University of California, Riverside who was involved in an earlier IDDP project.

According to DeSmogBlog, New Zealand, Indonesia, the Philippines, the U.S. and Mexico already have commercial geothermal plants.

Iceland, known for its numerous bubbling hot springs and geysers, already heats up to 90 percent of its homes and supplies about a third of its electricity with geothermal.
(Photo: ACSA (Anglican Church of Southern Africa).)Civil society and church leaders in Cape Town protest against corruption in South Africa on September 30, 2015

When the #FeesMustFall student-led movement started in South Africa one year ago it had strong public support, and even the top university administrations were sympathetic as well as the churches.

But the violence by the students who burned down university buildings and libraries and the reaction to it by the South African security forces saw the public reaction turn against the movment and the churches issuing calls for restraint.

National church leaders and other faith leaders in Johannesburg issued a statement Oct. 21 saying, "The current crisis in South Africa has gone beyond the 'fees must fall' and is in fact a constitutional crisis."

They said, "It manifests itself in leadership and political factional conflicts in public institutions  that creates instability and distract attention from the fundamental challenges: fighting poverty, creating employment and extending quality health services to all."

Political commentator Max du Preez had written in a newspaper column a few days earlier, "The 'revolution' on our campuses is not primarily about university fees any longer. Nor is it about the 'decolonization' of the curricula."

'EXTREME RACE RHETORIC'

Du Preez said, "A cue that this is not about fees any longer is the extreme race rhetoric we have witnessed the last few weeks, unlike anything we have ever seen.

"The legitimate struggle against whiteness and white privilege is being overtaken by a populist assault on white citizens. Some days #FeesMustFall sounds more like #WhitesMustFall.," said Du Preez noting that South Africa's white minority do not determine university fees, but the government does.

From the time the protests broke out at South African universities, Holy Trinity Church in Johannesburg had been a place of sanctuary for students fleeing violent protesters and police.

The Trinity church became internationally known early in October Father Graham Pugin, the Jesuit chaplain to the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, was shot in the face with a rubber bullet fired by police.

He was trying to stop heavily armed police in a riot control vehicle from entering the church's property. Behind him, in the car park, many students had sought refuge. The violence that had broken out made the area around the church look like a war zone.

Another Jesuit priest, Father Russell Pollitt from the Society of Jesus in South Africa issued a statement Oct. 20 saying the sanctuary had been violated.

He said the Society of Jesus (Jesuits) "strongly condemns" the disruption of the attempted dialogue and the chaos that ensued at the Holy Trinity Catholic Church' Braamfontein in Johannesburg.

"Holy Trinity has consistently attempted to create a space of neutrality and sanctuary in accordance with the long standing tradition of the Catholic Church. This safe and neutral space has been violated by those who declared God's house to be exclusively theirs."

"Since genuine attempts to dialogue and find a resolution to the crisis seem to have ended' Trinity is regrettably no longer available as a venue for meeting," he said.

The Southern African Catholic Bishops' Conference said in an Oct. 11 statement that the Catholic Church "agrees that the student protest has foundation."

The bishops said, "We are aware as a Church, of the inequality of opportunity for poor and competent students to access third level education."

They noted that as the protests had spread nationwide they had "assisted students with our limited resources", but they had been unable to help the "majority of the deserving students" we have not been able to help.

YEARNING FOR MORE EQUALITY IN ACCESS

The bishops said the students yearn for more equality in access to good education at university level and this they support.

"But we don't condone the violence, looting, and vandalizing of property by students and the use of force by police army.

"By now we feel that the students have made their protest. The whole society, other students, universities, and the government are very aware of the student's protest. It is time now for the disturbances to end and for the academic year to continue and for exams to be written.

"We feel that at this stage there is little more university authorities can do. In fact, they have generally shown themselves sympathetic to the students' demands."

The bishops said the solution currently suggested by the students is beyond the financial and organizational capabilities of university authorities.

In his column Du Preez wrote about wanton student violence and their looting of stores.

"In short, the militants are in the process of destroying the system they claim they want to improve; of damaging the future of the poor students whose interests they claim to champion," he said referring to violence the day before.

"The erudite Wits SRC (Witwatersrand University students' council) spokesperson, Fasiha Hassan, was on the phone with a TV reporter claiming the students were well behaved and only reacted to 'police brutality,' but when she was asked about the stoning and burnings, she abruptly ended the conversation."

The religious leaders in their statement made a similar statement.

"We believe, however, that some of the methods used by students detract from their noble struggle. We urge the students to conduct the struggle with the dignity and with due regard for human life and to our national public assets."

Helen Zille, the premier of the Western Cape, the only province in South Africa not run by the African National Conrgess, said Oct. 10 the protests gripping the country are no longer about fees but about power and control.

She said they as much a threat to the future as apartheid once was, noting that the protests needed to be confronted head on.

"We had to stand up for the rule of law, we had to stand up for non-racialism...," said Zille who was a staunch opponent of the apartheid ideology of racism in the 1970s and 1980s.
As she campaigns for her states sole seat in the U.S. House of Representatives, Democrat Denise Juneau is sending a mixed message to the states voters. And its by design.

On the one hand, the state superintendent of public instruction isnt afraid to highlight her strong relationship with teachers unions, her support for publicly funded preschool, and the need for schools to direct more resources and attention to disadvantaged students.

On the other, Juneau wants the public to know that she often disagrees with the federal government on key issues, that she puts a priority on local communities decisions over bureaucratic demands from above, and that she has the record to prove it. In fact, if she had to give a rating on a scale of one to 10 of President Barack Obamas education policy, Juneau would give it just a three.

Rumored to be a candidate for education secretary if Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton wins the presidency, Juneaus candidacy represents a test of whether a Democrat whos spent much of her career pushing back on federal policies can use that record to beat a Republican incumbent in a largely conservative state.

Even though the state is pretty dependent on federal funds, Juneau acknowledged, no top-down approach, one-size-fits-all-policy really fits every context. Thats always been a problem with federal policy and federal law. Ive always been a proponent for flexibility. Set the bar, tell us what were accountable for, but then let us get there in our own way.

Balancing Act

Juneau was first elected to the state superintendents post in 2008 and re-elected in 2012the same year that she spoke at the Democratic National Convention, at which Obama was nominated for his second term. Her Republican opponent, Rep. Ryan Zinke, occupies Montanas at-large seat in the U.S. House of Representatives.

She frequently highlights the states graduation rate that she says has generated an additional $6 million annually for Montanas economy.

Despite her political balancing act, theres pretty much zero criticism among Democrats that Juneau has been insufficiently progressive, said Robert Saldin, an associate professor of political science at the University of Montana. He cited her two statewide election wins as an additional boost for her candidacy.

If shes elected, Juneau would be the first Native American woman in Congress, after becoming the first such person in the country to hold a statewide office. Shes an enrolled member of the Mandan Hidatsa tribes and a descendant of the Blackfeet tribe. Juneau grew up going to schools on the Blackfeet reservation in Browning, Mont., as the daughter of educators.

My story actually takes me from Head Start to Harvard, and from teaching in a classroom in Browning to leading Montanas public schools, she said during an early October debate. Juneau received a masters degree in education from Harvard University, and she taught in Montana and North Dakota.

An Uphill Climb?

Although shes been connected to the top job at the U.S. Department of Education, Juneau isnt overly familiar with Clintons education proposals for universal preschool and more affordable higher education for some students, saying, I dont know where her education stuff is right now. But when Clintons positions are outlined, she said she supports those ideas.

Juneau said shes very flattered by the talk about possibly becoming Clintons secretary, but also said she hasnt discussed the possibility with Clintons team.

Zinke was first elected in 2014 and is a former Navy SEAL and state legislator. Zinke doesnt have an extensive education record in Congress. But he voted for the Every Student Succeeds Act, the new federal K-12 law, and said it would roll back the Common Core State Standards and reduce the role of the federal government in education. In his own attack on the federal governments role in education policy, Zinke also blasted the standards, which Juneau supports and the state adopted, for being directly linked to a drop in recent Montana scores on the National Assessment of Educational Progress.

I believe there is a better way to educate our children than Washington mandates and high-stakes, high-frequency national testing, Zinke said in a statement when ESSA passed last December.

In the Oct. 5 debate, Zinke also criticized school consolidations that often leave rural communities without a key civic pillar. His campaign and congressional staffs did not respond to requests for further comment.

Zinke has had a very large fundraising edge: Juneau had raised just over $2 million for her campaign during this election cycle through Sept. 30, while Zinke had already raised nearly $3.5 million through June 30, the last campaign-finance report he filed.

Political odds makers say Juneau has an uphill climb: On Oct. 4, the nonpartisan Cook Political Report rated the race as being a likely Republican victory. Polls released by the Zinke and Juneau campaigns in October have put Zinkes lead at 11 and 3 percentage points, respectively.

Whatever happens, Juneau will not keep her state superintendents job: Republican Elise Arntzen and Democrat Melissa Romano are running to replace her.

During remarks at the Great Falls Rotary Club on Oct. 4, Juneau spelled out the various policies from the U.S. Department of Education she rejected, such as the departments requirement that the state evaluate teachers based on test scores, in exchange for receiving a waiver from the No Child Left Behind Act. And she noted that Montana wont have to change all that much to shift to ESSA, which grants states and districts more K-12 power.

Teachers have the best stories. And Ive just been really proud to be able to promote that profession, to respect it enough to push back on federal policies when they dont fit our rural state, she told the Rotary audience.

Juneau has also been critical of the federal departments plans to increase equitable access to high-quality teachers and some aspects of its school turnaround initiatives.

But she lauded the Obama administrations emphasis on greater equity for disadvantaged students in places with deep, generational, isolated, and concentrated poverty.

Emphasis on Local Communities

Discussing one of her signature initiatives, Graduation Matters Montana, Juneau notes that it grew out of practices in the Missoula school district and now involves 58 communities and 450 small businesses.

Graduation Matters partners schools with businesses and organizations such as United Way to develop their own strategies for trying to boost graduation rates. One community, for example, started a Freshman Academy for at-risk students and a peer mentoring program, while another district held monthly school assemblies to promote student perspectives on schooling.

The states graduation rate has increased from 81 percent in the 2009-10 academic year, when Juneau began Graduation Matters, to 86 percent in 2014-15. That rise coincided with an increase in the graduation rate nationally, which stood at 83.2 percent in 2014-15.

We did it without any money from the state legislature, we did it without the federal governments help, she said. Its really just an issue that we tackled and pushed forward.

During a visit to Rose Park Elementary School in Billings later the same week, Juneau checked in on that schools involvement in Graduation Matters. The school is attempting to improve attendance and cut tardiness through new after-school instructional sessions for individual students and small groups, in order to improve students chances of graduating down the line.

This is the grassroots, starting at the bottom. It all starts here, says the schools principal, Tami Concepcion.

Juneau spent time visiting with students who had reduced their absences and tardiness. When asked whether the state steps in to help or alter local Graduation Matters programs that might not be producing sufficient improvement, she said its not the states job to do that: We dont intervene.

That sort of attitude has the potential to appeal to at least some of Montanas many conservative voters. Its also won Juneau praise from union leaders like American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten. And National Education Association President Lily Eskelsen Garcia has personally donated to Juneaus campaign.

Theyre one of our partners who we talk to all the time about what state policy should look like, Juneau said. Do we subscribe to each others policies all the time? No. But our values are the same.

Waiting to hear from Juneau at the Great Falls Rotary Club, Cheryl Crawley, a former superintendent of the Great Falls schools who led the district for 20 years, said Juneaus work on Graduation Matters made a big difference in her work.

She brought to this state an awareness of how to fix the achievement gap for the underachieving students in our state. And in our state, thats mainly Native American students, Crawley said.

But Juneaus skepticism of Washington may not persuade many voters to ultimately cross major partisan divides.

Shes running against an incumbent, and shes a Democrat, said Saldin, the political science professor, of her two biggest weaknesses.

Standing in the audience after the Oct. 5 candidate debate, Don Jacobs,a Zinke supporter who said he used to run a trucking company and rodeo show, said he was unconvinced that Juneau would be anything other than a typical Democrat fond of big-government programs. He cited Washingtons treatment of Native American communities in Montana as an example of where that approach leads.

Ive seen the devastation on the reservations when you just hand everything to the Indians, Jacobs said.

Taking It to Washington

Juneau hasnt entirely rejected the Obama education agenda. She is a big fan of the $40 million, four-year federal grant to expand preschool in Montana, which doesnt have any state-funded preschool. Both Obama and Clinton have both backed universal preschool.

Juneau has also backed the plan by Gov. Steve Bullock, a Democrat, to provide state-funded preschool, although Montana GOP lawmakers so far have balked.

Before the debate on Oct. 5, Juneau visited the preschool program for 4-year-olds at the Skyline Center in Great Falls, which is in its second year and serves 112 students between its all-day service and two half-day programs through 10 certified teachers.

If it were not for the [federal] grant funding, this program would not exist, said Collette Getten, the programs coordinator. The preschool gets about $450,000 in federal money for the 2016-17 year.

Perhaps with the election on her mind, Juneau responded warmly to what she sees with the preschool program and says Montana lawmakers opposition to expanded state-funded preschool comes down to two things: money and the fear that it would encroach on private preschool providers.

Maybe we can take it to Congress, she told the staff, when she toured the Skyline Center preschool program.
The European Investment Bank (EIB) will finance the upgrading of public infrastructures in the Portuguese capital to enhance flood prevention, promote sustainable mobility, modernise social housing and other key public equipment

Lisbon has become today the first EU municipality to benefit directly from EU support under the Investment Plan for Europe. The EIB and the Municipality of Lisbon have signed the first EUR 100 million of a EUR 250 million framework loan under the Investment Plan to contribute to the urban regeneration of the city and to support its long-term growth and competiveness. The project has a strong focus on social inclusion and it will also help Lisbon tackle climate change.

The Investment Plan is the Juncker Commission's landmark strategy to support investments and bring back jobs and growth to Europe. It allows its strategic partner, the EIB, to take on innovative and higher-risk projects. The EIB loan is guaranteed by the EU budget, which allows the EIB to offer the Municipality of Lisbon long-term financing with flexible conditions and at favourable rates.

This EUR 250 million EIB framework loan will have a direct positive impact on the lives of people living and working in Lisbon. It will finance urban infrastructure in selected areas of the city to improve the quality of public spaces, to renovate schools and cultural equipment and to complete the regeneration of the river front of the Portuguese capital. The EU Banks financial support will be channelled towards the upgrading of the city drainage system and therefore it will contribute to strengthening Lisbons resilience to climate change and better prepare it against severe weather events, such as floods and storms.

Reducing social exclusion by promoting social housing is one of the main objectives of this project. The EIB loan signed today will contribute to the improvement of supply and the modernisation of social housing in the municipality by supporting projects such as the new energy solutions implemented in Bairro Padre Cruz.

The EIB project for Lisbons renewal will also support the digital economy of the city by financing the development of emerging clusters of start-ups. In particular, the loan signed today will contribute to transforming an old military factory into one of the biggest entrepreneurship and start-ups hub in Europe.

EIB President Werner Hoyer underlined loans like this, which support strategic, sustainable and inclusive investment in local communities, are essential for EU citizens to learn what we do at the EU Bank and understand our concrete support to their lives and businesses.

Roman Escolano, EIB Vice-President, highlighted the EIB investment in Portugal will have visible and tangible benefits for the citizens of Lisbon today but also for future generations, such as providing a solution for the recurrent floods or supporting the modernisation of the citys infrastructure.

Speaking at the signing of the loan, Carlos Moedas, European Commissioner for Research, Science and Innovation, said: "The Lisbon Urban Renewal project is a major demonstration of the value for Portugal of the Commission's Investment Plan for Europe. This project will be transformative. It will have a positive impact on social housing, urban public spaces and infrastructure, such as schools and cultural equipment. It is an example of the value of the EU working hand in hand with cities towards a brighter, more inclusive future."

Lisbon Mayor, Fernando Medina, said: "Lisbon will be benefiting from the Investment Plan for Europe, which includes a 250 million EIB loan. The program for the period 2016-2020, has three axes: the main benefit goes to the drainage plan, but also urban regeneration and social housing based on a new concept - to disseminate these houses by the city and do not focus on a neighborhood. This will surely make the difference for our city"

With todays signatures, a total of 10 projects and financial agreements have been signed in Portugal under the Investment Plan for Europe, with a total investment of EUR 614 million, mobilising more than EUR 2 billion.

For additional information about the Investment Plan for Europe in Portugal, please click here.
*M*ake what you will of this. In the modern era of partisan polarization, which can be dated back to the election of Ronald Reagan in 1980, only the presid...
The world first multi-domain autonomous, unmanned vehicle mission coordination looks to upend traditional military mission command

During this years Annual Navy Technology Exercise (ANTX) in Rhode Islands Narragansett Bay, a three-day Naval exercise conducted by Lockheed Martin and Ocean Aero upended the traditional U.S. Navy chain of command, deferring administrative mission control from Naval and Air Force commanders to a series of coordinating autonomous vehicles. During the display, an unmanned surface vehicle coordinated the launch of an unmanned aerial vehicle from an unmanned submersible  the worlds first multi-domain, autonomous unmanned vehicle chain.



The exercise began with instructions from a ground control station to Ocean Aeros Submaran, a wind- and solar-powered unmanned surface vehicle (USV) that can be outfitted with a variety of sensors for different surveillance applications.

Ocean Aeros Submaran.

The Submaran, in turn, relayed command instructions to Lockheed Martins submerged Marlin MK2 autonomous underwater vehicle (UAV) via underwater acoustic communications. The 10-ft. battery-powered UAV is equipped with sophisticated sensors and robust autonomy and is able to cruise for 24 hours, descend up to 1,000 feet and manage a maximum payload of up to 250 lbs. The Marlin cruised below the surface of the bay to a designated launch site as instructed.

Lockheed Martins Marlin MK2.

Once surfaced, the Marlin followed supplementary instructions to ready its payload, a canister containing a Lockheed Martin Vector Hawk, a lightweight, multipurpose autonomous drone (UAV) capable of surveillance and delivering a scalable payload up to 9 miles (line of sight). The Vector Hawk features a field-reconfigurable open architecture to enable rapid technology and payload integration. The UAV can be field-reconfigured to fit multiple mission environments, including fixed-wing, vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL), and tilt-rotor enabling VTOL with transition to fixed wing flight. Once on its predetermined flight path, the autonomous Vector Hawk maintains communication and data linkage using adaptable high-bandwidth software-defined radio, mesh networking (including 3G, 2G, and LTE cellular), and employs over-the-air reconfiguration. The system also incorporates fail-safes to ensure that it can safely return to the user or auto-land when communication or power failures occur.

Lockheed Martins Vector Hawk.

Meanwhile, the Marlin and UAV transmitted electro-optical (EO) and infrared (IR) video to the Submaran, which relayed images to the ground station. The Submaran provided additional surface reconnaissance and surveillance for the mission.

Doug Prince of Lockheed Martin business development, unmanned underwater vehicles, commented on the significance of the milestone; This is the first time that three autonomous vehicles in three different domains [air, surface, and underwater] have worked together to execute a mission.

The operational status of each vehicle was communicated to and monitored by the ground station, allowing operators full situational awareness and control over each asset.

This collaborative demonstration brings us another step forward to realizing a future where different unmanned systems work in cooperative operations to support first responders, military operations, and commercial users, said Prince.

Future civilian and military applications for the coordinating of autonomous vehicles is endless as it helps shift operational focus from commanding and coordinating vehicles to conducting the mission at hand.

Sources: Ars Technica, NewAtlas

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News / International

by Staff Reporter

CNCVCT Executive Director Mr. Collin Nyabadza

The Collin Nyabadza Children's Voice Charitable Trust (CNCVCT) continues to grow in leaps and bounds. On the 5th of October 2016, they were among 38 other organisations spread around the globe that were recognized by the United Nations Women's Guild (UNWG) at the UN Headquarters in Vienna, Austria.This came after the CNCVCT had successfully carried out an USD11 000 project sponsored by the Vienna based organization.The CNCVCT was represented by their Executive Director, Mr. Collin Nyabadza who is based in the City of Swift Current in Canada. Attending this award ceremony was a good moment for the young and vibrant organization as this provided them with an opportunity to initiate new connections with some diplomats and other members of some funding agencies present. The trip to the UN was made possible for Mr. Nyabadza by Swift Current individuals, families and businesses who contributed towards his ticket and expenses. The companies that helped were Wallace Construction, Standard Motors and Mr. Nyabadza's bank, CIBC. Tribute also goes to Swift Current couple that paid for the banner appearing in some of the pictures that Mr. Nyabadza took with him to Austria for the event.Mr. Nyabadza also received assistance from Australia from Dr. Nzimanyana Mpofu whom he went to school with in Zimbabwe, and also from a friend based in Calgary, Alberta and another one in the UK."I really had to attend the event, and it was touching to see the support I got from my community in Swift Current where I live and also from some of my friends across the globe, as they all saw the long term benefits in me attending the event", said Mr. Nyabadza from his Canadian base. This recognition will certainly further help raise the Collin Nyabadza Children's Voice Charitable Trust's profile in their continued search for more funds in their endeavours to impact the lives of more rural school children in Zimbabwe. "This type of work relies mainly on extensive networks. I am therefore grateful to all the people who made it possible for me to travel to Vienna. Among the people I met at the function was Raja Bailey, wife to Canada's Ambassador to Austria, who really went out of her way to introduce me to some of her colleagues and told them about our work".Established in December 2012, the CNCVCT has already successfully carried out several projects in Matobo, Bubi and Tsholotsho Districts. Their biggest strength is the versatile and highly experienced team they have put together which is led by Mr.Siqhubumthetho Dube, who is highly experienced in this type of work. The consists of highly experienced teachers and school heads, engineers, three Special Needs Teachers of which Mr. Nyabadza is one of them and an accountant. One of the team members is finishing her PhD studies in Special Needs Education. Added to this, the organization is strong advocates of the virtues of ethics, honesty, accountability, transparency and integrity. "While our immediate goal is to provide physical resources to the schools we support, our ultimate agenda is to use our organization as a template of how institutions ought to be run in Zimbabwe. By subscribing to these values, we can go a long way as a country", stressed Mr. Nyabadza.The CNCVCT is currently engaged in a number of big projects including the construction of a 1x2 classroom block at Seshawe Primary School in Bubi District and a USD130 000 project in partnership with the Rotary Club of Kamloops West, B.C, Canada and other Rotary Communities across Canada and the Bulawayo South Rotary Club, Zimbabwe, that would see 45 primary and secondary schools receive classroom furniture and textbooks.The funds have already been put together. All that is left is the paper work which all the concerned project parties are diligently working on. The CNCVCT has also just been approved of a USD4 155 project by the Rotary Club of Calgary South, Canada towards the purchase of classroom furniture for Lingwe, Marinoha and Zamanyoni Primary Schools in Matobo District. With this background information it is certainly safe to say that the future of this organization is certainly brighter. For more on their work they may be visited at, www.childrensvoicezimbabwe.org
MHK wants Government to publish food bank strategy

An MHK will ask what the Government's strategy is for helping those who depend on a food bank.

Onchan member Rob Callister is keen to see the number of Manx residents who use such facilities reduced.

Chief Minister Howard Quayle will answer the question when the House of Keys sits tomorrow.

The Isle of Man Foodbank had to move to new premises last year and appeal for more volunteers to deal with growing demand.
News / Press Release

by APO

Canada deeply troubled by South Africa's announcement to withdraw from International Criminal CourtOTTAWA, Canada - The Honourable Stephane Dion, Minister of Foreign Affairs, today issued the following statement:"Canada is deeply troubled by South Africa's announcement that it has submitted a notice of withdrawal from the International Criminal Court to the United Nations Secretary-General.South Africa played an important role in the development of the court, and we recognize its past efforts to end impunity for the most serious international crimes. We also remember the words of Nelson Mandela in 1998, when South Africa joined the court:Our own continent has suffered enough horrors emanating from the inhumanity of human beings towards human beings. Who knows, many of these might not have occurred, or at least been minimized, had there been an effectively functioning International Criminal Court.All victims, including African victims, have a right to justice. The ongoing contributions of African states in support of the court are invaluable to make this justice a reality.That steadfast support is more important than ever today; we urge South Africa to reconsider. The International Criminal Court cannot be abandoned because it may not be perfect. Our answer must rather be to improve and strengthen it.We must not forget the thousands of children, women and men who have been victims of unimaginable atrocities and for whom the International Criminal Court, as a court of last resort, offers the only hope of justice."
Leonardo DiCaprio nearly died while having a diving adventure with pal and fellow actor, Ed Norton. Thankfully, the latter saved him.

This is revealed in a recent interview with film director, Fisher Stevens as he talks about a new documentary Before The Flood with the award-winning actor.

"I was filming [oceanographer] Sylvia [Earle] and I had this little easy camera to shoot underwater, and he was Sylvia's diving buddy, so I said, 'Would you film Sylvia?' And he said, 'Yeah, I love it, man, I love it," Steven said as he began telling his account.

The dive is said to have been amazing with 300 Eagle Rays and Spotted Rays but took a different turn when they noticed that the actor's oxygen tank leaked.

"...Leo bolts away with Sylvia, and Edward goes in front of me, and the next thing I know after 20 minutes, I'd lost them all. Then, I see Leo barely breathing, because Leo's tank was leaking oxygen, and Edward had to save him!"

The experience may be terrifying for Leo but it turned out to be an opportunity for the actor, Stevens and Norton to 'bond' together.

"It was pretty crazy. But he actually did get some film for me and it was good for a second, and then it got pretty shaky when he couldn't breathe. But we really bonded on that trip," the director said.

The Galapagos incident is just one of the many near-death experiences that the actor succumbed to.

His latest experience was in 2015 while filming the Oscar-award winning film, The Revenant when DiCaprio nearly suffered hypothermia while filming in the snowy landscape.

"[I was] enduring freezing cold and possible hypothermia constantly. I certainly don't eat raw bison liver on a regular basis," he once said in an interview.

Meanwhile, Leonardo DiCaprio has an upcoming movie project as he has signed to become a producer-actor of a biopic about Sun Records founder Sam Phillips. Philipps is a significant figure in the production of the 50s rock n roll as he worked with icons Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins in the music industry.

The biopic is said to have been basied on Peter Guralnick's book Sam Phillips: The Man Who Invented Rock 'N' Roll. Also co-producing the Paramount Pictures film is Mick Jagger who was also behind the production of the drama, Vinyl on HBO.
Salma Hayek revealed some nasty news about the presidential candidate Donald Trump saying he planted a tabloid story criticizing her height after she refused to go on a date with him.

The Latina actress made the statement when she appeared in a radio show, "El Show del Mandril" on Friday as she also aired her opinion believing those women who came out in the open and claimed Trump sexually assaulted them in the past.

"When I met that man, I had a boyfriend, and he tried to become his friend to get my home telephone number. He got my number and he would call me to invite me out. When I told him I wouldn't go out with him even if I didn't have a boyfriend, he called - well, he wouldn't say he called, but someone told the National Enquirer," the actress told the hosts of the show.

A caller reportedly made a call to the National Enquirer twisting the story saying it was Trump who would not go out with the Hollywood celebrity due to her height.

"It said that he wouldn't go out with me because I was too short," the Tale of Tales actress announced.

After the telephone call, the entrepreneur-TV mogul is said to have more attempts of winning her making several calls and still convincing her to go out with him.

Despite the allegations, Trump denied planting the story against the actress saying he was 'shocked' about it.

Tax records showed that Trump invested on that date with Salma Hayek and had actually spent $120,000 from his foundation to organize a luxury trip and dinner date with the celebrity. The information was revealed during a charity auction in 2008.

Salma Hayek, who is married to French businessman Francois-Henri Pinault, has been supporting Hilary Clinton in the campaign as she sympathized Latino migrants in the US who have been one of the targets in Trump's platforms.

In a previous interview, Salma Hayek joked saying that the presidential candidate can borrow her US History for Dummies. She also took a dig at Trump when he confused the historical 9/11 attack with 7-eleven.
There are rumors circulating that "Outlander" star Sam Heughan will be joining "Sherlock" Season 4. However, creators and producers still have not addressed this news.

According to Parent Herald, the rumors started when series creator Mark Gatiss and the Scottish actor exchanged messages on their Twitter accounts. There are also rumors that claim that the show is currently casting for the role of the third Sherlock brother.

With that, many speculated that Heughan might just be joining the show as Sherlock's (Benedict Cumberbatch) brother. However, there is still no confirmation of that news as of the moment.

Heughan plays the role of James Fraser in "Outlander." Executive producer Maril Davis shared in an earlier interview that they were impressed with Heughan's audition as they expected that it would be hard to find a suitable actor for the role.

Davis described Heughan as very charming and they immediately associated the character with him. If the rumors are proven to be true, then Heughan will be a great addition to "Sherlock" considering his great portrayal in "Outlander."

Meanwhile, Benedict Cumberbatch may have confirmed that "Sherlock" will continue with Season 5. It was earlier reported that the actor denied the speculations that the show will end in Season 4. He expressed his dismay with the irresponsible journalism for taking his earlier statements out of context.

According to Morning Ledger, he explained that fans should first watch "Sherlock" Season 4 for them to understand how different it is from the previous seasons and it will also hint if the show will continue to Season 5. He added that if it is the right thing, and then the fans should expect that they will be doing more seasons for the show. Cumberbatch said that this will be the last time he is talking about the show as he does not want to be misquoted again.

"Sherlock" Season 4 is expected to air on BBC on January 1, 2017.
The chemicals anxiety machine By Paul Driessen

Rank politics and baseless health scares are driving anxiety, North Carolina election campaigns, civil rights claims and plans for class action lawsuits, all of which could bring electricity rate hikes that will cause real job, health and civil rights problems for families  for no health or environmental benefits. As I noted in an earlier article, North Carolina state toxicologist Ken Rudo has publicly disagreed with the US Environmental Protection Agency and other NC "tox" experts, who say levels of chromium-6 detected in some NC waters are safe. The contaminant comes from coal ash deposits and other sources. Not surprisingly, Erin Brockovich has sided with Dr. Rudo. She became rich and famous by promoting "toxic chromium" scares, co-authored a recent letter with the radical Environmental Working Group raising Cr-6 alarms, and will speak on election eve at Catawba College in NC to stir things up still further. The issue is also playing prominently in the NC gubernatorial campaign. Democrat candidate Roy Cooper says well water is unsafe and is hammering the Duke Energy power company for creating the deposits and sitting Governor Pat McCrory (who once worked for Duke) for rescinding a "do not drink" order. Not to be outdone, the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights (USCCR) claims chromium-6 is seeping out of ash deposits, contaminating drinking water supplies and "disproportionately affecting" minority families. Communities near "waste disposal" and "industrial" facilities have "extremely high" rates of cancer, heart and other health issues, a Commission report asserts, lumping those facilities in with coal ash sites. The contaminants get into well water, drinking water, and even "recreational waters" that are "heavily used for fishing, boating and swimming," the Commission report states. The problem "extends for miles" around communities near coal ash deposits, which are "disproportionately located in low-income and minority communities," making this a civil rights issue that government must address. The USCCR wants the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and NC Department of Environmental Quality to examine the civil rights implications, classify coal ash as a "hazardous waste," force utility companies to relocate deposits, and compensate people for healthcare expenses and land devaluations. A persuasive and well-documented dissent by Commissioner Gail Heriot (pages 113-142 of the report) demolishes the USCCR assertions. Her analysis deserves widespread attention both on environmental and civil rights matters, and on how some people deliberately use these issues to generate racial animosity. No one on the Commission, she notes, has any expertise in waste disposal, toxicology, epidemiology or medicine, and thus had no business issuing pronouncements on coal ash toxicity. There is "strong" evidence that coal ash facilities "are not disproportionately located" near racial minorities. Lumping coal ash together with other facilities that involve dangerous chemicals, and then blaming coal ash, is invalid. Ms. Heriot is also perturbed that USCCR Chairman Martin Castro suggested that NC communities are bring "victimized by environmental racism." These kinds of "incendiary allegations" are inappropriate, she says; they "fan the flames of racial resentment" based on insufficient or false information. Interestingly, tests in 2014 consistently found Cr-6 in city water supplies above 0.07 parts per billion, unnecessarily triggering "do not drink" advisories to some well water users, the Greensboro News & Record reported. However, May 2016 tests could not even detect the chemical, the paper noted. The 0.07 ppb standard is equivalent to 7 seconds in 3,300 years. The EPA and NCDEQ safety standard for Cr-6 in drinking water is 100 ppb, and a 2012 scientific paper in the Journal of Applied Toxicology concluded that regularly drinking water with 210 ppb poses no health or cancer risks. That safe, non-carcinogenic 210 ppb level is 3,000 times higher than the 0.07 ppb "trigger warning" level. There is no evidence that Cr-6 levels found in U.S. drinking water cause any of the laundry list of health problems presented by the USCCR. For the EWG to say barely detectable 0.02 ppb levels are dangerous and carcinogenic in water that 218 million Americans drink every day is disingenuous and incendiary. Moreover, coal ash is mostly inert, with most metallic components in tiny amounts and/or bonded tightly in crystalline (glassy) sand particles. Very little leaches out. Moreover, chromium-6 occurs naturally in rocks and soils throughout the USA. It is not solely a byproduct of coal burning or industrial processes. Saying grave health concerns arise from such minimal Cr-6 levels as 0.02 or 0.07 ppb in drinking water is groundless; saying health impacts arise from its its presence in recreational waters is absurd. Indeed, Ohio's EPA director dismisses the EWG claims as "scare tactics" to raise money. All this suggests that the USCCR and EWG claims are just part of the campaign to eliminate coal-fired power plants and the reliable, affordable electricity they generate. The claims could also be setting the stage for more collusive sue-and-settle lawsuits between the USEPA and environmentalist groups  with those who will be most affected having no opportunity to testify and no voice in the outcome. Forcing utility companies to spend billions relocating huge ash deposits to "lined, watertight landfills" (in someone else's backyard) will bring no health or environmental benefits. But it will bankrupt companies, send electricity prices soaring, reverberate through our economy, and raise true civil rights issues. As Ms. Heriot notes, "driving up the cost of power has its own disparate impact" on minority families. Black and Hispanic families spend a 10-50% greater share of their income than white families on heating, air conditioning, lights and other electrical costs, National Black Chamber of Commerce president Harry Alford points out. They are also more likely to suffer still lower living standards and even lose their jobs, as employers respond to higher electricity prices by laying more people off. If rates nearly double from current costs in coal-reliant states like North Carolina and Virginia (9 cents per kilowatt-hour) to those in anti-coal New York (16 cents) or Connecticut (17 cents), poor families will have to pay $500-1,000 more annually for electricity. Hospitals, school districts, factories and businesses will have to spend additional thousands, tens of thousands or millions. Where will that cash come from? Will businesses have to lay off dozens or hundreds of employees, or close their doors? If they pass costs on to customers, where will families find that extra cash? If hospitals cut services or raise fees, how will that affect patient costs and care? Might the EWG and USCCR provide financial assistance? Fat chance. By necessity, hospitals are energy intensive. The average U.S. hospital uses 31 kilowatt-hours of electricity per square foot per year. For facilities like the 665,000-square-foot Inova Fairfax Women's and Children's Hospital in Northern Virginia, that translates into $1,855,000 per year at 9 cents/kWh, but $3,505,000 at 17 cents. That's a $1.6-million difference. Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center's Comprehensive Cancer Center in Winston-Salem, NC is 530,600 square feet. That's $1,480,000/year at 9 cents/kWh or $2,796,000/year at 17 cents: a $1.5-million gap. Ohio State University's James Cancer Center and Solove Research Institute in Columbus is1.1 million square feet. That's $3,069,000/year at 9/kWh versus $5,797,000 at 17 cents: a $2.7 million shortfall! Those cost increases would result in lost jobs and reduced patient care. Now try to imagine the impacts on schools, factories, churches, grocery stores, malls and thousands of other major electricity users  to address health problems that exist only in the fertile minds of a few activists and regulators. The war on coal, petroleum, nuclear and hydroelectric power is an eco-imperialist war on reliable, affordable electricity  and on poor and minority families. Policies that drive energy prices up drive people out of jobs, drive companies out of business, drive families into green energy poverty. An yet these fundamental "civil rights" and "environmental justice" issues are rarely mentioned by the USCCR, EWG, EPA, NAACP, Democratic Party or self-appointed "civil rights leaders." Too many of them also oppose charter schools for minority kids who are getting shortchanged by public schools, and regulatory reforms to spur job creation in minority communities. Will common sense ever prevail? Paul Driessen is senior policy analyst for the Committee For A Constructive Tomorrow (www.CFACT.org), and author of Eco-Imperialism: Green power - Black death and other books on the environment. Home
No, Trump should not accept the results of a possibly stolen election By Selwyn Duke

Crooks on the left, cowards on the right. Where do we go to find integrity? One of the most talked about parts of the final presidential debate was Donald Trump's statement that he'd let us know on election night if he'd accept the balloting results. An NBC commentator expressed her bubble-headed opinion that the statement lost him the election. Worse still, "conservative" commentator John Podhoretz wrote that Trump's comment was "a shocking and cravenly irresponsible thing to say, the sort of thing that threatens to rend our national fabric, and for that alone, Trump has earned his place in the history of American ignominy." But Podhoretz' criticism is what's shocking and cravenly irresponsible  and reflective of profound ignorance. Are some of us living in an alternate-reality universe? We just saw NYC's Democrat election commissioner, Alan Schulkin, caught on video admitting "there's a lot of vote fraud," as he talked about how people are "bussed" around to vote illegally. This was followed by a Project Veritas sting video showing a Democrat operative slug named Scott Foval giving advice on how to commit the fraud, saying that it has been going on for 50 years and that it "doesn't matter what the friggin' legal and ethics people say, we need to win this m****rf****r." There was also the WikiLeaks released email showing that Clinton allies, also Democrats, presumably, believe that Obama forces committed vote fraud in 2008. Then there's another WikiLeaks email in which Clinton campaign manager John Podesta wrote that "if you show up on Election Day with a drivers [sic] license with a picture [and 12 states and D.C. allow illegals to get licenses], attest that you are a citizen, you have a right to vote in Federal elections." Add to this the 2012 Pew study showing that approximately "24 million  one of every eight  voter registrations in the United States are no longer valid or are significantly inaccurate. More than 1.8 million deceased individuals are listed as voters. [And] [a]pproximately 2.75 million people have registrations in more than one state," and what does it add up to? That the John Podhoretzes of the world are, through their cowardice and sins of omission, hurting our republic. Reality # 1: There is vote fraud. Reality # 2: Since there's vote fraud, it's possible an election  especially a close one  could be stolen. Yet the three-little-monkey coward-cons think that, somehow, it's noble and healthy to view a possibly stolen election and say "Nothing to see here; move along." Maybe if we pretend hard enough, everything will be okay. I have no idea how Trump's statement will play out, given that he didn't explain the matter well and we have coward-cons doing the jobs (real) Americans wouldn't do, but I suspect the average person doesn't share Podhoretz' concern over violation of a twisted view of propriety. But here's the answer I would have given debate moderator Chris Wallace when he stated, to Trump, that we have a "tradition" in this country of a peaceful transfer of power: Yes, sir, and we have another American tradition: it's called the "rule of law." And when you suspect an election has been stolen, and allow it to go unanswered, you become complicit in the undermining of our rule of law. Moreover, vote fraud that swings an election thwarts the people's will. You may not care about that. Hillary Clinton certainly doesn't care about that. But if I have reasonable suspicion that the Nov. 8 contest has been stolen, I will stand against the thwarting of the rule of law and the people's will  even if I'm the only person in America to do it. In addition, what is Wallace talking about? Trump isn't proposing that tanks roll into Washington, D.C., and forcibly extract usurpers of power. He's talking about what has happened before  most recently when Democrat Al Gore contested the 2000 election  and what Hillary Clinton wouldn't hesitate to do if she thought it would benefit her. And did the punditry say that Gore rent America's fabric and earned his place in the history of American ignominy? I cannot tell you how disgusting I find the coward-cons' cravenness. It is, sadly, a common failing of man to prefer to rationalize, or stick one's head in the sand, then to face up to tough challenges and hard truths. This is the mentality causing coward-cons to tell Sheriff Joe Arpaio not to look into Obama's birth certificate and judges to refuse to hand down anti-establishment rulings for fear of opening "that can of worms." But tolerating criminality gets you more criminality. This is, mind you, a hallmark of Third World nations. Corruption is rife, tolerated, and many pretend it isn't going on. You want to descend fully into Third Worldism? Listen to the coward-cons. What the coward-cons miss, in their infinite lack of wisdom, is that unanswered corruption means our national fabric is already being rent. And their prescription is to allow corruption to fester, to grow, to become status quo? It's as with cancer: attacking it early involves some pain, perhaps enduring nauseating treatments or an operation to excise a malignant tumor. But ignoring it, refusing to face reality, means a metastasis that will consume the whole body and lead, ultimately, to death. Tolerate a bit of visible rending now  or risk having nothing left to rend later. The coward-cons are the people who get elected to officeand then get nothing done; they're the weak sisters who never saw a culture-war battle they couldn't lose. If you suspect your vote has been negated by electoral fraud, would you want those charged with ensuring the system's integrity to look the other way? Or would you want the matter sifted to the very bottom? If the coward-cons would choose the former, then they've earned their place in the history of American ignominy. Contact Selwyn Duke, follow him on Twitter or log on to SelwynDuke.com. Home
The fix By Michael Moriarty

I haven't written for Enter Stage Right in a while. Why? My computer was utterly and deliberately destroyed by hackers. Real pros! Selling an insurance software to a naive tech-challenged old man like myself love blaming it on my age. There are some benefits to senility! My portable doesn't have any Microsoft Word software. Music mainly. My new and wonderful, up-to-date Apple desktop just arrived today and my wife of absolute genius in many-many ways reincarnated my computer-self in less than two hours!!! God watches over me with an infinitely powerful love, intensity and strength! Now with the prospect of Hillary Clinton's seemingly unstoppable victory hovering over us like the swords of ISIS over human sanity?! The assurance of the Judeo-Christian God, Jehovah, and His Presence in my life has never been more astoundingly proven than now! I am certain that in the next 20 years in which I am assured the most fruitfully productive and joyous two decades of my life, similar miracles of divine guidance and protection will happen. My protest against the Clinton Administration and its Waco Hit-woman, Janet Reno, provoked such animosity in Liberal America that, indeed, as the head of the ACLU at the time, Ira Glasser prophesied, "Michael, you will be ostracized from now on!" Because of the fulfillment of that prediction, I left America and have lived in Canada now for over 20 years. What basically happened to me, has been happening to Donald Trump ever since he entered the Presidential Race. No matter how persuasive and undeniably realistic his campaign platform has been  something quite challenging to the lying evasions of a shamelessly criminal Hillary Clinton  Donald Trump will not be able to overcome THE FIX! THE FIX IS IN! The indisputable Anti-Christ on Earth, George Soros, has sold his diabolical game plan, The New World Order, to three families of treasonous Americans: The Bushes, the Clintons and The Obamas. That is over 25 years of criminal programming within the Mainstream Press, the Republicans In Name Only, the Congress of today and the 7 full terms of Presidential power used to manipulate and blind the American people. It was the Democrat Party that defended slavery. It is the Democrat Party and the Bush Republicans, the RINOS that defend the treason of The New World Order. They now send a woman, Hillary Clinton, out to put a seemingly less intimidating face upon the tyrannizing New World Order Treason within The Now-Not-So-Secret History of the Democrat Party. Here she is, folks! Regardless of who wins the election, Civil War is now inevitable! Why? The Progressive New World Order

has no place in it

for Democracy

or for

a Two-Party System. God has no place

in His Universe

for Evil Intentions

of that size. The Almighty

Will

CRUSH

The New World Order! Then we will,

at last,

have

The Thousand Year Peace. Michael Moriarty is a Golden Globe and Emmy Award-winning actor who starred in the landmark television series Law and Order from 1990 to 1994. His recent film and TV credits include The Yellow Wallpaper, 12 Hours to Live, Santa Baby and Deadly Skies. Contact Michael at rainbowfamily2008@yahoo.com. He can be found on Twitter at https://twitter.com/@MGMoriarty. Home
Where Bernie Went Wrong

And Why His Remedies Will Just Make Crony Capitalism Worse

By Hunter Lewis

Axios Press

HC, 200 pgs. US$15

ISBN: 1-6041-9108-2 Teenagers of the world unite! By Steven Martinovich

Self-described socialist and senator from Vermont Bernie Sanders probably never had a real chance at capturing the Democrat nomination  the party seems to prefer its radicals to be a little more closeted  but there is no arguing that he did speak to a significant number of people, particularly the young, who feel themselves politically and economically disenfranchised. His speeches also resonated outside of the Democrat Party who saw some truth in his attacks on a ruling elite he claimed was plundering America. Hunter Lewis examines Bernie Sanders' statements and claims in his latest effort Where Bernie Went Wrong: And Why His Remedies Will Just Make Crony Capitalism Worse, a sometimes sympathetic look at the ex-candidate's campaign platform. As Lewis illustrates, however, where Sanders may get the underlying issue correct, his prescriptions are generally more of the same and would actually further entrench the very problems that he discussed on the campaign trail. Where Bernie Went Wrong is divided into several broad categories where Lewis discusses Sanders' views on the wealthy, corporate America and trade, Wall Street and the U.S. Federal Reserve and the senator's proposals on various issues including health care, immigration, foreign policy and employment. For any conservative, Lewis' criticisms of Sanders' positions won't be much of a surprise but he does go the extra step of discussing historical precedents and writings to show why what Sanders has proposed simply won't work. At this point, can any thinking person truly believe that Keynesian prescriptions have a positive impact on an economy? Even its proponents admit that they do more harm than goodeven while they agitate for more of the same. The more interesting section is where Lewis examines Sanders' assault on crony capitalism. Sanders, like a good number of conservatives and fans of capitalism, are extraordinarily frustrated by the rigged arena that is modern American economic life. Big business essentially negotiates trade deals, writes legislation, heavily influences proposed regulations and uses the system to protect themselves against new entrants in the market or potentially disruptive  to their interests -- technologies. This is hardly new, Ayn Rand addressed crony capitalism repeatedly in her writings including this passage in 1957's Atlas Shrugged: You may know society is doomed when you see that in order to produce, you need to obtain permission from men who produce nothing; when you see that money is flowing to those who deal, not in goods, but in favors; when you see that men get richer by graft and by pull than by work, and your laws don't protect you against them, but protect them against you What Lewis  and Rand  understood, but Sanders apparently does not, is that crony capitalism a) is not capitalism any more than "democratic socialism" is democracy and b) depends equally on the corruption of business which seeks favours and government which grants it. Sanders proposes not a reduced role for government in the economy, which would at least place some sort of a check on its natural desire for growth and power-seeking, but a greater interventionist ability. Sanders believes that because he wants government to intervene in the economy for "the people" that somehow bureaucrats would act without bias and corruption. Although Lewis does not state it, it may be why Sanders' political philosophy resonated among many of America's youth in 2016. It is ultimately a half-formed philosophy that appeals to people who haven't fully thought out the ramifications of what Sanders is calling for, something that every conservative teenager is aware of when they endure a high school civics class. Sanders well knows, after decades in politics, that government is only capable of picking winners without regard to what the market, or society, determines is a proper allocation of resources. Instead of big business, Sanders sides with big government, big union, big law and big social justice  none of whom have shown any predilection for doing what's right, only for doing what's in their narrow interests. Sanders may have ended his campaign a few months back but his adolescent political and economic philosophies continue to resonate, making Where Bernie Went Wrong a worthwhile read while after November 8. Although Lewis occasionally sounds a little too sympathetic to Sanders, he is on the whole a good critic of the Vermont senator and does a capable job of refuting his platform  one that will undoubtedly live in part and untouched during any Clinton administration. It is a sad testimony on the decline of the original American ideals that this book is even necessary in 2016 so it is with some regret that it is recommended. Steven Martinovich is the founder and editor of Enter Stage Right. BuyWhere Bernie Went Wrong at Amazon.com for only $11.69 Home
Opinion / Columnist

The race for the White house has intensified as Democratic Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton faced the Republican Presidential candidate in a debate. The debate has been received with a mixed bag of feelings. Far from being a festival of cross- pollination of policy issues the debate degenerated into personal attacks against one another. The debate was replete with ad-hominem attacks against one another.As the Election day approaches it's necessary to come up with some form of SWOT analysis for the two Presidential contenders. Donald Trump has been excoriated by many for being temperamental and undiplomatic in his utterances. He has also been accused of having a well-documented history of racism and misogyny of which the United States of America is a cosmopolitan society.Hillary Clinton is expected to capitalise on the disunity within the Republican Camp over the candidature of Donald Trump. She is likely to take advantage of the protest voters from the Republican Camp. Her bid for the White House is also likely to be boosted by apathy from the Republican Camp.Lack of coherence and dilly-dallying on the part of Donald Trump is likely to work in Hillary Clinton' favour. Having written previously about Donald Trump this instalment will dwell much more on Hillary Clinton bid for the White House.Anecdotal evidence suggest that many voters want a change, a change of direction that can only be availed by a change of leadership. This militates against Hillary Clinton in the sense that she is viewed by many as an extension of the establishment, the status quo. Hillary Clinton is unfairly looked upon almost like an incumbent President and a natural extension of the current administration. Years of economic uncertainty have put voters in an anti-establishment mood. Pundits also wonder whether Hillary Clinton will be able to break the sacrilegious glass ceiling. He stamina to defy and dismantle the odds of phallocracy and misogyny is under microscopic examination. If Hillary Clinton manages to win the Presidency, she will be the first woman to win the US Presidency, the Clintons will also be the first couple to both occupy the prestigious White House.It's also important to note that Hillary Clinton presidential bid has been a daunting task owing to her "abominable" past. She is judged on the basis of the decisions she took as Secretary of State. Her use of the private email server while serving as secretary of state has been Donald Trump's trump card, but in a stroke of a genius the former Secretary of State accepted the mistake she made and accepted the responsibility. That is the crisis we have in Africa. Our leaders do not accept their mistakes, come what may they will find a scapegoat. Hillary Clinton's support for "regime change" in countries like Iraq, Libya, Syria and Honduras is seldom recalled when comparing her foreign policy to Donald Trump.In these instances she is depicted as war-like although she argued that US foreign policy entails combating the scourge of terrorism by any means. The argument by Clinton is that the military interventions in the above countries were predicated on the" Responsibility to Protect Doctrine" which some describe as a disguised and sugar-coated form of imperialism whose geo-economic and geo-political agenda leaves a lot to be desired. Her experience might also work in her favour in the elections but according to Donald Trump hers is "bad experience" which cannot take the US forward.The Benghazi issue is often recalled to buttress how tarnished Hillary Clinton political career is. There is need of a lot of damage control to offset the negative impression portrayed by the Benghazi debacle. Critics argue that she has a history of lying and double standards hence unfit to occupy the White House. She has been described as a congenital liar by her critics. They argue that she lied about the nature of attacks in Benghazi while privately telling the truth to her daughter via email.Hillary Clinton has been subjected to ghastly caricatures and her opponent Donald Trump has described her as a Crooked Hillary although this is more of the proverbial pot calling the kettle black since he(Donald Trump) is viewed by many as a bombastic megalomaniac. However the million dollar question remains as to why Hillary Clinton appears to be the most unpopular and polarising Democratic presidential candidate in recent history.There is a perception among the US voters that Hillary Clinton's election will inevitably result in a third term of office for Bill Clinton of which the Americans abhor dynasties. Such perceptions can work against her favour if her opponents manage to capitalise on that. The George Bush Administration is an eye opener in this regard. When Bush rose to power he appeared to had ulterior motives to accomplish the project and mission of his father regardless of sentiments from the public opinion.The infamous Iraq war which Tony Blair said was premised on wrong intelligence was seen as retaliation by George Bush against the political wounds inflicted on his father by Saddam Hussein during the Persian-Gulf War although Iraq incurred huge losses during the war. So a bad precedence was set by George W Bush and it's likely to work against Hillary Clinton's presidential bid.In light of economic turbulence the US voters are against a presidential candidate who is perceived to be pro-military foreign escapades which gobble unnecessary expenses. It is also important to examine the implications of the Brexit vote in light of the coming elections in the United States.The face value impression is that Brexit vote resonates with what Donald Trump stands for. One of the motivations of the Leave vote was the issue immigration which is also high on the agenda of Donald Trump election campaign.The Brexit vote was a stunning repudiation of the ruling establishment and Donald is keeping his fingers crossed anticipating the same in the US. With its merits and demerits the Brexit was a clear manifestation of surge of nationalistic fervour in the disunited Kingdom.It is also this nationalistic fervour that Donald Trump is trying to inflame.The tragedy with protest voters is that they can do anything to prove a point, they can vote for anything, anyone whose meaning and implication they are not even sure of just to protest.The is a general feeling that the Leave voters in the United Kingdom voted to leave without knowledge of the leaving economic and political consequence. It was a vote against the establishment and not necessarily against the European Union.They voted against Prime Minister David Cameroon Remain stance just to send un unambiguous message of disenchantment with his administration. So the Brexit vote is not something to celebrate for Hillary Clinton. It's more of a bad omen, a wakeup call to be precise.However by attacking the immigrants and the Muslims Donald Trump unwittingly galvanised some voters against him, something to celebrate for Hillary Clinton.The US electorate is 31% non-white including Asia, Hispanic, African American and other minorities who felt offended by Donald Trump unwarranted attacks against them.On the contrary the tumbling of the UK's economy after the Brexit can influence the US voters to exercise caution and avoid voting for things they are not sure of.The die is cast, needless to say Donald Trump is an epitome of clash of civilisations. With her flaws Hillary Clinton has weathered the political storms. She still stands a chance to break the glass ceiling and make history.
The subtle but corrosive problem with white nationalism

By Daniel M. Ryan



(Prefatory Note: I'm normally not a fan of so-called trigger warnings, but I do have to advise that I'll be linking to some material that some readers might find aggravating or disturbing. In the early part of this piece, I'll also be discussing said material in a way that some readers might consider blithe. Since I'm not experienced with the art of T-&-C arse-covering, I'll stick with the heretofore and the assumption that you're a self-responsible adult.)

From a certain angle, it's hard to take the White Nationalist movement seriously as a political force. It has both structural and traditional barriers blocking it from becoming a political force  except in one form. That form, and its corrosive consequences, you'll find below. But first, the tour.

There is a zany side to White Nationalism, to the point where its zany aspect seems intentional. Andrew Anglin, the proprietor of the Daily Stormer which he vaunts as "The world's most visited alt-right site", has latched onto the idea that success is achieved by going over-the-top. Case in point: in a recent article that featured an infographic showing female promiscuity over time, he zooms to the close with these words:

There is really no reason whatsoever to educate women. What purpose does it serve? Yeah, they should learn all the things in school you learn before puberty  reading, writing, basic math  but after that, it is really hard to make an argument they need more formal education. If they're inclined, they can read books to learn more informations. Or they can just do what women like to do and produce and raise babies, decorate the house and gossip with other women about trivial matters.

This is so outlandish, it's tempting to see it as a gag and get with the joke by adding: "just like they do when they become a certain kind of professor and add their yackings to their CVs." If I were a teenager with one of those notoriously not-fully-developed brains, I'd be tempted. I'd certainly look forward to a university course in recent American history wherein the prof delivers a foot-shifting explanation about the dangers incarnate of Pepe the Frog. There's something in the whole alt-right movement which makes it look like one gigantic prank on foolish and humourless elders. Feels good, man!

Mr. Anglin's "A Normie's Guide To The Alt Right" has a whole section on "Troll Culture." The whole article is written with the same flourish of outlandishness. You have to read it carefully to figure out that he's entirely serious.

The face of White Nationalism is Richard B. Spencer Even though he prefers the term Identitarianism, it's pretty clear from his Radix Journal that there's a blur between the two terms. This fellow's views are so outside the Overton Window, he's been temporarily banned from entering twenty-seven countries simply for expressing his opinions. And yet, in the dank neighbourhoods of YouTube, there's more than one parody-producer who think that Mr. Spencer is an empty-suit sell-out. Case in point: "Richard Spencer," which clearly insinuates that he's a Vanilla-Ice-type joke. And over in this corner, we have Goyim Goddess. Diverting from her then-usual fare of blatantly anti-Semitic parodies with side offering of anti-black racism and scolds against cultural degeneracy, she got her Irish up and laid down some beats that rubbish Mr. Spencer and the manosphere part of the alt-right. And of course, she used her professional-quality singing to rubbish Donald Trump on grounds that you've already guessed. (More than once, actually.)

And back in the first corner, we see that Mr. Anglin has declared a "Crusade" against Milo Yiannopolous.

As a rule, any fringe movement lucky enough to garner mainstream notice gets ridden with a lot of infighting. Typically, the individuals favoured by the attention get pasted for being greedy sell-outs. Smelling the new winds, Goyim Goddess has devoted five of her last fifteen videos (as of the time of this writing) to lambasting the part of the alt-right that she can't stand. A recent one, again as of the time of this writing, is a thirty-minute monologue whose main target is none other than Richard Spencer's wife. She does include a segment bashing Lana Lokteff of Red Ice Radio, and of course assures us that her Lana-bashing is in no way a catfight.

She's worth a mention in this capacity because she's borne the brunt of a lot of infighting long before Hillary Clinton gave the whole neighbourhood their ticket in. She's been accused of being a "mudshark," of being secretly Jewish, of being a meth addict, of being dragged to a mental institution - all before she started waving the shillelagh at other members of the alt-right. One wonders what Jared Taylor makes of all of this. He's the fellow who's credited or blamed, mostly the latter, for making White Nationalism apparently respectable by means of his high-status voice and normally reasonable tone. He's gotten into the song-parody gig as well; his turn in (the pro-Trump) "We Didn't Start The Movement" features him playing his saxophone and singing a version of the chorus that shows he's reached his doting age. It could be that he's just shrugging the infighting off.

A more in-depth search through the White-Nationalist neck of the Internet will reveal more doozies.

I admit: it's tempting to stand aside from these characters and let White Nationalism run its course. One point of temptation is to see it as karmic. One of the most favourite jokes in the alt-rightosphere is: "'I'm proud to be black' said the black man. 'I'm proud to be Asian,' said the Asian. 'I'm proud to be Hispanic,' said the Hispanic. 'I'm proud to be a woman,' said the woman. 'I'm proud to be a white male', said the racist."

It is tempting to adopt the opinion that White Nationalism is the politically correcters' just deserts. Serves 'em right for throwing away the old-fashioned liberalism and shoving identity politics down our throats. It's what they deserve for sowing ethnic division while blaming the likes of us for "divisiveness." The SJWs' cunningly-constructed get-out-of-hypocrite-free card  "Minorities cannot be racists, as racism requires power and only white have power"  has proven to be too cunning by half. It only bamboozles logical thinkers raised in comfortable homes. Outside of the folks that have benefitted most from cognitive stratification, that card doesn't work its magick. A natural empiric, a fellow who relies on common sense, will unconsciously relate it to what he sees around him. Namely: who gets the kid-gloves treatment, who gets dumped on; who gets swift action when they complain, who has to yell like Alex Jones to no avail; whose yelling gets a sympathetic journalist cooing, whose yelling only gets a journalist's disdain; and so on. In so doing, he'll see right through it in a way that a high-I.Q., high-achieving logical guy won't. Moreso if said empiric grew up in a blue-collar neighbourhood, or one more rough.

The political-correct'ers' strategy is strikingly like the corrupt courtiers of old. They direct their blandishments at the rulers and tailor the mind-tricks accordingly. Now as then, Joe Ordinary find it a lot easier to see through those tricks than the rulers themselves. Once again, we're living in the Age of the Emperors' New Clothes  only this time, the crafty tailor has bamboozled the King's men as well as the King. "You're right: the threads you're using are of the finest cloth. Funny that I didn't deduce it myself."

With this in mind, it's tempting to stand aside and wait for the King and his retinue to wake up.

In addition to "the SJWs made this mess", add plain sympathy for the disadvantaged. It doesn't take much digging through Stormfront to find that the most obstreperous racists are folks who grew up in rough neighbourhoods. They saw a certain side of lower-class blacks. We fortunate folks would likely be oblivious to it had it not been for the work of Colin Flaherty.

The White-Nationalist folks claim to be fighting cultural degeneracy, but they can be adduced as a symptom of it. The anti-Semitism therein certainly can. It's hard to think of a more Sisyphean cause than one which pushes Adolf Hitler as an emulable hero. As every American patriot knows in his guts, there are three wars that have been foundational to the growth of America: the War of Independence, the Civil War and World War 2. Except in the environs where the likes of Howard Zinn are lionized, all three are proclaimed as wars wherein Good vanquished Evil. There has been some revisionism, but the core meaning of these wars hasn't been budged by it. Think of the rivers of revisionist ink consumed for the "Lost Cause," and what little effect they've had outside of essentially fringey areas. The cause of restoring the Confederacy is so politically impotent, activists would have a better chance at getting the American people to hand over part of it to Babu Omowale. If a chum of Calypso Louie has a better chance, and the current political augurs all say so, then the Cause is definitely Lost. If I had to make the Hobson's choice, I'd join a bunch of loonies who are pushing for the U.S. government to officially say that the Revolution was a mistake. Pushing for a Constitutional amendment to make America a monarchy, and put a descendant of George III on the throne, has the thin tailwind of the Special Relationship going for it. So, it's far less impossible than a program which implies that The Good War was a monumental mistake and its #1 villain was a misunderstood good guy.

When you see a group of people push a program that's blindingly infeasible, you do begin to wonder about them. They're so far into the ozone, you're sure to be branded a cuck by them simply by showing that you have some knowledge of how the political world works. When you encounter a group who are so oblivious to the gut beliefs of ordinary Americans, it's tempting to let them off the hook on the grounds that they're politically harmless. If some of them commit crimes, the justice system will take care of it. So will the Castle Doctrine.

There are White Nationalists who (for lack of a better term) are Overton-sane, like this fellow. But those people are intellectuals of the sort that can be found all over the Internet. The bloke I just cited places his White-Nationalist hopes for America, in part, on a program that looks a lot like a reparations scheme  only to qualify for the payout, the lucky payee has to permanently renounce his or her American citizenship and move to another country (presumably, an African one.) This part of his wish list is the only part that's remotely feasible, which he seems to realize.

The less politically loony these folks are, the less they count on politics and the more they count on "metapolitics." In practice, metapolitics means writing well-read stuff on the Internet, distributing leaflets, attending a thinly-populated demonstration for the Cause, and getting a grasp on how politics works from afar. We've had characters like this for decades; they never get anywhere. The only exception to the foregoing has been the New Left, and you already know they've had lots of patrons and tons of aid. Even today, the irritating SJWs in the universities are the cocks of the walk. White Nationalists do not have this decisive advantage, nor will they.

Add to the above the fact that many of them have career prospects that can be flatly described as awful. Not unlike Ann Barnhardt, RamZPaul is broke, jobless in Budapest and cut off from a normal existence. He ain't the only one. I've picked up signs that there's a rolling crackdown on youngsters who achieve notoriety by preaching anti-Semitism. There's some truth to the stereotype that the alt-right is composed of failures stuck in their parents' basement, and there is more than one way to interpret that generalization.

Tying these all together, it's tempting to let the White Nationalists skate on these grounds:

The prankish air of the entire alt-right, particularly since it's not the likes of us who've been made into world-scale fools. The jaw-dropping LARPishness of their political goals, which face more immovable obstacles than blatant unConstitutionality. The fact that a lot of them are going through hard times, which have been intensified by "we have no power" crybullies using the considerable clout that they in fact have to make those folks' lives miserable.

Yep: there are good reasons to emulate the Youtube sage Sargon of Akkad and give 'em a fair shake, as he himself did in this video. Let 'em skate, just like a lot of the Greatest Generation let the New Left skate. They're similar to the hippies who believed "If It Feels Good, Do It" meant nothing more than cutting loose from the job world and taking up the art of drug-taking and navel-gazing. They'll come around.

As foreshadowed just above, the subtle problem is not the ones that the "Oh Noes!" liberals shriek about. We can interpret all those White-Nationalists' pixels devoted to complaining about "ZOG" as an unconscious recognition that their wish lists have no chance. Many of them have not figured out that a folkish political movement sorta requires identifying with and respecting the folk.[PDF] When you start off pegging the American volk as Burgerland Bear, it's kinda hard to get your volkische politics off the ground.

No, the peril does not lie in their mostly LARPy wish-list. Instead, the danger in White Nationalism comes from their questionable anthropology and consequent collectivism. It's a danger that's largely hidden, because - as Richard Spencer himself said - White Nationalists are positionally similar to the New Left. The movement is dominated, at the moment, by intellectuals: ones with a comprehensive critique of America that starts off by agreeing with liberals. Like the liberal who fancies himself a Jeffersonian, White Nationalists believe that America is a proposition nation. But instead of celebrating it, they deplore it.

Their critiques of America are ground in Nietzsche a la Ortega y Gasset. Propositional America is the home of the Last Man: lovers of convenience, cheap goods, a trouble-free life, and shallow pleasures, all wrapped up in a banal but comfortable existence. Because of their Nietzsche streak, they're not like New Lefties aching to "organize" a working class that doesn't have much use for them. In meme-speak, they're more prone to think of Burger Bear as a sap whose fate is to be gulled because he always comes back for more.

Their Nietzschean roots show in another way: they do not see professional conservatives as manipulative overlords. Instead, they believe, Beltway conservatives are self-deluded wannabes clinging blindly to their monographs and their Reagan. They're like a naive fellow who buys a French, Italian or German title of nobility only to find out that it's little more than a fancy name. Or, they're like the legal heir to one of those titles who wonders why no-one of importance pays attention to him.

White-Nationalist intellectuals also say that the American Way is essentially vacuous. Just like an anti-democrat who observes that no-one will mount a barricade for the cause of getting the potholes fixed, they state that the propositional nation's credo of "You Have the Right to Do What You Please" is too vague to be a rallying cry. This vagueness creates a colours vacuum that has been filled by the flag of Equality, which offers a never-ending rationale for complaints and demands. The folks in the suits of armor are none other than Progressives. Those worthies, like the overlords of old (and rich Mexicans), are alienists. They despise the commonfolk who don't plead or yell for their protection; the ones who do are treated like indulged pets. Unlike Conservatives, White Nationalists believe that the current time of troubles is propositional-America's fulfillment: it was inevitable. A new America has to be grounded in something tangible instead of abstract.

They being largely intellectuals, their remedy is a White-Nationalist ethno-state that's carved out from a part of America. Since they're convinced that the proposition nation is destined to become a failed state, they don't worry that much about the Constitution, et. al. There's only one politician among them, though they might inspire politicians in the future.

And this is where the inner problem becomes evident. Despite their self-identification as Rightists, the politically potent parts of their writings are essentially left-wing. They push three hot buttons that are typically pushed by the Left:

unfair treatment ("'I'm proud to be white,' said the racist") that needs to be rectified; a ruling class ("a hostile elite") that threatens American democracy; victim politics backed up by the loose use of a United Nations guidelines ("White Genocide").

In doddering-old-wreck land, it's easy to see how a practical politician would meet these complaints with an Overton-compatible wish list:

Letting economically-disadvantaged whites into the affirmative-action Tammany Hall. Setting up a Title-IX program that not only dishes out the usual preferments but also obliges SWPL types to take yet more diversity training; and thusly re-educated, proceed to walk on those eggshells when they encounter an inner-city white, Appalachian white or hillbilly.

Set-asides, thinly disguised as help for low-income people. No, not just job retraining: the whole kit & caboodle.

An official apology to the folks who've been inflicted with "economic genocide."

Yet another scheme to punish the successful, sold with some nudgy-winky for the anti-Semites.

In other words, as is obvious to use drooling old folks who know how politicians put together their schemes, the Overton-compatible method is adapting the usual post-modern victim-politics template to assuage a pressure group that successfully plays victim politics. Never mind the Treasury, here's the White pistols.

We can have some momentary merriment by looking at the claque and guessing which of the "crusaders" will become Whitey McWhite's answer to Jesse Jackson, but the "White Genocide" victim politics is profoundly unfunny. Despite SJW bamboozling, the real buttress for the affirmative-action Tammany Hall is sympathy for poor folks. If you're not disadvantaged in that way, you have to cultivate a beggar's stump that suggests you are. That's the reason for the karmic tragedy of affluent blacks  and their kids  acting as if they were lower class. Victim politics necessitates the victim class chaining themselves to their lowers. In the black community, as we all know, this entails being chained to a cohort of lowers who are violent. In this sad Hobbesian world bequeathed us by big-government Leviathan, outright aggression is politically potent.

The potency of violence as an indirect political weapon unearths the real trouble that White Nationalism is capable of causing. Mostso because their pseudo-anthropology makes the claim that white folks are more co-operative and less violent than other breeds because of their genes.

This conceit will not survive an examination of the medieval period. Recently, a study published in Nature concluded that we human beings  generic humans, encompassing prehistorical as well as historical periods  have about a 2% chance of dying through violence inflicted by our fellow humans. This study is billed as "controversial," but it seems to be controversial in the same way that a lot of new findings are. The part of the study that deals with medieval Eurasia shows rates of violent death as high as 12%. Whitey is not exempt.

To see why, we need to turn back to Colin Flaherty. While working on his first book, Mr. Flaherty met retired prison psychologist Marlin Newburn. In law-enforcement areas, it's generally recognized that there are two behavioral traits exhibited by the type of people at risk for becoming criminals: poor impulse control and blame externalization. Someone exhibiting these traits is not necessarily a criminal, but the bulk of criminals exhibit both. Part and parcel of this toxic bundle  something that tends to come as a shock to a sheltered person  is that they lie easily.

Newburn fills in an important gap in the above. In this Hangout video with Mr. Flaherty, he starts off with a distillation of the mentality of the typical inner-city criminal."[E]verything's immediate gratificationif it feels good, do it" (Let this one sink in for a moment.)

"[I]f anyone gets in my way, I have to beat them up; I have to harm them.[I]n the street, fighting is primary: the more sadistic, the more brutal, the bigger dude you are and the better you are." The 'Hodd criminal has the emotional maturity of a prepubescent boy: he's the psychological age of Trayvon Martin in his mother-supplied picture.

Prof. Newburn explains the type of perverse parenting that encourages that attitude: "you keep bailing them out, then you keep making excuses for them, and then you keep rescuing them and removing personal responsibility, there's no incentive or neurological growth to grow up!" Now, there are many kids who are spoiled in this way but do not turn out to be criminals. That's because they were taught right from wrong. If that training is not done, or is substituted with training in blame externalization, then the above complex is a fairly good predictor of criminal behavior.

That toxic parenting, rooted in perverse protectiveness, shows up in conflicts with legitimate authority. For example, an unruly kid is sent to the principal's office and a parent is called in. In normal families, the parent at least considers the principal's side of the matter. "What did Aubery do? Did he do wrong?" If the answer is yes, the parent sides with the principal. In a school system that hasn't gone bonkers, the answer is usually yes. So the parent co-operates with the principal, and the child learns that behaving badly has consequences.

Perversely-protective parents do the opposite. They come in with the attitude, "my kid right or wrong." In many cases, it's "my kid is right; the authority just has it in for him." That there institutional racism is keepin' the black folks down. So, a perversely-protective parent will fight the authority figure regardless of how badly the kid behaved as a way of standin' up for black. As well as for the kid, who's often in the room seeing Mommy or Daddy badgering the authority figure instead of judging his own behavior. It all good.

The kid learns that the only legitimate judge of his behavior is his parent: typically, his mother. When he hits puberty or thereabouts, it becomes the peer group. If outside authorities judge him or punish him for bad conduct, it's just another instance of Whitey keepin' the black man down.

When asked what he'd think if he faced a parent like that when the kid was sixteen or seventeen, Newburn replied: "That's a guarantee he will be a repeat offender. I guarantee you. I will bet you a year's pay.[W]hen parents do that, they: want to be in there when you're evaluating [the perp] 'I want to be here!'" He also noted that the parent tends to be civil when alone with him, but "as soon as they bring the child in there, they turn into  demons! The parent does. 'How dare you! You should be understanding and caring!'" He then makes the very noteworthy point that race-hustling politicians, the bulk of the liberal media - and of course the bulk of the professoriate outside of his and related fields -all act as enablers. A child who's raised to think that it's the principal's fault that he was sent to the office, regardless of his own behavior, will grow up to think that that the police are at fault  regardless of his own behavior.

There are two subtle but vital points to remember. First of all, the above maladaptive behavior is not a "black thing." I'm sure that a large majority of black parents are not perversely protective. If otherwise, one of the standard theories about crime  that a small minority of bad apples cause most of the trouble  would fail to work. Objectively, this criminality is not a black thing. It's a lower-class thing: "lower-class" in the European sense of the term.

The second point, which is subtle because it apparently contradicts the first, is the fact that inner-city thugs have taken to racial collectivism to excuse their criminality. For them, it works appallingly well.

As noted above, the racial spoils system exploits our sympathy for the disadvantaged in the common-sense meaning of the term. In order to do so, the ones more affluent have to chain themselves to their lowers. They can call themselves "bogie" all they want, but we can see the effects of this chaining. Whenever you see a successful black person acting like a spoiled wonder after being stopped by the police  acting a lot like a posh character from days of yore that was "Driving While Taxpayer" - you're seeing that chaining. Poor impulse control

As also noted above, the conceit that white folks are less prone to these toxic behaviors will not survive an examination of the medieval period. Back in the days of aristocracy, aristocrats and gentryfolk were fond of sayings like "the common people lie", "all peasants are thieves," "they're permanent children," and so on. Like virtually all moderns who've read of these, I had chalked them up to nothing more than class snobbery. But the information from that Hangout, plus the Nature study of human violence, suggests a different interpretation. The medieval period was notoriously for tolerating "The Devil made me do it." Like most sheltered book-boys, I though this meant nothing more than entertaining ludicrous conspiracy theories. But given that record of violence from the times, it's clear that "The Devil Made Me Do It" was an accepted or tolerated form of blame externalization. A prisoner that Newburn interviewed when he was a prison psychologist  a convicted murderer  said to the psychologist that he didn't know why God had permitted him to murder. He didn't blame God; he was just mystified. His words are eerily close to "The Devil Made Me Do It."

Compared to today, even to the time of troubles in the 1970s and '80s, the European murder rates before the 19th centuries were shockingly high. The same goes for American homicide rates, as seen in the second graph on this page. The decline in both is much too recent for there to be any Darwinian explanation. It's not a white thing. It's a cultural thing; more specifically, a statecraft thing. The two reasons for the modern decline in violent crime are:

Democracy as we know it. Back in tha day, it was pretty clear that the laws were the King's laws. Interestingly, this meant it was harder to tax back then. When tax money is "for the King's use," you don't get that many willing taxpayers. But the same otherization that furthered dodging the tax laws also facilitated skating around all of them. Just imagine how a "Devil Made Me Do It" peasant with Robin-Hood fantasies evaluated a King's Law against highway robbery.

Contrariwise, democracy  despite its faults  inclines the ordinary citizen to internalize the law of the land. A democracy-spirited citizen, by default, will see all laws as "our laws." That default orientation means that citizens are inclined to be law-abiding. Policing.. The police force as we know it is less than two hundred years old, and the introduction of policing correlates quite well with the spectacular drop in the violent crime rate in the nineteenth century. When combined with democracy, and its consequent encouragement of law-abiding behavior, modern policing has made for a violent crime rate that's historically low. Crucial to policing, as Sir Robert Peel noted, is co-operation from the policed community. No less than six of his Nine Principles directly mention public co-operation. In everyday life, on the citizen end, this co-operation requires shaking off the temptation that says calling the police makes you a snitch or a rat. It also requires abjuring the urge to seek justice on your own or with a posse of friends. This citizen's duty of co-operation with the police  the duty to see co-operating as something a law-abiding citizen does for the good of the community  is clearly cultural. It's an internalized norm. It is not the rationalization of some drive that Whites preponderantly possess; like many of our other good-citizen duties, it's learned. Darwinian forces act much too slowly for it to be anything but cultural. Claiming that whites are genetically predisposed to this kind of co-operation, relative to most other types of humans, is as dubious as claiming that white folks are genetically predisposed towards literacy.

With this history in mind, the potential problem of White Nationalism becomes clear.

Corrosion Never Sleeps

As discussed above, the most likely political effect of White Nationalism will be to make a place at the spoils-system table for certain white folks. Then, the folks invited in will get handed the menu of preferments and get served. As per the norm for affirmative-action programs, the bulk of the spoils will go to advantaged members of the disadvantaged group. We don't need to speculate what the effect will be: we already see it in the black place at the spoils-system table. If White Nationalists get hooked into the nation-scale Tammany Hall, at least one of their number will become a professional race hustler. And, all the prosperous members getting the gravy will use the same trick to make it appear that the preferments are going to the poor and helpless. They too will bond with their lowers.

In this sad Hobbesian age, grown by big-government Leviathan, it's the favourite-odds bet that they'll chain themselves to an increasingly violent White underclass. (We wearily know how well aggression works in politics.) They'll also "do our part" to excuse, condone and enable that criminality. As we learned from the above survey of the aulden days, Whitey McEurope is genetically capable of a lot of violence. What holds it back is the learned, cultural norms that go with democracy and policing.

To some, the idea that Whitey McWhite will encourage a violent White underclass is fantastical. From what I've seen, White Nationalists are intellectuals at heart; they're bookish. So extensively so, it could be argued that the flare-up of White Nationalism and anti-Semitism is nothing more than a bunch of youngsters who've glommed onto a way to make bookworming edgy, cool and dankly glamorous. They're just rebellious teenagers, plus overgrown teenagers, who found out that they too can be the cocks of the walk. Shut out from the massive institutional support that constitutes SJW privilege, the heart of which is a politically compromised university system, they compensate with outlandishness.

In sober fact, they come across as polite and well-behaved as the early hippies and New Lefties circa 1965. How is it possible that a well-behaved group could cause so much trouble?

Unlike the Greatest Generation, who had to find out the hard way, we know the answer all-too-well.

Thankfully, Donald Trump's Civic Nationalism provides a way to co-opt and take down this movement without setting up a new branch office for the racial spoils system. Granted: there are reasons to complain about his big-government Republicanism. But it does have the advantage of helping out disadvantaged whites without dogging the United States with yet another grievance industry. We know all too well what trouble has been caused by the extent grievance-mongers; the last thing we need are more of them. The more a Trump Administration solves the problem of Rust-Belt dispossession, even if his means are questionable on other grounds, the smaller the axe that the White Nationalists grind will be. That would be a mixed blessing, admittedly, but also a real blessing.

Daniel M. Ryan, as Nxtblg, is shepherding the independently-run Open Audi Initiative Prediction Market Shadowing Project. He has stubbornly assumed all the responsibility and blame for the workings and outcome of the project.
From my YES I-732 email:

Hello carbon tax friends! With our noses to the grindstone it can be easy to forget the big picture, so go read the New York Times editorial board commentary on I-732: "Washington State's Ambitious Carbon Tax Proposal". And while you're at it read the Bloomberg View editorial about our left-wing opposition: "When Climate Campaigners Miss the Point". And also Noah Kaufman of World Resources Institute, writing at the Huffington Post: "A Climate Change Policy that Benefits the Poor". Also Ramez Naam, writing in The Stranger: "To Fight Climate Change and Poverty, Vote YES on Initiative 732". And here's our national press release on BusinessWire: "Nation's First Carbon Tax, Initiative 732, Goes before Voters in Washington State".

Then send these articles to all your friends, with a special note about this part from the NYT ed board: "The Washington proposal would be the first in the country and could well set an example for other states." (!) And then encourage them all to donate to the campaign.
Managed DNS provider Dyn was hit by a series of massive DDoS attacks on Friday, October 21, which left several major sites inaccessible for hours, including Box, CNN, HBO Now, PayPal, Pinterest, Reddit, Spotify, Squarespace, Twitter, Weebly, Wired, Wix, Yelp, Zendesk and Zoho, among many others, Gizmodo reports.

In a statement on its website, Dyn explained that its Managed DNS infrastructure in the Eastern U.S. came under attack from 11:10 UTC to 13:20 UTC, and again from 15:50 UTC to 17:00 UTC. We will continue to evaluate every situation with the goal of improving our systems and processes to deliver the utmost customer experience, the company stated.

In a blog post, security expert Bruce Schneier suggested that someone has spent the past year or two probing the defenses of companies critical to the operation of the Internet. These probes take the form of precisely calibrated attacks designed to determine exactly how well these companies can defend themselves, and what would be required to take them down, he wrote.

It feels like a nations military cyber command trying to calibrate its weaponry in the case of cyberwar, Schneier added. It reminds me of the U.S.s Cold War program of flying high-altitude planes over the Soviet Union to force their air-defense systems to turn on, to map their capabilities.

The outage on Dyn customers is yet another demonstration of how attacks on various critical points on the Internet can affect large numbers of users, Shape Security CTO Shuman Ghosemajumder told eSecurity Planet by email. In this case, the DNS system isnt something that most users think about all the time or even understand, but it is a crucial part of how the internet works and how we access websites and other services.

Carbon Black co-founder and chief security strategist Ben Johnson said by email that the Internet continues to rely on protocols and infrastructure designed before cyber security was an issue. Sadly, what we are seeing is only the beginning in terms of large scale botnets and disproportionate damage done, he said.

Investigative reporter Brian Krebs noted that the size of these DDoS attacks has recently increased significantly due to the broad availability of tools for compromising and leveraging Internet of Things (IoT) devices for use in DDoS attacks. Last month, a hacker by the name of Anna_Senpai released the source code for Mirai, a crime machine that enslaves IoT devices for use in large DDoS attacks, he wrote.

A Fastly study of IoT devices conducted earlier this month found that on average, an IoT device is infected withmalware and will launch an attack within just six minutes of being exposed to the Internet.

Over the span of a day, the study found, IoT devices are probed for vulnerabilities 800 times per hour. Theres an average of one login attempt every five minutes, 66 percent of which are successful.

With the advent of the Internet of Things, the potential for a botmaster to expand his or her botnets size is now greater than ever before, Digital Guardian director of advanced threat protection Will Gragido said by email. Increased size and diversity aides in not only allowing the botmaster to remain in business but also ensures that they are able to carry out their desired outcome when those resources are called upon to do so.

Organizations need to consider mitigative solutions (services or point products) designed to provide protection against complex, volumetric DDoS attacks on a global basis in order to withstand such attacks, Gragido added.

A recent eSecurity Planet article offered advice on improving IoT security.
The European Union leaders met on Thursday (20 October) to review the policy and relations with Russia including the Syria conflict. However, the leaders did not touch upon the issue of sanctions at this stage. The discussions stayed away from sanctions despite the fact that Russia is pursuing major military activities in support of the Assad regime in Syria and the Kremlin did not implement the Minsk peace agreement regarding Crimea. However, Poland and Baltic countries already lobbied for more sanctions to be enforced towards Russia. Russias involvement in the Syrian conflict was brought up at the summit but there is not much appetite for further sanctions on Moscow, a senior EU diplomat said.

However, many MEPs had brought up the issue of sanctions at the European Parliament  the center-right European Peoples Party (EPP), the liberals (ALDE) and the Greens had drafted a joint letter calling for tougher sanctions against Russia at the EU summit of 20 October. The EU needs concrete leverage to stop Russian war crimes in Syria and a tougher sanctions regime targeting Putin and his inner circle is the most efficient way to achieve this in the short term, Guy Verhofstadt, leader of the liberal ALDE Group, said.

The summit nevertheless condemned Russias actions in Syria and the leaders also called for those responsible for war crimes to be held accountable before international tribunals, the two diplomats stressed. The summit brought up a number of serious foreign policy issues, on top of Syria also the Middle East Peace Process, counter-terrorism, maritime security but also climate change, cross-border cooperation, research, education and the Arctic. The EU leaders also pushed for a major revision of the policy of selective engagement with Russia, which was outlined by Frederica Mogherini earlier this year.
Belgiums region of Wallonia last week blocked the EUs free trade agreement with Canada after intense talks, direct involvement of the Canadian government and last minute concessions. Wallonias Minister President, Paul Magnette, had requested direct talks with the Canadian government whom he deemed more flexible and open than the European Commission.

Chrystia Freeland, Canadas Minister of International Trade, said that the negotiations were not very fruitful and added that this marked the end and failure of the discussions with Wallonia. She added that this outcome was very disappointing and a missed opportunity. Ms Freeland not only criticized Wallonia but also the EU as a whole, saying that the bloc was simply not ready to sign such a deal.

Commissions President, Jean-Claude Juncker, was also very disappointed and addressed the European Council with sarcasm. The Commission was convinced that the political will of the EU leadership would be enough to overcome the Belgian opposition to the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA). Mr Juncker believes that a solution could be found in a few days. I believe that this CETA agreement is the best agreement that we have ever been able to negotiate to date, he insisted.

European Council President Donald Tusk said that the EU was constantly failing its credibility test. He warned that if the EU is not able to finalize the CETA, this might be an end of free trade deals with Europe. I remain concerned, for a good trade agreement with a close partner like Canada, and for Europes reputation, Mr Tusk said.
Camino Mortera-Martinez and John Springford (Centre for European Reform)

The new British government is facing very complicated negotiations in the coming years, which will see an agreement of the future relationship between Great Britain and the rest of the Union. A key issue will be the creation a legal framework for the continuation of the residency of EU citizens in the United Kingdom. However, the question remains if Britain can force citizens of other EU states leave the UK?

There are a number of legal, political and practical reasons why it would be difficult and per-haps even impossible. A very important reason is the prohibition of retroactivity, which is en-shrined in international law in the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties of 1969. According to this ban, any withdrawal from the contract should not damage the rights of the parties that were created while this contract was still in effect. However, there is no consensus among law-yers about whether this rule applies to the rights of EU citizens living in the United Kingdom as well.

However, even if the courts concluded that this is not the case, EU citizens may resist expulsion under British law, whose basic principles also include the need for legal certainty, and thus the impossibility of a retrospective change of terms and conditions. It is certain that the EU citizens who immigrated to Britain before the referendum of 23 June will have a particularly strong posi-tion in the event of any litigation.

Those who came after the referendum but still before the formal withdrawal from the EU will be in a slightly weaker position. The British government is concerned that there might be many people who would like to move to the country last minute, which is why it wants to announce the date after which the rights under EU law will no longer be guaranteed.

In practical terms, it is moreover a major problem to clearly distinguish when each EU citizen immigrated to Britain since the UK does not keep records of the incoming migrants. It would be naturally possible to set up a registry of foreigners living in Britain but not all of these people would be able to conclusively prove the date of their arrival. From a political point of view, Britain will need to obtain advantageous conditions for the UK economy, for which the good will of EU Member States will be needed. Thus, the UK cant afford to provoke its European part-ners by trying to deport their citizens.

The study can be downloaded here
With low volatility in the British Pound, how should you trade the GBP/EUR and GBP/USD exchange rates? We examine the latest euro-related fx forecasts targeting the sterling and the US dollar in the short, medium and long-term GBP/EUR forex outlooks

The British pound exchange rate complex had a comparatively quiet week after the upheavals of the past month.

However, its an uneasy calm, considering the strong statements by the EU leaders regarding Brexit negotiations.

Prime Minister Theresa May given a cold reception

The Prime Minister is attending her first EU summit and she has been given a cold reception at the European Council.

The French President Francois Hollande, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and the European Parliament president Martin Schulz continued with their tough talks regarding the Brexit negotiations.

The writing on the wall is pretty clear; the UK is likely to have a tough time during the negotiations in securing a free market access to the EU.

"She has already received a chilly reception, with the President of the European Council, Donald Tusk, saying that the other 27 members of the EU will start to work separately from the UK even before we have triggered Article 50, said Kathleen Brooks, of City Index, reports the Independent.

Latest Pound/Euro Exchange Rates

On Tuesday the Pound to British Pound exchange rate (GBP/GBP) converts at 1 Today finds the pound to pound spot exchange rate priced at 1. Today finds the pound to us dollar spot exchange rate priced at 1.15. At time of writing the pound to indian rupee exchange rate is quoted at 95.082. Today finds the pound to swiss franc spot exchange rate priced at 1.151. NB: the forex rates mentioned above, revised as of 1st Nov 2022, are inter-bank prices that will require a margin from your bank. Foreign exchange brokers can save up to 5% on international payments in comparison to the banks.

Volatility declines, but still remains elevated

While the volatility decreased this week, Bloomberg reports that sterling is still seen posting the biggest price swings among its Group-of-10 peers over the next six months.

Uncertainties regarding the Brexit negotiations and the pounds wild moves have made the job of the companies planning a Brexit strategy very difficult.

"High levels of volatility can have a detrimental impact to the economy," said Jane Foley, chief currency strategist at Rabobank International. "In some instances the size of a currency's movement may have greater relevance to policymakers than its actual value," reports the Daily Mail.

Various predictions for the pound sterling

The pounds median year-end prediction is $1.25, according to Bloomberg. Societe Generale SA believes that the pound has quickly factored in the Brexit impact. Hence, they forecast an almost 5% rally in the pound by the year-end to 1.28 levels.

Kathleen Brooks, of City Index, believes that the pound can drop to $1.2 on a series of tense comments around the UKs clean break with the EU, reports the Independent.

Simon Collins, U.K. chairman at KPMG told CNBC: What we're telling our clients who are sterling denominated, at the moment, is we think sterling is a little bit undervalued, but don't expect it to stop being volatile anytime soon.

Goldman Sachs expects the pound to drop below $1.20. Goldman believes, sterling is not yet cheap and the trade-weighted pound is still around 10% overvalued if a smaller current account deficit is the norm going forward, reports the Financial Times.

On the other hand, BNP Paribas believes that the sterling is significantly undervalued, and they forecast a target of above $1.29. Data and news flow is likely to remain challenging for sterling for the time being, but with short positioning stretched and our models signaling cheapness, we see scope for a squeeze higher on upside surprises and would not attempt to chase the currency lower from here, said BNP, reports the Financial Times.

Pound to Dollar Exchange Rate Forecast

What is our opinion on the GBP/USD for the next week?

The GBP/USD is stuck in a small range, which can be expected after such a sharp fall.

We believe that the pair is likely to rally towards the 20 EMA, where it is likely to face resistance.

After such a sharp fall, it is not a wise idea to open short positions without a rally.

Entering long positions when the major trend is negative is also not the right strategy.

Hence, traders should wait for rallies towards resistance levels and then initiate fresh short positions.

They should not expect a sharp move under the lows made on the day of the flash crash. Short on rallies and take profits quickly at support levels.

Pound to Euro Exchange Rate Forecast

How will the GBP/EUR perform this week?

According to our expectations, the GBP/EUR has rallied close to the 20 EMA and the downtrend line.

From here, the rally is likely to turn back towards the 1.1010 levels. Hence, traders can wait for a day to watch the pairs performance at the resistance levels and initiate fresh short positions.

However, they should keep the stop loss just above the resistance levels and take quick profits at the first support level.

On the other hand, if the pair breaks out above the overhead resistances, short positions should be avoided until the rally halts.

Long positions should be avoided as the major trend is down.
Pound Exchange Rates Generally Weaker After PMs Troubling Meeting with UK Devolved Leaders

The GBP NZD exchange rate continued to climb back towards the weeks opening levels on Wednesday afternoon, having erased over half the losses felt on Tuesday.

Demand for risky currencies like the Kiwi faded on Wednesday afternoon, and risky currencies could continue to perform poorly in the coming week as global market jitters will surely worsen until November 8ths US Presidential election is over.

Although Pound Sterling is still hampered by Brexit-based uncertainty the GBP NZD exchange rate was trending higher on Wednesday morning.

However, this strength may prove limited if this evenings New Zealand trade data points towards an improvement in trade conditions on the month in September.

Pound New Zealand Dollar (GBP NZD) exchange rate plunged on Tuesday afternoon as a brief surge in demand for risk capitalised on a Sterling selloff. As a result, GBP/NZD trended near record lows once again.

GBP was sold against most currencies on Tuesday afternoon in response to comments from UK Chancellor Philip Hammond. Hammond confirmed suspicions that Sterlings value drop would cause UK inflation to spike. He also stated the UK government had no reason to intervene with BoE monetary policy.

Risk appetite has seen the GBP NZD exchange rate return to a downtrend on Tuesday morning, with some dovish commentary from Fed officials boost the appeal of higher-yielding assets.

Comments from Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond did not ease the anxiety that continues to weigh on the Pound, despite pledging to put the financial sector at the heart of Brexit negotiations.

The latest UK developments have largely been detrimental for Pound Sterling (GBP) exchange rates, which have fallen on still-present concerns that Brexit negotiations may not prove beneficial to the UK in the long-term.

Amplifying these fears has been the outcome of a meeting between the Prime Minister and devolved nation leaders. While cautious optimism was on display beforehand, the latter leaders afterwards expressed frustration about the apparent lack of government clarity on how Brexit would be dealt with.

UK domestic data has come from the Confederation of British Industry (CBI), which has posted improving business optimism for Q4 but falling industrial orders in October.

However, while Sterling has fallen against some currency rivals, the GBP NZD exchange rate has advanced.

Latest Pound/New Zealand Dollar Exchange Rates

On Tuesday the New Zealand Dollar to British Pound exchange rate (NZD/GBP) converts at 0.509

The live inter-bank GBP-NZD spot rate is quoted as 1.966 today.

Today finds the pound to euro spot exchange rate priced at 1.161.

FX markets see the pound vs australian dollar exchange rate converting at 1.791.

NB: the forex rates mentioned above, revised as of 1st Nov 2022, are inter-bank prices that will require a margin from your bank. Foreign exchange brokers can save up to 5% on international payments in comparison to the banks.

Future GBP NZD Movement Dependent on Post-Referendum GDP Stats

For the Pound New Zealand Dollar exchange rate, the biggest influencer this week is likely to be Thursday mornings Q3 preliminary GDP growth rate results.

As the first solely post-Referendum quarter, the results of this printing will be pored over considerably by economists and investors, as they attempt to determine whether the decision for the UK to leave the EU has had a lasting negative impact.

As it stands, this assumption may well be verified on Thursday, as predictions have been for the rate of UK GDP growth to fall on both the quarter and the year.

New Zealand Dollar News: Limited Data Supply sees NZD Slide against Peers

With today being Labour Day in New Zealand, a lack of domestic data and RBNZ rate cut concerns have resulted in the Kiwi dropping off against all of its regular peers.

Other news out of New Zealand has been similarly scarce, with the only real update being that millions of Dollars are reportedly being saved every year due to increased energy efficiency.

The report from the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority (EECA) has broadly been positive, indicating that New Zealand is still progressing well on its path to become one of the worlds lowest-emission nations.

Pound New Zealand Dollar Exchange Rate Outlook: NZD Shifts Expected on Incoming Dairy Price Data

The first New Zealand report with the potential to impact Pound New Zealand Dollar exchange rate trading this week will come on Wednesday night, when the September trade balance will be announced; this is forecast to drop from -1265m to -878m.

Following on from this on Sunday will be the September building permits figure, which is set to post a positive rise from -1% to 1.5%.

One of the biggest incoming events isn't until November 1st, however, when the afternoon sees the Global Dairy Trade price index announced. This previously showed a rise of 1.4%.

UK Economic Focus: Scottish First Minister Highlights Issues Facing Scotlands Future with EU

Speaking in the aftermath of the Downing Street meeting, Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon voiced her exasperation about a lack of transparency during the meeting with the PM, something echoed by EU leaders attempting to gauge the governments tone;

I dont mind admitting that parts of the meeting were deeply frustrating. I dont know anymore now about the UK governments approach to the EU negotiations than I did before I went in.
Mexico City Is Giving Out Rape Whistles To All Women, But Is It Enough?

Mexico City's Mayor Miguel Angel Mancera has created a program to distribute plastic rape whistles to half a million women in an attempt to fight street harassment and sexual violence. The United Nations lists Mexico as one of the most violent countries for women, with over half of Mexican women having been subject to groping, street harassment, rape, and other forms of sexual violence. Between 2010 and 2015 approximately three million instances of sexual violence, from groping to raping, were committed in Mexico, according to the National Statistics Institute. Particularly abhorrent instances of violence  such as the hundreds of female factory employees murdered in Juarez beginning in 1993, which have gone unsolved to this day  have drawn gender violence into the public eye.

Recently, gender activists in Mexico have been fighting back against this violence. Groups such as the Hijas de Violencia (Daughters of Violence), are speaking out against harassment in subversive and creative ways. They mock machismo culture by firing glitter guns at men who harass them on the street. These activists are drawing attention to the everyday street harassment that women in Mexico face, particularly on the complex and overcrowded public transportation systems around the cities. The harassment that takes place not only polices women and their bodies but also frequently escalates into acts of severe violence (such as sexual assault and murder). Mexico City, in particular, has a large problem with harassment  according to a Thompson Reuters Foundation survey of female transit riders in 16 cities around the world  with 64% of its respondents reporting sexual and gender-based misconduct. 94.1% of instances of sexual violence go unreported to the authorities, according to the Executive Commission for Attention to Victims (CEAV), meaning that most women in Mexico never see justice or are allowed to reclaim their sense of safety and self.

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In April, activists organized a march to assert womens rights which included occupying a subway station notorious for being dangerous for women, as well as a brief train ride. The statement is clear: Women are being subject to violence and harassment in these spaces, and that it is not all right. Just last month, the hashtag #MiPrimerAcoso (my first assault) began trending, with women tweeting about the first time they were subject to sexual harassment.

Mexico Citys response to this harassment has long been to:

1) Ignore it

2) Offer band-aid solutions to the systemic issue of violence against women in its public spaces, such as the pink female-only buses it provides.

It's in this vein that Mexico City's Mayor Mancera is distributing plastic rape whistles (which come in a bright pink packaging to match the buses). According to Mexico City's governmental secretary, Patricia Mercado Castro, "The whistle[s are] there to help women break the silence and make noise when someone harasses them."

source: Twitter



Many have criticized this as just another false solution; distributing whistles does nothing to address the culture of violence towards women, does not hold the perpetrators responsible or even attempt to do so, and is fundamentally patronizing. Although a good sentiment, and perhaps a step towards raising awareness about gender-based violence, the whistles are unlikely to actually prevent assaults from occurring. One Tweet Mayor Mancera received asked him if he had plans to also distribute maracas to combat corruption or vuvuzelas (noise-makers) to fights against extortion.

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Whats more is that the rape whistle program, and programs like it, places the onus on the victim to not be assaulted, rather than calling on perpetrators to take responsibility for their actions. Some have likened the whistles to chastity belts, and, as columnist Catalina Ruiz Navarro writes: Manceras whistles...put the job of prevention on the victim...Women without a whistle  real or metaphoric  would expose themselves and if theyre assaulted and no one does anything, it would be their fault for not whistling" (translation via The Guardian.) Mexican activists groups are speaking out about the controversial program, even creating the trending hashtag #ElPitoDeMancera (the literal translation of which is Maceras Whistle as well serves as a double entendre for his penis.) Regina Tames, director of the Information Group on Reproductive Choice (GIRE), a women's reproductive choice group in Mexico City, says that the saddest thing is to think that this government has been defeated on this issue and decided that the only solution is to ask women to look after themselves.

While the whistle program is, perhaps, a step in the right direction, it does not go nearly far enough in addressing the sexual violence that Mexican women face every day  whether that be street harassment, groping, sexual assault, or murder. Legislative and cultural change needs to be enforced in Mexico City and in all communities around the world to address the pervasive violence done against women. It is a complex problem which is deeply embedded into the framework of our culture  think about every ad portraying rape culture, or furthering the narrative that women are sexual objects available for the taking. There needs to be concrete and multifaceted change to combat sexual violence  one far more drastic than simply passing out whistles.

Jimena Soria, also of the GIRE, perhaps sums it up best when she says: "The amount of violence against women doesn't deserve such a simple answer."

Photo source: Twitter

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I'm a recent Bard grad livin large and in charge! I write and perform comedy (articles, standup, all that jazz). I'm writing a tv pilot right now about a cardiologist who is unlucky in affairs of the heart it's called "How to Get Away with Murmur."
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The father of newspaper delivery girl Genette Tate says he is certain his daughter was murdered by Robert Black.

Genette disappeared 38 years ago, and detectives are sure that Black killed her, and have outlined the entire case to her father John Tate, 74.

The detectives revealed previously unpublished evidence  including that Black had admitted visiting the village where Genette disappeared in 1978.

John, who is battling cancer, told the Daily Mirror: "I'm now convinced Robert Black was the culprit. I feel very emotional.

"I'd like to find her body after 38 years searching for answers, but what do I do now? I've spent all these years looking and still don't have any definitive answer.

"I'm lost now  this has dominated my life. I end up crying about it."

Genette was 13 when she vanished in a country lane in Aylesbeare, Devon, in August 1978. Her bike was left in the lane with newspapers scattered around. Her body has never been found.

Delivery driver Black became the main suspect after his conviction in 1994 for the rape and murder of three girls in the early 1980s.

Now police have met with John and told him the case is over. They had presented a file to the Crown Prosecution Service in April but were told it could not be pursued as Black was dead.

John said the 500-page report revealed Black once admitted to a guard he had visited Aylesbeare. The officer had thought he said Aylesbury  but Black corrected him, saying definitely Aylesbeare.

The briefing also included a painstaking profile of Black's life and movements. John said: "They know the way he came in and out of Aylesbeare because they found his fuel receipts.

"Their scoring system ruled out 300 other suspects.

"There were eight criteria associated with Black's crimes  young girls, riding bikes, even down to victims wearing white ankle socks. I'm convinced it was him."

Devon and Cornwall Police said: "We've kept the family informed throughout. We have no other comment."
Hello!



Does anyone know if there are any restrictions on how many businesses one can be a director of on a Spouse VISA with Business rights? My VISA says I can live with 'spouse name' and own 'company name'. Does that mean I can't create another company and be a director of that company too?



Googling doesn't return much information about this query. Any assistance would be greatly appreciated.



Thanks.
Hello all,



I have been searching weeks now to get a solution in my problem.

Hope to get some luck.



I live in Barcelona, have a NIE (EU citizen) and also registered in the city hall (padron). I will have to be abroad for a few months due to work needs, and decided to un-rent my house to save the money. I will still be working for my company here in Spain and come often for weekends but will stay at friends.



What can I do for my Padron? Do I have to be unregistered form the city hall? Any impact on AEAT?



Once I m back I ll stay at a friend's house till I find a new house. She says she cannot register me because she rents a room, and it is mentioned about subletting is not allowed and that there is not an option of "accommodate" in the form for the city hall.



How can I manage this situation?



How can I use an address for postal needs (health, city hall, car registration etc.) and for AEAT, without renting nor owning one but still working here?



Can I stay registered in my current house? (I could fwd post with a correos service to another postal addrress I guess.)



Please some help...

I have to leave the house soon and also travel for the project and haven't managed to get any clarification yet.



Thanks a lot folks!
Project 4k77 Wants To Release The Original 'Star Wars' In 4k

Trending News: Meet The Group Working To Release The Original 'Star Wars' In 4k

Why Is This Important?

Because you need Star Wars to look awesome on your new 4K TV.

Long Story Short

One very devoted Star Wars fan is going back to the original 35mm tapes to remaster the 1977 classic for 2016 technology or 2017 technology, when they hope the work will be completed.

Long Story

Theres a lot of choice out there if you want to settle down and enjoy the first Star Wars movie: will you watch one of the many versions released after 1997, with now very dated 90s CGI George Lucas added in? Sure, the official 2011 Blu-ray release looks alright on your TV, but can you forgive George Lucas for all the pointless changes hes done over the years?

If you werent aware how much the original trilogy has changed with the many, many releases and special editions, dont worry, theres a Wikipedia article for that.

via GIPHY

Serious Star Wars fans have remained loyal to the original, theatrical release of the film. Thats the one with all the puppets you remember from your childhood. And since Disney/Lucasfilm hasnt confirmed that theyll release the original Star Wars: A New Hope in beautiful 4K, a noble fan has risen to the challenge.

4K77 (A New Hope was released in 1977) at The Star Wars Trilogy is working hard to bring your sci-fi nostalgia to crisp 4K quality. To get there, theyre using multiple 35mm prints, scanned at 4K, cleaned at 4K, and rendered at full 4K UHD 40961716 resolution.

Its a lot of work, but the difference is pretty amazing:

Theyre hoping to have Star Wars: A New Hope restored and ready by 2017, for the movies 40th anniversary. The most recent official release of the untarnished, original movie was all the way back in 2006, and you, your TV, and Han Solo deserve better than that.

Own The Conversation

Ask The Big Question

Does a new version of A New Hope change the fact that Han shot first?

Disrupt Your Feed

Some of the 90s CGI looks sillybut the new Jabba isnt that bad.

Drop This Fact

For a truly new version of Star Wars, check out the entire movie made up of 15 second clips of fan reenactments.
Former MLB Pitcher Curt Schilling To Host Breitbart Radio Show

Trending News: Former MLB Star Curt Schilling Is Now On Breitbart Radio

Why Is This Important?

Because Curt Schilling and Breitbart seem destined for each other.

Long Story Short

Former MLB pitcher Curt Schilling has announced that he will be joining the ranks of fire-breathing Trump-supporting talk radio hosts. You can listen to him if you want at Breitbart.com from 9 a.m.-11 a.m. Mondays to Fridays.

Long Story

Get ready America, because Curt Schilling now has a platform other than Facebook. As early as Tuesday, listeners across the world will be able to listen to Schilling spew anti-liberal invective for two solid hours via Breitbart.com, the so-called news website whose CEO is now Donald Trumps campaign manager. If this press release/article is anything to go by, his grammar and thought structure should be two entertaining components to listen for.

Heres a sample of what to expect:

Clinton, he says, is the most deplorable, corrupt human being to ever run for office  let alone the White House.

I am not taking my news anymore from the media because the media has very clearly given all pretenses away of objectivity. They want and need Hillary Clinton in the White House.

On his recent interview with CNNs Jake Tapper: I asked him as a person of the Jewish faith, why people, who practice that faith would be supporters of the Democratic Party  given their anti-Israel, anti-Jewish stance. After that  I was called an anti-Semite  and I am thinking to myself: Wait a minute?'

Skip to the 6:00 mark to hear Schilling discuss gorgeous young boys.

Were still hearing Clinton supporters, who are railing on and on about the fact that Trump has not laid out specific plans when at Gettysburg [on Saturday] thats exactly what he did.

Remember, these are direct quotes lifted from a written article/press release.

This wont be the first time someone thought it was a good idea to put Schilling in front of a live mic. But it will likely be more successful than his stint at ESPN, which ended in April following a Facebook post apparently supporting North Carolinas so-called Bathroom Billthe bill that bars trans people from using facilities for the gender with which they identify rather than the one with which they were born.

Per the New York Times:

The post showed an overweight man wearing a wig and womens clothing with parts of the T-shirt cut out to expose his breasts. It says: LET HIM IN! to the restroom with your daughter or else youre a narrow-minded, judgmental, unloving racist bigot who needs to die.

To that, Schilling added: A man is a man no matter what they call themselves. I dont care what they are, who they sleep with, mens room was designed for the penis, womens not so much. Now you need laws telling us differently? Pathetic.

Breitbart editor-in-chief Alex Marlow told New York Magazine that, He got kicked off ESPN for his conservative views. Hes a really talented broadcaster.

Own The Conversation

Ask The Big Question

Will Schilling be successful enough to become a nationally recognized media personality?

Disrupt Your Feed

Whatever media plan Donald Trump has as of November 9th, theres a good chance Schilling will be a part of it.

Drop This Fact

Schilling has publicly been considering a Senate run against Elizabeth Warren in 2018.
Welcome to the News Release Wire Selection Control Panel.

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A growing number of environmental organizations are scrutinizing plans by Houston-based Apache Corp. to drill for oil and gas around West Texas popular Balmorhea State Park and its famous spring-fed pool.

The latest is Earthworks, a nonprofit advocacy group that is mobilizing local residents to protect the regions natural resources. Representatives from Earthworks, which is headquartered in Washington, have met at least three times with area residents over concerns that oil and gas drilling could pollute the air and water.

Earthworks officials plan to speak at a community meeting on Nov. 5. The group also commissioned an assessment of the potential risks from Apaches project to the local waters, which it plans to release at the meeting.

We need some help, said Neta Rhyne, 65, who lives in Toyahvale and owns a scuba and swim shop across the street from the park. People dont really pay attention to whats going on around here, unfortunately.

Apache announced last month the discovery of 15 billion barrels of oil and gas along a narrow strip of southern Reeves County, in the Permian Basin. The company said it could dig 3,000 wells over the next 20-plus years.

But as it drilled test wells and leased land, residents began to worry the work would contaminate the San Solomon Springs, which provides more than 22 million gallons of water a day to area farmers and to the state parks crystal-blue pool. Tourism is a major employer in the region; about 160,000 visitors came to the park last year.

Water concerns have drawn interest from university scientists and environmental organizations alike. Some, like the national advocacy groups Environmental Defense Fund and the Sierra Club, are just monitoring the situation, for now. Others have become directly engaged.

Sister Elizabeth Riebschlaeger, a Roman Catholic nun from Victoria who is well-known for her work monitoring hydraulic fracturing operations for environmental violations, visited Balmorhea months ago and talked to worried residents at a town hall meeting. She said she hopes to return in the next few weeks.

The Washington-based Nature Conservancy said staff are reviewing available data and the potential impact of drilling. The conservation group will soon begin testing water quality on several sites it owns in the area, including Sandia Springs, Diamond Y Springs and the Davis Mountains preserves.

Ultimately, we hope to gain assurances that regional springs and aquifers will continue to be protected, spokeswoman Vanessa Martin said.

Apache, keenly aware of the concerns, said earlier this month it will work with scientists at the University of Texas at Arlington to study water quality in the area, the first time an oil company has agreed to share with university researchers the proprietary chemical cocktail it uses to drill for oil and gas.

Apache agreed to fund the study with a $136,000 grant to the university. The researchers said they retain the rights to publish results in academic journals regardless of their findings.

But Earthworks said Apache operations, in their infancy, are already polluting the air.

Sharon Wilson, Earthworks Gulf region organizer, said she took a video with an infrared camera that captures emissions coming from one of Apaches well sites.

Wilson has met with residents at least three times now.

Theyre very concerned, she said.

Voter Guide: What to know for the midterm election Your guide to the Texas and San Antonio races and candidates on the Nov. 8 ballot.

Apache declined to comment on Wilsons claims but said in a statement that the company takes its environmental responsibility very seriously. Oil and gas is a highly regulated industry, a spokeswoman noted, and the company complies with all applicable laws and regulations regarding air emissions.

Residents who oppose Apaches drilling likely will end up with few options to stop it, as long as Apache has leased the land and met state conditions for drilling permits, legal specialists have said.

Residents could appeal to a newly formed groundwater conservation district in Reeves County to monitor or slow Apaches groundwater use, or claim the drilling would affect endangered species. The 2-inch-long Comanche Springs pupfish, for instance, lives only in the San Solomon waters.

David.hunn@chron.com

Twitter.com/davidhunn
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PORT ARANSAS  There comes a time to reflect on ones life, and Tony Amos has arrived at his.

Amos, 79, has spent decades studying the idiosyncrasies of the worlds oceans for leading research universities. But around Port Aransas, the bushy-bearded septuagenarian is best known for his wildlife conservation efforts.

Its a long, long story, Amos said. Its been a lifetime story.

At 17, a bright-eyed Amos left his native London and set out for Bermuda to join a group of engineers in what would be a vain effort to develop a flat-screen color TV. The experience proved invaluable nonetheless.

As he would soon learn, Amos had a proclivity for electronics, which drew the interest of oceanographers who passed through Bermuda on sea expeditions.

I got a bit fed up with paradise and waiting for the color TV thing to be successful, Amos recalled.

He would land a job in Columbia Universitys Lamont Geological Observatory, now known as the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory. He spent months at sea as a technician, where he would pioneer early salinity and depth-measuring instruments.

Then in 1976, Amos and his wife, Lynn, moved to Port Aransas, where he had accepted a research position as an oceanographer with the University of Texas Marine Science Institute.

Amos might have happily kept on monitoring the tides, measuring water temperature and salinity levels of the Gulf of Mexico if not for the 1979 Ixtoc I exploratory oil well blowout in the Bay of Campeche.

Amos had grown fond of the brown Pelicans and laughing gulls and various sea turtles that populate the coastal habitat, and when these animals began washing ashore in the aftermath of the oil spill, Amos was compelled to act.

I think things have always been somewhat like this, Amos said, and we started doing something about it.

The Animal Rehabilitation Keep, or ARK, was borne out of his early efforts to rescue and rehabilitate injured animals in the early 1980s.

As the ARK grew, it took on several full-time staff and dozens of volunteers, including Amos son, Michael, and developed public outreach programs. These days, the ARK handles around 600 animals every year brought from Mustang Island, North Padre Island and surrounding areas, many of them found tangled in netting or having ingested plastic.

Over the years, the ARK has rescued 700 sea turtles and returned many of them to the wild, among them 21 green sea turtles, four Kemps ridleys, three loggerheads and a hawksbill released this fall from the recently anointed Tony Amos Beach.

Though Amos retired years ago, he continued his work for the ARK as a research fellow. The animal rehabilitation center is funded partly by UT, but significantly more comes from private donations to the Anthony F. Amos Endowment. Earlier this year, the staff learned that it will receive money from the Deepwater Horizon sea turtle restoration fund.

Lately, Amos has been scaling back his involvement in the ARK for health reasons: He undergoes chemo to fight inoperable pancreatic cancer. Speaking by phone from the doctors office, where he was waiting in line to have blood drawn, Amos thought over his life.

Ive had a great career at sea, Ive learned a huge amount, Amos said. The ARK, it was just something that happened. ... But Im quite proud of what Im leaving.
Voting devices are primed for action and hundreds of Bexar County poll workers are prepped for a busy day today, when a record turnout is expected for the first day of early balloting in the Nov. 8 election.

Forty-three early polling sites are open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. today, when voters can finally weigh in on the presidential race, elect federal, state and county officials, and decide local matters including school bond elections.

The general election of 2016 is heading to the record books. An unprecedented number of voters  1,040,590  were registered in Bexar County as of Friday, with a larger, final number expected today. Late last week, election officials were processing the last remaining voter registration applications that arrived in compliance with an Oct. 11 deadline.

Early voting, which ends Nov. 4, is predicted to yield 65 percent of the countys total vote, which could range from 500,000 to 600,000, officials said last week.

At least 150,000 in-person votes are expected on Election Day, when 303 polling sites will operate, County Judge Nelson Wolff said. He joined state and local officials in urging the public to vote early, when theres usually less waiting.

It takes the stress off of Election Day, Wolff said.

The 43 early voting sites, also a record, include public libraries, community centers, school offices and other public areas in all corners of the county. This year, the often-changing lineup of early voting sites includes polls at the Alamo Stadium Convocation Center, Palo Alto College, Northwest Vista College and the main campus of the University of Texas at San Antonio.

Texas is one of 37 states with early voting  and one of the last to start the process. The Associated Press reported Friday that 4.4 million people nationwide have already voted in 34 states at a pace far exceeding 2012, the year of the most recent presidential election.

Some Texans already have voted  by mail. In Bexar County, hundreds of mail ballots have been cast and await counting. Members of the military, senior citizens, the disabled and others are voting by mail, again in unprecedented numbers. The deadline for requesting a mail ballot is Friday.

The countys voter rolls have grown by more than 140,000 this year, a phenomenon also seen statewide. Texas registrations are approaching 80 percent of the 19 million people of voting age, a number that includes some ineligible noncitizens and felons.

Texas Secretary of State Carlos Cascos, the states chief elections official, said hes pleased by the high registration numbers and is crisscrossing Texas to encourage voting and to explain photo identification requirements.

Its not that complicated, he said. Those whove been presenting a photo ID such as a driver license should still do so. Those without one of seven allowed forms of photo ID can still vote. They fill out an impediment declaration basically saying  theres been a reasonable impediment to obtaining or possessing one of the seven forms.

Those who sign a declaration then will be allowed to vote if they have one of several other documents, including a utility bill, bank statement, government document or a blue voter registration certificate.

I trust the voter to do the right thing, but that declaration is signed under penalty of perjury, Cascos said.

The election judge does not have the authority to question that document. As an example, if someone uses the reasoning they dont have transportation, theyve been unable to obtain one of these photo IDs  the (election) judge cannot ask, How did you get here? Cascos said.

If they say Ive been disabled, they cant be asked, How did you walk in here? he said. That declaration is unchallengeable

Cascos, a Republican and a former Cameron County judge appointed by Gov. Greg Abbott, dismissed the notion of a rigged election, saying thats highly unlikely, very improbable.

If someone would want to do something like that, they would have to figure out how to hack into 254 different locations, Cascos said, referring to the number of Texas counties.

With vote security concerns swirling nonetheless, Cascos said voters could encounter poll monitors unaffiliated with county election staff. Last week, Bexar GOP Chairman Robert Stovall said his party has seen a surge in interest among volunteer poll watchers, with scores offering to monitor the process.

With only 43 early polling sites, compared with the 303 on Election Day, candidates often strive to have a meaningful presence at many of the early polls. Many deploy supporters to greet voters and hold signs, sometimes getting vocal about their support.

When things get out of hand, sheriffs deputies are summoned. In the March primaries, deputies were dispatched four times to incidents including a fight between rival campaign workers and a heated argument between poll judges. Those were in addition to instances when poll workers were insulted and yelled at by irate voters, election officials said.

We do everything we can to see the election is run right, Wolff said.

Theres always something that is going to go wrong, he conceded.

jgonzalez@express-news.net

Twitter: @johnwgonzalez
With polls showing him sliding nationally, Donald Trump received a bit of welcome news in one battleground state on Sunday as the editorial page of Nevadas largest newspaper, The Las Vegas Review-Journal, endorsed him for president.

It is the first major newspaper to give Trump its blessing, though it may come with something of an asterisk: The Review-Journal was bought late last year by the casino magnate and billionaire Sheldon Adelson, a Trump supporter and longtime Republican benefactor.

The editorial described Trump as flawed but nonetheless preferable to Hillary Clinton.

Mr. Trumps impulsiveness and overheated rhetoric alienate many voters, its endorsement said. He has trouble dealing with critics and would be wise to discover the power of humility.

But neither candidate will ever be called to the dais to accept an award for moral probity and character, the editorial continued. And we are already distressingly familiar with the Clinton way, which involves turning public service into an orgy of influence peddling and entitlement designed to line their own pockets  precisely what a disgruntled electorate now rises up to protest.

The editorial warned that an administration led by Clinton would indulge the worst instincts of the authoritarian left and continue to swell the bloated regulatory state while running the nation deeper into the red in pursuit of free college and health care.

The endorsement comes at a time when Trump is in growing need of support: An ABC News tracking poll released Sunday showed Clinton beating him nationally by 12 percentage points.

Clinton has stacked up newspaper endorsements, including from unlikely quarters: The Arizona Republic broke with long-standing tradition and made her the first Democrat its editorial page has ever endorsed. The Dallas Morning News editorial page gave her its first endorsement of a Democrat since 1940. And The Cincinnati Enquirer, whose editorial page also endorsed Clinton, said that the last Democrat to receive its endorsement was Woodrow Wilson.

Until Sunday, the biggest newspapers to endorse Trump were the Santa Barbara, California, News-Press and St. Joseph, Missouri, News-Press.

The Review-Journals editorial page rejected what it suggested was overwrought fear-mongering about Trump.

Mr. Trump represents neither the danger his critics claim nor the magic elixir many of his supporters crave, the endorsement said. But he promises to be a source of disruption and discomfort to the privileged, back-scratching political elites for whom the nations strength and solvency have become subservient to powers pursuit and preservation.
Focus on Ag: What the worsening drought conditions really tell us

Drought conditions in the Midwest have worsened over the last few months, but Kent Thiesse says the long-term impact of drought isn't always understood.
Shropshire

A Full-Time position is available for an assistant herdsperson on a family dairy farm in mid Shropshire. We have a 250 dairy herd rearing own replacements together with a b...
A group of sixteen farmers have vowed to form a cluster to protect a Norfolk river from further agricultural pollution.

The farmers gathered together last week with Salmon & Trout Conservation UK to discuss the results of the recent Riverfly Census on rivers across the country including the Wensum.

Explaining the results, Nick Measham, from Salmon & Trout Conservation and author of the Census said, said the Census revealed that the river Wensums fly life is "suffering as a result of phosphorous and sediment pollution mostly as a result of run-off from agricultural activities."

"It was very disappointing that the River Wensum, which is one of the UKs four highly protecting chalkstreams fared so badly in the survey, Mr Measham said.

Riverflies and other invertebrates are excellent indicators of the underlying ecological condition of rivers because different species of invertebrates demonstrate different tolerances to the various forms of stress from pollution.

Nick Measham explains: Englands 200 or so chalkstreams form about 85% of the worlds total stock of this richly diverse and complex habitat. Almost all of them are in a dismal state of decline.

Plants, insects, fish, mammals and bird-life are suffering as a result of the loss of fly life, which plays a crucial role in the aquatic food chain. Basically lose your fly life and you will lose many other important species too.

To counteract some of the negative impacts along the river catchment from farming activities, the group are implementing a wide range of measures

Farmers working on a landscape-scale to protect

However, all is not lost for the Wensum.

Last year, Natural England established a Facilitation Fund, which is a scheme that aims to encourage farmers to form a Farmer Cluster and to work together on a landscape-scale to protect the fragile wetland habitats surrounding the Wensum.

The sixteen farmers that have formed the Farmer Cluster on the Wensum catchment. They have been working collaboratively for the past year to focus their conservation efforts on developing landscape scale projects that will help protect the precious river environment from potential impacts from farming activities.

Heidi Smith from the Farming and Wildlife Advisory Group (FWAG) said: This is a really exciting project and all the farmers are totally committed to working together to achieve results.

Although the results of the Riverfly Census were a shock, we feel that over time, the many innovations being implemented by the group on a large-scale and across the catchment will start to turn the river environment around.

The project has only been going for a year and so we look forward to S&TC UKs next round of monitoring to see what improvements have taken place.

Wide-range of environment-friendly methods

The sixteen farms involved in the project are quite diverse and range from a small organic grazier to larger concerns that either have stock or grow crops such as oil seed rape, sugar beet or barley.

Many of those within the Farmer Cluster are either in a Stewardship Scheme such as the Higher Level Scheme or the Entry Level Scheme.

To counteract some of the negative impacts along the river catchment from farming activities, the group are implementing a wide range of measures such as growing buffer strips, ploughing across fields, tramline disruption, planting cover crops and growing nitrogen fixing legumes.

Over time, the combined efforts of all the farmers should start to reduce the amount of soil being lost from the land and generally improve soil health while protecting the river.

Nick Measham said: Meeting the Farmer Cluster group is a wonderful opportunity to share knowledge and best practice to help make a difference.

It is hugely apparent that these farmers are totally committed 100 per cent to the future conservation of the Wensum and each one of them is passionate about doing a great job.

We are currently repeating our Riverfly Census on the Wensum and although it is going to take time to get it back into pristine condition, I am sure that the dedication of the Wensum Farmer Cluster will ensure that this will be the case over the next few years.
New figures show a return to growth for retailer Tesco amid anger from the farming industry about how 'fake farm brands' helped fuel the growth.

After a troubled few years, during which the UKs biggest supermarket chain has been hit by scandal and falling profitability under pressure from the discounters, Tesco increased its sales by 1.3 per cent for the 12 weeks ending October 9. This was its first sign of upward growth since March 2015.

The latest grocery share figures from Kantar Worldpanel show Tesco has grown faster than the overall market, where sales increased by 0.8 per cent on last year.

The retailer attracted a further 228,000 shoppers to help its market share grow to 28.2 per cent  its first year-on-year market share gain since 2011.

At the heart of its revival has been the introduction of its fake farm brands, such as Woodside Farm pork products.

'Misleading'

Fraser McKevitt, head of retail and consumer insight at Kantar Worldpanel, said: Foods including ready meals and produce have been among the fastest growing areas at Tesco, helped by its Farm Brands but also its standard own label lines.

The farming industry has reacted angrily to the branding, accusing Tesco of misleading consumers

The farming industry has reacted angrily to the branding, accusing retailers of misleading consumers and riding on the coattails of the trust UK farmers have built.

The most recent and high profile example is Tescos introduction of brand names such as Woodside Farms and Boswell Farms.

Yorkshire pig farmer and former National Pig Association chairman Richard Longthorp said Tesco appeared to have 'forgotten the lessons about trust it should have learned from the horsemeat scandal.'

Mr Longthorp said: I thought my memory was bad but clearly the memory of the people at Tesco must be somewhat worse  or they were being somewhat disingenuous back in 2013. Remember Horsegate?

It wasnt really about horsemeat, it was about trust.

I seem to recall Tesco and other retailers being aghast at what had happened and how trust had been breached and must never be allowed to happen again.

So what are they doing now? They are using tertiary brands (aka flags of convenience) such as Woodside Farms, to trick their customers into thinking that the meat they are buying is British. Well there cant be that many pig farms in Denmark or Holland called Woodside can there?

'A range of countries'

Despite the criticism it is receiving from across the farming sector, including complaints to Trading Standards, Tesco has stood behind its fake farm brands.

A Tesco spokesman acknowledged that the products sold under the brand come from a range of countries.

Every product is sourced from a selection of farms and growers - some are small, family-run farms while others are of a larger scale," the spokesman said.

Tesco customers are among the savviest in the country and they understand that one farm could not possibly supply Tesco given our scale and the vast range of products that they want to buy from us.

Every product is clearly labelled with its country of origin and the Union Jack is prominently displayed on all British produce."
A co-ordinated and joined up strategy on land management 'will help to ensure that agriculture and the environment can flourish in tandem'.

That was the key message from Northern Ireland's Agriculture and Environment Minister Michelle McIlveen today as she received a report on Sustainable Agricultural Land Management Strategy.

The report was compiled by an expert working group, consisting of farmers, environmentalists, officials and food processors, chaired by Dr John Gilliland.

This is the first report of its kind for Northern Ireland, providing a number of recommendations on how best to support productive agriculture whilst improving environmental performance.

Speaking at the event at AFBI, Hillsborough, Miss McIlveen said: The Sustainable Agricultural Land Management Strategy is a first for Northern Ireland and is linked to recommendation 22 of Going for Growth, which called for a strategic regional land management policy.

This is an excellent example of how a genuine partnership between government, the food chain and the farming and environmental sectors can work together for the common good.

As Minister for both Agriculture and the Environment, building such vibrant partnerships is an important priority for me. I believe that a coordinated and joined-up strategy will help to ensure that agriculture and the environment, can flourish in tandem," she added.

'Empowering farmers and landowners'

Dr Gilliland said: This report seeks to empower farmers and landowners with very farm specific, detailed information on their productivity, their soil fertility, their water and habitat quality. Only then can they make the right decisions for their own land, which will build an inherent resilience in their farm businesses.

We believe the Northern Ireland Land Based Sector can deliver true resilient Sustainability  economic, environmental and social; and also become a world exemplar, able to maximise its value from the marketplace."

The Minister concluded: My officials and I will consider this report carefully in the coming weeks as we examine the potential implementation of these recommendations to deliver my Departments vision of a thriving and sustainable economy, environment and rural community.

This report has the potential to inspire positive change. I look forward to working with farmers, the food chain and the environmental sector as we all endeavour to deliver on that potential."
Brexit offers Britain an opportunity to tailor a new support scheme and rewilding projects MPs on the Environmental Audit Committee were told.

The academics giving evidence said Brexit gave Britain an opportunity to shape a support scheme which supports both wildlife and food production  promising rewilding projects would stop short of introducing wolves to the Scottish highlands.

Future rewilding could involve the reinstatement of missing species, including apex predators, which play a crucial top-down regulatory role in ecosystems.

Trees for Life said that the Eurasian lynx  already reintroduced to areas of Europe such as the Alps and Jura mountains, is a realistic candidate for reintroduction.

"It offers little threat to sheep and none to humans. It is a specialist predator of roe deer, a species which has multiplied in Britain in recent years and which holds back the natural regeneration of trees through intensive browsing," they said.

But Countryside Alliance said lynx and wolves are just as likely to prey on ground nesting birds and livestock, as they are on wild deer.

"This was demonstrated in July this year when a lynx escaped from Dartmoor Zoo, killing four lambs belonging to a local farmer, before being recaptured," the said.

Income sources

Issues including changes in the devolved administration and the role that managed rewilding can play in conservation and restoration were part of an inquiry launched by the committee in July.

Experts giving evidence to the committee said rewilding would give upland farmers access to potential income sources.

"There is no single definition of rewilding. It can refer to a complete withdrawal of land management practices, but generally it is used to describe a change in management practice involving the proactive restoration of land, habitat and wildlife to its uncultivated or unmanaged state," the Countryside Alliance said in its written evidence to the committee.

Rewilding has the additional benefit of creating vibrant natural landscapes which stimulate tourism and ecological awareness, while also soaking up greater quantities of CO2, helping bring the economy towards carbon neutrality.

Helen Meech, director at Rewilding Britain, said: "With MPs currently consulting on new approaches to management of Britains natural environment post-Brexit, we feel it is high-time we allowed landscapes the space they need to rewild, creating natural wetlands and bringing back the wildlife that was once common to Britain.

"Rewilding also has benefit of improving water quality and stimulating the revival of vibrant ecosystems rich in wildlife."

Vision of hope

Professor Richard Brazier from the University of Exeter said: "Rewilded areas help to mitigate soil erosion, diffuse pollution and flash flooding that we see from intensive agriculture, so as far as I can see the two go hand in hand."

Alan Watson Featherstone, who at the end of 2015 was awarded an alternative New Years honour by The Guardian newspaper, in a celebration of the heroes of the year, said: "Rewilding offers an exciting vision of hope. In the Highlands of Scotland we have an opportunity to reverse environmental degradation and create a world-class wilderness region - offering a lifeline to wildlife including beavers, capercaillie, wood ants and pine martens, and restoring natural forests and wild spaces for our children and grandchildren."

Professor Sue Hartley from the British Ecological Society agreed, saying: "There is an opportunity to look for win wins. It would be good to get away from the dichotomy of intensive production and rewilding, it is more integrated than that."
Bonus Quotation of the Day

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 is from the late Clemson University (and GMU) economist Bob Tollison:

Were all part of the equilibrium.

With this short observation, Bob meant to cheer scholars who cannot perceive the consequences of their work on public policy and law. These few words  which I heard Bob say verbally several times in his distinctive and warm South Carolina accent  are an economists economists way of saying to scholars whose work he admired No matter how bad things might be, theyd be worse if you hadnt done what you do. Although you might not realize it, your good work at least helps to keep things from being even worse and just might, one day, be part of the impetus that makes for positive improvement.

Bob died suddenly this morning in Clemson. He was 74. Bob was one of the most prolific economists of his generation. His special genius was in using basic economic principles to formulate empirically testable hypotheses about political decision-making and about the formation of, and changes in, political institutions. His 1982 essay in Kyklos  Rent Seeking: A Survey  remains one of the best articles of its kind that Ive ever read, for not only did Bob there fully and impressively survey and summarize the rent-seeking literature as it stood in the early 1980s, he also, in that same article, pointed productively to new avenues for further research.

No political act, no collective arrangement, no historical development that caught Bobs capacious attention escaped Bobs remarkable capacity to identify that acts or that arrangements or that developments likely material gainers and likely material losers. I never met anyone who was as completely inoculated against the romance of politics as was Bob Tollison.

Bob  being then at GMU and a close friend and former colleague of (and co-author with) my dissertation advisor, Bob Ekelund  was instrumental in helping me to land my first faculty position (at George Mason Econ in 1985). I likely never thanked him adequately for that help.

Bob will be missed mightily by many, including me, for he was an especially big part of the equilibrium.

Comments
The Woodland Trust has objected to plans for a poultry unit to be created near an ancient woodland at risk from the emissions.

The trust urged people to write to East Lothian Council to reject the proposals near Begbie Wood, Haddington.

The development, put forward by Hamilton Farming Enterprises Ltd, includes a 140m in length, 20m in width and 5.5m in height poultry house.

"Although we support chicken farms utilising trees, when it involves damage to ancient woodland its not something we can condone," The Woodland Trust said.

"This is the case with the Begbie Wood poultry unit application in Scotland. A planning application for a free range egg production unit in the middle of ancient woodland has been submitted to East Lothian Council. If the plans go ahead it will cause direct loss and damage to over 16 hectares of ancient woodland."

The house, and its associated 16ha ranging area, can accommodate 32,000 free-range, egg-laying hens.

Disturbance to the woodland

"Ancient semi-natural woodland is an irreplaceable resource and, along with other woodlands, hedgerows and individual trees, especially veteran trees of high nature conservation and landscape value, should be protected from adverse impacts resulting from development," the trust said.

"As well as the direct loss to the ancient woodland, the site will be heavily impacted by the free ranging of the chickens, specifically the impact that the hens will have on ammonia concentrations in the woodland from their manure.

"The concentrations of ammonia will mean that any ground flora which survives the grubbing up from the hens will alter in composition due to the added nutrients on site.

"The hens will also cause disturbance to the woodland floor and one of the most important aspects of ancient woodland is its undisturbed soil.

"An Environmental Impact Assessment has not been carried out on-site; due to the impact to such a large area of ancient woodland, [we] request that the council ask the applicant to carry this out.

"At the very least, an ecological survey, which currently has not taken place, should be carried out on-site before a decision is made by the council."
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Brazilian aircraft manufacturer Embraer SA is paying more than $205 million to the DOJ and SEC to resolve violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.

Embraer bribed officials in the Dominican Republic, Saudi Arabia, and Mozambique. The bribes were paid by a U.S.-based subsidiary through third-party agents.

The company made more than $83 million in profits from the bribes.

The SEC also accused Embraer of an accounting scheme in India to hide payments there.

Embraer is paying a $107 million criminal penalty to the Justice Department as part of a three-year deferred prosecution agreement.

It is also paying more than $98 million in disgorgement and interest to the SEC.

Embraer could receive up to a $20 million credit from the SEC depending on the amount of disgorgement it will pay to Brazilian authorities in a separate enforcement action there.

Even with a $20 million credit, the disgorgement is one of the biggest in an FCPA enforcement action.

In a statement Monday, Embraer said it has reached a settlement with authorities in Brazil for about $20 million. Of that, about $18.5 million is disgorgement.

The DOJ Monday filed a two-count criminal information (pdf) against Embraer SA in federal court in the Southern District of Florida. The information charged the company with an FCPA conspiracy and with violating the FCPA books and records provisions.

The SEC filed a civil complaint (pdf) against the company in the same court Monday. The SEC complaint charged Embraer with FCPA anti-bribery, books and records, and internal controls violations.

The DOJs deferred prosecution agreement (pdf) was also filed with the federal court Monday.

Embraer agreed to retain an independent corporate monitor for at least three years.

In 2008, Embraer paid $3.5 million to a government official in the Dominican Republic through a phony agency agreement. Embraer won a contract to sell the Dominican Air Force eight military aircraft for $92 million.

In 2010, Embraer paid $1.6 million to an official at a Saudi Arabian state-owned and -controlled company. Embraer again used a faje agency agreement to pay the bribe. It won a contract to sell three aircraft for $93 million.

Embraer paid $800,000 under another phony agency agreement in 2008 to bribe a high-level official at Mozambiques state-owned commercial airline, Linhas Aereas de Mocambique S.A. (LAM). The airline bought two aircraft from Embraer for $65 million.

From 2005 to 2009, Embraer hid payments to an agent in India of at least $5.7 million. The company also concealed its relationship with the agent. It sold three aircraft to the Indian Air Force for $208 million.

In August this year, Embraer  the worlds third largest commercial aircraft maker  said it booked a $200 million loss contingency for an FCPA settlement.

It trades on the NYSE under the symbol ERJ.

The DOJ said Monday that Embraer did not voluntarily disclose the FCPA violations.

The company began cooperating in the investigation only after the SEC served it with a subpoena.

In late 2014, Brazil prosecutors filed a criminal action against eight Embraer SA employees. The investigation focused on the companys sales practices in the Dominican Republic.

The DOJ said Monday that after Embraer began cooperating, it did so fully and disclosed all relevant, non-privileged facts known to it, including about individuals involved in the misconduct.

But Embraer did not, however, engage in full remediation, the DOJ said.

It disciplined some employees and executives for the bribery. But a senior executive with oversight responsibility wasnt punished. Internal emails showed he knew about the practices as early as 2004, the DOJ said.

The $107 million criminal penalty against Embraer was 20 percent below the bottom of the fine range under the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines. The discount reflected Embraers full cooperation but incomplete remediation, according to the DOJ said.

____

Richard L. Cassin is the publisher and editor of the FCPA Blog. Hell be the keynote speaker at the FCPA Blog NYC Conference 2016.
Swedens Telia Company said in a quarterly report released Friday that it has recorded a provision of $1.45 billion to settle investigations by U.S. and Dutch authorities of bribery in Uzbekistan.

The company said $1.45 billion represents its current best estimate of financial sanctions it could incur to reach a global settlement.

It said despite the settlement reserve in its books there is no certainty as to the timing and amount that may be paid at the time of a final resolution.

In mid September, Telia said it received a proposal from U.S. and Dutch authorities to pay about $1.4 billion for the settlement.

The company said then it thought the proposal amount was very high.

Johan Dennelind, Telias president and CEO, said in a separate release Friday the companys third quarter financial results were severely impacted by the $1.45 billion settlement provision.

He said the company has repeatedly admitted wrongdoing in how it entered the Uzbek telecoms market.

Telia was formerly known as TeliaSonera. The governments of Sweden and Finland are the biggest shareholders.

In February this year, Amsterdam-based VimpelCom paid $795 million to resolve U.S. and Dutch charges of bribing an Uzbek official.

Last year the DOJ filed civil forfeiture actions to recover nearly $1 billion in bribe money that VimpelCom, MTS of Russia, and Telia allegedly paid to Gulnara Karimova, the eldest daughter of the late Uzbek President Islam Karimov.

Karimova, 43, has been under house arrest in the Uzbek capital of Tashkent for corruption since September 2014. She hasnt been seen for several months and didnt attend her fathers funeral last month.

The DOJ last year won a federal court order to impound $300 million in bank accounts linked to Karimova. The accounts were held by Bank of New York Mellon Corp. in Ireland, Luxembourg, and Belgium, and in accounts at Clearstream Banking SA.

In 2014, prosecutors in Switzerland seized about $820 million as part of a money-laundering investigation into Karimova.

The Swiss investigation reportedly includes allegations that Telia paid an intermediary  Gibraltar-registered Takilant  $320 million for 3G phone rights in Uzbekistan. Takilant has been tied to Karimova.

Telia said Friday it is limiting disclosure about the possible U.S. and Dutch settlements.

Disclosure of further details regarding the assumptions and uncertainties of the provision is expected to prejudice seriously the position of Telia Company, the company said.

Telia said it assumes any financial sanctions it pays wouldnt be tax deductible.

CEO Dennelind said Friday, Discussions with relevant authorities continue with the goal of achieving a resolution that will be in the best interest of our shareholders.

He said the company believes it is approaching the end of these investigations.

* * *

Heres Telias full disclosure about the settlement provision in its October 21, 2016 quarterly report:

The U.S. and Dutch authorities have investigated historical transactions related to Telia Companys entry into Uzbekistan in 2007. As announced on September 15, 2016, Telia Company received a proposal from the authorities for resolution of the pending investigations. The authorities have proposed a global resolution that includes a total financial sanction of USD 1.45 billion. Resolution of the various investigations is complex and will require further discussion and negotiation with the various government agencies involved in the investigations. Without certainty as to the timing and amount that may be paid at the time of a final resolution, Telia Company has recorded a USD 1.45 billion (SEK 12.5 billion) provision at the balance sheet date. This is in line with IFRS [International Financial Reporting Standards] requirements, which states that the best estimate must be recorded as a provision. As it is not possible for management to make another reliable estimate at this point in time, this amount is the estimate of the expenditure required to settle this matter at the balance sheet date. Disclosure of further details regarding the assumptions and uncertainties of the provision is expected to prejudice seriously the position of Telia Company. Telia Company has therefore, in accordance with IAS 37.92, not presented any further information on the provision in this Interim report.

The provision is recognized as a short-term provision and is included in the line item Trade payables and other current liabilities, current tax payables and short-term provisions in the condensed consolidated statements of financial position. The provision is classified as part of liabilities relating to continuing operations as the provision will not be part of the sale of the Eurasian net assets. The effect on net income is included in the line item Net income from discontinued operations in the condensed consolidated statements of comprehensive income and disclosed as operating expenses in the table Net income from discontinued operations (Eurasia) below. The net income effect is classified as part of discontinued operations based on that the expenses are related to the operations in Uzbekistan. The settlement amount is assumed to be non-tax deductible.

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Richard L. Cassin is the publisher and editor of the FCPA Blog. Hell be the keynote speaker at the FCPA Blog NYC Conference 2016.
The World Bank Group debarred Minh Anh Construction Joint Stock Company for misrepresenting facts during a project bid in Vietnam.

Under a Negotiated Resolution Agreement announced last week, the company wont be eligible for any World Bank-financed contracts for fourteen months.

An investigation by the World Bank Integrity Vice Presidency revealed that the company misrepresented facts while bidding for a contract under the Northern Delta Transport Development Project Phase I in Vietnam.

The outcome of this investigation is evidence that acknowledgement of misconduct and cooperation during an investigation can reverse some of the economic and reputational damage incurred by sanctionable practices and their impact on development projects, according to Leonard McCarthy, World Bank Integrity Vice President.

Minh Anh is also required to adopt bid preparation policies and procedures, and cooperate with the World Bank Integrity Vice Presidency.

The action against the company qualifies for cross-debarment by other Multilateral Development Banks under the Agreement of Mutual Recognition of Debarments (pdf) signed in 2010.

In addition to the World Bank, parties to the cross-debarment agreement are the Asian Development Bank, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the Inter-American Development Bank, and the African Development Bank.

A list of all World Bank debarred entities and individuals is here.

___

Richard L. Cassin is the publisher and editor of the FCPA Blog. Hell be the keynote speaker at the FCPA Blog NYC Conference 2016.
I absolutely love Christmas, the decorations, the food, buying presents for people and spending time with friends and family but one of my favourite things is settling down with a gorgeously, cosy Christmas read. So I was more than happy to write a list of my favourite Christmas books but how to narrow it down to just ten when every year sees so many beautiful sparkly festive reads come to the electronic and real bookshelves. That was a lot harder than I thought. But after a lot of deliberation here is my list, in no particular order I give you...

Christmas at Lilac Cottage

Christmas Ever After by Sarah Morgan.

The most wonderful time of the year?

Jewellery designer Skylar isn't so sure. Especially if she has to spend it with cynical, aloof Alec. So what if he's a famous historian? He's also determined to think the worst of her and when a twist of fate means they're stuck together, she's expecting disaster!

But as they flee snowy London on a winter adventure that takes them from his family's festive Cotswold chaos to her native Puffin Island, she realises that she may have misjudged him.

As glittering Christmas nights draw in, the sparks between Alec and Skylar glow ever brighter. Could they find their own Christmas Ever After?

Why I love it: I love Sarah Morgan, I love every single book she writes but there is something especially wonderful about her Christmas books. She just knows how to deliver a cosy, sparkly filled festive treat wrapped up inside a gorgeously romantic love story that leaves you with a big smile on your face. This book is from her utterly brilliant Puffin Island series and although all books in the series can be read as standalones if you read the other two books in the series you would have seen the angst and sparks flying for all the wrong reasons between Skylar and Alec and now to see them come together for the right reasons was definitely worth the wait. Sarah has another brilliant series out this year though I'm yet to read Miracle on 5th Avenue, it's definitely on my reading pile this Christmas.

Twelve Dates of Christmas by Lisa Dickenson

At thirty, Claudia's life is stale and the romance with long-term boyfriend, Seth, has disappeared. Determined to inject some festive spark back into their love life, Claudia and Seth go on their first date in a very long time. But when the night ends in disaster, Claudia suddenly finds herself facing life - and Christmas - alone.

Life alone is exciting, scary and full of soon-forgotten exercise regimes and ill-advised attempts at crafting sexy underwear. It's also filling up with dates, surprisingly. With best friends Penny and Nick at her side, a surplus of festive markets, mulled wine and Christmas tunes, Claudia attempts to face all this change with gusto. One thing's for certain: this year, Christmas is going to be very different . . .

This is the story of Claudia and her twelve dates of Christmas. Hilarious, uplifting and romantic, it's a story about losing love, finding love, and discovering what's been there all along. Expect Christmas sparkle, butterflies-in-your-stomach romance and a lot of very funny moments in The Twelve Dates of Christmas.

Why I love it: Lisa's style of writing is so fresh, unique, real and down to earth. Every time I open one of Lisa's books I feel like I'm going on an adventure with my best friend as soon as I meet her wonderful characters. Twelve Dates of Christmas is utterly brilliant as Claudia fumbles her way through dates that are complete disasters, utterly wonderful and everything in between. It was laugh out loud funny, it made me cry and made me feel all gooey inside.

North Pole Reform School by Jaimie Admans

Mistletoe Bell hates Christmas. So would you if you had a name like hers. Her Christmas-mad parents make the festive season last all year, and with another Christmas looming, Mis doesn't think she can take any more. After her carelessness causes an accident at school, it seems like things can't get any worse. Then she wakes up to find The Ghost of Christmases Ruined in her bedroom. She is taken to the North Pole, to a reform school run by elves determined to make her love Christmas. Stuck in a misfit group of fellow Christmas-haters with a motley crew of the weird and even weirder, watched over by elves day and night, she doesn't expect to meet cute and funny Luke, who is hiding a vulnerable side beneath his sarcastic exterior. She doesn't expect to fall in love with him. But all is not as it should be at the North Pole. A certain Mr Claus is making the elves' lives a misery, and pretty soon Mistletoe and Luke are doing more than just learning to like Christmas. A YA romantic comedy in which Santa is the bad guy, teaching reindeer to fly is on the curriculum, and zombies have a fondness for Christmas music

Why I love it: Oh my god this book!! It's a YA book with zombies so a little different to the normal Christmas chicklit but I loved it so much. It was so different, so funny and I read it all in one sitting. If you love Christmas books but are getting tired of the cute cottages, cafes, and Christmas cakes then sink your teeth into this one.

Christmas Wedding at the Gingerbread Cafe by Rebecca Raisin

Snow is falling thick and fast outside the Gingerbread Cafe and inside, its owner Lily is planning the wedding of the year. Her wedding! She never dreamt it would happen, but this Christmas, she'll be marrying the man of her dreams - in a Christmas-card-perfect ceremony!

The gingerbread is baking, the dress is fitted and the mistletoe's in place - for once, everything's going to plan. That is until her mother-in-law arrives Suddenly, Lily's famous cool is being tested like never before and her dream wedding is crumbling before her eyes.

In the blink of a fairylight, the Gingerbread Cafe has been thrown into chaos! Lily thought she had this wedding wrapped up, but with so much to do before she says 'I do', can Lily get to the church on time - and make this Christmas sparkle after all?

Why I love it: I love Rebecca's stories, her beautiful detailed descriptions make picturing the setting and falling in love with the characters very easy. This book oozes Christmas magic, from the festive treats, to the gorgeous little town and it's inhabitants and the wedding of the year, it was a sparklicious treat. This is the third book in the Gingerbread Cafe series but all three books can be read as standalones. They were released as separate ebooks but all three books were published together in a paperback called A Gingerbread Cafe Christmas, a perfect little stocking filler.

Cold Feet at Christmas by Debbie Johnson

A remote Scottish castle on a snowy Christmas Eve. A handsome husband-to-be. A dress to die for. It should have been the happiest day of Leah Harvey's life - but the fairytale wedding turns sour when she finds her fiance halfway up the bridesmaid's skirt just hours before the ceremony!

Fleeing the scene in a blizzard, Leah ends up stranded at the nearest cottage, where she collapses into the arms of its inhabitant - a man so handsome she thinks she must have died and gone to heaven!

And when Rob Cavelli suddenly finds himself with an armful of soaking wet, freezing cold, and absolutely gorgeous bride on the run, he's more than happy to welcome her into his snowbound cottage this Christmas

Why I love it: This was my first book by Debbie Johnson and I just completely fell in love with Rob Cavelli even though he's a bit of an ass at times and I loved Debbie's wonderful, addictive, edge of the seat type writing. This story actually spans two Christmases and everything in between. Really enjoyed it and just couldn't put it down.

The Christmas Bucket List by Ella Fairlie

It's Christmas time in London: there's snow in the air, Regent Street is bustling, and the Trafalgar Square tree's all a-glitter. Isobel Gray is dreaming of a perfect movie-style Christmas for her first Noel away from home, and with a hot man and a bucket list of festive fun ready to be ticked off, she thinks she has it all wrapped up. But when her boss-slash-boyfriend goes AWOL just days before the holiday, she finds herself a little Lost, Actually instead. Will she end up home alone, or is there a Christmas miracle waiting under the mistletoe?

Why I love it: I first came across Ella when she won a short story competition and had her story published in the brilliant Sunlounger 2 anthology alongside the biggest names in women's fiction. Her beautiful writing was so evocative that it captured you and drew you in. This was the perfect Christmas read. It was beautifully written with the most gorgeous characters and it was absolutely filled to the brim with every ingredient needed for a perfect Christmas. This story is so perfect that Hallmark have picked it up and made it into a wonderful Christmas movie. You can't get any more perfect than that. Hallmark approved.

Winter Wonderland by Belinda Jones.

Imagine waking up in a snow globe. . .

That's how travel journalist Krista feels when she arrives in magical Quebec to report on Canada's glittering Winter Carnival.

Over ten sub-zero days Krista's formerly frozen heart begins to melt as she discovers an enchanting world of ice palaces, husky dog-sledding and maple-syrup treats galore. And then she meets Jacques, a man as handsome and rugged as he is mysterious. . .

The two share a secret that could bond them forever, but can they find a way to break through the protective layers around their hearts to warm up this winter wonderland?

Why I love it: I really love Belinda's stories and this one was extra magical. Set in Quebec which is a completely unique location when it comes to Christmassy chicklit, I absolutely loved the winter wonderland that Belinda created in this magical location. Jacques is one of the best heroes I've ever read. I completely fell in love with him.

Wish upon a Christmas Cake by Darcie Boleyn

Katie Warham has just one wish this yearto have the best Christmas ever!

If only she could lock herself away in a cloud of flour and sugar at her cosy little tearoom, Crumbtious Cakes, instead of spending the festive season trapped with her judgemental mother, crazy Aunt Gina and loved-up celebrity brother Carl

But Katie never expected her ex-boyfriend, widower Sam - and his two adorable children - to turn up on her doorstep. She didn't think that any man could tempt her under the mistletoe this year, but Sam might just prove the exception! And as the snow begins to fall and Katie puts the final touches to her famous Christmas cake, she begins to wonder, could her Christmas wish actually come true?

Why I love it: This was Darcie's debut book and it was an absolute corker. Jam packed with festiveness, gorgeous characters, a wonderful warm and cosy story, it had me smiling all the way through. Sam was a gorgeous hero and I was rooting for both of them from the very first page.

A Christmas to Remember by Jenny Hale

Everyone loves Christmas - don't they?

Carrie Blake loves her job as a nanny but, while her friends are settling down, all of Carrie's spare time is spent with other people's families. Though it breaks her heart, her New Year's resolution is to embark on a new career and fix her love life.

As Carrie starts her last job, she's sure she'll be going out on a high - the house is amazing, the kids are adorable, and she's in charge of decorating the tree!

The only problem could be her boss single-dad, Adam Fletcher might be both handsome and successful, but he's always working. Doesn't he realise he's missing out on precious moments with his son and daughter?

As Adam's family arrive for Christmas including his sensitive sister, Sharon, and his fun-loving elderly Grandpa, Walter, Carrie realises that she might just have found the perfect allies in her quest to persuade Adam to loosen up. There's still time for Carrie to make this the best Christmas ever after all, Christmas is the time for miracles, isn't it? Let the festivities begin!

Why I love it: Jenny Hale's books are so lovely and warm, I always find myself smiling all the way through when reading them. I loved watching Carrie help Adam and his lovely little family grow together and see what was important at Christmas. And their journey helped Carrie herself too. Beautifully written and thoroughly engaging.

Just for Christmas by Scarlett Bailey

When Alex Munro learns that the love of her life is getting married to another girl, all she wants is to be alone - and as far away from Edinburgh as possible. Moving to a Cornish cottage, which comes complete with the world's scruffiest dog, Alex finds that her new neighbours are determined to involve her in their madcap Christmas festivities. Then she meets her sexy neighbour Ruan - and somehow Alex doesn't want to be alone this Christmas after all. But having lost one fiance, Ruan has no intention of letting anyone get close to him again...

Why I love it: Scarlett Bailey delivers perfect Christmas stories and really likeable, fantastic characters. This was warm, funny and with enough twists, action, drama and bumps in the road to have me glued to the book until the very last page.
WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST JOB?

I worked in the Civil Service initially moving to what was then the Trustee Savings Bank where I was a teller. I then changed and joined a leading insurance company where I settled.

Ted York

WHERE WERE YOU BORN?

I was born in London, my early life being spent in Streatham from where I commuted to the city.

YOU HAVE BEEN MARRIED 42 YEARS, WHERE DID YOU MEET YOUR WIFE?

We met in London in the offices of the insurance company where we both worked. Funny enough we didn't start seeing each other until I had left that company to go into partnership in my own insurance brokerage. It wasn't very successful as we lacked the discipline to make it work and two years later I had to seek gainful employment as I was getting married.

WHAT IS YOUR PROUDEST MOMENT?

Getting married followed by the birth of my two children and latterly grandchildren.

WHAT DO YOU CONSIDER YOUR GREATEST ACHIEVEMENTS?

I had a yearning to run my own business once again and set up another insurance brokerage in the early 80s. This time I gave the commitment and made it work. I am an ex President of my local Round Table and Rotary club and during my tenure we raised a lot of money for children with cancer.

WHAT'S YOUR FAVOURITE MUSIC?

I like all types from classical to ELO, Billy Joel and Dire Straights. I was lucky enough to go to a Beatles concert at the Fairfield Hall in Croydon. Not as though you could hear them sing as the girls screamed so loud!

THE FILM YOU CAN WATCH TIME AND TIME AGAIN?

The Eagle Has Landed. A great action film based on the book by Jack Higgins.

THE FIGURE FROM HISTORY YOU WOULD MOST LIKE TO BUY A DRINK?

Winston Churchill. His ongoing problem with depression that besotted him. How did he overcome his 'black dog'?

WHEN DID YOU START WRITING YOUR NOVELS?

It was odd. I had retired and was on the beach in the South of France when I finished a Frederick Forsyth book I was reading. Inexplicably I decided to start writing a novel and began Rosie, a rags to riches story of a woman born in 1878 to a Dockers family. She performs on stage, meets and marries a wealthy man, is an activist in the votes for women campaign, and works for the forerunner of the British secret service.

WHAT'S YOUR LATEST BOOK, TEARS OF THE WEST, ABOUT?

Dee is a student at London University writing her final thesis, "Are nanoparticles being properly controlled?" During her investigations she uncovers a sinister plot by a terrorist organization to attack the west using nanoparticles. Considering you can fit one billion nanoparticles on the head of a pin, the danger of a pharmaceutical company including toxic chemicals in cosmetics is frightening. Tears of the West explores the risk of a terrorist attack and the danger to women and men's fertility.
Little Mix are gearing up for the release of their new album 'Glory Days', and have revealed the tracklist for the record.

Little Mix

Taking to Twitter to announce the news, the ladies unveiled 12 songs including their new chart-topping single 'Shout Out To My Ex', and a collaboration with Charlie Puth titled 'Oops'.

The full tracklist is as follows:

'Shout Out To My Ex' 'Touch' 'F.U.' 'Oops (feat. Charlie Puth)' 'You Gotta Not' 'Down & Dirty' 'Power' 'Your Love' 'Nobody Like You' 'No More Sad Songs' 'Private Show' 'Nothing Else Matters' 'Beep Beep' [Deluxe] 'Freak' [Deluxe] 'Touch (Acoustic)' [Deluxe]

A DVD will also be included with the deluxe edition of the album, showcasing some of their performances from the Get Weird tour, live from Wembley Arena in London.

You can check out the newly-released music video for 'Shout Out To My Ex' below:

New album 'Glory Days' is officially released on November 18.

by Daniel Falconer for www.femalefirst.co.uk

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Queen Elizabeth will reportedly lose 1 million a year due to Brexit.

Queen Elizabeth

The British monarch's country retreat in Norfolk, Sandringham Estate, is set to lose out on EU subsidies of up to 700,000 a year, while her farms near Windsor Castle will miss out on 300,000, the Sunday Telegraph reports.

A source said Brexit, Britain's exit from the European Union, was not a "budget-busting concern" but the Queen's financial team had been watching developments closely.

The insider explained: "I don't think it was a budget-busting concern, it wasn't something people were losing sleep over. But it was something people were conscious of as a post-referendum impact.

"I think that they were interested to see what the Government's view was on what the replacement mechanism would be for the CAP (Common Agricultural Policy) domestically."

Dickie Arbiter, Buckingham Palace's former press secretary, said: "After Brexit Her Majesty would fall in line with everyone else currently entitled to CAP and would not wish to be considered a special case or come in for special treatment."

And a Buckingham Palace spokesman said: "Subsidies are open to all farmers; and like others with agricultural interests, subsidies are received on the Queen's private estates.

"We would not comment beyond the detail that is already in the public domain as a matter of record."
Amy Childs is pregnant.

Amy Childs

The former 'The Only Way is Essex' star is expecting her first child with her boyfriend Bradley Wright and can't wait to meet her little bundle of joy in March.

She said: "I am feeling shocked but happy. I feel so overwhelmed and I keep waking up smiling. We've wanted a baby for so long, so we're happier than we've ever been."

The couple first started trying for a baby eight months into their relationship but, when it didn't happen, the 26-year-old beauty feared she couldn't fall pregnant naturally.

Speaking to OK! magazine, she said: "We wanted one [a baby] before Bradley went to prison but it didn't happen. I didn't think I could get pregnant. We'd been together for nine months and I came off the pill in the summer and I thought it might take me ages. I was taking folic acid but it didn't happen. I was really panicking.

"I went online to find out why and it was the worst thing I could have done. I got so stressed out about it that I was drinking. Brad told me off for it but I couldn't help it."

The pair met in a pub in Essex two years ago but their relationship came to a halt last year when Bradley was sentenced to 16 months in prison for handling stolen goods.

However, the jailbird only served five months of his service as he was released early for good behaviour and he immediately went to Amy's salon in Essex to win her back.

After they patched up their differences, the couple decided to try again for a baby as Amy couldn't help but get broody when she saw Bradley with his daughter Lexi.

She explained: "We wanted kids together soon after we met. I love kids, especially because Bradley has Lexi, and spending time with her made me want a baby more. I have a big family so I love having my nieces and nephews around."
Leah Bracknell needs to raise more money for her life-saving cancer treatment.

Leah Bracknell

The former 'Emmerdale' actress - who starred as Zoe Tate on the ITV soap - revealed earlier this month that she has been diagnosed with terminal lung cancer by doctors, but subsequently launched a fundraising campaign in the hope of receiving treatment at a cutting-edge hospital in Germany.

And though she achieved her 50,000 target from public donations via an online page, she has admitted she needs more money as she will need "several" sessions of treatment and the initial outlay will only cover her first visit to the European clinic.

She wrote on her Facebook page: "Not in Germany yet, as there are many procedures to undergo first. But everything is moving in the right direction.

"The fundraising will still be continuing, as the initial target will likely cover only my initial visit, and it is more than likely I may need several more."

Leah - who is now a yoga teacher - also thanked her fans for their outpouring of "love and concern".

She posted: "I cannot tell you how healing it is to be the recipient of such love and concern. It takes my breath away.

"Please know how grateful I am, and how I appreciate each and every message."

Leah previously explained her health situation on her fundraising page, admitting her symptoms had come on very suddenly.

She wrote: "Just over 5 weeks ago, I was feeling perfectly well, fit and healthy. Teaching yoga classes and workshops, it was a time of new beginnings: preparing to move house, youngest child fleeing the nest, and excited to be starting rehearsals for a comedy play, being back onstage, going on tour.

"But, it turns out that the universe had other plans. Life was about to be unexpectedly turned on its head.

"I began to feel breathless climbing stairs ... I just put it down to a bit of stress. My abdomen suddenly ballooned - and within a matter of a few days I looked heavily pregnant. I could barely walk or breathe. Then, one Saturday night at the beginning of September I ended up in A&E. (sic)"

The mother-of-two had an emergency procedure to remove excess fluid from around her heart, but was subsequently diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer.

She said: "A fairly brutal and bleak diagnosis but one I am determined to challenge and see from the perspective of "a glass half full", going against a lifetime of pessimism, negativity and fear!!!!

"By the way, please imagine me writing this and speaking in quite an upbeat and cheerful voice. Do NOT imagine me sitting here writing through a veil of tears. I am not. Or feeling sorry for myself. I am not (yet). (sic)"

She added: "My priority is getting well and strong, so that I can continue to endeavour to be a good, mother, daughter, wife, or at least the best I can be."
CJ de Mooi will not be extradited to the Netherlands.

CJ de Mooi

The 46-year-old quizzer - whose real name is Joseph Connagh - was detained under a European arrest warrant at Heathrow Airport last month accused of manslaughter, murder, assault and battery in Amsterdam in 1988, but Dutch authorities have now reportedly abandoned the attempt to have him sent back to the European country.

The former 'Eggheads' star's manager said: "CJ is obviously very pleased with the result of today's hearing and will continue to co-operate with the Dutch authorities until this matter is finally concluded. He would like to thank the tens of thousands of people who have contacted him via social media and in person, for their lovely words and support during this traumatic time for him."

The mastermind - who was born in South Yorkshire - revealed in his book 'CJ - The Autobiography of CJ de Mooi', which was published last September, that he may have a killed a man while he was living on the streets in Amsterdam two decades ago after he dragged the knife-wielding gentleman into a canal.

CJ, who now lives in Monmouthshire in south east Wales, wrote in his book: "He caught me on the wrong day and I just snapped. I fully suspect I killed him."

The star appeared at Westminster Magistrates' Court last month to hear his charges and was ordered to pay 5,000 security as a bail condition.

CJ's lawyer jumped to his defence and said there was "a lot of missing information" as police didn't have a named victim, date of birth or an address of where it took place.

Chris Stevens, representing CJ, explained: "The words were in his own book, the information provided in that book. There doesn't appear to be a named victim in the warrant, date of birth or even an address where this matter took place. There isn't anything to suggest the Dutch authorities are in a position to charge him with this."

CJ was reportedly first approached by Scotland Yard for questioning by Dutch police in February this year and, although he agreed to be interviewed, he said he'll only speak to officials if it's in a formal setting with the "appropriate protection."

However, he didn't hear about the matter again and "carried on with his life as normal."
Patanjali Ayurved, an enterprise initiated by yoga guru Baba Ramdev, is entering the textile manufacturing sector. In addition to the already announced swadeshi jeans range, the venture will manufacture saris, kurta-pajamas, shirts and coats. The company is eyeing to increase its growth rate from 100 per cent this fiscal to 200 per cent in the next.

Some say I will make jeans, but jeans is just one product. I will make saris, kurtas, shirts and coats. Patanjali will have 200 per cent growth next year, Ramdev said during his address at the inaugural function of the two-day Global Investors Summit in Indore.

Patanjali group wants to create Rs 10,000-crore income avenues for people engaged in agriculture, milk production and other sectors in the next two-three years, he said.

Patanjali Ayurved, an enterprise initiated by yoga guru Baba Ramdev, is entering the textile manufacturing sector. In addition to the already announced 'swadeshi jeans' range, the venture will manufacture saris, kurta-pajamas, shirts and coats. The company is eyeing to increase its growth rate from 100 per cent this fiscal to 200 per cent in the next.#

The group is likely to invest Rs 500 crore in setting up a food processing plant in over 45 acres of land allotted to it by Madhya Pradesh state government in Pithampur near Indore.

Last month, Ramdev had announced that the group will launch a swadeshi jeans range by this year-end or early 2017.

The Patanjali brand has more than 800 products, and last year the company reported a turnover of Rs 5,000 crore. By the end of the current financial year, the group plans to achieve turnover of Rs 10,000 crore. (RKS)

Fibre2Fashion News Desk  India
The Indian government has planned to conduct roadshows to boost the country 's textile exports in various non-traditional markets such as South America, Russia and some countries in West Asia. Indian textile shipments have been declining and fell to $40 billion in 2015-16 from $41.4 billion in the previous year due to competition from other Asian nations.

Competition from countries like Vietnam and Bangladesh has affected India's apparel exports. However, China is gradually losing ground in various regions due to a rise in labour costs. Thus, there is a scope for India to export textiles and apparel to markets like Russia that currently depend on China to fulfil their textile needs.

We are eyeing non traditional markets like Russia, South America and some countries in West Asia, which are relatively free from turmoil like Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. We will hold roadshows to showcase Indian textiles in these markets, a senior official told a news agency.

The Indian government has planned to conduct roadshows to boost the country's textile exports in various non-traditional markets such as South America, Russia and some countries in West Asia. Indian textile shipments have been declining and fell to $40 billion in 2015-16 from $41.4 billion in the previous year due to competition from other Asian nations.#

The roadshows are expected to attract foreign direct investment and create jobs in India. The secretary general of the Confederation of Indian Textile Industry said that according to a World Bank report on apparel sector, international buyers are looking at economies, which have the entire value chain and India is the only politically stable economy apart from China, which can offer that. He believes that roadshows will provide an opportunity to capitalise on India's potential in the sector.

Earlier this year, the Indian government approved a special package of Rs 6,000 crore for textiles and apparel sector to attract investments of $11 billion, create 1 crore new jobs in three years and generate $30 billion in exports. A new National Textiles policy is also in the works, which aims to achieve $300 billion exports by 2024-25 and create 35 million jobs. (KD)

Fibre2Fashion News Desk  India
HON. PM VOREQE BAINIMARAMA'S MEDIA STATEMENT AFTER BILATERAL MEETING WITH PRIME MINISTER JOHN KEY





Ladies and Gentlemen, Im delighted to have had the opportunity of a lengthy and very productive meeting today with Prime Minister John Key. I came with the intention of seeking a much stronger engagement between Fiji and New Zealand. And Im very pleased that the Prime Minister has agreed to work with me to take our relationship to another level. A relationship in which we let bygones be bygones and work closely together to advance the interests of the Fijian and New Zealand peoples.

Weve always been the closest of friends at a personal level and now the warmth of that engagement is finally being replicated at a political and diplomatic level.We had a broad and positive discussion about issues of mutual concern such as climate change. And I was again able to thank the Prime Minister for New Zealands wonderful response to the crisis we faced in Fiji back in February after being hit by Tropical Cyclone Winston.From Fijis perspective, we must do a lot more to persuade the world of the need for more radical action to curb carbon emissions. And try to ward off the extreme weather events and rising sea levels that pose such a threat to nations such as Fiji.Im pleased to say that New Zealand recognises this imperative and we will be working much closer together on climate change and a range of other regional challenges.So Prime Minister, thank you for the honour of making an official visit to New Zealand. Thank you for your warm welcome and that of ordinary Kiwis, who will always be the very best of friends. And I look forward to being with you at Eden Park tonight to watch the All Blacks hammer the Wallabies in the Bledisloe Cup.Vinaka vakalevu. Thank you.
Priyanka Chopra is ruling the world with her hard work and passion. She is a famous international celebrity now and not just that she is managing both her Hollywood and Bollywood projects extremely well. Recently in an interview to NDTV, Priyanka talked about a ridiculous thing in one of her contracts related to pregnancy.

She said, ''I was signing a contract for a big corporation a couple of years ago, and a clause there said that they (the corporation) could terminate it (the contract) if I got pregnant. I was livid. How could you tell me I could not get pregnant. Not sick.. not overweight.. just pregnant! Their logic was that I would not be able to deliver the project on time. I was fine with working when I am pregnant. We had a big argument over it.



Meanwhile, Check out Priyanka's rare pictures that she had sent for Miss India's auditions and also read some unknown facts about her.

Priyanka's First Film Was Not Hindi Most people think Priyanka Chopra made her acting debut with the film The Hero: Love Story Of A Spy, but not many are aware that she started her career with a Tamil film called Thamizhan in 2002. Priyanka Wanted To Be An Engineer Did you know that Priyanka Chopra wanted to be an engineer at first, and later a criminal psychologist? However, she left her studies after becoming Miss World at the age of 18. Her Friends Call Her Mimi She is Priyanka Chopra for the media and the world, but her close friends and family members address her as Sunshine or Mimi. Army Kid Being an army kid, Priyanka Chopra has lived in various Indian cities including Delhi, Pune, Bareily, Leh and Newton, Cedar Rapids and New York in the US. Junk Food Addict Not many people know that Priyanka Chopra is a junk food addict and loves to eat pizzas and French fries. Her favourite food is khichadi with pickle. Priyanka Carries Candies With Her Priyanka Chopra, who has a sweet tooth always carries candies with her. Aww...isn't that super cute! And then also she has such an envious body. Western Classical Music Priyanka Chopra learnt western classical music and Kathak in her childhood. She even participated in many theatre productions. Salvatore Ferragamo Museum Priyanka Chopra is the first Indian diva to feature in Italy's Salvatore Ferragamo museum with the likes of Hollywood celebs Audrey Hepburn and Marliyn Monroe. Wow!

Priyanka added, ''I said 'Alright, if I can't deliver when I am pregnant, you have the right to terminate my contract. If I can deliver, and you don't want me to, then I have the right to terminate.''



Also Read: Celebrating 25 Years Of Love! Here's What Shahrukh Khan Is Doing For Gauri Khan On Their Anniversary

In the same interview, Priyanka Chopra also talked about the insensitive refugee t-shirt she wore for a magazine shoot, ''They [Conde Nast] specially got this [T-shirt] made and implored me to wear it. They said they were addressing xenophobia which is a big issue that is happening.''

"So their idea was that. And I bought into it, I guess. And I am really, really apologetic about the fact that sentiments were hurt ... The point the magazine wanted to make was actually something good," Priyanka Chopra said.
The host of the controversial reality show Bigg Boss 10, Salman Khan, yesterday (October 23) announced the first elimination during the weekend ka vaar. Priyanka Jagga was the first contestant to be eliminated from the Bigg Boss 10 house.

Although Priyanka was the most hated contestant in the Bigg Boss 10 house, and the elimination shocked everybody as she was considered as a strong contender in the house. We had also revealed about the mixed reaction on Twitter regarding Priyanka's eviction.

Along with a few celebrities in the house and viewers, one of the celebrities is happy with Indiawaale's choice of eliminating Priyanka Jagga from the house. Any guess who it is?



Well, it is none other than Rahul Dev's girlfriend Mugdha Godse. The model-actor took to social media to express her happiness over Priyanka's elimination. She wrote, "Thank you India!!! That was the right choice for elimination... @BiggBoss @endemolshine @ColorsTV @RahulDevRising ."

Rahul and Mugdha have been living together for some time now. The actress had also confirmed her relationship with Rahul Dev in October 2015. The couple also took part in the reality show Power Couple.

Recently, Rahul had revealed that he is in the reality show to fund his son's education. He has also promised to be active in the tasks.
Lu Zhiqiang is following a well-trodden path as his company China Oceanwide bids $2.7 billion for US mortgage insurer Genworth Financial.

Other billionaire-led Chinese firms, Guo Guangchangs Fosun and Wu Xiaohuis Anbang Insurance, have pending acquisitions awaiting approval by US regulators. At the same time Japanese insurers are scouring the US for growing companies as the demographic profile of policyholders at home ages rapidly.

The Japanese have a super-low cost of capital and a long track record of managing companies in the US, so can handily compete with the Chinese, relative newcomers on the international M&A stage.

US targets offer both Chinese and Japanese insurers a way of quickly bulking up  so the race for scale is on.

Earlier this month Sompo bid $6.3 billion for US insurer Endurance Specialty Holdings.

Large acquisitions in North America can have a more immediate effect on your business mix than Asian deals, which have more growth potential in the long term, but are not immediately transformational for your portfolio, said Ian Brimecome, a senior managing executive officer at Japans Tokio Marine Holdings at the FT Asia Insurance Summit on Friday.

Tokio Marine, Japan's largest P&C insurer owns Philadelphia Insurance Companies, Delphi Financial and HCC Insurance in the US.

As this wave of buyers grows, industry experts warn there may be some high-profile regulatory snafus, with buyers from some countries favoured over others. Overseas acquirers may also be underestimating how closely regulators around the world monitor insurers cash to protect the interests of policyholders.

Motives

Like Lu's holding company China Oceanwide, some serial acquirers of insurance companies around the world, including Fosun and JD Capital, started as Chinese property empires and are searching for new revenue streams and looking to park money in offshore vehicles they can use as investment platforms.

For the Chinese players there is much more of a financial driving force; there is still a need for diversification but in many cases it is not quite so strategic, said Tokio Marine's Brimecome.

Founded in 1985, China Oceanwide became a shareholder in China Minsheng Banking in 1996 and has also invested in an insurance broker and a property-to-casualty reinsurer.

However the local Chinese insurance market is incredibly competitive, with many large state-controlled insurers selling wealth management products at razor-thin margins.

Other domestic property companies are also snapping up insurance companies after the Chinese insurance regulator CIRC loosened insurers ability to invest in alternative products, including real estate. In one example, Evergrande bought a 50% stake in Great Eastern Life Assurance China for $617 million last year, according to data provider Dealogic.

Add into the mix Chinas economic slowdown and the renminbis depreciation and it's not hard to see why Chinese buyers increasingly look overseas for assets.

Beijing-headquartered China Oceanwide has already invested in the US market including property developments in New York City, San Francisco, Hawaii and Los Angeles.

The Chinese group saw the mortgage insurer as an attractive proposition, given that its assets had recovered sufficiently from the US property meltdown while its value remained depressed. Lu also felt that the institutional knowledge at the firm could prove useful for its property-related businesses back home, according to people with knowledge of his thinking.

"Genworth is an established leader in both mortgage insurance and long term care insurance, which are markets that present significant long-term growth opportunities," said Lu on Sunday in a statement announcing the acquisition.

Some Chinese conglomerates such as Fosun have said they model themselves on Warren Buffetts Berkshire Hathaway, which uses premiums from insurance companies as a cheap source of capital.

However industry experts whisper that some Chinese buyers, Fosun excluded, may be underestimating how closely regulators monitor insurers cash in the interest of policyholders.

Regulatory woes

US regulators are occassionally holding up Chinese bids, which has in some cases made sellers worried that deals may not complete and demand, ehm, some form of insurance.

US foreign investment watchdog CFIUS (the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States) is reviewing Fosun Internationals bid for US-based insurer Ironshore. Financial sources point to Ironshores control of Wright USA, which supplies liability insurance for CIA agents, as a potential source of conern.

Already Anbangs failure to secure Starwood Hotels is jacking up the hurdles for Chinese buyers. The Chinese insurer walked away from the negotiating table in March after making a $14 billion bid.

After Starwood we may see bigger reverse break fees being forced on Chinese companies for buying assets abroad than we do for other countries, said Edwin Northover, international counsel at Debevoise & Plimpton, who specialises in insurance deals.

For China Oceanwide, which has been negotiating with Genworth for a long time and had easily the best financial offer on the table after the US firm had been through the go-shop process, a break-up fee was not particularly relevant, one person familiar with the matter said.

Chinese bidders have also been asked for evidence of money onshore in the US, US-licensed operations, escrow facilities, non-refundable deposits, according to one M&A banker who frequently works on Chinese deals. The banker bemoaned the extra back-end work involved in putting regulators' minds at rest and pushing Chinese deals over the finishing line.

"The hard bit used to be getting a client to the point of signing the deal, then you'd relax. The rest would be relatively formulaic," he said. "Not any more."

Industry service providers are closely watching the progress of Anbangs $1.58 billion bid for Fidelity & Guaranty Life. New York regulators have already asked for more information about Anbang.

What happens with Anbang, on the regulatory side will have a significant impact one way or the other, said Thomas Leonardi, a senior advisor at Evercore Partner. If for some reason it doesnt get approval, whether it will create problems for other Chinese buyers down the road is an excellent point, he told the audience at the insurance summit.

Another investment professional countered that regulators will always judge deals on a case-by-case basis and each prospective suitor has to pass a fit-and-proper test.

Lu's status as a Communist Party secretary and membership of the nation's key political advisory body may raise the eyebrows of some regulators, however one person familiar with the deal said a preliminary assessment from law firm Sullivan & Cromwell showed there were no government contracts that might cause alarm.

Many US States would not approve deals where government-controlled entities would own more than 10% of a US company. This can be tricky to ascertain in China, where the government permeates much of society, but is less of a problem for Japanese buyers who are more often privately owned and well known to US regulators.

There is a lot of comfort with Japanese buyers because of their long track record of buying US companies said Leonardi.

In some cases Chinese buyers have assagued regulators concerns by helping US insurers recover from a rough patch. Fosun managed to complete its acquisition of Meadowbrook which was recovering from significant adverse loss reserve development in 2012 and 2013.

Lu, a member of the standing committee of the 12th Chinese Peoples Political Consultative Conference, is looking to show the acquisition is positive for Genworth, its policyholders and the wider industry.

As part of the deal, China Oceanwide is contributing $600 million to address Genworths debt maturing in 2018 as well as $525 million of cash to the US life insurance businesses.

We have structured the transaction with the intention of increasing the likelihood of obtaining regulatory approval," said Lu.
SEOUL, South Korea, October 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

Earlier this month, Editage launched a new service called 'Editing until acceptance' to provide sustained post-submission English-language support to Korean authors. Often ESL (English-as-a-second-language) authors struggle to navigate the entire publication process. Editage's new service will provide comprehensive English-language support to authors until their research paper is accepted for publication, even if it is re-submitted to a different journal. The launch of this service comes at a time when Korean researchers are dealing with stiff competition to publish in reputed journals. Over the past few months, Editage has intensified its support to Korean authors through various activities including author-focused workshops and specialized services to help authors at various stages of publication. This author services company seems to be on a mission to empower the Korean research community and help maximize its research output.

When asked about the new service, Vikas Narang, Vice President of Delivery Academia at Editage, Cactus Communications, commented: "Some Korean researchers require extensive English-language support, especially when they have to revise and re-submit their paper to a different journal. 'Editing until acceptance' provides unconditional and unlimited re-editing and re-formatting support to authors, who will only have to pay once for this premium service. Although we cannot re-write a manuscript or guarantee its publication, we can provide authors with unlimited re-editing support, including free response letter checks."

Journal publication is a time-consuming and effort-intensive process. Owing to increasing global competition, a surge in the volume of submissions, and a dynamic publication landscape, most authors end up resubmitting their papers to the same or a different journal, after rejection. This service offers the same level of editing as Editage's Premium editing service along with an unlimited number of response letter crosschecks and reformatting for different journals.

About Editage:

Editage, the flagship brand of Cactus Communications (CACTUS), is well recognized in the publication and academic communities, globally. Apart from working with individual researchers, Editage partners with publishers, journals, academic societies, and pharmaceutical companies worldwide to assist them in creating compelling, high-quality scientific publications. Editage is also dedicated to author education through its comprehensive author resources website Editage Insights. Cactus Communications offers many services such as English language editing, translation, transcription, and medical communication. Please visit http://www.editage.com

Media contact:

Hridey Manghwani

Manager, Public Relations, Editage

Phone: +1(877)334-8243

Email: PR@cactusglobal.com



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HONG KONG, CHINA -- (Marketwired) -- 10/23/16 --Trend Micro Incorporated (TYO: 4704) (TSE: 4704), a global leader in cybersecurity solutions, today announced the availability of XGen endpoint security. This new offering is powered by the XGen blend of cross-generational threat defense techniques that intelligently applies the right technology at the right time, resulting in more effective and efficient protection against a full range of threats. Trend Micro's unique approach uses proven methods to quickly identify benign data and known threats, freeing its advanced techniques, such as application control, exploit prevention, behavioral analysis and machine learning, to more quickly and accurately identify unknown threats. Trend Micro is the first to infuse 'high-fidelity' machine learning into its approach -- uniquely analyzing files both before execution and at runtime, using 'noise cancellation' features like census checking and whitelisting to reduce false positives.

Endpoint security has evolved dramatically over the past 25 years. In the early days, nuisance malware or spam was the only concern. However, the booming underground hacker economy, ever-changing IT landscape and risky user behavior have given rise to an exponential growth in sophisticated threats like phishing, targeted attacks, mobile malware and now ransomware. Recently, a single ransomware variant compromised an estimated 100,000 computers per day(1). These dynamic challenges, combined with the cumulative volume of attacks -- made worse with more than 500,000 new threats identified daily(2) -- have made it harder than ever for organizations to stay protected. Despite promises by some security providers, time has shown that there is no silver bullet when it comes to defeating the myriad of cyber threats -- each new class of threat requires purpose-built protection techniques.

"The name XGen was carefully chosen to indicate the cross-generational technology fueling our approach, which is built on years of experience and provides customers with better protection against the evolving range of threats they face," said Eva Chen, chief executive officer for Trend Micro. "We've been using machine learning for years as part of our global threat intelligence, the Trend Micro Smart Protection Network. Now, we're raising the bar by infusing 'high-fidelity' machine learning into our blend of protection techniques to specifically tackle more advanced threats like ransomware, while other vendors, including relatively new 'next-gen' endpoint security companies, only offer one or two 'one-size-fits-all' protection techniques."

"The use of Trend Micro XGen endpoint security has redefined our security posture, allowing for both complete protection and ease-of-use in securing our most valuable enterprise data," said William Crank, chief information security officer for MEDHOST. "When evaluating solutions from other security providers, it became apparent they did not provide the breadth of protection we need. To achieve the best security posture, we require seamless integration of capabilities, not a bolt-on endpoint product that doesn't share threat intelligence and only addresses part of the problem."

XGen endpoint security is available today as part of the Trend Micro Smart Protection Suites. The suites include a range of integrated endpoint, email and web gateway security capabilities designed to protect users in their daily activities, with centralized visibility and control to speed time to response for IT. With 28 years of experience and more than 155 million endpoints protected, Trend Micro continues to demonstrate its unwavering commitment to innovation in the area of endpoint security.

"New threats are appearing as rapidly as technology changes, but old threats continue to circulate and plague enterprises," said Doug Cahill, Senior Analyst for ESG. "What comes next should embody a design that is multi-generational, based on an architecture that can transcend technology, threats and end-user computing behaviors. It's exciting to see that Trend Micro is addressing this challenge with the introduction of XGen endpoint security."

Trend Micro has been named a leader in Gartner's Magic Quadrant for Endpoint Protection Platforms since 2002(3). In 2016, Trend Micro placed furthest to the right in the quadrant for Completeness of Vision.

For more information on the Trend Micro XGen endpoint security, please visit: www.trendmicro.com/xgen.

Company Logo

http://release.media-outreach.com/i/Download/3868

About Trend Micro

Trend Micro Incorporated, a global leader in cyber security solutions, helps to make the world safe for exchanging digital information. Our innovative solutions for consumers, businesses, and governments provide layered security for data centers, cloud environments, networks, and endpoints. All our products work together to seamlessly share threat intelligence and provide a connected threat defense with centralized visibility and control, enabling better, faster protection. With more than 5,000 employees in over 50 countries and the world's most advanced global threat intelligence, Trend Micro enables users to enjoy their digital lives safely. For more information, visit www.trendmicro.com.hk.

(1) Ransomware Victims Urged To Report Infections To Federal Law Enforcement, September 15, 2016 https://www.ic3.gov/media/2016/160915.aspx

(2) 500,000 new threats identified daily as part of the Trend Micro Smart Protection Network

http://cloudsecurity.trendmicro.com/us/technology-innovation/our-technology/smart-protection-network/index.html

(3) Trend Micro positioned in Leaders Quadrant under the names Magic Quadrant for Endpoint Protection and Magic Quadrant for Enterprise Antivirus

MEDIA CONTACT:

Claudius Lam

Trend Micro

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Email Contact




Engineered ceramics leader expands European presence from its initial Scottish facility to 12 manufacturing locations in 9 countries

GOLDEN, Colorado, Oct. 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- CoorsTek, the world's leading supplier of engineered ceramics, is celebrating 35 years of manufacturing in Europe at its Glenrothes, Scotland location. As the century-old company grew its European customer base, CoorsTek established the Scottish operation in 1981 as its first production facility outside the United States. Since then CoorsTek has expanded its European presence, helping leading companies across Europe solve difficult challenges using the strengths of technical ceramics - in automotive, electronics, medical, semiconductor, and other technology and manufacturing applications.

Video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wk70Rp5gP6Y

Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20151214/295782LOGO

"The dedication of the highly enthusiastic team at the CoorsTek Glenrothes plant has been the foundation of our success over the past 35 years," stated Mark Cameron, Plant Manager at Glenrothes. "I am proud of the contribution my colleagues have made to ensure CoorsTek continues to be the partner of choice for many of the leading companies in the markets we serve. Our commitment to strong relationships has been a constant throughout the last 35 years, and we will continue to drive forward with our collaborative approach to deliver success for our customers and for CoorsTek."

CoorsTek continues to invest in people, technology, and capabilities, with a footprint which now extends across a dozen European manufacturing locations in the Czech Republic, England, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Scotland, and Sweden.

"Being a partner of choice means being responsive, collaborative experts - serving our clients locally," explained Timothy Coors, Co-CEO of CoorsTek. "The Glenrothes team pioneered our manufacturing in Europe, and we are proud of how they continue to live out our true customer focus. We look forward to an exciting future as we partner with customers to innovate amazing solutions to some of the world's toughest challenges."

Joining CoorsTek at the celebration were customers, business partners, and local community officials who have worked with the company for decades. Jim Leishman MBE, Provost of Fife Council, reflected, "I acknowledge the positive contribution the employees of CoorsTek have made to the Fife economy over these last 35 years, and their dedication and loyalty to the business. I also recognize and commend the company's leadership for continuing to service Europe from their base here in Glenrothes, Fife."

Watch the video, or find out more at coorstek.com.

About CoorsTek

CoorsTek makes the world measurably better as the partner of choice for technology and manufacturing companies worldwide whose success requires the unique, high-performance properties of products manufactured from engineered ceramics and advanced materials. CoorsTek products and components touch people's lives through amazing solutions to global challenges in energy, transportation, information technology, healthcare, and defense, among others. For more information about CoorsTek, including product information, its history since 1910, and locations throughout Europe, North America, South America, and Asia, visit coorstek.com.

Media Contacts





Dane Bartlett | CoorsTek

dbartlett@coorstek.com

+1-303-271-7000 Bill Fallon | keating/co bfallon@keatingco.com

+1-973-768-6764




CERGY, France, October 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

SPIE Oil & Gas Services announced that it has been awarded a five-year contract with Kuwait National Petroleum Company (KNPC) under Clean Fuels Project (CFP) which is currently under EPC phase of implementation.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120731/552278 )



The Clean Fuels Project of KNPC is a major upgrade of its flagship refineries to meet the future diversified market requirements for petroleum products both in the domestic and international sectors. The Project encompasses increasing the combined refining capacities of its Mina Al Ahmadi (MAA) and Mina Abdullah (MAB) Refineries and enhance production of environment friendly value added products through Bottom of Barrel processing using state of the art technologies. The Project also contributes towards linking the two refineries into an integrated refining complex and further enhance performance towards operational safety, reliability and energy conservation.

SPIE Oil & Gas Services has begun work on the five-year contract with Kuwait National Petroleum Company (KNPC). The services shall involve providing Commissioning Management and Support Services at both Mina Al Ahmadi (MAA) and Mina Abdullah (MAB) Refineries under CFP Scope of Work. The contract will draw the expertise of SPIE Oil & Gas Services and work in tandem with KNPC Operations Team.

"With SATORP, YASREF, PETRO RABIGH and now with KNPC Project in Kuwait, we have become a major player in downstream activities in the Middle East" says Yves Company, Managing Director of SPIE Oil & Gas Services. "We have been working in the field since 2010 and are one of the few companies with the level of expertise needed in the area."

About SPIE Oil & Gas Services

As an international multi-technical services subsidiary of the SPIE Group, SPIE Oil & Gas Services provides the oil and gas industry with a complete range of resources and skills for exploring and investigating new fields, building and operating facilities and optimising production in the best possible conditions in terms of safety, costs, lead times and quality.

With 4,000 employees of 70 different nationalities working 22 countries in Europe, Africa, the Asia-Pacific region and the Middle East, SPIE Oil & Gas Services offers services across four business major lines - well services and geosciences, engineering and projects services, asset support, and competency development - for its customers, including operators, engineering firms, and oil and gas contractors.

With 38,000 employees working from close to 600 sites in 38 countries, SPIE achieved in 2015 consolidated revenues of 5.3 billion and consolidated EBITA of 351 million.

In its "Oil & Gas and Nuclear" segment, with 6,000 employees working from more than 80 sites, the SPIE group generated revenues of 794 million in 2015.

http://www.spie.com

https://www.facebook.com/SPIEgroup

http://twitter.com/spiegroup

Press Contacts:



SPIE

Pascal Omnes

Group Communications Director

+33(0)1-34-41-81-11

pascal.omnes@spie.com



SPIE Oil & Gas Services

Fabio Di Mario

Human Resources and Communication Director

+33(0)1-34-41-87-15

f.dimario@spie.com


Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - December 16, 2016) - Blackrock Gold Corp. (TSXV: BRC) ("Blackrock", or the "Company") announced on October 24, 2016, the signing of a Letter of Intent (the "LOI") to earn up to an 80% interest in the Portrero Au-Ag project ("El Portrero"), located 235km NW of the city of Durango, Mexico.

Subsequent to the signing of the LOI, the Company completed a sampling program on El Portrero, and submitted 75 rock samples to ALS Canada Ltd., for assay. The gold and silver values in the rock samples were determined to not be high enough to provide sufficient encouragement to proceed further with El Portero and, as such, the Company has withdrawn from the LOI on El Portrero, and has terminated the agreement, effective immediately.

The Board and management of Blackrock are actively pursuing other projects of interest; further information will be provided when available.

For further information, please contact:

David R. Robinson, President & CEO

Blackrock Gold Corp.

Phone: 1.403.399.9047

Email: drobinson@blackrockgoldcorp.com

Website:www.blackrockgoldcorp.com.

The TSX Venture Exchange has not reviewed and does not accept responsibility for the accuracy or adequacy of this release.Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Service Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

This press release may contain forward-looking statements. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, constitute "forward-looking statements" and include any information that addresses activities, events or developments that the Company believes, expects or anticipates will or may occur in the future including the Company's strategy, plans or future financial or operating performance and other statements that express management's expectations or estimates of future performance.

Forward-looking statements are generally identifiable by the use of the words"may", "will", "should", "continue", "expect", "anticipate", "estimate", "believe", "intend", "plan" or "project" or the negative of these words or other variations on these words or comparable terminology. These statements, however, are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from those expressed, implied by or projected in the forward-looking information or statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ from these forward-looking statements include but are not limited to the ability of the Company to attract financing and the general market conditions of the industry in which the Company operates and the other factors discussed in the sections relating to risk factors discussed in the Company's continuous disclosure filings on SEDAR.

There can be no assurance that any forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, the reader should not place any undue reliance on forward-looking information or statements. Except as required by law, the Company does not intend to revise or update these forward-looking statements after the date of this document or to revise them to reflect the occurrence of future unanticipated events.


LONDON, ON--(Marketwired - October 28, 2016) - iLOOKABOUT Corp. (TSX VENTURE: ILA) ("iLOOKABOUT" or "the Company") today announced that the Company has received final approval from the TSX Venture Exchange of the Private Placement which closed October 24, 2016, the details of which were provided in a news release issued on the date of closing. In exchange for gross proceeds of $210,000, the Company has now issued 1,000,000 common shares and 1,000,000 common share purchase warrants.

About iLOOKABOUT

iLOOKABOUT is a software, data analytics and visual intelligence company focused on real property. The Company primarily serves the property assessment, property taxation, municipal, insurance, and appraisal sectors, both public and private, in North America. iLOOKABOUT's proprietary StreetScape imagery and web-based geographic information system ("GIS") application, GeoViewPort', unifies property related data and enables Desktop Review of properties. iLOOKABOUT has integrated powerful data analytics and workflow management applications into GeoViewPort which create highly valued service offerings for its clients. These offerings include Real Property Tax Analytics ("RPTA") and Realty Tax Management ("RTM"). To augment its technology based offerings, the Company provides real estate consulting services, with a focus on the Property Tax and Valuation sectors.

Headquartered in London, Ontario, Canada, iLOOKABOUT's common shares are traded on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol ILA.

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Contact:

Laurence Rose

CEO

laurence.rose@ilookabout.com

1.647.920.6383

www.ilookabout.com
TUSTIN, CA -- (Marketwired) -- 10/24/16 -- Logomark -- the industry-leading promotional products supplier -- announced today it and its high-quality, value line, Valumark, are 2016 SAGE A+ Rating Award winners for having an "A+" rating among SAGE distributors. SAGE's core product, SAGE Online, gives distributors online research and business management tools to help them save money and streamline operations.

"We're thrilled to have earned this recognition from SAGE," says Scott Pearson, Logomark executive vice president and chief revenue officer. "The A+ ratings reflect our focus on quality customer service and the very best promotional products. Distributors look for the SAGE rating as a badge of trust, and we're proud to display this 'A+' achievement as a mark of our deep industry expertise and reliability. A massive number of distributors use SAGE to research products to find the right suppliers for their needs. Both our Logomark and Valumark lines are well-deserving of this award as they each feature an expansive array of products available at costs to fit any distributor's budget."

Logomark's most recent campaign, "12 Weeks of Summer," also won a "Best Supplier Self-Promotion" award from Counselor magazine's inaugural Promotional Campaign Awards. The 12 Weeks of Summer campaign ran from May to July 2016 and featured weekly new product releases, as well as promotions and prizes including a trip for two to Southern California. In addition, Logomark recently launched its 2016 Holiday Catalog featuring the newest products in the industry including the exclusively designed Ring Series which offers unique speakers and power banks, the Wave Pen Series, six new Bettoni pens and the Madison Bag Series. A new partnership with Pelican Products has also given Logomark customers access to a full line-up of Pelican's incredibly durable and functional products, beginning with steel double-wall insulated drinkware.

Follow Logomark on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for the latest company news and promotions. For more information, please visit www.logomark.com.

ABOUT SAGE: SAGE provides the leading product research and order management services in the industry, with thousands of distributors using its services on a daily basis to perform product and supplier research. With more than one million products available from nearly 4,300 suppliers, SAGE Online is the top-rated product research tool in the industry. SAGE also offers suppliers marketing and advertising opportunities, distributor verifications, web hosting, tradeshow opportunities, and more.

ABOUT LOGOMARK: Founded in 1993, Logomark is a premier supplier of personalized gift and promotional products for the North American and global advertising specialty market. The company is a certified member of the Quality Certification Alliance, ensuring standards that deliver the highest levels of product safety. Providing more than 3,000 top-quality products in diverse categories, Logomark persistently reinvents the promotional products industry exceptional product selections, innovative solutions and unequaled customer support. Logomark offers a complete line of products, an easy-to-use mobile app, an award-winning website and is ranked 8th in product searches on the industry's leading search platform. For more information on the company's broad line of quality promotional products, please call 800-789-4438 or visit www.logomark.com.
Technavio's latest report on the globalanesthesia endotracheal tubes (ETT) marketprovides an analysis on the most important trends expected to impact the market outlook from 2016-2020. Technavio defines an emerging trend as a factor that has the potential to significantly impact the market and contribute to its growth or decline.

Srinivas Sashidhar, a lead analyst from Technavio, specializing in research on orthopedics and medical devices sector, says, "The market will grow because of the high sales of both cuffed and uncuffed ETTs. The Americas led the global market with a large share of the global market, followed by EMEA and APAC. In 2015, North America was the largest contributor of revenue to the market on account of the large number of surgical procedures performed in this region

Surgical procedures, including minimally invasive surgeries, across the world are expected to grow by 30% to 40%. These procedures involve the use of anesthesia in various orthopedic, cardiovascular, respiratory, neurology, and cosmetics-related procedures. This will lead to increasing demand for anesthesia disposable devices such as anesthesia ETTs.

Request a sample report: http://www.technavio.com/request-a-sample?report=53836

Technavio's sample reports are free of charge and contain multiple sections of the report including the market size and forecast, drivers, challenges, trends, and more.

The top three emerging trends driving the global anesthesia ETT according to Technavio healthcare and life sciences research analysts are:

Focus on silver-coated ETT for prevention of VAP

EMG monitoring technique promoting the usage of ETTs

Availability of online purchasing for anesthesia products

Focus on silver-coated ETT for prevention of VAP

VAP is one of the most common hospital-spread infections in people who are intubated and mechanically ventilated. According to a study conducted in 2015, the incidence of VAP is 23% to 26% in all infectious diseases contracted at critical care unit and 15% to 25% in ventilated cases. ETTs are found to be an unconventional risk factor for VAP. The difficulty in prevention can be overcome by silver-coated ETTs as they release silver cations slowly and possess a strong antimicrobial effect. These devices could prove to be an effective intervention in preventing VAP in people who require mechanical ventilation for 24 hours or longer.

"The study also showcased positive results, showing no secondary adverse effects on individuals. In addition, there was a decrease in the incidence of VAP by 50%, delay in VAP occurrence, and a decline in antibiotic use in silver-coated ETT compared to the regular ETT," according to Srinivas.

EMG monitoring technique promoting the usage of ETTs

Existing ETT devices are being equipped with additional features to enhance their usage so that the results are effective, and there are no side effects. For instance, Neurovision EMG monitoring ETT is used to monitor the recurrent laryngeal nerve, using a standard ETT. The Cobra ETTsingle channel and Cobra EMG monitoring ETT two-channel are being used to create an open airway for patient ventilation while simultaneously monitoring the EMG activity and assessment of the nerves involved in the laryngeal activity.

Availability of online purchasing for anesthesia products

Vendors have increased online marketing and promotional activities to provide better accessibility to their products and to gain more sales. Online marketing services allow vendors to minimize set-up, distribution, and operational costs. Many small and large vendors such as MedicalExpo and IndiaMART sell anesthesia disposables online, which is proving to be a convenience for consumers. Manufacturers, like Armstrong Medical and Medplus, also sell anesthesia disposables through online platforms. They also provide discounts and promotional offers to increase the number of online purchases. This is a significant advantage for individuals who need products delivered to their homes, especially those receiving post-operative care.

The top prominent vendors are as follows:

C. R. Bard

ConvaTec

GE Healthcare

Medtronic

Smiths Medical

Teleflex

Browse Related Reports:

Global Anesthesia Disposables Market 2016-2020

Global Anesthesia Vaporizers Market 2016-2020

Global Anesthesia Breathing Circuits Market 2016-2020

Do you need a report on a market in a specific geographical cluster or country but can't find what you're looking for? Don't worry, Technavio also takes client requests. Please contact enquiry@technavio.com with your requirements and our analysts will be happy to create a customized report just for you.

About Technavio

Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. The company develops over 2000 pieces of research every year, covering more than 500 technologies across 80 countries. Technavio has about 300 analysts globally who specialize in customized consulting and business research assignments across the latest leading edge technologies.

Technavio analysts employ primary as well as secondary research techniques to ascertain the size and vendor landscape in a range of markets. Analysts obtain information using a combination of bottom-up and top-down approaches, besides using in-house market modeling tools and proprietary databases. They corroborate this data with the data obtained from various market participants and stakeholders across the value chain, including vendors, service providers, distributors, re-sellers, and end-users.

If you are interested in more information, please contact our media team at media@technavio.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20161024006144/en/

Contacts:

Technavio Research

Jesse Maida

Media Marketing Executive

US: +1 630 333 9501

UK: +44 208 123 1770

www.technavio.com
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - October 24, 2016) - NetCents Technology Inc. (CSE: NC) ("NetCents" or the "Company"), is pleased to announce that it has been certified as a Money Services Business (MSB) and is successfully registered with the Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada (FINTRAC).

"Another great accomplishment for NetCents as we rapidly expand our business. We want to be at the forefront of compliance, regulation and reporting. NetCents will set forth best practices to effectively offer a secure and compliant FINTRAC MSB digital payment platform," commented Clayton Moore, CEO and Founder of NetCents. "NetCents is moving rapidly from a development stage company to full commercialization across our product lines and services. Over the past couple of months, the company has executed several complex initiatives and continues to make advancements in delivering a full service digital payment platform with industry changing features. Overall, the company's operations, competitive posture and foundation for profitable growth are all stronger today than ever before."

About NetCents

NetCents is an electronic payments technology company offering consumers and merchants online services for managing electronic payments by a variety of payments methods through its processing platform. NetCents works with its financial partners, mobile operators, exchanges, etc. to streamline the process and user experience of transacting online. The NetCents platform is integrated into the Automated Clearing House ("ACH") and is registered as a Money Services Business (MSB) with FINTRAC, which ensures our consumer's security and privacy. NetCents is available for deposits from 194 Countries around the World, providing you with the freedom to choose to Pay. Your Way.

For more information, please visit the corporate website at www.netcents.biz or contact Robert Meister, Capital Markets at Ph: 604.676.5248 or email: Robert.meister@net-cents.com.

On Behalf of the Board of Directors

NetCents Technology Inc.

Clayton Moore, Founder/CEO

NetCents Technology Inc.

Suite 1500, 885 West Georgia Street

Vancouver, British Columbia V6C 3E8

The Canadian Securities Exchange has neither approved nor disapproved of the contents of this press release. Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Forward-Looking Information

This release includes certain statements that may be deemed "forward-looking statements". All statements in this release, other than statements of historical facts, that address events or developments that the Company expects to occur, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and are generally, but not always, identified by the words "expects", "plans", "anticipates", "believes", "intends", "estimates", "projects", "potential" and similar expressions, or that events or conditions "will", "would", "may", "could" or "should" occur. Although the Company believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause the actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include regulatory actions, market prices, and continued availability of capital and financing, and general economic, market or business conditions. Investors are cautioned that any such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on the beliefs, estimates and opinions of the Company's management on the date the statements are made. Except as required by applicable securities laws, the Company undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements in the event that management's beliefs, estimates or opinions, or other factors, should change.
SOLNA, Sweden, October 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

Eurocine Vaccines today announced the start of a phase I/II clinical study of the quadrivalent influenza vaccine candidate Immunose' FLU, a novel nose drop formulation based on the company's technology Endocine' and inactivated split antigens. The first subjects have been dosed in the study, which is conducted during the present influenza season, 2016/2017.

"We are very pleased that our nasal influenza vaccine candidate, Immunose' FLU, has entered the clinical development stage," said Dr. Anna-Karin Maltais, Chief Scientific Officer. "This is the first step on the path to create a better, more effective influenza vaccine for children."

"After months of preparations, we are at a very exciting point in the development," said Dr. Marie Olliver, Director of Clinical Development. "We have been working intensely with our contract research organizations, and I am particularly satisfied that we have started the study a bit ahead of schedule".

Dr. Hans Arwidsson, Chief Executive Officer, said "I am impressed by the commitment and diligence showed by both our internal team and our team of contract research organizations. This important milestone will be very valuable to bring to BIO Europe 2016 in Cologne, where I will have numerous partnering meetings in a couple of weeks' time".

The study is conducted during the present influenza season, 2016/2017, and the results are expected around mid-2017.

About Eurocine Vaccines

Eurocine Vaccines is a publicly listed company, using its clinically validated technology Endocine' to develop a patent protected nasal influenza vaccine for children. Within the market for influenza vaccines, children is the fastest growing segment. This is due to the recommendation by the WHO to vaccinate children against influenza. The company's main project, the nasal quadrivalent influenza vaccine candidate Immunose' FLU, is in clinical phase I/II development during the influenza season 2016/2017 and a report on the study is expected around mid-2017.

The company plans to license the product to partners for further development and commercialization.

Eurocine Vaccines, EUCI, is traded at Aktietorget, XSAT.
DUBLIN, October 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

Research and Markets has announced the addition of the "Global Dyes and Pigments Market 2016-2020" report to their offering.

The global dyes and pigments market is forecast to grow at a CAGR of 3.99% during the period 2016-2020.

Commenting on the report, an analyst from the research team said: Shift of manufacturing hub to APAC will be a key trend for market growth. Dyes and pigments are derived from invertebrates, minerals, and other natural sources. These products are manufactured worldwide in developed and developing countries.

Countries such as the US and those in Europe and Central and South America are the main producers of dyes and pigments. However, the manufacturing bases in European countries such as the UK, Germany, and Switzerland are increasingly shifting to APAC because of the region's relatively low-cost labor, favorable government subsidy packages like interest subsidy on loans, and increased downstream processing capacity. As a result, countries in APAC such as China and India are emerging as key manufacturing hubs for dyes and pigments.

According to the report, growth of end-use industries will be a key driver for market growth. Dyes and pigments cater to the coloring requirements of a number of industries. With the global economy recovering from the effects of the recession of the late 2000s and early 2010s, industries have shown improved activity and are looking at positive developments over the next five years. This is further enhanced by the improved consumer ability to spend more money on the products these industries provide. Companies are encouraged to design products that are in line with changing consumer expectations.

Questions Answered:

What will the market size be in 2020 and what will the growth rate be?

What are the key market trends?

What is driving this market?

What are the challenges to market growth?

Who are the key vendors in this market space?

What are the market opportunities and threats faced by the key vendors?

What are the strengths and weaknesses of the key vendors?

Companies Mentioned:

BASF

Clariant

Cabot

DuPont

Huntsman

LANXESS

ATUL

DIC

ECKART

Heubach

Flint

Report Structure:

PART 01: Executive summary

PART 02: Scope of the report

PART 03: Market research methodology

PART 04: Introduction PART 05: Market landscape

PART 06: Market segmentation by product

PART 07: Market segmentation by application

PART 08: Market segmentation by geography

PART 09: Market drivers

PART 10: Impact of drivers

PART 11: Market challenges

PART 12: Impact of drivers and challenges

PART 13: Market trends

PART 14: Vendor landscape

PART 15: Appendix

PART 16: About the Author

For more information about this report visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/kktmsc/global_dyes_and

Media Contact:

Research and Markets

Laura Wood, Senior Manager

press@researchandmarkets.com

For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470

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VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA -- (Marketwired) -- 10/24/16 -- Lara Exploration Ltd. (TSX VENTURE: LRA) ("Lara" or the "Company") is pleased to report that its partner Compania Minera Ares S.A.C. ("Ares"), a subsidiary of London-listed Hochschild Mining plc., has signed an agreement with the Calcauso community, in the Antabamba region, of the Apurimac Department, for their support for an application to drill the Company's Corina Gold Project.

Ares has the option to purchase the Corina Project from Lara by making staged cash payments totalling US$4,150,000 of which US$150,000 was paid at signing and a further US$150,000 this week for completion of the community agreement. Ares must carry US$2,000,000 in exploration expenditures to complete its purchase option and also pay a 2% net smelter return royalty on any future production (see Company news release of June 23, 2014 for details).

The property is located within a belt of Tertiary-age volcanic rocks that host to several epithermal gold deposits and the Pallancata, Selene and Immaculada mining operations of Ares. Exploration work by the Company has identified a low-sulphidation epithermal vein system denominated Promesa, which has been mapped over 4.5 kilometres. 190 rock samples collected prior to the agreement with Ares, included 32 with gold values ranging from 0.3g/t to 9.4g/t and silver values ranging between 13g/t and 125g/t. Sampling and mapping of the alteration halo around the vein also suggests potential for disseminated mineralization.

Qualified Person

Michael Bennell, Lara's Vice President Exploration and a Fellow of the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy (AusIMM), is a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects and has approved the technical disclosure and verified the technical information in this news release.

About Lara

Lara is an exploration company following the Prospect Generator business model, which aims to minimize shareholder dilution and financial risk by generating prospects and then exploring them in joint ventures funded by partners. The Company currently holds a diverse portfolio of prospects and deposits in Brazil, Peru, Colombia and Chile. Lara's common shares trade on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol "LRA".

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Contacts:

Lara Exploration Ltd.

Chris MacIntyre

VP Corporate Development

+1 416 703 0010

www.laraexploration.com




PARIS, FRANCE--(Marketwired - October 24, 2016) - Chronocam SA, a developer of biologically-inspired vision sensors and computer vision solutions for automotive, IoT and other applications requiring vision processing, today announced it has raised $15 million in Series B financing. The funding comes from lead investor Intel Capital, along with iBionext, Robert Bosch Venture Capital GmbH, 360 Capital, CEAi and Renault Group.

Chronocam will use the investment to continue building a world-class team to accelerate product development and commercialize its computer vision sensing and processing technology. The funding will also allow the company to expand into key markets, including the US and Asia.

Chronocam's proprietary approach leverages the company's deep expertise in computer vision technology, sensor design and neuromorphic computing, which mimics the human brain. The Chronocam method uses innovative data capture techniques to greatly improve performance, dynamic range and power efficiency of cameras in a wide range of applications.

"Conventional computer vision approaches are not well-suited to the requirements of a new generation of vision-enabled systems," said Luca Verre, CEO and co-founder of Chronocam. "For example, autonomous vehicles require faster sensing systems which can operate in a wider variety of ambient conditions. In the IoT segment, power budgets, bandwidth requirements and integration within sensor networks make today's vision technologies impractical and ineffective."

"Chronocam's unique bio-inspired technology introduces a new paradigm in capturing and processing visual data, and addresses the most pressing market challenges head-on," Verre continued. "We are well-positioned to capitalize on this significant market opportunity; and we appreciate the confidence demonstrated by our investors as we roll out our technology to an increasing number of customers."

"The world is becoming increasingly connected and intelligent. And computer vision is a key enabler of this trend, particularly for the automotive industry and Internet of Things," said Wendell Brooks, senior vice president at Intel and president of Intel Capital. "Connected machines can quickly and accurately visualize their environment and act on that data in real time, for example, bringing the potential to protect lives with safer roads. We look forward to helping Chronocam bring the next generation of smart machine vision systems to market."

Chronocam

Chronocam is developing a unique, bio-inspired and self-adapting approach to the need for visual sensing and processing in autonomous vehicles, connected devices, security and surveillance systems. Its innovative vision sensors and systems replicate the functioning of the human eye and address the limitations of conventional vision sensors by enabling real time sensing of the relevant dynamic scene context and acquiring only what is necessary. The result is that Chronocam's vision solutions set a new benchmark for computer vision performance with unprecedented speed, dynamic range, sensor level video compression and power efficiency, at the same time. Based in Paris, Chronocam is a venture backed company with investors including 360 Capital, CEA Investissement, iBionext, Intel Capital, Renault-Nissan Group, and Robert Bosch Venture Capital. More information can be found at www.chronocam.com.

Intel Capital

Intel Capital, Intel's strategic investment and M&A organization, backs innovative startups targeting computing and smart devices, cloud, datacenter, security, the Internet of Things, wearable and robotic technologies and semiconductor manufacturing. Since 1991, Intel Capital has invested US$11.7 billion in 1,457 companies worldwide, and 605 portfolio companies have gone public or been acquired. Through its business development programs, Intel Capital curates thousands of introductions each year between its portfolio executives and Intel's customers and partners in the Global 2000. For more information on what makes Intel Capital one of the world's most powerful venture capital firms, visit www.intelcapital.com or follow @Intelcapital

For more information contact:

Luca Verre

Email contact



+33 (0)6 95 98 10 80



Mike Sottak

Email contact



+1 408 876 4418
VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA -- (Marketwired) -- 10/24/16 -- Fortress Paper Ltd. (TSX: FTP) ("Fortress Paper" or the "Corporation") announced today that it intends to release its third quarter financial results for the period ended September 30, 2016 after the close of the market on Monday, November 14, 2016. In connection with the release of its results, Fortress Paper will host a conference call on Tuesday, November 15, 2016 at 9:00 a.m. (PST) to discuss the financial results and provide an update on the Corporation's operations.

To participate in the conference call, please dial one of the following numbers:

Dial In Numbers: 604-681-8564 Vancouver 403-532-5601 Calgary or International 780-429-5820 Edmonton 416-623-0333 Toronto 613-212-0171 Ottawa 514-687-4017 Montreal

Toll Free Dial In Number: 1-855-353-9183 from Canada and USA

Participant Pass Code: 15086# Conference Reference Number: 1206773#

A replay of the conference call will be available until midnight, December 15, 2016. To access the replay, listeners may dial 1-855-201-2300 from Canada or the USA or dial 403-255-0697 from local Calgary or International. The conference reference number is 1206773# and the participant pass code to access the replay is 15086#.

About Fortress Paper

Fortress Paper operates internationally in two distinct business segments: dissolving pulp and security paper products. The Company operates its dissolving pulp business at the Fortress Specialty Cellulose Mill located in Canada, which has expanded into the renewable energy generation sector with the construction of a cogeneration facility. The Company operates its security paper products business at the Landqart Mill located in Switzerland, where it produces banknote, passport, visa and other brand protection and security papers.

Contacts:

Fortress Paper Ltd.

604-904-2328

info@fortresspaper.com




OTTAWA, ONTARIO -- (Marketwired) -- 10/24/16 -- Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will speak to hundreds of young workers attending the Canadian Labour Congress' Young Workers Summit at the Shaw Centre in Ottawa.

The first-ever Young Workers' Summit brings together over 400 young union leaders and activists for three days of workshops and leadership-building.

"This is a historic opportunity for Prime Minister Trudeau to engage in a dialogue with young workers about decent jobs and the future of work in Canada," said CLC president Hassan Yussuff.

Media are invited to attend but must be present by 8:30 a.m. for a security sweep and to register.

Who: Prime Minister Justin Trudeau

What: CLC Young Workers' Summit

When: Tuesday October 25, 2016 8:30 a.m.

Where: Media registration and security sweep at Holtzman Boardroom, Level One, Shaw Centre, 55 Colonel By Drive, Ottawa.

Contacts:

Chantal St-Denis

National Representative, Media Relations

613-355-1962

cstdenis@clc-ctc.ca




Its been a pretty disappointing start to the trading week. The Australian share market plunged at the open, as investors engaged in broad-based selling. Most sectors finished in the red today, but the local index managed to regain some of its lossesfinishing the day 0.4% lower.The S&P/ASX 200 index closed 22 points down to finish at 5,409.The value of trades was $4.6 billion on volume of 698 million shares at the close of trade. The top three stocks by value were Westpac Bank, Commonwealth Bankand BHP BillitonOn the futures market the SPI is down 10 points.Freelancer Ltd, which is an online freelancing and crowdsourcing marketplace, has released its cash flow statement for the September quarter. The company says cash receipts were $12.7 million, which is an increase of 31% year over year (or 47% in the year to date). Freelancer also says it has positive operating cashflow of $4.2 million in the year to date. Also, job volume on its website was up 47.9%, and the company says it was its best quarter on record. Shares in Freelancer closed 12.37 per cent lower at $1.31.Cooper Energy Limitedwill acquire the Victorian gas assets of Santos LTdfor $82 million.The Foreign Investment Review Board has approved the sale of Vitaco Holdings Limitedto Shanghai Pharmaceuticals.Genworth Mortgage Insurance Australia Ltdhas announced its parent company, Genworth Financial, has agreed to be acquired by China Oceanwide Holdings for $2.7 billion. After this announcement, the value of Genworth's shares went up to become one of today's stronger performers.The best performing sector was Telcos, adding 0.14 per cent to close at 1,805. The worst performing sector was Healthcare, losing 1.87 per cent to close at 20,319 points.The best performing stock in the S&P/ASX 200 was Bluescope Steel, rising 4.76 per cent to close at $8.14. Shares in Australian Pharmaceutical Industries and Genworth Mortgage Insurance also closed higher.The worst performing stock was Coca Cola Amatil, dropping 6.44 per cent to close at $9.45. This was due to investors concerns about the soft drink giants near term growth prospects, following its investor presentations last Friday. Shares in Healthscope and Resolute Mining also closed lower.Gold is trading at $US1,266 an ounce.Light crude is $0.37 up at $US51 a barrel.The Australian dollar is buying $US0.7616.
Allergy Amulet, a Madison, WI-based developer of a portable, food allergen detection device, raised $1.1m in seed funding.

The round was led by Colle Capital with participation from the Bulldog Innovation Group, Foley Ventures, Gopher Angels, Mendota Venture Capital, and the Wisconsin Medical Society Foundation.

The company intends to use the funds to grow the team, accelerate product development, and begin beta testing of the prototype.

Led by CEO Abigail Barnes, Allergy Amulet provides a rapid, portable, point-of-consumption food allergen detection device that connects to a patent-pending, disposable test strip. The device enables mobile measurements to help individuals avoid ingesting target allergens.

The Allergy Amulet can be configured as a wearable (e.g., necklace) or integrated into everyday products (e.g., EpiPen).

FinSMEs

24/10/2016
Benchling, a San Francisco, CA-based life science R&D software company, raised $7m in funding.

The round was led by Thrive Capital with participation from Andreessen Horowitz, Y Combinator partner Geoff Ralston, Sequoia partner Matt Huang, CXO of Tencent David Wallerstein, and actor/tech investor Ashton Kutcher.

The company, which has now raised over $13m, plans to use the funds to expand scientific operations, broaden development across more therapeutic areas, and further expand its platform.

Founded in 2012 by Sajith Wickramasekara, CEO, Benchling provides an integrated cloud-based software platform consisting of lab notebook, LIMS, and molecular biology tools to over 40,000 academic and industry scientists, who represent more than 10,000 academic institutions and over 150 companies.

In the coming quarter, the company plans to release a product that bridges structured and unstructured scientific data.

FinSMEs

24/10/2016
Boston Logic, a Boston, MA-based provider of a SaaS tech platform for enterprise and real estate brokerages nationwide, received a growth investment from Providence Strategic Growth (PSG).

The amount of the deal was not disclosed. In conjunction with the investment, Marco Ferrari, Managing Director at PSG, will join the Boston Logic Board of Directors.

The company intends to use the funds to continue to develop the platform and accelerate growth.

Formed in 2004 by David Friedman, CEO, Boston Logic provides software, online marketing and design services combining CRM, websites, content management, marketing automation and data management into a platform for real estate companies to manage their leads and digital marketing.

The companys solutions are used by U.S. brokers, including Pacific Union Realty in San Francisco and Harry Norman Realtors in Atlanta, as well as numerous midsize and smaller brokerage companies and agent teams.

FinSMEs

24/10/2016
Francisco Partners Management, L.P., a San Francisco, CA-based technology private equity investment firm, closed a $600m fund targeting smaller technology deals.

Called the Agility Fund, the new vehicle will target sub $50 million investments.

The firm is still investing FP IV, which will continue to focus on middle market technology companies in the U.S., Europe, and Israel targeting transaction values between $50m and $2 billion. FP IVs portfolio includes Capsilon, Click Software, GoodRx, and the pending acquisition of Dell Software Group.

Launched 15 years ago by Dipanjan DJ Deb, co-founder & CEO, Francisco Partners has raised more than $10 billion and invested in 150 plus technology companies. The team also includes Deep Shah and Ezra Perlman (Co-Presidents), David Golob (Chief Investment Officer) and Tom Ludwig (Chief Operating Officer).

FinSMEs

24/10/2016
Neurovation Labs, Inc., a New York, NY-based biotech company, raised a seed funding round of undisclosed amount.

This round was completed with the support of individual angel investors based in the United States.

Founded in 2016 based on the research performed by Dr. Jennifer Perusini, CEO, and Dr. Michael Fanselow, Director of Research, Neurovation Labs is an early stage biotechnology company focused on diagnosing and treating anxiety disorders and in particular Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), an incapacitating disorder that currently has no objective diagnostic and ineffective treatment options.

The company intends to use the funds to further the development of its patent-pending PTSD diagnostic, commencing the next set of pre-clinical studies next month, testing the efficacy of using radiological imaging technology to diagnose PTSD.

FinSMEs

24/10/2016
Nozomi Networks, a Menlo Park, Calif.- and and Mendrisio, Switzerland-based provider of a cybersecurity and operational visibility platform for industrial control systems (ICS), completed a $7.5m Series A round of financing.

The round was co-led by GGV Capital and Lux Capital with participation from existing investor Planven Investments SA. In conjunction with the funding, Glenn Solomon, Managing Partner at GGV Capital, and Bilal Zuberi, Partner at Lux Capital, will join Nozomis board of directors.

The company intends to use the funds to establish corporate headquarters in the United States, in addition to Switzerland.

Established in 2013 by Chief Product Officer Andrea Carcano and CTO Moreno Carullo, both experts in industrial network security, artificial intelligence and machine learning, and led by newly appointed CEO Edgard Capdevielle, Nozomi Networks provides cybersecurity and operational visibility solutions for industrial control systems (ICS). Its platform automatically builds an internal model of the industrial network and physical process and uses behavioral analytics and continuous monitoring to get access to real-time insight into ICS networks, devices and process status, identifying and enabling remediation of cyberattacks and process anomalies.

Today, the companys products monitor more than 50,000 industrial devices in dozens of multinational customer sites spanning oil & gas, electric utilities, manufacturing and transportation.

FinSMEs

24/10/2016
Budapest: Apollo Tyres is setting up Europe's largest greenfield plant in Hungary with an investment of 475 million euros to produce nearly 62 lakh tyres for passenger cars and heavy commercial vehicles per annum.

The facility at Gyongyoshalasz, located less than 100 km from here, will start production early next year and it will produce tyres to cater to the entire European market. "Construction of Apollo Tyres' first European greenfield plant at Gyongyoshalasz has started on April 10, 2015 and we will start production in early 2017. It will be Europe's largest greenfield tyres plant," Apollo Tyres (Hungary) KFT, Head - Project Controller, Amitabh Arya told PTI.

The Hungarian facility will be a state-of-the-art plant and once completed it will have a capacity to produce 5.5 million (55 lakh) passenger car and light truck (PCLT) tyres and 6,75,000 heavy commercial vehicle (HCV) tyres per annum.

The total investment in the facility will be 475 million euro (about Rs 3,460 crore) and the Hungarian government was very excited about the investment from a leading Indian company.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, at a joint press conference with visiting Indian Vice President Hamid Ansari last week, had specifically mentioned about the Apollo Tyres plant saying it was one of the largest foreign investments in Hungary.

The Gyongyoshalasz facility will produce both Apollo and Vredestein branded tyres and will cater to the entire European market.

Apollo Vredestein BV is part of Apollo Tyres Ltd and has its head office in Enschede, the Netherlands. It designs, manufactures and sells high-quality tyres under the Apollo and Vredestein brands in Europe and North America.

Onkar S Kanwar headed Apollo Tyres Ltd, with its corporate headquarters in Gurgaon, is in the business of manufacture and sale of tyres since its inception in 1972. The company has grown manifold, establishing its footprint across the globe. It has manufacturing units in India and The Netherlands.

The company markets its products under its two global brands - Apollo and Vredestein, and its products are available in over 100 countries through a vast network of branded, exclusive and multi-product outlets.

At the end of its financial year on March 31, 2016, Apollo Tyres had clocked a turnover of USD 1.8 billion, backed by a global workforce of around 16,000 employees.
Bolstered by the successful response to the pre-Diwali sale and discounts earlier this month, e-commerce majors Flipkart and Amazon India have announced three day sales to cash in on the festive mood in the country.

While US-based online retail giant Amazon has termed its sale, Great Indian Sale, Bengaluru-headquartered Flipkart has named its discount offer as the Great Diwali Sale.

Both offers will be on for three days starting from October 25 midnight to October 28, according to the Economic Times. It also said that other e-commerce firms such as Snapdeal and TataCLIQ are expected to announce their own sales during this period.

The recently concluded five-day discount bonanza earlier this month saw sales at Flipkart go up between five to nine times as compared to its regular days in certain categories such as fashion, electronics, smartphones, and large appliances, according to the Business Standard.

On account of this high growth in sales, the company has gone in for a course correction this month, the report said. Flipkart is expecting sales to jump four times its monthly average, the BS report said.

This time around, the focus will remain as usual on popular categories such as electronics, fashion, etc. However, it will also have short duration sales of half hour, the ET report said, in a bid to get customers shop online after having received Diwali bonuses.

To make it easier for customers to avail of large purchases on EMI, both the e-commerce giants have signed up with banks for schemes and options. While Amazon has tied up with State Bank of India, Flipkart has chosen Citibank and will offer cashback of up to 15 percent when customers use credit and debit cards of these two banks, the ET report said.

At the recently concluded five day sales, Flipkart claimed that it had sold 15.5 million units pipping its nearest online rival Amazon which sold 15 million units.

The company's flagship Big Billion Days (BBD) sale event registered gross sales of approximately Rs 3,000 crore during the five-day event, a Mint report said earlier. However, industry sources said that the five day sale netted Flipkart a total gross merchandise value (GMV) of around Rs 2,200 crore - Rs 2,300 crore.

The combined sales of all the three e-commerce entities  Flipkart, Amazon and Snapdeal, was pegged at around Rs 6,500 crore, up 20 percent over the previous year, according a report in Financial Express.

According to research firm RedSeer, e-commerce companies are expected to register transactions worth Rs 11,000-13,000 crore (US $1.7-1.9 billion) in October, driven by festive offers and discounts on their platforms.

"E-tailers are likely to surpass all sales expectations in the ongoing festive sale days and for the month of October 2016 as a whole," it had added.

During the period of October 1-6 alone, e-tailers are estimated to have clocked gross GMV of Rs 6,500-7,700 crore (US $1-1.2 billion) with sale of 35-40 million units.

Going by GMV figures, Indias retail market is around $500 billion while the online share was at $10 billion in 2015 and is expected to be in the reach of $18-20 billion in 2016.
By Asad Hashim and Fayaz Bukhari

| ISLAMABAD/SRINAGAR, India

ISLAMABAD/SRINAGAR, India Shelling across the border between India and Pakistan killed two Pakistani civilians, an Indian soldier and a boy, military officials from the two sides said on Monday, as tension between the nuclear-armed neighbours simmers.Pakistan's military said the shelling hit the sectors of Harpal, Pukhlian and Charwah along the disputed "working boundary", which separates Pakistan's Punjab province from Indian-administered Kashmir's Jammu region.India's military said the firing occurred in the Pura, Pargwal and Kanachak sectors.Both countries have claimed the disputed Kashmir region in full since partition and independence from the British in 1947, but administer separate portions of it. They have fought two of their three wars over the territory.

Tensions have been strained since July, when Indian forces killed a young Kashmiri fighter, prompting mass protests in Indian-administered Kashmir. The resulting crackdown by security forces has seen at least 80 Kashmiri protesters killed.Relations plummeted even further in September, when gunmen stormed an Indian military base in Uri, killing 18 Indian soldiers, the largest such attack in 14 years.

India blamed Pakistan for the attack, and in response said it had launched "surgical strikes" across the de facto border in Kashmir on Sept 29 to target Kashmiri fighters based there. Pakistan denied any incursion had occurred on its territory. Pakistan's military said a one-year-old child was among the dead in Pakistan in the village of Janglora. Pakistani forces responded to the Indian firing and an exchange of fire continued through the night.

Fifteen civilians were wounded in the firing, Pakistan said.In India's Jammu region, a Border Security Force (BSF) soldier was killed by the Pakistani firing, while another was wounded, a BSF spokesman told Reuters. A boy, one of five civilians also injured, later died of his wounds, he said. (Writing by Asad Hashim; Editing by Drazen Jorgic and Toby Chopra)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
By Brad Haynes

| SAO PAULO

SAO PAULO Brazilian planemaker Embraer SA on Monday reached an agreement with U.S. and Brazilian authorities to settle a six-year corruption investigation, paying $205.5 million to turn the page on signs of graft in four foreign contracts.Embraer said an internal probe, launched in 2010 after receiving a subpoena in the United States, found evidence of wrongdoing in deals with Saudi Arabia, India, Mozambique and the Dominican Republic in the five years through 2011.The fine due to U.S. and Brazilian authorities is in line with a $200 million provision Embraer made in July.The planemaker's shares slipped 0.5 percent in trading in Sao Paulo after news of the accord, which offers closure in a case that risked prosecution of the company under the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.The company said it is not party to a parallel Brazilian criminal investigation of certain individuals.

Embraer, the world's third-largest maker of commercial jets, has replaced much of its senior management in recent years, reinforced compliance efforts and curtailed use of third-party sales representatives, who drew suspicion in deals under review.A sweeping internal investigation led by Baker & McKenzie expanded beyond the scope of U.S. authorities' initial inquiry, reviewing hundreds of thousands of documents and conducting more than 100 interviews, the company said in a public statement.

In the process, Embraer said that investigators found "the company was responsible for misdeeds in four transactions between 2007 and 2011." The deals involved:- Eight Super Tucano light attack planes sold to the Dominican Republic.- Three surveillance aircraft sold to India for an undisclosed sum.

- Two E190 commercial jets sold to Mozambique's state airline LAM.- Three E170 jets sold to state oil company Saudi Aramco for business aviation. (Reporting by Brad Haynes; Editing by Daniel Flynn and Paul Simao)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
By Rupam Jain

| NEW DELHI

NEW DELHI Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday waded into a controversy over a Muslim divorce law he said was destroying women's lives, drawing criticism from rivals that he was fishing for minority votes in a major state election next year.Modi criticised the so-called "triple talaq", that allows a Muslim man to part from his wife by saying "I divorce you" three times, in a speech in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, due to go to the polls next spring.The prime minister's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) swept the state that is home to one in six Indians in the 2014 national election, and needs to broaden support outside its core Hindu base to have a chance of winning the state polls."The lives of Muslim women cannot be allowed to be destroyed by 'triple talaq,'" Modi told a rally in the town of Mahoba. "It is the responsibility of the government and people of the country to give justice to Muslim women."Muslim women in India have long demanded a ban on the practice, banned in most Islamic countries but allowed by the Indian constitution.The national Law Commission recently sought public views on whether to abolish the practice, triggering a debate between politicians and religious leaders.

More than 24 Muslim women's rights groups, who wrote to Modi demanding reforms to Muslim laws on divorce and polygamy, have also filed a petition in the Supreme Court.Modi's political opponents and Muslim religious leaders accuse the 66-year-old prime minister of trying to appease women in the Muslim community for electoral gains. "'Triple talaq' was Modi's new political tool to break up the Muslim vote," said Asaduddin Owaisi, the leader of a Muslim political party, the All-India Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul Muslimeen.

"The prime minister can stoop to any level. He now wants Muslim women to vote for him as he is desperate to win Uttar Pradesh," Owaisi told Reuters.Muslims make up 19 percent of the population of Uttar Pradesh - above the national average. Many feel disenfranchised by Modi and his hardline Hindu supporters, while some have been attacked by vigilantes for consuming beef or skinning cows, which Hindus regard as sacred.

The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, a Hindu-nationalist grassroots movement that backs Modi and the BJP, chronicled hundreds of cases of triple talaq in a recent report.Most involved women from poor families, it said, whose husbands divorced them by telephone and did not honour their obligation to pay maintenance. "These religious rules are barbaric and totally unacceptable. We want the government to protect Muslim women," said a senior leader of the RSS in New Delhi. (Editing by Douglas Busvine; and Clarence Fernandez)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
By Promit Mukherjee and Aditi Shah

| MUMBAI/DELHI

MUMBAI/DELHI Ratan Tata, patriarch of one of India's most influential families, will take over as interim chairman of Tata Sons after the salt-to-software conglomerate's board ousted Cyrus Mistry, who had sought to shake up the firm's management.Tata, who had stepped down as chairman and was replaced by Mistry in late 2012, will head the group for four months while the company seeks a replacement.Tata Sons is a large shareholder in a string of listed Tata Group companies - a business empire ranging from Jaguar Land Rover cars and steel mills to aviation and salt pans.The board said in a statement on Monday it was decided "it may be appropriate to consider a change for the long-term interest of Tata Sons and Tata group."While the board gave no detailed reason for the change, some media reports said there has been discontent with some of Mistry's actions, including asset sales. The 48-year-old has been trying to shake up the $100 billion company by changing the management structure to bring in new faces at senior levels. He has also battled issues on a number of fronts in recent months, including a costly settlement with Japanese telecom operator NTT Docomo and the sale of Tata Steel's loss-making UK business.Britain's vote in June to exit the European Union was a big setback for the steel sale, which Tata has now put on hold. Brexit has also cast a shadow over Tata Motors' luxury car unit Jaguar Land Rover (JLR), which has a large UK manufacturing base. Tata Motors' quarterly profit halved as the pound slumped following the Brexit vote, and JLR's CEO warned that some customers in Europe, its biggest market, no longer wanted to buy British cars.

SURPRISE MOVE

Mistry's shock exit took many by surprise, though analysts and investors saw Ratan Tata's appointment as interim chair as a way to ease concerns. "The impact will be a little softer with Ratan Tata taking over," Gaurang Shah, analyst at Geojit BNP Paribas, told BTVi television.The board made its decision at a lengthy meeting on Monday, with six of the nine members backing the ousting of Mistry, said one source who was not authorized to publicly discuss the matter, and did not want to be identified. Two members abstained. Mistry, who could not vote, remains a board director.The source also said that Mistry's departure was deliberated over months and was a result of a difference of opinion between him and the board, without elaborating on the differences. The source also said that Tata was disbanding the group executive council (GEC) - a team of core advisers that Mistry had formed

Of the five GEC members, two, including Dr Mukund Rajan and Harish Bhat, will take on senior level responsibilities within the group, said the source, adding it is unclear what roles, if any, would be offered to the other three, Madhu Kannan, former CEO of the Bombay Stock Exchange; NS Rajan, former partner at Ernst & Young; and Nirmalya Kumar, former professor at London Business School. CNBC TV18 reported that Mistry's Shapoorji Pallonji family, one of the biggest shareholders in Tata Sons, may legally contest his departure, adding that the Tata family had sought legal advice before making the decision."Shapoorji Pallonji could challenge this decision, although I think all the rules were strictly followed and I was convinced," said Mohan Parasaran, a senior Supreme Court advocate who was consulted by the Tata family about a month ago.

'HARD DECISIONS'

Unlike his predecessor, Mistry has stayed away from the limelight, limiting his speeches to company events.His style of doing business also differed from Ratan Tata's, who spent billions of dollars acquiring global companies like steelmaker Corus and Jaguar Land Rover. In a rare interview last month, in Tata's in-house magazine, Mistry admitted the challenges facing some of the Tata group companies would "entail hard decisions on pruning the portfolio." Since stepping down as chairman in 2012, Ratan Tata has pursued venture capital investments in ride-hailing firm Ola, e-commerce firm Snapdeal and payment solution provider Paytm.International revenues make up close to 70 percent of Tata Group's total turnover, and the majority of its capital spending has been overseas in the last three years.The group's cash cows are Tata Consultancy Services and Tata Motors, together generating half the total annual revenue of $103.5 billion. (Reporting by Promit Mukherjee and Aditi Shah, with additional reporting by Suvashree Choudhury, Abhirup Roy and Manoj Rawal in Mumbai; Editing by Ian Geoghegan, Euan Rocha and Alexander Smith)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
When the body of slain Border Security Forces (BSF) soldier Gurnam Singh was brought to his native village of Bhalesar in RS Pura sector on Sunday afternoon, villagers showered rose petals on the coffin and raised slogans against Pakistan.

Since his childhood, Singh was fascinated with men in uniform and his dream of wearing the khaki had come true four years back.

He lived and died for his motherland, Dalbir Singh, a resident of Bhalesar village and classmate of Singh, told Firstpost.

Singh was the first soldier from Jammu and Kashmir to die since the Indian Army carried out surgical strikes on terrorist launch pads across the Line of Control in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

On Friday night, he was injured when Pakistani snipers targetted his post in Bobiya area in Kathua district on the International Border. He had been instrumental in foiling a major infiltration bid along the International Border a day earlier, when Pakistani rangers, according to the BSF sources, were trying to give fire cover to a group of militants trying to enter the Indian territory.

Pakistanis were trying to push terrorists into our territory and our jawan Gurnam Singh fought hard and pushed them back and killed one militant. The next day, there was firing from the Pakistani side and he received a bullet injury in his head after which he was shifted to the Government Medical College Hospital (GMCH), but we lost him, Arun Kumar, (Additional DG BSF), said in Jammu.

Singh succumbed to his injures in the Jammu GMCH in the wee hours of Sunday. His family, however, alleged that he was not given proper treatment, despite being critically injured.

Gurnam Singh's brother, Manjeet said that despite his head injury, the authorities did not shift the soldier for treatment to a neurological facility outside the state.

Rajinder Thappa, chief medical officer of the GMC Jammu said that Singhs parents wanted him to be shifted to Aiims in New Delhi. Bullet had hit Gurnam Singh in the head and he was being treated in the Intensive Care Unit. Senior doctors had kept him under observation. His parents wanted him to be shifted to Aiims for better treatment. We were about to do that yesterday, but unfortunately he passed away.

The family members insisted that a super specialty hospital should be built exclusively for the injured soldiers so that whenever incidents like these happen they can get the best treatment.

Gurjeet Kaur, sister of the soldier, urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to build a hospital for the BSF soldiers. We feel proud that our brother achieved martyrdom but I appeal to the PM to open a super specialty hospital in RS Pura so that injured soldiers get good treatment. Gurnam would have gone back and fought against Pakistan had he received proper treatment," she said.

"They referred my injured son to a hospital in Bakshi Nagar. If BSF had their own hospital with doctors, my son could have been saved. I appeal to the prime minister to have a good hospital for our jawans," Kulbeer Singh, Gurnam's father, said.

RS Pura sector and Kathua district along the International Border have witnessed continuous ceasefire violations after India carried out surgical strikes across the LoC.

On Sunday, Pakistan rangers once again violated the ceasefire along the International Border at RS Pura sector as they targetted Indian posts.

A few rounds were fired from the Pakistani side this evening which hit the mound near the border, a BSF spokesman said.

On Friday night, Pakistan rangers had targetted the border hamlets and border outposts (BoP) with mortar shells and had opened fire from automatic weapons along the International Border in RS Pura sector.

Seven Pakistani rangers and an alleged militant were killed and three others injured in the retaliatory firing by the BSF troops along the International Border in Hiranagar sector on Friday, the BSF said.
As I scrolled through my Twitter notifications, a tweet blared, "#ShutDownJNU is the answer". I dont agree. Shutting down an institution is never an answer. Its an escape from a problem. Make it great again is the answer. But is it possible?

In 2012, I made a film which raised the fear of our academic institutions getting infested with 'intellectual terrorism'. It came true in the form of the Kanhaiya Kumar episode in JNU. In a public forum, I had warned one of the most powerful leaders of India that Dalit-Muslim politics would soon cost lives, but I had no idea that it would manifest in the form of Rohit Vemulas suicide.

Once again, student politics is in focus. JNU, once again, is enveloped by divisive student politics. A student has gone missing and vested interests are trying to encash their political currency.

JNU, in the past decade or so, has become the epicentre of sinister student politics planned and managed by the Leftist parties of India led by the Communist Party of India (Marxist) and the Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist). These are the same parties which are the strategic forces behind the Naxal/Maoist movement in India which alone is responsible for the loss of over 13,000 innocent lives in India. This is more than the killing of innocent people and soldiers in the insurgent Kashmir and North East.

On 14 October, Vikrant Kumar  a student contesting for a place in the management committee of a hostel mess  went on a door-to-door campaign. His two colleagues, Ankit and Sunil, who happen to be Dalit students (caste is irrelevant but I mention it here as the caste and religion of a student is integral to JNU politics), accompanied him. Vikrant knocked on the door of a postgraduate student called Najeeb Ahmad. Najeeb noticed a saffron thread on Vikrants wrist (a sacred Hindu thread known as kalava) and made fun of him for wearing it. When Vikrant asked him to stop insulting his beliefs, Najeeb slapped Vikrant. Repeatedly.

In the meantime, the elected president of the students union JNUSU, Mohit Kumar Pandey, a Brahmin, also arrived there and threatened Vikrant  "You will pay a price". He then turned towards Ankit, called him names, addressed him by his caste in a derogatory manner and threatened to show him his place. As things heated up, the warden of the hostel along with the security officials and other students reach the spot where Najeeb confessed to ridiculing Vikrants faith and slapping him, without any provocation. Minutes of the meeting were made in the presence and agreement of Najeeb, his room-mate and primary witness Quasim and the hostel president Alimuddin. Note: Quasim had earlier made a request to have his room changed, citing Najeebs unreasonable and aggressive behaviour.

In spite of Najeebs confession, the warden, who is a Dalit himself, persuaded the victims not to file a complaint under the non-bailable Dalit Atrocities Act against Najeeb, and instead asked Najeeb to vacate the hostel. He was given time until 21 October to do so. Expulsion, as understood by many, doesnt mean withdrawal of hostel facilities, just shifting to another hostel. The very same evening, in his defense and for the records, Vikrant lodged a complaint at the Vasant Kunj police station. It seemed like the matter had been settled amicably. But the story doesnt end here.

Its important to note here that since 2014, Left parties are losing their political space and relevance. With increased development and a strong security presence in Naxal areas, the Naxal/Maoist movement is finding it difficult to spread its tentacles further into the jungles. Therefore, top Naxal/Maoist leaders, in tandem with CPI (M/L), have decided to spread wings to head to academic institutions with an objective to taking over cities and overthrowing the government. While they attack the state in rural areas with guns, they conspire against the government in urban areas with intellectual terrorism.

The strategy is to arouse caste (read Dalit) politics, disintegrate Dalits from Hindus and club them with Muslim politics. For them, the only way to defeat the Narendra Modi government is to consolidate Dalit and Muslim votes against Hindu votes. The Kanhaiya and Rohit incidents are the most important manifestations of this sinister strategy.

The next day, Najeeb suddenly went missing.

According to Abhinav Prakash, an ex-student of JNU, Najeeb was last seen with the All-India Students Association (AISA) cadre. Najeeb took an autorickshaw and left, leaving behind his phone and wallet. On the night of the fight, Najeeeb called his mother in the small town of Budaun in Uttar Pradesh and informed her of the fight. The worried mother rushed to Delhi and reached JNU at 12.30 pm to find that Najeeb was missing. She just couldn't believe it because at 11 am, from Anand Vihar, she had spoken to Najeeb who had told her that he was in his hostel room.

The political theatre came alive and all the actors began playing their roles. Sensing a potent opportunity to attack the government, JNUSU  comprising of the Leftist AISA, Students Federation of India (SFI) in a nexus with Dalit-Muslim organisations such as Birsa Ambedkar Phule Students Association (BAPSA), Students Islamic Organisation of India (SIO)  decided to exploit a potent situation and give it a communal colour by holding ABVP responsible for a Muslim students disappearance. The tactics of class struggle were used the against ABVP.

Soon, BAPSA began putting up posters on campus glorifying Dalit-Muslim unity and presented Najeeb as a victim of Hindu oppression. They attacked ABVP, BJP and RSS. The posters screamed of Brahminism (a very old and stale plank of the Leftists). The posters mentioned the Una incident to underline their narrative. The tactics used during the Umar Khalid episode in February and later Rohit Vemula episode, start repeating again.

Another poster by the SIO screamed, 'Violence against Muslims can be seen as a common denominator of Indian social existence'. It seems these parties have already assumed that Najeeb is a victim of communal politics. How can they assume this? Or is it that they know the plot? Who is the author of this script? Why is this similar to the earlier Umar and Rohit scripts?

Then the former joint secretary of JNUSU, Saurabh Pandey (ABVP), began receiving written threats wherein he was warned that if he interfered, he would be 'cut into pieces'.

On 20 October, the narrative was deliberately turned on its head. A poster by JNUSU went up stating, 'Najeeb Ahmad is missing since a day after he was beaten up and intimidated by a group of identified students in front of the Senior Warden, Union president, JNU security and several other co-residents of his hostel, who all bore witness to the incident' (sic). This is an outright lie as the president of JNUSU, Mohit Pandey, the author of this poster, was the primary witness to Najeebs confession. But then this is the staple strategy of Naxals: To turn around facts and go for very high-frequency written propaganda. This is done to incite communal tension by playing the victim card. A regular student fight that started with an objection to a sacred thread became a political battle of oppression.

The next day, the Leftist students forcibly took over the administration office and confined the vice-chancellor and other administrative officials for a day and a night, only allowing water to be carried inside. One of the administrators is an elderly diabetic. His wife was not allowed to meet him and students refused to even allow an ambulance. The Leftist students demanded that the administration give an 'assurance in writing' that it would be 'punishing ABVP' in spite of the fact that Najeeb was the one who beat up a student and confessed in front of the same students who are now the protestors. They also demand that the VC be part of the police search team.

Another poster came up, this time inviting students for a 'protest march'  six days after his disappearance  and blaming the VC and administration for 'not creating conducive conditions for the return of Najeeb'. What does 'conducive conditions' mean? Not long ago, in February this year, Umar was also not found until 'conducive conditions' were created.

The entire narrative smells foul of the false victimisation of Najeeb in spite of him being the accused.

Most of the apolitical and anti-Left students and faculty believe that Najeeb is hiding on campus and the master-strategists are waiting for the issue to 'hot up' so that they can go for a full-blown offensive against the RSS, BJP and the Modi government.

This perception may be wrong but what is true is that our campuses are extremely politicised due to political appointments of the faculty who mastermind such conflicts. It is also true that free debate and logical discourse has died on our campuses. And it is also true that Naxalism is taking over our academia and it wont be long before there will be hell to pay on the campuses.

The author is a filmmaker, writer and motivational speaker. He is founder of #IAmBuddha and School of Creativity. He tweets at @vivekagnihotri
The cut-off area in Odishas Malkangiri district is a water-locked area, formed from the waters of two hydroelectric projects that came up in the 1940s and the 60s. But for roughly 20,000 villagers in 151 villages, basic facilities like electricity, healthcare and education remained a dream. Only recently, a few villages have been electrified. A 918-metre long bridge over the River Gurupriya is also under construction, and is expected to be open by next winter.

It is a fierce encounter here on Monday morning that marked the end of the Maoist leadership in the strategically important AOB (Andhra-Odisha Border) zone. In a joint operation by Andhra and Odisha Police, 24 Maoists, including the zones top leaders have been killed. So far, those who have been identified are: Appa Rao alias Chalapathi, the East Division Secretary of the CPI (Maoist); his wife and Maoist leader, Aruna; Gajarala Ashok alias Uday, the military head of the AOB zone; Munna, the son of top CPI (Maoist) leader and its central committee member, Ramakrishna alias RK. It is believed that RK managed to escape.

From the late 2000s, the Maoists invested a lot in the AOB zone. It is from here that they hoped to revive their movement in Andhra Pradesh. The cut-off area in Malkangiri was also used as a safe sanctuary for senior Maoist leaders. In June 2008, in an audacious attack, Maoist guerrillas killed 38 personnel of the elite anti-Maoist force, Greyhounds. Within a month, they killed another 17 security personnel. As a result, the security forces were forced to stop operations in this area for several months.

In the absence of any police presence, the Maoists turned the cut-off area into one of their strongholds. Some senior commanders were put in charge, and from here, the Maoists began to reestablish their network in the neighbouring Visakha Agency area. Around the same time, in February 2011, the Maoists kidnapped the then Malkangiri Collector, Vineel Krishna, from the cut-off area. But Krishna was very popular among the tribals here; it is because of his efforts that the process of electrification of the villages in cut-off area took off. The tribals protested and the Maoists had to release Krishna; they got nothing out of it.

In the meantime, their high-handedness cost the Maoists dearly in the neighbouring Visakhapatnam. In February 2013, protests broke out in GK Veedhi after Maoists opened fire and beat to death three tribals. In October 2014, in retaliation to a similar act, the tribals in Korukonda block lynched three Maoist guerrillas.

Earlier, in 2012, Odishas top Maoist leader Sabyasachi Panda fell out with the leadership and was expelled from the party. In a letter to the Maoist supreme commander Ganapathi, Panda accused the Telugu leadership of AOB of "superiority" and accused it of trying to keep Odisha committee as subordinates. Panda was responsible for ensuring the supplies of explosives. After his expulsion and subsequent arrest, that channel dried up.

In the last two years, the Maoists faced several losses in the AOB zone. The AOB military strategist, Ponoju Parmeshwar alias Nandu surrendered to the police and so did another senior leader, Sarita, who was the first woman commander of a company of the PLGA, CPI (Maoist)s armed wing. In April this year, another senior leader Kudumula Venkata Rao alias Ravi died due to heart failure. In May, senior Maoist leader VR Gopal alias Azad and two other guerrillas were killed in an encounter with the security forces. From his laptop, the police recovered a selfie of his sister Aruna and her husband Chalapathi (both killed in the encounter on 24 October).

The Odisha Police also got its act together, and under the current Malkangiri police chief, Mitrabhanu Mahapatra, hundreds of Maoists and their sympathisers have surrendered in the last few months.

The CC member, RK, surfaced in the cut-off area on 1 October after a gap of two years. Believed to be suffering from severe spondylitis, the party had shifted him to Chhattisgarh. The police believes that he may have been injured in Mondays encounter.

Pursued by security forces and not so welcome any longer in many of their erstwhile bastions, the Maoists have been pushed back. The encounter in the cut-off area is a serious blow, which the Maoists will find very hard to absorb.
Mumbai: Emboldened by its successful campaign against Bollywood film Ae Dil Hai Mushkil, MNS now wants traders to "sacrifice" their business with Pakistan for the sake of the "nation" even as cotton exporters on Sunday observed that the Raj Thackeray-led outfit's stand will affect the industry.

The stir by MNS against release of the Karan Johar film for featuring Pakistani actor Fawad Khan blew over on Saturday following mediation by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis in a tripartite meeting among Thackeray, Johar, and Producers' Guild president Mukesh Bhatt at the CM's residence in Mumbai.

Exploiting the controversy to the hilt ahead of the Mumbai municipal corporation polls next year, Thackeray on Saturday asked the filmmakers who had worked with Pakistani actors to contribute Rs 5 crore as "prayaschit" (penance) money to the Army Welfare Fund.

MNS spokesperson Shalini Thackeray on Sunday demanded that the traders should sacrifice business for the sake of nation.

"Nation should be first. If jawans are sacrificing their lives (at border), why can't traders sacrifice their trade? Money making should be the secondary priority in case of Pakistan," she said in Mumbai on Sunday.

"Pakistan has already violated the clauses of MFN status given by India. Now, it's high time that India isolate Pakistan, not only on cultural issues but on trade (front) as well. Banning the film (ADHM) was only to set an example that India has started to isolate Pak...next comes trade," she told PTI.

The senior leader said MNS will definitely play its role in ensuring that all kinds of trade with Pakistan are stopped. "However, the government will have to play a major role as far as trade is concerned," she said.

Meanwhile, concerned over rising tensions between the two countries after the Uri attack coupled with aggressive posturing by MNS, the cotton traders said they are afraid of losing business to the tune of Rs 5,500 crore with Pakistan.

Maharashtra is a major contributor in cotton manufacturing states, followed by Gujarat.

According to Sharadram Sejpal, spokesperson of Power Loom Association, India had placed an order to import 20,000 bales cotton from Pakistan in June as there was low production in the domestic market.

"Generally, we export cotton to Pakistan. But June period was bad. At a time when we are expecting a record breaking production (of cotton), MNS's stand against Pakistani actors has affected the cotton industry as well and powerloom industry will ultimately have to suffer," Sejpal said.

He demanded that the Raj Thackeray-led party should keep politics away from trade.

Reacting to this, Shalini said, "Cotton associations should themselves come up and stop exporting to Pak, instead of them banning our imports."

According to Pradeep Jain, who operates a ginning mill in Jalgaon, Maharashtra will record a bumper production of cotton this year as monsoon has been very good.

"We will produce around 1 crore cotton bales (1 bale equals to 170 kg) this year and if exports are stuck due to sentiments of patriotism after Uri attack by Pakistan, it will have a negative impact on the cotton industry, specifically on cotton growing farmers," he said on Sunday.

Jain said that Pakistan, Bangladesh, Vietnam and China are the major importers of Indian cotton.

"Pakistan starts import of cotton from September every year. It consumes an average of 20 to 25 lakh bales whereas Bangladesh consumes 20 lakh bales from Indian cotton exporters," Jain said.

Out of the total cotton production, an average 65 lakh bales of cotton are exported from India alone.
Akhilesh Yadav is right when he says he will not leave the Samajwadi Party. If history is anything to go by, he will have a party, by taking the party along with him. The Chandrababu Naidu template of 1995 is what Akhilesh may well have in mind.

Twenty one years ago, the other bicycle party in India, the Telugu Desam in Andhra Pradesh, saw a similar war in the parivaar. The TDP and SP are the two parties that have the bicycle symbol allotted to them by the Election Commission. Then Naidu in a palace coup dethroned his father-in-law, the charismatic NT Rama Rao from the Andhra chief minister's chair and took over the party and the government. NTR was left with a handful of MLAs and a badly bruised ego, hurt at how two of his own sons had conspired with Naidu to throw him out. This within just nine months of NTR leading the party to power in December 1994.

Naidu had planned his moves very well. Right through August 1995, he ensured that a majority of the legislators and TDP leaders, who in fact owed their political careers to NTR's benevolence decided to sail with Naidu. He used the presence of NTR's sons Harikrishna and Balakrishna to convey that virtually the entire family had turned against the father. The TDP being a family-run party, like the SP, was dependent on who controlled the family to stay in power.

Naidu managed to get the rank and file of the party to revolt against NTR, not so much in pique against the legendary actor-turned-politician but against his choice of Lakshmi Parvathi, his second wife. Naidu and friends often referred to Lakshmi Parvathi as a 'dusht sakthi' (evil force) who was trying to control and take over the party and projected their coup as a bid to save the TDP. Because they argued that NTR, a husband madly in love with his much younger wife, was allowing himself to get emotionally manipulated.

It also helped that Naidu, unlike NTR is a more organised person. NTR was emotional and decided on things on the spur of the moment, without thinking them through. Naidu in contrast, is a cunning politician who thinks five steps ahead of his rivals. In the political chessboard of Andhra Pradesh, Naidu went for the queen's head to choke the King.

Compare the NTR-Naidu and the Yadav family spats and you would find them a mirror image of each other. Amar Singh is the Lakshmi Parvathi of the Lucknow edition of the bicycle party war, with Akhilesh just like Chandrababu, describing him as the evil force who is out to destroy the SP. But Mulayam has a soft corner for Amar Singh, who is more of a political broker than a politician, notorious for his wheeling-dealing and and networking skills. Mulayam, like NTR did in the 80s, has always nursed an ambition to become PM and knew that if he is to do a Deve Gowda, he needed the manoeuvring skills of an Amar Singh in Lutyens Delhi.

Like Lakshmi Parvathi, there is Akhilesh's stepmother in the Samajwadi theatre as well  Mulayam Yadav's second wife  making the SP soap opera the mother of all political potboilers.

Unlike Naidu who overthrew NTR after a major assembly election had been won, Akhilesh's options are limited. Uttar Pradesh assembly elections are round the corner and he will have to weigh his options on whether to break the Yadav Fixed Deposit now or renew it for another 4 months till after the elections in February. His immediate plan would be to get Amar Singh out of the picture.

But with uncle Shivpal Singh Yadav, who is pretty much His Brother's voice, backing Amar Singh, the CM is being pushed into a corner. With a large number of MLAs and another uncle Ramgopal Yadav backing Akhilesh, Tipu as he is called may want to announce he is the new Sultan.

Akhilesh, like Naidu was in the 90s, also realises that he is new young and modern face of the SP. And that Mulayam's brand of caste and community politics may have a limited appeal with the younger voters of UP. Given that his hands were tied up by father and uncles, a divorce in this Hindu Undivided Family may just give Akhilesh's bicycle new wings.

Indian political family history is replete with cases of sons revolting against their leader fathers. MK Alagiri tried doing the same with dad Karunanidhi when it looked like brother Stalin would pip him to the top job. But Alagiri's clumsy rebellion did not quite work with the Dravidian leader. HD Kumaraswamy decided to go with the BJP in 2006, much against dad Deve Gowda's wishes but the two subsequently patched up. The suspicion even at that time was that it was a nataka played by the father-son duo in Karnataka to run with the Congress and hunt with the BJP. Like Mulayam-Akhilesh are suspected of doing in UP now.

Two decades after NTR passed away, Naidu does not tire of praising the man whose political career he finished off. Akhilesh is also making the right noises, calling Netaji Mulayam his mentor and someone he will never hurt.

With suspensions galore, the brakes have been put on SP's bid to retain Lucknow. The bicycle clearly needs to go in for an overhaul even while the masters decide who gets to control the handle.
Tata Sons today replaced Cyrus P Mistry as chairman of Tata Sons and brought in former chief Ratan Tata as interim chairman.

The decision was taken at a board meeting held today, according to press release issued by the group.

The board has constituted a selection committee to choose a new chairman.

The committee comprises Ratan Tata, Venu Srinivasan, Amit Chandra, Ronen Sen and Lord Kumar Bhattacharyya, as per the criteria in the articles of association of Tata Sons. The committee has been mandated to complete the selection process in four months.

According to CNBC TV18, Tata Sons board took decision to replace Mistry based on recos of principal shareholders. However, there will be no change in the CEOs positions at operating level in the group.

The report also said that Tata Sons board in its collective wisdom decided to replace Cyrus Mistry as chairman.

Mistry had recently said that he is "not embarrassed" to admit that exits for the group, which has exited over 40 businesses in 20 years, are usually the last resort and the conglomerate does not take decisions about exiting through a "short-term financial lens".

Mistry had then cited the turnaround and growth of Tatas' jewelery brand Tanishq and its IT arm Tata Consultancy Services as examples "within the group where persistence and a long-term perspective have paid off."

"And as we push the boundaries, there will always be failures, and we must expect these as part of our entrepreneurial model. Of course, critics could argue we could have been more aggressive with our exists and they most probably would be right if we were to take all our decisions through a short-term financial lens," Mistry said here last week.

Mistry was the sixth group chairman of the Tata group. He was appointed as the Chairman of the Tata Sons board in December 2012. He has been a director of the company since 2006.

In addition to being group chairman, Mistry was also the chairman of leading Tata group companies including Tata Steel, Tata Motors, Jaguar Land Rover Automotive, Tata Consultancy Services, Tata Power Company, The Indian Hotels Company, Tata Global Beverages, Tata Chemicals, Tata Industries and Tata Teleservices.

Mistry was earlier managing director of the Shapoorji Pallonji Group. Under his leadership, Shapoorji Pallonjis construction business grew into a billion-dollar enterprise, evolving from pure-play construction to execution of complex projects in the marine, oil and gas, and rail sectors, across a number of international geographies.

Mistry graduated with a degree in civil engineering from Imperial College, London, UK, in 1990. In 1997, he received an MSc in management from the London Business School. He is a recipient of the Alumni Achievement Award from the London Business School, and is a fellow of the Institution of Civil Engineers, London.

With PTI
New Delhi: BJP on Sunday hit out at the Aam Aadmi Party government, alleging that disrespecting Indian soldiers and supporting traitors had become its habit and asked if the party "wanted to speak Pakistan's language".

"It has become Delhi government's habit to disrespect the Indian soldiers and support the traitors. When Uri happened and 18 Indian soldiers were killed, we avenged their deaths by killing four of theirs."

"What else were they (Indian Army) supposed to do? But will you question them (the Army) about how and why of the operation? Do you want to speak Pakistan's language? Hafeez Saeed's language? Their media's language?" Delhi BJP chief Satish Upadhyay asked at an event in New Delhi.

Upadhyay also appealed to people to "take revenge" from the AAP leaders who have "ushered Delhi into darkness" and claimed that the party had "cheated" the people of Delhi and taken decisions "in contrast" to their poll promises.

"AAP came to power promising to regularise contract workers, including safai karmachari, doctors, teachers and nurses. But (after coming to power), forget regularisation, they issued a letter barring these employees from being regularised and in fact suggested that they be removed altogether in phased manner," he claimed.

Upadhyay also exhorted BJP workers to reach out to a wide section of voters before the municipal polls next year and inform them about the various schemes launched by the Centre.
Is the unfolding scenario in the ruling party in Uttar Pradesh the beginning of an end of the last socialist experiment in Indian politics? Many would have strong reservations to accept that Mulayam Singh Yadavs Samajwadi Party represents the socialist tradition that Ram Manohar Lohia had heralded in Indias national politics.

After Lohias untimely death in 1967 at the age of 57, the ideological strain of the socialist movement virtually died out. What his erstwhile followers like Lalu Yadav and Mulayam Singh Yadav succeeded in doing was to cash in on the caste-based vote bank and creating a formidable alliance with the Muslim vote bank.

In Indias first-past-the-post system, such alliances were good enough to come up trumps in periodic elections and get to the seat of power. That is how Lalu Yadav won three successive elections and remained in power for 15 years. He lost his hold over power only when Nitish Kumar was able to take a large portion of the Muslim vote bank away from Lalus party.

Mulayam Singh Yadav did not have the luck of his Bihar counterpart in holding a complete sway over the Muslim electorate in Uttar Pradesh, as Kanshi Ram-Mayawati combine had tapped into a sizeable Dalit vote bank in Uttar Pradesh and had succeeded in attracting the Muslim support for power-sharing in the state. The BJP has also been a formidable political force in Uttar Pradesh, with its large upper caste core vote base.

That explains why, unlike in Bihar, it has been a sort of musical chairs for all three major political dispensations in UP in the last quarter century, after the Mandal polarisation obliterated the prospect of an upper caste chief minister in either of these states.

It goes to the credit of Mulayam Singh that after the disintegration of the Janata Party, in which the socialist Party had merged in the run-up to the 1977 elections, he decided to revive the name of the socialist party (though, with his strong anti-English orientation, he named it Samajwadi, instead of Socialist) whereas Lalu Yadav christened his party as Rashtriya Janata Dal, a take-off from the Janata Dal, which was a splintered group of the Janata Party.

Both Mulayam and Lalu ended up turning Lohias socialist politics on its head by embracing dynastic politics. Ram Manohar Lohia was a bitter critic of the dynastic politics that the ruling Congress party had ushered in (though Jawaharlal Nehru could not be directly accused of paving the way for dynastic succession as he had not designated his daughter, Indira Gandhi, as his successor. Indira became a minister and later prime minister, only after Nehrus death).

But Lalu Yadav had no qualms in designating his illiterate, domesticated wife  far removed from the political hurly-burly  as his successor as chief minister when he was arrested in the fodder scam in 1996. That transfer of power amounted to a tight slap on Lohias face.

Lalu reasserted the triumph of dynastic politics when two decades later he chose his 26-year old son, who had failed in his Class X examination, to lead the party in the assembly and become the deputy chief minister, passing over the political veterans like Abdul Bari Siddiqui whose credibility and competence were never in doubt. (Lalus other son, a Class XII graduate, is also a senior minister in the Bihar cabinet).

Mulayam was no different. In 2012, when Samajwadi party was voted to power in Uttar Pradesh, Mulayam Singh had grandiose plans for a national role for himself; he chose his son, a political novice, to become the chief minister, ignoring the claims of many top party leaders for the most coveted job. Lohia was again made to turn in his grave, figuratively speaking.

It was not just that these leaders, Lalu and Mulayam, veered away from the socialist path on account of only dynastic politics. Their obsession with caste-centric politics was the antithesis of the socialist ideology that Lohia had espoused. He had, no doubt, advocated reservation for the backward castes, as an extension of the policy of positive affirmation rolled out for the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in the Constitution, but, for him, the core policies of a socialist government were meant to emancipate the weakest sections of the society, irrespective of caste, religion or gender.

Both Lalu (Rabri) and Mulayam (Akhilesh) governments failed to enact radical, trend-setting policies that could uplift the conditions of the poorest of the poor. These governments showed neither the vision nor the resoluteness to improve the state of agriculture, the mainstay for the majority of the poor population in these states. Like most other state governments, which have no love lost for socialism as an ideology or as a political practice, Lalu and Mulayam dispensation too made the celebration of distributing freebies as a hallmark of the pro-poor policy. They clearly winked at the fact that freebies as a policy are antithetical to socialism as a principle.

Clearly, Samajwadi Party remains socialist only in name; socialism as an ideology was dead long ago with the death of socialist stalwarts like Madhu Limaye, Madhu Dandavate, Kishen Patnaik and the retirement of leaders like Rabi Ray.

The impending split in the Samajwadi Party is not on account of any ideological differences between Mulayam and his son or his cousins. Like any other party, it is a power play between the two warring factions within the party. What makes it precarious is that faction-fighting has exposed the chinks within the first family, with Mulayams brother and son leading the rival factions. Mulayam Singh, the patriarch and supposedly the supreme leader, ought to have taken on the responsibility to arbitrate between the factions and defuse the crisis; but, unfortunately, it appears that he has cast his lot with a faction leader himself (Shivpal Yadav, his brother) and turned against his ambitious son, Akhilesh, the current chief minister.

There are speculations about the role of Mulayams current wife (Akhileshs stepmother) in bringing about the rift in father-son relationship  that she and Shivpal (and, of course, aided and abetted by Mulayamwadi Amar Singh) want Mulayam back in the chief ministers chair which Akhilesh is clearly unwilling to concede.

Even if Akhilesh is allowed to stay on as chief minister until the elections early next year, his future role in the party will be uncertain given the internal dynamics of his family and the party. It is, therefore, possible that Akhilesh has taken a call to strike out on his own for his long-term political survival. He reckons that he has earned some goodwill of the electorate by institutionalising the freebie culture and he has succeeded in creating an organisational cadre loyal to him.

There are, therefore, possibilities that if he splits the party, he would be able to corner a major chunk of the partys support base, especially amongst the youth. He possibly calculates that if he succeeds in striking an alliance with the Congress under the youthful leadership of Rahul Gandhi to contest the 2017 elections, they together could present the next-generation alternative and that could potentially alter the political dynamics of the next election in Uttar Pradesh (This arrangement could work as Rahul is not a chief ministerial candidate). Some see good words that Akhilesh and Rahul recently said about each other as a groundwork for the eventual alliance.

There is also a view that this is Akhileshs Indira moment  the reference is to 1969 when Indira Gandhi revolted against the party veterans and split the party and eventually emerged victorious.

Will Akhilesh be able to do an Indira to Mulayam?

Is it that, by his actions, Akhilesh has hammered the last nail in the coffin of his fathers in-name-only socialist outfit?

At this juncture, it is difficult to foretell the future.
In the Samajwadi Party-sponsored riveting family drama currently being played out in Uttar Pradesh, one party emerges as the shadowy, mythical Loch Ness monster capable of intimidating opponents and initiating tectonic shifts in the Hindi heartland and yet enjoying a measure of plausible deniability.

Both the Mulayam and Akhilesh camps have so far blamed each other for going to bed with the BJP and creating a vertical split. The BJP, cleverly, has sought to let confusion prevail by refusing to either confirm or deny the 'machinations'. As Amit Shah captures rival rooks and pawns on the UP chessboard, the party looks like a force again, ready to pounce on the opportunity that has presented itself.

The fickle world of politics twists and bends the space-time curve in such a manner that three months resemble three decades. It was only in July that the BJP's poll prospects in UP seemed to be in tatters. Wave after wave of Dalit protests had created a tsunami of subaltern anger against deep social biases and despite Narendra Modi and Shah's desperate outreach, the BJP was rapidly painted as an anti-Dalit party erasing all gains posted in 2014 general elections.

The wave was so strong that it resurrected the political career of a powerful Dalit leader who had been banished to the borders of irrelevance just about couple of years ago. Mayawati rode the storm and even sensed an unprecedented, mythical Dalit-Muslim orientation. That may still happen. But the implosion of SP has changed the equation so rapidly that all past calculations are now redundant. Take, for instance, the possibility that the polls may be advanced.

As the ruling SP goes through a defining crisis with rumours gaining pace that supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav may perform a major surgery to cure the gangrene and even sack his son  the incumbent UP chief minister, the BJP has expectedly raised the pitch for Akhilesh to prove his majority in the 404-seat house. Though about 183 MLS reportedly turned up on Sunday during a key meeting called by Akhilesh at his residence, slips between cups and lips are the norm in politics. Only the bravest will now bet against an early election.

The BJP's confidence stems from a perception that recent events have conspired to put the party on a crest. As Mulayam Singh's party crumbles all around him and decades of political capital vanishes into the polluted Lucknow air in a blaze of ignominy and self-inflicted wounds, the BJP is moving fast.

On Monday, the Prime Minister is visiting his Lok Sabha constituency Varanasi with a basket of developmental projects and a subtle Hindutva message. The aim is to play the field and project the BJP  which still suffers from overwhelming dependence on Modi  as the party in control of the 'vikas' narrative, not Akhilesh.

According to PTI, Modi on Monday will launch a number of ambitious projects including a 1,500-km-long gas pipeline at a cost of Rs 51,000 crore. Called Urja Ganga, the gas pipeline project "promises to provide piped cooking gas to the residents of Varanasi within two years and, in another year thereafter, cater to millions of people in states like Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal and Odisha."

Other schemes, says the news agency, include doubling of railway tracks on the busy Allahabad-Varanasi section, expansion of the Diesel Locomotive Works (DLW) and laying foundation stones for a fully air-conditioned perishable cargo centre and widening of a road passing through the Cantonment area. The Prime Minister will also release a stamp dedicated to Varanasi, the ancient temple town.

The BJP will make a mistake if it doesn't resurrect the developmental narrative which of late seemed to have been overshadowed by a return to Hindutva agenda. The 'vikas' plank delivered a whopping 42.3 percent vote share and 71 seats in 2014 and in the altered circumstances, regaining the trust of aspirational youth  cutting across caste and religion divide  could be a game-changing move. The party no doubt fears that implosion of SP will make Muslims rally behind the BSP but the non-Yadav OBC votes may fall in its kitty.

It's impossible to predict which way the wind will blow in a scenario which is changing almost by the minute but there is no denying that SP drama has given BJP a booster shot of confidence in UP.
The storm in the Mulayam Singh Yadav family that is ruling Indias politically most important state of Uttar Pradesh raises two questions. One, does it signal a bad omen for Indias political dynasties? Secondly, is it the first of its kind?

As I will be explaining in the following paragraphs, the answer to each of these questions is a no, though immediate future of the Yadav family, which is going to face the electorate in near future, remains uncertain.

In a chapter entitled 'Indias Political Dynasties' that I had authored in a book, 'Party System in India: Emerging Trajectories', I had argued that India has many more political dynasties today than it had in the past. Taken together, there might be at least 1,000 to 1,500 political families in India that have successfully promoted dynastic successions at various levels, national or provincial. So much so that with each general elections, more and more dynasts are entering politics, and that too successfully. They occupied 20% of the 2004 Lok Sabha and 30% of the 2009 Lok Sabha. In the 2014 Lok Sabha, the dynasts percentage has come down to 22, but still it is a significant number. Talking of Mulayam Singh Yadav, five of his members, including himself, are Members of Parliament in the Lok Sabha.

Secondly, political dynasties have long been present in all the democracies all over the world, whether it is the United States (US), or United Kingdom or France or Japan. The US has had its shares of Clintons, Bushes and Roosevelts( According to a study, there have been some 700 families in which two or more members have served in Congress, and they account for 1,700 of the 10,000 men and women who have been elected to the federal legislature since 1774.) South Asia, South East Asia and Central Asia (all the five stans) abound with political dynasties. Obviously, family legacies have been like brand names that give the dynasts a distinct advantage, but this advantage is not permanent. In subsequent elections identification with a family brand is not enough to get one elected; voters do judge their performance. In other words, voters do not give the political dynasts more than one free election. That explains why two sons of President Franklin D Roosevelt, who were elected to the House of Representatives, were defeated when they sought elective posts in their respective states. And that explains why many dynasts in India have met electoral defeats.

Thirdly, in the Indian context it may be noted that almost all the important regional parties are essentially family-affairs. It is the concerned families, rather than the cadres, that determine all the party-activities. Given the fact that the era of coalitions in India is likely to continue in foreseeable future, these family-driven regional parties will continue to play important roles in Indian politics. In other words, India is going to be politically controlled by 1,000 to 1,500 families, though not necessarily all of them will be of equal importance. Some families will be directly in charge, others would perform the role of allies.

Now comes the second question of dissidence or rebellion within the same political family. And here, though such incidents are few in number, the fact is that they do exist. If President Theodore Roosevelt was a Republican, Franklin Roosevelt (who married Theodores niece Eleanor and whose marriage turned out to be a huge event since it was incumbent President gave the bride away) was a Democrat. Similarly, France in recent years has witnessed the schism within the countrys best known political family of Le Pens (of the Far Right National Front party). Marine Le Pen, the partys formal leader since 2011, is now an enemy of her father JeanMarie Le Pen, the party founder. The 47-year-old Ms Le Pen has accused her father of a strategy somewhere between scorched earth and political suicide, to which Mr Le Pen, now the FNs honorary president, retaliated by saying that the party could implode without him. Marine Le Pen may want my death but she cannot count on any help from me.

Coming back to India, there have been quite a few family-splits politically. As it is, Indian royal history is full of incidents of sons conspiring against their father, the Monarch and the King (the Mughal period is quite notorious in this respect). In independent India, one may cite the same trend continuing among some leading political families. The most important one that comes to ones mind is the Nehru-Gandhi family. It has two members(Sonia Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi) who continue to lead the countrys oldest political party, the Congress, but two other members( Maneka Gandhi and Varun Gandhi) happen to be in the ruling BJP. All the four are Members in the present Lok Sabha, with Maneka being a union cabinet minister.

The famous DMK party of Tamil Nadu now has the patriarch M. Karunanidhis family deeply divided. His elder son MK Azhagiri, a cabinet minister under Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, is now expelled from the party, with the father anointing the younger son M K Stalin as his political successor. The internal war has also involved Karunanidhis grand-nephews, the Marans, leading once to the ouster of Dayanidhi Maran from the Union Cabinet. Kanimozhi, the favourite daughter of Karunanidhi is a Rajya Sabha MP; nobody knows where she is in the family-tussle.

In Maharashtra, when Shiv Sena supremo Balasaheb was alive, he could not manage the familys political business well. His nephew Raj Thackeray, who was groomed since his childhood to succeed him, floated his own party  the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena  after being sidelined by Balasahebs son, Uddhav. Balasaheb tried to reconciliation, but in vain.

The story of the Scindia family in Madhya Pradesh runs along the similar lines. Rajmata Vijayraje Scindia, widow of the erstwhile Maharaja George Jivajirao Scindia, joined politics in 1962 and moved from the Congress to Swatantra Party but finally shifted to the BJP and remained with it till the end. Her son, late Madhavrao Scindia, joined the Congress Party and served as a Union Cabinet Minister. Her grandson Jyotiraditya Madhavrao Scindia is now one of the leading members of the Congress; he was a junior minister under Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. However, Rajmatas two daughters followed the mother. Vasundhara Raje (present Chief Minister of Rajasthan) and Yashodahara Raje (a senior minister in Madhya Pradesh) have been active members of the BJP.

Here is an image explaining the family tree of the Samajwadi Party

We have the famous Abdullah family of Jammu and Kashmir. Sheikh Abdullah, son Farooq Abdullah and grandson Omar Abdullah have all been the Chief Ministers. But it is also a fact that their party, National Conference (founded by Sheikh), did undergo a split when Sheikhs son-in-law Ghulam Mohammad Shah toppled the government of Farooq Abdullah in 1984 by defecting from National Conference along with 12 party MLAs. He then joined the Congress and became the Chief Minister for two years.

The story of late Telugu Desam Party (TDP) founder N.T. Rama Rao (NTR) is also equally tragic. Though his sons joined him in politics, he trusted his son- in- law N. Chandrababu Naidu (the present Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh) the most for his undoubted ability to manage the party organisation. But things turned sour when NTR, then a widower, married Lakshmi Parvathi. His second wife was not accepted by the family. NTRs sons joined the brother- in- law Naidu in ousting him as chief minister in 1995 and taking away the whole party from him. NTR dies a shattered man.

As can be seen above, most of the divisions within Indias famous political families have been mostly due to personal incompatibilities and insatiable political ambitions of the disputants  the factors of step-mother, son-in law, neglected sons and nephews and so on. These divisions have had not much to do with ideological reasons( like the two Roosevelts had their preferences for two different political parties; in the case of National Front in France, the daughter has been extremely critical of anti-Jews and pro-Nazi remarks of the father). The same seems to be the case with Yadav family in Uttar Pradesh, with stories of Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav resenting the influence of his step-mother and paternal uncle on his father. The imminent split has nothing to do with the philosophy of socialism that the Uttar Pradeshs ruling party professes to practice.

In any case, apart from some exceptions, in India family politics revolves around identities, be it of caste  Brahmins, Yadavs, Dalits etc  religion  Hindus and Muslims; regional identity  Marathas and non-Marathas; lingual identity  Tamils and non-Tamils etc. In such a political culture, political parties, attached to some identity or other, are often equated with the identity and the will of a few powerful personalities. Their families become established brands having a high recall value and the faithful hope to find emotional continuity with family heirs becoming political successors. For a voter used to voting on the lines of identity, a family pedigree provides legitimacy (to the candidate) and convenience (to the voter) at the time of choice.

On their part, all these families have been enjoying what could be described as first-mover advantage in the sense that they have been cementing forces of their respective constituents. If you take them away, the constituents will fall apart because of other inbuilt contradictions. Take away Mulayam Yadav or a Lalu Yadav or an Abdullah, their respective parties will crumble in all probability. Viewed thus, the future of Akhilesh depends on whether the Yadavs and OBCs shift their loyalty towards him from his father.
New Delhi: On Monday the Supreme Court sought responses from controversial RJD leader Shahabuddin, sent back to jail by the apex court, and Bihar government as to why he should not be shifted out of the state and kept in Tihar Jail in Delhi from where trial in over 45 cases can be conducted through video conferencing.

A bench comprising Justices Dipak Misra and Amitava Roy granted four weeks to Shahabuddin and Bihar government to respond to two separate pleas filed by Siwan-based Chandrakeshwar Prasad alias Chanda Babu whose three sons were killed in two incidents and Asha Ranjan, wife of slain journalist Rajdev Ranjan.

Rejecting Shahabuddin's plea for grant of more time to file his response, the bench said "the concept of fair trial is not one-sided. You should be fair to other side also."

Senior advocate Dushayant Dave, appearing for one of the petitioners, said Shahabuddin should give an undertaking that he would "not commit any crime" during his stay in Siwan jail.

The counsel for Shahabuddin vehemently opposed the plea and said that adequate time be given to him for filing reply. Prashant Bhushan, appearing for Chandrakeshwar Prasad, said trials in over 45 cases against Shahabuddin have been stayed after he filed an application that he has no money and be provided legal aid.

Against this, Bihar government went in appeal in the Patna High Court and consequently, the proceedings were stayed. This is bizarre, Bhushan said.

The lawyers also including Kislay Panday, appearing for the widow of the slain scribe, referred to a previous apex court order by which another Bihar muscle-man politician, Pappu Yadav alias Rajesh Ranjan, was shifted out of Bihar and kept in Tihar Jail in Delhi from where trial proceeded through video conferencing.

Shahabuddin's bail was cancelled by the apex court last week setting aside the Patna High Court order granting him bail in a murder case, saying the discretion to release him must be applied in "judicious manner" and "not as a matter of course".

Chanda Babu, whose three sons were killed in two separate incidents, alleged in his plea that Shahabuddin's "confinement to the prisons of Bihar has failed to deter him in any manner as he has been abusing the rules and regulations of jail with impunity in collusion with the jail administrations".

"The Petitioner is an eye witness to the murder of his third son who has also got killed by Respondent No. 3 (Shahabuddin) as he was an eye-witness to the murder of his two brothers. The trial in the murder of third son is still pending," the plea said.

Prasad was also the petitioner on whose petition the apex court had cancelled the bail of Shahabuddin. His plea was also supported by Bihar government which had filed separate plea against the Patna High Court order granting bail.

The other plea, filed by Asha Ranjan, has sought the transfer of the RJD leader to the Delhi jail.

Earlier, the court had transferred the murder probe in the case of Rajdev Ranjan to CBI and asked it to conclude the investigation in three months.

Ranjan, 42, a senior journalist working with a vernacular daily, was shot dead on the evening of July 22 in Siwan town in Bihar.
Patna: Union Minister Giriraj Singh on Monday said Hindus should seriously think of increasing their population in the country by producing more children.

"There is a need to increase population of Hindus in the country. They should take this issue seriously as their population has been decreasing in eight states in the country," Singh told media in Patna.

He recalled that none other than RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat had advised Hindus in last August to produce more children and said no laws can prevent them from reproducing more children.

"Muslims population has increased from mere 10 percent at the time of India's independence in 1947 to 24 percent now and Hindus population has decreased from 90 per cent in 1947 to 76 per cent now," the minister said.

He also demanded to review the definition of minority tag to Muslims as their population have increased in some districts to blocks and villages to a level where they ceased to be minority.

Singh is the BJP's Lok Sabha member from Nawada constituency in Bihar. He is known to be a vocal supporter of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and champion of Hinduvta politics.
London: On Monday British Prime Minister Theresa May offered to involve Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland in regular formal talks on the Brexit process but she has ruled out allowing special deals for the UK's devolved nations.

But Michael Russell, Scotland's Brexit minister, warned that Scottish National Party leader Nicola Sturgeon believes "full independence has got to be on the table".

He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme, "Nicola Sturgeon has been absolutely clear that we must keep all options open. It would range from independence and other options would be available too. Of course independence has to be an option. It would be ridiculous to say it shouldn't be. We have been put in a situation we didn't ask to be in".

Russell said it would be a "strange world" if special access to the single market was secured for bankers, but not for Scotland, which voted overwhelmingly to remain in the European Union on 23 June.

Downing Street said May will tell the leaders of the devolved administrations concerned about a possible hard Brexit that final decisions about her approach had not yet been taken and "how the UK leaves the EU will not boil down to a binary choice".

May is under pressure from Sturgeon, Welsh counterpart Carwyn Jones and Northern Ireland's leader Arlene Foster and her deputy Martin McGuinness at the meeting in Downing Street.

The devolved administrations are keen to secure continued participation in the single market and want to hold votes on May's approach before she triggers Article 50, formally beginning the Brexit process.

The Prime Minister has offered them a "direct line" to Brexit Secretary David Davis, who will chair a new forum bringing together representatives from Westminster, Holyrood, Cardiff Bay and Stormont for regular talks on the situation.

Ahead of the talks, officials insisted she was "ready to listen to proposals" put forward by the first ministers about the Brexit process.

May said, "I am determined that as we make a success of our exit from the European Union, we in turn further strengthen our own enduring union. The great union between us has been the cornerstone of our prosperity in the past - and it is absolutely vital to our success in the future".

But leaders in Wales and Scotland have called for the UK Parliament and the three devolved legislatures to be given their own votes on the negotiating position the government intends to take and said that Article 50 should not be triggered until there is an agreed approach.

"We believe that a UK Negotiating Framework should be developed, based on principles and aims (but without revealing a detailed 'negotiating hand') and this, linked to invoking Article 50, should be the subject of a vote in all four of the United Kingdom's parliaments and assemblies," Jones said in a letter to the Prime Minister.
By Nisha Susan

A friends deadpan status update last night on Facebook said that he is no longer going to vote for Donald Trump  a well-aimed shot at all the Indians obsessing over the spectacle of the American elections as if it was their own. I squirmed. Did he know that my guilty pleasure for the last couple months has been reading all things Trump? But really, who can possibly resist?

Americans have arranged their elections in a neat little two party system, perfect for the binge-watching foreign dilettante who has no stakes in it (except for geo-political significance, of course. Never forget the geo-political significance). The last two rounds had Barack Obama so I really didnt need any counterfoil for interest. But there was the extra-Christian Mitt Romney with the matched set of five sons, Paul Ryan who was suddenly the Republican nerd with muscles, Sarah Palins amazing, portentous, gun-toting word salads, John McCains careful statesman-like behaviour. All good stuff. It was Game of Thrones without the murders and rapes.

Even this time round, a slew of Republican candidates, the wildly popular independent Bernie Sanders (who is still terrorising Paul Ryan with the possibility of becoming chair of the Senate budget committee) and Hillary Clinton would have satisfied me. Then Trump arrived. And then I couldnt stop watching. Had American television fixed this match for feminists everywhere? In the blue corner, a woman running for US president for the first time the extremely hard-working, accomplished Clinton trying not to make eye contact with the Banquo of her Good Wife past and trying to smile as if glad-handing came naturally. In the red corner, a (perhaps) billionaire with an obsession with the appearances of women, a complete disregard for the thin veil that Republicans traditionally like to deploy in front of racism and misogyny, and an even greater disinterest in charming anyone. He has lived his 70 years assuming that the world is his oyster to slurp up. And suddenly he was the Republican front-runner as if it was meant to be all along.

I was substantially distracted from this main contest by the story of the extremely powerful Roger Ailes, Republican kingmaker, founder of Fox News and long-term advisor of Trump. In July 2016, he had to resign from Fox News in the face of news that he had been sexually harassing and exploiting women for decades. Young journalist Gabriel Shermans brave and important work in exposing Ailes while still telling the story of the survivors with compassion and complexity filled my lungs with inspiration. An inspiration only possible because Ailes was being shamed for the first time, giving all us observers a thin outline of a happy ending.

But the Ailes scandal was eclipsed by the ripe possibility of Trump winning. What, you assumed your crazy, evil uncle who has bad-mouthed everyone in the world and never helped anyone wouldnt inherit the family fortune? Oops, no. This is apparently a dose of realism in this feminist fairy tale. Forget working hard and being ready for work, ladies. Some big-talking creep,who stiffs contractors and workers, who once tried to snatch an old womans house to make a limo parking lot, can get what youve been working for. One who wants to ban Muslims from entering the US and calls Mexicans rapists and killers.

But it is when the presidential debates began that my feeling that this is some highly scripted prestige television for feminists solidified. Not because Clinton is the candidate that feminists necessarily back even in the US. As others have observed, the first debate when Trump subjected the first female presidential candidate from a major party to condescension, belittling and 51 (51!) interruptions, traumatised many American voters with how familiar it was. And that was the debate which ended with Clinton pulling Alicia Machado out of her well-prepped hat. The anecdote of Trump systematically shaming and humiliating a 19-year-old beauty pageant winner shifted the story for many voters.

Perhaps Trump and others with similarly insane views on childcare, sexual harassment at the workplace, wage-gap and abortions, didnt notice that the single American woman is a powerful new demographic. One that political commentator Rebecca Traister has argued in her new book All The Single Ladies is the most important category of citizen this year. The fact that Trump has doubled down with racist remarks on Machado might be a distant memory for even addicts like me. Because since then there has been a flood of sexual assault allegations against Trump. He may even have to stand trial for the assault of a 13-year-old who says Trump raped her at the house of infamous paedophile Jeffrey Epstein. But his prospects have most likely been killed by his own admissions on the now infamous Access Hollywood tape (You can do anything. Grab them by the py. You can do anything, and so on.).

But its not just Access Hollywood. The man, like many other powerful abusers, has been talking about it in plain sight for decades. In his case it has rarely been a he said/she said, it has continuously been a he said, he said, he said, including things he said to or about 10-year-old girls. And if he hadnt done anything else to creep women out, it was the insane optics (as Olivia Pope would say) of his stalking Clinton around the stage during the second debate after his performance unravelled.

The American elections arent over and certainly, Trump has supporters including a small group of women who have said that they will vote for him for sure. Not to mention some NRIs who want to contribute their little all towards geopolitical significance.

But its hard not to take joy out of the last debate where Trump finally mumbled Nasty Woman apropos of nothing to Clinton. What a perfect recap for what may be the downfall of Trump and the Republican Party. Who would have guessed that nasty women with nasty, refusing-to-be-grabbed vaginas would bring Trump down? That combined with Trumps other mot juste from the debate Bad Hombre  is the perfect response to the racism and misogyny so commonly assumed to be the necessary realism of realpolitik.

Nasty Woman has in 48 hours launched a thousand ships of memes, t-shirts, slogans. It has been embraced, loved and kissed. As Rebecca Solnit (political writer and most famously the woman credited with the concept behind the term mansplaining) wrote in an ecstatic Facebook post, Nasty Woman met Bad Hombre at the intersection. We have so much in common, they said, staring deeply into each other's eyes. Let's make America things it never was before, like mestizo queer-friendly feminist nonviolent and generally safe for everyone, and they walked off into the sunset arm in arm, trampling white supremacist patriarchy with every step of their mariachi boots and moccasins. Underfoot, white supremacist patriarchy sounded like slightly stale potato chips. The end.

The Ladies Finger (TLF) is a leading online womens magazine.
By Matthias Blamont

| CALAIS, France

CALAIS, France France began clearing the sprawling "Jungle" migrant camp on Monday as hundreds gave up on their dreams of reaching Britain, a tantalisingly short sea crossing away.Following sporadic outbreaks of unrest overnight, the migrants chose instead with calm resignation to be relocated in France while their asylum requests are considered.By lunchtime more than 700 had left the squalid shanty-town outside Calais on France's northern coast for reception centres across the country. Hundreds more queued outside a hangar, waiting to be processed before the bulldozers move in.French officials celebrated the peaceful start to yet another attempt to dismantle the camp, which has become a symbol of Europe's failure to respond to the migration crisis as member states squabble over who should take in those fleeing war and poverty.But some aid workers warned that the trouble overnight, when some migrants burned toilet blocks and threw stones at riot police in protest at the camp's closure, indicated tensions could escalate. "I hope this works out. I'm alone and I just have to study," said Amadou Diallo from the West African nation of Guinea. "It doesn't matter where I end up, I don't really care."The Socialist government says it is closing the camp, home to 6,500 migrants, on humanitarian grounds. It plans to relocate them to 450 centres across France.Many of the migrants are from countries such as Afghanistan, Syria and Eritrea and had wanted to reach Britain, which is connected to France by a rail tunnel and visible from Calais on a clear day. Some had wished to join up with relatives already there and most had planned to seek work, believing that jobs are more plentiful than in France.Britain, however, bars most of them on the basis of European Union rules requiring them to seek asylum in the first member states they set foot in.

DESTINATION UNKNOWN

Even as the process began, the fate of about 1,300 unaccompanied child migrants remained uncertain. French Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve urged Britain last week to step up efforts to identify and resettle child migrants. London has given priority to children with family ties and discussions are underway with Paris over who should take in minors with no connections.Britain's Home Office said on Monday it had reluctantly agreed to suspend the transfer of more children, on the request of the French authorities.For now, children will be moved to converted shipping containers at a site on the edge of the Jungle before they are interviewed by French and British immigration officials, a spokesman for the U.N. refugee agency in Geneva said."It's cold here," said one Sudanese teenager who identified himself as Abdallah. "Maybe we'll be able to leave in a bus later, or next week, for Britain."

Armed police earlier fanned out across the Jungle as the operation got underway. Interior Ministry spokesman Pierre-Henry Brandet said that authorities had not needed to use force and that the large police presence at the camp on Monday was just for security.RAZING THE CAMP

Aid workers went from tent to tent, urging migrants to leave the camp before heavy machinery is rolled in to start the demolition.

The hundreds who volunteered on Monday to move on were each given two destinations to chose from before being bussed to the reception centres. There they will receive medical checks and if they have not already done so, decide whether to apply for asylum.The far-right National Front party said the government plan would create mini-Calais camps across France. Officials expect 60 buses to leave the camp on Monday and the government predicts the evacuation will take at least a week. Many tents and makeshift structures that had housed cafes, bakeries and kiosks lay abandoned. On the side of one wooden shack a message to British Prime Minister Theresa May had been scrawled in spray-paint: "UK government! Nobody is illegal!"Despite the calm, charity workers expect hundreds will try to stay and cautioned that the mood could change later in the week when work begins on razing the camp."There's a risk that tensions increase in the week because at some point the bulldozers are going to have to come in," said Fabrice Durieux from the charity Salam.Others warned that many migrants who remained determined to reach Britain would simply scatter into the surrounding countryside, only to regroup in Calais at a later date."Each time they dismantle part of the camp it's the same thing. You're going to see them go into hiding and then come back. The battles will continue," said Christian Salome, president of non-profit group Auberge des Migrants. (Additional reporting by Stephanie Ulmer-Nebehay in Geneva and Kylie MacLellan in London; Writing by Richard Lough; Editing by Geert De Clercq and David Stamp)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
By Maher Chmaytelli and Stephen Kalin

| BAGHDAD/BARTELLA, Iraq

BAGHDAD/BARTELLA, Iraq Islamic State expanded its attacks on Monday against the army and Kurdish forces across Iraq, trying to relieve pressure on the militant group's defences around Mosul, its last major urban stronghold in the country.About 80 Islamic State-held villages and towns have been retaken in the first week of the offensive, bringing Iraqi and Kurdish forces closer to the edge of the city itself - where the battle will be hardest fought.The Mosul campaign, which aims to crush the Iraqi half of Islamic State's declared caliphate in Iraq and Syria, may become the biggest battle yet in the 13 years of turmoil triggered by the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in 2003, and could require a massive humanitarian relief operation.Some 1.5 million residents remain in the city and worst-case forecasts see up to a million being uprooted, according to the United Nations. U.N. aid agencies said the fighting has so far forced about 7,400 to flee their homes.In a series of counter-attacks on far-flung targets across Iraq since Friday, Islamic State fighters have hit Kirkuk, the north's main oil city, the town of Rutba that controls the road from Baghdad to Jordan and Syria, and Sinjar, a region west of Mosul inhabited by the persecuted Yazidi minority.Yazidi provincial chief Mahma Xelil said at least 15 militants were killed in the two-hour battle in Sinjar and a number of their vehicles were destroyed, while the peshmerga suffered two wounded. Islamic State said two peshmerga vehicles were destroyed and all those on board were killed. Islamic State committed some of its worst atrocities in Sinjar when it swept through the Yazidi region two years ago, killing men, kidnapping children and enslaving women. Kurdish fighters took back the region a year ago.REGIONAL INTERVENTION

The Iraqi force attacking Mosul is 30,000-strong, joined by U.S. special forces and under American, French and British air cover. The number of insurgents dug in the city is estimated at 5,000 to 6,000 by the Iraqi military.Pentagon spokesman Captain Jeff Davis said Iraqi security forces and the peshmerga were making "solid progress" in their advance on Mosul, but were facing heavy resistance.

The Mosul campaign has drawn in regional players and highlighted how Iraq, like neighbouring Syria, has become a platform for influence between rival parties - Sunni-ruled Turkey and its Gulf allies and Shiite Iran and its client militias.Turkey and Iraq's Shi'ite-dominated central government are at loggerheads over the presence - unauthorised by Baghdad - of Turkish troops at a camp in northern Iraq.Ankara fears that Shi'ite militias, which have been accused of abuses against Sunni civilians elsewhere, will be used in the Mosul offensive. Turkey's own presence in Iraq has also helped inflame sectarian passions among Shi'ites.Turkish artillery has already played a role in the battle and four Turkish fighter jets are on standby to take part in air operations, Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Monday. Iraq's Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi denied that Turkey had a role in the operation. "We don't want the Turkish military force," he said in a statement.The region of Nineveh around Mosul is a mosaic of ethnic and religious groups - Arabs, Turkmen, Kurds, Yazidis, Christians, Sunnis, Shi'ites - with Sunni Arabs the overwhelming majority.

BAGHDADI'S "CALIPHATE"

It was from Mosul's Grand Mosque that Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi declared his caliphate in 2014. Within a year his group was in retreat in Iraq, having lost the Sunni cities of Tikrit, Ramadi and Falluja.The Iraqi army last week dislodged insurgents from the main Christian region east of Mosul and its elite unit, the Counter Terrorism Service (CTS) has pressed ahead with operations to clear more villages since Saturday.CTS forces took a handful of villages west of the Christian town of Bartella in an early morning attack on Monday and are now six kilometres (about four miles) east of Mosul. The areas taken so far have been largely empty of civilian populations, but civilians could be living in the two villages lying ahead, Bazwaia and Gogjali, bordering Mosul proper.

Islamic State used improvised explosive devices and snipers in the areas retaken on Monday, as they have in many previous battles, Brigadier General Faleh Fadel Jasim said. The militants dug a 10 km-long network of tunnels under Bartella, with food and weapons stores, to hold up the army, he said. "They tried making fortified defense lines but they weren't able to."The army's press office said a total of 78 villages and town have been recaptured between Oct. 17, when the Mosul operation started, and Sunday evening, more than 770 Islamic State fighters have been killed.Islamic State says it has killed hundreds of fighters from the attacking forces and blocked their progress. A French defence source said on Monday hundreds of Islamic State fighters have left Syria with the aim of reinforcing their stronghold in northern Iraq. "(In recent weeks) we saw movements from Syria to Mosul," the source said.In Washington, Pentagon spokesman Jarvis also said Islamic State was bringing more reinforcements from outside.The army is trying to advance from the south and the east while Kurdish peshmerga fighters are holding fronts in the east and north.After Islamic State's attack on Friday in Kirkuk, the hardline Sunni militant group has launched other diversionary attacks in Sinjar and Rutba, 360 km west of Baghdad, where they killed at least seven policemen, according to security sources.Federal police units which arrived in Rutba overnight were backing up the local forces, according to the sources who estimate that 16 insurgents have been killed so far. Islamic State said in an online statement that dozens of security force members and pro-government Sunni tribal forces had fled Rutba. (Additional reporting by Saif Hameed in Baghdad, Idrrees Ali in Washington, and Marine Pennetier in Paris; Editing by Dominic Evans)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
Iraq launched a broad offensive to retake Mosul from the Islamic State group a week ago. Here is what we know so far about the country's biggest military operation in years:

What have Iraqi forces retaken?

Federal forces operating out of the main staging base of Qayyarah have taken dozens of small villages south of Mosul and are working their way up the Tigris Valley.

After an initial push by the Kurdish peshmerga, federal army and elite counter-terrorism forces have taken over the eastern front, where they have retaken swathes of the Nineveh plain.

They wrested back control of Bartalla, a Christian town only about 15 kilometres (10 miles) east of Mosul, and are fighting to take full control of Qaraqosh, formerly the largest Christian town in Iraq.

On the northeastern front, a large deployment of peshmerga have taken several villages from IS and are closing in on Bashiqa.

The US-led coalition says it has carried out 32 air strikes on the area in a week, delivering more than 1,700 munitions that destroyed 136 IS fighting positions, 18 tunnels and 26 car bombs.

How are Iraqi forces performing?

Neither the federal government nor the autonomous Kurdish region release any figures for their dead and wounded, but both sides are taking casualties.

However, Baghdad, the Kurds and the US-led coalition supporting them with air strikes and advisers on the ground have said early gains exceeded expectations.

Kurdish leader Massud Barzani has hailed what he describes as excellent coordination with the forces from Baghdad, despite a running political and budgetary feud.

The push for Mosul, IS's last major stronghold in Iraq, has been delayed on many occasions and all sides have had ample time to learn from previous operations and fine-tune their battle plans.

How are the jihadists responding?

While an increasingly pragmatic IS has been more inclined than previously to fall back when under recent attack, it has mounted a spirited defence of Mosul so far.

The group has unleashed dozens of suicide car bombs against Iraqi forces, apparently trading land it controlled around Mosul for casualties among its enemies' ranks.

IS has lit fires in and around Mosul to obfuscate the battlefield for the aerial and satellite assets of its enemies, but that tactic is having a limited impact, analysts say.

The jihadists have also hit back by attacking Iraqi forces elsewhere, notably with a spectacular attack on the Kurdish-controlled city of Kirkuk and another on the western outpost of Rutba.

Those two operations seemed less of an attempt at making territorial gains than a bid to stretch Iraq's security forces and draw attention away from their losses in the Mosul theatre.

Medics at hospitals inside Mosul have told AFP that the number of wounded IS fighters brought in from the front lines has soared over the past week.

How are civilians affected?

Civilians are already paying a heavy price for the offensive, with tough living conditions inside Mosul deteriorating sharply and increasingly paranoid jihadists stepping up repression and intimidation.

The widespread use of smoke  IS has set fire to tyres across the city, oil wells and trenches around it  has led to an increase in the number of people checking in to hospitals with respiratory ailments.

More than 7,500 people have already fled the fighting and the jihadists who ruled them for two years, but Iraqi forces are still advancing in sparsely populated areas.

That figure could grow exponentially as soon as forces reach the boundaries of the city proper and attempts are to open safe corridors for the more than a million people still believed trapped in the city.
By Linda Sieg

| TOKYO

TOKYO Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte softened his remarks about a "separation" from long-time ally the United States on the eve of a visit to Japan, a country worried about Manila's apparent pivot away from Washington and towards China."The alliances are alive," Duterte told Japanese media in Manila on Monday, Kyodo News reported. "There should be no worry about changes of alliances. I do not need to have alliances with other nations."Prime Minister Shinzo Abe wants to keep ties with the Philippines tight during Duterte's visit to Japan, starting on Tuesday.Duterte, a former prosecutor and mayor who has had a series of outbursts against the United States since taking office in June, jolted the region last week on a trip to China, when he announced Manila's "separation" from Washington and realignment towards Beijing.

Duterte's aides and the president himself later tried to clarify that he did not mean he was cutting ties with the United States and his remarks on Monday were the most conciliatory yet.Duterte told the Japanese media he had been expressing a personal opinion, not speaking for the government when he mentioned separating from Washington, the Nikkei newspaper said. He said he only plans to have an "alliance of trade and commerce" with China, Kyodo reported.

Abe, who has sought to strengthen ties with the Philippines and other Southeast Asian countries as a counter-balance to a rising Beijing, will be trying to wed Manila to Tokyo's side without prompting a backlash that pushes it closer to China."It's certainly unfortunate and we are worried, but such things will not change Japan's commitment to the Philippines," said Narushige Michishita, a professor at the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies and former defence official, referring to Duterte's comments.

Meanwhile, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry is confident after speaking with Philippine Foreign Minister Perfecto Yasay on Sunday that the two countries can "work through" a period of confusion caused by Duterte's remarks, the State Department said. (Additional reporting by Tim Kelly and William Mallard; editing by Grant McCool)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
Santa Monica, California: Tom Hayden, a '60s anti-war activist whose name became forever linked with the celebrated Chicago 7 trial, Vietnam War protests and his ex-wife Jane Fonda, has died. He was 76.

He died on Sunday after a long illness, said his wife, Barbara Williams, noting that he suffered a stroke in 2015.

Hayden, once denounced as a traitor by his detractors, won election to the California Assembly and Senate where he served for almost two decades as a progressive force on such issues as the environment and education. He was the only one of the radical Chicago 7 defendants to win such distinction in the mainstream political world.

He remained an enduring voice against war and spent his later years as a prolific writer and lecturer advocating for reform of America's political institutions.

Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti praised Hayden. "A political giant and dear friend has passed. Tom Hayden fought harder for what he believed than just about anyone I have known. RIP, Tom," Garcetti said Sunday night on his Twitter account.

Hayden wrote or edited 19 books, including "Reunion," a memoir of his path to protest and a rumination on the political upheavals of the '60s.

"Rarely, if ever, in American history has a generation begun with higher ideals and experienced greater trauma than those who lived fully the short time from 1960 to 1968," he wrote.

Hayden was there at the start. In 1960, while a student at the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, he was involved in the formation of Students for a Democratic Society (SDS), then dedicated to desegregating the South. By 1962, when he began drafting the landmark Port Huron Statement, SDS and Hayden were dedicated to changing the world.

Hayden was fond of comparing the student movement that followed to the American Revolution and the Civil War.

In 1968, he helped organize anti-war demonstrations during the Democratic National Convention in Chicago that turned violent and resulted in the notorious Chicago 7 trial. It began as the Chicago 8 trial, but one defendant, Bobby Seale, was denied the lawyer of his choice, was bound and gagged by the judge and ultimately received a separate trial.

After a circus-like trial, Hayden and three others were convicted of crossing state lines to incite riot. The convictions were later overturned, and an official report deemed the violence "a police riot."

Thomas Emmet Hayden was born 11 December, 1939, in Royal Oak, Michigan, to middle-class parents. At Michigan, he took up political causes including the civil rights movement. He wrote fiery editorials for the campus newspaper and contemplated a career in journalism. But upon graduation, he turned down a newspaper job. As he wrote in his memoir, "I didn't want to report on the world; I wanted to change it."

He joined the fledgling Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee, went freedom-riding during civil rights protests in the South and was beaten and briefly jailed in Mississippi and Georgia. He married a fellow activist, Sandra "Casey" Cason.

Yearning for a more influential role, Hayden returned to Ann Arbor, where he was enlisted by the SDS to draft the Port Huron Statement, a call to action he hoped would spread to the rest of the country.

In 1965, Hayden made his first visit to North Vietnam with an unauthorized delegation. In 1967, he returned to Hanoi with another group and was asked by North Vietnamese leaders to bring three prisoners of war back to the United States.

Firmly committed to the anti-war movement, Hayden participated in sit-ins at Columbia University, then began traveling the country to promote a rally in Chicago for the 1968 Democratic National Convention.

In the interim, a single event galvanized him  the 1968 assassination of his friend, Sen. Robert F. Kennedy, in Los Angeles. "I went from Robert Kennedy's coffin into a very bleak and bitter political view," Hayden told the Associated Press in 1988.

In 1971, Hayden met actress Jane Fonda, a latecomer to the protest movement. After he heard her give an eloquent anti-war speech in 1972, Hayden said they connected and became a couple. He was divorced from Cason. Fonda was divorced from director Roger Vadim and had a daughter, Vanessa Vadim.

Hayden and Fonda were married for 17 years and had a son, Troy.

With heavy financial support from Fonda, Hayden plunged into California politics in the late 1970s. He formed the Campaign for Economic Democracy and was elected to the Assembly in 1982.

In 1992, Hayden won election to the state Senate advocating for environmental and educational issues. By then, he and Fonda were divorced.

Hayden went on to marry actress Barbara Williams, and they had a son, Liam.

In 1994, Hayden was defeated in a run for the state governorship, and he lost a bid to become mayor of Los Angeles.

After leaving public office, Hayden wrote and traveled extensively, lecturing, teaching and speaking out against the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. He was also an advocate for animals, and in 2012 he lobbied Gov. Jerry Brown to preserve a piece of legislation known as Hayden's Law, which he had authored to protect shelter animals from premature euthanasia.
By Manuel Mogato and Enrico Dela Cruz

| MANILA

MANILA The most senior U.S. diplomat for Asia assured the Philippines on Monday that Washington remained its "trusted" ally and that it supported Manila's blossoming ties with China.U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Daniel Russel however warned that growing concern about drug-related killings in the Southeast Asian country was "bad for business".Russel was the first high-level visitor from Washington after President Rodrigo Duterte provoked alarm last week by announcing his country's "separation" from the United States and realignment with China while on a visit to Beijing.Explaining Duterte's "Goodbye America" remarks, Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary Perfecto Yasay said on Saturday the United States remained the "closest friend" of the Philippines, but Manila wanted to break away from a "mindset of dependency and subservience" and forge closer ties with other nations.Russel, speaking to reporters after meeting Yasay, said Duterte "has already walked back".

He said Washington supported direct dialogue and negotiations between the Philippines and China. "So, it's a mistake to think that improved relations between Manila and Beijing somehow come at the expense of the U.S.," he said."We dont want countries to have to choose between the U.S. and China."During his meeting with the Philippine foreign minister, Russel however said he expressed his concern the "succession of controversial statements, comments and a real climate of uncertainty about the Philippines intentions has created consternation in a number of countries".

He added, "This is not a positive trend."Duterte has been scathing about U.S. criticism of his anti-drugs campaign in which about 2,300 people have been killed since he took office on June 30.

Russel said the United States supported Manila's anti-narcotics campaign, but due process and human rights should not be disregarded."The growing uncertainty about this and other issues is bad for business," he said. "This is a very competitive region."Russel's trip to Manila is part of a three-nation swing through Southeast Asia that also includes Thailand and Cambodia, the U.S. State Department announced on its website. (Reporting by Manuel Mogato and Enrico dela Cruz; Editing by Raju Gopalakrishnan)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
Manila: Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte's fiery rhetoric and deadly crime war are becoming a growing concern around the world, the top US envoy for Asia warned on Monday in Manila.

US assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Daniel Russel met with the Philippines' defence and foreign ministers on Monday, after Duterte last week announced his nation's "separation" from the United States.

Duterte quickly walked back from the statement, saying he did not plan to sever the nations' seven-decade alliance, but Russel signalled many people around the world were becoming increasingly worried about the Filipino president's repeated tirades.

"The succession of controversial statements, comments and a real climate of uncertainty about the Philippines' intentions have created consternation in a number of countries," Russel said.

"Not only in mine and not only among governments, but also growing concern in other communities, in the expat Filipino community, in corporate boardrooms as well. This is not a positive trend."

Russel said he also directly conveyed to Philippine Foreign Secretary Perfecto Yasay American concerns about Duterte's war on crime, which has claimed about 3,700 lives in less than four months and raised fears about mass extrajudicial killings.

"I also reiterated the importance that we place and that others place on due process and respect for the rights of citizens as an important part of protecting our communities as well," Russel said.

"And the growing uncertainty about this and other issues is bad for business as well."

US Secretary of State John Kerry rang Yasay on Monday to discuss the alliance, Russel said.

Duterte has frequently voiced deep anger at American criticism of his efforts to eliminate drugs in society, repeatedly branding President Barack Obama as a "son of a w***e" and telling him to "go to hell" for expressing concerns.

'America has lost'

Duterte, who describes himself as a socialist, has sought to diminish his nation's alliance with the United States in favour of closer ties with China and Russia.

Duterte's "separation" remark was made during a four-day state visit to China.

"America has lost. I've realigned myself in your ideological flow and maybe I will also go to Russia to talk to (President Vladimir) Putin and tell him that there are three of us against the world: China, Philippines and Russia. It's the only way," Duterte said in Beijing.

Immediately upon returning to the Philippines, Duterte said he would not cut ties with the United States, but he nevertheless launched another profanity-laced critique.

"If there is one thing that America has failed miserably, it is in the province of the human dignity," Duterte said on Saturday, as signalled he did not care about the hundreds of millions dollars in foreign aid from the United States.

"Assistance, USAID, you can go to hell," he said

Duterte has repeatedly said the Philippines has not benefited from its ties with the US, particularly denigrating their military alliance that is anchored on a 1951 mutual defence treaty.

The nations typically hold more than two dozen war games of various sizes every year, but Duterte has said there will be no more.

He has also said he eventually he may no longer allow American troops on Filipino soil at all, and cancelled joint patrols in the South China Sea so as not to anger Beijing.

Nevertheless, the Philippines on Monday accepted a second-hand American C-130 transport plane at a handover ceremony in Manila.

"This will certainly boost our air transport facilities. The importance of this aircraft cannot be over-emphasised," Defence Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said at the ceremony.

The plane was the second delivered this year under an agreement in which the Philippines buys surplus American military hardware.
A pixel is defined as the smallest addressable element in an all points addressable display device. Essentially speaking, it is the smallest component of a much bigger picture. Theres a case to be made that Google really couldnt have named their new phones better. Where the Nexus phones were accessible devices for developers and enthusiasts to get a taste of Googles take on Android, the Pixel and Pixel XL are expected to be the torch bearers of Googles vision for the future of smartphone computing. They are positioned to be hidden away in the background and behave simply like the smallest yet most important element in getting things done for you. Does it succeed at getting anywhere close to this grand dream? Much closer than youd think.

Google Pixel XL specifications

5.5-inch (25601440 pixels) AMOLED display with Gorilla Glass 4 protection

2.15 GHz Quad-Core Snapdragon 821 processor with Adreno 530 GPU

4GB RAM, 32GB / 128GB internal storage

Android 7.1 (Nougat)

Fingerprint sensor

12.3MP rear camera with LED flash, Sony IMX378 sensor, 1.55umpixel, f/2.0 aperture, PDAF, LDAF

8MP front camera

3 microphones, 3.5mm audio jack

Dimensions: 154.7 x 75.7 x 8.6 mm; Weight: 168g

4G VoLTE, WiFi 802.11ac 2x2MIMO (2.4/5 GHz), Bluetooth 4.2, GPS, USB Type-C, NFC

3450mAh battery

Video Review

Design

With the Pixel and Pixel XL, Google seemingly wants to take the focus away from how the phone looks and instead focus on how it feels both physically and in terms of experience. This is well emphasised in how the front fascia is quite literally a blank featureless slate. Looked at from the front, the Pixel could be any Android phone, well any HTC made Android phone. As we pointed out earlier though, that seems to be part and parcel of Googles approach towards the phone wherein the focus is on what lies inside.

The 5.5 inch Quad HD display on the Pixel XL that we have here lies within an island of white plastic. Gorilla Glass 4 protection is present to protect the phone from scratches during everyday use. An island of white plastic is a rather apt description too given the massive bezels above and to the sides of the phone. The pronounced lip below the screen in particular is somewhat off-putting as it hardly adds anything to the functionality or aesthetics of the hardware. Up above the screen is an array of sensors while the 8MP front facing camera is located at the far left corner.

Being manufactured by HTC, there are more than subtle design throwbacks hidden in plain sight on the Pixel. Case in point being the thick chamfered edges that seem to take cues from the HTC 10. The edges of the phone curves over softly with delicate balance. The Pixel is not aiming to be the daintiest phone around, that crown has already been claimed by the Moto Z. No, the Pixel / Pixel XL feel chunky to the touch in a positively endearing way. The phone feels good to hold, there are no sharp corners yet theres enough grip to make sure you wont slip it. Theres a grippy volume power switch on the upper left side while below it is the single volume rocker. Both are metal keys with excellent feedback. The left is where the nano SIM card tray is located. No, you dont get Dual SIM or microSD functionality.

At the top of the phone, aligned to the left is the 3.5mm audio jack while the right side has an antenna band running through. The bottom of the Pixel has a centred USB Type C port with speaker port holes on either side. The stereo speaker ports are mostly for aesthetic purposes as the phone packs in only a mono speaker.

iPhones stand out in a way that you can recognise them from afar. Same goes for Samsungs phones that despite offering a degree of homogeneity in design within their own portfolio, are certainly easy to identify in a crowd. Where the front of the Pixel was borderline drab and generic, the rear kicks things up a notch. A white plastic panel seamlessly melds into the metallic rear of the phone. Its a simple flourish but one that instantly makes the phone stand out. Beyond looks, the plastic window also acts as a way to allow RF signals to reach the internals. The Nexus Imprint fingerprint scanner lines up along the bottom edge of the plastic panel, within easy reach of your index finger. The rear camera module, dual LED flash as well as microphones line up along the top left edge of the white pane. A simple G near the bottom of the phone indicates through and through that this is a Google phone. In fact nowhere does the phone indicate that it has been manufactured by and in collaboration with HTC. This is a sharp departure from Nexus phones where the OEM of the hardware shared equal limelight.

Google has clearly leveraged HTCs know how in making ergonomic designs and that shows up brilliantly in the Pixel.The phone feels sturdy , very comfortable to hold and weighs just 168g despite its full metal build. Lets be honest, the Google Pixel isnt the most striking handset out there. Then again, the Pixels purpose is way more than just being a hardware showcase. It is supposed to become part and parcel of your lifestyle instead of becoming the focus of it. The design is utilitarian to a point and is meant to simply become a part of your daily routine.

Software

Stock Android. Pure & Simple. The Pixel XL & Pixel run an absolutely un-adulterated, virgin build of Android 7.1 with a few niceties thrown in for good measure. Unlike the Nexus phones which were just carriers of bleeding edge software for developers and savvy customers, the Pixel is a consumer device that Google hopes will make a dent within the Android ecosystem that it helped spawn. On that note, it is the first time where a phone blessed by Google carries features that shall remain exclusive to it. While a full run down of Android 7.1 deserves its own review (coming soon), for now well focus on some key aspects of the software onboard the Pixel.

Built from scratch, the Pixel phones herald the launch of the aptly named Pixel launcher. Exclusive to the phones for now, it is a different enough approach to the interface that long time Android users might be put off for a bit. Replacing the traditional app drawer is a swipe up gesture that reveals all the applications installed on the device. Thankfully it doesnt take too long to get used to the gesture.

What DOES take getting used to is the Google Now on Tap shortcut. Weve become really accustomed to calling up Google Now by long pressing the home button. The same shortcut on the Pixel brings up the Google Assistant. The default interaction mechanic here is to use your voice to interact with Googles all-powerful assistant and we couldnt see any obvious way to switch this to a more inconspicuous text-based interaction. Getting to the regular card based Google Now screen requires a simple swipe to the right from the home screen. Google Assistant can also be activated by using the familiar Ok Google command from anywhere in the UI and also when the display is switched off.

The Assistant feature uses the same AI engine for conversations as Google Now or the chatbot built into Allo, so you can easily get a taste of the functionality without being on the Pixel. How well does it work? Weve come a long way from the days of simple weather report queries. Google Assistant is capable of much more complex tasks ranging from creating and presenting calendar entries to performing essential conversions and even doing a bit of fact-finding. Google Assistant is also capable of building up conversations based on your previous query so you can ask contextual information as well. Using Google Assistant while driving to play tracks on Spotify using voice commands fast turned into a favorite function of ours. Your own mileage will vary a bit depending on how thick your accent is but for the most part, Google has does extensive work to make sure Google Now / Google Assistant works well with Indian accents.

Theres support for a range of sensor based gestures built into Android and the phone but theres one that is entirely unique to the Google Pixel. You can now swipe down / up on the fingerprint scanner to bring down or push up the notification shade.

Other tweaks and additions include new round icons that are unique to the Pixel launcher. Theres a new night mode built into the phone that can automatically activate on a schedule. This operates similar to flux and cuts down blue light from the display to ease the strain on your eyes. Additionally, weve the addition of a feature that has been a mainstay of OEM skins for ages now. With Android 7.1, stock Android finally gets a reboot button. There are several more tweaks and additions that were discovering as we use the phone and well be sure to update this space as and when theres more to report on that front.

Performance

The Pixel XL is the fastest Android phone you can get your hands on right now. Period. Whatever you throw at it, no matter what you are doing with the device, it simply flies. Thats not all that hard to imagine either with a top of the line Snapdragon 821 processor clocked at 2.15Ghz under the hood. This is paired with 4GB of RAM, a number that might feel slightly skimpy with the recent spate of phones launching with 6GB of RAM onboard. That said, the RAM should be more than sufficient for the foreseeable future. In every day use, it is really hard to tax the device and even demanding games work smoother than weve experienced on any other Android phone. The bloat free software build can certainly lay claim to boosting the performance as it frees up additional computing resources.

All is not hunky dory though as we observed that taxing applications can cause the phone to heat up quite a bit. Now this is part and parcel of all modern hardware and the phone cools down very quickly but we feel it is certainly worth keeping in mind. Additionally, we came across a range of applications, most notable being Apple Music, that are not entirely compatible with Android 7.1 yet. This causes wake lock errors and can also shoot up CPU usage which drains out the battery and heats up the phone too. We expect these issues to be solved over the coming weeks. Really though, the Pixel / Pixel XL is a butter smooth device. Between the highly optimised touch response, flagship grade hardware and a clean software build, the Pixel XL elegantly punches through whatever you need it to do and then some. Synthetic benchmarks dont really do justice here since the experience is markedly improved over practically every other Android phone but weve included some key benchmarks nonetheless for your perusal.

In the 3DMark Ice Storm benchmark, the Pixel XL scored 24613 points.

In the AnTuTu 6 benchmark, the phone is very competitive with a score of 130219 points.

In the Vellamo Chrome benchmark, the phone scores 4978 points.

Finally in Basemark OS II, the phone scores 2237 points. It is worth mentioning again that benchmark performance is usually not very indicative of how well a phone performs in every day use.

Display

A 5.5inch Quad HD AMOLED display adorns the front of the Pixel XL. Characteristic of AMOLED panels, the blacks are deep, the colors are punchy and saturated and viewing angles are excellent. Compared to the likes of the iPhone, the Pixel goes for visual appeal over visual accuracy. Where the expanded gamut and IPS panel on the iPhone is all about tack sharp accuracy with the trade-off being a duller image, the AMOLED display on the Pixel looks full of life and brings to life whatever media or game you are consuming. For media consumption, we feel the contrasty colors on the display of the Pixel XL will likely be more appealing to users.

Theres almost no color shift even when viewing from extreme angles. The display very bright and is easily visible even outdoors despite a bright sun right above. On the opposite end of the spectrum, we were suitably impressed by how dim the phone can go. A pet peeve of mine is that phones these days dont go dim enough to comfortably read in dimly lit conditions. The Pixel solves that concern and the added Night Mode is like icing on the cake.

Camera

Every year, we take leaps and bounds forward in terms of image quality. Every smartphone manufacturer claims that their phone takes the best images possible from a phone. Google too proclaimed that they have the camera on the Pixel / Pixel HD is the best you can get on a smartphone. For once we are inclined to believe them albeit with a few caveats.

Both the Pixel phones pack a 12.3MP rear camera with LED flash, Sony IMX378 sensor, 1.55umpixel and f/2.0 aperture. You also get Phase Detection as well as Laser based auto focus. Unfortunately theres no OIS onboard. The specs are however only part of the story. A large part of why the phone takes great photos is due to the software processing behind the scenes.

While any camera can take good photos in bright lighting, the Pixel phones excel at low light and to a large extent this is due to the new and improved HDR+ mode. Unlike regular HDR, Googles take on it takes several exposures with short exposure times and then stitches it all together in post to create a bright, noise free image that is also free of motion blur. In practise, the results are almost there. In the shot above you can see that both the subject and background are captured nice and bright despite the dim ambient lighting. Zoom in closely though and theres a hint of blur. This was consistently spotted by us across HDR+ shots. The lack of optical image stabilisation really hurts in these shots though were really just nitpicking here.

For the most part, the Pixel XL takes fantastic shots. The ability to lock exposure and focus independently akin to iOS is well appreciated though the lack of ISO controls was perplexing. In video mode, the phones can shoot up to 4K video. Theres electronic image stabilisation on offer here and it works remarkably well. Worth keeping in mind, Google is bundling in free full resolution backup for all photos and video shots with the Pixel devices.

Connectivity & Battery Life

The Pixel phones tick all the boxes when it comes to connectivity options. Theres 4G VoLTE onboard as well as WiFi 802.11ac 2x2MIMO (2.4/5 GHz). The plastic window at the back has certainly helped with radio performance and the phone held a signal in places where other phones completely dropped out. The phone is equipped with the latest Bluetooth 4.2 spec in addition to the usual suspects like GPS and NFC. The phone charges and supports data transfer over USB Type C. Expect really speedy transfers here as the phone supports USB 3.0. The phone ships in two SKUs with 32 or 128GB of storage. Our 32GB unit had about 24 GB free at first boot. While the phone doesnt support microSD expansion, you can expand it via USB OTG. In fact, the phone ships with an adaptor that allows you to connect it to an iPhone or other device over OTG to transfer all your data when you set up your device.

The Pixel XL is equipped with a 3,450mAh battery that works in tandem with optimisations made in Android 7.1 to deliver outstanding battery life. With extensive messaging, camera usage and a bit of calls thrown in, we could easily last over a full day. Even with gaming thrown in for good measure, youd be hard pressed to deplete the battery in a full work day. In fact during a one hour commute, we decided to stream music on Spotify over the cellular radio. By the end of the session, we observed a battery drop of just 6 percent which isnt bad at all. Effectively, were regularly seeing screen on times between 5 to 6 hours with no change to our workflow.

Conclusion

So where do the Pixel phones really stand? Having spent close to a week with the phone, it is fair to say that hardware is top-notch but you wouldnt expect any less either. Sure, they arent water-resistant and the design is rather dull and boring but theres so much more to these phones. They serve as an excellent foundation to guide the future of Android as a platform. Indeed, Google would rather have you hooked onto its services and use the phone as gateaway. It isnt aiming to be a Lamborghini or Ferrari with screaming fast looks, it would rather be a Tesla that has a more refined and utilitarian look yet manages to beat others in a quarter-mile drag. For once, we have a phone that simply works and it isnt an iPhone. The Google Pixel phones start at Rs. 57,000 for the base variant and goes up to Rs. 76,000 for the top of the line version. It is available for pre-order from Flipkart and offline retailers and ships starting this week.

Pros

Fantastic camera

Extremely fast & fluid hardware

Great battery life

Fast Android updates

Cons
Samsung has announced a new upgrade offer for the Galaxy Note7 users in South Korea who had exchanged or going to exchange their phone for Galaxy S7 or the Galaxy S7 edge. Samsung says that the Galaxy Upgrade Program this will help the customers purchase the Galaxy S8 or Galaxy Note8 that will be released next year at up to 50% discount.

Under this Galaxy Upgrade Program, customers getting the Galaxy S7 or S7 edge under a 24-month contract will need to pay monthly fee for only 12-months until they exchange it for a Galaxy S8 or Note8 next year. If they wish to change to another phone before a year, they only need to pay up to those 12 months, said Samsung.

Samsung is also offering 50% discount on LCD repair costs and fast track service for after-sales for these customers. Samsung said that the program is aimed to lightening the burden for those who swap their Note 7 device for the Galaxy S7 or S7 edge.

The new Galaxy Upgrade Program for its South Korean customers will end on November 30th, and the company will announce the start date of the program soon after consulting with the carriers. Those who have already exchanged their Note7 unit for the Galaxy S7 or S7 edge in Korea are also eligible for the offer.

Source | Via
SoftBank is all set to invest Rs. 2000 crore in homegrown taxi hailing service Ola, according to a latest report from Economic Times. Ola may raise USD 250-300 million in a new round of funding led by the Japanese telecom and Internet major, and other existing investors may also participate.

In November last year, Ola secured $500 million in funding in November last year which valued it at about $5 billion. Ola currently claims reach across 102 cities, allowing users to book from over 450,000 vehicles on board. The latest round of funding comes at a time when Uber is stepping up its investment in the country.

ET quoted another source as saying.

SoftBank is leading the new round and the first tranche will close in a few days. There will be an external process that will be launched now and Ola will keep the round open.

Uber was aiming to get to 50 cities by the end of 2016. The US based taxi hailing company has invested around $30 million in India, which will go up to $45-50 million as it will ramp up expansion in the country. Uber has said it will aggressively ramp up its operations in India after it exited China in July. Uber China was acquired by Didi Chuxing in August last year.

Source
Let me paint a picture for you that will cast doubt on the credibility of Wells Fargo's (WFC -0.78%) executives, including new CEO Tim Sloan.

2005

In 2005, the same year now-former CEO John Stumpf became president of Wells Fargo, an administrative assistant emailed the bank's human resources department to report that employees were fraudulently opening accounts for customers in order to meet unconscionably high sales goals.

She was fired.

2006

In 2006, a different employee brought the same issue to the attention of managers in the bank's retail division, where the fraud occurred.

He was accused of harassment by senior managers, suspended from his job, and received a menacing response from those higher up the chain.

He was told that his employment was "at will," that "staffing decisions are under the complete and arbitrary discretion" of his superiors, that he would "not be reinstated" into his former job, and that he will "never be allowed back in the same office."

He was instructed to "sue us if you disagree."

2007

That same employee wrote a letter in 2007 to then-CEO Stumpf detailing the ongoing fraud, as well as the retaliation.

Here's a portion of his letter:

I remain committed and loyal to Wells Fargo; I am not a traitor, I am not some hyper-malcontent. I want what is right, what is best and what is fair for Wells Fargo, for our customers and for myself. It is my hope that this information will be fairly evaluated without vested interest, concerned with protecting the integrity and values of Wells Fargo and its customers. Seemingly if our aims are identical, any differences which may have existed should no longer, and any remaining issues should be easily resolved, but the evidence thus far suggests this would be optimism to the point of foolishness.

He sent a second letter the same day -- Sept. 13, 2007 -- to the bank's board of directors warning of the same thing.

He never heard back.

2008

In 2008, he prevailed in a whistleblower lawsuit against Wells Fargo, even though only 2% of whistleblowers prevail in such cases.

2009

In 2009, a banker in Northern California reported the ongoing fraud to her branch manager, her branch manager's boss, and Wells Fargo's ethics hotline.

She was fired one year later.

She then sued, submitting "thousands of pages of documents and testimony from multiple branch workers about the unethical acts they said they witnessed."

She lost the case.

While the court found that she had an "objectively reasonable" belief that the bank was committing fraud, the judge ruled that Wells Fargo still had grounds to fire her because she fell short of her sales goals, reported The New York Times.

2011

In 2011, an employee sent an email to Stumpf detailing the very same thing.

She was fired.

Another employee in 2011 reported the fraud to the Wells Fargo ethics line.

He too was fired.

And he too sent an email to Stumpf about the fraud and retaliation, but never heard back.

Yet another employee detailed the fraud in an email to Stumpf that same year, after she was fired for falling short of her sales goals.

It was also in 2011 that Wells Fargo started cleaning house in its retail division, firing 1,000 people that year for fraudulently opening accounts.

2012

Wells Fargo fired another 1,000 people for opening fraudulent accounts in 2012.

2013

Wells Fargo fired another 1,000 people for opening fraudulent accounts in 2013.

And on Dec. 21, 2013, the Los Angeles Times broke the story about what was going on, in an article titled: "Wells Fargo's Pressure-Cooker Sales Culture Comes at a Cost."

Fast-forward to 2016

Stumpf told Congress last month that he learned of the widespread fraudulent behavior "later in 2013," though he didn't recall "exactly the time frame."

In other words, despite the fact that he and the board had received multiple letters and emails from employees since at least 2005, and that 1,000 employees had been fired in each of the three preceding years for perpetrating the scandal, Stumpf claimed that he hadn't heard about it until sometime in late 2013.

Obviously, he either lied under oath or was an incredibly incompetent chief executive officer who didn't even remotely satisfy his duty to oversee the bank.

Which brings us to today...

Given that Stumpf has since resigned, leaving with $130 million in Wells Fargo stock, it's tempting to conclude that the bank can now put all of this in the rearview mirror and begin rebuilding its brand.

The problem is that it replaced Stumpf with someone who seems equally indifferent to the interests of Wells Fargo, and who chooses instead to, in effect, defend Stumpf.

Here's what Sloan said in his first interview as Wells Fargo's new CEO about Stumpf's resignation:

John's decision to retire was clearly sad for all of us at Wells Fargo because we think so highly of John and his leadership in the company over the last decade and longer, but he concluded that this was the right thing to do for the company to allow it to move forward.

And in response to a question about whether he felt sorry for Stumpf, Sloan replied that:

John's a friend of mine and I've been privileged to work with him and for him for a good portion of my career, so there's no question that I feel sorry for him.

When I heard this, I couldn't help but wonder whether Sloan has any clue about Stumpf's role in all of this. And if he does, why would he defend him?

There's simply no way around it: Wells Fargo's insular culture among top-level executives that protects those in its C-suite at the expense of shareholders, customers, and lower-level employees must end.

And the only way for it to end is if Wells Fargo looks outside for a new CEO.

The best bet for Wells Fargo is to find a replacement who learned the trade from JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon.
The world's largest gold producer, Barrick Gold (GOLD -1.83%), is on deck to report its third-quarter results on Wednesday after markets close. It is a report that investors hope will answer their most burning questions. Here's what investors are looking for.

1. Did the company cash in on higher gold prices?

One of Barrick Gold's priorities over the past few years has been to get its costs down so that it can produce free cash flow at lower gold prices. For example, the company has reduced its all-in sustaining costs by 19% year over year to $782 per ounce. Because of that, it can generate free cash flow as long as the price of gold is greater than $1,000 an ounce.

Given where gold was last quarter, Barrick Gold was able to produce $274 million in free cash flow during the quarter. It marked the fifth straight quarter that it generated free cash flow. The company should not have a problem extending that streak given that the price of gold was even stronger during the third quarter:

In fact, Barrick Gold's falling costs should have driven its free cash flow substantially higher during the quarter as it cashed in on those higher prices. If it did not, investors should look to see if the company had any unexpected setbacks.

2. Did the Veladero Mine shutdown affect full-year guidance?

We already know that the company did experience one setback during the quarter. In mid-September, Barrick Gold announced that it had to temporarily suspend operations at its Veladero Mine in Argentina pending further inspections of that mine's heap leach area. That was after falling ice damaged a pipe, which then started leaking. Because of this problem, the company did not resume operations at the mine until early October.

When Barrick announced that it restarted production at the mine, it said that it was still assessing the impact that the shutdown would have on the mine's production for the full year. As such, it is possible that this shutdown could affect the company's full-year guidance. While the company did say that it continues to believe that it will produce between 5 million to 5.5 million ounces this year, investors should be on the lookout for any changes to the company's guidance as a result of this or any other issues.

3. Is it still on pace to hit its debt reduction target?

The final question that investors want to see the company answer this week is whether or not it remains on target to hit its debt reduction goal. The company's aim is to reduce debt another $2 billion from the $9 billion it had to start the year. As of the end of last quarter, the company was halfway to its target after cutting debt by a total of $968 million.

Asset sales have been the primary driver of debt reduction over the past year. For example, earlier this year it closed a $610 million non-core asset sale to Kinross Gold (KGC -0.82%). That was a significant transaction for both companies, with Kinross Gold bolstering its asset base while Barrick got much-needed cash for debt reduction.

Looking ahead, Barrick Gold said last quarter that it had initiated a process to explore the sale of its 50% stake in the KCGM joint venture in Australia, which it co-owns with Newmont Mining (NEM -1.26%). That venture owns the biggest open-pit gold mine in the country, producing 700,000 ounces of gold per year. Because of its size, the sale of this entity could bring a considerable cash haul to Barrick for debt reduction. That said, more's at stake than just cash for debt reduction. That's because Newmont Mining is one of the parties interested in buying out Barrick's stake. That is worth noting because the full transfer of ownership of this mine to Newmont could cause Barrick to lose its crown as the world's largest gold miner to its partner. That said, given Barrick's desire to cut debt, investors want to see progress on debt reduction as long as it receives good value for the asset, even if it leads to the company getting unseated as the top gold miner by Newmont.

Investor takeaway

Barrick Gold has many questions to answer this week when it reports its third-quarter results. Ideally, the report will respond to those questions by showing that the company did indeed cash in on rising gold prices, that the Veladero shutdown will not impact guidance, and that it is nearing a deal to hit its debt reduction target. If not, it will only lead to more questions, such as how it missed the mark and what it intends to do to address the situation.
Oil prices fell early on Monday as Iraq said it wanted to be exempt from any deal by producer cartel OPEC to cut production to prop up the market, and as U.S. drillers stepped up work.

International Brent crude oil futures were trading at $51.61 per barrel at 0051 GMT, down 17 cents from their last close.

U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures were down 20 cents at $50.56 a barrel.

Traders said the price falls were a result of comments from Iraq, which said it wanted to be exempt from a production cut by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) that the group plans to decide at its Nov. 30 meeting.

OPEC plans to reduce production to a range of 32.50 million to 33.0 million barrels per day, down from 33.39 million bpd in September.

That would be harder to achieve if OPEC-member Iraq, which is the group's second-biggest producer after Saudi Arabia, didn't participate.

Iraq 's deputy oil minister Fayadh al-Nema said on Sunday that the country's oil production stood at 4.774 million bpd, with exports standing at 3.87 million bpd.

"We are not going back in any way, not by OPEC not by anybody else," said Falah al-Amri, the head of Iraq's State Oil Marketing Company.

"Comments by Iraq over the weekend that it may not join the OPEC agreement to cut production could see oil prices come under pressure in todays session," ANZ bank said on Monday.

Also pressuring the market, oil services firm Baker Hughes reported that U.S. oil rigs rose by 11 this week, the first double-digit growth since August. [RIG/U]

On the demand side, Japan's crude imports fell 4.6 percent in September from the same month a year earlier, to 3.27 million bpd, the Ministry of Finance said on Monday.

Despite the doubts over OPEC's ability to cut output and weak consumption in the world's biggest importer, analysts said that oil markets, which have been dogged by two years of oversupply, might be rebalancing in terms of production and consumption.

"Statistical balances suggest that conditions have improved markedly. We suspect that the market is moving more quickly into balance than is generally recognized," Barclays bank said in a note to clients on Sunday.

"The market moved into a small deficit in Q3, will remain so in Q4 and then the deficit will expand significantly in 2017," it added.

(Reporting by Henning Gloystein; Editing by Joseph Radford)
In honor of National Down Syndrome month, FOXBusiness.com caught up with the nonprofit organization building baskets that welcome and encourage parents having a child with Down syndrome.

One day, after watching YouTube videos about families helping other families with the disability, Brittany went to her parents with an idea.

I say mom, dad, can I help babies born with Down syndrome? said Schiavone. And they say, absolutely Brittany, go for it!

So, she sat down with her mom to discuss exactly how she wanted to accomplish that goal.

It took us a little while to figure out exactly what she had in mind, Susan Schiavone, Brittanys mom, said. But there was born the idea of Brittanys Baskets of Hope an official 501 (c) organization.

About one in every 700 hundred babies are born with Down syndrome, according to the National Down Syndrome Society, and Brittany has made it her mission to help parents better understand what it means to have a newborn with the disability.

I want everybody to know that babies born with Down syndrome really, really can do anything, adds Schiavone.

More On This:
Given where gold was last quarter, Barrick Gold was able to produce $274 million in free cash flow during the quarter. It marked the fifth straight quarter that it generated free cash flow. The company should not have a problem extending that streak given that the price of gold was even stronger during the third quarter:

Gold Price in US DollarsYCharts

In fact, Barrick Gold's falling costs should have driven its free cash flow substantially higher during the quarter as it cashed in on those higher prices. If it did not, investors should look to see if the company had any unexpected setbacks.

2. Did the Veladero Mine shutdown affect full-year guidance?

We already know that the company did experience one setback during the quarter. In mid-September, Barrick Gold announced that it had to temporarily suspend operations at its Veladero Mine in Argentina pending further inspections of that mine's heap leach area. That was after falling ice damaged a pipe, which then started leaking. Because of this problem, the company did not resume operations at the mine until early October.

When Barrick announced that it restarted production at the mine, it said that it was still assessing the impact that the shutdown would have on the mine's production for the full year. As such, it is possible that this shutdown could affect the company's full-year guidance. While the company did say that it continues to believe that it will produce between 5 million to 5.5 million ounces this year, investors should be on the lookout for any changes to the company's guidance as a result of this or any other issues.

3. Is it still on pace to hit its debt reduction target?

The final question that investors want to see the company answer this week is whether or not it remains on target to hit its debt reduction goal. The company's aim is to reduce debt another $2 billion from the $9 billion it had to start the year. As of the end of last quarter, the company was halfway to its target after cutting debt by a total of $968 million.

Asset sales have been the primary driver of debt reduction over the past year. For example, earlier this year it closed a $610 million non-core asset sale to Kinross Gold (NYSE: KGC). That was a significant transaction for both companies, with Kinross Gold bolstering its asset base while Barrick got much-needed cash for debt reduction.

Looking ahead, Barrick Gold said last quarter that it had initiated a process to explore the sale of its 50% stake in the KCGM joint venture in Australia, which it co-owns with Newmont Mining (NYSE: NEM). That venture owns the biggest open-pit gold mine in the country, producing 700,000 ounces of gold per year. Because of its size, the sale of this entity could bring a considerable cash haul to Barrick for debt reduction. That said, more's at stake than just cash for debt reduction. That's because Newmont Mining is one of the parties interested in buying out Barrick's stake. That is worth noting because the full transfer of ownership of this mine to Newmont could cause Barrick to lose its crown as the world's largest gold miner to its partner. That said, given Barrick's desire to cut debt, investors want to see progress on debt reduction as long as it receives good value for the asset, even if it leads to the company getting unseated as the top gold miner by Newmont.

Investor takeaway

Barrick Gold has many questions to answer this week when it reports its third-quarter results. Ideally, the report will respond to those questions by showing that the company did indeed cash in on rising gold prices, that the Veladero shutdown will not impact guidance, and that it is nearing a deal to hit its debt reduction target. If not, it will only lead to more questions, such as how it missed the mark and what it intends to do to address the situation.

A secret billion-dollar stock opportunity

The world's biggest tech company forgot to show you something, but a few Wall Street analysts and the Fool didn't miss a beat: There's a small company that's powering their brand-new gadgets and the coming revolution in technology. And we think its stock price has nearly unlimited room to run for early in-the-know investors! To be one of them, just click here

Matt DiLallofree for 30 daysconsidering a diverse range of insightsdisclosure policy
Image source: Getty Images.

Eagle Materials (NYSE: EXP) reported solid fiscal second-quarter results before the market opened on Monday. The strong construction market drove results, more than offsetting the company's exposure to the weak oil market. Looking ahead, the company expects the construction market to continue to strengthen at the same time it sees oil-related spending recovering, which positions it to deliver improving financial results.

Eagle Materials results: The raw numbers

Data source: Eagle Materials Inc.

What happened with Eagle Materials this quarter?

Eagle Materials' cement business continues to set records:

Cement revenues edged up 1% to $166.8 million thanks to a 3% increase in the net average sales price. That said, volumes did slip 3% to 1.4 million tons due primarily to above average rainfall in the Midwest. Despite those weaker volumes, operating earnings rose 4% to a record $50.7 million. Driving profitability was a higher average sales price as well as the company's shift from oil well cement to construction grade cement in its joint venture. Meanwhile, concrete and aggregate revenue rose 7% to $38.8 million while operating profit surged 25% to $4.8 million due to improving aggregate sales volumes and higher pricing for aggregates and concrete.

During the quarter Eagle Materials announced that it has agreed to acquire Cemex 's (NYSE: CX) cement plant in Fairborn, Ohio for $400 million. That transaction will bolster Eagle's annual cement capacity by 20% to roughly 6 million tons while providing Cemex with cash to pay down debt. Both companies expect the transaction to close by the end of this year.

's (NYSE: CX) cement plant in Fairborn, Ohio for $400 million. That transaction will bolster Eagle's annual cement capacity by 20% to roughly 6 million tons while providing Cemex with cash to pay down debt. Both companies expect the transaction to close by the end of this year. Eagle Material's gypsum wallboard and paperboard sales were up 6% to $151.9 million while operating earnings increased 8% to $51.9 million. Rising volumes and lower costs more than offset weaker pricing.

The oil and gas proppants segment continued to be a drag on financial results due to the oil market downturn. That segment's revenue slumped 64% year over year on a 45% plunge in sales volumes. Those plunging volumes kept the segment in the red, with it reporting an operating loss of $4.1 million. On a more positive note, sand volumes surged 50% over the prior quarter thanks to a noticeable turn in proppant demand during the quarter. Rival proppant-maker Fairmont Santrol (NYSE: FMSA), likewise, reported a significant shift with its volumes jumping 20% sequentially. Because of that, Fairmont Santrol said that it was able to pass through much-needed price increases at the end of the quarter.

What management had to say

On Eagle Materials' fiscal second-quarter conference call, CEO Dave Powers offered the following perspective on its three business segments:

As Powers pointed out, construction spending is driving results at the moment, contributing strong volume growth, enabling the company to raise prices. That is more than offsetting weaker sales to oil-related customers. However, with oil prices improving this year, it is setting the oil market up for a recovery. Because of that, Powers expects that the company's oil-related businesses will experience a significant improvement in volume and pricing. Given what rival Fairmont Santrolnoted this quarter, that is starting to happen.

Looking forward

Eagle Materials sees three catalysts driving its results higher in the future. First, the company expects that the construction market will remain healthy and drive sales volume and pricing growth in its construction-related segments. Second, it sees the oil market starting to rebound, which should drive steady growth from its energy-related products. Finally, the company continuesto seek out additional acquisition opportunities even after acquiring the Cemex plant, with Powers saying on the call that Eagle is "looking at a few things." Combined, these catalysts could drive meaningful revenue, earnings, and cash flow growth over the next year.

A secret billion-dollar stock opportunity The world's biggest tech company forgot to show you something, but a few Wall Street analysts and the Fool didn't miss a beat: There's a small company that's powering their brand-new gadgets and the coming revolution in technology. And we think its stock price has nearly unlimited room to run for early in-the-know investors! To be one of them, just click here.

Matt DiLallo has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool recommends Eagle Materials. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
Standard & Poor's said Monday it's placing AT&T Inc.'s BBB-plus rating on CreditWatch negative, after the company said it has agreed to buy Time Warner Inc. for $85.4 billion. The agency said it expects to deal to push AT&T's adjusted debt-to-EBITDA ration to about 3.7 times, excluding synergies, from about 3.1 times. The deal will be funded with a mix of 50% equity and 50% cash, with the cash component to be funded through a combination of cash and debt. "We believe the acquisition has some strategic merits in that it will bring together Time Warner's vast library of content assets with AT&T's distribution capabilities," S&P credit analyst Chris Mooney said in a statement. Any downgrade will depend on the company's financial policy and commitment to debt reduction, its ability to growth EBITDA and generate free cash flow. S&P is expecting any potential downgrade to be limited to one notch, which would place the rating two notches above speculative, or "junk" bond status. AT&T shares were down 1.8%.

Copyright  2016 MarketWatch, Inc.
On this week's Rule Breakers podcast, Motley Fool co-founder David Gardner interviews Candace Millard, whose latest gripping dive into history is Hero of the Empire: The Boer War, a Daring Escape, and the Making of Winston Churchill. In this segment, she gives an overview of the 24-year-old Winston, a young man who went off to war to make his name, and who did in fact transform himself into a hero, at a turning point in world and military history.

A transcript follows the video.

A secret billion-dollar stock opportunity The world's biggest tech company forgot to show you something, but a few Wall Street analysts and the Fool didn't miss a beat: There's a small company that's powering their brand-new gadgets and the coming revolution in technology. And we think its stock price has nearly unlimited room to run for early in-the-know investors! To be one of them, just click here.

This podcast was recorded on Sept. 28, 2016.

David Gardner: So your new book, Hero of the Empire, focuses on Winston Churchill. But not the jolly, silver-tongued fellow who helped save his country and maybe the Western world from Hitler, but you're focused on the 24-year-old. Why Churchill at 24? Why this story?

Candace Millard: Well, this is really the making of Winston Churchill. So Churchill had run for Parliament before this war and had lost. And he saw this war as an opportunity to make his name and become famous. Now, he never could have predicted what happened, but the fact is that this war did turn him into a hero. He ran again while the war was still going on. He went back to England, and ran again, and he won and it launched his career.

The Boer War, itself, is really also the beginning of modern warfare. Some of the first guerrilla fighting. First concentration camp. It really prepared the British Army for World War I, so there's just a lot that's very, very fascinating to me about this. And it's seeing this man's formation -- this man we all know, this incredibly famous human being -- where he came from and how he got there.

Gardner: And the book largely covers... It starts with an escape from a prison and then a 300-mile trek?

Millard: Uh-huh.

Gardner: Do I have it right? Now I have not read it, yet. I read your previous two, but this has just come out this week. But is that where we're headed?

Millard: Yes.

Gardner: No spoilers?

Millard: Right. Well, it doesn't start there. It actually starts with him in Malakand, in British India, fighting there, so you can understand who he was. So again, he's 24 years old, but he's already been in three wars on three different continents. He's already written three books. He's run for Parliament. So he's this incredibly ambitious young man who is willing to risk anything, even his life, for the fame and attention that he thinks will propel him to political power, which he thinks is his destiny.

So it brings him to South Africa. He's actually a correspondent (he's left the military at that point), so he's a correspondent there to cover the war, and he's very quickly captured.

Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
Samantha Burke Okay, so she still hasn't quite made it to Hollywood, but Samantha gave birth to Jude Law's fourth child after a brief fling in 2009. So she's famous by association. Just a year before giving birth to the movie star's daughter, Samantha worked at a Pensacola Beach, Florida Hooters.
An Australian woman and her sweetheart recently got married in the nude in front of 700 people after she woke from a 31-day coma and lost her wedding dress.

The Daily Mirror reported that doctors werent sure whether Monique Penberthy, 31, would survive after contracting the rare flesh-eating infection necrotizing fasciitis in November 2015, so her wedding day was called off and her dress was sold.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the bacterial skin infection spreads quickly and kills the bodys tissue. Without prompt antibiotic treatment and surgery, necrotizing fasciitis can become deadly in a short amount of time.

When Penberthy came to in December 2015, she was still weak and learned that her mother, Donna, had called the big day off.

She was disappointed, as she and her fiance, Rowan, had planned an Alice in Wonderland-themed party. Before getting sick, Penberthy, who weighs 364 pounds, had struggled to find a dress that fit her.

When Penberthy eventually regained her strength, the couple decided to reschedule the wedding without going to the trouble of getting a new frock.

Id survived death so what did my weight matter? Penberthy told the Daily Mirror. I wasnt embarrassed. I was more concerned about my hair looking okay, as it had fallen out in clumps since my coma, leaving me self-conscious.

After, everyone hugged and congratulated us, she added. It was beautiful, a dream come true.

Although various bacteria can cause the infection, the CDC monitors only some strains. Since 2010, about 700 to 1100 cases of necrotizing fasciitis caused by group A strep occur each year in the United States. Individuals with a strong immune system and good hygiene are extremely unlikely to contracting the infection, according to the CDC.
In what his family is equating to a horror movie, an Arizona man fell ill and, four days later, died from a flesh-eating bacteria infection.

On Sept. 11, Michael Funk had just returned to his Ocean City, Maryland condominium when he began to feel ill after cleaning crab pots, DelmarvaNow reported. Funk was taken to the hospital, where a surgeon removed infected skin from his leg. He was then flown to a shock trauma hospital in Baltimore, where his leg was amputated.

"It was very fast moving," his widow, Marcia Funk, told DelmarvaNow. "He was in so much pain."

Funk told the news station Ocean City failed to share adequate warning about the bacteria, vibrio vunificus.

"I really feel they kept it quiet because it's a tourist resort," she told DelmarvaNow. "It's like something out of a horror movie."

In 2014, state officials issued an advisory of an outbreak of the bacteria that infected 57 in 2013. Ocean City spokeswoman Jessica Waters told DelmarvaNow that the municipality has many outreach and education campaigns, but the bacteria "has never been part of our awareness efforts, at least to my knowledge."

Vibrio is most common in warm, brackish waters with low salinity. The bacteria can also be contracted from consuming raw or undercooked seafood, or, as in Funks case, from the infection entering through cuts, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Funk enjoyed being on the water.

"He loved the water, he loved boating, he loved crabbing," his widow told DelmarvaNow. "Basically, what he loved doing took his life."
The story of an Italian woman who died after giving premature birth to twins isn't turning out to be a straightforward "complications during childbirth" story, with her family now claiming her doctor refused to perform a life-saving abortion, reports the BBC.

On Sept. 29, Valentina Milluzzo was rushed to a hospital on the east coast of Sicily with complications in her 19th week of pregnancy, and she went into premature labor.

For more than two weeks she was more or less stable, but things took a turn for the worse on Oct. 15: Her lawyer says one of the fetuses developed severe breathing issues, and as her own condition deteriorated, the doctor taking care of her refused to carry out an abortion she requested, reportedly noting he was a "conscientious objector" and saying, "I will not intervene as long as it's alive," Deutsche Welle reports.

Milluzzo miscarried both fetuses, got an infection, and died Oct. 16. Italian doctors are indeed a conservative lot when it comes to abortions, with government figures showing about 70 percent of OB-GYNs there balked at terminating pregnancies in 2013; in Sicily, that stat rose to nearly 88 percenteven though abortion is legal up to 12 weeks, and after that if the life of the mother is in danger or the fetus has severe problems.

Doctors are able to register as conscientious objectors to abortions, but sources tell the Ansa news agency this particular doctor wasn't registered. The hospital's argument: Even if it were a conscientious objection (and the hospital says the doctor never claimed that), outside specialists are recruited to carry out abortionsbut since Milluzzo miscarried naturally, there was no need for outside help to be brought in.

In the meantime, Milluzzo's burial has been put off until the investigation into her death is complete. (This woman live-tweeted her 48-hour trip to get an abortion.)

This article originally appeared on Newser: Woman Dies After Miscarriage, 'Conscientious Objector' Doctor Blamed
"Liar." "Lock her up." "Such a nasty woman." "Prison for Hillary." If you have followed this Presidential campaign, youre familiar with these words and phrases.

In the last few days, President George H.W. Bushs letter to incoming president William Jefferson Clinton has gotten a little attention. In the letter, Bush 41 wishes his successor a happy time in the White House, cautions him not to be discouraged from pursuing his goals, and commits to Bill that he is now "our" president.

Sounds almost quaint, like something from another century; indeed, it was. Today, candidates think they must resort to hateful rhetoric. Is civility part of a bygone era that we will never see again?

While nastiness and negative campaigns have always been with us, this new cycle of demonizing began in 2009 when President Obama unveiled his Affordable Care Act to a Joint Session of Congress. Congressman Joe Wilson of South Carolina shouted, "You lie!" twice. Many people, on both sides of the aisle, were repulsed. Never had someone, much less a member of Congress, addressed the president of the United States that way. Joe Wilson's outburst is minor league if we compare it to the language of 2016.

We have gone to our respective corners, and the only way we win is to vanquish the other side. The problem is, in that game, nobody wins. Yes, we have our policy differences, but when you add crude and uncivil language to the pot, those policy differences never get resolved because we refuse to talk to each other.

I am currently teaching a course on "campaigns and elections." My millennial students are preparing for their first presidential vote; it is unlikely that they remember more than one previous election. Here's my problem. They think that the language of this campaign is normal! For those of us who have been here awhile, we know it's not.

When all is said and done on November 9, how do we govern? How do we put this back together?

We have gone to our respective corners, and the only way we win is to vanquish the other side. The problem is, in that game, nobody wins. Yes, we have our policy differences, but when you add crude and uncivil language to the pot, those policy differences never get resolved because we refuse to talk to each other.

Senators Ted Kennedy (D-Mass.) and Strom Thurmond (R-S.C.) agreed on nothing when they served together in the Senate. But each would address the other as my honorable colleague from the great state of_____" Its antiquated but it speaks to how you get along in order to govern.

People have a right to be mad. Government has failed working-class Americans. And so, it is normal to lash out. But what Trump is doing is manipulative. He knows that coarse and crude language is like catnip to the media.

There is no doubt that both sides have used coarse language, but to equate them is a false equivalency. Parents who are Trump supporters are the ones allowing their children to wear "lock her up" T-shirts and carry signs that say "Trump that b*tch."

Maybe this is the new normal. Maybe baby boomers and others who are chronologically gifted can only look back and say it was different in the "good ole days." Maybe our children will watch ads on television and not recoil the way we do. But is that what we want for our politics and our country?
Editors note: The following column originally appeared in The Hill newspaper and on TheHill.com.

My cell phone started ringing before dawn in Las Vegas last Wednesday.

At first, I thought frat boys had found my number and decided to prank me on the morning of the final debate between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton. The flood of anonymous calls began politely, checking to see if it was really me. Then they sank into rude and threatening language.

By 4 a.m., I figured out that a new batch of hacked emails from Hillary Clintons campaign chairman, John Podesta, had been released, including a note I wrote to Podesta with my cell number.

By dawn, I had new appreciation for the phrase your cell phone is blowing up. It literally did not stop ringing with phone calls, buzzing with text messages, chiming with new email.

The barrage of crude suggestions about me  ignorant, alcoholic and token black on Fox that needs to go,  was interspersed with cheerleading: Trump Will Win, TRUMP, TRUMP, TRUMP and Juan, you are a piece of  just wait till TRUMP wins by landslide.

But there was one serious line of criticism of my journalism in the anonymous text messages. The Trump supporters took my email to Podesta as proof that I am a liberal stooge, who is guilty of continued deceit.

Now we know you are as corrupt as all the rest, one Trump-backer wrote.

Another concluded: You are a sell-out, Criminal Clinton-crony. A more poetic version read: Hows it feel being in Podestas pocket? Dark in there? If journalists have to kiss ass to get in, thats ridiculous. In three weeks we will see that those polls were cooked.

And one nasty note screamed: Hey, you little bitch, Im so glad we found out today you are paid for by Hillary and now I will never listen to you again.

The note to Podesta that led people to this condemnation of how I practice journalism was pretty straightforward.

It came after we had a brief talk at an April 2015 political event in Washington. He was heading out of town to look at organizing efforts in a few states and would be back in ten days.

My note read: Love to have a chance to speak with you when you get back from your travels. I gave him the cell number and asked that we set a date. I wanted to talk to the chairman of a leading candidates political operation at the beginning of the campaign. That was all.

At that point I was similarly talking with the people running Jeb Bushs effort on the Republican side and having lunch with Ed Rollins, who later became head of the Great America super-PAC, a pro-Trump group. I was also guilty of sitting down with other Washington journalists to talk with Ben Carson, Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio. I went to Nevada to attend a Bernie Sanders rally and briefly chat with him.

To me, this is the business of journalism: putting in the time to work the phones, develop ties to people  also known as sources  at the heart of politics to better inform readers and viewers about the gears moving to drive daily headlines.

But to my Trump critics, the note to Podesta is evidence that this journalist has a hidden political agenda  pumping up Clintons candidacy.

In their minds, it fit with emails from reporters found in earlier WikiLeaks dumps sent to Podesta. For example, CNBC contributor John Harwood wrote to him in chummy language critics later described as flattery.

And it fit with the email sent by New York Times Magazine writer Mark Leibovich to Clinton Press Secretary Jennifer Palmieri  again released by WikiLeaks  asking for permission to print a quote from an off-the-record interview with Clinton.

There is no corruption here. Yes, Washington reporters looking for access do ingratiate themselves with politicians in order to get face time. This is an everyday reality to me after 40 years working in the news business for The Washington Post, National Public Radio and Fox News Channel. It does not add up to telling lies or covering up wrongdoing.

To the contrary, good sources opening up to reporters led to the Pentagon Papers story and Watergate in the 1970s.

But in present-day journalism, news outlets are defined less by getting stories of interest to mass audiences than by their success in tailoring news for conservative or liberal audiences. Now, there is less investigative journalism. And now the publics view of a reporter talking to a source on the other side of the political divide is that he is a shill or working with enemies.

So a reporter trying to sit down with Podesta is suspected of becoming his James Boswell, the personal biographer and chief flatterer of the 18th century literary figure Samuel Johnson.

At last weeks debate, Clinton said U.S. intelligence agencies have identified Russian President Vladimir Putin as the force trying to undermine her campaign by feeding Podestas hacked emails to WikiLeaks. Putin also has a hostile, repressive history with independent journalism in his country. And Trump, Clinton said, has become a puppet for Putin.

Trump fired back at Clinton  Youre the puppet  and said Putin had outsmarted her when she was Secretary of State. Later in the debate, he also refused to agree to respect the outcome of the election.

At the debate, Clinton said Trump is talking down our democracy. She is right. Journalists  including me  now fall into Trump and Putins autocratic worldview as pawns of their foes.

Trump really is talking down the idea of a free press and honest journalism. I can tell you from personal experience.


For a certain kind of liberal internationalist, the International Criminal Court (ICC) is one of the worlds more noble innovations. Created by 1998 Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court and situated in The Hague, the ICC is charged with prosecuting war crimes, genocide, crimes against humanity, and aggression. Fourteen years after formally opening for business in 2002, the Court is facing challenges that threaten its future.

For the first time this week, an ICC member stateBurundi--decided to withdraw from the Rome Statute. Burundis decision was soon echoed by another, much bigger and more influential country, South Africa. These decisions could foreshadow a broader exit movement among African countries.

Whats going on? Burundis decision was precipitated by the announcement of a preliminary examination by the Court into alleged crimes against humanity in the country. There is substantial evidence that the Burundian government is complicit in many abuses and the decision to withdraw from the ICC is, no doubt, based on self-interest rather than principle.

According to U.S. State Department spokesman John Kirby, withdrawing from the ICC would isolate Burundi from its neighbors and the international community at a time when accountability, transparency and engaged dialogue are most needed.

Transparency, accountability, and dialogue are always welcome, but will this decision isolate Burundi from its neighbors? Unlikely. The violence perpetrated by the Burundian government has angered and disappointed its neighbors, but hostility toward the ICC is hardly rare on the continent.

The negative attitudes are based on the perception that the ICC is disproportionately focused on Africa and ignores equally horrific situations in other parts of the world. Some African governments dismiss the ICC to a neo-colonial tool of Western governments.

This characterization is exaggerated and ignores the fact that many ICC cases were referred to the Court by African governments themselves. But the fact remains that of 10 situations under investigation at the ICC, 9 are in African nations. All of the cases before the Court involve African defendants and all of those indicted are tied to African investigations.

By contrast, some of the worst crimes in the world, such as the atrocities in Syria, are not being addressed by the Court. There are reasons, of course. The ICC lacks jurisdiction in Syria and Iraq, for example, because neither country is a party to the Rome Statute, and Russia and China have vetoed Security Council resolutions referring situations in those countries to the Court.

This helps explain why the African Union supported a call from Kenya earlier this year urging African member states to withdraw from the Rome Statute. Kenyan leaders have been the subject of ICC investigations, and the Kenyan parliament voted to withdraw from the ICC in 2013. But to date, Kenya has not formally carried out that action.

South Africas shocking announcement this week that it intends to withdraw could lead Kenya to act. It also highlights that dissatisfaction with the ICC among African countries is not solely driven by a desire to avoid ICC prosecution, but also by the political complexities of being a State Party to the statute.

South Africa was roundly criticized for failing to arrest Sudanese President Omar Al Bashir, who is subject to an ICC warrant for alleged genocidal crimes in Darfur, when he visited the South Africa. These diplomatic complications were cited by South Africa as a key reason for its withdrawal decision.

If influential African nations like Kenya and South Africa withdraw from the Rome Statute, it could open the flood gates. Such a move would be crippling for the ICC  34 of the 124 ICC states parties are African.

The Court is already hampered by the fact that major and rising powers have refused to join the ICC, including China, India, Russia and the U.S. None of them is likely to leap into the breach to save the Court, at least by joining themselves.

Although he signed the Rome Statute in 2000, President Bill Clinton recommended that President George W. Bush not submit the Statute to the Senate for advice and consent necessary for U.S. ratification.

For its part, the U.S. has concluded that the ICC is a flawed institution that lacks prudent safeguards against politicization, is insufficiently accountable to the U.N. Security Council, and violates national sovereignty by claiming jurisdiction over the nationals and military personnel of non-party states in some circumstances.

The U.S. has selectively backed the ICC, including supporting Security Council referrals of situations in Sudan and Libya to the Court. But even under President Obama the U.S. has not ratified the Rome Statute. Moreover, over 90 bilateral agreements prevent countries from turning over U.S. citizens to the Court without U.S. permission.

Beyond the political concerns, there are practical problems with the ICC. Put simply, the ICC is expensive, slow, and entirely reliant on the cooperation of governments.

The ICC has 800 staff and a 2016 budget of over $150 million, but since 2002, the Court has launched only 23 cases and managed to arrive at 4 convictions. It has issued 29 arrest warrants, but 13 suspects remain at large either due to an inability to locate them or deliberate decisions not to arrest them by governments.

There are also questions as to whether the ICC can be an even handed institution of justice. How can the ICC, for example, effectively pursue and prosecute high-ranking government officials when it depends on cooperation by their governments to arrest them and provide evidence? Unsurprisingly, witness intimidation and deliberate obstruction have hindered the ICC in cases involving government officials, and the Courts successful prosecutions have mainly involved political opposition figures or fugitives.

The ICC was established for a noble purpose. Who can oppose the desire to hold people to account for horrible crimes?

As it turns out, lots of people. The ICC has always been an effort to elevate principle over Realpolitik. Events indicate that effort is failing.
The Clinton campaigns recent attacks on Donald Trump for his comments about a beauty queens weight problems were months in the making, according to an opposition research report uncovered in emails released by WikiLeaks on Sunday.

Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton invoked those comments during the first presidential debate on Sept. 26. Near the end of the showdown, during a sustained riff about the Republican nominee's past remarks about women, Clinton cited the case of Miss Universe 1996 Alicia Machado.

And one of the worst things he said was about a woman in a beauty contest, Clinton said. He loves beauty contests, supporting them and hanging around them. And he called this woman Miss Piggy. Then he called her Miss Housekeeping, because she was Latina. Donald, she has a name.

Trump responded: Where did you find this?

The answer is: in a 157-page opposition research file that Clintons campaign had been using since at least Dec. 19, 2015, the day research director Tony Carrk emailed it  and research files on Sens. Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio  to Clinton Campaign Chairman John Podesta. Podestas emails were subsequently hacked and more than 25,000 of them have been released so far by anti-secrecy group WikiLeaks.

TRUMP SLAMS MACHADO: 'I SAVED HER JOB'

In a section on Page 31 titled Trump Has Devalued And Demeaned Women Repeatedly Throughout His Career, Trumps comments to This Morning in 1997 are transcribed under the heading Trump On Miss Universe Pageant Winner.

She weighed 118 pounds, or 117 pounds, and she went up to 160 or 170, Trump said on This Morning. So this is somebody that likes to eat.

Machado is not identified by her last name, and her first name is misspelled Alisa. The supposed Miss Piggy and Miss Housekeeping put-downs do not appear either. However, Trumps printed comments on Machado in the document seemingly show the Clinton campaign began considering using the episode against the business mogul before the primaries even began.

While Machado had supported and campaigned with Clinton since June 2016, her name and story didnt gain national political attention until after the September Hofstra debate  and Trumps comments and tweets about Machado in the following days, which extended the dispute. Clintons campaign was quick to capitalize, coordinating media appearances and using Machado in campaign ads.

Several other avenues of attack outlined in the 2015 Trump report have also appeared during Clintons campaign against the GOP nominee. Much of the material was also used by Trumps Republican primary rivals.

The Clinton campaign Trump file includes headers such as: Reliance On Chinese Goods; Support From White Supremacists; and Trump University. A subsection in a unit on immigration is titled Conspiracy Theories. Subsections on Trumps personal life include notes on Net Worth, Dodging Personal Bankruptcy and Comments on Fidelity and Pre-Nuptial Agreements.

The serious planning to battle Trump as nominee stretches back to at least September 2015 for Team Clinton. In a Sept. 15 email to campaign manager Robby Mook, Podesta advocates dropping Sen. Rand Paul from a nightly analytics report on Clinton's potential adversaries in favor of adding Trump.

In February, former Bill Clinton strategist Joel Johnson wrote to Hillary Clinton communications adviser Jennifer Palmieri asking about the plans to attack Trump.



"Who is in charge of the Trump swift boat project? Needs to be ready, funded and unleashed when we decide," Johnson wrote, referring to the 2004 campaign when the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth unleashed stinging attacks on Vietnam veteran and Democrat nominee Sen. John Kerry.

Meanwhile, other emails in the Podesta trove show Clinton aides initial reaction to some of President Obamas first comments about Clinton using a personal email address for government business, a controversy that has dogged her presidential campaign.

Obama told CBS News on March 7, 2015 that he learned of Clintons email practices through news reports at the same time the general public did. Campaign aides quickly circulated a New York Times article featuring the presidents remarks and appeared confused by Obamas claim. Palmieri emailed senior Clinton adviser Philippe Reines early on March 8 with a suggestion.

Suggest Philippe talk to [White House press officials]. They know POTUS and HRC emailed, Palmieri wrote, using acronyms for president of the United States and Hillary Rodham Clinton. Josh has been asked about that. Standard practice is not to confirm anything about his email, so his answer to press was that he would not comment/confirm. I recollect that Josh was also asked if POTUS ever noticed her personal email account and he said something like POTUS likely had better things to do than focus on his Cabinets email addresses.

The following day, White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest tried to clear up any confusion during his daily press briefing.

The point that the president was making is not that he didnt know Secretary Clintons email address, he did, Earnest said. But he was not aware of the details of how that email address and that server had been set up or how Secretary Clinton and her team were planning to comply with the Federal Records Act.
Former Ku Klux Klan leader David Duke, an avowed white supremacist, picked up enough public support to qualify for Louisianas televised Senate debate next month being held at Dillard University  a historically black college in New Orleans.

Duke tweeted the news Oct. 20  Important News! I qualified

for the U.S. Senate most important debate in Louisiana on Nov. 2. I cant wait to tell truth nobody else dares!

Candidates must pull in at least 5 percent in a poll taken for Raycom Media to qualify for the debate.

Duke made the cut with 5.1 percent. He trails Republican State Treasurer John Kennedys 24.2 percent and Democrat Foster Campbells 18.9 percent in the race for retiring GOP Sen. David Vitter's seat.

Thats amazing, Duke said when he learned he would participate in the Nov. 2 debate.

Dillard is pretty supportive of Black Lives Matter, and Ive been pretty critical of them, Duke told The Acadiana Advocate.

According to the paper, he cited some security concerns but said he planned on attending.

On Saturday, Dillard University released a statement saying the university does not endorse the candidacy of any of the candidates who will appear at the debate.

Duke, a former Republican state representative and convicted felon, said the climate of this country has moved in my direction.

After submitting his paperwork for the ballot in July, Duke said he believed his time has come.

Duke has publicly praised Donald Trumps presidential campaign  though Trump disavowed Duke in March.
California lawmakers from both sides of the aisle piled on the Pentagon after reports it is forcing service members to repay enlistment bonuses improperly paid to thousands of National Guard soldiers a decade ago.

The Defense Department ordered as many as 10,500 former National Guardsmen from California to pay back enlistment bonuses totaling as much as $20 million, or $15,000, according to The Los Angeles Times. The bonuses were paid to entice more people to enlist during the U.S.-led wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, a 2013 Inspector General's report deemed some excessive.

House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy called the Pentagon demands disgraceful." McCarthy, R-Bakersfield, said the House will demand answers from the National Guard Bureau, the Pentagon agency that oversees the California branch of the Guard.

REELING ISIS TRICKS YOUNG BOYS INTO MANNING FRONT LINES

McCarthy was joined in outrage by fellow Golden State Republican congressmen Darrell Issa and Duncan Hunter, and Mark Takano, a Democrat.

"I find it hard to believe either you or your leadership team was aware that such a boneheaded decision was made to demand repayment," Hunter wrote in a letter to Defense Secretary Ashton Carter in which he asked Carter to put his weight behind a quick remedy.

Takano called it "ridiculous," and said Congress is prepared to act.



"These service members  many of whom were sent into combat  are now being forced to make difficult and painful decisions to pay back thousands of dollars they never knew they owed, said Takano said, a member of the House Veterans Affairs Committee. The solution to this ridiculous situation is an act of Congress.

Pentagon spokesman Capt. Jeff Davis said those who have been told to repay their bonuses can appeal the order.

Soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines who volunteer to serve this country deserve our gratitude, respect, and the full support of the Department of Defense," Davis said.

We have the authority to waive individual repayments on [a] one-by-one basis," added Davis. Individuals have to apply. There is not currently the authority to waive these things writ large.

Iraq veteran and former Army Capt. Christopher Van Meter, 42, was ordered to repay a $25,000 reenlistment bonus the Pentagon said he was ineligible to receive. He was also asked to repay $21,000 in student loan repayments.

Van Meter told the LA Times that rather than fight the Army he paid back the money after refinancing his home.

These bonuses were used to keep people in, Van Meter said. People like me just got screwed.

The Times reported that 48-year-old Army Sgt. Robert Richmond, who suffered permanent injuries in an Iraq roadside bomb attack, is refusing to repay his $15,000 cash bonus. The Army contends he was ineligible to receive the bonus in 2006 because he had already served 20 years in the Army.

I signed a contract that I literally risked my life to fulfill, Richmond told the paper. We want somebody in the government, anybody, to say this is wrong and well stop going after his money.

Investigations determined that fraud and mismanagement due to poor oversight contributed to the California Guard bonus overpayments, according to the Times.

California Guard officials conceded to the paper that taking back the money from military veterans is distasteful.

At the end of the day, the soldiers ended up paying the largest price, Maj. Gen. Matthew Beevers, deputy commander of the California Guard, said. Wed be more than happy to absolve these people of their debts. We just cant do it. Wed be breaking the law.

Some guardsmen face even more serious punishment. Eight current or former members of the California National Guard were indicted in 2014 on federal charges for fraudulently obtaining recruiting referral bonuses, according to The Associated Press.

Military.com reported that one former service member was enticed by a $10,000 bonus to leave the Reserves and join the California National Guard as a military police member for a deployment to Iraq in 2009.

"I served two years in Iraq and then came home in 2011 to find out the CA ARNG did not have the correct paperwork and I was required to pay back the bonus," the individual wrote to Military.com's Paycheck Chronicles blog in 2014.

Issa said the effort to recoup bonuses from men and women who wentinto harms way to serve their country is unconscionable.

"The recent report regarding reenlistment bonuses being clawed back are extremely troubling, Issa said. It is unconscionable that the responsibility for paying for bureaucratic malfeasance and corruption over a decade ago is being laid at the feet of the heroes who put themselves in harm's way to keep our nation safe. The Department of Defense should forgive these debts immediately."

Other parts of the Defense Department have mismanaged similar bonus programs.

Earlier this year, the Pentagon's bomb squad team was saddled with debt due to an accounting error. One member of the team committed suicide. The department agreed to forgive the debt after Military.com and The Washington Post reported on the case.
Southern California has Los Angeles, with its movie stars and beautiful beaches, and the Bay Area has hip San Francisco and Silicon Valley. But working class Fresno has one thing no other city in California does: a fully funded pension.

"The fact they are so rare is a strong indication that government shouldn't be involved in this business if basically you have to find one of every 100 who is doing it right," said Robert Fellner of Transparent California, a non-partisan research group.

Fresno is only one of seven cities or states nationwide with a pension surplus, according to a study by Fellner's organization and the group Wilshire Consulting. The rest are $6 trillion short, setting aside just 35 cents for every dollar promised.

Wisconsin is the only state more than 50 percent funded, according to the American Legislative Exchange Council. The five worst include Illinois, where 60 percent of state workers retired in their 50s. In Connecticut, pensions average $40,000 a year, yet state employees contribute just zero to two percent, compared to 6 percent in North Carolina, according to the ratings company, Fitch.

Back in the late 1990s, pension managers thought they were going to get 7 to 9 percent returns forever, so they gave in to union demands for bigger benefits. Then the bubble burst - first in 2000 and again in 2008.

"It literally is a system that says give us really rich benefits today that appear to be free. And if it does blow up in our faces it won't blow up for 20-30 years," said Fellner.

Fresno, however, is like the tale of two cities. The city pension fund is 100 percent funded. They actually have a surplus of nearly $300 million but the county of Fresno is unfunded. Pension liability is almost a billion dollars.

The difference? City and union officials agreed to a realistic benefits package.

"The unions have been amenable to keep things reasonable, and since they have been reasonable we are fully funded," said Robert Theller, the city's Retirement Administrator. As for the city, they dont dither, they dont argue, they dont cause problems. They just pay what is needed.

Pensions in the city of Fresno average $39,000, almost $20,000 a year less than the county. Police leaders say being modest helps them in the long run, especially when it comes to recruitment and job retention.

"It's better to be responsible and you take less of a benefit so that you have something at the end, than to be reformed and have nothing," said Jacky Parks, the head of the Fresno police union.

"(What) we've been able to do is strike that balance where we offer a really good retirement system that isnt going to break the bank and allows our city to remain solvent, " added Jerry Dyer, Fresno's police chief.

Until now, the courts have generally held that once a city signs a pension contract, its iron clad and cant be altered or broken. However, a recent appeals court ruling says the so-called California rule is not absolute, and a city can treat retirees like any other creditor.

The issue is now before the state Supreme Court. Given how many pension plans are underwater, experts say almost every city, county and state in the U.S. is waiting for a decision.
A map of an average congressional district would be - if one could channel the Founders intention - a fairly straightforward geometrical thing. But politics has distorted the geometry of modern congressional districts in a big way.

"Goofy kicking Donald Duck," is how one observer described a map of Pennsylvania's 7th congressional district - just one of several gerrymandered districts that Republicans are pinning their hopes on as a firewall against a Democratic run on November 8.

Having lost the White House and Congress in 2008, Republicans undertook a complex plan to win control of state legislatures around the country in the 2010 mid-terms. The first step was redrawing congressional districts.

Christopher Jankowski, a GOP strategist and former Executive Director of "Red Map," was one of the architects of the plan.

"The GOP has a built-in advantage from 2010 that continues to pay dividends and that advantage is going to prevent the House from flipping, certainly this year," he told Fox News.

In 37 of the 50 states, it is the legislature's role to draw congressional districts based upon population shifts recorded by the once-in-a-decade census. In those states, the party that controls the legislature can shape congressional districts in whatever way it sees fit, no matter how geometrically or geographically challenged they may appear.

North Carolina's 12th District is another case in point. That state's Republican-controlled legislature redrew the 12th into an amorphous shape that straddles and roughly parallels Interstate 85. The district is not much wider than the highway itself in some areas. One critic quipped, "You could drive down I-85 with both doors open and kill everybody in the 12th District."

But the bizarre shape effectively consolidated a big chunk of the states minority population into one district - ensuring minority representation in Congress, but also helping white, conservative GOP candidates in adjacent districts to win races by big margins - virtually guaranteeing their re-election through several cycles.

In Michigans 7th District, GOP redistricting sealed Democrat Mark Schauer's fate as a one-term congressman. "They drew a seat they expected to win and sort of took me out of the picture, just like they did with dozens, literally dozens of people just like me around the Congress," he told Fox News.

Schauer didnt get mad over his loss, but he got even. He is now heavily involved with a super PAC, Advantage 2020, which is helping Democrats try to retake control of state legislatures before the 2020 census. Schauer has plenty of company.

In a swing through the West last week, President Obama told a Las Vegas crowd, "We gotta have more Democratic members of Congress in the House of Representatives."

To that end, the President is working with former Attorney General Eric Holder to develop the National Democratic Redistricting Committee to do what Republicans did in 2010 - take back the House and the statehouses and to preserve what they hope to win.
A veteran and trusted Hillary Clinton adviser ripped the Democratic presidential nominee after seeing transcripts of post-State Department speeches Clinton gave discussing Wall Street, ObamaCare and Russian President Vladimir Putin, according to emails released by WikiLeaks.

Mandy Grunwald, an adviser to Clintons current White House bid, offered a particularly frank assessment on Jan. 23 after seeing the text of three speeches given to Goldman Sachs in 2013.

Its pretty bad, Grunwald wrote to a cadre of top Clinton aides. She is critical to some extent of what led to the crash but the more memorable stuff is totally accomodationist.

Grunwald cited Clinton saying the Dodd-Frank financial regulatory legislation was enacted because people needed to do something for political reasons and claiming Im not interested in pointing fingers.

Grunwald has been in the Clinton orbit since 1992 when she was director of advertising for Bill Clintons presidential campaign. Grunwald remained a close adviser to Hillary after that election and later worked as head of campaign media relations on her failed 2008 presidential bid.

The email, uncovered in Mondays WikiLeaks dump of emails hacked from Clinton Campaign Chairman John Podesta, came as Clinton was battling populist and uber-liberal challenger Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, a fierce critic of Wall Street. Grunwald may have also been especially sensitive to the language Clinton used since Grunwald worked on Elizabeth Warrens successful Senate campaign in Massachusetts. Warren and Sanders arguably are the most vocal Wall Street critics on Capitol Hill.

EMAILS SHOW CLINTON PRAISED PUTIN DURING SPEECHES

During the primary campaign, Sanders repeatedly called for Clinton to release her post-State Department speeches. Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump has echoed that demand, though Clinton repeatedly has refused to do so.

Portions of the speeches, however, eventually were disclosed in a lengthy document citing remarks that could prove harmful to Clintons campaign. That file was contained in WikiLeaks releases.

But Grunwald's criticisms stretched beyond Clintons financial sector comments.

There are also some very tepid comments about Obamacare, she wrote. And a ton of foreign policy stuff, including some naive sounding comments about Putin  that could cause a whole separate set of issues  but [aide] Jake [Sullivan] should review all that.

Clinton has been particularly critical throughout the general election of Trumps praise of Putin and views on Russia. But the Goldman Sachs speeches show that Clinton could also be cordial with the former KGB operative.

I would love it if we could continue to build a more positive relationship with Russia, Clinton said during a June 4, 2013 speech at Goldman Sachs IBD Ceo Annual Conference.

During the same speech she said: We would very much like to have a positive relationship with Russia and we would like to see Putin be less defensive toward a relationship with the United States so that we could work together on some issues.
It's still 10 months away, but sky gazers are already bursting with excitementand booking vacationsover what is predicted to be "one of the most spectacular and widely accessible solar shows of our lifetime," per Mother Nature Network.

On Aug. 21, 2017, the US will be treated to a total solar eclipse, which is special for a couple of reasons: It's the first in the continental US since 1979.

But whereas the 1979 eclipse was visible only to a relative handful of people, the 2017 version will be the first in 99 years to cross the country, from Oregon to South Carolina, meaning many more eyes will have the opportunity to catch it, reports the Washington Post.

See an interactive map here, and be warned: Plan now if you'll need to travel for it. "It's not too early, we promise," notes the post at MNN.

Campsites on the route already are booking up, and you can expect the same of hotels as the big day approaches. As for the event itself: "The sun will disappear for about 2.5 minutes, beginning in Oregon about 10:15am local time, notes the Post, and viewers in South Carolina will get the last glimpse about 90 minutes later. Don't live in Salem, Ore.; Casper, Wyo.; Columbia, SC; or anywhere else on the "totality" path? Don't fret: Live streams will be available and a partial eclipse will be visible in other parts of the country. To make the most of the day, though, you can travel to one of several events, per Astronomy, or book a spot on a tour bus. (It will look something like this.)

This article originally appeared on Newser: People Are Freaking Out About 2017 Solar Eclipse

More From Newser
Twitter, Facebook and Instagram are cutting ties with a social media surveillance company after a report by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) claimed it was being used by the police to target protesters.

Digital Trends reported in April that Geofeedia -- a social media mapping tool that analyses geotagged messages on the aforementioned platforms -- was receiving funds through the CIA's venture capital firm, In-Q-Tel, in light of a report by The Intercept.

Now, the ACLU claims it has uncovered documents in which Geofeedia touts the "special access" it has to user data thanks to its "arrangements" with the leading social networks. This despite the fact that all three social media companies have policies in place that prohibit developers from selling user data for the purposes of surveillance.

As a result of Geofeedia's marketing efforts, law enforcement in Oakland and Baltimore have used its tool to monitor protests, and target activist groups considered "overt threats," according to the ACLU.

In the case of Facebook -- and its photo-sharing platform Instagram -- Geofeedia was allowed to access public posts that included location-based user data in the case of the latter. Facebook also agreed to let it obtain a ranked feed relating to specific posts (broken down by hashtags, events, or specific places). Both Facebook and Instagram terminated this access on September 19, 2016.

Twitter had also allegedly been providing Geeofedia searchable access to its database of public tweets as recently as July. On Tuesday, the official Twitter Policy account tweeted that it is "immediately suspending Geofeedia's commercial access to Twitter data" as a result of ACLU's findings.

Based on information in the @ACLUs report, we are immediately suspending @Geofeedias commercial access to Twitter data.  Policy (@policy) October 11, 2016

"[Geofeedia] only had access to data that people chose to make public," a Facebook spokesperson said in a statement. "Its access was subject to the limitations in our Platform Policy, which outlines what we expect from developers that receive data using the Facebook Platform."

"If a developer uses our APIs in a way that has not been authorizedwe will take swift action to stop them and we will end our relationship altogether if necessary," the spokesperson added.

"Social media companies and their executives have expressed support for activists, movements, and free speech. Mark Zuckerberg endorsed Black Lives Matter and Twitter's CEO Jack Dorsey went to Ferguson," writes the ACLU in its blog post. "Yet there is a severe disconnect between these positions and the data access they have provided."
When disaster strikes, whether it is a devastating hurricane or a terrorist attack, one good idea could save thousands of lives. And that idea could come from anywhere.

At the inaugural MD5 Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) hackathon in Brooklyn, New York, the gauntlet was thrown down: bring your imagination, your brains, your experience, your talent, and collaborate to defeat disasters.

The timely, three-day MD5 hackathon kicked off October 14 and brought together highly-experienced military and first responders with the innovators.

The goal? Within just a weekend, teams had to create tech to solve difficult problems that arise when responding to threats in a city.

Teams listened closely and chose a challenge to solve. It could be locating a firefighter in a burning building, or it could be a better way to share the movements of all first responders on city roads in a crisis to better coordinate response.

The MD5 Hackathon provided a chance to do some goodand to win a cash prize up to $15,000. Folks from all over the country answered the call.

Who are the hackers?

Firefighters, military personnel, entrepreneurs, students, military academies students, researchers, technologists and more converged at the Brooklyn Naval Yard. Once the site where military shipbuilding was in full swing during the Civil War and World War II, the Naval Yard became the inspiring setting for a new generation determined to make a difference.

The MD5 National Security Technology Accelerator is a partnership between the Department of Defense, New York University and a network of additional universities like Columbia University, West Virginia University and University of Southern Mississippi.

At the helm of this important initiative is MD5 Director Adam Jay Harrison, who has introduced a series of these hackathons. The hackathons are part of a wider smart and very important initiative to harness the immense talent pool throughout America and enable folks to support first responders, the military and national security with their technology ideas.

The challenge

Chief of Department at FDNY James E. Leonard, along with a series of additional experts, explained the challenges they encounter in practical terms so the hackers had a clear idea of the real world applications and scenarios their tech needed to master.

The teams needed to create tech that addressed one of three primary disaster relief components: real time communication, response methods or logistics and planning. And the prototype needed to be finished lightning-fast: in less than 45 hours.

There were no limits to the tech that teams could incorporate to create solutions. They could use robotics, crowdsourcing, artificial intelligence, augmented reality-- anything was possible.

Whether using recognition software to scan FEMA symbols on houses or smart microscopes to force multiply against pandemics, this MD5 approach works.

Saving firefighters

What were the results of this daring initiative? Under the leadership of Director Harrison and execution of Will Gregory, this smart approach connected innovators with important national security problems and got results.

For example, when firefighters enter buildings with many floors, it is extremely difficult to keep track of where they are within the building. Firefighters deserve a solution and one is long, long overdue.

Team El Tags also won with an extremely smart way to locate firefighters.

In New York City, firefighters have to make due with a whiteboard, a pen, and fridge magnets to coordinate multiple teams working on a fire. The leader of each team is responsible for radioing the location to the captain, and the captain updates the whiteboard.

Their suggestion was that buildings should instead be retrofitted with RFID tags in the stairwells, and firefighters equipped with a scanning device. As firefighters run past, they automatically scan and the RFID reports their floor location to command.

Civilians join forces

Whether a tsunami or an earthquake, in disasters it can be tough for civilians to communicate with each other, and for first responders to communicate with, and locate, those in need of assistance.

Team Sanctuary won with a solution that let civilians help themselves and each other when a threat strikes. Their geolocation software has built-in tracking, communication, and coordination tools.

Sanctuarys tech enables civilians to communicate with each other. Imagine you need to evacuate-- other folks would be entering data so you could see which roads were safe and which roads had heavy traffic. Civilians could also transmit to first responders data about how they were, and where they were, so that emergency first responders could better locate and help them.

Visual Ops

Two former Marines and a former soldier joined forces as Team Visual Ops, winning with tech to significantly improve task management in a disaster scenario. With a lightweight and mobile SaaS (software as a service) platform, action tasks are created and modified in custom templates.

Visual Ops approach is designed for agile collaborative task management and agile action. It would provide responders with real-time data, data distribution and "action tasks" up and down stream. In a crisis, every second can make a difference so a thorough, accurate real time operating picture could provide a key advantage.
Five people were killed in a house fire early Sunday in suburban Atlanta, officials said.

Gwinnett County Fire Officials told Fox 5 Atlanta that the home Duluth, Georgia was completely engulfed in flames when firefighters arrived on the scene.

"It was so bad firefighters couldn't go inside the home. They initially had to fight the fire from outside," Captain Tommy Rutledge, Gwinnett County Fire Public Information Officer told Fox 5.

Rutledge said the flames were so intense that firefighters had to battle the blaze from the outside for about 45 minutes before they were able to get inside.

Investigators are still trying to determine what started the fire, but neighbors reported that the family had been using their fire pit on Saturday night.

"I heard them talking about doing a bonfire Saturday night since it was getting cold out," neighbor Jessica Fields told Fox 5.

Officials said the blaze appeared to have originated in the area of the back deck, and are unable to rule out the fire pit as a potential cause.

This tragic fire serves as an important reminder to make sure that your home and family are safe from fire, Rutledge told Fox 5.

Click for more from Fox5Atlanta.com.
Law enforcement officials fired at an unmanned aircraft and a large group of opponents of the Dakota Access pipeline blocked a North Dakota state highway Sunday, capping a weekend of protests.

A helicopter helping monitor a protest against the four-state pipeline Sunday morning was approached by a drone in a "threatening manner," the Morton County Sheriff's Office said in a statement. An officer in the helicopter told law enforcement on the ground that the pilot and passengers were "in fear of their lives" and that the unmanned aircraft was going after them. Less-than-lethal ammunition damaged the droned, which was then landed by its operator.

Morton County Sheriff Kyle Kirchmeier said drones flying near protests and near the area where hundreds have been camping out are not being operated according to federal regulations.

"Reports of drones not being operated within the (Federal Aviation Administration) guidelines or in a reckless and unsafe manner are being investigated and forwarded to the Morton County States Attorney's office for prosecution," Kirchmeier said in a statement. Two people operating drones during the protests have already been charged.

After 2 p.m. Sunday, the large group of protesters had blocked the highway with hay bales, rocks, tree stumps and other items to create a roadblock north of the encampments, to where at times thousands of people have flocked. The North Dakota Department of Transportation closed the highway down.

Texas-based Energy Transfer Partners is building the $3.8 billion pipeline, which crosses through North Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa and Illinois. Opponents worry about potential effects on drinking water on the reservation and farther downstream because the pipeline will cross the Missouri River, as well as destruction of cultural artifacts.

Sunday's demonstrations come after more than 80 people were arrested Saturday during a large protest at a pipeline construction site. More than 220 people have now been arrested since demonstrations began in August.
Police pulled the body of a young man from a Massachusetts river on Sunday, and say it's likely that of a teen who apparently fell down a storm drain in New Hampshire.

New Hampshire police said officials there, along with Tyngsboro, Massachusetts, authorities recovered the body from the Merrimack River at around noon.

Based on an initial investigation, clothing description and the condition of the body, officials believe it belongs to 16-year old Jacob Goulet, of Nashua, New Hampshire, who was reported missing Saturday.

Nashua police said confirmation of the victim's identity will be completed by the Massachusetts Medical Examiner's office.

"Our thoughts and prayers are with Jacob's family, friends, classmates, and the entire Nashua community at the probable tragic loss of Jacob Goulet," the department tweeted on Sunday.

Authorities had been searching the Nashua and Merrimack rivers, as well as Nashua's sewer system since Goulet was reported missing by his parents after he did not return home from a friend's house Friday night.

Jacob was described as white, 5 feet 8 inches tall and 200 pounds with black hair cut short on the sides and long along the top of his head. He was last seen wearing a denim vest with metal studs on it, a gray T-shirt, black shorts and black Converse All Star sneakers.

WMUR-TV reported that Goulet's uncle and cousin were yelling his name into storm drains across the city in the hope that he would respond.

"I just hope that maybe he might have fallen in and hes just hanging on and maybe hes too cold to yell. Maybe well see him, well hear him. Just cant stop trying, you know?" Goulet's uncle, Darren Blouin, told the station.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Click for more from WMUR.com.
Authorities say two people were injured during a disturbance at the Neuse Correctional Institution in Goldsboro, North Carolina.

Local media outlets report that an inmate and a prison employee were hurt during the disturbance that began Sunday around 7 p.m.

Communications director for the N.C. Department of Public Safety Pamela Walker told media that inmates started at least two fires during the nearly two hour incident.

Walker says the prison employee is being treated for minor injuries and the inmate was treated at a hospital and released.

She says the scene was under control by around 9 p.m. and that all inmates were back in cells.

The prison is located about 55 miles southeast of Raleigh.

In addition to the sheriff's office, Goldsboro police, Highway Patrol and the Department of Public Safety responded to the scene.
A manhunt was under way in Oklahoma Monday for a suspect accused of shooting and wounding two police officers with an AK-47 and stealing their patrol car, as investigators found his aunt and uncle dead in a home where he'd apparently been hiding.

The suspect, Michael Vance, allegedly shot one Wellston police officer in the foot and another in the legs. Doctors released both officers from the hospital, KOCO-TV reported.

ROOKIE POLICE OFFICER AMBUSHED, SHOT IN ARM BY WANTED MAN

Vance also has a "medical condition" and "may try to spread disease," the Oklahoma Highway Patrol announced without elaborating. KWTV reported he has HIV/AIDS.

The Lincoln County Sheriff said authorities were called to a report of shots fired. When officers arrived at the scene, Vance approached them and started firing.

WOMAN CARRYING SKULL ON STICK LEADS POLICE TO HUMAN REMAINS

Vance and an alleged accomplice then stole a police car and drove to a nearby mobile home park, authorities said. Officers eventually arrested the second man, the sheriff said.

Vance carjacked a woman, shot her and drove off, according to investigators. The woman was injured but she was not taken to the hospital.

Oklahoma City television station KWTV reported that Vance posted two videos Sunday night on Facebook Live documenting his run from police. The Associated Press couldn't immediately verify the videos, and the Lincoln County sheriff didn't immediately return a message Monday morning regarding the videos.

In one video, a man wearing a backward baseball cap says he's about to steal another vehicle and that it's "gonna be intense." In another, the same man says: "Letting y'all know, look, this is real" before panning across the vehicle to show a long gun on the passenger seat.

He said: "If you want to know what's up next, stay tuned to your local news." The Oklahoma Highway Patrol says authorities believe Vance is driving a silver 2007 Mitsubishi Eclipse with a blue roof. Vance is described as Native American, standing 5 feet 11 inches tall and weighing 212 pounds.

Vance had been released from the Lincoln County Jail recently. He was held on child sexual assault allegations.

Wellston is about 30 miles northeast of Oklahoma City.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Two Iraqi men who allegedly lied their way past U.S. immigration officials and continued their terrorist-related activities after being admitted as refugees are the latest evidence that a flawed screening process is putting Americans at risk, critics say.

Aws Mohammed Younis Al-Jayab, 23, moved to the U.S. in 2012, only to return to the Middle East twice to fight for Al Nursra, was allegedly recorded by the FBI boasting about executing members of the Syrian Army and their Russian allies. Wiretaps, made while he moved from Arizona to Wisconsin and then California, captured him stating he wanted to return to Syria because he was "eager to see blood.

But when Al-Jayab sat for his interview with U.S. Customs and Immigration Services officials, he lied about his past  and his true intentions, say law enforcement officials. Al-Jayab is being held in Chicago for attempting to support a terrorist group, and also faces charges in California for lying to investigators about living in Syria.

Faraj Saeed Al Hardan, a Palestinian born in Iraq, lived in refugee camps in Iraq and Jordan before moving to Houston in 2009. The nephew of a legendary Al Qaeda bomb maker, he last week pleaded guilty to plotting and training to bomb and shoot up two Houston malls, including the prestigious Galleria. During a hearing on Monday, the 24-year-old pleaded guilty to attempting to assist the Islamic State group beginning two years ago.

Al Hardan, who now faces up to 20 years in federal prison when he is sentenced Jan. 17, also lied to U.S. Customs and Immigration services when he successfully sought asylum in 2009 and permanent residency in 2011.

These latest cases of refugees who turned out to be terrorists confirm that it is simply impossible for our screening system to detect all those who are a threat, said Jessica Vaughan, director of policy studies for the Center for Immigration Studies, a Washington, DC-based research institute. These two men should never have been admitted.

They were interested and involved in terrorism before they came here, and our so-called great vetting system, that obviously isnt as great as the Obama administration claims, did not pick up on it, she added.

Over the last seven years, more than 100,000 Iraqi refugees have been granted refugee status in the U.S., and President Obama has granted nearly 13,000 Syrians the same.

Aaron Rodriguez, spokesman for the Department of Homeland Security, told FoxNews.com that the security vetting for refugees is extraordinarily thorough and comprehensive.

It is the most robust screening process for any category of individuals seeking admission into the United States, Rodriguez said. The process is multi-layered and intensive, involving multiple law enforcement, national security, and intelligence agencies across the federal government.

Screening partners include the National Counterterrorism Center, the FBI, Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Defense, and other intelligence community and law enforcement members.

Refugee applicants are subject to rigorous biographic and biometric screening that has been substantially enhanced over time, and those applicants who raise security concerns, are subject to further checks, including classified databases and open-source information, such as social media.

However, Claude Arnold, a retired U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement special agent in charge of Homeland Security Investigations, said historically hundreds of war criminals have entered the U.S. as refugees pretending they were victims when they were actually perpetrators. The stakes are much higher with terrorists trying to use our refugee program to do us harm, Arnold said.

Our intelligence from Iraq is much greater than in Syria because we had a military presence there for so long, Arnold said. We had biometrics, fingerprints, and documentary evidence to identify bad actors. But cases like these show this vetting process is not foolproof.

Al Hardan and Al-Jayab are just two examples among a number of terrorists who have come into the country under the refugee program, Vaughan said, noting a recent Senate report, highlighted on FoxNews.com, said there are dozens of refugees convicted of terror-related crimes.

They include Mohanad Shareef Hammadi and Waad Ramadan Alwan, two Iraqi refugees in Bowling Green, Ky., whose prints were found on unexploded IEDs in Iraq, and who had a history of using IEDs to attack U.S. soldiers in Iraq.

Alwan was sentenced to 40 years in prison after pleading guilty to a host of terror-related charges, and Hammadi is serving a life sentence on similar charges.

Fazliddin Kurbanov, a Uzbekistan refugee who entered the US in 2009, was convicted in Idaho in federal court on three terrorism-related charges after prosecutors said he plotted deadly attacks in the US. He faces additional charges in Utah related to him allegedly instructing other recruits on building bombs to target public transportation systems.


Presidential candidates always promise economic improvements that are beyond their power to deliver. Any measures that actually could create more jobs, raise wages or lower tax burdens require the cooperation of Congress or business cycles or both.

Even if a president could lead us to the promised land of rising incomes and wealth, we wouldn't get there overnight. America's middle class has been wandering the economic desert for decades, and it will take years of better fortunes to restore what's been taken away.

"Our economy is so large that both good and bad impacts are not seen until years or even a decade later," said Michael Kitces, director of wealth management at Pinnacle Advisory Group in Columbia, Maryland.

That doesn't mean you have to wait. It does mean you should do what you can to improve your own personal fortunes rather than wait for some politician to bail you out.

NO SUDDEN MOVES, NO MATTER WHO WINS

"Bottom line, no one person has that much power to control your finances," says Carolyn McClanahan, director of financial planning at Life Planning Partners in Jacksonville, Florida. A Democratic sweep could mean higher taxes on the wealthy, she says, but "if you are in the bottom 99 percent, the election is unlikely to affect you very much."

The limited economic power of presidents also means you shouldn't sabotage your finances by making big financial moves if the "wrong" candidate wins, financial planners say.

Jeff Rose, CEO and founder of Alliance Wealth Management in Carbondale, Illinois, says his clients who are worried about the election tend to be pessimistic in general, constantly looking for reasons why the economy and their portfolios could plunge.

"In the short term, even if their 'wrong candidate' is elected, it's doubtful they'll see any significant impact to their investments barring another terrorist attack or overseas conflict," says Rose, author of the book "Soldier of Finance."

Instead, do what you can to set yourself up to prosper when the economy surges and protect yourself if it stalls. Here's what you might do instead of waiting or panicking:

 Get a raise. Median incomes finally increased in 2015, the U.S. Census Bureau says, after eight years of falling or stagnating. The jump of 5.2 percent was the biggest since the bureau began keeping records in 1967. If your income hasn't increased, it might be time to ask for a raise or look for a better job. With unemployment at 5 percent, your prospects are likely better than when joblessness peaked at 10 percent in October 2009.

 Contribute to a retirement plan. A comfortable retirement requires investing year in and year out, regardless of who's president. If you don't have a workplace plan, you can make deductible contributions to an individual retirement account. Several providers, including Ameritrade, Betterment, ETrade, Fidelity, Merrill Edge and Vanguard, allow you to open IRAs with no minimum investment.

 Ditch toxic debt. It's a myth that most Americans carry credit card debt. If you're among the 42.1 percent of U.S. adults who don't always pay off your balance, it's time to start. If you have good credit scores, you can qualify for low-rate balance transfer offers that can help you pay off your debt faster. Another good option could be a personal loan that offers a fixed rate and fixed payments to pay off your debt in three or four years. If you're struggling, consult both a bankruptcy attorney and a nonprofit agency affiliated with the National Foundation for Credit Counseling to understand your options.

 Build some equity. More than 3 million homes are still underwater, worth less than their mortgage, and home prices are still below their peak in about 60 percent of metro areas, according to research by CoreLogic. Another troubling trend is the number of people entering retirement age who still owe money on their homes: 30 percent in 2013, compared with 22 percent in 2001, according to a Consumer Financial Protection Bureau analysis of Census Bureau data. A paid-off home not only reduces your expenses in retirement, but also serves as an asset you can tap for income if needed. So once you've paid off toxic debt and are on track for retirement, consider making extra principal payments to get your mortgage paid off faster.

Taking positive action can help you deal with uncertainty by focusing on what you can control, rather than what you can't, says consumer expert and radio host Clark Howard.

"You are excusing or minimizing your own role in your financial picture if your focus is mostly on the person elected to office," Howard said.

_______

This column was provided to The Associated Press by the personal finance website NerdWallet .

Liz Weston is a certified financial planner and columnist at NerdWallet. Email: lweston@nerdwallet.com. Twitter: @lizweston.

RELATED LINKS:

NerdWallet: How much do you need to retire?

https://nerd.me/7-nerdwallet-investing

National Foundation for Credit Counseling

https://www.nfcc.org/

TIME.com: Reverse mortgages

http://time.com/money/4517423/retirement-income-reverse-mortgage-surprising-suggestion
A New York man has denied charges that he brought 280 bags of heroin emblazoned with "Donald Trump" into Vermont.

The Rutland Herald reports 29-year-old Danny Main Jr. of Hoosick Falls, New York, pleaded not guilty Monday to a felony count of trafficking heroin from out of state.

Defense attorney Frederick Bragdo said if Main had heroin, it was for his own personal use and not for sale.

Main allegedly told police during his July 26 arrest he was bringing the drugs to three customers.

It's common for heroin dealers to put stamps on packages as a way of branding their drugs. The names are frequently taken from pop culture.
The Pentagon is seeking to recover decade-old reenlistment bonuses paid to thousands of California Army National Guard soldiers to go fight in Iraq and Afghanistan, the Los Angeles Times reported Saturday.

The paper reported that nearly 10,000 soldiers, many of whom risked their lives during multiple combat tours, have been ordered to repay the cash bonuses after audits revealed widespread overpayments by California Guard officials under pressure to meet enlistment targets at the height of the wars 10 years ago.

But soldiers say the military is reneging on old agreements and imposing severe financial hardship on those whose only mistake was to accept the bonuses, which amounted to $15,000 or more.

The Army asked wounded Iraq veteran and former Army captain Christopher Van Meter, 42, to repay a $25,000 reenlistment bonus it said he was ineligible to receive. He was also asked to repay $21,000 in student loan repayments.

Van Meter told the paper that rather than fight the Army he paid back the money after refinancing his home.

These bonuses were used to keep people in, Van Meter said. People like me just got screwed.

The Times reported that 48-year-old Army sergeant Robert Richmond, who suffered permanent injuries in an Iraq roadside bomb attack, is refusing to repay his $15,000 cash bonus. The Army contends he was ineligible to receive the bonus in 2006 because he had already served 20 years in the Army.

I signed a contract that I literally risked my life to fulfill, Richmond told the paper. We want somebody in the government, anybody, to say this is wrong and well stop going after his money.

Investigations determined that fraud and mismanagement due to poor oversight contributed to the California Guard bonus overpayments, according to the Times.

California Guard officials conceded to the paper that taking back the money from military veterans is distasteful.

At the end of the day, the soldiers ended up paying the largest price, Maj. Gen. Matthew Beevers, deputy commander of the California Guard, said. Wed be more than happy to absolve these people of their debts. We just cant do it. Wed be breaking the law.

On Sunday, House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., said in a statement the Department of Defense should "waive these repayments," and that the House "will investigate these reports to ensure our soldiers are fully honored for their service.

"It is disgraceful that the men and women who answered their country's call to duty following September 11 are now facing forced repayments of bonuses offered to them. Our military heroes should not shoulder the burden of military recruiters' faults from over a decade ago," he said. "They should not owe for what was promised during a difficult time in our country. Rather, we are the ones who owe a debt for the great sacrifices our heroes have made - some of whom unfortunately paid the ultimate sacrifice.."

Click for more from the Los Angeles Times.
Police in Suffolk, Virginia, have a little egg on their face, Newsnet5 reports, after they broke into a woman's car on a hot day intending to save a trapped child, and instead found nothing but a wig.

Police break car window to save child, make unexpected find https://t.co/mID9uJ8Pvf  WAVY_News (@WAVY_News) October 21, 2016

Jasmine Turner, the owner of the car, says she was surprised when police called her concerned about the welfare of a child locked inside her car on Thursday.

Turner told local news station WAVY: "I dont have a baby so Im like, Whered the child come from? Who put the child in my car?'"

Police broke the window anyway, but discovered what had appeared to be a child to the concerned bystander who called 911 was actually no more than a wig and some blankets.

Perhaps due to embarrassment, or perhaps due to more pressing business elsewhere, the responding officers reportedly left the scene before Turner returned to her car.

Click for more from Newser.
The University of Rhode Island campus police was investigating a series of small fires that were set on campus Saturday night.

Police said in a news release that preliminary investigations indicate that the fires were intentionally set between Saturday night and early Sunday morning inside Hillside Hall. No one was injured in the fires, but the dormitory had to be evacuated twice, according to WPRI-TV.

The first fire occurred at around 8:40 p.m. Saturday night when students smelled smoke on the fifth floor. As the Rhode Island fire marshal and campus police were investigating another fire was sparked in the same bathroom as the first. This incident occurred around midnight, triggering the sprinkler system.

Both fires involved a trash can and paper towels or toilet paper.

All the alarms just went off, Justin Trickett, a freshman student, told WPRI-TV. All the RAs were going crazy knocking on our doors, telling us to get out of there as fast as possible.

The University of Rhode Islands Office of Housing Residential Life was offering support for those affected by the water damage. Some students had been relocated.

Authorities are asking anyone with information about the fires to call campus police at 401-874-2121.

Click for more from WPRI-TV.
Five people are dead after a wrong way crash in Middleborough, Mass. Monday morning.

State police say it happened in the northbound lanes of Interstate 495 just after midnight.

One person was headed south in the northbound lanes alone, according to police, before colliding with a car that had four "young adults" in it.

In a news conference Monday morning, state police said only one report of a wrong-way driver came in shortly after midnight. Police said the driver likely got on the highway going the wrong way at exit 4, just one up from where the crash occurred.

When the cars collided, police say the car with four Mass. residents in it burst into flames.

Police say an investigation will be launched into whether drugs or alcohol were a factor for the driver to be going the wrong way.

Click for more from Fox 25.
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A British banker accused of the grisly 2014 killings of two Indonesian women pleaded not guilty when he went on trial in Hong Kong.

Rurik Jutting entered a plea of not guilty Monday to two murder charges that were read out at the High Court, with prosecutors rejecting his attempt to plead guilty to the lesser charge of manslaughter.

Jutting is charged with the murders of Sumarti Ningsih and Seneng Mujiasih, whose bodies were found in his upscale apartment near the Asian financial center's Wan Chai red-light district.

One of the women's bodies was found stuffed in a suitcase left in a balcony while the other had knife wounds on the neck and buttock, according to initial police reports.

If convicted, Jutting faces life in prison.
Officials say 35 Turkish diplomats and family members have applied for asylum in Germany since the failed military coup in Turkey.

The Turkish government has launched a massive crackdown on people suspected of sympathizing with the U.S.-based Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen, who it accuses of instigating the coup attempt in July.

German Interior Ministry spokesman Johannes Dimroth declined Monday to say how many of the 35 asylum seekers were diplomats and how many were family members, citing privacy rules.

He also said that since diplomatic status isn't normally part of the asylum application the actual figure might be higher.

Germany has a large Turkish minority, numbering more than 3 million, due to decades of migration of laborers and Turks claiming persecution at home.
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France's foreign minister has urged Turkey to respect rights and freedoms in the aftermath of a failed coup, saying democracy is the best defense against those trying to defy it.

Jean-Marc Ayrault said in Ankara on Monday that France understands Turkey's need to pursue the coup plotters but said the country must respect the rule of law.

Turkey declared a 90-day state of emergency and began a massive crackdown on a movement led by a U.S.-based Muslim cleric whom it accuses of orchestrating the failed coup.

The state of emergency, which was extended this month by another 90 days, allows authorities to detain suspects for up to 30 days and limits their access to lawyers.

Ayrault says: "lawyers must be able to conduct their profession freely."
The Islamic State terror group claimed responsibility Tuesday for a massacre at a police training center in southwestern Pakistan that left 61 dead -- but a breakaway faction of the Pakistani Taliban claimed its fighters launched the attack.

Pakistani officials feared the death toll could rise further, as the four-hours-long siege -- one of the deadliest attacks on Pakistan's security forces in recent years -- left 123 wounded, some of them in critical condition.

ISIS UNLEASHES 'HEAVY RESISTANCE' OUTSIDE MOSUL, PENTAGON REPORTS

Most of the dead were police cadets and recruits. The initial attack led to a ferocious gunbattle with troops that lasted from Monday night into the early hours Tuesday.

The assault caught many of the recruits asleep in their dorms and forced cadets and trainers to jump off rooftops and run for their lives to escape the attackers.

ISIS, which is waging war in Syria and Iraq where it has declared a self-styled caliphate, posted a claim on the group's media arm, the Arabic-language Aamaq news agency. It said three ISIS fighters killed 60 police recruits in Quetta but the claim was not confirmed by Pakistani officials and ISIS did not offer any previously unknown details about the assault.

Earlier, a little-known breakaway faction of the Pakistani Taliban, known as the Hakimullah group, also issued a statement claiming responsibility for the attack. Pakistani officials, doubting the group's capabilities in staging such a coordinated and spectacular assault, also could not confirm that claim.

Some of the army personnel who responded to the assault were also among those killed, said Shahzada Farhat, police spokesman in Quetta, the capital of Baluchistan province.

YAZIDIS GUARD RAVAGED HOME, EVER WARY OF ISIS' CHEMICAL ATTACKS

The attack in Quetta began at 11:30 p.m. on Monday, said Baluchistan Home Minister Sarfraz Bugti, with the militants shooting and killing a police guard at the watch tower before storming into the academy, located on the outskirts of Quetta.

Baluchistan officials had earlier received "intelligence reports that some terrorists have entered the province" but had no indications about possible targets.

"We had tightened security, which is why they could not do it in the city and chose a target on the outskirts," said Baluchistan's chief minister, Sanaullah Zehri.

There were also disparate figures as to the number of attackers. Provincial police chief Ahsan Mahboob said four gunmen were involved in the assault while a military statement later said there were up to six attackers.

About 700 cadets, trainees, instructors and other staff were inside the academy when it was attacked, Bugti said, adding that the gunbattle with the militants lasted for at least four hours.

Once inside the academy grounds, Pakistani media said the gunmen headed straight to the dorms housing the cadets and trainees and opened fire, shooting indiscriminately. Some of the cadets jumped off the rooftops and through windows to try to escape.

"They were rushing toward our building, firing," one cadet told Pakistani Geo TV news channel. "We rushed for safety toward the roof and jumped down in the back of the building."

Another recruit, his face covered in blood, told the station the gunmen shot at whoever they saw. "I ran away, just praying God might save me," he said.

After the attack, Pakistani forces tightened security around the academy and Quetta hospitals were the wounded were taken. Footage aired on local television stations showed ambulances rushing out of the main entrance of the academy as fire engines struggled to put out fires set off by the explosions from the attackers' suicide vests.

Most of those being treated at the city hospitals had gunshot wounds, although some sustained injuries jumping off the rooftop of the hostel housing the cadets to escape the gunmen.

"This war isn't over," said Pakistani Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan. "The enemy is weakened, but not eliminated."

Maj. Gen. Sher Afgan, head of the Pakistani paramilitary force which is primarily responsible for the province, claimed the attackers had received instructions from commanders in neighboring Afghanistan. He said they were most likely from the banned Lashker-e-Jhangvi Al-Almi militant group affiliated with al-Qaida and the Taliban. The Sunni militant group has mainly targeted minority Shiite Muslims whom its members consider to be infidels.

The paramilitary chief spoke before the Islamic State and the Hakimullah group's claims surfaced.

Afghanistan condemned the attack and dismissed Pakistan's allegations that the assault was planned from bases inside Afghanistan. "Afghanistan is the biggest victim of terrorism and denounces all terrorist attacks," said Mohammad Haroon Chakhansuri, spokesman for Afghan President Ashraf Ghani.

In a separate statement, Ghani also condemned the attack, saying that "terrorism is a threat throughout the region, which is reflected in the brutal act today in Quetta."

Pakistan maintains that militants fleeing army operations in the tribal regions regularly escape across the border, finding safe havens inside Afghanistan. For his part, Ghani has been deeply critical of Pakistan, saying it has provided safe havens to the Taliban and in particular the violent Haqqani network.

For over a decade, Baluchistan has been the scene of a low-intensity insurgency by nationalist and separatist groups demanding a bigger share in the regional resources. Islamic militants and Sunni sectarian also have a presence in the province.

Pakistan has carried out several military operations against militants in country's lawless tribal regions along Afghanistan border, including a major push that started mid 2014 in North Waziristan, a militant base. The Islamic militants have killed tens of thousands of people in their bid to overthrow Pakistan's government and install their own harsh brand of Islamic law.

Later Tuesday, a roadside bomb killed a police official escorting a polio team that was travelling in northwestern Pakistan as part of a vaccination campaign, according to Furqan Bilal, a police superintendent in Peshawar. Militant attacks on polio teams are common in Pakistan as Taliban and other extremists denounce such vaccination campaigns as a Western conspiracy.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
U.S.-backed Iraqi and Kurdish forces are making solid progress but are now meeting heavy resistance, outside Mosul from ISIS, Pentagon spokesman Capt. Jeff Davis told reporters Monday, predicting that its going to get heavier as allied forces push into the city.

MOSUL FIGHT COULD SEND WAVE OF TERRORISTS HOME TO EUROPE, OFFICIALS WARN

Davis said there were indications ISIS was forcing some of its administrative and support personnel inside Mosul to become fighters. Late last week, U.S. military officials had characterized ISIS resistance as moderate.

ISIS has launched attacks in Sinjar in northern Iraq and Rutba out west in order to disrupt the Mosul campaign.

Until now, most of the fighting has been in largely uninhabited towns and villages, but Iraqi special forces found more than 70 civilians sheltering in Tob Zawa. They will certainly encounter many more civilians as they get closer to Mosul, still home to more than 1 million people.

EXCLUSIVE: INSIDE ISIS' EXTENSIVE TUNNEL SYSTEM

Davis said ISIS poured oil in the sulfur mine that continues to burn south of Mosul, near U.S. and Iraqi troops in Qayyarah. It is toxic, Davis said, but so far no injuries have been reported.

U.S. soldiers have put on gas masks to protect themselves from the burning oil and sulfur at the U.S. base 40 miles south of Mosul, which has been affected by the smoke. Davis said Iraqi forces controlled the area where the fire was burning, but they had not yet extinguished the toxic brew of chemicals.

Over the weekend, Defense Secretary Ash Carter visited both Ankara and Baghdad. In Turkey, Carter said Turkey would participate in anti-ISIS efforts, but Iraqs prime minister had a different opinion, saying Turkey has not been invited to participate.

Turkey has close to 500 troops outside Mosul at a camp to the northeast where it is training Sunni tribal fighters and, according to some reports, firing artillery into Mosul. Davis could not confirm those reports of Turkish artillery fire.

The Shite-dominated Baghdad government has called the Turkish troops unwelcomed guests in Iraq.

We are encouraging both sides to talk, Davis said. He declined to offer specifics.

The U.S. military has seen nearly 5,000 people leave Mosul since the operation began last week. When asked if some of the people leaving Mosul were ISIS, Davis said, some of them might be.

ISIS still controls a large area west of Mosul, including a road that extends nearly 50 miles to Tal Afar, which remains firmly in ISIS control.

Despite the heavy fighting ahead, Davis confidently predicted that ISIS would be pushed out of Iraqs second-largest city eventually, but declined to offer a timeline.

Mosul will fall, he said.

Fox News' Lucas Tomlinson and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
The U.S.-backed Iraqi operation to retake the Islamic State hub of Mosul could send thousands of fighters who traveled from Europe back home -- a process made easier as ISIS forges travel documents, European officials warned Sunday.

As many as 5,000 Europeans traveled to Iraq and Syria in recent years to join the terror fight, The Washington Post reported, adding that most remain on the ground there now.

IRAQI FORCES ADVANCE NEAR MOSUL AS ISIS ATTACKS WESTERN TOWN



"Further military losses, further military pressure on them in the region, indeed might lead to an increased reflex response by the group in Europe," Europol Director Rob Wainwright told the newspaper. He said European police had not yet detected "high numbers" of returning fighters, but added, "maybe Mosul and Raqqa could change that."

Military officials have said the Syrian ISIS hub of Raqqa represents a future target after the Mosul operation, which launched last week.

EXCLUSIVE: INSIDE ISIS' EXTENSIVE TUNNEL SYSTEM

U.S. intelligence has found ISIS creating fake passports and arranging with organized crime groups for other forged documents to jump across borders.

Anti-terror officials in Europe have stepped up security at major airports across the continent. They've pointed out how many ISIS militants have posed as refugees to enter Europe, in some cases shaving their beards.

The Turkish military took steps last month to seal the nation's border with Syria, closing off what had served as a popular route for refugees, but European officials said it wasn't nearly enough to stop the terror threat. Europol reportedly sent more agents to keep watch on refugee flows into Italy, concerned some fighters could stop in Libya or elsewhere in North Africa before reaching Europe.

"The most important and pressing thing is to have [European] member states to be ready," a counterterrorism official told The Wall Street Journal.

At the same time, officials in France started booting thousands of refugees from a squalid camp known as "The Jungle" on Monday. The first of hundreds of buses began transferring migrants from the camp in Calais to reception centers around France where they could apply for asylum. Officials said workers will then destroy the camp in a weeklong operation.

Authorities say the camp holds nearly 6,500 migrants who are seeking to get to Britain. Aid groups say there are more than 8,300. France also remains in a state of emergency after the Paris terror attacks that killed 130 people in November of 2015.

The U.N. refugee agency reports at least 3,900 people, or about 650 families, have escaped Mosul and nearby al-Hamdaniya districts since the anti-ISIS operation began. Mosul is home to more than 1 million people.



Click for more from The Wall Street Journal.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Pope Francis is giving marching orders to members of his Jesuit order and their new superior. He wants them to go to the "peripheries" to serve freely and obediently.

Francis slipped out of the Vatican Monday to address the assembly of Jesuits who on Oct. 14 elected their first-ever Latin American superior, the Rev. Arturo Sosa of Venezuela.

The Society of Jesus, as the Jesuits are formally known, is the largest religious order of priests and brothers in the Catholic Church.

In his remarks, Francis urged the priests to "walk together, freely and obediently, going to the peripheries where the others don't arrive."

In addition to the usual vows of poverty, chastity and obedience, Jesuits take a fourth vow of obedience to the pope regarding their mission.
The leader of Romania's Liberal Party says the prime minister has agreed to be the party's candidate for premier ahead of parliamentary elections.

Securing the agreement of Dacian Ciolos, a technocrat, is a boost for the Liberals. They are projected to come in second in Dec. 11 parliamentary elections after the Social Democratic Party, which is not expected to win a majority.

Ciolos, prime minister since Nov. 2015, who was an EU Commissioner for agriculture, is generally respected for his serious manner and modern approach.

Liberal Party chairman Alina Gorghiu met Ciolos Monday and said he would not join the party, which needs to approve her choice.

Former Prime Minister Victor Ponta resigned in Nov. 2015 following massive protests over a nightclub fire in Bucharest where 64 died.
Two Scottish police officers are in a serious condition after being deliberately hit by a car.

The attack is being treated as attempted murder after the officers were struck by the car while responding to a call in Glasgow.

They were called to Banner Drive, Drumchapel, at around 11:15pm on Sunday and had stopped a car to speak to the occupants.

The car then deliberately reversed and struck both officers.

Emergency services were called to the scene and the officers were taken to hospital.

Police said the 30-year-old policewoman is in intensive car while her 31-year-old male colleague also remains in hospital.

Click for more from Sky News.
Serbia's president has accused the European Union of setting "humiliating" conditions for the Balkan country's membership.

Tomislav Nikolic told visiting Slovenian Prime Minister Miro Cerar that Serbia would move to adopt the EU's fundamental principles and values even though the 28-nation bloc is in crisis.

Nikolic did not say which EU conditions he finds humiliating, but may have been referring to demands from some members for Serbia to recognize the breakaway former province of Kosovo as an independent country.

Serbia, a traditional ally of Russia, wants to join the EU, but has been under intense pressure from the Kremlin to reconsider.

Moscow has backed Serbia in its dispute with the West over Kosovo, which declared independence from Serbia in 2008. Belgrade has refused to accept Kosovo's as a separate republic.
South Africa's main opposition party says the government's decision to withdraw from the International Criminal Court is illegal and is asking the country's highest court to review the matter.

The Democratic Alliance party said Monday that the government acted unconstitutionally because it announced plans to withdraw from the human rights tribunal based in The Hague, Netherlands, without consulting the South African parliament. The party has filed an affidavit asking the Constitutional Court to hear its case.

Last week, South Africa notified the United Nations of its plans to pull out of the court after supporting its creation in 2002. The South African justice minister says a withdrawal bill will soon go to parliament, where the ruling party has a comfortable majority.
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Venezuela's government says Pope Francis will meet with President Nicolas Maduro at the Vatican on Monday.

Information Minister Ernesto Villegas confirmed the meeting via Twitter but provided no additional details.

The stop at the Vatican, which wasn't previously announced, comes amid a tense standoff in Venezuela over the suspension of a recall referendum campaign seeking Maduro's removal and the opposition-controlled congress' declaration that the government had carried out a coup.

The Vatican has been attempting to mediate a resolution to the political crisis and opposition leaders on Monday met with Vatican representatives in Caracas.

Maduro had been in the Middle East on a multi-nation tour seeking to rally support for oil production cuts.
A thin ribbon of dirt is all that protects hundreds of Yazidi soldiers from a regular bombardment from ISIS, attacks that in the last year have included chemical weapons.

The frontline post called Domiz snakes through a stretch of dusty desert plain, half a mile from ISIS outposts and three miles forward from the city center of Sinjar, called Shengal by the Yazidis and Kurds.

ISIS was driven back from Sinjar a year ago, but the Yazidi soldiers keep watch on the horizon. Their mission is to protect a capital left in ruins by a retreating ISIS army, and they regularly scramble from incoming mortar.

"They are still in the process of making these bombs," Colonel Marwan Sabri, in charge of the Yazidi Forces, said. "They will use everything they can on us."

Ever since the area was liberated by the Kurdish Peshmerga, after 14 months of ISIS occupation, Domiz has been the line of defense against ISIS. Its guard has been hit hard with the dangerous agents, including a barrage of 31 chlorine bombs on Feb. 11 that left dozens of Yazidi soldiers badly burned.

Yazidi battalion leader Luqman Ibrahim told FoxNews.com the chloride bombs ISIS used included sophisticated Russian-made shells, ones manufactured by the former Ba'ath Party Iraqi Army and more primitive, homemade ones.

U.S. airstrikes over the last five weeks are believed to have destroyed major chemical weapons factories and arsenals used by ISIS, and U.S. military brass has discounted the threat as national, Kurdish, Yazidi and U.S. forces move to oust ISIS from Mosul. But local military and intelligence leaders are now bracing for the brutal jihadist army to unleash whatever remains of its stockpile, and Domiz is a likely target.

A senior official with the Asayish, the leading security and intelligence authority in the Kurdish region, affirmed that "there are still many factories and places that ISIS is using to make these weapons" and said they are "absolutely" sure many more remain in the hands of ISIS.

In the February attack, chemical weapons fired by ISIS reached deep inside Sinjar city, a once bustling urban center home to more than 150,000, but now an apocalyptic wasteland after two years of ISIS occupation. Some 170 families have ventured back into their bombed out shells in a desperate attempt to pick up the pieces and move on with their lives, but the city is essentially a ghost town.

While no civilians were injured by the chemical warfare that landed inside, the fact that ISIS has the capability to reach that far - especially over the next few weeks of noose tightening - is of particular concern.

When Sinjar was taken back last year, Yazidi forces unearthed scores of ready-to-go chloride bombs and supplies, indicating that the city may have been a hub for developing or at least storing the deadly toxins. The regular attacks indicate that many of the weapons were simply moved out into the desert, off in the distance from the sentinels of Domiz.

The attacks prompted a request for protective gear from the Ministry of Peshmerga, but only 100 gas marks made it to the Yazidis, who number 8,000 fighters, said Sabri. U.S. officials recently stated that 9,000 have since been issued, but none was in sight on a recent evening as men manned their battlements.

Rather, the very young group of Yazidi soldiers - fresh faced recruits - hoisted their rifles, tightened the straps to their Kevlar helmets and gathered up blankets and bread. Then, with an enthusiastic wave goodbye, they finally stepped into their designated positions for what was to be another long night of unknowns, facing an enemy stationed less than half a mile away.

Indeed, the night would be among the hardest since the Sinjar liberation. Early Monday, their post and the neighboring Sinjar posts - stretched 43 miles - were bombarded by mortar and rockets for over four hours. Eight suicide bomber vehicles were destroyed and 30 ISIS members were killed in the battle, and two Yazidi Peshmerga were slightly wounded.

The renewed attacks on Domiz are seen as part of a suspected technique by ISIS leadership to distract from the Mosul operation by striking elsewhere.

In another diversion, ISIS has taken to burning tires in and around the sites from which they launch mortars to generate smoke for cover. The acrid smell of burning rubber wafts to the Yazidi fighters as they watch and wait.

Yet even amid the current uptick of violence in their region, almost daily bombardment or entry attempts of some description from ISIS members, Ibrahim is confident that the Iraq portion of the jihadist outfit, at least, is finally in its crumbling twilight.

"They used to come at us in bigger groups - now much smaller. It means they are lacking in fighter numbers," he added. "Their morale is broken, they are still dangerous, but definitely not like before."
Snapology Brings STEAM Learning to Hartford County

October 24, 2016 // Franchising.com // PITTSBURGH, PA  Kids who take part in Snapology classes think theyre just having fun playing with building blocks and other materials that snap together. What kids around Hartford County may not realize is that theyre learning too.

Snapology of Hartford-West owner, Paras Patani has had a life-long passion for technology. After an extensive 20-year career in surgical devices, Patani sought to use his knowledge and inspire children in his community. With own his daughter in mind, Patani was eager to bring Snapologys STEAM-based education lessons to the children of Hartford County.

I want to use my background in technology as well as my love for engineering to teach the next generation of innovators, says Patani. I cant wait to see what theyll develop.

Snapology of Hartford-West opened early this fall with its first location in Connecticut and company plans call for a total of three locations in the region.

Snapology offers a wide array of interactive, playful-learning activities for children ages 1-14. These include after-school classes, camps, birthday parties, workshops, scouting events and field trips. The lessons start simple and become increasingly complex, continuously challenging young minds to explore and create. Snapology programs utilize LEGO bricks, motors, electronics, video-game design, animation software, and more. To engage kids, the programs utilize themes like Minecraft, Star Wars, Pokemon, and others as the framework to learn about gearing, motion, sensors, and programming. Finally, the classes emphasize collaboration, team-building, and presentation skills.

Snapologys curriculum is designed to benefit gifted and traditional students, as well as children with special needs, including those with sensory processing and autism spectrum disorders.

Our approach breaks down robotics and engineering concepts for children based on their age and learning abilities. These programs are based on proven research that finds childrens best learning experiences come from actively designing, creating, interacting and inventing, says Patani. Also noting that Snapologys work is about re-defining play and re-imagining learning. Were helping children develop the intellectual, emotional, social and creative skills that are of lifelong benefit to them and their communities.

About Snapology

Founded in 2010 and franchising since 2015, Snapology's mission is to provide children with an opportunity to engage in playful learning activities that stimulate creativity and an interest in learning. Using LEGO bricks and other building toys, Snapology emphasizes STEAM principles, teamwork & socialization. With 33 locations currently open and operating throughout the United States and Canada, company plans call for expanding nationally with its unique, education-based franchise opportunity. For more information, visit www.snapology.com.

SOURCE Snapology

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Report highlights disparities

Heffner, whose research focuses on smoking cessation, particularly among vulnerable populations, said the report definitely highlighted the bigger issue of disparities.

Certain people have a greater exposure to tobacco because of where they live or who they are, she said. The state you live in and the tobacco-control policies in that state influence the rates of smoking. We have specific populations  people with a low socioeconomic status, people in certain racial groups, people with psychiatric disorders  who have a higher prevalence of smoking. And in those groups, you see higher rates of tobacco-related disease and deaths, including death from cancer.

Southern states have higher smoking-related cancer deaths than, say, states like Utah or Connecticut because black men tend to smoke more than white men and Southern states have more black residents. But timely and affordable access to screening and high-quality health care also come into play. Black people are more likely to be diagnosed later, when treatments are more limited and less effective, and their five-year survival rates are lower.

Likewise, people with a low level of education (high school graduate or less) tend to smoke more than college graduates. So in states like Kentucky, where only 50 percent of adults go on to college, youre going to find more smokers and more cancer-related smoking deaths.

Its not that these people dont know cigarettes can cause cancer, said Heffner, its just that the health disparities deck is stacked against them. (More on health disparities research at Fred Hutch.)

I have yet to meet a smoker, regardless of educational level, who didnt understand that smoking carried health risks, she said. [But] people of low socioeconomic status (including low education and income as indicators) have less access to resources to help them quit, live in areas with higher concentrations of tobacco outlets, have greater exposure to other smokers and, consequently, [have] more social influence to smoke.

The ACS report also showed how public policy impacts public health, for better or worse.

Policy initiatives are heavily influenced by the tobacco industry in all states, especially those in the South, wrote study author Lortet-Tieulent. Public smoking restrictions and high cigarette prices (through excise taxes, price promotion restrictions, and minimum price laws) are among the most effective tobacco control policies, and both are primarily legislated by states.

Not surprisingly, the least restrictive public smoking policies and the most affordable cigarettes are found in the South.

In major tobacco states, for instance, the mean cigarette excise tax is 49 cents compared with $1.80 in other states, the report said. Virginia charges 30 cents extra per pack, North Carolina charges 45 cents and Kentucky charges 60 cents. New York, on the other hand, taxes each pack an additional $4.35; New York ranks fifth in the least amount of cancer-related smoking deaths.

What can we do? The study authors called for increased tobacco-control funding and stronger tobacco-control policies and programs to help mitigate the burden of smoking-related cancers, which they felt were too high in all states, regardless of ranking.

Heffner agreed that broader tobacco-control strategies were key, but said it was also important to work together to help friends and loved ones kick a very addictive habit.

On average, nationally, we know that one-third of cancer deaths are caused by tobacco use, she said. We all need to work together on this issue to bring everyone along. Stopping smoking is, by far, the best thing someone can do to prevent cancer.

Find information about smoking cessation from Fred Hutch or check out the Smart Quit app, created in collaboration with Fred Hutch.

Talk about this story on Fred Hutch's Facebook page.

Diane Mapes is a staff writer at Fred Hutch. She has written extensively about health issues for NBC News, TODAY, CNN, MSN, Seattle Magazine and other publications. A breast cancer survivor, she blogs at doublewhammied.com and tweets @double_whammied. Email her at dmapes@fredhutch.org.
Richmond Surrey Family Dentist & Cosmetic Dentistry Free Consultations Announced

The leading Roseneath Dental Care announced it is now providing free consultations at 020 8940 9955 for all new patients looking for a trusted provider of general, preventive and pediatric dental care of the highest standard or high-end cosmetic and restorative treatments in Richmond, Surrey.

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The renowned dental practice Roseneath Dental Care announced it is now providing free consultations to all new patients looking for high quality general and family dental care or high-end cosmetic dentistry treatments in the Richmond, Surrey area.

More information is available at http://roseneath.co.uk.

The Roseneath Dental Care is the largest and longest established dental practice in Richmond, Surrey, UK, drawing on the leading expertise of renowned dentists Dr. Michael Nigro and Dr. Kieryn Smarth to provide high quality general and family dental care or high-end cosmetic dentistry to the local community for over half a century.

The popular dental practice announced it is now providing free consultations to all new patients looking for an established and trusted provider of general and preventive dental care services to ensure optimal dental health and hygiene for both children and adults or high-end cosmetic and restorative dental treatments from correcting minor imperfections to veneers, implants or full smile make-overs.

The Roseneath Dental Care services are delivered by an experienced team of dedicated, friendly and caring professionals equipped with the latest technology and committed to ensuring the highest standard of personalized dental care and a premier experience out its relaxed, spacious and comfortable practice conveniently located at the Corner of Mount Ararat & Paradise Road in Richmond.

The free consultations for all new patients along with additional information on the full range of family and general or cosmetic dental treatments provided can be requested at 020 8940 9955 or through the website link provided above along with multiple patient testimonials and details on its renowned team of dentists, orthodontists or hygienists and their commitment to the highest standard of dental care.

The Roseneath Dental Care explains that "we pride ourselves in being the largest and longest established practice in Richmond. Our team consists of friendly, caring professionals taking great pride in maintaining extremely high standards and making every patient visit to the dentist a pleasant one. We can cater to any of our patients' dental needs, from general and family dentistry to high end cosmetic dentistry, and we enjoy meeting the high expectations of our patients every time".

For more information, please visit http://www.roseneath.co.uk

Contact Info:

Name: Aleks Polomska

Email: reception@roseneath.co.uk

Organization: Roseneath Dental Care

Address: Corner of Mount Ararat & Paradise Road, Surrey

Phone: (020) 894-09955

Release ID: 140284

For more information visit r



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Gessellandlee.com Release A Travel Guide Called 'Family Friendly Amsterdam: A City Travel Guide'

A new Amsterdam travel guide aimed at families has been created by Gessellandlee.com

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Gessellandlee.com have created a new travel guide aimed specifically at families, called Family Friendly Amsterdam: A City Travel Guide. This guide aims to be a comprehensive look at the city known as the Venice of the North. It offers tips and advice for people travelling with children or even babies, so that they do not get stuck in child unfriendly tourist traps.

Gessellandlee.com were inspired to create this guide to help parents. The recommendations on where to go, where to eat, and which attractions to see, are aimed at parents. They are pitched at a number of different budget levels, so whether people are looking to enjoy a 'money no object' trip of a lifetime, or they want to experience Amsterdam on a smaller budget with kids, they'll find value in this city travel guide. The guide is available for Kindle on one-click ordering and through Kindle Unlimited, so you can read it on your desktop, phone, tablet or Kindle at your leisure, more details can be found here https://amzn.com/B01JIKRQU4.

Gessell and Lee are a family of American expats that live in Amsterdam. As a result, they are well equipped to advise American tourists about what to do in Amsterdam, and what attractions will appeal to them. They understand how difficult it can be travelling with children. Some establishments are hard to access with a buggy. Some don't have changing facilities. Some are quiet and stuffy and don't like it if a child cries. Some are boring and have long lines that even older children might get distressed about. Some are simply too expensive, or have attractions that are too mature for the average child.

After reading their guide people can learn how to avoid those pitfalls, will find that there is actually plenty to do in Amsterdam, and there are numerous child-friendly attractions that adults will enjoy as well.

Gessell and Lee maintain a personal blog that includes advice about travelling in Europe with a baby, and as their child has grown, so has their site. Now they offer reviews and tips for travelling with kids and with pets, all over Europe. They have travelled all over Europe and write about their first-hand experiences. Adventurers that want to know more about what they offer should read the Gessell and Lee travel blog, and subscribe to their free email newsletter too.

For more information, please visit http://www.gessellandlee.com/

Contact Info:

Name: John Reeves

Organization: Gessellandlee.com

Phone: 453-721-7429

Source: http://marketersmedia.com/gessellandlee-com-release-a-travel-guide-called-family-friendly-amsterdam-a-city-travel-guide/140500

Release ID: 140500

For more information visit r



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Leading US egg supplier National Pasteurized Eggs has been reported to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) for allegedly carrying out false animal welfare advertising.

The company, which sells eggs in grocery stores across the USA under the Davidsons brand, has been criticised by the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS).

The animal welfare organisation has called upon the FTC to investigate whether National Pasteurized Eggs is misrepresenting the way its eggs are produced.

Davidsons cartons prominently depict lush open pastures, a red barn and free-roaming hens, even though many of the eggs in the cartons come from caged hens, according to the HSUS.

See also: BBC Countryfiles caged hen debate sparks farmer anger

HSUS also claims that the company misleads consumers by saying its process eliminates the risk of salmonella from eggs.

Wrong

Josh Balk, HSUS director of farm animal protection, said consumers were concerned about the treatment of farm animals and to take advantage of the false imagery was wrong.

Egg companies are realising that consumers are outraged about the treatment that hens undergo in cages, and while many are shifting away from that practice altogether, some are still trying to deceive the public as to where those eggs are actually coming from  and thats certainly the case with this company, he added.

The Illinois-based company, which according to the Chicago Tribune was also facing a worker strike this week over pay and working conditions, is in the process of being bought by St Louis-based Post Holdings.

National Pasteurized Eggs was asked to comment but had not yet issued any statement at the time of publication.
Indianapolis is a sports town, but we were there for the music

It just so happened that my gal Vicki and I were in Indianapolis recently. We learned quickly that Indianapolis is a sports town. The NFL football team, the Colts, play...
Story Highlights 76% say they have "a great deal" of respect for the police in their area

Respect for law enforcement up since 2015 among whites and nonwhites

Majorities in major party, age groups report having respect for police

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Three in four Americans (76%) say they have "a great deal" of respect for the police in their area, up 12 percentage points from last year.

In addition to the large majority of Americans expressing "a great deal" of respect for their local police, 17% say they have "some" respect while 7% say they have "hardly any."

Gallup has asked this question nine times since 1965. The percentage who say they respect the police is significantly higher now than in any measurement taken since the 1990s and is just one point below the high of 77% recorded in 1967. Solid majorities of Americans have said they respect their local law enforcement in all polls conducted since 1965.

The latest figures, from Gallup's Oct. 5-9 annual poll on crime, show Americans' respect for police increased as the number of on-duty police officers who were shot and killed was on the rise.

Americans' confidence in police has also increased after falling to a 22-year low in 2015 and recovering in this year's poll. The latter was conducted in early June, before police officers were shot and killed in separate incidents in Texas and Louisiana.

Respect for Police Up Sharply Among Both Whites and Nonwhites

The increase in shootings of police coincided with high-profile incidents of law enforcement officials shooting and killing unarmed black men. Despite the flaring of racial tensions after these incidents, respect for local police has increased among both whites and nonwhites.

Four in five whites (80%) say they have a great deal of respect for police in their area, up 11 points from last year. Meanwhile, two in three nonwhites (67%) report having the same level of respect, an increase of 14 points from last year.

Since 2000, whites have been more likely than nonwhites to say they respect local law enforcement.

Respect for Police Up Among Age and Party Groups in 2016

In addition to the increases across racial groups, respect for local law enforcement has increased among most political party, ideological and age groups. It has also improved among city, suburban and rural area residents. Liberals, rural residents and young adults saw the sharpest increases -- of 19 to 21 points -- from 2015 to 2016.

Americans' Respect for Police in Their Areas, by Group -- 2015 vs. 2016 How much respect do you have for the police in your area -- a great deal, some or hardly any? Oct 7-11 , 2015 Oct 5-9 , 2016 Change % "A great deal" % "A great deal" (pct. pts.) Whites 69 80 +11 Nonwhites 53 67 +14 Conservatives 69 85 +16 Moderates 67 72 +5 Liberals 50 71 +21 Republicans 82 86 +4 Independents 60 75 +15 Democrats 54 68 +14 Large/Small city 61 68 +7 Suburb 71 82 +11 Town/Rural area 61 80 +19 18 to 34 50 69 +19 35 to 54 61 77 +16 55+ 77 81 +4 Gallup

Respect for police remains highest among Republicans (86%) and conservatives (85%), but solid majorities of Democrats (68%) and liberals (71%) report the same level of respect.

Adults aged 55 and older (81%) are more likely than those aged 18 to 34 (69%) to have a great deal of respect for police.

About four in five Americans who say they live in a suburb (82%) or a town or rural area (80%) report having a great deal of respect for local police officers, higher than the percentage of those who live in small or large cities (68%) who say the same.

Bottom Line

The sharp increase over the past year in professed respect for local law enforcement comes as many police say they feel they are on the defensive -- both politically and for their lives while they are on duty -- amid heated national discussions on police brutality and shootings. After an officer was killed by a gunman in Harlem last year, then-New York City Police Commissioner Bill Bratton warned that the U.S. has fostered "an anti-police attitude that has grown" and that the national dialogue on police-community relations needs to discourage individuals who "exhibit anti-police behavior or attitudes."

Louisiana became the first state to pass a bill that treats acts targeted against police officers as a hate crime. Other states are discussing passing similar laws. It's unclear whether the spike in respect for police will have staying power or if it reflects mostly a reaction to the retaliatory killings against police officers last summer.

Although confidence in police varies among subgroups, majorities of all groups say they have a great deal of respect for their local police. And the percentage of national adults who say they have "hardly any" respect for local law enforcement remains small.

Historical data are available in Gallup Analytics.

Survey Methods

Results for this Gallup poll are based on telephone interviews conducted Oct. 5-9, 2016, with a random sample of 1,017 adults, aged 18 and older, living in all 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia. For results based on the total sample of national adults, the margin of sampling error is 4 percentage points at the 95% confidence level. All reported margins of sampling error include computed design effects for weighting.

Each sample of national adults includes a minimum quota of 60% cellphone respondents and 40% landline respondents, with additional minimum quotas by time zone within region. Landline and cellular telephone numbers are selected using random-digit-dial methods.

View survey methodology, complete question responses and trends.

Learn more about how the Gallup Poll Social Series works.
I think the virtual reality industry has fallen in love with itself, and we need to see other people, or we are all going to have a really bad breakup. It's not you, it's me. Well, it's actually you. Mostly.

There is too big a divide between the regular email alerts I get about how virtual reality will be valued at X billion dollars in X years versus the actual consumer awareness needed to make this happen - and our own industry is to blame. We speak of customers, we want customers, yet we are all investing the most minimal amount of work and resources to actually get customers - and the results are clear. This article discusses this issue and efforts being done to resolve this.

Number of VR Conferences (Source: Jon Peddie Research)

First, there is a huge trend that has built up over the last two years. It's not the sale of VR devices, it's not the enhancement of technology, and it's not even an upshot in Kickstarter launches (is that still a thing?). It's events. So many VR events all talking about virtual reality and how it will cure everything that ails you. Yes, our industry needs more expertise and participation from all over the world and I'm 100% supportive of events that build beyond what we already have. However, I can't help but get the impression that many of the new conferences are focused on selling the energies of virtual reality for as much money as sponsors and delegates can pay in over-saturated markets like Silicon Valley, Los Angeles, Hollywood, Seattle, and to a growing extent, London and Paris. Events should have a strategic importance for the industry and at least try to be unique from one another.

It's concerning because this heavy investment in the sheer quantity of professional events in such close physical proximity from one another has failed to contribute to the consumer awareness that is so dearly needed for the industry to thrive. It's not just conferences: Meetups and Maker Faires are also outside the scope of a traditional consumer, and there are telltail signs that our industry needs to do much more to appeal to the right audiences for market growth.

Take for example the biggest media bombshell for VR which happened towards the end of September when Oculus Founder Palmer Luckey's political views were brought into question. Or was it a bombshell at all? As a business person, my first questions were:

Who was reacting to the news? Who wrote about it? What if anything did it impact? And is any PR, really good PR?

While the technology press, a subset of gamers, and a handful of game developers had an impassioned opinion one way or the other, this distraction wasn't even a blip on news outlets like national television, radio, or newspaper. The PR was ineffective in either direction which is fortunate / unfortunate depending on how you look at it.

Reddit has grown a large VR community over the past couple years. Being central to this Trumped up escapade and regularly cited in the technology press, I expected a huge jump in the media-featured Reddit VR groups. Nothing. The most popular VR subreddit grew just 6,700 subscribers in six months. This 9.5% growth is likely filled with account recreations, purposeful voting power duplicates and numerous trolls. I'm confident that nearly all the online VR communities have seen near zero growth in six months beyond what would naturally occur with product sales (e.g. joining a community as part of activating a product).

Oculus Connect 3 (Source: TechCrunch)

So now we get to Oculus Connect 3; the flagship conference for Facebook's Oculus. Oculus is achieving amazing things to broaden their potential PC base, they are investing heavily in new content, and they've got some technology ideas to push forward. Oculus Connect 3 news appeared just about everywhere in the technology press, yet they had very little coverage in media outlets like national television, radio, or newspaper. There was one online CNN link, and that barely scratches the surface when it comes to getting VR in front of the millions of potential consumers the industry is promising itself. Steam Dev Days had even less exposure in mass market media.

I really think that the most meaningful customer base is represented through outlets like Sci-Fi Channel, MTV, CNN, and eSports events - and we aren't even trying; at least not significantly. If indeed our industry is limited to the developer and enthusiast crowds which is why they are the ones getting marketed to, then we are not destined to be a multibillion dollar business outside of the investment windfall. The multibillion dollar vision is only possible if we work for it.

This consumer awareness limitation has nothing to do with the cost of VR or the potential of VR or investment in VR or VR guidelines or standards or even whether or not the technology works well. The problem is our industry has failed to invest the energy to understand and reach out to its actual customer base. The results are clear: outside the VR bubble (because that's what we are living in), nobody knows about VR. I'll say it again. Outside the VR bubble, NOBODY KNOWS ABOUT VR.

It's our job to build that awareness by giving future customers the opportunity to try the technology on their own so they can be as excited as we are (we as in people that are not the consumers), and yes - the sales will come. However, we have to quickly work for it and hard.

Source: HBO Canada

The strongest efforts reported so far are brief flash in the pan exhibits at Comic-Con (e.g. the Westworld VR experience), and there are also "pop up" exhibits like the ones put on by Tiff here in Toronto. The rest are Meet-up gatherings or local low-cost events which tend to be the same crowd. These efforts are not appealing enough to mass market customers which is why our industry is facing unnecessarily sluggish growth.

Best Buy isn't the solution either. A brightened retail shelf and running store demos are a drop in the bucket for what's needed. When people make the trip to a store to try before they buy, that's the last step - not the first! They need to have a big interest before they walk in the door, and there are very few efforts being done to create that. Retail is not a marketing engine, it's a point of sale when the other channels have done their job, and we have yet to build the other channels!

Fortunately, there are big efforts in play to address this, and I'm hoping the industry mindset will grow increasingly supportive of them.

L-R: Martin Timusk, Kevin Von Appen, Neil Schneider at Immersed 2016

The first effort are dedicated consumer-facing events. This month, the Immersive Technology Alliance ran its third edition of the Immersed conference at the Ontario Science Centre. Immersed was founded in 2014 to grow the immersive technology market on the East Coast and has been going strong ever since for professionals and industry.

Immersed 2016 Public Exhibition / Education Series

Recognizing the consumer awareness problem, The Immersive Technology Alliance partnered with the Ontario Science Centre to build a giant public exhibition and education series to showcase all kinds of immersive technology as part of the museum experience for its visitors and media. We primarily targeted parents, teachers, students, teenagers, adults - people that we want exposed to VR and immersive technology so they will take on a direct interest. The Sunday featured 4,500 attendees, and the Monday and Tuesday had busloads of teachers and students trying VR for the first time. The response to the technology and the effort was positively staggering. Kevin Von Appen, Director of Science Communication for the Ontario Science Centre, told our professional audience that this exhibition was one of the best and most successful ever done in the history of the museum (and they have been around since the 60's). Everybody loved it - especially the general public.

Kudos to AMD, ImmersiON-VRelia, and Immervision for helping support this initaitive as well as HTC and Intel for sending additional hardware so that we could maximize the experiences for all involved. We are grateful to everyone who helped move mountains for this.

L-R: Space Channel Panel featuring PETA, ImmersiON-VRelia, The ITA, SideFX, Award Winning Tiltbrush Artist, AMD, InnerSpace Moderator on professional side of event.

Even Space Channel and other top national and international media came down to check everything out. Through mass market media, oodles of potential customers were reached from this one event - probably for the first time.

Immersion Arcade

Another useful consumer marketing opportunity are virtual reality arcades. Software developers and technology makers need to embrace this because arcades represent places where the curious are indeed trying the technology and paying money to do so. Sadly, this isn't being pursued the way it should. I was horrified to learn that one such arcade has to pay for their own games on Steam (in addition to getting the arcade use license rights). That's crazy. Developers should instead be giving all VR arcades software keys and billing for a revenue share - maybe even giving up on the revenue share altogether. Every arcade visit is a potential sales opportunity for a VR system and a wide selection of games. The arcades are doing content makers the favor, not the other way around.

In summary, our industry needs to achieve two things. First, we need to reduce the over-spending and duplication in well served markets because we are just talking to ourselves over and over and over again at great cost and with limited benefit. California is taken care of. Seattle is taken care of. London is taken care of. Vancouver is taken care of. Toronto is taken care of. Enough!

Fast Motion Studios Showing Collaborative VR (6 people) at Immersed 2016

Next, we need to reach out to customers in a big way. As successful as Immersed was for professional and consumer alike, I'm troubled by how many companies told me they had little to no interest in reaching customers. Some didn't even respond. It's as though customers were a foreign concept to them. Without demonstrated customer interest, there are no investors, without investors, there are no businesses, without businesses, there is no industry. It's as simple as that.

Star Destroyer (Source: Lucasfilm, Star Wars Wiki)

It's as though the market leaders are the Star Destroyers lying in wait in the Return of the Jedi climactic space battle when Lando Calrissian ponders "Only the fighters are attacking, I wonder what those Star Destroyers are waiting for?". It didn't end so well for those over-confident Star Destroyers (Commander: "We just have to keep them from leaving"). The VR industry is running the exact same risk and we need to directly engage customers to break out of the R&D and enterprise markets.

Immersed 2016 at the Ontario Science Centre

I will finish by highlighting the silver lining to all of this. Yes, preliminary sales have room for growth, there has been the occasional VR controversy, and most developers are still looking forward to a return on investment in virtual reality. However, and this is the most important part - it's all good. Why? The customers have yet to be contacted. Now we are faced with the opportunity to start knocking on those doors in a big way! So let's get started.
OnePlus 4 Release Date, News & Update: Flagship Killer Comes With Elegant Design, Features In Affordable Price; OnePlus, Google Battle For Best 2016 Device?

OnePlus 4 is rumored to unveil soon, despite the recent release of its predecessor. There are speculations that the Chinese tech company may be looking at the introduction of the 4th-gen version in early 2017. Reports suggest that the persistent rumors may have been due to the successful launch of the OnePlu3 handset.

The rumored OnePlus 4 is expected to come with a 5.5-inch 4K screen, an aluminium curve body, the Optic AMOLED touchscreen with 16M colors and screen resolution of 1080 x 1920 along with Gorilla Glass 4. An improved camera capacity is also noted, with its 22MP main camera, while its secondary camera is reported to either subtly updated or remain the same. In addition, the rumored device is also believed to come out of the box pre-installed with Android Nougat OS, a 3,500 up to 4,000 mAh battery, including an 8GB of RAM and a Snapdragon 830 chipset.

OnePlus 4 is considered the flagship killer due to its highly praised and elegant design and features in a very affordable price. Initially, the Chinese-made device was reportedly among the most elusive smartphones of all time, since consumers can only purchase the handset through an email invitation. But things have changed, as the OnePlus series is now available to other regions, according to report.

Meanwhile, reports suggest that when it comes to the most anticipated 2016 Android phones, the fight comes down between OnePlus and Google, leaving the likes of LG, HTC and Samsung behind. With only a few days away from its UK launch, Google Pixel handsets are expected to win the competition completely in terms of features and specs. However, the handset's high pricing is believed to likely push the customers away.

OnePlus 3, on the other hand, features the same level of performance for just a very low price. In fact, the 2016 OnePlus 3 handset is reported to be nearly half the cost of the premium Pixel smarthphones, Mirror reported. Watch video about OnePlus 4 Features | Full review here:
Sleepy Hollow Season 4 Air Date, Cast, News & Update: Major Changes In The Upcoming Premiere! More Plot Details, Spoilers Revealed

When "Sleepy Hollow" Season 4 premiere date arrive sometime next year, the hit Fox supernatural series will experience some form of soft reboot. The changes include the new lineup for the "Sleepy Hollow" season 4 cast most notably, the introduction of a new leading lady.

Janina Gavankar Replaces Nicole Beharie In 'Sleepy Hollow' Season 4

When "Sleepy Hollow" Season 4 release date arrives, fans can expect a new leading lady as well. Actress Nicole Beharie decided to part ways with the show which was reflected in last season's finale where her character Abbie Mills was killed.

While Ichabod Crane (Tom Mison) will definitely grieve for his partner's death, evil forces will give him no rest. As such, his demon hunting ways will continue in the coming "Sleepy Hollow" Season 4 premiere date. Fortunately for Ichabod, a new partner will be there to help him. Actress Janina Gavankar joins the "Sleepy Hollow" Season 4 cast as Diana, Ichabod's new partner.

In a recently release first look photo for " Sleepy Hollow" Season 4, the new partners Ichabod and Diana are seen amidst stacks of books, reports TV Line. The duo looks determined, which agrees with Tom Mison's previous reveal that the new team will be more driven because of Abbie's death.

'Sleepy Hollow' Season 4 Relocates To Washington DC With New Team

Another major change for the series is that when "Sleepy Hollow" Season 4 air date comes, the setting will not be in Sleepy Hollow anymore. As reported by TV Line, it was confirmed at the Comic Con that Ichabod will continue his evil hunting in the capital where he will make a shocking discovery concerning the Lincoln Memorial.

When "Sleepy Hollow" Season 4 premiere date comes, Lincoln will have a new team as well. Aside from Diana, the new members will include Alex, played by Rachel Melvin and Jake, portrayed by Jerry MacKinnon.

Henry Parrish Is Back In ' Sleepy Hollow' Season 4

Ichabod's son and enemy, Henry Parrish, will be back as well. As previously reported by GamenGuide, John Noble will be reprising his role when "Sleepy Hollow" Season 4 air date arrives. It gets more problematic for Ichabod and Diana as Henry is rumored to be teaming up with another enemy, the Headless Horseman

Fox is yet to announce a definite "Sleepy Hollow" Season 4 air date. Stay tuned to GamenGuide for updates.
'Game of Thrones' Season 7 Air Date Spoilers, News & Update: Leaked Photos On Set; Possible Jon Snow and Khaleesi allience?

A possible alliance between two major characters in HBO's "Game of Thrones" Season 7 was leaked online. With only two seasons away from the series finale, the cast and crew has been currently filming in Europe. The scene was filmed during a sunny day in Spain, the pictures shown was Jon Snow with his new advisor Ser Davos going for a stroll.

The particular scene in "Game of Thrones" Season 7 does not look like the snow-covered north. Other photos that were released by El Correo, is the two Dothraki, the nomadic warrior who follows their Khaleesi and her right-had translator Missandei. Although there were no photos taken of Emilia Clarke as Daenerys Targaryen on set.

Another photo that surfaces is a photo is Tyron Lanister fixing a boat while having a conversation with Ser Davos. In "Game of Thrones" Season 7 it is speculated that their conversation might try to break a deal before their king and queen meet. Jon Snow is the son of Rheagar Targaryen which means that Jon Snow is Deanery's nephew.

One of the major plot twists of "Game of Thrones" Season 7 is the meeting between the Targaryens. Deanerys Targaryen is in a mission to claim the Iron Throne back from Cersi Lanister while Jon Snow is determined to defeat the White Walkers who wants to devour the North. The winter season in the North is also rumored to increase the White Walker's power.

Jon Snow and Deanery's alliance is speculated to fulfill Georfe R.R. Martin's book, A Song of Ice and Fire where series is adopted from. While Cerisi Lanister and the Greyjoys could possibly team up to protect the Iron Throne. "Game of Thrones" Season 7 will consist of 7 episodes and will possible air in June 2017 on HBO.
iPhone 7 Release Date, News & Update: Surprisingly, People Aren't Switching To iPhone 7, Apple Devices; Qualcomm Variant Has Better Performance?

iPhone 7 annual release has reportedly prompted customer defections in the smartphone industry. This may be due to the fact that subscribers often switch carriers in order to benefit from a better deal on the new Apple handset. However, despite the rate of defections or churn rate, which is at record lows earlier this year, experts believe that the iPhone 7 release would likely create tension again.

An early look at the results for the last quarter was released by Sprint, which is the initial reading from any of the four big carriers since the release of iPhone 7 in the market. According to the rate of defections for the three months ended Sept. 30, there was a relative low rate at 1.37 percent of regular monthly phone customers.

Based on the iPhone 7 report, it appears that the wireless carries on the fourth spot gained more postpaid customers, earning a net of 347,000 subscribers instead of 280,000 that experts had predicted. The shares of Sprint, which already increased by 50 percent from its previous earnings, reportedly gained only 1 percent.

Given that, there are speculations that the appeal of iPhone 7 has faded for most of the customers. However, there are others who believe that there could be a number of other dynamics that may likely explain the result.

However, without data from T-Mobile, Verizon and AT&T, experts agree that it is too soon to infer that iPhone 7 was not able to encourage as much carrier switching. Nevertheless, the early indications from Sprint seems to show a changed wireless industry, Fortune reported.

Meanwhile, two iPhone 7 variants have reportedly been introduced in the market. These include the GSM, CDMA, WCDMA, TD-SDCMA, LTE version with Qualcomm hardware and the GSM, WCDMA, LTE with Intel modem design. Based on reports, the initial performance difference between the two variants indicates that the iPhone 7 with Qualcomm MDM9645M modem provides better cellular performance than the one with Intel features.

iPhone 7 variant with Qualcomm modem is made available only in the US, Japan and China, which prompts speculations that the Intel version is considered by Apple to be good enough to other regions, 9to5Mac reported. Watch video about iPhone 7 - What Apple Doesn't Want You To Know here:
PS4 Pro News Update: No Elite Controller Coming for Next Gen Console; Plus, See Purpose of Additional 1GB

The hype is there, but the complete package is awfully missing. The PS4 Pro has arrived in a manner most gamers think is too conventional for a more advance device. Nevertheless, Sony chose to play it that way. Now, as players begin to settle on the new PS4 Pro, Sony put to rest rumors suggesting, the device will have an elite controller.

Apparently not, and Sony is not contemplating on a new PS4 pro elite controller. In an interview with Sony's Mark Cerny on The Verge, he implied that, there's no need to add the elite controller. Sony aims to provide a unified gaming platform and the next gen controller is a matter of "must have" and "have not" in the part of the player.

Although Cerny did not downright reject the idea of PS4 Pro elite controller in the future, he also mentioned that, there are third party controllers that are way better than the elite ones; rival console features. This is something that Cerny wants to clear, that players can still choose another form of compatible controller for the PS4 console.

Meanwhile, Sony also explained the 1GB addition on the memory of the all new PS4 Pro console. Mark Cerny explained that, the additional 1GB on the PS4 Pro memory is a slow, conventional DRAM that Sony want to include for better app switching. In a conventional gaming-Netflix feature, the additional 10 percent allocation will prevent lagging while switching between applications.

The PS4 Pro is scheduled for release on the 10th of November 2016. It will be the third version of the conventional PS4, with PS4 Slim coming right in between. The Pro version will have a market price of $399, which you can expect to NOT feature the PS4 Pro elite controller, but rather; an additional 1GB in its memory.

Are you excited to see the all new PS4 Pro on the tech market soon? Make sure to check us here on GameNGuide for future freebies, bundles and promos for the new Sony console.
Abortion has been an ongoing global issue whether it should be legalized or not. However, there are countries who have strictly implemented the Anti-Abortion Law with some restrictions. Poland allows abortion only in special circumstances, such as when the woman's life or health is endangered if the pregnancy is continued, when the pregnancy is a result of a criminal act like rape and/or incest or when the fetus is seriously malformed.

On Oct. 06 this year, Poland's MP (Member of Parliament) rejected a near-total ban on abortion following the mass demonstration protesting against it. Women's rights activists rallied outside the parliament building in Warsaw, reports BBC News. The leader of the governing Law and Justice Party (PiS), Jaroslaw Kaczynski said in an interview with Polska Agencja Prasowa (PAP) in Polish, "We will strive to ensure that even in pregnancies which are very difficult, when a child is sure to die, strongly deformed, women end up giving birth so that the child can be baptized, buried, and have a name."

He also added that his socially conservative party is getting its hands on a new restrictive bill. The Roman Catholic religion is dominant in the country by about 65 percent of Polish citizens. In Europe, they already have the tightest abortion law. Earlier this month, there has been a drafted law punishing women who had abortion with a five-year imprisonment, and the doctors who helped to pursue the abortion will also have their time in jail.

Nonetheless, thousands of women in Poland have protested against the total ban on abortions wearing black clothes to demonstrate their mourning for their reproductive rights'. They took their time off from work, school, and didn't do any chores just to hold the protest which they theoretically called, "Black Monday". Poland, officially Republic of Poland, is the world's 34th most populous country. It has embraced Christianity, and has become overwhelmingly Roman Catholic.
Facebook Employees Threaten To Quit, Demands Trump Post Be Removed

Employees of the social media giant, Facebook, involved in taking down inappropriate content are threatening to quit. This followed after they were ordered by Mark Zuckerberg to leave the original posts of U.S. presidential candidate Donald Trump. The post mentions the total banning of Muslims from entering the U.S.

According to the report by the Wall Street Journal, a great number of employees were offended by the post. Despite the clear violations towards policy on hate speech, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg did not give the go signal to take it down. The employees were told to leave the post as it is.

While a number of employees were against the presidential nominee's hate speech, some were backing up Zuckerberg's decision. Monika Bickert, the head of global policy management, supports the CEO's decision. She says that they wanted to be fair for the upcoming election.

Some employees took their concerns to their superiors while some opted in making internal groups that would air their objections. A Facebook spokesperson clarified the issue that when approving and censoring content, they had to take the context into consideration. They say that a certain judgement had to be followed since social media posts would embody presidential nominees and this would affect the vote of the public.

Trump's statement on Facebook dated back as early as December and has increased in frequency ever since. Zuckerberg has made various appearances where, in one instance, he was asked by a Muslim town hall meeting attendee about Trump's comments and remarks. The Facebook CEO gave an answer that entails looking on both sides of the coin. According to him, even if it were examples of hate speech, removing them had their fair share of implications. The Facebook CEO continues to receive a lot of heat. Trump's posts are not stopping and Zuckerberg stands firm on his decision.
Microsoft Surface Pro 5 Release Date, Specs, Features, News & Update: What Fans Can Expect At the Microsoft Event on October 26

Microsoft is just days away from its Windows 10 event, scheduled to be held in October itself. The event will reportedly take place a day before Apple's event where the MacBook Pro 2016 is expected to be unveiled. There are rumors that Washington-based company will also unveil the Microsoft Surface Pro 5 device in the said event.

Microsoft released the Surface Pro 4 in 2015 around the same date. Moreover, as the company always does, it has reduced the price of the Surface Pro 4, which is a strong indication that a new device is about to be revealed. Thus, it will be a war between the Apple MacBook Pro 2016 and Microsoft Surface Pro 5.

Apple may also release the MacBook Pro variants and also MacBook Air, which are expected to rival the Microsoft Surface Pro 5. This has already been hinted by noted analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. However, none of the companies have declared anything officially and have kept the specs and features of the said devices under wraps.

The Microsoft even that is reportedly being held in New York on Oct. 26 will also reveal the long-awaited Microsoft AIO Surface PC. Last year, the company released tons of hardware and software for the Windows market. This year, Microsoft will focus more on software (Windows 10) and also certain third-party software such to complement the new operating system, which is expected to be unveiled along with the Microsoft Surface Pro 5.

In terms of hardware, the Microsoft AIO Surface PC will come in three different sizes, 21-inch, 24-inch and 27-inch. The 21-inch Surface PC is expected to come with 4K compatibility and full HD Display. If rumors are to be believed, the Surface PC, just like the Surface Book, will be released with some form of modularity. The keyboard may be detachable for improved productivity. It remains to be seen if Microsoft Surface Pro 5 will be sporting these new specs and features.

Apart from these devices, Surface-branded accessories are also in line. Microsoft will likely release Bluetooth-enabled keyboards and mouse at the event. Stay tuned to GamenGuide for more news and updates about the Microsoft Surface Pro 5!
Rotary got started in Long Beach in 1917 when seven local businessmen met with a New York Rotarian who talked about his club there.
Monroe has eight people running for three vacancies on its city council in the November election. Monroe residents will be asked to pick three of those candidates, rather than having to elect people by ward as in Corvallis.

The candidates are Robert Reynolds, Floyd Billings, Von Koroush Boss, Marilyn Guthrie, Frank Thayer, Jeannine Cuthbertson, Cindy Canter and Chuck Scholz.

The Gazette-Times sent questionnaires to each of the candidates. They were each asked to provide answers in 100 words or fewer, although not all candidates responded.

Those who did are below:

Buss

Von Koroush Buss

Age: 57

Occupation: retired

Q: Why did you choose to run for this position?

A: I chose to run because I have an opportunity to help make decisions for my community, I want to help our little town grow, so that we have a town left.

Q: What qualifies you to serve on the council?

A: I was born and raised in this town, I'm from a third generation family here. I've had a business; I have quality bookkeeping skills, people skills and life skills. I really want to be a speaker for the people of Monroe.

Q: What do you think is the biggest issue facing Monroe?

A: Growth is one of the biggest issues facing us. We have people that don't want our little town to grow, but to keep it our town and not something that Benton County can throw away. We need to get projects done.

Q: What would be your focus in office?

A: My focus in office would be to help in anyway that I can to support what the people of our town have to say. To make their voices heard.

Canter

Cindy Canter

Age: 51

Occupation: community ambassador and foster parent

Q: Why did you choose to run for this position?

A: I believe I can help the city of Monroe maintain its unique heritage and bring back that vibrant feel while helping us move forward and grow our economy. I want this city to be all it can be for my family, my friends and my future friends. My training with the Ford Family Foundation and Rural Development Initiatives to be a Community Ambassador has led me to be a voice for economic growth within my community.

Q: What qualifies you to serve on the council?

A: I have served on the Monroe City Council for the last three years. I am familiar with daily operations as well as the challenges we face. I am on three different city sub-committees. I chair the Monroe Beautification Committee and serve on both the Public Works Committee, and the Parks Committee. To broaden my reach into the community and look for solutions that work for Monroe, I am on the South Benton County/Monroe Connectivity Committee and South Benton County Recreation Alliance Committee. I have served on boards such as Oregon Cascades West Council of Governments and Habitat for Humanity.

Q: What do you think is the biggest issue facing Monroe?

A: Economic growth and a lack of public transportation

Q: What would be your focus in office?

A: I want to find a balance between economic growth and home town feel. I want to take advantage of our participation in the Oregon Main Streets Program and focus on our own main street revitalization. Monroe has a great history that needs to be told. I want to expand on it and bring it into the future while maintaining our historical integrity. I also want to advocate for exercise equipment in our existing parks. As a team player and a voice for my constituents, I will communicate, to the best of my ability, what is happening at the city level.

Reynolds

Robert Reynolds

Age: 47

Occupation: commercial truck driver

Q: Why did you choose to run for this position?

A: I want to be part of providing a safe and enjoyable community. I have concerns about our community and desire to contribute to the solutions.

Q: What qualifies you to serve on the council?

A: I have lived in Monroe for two years. Our family will reside here until our three children have completed high school (12 more years).

Q: What do you think is the biggest issue facing Monroe?

A: Lack of community involvement. There are only a handful of people contributing to the community. The Monroe area has a huge need for a place where our youth can play. We are attracting interest from developers, both housing and business, and have a difficult time getting the projects off the ground.

Q: What would be your focus in office?

A: Improving the quality of life for all and making Monroe a place where people and businesses want to reside and our visitors want to return.

Scholz

Chuck Scholz

Age: 47

Occupation: civil engineering technician

Q: Why did you choose to run for this position?

A: It's time for some new ideas on the council and expectations of our city government.

Q: What qualifies you to serve on the council?

A: I have worked for more than 20 years for other municipalities in Oregon. It's time to bring those "behind the scenes" experiences to my City.

Q: What do you think is the biggest issue facing Monroe?

A: Developing safe, sustainable infrastructure than can support the citizens of the city now and future planned growth and development.

Q: What would be your focus in office?

A: Strengthening our current water and wastewater systems and to help implement a much more transparent city government.

Thayer

Frank Thayer

Age: 74

Occupation: retired, current mayor

Q: Why did you choose to run for this position?

A: As mayor I only had a vote on issues when the council tied in vote. There have been issues that I did not agree with in ethics and lack of results that were best for our Monroe citizens.

Q: What qualifies you to serve on the council?

A: I feel best qualified for the position of Monroe City Council due to my knowledge of how we have done the best for Monroe citizens and the things that did not work well, this comes from the experience of having been mayor and a councilor. A few of the professions I have had are parts manager, service manager, police officer, police chief and Jerry's Home Improvement department head.

Q: What do you think is the biggest issue facing Monroe?

A: The biggest issues for Monroe are always concern for the safety and welfare of our people. Protection, followed by water run off, streets and economics.

Q: What would be your focus in office?

A: The future of Monroe in providing the above for Monroe citizens. Doing what is right for all and not personal agendas.
Welcome to my genealogy blog. Genea-Musings features genealogy research tips and techniques, genealogy news items and commentary, genealogy humor, San Diego genealogy society news, family history research and some family history stories from the keyboard of Randy Seaver (of Chula Vista CA), who thinks that Genealogy Research Is really FUN! Copyright (c) Randall J. Seaver, 2006-2021.
Rhine rescue : Drunk 28-year-old drives car into Rhine

Bad Godesberg Rescue services were deployed in the early hours of Sunday to pull a car from the Rhine near the Bad Godesberg ferry.

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It could have been fatal. On his way home from a private party and under the influence of alcohol, a 28-year-old driver made a grave mistake. Around 3.03am on Sunday he drove his white family-sized car, with two male passengers, from Von-Sandt-Ufer into the river. The man later told police he had taken a wrong turn. As it was dark, he apparently mistook the ferry entry ramp for a street.

The car sank two metres onto the riverbed. The three occupants later told police they were able to escape from the flooded car just in time and get to the riverbank, but it took a lot of effort. Police found the men, aged 20, 28 and 35, in a nearby restaurant. They were soaked through but unharmed. They took the 28-year-old to Bad Godesberg police station and took a blood sample from him. They had taken a reading of 1.28 parts per thousand in an alcohol test performed on the driver. The police would not confirm on Sunday whether the man was from Bonn. The car had a Hamburg number plate and was possibly a hire car.

The fire brigade turned up in the night with around 60 men to get the car out of the river. Fire chief Frank Linnarz first used boats to secure the car and make sure it was not swept further up stream. Divers from the Deutsche Lebensrettungsgesellschaft (German Life Saving Society)(DLRG) fixed straps to the white car. The fire brigade then pulled it out of the water with its boot and drivers door open, and onto the ferry entry ramp using the winch on a rescue vehicle. As soon as the wheels made contact with the ramp, a fireman got into the car and steered it in the right direction. Members of the Konigswinter voluntary fire brigade, the DLRG Bonn and Troisdorf and the Bad Honnef Technisches Hilfswerk (German Federal Agency for Technical Relief) were also on duty.
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Protecting the worlds oceans  an important goal of Germanys climate diplomacy

The worlds oceans are vital to our survival. They regulate the global climate and are a source of food and income for billions of people. Only a very small part of the seas enjoys legal protection, however. Our diplomats are working in New York right now to change this state of affairs.
'Feels Like Home Season 2' offers something real and tangible to think about; takes home a pertinent point - if your intentions are good, there is nothing in life that isn't achievable.
Yemen: UN envoy urges 72-hour extension of ceasefire

22 October 2016  With the 72-hour cessation of hostilities in Yemen coming to an end, the United Nations envoy for Yemen today urged all warring parties to agree to its extension for at least another renewable 72 hours so that humanitarian supplies continue to reach people affected by the ongoing conflict there.

"The ceasefire was largely holding despite reported violations from both sides in several areas," said the Special Envoy, Ismail OuldCheikh Ahmed, in a statement.

"We noted over the last days that food and humanitarian supplies were provided to several affected neighborhoods and that UN personnel were able to reach areas that were previously inaccessible. We would like to build on this and we aim for a wider outreach in the next few days," he added.

Yemen is one of the poorest countries on earth and the 18-month-old conflict has had a terrible effect on its people, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), which estimates that nearly half the population  or just over 12 million people  are now in need of some form of assistance.

Earlier this year, the Yemeni parties agreed on the terms and conditions of the Cessation of Hostilities, which went into effect on 10 April 2016, but violations have occurred. The United Nations had since facilitated peace negotiations in Kuwait between a Yemeni Government delegation and a delegation of the General People's Congress and Ansar Allah. But the talks ended on 6 August.

According to the Special Envoy, all Yemeni parties have recently assured him that they would recommit to the terms and conditions of the Cessation of Hostilities, and it re-entered into force at 23:59 Yemen time on 19 October 2016, for an initial period of 72 hours, subject to renewal.

The Special Envoy reminded all parties that these terms and conditions include an obligation to allow free and unhindered access for humanitarian supplies and personnel to all parts of Yemen, in addition to a full and comprehensive halt to military activities of any kind. "This must be respected at all times, in all areas," he said.

Furthermore, he reiterated his call for the immediate reactivation of the De-escalation and Coordination Committee (DCC) and the deployment of its members to Dhahran Al Janoub as agreed during the talks held in Kuwait.

"I expect all sides to strictly adhere to their commitments and work toward a definitive cessation of violence through a political process. In case parties agree to the extension, the Cessation of Hostilities must be fully respected," he said. "Our aim is that it will lead to a permanent and lasting end to the conflict."

"Yemenis deserve to live in peace and have access to their basic rights and all parties must assume their responsibility in protecting them," he concluded.

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Lithuanians Vote for Change, Handing Win to Farmers' Union

By VOA News October 23, 2016

Lithuanians voted for major change in parliamentary elections Sunday, handing victory to a farmers' union that previously held only one seat in parliament.

The Peasants and Green Union party, led by 46-year-old millionaire farmer Ramunas Karbauskis, is expected to end up with 56 seats in the 141-member Parliament, according to preliminary results provided by the Central Electoral Committee. It is the biggest victory by a single party in 20 years.

The conservative Homeland Union-Christian Democrats will likely take 30 seats.

The incumbent ruling party, the Social Democrats, would take 18 seats, preliminary results show. The remaining seats will be split among several smaller parties.

Sunday was a runoff election for 68 seats that were not previously allotted after a first round of balloting October 9.

According to Lithuania's election commission, the voter turnout was 38 percent of the 2.5 million eligible voters.

In the first round two weeks ago, the Homeland Union secured 20 seats, closely followed by the Peasants and Green Union party with 19 seats, leaving the current government party in third place with 13 seats.

Lithuanians have been worried about sluggish economic growth, currently at an annual rate of two to three percent, less than half of what it was 10 years ago.

The Peasants and Green Union party had promised a technocratic government focused on economic growth.

"I don't know an area where the current government policy does not need to be changed, except in foreign policy, where we need to have a continuation," Karbauskis told journalists on Sunday evening.

The biggest of the three Baltic countries, Lithuania, regained independence after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 and joined the European Union in 2004. Since then, approximately 370,000 people have left the country, with an estimated 50 percent of them moving to Britain.

During the election campaign, the long-ruling Social Democratic-led government and opposition parties promised to raise living wages in the country of 2.9 million, down from 3.3 million a decade ago.

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Soviet Invasion of Hungary

On October 23, 1956, a Budapest student rally in support of Polish efforts to win autonomy from the Soviet Union sparked mass demonstrations. The police attacked, and the demonstrators fought back, tearing down symbols of Soviet domination and HWP rule, sacking the party newspaper's offices and shouting in favor of free elections, national independence, and the return of Imre Nagy to power. Erno Gero (Soviet Party leader in Hungary) called out the army, but many soldiers handed their weapons to the demonstrators and joined the uprising . Soviet officials in Budapest summoned Nagy to speak to the crowd, but the violence continued. At Gero's request, Soviet troops entered Budapest on October 24. The presence of these troops further enraged the Hungarians, who battled the troops and state security police. Crowds emptied the prisons, freed Cardinal Mindszenty, sacked police stations, and summarily hanged some member of the secret police. The Central Committee named Nagy prime minister on October 25 and selected a new Politburo and Secretariat; one day later, Janos Kadar replaced Gero as party first secretary.

Nagy enjoyed vast support. He formed a new government consisting of both communists and noncommunists, dissolved the state security police, abolished the one-party system, and promised free elections and an end to collectivization, all with Kadar's support. But Nagy failed to harness the popular revolt. Workers' councils threatened a general strike to back demands for removal of Soviet troops, elimination of party interference in economic affairs, and renegotiation of economic treaties with the Soviet Union. On October 30, Nagy called for the formation of a new democratic, multiparty system. Noncommunist parties that had been suppressed almost a decade before began to reorganize. A coalition government emerged that included members of the Independent Smallholders' Party, Social Democratic Party, National Peasant Party, and other parties, as well as the HWP. After negotiations, Soviet officials agreed to remove their troops at the discretion of the Hungarian government, and Soviet troops began to leave Budapest. Nagy soon learned, however, that new Soviet armored divisions had crossed into Hungary.

In response, on November 1 Nagy announced Hungary's decision to withdraw from the Warsaw Pact and to declare Hungary neutral. He then appealed to the United Nations and Western governments for protection of Hungary's neutrality. The Western powers, which were involved in the Suez crisis and were without contingency plans to deal with a revolution in Eastern Europe, did not respond.

The Soviet military responded to Hungarian events with a quick strike. On November 3, Soviet troops surrounded Budapest and closed the country's borders. Overnight they entered the capital and occupied the National Assembly building. Kadar, who had fled to the Soviet Union on November 2, assembled the Temporary Revolutionary Government of Hungary on Soviet soil just across the Hungarian border. On November 4, the formation of the new government was announced in a radiobroadcast. Kadar returned to Budapest in a Soviet armored car; by then, Nagy had fled to the Yugoslav embassy, Cardinal Mindszenty had taken refuge in the United States embassy, Rakosi was safely across the Soviet border, and about 200,000 Hungarians had escaped to the West.

With Soviet support, Kadar struck almost immediately against participants in the revolution. Over the next five years, about 2,000 individuals were executed and about 25,000 imprisoned. Kadar also reneged on a guarantee of safe conduct granted to Nagy, who was arrested on November 23 and deported to Romania. In June 1958, the Hungarian government announced that Nagy and other government officials who had played key roles in the revolution had been secretly tried and executed.





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Opium cultivation spread in Afghanistan in 2016: UN office

Iran Press TV

Sun Oct 23, 2016 7:38AM

Afghanistan's cultivation of opium poppy for drugs has risen to its third-highest level in more than 20 years, says a United Nations (UN) agency, as the Taliban militants regain ground in the country.

The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) said on Sunday that the total area of land used for poppy cultivation in Afghanistan had risen by 10 percent to 201,000 hectares (497,000 acres) in 2016.

Opium poppy cultivation, a favorite activity of the Taliban, used to be limited to certain parts of Afghanistan; however, the surge in militancy and the government's loss of grip on security has allowed it to spread to other parts of the country, particularly the north.

"Strong increases (in cultivation) were observed in the northern region and in Badghis province where the security situation has deteriorated since 2015," the UNODC said.

The western region, which includes Badghis, has the second-biggest area under opium poppy cultivation after the south.

The Taliban militants have recently engaged in daring attacks across the country, most recently on the city of Kunduz, which has traded hands between the Taliban and the Afghan government a number of times.

The UNODC findings also showed that there had been a 30-percent increase in the estimated yield from poppy fields this year compared to 2015, bringing potential production to the seventh-highest on record.

The UNODC added, however, that its yield estimate was less reliable than that of the area under cultivation.

"There are some limitations in these estimates since the yield survey was not implemented in all main cultivating provinces for security reasons," it said.

"The survey shows a worrying reversal in efforts to combat the persistent problem of illicit drugs and their impact on development, health and security," UNODC's Executive Director Yury Fedotov said in a statement.

The Taliban's aggressive militancy in many areas has hindered the government's poppy eradication plan.

"Eradication has dropped precipitously to 355 hectares  a fall of some 91 percent," Fedotov said.

The report said the number of Afghan poppy-free provinces had fallen to 13 from 14 out of a total of 34. It confirmed a statement by Fedotov earlier this month that the area under cultivation had exceeded 200,000 hectares in 2016, putting it in the top three years since the UNODC began providing estimates in 1994.

Fedotov's statement on October 4 was made at a conference in Brussels, where world powers raised 15 billion dollars to fund Afghanistan over the next four years.

The US and its allied invaded Afghanistan 15 years ago to topple the then-Taliban regime. The militants, who lost power in the 2001 invasion, have been regaining strength despite the continued presence of thousands of US-led forces in the country.

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Rouhani: Nuclear deal result of Leader's prudence

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Arak, Oct 23, IRNA -- Iran's nuclear deal with world powers known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action was the result of the Supreme Leader's prudence and an achievement by the Iranian people and the government of the Islamic Republic, says President Rouhani.

'The JCPOA was a victory and the result of 10 to 12 years of resistance by the Iranian people against brutal sanctions,' President Hassan Rouhani said on Sunday during his 32nd provincial tour visiting Markazi provincial capital, Arak.

President Rouhani urged the opportunities created following implementation of the nuclear deal should be properly exploited.

He said that foreign visits by the Iranian officials all aimed at reviving the economy.

'Why should some regional countries which similar to Iran, have the same long history, have more than 200 billion dollars worth of annual exports, while Iran has only 50 billion dollars of annual exports?' asked the President.

President Rouhani also referred to the new atmosphere of engagement between Iran and the world countries.

'In the past, world countries were competing to threaten and put Iran under pressure and to impose sanctions on it,' he said.

'Now, however, everybody is rushing to establish ties with the Islamic Republic,' he added.

The President said that all major obstacles in order for us to engage more with the world countries have been removed.

'We have managed to reestablish banking ties with the world and we are increasingly promoting our ties with the world countries,' he said.

'The JCPOA meant to secure the rights of the Iranian people, it meant to let us export the heavy water produced in our Arak nuclear facility, it meant to let us export the UF6 produced at our Natanz nuclear fuel enrichment plant and it meant to let us freely export the country's petroleum, natural gas, petrochemical products and gas condensates.'

2044**1771

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Carter Meets With Iraqi Prime Minister, Addresses Troops in Baghdad

By Cheryl Pellerin DoD News, Defense Media Activity

WASHINGTON, Oct. 23, 2016  Defense Secretary Ash Carter met with Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi yesterday in Baghdad and spoke with troops there about the fight against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant and the ongoing military campaign to retake the city of Mosul.

On this week's international trip Carter also is visiting Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, France and Belgium to meet with key partners in the campaign to deliver ISIL a lasting defeat, and to participate in the fifth NATO defense ministerial of his tenure.

During a press briefing after his meeting with Abadi, Carter congratulated him on the start of the Mosul operation and commended Masoud Barzani, president of the Iraqi Kurdistan Region since 2005, on his successful work with Iraqi forces.

Carter also reaffirmed to Abadi the vital importance of every country operating with full respect for Iraqi sovereignty.

'That is the principle upon which the international coalition and everything that it does in this country is 100 percent committed to," the secretary added.

Beyond the Mosul Campaign

As head of the U.S. Defense Department, Carter expressed regret for the losses that the Iraqis have taken in the counter-ISIL fight and for the most recent U.S. casualty in the region.

"We had the loss of an American service member here," the secretary said, "This is a fight that we must fight but it comes with a price of heavy hearts for the families of the fallen."

Navy Chief Petty Officer Jason C. Finan, 34, of Anaheim, California, died Oct. 20 in northern Iraq of wounds sustained in an improvised explosive device blast. He was assigned to Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit Three.

Beyond the Mosul campaign to reconstruction, stabilization and U.S. and coalition assistance, Carter said he and Abadi discussed the continuing need to fight terrorism even after Iraq has reestablished control over its major cities.

"We talked about our next steps  in the stabilization of Iraq and our continued willingness to lead a coalition in support of the consolidation of Iraqi government control over Iraqi territory," the defense secretary added.

Addressing the Troops

Shortly after the meeting with Abadi, Carter spoke with about 50 service members, greeting them and asking them to send thanks to their families from DoD for their service and sacrifice.

"You are doing extremely important work here and you're here at an historic moment," the secretary said, adding that ISIL must be defeated in Iraq and Syria to destroy the idea that an Islamic state could exist based on brutal ideology.

"We are at an important moment in the campaign because you, together with our Iraqi partners, led by Prime Minister Abadi and  a unified Iraq, a unified armed forces enabled by the massive might of the international coalition that you lead" has been executing the coalition military plan for ISIL's defeat "with the excellence that the world knows is so characteristic of the U.S. military," Carter told the troops.

"We know it's not going to be easy, but I'm encouraged by what I see so far. It's proceeding according to plan and we're on track," the secretary added, also commending the Iraqi forces and the Kurdish peshmerga for their important contributions to the effort.

After the Mosul Victory

With confidence in the Mosul victory, Carter said, all must look to the future of Iraq.

"To make victory stick, you have to have, in the aftermath, decent governance and stabilization and reconstruction. I took the opportunity earlier today to talk to the United Nations and the [U.S. Agency for International Development] and the Iraqi government coordinators for that phase," the secretary said.

"That's not your job. It's not the Department of Defense's job," he added, "but it's very important to make sure that that's ready to go so the defeat of ISIL in Mosul sticks."

What's true in Mosul is true everywhere in the country, Carter said.

"I'm confident that's possible. We've got to work on it. We have to win the peace after we win the battle," he said.

"This couldn't happen without the support of the international coalition. That coalition couldn't exist without the United States. And that coalition couldn't be successful on the battlefield without the awesome prowess of the people in this room and in the U.S. military around the world," the secretary said.

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Top advisor to Daesh ringleader killed in Mosul

Iran Press TV

Sun Oct 23, 2016 7:10AM

The Iraqi air force has killed a top advisor to Daesh's ringleader and second-in-command to the terror group's shadow governor for Mosul, as part of large-scale military operations to liberate the strategic northern city.

Iraqi state television reported on Sunday that Mi-35M helicopters carried out a series of air raids on the town of Tal Kayf (aka Tel Keppe), located some eight miles from Mosul in Nineveh Province, leaving the key Daesh member, named as Abu Usama, dead.

The attack also killed a number of Abu Usama's henchmen, the report added.

Mosul fell to Daesh in 2014, when the terror group started ravaging the country, naming the city as its so-called headquarters in Iraq.

Over the past months, Daesh has lost much of the Iraqi territory it had seized, with Mosul currently serving as its last stronghold in the country.

Earlier in the month, Arabic-language Iraqi Media News Agency (WAA) reported that Ibrahim al-Samarrai, otherwise known as Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the Daesh's chief himself, had been poisoned together with three other commanders of the Takfiri terrorist group, in the Be'aaj district, located in the southwest of Nineveh Province, of which Mosul is the capital.

Also on Saturday, the Iraqi police said 36 Daesh militants, most of whom hailing from Chechnya, had been killed in the province's al-Shourah district.

'Mosul sharpshooter'

Meanwhile, other reports show the emergence of a vigilante, who has been surgically sniping out Daesh terrorists in Mosul, and has thus attracted much local popularity.

A military source said the avenger had most recently killed a Daesh member, who was about to behead a youth accused of joining popular anti-terror fighters.

The mysterious sniper had, over the past days, been reported to have taken out a large number of Daesh-affiliated individuals in four areas across the city.

Iraqi forces push forward

Over the past week, the Iraqi army, backed by volunteer forces, has been engaged in a large military offensive to cleanse Mosul of Daesh terrorists.

In their latest gains on the battlefield, Iraqi troops managed to free two villages in Mosul District's Bashiqa town, Kurdish-language Rudaw television reported.

Iraqi forces also took back the Mishraq sulphur company, the biggest in the Middle East.

After coming under attack, the terrorists set fire to the sulfur stockpile at one of the firm's plants, which killed two of the locals and caused many others to suffer from asphyxiation.

Daesh has, in recent days, stepped up its terror activities across Iraq after taking heavy blows from the Iraqi army during the Mosul battle.

Reports said on Sunday that Daesh terrorists have launched an attack against Rutbah town in the western province of Anbar near the Jordanian border.

Heavy clashes are underway in the area between Iraqi security forces and the Takfiri militants.

On Sunday, Kurdish Peshmerga fighters said they had managed to recapture the town of Bashiqa near Mosul from Daesh. Journalists, however, were not being allowed into the town.

Earlier in the day, they had liberated a strategic road linking Bashiqa to Mosul from the Takfiri outfit.

Meanwhile, UNICEF says over 4,000 people have fled the conflict zones around Mosul since the liberation battle got underway.

The Mosul offensive involves more than 25,000 Iraqi ground forces. It is expected to take weeks, if not months, to drive Daesh out the city, which hosts more than a million civilians.

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Iraqi Kurds, Turkish Artillery Pound IS Stronghold Near Mosul

By VOA News October 23, 2016

Kurdish Peshmerga fighters backed by Turkish artillery on Sunday claimed major advances against Islamic State extremists outside Iraq's second largest city, Mosul, at one point claiming to have seized full control of the town of Bashiqa.

Peshmerga commanders outside the town told reporters their fighters had entered Bashiqa, which lies about 10 kilometers northeast of IS-occupied Mosul. However, journalists were not allowed entry, and the status of the town had not been confirmed by early Monday.

Carter visit

The latest Iraqi coalition advances occurred as visiting U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter held talks in nearby Irbil with Kurdish leader Massoud Barzani and key military commanders.

Carter was later quoted as saying "they [Peshmerga] fight extremely well. But because they're fighting hard, they suffer ... casualties."

After separate talks Saturday in Baghdad with Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, Carter also said Washington is prepared to provide additional support for the Iraq-led coalition if requested by Iraq and U.S. commanders.

Turkey-Iraq feud

Carter, who met Friday with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, is seeking to ease rising tensions between Ankara's Sunni leadership and Baghdad's Shi'ite government.

The two governments have been feuding over the presence of more than 1,000 Turkish fighters deployed near Bashiqa late last year to train Sunni and Kurdish fighters in the push against Islamic State. That Turkish force provided artillery cover for the Peshmerga advance on Sunday.

The December 2015 deployment was also widely seen as an attempt by Turkey to ensure that its border with Iraq remains largely controlled by Sunnis and Iraqi Kurds rather than by Iran-backed Shi'ite militia currently fighting alongside Iraqi forces to retake Mosul.

For its part, the Baghdad government has repeatedly demanded the withdrawal of all Turkish forces from the country, a demand which Turkey has so far ignored.

The verbal standoff peaked Saturday, when Iraqi Prime Minister Abadi formally rejected a demand by Turkey to participate in the military push to recapture Mosul.

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Clashes break out in Syria's Aleppo as ceasefire expires

Iran Press TV

Sat Oct 22, 2016 10:57PM

Clashes between Syrian government forces and militants have erupted in the divided city of Aleppo after a unilateral ceasefire announced by Russia came to an end.

The ceasefire expired on Saturday evening, after a one-day extension on Friday. The truce was aimed at permitting civilians and foreign-sponsored militants to leave the eastern areas of the city.

During the ceasefire, eight humanitarian corridors were set up for people to leave to the city, but according to reports they were seldom used.

Chief of the Main Operational Directorate of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Sergei Rudskoi said that militants were stopping people from using the corridors, using civilians as human shields.

"The terrorists are using the ceasefire in their interest We are seeing them massing around Aleppo and preparing for another breakthrough into the city's western neighborhoods," he said.

According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, fierce clashes broke out along the line dividing the city with exchanges of heavy artillery fire.

Aleppo, Syria's second largest city, has been divided between government forces in the west and the militants in the east since 2012. In an attempt to free the trapped civilian population and to end the militants' reign of terror in the east, the Syrian army, backed by Russian fighter jets, began a major offensive on September 22.

Both Russian and Syrian Air Force fighter jets stopped their bombing of the militant-held neighborhoods in Aleppo on Tuesday  two days ahead of the truce.

Chemical weapons in Syria

Meanwhile, French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault has urged the United Nations Security Council to censure the use of chemical weapons in Syria, and called for those responsible to be sanctioned.

"I want ... a clear condemnation of these crimes in a resolution from the UN Security Council ... that places the perpetrators under sanctions," he said.

Ayrault's comments come one day after a UN report claimed that chemical weapons had been used by Syria in a village in 2015 and that Daesh had used mustard gas in several of its attacks.

"The Syrian army and Daesh have used chemical weapons against civilians on at least three occasions...These acts are inhuman and unacceptable," he said.

The Syrian government has on multiple occasions rejected such allegations. Damascus accepted to hand over its stockpiles of chemical weapons to the OPCW-UN joint mission in 2013 when it signed the 1997 Chemical Weapons Convention under a deal brokered by Russia and the US.

"France will not accept that the use of chemical weapons in Syria, which has now been proven beyond doubt ... should remain unpunished," he said. "We call on all our partners in the Security Council to assume their responsibility."

Since March 2011, Syria has been hit by deadly militancy it blames on some Western states and their regional allies. Russia has been conducting airstrikes against Daesh and other terrorist groups at the request of the Syrian government since September last year.

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Syrian troops advance on several fronts against Takfiri terrorists

Iran Press TV

Sun Oct 23, 2016 10:11AM

Syrian army soldiers and their allies have managed to wrest control of several areas across the country as they press ahead with their counterterrorism operations.

The Syrian forces advanced in Eastern Ghouta in the countryside of Damascus on Sunday, the Arabic-language Syria Now news website reported.

It further noted that the Syrian army fully retook a strategic air base in southern Aleppo, inflicting heavy losses on Takfiri elements.

Army units also established control over a number of farms in Syria's southwestern town of Khan al-Shih and Zakia on the edge of Damascus.

Meanwhile, Syria's official SANA news agency reported that the Syrian air force destroyed places of gathering and vehicles belonging to terrorists and killed many of them in al-Ameriya, Tal Dahab, al-Rastan and elsewhere around al-Shaer Gas Field in Homs countryside.

A Syrian army unit also destroyed a militant hideout and killed several terrorists in al-Naziheen camp and al-Abbassiya neighborhood in the southwestern province of Dara'a.

In another development on Sunday, a blast rocked a market in the northeastern Syrian city of Hasakah, leaving a number of people dead and injured, the state TV reported.

Since March 2011, Syria has been hit by militancy it blames on some Western states and their regional allies. Backed by the Russian air cover, the Syrian military is engaged in an operation to rid the country of Daesh and other terrorist groups.

The so-called Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and United Nations Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura have put the death toll from the Syria conflict at more than 300,000 and 400,000, respectively.

This is while the UN has stopped its official casualty count in Syria, citing its inability to verify the figures it receives from various sources.

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US warns citizens of terror attacks in Istanbul

Iran Press TV

Sun Oct 23, 2016 10:30AM

The United States has issued a stern warning about the possibility of terror attacks or attempted kidnapping of foreigners in Istanbul, Turkey.

The US consulate in Istanbul warned Americans Saturday evening that terrorist groups may continue their "aggressive efforts" to attack them and other foreigners.

"These attacks may be pre-planned or could occur with little or no warning, and include, but are not limited to: armed attack, attempted kidnapping, bombing, or other violent acts," it said in an online notice.

The touristy city has seen several terrorist attacks this year, most of which were claimed by the Daesh terrorist group.

The consulate did not say which group might be orchestrating such acts, but advised those Americans who are visiting the city or living there to "review and update their personal security practices when traveling to locations where Westerners are known to frequent or reside."

"US citizens should also exercise increased vigilance and caution in areas easily accessible to the general public," it added.

Earlier this month, the US Embassy warned of a terror attack on businesses, including Starbucks, in Gaziantep, near the Syrian border.

Tourist numbers have plummeted in Turkey as a series of bombings, a failed coup in July, and tensions with Russia have kept visitors away.

Two officers killed in car bombing

Meanwhile, a car bomb explosion near a police vehicle in the eastern province of Bingol left two officers dead and 19 people injured on Sunday.

The bomb, believed to have been planted by militants of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) was detonated near the district governor's office, the security sources told Reuters.

Hours before the blast, PKK militants attempted to attack the governor's home, using rifles and rocket launchers, according to local media. Two militants managed to get to the door of the house but fled when police returned fire.

Turkey, the US and Europe consider the PKK to be a terrorist organization.

Turkish military forces have been conducting ground operations and airstrikes against PKK positions in the country's troubled southeastern border region since the collapse of a ceasefire last year.

Last week, bomb explosions struck Gaziantep, killing three people and injuring eight others. In August, an attacker tied to Daesh had struck a wedding in the city, killing 57 people, including 34 children.

On October 15, at least two rockets hit the southern Turkish holiday resort region of Antalya.

On January 28, at least 41 people were killed and 239 more injured in a gun and bomb attack in Istanbul's Ataturk international airport.

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Four Malaysian mobile operators say they have agreed to use the governments state-owned 5G network, paving the way for an increased rollout in the country.
New U.K. Treasury chief Jeremy Hunt has reversed most of an economic package announced by the government just weeks ago, including a planned cut in income taxes. Hunt said Monday he was scrapping almost all the tax cuts announced last month by the Conservative government of Prime Minister Liz Truss, and also signaled that public spending cuts are on the way. It was a bid to soothe turbulent financial markets spooked by fears of excessive government borrowing. The move raises questions about how long the beleaguered prime minister can stay in office, though Truss insisted she has no plans to quit. She vowed to lead the Conservatives into the next general election, but many in the party want her gone.
RICHMOND  Virginias Community Colleges are making strategic investments to ensure that thousands of people will be able to earn valuable workforce credentials for new careers.

The Community College system has directed $5.3 million to community colleges around the commonwealth to augment or create new workforce credential training programs, based on local needs and innovative proposals.

Expanding capacity for workforce credential training has major implications both in the near-term and long-term to help people prepare for meaningful and rewarding careers, said Glenn DuBois, chancellor of Virginias Community Colleges. Our ongoing goal is to meet the needs of Virginians who want good jobs, as well as serve businesses eager to hire workers with the right skills and credentials.

In a collaborative project by Southside Virginia Community College, Patrick Henry Community College and Danville Community College, $601,651 will establish a regional training program for commercial truck drivers.

This investment puts Virginias Community Colleges in a better position to deliver on the promise of the New Economy Workforce Credential Grant program approved by state lawmakers earlier this year, said Craig Herndon, vice chancellor for workforce development. Lawmakers provided resources to help add an estimated 10,000 credentialed workers into Virginias economy over the current two-year budget period. Not only is our expanded training capacity vital to achieving that goal, these new facilities and faculty investments will help build a skilled workforce for years to come.

The General Assembly created the Workforce Credential Grant program to increase training of the skilled workers that Virginia businesses want to hire. Through the workforce grant program, state funds are available to greatly reduce out-of-pocket costs for Virginians who enroll in designated workforce credential training programs.

I commend Virginias Community Colleges for expanding program capacity for workforce credential training, said Barry DuVal, president and CEO of the Virginia Chamber of Commerce. Building a more credentialed and capable workforce will pay big dividends to our citizens, our businesses and our economy.

According to the National Skills Coalition, almost half of the job openings in Virginia between 2010 and 2020 will require some post-high school education, but not necessarily a bachelors degree.

People who enroll in workforce training programs to earn industry-recognized credentials, certifications and licenses qualify for good-paying jobs in a wide variety of fields, including health care, transportation, manufacturing, information technology and skilled trades.

Information about the Workforce Credential Grant program is available at workforce development offices on Virginia Community College campuses statewide, and at www.vccs.edu/workforce.The following new workforce training opportunities are made possible by the new capacity building funds.
Virginias unemployment rate rose slightly in September as the states labor force swelled and both the number of people working and seeking work increased.

The state jobless rate stood at 4 percent in September, up from 3.9 percent in August but down from 4.2 percent in September 2015, the Virginia Employment Commission reported Friday.

The numbers have been adjusted for seasonal factors that may temporarily affect employment.

Government statistics showed that 168,636 people were counted as unemployed in Virginia in September, up from 162,418 in August but down from 176,993 in September 2015.

Despite the increase in the unemployment rate, it was a pretty good report, said Ann Macheras, regional economist for the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond. The job growth in Virginia was pretty strong in September.

Employers in Virginia added about 13,400 jobs from August to September, and the labor force expanded for the second consecutive month, increasing by 19,690, or 0.5 percent.

The labor force growth means that more people are looking for work, Macheras said. This is a positive, overall. It is reflective of the solid job gains that we have been seeing and that I think are encouraging people to come back into the labor force.

Virginias labor force participation rate was 64.3 percent in September, higher than the national rate of 62.9 percent. In the commonwealth, the labor force participation rate has declined from nearly 69 percent in 2006, while the U.S. rate has dropped from 66 percent.

Virginias seasonally adjusted unemployment rate remained below the national rate, which was up 0.1 percent in September to 5 percent.

From September 2015 to September 2016, employment in Virginia increased by 81,100 jobs, a 2.1 percent job-growth rate that surpassed the national rate of 1.7 percent.

We saw a little pickup in the [job] growth, in September, after four months of less than 2 percent growth, said Ann Lang, senior economist for the Employment Commission.

From September 2015 to September 2016, eight of the eleven major industry sectors in the state showed employment gains, led by the professional and business services sector, which added 27,800 jobs for a 4 percent growth rate.

The largest decline was in manufacturing, which lost 3,900 jobs, or a 1.7 percent decline.

The Richmond region showed a slight decline in overall employment of about 700 from August to September. Compared with a year ago, however, the region gained 19,500 jobs, a 3 percent growth rate that exceeded the states.

In September, Virginia had the 11th lowest unemployment rate in the nation along with Arkansas and Minnesota, Lang said.

Virginia tied with Arkansas for the lowest seasonally adjusted unemployment rate among states in the Southeast, and it had the fourth lowest rate among the states east of the Mississippi, Gov. Terry McAuliffes office said.
HIGH POINT, N.C.  Susan Hornbeak-Ortiz supervised workers who hung a banner behind furniture Thursday afternoon in the Shine By S.H.O. showroom inside the International Home Furnishings Center.

Peter Courtneys eyes didnt budge from the glass covers he placed over the incandescent bulbs in his Gilded Home By John McClain showroom.

And at Kannoa, national sales manager Sebastien Manni hammered painted cardboard tubes around the companys sign hanging on the showroom wall  a display that caused some visitors to stop and stare.

The fall High Point Market starts today, a semiannual trade event that has struggled with attendance in recent years but still remains a must for many in the home furnishings industry.

This is our most important market, by far, said Claudia Mejia, the sales and marketing coordinator for Kannoa, an outdoor furniture company in Miami. Its the mecca of furniture.

The High Point Market has brought as many as 75,000 people to the city in past years. Studies have shown it has a $5.3 billion annual impact on North Carolina.

The trade shows organizers have major hopes for every market. This year, though, the market follows a relatively rocky start to the spring market.

Just weeks before the start of that market, Gov. Pat McCrory signed into law House Bill 2, which prevents local governments from enacting their own anti-discrimination rules that include lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people. But the laws most debated aspect is that it requires transgender people to use restrooms in public buildings that match the gender listed on their birth certificates.

Market officials said then that dozens of customers had canceled plans to attend. Buyers for Williams-Sonomas retail outlets, including Pottery Barn and West Elm, were among those that bypassed the market, according to reports.

However in May, market officials reported that attendance was down just 1 percent from the previous spring market.

Tom Conley, the president and chief executive officer of the High Point Market Authority, which runs the home furnishings show, said he believes the event is beyond the controversy.

I really think that it is past, Conley said Friday, adding that some retailers who boycotted the spring market are returning for the fall.

Conley said International Market Centers, which owns the International Home Furnishings Center, led a coalition of exhibitors that did a lot of outreach to the industry to reinforce their opposition to HB 2.

Courtney and his husband and partner, John McClain, attended the market for the first time in the spring but were hesitant about it because of HB 2.

McClain said they also reconsidered attending the fall market. Still, he said the spring market really helped to get the word out about his business.

It was great exposure for us, McClain said.

Hornbeak-Ortiz, the creative director for Shine By S.H.O. of Laguna Niguel, Calif., said the environment during the spring market was different from that of the fall 2015 market she attended, and she pointed to HB 2 as a reason.

I think it did keep people away, unfortunately, she said.

But Hornbeak-Ortiz and other exhibitors seem ready to move forward into what the fall would bring. Most spent Thursday applying finishing touches to their showplaces so they would be ready.

It could be a long night again, Mejia said Thursday afternoon.
Nine volunteers in our Frankfurt office read and reviewed books that were short-listed in the German Business Book Prize this summer, and had an opportunity to attend the award ceremony last week.

Together with German business daily Handelsblatt and the Frankfurt Book Fair, Goldman Sachs has been awarding the prize under the theme Understanding Business for the past six years to stress the importance of business books in helping explain broader business and economic topics to the wider public. This years short list included 10 business books by German and American authors covering a wide range of business topics.

The winner was Christoph Keese, publishing manager at Axel Springer and former editor-in-chief of Financial Times Deutschland, for his book Silicon Germany  How we can manage the digital transformation.

The Goldman Sachs reviewers had an opportunity to meet the authors and publishers at the award ceremony.
VANCOUVER, Oct. 24, 2016 - Bravura Ventures Corp. (CSE: BVQ; OTC: BRVVF; FRA: 23B) ("Bravura" or the "Company") is pleased to announce it has entered into an Option Agreement (the "Option") dated October 24, 2016 with Golden Predator Mining Corp. ("Golden Predator") to acquire up to a 90% interest in and to certain mineral properties, together with the surface rights, mineral rights, personal property and permits associated therewith (collectively, the "Grew Creek Property" or the "Property"), located in the Watson Lake Mining District in southeast Yukon.

Highlights:

Option to acquire 90% of the Grew Creek Project





19,000 m in 70 drill holes since 2010 by Golden Predator, highlights include: GCRC11-328 1 : 68.0 m of 5.96 g/t gold and 24.1 g/t silver Including 4.0 m of 63.15 g/t gold and 344 g/t silver GC10-001 2 : 146.3 m of 1.72 g/t gold Including 3.1 m of 17.93 g/t gold Including 32.2 m of 2.80 g/t gold Including 15.7 m of 2.90 g/t gold GC11-281 3 : 92.0 m of 2.02 g/t gold Including 44.0 m of 3.09 g/t gold Note: All the above intersections are stated as down hole intercepts and not true thickness Americas Bullion News Release dated February 23, 2012 Americas Bullion News Release dated October 25, 2010 Americas Bullion News Release dated July 5, 2011

Exploration expenditures of more than $4.7 million by Golden Predator since 2010

Year-round access in southeast Yukon, less than 1 km from the highway with powerlines crossing the project area

Greg Burns CEO, commented "The company is very excited in its latest option & welcomes the opportunity to align itself with a progressive company such as Golden Predator. We look forward to defining the next steps on this exceptional project."

The Company is excited to option & advance exploration of the Grew Creek Project in close association with Yukon focused Golden Predator who have a significant database on the project and well developed relationships with many Yukon First Nation groups. Golden Predator is well funded and focused on developing its high grade 3 Aces project.

About the Grew Creek Property:

The near surface Carlos zone is the largest known area of gold mineralization on the property measuring 300 m along strike, 100 m wide and open at depth below 400 m and is defined by core and RC drilling. The Grew Creek Property is located adjacent to the Robert Campbell highway between Faro and Ross River and consists of 670 contiguous quartz claims totaling approximately 110 km which are owned 100% by Golden Predator (subject to a 4% NSR). The property lies within the Tintina Gold Belt, an extensive regional system of dextral strike-slip faults which host multiple gold prospects and mines.

The Tertiary stockwork epithermal gold mineralization at Grew Creek is hosted in Eocene felsic volcanics within a 4 km wide grabben. Stratigraphy consists of silicic-pyroclastics and epiclastic sediments bound by mafic lavas and overlain by Pleistocene gravels. Mineralization at the Carlos zone occurs within silicic/phyllic altered volcanoclastics along a steeply dipping structural zone as electrum with lesser eugenite in banded epithermal quartz-carbonate-Kspar veins.

2.5 km southeast of the Carlos Zone, chalcedonic coliform quartz, geochemical path finders and trace gold mineralization have been found within epiclastic rocks at the underexplored Knoll Zone.

The property was staked in 1983 by Al Carlos and has seen geological mapping, geophysics, geochemical sampling, trench and over 290 drill holes with a composite length of more than 57,000m.

Agreement Terms

Bravura has the option to acquire 90% of the Grew Creek Property in consideration for:

A. Payment to Golden Predator of an aggregate amount of $950,000 to be paid upon the following:

a. $35,000  on the closing date

b. $50,000  on the first anniversary of the closing date

c. $75,000  on the second anniversary of the closing date

d. $140,000  on the third anniversary of the closing date

e. $150,000  on the fourth anniversary of the closing date

f. $250,000  on the fifth anniversary of the closing date

g. $250,000  on the sixth anniversary of the closing date

B. Issuance to Golden Predator of an aggregate amount of 2,000,000 common shares and an

additional 6% of the company to be issued upon the following:

a. 500,000  on the closing date

b. 500,000  on the first anniversary of the closing date

c. 500,000  on the second anniversary of the closing date

d. 500,000  on the third anniversary of the closing date

e. On the fourth anniversary of the closing date such a number of common shares as is

equal to 2% of the undiluted issued and outstanding common shares of the company for

70% of the right, title and interest in assets

f. On the fifth anniversary of the closing date such a number of common shares as is equal

to 2% of the undiluted issued and outstanding common shares of the company for an

additional 10% of asset

g. On the sixth anniversary of the closing date such a number of common shares as is

equal to 2% of the undiluted issued and outstanding common shares of the company for

an additional 10 % for a total aggregate ownership of 90%

h. Optionor shall transfer legal title to the assets to optionee on the six anniversary of

closing date

C. If during the Term, Bravura receives a technical report (the "First Report") that (i) complies with

National Instrument 43-101, Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects, and (ii) defines a

resource on the Claims, Bravura shall, within 30 days of receipt of such report, pay to Golden

Predator an additional $50,000 and issue an additional 500,000 Common Shares. If during the

Term but after its receipt of the First Report Golden Predator receives a second technical report

(the "Second Report") that increases the resource estimate by 100% or more over the estimate

contained in the First Report, Bravura shall issue to Golden Predator such number of Common

Shares as is equal to two percent (2%) of the issued and outstanding Common Shares of Bravura

on the date that is ten (10) Business Days prior to the date of receipt of the Second Report.

Qualified Person

Brandon Macdonald, P.Geo, is the qualified person as defined in NI 43-101, that has reviewed and approved the contents of this press release. Potential quantity and grades results disclosed in this press release are conceptual in nature, there has been insufficient exploration to define a mineral resource and it is uncertain if further exploration will results in the discovery of a mineral resource.. The historical estimates should not be relied upon until the Company can confirm them.

Bravura Ventures Corp.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF BRAVURA VENTURES CORP.

"Greg Burns"

_______________________

Greg Burns, Director

Disclaimer for Forward-Looking Information

Historical data for the prospects were performed under supervision of a Professional Engineer or a geologist, and believed to be of good quality, with drill core and underground sampling results from fire assay analyses by B.C. Certified Assayers. However, under NI43-101 policy historical information included in this release has not been verified by a QP, and as such cannot be relied upon and must be treated as historical in nature.

This press release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities laws, including statements that address capital costs, recovery, grade, and timing of work or plans at the Company's mineral projects. Forward-looking information may be, but not always, identified by the use of words such as "seek", "anticipate", "plan", "planned", "continue", "expect", "thought to", "project", "predict", "potential", "targeting", "intends", "believe", "opportunity", "further" and others, or which describes a goal or action, event or result such as "may", "should", "could", "would", "might" or "will" be undertaken, occur or achieved. Forward-looking information in this press release includes, but is not limited to, statements regarding expectations of management regarding the acquisition of the Property and includes that address future mineral production, reserve potential, potential size or scale of a mineralized zone, potential expansion of mineralization, potential type(s) of mining, potential grades as well as to the Company's ability to fund ongoing expenditure, or assumptions about future metal or mineral prices, currency exchange rates, metallurgical recoveries and grades, favourable operating conditions, access, political stability, obtaining or renewal of existing or required mineral titles, licenses and permits, labour stability, market conditions, availability of equipment, accuracy of any mineral resources, anticipated costs and expenditures. Assumptions may be based on factors and events that are not within the control of the Company and there is no assurance they will prove to be correct. Such forward-looking information involves known and unknown risks, which may cause the actual results to materially differ, and/or any future results expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking information are reasonable, there can be no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. Such forward-looking information is subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results, performance or developments to differ materially from those contained in the statements including, without limitation, the risks that the Company may not have the funds necessary to make its payments pursuant to the Agreement, that the CSE may not approve the transaction, and other factors beyond the control of the Company.

Additional information on risks and uncertainties can be found within Financial Statements and other materials found on the Company's SEDAR profile at www.sedar.com. Although Bravura has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking information, there can be no assurance that such information will prove to be accurate as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Bravura withholds any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, unless required by law.

SOURCE Bravura Ventures Corp.







Contact Information:



800 - 1199 West Hastings Street, Vancouver, British Columbia, V6E 3T5, Tel.: 604.283.1722 / Fax: 1.888.241.5996


TORONTO, Oct. 24, 2016 /CNW/ - Galane Gold Ltd. ("Galane Gold" or the "Company") (TSX-V: GG) is pleased to announce that prospective drives in its Tau underground mine have led to the discovery of the potential extension of the Tau ore body at depth.

As part of our recent review of historical exploration data anomalous mineral intersections were observed as they were structurally displaced from the main Tau ore body and sub-outcropping beyond the interpreted Western dyke limit of the Tau ore body. These intersections have not been incorporated into the existing resource model found in the Company's technical report filed on SEDAR on August 25, 2011. A prospect drive was mined at the 820RL level (170 metres below surface) to investigate the anomalous mineral intersection, and a mineralised zone ("C Reef") was intersected.

Since the first intersection of the C Reef a total 265 metres of on reef development has been completed on three consecutive levels to determine the strike extent of the C Reef. At 820RL the strike extent was found to be 60 metres; at 800RL the strike extent increased significantly to 135 metres; at 780RL we are currently mining along strike and a total of 70 metres of strike has been exposed. On the 820 and 800 levels the C Reef widths varied along strike from a minimum of approximately 2 metres up to a maximum of 7 metres; from the development channel sampling the intersected grade on the 820 level was 4.78 grams per tonne ("g/t") and on the 800RL level was 2.51g/t. At 780RL the intersected grade is 3.66g/t for the 70 metres of exposed strike length. Further to this, at 780RL the C Reef has also widened significantly to a width of approximately 15 metres.

To date a total of 19,380 tonnes of ore has been extracted from the C Reef horizon at an average mined grade of 3.44g/t. The ore mineralization characteristics of the C Reef are similar to those of the main Tau ore body; being a "disseminated style? of mineralization in well bedded, silicified quartz rich parts of the graphitic iron formation. Further to this the metallurgical test work conduced at the Mupane metallurgical laboratory has indicated similar recoveries to the main Tau ore body.

An exploration program is being planned to start in 2017 to investigate if there is a down dip and the possible extent of the C Reef strike beyond the current mined area within the active underground working areas. There has yet to be sufficient exploration on the C Reef to extrapolate that the C Reef extends beyond the current mined area.

Galane Gold CEO, Nick Brodie commented: "This could prove to be a significant discovery and of potential importance for the long term future of Mupane once more studies and economic analysis can occur and be reported on. We had planned to start looking for the potential extension of Tau at depth in 2017 and so this was a positive surprise to intersect the potential extension so early and therefore be in a position to incorporate it into our current mining plan. If through further exploration and analysis we confirm that this is the extension of the Tau ore body at depth it will be a further vindication of management's decision over two years ago to commence the underground operation."

About Galane Gold

Galane Gold is an un-hedged gold producer and explorer with mining operations and exploration tenements in Botswana and South Africa. Galane Gold is a public company and its shares are quoted on the TSX Venture Exchange and the Botswana Stock Exchange under the symbol "GG". Galane Gold's management team is comprised of senior mining professionals with extensive experience in managing mining and processing operations and large-scale exploration programmes. Galane Gold is committed to operating at world-class standards and is focused on the safety of its employees, respecting the environment, and contributing to the communities in which it operates.

Cautionary Notes

Certain statements contained in this press release constitute "forward-looking statements". All statements other than statements of historical fact contained in this press release, including, without limitation, those regarding the Company's future financial position and results of operations, strategy, proposed acquisitions, plans, objectives, goals and targets, and any statements preceded by, followed by or that include the words "believe", "expect", "aim", "intend", "plan", "continue", "will", "may", "would", "anticipate", "estimate", "forecast", "predict", "project", "seek", "should" or similar expressions or the negative thereof, are forward-looking statements. These statements are not historical facts but instead represent only the Company's expectations, estimates and projections regarding future events. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve assumptions, risks and uncertainties that are difficult to predict. Therefore, actual results may differ materially from what is expressed, implied or forecasted in such forward-looking statements.

Additional factors that could cause actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially include, but are not limited to: the Company's dependence on two mineral projects; gold price volatility; risks associated with the conduct of the Company's mining activities in Botswana and South Africa; regulatory, consent or permitting delays; risks relating to the Company's exploration, development and mining activities being situated in Botswana and South Africa; risks relating to reliance on the Company's management team and outside contractors; risks regarding mineral resources and reserves; the Company's inability to obtain insurance to cover all risks, on a commercially reasonable basis or at all; currency fluctuations; risks regarding the failure to generate sufficient cash flow from operations; risks relating to project financing and equity issuances; risks arising from the Company's fair value estimates with respect to the carrying amount of mineral interests; mining tax regimes; risks arising from holding derivative instruments; the Company's need to replace reserves depleted by production; risks and unknowns inherent in all mining projects, including the inaccuracy of reserves and resources, metallurgical recoveries and capital and operating costs of such projects; contests over title to properties, particularly title to undeveloped properties; laws and regulations governing the environment, health and safety; operating or technical difficulties in connection with mining or development activities; lack of infrastructure; employee relations, labour unrest or unavailability; health risks in Africa; the Company's interactions with surrounding communities and artisanal miners; the Company's ability to successfully integrate acquired assets; risks related to restarting production; the speculative nature of exploration and development, including the risks of diminishing quantities or grades of reserves; development of the Company's exploration properties into commercially viable mines; stock market volatility; conflicts of interest among certain directors and officers; lack of liquidity for shareholders of the Company; risks related to the market perception of junior gold companies; and litigation risk.Management provides forward-looking statements because it believes they provide useful information to investors when considering their investment objectives and cautions investors not to place undue reliance on forward-looking information. Consequently, all of the forward-looking statements made in this press release are qualified by these cautionary statements and other cautionary statements or factors contained herein, and there can be no assurance that the actual results or developments will be realized or, even if substantially realized, that they will have the expected consequences to, or effects on, the Company. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this press release and the Company assumes no obligation to update or revise them to reflect subsequent information, events or circumstances or otherwise, except as required by law.

Information of a technical and scientific nature that forms the basis of the disclosure in the press release has been approved by Charles Byron Pr. Sci. Nat., MAusIMM., MGSSA and Chief Geologist for Galane Gold, and a "qualified person" as defined by National Instrument 43-101.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its regulation services provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

SOURCE Galane Gold Ltd.
Vancouver, October 24, 2016 - Further to the press release dated September 12, 2016, Desert Gold Ventures Inc. , (TSXV: DAU) (FSE: QXR2) (OTC Pink: DAUGF) (the "Company") is pleased to announce that on October 21, 2016 the Company was granted official approval of its application for a one year extension on its exploration license at the Company's Farabantourou permit in Western Mali. The permit is now secured until November 19, 2017.

About Farabantourou

Farabantourou is located on the Senegal-Mali Fault Zone (SMFZ) 40km south of the IAMGOLD/AngloGold Anshanti Sadiola Mine and 50km north of Randgold's Loulou Mine. Both these mines are on the SMFZ.

The Company has declared a NI 43-101 resource in the North Eastern sector of the property known as the Barani East Deposit. The resource contains the following gold content;

An indicated mineral resource of 652,00 tons at 2.22 grams per ton for 46,600 ounces of gold.

An inferred mineral resource of 317,000 tons at 2.29 grams per ton for 23,000 ounces of gold.

Mineral resource estimates were made using a cut-off grade of 0.5 grams per ton.

In addition to the Barani East deposit, Farabantourou hosts 5 other known mineralized zones that are largely unexplored combining for nearly 5 km of strike. The Company is actively seeking joint venture partners and investors to assist in the development of Farabantourou.

The Company has developed a USD $1.5 million exploration program to asses the remaining targets at Farabantourou and complete the necessary engineering work to transition the permit into an exploitation license. Program highlights include;

3,000 meters of trenching

8,000 meters of RC drilling

3,500 meters of Diamond drilling





To view an enhanced version of the Known Mineralized Zones at Farabantourou, please visit: http://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/4954/23166_a1477325526378_64.jpg



(Known Mineralized Zones at Farabantourou)

Other Targets on the Farabantourou Permit

At Barani East there is the possibility to further define the resource by exploring along the strike extension of the interpreted fault, to the northeast, increasing the potential overall strike to roughly 3 km. At Keniegoulou the possibility of extending the target along strike to approximately 2 km exists as the first 14 lines of drilling have all intersected mineralisation and a north-northwest to south-southeast trend is observed along an interpreted fault. At Dambamba it is possible to increase the overall target strike extent to 2.5 km to the south along the interpreted fault line as it is postulated. At Kousilli the current drilling in this area intersected some mineralization in only two of the four fence lines. If the drilling is overlain by the geochemistry anomalies, as well as the structural interpretation from the IP resistivity work, two northeast to southwest trending targets can be postulated.

The Company is in discussions with several mining companies seeking a partnership to complete the development of Farabantourou. The Company intends to apply for a mining exploitation license once this work has been completed should the results prove favourable.

Desert Gold CEO Sonny Janda commented, "Securing the Farabantourou permit for another year is a significant success for Desert Gold. It will allow the company to continue the development at Farabantourou and will also allow us to advance discussions with neighbouring mining companies and other prospective partners we are currently engaged with."

Furthermore, the Company granted 258,880 stock options to its officers and directors, exercisable at $0.30 for a two year period from today's date.

Shaun Dykes, M.Sc. (Eng); P.Geo (#20044), a Qualified Person as defined in NI 43-101, is responsible for the review of all scientific and technical information contained in this release.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD

"Jared Scharf"

___________________________

Jared Scharf

Director

+1 (416) 662 - 3971

About Desert Gold

Desert Gold Ventures Inc. is an advanced exploration and development company which holds mining assets in Mali and Rwanda.

For further information please visit our website www.desertgold.ca or information available on www.SEDAR.com under the company's profile.

This news release contains forward-looking statements respecting the Company's ability to successfully obtain an exploitation license for its Byumba permit. These forward-looking statements entail various risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those reflected in these forward-looking statements. Such statements are based on current expectations, are subject to a number of uncertainties and risks, and actual results may differ materially from those contained in such statements, including the inability of the Company to successfully complete and obtain the necessary permits to develop its operations. These uncertainties and risks include, but are not limited to, the strength of the capital markets, permitting risk, the price of gold; operational, funding, and liquidity risks; the degree to which mineral resource estimates are reflective of actual mineral resources; and the degree to which factors which would make a mineral deposit commercially viable are present; the risks and hazards associated with mining operations. Risks and uncertainties about the Company's business are more fully discussed in the company's disclosure materials filed with the securities regulatory authorities in Canada and available at www.sedar.com and readers are urged to read these materials. The Company assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking statement or to update the reasons why actual results could differ from such statements unless required by law.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its regulation services provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy the securities described herein in the united states. The securities described herein have not been and will not be registered under the united states securities act of 1933, as amended, and may not be offered or sold in the united states or to the account or benefit of a u.s. person absent an exemption from the registration requirements of such act.


Vancouver, B.C. (FSCwire) - ALX Uranium Corp. (ALX or the Company) (TSXV: AL; FSE: 6LLN; OTCQX: ALXEF) is pleased to announce that it has entered into a purchase and sale agreement with Miramont Capital Corp., a private British Columbia company (Miramont) for Miramont to acquire a 100% undivided interest in the Midas Gold Property (the Property), located in the Sault Ste. Marie Mining Division of north-central Ontario. The sale includes ten mining claims encompassing 108 claim units (1,728 hectares or 4,270 acres) located in the Michipicoten Greenstone Belt near Wawa, Ontario.

Under the terms of the agreement, Miramont Capital Corp. can earn an undivided 100% interest in the Property by making cash payments and share issuances to ALX Uranium Corp., as follows:

$200,000 cash payments prior to December 31, 2018, and

1,000,000 common shares of Miramont Capital Corp. issued in staged payments to the Company prior to December 31, 2018.

Historical Exploration

Sporadic exploration has been carried out in the Midas Gold Property area, beginning in the 1940s, with most work completed in the late 1970s to 1990. Past exploration has included surface sampling, trenching and airborne and ground geophysics as well as diamond drilling.

During the winter of 2011, ALX (formerly Lakeland Resources Inc.) carried out a geophysical program consisting of ground magnetics and induced polarization (IP) in the southwestern area of the Property. A total of 16 diamond drill holes comprising 2,353 metres were completed to follow up this geophysical program. The drilling was designed to test induced polarization anomalies and surface gold showings. Drilling partially defined two gold-bearing zones (Zones GZ-1 and GZ-2) with 14 of the holes reporting gold mineralization. Highlights of the drilling are summarized below.

MIDAS GOLD PROJECT -- SIGNIFICANT DRILL HOLE INTERVALS (2011 DRILL PROGRAM)

Drill Hole From To Width Gold (metres) (metres) (metres) (g/t) M-11-01 55.00 57.00 2.00 4.61 M-11-04 45.70 50.40 4.70 5.92 including 46.70 49.30 2.60 8.88 M-11-05 28.90 30.90 2.00 7.03 M-11-09 59.20 61.00 1.80 4.04

The drilling identified a broad gold-bearing structure, which can be traced for over 500 metres in strike length. Work indicated that the gold system lies along the southern limb of a broad anticlinal fold structure and is associated with widespread silicification and carbonatization.

A follow-up diamond drill program consisting of 11 holes totalling 1,488 metres was completed in 2013. The 2013 drill program was designed to test the along-strike and downdip extensions of gold mineralization encountered in the previous drilling. Drill holes were also positioned to better define structural corridors that are key to mineral distribution. Nine of 11 holes intersected pyritized east-west trending shear zones previously known as GZ-1 and GZ-2. Highlights of the drilling are summarized below.

MIDAS GOLD PROJECT -- SIGNIFICANT DRILL HOLE INTERVALS (2013 DRILL PROGRAM)

Drill Hole From To Width Gold (metres) (metres) (metres) (g/t) MC-13-19 47.30 48.80 1.50 7.60 including 47.80 48.30 0.50 15.39 and 48.30 48.80 0.50 6.24 MC-13-21 25.70 27.70 2.00 1.60

The 2013 drilling confirmed and further defined gold mineralization that was previously identified in the 2011 drill program. Mineralization appears to be associated with quartz stockwork veining within the shears. The GZ-1 and GZ-2 shear zones both trend east-west with shallow southward dips. The strongly pyritized shear zones are hosted in mafic to intermediate metavolcanics. The zones are subparallel and positioned approximately 200 metres apart.

About the Midas Gold Property

The Midas Gold Property consists of ten (10) staked mining claims encompassing 108 claim units (1,728 hectares or 4,270 acres) located in the Michipicoten Greenstone Belt approximately 50 km northeast of the town of Wawa, Ontario. The Property is road accessible and lies within 20 km to the southeast of the Island Gold Mine of Richmont Mines Inc. and the Magino Gold Project of Argonaut Gold Inc. The Property is subject to an underlying 2% NSR in favor of the original property vendors.

NI 43-101 Disclosure

Technical information in this news release has been reviewed and/or prepared by Sierd Eriks, P.Geo., VP Exploration who is a Qualified Person, in accordance with the Canadian regulatory requirements set out in National Instrument 43-101.

About ALX Uranium Corp.

ALX Uranium Corp. was formed as the result of a business combination between Lakeland Resources Inc. and Alpha Exploration Inc. ALX is based in Vancouver and its common shares are listed on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol "AL", on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange under the symbol 6LLN and in the United States OTCQX under the symbol ALXEF. ALX is actively exploring a portfolio of early-stage properties. Technical reports are available on SEDAR (www.sedar.com) for several of the Companys active properties. ALX continually and proactively reviews opportunities for new properties, whether by staking, joint venture or acquisition.

For more information, please visit the corporate website at www.alxuranium.com or contact Roger Leschuk, Corporate Communications at Ph: 604.681.1568 or TF: 1.877.377.6222 or email: rleschuk@alxuranium.com

On Behalf of the Board of Directors



ALX Uranium Corp.

"Jody Dahrouge"

Jody Dahrouge

Director

Ph: 604.681.1568

TF: 1.877.377.6222

FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS:

Statements in this document which are not purely historical are forward-looking statements, including any statements regarding beliefs, plans, expectations or intentions regarding the future. Forward looking statements in this news release for example include and are not limited to completing the proposed transaction with Miramont and the terms thereof. It is important to note that actual outcomes and the Company's actual results could differ materially from those in such forward-looking statements. Risks and uncertainties include economic, competitive, governmental, environmental and technological factors that may affect the Company's operations, markets, products and prices. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially may include that Miramont is unable or unwilling to complete its payments as agreed, that the potential value of the Midas property will be lost because no expenditures are made on the property, or that the shares of Miramont never attain any value.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

To view this press release as a PDF file, click onto the following link:public://news_release_pdf/ALX10242016.pdfSource: ALX Uranium Corp. (TSX Venture:AL, OTCQX:ALXEF)

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Twenty-three 4-H Club members from 14 counties in the Concho Valley and Big Country, which comprise the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Services' District 7, received Gold Star awards Monday night.

The annual banquet, sponsored by area electric cooperatives, was in the Bill Franklin Center in Coleman.

The 2016 Gold Star honorees include:

Brown County: Luke Carroll and Hannah Hull; Burnet County: Shelbie Denton and David Frost; Callahan County: Tara Kinslow; Lampasas County: Sydney Dishman; McCulloch County: Jayce McKinney and Kristen Hemphill; Menard County: Madelon Clark and Jasmine Marshall; Nolan County: Brook Nervig; Runnels County: Katelynn Dunn and McKenzie Arrott; San Saba County: Jaton Wootton; Schleicher County: Franklin Buchholz and Jess Gonzales; Shackelford County: Braden Davis; Sterling County: Trace Justiss and Rope Stewart; Taylor County: Madison Fussell and Ashlyn Patton; and Tom Green County: Jesses Pfeuffer and Jill Kellermeier.

The Texas Farm Bureau was the recipient of the Friend of 4-H Award.

The Gold Star award  a Gold Star pin  is the highest county-level achievement award, and is given only once in a member's 4-H career. Counties have award quotas based on the number of senior 4-H members.

A 4-H member must be at least 15 at the time of application and must have completed at least three years in 4-H, including the current year, to qualify for a pin.

He or she must have completed projects in three different areas, submitted appropriate record forms and participated in one-or-more activities in at least three areas, including public relations (speeches, poster displays, radio, TV, newspapers) or educational presentations and citizenship activities.

The Gold Star pin was first awarded in 1933. For the first several years, the Gold Star pins were presented at a dinner during a short course at College Station.

The county agent who would submit the largest number of 4-H records received recognition. Each county made a nomination of their outstanding 4-H member, and 100 members were selected to receive the award.

In 1985, the Gold Star began to be awarded to the top 4-H members in a county.

District 7 4-H Council officers include: President Sierra Gordon from Brown County, First Vice President Kamry Keese from McCulloch County, Second Vice President Madison Fussell from Taylor County, Third Vice President Tate Jones from Tom Green County, Secretary Jessie Harris from Brown County, and Information Officer Ashley Byrom from Taylor County and Parliamentarian Kade Greaves from Coleman County.

Clay Jones of Brady, a rancher and president of Commercial National Bank, is second vice president on the Texas 4-H Foundation Trustee Board.

Pierce Miller of San Angelo, who operates family ranches in Crockett County, is treasurer on the board.

David Waggoner of Corsicana is board president, Bill Poteet of Fort Worth is first vice president, and Bill Jerman of San Antonio is secretary.

Texas 4-H was founded in 1908, and is the largest youth-development program in the Lone Star State with more than 550,000 members. 4-H Clubs are found at school, an after-school program, a community center or military bases.

Meanwhile, a Texan, Trey Elizondo of College Station, was elected FFA vice president for the western region at the conclusion of the 89th National FFA Convention in Indianapolis over the weekend.

Other new officers are David Townsend of Delaware, president; Victoria Harris of Florida, secretary; DeShawn Blanding of South Carolina, southern region vice president; Valerie Earley of Minnesota, central region vice president; and Ashley Willits of New York, eastern region vice president.

More than 64,000 FFA members and guests from throughout the United States, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands attended the annual convention.

The National FFA Organization, founded as National FFA Organization, changed its name to better describe the current image of the agriculture industry.

The FFA provides leadership, personal growth and career success training through agricultural education to 649,355 student members who belong to one of 7,859 local FFA chapters throughout the U.S., Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
This midnight blue and tan Oriental rug showcased in the family room of designer Dennis Waters' Southlake home is finely woven with 280 knots per square inch. (Ross Hailey/Fort Worth Star-Telegram/MCT)

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By Elaine Rogers Fort Worth Star-Telegram (Mct)

Persian carpets and other "rugs of the East" are firmly established as elegant design elements _ subtle and often-unheralded _ that loudly whisper refinement and good taste. Historically, many of us think of them in terms of the imagery of medieval Europe: They were considered great status symbols in the 1500s and, some 200 years beyond, were too precious to put on floors; instead, they adorned tables, chests and walls.

But the story of Oriental rugs goes back so much further _ try 3000 B.C., when Nomadic tribes in Mongolia and Turkey used hair from their camels and sheep to weave carpets to keep their earthen floors warm, and 1000 B.C., when rugs with an impressive 300 knots per square inch were already in existence.

In Persia, especially, the artistry of the carpet developed so much that, today, a dizzying variety of distinctive patterns and styles is linked to at least 40 rug-making Iranian cities or villages. Oriental rugs have been prominently depicted in literature, art and music for thousands of years.

"We have a long history of admiring Oriental rugs, "says Fort Worth interior designer Joe Minton. "They're a beautiful thing to use in a room. I just really love them and I've come to know a lot about them because I have used them in my business for 40 years. ... I like to educate people about them."

While many folks become enamored with oriental rugs based on a color scheme or because they saw something similar in a friend's home, my own curiosity about Oriental rugs is of a sentimental variety: I have an oddly conflicted relationship with a Persian carpet I was given as a child.

There's pride of ownership, of course, but also discomfort _ the latter, because of the oft-reported idea of village women and children toiling away at looms, tying tiny knots all day to weave these intricate patterns of Persian florals onto artistic tapestries that others might tread upon with nary a thought. (Child labor continues to be an issue the carpet weaving industry grapples with, especially in India, Pakistan and Afghanistan. Read more about that at www.GoodWeave.com and in a recent Forbes article on the prevalence of child laborers within India's mills.)

A true Oriental rug is "hand-knotted," woven one knot at a time _ a tribute to the patience and craftsmanship of the weavers. The terms "hand-tufted" and "handmade" are misleading _ those can still be machine made. It is said that the average weaver ties as many as 10,000 knots per day, and a 9-by-12-foot Persian rug that has 500 knots per square inch takes four or five artisans, working six hours a day and six days a week, about 14 months to complete.

My medium-sized, cream-colored creation is a Kashan, I'm told, and like me, it is, at least, a semi-antique. It was jokingly dubbed my "dowry rug" when my dad purchased it several decades ago during a two-year period that our family lived in Iran.

I was 13, an age when many Iranian girls from wealthy families _ in a not-so-distant past _ were routinely married off to old men of their fathers' choosing. Although I treasured this exotic souvenir of time spent abroad, I also tucked it away for decades _ seldom using it, walking upon it or inviting others to do so.

It's a decision that folks with strong footholds in the rug-making world call "a crying shame."

"Rugs are like paintings," says Ben Shabahang, owner of Shabahang Empire Rugs in Southlake, Texas. "It's art. But that doesn't mean you tuck it away and ignore it. "Working himself up to something between a gentle admonishment and a good-natured scolding, he adds: "These types of carpets are meant to be USED. Used and worn and enjoyed forever."

Tom Siasi of CT Rugs in Fort Worth agrees: "I always say rugs are a little bit like humans. If you rolled me up and put me in the corner, my back would hurt. ... Unused rugs can get mildewed and musty-smelling, and sometimes you can never get those smells out."

In his own home, Shabahang says, he keeps Oriental carpets in just about every room of the house.

"They're everywhere, and they're all different styles," he explains. "Each one is beautiful in its own way. They give me and my family enjoyment every day because we use them. ... What other kind of artwork can you walk on and know that it just keeps getting better?"

When my family first arrived in Tehran, of the many new sights and sounds encountered, perhaps none was more startling than the daily drama of merchants flinging their carpets on the filthy roads in front of their shops so that the speeding taxis and motorists would drive over them, accelerating their wear-and-tear quotients with muddy tire tracks.

From a Western perspective, it was sheer insanity, but we were soon told that an appreciation of floor coverings with a soft, cushy pile was an American eccentricity, and old, thread-bare Persian carpets were most prized in this culture _ thus, the vendors wanted their fresh rugs to look like antiques and fetch a better price.

Many a Westerner swerved and stopped to avoid soiling the roadway rugs, and the merchants would come out to the curbs and gesture wildly, beckoning the foreign motorists to put tire tread on their carpets to help improve their beauty.

Perhaps in Iran and other corners of rug-making countries such as China, Nepal, India, Pakistan and Afghanistan, some merchants might still use urban roadways to age rugs prematurely, but newer antiquing processes like acid-washing and leather-whipping are decidedly more common _ and effective. Meanwhile, industry insiders say it's almost impossible for a layperson to tell the difference between an antique rug and a newer one that's been antiqued.

"You can't tell at first glance. You have to look carefully," says Minton. "I had a client recently who didn't like a certain rug because he thought it looked too old, and I said, 'That's funny, because this one is actually new, so I guess somebody really did their job well.' I also saw a new one recently where they put a tear in it, then mended it, so that it would look like an antique. If you don't know anything about them, you need an expert who knows what they're doing to guide you."

"A lot of good antiquers are just that good," Shabahang agrees. "They can make a new rug fresh off the loom look very, very old, and no one can tell the difference. That's why you've got to deal with people who are reputable and who you trust."

At first glance, my Persian carpet is a twin to one that resides in California with my sister. Our dad purchased them together, and they bear the trademark elongated center medallion surrounded by vines and Persian florals that make them instantly recognizable to those in the know as products of the city of Kashan. Of course, the symbolism and history of the intricate pattern were lost on us, the artistry of the weavers a hard thing to fathom.

Our dad hung the carpets on the wall of a bedroom through our teen years, and my sister and I discovered many miniscule differences between them. We would trace the delicate patterns of vines and blossoms with our fingers, lovingly pinpointing the places where one weaver made a flower using mint thread while her counterpart selected yellow or green.

Whether mistakes or artistic deviations, these types of "flaws" are a hallmark of Oriental rugs: Two women from a nomadic tribe might start weaving a rug from opposite sides, adding their own touches as they work, while weavers of Persian prayer rugs are known to purposefully weave irregularities into their creations _ a little speck of bright orange in a rug full of browns, for instance _ as a reminder that humans cannot duplicate the perfection of Allah.

As for my old visions of children toiling away to make my rug _ and other rugs like it _ Shabahang and other local rug retailers say it's important for rug retailers to research their suppliers and, similarly, for consumers to find rug dealers whom they trust, to ask questions about their carpet sources and not to be comfortable with retailers who give evasive, vague or inadequate answers.

A third-generation rug dealer and entrepreneur, Shabahang says he eliminated the child labor issue from his business by opening small factories of his own in India and "completely cutting out the middleman." His operations reportedly house about 40 looms and produce Persian-designed rugs the old-fashioned way, with two to four people working each loom.

Taking a different approach, Hassan Khoshroo, owner of Atlas Rugs in Fort Worth, says he travels to India and elsewhere to check on his suppliers' factories and view the work conditions of the weavers.

"You never really know what things are like if you only visit them when they know you are coming," Khoshroo explains. "I pay them surprise visits. I just drop by unexpectedly. That's how you find out what's going on over there."

Meanwhile, Siasi of CT Rugs says he never worries about industrialization or the growing market for mass-produced Persian carpet "knock-offs" eliminating the ancient techniques of making hand-knotted rugs. Noting that "they're two different markets," he says nothing can replace the allure of a "real" Oriental rug like mine.

"You never see an antique Persian carpet at the Goodwill," he says. "People keep them in the family and pass them on through the generations. They're classics."

So, it's time for my dowry rug to come back out into the light.

I've resolved that if I can't bring myself to walk on it daily, to flatten its soft pile with everyday usage or to expose it to the insensitivities of my household's curious cats, I can at least mount it on a tall wall in my entryway and gaze upon it as I journey out into the world and back again. If my rug is once again in full view, I'm sure I'll stop from time to time to admire the intricacies.

Plus, I'm overdue for sharing some of what I know of its history with my kids, who just might enjoy tracing the vines and searching out a few of those intriguing flaws.
European Pressphoto agency Humberto de la Calle (right), chief of the Colombian government delegation in peace talks with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia guerrilla force, and FARC's High Commissioner of Peace Sergio Jaramillo are shown Friday in Bogota. Former Colombian President Alvaro Uribe has renounced the peace agreement between Colombia and FARC.

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By Alfonso Chardy, El Nuevo Herald (TNS)

DORAL, Fla.  Former Colombian President Alvaro Uribe met with hundreds of Colombian immigrants Sunday to explain why he led the opposition that led to voters' rejection of a peace agreement between the current Colombian government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia guerrilla force.

Uribe said that if the deal prevailed without substantive changes, Colombia could into another Venezuela, a reference to the government of leftist President Nicolas Maduro, perceived as a friend of Cuba and increasingly undemocratic. Maduro replaced President Hugo Chavez, who established an alliance with Havana, became friendly with FARC and set Venezuela on a path toward socialism. Chavez died in 2013.

"This is an agreement that opens up the possibility of Colombia opening the doors to 'Castro-chavismo' " Uribe told the South Florida Colombians group. "The accords would resolve the Venezuelan problem, but it would create a similar one in Colombia."

Although Uribe travels often to the Miami area, Sunday's visit was the first to South Florida since Colombian voters on Oct. 2 rejected in a referendum the peace agreement signed by President Juan Manuel Santos and the FARC. They were negotiated in four years of talks in Havana.

Uribe is considered as the big winner of the referendum because he led the movement opposed to the deal.

Uribe sat at a table flanked by Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., and Republican U.S. Reps. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, Mario Diaz-Balart and Carlos Curbelo.

Uribe asked them for their support to persuade Santos and FARC to renegotiate the agreement to obtain what he described as "substantial changes" and not just "cosmetic tweaks."

The lawmakers pledged their support and called Uribe a leader who stands up for democracy in Colombia and the threat of a possible leftist tyranny backed by Cuba and Venezuela.
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By Staff Report

A San Angelo woman was killed in a three-vehicle crash that injured at least four other people Friday.

The crash happened at 8:06 p.m. on U.S. 83, about six miles north of Ballinger. Summer Newton Hernandez, 24, of San Angelo, was pronounced dead at the scene after the Toyota 4 Runner she was a passenger in was struck by a Chevrolet Malibu as they traveled north on U.S. 83, according to a Texas Department of Public Safety news release.

The Malibu was traveling south on U.S. 83 where it began to pass other vehicles. After it struck the Toyota Hernandez was traveling in, the Toyota was sent into the southbound lane where it was struck by a Chevrolet Traverse, the release stated.

The driver of the Toyota  Eddie Clint Johnson Jr, 25, of Ballenger  was taken to Shannon Medical Center with serious injuries. Both Johnson and Hernandez were wearing seat belts.

Rosendo Flores Ovalles, 60, of Winters, the driver of the Malibu sustained unknown injuries. The driver and passenger of the Traverse were treated and released from Shannon, the release stated.

The crash remains under investigation.
Architectural rendering of the new Sept. 11 memorial in San Angelo by Craig Kinney of Kinney/Franke Architects.

SHARE World Trade Center steel  San Angelo native Rosey Velez, a first responder to the Sept. 11 attacks in New York City  was presented with these crosses made from steel recovered from ground zero. He will be donating one to the city.

By Rashda Khan, Rashda.Khan@gosanangelo.com/@rashda_SAST

Plans to rebuild San Angelo's Sept. 11 memorial, which was vandalized and stripped of the piece of steel from the World Trade Center earlier this year, are moving forward.

The monument, located near Celebration Bridge on the Concho River, and below the San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts, is unusual because it was the first Sept. 11 monument built in Texas incorporating a piece of steel from ground zero in New York City, according to Bishop Emeritus Michael Pfeifer, who was key in establishing the memorial. The steel fragment was received by Pfiefer from the archbishop of New York City.

"It's unbelievable somebody would do something like this to something so sacred for all of us," he said.

After the initial shock, Pfeifer and other community leaders vowed to rebuild the monument. An ad hoc committee was formed including Pfeifer; current Bishop Michael Sis; Mayor Dwain Morrison; City Manager Daniel Valenzuela and architect Craig Kinney, original designer of the monument.

"This is a very important project to us," said Valenzuela. "The memorial is a tribute to all the first responders, and a reminder to all of us."

He said San Angeloan Rosendo "Rosey" Velez, who was a first responder as captain of the New York Critical Response Medical Services 2001, happened to have some pieces of World Trade Center steel, and graciously agreed to donate a piece as a replacement for the heart of the memorial.

In the aftermath of Sept. 11, Velez said the New York Post Authority gave crosses cut out of World Trade Center steel to many first responders or their families. Because he had two daughters, Velez had requested two crosses.

Velez said he has seen the plans for the new memorial, and likes the layout, adding that improved security at the site was a "mandatory" condition for the cross's donation.

"Both these crosses belong to my family," Velez said. "Now my family is willing to give one to the city, and the kids of San Angelo ... It (the theft) upset a lot of people ... We don't want to see this one lost or destroyed as well."

He has cause for concern. When Velez first visited West Texas, he presented three crosses  one to the city, one to Goodfellow Air Force Base, and one to the city of Sonora. While Goodfellow still has its cross, Sonora's cross was stolen and the city's one can't be located, he said.

City Manager Valenzuela said "lighting and security will very much be improved" at the new memorial. The design will be pretty much similar to the original, with some modification for the new shape  the stolen steel was square shaped, but this one is a cross; however both are of similar size.

"This is most unusual in that the new steel is almost identical in size to the old steel," said architect Craig Kinney, who is getting to work on the monument a second time. He and others in the community miss the absent centerpiece. "It's now a wasteland. I'm excited to make the place and the memorial live again. I think the community will be pleased with the reinvention of memorial."

No time line has been set for the project yet. Valenzuela said the ad hoc committee is working to raise $16,000 to repair the monument, and get adequate security and lighting in place.

Pfeifer, the former bishop of San Angelo, is confident in the result. "This monument connects us to a place of deep tragedy, but also a place of deep heroism, it connects us to the wider world," he said. "I hope this monument will always be a symbol calling us to be the true kind of people our God wants us to be  people working for peace and building a strong community of peace.

"And that people will never give up their hope. Hope is a great gift to spur us into the future," Pfifer said. "If you keep that, keep working and praying, and respecting one another, God will work it out."
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Austin police say a man has died following a collision between his vehicle and a Capital Metro bus.

Police said the man was pronounced dead at a hospital following the Saturday collision.

Austin Police Lt. Cara Boyd tells the Austin American-Statesman that authorities responding to the collision were told the man was trapped in the vehicle.

Austin-Travis County EMS said that the man was taken out of the car and declared a trauma alert before being taken to the hospital.

EMS officials say six passengers were on the bus at the time, and one was taken to a hospital for minor injuries.

Corpus Christi

Man found guilty in punching death

A man has been convicted of manslaughter in the punching death of a man in a Corpus Christi strip club parking lot three years ago.

A Nueces County jury found 46-year-old Mark Booker guilty of manslaughter Friday in the death of 45-year-old Jeffry Schexnider. The punishment phase of his trial begins Monday. Booker faces up to 20 years in prison.

Police have said that after a disturbance between Booker and Schexnider started inside the club in November 2013, employees asked them to leave. The conflict continued in the parking lot. Schexnider was punched in the head and fell to the ground. He later died.

Booker was arrested the next day in a home where police said he was found hiding under a pile of clothes.

Lubbock

Burglary suspect shot by homeowner

Lubbock police say a man shot a person who tried to start a fire after breaking into his home.

Police say the burglary suspect was shot in the stomach early Sunday morning. He was taken to the hospital with injures that weren't life-threatening.

Police say the family told police they were sleeping when the suspect broke in.

Police say the father said he warned the suspect that he had a gun, police were on the way and he should leave.

The father told police that the suspect then poured lighter fluid on the floor and tried to light it. The father says he told the suspect to stop or he would shoot, but the suspect began approaching him until he could no longer back up. The suspect was then shot.

Fort Worth

Two found dead after shooting

Fort Worth police say officers responding to a shooting call found two people dead in the driveway of a home, and a suspect has been detained.

The Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports that police found the two dead early Sunday morning.

A woman calling police told a dispatcher someone had been shot outside of a home. She told authorities she knew one of the victims.

Sgt. Marc Povero says a male suspect was detained at the scene.

Police say six shots were fired. Police have not yet released a motive.

The names of the victims have not been released pending notification of relatives.

Police fired on responding to call

Fort Worth police say a 51-year-old man accused of choking a woman opened fire on police before he surrendered.

Police say Larry Trees was arrested Saturday on two counts of attempted capital murder of a peace officer and assault bodily injury of a family member. He was being held Sunday in Mansfield jail on $65,000 bond. Jail records did not list an attorney for him.

When officers responded to a domestic call Saturday morning, a man armed with a shotgun walked out of the home and opened fire on two officers.

Officers returned fire and the man, later identified as Trees, retreated back into the residence. As SWAT members arrived, Trees and a woman walked out of the home.

Police say no one was injured.

San Antonio

Fire forces hotel evacuation

Officials say two people were taken to the hospital with minor injuries and two floors of a downtown San Antonio hotel were evacuated after a fire erupted during a wedding banquet.

San Antonio Police Department Sgt. Bryan Patten tells the San Antonio Express-News that the fire started Saturday night on the second floor in the Sheraton Gunter hotel.

San Antonio Fire Department Capt. Craig Balter says a cooking stove caught fire during the banquet, producing heavy smoke that filled the first and second floors.

While the sprinkler system quickly put the fire out, the floors were soaked and the smoke had to be vented from the building.

From Wire Services
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H. Charles Eckert, Mason

The USA is in trouble with Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump as candidates for president.

Trump's locker room talk and bankrupt gambling halls are no example of an efficient president. Clinton's so-called foreign relations "experience" has been support of wars of aggression against sovereign nations was based on lies against Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya and now Syria. These are war crimes against humanity, producing thousands killed and homeless.

The support for sanctions against Russia did more damage to the American and European farmers than for Russia, which is now the No. 1 exporter of wheat. Ask our Texas Plains and Panhandle farmers about that.

Clinton supported the cover-up of Saudi Arabia's participation in 9/11 until Congress finally released the 28 pages of a report; Obama's veto was overridden by Congress without our representative's vote. Now American weapons are imposing genocide on Yemen with Clinton support.

We need Congress to step up and vote in a new FDR Glass-Steagall Act, which was listed in both parties' platforms. Citizens need to call our congressmen to get the Glass-Steagall Act passed before the coming financial global disaster is upon us. This would split regular banking from the investment in derivatives.

Then a Hamiltonian policy needs to be established to rebuild infrastructure and we should support the Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa association to rebuild the world through peace and prosperity.
This November's presidential election will go down as the most fiercely fought -- and downright cringe-worthy -- in recent history. Only one-third of Americans think either major-party candidate is "honest and trustworthy," according to a recent Fox News poll, while almost 60 percent say they're dissatisfied with the country's direction.So it's worth noting, as the national contest's last days perhaps get even weirder and more disheartening, that some notable citizen-initiated efforts across the country are trying to change some of the most basic rules by which candidates run and are elected.Consider South Dakota's proposed Constitutional Amendment V. If passed by the state's voters on Nov. 8, it would designate all local, state and federal elections (except the presidential race) as nonpartisan. There would be no more party-nomination primaries, which often attract just 20 to 30 percent of the state's registered voters. Instead, all candidates would run in a single primary, with the top two then advancing to a runoff regardless of party (or lack thereof).Nothing in federal law requires these races to be held on a partisan basis, and almost every state constitution is similarly silent on the question. And while South Dakota's proposed system is similar to the open-primary framework approved by voters in California and Washington state, a broad, bipartisan coalition of supporters likes to point to nonpartisan local-government offices and to Nebraska's nonpartisan, unicameral legislature (the nation's one and only) as their inspiration.South Dakotans aren't the only Americans looking to upend their election systems. Colorado voters will have two opportunities in November. One of the measures on the ballot, Initiative 107, would replace Colorado's presidential caucuses -- in which just 5 percent of state voters participated in 2016 -- with a presidential primary election, reverting to the system the state used from 1992 to 2000 and then abandoned to save money.But there a twist. Colorado now uses a "vote at home" system (like Oregon and Washington state) in which all registered voters receive their ballots in the mail. But Colorado's unaffiliated voters -- now 34 percent of all of the state's voters -- could then choose any candidate of either party, though if they selected more than one the ballot would be invalidated.A companion measure, Initiative 108, deals with non-presidential primary elections. It would eliminate Colorado's closed primary system that now allows only registered Democrats and Republicans to participate in choosing party nominees for congressional, state and local partisan offices. Unaffiliated voters would get an even fatter envelope containing each major party's ballots, though they could choose among just one party's candidates.A very different approach to opening up the election system and giving more voice to America's growing ranks of "none of the above" voters can be found in Maine, where November's voters will get to weigh in on Question 5, the so-called "ranked choice" initiative.The last Maine governor to win election with more than 50 percent of the general-election vote was Angus King, in 1998, and he was neither a Democrat nor a Republican but an independent. In 2010, Maine's current governor, Republican Paul LePage, was elected with less than 38 percent of the vote; the other 62 percent was split between the Democratic nominee and two independent candidates. (LePage did better in his 2014 re-election race but still won less than 50 percent of the vote in a similar three-way contest.)LePage now ranks among the nation's least popular governors, making headlines with his sweeping, racially charged statements. But his particular path to the governor's chair would be a remnant of the electoral past if Maine voters approve Question 5, which for races for governor, the state legislature and Congress would allow general-election voters to rank all of the candidates on the ballot, regardless of their party affiliations, in order of their preference. If no candidate initially receives a majority, the votes would be re-tabulated, with last-place candidates eliminated until one candidate achieves a true majority.The bottom line: Maine's voters would no longer have to worry about casting a vote for a favorite candidate who might prove to be a "spoiler," resulting in the election of a candidate without at least some support from a majority of the electorate.To date, the ranked choice system has only been used in a handful of municipal, nonpartisan elections, most notably in San Francisco, Oakland, Calif., and St. Paul, Minn. If Question 5 passes - and recent polls show it ahead - Maine would be the first state to adopt the system for partisan elections. (Voters in Oregon's Benton County, one of the state's few where county commissioners and other local officials are still elected on a partisan basis, will also have the chance to adopt this system.)Another state ballot initiative wouldn't change how candidates hope to cross the finish line, but it could dramatically change how they fund those journeys. Vast rivers of special-interest money for campaigns -- both publically disclosed contributions and "dark money" largely hidden from sight -- have made many Americans deeply suspicious of politicians across the political spectrum.Under Initiative 1464 on November's Washington state ballot, every registered voter would receive three "democracy credits" of $50, which they could then donate to state legislative candidates who agree to certain conditions, including limiting the size of other contributions they accept.While I-1464'sproponents have raised far more money to date -- more than $2.5 million vs. less than $50,000 for opponents -- the initiative faces an uphill climb. Few newspapers have endorsed it. Opponents urge voters to wait and see how the approach works in Seattle, where it recently passed, and point to its potentially indeterminate cost to taxpayers. (The measure does propose to help pay for the credits by ending certain sales-tax exemptions for out-of-state shoppers).As ballot-initiative proponents know, it's a lot harder to get voters to "yes" than to persuade them to vote "no." But even if a few (or even one) of these measures pass, it will show an aversion to "politics as usual" that might signal far bigger changes elsewhere in the years ahead.
Takedown move cleared

Decision denounced

The two Minneapolis police officers involved in the November 2015 fatal shooting of Jamar Clark will not face discipline because an internal investigation found they did not violate the department's use-of-force policy.Officers Mark Ringgenberg and Dustin Schwarze were previously cleared of any criminal or civil wrongdoing by separate state and federal investigations completed over several months. They have been on desk duty since the Nov. 15 incident when Clark, 24, was shot in the head during a scuffle with the officers outside a north Minneapolis apartment complex."I have concluded these officers did not dictate the outcome of this incident. This was an outcome no one wanted," Police Chief Janee Harteau said at a short news conference Friday, her first extensive public comments about the case.The shooting prompted weeks of protest, including an 18-day occupation outside the police precinct in north Minneapolis. Clark's death, along with that of Philando Castile, who was shot by a St. Anthony police officer on July 6, are frequently mentioned in the national debate over fatal police shootings of black men and women.Before the news conference, Harteau met with Clark's biological mother, Irma Burns, and sister Danielle Burns at City Hall. They talked for about 25 minutes before lawyers cut the meeting short, saying they'd heard enough.Clark's other siblings declined to attend Friday's meeting. Their attorney, Albert Goins, said Burns became emotional and exclaimed, "My son is dead -- who do I go to for justice?""We're disappointed, of course," Goins said of the decision that internal policies weren't violated. "But we're somewhat flabbergasted by that because I know the standard is fairly low to have ... an officer incur discipline."Goins pledged that a civil suit will be filed on behalf of several family members in the coming weeks.The shooting exposed strained relations between police and communities of color where distrust of law enforcement runs deep.In late March, Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman announced that no state charges would be brought against the officers. He took the unprecedented move of eliminating the use of a grand jury to evaluate the police-involved shooting. The state's Bureau of Criminal Apprehension spent three months investigating the case.A subsequent investigation by the FBI, the U.S. attorney and the U.S. Department of Justice concluded there was not enough evidence to show the two officers had willfully deprived Clark of his civil rights. U.S. Attorney Andrew Luger, leaning heavily on whether Clark was handcuffed by police before being shot and other factors, said there was insufficient evidence to bring a federal case.Lt. Bob Kroll, president of the Police Officers Federation of Minneapolis, the union representing police, applauded the decision exonerating the two officers, saying in a statement that the two men "can begin to put this unfortunate event behind them and focus on their careers." He added, "We expect all members of the public to accept the process and outcome."Critics have argued for nearly a year that officer Mark Ringgenberg needlessly escalated what was a routine encounter by violently taking Clark to the ground. Ringgenberg told investigators he learned the move while working at a department in San Diego, where officers were permitted to use takedowns when suspects display "active resistance" or refuse to comply while conveying a threat.Freeman has said Ringgenberg's technique was "not favored" by Minneapolis police, but he wouldn't say the officers' actions caused the deadly outcome.A grainy video capturing Clark's last moments appears to show Ringgenberg wrapping his right arm around Clark, bringing him to the ground on the left side of the frame. In Harteau's first public comments about the tactic, she contested the suggestion that Ringgenberg used a "chokehold," saying investigators found he grabbed Clark around the upper chest."While this may not be a specific technique the MPD instructs, that does not mean it was unauthorized," Harteau said. "The MPD teaches the ultimate purpose in using a takedown maneuver is to quickly bring a person to the ground. The ground is known as the most effective place to gain control of someone."Council Member Alondra Cano, who joined demonstrators at the Fourth Precinct last November, said the city's public safety committee should examine the city's excessive force policies, as well as how police officers are trained to respond "to situations that don't pose a threat."Cautioning that she has not seen the evidence reviewed by police investigators, she believes some type of discipline was warranted.At the news conference, Mayor Betsy Hodges said she fully backs Harteau's decision but extended her condolences to Clark's family and friends."I know that some will be angry at this decision and find it difficult to accept, and I get that," she said. "I also know that some will find relief, and I get that, too."The decision to not discipline the two police officers was immediately denounced by local civil rights leaders."I'm not surprised that the Minneapolis Police Department has failed to hold the two officers accountable who shot and killed Jamar Clark last November," said Nekima Levy-Pounds, outgoing president of the Minneapolis NAACP."Friday's decision reinforces the notion of why the African-American community has no faith in our criminal justice system and the possibility of obtaining justice in officer-involved shooting cases," she said.Pastor Danny Givens, clergy liaison for Black Lives Matter Minneapolis, called it "another example of how this broken judicial system continues to fail black people, and it further perpetuates a culture of policing that says killing unarmed black men and women is OK."A rally and march, organized around the theme of "I am a man," is planned for 1 p.m. Saturday at the Edina City Hall, 4801 W. 50th St. "The march is to address the issues of police violence and brutality on black men," including the Clark killing, Givens said.Edina had been chosen as the site before organizers were aware of the police decision in the Clark case. Last week, a black man was detained and cited by Edina police for walking in the street, setting off widespread criticism. Charges were later dropped.Harteau said she would be talking to community leaders after the news conference about her decision and the ways "we can all move forward together in the coming weeks, months and years." Harteau and Hodges held a telephone listening session Friday night with the community to discuss the announcement.The chief said she didn't want to talk publicly about the case until she met with Clark's family. As a mother, she said, she can't imagine the pain a parent would feel if they ever had to bury a child."But I have concluded the use of deadly force in the line of duty was necessary to protect an officer from apparent death or great bodily harm," she said.
On Friday, in the morning, at Government House, His Excellency the Honourable Paul de Jersey AC and Mrs Kaye de Jersey hosted a morning tea for the 2016 Premier of Queenslands Export Award finalists where the Governor addressed guests.

In the afternoon, at Government House, the Governor received Senior Lieutenant Colonel Chng Kim Chuan, Commanding Officer, 191 Squadron, Republic of Singapore Navy; Lieutenant Colonel Edmund Teh, Commanding Officer, RSS Resolution, Republic of Singapore Navy; and Commander Mark McConnell, Commanding Officer, HMAS Moreton, Royal Australian Navy.

In the afternoon, at Government House, the Governor and Mrs de Jersey hosted an afternoon tea for Australia Indigenous Education Foundation Year 12 Graduates where His Excellency addressed guests.

In the evening, at Gallipoli Barracks, Brisbane, the Governor attended the Australian Army Queensland University Regiment Dining In Night where His Excellency addressed guests.
On Saturday, in the afternoon, at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre, His Excellency the Honourable Paul de Jersey AC and Mrs Kaye de Jersey attended a Memorial Service for His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand where the Governor addressed guests.

In the afternoon, at the Anglican Church Grammar School, Brisbane, the Governor officiated as the Reviewing Officer at the Tri-Service Cadets Graduation Parade where His Excellency addressed guests.
Description

GIS - 24 October, 2016: Africa Human Rights Day, celebrated every year in Africa on 21 October, is a formal opportunity for Mauritius to reiterate its commitment to pursue its tasks in the promotion of gender equality and womens empowerment. Africa Human Rights Day, celebrated every year in Africa on 21 October, is a formal opportunity for Mauritius to reiterate its commitment to pursue its tasks in the promotion of gender equality and womens empowerment.

The Republic of Mauritius is a State Party to the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights since 1992. The Charter guarantees civil, political, as well as social and economic rights.

Each year, Africa Human Rights Day is celebrated to reflect on and recommit to the solemn undertaking by African leaders and the African people to promote and safeguard freedom, justice, equality and fundamental human rights in Africa. It is also a day to remind us that human rights should be extended to all members of the human family.

This year, Africa Human Rights Day is being commemorated under the theme Promoting womens rights is a collective responsibility. This years commemoration is therefore particularly significant as National Gender Machineries are hands on promoting womens rights issues.

The promotion of the fundamental human rights including those of women remains high on Governments agenda. Mauritius has come a long way since the country adhered to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The country has attained de jure equality but is faced with many challenges that act as significant barriers in regard to de facto equality.

African Human Rights Day is a reminder that the full attainment of womens human rights will only become a reality when we mobilise, unite, find common ground and make firm resolutions to overcome barriers that continue to impede on womens human rights.
Description

GIS - 24 October, 2016: The Peoples Republic of China has donated restoration equipment for the preservation of documents at the National Archives Department. The donation of equipment estimated at around Rs 1.5 million has been effected in the context of the cultural exchange programme between China and Mauritius. The Peoples Republic of China has donated restoration equipment for the preservation of documents at the National Archives Department. The donation of equipment estimated at around Rs 1.5 million has been effected in the context of the cultural exchange programme between China and Mauritius.

The handing over of the equipment was done this morning on the premises of the National Archives Department which operates under the purview of the Ministry of Arts and Culture at Coromandel in the presence of the Minister of Arts and Culture, Mr Santaram Baboo.

In his address, Minister Baboo spoke of the cordial relationship between Mauritius and China since the establishment of bilateral and diplomatic ties between the two countries in 1972. Since then, the relationship between the two countries has evolved significantly with China being a strategic partner to Mauritius, he added.

He lauded China for this remarkable gesture which he said goes in line with the various assistance Mauritius has so far benefitted from China both in terms of financial and technical support. According to him, this action will further strengthen cultural exchange as well as open new avenues of cooperation between the two countries.

The Minister called upon each and every one to demonstrate a sense of responsibility in the preservation, restoration and in maintaining our cultural assets and heritage. On this score, he announced the setting up of the Culture House at Reduit Triangle, which will accommodate both the National Archives Department and the National Library involved in the safeguard of archival documents.

The Culture House project will be financed by the Chinese Government by way of grant for which the agreement will be signed in November 2016. The feasibility study for the project is expected to be ready by end October this year.

For his part, the Ambassador of China to Mauritius, Mr Li Li, spoke of the importance China attaches to the preservation and restoration of documents related to history. He expressed the interest of the Chinese Government to share its experience and collaborate with the Mauritian Government with regards the conservation of the documents retracing Mauritian history stored at the National Archives Department whereby he added that the donation of restoration equipment bears testimony to this endeavor.

The National Archives has its origin from the early settlement of the island, dating as far back as 1721 and its official operation as an institution was proclaimed in 1815 during the British rule. It is the oldest archives in the southern hemisphere, with 198 years of history on paper.

It will be recalled that Government has also earmarked some Rs 50 million in the 2016-2017 Budget to rehabilitate the historical and cultural heritage sites and structures listed under the National Heritage Fund Act.
Description

GIS - 24 October 2016 : The 2016 Global Dialogue of the World Health Organisation (WHO) Global Coordination Mechanism on Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) called on international development donors to increase and sustain their investments in enhancing the capacity of relevant national Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) to enlist their full and active participation in the development and implementation of national NCDs responses.

The appeal was made at the end of the Global Dialogue Meeting on the Role of Non-State Actors in supporting Member States in their national efforts to tackle NCDs as part of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which Mauritius host from 19 to 21 October 2016 at Intercontinental Hotel in Balaclava. The meeting, co-chaired by the Governments of Mauritius and France, was organised by the WHO Global Coordination Mechanism on NCD whose scope and purpose are to enhance the coordination of activities, multi-stakeholder engagement and action across sectors in order to contribute to the implementation of the WHO Global NCD Action Plan 2013-2020.

Several suggestions have been made as regards the national NCDs responses for which the collaboration of NGOs will be required. These include the establishment of national multi-sectoral mechanisms for engagement, policy coherence and mutual accountability of different spheres of policymaking that have a bearing on NCDs; and monitoring in order to support Governments in their efforts to implement health-in-all-policies and whole-of government and whole-of-society approaches.

The meeting called on non-State actors to reject complacency in responding to the global NCD epidemic; and raise awareness about the national public health burdens caused by the toll of NCDs and their risk factors, in particular premature deaths from NCDs, and the relationship between NCDs, poverty and sustainable development. Non-State actors were also urged to fight for the rights of vulnerable populations at the margins of society, particularly those living with or affected by NCDs, in order to ensure that everyone lives a healthy, dignified, prosperous and fulfilled lives.



NGOs were requested to encourage Governments to develop ambitious national NCD responses as part of national Sustainable Development Goal responses to the overall implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and to participate in the planning and implementation as appropriate. They are invited to forge multi-stakeholder partnerships and alliances that mobilise and share knowledge, good practices, and resources, in a bid to strengthen coordination among themselves. Assistance was also sought to amplify the voices of people living with and affected by NCDs.

Furthermore, the meeting invited the private sector, ranging from microenterprises to cooperatives to multinationals, to align their core business practices with public health and sustainable development goals. Philanthropic foundations, were for their part, urged to make financial and non-financial contributions and to mobilise additional funds through multi-stakeholder partnerships. Moreover, academic institutions were asked to provide and facilitate credible, independent research aimed at enhancing data and evidence and improving the efficacy of policies, medicines, vaccines, diagnostics and technologies for NCDs, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. They were also called upon to ensure the inclusion of NCDs as part of balanced curricula at medical schools and teaching institutions.

The Meeting also urged all stakeholders to act while taking into account different national realities, capacities, needs and levels of development and respecting national policies and priorities, to ensure that no one is left behind. We will collectively be held accountable by future generations for our ability to reverse the number of premature deaths caused by NCDs, prevent exposure to NCD risk factors, and to improve the lives of all people living with, at risk or affected by NCDs, the delegates stated.
Many threats

Taking action

(TNS)  STAMFORD, Conn.  As the digital dangers mount, a number of Connecticut institutions are bolstering their cyber defenses.The threats to information technology systems extend far beyond hacks of presidential campaign emails that are divulged on WikiLeaks. Organizations of all sizes  especially small businesses  are vulnerable to a proliferation of attacks. But the growing affordability of cybersecurity services and the launch of new initiatives involving the public and private sectors show that companies are hardly powerless against their online opponents.The volume of attacks has increased and so has the complexity of attacks, said Laurent Michel , co-director of the Connecticut Cybersecurity Center at the University of Connecticut . Not everyone is protected properly. You have to protect your information technology systems against the simplest kind of attacks, but also against more sophisticated ones.Companies face a daunting number of threats to their IT systems.More than 500 million personal records were lost or stolen in 2015, according to a report released earlier this year by the data-security firm Symantec. A record-setting nine mega breaches affecting more than 10 million records in each incident occurred last year.The attacks can afflict all types of hardware and software. Web app attacks, point-of-sale intrusions, malicious software known as malware and denial-of-service attacks that compromise the availability of networks and systems comprise just a few of the weapons in cyber criminals arsenals.But the reasons for the offenses tend to be consistent. Almost 90 percent of breaches had a financial or espionage motive, according to the Verizon 2016 Data Breach Investigations Report.Just detecting a cyber attack can present a major challenge. Unlike the theft of a physical good like a truck, the crime might not be evident.Attackers who want to steal your intellectual property are not going to break into your system and leave crumbs all over the place, said UConns Michel, who co-directs another security center at the university and also serves as an associate professor in its department of computer of science and engineering. They do everything to be invisible so you dont even know youve been breached.The subtlety of the attacks can also complicate efforts to quantify the losses.Smaller firms are particularly vulnerable to data-security threats because they often lack the IT resources in people and capital investments that larger companies can afford. In 2015, 43 percent of all attacks targeted small businesses, according to the Symantec report.Even the local laundry service is a target, the report said. In one example, an organization of 35 employees was the victim of a cyber attack by a competitor. The competitor hid in their network for two years stealing customer and pricing information, giving them a significant advantage.Cyber attacks cost companies as much as $400 billion each year, according to the British insurance firm Lloyds.But recent arrivals in southwestern Connecticut show how the market is shifting to make digital defenses more accessible to smaller companies with tighter budgets. The Piscataway, N.J.-headquartered cybersecurity firm BlackStratus opened in April offices in Stamford to house a security operations center and a sales team to support a new product CYBERShark, which essentially allows smaller firms to outsource their data security to BlackStratus.By putting the technology in the cloud  with costs running as low as a couple hundred dollars per month  businesses can share the cost of using CYBERShark.All the infrastructure is monitored by us  we can detect potential threats and identify them and take action, said Rich Murphy , BlackStratus vice president of products. We will handle cybersecurity for you and when something is up, we will notify you.A $5.5 million state grant supported the opening of BlackStratus Stamford complex, which now houses 23 employees.Consumer financial-services firm Synchrony Financial and the University of Connecticuts School of Engineering announced last week the launch of a Synchrony-funded Center of Excellence in Cybersecurity at the university, an initiative intended to support education and research in the field.Synchrony officials were not available to comment this week on the initiative, but they said in previous statements that they had high expectations for the new venture.We are passionate about cultivating top technology talent in Connecticut who will soon be on the nations front lines of defense against cyber crime, Carol Juel , executive vice president and chief information officer at Synchrony Financial, said last week. Our partnership with UConn is an important step toward building the research and resources needed to fuel hiring in this growing area of technology.Through the partnership, the Stamford-based Synchrony will provide an endowment for a Synchrony chairperson to lead cybersecurity education at UConn and help develop a pipeline of information-security talent. In addition to research, Synchrony has committed to funding a cybersecurity fellowship program and a scholarship program that will provide stipends to attract graduate students to UConn, where they will study and conduct independent cybersecurity research.Synchrony will provide $2.2 million for the new programs, which will be funded during the next five years.Synchrony and UConn officials said the partnership would develop Connecticut talent to help fill openings in the cybersecurity industry. There were about 209,000 unfilled cybersecurity jobs in the U.S., according to an analysis of March 2015 federal Bureau of Labor Statistics by Peninsula Press , a project of the Stanford Journalism Program.Officials in Hartford are also taking action. Gov. Dannel P. Malloy announced last week the creation of a new cybersecurity chief risk officer for Connecticut. Malloys pick for the position was Art House . He had served since 2012 as one of three commissioners in the Connecticut Public Utilities Regulatory Authority and most recently as the organizations chairman. In that role, House helped to develop a plan for improved cybersecurity across the state for electrical, natural gas and water infrastructure.In his new position, House will work to improve cybersecurity-related coordination and communication among state agencies and build relationships between the public and private sectors. He will also contribute to the ongoing development of the states first cybersecurity strategy, a plan that is scheduled to be completed in the spring of 2017.Were trying to bring together the different elements of cybersecurity and gain from playing more as a team, House said. Well work with businesses and hospitals and universities and others to to find areas where can help.And collaboration around data defenses is needed more than ever as cyber attacks continue to evolve, said Houses new boss, state chief information officer Mark Raymond If were going to be able to adequately defend not only state government but also all our businesses, we need to share more info on emerging threats, Raymond said. We each have elements that can help each other.
(TNS) -- When Denis Goulet heard about the cyberattack on Dyn Friday morning, the first thing he did was log onto the state website to make sure it was up and running. It was.Goulet is commissioner and CIO for the state Department of Information Technology. Nineteen months ago, the state's nh.gov website experienced the same kind of attack as the one that hit the Manchester company."They were essentially targeting state governments," he said. "So a lot of states got their websites taken down."This kind of cyberattack -- called a distributed denial-of-service or DDoS -- isn't about stealing data, Goulet said. "It's an annoyance, basically," he said.He likens it to the tactic labor activists in France used to clog highways by lining up slow-moving trucks across all lanes of traffic."The perpetrators of the DDOS attack try to generate enough activity focused on their victims such that it's keeping the system so nothing else can happen," Goulet explained. "Or other things can happen, but they happen extremely slowly -- so slowly it's not useful."James Ramsay is the coordinator of the new Homeland Security program at the University of New Hampshire and a professor of security studies. He said these kinds of attacks reflect the "dark side" of our technology-dependent society."This is the 'advanced persistent threat' that we refer to in the world of cyber security," he said. "This is a vulnerabilty that a society has that has become addicted to, and absolutely dependent on, digital communications, digital assets, digital identities."Ramsay is philosophical about it. "The bottom line for me and you is that it's an inconvenient component to real life," he said. "It doesn't mean the internet is crashing. It doesn't mean that anyone's invading us."It means that this is yet another in a long series of examples ... of people just doing bad things because they want to. They may not even have a real agenda."To Ramsay, it's clear that those behind the Dyn attack were professionals: "because Dyn is a world-class organization, and they're not easy to hit, and the attack was large."A DDoS attack is a very common way for so-called "hacktivists" or "cyber warriors" from hostile organizations or governments to make a point, he said, "and to literally flood servers with so much information that they can't do their jobs."He likens it to "putting 10 pounds of garbage in a 5-pound bag; it can't be done."And as a major domain name system (DNS) service provider ("that's basically the phone book," Ramsay explains), Dyn is an attractive target, he said."At the end of the day, it's going to take some real forensic investigation on the part of Dyn, probably the FBI, and maybe even other players that we'll never know, to look at the threat vectors and how they broke in, and the kinds of vulnerabilities that were exploited," he said.The DDoS attack on the state website in March, 2015, lasted a couple of hours, Goulet said. "It caused enough traffic on the internet that you couldn't access our website."Such an attack doesn't just affect the targeted site, he explained; it slows traffic for lots of others as well. So in response, Goulet contacted the state's internet provider, which stopped accepting traffic targeted at nh.gov - "which immediately helped everybody but us."Goulet said the attack ended fairly quickly. And after that incident, the state IT department strengthened its capabilities. But he said it's difficult to protect against future DDoS attacks.It's like anti-virus programs you have on your home computer, he said: "They'll protect you against any virus we already know about, but it's not going to protect you against the new ones they created specifically to circumvent those protections."Investigators may learn who attacked Dyn, Goulet said. A hacker group calling itself Vikingdom took credit for the DDoS attacks on New Hampshire and other government entities in 2015."There was no purpose to it," Goulet said. "They weren't trying to steal information, just showing that they could, basically."Indeed, Vikingdom2015 posted this message online back then: "We will knock all American governments' websites offline. We do not care if we get caught. We all like doing this."But such attacks could have more malicious purposes, Goulet said, such as bringing down services that are critical.There are "bad actors," he said, "who actually want to have some influence, whether it's economic or political or both."And he said, "Those are the more scary actors, because they do have a purpose that's more nefarious than just an annoyance."Goulet wouldn't speculate on whether the Dyn attack could have been carried out by a foreign government. "But we do know that foreign governments are involved in cyber activities for their own purposes," he said. "And they spend significant resources doing so."Ramsay compares it to a kind of Cold War, "in the sense that people aren't really declaring a war but we're actually making people lose money, we're interrupting services, and people's lives could be put at risk sometimes, if you interrupt services for airplanes or for ambulances or stop-and-go lights in a big city."The state Department of Information Technology homepage notes that October is National Cybersecurity Awareness Month.And what happened to Dyn is a timely reminder for New Hampshire consumers, Commissioner Goulet said."Dyn spent a lot of money and effort to protect their network, and they were still victimized," he said. "So it shows us that we need to be continuously vigilant."Among state chief information officers, Goulet said cybersecurity typically ranks in the top three issues of concern. "It's a big deal for us," he said. "We think about it every day."Does he ever lose sleep over it? "Yes," he said with a laugh.But he added, "If we're losing sleep, it's often not theoretical sleep; it's practical sleep, where we're managing something in the middle of the night."Ramsay said for experts, the real challenge is making sure businesses and governments are resilient in the face of such cyber attacks.At the end of the day, he said, "This shows you the quality of a company like Dyn, where they can experience it, they can send out a communique, they can get it back up and running, and all these people experiencing service outages are no worse for the wear just after lunchtime," he said.
Claretian Archbishop, October 23

The founder of the Missionary Sons of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, Anthony Mary Claret died in the Cistercian monastery at Fontfroide in France on this date in 1870. He was canonized in 1950 and listed in the Roman Calendar in 1960. Anthony was born at Salent in the Diocese of Vich in Catalonia, Spain, in the year in which Napoleon invaded Spain. He was trained for manual labor, since his father was a weaver, but in 1829 he entered the seminary at Vich. Ordained to the priesthood in 1835, he was assigned as pastor in his home parish. Later he went to Rome to work for the Propagation of the Faith. He also entered the novitiate of the Jesuits but had to leave because of ill health, so he returned to Spain and was assigned as pastor of a parish. His apostolate consisted of rural preaching, conferences for the clergy and publications (he wrote more than 150 books). Because of his successful apostolate he aroused the animosity of some of the clergy and as a result he left Catalonia for the Canary Islands (1848). After a year he returned to Catalonia and resumed his preaching apostolate.



In 1849 Anthony gathered together five priests who formed the basis of the Missionary Sons of the Immaculate Heart of Mary (popularly known as Claretians). At the suggestion of the Queen of Spain, Isabella II, Anthony was named archbishop of Santiago, Cuba (1850). For the next seven years he made pastoral visitations, preached against the slavery of the Negroes, and regularized numerous marriages. As a result of his activity he was frequently threatened with death and on one occasion an attempt was actually made on his life. In 1857 he was recalled to Spain as confessor to the queen. In this way he was able to exert some influence in the naming of bishops, set up a center of ecclesiastical studies at the Escorial, and work towards the recognition of religious orders in Spain. In 1869 he was in Rome, preparing for the First Vatican Council. He followed Isabella II into exile and at the insistence of the Spanish ambassador, was placed under house arrest in the Cistercian monastery at FontFroide, where he died at the age of 63. His remains were ultimately returned to Vich.
In the study, published in the Journal of Power Sources , the UC Irvine team examined how the intelligence of plug-in electric vehicle (PEV) integration impacted the required capacity of energy storage systems to meet renewable utilization targets for a large-scale energy system, using California as an example for meeting a 50% and 80% renewable portfolio standard (RPS) in 2030 and 2050.

A new study by a team at the University of California Irvine highlights the importance of intelligent plug-in vehicle (PEV) charging for minimizing the scale of infrastructure required to meet renewable utilization targets.

They found that for an 80% RPS in 2050, immediate charging of PEVs requires the installation of an aggregate energy storage system with a power capacity of 60% of the installed renewable capacity and an energy capacity of 2.3% of annual renewable generation.

However, with smart charging of PEVs, required power capacity drops to 16% and required energy capacity drops to 0.6%. With vehicle-to-grid (V2G) charging, non-vehicle energy storage systems are no longer required.

The electrification of the light-duty vehicle fleet through PEV deployment will increase the electric load demand and alter the shape of the demand profile. The first effect poses an obstacle for meeting renewable energy utilization targets, since more renewable generation will be needed to meet a targeted percentage of the total electricity load demand with renewable energy. The second effect, however, can potentially provide a benefit for reaching renewable utilization targets depending on the intelligence of vehicle charging management.

If vehicle charging loads can be shifted to more closely align with renewable generation, it can allow the system to capture otherwise curtailed renewable generation. Additionally, intelligent charging can reduce the amount of renewable generation that needs to be shifted to meet electricity demand, which can reduce the required capacity of energy storage systems need to meet a renewable energy utilization target.

 Currently, almost all public and private charging in the US is immediate, the exception being select pilot projects for smart and V2G. However, the coordinated charging of electric vehicles through smart or V2G charging has the potential to increase renewable utilization, by optimizing the timing and intensity of vehicle charging to maximize capture of otherwise curtailed renewable energy. Smart charging allows for planned charging based on load and time of use (TOU) market signals, and can, therefore, be applied to improve renewable integration. Vehicle to grid (V2G) charging incorporates the functionality of smart charging with the added ability to discharge to the grid. Forrest et al.

The UC Irvine researchers used load profiles used were extrapolated from CAISO load data, assuming the historical trend of a steady per capita electricity use, and adjusted for population growth to roughly 44.1 million people in 2030 and 49.1 million in 2050.

The vehicle miles traveled (VMT) demand was also assumed to scale with population and implying a constant per capita VMT demand. For the year 2030, they used a target of a 50% RPS to correspond with existing goals set by SB 350. For the year 2050, they used a hypothetical target of an 80% RPS.

The study assumed a maximum charging (and discharging for V2G) rate of 10 kW, equivalent to a Tesla battery. Under smart and V2G charging strategies, the rate is flexible to accommodate grid generation and load fluctuations.

Charging infrastructure was assumed to be available at home and work. This placement provides a wide availability of charging stations with potential for long dwell periods.

BEV fleet size was based on the percentage of vehicle miles trav-eled. The 2030 level of BEVs is based on significant, but feasible, growth of BEV ownership in response to the ZEV mandate. By 2050, the California Air Resources Board projects 87% of the light-duty fleet being ZEVs, a combination of FCVs and PEVs.

The US Irvine team considered a high adoption case of BEVs (80% of LDVs) and a moderate adoption case (50% of LDVs).

The team chose Vanadium Redox Flow Batteries (VFBs) as the representative stationary energy storage (SES) technology.

The main conclusions from the study were:

Installing stationary energy storage systems does not provide benefits for increasing renewable penetration if excess renewable generation is low or non-existent.

Increasing charging intelligence reduces the need for energy storage to reach high renewable penetration levels. Switching from immediate to intelligent PEV charging allowed for better alignment of renewable generation and load profiles, decreasing both the power and energy capacity of SES required to reach the RPS target. Shifting to smart charging of PEVs decreases the required power capacity of SES by nearly 75%. Increasing charging intelligence is more efficient at increasing renewable integration than deploying SES.

V2G potentially eliminates the need for stationary storage at high BEV deployment.

Sizing of stationary energy storage is directly tied to the scale and temporal profile of excess renewable generation. The power capacity of the stationary energy storage corresponds to the peak power level of renewable curtailment. Smart charging reduces the power difference between load and generation during peak curtailment, therefore reducing the power capacity of SES required compared to immediate charging.

Resources
Two years after states around the country passed an unprecedented number of police reforms after the killing of George Floyd, some are struggling to make the new policies stick. The momentum for change has slowed from its earlier frenetic pace. Some of the reforms have been rolled back or at least tweaked after police complained that the new policies were hindering their ability to catch criminals. Legal experts say police killings of Black people over the last decade  epitomized by Floyds killing  have altered the trajectory of policing. But change has come about unevenly in thousands of police departments across the U.S.
EDEN  Mike Dougherty partook in one of the pleasures of his job as director of economic development during Tuesdays Eden City Council meeting, honoring longtime local business, Barbour Studio & Gallery.

While the business is located at 712 Washington Street, thats not where Tom and Maryann Barbour started.

Their adventures took them from western Pennsylvania to Houston to Charlotte to Eden, Dougherty said.

They moved around a lot because they were wild and young back then, he said with a laugh.

In 1986, the Barbours opened their business at Eden Mall  about a mile and a half from Freedom Park, a project near and dear to Tom Barbour.

Freedom Park has been in operation now for about 16 years. When it was just a concept, Tom used to be at the Eden Apple Fest with boards, showing what this park could look like, Dougherty said. Its hard to believe the opposition we had back then. But thankfully, Tom was very diligent in his efforts, along with others.

The Eden Chamber of Commerce named him Volunteer of the Year for his work on the park.

We certainly appreciate all the work hes done, Dougherty said, on behalf of the City.

Barbour Studio & Gallery moved downtown in 2006, where hes been an integral part of the area through his involvement in the Olde Leaksville Municipal Service District, the Merchants Committee and the Eden Downtown Development Corporation. Hes taken photographs of downtown events and has helped set up RiverFest.

Hes always helpful and willing to lend a hand, Dougherty said.

In his business, Tom Barbour does portraits, restorations, weddings, special events and custom framing.

He has a great contingent of services that he offers, Dougherty said.

Maryann, his lovely wife, is an accomplished nurse. She was one of the top 100 nurses in North Carolina in 2004, he continued. She got into the creative side [of business] a few years ago with Beadful Things, which has been a nice addition to their business. She was a Fine Arts Festival finalist this year.

Dougherty also noted the Barbours were named Edens 2014 Main Street Champions, honored at a Main Street conference in Morganton.

I cant tell you how much we appreciate all that you guys have done for the City of Eden, Mayor Wayne Tuggle told the Barbours, adding that as the city struggles to refurbish downtown Leaksville, their business stands steady.

Tuggle presented the Barbours with a plaque in recognition of their 30th anniversary in business.

Thank you, Tom Barbour said. We appreciate the recognition.
The saint of the day for October 23 is St. John of Capistrano, a great Franciscan priest, preacher, and theologian who promoted devotion to the Holy Name of Jesus. He is the patron saint of chaplains, military chaplains, and judges.John was born at Capistrano, Italy in 1385, the son of a former German knight of that city. He studied law at the University of Perugia and practiced as a lawyer in the courts of Naples. King Ladislas of Naples appointed him governor of Perugia.During a war with a neighboring town he was betrayed and imprisoned, where he experienced a deep conversion. Upon his release, he entered the Franciscan community at Perugia. There, he began his brilliant preaching ministry, while still a deacon in 1420. Following his ordination, he traveled to many European countries and Russia, preaching penance and founding numerous Franciscan communities.St. John of Capistrano was the student of St. Bernadine of Siena, who inspired him to promote devotion to the Holy Name of Jesus. While preaching in Italy, they carried a monogram of the Holy Name surrounded by rays. In its origin, the monogram IHS is an abbreviation of the name Jesus in Greek (A later tradition reveals that IHS denotes the Latin Iesus Hominum Salvator, meaning "Jesus Savior of Mankind.") St. Bernardine and St. John blessed the faithful with this monogram, calling upon the name of Jesus and many miracles were recounted. They also advised people to place the monogram over the city gates and the doorways of their homes.In 1427, Pope Martin V approved veneration to the Holy Name and requested that the cross be included in the monogram IHS. When the malicious Turks captured Constantinople in 1453, Pope Callistus II appointed Saint John (at age 70) to preach a crusade for the protection of Europe. Barefoot and dressed in his humble Franciscan habit, Saint John visited the kings of Europe, uniting them and their armies against the invading forces. In 1456, he led an army of 70,000 Christian soldiers to Belgrade, and when it appeared that they were overpowered by the Muslim army, he ran to the front lines. Holding his crucifix up high, this thin, slight old man kept calling out, "Victory, Jesus, victory!" Emboldened by Christ, the Christian army won an overwhelming victory, freeing the city from siege.Three months later, St. John died at Villach in Austria. On his tomb there, the following message is inscribed: "This tomb holds John, by birth of Capistrano, a man worthy of all praise, defender and promoter of the faith, guardian of the Church, zealous protector of his Order, an ornament to all the world, lover of truth and religious justice, mirror of life, surest guide in doctrine; praised by countless tongues, he reigns blessed in heaven."
Thank you for the complimentary editorial today (Oct. 10) describing my cousin Maria J. Kirby-Smiths statue of George Simkins. No doubt additional praise was intended by identifying her as a local sculptor. Actually, Ms. Kirby-Smith has lived and worked from her studio in Camden, S.C., for many years. That is a three-hour drive from Greensboro, and to call it local would require including most major cities in North Carolina as well as some important municipalities in Virginia and South Carolina as suburbs of Greensboro.

About 30 years ago, she won an open competition from a field of more than 20 entries, including her own former professor of sculpture, to execute the O. Henry Memorial statuary group. She did spend a year in Greensboro then to complete the work here. Since then, she has accepted a number of commissions in Greensboro, including statues of Joseph Bryan, Jim Melvin and Joe Christian. Her work can be seen in public urban spaces up and down the eastern United States.

Had she been a local artist, her first name might have been pronounced correctly both times that she was mentioned in the ceremony: Mah-rye-ah. I think that may be a Texas pronunciation.

Tom Kirby-Smith

Greensboro
Chris Bosak / Hearst Connecticut Media

DALLAS  Despite a 3 percent drop in net sales, Kimberly-Clark CEO Thomas Falk said the companys market share is broadly healthy, as it announced third-quarter financial results on Monday morning.

Third-quarter net sales were $4.6 billion, a 3 percent decline compared to the same time last year. Changes in foreign currency exchange rates reduced sales by more than 2 percent, the company said.
WASHINGTON, Conn.  For many fans, the fictional town of Stars Hollow came to life Saturday as actors who played its quirky residents roamed the real-life town that inspired the show Gilmore Girls.

Actors dressed in character mingled with fans at workshops and other events and posed for spontaneous photo opportunities during the second day of the Gilmore Girls Fan Festival, which drew a sold-out crowd of 1,200 fans.

The day culminated with a panel discussion with 13 cast members, who joked with each other and laughed as they reminisced about their time on the set.

Most recalled how Liz Torres and Sally Struthers, who played Miss Patty and Babette, entertained the cast during filming of long scenes by impersonating famous actresses. The cast also played a game where they would guess what was in Struthers purse, including a drivers license for her dog.

We were like Abbott and Costello, Torres told the audience.

Ted Rooney, who plays Morey, added, Sally and Liz would hold court. Theyre old-school Hollywood.

Gilmore Girls, which aired from 2000 to 2007, centered on two characters, Lorelai and Rory, a single mother raising her teenage daughter. The show gained a following that grew when the show went into syndication and got another boost when Netflix announced a four-episode revival, set to premiere Nov. 25.

It seems like the stars are equally excited to see the fans, said Jean McCrystal as she waited in line with her two daughters to meet Rose Abdoo, who plays Gypsy on the show.

Jackson Douglas, who played a farmer on the program, greeted fans in a plaid jacket near a produce stand, while Aris Alvarado, who played diner chef Caesar, helped out with a cooking demo from the new cookbook, Eat Like a Gilmore.

At one point Todd Lowe, who played a Stars Hollow character named Zach, gave a surprise concert with his band, Hep Alien, on the steps of the Bryan Memorial Town Hall to excited cheers from fans. He was joined by his fictional bandmates, Keiko Agena, who played Lane, and John Cabrera, who played Brian. They led the crowd in a singalong of the shows theme song.

During the morning, Anisha Gupta, 24, and Ashima Talwar, 25, waited in a line that wound through Hickory Stick Bookshop to meet Liz Torres, who played Miss Patty.

The friends grew up watching the show while living in Maryland, and were excited to meet the people who played the characters they loved to watch every week.

Theyre so down to earth, Talwar said. It seems like they really love the show. It doesnt feel like a convention.

In the nearby shop, Janet and Amber Speciale, a mother and daughter dressed in outfits like Lorelai and Rory wore in the show, gushed about the parallels between the show and their own lives: including their close relationship and the fact that Janet gave birth Amber when she was in high school and put her through college.

People kept telling us we had to watch the show because it was us, Amber Speciale said.

On Friday, a panel of six crew members shared behind-the-scenes stories about casting some of the characters, their wardrobes and the challenges they faced producing an episode with 80-plus pages of dialogue each week.

Sheila Lawrence, a writer and producer on the show, said everyone applauded after the table read of the revival script and no one wanted to be the first to leave.

Everyone just knew, Lawrence said. This doesnt just happen and you dont get to do it again.

The loudest applause of Friday nights panel came when the casting directors were asked which of Rorys boyfriends they liked best  a contentious issue among fansand Sean Gunn, who played Kirk, yelled out his characters name from the balcony of town hall.

Star Herrmann, the wife of the late Edward Herrmann, who played Rorys grandfather on the show, also received resounding applause as she spoke about her husbands love for the show and how much he would have loved this event.

That man loved this show, she said. He just loved it. He loved the people and he loved the cast.

kkoerting@newstimes.com; 203-731-3345; @kkoerting
GREENWICH  Police investigating a crash into a stone wall on Byram Shore Road near Delavan Avenue late Friday night found more than just vehicle damage, as cops arrested a man without pants allegedly trying to cover up criminal activity by claiming hed been robbed of his clothing at gunpoint, police said.

Police said they also arrested a fugitive from justice wanted for major felonies near the crash scene.

New York State Police were in pursuit of a BMW heading north on I-95 around 10 p.m. The car exited the highway and the vehicle hit a stone wall, according to police.

One of the vehicles occupants stood out when police spotted him about an hour after the crash. He was observed with no pants or shoes, according to the arrest report. The pantless man, later identified as Chad Seegars, 24, of Jackson Street, New York City, then claimed he had been robbed at gunpoint, according to the report. Officers were puzzled as to why Seegars was holding a cell phone and some cash in his hand  and why a hypothetical robber would steal pants and shoes, but not a phone and cash, police said.

He tried to distance himself from the accident, and created some sort of implausible story about being robbed, said police Lt. Kraig Gray. Seegars was charged with evading responsibility by leaving the scene of an accident, interfering with an officer, falsely reporting an incident, operating without a license and driving with no insurance. Bail was set at $500. Police said Seegars was the driver of the car. He has a criminal history, according to police records, and was accused of shooting a man in the leg in a housing project in lower Manhattan.

An injured party in the BMW was transferred to Greenwich Hospital. Police said he gave a false name, and when his true identity was revealed, authorities found he was a wanted man. DeShawn Williams, 32, of East 116th St., New York City, was being sought in Yonkers, N.Y., on an arrest warrant for assault and strangulation. The New York City Department of Corrections was also looking for him on a parole violation. Police said Williams, who tried to flee from the hospital with a fractured hip, was later transferred to the Westchester Medical Center, and law-enforcement authorities in New York were notified.

The third occupant of the vehicle was Kevin Frost Jr., 22, of First Avenue, New York City. Police said he gave them a false name as he was loitering in the area of the motor vehicle accident. He was charged with interfering with an officer. Bail was set at $145.
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GREENWICH  The French fashion designer Coco Chanel once said, You can be gorgeous at 30, charming at 40, and irresistible for the rest of your life. Thats the philosophy that has motivated a Greenwich fashion maven to re-invent her look as she enters her 60s, and now her trend-setting ways have landed her in the pages of a national style magazine, Harpers Bazaar.

To read more, click here or below.
The scene inside the new Chumleys. Photo: M. Cooper

When a smoke alarm went off recently at Chumleys, the famed West Village bar thats been closed for the better part of a decade, a dozen firefighters showed up. Their first question wasnt Is everything okay? or even Wheres the fire? Rather, it was When do you open? Early last week, that question was finally answered as Chumleys kicked off dinner service after nine long years. But the new restaurant isnt the same dark watering hole that you, or anyone else, remember. Instead, its been transformed into something more expensive and more exclusive, at the same time more ambitious and more alluring  which is why it feels like the perfect encapsulation of New York right now.

So, is the new Chumleys worth the wait? It all depends on how much you want to encase its legacy in a snow globe of its days before a chimney collapse in 2007. The onetime speakeasy is newly operated by Alessandro Borgognone, the unlikely owner of nearby, justifiably celebrated Sushi Nakazawa. Fittingly, the new Chumleys is what you might call an enhanced version of the original. The walls are packed with lavishly framed portraits of its famous historical clientele. Leland Stanford Chumley himself gets an extravagant spot of honor above the fireplace, but he also wouldnt recognize the way his namesake establishment looks now  what Borgognone has previously called Chumleys on steroids.

Now a cocktail might contain yuzushu and Swiss bitters. A drink called Your Turf gets bright notes from carrot shrub. The Chaplin is an earthy, sexy mix of Scotch, Fernet Branca, maple, orange blossom water, and cocoa-nib-infused ice.

As if the decors plush touches and imported Italian wallpaper werent enough of a giveaway, the humble days of Chumleys as a spot for beer-belching ink-stained wretches, with a floor littered with wood chips and a menu that offered a $19.95 lobster special, are over. The speakeasys infamous escape routes no longer work. In fact, there is no escaping New Chumleys, or what it means: that restoring grandeur to a hallowed institution is still not a good enough business model for 2016  indeed, Borgognones new hospitality group is called Never Enough. Chumleys has to be more than merely open for business. It has to be a Thing.

New York, of course, is a city full of Things. But all is not what it seems. Barneys sold discount suits for 50 years until Barney Pressmans son, Fred, decided to class up the joint in the 70s. Tiffany & Co. started as a fine stationery store. Giorgio DeLuca ran a cheese shop in Soho before he joined forces with Joel Dean and built a small empire of gourmet grocers. The palimpsest of New York is packed with second-generation splendor  rebuilt, redone, reignited, repurposed, reclaimed, and reimagined. The next generation wants to leave its own fingerprints, just as it should.

Decor inside the renovated dining room is heavy on luxury touches. Photo: M. Cooper

From day one the idea was Lets reopen Chumleys, but three months in we realized that meant updating everything, says Jessie Dure, Chumleys new bar manager. A freewheeling conversation with Victoria Blamey, Chumleys chef (who formerly cooked at tasting-menu destination Atera), goes even further, when eventually she lands on the topic of Pablo Picassos earlier, traditional work. It was vital to his craft, she concedes, but did it move you? Was it his legacy? No.

Dure has created a drink menu that she says is a warm, savory, culinary-driven mix, which complements Blameys sensibilities, serving fried chicken with cognac consomme and crudo thats finished with chipotle vinaigrette. You can still get a burger at Chumleys, but it now comes with bone marrow and costs $25.

Theres also an entire drinks section devoted to Scotch-and-soda renditions, all set at $16 each, as are the other cocktails. A breakout star is the Basement of Thieves: blackberry, Cutty Sark blended Scotch, egg white, lemon, soda, and creme de violette. The drink is both floral and sharp, crisp and mellow, complex but not complicated. It is Chumleys liquid mission, a playful take on a dusty stalwart, and its a far cry from anything that was served at Chumleys in 1922. Or even 2002, so long ago you could still smoke in bars. (Its worth noting that the former boys club is now a place where the general manager, chef, and bar manager are all women  a fact that makes Borgognone especially proud.)

When I got there the bar was a bottle of Absolut and a bottle of Bombay, Borgognone says. Look, Im the fifth owner of Chumleys. Ever. And I hope Im the one who can bring it into modern times, to make Chumleys great again.
In his deposition, celebrity chef Geoffrey Zakarian suggested Donald Trumps kids sue their dad. Photo: Anadolu Agency/Getty Images

When Donald Trump launched his presidential campaign with racist comments about Mexican immigrants last July, innocent Americans  not realizing what was coming  were outraged. Celebrity chefs Jose Andres and Geoffrey Zakarian responded by bailing on their projects in the then-under-way Washington, D.C., hotel that bears Trumps name. Both chefs argued that Trumps comments made it impossible for them to work with him. The ensuing drama, as The Washingtonian discovered through depositions and court documents, caused more headaches than the chefs imagined, while Team Trump was never able to recover and get back to square one.

Andress decision to dump Trump was seemingly his own. Following public outcry, the CEO of Andress Think Food Group, Kimberly Grant, contacted Ivanka Trump, who didnt bother to respond, while the chef spoke to a longtime friend and former Mexican diplomat. While his friend advised him that the situation would blow over, Andres decided to bail. Ivanka told the court that the Trumps found out about his decision like everyone else: when they read about it in the Washington Post. While the chef thought his sneak attack would give him the advantage, its not clear he really thought out the potential consequences. Speaking with The Washingtonian, he says, we didnt expect there was going to be any litigation. Which sounds like a strange thing to say about the Donald, whose love of lawsuits is well known.

Like Andres, Zakarian tried to reach out to Team Trump first. Thered been some hiccups in bringing Zakarians National restaurant to D.C., with Zakarian and Ivanka locking horns over interior design. But Zakarian had signed a letter of intent for a 20-year lease, telling a business partner it was the best location in the best hotel in Washington!! Andress decision prompted Zakarian to ask his then-buddy Donald Trump Jr. if his father would make a public apology, telling him that hed think about moving ahead with the project if that happened. When it didnt, Zakarian ghosted Donald Jr. and, following Andress example, broke the news with the New York Times. Later that month, the Trumps sued both chefs for $10 million, only to be countersued by each. Possibly still bitter about Ivanka questioning his design decisions, Zakarian suggested in his deposition that the Trump kids should sue Donald senior.

The fallout reportedly turned into a nightmare for Team Trump, which struggled to find a chef willing to be associated with the name. The Trumps, who insisted to their real-estate firm that the restaurant had to open with the hotel, were turned down or not taken seriously by a litany of chefs and restaurateurs including Tom Colicchio, Bryan Voltaggio, and Stephen Starr. The Trumps quickly signed on BLT Prime for the space Andress restaurant was supposed to occupy, despite there being a nearby BLT Steak. They were never able, however, to find anyone willing to take over the space Zakarian vacated, and eventually they just gave up. Grub has one suggestion for a potential tenant: the hot new baloney-sandwich truck from Portland, Oregon, called Donald Trump BS.
If you're a Prime subscriber, you may already know that you can buy a select few unlocked smartphones from Amazon cheaper than anybody else, if you can take some "lockscreen offers and ads", as the retailer says. Case in point - the usually $199.99 Moto G4 can be yours for $149.99 with the ads.

Well, that's what usually happens. Today only, Amazon has decided to discount its special edition G4 even further. So if you act before the clock strikes midnight, you can snag a Moto G4 with ads for only $119.99, unlocked. What's more, it's listed as being "fully compatible" with AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, as well as Verizon, which means it will work without a hitch on any MVNO using those carriers' towers too.

The Moto G4 comes with a 5.5-inch 1080p touchscreen, a 13 MP rear camera with f/2.0 aperture, a 5 MP selfie snapper, the Snapdragon 617 chipset, 2GB of RAM, 16GB of expandable storage, 4G LTE support, and a 3,000 mAh battery. It runs Android 6.0 Marshmallow.

Source
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Vivo has mostly been keeping a low profile the past couple of months, which can only mean the Chinese OEM is due for a release. Industry sources hint that the company's next handset will bear the X9 moniker and might be unveiled as soon as November 17.

According to a fresh leak on Weibo, the handset will feature a dual-camera setup, likely with a Sony Exmor IMX 260 lens. The module in question is actually Samsung's Dual Pixel setup - the one found inside the Galaxy S7, S7 edge as well as their now discontinued bigger brother, the Note7. This likely means that the Vivo X9 will have the familiar dual pixel RGB lens with a resolution of 12MP.

And if you feel like the number of dual-camera handset on the horizon has risen steeply as of late, it is not just a hunch. After Qualcomm announced a refreshed trio of chipsets a few days ago, all with "Clear Sight dual camera technology" on board, the mobile silicon titan made a clear push towards this kind of setup in future smartphones across a wide price range.

Sources claim that the Vivo X9 will be based on precisely one of these new chips, the Snapdragon 653 in particular. Besides the powerful processor, it will likely come with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage.

Sadly, not much else is known about the device. We will just have to wait for the November 17 event in Beijing, China, where the Vivo X9 will likely share the spotlight with its XPlay 6 sibling.

Source




Haiti - Prison Break : RD strengthens the military border controls





Following the prison break in Haiti Saturday afternoon of 172 of the 266 inmates of the Prison of Arcahaie (about 50 km northwest of Port-au-Prince) https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-19015-haiti-flash-mutiny-in-arcahaie-172-escaped-many-victims.html , the Minister of Defence Lieutenant-General Ruben Paulino Sem, in charge of the Dominican army, announced the increase of surveillance and military controls at the crossing points along the border between the two countries, a measure which also applies to agents of CESFRONT (Cuerpo Especializado de Seguridad Fronteriza Terrestre).



Paulino Sem declared that this measure was taken to prevent escapees from entering Dominican territory "[...] from the time we received the official information we alerted the military security agencies so that they intensify border controls at all points of access." Moreover, he said it will be impossible for the escapees to bypass military surveillance that has been implemented in border areas.



See also :

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-19015-haiti-flash-mutiny-in-arcahaie-172-escaped-many-victims.html



SL/ HaitiLibre






















Haiti - Politic : The Minister of Interior interpellated by the Senate





6 senators close to PHTK (Carl Murat Cantave, Edwin Zenny, Youri Latortue, Herve Fourcand, Onondieu Louis and Jean-Renel Senatus) decided to interpellate their former colleague Francois Anick Joseph, now Minister of Interior and Territorial Communities. They accuse him of lying to the Assembly about the presence of Dominican soldiers on Haitian soil and of mismanagement of humanitarian aid. Recall that the Dominican military had sole mission to protect the Dominican aid convoy, of the fact that the Haitian authorities were not able to guarantee the safety of the convoy. These soldiers stayed just 24 hours in Haiti, before returning to their country.



In a letter addressed to Minister Joseph, Ronald Lareche, Senate President explains and informs



"[...]

Mr Francois Anick Joseph

Minister of Interior and Territorial Communities

In your office,



Minister,



Following a joint correspondence of six senators and with reference to prescribed sections 128 and following of the 1987 Constitution amended, it was decided to interpellate you in plenary session Wednesday, October 26, 2016 at 11:00 a.m.



The signatories senators of the said correspondence intend to question you on your mismanagement in relation to damage caused by Hurricane Matthew and for perjurers because they feel that you lied to the nation in front of the assembled of Senators at your last meeting dated October 11, 2016 [...]"



On Wednesday, the Minister will have to answer questions from senators, who will end either by a vote of censure or a vote of confidence. However, the Minister Francois Anick Joseph knows he will not risk much, because to be removed from office, it takes a censure motion passed with a majority of 16 senators, otherwise he will remain at his post...



SL/ HaitiLibre






















Haiti - Health : Cholera progresses rapidly





In order to curb the resurgence of the cholera epidemic in Haiti after Hurricane Matthew, the Ministry of Public Health and Population (MSPP), supported by its partners, conducts sustained actions, such as : the deployment of mobile rapid response teams in the most affected areas, carrying out cleaning and decontamination work, the routing of inputs medicines, the use of purification products and the systematization of the purification of drinking water.



During the post-Matthew period, epidemiological services of the Ministry of Health reported 1,424 cholera cases (510 to October 12 https://www.icihaiti.com/en/news-18959-haiti-cholera-over-500-cases-of-cholera-post-matthew.html ). For its part, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in Haiti in collaboration with humanitarian partners reported 2,271 suspected cases of cholera from 4 to 19 October.



Recall that according to the latest information provided by the authorities, 53% of facilities visited in Grand'Anse are unusable and 6 Cholera Treatment Centre (CTC) are damaged. In the South, 29% of 15 hospital visits are unusable, 3 of the 4 CTC were destroyed and one is badly damaged.



The main organizations supporting the sector are: The Agency for Technical Cooperation and Development (ACTED), Medecins du Monde (MdM) (Canada and France), Solidarites International, Action Against Hunger (ACF), Doctors Without Borders (MSF Belgium).



The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO / WHO) in Haiti, confirmed that a multinational team of experts was deployed in Jeremie, Les Cayes, Port-au-Prince to support the Government's efforts in the post-Matthew response and also control the risk of outbreak of cholera in the Great South.



See also :

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-18990-haiti-dr-border-under-preventive-epidemiological-alert.html



HL/ HaitiLibre






















Haiti - Matthew : About 500 km of rehabilitated roads in the Great South





Following the passage of Hurricane Matthew, the Ministry of Public Works has already rehabilitated 206.4 kilometers of road affected out of 350 km in the Southeast department and 257.9 km out of 296 km in the Grand'Anse.



Most blocked roads were rehabilitated, including the route Jeremie-Cayes, which notably facilitates the distribution of aid.



The ports are mostly functional and allow the docking of larger vessels particularly in the department of Grand'Anse.



However, in the Grand'Anse, the roads 25 and 151 are still inaccessible to trucks. Cleaning work continues at Les Cayes and on the section between Roche-a-bateau and Tiburon.



Recall that the Government has facilitated the delivery of humanitarian aid by allowing navigation and docking in Haitian waters to foreign ships bringing humanitarian aid as part of the response to the passage of Matthew.



HL/ HaitiLibre






















Haiti - News : Zapping politics...





Death of the mother of former President Michel Martelly

The presidential candidate, Jovenel Moise under the banner of PHTK, has learned with sadness the news of the death of the mother of former President Michel Martelly, Martelly, Madeleine, born De Pradines, at the age of 84. Jovenel Moise declared "In these painful circumstances, I join my voice to that of Martine [his wife] to present to the President Michel Martelly my sincere condolences. That his soul rests in peace !"



A Military field hospital in Jeremie

The United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) has confirmed that a UN military hospital is now operational and available in Jeremie to provide medical assistance to the population in two places in the Grand'Anse department.



UNICEF will rehabilitate 80 schools

Jean Beauvois Dorsonne, the Minister of National Education had a working meeting with Marc Vincent, the UNICEF Representative in Haiti, around the actions of school rehabilitation post-Matthew. UNICEF plans to rehabilitate 80 schools in the South, Grande Anse and Nippes, following the intervention plan agreed with the Ministry.



Allegations of partisan distributions

Following some information received by the Government of allegations of distributions made on a political basis or partisan Presidency "strongly condemns any hoarding or diversion of humanitarian aid to the detriment of the victims and those most in need." Moreover, according to the procedures in force "the President reminded delegates, vice-delegates, elected officials, responsible for the Civil Protection and the entire Public Administration, the obligation thay have to distributing aid equitably."



NOTICE: Fund-raising Day FHF

The Presidency stated that "instructions were given to the Ministry of Interior so that investigations are conducted for all cases that are the subject of denunciations and that the corresponding action is taken against offenders."



CONATEL praises DIGICEL

Tuesday, Jean Marie Altema, Director General of the National Council of Telecommunications (CONATEL) has made a solidarity visit to teh Director General of Digicel, Selorm Adadevoh. Jean Marie Altema praised the diligence with which the Digicel technicians were able restore communications in the Great South after the passage of Hurricane Matthew.



HL/ HaitiLibre


















By Vasia Orion | Published on 2016/10/23

Hope is often a punishing concept in Dramaland. The appearance of Seong-won as a possible antagonistic force gave me hope in light of a passive and lacking in focus Gwam-soo. Seong-won has sadly proven but an instigator of temporary drama. The series is at a point where it struggles to find a lifeline, be it in the form of forced romance and angst, unnecessarily extended scenes and dead-end conflicts.

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First things first, let us talk romance here. The writing cannot seem to decide between innocent princess Ahn-na (Yoona), who needs blanket assistance and "Yong Pal"-like vengeful Ahn-na who must be turning wicked, because she now uses make up; the number one sign of evil in Dramaland. Her relationship with Yoo-jin (Song Yoon-ah) and their past had potential, but with Ahn-na turned into a political hot potato isolated in her romantic subplot with Je-ha (Ji Chang-wook), I no longer have hope to see it realized.

Yoo-jin's story and character are not doing much better. When she was rescued by Je-ha, we were led to believe that she had a deep reason for faltering and we were thus presented with a mystery to look forward to. Now the time has come for her to choose between Je-ha and political success, but without proper back story and development, she simply comes off as a sentimental fool. Someone whose "womanly feelings" over a rescue by a young hottie overthrow her ambition.

This is unfortunate, because one good thing about Jang Hyeok-rin's works has been the interesting and focused on women's characters. It feels as if the writer has shot himself in the foot with "The K2", because the nuanced and flawed woman is his villainess. She can therefore not be as central as the heroine. This is also love-hungry Dramaland, so said heroine is being infantilized for romance, leaving both women struggling in the constraints of the types of roles they inhabit.

As for Yoo-jin's aforementioned nature as a villain, Chief Kim (Shin Dong-mi) might now be adding an extra pebble in the pile of her mistress' innocence regarding Hye-rin's (Son Tae-young) death. If Kim can suddenly turn T-1000 on Je-ha for his disobedience and in turn show disobedience herself to achieve it, then Hye-rin's death could be her handiwork as well. I just wish this mystery was not lost in a clumsily stitched together plot.

"The K2" can be summarized as just a few scenes in each episode. Rather than filling the empty space with well paced drama, it is now fumbling about and juggling many things it cannot handle, let alone develop. With six episodes left, all I can do is congratulate the cast and crew for their hard work and rejoice that their and our struggle will end soon.

"The K2" is directed by Kwak Jeong-hwan, written by Jang Hyeok-rin and features Ji Chang-wook, Song Yoon-ah, Yoona and Cho Seong-ha.

Written by: Orion from 'Orion's Ramblings'

Note: Due to licensing, videos may not be available in your country
Harlow is a former New Town in Essex with a population of 86,000. Located in the upper Stort Valley, it was built in the decades after the Second World War to ease overcrowding and London and provide homes for people bombed out during the Blitz. It includes Britain's first pedestrian precinct and first modern residential tower block, The Lawn. Old Harlow, the historic part of the town, was mentioned in the Domesday Book. David and Victoria Beckham's former home, Rowneybury House, nicknamed 'Beckingham Palace', is nearby.

09:44, 30 OCT 2022
Pennsylvania oil pipeline spill disrupts local water supplies

A pipeline breach leaked about 1,300 barrels (250,000 litres) of gasoline into a tributary of the Susquehanna River in Lycoming County, Pennsylvania, state environmental authorities said on October 21. The leak caused the local water company to warn customers to reduce water use as a precaution.

Stock image

Pennsylvania American Water said it would notify customers when its water conservation notice is lifted.

The breach occurred in a Sunoco Logistics Partners LP pipeline in the area of Gamble Township, around 100 miles (160 kms) north of Harrisburg, according to state authorities, as a result of floods and landslides during heavy rainfall.

"Crews will use skimmers to remove gasoline from the top of affected waterways and will erect containment booms downstream," Sunoco Logistics said in a statement.

A drop in pressure on the eight-inch pipeline was detected by the Sunoco Logistics Control Center shortly after 3 a.m. on Friday. The pipeline was shut down and emergency response personnel dispatched to the scene, Sunoco Logistics said.



Sunoco Logistics spills crude more often than any of its competitors with more than 200 leaks since 2010, according to a Reuters analysis of government data.



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le most companies in the service sector usually associate customer facing roles with scripted behaviours, a recent study suggested that businesses could benefit more from creativity-oriented HR practices.



Customers want a more personal service and we show that a more creative approach is a way to enhance their experience, said Dr Ieva Martinaityte, lead author and business and management lecturer at the University of East Anglia.



Delighting the customer will increasingly stem from frontline employees creative rather than scripted role performance.



Our findings suggest that this may be supported by adopting a set of HR practices that are geared towards the environments and skills necessary to motivate creative performance.



Martinaityte and her fellow researchers also found that putting more creative practices in place created a highly engaged workforce, with most workers surveyed saying that they were happy with their roles.



The employees also felt they had more control in their work, they felt more competent, and they felt more connected with the people in their team.



In their study, Delighting the customer: creativity-oriented high performance work systems, frontline employee creative performance and customer satisfaction, the researchers recommended that companies include workshops to help staff increase their creative confidence and training to provide creative thinking and problem solving techniques.



Businesses should also provide training for managers of frontline employees to help enable employee creativity, they said.



They also added that offering rewards and recognition for individual and team ideas could encourage creativity.



The study was conducted by surveying 329 employees of 53 branches of two international companies operating in retail banking and cosmetics. The questionnaire included topics such as high performance work systems, need satisfactions, and creative process systems.



Managers were asked to rate their employees creative performance and the extent to which HR implemented creativity-oriented practices within their branch.



This study was published in the Journal of Management.


To the Editor,

As you well know, our community is one of the most beautiful in the world; however, our unique location and winter weather provide many challenges. As we face the winter, we realize that there is no way to predict how the weather will impact our schools. When considering closings, delays or early dismissals, our goal is to make decisions that are best for students and staff.

When inclement weather approaches, school personnel remain in continuous contact with local law enforcement, the Department of Transportation, Avery Communication, and the Highway Patrol since these groups also monitor weather and road conditions. The decision to close or delay school is made by school officials between 5:00 and 5:30 a.m. Local media are notified of alternate schedules, school cancellation, early dismissal, delay and other pertinent information. If these media sources are not announcing information concerning Avery County Schools, then the schools operate on a normal schedule.

When the decision is made to have school on a two-hour delay or close schools, the Avery County Schools phone and email notification system will offer specific instructions for students and staff. This information will also be posted on our school system website, Facebook Page, and our weather call-in number, (828) 733-6006. Do not depend on local TV stations for two-hour delay information. Please remember that on two-hour delays, bus routes will begin as early as 7:30 a.m.

In the case of inclement or severe weather, homes enrolled in our phone and email notification system will be notified of any school day changes. (To enroll in this system or change your phone number, please contact your local school.) These calls are made at approximately 5:45 a.m. on mornings when the regular schedule is changed. Again, local radio and TV will be enlisted to announce information concerning delay, closing, or early dismissal, and announcements can also be found at www.averyschools.net.

Early Dismissal

When school is dismissed early due to inclement conditions or other emergency situations, all ten-month employees are to remain at school until students are adequately cared for or until school is dismissed by the superintendent without the use of leave or dock in pay. Principals will closely monitor conditions at each school and make any other decisions based on what is safe for staff and students. All twelve-month employees are expected to remain for their regular working day unless dismissed by the superintendent. If twelve-month employees decide to leave early appropriate policy must be followed.

Delay Start

When school is delayed due to inclement weather or other unforeseen circumstances, all ten-month employees are expected to arrive at school at their earliest, safest time. Under no circumstances should children have to remain outside on cold and/or snowy mornings. Twelve-month employees are expected to arrive at the normal appointed time or at the safest possible time.

If students are not attending school due to inclement weather, one of three options will be selected:

1) Optional Teacher Workday. Ten-month employees have the option to report to work, take a vacation day (annual leave), have a full days deduction if they do not have annual leave, or make up the absence according to state and local personnel policy.

2) Closed for Students and Staff. Ten-month instructional staff will have a forced vacation day (annual leave) or full days deduction. The student make-up days will be rescheduled and announced following school board approval. Instructional personnel may have the option to make up the day, with appropriate approval without the use of leave or dock in pay. Twelve-month employees will report to work, take annual leave or receive a full days deduction.

3) Closed for Everyone. If the school system is closed for all staff and students, all employees receive a forced vacation day (annual leave) or full days deduction with the option to make up the day at an agreed upon time.

Option one is used for most days impacted by inclement weather, reserving options two and three for situations where the facilities are damaged or when it would be completely impractical to open the schools.

After a change in general statutes during the 2013 summer session, the Avery County Schools now have the option to add time to the end of the school day to make up time missed due to inclement weather. This year 20 minutes has been added to our school day. Our hope is that by utilizing this opportunity, we can avoid going to school on Saturday and taking all of our Spring Break.

The Williams YMCA plans to host Snow Camp for grades kindergarten through sixth on days schools are closed due to inclement weather when it is an optional workday for staff. Snow Camp will begin on December 1, 2016. Additional information will be distributed to parents in our elementary and middle schools.

If you have specific questions, please direct those to your childs principal or to me. We ask for your patience, support and prayers as we make these very difficult decisions.

Never hesitate to let us know about your concerns or give suggestions.

Sincerely yours,

David Burleson

Superintendent

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Halloween falls on a Monday this year, which means festivities are spread out across the weekend and the days leading up to it. Here in the High Country, the fun begins as early as Thursday. To make your holiday planning simple and show you whats going on around town, weve separated ongoing activities into three different lists.

<span style=color: #ff6600;>Halloween on Monday:</span> Boone BOO!, Trick-or-Treating, Fall Festivals, Campfire Stories and MoreHeres our guide to Halloween happenings on the holiday, Monday, Oct. 31 this year.

The list includes downtown Boones popular Boone BOO! event, trick-or-treating at the Boone Mall, trunk-or-treating at local churches, fall festivals, campfire stories and more.

Monday Halloween

Boone BOO!

Monday, Oct. 31 from 4-6 p.m.

Hit the streets of downtown Boone this Halloween for an afternoon of fun brought to you by the Watauga County Public Library and the Downtown Boone Development Association.

Start at the library, 140 Queen St., at 4 p.m. for games and arts and crafts, and then join the costume parade down to the Jones House Cultural and Community Center, 604 West King St.

Take a spooky, silly tour of the Jones House before you head out for trick-or-treating from 5-6 p.m. with downtown Boone merchants. You dont want to miss Boone BOO!

More information: Call 828-268-6280 or visit downtownboonenc.com.

Trick-or-Treating at the Boone Mall

Monday, Oct. 31 from 5-7 p.m.

Come in costume and visit shops in the mall for the annual trick-or-treating festivities! Watauga County Parks and Recreation will provide the favorite pumpkin house for all to enjoy and most stores will participate in offering candy and treats. While youre there and all dressed up, have your photo taken with the F Stops photography club from Appalachian State! Ask for portrait pricing when you get there.

More information: Call 828-264-7286 or visit boonencmall.com.

Trunk-or-Treat Fall Festival at Bethel Baptist Church

Monday, Oct. 31 from 5:30-7:30 p.m.

Parents and kids, get decked out in your favorite cool costumes and head out to western Watauga County for a free night of fun for the whole family. The church parking lot at 123 Mountain Dale Road in Vilas will be converted into the annual fall festival! Enjoy trunk-or-treating to grab up some candy and snacks, stop by the photo booth and share in a good time with your friends and neighbors.

More information: Call 828-297-2694, visit bethelbaptistchurch.us or follow Bethel on Facebook.

Fall Family Festival at Mt. Vernon Baptist Church

Monday, Oct. 31 from 5:30-8:30 p.m.

Join Mt. Vernon Baptist Church for an evening of food, fun, inflatables, games for all ages and so much more. No scary costumes, please. This free community-wide event saw more than 800 folks last year. Its a safe, family friendly alternative to Halloween, so feel free to invite your friends!

Volunteers and donations of soda and soft candies are needed to help offset the cost of the festival. If you have donations, leave them in the lobby at the festival display.

Mt. Vernon is located at 3505 Bamboo Road in Boone.

More information: Call 828-266-9700 or visit mvbcb.org.

Newland Halloween Trick-or-Treat Festival

Saturday, Oct. 31 from 5:30-7:30 p.m.

Halloween Trick-or-Treat Festival, Downtown & Avery County Morrison Library in Newland.

Sponsored by the Greater Newland Association.

More information: Visit greaternewland.org.

Fall Fun at Crosspoint Community Church

Monday, Oct. 31 beginning at 4 p.m.

Join the family friendly harvest time fun at Crosspoint Community Church, 325 Council Street in Boone, for hotdogs, candy, bounce house and more. Its a perfect way to wrap up the day if youll be in town for Boone BOO!

Campfire Stories at Grandfather Mountain State Park

Monday, Oct. 31 from 5-6:30 p.m.

Bring a lawn chair and find your spot around the campfire at the Profile Trail Parking Area as Ranger Sicard reads from Belinda and the Brown Mountain Lights, an excerpt from the bookMountain Ghost Stories and curious tales of Western North Carolina by Randy Russell and Janet Barnett. After the reading, join a conversation about the various schools of thought behind the mysterious lights and why they occur, both factitious and scientifically based.

Dress appropriately for the local weather conditions, bring your own chair and be prepared to share and chat for approximately an hour.

More information: Call 828-963-9522, contact [email protected] or visitncparks.gov/grandfather-mountain-state-park.

Trunk-or-Treat with the Creek

Monday, Oct. 31 from 6-7:30 p.m.

Trunk-or-Treat with Howards Creek Church at Brookshire Park this Halloween!

The park is located at 50 Brookshire Road in Boone.

More information: facebook.com/events/1803309136573119/

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By Elisabeth Wall

The spotlight is on Dr. Cynthia Liutkus-Pierce. Big time.

Her recently published research around the age and formation of the largest assemblage of Homo sapiens footprints discovered to date, in the shadow of the Ol Doinyo Lengai volcano in Tanzania, led to an Oct.10 article in National Geographic which prompted a feature on the front page of The Washington Post, and subsequent coverage by The Huffington Post, The Christian Science Monitor, Aussie Network News, and the British Broadcasting Company. The list goes on.

Liutkus-Pierce, an associate professor in the Department of Geology at Appalachian State University, said the attention is exciting, overwhelming  but in the best way possible. So many of the people who have worked so hard on this project over the past several years are being rewarded for their efforts. And the interest in our research will be helpful as we continue.

The data from the teams research is now with the paleoanthropologists at the Smithsonian Institution and the American Museum of Natural History, who will explore what the prints can say about the printmakers. I dont want to scoop my colleagues, Liutkus-Pierce said, but the footprints tell us a great deal about the roots of human behavior  gender roles, movement patterns, what the people were doing and seeing a true snapshot in time.

The 400 or so footprints  which Liutkus-Pierces team of researchers have determined are between 19,000 and 10,000 years old  were actually discovered by a native from the nearby village of Engare Sero around 2006. World-renowned conservationist Jim Brett saw the prints when he was staying at a tented camp a few hundred yards from the footprints in 2008. Liutkus-Pierce said she had met Brett after he gave a lecture on African ecology at Bucknell University years prior, and told him then, I love Africa and would love to get back there for research someday. If I can ever help, please give me a call. Call he did, and in 2008, Liutkus-Pierce made her first trip to the site, returning in 2010 and 2011 with funding from the National Geographic Society and the Leakey Foundation. Her paper on the findings has been published in the journal Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology.

Human origins is a huge interest of mine, Liutkus-Pierce said. Ive always had an innate curiosity about who we are and what motivates us  maybe it was being the daughter of two psychologists, she joked.

To that end, she studied moral and ethical philosophy at Bucknell University until, after meeting a dynamic and engaging geology professor during a study abroad semester at the University of Melbourne in Australia, she switched her major during second semester of her junior year. My advisor said, What, are you crazy? Crazy maybe, but she was following a passion  advice she gives her students as they make academic and career decisions. She not only completed her B.A. with a double major in geology and philosophy, but did it in four years, graduating cum laude.

In her office there are mementos of her travels: a poster about her research that features Tanzanian women walking in the ancient footprints  the prints are my size, a seven, and a portrait taken in the field  You can tell Im happy there, a striking photo of the volcano and others of the Engare Sero natives.

Describing the terrain of the valley, Liutkus-Pierce seemed transported: When you stand there [at the Tanzanian site] you can look south and see the volcano [Oldoinyo Lengai] looming and can imagine the lake [Lake Natron] at your back Its very arid and dry now, but there are nearby springs full of catfish and tilapia. The area is untouched and pristine, and so quiet  you can hear the doves cooing and the wildebeest lowing in the distance. The climate then [when the prints were made] would have been similar to now  hot, dusty and windy, but those springs would have provided water, food and shade just as they do now. It is a surreal place to work you are busy at the site, looking down at the footprints, and you look up, over your shoulder, and see 60 or more zebra looking back at you.

Liutkus-Pierce said the Tanzanian culture is extraordinarily welcoming and kind and, in her opinion, one our culture could learn from. When you say hello to someone, one of the first things they say is karibu, which means you are welcome  welcome to speak to me, welcome to engage. It is rude if you dont ask How are you? How is your family? she said.

A small obstacle on location was the reluctance on the part of the Tanzanians to accept a female as the leader, Liutkus-Pierce said. Her male colleagues were diligent in introducing her as the team leader and scientific director, she said and eventually they accepted that I was in charge.

Liutkus-Pierces research over the past decade was sandwiched between her work at Appalachian. She said teaching is truly her passion and she involves students in her research while encouraging them in theirs. She has supervised 16 undergraduate student research projects while at Appalachian, and has taken three undergraduates to Africa on research expeditions. She first came to Appalachian as an assistant professor in 2005. Boone and Appalachian, she said, was the perfect middle ground between Bucknell (approximately 3,000 students in rural Pennsylvania) and Rutgers, where she earned her M.Sc. and Ph.D. (more than 65,000 students in urban New Jersey.)

I was really looking for a faculty position at a university that shared my commitment to teaching as well as scholarship, and Appalachian was a perfect fit, she said. She and her husband have a farm in Wilkes County.

She served as one of five members of the proposal development team for Appalachians Quality Enhancement Plan and is an avid proponent of global learning. There is no more local only, she said. This is a global society and we need to teach our students to be good global citizens. If there is a way you can do a study abroad experience, do it. When else will you get six months to immerse yourself in another culture?

About the Department of Geology, College of Arts and Sciences

Located in Western North Carolina, Appalachian State University provides the perfect setting to study geology. The Department of Geology provides students with a solid foundation on which to build a successful career in the geosciences. The department offers both a B.A. and B.S. degree, with the option of concentrations in environmental geology, quantitative geoscience, paleontology and secondary education. Most students go into environmental consulting, mining, oil/gas or secondary education teaching (earth sciences or natural sciences), or enter graduate school.

The College of Arts & Sciences at Appalachian State University is home to 16 academic departments, three academic programs, two centers, and one residential college spanning the humanities, social sciences, and the mathematical and natural sciences. The college is dedicated to providing instruction and research essential to the Universitys mission and seeks to cultivate the habits of inquiry, learning, and service among all its constituents.

About Appalachian State University

Appalachian State University, in North Carolinas Blue Ridge Mountains, prepares students to lead purposeful lives as global citizens who understand and engage their responsibilities in creating a sustainable future for all. The transformational Appalachian experience promotes a spirit of inclusion that brings people together in inspiring ways to acquire and create knowledge, to grow holistically, to act with passion and determination, and embrace diversity and difference. As one of 17 campuses in the University of North Carolina system, Appalachian enrolls about 18,000 students, has a low student-to-faculty ratio and offers more than 150 undergraduate and graduate majors.

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Karhinen sees similarities between the current buzz around start-ups and the nationalism that arose in the country in the early 1900s.

Finland needs a swift and controlled generational change in order to take full advantage of its greatest asset, the competences of young people, estimates Reijo Karhinen, the chief executive officer of OP Financial Group.

Determined and unprejudiced young people who were not afraid to take risks, together with experienced but reform-minded older age groups, were at the heart of the social reforms of that time. I see an abundance of similarities between the current situation and the experiences of our country roughly one hundred years ago as it gained independence, he writes in a blog entry.

Young people are yet again a key to the success of Finland, estimates Karhinen. The large age groups, he adds, are faced with the challenge of overhauling the normative foundation and structures of the country in a way that takes into consideration the digital revolution and future sustainability.

Our lawmakers will have to be very open-minded in the near future. De-regulating taxi licences or pharmacy services will only be seen as minor issues in historical examination, he states, identifying the tax system, health and social care system, labour market, social security system and normative landscape as examples of necessary structural changes in Finland.

Finland, he says, is currently full of businesses, communities and institutions that were created in a country that no longer exists.

The successes, ways of operating, skills and technologies we have adopted in the past will not support us as the world around us continues to change at an unprecedented pace. Digitisation, robotisation and a new international division of labour will inevitably change our society and economic structures, analyses Karhinen.

The importance of young people is according to him emphasised by the changes brought about by digitisation.

It is obvious that if we want to be a frontrunner in digitisation, we cannot accomplish that without taking advantage of the competences of young age groups. They were born into a digital world and have developed their ways of thinking accordingly, writes Karhinen.

Aleksi Teivainen  HT

Photo: Martti Kainulainen  Lehtikuva

Source: Uusi Suomi
Helsingin Sanomat reported yesterday that domestic armament manufacturers have exported sniper rifles to a number of countries involved in the Yemeni Civil War with the permission of the Government. The Government, the newspaper added, has also granted permits for the exports of armaments to dictatorships in Central Asia, representing a clear deviation from its previous export policy.

Liisa Jaakonsaari (SDP), a Member of the European Parliament, has questioned the assurances given by Prime Minister Juha Sipila that human rights remain a priority of the armament export policy of the Finnish Government.

How can the premier claim that the human rights perspective is a priority for the armaments export policy of the Government? asks Jaakonsaari.

Jaakonsaari describes in her blog her visit to one of the destination countries for armament exports from Finland, Turkmenistan. The President has his eyes and ears everywhere. The country is still gripped by a horrendous, real climate of fear. Turkmenistan is one of the most dismal dictatorships in the world where human rights are practically non-existent, she writes.

Finland has also exported arms to Uzbekistan, she adds. There has been a clear shift in the armament export policy of Finland.

SaferGlobe Finland, meanwhile, reported yesterday that the Middle East has overtaken the European Union as the most valuable destination for armament exports from Finland for the first time since it began compiling the statistics in 2001.

Sipila denied allegations of a shift in the armament export policy of Finland during his weekly interview on YLE Radio 1 on Sunday.

There has been no policy shift. The Finnish Government reviews every case individually and complies with international treaties. We are also following closely what other European countries are doing. We will clarify our position in the event of changes in the human rights situation of those countries, he said.

The Left Youth of Finland demanded yesterday that the permits to export armaments to conflict-ravaged countries that are notorious for human rights violations, such as Saudi-Arabia and Turkey, be revoked.

Aleksi Teivainen  HT

Photo: Markku Ulander  Lehtikuva

Source: Uusi Suomi
The trade union movement has strongly profiled itself as a defender of ideas and structures that will lead to chaos in the long term. This is evident, for example, in the debate about [statutory] minimum wages that are opposed by the trade union movement, she stated in a seminar last week.

Anna Kontula (Left Alliance) has voiced her concerns about the reluctance of trade unions to keep step with the times.

It is peculiar, she estimated, that trade unions are opposing a proposal that would guarantee a minimum wage to all employees in the country.

The Left Alliance has proposed that a minimum wage of ten euros per hour be adopted in Finland. The proposal, however, has been opposed by trade unions out of fear that it would effectively signal the end of the general applicability of collective agreements.

Kontula warned in her speech that if the current trade union movement fails to re-invent itself, it will be replaced by an alternative system of employee representation.

Antti Palola, the president of the Finnish Confederation of Professionals (STTK), admitted in his response that the trade union movement is in a difficult situation.

I've thought a lot about what kind of a group of people would found the trade union movement and employee organisations, if they hadn't already been founded. I think that the founders wouldn't be people who form our membership base today; in other words, they wouldn't be people who are in permanent employment and are paid a regular wage, he replied to Kontula.

The trade union movement must develop itself, he conceded.

The seminar was organised by STTK along with the Union of Students in Finnish Universities of Applied Sciences (SAMOK) and the National Union of University Students in Finland (SYL).

Aleksi Teivainen  HT

Photo: Heikki Saukkomaa  Lehtikuva

Source: Uusi Suomi
Q&A: Copelof favors, Henson opposes HB2 repeal

The candidates for the 113th state House District differ sharply on repeal of HB2, expanding Medicaid and on the proposed Ecusta Trail. But Republican Cody Henson parts ways with his party on school vouchers, saying the state should invest to make public schools better before sending public dollars to private schools.

"HB2 has brought economic hardship to many businesses and programs, has closed doors to opportunities that might have been, has made our wonderful state a place to avoid, and it was totally unnecessary," Democrat Maureen Copelof said. "Existing statutes provide protection from assault by anyone in any location. The 'bathroom' portion of the bill is discriminatory and unnecessary. In addition HB2 limited local government authority in terms of living wages, and intruded on the rights of citizens to sue in state court. Instead of wasting taxpayer dollars trying to defend this law at the Supreme Court we should admit it was a mistake and repeal it."

Henson said the Legislature should focus on the schools the vast majority of North Carolinians attend.

"Until we fix the issues happening with public education you will get pushback from me when it comes to vouchers," Henson said. "Some legislators often forget that 85 percent of NC parents choose public education for their children, I am one of the parents that will choose public schools when it comes time to send my son to school because I want him to go to the same school his father, grandfather and great-grandfather attended. I want to ensure that our children are receiving an education better than what they would receive in a private, for profit institution and for our public schools to compete with these institutions."

The candidates answered questions on issues facing state legislators. The candidates are Democrat Copelof, 61, a retired Navy captain from Brevard, and Republican Cody Henson, 24, a U.S. Marine Corps Reserves corporal and a call center supervisor from Rosman. Henderson County precincts in the 113th House District are Armory, Atkinson, Crab Creek, East Flat Rock, Etowah South, Etowah Valley, Flat Rock, Green River, Horse Shoe and Raven Rock.

1. Why are you running for the Legislature?

COPELOF: I believe North Carolina has gone in the wrong direction with recent legislation. Serving in the Navy taught me that when you see a problem you dont sit back and hope for the best, you step up and fix it.

We need to refocus governance on creating solutions to the pressing issues of poverty, low wages, lack of affordable medical coverage, our declining public school system and the threat to our environment. These areas, when properly addressed, will result in a better quality of life for the people in this state.

I am running because I want to put the focus back on supporting all the people of this state and get away from the special interests and the entrenched partisan political ideology. I have the proven leadership experience and the necessary education (MBA degree) to be an effective advocate for District 113 starting on day one.

HENSON: I am running because this area is my home. Its been home to my family for 7 generations but more importantly, this is the area my wife and I chose to plant our roots and raise our families. Other young families want to do the same but it has become increasingly harder over the years and I want to change that. Our Republican legislature and Governor has made great progress in turning the NC economy around but not much of that has been felt here in WNC. I also want to see improvements to our NC Public Education system. I am a product of that system and I have seen it go downhill over the past several years. I want to go fight for our childrens future and ensure that they are not only receiving a quality education but are getting the tools they need to succeed in the future. I want to go represent the people of District 113 and work tirelessly every day on their behalf. I will take our mountain values to Raleigh to represent you, not bring Raleigh ideas, where the mountains are often overlooked, and tell you to get back in line.

2. Do you support increased teacher pay? If so, how would you propose to fund higher teacher pay?

HENSON: Absolutely. I think everyone supports giving teachers a raise. I feel its how and how much, that often causes friction. I would fight for teachers who have been loyal to our state for many years to receive more of an increase as opposed to raising starting teacher salary like our legislators did not too long ago. I also feel we should reward our teachers who go on and further their education to help give our students the best possible education they can. Much has been done but I feel we have some more work to do and I am committed to seeing that those who mold our future receive the pay they deserve.

COPELOF: North Carolina has proudly been a leader in public education from preschool through the university system. While this reputation is at risk, the heart of quality education remains with competent and caring teachers. I support increased compensation for our public school teachers. These added costs can be paid for by repealing the private school voucher plan and by reinstating a cap on the number of public charter schools authorized each year. We have an issue with properly funding our public schools because we are currently dividing the revenue for education three ways. I would also ensure that the State Education Lottery funds are used to support public education the way it was initially proposed.

I also would support legislation that more clearly defines the role of the charter schools and calls for formal liaison between those schools and the county/city public schools and their elected board.

3. Do you support higher state funding of school vouchers, less state funding or about the same? Why?

COPELOF: I favor the repeal of this legislation. We cannot afford it nor does it enhance the quality of education for our children.

Vouchers divert public money to private schools with little-to-no oversight and create a two-class system of education. Having children attend private schools does nothing to defray fixed costs like utilities and maintenance in our public schools. Vouchers often do not cover the entire cost of tuition and fees at private schools, so children from low-income families who cannot afford supplemental tuition remain in underfunded public schools.

A majority of the money the state spends on vouchers goes to religious institutions. In fact, one of the largest recipients of voucher funds is an Islamic academy. Private schools can refuse to admit children based on religion, economic background or disciplinary history. I am strongly in favor of school choice, but I do not believe in subsidizing it with tax dollars.

HENSON: At this point I do not. There are many things that need improving with public education. Until we fix the issues happening with public education you will get pushback from me when it comes to vouchers. Some legislators often forget that 85% of NC parents choose public education for their children, I am one of the parents that will choose public schools when it comes time to send my son to school because I want him to go to the same school his father, grandfather and great-grandfather attended. I want to ensure that our children are receiving an education better than what they would receive in a private, for profit institution and for our public schools to compete with these institutions. I support parents decision to send their kids to private, charter or parochial schools and I believe it is great that they have those options but until we can get some change into our public schools, I will be a no on vouchers

4. Do you support the Ecusta Trail? Why or why not?

HENSON: The Ecusta Trail is a local issue. My personal viewpoint is, WATCO still owns the line, they are currently looking for businesses that can utilize the railroad. Sure, the line has been unused for over a decade but WATCO is only two years into their investment. I am not in the business of telling private businesses or landowners what to do with their property. Until WATCO chooses to abandon the line or rail bank it, there is nothing government can do.

COPELOF: We should approve the Ecusta Trail. Unused now for 13 years, the rail line continues to deteriorate. Similar projects, such as the Swamp Rabbit Trail, have shown that this type of project adds jobs, helps build the local economy, increases the local tax base and attracts additional visitors. The 2010 Hendersonville Economic Impact Study of the Ecusta Trail showed an initial $42M positive impact with a continuing annual income of $9.4 million.

In addition the Trail would increase safety by separating cars and bicyclists and help raise the property values close to it.

Rail banking allows us to take an unused rail line and turn it into an asset for the region while still preserving the right-of-way for future rail use should the need arise. Several trails in the US have been converted back to rail use after being banked in this fashion.

5. What is the single most important thing you would hope to accomplish in your first year as a newly elected legislator?

COPELOF: The most important thing is to focus state governance on improving the lives of the people in this state. We need to stop partisan gamesmanship and start working on solutions. I want to work with other members of the legislature in a bi-partisan manner focusing on solutions to the most serious issues facing our state. Our WNC legislators need to work together as a team to ensure that our region is properly considered. Too often Raleigh focuses on the eastern, urban areas of the state.

Immediately I want to work on programs to alleviate the poverty in WNC. That means attracting good paying jobs and ensuring our workforce is trained and ready to take advantage of these jobs. We need the correct incentives available to rural counties, partnerships with a strong public education system at high school, community and university levels, and a welcoming state climate that embraces diversity and will attract new businesses.

HENSON: I personally would like to see more local control of our schools returned to the ones in our schools, working with our children day in and day out. For far too long government has seeped into our classrooms and taken decision making on key issues away from our teachers and administrators and replaced it with one size fits all mandates that dont work. Each school and school district is unique. Things that work for Wake County Schools may not always work for Henderson County Schools. The students are different and have different ways of learning and the teaching styles differ from school to school. I think we need to reject the one size fits all mentality that we have forced upon our schools and let the local school boards, teachers and administrators make the decisions that affect the children they are working with and molding into the future of our state.

6. Knowing what you know today in the aftermath of House Bill 2, would you vote for the bill or against the bill if given the opportunity? If elected to the Legislature, would you vote for repeal or against repeal of HB2?

HENSON: Looking back, I would have liked to have seen a little more discussion and some provisions in HB2 revised. Make no mistake, I absolutely feel that a man doesnt belong in the womens restroom, locker room or shower facility. There are provisions in the law that I feel did not belong in the bill. If the vote for a FULL repeal comes up I will vote no. I have spoken to many individuals and business owners throughout the district that feel a man does not belong in the womens restroom with their wives and/or children. I support protecting the basic expectation of privacy that we all have when we go to the restroom or enter a changing facility.

COPELOF: I would vote against HB2, and if elected, will vote for full repeal of HB2. HB2 was rushed through in a radical special session with no time for discussion, public input or review. It is the prime example of bad legislating.

HB2 has brought economic hardship to many businesses and programs, has closed doors to opportunities that might have been, has made our wonderful state a place to avoid, and it was totally unnecessary. Existing statutes provide protection from assault by anyone in any location. The bathroom portion of the bill is discriminatory and unnecessary. In addition HB2 limited local government authority in terms of living wages, and intruded on the rights of citizens to sue in state court. Instead of wasting taxpayer dollars trying to defend this law at the Supreme Court we should admit it was a mistake and repeal it.

7. Do you support expanding Medicaid in North Carolina?

COPELOF: Medicaid expansion would provide four positive impacts in NC: 1) expanded employment opportunities, 2) increased revenue, 3) reduced uninsured-patient burden to struggling rural hospitals, 4) health insurance coverage to approximately 400,000 low-income NC residents.

Studies show that expansion will result in over 43,000 new jobs in NC by 2020. Expansion would also bring in more than $2 billion in federal funds annually, saving taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars in direct budget reductions on costs for uninsured individuals.

By providing coverage to low-income individuals expansion will help prevent and provide early treatment of chronic diseases, thereby avoiding later, more expensive medical treatment, usually obtained at a hospital emergency room. Studies estimate that annually 1,145 people in NC may die due to lack of access to screenings and preventive treatment. Infant mortality rates can be reduced by providing healthcare to low-income expectant mothers.

Both morally and economically its the right decision.

HENSON: No. Expanding Medicaid without meaningful reform to the system accepts a broken status quo that fails patients and taxpayers. The system is broken now as it is, throwing more money at it is not the fix North Carolinians need. I support people having access to affordable health care to those who cannot get it and I will work for solutions to get people the care they need but putting more people into an already terribly flawed system isnt helping them. Instead of focusing on just decreasing the number of uninsured North Carolinians, lets fix the broken system and ensure that people get decent healthcare.

8. Is there anything else important to you that weve failed to bring up?

HENSON: As representative for the people of House District 113 I will be just that, representative of the PEOPLE. I believe in a government that is of the people, for the people and by the people. My goals are to work tirelessly for the people of this district, bring more jobs to this area, strengthen our education system, return control of the classrooms back to where it belongs and be your voice in Raleigh. As a United States Marine, I swore an oath on January 18, 2011, to protect and defend the constitution of the United States. That oath does not only apply to when I am in uniform. It is 24/7 365 days a year I will stand up for our rights as American Citizens and will go to work every day for the people of this district using 3 things as my guidelines for making the tough decisions on your behalf; The Word of God, the United States Constitution and the Constitution of the State of North Carolina. I ask that you prayerfully consider sending me to Raleigh to fight on your behalf and together we can make our small corner of WNC the best place to live, work and, raise a family.

COPELOF: Two additional issues are extremely important-- jobs and our environment.

We must attract good paying jobs to our District so that young families can stay here and raise their families. No one can support a family on $7.25 an hour. We need to focus on attracting future focused industry that pays living wages. To do this we must have good governance (competitive tax rates, incentives and business friendly regulations), good physical and electronic infrastructure and a good quality of life. We must capitalize on the strengths of our region and market this area to those industries that are compatible with our way of life.

We must protect and preserve our natural environment. Our mountains, forests, rivers, are precious resources for us and our children. We need to focus on renewable energy and start decreasing our reliance on fossil fuels. We need to protect our water and prevent contamination.
The House of Horrors at Tayto Park was boarded up following the incident

Two sisters narrowly avoided serious injury when stairs collapsed at an amusement park's House of Horrors attraction, leaving nine people injured.

The injured were rushed to hospital following the terrifying incident at Tayto Park in Ashbourne, Co Meath on Saturday night.

Rian O'Ceallaigh (25) from Whitehall, Dublin, was with her sister Eile (13) in the Halloween attraction at 8pm and said they initially thought a noise from behind them was part of the show.

"Myself, my little sister and her two friends were there," Rian said.

"We just stepped off that bit of the staircase and we heard a creak. We thought it was part of the show, but next of all the staircase just went and everyone behind us just dropped.

Screaming

"All the younger children, and adults even, were screaming and crying. It really was very scary. We were very lucky, we'd literally taken one step off that part of the stairs so it was awfully frightening.

"We didn't know where to go then because you could only go up with the rest of the staircase gone, and then we thought that all would collapse as well. It was just very scary."

DJ Nikki Hayes also told how lucky she was to escape injury.

The 37-year-old Spin 1038 and 4FM star had been broad casting from the theme park on the day.

"The event was sold out and there was a big crowd and I remember commenting to one of the Tayto people that there was a lot of staff on. Everything was fine and everyone was enjoying themselves," Nikki told the Herald.

"Then, when we had finished the broadcast at 6pm, we were given a trip through the House of Horrors and everything was fine. I would have remembered if I had thought there was anything wrong with the stairs, but there was no indication that anything would collapse.

"Afterwards we went on the roller coaster and it was only later in the evening I heard that the stairs had collapsed.

"Obviously I was shocked but I think it was an isolated incident. It wouldn't stop me going back," she added. Tayto Park has denied the House of Horrors attraction was badly supervised.

Ambulances took the victims to Connolly Hospital in Blanchardstown and St James's Hospital in Dublin city centre after the wooden stairs gave way.

People who attended the event claimed there was poor crowd control and supervision and long queues for the opening night of the event.

"I was there with my son and the queue was huge. As a result there were kids running around and there was no crowd or queue control," one man told the Herald. "Everyone headed straight for the House of Horrors at the same time.

"The staff all seemed to be very young and, because the queue was so big, we decided to go and do a few of the other attractions and come back, but when we returned we heard the stairs had collapsed and the event was closed."

Tayto Park has said it had more than enough staff in place for the Halloween attraction.

"There were 1,300 people at the event and we had enough staff on duty to cover 5,000 guests," said Charles Coyle, general manager of the park.

It is estimated there were around 25 people on the stairs when the structure collapsed.

Sources said there were no serious injuries and, by yesterday afternoon, all of those hospitalised had been discharged.

"The aim is to have the Health & Safety Authority out on Monday to start the investigation and, once they are satisfied with their findings we hope to open again," said Mr Coyle.
Our Lady's Children's Hospital, was criticised by Senator Catherine Noone

A children's hospital has hit back following criticism from a Senator over the standard of its food for patients.

The Crumlin unit has insisted it is committed to providing healthy meals, after Fine Gael Senator Catherine Noone last week blasted the hospital claiming it served sugary dishes to children as young as 15 months.

Healthy

A spokesperson for Our Lady's Children's Hospital said it offers many healthy options on its dinner menu and in its canteen.

However, it stressed that it continuously works to improve food and menus in consultation with the Youth Advisory Council, parents and guardians and staff.

"There is a chip-free day every Wednesday for patients and staff, which includes no wedges, curly fries or cubed potatoes," the spokesperson told the Herald.

"Healthy options such as fruit, salads, yoghurts and sugar-free drinks are available in the canteen and coffee shops."

The spokesperson also said calorie posting has been implemented across the hospital to help patients and visitors to make healthier food choices.

One menu for patients at the hospital features breast of chicken, stuffing and gravy, baked potato, as well as a vegetarian omelette. It also offers chicken goujons, beef curry and American burgers in a bun.

Patients can also choose from carrot batons, potato wedges and chips, among other sides.

Ms Noone had expressed concern over sugary foods such as pasta sauce and jelly being served to sick children at the hospital.

"This practice of serving foods with a high sugar content, such as pasta sauce and sugary jelly, to children under two years of age is totally unacceptable," she said.

Ironic

Ms Noone also said one mother "could not find anything healthy to eat in the hospital shop or vending machines on the site".

"Unfortunately, at the moment, the 15-month-old child of a friend of mine is being treated in Crumlin Children's Hospital," she said. "She's getting great care but regrettably is being served foods laden with sugar.

"It is ironic and very disappointing that sick children are being served sugary foods, in a State health facility where a large sugar awareness poster hangs in its corridors."
Some of the hundreds of people who took part in the march to mark the 30th anniversary of Philip's disappearance

Campaigners have marked the 30th anniversary of the disappearance of schoolboy Philip Cairns from his home in Rathfarnham, Co Dublin, with a solemn march.

Yesterday's anniversary saw the local community, who continue to search for answers in the case - a mystery that has never been solved - remember Philip, who was 13 when he disappeared, and the trauma his family endured.

Jenny McCudden, one of the organisers of the march, said the goal was to get justice for Philip.

"We want to get the gardai to work on information that they have recently received," she told the Herald.

Justice

"I don't think enough has been done. I think now is the time. He's 30 years missing. We need to get up now and find him."

Anne Cod, who has lived in the area since before Philip's disappearance, said: "Philip didn't get justice at the time. I think everybody here is looking for justice.

"From the beginning it was believed that Philip had run away from home and that he would be back."

Catriona Galster, from Templeogue, said Philip's disappearance needs to continue to be investigated.

"I don't think that a person should be allowed to disappear forever at 13 years of age. He didn't just disappear," she said.

New evidence came to light last June that suggested Eamon Cooke, DJ at a pirate radio station, may have been involved in Philip's disappearance.

Known as 'The Cookie Monster', the DJ was convicted of the sexual assault of young girls in the 1970s.

Cooke was accused of murdering the teenager by a woman who was a child at the time of Philip's disappearance. She claimed Cooke had known Philip and promised to show him the radio studio he worked in.

She claimed she was in another room when Cooke brought Philip to the studio and heard a row break out.

When she went into the room, she saw the teenager bleeding on the ground.

The sexual predator was interviewed twice by gardai before his death but never made any admission to the murder.

The march concluded yesterday, with the organisers delivering a petition, which was signed by more than 4,000 people, to Rathfarnham Garda Station.

Hope

Since Philip's disappearance, his father has passed away. His mother, Alice Cairns, still lives in Dublin and told the Herald last June that she hopes that the case will be solved. "You always have to have hope," she said.

"I would be concerned if this new lead didn't amount to anything, then people might still think that the case is kind of closed and they might not come forward with information.

"Then a person who might be really responsible for it [Philip's disappearance] might be more likely to get away," she added.
Heartbroken family and friends of a tragic motorcyclist killed in a crash have described him as "a person who brought everyone together".

Stephen Hyland (24) died after his motorbike collided with another while turning a corner at Huntstown Avenue, Blanchardstown, on Saturday night.

Incident

Despite desperate attempts by friends, who had been riding with him, to resuscitate him, he was pronounced dead at Connolly Hospital shortly after the incident, which took place at 6.50pm.

Stephen, from Clonee, Co Meath, had only moved into a new home in Blanchardstown and settled into a new job a matter of months ago. He was due to go on holiday to Amsterdam with pals in a fortnight.

His older brother, Brian (27) told the Herald his family are struggling to come to terms with his death.

"I am still trying to wrap my head around it but trying to understand what is happening is mind-boggling," Brian said.

"He has come off his bike before, but never this bad.

"Stephen was just the best, he would do anything for anybody."

Stephen was godfather to Brian's daughter, Lily, who he adored.

"He was my baby brother, we were closest in age in the family," Brian said. "I still haven't told Lily yet that he is gone, I don't know how to break it to her.

"I can speak on behalf of my whole family, we are all going to miss him so much.

"He was the baby of the family, so you would give out to him on one hand but on the other you would say 'ah he's the baby'."

Friend

All of Stephen's closest pals gathered together at Brian's home in Blakestown last night, with Jonathan Hughes saying he was always there for everyone.

"He would make you feel at home, I probably slept in his house more than my own," he said.

"He would drop everything for you. If you had a problem, he would be over straight away - he would say five minutes, it would be an hour, but he would be there."

Close friend Maria Giurgila said he was the glue that kept the group of friends together.

"I honestly don't think we would all be as close as we are and went to all those places together if Stephen wasn't saying 'we will go here, we will do that' - we wouldn't leave Clonee," Maria said.

What they will miss the most is his midnight dancing in the kitchen with headphones on.

He was also always the one in control of the radio in anyone's car. "Sometimes he had the worst taste in music," Brian said.
New Heights Baptist of Ringgold hosted a First Responders Appreciation Day on Sunday with guest speaker, Hamilton County Sheriff Jim Hammond.

Jennifer Catlett said, "The community came together to say thank you to those who run to danger for our protection."

A BBQ lunch was sponsored by Shane Catlett of Modern Woodmen. Inflatables were provided by ABC Towing.

First Responders were given thank you gifts that included coffee cups, life savers, etc.
The Northwest Georgia Council of The Greater Chattanooga Association of Realtors will hold its annual legislative breakfast on Wednesday, at the Walker County Civic Center. The event will get underway at 9:30AM, and will feature one of North Georgias most popular political figures, U.S. Representative Tom Graves.

Rep. Graves grew up in White, Ga., in a single-wide trailer on a tar and gravel road. He took to heart some advice from his father: Dream Big, Work Hard, Achieve Much.

Entering the work force at an early age, flipping burgers and delivering pizza, he paid his way through college, graduating from the University of Georgia with a degree in finance, eventually becoming a real estate investor.

He served in the Georgia General Assembly for over seven years, using his work experience to craft legislation, such as the Georgia Jobs Act, that would grow the economy and create new job opportunities, while also gaining a reputation for taking on excessive government after working on a zero-based budgeting bill that made state agencies justify every taxpayer dollar they wanted to spend, every year.

In 2010, Rep. Graves decided to run as a pro-life, pro-gun, tax-cutting constitutional conservative in what was then Georgias 9th Congressional District, winning four elections in 91 days. As a result of redistricting, he was reelected in 2012 to represent the new 14th Congressional District.



In Congress, he serves on the House Appropriations Committee, which determines how the United States government spends taxpayer dollars. This assignment means Tom is on the front lines of the battle to solve Americas debt crisis. He works to balance the budget, cut government waste, and reform Congress so that it that focuses on saving - not spending - taxpayer dollars.

In 2013, Rep. Graves was elected chairman of the Georgia Republican Congressional Delegation. He has become a top conservative voice in Congress and across the country, receiving several awards from major organizations devoted to lowering the tax burden, limiting government and empowering people.

His awards include:

Club for Growth's "Defender of Economic Freedom"

American Conservative Union's "ACU Conservative"

Heritage Action's "Sentinel"

National Taxpayer Union's "Taxpayers' Friend"

National Federation of Independent Business's "Guardian of Small Business"

National Association of Manufacturers Legislative Excellence Award

U.S. Chamber of Commerce's "Spirit of Enterprise"

FreedomWorks' "Freedom Fighter"

Citizens Against Government Waste's "Taxpayer Hero"

The 60 Plus Association "Guardian of Seniors Rights" Award

Americans for Prosperity Georgia Congressional Delegate Of The Year (2011-2012)

National Rifle Association A+ rating

U.S. House Republican Conference Freshman of the Year (2010)

Entrepreneurial Legislator of the Year (American Legislative Exchange Council, 2009)

Congressman Graves is expected to address the gathering on a number of topics of interest to local realtors, including the ongoing debate surrounding the mortgage interest deduction, secondary market reform, particularly as it pertains to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, tax reform, and its effect on small businesses, 2nd Amendment rights, and also Governor Nathan Deals School Reform program.


Charles W. Charlie Gwyn was inducted into the Georgia Radio Hall of Fame, in ceremonies on Saturday, at the Strand Theater in Marietta.

Mr. Gwyn was a founding partner in LaFayette's radio station and served as president and general manager from 1955 until his death in 1982.

The Hall of Fame Legacy Award was presented along with a multi-media montage of Mr. Gwyn's life and career in service to the community.

The honor was accepted by his children, Barry, Sandra and Rich.
The days are shorter, but not the list of things you can do.
photo by Matt Lea photo by Matt Lea photo by Matt Lea photo by Matt Lea Previous Next

On Monday morning, the Hamilton County Sheriffs Office held a check presentation event with the Roughnecks Motorcycle Club at the Law Enforcement Memorial just outside the downtown Courts Building.The Roughnecks Motorcycle Club generously gave Hamilton County Sheriff Jim Hammond a check for $4000 to purchase upgraded ballistic vests for the HCSO Reserve Deputy Program.The Roughnecks Motorcycle club is a non-profit brotherhood of active and retired law enforcement, firefighters, EMS and military motorcycle enthusiasts.The club has dozens of chapters from coast to coast, including seven in Tennessee and three nearby in North Georgia.Each chapter hosts at least one charity fundraising event a year in support of wounded or fallen public safety and military personnel, terminal diseases, burn centers, and other worthy causes. Roughneck members can also be found supporting charity rides sponsored by other law-abiding clubs.The Hamilton County chapter hosts the annual In the Line of Duty ride each September, and donates thousands of dollars after each event. One of the causes supported by the 2016 Ride is a donation of $4,000 to the Hamilton County Sheriff's Office Reserve Fund, to purchase upgraded ballistic vests.If you are a motorcycle rider and would like more information about the local Roughnecks Motorcycle Club, please feel free to email hamiltonrffr@gmail.com.
Talley Construction will resume EPB vault work 818 Georgia Ave. on Tuesday at 8:30 a.m.

All work will take place in the southbound lanes of Georgia Avenue and traffic will be detoured west on E.7th Street and east on McCallie Avenue and E. 8th Street, as was done in phase one of the project.

The project is scheduled for six weeks.

In order to view a map of all closures, please visit: http://www.chattanooga.gov/transportation/traffic-engineering-a-operations/special-events-a-street-closures






Due to rising content costs, EPB Fiber Optics is notifying its customers of an increase in the price of television channel packages. The changes will take effect Jan. 1 and will range from an additional $2 to $11. Internet and phone prices will remain the same.

Across the television industry, networks are charging higher and higher rates for their content, said EPB president and CEO David Wade. For two years, weve held the line on T.V. pricing for our customers despite double digit increases in the fees networks charge for programming, but unfortunately, weve reached a point where it is necessary to pass these content costs along to subscribers.

Mr. Wade also pointed out that while the networks are forcing all television distributors to increase rates, EPB sets itself apart by being transparent. Our pricing is simple by design, and we communicate it clearly to ensure that customers understand what they will pay from the outset and have plenty of notice when its necessary to make a change, Mr. Wade said. Our television offering remains very competitively priced with no hidden fees. In fact, EPB customers are generally paying less in total for comparable content and bundled services.

At the same time, EPB is working to enhance the value of its Fi TV services, said officials. In recent years, EPB has added customer-requested content like the SEC Channel, IFC and Sundance. In addition, EPB now offers more than 130 streaming networks that are available to customers wherever and whenever they have a mobile device. This summer EPB launched Fi TV Select, a new offering that gives customers flexibility in choosing content along with enhanced features like 4K Ultra HD picture quality.

EPB will continue to offer discounts for bundling video, voice and internet services with no installation fees, contracts or data caps. All of these services are delivered over a 100 percent fiber-to-the-home network capable of the worlds fastest internet speeds. EPB supports all of its services with neighbor-to-neighbor customer service, 24/7/365.
This domain has expired. If you owned this domain, contact your domain registration service provider for further assistance. If you need help identifying your provider, visit https://www.tucowsdomains.com/
When we look at humour, it is important to separate politics from politicians. As a professional comedian, on many occasions I have had politicians at shows and not once has the politician ever had a problem with any kind of humour at all. In fact most politicians have themselves lamented at the lack of humour in political discourse. Unfortunately the same cannot be said for those who surround these politicians who feel that their only way of getting favour is by pandering to the egos of the powers that be. In my own comedy routine, before I make a joke about our honourable Prime Minister, I myself say that Im a fan of Mr Modi but Im not a fan of Mr Modis fans. In fact in a recent interview on a television channel, Mr Modi himself said that he was afraid to be humorous or crack a joke because of how it is blown out of proportion.

You only have to look at the recent past to see what our Prime Minister is capable of. When giving a speech to US Congress, he said, I am informed that the working of the US Congress is harmonious. I am also told that you are well-known for your bipartisanship. Well, you are not alone. he said. Time and again, I have also witnessed a similar spirit in the Indian Parliament, especially in our Upper House. I remember practically falling off my chair when I heard those words live. It was world-class stuff.

Mary Hirsch, a writer and teacher of humorous writing, famously said that humour is like a rubber sword -- it allows you to make a point without drawing blood. The problem with the new sensationalist environment and the race to capture eyeballs is that everybody is baying for blood. And the media has to take some of the blame for it too. Comedian Rajneesh Kapoor rightfully jokes that the word jaanwar is used more on news channels than on Animal Planet!

Look at what happened to Shashi Tharoor when he tweeted about cattle class. He was publicly lambasted. And yet when he spoke at the Oxford Union about reparations, and threw in a healthy dose of humour, we loved him for it. Unfortunately, unlike Dr Tharoor, not everybody has the ability to come back with humour after being beaten down for it.

The problem now days is that people confuse humour with insult. And when they dont have an understanding of the subject being debated, substance is replaced by volume. The entire political discourse has become confrontational and the attitude is -- you agree with my point of view or I will beat you until you submit. The irony, self awareness and edgy and pop culture references that an Obama puts on show would be crushed in our environment.

To the media, I urge you  celebrate humour, dont sensationalise it. To those trying to please their masters  have confidence in your bosses abilities to fend for themselves. Not all of them and their egos are as fragile as you think they are. To the judiciary  please have a think about criminal defamation laws and section 295A. And to the politicians dying to bring some much needed humour into politics  ignore the trolls.

Papa CJ is a humourist. The views expressed are personal.
The Madhya Pradesh government needs to accelerate the pace of reforms and simplify rules and regulations if it wishes to cash in on investments committed during the 5th Global Investors Summit and make the state one of the fastest growing economic zones of the country, participants said.

Most of the delegates, including investors from abroad, said Madhya Pradesh could do wonders once the goods and services tax (GST) rolled out, given the states central location in the country, provided the government identifies and addresses concerns of investors.

Union finance minister Arun Jaitley on Saturday said that Madhya Pradesh could benefit a lot from the situation arising from the rollout of the GST, given the states strategic location.

Jaitley, during the inaugural session of the summit on Saturday, said, Madhya Pradeshs geographical advantage will make it a goods supply hub for domestic industry in all four directions.

The state governments have been talking of converting Madhya Pradesh into a logistics hub of the country for the last two decades, but nothing concrete has, however, taken place in that direction until now.

Though the event was devoid of the glitter that Indore witnessed in 2014 during the 4th GIS when Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended, it offered a number of positive signs for the government to push its development agenda ahead, participants said.

GST can prove to be game changer for the state

The GST, which the BJP government in the state did not want to implement during the then UPA government, but it has now accepted it in the changed political situation, can prove to be game changer for the state provided the government takes forward its development agenda in the right direction, felt the investors.

Ashish Kumar of Delhi-based Eustan Ventures, said the atmosphere was positive at the macro level and the government really looked serious to attract investment.

These are promotional activities when everything sounds good, but the real challenge lies in working at the ground level, he said.

In India, it will take a lot of time to get a refined system, he added.

MP and South Korea have a number of similarities

Kim Sung Jun, a participant from South Korea, said that Madhya Pradesh and South Korea had a number of similarities. Land was available easily and government officials were accessible, he said.

Jun, who represents a South Korean construction company that is engaged in a road construction from Sagar to Seoni, said there were too many regulations in Madhya Pradesh.

Getting legal permissions from mining, forest departments or the state pollution control board is a difficult task.

While chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and senior official are willing to listen to their problems, local administration in districts rarely cooperate with them, he said.

An industrialist, who did not wish to be named, said the GIS was organised at a right time when the GST regime was about to begin.  This will give Madhya Pradesh an edge over other states, he said.

He, however, said a glut of summits being organized across the country was boring for industrialists who were persuaded to attend the same.

The government should focus on its strength and specific areas and organise summits based on specific subjects at regular intervals like food processing industries, automobile, logistics hub among others, he said. This would serve the purpose.

MAJOR INVESTMENT PROPOSALS

MP received 2,630 proposals worth Rs 5.62 lakh crore

Nuclear Power Corporation: Rs 25,000 crore

Aditya Birla Group: Rs 20,000 crore

Indian Oil: Rs Rs 4,760 crore

Essar group: Rs 4,500 crore

Syntex group: Rs 2000 crore

Proctor and Gamble: Rs 1,100 crore

Mylan Lab: Rs 700 crore

Lupin India: Rs 700 crore

Hitech group: Rs 400 crore
The Pakistani boy, Ramzan left for Kolkatta on Sunday Morning to reach Bangladesh border to be reunited with his mother Pakistan. He would reach the Bangladesh border on October 25 from where BSF would handed him over to his father or paternal aunt.

Ramzan had crossed into India from Bangladesh after being harassed by his stepmother and neglected by his father. He went to Ranchi, then to Mumbai and Delhi before being caught by police at the Bhopal railway station in October 2013. He was living in a shelter home run by a body named Aarambh in Bhopal.

His mother called from Pakistan on Friday and informed Ranzan that she has arranged the required documents needed for his travel to Pakistan. She asked him to come to the Bangladesh border where either his father or his aunt would receive him.She saud it would be easy for her to take him to Pakistan, said Arambh shelter home director, Archana Sahay adding that he would accompanied by police officials who would hand-over to the Border Security Force(BSF) at the Bangladesh border.
Actor Shreyas Talpade has donned many hats and as he gears up for his directorial debut, he feels blessed to have come this far. I never thought in my wildest dreams that coming from a modest middle class background; Id make it till here. But its been a phenomenal journey.

Talpade who made his debut as a producer with Marathi film Poshter Boys reveals he was pushed into production by filmmaker Subhash Ghai. At one of Marathi Awards night, Subhash Ji said that Mukta Arts will produce a Marathi film. After coming down from the stage, he met my wife who was sitting with him in the front row and said you will be doing this Marathi film. I have shot the gun on your shoulders. Mukta Arts will acquire the film that you will produce. So thats how it all started, shares the actor.

Actor Shreyas Talpade feels as an actor, theres always scope and a tendency to evolve and do something new.

Having thoroughly enjoyed the process, the actor feels happy that he took the plunge. While we were doing it, we learnt so much that realised we can also produce our own films if we find the right subject. And Poshter Boyz was one such unique original subject that came our way and we felt keen to produce this.

The 40-year-old actor is now stepping into the directors shoes for Hindi remake of Poshter Boyz, which he will also produce and act in. Stating that as an actor, theres always scope and a tendency to evolve, he adds, I do feel at times that acting is fine but if I come across a good story that I would want to tell the world, nothing should stop me from doing so. So thats why I took up direction.

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Mukesh Bhatt says no one is bullying us to pay for the soldiers welfare. Industry feels a sigh of relief that Karan Johars ADHM will see the light of the day.

Congratulations to you and Karan Johar.The crisis regarding the release of his film Ae Dil Hai Mushkil is over.

Yes, we can all breathe a sigh of relief. Karan was a tense wreck for the past few weeks. He is a relieved and happy man.And mind you, this exemption from the Pakistan ban applies not only to Karans film but also to the other filmmakers who had worked with Pakistani artistes before the current crisis. Gauri Shinde(Dear Zindagi), Ritesh Sidhwani (Raees) and Boney Kapoor(Mom) can also heave a sigh of relief.But we wont be working with Pakistani artistes any more.Our soldiers are being killed. Pakistan is spreading terror in our nation. We should isolate them in every sphere.

But Bhatt Saab, the clearance from the MNS comes with a couple of riders. For one, Karan will have to put a claimer in his credit titles dedicating the film to the soldiers who laid their lives down in Uri?

Please understand this is not something that has been thrust on Karan . He voluntarily felt the need to honour our martyrs with a mention in his credit titles. No one is forcing him to do so.

Apparently Karan and the other filmmakers with Pakistani actors in their cast would have to pay Rs 5 crores for army benefits?

This is totally false news. No one is bullying us to pay money to soldiers welfare. The desire to help the family of the martyred jawaans should come from within the filmmakers themselves. If Karan or any of the other filmmakers want to contribute to the soldiers welfare fund they are welcome to do so. No one is forcing them to pay up 5 or 4 or 1 crore.

The film industry came in for a lot of flak for not banning Pakistani artistes?

I have to say the media targeted us unfairly just because we are a high-profile and glamorous industry. Trade between India and Pakistan continues uninterrupted. Then why were we targeted for censure just because a few Pakistani artistes worked in our films?

You have stood by Karan Johar and seen him through this crisis?

This film industry has given me everything I have. Its payback time.

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Katrina Kaifs recent visit to London, UK, has sparked a lot of speculation. Apparently, the actor was in London for meetings concerning her fashion retail venture, which she announced recently.

A source says, While not much is known about her hush-hush trip to London, the actor was in the city for work. She has been attending meetings for her debut retail venture, which she is dedicated to. In fact, the actor was also seen getting into her car at Gloucester Road in Kensington (West London), which is known for its many high-end and luxury stores.

The source further adds that Katrina is currently not shooting [for any film] and is focusing on her signature retail line. The actor is excited about her business venture. There has also been a lot of talk and speculation on whether the brand will retail internationally as well.

Katrina could not be reached for comment.

The actor was last seen in Fitoor and Baar Baar Dekho, and will next be seen in Jagga Jasoos, co-starring Ranbir Kapoor.

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Londons continuing status as the capital of global finance is in doubt with Britains biggest banks preparing to relocate outside the country by early 2017 as Brexit-related discourse increasingly suggests that banks and other FIs will not able to retain EU-wide access.

Anthony Browne, chief executive of the British Bankers Association, raised the ante on Sunday by claiming in The Observer that the biggest banks were preparing to leave in the first few months of 2017, while smaller banks were planning to leave before Christmas.

Most international banks now have project teams working out which operations they need to move to ensure they can continue serving customers, the date by which this must happen, and how best to do it.

Their hands are quivering over the relocate button. Many smaller banks plan to start relocations before Christmas; bigger banks are expected to start in the first quarter of next year, Browne wrote.

Prime Minister Theresa May has announced that the formal process of leaving the EU will begin by the end of March 2017. There are already divisions within her cabinet about the extent of links Britain can or should maintain with the EU after leaving the union.

The key issue is Britains access to the European Single Market. The access comes with the obligation to allow freedom of movement to EU citizens to move, work and settle in Britain, which the May government is keen to restrict.

Claims and assurances by May and her ministers that they would seek the best possible deal from Brussels have failed to assuage Londons financial district, which is preparing for the worst case scenario in 2019, by when the exit from EU is expected to be complete.

Losing access to the European Single Market means the London-based banks and FIs lose so-called passporting rights they currently enjoy from Britains membership of the EU. The rights allow them to trade across the EU without setting up offices in every member-state.

Losing the passporting rights after Brexit means the banks and FIs will need to incur extra expenses to set up offices, as well be subject to tariff, customs and other duties in each of the 27 EU member-states.

As far as companies are concerned, Brexit has already happened. Companies are already applying for licences and other facilities that they would need to operate across the EU after Britains exit is complete, says acting Indian high commissioner Dinesh Patnaik.

There are over 800 Indian companies in Britain, mostly in London, who use the base to access the EU market. Ficci has already expressed concern over Brexits impact on Indian companies at a time when Britain is seeking increasing trade with India.

Browne warned in The Observer piece that both British and European politicians who appear to be pursuing anti-trade goals need to recognise that putting up barriers to the trade in financial services across the Channel will make us all worse off.

Browne noted that banks based in Britain were currently lending 1.1 trillion, keeping the continent afloat financially, which would be at risk. Banking, he wrote, was Britains biggest export industry, and that the Brexit discourse threatened not just tariff-free trade but the legal right of banks to provide services.

The financial industry body, TheCityUK, has claimed that up to 70,000 financial jobs could be lost if Britain. Browne noted that delegations from Frankfurt, Paris, Dublin and Madrid were coming to Britain to pitch to bankers to relocate there.

I am pro-competition, and long may they try to make their labour market and fiscal policy more attractive to international investors. That is not the problem. The problem comes when national governments try to use the EU exit negotiations to build walls across the Channel to split Europes integrated financial market in two, in order to force jobs from London, he added.

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The Chattanooga Fire Department held its annual Fire Prevention Week awards ceremony on Monday, at the Chattanooga Public Library downtown. Fire Marshal Beau Matlock and Assistant Fire Marshal Chuck Hartung announced the winners of the fire safety poster contest. The winning posters were the ones that best illustrated this years fire safety theme, which was Don't Wait -- Check the Date! The winners received gift cards from Walmart, and the overall winner (i.e. Best of Show) will have her poster prominently displayed on a billboard for a month. A complete list of the poster contest winners is included below:

Individual Grade Winners



Kindergarten  Chase Sims, Lookout Valley Elementary, $50 Walmart Gift Card

1st Grade  Jocelyn Neighbors, Chattanooga Christian School, $50 Walmart Gift Card

2nd Grade  Kherington Pharr, Boyd-Buchanan School, $50 Walmart Gift Card

3rd Grade  Jade Otterman, Lookout Valley Elementary, $50 Walmart Gift Card

4th Grade  Allison Nelms, Chattanooga Christian School, $50 Walmart Gift Card

5th Grade  Kinsley Armstrong, Battle Academy, $50 Walmart Gift Card

6th Grade  Nina Ortiz, Boyd-Buchanan School, $50 Walmart Gift Card

7th Grade  Victoria McCroskey, CSAS, $50 Walmart Gift Card

8th Grade  Tytianna Nelson, East Lake Academy, $50 Walmart Gift Card

9th Grade  Jeanna Parker, Boyd-Buchanan School, $50 Walmart Gift Card

10th Grade  Emerald Frost, Boyd-Buchanan School, $50 Walmart Gift Card

11th Grade  Hayley Trotter, Notre Dame High School, $50 Walmart Gift Card

12th Grade  Briana Fitch, Boyd-Buchanan School, $50 Walmart Gift Card

Top Overall Winners:



3rd Place  Sara Li, 11th Grade, Boyd-Buchanan School, $60 Walmart Gift Card

2nd Place  Emily McCutcheon, 9th Grade, Boyd-Buchanan School, $70 Walmart Gift Card

1st Place  Elizabeth Hoilman, 11th Grade, Boyd-Buchanan School, $80 Walmart Gift Card

Best of Show  Mackenna Hood, 11th Grade, Boyd-Buchanan School, $100 Walmart Gift Card & Poster Displayed on Billboard
The ongoing controversy involving 19 banks, 3.2 million debit cards and over 90 ATMs may have been triggered by lax compliance by vendors and banks, who outsource key ATM functions, according to sources in the banking industry.

Last week some debit cards of leading banks such as SBI, ICICI Bank, HDFC Bank, Axis Bank and Yes Bank, used at regular ATMs and at maintained by third-party agencies, had been involved in suspicious transactions over a three months, with about 1.03 crore disappearing.

The amount was relatively small, but the breach has come at a time when the Indian banking system is opening up with a new category of payments banks and with the entry of private firms.

Among the various factors being investigated, outsourcing of crucial ATM functions to third party vendors is being debated as critical.

These vendors often break or are lax in their policies and when they have easy access to the card and personal details of a bank customer, it is a platform for leakages, claimed Vishwas Utagi, vice-president of the All India Bank Employees Association. In order to maintain their profitability and reduce cost , private banks and some public sector banks nowadays pass on crucial work such as card service and maintenance to third parties.

RBIs guidelines are also not specific. In 2012, the finance ministry stressed on the operational expense model for ATM expansion rather than the usual capital expenditure model, to reduce costs. Under the opex model, third parties install and manage ATMs and get paid for each transaction. In the capex model, the bank manages everything.

Debit and credit card services and maintenance are not specifically covered in the present RBI guidelines on outsourcing.

Some ATMs of Yes Bank had been outsourced to Hitachi Payment Services, a third party technology firm. Hitachi has said no breach has occurred, but the matter is still under investigation.

All the banks mentioned so far have said that the breach had occurred when their customers used ATMs of other banks, virtually questioning the security measures adopted by their peers while defending themselves.

On October 22, NPCI, (National Payments Corp of India), an umbrella organisation for all retail payments systems, tried to play down the extent of damage. Only 641 bank customers have complained about fraudulent activity. The figure of 3.2 million cards is a proactively identified base of customers who have transacted in the set of suspected ATMs in the recent past. This does not mean that all these cards have been used for any fraudulent activity.

The clarification was given to assuage concerns. According to RBI, in July alone about 697 million debit cards issued by 56 banks did transactions worth Rs 2.19 lakh crore through ATMs and about Rs 17,100 crore was through through point-of-sale (POS) terminals at shops and other merchants.

Outsourcing partners need a lot more vigilance and security control to make sure they dont endanger the delivery and system risk, said Rana Kapoor, MD and CEO of Yes Bank. There is fair amount of policing as far as outsourcing is concerned and they could sometimes intensify into high operational risks as well.

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Ratan Tata took charge of the Tata Group, Indias largest business conglomerate, in 1991, when its various parts were controlled by the so-called satraps: powerful CEOs who ran their companies like a fief. Ratan made them fall in line and made the group cohesive, modern, and agile.

No wonder the group turns to him at a time of transition that arises now that it has decided to replace Cyrus Mistry as chairman. That and the fact that Ratan heads Tata Trusts, which together control the largest chunk of equity in Tata Sons, though Mistrys father Pallonji remains the single-largest individual shareholder.

Ratan joined the group in 1962 as an apprentice at the companys steel plant in Jamshedpur. After toiling for nine years, he was asked to take over operations of the National Radio and Electronics (Nelco)--makers of radios, radiograms and some other engineering products. Nelco was in a bad shape, running up a 40% loss. Ratan was on the verge of turning it around when the group shut it down, and Tata left for higher studies abroad.

He joined the group again in 1977, to revive its ailing Express Mills, which was in the grip of unruly workers unions. That was the time unions, led by Datta Samant, were holding mill owners to ransom. As other mills shut down, Express Mills remained afloat for the next nine years.

In 1991, JRD Tata named Ratan his successor. JRD told his biographer, R M Lala: ... because of his memory. Ratan will be more like me.

Years later Bombay House, the headquarters of the Tata Group, shows a lot of what Tata has created.

Before handing over the mantle to Mistry in December 2012, the revenue of the Tata Group was Rs 4,75,721 crore, up from Rs 10,000 crore when he took charge in 1991. Net profits had grown 52 times.

In many ways, Ratans rise ran parallel to the rise of the Indian economy. As the economy grew, became more open, and embraced foreign companies, the Tata Group grew, entered new businesses such as software, and led the march of Indian companies to acquire foreign entities.

In 2007, when the demand of steel in the European market was at an all-time high, the Tata Group picked up Anglo-Dutch steel maker Corus for $13 billion. The deal hasnt been the best one as Corus is now on sale, but shows how Tata isnt risk-averse.

Tata Motors bought the loss-making Jaguar Land Rover business from Ford and turned it profitable, and saved thousands of jobs in the UK factories. JLR alone makes more profits than what Tata paid to acquire the company.

Ratan is also a visionary, alongside being an able business leader. In 2005 he thought of making the cheapest car in the world, and brought out the Nano at an entry price of Rs 1 lakh.

Just before he stepped down, two business he helped the group foray into was airlines with partnerships with AirAsia and Singapore Airlines; and a joint venture with US-based coffee maker Starbucks.

After his retirement Ratan turned into a venture capitalists and has invested in close to 30 startups, and mentors them, and helps them evolve. Some of his companies are Snapdeal, Ola, Paytm and CarDekho--that helps him keep his pulse on the changing world of technology and new businesses.

To find a replacement for Mistry may be Ratans trickiest challenge yet, since it will be akin to finding a replacement for himself a second time. Ratan headed the search panel that had decided to make Mistry the boss. Now he heads the panel that searches for Mistrys replacement.

Read| Cyrus Mistry removed, smell of intrigue around Tata Sons decision

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Saudi oil minister Khalid al-Falih on Sunday said that the current cycle of falling crude prices is close to an end as market fundamentals improve.

Oil prices are currently hovering at around USD 50 per barrel after hitting a 10-year low of less than USD 30 in January, down from a peak of more than USD 100 in mid-2014.

The current down cycle is nearing an end, Falih told a joint press conference with his Russian counterpart Alexander Novak after a Gulf ministerial meeting in Riyadh.

Market fundamentals, in terms of supply and demand, have begun to improve, Falih said, adding, We are optimistic that oil prices will continue to improve in the future.

Qatars energy minister, Mohammed al-Sada, whose country holds the rotating presidency of the OPEC oil exporting cartel, also said the difficult phase is over.

Although the market is heading to being balanced, it needs our joint effort, and we all agreed that we need to take measures to bring back this balance, he said.

Novak said he and his Gulf counterparts had discussed ways to develop the best mechanism to solve the issue of stabilisation.

We have reached an unprecedented level in our relations and cooperation with Saudi Arabia, he told reporters, adding that he agreed with Falih to continue to work and remain in continuous contact to achieve... concrete mechanisms.

OPEC has invited Russia and key non-members to a meeting later this month as the cartel and Moscow seek to tighten cooperation to boost historically low crude prices.

The invitation was announced after a meeting between top OPEC energy ministers and Novak in Istanbul, aimed at advancing joint efforts to bolster oil prices whose lows have hurt the highly dependent economies of crude producers.

The cartel and Russia will meet on Monday, ahead of the OPEC technical meeting in Vienna on October 28-29, to which Russia and others have been invited.

Last month at a meeting in Algiers, the cartel agreed its first production cut in eight years, although it remains to be seen how this will be complied with and implemented.

President Nicolas Maduro of OPEC member Venezuela was in Riyadh Sunday for talks a day after calling in Iran for increased cooperation between oil-rich nations to stabilise prices.

Maduro, who is also due to visit Qatar on a Middle East tour, currently faces an economic and political crisis at home, compounded by the collapsing price of oil.
American astronaut Scott Kelly spent a year watching the earth from the space. The clouds of pollution over India and China shocked him.

For a single day last summer, Kelly could see the eastern part of China, its 200 cities, clearly. The next day I heard that the Chinese government had turned off a lot of the coal-producing power plants, stopped the cars from running in that part of the country for this national holiday, and the sky had completely cleared, Kelly told PTI in Washington last week.

Its interesting to see just how quickly we can have a positive impact on (environment) if we decide, said Kelly, who returned to earth in March 2016. He did not mention if he ever had a clear view of India from up there. He probably did not get any.

If China could clear its skies, albeit for just one day, India manages the opposite in a matter of hours every Diwali evening when cracker-bursting and fireworks turn towns and cities into mass gas chambers. Every year, our courts, administrations and citizens promise to be kinder to the environment the next time. But each Diwali turns out to be worse than the last.

Delhi is rated as one of the most polluted capitals of the world. Air pollution is making us vulnerable to lung infections, heart attacks and cancer. A 2008 study by Central Pollution Control Board found that more than two-fifths of Delhis schoolchildren had reduced lung function and the damage was likely to be irreversible. The Centre for Science and Environment found that air pollution-related diseases cause more than 3,000 premature deaths every year.

Fireworks that light up Diwali skies contain the worst possible toxins. It is the gunpowder that fuels them up. It is the metallic compounds that colour their explosions. The dazzles of whites are created by burning up aluminium that affects brain and lungs. The blazing red is released from lithium and strontium compounds that can hamper bone growth in children. Fireworks often contain carcinogenic or hormone-disrupting substances that can seep into soil and water, not to mention the lung-clogging smoke they release and plastic debris they scatter.

Inexplicably, no amount of persuasion seems to be enough to stop Delhi from poisoning the already foul air. Every Diwali, the national capital appears to be on a death wish.

Globally, religious rituals collide with environmentalism. For his book, When God isnt Green, Boston University professor Jay Wexler travelled around the world to find Hindus in Mumbai carrying 25-foot plaster idols of Ganesh into the sea, Taoists in Hong Kong creating poisonous fumes by burning bushels of ghost money, and American Palm Sunday celebrants contributing to the deforestation of Central American palm forests.

As argued in this column earlier, no religious excuse can justify environmentally disastrous rituals. There is anyway nothing religious about converting a festival of light into a cracker-bursting competition. Last year, the Delhi high court noted that Diwali has religious context only in illuminating the buildings traditionally with diyas. There was nothing to suggest that bursting of firecrackers is related to any religious tenet.

Even when it comes to fireworks, China restricted the age-old tradition in 700 cities last year. This Chinese New Year, Shanghai banned all fireworks in the inner-city areas surrounding its outer ring road. The police recruited more than 300,000 volunteers to enforce the rules and imposed fines up to $75.

Post-festival, the air quality didnt improve because the outskirts and rural neighbourhoods had no such restriction. But those living along the ring road reported a quieter New Year and sanitation workers cleaned up 80% less firework waste in Shanghai this year.

Shanghaiist, a popular website on city affairs, quoted a poll by China News saying 52% of the 7,000 respondents were not hot on the use of crackers, and only 41% insisted on the necessity of fireworks for celebration.

While China makes the right noises, we remain resigned to suicidal traditions. Even the Supreme Court last year refused to ban bursting of crackers during Diwali or direct authorities to earmark designated places for, saying it was not possible to issue orders that cannot be implemented.

And just like that, we gave up without even trying.

(The author is Metro Editor, Hindustan Times. She tweets at @shivaniwrites)

Take a look at our real-time air quality map to see the latest pollution levels in different parts of the country.

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With election day fast approaching on November 8, many Americans are relieved that this sordid presidential campaign is ending. As comedian John Oliver suggested, things have plunged so low that you have to look up to find rock bottom. Quick on the uptake, corporations are already exploiting the national mood. During the final debate on October 20, the painkiller medicine Excedrin posted an advertisement in the guise of a viral tweet: The possibility of a #DebateHeadache is high. Be prepared with Excedrin. Travel companies tempt potential tourists with the suggestion, Politics getting you down? Come away with us.

In conversations with friends and colleagues, Ive found universal disgust with the election. Everybody rolls their eyes and shakes their heads at what has transpired. Most of the blame falls correctly on the puffed up shoulders of Trump, for whom the adjective outspoken has been stretched to unprecedented dimensions. His rhetoric stirred dark energies in American politics, notably white nationalism, which Ive written about often in this column. But Clinton has also cast a cloud over the campaign, unable to shake off the impression that shes a cynical operator and the embodiment of the establishment nexus of political power, media access, and Wall Street lucre. Sexism plays a part in why so many people dislike her, but its not for nothing that Clinton is one of the most unpopular presidential candidates in American history. Her 53% unfavourability rating is only a little better than Trumps 61%.

Read | Why a Trump presidency is bad news for the US and world

But I have a confession. Ive been fascinated with the way this election cycle has unfolded. While there have been many horrific moments (principally from the Trump campaign), this has been one of the more engaging contests in recent memory. Im not the only one to feel this way; the Clinton-Trump debates established new ratings records with nearly a third of the country tuning in to the first bout in September. Even if theyve been watching through their fingers, Americans have found this campaign compulsive viewing.

The same cannot be said of the 2012 election that pitted the incumbent president Barack Obama against Mitt Romney. Despite many differences, both men were cut from similar cloth, centrists fluent in the language of establishment politics. Romney did struggle to overcome the impression that he was an out-of-touch rich guy. At a private dinner, he made the fatal mistake of saying that Obamas voters comprised the 47% of the country that didnt pay income tax. Before that remark, reporters had dwelt on the fact that one of his houses had a car elevator. Earlier that summer, the media spent inordinate time fretting over an episode in 1983 when the Romney family journeyed for hours with their dog fixed to the top of their car. Did that constitute mistreatment? Was the Republican candidate abusive to his pet, and did that make him unfit for the presidency?

Read | The third US presidential debate was more a clash of ideas than personalities

Fast forward four years, and numerous accounts paint the current Republican candidate as a man guilty of sexually abusing women. Revelations via WikiLeaks increasingly sketch an image of Clinton as a cynical insider, with deep and possibly unethical ties to Wall Street and foreign powers. Any given day in the last few months of this election cycle has produced more controversy than the entirety of the 2012 campaign.

Thats not entirely a bad thing. It is easier for me to write this now because Trump is poised to lose heavily, punished at the polls for his sexism and racism. But in flummoxing the status quo and, like a magic realist novel, forcing the public to suspend its disbelief, Trump has widened the political frame. As many commentators have observed, American democracy is not being well served by its two main parties. The Democrats and Republicans dont properly represent the various cleavages in society beneath the surface of the political system. Trumps candidacy better exposed those tensions, especially at the level of race. He didnt invent the odious white nationalism that got him this far; he simply recognised that it was there. In turn, Americans are realising that race and white identity in the 21st century are necessary subjects to grapple with. The best way to strengthen and protect multiculturalism is to confront these issues head on, not pretend they dont exist.

Read | Trump would 100 percent accept election result if its fair: Son

Yes, Trump has said (and done) plenty of awful things during this campaign. Nevertheless, I think much of this popular fatigue with politics is not simply revulsion at his antics, but rather a reluctance to deal with dissonant voices, an unwillingness to accept that the placid, centrist, managerial politics as usual of the past is no longer functioning. No matter who wins, the Democrats and the Republicans will have to reckon with the populist Right-wing and youthful Left-leaning forces reshaping society. How they accommodate that changing landscape will make for much more edifying politics than this election.

Kanishk Tharoor is the author of Swimmer Among the Stars: Stories. The views expressed are personal

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Dont eat half-cooked chicken and raw eggs, the Delhi government advised people on Monday as six more bird deaths were reported in the national capital, taking the avian influenza toll to 64 in a week.

The government issued an 11-point health advisory after a meeting with officials at the forefront of the citys fight against the bird flu outbreak. Tests revealed the H5N8 virus, believed to be less virulent for humans, is killing the birds, but strict measures are being considered to prevent people from catching the disease.

We ask people to avoid direct contact with bird secretions and carcasses, development minister Gopal Rai said on Monday.

Eat cooked meat. Do not consume uncooked or half-cooked chicken or half-boiled or half-fried eggs. Though H5N8 virus is not harmful to humans, precautions will help keep it at bay.

Read: Demand for chicken falls after avian flu cases in Delhi

Though the virus is destroyed during the cooking process, there are chances of people getting infected during handling of infected poultry.

The ministers advice came barely two days after he called chicken safe to eat. The government has not considered banning the sale of poultry in the city, but is monitoring wholesale markets strictly.

Four bird deaths have been reported from a new site, a pond near Shakti Sthal and Raj Ghat. Tomorrow, I will visit the place, Rai said.

Read: SC pulls up Delhi govt over garbage disposal systems amid bird flu scare

An avian influenza scare engulfed the city when authorities closed the zoo for public after announcing that at least 10 migratory birds have died since October 14, followed by deaths at a water body abutting the popular Deer Park in south Delhi.

A senior animal husbandry department official said officials have been asked to spray a four-foot layer of lime powder around water bodies along with sodium hypochlorite, which acts as an anti-virus.

We did it at the Hauz Khas Deer Park and it is working. Officials are asked to put multivitamins in the bird feed, he said.

Delhi zoo has not reported any fresh deaths. It will remain closed, though.

Zoo employees are being tested. They have been given Tamiflu tablets and vaccination as a precaution. Experts from the National Institute of Virology in Pune visited the zoo on Monday and took samples, an official said.

The municipal corporations have been asked to form 12 rapid response teams. These will be trained on Tuesday and deployed at vulnerable points.

Read: Bird flu alert in Delhi: Is the chicken we eat safe or not?

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When President Barack Obama visited New Delhi in 2015, the US embassy purchased 1,800 indoor air purifiers to protect its employees at the embassy and other locations. When the news broke, Delhis citizens, politicians and bureaucrats were aghast: While citizens felt the government does not do enough to clean the citys air, bureaucrats and politicians said the situation was not that bad and the Western press was unfairly targeting India by comparing the city with Beijing.

Read: Track pollution in your city with this real-time air quality map

But that reports on Delhis toxic aid were not a figment of imagination or an effort at maligning India is clear from the real time air quality index (AQI) that is available now. The index transforms complex air quality data of various pollutants into a single number, nomenclature and colour. On Sunday, Delhis AQI, calculated by the Central Pollution Control Board and SAFAR, a research-based initiative of integrating air quality with health advisories and food security under the ministry of earth science, showed that Delhi is in the red zone with of 318. An AQI of more than 300 is considered very poor.

These two measurements were not the only ones sending out those SOS signals: Even the US embassys air quality monitoring stations, located at Chanakyapuri, a cleaner and greener area than the other parts of the city, showed unhealthy levels as per its AQI measurement.

Read: Air Quality Across SAFAR Cities: AQ-Index

What is alarming is that Diwali is still a few days away and its not yet winter, but the situation is critical. Its a no brainer that such high pollution levels impact the health of citizens, but surprisingly while the State generates real time air quality data, it does not issue public health alerts.

An alert would not only help citizens but could also lead to the implementation of temporary measures to bring down the pollution levels. For example, on red alert days, Bejing closes schools; pulls government-owned cars off roads, and shut polluting industries. In the US, industrial units have to reduce emissions, cut vehicle miles etc. Monitoring minus any immediate action has no meaning.

Read: Odd-even scheme had little impact, didnt cut Delhi pollution: Green panel

If Delhi --- and the National Capital Region --- is serious about tackling the air pollution problem, Diwali could have been good start. It may sound a bit drastic, but citizens have to accept that no religious festival can be an excuse to destroy the environment, and that the festival of lights can be celebrated with lights only.

More importantly, they dont to burst crackers a week in advance. Other than the environment, think about the old people, the sick, children and animals.

Do people who live in Delhi and the NCR region  or for that matter those staying in other metros --- have any right to expect clean air when they have such obsessive love for personal vehicles and Diwali crackers? We dont think so.
Andhra Pradesh commandos backed by Odisha police killed at least 24 Maoists, including six woman guerillas, in a fierce gunbattle inside a dense forest along the inter-state border early on Monday.

Commando Abu Baker from the Greyhounds team, the elite anti-Maoist force of Andhra Pradesh police, died of wounds in the gunfight. Another commando is battling for life at King George Hospital in Visakhapatnam.

Police refused to reveal if any top Maoist leader was among the dead, but this was the heaviest casualty the insurgents had suffered in recent years.

The Bejjangi forest area falls under Malkangiri district of Odisha, about 10km from the Andhra border, where Maoist insurgents were supposed to be holding a plenary.

A team of Greyhounds along with a joint squad of police from both states came across the rebels during a combing operation.

The Maoists began firing immediately after seeing the police personnel. In the ensuing gunfight, 24 Maoists were killed and two Greyhound commandos were wounded, Andhra Pradesh director general of police N Sambasiva Rao said in Visakhapatnam.

Independent sources said Maoist party central committee member Chalapathi alias Appa Rao, wife Aruna, Malkangiri division secretary Gajarla Ravi alias Udai alias Ganesh, Munna, the son of another central committee member, Akkiraju Haragopal alias Ramakrishna alias RK, and Bakuri Venkataramana alias Ganesh were killed in the fight.

Ramakrishna and Ravi were Maoist representatives in talks with then chief minister YS Rajasekhar Reddys government in 2004. The exercise failed to break the stalemate.

The casualties might also include Maoist leaders Daya, Rajanna, Bengal Sudhir, Ashok and Mallesh.

If the information is correct, this could be the biggest loss to the Maoists, who claim to be fighting for the rights of poor farmers and landless labourers, but extort money from businesses and carry out hit-and-run attacks on security forces.

Police believe Maoist leader RK was present in Malkangiri for the plenary, but managed to escape.

All the slain Maoists belong to Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. Their identity could be established after their corpses were brought to the coastal town of Visakhapatnam, an officer said.

So far, 21 bodies were retrieved from the spot. The wounded policemen were shifted to Visakhapatnam.

Police recovered four AK-47 rifles, two SLRs and two Insas rifles, besides a large cache of ammunition. The sophisticated weapons point to the presence of top Maoists, the DGP said.

Maoist emissary and revolutionary writer P Vara Vara Rao alleged that the shooting was stage-managed, and demanded that bodies be handed to their relatives after autopsy.

The Andhra Pradesh Civil Liberties Committee, a human rights group, moved a petition in the high court challenging the killing of 24 Maoists. The court ordered the post-mortem examination in Visakhapatnam, but police said it would be done in Malkangiri since shooting happened in Odisha.

The biggest leader to die in a gunfight with security forces was Koteswar Rao alias Kishenji, whose death in November 2011 dealt a body blow to the Maoist armed struggle in West Bengal.

The level of violence has fallen in recent years, and the Maoists have lost hundreds of fighters to desertions and battles with security forces. But the rebels remain capable of staging regular ambush attacks across several states.

A year before Kishenjis death, Maoists killed 75 CRPF personnel and state policemen in Chhattisgarhs Dantewada. Prior to Mondays shooting, 10 CRPF men died during a counter-insurgency operation in the jungles of Bihars Aurangabad district this July.

(With agency inputs from Bhubaneswar)

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Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Mulayam Singh Yadav will hold a meeting of party legislators on Monday to tamp down a raging power tussle between his brother and son that threatens to jeopardize the partys chances in the upcoming Uttar Pradesh assembly polls.

Sources say an angry Mulayam may take some tough decisions to stave off what looks like an imminent split in Uttar Pradeshs ruling party as one faction backs his son and chief minister Akhilesh Yadav and the old guard behind brother and state president Shivpal Yadav.

Hundreds of workers have gathered outside the party office with both factions shouting slogans against each other. Many were seen trying to enter the premises but were pushed back by a ring of policemen.

The crucial meeting comes after a day of fast-paced developments on Sunday with a slew of tit-for-tat sackings.

In the morning, Akhilesh threw out his uncle Shivpal and three other pro-Amar Singh ministers from his team. By evening, Mulayam had dismissed his cousin and SP general secretary Ramgopal Yadav, who has backed Akhilesh in the family feud, from the party for six years.

Full coverage: Yadav family feud

Mulayam, who remained silent during the day, told reporters in the evening that Whatever I have to say, I will say tomorrow. He made the remarks after a meeting with Shivpal, Om Prakash Singh, senior minister and spokeperson Ambika Chaudhary, and MLC Ashu Malik, and some others.

The crisis couldnt have come at a worse time for the SP as it battles anti-incumbency, resurgent opposition parties and concerns over deteriorating law and order just months before the state polls.

If things come to a head, Mulayam could name himself or Shivpal as the chief minister, sources said.

Read: Yadav family feud: Damage irreversible, now SP govt at stake

On Sunday, without naming anyone, the CM said he was sacking four ministers. Ahead of the meeting, Akhilesh had conveyed to governor Ram Naik his decision to boot out cabinet ministers Shivpal, Narad Rai and Om Prakash Singh and minister of state Shadab Fatima.

whosoever goes with him (Amar Singh), goes out of the party, legislator Vijay Mishra, quoted Akhilesh as saying. The CM said he had no intention of splitting the party. I am Netajis son. I will always be with him.

Part of the SP crisis is attributed to Akhileshs sour ties with Amar Singh, a close aide of his father who returned to the party recently and was nominated to the Rajya Sabha.

The CM also removed actor-turned-politician Jaya Prada, known to be close to Singh, from the Uttar Pradesh film development council.

This is the second time in a month that Akhilesh had acted against Shivpal. He stripped Shivpal of his portfolios but gave them back after Mulayam managed an uneasy truce between his feuding son and brother.

But, the peace plan now lays in tatters.

Armed with a Mulayam order, Shivpal announced Ramgopals ouster at a press conference after he accused the senior party leader of colluding with the BJP and meeting its leaders thrice.

Ramgopal is doing this to save his son in the Yadav Singh scam and the CM (is) not realising as to who his real well-wisher is. Ramgopal has always conspired and misled Akhilesh, Shivpal said, referring to a tainted chief engineer of Noida authority, a charge denied by Ramgopal.

Read: Ramgopal pledges support to Akhilesh, says Mulayam surrounded by demonic powers

Before Akhilesh announced his decision to throw out the ministers, Ramgopal, the partys chief strategist, attacked the Shivpal camp through an open letter.

We want that chief minister Akhilesh Yadavs leadership see the next government in UP; they want he loses come what may, said Ramgopal, who is in Mumbai.

He reaffirmed support for Akhilesh after his ouster.

Netaji is surrounded by demonic powers...In the ongoing crusade (dharm-yudh), I am with Akhilesh Yadav, he said. urging the CMs supporters to fight without fear.

Read: Samajwadi leaders hold Amar Singh responsible for Yadav family feud

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A Border Security Force (BSF) jawan and a six-year old boy were killed while a BSF officer and another jawan were among six others injured as Pakistan Rangers used mortars and heavy machine gun fire through Sunday night in Jammu sector.

At least 25 Indian posts and over 18 villages were targeted along the international border in RS Pura, Kanachak, Arnia, Akhnoor and Pargwal sectors of Jammu district. The shelling also left 35 cattle dead and over 200 injured.

The high intensity attack came barely three days after the BSF said it had killed seven Pakistani Rangers personnel and a terrorist in firefights through the day across Bobiya area of Hiranagar in Katuha district, Samba in Samba district and Pargwal in Jammu district The BSF retaliation had followed the death of constable Gurnam Singh in a sniper attack in Bobiya.

On Monday too, the BSF claimed it responded in equal measure.

BSF Jammu Frontier DIG Dharmender Pareekh said, Head constable Shushil Kumar, a native of Pehova in Kurukshetra district of Haryana sustained a splinter injury in his chest while retaliating to the Pakistani fire. He was immediately evacuated to the government medical college and hospital (GMCH) in Jammu where he unfortunately succumbed to his injuries at 12.30 am on Monday.

The jawan had sustained grievous injuries at Sangral post in the RS Pura sector.

We salute his supreme sacrifice in the line of duty, added Pareekh.

Pakistan targeted almost all posts north of Suchetgarh in RS Pura to Chenab River in Akhnoor.

Pareekh said the BSF returned the fire in equal measure and inflicted heavy damage to the Pakistanis.

BSF ASI RD Puri was also injured in the skirmishes at Abdullian post. ASI Puri of 127 Battalion hails from Sivan district in Bihar. The 48-year-old officer has been admitted at GMCH in Jammu.

A BSF jawan Ayyappa Babu of 33 Battalion also suffered bullet injuries in his left leg at a post in Chenab River area in Pargwal sector.

Pargwal, Gharkhal and Kanachak witnessed heavy firing including mortars by Pakistan, a local from RS Pura said.

Pakistan rained 82 mm and 120 mm mortars at Korotana Khurd, Bidhipur, Rattan, Abdullian, Chanduchak, Hansuchak, Sai Devigarh, Sai Nikowal, Joura Farm and many other forward villages.

Jammu deputy commissioner Simrandeep Singh said, A six-year old boy Vikcy died and a girl suffered fracture in her leg after a shell exploded during wee hours on Monday at Lalyal in Kanachak sector Akhnoor sub division in Jammu district.

They belonged to a migrant family of labourers from Bihar, he said.

At least 35 cattle have also died and over 200 others were injured in Pak firing and shelling, he added.

Three injured have been identified as Parkasho Devi ,62, wife of Fangu Ram of Gajansoo , Krishana Devi, 65, wife of late Chain Dass of Treva and Girdhari Lal, 65 of Sai in RS Pura.

Meanwhile, Pakistans ISI posted on its website said that a Pakistani civilian Muhammad Latif of village Janglora and a minor girl Haniya died while seven civilians were injured in Indian firing and shelling in Harpal, Pukhlian and Charwah sectors.

Within past 12 hours Pakistan violated the ceasefire agreement twice and 39 times since Indias surgical strikes on September 29.

Amid the flare up along the borders, BSF has foiled three infiltration attempts in the past five days.

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The first school to participate this year in flag etiquette lessons presented by the Judge David Campbell Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution was Soddy Daisy Elementary. Eighty-seven first graders received a U.S. flag which they will carry on Nov. 7 in the Soddy Daisy parade, scheduled to remind citizens to get out and vote.

They also spent time learning about the meaning of the Pledge of Allegiance and the meaning of important words in the pledge. They heard a story about the American flag and learned about the beginning of the nation. They also received a coloring page of the American flag.

For many children, this was the first time they received a flag. They also took away the knowledge of how to respect the flag, including removal of hats by young men as the flag passes in a parade, how to care for the flag and what to do if the flag should become dirty. During the presentation, students enjoyed marching with their flags and standing at attention as the flag passed.



Each year local DAR chapters visit various elementary schools at the invitation of the principal and teachers to present the flag etiquette lesson. For more information about the DAR and/or flag etiquette lesson, please email judgedavidcampbell@tndar.org.


A Border Security Force (BSF) soldier died and another was injured as Pakistan Rangers violeted ceasefire twice on Sunday night in R S Pura sector of international border (IB), using mortar shells and firing small arms.

Border Security Force (BSF) gave a suitable reply.

Head constable Sushil Kumar was hit by a splinter in his chest while retaliating the Pakistan fire. He was administered first aid and evacuated to Government medical college and hospital in Jammu. He succembed to his injuries at 12.30am on Monday, said Dharmender Pareekh, BSF Jammu frontier DIG.

Assistan sub-inspector RD Puri was also injured in the exhange of fire.

Earlier on Sunday evening, Pakistan violated the ceasefire along the IB, as Pakistani Rangers used small arm fire to target Indian posts, which was not retaliated by the BSF.

Sundays ceasefire violation came within hours of warning by additional director general, BSF, Arun Kumar that Pakistan will have to face dire consequences if any BSF Jawan was targeted.

He also said that the BSF was fully prepared to deal with any eventuality arising due to the buildup on the Pakistani side.

Kumar said that the lull along the border could take any turn anytime.

On Friday night, Pakistan Rangers had targeted the border hamlets and border outposts (BoP) with mortar shells and opened fire from automatic weapons along the IB in the sector.

During the late night attack, which started around 11 pm and continued till Saturday morning, Pakistan Rangers had used 60 and 81 mm shells in the Korotana Khurd and Budhipur Jattan villages in the R S Pura sector.

Seven Pakistan Rangers personnel and a terrorist were killed and three others seriously injured in a befitting retaliatory action by the BSF as the Pakistani troops had targeted six sectors in Jammu, Kathua, Samba, Poonch and Rajouri districts of Jammu and Kashmir.

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The dream of a Chinese prisoner of the 1962 war, now in his seventies, to meet his family five decades after capture is lost in red tape.

Both the countries for and against which he fought a battle seem to have discarded septuagenarian Wang Qi, who was nabbed along Indias eastern frontiers in January 1963, weeks after the Indo-Sino war.

Since 2014, the 77-year-old Qi, who is now better known by his alias Raj Bahadur, has been seeking permission from New Delhi as well as Beijing, to allow him to travel to China to meet his three brothers and two sisters. But so far neither of the governments has paid any heed to his desire.

Qi was recruited in Chinese Army in 1960 and fought the war against India in 1962.

In January 1963, he was caught by the Indian Red Cross Society and handed over to the Indian Army in Assam. Qi then spent six years in jails across India, including Rajasthan, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh, before being released in March 1969 and handed over to Madhya Pradesh police for rehabilitation in Balaghat districts Tirodi. Since then the nondescript town has been Qis adopted home. After sustained efforts, he was issued a Chinese passport (passport number: G54188589) by the Chinese Embassy in New Delhi in 2013.

While applying for permission to travel to China in 2014, he even promised to return to India to stay with his Indian wife and other members of his family.

But despite making all efforts to travel to his birthplace at least once, Qis quest seems to have been lost in official procedures in New Delhi.

I have heard a lot about Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj helping foreign nationals, stuck in India, return to their homeland. I pray with folded hands to the two leaders to help me also return to my siblings in China, Qi told Hindustan Times on Sunday.

I was the most loved child of my mother, who passed away in 2006. Three years later one of my nephews Wang Yin Chun met me in New Delhi with the help of an interpreter. The meeting kindled hopes of seeing my kin in China again. Since 2014, I am trying to get permission to travel to China. But now it seems a pipedream, he added with lumps in his voice and tears in eyes.

His attempt to get Indian citizenship too was unsuccessful. Other members of his family though are Indian citizens by birth.

Qis son Vishnu, an accountant with a private firm, said a few months back the Chinese Embassy in New Delhi called them to inform that Indian side was still considering his fathers case.

We have been asked to wait with patience, he added.

But no worthwhile development has taken place since then, except for Chinese authorities informing us that Indian authorities might grant him permission to travel to China provided he is ready to stay back there and not return to India, Vishnu said.

Both inspector general (intelligence) at police headquarters (Bhopal) Makrand Deuskar and Balaghat SP Amit Sanghi said the travel permission was not granted by officials in New Delhi since certain documents pertaining to his stay in India from 1963 to 2013 were not available.
Four men reportedly entered the Indian Air Forces selection board office premises in Varanasis cantonment area by climbing a 10-feet boundary wall on Sunday, an official said on Monday.

Police inspector Ashutosh Ojha said after receiving information about the incident, a police team reached the spot and carried out a thorough search. But no one was found.

A person was taken into custody and released after interrogation. A primary probe revealed that the men who entered the IAF office were labourers and entered the premises to avoid action against them by their contractor.

Ojha said that during the interrogation, the man said his name as Somara and that he was a resident of Gumla in Jharkhand. He claimed to be a labourer.

He was released after verifying his claims from the concerned police station. A further probe into the matter was on.

Intelligence agencies have also been informed about the incident and are gathering inputs.
The Hyderabad high court on Monday directed Andhra Pradesh government to preserve the bodies of Maoists killed in a gun battle on the Andhra-Odisha border till October 27.

The high court of judicature in Hyderabad for the states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana gave this direction on a petition filed by a civil liberties activist. The court adjourned further hearing of the case to October 26.

Over 20 Maoists and a police personnel were killed in an alleged exchange of fire between extremists and police in Malkangiri district of Odisha near the border with Andhra.

The petitioner had sought comprehensive probe into the incident and action against the policemen involved as per Supreme Court guidelines about encounter killings.

The state government informed the court that the incident occurred in Odisha and that bodies of slain Maoists were yet to reach Andhra.

Stating that it cannot pass orders on the petition at this stage, the court directed that the bodies of the Maoists be preserved at King George Hospital in Visakhapatnam.
Unidentified gunmen on Monday morning attacked a helipad in Manipurs Ukhrul town minutes after a chopper with chief minister Okram Ibobi Singh, four ministers and two local MLAs took off. A Manipur Rifles constable was injured in the firing.

Reports said chopper targeting the chief minister and his high-profile team came under fire, but officials denied the ambush theory.

The chopper carrying Singh, deputy chief minister Gaikhangam and the others had landed at the fortified Bakshi helipad in Ukhrul about 9:30 am. Their schedule included inaugurating a 100-bed district hospital, two upgraded power sub-stations, a bank and block development officers building.

Ukhrul is 84km from state capital Imphal.

The chief ministers team could not move out of the helipad as protesters had blocked the road to the project inauguration site about 1km away. An apex body of local Tangkhul tribe had opposed the official programme as they felt Singh was anti-Naga.

After assessing the situation for an hour, Singh and his team flew back to Imphal about 10:30am. A volley of shots was fired at the helipad soon after, making the security personnel take cover.

William Tarao, a constable, was injured in the firing that lasted 10 minutes. Protesters also set fire to two police vehicles outside the helipad.

The situation in Ukhrul is under control after deployment of additional forces, Gaikhangam said, condemning the firing incident.

It (firing) was not against the ministerial team but an attack on the people of Manipur and the country. The government at the centre should take necessary steps, he added.

Earlier in the day, a member of the 4th Indian Reserve Battalion was injured when armed miscreants exploded a bomb at the newly built hospital complex the chief minister was to have inaugurated.
A day after he was expelled from Samajwadi Party for allegedly colluding with BJP, Ramgopal Yadav, a loyalist of Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav and cousin of party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav, said on Monday that he was not with the party now.

I am not in Samajwadi Party now, he told mediapersons tersely at the airport in Mumbai before flying out of the city. He was in Mumbai on .

Ramgopal, who was the national general secretary of Samajwadi Party, was on Sunday expelled from the party for six years by Mulayam, accusing him of hobnobbing with BJP.

The partys Uttar Pradesh unit chief and Mulayams brother Shivpal Yadav, who was dropped as a minister by Akhilesh yesterday, had accused Ramgopal of hobnobbing with BJP to save himself and his son from a CBI probe in connection with alleged involvement in the Yadav Singh Noida scam probe.

Shivpal had said Ramgopal was tarnishing the image of SP by dabbling in corruption, colluding with BJP and weakening Mulayams leadership.

In a statement faxed from Mumbai yesterday, Ramgopal had said he would always remain with nephew Akhilesh in the holy war though Mulayam will continue to remain his guru in politics.
Indian Air Force chief Air Chief Marshal Arup Raha began on Monday his six-day visit to Russia during which he will meet top military officials as the two countries eye key projects like the one for joint development of fifth generation fighter aircraft and upgrade of Su30-MKI planes, besides other programmes.

The visit comes just days after India and Russia announced deals worth over USD 12 billion, including the S400 Triumf air defence systems which will be operated by the IAF.

The visit is intended to take the existing defence cooperation between the Air Forces of the two countries to the next level, a statement by the IAF said.

The areas of cooperation presently include military and technical cooperation, exchange visits and air exercises.

During his visit to Russia, Raha is scheduled to hold talks with senior military leaders and discuss a wide range of bilateral issues on the ongoing defence cooperation.

He will also visit various Air Force and defence establishments.

Rahas visit to Russia would provide further impetus towards increasing defence cooperation and deepening the bonds of friendship between the two Air Forces, the statement said.
AIMIM President Asaduddin Owaisi has charged the BJP with trying to rake up the Ram temple issue and fall back on its original agenda of polarisation ahead of Uttar Pradesh elections as it has no positive agenda and constructive policies and programmes.

After winning 71 Lok Sabha seats in the last Parliamentary elections, the BJP now still wants to rake up the old Ram Mandir issue and it shows that they dont have any constructive policies and programmes to go before the people in Uttar Pradesh, the Hyderabad Lok Sabha member said.

It shows that BJP is insecure and has no positive agenda of development for Uttar Pradesh. (It) also exposes their loud claims of reviving economy, and everything, that has not happened. Thats why they have fallen back on their original agenda of polarisation, he told PTI.

On infighting in the ruling Samajwadi Party in Uttar Pradesh, Owaisi said, They have failed in governance. Its basically their internal problem but they have completely failed in fulfilling the promises they have made. So, it will be good riddance. Samajwadi Party has to lose power. Its their personal egos. They are not worried about solving Uttar Pradeshs main problems.

Owaisi, who has addressed a few public meetings in Uttar Pradesh in recent times, said his party is in the process of identifying constituencies at many places in the state from where it would field candidates.

He had earlier said his party is open to the idea of electoral alliances.

During his recent visit to Ayodhya to inspect the site for setting up a Ramayana Museum, Union Minister Mahesh Sharma said those who get to do Ram Ka Kaam (serve Ram) were fortunate.

The proposed museum has reignited demands by BJP hardliners like Vijay Katiyar for building a Ram temple at the disputed Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid complex.
At least 100 women ITBP personnel have been deployed at 15 border posts along the arduous Sino-India frontier, making it the first such posting of mahila combatants in a forward area.

The force has recently completed the full processes for deployment of the women personnel at select forward posts, ITBP Director General Krishna Chaudhary told reporters.

The women contingent, trained in war craft and weapon firing, have been posted after the Border out Posts (BoPs) were made gender neutral and other facilities were created for them, he said.

Officials said while the maximum of these women have been sent to Indo-Tibetan Border Police BoPs in the Ladakh frontier of Jammu and Kashmir, few have been posted at other locations in Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh.

The total number of women personnel, who have been posted at BoPs, is about 100, they said, adding few more BoPs will have women personnel in the coming days.

The force earlier this year commissioned 500 women troops for deployment at India-China border in its constabulary ranks after training them for 44 weeks in battle craft and mountain survival.

The posts where these women have been deployed are situated at a height between 8,000 and 14,000 feet, including the Mana pass border post, the last village on the Indian side in Uttarakhand.

The force plans to have women personnel make up at least 40 per cent of its strength at these forward posts.

This is the first time India has deployed women troops right at the front, at least on the one which is considered to be the most arduous and tricky given the harsh climatic conditions and extreme mountainous terrain along the India-China border.

ITBP, which marks its 55th Raising Day on Monday, was raised in the aftermath of the 1962 Chinese aggression.

These women, who were recruited in the force in February last year, hail from various states with 97 of them, the highest, coming from the hill state of Uttarakhand.

Women constables were first inducted in this 80,000 personnel strong force in 2008, but they were until now only deployed for rendering law and order duties in troubled areas and in a few instances at the Nathu La pass to facilitate traders and for frisking women.

ITBP has a total of 1,661 women personnel in its various ranks and branches of work with the maximum number of 1,033 being in the constabulary ranks.
A state-wide bandh called by the opposition in Jharkhand on Monday to protest police firings on villagers opposing land acquisitions for power plants and the state governments move to amend two tenancy laws, evoked a mixed response.

The bandh had negligible impact in urban areas but rural areas virtually shut down. Transport to and from the state capital Ranchi remained crippled and private schools across the state were shut.

Opposition supporters took to the streets in the morning to enforce the day-long state-wide bandh. Despite tight security, protestors blocked several national highways and also tried to disturb the rail services in different parts of the state.

Jharkhand Vikas Morcha-Prajatantrik (JMV-P) chief Babulal Marandi and former union minister Subodh Kant Sahay of the Congress were taken into preventive custody in Ranchi.

Police also detained more than 200 activists including former Congress legislator Banna Gupta were also detained by the police. They were reportedly trying to disturb the road and rail services and vandalize public properties in different districts. JMV-P supporters stopped the Rajdhani express at Dhanbad railway station for 15 minutes.

Reports of minor scuffles between police and opposition supporters have been reported from different parts of the state.

Inspector general of police (IGP) MS Bhatia, who is also the state polices spokesperson, said the force was put on high-alert across the state to prevent any untoward incident and ensure security to all public and private properties.

The opposition had parties called the bandh after simmering discontent over the last few months snowballed into massive issue following the death of seven villagers in separate incidents of police firing on protestors against land acquisition in Khunti, Hazaribag and Ramgarh.

The opposition had been unhappy since May this year when the Raghubar Das-led NDA government proposed to amend the Chotanagpur Tenancy (CNT) Act, 1908 and the Santhal Pargana Tenancy (SPT) Act, 1949 to pave the way for commercial use of tribal land. Opposition parties unanimously opposed any change in the laws even as villagers hit the streets.

State congress president Sukhdeo Bhagat said, This is the fight against governments arrogance and dictatorial attitude. The BJP government in state is trying to muffle the voice of poor tribals who wanted to protect their lands.

JVM-P legislature party leader Pradip Yadav, said All political parties and tribal organisations are participating in the bandh to protest against the government that is trying to grab the poor tribals land for industries.

The bandh affected almost all districts including Ranchi, Dhanbad, Jamshedpur, Bokaro, Ramgarh, Hazaribag and Dumka. .

Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) working president Hemant Soren said his party has also supportted the protest programme as the government is trying to suppress the voices of poor people through bullets.

Earlier, Federation of Jharkhand Chamber of Commerce and Industries (Fjcci) had appealed to the parties to withdraw their programme as it would impact business ahead of Diwali. Opposition parties turned down the request and asked them to support their call or else they would not be liable for any damages.
Comedy improvisation returns to Chattanooga State with second year students of the Professional Actor Training Program, joined by faculty and staff. It will be held Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. in the Humanities Theatre.

The scenes are improvised from audience suggestions.

The show is for all ages and is free.
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Monday said Kashmir is the core issue between India and Pakistan and its resolution would ensure durable peace in the region.

Kashmir issue must be resolved according to the UN resolutions as per the commitments made by the Indian government, Sharif told British National Security Adviser Sir Mark Lyall Grant, who called on him at PM House in Islamabad.

Sharif said Kashmir is the core issue between India and Pakistan and its resolution would ensure durable peace in the region as he urged the world to take note of alleged human rights violations there, officials said.

Read | We want to settle all issues, including Kashmir, with India, says Pak PM Sharif

The world community must take a note of the grave human rights violations and atrocities in Kashmir, he said, adding that over hundred people have been brutally killed, hundreds have been blinded by the use of pellet guns while thousands have been injured in the last few months alone.

Sharif said that Pakistan is peace loving country and pursues the policy of maintaining friendly relationships with all its neighbours, they said.

Grant appreciated his policy of reaching out to the neighbours for establishing cordial relationships with them.

We encourage and support your efforts for peaceful cooperation with your neighbouring countries, Grant said.

He said that the commitment of political government and armed forces, supported by the people of Pakistan have resulted into phenomenal victory against terrorism, referring to operation Zarb-e-Azb in the northwestern tribal region.

Read | India mistaken if it equates Kashmiris struggle with terrorism: Sharif

Grant congratulated the Prime Minister on successfully completing the IMF support programme and achieving macroeconomic stability.

The British NSA also called on chief of army staff General Raheel Sharif at army headquarters on Monday.

Matters of mutual interest and regional security came under discussion. The visiting dignitary acknowledged the significant achievements made by Pakistan in their fight against terrorism and continued efforts for regional peace and stability, said a statement issued by the army.

Read | Uri attack could be the result of Kashmir unrest, says Pakistan PM Sharif
Kerala Opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala today claimed he and his family had received death threats from abroad, asking him to stop making remarks against beedi tycoon Muhammed Nisham, who is lodged in jail for killing a security after hitting him with his car.

He informed the state Assembly that he had been receiving calls from abroad at night since October 22, threatening that he or any of his family members would be physically harmed if they spoke against Nisham.

Chennithala said he had also received a threatening message on October 23 at 11.22 PM on his mobile.

The senior Congress leader said the government should conduct an enquiry and take strict action in this connection. He later gave a letter in this regard to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and the DGP.

The chief minister said the government would take the issue seriously and enquire into it without any laxity.

Nisham was sentenced to life imprisonment by a court in Thrissur in January this year besides an additional 24 years and slapped a fine of Rs 80.30 lakh for killing the security guard of his residential complex.

He had assaulted the guard in an inebriated state and later rammed his luxury vehicle against him in the early hours of January 29, 2015, irked over the delay in opening the main gates of his posh residential complex in Thrissur.
Bengalurus proposed 6.7km steel flyover at a cost of Rs 260 crore per km is meant to connect some of the busiest traffic points in the city, easing congestion and more specifically, to speed up the journey to the Kempegowda International Airport (KIA).

Citizens have organised swiftly in protest, forming human chains and tweeting with hashtags like #SayNoToSteelFlyover or #SteelFlyoverBeda, some dubbing it the VIP flyover for being of little use to the common man for whom journeys to the airport arent a priority.

Although the government refuses to concede their demand, protesters oppose the flyover for the Rs 1,791 crore it will cost, the two years it is expected to take, and 800-odd trees that the city will lose.

The flyover is meant to come up in the north of the city, but traffic is heaviest with people in the IT city travelling from the north, where development has been slow, to the citys southeast and the Central Business District, where the businesses are.

The state government initially publicised the steel flyover project as one that would help airport commuters and provide a much-needed boost to real estate in north Bengaluru.

A highly placed source within the ruling Congress says the project is a desperate bid for appreciation before the state hits election mode. We go into assembly elections by 2018. Which means, technically we are left with only 2017 to do whatever we have aimed to do for the betterment of the city, he says.

State agriculture minister Krishna Byre Gowda is confident that the steel flyover will benefit the city. Speaking to the media on Saturday, he condemned the protestors and said: You guys want us to provide you solutions. But when we come up with a plan, you play right into the hands of opposition parties. Your protests are unreasonable. To stall a developmental project over trees is myopic despite the assurances that government will plant and nurture saplings for every tree cut here.

Proximity to the airport has not turned out to be a selling point for major developers and builders like Manyata, Sobha, Prestige and Brigade, who went the whole hog with their premium properties in north Bengaluru. Industrial growth in the area is at an all-time low and all the investment in real estate has done little so far to improve infrastructure in the area.

Real estate players are clearly excited about the prospects north Bengaluru will see with this flyover. North Bengaluru has good connectivity. But the impetus provided by the steel flyover will surely whip up some more excitement in north Bengaluru where real estate has a lot of potential. With the proposed flyover, real estate will see a good surge in the coming days, Pradeep Jr Reddy, promoter of Realty Brook Private Limited (a venture of JR Estates), says.

Ankit Tyagi, COO of North India Sothebys International Realty, says, North Bengaluru is undergoing planned expansion along with infrastructure development.The niche segment of home buyers and property curators are definitely eyeing north Bengaluru for their future plans.

Infrastructure improvement has always led to a hotter real estate. For example, development of Hong Kongs international airport led to the development of residential projects and housing as per the master plan developed by the HK government after reclaiming land around the airport, Tyagi added.

But Vinay K Sreenivasa, a member of Bengaluru Bus Prayanikara Vedike who has been taking part in agitations organised by citizens groups against the steel flyover, says, building the way out of congestion is not a good idea.

We all know why this project is being taken up in such a hurry. The government should pay heed to the voices of people and consult experts for better alternatives to ease the situation.

(Published in arrangement with GRIST Media)
The army said one militant was killed in an encounter in Lolab area of the border district of Kupwara on Monday morning and a weapon was recovered.

An army official said the encounter started at 8am in the morning and it is going on. Further details are awaited.

On Saturday two Kashmiri militants, members of the banned outfit Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM), were arrested in Baramulla.

Security forces are battling a an increased infiltration across LoC and local youth leaving home to join militant ranks.

HT had earlier reported that certain infiltration estimates by intelligence agencies have pegged the number to 150 this year, considering the low snowfall of March and April this year. Moreover, over 50 local youth are suspected to have joined the militant ranks after Wanis death.
The plausibility of an India-Pakistan ice-breaker at the highest level seems to have faded, but a political handshake between the neighbours is still possible early next month.

A source said minister of state in the external affairs ministry MJ Akbar will represent India at the leaders meet of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), which is expected to be attended by Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. Though there is no official announcement yet, reports suggested Sharif will attend the meeting.

The meeting of the grouping will be held in Bishkek, capital of Central Asian country Kyrgyzstan, on November 2 and 3.

India and Pakistan are the new members of the SCO grouping, which for long has been touted as a possible counterweight to the US-led security bloc NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organisation).

The grouping also includes Russia, China, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan.

Some SCO members in the past had raised concerns that the India-Pakistan bilateral tussle would spill over into the groupings proceedings, which both Pakistan and India dismissed as misplaced fears.

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Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav said on Monday he is saddened by the rift in the family and seemed to back his brother and Uttar Pradesh unit chief Shivpal Yadav over his son and chief minister Akhilesh Yadav in a bitter power tussle that has threatened to split the party ahead of the 2017 assembly polls.

I will never forget the work Shivpal has done for me and the Samajwadi Party. He has done a lot for the party and Amar Singh helped me in tough times, Mulayam said during a party meeting.

Here are the highlights:

7:17pm: Shivpal Yadav meets CM Akhilesh Yadav at CM residence in Lucknow

5:55pm: SP state president Shivpal Yadav sacks 10 more supporters of CM Akhilesh Yadav

1.03pm: Akhilesh and Shivpal hug each other after Mulayam asks them to

1pm: Mulayam: After getting the post of CM, power has gone to Akhileshs head

One who cannot think big, cannot become a big leader. One who cannot tolerate dissent and suffer criticism, cannot become a big leader

12.50pm: Mulayam: Akhilesh will never disobey me and Shivpal will do as I say

12.30pm: Mulayam: Akhilesh will not be removed as the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh

12.05pm: Mulayam: I made the party. The young brigade thinks they are goons but actually I am the bigger goon

11.55am: Mulayam: I couldve become the PM if I wanted to. But what is the point? I didnt compromise on principles

We should remove our weakness and not fight with each other

11.50am: Mulayam: Drunkards, goons have been added to the party. You get some power and it goes to your head. Shivpal Yadav is leader of the masses

11.45am: Mulayam: I will never forget the work Shivpal has done for me and Samajwadi Party

Shivpal has done a lot for the party and Amar Singh has helped me in tough times

11.40am: Mulayam: Some ministers are just busy being sycophants. And people who cant think big cant be a minister

11.25am: Mulayam: I am hurt by this rift in the family

11.20pm: Shivpal: Some sycophants and vested interests are trying to harm the party

Akhilesh had told me that he would form a new party and contest the upcoming polls

11.15pm: Akhilesh: I know all that Shivpal has told you about me

11.10pm: Shivpal: People who work to weaken SP, who work against us...they should know we will form Govt again with Netajis sweat and blood

11.05pm: Akhilesh: A conspiracy is being hatched against me. But I will resign if Netaji (Mulayam) asks me to step down as CM

11pm: Akhilesh urges workers to make party silver jubilee function a success

10.50pm: Akhilesh Yadav breaks down during the meeting, says he wont be floating a new party

10.40pm: Shivpal Yadav says that those clashing with his supporters are goons sent by Akhilesh Yadav and not Samajwadi Party workers.

10.30pm: Outside the party headquarters in Lucknow, supporters of Akhilesh Yadav and Shivpal Yadav clash

10.10am: Ramgopal Yadavs son Akshay writes a letter saying he is hurt by the way his father was ousted from the party by Shivpal Yadav

@htTweets Another Samajwadi Party letter bomb. This one by Ramgopal's MP son Akshay. pic.twitter.com/ACdH7BrNXX  PANKAJ JAISWAL (@augustus29lotus) October 24, 2016

10pm: Hundreds of workers have gathered outside the party office with both factions shouting slogans against each other. Many were seen trying to enter the premises but were pushed back by a ring of policemen

With only a few months to go for the Uttar Pradesh assembly polls, the states ruling party is locked in a fierce family power tussle.

Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav is fighting to tamp down a feud between his son and chief minister Akhilesh, and his brother and state chief Shivpal after a slew of tit-for-tat removals.

On Sunday morning, Akhilesh Yadav threw out his uncle Shivpal and three other pro-Amar Singh ministers from his team. By evening, Mulayam had dismissed his cousin and SP general secretary Ramgopal Yadav, who had backed Akhilesh in the family feud, from the party for six years.

The crisis couldnt have come at a worse time for the SP as it battles anti-incumbency, resurgent opposition parties and concerns over deteriorating law and order just months before the state polls.

This was the second time in a month that Akhilesh had acted against Shivpal. Earlier, he had stripped Shivpal of his portfolios but gave them back after Mulayam managed an uneasy truce between his feuding son and brother. But, the peace plan now lays in tatters.
Abdul Basit, the Pakistani envoy to New Delhi, on Monday said that his country doesnt need hyper-nationalism to pursue its foreign policy goals.

Taking exception to Indias efforts to isolate Islamabad diplomatically on the issue of terrorism, Basit said Jammu and Kashmir is the root cause of all problems between the neighbours.

Pakistan is a proud country of 200 million people. It doesnt need misplaced jingoism and hyper nationalism to pursue its foreign policy objectives, Basit told a think-tank in Delhi, according to a press release issued by Pakistan high commission.

His comments came against the backdrop of strong anti-Pakistani sentiments among a section in India in the wake of a terror attack in northern Kashmirs Uri that killed 19 people last month. Even Bollywood filmmakers casting Pakistani actors in their films have faced strong protests.

India blames Pakistan-based terrorists for the Uri attack, a claim Pakistan has denied.

He then asked: How on earth it is possible to isolate a country on terrorism when that country itself is the worst victim of terrorism?

He reiterated Jammu and Kashmir is the root cause of all our problems and the dispute has made us mutually antagonistic.

Kashmir Valley has been on the boil since the July 8-killing of Burhan Wani, a militant leader. While Pakistan has accused Indian forces of using excessive force to crush protests in the Valley, New Delhi has accused Islamabd of formenting trouble.

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Pakistan will attend the Heart of Asia conference to be hosted by India in December to boost development in Afghanistan, foreign policy chief Sartaj Aziz said on Monday.

The move by Islamabad appears to be aimed at countering efforts by India to isolate Pakistan on the international stage over the use of terrorism as an instrument of state policy.

Aziz, the adviser on foreign affairs to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, said Pakistan will participate in the regional meet to be held in Amritsar during December 3-4. Pakistan will continue to attend all international forums, he was quoted as saying by Geo News channel.

India launched a move to isolate Pakistan over the issue of terrorism after an attack on an army camp at Uri in Kashmir in September that was blamed on the Jaish-e-Mohammed. Troops of the two countries have traded fire on the Line of Control and India carried out surgical strikes that it says resulted in significant casualties.

Pakistan has denied the surgical strikes and instead raised alleged rights violations by Indian security forces in Jammu and Kashmir. The tensions had sparked speculation about Pakistans participation in the Heart of Asia conference, which will be attended by Afghan President Ashraf Ghani.

Aziz did not give details about who would represent Pakistan at the Heart of Asia meet. The last two Heart of Asia meets  in Islamabad in December 2015 and in New Delhi in April this year  were attended by the foreign ministers and foreign secretaries of India and Pakistan and they also held talks on the sidelines.

External affairs minister Sushma Swaraj and Aziz had agreed on a roadmap for a comprehensive dialogue process in December 2015 but the initiative fizzled out after a terror attack on the Pathankot airbase in January.

Aziz also told Geo News that India should allow a UN observer group to visit Jammu and Kashmir. India has continuously been violating UN resolutions on Kashmir, he said.

He further said dossiers on Kulbhushan Jadhav, a former Indian Navy officer arrested in Balochistan, were in the final phase of preparation. Pakistan will hand over these dossiers to the UN and other states, he added.
Delhi-based Ashok and Company-Pan Bahar Ltd has said Hollywood star Pierce Brosnan knew about the product he was endorsing, days after the actor claimed he was distressed over the unauthorised and deceptive use of his image in the pan masala ad, according to the Times of India.

Brosnan, who played the legendary British spy James Bond, claimed last week he was deceived and that the contract details stated that he was to advertise a breath freshener/tooth whitener. The Irish actor demanded that the company remove his image from all their products as they violated the contract, according to an exclusive statement to People magazine.

I would never have entered into an agreement to promote a product in India that is dangerous to ones health, Brosnan said in the statement to the American weekly from Time Inc.

Brosnans response on Thursday came amid public outrage over his endorsement of the pan masala. He was trolled again for saying that he was misled by the company into endorsing the product.

The TOI reported on Sunday the manufacturers of Pan Bahar also said that their product does not contain any nicotine or tobacco. It added that the company is yet to detail its strategy to deal with Brosnans demand to drop his images from their advertisement.

It was clearly mentioned to him that it was pan masala/mouth freshener, the report quoted an unnamed source linked to the manufacturers of Pan Bahar as saying.

A brand custodian told TOI on Friday that the company had not deviated from the contract when it produced and unveiled the advertisement. The contract has not been made public by the company, which has a turnover of Rs 230 crore.

This is hereby certified that Pan Bahar and Pan Bahar Crystal Pan Masala manufactured by us does not contain tobacco and nicotine and there is no tobacco product made under this brand name, a statement signed by Pawan Kumar Jain, a director of the company, said.

Pan Bahar is made from a mixture of nuts, seeds, herbs and spices, and is believed to cause cancer and other health problems.
A PIL filed in the Delhi high court questioned the practice of ministers and sitting members of the parliament and legislative assemblies participating in poll campaigns for their parties.

The petition contends that ministers, MPs and MLAs are public servants and under the law, public servants are prohibited from participating in elections except to the extent of casting their vote.

The matter was listed on Monday before a bench of chief justice G Rohini and justice Sangita Dhingra Sehgal.

However, as the bench did not sit on Monday, the matter has been listed for hearing on November 23.

The petitioner has contended that after MPs and MLAs are administered the oath of office, it should be presumed that they will only work for the nation and not for any political party during the tenure of his/her office.

Whether MPs, MLAs, ministers and prime ministers who as public servants within meaning of Prevention of Corruption Act 1988, should also be treated as public servant in equal manner as other public servants of Government, petitioner Mohan Singh, a retired Sub-Inspector, has said in his plea.

Singh has said that elected representatives, during their tenure, should not be trying to gain political mileage by indulging in political activities.

He has sought directions to the Centre to treat MP/MLAs as public servants and a direction to prohibit MPs/MLAs from participating in any political activities during tenure of their office.
Amid the raging internal war in ruling Samajwadi Party in Uttar Pradesh, Priyanka Gandhi participated on Monday in a strategy session of Congress leaders from the poll-bound state.

Convened by AICC general secretary Ghulam Nabi Azad, the hour-long meeting saw Gandhi intensely interacting with the state leaders including PCC Chief Raj Babbar, Congress CM candidate Shiela Dikshit and campaign chief Sanjay Singh.

Party spokesman R P N Singh said that this was for the first time Gandhi participated in such a meeting of leaders from UP where the Assembly polls are scheduled early next year.

The interaction saw some state leaders suggesting tie-ups with smaller parties like RLD and Peace Party while some pitching for block level meetings to garner support instead of taking out yatras.

The impact of Rahul Sandesh Yatras, currently touring all districts in the state, was also discussed.

At the party briefing, Singh, however, steered clear of the questions whether Priyanka would be campaigning outside Amethi and Rae Bareli Lok Sabha constituencies where she has been restricting her role so far in previous Assembly polls.

It would be better if the decision is left to her was the refrain of Singh to such questions. He spoke in similar vein when asked as to why Congress, which projects itself as a democratic party, leaves such a decision to the family.

There have been strong demands from partymen in the state that Priyanka play a larger role in the campaigning to help revive the organisation in the state. Congress is out of power in the state for 27 long years.

In the last Lok Sabha polls, the party had secured just two seats-Amethi and Rae Bareli in the backdrop of a Modi wave that saw BJP and its allies secure 73 of the total 80 seats. In the last Assembly polls, Congress had secured just 28 seats out of 403.
Bodo groups in Assam demanding a separate state began a 10-hour rail blockade early Monday morning that has hit rail traffic across most parts of the state.

Thousands of protesters blocked railway tracks at two places in Chirang and Udalguri districts affecting the movement of trains leaving and entering the state in lower Assam. The protests began at 5 am.

Since all trains coming to the north-east or leaving the region have to pass through the Bodo dominated areas, the blockade is expected to affect rail services throughout the day.

The protest programme is spearheaded by All Bodo Students Union (ABSU) with support from National Democratic Front of Bodoland (Progressive) and Peoples Joint Action Committee for Bodoland Movement (PJACBM).

The rail blockade is the third among a series of protests by the three Bodo groups reviving the demand for a separate state for Assams biggest tribal group, after a gap of over two years.

We were forced to block trains as there has been no response yet from the Centre or the state government to our demand. The agitation will intensify if the same attitude continues, ABSU general secretary Lawrence Islary told HT.

The agitation, which has been on for three decades, was put on hold ahead of the 2014 general elections after Bharatiya Janata Party assured Bodo parties and organizations of support for the creation of Bodoland.

But in the past two years, though there have been several informal interactions between Bodo organizations and union home minister Rajnath Singh and his deputy Kiren Rijiju, no official talks have taken place.

Bodos arent the only group protesting in Assam. Last week, a Jonogosthiya Oikya Manch, an umbrella group of six communities, organized a 36-hour state bandh seeking scheduled tribe (ST) status.

Protesters blocked national highways by burning tyres, set vehicles on fire, forcibly closed business and educational establishments and damaged public and private property in nearly a dozen districts.

The protest was organized after a Centre-appointed expert committee to study modalities on granting ST status to the six communities, which was to submit its report on October 15, failed to meet its deadline.

JOM has decided to organize more protests in Assam and also in New Delhi within the next few weeks to put pressure on the Centre.
Several Samajwadi Party (SP) leaders on Sunday vented anger against party general secretary Amar Singh, holding him responsible for the ongoing feud in the first political family of the state.

Senior Party leader Naresh Agarwal, without taking any names, demanded that the party identify the force that was pitting son against father and brother against brother.

After chief minister Akhilesh Yadav dismissed four ministers including uncle Shivpal  considered close to Amar Singh  and sacked Jaya Prada from the post of vice chairperson of Uttar Pradesh Film Development Council, SP workers assembled outside the chief ministers residence and raised slogans against Amar Singh.

They smeared ink on his posters and burnt his effigy. Similar protests were also reported from other parts of the state.

Although Singh has often stated that the SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav was like his elder brother and chief minister Akhilesh like his son, the unfolding developments only indicate a new low in the partys love-hate relationship with Singh.

One person has already done a lot of damage, said minister for parliamentary affairs Mohammad Azam Khan without naming Singh.

Mulayam has so far not spoken a word on chief ministers remarks against Singh.

Shivpal had openly supported Singh, saying there was no outsider in the party, referring to the chief minister remark against the partys Rajya Sabha MP.

Singh has not visited the state capital for a long time.

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The Supreme Court on Monday issued notice to former RJD MP Mohammad Shahabuddin, the Bihar Government and the Centre seeking their reply to shift the former from Siwan district jail in Bihar to Tihar jail in Delhi .

The next hearing of the case is scheduled for November 28.

Slain journalist Rajdeo Ranjans widow Asha Ranjan had filed a plea in the Supreme Court seeking to shift Shahabuddin from the Siwan to the Tihar jail so that the witnesses in her husbands murder case are not influenced.

Hearing Asha Ranjans plea on October 17, an apex court bench headed by Justice Dipak Mishra had directed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to complete the murder probe within three months.

The apex court also issued notices and sought responses from Shahabuddin and Bihar Health Minister Tej Pratap Yadav.

During the last hearing, Tej Pratap had admitted that he had accepted a bouquet from one of the murder accused, but denied his involvement in the murder.

Ranjan (42), the bureau chief of The Hindustan, was shot dead in July this year at Phal Mandi near the Siwan railway station, barely half-a-kilometer from the police station.

The Bihar government has recommended the CBI probe into the case.

The case came into limelight again after a photograph appeared in the media showing murder suspects Mohammad Kaif and Mohammad Javed with gangster-politician Mohammed Shahabuddin after his release from jail.

Kaif, however, later rubbished all accusations against him and said he has no involvement in Rajdeos murder case.

Meanwhile, a separate petition filed by Chandrakeshwar Prasad, whose three sons had been murdered at the behest of the RJP leade.

Shahabuddin, who had been in jail for more than 10 years in connection with multiple cases, was granted bail by the Patna High Court on September 7 in connection with the murder of a man who witnessed the killing of two brothers in Siwan.
New Zealand Prime Minister John Keys aircraft developed a snag en route to India on Monday, resulting in the cancellation of his programmes in Mumbai during the first leg of his visit to the country.

Key, who was to land in Mumbai on Monday at 6:30pm, will now be arriving in Delhi on Tuesday evening.

There was a technical snag in the flight. So Prime Minister Key rescheduled his programme, sources familiar with the development told HT.

Key had a packed schedule in Mumbai. He was to visit the Bombay Stock Exchange followed by witnessing the signing of agreements between the Maharashtra government and New Zealand.

On Wednesday, Kay will meet with his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi, and will leave for Jakarta the next day.

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Mondays killing of 24 Maoists in the Malkangiri forests of Odisha, barely 10 km from the Andhra border, has lent credence to the suspicion that the outlawed extremist outfit was trying to regain entry into Andhra Pradesh.

The rebels have been trying to exploit the growing resentment among local Adivasis against the proposed bauxite mining and construction of the Polavaram multi-purpose irrigation project that would submerge over one lakh acres in the tribal areas.

The Maoists were virtually wiped out from unified Andhra Pradesh after the breakdown of talks with the then YS Rajasekhar Reddy government in October 2004. Several top Maoist leaders were killed in encounters and the remaining brass shifting base to the forests of Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Jharkhand and West Bengal. Successive governments took several measures to wean away disgruntled youth from joining the Maoists, which resulted in a drastic fall in the number of new recruits into the Maoist party in the last one decade.

However, the Maoists have not given up their attempts to return to Andhra Pradesh, which was once their stronghold. In fact, the Maoist party is dominated mostly by Telugus  there are as many as 275 leaders and cadre of all levels, who are from Telangana and AP. Out of the 17 members in its Central Committee, 11 are Telugus  general secretary Muppala Lakshman Rao alias Ganapathi is from Karimnagar in Telangana. And among the six politburo members, four are from Andhra and Telangana. Besides the general secretary, all key positions such as chief of Central Military Commission, secretary of Dandakaranya Special Zone Committee and spokesperson of Central Committee are all held by the Telugus.

Naturally, the outfits top leadership has been desperately trying to regain its hold in the Telugu land. As part of its strategy, the party overtly and covertly supported the movement for separate Telangana state, hoping that a divided state would make their entry easier. While the Maoists belonging to Northern Telangana committee and Dandakaranya special zone committee are active in Khammam on the Telangana-Chhattisgarh border, the Andhra-Odisha border committee has been making its presence felt in the north coastal districts of Andhra Pradesh like Visakhapatnam, Vizianagaram and Srikakulam. There have been sporadic incidents of Maoist violence in Khammam in Telangana and Visakhapatnam agency areas in Andhra in the last few years.

In the last four or five years, the Maoists have become very active on the Andhra-Odisha border due to permissions given to private bauxite mining companies in Vizianagaram and Visakhapatnam tribal belts. They resorted to several kidnappings of public representatives and officials, including young IAS officer Vineel Krishna in 2011, besides killing of a few public representatives and policemen in the border villages. They have also called for frequent shutdown of towns and villages on Andhra-Odisha border and conducted public meetings in the forests in the name of Martyrs commemoration meetings.

At the same time, the police forces of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, particularly the Greyhounds police, who are specially trained to deal with Maoists, have been conducting surgical strikes on Maoists in Chhattisgarh and Odisha regularly, killing several Maoists in encounters. The killing of Maoist party spokesman Azad and top leader Mallojula Koteshwar Rao alias Kishenji is said to be the handiwork of the Greyhound police. Of course, the police forces also suffered heavily in the process  in June 2008, as many as 38 Greyhound police personnel were shot dead by the Maoists, when the former were returning to AP in a boat in Balimela reservoir on Andhra-Odisha border.

With the fast-tracking of the Polavaram irrigation project on Godavari river, boosted by the 100% funding offered by the NDA government as part of the special package to AP, the Maoists have smelt an opportunity there. They feel it is an ideal situation to regain their sway in Telangana and Andhra as the project would displace 1.8 lakh people belonging to 277 villages, mostly the tribal areas in both the states, besides Chhattisgarh and Odisha. As part of reworking their strategy, the top Maoists had gathered in the Malkangiri forests and fell to the bullets of the police.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi criticised the controversial practice of triple talaq on Monday, speaking for the first time on mounting calls to reform an Islamic code that he said was destroying Muslim womens lives.

Modi said womens rights were a development issue and that people must not politicise the debate to ban the so-called triple talaq in which Muslim men divorce their wives instantly with a single word. The same codes also allow polygamy among Muslims.

What is the crime of my Muslim sister that just like that over the telephone someone says talaq three times and her whole life should be ruined? Modi said at a rally in Uttar Pradesh, where Muslims form more than 20% of the electorate that will elect a new assembly early next year.

No injustice should be meted out to our mothers and sisters in the name of religion or community.

Read: For or against triple talaq? Signature war erupts in Muslim community

India has separate sets of personal laws for each religion governing marriage, divorce, succession, adoption and maintenance. While much of the Hindu law overhaul began in the 1950s and continues, activists have long argued that Muslim personal law has remained mostly unchanged.

The Modi government has said it wants to replace the triple talaq divorce and other Islamic personal laws with a new uniform civil code applicable to all religious groups. That proposal has met stiff opposition from Muslim groups, who argue that it would discriminate against them.

But about two dozen Muslim womens groups have in recent years mounted legal challenges to triple talaq, which they say discriminates against them and violates their human rights.

Modis comments drew criticism from rivals, with some suggesting that he was fishing for votes of Muslim women in the states assembly elections.

The opposition Congress sought to strike a balance between womens rights and need for consensus on changing contentious laws.

While we stand for equality and fair treatment for women, no hasty step should be taken which may lead to a feeling of alienation amongst any community, party spokesman RPN Singh said.

Modi said it was his governments duty to ensure the rights of Muslim women were upheld.

We should not look at religion when it comes to respecting or protecting women, said Modi.

Election, votes, politics must be kept on one side: Muslim women must get their rights.

But at the same time he also condemned the prevalence of female foeticide in Hindu society.

Female foeticide is a sin. So what if the sinner is a Hindu? My government has taken a number of steps (to stop this practice), he said.

Read: Triple talaq row: Theres scope for reconciliation between Islam, modernity

Modis comments came weeks after the law commission circulated a questionnaire asking for public feedback on banning practices such as triple talaq and drafting a uniform civil code.

The influential All India Muslim Personal Law Board has criticised this move and accused the government of stoking an internal war but the Centre has rebuffed the charge, saying its only concern was gender justice.

Although the practice of triple talaq is intended to prolong a divorce so that there is room for conciliation, it has often resulted in the opposite, its critics say.

(With agency inputs)

Read: Muslim women rise against triple talaq
Women will be allowed inside the inner sanctum of Mumbais Haji Ali Dargah in a months time, the shrines trust told the Supreme Court on Monday, a landmark victory for female worshippers still barred from Indias most holy places.

Women will be treated at par with men, the Haji Ali trust informed the top court, agreeing to scrap a 2012 order that said it was a grievous sin to let women enter the iconic mausoleum off the coast of Mumbai.

The decision comes roughly two months after the Bombay high court struck down the ban and called it a violation of fundamental rights. The trust had challenged the verdict in court.

The development is likely to bolster a larger campaign for allowing women entry into shrines and strike down what activists say is regressive gender bias among religious leaders. Earlier this year, activist Trupti Desai and hundreds of women entered the holy Shani Shani temple in Maharashtra. A case for lifting a similar decades-old ban at Keralas Sabarimala shrine is being heard by the Supreme Court.

The trusts decision comes amid a raging nationwide debate on womens rights in Islamic personal law that governs matters of marriage, inheritance and property and growing calls to ban practices such as triple talaq. The government and the law commission have moved to seek public opinion on a uniform civil code that will dissolve religious laws into a common set of guidelines across the country.

But others say the UCC is a thinly veiled attempt to attack Islamic identity and argue that reform from within  as advocated by many Muslim women  is a better way to reform. The shrines progressive stand on women devotees could be seen in this light.

Its a victory for womens rights, said Noorjehan Niaz, co-founder of Bharatiya Muslim Mahila Andolan which campaigns for the rights of Muslim women in India.

It is restoring the Islamic values of what we have always believed as Muslims, that Islam is a religion of equality, democracy and womens rights, she told AFP.

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Read | Trupti Desai: The woman spearheading Shani Shingnapur protest

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When the time came to pick his favourite, Samajwadi Party patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav chose Amar Singh, his brother who stood by him steadfastly during troubled times.

That means, blood cousin Ramgopal Yadav  a staunch supporter of Mulayams son and Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav  has to pay the price.

Amar and Ramgopal are the two prominent faces of the party in Delhis power corridor, and are also at the centre of the latest Yadav family fireworks. They represent the two warring sides in the Yadav clan.

Amars stocks have risen steadily since the Yadav power struggle came out in the open last weekend, after he secured a toehold in the party that he had to leave in 2010 when he fell out with none other than Mulayam.

He was nominated to the Rajya Sabha  20 years after he represented the party in the Upper House  and recently re-appointed party general secretary. Akhilesh objected, but father Mulayam overruled.

He is now likely to become the partys face in the national capital at the cost of Ramgopal, the Rajya Sabha parliamentarian and a former physics professor who was considered No 2 in the party and its chief strategist till a fortnight ago.

Ramgopal has been accused of hobnobbing with the BJP, the ruling partys main rival in state elections due next year.

His parliamentarian-son, Akshaya Yadav, dismissed the charge while Akhilesh defended Ramgopal in the family feud.

But Mulayam would have nothing of him, and he hinted as much when he insinuated Ramgopals alleged meeting with BJP chief Amit Shah.

Read| No happy ending: SP in a spot over Yadav feud as tit-for-tat sackings continue

Amar is with Shivpal Yadav, Mulayams brother and state party chief, and they are up against Akhilesh, whom they accuse of sidelining them. Amar reportedly lost the party posts at Akhileshs behest in 2010.

Party insiders say it is payback time for Amar  target Ramgopal, who became the partys chief strategist in his absence after propelling Akhilesh to the chief ministers post.

He now has Mulayams support. The SP chief called him a brother on Monday, a day after party workers stomped on his picture and burnt his effigy in some districts, including Lucknow and Agra, blaming him for partys troubles.

There were two people who stayed glued to me during my times of crisis, one is Janeshwar Mishra, who is no more, and the other is Amar, Mulayam reaffirmed his choice.

Amar joined the SP in 1996 when the party was trying to create an identity nationally. The party was also, reportedly, starved of funds.

The presence of Amar, known for his trouble-shooting skills in political and business circles, came handy.

Eventually, Amars entry into the party coincided with Mulayam becoming the defence minister in the United Front government.

He also played a key role in the SPs support to Congress-led UPA governments.

After him, many believe Ramgopal as chief strategist in Delhi has not been very fruitful for the party.

They say the party has been isolated at the national level, a probable reason why Mulayam is willing to sacrifice a cousin for a brother.

For full coverage on Yadav family feud, click here
The Congress will prefer Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav to his father and Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Mulayam Singh Yadav in the event of a split in the ruling family of the countrys politically and electorally important state.

It is no secret that the Congress is wary of Mulayams wavering moves and its leaders often cite the SP chiefs volte-face in 1999.

After the fall of the BJP-led NDA government on April 17, 1999, by just one vote, Congress president Sonia Gandhi met the then President KR Narayanan on April 21 to seek time to form the next government. We have 272 and more are coming, she had said.

But Mulayam did a volte-face and announced that his party will not support the Congress. This left the Congress shell-shocked as it was banking on Yadav and Left parties to reach the magic figure. In turn, when Yadav floated the name of veteran CPM leader Jyoti Basu for the Prime Ministers post, the Congress refused to support the Third Front.

Though the SP bailed out the UPA-1 in the July 22, 2008, trust vote the government had sought after Left parties withdrew support to it over the Indo-US nuclear deal, Mulayam again gave a tough time to the Congress in the 2012 presidential elections by floating the name of former President APJ Abdul Kalam.

However, the SP chief eventually supported Pranab Mukherjees candidature.

The love-hate relations between the SP and the Congress have been witnessed many a times in Parliament during the regime of the present Modi government.

We will any day prefer Akhilesh to Mulayam because of the CMs clean image, said a senior Congress functionary.

Akhilesh and Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi are said to share a good rapport and both have often praised each other on different occasions.

At last years Hindustan Times Leadership Summit, Akhilesh offered a deal to the Congress, saying the SP was game for a tie-up if his father was made the PM candidate for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections with Rahul as his deputy.

The UP CM also backed Rahuls dalali remarks against PM Narendra Modi on surgical strikes across the Line of Control and insisted that the Congress V-P is a good human being.

However, on Monday, the Congress tried to play safe. Rahulji merely said Akhilesh is a good boy but never said he is a good CM, party spokesman RPN Singh said.

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They rule the worlds most exclusive kitchens such as those in the White House and Buckingham Palace, taking care that the powerful people they cook for never go hungry.

This week, chefs to the heads of 16 countries are taking a break together from sizzling diplomatic dinners and leisurely royal luncheons to savour the multi-cuisine flavours of India.

These top cooks, including personal chefs to the US President Barack Obama, Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom, French President Francois Hollande, and Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau, are members of the elite Le Club des Chefs des Chefs, a world gastronomic association of personal chefs to heads of states.

The club is having its annual general assembly in the land of spices.

Its an exclusive club because one can be part of it only if one is a chef to a head of state, said Gilles Bragard, the founder-secretary of club.

If politics divides people, a good table always gathers them. Chefs are great diplomats.

The delegation, which includes Trudeaus Indo-Canadian chef Neil Dhawan, visited the Rashtrapati Bhavan kitchen on Sunday, where Montu Saini, the executive chef to President Pranab Mukherjee, treated them to gol gappas and aloo tikkis.

Saini had literally cooked up a storm to convince the club to convene its annual meet in his home country.

India has been a member of this club for three decades and never once had it hosted the general assembly, he said and revealed how he put fellow club members on a guilt trip over depriving India an opportunity to host their signature event.

So, immediately after becoming the Presidents executive chef in June 2015, Saini started writing mails to invite the club to India. It took me a few months because the club goes to a country only if the head of the state invites them.

He didnt need to cook up the invitation; it bore the countrys seal.

I want to show them Indian cuisine and culture. The chefs will visit the spice market in Old Delhi and will go to Agra and Jaipur, where we have booked camel and elephant rides. I want them to return to India and open restaurants here, Saini said.

Chef Cristeta Comerford, head chef to the President of the state of the United States of America, with Mark Flanagan, Vice-President of the CCC and chef to Her Majesty the Queen of the United Kingdom, in the kitchen of Imperial Hotel (Manoj Verma/HT)

The countrys mouth-watering spread of street food is on each of the 17 visiting culinary delegates mind.

The British royal chef, Mark Flanagan, says London has many Indian restaurants, but the countrys street food is so rich that he has to try it here, where it originated.

I tasted the aaloo tikki at the hotel and its absolutely amazing. I think Im going to try that when I go back.

White House chef Cristeta Comerford, who cooks for Barack and Michelle Obama, their children and world leaders the couple hosts, is excited about her first trip to India.

I was promoted to head chef after the dinner I prepared for Indian PM Manmohan Singh. Today, Im in India and its a wonderful feeling. I got my first sari, and will be wearing it.

When she returns to Washington DC, President Obama can expect some spicy curries on his table.

Ill take Indian spices, as much as I can, considering the luggage Im allowed to carry, Comerford said.

Christian Garcia, chef to Prince Albert II of Monaco, said they were looking forward to becoming ambassadors of Indian gastronomy after their visit.

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In a landmark decision, the Haji Ali Trust told the Supreme Court on Monday that it will grant women access into the sanctum sanctorum of the iconic dargah and asked for four weeks to implement the order.

The decision came two months after the Bombay HC struck down a ban on women entering the sanctum sanctorum.

Shoaib Memon, advocate for the trust, said there were now wider social issues to take care of. The decision is absolutely correct. The SC agreed with the trust that women wont be allowed to touch the grave as it is the grave of a man. The entire struggle was for women to come one step more than they were previously allowed, he said.

READ: Women will be allowed to enter Haji Ali in a month: Shrine board tells SC

Earlier, the Supreme Court had expressed hope the Trust, which had challenged the high court judgement, will take a stand which is progressive.

Noorjehan Safia Niaz, the petitioner who got the Haji Ali cauldron boiling in 2012 after she was denied entrance into the inner sanctum, called it a victory for equality and justice. We are waiting for four weeks to pass so we can also pay our respects to the shrine.

This would have a profound impact on Muslim women, making them empowered in a true sense, said Feroz Mithiborwala, a secular activist and member of the Haji Ali Sab Ke Liye Forum that was set up to support the petitioners.The decision will also help in future decisions of Triple Talaaq and others. A positive atmosphere has been created.

Trupti Desai, a gender equality activist, also called the verdict a big victory for women. We requested the trust not to appeal to the Apex Court after the Bombay HC verdict, but they had to eventually bow to the SC. We will rally from Pune to the shrine and honour the trust.

Desai said she would bring out an andolan, should any mandir or trust disallow women to enter the sanctum. She said, I have urged every mandir and trust to immediately obey the rules of the SC.
The Shiv Sena, which controls the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation along with the BJP, has come in for severe criticism following death of Dory, a female Humbolt penguin a Byculla zoo.

Despite opposition from other parties, the Shiv Sena got the BMC to spend about Rs 10 crore to buy the penguins from South Korea. Most political parties had questioned the move and expressed doubts about whether the animals could survive in the citys zoo, which has been in a dire state for years.

However, the BMC bowed to the Shiv Sena and bough the eight penguins anyway, as it was a pet project of Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray and his son Aaditya. The process of bringing in the penguins, including building the quarantine area, was undertaken hurriedly as the Shiv Sena and BJP wanted to showcase the penguins before the next years BMC polls.

BJP leaders also said that there was a lot of interference in the project. Manoj Kotak, group leader of the BJP in the BMC, said, There has been too much interference in procuring and maintaining these penguins, which has resulted in this mishap. It is very unfortunate. MNS group leader Sandeep Deshpande, said, The remaining penguins should be sent back immediately.

Local legislator Waris Pathan of the All India Majlis E Ittehadul Muslimeen demanded an inquiry into penguins death.

Responding to the criticism, especially from MNS, Uddhav Thackeray said, We will worry about the penguins, they should worry about saving their party.

However, the Shiv Sena claimed it had done nothing wrong and said it would even press for a replacement for Dory. Trushna Vishwasrao, Shiv Sena corporator and leader of the house, said, We will push for a replacement. We have not taken any wrong decision by bringing these penguins to the zoo. Once it is open to the public, the same opposition will appreciate it.

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The Shiv Sena attacked the BJP over the Devendra Fadnavis-mediated agreement to release Karan Johars film, saying Maharashtra appeared to be shielding Pakistani personalities.

In an editorial in its Saamana publication, the sena said chief minister Fadnaviss actions clearly showed it was the BJP, and not Congress, protecting Pakistanis.

It is the BJP government with its 56-inch chest that is siding with Pakistans personalities in Maharashtra, not the Congress, as per the chief ministers actions. Even in the case of Mahmud Kasuri, the state government under the guise of diplomacy literally unrolled a carpet for him, and even now it is standing by the side of Pakistani artists giving flimsy reasons, the Sena accused.

The Shiv Sena, an ally in the BJP-led Maharashtra government, had earlier protested the book launch of former Pakistan minister Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri in Mumbai; six sena members even threw blank ink at organisers at the event.

The Senas attack follows their earlier charge that the terms which cleared the release of Ae Dil Hain Mushkil amounted to extortion; a share of the movies profits are to be donated to the armys welfare fund, and producers of films employing Pakistanis are expected to donate Rs 5 crore each as penance.

While leaders are issuing threats to Pakistan sitting in Delhi, and several in Uttar Pradesh are fishing for votes capitalising on the surgical strikes, not a single one of these patriots have strongly said that films with Pakistani actors will not be screened in India, the editorial said.

With Raj Thackerays Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) having hijacked the Shiv Senas anti-Pakistan agenda through the Bollywood movie, the Shiv Sena used its editorial to reiterate that it has been the only party consistent on its anti-Pakistan stance.

Mumbai residents heard the language of a threat to burn cinema screens if they show films starring Pakistani actors, but the matchbox is empty. All the matchsticks are in the chief ministers jacket pocket. In the future, only if he feels an itch will he use the same matchsticks to scratch his ears, the Shiv Sena said in its editorial, indicating the MNS protest was merely a political settlement.

Fadnavis on Saturday mediated talks between Raj Thackeray and director Karan Johar over the smooth release of Ae Dil Hai Mushkil over the Diwali weekend, which the MNS threatened to hamper as the movie starred Pakistani actor Fawad Khan.

Post the meeting, the Producers Guild of India announced they would no longer employ Pakistanis in their movie projects.

There has been a growing rift between the allies, and political experts have questioned if the chief ministers involvement in the settling the MNS controversy as a political move to prop the fledgling outfit, which is a direct threat to Senas votes in Mumbai.

Only Shiv Sainiks bear the wounds of the enemy, go to prison even during festivals, while others have fun. But whatever may happen, Johars dil (heart) should be protected. We had expected this to happen. We were keenly watching this, and in the end the masks of several came off after the tea-party at the chief ministers residence, the Saamana editorial said.

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Thunderstorm and Sofia are on top of the world. The seven-year-old horse and the three-year-old dog, respectively, will receive the most delicious lifetime achievement award imaginable on Monday, for their work in the Indo-Tibetan Border Police.

The Director General of ITBP Krishna Chaudhary will honour Thunderstorm with an AT (Animal Transport) medal and Sofia with the ITBP K9 (Canine) medal during the forces 55th Raising Day Parade at their 39th battalion campus in Surajpur, Greater Noida. Thunderstorm will now be pampered with a lifetime supply of chocolates and will be allowed to graze all he wants. Sofia will be awarded with a lifetime supply of Hide (synthetic) bones and can indulge in playing all the time, said a senior ITBP official.

The official said Thunderstorm has earned seven medals in the past 12 months while Sofia has earned a gold medal  possibly the first animals in India to be honoured while alive and still in service.

Sofia has been posted in Maoist-affected areas of Chattisgarh and has saved a large number of people from ambush. (HT Photo)

Thunderstorm has been outstanding in his duties as he has been posted at locations where it is impossible for an officer to step out. At locations where the temperatures are below -5 degrees celsius, Thunderbolt has led a troupe of horses, mules and ponies to take and bring back arms, ammunition and ration from one camp to another, said the senior ITBP official. He added that Thunderstorm has a sixth sense and never gets lost in the way.

Sofia has been posted in Maoist-affected areas of Chattisgarh and has saved a large number of people from ambush. Sofia has also been played a pivotal role in securing US president Barack Obama and French Prime Minister Manuel Valls when they visited the country. She has also been a part of operation Golden Nose (securing the Parliament) and operation Lal Quila (securing Red Fort), the official said.

He added that the honour is not only a reward for the animals but also the veterinary cadre of the force who have trained the animals with love and precision.

For our animals, service is like a game and they enjoy it. Rather than opting for service-reward strategy we have opted for love strategy and debunked the archaic ways of training our animals. We go by the two slogans  Ghoda Bhagwan, Hum Balwan (Horse is god, we are strong) and Mera dog, meri jaan, paltan ki shaan (My dog is my life and the troupes pride), he said.

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Representatives of different political parties met the chief election commissioner, Naseem Zaidi, here on Sunday. They raised their concerns and made suggestions to ensure free and fair elections in Punjab. All political parties were unanimous that the poll code of conduct be enforced at the earliest.

The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) sought to rein in Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) president Capt Amarinder Singh, who, they alleged, was intimidating government officers. He (Amarinder) cant threaten the officers to perform their duties his way. We want the election commission (EC) to stop him from doing this, SAD spokesperson Daljit Singh Cheema told HT before he met Zaidi. Party secretary general Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa accompanied him.

Read more | Arvind Kejriwal, Capt Amarinder engage in war of words on Twitter

Amarinder had recently stated that he will set right the officers found supporting the Akalis. Referring to Amarinders visit to a police station in Gurdaspur recently, Dhindsa said he had no authority to barge into government offices and threaten public servants.

The Akali Dal also demanded that procedure to seek permissions for holding rallies, using loudspeakers and use of helicopters should be made simpler.

Manjit Singh Rai and Vineet Joshi, who represented the BJP, demanded from the CEC to scrutinise the social media campaigns of all political parties so that they didnt indulge in character assassination of the opponents. We also demanded that everybody found in possession of more than `2 lakh in cash during the poll time cant be hauled up. The person may be going for an urgent work. Before seizures, the purpose of carrying money and antecedents of the person must be checked, suggested Joshi.

Cong raises law and order apprehensions

Amar Singh of the Congress party raised apprehensions of violence during the polls when he met Zaidi. The party also wanted foolproof measures against distribution of drugs, liquor and money to woo the voters.

Communist party of India (Marxist) leader Charan Singh Virdi told Zaidi that the ruling alliance had set free 500 gangsters to threaten voters. He said all anti-social elements in the state should be taken into custody.

Allot no symbol resembling ours: AAP

Himmat Singh Shergill, who represented the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) before the CEC, demanded that the no other symbol resembling broom be allotted to any other party or candidate. He said there was possibility that some candidates may seek glowing torch as their poll symbol, which resembles broom.
On the second day of his three-day Punjab tour, Aam Aadmi Party convener Arvind Kejriwal on Monday dragged the name of Congress president Sonia Gandhi into the alleged Congress-Akali collusion in Punjab, saying Captain Amarinder took her consent for not supporting a CBI probe into Bikram Singh Majithias alleged role in the drug trade.

Amarinder talked to Sonia three years back and didnt support a CBI probe into Majithias role in the drug case, Kejriwal said during his interaction with traders here.

Kejriwal pointed out how former Punjab Congress chief Partap Singh Bajwas demand for the CBI probe into the case was opposed by Amarinder.

Also read : Its Kejri vs Capt on Twitter

If you vote for the scales (SAD symbol), you will vote for drugs, and if you vote for hand (Congress symbol), you will again vote for drugs, he said, seeking the peoples mandate for the AAP if they wanted a drug-free state.

Kejriwal said he knew that the traders of Punjab were facing the heat of corruption and that the Badals were looting them.

Will revive public sector units

The Delhi chief minister assured the employees protesting against the closure of Bathinda thermal power plant that no public sector thermal plant will be shut down and the sick units will be revived if AAP comes to power.

The employees union of the thermal plant gave a memorandum to Kejriwal, extending their support to the AAP. About 10,000 employees, regular or on contract, will either lose job or get displacedand the entire machinery of the Ropar plant will go to a junkyard, the memorandum stated.

He cited the AAPs manifesto, promising to review anti-Punjab power agreements and punishing all those responsible for burdening the state.

He also assured the mini-bus operators and other small transporters that their interests will be taken care of while reviewing the transport policy in Punjab to end the monopoly of the Badals and other politicians in the business.

A body of small transportersMalwa Zone Pvt Transportalso gave its memorandum, pointing out the connivance of the transport officials in benefitting the ruling party transporters in chalking out the routes and time table of buses.

Earlier Kejriwal visted Gurdwara Damdama Sahib in Talwandi Sabo. Baljinder Kaur is the party candidate from there.
Punjab chief minister Parkash Singh Badal on Sunday inaugurated the Punjab State War Heroes Memorial and Museum built at a cost of Rs 130 crore.

The project, which is spread over 8 acres, aims at showcasing heroics of Punjab soldiers and officers during wars. Built in the Naraingarh area of the holy city, the memorial has a 45-metre high sword and nine galleries to depict the battles from the times of the sixth Sikh Guru Hargobind Singh till the Kargil War.

There Pakistani tanks captured by the Indian forces have also been put on display at the memorial, besides a fighter aircraft.

Speaking on the occasion, Badal said the memorial was a tribute to commemorate the contribution made by the Punjabi soldiers and officers to defend the sovereignty of the country.

CM promises defence helpline

Amritsar: Chief minister Parkash Singh Badal announced that a helpline would soon be set up at Chandigarh to address grievances of serving defence personnel and veterans in the state. The CM said that it was the duty of the state to mitigate the hardships faced by ex-servicemen and defence personnel.
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convener Arvind Kejriwal accused Punjab Congress chief Captain Amarinder Singh of colluding with the Badals against the AAP ahead of Punjab assembly elections.

Also read | AAP promises corruption-free, low-tax regime to Punjab industry

Rivals defame each other before elections, but here you find Amarinder and Shiromani Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal targeting the AAP, just to stop it from coming to power in the state, Kejriwal told the media after releasing the partys manifesto for trade, industry and transport in Ludhiana on Sunday.

Why did the Badal regime file the cancelation report in the Amritsar Improvement Trust scam? And why did Amarinder opposed a CBI inquiry into the murky drug trade in Punjab? What is the correlation? he questioned.

Claiming that his party would win 100 seats, Kejriwal said the Punjab assembly elections would be AAP versus SAD-BJP-Congress combine. There seems to be an understanding between the Akali-BJP combine and the Congress to play a friendly match in a joint effort to defeat the AAP in elections, he said.

The AAP convener also targeted the Narendra Modi government for not ignoring Punjab in releasing central grants. Posing a query to chief minister Parkash Singh Badal, the Delhi CM said: Has the Union government given any benefit to Punjab till now?

Addressing the gathering as an AAP supporter, Jagmeet Brar, who has been expelled from the Congress, said Kejriwal was born Punjabi as Haryana was carved out of Punjab in 1966.

The Akalis and Congress have looting the people of Punjab and are now shielding each other, Brar said.

Sangrur MP Bhagwant Mann, partys Punjab affairs in-charge Sanjay Singh, state convener Gurpreet Singh Waraich, senior leader and partys Dhaka candidate HS Phoolka and state co-incharge Jarnail Singh also addressed the gathering.
The teachers recruited under education guarantee scheme (EGS), alternative innovative education (AIE) and as special trainers (STR) on Sunday staged a protest by blocking a road, while two of them climbed the roof a private school at the Hanuman Chowk and one poured petrol on and threatened to immolate himself. They were demanding regularisation of their services.

The teachers, protesting under the banner of the Shaheed Kiranjit Kaur EGS, AIE, STR Teachers Union, started the protest by blocking the busy Hanuman Chowk in the afternoon. Meanwhile, two of the protesters Nishant Kumar from Kapurthala and Samarjit Singh from Mansa climbed atop the school. Nishant poured petrol on himself and threatened to immolate himself.

Nishant said that they are working at meagre salaries for the past two years and, despite their repeated requests, for regularising of their services, the state government wasnt listening to them. Earlier, the union blocked both the road lanes but cleared one lane after persuasion by the administration. The protest was on ill late in the evening.

A teacher threatening immolation after climbing on the roof of a school in Bathinda on Sunday. (HT Photo)

Sub-divisional magistrate, Bathinda, Anmol Singh Dhaliwal, said that they were trying to schedule a meeting of protesters with chief minister Parkash Singh Badal as per their demand and are convincing them to lift the protest. The teachers were recruited after a protest by the union in February 2014 before Lok Sabha polls in which a 14- month-old girl child Eknoor Kaur Rooth had died after the administration allegedly snatched quilts from protesters during a cold night.

ETT, TET pass jobless teachers block Badal road

Elementary teachers training (ETT) and teachers eligibility test (TET) pass teachers blocked the Bathinda-Badal village road on Sunday demanding their recruitment against the vacant posts. The protesters, who have been protesting atop a water works tank in Jai Singh Wala village near here for the past 155 days, also joined the blockade. A heavy police force was deployed at site. The protester are demanding recruitment of teachers of their cadre against 2,705 vacant posts.
Punjab Congress chief Captain Amarinder Singh on Sunday dismissed Arvind Kejriwals promises to the industry as another theatrical gimmick, lacking understanding and silent on key issues.

Must read | AAP promises corruption-free, low-tax regime to Punjab industry

From reduction in power tariff to Value Added Tax (VAT) reduction and simplification, revival of sick units, new industrial township in Rupnagar and end to mafia raj, our party has already promised relief to trade and industry. What Arvind Kejriwal has done is simply picked up these points and packaged them in his industry manifesto for Punjab, said

Capt Amarinder, adding that even the promise to end the power purchase agreements with private players is a commitment of the Congress.

Kejriwal a copycat: SAD

The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) on Sunday termed AAP convenor Arvind Kejriwal the biggest copycat who blatantly steals ideas from its manifestos and re-packages them as his own.

In a statement, SAD secretary and education minister Daljit Singh Cheema said the promises made by Kejriwal while releasing his partys manifesto in Ludhiana on Sunday, including regularising illegal colonies and abolishing Value Added Tax(VAT), could best be termed as copied ideas because the SAD-BJP government had already taken action on these fronts.
When Prerna Gandhi became a victim of acid attack at an age of 13 back in 2011, her family wished her a peaceful death than see her cry in pain every single day. Little did this Rohtak family imagine then that their sporty daughter would once again play badminton, enjoy late-night movies, cherish her favourite ice-creams and dream of travelling the whole world to motivate thousands of survivors like her.

It was on June 18, 2011, when a tragic error  crime, nonetheless -- turned her life upside down. Prerna was returning home from tuition with her friend Yashika when some goons threw acid on her. Yashika was the actual target, as the police found later, of the attack orchestrated by her aunt over a family dispute. The hired goons had been told that Yashika would be riding the scooter. That day, however, Prerna had requested her friend to let her ride it.

While Yashika suffered minor injuries, my daughter received 40% burns, mostly on her face, neck and arms, says Aman Gandhi, Prernas father.

Prerna Gandhi (third from right) with her professors at the University of Cincinnati in Ohio, US. (HT photo)

She has undergone 25 surgeries, and would require six more to reshape her disfigured face. The perpetrators have been awarded life term for the heinous act. But it still hurts that the conspirator managed to get away because Prernas friend turned hostile due to family pressure, says Gandhi.

Now 19-year-old, Prerna, however, has made peace with her past and wants to focus on turning her dreams into reality  dreams that once seemed far-fetched. She lives with her foster family in Cincinnati, Ohio, in the US and is pursuing bachelors in business administration from the University of Cincinnati, where she has topped in the first semester.

Im really excited about visiting India in December to raise awareness on acid attacks. My university has partnered with Amity University, Noida, where we will hold talks for two days, she shared with HT over phone from the US.

How she reached the US

I was undergoing treatment at Apollo Hospital in Delhi, when we found about Shriners Hospital for Children in Cincinnati that offers free advance treatment to acid-attack survivors.

On our request, they accepted me and I moved to the US on medical visa. But then, I was encouraged by my host family to start my life all over again and I applied to the University of Cincinnati. Fortunately, they, too, accepted me and I got visa to study here, she says.

Having lived in the US for over two years now, Prerna says she finds life there much better than in India, because people genuinely accept her instead of sympathising with her. I was forced to wear a scarf or cover my face with hair all the time because people wont stop staring at me in India. That made me so uncomfortable and reclusive. Some of my relatives and friends even stopped talking to me, while others just came once or twice to offer their sympathies, she says.

It was in the US that I felt normal again. My host sister, Gracie, has been my backbone. She pulls me up when I see no purpose in life. She says Im beautiful being different and I dont need to hide my face. Also, people here dont stare at me when I go out, says Prerna.

Despite her efforts, life remains a regular struggle for the 19-year-old. As she would no more be an adolescent next year, she would be deprived of the hospitals policy under which she has been receiving free treatment. Her father, having spent over Rs 45 lakh on her treatment, is supporting her in all ways.

Even as her university is helping Prerna through special scholarship, undergoing treatment and going to the next year in college would be difficult for her if not for generous funders.

The education here is costly. While Im getting all the support from my family, Im mostly dependent on fund-raising campaigns. Im raising funds for my education at www.gofundme.com/prernanoni, shares Prerna.

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Former president of the Jawaharlal Nehru University Students Union (JNUSU) and leader of the All India Students Federation Kanhaiya Kumar said he does not hesitate to call himself a member of the anti-Modi camp.

Kanhaiya, who shot to limelight after he allegedly raised anti-India slogans at the JNU campus on February 9 this year, was invited to Ludhiana on Sunday by Punjabi Sahit Academy and Social Thinkers Forum for a seminar on Challenges of Education: Increasing costReducing Jobs at Punjabi Bhawan.

On the issue of being called anti-India by some political leaders, Kanhaiya said: Some people call me anti-India. Modi is not India but for some he is. For me India is 1.25 crore people of the country but yes but I am a member of anti-Modi camp and I say this without any hesitation, said Kanhaiya.

The student leader also attacked the RSS and the BJP saying that both of them were trying to communalise the secular environment of the country.

It is the state policy of the BJP and the RSS that they would not allow harmony between Hindus and Sikhs, Hindus and Muslims. It is their mindset that secular people have to defeat, he said. The youth leader also criticised the price rise of essential commodities and alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was helping the trading community so that they could earn profit by charging more on these commodities. Private businessmen buy pulses from farmers at a low price and sell it to the government on triple rate, he claimed.

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Indian soldiers were the bravest of the brave. It was an honour to command them, says Major Tom Conway (retd), 98, one of the last surviving British officers who had commanded Indian soldiers.

Major Conway was in Amritsar on Sunday for the inaugural ceremony of War Memorial and had come to north India after 80 years. They (state government) wanted other officers around as well, but probably I am the only one surviving, he says.

A World War-II veteran and one of the heroes of Battle of Alamein, he had commanded the Dogras, Sikhs and Pathans.

Major Conway joined the British Army in April 1940. I volunteered to join the Indian Army in Egypt. I had heard and read so much about India. I had read Rudyard Kipling and I was also impressed from the tales of valour of the Indian soldiers, he says. He joined Guides Cavalry where he commanded companies of Dogras, Sikhs and Pathans. Dogras were the quietest. It was being said that they were easier to command. But they were all good, he adds. I used to take train from Pathankot to Kullu valley which used to run at ten past midnight daily. I used to visit Dogra soldiers families to get to know them better, he recalls.

World War-II with Indian soldiers

In 1941, Guides Cavalry was a reconnaissance regiment for 8 Indian Division in Egypt. We were armed with wheeler carriers, made by Tata, he narrates. Then they went to Syria. One of our brigades was overrun. We were retreating, he adds. Then he was asked to go to Sudan where he commanded the Sikhs.

In November 1942, the Battle of Alamein took place in Egypt where he was one of the heroes and got a medal too. First time in 3 years, Germans had a major defeat. Churchill (Winston) said it was not the end of war but the beginning of the end. Our job was to keep the Army chasing, he says. Then he was sent to Iraq to check Germans from the North, but they instead attacked Russia and tasted reverses.

By the beginning of 1943, there was no threat to Middle East. I was sent to India. I was to engage in Burma (Myanmar) with 15 Indian Division but was sent to North West Frontier area as small-scale battles were going on there. I commanded Dogras there, he adds.

In 1944, he went to Britain for a month which was his first leave in four years. He looked after Indian contingent in London and retired after victory parade in 1946.

It is wrong to say that the British only recruited martial races in India. In the 18th century, most of the soldiers in the Army used to be from the Southern parts, he says. After going back to Britain, he married a Chinese teacher and stayed in Japan for about 25 years. I would love to go back to Kullu valley againThough I do not know whether I would be able to make it, he says.

Also read | Badal opens Rs 130-crore war heroes museum in Amritsar, promises defence helpline

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After a wait of one and half year, the city railway station is all set to get wi-fi facility. Ferozepur railway division has informed that the station will probably be wi-fi enabled by November 30.

The staff members were seen fixing internet wires at the platform on Friday. It is to be mentioned that Jalandhar railway station was among 500 railway stations across nation shortlisted to have wi-fi facility. Under Centrally sponsored Digital India Campaign at least 100 railway stations will be wi-fi enabled by the end of this year. Senior Division Signal and Telecom engineer Naresh Verma informed that along with Jalandhar railway station, work is going on at Ludhiana railway.

We are running the service on a trial basis on both stations. After Jalandhar, Ludhiana will be the next, said Verma.

Apart from these work is also going on Jammu-Tawi railway station. The Ferozepur division officials informed that in the first phase, they will be focusing on A-1 station of the division. It is to be mentioned Amritsar railway station was the first in t Ferozepur division to be wi-fi enabled while Jalandhar will be the second. The wi-fi facility in Amritsar railway station was launched on October 16. The whole project is being carried out under Railtel Corporation of India, a government of India enterprise. It focuses on providing broadband and multimedia networks across the country in addition to the modernisation of train operations and administration network system. Raitel Corporation of Indian has collaborated with Google for the work.

How will the Wi-Fi work?

For availing the facility at the selected railway station, one has to start the wi-fi feature in their mobile phones, and enter the passenger name record (PNR) number which will directly connect with the wi-fi facility. It is to be mentioned that one can only avail this facility for a certain time period only. As informed by the divisional railway official, the free wi-fi facility will be free for half-an-hour, after which amount will be charged according to the data used.
Out of the 300 hospitals and nursing homes operating in Ludhiana, only 75 hospitals have received a fire-safety certificate from the fire department. All others, including the government-run Lord Mahavira Civil Hospital, do not have a fire-safety certificate, which is mandatory as per norms.

Even more shocking is the fact that fire services, the MC and health department have no information about the actual number of private nursing homes and hospitals running in the city.

According to a fire services official, hospitals and nursing homes should have proper ramps, emergency doors, safe zones, fire hydrants and water-storage tank, along with other required equipment.

However, most hospitals in the city are operating without these safety equipment, putting lives of patients at risk.

After the fire incident at Mohandai Oswal Hospital, Ludhiana, in March this year, the MCs additional commissioner had claimed that the civic body will take proper measures to check violations of fire safety norms in the hospitals, but nothing has been done so far.

It is the responsibility of the MC and health department to keep a check on hospitals and nursing homes in the city. It should be ensured that hospitals and nursing homes follow fire safety norms and building bylaws and take strict action against the violators, said Jagjeet Singh, a resident of Chandigarh Road.

Assistant divisional fire officer (ADFO), Bhupinder Singh, said that they have no information about the actual number of hospitals and nursing homes in the city.

However, he claimed that they will conduct a survey after Diwali to check the violations at medical institutes.

When contacted, Dr Renu Chhatwal, civil surgeon, said they have given instructions to all government-run hospitals in the district to ensure compliance of fire safety norms. She further claimed that she has no information regarding the status of fire arrangements at private hospitals.

National quality assurance programme officer, Dr Pardeep Sharma, oral and maxillofacial surgeon at Lord Mahavira Civil Hospital, claimed that they have applied for fire safety certificate and they have all the necessary arrangements.

He said the clinical establishment bill is pending in the Parliament. Once it gets approval, we can know the actual number of private hospitals and nursing homes in the city.

Oswal hospital fire incident: Inquiry report submitted

As many as 132 patients were rescued after a fire broke out at Mohandai Oswal Hospital in March, following which, former MC commissioner GK Singh Dhaliwal had directed, the then, additional commissioner Davinder Singh to conduct inquiry in this regard. I have received an inquiry report regarding Mohandai Oswal Hospital fire incident. The report states that a large amount of inflammable chemical was stored at the laboratory where the fire spread after the short circuit, said MC commissioner.

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Upset over police inaction in the murder of his 16- year-old son Tarsem Singh, 48, of Dharampura village committed suicide by consuming a poisonous substance here on Saturday. The family of Tarsem Singh has not cremated the body and has been sitting on a protest in Bareta.

Tarsems 16-year-old son Daljit Singh was murdered in August due to some old enmity by a group of people.

The Bareta police had then booked seven people, identified as Leela Singh, Gurpyar Singh, Vicky Singh, Satgur Singh, Buta Singh, Satnam Singh and Avtar Singh.

Tarsems family alleged that the main accused Leela Singh was given preferential treatment by the station house officer (SHO) of the Bareta police station. Within a month of the murder, the police nabbed four of the seven accused. Howeve,r the family maintains that whenever they approached the police to enquire about the case, the cops didnt listen to them and threatened them with dire consequences.

SHO Balwant Singh and DSP Lakhvir Singh never heeded to our pleas and even threatened Tarsem Singh of booking him under a false case. Tarsem was under stress and always feared that he would be implicated in a false case by the police and he committed suicide, said one of his family members.

However, some senior police officers, on the condition of anonymity, had a different story to tell. Tarsems brothers-in-law took money from some of the accused to settle the case, due to which the police went slow against the accused. Tarsem was not aware that his own brothers-in-law Makhan Singh and Malkeet Singh have taken money to settle the case. This revelation shocked Tarsem and he committed suicide, said a senior cop.

Another cop said, Deputy superintendent of police (DSP) Lakhvir Singh told Tarsem that his brothers-in-law had allegedly struck a compromise with the accused and taken money from them. Tarsem got upset over this revelation, and he committed suicide. Now to hide their own wrongdoing, his brothers-in-law are blaming the DSP for the death of Tarsem and want a case of abetment to suicide registered against him. The brothers-in-law are hand-in-glove with SHO Balwant Singh and they all want to shift the responsibility on to the DSP.

The family has been protesting for the past two days demanding strict action against the police officers, including SHO Balwant Singh, who, they said, pushed Tarsem Singh to commit suicide.

The body is still lying in the mortuary and the family has not allowed the post mortem. Mansa SSP Mukhwinder Singh Bhullar held a meeting with the family members late evening on Sunday, but to no avail.
Amarpal Singh Bony Ajnala, 41, SAD

Constituency: Ajnala

Education: Class 12

Assets declared in last polls: Rs 2.2 cr

Electoral record

2012: defeated Harpartap Ajnala of Congress by 1,235 votes

2007: defeated Harpartap Ajnala of Congress by a margin of 10,201 votes

Assembly record

Questions asked: 0

Call attention moved: 0

Power punch Son of SAD veteran Rattan Singh Ajnala, has no rivals here

What next Sure to get ticket; has mended fences with Bikram Majithia

How he performed

A two-time MLA and son of senior Akali leader and former MP Rattan Singh Ajnala, Bony has been available in his constituency. He has to his credit the sewerage facility for Ajnala town; but roads are still in bad shape. He also has succeeded in getting new bus stands for Ajnala and Ramdas. He also got a new judicial complex in his tenure. However, he paid no attention to the villages located in the Ravi basin. Farmers who lost their crops due to flooding in the monsoon season are still struggling for compensation. An agitation has been on in his area for the last five years against the allegedly forcible acquisition of agriculture land by the forest department in the Ravi basin. He has not taken up this problem with the state government.

By the way Known for being socially active

Voterspeak

Though he has got done some work, the constituency lags in health and education. Many school buildings need repair. He was available but only to meet his supporters, Gurdial Singh, 75, farmer, said.

He has partially succeeded in this tenure, was available to the public, and did some work. But he failed in health and industry. He could have done much better, Navpreet Singh, 29, farmer, said.

Sukhbinder Singh Sarkaria, 60, Congress

Constituency: Rajasansi

Education: Graduate

Assets declared in last polls: Rs 8.1 cr

Electoral record

2012: Defeated Veer Singh Lopoke of SAD by a margin of 1,084 votes

2007: Defeated Veer Singh Lopoke of SAD by a margin of 8,276 votes

Assembly record

Questions asked: 14

Call attention moved: 0

Power punch Two-time MLA enjoys rapport with Capt Amarinder

What next With no rivals and a good record, he is likely to get ticket

How he performed

He failed to bring in any major projects or development works in his constituency in the last five years. A fact that he attributed to his party being in the opposition. Sarkaria got Rs 3 crore from the MPLAD fund of Amritsar MP Capt Amarinder Singh, which he distributed in a few villages. As he resides in Amritsar city, voters had to contact him there. He did not launch any major agitation from his constituency though he did protest before district officials for being ignored in the distribution of grants. His absence from the constituency is talked about. Border villages in his area continue to be deprived of basic facilities, even links roads. Akali halqa in-charge Veer Singh Lopoke remained more active and was instrumental in distributing grants to villages.

Voterspeak

He was in opposition but still got some minor development works done. Capt Amarinder as MP gave funds, with which he got roads repaired and a dharamshala built, Gurpreet Singh, 39, businessman, said.

He failed to carry out any work but never failed to attend social gatherings and show his support to people of the constituency. There was too much of Akali interference, Lakha Singh, 47, farmer, said.

Tomorrow: Majitha, Jandiala, Amritsar-North, and Amritsar-West
Sukhjinder S Randhawa, 57, Congress

Constituency: Dera Baba Nanak

Education: Graduate

Assets declared in last polls: Rs 2.6 cr

Electroral record

2012: Defeated SAD rival Sucha Singh Langah by a margin of 2,940 votes.

2007: Lost from Fatehgarh Churian; this segment came up later, after delimitation

Assembly record

Questions asked: 42

Call attention moved: 0

Power punch: Gurdaspur Cong chief, close to Capt Amarinder Singh

What next Assured of ticket due to proximity with Amarinder, popularity

How he performed

The MLA was unable to bring any development or major projects for his constituency for which he blames the state government as grants were routed through Akali leaders. He organised a number of protests both at the district level and in his constituency to highlight the alleged misdeeds of the SAD-BJP combine. He even stormed a police station in his area along with state Congress chief Capt Amarinder Singh to protest against the arrest of his supporters. he is popular for being vocal. Randhawa remained in touch with voters but boycotted the district planning board meetings after issues that he raised were not addressed. All in all, he remained at the forefront to defend his supporters whenever they were allegedly harassed by the police.

By the way Remains an avid farmer

Voterspeak

I am satisfied with the performance of the MLA. Though the area did not see any development, despite being in opposition he kept in touch with voters and raised our issues, Rajesh Mahajan, 45, shopkeeper, said.

Though he was in opposition, he managed to make streetlights in Dera Baba Nanak town functional and also raised the issue of choked sewers, Arpit Kumar, 35, footwear trader, said.

Tripat Rajinder Singh Bajwa, 73, Congress

Constituency: Fatehgarh Churian

Education: Graduate

Assets declared in last polls: Rs 6 cr

Electoral record

2012: Defeated the then assembly speaker Nirmal Singh Kahlon of SAD by 639 votes

2007: Didnt contest here, lost in Qadian; Nirmal Singh Kahlon won this seat for SAD

Assembly record

Questions asked: 42

Call attention moved: 1

Power punch Three-time MLA, is in good books of Capt Amarinder

What next Almost certain to get the ticket due to record, connections

How he performed

Though he remained in touch with the people of his constituency and was often seen moving around, he could not do much as far as development was concerned. No major project or even basic development was carried out at a significant scale. For this, he blames the SAD-BJP regime. He was instrumental in taking part in protests organised by his party in his constituency and district headquarters Gurdaspur. He stood by his party workers, including sarpanches, and lodged his protests before government officials whenever he felt that fabricated cases were slapped against them at the behest of political opponents. A soft-spoken politician, he is at times even praised by those belonging to other political parties.

Voterspeak

There has been no development but the MLA is not at fault. Akali leaders took all decisions. He was available to the people. There remains a lack of health, education facilities, Raghubir Singh, 80, farmer, said.

There are a lot of issues, including unemployment, for which our MLA did nothing except blaming the Akali-BJP government. He did remain available, Raj Kiran Singh, 28, defence personnel, said.
Professor of management studies of Punjabi University, Dr Pushpinder Singh, a self-proclaimed whistleblower in the university corruption case, has landed himself in a soup over the alleged permanent residency (PR) of Canada, a charge denied by him.

The university has been served a legal notice by advocate Harbhajan Singh Virk over the Canadaina PR of Dr Pushpinder and directed the university to take action against the latter under the provision of the Punjab Civil Services Rules.

As per service rules of the Punjab government, a person cannot work with the Punjab government after getting the PR status of any other country, but Pushpinder Singh is working illegally here and also in Canada, read the legal notice served on the registrar of the university. In the legal notice, served on behalf of one Gurmeet Singh of Rasulpur Saidan village, it has been alleged that Pushpinder was having the PR of Canada and he has also worked in that country.

Punjab service rules dont allow anyone to have dual citizenship. The Punjab government has already directed all departments and universities to take affidavits from all employees to the effect that they didnt have any other countrys citizenship. Punjabi University is yet to collect such affidavits.

The legal notice has been served a fortnight after when an unsigned letter was distributed in the university alleging Pushpinder was having Canadian PR, apart from levelling the allegations related to his working style, raising questions that the latter has raked up controversies after he was denied a plum post by the vice-chancellor.

Pushpinder had raised the issue of corruption in academics and construction work, violation of merit in selections for jobs through Facebook posts and was also instrumental in closing down an illegal private hostel hired by the university for NRI students.

After his allegations, the vice-chancellor has formed a committee to oversee all procurement work and the tendering process, in which Pushpinder was included as a special invitee.

When Contacted, Dr Pushpinder denied that he was having the PR of Canada. Let me clarify you that in 2005, me and my family had taken the PR of Canada by taking due permission of the university. However, as I failed to meet the mandatory stay at Canada, my PRship was not turned into citizenship. Right now, neither I am having PR status nor the visa of Canada, said Pushpinder. He said that he has been deliberately targeted for raising voice against corruption.

The registrar has informed me about legal notice, and I have said that I would submit an affidavit that I dont have a citizenship of any other country. I will contest the case in the court, as charges are frivolous and motivated to build pressure to stop me from raising voice against corruption, he added.
Private correspondence from the second-in-command officer on the ill-fated Titanic ocean liner was sold Saturday for more than 25,000 U.S. dollars.

Private archive of correspondence from Henry Wilde revealed his feelings about being transferred at the last minute to serve on what had been described as the unsinkable Titanic.

Auctioneers Henry Aldridge and Son's from Devizes in Wiltshire auctioned the unique archive of letters from Henry Wilde, chief officer and second in command on the Titanic which sank after hitting an iceberg in 1912.

Wilde famously wrote to his sister while on board the Titanic on its maiden voyage and posted when the ship called at Queenstown in Ireland, its last port of call before heading for New York.

Wilde, aged 38, wrote that he had misgivings about the Titanic, saying "I still don't like this ship... I have a queer feeling about it." Within days, on April 15, he was one of the 1,500 who perished when the ship sank.

The archive of letters covered the 20 years Wilde worked with the White Star Line, based in his home city of Liverpool.

Auctioneer Andrew Aldridge said: "The archive is of unparalleled importance to both collectors and historians alike as it gives an unprecedented snapshot into the professional life of the second most senior officer on board Titanic."

The archive was one of over 250 lots of Titanic, White Star and Ocean liner items sold at Saturday's auction. The collection, sold in four separate lots, was bought by collectors in Britain and overseas.
To end confusion among the voters over namesake candidates, the Election Commission of India has decided to paste photo of each contestant next to his or her poll symbol on the electronic voting machine (EVM) during elections in five state, including Punjab, early next year.

The chief election commissioner (CEC) Naseem Zaidi, who is on a three-day visit to Chandigarh, said this on Monday.

Also read | Akalis ask CEC Naseem Zaidi to rein in Capt Amarinder

In a meeting with the CEC on Sunday, political parties brought the issue to his notice, saying there was a trend of fielding namesakes of opponent candidates to mislead the voters.

Punjab chief electoral officer VK Singh said the feature will be introduced for the first time in Punjab and the experiment had been done during the assembly polls in Assam, West Bengal, Puducherry, Tamil Nadu and Kerala earlier this year.

Presiding over a meeting of the deputy commissioners and the senior police officers, Zaidi said the election commission has launched a single-window platform using information and communication technology (ICT) to be in touch with the voters, political parties, civil societies and media for transparent polling.

3 apps launched

He launched three online applicationsSamadhan, Suvidha and Sugamthat have a complaint monitoring system, besides other features.

Candidates and political parties can apply online for different permissions, such as for holding polls meetings and rallies, use of vehicles, setting up election office, using loudspeakers, helicopters and helipads during election campaign on these apps.
Gauri Khan has created a special niche for herself in the world of design. The film producer and fashionista got seriously into design when she worked on her own home, Mannat in Mumbai.

The owner of Gauri Khan Design (GKD) Studio spoke to this writer on the sidelines of the International Real Estate Expo (IREX) event in Delhi about her passion for interiors.

What made you take the leap into interior design?

It all started when I began doing up the interiors of my home, Mannat, alongside our architect. We had invited a few friends over for the housewarming and they absolutely loved what I had done with my place!

This made me think more seriously about taking on some of the offers I had; to start doing it professionally, since design-based projects interest me. That led to the formation of the Gauri Khan Design Studio. Its now evolved into two stores in Mumbai and one in Defence Colony, Delhi

What does luxury mean to you?

When youre young, luxury often means being able to buy something you really want  a high end bag or a specific car. Today, luxury is about living life the way you dream. Time for creative ideation and quiet reflection is as much a luxury as is the physical beauty of the space you live in. When buying for a luxury home, people should choose options that are environmentally responsible

Indians are investing in properties overseas like never before, especially London and Dubai. What could be the possible drivers of overseas investment for Indians?

It could be personal reasons like kids studying abroad, business or just investment. Investment in second homes, and luxury homes is definitely on the rise

The exterior space around a villa Gauri Khan designed in Cyprus.

When it comes to second homes, which is your favourite destination for a holiday home and why?

These days London because Aryan (her son) is studying there

What according to you is a well-designed home?

A well-designed home is a place where youre comfortable. Design should revolve around what the main purpose of the space is. If you plan to live there, it should reflect your personality

How does fashion influence decor? How can a fashionista let her style sensibility reflect in her decor?

I have always had an inclination towards design. Luxury and style have been key elements in all my projects. I have a passion for design  be it a line of clothes or taking a gut decision with unique pieces of furniture, one should always be willing to experiment

Art or history  what influences you the most?

Ive studied both, so theres a big influence of both in my design. My recent collection had side tables with a print inspired by the wheel from the magnificient Konark temple. That for instance, was a confluence of art and history to create a distinctive piece with very practical use

The interiors of Gauri Khan Design Studio.

How do you manage to balance your work with your kids and family?

Its always a challenge to balance everything, but Im extremely disciplined and that helps

Please tell us something about your projects?

Weve collaborated with Steinway-Lyngdorf who deal in state-of-the-art audio-video technology solutions for luxury homes. Recently, I showed my collection Turned Wood On Brass at the lifestyle, decoration and design fair, Maison & Objet in Paris. It was an honour to be invited to show at this very prestigious forum, and one of my goals was to bring some of Indias rich legacy in craft to the fore. My collection has a lot of elements of traditional Sankhedu craft, a special kind of traditional craft that is practiced by about 80 families in a village in eastern Gujarat with turned wood.

Designers should focus on what a particular space is being utilised for and design accordingly, says Gauri Khan.
Actor Gaurav Chopra has had a very busy year, as hes had to shoot for multiple reality shows, one of which was the dance reality show Dancing With The Stars, in Georgia, Europe.

However, the actor, who is currently part of the ongoing reality show, Bigg Boss 10, feels that reality shows dont really help an actors career.

He says, Reality shows were big 10 years ago, and any actor who was part of those shows became a star overnight. Your market price went up. But now, most of reality shows drag you or your image down in some way. They want to have celebrities, on board as they want to bring out their secrets and make them awkward. If they could, they would perhaps strip you naked, but as they cant, they strip you in other ways. Perhaps, thats the whole point.

#twistoffate or #intensity of #effort #timewilltell #bebyme #soon !! A photo posted by Gaurav Chopra (@mrgravitas) on Oct 10, 2016 at 3:06pm PDT

Gaurav, who has been acting on television for over 10 years, says hes a risk taker and has never followed the conventional path as an actor. He adds, Reality shows are a gamble now and things can go either way. They are great for newcomers though, as new actors can make a name for themselves through a reality show. For actors who have been around, reality shows can be risky. Personally, whenever I am pushed to a corner, I have performed well. In my comfort zone, I am lazy.

The actor says he was anxious and petrified about being part of Bigg Boss 10 and wanted to experience a show that will test his limits. I will find out how dependent I am on others, on technology, and how well I do on my own. It should be fun to discover this side of me.

#smartphonephotography #beach #goa #memories A photo posted by Gaurav Chopra (@mrgravitas) on Sep 28, 2016 at 2:21am PDT

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A defiant Donald Trump blamed his worsening campaign struggles on phony polls from the disgusting media on Monday, fighting to energise his most loyal supporters as his path to the presidency shrinks.

Just 14 days until the election, the Republican nominee campaigned in battleground Florida as his team conceded publicly as well as privately that crucial Pennsylvania may be slipping away. That would leave a razor-thin pathway to the 270 electoral votes needed to win the White House on November 8.

Despite continued difficulties with women and minorities, Trump refuses to soften his message in the campaigns final days to broaden his coalition. The strategy leaves no margin for error. Yet Trump offered an optimistic front in the midst of a three-day tour through Florida as thousands began voting in person.

I believe were actually winning, Trump declared during a round table discussion with farmers gathered next to a local pumpkin patch.

A day after suggesting the First Amendment to the Constitution may give the press too much freedom, he insisted that the media are promoting biased polls to discourage his supporters from voting.

If you read some of these phony papers, these are phony, disgusting, dishonest papers, if you read them, its like, What are we doing? What are we wasting our time for? he said. But the truth is were winning.

With Trump on the defensive, Democrat Hillary Clinton worked to slam the door on his candidacy in swing state New Hampshire while eyeing a possible Democratic majority in the Senate.

The former secretary of state campaigned alongside New Hampshire Gov. Maggie Hassan, who is running for the Senate, and Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, who was merciless as she seized on Trumps history of predatory sexual language and several allegations of misconduct.

He thinks that because he has a mouth full of Tic Tacs, he can force himself on any woman within groping distance, Warren charged. Ive got news for you Donald: Women have had it with guys like you.

Trump has denied a pile of recent allegations, and he addressed a new one Monday in an interview with WGIR radio in New Hampshire.

He called the allegations total fiction and lashed out at former adult film performer Jessica Drake, who said Saturday that he had grabbed and kissed her without permission and offered her money to visit his hotel room a decade ago.

One said, He grabbed me on the arm. And shes a porn star, Trump said. He added, Oh, Im sure shes never been grabbed.

With Election Day two weeks away, Trumps electoral map looks bleak.

The Republican National Committee ignored him altogether in mailers to New Hampshire voters set to be distributed later this week, according to material obtained by The Associated Press. The mail focuses instead on Clintons credibility, featuring a picture of her and former President Bill Clinton and the words, No More of The Lying Clintons.

Trumps team has publicly acknowledged in recent days that hes behind.

His campaign manager Kellyanne Conway outlined a path to 270 electoral votes on Sunday that banks on victories in Florida, Ohio, Iowa and North Carolina along with New Hampshire and Maines 2nd congressional district. Assuming Trump wins all of those  and he currently trails in some  he would earn the exact number of electoral votes needed to win the presidency and no more.

Noticeably absent from the list was Pennsylvania, a state that a top adviser privately conceded was slipping away despite Trumps aggressive courtship of white working-class voters. The adviser spoke on the condition of anonymity to share internal discussions.

Florida was largely the focus on Monday as in-person early voting began across 50 counties, including the states largest: Broward, Duval, Hillsborough, Miami-Dade, Orange and Palm Beach. Remaining counties will start in the coming week.

Early voting by mail has been underway for weeks. Nearly 1.2 million voters in Florida have already mailed in ballots.

Clinton plans to visit Tuesday and Wednesday, while her running mate, Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine, was making two Florida appearances on Monday. He took a shot at Florida Republican Sen. Marco Rubio in the first, a reminder that Clintons team is fighting to retake a Senate majority.

Kaine noted that Rubio previously called Trump a dangerous con artist, though the senator currently supports him. If someone cant condemn Trump, Kaine said, youve got to ask the question whether theyre the right person to represent you.

Democrats would take the Senate majority if they pick up four seats.

Trumps final-weeks schedule reflects his narrow path to victory.

After three days in Florida, he plans to make stops in North Carolina on Wednesday. He will spend all day Thursday in Ohio with other stops in the Midwest  Iowa and Wisconsin  the next day before a Western swing to Colorado and Nevada this weekend.

Trumps difficulties are evident on that Western swing. His team is mulling a stop in Arizona. A Democratic presidential candidate hasnt won there in 20 years, yet polls show Trump in a close race.
British banker Rurik Jutting who is accused of murdering two Indonesian women in his upscale Hong Kong apartment filmed the attacks on his iPhone, a court heard today, the first day of his trial.

Jutting, 31, had earlier today pleaded not guilty to two counts of murder on the grounds of diminished responsibility. He instead pleaded guilty to manslaughter.

The prosecution rejected the lesser plea and jury selection began.

As judge Michael Stuart-Moore briefed the jury pool at the High Court, he warned them of the graphic nature of the evidence.

He said that Jutting recorded on his iPhone much of what he did to those people, and described the footage as very shocking indeed.

Seneng Mujiasih and Sumarti Ningsih, both in their 20s, were found dead in Juttings flat in the early hours of November 1, 2014, after he called police to the scene.

Mujiasih was found naked and with knife wounds to her legs and buttocks, while the decaying body of Ningsih was found hours later in a suitcase on the balcony, according to initial police reports.

Jutting, a former securities trader at Bank of America Merrill Lynch, faces a three-week jury trial and life in prison if convicted on the murder charges.

The killings shocked the city of seven million - typically regarded as safe and known for its glitzy skyscrapers - and shone a spotlight on the seedy underbelly of the financial hub.

Jutting was deemed fit to stand trial following psychiatric tests and is being held at a maximum security prison.

Clean-shaven and wearing a dark-blue shirt, Jutting calmly entered his official plea for the first time today, saying: Not guilty to murder by reason of diminished responsibility, but guilty to manslaughter.

He pleaded guilty to a third charge of preventing the burial of a body.

Outside the court, a small group of protesters from Indonesian migrant worker organisations called for a speedy and fair trial and for compensation for the victims families.

It is the highest-profile murder case to hit the Hong Kong courts since American Nancy Kissel was accused of killing her banker husband in 2003.

Dubbed the milkshake murderer, Kissel was convicted of drugging her husband - a senior executive at Merrill Lynch - with a sedative-laced strawberry drink before clubbing him to death with a lead ornament at their luxury home.

Hong Kong judge warns of torture images as British bankers trial begins

A Hong Kong judge warned jurors that they will have to view video filmed by former British banker Rurik Jutting of the torture and vicious killing of two Indonesian women he is accused of murdering as the trial got under way on Monday.

Michael Vidler (R), lawyer of British former banker Rurik Jutting, arrives with an unidentified woman at High Court in Hong Kong, China. (REUTERS Photo)

Jutting, who studied at Cambridge University and Winchester College, one of Britains most prestigious private schools, pleaded not guilty to murder on grounds of diminished responsibility. He was arrested two years ago after the victims bodies were found in his luxury high rise apartment.

The 31-year-old pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of manslaughter, and to a third charge of preventing lawful burial of a body.

During the jury selection, Deputy High Court Judge Michael Stuart-Moore warned potential jurors that if they were unable to cope with viewing extreme violence they should not take part.

There is a particularly horrifying aspect of the case.

One of the victims was subject to extreme cruelty and violence, the judge said, explaining that a number of gruesome, and extreme colour photographs could be presented during the trial.

The defendant even recorded on his IPhone the torture inflicted on the first victim before she died.

Jutting filmed a series of videos including one showing the first killing, while in other videos he talks about his plans for the second, according to a court fact sheet.

The judge said the defence and prosecution were largely in agreement over the physical evidence, but the dispute may lie in psychiatric and psychological evidence provided by the defence to determine whether it was a case of murder or manslaughter.

Looking trim and dressed in a dark blue shirt, Jutting was clean shaven with short cut hair, in stark contrast to his initial court appearances when he looked heavily overweight and wore a thick dark beard.

The lurid nature of the case has cast a harsh light on the seamy side of Hong Kong, offering an insight into how some wealthy professionals binge on sex, drugs and alcohol.

Jutting who previously worked at Bank of America Corp in Hong Kong, was accused of murder in October 2014 after police found the bodies of Sumarti Ningsih, 23, and Seneng Mujiasih, 26, in his apartment. Both womens throats were slit.

Ningsihs remains were discovered inside a suitcase on his balcony and the body of Mujiasih was found lying inside with wounds to her neck and buttocks, authorities said.

File photo of Rurik George Caton Jutting, a British banker charged with two counts of murder after police found the bodies of two women in his apartment, sitting in the back row of a prison bus as he arrives at the Eastern Law Courts in Hong Kong November 24, 2014. (Reuters Photo)

HIGHLY GRAPHIC VIDEO

Before the jury selection, Juttings barrister Tim Owen explained the argument for diminished responsibility was based on the grounds of a personality disorder.

Deputy High Court Judge Stuart-Moore said there isnt a disease here, it is a personality disorder.

Prosecutor John Reading stated that psychopathic behaviour was not a reason for diminished responsibility, setting up the arguments both parties will make during the trial.

The jury has to decide if it is a case of murder or manslaughter. On Tuesday, they will view 30 minutes of highly graphic video that will not be viewable for the public in the courtroom, though the sound will be audible.

The court fact sheet said Ningsih was tortured for three days using Juttings belt, sex toys, a pair of pliers and his fists. He eventually killed her in the bathroom, cutting her throat with a serrated-edged knife.

In video footage Jutting talked about watching porn including depicting violence and turning his fantasies into realities. He also talked about whether to turn himself in or hide the body and fly to Britain.

Investigators also found cocaine at his apartment, according to the fact sheet.

I definitely could not have done that without cocaine, it quoted Jutting as telling investigators during interviews.

Hong Kong, a former British colony, still retains a British legal system after being handed back to China in 1997. Juttings case is being tried in English.

Jutting was found fit to plea after undergoing psychiatric assessment at the end of 2014 after being charged for the double murder.

Bank of America has previously said Jutting was an employee but it has not said why he left or given any time frame.

The case is being closely watched by Hong Kongs 300,000-strong migrant domestic helpers community, many of whom come from Indonesia and the Philippines. Outside the High Court, about a dozen of their representatives held placards reading Justice for Wanchai Murder Victim and Stop Violence.
Within weeks of the Pentagon allowing transgender service members to serve openly, the US Army officials said 10 soldiers have formally asked to be recognised as their new, preferred gender.

The small number represents only those who have publicly said they are transgender, and doesnt include soldiers who may be considering or beginning gender transition or those who dont yet want to make an official paperwork change.

Gen Mark Milley, chief of staff of the US Army, said the key now is to educate the force, particularly commanders who will have to make decisions about soldiers in their units who request a gender change.

Is the army ready? Well, we are educating ourselves, and we are trying to get ready, Milley said in an interview with The Associated Press. Were well-past the issue of debating and arguing about transgender. We are now into execution, to make sure the program is carried out with diligence, dignity, respect.

The Pentagon policy took effect October 1, and army secretary Eric Fanning approved the services new transgender guidelines earlier this month. Defense secretary Ash Carter announced in June that he was ending the ban on transgender individuals serving openly in the military.

Transgender troops are now able to receive medical care and begin changing their gender identifications in the Pentagons personnel system. Next year, the military services will begin allowing transgender individuals to enlist, as long as they meet required standards and have been stable in their identified gender for 18 months.

Were monitoring implementation closely, and everything weve seen so far points to a military organization fully committed to treating everyone equally and providing medically necessary care to all troops, not just some, said Aaron Belkin, director of the California-based Palm Center, an independent research institute. My conclusion, so far, is that implementation has proceeded smoothly and successfully.

Milley and other military leaders expressed concerns that the department was moving too fast.

The issue to do it or not to do it, to me is not an issue  the answer is yes, Milley said. The question of how to do it so that it is deliberate, well thought out, executed with professionalism  thats a horse of a different colour. Frankly I asked for more time.

Milley said he did a lot of self-education, meeting with transgender individuals, both military and civilian, as well as other groups.

Now, he said, the Army is getting education programs out to the force to make sure troops and commanders know the new rules, process, medical criteria and who has the authority to make decisions on a service members gender change.

Under the new Army guidelines, training must be developed by Nov. 1, and it must be completed throughout the force by next July.

Its going to take a little bit of time, but there are some things I dont think you need to necessarily be trained on, Milley said. Rule One is treat your soldiers, your subordinates, your peers and your superiors as you want to be treated. Treat everybody with dignity and respect. Period. Flat out. Full stop.

Transgender troops currently serving can request that their gender be officially changed, and they can submit required documentation, including medical approval saying the person has been stable in his or her preferred gender for 18 months and a drivers licence showing the preferred gender.

Commanders will have 30 days to respond for active duty troops and 60 days for soldiers in the National Guard and Reserve.

The transgender service members will be able to use the bathrooms, housing, uniforms and fitness standards of their preferred gender only after they have legally transitioned to that identity and its documented in their military personnel records.

The new policy, however, gives military commanders some flexibility, noting that not all gender transition cases are the same. Commanders will have the discretion to make decisions on a case-by-case basis, including on job placement, deployments, training delays and other accommodations, based on the needs of the military mission and whether the service members can perform their duties.

According to the Army guidelines, commanders can allow reasonable accommodations including changes to housing, bathroom and shower use to respect the modesty or privacy interests of soldiers and maintain moral, order and discipline.

But, it prohibits creating transgender-only areas and says that any privacy accommodations that are made must be open for use by all soldiers, not just transgender individuals.

And commanders cant force a soldier to use a bathroom or shower of the persons preferred gender before their legal transition.

According to Carter, a RAND study found that there are between 2,500 and 7,000 transgender service members in the active duty military, and another 1,500 to 4,000 in the reserves.

Milley said the Army numbers so far are low, but the service doesnt track the number of soldiers who may be starting the gender transition process.

We may not know the full scope yet, said Milley. Others that may consider themselves as transgender but havent self-identified publicly may be holding back because they want to see how things progress.
Defence minister Avigdor Lieberman said Monday that Israels next war with Gaza militants would be their last because we will completely destroy them, but added he remains committed to a two-state solution.

Lieberman, speaking in an interview with Palestinian newspaper Al-Quds, said however that he did not want another war in Gaza, which would be the fourth since 2008.

The outspoken former foreign minister urged Palestinians to pressure Hamas, the Islamist movement that runs the Gaza Strip, to stop your crazy policies.

As minister of defence, I would like to clarify that we have no intention of starting a new war against our neighbours in the Gaza Strip or the West Bank, Lebanon or Syria, he told the Jerusalem-based newspaper.

But in Gaza, like the Iranians, they intend to eliminate the state of Israel... If they impose the next war on Israel, it will be their last. I would like to emphasise again: It will be their last confrontation because we will completely destroy them.

Lieberman is part of what is seen as the most right-wing government in Israeli history, with several prominent members of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus coalition openly opposing a Palestinian state.

But while he lives in a West Bank settlement and is known as a security-minded hardliner, Lieberman believes in a two-state solution to the conflict based on land swaps.

He reiterated that position in the interview, saying he sees the main settlement blocks in the occupied West Bank remaining part of Israel under a final peace deal.

He raised the possibility of trading Arab areas of Israel on the edge of the northern West Bank, such as the city of Umm al-Fahm, in exchange for settlements.

Criticising Abbas

Land swaps have long been part of proposals to resolve the decades-old conflict, but the two sides remain far apart on issues such as the status of Jerusalem and the return of Palestinian refugees.

Peace efforts have been at a complete standstill since a US-led initiative collapsed in April 2014.

Today, I think the majority of our people do not believe it is possible to reach any agreement regarding the final status solution, and the same with the Palestinians, said Lieberman.

The first step would be convincing the people it is possible by making serious improvements in the state of the economy and fighting unemployment, poverty and misery among the Palestinians. And for Israelis, provide security without terrorism or bloodshed for a while.

He spoke of a period of three years without violence and with economic improvement in the Palestinian territories as being capable of leading to progress.

Lieberman, who took office in May, also criticised Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas, accusing him of failing to make compromises.

He predicted Abbas would lose if elections were held, with polls showing most Palestinians would like the 81-year-old to resign.

Such elections could lead to Hamas taking power in the West Bank, where Abbass secular Fatah party dominates, but Lieberman said he believed a different outcome was possible.

There are enough sensible people in the (Palestinian Authority) who understand the situation and know if there is a choice to make between Hamas and Israel, they think partnering with Israel will be better for them, said the leader of the hardline nationalist Yisrael Beiteinu (Israel Is Our Home) party.

Sermons and lies

Lieberman has recently spoken of trying to bypass Palestinian leaders and reach out directly to communities, and his interview appeared to be part of that effort.

Al-Quds, the top-selling paper in the Palestinian territories, was heavily criticised on social media by Palestinians who say it should not have agreed to the interview as it amounted to sanctioning normalisation with an occupying power.

The Palestinian foreign ministry accused Lieberman of promoting a bunch of sermons and lies that contradict signed agreements and violate international law.

Before taking over as defence minister, Lieberman made a series of controversial statements, including one directed at Ismail Haniya, Hamass Gaza leader.

Lieberman said he would give Haniya 48 hours to hand over two detained Israeli civilians and the bodies of soldiers killed in a 2014 war or youre dead.

He has since backed off and said he is committed to responsible, reasonable policy.
On the eve of the demolition of the Calais Jungle camp, French officials on Sunday handed out flyers informing migrants of the camps imminent closure and urging them to abandon their dreams of reaching Britain.

But less than 24 hours before the operation to raze the squalid settlement near Calais port was due to start some migrants were still clinging to hopes of a new life across the Channel.

The demolition of the Jungle aims to close a difficult chapter in Europes migrant crisis. The camp has strained relations between France and Britain and caused tensions with locals in Calais.

Each night, migrants try to get past police to try to climb aboard trucks heading to the port -- a perilous venture responsible for most of the 33 migrant deaths in the Calais region since 2015.

In pics: France to close down Jungle camp, home to 7,000

We have yet to convince some people to accept accommodation and give up their dream of Britain. Thats the hardest part, Didier Leschi, head of the French immigration office OFII, told AFP.

Some migrants have vowed not to budge -- or to make their own way back to Calais from the regional shelter to which they are sent.

Theyll have to force us to leave. We want to go to Britain, Karhazi, an Afghan, said.

A migrant carries bags with his belongings as he walks past the Calais city limit sign on the eve of the evacuation and transfer of migrants to reception centers in France, and the dismantlement of the camp. (Reuters Photo)

A Syrian migrant named Sam told AFP that dozens had left the Jungle early to avoid being sent elsewhere in France.

I been in the Jungle for 13 months and during this time I have learnt not to trust the authorities. They always say one thing and then do another. So last night I left the Jungle and pitched my tent in another place nearby, about a dozen kilometres away, he said.

Others welcomed the move.

Read | Belgian police found with vanload of migrants in France

The officials say tomorrow is the beginning of something better. Lets hope this is true, Faisal al-Ajab, a 39-year-old Sudanese man, said as he trimmed his friends beard for the move.

The Jungle is over

The camps demolition and the resettlement of its estimated 6,000-8,000 residents in refugee shelters around the country is due to get under way on Monday morning.

A view shows makeshift shelters, tents and containers where migrants live. (Reuters Photo)

Hammoudi, a 22-year-old from Aleppo, Syria, told AFP that despite a semblance of normality in parts of the camp, everyone knows its over.

Officials and aid workers distributed flyers on Sunday telling migrants in text and pictures to show up at a hangar near the camp from 8:00am (0600 GMT) with their luggage.

From there the migrants -- mostly Afghans, Sudanese and Eritrean males -- will be taken by bus to temporary shelters, where they can seek asylum.

Some 145 buses will be deployed over the course of the three-day move.

A few sporadic clashes broke out on Sunday evening between migrants and police, who fired tear gas. Such incidents have been a regular occurrence in recent months.

Migrants run past a fire near a makeshift migrant camp. (AP Photo)

Most of the migrants who travelled thousands of miles to Calais did so in the hope of stowing away on a lorry heading to Britain, where they have contacts and believe their job prospects are better.

Pascal Brice, head of the Ofpra asylum agency, said his staff were trying to convince migrants that Calais was a dead end and that their asylum requests in France would be processed very quickly.

Around 70 percent of migrants evicted from other camps in Calais in the past had been given French residency, he said.

Girls accepted

British officials have been racing to process child refugees seeking to be transferred to Britain before they become scattered around France.

By Saturday, nearly 200 minors had been given a one-way ticket to Britain under a fast-tracked process launched a week ago, according to France Terre dAsile, a charity helping in the process.

Read | Onlookers encourage migrant teens fatal jump in Germany

Most have relatives across the Channel but 53 girls with no family in Britain were also accepted on Saturday, France Terre dAsile said.

Around 600 young people in total have been interviewed by British officials in the past week -- around half the number of children living in the camp without family.

The age of those migrants who have already reached Britain has been the subject of a bitter row, with Conservative MP David Davies controversially calling for the teeth of those who look older than 18 to be checked to determine how old they are.

The government is gradually deporting migrants without right to asylum and relocating the rest to more than 160 centers around France. (AP File Photo)
President Barack Obama is stepping up the pace of his campaign to boost Hillary Clinton for president while pushing the efforts to restore Democratic control of the Senate.

Getting into the Las Vegas spirit Sunday night, Obama told Nevadans they have a winning hand in Clinton and Senate candidate Catherine Cortez Masto.

Youve got black jack, Obama told a crowd of 3,000 boisterous supporters packed into a local high school, while another 2,100 were in an exterior courtyard.

Obama was unsparing in his criticism of Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, describing the billionaire businessman as unfit to serve as president. Obama said that for years, Republican politicians and far right media outlets have served up all kinds of crazy stuff about him, Clinton and Sen. Harry Reid, the Nevadan who leads Senate Democrats. Obama cited as an example those who questioned whether he was born in the US and others who argued that he aimed to take away everybodys guns.
Pakistani authorities have frozen bank accounts with more than Rs 400 million belonging to some 5,100 terror suspects, including Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) chief Masood Azhar, according to a media report on Monday.

Among those whose accounts were frozen by the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) are 1,200 suspects included in category A of the Anti-Terrorism Act of 1997, which covers terrorists who pose an exceptional or high risk.

The 5,100 suspects are all listed in the Fourth Schedule of the Anti-Terrorism Act of 1997, The News daily quoted unnamed officials as saying. Azhar was included in category A, officials of the interior ministry and SBP said.

Read | Masood Azhar cant be considered a terrorist, says China after veto

Azhar is believed to be in the protective custody of security agencies since India blamed the JeM for a terror attack on Pathankot airbase in January.

Following a request of the ministry of interior, we have frozen accounts of all top suspected terrorists, including Masood Azhar, son of Allah Bux, a senior official of SBP, who is part of a team monitoring the freezing of the bank accounts, told The News.

Read | Making of a terrorist: Babri demolition triggered Masood Azhars jihad

Ihsan Ghani, national coordinator of the National Counter-Terrorism Authority (NACTA), confirmed that more than 5,000 bank accounts of suspects had been frozen by the SBP. These accounts hold a net amount worth Rs 400 million, he said.

Official documents showed the authorities had blocked the bank accounts of 3,078 suspects from Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and the tribal areas, 1,443 from Punjab, 226 from Sindh, 193 from Balochistan, 106 from Gilgit-Baltistan, 27 from the Islamabad Capital Territory and 26 from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

Prominent suspects whose accounts were frozen include Maulana Abdul Aziz of Islamabads radical Lal Masjid, Ahmed Ludhianvi of the Ahl-e-Sunnat Wal Jamaat, Matiur Rehman of al-Qaeda Pakistan, Qari Ehsan of Lashkar-e-Jhangvi.

Read | China blocks Indias move to ban Jaish chief Masood Azhar, again
A powerful explosion ripped through a building in a northern Chinese city on Monday, killing seven people and injuring scores more.

Media reports said the blast in Yulin, which destroyed or damaged nearby buildings including a hospital, may have been caused by explosives illegally stored in the building.

The official Xinhua news agency said dozens of firefighters were sent to the scene in Shaanxi province, and rescuers were hunting for survivors who may be trapped in the rubble.

Pictures showed widespread damage, with windows blown out of buildings, dense grey smoke engulfing the streets and bloodied people, some lying on the ground.

The explosion occurred at around 2:00 pm (0600 GMT), city hall said.

So far, 94 people have been hospitalised and seven have died.

Industrial accidents are common in China, where safely regulations are often flouted.
China strongly criticised on Monday United States ambassador to India Richard Vermas visit to Arunachal Pradesh last week, asking Washington to stop its attempt to sabotage the ongoing Sino-India talks on the festering boundary problem.

Verma visited Tawang for an annual festival and later tweeted a photograph with chief minister Pema Khandu. China claims Arunachal Pradesh as south Tibet and says it is disputed territory and part of the nearly 4,000 km border problem.

The ministry of foreign affairs (MFA) was quick to criticise Vermas visit  as it has done in the past following visits to Arunachal Pradesh by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, besides other Indian politicians and foreign diplomats.

We are firmly opposed to visit to disputed area between India and China, Lu Kang, MFA spokesperson, said at the regular presser on Monday when asked to comment on the visit.

Chinas position on eastern section is clear and consistent. The two countries are now trying to resolve territorial disputes through negotiations and consultations, he said.

Lu used strong words to describe Verma visit to the northeastern state. He called it irresponsible and an attempt to sabotage the decades-long talks between India and China to resolve the problem.

Third parties, he said, should not interfere in the matter.

Any third party sense of responsibility should respect efforts made by China and India for peace reconciliation and tranquility rather than the opposite, Lu said.

The behaviour of the US runs contrary to efforts by China and India. It will only make the dispute more complicated, disturb peace and tranquility of border areas and sabotage peaceful development of region, the MFA spokesperson said.

We urge the US to stop interference in the boundary issue between China and India and make more commitment to regional peace and stability, he said.

The boundary question between China and India is very complex and sensitive. Interference by a third party will only stir up or heighten tension. At the end of the day only the peoples of the two countries will fall victim, the Chinese official said.

We believe India and China have the wisdom to properly handle dispute, Lu said.

Chinas reaction to Vermas visit would have been expected by the Indian government.

Beijing could have well interpreted the visit as Washingtons support for India in the dispute  especially in context of Chinas growing close ties with the Philippines.

Earlier this year, China had reacted sharply after Craig L Hall, US consul general in Kolkata, had said that Washington considers Arunachal Pradesh an integral part of India.

China and India are wise and capable enough to deal with their own issue and safeguard the fundamental and long-term interests of the two peoples. The intervention of any third party will only complicate the issue and is highly irresponsible, the MFA had said in its reaction then.

In February, 2015, China had issued a strong statement after Modi visited Arunachal Pradesh.

It said there was huge controversy in the eastern border region between the two countries.

China on Friday lodged strong representation with India to express diametrical opposition to Prime Minister Narendra Modis visit to a disputed zone along the China-India borders, ministry spokesperson, Hua Chunying had said in the statement in February, 2015.

the act of the Indian side is not conducive to properly resolving and controlling disputes between the two sides, nor in conformity with the general situation of growth of bilateral relations, Hua had said.
In todays dose of strange news, a video of an oversized Huntsman spider capturing a dead mouse in its clutches went viral. This is the stuff Arachnophobes nightmares are made of.

The video was shot by Jason Womal of Australia who later described the incident in detail in a Facebook post.

It was just another mundane Monday morning for Womal and he was ready to leave for work, when his neighbour asked if he wanted to see some thing cool.

The Queensland-native tradesman quickly said, hell yeah. Little did he know that he would be greeted with the sight of a big Huntsman spider trying to drag a dead mouse to the top of the refrigerator to eat his meal in peace.

Womal quickly caught the mouses grisly end on camera, to the shock of more than 8.9 million people of the world who viewed the video. People could not stop marvelling at the incredible strength of the eight-legged creature, which was scurrying up the fridge and holding on to the mouse at the same time.

I would add this to my reasons never to visit Australia list but there isnt enough paper in all the world, said Michael Moran on Twitter. Wed call wildlifex In to help!, said another.

Creepy, horrifying and impressive were among the common comments.

Oh lord my crush on Australia continues  terrifying alien world that, as one Aussie said, "gives God nightmares" https://t.co/mMTkbnH8Sp  Tauriq Moosa (@tauriqmoosa) October 24, 2016

One for my foreign friends.. Just a spider carrying a mouse. Only in Australia  https://t.co/Po18dDiD9r  Just Juliet (@Emmyjewel) October 24, 2016

Womals video attracted over 54k comments, all expressing horror and shock at the spiders strength.

Huntsman spiders, as the name suggests are known for their speed and mode of hunting. The eight-legged arachnid can grow up to the leg span as large as 16 cm  and the spider in the video is not the largest Hunstman lurking in Australian terrain.

After the video went viral, Womal posted again on Facebook to reassure the world that the spider is fine and has been adopted.

We have named him Hermie, we have adopted him and he is now running his own extermination business out of our town Coppabella. Oh and he is now paying rent. Lol., Womal said in his tongue-in-cheek post.

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With Democratic presidential nominee Hilary Clinton holding her lead over rival Donald Trump, Democrats have turned their attention to congressional races hoping to flip both chambers  the Senate and the House of Representatives  that are currently dominated by Republicans.

President Barack Obama, who has hit the campaign trail in recently, was expected on Monday to endorse 30 more Democrats  including Ami Bera, an Indian-American seeking a third term from California  running for the house.

Clinton had plowed $1 million in Indiana and Missouri, solidly Republican states  with Indiana being home to Trump's vice-presidential nominee Mike Pence  in support of Democrats running for the house from there and governorship who could do well with a small push from her. the campaign was also using its vast resources to help Democratic candidates elsewhere.

She can afford to, leading as she was at this stage of the race with just two weeks to polling by over six points in the national average of polls compiled by RealClearPolitics and FiveThirtyEight pegging her chances of winning at 86.2%.

Even trump campaign manager Kellyanne Conway admitted they were behind in TV interview on Sunday. Trump, who has said he will not accept the election outcome if defeated, had talked of losing in recent rallies and acted as if he had already moved beyond election day, at least in his mind.

Democrats can focus on congressional races thus  435 seats in the House of Representatives and 34 in the Senate. Republicans controlled the outgoing house with 246 members, 28 more than the 218 threshold. Democrats held 186 and though they hope to increase their tally, they have been realistically circumspect about flipping it, which would require 32 more seats.

Thats a tall order, Geoffrey Skelley, of Virginia universitys respected Sabatos crystal ball site on politics, said recently, adding, we still only have democrats pegged to win maybe 10 to 15 net seats, and they were always going to win some seats just because republicans had such a large majority and were sort of overextended.

The Senate will be easier. Democrats, who currently have 46 members in the 100-member chamber (99 actually, with the vice-president being the 100th), needed just four or five to flip it and will most likely, according to polls.

Republicans are on the defensive fighting, among usual challenges, blowback from their presidential nominees missteps. They have sought to distance themselves from trump, with speaker Paul Ryan, the senior most elected Republican in the country, leading the way by completely abandoning the nominee. but Democrats wont let them.

Campaigning in California on Sunday, Obama, whose own poll numbers are soaring, slammed local republican congressman Darell Issa, who has been a fierce critic of the president but has been forced by plunging poll numbers to talk about the times he cooperated with him.

This guy has spent all his time simply trying to obstruct, to feed the same sentiments that resulted in Donald Trump becoming their nominee. i think somebody called Darrell Issa -- was this you, Doug (Doug Applegate, the Democrat running for house), who said Darrell Issa was Trump before Trump? And now hes sending out brochures touting his cooperation with me. now, that is shameless.
South Africas main opposition party says the governments decision to withdraw from the International Criminal Court is illegal and is asking the countrys highest court to review the matter.

The Democratic Alliance party said Monday that the government acted unconstitutionally because it announced plans to withdraw from the human rights tribunal based in The Hague, Netherlands, without consulting the South African parliament. The party has filed an affidavit asking the Constitutional Court to hear its case.

Last week, South Africa notified the United Nations of its plans to pull out of the court after supporting its creation in 2002. The South African justice minister says a withdrawal bill will soon go to parliament, where the ruling party has a comfortable majority.
The pro-government Arab coalition today stepped up air strikes on Iran-backed rebels in Yemen and clashes raged on the ground as warring parties ignored a UN call to renew a fragile ceasefire.

The 72-hour ceasefire took effect just before midnight Wednesday to allow aid deliveries in Yemen, whose war has killed thousands of people and left millions homeless and hungry. It officially ended at midnight yesterday.

UN special envoy to Yemen, Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed, had appealed for a renewal of the ceasefire, saying humanitarian aid had during the truce reached areas that were earlier inaccessible.

But Yemeni Foreign Minister Abdulmalek al-Mekhlafi shrugged off the call as useless, accusing the rebels of ignoring the ceasefire.

The truce was the sixth attempt since the Saudi-led coalition intervened in March last year to support the government of President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi after Huthi rebels and their allies overran much of the impoverished country.



Read- Sporadic fighting strains fragile Yemen truce

Ahmed urged all parties to agree to its extension for at least another renewable 72 hours, in a statement posted on the envoys Facebook page shortly before it expired.

The ceasefire was largely holding despite reported violations from both sides in several areas, he said.

We noted over the last days that food and humanitarian supplies were provided to several affected neighbourhoods and that UN personnel were able to reach areas that were previously inaccessible. We would like to build on this and we aim for a wider outreach in the next few days, he added.

But shortly after the appeal, coalition warplanes today pounded positions in Sanaa of the Shiite rebels and their allies, renegade troops loyal to former president Ali Abdullah Saleh, military officials and rebel media said.

Rebel-controlled sabanews.net website counted nine air strikes on the capital today.

The dawn raids also hit positions in Marib, east of the rebel-held capital, and the southwestern province of Taez, the officials said.

The intensity of air raids by the Saudi-led coalition had eased during the ceasefire.

An extension (of the truce) would be useless, because even if we accept it, the other party does not make any commitment to respect the ceasefire, Mekhlafi told AFP.

We respect the UN envoys call for an extension, but in effect, there was no truce due to the violations by the rebels, the foreign minister said.

Fighting on the ground was showing no signs of abating.

Fierce clashes raged in northern regions along the borders with Saudi Arabia over the weekend, killing at least 10 rebels and four Yemeni soldiers, military officials said.

Saudi civil defence also reported cross-border bombing which wounded a Yemeni resident of the southwestern city if Najran.
Half Moon Bay, CA (94019)

Today

Mostly cloudy skies this evening. A few showers developing late. Low 52F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 30%..

Tonight

Mostly cloudy skies this evening. A few showers developing late. Low 52F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 30%.
Here is the latest amazing "evidence of life" on the Moon. A huge 10-kilometer long UFO mothership was spotted in an Apollo 15 photo of the Moon released accidentally by NASA.

The UFO blogger Scott C. Waring, who located the image, speculated that it had not really been intended for release. The UFO mothership seemed to be abandoned near the Waterman Crater on the other side of the Moon, he reported.

As that part of the Moon cannot be seen directly from Earth, sky watchers have never been able to detect it so far. Still, though NASA has known about the existence of this spaceship, it has always covered up the evidence, explained Waring.

One of the two photographs, looking rather like the USS Voyager from Star Trek, was eventually deleted by NASA.

"Since one of the two original photos was deleted by NASA, I think its best to preserve this UFO on video in case the last remaining URL photo is deleted," Waring wrote.

The NASA employee either did not realise that he was releasing a classified Apollo 15 image with an alien spacecraft on the Moon, or he might be playing the role of a whistle-blower, is the surmise.

The skeptics might bring out a number of objections. Could it be a cloud inside the crater? Could it be an incidental cloud-like flaw in the photo? Or even perhaps just dust on the lens of the camera?

"It is not a cloud. Clouds do not exist on the Moon," the alien hunter commented. "So I enlarged the photo and saw that not only was it a ship, it looked a lot like the Star Ship Voyager from Star Trek."

It could also not be an "incidental reflection of light on the lunar surface," because when the same area on the lunar surface was shot from a number of angles, the photographs showed the same object in the lunar crater. Hence, it could not be a reflection of light.

"It looks a lot like light reflecting off of the side of a hill to me. But what do I know?" a skeptic commented.

In answer, Waring replied: "Below are some other NASA photos that also have the ship in it, which proves it is not a reflection of light."

"Now this Ship sits inside the edge of Waterman Crater, very close to Tsiolkovsky crater," the UFo hunter continued. "Tsiolkovsky crater is 185 km across long ways and about 160 across the short ways."

It also seemed to make clear why NASA cancelled Apollo mission 18 through 20 - not due to lack of funds, but as the advanced aliens on the other side of the Moon ordered the humans to leave and never return, he speculated.

There is no other explanation for the fact that NASA did not bring back some evidence of the advanced alien technology for reverse-engineering studies, he pointed out.

"I have to ask you, what do you think NASA would do if they discovered a 10.6 km long alien vessel parked on the lunar surface on the far side of the Moon?" Waring asked. "They would set up a retrieval mission or at the least explore the interior for technology that they could take home.

YouTube/Scott Waring

@ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
In recent days we have seen parallel, very different war efforts against Islamic State in Syria and in Iraq.

Russian forces are massing in front of Aleppo, with Syrian forces, Hezbollah and Iranian mercenaries. Russia's sole aircraft carrier, Admiral Kuznetsov is steaming south alongside a whole carrier battle group involving some of the best, most modern ships Russia can muster.

On the other side, around Mosul in Iraq, we are seeing American, Kurdish, Iraqi and Turkish forces, as well as Shiite militia trying to wrest control from IS of the last remaining city stronghold in the country.

It is very interesting for a political/military analyst to watch two distinctly different approaches in such a natural environment. The Russian airstrikes in Aleppo are random, and indiscriminate, sort of reminding of the pummeling of Grozny in 1999. It is brutal...and is also proving to be extremely effective, strictly militarily speaking.

The American-led effort, meanwhile, is extremely slow, and relies on precision-guided strikes totally unlike Second World War-style bombing. While the Russian side is more disciplined and coherent and seemingly united in war aims, the American effort is seriously flawed and riddled with sectarian and operational differences.

It all comes down to style. The Russian naval dispatch, including the old, rusty aircraft carrier, is essentially a show of force. Russia could have achieved the operational aims by sending more land-based planes into Syria, since it already has airbases there.

The land-based jets would also be able to carry more ammunition as they need to load less fuel than the carrier-based jets. However, the carrier operations are designed to show that Russia can operate an aircraft carrier in anger just like the Americans. Admiral Kuznetsov has never taken part in any naval battle; so this is historic.

The Syrian military has also proven to be a much more effective and disciplined force than their Iraqi counterparts. The reasons are firstly, it is a rump Alawite force, which would face annihilation if they lose; hence, they fight more determinedly. Iraqi forces, on the other hand, are complacent, knowing the U.S. will back them up whenever needed. Secondly, Syrian forces are more homogenous, the Iraqi force trying to retake Mosul is already riddled with infighting.

Yet, the biggest lesson is tactical. If one remembers, during the Iraq invasion of 2003, the operational tactic the U.S. military was supposed to use was "shock and awe"  incessant indiscriminate overpowering bombing.

How successful it was, is a matter of scholarly debate. The reason is that, no matter how powerful the bombing, it was extremely precision guided. Those affected by the bombing during Iraq 2003, were mostly Iraqi armed forces. The same is happening in Mosul, now.

The Russian operation, on the other hand, is like that of the Second World War. They don't use smart bombs and precision guided munitions, but rather old-fashioned unguided bombs with insane destructive power. Surprisingly it is effective as a psychological weapon.

The recent Russian window of peace in Aleppo was also a psychological operation. It was more of an ultimatum, to the opposing forces well aware of the Russian weapons, who now face a dilemma. Should they surrender or do they fight to the bitter end? They are also not sure of any amnesty plan, as Russian history in Grozny suggests a completely different fate.

This results in fear both among combatants, as well as inhabitants of a city who now look at the rebels as the cause for all their suffering. As Reuters recently reported, ever since Russia intervened in the war a year ago, the government side has gained the upper hand on numerous fronts, including Aleppo, something not happening in Iraq, where different forces, including the Turks and the Kurds are essentially fighting to grab as much land as they can for the post-IS vacuum.

What does it teach us, and all the countries across the world when it comes to war? It teaches us that the most potent force in war is not what weapons you use or how much of a tactical genius you are. The biggest and most potent factor in a war is how fast you can strike fear in the enemy's heart.

Psychological weapons in a war are almost as important and effective as real weapons, and it is fear that pushes opposing forces to negotiation table. Given the volatile situation of the world, policy makers would do well to take note.

Sumantra Maitra is a columnist with China.org.cn. For more information please visit:

http://www.china.org.cn/opinion/SumantraMaitra.htm

Opinion articles reflect the views of their authors only, not necessarily those of China.org.cn.
The world's first independent holographic computer is going to be released this coming late November. But for those who want to own Microsoft's HoloLens earlier can start pre-ordering the device in Australia.

Tech enthusiasts and tech developers would be needing to pay about $4,369 for a Microsoft Hololens development edition. Those wanting the higher-end version need to pay around $7,269.

These rates are exclusive only to the online Microsoft Store. Pre-orders for the Microsoft HoloLens has started on Oct. 12 in 6 different countries; Australia, Ireland, France, Germany, New Zealand and the United Kingdom.

Microsoft Hololens Specs and other features

As per Alex Kipman, a technical employee at Windows and Devices Group, around 80 Hololens are now available in the Windows Store ever since it debuted in the market, along with its pre-order versions.

"Since our January 2015 debut, our team has been hard at work empowering developers and organizations to bring the vision of mixed reality to life. It's been fascinating to see what has been created by our commercial partners and the team remains in awe of the way developers are using Microsoft HoloLens. Over 80 exclusive mixed reality apps are now available in the Windows Store," Kipman said in an online blog.

More from Kipman

"I couldn't be prouder that Windows is leading the charge through the innovation of our clients and customers. Next year will feature Windows 10 PC users experiencing virtual and augmented reality by using Microsoft's HoloLens.

A Windows 10 update will set for release in 2017 and will give PCs the capacity to run the Windows Holographic Shell, which is Microsoft's lone platform for VR, augmented reality and mixed reality."

People are hyped about this new piece of technology and it will only take time that it will finally be upon interested users soon. But if one truly can't wait, they definitely pre-order right at this very moment.

@ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
The highly-anticipated Mars landing of a European Space Agency (ESA) spacecraft has come to a halt. Speculations have surfaced that something went wrong during the touch down.

The ExoMars Schiaparelli is supposed to make history on the Martian ground last October 19, 2016. However, it becomes clear that the vessel's less-than-a-minute silence appears to signal that it met more than just a technical difficulty.

Although no definite data have been acquired about the incident, high hopes continue to float around. The ExoMars group believes that the information collected by the spacecraft will be sufficient to proceed to the next level. The ESA is working on a 2020 launch of a life-seeking ExoMars roving vehicle.

In a conference, David Parker, the agency's Director of Human Spaceflight and Robotic Exploration, declares that there is a tremendous amount of information on the Schiaparelli. He also cushions that ensuing investigation related to the botched touch down will likely take time to resolves.

Following the Trace Gas Orbiter's (TGO) successful entry into Mars atmosphere, it is the Schiaparelli's turn to buoy up the stage that was supposed to usher the ESA into a new level. However, the vessel's signal has simply gone offline.

At the time the lander is supposed to touch the Red Planet's ground, the Schiaparelli has been on course to follow an exhaustive 6-minute landing procedure. The vessel needs to maintain the 13,000-mph or 21,000-kph mark to complete the touch down.

According to Germany-based Andrea Accomazzo, ESA's head on Solar and Planetary Missions, the space capsule manages to complete the initial approach as the lander maneuvers into the Martian atmospheric layers.

The supersonic parachute engages on time signifying that the deployment of the heat field went as planned. However, the equipment has been ejected far too early that made the lander behavior gone awry.

There are nine thrusters that were supposed to assist the Schiaparelli touch down. However, the less-than-five second boost is way too short to manage the spacecraft's landing.

Accomazzo observes that the status of the capsule is still unclear since the vessel's descent information is still being studied. Locating the lander will be difficult even if an orbiter will be utilized to acquire images.

In line with this, NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) has gathered data about the Schiaparelli's botched landing. A couple of new structures on the Red Planet's surface have been cited. The glowing spot is believed to be the parachute while the darker mark can be the impact point of the ESA lander when it plunged to the ground after its thrusters died down shortly.

Since the MRO has zeroed in on the crash position, more images about the occurrence are expected to be captured.

@ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Here is some disturbing WikiLeaks news. A global extinction might happen in 20 years, Hillary Clinton had been cautioned by a man who claimed to be part of a "secretive" Canadian Government organisation.

The mails had been sent to John Podesta, Clinton's campaign manager. Unless the party cooperates, "we could all be dead in 20 years", Podesta was warned.

Ken Coffin sent the mail, explaining that the movement of the magnetic north pole might get humans "wiped off the face of the earth."

Coffin is from Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. He wrote: "I represent a Canadian organisation that doesn't exist that looks like DARPA, but works with the government to pursue positive growth business. Our interests lie in the contribution to the positive growth of humanity."

The DARPA, anyway, is The Defence Advanced Research Projects Agency, a US body that is involved in developing and upgrading technology for national security.

It is not clear why Podesta got the mails, but it is probably because he as well as Clinton had shown some inclination in the disclosure of secret documents related to UFO sightings or aliens.

That, perhaps, raised some hopes of action. But there did not seem to be any coming from that end.

Mr Coffin said: "We think that we can make the world better, happier and more peaceful. But we can't do that if we are about to see a mass extinction event occur. With the magnetic north pole moving towards the equator, we need help."

The warning was quite severe. He said: "Magnetic North now over Siberia. In 10 years it will be over the black sea. In 20 years it will be over Indonesia."

The drifting of the magnetic north pole is taking place at about 25 miles per year. There are predictions by scientists that it might touch Asia in some decades. Hence, if there is a geomagnetic reversal, with the flipping of the poles, it may be dangerous.

But then again, it has happened before, so it might not be, either. It has happened many times earlier, but there was never any great influence on global populations.

But Coffin seems vexed that the US Government had left Canada out of the issue, and he concluded that the US seems to have come to some understanding with a "superior alien race." As Canada has been left out of the reckoning, it is only an alien species that can probably save humanity, he said.

He added: "Our intelligence is limited. Why are we being shut out and shut down?

"We require full disclosure of all alien contact and all treaties the US has agreed to with the aliens.

"We might have weak intelligence, but we have ascertained that we are food, labour, and resource generators for the alien overlords.

"Our information came from your own Department of Defence, casually and off the record by credible sources.

"Now we want to know if we are going to be dealt a hand at the table or will we be left out like last time?

"We just need to know who and what we are dealing with. What are their intentions? Are they hostile? Can we stop them if necessary? What deals were cut?

My advice is to bring us to the table. We need more information because our data is currently not up to date.

"Our failed attempts at catching UFOs showed how weak we were. This is because we do not know what we are up against. We need more data.

"If we can find allies that can help we would welcome it. Or in 20 plus years we will all be dead anyway.

"If the US cut a deal, now would be a good time to start calling in favours!"

YouTube/Real Thing TV

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An amazing Martian image from NASA's rover shows a tiny, "pint-sized creature lurking on the rim of its wheel."

The theory associated with the creature is even more amazing. Alien seekers, who claim to have exposed a number of strange alien-like beings on Mars, according to HNGN, are now going further.

They are sure that the alien creature spotted on the image is involved in defending its "homes" from getting crushed by the Curiosity rover.

It is actually trying to sabotage the US space agency's investigation, explains Scott C. Waring in UFO Sightings Daily blog.

He writes: "YouTube users Mars Alive has found a tiny alien figure inside the front left wheel of the rover. That's right, and it looks 100% legit. It's there and it's about 3cm tall. That matches the other half dozen figures to found on Mars.

"The figure is standing upright and on a slanted edge, so its feet are slanted with it, much how a human stands. For it to get into the wheel it had to have crawled there, so it is alive, but it may be attempting to sabotage the rover in order to stop it from driving over homes.

"After this, I would not be surprised if the rover stopped working altogether."

Mars Alive put up a video of the tiny creature on YouTube. The text claims that NASA has tried to "cover-up" the alien creature by darkening out its silhouette on the NASA image.

Mars Alive claims: "Incredible mars anomaly found in NASA's Sol 1119 Curiosity Front Hazcam: Left B, captured what appears to be another cover-up by NASA, NASA has many tactics for covering up anomalies on Mars, for example in this image, they have made it darker than the usual images from NASA, when they do this I know it's because they are trying to hide something, NASA's image quality just keeps getting worse as people find incredible anomalies, in this image there appears to be what looks like a small being inside the Curiosity Rover's wheel, this could very well just be ROCK inside the wheel as the rover travels across the Martian Terrain , but to me it seem's to be staring straight into Curiosity Rover's Camera, ROCK or Little Alien Being?"

However, NASA has replied with a stout denial of the charge.

After all, there could be so many objects on images that look totally different from what they are, due to pareidolia. That happens when the eyes make the brain believe that it is able to "see something" that is not even there.

YouTube/MARS ALIVE

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Creepy killer clowns may spell trouble for people on Halloween as it is said that they are planning a purge night on coming Sunday, Oct. 30 before Halloween. They have been terrorizing people for a few months and now that the big day is coming, everyone is scared.

Stories of the killer clowns indulging in mass killings before Halloween night have become regular news, reports Morning News USA. It is also said that one may face serious threat if one dresses like a clown. One may land in prison for inducing panic and terror.

The killer clown stories are now a matter of security concern as Gallatin County Sheriff Josh Neale has taken steps in this regard. He has roped in the FBI and Homeland Security to counter the threat and therefore, if one is planning to don a clown costume, it is better to give the idea a miss.

Notably, the killer clown stories started from Greenville in South Carolina two months before, in August when rumors of the clowns trying to tempt kids into the woods started doing the rounds. It was also said that they were seen chasing and attacking adults. Later, the stories became global as reports of clown sightings also started pouring in from UK, Australia, and even Russia.

Meanwhile, the police have found out the mastermind behind the Facebook page Clown Hunters that had issued a warning about the purge night through a post, claims Morning Ledger. The post in question, that had also gotten half million shares, was merely the prank of a teenager. The teenager, however, has not been charged with any crime.

It has been confirmed that the post was just a hoax and nothing like purge is going to take place around Halloween and thus, there is no need to panic. Still, the fear has spread far and wide and many are apprehensive about venturing out. People seem to be cautious about their children going out for the "Trick or Treat" game.

It is worth mentioning here that initially people had thought that the clowns were just a promotion strategy for Stephen King's movie "It."

@ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
For the Eastman Kodak Company, it is now or never. Still reeling from its failure to adapt to the digital field decades ago, the premier organization is on track to excite photography fans and enthusiasts.

Together with Bullitt, a Reading-based hardware builder specializing in unconventional devices, Kodak unveils the elite phone unit Ektra. It is the intention of the partnership to highlight elite camera specifications in the market.

This is not the primary venture for both organizations. A low-profile launching in 2015 has targeted newcomers or neophytes.

The Bullitt group, which surfaced in 2009, focuses more on licensing electronic designs for popular companies. Among its products are devices for JCB and Caterpillar, headphones and speakers for Ted Baker and Ministry of Sound. Currently, a Land Rover unit is under production.

Rather than engage leading tech companies like Apple, Samsung and Google head on, the photo pioneer group wants to introduce a quality-driven handy camera for all users. Named after the 1941 historic unit, the Ektra is being trumpeted to outperform all mainstream smartphones.

Kodak's newest product offers a 21-megapixel camera with a sophisticated approach to shot adjustments. It also presents an extensive editing application that is associated with the Google Snapseed. In contrast to most devices that are equipped with aluminum and glass frames, the Ektra portrays the retro outlook design.

The Android unit employs a camera figure with a prominent lens at the rear part of the phone. An SD card slot is available for expanding memory storage. The presence of a potent processor enables the immediate processing of high-definition images.

According to Charlie Henderson, Bullitt's product head, a clear market among millions of people who see themselves as avid photographers is what the brand stands for.

Kodak, for its part, has sold a number of its patents to tech corporations including Google and Apple after going bankrupt in 2012. It manages, however, to bounce back the following year.

Chief Executive Jeff Clarke highlights Kodak's expertise in imaging technology. The release of its device is a commitment to share the latest development in photography.

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NASA has been accused of hiding facts about alien life from the public for multiple times now. However, the latest allegations on the American space agency suggest that it may have shot down the European Space Agency lander so that it is not able to establish a contact with the aliens.

On Oct. 19, Wednesday, the ESA Lander lost contact with the scientists on Earth. A new conspiracy theory suggests that the lander was intentionally shot down by NASA, and that the agency has did the same thing to a number of probes launched in the past to look for evidence of alien life on Mars.

The theory has been put forward by Scott C Waring of the ufosightingsdaily.com. According to Waring, NASA shot down Schiaparelli lander and it has been doing the same to all rival probes launched by other countries since 1989.

In the same post, the UFO enthusiast and alien hunter has further accused NASA of destroying Russian Phobos probe in 1989 and similarly the Phobos-Grunt lander in 2011. Waring says that he was going to accuse NASA as soon as he heard the news about ESA probe losing contact with scientists on Earth, however, he decided to wait.

Waring also revealed that the two Russian probes lost their connection while they were still in the orbit, just above America. However, this time, the decided to break the trust of their friend and an ally, Europe.

NASA has launched several mission till date to the red planet. However, Schiaparelli was one of its own kind, since it was being launched to specifically look for aliens on Mars.

According to Waring, NASA is already aware of the fact that there are aliens on Mars. However, it just wants to hide the reality from the world by not revealing any facts about extraterrestrial life by itself and by preventing other probes and missions from finding any concrete alien evidence on Mars.

The Express reports that NASA wants to become the first agency to make an announcement about alien life. However, making other countries' missions fails is not right and the United Nations should intervene in this matter, Waring believes.

@ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
At least 10 people died while 157 others were wounded when a pre-fabricated house exploded Monday afternoon at a residential area in Fugu County in China.

Initial investigation revealed that dozens of workers were building a makeshift house inside a residential compound when the blast occurred, according to China's state-run news agency Xinhua.

The powerful explosion also damaged a hospital building nearby while burying people alive under the rubble. While the authorities are still investigating the cause of the incident, a local Huashang newspaper said the blast "might be related to unlicensed storage of explosives."

As part of safety procedure, the power was cut during the night amid rescue operations. Dozens of firefighters and rescuers are combing the rubble for more survivors, according to a Xinhua report.

Just before midnight, 113 more people were admitted to the hospital including 11 others at the intensive care unit.

China's social media website Weibo was filled with photos and videos of people running for safety while covered in blood in the middle of ruined buildings.

Some pictures showed mothers carrying their children while others were stunned and rattled by the powerful explosion. Police and emergency services have launched a rescue operation.

Chine. Une explosion a #Fugu, #Shanxi, serait causee par un stockage clandestin de produits explosifs dans une cave pic.twitter.com/KMA2kFbDBo  Zhulin Zhang (@ZhangZhulin) October 24, 2016

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Saudi-led military coalition fighting Shiite Houthi rebels resumed airstrikes on the Yemeni capital Sanaa Sunday morning, hours after a UN-mediated ceasefire expired, as the UN envoy is due in Sanaa within hours to seek an extension of the truce.

People shop at the old market in the historic city of Sanaa, Yemen, October 21, 2016. [Photo/Xinhua]

Houthi-controlled state Saba news agency cited a military official as saying that the planes launched nine air strikes on several residential areas in Sanaa in the morning.

"The planes fired various types of bunker buster missiles and bombs that jolted the whole city," the official was quoted as saying.

Residents told Xinhua that the warplanes hit al-Hafa mountainous military site in al-Sabeen district southeast of the capital five times.

The jets also waged two other strikes on adjacent military location in Mount Noqum, while the rest strikes struck al-Daylami air force base north of Sanaa, said the residents.

The airstrikes triggered an earthquake-like shake, causing huge damage to hundreds of residential houses, public and private properties, said the residents, adding that the fighter jets continued intensely flying over Sanaa.

Meanwhile, Houthi officials told reporters that the UN envoy to Yemen Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed has informed the leadership of Houthis and their allies of former President Ali Abdullah Saleh that he would arrive in Sanaa within next few hours to seek an extension of the truce.

Both sides, the dominant Shiite Houthi rebels and exiled government of internationally recognized President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi, have traded accusations of breaching the truce as ground fighting raged on largely all combat fronts throughout the three-day truce.

Moreover, Saudi Arabia accused Houthi fighters of firing rockets into its border cities of Jazan and Najran while Houthis said they were retaliating Saudi-led airstrikes on the Yemeni cities.

The truce collapsed after a series of attempts failed to cease the hostilities in Yemen since 2014.

The conflict in Yemen began after the 2011 Arab-spring style mass protests eventually forced former President Ali Abdullah Saleh to step down.

Houthis, with the support of Saleh, seized capital Sanaa and some other Yemeni cities in September 2014, forcing Hadi and his government into exile.

The Saudi-led coalition intervened in Yemen's conflict in March 2015 with an air force campaign to restore Hadi to power and roll back Houthi gains.

The 19-month civil war in Yemen has killed more than 10,000 people, mostly civilians.
H ow a few neighbours turned a dreary, brick-walled yard into five slick maisonettes, five stylish offices and a sexy three-storey house is a tale of collaboration, ingenuity and patience that not only proves what you can achieve if you have guts and a good idea, but shows what London is so great at  and needs to do much more of.

Built on the former storage area of Islingtons famous Chapel street market, the eye-catching zinc-clad development called Godson Street has justly won a Royal Institute of British Architects London award.

This once-ignored industrial hinterland north of Angel is changing fast. Architect Jake Edgley, 44, was living in a small house he had built, which bordered the brick wall to the north of the yard. Every day he watched market traders wheel loaded trolleys to and fro, and dreamed about what he could do with the site. Then in 2009, Islington council relocated the market storage and put the yard up for sale. Jake spotted the sign.

The yards north wall gave him an unexpected advantage. The house of another architect, James Engel, also bordered it, as did two little houses Jack had designed for local brothers Chris and Steve Joannou. These locally born Cypriots knew everyone in the market. They had seen the for sale sign, too, and immediately suggested to Jake and James that they get together to develop the site between them.

A nod to 17th-century London: the fronts of the homes overhang / Jack Hobhouse

The group put in an offer, only to be pipped by someone else. However, that deal fell through, so Jake then quickly bought the site and divided it with the others. He bought it without planning consent. Because of the huge risk, that is always much cheaper. I only ever buy land without planning, he says. Thats a very confident attitude. You have to buy for cash, too  because no bank will lend against it.

MODERN GEORGIANS

The Joannou brothers were happy to let the others design what went in the space. Once, there had been seven narrow old terrace houses, demolished in the Seventies. James, the other architect, suggested a Georgian terrace format, though in a modern way  narrow, four-storey houses with semi-basements, and a stair hugging one spine wall.

At first, the council only wanted offices, but as Jake explains, councils like occupied buildings, so the planners then agreed to some flats, too. Jake designed a terrace of six double 800sq ft maisonettes: offices below, apartments above. The council liked that, but wanted the end property to have a lower roofline, so he changed this bit to a three-storey house. The council agreed.

With 80 neighbours round the plot, right-to-light issues created a headache, but also brought opportunity for ingenuity. The solution was angled window placement, plus a fine steel mesh over some windows, to blur the view.

Clean lines: the six maisonettes boast smart, minimalist style / Jack Hobhouse

RESISTING THE BLING

At one point, Jake did a model that gave the houses shiny gold cladding, which local residents loved, but his partners thought was a bit bling, so they went for subtly tinted zinc instead. In 2012, planning was granted. It had taken two-and-a-half years.

Meanwhile, the gung-ho Joannou brothers got a digger and started excavating the site. They put up the retaining wall, and steel work to support the houses. By doing it at their own pace they saved a lot of money. We found all sorts of things, such as kitchen ranges, down there  all squashed, Jake says.

The main build began in 2013. The lower levels are cast concrete, with stairs down and lightwells front and back that bring plentiful light to the basement. There are huge picture windows front and back. Above, the living area is all made of laminated timber, clad in seamed zinc.

The fronts stick out and overhang, rather like 17th-century London houses. Amazingly, these top parts are cantilevered in wood, not steel, so the structures are super-light. The rooflines are interesting, dipping up and down like traditional butterfly roofs.

Super-light: the flats, with big picture windows, are cantilevered in wood and the roofline is eye-catching (Jack Hobhouse)

Inside the maisonette flats, exposed fair-faced concrete, polished concrete floors, attractive birch ply detail and sliding doors create clean, modern, desirable canvases, with loads of light at all levels. Fittings are sleek, Fifties-looking brass.

Jake has his practice in one property, with Jamess next door. The streetscape makes a creative, connected community with everyone getting to know one another.

Taken all together, the best word for this is ... exciting. Its no surprise that all five flats rented almost immediately, and by now, the house is probably sold.

This is exactly the type of innovative, well-designed and economical project that we need all over the capital, using our brilliant design skills. And planners and councils need to actively get involved in helping to make it happen.

What it cost

Price of plot in 2009: 400,000

Building costs (excluding architects fees and digging out): approximately 1.9 million

Value of three-storey house: 1,295,000

Sleek: polished concrete and birch ply detail in the living room / Jack Hobhouse

Get the look

Its the best flat Ive ever seen

Management consultant Jonna Kloow and her boyfriend, Johan Lantz, both Swedish, moved into Godson Street in March from a flat in Notting Hill. We spotted it by accident online, says Jonna.

The pictures didnt do it justice but we risked it and came to view anyway, and the flat was just amazing. Wed seen more than 30, and, honestly, this is the best flat I have ever seen.

Happy: Johan Lantz and Jonna Kloow love Godson Street / Charles Hosea

We really liked the modern design, the feel, and the light. I tell my friends about living in London, and that since we moved here, it has improved our quality of life 100 per cent.

We arent bothered by the offices  they are there during the day, were there in the evening.
Photo credit: Sebastien Roy

Jean-Yves Munch[BROKEN LINK] of the Hope College music faculty is part of the team that created the short film Patterns, which won honors earlier this month during the Festival du Nouveau Cinema in Montreal, Canada.

Munch, who is a lecturer in music at Hope, did the sound design and audio spatialization for the film, which won the Immersion Award during the Oct. 5-16 festival.

Founded in 1971, the Festival du Nouveau Cinema features independent films from around the world. Attendance is estimated at more than 160,000 people each year.

Patterns was directed by Pierre Friquet, who is based in Montreal, and co-created by Ando Shah, who was technical director, with music composition by Mourad Bennacer. Inspired by H.P. Lovecrafts universe, the 30-minute film follows the main character, Walter, as hypnosis helps lead him through his repressed past and to a monster in his ancestral home. It combines 3D videogrammetry and 360-degree video techniques, and is being adapted as a virtual reality experience for HTC Vive. The project was part of the residency program offered by La Societe des Arts Technologiques in Montreal. [SAT] is a non-profit organization recognized internationally for its active, leading role in developing immersive technologies, augmented reality and creative use of high-speed networks.

Munch is a professional sound recordist working with classical ensembles, contemporary musical forms and audio visual arts. He has been a member of the recording arts faculty at Hope since 2011.

As principal location sound mixer for feature and documentary films, he travels and records sound around the world. His initial studies in film sound engineering and acoustics were conducted at Ecole Nationale Superieure Louis Lumiere in Paris. He established his studio home-base, Studio du Marais, in Saugatuck in 2007.

His work has been cited for numerous other awards, including those presented at the Banff Mountain Film Festival, Columbus (Ohio) Film Festival, Katmandu International Film Festival, and the International Mountain and Adventure Filmfestival Graz (O), among others. Since 2005, he has served as principal recording engineer for the Grand Rapids Symphony Orchestra.

Some of his recently released audio recordings include: Mississippi Gabe Carters Midnight Dream and Until they drag me down (CDBY), Narada Burton Greene  Live at Kerrytown House (NoBusiness, 2012) and Philip Sawyers: Symphonic Music for Strings and Brass (Nimbus Alliance).
These days, hoteliers talk a good game when trying to convince travelers to book directly. "Stop Clicking Around," Hilton urges in a current campaign. "It Pays to Book Direct," Marriott promises. "The Best Place to Book is Right Here," proclaims Hyatt.

Most major hotel brands and many independent hotels now offer a best rate guarantee and incentives for direct bookings. It's part of an industry-wide movement to change traveler behavior and reduce the amount of commissions hotels pay to online travel agencies. The underlying message of these campaigns is, "Trust us. Skip OTAs and book direct for the best deal."

But can travelers really trust hotels to uphold this promise? As a traveler, time and again I'm dismayed to find better offers on OTAs than on hotel websites.

Most recently, while planning a five-night stay in New York, I found a great deal on Booking.com for a five-star hotel, part of a well-known brand. Like a good ex-hotelier, I went to the hotel's website to book direct, but the rates were much higher there, so I called the hotel. The reservations agent was reluctant to match the offer, questioned its validity, and asked me to email a screen shot. Eventually, she agreed to match the rate.

Curious, I asked if she could offer me an incentive to book through her rather than through the OTA. She emailed back with an offer of a $25 minibar credit. The hotel would save hundreds of dollars in commission on my five-night stay, yet was willing to spend just $5 per night (actually much less, if you look at cost) to secure the direct booking.

Meanwhile, at another hotel I visited recently, OTA rates are matched automaticallyno haggling necessaryand direct bookers receive a $25 daily food & beverage credit, free Wi-Fi and a late checkout.

A quick search on a metasearch site like Kayak or Trivago will show you the rates across booking channels for any given hotel (though not always direct rates). On the surface most hotels appear to have rate parity locked down, with little or no variations across channels. But a little digging often turns up hidden deals on OTAs.

Surprisingly, it's both independent hotels and branded properties, many of them run by seasoned hoteliers and sophisticated marketers, the very people making this "book direct" plea to travelers, where I encounter frequent instances of rate disparity. Considering the fees brands levy on member properties, shouldn't they be doing everything possible to avoid OTA commissions? What's left over for the owners? And where are things breaking downat property level or at corporate office?

So often when I ask a hotel if it can match an offer I found on an OTA, the agent hems and haws, questions the rate I found, puts me on hold, asks for proof, and generally makes me feel like I'm engaging in unseemly behavior. Actually, I want to say, I'm trying to book your hotel and save you money. Although of course my motives are self-serving, too. I know that travelers who book directly are more likely than OTA bookers to get a better room and preferential treatmentor at least they won't be hit with penalties and disincentives.

In France, where rate parity clauses in OTA agreements have been declared unlawful, I routinely find better deals on OTAs than on direct channels. If anything, shouldn't it be the reverse now? When I asked one hotel, part of a huge conglomerate, to match the OTA rate, the reservations agent told me I had to book on Expedia. So I did, however reluctantly. At the hotel, I was treated like a second-class citizenno loyalty points, no turn-down service, no newspaper and no late checkoutbecause, staff were quick to point out, I had booked through an OTA. Do I blame Expedia for this? No, I blame the hotel, and I won't go back.

If hotels truly want to change traveler behavior, the choice comes down to a carrot or a stick: offer travelers incentives to book directly (carrot), or penalize them for booking through an OTA by withholding perks and services (stick). Which is more effective? I'd say carrots are more effective at building relationships and loyalty and enticing guests to book directly on future stays. But that carrot must come with an authentic best-rate guarantee.

Is the message about the value of direct bookings making its way from hotel executives to frontline employees and call center staff, the people fielding reservations calls? Are staff being offered carrots too, to encourage them to secure direct bookings wherever possible and appropriate? When reservations agents decline to match an offer found on an OTA, is it because they don't know any better, or don't care  or are they complying with terms in OTA agreements?

During a recent ReviewPro webinar, I asked Max Starkov, president & CEO of HeBS Digital, if he thinks it's ever okay for hotels to offer lower rates on OTAs than on direct channels. "We believe it's counterproductive because it trains the traveling public that they can always find a lower rate on OTAs," he said. "Travelers believe that OTAs are the place to go for the best rates, and we have to prove them wrong. Hotels should teach travelers that they will receive comparable rates and perks if they book direct."

Before deciding to offer a promotion exclusively on an OTA, Starkov says, hoteliers should "take a deep breath, and structure and launch a campaign on direct channels. If needed, offer the same promotion via OTAs."

I know what it's like to forecast a budget shortfall and be tempted to turn on the OTA tap to meet the numbers. It's so easy, so effective. But while the hotel may experience a revenue bump in the short term, and perhaps satisfy the budgetary demands of corporate office, ownership and quarterly bonuses, in the long run it's not doing anyone a favor, except OTAs. It's teaching travelers to not trust hotels, and putting even more profits into the pockets of OTAs.

These days, as more hoteliers spread the gospel of booking direct, they need to practice what they preach. As long as hotels continue to allow OTAs to sell their rooms at lower rates, it won't matter how much money they spend to try to convince travelers to book direct.

Travelers won't change their habits until hoteliers do.

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Background

As mobile bookings and website visits increased by 46% and 28% year over year (HeBS Digital Research), it is critically important to determine and track the contribution of digital marketing campaigns to voice reservations. Due to lack of easy mobile payment options, and slower adoption of mobile ecommerce by some demographics (ex. baby boomers), a significant part of the traveling public still prefers to call the property when booking a hotel or resort stay as opposed to making the reservation themselves via a mobile device. In many cases travelers make voice reservations after being sold on the property via digital marketing campaigns and initiatives: search engine marketing, email marketing, display advertising, social media, etc.

Because of this, hoteliers can often underestimate the performance of their digital marketing campaigns that were driving revenues via the voice channel. For example, many hoteliers have seen trackable revenue from their email marketing campaigns plummeting over the past years. Email no longer works!  we have heard this from hoteliers numerous times. With over 70% of emails being opened and read on smartphones, and many travel consumers still reluctant or too lazy to do mobile reservations via the hotel booking engine and prefer to call, how do you track true revenues and returns from email marketing? What if you knew that over 91% of email marketing bookings actually came via the voice channel for the resort featured in this case study? Would this change your opinion about the potency of email marketing as a direct-response, revenue generation initiative?

So how should hoteliers calculate the true ROI from their digital marketing campaigns? By combining precise online and voice channel analytics, hoteliers can fully understand which digital marketing initiatives produce the highest returns.

The Case Study: Expecting the Unexpected

A Florida resort client was struggling to understand the true performance of their digital marketing campaigns, having experienced decreasing revenues from email marketing, paid search, its TripAdvisor Business Listing, etc. The resort was even considering halting some campaigns due to deteriorating revenue performance and ROIs.

When HeBS Digital and the reservations sales experts at NAVIS joined forces, we were able to reveal the big picture and demonstrate that a significant percentage of digital marketing revenue was actually made through voice reservations, thus leading to a shift in marketing thinking at the resort, and to more accurate measuring of campaign performance and ROIs.

Based on digital marketing results for 2016 YTD, we found that over 41% of booking revenues from the propertys digital marketing campaigns actually came via the voice channel, including:

Email Marketing: over 91%

SEO: 55%

Mobile devices: 55%

TripAdvisor Business Listing: 54%

Social Media: 36%

SEM/Paid Search: 32%

Obviously, if the resort did not take into account voice channel contribution, many of the digital marketing campaigns would appear to be performing in an unsatisfactory fashion.

How does voice channel tracking work?

NAVIS online/offline voice tracking bridge relies on unique phone numbers  most typically toll-free numbers and dynamic coding on the website, which recognizes which campaign is responsible for the call and through interface with the propertys PMS tracks if the call results with bookings and revenue. In sum, it enables us to attribute booked revenue by phone to the originating digital campaign.

Here is a screenshot summarizing the case study, which helped our client understand true ROIs by integrating both online and offline conversion tracking:

Download the detailed Case Study: Understanding the Big Picture with Online & Voice Channel Reservation Tracking.

About HeBS Digital

Founded in 2001, HeBS Digital helps hoteliers drastically increase direct bookings and lower overall distribution costs by deploying industry best-of-breed digital technology, consulting and marketing (www.hebsdigital.com).

The firm has won more than 400 prestigious industry awards for its digital technology, website design and marketing services, including numerous Adrian Awards, Stevie Award in the American Business Awards, W3 Awards, WebAwards, Magellan Awards, Summit International Awards, Interactive Media Awards, and IAC Awards.

A diverse client portfolio of top-tier major luxury and boutique hotel chains, independent hotels, resorts and casinos, franchised properties and hotel management companies, convention centers, spas, restaurants and bars, DMO and CVBs are all benefiting from HeBS Digitals direct online channel strategy and digital marketing expertise. Contact HeBS Digitals consultants at (212) 752-8186 or success@hebsdigital.com.
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Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe told Self-Defense Forces (SDF) personnel Sunday at a parade review held near Tokyo to earnestly take their "responsibilities and missions" at home and abroad.

The instruction came after controversial security legislation was enacted in March, expanding the role of the SDF despite the inherent contradictions to Japan's own pacifist Constitution.

The Japanese prime minister told some 4,000 SDF personnel in attendance that under the new security laws, they should expect to undertake the new tasks in their upcoming roles.

Japan's security shift, in contravention of its own pacifist constitution, has put the nation under the international spotlight as the changes were made by way of an Abe-led unilateral cabinet decision and forced through parliament into law based on his party's ruling majority and against the public will.

Under the new legislation, Japan is now, in a limited manner, permitted to exercise the right to collective self-defense or can come to the aid of the United States and other friendly nations under armed attack, even if Japan itself is not attacked.

The ambiguous wording of the law has led to increased suspicion and vexation at Abe's loosely-veiled plans to remilitarize the country.

On Sunday, around 280 military vehicles took part in the parade review, including tanks and other armored transportation vehicles, and 50 aircraft were involved. The parade review also saw a flyover by U.S. military Osprey transportation aircraft.
The Rezidor Hotel Group continues to report strong growth momentum and signed 1,900 rooms during the third quarter of 2016. The group remains committed to its asset-light strategy with a focus on its core markets. Year-to-date, the group has added 33 hotels and more than 6,400 rooms to its pipeline, and 14 new hotels with almost 2,700 rooms to operations. Rezidors portfolio now comprises approximately 475 hotels in operation or under development with 104,000 rooms in over 80 countries. In Q3, we solidified the groups position in Africa, the Middle East and key emerging hubs. In July, we opened the first ever Radisson Blu and Convention Center in Kigali, Rwanda and announced the signings of three properties in the UAE. At the Africa Hotel Investment Forum, we announced the signing of five Park Inn by Radisson hotels in Angola which will all open in the next 18 months, said Elie Younes, Executive Vice President and Chief Development Officer of Rezidor. With these new signings, the group is adding over 1,000 rooms to its portfolio in the UAE, and 650 in Angola. The Radisson Blu Hotel and Convention Centre in Kigali, Rwanda opened in July as East Africas largest convention center and hosted the 2016 Africa Hotel Investment Forum in October. Another milestone for the group is the signing of its first ever property in Kyrgyzstan, making Kyrgyzstan as the 82nd market with a Rezidor property. The newly built Radisson Blu hotel in Bishkek, the Kyrgyz capital, will welcome its first guests in 2019. In 2016, the Rezidor Hotel Group has opened 11 new Radisson Blu hotels in Istanbul, Sohar, Helsinki, Tampere, Abidjan Airport, Lome, Milatos Crete, Marrakech, Yerevan, Ordu and Kigali, expanded the capacity and offer of the Radisson Blu, Maputo with the opening of a new residences complex. The group opened 2 new Park Inn by Radisson hotels in Neumarkt and Ankara. In addition to our accelerated growth in emerging markets, we have continued to add world-class properties in our core markets in the Nordics and Western Europe too, signaling our commitment to balanced global organic growth, added Younes.
Good news: Isaiah Rashad has just announced his Lil Sunny tour, in which he will traverse the country and play 22 shows in early 2017.

The tour will begin in Lawrenec, Kansas on January 18th and head north to the midwest, than Canada, than the northeast, then down south to Florida, then the dirty south (Chattanooga show!) before wrapping up in Oxford, Mississippi on February 18th.

Rashad is a semi-retired clarinetest  maybe hell bring on along clarinet. (Check out our interview with Rashad to learn more about his clarinet exploits.)

The Suns Tirade is one of the hottest albums of the year. Stream it here and check out Lil Sunny tour dates below.





Isaiah Rashad
The cream of Nashville is coming to Dublin next March!

Following the massive success of last years event, the Country 2 Country festival returns to Dublins 3Arena from March 10-12.

The first batch of just announced acts are Brad Paisley, Zac Brown Band, Chris Young, Darius Rucker, Jennifer Nettles, Hunter Hayes, Maren Morris, Cam, Dan + Shay and Brothers Osborne.

Tickets go on sale at 10am on Friday November 4.

Along with homegrown country devotees, a huge number of US fans travelled to Ireland for the three-dayer, which simultaneously takes place in Glasgow and London with the bills switching over.
Even the most ardent Green Day fan would have to admit that this decade hasnt been kind to Green Day. Frontman Billie Joe Armstrong had an unforgettable public meltdown in 2012, which was followed by a stint in rehab. Meanwhile, the bands trilogy of albums (the overblown and underwhelming Uno!, Dos! and Tre!) was a creative misfire, which even they themselves wrote off as being prolific for the sake of it. With their stock currently resembling their post-Dookie period, theyve decided to give themselves a make-under for Revolution Radio. The back to basics approach has yielded Green Days most consistently enjoyable album since 97s Nimrod.

Dispensing with high concepts and needless fluff, the 12 tracks are stripped back and focused on power, precision and melody. While the ghosts of their arena rock phase arent completely exorcised (love song Youngblood is rather twee, and the seven minute rock opera Forever Now fails to dazzle), there are plenty of high points. Indeed, the likes of the pulverising Bang Bang, the Adam and the Ants-ish Say Goodbye and the power-pop of the tellingly titled Too Dumb To Die find the trio in the form of their lives  and are sure to be live staples for years to come. Welcome back.
Great news for Hollywood diversity!

Out of all of Marvel's Netflix shows so far, the first season of Jessica Jones might be the smartest and most subversive. It was willing to take on one of the most uncomfortable subjects in film and televisionrapeand explore it in a way that goes beyond cheap exploitation. If there was one problem the show had, it was too long.

The news that women will direct all thirteen episodes of the second season is welcome. While Hollywood has been better in recent years at diversity, it still has a long way to go. Jessica Jones is the perfect show for an all-female direction. We only hope that the show will for multiple plotlines rather than stretch a single arc over thirteen episodes.
5 carnival workers and a game called "31"...what could go wrong?

Just one week away until the candy and costume laden holiday arrives. If your list of horror films lacks in substance, then the latest Rob Zombie film 31 should make the cut.

Written and directed by rock-star Rob Zombie, the American horror film centers around carnival workers in 1976 who must fight against murderers known as "The Heads." Called by the names, Sick-Head, Psycho-Head, Schizo-Head, Death-Head, and Sex-Head, these assailants torture and tantalize the five workers. Hopefully murderous clowns do not sound too frightening!

Released back in September, Rob Zombie says the film "was always going to be very in-your-face physically violent movie from the start." See for yourself in the trailer before.

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The film will screen at the IFI in Temple Bar as part of the IFI Horrorthon, Thursday October 27. For tickets and more information: www.ifi.ie/horrorthon-2016-31

Rob Zombie has also directed the horror films The Devil's Rejects, House of 1000 Corpses, and The Lords of Salem.
The 2018 Star Wars movie somehow seems less secretive than the 2017 Star Wars movie.

2018 is a while away, but that doesn't mean Disney and Lucasfilms haven't already mapped out their plans for the year. We've known for a while now that after Episode VIII, the next Star Wars project will be another anthology film, this time with the focus on Han Solo before he became a hero of the Rebellion.

Christopher Miller and Phil Lord will direct, and Lawrence and Jon Kasdan will script. Alden Ehrenreich will play the young Han Solo. All of that has been known for a while. The latest casting news is that Donald Glover will play a young Lando Calrissian. Glover has a pedigree of great film credits, including Troy Barnes on the hit comedy series Community, so the choice seems like a natural fit.

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Lawrence Kasdan describes the movie as an origin story for Han Solo and Chewbacca, a character journey of how an idealistic youth became the cynical jerk we meet in the original Star Wars film.
In Mexico's Guerrero state, a lot is hidden in the dirt, secrets both gruesome and wonderful. The unmarked graves that dot the rolling hillsides give Guerrero its moniker as Mexico's murder capital. But there's gold here, too - lots of gold.

Toronto-based Torex Gold Resources Inc. opened its first mine earlier this year, representing a rare victory in Mexico's efforts to fuel economic growth in a state ravaged by drug gangs fighting over the opium crops that feed U.S. heroin habits.

Two other Canadian miners, Timmins Gold Corp. and Minaurum Gold Inc., have plans to explore and develop their own sites. In a region with very little going for it, local officials and workers hope the trio of investments could be the start of something bigger.

While Guerrero and neighboring states Oaxaca and Chiapas account for a 10th of Mexico's population, they've received less than 3 percent of its foreign direct investment over the past 16 years. Tales of murder and kidnapping have kept investors away. Cocula, the closest town to Torex's mines, is better known to the world as the home of the trash dump where the bodies of 43 college students were burned in 2014.

The federal government alleges a local mayor aligned with a drug cartel had them nabbed to avoid the blight of planned protests. On Guerrero's coast, the resort city of Acapulco has gone from a globe-trotter's hot spot to the state's bloodiest town.

'Beautiful asset'

"We're very involved with our security folks to keep track of the risks," says Fred Stanford, 57, the president and chief executive officer of Torex. Plus, the mining projects are a "beautiful asset."

Prospects are so alluring, the former mine foreman says, that he's made the 12-hour trek from Toronto every six weeks or so over the past seven years to check on progress at Torex's first mine, El Limon-Guajes.

You could say Guerrero and Torex need each other. Torex's only assets are the open-pit mine - inaugurated in April - and an adjacent project. The firm's $800 million investment to develop El Limon-Guajes is Guerrero's biggest ever. Torex plans to spend about $500 million more to start up the neighboring Media Luna project within about five years.

The Torex venture signals "to the world is that mining in Mexico is fundamental, because it generates wealth and social equality, above all in the poorest of places,"the economy ministry said in an April 28 statement, adding that the investment will generate 600 jobs.

El Limon-Guajes is expected to produce 275,000 ounces this year and average 360,000 ounces annually over as many as 12 years, which Stanford says will make it the second-biggest gold mine in Mexico. Gold futures climbed 19 percent this year in New York to $1,264.90 an ounce as investors searched for safe havens. Of the 10 analysts tracked by Bloomberg that rate Torex, all recommend buying the stock, which has almost doubled in the past year.

Cost risks

That sort of output doesn't come cheap - especially in a place as dangerous as Guerrero. Of the company's 1,800 direct employees and contractors in Mexico, 100 are security guards dedicated to keeping the others safe. Torex hauls the gold out by armored car along a 12-mile road with armed checkpoints that it built rather than risk running into bandits along the old winding dirt pass that climbs through the mountains toward Cocula.

The specter of violence is always present in the area. Thirteen people, including seven working at Torex's project, were kidnapped from the old road in February 2015 by criminals linked to an infamous drug cartel. They were freed days later with the help of federal police. Miners from Goldcorp Inc.'s nearby Los Filos mine weren't so lucky. Four workers went missing in March 2015; the bodies of three were found in a ravine within days.

Guerrero's history of slayings and poverty make the Torex project all the more important, says Michael Harvey, chairman of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce's task force in Mexico.

The Torex investment "is going to mean 20 to 30 years of jobs," Harvey said in an interview in Mexico City. "Mining provides very well-paying jobs in regions where people have few other opportunities."
(Bloomberg) -- OPEC's second-largest producerA threw an obstacle in the group's path toward a final deal to stabilize oil markets whenA Iraq balked at joining efforts to trim output to prop up crude prices.

Iraq should be exempted from cutting production because it's embroiled in a war with Islamic militants, Oil Minister Jabber Al-Luaibi said Sunday at a news conference in Baghdad. The country currently produces more than 4.7 million barrels a day it pumped in September, and Iraq's output could rise higher still as the government urges international companies to boost production at its fields, he said. The minister disputed Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries figures that peg Iraqi output at less than 4.2 million barrels daily.

"We are with OPEC policy and OPEC unity," Al-Luaibi said. "But this should not be at our expense." A meeting in Algeria last month of the group's 14 members stretched to seven hours as Iraq argued over the level of production that should be used as a baseline for setting quotas.

OPEC is trying to woo other producers to join inA the group's first output cuts in eight years, a policy shift that members agreed to last month in Algiers. Crude plunged to a 12-year low in January, hammering the budgets of producers from Venezuela to Saudi Arabia. The price slide led OPEC to abandon its two-year-old Saudi-led policy of allowing members to pump as much as they could in an effort to protect market share.

Russia Demurs

Russia, the biggest prize in OPEC's quest for support, refused again on Sunday to commit to joining the plan. Russia can't say yet whether it will freeze or cut output as part of a final accord and is reviewing "many scenarios" to speed the oil market's recovery,A Energy Minister Alexander Novak said after talks with Gulf Arab counterparts in the Saudi capital.

"We see reasons to take steps to balance the market in coming months to bring investments back and reduce volatility," he said. "We discussed issues related to levels of limiting oil production by Russia and by other countries that may join the agreement, but it's too early to tell the concrete figures because the process of finalizing positions is going on."

Like Iraq, Russia is seeking to ramp up output, not tamp it down. Russia is producing about 10.9 million barrels a day on average this year, according to Energy Ministry data. The latest draft of Russia's energy strategy sees a potential increase in annual production from 534.1 million metric tons last year to 555 million tons, or 11.1 million barrels a day, by 2020.

OPEC pumped a record 33.75 million barrels a day in September, with Saudi Arabia accounting for 10.58 million barrels of the total, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.

Saudi Arabia's Energy Minister Khalid Al-Falih echoed comments by Russia's Novak that oil markets are improving. Even so, producers must take further action to speed the recovery, he said in Riyadh.

'Intense Consultations'

"Oil markets started moving into balance recently, but we in OPEC, along with producers from outside the group, started intense consultations to take the right action to quicken the re-balancing and market recovery," Al-Falih said in a speech Sunday.

Iraq became the fourth OPEC member -- after Iran, Nigeria and Libya -- to seek an exemption from output limits. The group aims to decide on individual levels when it meets on Nov. 30 in Vienna.

Iraq asked OPEC during the meetings in Algeria for an exemption from its participation in any cuts, Al-Luaibi said in Baghdad. He cited Iraq's war against Islamic State as the reason it should be grouped with Iran and Nigeria in being left out of cuts.

Saudi-Led Policy

OPEC adopted a Saudi-led policy in 2014 of allowing members to pump as much as they could to retain market share in the face of increased supply from outside the group. Prices have plunged to about half their 2014 levels, reaching a 12-year low in January as rising sales from OPEC added to new production in countries like the U.S. and Russia. Brent crude, the global benchmark, has climbed about 40 percent this year as OPEC discussed cuts. Prices closed Friday at $51.78 a barrel.

Iraq pumped 4.228 million barrels a day at fields controlled by the federal government,A Deputy Oil Minister Fayyad Al-Nima said at the Baghdad news conference. Production at fields operated by the semi-autonomous Kurdish government in northern Iraq stood at 546,000 barrels daily last month, Al-Nima said. Exports totalled 3.871 million barrels a day in September, Falah Al-Amri, the head of theA state oil marketing company known as SOMO, said at the conference.

"We have passed 4.7 million barrels a day," al-Amri said. "We are not going back. It's a question of sovereignty."

--With assistance from Elena Mazneva To contact the reporters on this story: Sam Wilkin in Dubai at swilkin1@bloomberg.net, Wael Mahdi in Kuwait at wmahdi@bloomberg.net, Anthony DiPaola in Dubai at adipaola@bloomberg.net. To contact the editors responsible for this story: Bruce Stanley at bstanley5@bloomberg.net, Claudia Carpenter

2016 Bloomberg L.P.
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A growing number of environmental organizations are scrutinizing plans by Houston-based Apache Corp. to drill for oil and gas around West Texas' popular Balmorhea State Park and its famous spring-fed pool.

The latest is Earthworks, a nonprofit advocacy group that is mobilizing locals to protect the region's natural resources. Representatives from Earthworks, which is headquartered in Washington, have met at least three times with area residents over concerns that oil and gas drilling could pollute the air and water.

Earthworks officials plan to speak at a community meeting on Nov. 5. The group also commissioned an assessment of the potential risks from Apache's project to the local waters, which it plans to release at the meeting.

"We need some help," said Neta Rhyne, 65, who lives in Toyahvale and owns a scuba and swim shop across the street from the park. "People don't really pay attention to what's going on around here, unfortunately."

RELATED: Loss of Comanche Springs shadows Balmorhea issue

Apache announced last month the discovery of 15 billion barrels of oil and gas along a narrow strip of southern Reeves County, in the Permian Basin. The company said it could dig 3,000 wells over the next 20-plus years.

But as it drilled test wells and leased land, residents began to worry the work would contaminate the San Solomon Springs, which provides more than 22 million gallons of water a day to area farmers and to the state park's crystal-blue pool. Tourism is a major employer in the region; about 160,000 visitors came to the park last year.

Water concerns have drawn interest from university scientists and environmental organizations alike. Some, like the national advocacy groups Environmental Defense Fund and the Sierra Club, are just monitoring the situation, for now. Others have become directly engaged.

Sister Elizabeth Riebschlaeger, a Roman Catholic nun from San Antonio who is well-known for her work monitoring hydraulic fracturing operations for environmental violations, visited Balmorhea months ago and talked to worried residents at a town hall meeting. She said Friday that she hopes to return in the next few weeks.

The Washington-based Nature Conservancy said Friday that staff are reviewing available data and the potential impact of drilling. The conservation group will soon begin testing water quality on several sites it owns in the area, including Sandia Springs, Diamond Y Springs and the Davis Mountains preserves.

RELATED: State admits it doesn't know if Balmorhea drilling will harm springs

"Ultimately, we hope to gain assurances that regional springs and aquifers will continue to be protected," spokeswoman Vanessa Martin said.

Apache, keenly aware of the concerns, said earlier this month that it will work with scientists at the University of Texas at Arlington to study water quality in the area, the first time an oil company has agreed to share with university researchers the proprietary chemical cocktail it uses to drill for oil and gas.

Apache agreed to fund the study with a $136,000 grant to the university. The researchers said they retain the rights to publish results in academic journals regardless of their findings.

But Earthworks said on Friday that Apache operations, in their infancy, are already polluting the air.

Sharon Wilson, Earthworks' Gulf region organizer, said she took a video with an infrared camera that captures emissions coming from one of Apache's well sites.

Wilson has met with residents at least three times now.

"They're very concerned," she said.

Apache declined to comment on Wilson's claims but said in a statement that the company takes its environmental responsibility very seriously. Oil and gas is a highly regulated industry, a spokeswoman noted, and the company complies with "all applicable laws and regulations" regarding air emissions.

Residents who oppose Apache's drilling will likely end up with few options to stop it, as long as Apache has leased the land and met state conditions for drilling permits, legal specialists have said.

Residents could appeal to a newly formed groundwater conservation district in Reeves County to monitor or slow Apache's groundwater use, or claim the drilling would affect endangered species. The 2-inch-long Comanche Springs pupfish, for instance, lives only in the San Solomon waters.
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At least 172 prisoners broke out of a prison in west Haiti, leaving two people dead amid an exchange of gunfire, local media reported on Sunday.

Inmates mutinied Saturday afternoon at a prison in Arcahaie, a city northwest of the capital Port-au-Prince, in the country's West Department.

"The mutineers broke into an area used by the guards and seized at least five guns and other weapons," the daily Haiti Libre said.

The daily cited prison chief Heurtelou Paul Colson as saying 172 of the 266 prisoners escaped, while one inmate fell to his death while trying to scale a wall and a police officer was killed in the gunfight.

Another two police officers and two inmates were injured, he said.

Haiti's minister of justice, Camille Edouard Jr., identified one of the prisoners, a convicted kidnapper named Yvener Carelus, as being behind the mutiny.

Carelus, who was arrested, "planned the escape from the inside with some complicity," the minister said.

Carelus was formerly incarcerated at Croix-des-Bouquets, where some 200 inmates broke out in a similarly violent uprising in 2014.

Special units of Haiti's National Police (PNH) have launched a manhunt to capture the escapees, setting up road blocks around the facility.

However, inmates at the prison "do not wear uniforms, complicating the search," the daily added.
Over the past few years, Richard Florida has had some explaining to do.

Through books and magazine cover stories, pricey speeches and consultations, the TED-talking University of Toronto professor popularized the early-aughts idea that faded cities could revitalize themselves by attracting the talented, intellectual types who made up what he called the "creative class." Lure some hip coffeeshops, create an "arts district," play up your gay friendliness, and watch the laptopping masses pour in.

Sixteen years after Florida published his first book, "The Rise of the Creative Class," that theory has proved half true. For many small, post-industrial cities without assets like big tech companies and universities, no amount of creative-class marketing would turn things around. Elmira, N.Y., for example, saw little return on its investment in the Florida program, as a 2009 story in the American Prospect detailed.

READ MORE: Are Southerners less creative?

But some cities  San Francisco and New York, Austin and Seattle and Washington  have seen the theory work entirely too well, as creative and techy types revitalized downtown neighborhoods to the point where only bankers and software developers can afford to live in them comfortably. Florida's critics jumped on the skyrocketing housing market as evidence that his creative class gospel might have backfired.

So at an appearance in Houston earlier this month, put on by the Kinder Institute and the Greater Houston Community Foundation, Florida knew he would face some skeptical questions. The audience didn't disappoint. How did he get his seminal theory so wrong, someone asked.

Florida didn't miss a beat.

"I got wrong that the creative class could magically restore our cities, become a new middle class like my father's, and we were going to live happily forever after," he said. "I could not have anticipated among all this urban growth and revival that there was a dark side to the urban creative revolution, a very deep dark side."

Florida has been thinking a lot about that dark side lately, for a book he's publishing in the spring called The New Urban Crisis. It will talk about fixing the affordable housing shortage in desirable areas, connecting cities and their outlying suburbs with mass transit, raising the wages of service workers so they can afford the prices that are rising around them  to knit together a "patchwork metropolis," as he calls it. In short, many of the things that other people have been talking about for many years now, but wrapping it all together with a rhetorical flair that has been his calling card.

"The urban pessimists have a point," Florida says. "We neglected their point, which is that cities are gentrifying, people are being priced out, displaced from their homes. I think we need a new vision for cities that combines an optimistic viewpoint with an understanding of the challenges that re-urbanization brings."

So how did this self-promoting thought leader come to question his own theory of how the world was supposed to get better? He sat down for an interview after his speech to flesh out the story. As he tells it, he had wanted to include a chapter on inequality in his first book, but it was cut for length. After the book came out, the problem kept getting worse.

"Even though I saw the numbers, I was still naive about the extent to which this was occurring," Florida says. "And hopeful, just overly optimistic and hopeful, that this would somehow work itself out...I really had to introspect long and hard."

What really brought the shift was pointed criticism by a group of writers and social scientists who pointed out that Florida's "creative class" had either failed to reverse the decline of cities that had lost their economic engines to globalization and automation, or fueled gentrification and inequality in the places where it seemed to work.

Other research revealed the conditions that create pockets of poverty, and found a downside to ethnically mixed cities: People in different groups tend to live apart. "Here's Mr. Diversity, extolling the virtues of diversity in large cities," Florida says. "And what comes back to smash you over the head is that large diverse cities also incubate a horrific level of sorting and segregation."

A couple years ago, Florida acknowledged that the benefits of these creative clusters did not, in fact, spill over to the waiters and janitors who serve them. Rather, the newcomers reaped the benefits of their own skills, while wages stayed low for people who had lived there all along. The perennial Houston-booster Joel Kotkin, a professor at Chapman University outside Los Angeles who extols the benefits of low taxes and single-family sprawl, seized on the revelation as an admission that Florida was wrong all along.

READ MORE: Bayou City booster Joel Kotkin turns his affections to Austin, San Antonio

The resulting exchange, Florida says, is what prompted him to write his new book. He emailed Kotkin, telling him how much his work had influenced his thinking. Kotkin wrote back, trying to convey how limited he thought Florida's theories really were, since the majority of people don't actually want to live in the hip urban environments he envisions when they grow up and have kids. "You can't build an urban theory about where at best 10 percent of the population lives," Kotkin says.

Accordingly, Florida's new book is about an "inclusive urbanism," about investing in residents' skills rather than yuppifying their neighborhoods, about retrofitting suburbs for people who might want to be able to walk to a grocery store and piping them into the city with commuter rail. He doesn't, however, believe he was wrong to have encouraged cities to target creative professionals and high tech companies in the first place. While humbled, he's by no means contrite.

"If we stop clustering, if we seize up this influx of diversity and tolerance, we'll choke off our economic growth," Florida says. He also has little patience for the tribe of urban libertarians who advocate loosening development restrictions to boost housing construction and bring down prices, as if affordability were simply a matter of supply and demand. (It's not.)

"They drive me f-----g nuts!" Florida bursts out. "What happened to the urban left is it got captured by critical studies, the people who run around in geography departments and who've just given up reality. These are the people who think you're going to rebuild cities by deregulating land use. Welcome to Houston!"

Contra Kotkin, who credits Houston's relative affordability to its laissez faire regulation, Florida doesn't think Houston is a paragon of urban inclusivity. On a new index he's put together that ranks cities according to their levels of economic segregation and inequality, he says, Houston ranks third. Instead of just allowing unfettered housing construction as a one-shot solution, he advocates for more public investment in affordable rental housing, and land use rules that promote transit, to be financed by redirecting federal highway funds into light rail and high-tech buses.

In other words, it sounds very similar to the "smart growth" philosophy that has become commonplace in urban planning departments across the country. Probably more complete than his creative class manifesto, but more a product of how the field of urban policy has been changing ahead of him, rather than a pathbreaking philosophy to lead it.
Nearly half a century ago, archaeologists found a charred ancient scroll in the ark of a synagogue on the western shore of the Dead Sea.

The lump of carbonized parchment could not be opened or read. Its curators did nothing but conserve it, hoping that new technology might one day emerge to make the scroll legible.

Just such a technology has now been perfected by computer scientists at the University of Kentucky. Working with biblical scholars in Jerusalem, they have used a computer to unfurl a digital image of the scroll.

It turns out to hold a fragment identical to the Masoretic text of the Hebrew Bible and, at nearly 2,000 years old, is the earliest instance of the text.

The writing retrieved by the computer from the digital image of the unopened scroll is amazingly clear and legible, in contrast to the scroll's blackened and beaten-up exterior. "Never in our wildest dreams did we think anything would come of it," said Pnina Shor, the head of the Dead Sea Scrolls Project at the Israel Antiquities Authority.

Scholars say this remarkable new technique may make it possible to read other scrolls too brittle to be unrolled.

The scroll's content, the first two chapters of the Book of Leviticus, has consonants - early Hebrew texts didn't specify vowels - that are identical to those of the Masoretic text, the authoritative version of the Hebrew Bible and the one often used as the basis for translations of the Old Testament in Protestant Bibles.

The Dead Sea scrolls, those found at Qumran and elsewhere around the Dead Sea, contain versions quite similar to the Masoretic text but with many small differences. The text in the scroll found at the En-Gedi excavation site in Israel decades ago has none, according to Emanuel Tov, an expert on the Dead Sea scrolls at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

"We have never found something as striking as this," Tov said.

"This is the earliest evidence of the exact form of the medieval text," he said, referring to the Masoretic text.

The experts say this new method may make it possible to read other ancient scrolls, including several Dead Sea scrolls and about 300 carbonized ones from Herculaneum, which were destroyed by the volcanic eruption of Mount Vesuvius in A.D. 79.

The date of the En-Gedi scroll is the subject of conflicting evidence. A carbon-14 measurement indicates that the scroll was copied around A.D. 300. But the style of the ancient script suggests a date nearer to A.D. 100. "We may safely date this scroll" to between A.D. 50 and 100, wrote Ada Yardeni, an expert on Hebrew paleography, in an article in the journal Textus. The feat of recovering the text was made possible by software programs developed by W. Brent Seales, a computer scientist at the University of Kentucky. Inspired by the hope of reading the many charred and unopenable scrolls found at Herculaneum, near Pompeii in Italy, Seales has been working for the last 13 years on ways to read the text inside an ancient scroll.

Methods like CT scans can pick out blobs of ink inside a charred scroll, but the jumble of letters is unreadable unless each letter can be assigned to the surface on which it is written. Seales realized that the writing surface of the scroll had first to be reconstructed and the letters then stuck back to it.

He succeeded in 2009 in working out the physical structure of the ruffled layers of papyrus in a Herculaneum scroll.

He has since developed a method, called virtual unwrapping, to model the surface of an ancient scroll in the form of a mesh of tiny triangles. Each triangle can be resized by the computer until the virtual surface makes the best fit to the internal structure of the scroll, as revealed by the scanning method. The blobs of ink are assigned to their right place on the structure, and the computer then unfolds the whole 3-D structure into a 2-D sheet.

The suite of software programs, called Volume Cartography, will become open source when Seales's current government grant ends, he said.

The En-Gedi scroll was brought to Seales's attention by Shor. A colleague, Sefi Porat, who had helped excavate the En-Gedi synagogue in 1970, was preparing a final publication of the findings.

He asked Shor to scan the scroll and other artifacts as part of a project to create images of all Dead Sea scroll material, and showed her a box full of lumps of charcoal.

"I said, 'There is nothing we can do because our system isn't geared toward these chunks,' " she said. But because she was submitting other objects for a high-resolution scan, she put one of the lumps in with other items.

Shor had the lump scanned by a commercially available, X-ray based, microcomputed tomography machine, of the kind used for fine-resolution scanning of biological tissues. Knowing of Seales's work, she sent him the scan and asked him to analyze it.

Both were surprised when, after several refinements, an image emerged with clear and legible script. "We were amazed at the quality of the images - much of the text is as readable as that of unharmed Dead Sea scrolls," said Michael Segal, a biblical scholar at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, who helped analyze the text.

Richard Janko, a classical scholar at the University of Michigan, said the carbonized scrolls from Herculaneum were a small section of a much larger library at a grand villa probably owned by Julius Caesar's father-in-law, Lucius Calpurnius Piso.

Much of the villa is still unexcavated, and its library could contain long-lost works of Latin and Greek literature. Successful reading of even a single scroll from Herculaneum with Seales's method would spur excavation of the rest of Piso's villa, Janko said.
First, let's get the obvious out of the way. There is only one best Halloween candy, and that's the Reese's Peanut Butter Cup. It is the most sublime amalgam of the Holy Trinity of salt, fat and sugar ever made by the hand of man.

Choosing the worst candy, though, is harder, because candies can be awful in so many ways.

To get it out of the way, let's deal with old-timey candy. If your grandparents were the grumpy sort, think about how they grew up and the candy they had to deal with. Could anything be more soul-crushing than rock candy? It's pretty, but it tastes like a broken window.

Those candy buttons on paper, perfect for flies to sit on: to Grandpa, that was a treat. And I remember my profound shock and sadness when 5-year-old me bit into marzipan for the first time. How could anything so beautiful taste so terrible?

My mother sometimes bought a brown, cough-syrup-tasting candy called horehound. Now there's a name that was insufficiently focus-grouped.

But on to actual name brands.

Some folks would nominate the venerable Necco wafer, a roll of chalky discs with a limited flavor profile. But really, the brownish and grayish ones aren't so bad. (Also not focus-grouped: gray candy.)

If you even consider giving out Dum-Dums on Halloween, you might want to google "how to get egg off house siding." They are so bottom-of-the-bag they even offend the dog.

See also: little boxes of raisins, stickers, dimes, pencils, religious pamphlets.

An online poll on influenster.com in 2015 said that the favorite Halloween candy of Texans is candy corn. Seriously? As a state, people, we can do better.

You might make a case for liking little Tootsie Rolls -- if you had never eaten real chocolate, ever. I used to live in a town that had a Fourth of July parade. One of the local plumbers would sit on a toilet on the top of his truck and throw Tootsie Rolls to the kids. I rest my case.

Werther's Originals are something you take to Great-Grandma in the home. Don't give them to any kid under 90. Butterscotch is, in general, an underappreciated flavor, but these babies aren't doing anything for the image.

I now come to my own personal worst candy ever. I'm pretty sure they have justly fallen out of favor, but they still exist: Nik-L Nips. For the uninitiated. a Nik-L Nip is a tiny enclosed wax bottle filled with a syrup that looks like hummingbird food. You bite the head off the bottle, drink the syrup and then chew the bottle. Idiot children also swallow.

You can take all the Garbage Pail Kids, circus peanuts, Bazooka, Twizzlers, Lemonheads, random hard candies covered in lint, Jujubes, Dots found under a movie seat and Pixy Stix in the whole world and they will not be as bad as one Nik-L Nip.

Don't do that to a kid.
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Jake Cosgrove, 14, may be Houston's most unlikely museum boss.

Dedicated to "educating minds and building character for life," his Mini World War II Museum opened early this summer in his family's driveway, and quickly became a must-stop for Heights residents strolling the neighborhood.

Generally staged at the 223 E. 12th St. driveway every other Saturday morning, the display will move this week to Sunday, 11 a.m.-3 p.m., at Manready Mercantile, 321 W. 19th Street. (Cosgrove has to attend a Model UN Conference on Saturday.)

By midmorning one recent museum day, visitors jammed the display table shoulder to shoulder as Cosgrove, a slight young man with glasses, delivered a college-level discourse on the artifacts.

"I don't make long boring speeches," Cosgrove said. "But my message is: Don't let this history repeat itself."

His exhibit includes bayonets, uniforms, a field radio, Nazi paper dolls, photos taken by American and German troops and the discharge papers awarded his maternal great-grandfather, Navy reservist Victor Ravel, as the war drew to a close.

Among the rarest items is an ashtray featuring German military insignia that was fashioned from a 1940-vintage bullet, a fragment of a 1938 artillery shell and  as a cigarette brace  a bent 1938 French coin. Such "trench art" was crafted by soldiers on both sides to while away the hours.

The most poignant artifact, arguably, is a snapshot of a German soldier, apparently at leisure, on a horse; the most problematic, a swastika-bearing automobile flag, which Cosgrove shows only upon request. Acknowledging that some visitors might recoil from the hateful emblem, he nonetheless asserted, "You can't erase history."

Cosgrove's one-man driveway exhibit is the latest example of the venerable Houston tradition of idiosyncratic museums; others in town celebrate everything from oranges to funerals, from art cars to telephones.

Within weeks of its opening, the teen's museum was the talk of the neighborhood. On one occasion, the youth was invited to set up a his collection at Manready Mercantile, a Houston Heights clothing and antiques merchant.

"It was neat to see a young person with such knowledge and care for vintage things," said sales associate Abbie McKenzie. "He's a really cool kid. Any time he's ready to set up down here, we're ready for him."

Cosgrove's collection has grown through donations from neighbors, who, inspired by the teen's enthusiasm, probed attics for war relics. Other items have come from area antique stores and from World War II military vets, with whom Cosgrove corresponds via the Internet.

The teen said that meeting a score of WWII veterans at a Washington, D.C.-area airport was a "life-changing event."

Among them was Richard Grove, 89, a former Navy aviation bombardier who lives in Florida. "This young fellow comes up and says, 'Thank you for your service,'" said Grove, who had come to the nation's capital for a gathering of veterans. "It didn't take long before this unusual young man expressed his high level of interest in World War II.... I was extremely impressed."

Grove gave the museum a photo of his old warplane and a replica of his naval wings pin.

Airports have not always been so delightful. Once, when Cosgrove had packed a bullet-studded "trench art" ashtray in his carry-on luggage, an airport screening device detected gunpowder residue. Security officers took a dim view of his acquisition.

The teen's father, John Cosgrove, a college history major, said that Jake's interest in old things likely was spurred by trips to antique stores and estate sales. "We'd drag the kids along," John said.

Jake's sister, 13-year-old Phoebe, wasn't interested. Jake, though, was hooked. His first purchase, a $20 box camera, came when he was in the fourth grade. He casually asked for an ebay password, remembers his mother, Yvonne Cosgrove. Only later, when she received a winning bid notification, did she understand the request's significance.

"I said, 'Do you know that you've just bought a $20 camera? You're going to pay for it.'"

Cosgrove successfully worked off his debt, and more acquisitions followed. With the purchase of a World War II American army helmet, he found his collection's focus.

The museum, which will continue its run through the school year provided that Cosgrove maintains his grades, simply grew out of the teen's "desire to share his collection, one on one," Yvonne said.

John added: "He wakes up on Saturdays and says, 'It's museum day!"

Bookmark Gray Matters. It doesn't make long boring speeches.
This week's top stories explore how many Texas kids were thrown out of special education services because of flawed policies, provide a narrative look at a troubled veteran who committed a mass shooting on Memorial Day weekend and tell of life along the border wall among other topics.

Denied: Schools push students out of special education to meet state limit

by Brian M. Rosenthal

@brianmrosenthal

Overall, Texas special education students are now 55 percent more likely to be returned to general education than the national average, according to data collected by the U.S. Department of Education. The Chronicle took an in-depth look at how hundreds of school children in Laredo lost services in just one year and explored how many other parents and children statewide have been affected by a TEA decision to set an 8.5 percent enrollment benchmark for districts' special ed placements.

Marie D. De Jesus/Houston Chronicle

Steve Gonzales

55 Minutes: Police initially weren't sure how many gunmen there were

By Lauren Caruba

@laurencaruba

This series provides an in-depth look at the Memorial Day weekend shooting that rocked Houston last spring. Initial reports provided varying locations and descriptions of the shooter - a man in a T-shirt, a man with no shirt. Then, a man with guns was spotted walking along an easement behind the gas station on Memorial Drive. Police weren't sure how many gunmen were out there...

55 Minutes: Survivors and a sequel

By Lauren Caruba

@laurencaruba

For the Houston neighborhood targeted by the Memorial Day weekend shooter, the unprovoked attack shattered residents' sense of security. "There's no safe neighborhood anymore, but there's safer neighborhoods, and I thought ours was one of them," said Brian Cesak. In the aftermath, survivors struggled to pull their lives back together. (Part of a series).

Where rhetoric meets reality: Texans have lived with a border wall for years

By Jason Buch and Aaron Nelson

@jlbuch @amnelsen

The nation's border has become a flash point in the presidential campaign since Donald Trump pledged to build a "big, beautiful" wall along the 2,000-mile length of the southern border, make Mexico pay for it and then deport 11 million people living in the U.S. illegally.

Yet much of the border already is divided by 650 miles of fencing, walls and vehicles, as well as a "virtual wall" made up of thousands of sensors, cameras and other high-tech features such as drones used to detect illegal crossings. The Chronicle's sister paper, the San Antonio Express-News, looks at those who already live along these walls.

JERRY LARA, Staff / San Antonio Express-News

UH rejected in Big 12 disappointment

By David Barron and Joseph Duarte

@dfbarron @joseph_duarte

The University of Houston's campaign to join the Big 12 Conference was crushed last week by the league's presidents, who ruled out expansion without discussing the merits of any individual applicants, including the confident, fast-rising Cougars.



Coastal barrier plan 'Ike Dike' draws support, needs funding

By Harvey Rice

@harveyricechron

If there is a lesson from the devastation of Hurricane Ike eight years ago, it is that the Houston-Galveston region is extremely vulnerable to a catastrophic storm surge, and the next hurricane could send the regional economy into a tailspin. Support is growing for a $11.6 billion "Ike Dike" proposal, which could keep a massive storm surge from devastating developed areas. A six-county group recently recommended a plan for 277 miles of coastal barriers, including raised seawalls, levees and surge gates.

Houston doctor wanted an apology from Delta. She didn't expect to ignite a social movement.

By Mike Hixenbaugh

@mike_hixenbaugh

Dr. Tamika Cross stepped off an airplane in Minneapolis and headed to the nearest Delta Airlines counter. As a young black female physician, she'd gotten used to dismissive comments from patients and even from other medical professionals. She normally forced a smile and politely corrected them. But what happened aboard her Delta flight felt different. A man had been in need, and she hadn't been allowed to help. She hoped her 517-word Facebook post would spark an apology. Instead it ignited a movement.
GALVESTON - The "Ike Dike" that is being proposed to protect the Galveston-Houston area from a potentially catastrophic hurricane storm surge could take the form of undulating sand dunes hiding a steel or concrete core.

The proposal to craft a storm barrier that would blend in with the environment and potentially strengthen beaches against erosion is one of three proposals for where and how to build a surge barrier, an idea that has gained considerable political momentum and is likely to be the subject of some form of action when the Legislature convenes next year.

The six-county Gulf Coast Protection and Recovery District, known as the storm surge district, has looked at placing the surge barrier landward of the highways that run along the coast on Galveston Island and the Bolivar Peninsula. Rice University's Severe Storm Prediction Education and Evacuation from Disasters Center has recommended raising the highways as the most economical way to build a surge barrier and still ensure an evacuation route as storm water rises. Several people died during Hurricane Ike in 2008 as rising tides isolated them on the highway.

Placing the surge barrier on the beach, as has been done successfully in the Netherlands, is a proposal being pushed by the Center for Texas Beaches and Shores at Texas A&M University at Galveston. Engineering the storm barrier to be part of the natural landscape would create habitat for plants and animals and protect homes between the beach and the highway that otherwise would be left to the mercy of the storm, said Sam Brody, who teaches marine science at the center.

Brody conceded that it would be more expensive to build the barrier along the beach and would increase the estimated $5.8 billion cost. "The added cost of restoring and enhancing the environment is worth it over the long term," Brody said.

Beach project backed

The idea is getting no resistance from the SSPEED Center and the storm surge district.

"We don't have a strong position one way or the other," SSPEED Center co-director Jim Blackburn said.

Chris Sallese, program manager for the storm surge district, said his agency looked at building the barrier landward of the highway because SSPEED and Texas A&M were looking at the other alternatives and the district wanted to make sure all possibilities were examined.

The beach placement has been endorsed by the West Galveston Island Property Owners Association, an umbrella group for property owner associations west of the seawall. Jerry Mohn, association president, said about 70 percent of homes on west Galveston Island are between the beach and the highway. Building the barrier along the highway would raise insurance costs and cause property values to plummet, Mohn said.

Mohn said there have been numerous meetings on Galveston Island about where to place the storm barrier, but he was not aware of any on the Bolivar Peninsula, which would have the longest section of barrier.

Bolivar wants input

The largely unincorporated peninsula, with about 2,500 of Galveston County's population of 325,000, has little political clout and has been largely overlooked, said Jeanie Turk, a real estate agent in Crystal Beach.

"It's really important that we have some input into that," said Turk, who supports the idea of a barrier along the beach. The small peninsula communities bore the brunt of Hurricane Ike, which scoured several from the map.

The peninsula has rebounded from Ike, and Turk believes a shoreline barrier would lower the skyrocketing cost of flood insurance and boost development.

The final recommendation on where to put the Ike Dike will likely be made by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers by July 2018.

The Corps of Engineers would be responsible for overseeing construction.

"The (Corps of Engineers) will base the location of the structures on many parameters: costs, benefits, engineering design considerations, constructability, operations and maintenance requirements, environmental impacts, and others," said Sheri Willey, Corps of Engineers project manager for the Galveston district. State and local officials could choose a different location but would have to pay the difference if it costs more, Willey said.

State role likely

A new entity that the Legislature is expected to create also could have some say about the location of the storm barrier. The Legislature's Joint Committee on a Coastal Barrier is expected to recommend legislation for the creation of an entity made up of several state agencies to oversee the development of storm surge protection.

Even if a beachfront barrier is ultimately chosen, it will take more than a year to assess the engineering challenges and come up with a workable concept that can be adopted by the Corps of Engineers, said Jens Figlus, who teaches ocean engineering at the Center for Texas Beaches and Shores.

Figlus and graduate students are conducting experiments in a large tank at Texas A&M to determine how much sand would be needed for the dunes.

He said large quantities of sand would have to be dredged from enormous sand deposits as much as 80 miles offshore, but that the benefits could offset the cost.

"We know there is a volume out there that would work," Figlus said. "The question is how much money do you want to spend to get to it. I'm a firm believer that it still makes sense to go get that sand."
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John Pajak spends his days filling barges with gasoline, heating oil and jet fuel, while coworkers offload rail cars of flammable crude oil from the Bakken shale region.

The Phillips 66 Bayway refinery where he works in Linden, N.J., is the second largest on the East Coast and 12 miles from the 9/11 Memorial in Manhattan. A disaster there could disrupt energy supplies for millions in the Northeast. In a worst-case scenario, the explosion of 5.2 million pounds of a flammable mixture would put 18,000 residents in danger, according to company documents filed with the government.

But if something happens, Pajak has no idea who is coming to help.

This month, a New Jersey advocacy group, the Work Environment Council, and the local Teamsters union said they intend to sue the city of Linden because it will not disclose its emergency response plan. It must be released under the federal Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act. Pajak is a board member on the council and president of the local union, which represents Phillips 66 workers.

The public's right to information about chemical hazards and the plans that address them, mandated by Congress in 1986, has since been undermined by sweeping anti-terrorism laws enacted by states across the nation.

A Houston Chronicle investigation found the Obama administration's plan to prevent and prepare for chemical disasters is already failing because it's based on the public's supposed right to know. The findings drew largely on the dysfunction of hundreds of local emergency planning committees in Texas, especially around the petrochemical hub of Houston.

More Information To read the Chronicle's investigation into chemical safety, go to HoustonChronicle.com/chemicalbreakdown See More Collapse

But Pajak's experience in the dense industrial complexes of New Jersey's Chemical Coast shows that other heavily populated regions replete with dangerous substances are making just as little progress.

Pajak began asking to see the plan two years ago when, he said, the plant cut back on its emergency response staff.

It was around the time the National Transportation Safety Board released its report on a 2012 Conrail train derailment 80 miles away in Paulsboro, just across the Delaware River from Philadelphia International Airport.

New Jersey disaster

Three tank cars fell off a bridge and into a creek, releasing about 20,000 gallons of vinyl chloride, used to make PVC plastics. It formed a dense, swampy fog over the area. Seventy-two people sought medical treatment - most in the emergency room - and the train crew and emergency responders also were exposed. Most of the people who sought help could smell or taste the chemical. That means the concentration in the air was at least 600 times greater than the amount the government considers permissible for workplace exposure over 15 minutes.

The cloud hovered over the town for hours.

Both Conrail and emergency workers bungled the response, according to the NTSB. Initial reports wrongly declared a leak of liquefied petroleum gas. The train crew didn't get a manifest to fire officials for three hours. The deputy fire chief established an incident command 50 yards from the ruptured tank car, exposing himself, and others, to levels of vinyl chloride expected to cause irreversible health problems.

Instructions to residents flip-flopped between evacuations and shelter-in-place, the NTSB said.

Some people wandered into the cloud, thinking it was just a foggy morning, only to have it singe their lungs. About 680 people were eventually displaced for up to two weeks. A dozen Washington Township firefighters later quit the hazmat team over the incident, claiming faulty and insufficient equipment.

Damage, emergency work and cleanup cost $30.5 million. Vinyl chloride was still in the groundwater months later. Conrail settled thousands of claims for lost business and health.

The city's emergency operations plan was two years overdue for an update, had vital information wrong and didn't address an event of that magnitude, the NTSB found.

Pajak figured that if the company and local officials next to a major airport could be that unprepared, he ought to see whether Linden was ready.

Under federal law, each local emergency planning committee has to write and update an emergency plan, which outlines hazmat facilities and routes, emergency procedures, notification, how to determine who will be affected by a release, evacuation plans and training - basically all the details Paulsboro got wrong.

The federal law says citizens get access to the plans. But Linden rejected Pajak's request, citing an executive order under former New Jersey Gov. James McGreevey. Issued less than a year after 9/11, it put broad restrictions on information. Anything that could be argued to increase the risk of terrorism essentially became a state secret.

'Solution isn't working'

The same thing has happened in Texas and dozens of other states.

The Chronicle's investigation found that local emergency planning committees in Texas are largely nonexistent or inactive. Some are unfunded and ill-equipped to deal with complicated hazmat disasters. The government isn't inspecting most plants, and its regulations ignore entire categories of risk, like the possibility of inadvertent chemical reactions. That leaves accountability to the public, but the public now has no information to go on.

"This is just as relevant today as it was in 1986," said Debra Coyle McFadden, assistant director of the Work Environment Council. "The problem hasn't changed. The solution isn't working."

McFadden, Pajak and the council surveyed 78 localities with the most hazardous facilities in New Jersey. About two out of three denied the request for the emergency plan, either by not responding or citing the executive order - results similar to the Chronicle's survey of emergency planning committees in Texas, where most weren't responsive.

At the council's urging, the New Jersey Office of Emergency Management tried a different approach. It selected 10 municipalities and, among other training, told them to disclose emergency plans. Months later, Linden and six other towns that got the training denied new requests, again citing the security law.

Pajak said that, without access to the Linden plan, neither workers nor the community can be assured it even exists.

City attorney Dan Antonelli said he couldn't comment because of the threat of litigation. A spokesman for the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, which shares responsibility over local emergency planners, declined to comment. The other responsible agency, the New Jersey State Police, did not respond.

A right to know

Phillips 66 said it submitted security-sensitive information on product locations and movements, and other confidential company data, to the city for use in developing its emergency plan. Publicizing it would put the facility and the public at risk of terrorism, spokesman Dennis Nuss said in an email.

The refinery has seven dedicated emergency responders and more than 100 volunteer firefighters, and conducts a litany of specialized training with surrounding police, fire and hazmat teams, plus state and federal officials, Nuss said.

"The Bayway refinery is fully prepared to respond to any emergency and is very confident in the preparedness of our local emergency responders in Linden and surrounding towns," he said.

Former New Jersey Gov. James Florio said that when he was a congressman, he crafted the right-to-know law so that an informed public could force companies to use inherently safer materials and processes, and pressure officials to prepare for accidents or terrorism.

"You can't fix the problem if you don't know about it," Florio said.

A would-be terrorist wouldn't need operational details to target a facility.

For anyone wanting to do harm, Pajak noted, the refinery straddles the New Jersey Turnpike, impossible to miss.

There has never been a publicly reported terrorist attack on a U.S. chemical plant or refinery, according to reviews by the Council on Foreign Relations and the Government Accountability Office.

Preventable accidents happen every day but usually don't make the news. In the past two years in Houston, explosions and releases that were big enough, or hurt enough people for the public to take notice, happened once every five weeks.

Accidental gas releases and fires have been a repeat occurrence at the Phillips 66 refinery, Pajak said.

"We're very lucky at Bayway, though," he said. "We've always been able to put it out."
Harris County politicos are bracing for uncertainty with Monday's start to early balloting, as many voters remain confused about Texas' voter identification requirements and Donald Trump continues to warn - without proof - of a "rigged election."

Meanwhile, recent statewide polls foretell a closer presidential race than Texas has seen in two decades, with Hillary Clinton trailing Trump by low single digits.

If that margin holds, Democrats in down-ballot races could reap the benefits.

Asked about his expectations for party performance locally, Harris County Clerk Stan Stanart laughed.

"I'm going to let the voters decide that one," he said. "I don't think anybody  any poll has a good handle on anything in this election."

Amid the tumult, local Democrats eager to keep tabs on balloting have rushed to train as poll watchers.

"Why are the Democrats gearing up? Well it's because the Republican presidential nominee is saying he's not going to abide by the results. He's saying the election is rigged," said Harris County Democratic Party Chair Lane Lewis, projecting that roughly 180 people will complete one of the party's poll watching courses.

More Information EARLY VOTING What: Early voting begins Monday and runs through Nov. 4 Where: To find polling locations, visit www.harrisvotes.org When: Polls are open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. today through Friday; 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday; 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday; and 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Oct. 31 through Nov. 4 At stake: In addition to the presidential race, the ballot contains dozens of congressional, legislative and judicial races, as well as elections for county offices, the State Board of Education, justices of the peace, constables and area school board elections, including a proposition regarding Houston ISD property taxes. Voters can find sample ballots at www.harrisvotes.org. Voters with one of the following seven forms of ID must present it to enter the voting booth: a Texas driver license; a Texas Election Identification Certificate; a Texas personal identification card issued by the Department of Public Safety; a Texas concealed handgun license; a U.S. military identification card with photo; a U.S. citizenship certificate with photo; or a U.S. passport. All forms of ID must be valid or expired for less than four years. Voters who do not have one of the above forms of identification and cannot reasonably obtain one may present one of the following: a valid voter registration certificate; an original, certified birth certificate; a copy of or original current utility bill; a copy of or original bank statement; a copy of or original government check; a copy of or original paycheck; a copy of or original government document listing the voter's name and an address (original required if it contains a photograph). Voters who present a supporting form of identification rather than a photo ID also must complete a Reasonable Impediment Declaration. See More Collapse

The Democratic Party certified just 20-30 poll watchers for the 2012 general election, Lewis said.

Harris County Republican Party Chair Paul Simpson, on the other hand, characterized local GOP interest in poll watching as nothing out of the ordinary.

"We always are concerned that the law be followed," said Simpson, who said his party trained a couple hundred poll watchers this year.

Sanctioned poll watching is one thing, but Houston-area League of Women Voters president Aimee Mobley Turney worries about unauthorized monitoring.

"I'm not worried about an organized effort of people coming to watch the polls in a way that they shouldn't be," Turney said. "But because I have seen so much in the media lately, I am concerned about individuals coming to do that."

Turney also fears voters may be confused about the state's voter identification law.

Texas agreed this summer to dilute its voter ID rules - considered the most stringent in the country - after the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals found them discriminatory.

Voters with an acceptable form of government-issued photo ID still must present it, but those who cannot obtain one "due to a reasonable impediment" may show alternate identification and sign an affidavit explaining their circumstance.

Texas agreed to spend $2.5 million to educate voters about these new rules, but last month a federal judge ordered the state to re-issue or edit these materials, after the U.S. Department of Justice accused the state of misleading voters.

Recent polls show voters remain unclear on the rules.

A University of Houston statewide survey of likely voters released last week showed that 44 percent of respondents thought government-issued photo identification is required to vote in Texas, while 26 percent thought it is not required and 29 percent didn't know.

"If I weren't part of the League of Women Voters, I might have the idea that voter ID had been overturned," Turney said, emphasizing that voters with photo identification must come prepared. "I would hate to see people showing up at the polls either without their ID or arguing with the clerks and slowing things down."

University of California, Irvine election law expert Richard Hasen said it is unclear precisely how voter ID laws affect turnout, and the dynamic is particularly difficult to assess in a state like Texas, where the law has been, as he put it, "a moving target."

He noted that softening identification requirements, as Texas has, does not fully ameliorate the problems associated with voter ID laws.

"An uncertain number of voters are being disenfranchised, inconvenienced and discouraged from voting for no good reason," Hasen wrote in a recent essay about voter ID laws in several states, including Texas.

Voter ID confusion aside, registration in Texas and Harris County have reached record highs: 15 million in the state and 2.2 million in the county.

That includes the more than 323,890 Harris County residents who have registered to vote since 2014, increasing the county voter roll by 6 percent.

Beyond the presidential contest, just one Texas congressional race is viewed as competitive - Republican U.S. Rep. Will Hurd versus Democrat Pete Gallego in the western District 23 - and few local races are thought to be up for grabs.

However, two of Harris County's legislative incumbents are seen as at-risk, particularly given Clinton's lead in the polls here: Republicans Sarah Davis in District 134 and Gilbert Pena in District 144.

Further down the ballot, the district attorney's and sheriff's races also are highly competitive.

The district attorney's race is a rematch of 2014, when Republican Devon Anderson topped Democrat Kim Ogg by 6 percentage points.

Now, the latest UH poll shows Ogg up 7 points over Anderson, who has faced criticism for her handling of recent incidents, including the destruction of evidence in the Harris County Precinct 4 constable's office and her office's move to jail a mentally ill rape victim to ensure she would testify against her attacker.

In the tighter sheriff's race, incumbent Republican Sheriff Ron Hickman - appointed last year - is defending his post against Democrat Ed Gonzalez. Top issues include jail overcrowding, diversion programs and the department's relationship with county residents.

A swath of judicial races also are on the ballot, as are county attorney, county tax assessor-collector, two county commissioner's posts and a controversial school finance proposition. Voters also will cast ballots on dozens of Congressional and state legislative races.
As rebel-held sections of Aleppo crumbled under Russian bombing this month, the Obama administration was secretly weighing plans to rush more firepower to CIA-backed units in Syria.

The proposal, which involved weapons that might help these forces defend themselves against Russian aircraft and artillery, made its way onto the agenda of a recent meeting President Barack Obama held with his national security team.

And that's as far as it got. Neither approved nor rejected, the plan was left in a state of ambiguity that U.S. officials said reflects growing administration skepticism about escalating a covert CIA program that has trained and armed thousands of Syrian fighters over the past three years.

The operation has served as the centerpiece of the U.S. strategy to press Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to step aside. But U.S. officials said there are growing doubts that even an expanded version could achieve that outcome because of Moscow's intervention. Obama, officials said, now seems inclined to leave the fate of the CIA program up to the next occupant of the White House.

If so, Obama's successor will inherit an array of unattractive options. Critics of the proposal to increase arms shipments warn that it would only worsen the violence in Syria without fundamentally changing the outcome. But inaction has its own risks - increasing the likelihood that Aleppo will fall, that tens of thousands of CIA-backed fighters will search for more reliable allies, and that the United States will lose leverage over regional partners that until now have refrained from delivering more dangerous arms to Assad's opponents.

The proposed expansion of the agency program - dubbed "Plan B" because it was seen as a fallback for failed diplomatic efforts - still has supporters, including CIA Director John Brennan and Defense Secretary Ashton Carter.

But even former ardent proponents, including Secretary of State John Kerry, have voiced skepticism about any escalation at this point. He and others fear that the new weaponry could end up killing Russian military personnel, triggering a confrontation with Moscow.

One U.S. official said it is time for a "ruthless" look at whether agency-supported fighters can still be considered moderate, and whether the program can accomplish anything beyond adding to the carnage.
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Somali pirates on Saturday released 26 people who had been held hostage for nearly five years, an organization involved in mediation efforts said.

An Omani-flagged fishing vessel FV Naham 3 was hijacked south of the Seychelles in March 2012, according to John Steed, a regional coordinator of the organization, Oceans Beyond Piracy.

"Of the original 29-member crew, sadly one died during the hijacking and two more succumbed to illness during their captivity. The remaining 26 crew members spent much of their captivity on land in Somalia," Steed said in a statement.

The hostages are all men and are from China, the Philippines, Cambodia, Indonesia and Vietnam.

"They have spent over four and a half years in deplorable conditions away from their families," said the statement.

The statement added their release represented the end of captivity for the last remaining seafarers taken hostage during the height of Somali piracy.

It however said the threat of piracy remains, and urged the shipping industry to continue to follow the Best Management Practices for Protection against Somalia-based Piracy to reduce risks.

China on Sunday confirmed the release of the captives.

China's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said the 29 crew members kidnapped included 12 Chinese, of them 10 from the Chinese mainland and two from Taiwan.

Meanwhile, three of the hostages, including one from the Chinese mainland and another from Taiwan, had died, Hua said.

Hua said the 26 men released had arrived in Kenya with UN intervention. Chinese officials had met the Chinese crew members and would accompany them on their trip back home.

Hua said the Chinese government offers its sincere gratitude to all the organizations and people involved in the "rescue operation", and best wishes to the released crew members. It also sends its profound condolences to the families of the three deceased crew members.

A report released by the International Maritime Bureau of the International Chamber Commerce in July said piracy and armed robbery off the coast of Somalia had fallen to its lowest levels since 1995 with only one incident recorded in the past six months.

The report attributed the fall to operations by foreign warships. Chinese naval fleets have been involved in escort missions in the Gulf of Aden and waters off Somalia since 2008.

The report, however, said that there has been a surge in kidnappings off West Africa.
AUSTIN  A race for Texas' highest court pits two candidates who lack judicial experience, signaling a system that picks state judges through sparsely funded partisan campaigns that mostly fly under voters' radar, experts say.

Republican defense lawyer Scott Walker, who shares the politically known name of the Wisconsin governor, faces lawyer Betsy Johnson of San Antonio, a Democrat who was removed more than five years ago from Bexar County's list of lawyers who can represent indigent defendants in felony cases because she didn't want to represent clients who wouldn't plead guilty, according to the presiding judge at the time.

As a result, Walker, who practices in the Dallas/Fort Worth area, has reaped endorsements from a number of newspapers, including the Dallas Morning News, which called a vote for Johnson "reckless."

Efforts to reform the lacking election system have fallen flat.

"There is not enough money available to be raised to even begin to inform the electorate of your qualifications, or your opponent's lack thereof" in a Court of Criminal Appeals race, said former Texas Supreme Court Chief Justice Thomas Phillips, who while on the bench unsuccessfully pushed for merit selection of judges.

In such a system, judges are first appointed and then subject to retention elections. It's an approach that's also favored by current Chief Justice Nathan Hecht.

Some would like to combine the Court of Criminal Appeals, the highest court for criminal cases including murders punished by the death penalty, and the Texas Supreme Court, which oversees civil cases.

Among them are Hecht and Texas Supreme Court Justice Don Willett. The latter criticized the current "juris-imprudent" design of the system in a dissenting opinion in a case that he said should have gone to the criminal court. "Oklahoma is the only other state with dual high courts, which seems reason enough to change," Willett said.

'Last day'

Those who disagree cite issues including the large workload that combining cases would make for a single court, and the difference in expertise required for criminal versus civil law.

In an effort to force a different sort of change, Latino voters have filed a lawsuit challenging statewide elections for the high courts, saying single-member-district elections would give a better chance to minorities' choices. Such a system would allow creation of majority-minority districts.

So some are pushing for changes that could be done without a constitutional amendment, such as restoring a requirement for high-court judges to gather petition signatures statewide.

The lack of a petition requirement smoothed the way for both nominees for Place 5, which is a rare seat without an incumbent who is running. The other five seats that are on the ballot - three are up on each nine-member court - have incumbents as candidates.

Walker, who ended up securing the nomination in a runoff, said the lack of a petition requirement made a difference for him because he didn't get on the ballot "until the very last day."

"I didn't really come even close to making my decision until the last week or so before the last day to sign up. So there's no way I could have ran if I had to get the petition signatures," he said.

'Too much politics'

Walker supports the system of electing judges, saying "there's too much politics" in an appointment system, but he would like to see the qualifications increased to require appellate experience, as he has.

Current qualifications for either of the state's highest courts only call for a person to be a citizen of the United States and Texas; age 35-74; and a practicing lawyer, or a lawyer and judge combined, for at least 10 years.

Johnson filed in the last hour of the last day to put her name in contention, the Texas Democratic Party confirmed.

State District Judge Sid Harle of Bexar County - who lost a bid for the GOP nod for the Place 5 seat - said he met Johnson after she was dropped from the appointment list for indigent defendants facing felony charges in 2011.

He said other criminal court judges pressed for the action. Since he was the presiding judge, she came to his office to dispute it.

"I hear this clomping outside my door, and she comes storming into my office in, of course, combat boots," said Harle. He said he advised Johnson to work as second chair without pay in a couple of trials to prove to the judges she could try a case, but she refused with an expletive.

Johnson, who is described as partial to unconventional attire such as the combat boots noted by Harle, couldn't be reached for this story. She didn't respond to an email inquiry, and there was no answer at the telephone number she has listed with the State Bar of Texas.

'They shouldn't vote'

The presence of little-known candidates on high-court ballots is a long-standing phenomenon, pointed out Professor Geary Reamey of St. Mary's University School of Law.

"Everyone is little-known. When has there ever been a person nominated who is well-known?" Reamey said, adding of the Walker-Johnson race, "Although I teach criminal law and procedure . I know almost nothing about either of these candidates."

Reamey would favor changes including a system in which judges picked by a bipartisan panel would be appointed and subject to retention elections. He would like to bar straight-ticket voting on judges and would prefer non-partisan judicial elections. "If they don't know anything about the candidates, they shouldn't vote in that race," Reamey said.
Hillary Clinton moved to press her advantage in the presidential race Sunday, urging black voters in North Carolina to vote early as Republicans increasingly conceded that Donald Trump is unlikely to recover in the polls.

With a strong lead in national polls, Clinton has been pleading with core Democratic constituencies to get out and vote in states where balloting has already begun. By running up a lead well in advance of the Nov. 8 election in states like North Carolina and Florida, she could make it extraordinarily difficult for Trump to mount a late comeback.

On Sunday, Clinton appeared at a church in Raleigh, N.C., with mothers who have lost children to gun violence or clashes with the police. Addressing the congregation, she sounded like a candidate looking past the election to a presidency in which she would have to address a deeply divided nation.

"There are many people in our country willing to reach across the divide, regardless of what you've heard in this campaign," Clinton said. "There are people - millions and millions of people - who are asking themselves these hard questions, who want to find a way to work together to solve these problems that we face."

Geneva Reed-Veal, whose daughter, Sandra Bland, died in Waller County Jail after a traffic stop last summer, called on the congregation to make its voice heard at the polls. "If you decide not to vote, shut your mouth," Reed-Veal said.

Both Clinton and key Republican groups have effectively pushed aside Trump since the final presidential debate Wednesday, treating him as a defeated candidate and turning their attention to voter turnout and battling for control of Congress.

An ABC News tracking poll published Sunday showed Trump trailing Clinton by 12 percentage points nationally and drawing just 38 percent of the vote.

Clinton, who drew support from 50 percent of voters in the poll, was openly dismissive of Trump over the weekend, telling reporters Saturday that she no longer worried about answering his attacks.

Karl Rove, chief strategist of George W. Bush's successful presidential campaigns, said Sunday on Fox News that he did not expect that Trump could pull off a comeback in the final two weeks of campaigning.

Two outside groups aligned with Republicans, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the Senate Leadership Fund, have begun running television commercials in Senate races implying that Trump's defeat is likely and asking voters to send Republican lawmakers to Washington as a check on Clinton.

And the Congressional Leadership Fund, a powerful "super PAC" that supports Republicans in the House of Representatives, will begin running ads in the coming days that attack Democratic candidates as "rubber stamps" for Clinton.

Trump's campaign manager, Kellyanne Conway, acknowledged on "Meet the Press" on NBC that Trump was behind in the race. She said the campaign had "a shot" at winning over undecided voters who do not currently support Trump but who dislike Clinton.
Cast your ballot

Regarding "Focus on social studies needed to boost voting" (Page A21, Friday), we are blessed in the United States to have the right to vote. Some citizens of some other countries do not have this right.

However, voting is not just our right; it is our responsibility. I am surprised to hear that so many people this year say they do not plan to go to the polls, because they either do not like the candidates or can't decide who to vote for.

Not voting is not an option. It is each citizen's duty to do research on what the candidates believe regarding important issues that affect all of us. If they still can't decide on a candidate then they should read the Democratic Party platform and the Republican Party platform. They are as different as night and day.

Citizen must do their homework and be informed and vote for the candidate who best supports their values and beliefs. Either Hillary Clinton or Donald J. Trump will be our next president.

Glenda Carnahan, Richmond

Curious winning streak

Regarding "Voting under vigilant watch" (Page A1, Saturday), the Bexar County Republican chairman claims that "voter fraud is something we have known about for years, but we finally have somebody that is running for office that is saying it." Curious comment, that.

Let's remember that for many years, Texas Republicans have won virtually every state and countywide election and have had ample opportunities to install like-minded, potentially partisan functionaries in every operational office.

So, if Robert Stovall has known about voter fraud for years, one might ask why he has not done something to stop it. He is, after all, talking about his own party. And his characterization might also raise the question of who has most benefitted from all that fraud since, indeed, Republicans almost always win - somehow. Perhaps now we know why.

It is not particularly insightful to point out that, faced with almost certain defeat, as is Donald Trump and his party, Republicans now cry foul. The system is "rigged," they say. And Trump's concession may not follow defeat. Sore losers, I'd say, and not willing to face the reality that the monster they've created is one of theirs.

Gene Bruce, Conroe

Supreme concerns

Regarding "Supreme Court won't reconsider immigration case" (Page A9, Oct. 4), qualification for the U.S. Supreme Court appears to be dominated by political bias. What has happened to the U.S. Constitution?

I have long wondered why ethnic, religious and race characteristics require "balance" on the court. Is the determination that a case before it is in violation of the Constitution different through the eyes of the member because he is male or female, Catholic or Protestant, Hispanic or Irish, etc? Is the Constitution meant to change at the will of the political class? Based upon the rhetoric of the presidential nominees, without dispute the social goals of the president and the Senate are paramount and that is reflecting support of special-interest groups. I know this is not new, but is it right?

Beverly Chadd, Houston

U.S. stands tall, strong

Regarding "Fed says economy growing a bit faster" (Page B4, Oct. 20), we are the world's leading nation in economic and military strength.

To abolish our trade pacts, per Donald Trump's position, would be devastating for our economy. We are a great nation.

Dick Baile, Houston
On Nov. 8, Missouri voters will take to the polls to elect a new president, new statewide officials, new local representatives and to consider several ballot initiatives, some of which may amend Missouris Constitution. I want to take some time to talk about Amendment 3 and Proposition A, both of which seek to raise the cigarette and tobacco tax; and Amendment 1, which allows voters to decide whether or not to continue the parks, soils and water sales tax. To read the official ballot language, please visit the Secretary of States website here.

Currently Missouri has the lowest cigarette tax in the nation. Many proposals have been brought forward in recent years to raise this tax, yet none have been passed by the Legislature or Missouri voters.

Amendment 3

Amendment 3 would amend the Missouri Constitution to steadily increase taxes on cigarettes until 2020. Missouris current tax on cigarettes is 17 cents per pack and the proposed increase would amount to 60 cents per pack, making the total tax on a pack of cigarettes 77 cents. The average state tobacco tax is $1.65. The amendment would also create a 67 cent fee per pack for wholesalers on certain cigarettes, which would certainly be passed on to consumers. The cost of both increases would be $1.27 per pack.

The money generated from the tax increase would create the Early Childhood Health and Education Trust Fund and at least 75 percent of the revenue would be used for early childhood education. This amendment is somewhat controversial because there are passages that mention no funding shall be used for embryonic stem cell research or given to abortion providers, however, some say money could be provided for abortion and stem cell research. I encourage you as a voter to do your homework on this ballot initiative so that you may be fully informed at the ballot box. The increase in revenue is estimated to be between $263 million and $374 million annually. There is no estimate of the financial impact on local governments if the amendment were to pass.

If passed, this amendment to the Missouri Constitution would only be reversible by another vote of the people.

Proposition A

Proposition A also proposes to raise the cigarette tax, however the increase would total 23 cents by 2021, making the tax 40 cents per pack. The proposal also includes a 5 percent tobacco increase on sellers and retailers. The money generated from this increase would be deposited into the Transportation Infrastructure Fund to improve roads and bridges in the state. This increase would be much smaller than the 60 cent increase proposed in Amendment 3.

The estimated increase to general revenue is between $95 million and $103 million annually. On the other hand, local government revenues could decrease by approximately $3 million annually due to fewer cigarette and tobacco sales. This measure would not amend the Missouri constitution, however the change would be reflected in state statute.

Amendment 1

Amendment 1 would allow Missourians to decide if the state should renew the one-tenth of one percent sales and use tax for an additional ten years. The tax is used to support soil and water conservation and fund the state parks and historic sites system. The tax has been in place since 1984, when voters initially approved it. The tax creates revenue of around $90 million each year. Missouri has more than 80 parks and historic sites that benefit from this tax. A yes vote on this Amendment would not be a tax increase, simply a renewal of an already existing tax.

The Missouri State Park system has been ranked as one of the top four state park systems in the nation and is home to 88 state parks and historic sites. The primary source of funding for these parks is the dedicated tax, which would be renewed with a yes vote on Amendment 1. My district is home to Grand Gulf State Park near Thayer in Oregon county, which you may know as the Little Grand Canyon, and is one of the natural wonders of the Ozarks. Grand Gulf was declared a national landmark in 1971 and has been part of our state parks system since 1984. Countless visitors come each year to enjoy this beautiful natural formation, spending money in the area and boosting the economy.

As Missourians and as Americans we are given the opportunity to vote on the issues that affect us and the citizens we choose to represent us. I encourage you to be an informed voter and to educate yourself on the ballot measures presented to Missourians this year. Typically the spotlight shines brightest on the candidate races, however, the ballot initiatives are equally as important and can affect the state for decades in the future. I encourage you to visit the Secretary of States website for official ballot language and resources to help you come to a thoughtful decision on these issues.

In next weeks column I will address other items on the ballot including voter ID, use taxes and campaign contribution limits.

Mike Cunningham is a Republican member of the Missouri State Senate, representing District 33. Contact him at 573-751-1882 or www.senate.mo.gov/cunningham
Houston was represented beginning Sunday at the 53rd annual Missouri Community Betterment Conference in Columbia.

Houston is among contestants in a statewide contest in its population category. A panel of judges visited the community earlier to learn about projects undertaken in the town.

Announcement of the winners will come this evening at the annual Leadership, Communities and Youth Group Awards Banquet at the Stoney Creek Hotel in Columbia. The event precedes a day of workshops.
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Battles continued to rage on Sunday in Syria's Aleppo between the government forces and rebels, as well as infighting among other rebel groups in that key area, a monitor group and pan-Arab al-Mayadeen TV reported.

Rebel fighters in Marea city shoot a weapon towards Syria Democratic Forces (SDF) controlled Tell Rifaat town, northern Aleppo province, Syria, October 21, 2016. [Photo/Xinhua]

The Syrian army backed by Russian air force succeeded to take full control over the Air Defense Base in the southern countryside of Aleppo, following intense battles with an array of rebel groups, the reports said.

With the fresh progress, the Syrian forces have exposed the rebel-held towns of Talet Bazo, Rashideen and Braij, according to al-Mayadeen.

The fresh advance by the Syrian army comes a day after a three-day unilateral truce, declared by Russia and Syria, expired without achieving its goals.

The "humanitarian truce" aimed at helping evacuate the civilians and wounded from eastern Aleppo, as well as the rebels to either go to other rebel-held areas in the northwestern province of Idlib, or surrender to the Syrian army in exchange for a presidential pardon.

The Syrian and Russian side outlined six passages out of eastern Aleppo for the civilians and two for the rebels.

However, only seven rebels managed to leave during the three days, as the government accused the ultra-radical group of Jabhat Fateh al-Sham of forcefully preventing the civilians from leaving.

Al-Mayadeen said that the Syrian military forces are making a progress in the Salahuddien neighborhood, southwest of the rebel-held eastern Aleppo part.

Meanwhile, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said airstrikes targeted several rebel-held areas in the western countryside of Aleppo amid clashes in the old city of Aleppo between the Syrian army and the rebels.

The UK-based watchdog group also said that the rebels fired several mortar shells on government-controlled areas, following the end of the truce.

Meanwhile, military sources said the Syrian army was amassing forces in Aleppo to revive a wide-scale offensive to drive out the rebels from eastern Aleppo.

In the northern countryside, another battle has raged since Saturday between the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and the Turkey-backed Free Syrian Army (FSA).

A day earlier, twenty Turkish tanks entered northern Syria to support the FSA in their fight to capture towns under the control of SDF, amid condemnation and threats from the Syrian government.

The Turkish tanks crossed the border into the northern countryside of the northern city of Aleppo, in a bid to help the FSA capture the town of Tal Rifaat, close to the Turkish border, from SDF, which they have recently taken from the Islamic State (IS) group, according to al-Mayadeen TV.

The confrontation developed and escalated since Saturday, with the Turkish forces shelling 70 positions of the SDF in the northern countryside of Aleppo, according to the Observatory.

In return, the SDF carried out an attack after midnight on the countryside of the border town of Mare in northern Aleppo, targeting a number of Turkish soldiers, leaving many of them killed or wounded, the Observatory added.

The SDF also captured a Turkish armored vehicle during the attack.

The Turkey-backed FSA has been engaged in a battle dubbed the Euphrates Shield, which is primarily aiming at stripping the IS from key ground in northern Syria and fill the void, in order to put an end to the expansion of the SDF, something Ankara has been keen to achieve, due to its fear of a Kurdish influence near its borders.

At some point, a confrontation between the Turkey-backed rebels and the Kurdish-led ones seemed inevitable, due to Ankara's main aim to thwart the momentum of the Kurds.

It's worth mentioning that the United States backs both the FSA and the SDF, an example of the chaos resulted from the U.S. double standards in dealing with the Syrian crisis.

Observers believe that Aleppo is going to be the decisive battle ground among the fighting groups, and the winner will be the one dictating its conditions to resolve the crisis, as the province contain all the groups that are supported by regional and international powers, with the civilians paying the price for this proxy war.
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Although plans for Brexit forge ahead, exactly what this means for the millions of workers and their employers will depend on how the new prime minister proceeds. At this point, no one really knows how Brexit will unfold, but we offer insight into the reasoning behind the UKs possible next steps and what they might mean for workers and employers. Immigration and the Potential Skills Gap With Brexits emphasis on controlling immigration, many businesses fear what Brexit will mean for the British businesses that employ EU migrants and rely on international talent pools. Currently, British businesses have the ability to employ workers from within the European Economic area without requiring immigration permission (which includes the EU, Norway, Iceland, Switzerland and the principality of Lichtenstein). Of the 8.5 million people living in London, one million are European immigrant employees, and in all of the UK, there are 2.1 million EU migrants. So as you can see, EU migrants provide the British economy with on-demand skills that can be difficult to fill with British citizens alone. Because the EU guarantees free movement of labor among its member states, Britain's membership with the EU made it easier for immigrants to find work in the UK. However, Brexit will undoubtedly change that. Industries such as construction, engineering and IT are already facing a talent shortage, and that gap will likely widen if the mov...
After experiencing severe abdominal pain, Stephanie Jaegers rushed to the hospital thinking she had kidney stones. But to her surprise, she gave birth instead.

The doctors were discussing kidney stones and pain and said order a CT scan, the Georgia mom told Inside Edition. But then he examined my stomach when I was having cramps and changed his mind and did an ultra sound instead.

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Doctors at Piedmont Henry Hospital told Jaegers that she was 38 weeks pregnant and in labour.

There are no words to describe the range of feelings associated with being told that you're having a baby -- in 30 minutes, Jaegers husband, Michael, told Detroit Free Press.

The couple then welcomed a healthy baby boy, who they named Shaun Jude Jaegers. The infant is the couples fourth child. They also have two teen sons, age 16 and 11, and a daughter, who will soon be three.

Michael announced Shauns birth on Facebook, saying, We are both still in complete shock over the events of the last few hours and appreciate the prayers and well wishes. Now to fit 9 months of pre-planning into 2 days!

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Watch the video above to hear more.

Since Shaun was born, many people have asked the couple how they did not know Jaegers was pregnant. To answer this question, the new dad wrote a lengthy post on Facebook.

Steph was diagnosed with pre-menopause awhile back which would justify the hormone imbalance also associated with a pregnancy, he explained. Shaun was also breech throughout the entire pregnancy which prevented him from moving around to indicate to Steph that he was in there and his position made it to where Steph didn't show. The most bizarre part is she continued to have a menstrual cycle, which the hospital tells us is rare, but can happen.

Lastly, Steph broke her ankle a couple of weeks ago and was laid up for the last couple of weeks limiting her movements. All of this together ruled out in our minds even the remote possibility of a pregnancy.

Its rare for women to have cryptic pregnancies, meaning they dont realize theyre expecting. However, there are two theories as to why this happens: they are either in denial, or their symptoms are not obvious.

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Click here to read more about cryptic pregnancies.

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Canadas international trade minister defended her toughness Monday after a Conservative critic accused her of having a meltdown and suggested to the House of Commons she needed adult supervision.

Chrystia Freeland faced a number of barbs in question period, mere days after she walked away from negotiations aimed at bringing the Belgian region of Wallonia on board with the fraught Canada-European Union free trade deal.

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Freeland fought back tears during media interviews Friday as she opened up about her personal disappointment after leaving the talks.

Tory MP Gerry Ritz, his party's trade critic, told the House the world witnessed Freelands meltdown as she was throwing in the towel and fleeing the scene of important implementation talks.

Ritz noted that the deal was signed in principle by the last Tory government, but said the Liberals need to placate every opponent of free trade across Europe has caused a mess.

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If she cant get a deal with Wallonia, what makes her think shes up to the job getting a deal with China? Ritz asked.

'As for my visible emotion...'

Freeland responded that she did her job and secured a progressive deal. Walking away was absolutely necessary to show that Europe needs to solve its own problems, she said.

As for my visible emotion, I do take this deal very personally, Freeland added. Im all in for Canada when I am at the negotiating table. I was disappointed and sad but also tough and strong. I think those are the qualities Canadians expect in their minister.

The remark sparked applause from the Liberal bench.

Ritz shot back that Freeland has dropped the ball on both CETA and the softwood lumber dispute with the United States.

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Since the trade minister is incapable or unwilling to do her job and ratify this vital trade deal, will the prime minister grab some adult supervision, get on a plane, go back over to Brussels and get this job done? he asked.

Ritzs adult dig sparked some chatter online among journalists watching question period.

Conservatives demand Trudeau put an "adult at the table" to get CETA done - which seems to be an unsubtle dig that a girl can't do it.  Tonda MacCharles (@TondaMacC) October 24, 2016

Because a 48-year-old fmr Rhodes scholar, Financial Times managing editor & book author is not an "adult"?! https://t.co/6cAosSVWs9  Jennifer Ditchburn (@jenditchburn) October 24, 2016

That is how it sounded. https://t.co/Z9IlULDQOD  Michael Den Tandt (@mdentandt) October 24, 2016

I am really, really uncomfortable with the tone the #CETA debate took in the House of Commons today. "Adult supervision?" Really? #QP  Elton Hobson (@Hobbie_Hobson) October 24, 2016

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Freeland said Liberals got the CETA deal back on track after negotiations stalled under the last government. The only thing Tories delivered, she said, were hundred-thousand-dollar parties, covered by taxpayers, celebrating a deal that wasnt even done.

Weve done our job. Now its up to Europe, she said.

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What's better than a world with Kendall Jenner? A world with Kendall Jenner and her lookalike, Kate Bogucharskaia.

The Russian model is being labelled as the "Keeping Up With The Kardashians" star's doppelganger and everyone is kind of freaking out because the two of them co-existing is too much beauty for us all to even handle.

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get our new @kendallandkylie party looks at Topshop.com @Topshop A photo posted by Kendall (@kendalljenner) on Dec 5, 2015 at 12:02pm PST

And here's Kate:

 A photo posted by Kate Bogucharskaia (@foxy1kate) on Jul 20, 2016 at 7:37am PDT

And then there's this:

Model Kate Bogucharskaia Is Kendall Jenners Doppelganger https://t.co/A1D0W1WMWipic.twitter.com/Jo4cxF0yzP  KickAss Papers (@KickAssPapers) October 24, 2016

With her glorious brunette locks, big eyes, pouty lips and killer cheekbones, Bogucharskaia strikes a major resemblance to Kendall.

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Rumours even circulated that Kendall was "concerned" that Bogucharskaia was booking jobs purely based on the resemblance, but it turns out that was false.

To be honest, sure, Kate totally does look like Kendall's twin. But have y'all meet Australian actress Adelaide Kane before?

When the lights real good on the shoot  #comingsoon A photo posted by Adelaide Kane (@adelaidekane) on Oct 19, 2016 at 3:59pm PDT

Triplets, anyone?

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When ratings agency Moodys offers a positive assessment of a real estate market, it might be wise to take that with a grain of salt.

Moody's recently gave Canadas housing market a clean bill of health, and says it is about to be sued by the U.S. Justice Department for its alleged role in the U.S. housing bubble that triggered the 2008 financial collapse.

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The department will reportedly sue Moodys in civil court for inflating the value of mortgage-backed securities  large groups of mortgages that were packaged together and sold as investments.

The Justice Departments planned civil suit was made known by Moodys itself on Friday in a press release. The agency didnt release specifics on what it's accused of, but added that a number of states are also pursuing legal action against the company.

'The Big Short' laid it all out

Those whove seen the 2015 film The Big Short will be familiar with the overall allegation: When the U.S. housing market began to crash in 2007, certain rating agencies refused to downgrade mortgage-backed securities, many of which had their AAA ratings extended despite the fact many mortgage borrowers werent making their payments.

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That allowed some institutional investors to sell those mortgage securities at higher prices, forcing other investors to swallow the losses that followed.

The mess that resulted in the mortgage securities market was a major contributor to the US$1.9 trillion in losses and writedowns at banks worldwide during the financial crisis, Bloomberg reports.

Moodys predicted last week Canada would largely avoid falling house prices in the coming years, despite the stricter mortgage rules put in place this month by the Trudeau government.

"While there has been much concern in Canada about an overheating housing market, we expect national house prices to avoid a significant correction," Moody's economist Andres Carbacho-Burgos said, as quoted at CBC.

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The agency predicted a modest 3-per-cent decline for detached home prices in Vancouver, but noted it believes the citys detached market is some 60-per-cent overvalued. It predicted no declines for Toronto, but estimated the citys homes are 30-per-cent overvalued.

It also predicted price declines in Edmonton, Saskatchewan and Newfoundland three places affected by the oil price drop.

The agency said in a report this summer saying Canadas banks could withstand the shock of a severe housing downturn, if one were to happen.
Don't call it a comeback, exactly, but maybe think of it as a bright spot on an otherwise dim Alberta jobs front.

Precision Drilling Corp., one of Canadas largest drilling companies, announced late last week that they have hired 1,000 employees  many of them former Precision employees who had been laid off in Alberta's energy downturn.

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President and CEO Kevin Neveu told the Financial Post that his company is in "the early stages of this rebound," having recently reactivated 53 rigs in North America.

"With 37 rigs operating in the U.S. today, our activity is up 70 per cent from second quarter lows, while the industry increase is approximately 35 per cent," Neveu said in a press release.

And while Precision had a $47 million net loss for the third quarter as revenue declined 45 per cent from last year, Neveu said he's seeing more optimism from customers.

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"This improved outlook is evident in the conversations we are having with customers, but more importantly in our activity increases, recent contract bookings and improving pricing environment. We continue to remain cautious as we believe this optimism may be fragile and sensitive to commodity price volatility."

The pain felt in Alberta's oil patch has been far-reaching. The BOE Report estimates upward of 100,000 people have lost jobs in Alberta, in occupations both directly and indirectly linked to the oil industry.

And companies continue to announce layoffs; last week Calgary-based Enbridge Inc. announced it would cut 370 Canadian jobs across its operations following a company-wide organizational review.

Still, AltaCorp Capital analyst Aaron MacNeil told the Financial Post that he expects see a slight recovery in oilfield activity over the winter season. He said 2016's second quarter likely marks the cyclical low point of the current downturn.

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Timeline: Oilpatch Layoffs Of 2015 See Gallery
A Conservative leadership candidate is reopening a divisive debate over the wearing of niqabs and other face-covering veils.

Quebec MP Steven Blaney announced Monday that, if elected prime minister, he would be prepared to invoke the notwithstanding clause of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms to ensure faces are uncovered when would-be Canadians swear the citizenship oath, as well as when citizens vote and work in the federal public service.

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Uncovering your face is a day-to-day requirement for every Canadian whether it is to obtain a driver licence or getting a passport for obvious security reasons, Blaney said in a media release. This same requirement should apply to all those who swear allegiance to our country, vote in-person at a polling station or work within the federal public service.

Blaney pledged to reintroduce as government legislation his 2011 private members bill that would have demanded voters show their faces before voting or registering to vote. The bill would have additional amendments related to the citizenship ceremony and federal bureaucrats.

Blaney said he "will not hesitate" to use the notwithstanding clause if the Supreme Court of Canada should oppose the will of Parliament. Section 33 of the Charter allows the federal Parliament or provincial legislatures to override certain fundamental freedoms, and legal and equality rights for no more than five years.

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No federal Parliament has ever invoked the clause, but governments in Quebec, Saskatchewan, Alberta, and the Yukon have used the controversial tool.

Testing on 'Canada's core principles'

Blaney also pledged to change the citizenship test to ensure prospective Canadians are sufficiently tested on their proficiency with one of the two official languages and Canadas core principles. He said a Blaney government would also tweak the citizenship oath to incorporate those core principles.

The former public safety minister under the government of Stephen Harper also said more investments would be made in security agencies to screen potential national security threats.

The right of Muslim women to wear the face-covering niqab during the citizenship ceremony became a major topic in last years election campaign. Pakistan-born woman Zunera Ishaq successfully challenged the former Tory governments ban on the practice in a federal court and eventually took her citizenship oath while wearing the veil, after confirming her identity.

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Harper had long argued that covering ones face at the moment they become a citizen was offensive, and said the veils were rooted in a culture that is anti-women.

Liberals and New Democrats accused Tories of trying to use the debate as a wedge and a distraction from more important matters.

Things got even more heated when Conservatives pledged on the campaign trail that they would bring in an RCMP tip line for so-called barbaric cultural practices.

The two Tories behind that announcement  Chris Alexander and Kellie Leitch  are also running for the Tory leadership.

On Monday, Tory MP Deepak Obhrai, who is also running for leader, took to Twitter to say he disagreed with Blaney.

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"My campaign is based on inclusiveness and embracing diversity," Obhrai tweeted.

I do not agree with Steven Blaney's position on niqab. My campaign is based on inclusiveness and embracing diversity #yyc#cdnpoli  Hon Deepak Obhrai pc (@deepakobhrai) October 24, 2016

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Donald Trumps own hotel business seems to be turning its back on on the Trump brand.

Trump Hotels has announced it plans to launch Scion, a new hotel brand targeted at younger consumers. The companys existing hotels will retain the Trump brand, but new hotels under the Scion brand will begin opening in early 2017, the company says.

That may have something to do with reports that traffic to Trump-branded hotels is on the decline amid Donald Trumps inflammatory presidential campaign.

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Trump has managed to offend women, immigrants and even veterans since launching his campaign in 2015.

Trump Hotels doesnt release booking numbers, but search-and-discovery app Foursquare published research recently showing foot traffic to Trump Hotels fell 19 per cent this summer from two summers earlier, before Trump had announced his presidential bid.

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Other measures suggest things could be even worse than that at Trump Hotels. Travel company Ovation Vacations says bookings to Trump hotels have fallen 29 per cent in the past six months, according to Bloomberg.

And New York Magazine reports that the Trump Hotel in Washington, D.C., has seen nightly room rates drop to below $500 per night. The hotel would have to charge $750 to break even.

But executives at the company say everything is fine with the Trump brand.

Our business at Trump Hotels is stronger than ever and we are incredibly excited about the future of Scion, the newest brand in our hotel portfolio, said Ivanka Trump, Donalds daughter and vice-president of acquisitions at Trump Hotels, in a statement.

A Trump Hotels spokesperson told Travel + Leisure magazine that the data from Foursquare and other sources is manipulated to appear meaningful, when, in reality, the information is inconsequential and does not provide an accurate representation of our performance.

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Trump TV in the works

A hotel rebrand isnt the only business venture in the offing for Donald Trump. According to multiple news reports in recent months, Trumps son-in-law Jared Kushner approached one of the media industrys top dealmakers about launching a Trump-branded news network.

During last weeks debate, Trump posted a link to a Facebook Live session that many believed was a test-run for a Trump news channel, designed to capitalize on the conservative populist movement that has coalesced around the candidate.

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Imagine that you're eight years old. You're at a Toys "R" Us and someone says you have three minutes to grab as many toys as you can. This is the the best day of your life.

Victor Uluadluak was able to do that very thing on Thursday as part of a contest organized by Starlight Children's Foundation Canada, according to CBC News.

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Uluadluak, who has a life-threatening condition called severe aplastic anemia, won the chance to take part in the toy spree along with six other kids across Canada with serious illnesses.

"He is so happy. He was counting down the sleeps to come and, I mean, I can't believe all the things that he grabbed," foster mom Jackie Massey told CBC News.

Christmas comes early for 8-yr old Inuit boy with severe Aplastic Anemia on a 3-minute toy store shopping spree in Wpg. @StarlightCanadapic.twitter.com/mWiV7dKiDu  Heather Wells (@HeatherWellsCBC) October 20, 2016

The eight-year-old is from the remote community of Whale Cove, Nunavut, but is living in Winnipeg with a foster family while he undergoes treatment, according to Inside Edition.

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After complications from a bone marrow transplant, Uluadluak's kidneys failed. He receives dialysis six days a week and has to wait until he's healthy enough to get a kidney transplant.

He's at Winnipeg Children's Hospital every day, Trevor Dicaire, vice-president of development at Starlight, told CTV Winnipeg before the toy spree.

"He goes through a lot in his life, a lot of challenges, every day is a hardship for him," he said.

Victor Uluadluak seemingly can't believe his luck as he stands in a pile of toys he nabbed from Toys "R" Us on Thursday. (Photo: Inside Edition/Screenshot)

"But luckily today, the only hardship he's going to have is how to figure out which toys to put in that cart today."

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The day of the spree, a whistle was blown and a Starlight mascot pushed Uluadluak around in a shopping cart while he grabbed all of his favourites, according to Inside Edition.

In the end, the boy nabbed $2,300 worth of loot. And he was pretty pleased, telling CBC News he was "more than the happiest kid in the world."

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Recently, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) convened a closed-door summit to debate the future of the global anti-doping regime. The summit was prompted by revelations of state-sponsored doping in the Russian sport system, which had ruptured into the public sphere on the eve of the Rio Olympic Games.

Yet, the IOC declaration emerging from its four-hour conclave said nothing about halting those crimes or bringing their perpetrators to justice. Instead, the IOC demanded a fundamental repurposing of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), the institution that had had the audacity to investigate and expose the crimes.

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WADA had called -- in vain -- for the IOC to ban the Russian team from Rio. In the months since, the agency has endured a campaign of vilification by political actors and cyberattacks by hackers. Far more insidiously, too many of WADA's ostensible sport partners appear to feel that the agency has betrayed them by unmasking the ugly truths that lie behind impeccable fictions.

In this clash between the high ideals of sport and the low ruthlessness of politics, WADA holds the ethical high ground -- but it is catastrophically outmatched in its material resources.

The only people who would prosper from a confrontation between the two institutions would be those who trade upon doping in sport.

In September, WADA convened a think tank in Lausanne to advise them as they sally forth. I left those discussions with a sense that the mismatch between WADA's colossal mission and its minuscule budget is flatly absurd.

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From an athlete's perspective, we need an independent WADA to protect us from exploitation. Too often, the only reward for ethical athletes is to suffer the injustice of being cheated of our rightful victories. On the other side, athletes who are enabled or coerced into doping are eventually left damaged in body and broken in mind.

From a global perspective, we need a powerful WADA to thwart subversion of international affairs. For better and for worse, sport has become a key instrument of statecraft, as much as diplomacy, defence and intelligence. To the extent that sport becomes captive to political corruption, it becomes an instrument to prop up tyrannies and kleptocracies, an instrument to marginalize democracy and the rule of law. It becomes a weapon against the common interests of the human race.

I feel certain that in the fullness of time, WADA's willingness to expose and condemn state-sponsored doping in Russia will come to be seen as a seminal victory in the fight for sport integrity. Yes, WADA could have moved sooner and faster. However, this should not blind us to the fact that before WADA was created, no one ever moved against the chamber of horrors that is the East German sport system.

But it would be folly to believe that WADA could strike a blow against some of the most powerful figures in sport and politics without those figures striking back. They have done so, and they will continue to pummel WADA until it perishes or it prevails over them.

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The outcome will hinge on whether WADA will be able to rely upon the support of governments and athletes, as well as that of the IOC and the International Paralympic Committee.

I take some comfort in the fact that the IOC has insisted that it supports WADA's independence and its capacity to prosecute its mandate. However, I must confess that that is not my impression when I read the invective penned by the IOC's officers.

My impression is instead that the IOC cannot forgive WADA for embarrassing the Olympic leadership during their moment in the sun. I fear that lurking behind the IOC's subtly scripted declaration on remaking WADA, are designs to undermine and supplant it.

If there is any justice to this impression, then I should offer the IOC leadership some simple advice:

Not everyone who stands up to you is your enemy, just as not everyone who flatters you is your friend.

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Ultimately, WADA and the IOC will be one another's salvation or undoing. The only people who would prosper from a confrontation between the two institutions would be those who trade upon doping in sport.

Akaash Maharaj is CEO of the Global Organization of Parliamentarians Against Corruption (GOPAC), and was a triple gold medallist at the International Championships of Equestrian Skill-at-Arms. His personal web site is www.Maharaj.org.

An earlier version of this article appeared in the Montreal Gazette.

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bijendra via Getty Images Sitting posture statue of Mahatma Gandhi at Sabarmathi Ashram, Ahmedabad, Gujarath, India, Asia

Mention Gandhi in certain circles and the response might be one of cynicism: his ideas are outdated and irrelevant in today's world. Such a response could not be further from the truth. Gandhi could see the future impact of large-scale industrialization in terms of the devastation of the environment, the destruction of ecology and the unsustainable plunder of natural resources.

Ideas pertaining to environmentalism, agroecology, sustainable living, fair trade, local self-sufficiency, food sovereignty and so on were all present in Gandhi's writings. He was committed to inflicting minimal damage on the environment and was concerned that humans should use only those resources they require and not amass wealth beyond their requirements.

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People had the right to attain certain comforts but a perceived right to unbridled luxuries would result in damaging the environment and impinge on the species that we share the planet with.

For Gandhi, indigenous capability and local self-reliance (swadeshi) were key to producing a model of sustainable development. This is in stark contrast to what is currently taking place. For example, in agriculture the "Green Revolution" brushed aside indigenous agriculture and replaced it with water- and chemical-intensive farming that relies on external inputs from corporations and results in massive external costs. Moreover, it is unsustainable over the long term.

It has also exposed farmers to the vagaries of rigged global trade and markets, commodity speculation and the geopolitics of food. The result for many of them has been debt, suicide and financial crisis. Farmer and campaigner Bhaskar Save outlines how Green Revolution technology and ideology destroyed what was an ecologically sound approach to productive farming here.

Gandhi felt that the village economy should be central to development and India should not follow the West by aping an urban-industrial system. He noted that it took Britain half the resources of the planet to achieve its prosperity and asked how many planets would a country like India require? Gandhi added that the economic imperialism of a tiny island kingdom was keeping the world in chains, and if an entire nation of 300 million (India's population at the time) took to similar economic exploitation, it would strip the world bare like locusts.

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India is now 1.2 billion plus. U.S. citizens constitute five per cent of the world's population but consume 24 per cent of the world's energy. On average, one American consumes as much energy as two Japanese, six Mexicans, 13 Chinese, 31 Indians, 128 Bangladeshis, 307 Tanzanians and 370 Ethiopians.

Gandhi argued that the type of industrialized development adopted by Britain was based on a mind-set that encourages humans to regard man as conqueror and owner of the Earth. And it encourages ordinary people to engage in an endless consumerism again underpinned by arrogance: if one has sufficient cash, there is a sense of entitlement to possess anything that can be bought, regardless of the impact on the environment or on people in far-off places.

Oil comes from some place, minerals are mined from somewhere and the corporations that profit from extracting such resources impose a massive cost on people and the environment, not least by fuelling resource-driven conflicts -- think Libya, Congo, Iraq, Syria (all underpinned by resource grabs, despite the "humanitarian" or "war on terror" narrative).

Although there was a role for industrialization that was not resource- or energy-intensive and which involved for example shipbuilding, iron works and machine making, for Gandhi this would exist alongside village handicrafts. This type of industrialization would not make villages and village crafts subservient to it: nothing would be produced by the cities that could be equally well produced by the villages and the function of cities would be to serve as clearing houses for village products. He argued that with new technology even energy could be produced in villages by using sunlight and local materials. And, of course, people would live within the limits imposed by the environment and work in harmony with the natural ecology rather than by forcing it to bend to the will of profiteering industries.

Consider that prior to the British, India was among the richest countries in the world and had controlled a third of global wealth until the 17th century. It was an exporter of spices, food grains, handicrafts, handloom products, wootz steel, musk, camphor, sandalwood and ivory items, among other things. The village was the centre of a rural economy, which was the centre of entrepreneurship. The British dismantled much of this system by introducing mono crop activities and mill-made products, and post-independence India failed to repair the economic fabric.

Officials now seem to be preoccupied with a fetish for GDP growth and an unsustainable model of 'development'. Part of this process involves destroying the environment and moving hundreds of millions from the land and into what are already overburdened mega-cities. Depriving people of their livelihoods in rural India (and deliberately running down agriculture) means mass migration to cities that are failing to produce anywhere near the volume of jobs required to soak up new arrivals.

If a forest can be chopped down and the land and timber sold, this increases GDP and thus constitutes "growth." The wildlife has gone and the forest which had been managed for centuries by local people who had used its resources sustainably for their needs has disappeared.

How much damage is being done by a system that thrives on turning people into slaves to their desires and allowing (U.S.) imperialism to reign free?

Gandhi offered a vision for a world without meaningless consumption which depleted its finite resources and destroyed habitats and the environment. Given the problems facing humanity, his ideas should serve as an inspiration to us all, whether we live in India or elsewhere.

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Unfortunately, his message seems to have been lost on many of today's leaders who have capitulated to an out-of-control "capitalism" that is driving the world towards resource-driven conflicts with the ultimate spectre of nuclear war hanging over humanity's head.

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Bloomberg via Getty Images UNITED STATES - SEPTEMBER 18: An Exxon Mobil refinery in silhouetted against the sky at dusk in Torrance, California, U.S., on Tuesday, September 18, 2007. California, the most-populous U.S. state, emitted the equivalent of 436.1 million metric tons of carbon dioxide in 1990, according to a draft estimate of global warming pollution from the state's air-quality regulator. Heads of state and other top officials from more than 150 countries will attend the largest meeting ever of world leaders on climate change at the United Nations on September 24, 2007, in New York. (Photo by Jamie Rector/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Climate Denial, Version 2.0

For several decades, the urgency to fight climate change has been systematically paralyzed by the climate deniers. In order to deliberately create confusion in public opinion and block all concerted political action which might attempt to remedy the situation, the fossil fuel magnates have spent millions on pressure groups or bogus foundations. This new form of climate denial is described in the National Observer.

Like tobacco during the 80s, straight out denial doesn't wash anymore in public opinion.

ExxonMobil has been the keystone of the deniers. This company has financed pseudo-scientific institutes, which deny climate change; consider think tanks like The American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) or the Heartland Institute. Despite the fact that ExxonMobil has known about the reality of climate change since 1981, it publicly denied it; this is what an inquiry on the subject of this fraud reveals. Exxon risks costly lawsuits for this obvious bad faith.

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In Canada, Prime Minister Trudeau and his provincial counterparts (with the exception of Brad Wall of Saskatchewan) now agree that climate change is an indisputable reality; they firmly proclaim that they must reduce greenhouse gas emissions. In theory, that is good! The catch is that a new form of denial, more subtle and more insidious than a straight out lie, can be found in the multitude of government actions which contradict what is said in public platforms. In other words, 'the walk doesn't match the talk'!

For example, M. Couillard says that he wants to protect Anticosti, but his government invests some $115 million to support the oil companies, which propose to "frack" the ''the pearl of the St Lawrence."

Likewise in international forums, our premier talks of reducing greenhouse gases, but, in 2014, he put in place the RPEP (Water Withdrawal and Protection Regulation) which is made to measure to allow fracking on Anticosti.

As for Bill 106, it contains a sop for the ecologists on the subject of energy transition, but the rest of the bill is so favourable to the oil industry that one would think that an industry lobbyist wrote it. And what can be said of the financing of the controversial cement plant at Port Daniel which will produce millions of tons of greenhouse gases; a succession of governments have pushed the art of the double-talk to the point of refusing a BAPE (environmental hearing)!

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This holds true in the land of the tar sands; Alberta has made public a plan to cap greenhouse gases (GHG). With great fanfare, they announced they will close the coal power stations. At first blush we say bravo! But when we scratch a bit deeper than the headlines, this plan to cap permits a GROWTH in greenhouse gases. And, as if by coincidence, this growth in greenhouse gases is equivalent to what is necessary to allow for the construction of the Energy East pipeline.

At the federal level, former prime minister Harper was very favourable towards the tar sands; his successor, Mr. Trudeau claims that ''Canada is back'' by signing the accord of the Paris Conference with enthusiasm. However, he has done nothing to restore the environmental protections that the Harper reign demolished.

The objectives for greenhouse gas reductions of the Trudeau government remain the same as those of his predecessor. Worse, he authorizes the construction of the Pacific Northwest LNG pipeline to transport fracked natural gas to the Pacific ocean. According to the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency(CEAA), that will have the effect of increasing greenhouse gas emissions from 6.5 to 8.7 million tons annually, that is, an increase of one per cent on the Canadian scale .

The version 2.0 of climate denial is a strategy diametrically opposed to the fine words proclaiming the fight against climate change. A few charming selfies are not sufficient to reduce greenhouse gases . As playwright Jean Racine said in the classical drama Iphigenie: ''Il faut des actions et non pas des paroles'' [1] (Actions are needed, not words.)

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Today's disjointed pharmaceutical policy may be described as a Shakespearean tragedy -- a flawed system that will always end with demise.

Health Ministers meet in Toronto this month to discuss Canada's health care policies

The relationship between health care policies, the funding of prescription drugs and public access to medically necessary medication is fragmented. It is in need of political leadership. With the provincial, territorial and federal health ministers meeting in Toronto this month, the time has come to discuss the details of a National Prescription Drug Strategy. How are we going to move this forward?

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Global Public Affairs' recent report "National Pharmacare: Lost in Translation" outlined the players on the stage and how their competing interests, affects Canadian's access to prescription medications.

The public values their health and improvement to their quality of life. Employers seek increased productivity associated with healthy employees. Governments want improved population health, individual satisfaction, and health system sustainability (triple-aim). The pharmaceutical industry wants market access for products that are valued by patients and payers alike to generate returns and to support ongoing and future research.

Private insurance providers aim to minimize the number of clients on long-term disability and prevent the emergence or recurrence of health problems. And health professionals want to cure illness and reduce suffering.

These goals and desires are not mutually exclusive and yet our current system fails to meet many Canadian's expectations. Understandably so -- it is, after all, everyone for themselves.

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Doctors, the public, the government, and employers each have competing interests when it comes to pharmacare.

The current system operates without common goals. Each player plays their role to the best of their ability and to their best advantage. But as there are no directors, not all actors are treated fairly and equitably.

How is this problematic? The result is a tragedy. There is inequitable, unpredictable access to effective, necessary prescription medicines. There's a reason why this is happening.

Today's prescription medicines are a key tool to restore and maintain health. When prescribed and taken appropriately they reduce other health system costs, help individuals avoid hospitalization and support Canadians to function effectively in their daily lives. Prescription medications help treat and cure patients with acute illnesses and delay progression for those with chronic diseases.

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Canadians spend approximately $29 billion annually on prescription medications. After hospitals, it is the second largest component of health care spending, exceeding the spend on physician services. This spend occurs outside of the principles of the Canada Health Act, and too often at arms-length from the rest of the health system.

Little data is available on how medication is used in physician visits or hospitalizations.

There is limited and inconsistent integration of medication use data with physician visits, hospitalizations, or care planning. The result is a poor understanding of the impact that pharmaceuticals have on patient outcomes or the value they offer to the health care system.

It's fair to argue that all Canadians want equitable access to effective medications without incurring financial hardship. Yet, increasingly, access is compromised due to ability to pay, employment status, clinical condition or disease, age, ethnic heritage or even one's postal code.

There is an overall lack of accountability -- no one accepts responsibility for the overall health system or where access to prescription medication fits in. With individuals and groups acting in isolation, access to necessary medications may be rationed or denied.

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So, how do we focus on a common goal when there are disparate and competing interests operating in a complex, imperfect system?

Political leaders must step up to make sure prescription medications are available for all Canadians.

Due to the dominant position public payers have in funding prescription medications in Canada, strong, principled political leadership is required to ensure the system delivers consistent value for all Canadians.

Federal Health Minister Jane Philpott, who has responsibility for Health Canada, the agency that approves medicines for sale in Canada, has a role in balancing access to existing and new medicines while ensuring patient safety. The federal government also has the ability to rebalance tax credits and insured health benefits to reposition the $29 Billion in annual spend. Through shifts, Ottawa could make more direct dollars available to the provinces for consistent, national access to appropriately prescribed drugs, including both valued existing products and new innovative medicines.

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Though the creation of the pan-Canadian Pharmaceutical Alliance, and their existing drug plans, Provincial Ministers of Health now have additional tools to improve access to medications and create greater value for Canadians. Their focus should include more timely and predictable assessments, access and funding when a product's value has been demonstrated. They should also build greater accountability for appropriate use. They must continue to seek ways to increase efficiency, measure value and measure outcomes that result from better integration of medications with other components of the health system.

All levels of government must work with Canadians to ensure better access to pharmaceuticals across the country.

Finally, both levels of government need to work smarter and more cooperatively. Granted this will take time, but industry, physicians, pharmacists, employers and patients can't start doing the heavy lifting without direction from the federal and provincial health ministers.

Canadians must work together to address our fatal flaw.

Steve Long is a Senior Associate, Health and Life Sciences, at Global Public Affairs. A pharmacist and former Executive Director, Pharmaceutical Funding and Guidance at Alberta Health, Long principally focuses on health policy development, including pharmacy regulation, health technology assessment (HTA), and product reimbursement.

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It was one of the most memorable moments at the Tragically Hip's final concert in Kingston, Ontario last August. Gord Downie, after sharing an embrace with Justin Trudeau before the concert began, had this to say during the show.

"We're in good hands, folks, real good hands. He cares about the people way up North, that we were trained our entire lives to ignore, trained our entire lives to hear not a word of what's going on up there.

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"And what's going on up there ain't good. It's maybe worse than it's ever been ... (but) we're going to get it fixed and we got the guy to do it, to start, to help.''

Many thought it was an astounding endorsement from a legendary Canadian musician who honestly believed Trudeau would turn the page on two centuries of injustices towards Canada's Indigenous peoples. But even if Downie sincerely believes in Trudeau, his praise has painted the prime minister into a corner where typical government foot-dragging simply won't do.

Not to be overly dramatic, but this was basically the wish of a dying man, a man who is traversing the Canadian north to raise money and awareness for First Nations communities. He's all in, and he may have inadvertently set up Trudeau to fail. Indeed, after one year in office, Indigenous leaders have given Trudeau a failing grade.

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Trudeau's biggest asset is his personal brand. The camera is kind to him, and he has the gift of establishing emotional connections with many Canadians who spent a decade listening to the lifeless words of Stephen Harper. The problem he faces, now that he has been on the job for over a year, is turning his flowery rhetoric into tangible policy initiatives.

If this initial year is a Trudeau policy barometer, the First Nations file is the first casualty of the disconnect between his rhetoric and the expected follow through behind it. Tragically, the gap between speeches and actions is just as vast as it has been for decades under previous Liberal and Conservative governments.

His inaction on the First Nations file directly contradicts the inspirational sound bites and calls into question his government's integrity.

That may seem harsh, but to activists on the ground it is the grade he earned. The list of shortcomings is a long one, and each broken or unfulfilled promise is chipping away at Trudeau's public persona of being a champion for Indigenous affairs.

For example, Trudeau campaigned on a promise to make "science-based" decision-making as part of a "renewed relationship" with Canada's Indigenous communities. The government said they would not allow energy companies to break ground unless detailed environmental assessments were conducted and supported by native populations impacted by development.

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But without warning, the Trudeau government approved BC Hydro's construction of the Site C Dam, putting Peace River communities at severe risk in the process. The project will flood 100 kilometers of the Peace River valley, decimating fertile agricultural land; causing irreparable harm to fish and wildlife populations, according to the Joint Review Panel.

Trudeau has yet to seriously address the construction of the dam, likely due to the obvious contradiction between his reputation as a real progressive and this decidedly unprogressive stance.

That issue is one of many that offset Downie's praising of Trudeau's commitment to First Nation communities.

The most egregious slight came when Trudeau's government refused to meet two compliance orders by the Human Rights Tribunal pertaining to the welfare of Indigenous children.

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Documents proved the Trudeau government had determined what it would spend on child welfare long before the tribunal ordered it to increase funding, ignoring its legal responsibility to abide the tribunal's decision and thus placing more First Nation children at risk. Once again, Trudeau has not specifically addressed the lack of governmental compliance, choosing to speak ambiguously by stating that "more needs to be done" to help Indigenous Canadians.

"The first costed-out promise Justin Trudeau made during the election was to Indigenous children. It was the first promise he broke," NDP MP and critic for Indigenous Affairs, Charlie Angus said recently. "He has broken faith too many times on the key promises of action on education and child welfare."

Following through on Indigenous issues is politically inconvenient, especially for a leader who relies on his charm to secure support, and hopes that charm will soften the blow when he doesn't deliver.

Trudeau apologists like to point out that only so much can be accomplished with just one year in power. But when documents prove that the government never had the intention to take a tribunal seriously, a tribunal dealing specifically with the dire issue of child welfare, the excuses begin to fall flat.

Everybody knows Trudeau is a brilliant campaigner, inspiring Canadians through a personal brand that emphasizes empathy and fairness, but his inaction on the First Nations file directly contradicts the inspirational sound bites and calls into question his government's integrity. In fact, it isn't a stretch to say that his handling of this file is as bad as the Harper government who backburnered these issues for a decade.

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Another broken promise came earlier this year when the government flip-flopped on implementing the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. During the 2015 campaign, Trudeau adamantly derided the Harper government for not adopting what the UN had put forth.

At the UN in May of this year, Indigenous Affairs Minister Carolyn Bennett announced that Canada was officially removing its objector status to the declaration. Her announcement was met with a rousing applause at the UN and high hopes for native Canadians at home.

But in July, Justice Minister Jody Wilson-Raybould contradicted her own government's position, calling the prospect of actually implementing it into law a "simplistic approach" that was "unworkable" and a "political distraction."

Those words and that embrace were between two men: one who sincerely feels the dire importance of repairing the lives of Indigenous people, and one who just pretends he does.

Perhaps a more fitting description would be that following through on Indigenous issues is politically inconvenient, especially for a leader who relies on his charm to secure support, and hopes that charm will soften the blow when he doesn't deliver. Even worse than not delivering is the added punch of having members of the Liberal party making racially charged statements when responding to real concerns over the safety of water on reserves. Trudeau's leadership is being questioned, and rightfully so.

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This is why Downie's embrace and endorsement of Trudeau's commitment to Indigenous affairs is so compelling, albeit for all the wrong reasons. Again, Downie's words serve almost as the last wishes of a man on death's door, making Trudeau's broken promises a slight not just to native Canadians but to a Canadian icon who is spending the last chapter of his life championing the cause he believes in.

Trudeau still has time to right these wrongs, and in doing so he can legitimize Downie's endorsement. But until he follows through, those words and that embrace were between two men: one who sincerely feels the dire importance of repairing the lives of Indigenous people, and one who just pretends he does.

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Chris Wattie / Reuters Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau arrives at a news conference in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, September 21, 2016. REUTERS/Chris Wattie

Last week when on CTV's True North Political Panel I was asked to give Trudeau a rating for his first year in office. I gave him a "C" not because I am so partisan, that I can't say anything positive about him, but because the jury is still out on promises kept or not kept etc.

When you make a lot of promises, you have a lot of voters and special interest groups waiting for you to deliver on them.

I saw one article that said he has only kept about 16 per cent of his promises to date. To be fair no government can deliver on everything in their first year. As the Trudeau Liberals are finding out, promises cost money and even free spending Liberals have to draw a line on what gets spent now and what gets pushed further down the road. Some of that is hidden under the guise of "consultation."

In his first few months in office all he had to do was show up for work and not trip going up the stairs and the media would give him rave reviews. We are finally seeing more reporters beginning to question the action and also the inaction of the government on various files. As we saw with the limousine scandal, ministers are under closer scrutiny and some of the shine has come off of the Liberal government.

When you make a lot of promises, you have a lot of voters and special interest groups waiting for you to deliver on them. They can become very impatient with a government very quickly. His recent waffling on electoral reform is but one example of a file that can blow up in his face. His lack of action on moving forward with files that are crucial for the First Nations and the lack of funding set aside to address their issues is another one.

You may recall that back on February 16th, I wrote about Trudeau's spending in his first 100 days in office. He spent a total of $5.3 billion of which $4.3 billion was spent outside of Canada. I predicted then that the needs of First Nations would be pushed aside. While the Liberals made a show at funding, a lot of it was pushed to after the next election.

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Recently a report was released by bureaucrats in Ottawa that it would cost $2 billion to bring 115 schools up to standard. Of course the money isn't there now to do so. It was spent to look good in Paris and elsewhere. This is one more file that has the potential to go sideways on Trudeau.

Until Trudeau starts to deliver on his promises he rates a "C."

We have the ongoing war in Syria and the war in Iraq and some of our troops are assisting the Kurds. It's a risky and dangerous mission, one that this "open and transparent" government has gone strangely silent on. This is another file that they can have little control over on a day to day basis.

New governments always find that files that the previous government rejected get dusted off by departments and they are presented again to the new government. Back in April of 2010 I was blogging about the rumours that Canada would be sending troops on an UN African mission. At that time the speculation was the Congo and that General Leslie who has since been elected to the House of Commons, was to be the mission commander. It didn't happen but here we are in 2016 and there is renewed talk of a UN African mission. This is one more file that can quickly become a mess for this government.

Decisions that are pushed off in the first year or two of a mandate inevitably come to a "yea" or "nay" point in your last two years. With all the promises made and all of the ones not kept to date that is a lot of voters who will be unhappy as the Liberals move into election mode. Until Trudeau starts to deliver on his promises he rates a "C."

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Oleksiy Maksymenko via Getty Images Toronto Pearson international airport departures

The federal government seems to be seriously considering the privatization of Canada's major airports. It has asked Credit Suisse AG, a top investment bank, to analyze several privatization options. This would be good news indeed for the Canadian air travel industry, and ultimately for Canadian travellers.

A form of privatization happened in the 1990s, when the federal government transferred the management of airports to private non-profits through long-term leases. However, the federal government retained ownership of the land, and these airport authorities must pay steep rents, as high as 12 per cent of gross revenues, on top of spending money to maintain and improve their airports. If fully privatized, airports would pay taxes on profits only, like any other company, thus spurring economic activity in the sector.

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Many airports around the world have been privatized over the past couple of decades.

Today's high costs are passed on to Canadians indirectly through higher landing fees, which increase the base fares they pay. When combined with the numerous taxes imposed by the federal government, Canada ranks 130th out of 138 countries with regard to ticket taxes and charges imposed on airports.

As my colleague Alexandre Moreau recently wrote, higher prices in Canada have the effect of reducing demand for flights on Canadian soil, since certain travellers cross the border to save money, while others simply choose not to travel. This explains why a Canadian Senate committee and the recent Emerson report argue that privatization is necessary in order to improve the competitiveness of the country's airports.

Airport privatizations are nothing new. Many airports around the world have been privatized over the past couple of decades. Indeed, a consortium including the Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan, the Alberta Investment Management Corp., and others purchased England's London City Airport this past February.

Replacing the current system of excessive rents based on a percentage of gross revenues with a tax on companies' profits would encourage airports to invest more and to reduce the fees charged to carriers and consumers. Any short-term decrease in government revenues after the initial windfall from airport sales would be counterbalanced by the long-term economic gains made possible by the increased competitiveness of Canadian airports. The government deserves credit for pursuing this path to freer air travel.

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zhongguo via Getty Images A girl's eye close ups

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Here are some traditional Indonesian dishes served for my dad's birthday. I was lucky enough to bring left overs for lunch. (Photo: Lian Bie Hong)

Looking back, I would have to say I had a pretty positive experience growing up in the suburbs. Like my parents, I was born in Indonesia. Shortly after my first birthday, my family moved to Canada and settled down in Ajax, Ontario. My family is of Chinese Indonesian descent. Which means that somewhere along the line my Chinese ancestors immigrated to Indonesia.

I remember we were the only Asian family on our street and that I could count the number of Asian students in my class on one hand. Sure, there were some incidents of racism, but my friends quickly taught me that my differences should be celebrated rather than shamed.

When I was ten years old, my babysitter offered to give my friend Jimmy a ride home. As I sat in the back beside my friend, he turned to me and said, "Michelle, can you close your eyes for a second? They're different! You don't have a crease in your eye. I've never noticed this before. They are so cool!"

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This was my first introduction to the concept of having double eyelids. I always knew my eyes were different, but I never realized until that moment that I had single eyelids. My friend framed my difference in such a positive light that I was never embarrassed of my eyes; I was proud of them.

Six years later, I went on a trip to Indonesia to visit my extended family and friends. I remember meeting up with one of my childhood friends at a restaurant. While we were catching up, she shared how she recently celebrated her sixteenth birthday. She told me that the only thing she wanted was double eyelid surgery, and she convinced her mom to let her have this procedure. She pointed to her new double eyelids and told me about how they happy they made her feel.

At the time, I was really confused because I remembered the conversation I had with Jimmy. Single eyelids were cool, why would anyone ever want to permanently change that? This was the first time I realized that in Asia having double eyelids was a desirable feature.

The idea of having double eyelids as a standard of beauty has come up multiple times in my life. In university, my friend asked if I wanted to try her plastic sticker inserts to create a double eyelid. I have never tried this, but I would imagine they would feel slightly uncomfortable.

"Not only were my colleagues interested in learning about my food; they were also interested in learning about my culture."

Several people have also asked me if I would ever get eyelid surgery. Nevertheless, whenever I get asked if I want to create a double eyelid, surgically or temporarily, I confidently say no. I guess growing up with someone who thinks single eyelids are cool has influenced my perception of beauty.

This wasn't my only positive experience. I would usually bring lunches to school that were different than my classmates. Partially, this has to do with my Chinese Indonesian heritage, and partially it has to do with my parents love for cooking Asian meals. I would bring in dishes like nasi goreng (Indonesian fried rice), galbi (Korean short ribs), and even sushi.

Instead of being teased, my friends envied the fact that my parents made me gourmet meals. They appreciated that my parents took time to prepare them for me. My friend, Mary, even asked if she could pay my mom to make her lunch. She was always curious to see what I had packed for the day. She and my other friends made me feel so comfortable that I was never afraid or ashamed to show others what I was eating. Sure, my meals were different, but more importantly, I knew they were delicious.

This is a photo of nasi goreng (Indonesian fried rice) with krupuk (shrimp crackers), acar (pickled vegetables), and sate (satays). (Photo: Cindy Arman)

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Even when I moved away to start a new job, where there were not many Asian people working in the building, my new colleagues welcomed my differences with open arms. Just like my friends in Ajax, my colleagues were interested to see what I would bring in for food. They even encouraged me to bring in traditional dishes to share, and they wanted to learn more about how they were prepared.

Not only were my colleagues interested in learning about my food; they were also interested in learning about my culture. I remember how fascinated they were when I told them about Chinese New Year and the tradition of receiving red pockets filled with money. To this day, they are happy for me every time this holiday rolls around.

One of my favourite things to do is travel, and whenever I have a chance, I try to visit Asia to reconnect with my roots. It amazes me every single time how different North America is from Asia. Not only are beauty standards and food different, but also customs and norms.

Every journey makes me even more appreciative of my opportunity to grow up in a nation where I can experience different cultures and foods, and be surrounded by friends who thought my eyelids and meals were cool.

Overall, I have to say, I'm pretty thankful to have a group of friends who celebrated my differences positively. Without their kindness and openness, I know I would be probably be sharing a much different narrative.

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GBlakeley via Getty Images Queen's Park is an urban park in Downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Opened in 1860 by Edward, Prince of Wales, it was named in honour of Queen Victoria. The park is the site of the Ontario Legislative Building, which houses the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, and the phrase 'Queen's Parka is regularly used as a metonym for the Government of Ontario.

Ontario's Liberal government's deeply ingrained struggles with honesty and transparency continue to taint their governing legacy.

That struggle is most pronounced in the Liberal's ongoing war with Ontario's Independent Officers of the Legislature, who are tasked with holding government and provincial agencies accountable.

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That's right. The Liberal party is repeatedly undermining the non-partisan watchdogs charged with keeping things honest and transparent at Queen's Park.

In May 2015, these independent officers issued an unprecedented release protesting the government's proposals as set out in Bill 91, expressing concern that the bill would reduce their oversight powers.

Since then, the Liberal's assault of these independent watchdog's official oversight powers continues unabated.

Unprecedented release of provincial financial statements without an audit

Recently, the government tabled Public Accounts Statements -- the province's annual financial statements -- without a public audit. In response to this unprecedented action, Auditor General Bonnie Lysyk expressed her disappointment with the Liberal government: "This is the first time in the history of Ontario that the statements have been released without the audit opinion."

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The Liberals are also battling the Auditor General over changes to the rules for government advertising.

Although the statements have now been released with a qualified audit opinion, the Liberals questioned the credibility and honesty of the Auditor General.

Treasury Board President Liz Sandals claims the government did not have time to incorporate proposed accounting changes from the Auditor General because they arrived two weeks prior to the release of the statements, even though the Auditor General said she notified the government of the changes in June.

Sandals is either misleading the public or blatantly ignoring the Auditor General or both.

Changing advertising rules to make taxpayers pay for pro-Liberal ads

The Liberals are also battling the Auditor General over changes to the rules for government advertising. Taking a page out of former prime minister Harper's playbook, the Liberals changed government advertising rules last year to allow the government to use taxpayer money to fund ads that promote Liberal government policy.

The Auditor General has called out the Liberals for their partisan ads, but she no longer has the power to act in the public interest by preventing these ads from airing. Instead, the Liberal rule changes force the Auditor General to rubber-stamp ads that she would have otherwise pulled for providing partisan benefits for the Liberals.

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The government claims they changed the rules because some ads were rejected for reasons they saw as unnecessary. According to the Auditor General, however, fewer than one per cent of the over 7,200 ads approved in the last ten years were rejected for being too partisan.

The Auditor General is rightfully worried that the ad rule changes could give the Liberals an unfair advantage in the next election.

Stonewalling Ontario's financial accountability officer

The government's attack on legislative officers also extends to Stephen LeClair, Ontario's Financial Accountability Officer. Mr. LeClair has accused the Liberals of withholding key information he needs to do his job as Ontario's budget watchdog.

In his first annual report, Mr. LeClair says he made six information requests to government ministries and agencies and received only four partial answers to those requests.

Preventing Ontario's Financial Accountability Officer from doing his job is a slap in the face of taxpayers. Without an independent look at the numbers, citizens have no idea whether the billions the government plans to spend on infrastructure is being done responsibly in the public interest or in a way that promotes the Liberal's political self-interest.

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How can the people of Ontario, let alone MPPs, make informed decisions when their own government denies the Financial Accountability Officer the information he needs to analyze the government's data?

This pattern of secrecy lays bare any claims to transparency the Liberal government makes.

In response to Mr. LeClair's complaints and public criticism over Liberal stonewalling, cabinet has finally stepped in and ordered government ministries to give Mr. LeClair the information he needs to perform his duties.

This government's Harper-style attacks must stop

The Liberal's ongoing refusal to cooperate with legislative officers raises serious questions about the integrity of government decisions and has major implications for how the government spends your money.

The Liberal's Harper-style attacks on independent officers of the Legislature also raise questions about what the government is so desperate to hide. This pattern of secrecy lays bare any claims to transparency the Liberal government makes.

The government needs to end its ongoing war with Ontario's legislative watchdogs. The people of Ontario deserve independent accounting and analysis of government decisions and plans in order to keep the government honest. How else can we be sure the decisions and choices moving forward are informed ones?

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Peter Dazeley via Getty Images Cost of medical insurance

Canada's health ministers have once again met with the federal minister of health to seek more money. Meantime, nurses and doctors are campaigning for more cash for the system.

Cries of cutbacks and the serious consequences on patient care are ringing through hospital corridors throughout the provinces. Wait times are a key measure. Are they getting longer or not? Opposition political parties join the chorus of doomsayers. The common mantra is that there is simply not enough money.

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Technology has been a staple in businesses, governments and other organizations for many years. Why are hospitals so far behind?

But wait! If this is true, why is our health-care system not focusing more on being efficient and freeing up time away from administrative drudgery and finding ways to reduce redundancies? You know, there is a reason most good organizations focus on boring administrative stuff.

Having spent more time than I would like in the health-care system this year, let me make a few observations on the services that I personally received and the care offered to a close family member. First of all, the care overall was excellent and at no time did I feel that our health was at risk because of wait times or other weaknesses in the system. The staff was almost all very compassionate and seemed to know what they were doing.

On the other hand, it is not hard to find efficiencies, even for a rank amateur like me. Efficiencies that would free up medical staff time so they can better focus on patients.

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I have a radical idea. Let's move away from pre-computer age practices. Technology has been a staple in businesses, governments and other organizations for many years. Why are hospitals so far behind?

Not only would the better use of the new fangled Internet and office software and procedures save time, it could improve quality of care. What other sector still uses pre-computer administrative practices?

Think that I'm exaggerating? I will not name the institutions as my intent is not to embarrass -- and besides I am convinced that the situation is not unique to any one establishment. My recent visits included four hospitals. Here are some examples:

No transfer of patient records from one institution to the other. This requires patients to keep their own health records or rely on memory. A difficult thing to do when under stress. As a result, patients are asked the same questions over and over again, including names of medications and exact dose amounts. Who asks the questions over and over again? Doctors and nurses, of course. What a waste of time, never mind the risk of error. Whatever happened to electronic health records? In some cases there were computers were in the examining rooms, but they weren't even turned on.

Medical appointments made by snail mail. Sitting in one waiting room, time and again I heard staff calling patients by phone to tell them that their appointment time will be mailed to them. Really? What could possibly go wrong?

In one case, I was asked to go back to the referring hospital to pick up a compact disk (CD) with my test results and deliver it to the receiving hospital. I can't recall the last time I "burned" a CD for anything. At least it wasn't a floppy disk. What is that Internet thing I keep hearing about?

When picking up my CD, I was asked for my hospital card. You know, those plastic cards that most (but not all) institutions demand. Of course, I did not have it. The clerk told me I would have to go to admissions and get a card. Not being in the mood, I pushed back. She relented and said not to worry, all the information needed was on my provincial health card. The hospital card is not really necessary. Not necessary? How much plastic are we burning?

And finally, I was whining about the hospital card issue to a doctor that I know. He trumped me by saying that he wonders why he is still required to carry a pager (remember those?) when he and all his colleagues have smart phones. I have since asked this question to a few other doctors. None understood why they still had pagers. Not even low-grade drug dealers use pagers anymore.

There is nothing sexy about administrative software and updated administrative practices. But in most organizations, they are what is running the place in the most efficient way possible. The biggest gain is the freeing of time for professionals to do what they are paid to do instead of blowing time or wasting money on outdated or redundant practices.

And in case you are wondering, my family member and I are doing great. Thanks health-care system!

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Every year, since 1993, Canada celebrates National Child Day on November 20. This day is to commemorate the adoption in 1989 of the UN Convention on the Right of the Child and in 1959 the UN Declaration of the Rights of the Child.

Canada has signed and ratified the CRC. Article 19 of the Convention states that signatories shall take all appropriate legislative measures to protect children from all forms of physical and mental violence.

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To date, 50 countries have banned physical punishment of children in all settings, including the home. Canada is not among them (and neither, incidentally, is the United States).

So, Canada has not honoured its commitment to adhere to the Convention even though the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child has repeatedly urged Canada to do so.

What is Section 43 of the Criminal Code?

Section 43, codified in 1892, is the law that allows parents, teachers and those standing in place of parents to use force to "correct" children as long as the force does not exceed what is "reasonable" under the circumstances.

Attempt to Repeal Section 43

In 2004 a constitutional challenge was mounted against this law in the Supreme Court of Canada. In a 6 to 3 decision, the majority did not strike down the law but set out a series of new limitations not found - then or now - in section 43.

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Among other things the Court restricted its use to children between the ages of 2 and 12, and stated it must be "transitory and trifling" must not involve objects such as rulers and belts, and may not be applied to the head.

But The Law Remains

The law that effectively says to children, "You are not worthy of the protection against assault that is granted to adults," remains on the books.

No child deserves to be hit. There are things that children do that anger parents, or that put the child or others at risk, or are socially unacceptable, but there is never a reason to hit another human being to discipline or teach.

What does this mean, in plain language? It means parents should not be allowed to hit or spank their children. A recent meta-analysis of over 50 years of research has shown that it doesn't make children more compliant, and that even worse, it leads to negative and detrimental outcomes later, in adulthood.

Most Canadians have not heard of Section 43

Most Canadians have never heard of section 43 of the Criminal Code, nor are they aware that the Supreme Court has restricted the use of corporal punishment, nor do they know that Canada has not honoured its commitment to adhere to article 19 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.

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Who Wants Repeal?

Over five hundred and fifty national, provincial/territorial, and community organizations have endorsed the Joint Statement on Physical Punishment of Children and Youth, published in 2004 by the Coalition on the Physical Punishment of Children and Youth.

Discipline does not mean Physical Punishment

What all of these organizations, know--what decades of data tells them--is that discipline shouldn't mean physical punishment and that physical punishment is ineffective as discipline. They know that there are positive methods of childrearing that are effective and humane and that there is overwhelming evidence that physical punishment is harmful.

Resolution by The Canadian Bar Association

In August of 2013, the Canadian Bar Association's governing Council passed a resolution asking government "to follow the road map" provided by the recommendations of the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child (the UN Committee), as set out in its Concluding Observations to Canada.

In March 2014, the President of the Canadian Bar Association wrote to the then Prime Minister and other Ministers responsible for the law and the well being of children and referred to the serious criticisms levelled at Canada in the UN Committee's Concluding Observations, including the UN Committee's concern that section 43 "continues to condone corporal punishment of children."

Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada

In 2015 The Truth and Reconciliation Committee, established to deal with the legacy of the native residential school system in Canada, made 94 calls to action. Number 6 was to repeal section 43 of the Criminal Code of Canada. The Commission recognized the harm done to aboriginal children in residential schools due to physical punishment among other abuses.

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New Government's Pledge Needs Action Now

The federal Liberal government, elected in 2015, has pledged to implement all 94 Calls to Action of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. It should do so, including the immediate repeal of Section 43 of the Criminal Code.

Furthermore, it must implement the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child that includes repealing section 43.

Let's join the 50 other nations of the world that have committed to honour their children and protect them from all forms of violence.

Let's make it illegal to hit children. Let's make every day National Child Day.

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The five things you need to know on Monday, October 24

1) BREXODUS, MOVEMENT OF THEIR PEOPLE

The attempt to clear The Jungle camp in Calais has started this morning. But as Theresa May prepares to deliver a Commons statement on her first ever EU summit, its the Brexodus of talent and businesses that is worrying some MPs more.

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While City workers are variously caricatured as OK yah fat cats at best or Euro playboys at worst (citizens of the world is how May derided them, dont forget), there are deepening worries in Whitehall and Westminster at just how big a hit the UKs financial services industry will suffer after Brexit. Some 70,000 jobs could go, according to TheCityUK, and that includes middle-income earners who are far from the pinstriped stereotype.

The British Bankers Associations Anthony Browne (who used to work for Boris, dont forget) warned this weekend that hands are quivering over the relocate button..many smaller banks plan to start relocations before Christmas; bigger banks are expected to start in the first quarter of next year. On Radio 4s The Week In Westminster, former City Minister Paul Myners said hed been told similar things, and that US and Japanese banks will look elsewhere.

Some Tories point to the latest idea of the UK slashing corporation tax. But on The Westminster Hour, Nicola Horlick pointed out that wouldnt prove a sufficient incentive to stay: If we dont have passporting and they [the banks] want to do business in Europe, which they do, they wont have any choice. The reason the Swiss banks are located here and have their headquarters here is because they need to be in the EU in order to do business across Europe.

The FT says business is warning of major disruption at the UKs borders because our IT system wont cope with ending the EU customs union. But Think tank Citivas warns that imposing tariffs on British trade would cost firms in the EU 8bn more than British companies will have to pay.

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When May gets up in the Commons today, she will know that her hopes of a smooth Brexit are under threat from backbenchers divided over whether the Great Repeal Bill goes too far or not far enough. The Times reports Grant Shapps wants to insert a five-year sunset clause to ensure all EU regulations are wiped within that period.

Business is desperately hoping that Philip Hammond can persuade May to face reality on the single market. Meanwhile, he has told colleagues he wants to move away from gimmicks and micromanagement, and is looking at the possibility that the Autumn Statement would (after this years rather important Brexit scene-setter) return to its original function of fiscal forecasting.

2) THE SPY WHO BUGGED ME

The PM will tell Nicola Sturgeon, Carwyn Jones and Arlene Foster today that they will have a hotline to David Davis in coming Brexit negotiations.

But DD has other phone-related worries, having been warned he should expect all other 27 EU member states to try to intercept his calls and overhear his private conversations. The warning came from his Brexit Dept permanent secretary Oliver Robbins (an ex Deputy National Security Adviser dont forget). Robbins told DD he was now a painted man, the Sun reveals. Davis has long suspected our own spooks are bugging him, so Id say Good luck to their European equivalents. The real problem, of course, is that there seems to be no Brexit detail to bugyet.

As for political spies, Nick Boles is still seen by Boris supporters as the man who had a key role in helping Michael Gove slip the stiletto between his shoulder blades. Tim Shipmans superb account yesterday revealed that Boles actually took Boriss phone off him during a key late-night period on the eve of his leadership launch, when he was meant to be reassuring Andrea Leadsom to come on board.

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Shippers also reveals the text David Cameron sent to Boris once Gove had knifed him: You should have stuck with me, mate. One Cabinet minister said that that on the day Boriss dreams went down in flame, Cameron was the happiest I have seen him in a long time. Gove was also warned by shrewd aide Paul Stephenson not to run for leader, as it would be seen as an act of betrayal hed never live down. This will be Ed Miliband, times 100. Never a truer word..

Meanwhile, on the matter of real spooks, the US detects the hand of Putin in the latest Wikileaks dump of Clinton emails. Funnily enough, RT-America tweeted the release of the data dump 30 minutes before Wikileaks itself did

3) GREAT BRITISH TAKE-OFF

Tomorrow is decision-day for the Cabinet sub-committee on Heathrows third runway, sorry, aviation capacity. Theresa Mays strange move at Cabinet last week to give Boris some freedom to speak out against the decision was the clearest signal that Gatwicks rival plans were doomed. Chris Grayling tried to suggest on Marr that Gatwick was still an open option, but he sounded very much like a man trying to avoid a legal challenge.

Today, the Telegraph splashes its front page with a piece by independent airports commissioner Sir Howard Davies declaring the case for expanding Heathrow is now "overwhelming" and has "strengthened in recent months" post-Brexit. He also has a pop at David Cameron, blaming him for the dither and delay and calling the ex-PM an immovable object.

Davies demolishes the Gatwick case rather magisterially, pointing out about 70% of its tourist passengers are Brits going to the sun. Sadly, relatively few residents of Marbella and Corfu come here for their summer break. At Heathrow the tourist traffic is largely inbound and with our huge balance of payments deficit we need more high-spending American and Asian tourists to balance the books. Intriguingly, Davies also says that the UKs second airport of choice should be Birmingham, not Gatwick. That would fit with the PMs Midlands Engine inheritance.

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BECAUSE YOUVE READ THIS FAR

Watch the funniest telly moment of the year so far, as Ed Balls gets his lift in a twist. The public didnt mind and hes still in Strictly.

4) SO NIA, YET SO FAR

When Jeremy Corbyn appointed Nia Griffith as his Shadow Defence Secretary, the instant assumption from some would be that she got the job because her unilateralist sympathies were close to the Labour leaders - and could be a more malleable replacement for the doughty Clive Lewis. But on Sunday Politics, she proved pretty doughty herself, calling for a more robust form of unilateralism - fresh British economic sanctions on Russia after its conduct in Syria.

And on Trident, Griffith sparked fury from CNDs Kate Hudson for stating categorically that renewal would be in the Labour manifesto for the next election. Were not changing the commitment to TridentThats a firm commitment and we honour that commitment to our coalition allies and to our industrial partners. That was a vote that was taken democratically and repeatedly has been reaffirmed by Labour conference and we are a democratic party She added, pointedly: Jeremy is very much in favour of democracy in our party.

The uneasy truce within Labour continues on other matters. Asked if Corbyn could be a good prime minister, Hilary Benn gave Andrew Marr an elliptical answer: "I hope we are going to win the next election. The Telegraph has a story suggesting that discussions about Shami Chakrabarti getting a peerage started in April. I'm told her name entered the frame in late May or early June. Will the Home Affairs Committee want to quiz her in more detail? Will they consider getting evidence too from Katy Clark, and others in Corbyn's office?

5) SMOKED KIPPERS

Its been a few weeks but UKIP are back doing what they do best, having a bitter leadership contest. MEPs Paul Nuttall and Suzanne Evans finally declared yesterday, joining Raheem Kassam in the race. Immediately Nigel Farage piled into Evans for saying Kassam was of the far right and part of the partys toxic image.

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Kassam appears to have the not inconsiderable backing of leading Kipper donor Arron Banks. The ex-Farage staffer also shares his bosss view that Donald Trump should be president. Farage told Peston on Sunday it was strange that so many women had only now come forward to allege sexual assault by the billionaire. Labours Jess Phillips, on the same prog, was furious. (She also had the line of the day: "Trump is about as much an outsider as I am a size 10).

Nuttall looks favourite to win as the unity candidate. But athough he doesnt share Farages backing for Trump, he does share his views on Russia, having previously said the EU should recognise Moscows claim on the Crimea and told the EU Parliament that sanctions and militarism will not work against Putin. Nuttall recently appeared on Russia Today wearing a psychometric headset. Im not making this up.

On the Kremlin-funded show, he also had a post-Woolfe/Hookem line about some of the party's supporters not minding if disputes were settled with fists, before swiftly insisting he disagreed personally. Nuttall also revealed Hookem's nickname among fellow MEPs was 'Alf'. Why? Just say it out loud 'Alf Hookem'..

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ASSOCIATED PRESS

Much attention has been placed on the vulnerable and unaccompanied minors who are facing imminent eviction from the camp. This is true on the part of both the government and general public.

Not all of this attention has been compassionate and in recent days unhelpful media speculation has been distracting from the key issue: there are vulnerable and unaccompanied children in the camp who should not be there.

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These young refugees, many of whom have a legal right to claim asylum in the UK, have experienced unthinkable horrors at home and in their journeys to Europe. Many have endured extreme violence or seen their loved ones killed. We have heard countless stories like this through our work over the last year, some of which can be read here.

It is vital that these vulnerable camp residents are kept safe ahead of, during, and after the demolitions. We know that in February when part of the camp was destroyed, at least 129 young children went missing. This is unacceptable.

Care4Calais remain concerned for the safety and well being of all camp residents, including but not limited to unaccompanied minors.

Key concerns

The speed at which the demolitions are taking place is a cause for deep concern. We do not believe the necessary steps to safeguard children and provide the resources required for the nearly 10,000 residents to be safely removed from the camp have been taken.

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Every day we are seeing further serious issues arise, not limited to the fact that so far not even half of the unaccompanied minors with a right to claim asylum in the UK have been transferred and now face the dangers posed by demolition. Other key issues which must be addressed are:

For the last year Care4Calais and a small number of other charities have been the only groups providing vital aid to refugees, including clothing, food and basic necessities. The French Government has so far failed to provide even these basics, raising concerns as to how refugees will access vital supplies once they are dispersed across France and we are less able to provide support

Following the February evictions there were reports of serious failings at the Welcome Centres which refugees are being directed to. In addition to lack of basic resources, there is also severely limited access to interpreters, lawyers and vital information on the asylum process. Refugees have a limited amount of time once there to decide whether to claim asylum, and without these necessary services, they face unfair and unsafe deportation

In the towns at which Welcome Centres have been set up, there have been violent protests from local residents. It is an extremely hostile and dangerous environment for the small groups of refugees to enter and we have seen no evidence that they will have the support or protection they need on arrival

It is likely that many refugees will travel to the smaller unofficial camps in the Northern coast of France. They will likely face harsh consequences from the French police for doing so. If refugees do manage to settle in these camps, there is a significant lack of infrastructure and the majority have no running water, electricity or toilet facilities

Long-term implications

Demolitions do not constitute a long-term and sustainable solution to the crisis and they are not a deterrent to refugees who, by definition, have no choice but to flee their homes. Half of the camp was demolished last year and it has since doubled in size.

The refugees in Calais who are seeking asylum in the UK have strong reasons for wanting to travel here, it is estimated that almost a third of camp residents have family members in the UK and others have fought with the British Army in Afghanistan.

Demolitions have hugely harmful consequences, not only being a traumatic experience for the vulnerable refugees experiencing them, they destruct vital infrastructure, encourage illegal and unsafe routes into the UK and encourage the creation of smaller more unsafe camps.

The refugee crisis in perspective

More than a million refugees have crossed into Europe in the last year; Britain has received 38,878 asylum applications while countries such as Germany have received over 400,000. There are approximately 10,000 refugees in Calais, not all of whom are seeking asylum in Britain.

The UK has committed to do more and must take action now before this humanitarian crisis worsens. The government has a vital part to play in delivering a sustainable and long-term solution to this crisis and ultimately ensuring vulnerable people are protected.

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In the past few weeks the direction of Brexit has become a little clearer. The Prime Minister has begun setting out her agenda and there is much to be admired. There's talk of Britain becoming the world's greatest free-trader, outward-looking, a sovereign nation once again. This is all good stuff. Yet despite this positive groundwork, we remain in serious danger of missing out on the critical role that businesses must play if we are to make Brexit a slam-dunk success. And that worries me. A lot.

Back in early 2013 I was sat around the Cabinet table. The economy was struggling to break free from the aftermath of the Great Recession. The previous quarter had shown negative growth. And, if the latest figure - due out that week - showed negative growth, then we were back in recession. The talk was of a triple-dip. Things were looking grim.

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George Osborne addressed the Cabinet. "Colleagues, we've cut corporation tax, reduced business overheads, moved up the league table of the best place to do business in the world and slashed red-tape. If there is anyone around this table who can think of what else we should be doing to get this economy moving, then please speak up?". No one spoke. The mood was particularly glum.

In fact, we need not have been quite so worried. Later that week the GDP figure turned out to be positive. Then a further revision of the stats revealed that we had never, in fact, even entered a double-dip recession, let alone triple. And growth has never stopped since.

Whereas in France, the newly elected President was spending his first years deliberately punishing business with punitive tax rates, here in the UK we had thrown up a big sign saying 'we're open for business'. Nevertheless, it still took around three years to see the fruits of that pro-business environment. But once that turnaround had begun, the new jobs have simply never stopped coming. As a result, we have become the jobs capital of Europe.

And then there was Brexit.

Let me be clear. Although I didn't vote for Brexit, I have long felt extremely sceptical about Europe's overbearing influence on all that this country does. So I am more than happy for us to Brexit and, as far as I'm concerned, it can be as hard as you like. But it has to be a Brexit in which the ability to still do business, generate jobs and create wealth is placed front and centre. At the moment, I'm finding the signs are mixed to say the least.

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For example, think of the time it has taken just to get to a (non)decision on vital airport expansion. The good news is that we are about to get a long-overdue announcement. The bad news is that MPs are not going to be asked to vote on building this most critical infrastructure for another year and a half. As aircraft circle in holding patterns over London - full of frustrated business people - this is quite the wrong message to be sending the world. Not to mention the additional noise and pollution experienced on the ground. There can be no justification for this delay. With the SNP already having pledged their support for Heathrow, uncertainty should be removed. A vote could take place by the end of this year - rather than stalling until the winter of 2017/18.

But this isn't just about the practical bits of infrastructure that I campaign for as Chair of the British Infrastructure Group of MPs (BIG), it is also about our tone and approach to business and enterprise.

I believe that it is completely unforgivable that there are big businesses out there not paying taxes in this country. The sight of large American corporations fiddling their accounts to divert profits rightly angers the British public. That is why the new Diverted Profits legislation is spot on. The deal is simple enough. Britain is a low tax, business friendly place to invest. But you must - and will now have to - pay your corporate taxes due here.

However, there is a fine line between talking tough about business responsibility and sending an inadvertent signal that you would really rather they weren't here at all - President Hollande style.

Yes, we should have workers on corporate boards, but we also need to remind business why Britain is still one of the most flexible places on earth to build a business and create jobs. Yes, we should nurture home grown talent, but floating ideas about forcing companies to list foreign workers in their Annual Reports really isn't on.

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If there is one thing that all businesses crave it is certainty. Yet, Brexit unavoidably generates uncertainty. And whilst Theresa May rightly says it's our job to make a success of leaving the EU, this will be far easier to achieve and much more prosperous to experience, if we send an unequivocal message that Britain remains fully open for business. That was hard enough to achieve as we fought our way out of recession. It will be tougher still as we negotiate our way out of Europe. The Prime Minister should start by instructing her ministers to switch tone and emphasise our unremittingly business-friendly attitude to their creating the jobs and wealth that our country needs.
Immediately after Brexit (the historical vote by the people for a British Exit from EU, on June 2 of 2016) the pound fell to its lowest level in over 30 years! In a statement by Ilaria Maselli (Senior Economist for Europe), the economic outcome of the exit on British businesses and the market, in general, was predicted to weaken steadily and will have continued negative implications for economies around the world.

Upon the Brexit vote, David Cameron resigned as Prime Minister, with Teresa May taking on the role. Mr. Cameron stated, upon his resignation, "I do not think it would be right for me to try to be the captain that steers our country to its next destination". Mrs. May said she would trigger Article 50 by the end of March 2017. Article 50 is the step that will start the timer that allows two years of Brexit talks, which means that Britain will be scheduled to leave the EU by March 2019.

It has only been a bit over four months since the unprecedented Brexit vote, but the economy is actually performing much better than many economists predicted. The unemployment rate and retail sales are staying resilient, but many still fear that the worse is yet to come, according to an article on Yahoo News. In the same article, analysts suggested that Mrs. May is more than likely considering a "hard" Brexit, which would mean that Britain would sever all of its ties with EU, disengage from the single market and strongly curtailing EU immigration.

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Britain's new chancellor of the Exchequer, Philip Hammond, reassured business owners, that he would protect the economy during the negotiations, but it seems his reassurance may have done little (at this point) to quell the unrest felt by many business owners.

"We're working together across that referendum divide in the party to deliver the best possible deal for Britain.", Hammond stated, "I think confidence will gradually begin to return and people will start to see the shape of the future that we're mapping out."

"Of course we've got to reduce the deficit further but looking at how and when and at what pace we do that, and how we measure our progress in doing that is something that we now need to consider in the light of the new circumstances that the economy is facing," he told BBC radio.

In a paper discussing the impact of Brexit on the British Economy, Woodford Investment Management postulates that the overall effect of the Brexit on Britain's exports would be negligible due to Europe's manufacturing decline and its diminishing importance in the global economy. The paper also brings out the fact that, although 63% of Britain's exportation are directly linked to the EU membership, there is a high probability that trade agreements will be reached after Brexit that are favourable as there are advantages to both sides in keeping a close arrangement.

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While Britain used to benefit from its EU membership greatly, those benefits are less than they were 20 years ago, and by withdrawing from the EU, Britain would have the ability to broker its trade deals with countries that are not a part of the EU. Those non-EU countries would find that negotiations with Britain would be much quicker and easier than having to go through the rigmaroles required by the European Union's bureaucracy.

While many have warned that the Brexit would be disastrous for Britain's economy and would be of a significant negative impact on businesses, it's more likely that the impact of Brexit on business would be relatively negligible. As a matter of fact, it may actually have more of a positive impact, than a negative one in the long run.

In a recent article on 22 WWLP, The CEO of Brompton Bike, William Butler-Adams stated that "Brexit before the vote I think was sort of over exaggerated: too scared, too extreme. The impact on our business is not seismic as they read in the papers. After the net effect in reality for us is pretty positive because our bike has become more competitive."

Adams went on to say, "I'm exporting to South Korea, to Chile, to Argentina, to Mexico to Colombia, they're not in Brexit how on earth am I managing to do that? Our largest export market is South Korea, so if we can sell to countries outside of the Eurozone today, we can do it tomorrow inside Europe."
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In the early hours of today - men, women, children and families packed up what little belongings they had in donated rucksacks and began the long walk to a warehouse where they were asked to join a queue. Here, each person is divided by category - adult, family, minors and vulnerable people. This will be their label, the thing which will determine how quickly they are processed and ultimately where in the world they may end up.

Adults and families who reach the front of the queue will be offered two regions in France to chose from. This decision determines where they will travel to next. For us, here in the UK, this decision may seem a hugely important one - where you may end up, where you may call home, where you may try to build your roots. For many of the refugees in Calais though this will simply be yet another leg in a long and tedious and arduous journey. A journey which for some will have taken many years and seen them travel through innumerable countries, witnessing and suffering through things most of us could (thankfully) only imagine.

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From the warehouse they will be herded through to a tent, each large enough to hold 50 people. Once a tent is full, they will board a bus, heading to a destination which many will not have heard of. From here the future is uncertain. This morning the first buses left for Burgundy. Our friends at the Refugee Info Bus handed out maps as quickly as they could show refugees where in France each region sits. In uncertain times information is often the greatest comfort of all.

As the residents leave for refugee centres in destinations around France many with close family in the UK tell our volunteers that their dreams of being reunited with their loved ones are slipping away. Residents like the 27 year old Syrian mother I met many months ago whose husband had been murdered by Isis in front of her. She and her two small children were hoping to join her parents in the UK, the only family she had remaining.

For unaccompanied minors (of which, in the last Help Refugees census, there are over 1,000) it's a different story. Some with family in the UK have already started to be brought over here under the Dublin III regulation (something they were entitled under international law to do long, long ago). Here they face the psychological challenge of not only having to readjust to life in a new city (and somehow starting the long process of trying to heal from all the horrors many of them have experienced in their homelands, during their journeys, and even in Calais at the hands of the police and the extreme right wing groups) but also face being splashed over the front pages of our press, accused of being liars, and frauds and fakes. A welcome even those without psychological scars may struggle to understand.

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Others will have no family here and may be eligible to come to the UK under Dubs Amendment which passed back in May. It's taken six long months for the first children to be brought here under Alf Dubs amendment - far too long for these young people to have been left to languish in Calais. We may never know the full damage done to them during their time there. But the numbers are small - so far only 43 girls who arrived in London this weekend. Other girls who weren't chosen as part of the 43 fainted when their names weren't called out from a list. The registration of these young people being left so last minute has caused much distress and little dignity.

For the majority of the unaccompanied minors, who range in ages from eight to 17 years old, the future remains uncertain. We are told they will being herded from the camp to shipping containers where they must wait to hear what will happen to them next. But today, at the time of writing, not one of the under 13 year olds has been registered. We hope the chaos we are now witnessing in Calais camp does not result in more children going missing. As we know from the Help Refugees census 129 children went missing following the last part demolition of the camp back in February. Many of the children are already severely psychologically damaged, deemed at high risk of suicide. Others are simply confused, with very little information or guidance for them. For us too, the Help Refugees team, who have been working in Calais for the past 15 months, the information is incomplete.

Meanwhile in the Calais camp itself will be dismantled. Schools, churches, mosques, shops, cafes, and homes will all be destroyed - most of which were built and donated by volunteers and refugees themselves. For a population of people who have already been displaced at least once in their lives this grotty, dirty, muddy place will have been home. It may not have been much, and certainly we welcome any moves by the French to relocate them to more dignified and safer accommodation, but seeing their houses and their communities destroyed once again will not be easy.

Our Calais team have also been through hard times. Young volunteers with kind hearts who have already seen and heard too much now face having to try to deal with over 8,000 people being potentially traumatised by yet another displacement. This job should not fall to these young people. It should be carried out by a large NGO with experienced staff, trained and mentally prepared to deal with such a distressing task.

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In our last Help Refugees census we counted 8,124 people. Each one of them is a unique individual with a very different story and reason for being in Calais. Each with a different hope for what their futures may hold. As they continue on their travels today we hope each and every one of them soon find a place to call home.
In a bid to stem the tide of digital radicalisation by terrorist groups such as Islamic State, the European Parliament has approved plans for new legislation which will allow rapid and widespread removal of extremist content from the internet. Digital rights activists are up in arms over the decision, which they fear will lead to private organisations policing and censoring internet users with impunity.

The phrasing of this legislation, proposed by MEP Monika Hohlmeier and cribbed from an existing law relating to child pornography, is somewhat vague in its practical applications. According to the new text, EU member states "may take all necessary measures to remove or to block access to webpages publicly inciting to commit terrorist offences."

A couple of things don't quite sound right there. Firstly, there is no consensus on what exactly constitutes terrorist propaganda; it is an imprecisely defined term, the interpretation of which is highly subjective. Secondly, the authorisation of "all necessary measures" essentially gives carte blanche to flout user rights and monitor, flag and delete anything they're not sure about.

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This kind of conduct already has a damning precedent. Europol's Internet Referral Unit (IRU) has been subjected to criticisms by internet freedom commentators for going too far in censoring content. In May of this year, the Council of Europe accused the UK of infringing on civil liberties, and warned of the dangers of over-blocking. And now, the European Parliament's Committee on Civil Liberties (LIBE) has waved through a compromise text for a directive on combating terrorism, filled with unclear provisions which are open to abuse.

"Governments have an obligation to combat the promotion of terrorism, child abuse material, hate speech and other illegal content online," says Thorbjrn Jagland, Secretary General of the Council of Europe. "However, I am concerned that some states are not clearly defining what constitutes illegal content. Decisions are often delegated to authorities who are given a wide margin for interpreting content, potentially to the detriment of freedom of expression."

In the aftermath of the recent spate of jihadist attacks on the continent, European governments are rushing to erase propaganda wherever possible, and they are seeking the help of tech companies in doing so. This in turn has sparked serious concerns that the fight against online extremism is in danger of being privatised, and what should be the sole province of a judiciary is now the remit of social networks and internet providers.

Earlier this year, tech giants including Facebook and Twitter put their support behind the European Commission's new code of conduct, which demands that hate speech be removed from social platforms within 24 hours of posting. But as always, there has been a learning curve in trying to find the balance between effectively moderating discourse and creating an outright social police state.

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Jillian C. York of Quartz writes that Facebook and Twitter have built a "culture of snitching" into their platforms in much the same way that, throughout the 20th Century, governments persuaded citizens to spy and inform on their neighbours. But while this system is in place to enable quick and easy reporting of abuse, it also means petty grievances and vendettas can be escalated.

So if human beings can't be trusted to keep each other in line, should we turn to machines?

In June, the Counter Extremism Project (CEP) unveiled an algorithm with robust hashing capability, which enables it to identify extremist content even in audio and video files. And over on Facebook, artificially intelligent moderators actually report more offensive visual content than human users.

Encouraging developments, right? Sorry to be a downer, but these solutions suffer from the same drawback as human arbitration. Namely, algorithms and AI rely on humans first being able to define exactly what extremist content looks like, and provide a comprehensive database of sufficient examples.

Huge strides are being made in machine learning every day, and it is entirely possible that we will reach a point where AI is able to independently make that decision. But we're not there yet.

"Technical quick fixes are an illusion," writes journalist Nick Cohen in the foreword of Jihad Trending: A Comprehensive Analysis of Online Extremism and How to Counter It. "If the radical underground is not confronted, we know what may follow."

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Cohen is far from alone in his belief that simply blocking access does not address the root of the problem. "Deleting content won't make the hatred go away," says Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg. "We can't just treat the symptoms -- we have to treat the cause." Speaking at the G20 summit in January, Sandberg positioned counter-speech as "by far the best answer" to limiting the distribution and impact of extremist propaganda.

"The best thing to speak against recruitment by ISIS are the voices of people who were recruited by ISIS, understand what the true experience is, have escaped, and have come back to tell the truth," she says. Facebook's Online Civil Courage Initiative was founded to facilitate such counter-speech, and to encourage users to spread positivity and empathy in the wake of terrorist attacks.

"Terrorism is a topic that requires more time and not less," say advocacy group EDRi. "It requires more public debate and not less. It requires more safeguards to defend our fundamental freedoms from the threat of violence and not fewer."

The keenness of policy makers to scrub the web clean of all propaganda is well intentioned, especially amid reports that the perpetrators of recent atrocities were influenced or even "recruited" via the internet by terrorist organisations. Ensuring that as few people as possible are exposed to hateful, violent material is just one part of limiting the damage that extremist groups can inflict. But a blanket approach to censorship ignores the racial tensions, economic deprivation and other factors which feed radicalisation. And while we wait for the underlying causes to be addressed, we are left with the question: in the online war on terror, must we choose between our freedom of speech and our safety?
MIAMI, FL - FEBRUARY 19: Walmart employee Dayngel Fernandez works in the produce department stocking shelves at a Walmart store on February 19, 2015 in Miami, Florida. The Walmart company announced Thursday that it will raise the wages of its store employees to $10 per hour by next February, bringing pay hikes to an estimated 500,000 workers. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

If you walk into any of the 4,132 Walmarts in America that sell groceries, you will find only 11 percent of its produce was grown in the same state where it's sold. That's Walmart's definition of "local produce."

Six years ago this month Walmart announced a formal commitment to put more locally grown food in their U.S. stores. The retailer promised to double its local produce sales from 4 percent to 9 percent by 2015. The company claimed in 2012 to have topped that goal at 11 percent locally sourced produce sales. To flip that: 89 percent of the food Walmart sells is not local.

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In testimony before the U.S. Senate Agriculture Committee in 2012, Ron McCormick, Walmart's Senior Director of Local Sourcing, said: "Today, consumers all across the country---not just those who shop in our stores--have a growing interest in where their fruits and vegetables are grown. Our own consumer insights research shows that more than 40% of our customers tell us that buying local produce matters to them." McCormick quoted a Food Marketing Institute survey which found that consumers "like locally sourced produce because it offers more freshness, and they like supporting local economies."

But a 2013 report produced for 9 NPR stations found there was "little evidence of small farmers benefiting" from Walmart's local sourcing. One organic farmer in Missouri told NPR he didn't know anyone who has sold successfully to Walmart. "They tend to try to force people into lower prices than feasible," he said. According to NPR, of the eight farms highlighted on Walmart's locally grown website, five were very large farms, with annual sales in the millions of dollars.

The USDA's Economic Research Service reported in 2013 that the 20 largest food retailers -- led by Wal-Mart -- accounted for 64 percent of grocery store sales in America, up from 40 percent in 1993. "One contributing factor...has been the steady growth of Wal-Mart supercenters."

"The more dominant Wal-Mart becomes," author Stacy Mitchell wrote in 2011, "the fewer opportunities there will be for farmers markets, food co-ops, neighborhood grocery stores, and a host of other enterprises that are beginning to fashion a better food system -- one organized not to enrich corporate middlemen, but to the benefit of producers and eaters."

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Walmart's sense of "local" is one-dimensional. "It's not just geography; it's scale and ownership and how you treat your workers. Walmart is doing industrial local," explains Andy Fisher, former executive director of the Community Food Security Coalition.

But there is another definition of "local" in America, one that is not found in the cavernous superstores. If you walk into any of the estimated 330 food co-ops in America, you will see an emphasis on "locally grown" products. Almost half of these grassroots businesses are members of the National Co+op Grocers (NCG), a cooperative for retail food co-ops located in 38 states, with combined annual sales of nearly $2 billion, and over 1.3 million consumer-owners.

"Co-ops' current focus is on regional agriculture," says filmmaker Steve Alves, who has just released nationally a film entitled Food For Change, which was underwritten by 126 food co-ops in 36 states. "They are part of the loose alliance of what is called the 'local food movement.'"

Alves' provocative new documentary film looks at the resurgence of food co-operatives in America, and how these grassroots groups are creating a quiet revolution in food quality and distribution. "The goal is to take back our food chain from the corporate chains," Alves says. Food For Change is being screened in 43 locations in 22 states as part of October National Co-Op month.

"Corporations control what food reaches our table," Alves says. "But locally-controlled food cooperatives are filling their shelves with fresh, local produce, giving all of us a new vision for feeding our families. This is how we turn food into change."

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Alves describes his film as "one part food, two parts politics, and three parts economics." Food For Change traces the co-op movement's quest for whole and organic foods, and its goal of sustainable food systems. The film profiles several food co-ops that have revived the economics of entire communities---right in the shadow of corporate agribusiness and national supermarket chains.



Consumer-led food co-ops have played a key role in the debate over profit-driven capitalism vs. locally-controlled economic enterprises. Born in the heartland, cooperatives were seen as the middle path between Wall Street and Socialism. "Food Co-ops were a byproduct of the Great Depression," says historian David Thompson, who is featured in Food For Change. "The disparity in wealth between the haves and the don't haves was the spark that ignited co-ops. As co-ops grew, they restored hope to millions of Americans who began to gain some economic control over their lives."

"Today we're experiencing a renaissance of American food co-ops," adds Sean Doyle, General Manager of Seward Co-op in Minneapolis, who also is featured in the film. "These are not marginal enterprises--they are flush with capital, and making a difference on Main Street, U.S.A. People are once again taking more control over the economic forces in their lives."

Walmart told the Senate Agricultural Committee in 2012 that buying locally "allows us to strengthen ties with local communities...Sourcing from local farmers is one more way that we can live our commitment to our communities."

But at the grassroots level, the local food co-p is where the real commitment to community lives. This growing local movement represents our best chance to break the chains that restrict who grows our food, the quality of the produce that reaches our table, and the democratization of our food distribution system.

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View a trailer for Food For Change.
Anticipation, nervousness, uncertainty--we've all felt these emotions while awaiting the results of a test. But over the past few months, as state departments of education around the country have analyzed and released scores from their annual state tests aligned to Common Core State Standards, the reaction of many teachers and students has been feelings of pride and accomplishment.

Here's why: Of the states that have released test data for the 2015-16 school year, the majority saw a rise in proficiency among students in grades 3-8.

One exciting example of this progress is Delaware, where every single school district saw an increase in proficiency in nearly every grade level on the state's annual assessments. Overall proficiency rose by three percentage points in both reading and math in grades 3-8. African American and Hispanic students saw even greater gains in third-grade math and grades 3-5 in English.

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It is worth keeping in mind that these assessments are still relatively new, so we can't yet say for sure what's behind these positive results in Delaware and in other states. However, we do know that the states with the best news on the test score front are those that have committed to high standards--and to giving teachers the support and resources they need to help students reach those standards.

These resources and support have been crucial to the success of teachers like Mary Pinkston, a math educator at Brandywine High School and a former Delaware State Teacher of Year. Mary and her colleagues spent a lot of time together to work through different approaches to teaching math under the Common Core State Standards, and they've received constant support from their district math coordinator.

"There were several discussions, explanations, and activities," says Mary. "In my opinion, those math-specific discussions were the most beneficial to me."

She also took advantage of high-quality materials aligned to the standards, such as those offered by EngageNY, about which Mary says, "The Algebra I Core Content is presented in the curriculum in a way that encourages my colleagues and me to rethink how we teach and what we are teaching. Since we as teachers are inspired to be more creative, our students are benefiting in the classroom."

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In last month's post, I discussed the importance of goal-setting--highlighting schools and communities that are working toward shared goals to help students succeed. Teachers like Mary demonstrate why it is so important to have tools like assessments to measure and track how our students are performing against those goals.

If you have your car serviced as part of a regular "check-up" and the mechanic reports a problem with your vehicle, you (hopefully) don't ignore it - you discuss what needs fixing or replacing and address the issue. Teachers tell us they want similar tools; they want to know whether their new lessons and classroom engagement strategies are working.

The indicators we are seeing right now from Delaware and other states are positive. It's too early to know whether this uptick in proficiency rates will continue--there's still much progress to be made to close achievement gaps for students of color and low-income students--but it's encouraging to see these signs of positive progress.
As the international community prepares for the Paris Climate Agreement to take effect on November 4, there are many reasons to celebrate this historic moment. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon shared his reflections: "What once seemed unthinkable is now unstoppable. Strong international support for the Paris Agreement entering into force is a testament to the urgency for action..."

Ban Ki-moon followed this statement with words of caution that echo my own sentiments. Civil society fought hard in Paris, recognizing that this deal on its own is not enough. For those most vulnerable but least responsible for climate change, the Paris Agreement cannot, and will not, deliver transformational change on the scale and timeline needed. Leaving Paris, we knew we would need to continue pushing hard for faster change at home, holding governments accountable to their obligations to defend our right to a safe climate, as dictated by scientific facts--not political compromises.

And one month ago, I witnessed this firsthand at the oral arguments in Juliana v United States. It was a privilege to be in Eugene, Oregon for the hearing, and spend time strategizing with colleagues, catching up with former professors, and getting caught up in the festival-like atmosphere that the youth plaintiffs and their community of supporters bring to this case.

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Here is the quick and dirty summary of how we got here, legally speaking...

In August 2015, 21 youth (ages 9-20) from across the United States filed a landmark climate change lawsuit against the US government. They claim that the federal government is violating their constitutional rights to life, liberty, and property, and failing to protect essential public trust resources through its contributions to climate change.

In January 2016, three fossil fuel industry trade associations (AFPM, API and NAM) requested and were granted defendant status in the case, given that it presents a "substantial threat" to their businesses. In other words, the fossil fuel industry voluntarily entered into the case, and now could be headed to trial as defendants. In April 2016, Judge Thomas Coffin ruled in favor of the youth when he denied the government and fossil fuel industry's motions to dismiss the case. This ruling is now under review by Judge Ann Aiken, who heard oral arguments in September. The outcome of Judge Aiken's decision--to be released in mid-November--will determine whether the case proceeds to trial or appeal.

This case presents climate change as a threat to fundamental human rights and constitutional rights. This case is part of a larger movement--that tells the story of who and what is at risk, who is responsible, and the solutions needed.

These 21 youth are not alone. They are part of a broader movement of people and communities around the world who are using courts to hold governments and corporations accountable for their actions (and inactions) to prevent dangerous climate change. Recent cases brought in the Netherlands, Norway, Pakistan, Sweden, and the Philippines highlight the ways in which climate change threatens the rights of present and future generations, while earlier cases, such as the Inuit petition to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, paved the way for this generation to articulate climate change as a fundamental human rights issue.

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This point was not lost on Judge Aiken, whose first question during oral argument referenced language used in Brown v Board of Education (the landmark US civil rights case that made school segregation unconstitutional). Judge Aiken made clear that this youth climate case could be seen as analogous to those of the civil rights movement, in which the courts played a critical role in protecting those who were denied their civil and political rights.

Judge Aiken is now considering whether the youth have asserted a legitimate claim that can be heard by the court. But on the question as to whether the court is the appropriate forum, Aiken sent a strong signal: she was not impressed with the government's tired arguments that the courts should only be used to challenge or compel regulatory actions (play "whack-a-mole"), while the legislature should set national climate policy. To paraphrase, that ship has sailed and, in these moments, the court should absolutely step in and find ways to bring the necessary players to the table to solve the problem.

As we anxiously await Judge Aiken's decision, I can't help but think ahead to what is at stake in Juliana v US. The plaintiffs are essentially asking the court to determine whether the government should protect the rights of our children to a safe climate or the interests of the fossil fuel industry to earn exorbitant and dirty profits.
Part of the current anti-globalization backlash in advanced countries takes the form of opposition to trade agreements. Presidential candidates in the United States have come out against the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), with one of them promising to renegotiate the long-standing North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA); negotiations on the Trans-Atlantic Trade and Investment Agreement (TTIP) have been suspended, among other reasons to minimize the risk that resistance may impact elections in some European countries; and the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) is on edge on the decision of the regional parliament of small Wallonia, Brussels, to oppose an European Union-wide agreement with like-minded, friendly Canada.

Trade agreements are under attack because of a combination of traditional and new factors, from "trade 101" opposition of protected producers to new public fears of the regulatory race to the bottom. Addressing these concerns with the right policies and the right arguments is the way forward to ensure that deep agreements can receive public support and deliver on their promises of boosting trade and improving welfare. The experience of Costa Rica and the current debate in several advanced economies offer useful insights.

It was October 7, 2007. Costa Rica was to decide whether it would be part of the United States-Dominican Republic-Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA). In the first referendum in its history and with 60 percent of electoral turnout, the country voted for CAFTA - the "yes" camp won by three percentage points.

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CAFTA is a deep trade agreement, like others. It establishes a framework to govern trade and investment flows between the parties, while phasing out tariffs and disciplining other trade measures. It also includes chapters on labor and environment and a mechanism for settling disputes, including investor-State controversies. CAFTA's approval confronted opposition in all countries (including in the United States) but it was particularly debated in Costa Rica, the last country to ratify the accord after a tortuous process that lasted almost five years after the conclusion of the negotiations.

The reasons for the controversy may not have been evident at first glance. Costa Rica is considered a success story in that it has transformed itself from a commodity exporter to a diversified economy, integrated into global value chains. Life sciences, business and information process outsourcing and eco-tourism drive the country's exports, with the United States as its major trade and investment partner. CAFTA was a natural step to consolidate this relationship, strengthen its already solid network of trade agreements, continue to attract investment and most importantly, create more and better jobs.



Public sector unions strongly campaigned against CAFTA. They opposed Costa Rica's commitment in the agreement to open for competition the long-held public monopoly on telecommunications. But opposition stemmed from other sources as well -and understanding this was essential to counter the anti-trade narrative that risked not only CAFTA's approval but Costa Rica's growth model.

First, today's free trade agreements are complex and long documents, encompassing many topics (to govern international production networks). Once they move to the forefront of the public discussion, the agreements' content becomes a source of anxiety. Some of these concerns are legitimate and merit a good discussion. Other worries, however, stem from misconceptions lacking any rationale but fueled by social media (and, in some cases, by a transnational network of opponents); in Costa Rica, some of the most extravagant claims included that as a result of CAFTA, the universal healthcare system would go broke, public education would be privatized and sovereignty over water resources would be at stake. One by one, all of these myths had to be debunked with data and evidence.

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Second, Costa Ricans in earnest worried about the impact of the agreement. They knew CAFTA would promote growth and this was good, but wanted to make sure that more people could participate in the opportunities associated with enhanced trade and investment. Programs were demanded to strengthen skills -which included IT and English language proficiency- and to help small and medium-sized enterprises address binding constraints. There was also concern for those perceived to be in danger of being negatively impacted by the agreement, mostly small-scale farmers, who after a long transition period, would nevertheless end up facing competition from larger farmers, who sometimes benefited from domestic support from a richer treasury.



Third, some groups were concerned that CAFTA would erode their benefits. There were probably three of these groups: unions in the public telecom monopoly (but other public sector unions in solidarity), rice producers (five or six large producers who have benefited from a long history of protection at the expense of the poorest consumers) and to a lesser degree, firms who copied agrochemical and pharmaceutical products, irrespective of intellectual property rights. This was the core of the opposition to CAFTA. The rationale underlying the resistance needed to be explained to the public, which was not always easy to do -unions and rice producers have a strong capacity to mobilize in the streets. And this is always scary for politicians and citizens alike.

Fourth, part of the opposition to CAFTA had an ideological undertone. The referendum took place against the backdrop of populist leaders coming to power in some Latin American countries. In an era of high oil prices they were ready to contribute in kind, and otherwise, with their brothers in the region, in particular with the purpose of defeating the "empire from the North" in an otherwise friendly ally of the United States.

In this context, the campaign for CAFTA was not easy. It demanded a leader -President Oscar Arias- who was ready to invest all of his political capital in having CAFTA approved. But it was not enough. It required those in favor of CAFTA -entrepreneurs, workers, farmers, students and Costa Ricans from all walks of life- to come together under a common umbrella to defend CAFTA. And that is what happened. A civil society movement was formed and drove the pro-CAFTA campaign, which included putting out the intellectual rationale for the agreement, the massive communication effort, including in social media and the real support on the streets -with a pro-trade demonstration- and on the referendum day.

The process was very much like a roller coaster. Public opinion fluctuated day by day and at the end, it became pretty emotional. A few days before the referendum, the "no" camp was leading the polls. At the end, the "yes" won. The huge effort that leaders and ordinary Costa Ricans put into making it work delivered. There was also probably a bit of luck. Referenda can be risky processes and at the end, anything can happen.

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CAFTA came into effect in Costa Rica in 2009. After five years of entry into force, a study by the World Bank concluded that the country has derived significant positive benefits from the agreement, including increased exports and foreign direct investment. The telecommunications market has shown extraordinary growth in access and price reductions, and service supply is now abundant. Concerns about impact of CAFTA on different areas has not materialized. And Costa Ricans came back to their own lives. The country continues to face many challenges, for sure, but it is better off with CAFTA than without it. There is a realization that domestic policies must continue to play their part and deliver.

One very important point that the CAFTA referendum shows is that despite the well-documented positive impact of trade on growth, productivity and poverty reduction, there is the need to make a case for it. This requires a combination of being open in recognizing valid concerns and shortcomings, being proactive in implementing policies to bring many onboard and promote growth, and being ready to engage and tackle the irrationality that quite frequently surrounds the discussion. Otherwise, the "no" may prevail to the detriment of the majority that needs the most the opportunities associated with trade.

In the ongoing discussion on trade agreements in some advanced countries, three additional elements seem to be relevant. First, there is a vicious circle in many advanced economies of low growth, diminished expectations and trade pessimism. As one feeds into the other, it is difficult to find the consensus to re-ignite growth through open trade -though it does not follow how opposition to trade agreements could help re-ignite growth. Second, trade agreements seem to have become the venue to channel the rejection of other dimensions of globalization. This is probably true in the United Kingdom and Germany, where the anti-trade rhetoric is really a rejection of immigration. And third, there is a concern, particularly in some European countries, that trade agreements may reduce regulatory standards, which somehow seems to ignore the importance of regulatory cooperation in a world where production is fragmented in different countries. In going forward, addressing these concerns will be as relevant as tackling the most traditional elements of the opposition to trade agreements.
Philip Bump of the Washington Post wrote a piece published Saturday morning asking "Why was Donald Trump campaigning in Johnstown, Pennsylvania?" It's an interesting question, given the obvious things pointed out in the article: Trump trails in Pennsylvania by 6 points", and there are "currently 10 states where the contest is closer than Pennsylvania." Swinging a state by 6 points is a big ask. Spending time in states where he is running much closer, like Ohio or North Carolina, seems like a much better strategy. (Both according to RealClearPolitics.com.)

But what if there is a scenario in which Trump isn't wasting time in a state that seems clearly blue, certainly bluer than nearby Ohio? There is an alternative hypothesis to consider which would actually make the decision strategically quite smart.

I agree with Bump that for either Trump or Clinton to spend time and resources in the last days of the campaign in any state that is solidly in their corner would be a waste. Likewise, there would be no reason to spend time in any states that are solidly in their opponent's corner. Where I disagree with Bump is in the assertion that it follows that Trump is wasting his time in Pennsylvania.

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If the polls we are seeing right now are accurate, Trump has essentially no path to win 270 electoral college votes on November 8th. Trump must hope that the polls are wrong and not just randomly wrong but that there is a systematic polling error in Clinton's favor. Now, it is very unlikely that such a widespread error exists, given the sheer volume of polling we have seen that has been consistently in Clinton's favor. It would not, however, be an impossible scenario. Some, including Trump's campaign manager, Kellyanne Conway, have suggested that polls might be underrepresenting support for Trump because some voters might be embarrassed to say they support him. Alan Dershowitz, as I mentioned in a previous blog about polling and odds-making, declared in the Boston Globe in September "that polling is incapable of accurately predicting the outcome of elections like this one, where so many voters are angry, resentful, emotional, negative, and frightened."

So let's just say that it is not impossible for the polls to be systematically wrong. Let's also stipulate that the Trump campaign knows it can only win November 8th if the polls are wrong, that really all hope is lost if this polling error doesn't exist. Now Pennsylvania looks like exactly where he ought to be campaigning. If the polls are consistently off by, say, 4% to 6%, then Pennsylvania becomes a toss-up, and Ohio, North Carolina and Florida go solidly in his corner. In the states that look close now, Stealth-Trump would actually be in the lead. And it would be a mistake for him to spend time in the states in which he's (secretly) winning. As Bump points out, he should be spending time in states where he's "close," which would be exactly a state like Pennsylvania based on this scenario of a systematic polling error.

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Bump expressed incredulity that Trump could outsmart the polls: "Perhaps Trump has internal polling that shows him closer in the state. Possible! .... Is it likely? Not particularly - especially given Trump's antipathy to polling over the course of the campaign." That might be true but you don't need internal polling to understand that if the public polls are right Trump has no hope of winning anyway. If Trump needs an alternate reality to win - like a 4-to-6-point systematic polling error - the best choice would be to assume that error exists and then bet his resources where the polls have him behind by about that amount. That's Pennsylvania.
I was 17, almost 18, and she was really beautiful. Everybody in the neighborhood and all the wise guys were trying to get with her. When I came to pick her up, I only had a learner's permit, but I borrowed my uncle's car. I arrived at her place and her parents were looking down from their window and all the neighbors were on the stoop staring. They'd all heard I was taking her to Rao's. And, she kept asking, "You're really going to take me to Rao's?" And I'm talking it up big-time, 'Yeah, yeah!' So when I walked inside the restaurant, Joe gives me a hug and I introduce him to her. Joe used to keep an eye on me after my father died when I was only 14. He even graciously came to my dad's funeral. So he says, 'What are you doing here?' I say, 'Well, we were going to have something to eat.' He says, "Do me a favor, Sonny, come back when you're both eighteen." I was pissed off but I say to her, 'Well, I'll drive you home.' She says, 'Don't bother, I can walk,' because she lived only two blocks away! Many years later when I became a cop, I went to Joe and asked, "What the hell was that about? You embarrassed the hell out of me." He said they (police) were taking pictures from across the street and if they saw underage kids coming in, they could raid Rao's and take his liquor license away. I said, 'Why couldn't you tell me something?' He replied, 'I'm not going to talk to you about that when you're 17.' It made sense.
When I started my career, philanthropy wasn't on my to-do list...



Traveling to Africa for the first time was a wake up call, an introduction to a new way of living: the way of giving. With the ambition to build libraries across the continent, in 2009, my fantastic team and I started the Bisila Bokoko African Literacy Project (BBALP) - now in 5 countries and counting. By far, this journey has been the most uplifting and rewarding for my personal development.

Today, sharing is present in all areas of my life...



In 2012, when I decided to become a full-time entrepreneur , my company's motto was "we are in the business of doing good". The common denominator between my clients and I is our commitment to build positive social impact through fashion, gastronomy, arts and culture.

I see mentorship as another way of empowering others.Through my BBknowsBest events and webinars, I endeavor to share how I created the life I always wanted and how you can too. Of course, success is very personal with so many layers... Opening up about my drastic weight loss came from my personal brand strategist Sissi Johnson, who constantly pushes me way out of my comfort zone. I am finally in a place where I am comfortable unveiling not just my accomplishments, but also my challenges and how being vulnerable is key to get to the next level.

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During a recent trip to Maasai Mara, Kenya where one of our libraries is located, my friend and associate Rosa Escandell voiced a very valid concern: how well can a child learn with an empty stomach ?

The above picture is a preview of my solution. 2016 marks the beginning of another philanthropic venture between a Brazilian company, my brother Boyoyo Bokoko, also the mastermind behind my Bisila Wines and myself.

Together, we've created Bisila Bokoko Foods: a product that is not only affordable to local schools but also hospitals and military bases. Our menus consist of dehydrated foods with high nutritional value. Daily essentials one needs to keep a healthy body and a sharp mind at any age!
A collection of depressing quotes about government:

"The price of apathy towards public affairs is to be ruled by evil men." - Plato

"As democracy is perfected, the office of president represents, more and more closely, the inner soul of the people. On some great and glorious day the plain folks of the land will reach their heart's desire at last and the White House will be adorned by a downright moron."- H.L. Mencken

"All political parties die at last of swallowing their own lies." - John Arbuthnot

"Beware the leader who bangs the drums of war in order to whip the citizenry into a patriotic fervor, for patriotism is indeed a double-edged sword. It both emboldens the blood, just as it narrows the mind. And when the drums of war have reached a fever pitch and the blood boils with hate and the mind has closed, the leader will have no need in seizing the rights of the citizenry. Rather, the citizenry, infused with fear and blinded by patriotism, will offer up all of their rights unto the leader and gladly so. How do I know? For this is what I have done. And I am Caesar." - Julius Caesar, (too good a quote to ignore but possibly an urban legend)

"The whole aim of practical politics is to keep the populace alarmed (and hence clamorous to be led to safety) by menacing it with an endless series of hobgoblins, all of them imaginary." - H.L. Mencken

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"The only good bureaucrat is one with a pistol at his head. Put it in his hand and it's good-bye to the Bill of Rights."- H.L. Mencken

"Politics is the art of looking for trouble, finding it everywhere, diagnosing it incorrectly and applying the wrong remedies." - Groucho Marx

"The worst government is the most moral. One composed of cynics is often very tolerant and humane. But when fanatics are on top there is no limit to oppression. "- H.L. Mencken

"No one in this world...has ever lost money by underestimating the intelligence of the great masses of the plain people. Nor has anyone ever lost public office thereby." - H.L. Mencken

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"Since a politician never believes what he says, he is surprised when others believe him." - Charles De Gaulle

"When the people find that they can vote themselves money, that will herald the end of the republic." - Benjamin Franklin

"The urge to save humanity is almost always a false-face for the urge to rule it."- H.L. Mencken

"Demagogue: one who preaches doctrines he knows to be untrue to men he knows to be idiots." - H.L. Mencken

"Politics... has always been the systematic organization of hatreds." - Henry Adams

"Politics, n. A strife of interests masquerading as a contest of principles." - Ambrose Bierce

"Every decent man is ashamed of the government he lives under." - H.L. Mencken

"If a politician found he had cannibals among his constituents, he would promise them missionaries for dinner." - H. L. Mencken Blake Fleetwood
The police investigate potential criminal activity as part of their difficult mission to "protect and serve." This comment provides a brief and incomplete educational overview of a few significant U.S. Supreme Court decisions that address police investigative stops and related searches without a search warrant. Lower federal court and state court decisions are not discussed. Always consult an experienced attorney in all police and criminal law situations.

Some Background

The Fourth Amendment protects both persons and property from unreasonable searches and seizures:

"The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized."

To enforce this requirement, the U.S. Supreme Court in 1914 created the "exclusionary rule" stating that evidence resulting from a Fourth Amendment violation is generally inadmissible in a criminal trial (Weeks v. United States). However, the Fourth Amendment originally only restricted the federal government, not state governments.

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In 1961 the U.S. Supreme Court held that the Fourth Amendment applies to state criminal prosecutions (Mapp v. Ohio). The Supreme Court's "selective incorporation" doctrine states that clauses in the Fourteenth Amendment, notably "nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property without due process of law," implicitly apply portions of the Bill of Rights to the states. A few scattered clauses in the Bill of Rights have not yet been expressly stated to apply to the states.

Stop and Frisk

The U.S. Supreme Court's classic Terry v. Ohio (1968) decision created the terminology of "stop and frisk" or "Terry stop." The Terry case involved experienced police officers observing behaviors that appeared to indicate the imminent robbery of a store (a "reasonable suspicion"). A detention and pat down of three suspects found two revolvers and produced a charge of carrying concealed weapons. The upshot of the Terry decision, worth reading in its entirety, was this specific search was "reasonable" to discover weapons that might be used against the police and the public. The majority opinion declined to apply the stricter "probable cause" language in the Fourth Amendment.

Justice Douglas, the lone dissenter in the Terry decision, wrote:

"To give the police greater power than a magistrate [has to issue a search warrant, requiring probable cause,] is to take a long step down the totalitarian path. Perhaps such a step is desirable to cope with modern forms of lawlessness. But if it is taken, it should be the deliberate choice of the people through a constitutional amendment...."

The Supreme Court has indicated that reasonable suspicion justifying a police stop is "based on commonsense judgments and inferences about human behavior," but may not be solely because of a refusal to cooperate with the police or the location being a high crime area (Illinois v. Wardlow). Racial profiling complaints related to police stops are based upon the equal protection clause of the Fourteenth Amendment, "nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws." Racial profiling lacks any reasonable suspicion beyond race and impermissibly categorizes citizens, while Terry focused on behaviors.

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Terry-type police actions require individualized reasonable suspicion, based upon specific and articulable facts that go beyond a hunch, and the investigative methods used must be the least intrusive means reasonably available to quickly verify or dispel the police officer's suspicion (Florida v. Royer). The suspicion must exist at the inception of the stop and cannot be based upon information acquired after the detention. Nor may the police point to only one small action as being suspicious but must consider the totality of the circumstances as a whole.

Subsequent decisions, in incomplete overview, have applied Terry to a search of vehicle areas that an individual could grab a weapon from during traffic stops, to requiring identification (in some states), and to "reasonable" mistakes of law by the police to justify an initial stop. Evidence of another crime, such as possessing unlawful drugs, found during such a search is usually admissible in a criminal case.

A recent search indicated over 50,000 cases and legal articles citing the Terry decision.

Consensual Encounters

Note that the police may merely approach any individual and engage in conversation without any reasonable suspicion as long as the individual is free to leave. Additionally, granting consent to search of a vehicle or other property removes the necessity of the police obtaining a search warrant. Standard defense attorney advice in general is to be polite, provide identification, remain silent, do not consent to a search, and immediately request legal counsel if arrested. Of course, assisting the police in solving crime is encouraged. The context of the encounter is important.

In all police encounters it is important to take note of a badge number or other identifiers. However, police departments are typically given broad discretion in concealing the identity of officers in the interest of safety. For example, since 1980 California Penal Code Sec. 830.10 has stated: "Any uniformed peace officer shall wear a badge, nameplate, or other device which bears clearly on its face the identification number or name of the officer." There are no clear penalties or reported decisions penalizing disobedience. The Department of Justice might become involved if concealing identity were part of a pattern of police abuses. In contrast, police have broad discretion in checking vehicle tag numbers and requesting citizens to identify themselves.

In 2006 the Court held that a consent to search by only one individual living in a shared residence violated the rights of another resident who was present and objected to the search (Georgia v. Randolph). In 2014 a majority opinion stated that the Randolph decision was limited to situations where the objecting resident was present and "an occupant who is absent due to a lawful detention or arrest stands in the same shoes as an occupant who is absent for any other reason" (Fernandez v. California). Three dissenting Justices believed that the police could have obtained a search warrant and "today's decision tells the police that they may dodge it."

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As an aside, requiring consent to searches as a condition of probation is also upheld in that probation is a form of criminal sanction and the offender does not possess the absolute liberty of an ordinary citizen (U.S. v. Knights).

Traffic Stops

As criminals may impersonate police, if you are signaled to stop continue driving to a well-lit public area while calling 911 if you have reason to believe impersonation is occurring. Police may shine a light into a car (Texas v. Brown) but shining the light into your eyes would seemly fall into a gray area (unlikely to be reviewed or condemned) between reasonable identification and excessive force.

One must appreciate the potential danger police face when making a traffic stop. Thus, one should keep one's hands visible and, if a license, registration, or proof of insurance are requested, announce in advance to the police officer what you are doing. Stay in the vehicle unless requested to step out. Politeness and slow calm actions may deescalate a situation. Rude "contempt of cop" behavior invites a show of authority, delay, citations, and potential arrest. Exercise discretion in picking your battles.

Traffic violations allow police to stop, detain, and possibly arrest the driver. However, a reasonable belief that a violation occurred is enough to justify a stop, even if an actual violation did not occur. Furthermore, a police officer may develop reasonable suspicion that another crime has occurred after the stop, such as the driver exhibiting evidence of intoxication.

A 2001 U.S. Supreme Court decision involved a vehicle stopped for speeding and an improperly tinted windshield. When the police officer saw the driver's license, he recognized the name as related to "intelligence" concerning narcotics. The officer also observed a rusted roofing hatchet on the floorboard. The driver was arrested for speeding, improper window tinting, driving without his registration and insurance papers, and carrying a weapon (the hatchet). An inventory search of the impounded vehicle found drugs. The Arkansas Supreme Court found that the arrest was a pretext to search the car and suppressed the drug evidence. However, the U.S. Supreme Court reversed this decision, stating that it was unwilling "to entertain Fourth Amendment challenges based on the actual motivations of individual officers" and that "subjective intentions play no role in ordinary, probable-cause Fourth Amendment analysis" (Arkansas v. Sullivan).

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Inventory searches without a search warrant are allowed if the vehicle has been lawfully impounded and the search is conducted according to a standardized inventory policy. Inventory searches are justified by the U.S. Supreme Court based upon the protection of the owner's property, preventing disputes over lost or stolen property, and protecting the police and others from the contents of the vehicle (South Dakota v. Oppermann).

In 1976 the U.S. Supreme Court allowed the U.S. Border Patrol to set up permanent checkpoints on highways leading away from the Mexican border (U.S. v. Martinez-Fuerte). The majority opinion stated that the intrusion was minimal, there is less legitimate expectation of privacy in a vehicle, and the government interest in preventing illegal immigration outweighed constitutional considerations even if referrals to a secondary inspection area were based upon apparent Mexican ancestry.

Random unannounced traffic sobriety checkpoints were upheld in 1990 in a majority decision since there was a substantial governmental interest in stopping drunk driving, the methods were reasonably related to this goal, and the impact upon drivers was negligible (Michigan Department of State Police v. Sitz). Two dissenting Justices believed other methods were viable and nighttime surprise intrusions were "the hallmark of regimes far different from ours."

Drug Sniffing Dogs

A 2000 decision (6:3) limited the ability of police to create roadblocks and conduct dog sniffs on every stopped car since there was no individualized suspicion of wrongdoing and no goal other than general law enforcement (City of Indianapolis v. Edmond).

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In 2005 the Court upheld the use of a drug sniffing dog during a routine speeding traffic stop if it did not unreasonably prolong the stop (Illinois v. Caballes). Marijuana found in the trunk after the dog alerted was admissible in evidence. Two dissenting Justices focused on the potential for false positive alerts and the manner in which any stop could be transformed into a search for drugs.

A 2013 unanimous decision upheld the use of a drug sniffing dog during a traffic stop when the officer noted that the driver was nervous and an empty beer can was visible. The drugs seized after a search subsequent to the dog's alert were admissible. Completing a training program established the dog's reliability (Florida v. Harris).

However, also in 2013, the Court (5:4) held that a search warrant was required to take a drug sniffing dog on the front porch of a private home based upon an anonymous tip that the residence was a marijuana grow house (Florida v. Jerdines). The majority distinguished this situation from a 1983 decision that upheld dog sniffs of airport luggage (U.S. v. Place) and traffic stop dog sniffs. Privacy in one's home is a core Fourth Amendment value. The dissenting Justices perceived no trespass and no search.

In 2015 the Court's majority held that police could not extend the traffic stop in order to conduct a dog sniff if the sniff were unrelated to the purpose of the original traffic stop. The case was remanded to a lower court to determine if the police officer had independent reasonable suspicion to extend the stop (Rodriguez v. U.S.).
Monday October 31 will be a vital test for Bahrain. Two scheduled court verdicts will give a major indication on whether the regime is taking any notice of international pressure to finally ease off its months-long repressive outburst, a clear signal on where the country's much-vaunted reform project is really headed.

Opposition figure Khalil Al Halwachi and human rights defender Nabeel Rajab are both due to hear the outcome of their separate sham trials. Al Halwachi, a founder of the opposition Amal group, was arrested in September 2014 and has been tried with 16 others. Like many in custody in Bahrain, he says he has been tortured into making a false confession.

Al Halwachi is 59, studied electrical engineering at London's prestigious Imperial College in the mid-1970s, and spent 14 years teaching in Stockholm. He is charged with possessing a kalashnikov rifle for terrorist purposes--one of the regime's favorite fabricated charges--and faces up to 15 years in jail if found guilty. The judge set to give his verdict is the notorious Judge Ebrahim Al Zayed, who in December 2012 confirmed a previous jail sentence for Nabeel Rajab.

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Al Zayed is also expected to issue Rajab's verdict that day. Rajab is back in prison now and has been in solitary confinement for over four months. He faces up to 15 years in prison for a series of free speech-related issues including "undermining the prestige of Bahrain" after having an opinion piece published in the New York Times. Sentencing Rajab to more years in prison would be another catastrophic step for Bahrain to take, one that will remove a leading peaceful voice from the country's political conversation and give greater appeal to those who support violent protest.

Rajab is one of the best-known human rights defenders in the world. To its credit, the U.S. State Department has called for Rajab's release, but there are still international voices apologizing for Bahrain's appalling record on rights. In a piece for The Irish Times this week Pauline McCabe, "an independent criminal justice adviser" on Bahrain, defended the regime's performance after British NGO Reprieve questioned why the U.K. government continues to fund training programs for Bahraini officials when the human rights situation is deteriorating so dramatically. Reprieve said the training program "whitewashes torture and death sentences in the Gulf kingdom" while McCabe claimed: "I know that the [Bahrain] ombudsman and his team are trying to do the right thing."

International human rights organizations aren't allowed into Bahrain and few would agree that the Bahraini authorities--including the Ombudsman's Office--are trying to do the right thing. The training of judges and prison guards, and the setting up of the Ombudsman's office are all part of an unconvincing comb-over reform effort. The real outcomes of the reform program are shown in court verdicts every week, and in the ill-treatment of detainees every day.

November will be five years since the king of Bahrain promised to implement a series of human rights recommendations presented by an international inquiry. It hasn't happened yet and doesn't look like it will, despite what the Bahraini government and its apologists claim.

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The country is in the middle of an unprecedented opioid crisis. The majority of overdose deaths - six out of 10 - involves someone taking an opioid such as heroin and pain relievers. Over the next two days, writing fellows for the Center for Community Change share their take on a crisis that is not only killing Americans at record rates, it is costing billions of dollars in health and social costs and overwhelming hospitals and police departments.

By Angela Pupino

It is no secret that the opioid epidemic is ravaging communities across the United States.

In my hometown of Youngstown, Ohio, it seems like every nightly news broadcast brings stories of still more opioid overdoses and deaths. But there was a local news story this month that stopped me in my tracks.

It was a video of an 8-year-old boy being told that his mother had died of an opioid overdose. Since it was posted on October 10th, it has been viewed millions of times. That means that millions of people, around the world, have watched a child find out about his mother's death. Millions of people have witnessed an intensely personal and vulnerable moment in a child's life.

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The boy's father, Brenden Bickerstaff-Clark, who appears in the video and made the decision to upload it, says that he shared it with the world so that people would know the dangers of heroin use. As his Facebook post sharing the video states, he hopes that seeing his child's grief will "maybe help save a child's parent's life".

This is not the first time that a child has been used to showcase the destruction that opioids can bring to individuals, families, and communities. Early in September, police in East Liverpool, Ohio, posted photos of a 4-year-old boy in the backseat of a car while his grandmother and her boyfriend, victims of heroin overdose, were slumped in the front of the car.

The City of East Liverpool's reasoning for publicizing the photos with the child's face visible mirrored those of Bickerstaff-Clark. In a Facebook post accompanying the photos, they stated that, "This child can't speak for himself but we are hopeful his story can convince another user to think twice about injecting this poison while having a child in their custody."

But that's exactly the problem. Why are we using children who can't speak for themselves as symbols of a national battle against heroin and opioids? In the 21st century, these pictures and videos will never go away. In addition to coping with the loss of their parents or guardians, these children will live in shadow of this internet publicity forever.

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In addition, the use of children to raise awareness about heroin addiction demonstrates a fundamental misunderstanding of the opioid addiction problem in the United States, and therefore the ability of photos and videos of children to solve the problem. Even though the City of East Liverpool's post above explicitly mentions the injection of heroin, many opioid users are not heroin users, especially at first.

The major drivers of the opioid addiction epidemic are prescription opioid painkillers. Almost half of young heroin users surveyed had first used prescription opioids before switching to heroin. In 2012, the CDC reports that 13 states had more opioid prescriptions than people in their states. Ohio was one of them. In Ohio's Scioto County alone in 2010, 9.7 million doses of opioid painkillers were prescribed to only 78,000 people.

Is a video of a sobbing child who lost his mother to heroin going to keep a man with chronic lower back pain from becoming addicted to an opioid painkiller? Will it stop a patient recovering from surgery from taking an opioid more frequency than directed by her doctor? Probably not, even though these can be the first step towards becoming addicted to opioids and eventually switching over to heroin.

Make no mistake, children are often victims of the opioid epidemic. Communities like mine are in crisis, and drastic times sometimes call for drastic answers. In addition to opioid related neglect and abuse, children themselves can fall victim to opioid dependency. In Scioto county, an epicenter of the opioid epidemic, one in ten babies was born opioid dependent in 2009. This is a tragedy that these communities must grapple with.

There are no easy answers here, but it is clear to me that publicizing the faces, the grief, and the loss of children affected by opioid abuse is not the right one.

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Combatting the opioid epidemic will not be easy. It will require the cooperation of doctors, public health departments, state and local government officials, medication prescribers, law enforcement, rehabilitation centers, and, of course, caring and informed citizens. What it will not require is exploiting grieving children.
"Boy or girl?"

It's the first question many new and expectant parents hear from their families, friends and co-workers. And more than 98 per cent of the time, the answer's clear cut: it's one or the other. But what about the rest of the time? Studies suggest that up to 1.7 per cent of babies are born with intersex traits, which means they have chromosomes, hormones or, in some cases, genitals that don't fit typical definitions of male or female. That's up to two million babies born every year with intersex traits.

Given how common intersex variations are - almost as common as people with red hair - it's perhaps surprising how few people are even aware that intersex people exist. That's something the United Nations wants to help change, with a new video and online platform launching today in the run up to Intersex Awareness Day on October 26. The aim is to encourage greater understanding of intersex issues, provide a platform for intersex people to tell their stories, and press for action to end the abuse and stigma that shadow many intersex people from early childhood on.

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The UN's new video takes viewers through the dramatic moments leading up to the birth of a child as a new father's excitement turns to confusion on learning that his new baby is intersex. For too many families, that moment of confusion is made worse by a lack of knowledge and peer support. Too often, this is the moment when parents come under pressure to agree to surgery aimed at so-called "normalizing" their baby. For many, it's an agonizing decision. Those who opt for surgery are usually convinced - based on what they've been told - that they're doing what's best for their child. Few receive counselling or have an opportunity to speak with intersex children and adults or with other parents in a similar position - if they did, research suggests they might make very different decisions.

Surgery aimed at "normalizing" the genitals of intersex babies and young children can leave deep scars - physical, emotional and psychological. Commonly reported side effects include life-long chronic pain, incontinence, loss of sexual sensation, as well as depression and other mental health problems. In rare cases, some surgery might actually be needed for health reasons. But most of the time it's for cosmetic purposes: a misguided attempt to fix something that didn't need fixing in the first place.

It's hard to imagine any other circumstances in which parents would routinely agree to what is, in effect, unnecessary, invasive surgery on a child - especially when the risks are so high. "Medical experts destroyed my genitalia and reproductive organs" Pidgeon, an intersex activist from the United States, told the UN. "Why? Because they wanted to make my body cosmetically conform to their idea of what a "normal" woman should look like." Pidgeon and hundreds of thousands - possibly millions - of others have been dealing with the consequences of childhood surgery ever since.

Until recently, relatively few spoke up. Dr Kimberly Zieselman, Executive Director of interAct, an organization that advocates for intersex youth, thinks part of the reason is embarrassment. "Doctors often claim there's a "silent majority" of intersex people satisfied with the way they were treated as young patients. I used to be part of that "silent majority" - but I certainly wasn't happy. Doctors draw this false conclusion because most of their young patients haven't returned as adults to complain. But their silence is just as likely to be caused by stigma and shame."

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The UN campaign features the voices of many intersex people determined to break the silence and talk about their experiences. One of them, veteran activist and author Hida Viloria, was spared the trauma of surgery as a child and says she feels blessed that her parents allowed her to be herself. "I want to encourage all parents of intersex kids to do the same", she says. "Trying to "fix" healthy babies' bodies to fit social ideals is innately prejudiced, and prejudice is never the solution. I know first-hand that you can have positive self-esteem and thrive as an intersex person when you're not exposed from an early age to the message that something is wrong with you."

There are many things that Governments can and should do to protect intersex people from harm - including banning unnecessary medical procedures on intersex babies, establishing medical protocols on informed consent, providing relevant training to doctors, and strengthening anti-discrimination laws. These steps all require working closely with the local intersex community. Political leaders looking for inspiration could look to Malta, which is one of a handful of countries that have put in place the necessary safeguards. But, so far, few other countries have taken even first steps.

As important as legal reform is, real change also depends on raising awareness and overcoming stigma. For too long, intersex bodies have been seen as a problem to be fixed, when in fact it is society's obsession with fitting everyone into one of two stereotypical sex categories that's the real problem. In the UN's new video, the confused new father is quick to seek out information and make the journey from shock and concern to acceptance and celebration. It's a journey that many hope will in time become the norm, rather than the exception.

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Physician -- and refugee -- Haig Khatchadourian. [Photo by Knar Babayan]

For most of America, the heartbreaking faces of Syrian refugees this year have belonged to children. We have seen them drowned and we have seen them stunned into silence by warfare and covered in blood. (We've also seen them likened to Skittles, but that appalling analogy belongs only to the Trumps.)

At the moment, however, when I put a real face on the refugee crisis I see a balding 50-year-old man with gentle green eyes and a salt and pepper mustache. I met him on the second to last day in August in Ishkhanadzor, a modest village in Nagorno-Karabakh, the fledgling Armenian republic in the Caucasus that is still struggling for recognition. Ishkhanadzor is about 15 miles north of the Araxes River and the border with Iran. Among the town's 360 residents is one physician, Haig Khatchadourian, a soft-spoken neuropathologist who now works as a general practitioner in the village's seven-room clinic. He is also a refugee.

In the summer of 2014, ISIS fighters from Tunisia, Libya, and Iraq came to his summer home in Tal Hmedy, a town in northeastern Syria, and took him by force to their administrative building and court. Khatchadourian does not recall the date, but he remembers it was two in the afternoon and his three daughters -- all between 12 and 14 years old then -- were present. He told the girls that if he did not return home that night, they should take the bus to their relatives in the city of Al-Qamishli. At the court, ISIS administrators demanded that he renounce his Christianity, telling him that he would be brought to the center of the village and executed if he didn't.

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"I expected to be beheaded," he told me as we chatted together in the shade from a small copse of trees outside his apartment in Ishkhanadzor. "I refused to convert. I was prepared to die a Christian because life has no meaning if you give up your faith."

After four hours before the court, however, the ISIS tribunal released him. He has absolutely no idea why and they never gave him a reason. Two days earlier he had witnessed ISIS fighters executing a Muslim in the village center for saying something negative about the prophet Muhammad. The man's executioner was his own nephew.

At the time, Khatchadourian and his three daughters were dividing their time between their primary residence in Al-Qamishli and Tal Hmedy. Al-Qamishli technically was never under ISIS control and the doctor and his family could have remained there. But the Syrian conflict was all around them and Khatchadourian feared everyday for the safety of his daughters -- and lived with the prospect that he might not be alive to raise them.

And so in 2015 he and his girls emigrated north to Nagorno-Karabakh, a mountainous, Armenian-populated enclave lodged between Iran, Azerbaijan, and Armenia. In the village and the surrounding area, they joined 200 other Syrian and Lebanese Armenian refugees. He says he and his family are very happy here: "We like that we are surrounded by Armenians. And we like that everyone here has recognized us as human beings."

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Here in the United States, of course, "refugee" and "immigrant" are frightening words in some people's opinion. This is especially true if the refugees are from Syria. So far, the U.S. has welcomed roughly 12,000 Syrian refugees, a number that has made barely a dent into the crisis brought on by the Syrian civil war and the rise of ISIS. To put this in perspective, Canada has taken in over 50,000 refugees, Germany has welcomed 600,000, and even tiny Belgium has accepted 16,000. And then, of course, there are the Middle Eastern countries that have taken in quite literally millions, including Lebanon, which is home to well over 1.25 million Syrian refugees.

I have met refugee children from Syria in schools in Lebanon, Armenia, and Canada, and their resilience and good cheer has left me awed.

The reality is that I am the grandson of survivors of the Armenian Genocide, which means that I am a grandson of immigrants from the Middle East. In the wake of the Hamidian Massacre in the 1890s and then the Ottoman Empire's slaughter of 1.5 million of my ancestors during the First World War, the U.S. welcomed easily 75,000 Armenian immigrants. It's why today there are such large Armenian-American communities in Massachusetts, New Jersey and California.

And so when I travel to places such as Ishkhanadzor, I'm ashamed of the way the U.S. has turned "refugee" and "immigrant" into synonyms for "terrorist." (Even here in Vermont, the mayor of Rutland has been pilloried because he is bringing 100 refugees to his municipality.) It's not merely that we are a nation of immigrants or that the bedrock of our national identity is our historical willingness to welcome the tired and homeless and poor, those "huddled masses yearning to breathe free" (thank you, Emma Lazarus). It's that we have the resources that a struggling, largely unrecognized republic such as Nagorno-Karabakh can only dream of. The roads around Ishkhanadzor are dirt and have a diabolical predilection to flatten car tires. (On my journey there at the end of the summer, my small caravan of three SUVs suffered two flats in a morning.) Khatchadourian's clinic only has hot water sporadically, because the boiler is an antique. Likewise, there are hours (and days) when it is without electricity.

But he insists he has found happiness there that he never had in Syria. "Everyone here is my daughters' friend -- and mine," he said. "We are part of the community."

I realize that a refugee such as Khatchadourian is less threatening to some Americans because he's a Christian, not a Muslim. But like all refugees he is - as he put it when we spoke in the shade of those trees - first and foremost a human being. And that's a reality that Americans should come to embrace.
This week, the World Federation for Mental Health met in Cairns, Australia to discuss mental healthcare, particularly suicide and self-harm. Approximately one million people a year lose their lives to suicide, according to the World Health Organization. That's one person every forty seconds dying by their own hands. Yet we have heard almost nothing about mental health in the 2016 US election cycle. With millions of people suffering from a variety of mental health issues in every part of the globe, why are so few talking about access to mental healthcare?

Here are three of the biggest issues that need to be addressed as part of comprehensive health policies:

Addiction: Around the world hundreds of millions of people are currently considered addicts, including 23.5 million people in the United States. Social stigmas suggest that those who abuse alcohol or drugs are morally or ethically reprehensible, but mental health providers know that addiction is often the result of early trauma. It can also be a response to poverty or limited life circumstances. What addiction is at its core is a mental and public health issue, not a choice to behave badly.

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There is no question that addicts in almost every country in the world would benefit from healthcare reform, particularly improving access to addiction treatment. We can all learn from Portugal's commitment to helping addicts recover. Connecting those addicted to drugs or alcohol to mental healthcare either through drug courts or individually sought-out therapeutic treatments, including counseling, has been shown to greatly decrease the likelihood that an individual will continue using. We know what good treatment entails, but it takes policy makers willing to invest in it to make it available to those in need.

Depression: The debilitating pain of depression affects an estimated 350 million people worldwide. Unfortunately, too often those who suffer from depression do not have access to quality mental health care. Whether the problem is lack of insurance to cover costs, long-wait periods to see psychotherapists or too few professionals to help those in need, those with depression will often go untreated. This lack of treatment can lead to suicide. World suicide rates have increased 60% in the last 45 years and suicide is now a leading cause of death internationally. Now is the time to invest in mental healthcare to provide treatment to those who suffer from depression.

Displacement: The world is now "home" to more than 65 million refugees, more than after World War II. The need for mental healthcare among this population, which by definition has experienced trauma, has never been greater in anyone's living memory. While xenophobic concerns paint those escaping conflict as possible perpetrators of violence themselves, mental health care professionals and the nations that welcome these individuals, have an obligation to assist displaced persons in their psychological healing, while educating the larger community on the lasting effects of violence and trauma.

Failing to provide refugees with access to mental health care could leave a generation of people with deep psychological wounds. Ensuring refugees and the communities that host them have access to timely mental health services may prevent generational trauma and form meaningful relationships between communities in a time of increasing isolation and fear.

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When you're hosting an event, it's critical to feature big-name speakers who are considered thought leaders and authorities in your industry. Their loyal following will raise the prestige of your event, as well as help with practical aspects of your marketing, such as precisely targeted Facebook ad campaigns.

The big question, then, is as follows: how do you attract high-level influencers to speak at your event -- particularly if you're not connected to them already?

I asked Cole Hatter, creator of Thrive: Make Money Matter to share his insights on the topic, as he's been able to get speakers such as Shark Tank star Robert Herjavec, New York Times bestselling authors Gary Vaynerchuk and Lewis Howes, as well as many other influencers to the very first event in his annual conference series.

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Currently in its second year, the conference has an impressive speaker lineup again: New York Times bestselling authors and superstar entrepreneurs Jack Canfield, John Assaraf, JJ Virgin, Than Merrill, Grant Cardone, James Altucher, Luis Ortiz and more. The list goes on and on.

"It's important to have at least one or two really big names," Hatter says, "because that will help getting other successful entrepreneurs to consider speaking at your event."

Here are three key strategies that helped him secure these influential speakers for Thrive:

1. Connect through mutual friends

Create a list of your dream speakers and find out who your mutual friends are. To do this, compile a spreadsheet with your A-listers in the first column. Then, using social media and a little investigation amongst your friends and colleagues, start listing who your mutual friends are in the next column.

If you don't have any direct connections, don't be afraid to go two or three layers deep. In this day and age, the traditional "six degrees of separation" is usually more in the ballpark of one or two, so it's likely that you'll be able to find a way to get an introduction.

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2. Focus on book authors

When you're organizing an event with professional speakers, you'll find that some of your dream speakers are authors as well, who are looking to promote their book. Consider offering a giveaway or a book signing opportunity at the event. At Thrive, for example, Jack Canfield will be doing a book signing.

Organizing this is a great incentive for your audience as well, because meeting a famous author one-on-one is a unique and precious opportunity for fans. They'll get a chance to connect with their favorite authors and engage in a meaningful conversation.

If you have the budget, purchase copies of the book and gift them to your attendees. All this contributes to the overall experience your attendees receive -- it's a win-win all around.

3. Support a charity

It's important that your event has a meaningful message or cause that you can rally supporters around. While the conference itself might be about a business-related topic, if you can donate all or at least part of your proceeds to a charity, it'll help bring contribution-minded speakers on board.

"It's important that you choose a legitimate nonprofit that you believe in and that you can truly support," says Hatter, who chose to support Pencils of Promise, a nonprofit dedicated to building schools in Guatemala, Ghana, Laos, and Nicaragua.

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"My mission in life is to make an impact and to build a legacy that looks beyond just profits," Hatter adds. "I want to make a difference, and I know our attendees have similar goals as well. Supporting Pencils of Promise is a great fit for our community."

Ultimately, getting big-name speakers to your event is very doable -- as long as you approach the matter strategically and thoughtfully. Think about creating win-win scenarios that will help further your influencers' goals, advance your own mission, and most of all, serve your audience.
"A company's operating system is like an air traffic controller," says Alison Elworthy, HubSpot's Vice President of Operations. "It's important to create a system that's efficient and effective in order to direct the planes in the right direction and prevent collisions."

Historically, businesses' operating systems have relied on hierarchical order: think Mad Men-style firms, where decisions come from the top and employees follow a set of rules and regulations regarding how they should complete their day-to-day work.

But just as the world of marketing is changing -- HubSpot has pioneered the rapidly growing field of inbound marketing -- the world of internal business operations is changing, too.

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"We want to create an operating system that matches the way the modern human wants to work," Elworthy explains.

This approach has helped HubSpot grow from $255,000 in revenue in its first year to over $180 million less than ten years later.

Elworthy explains the central pillars of HubSpot's operating system, which reflects a stark departure from the kind of systems we see in Mad Men:

1. An emphasis on autonomy

Rather than micromanaging employees and teams, HubSpot emphasizes autonomy as crucial to their company culture.

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Teams are given a clear idea of the company's mission and vision, but aren't explicitly told how to go about achieving those goals. Instead, HubSpot trusts that their teams will independently come up with the best ideas and solutions.

2. A dedication to transparency

"Transparency is key to developing a lightweight and flexible operating system that prevents against chaos across teams," notes Elworthy. To that end, HubSpot ensures that all teams are cognizant of what's going on not only in their particular team, but in other teams, too.

For instance, there's a highly active company wiki that all employees can access, so they can stay on top of internal operations and be sure that their goals as a team are aligning with the company's goals as a whole.

3. An obsession with data

To HubSpot, marketing is not an art, but rather a science -- and therefore, analysis of statistics and data are central to daily operations. Elworthy elaborates: "Any decision we make is backed by data."

HubSpot makes their financials available to all employees, so data and numbers are readily accessible to everyone rather than being privileged information. "This helps us make informed decisions, as well as promotes a culture of transparency," Elworthy says.

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4. A no-tolerance policy towards BS

In many traditional business models, titles determine everything, and lower-ranking employees bow down to the head honchos.

HubSpot's operating system, on the other hand, is founded on the idea of a flat organization where everyone has equal say, regardless of rank.

"We want our employees, at all levels, to push back and express their opinions if they feel strongly," Elworthy remarks. "If an intern has good reason for disagreeing with the CEO, we want them to say something."

5. A strong foundation of trust

Ultimately, the goal of HubSpot's operating system is to build a culture of trust. But this trust is a two-way street: "We want our employees to trust the leadership and the decisions we're making, just as we want our leadership to trust our employees," Elworthy explains.

Rather than having a giant rulebook filled with do's and don'ts, HubSpot's focus on autonomy, transparency, and free access to data creates a foundation of trust that renders such rulebooks unnecessary.

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To Elworthy -- who will give a presentation on the subject during INBOUND, hosted in Boston from November 8 to 11 -- HubSpot's operating system not only helps scale the company's growth, but attracts the kind of talent that's necessary for the company's success.
CBS's new Matt LeBlanc sitcom Man With a Plan needs a Plan B.

Debuting at 8:30 p.m. ET on Monday, Man With a Plan seems to hope that if it blends enough time-tested comedy elements - impossible but lovable kids, quirky parents and LeBlanc - they will add up to a winning combination.

They don't. They add up to a serviceable sitcom, one that's relatively painless to watch without offering anything fresh or compelling.

As with too many sitcoms, it feels like the writing sets up a series of unremarkable jokes rather than, say, developing characters.

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LeBlanc plays Adam, a contractor who is happily married to Andi (Liza Snyder). They have three kids: Kate (Grace Kaufman), who is just becoming a teenager; Teddy (Matthew McCann); and Emme (Hala Finley), who has just started kindergarten.

Because all three (above) are now in school, Andi is returning to her job as a nurse. That means Adam has to take over supervision of the home front, which he soon realizes is a very different role than coming back at 6:30 and being "Daddy Fun Times."

It's a premise anyone who has had kids or has been a kid understands. Man With a Plan still seems to feel it has to lurch its way through an explanation and illustration.

In the course of the first episode, we see Adam being overconfident that there's nothing to it, startled that kids can be thoughtless slobs, overwhelmed that he can't seem to turn things on day one, and finally exhilarated when he finds the magic solution that seems to change the whole game on day two.

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The magic solution, by the way, stems from his discovery that contemporary kids are addicted to their electronic devices.

Whoa! Who would have ever guessed?

The fact Man With a Plan sees that as fresh turf reflects the comedy level on which the show is operating, and it's not entirely explained by the fact that LeBlanc's Adam is in many ways the quintessential lunkhead sitcom Dad.

To reinforce that point, he ruminates on whether "jackass" is one word or two. There is an extended scene in which he leaves the house to take the kids to school and forgets the kids.

Get it?

More problematic is that Man With a Plan doesn't seem to have figured out a tone.

Just when the interaction between Adam and Andi seems to have settled into tolerantly playful, they have an exchange in which he barks some very nasty things.

That can work in sitcoms, back to Ralph and Alice Kramden in The Honeymooners. We just have to know the characters well enough to understand that's how they talk. We don't know Adam and Andi well enough yet to be anything except startled.

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And by the way, viewers may also start to wonder exactly how Adam is going to run a contracting business when he never seems to go to any job sites. Is this like the Tesla of construction? Has he developed houses that build themselves?

LeBlanc, Snyder and the kids all deliver their material well, as do the members of what will apparently be a fairly large ancillary cast.

But the material itself feels uninspired. Our first indication of a personality for Teddy is that he can't keep from sticking his hands into his pants.

Really? That's all they got?

Between Man With a Plan and Kevin Can Wait, CBS seems to be hoping we're ready for a modest revival of good-hearted Dumb Dads this season.
On November 4, 2016, four days before the presidential election, the historic Paris Agreement will take effect. Last November, when negotiators from almost 200 countries came together in Paris to reach the world's most significant agreement to address climate change, we lauded it as a sign that the world was taking climate change seriously, with a united front. Now, with ratification by 83 countries of the 195 who attended COP21, the accord has enough support to work, signaling the beginning of the end of more than a century of fossil fuels serving as the primary engine of global economic growth. So, what's standing in the way of substantive global action to fight climate change? Quite possibly, your ballot on November 8 - which is one of the reasons that today, more than ever before, it's critical that we have leaders who not only lead by example, but set a good example for future generations.

As we approach one of the most toxic and divisive elections in American history, it's clear that the outcome of the election will do more than determine who sits in the White House for the next four years. It will greatly impact how we address this very real and very complex problem. Our presidential candidates hold vastly disparate views on climate change. Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton has said she supports the Paris Agreement, while Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has said he would "cancel" it. These differences, and the reasoning behind them, matter.

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Climate change is one of those issues for which attention from international leaders is not just valuable- it's imperative. For instance, as one of world's largest emitters of carbon pollution, the United States certainly has its work cut out to reduce its carbon footprint. So why choose to tackle it? Because, as President Obama noted, "if we follow through on the commitments that this Paris Agreement embodies, history may well judge it as a turning point for our planet." It's a turning point we need desperately. U.N. studies project that average world temperatures are set to rise by three degrees (5.4 Fahrenheit) or more by 2100, based on current trends. On average, 2016 is expected to prove the warmest since records began in the 19th century, even beating 2015. As a global leader and one of the largest contributors to carbon pollution, it's both the United States' duty and obligation to lead by example and reverse the course we're currently heading in. This is just one of a myriad of reasons why a Donald Trump presidency would be detrimental, not just for climate change mitigation, but for the future of our country: because Trump's positions and leadership style would move us backwards. We need a leader who has the future in mind and values science in decisionmaking.

To make substantial change come to fruition, leaders need to both "talk the talk" and "walk the walk." A leader who calls for widespread adaptation of clean energy needs to make sure they are prepared to meet their own standards. A leader who seeks to become the face of an entire country needs to be able to fairly and accurately represent and respect each citizen. And that's why Donald Trump is so dangerous. He has claimed that climate change is a hoax. He has repeatedly affirmed his intention to build a wall across the US-Mexico border, and he has suggested that he would ban Muslims from entering the country. Most recently, he was embroiled in a scandal following the release of a 2005 "Access Hollywood" videotape, where he boasts about kissing and groping women without their consent. Is this someone who leads by example, someone who embraces what we love most about America and who makes decisions based on the best interests of those for whom he works?

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The answer to this rhetorical question is no, but in regards to the Paris Agreement and our next Commander-in-Chief, the answer needs to be "yes." We need someone in the executive office who can get ahead of the problem, continue President Obama's push to invest in renewable energy, continue emission reductions via the Clean Power Plan , raise fuel efficiency standards, and end fossil-fuel dependence. On paper, the Paris Agreement alone will not solve all the world's climate-related problems, but it's a good start. For one, unlike the former Kyoto Protocol (which the U.S. never ratified), the Paris Agreement involves both developed and developing countries, including those that rely on revenue from oil and gas production. Regardless of their differences (of which their developing status is only one of many), these countries were able to come together for the greater good, a quintessential leadership quality that Trump clearly lacks.
On April 15, 2016, the U.S. Department of Education cut off federal student grants and loans to the Skokie, Illinois-based for-profit college chain Computer Systems Institute (CSI), citing detailed evidence of fraudulent conduct. Denying CSI's appeal from its initial January 2016 decision, the Department used unusually harsh language in concluding that CSI gave its accrediting agency, Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools (ACICS), and the Department, false information about job placements for students.

Yet CSI is still in business, operating campuses in the Chicago and Boston areas, getting millions in revenues through enrolling foreign students, and, apparently, U.S. veterans. And last month, a review board of the embattled accreditor ACICS, which is on the verge of itself

, issued an unusual decision to reconsider ACICS's April suspension of CSI's accreditation.

The Department of Education's determinations earlier this year regarding CSI were devastating. Department officials found that some of the fabrications were achieved via a supposed employer called Home Health Consultants (HHC), which CSI reported had hired some 42 of its health care and business career students. Department of Education investigators visited the business address of HHC and found a house with a man named Quinn who stayed behind his closed screen door and offered absurdly unconvincing answers about his operation. The Department investigators also interviewed the supposedly hired students, and most had never heard of Quinn or HHC. Two students did say Quinn had "hired" them -- to hand out flyers on the street to elderly persons "for what the students said were 'bogus medical services," what one student called "lies; tricking old people out of their money." Only one of the two students was paid; she got $100 for more than 80 hours of work.

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The investigators also visited the address of "Dream Team Hope Health Care Services"(DTH), the supposed employer of 14 other CSI graduates. They found a nearly-empty warehouse and a man with another sketchy explanation.

Some CSI graduates who were employed were actually working at jobs like cashier at O'Hare airport's McDonalds and as a janitor -- jobs that did not require an expensive (as much as $14,000 a year) CSI degree.

The Department of Education's April 15 letter denying the appeal was scathing, indicating that CSI management knew about the misconduct and referring to the sham employers as "grifters."

CSI took in $20 million in federal Pell grants and student loans in the 2014-15 award year.

But unlike other for-profit chains, like ITT Tech, that shut down right after losing access to Education Department student aid, CSI is carrying on. And CSI, in fact, opened a brand new campus in Allston, Massachusetts, on September 26.

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What is going on?

As U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), and Tom Carper (D-DE) pointed out in a September 29

to the the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), CSI is still participating in the

:

the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has allowed CSI to continue to participate in the GI Bill program despite a clear provision in law requiring disapproval of any institution which engages in misleading practices...Why, nearly eight months after the Department of Education found that CSI engaged in practices prohibited under [this provision], has the Department of Veterans Affairs not used its authority to remove this company from the GI Bill program?

More importantly, CSI is also one of the biggest beneficiaries of a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) program called the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP), which allows foreign students to attend higher education programs in the U.S. This July 2016 ICE document shows (p. 17) that CSI, with 3186 students, is the fourth biggest participant in the SEVP program for combined academic and vocational education programs, behind only Cornell University, the Houston Community College System, and the University of Iowa.

In fact, CSI primarily markets itself now as a school that provides English language instruction.

But without continued accreditation from ACICS, CSI, already stripped of Department of Education aid, would lose its eligibility for the ICE foreign students program.

Accreditor ACICS acted in April 2016 to "withdraw accreditation by suspension" with respect to four CSI Illinois campuses.

But a statement on CSI's website by CSI's CEO, Julia Lowder, announced that ACICS has now changed course: "On October 3, 2016, the ACICS Review Board of Appeals determined that the ACICS Council must reconsider its withdrawal-suspension action against CSI. I am very pleased with this decision and firmly believe that, when the Council reviews our Institution in December, we will receive a positive action."

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I called ACICS this morning to confirm that it had taken this action. In response to my call, ACICS posted on its website shortly afterwards an October 3 letter from its interim president, Roger Williams, to Lowder. In it, ACICS notes the decision of the body's Review Board to remand the suspension of CSI, and ACICS directs CSI to hire independent companies to verify CSI's job placements, to assign staff to counsel students on job opportunities, and to explain, given that CSI has "taught out [i.e., closed] all of its 'career-based' programs," what exactly it is teaching at its various campuses and how many students are enrolled in each program.

An ACICS source pointed me to the accreditor's July 2016 "Accreditation Criteria" document, available to download on the ACICS website, which explains that the ACICS Review Board consists of "fifteen (15) persons, all of whom have had experience in accreditation." The ACICS source said these individuals are "independent" and not employed by ACICS, but the source declined to tell me who presently serves on the Review Board.

The ACICS Review Board decision seems quite stunning. Via that action, the accreditor, with its back to the wall for its lax oversight of predatory for-profit colleges like Corinthian and ITT Tech, and just days after announcing it would pursue a final desperate appeal to Secretary of Education John King to remain eligible for federal aid, halted its decision to suspend a college chain that has been severely criticized by the Department of Education for alleged fraudulent conduct.

A Department of Education spokesperson said the Department was aware of the ACICS Review Board action, but that the Department has played no role in ACICS decisions on CSI.

Reached by phone earlier today, CSI's CEO Julia Lowder answered my questions thoroughly but declined to be quoted. She said she preferred that I used her written responses to emailed questions, which I provided, with a deadline. She later sought more time, to which I agreed, but that time also has passed. When I get Lowder's responses, I will update.

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UPDATE 10-25-16:

I understand from several sources that CSI is no longer receiving G.I. Bill funding, and I am waiting for confirmation of that information from the VA. One source providing that information is CSI CEO Julia Lowder, who late on October 25 sent me the following statement:

The article contains several statements and claims that are inaccurate, all of which I cannot address in the short time provided. The critical errors, however, are: 1) the suggestion that CSI engaged in fraudulent conduct or that evidence exists of such conduct; 2) the claim that CSI is responsible for the actions of third parties with whom it has no employment or agency relationship; 3) the suggestion that the reason why CSI continues to operate is because of reliance on GI Bill or other federal funding (CSI receives no federal funding); and 4) the inference that ACICS's Review Board in any way acted inappropriately by remanding the original adverse decision to the Council. With respect to your specific questions regarding the ED decision, it goes without saying that CSI strongly disagrees with ED's conclusions and notes that ED based its denial action on claims it made about the accuracy of placement information reported to CSI by two employers of CSI graduates. Note that an independent third-party employment agency randomly selected graduates reported as hired by these employers and verified all the placements. CSI had no relationship with these employers (beyond providing them graduates' referral information as it does for all employers) and did not encourage them to provide incorrect information. They were not agents of CSI and never acted on its behalf. Nevertheless, the actions of those employers were extremely disappointing and CSI has worked and will continue to work with the impacted students (as it does with all students) to try to accomplish their employment goals. We continue to maintain that it was legally unsupportable and fundamentally unfair for ED to attribute the conduct of these third parties to CSI, but the institution is currently focused on maintaining accreditation with ACICS and taking care of current students. As you noted, ACICS has requested certain information, which CSI has provided and will continue to provide on a timely basis. CSI is pleased that the ACICS Review Board has instructed ACICS to reconsider its prior adverse decision. In doing so, the Review Board strictly carried out its obligation consistent with federal recognition law and ACICS accreditation criteria to fairly consider the evidence presented and to provide due process to member institutions. Any suggestion that the Review Board's remand decision is improper or somehow the result of a lack of diligence ignores ACICS's obligations based on accreditation criteria and is simply contrary to the facts. CSI remains worthy of continued accreditation and we hope to have the opportunity to work with ACICS to resolve any open questions regarding compliance with its standards. With respect to your question regarding CSI seeking intervention from ED or other Obama Administration officials regarding ACICS accreditation, we have not sought such intervention and as your article points out, ED had no role in the Review Board's decision to remand. Also note that no CSI students are receiving GI Bill funding. In fact, CSI receives no federal funding.
As we approach the final stretch of the presidential elections, it is important that we take a moment to consider just what is at stake in this election - who goes on to become president will affect everyone in the United States. So far we have seen a campaign that has been filled with hate, bigotry and divisiveness. But after November, the campaigns will be a thing of the past and we will be faced with the reality of a new president. It is a reality that we are all capable of influencing positively come November 8th.

In Donald Trump we have a potential leader who has shown all the hallmarks of someone who is erratic, irresponsible and completely obtuse. He has led a campaign that has sent ripples through American society and has unleashed a destructive wave of hate, bigotry, misogyny and racism that genuinely threatens to become the norm should he become president. And whilst it is true that all the polls are showing a Clinton lead, there should be no doubt on the critical importance to show up and vote for Hillary Clinton.

Hillary offers us a sane and rational voice in what has been a contest dominated by demagoguery and hatred. There are many Americans who are hostile to the idea of voting for Clinton, and these include Democrats who supported Bernie Sanders as well as Muslims, Latinos, and African Americans - many of them intend to vote Jill Stein on Election Day. But we should be under no illusion about the dangers this poses; this is an exceptional presidential battle in US history and the harsh reality is that a vote for Jill Stein is a vote for Donald Trump. We must acknowledge that the only way to stop Trump is to vote Clinton.

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A Trump presidency would give rise to a new misogynistic and bigoted public discourse in America, one that fundamentally disrespects and degrades women in the most humiliating way, and one that looks at immigrants and minorities with suspicion and contempt - the vulgarity of Trump's campaign tactics will end up becoming the norm across American society - Xenophobia, racism, homophobia and Islamophobia will go from the margins of our society to the mainstream, and this will have far-reaching consequences for America at large. It is such things that we must carefully think and question ourselves about; what will be the real impact of a Trump presidency on all of our futures and the futures of our children?

Now is the time for us to show vision and foresight, we must look beyond the campaigns for a moment and understand what Trump actually means, and what kind of impact he will have on our communities and our future. Even if some of us have negative views of Hillary Clinton, we must comprehend and appreciate the unique opportunity we have in a Hillary Clinton presidency. Should she win, people like myself, a Muslim woman, along with millions of others from various communities in the United States, will find ourselves to be accepted, included and represented at the highest levels of our society. Our voices will be heard and our place in wider society will be assured. Should Trump become leader, we will witness the unravelling of decades of social progress that has been made in America; whether it is equality, women's rights, inclusion, and diversity - and it will be replaced by something distinctly more unpleasant.

Hillary Clinton has made it her mission to reach out to communities who are feeling a real sense of fear and anxiety, she has made inclusion, diversity, and acceptance a core part of her campaign narratives - that is something that we as a society cannot ignore, it is absolutely critical that we preserve what we have achieved as a society and build on it for future generations. What's more, Hillary Clinton has responded to Trump's bigotry by doing exactly the opposite; her campaign is perhaps one of the most inclusive I have ever seen in the US - she has made the Muslim, Latino and African American vote a significant part of her electoral plan, and she has filled her campaign team with people from different backgrounds - often only to receive criticism from the right wing press. On the 8th of November, we should all vote with our intellect and our conscience, and carefully think about what kind of future we want for this country.

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Nearly a quarter century later there are still political kernels of wisdom to be harvested from Bill Clinton's improbable, history-making 1992 presidential campaign - wisdom Americans can consider after emerging from their bunkers to survey the smoking, salted ground on November 9th.

A new documentary film, Crashing the Party, etches the biggest lesson of Clinton's candidacy in stark relief - that by eschewing traditional Democratic Party special interests for the needs of working-class voters, Clinton was able to appeal to a much broader swath of the electorate. By taking deliberate aim at the political middle, Clinton defeated a sitting president with high public approval ratings.

The intellectual heft behind Clinton's "New Democrat" message of moderate and pragmatic politics was mined from Al From's Democratic Leadership Council. Crashing the Party ably details how From formed the DLC after unapologetic liberals got their clocks cleaned in multiple presidential elections.

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And when scandal struck the Clinton campaign, the deep underpinning of hard-won support inoculated the campaign from a terminal outcome. Another political lesson lost on the flaming carnival barker Cheeto running for president today, who is currently pulling a Slim Pickens on the Republican Party.

The film also conjures overwhelming parallels between the position the modern GOP will be in after Starship Trump crashes into the sun, and the desert Democrats found themselves wandering in after the Dukakis defeat in 1988. Much of the coverage of Crashing the Party teases out this narrative, too.

But one thread missing from the discussion was what if, as president, Hillary Clinton took the same approach to governing our deeply divided country?

In the aftermath of a presidential election cycle of unprecedented vitriol and peyote button per hour doses of outright lunacy, Hillary Clinton is going to govern a deeply divided and hyperpolarized country. She will also face an entrenched opposition party loaded with calcified hatred of the new president. Is pressing an overt liberal agenda in that environment going to yield any results?

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Even though as a Senator Hillary Clinton was more liberal than President Obama, there are strong indicators she plans to lead from the center. The New York Times' Jonathan Martin sussed out a confirmation of her intentions from the Wikileaks email hack:



Upshot: The Hillary hacks should worry the Bernie wing more than center-right Republicans about how she'll govern

Senator Chuck Shcumer (D-NY) is in line to be the Senator Majority Leader should the Senate flip. In an interview with CNBC's John Harwood, Schumer echoed Crashing the Party's pragmatic message, saying the only hope he has to un-mire Congress is aim his agenda right at the middle (class).

HARWOOD: A lot of Americans are looking at the end of this election and saying, "What is going on?" What do you say to that? SCHUMER: I'd say the number one thing going on is that middle-class incomes are declining. When middle-class incomes decline, America is a different place. In general, we're a bright, sunny, optimistic people. The only time America becomes sour is when middle-class incomes decline.

I was having lunch with two members of Washington DC's lobbyist class recently and was struck by their magnified cynicism. Both are veterans of special interest driven legislative knife fights, and have represented long time Democratic Party allies.

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But the prospect of a Hillary Clinton presidency and the increasing probability that Democrats could gain control of one, if not both houses of Congress, did not make these lobbyists happy. Instead, they say should a house of Congress flip, that it would flip back into GOP hands the very next cycle. What motivation will Republicans have to work with Hillary Clinton when they can just wait until control is returned in 2018?

Crashing the Party does offer an antidote to this cynical malaise. The film details how toxic politics like Trump's harkens back to the Willie Horton days, making voters even more cynical.

"The only way to combat that is to provide a more nourishing product," Bruce Reed former CEO of DLC says in the eerily prescient Crashing the Party. "Solve people's problems and they remember you for it."

After Trump crashes his party, Republicans are going to need the political equivalent of the Jaws of Life to get back in the electoral game.

Hillary Clinton will be dealing with an even greater challenge, and if Crashing the Party is any lesson, will need to aim her governing Jaws of Life at the political middle.
NATO, the alliance informally known as North America and The Others, remains committed to expansion. Powerhouse Montenegro, with 2080 men in uniform, will be the next entrant. Other governments knocking at the alliance door include Finland, Georgia, and Serbia.

Adding these states would violate the purpose of an organization intended to increase American security. Past NATO expansion made the U.S. worse off by multiplying Washington's military guarantees. Newer accessions would do the same, without providing any countervailing benefits. Candidate states range from military nullities, such as Montenegro, to conflict carriers, such as Ukraine.

The transatlantic alliance was created in 1949 to protect war-ravaged Western Europe from the Soviet Union, an opportunistic predator after its victory over Nazi Germany. The threat to America reflected not so much Moscow's control over Eastern and Central Europe as the U.S.S.R.'s role as an ideologically hostile peer competitor.

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The end of the Cold War changed everything. The Soviet subject nations were freed, a humanitarian bonanza. More important, the successor state of Russia went from hostile superpower to indifferent regional power. NATO lost its essential purpose, since the U.S. no longer needed to shield Western Europe from Moscow.

Yet the alliance proved to be as resilient as other government bureaucracies. NATO officials desperately sought new reasons to exist. Explained Vice President Al Gore: "Everyone realizes that a military alliance, when faced with a fundamental change in the threat for which it was founded, either must define a convincing new rationale or become decrepit."

The latter was viewed as inconceivable, not even worth considering. So the alliance expanded both its mission (to "out-of-area" activities) and membership (inducting former Warsaw Pact members). Washington's military obligations multiplied even as the most important threat against it dissipated.

Objections to this course were summarily rejected. Not a single Senator voted against admitting the three Baltic states. Then no one imagined that the U.S. might be expected to fight on their behalf. The alliance was seen as the international equivalent of a gentleman's club, to which everyone who is someone belongs. Those who pointed to possible conflicts with Moscow were dismissed as scaremongers. Expansion was expected to be all gain, no pain.

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Alas, Russia did not perceive moving the traditional anti-Moscow alliance up to its borders as a friendly act. Despite coming from the KGB, Vladimir Putin originally didn't seem to bear the U.S. or West much animus. However, NATO compounded expansion with an unprovoked war against Serbia, a traditional Slavic ally of Moscow, and proposals to include Georgia and Ukraine, the latter which long had especially close historical, cultural, economic, and military ties with Russia. Over time Putin, as well as many of his countrymen, came to view the transatlantic alliance as a threat.

Russia's aggressive confrontation with Kiev set off near panic in Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. They, along with Poland, have been pressing for "their" allied, meaning U.S., garrisons. And the Obama administration obliged, committing $3.4 billion to a "European Reassurance Initiative" and an armored brigade for deployment in Eastern Europe.

Vice President Joe Biden visited the region in August, declaring: "I want to make it absolutely clear to all the people in Baltic states, we have pledged our sacred honor, the United States of America ... to the NATO treaty and Article Five." That is, the Obama administration is prepared to take the nation into war against nuclear-armed Russia over three countries which are irrelevant to U.S. security. Since America's safety should be the most important objective policy of any alliance, NATO membership has turned out to be really stupid policy.

So much for all gain, no pain.

Yet U.S. officials learned nothing from past NATO expansion. Montenegro already has been invited to join. At least it faces no threats, so it isn't likely to drag America into war. The country simply is irrelevant. With just 2080 men under arms, Podgorica won't be rushing troops to America's defense any time soon. Yet Washington undoubtedly will be paying dearly--financial aid to professionalize the Montenegrin military, at least--for the privilege of welcoming the alliance's latest Balkan member.

Who will come next? When it comes to NATO, the aspirants fall among the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly. Counting as good are the most ludicrous ideas, since they aren't likely to occur. For instance, there have been proposals over the years to add Russia (what is an alliance that brings in the country against which it was formed?) and China (what security interests does the rising Pacific power share with the "transatlantic" club?). Had both joined NATO could have been renamed the North Atlantic-North Pacific Treaty Organization.

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Three years ago there was a brief boomlet for Colombia--yes, the country located in the north of South America. That campaign died out: it was a bit hard to imagine, say, the Netherlands rushing troops to save Colombia from an invasion by bankrupt, chaotic Venezuela. Australian accession rated support from Rupert Murdoch a number of years ago. Israel also has its partisans, though as a nuclear-armed regional superpower it doesn't need support from anyone. After the U.S. invasion of Iraq some pundits proposed that nation as well as Egypt, though the catastrophic outcome of America's Mesopotamian invasion appeared to end that campaign.

Counting as bad would be the Balkans, which is filled with more plausible, but equally useless, applicants. Macedonia, with all of 8000 men in uniform, wants in, but has been blocked by Greece, which objects to Skopje using a name associated with the former in ancient times. Bosnia's ambitions remain hindered by internal division and discord. The Serbian government is moving toward NATO, despite that country's traditional friendship with Russia and role as NATO target for 78 days of bombing in 1999.

There is congressional support for Kosovo's membership, a step backed by then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who supported her husband's earlier "splendid little war." Pristina's membership remains hindered by continuing tensions with Serbia, from which Kosovo split with NATO support, and a reputation as a gangster state, run by former terrorists. None of these nations is likely to start a war with Moscow, but none would enhance U.S. security.

Accession by Cyprus has been broached as a means to encourage a negotiated settlement to the island's division, which dates back to alliance member Turkey's 1974 invasion. However, Nicosia's membership would be of little military value, since Russia has no significant naval presence in the Mediterranean and Greece already offers the alliance naval facilities. Turning NATO into an incentive in other geopolitical disputes would further dilute the alliance's defense purpose.

Rather more substantive are candidates Finland and Sweden. Both were neutral during the Cold War, with the former enjoying its independence at Moscow's sufferance. Both have moved closer to NATO in recent years, becoming formal partners (a relationship which can lead to membership) of the alliance. Their militaries aren't significant, but at least the two nations have greater economic sophistication and military potential. Yet they, like the other aspirants, would expand America's security commitments without offering countervailing benefits. Although the likelihood of a Russian attack on either country is de minimis, Moscow almost certainly would respond to their accession with hostility.

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Indeed, the main case for Scandinavian membership is to back up the Baltics. Explained Aaltola Mika of the Finnish Institute of International Affairs, "What is needed from Finland, is for Finland to be able to stop the Russian use of its airspace and maritime areas to support military incursions into the Baltic." But Helsinki would take on Russia only if America was prepared to back Finland in a war. Such a conflict obviously would not be in Washington's interest.

NATO has indicated that its door is open to Ireland, which also long has followed a neutral policy despite (or perhaps because of) its long, difficult relationship with Great Britain. Dublin has participated in NATO-led operations and there is some public support for accession, but the government shows little interest in joining the alliance. And Dublin's participation would do little to augment alliance military capabilities.

Finally, there is the ugly: Georgia and Ukraine, both promised eventual membership in April 2008. Tbilisi long has had its partisans, including the George W. Bush administration, which promised Russia's small neighbor alliance membership. The Europeans always have been less enthusiastic, though they have hesitated admitting that NATO's promise was merely pretense. David J. Kramer and Damon Wilson of the McCain Institute and Atlantic Council, respectively, wrote about "Georgia's frustration," but the latter is of no concern to the U.S. or Europe. So long as alliance membership is about security rather than charity, the issue is the interest of existing members.

And the latter would be foolish to induct Tbilisi. Georgia's ever-irresponsible President Mikhail Saakashvili triggered a short war with Russia in August 2008. Moscow may well have welcomed the opportunity to punish Saakashvili for his anti-Russian perspective, but outside observers reported that Georgian forces started the shooting. Saakashvili is gone--now serving in the Ukrainian government--but his successors also hope to join the alliance. Argued Michael Cecire of the Foreign Policy Research Institute: "Between a pragmatic foreign policy outlook and a capabilities oriented approach to defense, Georgia is slowly but surely overturning a reputation as a liability into that of an asset."

However, to bring such a state, even under presumably more rationale leadership, into NATO would offer America no substantial security benefits: Tbilisi's contributions to U.S. missions to Afghanistan and Iraq were welcome but not worth a military guarantee against Moscow. The fact that "Georgia contributes more to international operations than most existing members of NATO," in Kramer's and Wilson's words, illustrates the paltry nature of others' efforts, not the bountiful role played by Tbilisi. Georgia does not even meet NATO's minimal standard for military spending of two percent of GDP.

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Nothing at stake with Georgia should cause America to risk conflict with Moscow. Putin's Russia looks like pre-1914 Imperial Russia, concerned with international respect and border security. That explains Moscow's aggressive behavior toward Tbilisi, which does not warrant an American willingness to threaten war against a nuclear-armed power. Georgia's advocates warn that the country might move toward Russia if rejected by NATO. Why should that concern Washington?

A majority of Ukrainians have come to favor alliance membership and President Petro Poroshenko said that accession remained a "strategic goal." However, Kiev is an even poorer candidate for membership. Ukraine is involved in an active conflict involving Russia. Fear of NATO acquisition of the Crimean naval base at Sebastopol was an important reason for Moscow's annexation of the former Russian territory. Ukraine matters much more to Moscow than America in every way; as a member of NATO Kiev would pose a potential security threat to Russia. Moscow will take far greater risks and endure far greater costs to achieve its ends. That would not change if Kiev joined NATO; only the dangers for the U.S. would increase.

Of course, the decision on expansion is NATO's alone. Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg declared: "no one else has the right to interfere or try to veto" alliance membership, referring to Russia. However, since NATO is supposed to increase U.S. security, it would be foolish for Washington to ignore Moscow's likely reaction.

The alliance--at least led by the U.S.--is obsolete. The Europeans collectively have a larger economy and population than America, and one vastly larger than Russia. There is no reason for Washington, which is very busy in Asia, the Middle East, and elsewhere, to continue defending its prosperous, populous cousins across the Pond.

At the very least the U.S. should halt NATO expansion. If the European members of the alliance want to defend weak, distant states, that should be their decision and responsibility. However, Washington should declare No Mas! The alliance was created to augment American security. Not risk U.S. lives and resources for no good reason.
ISIS will be defeated in Mosul amid scenes of unprecedented atrocities, those committed during the fighting and those committed by the Jihadists before and just being exposed. There will be victory cries from the Iraqi government, the Obama administration, the Kurdish Peshmerga, the Erdogan government in Ankara, the Mullahs in Tehran, and it will all seem so optimistic and promising. A piece of advice though to those who will care to watch the news after a few days/weeks/months; Mosul will NOT be a reborn paradise, Mosul will be closer to hell than anything else, and another piece of clarification-ISIS are the worst, they need to be defeated and destroyed. That goes without saying, but what is to be remembered from now on is the fact that there is a day after, and this is where the problems will be.

War is a catalyst for change, as we know, and war also leads to unintended consequences, particularly when there are so many parties involved, and more importantly, when some of these parties have conflicting strategic visions about the future. The experience of foreign interventions in Libya and Syria, may serve notice about what to expect now. For Americans, the Iraqi Freedom operation, the invasion of 2003, IS the better reminder of what can happen and what can still and very likely to happen will be another very painful reminder. Context is in dire need here. Mosul and its mountainous surroundings has traditionally been the home of many minorities (A classic book describing that, is H C LUKE, Mosul and its minorities, published in 1926), but never had Shi'ites there. Here is problem number one -- the Iraqi army today is a Shi'ite army, loyal to a Shi'ite government in Baghdad, which in turn is the mouthpiece of Iran. Not a promising prospect, especially as the recent past in Iraq proved, that the chances of sectarian retributions there are so high, in fact, it is an inevitability. Iran having a foothold in Mosul is not welcome news to Turkey under Tayyip Erdoghan, the watchdog of Sunni Muslim interests, but also the natural protector of the rights of the Turkmens of the region [hundreds of thousands of them]. Remember also the historic claim of the newly-founded Turkish Republic to Mosul, which was rejected in 1926 by the League of Nations. There is oil, a lot of it around there, there are Turkish speakers, there are Sunnis, and there is an ambitious Turkish President, who already made statements, indicating the profound Turkish interest. A sure recipe to troubles, and add up to these, the Turkish-Kurdish factor. There is NO common interest of any kind between the goals of the Kurds and Turkey. It is clear in the case of Syria, where the Turks are fighting the Kurds, not ISIS, and it will be clear in Iraq. There is also a major contradiction between Kurdish goals and that of Iran, where 6 million Kurds are systematically oppressed by the Shi'ite Mullahs.[The Kurds are Sunnis]. Temporary alliances on the basis of the enemy of my enemy is my friend, can still emerge in the post-ISIS era in Northern Iraq, but They will not hold water for too long.
We had a TV series in London. One of our fellow TV presenters seriously upset the camera crew when they arrived at his house. He was rude and dismissive, essentially putting himself on a pedestal and treating them like lowly workers.

Minutes later, when the camera was turned on, he became the perfectly smiling spiritual icon he was publicly known to be. But, as the crew told us later, he had already shown them that he didn't walk his talk.

In contrast, Ed was meeting with Jo, our TV producer, in a small London cafe. If you have ever been to London you'll know that in such cafe's the tables are very close. Two well dressed African men sat down next to them, which effectively meant they were sharing the same table.

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Ed asked them where they were from and one said, "South Africa." The man pulled out his business card - his name was Jacob Zuma who, at that time, was the President of the ANC but is now the President of South Africa.

Usually, if you sit next to someone in a big city cafe, they don't even make eye contact, let alone conversation. Jacob had never met Ed before so he could have been distant and polite, he certainly didn't have to talk, let alone maintain communication, which he did over the following few years. He even hugged him!

How we walk our talk shows far more than just our public behavior. Rather, it highlights how we view the world and our place in it. A few days ago a friend was telling us that a business agreement she had been nurturing for over three years had abruptly come to an end.

"He wanted to exclude me from part of the discussion, which I said was absolutely not agreeable. So he said that was that and he got up and left." But instead of being shattered after losing the years of work, she felt a huge relief. He had shown her his true colors. As she said, "He had shown me how he treats the waitress."

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We met with the Dalai Lama at his residence in India. While we waited for the meeting Ed was standing on the veranda, enjoying the beauty of the mountains stretching in front of him, when he saw a monk at the far end of the veranda trying to get his attention by beckoning us to come.

We thought this monk would bring us to our meeting but as we came close to him we realized that he was the Dalai Lama. In traditional Buddhist custom, we immediately began to prostrate but he took our hands and lifted us up, saying, "No, no, we are all equal here."

That teaching stayed with us. As Deb first thought, 'Oh sure! You are the great Dalai Lama, spiritual leader to millions. How can we possibly be equal?'

But over the following months she felt his words in the core of her being and experienced the true equality he was referring to: the equality of our shared humanness and, simultaneously, our shared heart.

The Dalai Lama showed us how he treats a waitress--with the impartiality, consideration and respect that he treats all beings. No matter who we are, whether a street cleaner or a president, we are all equal, here together as one human family.

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Trump: Narcissist or Sociopath, That is the Question

One Act

by Elizabeth Sobieski

Characters:

Lovely NASTY WOMAN #1

EUROPEAN BANKER, Husband of Lovely Nasty Woman #1

Lovely NASTY WOMAN #2

SILENT PARTNER of Nasty Woman #2

Setting:

A chic Greek Restaurant (in any city with an educated populace). Two adjacent white tablecloth-covered square tables are laden with a wide assortment of mezethes.

NASTY WOMAN #1

(toasting her husband with a glass of red wine)

Thank heavens you are back! I so need a distraction from this constant Trumpery!

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EUROPEAN BANKER

In Athens, Paris, and London, the moment they heard I live in the United States, he's all they could talk about. It became rather tiring.

NASTY WOMAN #1, sipping red wine while nibbling on moussaka

(sotto voce to husband)

He's a malignant narcissist!

NASTY WOMAN #2 is seated at an adjacent table.

(She overhears and interrupts the couple.)

How do you know he is not a full-fledged sociopath?

NASTY WOMAN #1

I'm a therapist! He's too stupid to be a sociopath!

EUROPEAN BANKER

I didn't know sociopaths had to be smart.

NASTY WOMAN #1

Well, I guess they don't have to be, but they generally are.

NASTY WOMAN #2

He reminds me of Jerry Springer, if Jerry Springer ran for President. A tacky TV guy.

NASTY WOMAN #1

Jerry Springer would actually be better. At least he's experienced. He was, after all, the mayor of Cincinnati. And he has a law degree.
Recently the Communications Workers of America - the union that represents T-Mobile employees -- contested a T-Mobile Employee Handbook clause on maintaining a positive work environment. The clause reads as follows: "[e]mployees are expected to maintain a positive work environment by communicating in a manner that is conducive to effective working relationships with internal and external customers, clients, co-workers, and management." Their reasoning was that - if employees are discontent - they need to be able to freely air that displeasure. The U.S. National Labor Relations Board agreed with them, ruling in favor of the union. "It's official: employers can't force you to be happy. Hallelujah," cried the Guardian.

Clearly, employees in unfair working conditions need to be able to dissent, and criticism and disagreement are part of any office. However, some companies have taken this idea to extreme levels. The Wall Street Journal reports that "front-stabbing" is being embraced by managers tired of "dancing around the issue." Val DiFebo, CEO of Deutsch's New York office, understands such confrontation as "more big-hearted and caring ... than going behind someone's back." Certainly a culture that involves back-stabbing is not a good option; however, front-stabbing may not be much better.

The movement toward radical frankness emerges out of the false assumption that having a supportive workplace is antithetical to honest, straightforward, no-nonsense feedback. And the backlash against positive workplaces arises from the equally false assumption that being happy at work means being "relentlessly positive all the time" as the Guardian put it.

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However, not only can feedback given in a supportive way be honest, it is immeasurably more effective than blunt criticism in three critical ways: It motivates performance, is less likely to be misinterpreted, and uplifts rather crushing employees.

Kim Scott, who worked directly for Sheryl Sandberg at Google, recounts a time when Sandberg gave her candid feedback on her presentation mannerisms: "When you say 'um' every third word, it makes you sound stupid." For Scott, it was a turning point. But the reason Scott could take that feedback so well was that "I knew that she cared personally about me. She had done a thousand things that showed me that." In sum, "candor" and "positive" are not antithetical. Research shows that honest and candid feedback, when given in a supportive way, foster higher performance and employee resilience. When given in a harsh and denigrating way, it destroys motivation and engagement.

Moreover, we know that a positive work environment leads to greater productivity, lower turnover, and better health outcomes, while creating an environment that is hostile, anxiety-provoking, and negative leads to lower productivity, performance, creativity, and engagement. Psychological safety improves learning and performance outcomes, and, as research by Amy Edmondson of Harvard demonstrates, is created when leaders are inclusive, humble, and encourage their staff to speak up or ask for help. An oppressive culture simply cannot -- over the long run -- lead to generative results.

Here are three, research-backed rules of thumb to help managers can deliver constructive and candid feedback without "front-stabbing":

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Deliver more positive than negative feedback. High-performing organizations deliver roughly five times as many positive statements (supportive, appreciative, encouraging) to every one negative statement (critical, disapproving, contradictory). This is because bad is stronger than good; our brains focus on negative feedback more than positive feedback. (You know this if you've ever had one bad conversation ruin your whole day.) Positive communication correlates with much higher worker engagement, our research suggests. You can correct your employees, even criticize or confront them, but you want to do so in a positive context. That is when you will see the best results and maintain morale and engagement.

Focus on communicating your colleague's strengths, unique contributions, and best-self demonstrations. Traditionally, we tend to focus on giving employees critical feedback. However, by focusing on their weaknesses, we only create competence. By focusing on their strengths, we create excellence. Be as specific about positive feedback as you are about negative feedback. We usually gloss over the strengths, mentioning them briefly but then focus in much greater detail on the critical feedback. Remember to add examples and details to your positive feedback.

Emphasize collaboration and commonalities. Try to stay objective when you speak about the negative event. Describe the problematic situation (rather than evaluating it), identify objective consequences or your personal feelings associated with it (rather than placing blame); and suggest acceptable alternatives (rather than arguing about who is right or at fault).

For a case study of how this can work in practice, consider Eileen Fisher, whose 800-person retail company generated $300 million in 2015. She attributes part of her success to positive communication. "I try to listen and be open to people. I invite others to share what they really think and feel by being open about my own thoughts and feelings. I approach questions with openness and a curiosity about what people actually think. I try to be kind no matter what. There is more collaboration when you come from kindness."

Fisher shared an anecdote in which she approached a problematic situation in this way: "There are many examples where people with differing perspectives needed to work together. Recently, there was a situation where two employees were having a difficult time understanding each other -- there was resistance to working together. I spoke to each of them separately and shared what I saw as the gifts, talents and good intentions of the other. I invited them to get together and just listen - be open, try to support, just 'be with' the other. The result was that they both felt really good about their connection. And that's where something happens. Through connection comes creativity. And creativity is where opportunities open up."

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If you want to implement more positive communication, the data shows that you must do so sincerely and authentically -- otherwise it can have the reverse effect. Applying a technique disingenuously produces cynicism and defensiveness. Fisher shares that she encourages a positive and compassionate workplace "by modeling my own vulnerability and authenticity. I share my feelings and fears and believe in speaking to what is true. It's amazing to see the ideas and energy that surface by telling people the truth. You tap into this collective drive. You're able to come together and move things forward."

Leaders who want to get results should thus pay more attention to the critical importance of creating psychologically safe work environments by emphasizing positive, authentic communication. You can be both candid and caring.

--

This article originally appeared at Harvard Business Review on May 31st, 2016, in collaboration with Kim Cameron.


How can snacks and their packaging be designed so that blind persons cannot only know what they are buying and eating, but also bolster their autonomy and their desire to make food a part of a shared experience? What kind of affordable, easy-to-use, healthy and sustainable dairy products can provide an adequate intake of vitamin A to pregnant women? (A hint: think about carrots...) How can communities in the countryside protect the bees in their areas, ensuring the pollination of their crops while manufacturing value-added goods, from propolis to honey wine? These were some of the projects that young designers presented during the fourth meeting of the Latin American Network of Food Design, organized in Ensenada, Baja California, by its founder and president Pedro Reissig, by Victoria Molina from the organization's Mexico branch, and by Damian Valles, the founder and leader of Amar Abierto, the association that spearheaded the inclusion of Ensenada in the UNESCO network of creative cities of gastronomy.

After attending its second meeting, which took place in Bogota, Colombia two years ago, I was quite amazed by the maturity of the Latin American network of food design. Delegates from several national nodes attended, each contributing specific experiences and reflections that ranged from academic to professional. This year Mexico, Costa Rica, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay and Chile were represented, some of them for the first time, showing how the network is expanding in breadth but also in depth. In fact, diverging approaches to food design have emerged, from more artistic to more production-oriented, from technological to those inspired by activism and social justice. The discussions were inevitably quite lively, but always respectful of the different points of view.

This variety of perspectives and practices is a testament to the vitality of the relatively new field of food design in Latin America, a huge geographical area. Despite sharing a common language and a past shaped by European colonialism, Latin America is incredibly varied and always in transformation, generating powerful and creative cultural, social, and political movements which are inevitably reflected in their arts and design. In contexts scarred by profound inequalities, the throes of guerrillas and criminal violence, institutional upheaval, and the consequences of neoliberalism in terms of trade and internal policies, food is not only a crucial element in everyday life, but it acquires profound symbolic and emotional values.

With the goal of improving the quality of life for as many citizens as possible, food sovereignty movements and solidarity initiatives in Latin America clash with market economies as they push design towards constant innovation. As a matter of fact, food turns into a relevant arena for considerations of human rights and citizenship, where ideas about who belongs and who is left on the sidelines of civil society are constantly negotiated. This background forces food designers, whatever their sensibilities may be, to take into account strategic and systemic issues that in other continents are less central to the development of the new discipline. The fourth meeting of the Latin American network of food design clearly indicated that even the most artistic and business-inflected design projects can never totally ignore the stark realities of the environments in which they exist. Collaborations with farmers, food producers, culinary arts experts, and chefs are essential in bringing food design endeavors to fruition, often generating connections that encourage and support sustainability, participation, and economic development, especially in rural environments. However, this engagement with serious issues and public life does not preclude the enjoyment of food from the sensual and communal points of view, which in fact can assume a transformative role.

Diversity and resistance to various forms of oppression generate a unique ecology of practical expertise and theoretical knowledge. Food design in Latin America is growing not only as an area of academic research and professional practice, but also as a transnational and multidisciplinary community of groups and individuals who are deeply involved and committed to collaboration. A community also characterized by a bold and infectious vitality - animo, as they say in Spanish.
Adaptions are tricky.

In the case of The Cherry Orchard, the Broadway revival now at the American Airlines Theater, the key is to retain sympathy for Chekhov's characters -- decadent aristocrats, materialistic bourgeoisie, student revolutionaries and serfs -- while retaining empathy for their specific circumstances.

Actress Ranevskaya (a centered Diane Lane), the self-absorbed lady of the bankrupt manor, and her brother Gaev (John Glover), are forced to sell their estate and beloved orchard. Aristocratic wealth and power are changing; a middle-class is slowly emerging.

Chekhov portrays the socio-economic class wars at a crucial crossroads in Russian history. Ranevskaya, who has returned from Paris, misses her childhood home, but is ill-equipped financially to save it. Neither can Gaev, an eccentric more obsessed with billiards than the bottom line.

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It is Ranevskaya's children, Anya (Tavi Gevinson) and Varya (Celia Kennan-Bolger), who will pay the higher price for parental ineptness. So, ultimately will Firs (Joel Grey), an elderly servant nostalgic for grander times.

Yet in this updated version, the empathy is absent; and the 21st-century script underwhelms. Stephen Karam's revamp robs it of emotional depth, while Lopakhin, a business man eager to buy the estate, is played by Harold Perrineau like an aggressive Manhattan broker pressuring a client to close a deal.

In short, Karam lacks subtlety, which lessens the overall emotional impact of Chekhov's masterwork, this time rendered by a multiracial cast.

Revising period pieces can bring added meaning to a new generation of theatergoers. True, Chekhov's language can be tough and names confusing, but this production, despite Lane's best efforts, is stripped of its essence. That leaves both audience and orchard decimated.

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On a more upbeat note, The New Victory Theater is staging a super creative and joyful Mr. Popper's Penguins, based on the 1938 book. Mr. and Mrs. Popper live in the town of Stillwater. Mr. Popper is a friendly house painter, who quietly bemoans his drab life. The one bright spot: He is enthralled by explorers, especially Admiral Drake, stationed in the South Pole.

One day, Mr. Popper writes him a fan letter. A few weeks later, Mr. Popper receives a surprise package -- a penguin he dubs Captain Cook. Captain Cook is growing, but his health is failing. The solution? Get him a mate -- and the Popper household is never the same!

Brought to the stage by the UK's Pins and Needles Productions, Mr. Popper's Penguins is a 55-minute musical romp. It's funny, warm and unbelievably touching. It whimsically proves families come in all shapes and sizes, as do dreams.

That's easy to understand, given the first-rate cast: Lucy Grattan (Greta/Admiral Drake), Toby Manley (Captain Cook/Mr. Greenbaum), Russell Morton (Mr. Popper) and Roxanne Palmer (Mrs. Popper)

Charmingly directed by Emma Earle, designed by Zoe Squire and featuring Nick Barnes' brilliant puppetry design, Mr. Popper's Penguins is a great way to introduce children to the theater. Its captivating presentation will leave the kids wanting more.

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Also found in the never-enough category: George Gershwin. Specifically, The National Chorale and The National Chorale Orchestra's A Gershwin Celebration at Lincoln Center on Oct. 20. It's unusual to hear Gershwin's glorious Broadway numbers, such as "Let's Call The Whole Thing Off" and "Stairway to Paradise," in chorale mode.

And it takes some adjusting -- but it worked.

Led by Everett Mccorvey, the orchestra magnificently performed "Rhapsody in Blue," a reminder of how remarkable the music was and is. (Gershwin had an interest in arranging the piece for full symphonic chorus and even wrote a few parts for a wordless choir before his untimely death.)

The second act, specific selections from Porgy and Bess, Gershwin's famed folk opera, was moving and memorable, thanks to excellent solos by Karen Slack, Robert Mack, Janinah Burnett and Kenneth Overton.

Don't miss the remaining 2016 concerts for National Chorale: Beethoven's Symphony No. 9, The annual Handel's Messiah Sing-In and Mozart's Requiem.
The Greek Way, Edith Hamilton's celebrated study of the Golden Age of Classical Greece, was the class text for the first nine weeks of our senior English humanities course. A modern classic that has inspired generations of students since its appearance in 1930, it is an interpretive work as is its companion study, The Roman Way (1932), both of which are popular introductions to these dissimilar cultures.

Published over 85 years ago at the outset of the Great Depression and later expanded during World War II, it also spoke to the times as cultural uplift by offering a sustaining vision of the enduring values and timeless ideals of Western democracy as founded by the Athenians in the 5th century BCE.

It is a book that grew from a lifetime immersion in Greek antiquity, but like all such works that are labors of love, it is not without its limitations. It is a celebratory work which tends to idealize the Greeks while passing over in silence the darker side of their culture, an omission easily remedied in class discussion. It is not, nor was it intended to be, a work of erudite scholarship, but a deeply-felt personal vision that distills the essence of classical Greece for the general reader.

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There were more recondite texts at the time on specialist problems with technical footnotes for professional readers, but none that explained why the Greeks mattered, or what they could teach us about ourselves. Or what they could say to our modern world that seemed to be coming apart both at home and abroad. Or how to explore the eternal questions of what it meant to be human, of living a life of honor and dignity, of meaning and purpose, in a time that threatened not only their humanity but their very existence during the Persian and Peloponnesian Wars.

However, it is not their answers that are important, as interesting as they may be, but the way they arrived at those answers. They looked out upon a mysterious universe and, in the silence, created their own answers in a way that had never been done before -- by having the courage of using their minds. And, with this, antiquity and the future were changed forever.

The Greeks were a very self-critical people and wouldn't want us to make them our gods, our idols, or authority figures, but to create our own answers and to find our own way, and to beware of authorities who would show us that way.

If pressed, they might add that they never appealed to their past for their answers, nor should we, but to believe in ourselves, use our minds, and the answers would come. They might even remind us, whimsically, that our appealing to the Greeks was the supreme betrayal of the Greeks, for if they hadn't taught us independence -- even from themselves, they had taught us nothing.

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As an impassioned tribute to this singular people and their undying legacy to Western culture, this book is unrivaled as an initiation into the Greek vision of life that tells a compelling story compellingly. It dramatizes nothing less than the creation of the Western mind and its perennial romance with ideas and a Promethean struggle down through the ages against entrenched power and privilege.

Emerson, as ever, sums it up nicely: "Beware when the great God lets loose a thinker on this planet," but when he unleashed the Greeks upon an unsuspecting ancient world, it was never the same. Even the latter books of the Jewish Bible and the Christian New Testament bore the stamp of their thinking.

There are several books on classical Greece that teach more history, more facts, and more technical knowledge, but none are as apt to transform high-school students both as students and persons growing up as they do in a culture that cares so little for learning and the life of the mind. It is one of those books that a young Kafka, barely out of his teens himself, said we need as an ax for the frozen sea within us.

I began using the text in 1984 to provide the cultural background for written assignments and class discussions, the signature feature of the course. Students were cautioned not to be intimidated by this book, but to hold it at arm's length, as they should with every class text, and subject it to critical scrutiny.

It was stressed that it was only an interpretation, an excellent one, to be sure, one beautifully written, but, nonetheless, an interpretation, one among many, by a fallible human being, as all authors are.

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Students were invited to use it as a whetstone on which to sharpen the critical-thinking skills they were also learning. They were encouraged to argue with the text, evaluate its value judgments, weigh its assumptions, and question its conclusions. They had carte blanche to challenge whatever they wished.

They were to read each chapter slowly and carefully, perhaps even twice, and that their responses would be judged by their depth of analysis, independence of judgment, and penetration of insight; in short, the text must be made to plead its case before that highest of authorities, their own minds. Each chapter's questions, in bold print below, were to be answered and submitted in writing, and a few days later critically discussed with additional questions.

Chapter 1.

1. Why are the Greeks called "the first Westerners," and how did the West differ from the East?

Are the reasons given by the author plausible? Do they reflect Western cultural bias toward the East?

It was pointed out that, contrary to the text, historians believe that only a small minority of the Greeks were devoted to the philosophical life, while the majority was no different from other peoples of antiquity concerned with survival, traditional in thinking, and lacking leisure for the examined life.

Do those who live in the Western world today identify more with that minority or majority? Explain. How would that minority respond to the question of whether it is wrong to question the beliefs and values in which one was raised? What reasons would they give?

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We then explored dozens of sociological and psychological factors that predispose one to believe as one does; whether it's possible to free oneself from such conditioning; how one would go about doing this; and whether one would pay a price in the process.

What would be the traditional argument against developing one's mind and remaining with the views of one's group? What are the advantages and disadvantages of doing this?

2. Why was the visible world unimportant in antiquity?

Is the reason given convincing? Can you think of other reasons? Are there those today who also don't view this world as important? If so, what would their reasons be? Would this be a healthy viewpoint or a sign of great wisdom? Argue both ways.

3. How did misery affect the development of reason and the desire to learn among the ancient Egyptians?



Do you agree or disagree with the reasons given? Is anyone blamed for this condition? Do people today fear knowledge, free inquiry, and open discussion? And if so, why? Does modern culture encourage thinking for oneself or group-think? Argue both ways.

What about schools?

During the nine weeks students were working on their Greek Way assignments, they also received instruction in critical thinking (fallacy detection; statement classification or how to tell the difference between facts, value judgments, explanatory theories, and metaphysical hypotheses; how to deal with each kind of statement to determine which can and cannot be proven, and why; and ways of refuting an argument).

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This in-class workshop and its 15 take-home assignments were integrated into the course in such a way that students could immediately apply these newfound skills to their Greek Way assignments and class discussions. It goes without saying that this critical mindset was taken into other courses and began to permeate their everyday life.



4. How did the Egyptian priesthood view knowledge?

Is the explanation given objective or speculative in nature? How could Hamilton know the priests' motivations? Why would priests or anyone in power not want their people to read or be educated? Argue the converse. What is the difference between being educated and being indoctrinated? "One man's education is another man's indoctrination." Explain.

5. Why did Akhenaton lose favor with the priests?

Is Akhenaton portrayed as a hero or villain? Argue the converse of Hamilton's view. Was he trying to impose his views on the people? Role-play the priests and give their side of the story. Does the text present an objective or biased account? Is there any way of determining this? Could the priests have been sincere and well-meaning? Can the intentions of those in the past be determined if no written records survive? Should we take written records at face value?

6. Why didn't science arise in the East?

Are the reasons given convincing? Can you think of other possible reasons? Is this section also culturally biased toward the East? How would the East respond to her claim? Hamilton implies that science developed without difficulty in the West, although historians claim that Christianity was anti-science until recent times. Agree or disagree, and give your reasons.

7. Why was the study of mathematics considered safe in Egypt?

Do the reasons given sound plausible? Who considered mathematics safe and other kinds of inquiry dangerous? Is this still a problem today? Do governments, institutions, and the media have a problem with certain issues and questions, and refuse to discuss them?

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Are the people systematically kept in the dark concerning matters about which they have a right to know? If so, give some examples, possible reasons, and evaluate them.

8. Who were the Brahmans, and why are they mentioned?

Are they presented in a positive, negative, or neutral way? What impression does Hamilton want you to have about them? Who are the Brahmans in American society? How do they see themselves? Do they feel a moral obligation to help the poor? Does government have a similar obligation? It is argued by some that the poor deserve to be poor because they are lazy. Evaluate this claim.

9. Why didn't India view social improvement as necessary?

The text suggests that India, and, by implication, Egypt and the East, viewed social improvement as unnecessary, but the same argument could also be leveled against the West as witnessed by centuries of widespread poverty. This was the case not only in antiquity, but also throughout history into modern times and present-day America.

How would you explain such conditions in first-world countries today? Who would stand to gain by being against social improvement in their own country? How would they justify to themselves and to others what they were doing?

The text also insinuates that the doctrine of reincarnation was used by the haves against the have-nots to condition them to view this world as unimportant, since it was only the stage on which they were being morally tested. If they led good lives despite the poor conditions within which they lived, they would be reincarnated to a better life in their next existence.

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This would make social improvement unnecessary, since life, after all, was supposed to be hard to purify oneself for one's next life; more importantly for the haves, class conflict and revolution would have been averted. This would be to their advantage by keeping the poor content with their lot despite the social injustice they were made to endure.

Evaluate this theory. Do you agree or disagree, and why?

Finally, there are those who would see this kind of thinking as an example of the genetic fallacy, or the fallacy of origins, whereby one confuses the origins of a belief with the truth of that belief. In this case, the historical origin (poverty, disease, hopelessness, and ignorance) that led to the belief in reincarnation is assumed to disprove the truth of that belief itself.

The problem, however, is that the question of the truth of reincarnation and the historical conditions that gave rise to this belief are two separate issues, which the fallacy reduces to one. It is simply assumed that if the conditions that caused a belief can be historically explained, the truth of that belief is explained away. What is overlooked, however, is that the belief in reincarnation, even if it did arise for those reasons, could still be true.
Against the backdrop of colorful dresses reserved for special occasions, the drums blared, the community sang, and the kids eagerly listened for the details of when they could begin enjoying classes in their Building Tomorrow primary school in Kyambogo, Uganda. The celebration--commemorating the ground breaking on the organization's 50th site in Uganda--was full of exuberance, jubilation and reflection.

Ten years in, Building Tomorrow, along with its partners, has undoubtedly made an impact here. More than 10,000 students have been enrolled or re-enrolled in primary-level studies as a result of the organization's efforts in construction and through our Building Tomorrow Fellows program. These milestones are a testament to a relentless and resourceful team wholeheartedly convinced education has the potential of altering the trajectory of underserved children.

Yet I can't shake a line I learned five years ago sitting in a similar situation. Henry, our head Community Development Officer, delighted upon hearing that we would soon invest in some light construction equipment, looked at me with a smile so wide and vivid I can still see it.

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"Thank you, but more."

Today, it is a line Henry and I will often joke with one another about each time we see one another. But sitting amongst our team at Kyambogo, it hit me that it's a line we must find a way to help the world to take more seriously. Especially the end. But more.

For some time, organizations like ours have been pressed to 'create an impact.' We replaced annual reports with impact reports, we track data sets that prove our intervention's success and we relate anecdotes from the field. We've scaled our growth by many measures and as a result have reached even more communities. And at the end of the day, when the dust settles, 'creating an impact' will forever be a mere rest stop on the way to actually solving a problem.

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Solving this problem requires much more. It requires more investment in public-private partnerships, more political will on the part of leaders at the local and national level, and more heels digging in for work unable to be achieved overnight. It demands more acceptance of education as a human right to be afforded every child no matter their gender or disability, more priority as a global key to prosperity, and more support for a field that currently receives less than 2% of all humanitarian aid.

For every community such as Kyambogo that we reach, we estimate there to be dozens more without access to even the most of schooling. And while starting work on Building Tomorrow's 50th school brings great joy to a proud team, there's far, far more work ahead.
You never know where you'll find incredible dining in Los Angeles. Sometimes, it's in a strip mall in a nondescript part of town, sometimes it's in a pop-up in an abandoned warehouse downtown. And then, there are the jaw-dropping experiences that you can only find in an establishment that has the ambience to complement the meal.

Below are a trio of eateries that are a cut above the rest. One is quite literally above all others, another features a regional comfort food that can only be described as "elevated," and the other is located in what is perhaps the summit of culinary L.A. These three restaurants are at the top of every food lover's list of current hot spots.

71 Above

You'll need a reservation and some extra time to ascend to this amazing spot above downtown, nay, above all of L.A. Check in at the base of the U.S. Bank Tower before rocketing up two elevators to the 71st floor

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Before you take your seat, stroll around the chic dining room, designed by architectural firm Tag Front. The space features floor-to-ceiling windows, an open kitchen and panoramic view of the entire city and the wasteland beyond (no offense intended, wastelanders). Set your reservation for about 6:30 or 7 p.m. to watch the sun set over the Pacific.



The view from 71 Above - Photo by Gina Hall

The three-course prix-fixe menu features an ample amount of options for any palate, it's not one of those chicken-or-fish deals that is more appropriate for a budget wedding than a night on the town. Chef Vartan Abgaryan (of Cliff's Edge fame) offers up several top-notch seasonal dishes from which to choose.

Nothing will get your taste buds ready faster than a pair of oysters-on-the-half-shell topped with uni, caviar, tarragon and champagne. Wow. For your second course, I highly recommend the burst of flavor that is the agnolotti, topped with corn, black truffle, lime, sheep's milk Ricotta and Parmigiano-Reggiano. Feeling decadent? Consider the foie gras served with terrine, beets, pistachio, Tonka bean and rustic bread.



Oysters topped with uni, caviar, tarragon and champagne - Photo by Gina Hall

The entree course will give you the most trouble because there are so many interesting choices. I opted for the savory young chicken, a breast and thigh with foie gras and black truffle, and asparagus. My date, who can't resist artichokes, went the vegetarian route with a quartered artichoke served with fennel and gnudi (Ricotta dumplings).

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Dessert isn't included in the prix fixe, but when you're 71 stories above Los Angeles, calories don't seem to matter that much. Pastry Chef Gregory Baumgartner offers four enticing choices, but since I can't say no to chocolate, I can easily suggest the Cremeux served with burnt yogurt sorbet. The suggested pairing with the Madeira should actually be mandatory.

Norah

Want to impress a hardcore foodie? Norah. This is a meal they'll talk about for months. The West Hollywood hotspot is currently serving one of the best brunches in the city. In any city, really.

The open dining room designed by Thomas Schoos, features plenty of wood, natural and Edison-bulb lighting, and even a couple of small trees among the tables. The marble bar is a great spot to grab a casual bite. If you're feeling social, take a spot at one of the long communal tables. Of course, there are plenty of two-, four- and six-top tables for a more intimate affair.

The brunch cocktails are unique and refreshing. I recommend starting with the Morning Spritzer -- a combination of Aperol, Vermouth Bianco, aromatic wine, peach, lemon and sparkling wine.



Tomatos fresh from the farmers market at Norah - Photo by Gina Hall

Chef Mike Williams' cuisine has been described as rustic American or what many of us would simply call "Southern." You could even call it Southern Comfort, but that's something else -- something more likely to cause a hangover than cure one. Start with the cast-iron cornbread, which I have to admit is some of the best cornbread I've ever had (and I'm from corn-fed Indiana). It's served with a rosemary honey butter, which is so delicious that you have to actively refrain from swirling your finger around the dish to get one final taste.

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Norah's cornbread - Photo by Gina Hall

From there, move on to one or two of the more robust offerings. The breakfast sandwhich is a classic -- a fried egg with delicious housemade sausage, cheddar and maple glaze. Looking for something more substantial? Go with the fried chicken sandwich, which looks deceptively simple, but is bursting with flavor. The thing that makes it go zing? Artisanal pickles.

Want a dish that's out of the ordinary? Try the duck confit hash, which could be the fanciest way on a Sunday morning to cure the consequences of a foggy Saturday night. The juicy duck, Yukon Gold potatoes and roasted vegetables combine nicely with the juicy yolk of a poached egg. Williams adds just the right amount of heat to the dish with chili sauce.

Georgie

Whether taking a meeting or wowing an out-of-town guest, Georgie, located at the Montage in the heart of Beverly Hills, epitomizes the modern-day power lunch. John and Christine Gachot of Gachot Studios designed the space, which many will fondly remember as the home of Scarpetta.

Take a table in the modern upscale indoor dining room or on the bustling see-and-be-seen patio, where the air is filled with kisses and talk of movie deals.

Geoffrey Zakarian, who you've likely seen on Chopped and Next Food Network Star, oversees the modern American menu, which has something for just about every appetite. Start by sharing a cheese board with your companion, featuring both hard and soft cheeses with seasonal accompaniments.



Even a casual bite offers a glimpse of the exotic. Get the sensational squash soup, which includes a bite of a Dungeness crab-stuffed zucchini blossom topped with cilantro yogurt and Fresno chili. Move on to the savory short rib ravioli served with Hen-of-the-wood mushrooms.

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It has been said that the future is not to be predicted; it is to be created. A predictable future would be a sad thing, because we would already know what was coming and feel powerless to change course. Today's way of doing business will be the same as tomorrows. Were that the case, the consequences could be catastrophic for the entire economic and ecological system.

We stand at the intersection of a system-level split of consciousness, facing either breakdown or breakthrough. The future is open to creation; to choosing something different from what you witness today. Future-creation is sourced in innovation, both profound and embracing. But first, there is a need to master the split in consciousness.

The challenge of a split in consciousness

A split in consciousness exposes a radical leap in the evolutionary trajectory of a system. A system evolves along certain lines, which can often be measured in terms of energy, size, complexity, or some other parameter. It evolves along its historic trajectory with minor fluctuations until the moment is reached when a linear evolution is no longer possible. It is at the point of the split, that the system either transforms or collapses.

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The concept comes from the theory of complex systems, and it applies equally to human societies and humanity as a whole. The split, known as bifurcation, is marked by a nonlinear system-level transformation. Bifurcation is one of the laws of complexity and it occurs in the evolutionary trajectory of nearly all complex systems.

The challenge is to select the path of transformation rather than that of extinction. Business stands in the split: doomed for extinction or transformed.

Basic conditions of life in the world

Systems have a universal tendency to "run down". Countering that tendency requires constant regulation of the energy required for existence. Functioning in a physical environment costs energy, which needs to be balanced. Complex systems are self-regulatory and not stable because they constantly attune themselves to the requirements of life by regulating the flows required for existence. These flows are, at best, dynamically stable, revealed by patterns emergent from the flow of energy, matter, and information.

Humans are a good example. The temperature of an organism, its sugar concentration, rate of heartbeat, and dozens of other parameters fluctuate around certain norms. In a healthy viable organism the fluctuations are stabilized to achieve health. The healthy norm in humans is 36.6 degrees Celsius. If body temperature descends beyond this value, autonomous processes (such as shivering) begin, and conscious measures are initiated (such as dressing oneself more warmly).

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Sustaining the existence of multi-organic systems - like a company

Systems made of biological systems--social or sociocultural systems--are governed by norms, but these norms are cultural. Culture is made up of values, beliefs, shared, developed and adopted preferences, laws, and directives that define how the system functions - like an operating system for the sociocultural interactions. Culture, as a sociocultural system, is changeable and can evolve along pathways of viability. Companies function as networks of systems, with the power to change or renew to keep attuned to the environment.

Flaws of the current humanity-driven system

The system collating all the sociocultural systems on this planet is the humanity-system however it is flawed since it renders the functioning of the system unsustainable. For humans to persist, the dominant culture must shift. Since the operative norms of the system are changeable, it is possible.

In most parts of the world the dominant culture is the culture of modernity. It originated in Europe at the dawn of the Modern Age and then spread to America and the rest of the world. This culture is not aligned with sustainable norms of life in the biosphere because it divorced itself from the rest of the living world. It operates in view of only maximizing the good of select groups on the basis of narrow and short-term assessments, disregarding the good of the rest. Take, for example, economics. For contemporary economists the whole system, which is the network of life on the planet, is only "nature" or "the environment"-- viewed as a subsystem. The whole system for modern economics is restricted to the system of the production and exchange of real and virtual goods. People and communities no longer belong to the system of life on the planet - they are only rational interest-maximizing actors in the system of production and exchange. This turns the real world upside down.

This flawed perception of reality threatens the whole web of life on the planet. Every biological system must maintain itself in harmony with every other system, and ultimately with the whole system of which it is a part. In the language of science, harmony means coherence. Every system needs to be internally coherent, so that every part of it is actively connected with every other part, and all the parts together are tuned to maintaining the system in its environment. The biological system is required to be extrinsically coherent: in tune with its environment, which is the web of life on the planet. The same requirement applies to systems made up of social and sociocultural systems. All systems in the biosphere need to be intrinsically as well as extrinsically coherent. In one word, they must be supercoherent; the basic condition to sustain existence. Supercoherence is a precondition of sustained functioning for every complex system, whether it is an amoeba, a mouse, a human being, or an integral grouping of amoebae, mice, humans or a community of humans (company).

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A concise diagnosis - Is business-as-usual like cancer?

The humanity-system has lost its supercoherence and integrity. Human societies are coherent only in the short term, only in some parts and only with some elements of the web of life. There is separation between the economy, business, culture and education, and even science and technology. Each has subsystems, which are neither working together nor working in harmony with the wider environment. When the subsystems of a system are coherent only inside, they may endanger or catalyze the collapse of whole system. It mimics cancer. Cancerous subsystems are internally coherent and replicate themselves while destroying the coherence of the larger system of which they are a part. Traditional business consciousness functions as a cancer to the entire humanity-system.

Until the dawn of the modern age most societies were significantly coherent not only within themselves, but also with their environment. They were not parasites and cancers that threaten the systems framing their collective existence. Today powerful subsystems endanger the entire humanity system by concentrating wealth and power for themselves, impoverishing and marginalizing the rest.

Despite being known as the private sector, garnering wealth for itself, no sector can be "private" in the sense of privatus, which in Latin means "withdrawn from public life." A system that garners wealth for itself In the contemporary humanity-system all individuals and groups are "public": they are connected with, and belong to, the publicus, "the people." The humanity-system, being interdependent, interacting, and highly interconnected and intercommunicating system means no individual, no company, and no state is or can be sovereign. Sovereignty pertains only to the whole system, which is the global Gaia system.

A perspective on the cure - Recovering supercoherence

If we are to create a more sustainable and flourishing future, we have to ensure the internal coherence of all human beings on the planet, and likewise the coherence with the larger system of individuals and groups of individuals. This is a large but not an impossibly large order. It is possible for us to recover our internal as well as external coherence--our supercoherence.

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Recovering our supercoherence means rediscovering the cultural norms of our existence on the planet. Actively seeking and adopting these norms is the practical task of globally thinking individuals, and groups of individuals. These norms have been suppressed and ignored, but not lost. They are present in the consciousness of all healthy people. We are all intrinsic parts of the humanity-system; an intrinsic part of the global Gaia-system. We can recover these norms from the realm of instincts and intuitions, observe and articulate them, and adopt them as basic guides and inspirations for thinking and acting.

The bottom line is this. We either learn to live in harmony with all creation on this planet, or we risk leaving the stage of history. That would surely be a pity, for systems of the level of evolution of human beings must be rare in the universe, even if not necessarily unique. Safeguarding the humanity-system and contributing to its evolution on this planet could be of cosmic interest. Be that as it may, it is clearly in the most immediate and enlightened human interest. It is a goal that merits pursuing with unconditional love and dedication, and all the means and resources that are at our disposal.
After World War II, the United States--newly equipped with the ultimate deterrent against attack, nuclear weapons--discarded the model of the nations' founders, who cautioned against permanent or entangling alliances. The United States created many questionable multilateral and bilateral alliances in which it agreed to defend many countries against worldwide communism, led by its archrival the Soviet Union. The Cold War ended in 1991, with collapse of that adversary, and most of the allies became wealthy enough to defend themselves against the vastly reduced threat. Nevertheless, the alliances remained and became an end in themselves, thus justifying U.S. policymakers' desire to police the world.

Now, with the "rise" of China and a "resurgent" Russia, which both have limited military capabilities compared to the still dominant United States, some of these allies are trying to flirt with these great powers to get even more goodies from the United States. This shake down mirrors the behavior of small countries during the Cold War, which tried to play off the United States and the Soviet Union against each other for their own gain. Yet the threats to the United States are hardly at the level they were during the Cold War and the United States--militarily overextended with an economy that accounts for only 16 percent of the world's GDP and a national debt of more than $19 trillion--can no longer afford to pay for the defense of so many nations around the world. Unfortunately, Donald Trump's valid attempt to point out some of these realities has been deemed as crazy as the rest of his bizarre presidential candidacy. It's not. Let's analyze some examples of U.S. attempts to pacify ungrateful and unnecessary allies.

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The most egregious example is socialist Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, who presides over a poor country with a horribly trained and shoddily equipped military but has called the American President the "son of whore," compared himself to Adolf Hitler, cozied up to China, and declared a "separation from the United States." Yet, despite his bombast, he has avoided terminating the 70-year old treaty that binds the United States to defend the Philippines against threats from nearby great powers, such as...well...China. Duterte has also threatened to "go to Russia to talk to Putin."

Despite China's recent efforts to woo Duterte, into its orbit and away from the United States, with investments in Philippine infrastructure and other enticements, the top Filipino should remember that the great powers China and Russia are much closer than is the faraway United States and are thus much more likely to cause security problems for Filipinos. In fact, China's recent assertive behavior in the South China Sea led to its fairly recent grabbing the Scarborough Shoal just off the Philippine coast.The United States has provided $90 million dollars to help the flagging Philippine military this year and more than $1 billion in non-military support over the last five years, most of it for disaster relief. Yet U.S. acceptance of Duterte's insulting behavior and flirtation with China arises from the U.S. "pivot to Asia" to contain China. The United States also fears that if the Philippines, traditionally America's closest ally in the Southeast Asian region, moves toward China, so could all other U.S. allies in the area.

If this chain reaction occurs, so be it. In fact, U.S. security will improve if smaller countries learn to accommodate the great power in their region, thus reducing the chance that they will drag the United States into a war with a nuclear-armed state. U.S. allies in East Asia and elsewhere need to depend less, not more, on the United States for their security. The United States--with vast stretches of water between China and strategic military outposts of Hawaii and Guam in the Pacific, let alone the west coast of the United States--can afford to let China rise peacefully. In the late 1800s, with similarly wide maritime separation, Britain successfully did the same with the rising United States.

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And China is the country with the greatest potential to compete with the United States in the future. Russia, despite its apparent resurgence, has only a shadow of the Soviet Union's military strength and must depend on revenues from oil to prop up its economy--problematical if oil prices stay low for the future, which seems likely. Yet the Turks, a NATO ally, are flirting with Russia to try to get concessions from the United States in neighboring Iraq and Syria. The Turks are mad that the U.S. is using their archrival Kurds to fight ISIS in Syria, even though few other ground forces exist to use and even though the Turks originally helped ISIS to flourish in Iraq and Syria by looking the other way while the group's militant fighters, weapons, and funds flowed across their borders with those nations. The Turks also want a greater role in taking back Mosul, Iraq so that they can better dominate events there.

Turkey should be cautious in its flirtation with Russia, which includes the resumption of a suspended natural gas pipeline and allowing the Russians to bid on providing an air and anti-missile defense system, because neither will erase its centuries-long rivalry with this massive nearby country. Turkey already tried to buy a Chinese system and was told that it could not be integrated with air defense and intelligence systems of the U.S.-led NATO, an alliance pledged to defend Turkey against...well...Russia.

Finally, the U.S. has backed Saudi Arabia in its war against Houthi rebels in Yemen--with intelligence, air refueling, military planning, and arms sales-- to assuage Saudi anger about an international agreement in which its archrival Iran agreed to severely limit its nuclear program. However, U.S. officials have been nervous that selling arms to assist the indiscriminate Saudi war in Yemen could implicate the United States in war crimes against civilians. Besides, limiting Iran's nuclear program helps nearby Saudi Arabia even more than it does the faraway United States. All such U.S. policies have benefitted an informally allied government that soon may be sued by 9/11 families for its alleged role in the worst attacks on the continental United States since the War of 1812.
Three hundred years after Jesus left Palestine, Christian leaders held heated debates about his nature, rejecting some ideas about Jesus and finally settling upon an official view.

Some early Christians claimed Jesus was only human. Some said he was only divine. Some said he was half human--the half that needed food and sleep and felt grief to the point of tears and experienced terror at the thought of his own death. Some said Jesus was half divine--the half that could stroll upon the top of a deep lake and feed ten thousand people with a pond perch and two pitas and appear in an otherworldly vision with Moses and mix vats of clear water into marvelous Bordeaux.

Still others said Jesus was 'fully' human and 'fully' divine, and though this position makes as much sense as a man saying he is fully male and fully female, this view won the day to became the official teaching of orthodox Christianity.

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It was impossible to keep these two aspects of Jesus in a perfect balance because in the very affirmation of divinity his humanity is compromised, and in the affirmation of his humanity his divinity is compromised.

Look at it this way:

If the historical Jesus, the boy and man who walked the gritty pathways of first-century Palestine, was fully divine and was God, we must ask: Did Jesus know everything, like God in his omniscience knows everything? Did the historical Jesus of Palestine know the distance to the sun in summertime--in miles, in yards? Did he know calculus? Did he know the formula for penicillin? Did the historical Jesus of Palestine know all languages, past, present and future? Did he know that China, Australia, and the Americas existed? Did he know all the thoughts of every human who was alive while he was on earth? Did he know that a man called Kennedy would be assassinated in a year called 1963 in a city called Dallas? Even as an infant, Jesus was God. Did the infant Jesus, the one-minute-old Jesus, know all of the above?

If the historical Jesus, the boy and man who walked the gravelly pathways of first-century Palestine, was fully divine and was God, we must ask: Could Jesus do anything, as God in his omnipotence can do anything? Could Jesus throw a pebble to the moon? Could he level a mountain with a word? Could he raise the plains of western Nebraska to the height of Mount Annapurna or Everest? Could he eradicate all diseases? Could he make another universe out of nothing? Could he destroy the current universe? Could he create another God, if he had wanted to? Could the historical Jesus of Palestine construct a piano and play Rachmaninoff's 'Prelude in C-sharp minor' on it? Even as an infant, Jesus was God. Could the infant Jesus, the one-minute-old Jesus, do all of the above?

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If you say YES to all of this and claim Jesus knew all of this and could do all of this, you invariably diminish the 'full' humanity of Jesus because no one who is 'fully' human and living in first-century Palestine could know and do any of these. If you say NO to all of this and claim Jesus knew none of this and could not do any of this, you necessarily diminish the 'full' divinity of Jesus because any God who is 'fully' God knows all and can do all.

Saying Jesus is fully divine and fully human is an illogicality that does not even rise to the level of a 'seeming' paradox and cannot be rectified--except (!) possibly by a mid-first-century notion offered by Paul in a Letter to the Philippians (collected with other letters of his in the Christian New Testament Bible). Paul says:

In your relationships with fellow Christians, have the same attitude as Jesus. In his very nature Jesus was God, but he did not consider equality with God something to be used for his own advantage. Instead, he emptied himself of his divine privileges. He took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal's death on a cross. (2: 5-8)



Paul's idea is that God became a human and subjected himself to all the impairments and parameters of being human. And that MUST mean the man Jesus was ignorant and weak, like all the other bipedal humanoids who chewed with a tooth and peeped through eyes.
NAPLES, FL - OCTOBER 23: Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks during a campaign rally at the Collier County Fairgrounds on October 23, 2016 in Naples, Florida. Early voting in Florida in the presidential election begins October 24. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

Co-written with Andrew Klumpp

Why do many evangelical Christians still back Donald Trump?

Because they are consistent.

What James Dobson said this week could have been said 40 years ago of Jimmy Carter: "I also find Hillary Clinton's support of partial birth abortion criminal ... There really is only one difference between the two. Mr. Trump promises to support religious liberty and the dignity of the unborn. Mrs. Clinton promises she will not."

This statement, unpalatable to some, heroic to others, is consistent with what evangelicals championed in the '70s: family values. Family values proved pivotal to the rise of the Religious Right, and they will be indispensable to the religious right in the post-Trump era.

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Rather than deny the ongoing reality of family values, even if our presidential candidates have barely mentioned them and some people find them disagreeable, let's turn back the clock in order to understand them.

Family values wasn't so much the American Dream as an American Agenda -- to shore up the family after the over-indulgence of the '20s, the austerity of the '30s, the loss of men in the '40s, and the threat of communist takeover in the '50s. The background of family values lies in the ideal -- or idealized -- family of the 1950s, when veterans charged off to work and mothers tended the home, when Catholic homes burst at the seams with kids, when a neighborhood could be multi-ethnic, full of the sons and daughters of European immigrants, but not multi-racial.

This imagined world came, if not to a screeching halt, at least to a visible slowdown during the 1960s and early 1970s. What suburban mothers and fathers needed was a practical way to control the heaving swells of change that took their daughters and sons to college and back home again with unconventional ideas and well-placed but trenchant post-adolescent opposition to the Vietnam Conflict. The need for family values was existential.

Americans headed into the '70s with Vietnam in full swing, racial tensions at an all-time high, and devastating legal and legislative actions (not to mention hideous fashions and fads) on the horizon. Divorce rates soared. Women moved in droves into the workforce. Gays and lesbians, suspect since Joseph McCarthy associated them with communism during the 1950s, gained momentum and public notoriety. The Equal Rights Amendment (ERA), which had languished for decades, picked up steam in Congress. The Supreme Court's 7-2 decision in Roe vs. Wade forced the loosening of abortion laws in 46 out of 50 states.

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The '70s were a decade of mobilization -- transformation, even -- for evangelical Christians. They began the decade disorganized but ended with virtual control of the Republican Party. It was a remarkable transition, with family values at its core. Phyllis Schlafly, James Dobson, Jerry Falwell, and a slew of others, would become household names in public American life.

Conservative Roman Catholic activist and former congresswoman Phyllis Schlafly torpedoed the Equal Rights Amendment in 1973-74 by gathering a grassroots army of evangelical and Catholic women, who fought tooth and (manicured) nail against the feminist agenda of equal rights for women. Schlafly insisted that gender equality robbed women of their feminine mystique and made them vulnerable to the military draft. The ERA would destroy the order of the family -- and the order of the nation, where men go to work and war, while women stay home.

Slightly later, evangelical child psychologist James Dobson worked to restore men to leadership in the family. This was not a political ruse. In 2004, Dobson recalled what God had said to him in the mid-seventies: "If this country is going to make it," God said to Dobson, "and if the family is going to survive, it will be because husbands and fathers begin to accept their responsibilities for leadership, and especially spiritual leadership in their own families ..." With the conviction of that call, Dobson began a ministry to men in 1976 and left Children's Hospital and the USC School of Medicine to found Focus on the Family in 1977.

One of the remarkable side effects of the '70s was an unholy alliance -- or what a decade earlier had been deemed an unholy alliance -- between Catholics and evangelicals. Roe vs. Wade, in particular, forged this alliance. Catholics had long been opposed to abortion; evangelicals had not developed a unified front. The Southern Baptist Convention, in fact, in both 1971 and 1974, issued official statements that abortion was permissible in cases of incest, rape, mothers' health, and disabilities in fetuses. For years, the dramatically increasing number of abortions had horrified some evangelicals, including pro-life Carl F. H. Henry, founder of the flagship evangelical magazine, Christianity Today, and the 1973 Roe ruling legalized their worst nightmare by making abortion, in their minds, a matter of convenience.

Forty years later, abortion is still many evangelical Christians' worse nightmare, and a female president (let alone one who supports Roe vs. Wade) a bad dream. Trump's graphic description in the third debate -- ripping babies from their mothers' womb on the last day of pregnancy -- touches a real and raw nerve, steeled by 40 years of thwarted opposition to a pro-choice agenda. Palatable or not, this position is consistent, unwavering. I'll leave it to you to decide if that consistency is also laudable.

***
Colorado Republican State Sen. Laura Woods of Arvada has removed a post from her Facebook page, in which she thanked alleged "supporters from the Democrat Party."

Woods may worry that promoting Democrats on her site would turn away Trump supporters, whom she says are a key part of her path to victory next month over Democrat Rachel Zenzinger.

Woods, who's long supported Trump and forgives him for his lewd comments, told a Denver radio station last week:

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"I think if Donald Trump wins my district, I'm likely to," Woods said on air. "And if Hillary Clinton wins my district, my opponent is likely to win."

In her Facebook post, it appears Woods was referring to members of a Facebook group called, "Democrats for Senator Laura Woods," who joined with Woods at a parade last month. "It was awesome to have you there," Woods wrote on Facebook.

As I posted last week, none of the group's members have been shown to actually live in Woods' district and so they cannot vote for her, with one member registered to vote as far away as Boone, North Carolina.

Another group member, pictured on the site, was registered as a Republican, until asked about his voter registration last week, at which time he registered as a Democrat, saying it was a mistake.

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A video by Saudi youth seeks to promote scientific reasoning and civil discourse.

How do Saudi youth view their country's foreign policies, domestic policies, and future? The question is especially important because Saudis under the age of 25 amount to 51 percent of the population; add Saudis into their mid-30s and the number approaches 75 percent. Amid alarming unemployment rates and a push to end the welfare state through drastic reforms and austerity measures, young people's loyalty to the establishment over the next few years will be severely tested.

I recently had the opportunity to gauge Saudi youth perspectives through some fresh statistical data. Saudi Arabia's Depth Consulting, a new private research company, has conducted a significant opinion survey of the population. The study was self-funded--intended to serve as a loss leader for the company to stimulate interest among potential clients in the Gulf, as well as test its own machinery for polling and metadata research computation. Yusuf Hamidaddin, the company's General Manager, invited me to review, analyze, and write about the results, as well as pose questions about the manner in which the survey was conducted. He stipulated no control over what I wrote about the data.

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Three key findings stood out. First, amid the kingdom's region-wide proxy conflict with Iran, Saudi youth are surprisingly disinterested in foreign affairs relative to domestic matters. When they do look outward, worries about the kingdom's adversarial relationship with the Iranian government itself are exceeded by a focus on the specific proxy conflicts of Iraq, Syria, and Yemen, followed by Saudi relations with its American and British allies. The Palestinian issue, even when grouped together with several other traditional foreign policy priorities, runs a distant fourth.

The second finding concerns the aggressive and widely touted domestic economic reforms plan known as "Vision 2030," which aims to reduce dependence on oil by curbing largesse, diversifying the economy, selling off a piece of the oil juggernaut Saudi Aramco, and fostering greater transparency and cosmopolitanism to attract foreign investors. Saudi youth seem to vacillate between confidence in its ultimate success and anxiety about its immediate impact. Most share a reflexive desire to continue enjoying the benefits of the welfare state. Meanwhile, though a package of new socioeconomic projects has been launched for the purpose of benefiting Saudi youth, few are aware of it.

The third finding speaks to the controversial issue of dynastic succession: most young people would prefer that upon the passing of the present king, Salman bin Abdulaziz, he be succeeded by 31-year-old Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman--as opposed to the actual Crown Prince, 57-year-old Mohammed bin Nayef. Mohammed bin Salman's popularity as reflected on Twitter discussions exceeds that of all other Saudi royals.

A more detailed review of the poll and its outcomes also reveals areas in which older and younger Saudis disagree--and speaks to broader problems peculiar to opinion research in an authoritarian environment.

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The study was based on a combination of telephone interviews with Saudi nationals and scrutiny of metadata emerging from nearly 15 million Saudi tweets. The two varieties of information were designed to fill in each other's missing pieces: on the one hand, the opportunity to hold a human conversation carried the promise of richer data. But anxieties in any Arab country about holding a frank discussion with a stranger, born of generations of authoritarian rule, have consequences that compromise the data: a large number of people decline to participate, and those who do are likely a self-selecting group whose responses skew in favor of the establishment, either because they genuinely support it or because they feel uncomfortable saying otherwise. As to the other method of research--scrutinizing Twitter activity--it presents a potential corrective to the former problems in that fast-fingered Saudis likely interact more freely with each other over social media. But plenty of Twitter users in Saudi Arabia impose self-censorship as well--and many seemingly human tweets have actually been generated by internet bots. The pollsters recognized these problems. With respect to the telephone questionnaire in particular, they took care to raise the most sensitive issues only indirectly.

60,500 phone calls were made via random-digit-dial robo-calls to cell phone users. Of this massive number, only 561 people agreed to participate. Women were significantly underrepresented, as were youth (18-34) relative to older Saudis. But geographical distribution among the three major provinces (Riyadh, Mecca, and the Eastern Province) was fairly representative, as were indicators of employment, retirement, and educational degrees. As for the tweets--massive in number and chosen at random--it is safe to assume that they reflect a cross-section of the country's Twittering masses, an overwhelmingly young community in which men narrowly outnumber women.

Views of Saudi Foreign Policy

With respect to their country's foreign policy, most phone respondents conveyed broad confidence and support. Asked about their degrees of satisfaction with the Saudi-led military intervention in Yemen, the kingdom's newly muscular approach to the region overall, and its commitment to safeguarding fellow dynastic states and Egypt, positive responses ranged reliably between 60 and 80 percent, and mostly above 70 percent. Tweets on these matters reflected even greater support, suggesting that younger Saudis are more enthusiastic about the country's present assertive stance.

But phone respondents tended to break with such expressions of support when the questioning turned to Iran in particular. Asked about their degree of satisfaction with "Saudi Arabia's relationship with Iran," 13.19 percent said that they were "very dissatisfied." Slightly more than 44 percent said, "I don't know"--a choice that probably included still more "dissatisfied customers" who were reluctant to express their views outright.

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Some perspective on these responses emerges, in turn, by comparing them with Twitter chatter about Iran: Only a minuscule number of tweets concerned Iran at all. More than half dealt with domestic matters. Proxy conflicts in Iraq, Syria, and Yemen constituted the second largest share, followed by relations with Saudi Arabia's traditional Western allies. Running distantly in fourth place was a combination of slivers that included Egypt, Turkey, and Palestine.

The Twitter data about Iran, considered in light of the skew toward older Saudis in the telephone survey, also hints at a generation gap in the kingdom over outlooks toward the country: whereas older Saudis would prefer to see the kingdom adopt a more conciliatory stance toward Tehran, young people are comfortable with the present war footing.

In a local Saudi newspaper, the Misk Foundation publishes its "five goals for a better Saudi Arabia." They include new training and learning programs for young people, to be developed in partnership with global educational institutions.

Asked to rate the kingdom's management of Saudi economic reforms overall, phone respondents' answers were again mostly positive. Support for the domestic policies trailed that of foreign policy only slightly, at a hair over 65 percent. But asked more specifically about the reform plan's component parts, there was considerable equivocation.

For example, when asked, "Do you believe next year's Saudi budget should be an austerity or an expansionary one," only 12 percent called for austerity measures. 34.4 percent preferred an "expansionary" economic policy, and the majority--nearly 54 percent--said, "I don't know." This apparent preference for a perpetuation of the rentier economy would seem to reflect anxieties over the potential loss of a job or a spike in the cost of living. As to "I don't know," it may, in this instance, be as much a cloaked expression of negativity as a genuine reflection of lack of knowledge. The reason I say so is that other data from the phone discussions of domestic affairs indicates that key details of the kingdom's reform plans have not been well communicated to the population.

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Consider, for example, what respondents had to say about a series of new youth initiatives, under the umbrella of the nascent "Misk Foundation," which aim to professionalize Saudis' social media skills as well as build a culture of charity and social solidarity among young professionals. More than 86.6 percent of respondents were not aware of the Misk Foundation, let alone its component projects. What they did know about was the Prince Salman Charity Housing Trust, an anti-poverty and housing support fund dating back to 1997. It stands to reason that over the past 19 years, as a generation of Saudis came of age, they discovered the Charity Housing Trust in the course of seeking out any and all government benefits that could help them build a family and own a home. The purpose of the Misk Foundation is less concrete than a housing fund and more difficult to explain. It aims to acculturate the population to new patterns of behavior and a different professional outlook, as opposed to delivering an immediate, tangible benefit. Yet, ventures like Misk are vital to the success of "Vision 2030," which only works if young people adapt to a new "knowledge economy" and help shore up a social safety net for those who lag behind. (Researchers wishing to follow popular responses to Misk Foundation programs among Saudi youth can click here for some relevant links.)

The Question of Succession

An issue with profound implications for the country's future, widely discussed in the U.S., is the question of dynastic succession, and the extent to which the generation gap among the three senior leadership figures might play into it. The Crown Prince, 57-year-old Mohammed bin Nayef, holds sweeping intelligence and domestic security powers. Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, 31, holds unprecedented authority for a man his age--principally over defense and the economy. He is thought to be the architect of the war in Yemen, as well as the "Vision 2030" reforms plan. Which of the two princes will succeed King Salman bin Abdulaziz is a subject of global controversy, with rumors swirling of a plan for the Deputy Crown Prince to leap over his superior.

The sensitivity of the subject would naturally make it difficult for pollsters to broach it directly, inasmuch as Saudis who prefer a different chain of succession than what is officially prescribed are less likely to say so to a stranger. Strikingly, despite such reservations--and among a pool of telephone respondents skewed toward Saudi Arabia's older minority--more preferred "the youth to take a major position in government" than that "more experienced individuals" assume the reigns. A plurality called for the "more youthful" and the "more experienced" to share power, while over a quarter said, "I don't know." Adjusting for the age skew, and on the assumption that more of the older respondents prefer "older leadership," the data suggests that a majority of the population would prefer that Mohammed bin Salman succeed his father. Twitter, for its part, reflects a fixation on the 31-year-old prince: his name figures into 76 percent of all tweets about the royal family. Metadata used to classify tweets as "positive" or "negative" indicate that the many references to Mohammed bin Salman are mostly favorable.

All of these findings beg further questions about a country so long regarded by outsiders as inscrutable. Considerably more data would be required in order to factor Saudi public opinion into American policies shrewdly. But the "Depth" survey is worth mulling for the initial glimpse it provides into a society veiled for generations, as it rapidly opens up to the world.

This article first appeared as an E-Note of the Foreign Policy Research Institute.
While the final presidential debate brought up discussions around protecting our borders and deporting drug traffickers, Chris Wallace (and every other debate moderator this election cycle) never asked about how our presidential candidates will address the very real public health crisis stemming from opioid and heroin abuse. Every day, the epidemic is killing 78 Americans and it is creating enormous risk for our next commander in chief who will be in charge of handling this crisis.



So, why is a security expert like me concerned about drug abuse? Our homeland defenses are focused on risk planning - terrorism is a threat, but so are hurricanes and tornados, oil spills and border controls, and public health risks like Zika and, clearly, synthetic drugs. Our nation's security is about calculating risks to all-hazards and supporting those who are trained to protect our citizens. Simply put, the drug epidemic is challenging our overall response capacity and we haven't closed the gaps in our postal system that brings the drugs here.

The numbers are staggering. Opioid and heroin related deaths are contributing to a crisis taking more lives than the HIV/AIDS epidemic at its peak ever did. In Cincinnati, Ohio, 174 people overdosed in six days. A recent CNN series, Heroin The Poisoning of America, shows that communities across the country, of all economic and social classes, are struggling to combat the epidemic and its terrifying consequences. The sheer scope of the problem is impacting our emergency personnel on the frontlines. Police and first responders are inundated and put at risk, stretching a homeland security network already dealing with so many other threats.



As with any vulnerability harming Americans, we need to address the means by which bad people or materials enter this country. And in many cases, it is through the global postal service where the system of monitoring the packages coming into this country is antiquated at best. We need to know if shipments are coming from the same address to addresses in the US that law enforcement believes are drug havens or if the same individual is sending packages from multiple addresses in Russia. Right now our agencies inspecting foreign mail shipped through the global post cannot answer these questions. We need the equivalent of a passenger-screening list for the mail; the technology is there, but the will hasn't been.

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The opioid epidemic could change that calculation. Last week, a 19-year-old man in White Lake, Michigan died after buying a synthetic opioid, U-47700 or "Pink," on the dark web. The drug is known for being "seven to eight times stronger than morphine." Similarly, two 13-year-old boys in Park City, Utah died within two days of each other after trying to get high on the substance. All got a hold of the substances through the mail, coming from other countries.

It is now clear, whether the threat is terror or drugs, that we need to put in place better methods of tracking, including providing electronic data in advance of the package arriving at our borders, to allow agencies to more precisely track foreign packages that are entering the United States. Drug users simply order substances on the dark net with direct shipments to the US; they are gaming the vulnerability in the system. Even Gil Kerlikowske, the Customs and Border Protection Commissioner, testified that this advanced electronic data is a "critical support tool" to keep out high-risk packages from wreaking havoc on our communities.



This is a systemic homeland security issue as it is about our vulnerable borders and minimizing the potential that they are taken advantage of by terrorists or drug traders. According to the Department of Homeland Security, more than 340 million packages entered our country last year from foreign posts without the electronic data and screening needed by agencies to assess and monitor toxic, illegal drugs entering the country. By addressing one of the pathways that allows these drugs to enter our country through the global postal system, we can raise the bar for our own national security standards. Action will also allow us to have more tools to stop drug traffickers from attacking our towns already struggling with so much and will help to relieve our first responders from the burdens that the epidemic is bringing.

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I've had enough.

I've sat idle witnessing Donald Trump become the Republican nominee for president, despite his lack of qualifications and general decency as a human being. He did that, while violating everything this country stands for.

Recently he added the straw that broke the camel's back. (Which hit close to home in my case.)

"Elections are rigged," Trump has repeated.

Mr. Trump, allow me to tell you about rigged elections.

Growing up in Damascus, Syria, my dad never allowed us to go vote. "It's not safe," he would say. I used to watch the "elections" on television. Hafez Al-Assad had been president for years and won every time by an overwhelming majority. One year without him knowing, I went with a friend to satisfy that itch for lofty principles we experience as teenagers - ready to conquer the world.

We entered the library and had to show our IDs and sign a sheet that said: I will vote for President Hafez Al-Assad. Going into the small booth, I passed two men with machine guns standing outside. I searched for another candidate on the ballot, but there was none. When I contemplated not voting, my friend said there would be 'dire consequences'. So I filled out the small circle with a number two pencil and granted the dictator four more years.

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At the door, an official examined the ballot and told the guards to give us our IDs back.

Hafez Al-Assad was president for 29 years, and now his son Bashar has filled the same role since 2000.

That, my friend, is the epitome of a rigged election.

How dare you?

How dare you, Donald Trump, cast a shadow of fraud on my America? I know about disfranchisement in our voting system, and I'm familiar with the Electoral College, where not all voters are created equal. All that said, there are no guards with machine guns outside the booth.

Despite the challenges we have, America offers a government of the people, by the people, and for the people. In most countries, you would not even be allowed to complain about elections being rigged.

Wait, I forgot... we have free speech in my America.

My America.

You want to know about My America, Donald?

My America allowed me at the age of 18 to reap the benefits of a good education, a free economy, and a just social system.

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My America gave me the chance to raise my three children where they don't have to dodge bullets and bombs, or spend night after night in a bomb shelter. They live where they may touch a star one day. They are free to participate in a democratic society with rewards based on effort, and not on who you know. One of them could actually become President one day. (I can provide their birth certificate.)

My America permitted me to vote, in a free and accountable system where my vote counts, and where all nominees are listed on the ballot. This fact still astounds me after living here for 31 years. My vote counts. I, Karim Shamsi-Basha, an American citizen from a Syrian descent, can vote and be heard.

My America provided me with a congressman who wrote letters on my behalf to the American Embassy in Lebanon to grant my sister a visa. My country of origin has been ravaged by civil war for the past five years. I met with Congressman Spencer Bachus, and he promised to do everything in his power to get her out of Syria. Did you hear me, Donald? I met with my congressman. I was heard by my government representative. You want to ban all Muslims, Mexicans, foreigners, and people that are not 'us' from coming into this vast and gracious land. (Why am I thinking of Hitler?)

My America granted me the privilege of working as a journalist for 30 years. I documented events that others take for granted as merely the news. Fifteen years ago, I covered a protest on the steps of the Jefferson County Court House in Birmingham, except the protesters wore white robes with hoods and shouted racial obscenities. They were the KKK. I watched in disbelief and wondered if this form of "freedom" was a bit much. To let a despicable group speak their mind in public? (I know about the Constitution and Freedom of Speech, but c'mon, really?) Then I saw something that replaced the shivers of infuriation with tears of overwhelming gratification. I saw African-American and white policemen hold hands and form a human fence to push the rowdy crowd back. They protected the racial bigots. As ugly and appalling the KKK was, as beautiful and virtuous the hovering freedom was.

My America showed me slices of life that are simple, pure, and telling. I saw children puff their cheeks and blow dandelions in the spring, and old men rake their front yards. I saw business men and women be productive citizens, and neighbors bake cookies for each other over the holidays. I saw smiles of hope, grins on tiny lips, and hugs at airports. I saw flags from all countries and all colors on Southern porches, where iced tea is the drink of choice for people from all over this beautiful and inclusive world, despite your efforts to deny that virtuous fact.

My America may not be the most perfect country in the world, but It remains the best place to live on this tiny planet. (In my humble, and yes, foreign opinion.)

Do me a small favor, Mr. Trump: Get down on the ground right now and kiss it.

You may taste justice, you may taste liberty, you may taste beauty, you may taste integrity, and you may taste honesty. Don't be scared. Those are good things most people try to live by.
Around 40,000 individual women die of breast cancer each and every year. Sisters. Mothers. Daughters. Spouses. Friends. For each of these women and their loved ones breast cancer is a personal tragedy.

Breast cancer is also a public health crisis and social justice issue. Despite decades of awareness campaigns, breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death for women in the U.S. And a woman's chances of surviving a diagnosis are significantly impacted by her race, as well as socioeconomic status and where she lives.

The mainstream breast cancer movement tells us that if we just make sure that every woman gets a routine mammogram, we can fix this. It tells us fewer women will die if they get mammograms, and that the answer to the unacceptable inequities in survival can be addressed by expanding access to mammograms. But the facts tell a very different story.

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After more than 30 years of widespread promotion of routine breast cancer screening for women at average risk, an undeniable body of research shows the significant harms and limited benefits of population-based screening. The truth is that widespread mammography screening has failed to dramatically reduce the number of deaths from breast cancer.

Last week, a new study in the New England Journal of Medicine added to the compelling evidence that for a majority of asymptomatic women at average risk of breast cancer, the harms of screening may outweigh the benefit.

Researchers from Dartmouth College and the National Cancer Institute (NCI), examined data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) program looked at the size of breast cancer tumors among women age 40 and older. They examined 37 years' worth of data, dividing into two time periods, before and after widespread adoption of population-based mammography screening.

Researchers compared the proportion of small (less than two centimeters) versus large tumors (two centimeters or larger) that were detected after the introduction of mammography screening. By focusing on the size of the tumor, an important part of determining what stage the cancer is, the researchers tested the theory that if mammography screening is able to catch more small cancers, there should be a reduction in the number of large tumors diagnosed. The underlying assumption is if there are fewer large tumors, there will then be a reduction in deaths from breast cancer.

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What they found is that more small breast cancer tumors were detected after the onset of routine mammography screening, but the number of larger tumors did not go down proportionately. There was only a modest reduction in the incidence of large tumors compared with a much larger increase in the incidence of small tumors found through mammography screening. The researchers calculated that 132 out of the 162 tumors detected per 100,000 women were small cancers that were not likely to grow large enough to cause symptoms or death.

Another way of saying this is that four out of five (81%) of the tumors actually represented overdiagnosis, or a diagnosis of breast cancer that would never cause symptoms or lead to death.

A prior study published in the New England Journal of Medicine in 2012 found that women who had mammography screening were just as likely to die as women who didn't have mammograms. In 2014, the British Medical Journal published the largest mammography study to date, finding that screening average-risk women - before they could feel a lump in their breasts - did not lead to lower breast-cancer death rates for those in their 40s and 50s. The National Cancer Institute came to a similar conclusion in an analysis of multiple mammography studies involving nearly a half-million women: "Screening for breast cancer does not affect overall mortality." Indeed an editorial in JAMA last year clearly explains that, "85% of women in their 40s and 50s who die of breast cancer would have died regardless of mammography screening."

While some breast cancers are very aggressive, most are slow growing, taking a decade or more to become detectable. Many of these slowest growing cancers would never become a problem for women and would not be found were it not for the mammogram we are entreated to get.

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Overdiagnosis is a side effect of looking for early forms of disease via routine mammography screening programs. Overdiagnosis is not observable in the clinic with individual women; it becomes evident only through large-scale modeling and statistical analysis. Estimates on overdiagnosis of breast cancers found through screening vary widely, from less than 5% to the latest estimate of more than 80%. The Swiss Medical Board in 2014 provided a widely accepted estimate that 21.9% of breast cancers found through mammography screening represent overdiagnosis.

Overdiagnosis, in turn, leads to overtreatment, which is the treatment of clinically insignificant disease, essentially giving too much treatment without benefit to the patient. Treating a cancer that is not life-threatening leads to significant harm for women. Accepting the Swiss Medical Board estimates, that means one in five women who was told she had breast cancer after her mammogram received unnecessary treatment for cancer. The result is that tens of thousands of women in the U.S. each year are treated unnecessarily for breast cancer and undergo surgery, radiation and chemotherapy for tumors that are not and never would be life threatening.

The immediate effects of surgery, radiation, chemotherapy and other systemic therapies are widely known and can include breast removal, pain and scarring, hair loss, nausea, skin burns, etc. Less commonly discussed, many women experience a range of long-term effects that include physical and health harms such as disability, neuropathy, lymphedema, heart disease, infertility, and secondary cancers; financial consequences from medical debt to un- and under-employment; the psychological toll of having been diagnosed with cancer; and other quality of life impacts of treatment such as issues with sexuality, "chemobrain," and others.

Doctors cannot look at their patients and know which patients did not benefit from treatment--and so they tend to say that every patient is better for treatment. Women cannot know if their life was saved or not - and understandably tend to think that the mammogram that found their cancer saved their life.

That tens of thousands of women are treated for breast cancer may have gone through all of that for nothing is devastating on a personal and societal level. Women who have felt that their mammogram saved their life may suddenly wonder if they were unnecessarily harmed by screening. Doctors who seek to cure are forced to look directly at the harms of treatment they provide. And we all must contend with the fact that the solution we were promised - screening, early and often - is not ending the breast cancer epidemic

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The public has been sold a false bill of goods by mainstream cancer charities, which for years have been pushing the simple story that annual mammography screening is the silver bullet to the breast cancer epidemic despite clear and mounting evidence to the contrary. In 2014 the Swiss Medical Board said boldly in the New England Journal of Medicine that mammography screening is "hard to justify". The mantra "early detection saves lives" seems intuitive but is wrong, and annual screening seems like a good idea--except the evidence shows it just doesn't do what we need it to. Even the American Cancer Society, which has long focused their approach on screening, last year adopted updated recommendations that acknowledge the balance does not clearly tip either for or against mammography screening for many women. Each woman must weigh the evidence and make her own decisions based on her known risk factors, values and preferences.
Woman holding a pregnancy test device

"Well that's it, I've finally flipped," was all I could think as I spent the 45-minute commute into my office obsessing over the fact that we didn't have enough life insurance on my husband.

I couldn't understand why I was obsessing on this, considering that our family was Joe, me and our cat.

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Obviously it was time to take my fertility doctor up on her offer to give me a referral to a therapist familiar with infertility issues. It had finally happened, I'd slipped into the abyss.

The past year-and-a-half we had gone through four miscarriages, fertility tests, genetic testing and three attempts at assisted reproduction with drugs. We'd had it.

The previous month, we'd made the decision to get off the baby roller coaster and concentrate on us for a while. We even started looking into adoption. I liked the sense of calm I'd been feeling the last few weeks. I was in no rush for a ticket back to Crazyland.

As I got closer to my office, I made the decision to take one more pregnancy test. I wasn't even really late, but I knew I would rest easier once I knew for a fact that I wasn't pregnant.

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I paid for the familiar pink package and made a deal with myself. Once I got the negative test result, I'd call the doctor and find a really good therapist.

Now at my office, I went right to the ladies' room and took the test by rote. Then I stood in shock as the two lines appeared.

Joy and dread filled me at the same time.

I quickly went to my desk and called my doctor.

"Come right in. We'll take some blood."

In the time it took the cab to drive the 20 blocks to my doctor's office, I'd realized the possibility that this could finally be the miracle I was praying for.

I also realized that I might have to endure a fifth miscarriage.

My doctor popped her head in the office where I was having my blood taken. She smiled and said they would call me as soon as they got my blood levels.

I was going crazy sitting at my desk waiting for the results. Especially since I couldn't get in touch with Joe.

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Then I got the news I didn't want to admit I was desperate to hear.

"Yes, you're pregnant. The levels look great. The doctor wants to see you in a week, and of course call if you need us."

I hung up the phone in a delicious fog. I couldn't help myself, I was thrilled out of my mind.

I tried Joe one more time. It was so good to hear his voice.

"Hi, I just went to see the doctor."

"Oh gosh, are you alright? Is everything OK?

"Yeah, I'm fine... everything... is really great."

Joe started to laugh. He knew.

We were both scared but beyond happy. One week away from our fifth wedding anniversary, this was the best gift we could possibly get.

A week later I found myself in agony, curled on the bed in the beautiful hotel room we had booked for the weekend to celebrate our anniversary.

We had had an amazing time the night before, with dinner at Windows on the World on top of the World Trade Center. But now it was morning, and I felt as if I was being stabbed.

How could this possibly be happening? Again.

Tears flowed down my face.

We ordered room service, trying to maintain some semblance of the romantic getaway we had planned.

The phone rang and it was the weekend call doctor. It's a bit odd how fast your call gets returned when you say you think you're having your fifth miscarriage.

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I knew that this early on in the pregnancy there wasn't anything that could be done. But it did feel good to touch base with someone, even if it was a doctor I'd never met. He gingerly asked me to go over my history and symptoms.

"How bad is the bleeding? Are you OK?"

"Actually I haven't started bleeding yet. I'm just in tremendous pain."

There was a pause on the phone, and then the doctor's voice was very gentle.

"Mrs. Radigan, I can't promise you anything, but I don't think you're having a miscarriage."

"No, I am. I have been through this four times before. I've never had pain like this."

We both started to laugh and agreed that maybe that was a good sign. He hung up telling me to make sure to call my own doctor on Monday and to call him back if anything got worse.

Monday morning, I'm back in my office. As soon as I get to my desk the phone rings, and it's my doctor telling me to come in.

One cab ride later, I'm back on the examining table, the familiar sonogram machine in front of me. I told the doctor I wasn't going to look. The nurse held my hand and we all held our breath.

"Kathy ... It's OK. You can look."

"It's OK. There's a heartbeat?" I was crying.

"A really great heartbeat."

I looked at the screen, and there it was, my baby's heartbeat blinking away.

"Do you want a picture?"

"Yes."

Now in a cab back to my office, I spent the whole ride staring at the picture of my little lima bean with the really strong heartbeat.

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Today that lima bean is in his senior year of high school.

My happy ending was really just a beginning.
Generally I am a lover, not a fighter, but Ive had beef with the American political system for quite some time, and I know I am not alone in my opinions. My intention in writing this post is to give you some backstory, then some scientific info about how this election might be negatively impacting your brain, and finish with some powerful tools to reverse the damage.

I believe the 2-party system is undemocratic and the electoral college is outdated (I could write a whole article on this topic alone so Ill stop myself there). I had to grapple with switching from strongly supporting Bernie to understanding why I should be pro-Hillary (which I am, and again, this topic could make its own article. Allow me to point to several indigenous prophecies that have given me a lot of peace regarding this time in history where the "stewardship of the planet" was foretold to pass from men to women and the Maya have done so already. There is even an event in DC this weekend celebrating a Tibetan version of the prophecy! You can call me an idealist. Now that I have a kid I don't think I could survive any other way. But I have seen proof of concept in this scenario and believe strongly that indigenous wisdom and people are BEYOND important to apply and respect in these and all times.).

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Perhaps the hardest thing to accept regarding this election is that Trump could ACTUALLY become the president. It was a tough pill to swallow.

I hit a breaking point when a CNN clip showed that Allegheny county was one of the most critical counties in the country for Trump to win. Pittsburgh is at the heart of Allegheny county, and it's my home. Then, as I spoke to some women of influence in the 412, like Liz Berlin of Rusted Root and Peachie Wimbush (my friend and Wiz Khalifas amazing mom, pictured above with me at our video shoot), and some dear friends like my BFF from college, DJ Bonics (Wiz's DJ), I realized I would have help. Revolutionary Punk-Rockers Anti-Flag stepped up within a few hours of reaching out to them, and even my biological father, Jimmy McNichol, who I just recently met said he'd get in on the action. Tweets and messages like what are pictured here kept pushing me forward. I decided I could pull something together with Peachie, my company Nakturnal, and MIC PGH. Writing music and producing video is, of course, my go-to in these situations.

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Yet, I still had a hard time writing because every time I got deep into researching, watching, and thinking about Trump, it exhausted me, mentally and emotionally. Sometimes I even felt physical pain and sickness. At one point I laid my head in disgust onto my kitchen counter and told my manager, Emily Plazek, I didnt think I could physically handle writing this. She agreed it was stressing her out as well and to maybe just let it go reluctantly, and cross our fingers.

However, when its meant, it seems the stars align and we get the right information, at the right time. I was able to understand that my pain was brought on by the underlying physical damage his rhetoric was having on my brain. One of my mentors, Vikki Hanchin, happened to be finishing up a long term research project on brain science at the same time I was working on this. She shared with me her findings which kept pushing me forward. (I especially needed that boost after reading about him talking smack on pumping breastmilk and got all kinds of upset, as did my crew of nursing mamas!)

Apparently the fear centers in our brain, like our amygdala, inflame when were under negative stress (like when I am reading Donald Trumps hateful and sexist rhetoric and considering that he could run our country!) Our brains lobes are literally damaged.

I became even more determined to write and produce this work because this was new information for me, and certainly the rest of the American public might not be aware of the damage he was causing and using to maintain his loyal following. Perhaps Trump himself had some trauma in his life that led him to his behavior and made him not fully aware of the damage he is causing.

Even though "Trump University" failed, his hateful rhetoric is succeeding in miseducating and negatively impacting the masses. Instead of writing an anti-Trump song like some other artists, (for example, I LOVE this YG & Nipsey Hussle one, FDT Warning - NSFW - Explicit),

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I wanted to make a Trump-awareness parody. As I espouse the Mother Teresa saying that a war on something makes it strong, Make Love Not Trump is meant to lead you to the info and science behind how to heal this brain damage. However, my song did end up being pretty damn "anti" but I figure this article aids in balancing my intentions. ;)

I wanted to release the rage, hopefully on behalf of myself and others and share the tools Vikki taught me to help deal with and reverse the physical damage. These tools are useful in dealing with all trauma, fear-mongering, and general negativity that bombards us in our lives in general -- so, I hope this information transcends far past this frustrating election (because there IS life and hope way beyond this nightmarish circus...)

TRUMP RHETORIC PHYSICALLY DAMAGES YOUR BRAIN

Psychologists and media influencers are working hard to boil down the science behind why Trump supporters rally behind him despite his racism and bigotry. Some media personalities, like John Oliver, are combining intensive Trump research with comedy.

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Others like Nerdwriter are studying Trumps rhetoric -- like how he flips sentences in an illogical, repetitive manner to end on power words. Trumps effects go deeper than facts and words, though.

As I earlier mentioned, Im blessed with the opportunities to learn this brain science with Vikki Hanchin, LCSW - a wholistic psychotherapist. She studies how excessive stress creates physical brain damage and her recent blog article distills her findings.

Typical American culture tends to praise excessive stress for competitive reasons -- dont get me wrong, I get stressed, I completely understand it. But when you are exposed to frequent stress, you over-activate your lower limbic and reptilian brain (lobes like your amygdala), and release cascades of the stress hormones cortisol and adrenaline, disrupting higher brain functions like conflict resolution and conscious awareness.

Stress can be triggered by things you experience firsthand or simply witness, like on TV or the news. If you witness aggressive, hostile, angry, and threatening behavior; violence and scenes of destruction; or situations that create perceived threats to safety or well-being, your brain will react to the stress in a similar manner to you actually being in those situations.

Trumps antagonistic and verbally abusive campaign behavior puts viewers under this type of stress. Some social psychologists are applying Terror Management Theory to his rhetoric, making correlations to his supporters acceptance of his extremist platforms due to Trumps forcing them into states where they fear their own mortality.

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One note Id like to make, though: It is easy to hate on his followers, but consider that other traumas in their lives have primed them to fearfully follow, instead of thoughtfully examine what he is actually saying. Ruling with fear is effective and many good people learn to follow bad doctrine due to fear.

GOODNESS GENERATORS REVERSE THE DAMAGE

The goods news is that you can repair your brain damage from this type of stress.

Social media and the news have been praising the benefits of things like meditation, mindfulness, yoga, and exercise -- theyve turned into hot trends in current culture (which I LOVE). Thats because theyre what Vikki calls goodness generators and these kinds of things heal the brain damage Im talking about. There are a ton more: comedy and laughing with friends, spending time in nature, engaging in altruistic acts like charity, doing random acts of kindness to strangers, heart-focused activity, sending wishes of compassion to a friend whos suffering -- the list goes on.

That healing can go even deeper and more complex by adding other practices that are incorporated into effective psychotherapy, such as thought and feeling reappraisal and compassion -- but it really can be as simple as turning on a comedy show on Netflix when youre feeling low, so that your brain can start to heal the inflammation that the stress physically caused on your brain.

One of the most important discoveries that Vikki has made is that you can use a steady ratio of three positive experiences to offset each negative experience. Since the usual circumstances of most lives do not produce this 3:1 positive to negative experience ratio, we must produce these positive experiences ourselves. For this reason, when I made my statements about Trump in my video, I included tons of loved ones, friends, pets, laughs and hugs to offer up some goodness generation!

To learn more about this brain science you can read Vikkis full report here.

WHAT TO DO NEXT

Politically, first and foremost, your choice must be clear both to go out vote, and then not vote for Trump, because as corrupted as I believe our two-party and election system may be, we have to exercise our right to say that this is not the leader that we want to represent us and our future.

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Personally, each of us needs to recognize the damage done to our brains and work toward fixing that damage through those goodness generators for our own health.

Music is one of the most powerful vehicles for communication and unity behind a cause-- and the cause here, for me, is to be sure that someone with Trumps character, rhetoric, and ideals is not in charge of the future of our country. The other cause is to make sure we know that the more we are kept in fear states, the more easily we are harmed physically, manipulated, and controlled. But, we can always reverse the damage with Family, Friends, Pets, Humor, and Love, just to name a few.

Sending you lots of Love, today and always!

Check out some other artists who had similar ideas in speaking out against Trump! NSFW!!!
A man faces off with protesters during a rally against U.S. Republican Presidential candidate Donald Trump, who is in town to speak on immigration, in Phoenix, Arizona, U.S. August 31, 2016. REUTERS/Nancy Wiechec

Democracy must be grounded in human rights. To many, that is obvious, but increasingly, we see some in Europe suggesting that democracy is about merely winning elections and then doing whatever the voters are deemed to want. Democracy, for them, becomes a kind of "dictatorship of the majority."

Yes, government should reflect majority preferences as expressed in periodic, free and fair elections, but it must also be limited by human rights safeguards and the rule of law. There are certain things a government should be barred from doing even if most voters endorse them, such as imposing the death penalty, imprisoning people on political grounds, curtailing their ability to speak and meet freely, or discriminating on grounds of gender, race, ethnicity, religion, or sexual orientation.

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With that deeper understanding in mind, it is clear that this is a difficult moment for democracy -- in both Europe and the United States. The ability to uphold human rights depends ultimately on public acceptance. Yet today, more people are questioning these fundamental human rights principles than at any time in a generation or more.

The causes of this rising intolerance are easy enough to discern. These are times of economic insecurity, when many people feel they are falling behind. These are also times of physical insecurity, when people enjoying a night out listening to music at a Paris concert hall or watching fireworks in Nice or waiting to board a flight in Brussels are randomly cut down. And these are times of cultural insecurity, when the arrival of large numbers of migrants provokes fear of a loss of national or European identity.

In such times, there is a tendency to retrench, to seek shelter among those who seem most like us, to close the door to others. That instinct provides the platform for the voices of hate and intolerance that have gained such ascendancy. Sadly, many politicians are eager to exploit these fears for political gain.

Given the enormous stakes, you would think that more moderate political leaders would be sounding the alarm, that they would be inveighing against the demagogues, that they would be affirming the centrality of rights and liberal values to our democracies.

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Given the enormous stakes, you would think that more moderate political leaders would be sounding the alarm, that they would be inveighing against the demagogues.



But few are standing up to the challenge. Some leaders are simply lying low, hoping the winds of hate might blow over, that silence might somehow win the debate. Others are trying to defang the demagogues by emulating them, embracing xenophobic policies or code words in the naive hope that they might woo the extremists' supporters as they legitimize their views. There have been notable exceptions. Angela Merkel, Justin Trudeau, and Alexis Tsipras have spoken positively about refugees. But too few political leaders are pushing back, let alone making a positive case for liberal democracy.

That case is needed: not just a defense of principle -- to explain that demonization and intolerance are wrong -- but also one of pragmatism -- to show that the populist agenda, far from the panacea advertised, will leave us substantially worse off.

For example, it is important to explain that Islamophobia is the last thing we need if we want to integrate our immigrant communities, undermine radicalization, and encourage community cooperation with the police. Indeed, ISIS could not prescribe a better recruitment or operational plan than the Islamophobia of the populists.



And we should ask tough questions about plans to sacrifice our rights in the name of fighting terrorism. Does France really need an endlessly renewed state of emergency, when its weakened safeguards have led to police abuse against ordinary people? Or why are we so enamored of mass surveillance when we are so woefully underinvested in targeted surveillance of known suspects? Chipping away at our rights turns out to be easier than coordinating among law enforcement agencies or sharing intelligence across national borders.

Obviously I do not claim that all is well in our democracies. The populist backlash should alert us to real problems in need of repair: the poor job we have done integrating many immigrants, the undue political influence of money, the unfairness in our systems of taxation, the tendency of international trade to prioritize corporate need over labor rights and the environment, the dysfunction and division in many parts of the European Union.

An effective response to the populists must grapple with the real issues they raise as we reject the affront to our values that they represent. And we should draw strength from the kindness shown to refugees by so many ordinary Europeans.

This is not a time to put our heads in the sand. The threat to democratic principles and institutions will not recede on its own. We must all present a loud and public defense of this robust understanding of democracy -- defending the rights and values that make our societies stronger.
It's fairly common knowledge that credit scores play a significant role in everything from buying a house to applying for a retail credit card. What may come as a shock, however, is that your credit can also significantly impact what you pay for auto insurance, and a new study shows that poor credit can double or even triple your rate.

The study, commissioned by insuranceQuotes, examined the average economic impact that credit has on auto insurance. Using a hypothetical 45-year-old, married female driver with a bachelor's degree and no prior claims or lapses in coverage, the study looked at how much annual premiums can change based on this unique rating factor.

The study found that if you have fair credit, you'll pay 28 percent more for car insurance than a driver with excellent credit (up from 24 percent in 2013). And if you have poor credit, your premium doubles, increasing your rate by 104 percent (up from 91 percent in 2013).

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What's more, many consumers aren't even aware that their credit history is a factor when they're searching for affordable auto insurance. According to a 2016 survey commissioned by insuranceQuotes, 42 percent of respondents said credit rating had no impact on the cost of car insurance.

"I can't say these findings surprise me because I've been studying this for so long and I know the extent to which it changes things drastically for consumers," says Doug Heller, an independent consumer advocate and insurance expert with the Consumer Federation of America. "But I think it will rattle any driver who's frustrated with the high cost of auto insurance, because people believe that if they drive safely they will get a break on their premium. And yet personal financial challenges can double the cost of insurance, no matter how good their driving is."

What is a credit-based insurance score?

Using credit to help determine premiums isn't necessarily a new practice. Since the early 1990s, 97 percent of U.S. insurance companies have been using something called a credit-based insurance score (CBIS) as a rating factor in every state except California, Hawaii and Massachusetts, where the practice is banned.

Unlike the more commonly understood consumer credit score used for products like mortgages and credit cards, a CBIS is different. Ranging from 100 to 999, this score is used exclusively by insurance companies and is derived from a variety of factors in your consumer credit report. Actuaries claim that the higher your CBIS the less likely you are to file a claim. Therefore, the higher your CBIS the lower your car insurance rate.

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"Statistically speaking, people with lower credit scores tend to turn in more claims whereas people with higher scores will, many times, pay the cost out of pocket," says Ohio-based insurance agent Sarah Haun. "That is not always the case, but it has been proven enough times that almost all insurance carriers have adopted this method of credit scoring over the past 15 years or so."

According to Lamont Boyd, insurance underwriting expert at Fair Isaac Corporation (FICO), your credit-based insurance score is created using approximately 20 to 30 different aspects of financial data collected by the major credit bureaus. They may include:

Outstanding debt

Length of credit history

Late payments

Collections

Bankruptcies

New applications for credit

About 40 percent of a consumer's credit-based insurance score is driven primarily by whether or not credit obligations are paid on time. The second most impactful factor comes down to how much credit card and loan debt a consumer has compared to how much he or she is allowed to borrow (i.e. your debt-to-credit ratio). This accounts for about 30 percent of the scoring model, and the closer you are to being maxed on your credit cards the more negatively it will impact your score.

Boyd says "people who choose to effectively manage their finances are also less likely to have future insurance losses. We don't really know why, but we can prove statistically and empirically that this is the case."



How a credit-based insurance score impacts your auto premiums

According to Heller, insurance companies keep a tight lid on the specific ways they use credit-based insurance scores to write new policies. What's more, unlike a traditional consumer credit score used by lenders, consumers have no way of accessing their CBIS, primarily because different insurers use different scoring models to set premiums.

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Regardless of the specific formulas used by insurers, our study shows that credit has a significant impact on what you pay for auto insurance. What's more, we reviewed three tiers of credit: excellent, fair and poor. How these tiers impact your insurance premium varies widely from state to state.

The following five states showed the greatest average premium increase if you have fair credit instead of excellent credit.

Alabama -- 56 percent increase Michigan -- 55 percent Delaware -- 52 percent Arizona -- 50 percent Nevada -- 48 percent

Excluding Hawaii, Massachusetts and California, the following five states, on average, showed the smallest percentage increase.

North Carolina -- 16 percent increase Virginia -- 18 percent New York -- 20 percent Alaska -- 22 percent Washington, D.C. -- 23 percent

The premium increase you see when you have poor credit instead of excellent credit is even more dramatic. Here are the top five states with the biggest increases, all of which more than triple what drivers pay for car insurance.

Arizona -- 226 percent increase New Jersey -- 216 percent Nevada -- 213 percent Nebraska -- 206 percent Oklahoma -- 201 percent

Excluding Hawaii, Massachusetts and California, the following five states, on average, showed the smallest percentage premium increase between excellent and poor credit scores.

North Carolina -- 51 percent increase Virginia -- 75 percent increase Wyoming -- 76 percent New York -- 77 percent Connecticut -- 86 percent

ALSO SEE: How Credit Affects Auto Insurance Rates in Your State

"Different insurance companies use credit in different ways, and they also use credit scores differently depending on the state in which they're writing the policy," Heller says. "But even in states with the smallest difference you're still looking at a substantial increase."

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Critics of credit-based insurance scoring

Haun, who has worked in the industry for more almost two decades, says credit-based insurance scoring has always been a contentious topic.

"It has caused questions and controversy ever since it began [because] people don't understand why their credit has anything to do with their insurance rates," he says. "But many times people with low credit scores tend to turn in more claims, tend to turn in more low cost claims, tend to not take much pride in ownership, and don't stay long with one carrier."

But Heller, a longtime and vocal opponent of using credit to determine insurance premiums, says this correlation has no theoretical basis.

Insurance pricing, Heller says, is supposed to rely on "factors that have a meaningful relation to risk," such as how much and how far you drive each year, whether you've recently had an accident or DUI conviction, or the length of time you've been driving.

"But with credit scores there's no theory about why your financial health means you're a safe or risky driver," he says. "When you have access to millions of points of data you could find data that shows higher insurance losses based on certain religions or races or hair colors. But of course no one does that. Credit scoring is just a legal way to discriminate against certain drivers."

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What's more, Heller adds that U.S. drivers are widely opposed to using credit as a rating factor. According to a June 2016 survey conducted by the Consumer Federation of America, 60 percent of Americans think it's "unfair to use credit scoring to determine auto insurance premiums."



RELATED: How Insurance Ignorance Puts Millennials at Risk

"Regular folks know that whether you've had to confront big medical bills or you've lost a job or you've gone through a divorce, it doesn't make you an unsafe driver, and it shouldn't cause a spike in your auto insurance premium," Heller says.

Finally, Heller says credit-based insurance scoring has a disproportionately negative impact on low-income drivers.

"Consider the cycle. If you're already struggling financially you're now also going to be charged two or three times more for car insurance. When you can't afford it you wind being uninsured. And then you lose your ability to drive, which makes it harder to get to work, which makes it harder to stabilize your finances," he explains. "This is bad for everybody."

Raise your credit to lower your auto insurance premiums

That being said, Boyd says there are steps you can take to improve your credit-based insurance score, and they go hand-in-hand with improving your overall consumer credit score. Most importantly, pay all of your credit obligations on time, don't open new credit accounts unless it's absolutely necessary, and keep your credit card balances as low as possible.

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Additionally, Haun says drivers should keep track of their consumer credit score and make sure their insurance policy reflects any positive changes over the years.

"Insurers will always run your score at the time of an initial quote. After that, it depends on the carrier," Haun says. "Some carriers will run a new score every couple of years and some will never run a new score. But you can usually request that they run it. Just know that your rate will be adjusted regardless of whether it's better or worse. So if you're not sure your score has improved, find out prior to asking your insurance carrier to go through this process."

This article was originally published on insuranceQuotes.com.
Sizzling: Josh Schell as Nick, Beth Wilmurt as Martha, David Sinaiko as George

Photos by by Jessica Palopoli

Edward Albee's Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? strips bare the deceptions and bonds that hold together two horrible marriages. Shotgun Players' current staging of the 1962 classic strips bare the dynamics of those relationships, without distractions. It's a sizzling approach to a scathing drama, and thoroughly gripping for virtually every minute of its three-hour length.

Directed by Mark Jackson, the play unfolds on a bare, parquet-surfaced stage, adorned only by two cubicles filled with dozens of liquor bottles in many colors, brightly lighted. When a scene calls for actors to sit or lie, they ease down onto the floor or drape their legs over its elevated edge.

The visual concept for the set -- executed by Nina Ball -- is certainly clean but causes awkward moments when performers have to step on or off the stage, since it's almost two feet high. On balance, though, the approach puts the focus where it must be: on Albee's characters and the four actors who endow them with cruel and poignant life.

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Up first are Martha and George (Beth Wilmurt and David Sinaiko), she the daughter of a college president and he a lackluster English professor whose career has fallen far short of her expectations. She's volcanic in spewing insults and putdowns, delivered by Wilmurt with as much fury as we may ever see in revivals of Albee's masterpiece. But George is no slouch in the tactics of their savage games, as he proves throughout the duels and most powerfully in the drama's devastating conclusion.

The narrative takes place in the pair's on-campus home, after a late-night party that has left them soused before the action begins. When they are joined by a younger couple that Martha has invited, with no input from George, the emotional temperature slowly comes to a boil. Their guests and victims-to-be are a robust biology professor, Nick, and his fragile wife, Honey. Josh Schell and Megan Trout fill the vulnerable roles expertly, with Schell revealing Nick's feelings through a superb symphony of facial expressions.

Megan Trout and David Sinaiko watch a seductive dance by Beth Wilmurt and Josh Schell.

Martha has apparently invited the couple because she sees Nick as a potential stud, a role that seems to have been filled by many in her college community. Their arrival does nothing to tone down the rage and mockery flying between hostess and host, even if it initially embarrasses Nick and Honey.

With continuously flowing liquor dissipating what few inhibitions Martha and George possess, the gathering peels away secrets that brought about both marriages and holds them together despite stresses that would make more rational people sprint for divorce court, for psychological safety.

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Written in an era when the idealized American family could be found in such TV hits as Leave It to Beaver, Virginia Woolf broke new ground for candor on stage and eventually on big and little screens.

The tale's age shows in at least on other aspect: language. Despite the viciousness of the interplay, Albee used none of the expletives that we would expect in a 21st century play that employed similar characters or situations. Virginia Woolf dates from an era when four-letter words were taboo on the commercial stage. More than 50 years later, its precise and literate dialogue reminds us that verbal violence doesn't need gutter language to pack a knockout punch.

In the Berkeley theater's very capable hands, Albee's language and explorations of mystifying bonds that can keep people together are as powerful today as ever.

Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? runs through Nov. 20 at the Ashby Stage, 1901 Ashby Ave., Berkeley. Tickets cost $25-$40, from 510-841-6500 or shotgunplayers.org
While I firmly believe nothing can compete with a seasoned graphic designer and their years of experience, as someone who has worked with a lot of small and medium sized businesses I get it; budgets are tight and not every business has the luxury of putting a graphic designer on payroll despite design playing such a big roll in business.

Adobe noted that companies that foster creativity enjoy 1.5x greater market share and 71 percent of companies report creating 10x the number of assets today than just a few years ago! A study by the United States Census Bureau shows that estimated annual operating expenses of United States retail, accommodation, and food services firms has rose between 2006 and 2016.

If you are among the many businesses that have a big need for design without the budget, read on for resources that you can use to either create designs yourself or hire someone for little money.

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1. UCraft

Ucraft allows users to make their own responsive websites and landing pages for free (via its starter package) or $8 per month (via its builders package). The free package is ideal for users who are looking to create one page, while the paid package offers a complete website build along with unlimited pages. How it works is: users select a template (and get a free subdomain form ucraft.me), choose an app based on function (such as create a new page or upload photos), then drag and drop elements onto landing pages.

Your website gets hosted on a cloud hosting that Google provides, making the website easy to access and edit anytime. In addition ucraft's website builder function, it also has a free logo maker tool, search engine optimization functionality, the ability to connect a custom domain, and team collaboration capabilities.

Pictured: ucraft's blocks feature over a new homepage.

2. Slance

Slance, the new student freelance marketplace connects businesses with U.S. students. Students gain relevant work experience while businesses can get low budget designs. "Other freelance sites allow businesses to access the global talent pool but issues often arise like time zone, language, and cultural differences," says Slance co-founder Adam Thornhill. "Students provide a fresh, youth perspective that seasoned professionals do not offer," he added.

Slance operates on simple four step process:

1. Post a job in minutes.2. Review applicants based on their feedback rating. 3. Hire freelancers from the Slance dashboard.4. Pay freelancers. 3. Fiverr

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If you have $5 in your budget, check out Fiverr. For just $5, freelancers will create your design, be it a business logo, illustration, banner ad, or something else. Fiverr's online marketplace expands to even more services such as writing and recording professional jingles, creating t-shirt designs, and much more. So while you're on Fiverr design help, you might stay awhile to fill some of your other business needs.

4. PicMonkey

Social Media influencer Eren Mckay cannot stress enough how great of a tool PicMonkey is. "I use it on a daily basis," she says. There are two versions available: free and paid, with one of two paid options starting at $3.33 monthly, billed annually. Out of every free image editing tool, PicMonkey is Mckay's number one choice (and she's always creating engaging images that she posts on her social channels that she made with the tool). "I especially love how it has a variety of functions and intuitive interface," she added.

5. Canva

I've been using this tool for over a year now and can't say enough great things about it. While I do have a graphic design background, I love using Canva for inspiration. Within minutes, users can create professional looking images for anything their heart desires from ebooks to posters. There are a ton of templates, shapes, charts, grids, frames, lines, and icons to choose from in order to achieve that perfect for your business design. Canva is free to use (just drag and drop images of text). Additional images are available for purchase at competitive prices.

Pictured: A Canva infographic template screen shot taken on 9/3/16.

6. VismeIf your graphic design needs include presentations and other engaging content, Visme lets you do both. Creating an account takes seconds and if you're a fast copywriter, slides can be created in minutes. Like many of the other tools featured, Visme uses drag and drop functionality with hundreds of free images to choose from. Upgraded plans that offer more storage, charts, and other features start at $7 per month. For $16 a month, collaborate with other members of your team, get access to analytics to track the number of visitors to your published content, premium support, and the list goes on.

7. Bannersnack

Bannersnack is a banner creation app that lets users create static, animated HTML5 and interactive banner ads. While prices are subject to change, at this time at minimum, I'd recommend a single user license running for $12 a month ($144 billed yearly). On the basic plan members get unlimited downloads (without watermarks), static banner templates, 25,000 embed view per banner per day, and access to stock photos. The free version is limiting and is designed to give users a feel of the app before upgrading.

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Another week of early voting has passed and as of Sunday morning at least 5.9 million people have voted in the 2016 election.

The past week of early voting marked the start of in-person early voting in states like Georgia, Nevada, and North Carolina. The in-person early voting period is a crucial time for campaigns since it is the most popular form of early voting in these and many other states. Up to 90 percent or more of the early votes will be cast in-person in these states. With this understanding, it was not surprising to see dramatic increases in the volume of early voting.

In-person early voting is also the preferred method of voting among Democrats. In places like North Carolina, Republicans had finally built a lead in the mail ballots, only to see that lead dramatically erased after the first day of early voting. This pattern is expected from previous election cycles, so it is not in itself indicative of how the election may play out. Comparisons of early voting to 2012, added to polling numbers, provide better context as to where the election may be heading. That said, there are still two weeks left in the election and unpredictable events may yet affect the eventual outcome.

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North Carolina

I begin with North Carolina, where in-person early voting began on Thursday. On Wednesday, registered Republicans held a lead of 2,641 returned ballots over registered Democrats, or a lead of 4.7 percentage point lead among all returned ballots. Then in-person early voting started, and 385,410 voters cast ballots in-person by the end of Saturday. The number of registered Democrats voting increased dramatically, and they jumped into a lead of 80,303 returned ballots over Republicans by the end of Saturday, or a 13.9 percentage point lead among all returned ballots.

The level of early voting is running slightly behind 2012. 323,281 people voted in-person during the first Thursday and Friday early voting days in 2012, while 321,700 voted in-person in 2016. (Some counties are a little behind on their data entry so I exclude Saturday to make the best available comparison.)

Republicans have been less engaged than 2012 during the entire mail balloting period, and this pattern persists through to in-person early voting. As of Saturday, Republicans are running behind their 2012 levels by 26,324 returned ballots for a 13 percent decrease from 2012. A potential worrisome issue for the Democrats is that their levels have been up over 2012 until the in-person early voting period started, but now trail their 2012 levels by 15,198 for a 5.7 percent decrease from 2012.



Defying the party trends, early voting levels among voters who are not registered with a party (what North Carolina calls "Unaffiliated") is up from 2012 by 32,234 for a 28.6 percent increase over 2012. This slice of North Carolina early voters may lean towards Trump, as the age distribution of all Unaffiliated voters tends to skew older. Still, note the skew is not that great as there are a generous number of younger voters, too.



Democrats may be off their 2012 levels not due to disengagement, but due to the availability of in-person early voting. Local electoral boards, with Republican majorities, created bottlenecks by reducing the number of in-person early voting polling locations. They did so at the urging of the Republican state party chair. Not all local boards listened, but some did, and the effect is obvious. The volume of early voting is generally down in the counties that reduced the number of polling locations and is up where the number increased.





Perhaps the most egregious county is Guilford, a county of 517,600 people, of which 57.9 percent is White, and gave Obama 58 percent of the vote in 2012. The county opened 16 in-person early voting locations in 2012, but has only their central election office open in 2016. The number of in-person voters on the first Thursday and Friday was 21,560 in 2012, but was only 3,305 in 2016, a decrease of 18,255 or 85 percent.

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Mecklenburg, where the state's largest city Charlotte is located and a county Obama won with 61 percent of the vote, decreased their number of polling locations from 22 to 10. The effect was not as pronounced as Guilford. The number of in-person voters on the first Thursday and Friday was 29,068 in 2012, and was 26,660 in 2016, a decrease of 2,426 or 8 percent.

Many North Carolina counties will expand their in-person early voting polling locations the week before the election. Guilford will have 25 polling locations open at later points in the early voting period and Mecklenburg will have 22 (particularly the last week). In the past, the volume of early voting has increased as the election nears, so these actions to reduce turnout may not be entirely effective.

Clinton has a narrow lead in the North Carolina polling averages, and Democrats are still engaged at higher levels than Republicans. I imagine that the Clinton campaign is nervously watching these early voting numbers to see if voters in these heavily Democratic counties will engage once past the current bottleneck created by the shuttering polling locations at the beginning of the early voting period.

Nevada

In-person early voting began on Saturday, and like North Carolina, the volume of voting increased dramatically. As I write this on Sunday, data are available only for Clark (Las Vegas) and Washoe (Reno) counties. These are the two most Democratic counties of the state. Not surprisingly, Democrats lead all early votes in these two counties. With 68,927 early votes cast, registered Democrats lead Republicans 50.3 percent to 31.5 percent. (Nevada will begin reporting statewide numbers this week.)

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Looking at the party registration numbers, Jon Ralston reports registered Democrats are voting above their voter registration levels, up 12 points in Clark and 11 points in Washoe. Republicans are running below their voter registration levels, down 2 points in Clark and 1 point in Washoe. Ralston was careful to document how Republicans outperformed in 2014, so Trump supporters should take heed when he says, "Democrats destroyed Republicans in the first day of early voting in Nevada." There is nothing in these early voting numbers that contradict recent polling showing Clinton taking a lead in the state.

Iowa

Iowa continues to be a weak point for the Clinton campaign, as Trump continues to out-perform Romney by having a moderate lead in the polling averages in a state Obama won by 5.6 points.

The situation has improved slightly for the Democrats in the past week. Democrats are expected to lead in the early vote (Iowa state calls mail ballots and in-person early votes "absentee" so there is no way to distinguish mail balloting from in-person early voting that started a couple weeks ago.) There really was no direction but up for Democrats, who were running as far as over 50,000 ballot requests behind their 2012 levels. As of Friday, they are down only 34,447, while Republicans are up 2,540. The Iowa polling showing weakness for Clinton appears to be correct. However, there has not been much polling in the state and it is possible the state is shifting in a Democratic direction. Will that be enough for Clinton remains to be seen.

California

Paul Mitchell, vice-president of a California political consulting firm called Political Data Inc., publishes California mail ballot statistics, which show heightened levels of mail balloting compared to 2012. Of particular interest is the party breakdown. Registered Democrats have returned ballots at 25 percent over 2012 and Republicans are up only 6 percent (there has been a general increase over time of mail balloting in California).

So, you wanna compare Vote By Mail rates to 2012 General? I'm game, but first... digest this... Who votes by mail has changed dramatically. pic.twitter.com/4aXYMQDXZO  Paul Mitchell (@paulmitche11) October 21, 2016

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That Clinton will likely win California is not surprising. Perhaps most consequential to understanding dynamics in surprise battleground states like Arizona and Texas is that California Latino's mail balloting is up 45 percent over their 2012 level, the highest increase for any group. ("Latino" is determined in a state like California, which doesn't ask race on its voter registration forms, by matching voters' surnames with a list of Latino surnames created by the Census Bureau.) Latinos usually vote at about 20 percentage points lower than Whites or African-Americans in past presidential elections. If Latino engagement persists through to Election Day and expands beyond California, this would fundamentally alter America's political map, particularly if Latino participation continues in future elections.

Florida

In-person early voting starts Monday in Florida, so we might expect similar changes soon in Florida in a Democratic direction as witnessed in states like Nevada and North Carolina that mix mail balloting and in-person early voting.

Overall mail balloting levels are up bigly from 2012. Election officials have received 1.2 million mail ballots as of Saturday, which is an increase of about a half million more from the same time in 2012. This is due to a change in state law that makes a ballot request good for two years. Some counties also have a check box on their mail ballot return envelopes, which serves as a request renewal.



At a comparable time in 2012, registered Republicans had a lead of 5.3 percentage points over Democrats in returned mail ballots (we only have returned ballots for 2012). As of Saturday, the Republican lead was 1.6 percentage points. These numbers are confounded by the change to the mail balloting law and some indications of lingering effects of Hurricane Matthew on Republican areas of Northeast Florida.

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The Florida poll averages show a narrow lead for Clinton, outside the margin of error. There is nothing in the early voting that would contradict that assessment at this time. However, like North Carolina, the in-person early voting period will be the critical time for the campaigns. Perhaps voters have simply chosen to vote earlier, and by a different method, than in 2012. Maybe in-person early voting will not be as strong as 2012. We should have a clearer picture in the next week once a week of in-person early voting has occurred.

Ohio

Ohio does not have party registration in that same way that other states do. Election officials record the last party primary a voter a person participated in this open primary state as their "party". So, instead of a party analysis, I believe that a geographic analysis is most informative. In the Democratic strongholds of Cuyahoga (Cleveland) and Franklin (Columbus), mail absentee ballot requests are running 17.7 percent behind their 2012 levels in Cuyahoga and 10.3 percent behind in Franklin. (Ohio calls in-person early votes "in-house" mail ballots and groups them with other mail ballots.) With the assistance of UF graduate student Brian Amos, we have scraped many of the local election websites and analyzed their absentee ballot files. In 49 other Ohio counties, absentee ballot requests are up 5.1 percent.

There are some changes since 2012 that may affect these numbers. Early voting was offered for a longer period in 2012. The Secretary of State mailed out ballot request forms to all registered voters in 2012, but only those who voting in 2012 or 2014 this election. Still, even since the in-person early voting period started last week, the ballot request numbers from these counties continue to flat line.

(One may wonder why I do not analyze returned ballots. I suspect counties are behind on this aspect of their data entry, so I choose not to do this analysis at this time.)

The Pollster average has a slim Clinton lead in Ohio, within the margin of error. I believe this is correct. Even as Clinton has opened a large lead in national polling, Ohio has not matched that surge.

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Maine

I will only briefly mention that Clinton shows polling improvement in Maine, and since the first debate Democrats are exceeding their 2012 levels in Maine's Second Congressional District. I think the likelihood Maine will split its Electoral College votes between the two congressional districts is fading (Maine and Nebraska are the only two states that do this), barring some unforeseen event.



Virginia

Virginia is another state where hopes for a Trump victory are fading, barring some unforeseen event. Although Virginia requires an excuse to vote an absentee ballot, the excuses are fairly lenient and the state usually sees double-digit rates of early voting. A Virginia Public Access Project analysis (they're a non-profit; give to them if you like what they do), shows Northern Virginia is running ahead of its 2012 levels by 63 percent, whereas other regions are running slightly ahead or behind their 2012 levels.

The polling averages have a significant Clinton lead in Virginia, and both campaigns have pulled out. The early voting numbers are just one more straw on the already broken back. More interesting, perhaps, is the long-run implication that Virginia may no longer be a battleground state in presidential elections.

Summary

If the election were held today...what am I saying? In many places the election is being held today and for the next two weeks through to November 8. Despite weakness for Clinton in the Midwest, Clinton looks well-positioned in other states Trump still needs for an Electoral College victory. We are entering the crucial in-person early voting period for Democrats. Democrats tend to vote at higher numbers than Republicans during in-person early voting, a behavior that is being born out in critical battleground states like Nevada and North Carolina. There are some clouds in North Carolina, as Democrats stand in long lines created by the opening of fewer polling locations in some key Democratic counties. Will Democrats endure through to Election Day? Will in-person early voting wind up not as favorable for Democrats as it has been in the past? The next two weeks of in-person early voting will tell the tale.
Aminta Kilawan thought she had lost her voice.

Kilawan, the co-founder of Sadhana: Coalition of Progressive Hindus, is a leader in the Indo-Caribbean community, but for years had never been able to articulate the abuse she suffered at the hands of a former boyfriend. She said her own family was unaware of the extent to which she suffered the abuse, which she said was complicated by their tacit disapproval of teenage dating.

For most of my teenage years, I dated someone who convinced me I was worthless. He backed those words up with violence and mentally trapped me into thinking I couldn't ever be with anyone else. I never admit this to my family, initially because I wasn't allowed to have a boyfriend at all, but later because I knew they'd tell me to leave him. Out of fear for my life, leaving him wasn't something I was ready to do. Eventually I had suicidal thoughts that escalated into action. My family saw the extent of my pain. Something was terribly wrong. My family took me to counseling sessions, but it was not until very recently that we've collectively been able to talk about what happened without shame. I think that in large part, that's because as the survivor, I wasn't ready to talk.

Today, she uses her experience to break the silence and empower those who have been impacted. She says combating domestic violence often means deconstructing values that many immigrant families have internalized and passed down to their children.

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"Getting out of a domestic violence situation often means breaking with family values that have been inculcated within us through our loved ones and our community," she said. "Those who choose to leave their situation are stigmatized because putting an end to the cycle of violence often comes at the cost of a separation or divorce. By and large, victims of domestic violence are women, and tradition teaches us that wives must be subservient to their husbands--that they must be devoted to their husbands no matter what. These leaves no room for a victim of abuse to escape."

Domestic violence is an issue where the collective silence in the South Asian community -- regardless of their faith identity -- highlights one of the challenges in combating it: acknowledging it exists. Hindu, Muslim, Sikh, Christian, and Jain domestic violence victim advocates have long argued that their faith communities haven't always been the most open to creating spaces of dialogue and action when it comes to addressing partner abuse. This, despite the fact that such abuse runs contrary to scriptural values of nonviolence enshrined in each of the faiths.

Many don't know that domestic violence exists in their families or among family friends because it's kept silent, and the victims' families often perpetuate that silence out of shame or a feeling that the abuse is somehow their fault. When it does, they are sometimes paralyzed by a confluence of emotions.

For Kilawan, her own desire to break from an abusive relationship meant challenging the unsaid norms her family and community members sought to uphold.

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"As a child of immigrant parents who hail from Guyana, I have heard so many times that married couples must always find a way to work it out because our culture does not condone divorce," she said. "The statistics have been repeated time and time again: on average, it takes a victim seven attempts before s/he finally commits to leaving an abuser. Shame is a huge reason why victims of domestic violence choose to stay."

But acknowledging domestic violence also forces the victim to acknowledge her/his own vulnerability. As Kilawan points out:



Admitting that you live in a home plagued with domestic violence or abuse forces an individual to put himself or herself in a very vulnerable state. It means admitting that things are far from perfect, even if they outwardly appear fine. Having grown up in the Indo-Caribbean enclave of Richmond Hill/South Ozone Park/Ozone Park, I know one too many parents who stick together in the interest of their children when doing so actually results in more long-term harm that good. Shame is also a natural factor in the way that some families respond. Breaking the silence in a domestic violence situation also means accepting the reputation of being "that family," and giving up a once-honorable reputation. It often means being the subject of gossip or the recipient of pity. It's hard for South Asians and Indo-Caribbeans to willingly put themselves in that category. It's easier to keep things hush hush... except... eventually things inevitably reach a boiling point.

For families of domestic violence victims, inaction is often due to a feeling of helplessness, especially if there aren't institutional resources readily available to help. Kilawan empathizes with the families of victims who feel powerless to help, in part because they don't know what actions can help to get their loved ones out of potentially fatal relationships. She said that victims also need to recover on their own terms, something that has taken years for her to do. Her powerfully written essay three years ago was a moment for her to finally reclaim her voice and share the extent to which she suffered.

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"There were other loved ones who said I made a mistake by "revealing my weakness" in the blog post," she said. "I have respectfully disagreed. Writing that post was perhaps the strongest and bravest thing I've ever done."

Moreover, it allowed her to have an open discussion with her family.

"Just a few months ago, my family and I were having breakfast and I decided to tell them everything that happened, the physical, emotional, and even spiritual violence that I went through," she said. "We all cried together. It was freeing."

Kilawan realizes that the institutional resources for families of domestic violence victims are still lacking, but she notes that families can be the most powerful support networks for their loved ones who have suffered abuse if they are able to put aside stigmas and judgment.

I would advise families who feel like no one understands to realize that there are more people who have experienced domestic violence and abuse than they know, they just haven't developed the courage to come out. Leave the judgment at the door. Don't force the victim to leave his/her partner. S/he will only do that of his/her own accord. Instead, be an understanding voice of reason and temper that reason with a whole lot of love and compassion.

More domestic violence support organizations specifically for South Asian victims have been established in the past few decades. But many still have not developed programs to empower the families of abuse victims. Kilawan hopes this will change, particularly as more victims break their silence and attempt to reclaim their voice.

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"When there is domestic violence in a home, every single person in that home hurts, even if s/he isn't the direct recipient of the abuse," she says.
For all its faults, the Citizens United ruling upheld the disclosure requirements of the campaign financing law, and I had hoped full disclosure might limit corporate contributions. But in fact, corporations are able to exploit provisions in the law governing nonprofit groups to make lavish political contributions without disclosure, making it easier than ever for cash to subvert our political system. Action to limit contributions at the corporate level is therefore urgent.

Indeed, the Supreme Court itself put the onus on shareholders to control corporate political giving. In his opinion for the majority in Citizens United, Justice Anthony M. Kennedy predicated the First Amendment right of free speech on the ability of shareholders to ensure that the speech reflects their views rather than diverting corporate assets for the benefit of executives. He suggested that any abuse could be corrected by shareholders "through the procedures of corporate democracy."
Republican nominee Donald Trump speaks during the first presidential debate at Hofstra University in Hempstead, New York on September 26, 2016. / AFP / Paul J. Richards (Photo credit should read PAUL J. RICHARDS/AFP/Getty Images)

Republicans continue to lose big among minorities and women. It has culminated in the nomination of a bigot and a misogynist for president of the United States.

In office, they have no political capacity to vote differently, and thus eliminate those barriers to the presidency. If Democrats sweep the 2016 elections (president and both Houses of Congress), they will pass immigration reform and paycheck equity, so Republicans need not address them in the future in threatening ways.

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In the aftermath of the 2012 election, Sean Hannity declared that Republicans should pass immigration reform if they ever wanted to win the presidency. Poor (little) Marco Rubio (R-FL) never got the memo that Hannity, and other Republican mouthpieces, were just foolin', and so he helped construct a bipartisan immigration reform bill that passed the Senate with 68 votes.

Then-Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) knew that if he brought that bill to the House floor that it would pass, as a decent fraction of Republicans, including Republican leaders such as then-Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA), current Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) and recently-defeated Vice Presidential Candidate and current-Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) would have voted for it along with all the Democrats.

But, Boehner knew he could not do that and remain Speaker. A small but sizeable fraction of the Republican Congress would have stripped him of his position. Cantor lost re-election because of his known support for it. Rubio will be running away from his role in constructing that bill for the rest of his (hopefully foreshortened) political career.

If a Republican were to vote for immigration reform, or cooperate in any way with a Hillary Clinton Administration, they would be primaried, and would lose to an insurgent. The seat would be permanently gone.

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If, on the other hand, an incumbent were to lose in 2016, and a Democrat won, it is highly likely that, in 2018, the last election before the gerrymander fights, Republicans would win it back...and, the same old guy who lost in 2016, could run and win his seat back, having never committed a cardinal sin.

The same is true of paycheck equity. There are many Republicans dying to vote for it, but cannot because their corporate paymasters do not want it, and right-wing radio would skewer them for it. But, once passed by a Democratic Congress, it would fizzle quickly as an issue -- just like the Lilly Ledbetter Act, the Family Leave Act, and others have done.

A remaining wedge issue for women, of course, is choice in abortion decisions. But, Hillary will appoint pro-Roe Justices and judges, so that the threat of Republicans to choice will not seem so frightening even if they persist in the mythology that they are the "values" party after backing Donald Trump.

With paycheck equity and immigration off the table, Republicans can start building a following with women and minorities from the "right side of history."

The only way for that to happen is to lose both Houses of Congress along with the presidency in 2016.
When this campaign is over, let's not forget Donald Trump's steady use of anti-Semitic stereotypes and images throughout the campaign -- ideas that we can expect he'll continue to use when the election is over and he tries to re-invent himself as the leader of a white supremacist nationalist movement and the public face of a new media empire (Trump TV?) with his supporters Roger Ailes (former head of Fox News who has a history of making anti-Semitic comments and was responsible for Fox News' anti-Semitic crusade against the phony "war on Christmas"), Steven Bannon (head of Breitbart News known for his own anti-Semitic remarks), and hedge fund billionaire Robert Mercer (the money behind Breitbart News).

Trump's anti-Semitism comes in different shapes and sizes. He verbalizes it, encourages it, enables it, tolerates it, and makes excuses for it. What he doesn't do is condemn it.

Trump's most recent anti-Semitic remarks were in a speech, and a tweet, last week that included this line: "Hillary Clinton meets in secret with international banks to plot the destruction of U.S. sovereignty in order to enrich these global financial powers, her special interest friends and her donors." He didn't need to use the word "Jew." This imagery of a global banking cabal will be familiar to anyone who has read The Protocols of the Elders of Zion, the anti-Semitic forgery that has fueled anti-Jewish violence for over a century. These are well-known anti-Semitic code words. The speech -- typical of Trump's paranoid conspiracy theories -- was designed to fire up Trump's white nationalist, anti-Semitic base.

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Trump's chronic anti-Semitism is often overlooked when reporters and others itemize the long laundry list of the GOP candidate's bigotry and offensive comments, including sexism, racism and insults directed toward Muslims and the physically disabled.

Trump has often retweeted messages from white supremacists and anti-Semites, including the image of Clinton with a Jewish star and $100 bills in the background and the headline "Most Corrupt Candidate Ever."

In response to Trump's repeated claim about the election being rigged, the popular right-wing site The Daily Stormer wrote that "People aren't going to quietly go home if the Jews steal this election from us." Other sites that support Trump have posted similar slurs.

It should be no surprise anti-Semitic comments on social media have skyrocketed, because Trump is normalizing it, bringing these ugly stereotypes, once relegated to the lunatic fringe of the Internet, into the mainstream. A new Anti-Defamation League report uncovered more than 2.6 million tweets with anti-semitic comments and images between August 2015 and July 2016 -- a huge upsurge from the previous year. Many of them identified themselves as Trump supporters or Clinton haters, and many of them (including death threats) were directed at Jewish journalists who had been critical of Trump.

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Trump's comment about Clinton's ties to an international banking conspiracy was not an off-hand remark. He has a history of making anti-Semitic remarks, including this comment in a speech during this campaign to the Republican Jewish Coalition (a tiny group): "I know why you're not going to support me. You're not going to support me because I don't want your money... Look, I'm a negotiator like you folks, we're negotiators."

In one interview, he was asked if he'd read any of Hitler's speeches, Trump said: "If I had these speeches, and I am not saying that I do, I would never read them... My friend Marty Davis from Paramount gave me a copy of Mein Kampf, and he's a Jew." (Fact: Davis is not Jewish).

Trump's frequent references at his rallies and during the debates to Sidney Blumenthal, George Soros, and Debbie Wasserman-Schultz -- Jewish supporters of Hillary Clinton -- is no accident. This is not random name-dropping. These are dog whistles aimed at his racist and anti-Semitic supporters.

He once tweeted: "I promise you that I'm much smarter than Jonathan Leibowitz - I mean Jon Stewart @TheDailyShow. Who, by the way, is totally overrated." On his show, Stewart often referred to himself as Jewish. But only an anti-Semite like Trump would refer to Stewart's Jewish-sounding real name in this way.

Earlier this year Trump initially refused to condemn and reject support from former Ku Klux Klan leader David Duke, the well-known racist and anti-Semite.

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One of Trump's foreign policy advisers, Joseph Schmitz, is accused of bragging that he pushed out Jewish employees when he was Defense Department inspector general a decade ago. He also made comments denying the magnitude of the Holocaust.

When accused of fostering anti-Semitism, Trump often reminds people that his daughter Ivanka married a Jew (Jared Kushner) and converted to Judaism. But even members of Kushner's family have expressed their concern about his excuses for Trump's ugly remarks.

In most presidential election over the past 50 years, about 70-80 percent of Jews typically vote for the Democratic candidate, higher than any demographic group except African Americans. Don't be surprised if this year 85-90 percent of Jews vote for Hillary Clinton. This, of course, will trigger even more anti-Semitic outbursts from Trump and his followers.

The likely uptick in Jewish voting for this year's Democratic candidate is due as much to Jews' overall liberal views on abortion and women's rights, environmental and economic policy, and opposition to Trump's ugly comments about Muslims and others than to their concerns about his repugant anti-Semitism. But Trump's anti-Semitic remarks surely compounded their opposition to the Republican demagogue.

House Speaker Paul Ryan and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell initially ignored Trump's anti-Hillary Jewish star tweet last July until they were embarrassed into denouncing it. But Republican leaders have not condemned Trump's persistent anti-Semitism or the upsurge of Jew hatred that he has encouraged.

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And when will the handful of Jews who still support Trump -- including Steve Mnuchin ( a Wall Street banker and hedge fund billionaire as well as Trump's finance chair) and Sheldon Adelson (a billionaire casino owner and GOP mega-donor whose newspaper, the Las Vegas Review Journal) endorsed Trump this week) -- come to their senses?
testing of atomic bomb over ocean with mushroom clouds - red destroy

UNI Global Union and its 20 million members in 150 countries welcome the discussions taking place on the draft UN General Assembly resolution to start negotiations on a treaty banning nuclear weapons. We call on governments to get behind this resolution because we can imagine a world without nuclear weapons and believe in making it happen.

Trade unions and the global labour movement remain one of the largest and strongest voices for peace and democracy on the planet. Only last year the UGTT -- the Tunisian trade union centre -- was awarded a share in the Nobel Peace Prize for its role in promoting democracy and negotiating a new Constitution in the wake of the Tunisian Spring. There are many more trade unions whose work in promoting social justice around the world may not be as well recognised but is certainly equally as important.

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At UNI Global Union, our members adopted resolutions on peace at two world congresses in Nagasaki (2010) and Cape Town (2014), that called for a world free from weapons of mass destruction, a regulation of the arms trade and a reduction in military spending. We support and are members of the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) and have a long-time partnership with the International Peace Bureau whose recent world congress in Berlin I addressed. To date we are the first and only global union to organise a world congress in Nagasaki where we took two thousand trade unionists onto the streets to campaign for a world free from nuclear weapons.

Peace and democracy have always been core values of the labour movement. From the Middle East peace process and the end of apartheid in South Africa to the Northern Ireland, Nepal and Colombia peace agreements, we know only too well that true change can often come about through the actions of working people. Trade unions have been there to assist in these struggles and many more.

The ILO itself was founded as part of the Versailles Treaty that ended the First World War in the belief that universal and lasting peace could only ever be achieved if it was truly based on social justice, and this underlines the work we do at UNI Global Union. We call it the "economics of peace". We see today's levels of income inequality as a threat to peace. History tells us that when inequality and economic isolation rise conflict follows. That could be a war, it could be acts of terror, and it could be a political conflict such as BREXIT. Or it could simply be turning people against their own neighbours. In times of crisis irresponsible populist figures aim to create division and racism through xenophobia and nationalism. And that is why today we are witnessing the rise of divisive and dangerous figures such as Donald Trump and his politics of fear and hatred.

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We are outspoken in condemning acts of terror and the legitimate security concerns of the population, they have the right to demand protection so that they can live in peace. Equally, governments have a duty to provide that protection. This represents a dilemma for all of us who advocate peace.

Can we live together in peace? Yes. We have to believe it is possible. Mankind has shown its ability to live in peace, to find dignity in peace, to bury past hatreds, to forgive. It is 70 years since Winston Churchill made his speech in Zurich calling for a United States of Europe, referring of the need for "a blessed act of oblivion" or forgiveness. Churchill said, "We must all turn our backs on the horrors of the past. We must look to the future. We cannot afford to drag forward across the years that are to come the hatreds and revenges which have sprung from the injuries of the past."

To create a more peaceful world we must look at the economic divides and we have to find a fairer distribution of the wealth on the planet. The fact that the richest 62 people share as much wealth as half of the world's population is clearly unsustainable. We cannot accept the economic violence of inequality that pervades every aspect of society. It is the poorest who are paying the price for the mistakes of the rich in terms of climate change, modern-day slavery and austerity. By affording everyone a living wage or social protection, human rights, a vote - in other words by evening up the world - we can move towards a more peaceful world. Limiting arms spending can be an important part of this process.

It's clear -- the world is safer with fewer nuclear weapons on high alert. Especially if the likes of Donald Trump are the people holding the launch codes. Furthermore, that money could be far better spent on climate change mitigation, public services, social justice and decent work to name a few things. We need urgent negotiations to ban the use, manufacture, stockpiling and possession of nuclear weapons as a first step towards their complete eradication. The recent deal with Iran shows the power of negotiation as does the success; more than a 100 states have signed up to the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons. Change is possible that should drive the discussions at the UN in October.

Of course there are hundreds of thousands of jobs associated with the arms industry and we would lack credibility unless we give an alternative perspective on how to transform from one industry to another; it is a matter of providing a just transition for those working people. Jobs will be lost if governments do commit to widespread disarmament programmes but they can be recreated elsewhere when we allocate those funds to new causes in our changing economies. Climate change means we must refit our entire economies with green technology - this could create millions of new jobs. Much like with the increasing automation of the workplace we need to understand how we can help workers adapt, to mitigate against the worst affects and to provide a fair and just transition to new forms of work.

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Grammy-award winning artist Sting stopped by AOL's Build Series on 10/21/16 to discuss and promote his upcoming 12th studio album titled 57th & 9th. Sting has earned numerous accolades over his distinguished music career. He's won 25 American Music Awards, 16 Grammy Awards, a Kennedy Center honor, an MTV VMA, a Primetime Emmy Award, as well as being appointed to the British CBE, and getting inducted into the Hollywood Walk Of Fame. His albums have stood the test of time, having being heard on the radio for many decades.

With 57th & 9th, he returns to his rock roots that many have come to enjoy. It's been about 13 years since his last rock album. He was inspired to get back to rock because he wanted to surprise his fans. He told the audience that:

"The most important aspect of music to me is surprise. When I listen to music, I want to be surprised. When I compose music, I want to lay a surprise in the arrangement and when I decide what music I'm going to present to the public, again, I want to surprise them."

This is indeed true because he's done so many kinds of albums over the past decade and a half. If you look back in his discography, he did a Broadway album (The Last Ship), a 16th century songs album with a lute (Songs from the Labyrinth), and an orchestral album (Symphonicities) just to name a few. So going back to rock is rather a surprise since its been over a decade since the last rock record. Hardcore fans and even casual fans of his will definitely appreciate his decision this time around to make a rock album.

He also explained in the talk, the significance of the album title:

"I love to walk to work. It's one of my good privileges to walk from my home up on the West Side to a studio which is in Hell's Kitchen. On the way from the West Side to Hell's Kitchen, you have to cross 57th Street. As you all know it's a very busy thoroughfare with two-way traffic, so you're forced to stop. So I would use that stop, just a minute, waiting for that little green man to say "go", to kind of assess what is going on in my life."

Sting used that intersection of Manhattan in his daily travels to and from the studio and his home to reflect upon his life to which he called a "meditation point". That point is the "landmark" for his latest album project, hence the reason why he named his 12th LP, 57th & 9th.

The new album was done in a rather spontaneous manner. He went to the studio with his fellow musicians whom he played with for nearly three decades to which he had no idea as to what this session was going to produce. Sting recalled that moment saying:

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"Let's just play musical ping pong and see what happens! We just threw a few ideas around and it went in a circle and gradually something materializes that looks like it might become a song."

One such song, titled "I Can't Stop Thinking About You" is the lead single for his new album. While you may think this is a cookie-cutter love song, you're mistaken! Sting clarified to listeners, calling this supposed "love song" as a song about "obsession".

"It's about the obsession of a writer who every morning faces a blank page and he wonders what on earth he's going to fill it with. The analogy I use is of somebody hunting in the snow. You're never quite sure whether anything is there or not. So you're looking for a road, a pathway, a character, a muse, a romantic muse, philosophical muse, a spiritual muse, a story, anything...but you're not guaranteed to find it. So it's about that obsession."

Watch the official "I Can't Stop Thinking About You" music video below and see for yourself what Sting really wanted you to understand. Comment below telling me how you interpret the lyrics.

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When it comes to the songwriting process for this album, Sting was candid in agreeing that the album was written under self-pressure for example, in the cold weather. He elaborated by saying:

"Yes, it is true! This album was made under artificial pressure. First of all I said I was going to make it within 3 months. Normally I have it open ended, it could take as long as it could takes. It actually took 10 weeks. I also decided that when I was writing lyrics I would put some pressure on myself. I sat on my terrace in the freezing cold overlooking Central Park with a coat and a cup of coffee and I wouldn't allow myself in the house until I finished the lyric. It worked, I spent a whole weekend, and I wrote 4 songs in one weekend freezing my butt off outside."

Sting's hard work and dedication for his latest album is a true testament to his artistry and I encourage you all to check out his full Build Series interview where he went further into discussing specific songs off of 57th & 9th. He reminisced about this year's sudden losses of his fellow friends in the music industry like Bowie, Prince, The Eagles' Glenn Frey, and Motorhead's Lemmy ("50,000"), and addressed climate change and the government's lack of attention towards it ("One Fine Day").
Anthony Starcher sends a message during a vigil in Biloxi, Miss., on Monday June 13, 2016, to honor the victims of the mass shooting in Orlando, Fla. (John Fitzhugh/Biloxi Sun Herald/TNS via Getty Images)

It's no surprise Governor Phil Bryant of Mississippi is one of the few prominent Republicans left defending Donald Trump. Governor Bryant already proved his stubbornness when he was the only public official to appeal the enjoining of Mississippi's radical anti-LGBT legislation passed this spring. Lawyers on both sides are currently gearing up for briefing and arguments in the Fifth Circuit over Mississippi's religious refusal bill, HB 1523. HB 1523 provides explicit, special protections designed to allow individuals and businesses in Mississippi to discriminate against LGBT individuals and families if they believe that marriage is between a man and a woman, sex should be reserved to such a marriage, and/or that the gender a person is assigned at birth is immutable.

Many have deemed HB 1523 to be the most extensive legislation of its kind to be passed into law since the Supreme Court's same-sex marriage decision in 2015. But others suggest that HB 1523 is a sensible accommodation to those in Mississippi with sincerely held religious or moral beliefs about marriage and LGBT identity. Prominent libertarian scholar Richard Epstein penned an article on Mississippi's bill arguing just that. Epstein argues that such religious protections are benign when, "there are thousands of employers and landlords, and dozens of vendors that are eager to cater to the interests of gay and lesbian couples." Basically, Epstein suggests that the answer to the problem that would have been faced by LGBT Mississippians had HB 1523 gone into effect is as simple as: "do your business elsewhere." Epstein also writes that "context matters." So let's actually look at the context in Mississippi, something Epstein fails to do.

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This summer in Mississippi, the United Dixie White Knights of the KKK distributed flyers following the Pulse Nightclub shooting in Orlando threatening: "Don't let the outside immoral crowds and their news media get your butt in a bind. We will never bow to homosexuality and bestiality or other unnatural sexual perversions that go against the laws of nature and God." 2016 marked the first year that Jackson, Mississippi hosted an official Pride parade and many gay and lesbian couples chose not to attend in fear for their safety and security. Their Governor had this to say in talking about the U.S. Supreme Court's decision recognizing the constitutional right of gay and lesbian couples to marry: "They don't know that if it takes crucifixion, we will stand in line before abandoning our faith and our belief in our Lord and savior."

But this is only the tip of the iceberg. When you actually travel to Mississippi and talk to LGBT individuals you hear countless stories about lesbian couples alternating turns to attend their children's recitals and sport's games so that they aren't seen together. This doesn't just impact a few families: Mississippi has the highest percentage of same-sex couples raising children in the country. During legal proceedings over HB 1523, the court heard about a teacher telling a little girl her parents weren't married because marriage is between a man and a woman. The teacher proceeded to humiliate the child by polling each and every student in the class, asking if they had a mother and a father to show the student her family was different. It's no wonder one of the witnesses at the hearings has since moved her family out of Mississippi, after describing this legislation "as the final straw."

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For LGBT folks living in Mississippi there exists a constant and pervasive sense of fear -- not just the dignitary fear of being turned away at a restaurant (although that certainly exists), but also the legitimate fear of imminent violence. After all, it seems rational to be concerned when a KKK flyer shows up in your driveway on a summer morning threatening you and your family's very existence.

Epstein fails to account for any of these grave realities on the ground. He also seems to not understand the reality of the bill itself. He imagines HB 1523 as limited to private "market-regulated" spaces, but the bill's scope extends far beyond that. HB 1523 prevents the state from interfering in a foster parent's decision to "guide, instruct, or raise" a child in accordance with the favored moral beliefs. One section of the bill allows counselors to deny mental health services to a lesbian teenager struggling with coming out on the basis that the provider believes marriage is between a man and a woman (without any requirement of a referral). The bill extends this protection to state employees, such as a school counselor at a public school, which for many young people is their only access to mental health services. This is in a state, mind you, with one of the highest risks of suicide for LGBT youth. There is nothing hyperbolic about saying that this is about life and death for LGBT individuals in Mississippi. When mental health care providers turn away HIV positive patients, doctors and public health professionals have already warned us what the likely outcome will be.

Richard Epstein believes that although racial anti-discrimination protections were previously justified as a "necessary corrective against massive abuses of state power under Jim Crow. Thankfully, that risk is gone today." That may better describe where Richard Epstein teaches law and contemplates his academic theories: New York City. But for LGBT Mississippians who received KKK flyers in their driveways, Epstein's assertion that the risk is gone is laughable. Don't take my New York word for it: listen to the voices coming directly from Mississippi. For LGBT citizens in Mississippi there's not just the "risk" of a Jim Crow South, it's their daily reality.

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Watching the third and final presidential debate, Life in the Boomer Lane was stunned to hear Donald Trump say what sounded suspiciously like "bad hombres," in reference to his assertion that The Wall will be all that stands between us and annihilation by the unwashed masses that are clamoring to overrun our southern border, in order to trade in their tacos for a seat at the Golden Corral Buffet.

Specifically, LBL was stunned to see Trump's outstanding grasp of a foreign language, as well as his ability to speak a coherent bi-lingual phrase. But, she'll admit, that initially, she wasn't sure she had heard correctly. Surely, the phrase must have been something else. She considered the possibilities:

"bad ombres" If this is what Trump actually said, LBL has to agree with him. The ombre hair phenomenon, in which hair goes from from dark to light or from light to dark, is not only passe, it's borderline insulting. And it's very likely that, while Hillary was talking immigration, Trump was thinking hair fashion and deciding to take a public stand about this. On that, LBL says, "I'm with him."

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"bah humbug" Had Trump been trying to subtly locate his water glass while Hillary was speaking, he may have allowed his frustration to get the better of him and mutter "Bah, humbug.". This would have been an appropriate response. His water glass was placed so low, in fact, that Trump seemed to disappear for at least five minutes behind the podium and cause serious concern on the part of LBL, until he popped back up again, water glass firmly in hand.

"bad umbrage" This would have been a socially acceptable way for Trump to express his displeasure of Hillary's immigration policy as it pertained to our southern neighbors. The use of the word "umbrage", alone, would have elevated Trump's vocabulary by at least four grade levels.

"bad hung bras" This could very well have been Trump's retort to Hillary, rivaling the phrase "nasty woman." But, in Hillary's defense, LBL has seen no evidence of a bad hung bra, and trust her, she has looked.



"bad ouvres" This might have been Trump's English/French mash up, rather than English/Spanish. Here, again, LBL is on board. A bad body of artistic output is almost as bad as a bad hung bra. But, if Trump was referring to Hillary, LBL knows of no time the woman would have in her schedule to produce even a short rhyme, let alone a large body of artistic work.



"bad home brews" Bad home brews are an issue that few people speak about, mainly because home-brewed beer is cheap, plentiful, and you can drink it in your pajamas and never have to leave the house. As Trump is a non-drinker, and, as it is difficult to imagine the man wearing pajamas under any circumstances, LBL believes that he wouldn't have used this phrase. But it sounds like "bad hombres" and so she decided to throw it in.

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All that is to say that bad hombres or not, LBL believe we should move on from this, as there are far more pressing issues facing the American people. The most important of these is the fact that "bigly," a word used by Trump, is an actual word that exists in the English language. (Readers Note: After the first presidential debate, Eric Trump told The Hollywood Reporter that his father had said "big league," and not "bigly." LBL demands that Trump come clean with this, and take ownership of what, exactly, he said.)

LBL doesn't know when the word "bigly" would have snuck into the language, but she bets it was because there was no one guarding the vocabulary border. She proposes a Vocabulary Wall, high enough and long enough to prevent subsequent undocumented words from sneaking in and creating mayhem among our unsuspecting (and mostly defenseless) legal words. We owe it to the American people.

Earlier on Huff/Post50:


Michelle Obama calls us to action with strength and hope.

[This was written before the final presidential debate; but that event only confirmed the conclusions here.]

The nastiness of this year's presidential campaign makes it hard to stay on an even keel between now and Election Day.

The Republican presidential nominee, exposed as a sexual predator by his own mouth, resorts to unhinged rants and escalating accusations. He blames a media conspiracy, Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim, and the Jews. He accuses Hillary Clinton of using performance-enhancing drugs and demands a drug test before the final debate. He critiques her backside. He baselessly claims the election is rigged. His supporters threaten armed insurrection. It all comes at us too rapidly to absorb.

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On October 14, he denied all charges of sexual assault and said of accuser Jessica Leeds, "Believe me, she would not be my first choice." Actually, decades after the alleged incident, I think she is still beautiful. But wait: he would rather have molested someone else? His compulsion to strike back against every critic betrayed him. His witness against Ms. Leeds, Anthony Gilberthorpe, has a history of making unproven claims, such as that he provided underage rent boys to Tory cabinet officers.

The Republican nominee lives in an alternate reality with gold toilets and adoring nincompoops who cheer every blast of his verbal diarrhea. He mocked Oscar-winner Marlee Matlin as if her deafness made her mentally challenged. He threatens press freedoms. He acts as a Kremlin mouthpiece, dramatically waving around hacked Democratic emails that only crude doctoring or wild misrepresentation can render scandalous. He treats charitable giving the way he treats contractors: just his name or good word is payment enough. This is in the great American tradition of taking what you want (Latin motto for his coins: "Cape quod vis").

That said, he did not reach the top of the ticket without help. For example, Republican legislators, spotting an opportunity to demagogue against trans people, rushed to beat back a nonexistent spate of molestations in bathrooms rather than deal with real problems facing their states. In ironic symmetry, their presidential nominee ogles teenage girls in beauty pageant dressing rooms and hits on ten-year-olds.

It will do us no good if we respond to an opportunist's drive-by political shooting with ill-focused blame of our own. Slamming the establishment in general for GOP obstruction is like responding to a broken leg by breaking your other leg. The intolerance, know-nothingism, and gridlock plaguing America have a Republican address.

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The destructive resentment the GOP candidate stokes is the impulse of a mob, not a solution to any problem. We cannot solve today's challenges by retreating into the past. Immigrants are not leaving, lost industrial jobs are not returning, and women are not going back to the Mad Men era of groping and demeaning that their mothers and grandmothers endured.

At a rally in New Hampshire on October 13, Michelle Obama gave a strong, stirring speech that was a master class in political discourse. She not only turned a withering gaze on the adolescent bully who is the Republican nominee, she gave an exhortation: "On November 8th, we can show our children that here in America, we reject hatred and fear, and in difficult times, we don't discard our highest ideals. No, we rise up to meet them. We rise up to perfect our union. We rise up to defend our blessings of liberty."

We must pace ourselves to get through this ugly season. We can turn off the television, turn away from the flood of bile on social media, take in the autumn air, relax with friends. But we cannot forget our civic duty. We have to assume that those whom Trump has rallied to pull our country apart out of misdirected anger will vote. We dare not let them win by default.

A self-described feminist gadfly in Houston named Andrea lifts my spirits. Responding to Trump's claim that "a global power structure" is out to stop him, she tweeted, "We are, but most people just call us women."

The First Lady summons our better selves. Decades of progress in achieving America's ideals are at risk of being reversed, and our constitution subverted. As President Obama said, "Democracy itself is on the ballot." We don't have perfect choices, but we have clear choices. It is time to rise.

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This piece originally appeared in the Washington Blade and Bay Windows.
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, right, is shown the way by Chinese President Xi Jinping before a signing ceremony in Beijing, China, Thursday, Oct. 20, 2016. Duterte was meeting Thursday with Xi in Beijing as part of a charm offensive aimed at seeking trade and support from the Asian giant by setting aside a thorny territorial dispute. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan, Pool)

MANILA, Philippines -- The Philippines' maverick leader, Rodrigo Duterte, broke with diplomatic tradition by choosing to visit Beijing before traditional allies like America and Japan. The four-day state visit served as an icebreaker in frosty relations between the two neighbors, which have been caught in bitter territorial disputes in the South China Sea.

Overwhelmed by renowned Chinese hospitality and large-scale economic carrots, Duterte went so far as declaring his "separation" from America, the Philippines' sole treaty ally, in favor of a joining Russia and China "against the world." To the disappointment of many Filipinos, Duterte seemingly failed to secure any specific concession in the South China Sea, the key bone of contention in bilateral relations.

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At the end of Duterte's visit, Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Liu Zhenmin triumphantly declared, "bilateral relations have fully recovered and the two countries will return to the track of dialogue and consultation to address maritime issues." In their joint-statement, China and the Philippines agreed to "make concerted efforts to cement the traditional friendship of the two peoples," signaling their shared interest in setting aside sovereignty disputes in favor of broader economic engagement.

The state visit went a long way to injecting a semblance of normality into bilateral relations and reducing tensions in the South China Sea. But there is no guarantee that Duterte's flirtation with China will either translate into any enduring strategic partnership or genuine compromise in the disputed waters. Instead, it has only created more confusion as to the future direction of Philippine foreign policy and may also embolden Chinese maritime ambitions in adjacent waters.

Without a doubt, economics topped Duterte's agenda in China. The two neighbors signed 13 major agreements with commercial deals worth a whopping $24 billion, covering infrastructure, tourism, industry and agriculture. Around 400 of the country's leading entrepreneurs and practically all local tycoons accompanied the Filipino president, who was intent on securing Chinese assistance for upgrading the Philippines' decrepit public infrastructure.

Chinese companies are set to be involved in big-ticket infrastructure projects such as the proposed "bullet train" between Subic and Clark, the site of America's biggest overseas military bases during the Cold War, as well as a mega railway project covering Duterte's home island of Mindanao.

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The Duterte administration is intent on transforming China from an embittered territorial rival into a partner for national development. Beijing has sought to charm the Filipino strongman by also offering assistance in his controversial war on drugs, which has drawn heavy criticism from Western allies as well as the United Nations.

The visit was not without controversy. Duterte's deferential, if not seemingly obsequious, behavior vis-a-vis his Chinese hosts may have impressed the host nation, but raised eyebrows among many Filipinos, who are deeply suspicious of China. Some Filipinos quipped that the visit looked more like a tributary mission by a Filipino sultan to a Chinese emperor rather than a state visit by a sovereign leader.

His tirades against America also didn't sit well with the broadly pro-American Filipino public. "In this venue, your honours, in this venue, I announce my separation from the United States," declared Duterte in a forum attended by Chinese Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli. "Both in military, not maybe social, but economics also. America has lost."

In response, American officials criticized Duterte for "creating unnecessary uncertainty" and reminded him of how the "troubling rhetoric ... is inexplicably at odds with the warm relationship that exists between the Filipino and American people."

A recently published poll by the Manila-based Social Weather Station shows that America (+66 net) is by far the Philippines' most popular international partner, while China (-33 net) is by far the most unpopular. As a democratically elected president, Duterte couldn't ignore public opinion at home. No wonder then, as soon as he arrived home Duterte contradicted himself.

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"In the severance of ties you cut the diplomatic relations. I cannot do that. It is in the best interest of my country that we maintain that relationship [with America]," explained Duterte upon landing in the Philippines. While the clarifying statement eased anxieties within the America-aligned Filipino security establishment and broader public, it simply reinforced growing concerns over the credibility of the Filipino leader's strategic signaling.

Though gladdened by Manila's new strategic tone, even Beijing seems to be concerned with the predictability of its Filipino counterpart. As Shi Yinhong, an influential academic and advisor to Chinese government, told The Guardian, "He [Duterte] still could change his words in the future... In the future nothing is certain." Thus, there is even less reason to expect China, which claims "inherent and indisputable" sovereignty over the bulk of the South China Sea, to negotiate any lasting territorial compromise with Manila anytime soon.

Nonetheless, China has managed to pull of a strategic coup de grace by driving a wedge between the Philippines and America, which are now at odds over Duterte's war on drugs. China has also benefited from Duterte's refusal to raise the Philippines' arbitration case at The Hague in multilateral fora. This has allowed Beijing to avoid a post-arbitration diplomatic disaster, strengthening its hands in the adjacent waters.

Within few months, the Philippines has transformed from China's leading regional critic into, at least rhetorically, a potential ally. There are also fears that other Southeast Asian countries like Malaysia and Vietnam will follow suit, dropping any coordinated resistance against Chinese maritime ambitions. This is perhaps China's greatest foreign policy success in recent years and nothing less than geopolitical drama on steroids.
Earlier this month, two of the three massively subsidized, state-owned Gulf airlines announced additional flights to and from the United States. Emirates said it will begin daily nonstops from Fort Lauderdale to Dubai on December 15, and Etihad said it will more than double nonstops between Dallas/Fort Worth and Abu Dhabi, from three per week to seven, beginning February 2017. In two years, Emirates, Etihad Airways and Qatar Airways will have increased seat capacity to and from the U.S. by 42 percent, a staggering number that is not the result of market growth, but the fairy-tale economics of state subsidy. According to the airline database Official Airline Guide (OAG), in Dallas/Fort Worth alone the three Gulf carriers will flood nearly 2,000 seats per day (in both directions) by early next year. In manufacturing industries, this practice is called dumping, and often results in legal action against offending nations at the World Trade Organization. But there's no WTO for the airline industry.

For more than 18 months, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, United Airlines and their union partners have been explaining to U.S. officials and others the clear evidence that the government owners of Emirates, Etihad Airways and Qatar Airways have long provided huge amounts of cash, in violation of the Open Skies agreements between the U.S. and both the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Qatar. Open Skies agreements are the legal pacts that allow their airlines unlimited access to the U.S. market, the largest in the world.



Since 2004, proven subsidies to the Gulf trio have totaled almost $50 billion, and have enabled them to expand without the normal commercial realities by which U.S. airlines must abide. A longtime U.S. airline planner has characterized Gulf carriers' route-planning decisions as "Whoa, next week, Airbus will deliver another new A380. We have to find a place to fly it."

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As I explained in a 2015 article in Forbes, to understand Gulf carrier expansion you need to understand basic airline geography. After beginning its Fort Lauderdale flights in December, Emirates, together with Etihad Airways and Qatar Airways, will fly nonstop from 13 U.S. cities to their megahubs in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Doha. But local demand for these nonstop flights, such as Fort Lauderdale-Dubai, is relatively small because the respective populations of the Gulf airlines' hubs are small - respectively, 2.3 million, 2.1 million and 900,000. Thus, local traffic does not drive this massive expansion. Instead, the three Gulf mega-carriers have used their subsidies to leverage their strategic geographical location in the Gulf to capture the market for connecting traffic from the U.S., Europe, South America and many other regions in the Middle East, Africa, Asia, and Australia and New Zealand. As these carriers often remind us, about 60 percent of the world's population lives within six flying hours of the Gulf. Their strategy is all about connecting passengers.

What does subsidy-driven overcapacity do? It allows the airlines to operate without concerns over turning a profit. If investors own the airline, as is the case with U.S. airlines, losing pots of money matters greatly. If you're subsidized, it doesn't matter.

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The result is a distorted playing field that gives the Gulf carriers a competitive advantage over U.S. carriers, and we are already seeing the damage that this is inflicting on the U.S. aviation industry as a whole. In the past year, both United and Delta have canceled their U.S.-Dubai flights. Prior to that, American Airlines and Delta both withdrew from the enormous India market because they could not operate profitably in the face of massively subsidized competition via the Gulf. Unfair Gulf competition also affects the alliances between U.S. airlines and their European partners. For example, an Indian engineer from Silicon Valley returning to visit her parents used to fly United from San Francisco to Frankfurt, then United's Star Alliance partner Lufthansa to Bengaluru, but she now flies Emirates subsidized service San Francisco-Dubai-Bengaluru.

And there is follow-on impact: declines in international flying affect the U.S. domestic network. More than half of passengers on a typical American, Delta or United overseas flight make a connection from or to a domestic flight. So as the international network is squeezed by unfair competition, the domestic network will shrink, too. The impact will be large and damaging because network decline is exponential and not linear - if a U.S. carrier shrinks from 10 long-haul international flights to seven, the result is an overall network decrease much greater than 30%, Small and medium-sized U.S. cities, already worried about reduced service, should be even more concerned.
Blood sample positive with Chlamydia trachomatis bacteria

Thanks to groundbreaking new legislation in California, we expect the Golden State -- like the city of San Francisco -- to get closer to zero new HIV transmissions. AB 2640, sponsored by the Los Angeles LGBT Center and APLA Health, ensures that people who get tested for HIV receive information about how PrEP and PEP can help protect them from HIV infection. That's great, but the sexual health of our community is about more than preventing and controlling HIV. It's also about how to live and be healthy sexual beings in a world where there are other sexually transmitted risks to our health.

Before HIV crashed the party of our sexual freedom revolution in the late 1970s, syphilis and hepatitis B were the most feared scourges that lurked in bedrooms and bathhouses. Syphilis was treatable; hepatitis B was not. Though the vaccine for hepatitis B is now included in the mix of vaccinations that children routinely receive, a recent study among gay and bisexual men in Los Angeles found that about one-third haven't been vaccinated.

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There is no vaccine, however, for syphilis. You can get it again and again -- and many people, in fact, do just that. Like HIV, syphilis is sneaky. It often does not immediately or obviously announce its presence in the body. It can be unknowingly transmitted to a sex partner. It can increase the likelihood of an HIV infection. It can lie, seemingly dormant, while damaging your brain, eyes, ears, blood vessels and immune system until it is finally discovered and treated. Yes, it can be successfully treated with relatively cheap antibiotics, but like many infections, it can cause lasting damage to your body.

Hepatitis C is a particularly nasty scourge among the needle-sharing population, but it can also be sexually transmitted. The good news about hepatitis C is that now it can be successfully treated and eradicated. However, the cost of a course of treatment for hepatitis C is between $60,000-$80,000! And you can get the infection again -- there is no vaccine and no immunity following infection.

Then there is gonorrhea. About 11 to 12 percent of the men who test for sexually transmitted infections (STI) at the Los Angeles LGBT Center test positive for gonorrhea, which is becoming increasingly resistant to antibiotics. In early September a highly resistant strain was reported by the CDC to have appeared in Hawaii.

Chlamydia, another STI which does its worst damage in women by causing painful pelvic inflammatory disease and infertility, appears to be on the rise in gay and bi men. It is also becoming resistant to azithromycin, the simple, one-dose treatment currently in widest use.

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Then there is Shigella, a really nasty bacterial bowel infection that has been recently reported in gay and bi men in Los Angeles. Shigella causes severe abdominal cramps, fever and watery diarrhea that can land you in the hospital. You get this one very efficiently through oral-anal contact (rimming someone who is carrying the bacteria).

The last item on my short list of nasty bugs is the bacteria known as Neisseria meningitidis (also called meningococcus). We know that it is transmitted through even non-sexual, close contact and that in the past several years there have been sporadic outbreaks disproportionately affecting gay and bisexual men in major cities. Fortunately, this infection is preventable by a vaccine and every gay and bi man should get it.

Unfortunately, sexually transmitted infections are inescapable biological consequences to being sexually active outside a strictly monogamous relationship. And the more of any organism there is circulating in a community at any given time, the more likely it is that an individual will come home with one or more of them after sexual encounters.

So, what should we do about all of this? How should we even begin to think about it?

First: we must stop associating sexuality between consenting partners with morality; they're completely unrelated. I'm also unaware of any credible evidence that trying to make people feel guilty about having sex, or slut-shaming them, has ever decreased HIV or sexually transmitted infections. Through our efforts to promote PrEP, there has been admirable progress on this front, but we need to reframe our discussions about risks of infection. The issue isn't that sex is bad; the issue is that infections are bad.

Second: people need to understand the health risks associated with being sexual and the potential health consequences of not using condoms, which continue to offer the best protection from STIs. PrEP only prevents HIV infection.

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Third: those who are sexually active outside a strictly monogamous relationship should take responsibility for their well-being and the protection of others. That means, even if you aren't having any symptoms, you should get tested regularly for HIV, gonorrhea, chlamydia, and syphilis every three months and for hepatitis C every 6 to 12 months. And of course, all gay and bi men should get vaccinated for hepatitis B and meningococcus.
U.S. President Barack Obama welcomes U.S. Olympic and Paralympics teams at the White House in Washington, U.S., September 29, 2016. REUTERS/Yuri Gripas

Could we pause from the misery of the campaign for a tip of the hat to President Obama? His approval ratings are now higher than at any time since the honeymoon period of his first months.

And not surprisingly. Against the sheer thuggery of Donald Trump and the somewhat blemished history of the Clintons, Barack and Michelle Obama have been models of dignity and probity.

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Not the faintest whiff of scandal--no rumors of infidelity, no financial conflicts of interest, serious people, exemplary parents, nothing cheap or tawdry about them.

He is possessed of not just of idealism and intelligence, but a certain grace. That's what a president is supposed to look like.

In case we forgot, the birthers and the haters have not been able to lay a glove on the Obamas because Barack and Michelle give them not a scintilla of ammunition.

And how elegant, how splendid, how affirming for our Republic, that this president is a black man. My black friends would say, well of course, what do you expect? To make it in white America, black people have to be better, often significantly better.

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Black parents dread the moment when the time comes to give their kids, especially their sons, "the talk"--about doing nothing to rouse any suspicion from a cop, the importance of excelling and then some, despite the sheer unfairness of having to bend to accommodate white society's persistent racism.

Yes, there are some blacks who got some initial advantage from the rules requiring universities and employers to use affirmative action to overcome present effects of past discrimination. A lot of the tests used to measure supposed aptitude and merit are off the mark in any case.

But Barack Obama is not a case of affirmative action. He's Jackie Robinson--breaking the color line not out of tokenism but because he was unmistakably the best player on the field.

They retired Robinson's number, 42. When Obama retires as President 44, we are going to miss him.

What a crime that this man, who came to national prominence as a young Senate candidate in 2004, calling for America to bridge divides, has been the object of the most negative and vituperative obstructionism and nihilism by Republicans, possibly of any president in our history.

He worked to bridge differences for his entire career, from his days at the Harvard Law Review, as an organizer in Chicago and as a state legislator in Springfield, and hoped that his call to put aside Red states and Blue states in favor of the United States might resonate. But despite his best efforts, we are more divided than ever.

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When Obama retires as President 44, we are going to miss him.





At the time of his keynote address to the 2004 Democratic National Convention in Boston, few people outside of Chicago or of Democratic Party politics had even heard of Obama. Rep. Jan Schakowsky of suburban Chicago, a close friend of the Obamas, likes to tell the story of her Obama button, the one she happened to be wearing to a White House meeting with George W. Bush in early 2004 when the unknown Obama was contesting the Illinois Democratic primary.

This was not that long after the events of September 11, 2001 and a worldwide manhunt was on for Osama bin Laden. Schakowsky was a critic of his war, but Bush gaped at her button with incredulity. "It's Obama, Mr. President," Schakowsky grinned.

There is some buzz making the rounds on the Internet that Hillary Clinton should appoint Barack Obama to the next open seat on the Supreme Court. Let the Republicans try to filibuster than one.

I've had my criticisms of President Obama. Early on, he made one grave misjudgment that haunted the rest of his presidency. Instead of making a radical break with the policies and economic officials whose program of financial deregulation crashed the economy, he reappointed them.

That enabled the Tea Party right to appropriate much of the populist anger that should have been directed against the Republicans. But missteps and all, Obama has shown real greatness.

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At times, when it looks as if democracy itself is vulnerable to the demagoguery of Donald Trump and the vigilantism he tries to stir up, just having Barack Obama in the White House offers reassurance that democracy will hold.
ONLY FOOTPRINTS, by Jeta B, Dec 2015, Grande-Synthe, France

The International Organization for Migration estimates that more than 1 million migrants arrived across Europe in 2015. The continuing refugee crisis is being met with hostility instead of compassion. The footprint reminds us of the long and dangerous journeys they've undertaken in the hope of a new life.

Painter Norman Lewis said, "The goal of the artist must be aesthetic development, and in a universal sense, to make in his own way some contribution to culture." Perhaps Nina Simone was paraphrasing him when she said, "It is an artist's duty to reflect the times." Migrants and refugees are dying on European shores and borders trying to escape the horrors of war. Unfortunately, nationalistic fervor has some blaming the economy and other woes on the refugee crisis.

Enter Jeta B, a former European political public relations strategist turned photographer and storyteller. Jeta came to NYC from Brighton to follow her passion of photography. Her public relations skills complemented her photography to tell a story intimately. From her exhibits featuring Hurricane Sandy to urban youth with One Eye on the future, she captures humanity, weaving fragility and strength. When she returned to her beloved Brighton, she used her talents to highlight the refugee crisis. She started the #BeInTheirShoes campaign to gather shoe donations in Brighton and developed it into a photography campaign supporting efforts to bring unaccompanied minors in Calais who are eligible to safety in the UK. It is also a fundraising campaign for the Hummingbird project, where Jeta is a volunteer.

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Photo Credit: Jeta B

Jeta has an eye for capturing the soul of her subjects. Maybe that is why her recent photo exhibition, BE IN THEIR SHOES is so moving. Jeta, along with other UK artists, teamed up with the Hummingbird Project to chronicle the condition of refugees living in camps in Northern France. Jeta's humble ask to #BeInTheirShoes is even more poignant because she was internally displaced herself during the Kosovo war, with friends and family in refugee camps.

Unaccompanied minors, children and teenagers, who either lost their parents or traveled alone from war torn countries are being united with relatives in the UK after spending months in the Calais "Jungle." Life in the "jungle" for unaccompanied minors was precarious. There were allegations of unaccompanied minors being forced and lured into crime and prostitution for basic necessities like food, shelter, or a shower.

Photo Credit: Jeta B

Jeta's photograph, Only Footprints, beckons the reader to question one's own humanity looking at a lone shoe left embedded in the mud hoping the wearer survived and is safe. When we walk in the shoes of another, it is harder to be callous or indifferent to their plight. Jeta's photographs are being transformed by muralist Sinna One into graffiti art displayed throughout Brighton to challenge the anti-refugee sentiment as the UK welcomes unaccompanied minors from Calais.

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"With #BeInTheirShoes, I want to gather the support and the voice of the Europeans who are not represented by the anti-refugee sentiment and channel that support into funding to help volunteers working in refugee camps." - Jeta B

Photo Credit: Jeta B
I loved the recent news report that quotes Oprah saying that you do not have to like Hillary to vote for her. http://www.politico.com/story/2016/10/oprah-winfrey-on-clinton-230148 It is always an honor to be on the same page as Oprah!

On February first of this year, unsettled by those I spoke to who felt they did not like Hillary enough to vote for her, I decided on "poetry" as my "response communication," which I also placed on my website (www.sarakaysmullens.com). As you will no doubt agree, I am no poet. However, the following is, in part, what I sent to those I knew who do not like Hillary, as well as those committed to her who had friends and acquaintances with the same reserve:

"You don't have to like this thoroughbred winner

Or invite her to breakfast, lunch, snacks or dinner

What's important are talent and skill - part of her magic

To overlook this would be simply tragic

With experience, genius, and savvy profound

There's no wiser choice to hit campaign ground."

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I concluded with a reminder that Hillary could even appoint Obama as a Supreme Court nominee. Now, months later, I would like to add that after she has a chance to catch her breath and continue to raise her daughters, I hope Michelle Obama will consider a run for the Senate. And I ask: Has anyone in the history of the past two presidential terms helped the nation to appreciate, respect, and cherish Barack and Michelle Obama more than Donald Trump? Is there any better contrast to decency; authenticity; brutally hard, ernest work; and unselfish, committed service?

But now, back to Hillary: I would like to share a brief experience that shows who the true, authentic Hillary Clinton really is. If you have followed my blogs, or read my books, you will know that my first job after college was at the DNC, and that the late President Kennedy inspired me to be a social worker. Soon after each of their college graduations, two of my three daughters have worked for the Senatorial Campaign Committee of the DNC.

When Bill Clinton and Al Gore were in their first term of office, a huge fund raiser was planned in downtown Philadelphia, an event with the minimal cost of one hundred dollars a ticket. The principal speakers were Hillary Clinton and Tipper Gore. There was a great deal of dissatisfaction among some who bought tickets, as for one hundred dollars you got no food (maybe a pretzel) and had to buy your own drinks. However, those dissatisfied were assured that what they heard from the two speakers would be well worth the money spent.

There was also a pre-speech event. A private room had been designated for the big givers to this event. My daughter, in charge of entry into this room, stood at the door with a list of the names of those who could enter due to their very large and generous contributions, which were far more than the one hundred dollars a ticket that I paid. In addition to the perks of good food and free drink, those in this room had their photo taken with Mrs. Clinton and Mrs. Gore. Because she wanted a photo taken of her, her sisters, and me with Mrs. Clinton and Mrs. Gore, my daughter insisted that we join this group. At first, I said "absolutely not," but I was overruled. And so we gained entry, pretending, as promised, that we did not know the gatekeeper. There we sat for over two hours, trying not to feel like crashers, which we clearly were. We each sipped a club soda (I added a little white wine to mine), and we watched well over a hundred attendees eat, drink and have their photos taken.

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Hillary has changed a great deal since that day, but it was clear that the small talk required at this kind of exhausting event (one her husband, our president, would have adored) was far easier for Tipper than it was for her. Or at least it was easier for Tipper to pretend that it was. Hillary truly looked like she would prefer to be any place else -- studying legal statutes! However, there was more small talk and photo posing to endure. After the big givers had their photo ops, scores of Philly's police and firefighters walked through for theirs.

By the time my daughters and I were the very last to shake hands and have our photo taken, my white wine spritzer was long gone, and, to be honest, I was longing for something stronger. Mrs. Gore was warm and friendly, and although Mrs. Clinton was cordial, it was very clear that she wanted to leave the room, deliver her speech and get some well earned rest.

Then something happened that showed me who Hillary Clinton really is and what truly motivates her. In a moment, which I will describe, I saw first hand how deeply Hillary Clinton loves children and young people, and how earnestly and sincerely she wants all families to be able to provide opportunities for them. Nothing is more important to her than family love, and nothing moves her more that love expressed between a mother and daughter....Please read on.



The photographer posed us, naturally with Mrs. Clinton (clearly ready for a fast exit) in the center. Just as he was about to "click," my daughter called out, "Excuse me, Mrs. Clinton, but can my mother be in the center of the photo?"

At that moment, I wished the exit had been closer. i longed to take my daughters hands and run from the room. Just as I prayed that the floor would open up and take us far, far way from a crowded and demanding space that the Clintons and Gores faced on so many days and so many evenings, I heard a total change in Hillary Clinton's voice. She seemed truly transformed. A broad smile covered her face, as she moved from the center of the photo about to be taken, saying, "What a good idea."
Even though we would like to think we can, it's impossible to handle all of life's nuisances on our own. In fact, many of history's most successful people attributed their successes to knowing when to seek the help of others. This goes for all areas of life whether it be business, education or dealing with a problem. For me, dealing with a major problem is where I finally learned this significant life lesson.

Trying to always handle things myself, I came to a road block when a huge problem arose within my family. After recently putting my grandmother in a nursing home, she made us aware that things really weren't going so well. She was complaining to us that the food seemed to be making her sick. My family and I shrugged her complaints off for a while and just thought she was being dramatic and trying to get taken out of the home. However, as time went on, we realized that she was right. She looked worse than ever, seemed a lot thinner and didn't have much energy. The staff started to give her more medications to help her stomach which ended up having a whole host of negative side effects.

Eventually, we decided to experiment by cooking meals and delivering them to her on our visits. Within a week of eating our food, she started to feel and look about a thousand times better than she had before. We even started speaking to some of the other nursing home residents who complained of stomach issues as well. Once we had figured out that it was the food making her sick, we really didn't know what else to do.

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Realizing that we needed the help of a professional, we did our research and stumbled upon a group of lawyers who specialized in nursing home and elder abuse. Giving them a quick call to explain our situation, they took immediate action and guided us through the process to get my grandmother out of there and told us how to take legal action against the nursing home. It didn't take long before we had my grandmother in a shiny new facility with delicious and health giving food that we could afford to pay for with the settlement that we got from the case.

This whole situation was a huge lesson for me and my family in knowing when to call in professional help. We couldn't have done it on our own and had the same fantastic results. And, for all of you out there with a loved one in a nursing home or some other elder care facility, make sure to watch out for signs that something could be going wrong. You can check out some of the warning signs that nursing home abuse is going on here to help you better evaluate if you should take action.



So, how else should you determine if you should call in professional help in any situation?

There are legal implications involved

The task involves a physical aspect that you are not capable of

There is prior education needed that you do not have

There is a natural skill required that you don't possess

You don't completely understand all of the implications

You need to make a decision that will drastically affect your life or someone else's life
AKRON, OH - AUGUST 22: Supporters hold up signs during a campaign rally of Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump at the James A. Rhodes Arena on August 22, 2016 in Akron, Ohio. Trump currently trails Democratic Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton in Ohio, a state which is critical to his election bid. (Photo by Angelo Merendino/Getty Images)

My mother was 16 years old when she was crowned Queen of the Caruthersville, Missouri American Legion Fair. The prize: escorting President Truman to the county fair. I grew up with a picture of my mother shaking President Truman's hand hanging in the hallway. With pride and awe, I paraded anyone who came to the house past that picture. My mom met the president of the United States!



When I was 18 years old, Ronald Reagan was running against incumbent president Jimmy Carter. My mother, a Democrat, and my father, a staunch Republican, each secretly tried to convince me and each of my siblings to support their candidate, knowing that they'd cancel out each other's vote at the ballot box. We have laughed many times through the years remembering the stories of "backroom deals" made in our household around election time.



Participating in democracy was in many ways simpler, and more civil, then. We conducted our lives and our politics without social media, the 24-hour news cycle, and the ceaseless yammer of pundits yelling past each other. We depended on the evening news, the newspaper, debates, and discussion with our family, friends, and community. And we emerged from the election cycle with our trust in our democracy and our government intact, even if we disagreed with the outcome.

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This election cycle has been different than the ones of my younger years. It has been nasty, brutal, and seemingly never-ending. Over the past two years my kids have come home from school with questions about who would be our next president. They haven't had questions about big or small issues of the day, but about whether we were going to have the liar or the crazy person in office. My kids are six- and nine-years-old.



I can't wait for this election to end; I know I am not alone in this.



I am sickened by the hate talk and how, through two years of this campaign season, it has become the norm. I am saddened that the friction between people is palpable and the mistrust in our politics and our politicians is vividly apparent. I can't wait for this election to end; I know I am not alone in this.



I don't think our country can or should tolerate another two years of this kind of disgraceful and vicious discourse. Although we will all be leaving this election behind us in November (hallelujah), we can count on being hijacked again in two years when the next presidential campaign cycle begins in earnest. I don't want that for my kids, my community, or my country. So I've started a petition to limit the campaign season. I am hoping everyone who is sick of what we have all just been subjected to will join me and sign the petition.



Many modern democracies have a limit to the length of political campaigns, as well as restrictions on campaign spending. In the UK in 2015, political parties and candidates had 38 days to make their appeal to voters. In Canada, the last election lasted 11 weeks, which was the longest modern campaign in that country. In France, the election campaign process is generally 2 weeks and in Mexico, it is 90 days with a 60-day "pre-campaign" where candidates vie for the nomination.

The Supreme Court's interpretation of our constitutionally guaranteed freedom of speech limits the ability for our representatives in Washington, DC, to legislate a more reasonable and healthy campaign cycle. But the Democratic and Republican National Committees can and do set the rules and timelines for the presidential nominating process, which in part drives the extended timeframe for our presidential elections. I hope this petition can deliver a roundly non-partisan message to both the DNC and the RNC: as voters, parents, and citizens of this great nation we demand better from the two dominant political parties.

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This petition will not change the quality of the candidates we nominate. It will not fundamentally change the challenges of money in politics or transparency in decision-making. But it's a place to start the conversation about breaking free from the never-ending campaign and the nastiness it brings.
The media plays a vital role in shaping our understanding of truths. Their high-quality, fact-checked information and analysis enables narratives to emerge, giving much needed insight in times of intense change like ours.

Creating a common narrative around climate change has been a challenge. The subject requires expertise that newsrooms have had to develop and refine in record time. There is also a sense of urgency: if the subject isn't rapidly better understood by the public, how can consensus emerge between different entities in society, like business and government, consumers and producers?

On the ground and in the field, many scientific, economic and government actors are already part of a multi-sector approach to climate change. "Solutions won't only come from state level commitments in December (for COP 21), but also from projects developed by economic actors. Contrary to common beliefs, there are many concrete ideas (...) for more environmentally sustainable economic development", explained Dominique Seux, Deputy Chief Editor at Les Echos, the leading French business publication, last December.

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The common story that is being written on how business can adapt to climate issues will be given centre stage on November 4th. Twenty prominent business papers are part of an alliance called Solutions&Co, that will publish and share fifty stories about effective, up and running solutions to climate change. They aim to reach a collective audience of some five million people with stories about viable business solutions to climate change. This year the focus is on cities, the economic hubs of the world.

"Progress is a consequence of knowledge"

As underlined by Hans-Jurgen Jakobs, former Editor in Chief of Handelsblatt and current Senior Editor, "to fight pollution and climate change it is necessary to join forces. This concerns journalists, too. So we're acting in a way, we can do best: explore and share information. Progress is a consequence of knowledge." These beliefs, and an underlying commitment to bring prominent newsrooms together to produce solutions journalism in a collaborative way, is what drives Sparknews, the social startup behind Solutions&Co.

If knowledge is one of the cornerstones of progress, sharing across cultures, languages and geographies is imperative. Speaking on why such an alliance could make sense for a Pan-African publication like African Business, Editor Lanre Akinola was quite direct. "Despite accounting for a tiny fraction of global emissions, Africa looks set to bear the brunt of the impact of climate change at a time of renewed hope and optimism about its economic potential. Solutions&Co offers a unique platform to raise awareness of the many ideas and projects out there which are helping to address this fundamental challenge in the 21st century."

The strength of the alliance resides in its reach and maybe more importantly, the representativity of perspectives from around the world. Stories and solutions from every continent are shared and cross published by media from Europe (France, Italy, Germany, the UK, Spain, Russia), to Asia (India, China, Hong Kong), the Americas (Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Canada) and Africa and MENA (Morocco, Ghana, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia). Each of these countries and audiences has its own experience of climate change, business and cities. Each has stories to tell.

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Sparknews' experience with solutions reporting and international alliances shows time after time that media partners are aware of their unique position. Their voice carries far, telling stories that can inspire others to act, showing that many are already leading by example and demonstrating the extremely contrasted approaches to solving today's problems.

At the end of the day, that's exactly what journalists aim to do. Tell the best possible stories - checked, reviewed and following strict rules for integrity - to the widest audience, in the hopes that the the world seems more comprehensible.

For more information about Solutions&Co, visit: http://www.solutions-and-co.com

This year's 20 media partners are African Business (pan-Africa), Valor Economico (Brazil), Les Affaires (Canada), Pulso (Chile), China Business News (China), Portafolio (Colombia), Les Echos (France), Handelsblatt (Germany), The Hong Kong Economic Journal (Hong Kong), Nova 24 (Italy), Hindu Business Line (India), Letzebuerger Journal (Luxemburg), El Economista (Mexico), L'Economiste (Morocco), Business Day (Ghana & Nigeria), Kommersant (Russia), Al Eqtisadiah (Saudi Arabia), Cinco Dias (Spain), Business Day (South Africa), Financial Times (UK).
Prevent Opioid Abuse: Turn in Unused Medications

by SreyRam Kuy, MD, MHS, FACS and Addie Imseis, RN, BSN

Can one person make a difference? What can an individual do? This may be the only easy answer in the myriad of complexities involved in finding a solution to the opioid crisis.

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The answer is simple: Turn in any unused prescription medication.

This is a critical public health issue. Unused prescriptions in home cabinets are at risk for misuse and abuse. Take action today. Join Americans across the country in participating in Take Back Day this Saturday, October 22, 2016.

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About the Authors:

SreyRam Kuy, MD, MHS, FACS

Chief Medical Officer, Medicaid, Louisiana Department of Health
Privacy , a new off-Broadway play starring Daniel Radcliffe at the Public Theater in New York City, contemplates all the ways in which the digital revolution has destroyed privacy -- and it mourns for its loss.

The provocative production got me thinking about renowned couple's counselor Esther Perel's Ted Talk, "Rethinking Infidelity." In her eloquent lecture, she discusses the ways in which our privacy has dramatically decreased due to technological innovations, while our access to sexual possibilities has exponentially increased for the same reason, making the expectation of marital monogamy far harder to fulfill, and infidelity far easier to discover.

Despite the frightening and ever-expanding ways to electronically snoop, in order to fully modernize marriage we need to resist the degrading urge to spy on our spouses and acknowledge, in radical opposition to our times, each individual's right to privacy within matrimony, including the right to act in our own sexual and romantic self-interests independent of our partner's knowledge or consent. (Bear with me.)

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Seismic cultural shifts over the last decade suggest that the monogamy imperative's days are numbered. Digital technology -- innumerable dating sites, hook-up apps and social media platforms -- have made sex far more accessible than it's ever been, proving the comedian Chris Rock's joke increasingly true: you're only as faithful as your options. Today, up to 75% of us stray in one form or another according Perel, author of the best-selling Mating in Captivity.

Alongside the proliferation of sexual opportunities for regular Joes and Janes, America's greater acceptance of same-sex love and desire has strongly challenged conventional sexual morality. Some legal scholars even argue that the logic laid out in the Supreme Court's opinion in Lawrence vs. Texas, which over-turned anti-sodomy laws, set the groundwork for the decriminalization of adultery laws, which are rarely enforced but still on the books in more than 20 states.

While sexual progressives have long advocated for the superior ethics of sexual freedom and full disclosure, the sense of rightness derived from divulging or confessing says more about our fraught attitudes toward sexuality than it does about the higher ethics of transparency.

The inclination to confess an extramarital affair, or demand the details of a spouse's sexual conquests in an open relationship stems, in part, from a Judeo-Christian morality that views all sex as inherently dirty and suspect -- and hence, in need of 24-hour surveillance and control. It also derives from an antediluvian belief that marriage means a kind of merging that renders the very notion of privacy anathema or moot.

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If the idea of a "private life" outside marriage sounds oxymoronic, it's because we've so thoroughly romanticized the fusion of ourselves with our partners as a kind of testament to the depths of our intimacy. But a dark shadow hovers over this ideal that harkens back to colonial times: coverture laws.


Sushant Naidu

There comes a point in a conversation where one can choose to go deep, or be agreeable. Recently, a conversation I had with a complete stranger, in a different country, in a different language, taught me a powerful lesson. It all started with me fulfilling a promise I had kept a long time ago.

In college, I had promised myself that when I became a US citizen, I would travel to a Spanish speaking country. Spanish was my minor and I love the language. So, when I finally picked up my US passport, and school was out for a week, my boyfriend, Parks, and I decided to take a trip down to Ensenada, Mexico, which is a six hour drive from Los Angeles.

Gay marriage had recently become legal in Mexico, so it seemed like the perfect time to go out there. "It'll be a fun getaway, a great way to use my Spanish, and who knows, maybe I'll take a Spanish conversation lesson," I thought to myself.

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As we drove down the scenic route on the coastal highway, we talked about the backlash against gay marriage and the anti-gay protests that were happening across Mexico. We discussed the iconic picture of a 12-year-old Mexican boy that had gone viral. In it, the boy is standing in the middle of a street, with his arms wide open, in front of a huge anti-gay protest. When asked by the photographer why he did that, the boy replied he had a gay uncle and didn't want the protesters to hate his uncle. I wanted to meet some local LGBT people in Mexico and see how their day-to-day lives might have been affected.

As we explored the touristy part of Ensenada, we were bombarded by excited servers, outside of restaurants, trying to get us to dine in. The friendly souvenir vendors were pretty aggressive as well. There were other tourist walking around. Amongst all of this, my eyes landed on an obscure handmade sign. "Private Spanish Conversation Lessons" it read. I headed over to inquire within. A lady named Rocio, in her early 60s, greeted us. She had the air of an Albuquerque artist. Her grey hair was neatly pulled back in a ponytail. She wore a loose short-sleeve white t-shirt that was neatly tucked into her faded blue jeans. She was able to fit me in for an hour and Parks decided to meet me after the lesson.

Earlier in the day, as Parks and I had strolled the streets of this small port town, I had a moment of hesitation whether it was safe to grab his hand in public... I decided to hold his hand, and shortly thereafter, became cognizant of a few prolonged stares and turned heads.

Maybe if I asked Rocio about the town sentiment towards LGBT people, I'd know if it'd be safe to hold hands for the rest of our trip. She began with asking me where I was from, what brought me to Mexico, where I had studied Spanish, etc. I realized she was evaluating my language proficiency. I had so many questions about her life in Ensenada.

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I also wanted to know what she thought about gay marriage passing. There was a moment where I didn't know if I should ask this elderly native Mexican woman these questions. She had already commented earlier on how Parks looked like a blonde, green-eyed version of her son and advised him on the type of woman he should marry. Clearly she had no idea we were a couple. 'Should I just have a surface level conversation with her and be an agreeable student/tourist. What if she is anti-LGBT?' I thought. My heart was beating a little faster. I decided to take the risk and go deep.

I asked Rocio what she thought about gay marriage being legalized in Mexico. She said that she didn't necessarily believe in it because she valued traditional Mexican family values, where binary gender roles were clearly defined. She added that it was also better for kids.

I said to myself, "Don't try to change her opinion." Instead, I shared what growing up gay was like, how conflicted I was over my sexuality for a number of years because of sexual molestation I had experienced as an adolescent. I told her about my journey of making peace with my sexuality. We talked about her interactions with gay people, human rights, women's rights, the United Nations, Mexican politics, internalized homophobia, her upbringing, gender roles and even anal sex.



As our session came to an end, she asked, "Can you repeat the thing you mentioned about the alibi, earlier?" I repeated, "Tradition, and culture can no longer be used as alibis to deny people basic human rights." She jotted this down and said, "I'm going to think about this." As her next student came in, Rocio grabbed my hand, looked me in the eyes, and said, "I'm grateful for this session because I learned so many new things."

My insides were buzzing. I felt lighter. I felt changed. I realized I had put Rocio in a box because of her age. For a moment, I had decided what she would want to talk about or not. I didn't think she could rise up to challenge her beliefs. Maybe, they were too set in stone. Yet, in overcoming that moment of fear and hesitation, I was able to have an amazing conversation that transcended language, nationality, age, sex, and beliefs.

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As a consequence of the long conflict, there is a trust deficit vis-a-vis the state as well as between the communities in Sri Lanka. This is understandable and it is apparent that people from all communities do recognize the need for everyone to come together and re-generate trust at all levels of society. Sri Lankan identity and the notion of nationhood must be strengthened to foster a stronger sense of belongingness and togetherness of all Sri Lankans. And while the country is undergoing an important reconciliation process with constitutional reform, transitional justice and policy-making, the devastating impact of the war and violence on psychological well-being cannot continue to be ignored. Past acts of repression of culture and expression, ethnic intolerance and discrimination have severely damaged social and cultural norms and feelings of identity, belonging and trust. Therefore, the government of Sri Lanka, while implementing truth-seeking, reconciliation and accountability measures, should also consider supporting psychosocial programs, counselling and support interventions, and symbolic forms of healing for the population as a whole, especially in conflict-affected areas. It is imperative that war-affected communities, especially women, benefit from specialized psychosocial support without further delay, to help them overcome the trauma which often manifests in complex and intertwined physical, emotional and mental health complications.


(Photo: Hero Images/Corbis)

By Dayna Evans

As the tides of history and gender change, it would be easy to assume that men -- recently unseated as the dominant intellects and degree-havers in the U.S. -- would adapt to a world where women are not only their equals, but often their intellectual superiors. After all, there's nothing like dating someone who makes you a little sharper. But more and more research reveals that though the thought of a smart woman is appealing to men, a real, live smart woman standing in front of them is actually a turnoff.

Researchers at the University of Buffalo, California Lutheran University, and the University of Texas at Austin published a study in the November edition of Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin that may confirm a fact we've long dreaded. In a study of 105 men, researchers proposed two scenarios. In the first, "a woman either outperformed or underperformed them in a math or English course, and then instructed the men to imagine this woman as a romantic partner." In this scenario, men more frequently gave the woman who bested them the higher ranking.

But in a second scenario, men were given an intelligence test and then told they were about to meet a woman who had done better than them on the test. Men who were presented with this proposal "distanced themselves more from her, tended to rate her as less attractive, and showed less desire to exchange contact information or plan a date with her." According to the researchers, this revealed that men felt threatened when faced with an IRL interaction with a more intelligent woman. This small sample size is definitely not conclusive -- though it is kinda depressing.
Thank you Republican heroes who refuse to vote

for Mr. Trump for love of country. I love youfor real.

Photo courtesy of artist

This painting is a thank you to Republican heroes, both public* and regular folk. They are the ones not lying to themselves about the meltdown that is a Trump presidency. They refuse to vote for a candidate who is grossly unqualified and a danger to the country. Love of country over politics. It takes courage and character to walk away from your nominee, and to do the right thing. Thank you for not voting for Trump. I love you for it.

During the first Clinton/Trump debate over 80 million viewers witnessed the sinkhole that is Trumps mind. For Gods sake, Man, FOCUS, and say something to show us you prepared. Didnt happen. Trumps trippy stream-of-consciousness answers to debate questions scared the hell out of me. This isn't a Jack Kerouac novel. It's our lives.

While some Trump supporters relish getting off on misogynistic, racist, xenophobic, and homophobic taunts during Trump rallies like haters drunk on moonshine, the fun stops when Trumps undisciplined, distracted, rambling mind gets the nuclear codes. A hyped-up Trump at 3:20 AM was exacting revenge on a former Miss Universe by tweeting a link to her sex tape. The thought of adding nuclear codes to a President Trumps repertoire of adolescent comebacks keeps me up at night.

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Politico explains what it means to have the nuclear codes. With a single phone call, the commander in chief has virtually unlimited power to rain down nuclear weapons on any adversarial regime and country at any time. You might imagine this awesome executive power would be hamstrung with checks and balances, but by law, custom and congressional deference there may be no responsibility where the president has more absolute control.

Fifty Republican high-ranking national security advisors and experts have signed a letter denouncing Trump-for-President. These officials have served Republican Presidents from Richard Nixon to George W. Bush. They are breaking ranks no matter the consequences. They see a Trump presidency as a national security threat. Their letter concludes, We are convinced that in the Oval Office, he would be the most reckless President in American history. They lend their resumes gravitas to a #Never Trump movement even if their defection helps Democrats.

Do we all get how big this is?

We are witnessing mutiny led by conscience at the highest level in the G.O.P.

Republicans are helping the enemy, the Democrats, stop Trump from becoming President. Their extraordinary gesture shoves political adversaries onto common ground -- we all love our country equally when it comes to stopping a threat. Some will hold their noses in this clumsy embrace. But all know they must repudiate Trump if they are to put country first.

Every Republican leader, and rank and file voter thinking critically and acting rationally deserve our respect. They are not voting for Trump. The Dallas Morning News editorial sums it up. Donald Trump is Not A Real Republican.

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The #NeverTrump Republicans are putting love of country over politics. Thank you. This painting is for you with love.

* I agree with President Obama that some Republican leaders and media outlets dont get credit for disavowing a Trump candidacy when they have been responsible for creating it. This is in the swamp of crazy that has been fed over and over and over and over again, the President said. For years, FOX and other outlets have exploited loyal Republican minds with misinformation and half-truths for political gain. In the documentary, The Brainwashing of My Dad, Jen Senko wonders how her dad, who never had a bad thing to say about any race, people or person, came to revile black people, poor people, Hispanics, gays, feminists, and Democrats. The founders of HearYourselfThing.org say they are on a mission to reclaim Americas brain from media outlets that use fear and misinformation to shut down our ability to think critically and act rationally in our democracy. 
California State Senator Tom Hayden anounces his candidacy for mayor of Los Angeles during a news conference January 5, 1997 in Los Angeles. REUTERS/Fred Prouser/File Photo

I'm still trying to process that Tom is gone. In some ways, I'm still trying to process that I was lucky enough to ever consider someone so monumentally consequential a friend. I used to say that being Tom's friend was like being friends with Thomas Jefferson. In the middle of a raucous dinner or kid's birthday party I'd say to myself, "Holy shit! Tom was one of the Chicago Seven!"

As the founder of S.D.S., Students for a Democratic Society, Tom could take credit for crystallizing the student anti-war movement that eventually turned much of the entire country against the war in Vietnam, eventually forcing Nixon to the Paris Peace Accords in 1973 and saving tens of thousands more pointless Vietnamese and American casualties. A movement that he started at the University of Michigan, then spread not only to most every campus in the United States, but sparked student protests around the globe, from Paris to Prague, from Mexico City to Tokyo and beyond. In a very real sense, the global cultural earthquake that was 1968 had Tom Hayden at its epicenter.

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OCTOBER 2.

Breitbart News discovers that when the first words of Hillary Clinton's deleted emails from October of 2009 are arranged chronologically, a love letter to Lucifer is revealed in which she calls him "Smoochie."

OCTOBER 3.

Moveon.org posts a video of Donald Trump shouting the phrase "You're fired" to photos of family members.

OCTOBER 4.

During the Vice Presidential debate, moderators and Longwood University audience members inexplicably fall asleep. Later the CDC dubs the new phenomenon "MDHS: Mass Droning Hypnosis Syndrome" and urges the FCC to prohibit future events from being broadcast on car radios.

OCTOBER 8.

Fox News interviews a high school classmate of Hillary Clinton, who recalls the future Secretary of State going door to door supporting Barry Goldwater and referring to Lyndon Johnson as "a southern- fried booger."

OCTOBER 10.

Photographs showing Donald Trump poking a group of special needs preschoolers with a stick are laughed off by the candidate as "political correctness run amuck." His poll numbers rise.

OCTOBER 14.

On route to a campaign stop in South Carolina, Hillary Clinton rushes into a burning building to rescue a litter of newborn kittens. Her poll numbers do not budge.

OCTOBER 22.

Donald Trump explains that pushing an old lady in a wheelchair down a flight of stairs was a therapeutic attempt to jar loose her cramped muscles. His poll numbers rise.

OCTOBER 24.

Bill Clinton is revealed to have adopted the Twitter handle "Carlos Danger Jr".

OCTOBER 26.

Hillary Clinton trips on a curb and Sean Hannity calls for her withdrawal due to her obvious incurable case of metastasized brain cancer. Her poll numbers drop.

OCTOBER 28.

Murky footage from a surveillance camera of Donald Trump shooting a stranger in the middle of Fifth Avenue in New York City racks up 3 million hits on Youtube in 4 hours. His poll numbers rise.

NOVEMBER 1.

A report surfaces that Donald Trump has a calendar in which October has 32 days. The candidate agrees many people have told him this. Important people. Top people. Despite evidence to the contrary, supporters feel in their heart that it must be true and make plans to vote a day late.

NOVEMBER 8. Trump loses.


Reflection of Zoltan Istvan, interviewing on the Anonymous podcast via Skype.

It's been another busy two weeks in my presidential campaign since my last dispatch. My transhumanist run for the presidency continues to grow. It's unlikely to make a technical difference for the elections of 2016, but maybe in 2020 or 2024, a science and technology-based political platform and candidate could end up a top-three finisher.

This week, I made an important announcement in my social media: That I will be voting for myself on November 8th. I may end up advocating for certain candidates near the very end if I think it will help the country forward, but I will vote for myself. And I'll be proud to accept anyone else voting for me too.

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My last Huff Post dispatch ended by mentioning Jacque Fresco, a Resource Based Economy, and The Venus Project. This week my main article on Fresco and his longtime partner Roxanne Meadows appeared on the front page of Vice (via Motherboard). So far, it's also been translated in a few languages. Here's a few paragraphs from the story:

How I met Fresco at The Venus Project this month starts with income taxes--something I hate and aim to one day eliminate altogether for humanity. Fresco doesn't like taxes either. While searching online about taxes, I stumbled upon Fresco's voluminous work: over 80 years of essays, filmed lectures, books, documentaries, models, and architectural drawings. Much of Fresco's work is anchored by his main philosophical idea: a resource-based economy, where there's not only zero taxes, but no ownership or money either.

It sounds fanciful, but the more I read about Fresco's work and ideas, the more intrigued I became. Here was a man with a vision, one not dissimilar from my own. The timing of my meeting with Fresco and Meadows was serendipitous. As I neared the end of my US presidential campaign, I was looking to build out the Transhumanist Party's 20-point platform with a more aggressive futurist platform--one that looked not only 10-20 years into the future, as I generally focus on, but one that also examines what could and should happen in 50 years or even the next century.



A home at The Venus Project in Florida -- Photo by Zoltan Istvan

My coverage of The Venus Project led to one of the largest interviews of my campaign--with group Anonymous. In fact, I believe I'm the only presidential candidate to interview with them this cycle. I had a really interesting time doing it. The Anoncast host and I went entirely through my 20-point political platform. I was excited to the do the interview, and I support groups like Anonymous that are striving to make the world better via unconventional means.

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Also, via friend Jorge Henrique at ETER9, Portugal's public radio and television channel, RTP, did a story that partially featured my campaign. Special thanks to TV presenters Alvaro Costa and Sergio Sousa at Online 3 for including my campaign in the show.

Part of the reason my campaign has been getting bigger has to do with my recent interview on The Rubin Report. My interview came out in three segments, and one segments delved into stem cells.

Rubin's toughest question was asking me to explain what happened when George W. Bush basically stopped stem cell funding in America for seven years. I'm highly critical of that decision, since Mr. Bush did that for religious reasons. However, Rubin was right to point out that Mr. Bush did not do that to harm people's health. Unfortunately, for the hundreds of thousands who could've used stem cell technology earlier (but the science wasn't there because we were essentially now seven years behind), the reality was that people suffered from that singular decision.

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All this brings up a good point that even when Presidents try to follow their conscience, it may turn out that these decisions harm people. It makes me reiterate one of my main campaign points that a first premise of any government and public official must be to always serve the people's health--and not their personal or cultural interest, or their religious background.

Also, my interview with Circa News via Ariel Min came out. Circa has an amazing distribution network, since people all across the country saw Circa videos of my campaign on their local news channels. It aired on various local ABC's, CBS, NBC, and some Fox stations.

One more large TV segment on my campaign came out via CBC's comedy show The Hour has 22 Minutes--a sort of Canadian version of American The Daily Show. The 22 Minutes team flew out to Florida to film me lecturing to University of Central Florida students. The show sometimes gets nearly a million views, so I was excited to be on it. Comedian Shaun Majumder interviewed me for it.

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In closing, I should mention two things. 1) The Courier, College of DuPage's student newspaper, endorsed me as the best third party candidate. 2) Transhumanist Party supporter Gerald Shields was publicly appointed council member in Berwyn Heights, Maryland. Shields would be the first Transhumanist Party member in public office.
Misleading texts claim to show your polling place. Here's how to vote.

A batch of texts that claim to show a voter's polling place were sent Monday to Kansans, despite appearing to show inaccurate information.
EAU CLAIRE  Travis Mooney walked confidently among the booths set up at last weeks Fall Career Fair at Chippewa Valley Technical Colleges Manufacturing Education Center. Due to graduate in December from CVTCs Automation Engineering Technology program, Mooney knows hes a hot commodity in the local labor market.

There are a lot of companies looking for Automation Engineering people, he said. About half the companies here are looking for people from the program. I have a lot of options.

Hes currently working as an intern at TTM Technologies in Chippewa Falls.

I worked there for five years, then decided to go back to school, he said. Hes looking forward to the higher pay hell receive in the field, which will be a big help in supporting his large family.

If TTM wants to keep him, the company will have to beat out a lot of others who would like Mooneys services. Mooney isnt looking for a job so much as he is deciding on a company to work for.

I look for location and whether I know anyone whos worked there and how they liked it, he said. And what theyre paying helps a lot.

But the Automation Engineering Technology students might not have been the most sought-after at the Career Fair. Chippewa Falls companies like Wissota Tool and Allied Dies were heavily recruiting Machine Tooling Technics graduates. The entire metals processing industry in the area is facing a serious shortage of skilled machinists.

Nick Zutter was visiting at the Wissota Tool booth, talking with people he knows just a day before he was to finish his program. Hes been working at Wissota Tool for some time, alongside three other CVTC students working toward finishing their programs.

I will probably stick with them, Zutter said, though he said he is aware that he could get a job at a number of companies in the area. Every shift has CVTC graduates.

Wissota Tool manager LaMoine Dohms said the company employs about 70 people, and he guessed about 85 percent are CVTC graduates. The company often hires them before they graduate.

More often than not, they stick with us, he said.

Machine Tooling Technics student Ryan Parmeter of Menomonie checked out the Allied Dies booth, talking with manufacturing engineer Frank Aguilera, who was on a recruiting mission. Parmeter has been working at Dodsons Machine in Hammond, but has lots of options now that hes finishing his program.

It depends on how my review goes at my current company, Parmeter said. Im always open to new opportunities. Ive had no problem finding work. I can pick between them.

AMPI had a booth set up to recruit people for the dairy plant in Jim Falls. Human Resources Manager Deanna Haselhuhn said she was looking to fill several positions, especially in maintenance. Industrial Mechanic students were of great interest to her.

Our challenge is within the maintenance department there is a lot of electrical work, she said. We need someone who can take care of different areas.

The Career Fair drew 153 employers recruiting workers at 165 display booths in four CVTC buildings. The largest group was at the Business Education Center.

Global Finishing Solutions in Osseo had a presence at both the manufacturing and business buildings. At the business building, Human Resources Specialist Barb Langreck was looking for people in another high-demand field.

We are looking for drafters/designers, and we also have entry level office support positions, she said. Most of our need is due to growth, but there is some attrition.

Eric Roesler came from Merrill to represent Agra Industries, which makes feed and grain facilities.

Today we are looking for Architectural Structural Design students, Roesler said. I have two openings. But were always looking for welders and I have openings on construction crews. Were very busy.
This Is How Spotify Could Become A Next Generation Record Label [Mark Mulligan]

"Spotifys future is going to be much more than being the future of music retail," says industry analyst Mark Mulligan, who expects "Spotify to lay the foundations for a bold platform strategy that has the potential to change the face of the recorded music business as we know it."

__________________________________________

By Mark Mulligan of MIDiA

One of the themes my MIDiA colleague Tim Mulligan (the names no coincidence, hes my brother too!) has been developing over in our online video research is that of next generation TV operators. With the traditional pay-TV model buckling under the pressure of countless streaming subscriptions services like Netflix (there are more than 50 services in the US alone) pay-TV companies have responded with countless apps of their own such as HBO Go and CBS All Access. The result for the consumer is utter confusion with a bewildering choice of apps needed to get all the good shows and sports. This creates an opportunity for the G.A.A.F. (Google, Apple, Amazon, Facebook) to stitch all these apps together and in doing so become next generation TV operators. Though the G.A.A.F. are a major force in music too, the situation is also very different. Nonetheless there is an opportunity for companies such as these to create a joined up music experience that delivers an end-to-end platform for artists and music fans alike. Right now, Spotify is best placed to fulfil this role and in doing so it could become a next generation label. I added the quote marks around the word label because the term is becoming progressively less useful, but it at least helps people contextualise the concept.

Creating The Right Wall Street Narrative

When news emerged that Spotify was in negotiations to buy Soundcloud I highlighted a number of potential benefits and risks. One thing I didnt explore was how useful Soundcloud could be in helping Spotify build out its role as a music platform (more on that below). As I have noted before, as Spotify progresses towards an IPO it needs to construct a series of convincing narratives for Wall Street. The investor community generally looks upon the music business with, at best, extreme caution, and at worst, disdain. To put it simply, they dont like the look of low-to-negative margin businesses that have little control over their own destinies and that are trying to sell a product that most people dont want to buy. This is why Spotify needs to demonstrate to potential investors that it is working towards a future in which it has more control, and a path to profitability.The major label dominated, 17% gross operating margin (and 9% loss) 9.99 AYCE model does not tick any of those boxes. Spotify is not going to change any of those fundamentals significantly before it IPOs, but it can demonstrate it is working to change things.

The Role Of Labels Is As Important As Ever

At the moment Spotify is a retail channel with bells and whistles. But it is acquiring so much user data and music programming expertise that it be so much more than that. The role of record labels is always going to be needed, even if the current model is struggling to keep up. The things that record labels do best is:

Discover, invest in and nurture talent Market artists

Someone is always going to play that role, and while the distribution platforms such as Spotify could, in theory at least, play that role in a wider sense, existing labels (big and small) are going to remain at the centre of the equation for the meaningful future. Although some will most likely fall by the wayside or sell up over the next few years. (Sonys acquisition of Ministry Of Sound is an early move rather than an exception.) But what Spotify can do that incumbent labels cannot, is understand the artist and music fan story right from discovery through to consumption. More than that, it can help shape both of those in a way labels on their own cannot. Until not so recently Spotify found itself under continual criticism from artists and songwriters. Although this has not disappeared entirely it is becoming less prevalent as a) creators see progressively bigger cheques, and b) more new artists start their career in the streaming era and learn how to make careers work within it, often seeing streaming services more as audience acquisition tools rather than revenue generators.

The Balance Of Power Is Shifting Away From Recorded Music

In 2000 record music represented 60% of the entire music industry, now it is less than 30%. Live is the part that has gained most, and the streaming era artist viewpoint is best encapsulated by Ed Sheeran who cites Spotify as a key driver for his successful live career, saying [Spotify] helps me do what I want to do. Spotifys opportunity is to go the next step, and empower artists with the tools and connections to build all of the parts of their career from Spotify. This is what a next generation label will be, a platform that combines data, discovery, promotion (and revenue) with tools to help artists with live, merchandise and other parts of their career.

How Spotify Can Buy Its Way To Platform Success

To jump start its shift towards being a next-generation label Spotify could use its current debt raise  and post-IPO, its stock  to buy companies that it can plug into its platform. In some respects, this is the full stack music concept that Access Industries, Liberty Globaland Pandora have been pursuing. Here are a few companies that could help Spotify on this path:

Soundcloud: arguably the biggest artist-to-fan platform on the planet, Soundcloud could form a talent discovery function for Spotify. Spotify could use its Echo Nest intelligence to identify which acts are most likely to break through and use its curated playlists to break them on Spotify. Also artist platforms like BandPage and arguably the biggest artist-to-fan platform on the planet, Soundcloud could form a talent discovery function for Spotify. Spotify could use its Echo Nest intelligence to identify which acts are most likely to break through and use its curated playlists to break them on Spotify. Also artist platforms like BandPage and BandLab could play a similar role.

Indie labels: Many indie labels will struggle with cash flow due to streaming replacing sales, which means many will be looking to sell. My money is on Spotify buying a number of decent sized indies. This will demonstrate its ability to extend its value chain footprint, and therefore margins (which is important for Wall Street). It could also do a Netflix and use its algorithms to ensure that its owned-repertoire over performs, which helps margins even further. But more importantly, indie labels would give Spotify a vehicle for building the careers of artists discovered on Soundcloud. Also the A&R assets would be a crucial complement to its algorithms.

Tidal: Spotify could buy Tidal, taking advantage of Apples position of waiting until Tidal is effectively a distressed asset before it swoops. Though Tidal is most likely to want too much money, Spotify could buy Tidal, taking advantage of Apples position of waiting until Tidal is effectively a distressed asset before it swoops. Though Tidal is most likely to want too much money, its roster of exclusives and its artist-centric ethos would be a valuable part of an artist-first platform strategy for Spotify.

Songkick: In reality Songkick is going to form part of Access Deezer focused full stack play. But a data-led, live music focused company (especially if ticketing and booking can play a role) would be central to Spotify driving higher margin revenues and being able to offer a 360 degree proposition to artists.

: Arguably the most exciting music innovation of the decade, Musical.ly would give Spotify the ability to appeal to the next generation of music fans. The average age of a user is 20, for Spotify it is 27. Spotify has to be really careful not to age with its audience and music messaging apps are a great way to tap the next generation in the same way Facebook did (average age 35) did by buying up and growing messaging apps. (e.g. Instagrams average age is 26).

Pandora: A long shot perhaps, but Pandora would be a shortcut to full stack, having already acquired Ticket Fly, Next Big Sound and Rdio. If Pandoras stock continues to tank (the last few days of recovery notwithstanding) then who knows.

In conclusion, Spotifys future is going to be much more than being the future of music retail. With or without any of the above acquisitions, expect Spotify to lay the foundations for a bold platform strategy that has the potential to change the face of the recorded music business as we know it.

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A Friend To Musicians And Creators, U.S. Register of Copyrights Maria Pallante, Pushed Out

Much needed major copyright reform seemed on track until Friday when the U.S. Register of Copyrights Maria Pallante was suddenly pushed aside. Many in the music industry are expressing concern over the move; with some seeing the mighty hand of Google pulling strings at the highest level of government.

_______________________________________

Maria Pallante abruptly exited her role as the U.S. Register of Copyrights and is moving to a new advisory post. The change as made by Carla Hayden who was just confirmed to head the Library of Congress, under which the Register of Copyrights serves.

Pallante, who had served since 2011, will now serve as a senior adviser for digital strategy for the Library of Congress. Staffer Karyn Temple Claggett will serve as acting register of copyrights.

Locked Out Of Her Computer

According to Billboard, "Pallante was locked out of her computer this morning, according to two sources who spoke with Library employees. Earlier, [the nominal head of the Library of Congress] had called several members of Congress to tell them about her decision. Later, she called the heads of several media business trade organizations to give them the news, according to one who received such a call."

Music Industry Reaction

The surprise Friday announcement was met with concern from many in the music industry.

We are surprised and concerned by todays news, which comes at a time when the office and others are considering many potential changes to the copyright system and law, said Keith Kupferschmid, the CEO of the Copyright Alliance in a statement.

Some artist advocates see more nefarious forces behind the firing  corporate lobbyists, led by Google.

"This firing is virtually unprecedented in US history," writes David Lowery. " The Librarian of Congress generally leaves the Register of Copyrights to run the affairs of the copyright office. However in the last two months the main Google mouthpiece in Washington DC Public Knowledge has been clamoring for her head."

"Make no mistake, this is Google flexing its considerable pay-to-play muscle," says Chris Castle. "The timing is predictable  Google fires Pallante days before a general election, in the waning days of the Obama Administration. They dont give a good goddamn about whether its the Library of Congress or the Vulcan Science Academy. They control the players and theyll do what they want especially when they think no one is looking. "

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Its fair to say that when most of us use Twitter, we rarely have insurance on our minds  were usually just having our say on the latest news story, or maybe sharing something from our own lives. However, it now seems that the insurance industry may soon be paying closer attention to our social media activity.



According to a Reuters report, tweets could soon be used to help insurers price premiums  with research cited by Swiss Re suggesting that positive tweets actually form a direct link to a reduced risk of heart disease.



Last Friday a huge cyber attack was launched  possibly the first ever from the internet of things  are you ready for all the latest issues facing cyber insurance?



Such a finding is, the report suggests, likely to lead to further assessments of social media activity with big data and artificial intelligence used to make predictive models as accurate as possible.



According to Swiss Re, the second largest reinsurance firm in the world, such technological advances have the potential to reduce the price of insurance cover while also helping insurers to create more incentivized driven programs  such as rewards for healthier living or safer driving. The naysayers meanwhile, believe that these developments could ultimately breach consumers privacy and lead to personalized pricing, which goes against the idea of sharing risk which is normally associated with insurance.



For Swiss Re, the concept of social media monitoring is just one element it is examining to potentially improve its policy pricing.



In addition, the company has invested in digi.me  an insurtech start-up that lets consumers store personal data taken from various social media channels and exchange that data for personalized deals.



Speaking to the newswire, Daniel Ryan, the companys head of digital analytics catalysts, remarked that most of the major insurers will have integrated lessons from behavioural research within the next few years. It is hoped that highlighting safe behaviors will not only assist with reduced insurance premiums, but will also encourage consumers to live in a healthier and safer manner.



Of course such programs are nothing new, with telematics already playing a key role in car insurance; while the Vitality health and life insurance program is used to assess a consumers overall health, create a personalized plan and then tracker the users progress.



These programs however, are not just being used to highlight the best consumers  they can also be used to penalize those who do not live up to expectations. As such, there are those who worry that people who are not willing to improve their personal circumstances would lose out.



During September, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) in the UK decided to drop a potential market review of whether big data would make it harder for customers to buy home or car insurance, suggesting there was no evidence to that effect so far. However, in Germany a stronger stance has been taken with the Federation of German Consumer Organisations outlining that the risks of big data may outweigh the benefits in personal insurance. It has expressed concern over the possibility of insurers cherry picking the safer risks.



As for Swiss Re, it states its focus is on collective, as opposed to individual, results. Yet Twitter monitoring will, for now, remain outside its remit  with the reinsurer stating that rigorous ethical checks would be needed before it would consider adding Twitter to its underwriting scheme.





Related stories:

Proposed cyber security law for insurance firms has fundamental problems

Industry body wants regulatory definition of big data
It's critical to help clients make the most of the plans they have
I recently witnessed two examples converge regarding a problem we all face with age: letting times change. I listened with interest as one of my favorite talkradio hosts explained how Donald Trump is running rings around the Washington, DC, political circus, mainly with social media. While I listened, I received word from a disappointed underwriter with whom Id worked on a quote, which the client turned down because the carrier insisted on full payment upfront. It was a last-ditch email, saying. We can make an exception! But it was too late.In summary: The aged political expectations of decorum and civility toward politicians and the press ring about as hollow as the rotary telephone to new American generations, as does a company with much greater resources insisting that people with limited resources pay top dollar  thats a very efficient way of making sure you get outfl anked by your competition.It stopped me in my tracks. Theres a profound change among the current crop of elders  the very same generation that once told each other not to trust anyone over 30, and to whom Bob Dylan gave such voice with his folk anthem The Times, They Are a-Changin.The Baby Boomers are not the first American generation to insist on decorum in politics, nor are they the last that will demand unreasonable terms of payment for services they provide. They just happen to be the current dominant slew of retirees or near-retirees now drifting into old age with little aside from senior citizen cliches to mutter  the very same cliches for which they once mocked their own forebears.What does this mean in practical business terms? An example: Many Baby Boomers I know who are still running businesses have Facebook pages, Twitter feeds and YouTube channels for their companies. But they do next to nothing with them, except post ads that nobody reads and upload content no one fi nds interesting.At its root, this approach indicates a recurring failure to deal with the reality that Facebook is the meeting place of Generation X and millennials, and that they go there to socialize, not to shop. Confused Boomers mistake social networks for radio airtime or billboards. For the marketing professional and business owner, this presents us with a challenge. We know that the times are a-changing, but do we understand that change is about timing? Do we resist in the interest of a fading generations fi nger-pointing, or do we move toward it? And how soon do we make the decision? For sure, we do not want to spend years playing catch-up.My insurance carrier will lose many more potential customers before they get the hint. Similarly, the political parties in Washington will lose many more donors and supporters before they figure out why Trump is taking them to the woodshed.But here on the ground, we embrace building the new realm. Im running as fast as I can in the direction where business flows, because I couldnt care less if my clients approach me via Facebook or not.And because this is about timing, Im making myself ubiquitous in the collective mind of my market. I do make personal appearances at networking functions and lunches, but the rest of the time, Im working my way into their consciousness by interacting with them where they are and when they are. The refusal to do so by so many elders in business  the resistance to the culture of millennials  is an about-face for the generation that told us not to trust anyone over 30.The principle Im following is no different than when Madison Avenue advertising fi rms recommended to clients that they advertise on TV, radio and in print, all at once, back in the 1960s. Its the sameidea: maximum saturation to produce maximum return.But what do people say? Oh, I dont do that Facebook stuff; its so shallow and fake. I disagree. The real shallowness comes from people who refuse to learn, who put up a pathetic, minimal effort at reaching their marketplace because its just not the way we did it back in my day. They give up on it, citing their own failures as proof of what they suspected at the outset. Its not even close to being a valid excuse.Paul Edwards is an independent property & casualty broker in Washington state. A military veteran and graduate of Pacific Lutheran University, he writes about marketing and business relationships.
The Wisconsin Department of Transportation is holding a public information meeting from 5-6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 25 to discuss improvements to the Highway 29 and 40th Street intersection.

WisDOT is proposing to improve the safety at this intersection in the town of Wheaton. The project would consist of less than a mile of intersection redesign to address the concerns of numerous accidents in this location.

The proposed reconfiguration would include a restricted crossing to prevent vehicles from crossing the intersection. Instead, WisDOT is looking to allow motorists to exit Highway 29 to 40th Street by performing work on islands in the median and increasing the length of left turn lanes.

Additional signing, islands and lighting would also be installed at 40th Street. All work would be completed within the existing right-of-way.

The informal, open-house style public meeting is scheduled for 5-6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 25 at the Wheaton Town Hall, 4975 Highway T, Chippewa Falls.

All local officials, interested residents and property owners are encouraged to attend.
Bob St. Pierre speaks to the packed dining room at Bounti-Fare on Saturday night. The annual fundraiser is so popular that PopCares had to turn some people way. Bill and Tammy St. Pierre presented a Community Partner Award to Charlie O'Brien, president of Adams Community Bank. Becky Miner is recognized for the efforts of she and her husband, Caleb. Bounti-Fare owner David Nicholas was honored for his community support. Dolores St. Pierre was given a gift for making everything possible. The St. Pierre brothers pull the 50/50 prize. Desserts were auctioned off after the meal. Some 295 tickets were sold for the event and many turned away because of space. Pat Mancuso presented the quilt to Dolores St. Pierre. The Dabrowskis tell their story to the gathering. PreviousNext

PopCares Annual Dinner Draws Hundreds to Bounti-Fare



Jessica and Nicholas Dabrowski and their daughter, Jordan. Jessica was diagnosed with an uncommon form of blood myeloma five years ago and within days learned she was pregnant. The couple has made it through with support from the community, including help from PopCares.

ADAMS, Mass.  It was a tough Wednesday about a year ago for Jessica and Nicholas Dabrowski.



They were struggling with work, taking care of their young daughter, Jordan, and the resurfacing of Jessica's cancer. There was chemotherapy at Berkshire Medical Center and visits to Massachusetts General Hospital, while both were working full time or more at stressful jobs.

It was a day when they'd felt defeated, until Nick found an envelope in the mailbox.



"Inside the envelope was a simple card that said 'you are in our thoughts, PopCares,'" Jessica read to the packed dining room at Bounti-Fare on Saturday night. It also contained two gas gift cards and a check. "This random act of kindness came on just the right day and touched both of our hearts."



Created in honor of the late William "Pop" St. Pierre by his family nearly four years ago, PopCares has disbursed some $175,000 to more than 400 people in North Berkshire just like the Dabrowskis, helping them with the day-to-day items and acts of kindness so they can focus on getting better.

Some 295 tickets alone were sold to Saturday's annual dinner, one of the nonprofit's biggest fundraisers, which seems poised to blow past last year's $18,000 raised.



"We wanted to do something in his honor," said St. Pierre's son Bob, in explaining PopCares' creation. "We came up with this crazy plan to raise money to help local families battling cancer."



A lot of hands went up when Tammy St. Pierre asked for those who had been affected by cancer.



"Cancer has an incredible way of sneaking into your life and completely overtaking it because it's all about doctor visits treatments, bills that keep adding up because of of it," she said, speaking of her own diagnosis 13 years ago. "The fears and worries never seem to go away."



She remembered how her father-in-law continued to do for himself as much as possible as he, too, battled the disease.



"He always had kind words, a helping hand, or really bad jokes to tell ... he always had a smile on his face and love in his heart. The words 'I can't' were not in his vocabulary."


Miss Hall's School is looking for mentors for its Money Matters program.

Biz Briefs: Mentors Needed for Financial Literacy Workshop

Mentors needed: Miss Hall's School is seeking area professional women to volunteer as mentors for the 17th annual Money Matters financial literacy workshops to be held on Tuesday, Nov. 15, and Thursday, Nov. 17, at the school's Holmes Road campus. Eighth-grade girls from across Berkshire County will attend the program, which provides them with a foundation of financial understanding. This year's program will be facilitated by Dr. Mahnaz Mahdavi, professor of economics at Smith College and faculty director at the Jill Ker Conway Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center (CIEC) at Smith College.



Volunteer mentors are asked to commit to one of the program's two days, which run from 8 a.m. until 2 p.m. each day, with participating students attending one of the sessions. Work and life experiences are sufficient preparation to be a mentor, and mentors usually work in pairs with small groups of girls, taking cues from the facilitator and helping students carry out instructions. During hands-on, interactive projects, girls will learn about concepts such as budgeting, saving, and money management. The influence of higher education on future earning potential will also be emphasized, and girls will learn about developing professional communication skills they will need for future careers.



For more information or to register, please contact Sandy Moon, assistant to the Head of School at MHS, at 413-395-7027, or smoon@misshalls.org.







Clark bookstore returns: A bookstore returns to the Clark Art Institute's Manton Research Center on Saturday, Nov. 12, with the reopening of the center, which has been closed due to extensive renovations. In celebration of the opening, all titles in the new retail space will be offered at 30 percent off through Dec. 31.


We work towards an equitable,

gender-just, self-reliant and

sustainable fisheries,

particularly in the small-scale,

artisanal sector

We work towards an equitable,

gender-just, self-reliant and

sustainable fisheries,

particularly in the small-scale,

artisanal sector

We work towards an equitable,

gender-just, self-reliant and

sustainable fisheries,

particularly in the small-scale,

artisanal sector

We work towards an equitable,

gender-just, self-reliant and

sustainable fisheries,

particularly in the small-scale,

artisanal sector
It takes so little to offend us these days. Bad hombres. Nasty woman. Baby.

During Wednesday nights debate, all sorts of people got their sombreros, bra straps and pacifiers in a twist over comments Donald Trump made. Apparently, when speaking about people (including unborn people), we must use the terminology that hews most closely to the vanilla version of Websters. No irony, no humor, no snark.

This makes life difficult for me. I am the queen of snark, of spinster mean-girl, of trying to suck the marrow out of that bone of sardonic irreverence with every sentence I write. It used to get me some chuckles; now, it just gets me in hot water.

What a pass weve come to.

Recently, I read about a school in Canada that decided to allow students to use whatever gender pronouns they want. If he and she are too restrictive, they can opt for ze, zim, ey, sie and hir. And apparently, if you live in Philadelphia theyve added yo to the list, which apparently stands for Yo, figure out what you are and then call me next week. Sadly, a professor who refuses to call students by the names they choose is being accused of hate speech.

And you know who else is being accused of hate speech? Donald Trump. Of course, thats not new, because hes racked up offensive comments over the past year, ridiculing nationalities, religions, people with disabilities, etc. Thats the truth, its on video, and he hasnt apologized for it. It doesnt bother his diehard supporters, who, in their quiet moments, have probably been known to eat a taco or two and consider that multicultural.

But there is a big difference between outright offensive bigotry and oversensitivity of the you really need to see a therapist on that type. And anyone who was offended by Trump talking about Mexican drug lords as bad hombres needs to watch some old Clint Eastwood movies and take a Valium.

Then, of course, we have the men who have been writing me to tell me how anguished I should be over Trumps use of the term nasty woman. My first thought is that it fits the target because Hillary Clinton is one of the nastiest women I can conjure at this juncture in the election cycle. Elizabeth Warren is a tad more histrionic and tragically earnest, but not exactly nasty.

The gents who have been telling me that I should be horrified at the use of the term want me to understand just how much Trump hates me. Well, not me in particular, but women in general. That seems a bit inconsistent, because they also accuse him of loving women far too much, including 10-year-old girls he presumably wants to date someday. But I think they want me to understand just how deeply runs the river of his misogyny and why I should be offended that he made such a rude reference to a representative of my tribe.

To that I respond, Clinton is as much a member of my tribe as a kitty cat is related to a saber-tooth tiger, assuming they were not extinct. I would also say that there are far worse things a woman-hating man could hurl at a woman like me, and I have seen pretty much all of them. I have even corrected the spelling of some more offensive emails and returned them to the sender. You can take the girl out of Catholic school, but you cant take the Catholic school out of the girl.

My point is that getting upset over a very innocuous expression of anger and frustration shows the extent to which this society has become paralyzed by the industrial victims. They are the people, all of them passive-aggressive, who have weaponized their insecurities to use against the average man and woman. There is nothing offensive in using bad hombre, not even in the context of a discussion on immigration. I am an immigration lawyer, and I am telling you this: Trump has said many things that are anti-Hispanic, but this was not one of them.

And as a woman, please let me confirm to the men who are still reading that even though you might know (or be dating, or, God help you, be married to) a woman who is offended that a sister who wants to rule the most important country in the world was called nasty, the vast majority of right-thinking women out here do not find anything objectionable in the comment. In fact, judging from the Jedi pantsuit Clinton chose to wear Wednesday night, nasty is one of the nicer adjectives she could have expected.

Oh, yes, and those who were offended that Trump called fetuses by their archaic and lesser-known term baby, I would just tell you that most people understood what he meant when he talked about babies being ripped out of their mothers wombs. Yes, some of the pseudo-scientists out there were horrified that he would describe such a nice clinical medical procedure in such horribly human terms, but the fact is that a woman who is nine months pregnant knows exactly what she is carrying, and it is not a decision or a clump of cells or a choice. So if you were offended by that one, tough. Theres a lot to be offended about when talking about late-term abortions, but calling the target of it a baby is not one of them.

So, yes, we are having a hard time in society these days, walking that very thin line between what is acceptable and what is considered out of line. The line has become so wide and so imposing that there is very little doubt about what we can or cannot say. We can call people only what they want to be known by.

But if you want to call a Catholic gender-backward, thats OK.

Hows that for irony?
Conservative vs. YouTube

Contact: Greg L. Kinney, 949-344-4490

ORANGE, Calif., Oct. 24, 2016 / Oct. 24, 2016 / Christian Newswire / -- Greg L. Kinney releases the following and is available for comment:

The Superior Court of California, County of Orange:

Case ID: 30-2015-00776712-CU-BC-CJC

Filed: March 12, 2015

So far, there have been 161 actions (!) with stacks and stacks of legal documents from both parties.

Plaintiff: Gregory Lincoln Kinney

Defendant: YouTube, LLC

Jury date scheduled.

Click on "Civil Case and Document Access"

Greg L. Kinney is a Landscape Contractor, married 27 years, 6 children, that had a rated G YouTube channel with over 8500 subscribers--terminated by YouTube for 2 years. When YouTube removed the "suspension," the channel had only 68 subscribers (!) and many of the channel's aspects (alleged by Plaintiff) were broken or removed. All of this can be summed up in the Third Amended Complaint found in the case documents.

This story has many multiple angles, but ultimately, it ought to catch the attention of the millions of YouTube members and users.

Some possible angles:

 Does YouTube suspend and terminate its users based on political orientation?

 Does YouTube essentially diminish or suppress traditional family values?

 Is YouTube playing a major nationwide and worldwide influence in how its helping to shape a liberal, left-wing agenda or attitude?

 Does YouTube still have thousands of videos that are highly indecent, that even go against the grain of their Community Guidelines? If so, why have these videos not been deleted by YouTube?

 Are the voices of conservatives suppressed on YouTube?

 Are Christians treated fairly on YouTube?

Note: There are millions of people that watch YouTube everyday. Isn't it time for a story on YouTube? We read the endless parade of the same sort of news everyday on sports, weather, crime, etc. If there were ever an article on YouTube, however, wouldn't we be all over it--the millions of its users and members--many of them disappointed for a wide assortment of reasons.

It's high time to get it out in the open--the conversation.

Disclaimer: Due to the legal nature of the matter, all the above questions asked are not accusations. It's just to open up the potential floodgates of opinions out there that quite possibly have been held back because there hasn't been a public forum or conversation introduced. Let's see what others have to say.

Thank you for your consideration.
The content you are trying to view is exclusive to our subscribers.

To unlock this article:
Here's Why You Shouldn't Necessarily Remove Dead Leaves From Your Yard
It didnt take long for members of Congress to react to United States President Barack Obamas recent easing of trade restrictions with Cuba. This past Friday, Senator James Lankford (R-Oklahoma) and Representative Mario Diaz-Balart wrote a letter to President expressing concerns with the actions as well as requesting more engagement with Congress over the matter.

One interest to cigar enthusiasts is a concern around Cuban Trademarks.

The letter stated:

What steps is your administration taking to ensure that trademarks belonging to U.S. companies are not adversely affected, or possibly further exploited or expropriated, by your policy of allowing imports of rum and tobacco products?

Some Cuban trademarks such as Montecristo and Romeo y Julieta are owned by Altadis, who is a subsidiary of Imperial Tobacco that owns 50 percent of Habanos SA (the owners of those trademarks). Other trademarks such as Bolivar, Partagas, Ramon Allones, and Cohiba (the latter has been subject of a long legal battle) are not owned in the U.S. by Altadis.

The letter also stated that Human Rights conditions have worsened in Cuba and that the Castro regime continues to engage in Anti-American activities.

While Obamas directive allows Cuban products (including cigars) to be purchased abroad and brought back into the United States, it takes a lifting of the embargo for retail and online sales to even be considered in the United States. It would also require that these products gain U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval under new regulations.

Interesting, the FDA did not come up in the letter. The recent trade easements have expressed much concern among cigar brand and real owners about Cuban cigars being able to enter the U.S. and not being subject to regulation.

Photo Credit: U.S. Capitol Facebook Page
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Two years ago I wrote a feature in The Independent that Artes Mundi 6 was the best art prize in Great Britain, totally eclipsing and out classing the Turner Prize. This prompted Will Gompertz of the BBC to leave London to film the award ceremony presented live for the 9 oclock news. It made me aware that sometimes art writing, if rarely, can influence the news and make a difference. Two years on and the list of seven nominated artists for Artes Mundi 7 looks promising

Artes Mundi prides itself on its mission of supporting artists who explore the human condition. By the time the exhibition opens German based Hito Steyerl has already withdrawn for personal reasons so now we are 6.

Neil Beloufa, an Algerian artist now based between France and New York, makes works that asks challenging questions by often setting up playful scenarios. In World Domination he invites ordinary people to assume roles of people of power. The resulting video projected on specially constructed sculptures are both funny and scary and relate dramatically to the political moment we now live in.

Last time there were no Welsh artists in the prize but this year Bedwyr Williams has made Tyrrau Mawr a large video installation of an imaginary city in Wales. A large city that could be anywhere of power and money with a voice over by Williams relating individual stories of their inhabitants. Future Farmers, led by Amy Franceschini invites us to think about the food we eat. This will be an episode of a journey by boat from Oslo to Istanbul (via Cardiff) where the co-operative will look at questions of how grain is exchanged and planted, then ground, cooked and eaten. It sounds like the trip would be both rewarding and interesting for the partakers but I am not sure that this translates here into an gripping visual story for the viewer. Nearby a young female artist Lamia Joreige from Beirut focuses on her besieged city and includes a video of an empty river bed while photographic images portray a damaged mosaic literally showing art under siege.

Nastio Mosquito from Angola has produced a tough work at Chapter with boxes of No Pruitus -anti piles suppositories imported and literally dropped into the space still with parachute attached. The viewer is encouraged to take a box that makes the startling quintuplet action claim. These drugs soothes, shrinks, pain relief, locates and awakes god. A small monitor in the next room plays films while plastic chairs and imported beer provide pause points.

London based John Akomfrahs Auto Da Fe a new split screen video traces various diaspora stories. Inspired he tells me from a trip to the Barbados in 2009 where he discovered a cemetery of Sephardic Jews who had fled persecution in Brazil. This triggered his exploration and research. Some might say the video is too glossy -moving away from his more gritty presentations in the past- but the beauty of the film encourages the viewer to linger and take in the poignant message. When later we are talking about our strange post brexit world he makes the point that we care more about bringing in goods- our beans from Kenya and money from abroad-then people. With his words ringing in my ears and his films lodged in my eyes, I heartily suggest you make the trip to Cardiff.
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Today, Doctor Strange passes through the magical portal from the world of guy in a cloak so obscure only geeks with no social lives know who he is to household name, thanks of course to the good doctor becoming the latest Marvel Comics character to hit the cinemas, with the added celebrity juice of having Benedict Cumberbatch in the title role.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe is doing a very good job of turning its more obscure properties into cash cows  a decade ago youd have found the likes of Guardians of the Galaxy, Ant-Man and the Scarlet Witch only in the specialist comic shops where normals feared to tread. Now theyre on half the lunch-boxes in the worlds primary schools.

The all-conquering Marvel juggernaut might have breathed new life into these old characters, repackaging them for 21st Century sensibilities, but many of them have histories going back decades. What is less edifying than these brightly-coloured champions successes in the modern day is the fact that the artists who created them were sometimes treated in a rather less than heroic fashion.

Lets take Doctor Strange for example. He first appeared in the Marvel comic Strange Tales in 1963, a departure from the companys more science-based heroes such as Iron Man (rich dude who invents a flying suit of armour), Spider-Man (gains arachnid powers through the bite of a radioactive creepy-crawly) and the Fantastic Four (astronaut pals mutated after being bombarded with cosmic rays).

Doctor Stephen Strange was Marvels nod to the shadowy and supernatural, an arrogant surgeon left unable to work after a car accident who embarks upon increasingly desperate means to find a cure for his trembling hands, ultimately resorting to rumour and legend about an occult practitioner who can do the business. Strange is at first fuelled by greed and self-interest, and after his heros journey becomes humbled, selfless and worthy of the mantle of the Marvel Universes Sorcerer Supreme.

Doctor Strange was part of the mind-blowing first tranche of Marvels comic book revolution  and the companys impact on ushering in a new age of comic book storytelling cannot be underestimated  along with the Hulk, the X-Men, the Avengers, the aforementioned Spider-Man and Fantastic Four.

History tells us that there was one man at the helm of this revolution  Stan Lee, whose name appears on the credits as writer for all those titles, and who is widely understood to have created the Marvel Universe as we know it. Indeed, every Marvel movie features a Hitchcock-style cameo from Stan the Man, as he became universally known.

But with comics, the writers name is only half the story, apart from a few instances where one person both writes and draws the comic, most stories are a partnership between writer and artist. And its become increasingly apparent in recent years that the artists from those early Marvel days might have had a lot more input into the formation of those characters than history suggests.

Broadcaster Jonathan Ross is not only a huge comics fan, but hes also something of an expert on the work of one particular artist, who happens to be the man whose name, as artist, was next to Stan Lees writer credit on the first appearance of Doctor Strange  Steve Ditko.

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Artist Steve Ditko is humble about his involvement in the creation of Doctor Strange (Fandom/wikia.org)

Ditko is now 88, and lives a somewhat reclusive life in New York. Back in 2007, Ross made a documentary for BBC4 in which he went in search of the elusive comics creator. I was a Steve Ditko fan from the moment I started reading comics, he says. Spider-Man was always my favourite character because he was everything I was as a kid  I was the nerdy one who wore glasses. It was me. But it was also Ditkos art which was what I loved about the comic, so when Doctor Strange came along I was hooked on that as well. And the idea was all Ditkos.

As I understand it, Ditko wrote the story, created it fully realised. In my opinion, Ditko deserves most of the credit for Doctor Strange at least 80 per cent to 20 per cent in his favour. He needs and deserves full responsibility for creating the character.

Stan Lee is a genius but I think its time for credit where its due in terms of the artists he worked with, especially Steve Ditko on Doctor Strange.

Why did Ditko never make more of his claim on the credit for creating the characters he worked on at Marvel? Anecdotally it's been suggested that Ditko in the past has said that he had been hired to do a job, and had got paid for it, and wasnt inclined to seek anything else. But there has been a growing move in recent years to get artists the credit they deserve for their part in developing the iconic characters who, to be fair, are making Marvel a lot of money these days.

Practically all of the artists who worked on comics back in the day did so on a work-for-hire basis; even if they created a best-selling character fully formed, they were paid a wage for their work and allowed no further rights to it. The biggest case in point is Jack Kirby. Like Ditko, he was credited as artist on a wealth of superheroes we know and love today  the Fantastic Four, the Hulk, Thor, the Avengers, X-Men; and like Ditko, Kirbys contribution is now believed to have been a lot more than being given a script by Stan Lee and told what to draw.

The way comics tend to work these days is that the writer will create a script  very much like a movie script  with the action and dialogue in each panel described. Watchmen and League of Extraordinary Gentlemen author Alan Moore was famous for his intricately-detailed panel descriptions. Back in the Sixties, with Stan and artists, it was a looser, more collaborative arrangement. Stan would discuss the basic story for each comic issue with Kirby or Ditko, they would turn in 20-odd pages of art, and Stan would fill in the captions and word balloons.

While many of the stories that eventually appeared had been largely invented by the artists, Stan Lees contribution cant really be demeaned too much. He was a visionary, he created the cohesive Marvel Universe that meant the X-Men and the Avengers inhabited the same version of New York, he had the snappy dialogue down pat, he knew instinctively that the times they were a-changing and the comic audience of the Sixties wanted something new, fresh and revolutionary.

Jack Kirbys revered works include Captain America and the Avengers (Creative Commons)

But in a just world, the likes of Kirby and Ditko would have been billed as co-creators of those characters and stories, rather than as merely artists, with the implication that they were just bringing the boundless imagination of Stan Lee to pen-and-ink life.

Justice, of a sort, has been done since those days. Ditko might have no interest in pursuing any claim on equal billing for his work, but in 2014 Marvel settled out of court with the Kirby estate just days ahead of a scheduled Supreme Court hearing to decide whether Kirby had been properly compensated for his part in creating what had by that point become very lucrative properties. Of course, it was too late for the man they called the King  he had died 20 years previously.

Kirby, along with Joe Simon, had also created Captain America for Timely Comics, which eventually became Marvel, back in the 1940s, and in 2003 the publisher again settled out of court with them over who should own the copyright to the now world-famous character, who has featured in three movies of his own as well as two Avengers films.

As Doctor Strange casts his spell over cinema audiences from today, and becomes the latest Marvel property to summon pots of cash as if by magic for the coffers of the companys now-owners Disney, we should take pause to remember that these characters were not mystically created fully-formed. They were the work of men of great imagination, many of whom never got the full credit they deserved in their lifetimes for the legends they had given birth to.
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Joss Whedon may have picked himself up the title of Marvel's Grand Champion, but his next project will be taking a very different direction.

The Avengers director has revealed to Complex that he's currently working on a horror movie set during World War II; in a project he sees as having possible parallels with the modern day political atmosphere.

"Im in the middle of a screenplay that I am extremely passionate about, and I am going to be extremely passionate about it again on November 9th," he stated. "Its definitely a departure from the things that Im known for. Its as dark as anything Ive ever written. I just said, OK, id, your turn. I would write scenes and be like, Oh this is great! I shouldnt be allowed near people."

"Its a historical fiction/horror movie about a time when the world was going insane, World War II," he continued. "I got to tell you, I was in Germany and Poland doing research for this movie and I was seeing so many parallels [to the U.S.]. And I know its a shopworn thing to compare the orange guy to the little guy with the mustache, but you see things, indelible things in terms of propaganda, the state of the country, and the parallels are eerie as fuck."

Whedon further elaborated on his latest project, the Hillary Clinton-backing SaveTheDay; which saw the director gather his most famous friends and colleagues for a video urging voters to back the Democratic candidate.

 Doctor Strange - Trailer

He also hinted that he'd like to make a return to television in the future, and even weighed in on the Marvel vs. DC debate. "I think Marvel has been more successful systematically," he explained. "DC has been more cinematictheir stuff looks amazingbut I feel like Kevin [Feige, President of Marvel Studios] is a really good storyteller. He really cares about coherence, and I feel like style never defeats substance at Marvel, but a little style creeps in."
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On Sunday nights episode of OVO Sound Radio, Drake celebrated the eve of his 30th birthday by announcing his new playlist project titled More Life coming this December. He explained that hes done mixtapes and albums in the past, and now wants to release a soundtrack to his fans lives filled with original material.

More Life  new project dropping in DECEMBER A photo posted by champagnepapi (@champagnepapi) on Oct 23, 2016 at 3:12pm PDT



The Canadian emcee also premiered four new tracks that will be released on the project, Two Birds One Stone, Fake Love, his 21 Savage collaboration Sneakin, and a remix to British rapper Dave's "Wanna Know."

On Two Birds One Stone, Drizzy references Kid Cudi, who recently accused him and Kanye West of using like 30 ghostwriters in a tweetstorm. He also checked himself into rehab for suicidal urges. "You were the man on the moon, Drake raps, Now you just go through your phases/ Life of the angry and famous."

Listen to Drake's new tracks below.

"Two Birds, One Stone"

"Sneakin" (Produced by London On Da Track)

"Fake Love" (Produced By Vinylz and Frank Dukes)

View scenes from Drake's Summer Sixteen Tour below.
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The 60th anniversary of the Suez crisis coincides with this weeks broadcast to more than 600 UK and international cinemas of the Kenneth Branagh Theatre Company revival of The Entertainer, the John Osborne play starring Branagh and Greta Scacchi, in which the son of the title character, Archie Rice, is killed during that infamous British military intervention in Egypt.

So this is an apt moment to recall how leading British playwrights  from David Hare in Plenty (1978), currently being revived at New Yorks Public Theatre and starring Rachel Weisz, to Peter Morgan in The Audience (2013)  have followed in Osbornes footsteps, by dramatising various aspects of Prime Minister Anthony Edens collusion with France and Israel in an unlawful attempt to seize back the Suez Canal and depose Egypts President Nasser, who in July 1956 had nationalised the waterway used to transport much of Europes oil. Economic pressure from US President Eisenhower, who refused to staunch the hemorrhaging of UK currency reserves, forced Eden to withdraw British forces unconditionally, just days after they landed in Port Said in early November; he resigned in January 1957.

Theres a crisis: Rachel Weisz (seated, centre) as Susan Traherne, with Corey Stoll (far right) as Raymond Brock and Byron Jennings (second from right) as Leonard Darwin, in the Suez scene from David Hares Plenty at the Public Theatre, New York. (Joan Marcus)

After reading The Entertainer, Plenty and The Audience alongside other plays that tackle the crisis  Christopher Hamptons White Chameleon (1991), Adrian Mitchells Falling Over England (1994), James Grahams Edens Empire (2006), Howard Brentons Never So Good (2008) and Hugh Whitemores A Marvellous Year for Plums (2012)  I imagined a theatre somehow compiling all their Suez scenes into an all-day stage epic. It would depict the build-up, (mis-)conduct and aftermath in chronological order. Its dramatis personae would blend fictional characters such as Osbornes Rice family and the Foreign Office diplomats of Plenty, with real-life figures: Eden, Winston Churchill, Foreign Secretary Selwyn Lloyd and Chancellor Harold Macmillan (who succeeded Eden as PM). The action would cut back and forth between Buckingham Palace (meeting Eden in The Audience, the Queen describes Suez as an unjustifiable incursion into a sovereign nation), the Commons, No 10, Chequers (where, in Whitemores play, Eden asks Ian Fleming how James Bond would tackle a villain like Nasser), the Commons and private homes across England, and in Alexandria.

I suggested to the National Theatre that, having premiered Plenty (Lyttelton), White Chameleon (Cottesloe) and Never So Good (Lyttelton), it might mark the 60th anniversary with a platform offering a taste of this putative Suez compendium. On 1 November in the Lyttelton, I will chair Staging Suez: a conversation between Howard Brenton, James Graham and Gill Bennett, formerly chief historian of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, interspersed with extracts from Plenty, Never So Good (in Brentons biographical drama about Macmillan, the Suez betrayal takes up the third of four acts) and Edens Empire, read by actors from the NTs Amadeus and The Red Barn companies.

A British tank in a destroyed Egyptian street during the 1956 Suez crisis (Getty)

When The Entertainer premiered at the Royal Court in April 1957, with Laurence Olivier, the nations most feted classical actor, as Archie, an adulterous, tax-dodging, second-rate Vaudevillian, Osborne used this anti-heros deceptions and downfall, and the divisive calamity of Suez, to symbolise the simultaneous deaths of British music hall and empire. At the beginning of 1957, wrote Osborne in his autobiography, Almost a Gentleman, the muddle of feeling about Suez ... was so overheated that the involvement of Olivier in the play seemed as dangerous as exposing the royal family to politics.

The play begins in November 1956, when Archies 22-year-old daughter Jean visits her family at their digs in a large coastal resort, a few days after she has joined the Trafalgar Square peace rally that saw 30,000 protesters denounce Edens aggression. Archies son Mick, a 19-year-old sergeant, is captured by the Egyptians, and the second act curtain falls just after Archies other son, Frank, announces: Theyve killed Mick! Those bloody wogs  theyve murdered him.

Mick does not appear in the stage script, but, in adapting The Entertainer for film in 1960, Osborne and co-screenwriter Nigel Kneale expanded its Suez storyline, adding a two-minute scene in the first reel: Jean and her fiance, Graham, join the uniformed Mick (Albert Finney), for a farewell drink, the night before he is flown out to Egypt. Jean urges him: Stick in the back if theres any shooting.

When the Rices later learn of his death, viewers picture the handsome, smiling Finney, which renders Mick a more tangible casualty than he is for theatregoers  although director Rob Ashford accentuates his loss in the current production at the Garrick: while Branaghs Archie sings Thank God Im normal as a helmeted British soldier silently fires his rifle repeatedly in upstage silhouette; later, pallbearers cross the stage with a Union Jack-draped coffin. Ashford also contextualises Suezs impact on the Rices by projecting a minute of British Movietone footage from 1956: a warplane taking off, the Trafalgar Square rally, a vox-pop with interviewees for and against Edens actions.

Corey Stoll and Rachel Weisz in the first major New York revival of David Hares Plenty (Joan Marcus)

David Hare was nine when the crisis began, and, as he revealed last year in his memoir, The Blue Touch Paper, Suez proved briefly disastrous for his family. His father, Clifford, was purser on the P&O liner SS Mooltan as it ferried British troops towards Aden. After a terrible failure of hygiene in the ships kitchen caused mass food poisoning, the Daily Sketch carried a front-page picture of Clifford Hare in uniform, headlined The Man Who Served Our Troops Soapy Potatoes.

In Plenty, what Hare terms the self-inflicted humiliation caused by a trumped-up invasion is the most shameful of the post-war political betrayals that dismay his heroine, Susan Traherne (Rachel Weisz in New York), whom the play follows from 1943 to 1962.

Her husband, Raymond Brock, works for a senior diplomat, Sir Leonard Darwin, and Plentys first half ends with the scene that will feature in Staging Suez: a dinner party at Raymond and Susans Knightsbridge home, on the night British paratroopers drop into Egypt. Darwin tells Brock that Foreign Office officials have been betrayed the entire war is a fraud cooked up by the British.

Susan, who fought with the Special Operations Executive in occupied France, abhors the contrast between that morally essential fight against Nazism and Edens cynical intervention, with the British and French fraudulently casting themselves as peacemakers in an Israeli-Egyptian conflict. In the Second World War, she says, by and large we did make it our business to land in countries where we were wanted; at Suez, Britain bombs in bad conscience. David Leveaux, director of the New York revival, rates this nine-page scene as the clearest, most concise account of Suez ever written for the stage.

Kenneth Branagh as Archie Rice, Greta-Scacchi as Phoebe and Gawn Grainger as Billy in The Entertainer (Johan Persson)

David was with us for a couple of days in our first week of rehearsal, Leveaux adds. He described what [Suez] was like, right down to people nearly coming to blows in parliament, to give a sense of the enormity of division. He didnt directly mention it, but [what happened to his family in 1956] was perfectly apparent in his palpably emotional response to those events.

Hares contemporary at Lancing College, Christopher Hampton, born in 1946, lived in Alexandria for several years from 1952. Around 1989, Richard Eyre, then-director of the National Theatre, invited Hampton to write about the Crisis. I started reading books and looking at newsreels, Hampton told Alistair Owen in the book Hampton on Hampton (2005). But the more I studied ... the more I thought, Im not very interested in writing about Suez, because everyone knows that it was a callous and stupid adventure, all about flexing muscles which Britain no longer had, and what else can you say except that?

Instead, in White Chameleon, which Eyre directed, Hampton made what he hoped were dramatically effective responses to his memories, lightly fictionalising his Egyptian childhood, with Suez as the plays climax. The middle-aged Christopher (Tom Wilkinson in the Cottesloe) narrates while we watch Chris from 195256, as the young son of an English engineer working for Cable & Wireless in Alexandria, where the family are served by a redoubtable Egyptian, Ibrahim.

Six weeks before the Anglo-French assault, Chris is sent for his safety to a dying prep school in Surrey, where he tells other boys that if the British go to war over the Suez Canal, they need their heads examining, and is reprimanded by his headmaster for undermining morale with unpatriotic remarks. Christopher then tells us: Our military adventure petered out abruptly and ignominiously; and, all of a sudden, the British empire was over. What a funny ending.

A decade older than Hampton, Julian Mitchell, best known for Another Country (1981), was an Oxford undergraduate in 1956, strongly opposed to Edens Suez policy. He was also a reserve Royal Navy navigation officer, and might have been summoned to fight Nasser. In his Falling Over England (first staged at Greenwich Theatre), partly set in 1956, Matt Cowper, an Oxford student and reserve paratrooper, chooses to flee to France rather than answer his Suez call-up, declaring: I refuse to die in a completely pointless and immoral war. Matts right-wing, solicitor father Harry insists: Nassers Mussolini all over again. Wog instead of wop. Mitchell admits that Harrys gung-ho views are an unkind version of my own fathers.

Dramatist David Hare around the time he wrote Plenty in the late 1970s (Getty) (Getty Images)

James Graham, born in 1982, knew little of Suez before writing Edens Empire. After the tiny Finborough Theatre, London, produced Grahams Alberts Boy (2005), about Einsteins guilt over the Manhattan Project, the venues artistic director, Neil McPherson, commissioned Graham to write about Suez, for its 50th anniversary and because British forces, and Tony Blair as PM, were still mired in the aftermath of the UKs most contentious foreign affairs intervention since 1956: the Iraq War. Suez felt like a very useful way to explore Iraq, Graham recalls, without having to do a play set [there]. Edens Middle East misadventure, through which, as Graham puts it, a PM lost the trust of the nation, would illuminate Blairs.

The more Graham researched (his reading included The Entertainer, Plenty and White Chameleon), the louder grew the Suez/Iraq and Eden/Blair echoes. Edens Empire, praised by Paul Taylor in his Independent review for its artful mix of historical reconstruction and mischievously handled hindsight, includes this exchange between Eden and Mountbatten, then First Sea Lord:

Mountbatten: Our main problem then is our exit strategy.

Eden: Whats the problem?

Mountbatten: We dont really have one.

Graham also has a newspaper caricaturist observe: Looks like old Tony is taking the country to war, then. Whether they like it or not. At the Finborough in September 2006 this line prompted knowing laughter every night, something that Graham slightly regrets: There are some lines  like that Tony one  that, possibly in a bad way, were too winking at the audience.

Daniel Rosenthal chairs Staging Suez at the National Theatres Lyttelton Theatre, 5.45-6.45pm, 1 November. The Entertainer is broadcast to cinemas on Thursday 27 October; Plenty is at the Public Theatre, New York, until 1 December
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Living in the most polluted parts of a city appears to have a similar effect on your blood pressure as becoming overweight, according to the worlds largest ever study of the effects of fossil fuel emission on human health.

Researchers warned their findings showed that current European Union limits on air pollution were not low enough to adequately protect people.

Those limits are regularly breached in parts of the UK and the Government has been taken to court in order to force it to introduce measures to address the problem.

According to official figures, an estimated 40,000 people a year die prematurely in the UK because of the air they breathe. The World Health Organization has warned air pollution is wreaking havoc on human health, while campaigners have described diesel fumes as the biggest public health catastrophe since the Black Death.

The new study investigated the effects of air pollution and traffic noise on 41,000 people in five different countries, Spain, Germany, Norway, Sweden and Denmark, for up to nine years.

When the research began, none of the participants had high blood pressure, but more than 6,200 reported they had developed the disease or had started taking drugs to lower their blood pressure during the period.

The researchers found that those living in the most polluted parts of a city had a higher chance of developing it than people in less polluted urban areas. They said the risk was similar to someone with a normal body mass index becoming officially overweight.

Traffic noise was also a factor: people living in areas where the average night-time noise level was 50 decibels  about the same level as a conversation at home  had a six per cent higher change of high blood pressure compared to those where the average level was 40 decibels, which is like a library.

Professor Barbara Hoffmann, of Heinrich-Heine-University in Dusseldorf, who led the study, said: As virtually everybody is exposed to air pollution for all of their lives, this leads to a high number of hypertension cases, posing a great burden on the individual and on society.

One very important aspect is that these associations can be seen in people living well below current European air pollution standards.

This means the current legislation does not protect the European population adequately from adverse effects of air pollution.

Recommended Read more Air pollution could be linked to number of car accidents in UK

Given the ubiquitous presence of air pollution and the importance of hypertension as the most important risk factor for cardiovascular disease, these results have important public health consequences and call for more stringent air quality regulations.

The researchers said they had been able to show that traffic noise and air pollution were both independently linked to high blood pressure.

They added it was possible that they affected the body in different ways. Air pollution may affect the heart and blood vessels by causing inflammation, a build-up of damaging molecules in the body, and disruption of the nervous system. Noise is believed to affect the nervous and hormonal systems.

The worst countries in the world for air pollution deaths Show all 10 1 /10 The worst countries in the world for air pollution deaths The worst countries in the world for air pollution deaths Ukraine The worst countries in the world for air pollution deaths Bulgaria Rex Features The worst countries in the world for air pollution deaths Belarus The worst countries in the world for air pollution deaths Russia The worst countries in the world for air pollution deaths Armenia The worst countries in the world for air pollution deaths Bosnia and Herzegovina REUTERS The worst countries in the world for air pollution deaths Georgia The worst countries in the world for air pollution deaths Hungary DigitalGlobe The worst countries in the world for air pollution deaths China The worst countries in the world for air pollution deaths Moldova

Commenting on the research, described in the European Heart Journal, Jenny Bates, a Friends of the Earth air pollution campaigner, said the evidence about the impact of air pollution on peoples health was clearly increasing.

Crucially, this study shows that there are health risks, even when levels of fine particles of air pollution are below EU legal limits  and in fact the World Health Organisation say there is no known safe limit for this pollution, she said.

Air pollution leads to 40,000 early deaths in the UK every year. It causes lung cancer, contributes to respiratory disease including worsening of asthma, and to heart disease with this latest study linking it to high blood pressure.

Urgent action is needed to get dirty diesel vehicles off our roads, and to reduce road traffic. The UK Government must be bold and put in place a plan to phase out diesel, support Clean Air Zones across the country and offer people real alternatives to driving, in order to save lives and improve health.

Science news in pictures Show all 20 1 /20 Science news in pictures Science news in pictures Pluto has 'beating heart' of frozen nitrogen Pluto has a 'beating heart' of frozen nitrogen that is doing strange things to its surface, Nasa has found. The mysterious core seems to be the cause of features on its surface that have fascinated scientists since they were spotted by Nasa's New Horizons mission. "Before New Horizons, everyone thought Pluto was going to be a netball - completely flat, almost no diversity," said Tanguy Bertrand, an astrophysicist and planetary scientist at NASA's Ames Research Center and the lead author on the new study. "But it's completely different. It has a lot of different landscapes and we are trying to understand what's going on there." Getty Science news in pictures Over 400 species discovered this year by Natural History Museum The ancient invertabrate worm-like species rhenopyrgus viviani (pictured) is one of over 400 species previously unknown to science that were discovered by experts at the Natural History Museum this year PA Science news in pictures Jackdaws can identify 'dangerous' humans Jackdaws can identify dangerous humans from listening to each others warning calls, scientists say. The highly social birds will also remember that person if they come near their nests again, according to researchers from the University of Exeter. In the study, a person unknown to the wild jackdaws approached their nest. At the same time scientists played a recording of a warning call (threatening) or contact calls (non-threatening). The next time jackdaws saw this same person, the birds that had previously heard the warning call were defensive and returned to their nests more than twice as quickly on average. Getty Science news in pictures Turtle embryos influence sex by shaking The sex of the turtle is determined by the temperatures at which they are incubated. Warm temperatures favour females. But by wiggling around the egg, embryos can find the Goldilocks Zone which means they are able to shield themselves against extreme thermal conditions and produce a balanced sex ratio, according to the new study published in Current Biology journal Ye et al/Current Biology Science news in pictures Elephant poaching rates drop in Africa African elephant poaching rates have dropped by 60 per cent in six years, an international study has found. It is thought the decline could be associated with the ivory trade ban introduced in China in 2017. Reuters Science news in pictures Ancient four-legged whale discovered in Peru Scientists have identified a four-legged creature with webbed feet to be an ancestor of the whale. Fossils unearthed in Peru have led scientists to conclude that the enormous creatures that traverse the planets oceans today are descended from small hoofed ancestors that lived in south Asia 50 million years ago A. Gennari Science news in pictures Animal with transient anus discovered A scientist has stumbled upon a creature with a transient anus that appears only when it is needed, before vanishing completely. Dr Sidney Tamm of the Marine Biological Laboratory could not initially find any trace of an anus on the species. However, as the animal gets full, a pore opens up to dispose of waste Steven G Johnson Science news in pictures Giant bee spotted Feared extinct, the Wallace's Giant bee has been spotted for the first time in nearly 40 years. An international team of conservationists spotted the bee, that is four times the size of a typical honeybee, on an expedition to a group of Indonesian Islands Clay Bolt Science news in pictures New mammal species found inside crocodile Fossilised bones digested by crocodiles have revealed the existence of three new mammal species that roamed the Cayman Islands 300 years ago. The bones belonged to two large rodent species and a small shrew-like animal New Mexico Museum of Natural History Science news in pictures Fabric that changes according to temperature created Scientists at the University of Maryland have created a fabric that adapts to heat, expanding to allow more heat to escape the body when warm and compacting to retain more heat when cold Faye Levine, University of Maryland Science news in pictures Baby mice tears could be used in pest control A study from the University of Tokyo has found that the tears of baby mice cause female mice to be less interested in the sexual advances of males Getty Science news in pictures Final warning to limit "climate catastrophe" The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has issued a report which projects the impact of a rise in global temperatures of 1.5 degrees Celsius and warns against a higher increase Getty Science news in pictures Nobel prize for evolution chemists The nobel prize for chemistry has been awarded to three chemists working with evolution. Frances Smith is being awarded the prize for her work on directing the evolution of enzymes, while Gregory Winter and George Smith take the prize for their work on phage display of peptides and antibodies Getty/AFP Science news in pictures Nobel prize for laser physicists The nobel prize for physics has been awarded to three physicists working with lasers. Arthur Ashkin (L) was awarded for his "optical tweezers" which use lasers to grab particles, atoms, viruses and other living cells. Donna Strickland and Gerard Mourou were jointly awarded the prize for developing chirped-pulse amplification of lasers Reuters/AP Science news in pictures Discovery of a new species of dinosaur The Ledumahadi Mafube roamed around 200 million years ago in what is now South Africa. Recently discovered by a team of international scientists, it was the largest land animal of its time, weighing 12 tons and standing at 13 feet. In Sesotho, the South African language of the region in which the dinosaur was discovered, its name means "a giant thunderclap at dawn" Viktor Radermacher / SWNS Science news in pictures Birth of a planet Scientists have witnessed the birth of a planet for the first time ever. This spectacular image from the SPHERE instrument on ESO's Very Large Telescope is the first clear image of a planet caught in the very act of formation around the dwarf star PDS 70. The planet stands clearly out, visible as a bright point to the right of the center of the image, which is blacked out by the coronagraph mask used to block the blinding light of the central star. ESO/A. Muller et al Science news in pictures New human organ discovered that was previously missed by scientists Layers long thought to be dense, connective tissue are actually a series of fluid-filled compartments researchers have termed the interstitium. These compartments are found beneath the skin, as well as lining the gut, lungs, blood vessels and muscles, and join together to form a network supported by a mesh of strong, flexible proteins Getty Science news in pictures Previously unknown society lived in Amazon rainforest before Europeans arrived, say archaeologists Working in the Brazilian state of Mato Grosso, a team led by archaeologists at the University of Exeter unearthed hundreds of villages hidden in the depths of the rainforest. These excavations included evidence of fortifications and mysterious earthworks called geoglyphs Jose Iriarte Science news in pictures One in 10 people have traces of cocaine or heroin on fingerprints, study finds More than one in 10 people were found to have traces of class A drugs on their fingers by scientists developing a new fingerprint-based drug test. Using sensitive analysis of the chemical composition of sweat, researchers were able to tell the difference between those who had been directly exposed to heroin and cocaine, and those who had encountered it indirectly. Getty Science news in pictures Nasa releases stunning images of Jupiter's great red spot The storm bigger than the Earth, has been swhirling for 350 years. The image's colours have been enhanced after it was sent back to Earth. Pictures by: Tom Momary

Greenpeace senior campaigner Areeba Hamid said: The UK is facing a public health emergency due to air pollution, mainly caused by diesel cars.

"Even though the list of symptoms is worryingly long, the Governments plan to bring safe air to all Britons is conspicuous by its absence. As we begin the process to exit the EU, any legislation around air quality should take the best of the current EU standards and make them even better.

Three of the five countries where this study was undertaken are already seeing cities moving to cleaner technologies and transport systems. It is time for the UK to decide if it wants to join that shift, or continue spending billions on NHS resources to treat conditions linked to air pollution.

However Professor Francesco Cappuccio, who is vice-president of the British & Irish Hypertension Society, said there should be a "big note of caution" about the research.

The present aggregate analysis suggests that whilst measures of air pollution across different European countries are associated with a greater risk of self-reported hypertension, there is no evidence of such an association with the incidence of measured hypertension," he said.

It is well recognised that the awareness of hypertension in the general population is weakly correlated with its presence when measured, and the lack of symptoms or signs often associated with it makes self-reported estimates unreliable, often biasing population hypertension estimates.

In the future, similar population studies should only rely on objective, direct and valid measures of blood pressure in the community to estimate prevalence or incidence of hypertension.
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Dozens of common medical treatments and procedures routinely given to patients by doctors are effectively pointless, leading doctors have warned.

The Academy of Medical Royal Colleges (AMRC) said scores of treatments which can be given to patients for various ailments ranging from grazes to cancer frequently do little more or the same as doing nothing at all, while also potentially incurring side effects.

The organisation, which represents 22 royal medical colleges, has called for doctors to think more carefully and critically before they prescribe the treatments, warning that: more doesnt always mean better. The AMRC has previously estimated that up to 2bn per year may be wasted on pointless treatments.

One treatment cited was saline solution which is commonly used for cleaning cuts and grazes to avoid infection, despite water being just as effective. They also criticised routine cholesterol checks for patients on statins, saying they are often unnecessary.

More generally, the group were also critical of routine scans and blood tests carried out automatically rather than to answer a specific question. They also questioned the use of chemotherapy treatment sometimes, saying while it can ease some symptoms towards end of life it can also incur major side effects for patients which they should be encouraged to consider in order to make an informed choice.

Professor Dame Sue Bailey, president of the academy told The Times: Weve been too at describing the potential benefits and not the potential harms. Its a natural tendency. When a patient comes into the surgery the doctor wants to five them something that will help and the patient expects a prescription.

With scientific advances there will be more and more things we can do. But the question is: what should we do? We want patients to feel confident about asking- Do I really need this test or procedure? What are the downsides? What are the side-effects? Are there simpler, safer options? And what happens if I do nothing?

Health news in pictures Show all 40 1 /40 Health news in pictures Health news in pictures Coronavirus outbreak The coronavirus Covid-19 has hit the UK leading to the deaths of two people so far and prompting warnings from the Department of Health AFP via Getty Health news in pictures Thousands of emergency patients told to take taxi to hospital Thousands of 999 patients in England are being told to get a taxi to hospital, figures have showed. The number of patients outside London who were refused an ambulance rose by 83 per cent in the past year as demand for services grows Getty Health news in pictures Vape related deaths spike A vaping-related lung disease has claimed the lives of 11 people in the US in recent weeks. The US Centre for Disease Control and Prevention has more than 100 officials investigating the cause of the mystery illness, and has warned citizens against smoking e-cigarette products until more is known, particularly if modified or bought off the street Getty Health news in pictures Baldness cure looks to be a step closer Researchers in the US claim to have overcome one of the major hurdles to cultivating human follicles from stem cells. The new system allows cells to grow in a structured tuft and emerge from the skin Sanford Burnham Preybs Health news in pictures Two hours a week spent in nature can improve health A study in the journal Scientific Reports suggests that a dose of nature of just two hours a week is associated with better health and psychological wellbeing Shutterstock Health news in pictures Air pollution linked to fertility issues in women Exposure to air from traffic-clogged streets could leave women with fewer years to have children, a study has found. Italian researchers found women living in the most polluted areas were three times more likely to show signs they were running low on eggs than those who lived in cleaner surroundings, potentially triggering an earlier menopause Getty/iStock Health news in pictures Junk food ads could be banned before watershed Junk food adverts on TV and online could be banned before 9pm as part of Government plans to fight the "epidemic" of childhood obesity. Plans for the new watershed have been put out for public consultation in a bid to combat the growing crisis, the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) said PA Health news in pictures Breeding with neanderthals helped humans fight diseases On migrating from Africa around 70,000 years ago, humans bumped into the neanderthals of Eurasia. While humans were weak to the diseases of the new lands, breeding with the resident neanderthals made for a better equipped immune system PA Health news in pictures Cancer breath test to be trialled in Britain The breath biopsy device is designed to detect cancer hallmarks in molecules exhaled by patients Getty Health news in pictures Average 10 year old has consumed the recommended amount of sugar for an adult By their 10th birthdy, children have on average already eaten more sugar than the recommended amount for an 18 year old. The average 10 year old consumes the equivalent to 13 sugar cubes a day, 8 more than is recommended PA Health news in pictures Child health experts advise switching off screens an hour before bed While there is not enough evidence of harm to recommend UK-wide limits on screen use, the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health have advised that children should avoid screens for an hour before bed time to avoid disrupting their sleep Getty Health news in pictures Daily aspirin is unnecessary for older people in good health, study finds A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine has found that many elderly people are taking daily aspirin to little or no avail Getty Health news in pictures Vaping could lead to cancer, US study finds A study by the University of Minnesota's Masonic Cancer Centre has found that the carcinogenic chemicals formaldehyde, acrolein, and methylglyoxal are present in the saliva of E-cigarette users Reuters Health news in pictures More children are obese and diabetic There has been a 41% increase in children with type 2 diabetes since 2014, the National Paediatric Diabetes Audit has found. Obesity is a leading cause Reuters Health news in pictures Most child antidepressants are ineffective and can lead to suicidal thoughts The majority of antidepressants are ineffective and may be unsafe, for children and teenager with major depression, experts have warned. In what is the most comprehensive comparison of 14 commonly prescribed antidepressant drugs to date, researchers found that only one brand was more effective at relieving symptoms of depression than a placebo. Another popular drug, venlafaxine, was shown increase the risk users engaging in suicidal thoughts and attempts at suicide Getty Health news in pictures Gay, lesbian and bisexual adults at higher risk of heart disease, study claims Researchers at the Baptist Health South Florida Clinic in Miami focused on seven areas of controllable heart health and found these minority groups were particularly likely to be smokers and to have poorly controlled blood sugar iStock Health news in pictures Breakfast cereals targeted at children contain 'steadily high' sugar levels since 1992 despite producer claims A major pressure group has issued a fresh warning about perilously high amounts of sugar in breakfast cereals, specifically those designed for children, and has said that levels have barely been cut at all in the last two and a half decades Getty Health news in pictures Potholes are making us fat, NHS watchdog warns New guidance by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), the body which determines what treatment the NHS should fund, said lax road repairs and car-dominated streets were contributing to the obesity epidemic by preventing members of the public from keeping active PA Health news in pictures New menopause drugs offer women relief from 'debilitating' hot flushes A new class of treatments for women going through the menopause is able to reduce numbers of debilitating hot flushes by as much as three quarters in a matter of days, a trial has found. The drug used in the trial belongs to a group known as NKB antagonists (blockers), which were developed as a treatment for schizophrenia but have been sitting on a shelf unused, according to Professor Waljit Dhillo, a professor of endocrinology and metabolism REX Health news in pictures Doctors should prescribe more antidepressants for people with mental health problems, study finds Research from Oxford University found that more than one million extra people suffering from mental health problems would benefit from being prescribed drugs and criticised ideological reasons doctors use to avoid doing so. Getty Health news in pictures Student dies of flu after NHS advice to stay at home and avoid A&E The family of a teenager who died from flu has urged people not to delay going to A&E if they are worried about their symptoms. Melissa Whiteley, an 18-year-old engineering student from Hanford in Stoke-on-Trent, fell ill at Christmas and died in hospital a month later. Just Giving Health news in pictures Government to review thousands of harmful vaginal mesh implants The Government has pledged to review tens of thousands of cases where women have been given harmful vaginal mesh implants. Getty Health news in pictures Jeremy Hunt announces 'zero suicides ambition' for the NHS The NHS will be asked to go further to prevent the deaths of patients in its care as part of a zero suicide ambition being launched today Getty Health news in pictures Human trials start with cancer treatment that primes immune system to kill off tumours Human trials have begun with a new cancer therapy that can prime the immune system to eradicate tumours. The treatment, that works similarly to a vaccine, is a combination of two existing drugs, of which tiny amounts are injected into the solid bulk of a tumour. Nephron Health news in pictures Babies' health suffers from being born near fracking sites, finds major study Mothers living within a kilometre of a fracking site were 25 per cent more likely to have a child born at low birth weight, which increase their chances of asthma, ADHD and other issues Getty Health news in pictures NHS reviewing thousands of cervical cancer smear tests after women wrongly given all-clear Thousands of cervical cancer screening results are under review after failings at a laboratory meant some women were incorrectly given the all-clear. A number of women have already been told to contact their doctors following the identification of procedural issues in the service provided by Pathology First Laboratory. Rex Health news in pictures Potential key to halting breast cancer's spread discovered by scientists Most breast cancer patients do not die from their initial tumour, but from secondary malignant growths (metastases), where cancer cells are able to enter the blood and survive to invade new sites. Asparagine, a molecule named after asparagus where it was first identified in high quantities, has now been shown to be an essential ingredient for tumour cells to gain these migratory properties. Getty Health news in pictures NHS nursing vacancies at record high with more than 34,000 roles advertised A record number of nursing and midwifery positions are currently being advertised by the NHS, with more than 34,000 positions currently vacant, according to the latest data. Demand for nurses was 19 per cent higher between July and September 2017 than the same period two years ago. REX Health news in pictures Cannabis extract could provide new class of treatment for psychosis CBD has a broadly opposite effect to delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the main active component in cannabis and the substance that causes paranoia and anxiety. Getty Health news in pictures Over 75,000 sign petition calling for Richard Branson's Virgin Care to hand settlement money back to NHS Mr Bransons company sued the NHS last year after it lost out on an 82m contract to provide childrens health services across Surrey, citing concerns over serious flaws in the way the contract was awarded PA Health news in pictures More than 700 fewer nurses training in England in first year after NHS bursary scrapped The numbers of people accepted to study nursing in England fell 3 per cent in 2017, while the numbers accepted in Wales and Scotland, where the bursaries were kept, increased 8.4 per cent and 8 per cent respectively Getty Health news in pictures Landmark study links Tory austerity to 120,000 deaths The paper found that there were 45,000 more deaths in the first four years of Tory-led efficiencies than would have been expected if funding had stayed at pre-election levels. On this trajectory that could rise to nearly 200,000 excess deaths by the end of 2020, even with the extra funding that has been earmarked for public sector services this year. Reuters Health news in pictures Long commutes carry health risks Hours of commuting may be mind-numbingly dull, but new research shows that it might also be having an adverse effect on both your health and performance at work. Longer commutes also appear to have a significant impact on mental wellbeing, with those commuting longer 33 per cent more likely to suffer from depression Shutterstock Health news in pictures You cannot be fit and fat It is not possible to be overweight and healthy, a major new study has concluded. The study of 3.5 million Britons found that even metabolically healthy obese people are still at a higher risk of heart disease or a stroke than those with a normal weight range Getty Health news in pictures Sleep deprivation When you feel particularly exhausted, it can definitely feel like you are also lacking in brain capacity. Now, a new study has suggested this could be because chronic sleep deprivation can actually cause the brain to eat itself Shutterstock Health news in pictures Exercise classes offering 45 minute naps launch David Lloyd Gyms have launched a new health and fitness class which is essentially a bunch of people taking a nap for 45 minutes. The fitness group was spurred to launch the napercise class after research revealed 86 per cent of parents said they were fatigued. The class is therefore predominantly aimed at parents but you actually do not have to have children to take part Getty Health news in pictures 'Fundamental right to health' to be axed after Brexit, lawyers warn Tobacco and alcohol companies could win more easily in court cases such as the recent battle over plain cigarette packaging if the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights is abandoned, a barrister and public health professor have said Getty Health news in pictures 'Thousands dying' due to fear over non-existent statin side-effects A major new study into the side effects of the cholesterol-lowering medicine suggests common symptoms such as muscle pain and weakness are not caused by the drugs themselves Getty Health news in pictures Babies born to fathers aged under 25 have higher risk of autism New research has found that babies born to fathers under the age of 25 or over 51 are at higher risk of developing autism and other social disorders. The study, conducted by the Seaver Autism Center for Research and Treatment at Mount Sinai, found that these children are actually more advanced than their peers as infants, but then fall behind by the time they hit their teenage years Getty Health news in pictures Cycling to work could halve risk of cancer and heart disease Commuters who swap their car or bus pass for a bike could cut their risk of developing heart disease and cancer by almost half, new research suggests  but campaigners have warned there is still an urgent need to improve road conditions for cyclists. Cycling to work is linked to a lower risk of developing cancer by 45 per cent and cardiovascular disease by 46 per cent, according to a study of a quarter of a million people. Walking to work also brought health benefits, the University of Glasgow researchers found, but not to the same degree as cycling. Getty

The number of prescription items dispensed to adults in England has increased in recent years. In 2013, an average of 24 items were dispensed per adult, compared to 19 in 2006.

Half of British women take prescriptions, compared to 43 per cent of men. Most commonly prescribed treatments include statins for cholesterol and painkillers.

The Independent has approached NHS England for comment.
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Banks are planning to move business overseas in the first few months of 2017, Anthony Browne, chief executive officer of the British Bankers Association, warned on Sunday, and some property investment companies are already looking to acquire new offices for their clients.

Schroder European Real Estate Investment Trust, a London-based property investment trust, is looking for an office space in Frankfurt on behalf of its third party clients, in anticipation that the bankers exodus from London following UKs vote to leave EU will boost values in the German financial centre.

According to a report by Bloomberg, CBRE Global Investors and Standard Life are also seeking to acquire office buildings in cities such as Dublin and Amsterdam.

The potential additional growth as a result of companies relocating from the UK enabled us to be firmer on pricing and financial underwriting, Tony Smedley, a fund manager at Schroders, said.

In a separate statement send to The Independent he said: "We have been managing assets in Germany for many years and we operate a large, regulated real estate fund management business from Frankfurt. Germany represents a significant part of the investable universe in Continental Europe, is a very liquid, mature and established market and has been the fastest growing economy in Western Europe for a number of years."

Up to 70,000 financial jobs could be lost if Britain leaves the EU without a new relationship in place for the City of London, according to TheCityUK.

UK banks fear that a hard Brexit will result in the UK leaving Europes single market and therefore the loss of crucial passporting rights, which allow them to sell their services freely across the rest of the EU and give firms based in Europe unfettered access to Britain.

Property firms are investing in office buildings the banks may need once the UK leaves the EU. We believed that before Brexit, but we believe it even more now because of the inquiries coming from companies seeking to locate some functions in other locations, Jeremy Plummer, chief executive officer for for Europe, the Middle East and Africa at CBRE Global Investors, told Bloomberg.

Open Europe, which took a neutral stance on the referendum, warned that losing access to the single market could cost banks in the UK as much as 27bn, or a fifth of their annual revenue.

Brexit Concerns Show all 26 1 /26 Brexit Concerns Brexit Concerns Brexit will put British patients at 'back of the queue' for new drugs Brexit will put British patients at the back of the queue for vital new drugs, the Government has been warned  forcing them to wait up to two years longer A medicines regulator has raised the alarm over a likely decision to pull out of the European Medicines Agency (EMA), as well as the EU itself. ealth Secretary Jeremy Hunt dropped the bombshell , when he said he expected the UK would quit the EMA  because it is subject to rulings by the European Court of Justice. Getty Images Brexit Concerns London to lose status as 'gateway to Europe' for banks One of Germanys top banking regulators has warned that London could lose its status as gateway to Europe for the banking sector after Britain quits the European trading bloc. Andreas Dombret, who is an executive board member for the BundesbankGermanys central banktold a private meeting of German businesses and banks earlier this week in Frankfurt that even if banking rules were equivalent between the UK and the rest of the EU, that was still miles away from [Britain having] access to the single market, the BBC reports. Jason Hawkes Brexit Concerns Exodus The number of financial sector professionals in Britain and continental Europe looking for jobs in Ireland rocketed in the months after the UK voted to leave the European Union Shutterstock Brexit Concerns Brexit is making FTSE 100 executives richer Pay packages of many FTSE 100 chief executive officers are partly tied to how well share prices are doing rather than the CEOs performance -- and some stocks are soaring. ritish equities got a boost since the June vote because the likes of Rio Tinto, Smiths Group and WPP generate most sales abroad and earn a fortune when they convert these revenues back into the weakened pound. Sterlings fall also made UK stocks more affordable for overseas investors. Rex Brexit Concerns Theresa May: UK to leave single market Theresa May has said the UK "cannot possibly" remain within the European single market, as staying in it would mean "not leaving the EU at all". Getty Brexit Concerns Lead campaigner Gina Miller and her team outside the High Court Getty Brexit Concerns Raymond McCord holds up his newly issued Irish passport alongside his British passport outside the High Court in Belfast following a judges dismissal of the UK's first legal challenges to Brexit PA wire Brexit Concerns SDLP leader Colum Eastwood leaving the High Court in Belfast following a judges dismissal of the UK's first legal challenges to Brexit PA wire Brexit Concerns Migrants with luggage walk past a graffiti on a wall as they leave the 'Jungle' migrant camp, as part of a major three-day operation planned to clear the camp in Calais Getty Brexit Concerns Migrants leave messages on their tents in the Jungle migrant camp Getty Brexit Concerns The Adventist Development and Relief Agency (Adra) which distributes approximately 700 meals daily in the northern Paris camp states that it is noticing a spike in new migrant arrivals this week, potentially linked the the Calais 'jungle' camp closure - with around 1000 meals distributed today EPA Brexit Concerns Migrant workers pick apples at Stocks Farm in Suckley, Britain Reuters Brexit Concerns Many farmers across the country are voicing concerns that Brexit could be a dangerous step into the unknown for the farming industry Getty Brexit Concerns Bank of England governor Mark Carney who said the long-term outlook for the UK economy is positive, but growth was slowing in the wake of the Brexit vote PA Brexit Concerns The Dow Jones industrial average closed down over 600 points on the news with markets around the globe pluninging Getty Brexit Concerns Immigration officers deal with each member of the public seeking entry into the United Kingdom but on average, 10 a day are refused entry at this London airport and between 2008 and 2009, 33,100 people were detained at the airport for mainly passport irregularities Getty Brexit Concerns A number of global investment giants have threatened to move their European operations out of London if Brexit proves to have a negative impact on their businesses Getty Brexit Concerns Following the possibility of a Brexit the UK would be released from its renewable energy targets under the EU Renewable Energy Directive and from EU state aid restrictions, potentially giving the government more freedom both in the design and phasing out of renewable energy support regimes Getty Brexit Concerns A woman looking at a chart showing the drop in the pound (Sterling) against the US Dollar in London after Britain voted to leave the EU Getty Brexit Concerns Young protesters outside the Houses of Parliament in Westminster, to protest against the United Kingdom's decision to leave the EU following the referendum Getty Brexit Concerns Applications from Northern Ireland citizens for Irish Passports has soared to a record high after the UK Voted in favour of Leaving the EU Getty Brexit Concerns NFU Vice President Minette Batters with Secretary of State, Andrea Leadsome at the National Farmers Union (NFU) took machinery, produce, farmers and staff to Westminster to encourage Members of Parliament to back British farming, post Brexit Getty Brexit Concerns The latest reports released by the UK Cabinet Office warn that expats would lose a range of specific rights to live, to work and to access pensions, healthcare and public services. The same reports added that UK citizens abroad would not be able to assume that these rights will be guaranteed in the future Getty Brexit Concerns A British resident living in Spain asks questions during an informative Brexit talk by the "Brexpats in Spain" group, about Spanish legal issues to become Spanish citizens, at the town hall in Benalmadena, Spain Reuters Brexit Concerns The collapse of Great Britain appears to have been greatly exaggerated given the late summer crowds visiting city museums, hotels, and other important tourist attractions Getty Brexit Concerns The U.K. should maintain European Union regulations covering everything from working hours to chemicals until after the government sets out its plans for Brexit, said British manufacturers anxious to avoid a policy vacuum and safeguard access to their biggest export market Getty

Mr Browne said: Banking is probably more affected by Brexit than any other sector of the economy, both in the degree of impact and the scale of the implications."

Smaller banks could begin moving some operations overseas within weeks, with larger institutions following in the first few months of 2017, he predicted.

The Government is reportedly considering making future payments to the EU to secure privileged access to the single market for City firms to continue trading across the continent.
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Syrian refugee children have been making clothes for Marks & Spencer, it has been claimed.

An undercover Panorama investigation of factories in Turkey allegedly found children had been working on clothes for Marks and Spencer and for the online retailer ASOS.

Panorama  Undercover: The Refugees Who Make Our Clothes, to be broadcast on Monday night, will also claim that one factory boasted of making clothes for Next while employing Turkish children and Syrian refugees.

Recommended Read more Child refugee reveals the horror she experienced on the way to Germany

The documentary also claimed to have discovered refugees working illegally on Zara and Mango jeans.

The BBC said it had been told by all of the brands concerned that they carefully monitor their supply chains in Turkey and that they do not tolerate the exploitation of refugees or children.

The Panorama documentary makers, however, claim to have found seven Syrians working in a Turkish factory supplying Marks and Spencer.

The BBC said the refugees often earned little more than a pound an hour, well below the Turkish minimum wage, and were employed through a middleman who paid them in cash on the street.

One of the refugees alleged to the documentary makers that they were poorly treated at the factory, saying: If anything happens to a Syrian, they will throw him away like a piece of cloth.

The BBC said the youngest worker was a 15-year-old boy who was working more than 12 hours a day ironing clothes before they were shipped to be sold in UK shops.

A Marks & Spencer spokeswoman told The Independent: Ethical trading is fundamental to M&S. We are acutely aware of the complexity surrounding Syrian refugees in Turkey. We have a local team on the ground in Turkey who have visited all of our suppliers there. They have also run supplier workshops on the Syrian refugee crisis highlighting the change in labour law and how to legally employ Syrian workers.

We had previously found no evidence of Syrian workers employed in factories that supply us, so we were very disappointed by these findings, which are extremely serious and are unacceptable to M&S. We are working closely with this supplier to take remedial action, including offering permanent legal employment, in support of any Syrian daily worker who has been employed in this factory.

She added: All of our suppliers are contractually required to comply with our global sourcing principles, which cover what we expect and require of them and their treatment of workers.

We do not tolerate such breaches of these principles and we will do all we can to ensure that this does not happen again.

Syrian children hold Pokemon Go pictures in the hope people will find them and save them Show all 13 1 /13 Syrian children hold Pokemon Go pictures in the hope people will find them and save them Syrian children hold Pokemon Go pictures in the hope people will find them and save them RFS Media Office Syrian children hold Pokemon Go pictures in the hope people will find them and save them RFS Media Office Syrian children hold Pokemon Go pictures in the hope people will find them and save them RFS Media Office Syrian children hold Pokemon Go pictures in the hope people will find them and save them RFS Media Office Syrian children hold Pokemon Go pictures in the hope people will find them and save them RFS Media Office Syrian children hold Pokemon Go pictures in the hope people will find them and save them RFS Media Office Syrian children hold Pokemon Go pictures in the hope people will find them and save them RFS Media Office Syrian children hold Pokemon Go pictures in the hope people will find them and save them RFS Media Office Syrian children hold Pokemon Go pictures in the hope people will find them and save them RFS Media Office Syrian children hold Pokemon Go pictures in the hope people will find them and save them RFS Media Office Syrian children hold Pokemon Go pictures in the hope people will find them and save them RFS Media Office Syrian children hold Pokemon Go pictures in the hope people will find them and save them RFS Media Office Syrian children hold Pokemon Go pictures in the hope people will find them and save them RFS Media Office

The BBC said Panorama reporter Darragh MacIntyre spoke to dozens of Syrian workers who felt they were being exploited. Mr MacIntyre said: They speak of pitiful wages and terrible working conditions. They know they are being exploited but they know they can do nothing about it.

In one back-street workshop in Istanbul, the documentary team allegedly found several Syrian child workers. In the office workshop, the documentary team said, they discovered an ASOS sample.

The BBC said ASOS told Panorama it accepted that although its clothes were made in the workshop, it was not a facility that had been approved by the retailer.

The BBC said ASOS subsequently inspected and found 11 Syrian adults and three Syrian children under 16 at work.

ASOS told the BBC the children would be financially supported so they could return to school and the adult refugees would be paid a wage until they were found legal work.

An ASOS spokesperson told the BBC: We have implemented these remediation programmes despite the fact that this factory has nothing to do with ASOS.

An ASOS spokesperson said the retailer took issues around child and refugee labour very seriously but was unable to comment in detail to The Independent until after company representatives had seen the full Panorama documentary.

Panorama also claimed to have found Syrian refugees working 12-hour days in a factory that was distressing jeans for Mango and Zara.

The BBC said that although the refugees were involved in spraying hazardous chemicals to bleach the jeans, most of the workers didnt even have a basic face mask.

Mango told the BBC that the factory was working as a subcontractor without its knowledge. The company also told the BBC that a subsequent inspection by Mango representatives didnt find any Syrian workers and found good conditions except for some personal safety measures.

Zaras parent company, Inditex, told the BBC its factory inspections are a highly effective way of monitoring and improving conditions. The BBC said Inditex had already found significant non-compliance in an audit in June and had given the factory until December to make the necessary improvements.

In one Istanbul factory, Panorama reported finding Syrian adults at work alongside Turkish children as young as ten.

The BBC said the owner boasted that he had been working for Next and showed the undercover team a set of Next pyjamas that he claimed the factory had helped produce.

Next told the BBC the pyjamas were actually made by another supplier and the pyjamas seen by Panorama may have been a sample. Next also told the BBC that samples circulate widely and that the presence of a sample in a factory does not mean it was made there.

An Inditex spokesperson told The Independent: Inditex has pioneered a dedicated remediation plan to support Syrian workers in Turkey. We do this in partnership with the non-profit Refugee Support Centre, and this programme has proven to be very effective in helping Syrian workers to legalise their work status. The Syrian refugee crisis is a complex challenge affecting all sectors in Turkey, and while there are no easy answers, we are absolutely focused on tackling this issue.

"We can do this because our rigorous audit process has shown to be a highly effective way of monitoring and improving conditions for workers at all levels of our supply chain. We strongly reject any suggestion to the contrary. Last year, Inditex carried out over 1,000 audits in Turkey, where we have nearly 400 people dedicated to ensuring standards are maintained.

"We immediately investigated all the allegations which Panorama put to us. It is worth noting that the laundry featured in the programme had already been audited by Inditex before Panoramas filming took place, and is the subject of improvement measures. When our audits uncover problems, Inditex works with the factory to implement improvement plans, because our strong belief is that supporting factories to improve conditions delivers the best outcome for workers rather than walking away. However, if facilities fail to address the shortcomings we have found, we would terminate work with the facility in question. The facility has until December to improve to remain within Inditex's supply chain.

Mango told The Independent: "Mango has zero tolerance towards the practices described in the Panorama programme. The company referred to did not receive any order during the month of August 2016, is not a supplier of Mango and is not even on record as a supplier of any Mango supplier company. Mango products found at specified facilities are an exception. The subcontracting was not authorised by Mango nor was the company aware of it.

"Following the notification received by the BBC, Mango instructed an urgent and unannounced audit at the aforementioned facilities to verify the facts detected by BBC sources: the inspectors confirmed that it is a washing and finishing factory for jeans which was in compliance with the regulations, except for certain shortcomings with regard to personal protective equipment. Under no circumstances was the use of child labour or Syrian workers detected."

Representatives from Next were not immediately available to talk to The Independent.

Panorama - Undercover: The Refugees Who Make Our Clothes will be shown on BBC One at 8.30pm on Monday October 24
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Secondary school teachers in Scotland are taking part in industrial action following a dispute over their excessive workloads.

Members of the SSTA teaching union voted 91 per cent in favour of the action, which a third of secondary teachers are taking part in on Monday.

The union welcomed a move by the Scottish government to reduce workloads but argued it was unlikely to have an impact in time for the current academic term.

Recommended Read more Inside the school trying to give refugee children a shot at learning

EIS, Scotland's largest teaching union, suspended its programme of industrial action on teacher workload following an announcement that assessments included in some exams are to be scrapped.

Education Secretary and Deputy First Minister John Swinney urged union members not to participate in the strike.

SSTA general secretary Seamus Searson said: Unfortunately, there has not been any progress on the situation in regard to National 4 [exams] and no reduction in workload pressure for both pupils and teachers in the current session.

 Scottish independence plausible within 'two year' Brexit period

President Euan Duncan added: The SSTA's view is that teacher workload has not, and is unlikely to be, significantly reduced in the current session, especially in the area of national qualifications.

We therefore have no option but to move into industrial action to protect another cohort of young people and our members.

A Scottish Government spokesman said the removal of mandatory unit assessments would significantly reduce the workload of teachers.

He said: It is disappointing that SSTA have decided to commence industrial action, especially at a time when EIS have suspended action in recognition of the work we are doing to ease the burden on teachers.

Over the past few months, the Scottish Government has listened carefully to what teachers, parents, young people and others have had to say on workload, and have responded positively with a range of actions to help reduce workload pressures.

We have also taken swift action in response to feedback from teachers and others, to de-clutter the curriculum guidance and review the workload demands placed on teachers by local authorities.

As these measures bed in, we ask teachers to continue to work with us to ensure that together we can create more time to teach our young people, and help contribute to closing the attainment gap.


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Its Monday morning, the worst day of the week. Youre tired, dreading the long five days stretching out ahead of you before two precious days of freedom.

But it could be worse. You could be Eric Trump, who inadvertently helped two sisters brilliantly troll his father in a story that promises to be one of this weeks favourites.

One of the biggest hallmarks of Donald Trumps presidential campaign to date is his ability and seeming determination to alienate huge subsections of the US population, most notably Hispanic, female and Muslim voters.

Upon hearing Eric, a defender of some of his fathers most controversial claims, was visiting Salisbury, in North Carolina, Annie and Ceci Cardelle decided to take a stroll down to the local restaurant where his rally was being held.

While initially trepidatious about attending a rally wearing a 'Latina contra (Spanish for 'against') Trump', Annie said those gathered failed to notice the significance of the message scribbled across her t-shirt in black marker pen. Not only were they stood protesting amongst hundreds of unwitting Trumps supporters, they were actually picked from a queue to pose with the business moguls son and his wife Lara.

In the now infamous picture, all four had big smiles across their faces.

But while Erics expression was his well-practiced, toothy smile for the camera, Annie and Cecis grins were out of pure, incredulous disbelief.

Ceci told Buzzfeed News: I was like, This is not happening. Theres no way they dont see this shirt.

They have about four people looking every person up and down before you go and get a picture. We thought there was no way we could get a photo with them."

The fight back against Mr Trumps divisive rhetoric has arrived in protests like the above, in social movements and in editorials from high-profile people using their platform to call out the Republican nominee.

In an op-ed for The New York Times, actor John Leguizamo led a rallying cry for the 56 million Latinos living in America to rediscover their self-pride and unify to defeat the possibility of a Trump administration by challenging the prejudice against them ingrained in society.

Every woman to make sexual assault claims against Donald Trump Show all 16 1 /16 Every woman to make sexual assault claims against Donald Trump Every woman to make sexual assault claims against Donald Trump E Jean Carroll Author Carroll alleges that Trump pinned her against a wall and forced himself upon her in the changing rooms of a Manhattan department store in the mid-90s Getty Every woman to make sexual assault claims against Donald Trump Kristin Anderson Anderson alleges that Mr Trump touched her genitals while at a club in the early 1990s Every woman to make sexual assault claims against Donald Trump Jessica Leeds Leeds told the New York Times that Mr Trump groped her on an airplane in the 1980s BBC Every woman to make sexual assault claims against Donald Trump Natasha Stoynoff Stoynoff alleged that Mr Trump forcefully kissed her before an interview at his Mar-A-Lago estate in 2005 Everipedia Every woman to make sexual assault claims against Donald Trump Karena Virginia Virginia alleges Mr Trump groped her in 1998 outside of the US Open tennis tournament BBC News Every woman to make sexual assault claims against Donald Trump Temple Taggart Taggart claims Mr Trump gave her a kiss without consent during a rehearsal for a 1997 Miss USA pageant Every woman to make sexual assault claims against Donald Trump Summer Zervos The former Apprentice contestant alleged that Mr Trump kissed and groped her at a Beverly Hills hotel in 2007 Every woman to make sexual assault claims against Donald Trump Alva Johnson A former staffer for Trump's campaign, Johnson alleges that Trump forcibly tried to kiss her after a rally in August 2016 MSNBC Every woman to make sexual assault claims against Donald Trump Jennifer Murphy The former Apprentice contestant said Mr Trump "surprise kissed" her - but she said it did not bother her Every woman to make sexual assault claims against Donald Trump Jill Harth The makeup artist accused Mr Trump of "attempted rape" while in his daughter's room in 1997 Every woman to make sexual assault claims against Donald Trump Mindy McGillivray McGillivray alleges Mr Trump groped her at Mar-A-Lago in 2013 AP Every woman to make sexual assault claims against Donald Trump Rachel Crooks Crooks says that kissed her on the cheeks and mouth when she introduced herself to him in 2005 Every woman to make sexual assault claims against Donald Trump Mindy McGillivray McGillivray claims that Trump grabbed her backside at Mar-a-Lago in 2006 CNN Every woman to make sexual assault claims against Donald Trump Cassandra Searles The former Miss Washington alleges that Trump repeatedly grabbed her backside and invited her to his hotel room Getty Every woman to make sexual assault claims against Donald Trump Jessica Drake Drake claims that when she and two other women arrived to Trump's hotel room at his invitation, he arrived at the door in pyjamas and tightly hugged and kissed each of the woman without permission Getty Every woman to make sexual assault claims against Donald Trump Ninni Laaksonen The former Miss Finland claims that Trump squeezed her behind before they appeared together on the Late Show with David Letterman in 2006 EPA

We need a Latino Spring in this country, he wrote. We need to demand power and equal opportunity.

Donald J. Trump has done one good thing. He has galvanized a conflicted and diverse community. For years, activists and politicians have struggled to get Latinos to vote and show their power."

In a video for Vote Your Future, Wilmer Valderrama spoke through tears about the way the Latino community has been denigrated when he was asked what he cared about.

In my Latino community, respect is all we want. We take the jobs that people assume dont exist, and somehow were taking those jobs from people. So its important that we get our respect back. Its important that we pay tribute to the many generations of immigrants who come here and sacrifice everything just do give their kids the education they never had.
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When fire swept through Katherine Stones home in Seattle she could not think of a way to turn things around. The family home was not insured, and there was no money to repair it.

Two years later, the 20-year-old has found her way to a brothel in Nevada where she is auctioning her virginity to the highest bidder.

People say you are supposed to do it for love. But if you think about it, I am doing it because I love my family, she told CNN.

Dennis Hof has built up a considerable sex empire in Nevada (CNN)

She said she had seen a Facebook advertisement and I found out all about the brothels and the money.

She added: It made me think, Wow, it's a chance at fixing all that I need to fix. I have the right to choose what I do with my body. And in this troubling economy, do you blame me?

Ms Stone contacted brothel owner Dennis Hof, who owns the Moonlite Bunny Ranch near Carson City, and he agreed to the deal, which which involves him getting half of the bid.

Mr Hof told the news outlet: It is her choice. I dont think it is a good idea for a girl to drink six tequilas and lose her virginity on the bathroom floor in a frat house.If she wants to [sell] it, I think thats great.

Ms Stone has nt taken an offer yet, with her virginity bid at more than $400,000.

She added: Im waiting for a man who I feel a connection with so that the experience can be special for both of us. Its really not just about the money. Ms Stone said that while she is at the brothel, she is under contract to offer men non-intercourse services, explaining: I have done small simple parties. Massage parties, stuff that has been very PG-13.

She said she planned to continue working at the ranch for the next five years and make her way to law school. Not everyone has approved of her decision.

I read an article about myself online that made me cry, she said. It was a Christian lady. She said I had no self-respect, which I disagree with completely. I mean, I obviously value myself.
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Scientists have heard hugely unusual messages from deep in space that they think are coming from aliens.

A new analysis of strange modulations in a tiny set of stars appears to indicate that it could be coming from extraterrestrial intelligence that is looking to alert us to their existence.

The new study reports the finding of specific modulations in just 234 out of the 2.5 million stars that have been observed during a survey of the sky. The work found that a tiny fraction of them seemed to be behaving strangely.

Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Show all 30 1 /30 Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Solar Flare An image from Nasa's Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) shows a 200,000 mile long solar filament ripping through the Sun's corona in September 2013 Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Nasa Celebrates 50 Years of Spacewalking For 50 years, NASA has been "suiting up" for spacewalking. In this 1984 photograph of the first untethered spacewalk, NASA astronaut Bruce McCandless is in the midst of the first "field" tryout of a nitrogen-propelled backpack device called the Manned Maneuvering Unit (MMU) Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space A Hubble Cosmic Couple The spectacular cosmic pairing of the star Hen 2-427  more commonly known as WR 124  and the nebula M1-67 which surrounds it ESA/Hubble & NASA Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Veil Nebula Supernova Remnant Nasa's Hubble Space Telescope has unveiled in stunning detail a small section of the Veil Nebula - expanding remains of a massive star that exploded about 8,000 years ago Nasa's most stunning pictures of space The Soyuz TMA-15M rocket launch The Soyuz TMA-15M rocket launches from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on Monday, Nov. 24, 2014, carrying three new astronauts to the International Space Station. It also took caviar, ready for the satellite's inhabitants to celebrate the holidays Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Earth from the ISS From the International Space Station, Expedition 42 Flight Engineer Terry W. Virts took this photograph of the Gulf of Mexico and U.S. Gulf Coast at sunset Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Black Hole Friday Nasa celebrated Black Friday by looking into space instead  sharing pictures of black holes Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space NuSTAR X-rays stream off the sun in this image showing observations from by NASA's Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array, or NuSTAR, overlaid on a picture taken by NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Cassiopeia A c A false colour image of Cassiopeia A comprised with data from the Spitzer and Hubble Space Telescopes and the Chandra X-Ray observatory Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Orion Capsule splashes down The Orion capsule jetted off into space before heading back a few hours later  having proved that it can be used, one day, to carry humans to Mars Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Earth Observations From Gemini IV in 1965 This photograph of the Florida Straits and Grand Bahama Bank was taken during the Gemini IV mission during orbit no. 19 in 1965. The Gemini IV crew conducted scientific experiments, including photography of Earth's weather and terrain, for the remainder of their four-day mission following Ed White's historic spacewalk on June 3 Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Frosty slopes of Mars This image of an area on the surface of Mars, approximately 1.5 by 3 kilometers in size, shows frosted gullies on a south-facing slope within a crater. The image was taken by Nasa's HiRISE camera, which is mounted on its Mars Reconaissance Orbiter Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Yellowstone from space NASA astronaut Reid Wiseman shared this image of Yellowstone via his twitter account Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Saturn This near-infrared color image shows a specular reflection, or sunglint, off of a hydrocarbon lake named Kivu Lacus on Saturn's moon Titan Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Worlds Apart Although Mimas and Pandora, shown here, both orbit Saturn, they are very different moons. Pandora, "small" by moon standards (50 miles or 81 kilometers across) is elongated and irregular in shape. Mimas (246 miles or 396 kilometers across), a "medium-sized" moon, formed into a sphere due to self-gravity imposed by its higher mass Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Solar Flare An X1.6 class solar flare flashes in the middle of the sun in this image taken 10 September, captured by NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Large Magellanic Cloud galaxy An image of the Large Magellanic Cloud galaxy seen in infrared light by the Herschel Space Observatory. Regions of space such as this are where new stars are born from a mixture of elements and cosmic dust Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Mars Rover Spirit Nasa's Mars Rover Spirit took the first picture from Spirit since problems with communications began a week earlier. The image shows the robotic arm extended to the rock called Adirondack Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Morning Aurora From the Space Station Nasa astronaut Scott Kelly captured this photograph of the green lights of the aurora from the International Space Station Nasa/Scott Kelly Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Launch of History - Making STS-41G Mission in 1984 The Space Shuttle Challenger launches from Florida at dawn. On this mission, Kathryn Sullivan became the first U.S. woman to perform a spacewalk and Marc Garneau became the first Canadian in space. The crew of seven was the largest to fly on a spacecraft at that time, and STS-41G was the first flight to include two female astronauts Nasa's most stunning pictures of space A Fresh Perspective on an Extraordinary Cluster of Galaxies Galaxy clusters are often described by superlatives. After all, they are huge conglomerations of galaxies, hot gas, and dark matter and represent the largest structures in the Universe held together by gravity Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Hubble Sees a Galactic Sunflower The arrangement of the spiral arms in the galaxy Messier 63, seen here in an image from the Nasa Hubble Space Telescope, recall the pattern at the center of a sunflower ESA/Hubble & NASA Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Pluto image Four images from New Horizons Long Range Reconnaissance Imager (LORRI) were combined with colour data from the Ralph instrument to create this enhanced colour global view of Pluto Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Fresh Crater Near Sirenum Fossae Region of Mars The HiRISE camera aboard Nasa's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter acquired this closeup image of a "fresh" (on a geological scale, though quite old on a human scale) impact crater in the Sirenum Fossae region of Mars. This impact crater appears relatively recent as it has a sharp rim and well-preserved ejecta Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Hubble Peers into the Most Crowded Place in the Milky Way This Nasa Hubble Space Telescope image presents the Arches Cluster, the densest known star cluster in the Milky Way NASA & ESA Nasa's most stunning pictures of space An Astronaut's View from Space Nasa astronaut Reid Wiseman tweeted this photo from the International Space Station on 2 September 2014 Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Giant Landform on Mars On Mars, we can observe four classes of sandy landforms formed by the wind, or aeolian bedforms: ripples, transverse aeolian ridges, dunes, and what are called draa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Expedition 39 Landing A sokol suit helmet can be seen against the window of the Soyuz TMA-11M capsule shortly after the spacecraft landed with Expedition 39 Commander Koichi Wakata of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), Soyuz Commander Mikhail Tyurin of Roscosmos, and Flight Engineer Rick Mastracchio of NASA near the town of Zhezkazgan, Kazakhstan (NASA/Bill Ingalls) Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Jupiter's Great Red Spot Viewed by Voyager I Jupiter is the largest planet in the solar system and perhaps the most majestic. Vibrant bands of clouds carried by winds that can exceed 400 mph continuously circle the planet's atmosphere Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Chandra Observatory Sees a Heart in the Darkness This Chandra X-Ray Observatory image of the young star cluster NGC 346 highlights a heart-shaped cloud of 8 million-degree Celsius gas in the central region

And there appears to be no obvious explanation for what is going on, leaving the scientists behind the paper to conclude that the messages are coming from aliens.

We find that the detected signals have exactly the shape of an [extraterrestrial intelligence] signal predicted in the previous publication and are therefore in agreement with this hypothesis, write EF Borra and E Trottier in a new paper. The fact that they are only found in a very small fraction of stars within a narrow spectral range centered near the spectral type of the sun is also in agreement with the ETI hypothesis, the two scientists from Laval University in Quebec write.

The research has appeaed in the journal Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific, under the title 'Discovery of peculiar periodic spectral modulations in a small fraction of solar type stars'. It appears to have been originally suggested for publication with the name 'Signals probably from Extraterrestrial Intelligence', according to a pre-print version of the paper hosted online.

But they make clear that further work will need to be done to confirm or deny that hypothesis. That will need to be done by watching for the same signals on different equipment so that all other explanations can be discarded.

Breakthrough Listen  an initiative set up this year to look for alien life and supported by people including Stephen Hawking and Mark Zuckerberg  said that the message was promising. But they said that further work will have to be done before they can be unequivocally attributed to aliens.

The one in 10,000 objects with unusual spectra seen by Borra and Trottier are certainly worthy of additional study, the team said in a statement. However, extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence.

 Hawking launches alien search

It is too early to unequivocally attribute these purported signals to the activities of extraterrestrial civilizations. Internationally agreed-upon protocols for searches for evidence of advanced life beyond Earth (SETI) require candidates to be confirmed by independent groups using their own telescopes, and for all natural explanations to be exhausted before invoking extraterrestrial agents as an explanation.

Careful work must be undertaken to determine false positive rates, to rule out natural and instrumental explanations, and most importantly, to confirm detections using two or more independent telescopes.
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A baby has been "born twice" after doctors took her out of the womb to remove a life-threatening tumour, and then put her back in again.

Margaret Boemer, from Texas, was 16-weeks pregnant with her third child when a routine ultrasound revealed a growth on the baby's tailbone.

As the tumour got bigger, doctors realised the only way to save the girl was to operate. This involved lifting the foetus out of her mother for around 20 minutes. The tiny baby weighed only one pound and three ounces at the time.

After being returned to the uterus, the foetus remained inside her mother for another 12 weeks. She was born for a second time at nearly 36 weeks  which is approaching full term  by caesarean section in June. She had grown to a small but healthy five pounds and five ounces.

Ms Boemer and her partner named the child, who is now four-months old, LynLee Hope after both their grandmothers.

Ms Boemer said when she was first told there was a problem visible in the ultrasound results, she feared the baby would die.

She told CNN: "They saw something on the scan, and the doctor came in and told us that there was something seriously wrong with our baby and that she had a sacrococcygeal teratoma. And it was very shocking and scary, because we didnt know what that long word meant or what diagnosis that would bring".

Teratomas on the tailbone are the most common tumours seen in newborn babies, said Dr Darrell Cass, co-director of Texas Children's Foetal Centre, and one of the surgeons who carried out the operation on LynLee.

"Even though its the most common we see, its still pretty rare," he added.

The tumour occurs in girls four times more often than in boys, but the cause is unknown. The growth is seen in around one in every 35,000 live births.

Sometimes doctors can delay surgery until after the birth, but in LynLees case the tumour was competing with the foetus for the bodys blood flow, Dr Cass told CNN.

"In some instances, the tumour wins and the heart just cant keep up and the heart goes into failure and the baby dies," he said.

In this case, the babys health deteriorated to the point at which doctors realised she would not survive without intervention.

Ms Boemer said: "LynLee didnt have much of a chance. At 23 weeks, the tumour was shutting her heart down and causing her to go into cardiac failure, so it was a choice of allowing the tumour to take over her body or giving her a chance at life".

The couple were encouraged by some doctors to terminate the pregnancy, but they did not want to abort the foetus. Dr Cass said it might be possible to operate.

"It was an easy decision for us," Ms Boemer said. "We wanted to give her life."

By the time the foetus was 23 weeks and five days old, the tumour was almost as big as her. At this point Dr Cass and his partner surgeon, Dr Oluyinka Olutoye, went ahead with the five-hour operation.

Dr Cass said: "The part on the foetus we do very, very quickly. Its only 20 minutes or so on the actual foetus".

He said most of the time was spent cutting into the uterus, which he described as a big muscle lined with membranes.

We don't want the mom's health to be jeopardised, Dr Cass said, explaining the enormous size of the tumour made the operation particularly difficult. The foetus had to be lifted completely from Ms Boemer's body in order to access and remove the growth.

"Essentially, the foetus is outside, like completely out, all the amniotic fluid falls out, its actually fairly dramatic," Dr Cass told CNN.

During the surgery, LynLees heart almost stopped, but she was kept alive by a specialist while doctors removed most of the lump.

When they had done as much as they could, the surgeons placed LynLee back inside the womb and sewed her mothers uterus "as sealed and as water tight as possible".

Dr Cass said: "Its kind of a miracle youre able to open the uterus like that and seal it all back and the whole thing works".

LynLee needed to be operated on again at eight days old to remove a small bit of the tumour that could not be reached in the first operation.

Several weeks later, after Lynlee made a full recovery, Ms Boemer was allowed to take her daughter home.

"Baby Boemer is still an infant but is doing beautiful," said Dr Cass, adding that Lynlee was perfectly healthy. He said his one previous surgery of this kind had also been a success.

Baby names 'at risk of dying out' - In pictures Show all 10 1 /10 Baby names 'at risk of dying out' - In pictures Baby names 'at risk of dying out' - In pictures 1) Angela Angela Merkel, the German Chancellor Axel Schmidt/Getty Images Baby names 'at risk of dying out' - In pictures 2) Beverley Actress and singer Beverly Knight Tim P. Whitby/Getty Images Baby names 'at risk of dying out' - In pictures 3) Carol Former 'Countdown' presenter Carol Vorderman Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images Baby names 'at risk of dying out' - In pictures 4) Debra Former 'Will & Grace' actress Debra Messing Jason Merritt/Getty Images Baby names 'at risk of dying out' - In pictures 5) Diane Fashion designer and inventor of the wrap dress Diane Von Furstenberg Michael Buckner/Getty Images for Diane Von Furstenberg Baby names 'at risk of dying out' - In pictures 1) Bertrand The late philosopher Bertrand Russell Hulton Archive/Getty Images Baby names 'at risk of dying out' - In pictures 2) Cecil The late artist Cecil Beaton Hulton Archive/Getty Images Baby names 'at risk of dying out' - In pictures 3) Clarence American actor Henry Fonda pictured in 1975 rehearsing at the Piccadilly Theatre in London for his one man play about the famous trial lawyer Clarence Darrow Getty Images Baby names 'at risk of dying out' - In pictures 4) Clive Actor Clive Owen Andrew H. Walker/Getty Images Baby names 'at risk of dying out' - In pictures 5) Cyril Cyril Rioli, an Australian rules footballer Matt King/Getty Images

"I think she's about 7 now, and she sings karaoke to Taylor swift -- she's completely normal," he said.

Ms Boemer said in addition to the pregnancy and operation, the birth and first few weeks afterwards had been extremely difficult  but it was worth it.

She said: "It was her second birth, basically. I was willing to endure all those risks to give her a chance at life".
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Human activity in coastal development, pollution and tourism activities such as scuba diving are partly to blame for a record number in shark attacks worldwide, scientists have found.

Researchers at Bond University in Queensland, Australia, found human interference with the animals habitat - and global warming - is causing the sharp rise.

Shark attacks on people have significantly increased in recent years. There were 98 reported bites last year  a 11 per cent increase on the previous record of 88 in 2000 and a 69 per cent rise in the last decade.

Recommended Read more Great white shark attack victim reveals gruesome leg injuries

Some 84 per cent of shark bites occurred in just six countries or territories: the USA, South Africa, Australia, Brazil, the Bahamas and Reunion. More than half took place in US waters, with Florida the most frequent location.

Dr Blake Chapman and Dr Daryl McPhee, who conducted the study, believe a combination of pollution, coastal development and tourist activity is partly to blame for the increase in attacks. Climate change is thought to have the greatest impact of all, as warmer seas allow shark populations to increase rapidly.

They said: Coastal development and infrastructure can have major environmental implications on the distribution of sharks, and this can flow on to the number of unprovoked shark bites.

In Recife, Brazil, for example, the construction of a new port resulted in a sharp rise in the number of sharks mauling people, as destruction of their habitat forced them to move closer to humans.

Where not to visit if you love animals Show all 9 1 /9 Where not to visit if you love animals Where not to visit if you love animals Monkey shows Chimpanzees are forced to perform demeaning tricks on leashes and are often subject to cruel training techniques. Animals who are confined to small, barren enclosures and forced to perform unsurprisingly show symptoms of stress and depression. Chimpanzees have been documented rocking back and forth, sucking their lips, salivating and swaying against enclosure perimeters in distress. Getty Where not to visit if you love animals Marine parks Some parks confine orcas to concrete tanks and force them to perform meaningless tricks for food - many die in captivity. Orcas are highly intelligent and social mammals who may suffer immensely, both physically and mentally, when they're held in captivity. Getty Where not to visit if you love animals Tiger shows Tigers are forced to live in an unnatural and barren environment and have to endure interactions with a constant stream of tourists. Since tigers never lose their wild instincts, across the world they are reportedly drugged, mutilated and restrained in order to make them safe for the public. However, every year, incidents of tiger maulings are reported at this type of tourist attraction. Getty Where not to visit if you love animals Donkey rides Sunning on the beach is great for humans  we can take a quick dip or catch a bite to eat when we get too hot or hungry. But it's pure hell for donkeys who are confined to the beach and forced to cart children around on the hot sand. Some donkey-ride operators at beach resorts in the UK even keep the animals chained together at all times. Getty Where not to visit if you love animals Swimming with dolphins Some marine parks use bottlenose dolphins in performances and offer visitors the opportunity to swim with dolphins. Unfortunately, people are often unaware that these animals are captured in the wild and torn from their families or traded between different parks around the world. Getty Where not to visit if you love animals Canned hunting Lions are confined to fenced areas so that they can easily be cornered, with no chance of escape. Most of them will have been bred in captivity and then taken from their mothers to be hand-reared by the cub-petting industry. When they get too big, they may be drugged before they are released into a "hunting" enclosure. Because these animals are usually kept in fenced enclosures (ranging in size from just a few square yards to thousands of acres), they never stand a chance of surviving. Getty Where not to visit if you love animals Running of the Bulls Every year, tourists travel to Pamplona for the Running of the Bulls. The bulls who are forced to slip and slide down the town's narrow cobblestone streets are chased straight into the bullring. They are then taunted, stabbed repeatedly and finally killed by the matador in front of a jeering crowd. The majority of Spaniards reject bullfighting, but tourists are keeping the cruel industry on its last legs. Getty Where not to visit if you love animals Horse-drawn carriages City streets are no place for horses. The animals toil in all weather extremes, suffering from respiratory distress from breathing in exhaust fumes as well as numerous hoof, leg and back problems from walking on pavement all day long. As easily spooked prey animals, horses subjected to the loud noises and unexpected sounds of city streets are likely to be involved in accidents, even deadly ones. Getty Where not to visit if you love animals Zoos The zoo community regards the animals it keeps as commodities, and animals are regularly bought, sold, borrowed and traded without any regard for established relationships. Zoos breed animals because the presence of babies draws visitors and boosts revenue, yet often, there's nowhere to put the offspring as they grow, and they are killed, as we saw with Marius the giraffe in Denmark. Some zoos have introduced evening events with loud music and alcohol which disrupt the incarcerated animals even further. EPA

The researchers said: Unprovoked shark bite was virtually unheard of in Recife prior to the construction and operation of the Suape Port."

However, due to environmental changes displacing local shark species and the presence of increased shipping activity, Recife is now renowned for having one of the highest rates of shark bites per unit area in the world.

Assessments of new building work should include the impact on shark populations and the effect this will have on the likelihood of people being bitten, they added.

Changes in the law and an increase in tourism have also been blamed for causing more shark attacks.

In the Bahamas, authorities banned commercial shark fishing in 2011 in order to protect the lucrative industry in operating shark dives for tourists. Although no immediate impact has been detected on the number of shark bites since then, the increase in the shark population means future attacks could be more likely.

And in the Indian Ocean island of Reunion, new regulations on shark hunting led to a boom in the number of the animals, forcing authorities to ban swimming, surfing and bodyboarding on more than half of its coast.

Most attacks are carried out by white sharks, bull sharks and tiger sharks. Although maulings in British waters are rare, some of the most dangerous areas are in holiday destinations popular with British tourists.
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A police officer is in intensive care after she and her colleague were hit by a car in what investigators are treating as attempted murder.

The 30-year-old woman and a male colleague, 31, had been called to the Drumchapel area of Glasgow when they were attacked.

"They had stopped a car to speak to the occupants," a spokesperson for Police Scotland said. "The car then deliberately reversed and struck both officers, leaving them seriously injured.

"Emergency services were called to the scene and the officers were taken to hospital."

Police are appealing for information on the incident in Banner Drive at around 11.15pm on Sunday, when the attackers fled.

Detective Inspector Ian Hylands said a blue Nissan Qashqai seen at the location was been found badly damaged by fire two miles away in Scotstoun.

"We have yet to confirm if that is the same vehicle," he added. "Despite the damage, forensic officers will carry out a comprehensive examination of the car.

UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 31 October 2022 GBs James Hall competes during the mens parallel bars qualification at the World Gymnastics Championships in Liverpool AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 30 October 2022 People dressed in Halloween costumes paddle board along the river Avon in Christchurch, Dorset PA UK news in pictures 29 October 2022 Members of the public take pictures as police officers remove activists from a road during a Just Stop Oil protest, in London Reuters UK news in pictures 28 October 2022 A cosplayer attends the MCM Comic Con London 2022 at the ExCel Centre in London Reuters UK news in pictures 27 October 2022 98-year-old D-Day Veteran Bernard Morgan, whose story is among those featured on the giant poppy wall, during the launch of The Royal British Legion 2022 Poppy Appeal, at Hay's Galleria in central London PA UK news in pictures 26 October 2022 A meerkat explores a pumpkin in the enclosure at Wild Place, Bristol, where some of the animals are having pumpkin treats as part of their environmental enrichment PA UK news in pictures 25 October 2022 King Charles III welcomes Rishi Sunak during an audience at Buckingham Palace, where he invited the newly elected leader of the Conservative Party to become Prime Minister and form a new government PA UK news in pictures 24 October 2022 Rishi Sunak celebrates with Tory MPs outside the Conservative Campaign Headquarters after becoming the new leader of the Conservative Party Reuters UK news in pictures 23 October 2022 The Green Man at October Plenty, Borough Market's annual Autumn Harvest festival, in London, which returns for the first time post pandemic PA UK news in pictures 21 October 2022 Sculptor Peter McKenna puts the finishing touches to a pumpkin that will form part of the Planet A Hebden Bridge Pumpkin Trail in the West Yorkshire town PA UK news in pictures 20 October 2022 Britains Prime Minister Liz Truss delivers a speech outside of 10 Downing Street in central London to announce her resignation AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 19 October 2022 Salmon leap up Stainforth Force on the River Ribble in the Yorkshire Dales as they swim upriver to their spawning grounds during the annual Salmon migration PA UK news in pictures 18 October 2022 Just Stop Oil protesters continue their protest for a second day on the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge, which links Kent and Essex and which remains closed for traffic, after it was scaled by two climbers from the group PA UK news in pictures 17 October 2022 Hundreds of students take part in the traditional Raisin Monday foam fight on St Salvator's Lower College Lawn at the University of St Andrews in Fife PA UK news in pictures 16 October 2022 A protester holds a placard during a march into central London at a demonstration by the climate change protest group Extinction Rebellion AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 15 October 2022 A member of the public drags an activist who is blocking the road during a "Just Stop Oil" protest, in London, Britain REUTERS UK news in pictures 14 October 2022 Germanys Womens double skulls during day one of the World Rowing Beach Sprint Finals at Saundersfoot beach, Pembrokeshire PA UK news in pictures 13 October 2022 Family and mourners arrive at St Michael's Church, in Creeslough, for the funeral mass of 49-year-old mother of four Martina Martin, who died following an explosion at the Applegreen service station in the village of Creeslough in Co Donegal on Friday PA UK news in pictures 12 October 2022 Motorists in Coventry pass trees showing autumnal colour PA UK news in pictures 11 October 2022 A woman and her dog in the the North Sea at Tynemouth Longsands beach before sunrise PA UK news in pictures 10 October 2022 Police officers remove a campaigner from a Just Stop Oil protest on The Mall, near Buckingham Palace, London PA UK news in pictures 9 October 2022 A drummer plays during the Diwali on the Square celebration, in Trafalgar Square, London PA UK news in pictures 8 October 2022 Timothee Chalamet attending the UK premiere of Bones and All during the BFI London Film Festival 2022 at the Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre, London PA UK news in pictures 7 October 2022 Two young male fallow deer lock antlers in Dublins Phoenix park as rutting season begins PA UK news in pictures 6 October 2022 The Princess of Wales during a cocktail making competition during a visit to Trademarket, a new outdoor street-food and retail market situated in Belfast city centre, as part of the royal visit to Northern Ireland PA UK news in pictures 5 October 2022 Greenpeace protesters interrupt Prime Minister Liz Truss as she delivers her keynote speech to the Conservative Party annual conference PA UK news in pictures 4 October 2022 Prime Minister Liz Truss and Britains Chancellor of the Exchequer Kwasi Kwarteng wearing hard hats and hi-vis jackets, visit a construction site for a medical innovation campus in Birmingham AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 3 October 2022 British artist Sam Cox, aka Mr Doodle, reveals the Doodle House, a twelve-room mansion at Tenterden, in Kent, which has been covered, inside and out in the artist's trademark monochrome, cartoonish hand-drawn doodles PA UK news in pictures 2 October 2022 Erling Haaland celebrates after scoring Manchester City's second goal against Manchester United at Etihad Stadium. Haaland went on to score a hattrick, his third of the season in the Premier League. City beat United 6-3. Manchester City FC/Getty UK news in pictures 1 October 2022 Protesters hold up flags and placards at a protest in London. A variety of protest groups including Enough is Enough, Don't Pay and Just Stop Oil all demonstrated on the day AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 30 September 2022 British Prime Minister Liz Truss, who has not been seen in days, leaves the back of Downing Street after a meeting with Office For Budget Responsibility following the release of her governments mini-budget Getty UK news in pictures 29 September 2022 The Virginia creeper foliage on the Tu Hwnt i'r Bont (Beyond the Bridge) Llanwrst, Conwy North Wales, has changed colour from green to red in at the start of Autumn. The building was built in 1480 as a residential dwelling but has been a tearoom for over 50 years PA UK news in pictures 28 September 2022 Criminal barristers from the Criminal Bar Association (CBA), demonstrates outside the Royal Courts of Justice in London, as part of their ongoing pay row with the Government PA UK news in pictures 27 September 2022 David White, Garter King of Arms, poses with an envelope franked with the new cypher of King Charles III 'CIIIR', after it was printed in the Court Post Office at Buckingham Palace in central London AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 26 September 2022 A gallery staff member poses next to a painting by Lucian Freud - Self-portrait (Fragment), 1956 - on show at a photocall for the Credit Suisse exhibition - Lucian Freud: New Perspectives at the National Gallery in London PA UK news in pictures 25 September 2022 Labour leader, Sir Keir Starmer is interviewed by Laura Kuenssberg in Liverpool before the start of the Labour Party annual Conference which he opened with a tribute to Queen Elizabeth II and sang the national anthem PA UK news in pictures 24 September 2022 Handout photo issued by Buckingham Palace of the ledger stone at the King George VI Memorial Chapel, St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle PA UK news in pictures 23 September 2022 A climate change activist protests against UK private jets while lighting his right arm on fire during the Laver Cup tennis tournament at the O2 Arena in London EPA UK news in pictures 22 September 2022 Woody Woodmansey, Lee Bennett, Kevin Armstrong, Nick Moran and Clifford Slapper attend the unveiling of a stone for David Bowie on the Music Walk of Fame at Camden, north London PA UK news in pictures 21 September 2022 A flock of birds in the sky as the sun rises over Dungeness in Kent PA UK news in pictures 20 September 2022 Flowers which were laid by members of the public in tribute to Queen Elizabeth II at Hillsborough Castle in Northern Ireland are collected by the Hillsborough Gardening Team and volunteers to be replanted for those that can be saved or composted PA UK news in pictures 19 September 2022 The ceremonial procession of the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II travels down the long walk as it arrives at Windsor Castle for the committal service at St Georges Chapel AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 18 September 2022 A man stands among campers on The Mall ahead of the Queens funeral Reuters UK news in pictures 17 September 2022 Wolverhampton Wanderers Nathan Collins fouls Manchester Citys Jack Grealish leading to a red card. City went on to win the match at Molineux Stadium three goals to nil. Action Images/Reuters UK news in pictures 16 September 2022 Members of the public stand in the queue near Tower Bridge, and opposite the Tower of London, as they wait in line to pay their respects to the late Queen Elizabeth II, in London AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 15 September 2022 Members of the public in the queue on in Potters Fields Park, central London, as they wait to view Queen Elizabeth II lying in state ahead of her funeral on Monday PA UK news in pictures 14 September 2022 The first members of the public pay their respects as the vigil begins around the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II in Westminster Hall, London, where it will lie in state ahead of her funeral on Monday PA UK news in pictures 13 September 2022 Crowds cheer as King Charles III and Camilla, Queen Consort arrive for a visit to Hillsborough Castle Getty UK news in pictures 12 September 2022 Crowds line the Royal Mile, Edinburgh, as King Charles III joins a procession from the Palace of Holyroodhouse to St Giles Cathedral following the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II Katielee Arrowsmith/SWNS UK news in pictures 11 September 2022 Members of the Public pay their respects as the hearse carrying the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II, draped in the Royal Standard of Scotland, is driven through Ballater AFP/Getty

"Everything that can be done to locate the suspects is being done but I would like to appeal to anyone who may have seen the incident or who has any knowledge of the vehicle or the suspects to contact us.

"Two police officers, in responding to an incident to help protect the public, have been badly injured. Help us find those responsible.

Anyone with information is asked to call officers on 101 or contact Crimestoppers anonymously by ringing 0800 555 111.
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British authorities will not accept any new unaccompanied minors who arrive in the so-called Jungle after the clearance of the Calais camp began, the Home Secretary has said.

Addressing the Commons as the French authorities began dismantling the camp, Amber Rudd told MPs Britain has provided shelter, so far, to 200 unaccompanied minors, including 60 girls and young women. She added that several hundred more will arrive over the next three weeks.

But Ms Rudd warned that no new arrivals will be considered because she did not want to appear to encourage more children to make the perilous journey to the French port.

Recommended Read more Refugees turned away from queues as Calais Jungle relocation begins

Delivering an urgent statement, Ms Rudd added: Through this process it is important we do not encourage more children to head to Calais, risking their lives in the hands of traffickers.

That's why we will only consider those present in the camps before the start of clearances of the operation today.

But we will continue to do this quickly, but it is essential that we carry out the proper safeguarding, age assessment and security checks, working closely with local authorities and social workers here in the UK, to ensure that the children are eligible, and that it is in their best interests to come.

In the last week, officials have interviewed 800 children in the camp claiming to have close family in the UK. Ms Rudd said: "Every child presented in the last week has been interviewed by UK staff. Much of this work has been carried out in difficult conditions, and on a number of occasions interviews have been paused and UK staff have withdrawn for safety reasons."

Those likely to be granted refugee status and those aged 12 or under will be prioritised for resettlement under the Dubs route.

Calais refugee camp evacuation Show all 15 1 /15 Calais refugee camp evacuation Calais refugee camp evacuation Refugees run past a fire in the makeshift migrant camp known as 'the jungle' in Calais, October 2016 AP Calais refugee camp evacuation French authorities say the closure of the slum-like camp in Calais will last approximately a week in what they describe as a "humanitarian" operation, October 2016 AP Calais refugee camp evacuation A painted message saying 'Bye Jungle' on a tent in the camp in Calais, October 2016 Getty Calais refugee camp evacuation Refugees set rubbish bins alight as a protest in the makeshift camp 'the Jungle' in Calais, France, October 2016 EPA Calais refugee camp evacuation French riot police advance through tear gas and smoke from a fire to disperse refugees throwing stones and lighting fires at the Jungle migrant camp Getty Calais refugee camp evacuation French CRS riot police secure an area on the eve of the evacuation and transfer of refugees to reception centers in France Reuters Calais refugee camp evacuation Journalists run away from smoke during clashes near a makeshift refugee camp known as 'the jungle' in Calais AP Calais refugee camp evacuation French CRS riot police secure an area on the eve of the evacuation and transfer of refugees to reception centers in Franc Reuters Calais refugee camp evacuation Migrants queue for transportation by bus to reception centres across France, from the 'Jungle' refugee camp in Calais Getty Calais refugee camp evacuation Refugees line-up to register at a processing centre in the 'jungle' near Calais, northern France, as the mass exodus from the migrant camp begins PA wire Calais refugee camp evacuation Refugees with luggage walk past a graffiti on a wall as they leave the 'Jungle' migrant camp, as part of a major three-day operation planned to clear the camp in Calais Getty Calais refugee camp evacuation French far-right Front National (FN) party's member of parliament Marion Marechal-Le Pen (L) delivers a speech next to a banner reading "They arrive in Vaucluse, no migrants in our place" as she attends a rally against the hosting of refugees in La Tour d'Aigues Getty Images Calais refugee camp evacuation French police forces secure the area near the 'Jungle' refugee camp in Calais Getty Calais refugee camp evacuation Refugees leave messages on their tents in the Jungle migrant camp Getty Calais refugee camp evacuation Refugees carry their belongings and transfer to reception centers in France

The Home Secretary also appealed to the media to stop publishing photographs of migrants arriving in the UK so that their identities are not compromised.

Responding to her urgent statement in the Commons, Diane Abbott, the shadow Home Secretary, accused the French and British authorities of treating migrants in the camp like pawns and leaving the welfare of vulnerable people to selfless volunteers in Calais.

It comes after Yvette Cooper, the former shadow Home Secretary and the new chair of the Home Affairs Select Committee, claimed children will just disappear into the hands of smugglers and people-traffickers as French authorities clear the camp. She said that despite efforts to bring unaccompanied children to the UK from the camp, there are still hundreds there are bulldozers are posed to move in.
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Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel has said he cannot sign a landmark EU trade agreement with Canada after it was rejected by one of the countrys regions.

After the French-speaking Wallonia region refused to approve the historic deal with Canada, the EU gave Mr Michel until today to turn the situation around.

But talks with Wallonias leaders have now broken down, leading Mr Michel to admit: We are not in a position to sign Ceta.

There is now major doubt over the pacts future and over whether a special summit will go ahead on Thursday with Canadian President Justin Trudeau.

Socialist-run Wallonia wants stronger safeguards on labour, environmental and consumer standards before giving backing to the pact. Belgiums federal government cannot agree to the deal without the consent of five regional authorities.

Supporters say Canada and the EU would eliminate 98 per cent of tariffs under the proposals, negotiated over five years between 2009 and 2014.

Europe's failure to sign Ceta was highlighted during the UK's EU referendum campaign as one reason Britain would be better off outside the union.

But it has also been underlined as a sign that the UK will have difficulty organising its own free trade deal with the EU if it leaves the single market after Brexit talks.
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A Government health minister has claimed Brexit is a terrible mistake and has urged Theresa May to fight for the UK to stay in the single market.

David Prior, the health minister in the House of Lords, said Britain must do everything it can to lessen the impact of Brexit  which includes making sure they continued to attract the top medical, scientific and academic talent to bolster the countrys life sciences industry.

Speaking at the Royal College of Physicians annual dinner in London, Lord Prior said: My personal view is that leaving Europe was a terrible mistake.

But given that it was a mistake, we must do everything we can to ensure that we stay in the single market and that we do have access to the best people from around the world.

He also commented on concerns from the Royal College that Brexit could deter doctors from coming to work in Cambridge, one of the countrys key centres for biomedical research, saying the Government understood their position.

Lord Priors remarks are some of the most outspoken by a serving government minister, with many reluctant to criticise the publics decision on 23 June despite most members of the Cabinet backing Remain.

Despite being on the Remain side during the campaign herself, Ms May has repeatedly and emphatically declared that Brexit means Brexit.

She is believed to be leaning towards a Hard Brexit  meaning the UK will lose access to the single market in exchange for an end to freedom of movement  due to pressure from ministers such as Brexit Secretary David Davis and Trade Secretary Liam Fox.

Brexit Concerns Show all 26 1 /26 Brexit Concerns Brexit Concerns Brexit will put British patients at 'back of the queue' for new drugs Brexit will put British patients at the back of the queue for vital new drugs, the Government has been warned  forcing them to wait up to two years longer A medicines regulator has raised the alarm over a likely decision to pull out of the European Medicines Agency (EMA), as well as the EU itself. ealth Secretary Jeremy Hunt dropped the bombshell , when he said he expected the UK would quit the EMA  because it is subject to rulings by the European Court of Justice. Getty Images Brexit Concerns London to lose status as 'gateway to Europe' for banks One of Germanys top banking regulators has warned that London could lose its status as gateway to Europe for the banking sector after Britain quits the European trading bloc. Andreas Dombret, who is an executive board member for the BundesbankGermanys central banktold a private meeting of German businesses and banks earlier this week in Frankfurt that even if banking rules were equivalent between the UK and the rest of the EU, that was still miles away from [Britain having] access to the single market, the BBC reports. Jason Hawkes Brexit Concerns Exodus The number of financial sector professionals in Britain and continental Europe looking for jobs in Ireland rocketed in the months after the UK voted to leave the European Union Shutterstock Brexit Concerns Brexit is making FTSE 100 executives richer Pay packages of many FTSE 100 chief executive officers are partly tied to how well share prices are doing rather than the CEOs performance -- and some stocks are soaring. ritish equities got a boost since the June vote because the likes of Rio Tinto, Smiths Group and WPP generate most sales abroad and earn a fortune when they convert these revenues back into the weakened pound. Sterlings fall also made UK stocks more affordable for overseas investors. Rex Brexit Concerns Theresa May: UK to leave single market Theresa May has said the UK "cannot possibly" remain within the European single market, as staying in it would mean "not leaving the EU at all". Getty Brexit Concerns Lead campaigner Gina Miller and her team outside the High Court Getty Brexit Concerns Raymond McCord holds up his newly issued Irish passport alongside his British passport outside the High Court in Belfast following a judges dismissal of the UK's first legal challenges to Brexit PA wire Brexit Concerns SDLP leader Colum Eastwood leaving the High Court in Belfast following a judges dismissal of the UK's first legal challenges to Brexit PA wire Brexit Concerns Migrants with luggage walk past a graffiti on a wall as they leave the 'Jungle' migrant camp, as part of a major three-day operation planned to clear the camp in Calais Getty Brexit Concerns Migrants leave messages on their tents in the Jungle migrant camp Getty Brexit Concerns The Adventist Development and Relief Agency (Adra) which distributes approximately 700 meals daily in the northern Paris camp states that it is noticing a spike in new migrant arrivals this week, potentially linked the the Calais 'jungle' camp closure - with around 1000 meals distributed today EPA Brexit Concerns Migrant workers pick apples at Stocks Farm in Suckley, Britain Reuters Brexit Concerns Many farmers across the country are voicing concerns that Brexit could be a dangerous step into the unknown for the farming industry Getty Brexit Concerns Bank of England governor Mark Carney who said the long-term outlook for the UK economy is positive, but growth was slowing in the wake of the Brexit vote PA Brexit Concerns The Dow Jones industrial average closed down over 600 points on the news with markets around the globe pluninging Getty Brexit Concerns Immigration officers deal with each member of the public seeking entry into the United Kingdom but on average, 10 a day are refused entry at this London airport and between 2008 and 2009, 33,100 people were detained at the airport for mainly passport irregularities Getty Brexit Concerns A number of global investment giants have threatened to move their European operations out of London if Brexit proves to have a negative impact on their businesses Getty Brexit Concerns Following the possibility of a Brexit the UK would be released from its renewable energy targets under the EU Renewable Energy Directive and from EU state aid restrictions, potentially giving the government more freedom both in the design and phasing out of renewable energy support regimes Getty Brexit Concerns A woman looking at a chart showing the drop in the pound (Sterling) against the US Dollar in London after Britain voted to leave the EU Getty Brexit Concerns Young protesters outside the Houses of Parliament in Westminster, to protest against the United Kingdom's decision to leave the EU following the referendum Getty Brexit Concerns Applications from Northern Ireland citizens for Irish Passports has soared to a record high after the UK Voted in favour of Leaving the EU Getty Brexit Concerns NFU Vice President Minette Batters with Secretary of State, Andrea Leadsome at the National Farmers Union (NFU) took machinery, produce, farmers and staff to Westminster to encourage Members of Parliament to back British farming, post Brexit Getty Brexit Concerns The latest reports released by the UK Cabinet Office warn that expats would lose a range of specific rights to live, to work and to access pensions, healthcare and public services. The same reports added that UK citizens abroad would not be able to assume that these rights will be guaranteed in the future Getty Brexit Concerns A British resident living in Spain asks questions during an informative Brexit talk by the "Brexpats in Spain" group, about Spanish legal issues to become Spanish citizens, at the town hall in Benalmadena, Spain Reuters Brexit Concerns The collapse of Great Britain appears to have been greatly exaggerated given the late summer crowds visiting city museums, hotels, and other important tourist attractions Getty Brexit Concerns The U.K. should maintain European Union regulations covering everything from working hours to chemicals until after the government sets out its plans for Brexit, said British manufacturers anxious to avoid a policy vacuum and safeguard access to their biggest export market Getty

Tim Farron, the Liberal Democrats leader told the Guardian: Lord Priors remarks are starkly at odds with his own government, which is veering towards a reckless and divisive hard Brexit.

Theresa May must stop pandering to the views of a minority of hardline Tory Brexiteers and start standing up for the national interest. A disastrous exit from the single market would leave us all poorer.

British Prime Minister Theresa May arrives at the EU summit in Brussels, Belgium (Reuters)

The former Treasury mandarin who negotiated the UKs EU rebate under Margaret Thatcher, Sir Brian Udwin, said Mr Davis was living in cloud cuckoo land and jeopardising the prospect of a good deal with the remaining EU countries.

He told the BBC: They have to rein back some of the very hard, unconstructive, and unrealistic talk that has been current among some of the senior ministers at the moment.

For example, I think Mr Davis said that he believes the negotiating odds were unbelievably, heavily stacked in our favour. Of course thats absolutely nonsense, hes living in cloud cuckoo land.
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Theresa Mays efforts to involve the leaders of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland in her Brexit plan have fallen flat after Scotlands First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, branded them "deeply frustrating".

The Prime Minister had offered to engage leaders of devolved bodies in regular discussions to quell concern about her handling of Brexit.

But leaving Downing Street, Ms Sturgeon signalled her unhappiness. She said: We had a frank exchange of views. I don't mind admitting large parts of the meeting were deeply frustrating.

No 10 tried to play down any fallout, claiming the talks had been constructive, but divisions had already been marked out before the talks began.

Ms Sturgeon had set out demands she wanted to secure for Scotland in talks, including some access to the single market, but Ms Mays spokesperson had already said none of the leaders would be allowed to undermine the UKs overall position.

After two hours of talks, Ms Sturgeon told reporters outside No 10: I don't know any more now about the UK Governments approach to the EU negotiations than I did before I went in to the meeting.

I can't speak for the other devolved administrations but I think there was a degree of frustration shared by all of us about that.

 Brexit negotiators are 'in cloud cuckoo land', says man who negotiated Britain's EU rebate

Ms May is proposing a new sub-committee of the existing Joint Ministerial Committee, between her and the devolved leaders, to give them a direct line to Brexit Secretary David Davis during the negotiating period.

But Ms Sturgeon said there was a long way to go and warned that for Scotland the consequences of a hard Brexit, in which the UK quit the single market to gain full control of immigration policy, were severe.

She will bring forward specific proposals for a so-called flexible Brexit that would keep Scotland in the single market even if the rest of the UK drops out of the trading agreement.

Labour's Carwyn Jones said there had been no details about what happens next in the divorce talks, and warned time is not on our side.

Brexit Concerns Show all 26 1 /26 Brexit Concerns Brexit Concerns Brexit will put British patients at 'back of the queue' for new drugs Brexit will put British patients at the back of the queue for vital new drugs, the Government has been warned  forcing them to wait up to two years longer A medicines regulator has raised the alarm over a likely decision to pull out of the European Medicines Agency (EMA), as well as the EU itself. ealth Secretary Jeremy Hunt dropped the bombshell , when he said he expected the UK would quit the EMA  because it is subject to rulings by the European Court of Justice. Getty Images Brexit Concerns London to lose status as 'gateway to Europe' for banks One of Germanys top banking regulators has warned that London could lose its status as gateway to Europe for the banking sector after Britain quits the European trading bloc. Andreas Dombret, who is an executive board member for the BundesbankGermanys central banktold a private meeting of German businesses and banks earlier this week in Frankfurt that even if banking rules were equivalent between the UK and the rest of the EU, that was still miles away from [Britain having] access to the single market, the BBC reports. Jason Hawkes Brexit Concerns Exodus The number of financial sector professionals in Britain and continental Europe looking for jobs in Ireland rocketed in the months after the UK voted to leave the European Union Shutterstock Brexit Concerns Brexit is making FTSE 100 executives richer Pay packages of many FTSE 100 chief executive officers are partly tied to how well share prices are doing rather than the CEOs performance -- and some stocks are soaring. ritish equities got a boost since the June vote because the likes of Rio Tinto, Smiths Group and WPP generate most sales abroad and earn a fortune when they convert these revenues back into the weakened pound. Sterlings fall also made UK stocks more affordable for overseas investors. Rex Brexit Concerns Theresa May: UK to leave single market Theresa May has said the UK "cannot possibly" remain within the European single market, as staying in it would mean "not leaving the EU at all". Getty Brexit Concerns Lead campaigner Gina Miller and her team outside the High Court Getty Brexit Concerns Raymond McCord holds up his newly issued Irish passport alongside his British passport outside the High Court in Belfast following a judges dismissal of the UK's first legal challenges to Brexit PA wire Brexit Concerns SDLP leader Colum Eastwood leaving the High Court in Belfast following a judges dismissal of the UK's first legal challenges to Brexit PA wire Brexit Concerns Migrants with luggage walk past a graffiti on a wall as they leave the 'Jungle' migrant camp, as part of a major three-day operation planned to clear the camp in Calais Getty Brexit Concerns Migrants leave messages on their tents in the Jungle migrant camp Getty Brexit Concerns The Adventist Development and Relief Agency (Adra) which distributes approximately 700 meals daily in the northern Paris camp states that it is noticing a spike in new migrant arrivals this week, potentially linked the the Calais 'jungle' camp closure - with around 1000 meals distributed today EPA Brexit Concerns Migrant workers pick apples at Stocks Farm in Suckley, Britain Reuters Brexit Concerns Many farmers across the country are voicing concerns that Brexit could be a dangerous step into the unknown for the farming industry Getty Brexit Concerns Bank of England governor Mark Carney who said the long-term outlook for the UK economy is positive, but growth was slowing in the wake of the Brexit vote PA Brexit Concerns The Dow Jones industrial average closed down over 600 points on the news with markets around the globe pluninging Getty Brexit Concerns Immigration officers deal with each member of the public seeking entry into the United Kingdom but on average, 10 a day are refused entry at this London airport and between 2008 and 2009, 33,100 people were detained at the airport for mainly passport irregularities Getty Brexit Concerns A number of global investment giants have threatened to move their European operations out of London if Brexit proves to have a negative impact on their businesses Getty Brexit Concerns Following the possibility of a Brexit the UK would be released from its renewable energy targets under the EU Renewable Energy Directive and from EU state aid restrictions, potentially giving the government more freedom both in the design and phasing out of renewable energy support regimes Getty Brexit Concerns A woman looking at a chart showing the drop in the pound (Sterling) against the US Dollar in London after Britain voted to leave the EU Getty Brexit Concerns Young protesters outside the Houses of Parliament in Westminster, to protest against the United Kingdom's decision to leave the EU following the referendum Getty Brexit Concerns Applications from Northern Ireland citizens for Irish Passports has soared to a record high after the UK Voted in favour of Leaving the EU Getty Brexit Concerns NFU Vice President Minette Batters with Secretary of State, Andrea Leadsome at the National Farmers Union (NFU) took machinery, produce, farmers and staff to Westminster to encourage Members of Parliament to back British farming, post Brexit Getty Brexit Concerns The latest reports released by the UK Cabinet Office warn that expats would lose a range of specific rights to live, to work and to access pensions, healthcare and public services. The same reports added that UK citizens abroad would not be able to assume that these rights will be guaranteed in the future Getty Brexit Concerns A British resident living in Spain asks questions during an informative Brexit talk by the "Brexpats in Spain" group, about Spanish legal issues to become Spanish citizens, at the town hall in Benalmadena, Spain Reuters Brexit Concerns The collapse of Great Britain appears to have been greatly exaggerated given the late summer crowds visiting city museums, hotels, and other important tourist attractions Getty Brexit Concerns The U.K. should maintain European Union regulations covering everything from working hours to chemicals until after the government sets out its plans for Brexit, said British manufacturers anxious to avoid a policy vacuum and safeguard access to their biggest export market Getty

The Welsh First Minister said access to the single market was the most important issue, but dismissed suggestions by Nicola Sturgeon that Scotland could remain part of it even if the rest of the UK did not.

He added: The scale of the challenge is truly gigantic. Nobody has any details yet as to what happens next.

We are waiting for the UK government to tell us what its general principles will be in advance of the negotiations in March.

Martin McGuinness, Northern Ireland Deputy First Minister, said there was a joint responsibility to manage the Brexit process.

He told reporters: As this process moves along, we need to be at the heart of it.

 Scottish independence plausible within 'two year' Brexit period

The JMC was also attended by David Mundell, James Brokenshire and Alun Cairns  the secretaries of state for Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales.

Following the meeting, Prime Minister Theresa May said: The great union between us has been the cornerstone of our prosperity in the past  and it is absolutely vital to our success in the future.

The country is facing a negotiation of tremendous importance and it is imperative that the devolved administrations play their part in making it work.

Downing Street earlier said leaders of the devolved administrations must not undermine the negotiations.

What experts have said about Brexit Show all 11 1 /11 What experts have said about Brexit What experts have said about Brexit Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond The Chancellor claims London can still be a world financial hub despite Brexit One of Britains great strengths is the ability to offer and aggregate all of the services the global financial services industry needs This has not changed as a result of the EU referendum and I will do everything I can to ensure the City of London retains its position as the worlds leading international financial centre. Reuters What experts have said about Brexit Yanis Varoufakis Greece's former finance minister compared the UK relations with the EU bloc with a well-known song by the Eagles: You can check out any time you like, as the Hotel California song says, but you can't really leave. The proof is Theresa May has not even dared to trigger Article 50. It's like Harrison Ford going into Indiana Jones' castle and the path behind him fragmenting. You can get in, but getting out is not at all clear Getty Images What experts have said about Brexit Michael OLeary Ryanair boss says UK will be screwed by EU in Brexit trade deals: I have no faith in the politicians in London going on about how the world will want to trade with us. The world will want to screw you  that's what happens in trade talks, he said. They have no interest in giving the UK a deal on trade Getty What experts have said about Brexit Tim Martin JD Wetherspoon's chairman has said claims that the UK would see serious economic consequences from a Brexit vote were "lurid" and wrong: We were told it would be Armageddon from the OECD, from the IMF, David Cameron, the chancellor and President Obama who were predicting locusts in the fields and tidal waves in the North Sea" PA What experts have said about Brexit Mark Carney Governor of Bank of England is 'serene' about Bank of England's Brexit stance: I am absolutely serene about the  judgments made both by the MPC and the FPC Reuters What experts have said about Brexit Christine Lagarde IMF chief urges quick Brexit to reduce economic uncertainty: We want to see clarity sooner rather than later because we think that a lack of clarity feeds uncertainty, which itself undermines investment appetites and decision making Getty Images What experts have said about Brexit Inga Beale Lloyds chief executive says Brexit is a major issue: "Clearly the UK's referendum on its EU membership is a major issue for us to deal with and we are now focusing our attention on having in place the plans that will ensure Lloyd's continues trading across Europe EPA What experts have said about Brexit Colm Kelleher President of US bank Morgan Stanley says City of London will suffer as result of the EU referendum: I do believe, and I said prior to the referendum, that the City of London will suffer as result of Brexit. The issue is how much What experts have said about Brexit Richard Branson Virgin founder believes we've lost a THIRD of our value because of Brexit and cancelled a deal worth 3,000 jobs: We're not any worse than anybody else, but I suspect we've lost a third of our value which is dreadful for people in the workplace.' He continued: "We were about to do a very big deal, we cancelled that deal, that would have involved 3,000 jobs, and thats happening all over the country" Getty Images What experts have said about Brexit Barack Obama US President believes Britain was wrong to vote to leave the EU: "It is absolutely true that I believed pre-Brexit vote and continue to believe post-Brexit vote that the world benefited enormously from the United Kingdom's participation in the EU. We are fully supportive of a process that is as little disruptive as possible so that people around the world can continue to benefit from economic growth" Getty Images What experts have said about Brexit Kristin Forbes American economist and an external member of the Monetary Policy Committee of the Bank of England argues that the economy had been less stormy than many expected following the shock referendum result: For nowthe economy is experiencing some chop, but no tsunami. The adverse winds could quickly pick up  and merit a stronger policy response. But recently they have shifted to a more favourable direction Getty

Asked about calls for different parts of the UK to be able to opt in or out of the single market, the Prime Minister's official spokesperson said a united UK negotiating position is vital to protect the UK's interest as a whole.

The spokesperson said: We need to make sure we are not putting up barriers to trade within the UK.

She added: We have been very clear that we should be working together to secure the best possible deal for the whole country. We expect representatives of the devolved administrations to act in that way and to in no way undermine the UKs position.
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Tim Farron will today partly blame post-Brexit hate crime on Theresa May for making Britain a nastier, more divided and more resentful country.

At an event to examine the worrying rise in xenophobia, the Lib Dem leader will accuse the Conservatives of being happy to play on prejudice for their own short-term gain.

And he will personally target the Prime Minister, arguing she is now leading the return of the Nasty Party  the tag she herself once criticised.

Mr Farron will draw a connection between Zac Goldsmiths racist London Mayoral campaign, the tactics of the Brexit campaigners and Ms Mays actions since reaching No10.

He will say: 2016 has been a year that has seen the Conservative Partys attempts to detoxify their party go up in flames.

This Autumn has seen Theresa May propose moves that will make Britain a nastier, more divided and more resentful country, with attacks on foreign doctors and students as well as checks on taxi drivers. I dread to think whats in store this winter.

These are the actions of a Nasty Party, willing to play on prejudice for their own short-term gain. Theresa May used to criticise the Tory Party for this approach, now she is leading it.

Earlier this month, official Home Office statistics revealed a 41 per cent increase in the number of racially or religiously aggravated crimes recorded by police following the EU referendum.

They correlated with earlier figures which showed the number of alleged racially or religiously aggravated offences rose by 58 per cent in the week following the 23 June vote to leave.

Back in 2002, in a celebrated speech as Conservative party chairwoman, Ms May warned the Tories of the uncomfortable truth that the public viewed them as the Nasty Party.

But she has been sharply criticised for overseeing a shift to aggressive anti-immigrant language at this months party conference.

Amber Rudd, the Home Secretary, has since backtracked on a suggestion that companies will be named and shamed if they have a high proportion of overseas workers.

However, Ms May herself has stood by her refusal to exclude foreign students from migration numbers  triggering a clash with her own Chancellor, Philip Hammond.

Mr Farron will speak at an event organised by The Runnymede Trust to address the problems of hate crime and xenophobia since the referendum result.

He will add: Its not where we come from that matters, its where were going. The Conservatives are risking just that with their reckless obsession with overall migration numbers, instead of standing up for whats best for Britain.

Liberal Democrats will fight for an open-hearted, open-minded and pro-European society. A diverse and powerful workforce is at the heart of that.
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A cross-party group of MPs have called on the Chancellor Philip Hammond to commit to spending 350 million a week on the NHS after Brexit.

The pledge to inject cash into the health service, which was advocated by the Vote Leave campaign throughout the EU referendum campaign and proudly displayed on their battle bus, has since been abandoned by the so-called Brexiteers.

But a group of 41 MPs are now calling on the Chancellor to honour the commitment, adding, anything else will be a betrayal of the wishes of the British people.

The MPs also highlight that several members of the Cabinet were all members of the Vote Leave campaign including Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, Environment Secretary Andrea Leadsom, and the International Development Secretary Priti Patel.

Despite the NHS commitment having been one of the flagship pledges in the run-up to the referendum, the ministers have, so far, made no mention of the injection of cash while touring the television studios repeating the Governments message that Brexit means Brexit.

In a letter to Mr Hammond, the 41 MPs said that while they accept the verdict of the British people in the referendum the Government must include single most visible promise of the Leave campaign and spend 350 million more a week on the NHS.

Brexit Concerns Show all 26 1 /26 Brexit Concerns Brexit Concerns Brexit will put British patients at 'back of the queue' for new drugs Brexit will put British patients at the back of the queue for vital new drugs, the Government has been warned  forcing them to wait up to two years longer A medicines regulator has raised the alarm over a likely decision to pull out of the European Medicines Agency (EMA), as well as the EU itself. ealth Secretary Jeremy Hunt dropped the bombshell , when he said he expected the UK would quit the EMA  because it is subject to rulings by the European Court of Justice. Getty Images Brexit Concerns London to lose status as 'gateway to Europe' for banks One of Germanys top banking regulators has warned that London could lose its status as gateway to Europe for the banking sector after Britain quits the European trading bloc. Andreas Dombret, who is an executive board member for the BundesbankGermanys central banktold a private meeting of German businesses and banks earlier this week in Frankfurt that even if banking rules were equivalent between the UK and the rest of the EU, that was still miles away from [Britain having] access to the single market, the BBC reports. Jason Hawkes Brexit Concerns Exodus The number of financial sector professionals in Britain and continental Europe looking for jobs in Ireland rocketed in the months after the UK voted to leave the European Union Shutterstock Brexit Concerns Brexit is making FTSE 100 executives richer Pay packages of many FTSE 100 chief executive officers are partly tied to how well share prices are doing rather than the CEOs performance -- and some stocks are soaring. ritish equities got a boost since the June vote because the likes of Rio Tinto, Smiths Group and WPP generate most sales abroad and earn a fortune when they convert these revenues back into the weakened pound. Sterlings fall also made UK stocks more affordable for overseas investors. Rex Brexit Concerns Theresa May: UK to leave single market Theresa May has said the UK "cannot possibly" remain within the European single market, as staying in it would mean "not leaving the EU at all". Getty Brexit Concerns Lead campaigner Gina Miller and her team outside the High Court Getty Brexit Concerns Raymond McCord holds up his newly issued Irish passport alongside his British passport outside the High Court in Belfast following a judges dismissal of the UK's first legal challenges to Brexit PA wire Brexit Concerns SDLP leader Colum Eastwood leaving the High Court in Belfast following a judges dismissal of the UK's first legal challenges to Brexit PA wire Brexit Concerns Migrants with luggage walk past a graffiti on a wall as they leave the 'Jungle' migrant camp, as part of a major three-day operation planned to clear the camp in Calais Getty Brexit Concerns Migrants leave messages on their tents in the Jungle migrant camp Getty Brexit Concerns The Adventist Development and Relief Agency (Adra) which distributes approximately 700 meals daily in the northern Paris camp states that it is noticing a spike in new migrant arrivals this week, potentially linked the the Calais 'jungle' camp closure - with around 1000 meals distributed today EPA Brexit Concerns Migrant workers pick apples at Stocks Farm in Suckley, Britain Reuters Brexit Concerns Many farmers across the country are voicing concerns that Brexit could be a dangerous step into the unknown for the farming industry Getty Brexit Concerns Bank of England governor Mark Carney who said the long-term outlook for the UK economy is positive, but growth was slowing in the wake of the Brexit vote PA Brexit Concerns The Dow Jones industrial average closed down over 600 points on the news with markets around the globe pluninging Getty Brexit Concerns Immigration officers deal with each member of the public seeking entry into the United Kingdom but on average, 10 a day are refused entry at this London airport and between 2008 and 2009, 33,100 people were detained at the airport for mainly passport irregularities Getty Brexit Concerns A number of global investment giants have threatened to move their European operations out of London if Brexit proves to have a negative impact on their businesses Getty Brexit Concerns Following the possibility of a Brexit the UK would be released from its renewable energy targets under the EU Renewable Energy Directive and from EU state aid restrictions, potentially giving the government more freedom both in the design and phasing out of renewable energy support regimes Getty Brexit Concerns A woman looking at a chart showing the drop in the pound (Sterling) against the US Dollar in London after Britain voted to leave the EU Getty Brexit Concerns Young protesters outside the Houses of Parliament in Westminster, to protest against the United Kingdom's decision to leave the EU following the referendum Getty Brexit Concerns Applications from Northern Ireland citizens for Irish Passports has soared to a record high after the UK Voted in favour of Leaving the EU Getty Brexit Concerns NFU Vice President Minette Batters with Secretary of State, Andrea Leadsome at the National Farmers Union (NFU) took machinery, produce, farmers and staff to Westminster to encourage Members of Parliament to back British farming, post Brexit Getty Brexit Concerns The latest reports released by the UK Cabinet Office warn that expats would lose a range of specific rights to live, to work and to access pensions, healthcare and public services. The same reports added that UK citizens abroad would not be able to assume that these rights will be guaranteed in the future Getty Brexit Concerns A British resident living in Spain asks questions during an informative Brexit talk by the "Brexpats in Spain" group, about Spanish legal issues to become Spanish citizens, at the town hall in Benalmadena, Spain Reuters Brexit Concerns The collapse of Great Britain appears to have been greatly exaggerated given the late summer crowds visiting city museums, hotels, and other important tourist attractions Getty Brexit Concerns The U.K. should maintain European Union regulations covering everything from working hours to chemicals until after the government sets out its plans for Brexit, said British manufacturers anxious to avoid a policy vacuum and safeguard access to their biggest export market Getty

They add: In just under a month, you will present your first Autumn Statement. We are calling on you to commit to increase national NHS spending by 350 million a week  that is 18.2 billion a year  as soon as this money becomes available by leaving the European Union. This additional funding must be over and above the amount that is currently planned to be spent on the National Health Service.

Anything else will be a betrayal of the wishes of the British people. We challenge you, when you stand up in the House of Commons on November 23rd, to show us the money and commit to Vote Leaves promise; or explain why you cannot, and why your cabinet colleagues so cynically misled the British people.

The signatories include MPs from the Labour party, the Green party and the Liberal Democrats. Owen Smith, who challenged Jeremy Corbyn for leadership of Labour in the summer, is among the names  he had advocated a second referendum on Britains membership of the EU.

Chuka Umunna, a Labour MP and chair of Vote Leave Watch, said the message to Mr Hammond is loud and clear.

He has a month to work out how the Government are going to find the money to keep this promise. If he cant I hope his pro-Leave colleagues will explain why they pulled the wool over the eyes of so many voters during the campaign, he added.

Here is the full letter

Dear Chancellor

We believe in a Britain with an excellent, well-funded public sector that provides a world-class service to the British people, pays its hard-working staff well and treats them with respect.

This was the vision of Britain promised by your cabinet colleagues who campaigned for a Leave vote in the EU referendum. Vote Leave promised that, if Britain left the EU, 350m a week extra would be spent on the NHS. They travelled the country in a bus which said: We send the EU 350 million a week lets fund our NHS instead. In the press conference suite at their London headquarters, a large sign read: Lets give our NHS the 350 million the EU takes every week.

The Foreign Secretary, the Secretary of State for International Trade, the Secretary of State for the Environment, the Secretary of State for Transport and the Secretary of State for International Development all appeared in photo opportunities featuring these messages. They made a very clear promise to the British people, and it is clear that a very large number of people believed this promise.

In your speech to Conservative Party Conference earlier this month, you said that the message of the referendum result had been received, loud and clear by the government. Members of the government talk of the mandate from the voters for Brexit.

We accept the verdict of the British people. Yet it is clear that, if this mandate is to mean anything, it must include the single most visible promise of the Leave campaign  spending 350 million more a week on the NHS.

In just under a month, you will present your first Autumn Statement. We are calling on you to commit to increase national NHS spending by 350 million a week  that is 18.2 billion a year  as soon as this money becomes available by leaving the European Union. This additional funding must be over and above the amount that is currently planned to be spent on the National Health Service.

Anything else will be a betrayal of the wishes of the British people. We challenge you, when you stand up in the House of Commons on November 23rd, to show us the money and commit to Vote Leaves promise; or explain why you cannot, and why your cabinet colleagues so cynically misled the British people.
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A hard Brexit would cost businesses in European Union countries 8 billion per year more than British companies, according to new analysis by the thinktank Civitas.

Companies in other EU member states would face annual tariffs of 13 billion compared to a much lower bill of 5.2 billion for British firms, should Britain leave the EU without having agreed a trade deal.

Businesses in all but five EU states would face greater costs on exports to the UK than British firms trading in the other direction.

German companies would be faced with 3.4 billion of levies each year, while French businesses would have an annual bill of 1.4 billion. Firms in Ireland, Spain, Netherlands and Belgium would all have to pay more than 1 billion per year in tariffs in order to export goods to Britain.

The finding will be welcomed by UK government ministers, who hope to highlight to their EU counterparts that a stormy Brexit would damage the rest of the EU as well as Britain.

EU leaders have repeatedly made it clear that Britain will not be able to dictate the terms of its withdrawal from the EU.

Theresa May faced a difficult first European Council meeting as Prime Minister as she was told the UK would have to pay the price for opting to leave the union. Donald Tusk, the Councils president, said the only options facing the UK were "hard Brexit" or "no Brexit". Reports also suggested Mrs Mays request that EU leaders stop meeting without her present was firmly rebuffed by Mr Tusk.

 Corbyn says Brexit has been 'chaotic' and needs a more 'grown up approach'

Civitas said its latest findings highlight the importance of a trade deal for both the UK and for EU countries.

Justin Protts, Economics and EU Research Fellow at Civitas, who conducted the analysis, told The Independent: There is a rational economic argument for some kind of free trade deal. I would imagine eventually pragmatism will win through and [governments] will realise that a trade deal is beneficial to everyone. 

Businesses exporting from Europe face costs of 13 billion in UK tariffs which will go to the UK government. In return, UK businesses will face a cost of 5 billion worth of tarrifs."

Damage to businesses will be greater than that for both the EU and the UK. Therefore both sides would benefit from keeping free trade and keeping the supply chain as in tact as possible, because any tarrifs that are introduced will be damaging to both sides.

Brexit Concerns Show all 26 1 /26 Brexit Concerns Brexit Concerns Brexit will put British patients at 'back of the queue' for new drugs Brexit will put British patients at the back of the queue for vital new drugs, the Government has been warned  forcing them to wait up to two years longer A medicines regulator has raised the alarm over a likely decision to pull out of the European Medicines Agency (EMA), as well as the EU itself. ealth Secretary Jeremy Hunt dropped the bombshell , when he said he expected the UK would quit the EMA  because it is subject to rulings by the European Court of Justice. Getty Images Brexit Concerns London to lose status as 'gateway to Europe' for banks One of Germanys top banking regulators has warned that London could lose its status as gateway to Europe for the banking sector after Britain quits the European trading bloc. Andreas Dombret, who is an executive board member for the BundesbankGermanys central banktold a private meeting of German businesses and banks earlier this week in Frankfurt that even if banking rules were equivalent between the UK and the rest of the EU, that was still miles away from [Britain having] access to the single market, the BBC reports. Jason Hawkes Brexit Concerns Exodus The number of financial sector professionals in Britain and continental Europe looking for jobs in Ireland rocketed in the months after the UK voted to leave the European Union Shutterstock Brexit Concerns Brexit is making FTSE 100 executives richer Pay packages of many FTSE 100 chief executive officers are partly tied to how well share prices are doing rather than the CEOs performance -- and some stocks are soaring. ritish equities got a boost since the June vote because the likes of Rio Tinto, Smiths Group and WPP generate most sales abroad and earn a fortune when they convert these revenues back into the weakened pound. Sterlings fall also made UK stocks more affordable for overseas investors. Rex Brexit Concerns Theresa May: UK to leave single market Theresa May has said the UK "cannot possibly" remain within the European single market, as staying in it would mean "not leaving the EU at all". Getty Brexit Concerns Lead campaigner Gina Miller and her team outside the High Court Getty Brexit Concerns Raymond McCord holds up his newly issued Irish passport alongside his British passport outside the High Court in Belfast following a judges dismissal of the UK's first legal challenges to Brexit PA wire Brexit Concerns SDLP leader Colum Eastwood leaving the High Court in Belfast following a judges dismissal of the UK's first legal challenges to Brexit PA wire Brexit Concerns Migrants with luggage walk past a graffiti on a wall as they leave the 'Jungle' migrant camp, as part of a major three-day operation planned to clear the camp in Calais Getty Brexit Concerns Migrants leave messages on their tents in the Jungle migrant camp Getty Brexit Concerns The Adventist Development and Relief Agency (Adra) which distributes approximately 700 meals daily in the northern Paris camp states that it is noticing a spike in new migrant arrivals this week, potentially linked the the Calais 'jungle' camp closure - with around 1000 meals distributed today EPA Brexit Concerns Migrant workers pick apples at Stocks Farm in Suckley, Britain Reuters Brexit Concerns Many farmers across the country are voicing concerns that Brexit could be a dangerous step into the unknown for the farming industry Getty Brexit Concerns Bank of England governor Mark Carney who said the long-term outlook for the UK economy is positive, but growth was slowing in the wake of the Brexit vote PA Brexit Concerns The Dow Jones industrial average closed down over 600 points on the news with markets around the globe pluninging Getty Brexit Concerns Immigration officers deal with each member of the public seeking entry into the United Kingdom but on average, 10 a day are refused entry at this London airport and between 2008 and 2009, 33,100 people were detained at the airport for mainly passport irregularities Getty Brexit Concerns A number of global investment giants have threatened to move their European operations out of London if Brexit proves to have a negative impact on their businesses Getty Brexit Concerns Following the possibility of a Brexit the UK would be released from its renewable energy targets under the EU Renewable Energy Directive and from EU state aid restrictions, potentially giving the government more freedom both in the design and phasing out of renewable energy support regimes Getty Brexit Concerns A woman looking at a chart showing the drop in the pound (Sterling) against the US Dollar in London after Britain voted to leave the EU Getty Brexit Concerns Young protesters outside the Houses of Parliament in Westminster, to protest against the United Kingdom's decision to leave the EU following the referendum Getty Brexit Concerns Applications from Northern Ireland citizens for Irish Passports has soared to a record high after the UK Voted in favour of Leaving the EU Getty Brexit Concerns NFU Vice President Minette Batters with Secretary of State, Andrea Leadsome at the National Farmers Union (NFU) took machinery, produce, farmers and staff to Westminster to encourage Members of Parliament to back British farming, post Brexit Getty Brexit Concerns The latest reports released by the UK Cabinet Office warn that expats would lose a range of specific rights to live, to work and to access pensions, healthcare and public services. The same reports added that UK citizens abroad would not be able to assume that these rights will be guaranteed in the future Getty Brexit Concerns A British resident living in Spain asks questions during an informative Brexit talk by the "Brexpats in Spain" group, about Spanish legal issues to become Spanish citizens, at the town hall in Benalmadena, Spain Reuters Brexit Concerns The collapse of Great Britain appears to have been greatly exaggerated given the late summer crowds visiting city museums, hotels, and other important tourist attractions Getty Brexit Concerns The U.K. should maintain European Union regulations covering everything from working hours to chemicals until after the government sets out its plans for Brexit, said British manufacturers anxious to avoid a policy vacuum and safeguard access to their biggest export market Getty

On the whole UK firms would face proportionally higher export tariffs than EU companies, but because the UK imports more than it exports it is the EU that would face the greatest bill.

Only companies in Croatia, Cyprus, Estonia, Greece and Malta would pay less than the British firms they trade with.

The research also reveals that manufacturers and farmers are likely to be hit hardest by Brexit. UK and EU companies exporting vehicles, meat and dairy produce will face the greatest costs should trade tariffs be introduced.

Levies of 40% could hit EU exporters of dairy produce, while UK businesses selling tobacco and tobacco substitutes would face a charge of 44 per cent.

It comes as reports suggest ministers are preparing to cut the UK's corporation tax rate by half in order to force the hand of other EU states. Supporters believe such a cut could keep companies in the UK and attract new businesses, diverting investment from other countries.

Fears about a possible UK trade deal with the EU were fuelled when the Belgian region of Wallonia blocked a proposed EU trade agreement with Canada, raising the prospect of a UK deal also being vetoed.

But Cabinet minister and Brexit supporter Chris Grayling said he did not believe a trade deal with the UK would be rejected.

The Transport Secretary told the BBC: I think there is a very different question with our relationship with the European Union. We are their most important export marketNobody in continental Europe benefits from a reduction in the ability to trade with the United Kingdom. 
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Labours leader in the House of Lords has said the partys peers will not block Brexit, in what could be a boost for Theresa May.

Baroness Angela Smith said peers had to be adult in approaching the issue and that threats over blocking Britains EU withdrawal only gave Brexiteers reason to cry foul.

A group of Tory Lords angry at Ms Mays hard-line approach have already signalled they could stymie and block Brexit legislation, something which is significant because Conservatives are already in a minority there. It led one cabinet minister to warn in The Independent that such a rebellion would put the Lords future at risk.

Speaking in the upper chamber, Labours Baroness Smith said she had read the news report, before setting out how Labour peers would approach Brexit legislation differently.

She said: We will scrutinise. We will examine. But my Lords  we will not block.

Explaining the approach, the shadow Leader of the Lords added: We have to be adult about this.

We cant have the most enthusiastic Brexiteers crying foul every time Parliament asks for more details or seeks to scrutinise.

She said few Lords did not have genuine concerns about what she claimed is the governments confused and unsettled approach to negotiations.

 Brexit negotiators are 'in cloud cuckoo land', says man who negotiated Britain's EU rebate

Baroness Smith also said that while Labour peers would not block Brexit, they did take seriously their responsibility in assisting the Government to make the best possible arrangements for the UK.

She said peers would use their expertise and knowledge to fully understand the implications of Brexit and try to advise the Government on how to address problems.

The peer added: Its complex, its difficult and the Government should see this House as an asset and not try to avoid helpful scrutiny.

A leading cabinet minister suggested to The Independent last week that the Government could act to weaken or even abolish the Lords if it undermined the drive to implement the EU referendum result.

Brexit Concerns Show all 26 1 /26 Brexit Concerns Brexit Concerns Brexit will put British patients at 'back of the queue' for new drugs Brexit will put British patients at the back of the queue for vital new drugs, the Government has been warned  forcing them to wait up to two years longer A medicines regulator has raised the alarm over a likely decision to pull out of the European Medicines Agency (EMA), as well as the EU itself. ealth Secretary Jeremy Hunt dropped the bombshell , when he said he expected the UK would quit the EMA  because it is subject to rulings by the European Court of Justice. Getty Images Brexit Concerns London to lose status as 'gateway to Europe' for banks One of Germanys top banking regulators has warned that London could lose its status as gateway to Europe for the banking sector after Britain quits the European trading bloc. Andreas Dombret, who is an executive board member for the BundesbankGermanys central banktold a private meeting of German businesses and banks earlier this week in Frankfurt that even if banking rules were equivalent between the UK and the rest of the EU, that was still miles away from [Britain having] access to the single market, the BBC reports. Jason Hawkes Brexit Concerns Exodus The number of financial sector professionals in Britain and continental Europe looking for jobs in Ireland rocketed in the months after the UK voted to leave the European Union Shutterstock Brexit Concerns Brexit is making FTSE 100 executives richer Pay packages of many FTSE 100 chief executive officers are partly tied to how well share prices are doing rather than the CEOs performance -- and some stocks are soaring. ritish equities got a boost since the June vote because the likes of Rio Tinto, Smiths Group and WPP generate most sales abroad and earn a fortune when they convert these revenues back into the weakened pound. Sterlings fall also made UK stocks more affordable for overseas investors. Rex Brexit Concerns Theresa May: UK to leave single market Theresa May has said the UK "cannot possibly" remain within the European single market, as staying in it would mean "not leaving the EU at all". Getty Brexit Concerns Lead campaigner Gina Miller and her team outside the High Court Getty Brexit Concerns Raymond McCord holds up his newly issued Irish passport alongside his British passport outside the High Court in Belfast following a judges dismissal of the UK's first legal challenges to Brexit PA wire Brexit Concerns SDLP leader Colum Eastwood leaving the High Court in Belfast following a judges dismissal of the UK's first legal challenges to Brexit PA wire Brexit Concerns Migrants with luggage walk past a graffiti on a wall as they leave the 'Jungle' migrant camp, as part of a major three-day operation planned to clear the camp in Calais Getty Brexit Concerns Migrants leave messages on their tents in the Jungle migrant camp Getty Brexit Concerns The Adventist Development and Relief Agency (Adra) which distributes approximately 700 meals daily in the northern Paris camp states that it is noticing a spike in new migrant arrivals this week, potentially linked the the Calais 'jungle' camp closure - with around 1000 meals distributed today EPA Brexit Concerns Migrant workers pick apples at Stocks Farm in Suckley, Britain Reuters Brexit Concerns Many farmers across the country are voicing concerns that Brexit could be a dangerous step into the unknown for the farming industry Getty Brexit Concerns Bank of England governor Mark Carney who said the long-term outlook for the UK economy is positive, but growth was slowing in the wake of the Brexit vote PA Brexit Concerns The Dow Jones industrial average closed down over 600 points on the news with markets around the globe pluninging Getty Brexit Concerns Immigration officers deal with each member of the public seeking entry into the United Kingdom but on average, 10 a day are refused entry at this London airport and between 2008 and 2009, 33,100 people were detained at the airport for mainly passport irregularities Getty Brexit Concerns A number of global investment giants have threatened to move their European operations out of London if Brexit proves to have a negative impact on their businesses Getty Brexit Concerns Following the possibility of a Brexit the UK would be released from its renewable energy targets under the EU Renewable Energy Directive and from EU state aid restrictions, potentially giving the government more freedom both in the design and phasing out of renewable energy support regimes Getty Brexit Concerns A woman looking at a chart showing the drop in the pound (Sterling) against the US Dollar in London after Britain voted to leave the EU Getty Brexit Concerns Young protesters outside the Houses of Parliament in Westminster, to protest against the United Kingdom's decision to leave the EU following the referendum Getty Brexit Concerns Applications from Northern Ireland citizens for Irish Passports has soared to a record high after the UK Voted in favour of Leaving the EU Getty Brexit Concerns NFU Vice President Minette Batters with Secretary of State, Andrea Leadsome at the National Farmers Union (NFU) took machinery, produce, farmers and staff to Westminster to encourage Members of Parliament to back British farming, post Brexit Getty Brexit Concerns The latest reports released by the UK Cabinet Office warn that expats would lose a range of specific rights to live, to work and to access pensions, healthcare and public services. The same reports added that UK citizens abroad would not be able to assume that these rights will be guaranteed in the future Getty Brexit Concerns A British resident living in Spain asks questions during an informative Brexit talk by the "Brexpats in Spain" group, about Spanish legal issues to become Spanish citizens, at the town hall in Benalmadena, Spain Reuters Brexit Concerns The collapse of Great Britain appears to have been greatly exaggerated given the late summer crowds visiting city museums, hotels, and other important tourist attractions Getty Brexit Concerns The U.K. should maintain European Union regulations covering everything from working hours to chemicals until after the government sets out its plans for Brexit, said British manufacturers anxious to avoid a policy vacuum and safeguard access to their biggest export market Getty

The minister said: Unelected peers should think very carefully about defying a decision taken by the public in a referendum.

We might have to do a Lloyd George and create a thousand peers.

As a Liberal Chancellor, George threatened to flood the Lords with new peers who would pass his People's Budget of 1909, when the existing Tory-dominated House refused.

A version of the reforming Budget only passed after the 1911 Parliament Act clipped the wings of the upper House  ending its veto on legislation and replacing it with a right to delay.

In 1980, left-winger Tony Benn also said that if Labour won an election it would abolish the Lords by creating a thousand new peers to vote it out of existence.

 Corbyn says Brexit has been 'chaotic' and needs a more 'grown up approach'

Earlier this month Tory peer Patience Wheatcroft accused Ms May of using the royal prerogative to decide on her own what Brexit will effectively mean and joined demands that Parliament vote on what deal the Government seeks from the EU, something Ms May has refused.

Lords Speaker Norman Fowler has also suggested peers could vote down legislation that comes from the Commons.

One Tory peer has told The Independent: There are people who are worried that if the Lords pushes back on this, it could be the end of the Lords.

But the Lords has to be reformed anyway, it has to happen. There are far too many of us. So some of us don't see that as an impediment.
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Jeremy Hunt has backed a plan to cut up to four years from the time it takes the NHS to scrutinise and sign off new medicines before they are deemed safe for patients to use.

The Health Secretary said he was determined to help the UK become the best place in the world to produce new drugs and products and that the move could benefit patients and be done without cutting assessment standards.

He was responding to plans outlined in the Governments Accelerated Access Review, which was carried out independently by Sir Hugh Taylor, a former senior civil servant who chairs Guys and St Thomass Hospital Trust.

Recommended Read more Hunt plans to fine doctors who move abroad after training

In its final report released on Monday, the review said a balance had to be struck between speeding up the process of bringing medicines to market and patient safety and that in many cases four years could be cut from the process without reducing the standards of evidence needed.

The Accelerated Access Pathway could enable widespread patient access to pharmaceutical products up to four years earlier, the report says.

It continues: There is always a balance to be struck between accelerating access to medicines and ensuring that patients can be confident those medicines are safe.

It is therefore important to note that this review does not make any recommendations that change the evidentiary standards needed for regulation.

In EAMS, medicines are only approved for use in the scheme if companies can provide good quality, clinical and non-clinical supporting data, along with a risk management plan, similar to that provided for marketing authorisation.

UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 31 October 2022 GBs James Hall competes during the mens parallel bars qualification at the World Gymnastics Championships in Liverpool AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 30 October 2022 People dressed in Halloween costumes paddle board along the river Avon in Christchurch, Dorset PA UK news in pictures 29 October 2022 Members of the public take pictures as police officers remove activists from a road during a Just Stop Oil protest, in London Reuters UK news in pictures 28 October 2022 A cosplayer attends the MCM Comic Con London 2022 at the ExCel Centre in London Reuters UK news in pictures 27 October 2022 98-year-old D-Day Veteran Bernard Morgan, whose story is among those featured on the giant poppy wall, during the launch of The Royal British Legion 2022 Poppy Appeal, at Hay's Galleria in central London PA UK news in pictures 26 October 2022 A meerkat explores a pumpkin in the enclosure at Wild Place, Bristol, where some of the animals are having pumpkin treats as part of their environmental enrichment PA UK news in pictures 25 October 2022 King Charles III welcomes Rishi Sunak during an audience at Buckingham Palace, where he invited the newly elected leader of the Conservative Party to become Prime Minister and form a new government PA UK news in pictures 24 October 2022 Rishi Sunak celebrates with Tory MPs outside the Conservative Campaign Headquarters after becoming the new leader of the Conservative Party Reuters UK news in pictures 23 October 2022 The Green Man at October Plenty, Borough Market's annual Autumn Harvest festival, in London, which returns for the first time post pandemic PA UK news in pictures 21 October 2022 Sculptor Peter McKenna puts the finishing touches to a pumpkin that will form part of the Planet A Hebden Bridge Pumpkin Trail in the West Yorkshire town PA UK news in pictures 20 October 2022 Britains Prime Minister Liz Truss delivers a speech outside of 10 Downing 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Haaland went on to score a hattrick, his third of the season in the Premier League. City beat United 6-3. Manchester City FC/Getty UK news in pictures 1 October 2022 Protesters hold up flags and placards at a protest in London. A variety of protest groups including Enough is Enough, Don't Pay and Just Stop Oil all demonstrated on the day AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 30 September 2022 British Prime Minister Liz Truss, who has not been seen in days, leaves the back of Downing Street after a meeting with Office For Budget Responsibility following the release of her governments mini-budget Getty UK news in pictures 29 September 2022 The Virginia creeper foliage on the Tu Hwnt i'r Bont (Beyond the Bridge) Llanwrst, Conwy North Wales, has changed colour from green to red in at the start of Autumn. The building was built in 1480 as a residential dwelling but has been a tearoom for over 50 years PA UK news in pictures 28 September 2022 Criminal barristers from the Criminal Bar Association (CBA), demonstrates outside the Royal Courts of Justice in London, as part of their ongoing pay row with the Government PA UK news in pictures 27 September 2022 David White, Garter King of Arms, poses with an envelope franked with the new cypher of King Charles III 'CIIIR', after it was printed in the Court Post Office at Buckingham Palace in central London AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 26 September 2022 A gallery staff member poses next to a painting by Lucian Freud - Self-portrait (Fragment), 1956 - on show at a photocall for the Credit Suisse exhibition - Lucian Freud: New Perspectives at the National Gallery in London PA UK news in pictures 25 September 2022 Labour leader, Sir Keir Starmer is interviewed by Laura Kuenssberg in Liverpool before the start of the Labour Party annual Conference which he opened with a tribute to Queen Elizabeth II and sang the national anthem PA UK news in pictures 24 September 2022 Handout photo issued by Buckingham Palace of the ledger stone at the King George VI Memorial Chapel, St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle PA UK news in pictures 23 September 2022 A climate change activist protests against UK private jets while lighting his right arm on fire during the Laver Cup tennis tournament at the O2 Arena in London EPA UK news in pictures 22 September 2022 Woody Woodmansey, Lee Bennett, Kevin Armstrong, Nick Moran and Clifford Slapper attend the unveiling of a stone for David Bowie on the Music Walk of Fame at Camden, north London PA UK news in pictures 21 September 2022 A flock of birds in the sky as the sun rises over Dungeness in Kent PA UK news in pictures 20 September 2022 Flowers which were laid by members of the public in tribute to Queen Elizabeth II at Hillsborough Castle in Northern Ireland are collected by the Hillsborough Gardening Team and volunteers to be replanted for those that can be saved or composted PA UK news in pictures 19 September 2022 The ceremonial procession of the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II travels down the long walk as it arrives at Windsor Castle for the committal service at St Georges Chapel AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 18 September 2022 A man stands among campers on The Mall ahead of the Queens funeral Reuters UK news in pictures 17 September 2022 Wolverhampton Wanderers Nathan Collins fouls Manchester Citys Jack Grealish leading to a red card. 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The review says the process could be sped up by shortening the clinical development period before market access is granted for drugs.

Other assessment processes currently conducted in a series could also be conducted at the same time, among other changes proposed by the report.

Mr Hunt said the report should be implemented and that it provided a strong basis for considering new medicines in the future.

Welcoming the recommendations, Mr Hunt said in a statement: The report provides us with a strong basis to make the right decisions about how the health system can be adapted to meet the challenges of the future, attract inward investment, grow our thriving life sciences industry and use innovation to improve patient outcomes in the context of the financial pressures on the NHS, he said.

It will be important to implement this report in a way that is affordable for the NHS. The Government will now consider the proposals in detail with our partners and will provide a fuller response in due course.
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Theresa May is warned today that she faces a full-blown constitutional crisis unless she persuades the other nations of the UK to back her terms for Brexit.

As the Prime Minister prepares to host the leaders of the devolved administrations for talks, a new study has concluded that imposing an exit settlement on them would be a reckless strategy.

So far, Ms May has insisted the Brexit negotiations are for her Government to undertake alone  rejecting the Scottish governments demand to be treated as an equal partner.

Todays report, by the Institute for Government (IfG) think-tank, says imposing a settlement may be legally possible, given that the UK Parliament remains sovereign.

But it warns: This would run contrary to convention and to the spirit of devolution, which recognises the right of the three devolved nations to determine their own form of government.

It would seriously undermine relationships between the four governments, and increase the chances of Scottish independence and rifts in Northern Irelands fragile power-sharing arrangements.

Nicola Sturgeon, the Scottish First Minister, has already set herself on a collision course with Westminster by publishing a bill to hold a second independence referendum, it notes.

 Brexit negotiators are 'in cloud cuckoo land', says man who negotiated Britain's EU rebate

As a result, the IfG describes recent developments as not reassuring, adding: Scottish people may indeed have to choose between their membership of the UK and the EU. But this is not inevitable.

Brexit Concerns Show all 26 1 /26 Brexit Concerns Brexit Concerns Brexit will put British patients at 'back of the queue' for new drugs Brexit will put British patients at the back of the queue for vital new drugs, the Government has been warned  forcing them to wait up to two years longer A medicines regulator has raised the alarm over a likely decision to pull out of the European Medicines Agency (EMA), as well as the EU itself. ealth Secretary Jeremy Hunt dropped the bombshell , when he said he expected the UK would quit the EMA  because it is subject to rulings by the European Court of Justice. Getty Images Brexit Concerns London to lose status as 'gateway to Europe' for banks One of Germanys top banking regulators has warned that London could lose its status as gateway to Europe for the banking sector after Britain quits the European trading bloc. Andreas Dombret, who is an executive board member for the BundesbankGermanys central banktold a private meeting of German businesses and banks earlier this week in Frankfurt that even if banking rules were equivalent between the UK and the rest of the EU, that was still miles away from [Britain having] access to the single market, the BBC reports. Jason Hawkes Brexit Concerns Exodus The number of financial sector professionals in Britain and continental Europe looking for jobs in Ireland rocketed in the months after the UK voted to leave the European Union Shutterstock Brexit Concerns Brexit is making FTSE 100 executives richer Pay packages of many FTSE 100 chief executive officers are partly tied to how well share prices are doing rather than the CEOs performance -- and some stocks are soaring. ritish equities got a boost since the June vote because the likes of Rio Tinto, Smiths Group and WPP generate most sales abroad and earn a fortune when they convert these revenues back into the weakened pound. Sterlings fall also made UK stocks more affordable for overseas investors. Rex Brexit Concerns Theresa May: UK to leave single market Theresa May has said the UK "cannot possibly" remain within the European single market, as staying in it would mean "not leaving the EU at all". Getty Brexit Concerns Lead campaigner Gina Miller and her team outside the High Court Getty Brexit Concerns Raymond McCord holds up his newly issued Irish passport alongside his British passport outside the High Court in Belfast following a judges dismissal of the UK's first legal challenges to Brexit PA wire Brexit Concerns SDLP leader Colum Eastwood leaving the High Court in Belfast following a judges dismissal of the UK's first legal challenges to Brexit PA wire Brexit Concerns Migrants with luggage walk past a graffiti on a wall as they leave the 'Jungle' migrant camp, as part of a major three-day operation planned to clear the camp in Calais Getty Brexit Concerns Migrants leave messages on their tents in the Jungle migrant camp Getty Brexit Concerns The Adventist Development and Relief Agency (Adra) which distributes approximately 700 meals daily in the northern Paris camp states that it is noticing a spike in new migrant arrivals this week, potentially linked the the Calais 'jungle' camp closure - with around 1000 meals distributed today EPA Brexit Concerns Migrant workers pick apples at Stocks Farm in Suckley, Britain Reuters Brexit Concerns Many farmers across the country are voicing concerns that Brexit could be a dangerous step into the unknown for the farming industry Getty Brexit Concerns Bank of England governor Mark Carney who said the long-term outlook for the UK economy is positive, but growth was slowing in the wake of the Brexit vote PA Brexit Concerns The Dow Jones industrial average closed down over 600 points on the news with markets around the globe pluninging Getty Brexit Concerns Immigration officers deal with each member of the public seeking entry into the United Kingdom but on average, 10 a day are refused entry at this London airport and between 2008 and 2009, 33,100 people were detained at the airport for mainly passport irregularities Getty Brexit Concerns A number of global investment giants have threatened to move their European operations out of London if Brexit proves to have a negative impact on their businesses Getty Brexit Concerns Following the possibility of a Brexit the UK would be released from its renewable energy targets under the EU Renewable Energy Directive and from EU state aid restrictions, potentially giving the government more freedom both in the design and phasing out of renewable energy support regimes Getty Brexit Concerns A woman looking at a chart showing the drop in the pound (Sterling) against the US Dollar in London after Britain voted to leave the EU Getty Brexit Concerns Young protesters outside the Houses of Parliament in Westminster, to protest against the United Kingdom's decision to leave the EU following the referendum Getty Brexit Concerns Applications from Northern Ireland citizens for Irish Passports has soared to a record high after the UK Voted in favour of Leaving the EU Getty Brexit Concerns NFU Vice President Minette Batters with Secretary of State, Andrea Leadsome at the National Farmers Union (NFU) took machinery, produce, farmers and staff to Westminster to encourage Members of Parliament to back British farming, post Brexit Getty Brexit Concerns The latest reports released by the UK Cabinet Office warn that expats would lose a range of specific rights to live, to work and to access pensions, healthcare and public services. The same reports added that UK citizens abroad would not be able to assume that these rights will be guaranteed in the future Getty Brexit Concerns A British resident living in Spain asks questions during an informative Brexit talk by the "Brexpats in Spain" group, about Spanish legal issues to become Spanish citizens, at the town hall in Benalmadena, Spain Reuters Brexit Concerns The collapse of Great Britain appears to have been greatly exaggerated given the late summer crowds visiting city museums, hotels, and other important tourist attractions Getty Brexit Concerns The U.K. should maintain European Union regulations covering everything from working hours to chemicals until after the government sets out its plans for Brexit, said British manufacturers anxious to avoid a policy vacuum and safeguard access to their biggest export market Getty

The four governments in the UK must agree the core planks of the negotiating position before the Prime Minister triggers Article 50, formally starting the Brexit process early next year, it says.

And it concludes: There is little common ground between these leaders on the future of the UK or almost anything else.

But the stakes are high. If it proves impossible to find consensus and the dog topples over after a few tentative steps, the result may be a serious breakdown in relations between the four governments (and nations) of the UK.

The report was timed to coincide with Ms May meeting Ms Sturgeon, Welsh leader Carwyn Jones and Northern Irelands leader Arlene Foster, as well her deputy Martin McGuinness, at No 10 today.

Ahead of the first meeting of the Joint Ministerial Council (JMC) since 2014, she insisted she was ready to listen to proposals put forward by the first ministers about the Brexit process.

The Prime Minister said: The country is facing a negotiation of tremendous importance and it is imperative that the devolved administrations play their part in making it work.

The new forum I am offering will be the chance for them all to put forward their proposals on how to seize the opportunities presented by Brexit and deliver the democratic decision expressed by the people of the UK.

If the devolved governments agree, a new sub-committee of the JMC, chaired by Brexit Secretary David Davis, will meet at least twice before Christmas.

But the scale of the challenge ahead to achieve agreement was laid bare by a joint call for the three devolved legislatures to be given their own votes on the Brexit negotiating position.

Such an approach would properly reflect the stated position of the UK Government that the UK is a family of nations, a partnership of equals, Mr Jones said in a letter to the Prime Minister.

Mr Jones also said the final exit deal should also be subject to votes in all four UK parliaments and assemblies  a position backed by Ms Sturgeon.
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Theresa May is bracing herself for a Cabinet bust-up over Heathrow Airport ahead of an official decision on expansion tomorrow.

A Downing Street spokesperson admitted the Prime Minister would not have introduced a special arrangement for cabinet ministers to attack the final decision, if she was not expecting them to use it.

Recommended Read more Theresa May launches bid to control Boris ahead of Heathrow decision

Boris Johnson and Justine Greening are expected to be among those speaking out, if the outcome is to build another runway at the west London airport as expected.

The decision will be made at a cabinet sub-committee meeting tomorrow morning, with Transport Secretary Chris Grayling due to report the result to the Commons afterwards.

The Prime Minister is allowing exceptional and limited dissent from some ministers to avoid a major cabinet split, but has set out tight restrictions on what they can and cannot say.

A No 10 spokesperson said: Normally if you set out some special arrangements, you are doing that for a reason.

Ms May will grant a special derogation allowing some ministers to speak out against the Government's plan, but no one will be able to campaign actively against the official position, nor publicly criticise, or call into question the decision-making process itself.

 Boris on Heathrow expansion

Ministers will also not be permitted to speak out against the Government in the House of Commons. To say anything outside the chamber, Ms May has told them they must seek my approval.

The No 10 spokesperson said no one had yet approached the Prime Minister to ask permission to oppose any expansion decision, but several ministers, including Foreign Secretary Mr Johnson and Education Secretary Ms Greening, are expected to tomorrow.

Neither are on the Economy and Industrial Strategy (Airports) Committee, chaired by Ms May herself, which will take the decision tomorrow. Among its nine members are the Chancellor Philip Hammond, Business Secretary Greg Clark, Commuities Secretary Sajid Javid and Mr Grayling.

After the meeting, the Transport Secretary will confirm the Governments position in the Commons at about 12.30pm. It will then go to a full public consultation before a final decision is put before the House in the winter of 2017/18.

A third runway at Heathrow was recommended by the independent Airports Commission, chaired by Sir Howard Davies. But Tory Richmond Park MP Zac Goldsmith has said he is ready to quit and run as an independent candidate if the Government follows Sir Howards advice.
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One of the 26 Asian sailors released after held hostage by Somali pirates has revealed how the group survived their four-year ordeal.

Filipino sailor Arnel Balbero told the BBC how the group were forced to eat anything they could, including rats.

"You eat anything, even if you not like, but you feel hungry, you eat", he said.

"We eat rat, we cook it."

Mr Balbero, speaking in Nairobi, said the pirates treated them "like animals" and only gave them small amounts of water.

He said the four-and-a-half years as a hostage had left him feeling like the "walking dead".

The crew of the FV Nathan 3 were taken captive when their boat was seized south of the Seychelles in March 2012, when pirate attacks were common in the area.

The sailors, from China, the Philippines, Cambodia, Indonesia, Vietnam and Taiwan, had one of the longest periods of captivity among hostages seized by pirates in the African country.

Mr Balbero also spoke about the difficulties of adjusting to life after being held hostage for so long: "I don't know what is... outside of this world when we finish, so it's very hard to start again."

World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. The fast moving Glass fire has burned over 1,000 acres and has destroyed homes Getty World news in pictures 26 September 2020 A villager along with a child offers prayers next to a carcass of a wild elephant that officials say was electrocuted in Rani Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Guwahati, India AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 September 2020 The casket of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol to lie in state in Washington, DC AFP via Getty World news in pictures 24 September 2020 An anti-government protester holds up an image of a pro-democracy commemorative plaque at a rally outside Thailand's parliament in Bangkok, as activists gathered to demand a new constitution AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 September 2020 A whale stranded on a beach in Macquarie Harbour on the rugged west coast of Tasmania, as hundreds of pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in southern Australia despite efforts to save them, with rescuers racing to free a few dozen survivors The Mercury/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 22 September 2020 State civil employee candidates wearing face masks and shields take a test in Surabaya AFP via Getty World news in pictures 21 September 2020 A man sweeps at the Taj Mahal monument on the day of its reopening after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic AP World news in pictures 20 September 2020 A deer looks for food in a burnt area, caused by the Bobcat fire, in Pearblossom, California EPA World news in pictures 19 September 2020 Anti-government protesters hold their mobile phones aloft as they take part in a pro-democracy rally in Bangkok. Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters massed close to Thailand's royal palace, in a huge rally calling for PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and demanding reforms to the monarchy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 September 2020 Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr maintain social distancing as they attend Friday prayers after the coronavirus disease restrictions were eased, in Kufa mosque, near Najaf, Iraq Reuters World news in pictures 17 September 2020 A protester climbs on The Triumph of the Republic at 'the Place de la Nation' as thousands of protesters take part in a demonstration during a national day strike called by labor unions asking for better salary and against jobs cut in Paris, France EPA World news in pictures 16 September 2020 A fire raging near the Lazzaretto of Ancona in Italy. The huge blaze broke out overnight at the port of Ancona. Firefighters have brought the fire under control but they expected to keep working through the day EPA World news in pictures 15 September 2020 Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny posing for a selfie with his family at Berlin's Charite hospital. In an Instagram post he said he could now breathe independently following his suspected poisoning last month Alexei Navalny/Instagram/AFP World news in pictures 14 September 2020 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Suga was elected as new head of the ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo Reuters World news in pictures 13 September 2020 A man stands behind a burning barricade during the fifth straight day of protests against police brutality in Bogota AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 September 2020 Police officers block and detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus. Daily protests calling for the authoritarian president's resignation are now in their second month AP World news in pictures 11 September 2020 Members of 'Omnium Cultural' celebrate the 20th 'Festa per la llibertat' ('Fiesta for the freedom') to mark the Day of Catalonia in Barcelona. Omnion Cultural fights for the independence of Catalonia EPA World news in pictures 10 September 2020 The Moria refugee camp, two days after Greece's biggest migrant camp, was destroyed by fire. Thousands of asylum seekers on the island of Lesbos are now homeless AFP via Getty World news in pictures 9 September 2020 Pope Francis takes off his face mask as he arrives by car to hold a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 8 September 2020 A home is engulfed in flames during the "Creek Fire" in the Tollhouse area of California AFP via Getty World news in pictures 7 September 2020 A couple take photos along a sea wall of the waves brought by Typhoon Haishen in the eastern port city of Sokcho AFP via Getty World news in pictures 6 September 2020 Novak Djokovic and a tournament official tends to a linesperson who was struck with a ball by Djokovic during his match against Pablo Carreno Busta at the US Open USA Today Sports/Reuters World news in pictures 5 September 2020 Protesters confront police at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne, Australia, during an anti-lockdown rally AFP via Getty World news in pictures 4 September 2020 A woman looks on from a rooftop as rescue workers dig through the rubble of a damaged building in Beirut. A search began for possible survivors after a scanner detected a pulse one month after the mega-blast at the adjacent port AFP via Getty World news in pictures 3 September 2020 A full moon next to the Virgen del Panecillo statue in Quito, Ecuador EPA World news in pictures 2 September 2020 A Palestinian woman reacts as Israeli forces demolish her animal shed near Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank Reuters World news in pictures 1 September 2020 Students protest against presidential elections results in Minsk TUT.BY/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 31 August 2020 The pack rides during the 3rd stage of the Tour de France between Nice and Sisteron AFP via Getty World news in pictures 30 August 2020 Law enforcement officers block a street during a rally of opposition supporters protesting against presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus Reuters World news in pictures 29 August 2020 A woman holding a placard reading "Stop Censorship - Yes to the Freedom of Expression" shouts in a megaphone during a protest against the mandatory wearing of face masks in Paris. Masks, which were already compulsory on public transport, in enclosed public spaces, and outdoors in Paris in certain high-congestion areas around tourist sites, were made mandatory outdoors citywide on August 28 to fight the rising coronavirus infections AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 August 2020 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bows to the national flag at the start of a press conference at the prime minister official residence in Tokyo. Abe announced he will resign over health problems, in a bombshell development that kicks off a leadership contest in the world's third-largest economy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 27 August 2020 Residents take cover behind a tree trunk from rubber bullets fired by South African Police Service (SAPS) in Eldorado Park, near Johannesburg, during a protest by community members after a 16-year old boy was reported dead AFP via Getty World news in pictures 26 August 2020 People scatter rose petals on a statue of Mother Teresa marking her 110th birth anniversary in Ahmedabad AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 August 2020 An aerial view shows beach-goers standing on salt formations in the Dead Sea near Ein Bokeq, Israel Reuters World news in pictures 24 August 2020 Health workers use a fingertip pulse oximeter and check the body temperature of a fisherwoman inside the Dharavi slum during a door-to-door Covid-19 coronavirus screening in Mumbai AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 August 2020 People carry an idol of the Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, to immerse it off the coast of the Arabian sea during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, India Reuters World news in pictures 22 August 2020 Firefighters watch as flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires approach a home in Napa County, California AP World news in pictures 21 August 2020 Members of the Israeli security forces arrest a Palestinian demonstrator during a rally to protest against Israel's plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank AFP via Getty World news in pictures 20 August 2020 A man pushes his bicycle through a deserted road after prohibitory orders were imposed by district officials for a week to contain the spread of the Covid-19 in Kathmandu AFP via Getty World news in pictures 19 August 2020 A car burns while parked at a residence in Vacaville, California. Dozens of fires are burning out of control throughout Northern California as fire resources are spread thin AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 August 2020 Students use their mobile phones as flashlights at an anti-government rally at Mahidol University in Nakhon Pathom. Thailand has seen near-daily protests in recent weeks by students demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha AFP via Getty World news in pictures 17 August 2020 Members of the Kayapo tribe block the BR163 highway during a protest outside Novo Progresso in Para state, Brazil. Indigenous protesters blocked a major transamazonian highway to protest against the lack of governmental support during the COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic and illegal deforestation in and around their territories AFP via Getty World news in pictures 16 August 2020 Lightning forks over the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge as a storm passes over Oakland AP World news in pictures 15 August 2020 Belarus opposition supporters gather near the Pushkinskaya metro station where Alexander Taraikovsky, a 34-year-old protester died on August 10, during their protest rally in central Minsk AFP via Getty World news in pictures 14 August 2020 AlphaTauri's driver Daniil Kvyat takes part in the second practice session at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmelo near Barcelona ahead of the Spanish F1 Grand Prix AFP via Getty World news in pictures 13 August 2020 Soldiers of the Brazilian Armed Forces during a disinfection of the Christ The Redeemer statue at the Corcovado mountain prior to the opening of the touristic attraction in Rio AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 August 2020 Young elephant bulls tussle playfully on World Elephant Day at the Amboseli National Park in Kenya AFP via Getty

Pirate Bile Hussein said a $1.5 million (1.2m) ransom was paid for the sailors' release. The claim could not be independently verified.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said in a statement Sunday night that 10 of the hostages were from the Chinese mainland and two were from self-governing Taiwan.

She said the 26 crew members were rescued Saturday "through various efforts." The Chinese government was grateful to "all the organizations and people who participated in the rescue," she said.

The 26 sailors will be repatriated to their home countries, John Steed, coordinator of the Hostage Support Partners for the US-based organization Oceans Beyond Piracy, said in a statement.

"They are reported to be in reasonable condition, considering their ordeal. ... They have spent over four and a half years in deplorable conditions away from their families," Mr Steed said.

He said another member of the crew died in the hijacking and two died of illnesses in captivity.

Piracy off Somalia's coast was once a serious threat to the global shipping industry. Attacks have dropped off dramatically in recent years amid patrols by the navies of Nato counties, China and India.

No commercial vessel has been successfully attacked since 2012, but the threat of piracy remains, Mr Steed said.

Most hostages held by Somali pirates have been sailors on merchant ships, although European families have also been kidnapped from their yachts while traveling in the dangerous waters.

Additional reporting by AP
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A disproportionate number of women Democrats have turned out to cast early votes against Donald Trump in the US presidential election, analysts believe.

Data shows that in Florida and Georgia, more women than men have voted early overall, and in North Carolinan female Democrats cast nearly 50 per cent more early ballots than Republican women. Early male voters, however, cast a similar number of ballots, whether Democrat or Republican.

Experts said the upsurge in Democratic women voters casting early ballots was likely caused by Mr Trump defending his televised misogynistic comments, in addition to a string of sexual assault and harassment allegations made against him by former associates and journalists.

Michael McDonald of the United States Elections Project wrote in the Huffington Post: "In Georgia and North Carolina, there was a surge of women requesting absentee ballots towards the end of the week of the first presidential debate.

In Georgia, the surge began on Thursday and in North Carolina the surge began on Friday, and in both states it persisted through the following week.

The percentage of women among those requesting absentee ballots peaked to their highest levels in the week from Monday, 3 October through Sunday, 9 October. In Georgia, 59.3 per cent of requests came from women and in North Carolina it was 59.4 per cent.

Michael Bitzer, an expert in southern US politics from Catawba College, North Carolina said he had seen a third more women voters than men, with around 87,000 of them Democrats. By comparison, 60,000 Republican women are said to have voted, versus 50,000 male Democrats and 52,000 Republican men.

In Florida, Daniel Smith, a Professor of Political Science at the University of Florida reported similar figures, with 55 per cent of early voters being women as of Wednesday. The state is often considered a bellwether that has consistently predicted election results in the past.

Equally, while Donald Trump is leading in Georgia, an early bump in women voters initially saw Clinton five points ahead, in a state that has not returned a Democrat since Bill Clinton in 1992.

Thats certainly an energy and mobilisation indicator this early for the Clinton campaign and Democrats down ballot, said Professor Bitzer.

Every woman to make sexual assault claims against Donald Trump Show all 16 1 /16 Every woman to make sexual assault claims against Donald Trump Every woman to make sexual assault claims against Donald Trump E Jean Carroll Author Carroll alleges that Trump pinned her against a wall and forced himself upon her in the changing rooms of a Manhattan department store in the mid-90s Getty Every woman to make sexual assault claims against Donald Trump Kristin Anderson Anderson alleges that Mr Trump touched her genitals while at a club in the early 1990s Every woman to make sexual assault claims against Donald Trump Jessica Leeds Leeds told the New York Times that Mr Trump groped her on an airplane in the 1980s BBC Every woman to make sexual assault claims against Donald Trump Natasha Stoynoff Stoynoff alleged that Mr Trump forcefully kissed her before an interview at his Mar-A-Lago estate in 2005 Everipedia Every woman to make sexual assault claims against Donald Trump Karena Virginia Virginia alleges Mr Trump groped her in 1998 outside of the US Open tennis tournament BBC News Every woman to make sexual assault claims against Donald Trump Temple Taggart Taggart claims Mr Trump gave her a kiss without consent during a rehearsal for a 1997 Miss USA pageant Every woman to make sexual assault claims against Donald Trump Summer Zervos The former Apprentice contestant alleged that Mr Trump kissed and groped her at a Beverly Hills hotel in 2007 Every woman to make sexual assault claims against Donald Trump Alva Johnson A former staffer for Trump's campaign, Johnson alleges that Trump forcibly tried to kiss her after a rally in August 2016 MSNBC Every woman to make sexual assault claims against Donald Trump Jennifer Murphy The former Apprentice contestant said Mr Trump "surprise kissed" her - but she said it did not bother her Every woman to make sexual assault claims against Donald Trump Jill Harth The makeup artist accused Mr Trump of "attempted rape" while in his daughter's room in 1997 Every woman to make sexual assault claims against Donald Trump Mindy McGillivray McGillivray alleges Mr Trump groped her at Mar-A-Lago in 2013 AP Every woman to make sexual assault claims against Donald Trump Rachel Crooks Crooks says that kissed her on the cheeks and mouth when she introduced herself to him in 2005 Every woman to make sexual assault claims against Donald Trump Mindy McGillivray McGillivray claims that Trump grabbed her backside at Mar-a-Lago in 2006 CNN Every woman to make sexual assault claims against Donald Trump Cassandra Searles The former Miss Washington alleges that Trump repeatedly grabbed her backside and invited her to his hotel room Getty Every woman to make sexual assault claims against Donald Trump Jessica Drake Drake claims that when she and two other women arrived to Trump's hotel room at his invitation, he arrived at the door in pyjamas and tightly hugged and kissed each of the woman without permission Getty Every woman to make sexual assault claims against Donald Trump Ninni Laaksonen The former Miss Finland claims that Trump squeezed her behind before they appeared together on the Late Show with David Letterman in 2006 EPA

Footage emerged a fortnight ago which threatened to derail Mr Trump's campaign after he was shown appearing to discuss sexual assault of women more than a decade ago. He has dismissed the comments, describing them as "locker room banter" but a number of high profile Republican politicians have distanced themselves from his campaign after the footage came to light.

In response, Trump accused Ms Clinton of standing by her husband Bill amid accusations of sexual harassment and assault, holding a press conference with some of Mr Clinton's accusers prior to the second live presidential debate.

US states have different election rules, with postal absentee votes cast between four and fifty days before election day. In 20 states an excuse for not voting in person is needed.
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Khalil Rafati, the 46-year-old owner of the juice bar chain SunLife Organics, is telling his success story, and sharing the hardships he went through to become a multi-millionaire.

Born in Toledo, Ohio, Mr Rafati fled his hometown to Los Angeles to escape years of sexual abuse. He wound up selling cars to high-profile clients but his new life was quickly shattered when he tried heroin, The New York Times reports.

In 2001, he nearly died while intentionally overdosing at a house party in Malibu. Mr Rafati struggled to kick the drug for the next few years and finally found sobriety in 2003 when he was introduced to superfoods.



Id finally reached the bottom of all bottoms, he told The Times. There was no more digging left to do; all of my shovels were broken. I was done. Mr Rafati founded a sober living home in Malibu, Riviera Recovery, where he created the Wolverine, his juice bars signature smoothie.

Heroin Statistics in the United States Show all 10 1 /10 Heroin Statistics in the United States Heroin Statistics in the United States Graphiq Heroin Statistics in the United States Graphiq Heroin Statistics in the United States Graphiq Heroin Statistics in the United States Graphiq Heroin Statistics in the United States Graphiq Heroin Statistics in the United States Graphiq Heroin Statistics in the United States Graphiq Heroin Statistics in the United States Graphiq Heroin Statistics in the United States Graphiq Heroin Statistics in the United States Graphiq

It was meant to rejuvenate and strengthen the patients, he told the news outlet, and give them some much-needed strength. Lethargy in early sobriety is pretty brutal, especially if youre coming off a long run with hard-core drugs.

Mr Rafatis book, I Forgot To Die, is currently on sale in bookstores.
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Police are hunting for an gunman in Oklahoma after he allegedly killed two people and wounded two police officers.

Authorities say they were called to reports of shots being fired in a caravan park near a highway in Wellston, a small town near the capital Oklahoma City, on Sunday evening at approximately 6:30pm (00:30am UK time).

When officers arrived at the scene the suspect, Michael Vance, allegedly began firing an AK-47 at officers.

The two other victims, believed to be family members of Vance, were found dead at the scene.

One officer was shot in the foot, another was shot in both legs. Both officers' injuries are believed to be non-life threatening, local news channel Koco reported.

The Lincoln County Sheriff's Office said Vance then carjacked a woman living in the caravan park and fled the scene.

The woman was shot at and injured but did not require hospital treatment.

Vance's unnamed accomplice was taken into custody but he remains at large. It is believed he was struck by bullets fired by officers.

World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. The fast moving Glass fire has burned over 1,000 acres and has destroyed homes Getty World news in pictures 26 September 2020 A villager along with a child offers prayers next to a carcass of a wild elephant that officials say was electrocuted in Rani Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Guwahati, India AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 September 2020 The casket of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol to lie in state in Washington, DC AFP via Getty World news in pictures 24 September 2020 An anti-government protester holds up an image of a pro-democracy commemorative plaque at a rally outside Thailand's parliament in Bangkok, as activists gathered to demand a new constitution AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 September 2020 A whale stranded on a beach in Macquarie Harbour on the rugged west coast of Tasmania, as hundreds of pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in southern Australia despite efforts to save them, with rescuers racing to free a few dozen survivors The Mercury/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 22 September 2020 State civil employee candidates wearing face masks and shields take a test in Surabaya AFP via Getty World news in pictures 21 September 2020 A man sweeps at the Taj Mahal monument on the day of its reopening after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic AP World news in pictures 20 September 2020 A deer looks for food in a burnt area, caused by the Bobcat fire, in Pearblossom, California EPA World news in pictures 19 September 2020 Anti-government protesters hold their mobile phones aloft as they take part in a pro-democracy rally in Bangkok. Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters massed close to Thailand's royal palace, in a huge rally calling for PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and demanding reforms to the monarchy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 September 2020 Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr maintain social distancing as they attend Friday prayers after the coronavirus disease restrictions were eased, in Kufa mosque, near Najaf, Iraq Reuters World news in pictures 17 September 2020 A protester climbs on The Triumph of the Republic at 'the Place de la Nation' as thousands of protesters take part in a demonstration during a national day strike called by labor unions asking for better salary and against jobs cut in Paris, France EPA World news in pictures 16 September 2020 A fire raging near the Lazzaretto of Ancona in Italy. The huge blaze broke out overnight at the port of Ancona. Firefighters have brought the fire under control but they expected to keep working through the day EPA World news in pictures 15 September 2020 Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny posing for a selfie with his family at Berlin's Charite hospital. In an Instagram post he said he could now breathe independently following his suspected poisoning last month Alexei Navalny/Instagram/AFP World news in pictures 14 September 2020 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Suga was elected as new head of the ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo Reuters World news in pictures 13 September 2020 A man stands behind a burning barricade during the fifth straight day of protests against police brutality in Bogota AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 September 2020 Police officers block and detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus. Daily protests calling for the authoritarian president's resignation are now in their second month AP World news in pictures 11 September 2020 Members of 'Omnium Cultural' celebrate the 20th 'Festa per la llibertat' ('Fiesta for the freedom') to mark the Day of Catalonia in Barcelona. Omnion Cultural fights for the independence of Catalonia EPA World news in pictures 10 September 2020 The Moria refugee camp, two days after Greece's biggest migrant camp, was destroyed by fire. Thousands of asylum seekers on the island of Lesbos are now homeless AFP via Getty World news in pictures 9 September 2020 Pope Francis takes off his face mask as he arrives by car to hold a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 8 September 2020 A home is engulfed in flames during the "Creek Fire" in the Tollhouse area of California AFP via Getty World news in pictures 7 September 2020 A couple take photos along a sea wall of the waves brought by Typhoon Haishen in the eastern port city of Sokcho AFP via Getty World news in pictures 6 September 2020 Novak Djokovic and a tournament official tends to a linesperson who was struck with a ball by Djokovic during his match against Pablo Carreno Busta at the US Open USA Today Sports/Reuters World news in pictures 5 September 2020 Protesters confront police at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne, Australia, during an anti-lockdown rally AFP via Getty World news in pictures 4 September 2020 A woman looks on from a rooftop as rescue workers dig through the rubble of a damaged building in Beirut. A search began for possible survivors after a scanner detected a pulse one month after the mega-blast at the adjacent port AFP via Getty World news in pictures 3 September 2020 A full moon next to the Virgen del Panecillo statue in Quito, Ecuador EPA World news in pictures 2 September 2020 A Palestinian woman reacts as Israeli forces demolish her animal shed near Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank Reuters World news in pictures 1 September 2020 Students protest against presidential elections results in Minsk TUT.BY/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 31 August 2020 The pack rides during the 3rd stage of the Tour de France between Nice and Sisteron AFP via Getty World news in pictures 30 August 2020 Law enforcement officers block a street during a rally of opposition supporters protesting against presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus Reuters World news in pictures 29 August 2020 A woman holding a placard reading "Stop Censorship - Yes to the Freedom of Expression" shouts in a megaphone during a protest against the mandatory wearing of face masks in Paris. Masks, which were already compulsory on public transport, in enclosed public spaces, and outdoors in Paris in certain high-congestion areas around tourist sites, were made mandatory outdoors citywide on August 28 to fight the rising coronavirus infections AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 August 2020 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bows to the national flag at the start of a press conference at the prime minister official residence in Tokyo. Abe announced he will resign over health problems, in a bombshell development that kicks off a leadership contest in the world's third-largest economy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 27 August 2020 Residents take cover behind a tree trunk from rubber bullets fired by South African Police Service (SAPS) in Eldorado Park, near Johannesburg, during a protest by community members after a 16-year old boy was reported dead AFP via Getty World news in pictures 26 August 2020 People scatter rose petals on a statue of Mother Teresa marking her 110th birth anniversary in Ahmedabad AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 August 2020 An aerial view shows beach-goers standing on salt formations in the Dead Sea near Ein Bokeq, Israel Reuters World news in pictures 24 August 2020 Health workers use a fingertip pulse oximeter and check the body temperature of a fisherwoman inside the Dharavi slum during a door-to-door Covid-19 coronavirus screening in Mumbai AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 August 2020 People carry an idol of the Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, to immerse it off the coast of the Arabian sea during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, India Reuters World news in pictures 22 August 2020 Firefighters watch as flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires approach a home in Napa County, California AP World news in pictures 21 August 2020 Members of the Israeli security forces arrest a Palestinian demonstrator during a rally to protest against Israel's plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank AFP via Getty World news in pictures 20 August 2020 A man pushes his bicycle through a deserted road after prohibitory orders were imposed by district officials for a week to contain the spread of the Covid-19 in Kathmandu AFP via Getty World news in pictures 19 August 2020 A car burns while parked at a residence in Vacaville, California. Dozens of fires are burning out of control throughout Northern California as fire resources are spread thin AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 August 2020 Students use their mobile phones as flashlights at an anti-government rally at Mahidol University in Nakhon Pathom. Thailand has seen near-daily protests in recent weeks by students demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha AFP via Getty World news in pictures 17 August 2020 Members of the Kayapo tribe block the BR163 highway during a protest outside Novo Progresso in Para state, Brazil. Indigenous protesters blocked a major transamazonian highway to protest against the lack of governmental support during the COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic and illegal deforestation in and around their territories AFP via Getty World news in pictures 16 August 2020 Lightning forks over the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge as a storm passes over Oakland AP World news in pictures 15 August 2020 Belarus opposition supporters gather near the Pushkinskaya metro station where Alexander Taraikovsky, a 34-year-old protester died on August 10, during their protest rally in central Minsk AFP via Getty World news in pictures 14 August 2020 AlphaTauri's driver Daniil Kvyat takes part in the second practice session at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmelo near Barcelona ahead of the Spanish F1 Grand Prix AFP via Getty World news in pictures 13 August 2020 Soldiers of the Brazilian Armed Forces during a disinfection of the Christ The Redeemer statue at the Corcovado mountain prior to the opening of the touristic attraction in Rio AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 August 2020 Young elephant bulls tussle playfully on World Elephant Day at the Amboseli National Park in Kenya AFP via Getty

Sheriff Charlie Dougherty told KFOR: "He recently got out of my jail. He was accused of child sexual assault. We were doing an investigation, we arrested him. That is supposedly what set him off but we don`t know that for sure yet".

A statement released on the force's Facebook page said: "At approximately 6:30 this evening, two Wellston police officers were shot while responding to a shots fired call in the Wellston area. The injuries were fortunately not life-threatening.

"The suspects fled the scene in a Lincoln Towncar, white in color with a blue top.

"One subject is currently in custody, the following subject, Michael Vance, is still at large."
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US President Barack Obama is shifting some of his focus away from helping Hillary Clinton defeat Donald Trump towards supporting the efforts of the Democratic Party to retake the US Senate in Washington and end Republican control of a string of state legislatures across the country.

The strategy was in full view in Las Vegas on Sunday night. HIs shirt-sleeves half rolled up, Mr Obama took to the stage with the names of Ms Clinton and her running mate Tim Kaine on hand-held signs in the crowd, but it was at a Republican running for the US Senate in Nevada at which he took aim.

Nevada is the setting for one of the most fiercely-fought Senate contests with Democrat Catherine Cortez Masto vying to take the seat of retiring Democrat Senate Harry Reid. Her opponent Joe Heck, a Republican congressman, was lambasted by Mr Obama for only in recent days deciding to withdraw past statements of support for Mr Trump.

I understand Joe Heck now wishes he never said those things about Donald Trump, the President scoffed. But theyre on tape, theyre on the record, and now that Trumps poll numbers are cratering, he said, Im not supporting him? Too late! You dont get credit for that!

There are also five states, including New Hampshire, Pennsylvania and North Carolina, where Democrats are working hard to flip Senate seats currently held by Republicans to their own partys candidates. A clean sweep could return the Senate to their grasp. Few believe that the Trump effect will be deep enough to turn the House of Representatives over to the Democrats, even though the current Republican majority in the chamber could be cut into significantly.

Mr Obamas decision to start thinking more about down-ballot Democrats illustrates growing confidence that Mr Trumps chances of closing the gap with Ms Clinton are fast diminishing and is also a sign that he knows his legacy will only be protected if Ms Clinton has a Congress that will pass her agenda.

It is his legacy that is motivating Mr Obama to offer his heft also to restoring state-level control to Democrats wherever possible. Since taking office, he has seen Republicans bulldoze their way to assuming complete control of legislatures in 22 states and partial control in numerous others.

You are going to see a level of engagement down to the state representative level that I dont think youve seen too many presidents engaged in, David Simas, the director of the White Houses Office of Political Strategy and Outreach, told the New York Times.

It has been at the state level that Republicans have been reversing much of Mr Obamas progressive agenda. Across the country, GOP-led state houses moved to restrict abortion. They have loosened gun controls, challenged new gender equality laws and used their power to redraw district lines helping their own pick up seats at the state level and in Congress.

Even the Clinton campaign is beginning to shift resources to help switch the balance of power in some states, for instance putting aside a million dollars apiece to help elect Democrat governors in Missouri and Indiana.

On Monday, Ms Clinton was due in New Hampshire, a state that offers a mere four electoral college votes to help her win the presidency but where an intense effort is under way to oust Senator Kelly Ayotte, a Republican, and give her seat to the state's popular Democrat Governor, Maggie Hassan.

For an outgoing president to dive into state-level elections is especailly unusual. Yet increasingly, Mr Obamas voice is popping up on taped campaign messages for state candidates across the country in the hope of boosting support and turn-out among Democrats.

This is Barack Obama, urging you to get to the polls to vote for the candidate who has my back and yours. Many of the messages already taped by the president begin with the name of the particular Democrat hopeful inserted. They are playing in Minnesota, Georgia and elsewhere.

In Las Vegas, Mr Obama broadened his aim to assail Republicans everywhere who have moved only belatedly to jettison Mr Trump, who, the president pointed out, made his leap into politics partly on the back of his birtherism agenda questioning his country of birth.

They just stood by and said nothing, and their base actually began to believe this crazy stuff, he said. Now, when suddenly its not working, suddenly its a deal breaker. Well, what took you so long? What the heck?
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Donald Trumps campaign manager has suggested that they would be willing to take part in another presidential debate before the election on 8 November  despite most polls suggesting he has lost the last three.

Speaking to radio pundit John Catsimatidis, Kellyanne Conway said she was a big fan of the debates because they are the purest form of democracy.

She said: The debates are a very unique opportunity for all of America to see these candidates side by side.

I wish there were more debates frankly. I think Donald Trump would challenge Hillary Clinton to another debate for a very simple reason  unless youre a moneyed donor you are not going to have much access to her out on the stump now.

I think the country benefits from this type of forum and we would be willing to do another if they somehow could squeeze it in.

She said the moderator during the previous debate, Chris Wallace, had done an outstanding job of holding the candidates to account rather than playing the gotcha game.

US election 2016: the race for the White House in pictures Show all 12 1 /12 US election 2016: the race for the White House in pictures US election 2016: the race for the White House in pictures Republican U.S. presidential nominee Donald Trump shakes hands with Democratic U.S. presidential nominee Hillary Clinton at the conclusion of their first presidential debate at Hofstra University in Hempstead, New York Reuters US election 2016: the race for the White House in pictures President Barack Obama embraces Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton on stage at the party's convention in Philadelphia US election 2016: the race for the White House in pictures Donald Trump's wife Melania delivered a speech at the GOP convention in Cleveland that was later found to have been cribbed in part from Michelle Obama's 2008 convention address AP US election 2016: the race for the White House in pictures Hillary Clinton talks to reporters aboard her new campaign plane on Labour Day, 5 September, her first 'press conference' since 2015 (Getty Images) US election 2016: the race for the White House in pictures Donald Trump held a joint press conference with Mexican leader Enrique Pena Nieto in Mexico City in August, hours before reiterating his harsh immigration plans at a campaign rally in Arizona Reuters US election 2016: the race for the White House in pictures Bernie Sanders officially endorsed Hillary Clinton, saying his progressive vision for a transformed America would be best served by the defeat of Donald Trump Reuters US election 2016: the race for the White House in pictures Khizr and Gazala Khan appeared at the DNC to slam Trump for his stance on Muslim immigration, citing the case of their son Humayun Khan, who was killed in combat while serving as a Captain in the US Army in Iraq US election 2016: the race for the White House in pictures Libertarian candidate Gary Johnson is doing better in polls than any third party candidate since Ross Perot, 20 years ago Nicholas Kamm/AFP/Getty US election 2016: the race for the White House in pictures Green Party candidate Jill Stein (centre) marches with supporters in Colorado AP US election 2016: the race for the White House in pictures Hillary Clinton and Virginia Senator Tim Kaine at a rally in Kaine's home state in July, days before Ms Clinton tapped him to be her running mate Getty US election 2016: the race for the White House in pictures Trump on the campaign trail with his vice presidential pick, Indiana governor Mike Pence AP US election 2016: the race for the White House in pictures Former Ukip leader Nigel Farage appears at a Trump rally in Mississippi in August, where he told the crowd that he 'wouldn't vote for Hillary Clinton if you paid me'.

But Ms Clinton is widely considered to have won the final debate in Las Vegas on Wednesday last week with a YouGov poll saying that 49 per cent of 1,503 registered voters said she came out on top  compared with 39 per cent for Mr Trump.

Mr Trump was particularly ridiculed for calling Mexican immigrants bad hombres with the hashtag version trending worldwide within minutes.
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A former Ku Klux Klan leader campaigning for the Louisiana Senate seat has secured enough support to allow him to participate in a televised debate that is to be held in a famous black college.

David Duke, a white supremacist who has expressed views many consider racist and anti-semitic, announced last year he planned to run as a Republican to represent Louisiana in the US Senate, saying that he had been inspired by the success of Donald Trump. He said he believed the people who were supporting the New York tycoon in his bid for the White House, would also turn out for him.

Candidates needed to collect at least five per cent in a poll taken for Raycom Media to qualify for the debate. Mr Duke made the cut with 5.1 per cent. He trails Republican State Treasurer John Kennedys 24.2 per cent and Democrat Foster Campbells 18.9 per cent in the race for retiring GOP senator David Vitters seat, the Associated Press reported.

The debate is to be held next month at Dillard University, an historically black college in New Orleans.

Thats amazing, Mr Duke said when he learned he would participate in the November 2 debate.

He told the The Acadiana Advocate: Dillard is pretty supportive of Black Lives Matter, and Ive been pretty critical of them.

Mr Trump found himself at the centre of controversy earlier this year when he was slow to condemn Mr Dukes support, initially claiming that he had never heard of it. Other Republicans, in Louisiana, have been much quicker to distance themselves from the former KKK leader.

 Trump Quickly Rebukes David Duke

Over the weekend, Dillard University released a statement saying the college does not endorse the candidacy of any of the candidates who will appear at the debate.

Mr Duke, a former Republican state representative and convicted felon, said the climate of this country has moved in my direction.

After submitting his paperwork for the ballot in July, Mr Duke said he believed his time has come.
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Hillary Clinton has described as dangerous her opponent Donald Trumps assertion that the Iraqi-led assault on Mosul is a total disaster, after the Republican presidential nominee tweeted that the operation against the Isis stronghold made the US look dumb.

Recommended Read more Turkey joins battle against Isis in Mosul despite Iraqi counterclaims

The offensive to reclaim Iraqs second-largest city from Islamic State fighters began last week after many months of preparation, under the leadership of the Iraqi military. The operation, in which one US service member has already been killed, was expected to take several weeks.

In a tweet sent on Sunday night, however, Mr Trump repeated his previous assertion that Isis was given too much notice of the impending attack. The property developer did not offer any specific evidence to back up his analysis.

Speaking at a rally in Manchester, New Hampshire on Monday, Ms Clinton said Mr Trumps comments demonstrated the dangers of electing an ill-informed and unqualified commander in chief. Hes basically declaring defeat before the battle has even started, said the former Secretary of State. Its not only wrong, its dangerous, and it needs to be repudiated.

During the third and final presidential debate last week, Mr Trump insisted the offensive on Mosul ought to have been a sneak attack, complaining that the US-backed operation lacked the element of surprise and suggesting the celebrated American generals Douglas MacArthur and George Patton would be spinning in their graves.

In fact, say many military commanders, it is neither unusual nor dumb to warn of a major ground offensive ahead of time: it can strike fear into an enemy, and allow civilians to escape the battlefield beforehand, retired US Army colonel Jeff McLausland told the New York Times. What this shows is Trump doesnt know a damn thing about military strategy, he said.

The Mosul offensive has been planned for at least a year, and involves some 30,000 troops including Iraqi soldiers and police, Kurdish Peshmerga, Sunni and Shiite fighters, with the US providing special forces and air power. The coalition recaptured the Isis-held Iraqi cities of Tikrit, Ramadi and Fallujah before moving on Mosul, a city of one million people that fell to the Islamic State in June 2014.

Polls suggest the public already trusts Ms Clinton more than Mr Trump on foreign policy and tackling the threat of Isis, yet the Republican also claimed at the final debate last Wednesday that the Mosul operation was timed to improve his rivals presidential chances. She wanted to look good for the election, so theyre going in, he said.

Ms Clinton pooh-poohed the idea. Im just amazed that he seems to think that the Iraqi government and our allies and everybody else launched the attack on Mosul to help me in this election, she said. But thats how Donald thinks. He always is looking for some conspiracy."
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Hundreds of women, girls and other supporters pulled on their yoga leggings and paraded around the Rhode Island neighbourhood of a man who had derided the attire as tacky and ridiculous.

Alan Sorrentino, who said his letter to The Barrington Times on Wednesday was meant to be humorous, condemned the response as vicious and claimed he had received death threats.

The so-called yoga pants parade was not a protest against Mr Sorrentino specifically but part of a bigger movement against misogyny and men dictating how women should dress, organisers said.

But they said even if Mr Sorrentino's letter was meant to be a joke, the message was clear.

Recommended Read more Thousands of Argentines march to condemn violence against women

Women are fed up with the notion that we have to dress for people's visual pleasure, said parade organiser Jamie Burke.

More than 300 people - many of them women and young girls - came out for the social media-driven event in the affluent, coastal town of Barrington, wearing yoga leggings of different styles and colours.

Some held up signs that said Peaceful Pants Party and I've Got Passion For My Pants.

Participants also collected personal hygiene items for the Sojourner House, a local domestic violence organisation, and marchers ended with a group yoga session.

In his letter Mr Sorrentino described yoga leggings as the worst thing in women's fashion since the mini-skirt. He said they belonged in the yoga studio and that women over 20 should not wear them in public.

One parade walker, clad in bright red leggings, held a sign that read I'm 53.

World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. The fast moving Glass fire has burned over 1,000 acres and has destroyed homes Getty World news in pictures 26 September 2020 A villager along with a child offers prayers next to a carcass of a wild elephant that officials say was electrocuted in Rani Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Guwahati, India AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 September 2020 The casket of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol to lie in state in Washington, DC AFP via Getty World news in pictures 24 September 2020 An anti-government protester holds up an image of a pro-democracy commemorative plaque at a rally outside Thailand's parliament in Bangkok, as activists gathered to demand a new constitution AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 September 2020 A whale stranded on a beach in Macquarie Harbour on the rugged west coast of Tasmania, as hundreds of pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in southern Australia despite efforts to save them, with rescuers racing to free a few dozen survivors The Mercury/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 22 September 2020 State civil employee candidates wearing face masks and shields take a test in Surabaya AFP via Getty World news in pictures 21 September 2020 A man sweeps at the Taj Mahal monument on the day of its reopening after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic AP World news in pictures 20 September 2020 A deer looks for food in a burnt area, caused by the Bobcat fire, in Pearblossom, California EPA World news in pictures 19 September 2020 Anti-government protesters hold their mobile phones aloft as they take part in a pro-democracy rally in Bangkok. Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters massed close to Thailand's royal palace, in a huge rally calling for PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and demanding reforms to the monarchy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 September 2020 Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr maintain social distancing as they attend Friday prayers after the coronavirus disease restrictions were eased, in Kufa mosque, near Najaf, Iraq Reuters World news in pictures 17 September 2020 A protester climbs on The Triumph of the Republic at 'the Place de la Nation' as thousands of protesters take part in a demonstration during a national day strike called by labor unions asking for better salary and against jobs cut in Paris, France EPA World news in pictures 16 September 2020 A fire raging near the Lazzaretto of Ancona in Italy. The huge blaze broke out overnight at the port of Ancona. Firefighters have brought the fire under control but they expected to keep working through the day EPA World news in pictures 15 September 2020 Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny posing for a selfie with his family at Berlin's Charite hospital. In an Instagram post he said he could now breathe independently following his suspected poisoning last month Alexei Navalny/Instagram/AFP World news in pictures 14 September 2020 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Suga was elected as new head of the ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo Reuters World news in pictures 13 September 2020 A man stands behind a burning barricade during the fifth straight day of protests against police brutality in Bogota AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 September 2020 Police officers block and detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus. Daily protests calling for the authoritarian president's resignation are now in their second month AP World news in pictures 11 September 2020 Members of 'Omnium Cultural' celebrate the 20th 'Festa per la llibertat' ('Fiesta for the freedom') to mark the Day of Catalonia in Barcelona. Omnion Cultural fights for the independence of Catalonia EPA World news in pictures 10 September 2020 The Moria refugee camp, two days after Greece's biggest migrant camp, was destroyed by fire. Thousands of asylum seekers on the island of Lesbos are now homeless AFP via Getty World news in pictures 9 September 2020 Pope Francis takes off his face mask as he arrives by car to hold a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 8 September 2020 A home is engulfed in flames during the "Creek Fire" in the Tollhouse area of California AFP via Getty World news in pictures 7 September 2020 A couple take photos along a sea wall of the waves brought by Typhoon Haishen in the eastern port city of Sokcho AFP via Getty World news in pictures 6 September 2020 Novak Djokovic and a tournament official tends to a linesperson who was struck with a ball by Djokovic during his match against Pablo Carreno Busta at the US Open USA Today Sports/Reuters World news in pictures 5 September 2020 Protesters confront police at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne, Australia, during an anti-lockdown rally AFP via Getty World news in pictures 4 September 2020 A woman looks on from a rooftop as rescue workers dig through the rubble of a damaged building in Beirut. A search began for possible survivors after a scanner detected a pulse one month after the mega-blast at the adjacent port AFP via Getty World news in pictures 3 September 2020 A full moon next to the Virgen del Panecillo statue in Quito, Ecuador EPA World news in pictures 2 September 2020 A Palestinian woman reacts as Israeli forces demolish her animal shed near Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank Reuters World news in pictures 1 September 2020 Students protest against presidential elections results in Minsk TUT.BY/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 31 August 2020 The pack rides during the 3rd stage of the Tour de France between Nice and Sisteron AFP via Getty World news in pictures 30 August 2020 Law enforcement officers block a street during a rally of opposition supporters protesting against presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus Reuters World news in pictures 29 August 2020 A woman holding a placard reading "Stop Censorship - Yes to the Freedom of Expression" shouts in a megaphone during a protest against the mandatory wearing of face masks in Paris. Masks, which were already compulsory on public transport, in enclosed public spaces, and outdoors in Paris in certain high-congestion areas around tourist sites, were made mandatory outdoors citywide on August 28 to fight the rising coronavirus infections AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 August 2020 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bows to the national flag at the start of a press conference at the prime minister official residence in Tokyo. Abe announced he will resign over health problems, in a bombshell development that kicks off a leadership contest in the world's third-largest economy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 27 August 2020 Residents take cover behind a tree trunk from rubber bullets fired by South African Police Service (SAPS) in Eldorado Park, near Johannesburg, during a protest by community members after a 16-year old boy was reported dead AFP via Getty World news in pictures 26 August 2020 People scatter rose petals on a statue of Mother Teresa marking her 110th birth anniversary in Ahmedabad AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 August 2020 An aerial view shows beach-goers standing on salt formations in the Dead Sea near Ein Bokeq, Israel Reuters World news in pictures 24 August 2020 Health workers use a fingertip pulse oximeter and check the body temperature of a fisherwoman inside the Dharavi slum during a door-to-door Covid-19 coronavirus screening in Mumbai AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 August 2020 People carry an idol of the Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, to immerse it off the coast of the Arabian sea during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, India Reuters World news in pictures 22 August 2020 Firefighters watch as flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires approach a home in Napa County, California AP World news in pictures 21 August 2020 Members of the Israeli security forces arrest a Palestinian demonstrator during a rally to protest against Israel's plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank AFP via Getty World news in pictures 20 August 2020 A man pushes his bicycle through a deserted road after prohibitory orders were imposed by district officials for a week to contain the spread of the Covid-19 in Kathmandu AFP via Getty World news in pictures 19 August 2020 A car burns while parked at a residence in Vacaville, California. Dozens of fires are burning out of control throughout Northern California as fire resources are spread thin AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 August 2020 Students use their mobile phones as flashlights at an anti-government rally at Mahidol University in Nakhon Pathom. Thailand has seen near-daily protests in recent weeks by students demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha AFP via Getty World news in pictures 17 August 2020 Members of the Kayapo tribe block the BR163 highway during a protest outside Novo Progresso in Para state, Brazil. Indigenous protesters blocked a major transamazonian highway to protest against the lack of governmental support during the COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic and illegal deforestation in and around their territories AFP via Getty World news in pictures 16 August 2020 Lightning forks over the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge as a storm passes over Oakland AP World news in pictures 15 August 2020 Belarus opposition supporters gather near the Pushkinskaya metro station where Alexander Taraikovsky, a 34-year-old protester died on August 10, during their protest rally in central Minsk AFP via Getty World news in pictures 14 August 2020 AlphaTauri's driver Daniil Kvyat takes part in the second practice session at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmelo near Barcelona ahead of the Spanish F1 Grand Prix AFP via Getty World news in pictures 13 August 2020 Soldiers of the Brazilian Armed Forces during a disinfection of the Christ The Redeemer statue at the Corcovado mountain prior to the opening of the touristic attraction in Rio AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 August 2020 Young elephant bulls tussle playfully on World Elephant Day at the Amboseli National Park in Kenya AFP via Getty

Mr Sorrentino told WPRO-AM the letter was meant to be a humorous break from the current US political campaign rhetoric, adding he did not really have an issue with yoga leggings - and even owned a pair.

He likened the death threats and expletive-laden voicemails he said he had received to what he had experienced for years as an openly gay man.

It's vicious and intimidating, he said. The fact that this is seen as an appropriate reaction to something I wrote in the paper is really disgusting.

On Sunday, police were posted in front of his home, which had a hand-written banner saying Free Speech hanging over it.

Ms Burke said she advised participants to respect a quiet zone by his home.

AP
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British banker Rurik Jutting who is accused of murdering two Indonesian women in his upscale Hong Kong apartment filmed the attacks on his iPhone, a court heard Monday, the first day of his trial.

Jutting, 31, had earlier Monday pleaded not guilty to two counts of murder on the grounds of diminished responsibility. He instead pleaded guilty to manslaughter.

The prosecution rejected the lesser plea and jury selection began.

As judge Michael Stuart-Moore briefed the jury pool at the High Court, he warned them of the graphic nature of the evidence.

He said that Jutting recorded on his iPhone much of what he did to those people, and described the footage as very shocking indeed.

Seneng Mujiasih, also known as Jesse Lorena, was found murdered in Rurik Jutting's luxury flat (Rex Images) (Rex)

Seneng Mujiasih and Sumarti Ningsih, both in their 20s, were found dead in Jutting's flat in the early hours of November 1, 2014, after he called police to the scene.

Mujiasih was found naked and with knife wounds to her legs and buttocks, while the decaying body of Ningsih was found hours later in a suitcase on the balcony, according to initial police reports.

Jutting, a former securities trader at Bank of America Merrill Lynch, faces a three-week jury trial and life in prison if convicted on the murder charges.

The killings shocked the city of seven million - typically regarded as safe and known for its glitzy skyscrapers - and shone a spotlight on the seedy underbelly of the financial hub.

Jutting was deemed fit to stand trial following psychiatric tests and is being held at a maximum security prison.

Clean-shaven and wearing a dark-blue shirt, Jutting calmly entered his official plea for the first time Monday, saying: Not guilty to murder by reason of diminished responsibility, but guilty to manslaughter.

He pleaded guilty to a third charge of preventing the burial of a body.

Outside the court, a small group of protesters from Indonesian migrant worker organisations called for a speedy and fair trial and for compensation for the victims' families.

World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. The fast moving Glass fire has burned over 1,000 acres and has destroyed homes Getty World news in pictures 26 September 2020 A villager along with a child offers prayers next to a carcass of a wild elephant that officials say was electrocuted in Rani Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Guwahati, India AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 September 2020 The casket of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol to lie in state in Washington, DC AFP via Getty World news in pictures 24 September 2020 An anti-government protester holds up an image of a pro-democracy commemorative plaque at a rally outside Thailand's parliament in Bangkok, as activists gathered to demand a new constitution AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 September 2020 A whale stranded on a beach in Macquarie Harbour on the rugged west coast of Tasmania, as hundreds of pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in southern Australia despite efforts to save them, with rescuers racing to free a few dozen survivors The Mercury/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 22 September 2020 State civil employee candidates wearing face masks and shields take a test in Surabaya AFP via Getty World news in pictures 21 September 2020 A man sweeps at the Taj Mahal monument on the day of its reopening after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic AP World news in pictures 20 September 2020 A deer looks for food in a burnt area, caused by the Bobcat fire, in Pearblossom, California EPA World news in pictures 19 September 2020 Anti-government protesters hold their mobile phones aloft as they take part in a pro-democracy rally in Bangkok. Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters massed close to Thailand's royal palace, in a huge rally calling for PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and demanding reforms to the monarchy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 September 2020 Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr maintain social distancing as they attend Friday prayers after the coronavirus disease restrictions were eased, in Kufa mosque, near Najaf, Iraq Reuters World news in pictures 17 September 2020 A protester climbs on The Triumph of the Republic at 'the Place de la Nation' as thousands of protesters take part in a demonstration during a national day strike called by labor unions asking for better salary and against jobs cut in Paris, France EPA World news in pictures 16 September 2020 A fire raging near the Lazzaretto of Ancona in Italy. The huge blaze broke out overnight at the port of Ancona. Firefighters have brought the fire under control but they expected to keep working through the day EPA World news in pictures 15 September 2020 Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny posing for a selfie with his family at Berlin's Charite hospital. In an Instagram post he said he could now breathe independently following his suspected poisoning last month Alexei Navalny/Instagram/AFP World news in pictures 14 September 2020 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Suga was elected as new head of the ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo Reuters World news in pictures 13 September 2020 A man stands behind a burning barricade during the fifth straight day of protests against police brutality in Bogota AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 September 2020 Police officers block and detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus. Daily protests calling for the authoritarian president's resignation are now in their second month AP World news in pictures 11 September 2020 Members of 'Omnium Cultural' celebrate the 20th 'Festa per la llibertat' ('Fiesta for the freedom') to mark the Day of Catalonia in Barcelona. Omnion Cultural fights for the independence of Catalonia EPA World news in pictures 10 September 2020 The Moria refugee camp, two days after Greece's biggest migrant camp, was destroyed by fire. Thousands of asylum seekers on the island of Lesbos are now homeless AFP via Getty World news in pictures 9 September 2020 Pope Francis takes off his face mask as he arrives by car to hold a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 8 September 2020 A home is engulfed in flames during the "Creek Fire" in the Tollhouse area of California AFP via Getty World news in pictures 7 September 2020 A couple take photos along a sea wall of the waves brought by Typhoon Haishen in the eastern port city of Sokcho AFP via Getty World news in pictures 6 September 2020 Novak Djokovic and a tournament official tends to a linesperson who was struck with a ball by Djokovic during his match against Pablo Carreno Busta at the US Open USA Today Sports/Reuters World news in pictures 5 September 2020 Protesters confront police at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne, Australia, during an anti-lockdown rally AFP via Getty World news in pictures 4 September 2020 A woman looks on from a rooftop as rescue workers dig through the rubble of a damaged building in Beirut. A search began for possible survivors after a scanner detected a pulse one month after the mega-blast at the adjacent port AFP via Getty World news in pictures 3 September 2020 A full moon next to the Virgen del Panecillo statue in Quito, Ecuador EPA World news in pictures 2 September 2020 A Palestinian woman reacts as Israeli forces demolish her animal shed near Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank Reuters World news in pictures 1 September 2020 Students protest against presidential elections results in Minsk TUT.BY/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 31 August 2020 The pack rides during the 3rd stage of the Tour de France between Nice and Sisteron AFP via Getty World news in pictures 30 August 2020 Law enforcement officers block a street during a rally of opposition supporters protesting against presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus Reuters World news in pictures 29 August 2020 A woman holding a placard reading "Stop Censorship - Yes to the Freedom of Expression" shouts in a megaphone during a protest against the mandatory wearing of face masks in Paris. Masks, which were already compulsory on public transport, in enclosed public spaces, and outdoors in Paris in certain high-congestion areas around tourist sites, were made mandatory outdoors citywide on August 28 to fight the rising coronavirus infections AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 August 2020 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bows to the national flag at the start of a press conference at the prime minister official residence in Tokyo. Abe announced he will resign over health problems, in a bombshell development that kicks off a leadership contest in the world's third-largest economy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 27 August 2020 Residents take cover behind a tree trunk from rubber bullets fired by South African Police Service (SAPS) in Eldorado Park, near Johannesburg, during a protest by community members after a 16-year old boy was reported dead AFP via Getty World news in pictures 26 August 2020 People scatter rose petals on a statue of Mother Teresa marking her 110th birth anniversary in Ahmedabad AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 August 2020 An aerial view shows beach-goers standing on salt formations in the Dead Sea near Ein Bokeq, Israel Reuters World news in pictures 24 August 2020 Health workers use a fingertip pulse oximeter and check the body temperature of a fisherwoman inside the Dharavi slum during a door-to-door Covid-19 coronavirus screening in Mumbai AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 August 2020 People carry an idol of the Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, to immerse it off the coast of the Arabian sea during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, India Reuters World news in pictures 22 August 2020 Firefighters watch as flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires approach a home in Napa County, California AP World news in pictures 21 August 2020 Members of the Israeli security forces arrest a Palestinian demonstrator during a rally to protest against Israel's plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank AFP via Getty World news in pictures 20 August 2020 A man pushes his bicycle through a deserted road after prohibitory orders were imposed by district officials for a week to contain the spread of the Covid-19 in Kathmandu AFP via Getty World news in pictures 19 August 2020 A car burns while parked at a residence in Vacaville, California. Dozens of fires are burning out of control throughout Northern California as fire resources are spread thin AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 August 2020 Students use their mobile phones as flashlights at an anti-government rally at Mahidol University in Nakhon Pathom. Thailand has seen near-daily protests in recent weeks by students demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha AFP via Getty World news in pictures 17 August 2020 Members of the Kayapo tribe block the BR163 highway during a protest outside Novo Progresso in Para state, Brazil. Indigenous protesters blocked a major transamazonian highway to protest against the lack of governmental support during the COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic and illegal deforestation in and around their territories AFP via Getty World news in pictures 16 August 2020 Lightning forks over the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge as a storm passes over Oakland AP World news in pictures 15 August 2020 Belarus opposition supporters gather near the Pushkinskaya metro station where Alexander Taraikovsky, a 34-year-old protester died on August 10, during their protest rally in central Minsk AFP via Getty World news in pictures 14 August 2020 AlphaTauri's driver Daniil Kvyat takes part in the second practice session at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmelo near Barcelona ahead of the Spanish F1 Grand Prix AFP via Getty World news in pictures 13 August 2020 Soldiers of the Brazilian Armed Forces during a disinfection of the Christ The Redeemer statue at the Corcovado mountain prior to the opening of the touristic attraction in Rio AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 August 2020 Young elephant bulls tussle playfully on World Elephant Day at the Amboseli National Park in Kenya AFP via Getty

It is the highest-profile murder case to hit the Hong Kong courts since American Nancy Kissel was accused of killing her banker husband in 2003.

Dubbed the milkshake murderer, Kissel was convicted of drugging her husband - a senior executive at Merrill Lynch - with a sedative-laced strawberry drink before clubbing him to death with a lead ornament at their luxury home.

Kissel is serving a life sentence at Hong Kong's high-security Tai Lam Centre for Women.

She launched a fresh bid in July this year to reduce her sentence.

AFP
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A man who raped a 10-year-old boy at a swimming pool in Austria has had his conviction overturned after judges found he may have believed the child consented.

Police said the 20-year-old Iraqi refugee, who has not been named, assaulted his victim in a toilet cubicle at the Theresienbad swimming pool in Vienna on 2 December last year.

The child reported the rape to a lifeguard and his attacker was arrested at the scene, reportedly telling officers in initial interviews that he was experiencing a sexual emergency after not having sex in four months.

In June, he was jailed for a minimum of six years for rape and aggravated sexual abuse of a minor, and ordered to pay 4,700 (3,700) compensation to the boys family.

Protests in Vienna

But on Thursday, Austrias Supreme Court overturned the rape conviction and ordered a re-trial on the charge.

While the sexual abuse verdict was watertight, the more serious offence requires evidence that the defendant knew their victim did not consent to sex.

Supreme Court judges ruled that the first court should have established whether the attacker thought his victim agreed to a sexual act and intended to act against the boys will.

This intention was not sufficiently established, so the Supreme Court quashed the rape conviction, Austrias national ORF broadcaster reported.

The re-trial is not expected to begin until next year, with the defendant remaining in custody.

World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. The fast moving Glass fire has burned over 1,000 acres and has destroyed homes Getty World news in pictures 26 September 2020 A villager along with a child offers prayers next to a carcass of a wild elephant that officials say was electrocuted in Rani Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Guwahati, India AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 September 2020 The casket of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol to lie in state in Washington, DC AFP via Getty World news in pictures 24 September 2020 An anti-government protester holds up an image of a pro-democracy commemorative plaque at a rally outside Thailand's parliament in Bangkok, as activists gathered to demand a new constitution AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 September 2020 A whale stranded on a beach in Macquarie Harbour on the rugged west coast of Tasmania, as hundreds of pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in southern Australia despite efforts to save them, with rescuers racing to free a few dozen survivors The Mercury/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 22 September 2020 State civil employee candidates wearing face masks and shields take a test in Surabaya AFP via Getty World news in pictures 21 September 2020 A man sweeps at the Taj Mahal monument on the day of its reopening after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic AP World news in pictures 20 September 2020 A deer looks for food in a burnt area, caused by the Bobcat fire, in Pearblossom, California EPA World news in pictures 19 September 2020 Anti-government protesters hold their mobile phones aloft as they take part in a pro-democracy rally in Bangkok. Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters massed close to Thailand's royal palace, in a huge rally calling for PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and demanding reforms to the monarchy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 September 2020 Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr maintain social distancing as they attend Friday prayers after the coronavirus disease restrictions were eased, in Kufa mosque, near Najaf, Iraq Reuters World news in pictures 17 September 2020 A protester climbs on The Triumph of the Republic at 'the Place de la Nation' as thousands of protesters take part in a demonstration during a national day strike called by labor unions asking for better salary and against jobs cut in Paris, France EPA World news in pictures 16 September 2020 A fire raging near the Lazzaretto of Ancona in Italy. The huge blaze broke out overnight at the port of Ancona. Firefighters have brought the fire under control but they expected to keep working through the day EPA World news in pictures 15 September 2020 Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny posing for a selfie with his family at Berlin's Charite hospital. In an Instagram post he said he could now breathe independently following his suspected poisoning last month Alexei Navalny/Instagram/AFP World news in pictures 14 September 2020 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Suga was elected as new head of the ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo Reuters World news in pictures 13 September 2020 A man stands behind a burning barricade during the fifth straight day of protests against police brutality in Bogota AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 September 2020 Police officers block and detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus. Daily protests calling for the authoritarian president's resignation are now in their second month AP World news in pictures 11 September 2020 Members of 'Omnium Cultural' celebrate the 20th 'Festa per la llibertat' ('Fiesta for the freedom') to mark the Day of Catalonia in Barcelona. Omnion Cultural fights for the independence of Catalonia EPA World news in pictures 10 September 2020 The Moria refugee camp, two days after Greece's biggest migrant camp, was destroyed by fire. Thousands of asylum seekers on the island of Lesbos are now homeless AFP via Getty World news in pictures 9 September 2020 Pope Francis takes off his face mask as he arrives by car to hold a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 8 September 2020 A home is engulfed in flames during the "Creek Fire" in the Tollhouse area of California AFP via Getty World news in pictures 7 September 2020 A couple take photos along a sea wall of the waves brought by Typhoon Haishen in the eastern port city of Sokcho AFP via Getty World news in pictures 6 September 2020 Novak Djokovic and a tournament official tends to a linesperson who was struck with a ball by Djokovic during his match against Pablo Carreno Busta at the US Open USA Today Sports/Reuters World news in pictures 5 September 2020 Protesters confront police at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne, Australia, during an anti-lockdown rally AFP via Getty World news in pictures 4 September 2020 A woman looks on from a rooftop as rescue workers dig through the rubble of a damaged building in Beirut. A search began for possible survivors after a scanner detected a pulse one month after the mega-blast at the adjacent port AFP via Getty World news in pictures 3 September 2020 A full moon next to the Virgen del Panecillo statue in Quito, Ecuador EPA World news in pictures 2 September 2020 A Palestinian woman reacts as Israeli forces demolish her animal shed near Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank Reuters World news in pictures 1 September 2020 Students protest against presidential elections results in Minsk TUT.BY/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 31 August 2020 The pack rides during the 3rd stage of the Tour de France between Nice and Sisteron AFP via Getty World news in pictures 30 August 2020 Law enforcement officers block a street during a rally of opposition supporters protesting against presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus Reuters World news in pictures 29 August 2020 A woman holding a placard reading "Stop Censorship - Yes to the Freedom of Expression" shouts in a megaphone during a protest against the mandatory wearing of face masks in Paris. Masks, which were already compulsory on public transport, in enclosed public spaces, and outdoors in Paris in certain high-congestion areas around tourist sites, were made mandatory outdoors citywide on August 28 to fight the rising coronavirus infections AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 August 2020 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bows to the national flag at the start of a press conference at the prime minister official residence in Tokyo. Abe announced he will resign over health problems, in a bombshell development that kicks off a leadership contest in the world's third-largest economy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 27 August 2020 Residents take cover behind a tree trunk from rubber bullets fired by South African Police Service (SAPS) in Eldorado Park, near Johannesburg, during a protest by community members after a 16-year old boy was reported dead AFP via Getty World news in pictures 26 August 2020 People scatter rose petals on a statue of Mother Teresa marking her 110th birth anniversary in Ahmedabad AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 August 2020 An aerial view shows beach-goers standing on salt formations in the Dead Sea near Ein Bokeq, Israel Reuters World news in pictures 24 August 2020 Health workers use a fingertip pulse oximeter and check the body temperature of a fisherwoman inside the Dharavi slum during a door-to-door Covid-19 coronavirus screening in Mumbai AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 August 2020 People carry an idol of the Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, to immerse it off the coast of the Arabian sea during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, India Reuters World news in pictures 22 August 2020 Firefighters watch as flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires approach a home in Napa County, California AP World news in pictures 21 August 2020 Members of the Israeli security forces arrest a Palestinian demonstrator during a rally to protest against Israel's plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank AFP via Getty World news in pictures 20 August 2020 A man pushes his bicycle through a deserted road after prohibitory orders were imposed by district officials for a week to contain the spread of the Covid-19 in Kathmandu AFP via Getty World news in pictures 19 August 2020 A car burns while parked at a residence in Vacaville, California. Dozens of fires are burning out of control throughout Northern California as fire resources are spread thin AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 August 2020 Students use their mobile phones as flashlights at an anti-government rally at Mahidol University in Nakhon Pathom. Thailand has seen near-daily protests in recent weeks by students demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha AFP via Getty World news in pictures 17 August 2020 Members of the Kayapo tribe block the BR163 highway during a protest outside Novo Progresso in Para state, Brazil. Indigenous protesters blocked a major transamazonian highway to protest against the lack of governmental support during the COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic and illegal deforestation in and around their territories AFP via Getty World news in pictures 16 August 2020 Lightning forks over the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge as a storm passes over Oakland AP World news in pictures 15 August 2020 Belarus opposition supporters gather near the Pushkinskaya metro station where Alexander Taraikovsky, a 34-year-old protester died on August 10, during their protest rally in central Minsk AFP via Getty World news in pictures 14 August 2020 AlphaTauri's driver Daniil Kvyat takes part in the second practice session at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmelo near Barcelona ahead of the Spanish F1 Grand Prix AFP via Getty World news in pictures 13 August 2020 Soldiers of the Brazilian Armed Forces during a disinfection of the Christ The Redeemer statue at the Corcovado mountain prior to the opening of the touristic attraction in Rio AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 August 2020 Young elephant bulls tussle playfully on World Elephant Day at the Amboseli National Park in Kenya AFP via Getty

The unnamed man worked in Iraq as a taxi driver before leaving in 2015 and journeying to Europe and settling in Vienna.

His trip to the swimming pool was said to be part of integration efforts, sparking outrage amid tensions over the refugee crisis in Austria.

Speaking to local media, the victims mother revealed her son had been screaming and crying every night since the attack and had talked of suicide.

Prosecutors said the boy, known as Goran, suffered serious physical injuries from the rape as well as profound depression.

The attack sparked a backlash against migrants in the country, which has since seen support for anti-immigration groups rise and implemented a controversial cap on refugee numbers.

Reports of sexual harassment and attacks by asylum seekers at swimming pools have generated controversy across Europe, sparking a ban on male migrants at one pool in Germany and vigilante patrols in Sweden.

Police statistics in Germany showed that sex offences make up a tiny proportion of crimes committed by refugees and migrants in the country, which are mostly related to transport and documents
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A plane has crashed in Malta, killing all five people on board in the country's worst peacetime air disaster.

Maltese officials said French customs officials were among victims on the flight, which was heading for the city of Misrata in Libya.

They were tracking people smuggling across the Mediterranean, where Libyas northern coast has become the main launching point for migrant boats.

The light aircraft went down during take-off from Malta International Airport at around 7.20am local time (6.20am BST) on Monday morning.

Rescue services at the scene of a light aircraft crash at Malta airport (Reuters)

A witness told the Times of Malta newspaper the propeller plane suddenly tipped to its right side and went straight down to the ground.

Footage taken from another plane on the tarmac showed the wreckage burning in a field, sending a large plume of black smoke into the air as passengers could be heard crying.

Edward Degaetano, an actor, was on a flight waiting to take off for London when he witnessed the aftermath of the crash.

We were about to take off, moments before we did from our windows we could see a massive explosion  at first we had no idea what caused it, he said.

We quickly realised an aircraft had crash landed. That is when everyone got a bit anxious.

Mr Degaetano said everything seemed very normal before the disaster, adding: There was a second explosion and I thought oh my god this is not just a fire. We are all a bit stunned.

Another video taken from a car showed the aircraft plummeting at an angle from low altitude, missing nearby houses and roads before exploding into a huge fireball on impact.

We can confirm that the five crew on board the aircraft are deceased, a spokesperson for Malta International Airport said. Our thoughts are with families of people involved in this accident.

An investigation is currently ongoing and we are working with all the authorities to provide them with any assistance necessary.

They said the incident as an accident upon take-off.

Local reports initially said the twin-propeller Fairchild Metroliner was carrying officials from the EU border agency Frontex, but a spokesperson later said no staff were on board.

Federica Mogherini, the EU Commission Vice President and high representative for foreign affairs and security policy, also said no other EU officials were involved, adding: The flight was not related to any of EU activities.

The Maltese government said the plane was leased to a Luxembourg company and that witnesses reported no explosion before it hit the ground.

In Pictures: Malta Plane Crash Show all 12 1 /12 In Pictures: Malta Plane Crash In Pictures: Malta Plane Crash The scene after a plane crashes in Malta Sky News In Pictures: Malta Plane Crash Flames and smoke from the scene of a plane crash in Malta Sky News In Pictures: Malta Plane Crash video grab taken with permission from the Twitter feed of Ed De Gaetano/@eddydeg of a plane which crashed on take-off from Malta International Airport, killing all five people on board Ed De Gaetano/@eddydeg/Twitter/PA Wire In Pictures: Malta Plane Crash Rescue services at the scene of a light aircraft crash at the airport in Valletta, Malta Reuters In Pictures: Malta Plane Crash Members of Malta's Armed Forces check the runway after a small passenger aircraft crashed on takeoff at Malta's international airport Getty In Pictures: Malta Plane Crash Officers work in the area where a light plane crashed after takeoff from Malta airport AP In Pictures: Malta Plane Crash Firefighters work in the area where a light plane crashed after takeoff from Malta airport AP In Pictures: Malta Plane Crash Forensics work on the site of a small plane crash at Malta International Airport Getty In Pictures: Malta Plane Crash Monitors report departures delays as a light plane crashed after takeoff from Malta airport AP In Pictures: Malta Plane Crash Planes are parked at Malta airport, in Valletta. AP In Pictures: Malta Plane Crash Investigators and rescue services at the scene of a plane crash at the airport in Valletta, Malta Reuters In Pictures: Malta Plane Crash Investigators and rescue services at the scene of a plane crash at the airport in Valletta, Malta Reuters

Jean-Yves Le Drian, the French defence minister, said the plane was a reconnaissance aircraft planned to fly over the Mediterranean.

Three officials from his ministry and two private contractors, all French, were on board.

The US-registered plane, number N577MX, last underwent an airworthiness inspection in 2011, according to records held by the US Federal Aviation Administration.

An inquiry into the cause of the disaster will be opened by Malta's Bureau of Air Accident Investigation.

All departures and arrivals at Malta International Airport were stopped as recovery work continued, with flights diverted to airports on the Italian island of Sicily.

The airport was reopened shortly after 11am local time but delays and disruption were expected to continue. Live information can be found here.

Additional reporting by agencies
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A Muslim woman who was fired from her job for wearing a headscarf has won a landmark legal battle against her former employer in Switzerland.

Judges at the Bern-Mittelland Region Court ruled that the woman, known as Abida, was dismissed unfairly from the dry cleaning business where she had worked for six years.

The 29-year-old, from Serbia, started wearing covering her hair in January 2015, prompting an order from managers either to stop wearing the hijab or leave.

The employer cited hygiene regulations but refused Abidas offer to wear disposable scarves or wash them every day.

Supported by the Islamic Central Council of Switzerland, she challenged her dismissal, winning three months salary and 8,000 (6,600) Swiss francs in compensation.

Judges found the company had violated her constitutional right to freedom of expression, the Le Matin Dimanche reported, and that wearing a headscarf can only be grounds for dismissal where it makes it impossible to carry out duties or substantially affects the working environment.

In pictures: Protest against burkini bans in London Show all 10 1 /10 In pictures: Protest against burkini bans in London In pictures: Protest against burkini bans in London Demonstrators stage a beach party outside the French Embassy, in Knightsbridge, London, in protest against burkini bans PA In pictures: Protest against burkini bans in London Jenny Dawkins, a curate from All Saints Church in Peckham, at an anti-burkini ban protest at the French Embassy in London on 25 August Lizzie Dearden In pictures: Protest against burkini bans in London Demonstrators stage a beach party outside the French Embassy, in Knightsbridge, London, in protest against burkini bans PA In pictures: Protest against burkini bans in London Somayia Khan's six-year-old daughter at a protest against burkini bans at the French Embassy in London on 25 August Lizzie Dearden In pictures: Protest against burkini bans in London Friends Rebecca (L) and Hannah (R) at a protest against burkini bans at the French Embassy in London on 25 August Lizzie Dearden In pictures: Protest against burkini bans in London Demonstrators stage a beach party outside the French Embassy, in Knightsbridge, London, in protest against burkini bans Reuters In pictures: Protest against burkini bans in London Demonstrators stage a beach party outside the French Embassy, in Knightsbridge, London, in protest against burkini bans EPA In pictures: Protest against burkini bans in London Demonstrators stage a beach party outside the French Embassy, in Knightsbridge, London, in protest against burkini bans AFP/Getty Images In pictures: Protest against burkini bans in London People participate in a 'Wear what you want beach party' protest outside of the French Embassy in London EPA In pictures: Protest against burkini bans in London A protester holds a sign which reads "Are you Burkini Beach Body Ready?" as she lies on a beach towel outside the French Embassy in London on August 25, 2016, AFP/Getty Images

Only one other case of its kind has been heard in Switzerland, when a machine manufacturer was ordered to compensate another woman after firing hear for wearing the hijab.

The latest result, delivered on 8 September, was celebrated by human rights groups as debate continues across Europe about moves to ban Muslim dress.

Bulgaria became the latest country to prohibit veils that cover the face, including the burqa and niqab, earlier this month.

Whole or partial bans have also been implemented in France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Switzerland and Italy, while Germany is also considering the move.

The laws govern only garments that obscure the face rather than hijabs, which only cover the hair and neck.
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Women in Poland are planning to strike on Monday by boycotting jobs and classes, following another set of protests against planned abortion laws on Sunday.

Protests in Warsaw and other cities across the country saw women donning black clothes and taking to the streets on Sunday over fresh proposals to ban almost all abortions, even in cases where foetuses are unviable or have severe abnormalities.

Women in the capital gathered outside the parliament building to condemn the Catholic churchs influence on the countrys political parties on Sunday, shouting We have had enough!

Recommended Read more Thousands of women in Poland strike over abortion ban

Poland already has one of the strictest abortion laws in Europe, outlawing the procedure unless the pregnancy puts the womans life in danger, is a result of rape or incest, or the foetus is irreparably damaged.

But the head of Polands ruling Law and Justice party, Jaroslaw Kaczynski, said recently he wants a new law that that would ensure women carry foetuses to term in even in cases of Downs Syndrome or when there is no chance of survival. It would allow for baptisms and burials, he said.

We will strive to ensure that even in pregnancies which are very difficult, when a child is sure to die, strongly deformed women end up giving birth so that the child can be baptised, buried and have a name, he said in an interview with the Polish PaP news agency.

Most UK Catholics support abortion and use of contraception Show all 3 1 /3 Most UK Catholics support abortion and use of contraception Most UK Catholics support abortion and use of contraception 456220.bin AFP/Getty Images Most UK Catholics support abortion and use of contraception 456222.bin Reuters Most UK Catholics support abortion and use of contraception 456221.bin Getty Images

Sundays demonstrations were held under the slogan: We are not folding up our umbrellas, referencing similar protests held three weeks ago that took place in response to proposals of a total abortion ban, when women protested under umbrellas in the rain.

At the time, government officials backed away from plans for a total abortion ban, including in cases of pregnancies that are the result of rape or that put the mothers life at risk, after the protests and strike resulted in the closure of government offices, universities and schools in 60 cities.

But Mr Kaczynskis socially conservative party won parliamentary and presidential elections last year with backing from the Roman Catholic Church, Catholic media outlets and religious voters.

Many have seen the governments proposals to tighten abortion laws as an attempt to repay its debt to the religious supporters.

Poland has a population of 38 million and sees 1,040 abortions carried out each year, according to official statistics, though womens groups estimate an additional 100,000 to 150,000 abortions are performed either illegally or abroad annually.

Additional reporting by AP
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A United Nations investigator has warned that moves to crackdown on migration may worsen the risk of more attacks in Europe while breaching refugees fundamental rights.

Ben Emmerson, the Special Rapporteur on counter-terrorism and human rights, found little evidence that Isis and other terror groups use refugee flows or that asylum seekers are prone to radicalisation.

Delivering a report to the UN General Assembly in New York, he said: While there is no evidence that migration leads to increased terrorist activity, migration policies that are restrictive or that violate human rights may in fact create conditions conducive to terrorism.

Overly-restrictive migration policies introduced because of terrorism concerns are not justified and may in fact be damaging to state security.

Paris attacks ringleader Abdelhamid Abaaoud boasted of his travel to and from Syria (Dabiq)

Mr Emmersons report found that policies to criminalise irregular migration, build fences and carry out push-back operations are driving covert movements and people smuggling that may ultimately assist terrorists and lead to increased terrorist activity.

Analysts have previously warned that moves to turn away or detain refugees from Syria and other countries feeds into extremist propaganda that seeks to portray the West as a violent and oppressive enemy of Muslims.

Several European countries have tightened border controls over the past year in response to security concerns related to the refugee crisis, with the EU signing a controversial deal with Turkey seeing all asylum seekers arriving in Greece detained under the threat of deportation.

The crossing over the Aegean Sea was used by Isis to transport members of the cell that carried out the Paris and Brussels attacks back to Europe, using fake Syrian passports.

Ringleader Abdelhamid Abaaoud used an Isis propaganda magazine to boast of his travels between Belgium and Syria despite being chased after by so many intelligence agencies, although the article did not specify the method.

Two of the Paris suicide bombers arrived on the Greek island of Leros on the same day last October with fake passports, while accomplice Mohamed Abrini travelled from Syria under the name Naim al-Hamed and evaded authorities while preparing to launch the Brussels attacks.

 Paris attacks: Abrini arrested

Mr Emmerson acknowledged the link but said there was little evidence that terrorists systematically exploit refugee flows to carry out atrocities, while research shows that very few asylum seekers are responsible for attacks.

The finding was echoed in Europols 2016 European Union Terrorism Situation and Trend Report, which acknowledging a small number of known cases.

But the fear of further attacks has driven a growing link between anti-terror measures and immigration policy that is analytically and statistically unfounded, and must change, Mr Emmerson said.

Even with ongoing attempts to reach resolution in the Syrian conflicts, we are likely to see a continued flow of refugees beyond the current record levels, he told the UN General Assembly.

What is clear is that policies that respect human rights, justice, and accountability, and that manifest the values on which democracy is founded, are an essential element of effective counterterrorism policies.

The further we move away from this, the more we concede to terrorist groups.

We are here today to correct the misperception that international refugee law is an obstacle when it comes to addressing security concerns.

Terrorism in 2016: Terror attacks in Europe claimed by Isis Show all 9 1 /9 Terrorism in 2016: Terror attacks in Europe claimed by Isis Terrorism in 2016: Terror attacks in Europe claimed by Isis Policemen outside Rouen's cathedral during the funeral of Jacques Hamel, the priest who was killed in a church in Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray in Normandy on 26 July during a hostage-taking claimed by Islamic State group Joel Saget/AFP/Getty Images Terrorism in 2016: Terror attacks in Europe claimed by Isis Two jihadists, both 19, slit Hamel's throat while he was celebrating mass in an attack that shocked France as well as the Catholic Church Joel Saget/AFP/Getty Images Terrorism in 2016: Terror attacks in Europe claimed by Isis Muslims place flowers and hold a minute of silence in front of the church if Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray, western France, where French priest Jacques Hamel was killed on 26 July Charly Triballeau/AFP/Getty Images Terrorism in 2016: Terror attacks in Europe claimed by Isis Two people hold each other by the new makeshift memorial in Nice, in tribute to the victims of the deadly Bastille Day attack at the Promenade des Anglais Valery Hache/AFP/Getty Images Terrorism in 2016: Terror attacks in Europe claimed by Isis The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the truck attack that killed 84 people in Nice on France's national holiday. Mohamed Lahouaiej-Bouhlel, 31, smashed a 19-tonne truck into a packed crowd of people in the Riviera city celebrating Bastille Day Valery Hache/AFP/Getty Images Terrorism in 2016: Terror attacks in Europe claimed by Isis Police work at a site where a Syrian migrant set off an explosive device in Ansbach, southern Germany, on 25 July, killing himself and wounding a dozen others Daniel Roland/AFP/Getty Images Terrorism in 2016: Terror attacks in Europe claimed by Isis A Syrian migrant set off an explosion at a bar in southern Germany that killed himself and wounded a dozen others in the third attack to hit Bavaria in a week. The 27-year-old, who had spent a stint in a psychiatric facility, had intended to target a music festival in the city of Ansbach but was turned away because he did not have a ticket Friebe/AFP/Getty Images Terrorism in 2016: Terror attacks in Europe claimed by Isis Police officers walk along train tracks in Wuerzburg southern Germany on 19 July, a day after a man attacked train passengers with an axe. German authorities said they had found a hand-painted IS flag among the belongings of the man, an asylum seeker from Afghanistan, who seriously injured four members of a family of tourists from Hong Kong in his rampage Daniel Roland/AFP/Getty Images Terrorism in 2016: Terror attacks in Europe claimed by Isis German police killed a teenage assailant after he attacked passengers on a train in Wuerzburg, southerg Germany with an axe and a knife on 18 July, seriously wounding three people Karl-Josef Hildenbrand/AFP/Getty Images

In fact, it is in all of our interests to protect refugees and give them the opportunity to create a better future for themselves and their families. It is also the right thing to do.

His study recommends that countries should recognise that the vast majority of people fleeing Syria and other affected regions are victims of terrorism, rather than viewing them as potential suspects in the first instance.

It also calls on states to respect the fundamental rights of migrants and warns that operations to turn back ships or asylum seekers and detain of migrants likely violate human rights and breach obligations under international refugee law.

The report warned that the UKs provisions to revoke refugee status for extremist or unacceptable behaviour by applicants or their dependants go beyond what is permitted by a 1951 convention.

A record 65.3 million people are currently refugees or displaced in their own countries according to the United Nations  the highest figure since records began before the Second World War.

More than 320,000 asylum seekers have arrived in Europe by sea so far this year, far below last years total of more than 1 million, with at least 3,600 dying in treacherous boat crossings.
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The director of one of Spain's top power companies has predicted the country will eventually become 100 per cent relaint on renewable energy.

Acciona boss Miguel Ezpeleta said there is currently enough wind energy being generated to power 29m Spanish homes every day.

He told Australian news channel, ABC News: The important thing is to predict and forecast what is going to happen.

I think people are going to tell me we're crazy but I'm pretty sure we'll arrive at 100 per cent for one moment for sure.

The firm, which monitors 9,500 wind turbines across the world from its base in Pamplona in northern Spain, said a new nighttime record was set in November last year when wind energy provided 70 per cent of the countrys energy.

The daytime record was hit in January 2015 when wind accounted for 54 per cent of energy used.

The drive for clean energy is part of a move by the country, which has no oil or natural gas deposits, to become energy independent.

The European Union has set a target for Spain to fulfill 20 per cent of all its energy needs with renewable energy by 2020  it is currently at 17.4 per cent.

Design inspired by renewable energies presented at Saloni Show all 2 1 /2 Design inspired by renewable energies presented at Saloni Design inspired by renewable energies presented at Saloni 357323.bin courtesy of Jaime Hayon Design inspired by renewable energies presented at Saloni 357324.bin courtesy of Jaime Hayon

But critics say the focus on renewables has done nothing to make energy more affordable  with some suggesting the price has increased by up to 60 per cent since 2006.

One local resident in Falces near Pamplona, Maria Angeles Verjara, told ABC News: Every day is getting more expensive. I don't know if it's because of the taxes or why.

But Acciona said these problems can be combated with proper management.

The director for the Asia-Pacific region, Javier Montes, said: Properly managed, there should be no issues with that. The examples in Europe show that.

The one thing going in Spain's favour is that the electrical system has been built with the goal of making it very reliable and able to take very heavy knocks with extreme weather events or major technical failures.

By contrast the UK is set to fail to achieve its target of 15 per cent renewables by 2020, the Energy and Climate Change Committee concluded last month.

Committee chair Angus MacNeil MP said: "The experts we spoke to were clear: the UK will miss its 2020 renewable energy targets without major policy improvements.

Failing to meet these would damage the UKs reputation for climate change leadership.

The Government must take urgent action on heat and transport to renew its efforts on decarbonisation.
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A new report from a Palestinian rights organisation has found that the number of incidents in which people - including many journalists - have been arrested for social media posts has drastically increased in the last year, leading to worries over an Israeli crackdown on the right to freedom of expression.

Social media sites are an efficient window to empower journalists and Palestinians in general to express their opinions freely, Mousa Rimawi, author of the report and Director of the Palestinian Centre for Development and Media Freedoms (Mada) said.

[But] systematic surveillance and observation by Israeli Occupation Authorities [means they have become] an open platform for persecution and oppression relating to users opinions.

While there is no legal precedent in Israeli law for charging people with criminal offenses related to online posts, the state, worried that inflammatory content online has fuelled a spike in Israeli-Palestinian violence in the last 12 months, created a cybercrime unit in October 2015 to monitor and control what is published on the internet.

In addition, Israeli authorities are also pressuring social media companies to do more to remove posts which could incite violence, including drafting laws - which digital rights groups say would be unworkable - to compel platforms to take down content that could incite violence.

A delegation from Facebook met with government officials in September for what were were described as successful talks by Interior Minister Gilad Erdan's office. "Online extremism can only be tackled with a strong partnership between policymakers, civil society, academia and companies, and this is true everywhere," a representative for Facebook said, adding that the company meets with governments all over the world to combat hate speech and incitement to violence.

This week, the activist collective Palestinian Information Centre (Pic) reported that at least 10 of their administrators accounts for their Arabic and English Facebook pages - followed by more than two million people - have been suspended, seven of them permanently, which they say is a result of new measures put in place in the wake of Facebooks meeting with Israel.

Mark Steel: So what have the Palestinians got to complain about? Show all 64 1 /64 Mark Steel: So what have the Palestinians got to complain about? 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Facebook gave no explanation why other than that members had violated Facebook's 'Community Standards', Pic member Rami Salaam told The Independent. The move was about preventing our voice from reaching out to the world, rather than incitement, he said.

One video Mr Salaam said was taken down, of a college graduate in Gaza starting a small business, was removed because it contained nudity - even though it didn't. Seemingly the video was reported by Israelis and Facebook did not even bother to check, he added. A representative from Facebook told The Independent it was looking into the claims made by Pic.

"We care about the voices, opinion and rights of all the different communities on Facebook," he added. "Palestinian voices will be as safe on Facebook as every other community on our platform.

A 2015 report found that 96 per cent of Palestinians said their primary use of Facebook was for following news. Mada says that this shows the extreme importance of social media platforms and thus the potential impact disabling activists and journalists accounts could have for the dissemination of information relevent to Palestinian interests.

Since last October at least 150 arrests have been made on charges of incitement, but Palestinians and digital rights monitors say that in many cases posts are not relevant, or critical of Israeli government policy, rather than direct calls to violence.

 Netanyahu blames Palestinians for lack of peace in Israel

Since 2014, 61 Palestinian journalists and nine Israeli journalists have been prosecuted for online posts, the new report from Mada found.

In August, five journalists at Hebron start-up Sanabel Radio were also arrested in a dawn raid during what an Israeli army spokesperson said was an ongoing effort against incitement.

Last month, several senior journalists from Shehab and Quds news agencies in the West Bank reported their Facebook accounts - used to update professional pages which reach millions of people - had been temporarily suspended, in a move Facebook later said had been an error.

Facebook likes and shares have also been submitted as evidence in military trials for incitement, West Bank legal charity Addameer told The Independent, as was reported in the sentencing of a Palestinian astrophysics professor supportive of militant group Hamas earlier this month.

Recommended Read more Israel in crack down on Palestinian journalists

Prosecutors use the numbers of likes and shares of specified posts, while failing to connect these posts or these individuals, to acts of violence. The trend is an alarming one, Addameer director Sahar Francis told The Independent at the time. The Israeli Defence Force did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Many Palestinians have called for boycotts of the company for perceived collusion with the Israeli authorities and worries over the fact Facebook activity could be used to target activists.

Mr Salaam of Pic said that Facebook was too important a platform for the group to leave.

While we feel frustrated and distracted, were more determined to continue our activism for Palestine We utilise all available platforms, even those trying to silence us, to make sure Palestines voice is heard loud and clear, he said.
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Israels Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman has said in an interview that any future hostilities between the Jewish state and Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip will be the last, because we will completely destroy them.

Mr Lieberman made the comments in a rare hearts and minds interview with Jerusalem-based Palestinian newspaper al-Quds, published on Monday, in which he insisted that all Palestinians have a duty to deter the Hamas movement from what he called its goal of destroying the Israeli state.

As minister of defence, I would like to clarify that we have no intention of starting a new war against our neighbours in the Gaza Strip or the West Bank, Lebanon or Syria, he said, while adding that ordinary Palestinians in both the Palestinian Authority-controlled West Bank and Hamas-run Gaza Strip must urge Hamas to stop your crazy policies.

In Gaza, like the Iranians, they intend to eliminate the state of Israel ... If they impose the next war on Israel, it will be their last. I would like to emphasise again: it will be their last confrontation because we will completely destroy them," he said.

The comments have sparked outrage on Palestinian social media platforms, particularly among those supportive of Hamas, with critics sending messages blasting the media normalisation of Israeli policy in the decision to interview Mr Lieberman, whom some dubbed a murderer.

The conflict with the enemy isn't only about power, it is also ideological and cultural... therefore, any type of normalisation with Israel must be forbidden, one such commenter said.

Palestine, yes, but Israelis draw the line at Jerusalem Show all 2 1 /2 Palestine, yes, but Israelis draw the line at Jerusalem Palestine, yes, but Israelis draw the line at Jerusalem 651686.bin EPA Palestine, yes, but Israelis draw the line at Jerusalem 651598.bin EPA

Hamas won local elections in the Gaza Strip in 2006, and after fighting with Palestine's Fatah party, took complete control of the area in June 2007. There have been four short but bloody conflicts between Gaza and Israel since.

Mr Lieberman, who took office in May, made a series of threats directed at Ismail Haniya, Hamas Gaza leader, before taking up the post. He has since backed away from the statements and has said he is committed to responsible, reasonably policy.

He serves under Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in what is seen as the most right-wing administration in Israeli history: many government members are publicly opposed to recognising a Palestinian state.

 President Obama addresses Palestine in UN speech

Mr Lieberman himself says he believes in a two-state solution, and is critical of Israeli settlements in the West Bank  one of the major stumbling blocks to any peace deal.

In the interview with al-Quds Mr Lieberman also levelled criticism at the West Banks Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, whom he said has not done enough to curb more violent factions of the movement for Palestinian statehood.

Local elections in Gaza and the West Bank that were expected earlier this year have been suspended several times after disagreements between Hamas and Mr Abbas Fatah party.

Hamas are widely expected to make gains in the West Bank if elections are held in the near future.
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The Turkish foreign minister has said that Turkish artillery fire has killed 17 Isis fighters in its first foray into fighting in the US-backed operation to free the city of Mosul, which has entered its second week.

Artillery fire had been used near the town of Bashiqa north of Mosul at the request of Kurdish Peshmerga forces on Sunday, Mevlut Cavusoglu said in a media conference in Ankara, adding that four Turkish F-16 fighter jets remain on standby.

Turkey is adamant that it wants to play a central role in the US-backed coalition forces attempts to recapture Mosul, Iraqs second biggest city, which has been held by Isis since 2014.

Ankara currently has a small number of Turkish trained Sunni tribal fighters and Turkish support troops at a base north of the city, despite strong objections from the Iraqi government.

Many in Baghdad see their presence as intruding on Iraqi sovereignty. The Iraqi militarys joint operations command denied there had been Turkish participation of any kind in operations for the liberation of Nineveh [province], despite eye-witness reports of artillery fire from the Turkish base.

On Monday, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi reiterated that the offensive is something Iraqis can handle, despite repeated suggestions from US Defence Secretary Ash Carter and the Pentagon that the in-fighting should be addressed before it jeopardises the success of the overall mission.

 Mosul battle: Civilians flee ahead of fighting

Also on Monday, Kurdish Peshmerga forces managed to besiege Isis fighters in their second assault on the Isis-held town of Bashiqa, north of Mosul. Senior Peshmerga commander General Said Hazhar told local news that Bashiqa had been encircled on three sides on Monday, and the main road to nearby Mosul cut off completely, although Isis suicide bombers mean troops are proceeding with caution.

The long-anticipated assault on Mosul began last Monday. Around 30,000 allied Kurdish, Shiite and Sunni fighters, as well as the Iraqi armys forces, have made slow but steady gains despite the use of suicide bombers, landmines and diversion attacks by the jihadi fighters.

Aid groups warn that the operation could put Mosuls 1.5 million residents in grave danger as the around 4,000 fighters prepare for battle by taking human shields.

Between 200,000 and 700,000 people are expected to flee the city when fighting reaches its outskirts, but humanitarian agencies are not prepared to cope with more than around 100,000 people thanks to a severe funding shortage, the UN says.
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An international coalition of aid and human rights organisations has called on UN member states to question whether Russia is fit to keep its position on the international bodys Human Rights Council in elections this week because of its actions in the Syrian civil war.

The UNs General Assembly is selecting new members for the rights body in elections in New York this Friday. Russia, Hungary and Croatia are vying for the chance to represent Eastern Europe  but a statement from more than 80 humanitarian groups released on Monday has asked voting delegations to consider that Russias actions in Syria stand in clear contrast to its rhetorical commitment to human rights.

UN Resolution 60/251 asks those voting for members of the Human Rights Council take into account the contribution of candidates to the promotion and protection of human rights, the statement from signatories including Human Rights Watch, Care International, and several Syrian non-governmental organisations said.

Russias use of its veto as a permanent member of the UNs Security Council to block ceasefire action in Aleppo and its continued support for air strikes show that the countrys abuses are [not] compatible with the principles and aims of the Human Rights Council, they said.

Russia has provided financial and logistic support to ally Syrian President Bashar al-Assad throughout the almost six-year-long conflict, including military assistance from September 2015 onwards. It has come under renewed criticism for air strikes in Syria since the regimes new campaign to retake rebel-held east Aleppo began in earnest last month.

Residents on the ground and international monitors report that Russian-manufactured cluster munitions  banned under international law because of the indiscriminate damage they cause  as well as napalm, white phosphorous and ground-penetrating bunker-buster bombs have been dropped on besieged east Aleppos 250,000 residents in the past four weeks.

 Family buries children killed in Aleppo airstrike

Up to 500 people have died in the unprecedented attacks, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says, and 2,000 have been injured.

Recommended Read more Compare the coverage of Mosul and East Aleppo and it reveals a lot

Many governments, including the UK, France and US, have accused Russia of war crimes for targeting built-up areas and civilian infrastructure, including hospitals, a water-treatment plant, bakeries and emergency response centres, as well as for allegedly bombing a UN aid convoy outside aleppo during a ceasefire on 19 September. Russia denies that its planes hit the humanitarian convoy, and says that strikes in east Aleppo target terrorists who use civilians as human shields.

Russia pledged that if reelected to the Human Rights Council it will promote states compliance with their international human rights obligations, but the undersigned signatories said Moscows continued cooperation with Damascus undermines this stance.

The credibility and legitimacy of the Human Rights Council rest upon its members demonstrating a genuine commitment to human rights, the aid groups statement said.
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British troops are to train opposition fighters in Syria in a move which is highly likely to attract controversy following the defection by moderate rebels, trained and armed by the West, to extremist jihadist groups in the past.

The UK deployment comes at a time of intense international rivalry for influence in the countrys bloody civil war with Isis facing an impending offensive on Raqqa, the capital of its caliphate, and the Assad regime attempting to wrest back control of Aleppo with the help of its Russian and Iranian allies.

Sir Michael Fallon, the defence secretary, will announce the dispatching of the trainers at the start of a security conference in Paris on combating Isis on Tuesday. Around 20 military personnel, drawn from a number of units, will be sent initially, but the numbers are expected to be increased in the future.

The UK decision came in response to a request from the Pentagon. A similar British mission alongside the Americans, based in Jordan, ended in November last year after US trained fighters surrendered to Jabhat al-Nusra, an al-Qaeda affiliate, on crossing the Syrian border. The official reason given at the time for ending British involvement was that not enough recruits had turned up for training.

The new British team, according to defence sources, is likely to be based in al-Quweira in south-west Jordan, in camps which were built last year. They will be working, it is believed, with the New Syrian Army (NSA) which has been formed out of defectors from the regimes armed forces.

SAS units, which have been on the ground inside Syria with NSA fighters, are said to have played a role in the selection of recruits for the new scheme. The Ministry of Defence in London stressed that  all volunteers from the moderate opposition will be subjected to strict vetting procedures and will receive training in International Humanitarian Law. Trainees will be security and medically screened prior to the start of the training and will be assessed during and monitored after the training.

Sir Michael stated  Daesh [Isis] are on the back foot. The RAF is already playing a leading role in the air, hitting them hard in Iraq and Syria. Now we are stepping p our support to moderate opposition forces in Syria, through training them in the skills they need to defeat Daesh. The training package will include combat, dealing with IEDs ( improvised explosive devices) emergency medical procedures and communication.

The NSA has been active in al-Tanaf area in southeastern Syria, near the Jordanian border. In May this year the Isis carried out a suicide attack on its base and in June it was hit by airstrikes which the group blamed on the Russians : Moscow denied being involved in the bombing.

The NSA was subsequently broke with an allied group, the Authenticity and Development Front, which receives funding from Saudi Arabia. To critics, it was just another example of the divided and dysfunctional nature of Syrian opposition fighters.

The training initiative comes against the background of jockeying for strategic advantage over the assault on Raqqa. The Americans want it to be led by its Kurdish allies, YPG and moderate Syrian groups. The Turks, engaged in conflict with the Kurds, also want to play a role while the Russians are insisting that the Assad regime must also be involved.
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The title Global Entry is an exaggeration: this scheme will help you get in only to America. Acquiring Global Entry status is a formidable exercise in bureaucracy. Yet once you clear all the hurdles, you too may regard the new system for fast-tracking through US border control as possibly the best development since the jet engine.

Last weekend, Orlando airport was even busier than normal. The British Airways flight from Gatwick arrived on time, but my spirits sank when I saw we were taxiing to the terminal behind a Virgin Atlantic 747, with an identical Jumbo already parked at the gate. Add in a Lufthansa 747 fresh from Frankfurt, and a Thomas Cook flight from Manchester, and there were certain to be at least 1,500 people ahead in the queue for immigration.

Fortunately, in the depths of last winter I began the process of enlisting for Global Entry, Americas new system for so-called Trusted Travelers. I bypassed the pens holding hundreds of holidaymakers, and followed the signs to a machine that looked like an ATM. I placed my passport face down into the holder, looked up at the camera and squashed the fingers of my right hand onto the reader. Within 15 seconds, I was clutching a receipt confirming that I had passed muster to enter one of the worlds most fastidious nations, bureaucratically speaking.

A colleague who has not (yet) registered for Global Register took a further 75 minutes to go through classic border control. He was further irritated when I breezed through a special Global Entry channel for US Customs and joined the car-rental queue. He is now beginning the rigorous and expensive process of joining this exclusive club.

Ive never tried to become a rocket scientist or join MI6, but I imagine that both involve a similar level of difficulty to applying for Global Entry. British travellers first have to apply to the UK Government for permission to apply to the US Government. This costs 42 (non-refundable if you fail the background checks), as the Home Office reminds you. To make things a little easier, Ive created a short link for you here (bit.ly/GlobEnt) to take you to the right page.

Within 10 days your background checks will be complete, and assuming you dont have too many skeletons in the cupboard you get sent a nine-digit code by the Apply for US Global Entry Team. You then present this, online, to the American authorities. It entitles you to begin the process of applying, which will cost a further $100.

All being well, you should get provisional clearance within three weeks. But then you may feel your problems are really only beginning. In order to grant you the precious permission to queue-jump, the Americans would like to see you. Within 30 days. On their turf. And that means going through another interminable wait

I got around this requirement by making an appointment in Toronto, one of the airports that offers pre-clearance to US-bound travellers. I was actually flying from Canada to Amsterdam, but booked an appointment just before departure and had an interview, with my fingerprints and photograph taken.

I wanted to have something to take away - a card, a certificate, just something for all that trouble - but all I got was an email saying I appeared to be a Trusted Traveler. And it wasnt until that moment in Orlando that I was recognised - agreed, only by a computer. But skipping the line was the biggest thrill I have had for a while in the theme-park capital of the world.
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Going away for Christmas and the New Year? It pays to be flexible on your travel dates. The Independent has analysed hundreds of fares on six key air routes, as well as London-Paris trains, and has found that shifting departure and return dates by only a day or two can save many hundreds of pounds. The research also shows that Christmas Day falling on a Sunday has produced an unusual pre-Christmas peak, with Wednesday 21 December particularly expensive on many routes.

An even stronger surge is evident on Monday 2 January  the key date to avoid for travelling inbound to the UK, with planes and trains packed with passengers paying the very highest fares.

Recommended Read more 10 of the best island hideaways for winter sun

Many airlines, as well the cross-Channel train operator, Eurostar, are expecting a tough winter. The only bright spot is Christmas and New Year, when fares spike because of strong demand.

For many destinations, notably Australasia, South Africa and the Caribbean, the ideal time to book is as soon as the flights go on sale  which means January for the following festive season. Those who have not been so far-sighted with their long-haul planning can still save handsomely by choosing the right dates.

The Independent has looked at key destinations to identify the best time to travel to a range of popular destinations over Christmas and New Year, looking at specific operators. The rules: travel must be outbound no earlier than Saturday 17 December, with the return no later than Sunday 8 January. Travel on Christmas Day or New Years Eve is not allowed, except for early arrivals on 25 December. All fares are the cheapest economy returns checked direct with the operator.

Route Airline/Operator Priciest Cheapest Saving London-Sydney Qantas 21 December/2 January, 2,831 23 December/8 January, 1,957 31 per cent Manchester-Orlando Virgin Atlantic 21 December/3 January, 1,251 24 December/5 January, 907 27 per cent Glasgow-New York United 17 December/2 January, 927 20 December/4 January, 826 11 per cent London-Barbados British Airways 21 December/2 January, 1,643 19 December/4 January, 1,102 33 per cent Birmingham-Malaga, Monarch Monarch 24 December/2 January, 370 21 December/1 January, 155 58 per cent Newcastle-Cape Town (via Dubai) Emirates 18 December/2 January, 1,156 20 December/4 January, 820 29 per cent London-Paris Eurostar Priciest: 24 December/2 January, 149 Cheapest: 21 December/5 January, 63.50 57 per cent

On the Gatwick-Barbados run, British Airways is selling seats outbound on 21 December, back on 2 January, for 1,643 return. Fly out two days earlier, and back two days later, and the fare falls by one-third to 1,102.

From Manchester to Orlando, Virgin Atlantic is charging 1,251 to fly out on 21 December and back on 3 January (there is no flight the day before). A family of four who choose to fly on Christmas Eve, arriving in Floridas theme-park capital at 4pm) and return on 5 January will save almost 1,400.

Between Newcastle and Cape Town, using Emirates via Dubai, the highest prices apply on Sunday 18 December outbound, returning on 2 January, for 1,156. Shift the outbound and return days by two days, and you pay only 820  saving 30 per cent.

Flying out from Heathrow to Sydney on Qantas on Saturday 17 December, returning on 2 January, the lowest fare is 1,940. Yet if you are determined to travel faraway in the depths of midwinter, shifting your travel dates by a few days can save hundreds of pounds. Travel out on QF2 on 23 December, arriving at dawn on Christmas Day, and return on QF1 on 3 January, and the fare falls by 330.

If you're happy to arrive on Christmas morning, Sydney becomes much cheaper (Getty Images)

On short-haul trips, the price pattern outbound is different. Flying Monarch from Birmingham to Malaga, the busiest day is Christmas Eve, though Monday 2 January remains the most expensive inbound. The peak return trip costs 370, yet by going out on 21 December and back on New Years Day, it falls to 155.

By train to Paris, Christmas Eve is also the priciest day from London St Pancras to Gare du Nord in the French capital, with 2 January most expensive coming back. Going earlier, returning later, can save 57 per cent.

In Scotland, the picture looks rather different. From Glasgow to New York, the highest fare on Uniteds non-stop is on Saturday 17 December, while 20 and 21 December show a dip. Coming back, though, 2 January is still the peak day.

Click here to view Christmas tours and breaks, with Independent Holidays.
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That the Calais Jungle has been allowed to fester and endure for so long is a blot on the copybooks of governments, both here and on the continent.

Whether you believe all of its residents should be allowed into Britain or not, few can say that people living in a state of limbo in makeshift squalor is anything other than barbarism, when there should exist procedures and facilities to process, house and deport such a population efficiently. That said, procedures are evidently not in place, which begs serious questions about the preparedness and seriousness of government agencies responsible for such matters.

Why has Europe allowed the creation of a class of untouchables, with no nation keen to process them?

Last week, Britain began accepting (admittedly contested) unaccompanied child refugees. I believe all children should be accepted, unaccompanied or otherwise, and that it is shameful that our government has engaged in so much prevarication on the issue. How many children, undocumented and uncared for, have gone missing while waiting for dithering politicians to locate their moral compass?

Calais refugee camp evacuation Show all 15 1 /15 Calais refugee camp evacuation Calais refugee camp evacuation Refugees run past a fire in the makeshift migrant camp known as 'the jungle' in Calais, October 2016 AP Calais refugee camp evacuation French authorities say the closure of the slum-like camp in Calais will last approximately a week in what they describe as a "humanitarian" operation, October 2016 AP Calais refugee camp evacuation A painted message saying 'Bye Jungle' on a tent in the camp in Calais, October 2016 Getty Calais refugee camp evacuation Refugees set rubbish bins alight as a protest in the makeshift camp 'the Jungle' in Calais, France, October 2016 EPA Calais refugee camp evacuation French riot police advance through tear gas and smoke from a fire to disperse refugees throwing stones and lighting fires at the Jungle migrant camp Getty Calais refugee camp evacuation French CRS riot police secure an area on the eve of the evacuation and transfer of refugees to reception centers in France Reuters Calais refugee camp evacuation Journalists run away from smoke during clashes near a makeshift refugee camp known as 'the jungle' in Calais AP Calais refugee camp evacuation French CRS riot police secure an area on the eve of the evacuation and transfer of refugees to reception centers in Franc Reuters Calais refugee camp evacuation Migrants queue for transportation by bus to reception centres across France, from the 'Jungle' refugee camp in Calais Getty Calais refugee camp evacuation Refugees line-up to register at a processing centre in the 'jungle' near Calais, northern France, as the mass exodus from the migrant camp begins PA wire Calais refugee camp evacuation Refugees with luggage walk past a graffiti on a wall as they leave the 'Jungle' migrant camp, as part of a major three-day operation planned to clear the camp in Calais Getty Calais refugee camp evacuation French far-right Front National (FN) party's member of parliament Marion Marechal-Le Pen (L) delivers a speech next to a banner reading "They arrive in Vaucluse, no migrants in our place" as she attends a rally against the hosting of refugees in La Tour d'Aigues Getty Images Calais refugee camp evacuation French police forces secure the area near the 'Jungle' refugee camp in Calais Getty Calais refugee camp evacuation Refugees leave messages on their tents in the Jungle migrant camp Getty Calais refugee camp evacuation Refugees carry their belongings and transfer to reception centers in France

Why, though, have no other governments, specifically the French, picked these children up as they passed through their countries in the meantime? Why are we unsure as to the age of those we can still locate? Shouldnt someone have addressed this issue as they were making their way across Europe? Italy is famed for its hellish bureaucracy; did no one bother taking notes as desperate people emerged from the sea?

Britain is of course fortunate in that it has a natural border, but when Lily Allen apologised to the residents of the Jungle on behalf of my country, she ignored the issue that the camp is not in Britain, but another, wealthy, developed and civilised European nation. These people have passed through others en route. Isnt it strange that the response from organised, settled Europe has been a hearty mix of slapdash border control and an occasional teargassing for the cameras?

The camp is a source of misery for those who live there. People are not safe. Food, shelter and medical assistance are not guaranteed. For all the charity pouring in, theft, assault, sexual harassment and worse is infinitely more likely in a settlement such as this. The human thing to do would have been to close it as soon as it emerged. Either way, migrants in Europe will have to be resettled or deported. Both are painful decisions, but delaying them has only made the situation worse.

 Dramatic footage shows unrest in Calais ahead of 'jungle' demolition

Take Brexit as an example: it cannot have helped dampen anti-European, anti-immigration and anti-establishment sentiments in this country when a large, chaotic refugee camp just across the water was plainly visible as an image of European incompetence. Would it not have helped convince the British public that the EU was a sensible and beneficial body if it and national governments had had a robust plan in place to fairly and quickly alleviate the issue? Isnt that what such bodies are meant to do, rather than kick their heels and wait for the problem to go away?

One can only hope that the closing of the camp helps to solve the case of each migrant and refugee, either with permanent residency in Britain and Europe, temporary shelter from war, or deportation. One can also hope that todays action will herald a sea change in the way we approach mass migration. I suspect, however, that as many of the residents themselves have suggested, another lawless camp will pop up somewhere else in the Calais area, and the desperate cycle of Europes untouchables will keep on spinning.
These institutions have shaped the City of London into Europes banking capital since the advent of the single market. (Photo by Chris J Ratcliffe/Getty Images)

Banks will start moving operations out of the UK by the end of the year, even before Brexit negotiations get under way, according to the head of a hugely influential industry body.

British Bankers Association (BBA) chief executive Anthony Browne piled pressure on policymakers in London to move to retain big banks that dominate much of the British economy.

These institutions have shaped the City of London into Europe's banking capital since the advent of the single market.

But now the banks' "hands are quivering over the relocate button", Browne wrote in the Observer newspaper.

He signalled growing unease among banks at the potential loss of access to the single market and the increasingly shrill antagonism to open markets for labour and trade voiced by British political leaders.

Ireland, in particular Dublin, along with Paris, Frankfurt and Amsterdam, are seen among the options for exiting banks.

"IDA Ireland will be fighting hard for any piece of mobile investment that results from Brexit," a spokesman for the agency said yesterday.

"We have had an increase in queries to our offices across the world post-Brexit and our global teams are engaging with many potential investors into Ireland."

France has also made an aggressive bid to win banks from London to the financial district at La Defense, including offering rapid regulatory clearance to incoming firms.

Dublin, meanwhile, could suffer from its disfunctional property market.

A comparison by Bloomberg of options for banks named lack of office space and housing as problems in Dublin.

It quoted Simon Betty of Dundrum Town Centre owner Hammerson Ireland, who said he's been looking for office space since last winter and hasn't found anything.

"We're in the property industry, so if we can't find a place, who can?" he asked.
A massive farm in Australia is generating huge interest and bids

Bidding on the largest cattle farm in Australia has reached Aus $386 million after an all-Australian consortium placed an unconditional bid on the property.

ABC News in Australia has reported that the offer, from four families, is larger than that made by mining magnate Gina Rinehart and her Chinese joint venture partner.

It comes two weeks after Australia's richest woman Gina Rinehart and Chinese developer Shanghai CRED agreed on a deal to jointly purchase S. Kidman & Co, the country's largest private land holding, for Aus$365 million (255m).

Under that deal, Rinehart's Hancock Prospecting would own 67pc and Shanghai CRED 33pc of Australian Outback Beef Pty Ltd, a new joint venture created to buy Kidman. A Rinehart deal would need Australian foreign investment approval.

In April, the Australian government rejected a Aus$371 million bid by a consortium headed by Shanghai CRED and Hunan Dakang Pasture Farming Co Ltd, alongside a minority 20pc Australian interest, the group's second rejection in six months.

Australian Treasurer Scott Morrison said the sale of Kidman's vast holdings - about the same size as South Korea - to the Chinese buyers was not in the national interest. Domestic ownership of agriculture is seen as crucial for Australia to cash in on global food demand and to keep tax revenues onshore.

Founded more than 100 years ago, Kidman has an average beef herd carrying capacity of 185,000 cattle and pastoral leases covering 101,000 sq km (39,000 sq miles). The company has already agreed to sell its Anna Creek Station in South Australia, which makes up a quarter of its land holding, to an Australian buyer.

West Australian and Northern Territory pastoralist Sterling Buntine, who is a member of the BBHO syndicate, which has made the latest offer, told ABC News that the four families comprising the consortium are deeply committed to honouring and preserving the Kidman heritage and brand, which will continue under the stewardship of highly regarded and successful Australian graziers.

Between them they own vast tracts of pastoral land across Australia and have about 400,000 head of cattle.
Opportunities exist for Irish dairy breeding stock in Russia, according to Alla Barinova, of Bord Bias Moscow Office.

Russia has 8.5 million cattle and half of them are produced in dairy enterprises and the rest in individual plots. Total production of milk is around 30 million tonnes per year. According to official statistics, 50% of whole milk volume is used for dairy processing.

The remaining 50% is consumed by farmers and villages and isnt used for processing.

According to Barinova, this latter statistic is in fact less, as urbanisation is driving people from villages to cities.

The milk deficit in Russia is estimated to be at 8 million tonnes. Russia has not managed to increase production, despite the measures undertaken: Subsidies of 3 Roubles per 1 liter of raw milk, subsidies for capital investment in farm construction, subsidies on credit to farmers.

Because of this deficit, exports of dairy ingredients from Ireland to Russia have increased in by 318% in 2016 compared to 2015, casein  at 281%, infant food at 560%, she says.

As a result of the deficit and the food embargo, milk prices continue to increase, especially in the Ural and Siberian regions, Barinova highlighted.

Demand for milk is high, she says and added that iIn the last few years, foreign companies have heavily invested in dairy farming in Russia.

Among the biggest projects are Eco Niva, a 99% German-owned company, Eco Land GmbH, with a few farms and a total number of 3600 cows, Molvest with 1200 cows and Domanta (Rusmoloko) with 1200 cows.

According to Barinova, the opportunity for Irish companies is in selling expertise and technology for dairy farming and processing, as well as selling dairy cattle for breeding purposes.

Due to the lack of expertise and technology, foreign investment is in required in the form of joint ventures; the success of a joint venture in Irish pig breeding as a key example, she says.
Relations between Irish retail group Musgrave and global grocery giant Unilever remain frosty, with the international group still not supplying ice-cream favourites such as HB and Ben & Jerrys to the Cork company.

Musgrave, which controls the SuperValu chain in Ireland, has been locked in a trade dispute with Unilever after the multinational tried to raise prices on a raft of products it supplies.

Unilever, whose brands include Lyons Tea, Dove, Hellmanns and Lynx, was also embroiled in a dispute with Tesco in the UK over price rises. That threatened to see a large number of popular brands vanish from shelves at Tesco. But the pair later reached an agreement.

Unilever stopped supplying goods to Musgrave two weeks ago over the price row.

Musgrave said that Unilever was trying to raise prices on some of the products it supplied by up to 19pc.

Unilever makes some of the most popular goods sold in this country, including Knorr soups, Lyons Tea, Flora margarine, Domestos, and Pot Noodles.

It supplies 800 products to Musgrave. Unilever hadnt sought a price increase for all those products, but did stop supplying all of them.

The Anglo-Dutch company has offered Irish retailers a currency exchange mechanism to compensate them for the price rises its seeking to introduce.

Unilever has blamed a slump in the value of sterling for having to implement price increases.

And while Unilever has now started supplying almost all its products to Musgrave again, its still not shipping ice-cream brands to the Irish group, which also controls the Centra chain.

That means that favourites such as Magnum, Cornetto and Carte DOr are still missing from the shelves of SuperValu and Centra outlets all over the country.

Musgrave said that its negotiations with Unilever are continuing, and that the supply of a number of products now subject to any price increase has resumed.

SuperValu is Irelands biggest grocery retailer, with a 22.4pc share of the multi-billion euro market, according to new figures released yesterday by research group Kantar Worldpanel.
Dunnes Stores has become the countrys second-largest grocery retailer, pushing Tesco into third place in the multi-billion euro market, new figures this morning show.

Dunnes, headed by siblings Margaret Heffernan and Frank Dunne, now has 22pc share of the grocery market here, according to data from Kantar Worldpanel.

Supervalu, the chain controlled by Cork-based Musgrave, has held onto its top spot. But with a 22.4pc share, Dunnes Stores has also significantly narrowed the gap with the leader.

Tescos position as the third-biggest grocery retailer in Ireland gives it a 21.6pc share.

The British multiple has been lowering prices in an effort to lure more shoppers. Kantar Worldpanel said that while the value of its sales here slipped 1.3pc in the 12 weeks to October 9, its volumes in the period were higher.

In interim results published earlier this month, Tesco said that it recorded like-for-like sales growth of 0.3pc in the first quarter in Ireland, and 0.1pc in the second quarter.

A Tesco spokesperson said that the average selling price per item at the chains outlets here is now 3.7pc lower than this time last year, which impacts its share of the overall spend in the market. In volume terms, the retailer said Tesco remains the leader here, with a 21.3pc share.

Dunnes Stores has been investing heavily in its Shop and Save couponing initiative to buy shopper loyalty.

It has also been revamping its offer, moving more upmarket with new lines of products. Earlier this year, it bought Tipperary butcher Whelans, and it also acquired the small coffee chain, Cafe Sol, last year.

Since its introduction, Dunnes Shop and Save initiative has gone from strength to strength, said Kantar Worldpanel director David Berry. The campaign has been very successful in persuading shoppers to spend more, and weve seen a whopping 18pc increase in shopping trips where consumers spend over 100 since last year.
Intel executives warned the Government that keeping commitments on broadband rollout is "crucial" to its strategy to create jobs.

It came during a high-level meeting between the tech giant's boss in Ireland Eamonn Sinnott and Dermot Mulligan, the assistant secretary general of the Department of Jobs.

Partially redacted minutes of the May 13 meeting were released to the Irish Independent under freedom of information laws. Three Intel executives met with Mr Mulligan and another official at the Jobs Department.

They discussed the pre-existing Action Plan for Jobs and a department official noted Intel "see driving the broadband commitments as being a crucial issue".

The Programme for Government commits to bringing next generation broadband to every house and business in the country by 2020. There have already been delays in the start of building work for the National Broadband Plan.

A section of the minutes entitled 'costs/competitiveness issues' is mostly blacked out as it is said to be "commercially sensitive". One bullet point does note that Intel is "happy" with the quality of Irish graduates.

The company could not tell the Government if there would be compulsory redundancies in Ireland on the back of global restructuring announced in April. The Intel executives said they expected them to be "largely voluntary" but it would depend on the uptake of the voluntary scheme around the world.

A department spokeswoman confirmed it still did not have details of the precise number of redundancies here.

An Intel spokeswoman said it had not publicly disclosed the number of redundancies made around the world "and will not be doing so". She said it employed about 5,200 people in Ireland.

Intel is worth 1bn to the economy, according to a report by accountancy firm PwC quoted in the minutes.
Alcohol could be less visible to shoppers in the future. Photographer: Peter Kollanyi/Bloomberg

The retail sector faces a 100m bill if a proposed law requiring shops to keep alcohol out of sight of shoppers is passed.

The Public Health (Alcohol) Bill is due to be debated by the Seanad on Wednesday. In a letter sent to senators ahead of the debate, business group Retail Ireland warns that if the Bill is passed it would cost even small shopkeepers as much as 50,000 each to comply. The measure is "disproportionate" and "overly burdensome" for the sector, the letter seen by the Irish Independent said.

If passed in its current form it will seriously threaten the recovery in the Irish retail sector, it said.

Retailers' fears relate to a requirement in the bill that alcohol must be "not readily visible" to shoppers.

Legal advice obtained by Retail Ireland is that the clause would force large outlets to install seven-foot internal barriers to keep drink out of sight, while smaller operators will have to build closed and blacked-out storage units to prevent drink products being seen. The new cabinets will not be allowed to adjoin shelves with other products.

Retail Ireland director Thomas Burke said the requirement to black-out all alcohol would mean over-hauling thousands of shops at huge cost.

"The proposed separation requirements will in most cases oblige retailers to physically move fire doors and emergency exits in order to comply with health and safety regulations. Such changes will require planning permission and further certification from various regulatory bodies," he wrote in the letter to senators.

"Retail Ireland members take the issue of alcohol retailing very seriously and understand the responsibilities attached with retailing a controlled product such as alcohol."

But, he said, the provision in the Bill could have huge negative consequences for the sector.
LinkedIn has revealed the top skills in demand by Irish employers.

And it is clear that tech skills are in strong demand, with some of the job titles below only recently coming into existence.

The annual list shows the skills most sought after among global employers, and employers in Ireland and 17 other countries.

Cloud and Distributed Computing topped the Irish list for the second year in a row and it was also the most in demand skill globally.

Statistical Analysis and Data Mining came in second, while Web Architecture and Development Framework hit the third spot, up three places from last year.

The list is developed by analysing the recruiting activity on the website since January.

Senior HR Director Wendy Murphy says the research shows the ongoing demand for tech skills.

"While we see job applications spike on LinkedIn in October, we know companies arent actually hiring at the same rate until January," she said.

While some skills expire every couple of years, our data highlights the ongoing demand for tech skills across every industry in Ireland.

"While this is good news for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math graduates, professionals going back to further education should consider these areas when considering which skills to acquire in order to be more marketable."

Here is the full list:

1. Cloud and Distributed Computing (no change)

2. Statistical Analysis and Data Mining (no change)

3. Web Architecture and Development Framework (up three places from 2015)

4. Network and Information Security (up one place from 2015)

5. SEO/SEM Marketing (fell two places since 2015)

6. Marketing Campaign Management (new entry)

7. Software Revision Control Systems (up three places from 2015)

8. Middleware and Integration Software (fell four places since 2015)

9. Mobile Development (fell one place since 2015)

10. Recruiting (up six places from 2015)
One of INM's business reporters has been shortlisted for a prestigious prize, awarded to young writers for the best business book proposal.

Gavin McLoughlin has been selected - along with eight others (all aged under 35) - to be in the running for the 2016 Bracken Bower Prize.

Three finalists from the shortlist will be drawn from the top nine, with one talented author to receive the accolade on November 22.

Named after Brendan Bracken, former editor of the Financial Times, the Bracken Bower Prize aims to reward the best literary proposal covering the challenges and opportunities of growth.

All three finalists will get to attend a masterclass with a book editor, a publisher and an agent, and will be announced on November 18 as the FT publish extracts from their book proposals.

The winner will receive 15,000 for their submission and will be announced at a dinner in London.

Dearbhail McDonald, Group Business Editor of INM, said that Mr McLoughlins presence on the shortlist was a testament to the talent and tenacity of one of Irelands brightest young business reporters.

The judges are looking for a proposal for a book that aims to provide a compelling and enjoyable insight into future trends in business, economics, finance or management. Every day Gavin vigorously pursues those insights as a key member of the INM business team who are thrilled to see one of our younger members receive such a prestigious validation of his work.

Mr McLoughlin is the latest member of the INM business team to be shortlisted for a series of awards.

Personal Finance Editor Charlie Weston and Technology Editor Adrian Weckler have been shortlisted for Business Journalist of the Year in the 2016 Journalism Awards while Mr Weckler and Brexit Correspondent Colm Kelpie have been shortlisted for Business Story of the Year.

Ms McDonald has been shortlisted in the Broadsheet Columnist and News Reporter categories of the awards which are sponsored by the National Lottery.

The full shortlist of authors are as follows:

Sophie Dickins

Scott Harley

Simn Hedlin

Gavin McLoughlin

RossMurdoch

Igor Pejic

Nora Rosendahl

Pavan Soni

Alexander Webb
Garda are warning people who access online bank accounts from their mobile phones that their private information may be at risk.

Vast amounts of personal data are now being stored on mobile devices including financial information, personal photographs and even location history.

Gardai have now warned that this information is of major interest to cybercriminals.

The Garda Cyber Crime Bureau are advising phone-users that passwords on online bank accounts may be at risk if their phone is subjected to a malware attack.

Sensitive business information or transactions can be compromised by targeted attacks on unsecured devices.

Irish people use their smartphone for internet activity more than any other western country; we use it a whopping 33pc more than people in Europe and 25pc more than people in the UK.

The Garda Cyber Crime Bureau is advising mobile device users to take the following three steps:

 Only install apps from a trusted source, if your bank or financial institution has an official app  Use It

 Ensure your mobile device software is up to date and remember Jailbreaking or Rooting a device seriously compromises its security

 Make sure you have a recent Back Up of your device, as an attack may render it useless, resulting in the loss of all your contacts, personal photos and files
Management guru Tom Peters has always been a favourite as far as this column was concerned and, some four years ago, we were mulling over one of the concepts he championed, namely 'management by walking around'.

Adapting the idea for investors, we fancied that 'investing by looking around' could be a useful and profitable pastime. So we looked around the country's motorways at the time and the standout name on the trucks zipping up and down was Eddie Stobart.

The north of England company had only been five years on the London Stock Exchange, and transport was its core. It was also involved in warehousing, biomass fuels, property, railway maintenance and Southend Airport. As an investment it had pluses and minuses, we concluded.

Now, four years later, the company had yielded more drama that we thought. There has been bloodletting at board level and two chairpersons have been removed. Revenues have plunged from 550m (617m) to 127m with profit before tax at 10m last year, less than a third of the 2012 outcome.

Another change over the years was the hiving off of 51pc of its 'core' transport business for 280m, a decision still considered by some as debatable. The proceeds were used to pay down the debt but they have begun to climb again.

When we first looked at Stobart it was capitalised at 440m. It is now worth 550m but this move up is only since last April. So shareholders, over the last four years, have not been a happy bunch.

The company has been jazzed up and it is now referred to as an 'infrastructure and service business'. The PR department also got to work and the group now boasts Stobart Energy, Stobart Aviation, Stobart Rail and Stobart Infrastructure.

Stobart Energy is one of the better parts of the group. Revenues have jumped from 8m to 73m and, from a small loss, is now showing profit before tax of 6m, helping defray the reported 50m plus purchase price - not exactly a bargain. Stobart Aviation consists of the Aer Lingus Regional airline and Southend Airport. Last year it lost 2m on revenues of 23m. Described in a 2012 report as the "jewel in the crown", today it looks a debatable investment.

In our previous examination, the company was projecting two million passengers in 2015. The number turned out to be 900,000. Assuming the airline is washing its face, Southend is an expensive "jewel".

Stobart is in the process of offloading Aer Lingus Regional to CityJet and it will be no surprise if the sale includes some CityJet flights into Southend Airport, thus propping up a problematic investment.

The property portfolio, now rather grandiosely called Stobart Infrastructure, showed a profit last year before tax of 11m thanks to a 7m windfall from the sale of property. Stobart Rail is a bit of a misnomer, as a majority of its revenue comes from non-rail civil engineering projects. Revenue last year was 46m with railway business accounting for less than 40pc.

Its investment arm consists of its holding in Eddie Stobart and its aircraft and truck leases. It showed a profit before tax of 11m, thanks to the sales of Automotive - a car transporting company bought only four years ago - and the sale of two aeroplanes.

When summing up on the Stobart prospects four years ago, we cautioned that investors taking a punt on the stock should be careful. The same advice applies this morning - only even more so.

Stobart's dependence on the UK economy with all that's happened since the Brexit vote is unsettling and offers no reassurance.

But revisiting Stobart has left me with one abiding thought: it is an awful pity the group did not believe in Tom Peters's second piece of enduring advice - 'stick to the knitting'. In Stobart's case, it is not possible to be sure what the knitting is. Nothing in this section should be taken as a recommendation, either explicit or implicit to buy any of the shares mentioned
A postcard from Tahiti has arrived at its intended address 50 years late. Credit: Tim Duffy / Facebook

A postcard has reunited two school friends after it took 50 years to arrive at its intended address.

A couple from Adelaide in South Australia were surprised to receive a postcard dated 1966, from the French Polynesian island of Tahiti

The Adelaide Advertiser reported that the slightly faded postcard was addressed to Robert Giorgio from Chris in 1966.

Tim Duffy, who now lives at the address in Adelaide, told the Advertiser: "It's fresh enough although it is a bit faded and it's got some damage to the top left, which looks like a bit of water damage."

In the postcard to Robert, Chris said he was enjoying myself greatly, despite the very humid weather.

After some research, the Advertiser discovered that the original owner of the house was a man called Robert Giorgio - the intended recipient of the postcard. Following a bit of sleuthing, the publication managed to reunite Chris Reynolds with his pal Robert.

They were school friends in Adelaide and had attended university together to study law before drifting apart over time.

"Robert was a school friend," Chris told the publication. "We stayed friends for quite a while, though eventually we lost contact."

He said that he wrote the postcard when he was 15, although he can't recall the moment he put pen to paper.

I confess I cant remember writing it but we were in Tahiti at the time... I was 15 and was on my way to England for 12 months with my parents and brother and sister.

We were travelling on the Northern Star ... that, in those days, did the England to Australia and New Zealand route.

And, of course, Robert was also cuffed to be reunited with his school friend and said that the pair had picked up where they left off.

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"It makes everything that happened in between drop away. I was there when that happened then and I am here now and it is like, whatever happened in between, it doesn't matter," he said. "It feels like I just saw him last week. Your personality basically stays the same."

He said that the postcard had ignited some feelings of nostalgia within him.

"Im not living the life I lived then; at 16 years of age I was a completely different human being  it is nice to be reminded I was actually 16 once, he said.

Australia Post has apologised for delivering the postcard 50 years late.

"It is clear something went wrong 50 years ago after the postcard was posted in French Polynesia, and we apologise for the inconvenience," it said in a statement.

"Australia Post takes great pride in the timely, safe and efficient delivery of mail and we are confident that the vast majority of mail and parcels arrive on time."

Still... better late than never.
Trick or treat  Derrys annual three-day-long Halloween festival continues to grow, while attactions such as The Nightmare Realm (pictured) are increasingly popular. Photo: Miki Barlok

The growing popularity of Halloween is set to give the economy its biggest ever multi-million euro boost, businesses and experts say.

From family friendly fun to spine-chilling horror, the rapidly growing number of attractions creates thousands of extra seasonal jobs.

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The average family will spend 50 on activities associated with Halloween, which has its roots in the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain.

"Halloween generates around 10m in extra retail spending alone by families on outfits, masks, decorations and sweets for the massive 'trick or treat' phenomenon," said economist Jim Power.

The huge increase in all things Halloween has turned one Kerry business into a phenomenon.

Product designer Karl O'Connor has taken a small show in Tralee to thousands of people in Cork over the past couple of years.

This year he's also brought his Nightmare Realm to the RDS in Dublin.

He says Halloween is now an important part of his overall business.

"I run a prop-building company and we are based in a rural area at Knocknacashel in north Kerry," he said.

"Our main business involves product design and we would make 3D billboard displays for clients like Bulmers and Vodafone.

"We started our Halloween shows in a small way in Tralee in 2008 and we expanded it when we took it to Cork. We had 30,000 visitors to The Nightmare Realm there last year.

"This year we've added a second location at the RDS in Dublin. The experiences at both are completely different. We make all the sets in Kerry and then ship them to Cork and Dublin. It has become a huge part of what we do now. We have five staff all year round but we need to bring in an extra 20 staff for all the prop-building work associated with the show and then we hire another 200 actors over the two weeks of the shows themselves, so the wage bill gets very very big at this time of the year."

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Small businesses now rely on Halloween as part of their annual plans, according to Joseph McMahon who runs Scalp Wood Nurseries in Co Dublin.

Read more: Nine things to do in and around Dublin this Halloween

Watch: Scary 'Dementor drone' could be the best Halloween prank this year

Children get to pick and carve their own pumpkins as Joseph and his three members of staff transform the nursery into a family-friendly spooky spectacle.

"The nursery business has changed so our Halloween events are important to us," he said.

"There is little doubt that Halloween is getting more popular each year and we've had to introduce online booking to cope with demand - we have to insist on that."

Entry is just 2, with 4 to pick a pumpkin and 2.50 for a carving kit. Activities take place in a polytunnel.

"We really enjoy it, too," said Joseph.

"It's great fun and for a couple of weeks the nursery is thriving."

More than 30 extra staff are hired at the Delphi Hotel Resort and Adventure Centre in Connemara to cope with demand for Halloween-themed family breaks.

"It's just like high season in the summer," said the resort's marketing director Sarah Kenny.

"It's a great time of the year and we pull out all the stops to make it fun and spooky."

The Halloween kids' club and Dungeons of Doom are aimed at children of all ages with a Forest of Fear for children aged over eight. "We have seen an increase in the number of visitors this year, particularly from the United States, but Halloween is now an important part of our overall business.

"It's also a great time for people living in this region because we have day visitors too, so there is a great atmosphere at this time of the year and it's very very busy."

While the Halloween boom is relatively new, north of the Border businesses have been trading on the annual event for decades.

Derry City is hosting its 30th carnival parade alongside its legendary fireworks display.

It brings 50,000 people into the city and fills hotel bedrooms in both Donegal and Derry.

"The annual Halloween carnival attracts thousands of visitors from all over the world curious to experience the city at this time of year, especially as it was voted the number one Halloween destination in the world last year," said the local council's Aisling Gallagher.

"Hotels, restaurants, bars and shops across the north west all benefit during the festivities and we believe this year's three-day festival could be our biggest yet."
I feel like I might have wandered on to the set of the November shooting for the Farmer's Weekly calender. Tommy Tiernan has his shirt off. We'd never get away with this with a female comedian. To be fair Tommy seems more bemused than anything by this bit of objectification. The photographer is calling out encouragement to him. The arms together, now the arms apart, Tommy. His torso is dazzlingly white and covered in tattoos.

The one on the back of the arm is a seemingly innocuous quote from Joyce - a line from A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man that takes up about four inches of skin and reads: "She was walking on before him, her hands holding her skirts up from the slush."

He calls it "a kind of secular version of the Hail Mary, in praise of women" and the tattoo seems much more a part of him than the dapper, slightly fey scarf he eventually covers up with. Joyce is a connection to the philosophy of the ages and how else would the voice of this generation carry literature in his heart? He tells me he tried Ulysses a few times but never made it to the end.

Still, he gleaned inspiration for his forthcoming tour: "What struck me from the book was the heroism of everyday life. We are all struggling with our own impulses and thoughts and anxieties and the people we come into contact with, it's a major achievement on our part. Joyce was great at presenting people's interior monologues. They're naked as people in front of us. So I wanted to base a stand-up act around this. But in stand-up you don't get what you want. You come with a notion to the show but the audience come with their expectations and they're there in a hall in Nenagh on a Sunday night and they maybe have some drink on them and you've a duty to give them some crack. Between those things a third thing is created and that is the show."

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His concern for the audience's expectations is probably apposite at this juncture in his career. He is beloved like few other acts (his DVD sales rival those of U2), and is given a blank cheque of adoration by his huge fanbase. But his last big tour was all improvised and he bombed hard. It was difficult to watch and whilst he won praise in some quarters for his bravery, there were others who wondered if he was having a breakdown, a mid-life crisis or both. "It was 12 consecutive shows in 12 countries on 12 nights and it was just Lenten in its masochism," he recalls.

"I asked myself if another comedian was doing this would I watch it. If the answer is no, I won't do it. I thought if Des Bishop or Ardal (O'Hanlon) or Dara O Briain was doing it would I watch it and I said absolutely. I wouldn't judge it other than to know now myself that it was too difficult. The audience pay for what I call the unpredictable familiar. They buy the ticket because they've seen you before and they know you're funny but they come in the hope something unexpected will be said."

The unexpected has always been his stock and trade. Some of his stand-up has the quality of an antic philosophy lecture. He has the stage presence of a demented preacher. His self-belief seems total - after we meet he is going to RTE to tape his chat show where he interviews guests without knowing who they are beforehand - an idea that gives me a heart attack just thinking about it.

He tells me that a psychiatrist recently told him that "there are members of the community who are sanctioned to say the unsayable." Fittingly for someone who describes his stand-up process as "getting out of the way of my own consciousness" Tiernan was in therapy early and has "floated in and out of it" ever since. "The first time I went was when I was around 16 and I asked for it in boarding school (at Garbally College in Galway). I contacted a social worker in the town. I went up and told the school authorities. Back then I was starting to obsess - thinking about a girl, but constantly. I hit a pothole, there were doubts and sexual energy rising inside me. I started praying and listening to music to try to deal with it. But I made the appointment. It didn't do me any good. I didn't have the courage to tell him everything."

He came from a family of people who relish wit and for whom storytelling is important. When he was in secondary school his father would call him "a martyr without a cause." Tommy was sure he was going to be a priest. "I was all set to join the Redemptorists. They'd visited my parents. I was still a virgin - I was 19! Is that kind of late? It was the 1980s. Anyway, I was all set for it until they said that my Leaving results weren't good enough. I felt this was all a bit unfair. None of the disciples did the Leaving and none of them were celibate."

He was unemployed until he was 25, "but I was in Galway so it didn't seem to matter. There is a great moneyless scene in Galway."

It was only in 1998 that he began taking his burgeoning stand-up career seriously. "I realised that I can make a living out of it. I knew I could make money."

A year later his son was born and "the penny dropped" and he knew he had to provide. His career took off. He won the Perrier Award in Edinburgh and best stand-up at the British Comedy Awards. He gained a legion of fans. He seemed to all but take up residency in Vicar Street.

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He had three children with Jayme Street, whom he reportedly met in a Christian community in the Aran Islands, but the relationship broke down and she lambasted him in the press afterward, a trial by fire for him in terms of media intrusion into his personal life. He tells me "I still worry" about the effect that the breakdown of the relationship had on his oldest three kids.

"It's an ongoing thing. I felt  we're all fallible. But at each moment in our lives we do what we think is the best thing and we deal with the consequences of that. I'm still processing my own childhood. For my children (the family situation) is an ongoing reality in their lives."

He tells me he has fears for his kids and he sees his own parenting style in the context of the family tapestry. "You're helpless when they're experiencing pain and you have to let them go. It's a constant process. When the two-year-old is seven you have to say goodbye to the two-year-old. I think of a pony in a field. You have to give them enough space to buck. And maybe after a while the field becomes the planet. And while you're negotiating the relationship with your own kids you're also looking at your parents. I look at my dad and ask myself what's he giving me? How does that inform what I give my children."

He married Yvonne McMahon - who recently hosted her own chat show series on the RTE Player - in 2009 and they have three children together. Until a year and a half ago she also managed him, but they ended that arrangement.

"We stopped working together because it was too difficult. She is brilliant and from a business and managerial point of view I felt in the safest hands, but we found that the nature of the relationship wasn't doing our marriage any favours. The manager has to do stuff for the act. And it's very hard to have a conversation on that level and then switch back to being lovers. We had the conversation one day and our marriage definitely benefited."

Is it difficult managing the dynamic between his two families?

"It's not familiar, put it that way. Most people in the country grew up in one family. Each of the families I'm connected to would regard themselves as self-contained families. I'm not at the head, the mothers are at the head, I'm more like the mischievous lieutenant, whom people don't really trust or listen to. Family life just happens in front of you and you can't control it."

He says he's a different kind of father now than when he was younger.

"The 24-year-old grew up in a house with a young Dad with energy and mischief. His Dad wasn't settled. Our house wasn't quite a centre for ne'er-do-wells but there was a lot of traffic. Now our house is a bit more settled. I remember with my oldest boy we had to move house and we took a mattress on a shopping trolley. I sense that he is moving toward his independence."

He's still religious but these days that could mean anything from a Buddhist retreat - he was on one recently - to mass. "Right now I am quite enamoured with Christ. I have been thinking about tribes and my tribe are the oul' lads who went to the back of mass with the caps in their hands or who knelt down to say decades of the rosary. We've replaced that tribe with the cult of individuality and that's a very isolating thing."

It all makes me wonder if there isn't some surprising social conservatism in there. He was only joking about being against gay marriage he assures me (that joke being let the gays marry because in a generation they'll have rode themselves to extinction). And as for abortion: "We have to have compassion for a woman who finds herself in that situation. The woman needs compassion toward herself and for the life that grows inside her. Whatever decision is reached, as long as the basis for the decision is compassion then we as a society can have no argument with it."

He's joked about having squandered all his money but, given his work ethic - there is a jaw-dropping schedule of hotel ballrooms stretching ahead of him - he must be doing ok? "All the money I get is from the public", he explains. "And if you gave your hard-earned money to a comedian, some part of you would die inside if you felt that comedian had prudently invested that money. I guarantee you I am the least prudent person. My wife has a very different attitude to money than I have. I grew up in a house where my parents never told me what they earned. I was never given that much money. I used to steal money out of my mother's purse to play pool."

It seems slightly odd to wonder of the most successful stand-up of the last 20 years if he didn't underachieve somewhat. But for a long time there was a sense that it was a matter of 'when' not 'if' Tiernan broke the UK and/or America.

As his career, developed, however there was also a creeping sense that his act was too local and that while he could connect strongly with the expat community he struggled to adapt his act for foreign audiences. "I went through a phrase of being very interested in cracking England or cracking America but I sort of grew out of that", he tells me.

"How much I attempted to connect with foreign punters varied from show to show. I did the Stray Sod show in England, there were reviewers from the English papers and I realised that this wasn't connecting with them. But when the material was more universal they would react more. It would be soulless to be doing arenas around America. Once you've stayed in a posh hotel eight or nine times you've done it. I'm on the showband road, the Joe Dolan road."

He says he liked being on his own to decompress - he nods vigorously when I mention the word introversion - and says that comedy brings with it a "pendulum of mood swings." He sounds like someone well able to manage himself, however. He didn't drink for eight years, which begs the questions, did he have a problem with it and how did he stop? "I think it was more this growing self-awareness. I didn't dry out or anything. I never drank in the morning unless I was still drinking and had just kept going." Did he ever go on stage high? "Back in the day there may have been a few excessive evenings. These days if I notice the jester isn't present in me I'll have a glass of Guinness."

He's in his 40s now - the old age of youth - but middle age becomes him. His eldest is 24 now and Tommy is already rubbing his hands together at the prospect - however distant - of grandchildren. The domesticated man-child is a trope of his comedy and he lives up to it.

"I'd be at home Monday to Thursday so it's not like there's these parties with naked models swilling absinthe. I don't miss my youth in the slightest. You want to stay wild and unpredictable onstage, but you can only find so much chaos in your actual life before you have to build something a bit quieter around yourself. Someone else can have a chaotic life on my behalf."

Tommy Tiernan will be at the Vodafone Comedy Carnival next week and touring nationwide, including Vicar Street in January with his new show Under The Influence. Tommytiernan.com for dates and details
Both men were inmates at Cork Prison and they knew each other. (Stock photo)

Blood present on the clothing of a man accused of murdering a fellow Cork Prison inmate matched the DNA profile of the deceased, a murder trial jury has heard.

Brian Veale (31) of Dominic Street, Cork has pleaded not guilty at the Central Criminal Court to murdering Graham Johnson at Cork Prison, Rathmore Road in Cork City on May 16, 2015.

Today Counsel for the State, Mr Tim OLeary SC, read evidence from Dr Edward Connolly, a forensic scientist at Forensic Science Ireland.

The court heard that Dr Connolly received Mr Veales clothing and footwear on May 27 so he could examine them for blood and the possible source of blood-staining.

The clothing received included Mr Veales white t-shirt, white trousers, a white vest top and a pair of white rubber shoes. Dr Connolly also received a knife which was recovered from the kitchen of Cork Prison.

Dr Connolly found that heavy blood-staining on the knifes blade matched Mr Johnsons DNA profile. A low level mixed DNA profile from at least two sources was obtained from the knifes handle but it was unsuitable for examination, the court heard.

DNA profiles obtained from blood-staining on Mr Veales t-shirt, trousers and footwear matched Mr Johnsons DNA profile, read Mr OLeary.

There was no blood on the accuseds white vest top.

The court heard that the probability of Mr Johnsons DNA matching someone else was considerably less than one in a thousand million.

The trial continues before Ms Justice Isobel Kennedy and a jury of seven men and five women.
Lawyers for the family of a pregnant woman who died while undergoing surgery have asked that 18 doctors, nurses and staff give statements to an inquest into her death.

The request was made today at a preliminary hearing in the Coroner's Court into the case of Malak Thawley (35) who died in May after one of her main blood vessels was accidentally injured during surgery for ectopic pregnancy.

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It is a matter for the coroner to decide how many of these staff will then be asked to make formal depositions.

A request for statements is also to be made to hospital staff in the Mater and St James's Hospitals who were contacted as part of the emergency response to save Ms Thawley's life.

Senior counsel Liam Reidy and solicitor Caoimhe Haughey who represented the Thawley family at Monday's short hearing said eight depositions have been submitted to the inquest already.

Ms Thawley's husband Alan who has previously spoken of his heartbreak at her death is abroad.

The case was put back until January and full hearing is due to take place in February.

Speaking after the hearing Ms Haughey said it is a matter for the coroner what witnesses to call.

"This is a public inquiry and the coroner has a duty to keep it public and keep it in the public interest," she said.

An internal hospital report said Ms Thawley was undergoing a simple keyhole operation to remove her ectopic pregnancy died after one of her main blood vessels was accidentally injured by a sharp-pointed instrument used to create an opening early on in the surgery.

But it was not recognised for several minutes and, even when the accident was discovered, it took another 15 minutes before she received emergency treatment, according to an investigation report.

Her husband Alan, who earlier was told the surgery to remove the ectopic pregnancy on the Sunday afternoon would only take 45 minutes, never saw her alive again.

He has spoken of his heartbreak and how bereft he feels at the loss of his beautiful wife, my best friend.

The couple were living in Ireland where Mr Thawley, an American was working. Ms Thawley, a teacher, was a native of Syria.

The report of an internal hospital investigation into the case said the cut to a blood vessel was a rare event, which nobody on the surgical team had seen before. It led to Ms Thawley suffering major loss of blood.

It pointed out that if a procedure, known as a laparotomy to stop the bleeding was done earlier, along with blood transfusion, the tragic outcome of Ms Thawley could have been altered.

Doctors from Holles St and St Vincents Hospitals were present at the operating theatre while frantic attempts were made to save Ms Thawley who was due to undergo a simple procedure to remove an ectoptic pregnancy.

Ms Haughey has been told that a cardiac surgeon with St Vincents hospital who was at St Jamess Hospital on that day was called to assist. It has also emerged that a phone call was made to medical staff in the Mater Hospital about the use of ECMO - extracorporeal membrane oxygenation.
A judge has refused to throw out a phone theft case brought against gang target Ross Hutch.

The 24-year-old, who won 33,000 in cash and prizes on RTEs Winning Streak last year, is accused of stealing a man's iPhone worth 875 at Marino Mart on Sunday.

He appeared before Judge Anthony Halpin on Monday afternoon.

Garda Sharon Kavanagh of Clontarf Garda Station gave evidence of arrest charge and caution.

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Hutch was arrested at his home address in Portland Place, Dublin 1 and made no reply when he was charged.

Judge Halpin was asked to throw out the case. Defence solicitor Declan Fahy argued that the court should make no order.

He said the legislation under which Mr Hutch was charged said he should have been brought before the next court sitting and had his case called before 12 noon but it was not heard until 2.15 pm.

The judge heard that the charge sheet was lodged in court at 10.10am.

Judge Halpin said that he understood that the law stated that the accused must  as practicable be brought the next sitting of the court. Refusing the defence application he said the circumstances did note allow for that because the court was dealing with a quite a number of custody cases and prison officers were only able to bring up three or four at a time to the courtroom.

He noted that there was no objection to bail but he agreed to impose a condition sought by the garda to bar Mr Hutch from the Clontarf, Fairview and Marino areas.

He held that a request to order him to obey a curfew was a little excessive. In relation to an application for him to sign on regularly at a Garda station, the defence said that Mr Hutch has huge personal security difficulties.

Judge Halpin agreed that ordering him to sign on may well jeopardise his security and he refused to make that a condition of bail.

During the short hearing Mr Hutch stood with his hands behind his back listening intently to the proceeding.

He was wearing a light grey tracksuit with a green stripe across the chest and down the sides of the legs, and white trainers.

He remained quiet during the sitting, but became animated when signing-on at a garda station as a condition of bail was raised by the prosecution.

The case was adjourned pending direction from the DPP to a date in the new year.

Free legal aid was granted after the court heard he is not working.
A man who sexually assaulted a 19-year-old agency worker caring for his elderly mother has been given a three and a half year suspended sentence.

Declan Jordan (46) told gardai he had been drinking before what was described by his defence counsel as a once off incident. Jordan was described as embarrassed and ashamed at his actions.

Jordan, of Maryfield Drive, Artane, Dublin pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to sexual assault of the woman at his mother's home on June 8, 2015. He has no previous convictions.

Judge Melanie Greally noted that Jordan had consumed alcohol before making very persistent unwanted sexual advances towards the victim who made it clear she was not sexually interested in him.

She said the offence was a deeply upsetting violation of the victim and had severe consequences for her in terms of her career, family and relationships.

The effect cannot be overstated, it was a severely upsetting and gross violation of a young woman making her way in the world, said Judge Greally.

Judge Greally said Jordan had entered an early guilty plea and expressed remorse. She noted he was in a turbulent stage in his own life at the time. She said the conduct appeared to be out of character.

She said testimonials handed into court vouched for the role he had taken in caring for his late father and also in looking after his mother in an attentive fashion.

The judge said Jordan was attending counselling and addressing his problematic use of alcohol. She noted Jordan had been assessed to be at low risk of re-offending.

Judge Greally said the court must mark the serious nature of the sexual assault but must also balance it against the approach Jordan had taken to the prosecution. She said he had acknowledged his very serious wrongdoing and engaged in steps to address his risk factors.

She imposed a three and a half year sentence which she suspended in full and ordered him to undergo 18 months probation supervision. She said he should continue to attend with One In Four or a similar organisation until they deemed it no longer necessary.

Judge Greally said he should continue to participate in offence focused work and attend the Stanhope Centre in relation to alcohol.

Defence counsel, Justin McQuade, submitted that Jordan had paid 1,800 towards the economic loss suffered by the victim who no longer worked for the agency.

Judge Greally said she had taken this into account but said that it was not a critical element of sentencing. She said the main factors were his lack of previous convictions and the manner in which he had addressed the prosecution.
Serial killer Mark Nash has lost a Supreme Court appeal seeking damages for delay in prosecuting him for the Grangegorman murders.

Nash is currently serving a life sentence after being found guilty of the murders of Sylvia Sheils (59) and Mary Callanan (61) at their sheltered housing in Grangegorman in Dublin in 1997, which is currently under appeal. He was previously convicted for the murder in 1997 of two people in Ballintober, Co Roscommon.

In 2012, the High Court dismissed proceedings brought by Nash against the DPP aimed at preventing the Grangegorman trial from proceeding.

He had sought the prohibition of his trial on grounds including the delay in bringing the charges, publicity surrounding the case, and because of the unavailability of a witnesses including Dean Lyons who died in 2000.

Nash also claimed he is entitled to damages because his rights to a trial with due expedition, under the Constitution and the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) Act 2003, had been breached.

The High Court dismissed his application to stop his prosecution.

That court, in a separate judgment, also dismissed the damages claim.

He then appealed both decisions to the Supreme Court which dismissed the attempt to stop his prosecution which meant he trial went ahead.

The question of damages remained and Monday (Oct 24), in a unanimous judgment, a five-judge Supreme Court also dismissed the damages claim.

Giving the judgment, Mr Justice Frank Clarke said it is clear damages may be available breach of a right to a timely trial, either under the Constitution or the 2003 ECHR Act, at least at the level of general principle.

It was necessary to start an analysis of Nash's damages claim by reference to the facts of the case whether any case had been made out for culpable delay on the part of the State, or others for who the State may be responsible, the judge said.

He was not satisfied any culpable delay on the parts of the State or others had been established in the circumstances of this case.

Earlier, Mr Justice Clarke said the Grangegorman investigation fitted neatly into the common term of a a "cold case" where the authorities from time to time choose to take a fresh look at cases and where, occasionally, fresh evidence may emerge.

There was no such thing, under Irish law, as a formally open or closed investigation and any crime can always be subject of a further review, he said.

In this case, on one such occasion, it proved possible to find some additional very small and hidden samples of blood (on clothing) which, in the light of improved forensics, proved capable of yielding results.

"I cannot see that any culpability can be placed on the prosecuting authorities in those circumstances", he said.

The court also dismissed a cross-appeal by the DPP against a decision to award Nash one-third of the costs of his action. Nash did not avail of the free legal aid scheme to take his challenge, Mr Justice Clarke noted.

Nash's counsel told the appeal he was charged in 2009 - some ten years after the DPP directed he be charged with both Grangegorman murders.

Nash made admissions to the gardai concerning those murders, which were later retracted, in August 1997, the court heard.

For 12 years Nash was treated as a suspect.

Counsel said the delay was because forensic evidence obtained from tests carried out on clothing belonging to Nash should have been carried out years earlier than they were. This resulted in a less satisfactory trial, it was argued.

Nash had also brought an application for the inclusion of additional evidence, not previously before the court, as part of the application for damages.

Counsel said there was "a lack of candour" by the Forensic Science Laboratory as it had not disclosed a potential compromise of forensic evidence in the case.

The DPP argued the application should be dismissed.
A teenager who attacked two St Patrick's Day volunteers and took running kicks at their heads as they lay unconscious has been jailed for the vile, barbaric and cowardly assault.

Judge Brian O'Callaghan said Niall Brooks (19) left his victims for dead after he and another teenager took part in the unprovoked assault at the Luas station in Tallaght last year.

What you committed was nothing short of a vile, barbaric and cowardly assault on two absolutely innocent people, Judge O'Callaghan told Brooks today at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, as he sentenced him to three years' imprisonment with the final six months suspended.

There was nothing done or said by these innocent people which warranted you even looking at them crooked, never mind what you did to them.

The attacks left the victims with extensive injuries, including skull fractures, broken eye sockets and broken cheek bones.

Brooks, of The Rise, Kiltipper Gate, Tallaght, Dublin pleaded guilty to two counts of assault causing harm to Brendan Cahill and Derek McDonald at the Luas terminal on Belgard Square East on March 17, 2015.

Earlier this month, Brooks' co-accused, Dean McKeever (19) of no fixed abode, was jailed for three years for his part in the St Patrick's Day assault. He received a further sentence of three years with the final 12 months suspended for another assault on a later date.

Garda Fran Glennon previously told the court that CCTV footage from a Luas train showed a scuffle breaking out between the attackers, then juveniles, and the victims, after an exchange of words.

This spilled out onto the Luas terminal where the two victims fell to the ground. The youths then repeatedly kicked the men in the head and body.

The victims were not moving and may have been unconscious when Brooks took a running kick at each one and kicked them both in the head, Gda Glennon said.

In victim impact statements opened to the court Mr McDonald said he had gone from being a happy and carefree person to seeing everyone as a potential threat. He needed medication to help him sleep and found it hard to get up in the morning.

He estimated an economic loss of 11,000 because of missing out on job placements and said he had a lot of bottled up anger.

Mr Cahill said he had not slept right one night since the assault. He had gone from being an easy-going person to having zero confidence.

He suffered panic attacks and his wife had to answer his phone because of his anxiety levels. The panic also meant that he couldn't pick up his children from school in the evening.

He estimated an economic loss of 15,700, which included lost earnings as a carpenter and an iPhone lost during the attack.

The two victims had been volunteering at the Tallaght St Patrick's Day parade earlier and were getting the Luas that evening. Gda Glennon told Fiona Murphy BL, prosecuting, neither man had any memory of the assault and their last memory was some shouting on the train.

Mr McDonald had to have a titanium plate inserted above his broken eye socket. A large plate was needed to reconstruct his cheek bone. His teeth were chipped during the attack and his eyesight was left ten per cent weaker.

The attack left Mr Cahill with a fractured skull and bruising to his face and back. He was left with very bad back pain and sciatica and continued to suffer migraines.

Brooks has three previous convictions and is currently serving a sentence for a robbery committed on July 29, 2014.

In a letter to the victims Brooks said: No words can describe how sorry and ashamed I am. It went too far. I lost control on that date. I was on drugs and on alcohol. I had no control over my life but thats no excuse.

George Burns BL, defending, said his client was exposed to domestic violence and alcohol abuse in his childhood. He said he was engaging with education and art programmes while in custody.
A key Kinahan target has been arrested after an alleged phone theft on Sunday.

Ross Hutch (24) was held by gardai overnight and is scheduled to appear in court this morning.

It is alleged that he snatched a mobile phone from an unsuspecting pedestrian at Marino Mart in Fairview, North Dublin shortly after 5pm yesterday.

The victim had his phone taken by a man on a bicycle. However the cyclist then handed the device back to the man after the victim got his hand trapped in the spokes of the bicycle.

The victim did not require medical treatment.

Hutch was arrested a short time later and taken to Clontarf garda station where he was held overnight.

Hutch has been repeatedly warned that his life is under threat since his father Eddie (58) was gunned down by the Kinahan cartel last February at their home in the North Inner city.

Hutch, who has over 50 previous convictions, has spent much of the last six months hiding out in hotels and hostels under a false name.

He was close by when his cousin Gareth Hutch was shot dead in Dublin last May.

The nephew of Gerry 'The Monk' Hutch appeared on Winning Streak in September 2015 where he scooped 33,000 for his brother Edward Jnr.

But since then the family has been struck by several tragedies starting with the murder of cousin Gary

Hutch is due to appear before Dublin District court today.
A government promise to restore pay equality for new teachers would go a long way to sorting out the row threatening schools chaos from this week, according to secondary teachers' leader, Ed Byrne.

In an interview with the Irish Independent, the 57-year-old geography and business studies teacher also spoke of the need for the sides to trade "trust building measures" in order to smooth the path for peace.

He asked if, for instance, the union was prepared to suspend its threatened withdrawal from supervision and substitution for a period of time, would the Department temporarily lift the sanction that is preventing his young members from getting long-term contracts.

The first in a series of one-day strikes by the Association of Secondary Teachers' Ireland (ASTI) members will close more than two in three second-level schools - about 500 in all - on Thursday.

Most second-level schools also face the prospect of indefinite closure after mid-term, as ASTI members withdraw from supervision and substitution work, in the second leg of their pay campaign.

ASTI leaders are meeting Department of Education officials today, but, Mr Byrne has expressed little optimism that Thursday's stoppage could be averted.

"We are a long way apart on the new entrants' pay," Mr Byrne, who teaches at Colaiste Choilm, Swords, Co Dublin, told the Irish Independent.

On that issue of new entrant salaries, Mr Byrne said what the ASTI needed was a commitment to, and a timeline for pay equalisation, in other words, all teachers to be back on the same scale.

"We haven't heard a statement from the Government or the Department of Education that suggests this is something they are seeking to do," he said.

But, if they had such a commitment, "we would be able to go in and say to people, 'it is proving impossible to get all this back straight away, however, we do have a timeline and we do have a statement from Government that is something they see merit in and intend doing', that might be something that would be worthwhile."

The ASTI president said they "fully understood that full restoration was going to take time, and, while we would like it as quickly as possible it wasn't the imperative.

"We have never said we are going to strike for immediate restoration of pay.

"We did say we wanted pay equalisation."

Mr Byrne said a commitment on pay equalisation "would probably create the ground from which everything else could grow.

The ASTI president separates the losses experienced by new entrants from the general 10pc cut suffered by public servants, including teachers, which, he said could be dealt by a different mechanism.

A recent deal with the Teachers Union of Ireland (TUI) and the Irish National Teachers' Organisation (INTO) represented a breakthrough with the restoration of the qualifications allowance, worth 135,000 to individual teachers over a lifetime.

Mr Byrne acknowledges that, in that deal, "the Department of Education has come some way along the road but it wasn't in the Lansdowne Road Agreement (LRA) and it was one of the reasons ASTI members voted against."

The LRA started the process of pay restoration in the public service.

In any event, the ASTI president said it left a pay shortfall of 111,000 over the lifetime of a new teacher, when compared with more senior colleagues, mainly arising from the axing of a HDip allowance.

"You can't be a little bit equal, that is the problem; pay equality is what we are looking for," he said.

Last week, the TUI submitted a claim for restoration of the HDip allowance using normal industrial relations machinery - the Teachers' Conciliation Council.

Schools, and many parents and pupils, are now braced for Thursday's stoppage, but what is causing even more concern is the threat that more than 500 schools will not re-open after the mid-term break on Monday November 7.

That is the day ASTI members are threatening to withdraw from supervision and substitution as part of their wider pay dispute.

While the issue of pay for new entrants is a particular focus, the ASTI and the Government are also involved in a "tit for tat" campaign arising from the union's rejection of the LRA.

The ASTI insists that the reversal of certain austerity-era measures should not have been contingent on accepting the LRA, but the Department of Education takes a different view.

It has led to the situation where the Department is excluding ASTI members from the benefits of the LRA, including not paying 796 this year for supervision and substitution work, and reducing the amount of time new teachers would have to wait for a contract of indefinite duration (CID), as recommended in the Ward Report.

That, in turn, has triggered the threatened withdrawal from supervision and substitution.

Mr Byrne said the Government was using emergency legislation to punish teachers. Leaving that legislation in place meant it was not a level playing field in industrial relations, he said.

With two weeks to go to November 7, can Mr Byrne hold out any hope of a resolution?

He is keen not to second-guess his executive, but suggests that if each side made a gesture it could create the right conditions.

"If we were to decide on some temporary arrangement, if we were to throw in supervision and substitution for a short time, would the Department be willing to throw in Ward Report.

"That would be something that can show we can work together and trust each other."
Reading books to children has a far more profound effect on learning than letting them play with electronic tablets. Stock Image: GETTY

Parents must put down the electronic tablets and start reading to their children if they want them to be successful in the world of tech and science.

Reading books to children has a far more profound effect on learning than letting them play with electronic tablets, according to Dr Shane Bergin, physicist, lecturer and researcher in science education at University College Dublin (UCD).

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He said many parents made the mistake of assuming that just because a child had a tablet, they were learning about tech, or even playing with educational apps. And children are growing up in an environment where older family members are regularly glued to technology.

But parents had a crucial role to play in developing our young people's learning skills, much of which involved interaction and stories, said Dr Bergin.

"Young children copy what they see us doing - and in many cases, that is sitting in a room looking at a tablet or phone, even when there are other things happening in the same space," said Dr Bergin.

"It is normal that children will want to do the same thing as us. However, we are fostering a different learning experience, and one that is not as effective as the valuable information exchange that comes with reading.

"Reading is a fantastic way for children to learn, because they lose themselves into their own imagination for a while.

"But reading as a learning tool is made more profound when a parent, guardian, grandparent or sibling is there to have conversations and answer questions.

"These conversations bring people closer together, and they are fundamentally what changes hearts and minds - for example, museums are a lot more fun when you see them with other people.

"Some of our most positive memories are based around people telling us stories. They connect with us and, in many cases, we project ourselves into the stories.

"When things are painted with words, we make our own pictures with them. From a learning point of view, that is crucial. You construct your own views based on this exchange and then you test your theories in interaction with the world."

Dr Bergin was speaking at the launch of the Science Apprentice - a series of five vibrant books in association with UCD and Science Foundation Ireland, designed to stimulate children's interest in science.

"We need a scientifically literate population: a nation that talks about science and contributes to the conversation, connecting the professor to the factory manager, the teacher, the politician and the parent.

"The route to this is education, and that needs to be broader than the schools," he said.

He said that giving a child a tablet required "a lot more care than you would with a book".

"When you give a child a book, you can be sure of the content. Information is curated in books - someone has already done the work and designed a flow to spark conversation between mam and dad and a little one.

"This information exchange is a lot slower than quickly swiping between pages on a tablet - and consequently, learning takes place at the correct pace."

Dr Bergin is also developing modern teaching practices for third-level science.

The Science Apprentice

The Science Apprentice books are free to collect with the Irish Independent in Tesco stores every Saturday until November 26.

Readers are brought on an interactive journey - from Space to Food and Health, Energy and Resources, Computers and Data and Connected Future.

These books are vitally important for primary schoolchildren, bringing them a world of knowledge and opening their minds to potential careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

The Science Apprentice book series has been produced by University College Dublin and partners, supported by the Science Foundation Ireland Discover Programme and the Programme for Research in Third Level Institutions.
spokesperson for Our Ladys Childrens Hospital in Crumlin says it offers numerous healthy options on its dinner menu for patients and in its canteen. Stock Image: Getty

Ireland's largest children's hospital says it is committed to serving healthy meals to patients and visitors, after sharp criticism from a senator over the standard of its food.

A spokesperson for Our Lady's Children's Hospital in Crumlin says it offers numerous healthy options on its dinner menu for patients and in its canteen.

The hospital's comments came after Senator Catherine Noone condemned "sugar-laden" foods being served to sick children at the hospital.

"This practice of serving foods with a high sugar content, such as pasta sauce and sugary jelly, to children under two years of age, is totally unacceptable," she said.

Ms Noone also said one mother "could not find anything healthy to eat in the hospital shop or vending machines on the site". But the hospital stressed that it continuously works to improve food and menus in consultation with the Youth Advisory Council, parents and guardians and staff.

"There is a chip-free day every Wednesday for patients and staff, which includes no wedges, curly fries or cubed potatoes," they added.

"Healthy options such as fruit, salads, yoghurts and sugar-free drinks are available in the canteen and coffee shops."

Calorie posting has been implemented across the hospital to help patients and visitors to make healthier choices, they added.

One menu for patients at the hospital features breast of chicken, stuffing and gravy, baked cod, or a vegetarian omelette.

But it also offers chicken goujons, beef curry and American burgers in a bun.

Patients can also choose carrot batons, potato wedges or chips, among other options for side dishes.
It was a homecoming with a difference as a US Navy officer proudly returned to the Irish port from which his grandfather emigrated 96 years earlier.

Executive Officer (XO) John Tobin, second in command on the multi-million Euro destroyer USS Porter, admitted it was a visit with a very special meaning for him in Cobh, Co Cork.

His grandfather, also called John, emigrated from Cork to Rhode Island in the United States in 1920.

It is believed he sailed from the same Cobh dockside alongside which USS Porter berthed on Sunday evening.

The family later moved to Chicago where XO Tobin now hails from.

"Yes, it is a proud moment to be able to visit Cork like this," he said.

"We are very proud of our Irish connections in my family and I visited Ireland five years ago with my wife, Susan, and did some touring of the country."

"All Americans who have Irish roots in their family are very proud of them."

XO Tobin and the 280-strong crew of the USS Porter are based in Spain where they form part of a four destroyer detachment for the US Navy's Sixth Fleet.

USS Porter, commanded by Captain Andria Slough, is berthed in Cobh as part of a four day goodwill visit.

Captain Slough paid tribute to the Irish Naval Service and said that, while USS Porter has not yet worked with Irish vessels, she hopes to do so sometime in the future, possibly on humanitarian support missions.

"We have not engaged with them yet but that does not mean we won't sometime in the future," she said.

A key element of USS Porter's deployment is to foster good relations and co-operation with European navies.

Prior to visiting Cork, the destroyer had undertaken exercises with European navies including vessels from the UK, Spain, France, Germany and Norway.

During its Irish visit, the crew will be allowed undertake tours and cultural exchanges in Cork.

Ensign McKenzie Anderson said the crew were delighted to be able to visit Ireland.

"It is great to see new countries," he said.

USS Porter is an Arleigh-Burke class destroyer built in Mississippi and was commissioned as the 28th vessel in its class.

More than 100 destroyers of the type have been built over the past 40 years.

The ship, named after US Navy officers Commodore David Porter and Admiral David Dixon Porter, was commissioned in 1999 and boasts one of the most active careers of any US ship.

The destroyer was involved in the 2003 invasion of Iraq, anti-piracy missions off Somalia, Arctic patrols with the Canadian navy and patrols of the Persian Gulf.

Boasting a crew of 280, the ship is capable of 30 knots.

It is equipped with two helicopter with its primary armament being Tomahawk cruise missiles.

The destroyer can also launch Harpoon anti-ship and anti-armour missiles.

Its air defence system revolves around the powerful AN/SPY radar and a

battery of missiles and 54mm and 25mm guns.

The destroyer is based in southern Spain and normally undertakes a four month deployment in either the North Atlantic or the Mediterranean.
Justice Minister Frances Fitzgerald has suggested that the establishment of the Public Sector Pay Commission could be accelerated to stop gardai from striking next month.

Four days of industrial action have been announced by the Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors (AGSI) and the Garda Representative Association (GRA) in November.

Ms Fitzgerald said every option is now being considered to halt plans for industrial action by members of the force.

"All possibilities are being considered that will lead to an outcome that prevents the gardai from withdrawing their services," the Tanaiste told RTE's 'The Week in Politics'.

The Tanaiste added that she was committed to negotiations to deal with the issues raised by gardai.

Read more: Comment: A chief's job is to lead, not sit and watch as calamity looms

She also said the Public Sector Pay Commission provided a pathway "where the gardai would have an absolutely equal role and I have already committed to their involvement with the Workplace Relations Commission."

Ms Fitzgerald stressed that the Government aims to avoid a situation where Ireland's airports would be forced to close by strike action by gardai.

"There is a duty of care to probationary gardai and trainee gardai as well," she continued.

Responding on the same programme, Fianna Fail TD Jim O'Callaghan accused the Government and the Tanaiste of not being aware "of the significance of what's going to happen next month".

"We are going to have 12,500 of An Garda Siochana, rank and file members going on strike," he said.

"What we are going to be left with is 300 members of the force, from Superintendent and Chief Superintendent upwards, who are seeking to rely upon reservists and probationary guards, neither of whom have the power to arrest," he added.

Separately, Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin expressed concern over contingency plans to deal with the withdrawal of services next month.

"Obviously I don't believe strike action should take place," he said.

"I think security and needs of society are paramount.

"The negotiations and talks that are under way will have to result in a resolution of the issues but contingency planning should continue side-by-side with that."
Taoiseach Enda Kenny meets Carol Balinsky from Montreal, Canada, as he arrives at the Fine Gael dinner at the Double Tree Hotel, Dublin. Photo: Justin Farrelly

Taoiseach Enda Kenny has laid down the gauntlet to his leadership rivals, saying they need more time to show "their mettle..., characteristics and ability".

Mr Kenny told a gathering of 750 Fine Gael supporters - including most of his Cabinet - that he will not be stepping down as party leader "for quite some time".

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Many in the room were left stunned by the strength of the Taoiseach's statement as he went on to talk about laying the groundwork for celebrating the centenary of the Free State in 2022.

All four ministers who are seen as contenders were present for the speech.

There have been reports that Mr Kenny intends to stay in place until at least 2018, when Pope Francis has been invited to visit Ireland. Fine Gael backbenchers Pat Deering and Michael D'Arcy last night expressed doubt Mr Kenny would still be at the helm by then.

Mr Kenny made his remarks at the Fine Gael Presidential Dinner on Saturday night.

Agriculture Minister Michael Creed, who was MC at the event, joked that potential successors - ministers Leo Varadkar, Simon Coveney and Frances Fitzgerald - should sit at the table closest to a defibrillator in the function room.

He added: "Minister Noonan tells me that Paschal Donohoe has been having palpations lately too so maybe he should go sit with them too."

In his speech, Mr Kenny went off-script to respond.

"You can rest assured Michael that all of those who are looking for the defibrillator can put their minds at ease.

"It's not going to have to be used for quite some time yet," he said.

"They've got to have some time, and I mean this as a point of seriousness, to show their mettle and characteristics and ability."

Senior party sources said afterwards that nobody anticipated such a strong signal of intent from the Taoiseach.

"He's going nowhere, that's clear now. It's one thing saying this kind of stuff at meetings in Castlebar but this was the entire party," said one minister. He basically said 'if you want my job, you'll have to fight me for it'".

Mr Kenny went on to outline what he sees as the qualities of good leadership, warning that the time ahead "is the most fragile of the last 50 years".

"We need to think very carefully and very clearly about what we do, about the political decisions we take," he added.

Noting events in Aleppo, the threat of Brexit and the democratic system of the United States being seriously challenged, he told the audience: "We will always do what is in the best interests of our country and our people... leadership is about the courage to take risks. Leadership is about the courage to say no. It's also about the courage to occasionally fail."

He added: "This is a time for clear heads and steady hands on the tiller of this little country in the north west of Europe."

Fine Gael backbenchers Mr Deering and Mr D'Arcy have previously raised questions about the future of Mr Kenny's leadership. Neither were in attendance at the dinner.

Mr Deering last night said he thought Mr Kenny should step down "in his own time", but noted that the Taoiseach had indicated he would do so before the next general election.

Mr Deering said he thought the election would be in 2018 and added: "I don't think anybody would be of the opinion that the Taoiseach will be leading Fine Gael in 2018."

Mr D'Arcy also said he expected the "conversation" about Mr Kenny's leadership to happen before then.
Social Protection Minister Leo Varadkar has described a speech given by Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin as a "sad" and "angry rant."

In a heightening of tensions between the pair, Mr Varadkar said the address given by Mr Martin in Bodenstown yesterday was "largely uninspiring".

During his speech, Mr Martin accused Mr Varadkar of being obsessed with PR.

Speaking to reporters in Tallaght on Monday, Mr Varadkar hit back and challenged Mr Martin to spell out his vision as a potential future Taoiseach.

"Really, Micheal Martin's speech was largely an angry rant at everyone - the Government, Fine Gael, the British Government, me personally. Largely it was uninspiring," he added.
Fine Gaels Chief Whip has hit out at party critics suggesting that party colleague Mary Mitchell OConnor would not face the same level of criticism if she were a man.

Regina Doherty was responding to an article in the Irish Times at the weekend which quoted party colleagues as saying the minister is "not up to the job".

Ms Doherty told RTE Morning Ireland: I think I can say this as a woman, I dont think theres a single article that has ever been written about a male politician in the same vein, simple as that. She would not be getting half of the criticism shes currently getting if she was a man.

She is ambitious for her role, she is working 24/7, and she is doing the absolute best that she can do, and I think people should just leave her alone and let her get on with it, she continued.

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The Chief Whip also hit out at Micheal Martin, who yesterday said his party had succeeded in stopping many of the most damaging Fine Gael policies.

In a speech on Sunday Mr Martin said: Their [Fine Gael] increasingly right-wing agenda and focus on tax cuts weighted to help the wealthiest most has been blocked. Some of the worst damage which their policies caused in the last five years have begun to be unwound."

But Ms Doherty responded: He points out that he thinks Fine Gael are more interested in tax cuts than Fianna Fail would be, yet in the manifesto Fianna Fail wanted to cut 2.9 billion worth of tax cuts and we only proposed over the next number of years to cut 2.4. Now does that make them more right-wing than we are?

She continued: You know what Id love to see, and maybe the centre would hold and people would have a choice in the centre, if Fianna Fail, instead of having a pop at everybody in cheap shots, would actually tell us how they would run the country any differently to when they destroyed it.

He was foreign affairs minister for years; why doesnt he stand up and tell us how he would deal with Brexit differently than Fine Gael would? He was the health minister for years and he did nothing, and now he wants to have a pop at Leo.

The Chief Whip added to her statements about Fianna Fail today on High Noon with George Hook, saying that the FF leader annoys [her] with the spin.

Theres an ongoing thread or theme here of attacking the man instead of playing the ball, Regina Doherty said in reference to Micheal Martins comments yesterday.

We invited them to come into government in February and they said no. Theyre much more interested in the spin of saying theyre controlling government from outside.

Ms Doherty also made her support for Enda Kenny clear, saying I think he said on Saturday that hell be around to see the Pope [in 2018] and I hope to be standing beside him.
Archbishop Diarmuid Martin has given his strongest indication yet that a papal visit by Pope Francis is on the cards for Ireland in just under two years' time.

The Archbishop of Dublin, who is president of the 2018 global church event which takes place in a different location around the world every three years, said Pope Francis had said "he would like to come to Ireland".

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"I am very hopeful that he will come," Archbishop Martin told reporters on Saturday at the official launch of the World Meeting of Families, which the Irish Church will host in August 2018.

But he stressed the Pope's programme is always finalised at a later stage so there will be no official confirmation until next year. He said Francis's age also had to be taken into consideration, as he will be 81 when thousands of families and groups working with families from around the world gather in Ireland.

Pope Francis personally chose Dublin as the venue for the 2018 event and the theme of the gathering is 'The Gospel of the Family: Joy for the World'.

Last Friday, Taoiseach Enda Kenny said Archbishop Martin had informed him of the Irish bishops' invitation to the Pope. In Brussels, Mr Kenny said if Francis accepted the invitation, he had assured Archbishop Martin that "the Government would respond appropriately, would welcome Pope Francis, and would make all the arrangements to treat him in a proper and respectful manner as befits his position as the head of the Catholic Church".

Speaking in St Patrick's College, Drumcondra, of the organisational challenges which the World Meeting of Families will entail, Archbishop Martin said it made him "shiver". He emphasised the event was "not a sort of spiritual travelling circus which moves around from city to city simply repeating the same performances".

Both he and Archbishop Eamon Martin said they were launching a process which will be rolled out over the next 20 months and will involve families, parishes, schools and church groups. The aim is to identify the inadequacies of the Church's pastoral outreach to families and those who feel excluded from the Church's vision of marriage and the family.

Archbishop Diarmuid Martin warned one of the "biggest challenges" is the way drugs are "infesting" families. He said "young people are dragged into a drug culture at a very early age" while criminal gangs are making "enormous amounts of money".

The Archbishop also expressed alarm over the number of stabbings in Ireland, describing it as "very worrying".

At a service in Kilmainham Gaol yesterday for 1916, Dr Martin reiterated his concern that "almost every day" we are seeing "examples of senseless violence".
Pain of loss: Antoine Leiris says there are moments of rage, but no enduring hatred. Photo: Sandrine Roudeix pour Fayard

Pain of loss: Antoine Leiris says there are moments of rage, but no enduring hatred. Photo: Sandrine Roudeix pour Fayard

As Antoine Leiris talks about his wife Helene, and the almost unimaginably senseless and violent way she was taken from him and their infant son, he instinctively twists the wedding band on his finger.

Sitting in the mid-morning quiet of a gracious dining room in central London, the quietly-spoken Parisian talks about trauma and loss, about private grief and public sympathy, and life since the Paris attacks of Friday, November 13, 2015.

It was two days after he lost his wife that Antoine, a journalist who worked as a cultural commentator with French radio, sat down to try and put his feelings into words, to "try and clear the fog in my head. Let my family and close friends know how I and my son were doing".

He wrote a Facebook post, originally meant only for friends and family, which became an internet sensation, shared over 200,000 times in the days after the terrible slaughter.

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It began: "On Friday night, you stole the life of an exceptional being, the love of my life, the mother of my son, but you will not have my hate."

Those last, powerful words now provide the title of his account of the loss of Helene, a very intimate and often poetic testament to their life together, her death aged just 35 and the future he hopes to build for their son, Melvil.

In You Will Not Have My Hate, Antoine recounts how Helene had always had a slightly quirky love of hard rock and heavy metal. On that Friday night, she went with friends to see the American band Eagles of Death Metal at the Bataclan Theatre in central Paris. Antoine stayed home to look after their then 17-month-old son Melvil. Heavy metal was not exactly his thing.

It was only when, long after Melvil had gone to sleep, that his phone started buzzing incessantly. Tired after a long day, he half-read the text messages: "Hey, everything ok? Are you at home?" and "Hey, are you safe?"

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Something was happening. Tip-toeing past his son's cot, Antoine went into another room and turned on the TV to see solemn-faced news anchors and the words crawling across the bottom of the screen. "Terrorist attack at the Stade de France" then "Terrorist Attack at the Bataclan.."

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His wife was not answering her phone. Antoine's brother and sister quickly arrived at his home. While his sister looked after his sleeping son, the two brothers began a frantic drive through the eerily quiet, early-morning streets of Paris.

After visiting several hospitals, still hoping that Helene had simply been swept up in the confusion or was maybe receiving treatment somewhere, their search ended with a man quietly saying to Antoine, "Monsieur, you should prepare yourself for the worst".

Helene had been one of 89 people killed at the Bataclan. A series of attacks across Paris had killed 130 people and left hundreds wounded.

As Antoine recounts in his book, what followed were days of tears, rage, disbelief and, in the midst of almost unbearable grief, having to care for their 17-month-old son.

The book does not follow a conventional timeline, attempt to tell the wider story of the attacks or deal with issues such as radicalisation and terrorism.

The 35-year-old journalist talks about intimate moments of love and grief, how, to take one moment, he realised in the days after the attack that little Melvil needed to have his nails cut, and it had always been Helene who dealt with this tricky operation.

Antoine remembers meeting an old friend a couple of weeks after the terrorist attacks. At first, they struggled to find the words to talk to each other. He had deliberately retreated from the world that was talking incessantly about the slaughter.

"In the days after, I turned off the TV and radio, newspapers, everything," he says as he sips his English breakfast tea in the quiet London dining room.

"I knew it was impossible to hear that and not go, I think, crazy. I built a wall between the outside world and our world, with Melvil. I knew I had to protect him and also to protect me. It was just me, him and the grief of Helene. It was the three of us, at that moment."

His family and friends were, of course, anxious to help and to comfort. But Antoine says he had to establish some boundaries.

"There was a place for family, of course. But not every time, every day at my home. I wanted him to feel he could be safe and secure just with me, to be in our private world.

"It's strange. You want help. But not all the time. And people are very understanding. They know it is very complicated for you and when you tell them 'I need to protect my son', they understand.

"My reaction, how I deal with what has happened, is so important for our son. Not just in the weeks after or now, but for many years to come. I don't know how, but it came to me, an instinct, so soon after, this is my responsibility, I must do this, find a way, for him."

In the weeks after the attack and after Antoine's Facebook post had reached so many people around the world, he was flooded with offers of help, messages from people as far away as Australia and Japan offering to look after their son or asking them to come and stay. There were even many cheques from well-wishers, all of which remain uncashed.

And Antoine admits there was a huge temptation to escape, to get away from Paris and find some quiet town or remote beach far from the big city that had been the scene of their great loss.

"Of course it is very tempting. I thought about it every day, of finding some quiet place, an island, escaping the violence of the city," he says.

"But I am not alone. And for my son, he has his family, his kindergarten, which is very good. He has his routine and Paris is our home."

Antoine's book is short, the language is sparse and uncomplicated, often just sketches of small moments and reflections on the process and meaning of sudden shock and grief.

It is very intimate and full of love. If Antoine refused to give his hate to the men who killed his wife and so many others, he also refuses to give them space in his life and that of his now two-year-old son.

He says he follows the news and is aware of the recent decision by the only terrorist who survived, Salah Abdeslam, to fire his legal team and end any cooperation with the French and Belgian investigators.

But he claims no great insights into radicalisation or the threat from religious fundamentalists to the West. He has no wish to become a commentator or expert on these issues, saying whatever he offered "would just be more noise".

And while there are still moments of rage, there is no enduring hatred.

"Rage and hate, they can be so seductive, it is easy to give yourself to this. But they are corrosive. And it would not help me or my son to live our lives".

Antoine says that what he set out to do with the book is give a "sincere and intimate" account of one family's loss.

"I am not a writer, but this is the power of literature, you are telling just a little story. And this little story opens the door to the bigger picture. This is different to newspapers, it is intimately about what happened to the people who were directly touched by this. So I think it is a part of the story that nobody had taken care of, to tell. If you do not read the newspaper reports, but only read my book, I think you understand quite an important part of what the attacks were".

Towards the end of the book, Antoine recounts the day of the funeral, of how Melvil was too young to attend so he wrote a letter from their son to his mother.

"Mama, I am writing you this note to tell you that I love you. I miss you. Papa is helping me because I'm still very young. Don't worry about him - I'll look after him. I take him for walks, we play with my little cars, we read stories, we take baths together and we have lots of hugs. It's not the same as it was when you were there, but it's okay. He tells me everything will be all right, but I can tell he is sad. I am sad too"

Since finishing this book, Antoine has begun writing again, "little experiments" as he calls them, a mix of real life and fiction, on the themes of grief, loss and hope.

He believes that writing, though he does not claim to be a writer, has helped him find a way through the great tragedy which has profoundly changed - but not destroyed - their lives.

You Will Not Have My Hate is an extraordinary read, honest, intimate and lightly poetic. It is a testament of love, loss and grief and also the often untold story of those who are left behind and must find a way to go on.

You Will Not Have My Hate is published by Penguin Random House

A phone call from my brother brings me back to reality. 'Helene is there'

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Massacre: French police at the scene of the Bataclan attack on November 13

13 November

10.37pm

Melvil fell asleep without a murmur, as he usually does when his mama isn't there. To keep myself awake until she gets home, I read. My phone, lying on my bedside table, buzzes. I read the text:

'HEY, EVERYTHING OK? ARE YOU AT HOME'

'...'

'ARE YOU SAFE?'

What's that supposed to mean, 'safe'? I put the book down and rush to the living room on tiptoes. Do not wake the baby. I grab the remote. The box of horrors takes for ever to come on. Live: Terrorist attack at the Stade de France. The images tell me nothing. I think about Helene. I should call her, tell her it would be a good idea to take a taxi home. But there is something else. In the corridors of the stadium, some people stand frozen in front of a screen.

At the bottom of my screen, the news on the ticker that slides past too fast suddenly stops. The end of innocence.

'Terrorist attack at the Bataclan.'

The sound cuts out. All I can hear is the noise of my heart trying to burst out of my chest. I check that that is where she went. Maybe I got it mixed up, or forgot. But the concert really is at the Bataclan. Helene is at the Bataclan...

I grab my phone. I have to call her, talk to her, hear her voice. Contacts. 'Helene', just Helene. I never changed her name in my contacts list, never added 'my love' or a photo of the two of us. Neither did she. The call she never received that night was from 'Antoine L.' It rings out. Goes to voicemail. I hang up, I call again. Once, twice, a hundred times. Everything looks unfamiliar. The world around me fades. There is nothing left but her and me. A phone call from my brother brings me back to reality.

'Helene is there.'

My brother and sister come to our flat. No one knows what to say. There is nothing to say. There is no name for this.

I have to act, do something. I need to go outside, quickly, so I can find her, so I can escape the army of unspoken words that have invaded my living room. My brother clears the way for me. Without a word, he picks up his car keys. We confer in whispers. Close the door quietly behind us. Do not wake the baby.

The ghost hunt can begin.

We go to all the major hospitals, anywhere that might be taking in the wounded. Bichat, Saint-Louis, Salpetriere, Georges-Pompidou... That night, death has spread to all four corners of France's capital.

The streetlights speed past by the side of the ring road. The night deepens. Each light brings me one step closer to hypnosis. My body is no longer mine. Even when there was nothing left to look for, we kept going. I needed to escape. To get away as far as possible, not to turn back. To keep going to the end of the road.

I saw it, the end of the road.

It shone from the screen of my mobile phone when my alarm went off. Seven o'clock in the morning.

In half an hour, Melvil will drink from his bottle. He must still be sleeping. A baby's sleep, uncluttered by the horrors of the world. Time to go home.

Edited extract from You Will Not Have My Hate
When depicting priests in fiction there is a danger of creating one-dimensional stereotypical characters. We've had our share of whiskey priests, doubting priests and paedophile priests. Indeed, clerics populate the short stories of many Irish writers such as Frank O'Connor, James Joyce, Liam O'Flaherty, Mary Lavin, Edna O'Brien, Francis MacManus, etc. But in general, they were there almost as stock figures, pious and unbending, whose role was generally to lay down the law, to keep the people subjugated and unquestioning of the Church's authority, with a virtual monopoly on Irish morality.

But in Richard Power's recently reissued forgotten classic The Hungry Grass we are allowed a sympathetic glimpse into the inner life of Father Tom Conroy, the ageing and irascible parish priest of the small West of Ireland community of Rosnagree. This stylistic and sharp novel recounts the last two weeks of the life of this ornery man, mingling snapshots of his present struggles with vivid flashbacks.

Fr Tom found himself inadvertently in the seminary, taking the place of his older brother Frank, who left the priesthood before being ordained, but Tom discovers, much to his own surprise, that he has "brains to burn" and a love of the classics. However, a maverick streak and an inability to toe the party line prevents him from progressing within the church. He now spends his days in his small parish visiting the sick and the simple, administering the sacraments and caustic comments.

In his last days he calls on his sister Kate, marvelling at how his eminent family ever allowed her to be married off to the slovenly Mikie, and revisits the memory of his brother Owen, who moved to London and died suddenly, leaving behind a young wife and two young boys. A last ditch attempt to make restitution to his nephews ends in failure and Fr Tom returns to his parish with his health waning, though he accepts with pleasure an invitation to attend an annual gathering of his fellow seminarians.

What Power has managed to do here in this quiet novel is create a character of depth and complexity. Conroy is a credible human being, revered and feared in equal measure. Intolerant and sharp-tongued, unimpressed with new-fangled clerical practice, he is nonetheless beloved of his parishioners. As a portrait of society on the cusp of change and a character caught in its inexorable tide, The Hungry Grass is a find. I wouldn't usually reach for a book about a priest but I'm so glad I did, because Tom Conroy is so much more than a cleric. What stays with you is Tom, the man; the funny, smart, curmudgeonly man who happens to be the parish priest.
There has been much debate in the Irish media of late about the HPV vaccine Gardasil - the vaccine against the human papilloma virus (which causes cervical cancer) that is given to young girls aged 12 or 13.

And to be clear - by debate I mean scaremongering.

So much so that we've seen rates of uptake fall to around 70pc - a vaccine low not seen since our last vaccine scaremongering campaign in the early 2000s against the measles mumps rubella (MMR) vaccine.

You might remember a British doctor (since struck off) who produced a falsified piece of research suggesting the MMR caused autism.

Cue a sort of frenzied roll-out of autistic children as proof of same.

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The MMR was subsequently vindicated as safe and rates of uptake are back up at 95pc with - surprise, surprise - no increase in autism.

There are consequences to peddling lies and anecdotes as medical facts and those that campaigned against the MMR bear some responsibility in these instances.

When you frighten parents into leaving their children exposed to potentially fatal, vaccine-preventable diseases with bogus information and then those same children suffer, you played a role in that.

Which brings me up to the present day. Globally, 250,000 women die from cervical cancer each year.

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And 100 Irish families lost a daughter, a mother, a sister or a wife to it last year - as they do every year. They were real people who died from a real disease.

Real lives snuffed out along with their hopes and dreams. And that's despite a very effective cervical-screening system that attempts to pick up on cervical cancer at an early and treatable stage.

So to those of you who say we do not need this HPV vaccine, we should just do cervical smears instead - I say screening didn't save those 100 women. Prevention is always far better than cure.

The truth about the HPV vaccine is this. Less than one tenth of a percent of girls who receive it will experience negative side effects.

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These are mostly a sore arm or feeling a bit fluey for a couple of days.

And despite hundreds of millions of doses of this vaccine being given globally in the past decade and it being constantly monitored to see if it causes any medical problems for those it is given to, no evidence has emerged that some weird basket of vague medical symptoms has been caused by it.

No proof that it has caused the kind of problems it's being accused of has shown up.

What has occurred is a reduction in rates of HPV transmission and a subsequent reduction in cervical cancer rates. That's the potential to save 100 Irish women's lives this year and every year.

There is a problem with false balance in the media that pits scientific facts based on actual clinical evidence against emotive feelings based on nothing - as if they carry equal weight.

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What's more, there's also the nocebo effect - the opposite to the placebo effect - which means if you tell someone they will get sick after they take something - even if that thing is harmless - then they will.

Vaccines are arguably the single biggest success story in saving lives by modern medicine.

I fully understand the desire for a parent to want to protect their child in every way and to fear doing anything that may harm them. I have kids.

I have a daughter and I gave her the HPV vaccine. And I'm very glad I've done what I can to protect her from this fatal but preventable disease. I want no regrets.

@ciarakellydoc
As Real Housewife Countess Luann once sang Money Don't Buy You Class, and that was never more evident than at the final State Dinner of the Obama administration. Michelle O will go down in history not just as the first African American First Lady (how we loathe that term here at People Are Talking) but also the classiest. (Jackie O was chic - big difference.)

The dinner was in honour of Italian PM Matteo Renzi and his wife Agnese Landini, but even in a room full of fabulous and fashionable Italians Michelle stole the show in her rose gold Versace dress. Apart from the usual mix of Washington politicos and media, guests included Giorgio Armani, comic Jerry Seinfeld, actor John Turturro, musician James Taylor, former racing driver Mario Andretti and two young rappers - Frank Ocean (who took his mum) and Chance the Rapper (accompanied by his dad).

Gwen Stefani, still one of the coolest women on the planet, provided the music. The Obama Last Supper typified his administration - eclectic, forward-looking, classy, and clued-in. Money don't buy you class but unfortunately it can win elections. Thanks for the memories O.

Shock horror! Has Halloween been sexed up?

Donal Lynch

For most people Halloween is just an excuse to dress sexy in a way they would never get away with in real life.

They opted for the sexy cat/superhero look in the crowded fancy dress shop, even though it's basically just a bikini and face paints - and they will catch their death in late October in Ireland. That's if they don't explode when someone touches this flammable concoction with a cigarette. It's all worth it to look "accidentally hot" on the night itself.

Slutty Halloween costumes are also a testament to Irish weather. They're proof that in Ireland showing your actual body is itself a type of fancy dress. The sexy Halloween crowd are generally upstaged by those who dress shocking. This year there has already been talk of people coming as a kidnapped Kim Kardashian or a jilted Brangelina. Come next weekend we also expect to see someone come as a charity chief (complete with a jewel-encrusted glass to sip champagne from), or possibly a water protester (can be paired with someone in a Joan Burton mask).

Since all of this dressing-up nonsense came from America, it's also to the Americans we look for advice on what's over the line. "No, it's cool, it's not like your ancestors killed them all or anything," read one flier at a university in Massachusetts this week. Another poster of scantily clad women says, "Hypersexualized racism is still racism." Hypersexualised human-cat hybrids are totally cool, however.

Come on Leo, stop the talking, let's get walking

Pat Fitzpatrick

Sometimes it feels like Leo Varadkar (below) is a one-man party - Fianna The People Who Aren't in the Public Service.

He was representing them again this week when he said that people would look differently at the guards if they went on strike. There are two things wrong with this. The first is that no one is looking at public servants at all these days, in case they take offence and go out on strike.

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The second problem is that Leo's mild rebuke was seen as breaking ranks with his cabinet colleagues. Don't be upsetting the guards, you'll only make it worse. Maybe now is the time for Leo to spin off that new party. It could start with just one policy; we won't talk to people who keep asking for more money.

We all know what happens when the government stays up all night with some union to resolve their latest grievance. We either become poorer or some already dire public service gets even worse. Say what you will about Donald Trump, but he's right when he talks about the art of negotiation. The key is that the other side has to believe that you will walk away. So let's stop talking and start walking.

Old hands as good as new

Eilis O'Hanlon

The politicians have failed Ireland. We need fresh faces, new ideas. Thankfully, some fine men are already rising to the challenge.

There's this young fella called Bertie Ahern, for example. He's been all over the media this week, putting forward his ideas on Brexit, water charges, social partnerships. You name it.

This guy really sounds like he knows what he's talking about. We should give him a go.

What could possibly go wrong, after all?

Then there's this other lad, Brendan Howlin. He leads an exciting new movement called "the Labour Party" which seems to have all the answers. If only someone would give these young guns a chance by putting them into government. Surely they wouldn't let us down like all those other chancers?
If your flight dates are flexible, flight comparison websites offer hacks that can save hundreds of euro. Here's how.

1. Skyscanner's 'Whole Month'

This tool is one of the simplest solutions I know for sourcing cheap flights. Clicking the 'Departure Date' box on Skyscanner.ie or its app calls up a calendar view, where you can switch between 'Specific Date' and 'Whole Month'.

Checking Budapest flights for December, I found prices ranging from 55 to 265 for the outbound leg alone. That's some difference.

2. Go 'Anywhere' with Kayak.ie

Here's another nifty option, where you can enter 'Anywhere' as a destination, and 'Any Month', or even a whole season, as your dates. Hit search, and it returns a map with prices tagged next to destinations. Trying that, I found return flights to Lisbon for 52 in December. Google Flights is also rolling out a new feature telling you when searched flight prices are likely to rise.

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3. Ryanair's 'Fare Finder'

This feature is found under 'Plan' on Ryanair.com, followed by 'Explore', in the menu bar. Click through and enter your destination (or 'Anywhere') and budget (eg '20 and under'), and cross your fingers. As I write, one-way fares are available from 9.99.

4. More with Momondo

All of these features depend on flexibility. If you're constricted by holiday dates or business schedules, you're pretty much at the mercy of the airlines, although there is one more hack that may help. Momondo.ie has a 'Take Me Anywhere' option that returns low fares all over the world... on your chosen date. Worth a click?

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5. Holiday hits

Like your holiday bargains? Holidayguru.ie is a travel deals blog run by Irishman Martin McKenna. Similar to its German parent site, Urlaubsguru.de, it trawls the net for cheap flights, hotels and packages, writes up the deals, and shares them with a rapidly growing audience of Facebook and website fans. Going to press, deals ranged from a 58 Liverpool city break to a four-night Barcelona package with clickandgo.com from 208pp. Just make sure to note whether you're booking flights and hotels separately, or together through a licensed and bonded operator.

6. Get campsited

At this time of year, most of us are packing away the tents and lighting fires indoors. For next year's outings, however, bookmark Campsited.com. The Irish-run site was set up to address the bizarre shortage of online booking facilities for campsites, and bit by bit, it's building the inventory. Bookings were up 500pc in 2016, and there are ambitious plans to branch out from campsites across the UK and Ireland to mainland Europe in 2017. Sign up for the newsletter, and you'll be first to hear of discounts and last-minute deals, too.

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What will it take for the Government to tackle growing traffic volumes on Dublin's M50?Clearly, despite the delays exacerbated by collisions in the morning and evening peaks, there is little impact on focusing minds.

The 2014 warnings about 'safe operational capacity' being exceeded at some sections of the road have largely been ignored by those in power.

So can it be inferred that multi-vehicle pile-ups are required before something is done?

Or perhaps fatalities?

Less than a decade ago the M50 was notorious for delays, although things improved slightly as traffic volumes dropped during the recession.

But the recession is over and businesses need swift travel options around the capital, and out to the regions.

Today, M50 traffic volumes are back to boom-time levels and at times it resembles a car park with nothing moving.

Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.

Yet the Government refuses to do anything to reduce the number of vehicles using the country's busiest road.

While Transport Infrastructure Ireland is undertaking an important measure to help improve traffic flows, variable speed limits will not be introduced until 2019.

The system will alert motorists to an incident on a particular section of the road well in advance, and instruct them to reduce their speed and move to a specific lane to allow emergency services to attend and keep vehicles moving.

It can also be used in periods of heavy demand, but gantries will have to be procured and installed, and software tested before the system goes live.

The State is clearly intent on allowing vehicles to continue using the road unfettered, which will add to the problem.

It has ruled out introducing tolls or other disincentives.

Clearly, the answer is public transport.

But it's telling that the subvention to Bus Eireann, Irish Rail and Dublin Bus increased by just 31m in the Budget.

That won't make up for the cuts of recent years, and will not do anything to help encourage take-up of these services.

More money is clearly needed, and more services required, and research is needed on where the gaps are.

So why not have a public transport day, where everyone in the GDA who would usually drive the M50 instead takes the bus, Luas or train to work, school, college or for leisure?

The State could subsidise services to encourage take-up, and employers asked to facilitate workers who are making the switch.

In return, the public would provide feedback to the public transport companies and National Transport Authority on how they found the service, and how it could be better planned.

Climate change minister Denis Naughten has suggested such a measure, and it makes sense. Of course, that's not to say it will happen.

Building roads or increasing capacity isn't the answer.

More public transport - and sticks for those who refuse to get out of their cars - is what will ultimately solve this problem.
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John Downing Opinion New British prime minister Rishi Sunaks succession proves an important milestone in British political inclusivity

There is an old saying in British politics that goes: The right looks for converts while the left seeks out traitors. It comes to mind when one reflects upon the election of Rishi Sunak as the UKs first non-white prime minister in a party traditionally seen as most opposed to mass immigration and the dilution of national identity via multiculturalism.
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Mary Kenny Opinion If men want to yammer on about sport, then let them  it helps them connect emotionally

I was travelling on a train from Dublin to Cork, and near me sat two Dublin men. Throughout the entire journey they managed to keep up a fluent dialogue about English football teams. From Aston Villa to Sheffield Wednesday, from Crystal Palace to Manchester City the conversation flowed eloquently. I was in awe at the minutiae of their knowledge and expertise. And if the topic of their discourse lacked a certain variety, it was nonetheless better than sitting in sullen silence, or glued to their phones.
Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin delivered a lengthy speech at his party's annual commemoration of Theobald Wolfe Tone. Brexit was mentioned and so was Donald Trump. But although he spoke of what he perceived as rival party Fine Gael's failings, Taoiseach Enda Kenny was conspicuously absent from his remarks.

However, one Fine Gaeler singled out for special treatment was Social Protection Minister Leo Varadkar. You'd almost be forgiven for thinking that Mr Kenny had already handed over the reigns of power to Mr Varadkar and ridden off into the sunset.

But as Mr Kenny's remarks at the Fine Gael Presidential Dinner on Saturday night show, he has no intention of going anywhere, any time soon.

So why the focus on Mr Varadkar, who Mr Martin claimed was "PR-obssessed" in his former role as health minister?

Could it be that the Dublin West TD - widely seen as the leading contender to succeed Mr Kenny - is seen as the greater threat to Fianna Fail's eventual return to power?

Just yesterday, a 'Sunday Independent'/Kantar Millward Brown opinion poll put Mr Varadkar as Fine Gael supporters' first choice as leader in waiting - putting him at 39pc. That's a 14-point lead over Simon Coveney.

Mr Varadkar has expressed irriation about the constant speculation about the leadership question, insisting there's no vacancy.

But Mr Martin's broadside appears to be part of a trend of Fianna Fail attacks on Mr Varadkar as the phoney war for who'll take over from Mr Kenny gathers pace. Tensions between Mr Varadkar and the Soldiers of Destiny have been ramping up for some time.

During the minority government talks Mr Varadkar was said to have caused resentment in Fianna Fail at his attitude to negotiations. At the end of July, Fianna Fail's social protection spokesman Willie O'Dea launched a searing attack on him.

He claimed Mr Varadkar had become "some sort of political version of the cartoon character Road Runner, whose sole aim is to keep moving fast enough to stay ahead of his rivals in the Fine Gael leadership stakes".

It wasn't long before Mr O'Dea was backing Mr Varadkar into a corner by demanding a 5-a-week rise in the State pension in Budget 2017. This was delivered - albeit not until March - and with Mr Varadkar successfully tagging on similar rises to other social welfare benefits.

Mr Varadkar himself has claimed he's increasingly been the focus of Fianna Fail attacks. "What I have noticed is that barely two weeks goes by without some Fianna Fail spokesperson having a go at me, very often it's Micheal Martin, and it's never about policy," he told RTE's Marian Finucane last week.

Mr Martin yesterday denied his latest remarks were related to Mr Varadkar's leadership ambitions, rather he was criticising the Fine Gael record on health - Mr Varadkar's former brief.

There's a fear in Fine Gael that Fianna Fail will pull the plug on the minority Government while Mr Kenny remains leader. Mr Martin's party appear to be acting as if Mr Varadkar has already replaced him.

But Mr Kenny has put it up to the pretenders to the throne and urged them to show they have "the mettle" for the job.

And while Mr Kenny clings on, Fianna Fail's focus on Mr Varadkar may be somewhat premature.
Rachel McAdams at the Doctor Strange UK launch at The Cloisters in Westminster Abbey

Rachel McAdams has said a Mean Girls reunion would be "exciting" as she revealed the script for the 2004 film remains one of her favourites.

The Canadian actress, who played queen bee Regina George alongside Lindsay Lohan in the teen hit, praised Tina Fey's screenplay and said she would love to team up again on a future project.

McAdams, 37, is starring alongside Benedict Cumberbatch in Doctor Strange and was speaking at the film's launch in the cloisters at Westminster Abbey in central London.

Asked about the likelihood of a Mean Girls reunion, McAdams told the Press Association: "I don't know. It would be exciting. We reunited for a photo shoot a couple of years ago, but I don't know. I would do anything with Tina Fey, so if she's up for it."

She added: "It's still one of my favourite scripts I've ever read. I was saying I'll play any part in this please, please, please, so I would love to work with her again."

McAdams, who is known for her roles in The Notebook and Spotlight, said she has yet to discuss a reunion with her fellow cast members.

Mean Girls, which also starred Amanda Seyfried and Lacey Chabert, has become a cult classic over the years.
A couple could be flying high in love if one woman's campaign to track down a fellow passenger on a recent flight works.

A woman has contacted an Irish newspaper to appeal to the public to track down a handsome stranger she spotted on a flight from Nottingham to Knock last Friday.

The woman, who is not identified, launched a campaign with The Connaught Telegraph trying to track down the mystery man, whom she described as "tall, stock with big arms...maybe plays sports".

The East Midlands-Knock flight (FR1742) was on Friday, October 14 and the handsome stranger was sitting in Row 29, Seat C.

Your admirer was sitting two seats away from you and was blocked from starting a conversation by the person sitting in the middle between you, but she did spot you were holding a camel covered weekend bag with matching leather shoes, jeans and had brown wavy hair.

If you are the object of her affection, or know who is, message the paper's Facebook page and they will "be happy to play cupid and pass on your details".
Actor and impressionist Kevin Bishop has revealed he had to chainsmoke to capture the rasp of Nigel Farage's voice for an upcoming BBC comedy.

Bishop plays the politician in Nigel Farage Gets His Life Back, which follows the former Ukip leader's exploits after he stepped down in the wake of the EU referendum result.

The actor said he "hated" Mr Farage when he was initially asked to play the role but was now "fascinated" by the ex-banker.

"I was so devastated about Brexit and he wasn't someone I kind of really cared much about at all.

"Since I researched him I've actually found him to be, on a personality level, much more interesting and I'm warming to him a little bit more than pretty much any other politician."

Asked what was hardest to master when playing Mr Farage, Bishop said: "The voice. Because, as you can hear from my voice now, it is very croaky.

"So I smoked like 20 cigarettes a day. Smoke, smoke, smoke.

"If you don't have a rasp in your voice - which I don't normally - you just can't do it no matter how good an impersonator you are. I've had to put it through the mangle."

Speaking on the set of the show, filmed as a mockumentary, the Star Stories actor said Mr Farage had transformed UK politics, calling him the Boy George of the political world.

"These are very interesting historic times and I think that's thanks to those characters like Nigel Farage, like Jeremy Corbyn.

"They are a little bit like your Boy Georges and Michael Jacksons, they're interesting people that are completely unique and you are drawn to them.

"I think Nigel does have a quality about him which is reassuring and also comical, self deprecating, he's got really all the sort of charm and charisma that you'd expect to see on a chat show."

Bishop believes his portrayal is balanced, adding: "I can't imagine he'd be upset or hurt.

"I mean a few things might ruffle his feathers but as I found from portraying people in the past initially they might be kind of put out but I find that they often eventually reach out to me and say 'ooh you bugger you did get me'."

:: Nigel Farage Gets His Life Back is expected to air on BBC Two on Sunday October 30.
Michael Vidler (R), lawyer of British former banker Rurik Jutting, arrives with an unidentified woman at High Court in Hong Kong, China October 24, 2016. REUTERS/Bobby Yip

A migrant workers alliance group holds placards to protest the killings of two Indonesian women in 2014 outside the High Court in Hong Kong, Monday, Oct. 24, 2016. British banker Rurik Jutting accused of the grisly 2014 killings pleaded not guilty when he went on trial Monday, in a case expected to highlight the Asian financial hub's inequality and privileged lifestyle of its wealthy expat elite. (AP Photo/Vincent Yu)

A migrant workers alliance group holds placards to protest the killings of two Indonesian women in 2014 outside the High Court in Hong Kong, Monday, Oct. 24, 2016. (AP Photo/Vincent Yu)

Police officers stand guard next to a prison bus which carries British banker Rurik Jutting upon his arrival at the High Court in Hong Kong, Monday, Oct. 24, 2016. . (AP Photo/Vincent Yu)

File photo of Rurik George Caton Jutting, a British banker charged with two counts of murder after police found the bodies of two women in his apartment, sitting in the back row of a prison bus as he arrives at the Eastern Law Courts in Hong Kong November 24, 2014. REUTERS/Bobby Yip/File Photo

A British banker accused of killing two Indonesian women in his Hong Kong apartment had tortured one of the victims for three days while using cocaine, a court has heard.

Cambridge University graduate Rurik Jutting, who worked at the Hong Kong office of Bank of America-Merrill Lynch, denies murdering Sumarti Ningsih, 23, and Seneng Mujiasih, 26, who were found dead in his apartment near the Asian financial centre's Wan Chai red light district.

Jutting pleaded not guilty to two murder charges, with prosecutors rejecting his attempt to plead guilty to the lesser charge of manslaughter. If convicted, he faces life in prison.

At the start of the trial, Hong Kong high court judge Michael Stuart-Moore warned jurors that evidence would include "extremely upsetting" photo and video evidence.

Expand Expand Previous Next Close File photo of Rurik George Caton Jutting, a British banker charged with two counts of murder after police found the bodies of two women in his apartment, sitting in the back row of a prison bus as he arrives at the Eastern Law Courts in Hong Kong November 24, 2014. REUTERS/Bobby Yip/File Photo Police officers stand guard next to a prison bus which carries British banker Rurik Jutting upon his arrival at the High Court in Hong Kong, Monday, Oct. 24, 2016. . (AP Photo/Vincent Yu) / Facebook

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Whatsapp File photo of Rurik George Caton Jutting, a British banker charged with two counts of murder after police found the bodies of two women in his apartment, sitting in the back row of a prison bus as he arrives at the Eastern Law Courts in Hong Kong November 24, 2014. REUTERS/Bobby Yip/File Photo

Ms Sumarti went to Jutting's apartment when the banker offered her "a large sum of money", prosecutor John Reading said in his opening remarks.

Ms Sumarti, who was in Hong Kong on a tourist visa, had a five-year-old son living with her parents in Indonesia, he said.

Jutting is alleged to have subjected her to "increasingly cruel acts of violence".

The prosecutor added: "After torturing her for three days, he took her into the bathroom, had her kneel in front of the toilet bowl with her hands tied behind her back, made her lick the toilet bowl and then he cut her throat with a serrated-edged knife."

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Jutting is alleged to have used his phone to film himself talking about the killing, how he enjoyed dominating Ms Sumarti and how he watched pornographic videos involving extreme violence.

He also said he "definitely could not have done that without cocaine", the court heard.

Expand Close A motorcade taking British former banker Rurik Jutting to High Court in Hong Kong, China October 24, 2016. REUTERS/Bobby Yip / Facebook

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After she died, the prosecution alleges that Jutting put her remains in a suitcase he left on the balcony.

Ms Seneng was officially in Hong Kong as a foreign maid but was working at a bar where Jutting met her and offered her money for sex, Mr Reading said, according to facts agreed on by both sides.

Expand Close Michael Vidler (R), lawyer of British former banker Rurik Jutting, arrives with an unidentified woman at High Court in Hong Kong, China October 24, 2016. REUTERS/Bobby Yip / Facebook

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In the banker's apartment, Ms Seneng started shouting when she saw a rope gag near the sofa, and Jutting grabbed her and cut her throat with a knife hidden under a cushion, the prosecutor said.

Jutting apparently started hallucinating after using cocaine, and he called police himself, the court heard.

Officers who arrived found Ms Seneng's body and arrested Jutting. Ms Sumarti's remains were found a few hours later.

In interviews, Jutting told police everything that happened as well as discussing his drug use, Mr Reading said, adding that traces of cocaine were detected in more than two dozen small plastic bags found in the apartment.

Jutting watched the court proceedings intently and took notes from the glass-screened dock. He wore a dark blue shirt, dark-framed eyeglasses and looked much slimmer than in court appearances last year.

The trial continues on Tuesday, when jurors are scheduled to view the graphic videos found on Jutting's iPhone.

The women's murders and Jutting's arrest in 2014 shocked the city, which has a reputation for being safe but also has extreme inequality among its foreign workers.

The former British colony has a sizeable white-collar expatriate elite alongside more than 300,000 migrant domestic workers, almost all of them women from Indonesia or the Philippines.
Handout photo taken with permission from the Twitter feed of Chris Daly/@Guru_Chris of passengers outside the terminal building and grounded flights at London City Airport following a fire alert. Photo: Chris Daly/@Guru_Chris/Twitter/PA Wire

A 25-year-old man has been arrested over a chemical incident that led to the evacuation of London City Airport.

The suspect was held on Saturday, accused of "using a noxious substance to cause serious damage" after dozens of passengers suffered breathing difficulties at the travel hub on Friday.

He has since been released on bail until late November, Scotland Yard said.

The force said in a statement: "Police arrested a man on Saturday, October 22 in connection with an incident at London City Airport on Friday, October 21.

"The man, 25, was arrested at a residential address in east London and taken to a west London police station.

"He was arrested on suspicion of using a noxious substance to cause serious damage - an offence under section 113 of the Anti-Terrorism, Crime and Security Act 2001.

"He has since been bailed pending further enquiries to a date in late November."

The alert saw around 500 members of the public and airport staff evacuated from the terminal.

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Two casualties were taken to hospital and 25 were treated at the scene.

The closure of the airport led to travel chaos as all flights were suspended.

Several incoming planes from destinations such as Frankfurt, Amsterdam, Belfast City and Paris were diverted to other airports.
First Minister of Scotland and SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon speaks as the SNPs biggest-ever conference began in Glasgow. Photo: John Linton/PA

Theresa May has pledged that the views of the devolved administrations will help shape the UKs Brexit negotiations, but Martin McGuinness and Nicola Sturgeon have expressed frustration with the Prime Minister.

The leaders of Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales met with Ms May at Downing Street today, with the Prime Minister promising to secure a bespoke Brexit deal that works for the whole of the UK.

In a statement following the two-hour gathering, Number 10 said the Prime Minister had told the leaders that she wanted their input in shaping the negotiations, and that the final agreement will make a success of Brexit for everyone in the Union.

But Ms Sturgeon, the Scottish First Minister, said after the meeting that she still has no idea what the UK governments negotiating position is.

"We discussed the UK's negotiating position in general, but it is safe to say we got no more information or detail on that than we had before we went into the meeting, and I got the strong sense the UK government itself doesn't know what it is trying to achieve, she told the BBC.

"That is why many parts of the meeting were deeply frustrating, because we felt as if we weren't getting any greater insight into the thinking of the UK government."

Ms Sturgeon has said the Scottish government is preparing for all possibilities, including independence from the UK, after Britain leaves the EU.

Her frustration was shared by Northern Ireland deputy first minister Martin McGuinness, who told the Irish Independent that there is still doubt about the objectives of the British government.

Were all working in good faith on the basis that there is a plan to have meetings over the course of the coming weeks and months right through until March of next year to try and ascertain if its possible to agree a position between the devolved administrations and the British government, Mr McGuinness said.

The frustration which Nicola is talking about, which I share, is the lack of information about precisely what objectives the British Prime Minister has in relation to the outworking of this negotiation and what she is going to face when it comes to triggering Article 50. I share those concerns.

The meeting was attended by Ms Sturgeon, Mr McGuinness, Northern Ireland First Minister Arlene Foster and her Welsh counterpart Carwyn Jones.

Mr Jones said it was difficult for the devolved administrations to influence the process when there was so much uncertainty over what the government was seeking.

But Ms May said that if the devolved nations work together, they can make a success of Brexit, while strengthening the union.

The country is facing a negotiation of tremendous importance and it is imperative that the devolved administrations play their part in making it work," she said.
Rescue services at the scene of a light aircraft crash at the airport in Valletta, Malta. Picture: REUTERS/Darrin Zammit-Lupi

Three French Defence Ministry officials and two private contractors died when their plane crashed shortly after taking off from a Malta airport.

They were due to head on a surveillance mission over the Mediterranean when the crash took place at Luqa airport in the island nation, French Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said.

The ministry will conduct an investigation on what caused the crash on Monday morning, Le Drian said in a statement.

Sources said the plane crashed near the runway soon after take-off and subsequently burst into flames.

Dash cam footage purporting to show the moment of the crash has appeared on Facebook this morning.

One eyewitness told Times of Malta they saw the plane take-off and rise before it suddenly tipped onto its right side "and went straight down into the ground."

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Airport officials initially said the twin-prop Metroliner plane was believed to be carrying Frontex officials. Frontex is the EU's border management agency. The organisation later put out a statement saying it had not deployed the plane.

"The plane which crashed in Malta was not deployed by Frontex," Krzysztof Borowski from Frontex said.

The agency tweeted: "No Frontex staff was involved in the plane crash in Malta."

Actor Edward De Gaetano was on his way home back to London when he witnessed the aftermath of the crash.

"We were about to take off; moments before we did from our windows we could see a massive explosion  at first we had no idea what caused it," he said.

"We quickly realised an aircraft carrier had crash-landed. That is when everyone got a bit anxious."

He added: "Then there was a second explosion and I thought 'Oh my God, this is not just a fire'. We are all a bit stunned."

Mr De Gaetano said it was "definitely not a military plane" which had crashed  with flames from the explosion "engulfing" a nearby tree.

Before the crash he said everything seemed "very, very normal".

"I just hope they find out what caused the crash and if there are any survivors they are OK," he told the Press Association.
Scientists have made a breakthrough which could be key to developing a male contraceptive pill.

The discovery uses a peptide which changes the way human cells work, 'switching off' sperm's ability to swim, to render men temporarily infertile.

Scientists hailed the results as "startling - and almost instant". It raises the prospect of a fast-acting pill or a nasal spray a man could take hours or even minutes before sex.

Women are typically advised to stop taking the Pill weeks or even months before trying to conceive.

But researchers believe the effects of a male pill would happen almost instantly, and wear off within a matter of days.

Family planning experts said a reversible male contraceptive could help men control their fertility, and benefit couples where the woman does not want to take the Pill.

Lead researcher Professor John Howl, of Wolverhampton University, said the new compound, made in the lab, had shown immediate results.

"The results are startling - and almost instant. When you take healthy sperm and add our compound, within a few minutes the sperm basically cannot move," he said.

Working with scientists from Portugal, the team made a compound called a cell-penetrating peptide.

"This is a totally unique approach," Prof Howl said.

"Nobody else has ever done this before."

Peptides are short chains of amino acids which influence how human cells work.

They occur naturally but can also be created synthetically.

The breakthrough came after scientists in Wolverhampton demonstrated that particular peptides could penetrate sperm cells.

Then fertility experts at Aveiro University in Portugal, who had identified the crucial protein which drives sperm to swim, created a bespoke compound which turned the protein off.

The approach was tested in the lab on bovine and human sperm, with live animal tests due to start within three years.

Prof Howl said it was "too early to say" if the end result would be a pill, a nasal spray or a sub-skin implant, but said all three were possibilities.

Research has suggested that around half of sexually active men would consider taking the male contraceptive pill.

Other studies are examining the use of injections to block sperm.

John Guillebaud, emeritus professor of family planning and reproductive health at University College London, said a reversible male contraceptive would be "of enormous benefit to many couples", including when women could not take the pill for medical reasons.

"It would also help men who want to have control over their own fertility - for example, to ensure they do not get trapped into having a child by a woman who says she is on the Pill, but isn't," he said.

Telegraph Media Group Limited [2022]
A photo taken from a Norwegian surveillance aircraft shows Russian aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov in international waters off the coast of Northern Norway on October 17, 2016. Reuters

Russia expressed surprise Friday about the mooted deployment of US troops in neighbouring Norway.

"Taking into account multiple statements made by Norwegian officials about the absence of threat from Russia to Norway, we would like to understand why Norway is so much willing to increase its military potential, in particular through the stationing of American forces in Vaernes," Maxime Gourov, the spokesman at the Russian embassy in Oslo said in an email sent to AFP.

Vaernes lies about 1,000 kilometres (600 miles) from the Russian-Norwegian frontier.

On 10 October, the Norwegian defence ministry said its military and that of the United States were holding preliminary discussions about the possibility of such a deployment and about "additional training and storage."

"It may be something that is carried out on a rotational basis... [but] there is no question of permanent deployment," a ministry spokesman, Ann Kristin Salbuvik, told AFP.

The tentative discussions take place against a backdrop of increasing tensions between Russia and the West, notably over Ukraine and the conflict in Syria.

Also on 10 October, the Norwegian newspaper Adresseavisen said the Pentagon wanted to station 300 US Marines at Vaernes and that this could take place in January.

The US has vast amounts of military equipment prepositioned in Norway, notably in tunnels dug into mountains.

"Having a rotational presence in Norway enhances the collective ability of our two forces to work together," Niel Nelson, the US general in charge of the Marine Corps in Europe and Africa, was quoted as saying by American media this week.

Before joining Nato in 1949, Norway allayed Russian fears by undertaking not to open its territory to foreign combat troops so long as Norway was not attacked or threatened with attack.

This pledge was later amended to allow foreign troops to conduct manoeuvres in Norway.

"The policy of non-stationing [of foreign troops], which even withstood the test of the Cold War, has always been an advantage for Norway as a partner over other Nato countries," said Mr Gourov.

In July, Nato announced it would deploy, also on a rotational basis, four multinational battalions to Poland and to Baltic states to deter any Russian incursion.
Iraqi forces have fought their way into two villages near Mosul as the offensive to retake the extremist-held city entered its second week.

Meanwhile, a rights group has called for a probe into a suspected air strike which hit a mosque on Friday, killing more than a dozen civilians.

Iraqi special forces began shelling IS positions before dawn near Bartella, a historically Christian town to the east of Mosul which they had retaken last week.

With patriotic music blaring from loudspeakers on their Humvees, they then pushed into the village of Tob Zawa, about five miles from Mosul, amid heavy clashes.

The Iraqi Federal Police, a military-style force, pushed into a small village in the Shura district south of Mosul, where they fired a large anti-aircraft gun and rocket-propelled grenades as they battled Islamic State (IS) militants.

They later appeared to have secured the village, a cluster of squat homes on a desert plain, and handed out water and other aid to civilians.

The US-led coalition said it had carried out six air strikes near Mosul, destroying 19 fighting positions and 17 vehicles, as well as rocket and mortar launchers, artillery and tunnels.

Human Rights Watch has called for an investigation into last week's purported air strike in northern Iraq which struck the women's section of a Shia mosque in the town of Daquq.

The strike happened amid a large IS assault on the nearby city of Kirkuk which was meant to distract the Iraqi forces and their allies from the massive operation around Mosul, the country's second largest city.

The IS attack on Kirkuk, about 100 miles south-east of Mosul, lasted for two days and killed at least 80 people, mainly members of the Kurdish security forces, who assumed control of the city in 2014 as Iraqi forces crumbled before an IS advance.

Human Rights Watch said Daquq's residents believe Friday's attack was an air strike because of the extent of the destruction and because planes could be heard flying overhead.

The New York-based watchdog said at least 13 people were reported killed.

The US-led coalition and the Iraqi military, which are waging the offensive to drive IS from Mosul, are the only parties known to be flying military aircraft over Iraq.

US military spokesman Col John Dorrian said the coalition had "definitively determined" that it did not conduct the air strike that killed civilians in Daquq, and had shared its findings with the Iraqi government, which is carrying out its own investigation.

"The Coalition uses precision munitions and an exhaustive process to reduce the possibility of civilian casualties and collateral damage because the preservation of civilian life is (of) paramount importance to us," Col Dorrian said.

Iraqi Brig Gen Yahya Rasool, the spokesman for the Joint Military Command, confirmed the Iraqi government was investigating the attack.

He declined to say whether Iraqi or coalition planes were flying in the area at the time of the explosion.

As in Kirkuk, IS launched an attack on the western Iraqi town of Rutba, hundreds of miles away from Mosul, on Sunday.

Brig Gen Rasool said the situation there "is completely under control", and IS militants have no presence inside the town.

But Col Dorrian, the coalition spokesman, said "Iraqi forces continue to attack the enemy with coalition air support" in Rutba, and that "operations are ongoing".

He said coalition air strikes have destroyed five IS vehicles and killed a "significant" number of militants in the town, in Iraq's sprawling Anbar province.

The IS-run Aamaq news agency posted a video online that it said showed fighters attacking a military position on Sunday north of Rutba.

It said several groups of fighters had infiltrated the town, setting off two car bombs, while other militants attacked the perimeter. Those claims could not be independently confirmed.

The campaign to retake Mosul comes after months of planning and involves more than 25,000 Iraqi troops, Kurdish forces, Sunni tribal fighters and state-sanctioned Shia militias. It is expected to take weeks, if not months, to drive IS out of Iraq's second largest city, which is still home to more than a million people.

The militants captured Mosul in the summer of 2014, when they swept across much of northern and western Iraq. IS has suffered a series of setbacks over the past year, and Mosul is its last major urban bastion in Iraq.

AP
A small, corroded key for a locker on the Titanic has sold for 95,000 at auction.

The key was used by Sidney Sedunary (23), from Shirley, Southampton - a third-class steward and one of the 1,500 passengers and crew who died when the passenger liner hit an iceberg in April 1912.

The "exceptionally rare" item had been expected to fetch 55,000 and was sold at auction in Wiltshire.

Nudes no worry

ACTRESS Leslie Jones has made fun of the hackers who released nude photos of her.

The actress and comedian, who is a regular on American sketch show 'Saturday Night Live', said hackers could not embarrass her more than she embarrasses herself.

She said: "I am very comfortable with who I am. I am an open book, I keep my porn in a folder labelled porn. If you want to see Leslie Jones naked, just ask."

Japan suicide bomber

A 72-year-old retired soldier blew himself up in a park in a Japanese city, killing himself and injuring three other people in an apparent suicide.

A second explosion, separate from the blast that killed the former self defence force member, caused a fire in a nearby car park, while the man's home 8km from the park burnt to the ground.

Police in Utsunomiya, about 100km north of Tokyo, said they had discovered a suicide note.

African train disaster

Thousands of Cameroonians have flocked to hospitals in the country's two main cities in search of dead relatives and survivors after an overloaded train derailed, killing more than 70 people and injuring 600.

Most of the victims are now receiving treatment in hospitals in the capital, Yaounde, and the port city of Douala, after rail lines were cleared and the injured were evacuated.

Two-day siege ends

A two-day stand-off between police and a man said to be in possession of dangerous items, including petrol, has ended after officers stormed the property.

Police forced their way into the address in Northolt, west London, and detained a 46-year-old man at about 8.10pm yesterday.

The man has been arrested on suspicion of cultivation of cannabis, affray and offences under the explosives act.
The break-out by the drug addicts was started by two inmates and hed to 562 escaping

Vietnamese authorities are searching for 230 drug addicts after a mass escape from a rehabilitation centre.

Ho Van Loc, deputy director of labour department in the southern Dong Nai province, said the break-out on Sunday night was started by two inmates and eventually 562, including 58 women, escaped.

Security guards who were overpowered by the inmates opened the main gate of the compound to let them out.

Police have recaptured 332 of the inmates and are searching for the others, Mr Loc said.

The centre holds 1,481 inmates.

Officials have said that rehabilitation programmes in Vietnam - which combine education, communist ideology and physical labour for one to two years - have a high failure rate, with more than 90% of the addicts relapsing within five years.

There are an estimated 200,000 drug addicts in Vietnam, many of them heroin users.

AP
Smoke rises from Isil positions in the town of Naweran, near Mosul Photo: Reuters

Iraqi and Kurdish forces advanced on a town near Mosul last night as part of an operation to retake the northern city from Isil, which staged an assault in western Iraq that appeared to be a diversionary attack.

The Kurdish forces, known as peshmerga, said they "cordoned off" eight villages northeast of Mosul and were now just a few kilometres from its outskirts. They said the cordoned-off area measured around 100 sq km and that they also secured a "significant stretch" of highway.

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Eight car bombs were destroyed in the operation, including three by US-led coalition aircraft, and "dozens" of militants were killed.

Those gains came after Iraqi and Kurdish forces launched an offensive against the nearby town of Bashiqa. Maj Gen Haider Fadhil, of Iraq's special forces, said they had also taken part in the operation, and that the town was surrounded.

Over the last week, Iraqi and Kurdish forces have been battling Isil in a belt of mostly uninhabited towns and villages around Mosul, contending with roadside bombs, snipers and suicide truck bombs.

In western Iraq, Isil militants stormed into the town of Rutba, unleashing three suicide car bombs that were blown up before hitting their targets, according to the spokesman for the Joint Military Command, Brig Gen Yahya Rasool.

Expand Close Iraqi children celebrate after the village of al-Khuwayn, south of Mosul, was recaptured from Isil by Iraqi government forces Photo: AFP/Getty Images / Facebook

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He said some militants were killed but insisted the militants did not seize any government buildings and that the situation "is under control".

Lt Gen Stephen Townsend, the top US commander in Iraq, confirmed there had been a complex attack in Rutba and said he expected more such attacks as the militants tried to divert attention from Mosul.

Isil carried out a large assault on the northern city of Kirkuk on Friday, in which more than 50 militants stormed government compounds and other targets, setting off more than 24 hours of heavy fighting and killing at least 80 people, mainly security forces.

The Mosul offensive involves more than 25,000 Iraqi ground forces as well as US-led coalition aircraft and advisers. It is expected to take weeks, if not months, to drive Isil from Mosul, which is home to more than a million civilians.

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Bashiqa is close to a military base of the same name where some 500 Turkish troops are training Sunni and Kurdish fighters for the Mosul offensive.

The presence of the Turkish troops has angered Iraq, which says it never gave them permission to enter the country and has called on them to withdraw. Turkey has refused, insisting that it plays a role in retaking Mosul from Isil.

US Defence Secretary Ash Carter has visited both countries in recent days, and arrived in the Kurdish regional capital, Erbil yesterday.

After meeting Turkey's leaders, Carter had announced an "agreement in principle" for Turkey to have a role in the operation. But Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi told Mr Carter on Saturday that Mosul was an "Iraqi battle".

Expand Close Displaced people who recently fled Mosul with their families wait to be allocated spaces at the Debaga refugee camp on the outskirts of nearby Erbil Photo: Reuters / Facebook

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The forces taking part in the Mosul offensive include Iraqi troops, the peshmerga, Sunni tribal fighters and state-sanctioned Shiite militias. Many fear the operation could heighten tensions between Iraq's different communities, which are allied against Isil but divided over a host of other issues, including the fate of territories near mostly Sunni Mosul that are claimed by the largely autonomous Kurdish region and the central government.

Mr Carter praised the peshmerga, saying they "fight extremely well", but also acknowledged that they had suffered casualties.

Brig Gen Halgord Hekmet, a spokesman for the Kurdish forces, said 25 of their troops have been killed since the battle to retake Mosul began and a "large number" had been wounded.

He said the peshmerga have had good coalition air support, but could use more armoured vehicles and roadside bomb detectors. Most of the fallen peshmerga were travelling in regular cars, he said.

The UN agency for children has meanwhile expressed concern over the more than 4,000 people it says have fled from areas around Mosul.

Unicef's Iraq representative, Peter Hawkins, said that in at least one refugee camp the conditions for children were "very, very poor". He said Unicef teams delivered water, sanitation and other supplies expected to last seven days.

They also provided immunisations against polio and measles, which he said had not been available during the more than two years that the people lived under Isil rule. Unicef has plans to assist more than 784,000 people, including up to 500,000 children.
Greek police say dozens of residents in an island camp for refugees have set fire to part of the facility which handles asylum applications during a protest over delays in the process.

No-one was injured in the incident at the Moria camp on the eastern Aegean island of Lesbos, but three cabins used as offices by asylum officials were severely damaged.

Police said about 70 migrants, mainly Pakistani and Bangladeshi nationals, threw stones at the cabins and then set them on fire with burning blankets. Riot police detained 22 suspected rioters.

More than 60,000 refugees and other migrants hoping to move deeper into Europe are trapped in Greece following a series of Balkan border closures. Some 15,000 of these are on the eastern islands.

AP
A tour bus returning to Los Angeles from a casino trip smashed into the back of a lorry cab on a California highway, killing 13 people and injuring 31 others.

A maintenance crew had slowed down traffic on Interstate 10 before the vehicles crashed just north of the desert resort town of Palm Springs, California Highway Patrol Border Division Chief Jim Abele said.

He said the bus, carrying 44 passengers, was going much faster than the lorry, though a trauma surgeon said the injuries he saw indicated it was slowing down at the point of impact.

"The speed of bus was so significant that the trailer itself entered about 15 feet into the bus," Mr Abele said. "You can see it was a substantial impact."

It was not known if alcohol, drugs or fatigue played a role in the crash, about 100 miles east of Los Angeles, but the bus was inspected in April and had no mechanical issues, Mr Abele said. The bus driver was killed and the truck driver received minor injuries.

The bus was coming from Red Earth Casino in the unincorporated community of Thermal and was about 35 miles into its 135-mile trip back to Los Angeles.

CHP officers had been slowing traffic to allow Southern California Edison workers to string wires across the freeway, Mr Abele said.

Passengers said most people were asleep when the crash occurred at 5.17am. Mr Abele said it appeared the 1996 bus did not have seat belts and probably not a black box that newer vehicles feature.

The front of the bus crumpled into the cab's trailer and debris was scattered across the key route through Southern California. Firefighters used ladders to climb through the bus windows to remove bodies and tow trucks lifted the trailer to make it easier to reach the bus, whose front end was demolished.

Fourteen patients were sent to Desert Regional Medical Centre in Palm Springs, the area's only trauma centre. Five were admitted in critical condition but were stable and in intensive care by Sunday afternoon, said Dr Ricard Townsend, a trauma surgeon. Seven others had been released.

Many suffered facial injuries, a tell-tale sign they were not wearing seat belts, he said. He called the injuries unusual for this type of crash.

"When you usually see someone involved in a high-speed motor vehicle crash, the thing that you see are big-time broken bones. This was not one of the circumstances we were faced with," Dr Townsend said, referencing the collapsible trailer.

"It seemed as though most of the victims were unrestrained and were therefore flown through the air and ended up sustaining facial trauma."

Doctors treated several spinal fractures but few other bone injuries. The wounds indicated the bus was slowing down when it struck, Dr Townsend said.

Two other hospitals received patients with minor injuries.

Officer Stephanie Hamilton of the CHP told the Desert Sun newspaper in Palm Springs that the driver was one of the owners of tour bus company, USA Holiday, based near Los Angeles. The company has one vehicle and one driver, according to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.

A Facebook message from USA Holiday said it did not have much information about the crash.

The company says on social media that it has more than 25 years of experience traveling to casinos in Southern California. It posts about trips leaving the Los Angeles area to casinos in the Southern California desert area and Las Vegas.

The bus owner's neighbour said she would often see a tour bus with the sign "USA Holiday" parked on the street in front of his apartment in a working-class neighbourhood in Alhambra, about seven miles east of central Los Angeles.

Sonia Anderson said the family who lived there - a man, woman and their college student son - had lived in the apartment for about 17 years. She said the father generally drove the bus and his wife and son would sometimes travel on it with him.

She described them as a kind, close-knit family.

"All three of them are hard-working people. Good people. Beautiful family," she said, adding that t he father was "always working, coming in and out, providing for his family".

The National Transportation Safety Board is sending a team to California to investigate.

The crash comes two years after a FedEx truck veered across an interstate central reservation north of Sacramento and hit a bus full of high school students, killing 10 people. In August, a bus in central California hit a highway sign post that tore through the vehicle and left four people dead.
Hillary Clinton is so far ahead of Donald Trump in the race for the presidency that she no longer feels the need to pay attention to him.

Buoyed by a double-digit lead in some national polls, Mrs Clinton is now looking past her Republican rival entirely, and will no longer counter allegations made by him.

"I don't even think about responding to him any more," Mrs Clinton said when asked about his charge that American media outlets are in cahoots with her presidential campaign.

"He can say whatever he wants to. He can run his campaign however he wants to, he can go off on tangents, he can go to Gettysburg and say he's gonna sue women who've made accusations against him," she added, referring to a speech given by Mr Trump the previous day. "I'm going to keep talking about what we want to do."

With only 15 days until the election, two separate polls have given Mrs Clinton a 12-point lead over Mr Trump, with the real estate mogul's support tanking among key voter groups.

An 'ABC News/Washington Post' poll released yesterday corroborated the findings of a study published earlier this week by the Monmouth University Polling Institute which showed Mrs Clinton leading Mr Trump 50pc to 38pc in a four-way contest with two minor party candidates.

Mrs Clinton's long-standing support among female voters has increased to 20 points following allegations that Mr Trump sexually harassed multiple women, according to the poll, while the study suggested the former first lady was leading for the first time among men, although the four-point advantage was within the margin of error.

Robby Mook, Mrs Clinton's campaign manager, said yesterday he was "not taking anything for granted".

But sources inside the operation have said Clinton strategists are quietly considering the possibility of a landslide victory.

In a sign of that confidence Mrs Clinton told journalists this week that her campaign was shifting its attention to trying to take back control of the Republican-majority congress, by helping Democratic politicians get elected in state races.

"We're going to be emphasising the importance of electing Democrats down the ballot," Mrs Clinton said.

The Trump campaign has remained defiant in the face of such optimism. "The fact is that this race is not over," Kellyanne Conway, Mr Trump's campaign manager, said yesterday. "He's not - we're not - giving up. We know we can win this."

Telegraph Media Group Limited [2022]
Syrian government forces have captured a high point in the city of Aleppo after fighting with rebel groups resumed over the weekend, according to reports.

The Sana news agency said government troops took the hilltop of Bazo on the southern edge of Aleppo, situated near military bases.

The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Bazo was taken amid heavy bombardment.

The Observatory and the Aleppo Media Centre, an activist collective, said government forces are shelling the eastern, rebel-held areas of Aleppo.

Sana said rebels had shelled government-held neighbourhoods, killing one person and wounding seven.

Fighting returned to Aleppo on Saturday night, after a lull meant to allow rebels and civilians to leave the eastern districts expired without anyone leaving.
The moves comes amid a crackdown on officials suspected of sympathising with the July coup in Turkey

Thirty-five Turkish diplomats and family members have applied for asylum in Germany since the failed military coup in the country.

The Turkish government has launched a massive crackdown on people suspected of sympathising with the US-based Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen, who it accuses of instigating the coup attempt in July.

German interior ministry spokesman Johannes Dimroth declined to say how many of the 35 asylum seekers were diplomats and how many were family members, citing privacy rules.

He also said that since diplomatic status is not normally part of the asylum application the actual figure might be higher.

Germany has a large Turkish minority, numbering more than three million, due to decades of migration of labourers and Turks claiming persecution at home.
This upcoming election isnt yet locked up for either of the major candidates for president. Yes, Hillary Clinton is ahead in every nation-wide poll, but the state-wide polls vary qualitatively. Polling in general has become more nuanced in recent years; but also more complicated. Fewer and fewer people have land lines, and those still in service skew toward older voters. Add the fact that people are growing tired of responding to pollsters, and youll understand why polling data dont equal election outcomes.

Having said all that, recent national polling highlights a critical weakness in Trumps candidacy  an unprecedented deficit for a Republican among college-educated white voters, especially women. The gender gap has become an alligator-filled moat since Donalds spasm of fat-shaming tweets. White college graduates have been loyal Republican voters in recent elections, but Trump is behind Clinton with even this group across much of the country, including in some solidly red states. Arizona, Georgia and Nevada, reliably Republican for many previous cycles, are now battleground states. In the wake of the third and final debate, the Clinton campaign is in danger of over-confidence.

President Obama won North Carolina in 08 and lost it in 2012. Currently, Secretary Clinton is up by 4 point in the Tar Heel State. Why? Because North Carolina has one of the most dynamically diverse populations in the Country. There has been an influx from South of the Border; the African-American community is increasingly well-educated and fired-up by what it sees as the success of the Obama Presidency; and we dont have all these colleges and universities for nothing. The college graduates are trending toward Hillary Clinton.

Secretary Clinton is a mediocre campaigner. Her voice is a little strident, especially when its raised - and its raised 90% of the time when shes at a microphone. She answers questions like a policy wonk - too many statistics; too much information. She shows too little of her sense of humor, which, by all accounts is hearty and finely-honed. The good news for her supporters is that, all the above will serve her better as President than as a candidate (with the possible exception of the sound of her voice - well have to work on that). The cool, technocratic woman in the pantsuit has been hearing the words, first woman president whispered in her ear since she graduated from Wellesley in 1969. She was the first student to speak at a Wellesley commencement. The standing ovation lasted seven minutes. Hillary has an ego (how could a presidential candidate be otherwise?) and a sense of destiny that comes off as a sense of entitlement. Therein lies the subliminal source of the negatives she carries like an albatross around her neck.

Please allow me a digression: When George W. Bush met Vladimir Putin, our President looked into the dictators eyes and found a sense of his soul. Bob Gates, Secretary of Defense at the time, by contrast said he saw a killer in Putins eyes. In reference to Putin, there is a similar divergence separating Donald Trump from Hillary Clinton. Trump has spoken admiringly of Putins leadership style, and openly of weakening NATO, the organization that has almost certainly been the single best deterrent against Soviet, now Russian, adventurism into Western Europe. There is strong evidence Putin has been active in our Presidential race, offering words of encouragement to Trump while attempting cybernetically to undermine the Democratic Party and the Clinton campaign.

It was to be expected. When Putin defied the Russian constitution by running for a third presidential term in a fraudulent election, then Secretary of State Clinton openly sided with Russian protesters in the street. "The Russian people, like people everywhere," she said, "...deserve free, fair, [and] transparent elections. Hillary has made countless comments over the years to suggest she would present a much tougher opposition to Putin's ambitions than Barack Obama has, saying she thinks the United States must find ways to confine, contain [and] deter Russian aggression in Europe and beyond." Just this past week, as American air power bolstered the Iraqi effort to dislodge ISIS from Mosel, Russia has moved ground-to-air missile batteries into a number of locations around northern Syria. ISIS doesnt have an air force. Russian forces and the Syrian government of Bashar al-Assad are allies. By a process of elimination, American planes must be the target for these ground-to-air missiles. The Russian-American face-off is entering a new phase. End of digression; but I hope you see why I inserted it.

Theres a false equivalency between the two major candidates for President. The source for it lies in high negative numbers for both. But while Trumps negatives come from a campaign top-heavy with bizarre behavior, self-inflicted disqualifiers and a personal record of zero public service, Hillary has a resume that at once makes her eminently qualified to be President, yet marred by some inconsistencies in policy. exacerbated by an aggressive style that has rubbed some people the wrong way over the decades. Do I have to say it? In a man, this focused, principled aggression might well have been seen as a positive. Nevertheless, the following encapsulates why shes so qualified:

First-ever student commencement speaker at Wellesley College.

Distinguished graduate of Yale Law School.

Editorial board of the Yale Review of Law and Social Action.

Co-founded Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families.

Former civil litigation attorney.

Staff attorney for Childrens Defense Fund.

Faculty member in the School of Law at the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville.

Former Director of the Arkansas Legal Aid Clinic.

First female chair of the Legal Services Corporation.

First female partner at Rose Law Firm, the oldest and one of the largest law firms in Arkansas.

Twice named by The National Law Journal as one of the 100 Most Influential Lawyers in America.

Former First Lady of Arkansas.

Arkansas Woman of the Year in 1983.

Chair of the American Bar Associations Commission on Women in the Profession.

Created Arkansass Home Instruction Program for Preschool Youth.

Instrumental in passage of the State Childrens Health Insurance Program.

First Lady of the United States.

Promoted nationwide immunization against childhood illnesses.

Successfully sought to increase research funding for prostate cancer and childhood asthma at the National Institutes of Health.

Worked to investigate reports of an illness that affected veterans of the Gulf War (now recognized as Gulf War Syndrome).

Helped create the Office on Violence Against Women at the Department of Justice.

Initiated and shepherded the Adoption and Safe Families Act.

First FLOTUS in US History to hold a postgraduate degree.

Helped create Vital Voices, an international initiative to promote the participation of women in the political processes of their countries.

Two-term New York Senator and the first ex-FLOTUS in US History to be elected to the United States Senate.

Served on five Senate committees: Budget (20012002), Armed Services (20032009), Environment and Public Works (20012009), Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (20012009) and the Special Committee on Aging.

Member of the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe.

Leading role in investigating the health issues faced by 9/11 first responders.

Worked with Sen. Chuck Schumer of New York on securing $21.4 billion in funding for the World Trade Center redevelopment.

Former United States Secretary of State.

Brokered a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas in 2012.

So now, let me challenge you to show what Donald Trump has done in the public interest during his whole worthless life. Go on. Try. You cant, and why? Trump who is supposedly equally bad is a real estate developer and television personality who was born into a family of wealth and privilege, and has subsequently made racism, sexism, misogyny, nihilism and ultra-nationalism the pillars of his candidacy.

Thats my case for Hillary. Still not convinced? A vote for a third party candidate has been shown to be a complete waste of effort in previous elections. Just ask my eldest brother who voted for Ross Perot.

Gerry Dionne is a New Hampshire native who has lived in the Concord area for nearly 50 years.
Central Bank Directive to Tighten Cyber Security after Debit Card Data Breach

Indias central bank, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), has called on banks to ensure tightened cyber security norms after the countrys largest data breach involving debit cards went undetected for three months. All lenders (banks and payment network service providers) will now need to report on their cyber security issues to the RBI on a real-time basis. Another proposal in the offing is a suggestion that banks centralize their cyber security monitoring and have a dedicated operations team in place for the same instead of outsourcing such surveillance.

The current urgency notwithstanding, the RBI directed banks (in as early as June) to collaborate on matters of cyber security as per global best practices to facilitate timely containment of cyber risks. The banking regulator has repeatedly recommended that banks report all unusual activity, irrespective of the success or failure of such cyber intrusions, so that necessary steps can be taken to fortify against future hacks. In order to ensure its directives are complied with, the RBI will begin conducting annual cyber audits of banks, starting in 2017.

As for the data breach, card data belonging to 3.2 million customers was stolen from a network of Yes Bank Ltd. ATMs managed by Hitachi Payment Services Pvt. Ltd. between 25 May and 10 July this year. Banks implicated in the hack include the State Bank of India (SBI), ICICI Bank Ltd., HDFC Bank Ltd., and Yes Bank. A forensic investigation report by SISA Information Security Pvt. Ltd. on the data breach is expected by November.

RELATED: Corporate Establishment from Dezan Shira & Associates

100% Foreign Investment Now Allowed in Category of Other Financial Services

On October 20, Indias banking regulator announced that it will allow foreign investment of up to 100 percent under the automatic route in the category of other financial services. Other financial services includes activities regulated by any financial sector regulator, such as the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI), the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority, and the National Housing Bank. Investments under the automatic route do not require additional conditional government approval. This development is in addition to the recent liberalization in the FDI policy for Non-Banking Finance Companies (NBFCs).

However, the RBI clarified that those financial services activities not regulated by an Act of parliament or by any financial sector regulator, can accept 100 percent foreign direct investment (FDI)  upon government approval. Finally, financial sectors that are legally regulated and controlled by defined FDI limits, such as insurance, will continue to impose existing restrictions on foreign investments.

Increased Compliance Checks by Food Safety Regulator

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) recently increased the frequency of its surprise checks to ensure the compliance of hotels and restaurants with established hygiene norms. Those coming under the regulators scanner say that the FSSAI have conducted frequent and surprise food quality and safety checks in the past few months. The FSSAI operates under the Ministry of Health and is responsible for the regulation and surveillance of the manufacture, processing, distribution, sale, and import of food in the country. Among its tasks are also the licensing and registration of food businesses.

The heightened activity on the part of FSSAI comes in the wake of last years controversy over contaminants purportedly found in Nestles Maggi noodles. The regulator has also sharpened its focus on five star hotels, with surprise audits and raids on their restaurants, hoteliers, and restaurateurs by food safety officials to check on inventory, processes, hygiene levels, and required licenses.



About Us Asia Briefing Ltd. is a subsidiary of Dezan Shira & Associates. Dezan Shira is a specialist foreign direct investment practice, providing corporate establishment, business advisory, tax advisory and compliance, accounting, payroll, due diligence and financial review services to multinationals investing in China, Hong Kong, India, Vietnam, Singapore and the rest of ASEAN. For further information, please email india@dezshira.com or visit www.dezshira.com. Stay up to date with the latest business and investment trends in Asia by subscribing to our complimentary update service featuring news, commentary and regulatory insight.

An Introduction to Doing Business in India 2016

Doing Business in India 2016 is designed to introduce the fundamentals of investing in India. As such, this comprehensive guide is ideal not only for businesses looking to enter the Indian market, but also for companies who already have a presence here and want to stay up-to-date with the most recent and relevant policy changes.

Pre-Investment Due Diligence in India

In this issue of India Briefing Magazine, we examine issues related to pre-investment due diligence in India. We highlight the different regulatory, tax, and socio-economic issues that a company should be aware of before entering the Indian market. We also detail some of the topics related to entry structures while investing in the Indian market, as well as cultural and HR due diligence, which may differ from state to state.

Strategies for Repatriating Funds from India

In this issue of India Briefing Magazine, we look at issues related to repatriating funds from India. We highlight the unique regulations for sending funds back from India, examine the various strategies companies can make use of while repatriating, and look at remittance procedures for different types of Indian entities. Finally, we give some tips on how expats can remit their Indian money to their home countries.
NEHAWKA  Ash or embers from a fireplace sparked a fire in the living room that led to the deaths of a Nehawka family of six on Thursday morning.

The Cass County Sheriff's Office said in a news release that the six members of the Michael and Michelle Speer family died of smoke inhalation.

The Nebraska State Fire Marshal's Office conducted the investigation, including examining fire patterns and interviewing witnesses.

The fire started just after midnight as ash or embers from a living room fireplace ignited carpet and furnishings in the living room, the release said.

A neighbor reported the fire, but crews were unable to get inside. The news release said exterior walls and a portion of the roof collapsed prior to the fire department reaching the scene.

Investigators, through interviews, were able to determine that smoke detectors were in place, but they weren't able to locate identifiable parts at the scene or determine if batteries were operational.

Cass County officials say 36-year-old Michael and 36-year-old Michelle Speer were killed, along with daughters 11-year-old Elli Perez, 7-year-old Adilynn Speer, 5-year-old Emma Speer and 2-year-old Anniston Speer.
Young heroine Keerthy Suresh is presently shooting for a duet song in Switzerland with Ilayathalapathy Vijay for 'Bairavaa'. From November she will start shooting for 'Thaana Serndha Koottam' in which she will be pairing up with Suriya.

Now we learn that the charming and talented actress is the front runner to pair up with another top young hero Vishal. Sources confirm that the makers have initiated talks with the 'Remo' girl to play the female lead in Vishal's 'Sandakozhi 2' to be directed by Lingusamy.

However Keerthy is yet to listen the script and it will take at least a few more days to know whether she will be acting in the 2005 blockbuster sequel or not.

Keerthy is also in talks for Allu Arjun's Tamil debut flick that will be directed by Lingusamy before 'Sandakozhi 2'.
RMC Switchgears stock hits 52-week high on receipt of order worth Rs230.23 crore RMC Switchgears Limited hits 52-week high on Tuesday's trading session as the company r eceived major order. As per the regulatory filing, the company announced the receipt of ... November 01, 2022 | 9:41 am

Markets trade positive as IT, Auto index outperform; Sensex over 61k, Nifty 50 around 18,100-levels Indian markets began this month on a positive note driven by broad-based buying across sectors. Sensex was racing towards earmarking the 60,000-mark again, while Nifty 50 has touched over 18,00... November 01, 2022 | 9:32 am

Cantabil Retail India opens three new showrooms in October 2022 Cantabil Retail India Limited informed to the exchanges regarding opening of the new showrooms across PAN India. As per the regulatory filing, the company has opened three new showro... November 01, 2022 | 9:18 am

3i Infotech stock rallies 4% post positive Q2FY23 numbers 3i Infotech Limited, a leading digital transformation and technology solutions provider company has announced its consolidated financial results for the Second quarter and Half year of FY23 end... November 01, 2022 | 9:17 am

Motherson Sumi Wiring reports 31% yoy jumps in revenues, crosses Rs1800 crore mark in Q2FY23 Motherson Sumi Wiring India Limited (MSWIL) has announced its financial results for the fiscal 2022-23 second quarter, which ended on September 30, 2022. Performance Highlights ... November 01, 2022 | 9:16 am
Democracy Now! Video: Water Protectors Erect New Frontline Camp Directly in Path of Dakota Access Pipeline



North Dakota: Water Protectors Erect New Frontline Camp Directly in Path of Dakota Access Pipeline

By Democracy Now!

On Sunday, hundreds of water protectors erected a new frontline camp of several structures and tipis directly on the proposed path of the Dakota Access pipeline. The new frontline camp is just to the east of North Dakota State Highway 1806, across from the site where on September 3, over Labor Day weekend, Dakota Access security guards unleashed pepper spray and dogs against Native Americans trying to protect a sacred tribal burial ground from destruction. The water protectors also erected three road blockades that stopped traffic for hours on Highway 1806 to the north and the south of the main resistance camp and along County Road 134. The group cited an 1851 treaty, which they say makes the entire area unceded sovereign land under the control of the Sioux. The blockades were dismantled late Sunday. We speak with Tara Houska, national campaigns director for Honor the Earth. She is Ojibwe from Couchiching First Nation.

AMY GOODMAN: We continue our coverage of the Standoff at Standing Rock with Tara Houska, national campaigns director for Honor the Earth, Ojibwe, Couchiching First Nation. She has been in North Dakota for quite some time now. It seems this weekend an acceleration of the building of the Dakota Access pipeline, as well, of the protests of the water protectors and also of journalists, where numbers range from 87 to 140 people arrested this weekend.

Tara, what do you know is happening, the numbers? But also, is the Dakota Access pipelineand wed like to put this question to them, but we werent able to get them on the showis it accelerating, the construction right now? Are they trying to race towards deadline to get this pipeline built?

TARA HOUSKA: As soon as the court lifted the 20-mile, you know, so-called buffer zone on either side of Lake Oahe, or the Missouri River, I mean, it was full steam ahead. Theyve been doing everything they canyou know, constructing on weekends, constructing long hours with massive crews, to get this pipeline into the ground. Probably, I mean, as another tactic, too, to pressure this finalthe Army Corps permits that are under the water crossings are all under review right now, so Im sure theyre looking to get as much of the pipeline in the ground as they possibly can up to the Army Corps crossings, as another pressure point.

AMY GOODMAN: Now, what happened exactly this weekend? Why this acceleration also of the arrests?

TARA HOUSKA: I think, you know, the sheriff is telling a story of these escalated behaviors and, you know, agitators. I found it very interesting that the Morton County presstheir press contact actually stated instead that, you know, although the protesters peacefully dispersed, what they were doing was still illegal. So theyreyou know, the Sheriffs Office is attempting to characterize it both as a riot, as people praying as a riot, and increasing numbers of arrests, while at the same time acknowledging that people are indeed peacefully dispersing when asked to leave. So, its kind of like two conflicting stories here. And I think theyre looking to scare folks off to get this pipeline into the ground, to do anything it takes to get the pipeline into the ground, including massive arrests and, you know, open violations of, you knowI mean, using mace on people for absolutely no reason. Some of the videos show that there was no way that the officer was in any threaten of harm, actually grabbing protesters and macing them.

AMY GOODMAN: I was on a North Dakota radio program right after Sheriff Kirchmeier, and he was very clear. He said five people, or more than five people, is a riot. Can you respond to this? Because it seems that the charges have escalated. In the beginning, it was disorderly conduct, then criminal trespass, and now its riot.

TARA HOUSKA: I think theyre looking toyou know, like I said, I think theyre looking to scare folks off. Theyre also looking to drain resources. There is a legal fund that has been collected off of peoples goodwill donations to support the direct actionthe direct actions against Dakota Access to stop the construction. And now, with these escalated charges, they can increase the amount of bail for each individual arrested. You know, claiming that people praying and drumming is somehow a riot is ludicrous. Im interested to see how a prosecutor could even bring that and prove that in a court of law. I know that at one of the lockdowns that happened in the last week, there was only four people there. That doesnt even meet the statutory requirement of their so-called riot, yet they still were all charged with inciting a riot. Four people doesnt seem like a riot to me, nor does a group of Native Americans peacefully praying and smudging one another.

AMY GOODMAN: I wanted to ask about the letter that Honor the Earth, the Indigenous Environmental Network and others sent to the Army Corps of Engineers on October 10th. What does this letter say?

TARA HOUSKA: It goes through, you know, the various violations and issues that are present within the permitting process. In particular, its very, very important that people know that on September 3rd, which was the day of these dog attacks, folks were out there protecting a sacred site that had been identified the day prior by the tribe. They had gone out with Tim Mentz. They had actually, you know, submitted a supplemental brief and stated, "Here areyou know, here are the exact sacred places that are not being considered on your pipeline route. Here are several of them." And they submitted that at 5:00 p.m. on a Friday. The following day, Dakota Access skipped over 20 miles ahead to bulldoze those sites. In the National Historic Preservation Act, Section 110(k) states, if theyif the company intentionally destroys or disrupts sacred places, that the permit cannot be issued, that the Army Corps cannot issue these permits, that, you know, this project cannot be approved. And thats exactly what happened here.

AMY GOODMAN: And so, what happens at this point? Today, what is happening, for example? And where does this all go from here?

TARA HOUSKA: Folks are continuing toyou know, you mentioned the construction of the frontlines encampment growing now, people putting tipis and enacting structures for living directly on the pipeline route. They arethey are miles away. Dakota Access is moving at an incredible pace to try and get this pipeline into the ground. And so, I think that, you know, the interactions will continue between protectors, water protectors, and the police. There will continue to be resistance of, you know, people putting their actual bodies on the line, because this is such a larger issue. This is theyou know, were fighting for future generations. Were fighting for the protection of water for the 17 million people that live along the Missouri River. I think, you know, the court cases are continuing. There is a long process for that. But really, the Army Corps of Engineers needs to answer: You know, whatwhere is this review process? Are you going to uphold the National Historic Preservation Act and acknowledge that Dakota Access intentionally destroyed these sites, and cancel these permits, cancel all these water permits? This is not a legal pipeline. It was never an environmental impact statement. Stringent-level review was never conducted. That is not in the public interest. Dakota Access profits do not come over the safety and well-being of the people.

AMY GOODMAN: Tara Houska, I want to thank you for being with us, of Honor the Earth, Ojibwe, Couchiching First Nation.

More from Democracy Now! Standing Rock: Police Arrest 120 Water Protectors as Dakota Access Speeds Up Pipeline Construction (Democracy Now! 10/24) Actor Shailene Woodley on Her Arrest, Strip Search and Dakota Access Pipeline Resistance (Democracy Now! 10/24) Meet the Journalist Facing 45 Years in Jail for Filming Tar Sands Pipeline Protest in North Dakota (Democracy Now! 10/24) Josh Fox: Arrest of Journalists and Filmmakers Covering the Dakota Pipeline is a Threat to Democracy (Democracy Now! 10/24)

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While the blue-eyed 'Chaiwala' from Pakistan became an instant obsession on social media and soon became new hero of rags to riches folklore, Madhur Malhotra, an NRI Chaiwala in Madhya Pradesh's Capital Bhopal has a story far more inspiring and emotional than just being a boy with good lucks.

jagran.com

Madhur who runs 'Chai 34' in Bhopal's MP Nagar serves tea with 20 different flavours and has made his tea stall one of the favourite hangouts in Bhopal.

More than tea with different flavours, it's the story of Madhur, a young educated boy working in Australia with a package over Rs 30 lakh who returned to India by forsaking his lucrative and started a tea stall, that makes it special.

Also Read: Remember The Sensational Pakistani Chaiwalla? Well, He Just Bagged A Modelling Contract

According to the story published in jagran.com, Madhur Malhotra, a resident of Bhopal was working in Australia till 2011 while his parents lived in Bhopal which always kept him worried about the health of their parents.

jagran.com

Madhur wanted his aging parents with him, but family business and other issues didn't allow his parents to go to Australia. Therefore, when in 2011, his mother got ill, he left his job in Australia and rushed back to Bhopal.

He joined the family business, but still he wanted to do something on his own.

jagran.com

While returning to India, Madhur had enough options to try his luck in. He could have gone for another lucrative job in India, but for that, he would have to leave Bhopal.

Therefore he decided to joined ancestral real estate business, but soon the urge of doing something different took over him once more.

In 2011, he opened 'Chai 34' with a goal to make a mark for himself.

"Even then I had many offers of jobs, but I didn't chose any. I was determined to do something of my own. Therefore, I came up with this idea which gradually became a success as now we are a popular hnagout place in Bhopal. Today, we serve Chai with 20 odd flavours with masala tea, garlic tea, cardamom tea, tulsi tea, and many others," Madhur Malhotra says.
Indias contribution in world's population is 1.252 billion. But who cares?

Our beloved Union Minister Giriraj Singh urges all Hindus to have more children because it is about time that we increase our population.

ibtimes

"There is a need to increase the population of Hindus in the country. They should take this issue seriously as their population has been decreasing in eight states in the country," Giriraj told media here.

He also quoted Mohan Bhagwat, the RSS chief, and said that no law can stop Hindus from having more children.

Muslims population has increased from mere 10 percent at the time of India's independence in 1947 to 24 percent now and the Hindus population has decreased from 90 percent in 1947 to 76 percent now," the minister added.

What the minister doesnt understand is that if overpopulation takes over (which is not far from us, by the way), the world will go down. Problems like depletion of natural resources, degradation of the environment, the rise in unemployment, hunger, crimes, wars etc will take over us.

postpickle

So, lets hope and pray that those who follow him, will not take him seriously!
Shajeer Mangalasseri Abdulla, the suspected kingpin of the Kerala module of the Islamic State, was an active member of Right Thinkers, a Facebook group that debated current issues.

Sick Chirpse/representational image

Shajeer, believed to be operating from the IS-controlled area in Afghanistan, disappeared from the group around one-and-a-half years ago. Before joining the IS, Shajeer was employed in Dubai, sources said.

Shajeer was not among the admins of Right Thinkers. But his name is not seen in the social media for the past one or two years, said a group member.

Right Thinkers SHAD of was formed around 2011, in protest against another group, Free Thinkers, dominated by atheists led by E A Jabbar, a rationalist from Malappuram.

A few persons were angered by the ultra-rationalistic stand of the group and its vehement attack on Islam. They left the group to form Right Thinkers, the source said.

It may be recalled that Jabbar topped the IS module's alleged hit-list, and he was under surveillance.

the independent/representational image

The IS Malayalam blog, Muhajiraun, had published the profile photos of the admins of Free Thinkers, and threatened to finish them off. The term, `Jabbras', was coined by this group to insult Jabbar and his team.

Some members of the group said that Shajeer lacked the intellectual acumen or religious scholarship to create a blog like Muhajiraun, which contained authentic articles on Islam.

They expressed doubt that other group members, close to Shajeer and share IS ideology, might have helped him in creating the Malayalam propaganda material. Police also do not rule out the possibility.

For the past one year, Shajeer has been intervening in the social media discussions using fake IDs. It is sus pected that Akbar K PuW ram, Adhil AX and Yunus Salem are some of the aliases Shajeer might have used to operate his Facebook accounts.

breaking911/representational image

There was a heated discussion on IS after Popular Front of India leader P Koya wrote an article, `How many Caliphs', against the banned outfit. Shajeer was one among those who had reacted strongly against the article.

Meanwhile, the investigating agencies have extended the probe to other countries besides Afghanistan. Many of the IS sympathisers are based in the Gulf countries and efforts are on to smoke them out of their hideouts.
Suspected NSCN (IM) cadres ambushed chief minister Okram Ibobi Singh's chopper at Ukhrul district headquarters on Monday morning, injuring two Manipur Rifles jawans.

Meanwhile, irate Ukhrul public torched two police vehicles as security forces carried out massive operation at the Tangkhul Naga dominated town.

Along with Dy CM Gaikhangam, Ibobi Singh took a chopper from Imphal around 9.30 am to Ukhrul to inaugurate a hospital and other office buildings.

NE Live

Minutes after the chopper landed at a helipad around 10.30 am unknown armed men began firing towards the CM, police sources said.

The sudden attack injured two Manipur Rifles jawans. The CM and his team immediately flew back to Imphal.

Ukhrul area remained tense since the last few days after local denizens boycotted the CM.
With festival of lights fast approaching and citizens making up their minds to celebrate this Diwali in an eco friendly way, potters are a step ahead to shape up designer and attractive earthen diyas.

Potters in Naini, Manda, Bharatganj, Dighiya, Rajapur and adjoining areas have taken up the preparations of earthen pots on a grand scale assuming that the sale of earthen diya would break all the previous records.

BCCL/representational image

Potters in Naini and Manda claim traders from city have already placed their orders since citizens have demanded designer and traditional diyas to worship their Gods.

BCCL/representational image

Ajeet, a potter, told TOI the sale of earthen made diya was down for the past four years since the Chinese lights had grabbed the entire decorative markets.

He added, "This year, potter community hopes for better sale of diyas as their demand starts pouring in from all corners."

BCCL/representational image

Another potterwoman said, "We have heard that people are being encouraged to celebrate the festival of lights in a traditional way. I have started receiving small orders and am sure it will bring the smile back on many faces this year."

Also Read: Sale Of Chinese Goods Sees A Dip Of 40 Per Cent As Boycott Campaign Spreads Ahead Of Diwali

Not only ordinary diyas that bring positivity in terms of energy, shoppers are also asking for modern diyas for their puja houses and to decorate homes as well.

BCCL/representational image

A section of shoppers also searches for paper quilling and glass diyas to decorate their homes.

Glass diyas are available in many shapes and sizes, giving a unique look to the diyas. Besides, expensive metal diyas are also in demand among elites as these metal diyas have lot of strategically-placed carvings that let the light out. Acrylic rangoli diyas have also gained popularity among buyers.

Also Read: As 'Boycott Chinese Products' Gains Momentum, Chinese Media Says India Can Only 'Bark' About Trade Deficit
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is today visiting his Loksabha contituency Varanasi in UP with several gifts for the people. PM will lay the foundation stone for the 'Urja Ganga' project, aimed at providing piped natural gas (PNG) to all the households in the city.

AP

Apart from the people of Varanasi, the Urga Ganga project will also include five states including UP, Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal and Odisha. PM Modi will also lay the foundation stone for the doubling of Varanasi-Allahabad rail track and electrification of the Varanasi-Allahabad rail section. Modi will also dedicate to the nation a dual rail engine that runs on both electricity as well as diesel.

Here are the main features of the Urja Ganga projetc:

1. As part of the Urjaa Ganga project, a 1,500 Kilometer long pipeline will also be set up to ramp up availability of cooking gas for households in the region at an estimated cost of Rs 51,000 crore.

2. Urja Ganga project will get extended as Jamshedpur-Haldia and Bokaro-Dhamra Pipeline (JHBDPL)to five eastern states including UP, Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal and Odisha.

AP/representational image

3. This project would not only fulfill energy requirement for household, industries, hotels, cold storages, dairies and vehicles but also help in bringing natural gas based crematoriums at cremation grounds including Manikarnika and Harishchandra ghats in Varanasi.

4. This project will fulfill energy requirement of 40 districts and 2600 villages of five states.

BCCL/representational image

5. The total cost of project is 12,940 crores of which the union government has sanctioned a grant of Rs 5,176 crores.

6. GAIL has been assigned to develop City Gas Distribution (CGD) for seven major cities including Varanasi, Patna, Jamshedpur, Kolkata, Ranchi, Bhubaneshwar and Katak, falling on the pipeline route of Urja Ganga project.

7. Under CGD Project, 36.5 lakh population dwelling in 1535 sq km of Varanasi district will benefit initialy. As many as 50,000 families will get PNG connectivity, while five lakh cylinders to be given to rural population every year within five years. Besides, 20,000 vehicles to be converted CNG fueled vehicles in Varanasi, where 20 CNG stations to come up in near future.
In less than 12 hours, two female techies were subjected to harassment in separate incidents in the high-profile information technology corridor since Friday night.

Hours after the incidents, the Cyberabad police arrested three men, including two drivers, and a security supervisor for harassing the techies working for different MNCs.

factinteres/representational image

In the latest incident, the Alwal police arrested I Venugopal, a security supervisor with a software MNC at Gachibowli, and cab driver, Srikanth, for misbehaving with a 31-year-old female techie in the car. At 1.30 am on Saturday, the victim boarded the cab at her office at Gachibowli to go to her house at Alwal.

As per the company's rules, a security guard should escort a female employee if she is alone.

Stating that no security guards were available, supervisor Venugopal volunteered to travel with the victim. However instead of sitting in the front seat, Venugopal sat in the rear seat next to the victim and misbehaved with her by touching her inappropriately.

"The victim asked Venugopal to return to the front seat, but he refused to do so. The victim then requested the driver, Srikanth, to stop the car so that she could shift to the front seat, but even he did not listen to her," the Alwal police said.

BCCL/representational image

After reaching home, the victim narrated her ordeal to her husband. On Saturday, a complaint was lodged with police who arrested Venugopal and Srikanth on Sunday under section 354-A of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

Meanwhile, the Narsingi police arrested Uday Bhanu, 24, driver of a senior labour officer for stalking a female employee of Google on Friday night and attempting to push her car off the road.

fenixart/representational image

Based on a complaint sent by the victim to DGP Anurag Sharma and Cyberabad police through Twitter, the Narsingi police registered a case against Uday Bhanu under sections 354-A, 354-D, 509 and 336 of the IPC.Police arrested Bhanu from his house in Bandlaguda of Rajendranagar. On interrogation, Bhanu confessed that he had followed the victim from Telecom Nagar traffic signal till Sun City area in Rajendranagar on Friday night after she refused to quickly move her car at the traffic signal.

"The vicitm's car stopped in front of the vehicle of the culprit at the traffic signal.As he was repeatedly honking, the victim turned back and asked him to look at the red signal. The offender then tailed her on the ORR and even tried to drive her car off the road with his vehicle," Cyberabad commissioner Sandeep Shandilya said. The offenders would be produced in court on Monday.
Whether it's BSF Personnel Gurnam Singh who got injured and later succumbed to his injuries after ceasefire violation by Pakistan few days back or another BSF personnel Sushil Kumar who died when Pakistan Rangers resorted to heavy mortar firing on RS Pura sector on Monday, the skirmishes between two forces have got intensified.

AFP/representational image

But Pakistan doesn't believe in keeping the fight to Indian army or BSF

On Monday Pakistan Rangers killed a 6 year old boy and injured his mother in Lalyal in Kanachak sector.

The deceased boy has been identified as Vicky who had come to Jammu with his family from Bihar. His parents are agricultural labourers. Sources also say that Vicky's mother, Buniya Devi has also got injured.

Over two dozen BSF posts were affected in fresh spate of intense mortar shelling which came from across the border after a lull of two-three hours.

The shelling is so intense that it is audible even in areas situated nearly 20 kms away from the international border. The shelling has reportedly damaged civilian property and the people were staying indoors waiting for the shelling to stop.

Gulte/representational image

Apart from BSF soldier Sushil Kumar and Vicky several other BSF as well civilians have got injured in the shelling.

And though BSF is retaliating, but the intensity of exchange of shelling has taken the whole area in its grip. The injured BSF personnel included Assistant Sub Inspector R D Puri and constable Ayyapa Babu. The injured civilians have been identified as Parkasho Devi of Gajanso and Krishna Devi of Treva, Girdhari Lal of Sai, R S Pura, besides Sunil, 2, of Garkhal.

After a lull of 48 hours, Pakistan rangers violated the ceasefire by resorting to only two  three small bursts fired between duty points at 6.20 pm. But later at 9.45 pm, these were followed by the firing of a few 82 mm mortar shells in Korotana Khurd, Abdullian and Tube Well No. 5.

AFP/representational image

The ceasfire violation has come 12 hours after BSF Director General, Arun Kumar warned Pakistan that it will have to pay heavy price if it tried to touch any of BSF personnel.

Seven Pakistan Rangers were reportedly killed in BSF retaliation of ceasefire violation a couple of days back and Pakistan is desperate to avenge that loss.

Gurnam Singh, the soldier who lost his life after two day struggle in hospital was hit by Pakistan Snipper in head on Friday.

A day before getting hit by Pakistani bullet, Gurnam had been instrumental in foiling an infiltration attempt by a group of terrorists from across the international border into Bobiyan area of Hiranagar sector. One terrorist was also killed at that time.

Gurnam, who was admitted in intensive care unit of the Government Medical College Hospital at Jammu, succumbed to his injury at the midnight of October 22-23.
There's no dearth of heartless human beings who wouldn't think twice before hurting animals.

India is home to thousands of strays but that doesn't call for the citizens to unleash their beast and hurt them intentionally.

Of late, incidents of human brutality meted out to dogs has taken new heights and the following incident comes as another proof of such cruelty.

The accused, Saurabh Dukhande took revenge on this hapless dog and ran his car over him. Why? Because the animal peed on the tyres of Dukhande's new car.

Facebook

Posted on the Facebook page of 'Feed a Stray. Everyday!!', the user writes:

"Shameless guy...How can a human being be so cruel to innocent creatures? Just to take a revenge for peeing, he ran over his car on this baby while sleeping. Nowadays people are not leaving animals as well in taking revenge. He resides in Vasai Mumbai. Raised a complaint on him but as usual no action. The dog is suffering the pain and guy is roaming freely without any problem. Please make this guy famous by sharing this message so that some action is taken on him and no more such cruelty happens anywhere."

Facebook

Facebook

Dukhande can be seen driving away, leaving behind the hurt dog suffering in pain.

Facebook

People are rightfully furious.

Facebook

The accused, Saurabh Dukhande hasn't been arrested yet. As reported by Hindustan Times, the dog survived but was rushed to a veterinary hospital in Kandivli in a critical condition. Animal lover, Nanda Mahadik, who witnessed the incident told the police what happened. The dog has severely damaged its spinal cord and may never walk again.
The Sikh community in Yuba City in California has raised $135,000 as part of a national campaign to educate Americans about Sikhs and Sikhism.

AFP/representational image

Yuba City is home to many gurudwaras in the Northern California region and is also known for its Sikh farming community which owns large farms of Almond, Peach and raisins.

Also Read: Sikh-American Brutally Assaulted In US, Called 'Terrorist', 'Bin-Laden'

The National Sikh Campaign has been raising funds across the country to support media initiative to educate Americans about Sikhs and Sikhism.

BCCL/representational image

The move comes in the wake of the increasing instances of hate crimes and violence against the minority community since 9/11.

In the recent weeks, two Sikhs have faced violence and hate filled rhetoric in California.

Balmeet Singh of Bakersfield had alcohol put on his face and turban and another Sikh Maan Singh Khalsa, an IT official, was attacked in Richmond, CA, and his attackers cut his hair and finger and also caused damage to his eye.

AP

In both instances, attackers identified them either as terrorist or a Taliban.

Also Read: Sikh Man Asked To Leave Wimbledon For 'Making People Uncomfortable'

"This effort has brought a sense of the togetherness within the Sikh community across the nation. Everyone feels connected to this campaign," said Dr Rajwant Singh, Co-founder of the National Sikh Campaign.

Opinion Post/representational image

More such events are being planned in coming weeks.

Also Read: There Is A Crowd Around Him, But Not One Man Interfered When This Sikh Man Was Being Brutally Assaulted!
Malaysian online news channel 'The Star' has found that a gang of Chinese criminals, specialising in kidnapping and maiming children is releasing them on the streets of Kuala Lampur as beggars.

shanghaiist

The gang has partnered with Malaysian accomplices. Chinese beggars revealed the operation in interviews, and reporters followed them through Kuala Lampur's Chinatown.

A 33-year-old beggar Xiu Yuan, told them that he was crippled as a child, and kept captive for years before coming to Kuala Lampur for begging, given the "privilege" of going overseas.

shanghaiist

His daily earnings are handed over to gang leaders, and beggars are expected to collect a minimum of RM1,200 (almost 19,000 Rupees) a day.

"Cases of people from China begging and wandering in Malaysia is not new," an unnamed official from the Chinese consulate in Malaysia told Beijing Youth Daily. "The embassy always takes measures once the cases are specifically identified."

China had over 502,000 orphans in 2015, but only 22,000 registered adoption, which indicates where the beggar workforce might be coming from.
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The EuroWorking Group (EWG) on Monday evening approved a recommendation towards the ESM for the disbursement of the entire 2.8-billion-euro sub-tranche in bailout loans to Greece -- a sum left over from the first review of the Greek program (third bailout) last spring
The Ebonyi State Universal Basic Education Board has uncovered a total of unqualified 4,403 primary school teachers in the state.

The leader of the boards investigating committee, Prof. Anthony Ani, stated this in Abakaliki, the state capital on Friday while presenting the committees report to the board.

According to him, over 9,000 teachers were screened during the exercise, out of which, 437 of them had Teacher Training II certificates.

He said more than half of the population of primary school teachers in the state were without original certificates.

He said, The board should, as a matter of urgency, compile the names of teachers, especially those who presented statements of result, testimonials, and photocopies and forward such names to acclaimed graduating institutions for verification and authentication.

Receiving the report, the chairman, Ebonyi State Universal Basic Education Board, Chief Hyacinth Ikpor, said the government was determined to purge the education sector of incompetent teachers, assuring stakeholders that the report would be implemented to the letter.

The state Commissioner for Education, Prof. John Ekeh, described the report as appalling, stating that teachers without requisite qualifications would be shown the way out.

The truth is that those who are not qualified to be in the classrooms would be shown the way out while those carrying false certificates will be prosecuted, he said.

Source: Dailypost
DONT ASK for a Revolution; Be the Revolution. Do not wish Nigeria achieve Real Change; Be the Change. Do not wail for that which is troubling this country; Fight to fix it and make the country great again. Do not hail the Corrupt and destroyers of our Dreams; Expose and ridicule them. The Politicians are Corruptly Connected; Criminally Bonded and Fearful of the MOB; The People. We must be audacious in our Demands; we must be Fearless in our Agitation and we must be ready to sacrifice our all for this Country.

I will take the First Bullet; let me body be the first to drop; Let my Blood be the first to wash our LANDS. But let no Nigeria turn back once we begin this Resistance to Political Insensitivity and Mindless Looting of our Commonwealth; Let no Nigerian Walk AloneThe Nigerian Politician in an Enemy; The Nigerian People are the Victim and it is time to channel our anger towards a Peaceful Revolution. We must stop being the Victim and we must become #THEFEAR.

15th November, 2016 is the Beginning; the end is unknown. We the people are being cannibalised by Criminal Politicians in the Executive; Judiciary and Legislature. This battle will fight all for the interest of this Nation. Like President Muhammadu Buhari once famously noted; Be Afraid of the Consequences of Your Actions. Only the guilty should be Afraid because we the People are coming.

Let the Spartan Spirit of the Suffering Nigeria emerge. For in our quest for National Rebirth, the Force of One will energize 300; Whose Strength will Lead 3,000; whose doggedness will Drive 300,000, whose voices will awaken 3,000,000; and whose feet will march for 180,000,000 Nigerians.

THIS IS WAR; This is the Time to #OCCUPYUNLIMITED
Chevron Nigeria Limited in joint collaboration with the Partnership Initiative in the Niger Delta (PIND) has launched Youths Cassava Enterprise Project in Ondo State.

The project which started with 40 graduates in its pilot phase is also in partnership with the states Wealth Creation Agency (WECA).

While speaking at the launch, Jeffery Ewing, Director, Deepwater and Production Sharing Contracts of Star Deep Water Petroleum Limited, said the initiative is aimed at empowering and encouraging young Nigerians to venture into farming and make it a career.

We believe the cassava project will have a tremendous impact on the youths in Ondo state through employment creation, poverty reduction, skill acquisition and livelihood improvement, he said.

According to Ewing, the initiative will also support the development of rural cottage industries to ensure the growth of the local economy while also confirming that it will no doubt boost the governments efforts in making agriculture a significant revenue yielding sector in the country.

The program Director of PIND, Dr Dara Akala, on his part said the 40 selected youths to pilot the project are meant to become a new class of farmers adding that our farmers are aging, hence the need to replace them with professionals.

Earlier Ondo State Governor, Olusegun Mimiko, in his remarks said the project is a confirmation of his administrations commitment toward agricultural development.

He added that, the governments steps to tackle youth unemployment through various agricultural initiatives have attracted the interest of a lot of private organisation to partner with the state.
Reports reaching DAILY POST have it that the Secretary to the State Government of Delta, Mr Festus Ovie Agas, is currently being held hostage by some protesting youths from Osissa community in the Ndokwa-East Local Government Area of the state.

The aggrieved youths are protesting against the attacks and killing of three members of the community by Fulani herdsmen.

Agas convoy was intercepted by the protesters numbering over one thousand. The SSG was traveling to Asaba after spending the weekend with his family in Ughelli at about 6:55am along the Ughelli-Asaba express.

Details Later

Source: Dailypost
Cross River State Governor, Ben Ayade, has inaugurated the 2016 dry run to signify the commencement of the 2016 annual Calabar Carnival.

Speaking after the inauguration on Sunday, Ayade said that the celebration marked the 12th anniversary of the carnival.

The governor, who disclosed that the theme of the 2016 carnival is `Climate Change, described the carnival as `the largest street party in Africa.

He said that the carnival had promoted talent and creativity, adding that it had united the people of Cross River and Nigeria in general.

Today, we are flagging off the 12th annual Calabar Carnival, the largest street party ever; the greatest show in Africa.

We promised to make this years carnival the best and fun loving ever, he said.

Ayade lauded the efforts of the people of Cross River and the participants for coming out en mass for the dry run.

He used the occasion to invite tourists from all over the world to visit Calabar during this season to experience an exciting carnival.

Mr Gabriel Onah, Chairman, Calabar Carnival Commission, said the carnival had continued to grow from strength to strength with new innovations added yearly.

We are celebrating 12 years of Cross River carnival, 12 years of oneness and unity, 12 years in showcasing what we have and what we are Onah said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that five carnival bands which include Seagull, Master Blaster, Passion 4, Freedom and Bayside will be participating in this years carnival.

NAN also reports that the participants were beautifully dressed in different attires, while security was mounted in all the carnival routes.

Dignitaries at the ceremony included, the Deputy Gov. Prof. Ivara Esu, Speaker of the state Assembly, Mr John Gaul-Lebo, Sen. Florence Ita-Giwa among others.

Source: NAN
In the aftermath of President Buharis trip to China, Innoson Motors are set to partner with a consortium of Chinese investors to help grow Nigerias technology sector.

This was revealed in a press release on Sunday by Innoson Group, through its Public Relation and media assistant, Cornel Osigwe.

The statement reads; Innoson Group Partners With a Consortium Of Chinese Investors to Pump in 1Billion USD Into Nigeria Information Technology Sector of The Economy; To include 400million USD Nigerias DSO Project Digital Satellite TV Station and Additional 600million USD Covering Other Important Sectors.

The Vice President, Prof Yemi Osinbajo, GCON will tomorrow monday, October 25, receive a consortium of Chinese Foreign Investment Group led by Liu Baoju, a Deputy Minister of Communist Party of China in Shandong Province who is equally the Chairman of Shandong Broadcasting Group and Shandong Cable Interactive Service Ltd, the worlds biggest TV operators and Huang Gang, Senior Vice President of Inspur Group and President of its Oversea Headquarters. Inspur Group is Chinas leading cloud computer solution supplier and cloud service provider involving all IT applications.

This visit which comes as one of the gains of President Muhammadu Buharis visit to China will attract a foreign investment of 1Billion USD. The breakdown of the investment as currently agreed by the Chinese Consortium is as follows;

i. Financial foreign investment credit facility of $300million USD for local production and supply of a minimum five to eight Million (5-8million) Set-Top Boxes to support the Federal Government of Nigeria Digital Switch Over (DSO) project being handled by the Nigerian Broadcasting Commission in order to meet the deadline switch of June 2017.

ii. Financial foreign investment of $100million USD to establish the latest technology and biggest DTH (Direct-To-Home) Digital BING Television Station across all states of Nigeria.

In addition, the two above immediate investment is being followed by another 600 Billion USD investment in which negotiations is almost fully concluded with our strategic partners to cover the following areas of Nigerian economy;

1. Smart City (CCTV camera) using cloud computing total solution that is known as E-Policing to cover the whole landmass of Nigeria.

2. Cloud Computing Total Solution on Taxation with IT applications for such institutions as Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) and other taxation agencies for seamless and stress-free tax collection mechanism.

3. E-Education IT Solutions with big data centers for all Federal Universities and Polytechnics in the country.

It is also interesting to note that the Nigerian company bringing in and partnering with these foreign investors is the Innoson Group, Nigerians first indigenous and largest local manufacturer of automobiles and the largest plastic processing manufacturer in West Africa.

The company as a trailblazer has decided to be part of history as one of the companies that will take Nigeria into the digital world. In order to keep up with its trend of opening new grounds, it has decided to diversify into Information Technology (IT) and the Multi Media Sector with the plan to launch a Satellite Digital TV operation and other services in partnership with Shandong Broadcasting Group and Shandong Cable Interactive Service Ltd China with technical support from Inspur Group Co Ltd, China.

This foreign investment is coming at a time when Nigeria is in dire need of foreign investors to boost the economy. The focus point of the investment will go a long way to boost the economy of Nigeria with the following as attendant benefits;

i. Assist the Federal Government meet its June 2017 deadline for the transition from Analog to Digital broadcasting services.

ii. Establishment of 40 lines of production and manufacturing complex for making Broadcast Digital Set-Top-Boxes, the biggest of its kind in the whole of Africa.

iii. Job creation of over 5000 jobs in the Innoson Group Set-Top-Box manufacturing complex in Nigeria within the next two years.

iv. Job creation of about 2000 jobs by Innoson BING Digital DTH Television operation across Nigeria with the first two years.

v. Nigeria will become the manufacturing hub for Set-Top-Box in Africa with the attendant benefit of earning foreign exchange through exports from Innoson Manufacturing Complex.

vi. Innoson Group would put into use its biggest plastic industry at Enugu by locally manufacturing most of the plastic components of the Set-Top-Box thereby saving cost.

vii. Another important benefit is that BING TV Project will engage the almost under utilised Nigerian Communication Satellite (NIGCOMSAT) situated at Obasanjo Space Centre in Abuja with its numerous benefits of saving foreign exchange by buying into Nigeria available goods and services, instead of engaging foreign satellite and transponders as all our other competitors here in Nigeria are currently doing.

viii. Providing adequate National security using cloud computing technology to secure our country against insurgency, militancy, kidnapping and all other forms of dangerous crimes.
The Kaduna State Police Command says it has arrested two persons in connection with the murder of a corps member, Lawal Auwal-Kontagora.

The 26-year-old, who graduated from a university in Malaysia and returned to the country for the compulsory one year service in the National Youth Service Corps about four months ago, was killed by suspected hoodlums in Malali, in the Kaduna North Local Government Area of the state.

The state Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Aliyu Usman, told our correspondent that the two suspects were nabbed by men of the command, adding that they were being investigated for their alleged involvement.

The case is under investigation at the homicide section of the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department, he said.

One of the suspects, Jamiliu, aka Baba lado, was said to be a bus driver and a resident of Kwaru in Malali.

The late Auwal-Kontagora was killed along Gambia Road in Malali on October 17, 2016, while visiting a female friend, identified simply as Murdja, in company with his friend.

It was learnt that while they were in his car, a Peugeot 407, some hoodlums waylaid the vehicle and ordered them to open the door which they did.

One of the late Auwal-Kontagora siblings, Yusuf Maaji-Kontagora, said after they alighted from the car, the hoodlums asked them to kneel down and collected their mobile phones.

He explained that it was when Lawal who left his phone inside the car tried to open the car door to pick it and hand it over to the hoodlums that they (hoodlums) shot him at a close range.

They thought that Auwal-Kontagora was trying to play a fast one on them. They shot him at a close range in his right leg, he added.

Maaji-Kontagora said they received information about the incident around 10pm and rushed him to a hospital where he was pronounced dead.

The hoodlums were also said to have smashed the corps members head with an object.

It was said that Murdja raised the alarm, which made the hoodlums to flee the area.

Source: Punch
What began as a warm welcome for Jose Mourinho at Stamford Bridge ended in humiliation as he suffered his biggest league defeat in his career.

Manchester United looked out of sorts as Pedro, Cahill, Eden Hazard, and Kante helped Chelsea to a comprehensive victory. Chelsea boss Antonio Conte got into a heated exchange with Mourinho on the touchline after Conte beckoned to supporters to egg the team on.

News reports say Mourinho told his opposite number; You dont celebrate like that at 4-0, you can do it at 1-0, otherwise its humiliating for us.

Conte appeared to address the issue in his post-match conference; I was a player. I know what the feeling is like (to score). I only told the fans to applaud the team because the team deserved it, said Conte.

There has always been respect for all, and naturally for Manchester United. Nothing happened. I did something absolutely normal. I didnt do anything to humiliate Mourinho.

I think that today, it was right to call our fans. In that moment I was listening only to the supporters of Manchester United at 4-0. So I called the fans to give the players a great clap after this kind of performance.

The players, after a 4-0 win, deserved a great clap. Its very normal. We live with emotions. If you want to cut the emotions, we can stay at home and I will change jobs.
Nigerian newspaper headlines October 24, 2016.

Guardian

Nigerias body of lawyers is to meet with the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) to take a harmonised position on the fate of the seven judges being investigated by the Department of State Services (DSS) and save the judiciary from further embarrassment.

Vanguard

Chevron Nigeria Limited through the Partnership Initiative in the Niger Delta (PIND) has launched Youths Cassava Enterprise Project with 40 graduates to pilot the scheme in Ondo state.

Punch

As the nation continues to wallow in recession, stakeholders, including the Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II, have highlighted the need to focus on addressing the issues that pushed the economy into the crisis.

Thisday

The tussle over the rightful candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the November 20 governorship election in Ondo State assumed a new dimension at the weekend, when the candidate of the Senator Ali Modu Sheriff-led faction of the party, Mr. Jimoh Ibrahim, alleged that an official of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) demanded a bribe of $1 million from him.

Leadership

The BringBackOurGirls (BBOG) group has recommended the use of the instrument of Verification, Authentication and Rehabilitation System (VARS) for effective and credible identification and rehabilitation of the 21 released Chibok girls.

National Mirror
The Nasarawa State Command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), on Monday sealed off two private security companies for operating illegally in the state.

This was made known in a statement by the State Commandant of NSCDC, Lawan Basir-Kano, in an interview with reporters in Lafia, the state capital.

According to Basir-Kano, the two companies are Nigid Guards Limited (NGL) and Scott-Brain Global Security Services (SGSS). He said, SGSS was closed because it was not registered while NGL failed to renew its operating license.

There were also other private companies that were shut down but had been reopened when their managements provided proofs of registration and renewal.

He however, directed the Divisional Officers in the 13 Local Government Areas and 18 Development Areas to ensure that no illegal private security outfit is allowed to operate in the area.

We cannot close our eyes and do nothing about situations, where illegal groups hide under private security outfits to commit all manner of crimes and extort money from unsuspecting youths, he said.

He added that in line with the directive from the headquarters, the command had deployed personnel in relevant areas to protect critical national infrastructure and assets.

Lawan Basir-Kano, therefore, urged the public to be more vigilant and cooperate with the NSCDC and feed it with relevant information on any suspicious person, movement or activities for prompt action.
A small plane heading towards Libyas coast from Malta crashed on Monday killing all five French crew members who were studying migrant routes for the French government.

According to authorities, the twin-prop Fairchild Metroliner crashed soon after it took off from Maltas airport.

The plane was seen to have slammed into the ground in a huge fireball after banking to the right soon after lifting off at 7:20 am local time, in a video captured by a dashboard camera. The video was posted on video.

Maltas government confirmed all victims were French.

The flight was part of a French Customs surveillance operation tracing routes of illicit trafficking  both of humans and drugs  leaving Libyas lawless coasts.

Libya is the main point of departure for the tens of thousands of migrants who have been paying smugglers to bring them toward Europe by boat.

Earlier, authorities had said the flight was headed to Misrata, Libya. The government said later that the aircraft was due to return to Malta within a few hours without landing elsewhere.

Malta International Airport is used for surveillance flights to Libya due to its proximity. The government said the French Customs operation has been active for about five months.

The airport was closed for four hours while debris was cleared, delaying more than a dozen flights, according to a notice on the airport website.
The Nigeria Police Force on Sunday said there would be no cover-up in the case of the Assistant Commissioner of Police arrested with N2.7 million bribe money.

The Head, Compliant Response Unit, CRU, Abayomi Shogunle, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, in Abuja.

He said the police had taken all necessary actions provided in the Police Act and Regulations in respect of the case.

He added that I dont see anybody covering up this particular case because the necessary actions needed to be taken, the normal disciplinary procedure as provided under the Police Act and Regulations are being followed.

Mr. Shogunle, an assistant commissioner of police, said the officer in question had already been issued a query and a criminal investigation had been conducted by the X-squad.

The officer had since responded to the query and had faced the Force Disciplinary Committee (FDC), he said.

Mr. Shogunle added that the FDC had made its recommendations to the Inspector-General of Police, IG, which had been forwarded to the Police Service Commission, PSC, for ratification.

The processes needed have been done and all we are just waiting for is the recommendations of the PSC, he said.

He pointed out that it was when the Commission informed the IG on the matter that the CRU would in turn inform the public.

Mr. Shogunle said the IG had directed the unit to ensure that it discharged its responsibilities without impunity in line with its motto.

One of the things the I-G has tasked the CRU, which is no to impunity, is that the unit should ensure that it upholds that motto, he added.

It would be recalled that information about the recovery of the N2.7 million bribe money from the officer in question was made known in the third quarter report of the CRU, signed by Acting Assistant Commissioner of Police Abayomi Shogunle, Head of CRU in Abuja.

The report said the recovery followed a complaint made to the CRU through a telephone call.

On alleged preferential treatment for senior officers, Mr. Shogunle said the unit had taken up all cases against all police officers irrespective of their ranks.

Probably, we get more complaints against the junior ranks because they interact more with members of the public.

They are the ones that are always out on the streets. So it is possible you will get more complaints against them than the senior officers.

Mr. Shogunle assured that all complaints irrespective of the ranks of the persons would be treated based on merit, adding that the rule of law would always prevail.

The CRU head said that the inclusion of the X-squad unit of the police was yielding result.

One of the breakthroughs we have had as contained in the CRU third quarter report was actually done by the x-squad.

This is the kind of things the public should expect with the inclusion of the squad by the IG in the fight against corruption, he said.

He said there was cordial working relationship between the Nigeria Police Force through the CRU and human rights groups in the country.

As a matter of fact, we have a committee made up of these organisations to review policing operations nationwide.

We hear from them issues of policing and also give them feedback on their cases that were handled by the CRU, he said.

Source: PremiumTimes
The Media Forum of Nigerias major Shiite group, IMN, has criticised Governor Simon Lalong of Plateau State for banning the activities of the movement in the state.

In a statement issued to journalists on Sunday in Abuja, Ibrahim Musa, President of the Forum, accused Mr. Lalong of imitating Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State in banning the activities of the movement without recourse to law.

It is perplexing that the premise upon which Plateau State governor has placed his own ban was simply because of the ban in Kaduna State.

No recourse to the dictates of the law, reason or logic.

He is merely copying Kaduna State without basis. This is awkward to say the least, Mr. Musa said.

He noted that the ban on the activities of the movement in Plateau, like in Kaduna State, strips the citizens of the two states of their inalienable rights to practice their faith without molestation.

We believe Governor Lalong is fully aware of this and his limitation.

Mr. Musa said Plateau is the least state expected to copy Kaduna State in the infringement of the rights of its citizens.

He said: of all the myriad of crises bedeviling the state, IMN has never been implicated in any.

It therefore beats imagination why the state would target IMN for persecution.

Governor Lalong only seems to be playing to the gallery in making this ill-advised illegal and illogical move.

Mr. Musa appealed to the governor to rescind his decision to act like his counterpart in Kaduna State on matters concerning IMN.

We believe he (Lalong) should stand for justice, fairness and obedience to the rule of law.

We call on him to exercise his powers in ordering for the release of members of IMN in detention immediately, pay compensation to IMN members who lost properties in the state-sponsored terror attacks on IMN in his state.

We also expect him to prosecute those soldiers and thugs involved in the carnage during Ashura commemoration anniversary in Jos, Mr. Musa said.
One of the two married woman declared wanted by the Lagos state Police command over alleged criminal activities, including lesbianism, has been arrested in Port Harcourt,Rivers state.

The women, have been on the run since their alleged criminal activities were reported to the Police.

A police Source said the suspects were committing the dastardly act in one Alhaji Osilos house each time he was away. Osilos neighbours, who felt the suspects would be bad influence to others ,reported the abominable act to osilo who in turn reported the matter to the police.

It was gathered that Alhaji Osilo also reported one of the ladies ogunwale Abiola Idowu, to her husband who was unable to caution her.

A police source said it is true, the illicit act of lesbianism against ogunwale Abiola and her mate Monisola Adeko was reported to us and we have commenced Investigation in the alleged act of lesbianism by the two women. We have identified the women and we will soon apprehend them. It was Abiola partners husband, osilo that reported the matter to us. You know that the act is against the law of our land, we must enforce the law..

It was gathered that Abiola and her partner have been on the run since their evil act was uncovered.

Luck however ran out of Monisola who was apprehended at the weekend in Port Harcourt where she had been hiding.

The police said the suspect, has made useful confession ,but denied knowledge of the whereabouts of her accomplice as she claimed they lost contact. The police have confirmed that her alleged accomplice, Abiola had since relocated to either North America or Europe.

Mr Frank who spoke for the Kelani family said: The kelani family of Abeokuta frowned at our son,Abiodun for marrying a woman who has made the family a laughing stock

Monisolas husband Alhaji osilo spoke to Daily Sun Yes, my neighbours opened the can of warm that Abiola has been doing the ungodly act with my wife in my house anytime I was away. I could not stomach such evil that was why I reported the matter to the police,

When contacted, Abiolas husband Mr Abiodun Kelani said I dont know what the police are saying. My wife is not in the country at the moment .Let the police do their job and let me be.

Source: TheSun
Technology changes faster than many of us can keep up with it. New paradigms like software-defined networks and the cloud emerge, and the old ones continue to hang around.

But while the hotshot programmers and big data geeks get to play with the shiny new toys, you're busy waiting for the robots to come and take away your job.

It doesn't have to be that way. Whether you cut your teeth on Unix and AIX or you tire of doing the necessary but thankless tasks that come with keeping the lights on and the datacenter humming, there's still time to reinvent yourself.

It won't be fast or easy. It will mean investing a lot of time and possibly some money, taking risks, and hacking code. But it can turn into a much greater reward, both financially and psychically.

Here are five ways you can reboot your tech career and take it to another level.

1. Apply your legacy skills to new tech

If you think only 20-somethings are in demand, here's the good news: Age and experience can actually work to your advantage, says PK Agarwal, regional dean of Northeastern University-Silicon Valley, which offers certificate and degree programs in business, management, and technology for busy professionals.

"With people who cut their teeth in the '70s, '80s, or early '90s, their education is much broader, and mental pickup is not that difficult" when it comes to learning new domains." -- PK Agarwal, regional dean, Northeastern University-Silicon Valley

People with legacy skill sets often have much greater breadth of knowledge than their younger colleagues, he says.

"As every profession evolves, it gets more narrow-banded," Agarwal adds. "With people who cut their teeth in the '70s, '80s, or early '90s, their education is much broader, and mental pickup is not that difficult" when it comes to learning new domains.

Your best strategy is to apply your existing skill set to emerging technologies, says Chris Ciborowski, CEO and co-founder of Nebulaworks, a devops consultancy.

Ciborowski, who calls himself a recovering Unix engineer, spent more than a decade building and managing large Solaris deployments, ERP and CRM systems, and web store fronts for a variety of organizations. For the past two years, he's been helping Nebulaworks clients create high-performance devops teams built around technologies such as Docker, GitHub, Jenkins, and Amazon Web Services.

"For me, it was looking at my skill set, at the things I do well, and adapting those skills to the new new," he says. "So as new technologies and processes were emerging, I looked to where I could draw parallels to what I'd done in the past, then take the things I was really good at and leverage them into Web 2.0 or Agile 3.0 or whatever we're calling the new initiative."

For Ciborowski, it meant taking risks, making sacrifices, and devoting nearly all of his spare time to getting up to speed on the "new new."

"It's about diving in," he says. "I spent all my nonworking hours thinking about it and all my working hours trying to build things."

Once you've leveraged the skills you have, you need to update them with newer versions of those skills, agrees James Stanger, senior director of product development for CompTIA, an IT industry trade association.

But you'll also need to update your mindset and geek culture references.

"I was talking with a guy who was a real green-screen Cobol kind of programmer -- he had long white hair and a long white beard, like Gandalf of the Mainframe," says Stanger. "The question is, What are the skills that Gandalf needs to pick up, so he can work with the Hobbits of the world again?"

One of Gandalf's tasks was to modernize his analogies, says Stanger. Instead of mainframes, think of the cloud; instead of terminals, substitute smartphones.

"You don't have to jettison what you know," he says. "But you do need to start analogizing and bridging your experience from the old to the new."

2. Get your code on

As Marc Andreessen famously wrote in 2011, software is eating the world -- which means the demand for developers has never been greater. Today, the hottest tech jobs are software engineers, software architects, and UX/UI designers, says Shu Wu, director of tech recruiting site Indeed Prime. The positions least in demand: network and database admins.

"Every company is trying to hire tech talent. If you put effort into learning programming languages ... you have a chance to transition yourself from someone who's less in demand to someone who's more in demand." -- Shu Wu, director, Indeed Prime

"Every company is trying to hire tech talent," says Wu. "If you put effort into learning programming languages like Java, Python, and Ruby on Rails, you have a chance to transition yourself from someone who's less in demand to someone who's more in demand."

That's why many bread-and-butter IT folks are heading off to programming boot camps to get their coding skills up to speed.

Shane Biggs was working as a sys admin for an accounting firm in Washington, D.C., when he saw a Dan Rather news report about a coding academy called DevBootCamp. That was enough to convince him it was time to go back to school and become a developer.

Biggs had a couple of network certifications under his belt and was making decent money running a small IT department. But a future spent hooking up monitors and mice didn't hold much appeal.

"The job felt boring and stale," he says. "I've always had a more creative side, and I felt like coding would bring that aspect into play, almost like an art."

It took him two years, but the former poly sci major finally saved up enough money to quit his IT job and move 3,000 miles to San Francisco, leaving his pregnant wife behind. Tuition for the nine-week course cost $12,500, plus living expenses.

Now he's back home, working as a front-end developer for a marketing agency in Baltimore.

"I didn't really fall in love with coding at first," he admits. "It was really hard, I felt like an idiot. Now I'm addicted to it."

Chris Duflo spent five years consulting on Oracle Finance implementations for Hitachi and later Deloitte. But he got frustrated designing complex solutions, then handing them off for someone else to implement.

"I thought, If I can design this, I might as well learn how to build it," he says. He enrolled at Origin Code Academy in his hometown of San Diego, in part because it specialized in .Net and JavaScript, skills that were in heavy demand on job sites like Dice and Indeed.

Now he's a front-end developer, working for a firm that creates electronic voting solutions for a handful of U.S. states and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

The biggest revelation for Duflo, whose prior programming experience consisted mainly of writing SQL queries, was how well his previous work experience translated into his new one.

"I really thought those five years I spent as a consultant were wasted," he says. "I quickly realized in interviews and the workplace that I knew a lot more than I thought I did. I had picked up a lot about general data architecture and terminology. It may not translate to the keyboard, but in meetings and design and conceptualizing it's really valuable."

3. Become a dev advocate

You don't have to be a coder to be a vital part of a dev team. Take Tori Wieldt, who started her career as a sys admin working on legacy Unix systems for SBC Communications in the late 1980s.

"They still had a lot of vintage equipment back then," she says. "Some of the machines were so old we had to flip switches to change their memory settings."

From there Wieldt began working for Sun Microsystems in a variety of jobs: tech support, technical writing, website management, and finally, managing the Java developer community after Sun was acquired by Oracle.

Now she works as a developer evangelist for New Relic, helping to build out the app performance monitoring firm's dev community and to organize its FutureStack conferences. She does it despite having rudimentary coding skills.

"I have learned enough Docker to be dangerous, but do not consider myself a programmer," she says. "But I understand what developers go through and how they interact with the technology, and can communicate that both internally and externally."

The ability to combine good communications skills with a basic foundation in coding can make you highly marketable as a developer advocate, says Whitney O'Banner, campus director and career developer at the Austin Dev Bootcamp.

"Developer advocates are in especially high demand, particularly at technology companies that encourage third-party use of their back end, like Facebook or Pinterest," she says. "Working knowledge of APIs, solid communication skills, and a passion for product and customer service are the perfect recipe for success in this role.

4. Find your tribe

But it's hard to go it alone, not to mention counterproductive. Today's IT environment is about communication and collaboration. In a recent survey by IT staffing firm Modis, IT managers identified teamwork and interpersonal skills as the ones most difficult to find in job candidates.

"Certification is a great way to leverage a community. ... You're getting distilled information that tells you, 'Here's what the community is talking about, so join in.'" -- James Stanger, senior director of product development, CompTIA

Developing your soft skills are more important than ever, says Agarwal, as is networking -- the personal kind. The key is finding a community of people who are already familiar with the latest technologies.

"A lot of people in tech just don't have the networks," he says. "We always encourage our students go to meetups and conferences."

If you can afford the time and expense, going back to school is a good way to both develop skills and make contacts, says Paul Smith, VP of business development for Peak Technical Staffing.

"These days most organizations have teams develop their code, and half the job is going to meetings to talk about where the projects are going," he says. "In a classroom environment you have classmates you can bounce ideas off of and work through things. That's something you usually don't get from studying online."

Another option is to enter a certification program in the areas where you want to develop new skills, says Stanger.

"Certification is a great way to leverage a community," he says. "The certs are created by hundreds of people in the CompTIA community, all of them experts. You're getting distilled information that tells you, 'Here's what the community is talking about, so join in.'"

Of course, there are plenty of online resources. Biggs recommends freecodecamp.org, a free online code academy, and Code Newbie, a community of people learning to program that offers internships and holds meetups in cities around the country. Weildt says she gets a wealth of information from Slack channels devoted to dev issues, such as devopschat.slack.com, for devops, and fedsonslack.com, for front-end devs.

5. Know when it's time to leave the nest

Trying to build a new career while maintaining your current one is a bit like trying to change a tire while driving on the freeway. Unless your employer is on board with your reinvention process, you'll likely have to pull over to the side of the road and do it on your own time.

"The best way for an IT veteran to reinvent themselves is to build up a portfolio of side projects," says Max Brown, founder of Silicon Beach Talent, a tech recruiter. "This wont happen overnight; it takes time to learn new skills, either through self-study and online courses or through a coding boot camp."

"If you don't start now, you're going to be behind the eight ball because there are already a lot of people who are trying to reinvent themselves." -- Chris Ciborowski, CEO and co-founder, Nebulaworks

If your employer isn't supportive, you may be able to find an early-stage founder willing to take a chance on you, says Brown. Or you may have to take a deep breath and strike out on your own.

"I realized that in order to flex my wings I couldn't do it within the confines of an organization that didn't understand personal and professional growth," says Ciborowski. "I certainly didn't have that at the place where I was working. So I needed to find either (a) a company willing to take that risk with me or (b) set out on my own and give it a shot outside the walls of 'corporate America.'"

If you're going to make the leap, it helps to have partners who can complement your skill set with those of their own, he adds.

"If you are thinking of starting a company around any of the new technologies, you need to have a balance," Ciborowski says. "There has to be a yin to your yang, or it's not going to work. You can't all be Unix guys."

There's no need to panic yet, he adds. But the time to get started is now.

"It's not like you're going to wake up tomorrow morning and there's not going to be any VMware or AIX environments left," he says. "But if you don't start now, you're going to be behind the eight ball because there are already a lot of people who are trying to reinvent themselves."
How will Black Sea Situation Play Out Long Term? Banghart Properties - Mon Oct 31, 9:16PM CDT How high or low will the grain markets go from the Black Sea Situation?

Cotton Settles Red on Monday Barchart - Mon Oct 31, 4:45PM CDT A wide ranged session from +133 points to -168 points ultimately settled with Dec cotton 11 points in the red at 72 c/lb flat. The other front months traded similarly, but closed weaker with losses of... CTZ22 : 72.80 (+1.11%) CTH23 : 72.33 (+0.96%) CTK23 : 72.65 (+1.11%)

Cattle Close Weaker on Monday Barchart - Mon Oct 31, 4:45PM CDT October fat cattle futures dropped $3.60 on Monday to expire at $146.77. The other front months closed firmer with losses limited to 52 cents. Feeder cattle closed Monday down by 25 cents to $1 in the... LEZ22 : 152.475s (-0.34%) LEG23 : 155.825s (-0.32%) LEJ23 : 159.075s (-0.09%) GFX22 : 177.625s (-0.14%) GFF23 : 179.450s (-0.51%)

Mixed Monday for Hog Market Barchart - Mon Oct 31, 4:45PM CDT Lean hog futures ended the Monday round of trading with a 40 cent loss in Feb and a $1.17 loss for December. The other front months closed with $0.85 to $1.02 gains. That widened Aprils premium to Dec... HEZ22 : 84.925s (-1.36%) HEJ23 : 93.600s (+0.97%) KMZ22 : 95.475s (-0.68%)

Double Digit Gains for Corn Barchart - Mon Oct 31, 4:45PM CDT Corn futures worked lower off their initial strength out of the weekend to close the gaps. July futures met their objective but the nearby contracts left just a little room on their daily charts. The afternoon... ZCZ22 : 691-6 (unch) ZCPAUS.CM : 6.8247 (+1.57%) ZCH23 : 696-6 (unch) ZCK23 : 695-2 (unch)

Soy Futures Gain on Monday Barchart - Mon Oct 31, 4:45PM CDT Beans closed the first trade day of the week with double digit gains of at least 1% in the front months. November got above its $14/bu mark for the closing bell on a 1.39% gain. Meal futures faded back... ZSX22 : 1415-6 (+0.62%) ZSPAUS.CM : 13.7181 (+1.75%) ZSF23 : 1428-2 (+0.62%) ZSH23 : 1436-0 (+0.60%)
By Ashley Oblinger and Scott Zucker

While credit cards provide for easy, convenient payment transactions, merchants have long experienced the anguish of fees charged by the credit card companies. Since transaction fees (also called swipe fees) can be as much as 3 percent of each charge, self-storage operators have looked for ways to offset the costs.

Previously, agreements with credit card companies prohibited business operators from passing these fees on to consumers. However, this changed after merchant groups filed an anti-trust class-action lawsuit against Visa and MasterCard in 2013. The parties entered a settlement agreement that provided, in part, that Visa and MasterCard would grant merchants the ability to charge fees to customers who use a credit card for payment. The settlement was finalized in December 2013.

American Express is currently involved in a similar class-action lawsuit and reached a settlement that would have mirrored the Visa/MasterCard agreement; however, the court rejected it due to attorney misconduct. Itll be important to keep an eye on this case as it proceeds.

Can You Charge a Fee?

In light of the agreement, many merchants have attempted to offset their swipe fees by charging a fee to the buyer, often called a credit card surcharge or checkout fee. However, before moving forward, you must be aware of applicable state laws, as several states, including Colorado, Connecticut, Kansas, Massachusetts, New York, Oklahoma and Texas, strictly prohibit these surcharges. More states are proposing similar legislation.

The surcharge laws in the above mentioned states all contain similar language. While the laws in Connecticut, Massachusetts, Oklahoma and Texas prohibit only sellers from imposing surcharges, the laws in Colorado and Kansas provide that sellers and landlords are barred from charging such fees. In those first four states, the law also states that discounts offered to induce payments by cash, check or other means not involving a credit card arent considered a surcharge as long as such discounts are offered to all prospective buyers.

Federal Court Battles

Statutes prohibiting merchants from charging credit card surcharges have come under attack in the past few years. In October 2013, a U.S. District Court in New York found the law to be unconstitutional, as it banned credit card surcharges but didnt ban merchants from offering discounts to customers who pay by cash. In September 2015, the court of appeals revived the law, finding it doesnt violate retailers free speech or due-process rights under the Constitution. The New York law remains in place today.

In February 2015, a federal court in Texas ruled the law was valid, finding it didnt violate First Amendment rights because it only regulated prices. This ruling was appealed, but the appellate court upheld the law. Its now against the law in Texas to assess charges for using a credit card to make payments.

In March 2015, a U.S District Court in California found the law to be unconstitutional, as it restricted consumers freedom of speech and was too vague. The judge stated retailers could increase the price of a product and then discount it, yet they couldnt add a surcharge to the price to make up for credit card fees, even if the price was the same in both instances. The case is currently on appeal in the 9th Circuit; but in the interim, a discount for not using a credit card is legal.

In November 2015, the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals reversed a district-court decision and found that Floridas law banning credit-card surcharges violated the First Amendment, as it was an unlawful restriction on free speech. The court of appeals also held that businesses could offer discounts to customers who use cash instead of credit cards. Therefore, its currently legal in Florida to charge a surcharge.

Credit Card Company Rules

While the vast majority of states permit credit card surcharges, merchants who wish to charge such fees are subject to various rules imposed by the credit card companies. For example, Visa and MasterCard have set caps on the amount of the surcharge. Additionally, both require a merchant to notify the credit card company in writing (usually at least 30 days in advance) if it wants to charge such fees. In some cases, the surcharge must be the same for all transactions of that particular product. Moreover, the Visa/MasterCard settlement provides that if merchants accept other credit cards, they cant assess a surcharge to customers using Visa and MasterCard unless a similar surcharge is assessed for the use of other cards.

If you wish to start charging fees on credit card purchases, consult with an attorney regarding your state law, then contact your credit card company to let it know of your intent. Also speak with the company regarding its rules for assessing surcharges to ensure you avoid violating your agreement.

Ashley Oblinger is an associate and Scott Zucker a partner in the law firm Weissmann Zucker Euster Morochnik P.C. in Atlanta, which specializes in business litigation with an emphasis on real estate, landlord-tenant and construction law. Zucker is a frequent speaker at self-storage industry events, author of Legal Topics in Self Storage: A Sourcebook for Owners and Managers, and a partner in the Self Storage Legal Network, a subscription-based legal service for storage owners and managers. For more information, call 404.364.4626; e-mail [email protected]; visit www.wzlegal.com.
A federation of 34 national insurance associations has urged world governments to act on the impact of climate change as it threatens the affordability of financial protection.In an insight briefing published last week, Insurance Europe said the insurance sector is especially aware of and sensitive to the risks posed by climate change.In particular, the sector is concerned that continuing global increases in temperature could make it increasingly difficult to offer the affordable financial protection that people deserve and modern society requires to function properly, the federation said.Insurance Europe called on policymakers to make sure that the 2015 Paris accord is fully implemented and that concrete steps are taken to limit climate change.The federation said that as a matter of urgency, action must also begin to adapt to an already changing climate.It is public authorities that must take the leading role in enhancing public resilience to the effects of climate change, mainly through effective prevention planning, Insurance Europe said.The goal can achieved in various ways at the national or local level, Insurance Europe explained, such as strict enforcement of building codes and provision of tax incentives to promote private investment in climate-proofing infrastructure projects.Public authorities efforts should be part of long-term adaption strategies that take account of long-term climatic situations posed by the expected rise in extreme weather conditions and the increasing frequency of weather events, the federation said.For their part, insurers are helping fight climate change by updating their risk assessment and underwriting policies, according to Insurance Europe, with some companies moving from using historical methods for natural catastrophes to forward-looking risk models.Insurers are also implementing more sustainable business practices, such as incorporating incentives into their products to reduce their own carbon footprints. Other insurance firms also aim to invest more in environmentally friendly financial assets, including green infrastructure or renewable energies.
To address the growing popularity of class actions in Australia, Aon is set to launch a new form of insurance that will make it easier to file legitimate class actions, it has been reported.The new product, called the after-the-event (ATE) insurance and underwritten by Ironshore Australia, was designed to protect class action law firms and litigation funders against the risk of adverse costs order, The Weekend Australian reported.Adverse costs order has been defined by Legal Aid NSW as the court order requiring a party to court proceedings to pay the other party or parties costs in relation to court proceedings.Outside the US, class actions that affect the insurance cover for company directors and officers are more common in Australia than in any other country in the world, the report said.Jennifer Richards, managing director of specialties for Aon Risk Solutions, said: Australia is the most likely jurisdiction outside the US in which a corporation could face significant class action litigation.That is the environment we find ourselves in and it has been that way in Australia for a significant period of time now.Aon believes that given the growth in litigation and the markets appetite for emerging risks and innovative solutions in Australia, it will find a ready market for ATE insurance.The risks and costs of fighting these cases are high. With a local solution now available, this provides claimants and solicitors with an opportunity to pursue more valid cases given they will have the protection of this insurance. The intention of this policy is not to encourage litigation. The manner in which premiums are payable provides an incentive to settle early rather than progress deeper into trial, Richards told The Weekend Australian.Richards said Aons ATE insurance was not intended to encourage litigation, and would only be made available after Aons assessors has concluded that its policies would be supporting legitimate claims.The underwriting process is quite rigorous. The claim has to have at least a 60 per cent chance of success in order to be insurable, she said.Damian Scattini, litigation specialist and partner at Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan, welcomed the launch of ATE insurance, saying that it would provide class action claimants security and a less expensive option to British ATE policies available in the Australian market.It is expensive cover, so competition is welcome. The risk of an adverse costs order has a chilling effect on many meritorious claims; thats just a fact, he said.Scatinni believed that the launch of Aons policy might help litigation funders lower their rates and take a smaller proportion of settlements, The Weekend Australian reported.
Report identified lines of business that mainly contributed to total industry loss
Innovation will be key for a developing insurance market but will not take the shape of new dramatically products, a pair of senior execs have said.Hugh Burke, chief commercial officer of Coface Asia Pacific, said that while innovation will be important as the market develops, new products are not on the cards.Innovation will be key going forward and we are in a region where it is a fairly immature market, Burke told Insurance Business.As we go forward, when we talk about trade credit policies, structured trade credit policies, political risk policies, I see these policies morphing into one and to find solutions for clients.That is not creating new products but it is taking the best of policies that are already in circulation and are being used and fitting them to the clients needs.Burke noted that, with the exceptions of the Australian and Singaporean market, Asia Pacific remains immature in terms of its insurance development which gives reason for optimism,. With many policies in the region tied to Chinese risk, and with the slower growth of the Chinese economy, trade credit will be important for the future of the industry.The days of going out and writing risk blindly are gone, Burke continued. I think it is about driving growth but doing it safely.Bhupesh Gupta, CEO of Coface in Asia Pacific agreed and noted that it will be important to define innovation.We are not going to come up in the near term with dramatically new products, Gupta told Insurance Business.We are going to come up with new ways to deliver our products to our customers.We are going to try and make things faster, quicker and smarter for people and I think innovation is going to be around that.With global economic risk and uncertainty at such high levels, Gupta noted that it will be unlikely to see trade credit insurers devise innovative ways to take on more risk. Instead, insurers in the space will look to work on customer experience as a market differentiator.
The homeowners insurance rate increase disagreement between the North Carolina Department of Insurance (NCDOI) and the insurance industry is not over.

The North Carolina Rate Bureau (NCRB), which files rates with NCDOI on behalf of insurers writing in the state, is calling foul on a recent Court of Appeals decision agreeing with the state insurance commissioners rejection of a nearly 25 percent homeowners insurance rate increase. NCRB now wants to take its fight to the North Carolina Supreme Court.

The case refers to Insurance Commissioner Wayne Goodwins rejection of the bureaus 2014 homeowners 24.9 percent insurance rate increase filing. NCRB sought the increase on behalf of nearly 100 companies selling homeowners policies in the state. Insurers said at the time the increase was needed to cover expectations of a sharp rise in projected repair and replacement costs and the growing risk of catastrophic losses.

Goodwin, however, disagreed with NCRBs assessment, saying he found no factors or events justified the excessive costs required by the insurance companies. He instead ordered an average rate change of 0.0 percent on homeowners policies beginning in June 2015.

NCRB appealed his decision to the State Court of Appeals in Jan. 2014, but the court sided with Goodwin in August.

The order reflects a careful, thoughtful, and thorough consideration of the evidence, Judge J. Douglas McCullough wrote for the three-judge panel in its ruling, as reported by The Associated Press.

In its Sept. 6 request for discretionary review, NCRB says the appeals court erred in siding with Goodwin. NCRB says the appeals courts ruling violates the constitutional mandate under the takings clause of the Fifth Amendment and the due process clause of the Fourteenth Amendment that a regulated firm is entitled to an opportunity to earn a rate of return commensurate with the level of profit demanded by the investment market on business ventures of comparable risk

NCRB maintains that the rate increase requested back in 2014 on homeowners insurance policies is necessary for insurers to maintain the cost of equity, which is the prospective return that investors expect to earn in the marketplace on investments of comparable risk.

A regulated industry is entitled to earn a profit equivalent to the returns demanded by industries of comparable risk. In North Carolina, homeowners insurance is a regulated industry. North Carolina homeowners insurers are thus entitled to have rates set that allow them the opportunity to earn such a profit, NCRB said.

The bureau said since then a number of homeowners insurers have been issuing policies to customers with consent-to-rate provisions in order to set rates at what they say is necessary for them to continue providing coverage.

NCRB said the number of consent-to-rate policies now comprises more than a third of homeowners policies in the state. NCRB also contends that the states residual market has also increased exponentially.

In an otherwise competitive marketplace, where approximately 95 homeowners insurers write homeowners coverage in North Carolina, the fact that 40 percent to 70 percent of policies in beach and coastal counties are written in the residual market of last resort and as many as one-third of homeowners policies are being written pursuant to consent to rate procedures is compelling evidence that homeowners insurers are unable to earn a reasonable profit at the rates approved by the Commissioner, NCRB said.

Insurers said the rate increases were necessary for them to make a profit that would satisfy their cost of equity. However, the rate rejection and subsequent order for an average increase of 0 percent meant a 7.6 percent return of net worth for insurers. NCRB says that is less than the 9.1 percent to 12.8 percent net worth range that insurers said was necessary for them to meet the minimum constitutional standard.

The Court of Appeals judgment disapproving the filed underwriting profit provision and affirming the Commissioners ordered profit provision is in violation of the United States Constitution and should be reviewed and reversed by this Court, NCRB said in its request for review.

Goodwin expressed frustration at NCRBs request.

I rejected the insurance industrys proposed rate increase because I felt it was unjust and the Court of Appeals upheld my decision, he said. I am disappointed the insurance industry has decided to not only ignore but actively challenge my attempts to protect consumers regarding homeowners insurance rates.

Topics Carriers Pricing Trends Homeowners Market North Carolina
Brazilian prosecutors charged 21 people with qualified homicide on Thursday for their roles in the collapse of a tailings dam at the Samarco Mineracao SA iron ore mine last November that killed 19 people.

The charges follow what is now considered to be the largest environmental disaster in Brazils history. The dam collapse released millions of tonnes of muddy mine waste, wiping out several small communities.

Samarco, its co-owners Vale SA and BHP Billiton Ltd, and Brazilian engineering company VOGBR Recursos Hidricos e Geotecnica Ltd which certified the dams safety, were charged with environmental crimes.

BHP, Vale and Samarco officials said in statements that they rejected the charges and would defend their employees and executives. VOGBR declined to comment.

Vale, BHP and Samarco agreed in March to pay an estimated 20 billion reais ($6.37 billion) over 15 years in civil damages, but the accord is being challenged by state prosecutors.

Prosecutor Jose Leite Sampaio told reporters at a briefing in Belo Horizonte, broadcast live by GloboNews, that executives at Samarco had clear awareness the dam could fail but ignored the risks and prioritized profit.

There were signs that the dam was unsafe for several years before its collapse, but Samarco officials, executives, employees and board members appointed by Vale and BHP failed to take proper action, Sampaio said.

Prosecutors also said safety and regulatory procedures were not properly followed, including those in the companys own operating manual.

If convicted the accused, who include 16 Brazilians, two Americans, a Briton, a South African, an Australian and a French citizen, could face sentences of up to 54 years, prosecutors said. The former chief executive of Samarco, Ricardo Viscovi, is among the accused. Charges against one of the suspects did not include homicide.

Under Brazils criminal code, qualified homicide is homicide aggravated by certain factors.

Following the collapse, thick reddish-brown sludge flowed into one of Brazils main rivers, the Rio Doce, killing fish and fouling water supplies for hundreds of km (miles) before reaching the Atlantic Ocean.

Before the case goes to trial, the charges need to be approved by a judge. Prosecutors filed the charges with a judge in Belo Horizonte, Brazil earlier in the day.

These people were murdered, Eduardo Santos de Oliveira, one of the prosecutors in the case, said of those who died.

Vale said in a statement that prosecutors ignored evidence that executives were unaware the dam could fail before the disaster occurred.

(Reporting by Jeb Blount and Marta Nogueira; writing by Stephen Eisenhammer and Jeb Blount; editing by Frances Kerry and Tom Brown)

Related:

Topics Mining
Xceedance, a global provider of property/casualty insurance technology, analytics and consulting services, has established an office in London to serve the European, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) market, the company announced.

Xceedance is a managed services company that partners with insurers, MGA/MGUs, reinsurers and brokers by providing them with analytics, technology and process engineering solutions to enrich their workflows, processes and strategic programs.

Through the London office, Xceedance said it will deliver a comprehensive range of strategic and transformational services, enabling insurers to improve loss ratios, accelerate and increase profitability, gain real-time access to actionable business insights, and drive improved operational and financial performance.

London is the hub for a significant segment of worldwide insurance business and our rapidly growing company is especially skilled in supporting the full range of insurance activities, helping our global clients improve policyholder service, increase new business and grow revenues, said Arun Balakrishnan, CEO, Xceedance. We are excited to locate an office in London and expand opportunities for direct interaction with diverse P/C insurance organizations, both in London and in the EMEA region.

Justin Davies, a veteran of the London insurance market, will lead the newest international Xceedance office and act as head of the EMEA region.

Our goal is to raise awareness of the capabilities of Xceedance in the EMEA region while providing personalized service to clients, said Davies. Our clients expect one-stop insurance solutions and expertise from Xceedance. The London office allows us to efficiently align and extend the companys industry-expert resources as we work closely with brokers and re/insurers to help them launch new products, drive lean operations, implement cutting-edge technology and leverage analytic capabilities.

Davies has 25 years of experience in insurance and financial services, with a background in exposure management, catastrophe modeling, spatial analytics and geocoding. He joined Xceedance from Xuber where he was director of the Xposure business unit. Prior to Xuber, he spent more than five years at EQECAT, leading client facing strategy for the UK and Asia Pacific. He was also at Pitney Bowes for three years where he managed the UK and Ireland financial services sales team for spatial analytics product lines.

The EMEA Xceedance office is located at Bury Court, 6 Bevis Marks, London, EC3A 7BA.

Topics InsurTech Tech Property Casualty London
The family of a 14-year-old Illinois high school student who killed herself last year is suing the local school district, arguing that it neglected to follow protocols that could have prevented the teenagers death.

The lawsuit accuses Mundelein High School District 120 of not having an up-to-date suicide prevention policy at the time of Mikyla Wrens death in October 2015, as was required by a new state law. The girls family is not seeking monetary damages in the lawsuit.

We just want the school to do what theyre required to, said her father, Thomas Hannigan.

A district spokesman said the superintendent had not seen a copy of the lawsuit and could not comment. The lawsuit was filed last week.

According to the lawsuit, the girls mother asked for an immediate risk assessment from the school social work department after receiving notice from the dean that her daughter used the word suicide on her school-issued laptop. The teenager wasnt seen by her counselor until six days after the request, and she took her life five days later, the suit alleges.

Gov. Bruce Rauner signed a law in August 2015, called Ann Maries Law, mandating that all Illinois public schools provide age-appropriate suicide and depression awareness. The law also requires prevention education programs for students in kindergarten through high school.

The Mundelein High School district did not have its updated suicide awareness and prevention plan in place before the 2015-16 academic year, as required by the law, according to the lawsuit.

This is the postcard example of why this law was enacted in the first place, attorney Steven Glink said. The schools are with these kids eight hours a day. Mom did what she could, but she was completely in the dark.

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Lawsuits Illinois
Airbnb, the online lodging service that investors now believe is worth $30 billion, faces a reckoning.

In eight years of torrid growth, the company has often clashed with local public officials seeking to minimize the impact of short-term rentals on neighborhoods and urban housing markets. Now, those simmering tensions are starting to boil.

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo on Friday signed legislation that Airbnb says could seriously damage its business in New York City, the companys largest U.S. market; the company immediately filed a lawsuit in federal court seeking to overturn the law. The German capital of Berlin recently passed a law banning most short-term rentals, and Barcelona and Amsterdam are imposing steep fines for listings that violate laws there.

Airbnb is also engaged in a pitched battle in its home of San Francisco, where the company has also sued to block a new requirement that it reject booking fees from property owners who have not registered with the city.

The New York and San Francisco legal fights are a crucial test of Airbnbs business model. The company argues it cannot legally be held responsible for how landlords use its platform. If it is required to enforce local laws on short-term rentals, that could drastically reduce listings  and revenue  in some of its biggest markets.

Other cities looking to rein in Airbnb are watching the San Francisco proceedings and looking to the citys law as a potential model, said James Emery, deputy city attorney of San Francisco.

Throughout the country, people representing cities have called me to ask whats going on with the litigation, he said.

Free Speech

Airbnbs legal argument in both the San Francisco and New York cases rely on a 20-year-old statute designed to protect free speech online, known as Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act. In the San Francisco lawsuit, the company asserts that the city impermissibly treats Airbnb as the publisher or speaker of third-party content when it is merely a platform for communications between property owners and guests.

Other online marketplaces  such as Amazon, eBay , and Craigslist  have cited the same law to shield themselves from liability for any improper transactions among users of their services.

In San Francisco , U.S. District Judge James Donato said at an Oct. 6 hearing he wasnt seeing the link between free speech protections and San Franciscos short-term rental regulations. Donato is expected to issue a ruling soon.

Airbnb has also sued the Southern California city of Anaheim, home to the Disneyland theme park, and the nearby beach city of Santa Monica, over regulations that the company contends are illegal.

Illegal Business Model

Airbnb takes a cut of the revenue when a room or a home is booked and charges a service fee to guests. The company says it helps communities by enabling middle-class families to make extra money.

It also points to agreements with officials in nearly 200 locales around the world, mostly for tax collection and in some cases for broader short-term rental regulation.

Critics counter that, in popular tourist destinations, Airbnb takes affordable housing off the market, drives up home prices and disrupts neighborhoods with streams of transient visitors.

As regulatory threats loom, Airbnb on Wednesday announced it would create an online registration system for property owners and automate the enforcement of Airbnbs existing rules in New York and San Francisco, which limit operators to a single listing of an entire residence.

New York Assemblywoman Linda Rosenthal, sponsor of the New York legislation, was unimpressed by Airbnbs announcement.

Its preposterous. Maybe half their listings are illegal in New York City, she said. Its part-and-parcel of the business model.

Existing New York state law bars most urban apartment-dwellers from renting out their units for less than 30 days if they are not present.

The law signed by Cuomo on Friday bars even advertising a rental that violates that existing law, which could help regulators crack down on Airbnb itself in addition to the users of its service. In its court challenge, Airbnb said the statute penalizes the company over content posted by users, which is prohibited by federal law.

Airbnb has also said it has taken down nearly 3,000 illegal listings in New York City over the past year, and reports 44,622 total listings in the city as of Sept. 1.

Battle in Berlin

In Berlin, Airbnb is fighting a city demand that it turn over information to help enforce a new law imposing fines of up $110,000 on people renting out more than 50 percent of their homes for less than two months  among the strictest regulations worldwide.

Airbnb is confident it would find a favorable agreement with the city, said Peter Huntingford, Airbnb head of public affairs for Europe.

But with the city intent on collecting data and Airbnb intent on refusing, another legal battle looms.

If Airbnb intends to risk a trial, we are prepared to walk down that path, said Martin Pallgen, a Berlin Senate spokesman.

In Barcelona, Airbnbs third-largest market in Europe, the city is imposing fines that exceed $65,000 for listings without proper licenses. Amsterdam city officials in April started scraping data from Airbnb and other short-term rental websites to root out illegal hosts because Airbnb will not turn over details on violators.

In its Wednesday announcement, Airbnb put forward what the companys head of global policy and public affairs, Chris Lehane, called a comprehensive regulatory strategy targeted at rooting out bad actors.

But the new proposals stopped short of any commitments to share information or enforce bans on short-term rental operators, which many cities say is crucial for effective regulation.

Rising Risks

Critics contend that a large portion of Airbnb listings are offered by commercial operators with multiple properties who are essentially running illegal hotels. The company, they argue, has effectively turned many residential neighborhoods into tourist zones.

In Los Angeles, a study by the pro-labor Los Angeles Alliance for a New Economy found that property owners with two or more listings generated 44 percent of all Airbnb revenue in Los Angeles.

Airbnb, in a statement, disputed that conclusion and called the groups analysis misleading.

In New York City, the state Attorney General found that, between 2010 and 2014, more than 300,000 Airbnb reservations violated the law, representing about $304 million in booking revenue, with about $40 million of that going to Airbnb.

Public officials need to prioritize the rights of full-time residents over landlords and visitors, said Rosenthal, the New York Assemblywoman.

I represent New Yorkers, she said. I dont represent tourists, and my responsibility is not to protect their cheap deal at the expense of New Yorkers.

(Reporting by Heather Somerville in San Fancisco and Tina Bellon in Berlin. Additional reporting by Dan Levine; editing by Jonathan Weber and Brian Thevenot)

Topics Trends Legislation New York Homeowners
Companies can reduce the risk from the type of cyber attack that took out major websites on Friday by using multiple vendors for the critical internet service known as a domain name service, or DNS, companies and security experts said on Sunday.

We have advocated for years for redundancy in your infrastructure, said Kyle York, chief strategy officer for Dyn, the New Hampshire DNS provider that was attacked on Friday. I dont think you can ever be safe enough or redundant enough.

Hackers unleashed a complex attack on the internet through common devices like webcams and digital recorders and cut access to some of the worlds best known websites on Friday, a stunning breach of global internet stability.

York said clients who used multiple servers saw less of an impact.

Using multiple DNS providers can, however, make managing traffic more complicated and costly, experts said.

Fridays cyber attack alarmed security experts because it represented a new type of threat rooted in the proliferation of simple digital devices such as webcams. Such devices often lack proper security, and hackers found a way to harness millions of them to flood a target with so much traffic that it cant cope.

The attack on Dyn and the resulting outage started in the Eastern United States on Friday and then spread to other parts of the country and Europe, affecting companies including Twitter and Paypal. DNS providers such as Dyn act as a switchboard for internet traffic.

Its important to implement diversity geographically, as well as architecturally, for a defense against domain name service attacks, said Andy Ellis, chief security officer at Akamai Technologies, which helped Dyn recover on Friday.

Businesses can choose up to eight authoritative domain service providers, and some of the hardest-hit sites were customers who only picked Dyn.

Eliminating the threat from the unsecured devices that make up whats often called the Internet of Things will be a much tougher task, however. Many inexpensive webcams, connected thermostats, baby monitors and other products lack even basic security and sometimes use hard-coded passwords that are simple to break, security experts said.

Law enforcement authorities said on Friday they are investigating the attack. The tools making the new type of attack possible were released on the internet by unknown hackers last month, thus creating a long list of possible suspects.

This is the new norm, the internet wasnt designed with these kinds of attacks in mind, said cyber security expert and entrepreneur Barrett Lyon.

Long term solutions would likely require governments to take far more responsibility for mandating internet security, experts agreed.

Chinese electronics component manufacturer Hangzhou Xiongmai Technology said on Sunday that weak default passwords on its products inadvertently played a role in the cyber attack, according to a report from IDG News Service.

The company said it has patched the flaws and now is asking customers to change the default password the first time they use it.

(Additional Reporting by Joseph Menn in San Francisco and Jim Finkle in Boston; Editing by Joanthan Weber and Sandra Maler)

Topics Cyber
Gov. John Bel Edwards bumped up his request to more than $4 billion for federal flood disaster aid to repair south Louisianas flood destruction, according to a letter to the White House released Friday.

The Democratic governors earlier request totaled $2.8 billion for the flooding in August. While he praised the federal response, Edwards said updated damage estimates have driven up the price tag.

Our data on housing damages is getting more and more clear, impacts to small businesses are starting to come into view and we are just beginning to gather critical data relative to infrastructure damages, Edwards wrote to President Barack Obama. Our needs are still great.

The money would pay for rebuilding after the August flood and an earlier March flood that struck north Louisiana. Congress would have to approve the spending. Edwards is hoping for support from the Obama administration for the request.

Louisiana already has received $438 million in disaster recovery aid from Congress, leaving about $3.6 billion of Edwards request still pending.

Most of the money sought is to help homeowners, since an estimated 78 percent of homeowners with flood damage didnt have flood insurance. Other dollars are requested to aid renters and businesses, to pay for a river diversion project and to repair roads and bridges.

The state also is asking for $600 million for water management, flood control and other projects aimed at reducing the threat of future flooding.

I understand that this is a relatively new approach to disaster funding, but I believe the state of Louisiana is the ideal place to make this type of far reaching, long-sighted investment in the future of our communities, a future that relies less on federal assistance, Edwards wrote.

The governor also asked for support of proposals by U.S. Rep. Charles Boustany, a Lafayette Republican, to offer new and expanded tax breaks in the flood area, along with below-market mortgages.

Related:

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Topics Louisiana Flood
Federal regulators have fined PPG Industries in Westlake, La. $92,642 for nine serious safety violations.

The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration says the violations include failing to monitor air in confined areas, not inspecting piping safety relief valves and allowing equipment to be used without safety guards.

An employee complaint sparked the investigation on April 11. OSHAs area director in Baton Rouge, Dorinda Folse, told The American Press the lack of valve inspection was particularly dangerous.

PPG has until Oct. 26 to contest the citations and must submit proof that it has fixed each issue by Oct. 28.

PPGs Westlake facility treats silicas, a hard mineral found in rock, for use in industrial and consumer applications, such as tire manufacturing and footwear.

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Louisiana
More than two weeks after Hurricane Matthew hit North Carolina, some areas are still flooded and others are beginning the long process of recovery.

In North Carolina, the hurricane dumped more than a foot of rain 100 miles inland, causing massive flooding in the eastern part of the state. Towns such as Princeville, Lumberton and Fair Bluff were inundated.

A look at recovery efforts:

Whats Still Flooded?

The National Weather Service shows that there are still flood warnings in effect for the Kinston area, Lumberton and for parts of Craven County.

A National Weather Service chart shows the Neuse River was still above moderate flood stage Friday in Kinston, and not expected to dip below flood stage until Sunday. An inundation map shows there is still flooding in Kinston. Downstream, a flood gauge at Fort Barnwell in Craven County was still at moderate flood stage

The Lumber River at Lumberton was still at flood stage, and wasnt expected to below that until early Monday. The Tar River at Greenville was just below flood stage Friday, and a weather service map showed some areas were still flooded along the river.

___

Damage and Road Closures

Where floodwaters have receded, areas from Raleigh to the coast were starting to clean up.

Flooding from Hurricane Matthew caused $1.5 billion in damage to 100,000 homes, businesses and government buildings, according to a state estimate created through computer modeling. That figure is just one piece of the overall picture of how the storm affected the state financially. For example, it doesnt include the cost of repairing damaged roads and bridges or replacing items inside damaged buildings, which are often covered by insurance policies.

As of Friday morning, there were still over 400 road closures around the state, Department of Transportation spokesman Steve Abbott said. The state didnt have an estimate of how much it would cost to repair damaged roads, bridges and other infrastructure.

Sections of Interstates 40 and 95 have reopened.

Gov. Pat McCrory announced Wednesday that he established a statewide recovery committee.

I saw firsthand as I traveled the state how the strong waters from the Lumber, Neuse, Cape Fear and Tar Rivers tragically forced people from their homes and businesses. But those waters also brought out the best of North Carolina, McCrory said. Rising waters can crumble our roads and flood our communities, but they cannot wash away our resilience or the spirit to rebuild.

The storm was blamed for at least 27 deaths in North Carolina.

___

Housing

The number of people living in shelters continues to drop, state officials said Friday.

Emergency management officials said 816 people were living in 16 shelters, down from a high of 4,071 people in 81 shelters on Oct. 9, just after Hurricane Matthew struck.

Those numbers dont include people living with friends or family on a temporary basis.

Both Gov. Pat McCrory and FEMA officials say finding housing is a top priority. Possible solutions include hotels that FEMA covers. In some cases, FEMA will cover up to 18 months of rent for apartments or homes.

More than 48,000 people in North Carolina have applied for in individual disaster assistance from FEMA, and the agency has approved more than $33 million of the aid, said agency spokeswoman Hannah Vick.

___

Agriculture

Crops threatened by flooding from the storm include soybeans, cotton, peanuts and sweet potatoes, said state Agriculture Department spokesman Brian Long. There isnt a statewide estimate of crop losses yet, nor have most counties done individual tallies.

I think theres some cautious optimism for sweet potatoes. If they didnt sit underwater for too terribly long, the yield loss may not be as great and the quality loss may not be as great, Long said.

Poultry losses include about 1.8 million dead birds, with nearly all being chickens, Long said. The state grows about 800 million birds per year. About 2,800 pigs were lost out of about 9 million.

Long also pointed out that many farmers had damage to equipment, barns and homes.

The USDA runs disaster assistance programs for farmers in addition to crop insurance and other outlets for relief they may have.

___

Charities

The Salvation Army and the American Red Cross are helping, as are other charities.

The American Red Cross is using a 10-stage, 50-acre EUE/Screen Gems Studio in Wilmington as district headquarters for disaster relief efforts for 13 counties in the Cape Fear region.

More than 400 volunteers have come through.

Its what you do for your neighbors, Bill Vassar, executive vice president at EUE/Screen Gems, said in a news release.

In Fayetteville, the Salvation Armys Angel Tree program is preparing for more families who need help with Christmas gifts, The Fayetteville Observer reported.

Stacey Prevette, a spokeswoman for the Salvation Army of Fayetteville, said she expects between 450 to 500 additional applications from families to participate in the Angel Tree program, which provides gifts for children of needy families. About 1,250 applications were submitted last year.

___

Pets

The ASPCA was caring for 174 animals displaced by Hurricane Matthew at a shelter in St. Pauls in Robeson County as of Friday. More than 60 pets have been reunited with their owners, ASPCA spokeswoman Kelly Krause said in a phone interview.

She says people who cant get to the shelter can call or send photo of their pet.

Krause says the ASPCA has assisted about 300 pets in North Carolina.

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Flood Hurricane Agribusiness North Carolina
A Florida man arrested last year after police mistook doughnut glaze in his car for meth is suing the city of Orlando and a drug-testing kit company.

The Orlando Sentinel reports Daniel Rushing filed a lawsuit last week, claiming negligence by the city and the kits manufacturer.

Rushing was arrested on drug charges last December when Orlando police officers spotted four tiny flakes of glaze on his floorboard and thought they were pieces of crystal methamphetamine. Rushing told officers it was likely sugar from Krispy Kreme doughnuts hed eaten, but two roadside drug tests were positive for the illegal substance.

A state crime lab test cleared Rushing several weeks later and charges were dropped.

Orlando police have said the arrest was lawful. The paper sats the city declined comment.

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Lawsuits Florida
Former California state Sen. Ron Calderon was sentenced Friday to 31/2 years in prison in a corruption scandal in which he acknowledged taking bribes in exchange for his influence in Sacramento.

U.S. District Court Judge Christina Snyder imposed the sentence in Los Angeles after listening to Calderon emotionally ask to remain under house arrest or at least get me home to my family sooner.

Federal prosecutors had asked for a 5-year prison term in a blistering brief that mocked Calderon for making false and misleading claims about bribes he accepted and distorting his previous admissions in court.

Defendant asks this court to endorse his view that an elected official who repeatedly and egregiously abuses the trust of the electorate warrants essentially the lowest possible sanction for a federal conviction, Assistant U.S. Attorney Mack Jenkins wrote. Defendants requested sentence would permit (Calderon) to continue to trivialize his corrupt actions, as he does throughout his sentencing position, and continue to evade true accountability.

Calderon was ordered to report to prison Jan. 3.

The sentencing brought an end to an ugly chapter in California politics that saw three state Democratic senators indicted in 2014. It also tarnishes what was a Calderon political dynasty in the suburbs of Los Angeles.

Calderon, 59, pleaded guilty to a single count of mail fraud in June and admitted to soliciting more than $155,000 in payments or financial benefits in exchange for supporting or blocking legislation.

He took $12,000 worth of trips to Las Vegas from an undercover FBI agent who posed as the owner of a Los Angeles movie studio seeking his support for film tax credits, though the legislation never passed, according to his signed plea agreement. The agent hired Calderons daughter for a $3,000 a month no-show job and paid $5,000 toward his sons college tuition.

Calderon also acknowledged helping a hospital owner maintain a massive health care fraud scheme in exchange for hiring his son for $10,000 over three summers for no more than 15 days of work a season filing papers.

The defendants brother, ex-Assemblyman Thomas Calderon, was also caught up in the FBI investigation.

Thomas Calderon, 62, a political consultant, pleaded guilty to laundering some of the bribes and was recently sentenced to 10 months in prison. Half of that term was to be served at home.

The two Montebello Democrats had followed their older brother, Charles Calderon, to Sacramento, where he served in both chambers of the Legislature before they were elected.

After the indictments came down against his brothers, Charles Calderon lost a race for a seat on the Los Angeles County Superior Court bench. His son, Ian Calderon, is a Democrat in the state Assembly.

The legal troubles for the two younger Calderon brothers in 2014 came at an embarrassing time for Senate Democrats. Fellow Sens. Leland Yee and Rod Wright were facing unrelated felony charges.

All three were suspended, though they continued to be paid under rules later reversed by voters to give state lawmakers the ability to suspend colleagues pay and voting power if accused of wrongdoing in office.

Yee, of San Francisco, was sentenced to five years in federal prison in an organized crime case centered in San Franciscos Chinatown. Wright was convicted of lying about living outside his Los Angeles district and sentenced to three months in jail.

Jaime Regalado, a political science professor at California State University, Los Angeles, said the convictions of the Calderons were symbolically important, but he didnt think they would have a big impact on future corruption.

The public would like to think the convictions and sentences of Tom and Ron would help clean up Sacramento and the body politic, as well as strike fear in the hearts of legislators who are willing to engage in illegal gambits with the publics money, Regalado said. But the reality is weve seen this time and again.  Theres a lot of greed that continues to go around, so this will be a drop in the pan.

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Topics California Legislation
Un ottobre da sogno per Antonio Conte: lex ct della Nazionale italiana, attualmente alla guida del Chelsea, nelle ultime quattro gare di Premier League ha collezionato solo successi, conditi da 11 reti segnate e addirittura nessuna incassata. Numeri da record che non sono certo passati inosservati alla Federazione inglese, la quale ha conferito al tecnico leccese lambito premio di Manager del mese.

Unavventura oltremanica iniziata in sordina, quella di Conte, pur a fronte di tre vittorie nelle prime tre gare di campionato. A far vacillare, anche se solo per un momento, le certezze del patron del club londinese, Roman Abramovich, i risultati conseguiti tra la 4a e la 6a giornata, coincisi con un pareggio sul campo dello Swansea City e, soprattutto, con le due pesanti sconfitte subite dal Liverpool, sul terreno casalingo di Stamford Bridge, e dallArsenal. In particolare, la debacle interna coi Reds, aveva irritato non poco il numero uno russo, poiche occorsa proprio nel giorno della sua 250esima partita da presidente della societa.

Come detto, solo un momento. Dopo lincontro dellEmirates, il tecnico salentino cambia modulo, adottando un piu equilibrato 3-4-3 e inserendo elementi di corsa come lo spagnolo Pedro. Una svolta totale perche, di li in poi, il Chelsea inanellera solo e soltanto vittorie: 2 gol allHull City e al Southampton in trasferta, 3 ai campioni dInghilterra del Leicester e 4 allo United in casa, con un meraviglioso numero zero nella casella delle reti subite. Un fantastico poker, ottenuto tra l1 e il 29 ottobre. Un cambio di marcia sbalorditivo, confermato dal 5 a 0 rifilato ai toffees dellEverton nel primo match di novembre, e una scalata che, man mano, ha portato i blues al secondo posto in classifica, a soli 2 punti dal Liverpool capolista.

E allora, non poteva mancare il riconoscimento di migliore allenatore del mese, ottenuto surclassando tecnici del calibro di Jurgen Klopp (Liverpool), Arsene Wenger (Arsenal) e Mark Hughes (Southampton). Tanta, ovviamente, la soddisfazione: E un grande onore e voglio condividerlo con i giocatori e con la societa  ha dichiarato Conte sul sito ufficiale della Premier League -. E la prima volta che lavoro in un altro Paese, con una cultura diversa, e portare la propria filosofia non e facile, ma ora sono contento di questa scelta.

A completare la festa, la premiazione del fantasista belga, Eden Hazard, come miglior giocatore di ottobre. Due risultati importanti per il club, ottimo incentivo per la rincorsa al trono dei campioni, occupato dal Leicester di Ranieri. Il prossimo appuntamento per l11 di Conte sara al Riverside Stadium, tana del Middlesborough neopromosso. Il tempo di festeggiare e gia finito.
How Can Family Be Factored Into Retirement Planning?

Factoring family into your retirement planand other aspects of annual financial planningoften calls for significant change. Your retirement plan when youre married, for instance, will look completely different from when you were single. You not only have to consider your own needs and retirement dreams, but you also have to consider your spouses. Children's college savings, caring for elderly parents, and even helping out extended family members will often have to play into one's retirement goals and how to achieve them.

Let's look at how your family might factor into your retirement plans and how to manage the challenges that come with considering multiple peoples priorities.



Key Takeaways Finances can change significantly when factoring in family members and key life events.

If you have kids or parents who rely on you for support, financial or otherwise, that further complicates your planning.

Key challenges or milestones to plan for or address when retirement planning with families include saving for college, caregiving for elderly parents, and the actual timing for retirement.

There are key strategies families should undertake, such as funding retirement accounts before education savings and getting long-term care and life insurance for aging parents.

When you make an annual financial planor update the plans you've already madeyou need to review these needs and see what might require adjustments.

Understanding How Family Can Be Factored Into Retirement Planning

Some financial advisors have the following piece of advice: you can get a student loan to go to college, but there's no such loan for retirement. Still, prioritizing a child's education should not be something to feel guilty about, and there are ways to accommodate both goals of college savings and a comfortable retirement later on.

At the same time, adults may find that they suddenly have to care for elderly parents who may have health issues or are unable to properly fend for themselves. Again, there are ways to avoid having such family issues interfere with retirement.

Saving for Kids to Attend College

Many parents want to pay for their kids to attend college, but feel the pull of competing financial demands. College saving can be a daunting task, especially with multiple children, says Michael Briggs, an investment adviser representative with NEXT Financial Group at Horizon Investment Management Group in East Longmeadow, MA. The advice I give my clients is, when having to choose between college saving and your own retirement, always choose your own retirement first.

Parents contributions to their own individual retirement accounts (IRAs) can be used for their childrens educational expenses. The annual contribution limitestablished by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS)to both traditional and Roth IRAs is $6,000 for 2021 and 2022. For individuals aged 50 and over, they can deposit a catch-up contribution of $1,000.

On the other hand, if you place money in a 529 plan, it cant be used for non-educational purposes without paying taxes and penalties.

Just think of being on a planethey tell you to put your own mask on first and then help the other person. The same applies when choosing where to put your funds, Briggs adds.

Another benefit of prioritizing retirement savings over education savings is that money in qualified retirement accounts isnt counted as an asset on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). That means they dont count toward your familys expected financial contribution.

Sharon Marchisello, author of the personal finance ebook "Live Cheaply, Be Happy, Grow Wealthy," agrees that funding retirement should be higher on your list than sending the kids to college. Your kids have other options for paying for collegeincluding scholarships, part-time work, and student loansbut you won't be able to borrow your way through retirement.

You help your children more by being self-sufficient, so you don't have to ask for their support in your old age, said Marchisello.

Many financial advisors recommend to first plan what you'll be saving for retirement; then see what you might be able to put aside to help with college for your children.

Caregiving for Elderly Parents

Speaking of caring for parents who arent financially self-sufficient in their old age, review whether this burden is likely to fall on your family. If the answer is yes, there are proactive steps you can take to defray how caregiving for elderly parents could derail your current and future financial plans.

Long-Term Care Insurance

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services estimates that about 70% of Americans who turned 65 will need some kind of long-term care services. Long-term care can be financially devastating. According to Genworths 2020 Cost of Care Survey, a month in a private room in a nursing home, costs nearly $8,821. Imagine paying that expense for months or even years.

It's best to start planning for this before your parents are actually elderly. If your parents are approaching age 60 and you can afford long-term care insurance, paying the premium now may save you much more later if a parent needs to go into a nursing home, says Oscar Vives Ortiz, a CPA financial planner with PNC Wealth Management in the Tampa Bay-St. Petersburg area of Florida.

Ask yourself whether this is the year you need to buy long-term care insurance for any of your parentsor make sure that those parents have purchased it for themselves. For every year that you postpone buying this insurance, you face higher rates based on the insureds increased age; rates can increase even further if health problems develop, or it might become impossible to get insurance at all. If your parents are paying, be sure they keep up with the premiumssometimes, you can sign up to be alerted if an older person hasn't been paying the bills.

Either life insurance or an annuity with a long-term care component offers an alternative to long-term care insurance that may be more practical for some families.

While you and your spouse are planning for your parents' long-term care needs, you should be thinking about your own as well.

Richard Reyes, a certified financial planner for The Financial Quarterback, says that planning for long-term care can also give you more flexibility in that you wont have to depend on the government, your children, or your neighbors to take care of you; youll be able to call the shots.

If you have no care insurance or have not planned adequately for care, then obviously the only flexibility you have is what others have planned for you, Reyes says.

If you go on Medicaid, your care will be what the government prescribes it is, and who takes care of you is based on where and when there is space available for younot a great solution, he adds.

There are also many problems with depending on the family. Your kids may not live nearby or may have their own issues, concerns, and families to take care of. A spouse you depend on will likely be close to your age and have diminished physical capacities.

When someone gives me lip about having long-term care, I tell one of the spouses to lie down on the floor and ask the other to pick them up and carry them all around the house and in and out of their vehicle, Reyes says.

Life Insurance

Life insurance with a living benefit or long-term care rider can help pay for long-term care as its needed. But life insurance can also be a tool for reimbursing family members who help with long-term care after the loved one who needed that care passes away.

If you feel that you have to spend some of your money taking care of your elderly parents, then try to make sure that any life insurance policies that they have listed you as a beneficiary to repay you and replenish your investments upon their death, says Rick Sabo, a financial planner with RPS Financial Solutions in Gibsonia, PA.

If your parents dont have life insurance, cant afford it, and are likely to rely on you for help when theyre older, talk to them about purchasing a guaranteed universal life insurance policy that you and your spouse will pay the premiums on. Unlike term life insurance, which your parents could outlive, you can purchase guaranteed universal life insurance that lasts until age 121, making it essentially a permanent policy, but at a much lower cost than whole life insurance.

You and your spouse may also want to carry your own life insurance policies. The younger you are when you purchase it, the less expensive it will be. The policys death benefit could be a godsend if a breadwinner or homemaker passes away prematurely.

Retirement Timing

People of any age can start establishing retirement goals by thinking about how they want to live during retirement. Saving will be much easier when you know what youre saving for, says Kevin Gallegos, vice president of Phoenix sales and operations with Freedom Financial Network, an online financial service for consumer debt settlement, mortgage shopping, and personal loans.

Think about where you will live, if you will move to a smaller home, whether you plan on traveling, and whether you will want to work part-time. Plan to live on 80% to 85% of your current income once you retire.

To fully understand what your retirement income will be, make sure you understand any pension youre entitled to, review all your investments, and estimate your Social Security income, Gallegos says.

Planning retirement with a spouse is more complicated than planning retirement for just yourself. Youll need to create a shared vision for what your retirement will look like. Youll also need to agree on whether youll both stop working at the same time or whether it makes sense for one spouse to retire first.

Age differences between spouses are common, and these can create issues in retirement planning. At retirement, if you are 66 and your spouse is 62, for example, you will be able to get health insurance through Medicare, but your spouse wont until age 65. Thats an expense of potentially $600 to $700 a month for premiums that you must plan for, Reyes says.

Other issues to sort out include when to claim Social Security, how one spouses claiming decision could affect the others benefits, and how to claim pension benefits in a way that will be most beneficial to the spouse.

Should I Save Money to Take Care of My Elderly Parents? An alternative to saving money for elder care is to buy a long-term care (LTC) insurance policy. These cover many of the costs of assisted living or nursing care and can relieve the financial burden from children. Life insurance is another option that can effectively "pay back" a loved one upon death for costs incurred in their older days.

What Can I Do If My Aging Parents Cant Afford to Retire? Unfortunately, even a life of hard work does not always mean one can afford to retire. While social security can help, often adult children will step up to help. But first, be sure that your parents are living within a reasonable and appropriate budget, and not splurging with the assistance you (and other family members) may be giving. You can also encourage them to keep working, with many employment opportunities now available to people of all ages, including older adults. You can also try to research various government programs at the state or federal level to help defray costs.

How Should I Factor My Disabled Siblings Into My Retirement? Disability can be expensive and emotionally taxing. Thinking ahead and owning a long-term disability income insurance policy can certainly help, as it replaces the income lost due to a disability, sometimes for a lifetime. Depending on the level of disability, you may also want to consider establishing a special needs trust, a legal arrangement that allows you to take responsibility for their finances and have them continue to receive income without reducing their eligibility for the public assistance disability benefits provided by Social Security, Supplemental Security Income, Medicare, or Medicaid.

The Bottom Line

Annual financial planning for a family requires considering the needs and desires of everyone involved. You need to make strategic decisions about funding your retirement, helping children with their college expenses, caring for elderly parents, purchasing long-term care insurance and life insurance, and timing your retirement and that of your spouse.

If you plan for each of these items and learn about the different options and consequences of each choice, youre less likely to face unpleasant surprises and financial struggles that could prevent you from retiring when and how you want. Once you have a basic plan, review these decisions and expenditures each year to see whether any adjustments need to be made.


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Leaked details about's cast contract has been revealed. The cast of the Bravo New Zealand show signed away their privacy, the perpetual right to use their name, likeness, nickname and voice "throughout the universe", and gave producers the right to tell them untruths for "dramatic effect," check out the juicy details below!According to an obtained copy of show's contract bywhich cast members Anne Batley-Burton, Michelle Blanchard, Gilda Kirkpatrick, Angela Stone, Louise Wallace and Sloane signed.The cast were each paid $15,000 to appear in the show, the contract shows.The all-encompassing contract saw cast wave away a host of rights, as well as allowing for the use of embarrassing and unfavourable depictions - factual or fictional.Licence was given for "dramatic effect" with the producer given permission to make statements related to any topic - true, partially true or untrue.The housewives also gave the producer of the show the right to use their name, likeness, voice and biographical material - not just throughout the world but also "the universe in perpetuity".By signing the 25-page contract, cast members also accepted that "appearance, depiction and portrayal in connection with the series" and their "actions and the actions of others in connection with the series" may be "disparaging, embarrassing or of an otherwise unfavourable nature and may portray me in a bad light."Other clauses in the contract wavered the right to privacy - even with regard to the disclosure of medical and psychiatric information.Along with agreeing not to change their appearance, hair colour, weight, facial characteristics the cast also agreed not to leave New Zealand without written permission.And even before the cast were selected they had to agree to full background checks - including police, medical and psychological reports.The producers and network reserved the right to "remove or replace" cast members "for any reason whatsoever."For all the demands placed on the cast they were awarded some rights:If they felt racially or sexually harrassed or threatened with the conduct of anyone connected with the series the cast member had the right to contact the producer without being penalised.Check out more secret details about the show's contract below: Cast contracted to participate in advertising, publicity, blogs, video diaries and webisodes Producers gain approval to use of name, voice, imagery and other intellectual property "throughout the universe, in perpetuity" Have to participate in "get togethers" with cast at producer's discretion Paid $15,000 for working on first season of the show Can not change appearance without written approval from producer For "dramatic effect" can be told statements that are "true, partially true or untrue" by producers Personal, medical, psychiatric or other information may be disclosed The use of hidden cameras or recording devices cannot be used Contract can be terminated in the event of "death, serious illness or serious injury to an inmediate family member" or "serious illness or serious injury" to cast memberBatley Burton - known as the Champagne Lady - told the NZ Hearld that she had her lawyer friend look over the contract and he highlighted a few things but she "wanted to do the show so went for it.""I just thought I know I am a good person and I had seen the overseas versions so trusted the integrity of the brand," she said."I thought I'd take a chance, as far as I was concerned there were women going back and doing it again and again. I thought regardless of the contract they are all pretty happy so I went for it."Batley Burton was thrilled with how the show turned out and how she was portrayed. She said Champagne sales had boomed and she had new volunteers around Auckland feeding stray cats.The finale to the most explosive reality series in New Zealand history aired last week, The show consisted of ten episodes, including the very controversial episode where Julia Sloane used a racial slur to co-star Michelle Blanchard by calling her the N word.The network has not made any announcements whether or not the show will be renewed for a second season.Photo Credit: Bravo NZ
Christian bakers found to have discriminated against a gay man by refusing to make a cake bearing a pro-gay marriage slogan have lost their appeal against the ruling.

The owners of Belfast-based Ashers declined an order placed by gay activist Gareth Lee, claiming the message was inconsistent with their deeply held religious beliefs.

Last year, they were found to have breached equality legislation following a high-profile court case in Belfast.

The appeal was heard before three senior judges at Belfast's Court of Appeal in May, with the reserved judgment delivered this morning.

Mr Lee, a member of the LGBT advocacy group Queer Space, had wanted a cake featuring Sesame Street puppets Bert and Ernie with the phrase "Support Gay Marriage" for a private function marking International Day Against Homophobia.

He paid the 36.50 cost in full at Ashers' Belfast city centre branch but was telephoned two days later and told the company could not fulfil his order.

Through the legal proceedings, Daniel McArthur, the company's general manager, insisted Mr Lee's sexuality was never an issue, rather the message he wanted the bakery to create.

Mr Lee claimed the episode left him feeling like a lesser person.

In the original case, District Judge Isobel Brownlie ruled that religious beliefs could not dictate the law and ordered the firm to pay damages of 500.

Ashers, a name with Biblical connotations, has six branches, employs more than 80 people and delivers across the UK and Ireland.

Daniel McArthur from Ashers bakery says "anti-democratic" equality laws need to change. Says family + lawyers will consider further appeal. pic.twitter.com/xKUMtiUobX  David Young (@DavidYoungPA) October 24, 2016

Throughout the legal battle they have been supported by The Christian Institute, which has organised public rallies and garnered financial backing for the case.

Mr Lee's case was taken in conjunction with the Northern Ireland Equality Commission.

In delivering the appeal judgment, Northern Ireland's Lord Chief Justice Declan Morgan said Ashers had directly discriminated.

He rejected the argument that the bakery would be endorsing the slogan by baking the cake.

"The fact that a baker provides a cake for a particular team or portrays witches on a Halloween cake does not indicate any support for either," he said.

In a 30-minute ruling, Justice Morgan said the original judgment had been correct in finding that "as a matter of law" Ashers had "discriminated against the respondent directly on the grounds of sexual orientation contrary to the Equality Act (Sexual Orientation) Regulations 2006".

The judge did however include some criticism of the NI Equality Commission.

He said the publicly funded body should also have offered the McArthur family advice during the case, as the bakers believed their rights as people of faith within the commercial sphere were being undermined.

Mr Lee was embraced and shook hands with supporters after the judges left the court.

Members of the McArthur family sat impassively on the front bench of the public gallery as the rest of the crowded court emptied.

Emerging from the Royal Courts of Justice in Belfast city centre, Mr Lee made a brief statement expressing his relief.

"The only thing that I would like to say is I'm relieved and very grateful to the Court of Appeal for the judgment," he said.

Outside court, Daniel McArthur said he was "extremely disappointed" by the ruling.

Standing with his father Colin, mother Karen and wife Amy, he said the family would be taking legal advice on whether there was a way to appeal against the judgment.

"If equality law means people can be punished for politely refusing to support other people's causes then equality law needs to change," he said.

"This ruling undermines democratic freedom, it undermines religious freedom and it undermines free speech."

Thanking all the family's supporters, he ended his comments with a passionate declaration of his Christian faith.

"It's been a trying time but we are thankful to God and his faithfulness to us through everything - he is still on the throne, he is the ruler of heaven and of earth and he is our God and we worship and we honour him," he said.
A man is due in court this morning over an assault in the Donnybrook area of Dublin at the weekend.

A 50-year-old man entered the local Garda station at about 10am on Saturday morning, with what's believed to have been stab wounds.
Iraqi forces have fought their way into two villages near Mosul as the offensive to retake the extremist-held city entered its second week.

Meanwhile, a rights group has called for a probe into a suspected air strike which hit a mosque on Friday, killing more than a dozen civilians.

Iraqi special forces began shelling IS positions before dawn near Bartella, a historically Christian town to the east of Mosul which they had retaken last week.

With patriotic music blaring from loudspeakers on their Humvees, they then pushed into the village of Tob Zawa, about five miles from Mosul, amid heavy clashes.

The Iraqi Federal Police, a military-style force, pushed into a small village in the Shura district south of Mosul, where they fired a large anti-aircraft gun and rocket-propelled grenades as they battled Islamic State (IS) militants.

They later appeared to have secured the village, a cluster of squat homes on a desert plain, and handed out water and other aid to civilians.

The US-led coalition said it had carried out six air strikes near Mosul, destroying 19 fighting positions and 17 vehicles, as well as rocket and mortar launchers, artillery and tunnels.

Human Rights Watch has called for an investigation into last week's purported air strike in northern Iraq which struck the women's section of a Shia mosque in the town of Daquq.

The strike happened amid a large IS assault on the nearby city of Kirkuk which was meant to distract the Iraqi forces and their allies from the massive operation around Mosul, the country's second largest city.

The IS attack on Kirkuk, about 100 miles south-east of Mosul, lasted for two days and killed at least 80 people, mainly members of the Kurdish security forces, who assumed control of the city in 2014 as Iraqi forces crumbled before an IS advance.

Human Rights Watch said Daquq's residents believe Friday's attack was an air strike because of the extent of the destruction and because planes could be heard flying overhead.

The New York-based watchdog said at least 13 people were reported killed.

The US-led coalition and the Iraqi military, which are waging the offensive to drive IS from Mosul, are the only parties known to be flying military aircraft over Iraq.

US military spokesman Col John Dorrian said the coalition had "definitively determined" that it did not conduct the air strike that killed civilians in Daquq, and had shared its findings with the Iraqi government, which is carrying out its own investigation.

"The Coalition uses precision munitions and an exhaustive process to reduce the possibility of civilian casualties and collateral damage because the preservation of civilian life is (of) paramount importance to us," Col Dorrian said.

Iraqi Brig Gen Yahya Rasool, the spokesman for the Joint Military Command, confirmed the Iraqi government was investigating the attack.

He declined to say whether Iraqi or coalition planes were flying in the area at the time of the explosion.

As in Kirkuk, IS launched an attack on the western Iraqi town of Rutba, hundreds of miles away from Mosul, on Sunday.

Brig Gen Rasool said the situation there "is completely under control", and IS militants have no presence inside the town.

But Col Dorrian, the coalition spokesman, said "Iraqi forces continue to attack the enemy with coalition air support" in Rutba, and that "operations are ongoing".

He said coalition air strikes have destroyed five IS vehicles and killed a "significant" number of militants in the town, in Iraq's sprawling Anbar province.

The IS-run Aamaq news agency posted a video online that it said showed fighters attacking a military position on Sunday north of Rutba.

It said several groups of fighters had infiltrated the town, setting off two car bombs, while other militants attacked the perimeter. Those claims could not be independently confirmed.

The campaign to retake Mosul comes after months of planning and involves more than 25,000 Iraqi troops, Kurdish forces, Sunni tribal fighters and state-sanctioned Shia militias. It is expected to take weeks, if not months, to drive IS out of Iraq's second largest city, which is still home to more than a million people.

The militants captured Mosul in the summer of 2014, when they swept across much of northern and western Iraq. IS has suffered a series of setbacks over the past year, and Mosul is its last major urban bastion in Iraq.
A two-day stand-off between police and a man said to be in possession of dangerous items including petrol and combustibles has ended.

Officers forced their way into the address in Northolt, west London, and detained a man at around 8.10pm this evening, Scotland Yard said.

Up to 80 people have been evacuated from addresses in the immediate area as a precaution.

People, identified by local residents as family members of a man involved in a stand-off with armed police are lead away from the scene, after helping the police in their negotiations to end the stand-off with the man.

A full search of the property is under way to ensure the area is safe and local residents can return to their homes as quickly as possible, police said.

Police were called to the property on Wood End Lane shortly before 1am on Saturday after reports of concern for an occupant and that hazardous articles were inside.

Negotiations with the man were unsuccessful, prompting police to attempt to gain access to the property.

The Met said its priority had been to get the man out of the address safely.

A family member of a man involved in a stand-off with armed police is taken away from the scene, after helping the police in their negotiations to end the stand-off.

Chief Superintendent Paul Martin said: "I am really pleased that this incident has now ended, and importantly ended without anyone coming to harm.

"Our key priority throughout this was to get the man out of the address safely as we had growing concerns about his well-being and believed him to be in crisis.

"After attempts to negotiate over a number of days did not work, we used specialist officers to work out how we could gain entry to the address as safely as we could. They did that this evening."

Mr Martin stressed that searches of the property will be conducted "as quickly as we can to make sure people get home".

He added: "I would like to thank all the local residents, especially those who were hugely disrupted by not being able to return to their homes, for their patience and co-operation."

There is no suggestion the incident was terror-related or linked to any other ongoing police operation or investigation.
Polish women put black clothes back on and returned to the streets to launch another round of protests against efforts by the nation's conservative leaders to tighten abortion laws.

A large group gathered outside the parliament building in Warsaw, condemning the Catholic Church's influence on political life and chanting "We have had enough".

Similar protests took place in other cities across the country.

The street protests are expected to have their culmination on Monday, when some women are also planning a strike, boycotting jobs and classes.

Similar protests took place earlier this month against a proposal for a total ban on abortion.

But politicians rejected that proposal after massive crowds of women dressed in black staged streets protests under their umbrellas in the rain.

The latest round of demonstrations, held under the slogan "We are not folding up our umbrellas", was organised in response to a new proposal that would fall short of a total ban - but outlaw abortions in cases where foetuses are unviable or badly damaged.

Jaroslaw Kaczynski, the head of the ruling Law and Justice party, said recently he wants a new law that would ensure that women carry their foetuses to term even in cases of Down Syndrome or when there is no chance of survival.

The move would allow for baptisms and burials, Mr Kaczynski said.

His socially conservative party won parliamentary and presidential elections last year with the support of Poland's powerful Roman Catholic church, Catholic media outlets and religious voters.

Many observers see the attempts to further restrict abortion as a way for the party to repay its debt to its religious base.

However, the proposals have proven too restrictive for many Poles, including some who voted for the party.

Abortion was legal and easily available under communism in Poland, but after communism's fall the country re-embraced many of its Catholic traditions.

The current law, passed in 1993, bans most abortions, with exceptions only made in cases of rape, if the mother's life or health is at risk, or if the foetus is irreparably damaged.

In many cases, however, doctors have declared themselves conscientious objectors to abortions and refuse to perform them even in those cases.

Official statistics show there were 1,040 legal abortions in Poland last year, although many more abortions are known to take place, with women or travelling to neighbouring countries for the procedure or ordering abortion-inducing pills online.
ELECTORAL fever in the US has provided Cork start-up firm, Vconnecta, with a ready market for an innovative canvassing-and-voter management software product, called e-canvasser.

Customers include congressional campaign organisers, candidates running for elected offices (such as sheriff, mayor, judge), and for positions on school bodies and local councils.

We have now sold to 590 campaigns in countries which included the UK, New Zealand, Australia and Austria, as well as the US and Canada, which are our largest markets, accounting for 90% of revenues, said company founder and CEO Brendan Finucane.

The US represents a vast opportunity for Vconnecta. Although global media attention might be focused on the presidential campaign, Mr. Finucane says that this is just one of many elections across the US.

The US has one million campaigns over a four-to-five year period and it has in the region of half a million elected representatives, says Mr Finucane.

He also says that while many US-based companies target the high-profile campaigns, Vconnecta is selling to candidates contesting smaller races.

The company also sells to non-governmental agencies and community groups, which are pursuing issue-based agendas rather than political ones.

Having gone to market with a product specifically designed for political campaigns, Vconnecta has identified demand from local government agencies involved in public consultation.

Customers include Hamilton City Council, which is using the software to consult with 1,000 residents about proposed changes in a railway line.

The demand is such that Vconnecta has developed a separate product, Civus Connect, which is being launched in November.

Says Mr. Finucane: This offers a much larger market opportunity than political campaigns  every local government agency in the world engages in public consultation. As demand is consistent and not dependent on election campaigns, it offers a more stable revenue model.

Next month, the company expects to conclude a 750,000 funding round, which will allow it to employ additional staff and develop sales in other English-speaking markets.

We aim to grow our staff size from ten up to 17 in 2017, and are targeting a turnover of over 1m by 2018.

The first version of e-canvasser was developed by Mr. Finucane as his final year project for a business information systems course at UCC, in 2012.

Out on a canvass that year, he realised that the smartphones the canvassers were carrying in their pockets would be more efficient than the traditional pen and clipboard.

His solution was an app that connects canvassers to campaign headquarters and is used to organise the canvass and also to collect and analyse data.

The upgraded model, launched this year, offers a wide range of functions, including identifying voter issues, identifying swing voters, and predicting election outcomes.

Establishing Vconnecta in 2012, Mr. Finucane signed up for the Ignite start-up programme, in UCC, and raised 150,000 in angel funding, which allowed him to take on his first employee.

Launching in 2014, Vconnecta found the Irish market fairly unreceptive. During 2015, it redeveloped the product for international sale and set its sights on the US market.

Recognised as a high-potential start-up by Enterprise Ireland last year, it also raised a further 500,000.

Since January this year, the solution has been selling on ecanvasser.com, on an SAAS basis, charging $49 monthly for use with 10,000 voters, and up to $2,000 monthly for customers with 500,000 voters.

The company uses digital marketing and search-engine optimisation  as well as blogs  to reach its target markets.
Macra will host 3,000 members with a programme of activities that comprise an event that is simply known to all in the organisation as The Rally.

Activities will combine local farm tours, an agricultural conference, and several national competition finals, as well as social events including a fancy dress party and a banquet.

The programme will begin in the Radisson Blu Hotel on Friday and run to Monday, October 31, with the GVM Group as main sponsor.

Macra was founded in 1944 by Stephen Cullinan, a rural science teacher, and others. It now has 200 clubs with some 8,000 members between the ages of 17 and 35.

It is engaged in six key areas of activity, agriculture, sports, travel, public speaking, community involvement and performing arts. More than 250,000 young people have passed through its ranks over the years.

Headed by Sean Finan, president, and newly appointed chief executive Denis Duggan, it is committed to the personal development of members and puts emphasis on social interaction and participation.

In all, about a third of Macra na Feirme members are involved in farming; men make up 60% of membership and women 40%.

The ethos of Macra today is very similar to its beginnings  providing a social outlet and a chance for personal development. But it is no longer solely focused on young farmers it is for everyone.

Access to higher education was not easy in the post-war era in which it was founded. The pressure for jobs was not as frantic as it is now. And society in general moved at a much slower pace.

Yet, many people from that period went on to hold important public positions.

Others go on to become business and community leaders, with Macra providing many of them with the skills they need to succeed.
Played with adroit drollness by former Nixon speechwriter Ben Stein, the teacher attempts to explain the Laffer Curve.

One student wakes suddenly on his desk in a pool of drool; another blows a massive bubble with her chewing gum.

The Laffer Curve is meant to demonstrate the optimum tax point; the level at which a certain rate can be maintained before it starts to discourage economic activity.

As the tax rate approaches 100%, activity grinds to a halt  as there is no incentive to work and there is nothing left to tax. The Laffer Curve is disputed when applied to income taxes.

However, it is a concept that can help when grappling with certain problems; like what to do about cigarettes.

When should the state stop increasing excise on cigarettes  given that people at some stage will instead start to buy them on the black market?

The budget has meant that someone who smokes 20 cigarettes each day will have to shell out an extra 182.50 per year.

However, there is increasing evidence that the taxation of this product has already crossed the optimum threshold.

In a Revenue study last year it was discovered that a 10c increase to a 20-pack of cigarettes, on average, results in reduced cigarette tax receipts of 6m.

The overall tax collected on cigarettes in Ireland declines the more they are taxed.

A pack of 20 has increased by 1 since then. If the studys modelling is correct, cigarette excise will drop accordingly by 86m. So, it would appear that when the Government goes after smokers it has no short-term vested interest in doing so.

The optimistic interpretation is that a public good is being fulfilled. The sale of taxed cigarettes is falling dramatically in Ireland.

The pessimistic interpretation is that instead of quitting, many smokers, when faced with additional cost, are purchasing their cigarettes on the black market. However, the Revenue study says something else is going on.

It found that it wasnt necessarily high excise rates that were reducing the number of smokers  but the availability of non-tobacco alternatives to smoking. E-cigarettes are now hugely popular.

Whereas in the past, those same people would have responded to a tax increase by turning to the illicit cigarette trade, they now have this new option.

On the face of it, this discovery is bad news for those who simply cannot shake the evil weed despite the arrival of E-cigarettes.

Traditionally, Government would have worried that a big increase in excise duty would drive smokers into the arms of smugglers.

Now the door may be open to further hikes. Cigarette prices can again increase as fewer people than before are likely to seek out illegal smokes. But before the smokers start choking on the idea of another 50c increase next year, heres a thought.

One popular brand which costs 11.30 in Dublin, thanks to the Brexit effect, is now effectively priced at 10.80 in Newry. An annual saving of 186 for the 20-a-day smoker.

Given how the pound is faring, this could be a constraining factor when the old reliables are being considered next year.
Over the past quarter century, they have had to put up with crowds of partying youths spilling across the street in various states of physical and emotional undress, many of them completely devoid of any sense of civic spirit.

A group of residents led by former Irish Times environmental correspondent, Frank McDonald, have just scored a rare victory in their ongoing struggle against the barbarian hordes, having persuaded An Bord Pleanala to crack down on the use of apartments in the area for short-term lets under the Airbnb banner.

The move has been described as a major shot in the bow of Airbnb.

In reality, this is just one short skirmish in an ongoing battle that is under way across the globe between so-called disruptors and the people who find themselves at the sharp end of activity  much of which is borderline illegal, if not downright immoral.

The Millennium era disruptors  companies like Uber, Amazon, and Airbnb  have become household names and financial behemoths in gig time.

Facebook is gobbling up the traditional media advertising pie like a bulimic gorilla. Google seems to be gorging on just about everything else.

We all know that these companies have amassed wealth beyond the dreams of avarice and that their rise and rise threatens the traditional news gathering activity to which people, over generations, have become accustomed.

But, at least one can escape from all this hectic wired activity with a good book to a place of peace  that is until one discovers that ones neighbours house has been acquired by a bunch of investors who have discovered that one can get very rich indeed through the sort of short term lets that Airbnb can facilitate so effectively.

Neighbourhoods in sought after areas are being transformed overnight and not always for the better.

In Los Angeles, Airbnb amassed income of $43m from various short-term lets in 2014.

In some cases, the city authorities have responded by filing charges against apartment owners for illegally converting them to short-term lets.

Long-term tenants, some in situ for decades, paying between $1,500 and $2,500 a month have been given notice by landlords who have been able to charge up to $500 a night to visitors.

The citys mayor has created a whistleblower programme to help the authorities root out illegal short-term letting activity.

Elderly residents of some districts complain that they no longer have any real neighbours any more. This get rich quick activity has a whiff of the Californian goldrush about it.

Some of the big winners are the lawyers and lobbyists who have been engaged by residents, city authorities, landlords and companies like Airbnb.

In some cases, the digital gold diggers from San Francisco have succeeded: the city of Portland, Oregon, permits unrestricted ability to arrange short-term lettings.

In New York, however, the boot has been very much on the other foot. In recent times, Airbnbs business has expanded dramatically. It lists almost 50,000 houses and apartments.

There, Governor Andrew Cuomo is preparing to sign a bill which could call time on the Airbnb home sharing business in New York City. Hosts advertising short-term accommodation through Airbnb could face fines of up to $7,500.

Airbnb has sought to reshape the legislation, offering to introduce a mandatory host registration system to allow the city authorities to track the renters.

City lawmakers have hit back at these efforts, arguing that the law breaker should not get to make the law.

The concept of home sharing online is in many ways fine in principles. Hotels in our big cities are often bursting at the seams.

The online share economy meets a need for affordable accommodation for travellers, but all too often it is coming at the expense of long-term housing affordability in a grey market situation where large amounts of quick money can be made effectively tax free.

All too often the digital entrepreneurs are colluding in practices which are ultimately corrosive.

In recent weeks, the travails of those contracted to work under the Uber platform have been highlighted. Amazon has certainly disrupted retailing, pushing many firms off the high street.

It has been a boon to consumers, but all too often brings little but misery to producers.

Amazon has a reputation as a tough employer. It is busy working on plans to replace many of its workers with Kiva robots, of whom it now has 30,000 in place around its warehouses.

Fears grow for the jobs of Americas 855,000 strong army of warehouse workers.

There has been much gushing talk about the sharing economy and about the so-called disruptor entrepreneurs.

These people cannot be stopped, but their energies can be harnessed and they must be brought to realise that they owe duties, too, to the societies which they are transforming.

In the late 19th century, a new wave of monopolies grew up on the back of a great revolution in transport and manufacturing.

The US Federal Government passed legislation to combat their activities and eventually, the great monopolies were broken up.

Last month, for the first time, the five largest companies by market capitalisation in the US were software makers: Apple, Googles owner Alphabet, Microsoft, Amazon and Facebook.

These have been the great battering ram disruptors but they are now morphing into the Standard Oils of their era.

The disruptors are gobbling up smaller rivals, monopolists in the making.

The time has come to start disrupting the disruptors before they turn into the Great Controllers.

A small skirmish in Temple Bar could be part of a wider international phenomenon as the fight back against an all-powerful new form of capitalism gathers momentum.
The Councils 2015 report has warned that while last year saw a stabilisation of funding after many years.. the ecosystem supporting the arts is significantly weakened.

Amidst an emerging national housing crisis, artists faced those same problems personally as low income workers and as practitioners, the report read.

The Visual Artists Workspace Scheme supported 16 artist-led studio spaces throughout the country. This is a critical scheme, providing a small level of assistance towards artists accessing studio space on a day-to-day basis. Although this scheme is of some assistance, 2015 marked a year where the challenge of running artists workspaces emerged as an acute crisis due to multiple factors, key amongst these the impact of the improving economy has had on the property market and development in the major cities. As a result of these factors, 2015 saw a number of artist-led studio spaces closing, the report warned.

Claire Doyle, Head of Visual Arts and Architecture, said the Arts Council is aware of a number of artists spaces closing, particularly in Dublin and Cork.

As soon as commercial opportunities escalate, the opportunities for artists to work with in the city decline, they cant compete, she told the Irish Examiner.

Given the current state of play, the majority of workspaces are within private landlords buildings, and the fluctuations in the economy means that the opportunities presented to landlords leave artists vulnerable when the market picks up, she said.

The issue was raised in 2009, when the Arts Council published a paper on Visual Artists Workspaces in Ireland. It found that an advocate is required to devise a policy and promote solutions to key stakeholders..

Ms Doyle said the Arts Council can and will act as a partner and advocate for artists in devising ways of accessing workspace, and help highlight the bigger issue of the diminishing in urban areas.

Sample Studios in Cork is one example of artists losing their city creative base. Hosting 85 artists across a variety of disciplines, the former tax office on Sullivans Quay is set for redevlopment and its owners BAM has requested the artists vacate the building in the coming months.

With the upturn in the economy driving demand for city centre retail spaces, Sample Studios tenants are not alone in wondering where they turn to next to continue their work.
The decision on whether to allow a free vote will go down to the wire as Taoiseach Enda Kenny said it would be discussed at Cabinet tomorrow morning, just hours before the issue is debated in the Dail.

AAA-PBP TDs Ruth Coppinger and Brid Smith are to bring forward the private members bill, which calls for a referendum to be held to repeal the Eighth Amendment.

Ms Smith yesterday urged members of the Alliance, and Childrens Minister Katherine Zappone to stick with their beliefs when the bill is voted upon on Thursday.

Members of the Alliance remain steadfast in their opinion that they should be allowed to vote with their conscience on the matter, even if it means going against Government, in favour of the opposition bill.

At the weekend, Mr Kenny reiterated the importance of Cabinet collective responsibility. He added that the Citizens Assembly is examining the Eighth Amendment, as agreed in the Programme for Government.

He said it was his very strong view that the Citizens Assembly be allowed to do its work, and a referendum would cut across this.

However, last night an Independent Alliance spokesperson said: They are still insisting on a free vote and they will look at the situation  whether its a yes or no  when it is discussed at Cabinet. They will look at the consequences after that.

There will be ongoing talks today between the Alliance and members of Fine Gael in a bid to find an agreement. But Ms Smith last night called on those Independents in Government who campaigned in the general election for repealing the Eighth to do what they committed to do.

She added that the AAA-PBP group would be handing a letter into Ms Zappones office today asking her to stick with her position.

I think Katherine Zappone would have been very strong, if not one of the strongest politicians who would have been identified with this; her constituents voted for her because she called for a repeal of the Eighth.

Ms Smith said that leaving the issue to the Citizens Assembly does not go far enough.

We would argue that its not good enough. We dont know what the Citizens Assembly is going to come back with and it is not right to allow a small number of people decide on the matter for the entire country.
Youghal-based Eras Eco said it will build the plant at its existing facility at Foxhole in Youghal, creating up to 15 full-time jobs, and feed the electricity  enough to power every home in the town  into the national grid.

Work on the facility, which has full planning permission, will start over the coming months, creating up to 20 jobs during the construction phase.

The plant will use a process called natural anaerobic digestion  a process which is already in use at numerous sites and farms throughout the country  to transform food waste from households, food producers and the catering industry into green biogas.

The gas will then, in turn, be converted into electricity at an on-site combined heat and power plant operate almost emission free.

The facility will operate under a licence from the Environmental Protection Agency.

Eras Eco general manager Denis Mullally said the company was delighted to be able to create 15 full-time jobs.

It is great that the contents of peoples brown bins will be able to generate enough electricity to power every house in Youghal using clean technology promoted by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland.

The plant will also produce organic fertiliser for use by local farmers, he said.

The company emphasised the new plant will not increase the existing footprint of its waste processing facility in Youghal.

It also said the overall waste processed at the plant will reduce as a result of the new investment.
The Office of Public Works confirmed that it and the office of the Chief State Solicitor are working to resolve the issues. The news emerged after local independent councillor Mick Finn raised concerns about the stalled 4m tourism plan for the fort off Barracks Street.

Mr Finn said he was disappointed to learn that a decision to prioritise funding in the Shandon area appeared to have bumped Elizabeth Fort down the order of priorities.

This is very disappointing, considering the work that has gone into the fort to date and the fact that the present tourism-offering is attracting so many people every week of the year, he said.

He said Shandon Street and the Butter Exchange are important tourism assets for Cork which must be pursued, but not at the expense of the fort project which has been trumpeted as a game-changer for the city, if resourced properly.

Good morning Cork. Come and visit Elizabeth Fort, open 'till 5pm today pic.twitter.com/KWnzJLznre  Elizabeth Fort Cork (@ElizabethFort_) October 1, 2016

Mr Finn said he was also amazed that the fort has still not be transferred fully to the city despite former OPW Minister Brian Hayes handing the keys back to the city at a formal ceremony in November 2014. The OPW confirmed that the fort was transferred to the city by means of a licence.

Historic properties have complex legal titles and Elizabeth Fort is no exception, a spokesperson said.

The matter of the registration of the property has raised a number of questions in the Property Registration Authority. It is anticipated that the title issues will be sorted by quarter one 2017. In the interim Cork City Council are in full possession of the property.

But Mr Finn said this makes a mockery of the key handover ceremony.

Failte Ireland needs to realise that Cork is losing out in the marketing of the Ancient East and Wild Atlantic Way and requires funding to open up underutilised tourism sites.
The Garda Ombudsman is trying to obtain documentation in connection with the OHiggins Commission, which investigated complaints by Sgt McCabe about policing in the Cavan-Monaghan division.

Justice Minister Frances Fitzgerald directed GSOC to carry out an investigation last June regarding matters connected to transcripts from the OHiggins Inquiry, in which it was claimed the Garda Siochana would question the motivation and credibility of Sgt McCabe.

More than four months on, GSOC has not started its public interest investigation, initially because it was unable to access relevant documentation from Garda Commissioner Noirin OSullivan.

The commissioner  who originally called for GSOC to investigate the matter  cited legal restrictions under the Commission of Investigations Act 2004 regarding disclosure.

A further request from GSOC to the Department of Justice  which holds the records of the OHiggins Commission  has been referred to the Attorney General to see if the legal obstacle can be overcome.

University of Limerick Law Professor Shane Kilcommins told the Irish Examiner it was difficult to see how it would be possible for the watchdog to obtain the documentation, given the strict legal prohibition against disclosing evidence that was held in private.

Last May, the Irish Examiner published transcripts from the OHiggins inquiry in which counsel for Ms OSullivan told the chairperson that he was instructed to challenge the integrity certainly of Sergeant McCabe and his motivation and that he intended to introduce evidence to that effect.

Mr Smyth said he would question the motivation and credibility of Sgt McCabe. Asked if he was he suggesting Sgt McCabe was motivated by malice, Mr Smyth responded: That is the position. However, the evidence was never presented to the commission.

Mr Smyth subsequently clarified to Judge OHiggins that he never used the word malice and that his instructions were not to challenge the integrity of Sgt McCabe, but his motivation and credibility.

The transcripts scandal engulfed Ms OSullivan in controversy.

After growing political and public disquiet, Ms OSullivan, on May 25, called on Ms Fitzgerald to request GSOC to investigate certain matters relating to this issue.

After further consultation with the commissioner, the Tanaiste referred the matter to GSOC on June 19.

A spokesperson for GSOC told the Irish Examiner: The Ombudsman Commission sought documentation related to the matter arising from the OHiggins Commission, which GSOC was asked to investigate, from the Garda Commissioner.

The Garda Commissioner was not in a position to give us the documentation because of the terms of the Commission of Investigations Act.

The spokesperson added: We are continuing to try and progress the matter.

Speaking at the Oireachtas Justice Committee on October 12, Ms OSullivan said the GSOC investigation was ongoing and declined to comment, other than to say that the organisation fully cooperated with GSOC investigations.

A Department of Justice spokesman confirmed GSOC chair Judge Mary Ellen Ring had put in a request to them to access the documentation  which had been referred to the Attorney General.

Asked could GSOC access the documentation it is looking for, Prof Kilcommins said: It is difficult to see how this would be possible since investigations established under the legislation are conducted in private.

He said it was a criminal offence to contravene this under the Commission of Investigation Act and there were only very specified and limited exceptions.
Although ministers have agreed not to accept pay increases due to them under the unwinding of the FEMPI legislation, no such decision has been made with regards to TDs, who are due to see their pay rise by 5,400 over the next two years.

Sinn Fein have now lodged a Dail motion to block pay restoration for TDs, which is linked to rises for senior civil servants due under the Lansdowne Road Agreement.

A march in protest of any wage increases to TDs has also been organised for Dublin on November 16.

TDs currently earn a basic salary of 87,258, which is linked to the salary scale of a principal officer in the civil service.

Under the Lansdowne Road Agreement, they are due to see their pay restored.

Fine Gael TD Noel Rock has already said he will not be accepting the pay rises.

There has been much public criticism of the pay increases in recent weeks and the commitment of President Higgins to decline a salary increase will further pressurise TDs.

President Higgins, who earns 249,014, has also given his Dail pensions back to the State.

A spokesman for the president said: In November 2011 President Michael D Higgins advised the Government of his intention to donate 23.5% of his salary to the State.

Similarly, the President donates his Oireachtas pension entitlements to the State. During his term in office, President Higgins has not drawn down, and will not draw down any pension entitlements arising from his previous services as member of the Oireachtas or as a Government minister, the spokesman said.

That situation has not changed and the President has not sought to change it.

It has been reported that the State has received more than 1m back from President Higgins gifting of salary and pension provisions since he entered the Aras.
Mr Martin has also hit out at the British Government describing their reaction to the Brexit referendum as little short of shambolic.

Delivering his annual Wolfe Tone commemoration speech at Bodenstown, Co Kildare, Mr Martin said the Fine Gael-led minority government is failing to engage with the issues.

In area after area, it is failing to tackle problems with the urgency or ambition which they need. This has nothing to do with them being in the minority. Ministers have absolute freedom to use the immense resources available to them to set out concrete strategies for the future. Instead, they are constantly reactive and failing to engage with the issues.

Highlighting failures in the hospital system, he went on to describe former Health Minister and Fine Gael leadership hopeful Leo Varadkar as PR obsessed.

The huge increase in hospital waiting lists has been met with near silence by Government. The replacement of one PR obsessed minister with a more careful successor has simply confirmed that the Government has no health policy. Its now time to put the priority where it is most needed  building our public health system.

Turning to focus on Brexit, Mr Martin said the result has its root in decades of hysterical euro-scepticism but added that none of those who argued for Brexit prepared plans for actually achieving the result other than the arrogant belief that the world, including Europe, would rush to trade with Britain.

The cabinet ministers responsible for Brexit have been cavalier and grossly unprofessional. They have been making it up as they go along.

Mr Martin added that the fall of sterling is undermining Irish exporters and already costing jobs.

Ireland has to push for actions which can soften the potential short and medium-term destruction which Brexit may involve. We cant wait for another two and a half years before businesses and communities receive support to either replace lost markets or to be competitive in spite of the massive fall in sterling, he said.

Responding to Mr Martins comments Government chief whip Regina Doherty said that people know better than to swallow Fianna Fails twisted version of reality.

I was disappointed, but not surprised, to hear todays claim from Micheal Martin that his party had succeeded in blocking what he called Fine Gaels increasingly right-wing agenda and focus on tax cuts for the wealthiest, she said.

It is thanks to Fine Gaels careful economic management of recent years, and the work of the Irish people, that we now have the resources to target investments in key public services and reduce taxes.
Olivia Coffey, aka The Pebble Fairy, is attempting to spread the love and encourage positivity by distributing pebbles with inspirational quotes on them in random locations.

Ms Coffey said the idea behind Positive Pebbles is quite a simple one.

We are all living in challenging times, she said. Whether its work stress or life issues we all seem to carry a little bit too much sometimes. Its so easy to become over-driven, anxious, and be on the go all of the time. While some of us are good at managing it, others dont find it as easy to manage.

I suppose I hoped that if, for whatever reason, you were having a bad day, maybe if you stumbled upon a Positive Pebble it might just be the thing to pick you up and give you that feeling that reminds you that it will be ok, you are good enough, this too shall pass and why not enjoy today, she says.

Ms Coffey had seen something similar done in another country and loved the idea.

I decided to look into it a little more and do some research and I found that nothing similar was being done here so I thought, why not? I was off work with a broken hand and I was feeling the effects of cabin fever in the house so I knew this would get me out and about and I thought, no better time to start.

I am currently reading a book called The Compassionate Mind and this also gave me the push I needed to get up and do something to perhaps benefit others.

She started distributing the pebbles in her home in Co Galway during the summer and the idea is already gaining momentum.

With the help of my Pebble Fairies, there is now some Positive Pebbles from Galway being spread in Dublin, Donegal, Waterford, London, and even in Barcelona. I am thrilled that it can reach people right around the world after just a few short weeks, she said.

It really is for everyone. There is no hidden agenda, or cost or anything else associated with Positive Pebbles.

If you find a pebble its yours to keep, she added.

www.facebook.com/thepositivepebbles
The incident at Tayto Park in Co Meath happened last night during an after-dark Halloween-themed event.

It is understood the stairs gave way inside a House of Horrors attraction.

Gardai were called to the park shortly after 8pm.

A Garda spokesman said: Nine people were taken to hospitals around the area.

There are no details of the injuries sustained.

A spokeswoman for the park at Ashbourne said those caught up in the incident were taken to hospital as a precautionary measure.

The Health and Safety Authority is investigating.

A statement from Tayto Park said: Last night at approximately 8pm the lower portion of a permanent staircase leading to The House of Horrors gave way.

The Tayto Park emergency plan was immediately put in place and the emergency services attended the scene. Nine people were transported to hospitals in the city as a precautionary measure to assess their injuries.

The management of Tayto Park will co-operate fully with the investigation as the safety of our guests is paramount.

The park was open again yesterday.

Rian OKelly said she visited the park with her 13-year-old sister and her two young friends.

The 25-year-old from Dublin said the stairway was in two sections and she had just stepped onto the middle landing when the stairs behind her vanished.

We heard this big creaking noise and we thought it was part of the show, like trying to be scary, but then, next of all, people directly behind us just dropped and the whole staircase collapsed, she said.

Obviously everyone got really afraid and everyone started crying and screaming and stuff and running because we thought we were going to drop down as well, because we had just stepped off that staircase and everyone behind us just had gone, she told BBC radio.

Ms OKelly described the incident as very scary

It was a family event there were grown men and younger children on the stairs. There was definitely a lot of people injured from it. We basically just saw everyone behind us just suddenly drop and they all landed on top of each other and the staircase completely gave way.

All the younger children, and adults even, were screaming and crying. It really was very scary and quite ironic, that we were supposed to be going into a house of horrors, she said.

The park at Ashbourne opened in 2010. It is also home to Irelands first rollercoaster and Europes largest wooden rollercoaster with an inversion.
In the three weeks since the the Seanad returned after the summer break, just eight hours and 15 minutes have been spent on legislation while 33 hours have been taken up with statements and motions.

The issue was raised by Senator Mark Daly, who complained that the schedule of business has been very long on statements and motions and very short on legislation.

It could not be said that we are doing our job as a legislative body, the Fianna Fail senator said. If someone were to accuse this House, and the other House is not much better, of being a talking shop, it most certainly is because legislation is not being brought through.

This sentiment was echoed by Labour senator Kevin Humphreys, who said that delays in the Dail is resulting in little legislation arriving in the Upper House. However, he suggested that legislation could be introduced in the Seanad.

Mr Humphreys, who was a TD for Dublin South-East in the last Dail, said: As m Minister of state in the previous government, I started several bills in the Seanad because there was a backlog in the Dail, it has been used in the past.

We basically have a do nothing Dail, which means we have a do nothing Seanad and do nothing committees because of a lack of action by Government.

For those who want to bring about change, it is becoming frustrating.

Fine Gaels Martin Conway also said the current situation is frustrating.

Ultimately, new politics should be about more legislation and not less legislation.

However, Senator Kieran ODonnell stressed that questioning ministers on issues of the day is an important part of the Seanad.

Ministers come in quite frequently and you get to raise issues directly, its a feature of the Seanad that is quite positive, he said.

I would expect that the level of legislation coming through will increase.

Neale Richmond said the lack of legislation is a direct result of the minority Government.

The Fine Gael senator said: Unfortunately its systematic if the times we are in, there is a lot less legislation going through the Dail.

With a minority Government every piece of legislation that comes up has to be past by our counterparts in government and the majority of the time it has to be flagged with Fianna Fail, Labour and other members of the opposition.

I would love to be debating more legislation.

In response to Mr Dalys complaints, leader of the Seanad Jerry Buttimer said pre-legistlave scrutiny was now stalling the work that can be done.

Speaking in the Seanad last week, Fine Gaels Mr Buttimer said: With regard to legislation, let me assure the senator that the Government side of the House has requested that bills start from this House.

However, as the Senator knows, as he has been here as long as I, pre-legislative scrutiny has now come in and that is stalling pieces of legislation.

Rather than bemoaning the fact pre-legislative scrutiny is in situ, we should welcome it because it makes legislation better and allows for a better and more participative journey of bills.

Nonetheless, it is a source of concern.
Ian Gargan has spent much of his career as a criminal psychologists studying some of Irelands most violent and sadistic criminals  yet one of the scariest people he has ever met was a 13-year-old boy.

The child, whose psychopathic tendencies emerged as young as the age of five, tortured animals, tormented young schoolmates, and set dangerous fires, was contained in a secure detention centre by his teens, recalls Gargan, a leading forensic psychologist who has just published a book about criminal behaviour.

Conor was a psychopath. By his early teens, recalls Gargan, he was the worst bully I have worked with, deeply manipulative and with absolutely no sense of remorse. He was also extremely clever, insightful and insidious. Even his mother was afraid of him, Gargan recalls:

When Conor entered the room it was as if she held herself smaller and tighter  for all the world like she was scared of him and flinching before an attack, he recalls.

Conors behaviour around her was also very interesting. He held her in a long and grippingly tight hug, but it looked more like an assertion of control over her person than a loving gesture.

In my minds eye I saw an image of a tree caught in the chokehold of ivy. That was how Conor hugged his mother, and that was how she endured it.

With Conor, he recalls in his new book The Line, there was an emptiness that was chilling.

He was so myopic, so determined to cause upset and he enjoyed it so much. He really enjoyed what he was doing, and got a kick out of other peoples pain. No matter how hard I worked with him, I felt he was getting a narcissistic buzz out of the attention I was giving him  he really revelled in it.

The Line by Dr Ian Gargan

Conor was later released, against Gargans advice, from the secure unit in which he had been detained. During his release he set a fire in a commercial building that nearly killed 10 people, a crime for which he subsequently received a 20-year prison sentence.

Yes, there are genuinely bad people out there, says Gargan. Surprisingly, he insists however, that such individuals are rare.

I dont believe that someone is born bad, he explains, adding that in his view the majority of anti-social behaviour is closely linked to a variety of factors and life circumstances.

These include a persons family, relationships, the greater environment, their life choices and even genetics  Conor, for example came from an impoverished, violent background and a broken family.

However, this is not an excuse, Gargan adds. Calling for a better understanding of the potential contributing factors to cirminality isnt another method of seeking lighter sentences for criminals or an attempt to excuse bad behaviour, he says. What Gargan wants is a cleverer approach to how we deal with criminals.

Such an approach, he believes would ideally be based on an understanding of how people come to cross what he calls the line between acceptable and anti-social behaviour.

Take, for example, someone who grows up in a family hall-marked by chaos; an environment where there may be no stability, comfort or security.

Most people can recall good things about their childhood, Gargan explains; when asked, they will mention Christmas-time, birthdays, holidays or schoolfriends.

Yet, he says, hes met many criminals who did not have good memories about a single thing in their childhoods. Interestingly, not only did such people have no memories of any happy or positive childhood events, they didnt even have the vocabulary for what he calls the touchstones of childhood for those who go on to develop strong, confident identities and successful lives.

If illegal activity, inappropriate sexual behaviour or drug-taking is taking place in the home; if there is criminality, chaos and joyriding in the immediate neighbourhood, this becomes normalised in the perspective of someone growing up in such an environment.

In turn this contributes to the normalisation of anti social behavour, he explains.People who engage in sexually deviant or vulnerable behaviour may do so because such behaviour became so normalised in the home or environment that it was not stigmatised or even unusual to them.

Dr Ian Gargan says few people are born bad, its usually as a result of other factors and life circumstances.

Peer relationships also play a significant role here, he explains, because what is acceptable or otherwise among a young persons peers, will have an influence on the way they behave.

If, says Gargan, he was out somewhere with his friends and suddenly flung a bottle at somebody, it would be deemed unacceptable behaviour and he could lose friends as a consequence. However, the same could not be said for the peer groups of many of the juveniles who come into contact with the justice system. That line is not there, and neither, he observes, are the consequences.

Sometimes a partner can be tolerant of someones criminality and facilitate it, he explains.

Research has also shown that a genetic link exists for criminality. Mental health issues such as schizophrenia or depression can often play a role  70% of prison inmates have mental health issues.

And then there are the choices we make  because we think we might get away with something, or because we are genuinely desperate, whether for food, money or resources.

One of the saddest factors he explores in his book is what he describes as one of the key traits he has noticed in young offenders  that is, an inability to see any future for themselves. There is a striking similarity, he says in their lack of interest in creating a future.

They dont think that way and if I suggest it, they dont feel its something they can do.

Sometimes these factors can play a really crucial role in a persons fate. I think there were a few of the people I met who could have taken another path if theyd had more support from parents or been in a different environment.

The Line by Dr Ian Gargan is published by Gill Books, 18.99
ITS A scenario that fans of Kafka would savour  the Department of Justice has asked the Garda Ombudsman to investigate a policing controversy.

To start its work, the Ombudsman has sought relevant documentation, held by the same Department.

But the Department has referred the request to the Attorney General, because of strict legal constraints surrounding the release of such documentation.

Legal experts believe it is doubtful GSOC will get what it wants, stalling, if not ending, the inquiry before it even gets started.

Last May, the Irish Examiner published yet another revelation on justice and policing scandals. It sparked outrage and political hand-wringing  and the establishment of yet another inquiry, more than four months ago now.

The transcripts scandal, as it was quickly referred to, is not dissimilar to the latest allegations engulfing the Garda Siochana.

Like the current complaints, these transcripts led to allegations, including in the Dail, that there were efforts to undermine Sergeant Maurice McCabe.

Transcripts from Day Two and Day Three of the OHiggins inquiry  set up to investigate complaints by Sgt McCabe about policing in the Cavan-Monaghan division  were incendiary.

In it, counsel for Garda Commissioner Noirin OSullivan told Judge OHiggins that his instructions from the Commissioner were to challenge the integrity of the whistleblower.

Queried by the judge, Mr Smyth said he would question the motivation and credibility of Sgt McCabe in making allegations of corruption and malpractice.

Asked by the chair was he suggesting Sgt McCabe was motivated by malice or some such motive and that this impinged on his integrity, Mr Smyth responded: That is the position.

Mr Smyth added: I mean this isnt something that I am pulling out of the sky, Judge, and I mean I can only act on instruction.

Asked again was he attacking the motivation and integrity of Sgt McCabe, he responded: Right the way through.

Some months later, Mr Smyth made a clarification to the commission: that he never used the word malice and that he was in error in saying he had been instructed to challenge Sgt McCabes integrity, but rather his motivation and credibility.

Commissioner OSullivan dodged the potential bullet in explaining what legal instruction she gave to Mr Smyth (citing the legally-bound private nature of the commissions hearings and legal privilege).

After growing political and public disquiet, on May 25, Ms OSullivan called on Ms Fitzgerald to request GSOC to investigate certain matters that led to these claims before the commission.

The Minister agreed, saying there was significant public concern and, after further consultation with the commissioner, referred the matter to GSOC on June 19.

As soon as the watchdog formally received the ministerial direction they immediately wrote to the Garda Commissioner seeking all documentation in relation to the matter.

In response to media queries, GSOC issued a statement on June 23.

We have written to the Garda Siochana requesting that all documentation held by them in this matter be sent to GSOC. We will commence the investigation as soon as we receive this information.

Some time later  GSOC has declined to say when  the Garda Commissioner replied that she couldnt be of assistance.

In a statement supplied to the Irish Examiner, GSOC said: The Ombudsman Commission sought documentation related to the matter arising from the OHiggins Commission, which GSOC was asked to investigate, from the Garda Commissioner.

The Garda Commissioner was not in a position to give us the documentation because of the terms of the Commission of Investigation Act.

The statement finished by saying that they were continuing to try and progress the matter.

Section 11 of the act is clear: all business of the commission is conducted in private (save for certain provisions).

It states: A person (including a member of the commission) shall not disclose or publish any evidence given or the contents of any document produced by a witness while giving evidence in private. One of the exceptions cited is as directed by a court.

Anyone who contravenes this is guilty of an offence, punishable by up to five years in prison on indictment.

Section 43 of the act explains that once the commission reports it is dissolved and all its documents are to be deposited to the relevant ministry.

A spokesman for the Department of Justice confirmed it had received the records of the OHiggins inquiry on April 25 last and added: The Department has sought legal advice from the Attorney General regarding a request from the Chairperson of GSOC in the context of its investigation into certain allegations made following the publication of the OHiggins report.

Four months on, thats where the investigation, such as it is, lies.

THE LAW

The signs of it going anywhere fast, if at all, are not encouraging.

Professor of Law, Shane Kilcommins, based at the University of Limerick, is an expert on evidence and jurisprudence. Asked could GSOC access the documentation it is looking for, he said: It is difficult to see how this would be possible since investigations established under the legislation are conducted in private.

He said Section 11 states that disclosure with very specified and limited exceptions is not permitted. It is a criminal offence to contravene this position, he pointed out.

He said Section 19 and 18 provide one exception to the disclosure of evidence  in order to prosecute a person for making a false statement to the commission.

This provision is there so that the commission can prosecute someone for making such a statement to it.

A Section 18 offence can only be prosecuted either summarily or on indictment with the consent of the DPP, said Prof Kilcommins.

This section does not appear to provide GSOC with a legal power to access evidence made to a commission  although it is probably the main avenue GSOC is exploring.

Specifically asked if Section 11.3 provided a possible route for GSOC, Prof Kilcommins said: This is the provision that permits evidence to be disclosed when directed by a court  there would have to be very strong grounds for doing so given the privacy of the proceedings.

Any subsequent criminal proceedings would be subject to the right to a privilege against self-incrimination.

He said there was limited case law in the area, but noted that in 2009 the High Court refused to permit disclosure of the MacEntee Commission report into the Dublin/Monaghan bombings, citing that the investigation took place in private and that evidence of documents produced by a witness in evidence could not be disclosed.

For now, all eyes are on the Attorney Generals advice.

If Maire Whelan gives the nod, it is likely GSOC will have to seek a court order. Which, of course, could be challenged.

But the Attorney General could come to the conclusion there is no wriggle room in the legislation  and deny the GSOC request.

We could then have the scenario where an agency, directed by the Department of Justice to investigate something, cant do so because the same Department wont give it the information it needs to conduct its investigation. GSOC may even have to go to the courts to force it to.

All the elements of Kafka.
YOU wont hear it reported on the business bulletin during the lunchtime news but there has been a serious downturn in the stolen data market.

The price of personally identifiable information has dropped massively in the last couple of months, says market watcher Gavin DAlton.

Were talking about names, addresses, bank details  the sort of stuff that could be used for opening up bank accounts in your name or it could be used for opening up PayPal accounts.

Whereas last year you probably would have been looking at around $35-$50 for that information, its dropped to about $15-$20, and thats if its verified which will add an extra value to it.

Its the same thing with credit cards. A verified card, tested and working  so thats the 16 digit PAN (primary account number) and also the CVV (card verification value), the three digits on the back  that has gone as low as $3 at the minute.

DAlton, senior manager with information security firm, Espion, delivers his update so matter of factly, its easy to forget that hes talking about stolen goods and the illegal market where they are traded.

That he can readily find out the latest prices and check trends over time shows how brazen the business has become.

The firms operate underground in the darknet but there are websites dedicated to monitoring their performance, rating their reliability and even interviewing their founders and senior staff  all anonymously of course but then anonymity is their speciality.

The existence of this market helps explain why data theft takes place.

Every piece of information you leave behind you has an associated value. The reason for that is what can be done with the information, DAlton says.

On its own, the limited personal information of one customer might yield little or no return, but in combination with more information gleaned from another source at some other time in the past or future, or as part of a bulk-buy, it can prove profitable.

DAlton can use himself as an example, having fallen victim to the Playstation data breach five years ago.

At the time I had a couple of dozen psswords that I rotated. I was quite lucky in that when Playstation was breached, I changed the password quite so I wasnt immediately affected.

But a few months down the line I changed my user name and password for my iTunes account, using the old password. I often buy iTunes cards for birthday presents so I had a nice little reserve queued up in my account and they managed to use it to buy an online gambling app.

Using the app they cashed credit into gambling account and cashed it out as bitcoin. So thats how you turn iTunes into money.

Similarly, with the recently disclosed Yahoo breach, its likely the value was in the passwords and the certainty that a good proportion of people would be using the same passwords on other accounts with more money-making potential.

Its really quite basic economics, DAlton explains. Whats happening is that hackers and traders are setting up their own markets and the market sets the price.

Its tempting to put a positive spin on the current market slump, to suggest that perhaps information security technology is now so tight that buyers of stolen data wont find much use for it so the main suppliers are having to drop their asking price to shift it.

Not so, says DAlton, who looks to the opposite explanation.

The reason for that would seem to be that the market has been flooded with data. Theres so much of this stuff leaking out at the moment that, as with any commodity when theres a glut, the value has fallen.

As with any commodity, there is a supply chain where it pays to add value at each stage, he explains.

So raw data has a certain price and raw data from wealthier countries where individuals are likely to have more money in their account on their cards or in their account commands a higher price.

Data that is verified, possibly through that couple of euro that appeared on your credit card but you put down to a forgotten surcharge on a ticket purchase or some other such transaction, goes up in value again.

But data traders arent snobs. Major data breaches such as the one at the UK telecoms company, Talk Talk, which brought the details of more than 150,000 customers to market last year, would normally be sold off in blocks of 100 or 1000 in their raw, unverified form.

They dont limit themselves to high quality data. A lot of the market activity is just down to whats available so theyll keep looking for any available scrap thats out there, says DAlton.

So who are they? Whats really being noticed in terms of cyber security in the last couple of years is that traditional crime gangs are moving online, particularly in Eastern Europe.

Its all about risk and reward for these gangs. Smuggling goods carries a big risk because physical goods are more easily detected.

A tiger kidnapping might get them, say 100,000, but theres a very big risk attached. This [data cime] is simpler, almost risk-free, and brings in recurring revenue over time. Its a business decision for them.

They not only think like conventional businesses, they organise themselves along similar lines.

They structure it like a big consultancy or accountancy firm. They take juniors in and train them to do a lot of the grunt work  the more laborious, lower-skilled stuff.

They report to managers who curate their work and the money flows up to the people with the skills and then up to the partners. It mirrors legitimate corporate organisations.

Theyre also highly efficient, deploying botnets or zombie armies, to harness the processing power of a whole network of unsuspecting computers to sort through the very data they target for theft. And if youre a tentative new entrant to the buyers market, theyll even offer free online tutorials with step by step guides to how to go about using stolen data.

There are individual operators in the market too, who act as brokers, and will often offer escrow accounts to mind funds on behalf of transacting parties.

If this parallel universe of illegal business surprises you, youre not alone.

Espion, which is headquartered in Dublin with operations in the UK, Brussels and the US, works to make safe the data of businesses and public sector bodes of all types and sizes but what they tend to have in common is a blissful ignorance of their own vulnerability.

For most organisations, especially SMEs (small and medium enterprises), its not a core competency . Its an afterthought for most people until something goes wrong, says DAlton.

Also, up to now the power to levy fines for data breaches has been kind of toothless in most European countries, Ireland being no exception to that so theres no real sanctions.

Cost is also an issue for many organisations because cyber security expertise doesnt come cheap.

In the public sector, as a rule of thumb, your IT spend should be between 10 and 20% of your overall budget and your information security spend should be 10-20% of that.

Thats what you need to be throwing at information security on an annual basis.

People controlling the finances can find that hard to justify and in some respects what they get for their spend may seem intangible because the value can only really be weighed up by the potential of loss.

With new EU regulations and tough sanctions for data breaches looming, however, Espion is increasingly getting calls to carry out penetration tests on IT systems  just to be on the safe side.

Were finding the GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) coming into effect in 2018 is a real driver. People are beginning to sit up and take notice because the fines are between 2% and 4% of global turnover which, for a large organisation with a lot of personal information, is a potentially staggering hit to the bottom line.

So a lot of the action that organisations are taking now is straight up fear-based but I dont necessarily think thats any harm if thats what it takes.

But even among those acting out of fear, DAlton finds that management tend to believe that calling in the experts is a box-ticking exercise and that theyll get the all-clear.

For many organisations embarking on getting external security testing, there is absolutely a degree of shock and awe when the results land on the table.

On paper it might seem they just need a tweak to their system but in real terms it represents a potential exposure of all their data in their data base to the outside world.

We tend to find that once youve explained it, thats when the panic sets in. The biggest question were asked after a first round of security testing is how do I know I havent been breached before and the simple answer is that you dont because the gates have been open for some period of time and you dont know whos come in through them. So thats quite sobering for many organisations.

For most organisations discovering they have a gap in their data protection, the instinct is to get it closed off immediately but some are looking at the problem differently.

Theres a new mindset being discussed in major organisations  it is wiser in some respects for them to leave the threat there and monitor what it might do rather than try to eliminate it because by the time they close off one window, somebody else might kick in another window? Its a controversial mindset but it is starting to happen.

Also, some are going out into darknet markets and monitoring whether there is any information out there that has come from their organisation. Sometimes the best way to know if you have been breached is to go where stolen data is traded. Its like having a private detective on the case.

Not all cyber criminals want your data, however. They just want you to want it badly enough to pay a ransom for it if its taken from you. Over the past year there has been a proliferation of ransomware attacks where organisations discover they cant access their own data bases and are contacted with details of how to pay up to get it back.

Its all very professionally done. The Cryptolocker one that weve seen a lot of sends you a notice of whats happened and its super civilized and the language used is super polite.

They actually had helpdesks that they were manning where people could ring them up and talk through how to get their data unlocked which is a whole new level of cheekiness. A lot of Irish organisations paid up.

The problem with cyber criminals is that they keep setting new levels of ingenuity and DAlton is blunt about the ability of Espion or any other experts to guarantee a watertight IT system.

There is no such thing as 100% security. There is risk minimisation, not risk elimination. Anyone who tells you otherwise is a charlatan. That means having the programmes, personnel and procedures in place to both minimise the risk and maximise the emergency response if a breach occurs.

DAlton and fellow experts can provide the programmes and advise on the procedures but he says there is a shortage of suitably trained and experienced personnel coming on stream to fill the increasingly critical roles of data protection officers and information security managers in Irish organisations.

Data protection tends to get fobbed off a bit in Irish organisations so where there is someone in charge, you might find they come from HR, or IT, or legal or somewhere in administration.

Theres a mix of skills required. Someone from admin might not have the IT skills to fully understand the area but a computer science graduate may not grasp the legal issues and the human dimension.

We provide training courses and weve given talks to Irish colleges to let them know these types of jobs are coming down the line fast. Theres going to be a goldrush for people with the right skills and experience come the GDPR in 2018.

Companies must tighten data protection by 2018

In just over 18 months time significant EU-wide regulations will come into effect that will force companies and organisations to up their game considerably when it comes to data protection.

The General Data Protection Regulation will become law in May 2018 and will give the data protection authorities in each country far more teeth when it comes to sanctioning offenders.

Central to the regulation from an enforcement point of view is the ability to apply fines ranging from 2% to 4% of a companys global annual turnover.

While some countries already do have monetary fines in their domestic legislation, they are rarely applied. For countries like Ireland where there is currently no power to impose a fine, it will bring a massive change in the way the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner is perceived.

The regulation also includes a right for the subjects of a data breach to submit compensation claims to the offending firm or organisation, even if the subject suffered no financial loss.

Among its other provisions are the requirement that financial institutions appoint their own data protection officer, that reporting of data breaches be mandatory and that they must be reported within 72 hours.

The regulation is a step towards standardising data protection law and practice across all EU member states. For the first time, a company headquartered in one EU country but operating in several will only have to deal with the data protection authorities in that country rather than potentially all 28.

The Office of the Data Protection Commissioner is being strengthened in preparation. Its 7.5m budget for 2017 is quadruple that in 2014 and its staff will increase to 100  triple the number in 2014.

While that is a significant increase, the job of Irelands commissioner Helen Dixon is particularly complex given that so many international digital companies have their headquarters here. Yahoos massive data breach falls into her realm of responsibility and she has had to launch an investigation here in conjunction with that undertaken by US authorities.

The Government is also creating a National Cyber Security Centre, a beefed-up statutory version of the non-statutory Computer Security Incident Response Team that operates under the auspices of the Department of Communications. It will focus on the protection of information in state agencies and in key national infrastructure such as energy and telecommunications.

Communications Minister Denis Naughten said this week the team is due to move out of departmental accommodation and into its own dedicated offices at UCD very soon.

Battles in cyber warfare

The idea of a government ordering the hacking of a company or state agency in another country sounds like a spy movie.

But it is increasingly accepted that state-sponsored hacking goes on and  given the resources available to governments  that it could be the hardest to guard against.

Such operations arent always motivated by financial gains although companies with highly prized intellectual property, for example details of a new technological advance or designs for a new product, need to be wary.

Its one thing suing a domestic rival for copyright theft if they suddenly produce a product that bears an uncanny resemblance to your secret prototype but try taking on a state-owned manufacturer in China.

There many other reasons why states deploy hackers but they can generally be summed up as politics and power.

When Sony Pictures suffered a near complete shutdown of its IT systems in 2014, followed by the leaking online of details of upcoming projects and embarrassing internal emails, the attacked was traced to North Korea.

Sony were about to release the satirical movie, The Interview, about a CIA plot to assassinate Kim Jong-un. Sony were forced to postpone the release and then to give the film a limited release in a row that ended up at the White House with President Obama increasing sanctions on North Korea.

Russia insisted it had no hand in a cyber attack that left a quarter of a million Ukranians in the cold and dark last winter when their power station was taken over remotely but given Russias annexing of the Crimea and its ongoing territorial dispute with Ukraine, there is no doubt in Ukrainian minds who was to blame.

Russia has also been blamed by Hillary Clinton and US security agencies for this summers theft and publication online of thousands of her private campaign emails, although Donald Trump dismissed the idea in the first presidential debate, suggesting instead the hack had been conducted by some 400lb guy sitting on a bed.

Yahoo has claimed its recently disclosed hack was nation state sponsored, although it has yet to point the finger firmly at an accused. But Yahoo is also at the centre of a row over claims it was routinely scanning emails for US intelligence agencies so if that is true, its not beyond imagination that another country would have a similar interest in seeing them.

In case this all sounds remote from the day to day online activities of the average Irish citizen or business owner, Gavin DAlton of information security firm Espion sounds a warning note.

Were discovering we can see footprints and traces of them [nation states] in many Irish organsations, he says. Its not academic. There are specific pieces of malware kit put together by nation states and the signs are they have been used in attempts to breach systems here.

Privacy concerns outweighed by convenience

Many people give away huge amounts of personal data. It isnt surprising that some of it will end up in the public arena

IT WAS one little oops, said the head of security at Australian phone company Telstra in 2012, explaining how personal and financial details of 800,000 customers had been exposed in a classic case of internal bungling.

Those were the innocent days. Now when news breaks of a data breach, such as the recent Yahoo revelations involving 500m customers, the finger is as likely to point to a well-orchestrated state-sponsored hacking operation as it is to a clumsy mishap.

But whether its one little localised oops or one massive international cybercrime, the data breach has become a regular occurence, raising questions about the security of personal information in a world where such information resides in clouds and not even a computer chomping equivalent of the old fashioned paper shredder could render the details beyond use or abuse.

Or does it really prompt any concerns? People have become so used to conducting their affairs online and entrusting their personal, medical and financial histories to computers that its hard to imagine that anything of any consequence could go wrong.

And yet an experiment conducted by the Danish Consumer Council a couple of years ago shows that putting our personal lives online doesnt so much go against our natural instincts as bypass them altogether.

Using secret cameras, people paying for goodies at their local bakery were filmed being asked by a shop assistant for their phone number, the last five texts they sent, where they were at 8pm the previous evening, what their parents address was and other questions.

At one stage, the staff member even left the shop with a customer and, when asked what she was doing, replied: I just want to follow you to see where you go.

Reactions ranged from surprise and bemusement to annoyance and hostility. Why would anyone hand over such private information to a complete stranger, was the common thought?

Of course, the punchline was that we do this all the time, without a second thought entrusting personal data to a myriad of websites, apps, online payment schemes, social media and basic telecoms services.

They know who you texted last. They know where you were at 8pm last night. They could probably land at your parents house in advance of your own planned visit and have your favourite takeaway on the table for you when you arrive.

Maybe thats the price you pay for convenience. Maybe you dont mind if you get bombarded with ads based on assessments of your buying habits. Maybe you trust companies never to use your information for anything other than the reason you gave it.

But how do you know they can prevent your information escaping through technical glitch or human error? And how do you know they can protect it from others who want to it to steal from you or to extort money from the host company by disrupting their operations and, indirectly, yours?

Helen Dixon, the Data Protection Commissioner, didnt mince her words when she produced her annual report this summer. What becomes clear from dealing with many organisations in Ireland is that they deploy little resource themselves to manage data protection compliance, she wrote.

Some organisations appear to struggle with the principles based nature of data protection legislation and suggest that it is difficult to correctly interpret and apply the principles in the specific scenarios with which they are dealing.

From what I have seen, little real attempt is made in some cases to interpret and apply the principles and to examine implementation from the perspective of affected data subjects.

In other cases, organisations appear to not even be conscious that what they are proposing represents a significant interference with an individuals data-privacy rights and view efficiency and cost-saving as automatically sufficient justifications for any action.

Less than impressed would sum up her views. And no wonder. Her office received 2,376 data security breach notifications last year, a number that has increased annually from a mere handful ten years ago.

Its worth noting that notifications are voluntary except for telecommunications and internet service providers who are under legal obligation to disclose breaches. Its also worth pointing out that only three of the breaches could be firmly attributed to hacking attacks while 26 were due to the theft of IT equipment, which suggests the deliberate and/or criminal element in breaches is low.

But 117 were due to website security and other security-related issues which shows companies and organisations do need to tighten up IT systems.

Human error was by far the biggest problem. Ms Dixon has given examples before  it could be as simple as placing the wrong bank statement in an envelope, or attaching the wrong statement to an email, so that one customer receives anothers details.

Its perhaps not the biggest data security sin the world  although the implications could be serious if the details were commercially sensitive and were misused by the unintended recipient.

But the point Ms Dixon was making is that as long as attitudes to data security are lax then data security will be too and thats just asking for trouble.

Loyaltybuild has the unenviable distinction of suffering the first highly publicised case of data breach trouble in Ireland. The Co Clare-based firm, which organises discount hotel breaks as part of customer loyalty card schemes for retailers and other businesses, disclosed in 2013 that an attack on its website had resulted in the theft of the personal and/or financial details of 1.5m customers here and across Europe.

An inspection team from the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner subsequently reported serious issues regarding the security of data on Loyaltybuilds systems and a lack of procedures to ensure that the data was protected and managed properly. Gardai investigated but there were no prosecutions.

Big fish have been caught in data breach net

From Yahoo to Ebay, its worrying how many huge corporations have had data compromised

DATA breaches come in all shapes and sizes. Heres some of the bigger and more interesting examples from around the world.

Yahoo!

The email and search engine provider disclosed last month that a copy of certain user account information was stolen from it two years earlier, compromising the accounts of 500m users worldwide although sources have been reported as saying the figure could be as high as 1bn.

The stolen data included names, email addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth, passwords and security questions and answers.

Yahoo said its ongoing investigation suggests that unprotected passwords were not stolen and neither was payment card or bank account information, but nevertheless it advised its users to change their passwords pronto and stay vigilant for any suspicious activity on their payment card and bank accounts.

According to Yahoo, a state-sponsored actor was responsible for the theft but it has yet to produce proof to back that claim. Neither has the company explained exactly why it took so long to report the breach.

It hasnt been a good month for Yahoo  hot on the heels of the data theft revelations came the news that it had been scanning hundreds of millions of emails on behalf of US security agencies, such as the NSA and FBI.

The company hasnt said a whole lot about that either.

Ebay

Hackers used stolen Ebay employee credentials to gain access to the global online buy and sell markets data base and helped themselves to the personal information and passwords of 233m account holders in 2014.

Encryption saved the day for Ebay  and most customers but the company still had to issue a warning to all users to change their passwords, just to be doubly sure.

JPMorgan Chase

The US bank revealed two years ago that more than 70m households and 7m small businesses may have had their private data compromised in a cyberattack.

It remains the single largest data theft from a financial institution, believed to have been facilitated by a weakness in just one server in the companys vast IT system. Reports suggest a double password policy was in place but wasnt reinstated on the server following an overhaul.

It has since emerged through criminal investigations and prosecutions that the hack was orchestrated by a highly sophisticated international cybercriminal organisation that had also targetted three other financial institutions over a number of years.

Some reports say the hackers made more than $100m from the scheme. It cost JPMorgan Chase millions to revamp its IT security.

Anthem

Customers of the US health insurance group were informed in January 2015 that it had been hit by hackers for a number of weeks, with some 80m records believed to have been stolen.

According to Anthem, the information accessed included names, dates of birth, social security numbers, health care ID numbers, home addresses, email addresses, employment information and income data.

It said it did not believe medical records were stolen but given the sensitivity of such information, and the potential for blackmail, the fact that hackers got anywhere close to this information was cause for major concern.

In a particularly audacious move, the hackers then posed as credit monitoring experts offering, for a fee, to spot any suspicious activity on customers credit cards over the next few years.

While the matter is still the subject of an FBI investigation, it appears the hack succeeded because a handful of employees were duped into downloading malware by opening up phishing emails  emails containing malware that are deliberately designed to look like legitimate communications.

TJX

In 2007, the US company that owns TK Maxx among other retail chains, disclosed that hackers had managed to steal a quantity of customer credit card and debit card numbers.

Over the course of several months, the full scale of the breach became known with 47.5m people affected, some going back as far as 2002.

By the time of detection, the data had been used to buy at least $1m worth of electronic goods and jewellery.

The hackers had found weaknesses in the security around TJXs in-store wifi which was used to process card transactions and were able to exploit it to steal the data which was stored in unencrypted form.

TJX was fined and also had to compensate a large number of directly affected customers customers as well as insure them against future fraud, and had to issue gift vouchers to everyone whose details were compromised regardless of whether they had suffered any loss. Unsurprisingly, the saga has become required study for students of information security the world over.

AshleyMadison.com

The online affair site had the reassuring word discreet written all over it but last year the names and addresses of its 30m subscribers from 40 countries was stolen and released on the web for the whole world to see.

Even those who had used fake identities were exposed because their credit card details  which carried their real names  were attached.

The hackers had given advance warning of what they were capable of doing but didnt seem open to negotiation on what it would take to keep the database private. When they published it a month later, countless marriages fell apart and reputations were destroyed.

Several suicides were also attributed to the disclosures. No one knows the true number only the few where the bereaved spouses decided to speak out.

The Canadian based owners of the website said in August this year that an independent review of their security systems would be completed by years end, and that by May 2017, it would have revised policies and procedures in place for handling details of deactivated and inactive accounts.
As the world becomes increasingly interconnected, demand for air travel is growing, with more than 30,000 new large aircraft expected to take to the skies in the next few years.

But if we are to sustain growth in air travel without aggravating global warming, we must quickly reduce aviation-related CO2 emissions, which are substantial and not covered by the Paris climate agreement that more than 190 countries agreed to last December.

Fortunately, now is the perfect time to decouple aviation emissions from air-travel growth. Representatives from 191 countries convened in Montreal this month for the 39th Session of the United Nations International Civil Aviation Organization; after decades of wrangling, they have agreed to an aviation-specific climate agreement.

The new ICAO framework aims for carbon-neutral growth in international aviation from 2020 onward, and has as its centerpiece a global market-based measure (GMBM) to help airlines affordably cap their net emissions at 2020 levels.

When implemented, it will be the first carbon-emissions cap on a global industry that does not noticeably increase costs for consumers. And airlines will purchase emissions reductions from other economic sectors, thus funneling billions of dollars into low-carbon development around the world.

For the first six years, the new framework will apply only to flights between countries that have voluntarily adopted it, which means that the ICAO will have to encourage adequate participation for the program to be effective.

This opt-in approach has some critics, but whether a program is categorised as voluntary or mandatory is beside the point, because international accords generally apply only to the sovereign countries that have decided to join them.

Some 64 countries have already signaled their willingness to sign on to the ICAO agreement, and together they account for nearly 80% of expected growth in CO2 emissions above 2020 levels. That isnt 100%, but its a great start, and we can expect more countries to join when they see others reaping the benefits of low-carbon development.

The airlines themselves will welcome a coherent global framework that establishes clear and predictable compliance metrics, rather than a regulatory patchwork that differs from country to country and complicates international operations.

To minimise compliance costs  and because environmental sustainability is now a key competitive marker for customers and investors alike  airlines will likely encourage the countries where they do business to participate in the ICAO program.

The new agreement provides an enormous opportunity to prevent the emission of 2.5 billion tons of CO2 in the first 15 years  the equivalent of taking roughly 35 million cars off the road every year the program is in force.

The agreement will also spur major manufacturers such as Boeing, Airbus, and Bombardier  which are already investing in quieter, more fuel-efficient aircraft and efficiency improvements for existing models  to develop cleaner technologies that will allow them to purchase fewer emissions offsets.

However, the framework decided in Montreal is not complete, and crucial details need to be worked out quickly so that airlines can begin to plan how they will meet the new environmental targets.

Developed countries have already offered to help implement the GMBM, which, it is hoped, will pave the way for investments in emerging economies that are becoming new aviation powerhouses.

If the countries can leapfrog over old technologies, they can become new leaders in carbon-smart flying. They should seize the opportunity before them and join the ICAO framework so that their manufacturers have a clear and predictable path forward.

At the Paris climate talks last year, we witnessed the power of global collective action to address climate change. No fewer than 187 countries announced emissions-reduction targets in the months before the conference, which created the momentum to reach a landmark accord.

With the Paris climate agreement on track to enter into force in the coming months  more rapidly than anyone ever thought possible  we still have that momentum.

The ICAO agreement is the next wave in the international battle against climate change. Together, the two agreements will boost our chances of delivering environmentally sustainable economic growth. By cleaning up our carbon footprint now, future generations of air travelers from all countries will be able to look out their window onto a healthy planet.

Christiana Figueres was executive secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) from 2010 to 2016. Laurence Tubiana, the French ambassador for climate change and special representative for the 2015 Paris Climate Conference, is founder of the Institute for Sustainable Development and International Relations (IDDRI) in Paris and professor and director at the Sustainable Development Center at Sciences Po.
Business Aung San Suu Kyi Woos Tycoons in Naypyidaw Meet-Up

State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi addresses businesses leaders in Naypyidaw on Saturday. / JPaing / The Irrawaddy

NAYPYIDAW  State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi reassured some of Burmas most prominent tycoons that their place in Burmas economy and society was secure, so long as they backed government policy, left themselves open to scrutiny, and worked for others.

She stressed that her intention was not to dwell on the past, expressing optimism that past behaviors could be forgiven and reformed.

The State Counselors comments were made during a meeting with the countrys top listed taxpayersmany of whom have been labeled cronies due to their cozy relationship with the former military juntaat the Myanmar National Convention Center-2 in Naypyidaw on Saturday.

The governor of the Central Bank and the minister of national planning and finance, among other dignitaries, also addressed the meeting, in order to rally support among Burmas business elite behind the governments thus far vaguely defined economic agenda.

Daw Aung San Suu Kyi said she was not against some citizens getting rich, as long as they did so fairly. Regarding tycoons who made fortunes exploiting links with Burmas repressive military rulershelping to finance their rule in turnshe said, We cant mend the past. But I would like to request that they act fairly at present.

Acknowledging the recklessness and disregard for common welfare with which certain business empires were builtbut appealing to the better natures of those responsibleshe asked, Cant those who have previously worked for their own self-interest work for others in the future? Dont they have the necessary attributes to work for others? I believe it is possible.

Daw Aung San Suu Kyi also broached the topic of corruption, stressing that each citizen was enjoined to do his or her bit in the fight against it. She encouraged anyone to file a complaint with the State Counselors Office regarding any instance of corruption.

U Khin Shwe, the owner of the Zaykabar conglomeratewho, among others, has recently been removed from Americas list of targeted sanctionstold The Irrawaddy that tycoons had previously found it difficult to operate responsibly because of the economic sanctions; but now, thanks to Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, they were able to cooperate more with international partners, and reduce their formerly heavy reliance on China.

U Ko Ko Htwe, chairman of Taw Win Family Co. Ltd, welcomed the state counselors words. He said that businessmen who only care for their self-interest should meet the full force of the law.

Former parliamentarian U Ye Htun, reflecting on a history of land and asset grabs in an environment of little to no transparency, remarked that the popularly elected National League for Democracy government was in a difficult place: unable to ignore or bypass the cronies, but aware of the moral pitfalls of cooperating too closely with them.

He said the cronies would continue their harmful practices if they could still profit from them, meaning the government needs to send a strong message that under the table practices would no longer be tolerated, and that cronies would be expected to pay tax and abide by the law.

However, U Ko Ko Htwe of Taw Win Family Co. countered that is was the government, rather than business tycoons, that has been chiefly responsible for corruption in the country.

Cronies are blamed for giving big bribes in a give-and-take system, he said, noting that the problem lay in members of the government demanding such bribes in the first place: we would be quite happy if we didnt have to give them.

Not everyone at the event was enthused. Businessmen Dr. Soe Tun complained to reporters that only bankers and cronies were allowed to speak at the event; other entrepreneurs and tradesmen were left out in the cold. He claimed that the governments sole motivation in hosting the event was to solicit the help and cooperation of top cronies in furthering their policies.

During the meeting, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi admitted that economic growth over the first six months of her governments term beginning in April had fallen below expectations.

A sense of urgency that democratic reforms be matched with an economic dividend for the Burmese people may have spurred her overtures to Burmas top tycoonswho, although reviled by much of the public, have a stranglehold over large portions of Burmas economy.

Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko
Business Investment Law Rules and Regulations Released by March

State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi presents at the meeting with Burmas business community in Naypyidaw last Saturday. / J Paing / The Irrawaddy

NAYPYIDAW  Rules and regulations for the newly enacted Myanmar Investment Law will be released in three months at the earliest and by the end of March next year at the latest, according to U Maung Maung Win, deputy minister of national planning and finance.

The law, enacted by President U Htin Kyaw last week, combines the Myanmar Citizens Investment Law and the Foreign Investment Law.

Normally it takes at least three months to release rules and regulations following a law, U Maung Maung Win Said. If there is a delay, we will finish by the end of this fiscal year, at the end of March.

The rules and regulations are now being drawn up by the Directorate of Investment and Companies Administration (DICA) under the Ministry of National Planning and Finance and they are trying to complete them as soon as possible, the minister said.

U Aung Naing Oo, director general of DICA and secretary of the Myanmar Investment Commission (MIC) confirmed this but could not provide precise details of what they would cover.

The business community expect that the rules and regulations will include information on which industries to invest in, government incentives, and which areas the government or the MIC will be overseeing.

The MIC will continue to handle some investment but state and divisional governments will also manage some areas, U Aung Naing Oo said. It will allow business people to work more easily.

U Aung Naing Oo acknowledged that during the new governments first six months (April to September) foreign direct investment (FDI) significantly declined compared to last year.

According to DICA figures, pledged foreign direct investment from April to September this year was US$1.4 billion while the same period of 2015 was $3 billion.

He blamed a global economic slowdown and foreign investors waiting for policy announcements.

The next six months have the potential to see much more FDI volume, he said. DICA is hoping that the total FDI volume for this fiscal year will reach the same amount as last year.

He added that the government had some development investment plans including: technology in the agricultural sector, new payment cards to be issued by banks, inviting the local business community to invest in health care, and new infrastructure projects.

The rules and regulations will provide greater detail on how investors can engage with these sectors, he said.

U Nyo Myint, senior managing director of KBZ Group, told the Irrawaddy that some business people are waiting for the governments dos and donts before investing.

Its better for us if those rules and regulations come out as soon as possible. I expect that they will attract people to invest in Burma, he said.

Saturdays meeting in Naypyidaw was hosted by State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and attended by ministers, top members of Burmas business community, and global economic development partners.

Minister of National Planning and Finance U Kyaw Win stated that agriculture, banking and finance, small and medium enterprises, health care, and infrastructure development sectors would be promoted by the government for investment.
News Police Arrest Witch Doctor who Beat Three Children to Death in Exorcism

The accused, witch-doctor Ko Tun Naing. / Yangon Police / Facebook

Police have arrested a witch doctor after a purported exorcism ritual resulted in the deaths of three young children in a village in Twante Township outside of Rangoon.

Witch doctor Ko Tun Naing has been charged with murder, grievous bodily harm and destroying evidence, after the 30-year-old confessed to beating the three children to death.

A police investigation has revealed that three residents of Twantes 20th Mile East village met with the witch doctor while working in Maubin Township in the Irrawaddy Delta, Burmas premier rice-growing region. The witch doctor reportedly accompanied them on a visit back home on Tuesday of last week.

On arrival, the witch doctor declared that the house belonging to one of the residents, U Soe Min, was inhabited by evil spirits and in need of exorcism. The witch doctor proceeded to draw a circle and made the family members stand within it. He began to beat and kick a three-year-old boy belonging to the family, claiming the boy was possessed by one of the evil spirits.

The child was beaten to death and his body was set adrift [in Twante canal], a police officer at the Twante Township police station told The Irrawaddy.

The police officer said that U Soe Min, who eventually filed a police case against the witch doctor, and his family were too frightened to step outside of the circle during the ordeal, having been threatened by the witch doctor.

The following day, the witch doctor beat to death two girls, aged eight months and two months respectively, in a similar ritual, after which their bodies were buried, the police officer said.

While the witch doctor was beating another girl, aged four years, the girls father could no longer bear the sight and rushed in to retrieve the girl and brought her to a hospital, where a nurse advised filing a case with the police, the police officer said.
News Tensions Rise as UWSA Refuses to Abandon Mongla Posts

NDAA troops at Nam Li checkpoint near the border with the Wa Self-Administered Division in Shan State in 2015. / JPaing / The Irrawaddy

RANGOON  The Burmese government has asked United Wa State Army (UWSA) members to withdraw their troops, citing a push for greater stability in the Mongla region of eastern Shan State, according to a senior officer from the National Democratic Alliance Army (NDAA), which controls the enclave on the Chinese border.

Some 1,000 members of the UWSA took some key mountains posts from the NDAA earlier in October, reportedly a preventative measure against a potential offensive from the Burma Army; previously, the NDAA controlled all roadside posts in the area, which is designated Shan State Special Region 4. Now, some of these posts are blockedlocals recently reported not being able to pass from Mongla to the eastern Shan State administrative capital of Kengtung.

Amid high tension in the region, Kyi Myint, a leader within the NDAA (more popularly known as the Mongla Group) told The Irrawaddy on Monday that the National Reconciliation and Peace Centre (NRPC)s Dr. Tin Myo Win asked the UWSAby letterto consider withdrawing their troops from the area and even requested a meeting with the group in Mongla to discuss the issue. The UWSA, however, refused the meeting, Kyi Myint said.

We have welcomed the NRPC to come for any amount of time to our Mongla area. But, the Wa told them in their letter not to come, said Kyi Myint.

Leaders from the NDAA have also asked the UWSA to withdraw their troops from the area as there are worries that fighting could break out in the region with the Burma Army. Members of the UWSA said that they would only withdraw their troops after receiving orders to do so from their own senior officers, said the Kyi Myint.

Rumors have spread locally that the Burma Army might launch an offensive in the Mongla region if UWSA members refuse to leave.

A lot of our people are scared. They should withdraw their troops in order to have stability in our region. Their action was a mistake. We do not want to have a military offensive, gunfire and artillery. We just wanted our people to have peace and be happy, said Kyi Myint.

The UWSA and NDAA are longtime allies; both groups sprang out of units of the Communist Party of Burma when it imploded in 1989, and signed ceasefires with the Burmese government more than 25 years ago. Relations with the Burma Army have been peaceful ever since.

A divide between the two groups became visible concerning the 21st Century Panglong peace conference hosted in Napyidaw in late August and early September. The NDAA agreed to continue to engage in the peace process led by State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, but the UWSA delegation left the conference early, citing unequal treatment.

For us, we will keep supporting the peace process. This is our stand, said Kyi Myint of the NDAA.

The UWSA commands 30,000 troops by some estimates, making it the largest non-state armed group in Burma. The groups territory borders that of the Burma Army in three eastern and southern Shan State locations: Tang Yan, Chin Shwe Hall, and Loi Tak.

Large UWSA bases near these borders could contribute to the severity of fighting, were it to break out, explained ethnic affairs commentator U Maung Maung Soe.

It would be a lot better if they could avoid fighting breaking out, he said, in reference to the Burmese government forces. If they let it break out, it would quickly spread.
News Top US Diplomat to Meet Philippine Foreign Minister Amid Separation Concerns

US Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Daniel Russel speaks at a news conference in Hanoi, Vietnam, May 10, 2016. / Kham / Reuters

MANILA, Philippines  The most senior US diplomat for Asia has arrived in the Philippines and will meet the countrys foreign minister on Monday amid confusion over the status of ties between the two long-time allies, said the US embassy in Manila.

The visit by US Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Daniel Russel is part of a three-nation swing through Southeast Asia that also includes Thailand and Cambodia, the US State Department announced on its website.

Russel arrives as confusion lingers over Manilas ties with Washington, with President Rodrigo Duterte saying on Saturday the United States remains the Philippines closest friend, after earlier provoking alarm by announcing his countrys separation from the United States and realignment with China.

The United States is one of the Philippines largest trading partners and has been its closest security ally for about 70 years.

Russel was to meet with Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary Perfecto Yasay, US embassy press attache Molly Koscina told Reuters, without giving details about issues to be discussed.

A Philippine foreign affairs official said Russel and Yasay would discuss the overall bilateral relations of the two allies following Dutertes separation statement in China last week.

The US wants a clarification from the Philippines and what direction the alliance will take, the official told Reuters.

I think the US is confused. It is getting mixed signals from Manila, the Philippine official said, requesting anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media.

Russel is expected to stay in Manila until Tuesday to meet with government officials and have lunch with Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative (YSEALI) participants, before leaving for Thailand.

He will be in Thailand until Wednesday to convey his condolences on the passing of His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej and meet with Thai officials to discuss bilateral relations and regional issues.

From Thailand, he will fly to Cambodia to meet with government and opposition party officials, civil society organizations, and address a group of YSEALI members.
Major: Communication

Hometown: Brazil, IN

Student Media Involvement: Syc Creations

Favorite Food: Burgers with everything but mustard

Fun Fact: He really loves superhero movies, and wants to make his own someday
The consensus is that the proposed acquisition of Time Warner by AT&T is a long shot.

The conversations between the two companies were first reported last week by Bloomberg. The deal became a reality with an announcement on Saturday. AT&T is offering $107.50 per share. The New York Times story on the acquisition puts the total price tag at $85.4 billion.

The pairing of Time Warners content and AT&T multiple distribution channels is the key to the deal. Not surprisingly, it is the key to the opposition as well. Reaction from the first couple of days suggests that the odds of the deal closing are not good.

The reaction of the presidential candidates told a telling tale. Characteristically, Trump was forthright in his reaction, which was that his administration would be against it. A big part of that is that the acquisition was perfect fodder for a candidate who maintains that the media has too much power and is undermining his candidacy. The Clinton campaign, also characteristically, was more guarded. It expressed the same concerns about media power concentration as Trump, however.

The bottom line is that if Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton agree that the deal is problematic, its future is not promising.

The Wall Street Journals reaction piece to the deal hit several points. It mentioned the regulatory concerns and offered CEO Randall Stephensons response, which seemed less than compelling. The story also points to analysis from Citibank that questioned the logic of the deal beyond the regulatory issues. The analyst said that Citibank is skeptical of the inherent benefits of vertical integration of delivery platforms and content. Finally, it pointed to the possibility of AT&Ts already large debt load creating a distraction.

The Los Angeles Times Michael Hiltzik essentially makes the point that the very rationale for the deal is that competitors content will be slowed or otherwise put at a disadvantage compared to AT&Ts. After all, what other reason beyond pushing its content ahead of others is compelling enough for AT&T to be interested  at least to the tune of $85.4 billion?

David Morris makes the same point at Fortune:

The deals risk to consumers is clear. Following its acquisition of DirecTV, AT&T is the largest pay-TV operator in the US. It is also the second-largest wireless data provider and the third-largest broadband provider. That means AT&T controls a huge proportion of the bandwidth consumers use across multiple platforms. Buying a content producer like Time Warner would give it a big motive to make its own content faster or more accessible than competitors.

It seems unlikely this deal will be allowed to go forward. It is difficult to identify a benefit to the public. Indeed, it seems more likely to hurt subscribers by tilting the playing field against other content providers. This, combined with its political unpopularity, makes it unlikely that the deal will be approved in a form that is acceptable to the two companies.

Carl Weinschenk covers telecom for IT Business Edge. He writes about wireless technology, disaster recovery/business continuity, cellular services, the Internet of Things, machine-to-machine communications and other emerging technologies and platforms. He also covers net neutrality and related regulatory issues. Weinschenk has written about the phone companies, cable operators and related companies for decades and is senior editor of Broadband Technology Report. He can be reached at [email protected] and via twitter at @DailyMusicBrk.
The search for industrial and commercial application for magnetic levitation has gained ground in research and tests. Hyperloop, University of Cincinnati has achieved their goal by levitating their prototype to a quarter of an inch.

There will be a hyperloop competition on magnetic levitation sponsored by its founder Elon Musk of Tesla. The challenge is for the application of magnetic levitation to a tube-based passenger system transport that would eventually travel at the speed of sound. The prototype's final testing will be on January 27 to 29, 2017. The testing will have their prototype pods inserted in a tube a mile long near at SpaceX, Hawthorne, California.

There are more than 1200 teams worldwide participating in this event. Hyperloop UC is being spearheaded by UC graduate Dhaval Shiyani. Only 30 teams had advanced so far and Dhaval's group is one of them. They will be a force to reckon with on January test runs, Shiyani said.

In an article from Science Daily, it mentioned that if the project goes successfully and implemented to the core, it will be a new chapter for commuter travel as travel time will be drastically minimized. In a travel time from Cincinnati to Chicago will only take about 30 minutes at 700 mph speed of the tubular carriage transport system.

The proud team of Hyperloop, University of Cincinnati has the reason to celebrate stating that the success of the Hyperloop UC signals that they are doing things right in the University College of Engineering and Applied Science, said Teik C. Lim, UC CEAS Dean and Herman Schneider, professor of Mechanical Engineering.

Hyperloops Team was also invited to the Texas A & M University presentation of their innovations. Participating in this presentation are 120 teams from all over the world. Out of the 120 teams, 30 were chosen for the finals on January, 2017. This Innovation of Magnetic Levitation will usher the future of transportation.
Facebook chief executive Mark Zuckerberg said no to ban Donald Trumps post arguing that it would be inappropriate to censor a presidential candidate, after some social media employees wanted some of Trump's posts removed it, claiming that they be designated as hate speech. The Republican candidates posts claimed that the government should prevent Muslims from entering the country.

Mark Zuckerbergs Reason Could Actually Be Very Harmful To Trumps Image

According to the International Business Times, this situation was a considerable setback for Mark Zuckerberg, considering that the Facebook post ended up being disapproved by users, who flagged it as a hate speech. After the CEO's decision, many employees felt so insulted with Zuckerberg's decision that they threatened to quit. However, the social media boss was firm on his decision.

"That context can include the value of political discourse, many people are voicing opinions about this particular content and it has become an important part of the conversation around who the next U.S. president will be," a Facebook spokeswoman stated to the Wall Street Journal.

Trumps Campaign Haven't Received Reports About Facebook Employees Complaints

Although there are many who think that letting someone make discriminatory statements on the social media platform could leave a dangerous precedent, what Mark Zuckerberg and his defenders claim is that it coming from a presidential candidate, it could be very helpful to voters to know who this person is, even if the statements represent hate speech. Although many employees feel uncomfortable with the situation, Trumps campaign stated that they haven't received any report about it.

"Facebook has never contacted us about employee complaints and has never removed a post. We are not concerned about the liberal Clinton elites who are so intolerant of conservative ideas that they would seek to censor the Trump campaign's enormously successful Facebook engagement," a spokeswoman for Trump's campaign stated to the Wall Street Journal.

The undeniable fact about this decision is that Mark Zuckerberg is once again in the spotlight because of delicate controversy also related to the Republican candidate, considering that some days ago, he defended Peter Thiels position in the company board, after he made a millionaire donation for Trumps campaign.
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) recently revealed the new Zodiac Signs starting this year, 2016. NASA said that there have to be changed on the 3,000-year-old astrological system.

The zodiac signs are the circle of the twelve divisions of celestial longitude employed by the western astrology and astronomy. About 3,000 years ago, the Babylonians divided the circle into twelve parts to make a whole astrological system.

According to NASA, however, the change in the Zodiac Signs was something that needed to be done, simply because of sheer mathematics. We didnt change any zodiac signs, we [just] did the math, NASA researcher Laurie Cantillo told BBC news.

NASA recently revealed the mathematical computations that lead to changes in the astrological Zodiac Signs. The 13th sign that was revealed to complete the revised Zodiac Signs is named Ophiuchus.

One of the things that really shocked horoscope enthusiasts about the readjustment was the insertion of a 13th sign, since the previous system, which used 12 signs, had been around for a very long time. With the 13th sign, all people who are born between November 29 and December 17 are Ophiuchus.

People under the new Zodiac Sign Ophiuchus are believed to be seekers of knowledge and wisdom. They are active, fascinating, impulsive, clever, and extravagant. However, they are also jealous, power-hungry, and sensitive. At their hearts, they were healers who hoped to one day rid the Zodiac of every ill  disease, violence, etc  and bring everyone closer together.

Ophiuchus is based on a constellation of the same name, which title is known as the Serpent-bearer in Greek. The new Zodiac Sign should have been part of the horoscope since 1970 when Stephen Schmidt proposed it. However, since the proposal was questionable, they opted to stick with the 12 Zodiac Signs that the people already knew until NASA brought it back for the revised 2016 Zodiac Signs.
The most anticipated device on the market, the Microsoft Surface Pro 5, might be unveiled on Microsoft's Windows 10 event taking place on the 26th October. Is this the date that everyone has been waiting for to see the long-awaited Surface Pro 5?

Let's take a look at the speculated specs, features and possible release date of the Surface Pro 5 in this rumor round up.

The Surface Pro 5 will likely come equipped with the latest generation of Intel's processors. The Surface Pro 5 is believed to incorporate Kaby Lake CPUs from Intel, and might also feature a 4K display that is 3,840 pixels wide at the very least, coupled with up to 16 GB of RAM. Others have claimed that the new Surface Pen's battery would then be capable of charging wirelessly when magnetically attached to the Surface Pro.

Rumours also suggest the Surface Pro 5 will be the first in the series to offer the upgraded USB-C port, over the older USB 3.0. Other upgrades to WiFi and Bluetooth are also expected, as well as a new, more powerful, feature-rich camera.

Microsoft is delaying the second part of the big Windows 10 update until early next year. This update is known as Redstone, or RS2, and Microsoft is supposedly hanging on until the new Surface devices are ready so it can showcase the software features on them, according to PC Advisor.

Rumors have been rounding up regarding the battle of Surface Pro 5 and MacBook Pro 2016. In spite of that, the MacBook Pro 2016 is expected to be announced before October ends.

More likely, consumers can expect that Surface Pro 5 start at $899 (749, AU$1,349) and escalate from there depending on spec configurations and bundled accessories, according to Tech Radar.

Details around Microsoft's plans for a Surface Pro 5 is still vague. With no official word from Microsoft, it is difficult to put exact figures on what the device will cost on its release. As for the official unveiling for the device, the date might be sooner than everyone thinks.
The American vigilante hacker known as The Jester executed a cyber strike to the Russian ministry of foreign affairs on Friday night. The Jester's actions were reportedly in retaliation for the cyberattacks that Russian hackers, who were allegedly linked to Putins government, have initiated towards political sites in the U.S. to interfere with the ongoing 2016 presidential elections.

The Jesters Message

Although it is not related to the White House, The Jesters cyberattack might escalate tensions between the two nations, giving the fact that during the last months, there have been several scandals regarding the elections and Russia, including the WikiLeaks emails hack, and the U.S. blaming Russian spy agencies as the mastermind of the operation.

"Comrades! We interrupt regular scheduled Russian Foreign Affairs Website programming to bring you the following important message. Knock it off. You may be able to push around nations around you, but this is America. Nobody is impressed," The Jester, who was once dubbed as the "Batman of the internet," wrote on the Russian government ministrys website as a message for everyones to see it, according to CNN Money.

The Jesters Motivations

Although the letter is no longer on the website, it was visible until Saturday for everyone to see. The message represented The Jesters declaration of war to the Putin administration, considering that this was a major attack to one of Russia's most representative websites. According to Digital Trends, anyone who visited it after the hack heard the annoying dial tone sound that usually plays during American emergency broadcast messages.

"I wanted to poke them in the eye and stop feeling like U.S.(sic) is just taking it on the chin. Again, I'm not gonna sit around watching these f----rs laughing at us. It's 4 a.m. in Moscow right now and a weekend. I'm hoping they can't fix the hole til Monday. Think of this as a professional courtesy, or if you prefer message from 'U.S.A. with Love," The Jester stated, according to CNN Money.

The American vigilante hacker further stated that he initiated the cyberattack on the Russian site out of frustration over the massive DNS attacks last Friday, which crippled access to numerous websites in the United States. The hacker also stated that he only had to find a hole on the websites computing code and injecting his own code on it.
Although the U.S. presidential elections started as one of the most controversial of all time since Donald Trump was elected as the Republican nominee, the scandal raised to a whole new level when the whistleblowing organization WikiLeaks released a batch of emails from Hillary Clintons campaign chairman John Podesta. This divided the nation into those who endorsed its leader Julian Assange, and those who claimed that he was interfering with the election.

Soon after the first leaks, the U.S. accused Assange of working with Russia, and since that moment, nothing was the same again. The WikiLeaks leader promised to release every single document regarding the presidential election before November 8. Some published documents revealed the link between Clinton and Goldman Sachs, and suddenly, the Ecuadorean embassy sabotaged Assanges internet, seemingly in an attempt to protect the elections.

Opposite Positions Regarding WikiLeaks And The Presidential Elections

However, what has been rising beneath all of these events has been the U.S. government's intentions to silence the radical transparency organization, and the position that American media, society and politicians have taken regarding this action. This eventually resulted in efforts to discredit Assanges leaks because of his sexual abuse accusations, or endorsing his mission of making people know the truth behind politics.

The delicate fact about this situation is that both positions also correspond to different political interests, which makes these reactions as a non-objective response. For example, it is no accident that most of those who support WikiLeaks have openly shown their support to Donald Trump to the presidential elections, and those who question Assanges actions - including the American government - want Clinton to be new U.S. Chief of State.

As reported by The Guardian, two conservatives figures in the form of Sean Hannity, the Fox News personality and David Duke, a former Ku Klux Klan grand wizard and senate candidate for Louisiana, have praised Assange by calling him a "Hero." Hannity and Duke have also supported WikiLeaks for having "done the U.S.A. a great service" by exposing "government corruption" and cybersecurity weaknesses.

On the other hand, many liberals, who ironically also praised the non-profit organization in its first leaks back in 2010, have positioned themselves against WikiLeaks. It is almost impossible to separate this stance from their political view, considering that they openly support the Democratic nominee. In fact, many people and media whose points of view of the presidential elections are very clear have used Assanges sex accusations to discredit the leaked documents, as reported by Belling Cat.

Why America Seems Intent On Silencing Julian Assange

The issue about having an unquestionable answer is that both those who support and reject the organization have a point, regardless their political positions. For example, it is impossible to deny that WikiLeaks is interfering with the election, giving the fact that the leaks are destroying a candidates image, thereby giving the other a bigger chance of becoming the new president.

This is not the same as the media publishing something hidden that no one didn't know about, because these are private and confidential files, which makes its release an illegal action. However, the problem is that regardless of the illegitimacy, the documents could be real details about someone whos about to become the U.S. president, and for many, the American people need to know to about it.

But theres another twist in this reasoning: the fact that WikiLeaks haven't published hacked emails from both nominees, but from only one, makes its actions as a clear attempt to benefit a candidate, even if it's showing real facts that need to be known.

This situation makes the U.S. government's actions to silence the organization as something that could be easily considered as an effort to protect the presidential elections transparency, or an attempt to uncover a candidates flaws. It seems that both options are right and wrong depending which candidate you support.
Last Friday's cyberattack was launched by a group called the New World Hackers. Members of this group claimed responsibility for the attack via Twitter, but experts say IoT devices and us are much to be blamed for the mass-scale DDoS attack as well.

When the cyberattack was launched, it initially only affected the eastern United States. Later, however, users from Europe and Asia also reported problems when connecting to dozens of major websites, crippling well-known sites such as Amazon, Netflix, Twitter, Skype and many more for hours at a time.

According to the website News.com, authorities did not receive any communications from the attackers and did not know who was responsible. The article further stated that a senior U.S. intelligence officer told American Broadcaster NBC that authorities do not believe the attack was state sponsored. Instead, they are identifying it as a case of "internet vandalism".

Hours after the attack (no specific time was mentioned), a group called the New World Hackers tweeted a message at Twitter claiming that they are responsible for the attack. The group has in the past claimed responsibilities for similar attacks against sites including ESPNFantasySports.com in September and the BBC on December 31.

Authorities stated that the attacks were carried through the "Internet of Things". The group is said to have used publicly available source to assemble a bot-net army of internet-enabled devices or IoT and then directed those devices to send massive waves of junk requests to a DNS provider.

But according to an article written at Fortune, companies with such sloppy security standards were much to blame for making the attack possible. IoT devices such as printers and appliances connected to the internet created a hole for hackers such as the New World Hackers to disrupt the internet highway.

The Fortune article further stated that part of the responsibility should also lie with the lawmakers and regulators who have failed to create a safety system to account for the IoT era we are now living in. And lastly, consumer must also secure the internet-connected devices, because they are not only endangering themselves but also the Internet as well.
Experts have often wondered why most people - estimating 90 percent of the Earth's population - are right-handed. New research suggests that this preference dates back millions of years ago based on teeth markings from early human fossils.

The study was published in "Journal of Human Evolution" and stated that evidence for right-handedness is seen in Homo habilis, a pre-human species that existed around 1.8 million years ago. The said evidence are scrapings on the outside of the teeth fossil that indicated it started from left and veering lateral to the right.

Researchers Explained The Origin Of The Teeth Markings Found On Early Human Fossil

Researchers explained that this was likely because our ancestors were using their right hand to hold a tool; their left to grip a slab of meat, and their mouth acting as a "third hand." Given this position, they would then use their right hand to cut the food, while using their mouth and left hand to pull the morsel away, explained Popular Mechanics.

It's likely that on occasion, their right hand would slip and would end up scraping the upper teeth resulting in the permanent surface markings. To test this hypothesis, paleoanthropologist David Frayer and his colleagues conducted a clever study.

They gathered subjects and had them wear mouth guards that easily recorded scratches. Participants were then instructed to tear a piece of meat and other materials and used their mouth as a "third hand." The resulting markings on the mouth guards were similar to the scratches found on the fossil, reported the Daily Mail.

Teeth Markings Not Indicative Of Right-Handedness, Said Another Expert

However, paleoanthropologist Bernard Wood, who was not part of the study, warns Frayer and his colleagues not to jump to conclusions. "My concern is that they really don't spend enough time on other explanations for these phenomena, the presence of these scratches and their directionality," Wood told Christian Science Monitor. "It's a really interesting observation that only time will tell whether that observation has been over-interpreted."

The study also included only a single specimen to reach their conclusion. This is the first time that researchers connected right-handedness to teeth markings found on early human teeth fossils.
Samsung seems to be on the verge of moving on after the nightmare that they had with their Galaxy Note 7. The tech giant has been seen making strides to compensate with the whole fiasco, which was making recalls, offering discounts to Note 7 users, to even refunding their money. But probably the best solution they could think of was to ultimately shut the Note 7 series down for good. Which they did, indicating that Samsung has finally given up on its efforts of reviving the phablet's torn reputation, and is now focused on its future devices.

Samsung can't catch a break

Unfortunately, Samsung is still on the hot seat. The Korean tech company is still drowning from critics and issues pointing at their devices as a whole. It seems as if people are now generalizing the whole issue. Even the upcoming Galaxy 8 is being considered as yet another disaster as mentioned in some reports. People are even considering Samsung and Fire as synonymous words. Simply put, Samsung just can't take a break.

Issues just keep on coming

During the first weeks of the Note 7, it was smooth sailing, and people were actually giving it some very positive feedback. But during the time when the exploding battery issue was among us, the Note 7 has received nothing but critics and insults, which also gave more reason for Samsung to ultimately shut it down for good. Samsung made a lot of effort in reviving the Note 7 and their dwindling reputation, but everything was all in smokes, and issues just kept on coming. Issues are still going on even after the official discontinuity of the Note 7

Note 7s are now officially banned from air flights

The biggest issue reported recently was the FAA's declaration of banning the Galaxy Note 7 from any aircraft. Warnings are even announced regarding the banning of the Note 7 before and during every commercial flight. If you are caught bringing a Note 7 on board any plane, you will be subjected to federal punishment, which will either be a penalty fine or imprisonment. What's worse is that you could even be dubbed as a terrorist. You have been warned.
Following the Paris Agreement that primarily focuses on reducing greenhouse gas emissions by countries, more and more funding is being poured into technology that pushes the boundaries of renewable energy. Among those involved with the agreement are India and the United States, with both countries being the two of the three largest places generating greenhouse gasses.

In the past, coal has been the world's leading source of energy and is the go-to resource for the electric power industry. However, solar energy has seen an increased rate of demand due to the effort of governments to reduce carbon emissions and because solar panel cost is dropping at a convenient rate.

Furthermore, the US has a federal tax credit for solar installations making this particular renewable energy appealing to most people. And with congress extending the said credit earlier this year, annual increase for solar generation spiked up to 39 percent, reported Grist.

Solar Energy Taking Over Coal As Primary Source Of Energy In The U.S.

In 2014, the country generated 10 gigawatts of solar power with that number expected to rise to 27 gigawatts. That amount of energy production is enough to provide power to roughly 3.5 million homes.

Recent data revealed that this year the United States' electricity will come from natural gas amounting 35 percent of the country's energy production, while coal will follow behind with a 30 percent number. In 2015, both sources produced 33 percent of the country's electricity.

"Coal is now in many markets the marginal player," said Daniel Cohan, professor of environmental engineering at Rice University. "There's definitely been switching from coal to gas, and many analysts think that the majority of coal power plants are losing money."

India To Take Advantage Of The Benefits That Solar Energy Offers

India, on the hand, is still in the process of transitioning from coal to renewable energy and is currently exploring the tech and market of solar plants. Just recently, the country has updated its National Solar Mission target with a goal of achieving 175 gigawatts of renewable power in 2022, with 100 gigawatts coming from solar energy, reported Truth Dig.

Aside from reducing greenhouse gas emissions, the country is also poised in benefitting from the jobs that renewable energy brings. And this is echoed by Tata Solar Power, one of the pioneers in solar manufacturing in the country.

"This would generate more than 675,000 jobs in the Indian solar industry," said Ajay Goel, former CEO of Tata Power Solar and current chief of new businesses at ReNew Power. "Especially for the 400 million Indians who have no access to electricity, solar power would mean access to clean and affordable energy."
If you're planning to get a Pixel phone, there are a few things that you need to know about Google's latest flagship phone. First, its camera shots are on a par with Apple and Samsung's 2016 flagships. Second, it performs fast. Third, it's one of the most durable smartphones to date.

Google Pixel Quick Camera Review

The Pixel's arrival may already be "too late" since the market has already splurged on the Galaxy S7 and iPhone 7. However, this doesn't mean that the Pixel can no longer make good sales. Apparently, the latest Google phone is one of the most competitive phones on the market right now. It comes with superb specs that can take on its strongest competitions. Even its non-dual cam can beat most of today's flagship phones.

Techno Buffalo conducted a quick camera review on the Pixel and the results are quite satisfying. As per the tech blog, Google Pixel's camera is on par with Samsung's S7 and Apple's iPhone 7. In fact, the Pixel's shooter is sometimes better than what Apple can offer with the iPhone 7. You can check out the camera samples here.

Google Pixel Speed Test

Google's Pixel phone is also not a downer when it comes to speed tests. It may not be faster than all of its competition, but it actually delivers a good performance. Tech Trinkets' comparison review of the Google Pixel and Galaxy S7 prove that even though the S7 is a hair faster than the Pixel, Google's 2016 flagship did not show a lag throughout the test. In fact, the Pixel is just as impressive as Samsung's S7.

Google Pixel Torture Test

Google Pixel's torture test results are far from disappointing. Like most premium phones, the Pixel's glass scratches with a level-6 scratching tool. The phone is basically safe from key scratches and the likes. The only possible drawback of the Pixel is its earpiece which is made of fabric. As expected, this part of the phone is easily destroyed by JerryRigEverything. Nonetheless, it may still be safe for day to day use.

If there's one big thing that the Google Pixel should be proud of is its sturdy body. As per GSM Arena, the Pixel is pretty hard to bend unlike the Nexus 6P. Bending the Pixel with the screen facing down actually showed zero flex, which is quite impressive.


Recent reports saying that Samsung might be removing the Note brand altogether is quite alarming to its fans. Sure, the Note 7 failure is no joke, but is it really enough to make the company remove the brand once and for all? While Samsung hasn't really confirmed the cancellation rumors, fans can't help but be worried about their favorite phablet's fate.

Samsung Note Series Cancellation Rumors

Tech blog GSM Arena has reported a couple of weeks ago that Samsung might be considering a total cancellation of the Note series. A certain Russian site claimed that Samsung has conducted a survey and more than half of the survey-takers allegedly think that the Note name brings in negative connotations to consumers. While this remains unconfirmed, it's quite alarming to know that there is a possibility of a total Note series discontinuation.

Another tech-based blog Techno Buffalo also mentioned that Samsung may not only discontinue the Note series, the company might also stop producing a flagship phablet altogether. It was pointed out that Samsung's effort to maintain two flagships year after year might have been the culprit for the Note 7 quality assurance fail. To make sure that the Note 7 fiasco doesn't occur again, the company will allegedly focus on the Samsung S series alone.

Why Samsung Shouldn't Cancel The Note Series

The main reason why the Note series shouldn't be abolished all-in-all is because there is nothing like it in the market. Everything the Note phablet offers is hardly seen in other brands. The whole specs combo found on the Note 7 is barely found on other 2016 flagship phones. If you're a Note user from day one you'd know how hard it is to find another phone with a stylus and a very impressive display.

The fact that Samsung has put in so much improvement to the Note 7, we know that the company's future plans for the Note series are nothing but innovative. Cancelling all of it would be nothing but a waste of good technology. Sure, the Note 7 explosion controversy is a very serious matter, but does Samsung really have to dwell in it forever? Does the Note series really deserve to be a total outcast?

Samsung Note Series' Fate Still Uncertain

Samsung hasn't confirmed the cancellation rumors just yet. This may be because the rumor isn't true, or this could also be because even the company isn't certain about its plans for the Note series just yet. With that said, a re-brand is still in the picture and a postponement is likewise possible. What's making headlines now is that the Galaxy S8 will be released on time (February or March 2017).

Samsung might just be getting its plans together and the S8's sales will decide whether or not their reputation has actually been tainted by their 2016 controversy. With that said, the best way to deal with this matter is to wait for official announcements from Samsung. If August and September pass without a sight of a new phablet with stylus, then it may be a good time to question Samsung of its plans.
Verizon is still considering its deal with Yahoo after the tech company's infamous data breach. The telecom company is yet to come up with a decision. Now, its rival AT&T has a different deal to work with. This will be a blow to Verizon once AT&T acquires Time Warner.

AT&T And Time Warner's Possible Merger

Bloomberg previously reported that there is a possible merger between AT&T and Time Warner. Sources knowledgeable on this subject revealed that Senior Executives of the two companies have met in recent weeks. The same people also said that the private discussions were informal. The talks were more about building relations between AT&T.

The implications of this future acquisition of AT&T may not be favorable for Verizon. Time Warner is a bigger asset to AT&T compared to that of Verizon's deal with AOL and Yahoo. The Washington Post puts its best that AT&T may earn a mass media conglomerate with a major movie studio and a global 24/7 cable news network.

As if that's not already enough, Time Warner also owns the rights to these world famous brands: Batman, Superman, and Harry Potter.

BTIG Telecom Analyst Walt Piecyk agreed that the deal of Verizon with AOL and Yahoo is incomparable with that of AT&T. Piecyk also pointed out the quality of the Time Warner deal. Apparently, Verizon bought the AOL asset that Time Warner didn't want.

Verizon Gets AOL And Yahoo

Verizon's deal with AOL would help the telecom company to easily gain revenue through online video viewers. On the other hand, Yahoo is not entirely convincing lately. The hacked 500 million Yahoo accounts are not helping the tech company's case.

It has been reported that Verizon is looking into the said data breach. A general counsel for the company has revealed that a certain clause in the deal can allow them to withdraw from purchasing Yahoo. Verizon also said that they have already talked to Yahoo about the email hack.

It should be noted that Verizon's acquisition of Yahoo has been approved by the US Federal Trade Commission. It has not yet received approval from the European Commission.
Two more months before its premiere but "Sherlock" season 4 has been shaking up the internet and social media with its storyline and cast rumors. Latest speculations claim that "Outlander" star Sam Heughan will play the role of the third Holmes brother instead of the previously rumored Tom Hiddleston.

The rumors started when the Scottish actor exchanged messages on Twitter with "Sherlock" creator Mark Gatiss. Gatiss asked Heughan when they are going to meet and the actor replied, "Whenever our stars (schedules) align!! So pleased all going so well for you!x."

Fans have then begun speculating Heughan will play the eldest Holmes brother, Sherrinford Holmes. According to a report, Sherrinford is the hypothetical brother of Sherlock and Mycroft. However, opposite of the two, Sherrinford Holmes is apparently on the evil side. The report further added that Sherrinford is the one who mentored Jim Moriarty and that Sherlock's real nemesis is Sherrinford, not Jim. During "Sherlock" season 3, Mycroft was quoted as saying: "I'm not given to outbursts of brotherly compassion. You know what happened to the other one."

Sherrinford is described to be more intelligent than the two younger siblings and if he will appear in the upcoming season, Sherlock and Mycroft are going to have a difficult time facing him. There is no official confirmation about who will play Sherrinford yet but fans are hoping it would be Heughan. This is despite the fact that the actor's actual project, "Outlander" season 3, is also scheduled for realease next year.

Meanwhile, it was previously reported that there might be more installments after "Sherlock" season 4. Following Steven Moffat's announcement that season 4 is definitely not the last, Benedict Cumberbatch himself stepped forward to clarify his first statement. He said the news about the series ending in season 4 was a "complete distortion" and sensationalized.



"Sherlock" season 4 will premiere on Jan. 1, 2017 on BBC.
After so many years, scientists were able to come up with a detailed map of the entire stretch of the milky way's hydrogen map. This made possible using the two world's largest radio telescope in Germany and Australia. This allows them to see the details of the hydrogen map very clear.

The researchers created the unprecedented map of the Milky Way's hydrogen atoms called the HI4PI. The image created is the result of their 10 years of work that included more than a million of observations as well as the collection of billions of data.

"What it gives us is a map of the sky in hydrogen that normal telescopes, normal optical telescopes, can't see," Australian professor Lister Staveley-Smith from the International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research (ICRAR) told ABC.

"It's very important to understand the structure of gas in our own galaxy and the amount of gas in our own galaxy, its dynamics, in order that we can study the past evolution of the Milky Way and its likely future evolution. The new map gives us a much more coherent view of the sky and enables a better understanding of the Milky Way."

According to CNN, Naomi McClure-Griffiths from the Australian National University (ANU) said the study revealed for the first time the fine details of structures between stars in the Milky Way.

"Very small gas clouds appear to have helped form stars in the Milky Way over billions of years," she said in a statement.

She said that the map would be used to answer the big questions about the Milky Way and neighboring galaxies.

"How does the Milky Way get the new gas it requires to continue forming stars? And where are all of the small dwarf galaxies that must surround our Milky Way? The next steps will be exciting," she said.
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Politicians are fond of saying that the only poll that matters is the one on election day.

That may be especially true this year, especially when it comes to online polls that, like anything in the digital, connected world, are vulnerable to mischief.

The mischief is enabled by bots  hundreds to many thousands of computers under the control of an attacker that are more typically used to send out spam, create Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks and commit various kinds of fraud  but in this case are used to skew poll results. They can make it look like public opinion views one candidate as the winner of a debate when the real vote would show the other candidate did.

If you know how advanced bots are, then you know it is easy for them to complete online polls and create whatever result they want to show, said Augustine Fou, an independent digital advertising fraud researcher, who added that bots can manipulate everything from trending topics on social media to how popular celebrities are.

Indeed, a portion of pop star Justin Bieber's alleged popularity evaporated in 2014 when Instagram moved to purge its site of obviously fake accounts. He lost more than 3.5 million followers.

Ever since Facebook moved to automating trending topics  in other words, no human oversight  those have been easily gamed, Fou said. Fake stories have been easily trended using bots to make it look like people were interested, sharing, and talking about a story  again childs play for hackers with bots.

Rami Essaid, cofounder and CEO of Distil Networks, said following the first debate between Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton and Republican nominee Donald Trump, a number of online spot polls showed Trump the decisive winner, while respondents to more credible polls such as CNN/ORC showed Clinton the winner by 62 percent to 27 percent.

[ ALSO ON CSO: Bad bots on the rise: A look at mobile, social, porn, and spam bots ]

After the second debate, a CNN poll showed that 12% of the respondents gave the win to Trump, 14% to Clinton, and 70% to Gary Johnson (the Libertarian candidate), Essaid said. And Johnson didnt even participate. So when you look at these examples, the influence of bots is quite clear.

Paul Vixie, CEO of Farsight Security, said online polls are, hackable through simple crowdsourcing. Look at the MLB all-star voting, even before the Internet, to see how this consistently yields non-representative results.

It doesnt have to be official polls either. A group of US and UK academics posted a study this week that showed automated posts on Twitter heavily favored Trump over Clinton. They found traffic on pro-Trump hashtags was about double that of pro-Clinton hashtags; and that about a third of the Trump traffic was driven by bots compared to about a fifth of the Clinton traffic.

Fou said the bottom line is the digital version of the old adage: Dont believe everything you read. Don't believe everything you see online, he said. Or, more accurately these days, don't believe anything you see online  given how easy it is to manipulate photos and videos, the term photographic evidence is no longer meaningful.

[ IS IT POSSIBLE FOR THE ELECTION TO BE HACKED? See CSO's package of stories on the FUD of rigging the election ]

Essaid cited the iconic late British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, who lived many decades before online polling, but was still suspicious of statistical results. He reportedly said, Statistics are like a drunk with a lamp post  used more for support than illumination, and, I only believe in statistics that I doctored myself.

Of course, most people are aware that a poll is not an official result. It is not peer-reviewed research or an actual vote. Are they really so malleable that their decision about which candidate to support can be changed by the results of an online poll, credible or not? In other words, do opinions drive polls, or do polls drive opinions?

According to Essaid, both can be true. A good poll tabulates the opinions of people, but he said there are examples of how polls or even social media discussions, actually can drive opinions.

The recent Brexit referendum, had its share of poll hoaxes, and a report from Oxford University and Budapests Corvinus University determined that bots played a small but strategic role in the social media discussion around it, he said.

Another, which he called chilling, appeared in Bloomberg Businessweek this past spring. Titled "How to Hack an Election," it profiled Andres Sepulveda, who is serving time in prison for rigging elections throughout Latin America for almost a decade.

As Sepulveda found, voters trusted what they thought were spontaneous expressions of real people on social media more than they did experts on television and in newspapers, Essaid said. The problem is, a lot of those people arent real.

Vixie said it is clear people can be influenced by peer pressure. Most political bumper stickers are sold after the election, not before it, he said. So while that may not have changed any votes before election day, there's a very obvious climbing-on-board effect.

Fou said he doesnt believe online polls have a direct impact on people's votes, since, they are not even reflective of real people's eventual voting preference.

But he said their impact can be amplified because, media outlets are citing them without really checking the accuracy or even the relevance.

Still, given the ease with which bots can be used to create fake votes, plenty of expertise to use them on both sides of the partisan divide and plenty of motivation by campaign loyalists to use any means to gain an edge, wouldnt the skewing efforts even out?

Both Fou and Essaid say they dont. Fou said hackers with 4chan (an imageboard and message board site said to be the birthplace of meme culture and the Anonymous hacker group), appear to be supporting Trump for some reason, making the polls show that he won the debates. It doesnt seem evenly balanced and therefore wont tend to even out. 

And according to Essaid, automation changes everything. If in the past you could influence something by 20% and one side did 15% and the other did 22%, sure, it would kind of even out.

But automation can influence something by 100 or even 1,000%, in which case we have no idea what is actually happening.

All of which raises the question: If it is so easy to create fraudulent poll results, cant that activity be spotted by the companies conducting them?

The short answer is yes.

There are techniques and tools to detect devices and prevent bots from accessing their sites, Essaid said. So what it really comes down to is, are they truly unable or have they just not made it a priority?

Fou agreed, but said given the sophistication of bots, it is not easy. Bots are not dumb enough to submit 1,000 poll answers in one second, and get caught, he said. They are also not dumb enough to use fake postal addresses or ZIP codes. They will use real ones that pass any address verification service. Similarly, the typical tech defenses that online polls have in place are no match for hackers who are determined to trick the polls and create fake data.

As smart as bots are, experts say they tend to have some telltale characteristics on social media platforms:

They rarely include a profile image. If they do, it is often shared with multiple accounts.

They follow many accounts, but have very few followers, since they have no real family, friends or associates.

They post when, if they were human, they would be sleeping

They tend to respond faster than is humanly possible

They send the same response to dozens, or hundreds, of others

They seem to have very narrow interests. They tweet only on the topic their creator programed them to post about.

The election polling will subside in a few weeks, of course. But experts agree there ought to be public pressure on pollsters and social media companies to root out the fraud. And it can be vastly reduced, they say.

Any online website has a bot problem, Essaid said. Companies need to identify and fingerprint the device rather than just an IP address. They need to detect all the behaviors of automation, like determining if they use a real browser or do the headers look correct.

They should also challenge the bot to prove that it is a human, using various puzzles, and use machine learning to determine if it is a real user. All of this should happen in real-time before the bot gains access to the site.

Vixie said any polling organization that wants to be taken seriously will have to invest in cyber security. More than compliance, this means top-to-bottom risk management, he said.

But, he said, most remain in denial. The self-deception of most defenders is, I'm not important enough to be attacked in that way, or I can't afford the investment it would take to defend against that, or internet security is not my primary business and I refuse to make it a first-tier cost. Those are just differing ways to lose.
The right tool for the right job goes the old adage, but knowing exactly what criteria you should consider and how to go about evaluating each of the project management (PM) tools at your disposal can be time-consuming and even frustrating. So weve taken some of the legwork out of it by offering some key considerations, broken down into three primary categories that should be included in your evaluation.

Well start with the business model, strategy and needs.

Category 1: The business

The business model and technologies should be the first high-level criteria you take into consideration when thinking about how a PM tool may or may not fit within current and future plans. For example, if the business model has a high degree of SaaS use, then integrating additional web-based software will be much more easily absorbed than a business with primarily in-house customized solutions. This is not to say SaaS solutions wont work in this case, but there may be additional up front analysis and investigation. The opposite may be true as well.

Internal beliefs and culture may not appear on the surface to have an impact on this decision, but how the company and its people interact, communicate and collaborate daily should be factored into this decision to ensure the selected PM tool is well-received.

Workflows/ existing processes will impact, and be impacted, by the tools selected. How data flows from one area of the business to other areas is an important consideration to avoid process breakdowns.

Existing process and technology capabilities, including legacy systems may impact future technologies and how good data is passed. Integrations points should be factored in to avoid data disruption and the risk of orphan records and other issues. This also goes back to the first point mentioned. The capability to take on maintenance and support should also be considered.

Financial readiness is definitely a key consideration when selecting not only a project management solution, but also the delivery method and level of support provided. If your resources are limited, a SaaS model can provide all the benefits at a fraction of the cost of a customized developed and maintained solution. The cost to support and maintain customized solutions should be considered as well.

Future anticipated needs are always a consideration. Project management solutions should be scalable, yet not overbought or overbuilt with features and functionality that just arent required.

User skill levels also factor into this decision. Some project management options can be complicated, making it difficult for many users to navigate and collaborate with. Selecting a solution thats difficult for users to benefit from can be problematic and result in a lack of buy-in unless there is sufficient training.

Next, think about the project itself, the size, complexity, requirements, and nature among other things.

Category 2: The project

Project complexity vs requirements must be taken into account as this drives the primary need to select a project management solution. Spend sufficient time identifying and documenting the exact features and functionality required to meet the requirements of various projects within your business. Avoid paying for over complex solutions that dont meet with project needs.

Project size should also be factored in to a decision. Todays project needs wont always be an indicator of tomorrows needs. Going back to the previous point, make sure to evaluate current and future needs and ensure the project management solution can keep pace. Most SaaS solutions offer tiered pricing that can be scaled up based on the changing needs of the business.

The ongoing need or temporary nature of a project will determine the need to take on the cost and time required to implement/onboard a project management solution. If a project is a one-off, it likely doesnt make sense to invest in a project management solution.

Mobility and remote projects are a reality for most businesses these days, and while many project management solutions offer the capabilities for remote teams to effectively collaborate and manage projects, not all do. Ensure the offering meets all of the needs of your remote projects and teams.

The nature of the project is also an important consideration. While some PM solutions offer features and functionality to address varying industry, project, and business differences, not all do.

Lastly, factor in each vendor as a company, including their leadership, as well as the actual level of service they provide.

Category 3: The vendor and solution

Reputation and history may not seem like a big deal, but the extent of the vendors knowledge and experience is critical when it comes to the usability of their PM solution. There are many PM offerings out there but not all are built by companies versed in project management or business requirements.

Too many features packed into a solution, doesnt necessarily make for the best choice. Features need to make sense, be useful, and user-friendly. Dont pay for features that you are not likely to ever use. Ask about features, and trial an offering before buying. A vendor should be willing to allow a trial if they are confident about their offering.

Product scalability is always a factor these days as the global competitive landscape is continuously changing, forcing businesses to keep pace. So too must new project management solutions.

Customizations are a requirement for some businesses. If this is the case with your business, discuss this up front with any potential vendor to ensure this is a possibility before you commit.

Delivery methods today are typically based on an outsourced SaaS model as many companies are able to take advantage of feature-rich services without having to outlay capital to build their own. Because there are so many reputable and well built solutions, its unlikely most organizations can justify forgoing this model. However, in todays environment you must discuss data privacy, security, and backup, user permissions and other concerns with a solutions provider before committing.

Run trials. User experience is key with any project management solution. Test any prospective solutions with users at various levels to ensure it meets with their needs and they can collaborate effectively under all required scenarios.

Cost vs. features should be factored into any decisions. As mentioned earlier determine which features are needed today and tomorrow, which are nice to have, and which are likely to go unused. Use this to decide what to pay for.

Service levels should be evaluated carefully, read through whats covered, whats not, and whats available at an extra cost to you. Sometimes all the available extras can add up very quickly and make an affordable solution not so affordable.

Get it in writing. If its not in writing, its not a fact. This saves your company and the vendor from much undue frustration and stress if issues arise. This is not about trust; things can be misunderstood between even the best of companies in the best vendors.

If youve considered all of these factors you should be in a good place. This is not to say there arent other criteria to factor in, but this should be the minimal for consideration when looking for the right project management solution for your projects and business.

Related Video
Donald Knuth, Ken Thompson, Dennis Ritchie, Grace Hopper: The United States has produced some of the greatest software engineers who have ever lived.

But outside the United States computer technology and education have become far more accessible over the last 20 years or so, and that means that in China and many other less developed countries there are now plenty of young minds that have been trained to become skilled programmers.

So which countries produce the best coders is an interesting question to ask. Perhaps more importantly why do some countries lead the way?

[ Also on CIO.com: The 13 developer skills you need to master now ]

China and Russia on top

One source of data about programmers skills is HackerRank, a company that poses programming challenges to a community of more than a million coders and also offers recruitment services to businesses. Using information about how successful coders from different countries are at solving problems across a wide range of domains (such as algorithms or data structures or specific languages such as C++ or Java), HackerRanks data suggests that, overall, the best developers come from China, followed closely by Russia. Alarmingly, and perhaps unexpectedly, the United States comes in at 28th place.

China is a vast country with a huge population, so perhaps it should come as no surprise that many people with a great aptitude for programming happen to be born there. The same is also true for Russia.

But that alone cant explain why Chinese and Russian coders rank so highly. And its unlikely that the results are skewed towards these countries just because coders from them happen to like to participate in HackerRank challenges. Thats because Chinese and Russian coders often outperform other countries in other coding events as well, including Google Code Jam, an international programming competition hosted and administered by Google.

While Chinese and Russian coders perform well across many of the fifteen domains for which HackerRank poses challenges, its also worth noting that coders from specific countries excel in specific domains: Japanese coders are the best for artificial intelligence and Hong Kong produces the best Python programmers, while the best Ruby programmers are in Finland and Denmark is tops for SQL programmers. There are other surprises too. The best database programmers are from Switzerland, Ukraine produces the best security coders, Sri Lanka is the strongest for distributed systems, and France is tops for C++.

Getting an early start

Lets consider first why China and Russia produce such a wide range of skilled programmers. One hypothesis is the way education in those countries is focused, says Heraldo Memelli, HackerRanks lead technical content manager. At an early age people learn mathematics, sciences and programming. Great programmers can come from anywhere, and the fact that they learn mathematics earlier shows up later in the results of these challenges.

Shimi Zhang, a highly ranked Chinese competitive programmer, backs this hypothesis. Math and computer science are very popular in China, and parents and students pay much attention to those topics along with other technology and science topics, he says. And, he points out, that level of competition for education means that Chinese students start studying from a very early age, and when they learn to code they tend to study intensively.

Chinese students are very hard-working right from primary school, because there are not enough high quality education resources for all smart students, says Zhang. They have to work really hard to get into a good middle school, high school and good universities. Many students maintain this habit when it comes to learning how to program.

[ Also on CIO.com: Free and cheap ways to study for IT certifications ]

There are differences, too, in the way that college students learn programming in the United States and in China, but Zhang thinks the American system has the edge. [M]ost fundamental courses in universities in China are taught by lecturers, not professors, so the quality of these courses are not as high as in U.S. universities. And students in the U.S. can join research groups in their second or third year, but in China this only happens in top Universities.

Despite the United States having what Zhang considers to be a better university system, it seems that this is not enough to outweigh the benefits of starting early and competing with their peers.

More hackathons needed

What lessons can American universities looking to improve programming education learn from Chinas example? HackerRanks Memelli thinks it may be a good idea to add more competitive problem solving to the curriculum, or even outside it. One thing that comes to mind is that U.S. educators could supplement what is taught in schools by organizing hands-on coding challenges, online hackathons and so on, he says.

By contrast, Zhang says that American students are already good at practical projects that involve solving real problems to build products. Chinese students, by contrast, have less opportunity to do test their skills on real-world problems so they spend more time in academia, focusing on fundamentals. This actually helps [Chinese students] build a solid fundamental skillset before they go into industry, he says. It is true that China is producing top programmers, but U.S. students are still really good at solving real challenges and changing our world.

Centers of excellence

It may be that China and Russia excel in a wide range of programming domains  and coding competitions as well  because of the way that their educational systems work. But what accounts for a particular countrys strength in one specific domain? Why, for example, does Finland excel at Ruby?

The reason may be because of some quirk in that country, believes Memelli. Its difficult to know for sure, but some countries high rankings in a specific domain may come down to the school curriculum in that country, or the fact that a particular company or industry is important in that country, or that for some reason a particular programming language is popular there, says Memelli.

To Memellis last point,particular skills are likely to proliferate where they are needed. So if one country needs a large number of artificial intelligence specialists to support a particular industry its likely that there will be plenty of people there who learn, and practice, those skills.

That may sound obvious, but it does have an important implication when it comes to recruiting developers with the talents you need, or deciding where to base a particular projects operations. The bottom line is this: particular coding skills are not evenly distributed around the world. Until they are it makes sense to know where to look to find the best people.

Related video: Transforming development in the race to innovate
Today

Partly cloudy early followed by cloudy skies overnight. Low 58F. Winds light and variable.

Tonight

Partly cloudy early followed by cloudy skies overnight. Low 58F. Winds light and variable.

Tomorrow

Some clouds in the morning will give way to mainly sunny skies for the afternoon. High 86F. Winds S at 10 to 20 mph.
Level: Basic

Tishri 22, the day after the seventh day of Sukkot, is the holiday Shemini Atzeret. In Israel, Shemini Atzeret is also the holiday of Simchat Torah. Outside of Israel, where extra days of holidays are held, only the second day of Shemini Atzeret is Simchat Torah: Shemini Atzeret is Tishri 22 and 23, while Simchat Torah is Tishri 23.

 Meaning of the Holidays

These two holidays are commonly thought of as part of Sukkot, but that is technically incorrect; Shemini Atzeret is a holiday in its own right and does not involve some of the special observances of Sukkot. We do not take up the lulav and etrog on these days, and our dwelling in the sukkah is more limited, and performed without reciting a blessing.

Shemini Atzeret literally means "the assembly of the eighth (day)." Rabbinic literature explains the holiday this way: our Creator is like a host, who invites us as visitors for a limited time, but when the time comes for us to leave, He has enjoyed himself so much that He asks us to stay another day. Another related explanation: Sukkot is a holiday intended for all of mankind, but when Sukkot is over, the Creator invites the Jewish people to stay for an extra day, for a more intimate celebration.

Simchat Torah means "Rejoicing in the Torah." This holiday marks the completion of the annual cycle of weekly Torah readings. Each week in synagogue we publicly read a few chapters from the Torah, starting with Genesis Ch. 1 and working our way around to Deuteronomy 34. On Simchat Torah, we read the last Torah portion, then proceed immediately to the first chapter of Genesis, reminding us that the Torah is a circle, and never ends.



Children's toy Torah

This completion of the readings is a time of great celebration. There are processions around the synagogue carrying Torah scrolls and plenty of high-spirited singing and dancing in the synagogue with the Torahs. Drinking is also common during this time; in fact, a traditional source recommends performing the priestly blessing earlier than usual in the service, to make sure the kohanim are not drunk when the time comes! As many people as possible are given the honor of an aliyah (reciting a blessing over the Torah reading); in fact, even children are called for an aliyah blessing on Simchat Torah. In addition, as many people as possible are given the honor of carrying a Torah scroll in these processions. Children do not carry the scrolls (they are much too heavy!), but often follow the procession around the synagogue, sometimes carrying small toy Torahs (stuffed plush toys or paper scrolls).

In some synagogues, confirmation ceremonies or ceremonies marking the beginning of a child's Jewish education are held at this time.

Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah are holidays on which work is not permitted.
The battle to retake Mosul has begun. According to United States Defense Secretary Ash Carter, the operation is on the way and proceeding according to plan.

Iraqi intelligence sources said that ISIS rounded up 284 men and boys and used them as human shields against Iraqi-led coalition forces that are forcing the terror group's troops out of Mosul. The unconfirmed report said that the victims bore gunshot wounds and their bodies were dumped in a mass grave at a college of agriculture grounds in northern Mosul.

Meanwhile, Peshmerga General Command reported that its Kurdish forces have begun their attack against Mosul in two fronts out of Bashiga, in northeast Mosul. Kurdish officials complained that Sunni Arabs in Kirkuk are supporting ISIS in Kirkuk, where dozens were killed as soon as the offensive started.

Coalition forces attacked Qaraqosh or al-Hamdaniya and Iraqi army troopers, joining up with a Christian paramilitary group, entered the town and decimated 200 ISIS fighters there. Kurdish troops and Iraqi forces also succeeded in isolating vital parts of Qaraqosh, installing Iraqi flags atop the mayor's building and the main hospital building which they liberated.

Iraqi forces have also penetrated Kirkuk where they killed 60 ISIS fighters. Gov. Najmaldin Karim plans to put up check points and restore order in the city.

The next area target of the Iraqi forces is the town of Tal Kayf and the Joint Operations Command is pursuing the plan to recapture the Chaldean town which is about six miles from Mosul. With air support from U.S. and coalition planes, Iraqi are working to break through ISIS defenses, which as expected, are becoming stronger as the coalition forces near the center of Mosul.

The U.N. Refugee Center plans to build 11 refugee campsites, 5 of which are already operational. Humanitarian aid is expected to commence as soon as hostilities wane.
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If my call is so important to them, why dont they answer it for 22 minutes?

How come when I want to, but something specific online is the only item out of stock.

When I get into a queue or lane going fast, the moment I get in, it becomes the slowest and refuses to budge.
Today

Areas of patchy fog early. Except for a few afternoon clouds, mainly sunny. High 73F. Winds light and variable.

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Partly cloudy skies in the evening, then becoming cloudy overnight. Low 49F. Winds light and variable.

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On October 25, the Summerville/Dorchester Chamber hosted a forum that offered November 8 election candidates for SC House Districts in Dorchester County an opportunity to address the crowd that filled the large multi-purpose room of the Faith Sellers Senior Center in Summerville. The event w Read moreLocal residents hear from SC House of Representatives
10/24/2016





The JSU International House cordially invites the campus and surrounding community to the 70th anniversary reunion of the International House and the United Nations Day Tea. The event will be held in the Clarence W. Daugette, Jr. International House, 2-4 p.m.. on Sunday, Oct. 30.

The UN Day Tea is one of the most anticipated events that the International House organizes. The program will consist of a formal presentation of the current residents of the International House dressed in native costumes and a program of native dance and song. Attendees are encouraged to stay after the program for light refreshments and socializing.

This event is free and open to the public. For more information, please contact the International House at 256-782-5303.
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IMEMC News |  

Late last week, Israeli settlers reportedly took over a Palestinian-owned area of land in al-Humma region of the northern Jordan Valley, and laid down an infrastructure, according to a local official.



Jordan Valley Panorama, h/t Wikipedia

Motaz Bsharat, in charge of the settlement file in the Jordan Valley, said that settlers from the illegal Israeli settlements of Mechora and Salit, began placing wooden boards on land belonging to Palestinian residents in al-Humma almost a week ago.

Settlers laid further infrastructure, including electricity and water lines.

According to BTselem, an Israeli human rights center, since 1967, Israel has established over a hundred [squatter] settlements in the occupied West Bank.

These settlements were established on vast tracts of land taken from the Palestinians, in breach of international humanitarian law.

The very existence of the settlements violates Palestinian human rights, including the right to property, equality, a decent standard of living and freedom of movement, the group stated, according to WAFA.

Via IMEMC
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By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) |  

On Sunday, AFP reports in Arabic, Iraqi forces continued their advance on Mosul despite the car bombs and sniping tactics of Daesh (ISIS, ISIL). They moreover were able to expel a whole group of Daesh fighters. Sunday morning, the Peshmerga, the paramilitary of the Kurdistan Regional Government in Iraq, announced that they had launched a big campaign on Bashiqa to the north of Mosul, deploying 10,000 men to take the city back from Daesh.



Ninevah Province, courtesy ISIP

By late Sunday, the town was in Peshmerga hands. Its inhabitants had been largely Izadis (Yazidis), members of a folk religion with old Indo-Iranian influences. But many of them had fled when Daesh took over the town in 2014, since it considers them wretched heretics and has displaced, killed or enslaved hundreds of thousands of Yazidis.

The Peshmerga also took 7 other villages in the area and gained control of the highway heading from Bashiqa toward Mosul.

In a remarkable development, the Peshmerga Kurds received artillery support in the Bashiqa campaign from the Turkish army! Relations between the KRG in northern Iraq and Turkey have fluctuated a great deal, and sometimes have been tense. (Turkey is 20% Kurdish and fears ethnic separatism in its own southwest. The PKK terrorist group is seen by Ankara as the main secessionist threat, and it has bases in the KRG.) But apparently Daesh is so awful that it has managed even to bring Turkey and the Iraq Kurds together against it.

Turkey PM says its artillery hits IS positions in Iraq's Bashiqa https://t.co/phVRNhVJUA pic.twitter.com/cbJVffnMo3  Mike Walker (@New_Narrative) October 23, 2016

The Kurds are also receiving US air support, and US Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter visited Erbil on Sunday to conver with Kurdistan presidetn Massoud Barzani about the campaign.

One complicating issue here is that Bashiqa is coveted by Kurdistan nationalists in Iraq for their super-province, but lies in majority-Arab Ninewah Province. It may well be that Baghdad will now never get it back.

The campaign to take Bashiqa was launched two days after a Daesh infiltration of Kirkuk, which was de facto annexed by the KRG in summer of 2014, in which dozens of fighters and suicide bombers sought to take over government buildings there. Peshmerga forces are still hunting down the perpetrators, who failed in their attack, and who have fled into the countryside east of the city. Some 54 Daesh fighters involved in that attack have been killed. Some 46 Kurdistan security personnel and others are dead at the hands of Daesh in Kirkuk, as well.

It is estimated that Mosul is now held by 3,000 to 5,000 Daesh fighters inside the city and another 2,000 positioned on its outskirts.

The fighting so far has for the most part been in the regions around Mosul, which are thinly populated, and so has produced about 5,000 refugees, who, the UN says, are in dire need of humanitarian assistance. It is feared that when the fighting reaches the center of this city, where about 1 million still reside (down from 2 million in 2013), it will produce a massive wave of refugees.
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TeleSur |  

Coalition whip MK David Bitan also wants to strip citizenship from BTselem director Hagai El-Ad, after he made calls to sanction Israel.

The only democracy in the Middle East has a prominent politician calling for legislation to bar Israelis from advocating for sanctions against the state at global colloquiums.

Coalition whip MK David Bitan (Likud) proposed such legislation Saturday, in the wake of leftist organization BTselem director Hagai El-Ads comments, who during a special session of the UN Security Council on Israeli settlements last week, called on the member states to act against Israels occupation of the West Bank.

While opposition parties blasted the proposal, MK Tzipi Livni, Herzogs co-chair of the Zionist Union party, said even if it doesnt become legislation this type of poisonous rhetoric is destroying Israel from within and from without. The damage they cause to Israels standing abroad is much bigger than any insignificant organization.

There is already legislation, under the title of the Boycott Law, passed by the Knesset in 2011, that penalizes individuals or organizations that call for the economic, cultural or academic boycott of Israel or the settlements.

Bitan told Channel 2s Meet the Press on Saturday that El-Ads statement was an explicit breach of trust by an Israeli citizen against the state, and as such he should find himself another citizenship. The politician said he plans to make an appeal to Interior Minister Arye Dery to revoke El-Ads citizenship over his remarks.

In response, BTselem said, For almost 50 years the Palestinians have had no citizenship and no rights, and now the prime ministers emissary wants to rescind the citizenship of a person who speaks out against this. The threats will not hinder the groups activism, not stopping them and the hundreds of thousands of Israelis who oppose the occupation.

Opposition members leveled heady criticisms at Bitan.

Bitan is only trying to derive a little more political benefit on the backs of BTselem, but such calls are dangerous and are very close to calling for bloodshed. Democracy is a basic right, not a gift given to those to look good to the coalition chairman. Its open season, Meretz Chairwoman MK Zahava Galon said.

Even Zionist Union MK Miki Rosenthal said, Bitan learned from (Culture) Minister Miri Regev and has become a generator of empty headlines and bills that will never pass. I doubt that his voters buy his foolishness but the damage this man does to Israels international image only grows.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu responded to the debate by saying, What these organizations cannot achieve through democratic elections in Israel, they try to achieve by international coercion, adding that he would take steps to remove BTselem from the list of organizations under which young Israelis can fulfill national civil service commitment.

Via TeleSur



Related video added by Juan Cole:

Btselem: Hagai El-Ads address in a special discussion about settlements at the UNSC, 14 Oct. 2016
Airbnb [corporate website] filed suit [complaint, PDF] against New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman and New York City Mayor Mayor Bill de Blasio in federal court on Friday challenging Senate Bill S6340A, signed by Governor Andrew Cuomo hours earlier, which would impose heavy fines on Airbnb hosts (i.e. homeowners) who break local housing regulations. S6340A serves as an amendment to the multiple dwelling law and New York Citys administrative code, which prohibits homeowners from listing property that fits the category of Class A Multiple Dwelling, which cannot be legally occupied for fewer than 30 days, on the Airbnb site or any other similar platform. The bill contains civil penalties of not more than $1,000, $5,000 and $7,500 for the first, second and third violations respectively. Airbnb stated that the law would impose significant immediate burdens and irreparable harm on the company requiring it to screen and scrutinize every property that a host seeks to list. The gist of Airbnbs legal complaint is that S6340A violates the companys constitutional rights to free speech and due process and the protection offered under the Communications Decency Acta federal law that says website owners are not liable for content posted by users of the website. Schneiderman stated that Airbnb cant have it both ways: It must either police illegal activity on its own site, or government will act to protect New Yorkers while Airbnb responded: In typical fashion, Albany back-room dealing rewarded a special interestthe price-gouging hotel industryand ignored the voices of tens of thousands of New Yorkers.

Airbnb has been involved in a wave of lawsuits this past year. The company filed similar suits against its headquarter-city San Francisco [WSJ report] and Anaheim in July and Santa Monica [LAT reports] in September, both of which also similarly fined the company for illegal listings. The San Francisco suit was the first of this kind filed by Airbnb where the company sought an injunction to prevent the city from removing listings and fining the company for the unregistered listings. In San Francisco and Anaheim, Airbnb similarly invoked free speech protections of the First Amendment and the Communication Decency Act, while additionally invoking the Fourteenth Amendments equal protection clause protections in Anaheim. In Santa Monica, the company made no mention of the Communication Decency Act, but additionally invoked the Fourth Amendments protections against unreasonable search and seizures. Both the Santa Monica and Anaheim laws involved a similar 30-day period and violation of the same triggering the imposition of fines. Airbnbs market value has tripled [NYT report] within a short period of two years to $30 billion, and the company is fiercely challenging any regulation that would adversely affect its host count. New York City is Airbnbs largest market in the US where Airbnb hosts generated over $1 billion in revenue [NYT report] in 2015.
The US Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit [official website] ruled [opinion, PDF] Friday that former detainees at the Abu Ghraib prison may continue their torture lawsuit against civilian military contractors. Four former prisoners allege [press release] that they were subjected to various forms of torture at the hands of CACI Premier Technology [corporate website] contractors. The case had previously been dismissed under the political question doctrine, but the court held the doctrine does not prevent the judiciary from deciding the case.

We recognize that the legal issues presented in this case are indisputably complex, but we nevertheless cannot abdicate our judicial role in such cases. Nor will we risk weakening prohibitions under United States and international law against torture and war crimes by questioning the justiciability of a case merely because the case involves the need to define such terms. The political question doctrine does not shield from judicial review intentional acts by a government contractor that were unlawful at the time they were committed.

CACI has continued to deny [CACI backgrounder] any wrongdoing at the prison.

The Fourth Circuit had previously reinstated [JURIST report] an Abu Ghraib torture lawsuit in 2014. Earlier that year CACI filed suit [JURIST report] against former detainees of Abu Ghraib, seeking legal expenses incurred from the lawsuit. In January 2013 a military contractor accused [JURIST report] by former Abu Ghraib detainees of conspiring to torture detainees paid $5.28 million to detainees held at the prison and other US detention centers in Iraq. In September 2011 the Fourth Circuit dismissed another case [JURIST report] filed by former Iraqi detainees who also claimed they had been tortured by civilian contractors at the prison.
Abu Wael Dhiab, a Syrian former Guantanamo Bay [JURIST backgrounder] detainee, on Saturday ended his 68-day hunger strike. Dhiab was among a number of former detainees who were resettled in Uruguay in an effort to close down the detention center [JURIST report]. He began a hunger strike in an effort to be unified with friends and family. As he was a suspected terrorist he was denied the right to return to his homeland due to fear of a security risk. His support group Vigilia por Diyab [Facebook page] announced the end of his hunger strike due to an agreement that will allow him to resettle in an undisclosed third country in order to allow him to reconnect with family.

Dhiab was hospitalized [JURIST report] in early September after hunger strike left him weak. In August Vice President Joe Biden stated at a press conference in Sweden that he hoped and expected [JURIST report] that the Guantanamo prison would be closed before President Barack Obama leaves office. Also in August the US Department of Defense announced the transfer [JURIST report] of 15 Guantanamo detainees to the United Arab Emirates.
The Iraq Parliament [official website] approved a law Forbidding the import, manufacture and sale of all kinds of alcohol drinks. Until this time, alcohol has been made readily available in shops, bars, restaurant and hotels in Baghdad and in some of the provinces of Iraq, and it was not unusual for young people in Baghdad to be observed drinking. Lawmaker and head of the parliaments legal panel, Mahmoud al-Hassan, stated [Reuters report] that the law was necessary to preserve Iraqs identity as a Muslim country. Al-Hassan belongs to the Shiite majority, a conservative section of Iraqs population, which has dominated the parliament since the US invasion of the country in 2003. Opponents of the law stated that the law infringes religious freedom of Christians and other minority groups, protected by the constitution, while member of parliament (MP) Ammar Toma justified the law [BBC report] stating that the constitution stipulates that no law that contradicts the established provisions of Islam may be established. Christian and other minority groups have expressed concern over the law, which they view as a threat to fundamental principles of freedom and the inevitable result of the growing influence of religious parties. MP and Iraq Christian minority leader Yonadim Kanna has expressed his intention to refer the case to federal court stating that the ban violates the Iraq Constitution.

This recent ban on alcohol may well have been the inevitable outcome of the significant challenges Iraq has faced in recent years in connection with providing basic infrastructure and a stable government. In April the Iraq parliament voted to remove [Al Jazeera report] the parliamentary speaker Salim al-Juburi after accusing him of blocking reforms. The move was one of many cabinet membership questions that have led to chaos in the chambers. In November 2015 the parliament voted [JURIST report] to prevent Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi [official website] from unilaterally passing important reforms without parliaments approval. In August 2015 Iraqs cabinet approved a proposal [JURIST report] by al-Abadi to reduce the number of top political positions, decrease spending, and restart a corruption investigation program. A vice presidential position currently held by former prime minister Nouri Al Maliki was among those to be eliminated. Those in favor of the changes say they are needed [Gulf News op-ed] for the government to operate more effectively, but opponents who broadly support change worry that they concentrate too much power [Al Arabiya report] in Al Abadi.
Human Rights Watch (HRW) [advocacy website] criticized South Africa [press release] Monday for its decision to withdraw from the International Criminal Court (ICC) [official website]. The rights group called the move a blow to the countrys post-apartheid reconstruction and the countrys stated commitment to justice for atrocity crimes. Richard Dicker, International Justice director at HRW said:

South Africas withdrawal would be a huge reversal of its role as a leader promoting victims rights and the values in its post-apartheid constitution. Its also unclear whether the South African government followed its own laws, not least because it did not consult parliament.

South African Foreign Minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane announced Friday that South Africa had submitted a notice to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon alerting the UN of the countrys intent to withdraw from the ICC [JURIST report].

Earlier this month Burundi similarly voted [JURIST report] to withdraw from the ICC amid criticism the court only prosecutes African nationals. Vice President Gaston Sindimwo of Burundi previously announced [JURIST report] the countrys decision to withdraw from the ICC, stating that his government is ready to face the consequences. Earlier this month the ICC president stated [JURIST report] that such a withdrawal represent[s] a setback in the fight against impunity and the efforts towards the objective of universality of the Statute. Last July an African Union (AU) [official website] advisory board accused [JURIST report] the ICC of narrowly focusing its investigations on African government leaders and recommended that African nations consider withdrawing their membership. Should South Africa and Burundi follow through with their recent decisions, they will be the first countries to officially leave the ICC. Kenya has also expressed its intention to move forward with withdrawal.
The Venezuelan National Assembly [official website, in Spanish]] declared on Sunday that there is a breakdown of constitutional order and that the government had staged a coup [official statement, in Spanish] by blocking an attempt to remove President Nicolas Maduro from power. The movement was blocked when the presidents supporters stormed the chamber where the emergency legislative session was taking place. The National Assembly is led by the opposition party who claim that Maduro and his socialist government is the cause for the economic crisis which Venezuela is experiencing [BBC report].

There has been considerable legislative tension between the pro-government controlled Supreme Tribunal of Justice and the opposition-majority National Assembly of Venezuela following the December election. In June government officials asked the Supreme Court to deny a referendum [JURIST report] to remove President Nicolas Maduro proposed by opposition leaders. In April Venezuelas opposition-led parliament approved [JURIST report] new referendum rules. In March the Supreme Tribunal of Justice ruled that the Venezuelan national assembly may not review the appointment of 13 justices [JURIST report] to the high court by the Socialist Party. The 13 justices were sworn in on December 23, immediately prior to the exit of prior Socialist Party majority. In February the court upheld Maduros economic emergency decree [JURIST report] as legal and valid despite a rejection by the national assembly. The decree allows the president to control the budget, companies and the currency. In January the Supreme Tribunal of Justice ruled that all decisions from the opposition-led assembly would be void [JURIST report] until three opposition lawmakers were removed from their seats. The courts decision came days after the assembly swore in elected lawmakers that were temporarily barred by the court [JURIST reports]. The ruling had suspended four elected lawmakers for their involvement in alleged election fraud last December [JURIST report].
Philadelphia, PA, USA, 10/24/2016 /SubmitPressRelease123/

If youve been seriously injured or lost a loved one because of someone elses negligence, your life could be turned upside down. What you may have seen as a hopeful future may now be much more uncertain. While in the past you were able to pay your bills, you may now have many more bills and less income. As much as you want to go back in time and prevent the accident from ever happening, you cant do that. You have to deal with the situation as best you can. Philadelphia accident lawyer Rand Spear is here to help you.

Depending on the situation there may be lifelong disabilities caused by the accident and potentially a large amount of money at stake. If you want to pursue a legal action to protect your legal rights and interests and obtain compensation for the harm caused to you, make sure you get the right car accident lawyer. You need to find an injury attorney you can trust because this isnt just any lawsuit. This is your lawsuit, your family, and your future.

Rand Spear the accident lawyer has over thirty years of experience helping the citizens of Philadelphia and New Jersey but he doesnt go it alone. He has a large and experienced staff and team of lawyers who are all dedicated to handling personal injury claims filed for those who need help. Rand Spears legal team does nothing but pursue personal injury lawsuits and they work day in and day out to get the most for their clients.

Many attorneys may say they take personal injury claims. They take these cases, put some work into them and try to settle them with the insurance companies. If the case doesnt settle they will refer you to a top personal injury lawyer to actually represent you at trial. Many of these attorneys tell their clients to go to Rand because they trust him, his knowledge and his abilities, to provide excellent personal and professional service for their clients.

When injury attorney Rand Spear negotiates with insurance companies they know if theyre not fair or reasonable, they will end up facing Rand Spears team at trial. If that happens the insurance company risks having to pay far more than they would like. For example,

A 35-year-old client was involved in an accident at an intersection caused by the defendant. Defendant claimed the plaintiff (Rands client) ran through a stop sign. Rands client suffered multiple injuries including herniated discs, nerve damage requiring surgery and as a result he was disabled. The insurance company initially made no offer and then an offer of $5,000 was made and rejected. The case went to trial and the jury decided in favor of Rands client in the amount of $2,700,000.00.

A 40-year-old client with limited tort coverage on her auto insurance policy was involved in car accident. She was on disability before the accident but it aggravated her injuries. No offer was ever made to her. At a trial the jurys verdict was in favor of the injured victim in the amount of $900,000.00.

Rand Spears team is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. They will come to you at the hospital, home or work to discuss your case with you; how it happened, how they can get you every dollar you deserve and what you need to do to protect yourself and your family.

Rand does more for his clients than just go to court. He and his team will interact with the insurance companies so you wont have to. You will be able to focus on your family and recovering from your injuries. They can help you find medical providers in the area who help clients get their lives back by providing the best medical and rehabilitative care. They will also work to get your car repaired, your medical bills paid and collect a cash settlement for you.

Get the right lawyer and the right advice right now! Call Philadelphia accident lawyer Rand Spear at 888-373-4LAW or visit his website. Give him five minutes to see what he can do for you. The initial consultation is free and there is no charge unless the case settles or you win your case.

source: http://randspear.com/2016/10/05/hurt-accident-gonna-call-philadelphia-accident-lawyer-rand-spear/

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Sponsored Content by El Mangroove Hotel

Costa Rica's Most Posh Outdoor Experiences

The Gulf of Papagayo and Guanacaste province off the north western coast of Costa Rica is a rich natural ecosystem of volcanoes, waterfalls, and rainforest scenery. Nestled between the flora and fauna is El Mangroove Hotel, a luxurious boutique hotel that blends flawlessly with its natural surroundings. After relaxing at the Bearth Spa or enjoying the cuisine at Mangrooves in-house dining experiences, take some time to soak up the sun on the beach.

Costa Rica has become the worlds posterchild for natural beauty. Roughly 20 percent of the country has been set aside as national parks and reserves, two of which have been declared as UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The abundance of rainforest and access to untouched beaches gives visitors a variety of unique outdoor experiences to choose from. While youre in Costa Rica, be sure to enjoy these luxe experiences:

Photo Credit: Shutterstock.com

Sail to the Most Secluded Beaches

If there is one thing Costa Rica is known for, its beaches. Black, white, and even pink sand beaches dot the coastline and are often so secluded that they cannot be found on commercial maps. One of the best ways to get to the secluded, unmapped beaches is by hiring a private ship for the day. While onboard, guests are treated to an open bar, gourmet food service, and snorkeling gear. Ask your captain to take your group to the beach at Playa Conchal, which is one of the most beautiful white sand beaches in northern Costa Rica. This location is notorious for its seclusion, and has smooth white sand that massages your feet as you walk across it. A full day, private excursion to this one-of-a-kind beach is well worth it for the approximately $4,800 that Marlin del Rey Sailing Tours charges for the trip.

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Get Up Close and Personal with Wildlife

Despite only being approximately the same size as the American state of West Virginia, Costa Rica is one of the most biodiverse places on the planet, with over 500,000 different species of animals calling it home. No trip to this country would be complete without seeing some of these colorful creatures. After getting picked up at your resort, book a Get Your Guide tour that will take you on lush river escapade through Palo Verde National Park. On the tour youll be able to lounge while enjoying the views of monkeys, iguanas and crocodiles. The tour breaks for lunch next to the riverbed before embarking on the next phase of the journey: The Beneficio Matambu. This location is home to the exclusive Diria coffee, which guests will be able to sample before ending the tour.

Take a Dip in a Volcanic Hot Spring

Costa Rica sits atop the Ring of Fire, a zone known for its volcanic activity. As a result, there are five active volcanoes in the region and a number of volcanic hot springs that surround them. The Tabacon hot springs are situated around the largest of the five volcanoes, the Arenal, and are the oldest and most popular swimming holes. Take a full day to explore the area, which includes both a hot and cold river, a swim-up bar that serves hand crafted cocktails, and a 20 foot waterslide. After taking a dip in the healing sulphuric waters, enjoy a treatment or two at the world famous Grand Spa, which was voted The Sexiest Spa in the World by Spa Magazine in 2010. Book a 105-minute Idyllic massage before indulging in their signature moisturizing milk bath and an exfoliating coffee and honey facial. Enjoying these unique treatments will run you around $220 for every 2-hour session you spend in the spa.

Photo Credit: El Mangroove

Soar High in a Private Helicopter

Seeing Costa Rice from the ground is magnificent and all, but the best way to take in all of its beauty is to see it from above. The Two Oceans Tour offered by private helicopter company Fly Helijet gives guests the opportunity to sample both the Eastern and Western coasts of the country over the course of six hours. The trip begins by flying over the rainforests of Braulio Carrillo National Park and Tortuguero National Park before landing adjacent to the forests entrance. Guests will then get to tour the canals by boat while admiring the plants and animals surrounding them. After a quick dip in the Caribbean, youre off again to see Costa Ricas east coast, where youll fly over the Arenal Volcano, Lake Arenal, and Las Catalinas before stopping for lunch at a luxurious beach club.
Ash and embers from a living-room fireplace ignited carpeting and furniture and started the fire that killed a family of six in their home in rural Cass County, Nebraska, the Cass County Sheriff's Office said Monday.

The fire killed John and Michelle Speer, both age 36, and four children, ages 11, 7, 5 and 2.

The smoke produced by the fire filled the two-story house and led to the deaths of all six people, officials said. The preliminary autopsy report indicates the cause of death of all the victims was smoke inhalation.

The fire was reported by a neighbor about 12:05 a.m. Thursday at the house, located at 10014 McKelvie Road in rural Nehawka. Fire crews responding to the blaze could see flames from miles away. The fire, officials said, led to the collapse of the house's walls and parts of the roof before firefighters arrived. Firefighters were unable to enter the burning building.

Fire investigators who examined fire-damage patterns and interviewed witnesses determined the fire started in the living room.

During their examination of fire debris, officials said, the Nebraska State Fire Marshal's Office investigative team couldn't find identifiable parts of smoke detectors. However, interviews conducted with relatives and friends indicate that the house had a smoke detector or detectors, but the condition and function of the battery-operated detectors was unclear.

A team of Nebraska State Fire Marshal's Office investigators was assisted in the investigation by the Cass County Sheriff Office and the Cass County Emergency Management Agency.

The extensive destruction of the house made the recovery of the dead a lengthy process, officials said, with the final recovery completed Thursday evening. Investigators remained at the scene trying to determine the origin and cause of the fire until 9 p.m. Saturday, officials said.

Autopsies and dental forensic examinations conducted Friday confirmed the victims' identifications, officials said.

Mike and Michelle Speer met during dispatcher training while working at Union Pacific, a co-worker said. Mike Speer still worked in the dispatching center, she said, but Michelle had moved up to a management position.

A funeral service is set for Tuesday for the Speers and their three daughters  Adilynn, 7; Emma, 5; and Anniston, 2  along with Michelle's daughter from a previous marriage, 11-year-old Elli Perez.

The funeral will be 10 a.m. Tuesday at Calvary Christian Church, 10100 Cedar Island Road in Bellevue. Visitation will be 6 to 8 tonight at the church.
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Eva Gainer lights a candle in memory of the victims of impaired driving during a vigil Sunday at the Laurel Packinghouse, hosted by the local chapter of Mothers Against Drunk Driving.
International Trade Minister Chrystia Freeland talks to reporters about the Canada-European Union trade agreement in the foyer outside the House of Commons on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Monday, October 24, 2016. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld
Dear KFBers, we have got loads of interesting stories in tonights #MajorHeadlinesYouMissedToday featureenjoy



4,403 Ebonyi teachers fail certificate screening

Ebonyi State Governor, Dave Umahi

Clement Nnachi, Abakaliki

The Ebonyi State Universal Basic

Education Board has said that a total of 4,403 primary schoolteachers in

the state failed a test conducted by the board.

The leader of the boards investigating

committee, Prof. Anthony Ani, announced this in Abakaliki, the state

capital on Friday while presenting the committees report to the board.

Ani said that over 9,000 teachers were

screened during the exercise; out of which, 437 of them had Teacher

Training II certificates and that more than half of the population of

primary schoolteachers in the state were without original certificates .

He said, The board should, as a matter

of urgency, compile the names of teachers, especially those who

presented statements of result, testimonials, and photocopies and

forwarded such names to acclaimed graduating institutions for

verification and authentication.

Ani also called for concerted efforts to

revamp basic education in the state and recommended that teachers with

severe medical challenges should be advised to seek medical attention

with government support or be retired from the system, in line with

government regulation.

Receiving the report, the chairman,

Ebonyi State Universal Basic Education Board, Chief Hyacinth Ikpor, said

the government was poised to sanitise the education sector and assured

stakeholders that the report would be implemented to the letter.

The state Commissioner for Education,

Prof. John Ekeh, described the report as appalling, stating that

teachers without requisite qualifications would be shown the way out.

The truth is that those who are not

qualified to be in the classrooms would be shown the way out while those

carrying false certificates will be prosecuted, he said.

Oba of Benin, Oba Ewuare II acquires the 2016 Rolls Royce Phanton

The newly crowned 40th Oba of Benin, Oba Ewuare II has acquired the new 2016 Rolls Royce Phanton. Photo credit: Dion Osagie.

Father sentenced to 1,503 years in prison for raping teenage daughter

A 41-year-old man in Fresno, Califonia was sentenced to 1,503 years in prison for raping his teenage daughter over a four-year period. The man was sentenced Friday, October 21, to the longest-known prison sentence in Fresno Superior Court history. The Associated Press is not naming the man because it could identify his daughter. They also dont name victims of sexual abuse. In announcing the punishment, Judge Edward Sarkisian Jr. told the man he is a serious danger to society and noted that he had never shown remorse and has blamed his daughter for his predicament. The mans daughter was first sexually abused by a family friend but instead of protecting her, he turned her into a piece of property, prosecutor Nicole Galstan said. The victim was raped two to three times a week from May 2009 to May 2013, when the girl got the courage to leave him. In September, a jury found him guilty of 186 felony counts of sexual assault, including dozens of rape of minor. The daughter, who is now 23 told the judge that her father has never shown remorse for her pain and suffering.

Fake army officer nabbed in Cross River State after defrauding victims of over N1 million



A man who has been parading as an army officer in Obudu for months was arrested a few days ago after complaints from youths he had defrauded promising them admission into the Nigerian Defence Academy, NDA. A man who has been parading as an army officer in Obudu for months was arrested a few days ago after complaints from youths he had defrauded promising them admission into the Nigerian Defence Academy, NDA. The alleged fake army officer identified as (Major Kola Elijah) is currently at the Obudu Police division for defrauding members of the public of money amounting to over a million naira. Some of those he defrauded include; Aweli Gabriel Lishiliniye N150, 000, Kashim Adeloye Ebenezer N406, 500, Abiabe Godwin Ugbe N210, 000, and Audor Peter Bekeh N335, 000.

It was after his arrest that we discovered that he is not a soldier but runs a boutique in Calabar. He just came to town to latch on the ignorance and desperation of young people to get into NDA and has been using that to swindle them. a security source told CrossRiverWatch

EFCC raids Justice Ofili-Ajumogobias home



According to Vanguard Sunday, a top operative said that bank accounts of the woman and those of her children were also taken away by the security operatives during the raid.

A search was conducted on the residence of Justice Rita Ofili- Ajumogobia by operatives of the EFCC and the search yielded documents that would assist the commissions investigations, including bank accounts in her name and those bearing the names of her children and property title both in Nigeria and abroad.The female judge had been having a running battle with the EFCC, including the claim she took shelter in a Lagos hospital, before turning in herself last Thursday. She had been accused by a litigant of corruption before the National Judicial Council, NJC, moved against her early this year but was not removed from her post.

Meanwhile, the EFCC has taken up the case to make her face prosecution for graft-related matters. It was not clear last night if the agency would charge her to court and when that would be. Barely 72 hours after turning herself in to Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Rita Ofili-Ajimogobia residence got raided by operatives of the EFCC during which vital documents belonging to Ofili that may point to criminal breaches were allegedly retrieved.According to Vanguard Sunday, a top operative said that bank accounts of the woman and those of her children were also taken away by the security operatives during the raid.A search was conducted on the residence of Justice Rita Ofili- Ajumogobia by operatives of the EFCC and the search yielded documents that would assist the commissions investigations, including bank accounts in her name and those bearing the names of her children and property title both in Nigeria and abroad.The female judge had been having a running battle with the EFCC, including the claim she took shelter in a Lagos hospital, before turning in herself last Thursday. She had been accused by a litigant of corruption before the National Judicial Council, NJC, moved against her early this year but was not removed from her post.Meanwhile, the EFCC has taken up the case to make her face prosecution for graft-related matters. It was not clear last night if the agency would charge her to court and when that would be.

Dr. Ngozi-Okonjo Iweala appointed board member of Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank

Former Nigerias Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala has been appointed a member of the international advisory panel of Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), a multilateral Development bank set up on December 25, 2015, with an initial capital of$100billion, one million shares and an initial paid-up capital of $20 billion. A statement issued at the weekend by AIIB Senior Communication Officer, Mr Song Liya said Okonjo-Iweala would join 10 other key persons on the panel. The panel provides impartial, objective and independent advice to the President, allowing the Bank to benefit from the international experience and expertise of panel members, The AIIB President, Jin Liquin also said the panel members would advise the Bank on the development of its strategy. It is a great honour to convene such an experienced and diverse group of international leaders to advise on the development of the Banks strategy, Jin said I have no doubt that the advice the panel provides will help shape the development of the Bank in the years ahead. I could not ask for a better group of ambassadors to help promote our new Bank to the world, he added. Ambassadorial nominee, Pauline Tallen, rejects her nomination
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A few months ago I wrote an article about a 28-year-old MBA who attempted to tell an experienced physician where to round first. The article was widely circulated and went a bit viral. Clearly, the scenario resonated with thousands of physicians across the country.

It was interesting that afterward, I received many messages from various people who had read it. The majority of these were messages of support and solidarity from fellow physicians, who had seen similar situations unfold themselves.

But intriguingly I also received several emails from people on the corporate side of health care, who almost expressed apology for the scenario I described, and attempted to make me understand their perspective as administrators and MBAs. Seeing these types of messages from the very people physicians are so wary of, made me somewhat proud. I was proud because of the fact that medicine is still such a respected and relatively autonomous (and I use the word relatively) profession, that the business folk feel they need to reach out so quickly. Even if its an attempt to defend the indefensible.

The last couple of decades have seen the rapid corporatization of health care. Instead of medicine being about the small private practice of Dr. Smith around the corner, it is now all about mega multi-specialty groups, huge for-profit organizations, and multi-million dollar mergers. Dont get me wrong, Im quite capitalist at heart, and definitely middle of the road when it comes to politics. Many of my close family and friends have gone the corporate route.

But I just think health care is very different from every other industry  and not as amenable to pure business thinking. Health care has, and always will be, about humanity, compassion and real life emotions at its core. And thereby lies the essential clash between those of us including physicians, and the business world that will always be driven primarily by profits. Of course, we need administrators in every industry, but Im of the belief that only health care professionals  whether they are doctors or nurses  should be administrating in health care (with or without a business qualification). Not a non-clinical MBA.

Its very obvious, especially with our current political discourse and environment, that much of the middle class feels crushed and increasingly squeezed. There is so much raw anger out there against globalization, huge corporations, and massive administrator and CEO compensation. Large swathes of the country believe that its these very factors that have brought middle America to its knees over the last few decades.

So going back to those MBAs who reached out to me following my article. Most times and in most industries, criticism against their roles would be completely ignored and glossed over by those in the C-suite. After all, why would they care when they hold all of the power? Yet despite all the changes weve seen in health care, MBAs still appear to feel that they need to answer and defend themselves against what doctors are saying. They know that they have a case to answer  for now anyway.

But lets not be under any illusions as to the trajectory of this path. Because when the day comes that they no longer feel like that, physicians would have joined the ranks of the other coal-face workers in the rest of America. Working and working, giving their corporate masters all the profits with little say as to how things are done.

Suneel Dhand is an internal medicine physician and author of three books, including Thomas Jefferson: Lessons from a Secret Buddha. He is the founder and director, HealthITImprove, and blogs at his self-titled site, Suneel Dhand.

Image credit: Shutterstock.com
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Martha arrives for an appointment with her new primary care provider. She hesitantly hands over her pill boxes at the nurses request; it seems to take forever to enter them all into the computer.

You are taking a lot of blood pressure pills, he comments. The doctor comes in and after a brief introduction, notes that she is taking five medications for her blood pressure.

Five? Martha exclaims in disbelief. She hadnt realized it was that many.

Martha recently retired after 40 years as a business consultant. She was successful in her career  detail-oriented and good with numbers. But over the years, with all the travel, dinners out and stress, she gained weight, and her blood pressure remained high. She saw different doctors at her employers health clinic, all of whom had different ideas about how to better control her blood pressure. She followed their advice as best as she could, but was sometimes confused by conflicting advice and didnt have time to get more involved in her care.

At the appointment, the doctor systematically goes through each medication, seeking to establish a timeline for when it was prescribed and whether it had any effect on her blood pressure. Martha is uncertain about the timeline; now that she is on so many medications, its hard to keep them straight.

Have you had any side effects? the doctor asks. Martha had some ankle swelling and dizziness a few years ago but is not sure which medications caused it. She now wonders whether it is worth mentioning. The doctor asks, Have you been able to take your pills as prescribed, or do you miss doses? Feeling deflated, Martha admits that she forgets to take them once in a while. The doctor then takes her blood pressure. It is 160/95 mmHg.

How did we get to this point?

Unfortunately, when it comes to managing chronic conditions, patients are often the victims of medication creep. In an attempt to reach target numbers, there is a natural tendency to escalate doses and add medications. Often, we as clinicians fail to evaluate whether a prior therapy was effective, and to stop it if it isnt. We frequently do not assess other factors, like stress, side effects from other medications, and adherence challenges, which may contribute to uncontrolled levels.

The problem worsens when multiple providers make changes in response to a singular abnormal blood pressure reading. At best, we land on the right combination. At worst, we subject our patients to the medication creep  in which more and more medications are added, and neither the doctor nor the patient know what is working. Too often, we have lost sight of the intended goals of therapy. The medication creep takes its toll on patients, increasing the number of pills to swallow, out-of-pocket monthly prescription costs, and the likelihood of drug-drug interactions and side effects.

Missing the milestones

In shared decision making, patients participate in decisions about their care. Providers describe the risks and benefits of different options, and patients consider what matters most to them. Yet shared decision making is largely built around milestone decisions: Whether to proceed with a surgery, or whether to undergo a certain medical intervention. In chronic disease management, we often miss the milestones for shared decision making, including decisions to escalate or de-escalate therapy. We fail to assess the utility of each medication, including its efficacy, cost, side effects and burden to patients. It is easier to make decisions based on numerical targets rather than the unique biological and social context of the condition, treatment response, or preferences, values and goals of management.

How to prevent medication creep and stay goal-oriented

Identify medication creep when it occurs.

Redesign chronic disease management to engage patients in their care.

Work with patients to create short and long-term treatment goals.

Develop dashboards from electronic medical records that document the disease course and chronologically organize when medications are added or subtracted and the associated impact on short and long-term goals.

Give patients access to their medical records so that they can contribute to and correct the story line.

Utilize technology to enable transportability of medical records so that new providers can easily analyze a patients chronological history.

Simplify and clarify to empower patients

At the end of the visit, the doctor and Martha establish that the main goals are to get her blood pressure under control to avert heart attack and stroke  both of which run in Marthas family. In order to figure out which medications to continue and which to stop, I need your help. What matters most to you? the doctor asks Martha.

Martha becomes tearful. I wish I didnt have to take so many pills. I actually have trouble swallowing them.

Suspecting that Martha does not need all five medications, the doctor simplifies the regimen to three medications, eliminating the two that needed to be taken twice daily. The doctor asks Martha to document her daily symptoms and blood pressure readings so they can discuss them at a 2-week follow-up appointment. On her way out, the doctor gently rests her hand on Marthas shoulder and says, Just remember, you are not alone; well get there together.

Andi Shahu is a medical student. Erica Spatz is a cardiologist. This article originally appeared in Emmi Solutions.

Image credit: Shutterstock.com
A person is arrested after an investigation into an auto-theft ring by Laredo police.

Police, along with their SWAT Division, executed a search warrant in a house near the intersection of Gonzalez and Camp. This a house next to the riverbanks, just north of downtown Laredo.

The investigation has led to the recovery of three trucks - Ford F-250s. One of them was already across the border, in Nuevo Laredo.

With the help of Border Patrol and law enforcement from Nuevo Laredo, the vehicle was recovered.

Police have arrested one man so far - Luis Ricardo Rodriguez. But one man remains at large - Daniel Jesus Cardiel.

If you know his whereabouts, you are asked to report it to police at 795-2800. More arrests are pending.
The late Johnny Campion

The death has taken place of Johnny Campion, Michael Collins Road, Mervue, Galway / Kilkenny.



Late of Kilkenny. Reposing at the Holy Family Funeral Home, Mervue on Friday (28th October) from 6 o'clock. Removal at 7 o'clock to the adjoining Church. Funeral after 10 o'clock Requiem Mass on Saturday (29th October) to the New Cemetery, Bohermore.

The late Mary (Mollie) Cuddihy (nee Walsh)

The death has taken place of Mary (Mollie) Cuddihy (nee Walsh), Licketstown, Carrigeen, Mooncoin, Kilkenny. Mary (Mollie) Cuddihy Licketstown Carrigeen Mooncoin Co. Kilkenny who died on 26th October peacefully at Mooncoin Residential Care Centre, surrounded by her loving family, Mary (Mollie) she will be sadly missed by her loving daughter Mary, sons Jim, Pat and Anthony, son-in-law Seamus, daughters-in-law Grainne, Olive and Elaine, her 10 grandchildren, nieces, nephews family and friends.

Reposing at her home on Thursday, October 27th, from 2pm with prayers at 8:30pm Removal on Friday, October 28th, to St. Kevins Church, Carrigeen arriving for Requiem Mass at 11:00am followed by burial in the adjoining cemetery.

The late John Kelly

The death has taken place of John Kelly, Carrigeen, Johnswell, Kilkenny.

He died peacefully in the loving care of Anna and Staff at Archersrath Nursing Home. John, predeceased by his wife Mary, deeply regretted by Jimmy and Marsha Kelly Carrigeen, John's nieces and nephews, grandnieces and grandnephews, relatives, neighbours and friends.

Reposing at his home, Carrigeen, Johnswell. Funeral Prayers on Friday morning at 10.15am followed by removal to the Church of St. John the Baptist, Johnswell for Requiem Mass at 11am. Burial in St. Kieran's Cemetery.

The late Michael Conlon

The death has taken place of Michael Conlon, Legan, Thomastown, Co. Kilkenny on Monday, October 24 tragically following an accident. Michael, brother of the late Eileen. Deeply regretted and sadly missed by his heartbroken family: wife Alice, daughters Katie and Megan, son Joseph, parents Joe and Liz, brother, sister, mother-in-law Kathleen Cahill, brothers-in-law, sisters-in-law, uncles, aunts, nephews, nieces, extended family, neighbours and friends.

Reposing at his residence from 8pm on Tuesday with rosary at 8pm on Wednesday evening. Removal on Thursday morning to the Church of the Assumption, Thomastown, to arrive for 12 noon Requiem Mass, followed by interment in St. Mary's New Cemetery, Thomastown, Co. Kilkenny.

The late Patrick (Paddy) Ryan

The death has taken place of Patrick (Paddy) Ryan, Blanchville, Dunbell, Co. Kilkenny, Kilkenny. Paddy died 24th October 2016 ( unexpectedly) at his home. Pre-deceased by his parents Tom and Mary Ellen and by his brother Tommy. Deeply regretted by his brothers, sisters, nieces, nephews, sisters-in-law, brothers-in-law, grand-nieces, grand-nephews, relatives and friends.

Reposing at his residence from 3pm on Wednesday with Rosary at 7.30pm. Funeral prayers on Thursday morning, followed by removal to St. Colman's Church, Clara for Mass at 11am. Burial afterwards in the adjoining cemetery. House private on Thursday morning please.

The late John Power

The death has taken place of John Power, Poulacapple, Callan, Kilkenny / Mullinahone, Tipperary. John died suddenly 25th October 2016 at his residence. Deeply regretted by his sorrowing wife Noreen, sons John and Eamonn, grandchild Chloe, brothers, sisters, brothers-in-law, sisters-in-law, nieces, nephews, relatives and friends.

Reposing in Molloy's Funeral Home, Callan, from 5 o'clock on Wednesday with Rosary and Vigil Prayers at 8 o'clock. Removal on Thursday morning, following prayers at 11 o'clock, to St. Michael's Church, Mullinahone, for Requiem Mass at 12 noon. Burial afterwards in Kilbride Cemetery, Callan.

The late Ellie Healy (nee Murphy)

The death has taken place of Ellie Healy(nee Murphy), Corbettstown, Ballyfoyle, Kilkenny.

In the loving care of the Matron & Staff at Gowran Abbey Nursing Home surrounded by her loving family. Predeceased by her loving husband Nicholas and her daughter Patricia. Sadly missed by her daughters, Catherine, Mary and Bernie & sons Ned, John and Nick, sons-in-law, John and Joe, daughters-in-law Ann and Clare, grandchildren, sister-in-law Kitty Brennan and brother-in-law John Healy, extended family, relatives and friends.

Reposing at Nick's Residence in Corbettstown from 2pm on Wednesday. Vigil Prayers and Rosary on Wednesday night at 9pm. Removal to Saint Joseph's Church, Ballyfoyle on Thursday for Requiem Mass at 1pm followed by burial in the adjoining cemetery. Family Time on Thursday morning.

The late Michael (Mixie) Haberlin

The death has taken place of Michael (Mixie) Haberlin, Dunkitt, Kilmacow, Kilkenny.

Formerly of Clover Meats. Father of the late Michael Jnr. Deeply regretted by his loving wife Eileen, son Dermot, daughters Theresa, Breda and Valerie, daughter-in-law, sons-in-law, grandchildren, nieces, nephews relatives and friends.

Reposing at his residence on Wednesday from 3.30pm to 7.30pm. Removal on Thursday to St. Senan's Church Kilmacow for Requiem Mass at 11.00am. Burial after in adjoining cemetery. Family flowers only please, donations to Cancer Research. House private on Thursday morning please.

The late Margaret Daly (nee Brennan)

The death has taken place of Margaret Daly (nee Brennan) Marymount, Castlecomer, Kilkenny.

Predeceased by her loving husband Jim. Sadly missed by her sons Michael, Jimmy and Joe, daughters Anne Marie and Mary, sister Mary, sons-in-law Pat and Martin, daughters-in-law Carmel, Deirdre and Rebecca, grandchildren, great-grandchiildren, nephews, nieces, extended family, relatives and friends.

Reposing at her home from 3pm on Wednesday. Vigil Prayers and Rosary on Wednesday evening at 8pm. Funeral arriving at the Church of the Immaculate Conception, Castlecomer on Thursday morning for Requiem Mass at 11am with burial in the adjoining cemetery. Family time on Thursday morning please.

The late Michael Atkins

The death has taken place of Michael Atkins, Ballincrea, Slieverue, Co Kilkenny who died on 24th October 2016 peacefully in St. Patrick's Hospital, Waterford surrounded by his loving family he will be sadly missed his brothers Tony, Sean, Pat and Jimmy, sisters-in-law, brother-in-law, nieces, nephews, family and friends.

Resposing in Power's Funeral Home, Ferrybank. on Tuesday, October 25th from 7.30pm with prayers at 8.30pm. Removal on Wednesday morning October 26th to St. Paul's Church, Bigwood. arriving for Requiem Mass at 12 noon followed by burial in the adjoining cemetery.

The late Elizabeth (Betty) Burke (nee Hayes)

The death has taken place of Elizabeth (Betty) Burke (nee Hayes), Rice Park, Callan, Co. Kilkenny and formerly of Killamery. Betty died peacefully on Monday 24th October at St. Luke's Hospital, Kilkenny surrounded by her loving family. Pre-deceased by her husband Joe. Deeply regretted by her sorrowing family, Margaret, Pat, Elizabeth, Caroline and Joseph, brothers, sisters, grandchildren, great grandchildren, sons-in-law, daughters-in-law, nieces, nephews, relatives, neighbours and friends.

Betty will be reposing at Molloy's Funeral Home, Callan, Co. Kilkenny on Tuesday 25th October with Rosary and Vigil Prayers at 8pm. Funeral Prayers on Wednesday morning followed by removal to The Church of the Assumption for Requiem Mass at 11am. Burial immediately afterwards in Kilbride Cemetery, Callan. Family Flowers only, donations, if desired, to The Alzheimer Society of Ireland.

The late Sr Francis ONeill

The death has taken place of Sr. Francis ONeill (Convent of Mercy, Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, Rochestown Avenue, Dun Laoghaire, Co. Dublin, late of Clough, Castlecomer, Co. Kilkenny) October 23rd, 2016, in the loving care of the Sisters and Staff of Catherine Mc Auley House, Beaumont; sadly missed by her community in Rochestown Avenue, the Sisters of Mercy, South Central Province, her brothers John, David and Andy, sisters-in-law, brothers-in-law, nieces, nephews, grandnieces, grandnephews and especially Maureen. Pre-deceased by her sisters May, Lettie, Sadie and Josephine and her brothers Pat and Tom.

Reposing at the Convent in Rochestown Avenue from 3pm Tuesday October 25th with Rosary at 4.45pm. Removal of remains from Convent to Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital Chapel at 10.40am on Wednesday October 26th for Funeral Mass at 11am followed by burial at the Community Cemetery, Inchicore.

The late Paddy Doyle

The death has taken place of Paddy Doyle, Blanchfields Park, Clifden, Kilkenny and late of Hacketstown Co. Carlow died suddenly at his home on the 22 October 2016. Survived by his loving daughters Aileen and Martina. Reposing at his residence from 7 o clock Monday evening with rosary at 9 0 clock. Removal on Tuesday morning to Church of the Assumption Gowran for 11 o clock Requiem Mass. Burial afterwards in the adjoining cemetery.

The late Elizabeth (Betty) Kenny (nee Carroll)

The death has taken place of Elizabeth (Betty) Kenny (nee Carroll), Grange, Ballyraggett, Co. Kilkenny.

Peacefully at her residence surrounded by her loving family. Beloved wife of the late Mick Kenny and mother of the late Lar Kenny. Deeply regretted by her loving children Noreen, Jacinta, Marie, Aideen, Michelle, P.J. and Martin, daughters-in-law, sons-in-law, sister Bega (Kilkenny), brother Michael (Thurles), sisters-in-law, brother-in-law, grandchildren, nephews, nieces, relatives, good neighbours and friends.

Reposing at her residence from 10.30am on Sunday morning with Rosary at 8.00pm. Removal from her residence Monday morning to arrive at Saint Fiachra's Church Clontubrid for Requiem Mass at 12.00 noon. Burial immediately afterwards in the adjoining cemetery.

House private Monday morning. Family flowers only please. Donations if desired to the Parkinson's Association and the Alzheimer's Association.

The late Mary Matthews

The death has taken place of Mary Matthews, Woodtown Lodge, Cairns Road, Sligo Town, Sligo / Kilmacow, Kilkenny on 22nd October, peacefully, surrounded by her loving family, Mary will be sadly missed by her loving brother Harry, sister-in-law Noreen, nieces Eva and Catherine, grandnephews, family and friends.

Reposing at her brother Harry Matthews' home, Miltown, Kilmacow, on Sunday October 23rd from 3pm with prayers at 7pm. Removal on Monday October 24th to St. Columbus Church, Rosses Point, Sligo, arriving for 5pm. Requiem Mass on Tuesday October 25th at 10.30am, followed by burial in the adjoining cemetery.

The late Fr Richard Somers

Fr. Richard Lawrence Somers, 76, passed away peacefully on Wednesday, October 19, 2016, at St. Catherine's Retirement Village, Missippi, U.S.A.. He was born in Clogh, on August 8, 1940, Son of the late, Richard and Mary Somers. he was fifth of six siblings, two sisters Teesie and Peggy and three brothers Paddy, Eddie and Frank. He attended the local National school, after which he went on to St. Kieran Cullege in Kilkenny City in 1954. From there he moved on to the Seminary at St. John's in Waterford, where he completed his philosophy and theological studies. While in St.Kierans, Fr.Richard won an All Ireland colleges hurling medal in 1059 on the same team as Eddie Keher, Fr. Somers was ordained for the Diocese of Natchez-Jackson in June 12, 1966. He arrived in Jackson in September 1966 and shortly thereafter took up his first assignment at Our Lady of the Gulf in Bay St. Louis. He also served as an Associate Pastor at Our Lady of Fatima, Biloxi, and Sacred Heart, Hattiesburg, and St. Patrick, Meridian. In 1975 he became Pastor of St. Therese in Jackson and from there moved across town to be Pastor of St. Richard. His final assignment was at St. Joseph in Greenville where he spent sixteen years, which was his longest tenure.

Fr. Somers retired for health reasons on February 1, 2012 and in December he moved into St. Catherine's Village. His almost fifty years of service has left a lasting impression on the church in Mississippi. His infectious optimism touched the lives of many people because of his enthusiasm, his energy, his faith and his great love of the Catholic Church. He was preceded in death by his parents; his brother, Eddie; and his sister, Peggy. He is survived by his brothers, Paddy and Frank; and his sister, Teresa.

Visitation was held at St. Richards Catholic Church, 1242 Lynwood Drive, Jackson, 39206 on Friday, October 21st, from 4-7 with a wake service at 7:00pm. Funeral Mass was held on Saturday, October 22nd at 11:00 am at St. Richard Catholic Church. Internment took place at St. Joseph Cemetery in Gluckstadt.

Fr. Somers will be greatly missed by a large number of people. In lieu of flowers, memorials or financial donations may be made in Fr. Somers name to St Joseph Catholic High School, 1501 VFW Road, Greenville, MS 38701.

(Published in Clarion Ledger on Oct. 21.)

The late Catherine (Kitty) Kirwan (nee ONeill)

The death has occurred of Catherine (Kitty) Kirwan (nee O'Neill) Lemonstown, Kilmoganny, Kilkenny.

Peacefully on Friday 21st October 2016 surrounded by her loving family in the exceptional care of Sarah and Staff at Strathmore Lodge Nursing Home, Callan, Co. Kilkenny. Pre-deceased by her husband John. Deeply regretted by her sorrowing son Peter, daughter-in-law Anne, grandchildren Katie, John, Paul and Claire, great-grandchild Conor, sister Stella, nieces, nephew, relatives, neighbours and friends.

Kitty will be reposing at her son Peter's residence, Lemonstown, Kilmoganny with Rosary and Vigil Prayers at 8pm on Saturday evening. Funeral Prayers on Sunday morning followed by removal to St. Eoghan's Church, Kilmoganny for Requiem Mass at 1pm. Burial immediately afterwards in Kilmaganny Cemetery.

Family flowers only please. Donations in aid of the Alzheimer's Association to offer support to the person with dementia and family at the early stages of the illness when the person is living at home.
Local councillors have raised concerns over the rolling out of new food waste regulations into Kilkenny's rural towns and villages.

At Monday's meeting of the Castlecomer Municipal District, the elected members highlighted their constituents' concerns over the cost and feasibility of the new system.

The rules were extended to include 17 areas somce July but a temporary extension was granted. Theareas now include Ballyragget, Bennettsbridge, Castlecomer, Freshford, Urlingford Gowran, Kilmacow, Moneenroe, Mooncoin, Paulstown, and Piltown.

There will be exemptions in some cases, such as where there is no space for a bin, a lack of access or availbility of refusal collection services.

If there is not someone coming to your door, you still need to separate food waste, said environmental awarenss officer Bernadette Moloney.

If people go to their collector and are refused a bin, they need to contact the local authority and inform them.

Cllr John Brennan said he had a number of concerns.

The existing contractors  they're not engaging with the people who are going to be affected, he said.

How much is it going to cost? There's a lot of people who are just not going to be able to pay the new charge up front. And  will they be able to handle a bin? There are Old Age Pensioners and elderly people.

The contractors will have to come on board and inform people what's going on. What we don't want is the system being abused, and people dumping all over the countryside. I have to say, I have a lot of concerns over it.

Cllr Mary Hilda Cavanagh said she could not imagine the people of rural Ireland gathering up potato skins and driving to Dunmore.

Ms Moloney said that the food waste bin was a cheap option for householders to avail of.

Cllr Maurice Shortall asked if Ms Moloney was saying that people are supposed to be going to contractors and asking for brown bins.

There is not one brown bin in north Kilkenny, he said, adding that the next meeting of SPC 2 (Environment) should be opened to all members to discuss the issue. Cllr Cavanagh asked what the penalties would be for householders who are non-compliant.

Ms Moloney said the council wouldn't be chasing householders first, but rather the service providers.

We have been very nice to date, but if we have to get tough, we will, she said.

We really need to get people aware  we want to raise awareness that people should be using a brown bin.

But we will tackle providers first, she said.

Cllr Brennan said that if someone was using the bags, and has never used a bin before, was one brown bin enough for them or would they need two more extra bins.

You're looking at someone who has never had bins before who now has to have three bins?

Ms Moloney said this was correct. Cllr Brennan said that potentially someone could be facing a new bill of 300.

You're looking at a huge increase  people are going to have to pay 90% more than what they were paying, he said.

Cllr Maurice Shortall said there seemed to be a difficulty in getting service providers to engage. Cllr Pat Fitzpatrick said the issue needed to be referred to the SPC for a full discussion, with all councillors involved.

Cllr Brennan asked about the possibility of a further exemption, and said the SPC should formally write to the Department to ensure people would have enough time to fully understand what is happening.
BUDAPEST, Oct 24 (Reuters) - Hungary's central bank offers to accept 150 billion forints ($529.85 million) worth of funds from commercial banks in its 3-month deposit tool at its first capped tender on Wednesday, the National Bank of Hungary said on Reuters page on Monday.

The central bank said last month that it would cap funds placed by banks in its main 3-month deposit tool at 900 billion forints by the end of this year. At the last unlimited tender in September, banks parked 687 billion forints in the central bank's 3-month deposit facility. ($1 = 283.1000 forints)

(Reporting by Krisztina Than and Sandor Peto)
* Saudi climbs for fourth straight session

* Petchem producer Alujain soars on first dividend since 1998

* Jarir gains on chairman's optimistic outlook

* Dubai up as GFH jumps after winning civil court case

* Abu Dhabi weighed by blue chips yet to report Q3 results

* Egypt's Edita Food closes at lowest historic price in volatile trade

By Celine Aswad and Andrew Torchia

DUBAI, Oct 24 (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia's stock market closed higher for a fourth straight session on Monday after last week's mega international bond sale by the government boosted sentiment, but Egyptian shares dropped further as a chronic dollar shortage weighed on sentiment.

Riyadh's stock index rose 1.0 percent, taking its gains over the last four sessions to 6.2 percent.

It underperformed the region earlier this year as low oil prices and government austerity measures hit the economy hard, so it may now have more room to snap back.

"At current valuations, the positive mood in the market is not likely to fade, but investors are starting to hunt for bargain buys," said a Jeddah-based portfolio manager.

Petrochemical and industrial company Alujain jumped 7.6 percent after it said it would distribute a dividend of 0.5 riyal per share for 2016 - its first dividend since 1998.

Retail chain Jarir Marketing gained 3.2 percent after Chairman Muhammad Alagil told Reuters that the retail sector's slump might be close to ending: "We think the sharp decline is fundamentally over, or will be over by the end of this year."

The stock had dropped 45 percent year-to-date. Alagil said it was excessively cheap and he didn't exclude the possibility of a share buy-back, though he stressed this would depend on the board's decision .

Other local demand-driven shares also firmed, with Jarir's competitor United Electronics (Extra) adding 3.0 percent.

Dubai's index edged up 0.1 percent with GFH Financial Group , the most traded stock, jumping 6.4 percent after the company said it won a civil case against a former deputy chief executive at one of its units for an around of $5 million.

But Deyaar Development fell 0.2 percent despite reporting a 22.5 percent jump in third-quarter profit; revenue for the period soared five times .

Abu Dhabi slipped 0.2 percent, weighed down by declines in blue chips. Telecommunication operator Etisalat dropped 1.0 percent and First Gulf Bank lost 0.9 percent. Both companies are due to report quarterly results on Wednesday.

But Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank added 0.7 percent, recovering from an initial drop in its first hour of trade after reporting a 17 percent fall in third-quarter profit to 999.1 million dirhams ($272 million). Three analysts polled by Reuters had on average forecast 1.10 billion dirhams. The stock rebounded in active trade to stand 0.2 percent higher.

In Qatar, the index dropped 0.3 percent as petrochemicals, metals and fertiliser producer Industries Qatar fell 2.2 percent after posting a 28.9 percent drop in third-quarter net profit to 759.7 million riyals ($208.7 million). Analysts had forecast 996.6 million riyals .

EGYPT DIPS ON WORRY

Egypt's index of the 30 most valuable shares retreated 0.6 percent. It is now down 3.3 percent since hitting a 16-month high on Oct. 16.

Edita Food Industries dropped as much 6.7 percent in early trade after the company said one of its subsidiaries has temporarily shut a factory when the government seized its store of sugar in its campaign to obtain sugar supplies. It managed to recover to close up 4.7 percent, but at its lowest ever closing price of 7.95 Egyptian pounds.

Sugar has almost vanished at supermarkets across Egypt, prompting media talk of a crisis and pushing the state to rapidly increase imports. This sparked anxiety across other commodity and export- linked sectors as a dollar shortage, which has plagued the country since 2011, remains investors' major concern. Arab Cotton Ginning lost 1.1 percent and Arabian Food Industries fell 0.7 percent.

MONDAY'S HIGHLIGHTS

SAUDI ARABIA

* The index gained 1.0 percent to 5,797 points.

DUBAI

* The index rose 0.1 percent to 3,359 points.

ABU DHABI

* The index fell 0.2 percent to 4,289 points.

EGYPT

* The index lost 0.6 percent to 8,228 points.

QATAR

* The index fell 0.3 percent to 10,406 points.

KUWAIT

* The index rose 0.2 percent to 5,341 points.

OMAN

* The index declined 0.1 percent to 5,531 points.

BAHRAIN

* The index added 0.1 percent to 1,149 points.

<^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Emerging markets stocks Frontier stocks Gulf stocks, emerging index ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^> (Editing by Andrew Torchia and Larry King)
HANOI, Oct 24 (Reuters) - Here's a snapshot of Vietnamese dong exchange rates in the official and unofficial markets, indicative SJC gold prices in Hanoi and interbank offered rates at 0434 GMT.

Oct 24 Oct 21 USD/VND mid-point 22,032 22,019 USD/VND interbank 22,310/22,325 22,310/22,312 USD/VND unofficial 22,350/22,370 22,340/22,355 SJC gold (mln dong/tael) 35.46/35.71 35.44/35.68

Interbank offered rates Overnight 0.3-0.9 0.3-0.9

1 week 0.4-0.9 0.3-0.9

1 month 1.35-2.2 1.3-2.2

3 months 3.2-4.2 3.2-4.2

NOTES: As of Jan. 4, 2016 the State Bank of Vietnam has begun setting the mid-point rate on daily basis, allowing dollar/dong transactions to move in a band of +/- 3 percent around the mid point. The dong's exchange rate against other currencies is not restricted by a band. Interbank offered rates are the latest indicative bid/ask prices, quoted from market sources.

One tael is equivalent to 37.5 grams or 1.21 troy ounces. SJC gold prices are quoted by state-owned Saigon Jewelry Co.

For more interbank rate fixings released at 0400 GMT, click on .

For Vietnam market overview click on: Vietnam's bonds market auctions: Bonds auction results: (Compiled by Hanoi Newsroom)
* Imports from North Korea at 1.8 mln T, vs 2.47 mln T in Sept

* China maintains sanctions allow exports for "livelihood purposes"

* Imports from Indonesia +66 pct on yr; Mongolia up +187 pct

By Meng Meng and Chen Aizhu

BEIJING, Oct 24 (Reuters) - China's coal imports from North Korea in September fell by more than a quarter from August, customs data showed, after a push from the United States last month to punish North Korea for its recent nuclear test with a tougher ban on its coal exports.

Data from the General Administration of Customs released on Monday showed China imported 1.8 million tonnes of anthracite coal from North Korea last month. That was 27 percent below the 2.465 million tonnes imported in August, which was the highest since at least the start of 2016.

Anthracite is a high-grade hard coal that Chinese buyers use mainly for steel and ceramic manufacture, as well as for blending with other coal types to burn to generate power.

China announced in April it would ban North Korean coal imports to comply with the U.N. sanctions on the country, though it made exemptions for deliveries intended for "livelihood purposes". North Korea carried out its fifth and largest nuclear test in September. The September imports were up 2 percent from the same time a year ago. For the first nine months of 2016, North Korea provided about 13 percent of China's total coal imports, data showed.

China's total coal imports surged 20 percent from a year ago last month after government-enforced closures of mines continued to tighten domestic supplies, raising prices and forcing utilities to source more foreign feedstock. Indonesian imports in September to the world's top coal producer and consumer climbed 65.6 percent from a year earlier to 3.74 million tonnes, although purchases from top supplier Australia eased to 5.86 million tonnes, down 4.5 percent from a year ago.

Imports from Mongolia in September rose 187 percent year-on-year to 2.74 million tonnes.

North Korea's anthracite typically trades through Dandong, in northeast China near the China-North Korean border, and also through ports in the eastern provinces of Shandong and Jiangsu, according to traders familiar with the trade.

Dandong authorities have imposed some curbs on North Korean coal since around April, according to Liu Dongna, a coal expert with Sublime China Information and another coal trader that previously dealt with North Korean coal.

China is North Korea's closest ally and largest trading partner. It has become increasingly critical of the North's nuclear program, but prizes stability on the Korean peninsula.

China's North Korean coal imports in April fell 35 percent from March to 1.53 million tonnes after the U.N. sanctions were adopted. But they rose through to August.

(Reporting by Meng Meng and Chen Aizhu; Editing by Christian Schmollinger)
Robert Durell | Los Angeles Times Jack Chang came up with a peanut concoction after he became unable to eat the food in its solid form. He says after drinking the mixture for some time, his gums no longer hurt.

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By John M. Glionna, Los Angeles Times

SAN FRANCISCO </p> <p>Jack Chang flashes a crooked smile. His discolored teeth crowd together like old tombstones.</p> <p> "I know why you come!" the Taiwanese-born cafe owner exclaims to Donna Cooke, one of his most loyal customers. "You want more peanut milk!"</p> <p>Chang schemed up the unlikely beverage when his teeth, loosened by gum disease, drove him to find a painless way to consume peanuts, a favorite food since childhood. The creation had unexpected benefits, Chang says: It cured his gums and even slowed his baldness.</p> <p>Cooke and other regulars who flock to Chang's KK Cafe swear by peanut milk  the mystical elixir that Chang concocted in the kitchen of his storefront burger joint in this city's bohemian Haight district.</p> <p>Cooke drinks it for energy and, she says, because it keeps her eyes clear of infection.</p> <p>"Listen, I'm not crazy," says the Macy's worker. "I know this stuff has made me a healthier woman."</p> <p>The walls of Chang's eatery carry testimonials affirming the reputed powers of peanut milk. Although there's no hard proof of any health benefits, the beverage has spawned a cult of peanut milk fanatics.</p> <p>The drink, which does not contain milk, is made from peanuts, grains, herbs and spices. Fans say it strengthens patients with AIDS and cancer, reverses baldness, heals wounds faster, prevents colds, reduces symptoms of menopause and soothes psoriasis. It's also said to be a hangover cure. Some drink it at bedtime to help them sleep, others as an alternative to caffeine.</p> <p>Chang, 58, suggests another benefit: "More sexual stamina!"</p> <p>The diminutive Chang never dreamed his passion for peanuts would lead to a product that is making a minor splash in the holistic foods industry. From a back-shop endeavor that started with a pound of peanuts a day, Chang's company now processes 2,000 pounds a month and ships about 240,000 bottles a year. The 10.5-ounce containers sell for about $1.69.</p> <p>Backed by investors, he opened a Bay Area production facility in 2004, and his product will soon be sold in northern California, Oregon and Washington state by such high-end stores as Whole Foods.</p> <p>Peanut milk became available last month at about 20 outlets across southern California.</p> <p>Chang calls it the Miracle at the KK Cafe. Marketing his peanut milk under the name "Signs and Wonders," a phrase borrowed from the Bible, Chang says the object isn't to make money but to spread good health. He donates 10 percent of his profits to charity.</p> <p>Health experts are skeptical of Chang's "miracle," which boasts on its label that it provides "stamina and energy" and "is good for your immune system."</p> <p>"We live in an age where there is great anxiety about health," said Dr. Rajiv Bhatia of the San Francisco Department of Public Health. "This product, like others, seems to capitalize on that anxiety."</p> <p>Chang says he's no scientist. He's clueless as to what makes peanut milk work. But he knows it worked for him.</p> <p>In 1999, a chronic gum condition made Chang's teeth so loose he could no longer eat solid foods. Yet he still craved peanuts. So he decided to brew up a liquid form. Each night after his restaurant closed, he went to work in his kitchen, boiling a bag of peanuts down to mulch, adding grains and other ingredients.</p> <p>At first, the results were too oily. Many initial batches tasted terrible. But Chang didn't throw away his failures. He drank them and kept experimenting.</p> <p>Three months after he started, Chang noticed that his gums no longer hurt. He also stopped losing hair.</p> <p>"Ha!" he says. "Drink peanut milk! No more hair on pillow!"</p> <p>The drink has the look and consistency of milk, with a definite peanut twang. Chang didn't plan to sell his invention. But soon cafe denizens began asking about it. Word spread as customers started to report their own claims of astonishing results.</p> <p>William Garcia Ganz, 58, who suffers from HIV and cancer, is another regular customer. One day, Chang noticed how sickly Ganz looked and began pushing peanut milk. Chang told Ganz that his older brother died from complications of AIDS in San Francisco in 1990.</p> <p>Ganz, a musician and conductor, was unable to pay, so Chang gave him a free daily quart. During his exhausting chemotherapy, Ganz said he lived solely on peanut milk, gaining weight, before his cancer went into remission.</p> <p>"I don't know if it was a miracle, but this drink definitely tided me over during those awful months," he said.</p> <p>Lawyer Thomas Paoli is drawn to both Chang and his product. "It's food filled with a lot of good feeling," he said. "You go to a restaurant where the chef pours heart and soul into the menu, and you can taste it."</p> <p>In 2002, the story of Chang's peanut milk hit the local media. Not all of the coverage was good. One news anchor tried peanut milk on live television, the cameras rolling as her face curdled.</p> <p>Still, the stories spurred more customers. Chang stepped up production and worked to improve the taste. "The work was hard," said his son, Jon. "He was killing himself."</p> <p>So the son persuaded his father to look for partners, but most were rejected.</p> <p>"My parents never accepted the offers because they felt these people's hearts weren't in the right place," he said.</p> <p>That's when Bay Area resident Leo Soong tried the product for his eczema. A devout Christian with a background in the beverage industry, Soong approached the elder Chang, and a company was born.</p> <p>On the firm's Web site, Soong solicits people who suffer from psoriasis to try the drink and report the results. He hired a scientist to test the product.</p> <p>"Nutrients in peanuts may help alter the immune system," said Kent Erickson, a biology professor at the University of California, Davis, Medical School. "But I only examined the drink's individual parts. It's a guess as to how the whole thing would work."</p> <p>Justin Jackson, a regional grocery coordinator for Whole Foods, said if Chang could back customer claims with test results, "peanut milk will really take off."</p> <p>But fans say they don't need scientific confirmation.</p> <p>"People don't know how aspirin works," said Reginald Legba, who credits the drink with helping to restore his hair. "I don't know how my car works, but when I get in and turn the key, I know it starts up every time. I also can't explain peanut milk. But every time you need it to work, it works."<
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By Kitsap Sun Staff

EAST BREMERTON  A vehicle went off of Tracyton Beach Road and landed in the Port Washington Narrows Sunday night.

Emergency responders were dispatched to the 2700 block of Tracyton Beach Road at 10:51 p.m. They found a partially submerged vehicle, upright. The driver was cold but not injured.

He said he got distracted when he choked on some coffee, according to the Kitsap County Sheriff's Department.

The vehicle was left on the beach overnight because wires must be moved before a tow truck can get at it.
Stuff reports:

Controversial Auckland businessman William Yan is understood to be heading back to China to speak with authorities.

Just under what circumstances hes going, remain shrouded in mystery. Yan has been branded an economic fugitive by his own country, and China allege he embezzled hundreds of millions of dollars before fleeing to New Zealand.

Concerns over his safety should he return to China  including arrest, imprisonment, execution and organ harvesting  formed the basis for then Associate Immigration Minister Shane Jones to grant him New Zealand citizenship in 2008.

It seems those concerns are no longer an issue, as Yan is travelling to China in the coming weeks to be interviewed by Chinese authorities.
Stuff reports:

Wellington police may have used an alcohol checkpoint to gather information about elderly women attending euthanasia meetings.

The women had been attending an Exit International meeting on a Sunday afternoon early early this month in the Lower Hutt suburb of Maungaraki.

As they left, about 4pm, all were pulled over at the checkpoint and  before being asked to blow into the machine  were made to give their names and addresses, and show their drivers licences.

In the days that followed, at least 10 of them received visits from police officers, asking questions about their association with Exit, a pro-euthanasia group.

Wellington barrister Douglas Ewen, a specialist in human rights, said it could be an abuse of police powers if it could be proven they used the guise of a checkpoint to get details for an issue unrelated to road safety.

Similarly, the act of stopping cars for a purpose other than road safety could be seen as arbitrary detention, and therefore a breach of the Bill of Rights.

If a power is conferred, it should be used for that purpose, Ewen said.
AT&T donates $5,000 to Pellissippi State for student scholarships

OCTOBER 24, 2016 at 10:07 a.m.







Pellissippi State Community College President L. Anthony Wise, left, and Pellissippi State Foundation Executive Director Peggy Wilson, right, accept a check from AT&T, along with, from left, Pellissippi State scholarship recipient Kyle Beanblossom, AT&T regional director of external affairs Alan Hill, and State Rep. Roger Kane.



AT&T has donated $5,000 to Pellissippi State Community College to support non-traditional, underserved students studying in accelerated cohort programs. The donation will fund student scholarships.



"This type of support from private business is important as we work to find ways to advance higher education in East Tennessee," said L. Anthony Wise Jr., president of Pellissippi State. "The scholarship this contribution will fund will allow students to complete degree programs that give them the skills to complete in today's technology-based economy."



This donation is part of AT&T's $65,000 gift to the Tennessee Board of Regents, Pellissippi State's governing body. Each of the state's 13 community colleges will receive $5,000 toward student scholarships that target non-traditional and underserved students.



"To meet the needs of our ever-growing economy, Tennessee's institutions of higher education must ensure new entrants to the workforce are prepared and obtain the requisite knowledge, skills and abilities to succeed in a modern workplace," said Sen. Richard Briggs. "Through programs like those offered at Pellissippi State, pathways are created for non-traditional students to gain these skills, benefiting all Tennesseans."



"Tennessee's community colleges serve as crucial pathways to prosperity for students who want to enter the job market as soon as possible," said Rep. Roger Kane. "AT&T's commitment to good corporate citizenship in education will allow our future workforce to reach its full potential reaping benefits for all Tennesseans."



"The relationship between business and education is an important one for job creation in Tennessee," said Rep. Harry Brooks, chairman of the House Education Committee. "Statistics continue to show that the jobs of the future will require some type of secondary education, and helping our students obtain degrees and certificates will lead to more job growth and development for Tennessee."



In January 2010, the Tennessee legislature passed the Complete College Tennessee Act, which seeks to increase the higher education completion rates of students across the state.



"We are delighted to support Tennessee students who are acquiring the skills they need to enter the workforce," said Alan Hill, regional director of External and Legislative Affairs, AT&T Tennessee. "Accelerated certificate and degree programs are a great way to ensure our students are fully prepared to enter the workforce and that they can find good jobs right here in Tennessee when they graduate."



The AT&T scholarships will support students studying programs that are accelerated cohorts, which can allow students to complete their associate degrees at an accelerated rate. Accelerated cohorts especially help students who are attending college while also working full-time.



For more information about AT&T and its Philanthropy & Social Innovation outreach, visit about.att.com. For more information about Pellissippi State, visit www.pstcc.edu or call 865-694-6400. Published October 24, 2016
Face of Defense: Airman Risks Everything, Upholds Legacy of Valor

By Air Force Senior Airman Victoria Taylor





When I saw that she was trapped in the car the exact same way that the man was, I was terrified. I didnt know if I was going to be able to get her out because I was so exhausted, but I still had to try. -- Air Force Staff Sgt. Vicente Gomez





A vehicle is engulfed in flames after being involved in a three-car accident near RAF Mildenhall, England. Air Force Staff Sgt. Vicente Gomez, a crew chief with the 100th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, helped rescue two of the crash victims. Courtesy photo

RAF MILDENHALL, England  For Air Force Staff Sgt. Vicente Gomez, his May 12, 2014, trip to RAF Mildenhall started off as it would have on any other day. He pulled out of the driveway just after the sun began to set at 9:40 p.m. and began what had become a familiar drive to work.



But as he made the usual right turn onto Eriswell Road, he came across smoke rising from two vehicles that had collided moments earlier. A third car had been run off the road.



Gomez, a crew chief with the 100th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, slammed on his brakes and flipped on his hazard lights.



As smoke billowed from beneath the mangled hulks that were working vehicles only minutes earlier, Gomez sprinted to the nearest car, which had come to rest at the edge of a trench.



My body was overcome with adrenaline, he recalled. Once I reached the wreck and saw that the driver was stuck inside the car, I went into panic mode.



The man inside the vehicle was conscious, Gomez said, but in shock and trying to escape.



His car was on fire and spreading quickly. I grabbed him from his waist and pulled with everything I had, but his legs were pinned beneath the dashboard, he said. Every time I pulled, I felt like I was breaking bones and it seemed almost impossible to get him out.



Thinking he couldnt do it by himself, Gomez noticed a line of cars pulled over on either side of the road and ran for help.



I remember about four to six people standing out of their vehicles looking at me with their phones to their ears as I screamed for help, but all I received in return were blank stares, the airman said.





Not Giving Up



Receiving no response, he ran back to the crash victim and again tried to pry him from the wreckage as the front end of the car became engulfed in flames.



The heat was so intense, but I still had time to try to get him out, Gomez said. And I wasnt going to give up on him.



With time running out and his energy dwindling, he made one final attempt to free the driver.



The driver was conscious enough to where, together, he and I were able to get his legs unpinned, Gomez said. Once free, I was able to pull him out of the car through his door window.



As he dragged the victim from harms way, the vehicles interior filled with flames. The struggle to ensure that they both reached safety left the staff sergeant utterly exhausted.



I was overcome with relief thinking that it was all over and that I could rest, but then I saw the other car, Gomez said.





Panic Ensues



I dont know how I missed it, I think that I just blocked it from my vision when I was struggling to get the man out of the first car, he said.



Not knowing if the other victim of the crash got out of their car, Gomez ran back over to the scene to inspect.



When I saw that she was trapped in the car the exact same way that the man was, I was terrified, he said. I didnt know if I was going to be able to get her out because I was so exhausted, but I still had to try.



Gomez hurried to the drivers door and attempted to pry it open, but it was jammed closed and her window had been rolled up. Noticing the passenger door appeared to be unlocked he quickly made his way over to open it.



I got in and grabbed her waist in an attempt to pull her, but her legs were pinned under the dashboard in the same way the mans were, the airman said. I began to pull her sideways, but she started screaming in excruciating pain, so I stopped instantly.



Assuming that the womans legs were badly broken, he said he tried to think quickly. The flames were taking over the interior of the vehicle and sweat was beading on his forehead from the extreme heat. His boots were caked in soot from the debris that was smoldering around him.



It honestly crossed my mind that I was going to watch this woman burn alive in her car if I didnt get help, Gomez said.





Help From an Unexpected Source



Just when he felt all hope vanishing, the airman said, someone stumbled over.



I saw a man coming out of the ditch and immediately waved him over to help me, Gomez said.



Not recognizing that the man he called over to help him was part of the initial crash -- he was in the vehicle sent into the trench beside the engulfed automobiles -- they began working together trying to free the woman before time ran out.



They managed to unpin the womens legs and pull her through the back door. Knowing she was badly hurt, the two men carefully carried her until her painful screams forced them to stop.



I was so thankful that he showed up when he did, Gomez said, because I know without him I would have never gotten her out of that car or been able to move her away from the wreckage without further damaging her already broken body.



Once they reached a safe distance, the airman noticed a few bystanders tending the victims of the crash. He then called the womans husband to alert him of his wifes status.



She screamed out his phone number in an agonizing cry, and when he answered I tried to explain what happened, but I could barely catch my breath and he didnt understand what I was trying to say, Gomez said. The woman then shouted Baby, Ive been in an accident! and he understood perfectly.



After catching his breath, the airman was able to clarify for the womans husband where they were and he arrived minutes later.



The second he got there, he fell to his knees while watching his wifes car continue to go up in flames, Gomez said. He panicked and yelled Please tell me she isnt in this car, please! My heart sank seeing him there and all I could think about was if I showed up to the same thing after hearing my wife was in an accident.



He said he was finally able to wave the man over to reunite him with his wife, but the cars were still engulfed in flames and worry began to rush back.



I was nervous the fire department wasnt going to get there in time to extinguish the cars, the airman said. I was hoping that everyone was at a safe enough distance in case the flames reached the gas tank and set off an explosion.





While bystanders helped the victims, Gomez took advantage of the momentary break to gather himself.



After everything and driving to work, I could feel my adrenaline fleeting, he said. My body felt as if I had just worked out the hardest I ever had; I was completely sore.

What is left of two cars after a potentially fatal accident sits on the side of the road May 12, 2014, near RAF Mildenhall, England. Staff Sgt. Vicente Gomez, 100th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron crew chief, performed life-saving assistance to the victims of the crash. Gomez was presented with the Airmans Medal for his courageous acts.

Honoring Heroism



Nearly 22 months after the accident, Gomez was presented with a citation and distinction identifying his act of fearlessness.

Soldier, woman and 2 children - U.S. Air Force Col. Thomas D. Torkelson, 100th Air Refueling Wing commander, left, Staff Sgt. Vicente Gomez, 100th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron crew chief, and his wife and children pose for a photo during a ceremony March 11, 2016, on RAF Mildenhall, England. Gomez was presented with the Airmans Medal for risking his life to save two others near RAF Mildenhall on May 12, 2014. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Victoria H. Taylor/Released)

Staff Sgt. Vicente Gomez distinguished himself by heroism involving voluntary risk of life at Royal Air Force Mildenhall, England, on 12 May 2014, began the master of ceremonies. On this date, Sergeant Gomez arrived upon the scene immediately after a three-car collision.



As the emcee recounted the actions that saved the lives of two individuals, Air Force Col. Thomas D. Torkelson, the 100th Air Refueling Wing commander, pinned the Airmans Medal on the lapel of Gomezs uniform for his selfless actions on that night.



With a steady voice, the emcee concluded, The exemplary courage and heroism displayed by Sergeant Gomez reflects great credit upon himself and the United States Air Force.

Published October 24, 2016
By Choi Sung-jin



"I would rather go to prison," said a Seoul citizen surnamed Park, 74, in a chilly Tapgol Park on Sunday. "It's getting harder to live from day to day. Many poor old people like me might be missing warm meals provided by prisons."



Park is right. The number of aged prisoners is rapidly increasing, and the share of inmates aged 60 or older has surpassed 10 percent for the first time. The fast growth of the aged population is the main reason for the "aging of prisons." But not a few of these people "voluntarily" land in jail unable to endure hardships of life.



According to the Justice Ministry, the proportion of new inmates aged 60 or over, which stood at 5.8 percent in 2011, jumped to 10.6 percent as of Sept. 30. The share of over-60 convicts has reached 9.8 percent of the total prisoners.



The increase in the number of old convicts is due to the overall aging of the population. The share of people aged 60 or more rose to 19.8 percent of the total population as of last Dec. 31, up from 16.6 percent in 2010. "The number of aged inmates has grown even faster than that of the aged population," a ministry official said.



Experts say Korea needs to study the example of advanced countries. In Japan, for instance, over-60 people commit up to 35 percent of shoplifting, according to a research early this year. About 40 percent of aged thieves were habitual offenders who commit the same crimes for more than six times.



The London-based Economist magazine said in a story in March that elderly Japanese citizens found it difficult to make ends meet with the annual pension of 780,000 yen, or about 8 million won ($7,042), and opt to go to prison, which provides food, lodging and clothes.



In Korea, the share of offenses committed by the 60s or older also climbed from 5 percent in 2012 to 8.6 percent in 2014. Thefts by aged people also have a 61.8 rate of repeat offenses, far higher than those of other offenses, according to the Korea Institute of Criminology.



"Aged convicts often experience economic difficulties after they are released," the ministry official said. "Quite a few of them say it is better to be in jail,' committing misdemeanors and re-entering prison."



In prison, old convicts have only to do easy work, like making paper bags, and receive two physical checkups a year, compared with just one health examination for younger ones.



"In the long term, we are considering operating a prison exclusively for the aged convicts," the official said, adding that the annual operating cost of jails, which totaled 1.2 trillion won last year, is expected to increase 3-4 percent every year.



Experts have called for re-employment programs to help released aged convicts adjust to society.



On the other wide of the world are people with enough wealth enough to enjoy their later life.



CJ O Shopping, a TV home shopping company, recently began to sell an online language education program, priced up to 700,000 won, targeting office workers in their 30s and 40s and parents with students or job-seekers.



Filling the buyers' review sections are comments from consumers in their 50s and 60s, who say, "I am studying English dreaming of traveling overseas by myself," or "Just learning English gives me a great sense of accomplishment."



A company official said people in their 50s and 60s accounted for 18 percent of those who bought the program. "We hardly expected there would be a sizeable demand among the elderly customers and are planning to develop more educational products for them," he said.



Lotte Department Store also has increased its cultural lecture programs, including how to make the most of smartphones, after learning that most of their students were people in their 50s or older. For those who want to open businesses, the store also offers classes on "startup cafes" and "barrister licenses."



According to the Hankook Research, the average monthly credit card bills of these "active seniors" amounted to 1.77 million won last year, compared with 1.24 million won by 30-something consumers and 1.36 million won by 40-something consumers. Statistics Korea estimates the domestic "senior-related market" at 148.6 trillion won in 2020, more than three times larger than 43.9 trillion won 10 years ago.



Aged consumers have also emerged as another "big hand" for the tourism industry, no longer satisfied with short-distance tours to Japan and China but going as far as Europe and the U.S. People in their 50s and 60s who left for the U.S. and Europe last year rose by 5 percentage points, respectively, from 2014.



Even in online markets, sales to senior consumers jumped 35 percent last year from 2014.



"The present middle age generation is the most affluent group in Korea's history, and they adhere to quality rather than blindly following latest trends," said Professor Ahn Seung-ho of Soongshil University. "It's time for businesses to develop new products and services that are not showy but appealing to them."




The founder of Naver Corp. said Monday the nation's biggest Internet portal will accelerate its investment in high-tech startups, signaling the need to increase spending on artificial intelligence.

Lee Hae-jin, who is also the chairman of the board at Naver, made the remarks at a conference with developers.

"From now on, a fight for technology is the key" as computing technologies, including artificial intelligence and data analysis, are on the verge of being applied to people's real lives, Lee said.

The remarks by Lee hinted that Naver may focus on investing in artificial intelligence startups at home and abroad, joining the race with global technology titans, such as Google and Facebook, in fielding artificial intelligence-powered products.

During the conference, Naver unveiled its new digital assistant service named AMICA.

Naver's chief technology officer, Song Chang-hyun, said the personal assistant service eventually aims to "understand the intention" of users, interacting with them everywhere, including in the bedroom and out in the streets.

Song said the service is being installed in a package of mobile chips produced by Samsung Electronics Co. for the Internet of Things.

AMICA is being developed for a number of smartphone apps for food delivery and accommodation, Song said.

Naver also plans to launch an independent company tasked with developing self-driving, robots and artificial intelligence, company officials said.

Headed by Song, the new company will be established early next year.

On Sept. 30, Naver and its mobile messaging affiliate, Line Corp., announced a plan to invest 100 million euros ($108.6 million) in a French venture fund set up by France's former South Korean-born minister, Fleur Pellerin.

The fund will invest in European technology startups in the fields of artificial intelligence, big data and online services, Naver said. (Yonhap)
Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering (DSME) officials pose with Indonesian Navy officers during a ceremony to launch a second submarine built for the Southeast Asian country at DSME's shipyard on Geoje Island, South Gyeongsang Province. / Courtesy of DSME



By Lee Hyo-sik

Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering (DSME) launched a 1,400-ton diesel submarine for the Indonesian Navy, the shipbuilder said Monday.

It is the second of three submarines to be built by DSME under a $1.1 billion contract signed in 2011. In March, DSME held a launch ceremony for the first submarine, according to company officials.

About 60 people, including DSME executives and officers of the Indonesian Navy, attended the launch at the company's shipyard on Geoje Island, South Gyeongsang Province, Monday.

DSME and the Indonesian Navy will jointly test the submarine for the next year to confirm the underwater vessel is fully operational. With a service life of 30 years, the submarine is capable of cruising 18,520 kilometers without a port call, twice the distance between Busan and Los Angeles.

"DSME used only its own technologies to design and produce the submarines for the Indonesian Navy," a company official said. "We will do everything we can to complete tests of the vessels and hand them over in their best shape in October next year."

The first submarine, which is currently undergoing sea trials, is scheduled to be delivered to the Southeast Asian country next March. The third will be delivered some time in 2018.
By Park Jae-hyuk



Korean cosmetics firms, which have inspired K-beauty fever in China, are seeking to expand their presence in the world's largest market, the U.S., riding on the changes of American consumers' spending patterns.



The firms had initially supplied their products to multi-shops in department stores or discount chains, but have opened their own brand shops, expanding their stores.



Local business news outlet MoneyToday reported Monday that AmorePacific will open a flagship store of its cosmetics brand Innisfree in Manhattan early next year, citing cosmetics industry officials in the U.S.



The officials said Korea's top cosmetics company is choosing the best location in the U.S. to open its store soon, according to the report.



However, an AmorePacific official denied the report, saying the launch of Innisfree store is uncertain.



"The source of the report may be our rival company," he told The Korea Times. "Innisfree targeting the U.S. market has been well known among industry sources, but timing and location are yet to be decided."



After establishing a corporate body in Los Angeles in 1986, the cosmetics firm first expanded toward the U.S. market in 2003 with its signature brand AmorePacific. The firm currently sells several brands, including Sulwhasoo, Laneige and Annick Goutal there.



LG Household & Healthcare released its brand Belif last year and supplies the product to over 100 stores in the U.S.



Nature Republic launched its brand in the U.S. in 2012 and has opened 17 brand stores, supplying its products to the four largest shopping malls in the U.S.  Simon Malls, Westfield, GGP Malls and Macerich.



Smaller firms, such as It's Skin, Goodal, Leaders Cosmetics and Skinfood, also sell their products in the U.S.



The American consumers prefer Korean cosmetics, because they are "natural," according to a report of the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA) released in July.



KOTRA wrote those consumers will continue to prefer Korean cosmetics which don't use harmful chemicals but natural components.



"Natural" also means make-up that looks like a naked-face and the American consumers are attracted by the natural make-up of K-beauty, KOTRA said.



Some industry officials said various components, such as snail slime or volcanic ash, attracted the consumers.



The export of Korean cosmetics to the U.S. reached $217.5 million last year, a 71 percent rise from a year earlier.



"Korea has ranked fifth in market share in the U.S. since June this year," a KOTRA official said.



Korean cosmetics hold 6.84 percent of U.S. market share as of July, following cosmetics companies in France, China, Canada and Italy.



However, observers point out that Korean cosmetics firms still lack products for the various races of the U.S.



KOTRA pointed out in the July report that the word "whitening," written on some cosmetics containers, should be changed to "brightening."




By Kim Tae-gyu



A team of Korean scientists have underpinned the sovereignty of Dokdo by naming microscopic organisms after the country's easternmost islets, which Japan also claims as its territory.



The team headed by Prof. Kim Ji-hyun of Yonsei University said Monday that they mapped out genetic codes of 10 new microbes found in Dokdo's soil and neighboring waters.



The feats are highlighted on the occasion of Dokdo Day, which celebrates King Gojong's official announcement on Oct. 25, 1900 about the jurisdiction over the island in the East Sea, also called the Sea of Japan.



"We sequenced genetic codes of the 10 microbes to register in the database of the National Center for Biotechnology Information in the United States," Prof. Kim said.



"All of them are named after Dokdo or the East Sea. Many other researchers who love Dokdo have contributed much to this project. Some of the works are covered by academic papers."



Kim said that the studies would continue.



"In the beginning, we did not put priority on commercial purposes but we discovered some genes and enzymes have commercial viability while collating our research," Kim said.



"Our team gathered soil and water samples from Dokdo this August to unearth new microorganisms such as bacteria."



Included in the 10 microbes are dokdonia donghaensis and maribacter dokdonensis.



Located about 90 kilometers east of Korea's Ulleung Island and 160 kilometers northwest of Japan's Oki Island, Dokdo is a set of volcanic outcrops of which ownership has been disputed between Seoul and Tokyo over the past several decades.



Dokdo is under the strict control of Korea with its maritime police officers stationed there. Korean civilians also live on the island, but Japan has never stopped claiming sovereignty of Dokdo, which has abundant fishing resources and minerals.



In particular, the Shinzo Abe administration beefed up the initiative with a set of controversial maneuvers to fray the already-strained relationship between the two neighbors.



Alongside the wartime sex slavery issue, Dokdo has been a bone of contention between the two countries of late. As a result, President Park Geun-hye refused to meet her Japanese counterpart of Prime Minister Abe for almost three years after she was inaugurated in Feb. 2013.




By Kim Tae-gyu



Korean children will be able to play with internet-connected smart toys, which will be able to have interactive conversations in Korean, in the not-so-distant future.



SK C&C and IBM have joined hands to capitalize on a variety of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies, which include a toy powered by the super computing system IBM Watson.



The robot is expected to speak both English and Korean. For example, it can read an English-language book to a kid so that the two can talk about the book later in Korean. Or, they can just chat like friends.



Some believe that the two companies already created a prototype to test the bilingual miniature robot but SK C&C refused to confirm this, just saying "We have carried out various joint projects with IBM."



An IBM Korea official also did not comment.



It is not known when the model will hit the market and how much it would cost but an SK C&C official dropped a hint, "Watson is currently learning Korean. As far as I know, the study will continue to next year."



Watson is not that versed in Korean compared to its mother tongue of English.



Watson is a computer system, which can answer questions asked in natural language. As the brainchild of IBM, it is named after the company's first CEO, Thomas Watson.



The smart system was especially designed to answer questions based on the popular U.S. quiz show Jeopardy and in 2011, it defeated human champions in a three-way competition.



Its first commercial application was in the medical field as IBM Watson for Oncology helps doctors treat patients who suffer from such serious diseases as cancer.



Korea's Gachon University Gil medical Center west of Seoul planned to adopt the advanced system for cancer patients this month after signing a contract with IBM last month.



But the Incheon-based hospital postponed the timeframe to next month since it failed to wrap up the preparation of its hospital space exclusively for the expensive supercomputer.



AI-based educational companions are already available in overseas markets as U.S. startup Elemental Path came up with the CogniToys lines, which are backed by Watson.



Its models can answer questions, tell stories, practice spelling and play games without the need for a screen. Another advantage is that they get sophisticated through automatic content update.



The CogniToy should be linked to the web via Wi-Fi or other mobile networks. Its settings can also be customized to allow kids to only use specific features.




By Park Si-soo



Volkswagen has scrapped its plan to launch Skoda-branded vehicles in Korea, industry sources said Monday.

This is the latest in a series of fallouts from the emissions cheating scandal that dealt a blow to the German carmaker's Korean unit. The Korean authorities revoked domestic sales licenses for nearly 90 Volkswagen models following the emissions cheating scandal.

The company has kept delaying Skoda's debut in the Korean market -- from June to December, and then to early next year. Now sources say early next year has also become uncertain.

"Volkswagen has decided to delay the launch (of Skoda) indefinitely," a source familiar with the issue told The Korea Times. "It was confirmed about two weeks ago. Volkswagen's official position on the issue is an indefinite delay."

Another source said Volkswagen Korea's teams that had committed themselves to the launch could be disbanded and some of their members had already been reassigned to teams dedicated to Volkswagen or Audi vehicles.

The continued delay reflects a tricky and time-consuming process Volkswagen Korea has to go through for reinstatement of its canceled sales licenses. Analysts believe it could take many months before the disgraced automaker will regain its right to sell the suspended models.

The company has around 40 new models that need sales permission from the Korean government.

"Volkswagen is now doing everything it can to have its sales licenses reinstated for Volkswagen and Audi vehicles as early as possible. But lingering negative public sentiment toward the company and toughened emissions test rules as a result of the scandal could make it tougher for the company to reinstate canceled licenses and win licenses for new models," the source said.

A Volkswagen spokeswoman denied the launch had been scrapped.

"We have not fixed a specific timetable for Skoda's domestic launch, so it does not make sense to say that the launch has been delayed or canceled."

She expects the company to have the suspended licenses reinstated in the first half of next year.
By Nam Hyun-woo

Cooperation in financial technology, or fintech, is the subject of a new memorandum of understanding signed with the Monetary Authority of Singapore, the Financial Services Commission (FSC) said Monday.

During the 12th FinTech Demo Day event, hosted by the FinTech Support Center of Korea, the two sides agreed to consider launching joint projects on core fintech technologies such as mobile payment, blockchains and big data.

The MOU includes details on holding meetings between the two countries and manpower exchanges on fintech information, as well as exchanges on fintech-related regulations, policies, market trends and technologies.

An FSC official said: "With the signing of the MOU, the basis of fintech cooperation between the two countries has been significantly strengthened, and we expect it will help our fintech companies to obtain local information needed to enter overseas markets and form global networks."

During the demo day event, the center announced that it has opened the FinTech Integrated Portal, which will serve as an online communication channel for firms, investors and general users.

Five local fintech firms demonstrated their services during the event. "This event was participated by venture capitals, providing a good opportunity for us to exchange contact information with investors and discuss terms," the official said.

FSC Chairman Yim Jong-yong, Singaporean Ambassador to Korea Yip Wei Kiat and acting U.K. Ambassador to Korea Sue Kinoshita participated.

During the event, Yim pledged that the government will invest 3 trillion won ($2.65 billion) over the next three years to support fintech firms. Also, he said the FSC plans to launch a consortium among local financial firms to study blockchain technology.
The late President Roh Moo-hyun is seen campaigning for the National Assembly seat representing Buk-gu and Gangseo-gu in Busan in 2000 in this still from the movie "Moo-hyun, the story of Two Cities."

/ Courtesy of Distribution Committee for "Moo-hyun, the story of Two Cities"







Poster of "Moo-hyun, the story of Two Cities"

By Park Jin-hai

The documentary "Moo-hyun, the story of Two Cities" will be released Oct. 26. The film sheds light on the life of the late President Roh Moo-hyun and commemorates the seventh year after his death, and 70 years since his birth.

Directed by the Jeon In-hwan and crowd funded by over 3,000 citizens, the 90-minute film begins with a narration by writer Kim Won-myeong, who speaks about injustices around the world today. He reminds himself of the time he met Roh, a friend of his father Kim Hee-ro, a poet and prominent activist of the 1980s who fought against the authoritarianism of former President Chun Doo-hwan.

The film's title is evocative of Charles Dickens' novel "A Tale of Two Cities" (1859). If Dickens' two cities referred to London and Paris, the film crisscrosses between Busan and Yeosu, in Gyeongsang and Jeolla provinces, respectively, which have been engaged in regional tension for years.

Seven years after Rho's death, Kim sets out on a journey to find people who had connections with Roh in the past. The film also shows rare footage of Roh, who toured small towns and campaigned to overcome regionalism in Korean politics while he ran for the National Assembly representing Buk-gu and Gangseo-gu in Busan in 2000. Although he was defeated in those elections, Roh's political ambitions bore fruit in Nosamo, the first political fan club in Korea. Those followers, inspired by Roh's commitment to overcoming regionalism, took Roh from obscurity to the presidency in 2002.

Roh committed suicide in May 2009 by jumping from a mountain cliff behind his hometown of Bongha Village, South Gyeongsang Province. About 4 million people visited the village in the week following his death.

"My friend of 20 years and producer of this film went to Roh's rural hometown Bongha and wondered why there has been no documentary about the late president," said director Jeon during a press conference at the Megabox in Dongdaemun, Seoul, Friday. "He suggested making the film and I knew that it would not be an easy task but I felt that it was something that should be done."

The film required a massive amount of research and took seven years to finish shooting. It is not praise for Roh's past achievements. It is rather a human documentary to reveal what kind of a person he was and to raise questions about what kind of leader Korea should have.

As well as depicting Roh as a man of faith and his touching speeches, it focuses on him as a human being _ who after many rounds of speeches worked up to sing "Busan Seagull" in a hoarse voice so as not to disappoint waiting supporters in the small town, and sometimes getting embarrassed when he forgets a line during a speech.

"I made this film with my heart. While I was editing, I found myself crying. Although I am not pleased 100 percent about the outcome, I wanted to show Roh as a living person who talks to the audience, makes small mistakes and sometimes gets obstinate, on the big screen," said Jeon.

Also included is footage of Roh's photographer, podcaster Yoon Jong-hun and writer Kim having a drink and lamenting his unfortunate death, while talking about what he left for future generations.

The downside of the film is its lack of research on why his many of controversial moves, including the relocation of the capital, have been derailed, and leaves some questions about his death.

Despite the support of citizens, the touching documentary, however, had a difficult time finding theaters because of outside pressure, says its producer Cho Eun-sung. "Because it was funded by people from every region of the country we worked hard to find screens. But multiplex theaters, being afraid of the pro-Roh label, wouldn't screen it even for this preview for the media," Cho said.
The United States on Sunday dismissed recent talks between North Korean diplomats and former U.S. government officials as a private "Track 2" meeting taking place without the involvement of the U.S. government.

North Korean Vice Foreign Minister Han Song-ryol and the North's U.N. Ambassador Jang Il-hun held the two days of talks with former U.S. nuclear negotiators Robert Gallucci and Joseph DeTrani, and Asian affairs expert Leon Sigal in Malaysia's Kuala Lumpur on Friday and Saturday.

The rare meetings drew intense media attention as they could signal Pyongyang's willingness to reopen negotiations with the United States amid heightened tensions in the wake of its fifth nuclear test and a series of missile launches.

But the U.S. government dismissed the talks as an unofficial "Track 2" contact.

"We have seen the reporting on Track 2 meetings. Track 2 meetings are routinely held on a variety of topics around the world and occur independent of U.S. government involvement," State Department spokeswoman Anna Richey-Allen said.

Sigal told Yonhap News that the two sides mainly discussed the North's nuclear and missile issues.

The North stuck to its stance that it wants to sign a peace treaty with the U.S. before it stops its nuclear and missile programs. But the U.S. side reiterated its position that scrapping the nuclear program should be put before anything else, Sigal said.

Drawing his own conclusions that there was partial progress in the informal meetings, he said he expects no official dialogue with the North to take place under the Obama administration, but that a new U.S. government needs to reconsider policies toward the North. (Yonhap)
Seoul will provide a free class to help foreign entrepreneurs start up an online shopping mall. / Courtesy of Seoul Global Center



By Lee Jin-a

Seoul will offer an educational program to teach foreign residents how to set up an online shopping mall in Korea.

From Nov. 14-25, Seoul City will provide a "Practical Startup Class for Online Shopping Mall" at the Dongdaemun Global Center.

The class, for 25 selected foreigners, will run for three hours from 6.30 p.m. from Monday to Friday.

Attendees will learn how to analyze international markets, select items and target customers, and study successful examples in international markets.

Applicants can download an application form from the official website of Seoul Global Center (global.seoul.go.kr) and submit the form with a copy of their certificate of alien registration via email (thdusl01@sba.seoul.kr) or mail (Dongdaemun Global Center, 27, Mareunnae-ro, Jung-gu, Seoul) by Oct 31.

Those with level 4 or above in the Test of Proficiency in Korean (TOPIK) can attend.

Seoul City will select 25 applicants through document evaluation and interviews.

For more information, contact 02-2271-9521.
President Park Geun-hye on Monday proposed a constitutional revision in a surprise reversal of her earlier position, a move that observers say reflects her will to spearhead the growing debate on the highly divisive issue.

During her parliamentary speech to outline budget plans for next year, Park said her government will institute a body to prepare for the revision with a view to achieving it within her term in office that ends in February 2018.

Park had previously opposed any full-fledged discussions on the highly polarizing issue, saying that the government should focus on tackling more urgent economic and security issues, including North Korea's ever-growing nuclear and missile threats.

The chief executive, however, underscored that given political schedules, including the presidential election slated for next year, now is the "right time" to push for rewriting the Constitution, last amended in 1987.

Park, in particular, stressed the need for a change in the current single five-year presidential term, which has made politics extremely confrontational and the government unable to pursue consistent, sustainable policy goals.

"The single, five-year presidential term under the Constitution, which has been in force for the last there decades since its last amendment in 1987, might be suited for the past democratization period, but it has now become clothes that no longer fit our body," the president said.

"With the political system in which we cannot move a step forward due to confrontation and division, we cannot expect a bright future for the country," she added.

Park also noted that the change of government in the South every five years has made it difficult to pressure the North into renouncing its nuclear ambitions, and that frequent policy shifts have gotten in the way of economic leaders carrying out long-term, stable business initiatives.

Her proposal came amid increasing calls for a major shift in the way the country is run. Proponents have said that the revision should take place, as the current constitution does not reflect the raft of social and political changes that have transpired over the years.

The debate over the revision centers on spreading out power that is now concentrated in the president, a point on which many politicians from the ruling and opposition parties alike largely agree.

But political circles are split over how to alter the Constitution, foreshadowing an intense debate before they build consensus over the crucial issue.












The controversial state-authored history textbooks for middle- and high schools will be made public next month, according to the Ministry of Education (MOE).



Speaking with the JoongAng Ilbo, Park Seong-min, Director General of the History Education Revision Committee at the ministry said Sunday that the textbook contents will go online on Nov. 28, and "for a month to follow, we will receive feedback from citizens and experts."



He said the final version, which will reflect the feedback, will be completed in January before going to print in February. The official stressed that the ministry's move was to make the process as "transparent" as possible.



The official said the lists of book authors and basic guidelines, which have been kept private, will be released along with the textbooks. Renowned historians and history teachers opposed the government's approach last year, claiming that secrecy can make the books more biased.



The textbooks, which authors have been writing since November of last year, will be used in more than 6,000 schools across the country.



An anonymous ministry official told The Korea Times that it's developing a program to actively receive feedback. Last year, the ministry was in hot water for turning off fax machines and refusing inquiries via phone calls and emails during the period of notification.




By Choi Sung-jin



Some U.S. foreign policy experts are increasing contacts with North Korean officials, calling for the need for dialogue with the reclusive regime and drawing attention to their possible role in the next U.S. administration.



The Park Geun-hye administration, which has resorted only to sanctions on North Korea with the policy focus on regime change in Pyongyang, may be sidelined in the dialogue and lose the initiative when the atmosphere changes on the Korean Peninsula.



Some experts here expressed such concerns after North Korean Vice Foreign Minister Han Sung-ryol and the North's U.N. Ambassador Jang Il-hun held talks with former U.S. nuclear negotiators Robert Gallucci and Joseph DeTrani, and Asian affairs expert Leon Sigal in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on Friday and Saturday.



Gallucci, who led the U.S. delegation and was responsible for the Agreed Framework to end the first nuclear crisis in 1994, has stressed the need to negotiate with the North.



"The tighter the allies contain North Korea, the worse the situation will become," he said at a recent workshop in Seoul, organized by the Preparatory Committee for Unification, a presidential panel. DeTrani and Sigal have also met North Korean officials frequently in "unofficial two-track" contacts.



These experts are not in government positions and their acts can hardly be said to reflect the Barack Obama administration's intentions.



However, their moves may be aimed at sounding out Pyongyang's positions with respect to its nuclear programs and its relationship with Washington when the next administration comes to office early next year, the experts say.



It is noticeable that these doves on North Korea policy have raised their voices as the nuclear crisis deepened, taking concrete action to mediate dialogue between Pyongyang and Washington. Bill Richardson, former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, recently sent a confidant to Pyongyang, and Jane Harman, head of the Woodrow Wilson Center, emphasized the importance of bargaining with the reclusive regime. The U.S. Council on Foreign Relations, a bipartisan think tank, also released a special report last month, calling for more positive dialogue with the North.



However, the Park administration has been bent only on playing down these trends. The Foreign Ministry, commenting on the U.S.-North Korea contacts over the weekend, said the meeting "had nothing to do with the U.S. administration," while emphasizing, yet again, the "unwavering bilateral cooperation in sanctions" on the North.



Unlike the Obama administration, which has not ruled out all possibility for dialogue, however, the South Korean government has been bent on blockading the isolated regime further, leaving no room for a more flexible stance under changed situations, the experts say.



When the new U.S. administration takes office next January, chances are high the voices of dialogue-seeking experts may be reflected in its foreign policy, they say.



Although the probable next U.S. President Hillary Clinton is expected to take a harder stance toward North Korea, the possibility of dialogue is also likely to be bigger than under the Obama administration's "strategic patience" policy.



"It will of course not make sense to think Washington is shifting from sanctions to dialogue, but the door to talk is always open given that the purpose of sanctions is to pull North Korea to the dialogue table," said Professor Kim Sung-han of Korea University. "It's time for Seoul to make underwater efforts' for a two-track approach of sanctions and dialogue, too."




By Jun Ji-hye



The government's hasty announcement of the possibility for the permanent deployment of U.S. strategic weapons to South Korea last week has exposed disharmony between defense and foreign ministries.



Even after the government consequently failed to obtain mutual agreement from the United States to deploy strategic assets such as nuclear-capable bombers, the two ministries have been shifting the responsibility to each other.



During the annual Security Consultative Meeting (SCM) between Defense Minister Han Min-koo and U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter at the Pentagon, Oct. 20, the two sides agreed to "conduct a review" of whether to deploy strategic assets to the South on a rotational basis. This was against expectations here that the two countries would actually announce a deployment decision following the meeting.



It was Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se who first revealed such expectations. He told reporters after the "two plus two" security talks between the top defense and foreign officials from the two nations, Oct. 19, that Han and Carter were going to discuss details about how to deploy U.S. strategic assets in South Korea during the SCM.



After Yun's comments, a high-level official from the defense ministry explained that the allies would agree on the deployment as a means to strengthen the U.S. "extended deterrence" protection of South Korea against nuclear and missile threats from North Korea.



But the joint statement of the SCM excluded the decision for the deployment, only stating that the two nations will conduct additional discussions in the future.



Sources noted that Yun's comment was an unexpected announcement for the defense ministry as its officials intended to announce it after a mutual agreement was reached, mindful of the fact that whether to deploy strategic assets to the peninsula was one of the most sensitive issues in the Northeast Asian region.



Consequently, the defense ministry was embarrassed due to the failed agreement. According to sources, working-level officials from the two countries had almost reached a mutual agreement, but Carter reportedly backed out at the last minute.



Sources also noted that defense ministry officials complained of Yun's hasty announcement, claiming that the foreign ministry only intended to receive media attention, while foreign ministry officials argued whether or not to deploy military assets to the peninsula was beyond its responsibility.



In 2012, the two ministries also exposed their disharmony and attitude to shirk their responsibilities when the government failed to sign the General Security of Military Information Agreement (GSOMIA) with Japan.



Seoul and Tokyo's plan to sign the GSOMIA, aimed at sharing classified military intelligence, was scrapped following protests from South Korean politicians and civic activists who insisted on first resolving unsettled historical disputes involving the Japanese military.



In response to growing controversy over the failed agreement with the U.S. for the deployment of strategic assets, defense ministry spokesman Moon Sang-gyun said Monday, "There was no difference of opinion between Seoul and Washington. The two countries shared the need to strengthen extended deterrence and will conduct additional discussions."




By Kim Hyo-jin

The opposition parties raised questions about President Park Geun-hye's proposal for a constitutional revision, Monday, linking it to growing power abuse scandals involving her confidants.

Remaining cautious of the President-led move, they postponed an answer to Park's call to set up a special National Assembly committee to discuss the revision.

"She had previously made it taboo to even discuss this. Now that she's put the issue forward, it is highly suspicious, especially if it is to cover up the corruption scandals involving her confidants, Choi Soon-sil and Woo Byung-woo," Rep. Youn Kwan-suk, chief spokesman of main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) told reporters.

"We can't just agree on a move that does not have clear intentions. The party will take its time, and develop a position through discussions with the public."

"Though belated, we welcome that the President expressed her opinion on the constitutional revision," said Rep. Son Kum-ju, chief spokesman of the minor opposition People's Party.

"But the timing is all wrong. Anyone would question if she is seeking to shift public attention away from the power-related scandals."

Their remarks came after Park proposed revising the Constitution, last amended in 1987, within the remainder of her presidency during a parliamentary speech earlier in the day.

The move was viewed as surprising as Park had stood firm against the idea until recently, saying that it could trigger an economic "black hole."












By Lee Kyung-min



Seoul Metropolitan Government (SMG) and the land ministry are at odds over redevelopment plans for a new city park in Yongsan, Seoul. The land is being freed up as much of U.S. Army Garrison (USAG) Yongsan is currently undergoing relocation to Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province.



While SMG wants full access to the premises as a relevant party to the negotiations, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MOLIT) says SMG is asking for too much.



On Monday, SMG said MOLIT has yet to respond to its request filed early this month seeking the latter's cooperation to enter the premises for an on-site inspection.



"Our request sent on Oct. 5 remains unanswered," an SMG official said. "We fear that the park redevelopment plan may be pushed without fully reflecting the voices and needs of the citizens."



Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon has for a long time voiced concerns about the current plan that the park will still house government facilities, including the Ministry of National Defense and the new U.S. Embassy.



Park has wanted all the buildings to be moved off the property, approximately 2.65 million square meters, so that the park can be fully returned to the public.



"We ask the ministry, which has the authority to set up and carry out this project, to share information with city officials involving the details by inviting us to make an on-site inspection," the SMG official said.



However, a MOLIT official said, "Even my ministry colleagues are only allowed to go there with approval from the defense ministry and the U.S. They should file the same paperwork as we do."



The ministry also questioned the mayor's intention.



"It is unclear what the mayor and officials want to inspect," said the official. "If they want access, then they should state the purpose of their visit."



The park redevelopment plan will be finalized by the end of next year.




President Park Geun-hye proposes a constitutional revision to change the current five-year, single-term presidency during a speech at the National Assembly in Seoul, Monday. / Korea Times photo by Lee Ho-jae



President pledges to finish amendment by end of her term



By Kang Seung-woo

President Park Geun-hye proposed amending the Constitution, Monday, to change the current five-year, single-term presidency, saying the time was ripe to start relevant talks and she wanted to finish this before her term ends.

To push for the constitutional revision, she called for the National Assembly to form a special committee to discuss the issue.

"We have reached a point where we can no longer delay discussions on amending the Constitution, which was also one of my campaign pledges," Park said during a speech at the Assembly on the 2017 budget.

"It is time that we put aside the 1987 Constitution and draw up a new one for the country to make a new leap forward. To complete the revision within my term in office, the government will begin working-level preparations today."

Her presidency ends in February 2018.

The nation's current system, introduced in 1987, has resulted in presidential terms being conducted in an imperial style and continues to contribute to endless political and social conflict, according to analysts.

As a result, there have been intensifying calls for a revision to change the system, whose primary aim was to prevent any president from attempting to hold onto power through illicit means.

Park stressed the need for a change in the current system, saying that it no longer works for the country.

"The single five-year presidency makes it difficult for the government to pursue consistent and sustainable policy goals. The system that has been effective for the last three decades since the last amendment in 1987 might be suited to the past democratization period, but it has now become a piece of clothing that no longer fits," she said.

"With a political system in which we cannot move forward due to confrontation and division, we cannot expect a bright future for the country."

The President also said that the change of government in South Korea every five years has made it difficult to pressure North Korea into renouncing its nuclear ambitions, and that frequent policy shifts have got in the way of economic leaders carrying out long-term, stable business initiatives.

Park's proposal comes as there are growing calls for a constitutional revision from the people as well as lawmakers.

National Assembly Speaker Chung Sye-kyun has voiced support for the change, describing it as a "task that must be done," while several members of the ruling Saenuri Party, including floor leader Chung Jin-suk,  despite Park's previous opposition  have called for the revision.












President Park Geun-hye attends a meeting with her senior secretaries at Cheong Wa Dae, Thursday.

/ Joint press corps



President's approval dips below 30 percent for two weeks in row

Choi Soon-sil

By Kang Seung-woo

Snowballing influence-peddling allegations against her long-time confidant Choi Soon-sil are pushing President Park Geun-hye to the brink of a lame-duck period.



With just 16 months of her term in office remaining, the nation-sweeping scandal is preventing her from strengthening her grip on state affairs, including structural reforms in four major sectors.

In addition, the Park government's signature "creative economy" policy is also falling through as it is suspected of being exploited by the confidant.

Choi, the daughter of President Park's late mentor, is regarded as a secretive heavyweight who holds great influence over Park as well as her administration. Choi has been caught up in allegations that she was behind suspicious fundraising activities involving the K-Sports and Mir foundations. They raised about 80 billion won ($71.2 million) from the nation's major firms in a just a few months.

Opposition parties claim that the presidential office "twisted the arms of conglomerates" to fund the two non-profit organizations, while some of the money went to paper companies established by Choi.

To make Park's situation worse, Choi's daughter, Chung Yoo-ra, is also embroiled in speculation that she received special treatment in her admission to Ewha Womans University and academic credits there. Due to the controversy over Chung, the university's president, Choi Kyung-hee, stepped down, last week.

The mounting controversy is hitting hard President Park as her approval rating fell to a record low last week.

A Gallup Korea poll, released Friday, found that only 25 percent of respondents approved of Park's job performance  the lowest level since she took office in February 2013. Her endorsement has been on a decline since the scandal was first reported last month.

In addition, she had a negative rating of 64 percent  the highest figure during the same span with the approval one.

"It is a serious warning to the President when her approval rating dips below 30 percent," said a political analyst.

"The number means that her key advocacy group has turned its back on her, disappointed by the scandal."

For Park, it is another bitter pill to swallow that her usually faithful supporters in her political strongholds of Daegu and North Gyeongsang Province are turning their backs on her.












By Carl Bildt

SEOUL  We are living in dangerous and uncertain times. The United States is engaged in a bizarre and highly polarized presidential election. Its relationship with an increasingly revisionist Russia is undergoing what is essentially a "re-set" in reverse, while Russia's revisionism is also putting pressure on a Europe already plagued by uncertainty in the wake of the United Kingdom's vote to leave the European Union. Meanwhile, the Middle East is imploding, with wars in Syria and Yemen fueling a large-scale refugee crisis.

So overwhelmed are world leaders that many have had little time to focus on mounting tensions at the other end of the Eurasian land mass: the divided Korean Peninsula. But while the crisis in Syria may be the most urgent conflict the next US president will have to address, developments in North Korea could well turn out to be the most intractable.

Since North Korea detonated its first nuclear device a decade ago, its activity on this front has been uneven. But the regime has lately stepped up its efforts: two nuclear tests have been carried out this year, with the country's largest-ever device detonated last month. Tests of long-range missiles have also increased, suggesting that North Korea is slowly but surely progressing toward a deliverable nuclear weapon.

As usual, the international community's response focuses on sanctions. Indeed, the United Nations Security Council is currently discussing a new resolution in response to last month's test. Whatever the resolution's precise contents, it is likely that new sanctions will hurt. The question is whether they will hurt enough.

North Korea's economy is not exactly in a strong position to withstand much more pressure. In the 1950s, the North's economy was better off than the South's; today, it is 40-80 times smaller (depending on who is estimating).

While the North Korean government has loosened its grip on the economy slightly, enabling shadow activities to develop, the country's prospects remain grim. In human terms, the North Korean regime's failure to provide for its nearly 25 million inhabitants has been as tragic as it is spectacular.

Even the country's elite has been feeling the effects of sanctions, reflected in an increase in the number of higher-level defectors over the last year. Of course, political strain has also likely contributed to this trend. In South Korea, some are even considering the possibility of the North Korean regime's collapse, though others believe that the persistence of harsh repression will continue to ensure a kind of stability.

The North Korean regime has one critical source of support: China. Though China has agreed to tough sanctions, implementation has been lax, and its leaders have shown a distinct reluctance to tighten the screws on their client further. Unlike South Korea, which would welcome a collapse of the regime in Pyongyang (at least in theory), China fears the political and economic consequences.

The fact remains, however, that North Korea's regime poses a serious threat to stability in the region and perhaps beyond  one that cannot be mitigated without China. While representatives of both US presidential candidates, Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, have reiterated that the military option must remain on the table  direct US military intervention has always ultimately been rejected. China's relationship with North Korea no doubt has had some influence over that decision.

So, to mount an effective response to the North Korean nuclear threat, the next US president will need to secure China's cooperation. That is easier said than done, not least because of America's recent decision to deploy a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) anti-missile system in South Korea.

Officially, the THAAD system is meant to protect South Korea from the North Korean threat. For the US, its primary purpose is to minimize the risk of South Korea deciding to acquire its own nuclear weapons to counter the North.

For China, however, the system's advanced X-band radar raises concerns, because it reaches well into Chinese territory. China fears that it could be linked with more advanced missile systems either in Japan or on nearby naval ships, potentially posing a threat to China's strategic missile forces. These are valid concerns.

The US must reach out to China to explain the nature of the system and discuss measures that might address its fears. One possible approach, proposed by Yoon Young-kwan , a former South Korean foreign minister, would be to tie the existence of the THAAD system explicitly to North Korea's nuclear program. If the latter is eliminated, the missiles would be removed.

The ultimate goal of talks should be to secure China's cooperation in developing a comprehensive peace treaty, signed by all regional powers, that normalizes relations with a North Korea that agrees to give up its nuclear weapons and commit to political reform. But the North Korean regime's past behavior suggests that, even with China on board, the chances of such a Damascene conversion are close to nil.

That is why discussions must also address what might happen if North Korea's regime suddenly collapses  a possibility, though not imminent, cannot be excluded. In such a scenario, a plan  agreed in advance by the US, China, South Korea, and Japan  that covers border control, refugees, port access, and military operations would need to be in place.

Without China's buy-in, efforts to curb North Korea's nuclear ambitions are likely to falter. In that case, the country's volatile leadership could eventually possess long-range nuclear capabilities  an outcome that must be averted at all costs. The last thing a dangerous and uncertain world needs is more danger and uncertainty.

Carl Bildt is a former prime minister and foreign minister of Sweden. Copyright belongs to Project Syndicate.
Rotational deployment of U.S. strategic assets could play a greater deterrence against growing nuclear and missile threats from North Korea, the defense ministry said Monday.



"If U.S. strategic assets are deployed permanently in South Korea, it, in principle, will be of a great help in terms of extended deterrence against the North's provocations," Moon Sang-gyun, spokesman for the Ministry of National Defense, said in a regular briefing.



The U.S. has temporarily sent strategic assets, such as nuclear-capable B-52 and B-1B bombers, to South Korea this year in a show of force following the North's two nuclear tests and a series of missile launches. However, perceptions have grown among South Koreans that such one-off missions are not enough.



At the Security Consultative Meeting (SCM) held in Washington last week, the allies' defense chiefs discussed many options, including permanent deployment of U.S. strategic assets on a rotational basis, to provide extended deterrence to Washington's key Asian ally.



"Extended deterrence" refers to the commitment to use nuclear weapons, if the need arises, to deter attacks on allies. The U.S. has provided extended deterrence and the "nuclear umbrella" to South Korea since 1991.



Permanently deploying U.S. strategic assets on a rotational basis means keeping at least one such asset in, over or around South Korea at any given time. Such deployment would not only reassure South Koreans of the U.S. defense commitment, but serve as a strong warning and deterrent to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.



The issue of deploying U.S. strategic assets to the South will be discussed further at the high-level dialogue known as the "Extended Deterrence Strategy and Consultation Group" (EDSCG), he said.



The EDSCG was established in Washington in alliance talks last week when the two sides' foreign and defense ministers gathered to discuss security and defense issues.



As for the planned arrival of a senior U.S. diplomat in South Korea later this week, Moon said, "He is expected to meet with (Yoo Jeh-seung) deputy minister for policy at the defense ministry."



Frank Rose, assistant secretary of state for arms control, verification and compliance, will be in Seoul on Friday and Saturday for meetings with officials from South Korea's government and U.S. Forces Korea to discuss arms control, international security and strategic stability, the U.S. State Department said in a statement.



The department didn't elaborate, but his meetings are sure to touch on the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) issue.



In July, Seoul and Washington announced their decision to deploy a THAAD battery to South Korea to better defend against the North's nuclear and missile threats. The system is scheduled to be installed here by 2017. (Yonhap)








North Korea said Monday that South Korea did not consult with Pyongyang before it decided to abstain from the U.N. vote on the North's human rights in 2007, in its first reaction to a memoir by a former South Korean top diplomat.

North Korea's committee on inter-Korean affairs said the South Korean conservative ruling party is carrying out a "politically motivated terrorist act" by branding the main liberal opposition party as North Korean sympathizers.

"At that time, the south side had neither suggested any opinion nor informed the north side of its stand to abstain from voting for the adoption of the resolution on human rights," a committee spokesman was quoted as saying by the Korean Central News Agency.

Controversy erupted in the South Korean political arena when Song Min-soon, a former foreign minister, said in his recently published memoir that Seoul had sought Pyongyang's opinion before it decided to abstain from the U.N. vote during the administration of late former president Roh Moo-hyun.

Song claimed that Moon Jae-in, former head of the opposition Minjoo Party of Korea (MPK), was allegedly involved in the process. Moon, then presidential chief of staff, was a close aide to Roh and is one of the leading condenders for the presidential election slated for late 2017.

The KCNA said that the ruling Saenuri Party should be condemned for branding the MPK as "forces following the North," and cooking up the story that Roh had secret communications with Pyongyang.

"This is just a despicable smear campaign to create an environment favorable for their stay in power in the presidential election next year," the report said. (Yonhap)
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry has described North Korea as an "illegal and illegitimate regime" in a possible indication that the U.S. government is taking a harder line on the communist nation.



Kerry made the remark at the start of talks with Kuwait's Foreign Minister Sabah Al-Khalid Al-Sabah on Friday, praising the Middle Eastern nation for its efforts to help curb North Korea's weapons proliferation.



"I want to thank the Amir and his government for their efforts to help counter the proliferation of the DPRK, of North Korea. They have recently taken steps to curb flights and to make sure that revenues from workers are not sustaining an illegal and illegitimate regime in North Korea," he said, according to a State Department transcript.



Kerry appears to be referring to Kuwait's reported suspension earlier this year of the North's Air Koryo flights, as well as measures to ensure that wages of North Korean workers are not diverted to the country's nuclear and missile programs.



"We have also been very, very open about the fact that North Korea's export of labor generates significant revenue for the government and it enables, in fact, the development of those very programs," State Department spokesman John Kirby said at a regular briefing later in the day.



"We have raised our concerns, and we'll continue to do so with governments about the use of laborers -- workers from North Korea in their countries. And that's what he's referring to." (Yonhap)




Moon Jae-in, former chairman of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea, says North Korea should not intervene in South Korean politics. / Yonhap



By Yi Whan-woo

Moon Jae-in, former chairman of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) warned North Korea not to intervene in domestic politics, Monday.

His warning came hours after Pyongyang made its first response to a political dispute in South Korea concerning a memoir recently published by former Foreign Minister Song Min-soon.

The North's Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of Korea (CPRK) said in a statement that South Korea did not consult with North Korea before it abstained from the U.N. General Assembly's vote in 2007 to adopt a resolution against the repressive statedire human rights record.

Song, then foreign minister, wrote in the memoir that the progressive-minded Roh Moo-hyun administration abstained from the U.N. vote after seeking North Korea's opinion.

Moon, then presidential chief of staff, was behind Cheong Wa Dae's decision to consult the tyrannical regime, according to the memoir.

The ruling Saenuri Party has been criticizing Moon as "a North Korean sympathizer" despite his denial of Song's claims.

The committee accused the conservative South Korean government and the Saenuri Party of allegedly capitalizing on the memoir to brand Moon as a "North Korean sympathizer."

"It should be made apparent that the South Korean side neither made an inquiry on any human rights resolutions nor notified us that it will give up the U.N. vote," the CPRK told the Korean Central News Agency (KNCA).

"It is committing a politically-motivated act of terror against the main opposition by trying to link them with us, awkwardly, as pro-North Korean forces. Such a scheme is to distract public attention from the latest corruption scandals concerning the Park Geun-hye regime and to form a favorable environment in order to continue staying in power."

However, Moon said in a text message sent to DPK spokesman Kim Kyung-soo that, "North Korea should not meddle in our politics in any manner."

Moon denounced the Saenuri Party, saying "North Korea's reaction is attributed to the ruling party's moves to cause unnecessary debate."

The CPRK committee referred to the fact that Park visited Pyongyang in 2002 when she was a lawmaker and met then North Korean leader Kim Jong-il despite criticism from conservatives about her visit.

"Back then, she burst into tears and repeatedly vowed to contribute to prosperity and re-unification of the Korean Peninsula. It can be said she sympathized with North Korea and also disrupted the national order (of South Korea)," it said.

On Sunday, Moon commented on Facebook that he "can't recall everything that happened" in 2007.

He still claimed that the Roh government "never broke the principle of putting national interest first" in inter-Korean relations and that he is not ashamed of his role in North Korea-related issues.
By Helder Ferreira do Vale

Putting an end to long-lasting conflicts is never easy. A good example of the challenges involved is Colombia, home of the second largest displaced population in the world. Despite four years of intense negotiations, a peace agreement between the government and the leftist Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) was unexpectedly rejected in a referendum in September, with the no vote winning by a mere 0.6 percent majority. The surprise rejection shows that peace in a democracy requires more than conflicting sides arriving at a deal.

In a democracy, the perception that both the benefits and costs of peace are fairly distributed among all stakeholders is critical to any potential agreement. This is particularly important in Colombia's conflict, which started 52 years ago and has caused 250,000 casualties, displaced over 6 million people, and remains one of the largest ongoing armed conflicts in the Western Hemisphere. Ending this war with the proposed Havana Peace Agreement, however, proved unacceptable to a slim majority of Colombians, in large part for not being tough enough on FARC members for their actions during the conflict. Indeed, Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos has been accused of conceding too much to FARC.

The no vote is seen by many as Colombia's own "Brexit" moment. The decision of President Santos to ratify the peace agreement through popular vote was shortsighted. He was misled by personal ambitions and overly optimistic polls projecting a yes vote of 66 percent. President Santos mistakenly thought he could silence the opposition's voice as embodied mainly by former President Alvaro Uribe.

The opposition demanded, among other things, that FARC members be sentenced for their crimes and have their political privileges limited in the potential first post-war elections. The campaign against the peace deal was built upon the idea that President Santos was about to transform FARC into an armed political party. Despite these accusations, it seemed that President Santos had everything working in his favor. After all, for the first time since the start of the conflict, the most recent peace negotiations hosted by Cuba appeared to be closing in on a deal.

An overconfident President Santos failed to consider voter turnout, which was only 38 percent of the electorate. Of the 13 million ballots turned in, 50.2 percent were marked no and 49.8 percent were marked yes. The margin of victory was only 53,894 votes. This result has major implications for renewed attempts to revitalize the peace talks.

FARC is emerging stronger in the aftermath of the referendum. Unlike President Santos, FARC leader Rodrigo Logrono, known widely as "Timochenko," can exercise more autonomy in choosing future strategies. Timochenko's leadership is not based on democratic rapport with his followers. Most Colombian politicians must try to convince voters to accept the terms of a peace agreement, whereas FARC's leader autocratically decides on behalf of the group's 6,500 guerrilla fighters. While FARC was clearly the underdog in peace negotiations in the past due to the effective cohesiveness of the Colombian political elite, the group now enjoys a better position relative to a political establishment that is now more divided than ever.

Although President Santos has new momentum after recently being named the Nobel Peace Laureate for 2016, it remains unclear how he will satisfy the demands of a newly energized political opposition on the one hand with a more autonomous FARC on the other. The reopening of peace negotiations must come soon, in spite of how unlikely unifying the country around a new peace deal may seem.

The complexity of reaching a new deal is daunting. This challenge should not, however, overshadow the overall positive context of this historical moment. First, the Colombian government has already initiated talks with the second-largest guerilla group, the National Liberation Army (ENL), showing its commitment to a more encompassing peace agreement while appealing to FARC to not abandon the negotiating table. Second, while eight previous presidents have tried to negotiate a peace accord with both FARC and ENL, none came anywhere near as close to success as the attempts made by President Santos, which can only be interpreted as unprecedented progress. Third, the negotiations to obtain peace have mainly involved countries from within the region  Brazil, Chile, Cuba, Ecuador, and Venezuela  thereby reducing the risk of possible suspicions about foreign power involvement with any interest other than that of guaranteeing peace.

Today's Colombia is very different from the Colombia of the past. Nowadays, Colombia displays a more mature democracy that is painfully aware of the staggering losses that continue to accumulate from a longstanding armed conflict. It is clear that Colombia's long path to peace might be even more tortuous than previously imagined. But while democracy itself seems to have disrupted this path, it has at least assured that there is no clear winner or loser, which is the cornerstone of any lasting peace.

The author is a professor at Hankuk University's Graduate School of International and Area Studies. Write to helderdovale@gmail.com.
By Jon Dunbar

If a controversial plan to form a tourist zone in the area around Hongik University, colloquially abbreviated as Hongdae, is enacted, it will be a death sentence on Korea's small but vibrant indie music community. The plan has met passionate resistance from Hongdae musicians.

The tourist zone designation would provide subsidies for the tourist industry and super tall buildings and allow the opening of casinos. It would certainly drive up land prices and rent for small businesses to fatal levels.

Hongdae doesn't need casinos.

Hongdae has been the beating heart of Korean live music since before live music was legalized  in 2000. It's likely that every modern musician in Korea you've heard (who didn't come up through an idol trainee program) has gone through Hongdae's live music community.

The "Korean Cool" talked about these days would be far less cool if it weren't for the members of punk band Crying Nut picking up guitars, drumsticks and accordions and playing shows inside Club Drug in 1995. This kind of music was ridiculed at first for sounding amateur and unruly, but it convinced thousands of kids that they too could chuck their textbooks and make music. Shortly after I arrived in late 2003, Club Drug was taken over by younger rivals, morphing into Skunk Hell. Were it not for the warm welcome I received there from kindred spirits, I doubt I'd still be in Korea now.

The area has provided a refuge from the ubiquitous dominant pop culture, and still serves as an antidote to its consumer capitalist excesses. But the live music culture there is being lost amid the sensory overload of bright lights and loud noises of encroaching gentrification.

The past decade has seen the disappearance of concert halls, piercing parlors, affordable restaurants and other necessities of a thriving live music community, to be replaced by luxury brand shops, premium cosmetic stores and churro shops. Young people rush there to consume Hongdae's distinct culture, but walk away only with expensive new shoes and bags of makeup samples.

The cultural sickness that washed over Hongdae, coined "Kangnamification" by blogger King Baeksu, started from the center and spread outward, leading to an ever-expanding outer ring of "authentic Hongdae" as Hongdae businesses and patrons relocate to the outskirts where rents are lower and crowds are thinner. Five years ago, Yanghwa-ro 6-gil, where the venues Yogiga, Ruailrock and Rolling Hall were found, was part of this narrow ring. But today, the street is a Disney version of itself and only Rolling Hall remains. That familiar Hongdae community feel can now be found in southern Sangsu-dong, Hapjeong-dong and Mangwon-dong. In a few years, encroaching gentrification may push them into the river.

This phasing out especially hurts, as the shops rushing to open there wouldn't have chosen that area if it weren't for the distinct indie culture established there by, you guessed it, Korea's most passionate music makers and lovers. Businesses generating tourism money are set to win big through subsidies, which is a foreign word to Hongdae's culture creators. In many cases their biggest financial impact is that they made area property owners richer.

Something precious and rare in Korea is endangered, though I wouldn't expect sympathy from the central government, which appears happier to blacklist politically conscious artists for exercising their right to free speech.

The loss of this unique culture would mean the loss of the country's most creative artistic community, of the one viable alternative to K-pop's cultural hegemony, of a local hybrid culture where young Koreans pioneered cultural globalization here.

Taking Hongdae away right now would be a death sentence to Hongdae's  and all of Korea's  independent music community.

Yet this has been inevitable for years, and the exodus has been underway since at least 2010.

The changing character of Hongdae became harder to ignore around the turn of the decade. On Christmas Eve, 2009, the noodle restaurant Duriban was violently evicted by hired goons. Owner Ahn Jong-nyeo fought back, finding unlikely allies in Hongdae's music community. All of this was captured by filmmaker Jung Yong-taek in his 2014 documentary "Party 51." After the case was settled, the Independent Musicians' Collective (Jarip), which was birthed in the Duriban struggle, looked outward for new parts of the city where they could re-establish the music community.

The Korean live music community desperately needs to come together and agree on a new location to set up, to call home, to come together at. Currently Mullae, a waning metalworking neighborhood, is the frontrunner, but with a concentrated effort anywhere that can accept concert halls and musical miscreants will work fine.

The Hongdae tourist zone plan is awful, but it's unlikely the people can stop it. There are still a few live music venues left in Hongdae, but how many can we lose before Hongdae sheds its reputation as the mecca of Korean indie music? Club Ta, the latest to shut down, had to leave when its monthly rent was doubled  from 3.5 million won a month to 7 million won. Under the tourist zone plan, it's likely rents would increase across the board, ensuring that only the most financially stable  in other words least creative  businesses have a place remaining for them in Hongdae.

Once the few remaining venues pull out, maybe then city planners will realize that what made the area unique, what made it worth going to and developing in the first place, has departed. But if that's the only way to show the live music community is essential to the area, for it to be taken away, then so be it.

Jon Dunbar is a copy editor of The Korea Times and has been part of the Hongdae community since 2003. The longer version of this article is available on The Korea Times website.
A senior U.S. diplomat handling missile defense issues, including THAAD, will visit South Korea later this week, the State Department said.

Frank Rose, assistant secretary of state for arms control, verification and compliance, will be in Seoul on Friday and Saturday for meetings with officials of South Korea's government and U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) to "discuss arms control, international security and strategic stability," the department said in a statement.

The department did not elaborate, but his meetings are sure to touch on the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) issue.

South Korea and the U.S. decided in July to deploy a THAAD battery in the South, where some 28,500 American troops are stationed, to better defend against growing missile and nuclear threats from North Korea.

China has vehemently protested the decision, arguing the system, especially its powerful X-band radar, would hurt its security interests, despite repeated assurances from Washington and Seoul that the system is designed only to defend against North Korean threats.

In last week's high-level alliance talks that brought together the foreign and defense ministers of the two countries, the South and the U.S. reaffirmed their determination to deploy THAAD as soon as possible.

Seoul is one of a series of legs in Rose's Oct. 25-Nov. 7 trip to Asia and the Middle East. The other stops are Tokyo, Abu Dhabi, Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, the state department said. (Yonhap)
Venkatraman Ramakrishnan, president of the Royal Society of London for Improving Natural

Knowledge

By Yoon Sung-won



Venkatraman Ramakrishnan, president of the Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge, will deliver a special lecture at Seoul National University this week to commemorate the fifth anniversary of the Institute of Basic Science (IBS), the institute said Monday.



Ramakrishnan is also a renowned structural biologist who received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2009 alongside Tom Steitz and Ada Yonath for revealing the three-dimensional atomic map of a ribosome. This is the first time for the scientist to visit Korea.



"Holding a joint conference with the Royal Society, which is leading global basic science, and pushing for cooperation in research is an opportunity not to be lost for Korea's basic scientific circle," IBS President Kim Doo-chul said in a statement. "Taking Ramakrishnan's first visit to Korea as an opportunity, we will strengthen exchange and collaboration with the Royal Society to take a key part in globalizing Korea's basic science."



Ramakrishnan will meet with Kim, Oct. 28, to discuss international cooperation between the Royal Society and the IBS in future science conferences. The two institutes signed a memorandum of understanding in London in 2013 and hosted joint conferences in Korea and Britain in 2014 and 2015, respectively.



The Royal Society president will deliver two lectures at a Seoul National University hall. At 10 a.m., he will talk about antibiotics and the cell's protein factory in a public speech, and discuss the use of recent advances in cryoEM to study ribosome structure and function in a research seminar in the afternoon, the IBS said.



Born in 1952 in India, the scientist received a bachelor's degree in physics at Baroda University in 1971 and obtained his doctoral degree also in physics at Ohio University in 1976. Afterwards, he worked as a senior biophysicist at the Brookhaven National Laboratory between 1983 and 1995 and lectured at the University of Utah from 1995 to 1999.



Ramakrishnan was named president of Royal Society in 2015 and took office early this year.



The Royal Society was established in November 1660 and is Europe's first science academy. Historic scientists and inventors such as Isaac Newton, Charles Darwin, Albert Einstein, Michael Faraday, Robert Boyle, James Watt and Alexander Fleming were all members of the society. Currently, more than 1,600 scientists and engineers including Stephen Hawking are working on research and development projects sponsored by the society.
Only a few hours ago it has been announced that the golden boys of '24K' will come to Europe in January with their 'Still with 24U' 2017 World Tour. They are going to visit eight cities across Europe in total.

3rd January 2017

City: Milan, Italy

Venue: Magazzini generali

Official FB event

Tickets: will go on sale on 28th October at 6PM (local time)

Categories: Standard: 30, Hi-Touch: 65, VIP: 85, Ultimate VVIP: 110

5th January 2017

City: Helsinki, Finland

Venue: Gloria

Official FB event

Tickets: will go on sale on 28th October at 6PM (local time)

Categories: Standard: 35, Hi-Touch: 65, VIP: 85, Ultimate VVIP: 110

6th January 2017

City: London, UK

Venue: 229 The Venue

Official FB event

Tickets: will go on sale on 28th October at 6PM (local time)

Categories: Standard: 30, Hi-Touch: 60, VIP: 80, Ultimate VIP: 100

8th January 2017

City: Warsaw, Poland

Venue: Progresja Music Zone

Official FB event

Tickets: will go on sale on 29th October at 12PM (local time)

Categories: Standard: 34, Silver: 70, VIP Gold: 90, VIP Platinum: 100

10th January 2017

City: Lisbon, Portugal

Venue: Lisboa ao Vivo

Official FB event

Tickets: will go on sale on 28th October at 6PM (local time)

Categories: Standard: 30, Hi-Touch: 65, VIP: 85, Ultimate VVIP: 110

12th January 2017

City: TBA, Germany

Official FB event

Tickets: More info to be announced.

Categories: Standard: 34, Hi-Touch: 70, VIP: 90, Ultimate VVIP: 100

14th January 2017

City: Bucharest, Romania

Venue: Palatul National al Copiilor

Official FB event

Tickets: will go on sale on 24th October at 17PM (local time)

Categories: Normal: 100 lei, Poster sign ticket: 150 lei, VIP ticket 300 lei

15th January 2017

City: Paris, France

Venue: La Machine du Moulin Rouge

Official FB event

Tickets: will go on sale on 28th October at 6PM (local time)

Categories: Standard: 30, Hi-Touch: 65, VIP: 85, Ultimate VVIP: 110

The Hi-Touch/Silver ticket will allow fans to enjoy the hi-touch event with 24K after the concert. VIP/VIP Gold ticket can participate in the hi-touch event and also get the opportunity to take a photo with the group. Ultimate VVIP/VIP Platinum ticket holders will then have the right to not only attend the hi-touch and get a photo with the group, but they will also receive a signed poster from the band and they will be the first one to enter the venue!

'24K' made their comeback earlier this month with 'Bingo'. The MVs story is a continuation to their song 'Still 24K' that grabbed fans hearts with its upbeat melody and amazing choreography. The boys already visited Europe last year for their concert that took place in Warsaw, Poland.
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Daniel Mehrer and Andrew Becker discovered by chance the history of the disappearance of Martin Verfondern in the tiny Galician village of Santoalla. A mystery that led them to embark on his first feature, 'Santoalla'. A film already screened at the film festivals of Edinburgh, Austin, The Hamptons and Tallgrass, which won two 'Best Documentary' prizes, and a film that will be opening the 21st edition of the International Film Festival Ourense, the OUFF, on the 28th of October.

A conflict about two very different families in a tinny village of Galicia... How did you know about this history?

Daniel: We learned of this story because my brother, Paul, was a volunteer on Martin and Margos farm. However, the day he arrived in Santoalla was the same day that Martin disappeared. He spent 10 days in the village and when he returned to NYC he relayed to us the strange circumstances of this mans disappearance and the village.

None of you went to the film school although you ended up in production How or why did you decide to make a bet in your first time as directors for this story?

Andrew: I think its completely unnecessary to attend film school in order to make a movie. I fell into television production after working on a documentary for a while when I first moved to New York. After spending some time in the industry I was feeling pretty creatively unfulfilled and wanted to create something over which I had control. Daniel was also feeling the same way, so we decided to start this project together.

Daniel: We both wanted to take a break from TV production and make something. We wanted to have creative control and be able to tell a story that we were captivated by. There were a lot of conversations before we finally decided to jump on a plane and head to Galicia.

Also is this your first film together

Daniel: Andrew and I have been friends for a long time. We had a similar desire to break free from our jobs and make something of our own. And I think we trusted each others creative instincts.

Santoalla is a really small and nearly abandon village in the mountains, what did you think when you arrived there?

Andrew: The first time you drive to Santa Eulalia, you have the feeling that youve gone off to a different world. This is Margos quote from the filmI think that sums it up pretty accurately. Its a unique place that possesses a tragic beauty unlike any other Ive seen

Daniel: I agree  Margos quote always comes to mind when I try to describe Santoalla. I had seen some photos from my brothers first trip and a few news stories online but it didnt prepare me for how beautiful and remote it actually was. It almost didnt seem real.

You were in contact with Margo Pool, the wife of the murdered guy, Martin Verfondern. What did she think when she heard about the project? And about the result of the film?

Andrew: We contacted Margo in 2013 and inquired about her interest in taking part in a story about the village. She agreed and a few months later we set off for Santoalla. Everyone, including the Rodriguez family were pretty cooperative for the entire shoot. Margo has seen the final cut of the film, and she seems to like it.

Was something especially surprising about Galicia or Santoalla? Something you did not expect?

Andrew: The only thing that was really surprising was the way the story of Santoalla evolved during the course of our filming and its resolution.

Daniel: Yes, we began making this film assuming that the cause of Martins disappearance would remain a mystery.

You started with a crowd funding in Kickstarter and an objective of 20,000 dollars. Was it difficult making the film a reality? Finish?

Daniel: Initially we didnt start with crowd funding. We just borrowed some cameras, got a credit card and figured it out. But, we eventually ran out of money and needed to resort to Kickstarter so that we could continue forward with the project. Its definitely been difficult.

Andrew: Yes  it was difficult. We decided to embark on this project with no support of any kind. Thats why we ended up handling all of the creative duties ourselves. Partially because we wanted to, but mainly because we couldnt afford to pay anyone else to do them.

How is the film being received? You already took part into four festivals and won a couple of prizes

Andrew: Thus far weve screened at four film festivals and have won two Best Documentary Feature awards. But, more importantly, it seems to be having an impact on our audience. Weve been having very enthusiastic question and answer sessions after many of our screenings, which is probably the most enjoyable aspect of the whole thing.

Daniel: Judging from the audiences responses and interactions with us after the screenings  it seems to have been received quite well.

How you feel opening the Festival Internacional de Cine de Ourense with a film recorded in its county and what do you expect?

Andrew: Were honored. Its a great opportunity and a great festival. Im not really sure what to expectI suppose we just hope that people like it.

Daniel: Were also excited and glad that it will have a chance to screen in front of a Galician audience and just hope people enjoy it

You will take part in the DOC NYC with the film, how do you feel about this and which are you plans from now on with the film?

Daniel: Its going to be fun to screen here in NYC  there are still a lot of family and friends who havent seen the film. As someone who grew up in NYC getting a chance to have a film screen here is special.

Andrew: DOC NYC is a great festival and again, were honored to be chosen to participate. The main goal with the film now is to find distribution so that the film can be available for a wider audience.

Apart of the film recording I guess you had the opportunity of visiting Ourense and Galicia, did you like our land? Or if not Would you take the opportunity with the festival opening?

Daniel: Our shooting schedule was demanding, but we had some time to travel around Galicia. Its an amazingly beautiful region that many in the United States arent very familiar with. Maybe its best to keep it a secret?

Generally, everywhere we went, we found architectural beauty and kind, welcoming people.

Did you already try the Galician food? Did you like it? What did you like the most?

Daniel: The wine. The cheese. The pork. The pulpo. The empanadas... I could keep going on and on.

Andrew: Yes. Pulpo would probably be my favorite.
PRESS RELEASE

Jihadis Blocking Delivery of Humanitarian Aid in Aleppo but Russia Is Blamed

Oct. 23, 2016 (EIRNS)The jihadi groups in Aleppo, led by Jabhat Fateh al Sham, formerly known as the Al Qaeda-affiliated Jabhat al Nusra, and Ahrar al Sham are blocking the delivery of humanitarian relief to eastern Aleppo and preventing the evacuation of civilians from there, especially those who need medical care. Yet, the Western powers seeking regime change in Damascus are nonetheless managing to blame Russia. A UN official told the Associated Press that Syrian opposition fighters were blocking the evacuations

"because the Syrian government and Russia were not holding up their end of the deal and were impeding deliveries of medical and humanitarian supplies into Aleppo."

Clearly, UN officials realize who is actually fault, but theyre pushing the Western line that its all Russias fault. Privately, an unnamed source in Geneva told Sputnik that

"The ICRC [Red Cross] has been trying to convince the representatives of the key armed groups (al-Nusra Front and Ahrar al-Sham) to allow access to eastern Aleppo to evacuate the wounded. There are hundreds of injured. The militants set a condition for giving access [to the area], [they] demand medical supplies and medical treatment of militants."

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said the West was turning a blind eye to the al-Qaeda militants blocking humanitarian aid deliveries to Aleppo and trying to shift the blame onto Moscow. "Its mean and cynical to ... watch the Nusra block the delivery of food and medicines to civilians while blaming Russia for the humanitarian catastrophe in Aleppo," she said.

"Russia is working with UN in delivery of humanitarian assistance and evacuation of civilians, including children and those seeking medical help, from the seized districts of Aleppo,"

Zakharova continued, reports TASS. "This is hindered in all forms by militants of various terrorist units as they continue keeping civilians hostage."

"We are calling on all countries, having influence on the armed opposition and terrorists, to make everything to implement the undertaken obligations and master the militants,"

she said.
Tesla Motors Inc., the upstart all-electric automaker that once landed Consumer Reports best-ever performance rating, has now achieved a far less impressive feat, with a ranking from the reviewer that labels it one the least reliable car companies in America.

The Consumer Reports ranking, released Monday, places Tesla at No. 25 of 29 for reliability, with reviewers saying the Elon Musk-led automakers new Model X SUV has been plagued with malfunctions, including with the falcon-wing doors that have become its signature.

The rough review, based on annual surveys of the magazines subscribers, is only the latest hurdle for Americas youngest major automaker, which has energized the countrys scrawny electric-car industry, but has struggled with repeated production and delivery delays.

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Teslas Model S sedan was recommended by reviewers after its reliability scores improved from what Consumer Reports last year called a worse-than-average overall problem rate.

But the Model X, which first rolled out to drivers last year and now starts at $74,000, was panned by drivers frustrated by problems with doors, locks, latches, power equipment, in-car electronics and the climate system. It ranked last for reliability among a dozen luxury mid-sized SUVs.

It shouldnt come as a surprise to anyone that theres been mechanical problems with the Tesla Model X, Jake Fisher, director of automotive testing for Consumer Reports, said in an interview.

Theyve taken this very basic platform with the Model X and added so many overly complicated features: The front doors are power automated. The middle-row seats are on power sliders, Fisher said. All those things add up in a way that can bring the platform down.

Musk, Teslas billionaire commander, has said himself that the Model X  with its single-pane windshield-roof and air-filtering bioweapon defense mode  may have been a bit too ambitious.

In retrospect, it wouldve been a better decision to do fewer things with the first version of Model X, Musk said in February. I think there was some hubris there with the X, he added, before reiterating that it was the best car ever.

A Tesla spokesperson said the Palo Alto automaker had resolved many issues since the Consumer Reports survey was conducted last spring, and pointed to other industry awards, including industry consultant AutoPacifics recent ranking of Tesla as the most satisfying premium brand.

We are committed to making the worlds most reliable cars, the spokesperson said in a statement. The amount of issues weve addressed with Model X has fallen by 92% in the last 12 months, a reflection of our ability to make continuous improvements and react quickly.

Consumer Reports reviewers also said they had serious concerns about how Tesla and other automakers had designed and marketed semi-autonomous technologies such as Teslas Autopilot, which can accomplish many of the tasks of driving, such as changing lanes and keeping speed on the highway, but not fully drive the car itself.

Crashes by Autopilot-equipped cars, including a fatal Florida crash in May, have led critics to suggest Tesla is dangerously touting the cars self-driving capabilities. Consumer Reports has placed alerts on Teslas cars saying automakers should take stronger steps to ensure the systems are deployed safely.

Tesla beat only Dodge, Chrysler, Fiat and Ram in the reviewers reliability rankings. Lexus, Toyota and Buick  established automakers offering many more models than Tesla  topped the charts.

Harwell writes for the Washington Post.

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SpaceX Chief Executive Elon Musk answered questions about his plans to send humans to Mars in a Reddit Ask Me Anything session Sunday afternoon that prompted thousands of reader comments.

The question-and-answer session was intended as a follow-up to Musks speech at the International Astronautical Congress in Guadalajara, Mexico, last month, in which he described plans to send up to 1 million people to Mars and turn humans into a multiplanetary species within 40 to 100 years.

His vision involves massive, reusable rocket boosters launching spaceships into a parking orbit where they are later refueled by propellant tankers. Eventually 1,000 spaceships carrying 100 people each would embark en masse for the Red Planet.

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But there are fewer details on what they would do once they arrive. Musk has said a refueling station would be established on Mars to harvest methane fuel for the rocket so settlers could come back to Earth.

On Sunday, Musk said Hawthorne-based SpaceX would establish a refueling station first by sending its Dragon spacecraft on scouting missions, and later sending a spaceship laden with equipment to build the station.

The first crewed mission would be tasked with constructing a rudimentary base and completing the propellant plant.

Musk also described his vision for human habitats on Mars.

Initially, glass panes with carbon fiber frames to build geodesic domes on the surface, plus a lot of miner/tunneling droids, he wrote. With the latter, you can build out a huge amount of pressurized space for industrial operations and leave the glass domes for green living space.

He added that he hoped to release more details of Mars habitats when there were actual live mock-ups.

Maybe in a year or two, Musk said.

SpaceX already has completed development work on a massive, carbon-fiber fuel tank for the Mars ship, and it has test-fired the Raptor interplanetary transport engine, which is powered by methane fuel.

SpaceX has said it could send an uncrewed Dragon spacecraft to Mars as early as 2018 to test aspects like landing capabilities and navigation.

At the space conference in Mexico, Musk said the first manned Mars mission could launch in late 2024 with arrival at the Red Planet in 2025, though he acknowledged that date was an aspiration.

On Sunday, Musk said the first crewed mission would have about a dozen people as the goal will be to build out and troubleshoot the propellant plant and Mars Base Alpha power system.

samantha.masunaga@latimes.com

For more business news, follow me @smasunaga

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Giovanni di Paolo was barely 24 when he painted the so-called Branchini Madonna, a wonderfully weird confection of big, doll-like figures framed within a furious flutter of cherubim wings. The lovely, life-size mother and her inquisitive child are stretched like rubber bands.

Her bodily proportions are all out of whack, hes a baby giant. The willowy pair rises inside a Gothic arch from a field of flowers set against a light-reflective plane of shining gold. Thats not a sight one sees every day.

The Branchini Madonna is among the great treasures of Pasadenas Norton Simon Museum. Currently, however, the monumental painting (its 6 feet tall) is installed across town as the centerpiece of a small but engrossing one-room exhibition at the J. Paul Getty Museum.

The work is painted on three joined panels of wood in thin glazes of tempera  pigment suspended in egg yolk, which dries to a hard sheen  plus plentiful layers of gold leaf. Some areas, such as the halos and crown, are built up in low relief from thick paste mixed with glue.

A chapel altarpiece and a private devotional altar anchor the Giovanni di Paolo exhibition. ( Christopher Knight / Los Angeles Times) (Test)

The technique, common in Europe before canvas became the norm 500 years ago, creates unique preservation problems since humidity causes wood to expand and contract. The museum, together with the Getty Foundation and the Getty Conservation Institute, has taken a special interest in issues around wooden panel paintings.

Thats how this show was born. The organizers are senior Getty conservator Yvonne Szafran, paintings curator Davide Gasparotto and manuscripts assistant curator Bryan C. Keene. Like the museums recent exhibition of Jackson Pollocks fabled 1943 Mural, conservation work on the Madonna, as well as on a related panel on loan from the Kroller-Muller Museum in the Netherlands, sparked the idea.

The Branchini Madonna, which is signed and dated, was originally at the center of a big, multipanel altarpiece painted for a family chapel inside a major basilica in Siena, Italy. For unexplained reasons, the altarpiece was dismantled some time after 1649, when it was last recorded as being intact. Most of the dispersed panels were thought lost.

Three turned out to be nearby in a local museum, identified only in 2009 as being part of the original ensemble. All of them are here, together with a fourth  the Kroller-Mullers The Adoration of the Magi. The four were part of the altarpieces predella, a narrative sequence across the base of the altar.

One predella panel is still missing. So are four large panels that would have flanked the Madonna, probably showing full-length figures of saints.

The Adoration of the Magi is a little tour de force of decorative style. The pictures courtly elegance is a hallmark of established Sienese design, in demand for more than a century.

The kings and their sumptuous royal entourage of attendants, horses, hounds and exotic animals  camels, a monkey  wind through a sinuous S-curve of compressed space between flat, wafer-like hills. The closer the procession gets to the manger, the more dense and crowded the scene gets. The growing hubbub creates a sense of momentous arrival.

As the monarchs wait to pay homage to the newborn, playful details add to the charm. A muzzled dogs paw rests on his masters foot, like a proverbial dog in the manger whose potential for interference has been thwarted. Next to them a page similarly kneels to adjust his kings boot.

A narrative detail in another panel goes to the heart of the altarpiece. In The Presentation in the Temple, young Mary has been brought by her parents, Anne and Joachim, to begin her religious education. Giovanni shows her turning her head away from the rabbi to direct her gaze outside the temple. She looks straight at a beggar seated on the ground, lifting his empty bowl.

Giovanni di Paolo, The Presentation in the Temple, 1427, temper and gold on panel. (Pinacoteca Nazionale di Siena) (Test)

Giovanni di Paolo, Initial A: Christ Appearing to David, about 1440, tempera, gold leaf and ink on parchment. (J. Paul Getty Museum) (Test)

Abiding faith is linked with service to the poor by this touching gesture, heavenly salvation with earthly strife. In the "Branchini Madonna, Giovanni pumps up the childhood lesson to triumphal scale.

Mary sits on the ground, like the beggar, but here amid flowers. A Madonna of humility, shes simultaneously adorned in spectacular regalia as queen of heaven.

The heavenly and the earthly are woven together through myriad devices: the otherworldly flash of gold; the careful, botanical accounting of plant life; the physical heft of otherwise evanescent halos; the rosy blush of human flesh juxtaposed with ethereal bodies rendered in two flat, colorful, elaborately patterned dimensions.

On one level, we see a loving mother cupping her babys foot to help lift the child to stroke her cheek. On another, these are alien beings not of this world. The religious doctrine of Jesus as both man and god is expressed.

In 1427, when the altarpiece was made, memories of the pandemic scourge of the Black Death that had wiped out roughly half of Europe  and two-thirds of Siena  were not so far removed. Nor were the ongoing waves of political strife and social instability that the plagues devastation had unleashed.

A visionary apparition such as Giovannis panel was an effective way to celebrate and consecrate the power of an ecstatic, triumphalist, durable religious belief.

The Getty show includes supplementary material that fills out some of the connections and influences on Giovanni di Paolos masterpiece. A small altarpiece for private devotion is joined by two lush manuscript illuminations by the artist. Two more illuminations might be by him, while an additional seven by other hands demonstrate formal and conceptual relationships between painted books and free-standing panels.

Making manuscripts in the the Middle Ages.

A priests wine-colored velvet chasuble decorated in designs of gold thread and thick, dimensional embroidery connects religious pageantry with the International Gothic style of an adjacent Sienese painting by Gentile da Fabriano. Unusual color harmonies in a slightly earlier panel by Lorenzo Monaco show a bloody decapitation in the martyrdom of Pope Caius.

The Getty also has two concurrent shows that further expand  and nicely complement the view.

One, organized by conservator Nancy Turner, assembles 21 books and six cuttings for The Alchemy of Color in Medieval Manuscripts. Artists chose colors for their intrinsic visual appeal. But sometimes they also represent spiritual transformation through the pseudoscience of alchemy.

The Art of Alchemy, organized by rare books curator David Brafman in the gallery of the Getty Research Institute, explores the fascinating history of chemical transformation of matter as an analogy for the creation of art. Featuring books, drawings, sculptures, paintings and assorted ephemera, the show ranges far and wide across cultures and time periods.

To cite one: An exquisite, jam-packed little cabinet picture by Joachim Wtewael, the eccentric Dutch Mannerist, shows the Roman myth of Venus cuckolding Vulcan with Mars, an indiscretion exposed by Mercury. It is a cautionary tale of private betrayal and public humiliation.

Yet, given the shows ancient alchemical context, something else is revealed. The gods are also associated with metals. An impossible bonding of copper (Venus) and iron (Mars) was shown to the god of metallurgy (Vulcan) by Mercury. And thats a chemical wedding that is just not meant to be.

------------

The Shimmer of Gold: Giovanni di Paolo in Renaissance Siena"

Where: J. Paul Getty Museum, 1200 Getty Center Drive, Brentwood

When: Through Jan. 8; closed Mondays

Information: (310) 440-7300, www.getty.edu

christopher.knight@latimes.com

Twitter: @KnightLAT

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Abraham Cruzvillegas' deft view of L.A. car culture at Regen Projects
The Guggenheims European expansion plans appear to be very much in the air. Plus: Interesting doings by a bevy of women architects, French poet Paul Verlaines gun is for sale, and Marina Abramovics memoir is out this week. Heres the Roundup:

 Try again, Guggenheim: Finlands government has dropped plans to help build an outpost of the Guggenheim Museum in Helsinki with government funds. Business Insider

 Meanwhile in New York: Architect Annabelle Selldorf has been chosen to lead the renovation at the Frick Collection. New York Times

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 A trio of women architects  Marina Tabassum, Leila Araghian and Zaha Hadid  took key prizes at the Aga Kahn Award for Architecture ceremony earlier this month, one for the design of a mosque. Quartz

 Plus, curator Sonnet Stanfill asks why leadership at the top museums is dominated by men. New York Times

 Adolf Hitlers Austrian birthplace may (or may not) be demolished. Feargus OSullivan writes on why maintaining the dictators birthplace may be a more effective way of contending with his bloody legacy than removing it. Citylab

A 2012 file photo of Adolf Hitlers birthplace in Braunau am Inn, Austria. (Kerstin Joensson / Associated Press )

 Christies in Paris will be selling the gun that Paul Verlaine used to shoot Arthur Rimbaud. ARTnews

 The CEO of the online art-buying service Twyla is facing a lawsuit from former business associates in Austin, Texas, who are alleging fraud. Austin Business Journal

 Wall Street commodities broker Andrew J. Hall may have bought numerous faked Leon Golub paintings from a professor and her son  both of whom seem to have disappeared. New York Times

 MFA enrollment rates may be dropping. Artnet

 Marina Abramovic has a new book out, which means theres going to be a lot of Abramovic on the airwaves. Herewith: A profile by Carl Swanson and Catherine Wagleys review of the new tome (and what it does and doesnt reveal about her work). New York, Los Angeles Times

Performance artist Marina Abramovic in Los Angeles in 2011. (Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times )

 And because were talking about media-soaked art personalities: Independent curator Lauren Christiansen and artist Leah Dixon called out New York magazine critic Jerry Saltz on social media for his racy posts, describing him as The Donald Trump of Art World Social Media. Saltz has responded to the essay (please block me because Im not here to offend), while critic Paddy Johnson says the Trump comparison doesnt hold. Artspace, Art F City

 The Day in Art Merch: $3,000 colored pencils. Not excessive at all. Quartz

 Speaking of excess, a statue of a naked Trump has sold for $22,000. Related: A naked Hillary Clinton sculpture in New York causes a fight. Im calling a moratorium on naked politician art. I think the electorate has had enough. Los Angeles Times, New York Daily News

 Related: A work of art by Rick Dallago that showed Trump as Humpty Dumpty was vandalized after hanging in a show at L.A.s Angel City Brewery. Art and Cake

 And one more Trump thing and then Ill stop: There is a new font inspired by Trumps handwriting called Tiny Hand. And its available for free. Buzzfeed

 All those wind and solar farms? Welcome to the world of energy sprawl. Undark

Turbines at a wind energy site in Wyoming in 2002. (David Zalubowski / Associated Press )

 Queue up your Netflix: Citylab is spending the month rounding up scary movies about cities. Up today: Assault on Precinct 13, which instigated fears about a South-Central (and by definition a Los Angeles) that had surrendered to chaos and crime. Citylab

 Brutalism is back. T Magazine

 The 10 most bizarre architectural photographs. Dezeen

 And last but not least, Benedict Cumberbatchs dramatic reading of Sol Lewitts famous letter to Eva Hesse. This is wonderful. Hyperallergic

Sign up for our weekly Essential Arts & Culture newsletter 

Find me on Twitter @cmonstah.
In the future, if there is one, students at the College of the Matrix or the University of the Deep Underground Bunker may look back toward present-day television the way we now study Greek or Elizabethan drama. You can imagine the theses: The Role of the Couch in the 20th Century Situation Comedy or How Many Doors? Entrance and Exit in the Multi-Camera Sitcom. Actually, those papers are probably being written somewhere now.

CBS is the great protector, if not yet the sole practitioner, of the multi-camera sitcom, a highly theatrical form that has been with us since the I Love Lucy days. After recently putting a toe into the waters of the more naturalistic, more modern single-camera comedy  though those have been around at least since The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet  with flops like We Are Men, The Crazy Ones and Angel From Hell, the network has gone back to what it knows.

This week brings two new old-school sitcoms to CBS, Man With a Plan starring Matt LeBlanc on Monday and The Great Indoors with Joel McHale on Thursday. (A third, Kevin James Kevin Can Wait, has already premiered and received a full-season order, which will tell you something about the limited power of negative reviews.)

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Neither is groundbreaking or particularly exciting; both are quite likable and solidly constructed. (James Burrows, the Pilot King, directed the Man pilot; Andy Ackerman, whose own directing career runs back to Burrows Cheers, helmed Indoors.) The jokes are good more often than not and rarely embarrassing; the casts seem to enjoy one anothers company, creating plausible communities within clearly artificial frameworks.

Created by That 70s Show vets Jackie Filgo and Jeff Filgo, Man With a Plan features LeBlanc in what is still, for some reason, considered the reliably hilarious position of a man taking care of children. His Adam is a fairly typical middle-class, regular-guy TV dad, less capable than he imagines himself to be, with a smart wife, Andi (Liza Snyder), about to return to work after many years and three children spaced in age but all young enough to need some minding.

Its a job he soon decides is no fun. All I know is I gave you three perfect babies, Adam tells Andi, and as far as I can tell you ruined them. Just to be clear, he is the (slightly) dumb, less evolved partner, like his Friends character Joey grown up, married, with children.

There are some nice left turns in the dialogue. Im worried about kindergarten, Adams youngest daughter says when he drops her off at school. Oh, honey, he sweetly replies, you should be worried. Kids are mean. Less profitably, he tells his pubescent son to stop touching yourself; you had both hands in your pants moving around down there like youre making origami. There is something groundbreaking in that, I suppose, as there is in digging a hole.

It is arbitrarily set in Pittsburgh.

The Great Indoors, is built around Joel McHale, who starred in one of televisions most meta-fictional, formally playful, self-aware sitcoms ever, Dan Harmons Community. He presents a not dissimilar character here, the hot/cool early middle-aged dude just old enough to be annoyed by a younger generation  which for that matter was also the character he played hosting The Soup.

McHale plays Jack Gordon, an adventure journalist recalled from the wilds to a desk job when the publication he works for ditches print for the Web. (It doesnt quite follow, but a premise is a premise.) Perhaps as a reward for putting him in charge of kids whose idea of journalism is an online poll for Best Outdoor Gear for the Zombie Apocalypse, they have cast the great Stephen Fry as his boss. There is also a boss daughter (Susannah Fielding), who is also his boss, for spiky banter and delayed romance.

The young ones have job titles meant to sound funny to old people  online content curator (Christopher Mintz-Plasse), digital conversation specialist (Shaun Brown) and a social influencer (Christine Ko) who complains, I got passed over for a promotion again? What do I have to do? Ive been here eight weeks. They interview one another about their podcasts for their podcasts.

Out of the gate, the series  which was created by Mike Gibbons, who has a long history in late-night television  relies a little too much on generation-gap jokes, made even gappier by Jacks technological ignorance and aversion to the modern connectosphere. Jack still thinks the way to spread the word about something is to go to Kinkos and make fliers, and thinks the place to meet new people is not on an app but in a bar. (He has been living in the woods, and for all I could tell is still living out of the packed backpack he carries around.)

I would expect this line of humor to calm down a little as the show goes on, if it goes on. In the meantime, the mutual mockery is supportive rather than antagonistic  Jack worries about his team and they worry about him  which makes the show rather sweet. And at 44, McHale can deliver dialogue clearly while doing push-ups.

It is set in Chicago, more or less arbitrarily.

Man With a Plan

Where: CBS

When: 8:30 p.m. Monday

Rating: TV-PG-L (may be unsuitable for young children with an advisory for coarse language)

The Great Indoors

Where: CBS

When: 8:30 p.m. Thursday

Rating: TV-PG-L (may be unsuitable for young children with an advisory for coarse language)

robert.lloyd@latimes.com

On Twitter @LATimesTVLloyd
John and Krystal Leedy, husband-and-wife Presbyterian ministers, are devoted fans of the 2000s-era WB series Gilmore Girls.

Their relationship took root when they bonded over the show. They maintain an annual tradition of re-watching all seven seasons when the weather turns chilly. They even named their infant Lorelai after the ebullient single mom played by Lauren Graham.

But their commitment reached another level this weekend, when the two made a pilgrimage from their home in Austin, Texas, to this New England town that partly inspired the dialogue-happy series.

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The couple shelled out nearly $200 each for event tickets, stashing 9-month-old Lorelai with the grandparents. Then they boarded a plane to hang with Miss Patty, catch an impromptu performance from Hep Alien and photographically reenact a key scene that involves (really) a box of corn starch.

Gilmore Girls shows that love and family are complicated and not easily resolved, said John Leedy, who began watching the show a decade ago. So we came here to connect with other people in our own special language  at 120 words-per-second, of course.

The Leedys had plenty of company. On a damp, skeleton-chilling Saturday, more than 1,200 people descended on this small leafy town (pop. 3,600) in upscale Litchfield County for a religious experience at the Gilmore Girls Fan Fest.

Their enthusiasm helps explain why Netflix next month will reboot Gilmore Girls with a miniseries consisting of four 90-minute episodes. And the event, in turn, demonstrates the streamers power to fuel fandom. A culture of zealotry has historically been reserved for genre franchises such as Star Trek or cult comedies like The Big Lebowski. But thanks to digital platforms, a fervent community has sprung up around a modest, small-town dramedy long ago forgotten by network television.

Though Amy Sherman-Palladinos mother-daughter saga ended its run in 2007, fans practiced Gilmania, pouring into locations that may or may not have informed the shows fictional town of Stars Hollow. (The creator was inspired by a trip to the town, but how and to what extent isnt entirely clear. It was shot on the Warner Bros. lot.) More than a dozen supporting cast members also arrived, unpaid, to share their experiences amid what might be called genial intensity  think Comic-Con by way of a knit-a-thon.

Sometimes, even, quite literally: Yarn was distributed from large cardboard boxes, and people knitted at mass screenings, in homage to a late-series episode. Meanwhile, the shows costume supervisor Valerie Campbell held court as episodes played on a giant screen behind her, 1984"-style.

Campbell worked the room like a tent revival, sharing on-set stories and trivia while people professed their faith and asked questions of a certain...specificity (Are the flowers from the Renaissance Faire wedding real?). All yardsticks were Stars Hollow yardsticks  one young woman gave her age by saying I wasnt born until the fourth season.

At one point during the session, Star Hermmann, the widow of Richard Gilmore actor Edward Hermmann, who died of brain cancer in 2014, spoke movingly from her seat about her husbands ardor for the series.

He loved this show and what it means to people, she said. He had hopes people would seem value in families and putting lives together that seem un-reparable. Herrmann had been cleaning out her late husbands possessions and found a stack of black-and-white glossies he would sometimes send to fans; she gave a P.O. address where people could write her for one

The event was the creation of a boutique p.r. executive named Jennie Whitaker, with an assist from her husband Marcus. Whitaker hatched the idea this summer while, en route from her former home in Austin to her new cabin in Maine, she and Marcus stopped off in Washington Depot on a lark.

Im an avid, rabid fan, said Whitaker, a perpetual-motion machine in her mid-30s. And so when we drove through I thought, How come no one has done anything before? We should do something.

Even before she could reach out to many actors, Whitaker sent out a press release and posted the event for sale. Within hours, more than 1,000 tickets were snapped up. She set out securing permissions, space and actor cooperation.

Though stars Graham and Alexis Bledel (Rory) didnt attend, many supporting players did, including Mike Gandolfi, Vanessa Marano, Liz Torres and Sean Gunn, as well as Keiko Agena, Todd Lowe and John Cabrera  three-quarters of Hep Alien, who like the others couldnt walk more than ten feet without hearing and indulging a selfie request. The band also reunited for a performance that included a cover of Single Ladies on the town hall steps. I cant believe youve taken over my town, Lowe said, in character, before noting hed never been there before.

Cabrera later said in an interview that its great to be herelike you can see the whole house instead of just the piece of it you had on set. Or walking around in a circle on the same block, added Agena.

At a panel, a dozen cast members fielded questions from the audience about matters emotional (Q: When Rory and Lorelai werent speaking, was it as hard for you as it was us? A: No) and profane (Q, to Gunn: What was it like to run naked through the town square? A: As enjoyable as it is running naked anywhere.)

Then they heartily debated Rorys romantic fate in the revival and the small matter of Teams Jess, Logan and the suffocating Dean. The last choice was decidedly the crowds least favorite; bad-boy Jess elicited spirited cheering and screaming.

What makes the show so enduringly popular was a matter of debate for fans. Among the various answers were wit, female empowerment, small-town charm, taut drama, pop-culture references, family values  and simply that ineffable quality that makes people see certain shows as a figurative soundtrack to their lives.

Or, in the case of Kaylyn Ahrenstein, an actual soundtrack. The 22-year-old journalism student from Stony Brook, N.Y., who traveled with her mom, has watched each episode dozens of times. She often puts it on as background while doing something else.

I know every scene by heart. Sometimes if I cant watch an episode I just play one in my head. Its almost like watching it, she said.

Local vendors, equal parts perplexed and opportunistic, got in on the action.

At the high-end Dawn Hill Antiques in nearby New Preston, owner Paula Peden had not really heard of the show or its local connection until some younger relatives had filled her in. They convinced her to put a sign in the window calling the store Kims Antiques, along with the signature line from that Stars Hollow business, You Break You Buy. People have been coming and taking photos all day, Peden said.

Few of the businesses in the area even have a direct connection to the showtheres no old-style diner like Lukes, for instance. But to fans Gilmore Girls has a kind of primal power. The idea of affiliating with it, even distantly, is meaningful, like taking photos with rock-star lookalikes just for some referred aura.

Alan Page, a resident of nearby Newtown who opened a high-end crafts store in August, was handing out free Dixie cups of hot beverages outside his shop. He playfully scrawled Luke"s Apple Cider on a chalkboard, an homage to the eponymous diner owner and sometimes-Lorelai love interest from the show.

People have been coming up all day wondering if Im Luke, he said, I think because I have a backward ballcap, referring to the characters signature fashion choice. One person wanted to take a photo of me. I said Im not Luke. They said, we know. They didnt care. They just wanted to connect.

Michelle Carfi, a 29-year-old salon manager from Elmwood, N.J., had first come on a hajj to the town 12 years before with a friend and fellow fan. Corfi had slightly alarmed her mother when, as a teenager, she began watching the show and emulating the rapid-fire Lorelei-Rory banter. She would ask me are you on drugs? And i would say No, Im on Gilmore Girls.

Carfi made a point underscored by many: Its nice to have a show from a womans perspective because so many are from mens perspectives.

Indeed, even in an age of female-skewing Millennial obsessions like Taylor Swift and The Bachelor, that level of passion only periodically carries over to scripted television, and rarely with the same cross-generational appeal as Gilmore Girls.

Debbie Carignan, a manager of software development from the Riverside County town of Beaumont, had flown in with her daughter, Brittany Eyles, a veterinary student. I was a single mom for a long time, Carignan said. Lorelai did things on her own, without anyone elses help, and I related.

Added Eyles: Growing up I didnt really see my dad. The show helped me understand and made me closer to my mom.

Neither Warner Bros., which produces the series, nor Netflix participated, but they didnt try to stop the event, either. Still, the latter did ask that actors not discuss the revival, Whitaker said, and included in materials from the fan fest was a request that attendees refrain from asking about it. (A Netflix spokesperson declined to comment on the event.)

Yet the lack of official involvement also gave the fest an organic feel, like Comic-con when it was still mainly just a bunch of artists and the fans who loved them.

Whitaker, who had to rent out many spaces from the town, said she would be lucky to break even with the high ticket prices.

Fans, however, seemed happy with their investment.

Mark Driscoll, a fireman from Centreville, Md., had come with his wife, Beth, an economist, to connect with other fans. She held a bag that read, Its a lifestyle its a religion. Its Gilmore Girls. He sported a shirt the couple designed that read, Its just a hobby. Were not Trekkies.Gilmore 3:17.

Others at the festival also chose to express their positions sartorially. Elmont, N.Y., residents Diane Patrick and Khorine Bolling had sweatshirts custom-made with Team Jess and Team Dean emblazoned on the back.

We dont mean to, but we seem to be starting a lot of arguments for people Bolling said.

Leedy, wearing his own Yale Divinity sweatshirt in homage to Rorys institutional affiliation, said that he was careful who he shared his zeal with in the outside world.

There are certain contexts I wouldnt want to speak about this openly, like in a job interview.

Even if the interviewer owned paraphernalia like, say, a Team Dean shirt?

Oh, he said. Then I probably wouldnt want the job.

See the most-read stories in Entertainment this hour 

On Twitter: @ZeitchikLAT

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The victims from Sundays deadly bus crash streamed into the Desert Regional Medical Center traumas unit around the early-morning shift change.

Because of the scope of the tragedy, the hospital summoned chaplains and additional social service workers, extended overtime and made sure there was enough blood to treat the wounded.

Bilingual nurses and lab techs helped doctors communicate with many of the injured Spanish-speaking passengers. Other hospital workers provided transportation and meals for the patients family members.

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Everyone was involved today  from X-ray to lab to housekeeping, said Dr. Ricard Townsend, a trauma surgeon.

Those who were easily removed from the twisted wreckage were the first to arrive. Judging from the injuries, Townsend said, it appeared the passengers were not wearing seat belts. He said the language barrier and lack of identification for some passengers complicated matters, especially when patients were transferred to other units within the hospital.

 In almost 35 years, Ive never been to a crash where theres been 13 confirmed fatals, said California Highway Patrol Border Division Chief Jim Abele. Its tough  you never get used to this. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

Shortly after the accident 14 patients  ranging in ages from 20 to 70  arrived at the hospital. Many had facial injuries, involving soft tissue and bone, and some had to undergo plastic surgery.

By Sunday evening, four patients remained in critical condition while one patient listed in serious condition arrived as a transfer from another hospital, according to Richard Ramhoff, spokesman for Desert Regional Medical Center.

Another person had been transferred to a Los Angeles hospital for ongoing treatment; overall, nine patients were treated and released from Desert Regional, Ramhoff said.

Townsend said he had never seen an accident quite like this one. But he was proud of the way the hospital responded.

We respond to crisis with teamwork, he said.

Anh.Do@latimes.com

Twitter: @newsterrier

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This article was originally published at 7:25 p.m.
A man has been charged with a hate crime after he allegedly threw a drink on a Sikh man outside a Bakersfield restaurant and yelled racial slurs at him, authorities said.

David Hook faces two misdemeanor counts of battery and hate crime in connection with the Sept. 30 attack, according to the Kern County district attorney office.

According to prosecutors, Hook threw the liquid on Balmeet Singh because he appeared to be of a different religion or race.

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If Hook is convicted, he faces up to a year in jail and a fine.

Singh was attacked at about 7:40 p.m. while walking outside Habit Burger and talking with his cousin on a cellphone, he said in a video that he posted on YouTube. Thats when a man began walking toward Singh and shouted racial slurs at Singh.

The man, he said, yelled, So youre going to blow up this country. Youre trying to blow up this country?

The man continued shouting and threatened Singh, he said on the video. According to Singh, he said, Youre trying to blow up this country. I should  kill you right now.

The man approached him, threw a drink in his face and said he was going to kill him for blowing up this country, Singh said

I didnt know how to react, so I walked up to him, and he ran or walk towards the parking lot, Singh said.

The attack occurred in front of about 10 people, who he said just watched and didnt step up to help.

Singh recorded his narrative of the attack because he said he wanted to remind everybody to be safe and be vigilant.

Incidents like this make it very critical to remember who we vote for as a president and who we elect into our countrys leadership really matters, he said.

The Greater Los Angeles Area chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations condemned the attack.

We condemn this apparently bias-motivated attack and urge law enforcement authorities to bring the perpetrator to justice, the groups executive director, Hussam Ayloush, said in a statement. Californians of all faiths and backgrounds must stand together in the face of growing hatred and division in our state and nation.

The attack came just days after Maan Singh Khalsa, a Sikh man, was severely beaten and some of his hair was cut off by attackers in Richmond, Calif.

Khalsa wears a turban and maintains his hair and beard unshorn as part of his Sikh faith. A pair of Texas men were charged on Oct. 14 in the attack.

veronica.rocha@latimes.com

For breaking news in California, follow @VeronicaRochaLA on Twitter.

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Los Angeles police shot and wounded an armed man early Sunday morning at an Echo Park gas station after chasing him on foot for about a block, authorities said.

The man was rushed to Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center, where he remained hospitalized Sunday evening in stable condition, said Sgt. Douglas Bowler of the LAPDs Northeast Division.

The shooting led to the closure of Sunset Boulevard for several hours.

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Officers on routine patrol responded shortly after midnight to an altercation outside the Short Stop, a popular bar near Dodger Stadium at Sunset Boulevard and Sutherland Street, Bowler said.

A large group had gathered near the bar and appeared to be in a confrontational argument, LAPD Officer Norma Eisenman said.

After the officers stopped to investigate, a man brandished a handgun, Eisenman said. At some point, police shot at the man, but its unclear if he was struck.

He then fled westbound on Sunset Boulevard.

Near a gas station at Portia Street and Sunset Boulevard, about one block away, police opened fire a second time, striking the man.

He was taken into custody and paramedics took him to the hospital, Eisenman said.

A handgun that was believed to be held by the man was recovered at the scene. Its unclear if he opened fire at officers, Bowler said.

Police did not specify if one or multiple officers opened fire at the man.

No officers were wounded in the shooting. Police did not identify the man or the officers involved in the incident.

The incident is under investigation by the LAPD, the inspector general and the Los Angeles County district attorneys office, which is standard practice in all LAPD uses of potentially deadly force.

matt.hamilton@latimes.com

Twitter: @MattHjourno.

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A search is underway for a shooter who sprayed gunfire at a Madera, Calif., police officer and a passenger during a ride-along on Sunday.

The officer was not injured; the passenger suffered some minor cuts from broken glass during the shooting, according Lt. Gino Chiaramonte of the Madera Police Department. On Monday, police said detectives were continuing their investigation into the shooting that was captured on a dash camera inside the police cruiser.

We are thankful and blessed that both the officer and civilian were not injured, Chiaramonte said. The officers decisive actions prevented the civilian ride-along from being seriously injured. The officer demonstrated a very cool demeanor for such a short time with the department.

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The footage shows the officer following a white Mazda, which he tried to stop about 4:34 a.m. on Howard Road at Schnoor Avenue. But the driver doesnt stop and speeds through a residential neighborhood, blowing through stop signs.

At one point, the passenger says, He is not stopping. Youre kidding me.

As the officer follows the speeding car, the passenger screams, He has a gun. No, no, no, no, no.

Thats when the officer reports shots were fired.

Seconds later, about nine shots were fired at the officers vehicle.

Several other shots were heard as the officer pulled over and the passenger sobs.

Are you OK? the officer asks the passenger.

The officer then speeds up and reports that he was taking fire.

Police said 13 shots were fired and three rounds struck the police cruiser. Two of the shots pierced the windshield.

The officer was forced to stop following the driver because his patrol cruiser was disabled, according to Chiaramonte.

Investigators later found the abandoned Mazda a few blocks away. Officers also found a AR-15-style pistol, police said.

The new officer had been recently released from training. This was his second week working solo.

Anyone with details about the shooting is urged to call Sgt. Johnny Smith at (559) 675-4291.

veronica.rocha@latimes.com

For breaking news in California, follow @VeronicaRochaLA on Twitter.

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Over the years, many came to know Vermont Avenue and Olympic Boulevard as Don Elias corner.

This is where the driver of Sunday mornings tragic bus accident that left 13 dead, Teodulo Elias Vides, used to park and wait for customers.

He stood in this very spot as passengers began to board, said Maggie Monterroso of South Los Angeles, pointing to the sidewalk outside a cellphone store. He was always friendly, always jovial.

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The family counselor began traveling to casinos on Vides bus nearly 10 years ago. She said he was a responsible driver and she never saw him gamble or look tired as he drove.

 Cynthia Jenkins, the bus coordinator for Golden Acorn Casino, talks about her friend, Teodulo Elias Vides, who was the driver of a tour bus that crashed near Palm Springs early Sunday. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)

Hed tell us every time, Before you gamble and lose your money, make sure you eat, she said. He cared a lot about us.

Monterroso said Vides used to own a handful of buses years ago and had drivers operating each one. His daughter, Julie, helped him run the business, which recently had scaled back. She said Vides drove many routes including Las Vegas, Santa Barbara and San Diego.

Vides had been previously sued at least twice for negligence after collisions with vehicles, one of which ended in three deaths. He was named in a civil suit after a USA Holiday bus crashed into a Honda Civic on the northbound 215 Freeway in Riverside on May 6, 2007. The driver of the sedan, Sylvia Saucedo, and two of her passengers, Maria Llamas and Julio Morales, were killed. Llamas relatives sued Vides and the bus driver, Paulino Camacho Ceballos, the following year alleging personal injury and negligence.

Lawyers for Vides, however, rebutted the lawsuit, arguing that the Honda was driving at an unreasonable rate of speed and that Saucedo lost control of the vehicle and ricocheted off the center divider wall. The case appears to have been dismissed after the plaintiffs failed to respond to discovery requests.

Vides was identified by authorities on Monday as the driver of the USA Holiday bus that was headed west on Interstate 10 early Sunday when it crashed into a big-rig truck. He was identified among the dead. An additional 31 people were injured.

Like Monterroso, dozens of passengers  people who know each other by face, not always by name  took turns leaving candles and prayers for the driver and the victims at a makeshift memorial. They covered a palm tree with roses, daisies and notes.

Some came desperate to get information on someone they knew.

Rosa Maria Cabello of Pico Union showed up at 7 a.m. under gray skies and a slight drizzle. She heard her friend, a woman she simply knew as Rosalba, was among the dead.

She was beautiful and used to call me abuela, Cabello said. She would sing and dance and feed me grapes on the way to the casino. My soul hurts to think shes gone.

At 79, Cabello said the long, overnight trips to the casino gave many seniors like her a sense of community, of family.

Your kids, they forget about you, she said. This was our distraction, a place to forget everything and just enjoy.

Now and then, when Cabello had no money, shed convince Vides to let her ride for free.

Hed tell me, Just pay me later from whatever you win, she said. I always did.

Lester Garcia of Huntington Park showed up at the memorial site just after 1 p.m. His eyes were puffy and his voice broke as he spoke.

His father, Gustavo Garcia Green, was among the dead. He and his mother struggled Monday morning to find out who was responsible for the accident.

They searched for a contact for the bus company.

Garcia Green, 62, was from Guatemala. He was a mechanic, a father of 10 who enjoyed going to casinos now and then to gamble.

This is a very difficult time for us, Garcia said, his mother standing somberly by his side, dressed in black. They told us his body is ready to be picked up, but we need more information.

esmeralda.bermudez@latimes.com

@LATbermudez

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President Obama arrived in the Los Angeles area Monday afternoon and triggered a series of road closures tied to his visit.

Obama is set to appear at the home of Marilyn and Jeff Katzenberg for a fundraiser benefiting Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, the Democratic National Committee and state Democratic parties.

The president is scheduled to appear the next day at a Beverly Hills roundtable discussion to benefit the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee as his party attempts to reclaim control of the Senate on Nov. 8. The event is at the home of Ryan Murphy and David Miller, co-hosted by Jennifer Perry and Andy Spahn.

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Officials warned of possible traffic problems at the following areas and times:

 The area around Sherman Way between Clybourn Avenue and Coldwater Canyon Avenue from 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Monday.

 The 170 and 101 freeways from 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Monday.

 The area around Highland Avenue between Franklin Avenue and Sunset Boulevard from 1:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Monday

 The 101 and 405 freeways from 3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Monday.

 The area around Sunset Boulevard between Woodburn and North Palm drives from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesday.

 The area around Sunset Boulevard between Woodburn and North Palm drives from 10 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. on Tuesday.

 The 405 and 10 freeways from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Tuesday.

 The area around South Centinela Avenue between Ocean Park and West Pico boulevards between noon and 1 p.m. on Tuesday.

 In Hollywood, the eastbound and westbound lanes of Hollywood Boulevard between Highland Avenue and North Orange Drive will be closed to vehicular traffic between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. on Monday.

 In Hollywood, the eastbound and westbound lanes of Hawthorne Avenue between Highland Avenue and North Orange Drive will be closed to vehicular traffic between 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. on Monday.

 In Beverly Hills, the northbound and southbound lanes of North Loma Vista Drive between Wallace Ridge and Dabney Drive will be closed to vehicular traffic between 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Monday.

 In Beverly Hills, the eastbound and westbound lanes of Sunset Boulevard between North Whittier and North Bedford drives will be closed to vehicular traffic between 10:45 a.m. and 12:45 p.m. on Tuesday.

In San Diego on Sunday, Obama had sharp words for Rep. Darrell Issa, contending that the Vista Republicans primary contribution to the United States Congress has been to obstruct and to waste taxpayer dollars on trumped-up investigations that have led nowhere.

Obamas comments came at a La Jolla event to raise money for Democratic congressional candidates. Among those in attendance was Doug Applegate, who is in a close race with Issa for the House seat.

Issa, when he was chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, led investigations into the Obama administrations Internal Revenue Service, the Fast and Furious gun trading-operation and the administrations handling of the attack on U.S. facilities in Benghazi, Libya.

This is now a guy, Obama said of Issa, who, because poll numbers are bad, has sent out brochures with my picture on them touting his cooperation on issues with me. That is the definition of chutzpah.

The San Diego Union-Tribune contributed to this report.

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UPDATES:

1:45 p.m.: This article was updated with President Obama arriving in the Los Angeles area.

This article was originally published at 6 a.m.
Syrian government forces and their allies on Monday captured strategic high ground in embattled Aleppo as Russia  a key ally of Syrian President Bashar Assad  said it was not planning more humanitarian pauses in the fighting in the citys eastern, rebel-held districts.

The fighting in Aleppo came as airstrikes hit towns in the northwestern province of Idlib, killing at least 13 people, according to the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and the Local Coordination Committees. They said the people killed were in the towns of Kfar Takharim and Khan Sheikhoun, where a market was hit.

Fighting resumed in Aleppo over the weekend following a days-long lull announced by Moscow that was meant to allow rebels and civilians to leave the eastern districts. The rebels rejected the Russian offer and none of the civilians left.

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Government troops launched a fresh offensive and on Monday took the hilltop of Bazo on the southern edge of Aleppo, near military bases, and shelled the rebel neighborhoods, according to opposition activists.

A visual look at Aleppo

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Bazo was taken amid heavy bombardment. Both the Observatory and the Aleppo Media Center, an activist collective, reported government shelling in eastern parts of the city.

A video released by the Syrian army showed tanks and cannons pounding rebel positions in the area. The state SANA news agency, meanwhile, said the rebels shelled government-held neighborhoods in western Aleppo, killing one person and wounding seven.

A pro-opposition media outlet circulated footage of a powerful and hard-line Islamist rebel coalition known as Jaish al-Fatah announcing that the campaign to break the governments siege of the citys east would begin within hours.

Syrian troops have besieged rebel-held parts of Aleppo for weeks, subjecting the districts to some of the worst air raids since a cease-fire brokered by the United States and Russia collapsed on Sept. 19. Opposition activists say more than 600 people have been killed in Aleppo and neighboring villages since then.

Jaish al-Fatah commander Ali Abu Odai al-Aloush told the Qasioun News Agency that zero hour has drawn near, and that his militants had begun moving toward Aleppo. It was unclear when the interview was recorded.

A spokesman for the Nour el-Din al-Zinki rebel faction in Aleppo said an operation to break the governments siege of the rebel-held eastern districts of Aleppo was coming.

The spokesman, Yasser al-Yousef, said the rebels would not intentionally target civilians in Aleppos government-held districts, but warned of collateral damage from the anticipated operations.

In Moscow, Russias deputy foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov said Russia wasnt planning another humanitarian pause in Aleppo anytime soon.

In order to resume it, our opponents need to make sure the anti-government groups behave properly, he said in comments carried by Russian news agencies, blaming the rebels for the fact that medical evacuations from eastern Aleppo, planned during the pause, were scrapped at the last moment.

What needed to happen didnt happen ... thats why resuming a humanitarian pause is not on the agenda, Ryabkov said. He also said that Moscow doesnt expect any new round of Syria peace talks in the Swiss city of Lausanne until after the U.S. elections.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault called for an end of the massive bombing raids by Russia and Syrian government forces in Aleppo to allow for the delivery of aid to beleaguered populations and the resumption of peace efforts in Syria.

Speaking during a joint news conference with his Turkish counterpart in Ankara Monday, Ayrault said: its the only way that humanitarian aid can reach populations that really need it; its the only that that the negotiations can resume.

Ayrault also said that there cannot be a lasting peace in Syria outside of a political solution.

Associated Press
Lawmakers on Sunday condemned a Pentagon effort to recoup enlistment bonuses improperly paid to thousands of California National Guard soldiers a decade ago, saying the overpayments were not the soldiers fault and calling on the Pentagon or Congress to waive their debts.

House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy pledged a House investigation of the problem, calling the Pentagon demands for repayment of bonuses from combat veterans disgraceful.

McCarthy (R-Bakersfield) said the House would demand a briefing from the National Guard Bureau, the Pentagon agency that oversees the California branch of the Guard.

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US defense chief orders Pentagon to stop seeking repayments of enlistment bonuses from California National Guard members 

The Times reported that the Pentagon was demanding repayment of enlistment bonuses  which often reached $15,000 or more  from about 9,700 California Guard soldiers, many of whom served multiple combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The Department of Defense should waive these repayments, and I will be requesting a full brief from Army and National Guard leadership, McCarthy said in a statement. The House will investigate these reports to ensure our soldiers are fully honored for their service.

Our military heroes should not shoulder the burden of military recruiters faults from over a decade ago, McCarthy said. They should not owe for what was promised during a difficult time in our country.

The bonuses were mostly given out from 2006 to 2008 by California Guard recruiters who were under pressure to help the Pentagon fill its ranks for two major wars.

Several California Guard officials pleaded guilty in 2010 to making fraudulent bonus payments.

The soldiers say the Pentagon is reneging on 10-year-old contracts and imposing severe hardship on veterans whose only mistake was taking money that was offered to them at the time.

These service members  many of whom were sent into combat  are now being forced to make difficult and painful decisions to pay back thousands of dollars they never knew they owed, said Rep. Mark Takano (D-Riverside), a member of the House Veterans Affairs Committee. The solution to this ridiculous situation is an act of Congress.

I am appalled by the California National Guards effort to claw back bonuses and benefits improperly paid to service members 10 years ago, Takano added.

The California Guard launched the repayment effort after audits of 14,000 soldiers who received bonuses determined that 9,700 did not qualify for all or some of the payments, or that the paperwork was missing.

Audits of soldier records began five years ago and were completed last month. Although the problem surfaced in other states, it was worst in California, which has 17,000 troops and is one of the largest state Guard organizations.

California Guard officials in Sacramento say federal law bars them from wiping out the debts, insisting that only the Pentagon can do so and that it may require an act of Congress.

We didnt have authority to waive any debts, Col. Peter Cross, a spokesman for the California Guard, said Sunday.

California Guard officials emphasized that the Guard is helping troops file appeals. But the vast majority of soldiers who the Guard claims received the improper bonuses are still facing collection efforts.

Only 1,200 soldiers have sent the Pentagon appeals asking for forgiveness of some or all of their bonuses and other payments. About half of those have received reduction in their payments, officials said.

That leaves the rest facing large bills  and the threat of wage garnishment, tax liens and interest payments  if they refuse to pay, officials said.

There are soldiers out there who are being pursued that have totally ignored us, Cross said. If they want, they can contact us to start advocating on their behalf.

About 75% of the soldiers found to owe bonuses and other payments have either not replied to letters advising them of their debts or refused to cooperate, said Col. Michael Piazzoni, the California Guard officer who oversaw the audits.

Soldiers who filed a class-action lawsuit seeking to block the bonus recoupment said Sunday that they have seen a sharp increase in visitors to California Veterans for Justice, a Facebook page seeking contributions to help defray the costs of the lawsuit.

Justice Department lawyers have filed a motion to dismiss the lawsuit, which is filed in federal district court in Sacramento, and a ruling by the judge in the case is expected by the end of the year

Robert Richmond, a former Army special forces soldier who is facing recoupment demands of $19,000, said the soldiers had managed to raise only $2,500 so far to pay lawyers costs connected with the suit.

A petition started Saturday on the White House website after the Times story was posted online called for Congress to step in and alleviate the debts.

To Congress: This is not the soldiers fault nor should it be their burden, the petition reads. Please help these heroes.

To get a response from the White House, the petition needs 100,000 signatures by Nov. 21. As of Sunday, it had 64 signatures.

Former soldiers tell stories of bonus repayments to Pentagon  On Now Anatomy of a story | Behind the National Guard enlistment bonus investigation On Now 'I felt like the wind got knocked out of me' | Ex-California Army National Guard captain recounts her student loan repayment nightmare 2:10 On Now After he fought for the country, the U.S. is asking him to give back his enlistment bonus On Now Video: Susan Haley, a former Army master sergeant who served in Afghanistan On Now Video: Retired California National Guard Master Sgt. Bill McLain On Now Video: Christopher Van Meter, former California Army Reserve captain and Iraq veteran

david.cloud@latimes.com

Twitter: @davidcloudLAT

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Two years ago, a white Chicago police officer fired 16 bullets at a black teenager in a fatal shooting captured on dashcam video that sparked outrage and reforms in a city that remains far from healed.

On the anniversary of the Oct. 20, 2014, shooting, amid surging gun violence, Chicago still faces uncertainty as it awaits the conclusion of a federal civil rights investigation of Police Department practices and the criminal trial of the officer at the center of the firestorm.

Still, experts say, there is reason for hope that the legacy of slain teen Laquan McDonald will be one of change.

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I think the release of the video was a defining moment for the city, said Craig Futterman, a clinical law professor who directs the University of Chicagos civil rights and police accountability project. It didnt just reveal what everyone agrees to be a horrible and unnecessary killing of a 17-year-old boy. What is also revealed is the routine operation of a police code of silence. The lack of police accountability is a decades-old reality that wont just evaporate overnight, and it would be wrong not to recognize the real progress and real changes that have occurred since the release of the video.

An uproar ensued after the court-ordered release of the video last November. The footage prompted the city months earlier to pay McDonalds family $5 million. Officer Jason Van Dyke, 38, faces murder charges for gunning down McDonald, who authorities allege was on PCP, holding a knife and ignoring repeated commands to surrender.

A small group of protesters squares off with Chicago police on the anniversary of the shooting death of Laquan McDonald, who was killed by a Chicago police officer. (Alyssa Pointer / Chicago Tribune )

The video shows Van Dyke opened fire within seconds of arrival while McDonald appeared to be walking away from police, not lunging with the weapon as alleged.

The fallout cost the citys top cop his job and exposed the failings of how Chicago police handle officer shootings and citizen complaints, especially those involving minorities. States Attorney Anita Alvarez lost reelection in large part because of her delay in bringing charges.

Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson is pursuing termination proceedings against Van Dyke and four officers who are accused of a cover-up.

Mayor Rahm Emanuel responded by urging widespread changes aimed at staying ahead of federal authorities who may seek to enforce reforms. His task force delivered a blistering report that found police practices rooted in racial disparity and discrimination.

Much of the mayors focus has been on the Independent Police Review Authority, which recommends discipline in many of the most serious cases. A Chicago Tribune investigation showed the authority has often been biased in favor of officers, even when evidence suggests misconduct. The City Council voted to replace the agency with the Civilian Office of Police Accountability, giving it broader authority to investigate alleged wrongdoing.

The Police Department also has proposed policy changes to cut down on certain uses of force. Officers may not shoot, for example, unless a fleeing person poses an immediate threat. Current rules allow police to fire on anyone who has committed or attempted a felony using force.

Officers also would be compelled to use the lightest force possible in any situation under the new rules, which reflect new training on defusing tense incidents as well as crisis intervention.

The mayor and police administration face a tough balancing act, though, as gun violence surges on the citys South and West sides. Some attribute the bloodshed, in part, to officers avoiding confrontations that could land them in scandal. According to Tribune data, Chicago has far outpaced other major cities with at least 605 homicides this year. The majority of the homicides involved gun violence, with at least 3,503 people shot.

Dean Angelo Sr., president of Chicagos Fraternal Order of Police lodge, said it remains unclear what good has actually come since McDonalds death. He noted the availability of more Tasers for police, saying, If there was a Taser on the street that day, its over long before [McDonald] ever gets to Pulaski.

But Angelo said some of the suggested restrictions are in response to critics who know little about police work. He fears the pendulum has swung too far, leading to policies that restrict and endanger police and embolden criminals.

Its a very tough job that requires instant decisions, Angelo said of police work. My hope is that the officer is allowed to perform in a manner that ensures they go home at the end of their shift.

Frank Giancamilli, a police department spokesman, called McDonalds death a tragedy that led to improved policies, transparency and training.

CPD is committed to increasing trust and accountability, which are critical to our efforts to rebuild the relationship between our officers and the residents they serve as we work to make Chicago safer, he told the Chicago Tribune in a statement. Under Superintendent Johnson, the department has committed to and is implementing the most sweeping reforms in recent memory.

On Thursday, the second anniversary of McDonalds death, about 300 people gathered outside Chicago Police headquarters and stood in front of small yellow markers of the type police use to mark bullets at crime scenes. They set out 16 markers, to signify the number of shots Van Dyke fired at McDonald.

Among the speakers was Gwendolyn Moore, 56, a South Side resident whose son, Jamaal Raymond Moore, was 23 when he was shot and killed by police four years ago.

Its important to talk about because the system has created injustice for its people, she said. If we dont voice how we feel and just lay down with blinders on, it will not change. I dont want to see another child dead on the streets. It doesnt matter, black, brown, white, we are all one.

Gutowski writes for the Chicago Tribune.

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Former Pennsylvania Atty. Gen. Kathleen Kane was sentenced Monday to 10 to 23 months in jail for illegally disclosing details from a grand jury investigation to embarrass a rival and then lying about it under oath.

Kane was also sentenced to eight years of probation by a Montgomery County judge who said Kanes ego drove her to take down enemies and break the law. After the sentencing, Kane was led out a side door with her hands cuffed in front of her, flanked by deputies.

Judge Wendy Demchick-Alloy said Kane assumed an off with your heads mentality as she ran the states top law enforcement agency. The judge called Kane a political neophyte who failed to make the transition from campaigner to public servant after she took office.

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This case is about ego  the ego of a politician consumed with her image from Day One, Demchick-Alloy said. This case is about retaliation and revenge against perceived enemies who this defendant ... felt had embarrassed her in the press.

Kane was the first woman and first Democrat elected as the states top prosecutor. She had been a stay-at-home mother and former assistant county prosecutor before using her husbands trucking fortune to run for statewide office in 2012. She quickly became a rising star in the state Democratic Party before her office devolved into turmoil as career prosecutors came and went.

Kane and her husband are now estranged and share custody of their teenage boys.

Your children are the ultimate ... collateral damages. They are casualties of your actions, the judge said. But you did that, not this court. 

Earlier during Mondays hearing, Kanes 15-year-old son pleaded for leniency while her former deputies described an office demoralized by her leadership and terrorized by Nixonian espionage.

Chris Kane called his mother his rock and said that it would be tough for all of us if she went to jail.

Kane, 50, had argued that the loss of her career, law license and reputation was punishment enough. She had asked the judge to sentence her to probation or house arrest so she could be home to raise her sons.

I really dont care what happens to me, Kane said before leaning toward the defense table to grab tissues.

There is no more torture in the world than to watch your children suffer and know you had something to do with it, she said. I have been punished.

The one-term attorney general said her younger son, 14-year-old Zachary, did not attend Mondays sentencing because he couldnt even bear it.

Prosecutors called her crimes egregious and pushed for jail time. They said a paranoid Kane ruined morale in the 800-person office and the wider law enforcement community through a calculated scheme to embarrass rival prosecutors who had left the office.

Kane repeatedly misused her official authority to advance her personal vendettas, Dist. Atty. Kevin Steele wrote in a sentencing memo last week.

In the final year of her first term, she was convicted Aug. 15 of two felony counts of perjury and seven misdemeanor charges. She did not testify at her trial, and she resigned the next day.

Also Monday, former deputies in the office, giving emotional testimony while looking toward their ex-boss, described an office demoralized by Kane, especially after the investigation of the leak became public.

Former deputy Clarke Madden said the scandal permeated every corner of the office, as victims, witnesses and other law enforcement agencies feared working with the agency. The office itself was in constant turmoil, Madden said.

Through a pattern of systemic firings and Nixonian espionage, she created a terror zone in this office, said Erik Olsen, a career prosecutor who is now the chief deputy attorney general.

Kane enjoyed mostly good press early on as she supported gay marriage, ramped up a anti-child-predator unit run by her twin sister and questioned her predecessors handling of the Penn State sex assault case.

But turmoil inside the office became apparent as top deputies and career prosecutors headed for the doors. Kanes feud with one of them, Frank Fina, who had helped run the Penn State probe and other sensitive investigations, led to the leak.

Kane, taking aim at him, had a campaign consultant pass confidential files to a reporter about a corruption case Fina had declined to charge before he left the office. She then tried to frame someone else for the leak, aides testified at the perjury and obstruction trial.

Aside from the conviction, Kanes political career will be remembered for her investigation of pornography that she said was being traded on state computers by judges, lawyers and other public employees. Two state Supreme Court justices resigned amid the fallout.
For Obama, no tweeting at 3 a.m., he tells Jimmy Kimmel

(Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times)

Between fundraisers in California, President Obama stopped by Hollywood Boulevard on Monday to tape an episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live, where he touched on Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, talked about having a cellphone in the White House and responded to some mean tweets.

The show is filmed at the El Capitan Entertainment Center  right across the street from Republican presidential nominee Donald Trumps star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

As is to be expected two weeks out from the election, Trumps name came up repeatedly. Obama is in Los Angeles for a $100,000-per-person roundtable for the Hillary Victory Fund. Some of the money will go to the Democratic National Committee and state-level campaigns. (The event was closed to the news media.)

Obama responded to one tweet calling him the Nickelback of presidents, and another saying he couldnt negotiate ordering a Whopper without pickles, before an Aug. 2 tweet from Trump popped up.

President Obama will go down as perhaps the worst president in the history of the United States!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 2, 2016

At least I will go down as a president, Obama said, giving the camera a deadpan look.

A few other highlights:

Kimmel asked whether the White House staff ever woke Obama in the middle of the night because of an emergency.

Obama said it had happened three or four times.

For the most part they let me sleep. Usually, the real serious problems that come up are ones that weve anticipated, we kind of see coming, Obama said. What I dont do is at 3 a.m. I dont tweet about people who insulted me. I try to sleep so that in the morning Im actually ready for a crisis.

Kimmel asked whether Obama had already voted. He had, in Chicago, though he wouldnt say who he voted for.

Its a secret ballot and thats the way it should be, Obama said.

Kimmel asked whether Obama was glad there were term limits and he couldnt serve another term.

If I were able to run for a third term, Michelle would divorce me, so its useful that I dont have that choice to make, Obama said.

Kimmel asked whether the first lady could stay around for another four years.

Michelle was never wild about politics, Obama said. She is not sorry. All the women in my life are looking forward to being able to live a more normal life.

Obama said he was very careful about what he said in emails and that his phone didnt have the ability to text, make calls or take pictures.

He does have access to the Internet, though, and can send emails and check the weather.

I now have an iPhone, but it is like the phone you give your 2-year-old where they can pretend to press things but nothing actually happens, he said.

(Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times)

Obama said he may joke about Trump, but he also took him seriously.

There is something qualitatively different about the way Trump has operated in the political sphere, Obama said.

When he was running for president in 2008 and 2012, Obama added, he thought he would do a better job than his Republican opponents, Sen. John McCain and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, but if they had won then I wouldnt have worried about the general course of the country.

Sometimes its going to be contentious and noisy, but what we havent seen before, I think, is somebody questioning the integrity of elections and the will of the people, he said.

Obama said he had been protective of the norms, standards and customs expected of a U.S. president.

There is a certain responsibility and expectation in terms of how you behave, how you present yourself, he said. If you are willing to say anything and do anything, even when it undermines everything that has been built by previous generations, thats a problem, and thats why I take this election very seriously.
When is it appropriate for police to conduct a face recognition search? To figure out whos who in a crowd of protesters? To monitor foot traffic in a high-crime neighborhood? To confirm the identity of a suspect  or a witness  caught on tape?

According to a new report by Georgetown Laws Center on Privacy & Technology, these are questions very few police departments asked before widely deploying face recognition systems. And this use first, worry about the consequences later approach is undermining Americans right to privacy, free speech and assembly.

Consider some known uses of face recognition technology. In April, the Baltimore Police Department used it to locate, identify and arrest certain people protesting Freddie Grays death in police custody. In Los Angeles three years ago, the Los Angeles Police Departmentdeployed to undisclosed locations 16 wireless video cameras that can conduct real-time face recognition.

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Until appropriate legal protections are adopted, communities should issue a moratorium on most uses of face recognition.

In Los Angeles County, face recognition systems are accessible by all local law enforcement agencies, including school police.

Today police can use almost any facial photograph  one snapped during a police stop, or copied from social media  and comb through massive databases of photos for an identification. In 26 states, police can submit searches against databases containing all drivers license photos from that state. In several other jurisdictions, police already have, or are trying to obtain, video systems that scan faces and check them in real time for matches against a set of photos.

We dont know exactly how widespread these systems already are  but its certainly more extensive than most people think. According to the Georgetown Law report, at least one in four U.S. law enforcement agencies has the ability to run face recognition searches. Photos of nearly half of all American adults are already included in law enforcement face recognition networks.

In San Diego County, for example, more than 800 officers from 28 local law enforcement agencies run an average of 560 face recognition searches each month. In Los Angeles County, face recognition systems are accessible by all local law enforcement agencies, including school police. In Florida, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Ohio and elsewhere  26 states in total  police or the FBI can submit face recognition searches against that states drivers license photos.

Face recognition technology fundamentally changes how law enforcement interacts with the public. It allows police to surreptitiously identify you from a distance without requiring consent or even the suspicion of wrongdoing. It lets police document not just what happens at a protest or a rally, but who is there. It can facilitate police tracking of your whereabouts in real-time. Police generally cannot track your location without a court order  yet in many jurisdictions, there are no restrictions on police accomplishing these same ends using remote cameras and face recognition.

Not surprisingly, most police departments implemented this technology with little or no public discussion and few safeguards. Of the more than 50 law enforcement agencies surveyed about their use of face recognition technology in the Georgetown Law report, just four had issued public policies about its use. Of those, only San Diego had subjected its policy to review and approval by elected legislators.

This lack of transparency and avoidance of democratic oversight by police departments is already taking a toll. Now, instead of having a public debate on how face recognition technology can be used without infringing on civil liberties, we must consider how to rein in what are, in many cases, out-of-control surveillance systems.

One particular cause for alarm is evidence that this technology disproportionally affects people of color. A prominent 2012 study co-written by an FBI expert found that several leading face recognition algorithms were up to 10% less accurate on photos of African Americans. Combined with the overrepresentation of people of color in face recognition databases to begin with, that flaw could easily exacerbate the biases in policing that have given rise to protests around the country.

Its time to press the pause button on the uncontrolled use of this technology by police so that state and local lawmakers can weigh whether face recognition technology is a net public good.

If they do choose to allow such searches, legislatures should pass comprehensive laws on face recognition. At a minimum, such laws should limit the technologys use to protect all peoples constitutional rights. They should require individualized suspicion that someone has committed a crime. There should also be regular audits to guard against misuse, and public disclosure of the frequency and types of searches run.

Without these protections, face recognition technology imperils our rights to privacy, free speech and assembly  and those risks may not be borne equally. In a time when people are taking to the streets to voice opposition to policing practices, uncontrolled use of face recognition technology adds fuel to the fire.

Clare Garvie is an associate with Georgetown Laws Center on Privacy and Technology. Neema Singh Guliani is a legislative counsel with the ACLU.

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Former L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa endorses marijuana legalization initiative By Patrick McGreevy Former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa on Monday endorsed a marijuana legalization initiative. ((Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times) ) Former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa on Monday became the latest high-profile politician to endorse an initiative on next weeks ballot that would legalize the recreational use of marijuana in California. Villaraigosa is considering whether to run for governor in 2018 amid a field that already includes Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom, a leading proponent of Proposition 64. I took my time on this measure because I wanted to make sure it included protections for children and public safety, Villaraigosa said in a statement. In evaluating the measure in its entirety, I am convinced there are enough safeguards to make it a workable proposition. The Proposition 64 campaign welcomed Villaraigosas endorsement at a time when one recent poll indicated slightly fewer than half of Latino voters support the measure. Were glad to have it, said Jason Kinney, a spokesman for the campaign. Facebook

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Conservative group spends $3.5 million on Central Valley race once considered safe By Sarah D. Wire The Congressional Leadership Fund is pouring another $1.5 million into the race between Rep. Jeff Denham and Democrat farmer Michael Eggman. The group, which is endorsed by House Republican leaders, and works with the American Action Network, has now spent $3.5 million in the race. The race was initially viewed as an easy win for Denham (R-Turlock), but has become increasingly uncertain in recent weeks. The district is being closely watched as an indicator of how Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump might affect down-ballot candidates. Democrats have spent more than $6 million in the district. The Congressional Leadership Fund and American Action Network have spent $45 million in 32 districts nationwide so far and have aired ads in other California House races, including in the nearby 21st District race between Rep. David Valadao (R-Hanford) and attorney Emilio Huerta and the 7th District race between Rep. Ami Bera (D-Elk Grove) and Sacramento County Sheriff Scott Jones. The groups newest ad in the 10th District race begins running on television Tuesday. It calls Eggman, an almond and bee farmer, an extreme liberal and a rubber stamp for House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco) because he supports the Affordable Care Act. It previously ran an ad against Eggman that used news footage from the 2015 San Bernardino terrorist attack. ------------ FOR THE RECORD 2:14 p.m.: An earlier version of this article incorrectly referred to the Congressional Leadership Fund as the Conservative Leadership Fund. ------------ Facebook

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The Rev. Al Sharpton and civil rights leaders hold rally in support of Proposition 61 By Christine Mai-Duc The Rev. Al Sharpton kicks off a rally and march in support of Proposition 61, the California ballot measure that seeks to lower the price state agencies pay for prescription drugs. The Rev. Al Sharpton and other civil rights leaders gathered at a rally Monday morning to support Proposition 61, the ballot measure that seeks to lower the price state agencies pay for prescription drugs. Sharpton appeared alongside black community leaders, including Marc Morial, former New Orleans mayor and head of the National Urban League, and Kevin Sauls, pastor of a South L.A. church. This issue is very simple, Sharpton said to a crowd of about 40 supporters. Its about the right of people to afford what they need, and they need to have accessibility that is affordable with prescription drugs. He likened the issue of prescription drug affordability to a civil right, and recycled the well-known Yes We Can slogan from President Obamas 2008 election to urge voters to pass Proposition 61. Sharptons appearance came a day after he and Morial stumped for the measure at seven different churches in South Los Angeles and the Bay Area. The significance of bringing in people of color is that we are the ones who disproportionately are impacted by the prices and impacted by the need for healthcare, Sharpton said in an interview afterward. I think its a civil right for people to be able to afford healthcare in the wealthiest nation in the world. Appearance of Sharpton, New Orleans mayor Marc Morial and LA pastor follows Sharpton's visits to two South LA churches Sunday for Yes on 61 pic.twitter.com/redBvU8WWZ  Christine Mai-Duc (@cmaiduc) October 31, 2016 In a statement, No on Proposition 61 spokeswoman Kathy Fairbanks pointed to support for the opposition campaign from groups like the California NAACP, and the California League of Latin American Citizens. Higher drug prices resulting from Prop. 61 will decrease access to care, Fairbanks said. Thats a policy step in the wrong direction. The Rev. Al Sharpton at a Yes on Proposition 61 rally in downtown Los Angeles. (Christine Mai-Duc / Los Angeles Times) Facebook

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Voters are being asked whether they want to cast more votes in future elections on big public works projects By John Myers (Russel A. Daniels / Associated Press) Voters casting a ballot for Proposition 53 on election day are, in effect, choosing more voting on more propositions in future elections. The ballot measure, bankrolled by a wealthy Stockton agribusiness owner, seeks to force voter approval of a particular type of borrowing for large public works projects. Its most likely impact, in the near future, would be ballot measures on a landmark water project and on Californias high-speed rail effort. The propositions backer, Dean Cortopassi, argues its all about more transparency when it comes to government debt. His critics suggest theres more to it than that. Read More Facebook

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This congressional race could be one of the Republicans worst nightmares By Sarah D. Wire Rep. Jeff Denham represents the Modesto area in Congress and is up against Democratic beekeeper Michael Eggman, the same man he beat just two years ago by 12 points. Denham first won his seat in 2012 even as a majority of his constituents voted for President Obama. When Denham (R-Turlock) started this latest campaign, most observers thought he would probably win. But some now wonder if Denhams 10th District race will be an example of what Republicans fear across the country. Will conservatives expected to win actually lose because voters arent excited about Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump? Read More Facebook

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Rep. Loretta Sanchezs day on the campaign trail: Two ribbons cut, one candle lit, and jabs made at her Senate rival By Phil Willon U.S. Senate candidate Loretta Sanchez shows Clifford Young, president of the West Valley Water District, where to cut the ribbon for the grand opening on a new water treatment plant Saturday. (Phil Willon / Los Angeles Times) With less than two weeks to go before election day, U.S. Senate candidate Loretta Sanchez bounced from the Inland Empire to Monterey Park on Saturday as she tries to drum up support for her uphill Senate bid. Sanchez, the U.S. representative from Orange, started her day with a gaggle of other Inland Empire politicians at the grand opening of a $23-million water treatment system in Rialto, using the occasion to lay out her record on water issues during her 20 years in Congress. Sanchez told the crowd of about 60 that shortly after she was elected to Congress, two members of a local water board approached her about a way to deal with Californias serious drought. They said, we need to convince people that were going to take toilet water and were going to clean it up enough for people to drink it, Sanchez said. They said, we cant get anyone to champion this for us. Well, no wonder. Sanchez said they won her over, and she helped deliver federal funding for Orange Countys Groundwater Replenishment System to do just that. The system uses treated waste water to recharge the local groundwater basin and provides enough water for nearly 850,000 residents. After the event, Sanchez accused her rival in the Senate race, state Atty. Gen. Kamala Harris, of having little grasp of the complexities of Californias drought and water crisis. One of the biggest differences between my opponent and myself is that I actually talk about issues, I actually meet with people, I actually try to figure out whats going on, Sanchez said. Ive not seen anything about her. Ive not seen any policy. All I see is commercials on TV. U.S. Rep. Loretta Sanchez (D-Orange) officially opens the childrens Diwali celebration at the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir Hindu temple in Chino Hills on Saturday. (Phil Willon / Los Angeles Times) A few hours later, Sanchez raced over to Chino Hills to open the Kids Diwali Celebration at the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir Hindu temple, a family-friendly event filled with carnival rides, booths and food. She thanked festivalgoers, saying they were setting a good example for the rest of the country at a time when the presidential election is filled with such meanness. This is a time where through tradition and through culture you can show Americans the better part of people, Sanchez said. You give the rest of us hope. After listening to Sanchez speak, Kay Mistry, a volunteer at the festival, said he still wasnt sure who he will vote for in the Senate race. He said he was aware that Harris, whose mother emigrated from India, went to a Hindu temple as a child. Im not sure that matters to me, said Mistry, 48, of Chino Hills. Im pretty conservative. Sanchez attends her second ribbon cutting of the day, this time for Halloween in the Park in Monterey Park. (Phil Willon / Los Angeles Times) The Orange County congresswomans final stop of the day was in Monterey Park, where she helped cut the ribbon to open citys Halloween in the Park festival. After the ceremony, Sanchez mingled with the crowd, handing out campaign fliers. Arnold Jeung, 62, stuck the flier in his back pocket. He said he didnt know much about Sanchez or Harris. Im not sure what Im going to do, said Jeung, a Republican. I might not even vote. Facebook

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California Politics Podcast: The lowdown on the states big down-ticket races By John Myers Perhaps more than any other recent election season, races for seats in the California Legislature and U.S. Congress are being reshaped by the broad, national discussion. In short, its the Trump effect. On this weeks episode of the California Politics Podcast, we take an overview of some of states most closely watched down-ticket races. Theres new polling data in the U.S. Senate race that suggests a sizable number of voters will skip casting a ballot. Meanwhile, President Obama had endorsed candidates all the way down to the state Assembly level. Im joined by Marisa Lagos of KQED News and Anthony York, author of the Grizzly Bear Project website. Facebook

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California, your official presidential write-in options include Bernie Sanders and Evan McMullin By Christine Mai-Duc Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders is one of five officially certified write-in candidates for president in California. (Christopher Dolan / Associated Press) California Secretary of State Alex Padilla released the names of the five officially qualified write-in candidates for the presidential race in California, along with their vice presidential running mates. Contrary to popular belief, votes for write-in candidates only count when the candidate is officially certified. (That means votes for Mickey Mouse, Giant Meteor, or Chuck Norris will not be counted.) The officially qualified write-in candidates are: Laurence Kotlikoff for president and Edward Leamer for vice president

Mike Maturen for president and Juan Munoz for vice president

Evan McMullin for president and Nathan Johnson for vice president

Bernard Bernie Sanders for president and Tulsi Gabbard for vice president

Jerry White for president and Niles Niemuth for vice president Now, that doesnt mean that Sanders and the other candidates wanted to be recognized as official write-ins. California law only requires that 55 electors sign on to declare a person a write-in candidate, not that the person consent, according to a statement from the Secretary of States Office.

A full list of each candidates electors can be seen here. Write-in votes for these candidates will not be reported until the counties send their final vote certifications after the post-election canvass period, meaning a write-in vote will take longer to count. You might be wondering: Does spelling count? The Secretary of State says election officials will accept a reasonable facsimile of the spelling of a candidates name. For example, Joe Smith and Joseph Smith would both be accepted. Facebook

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Dueling ads aim to persuade Latinos on proposition to legalize marijuana in California By Patrick McGreevy With a poll indicating Latino voters lag in their support for a ballot proposition that would legalize recreation marijuana in California, the campaigns for and against the measure are launching dueling ads aimed at that large demographic. A poll Wednesday by the Public Policy Institute of California found that Proposition 64 is favored by a majority of likely voters in California, including a majority of all ethnic groups, except Latinos. Latinos support is just under half at 47%. The campaign against the ballot measure will launch its second ad on Spanish language television, titled Asusta or Scary on Halloween. The ad warns if approved, Proposition 64 could eventually lead to radio and television ads for marijuana candy. Federal law prohibits such ads on broadcast stations, and the initiative prohibits television advertising aimed at minors if federal law ever changes. The campaign in favor of the ballot measure said Friday it has launched new counter TV ads targeted to the Los Angeles area, where there is a large Latino audience. One ad, for Spanish language television, labels as falso, or false, the claims that there will be television commercials for marijuana candy. A second ad, in English, features a mother of teenagers saying she appreciates that Proposition 64 has important safeguards for families, like strict product labeling and child-proof packaging of all marijuana products and banning edibles that would appeal to a child. The two sides each claimed Friday that the polls are favorable to their cause. The polls highlight the lack of support by the Latino community because they know their neighborhoods will have to face the problems that recreational marijuana creates, said Andrew Acosta, a spokesman for the opposition campaign. Not true, said Jason Kinney, a spokesman for the Proposition 64 campaign. Polls show that Latino support for Proposition 64 and marijuana decriminalization has been increasing as they learn how communities of color are being disproportionately targeted for marijuana arrest and prosecution, he said. Facebook

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House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi endorses ballot measure to repeal the death penalty in California By Jazmine Ulloa (Win McNamee / Getty Images) House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco) on Friday announced her support for a proposition that would repeal the death penalty in California, calling the practice cruel and unusual punishment under the 8th Amendment to the Constitution. Even the most heinous of crimes can be punished without killing, she said. As Pope Francis said in his address to Congress, where he reaffirmed his advocacy for the global abolition of the death penalty: every human person is endowed with an unalienable dignity, and society can only benefit from the rehabilitation of those convicted of crimes. Pelosi is among a string of top political leaders, Silicon Valley entrepreneurs and celebrities to come out in support of Proposition 62, which would replace the punishment with life in prison without parole and apply life sentences retroactively to death row inmates. The initiative is one of two competing death penalty measures on the Nov. 8 ballot. She also is among fewer political leaders to denounce the death penalty itself on moral grounds. I oppose the death penalty because too many defendants have not had access to appropriate legal counsel; because poor people  especially in communities of color  have been disproportionately charged with capital crimes and sentenced to death, compared with more affluent defendants; and, so many people have been exonerated with DNA evidence. It is time for us to take a moral stand. Read More Facebook

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Obama endorses Emilio Huerta in his Central Valley race against Rep. David Valadao By Sarah D. Wire (Sarah D. Wire / Los Angeles Times) President Obama on Friday endorsed 21st District congressional candidate Emilio Huerta, the Democrats campaign announced. I am proud to endorse Emilio Huerta for the United States House of Representatives, Obama said in a statement released by the campaign. In Congress, Emilio will be a fighter for Central Valley working families. Emilio isnt afraid to take on tough challenges, and hell fight for more and better access to clean water, good jobs with fair wages, and an education system that works for every child. Emilio is the kind of smart leader who will build on what weve accomplished and move our country forward, and thats why I know Californians can count on Emilio Huerta. Huerta, an attorney and son of labor rights icon Dolores Huerta, is challenging Rep. David Valadao in the Central Valley district. Obama had already endorsed six California Democrats. House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) was in the district Thursday to campaign for Valadao. Hes in the middle of a swing through California to support vulnerable House Republicans. David Valadao is exactly the type of representative Central Valley families and those involved in the agriculture industry need. He understands the issues impacting the area, because thats been his life. David was born in the Central Valley, he grew up there, he went to school there -- and he even met his wife there. In Congress, he has led the fight on water, veterans issues, and education, Ryan said in a statement. Facebook

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Comedian Kathy Griffin pokes fun at tobacco company ads By Liam Dillon The tobacco industry-funded television advertisements against the Proposition 56 tobacco tax increase are ubiquitous. They all generally have the same message: The money from the tax hike would go to Medi-Cal, the states low-income healthcare program, and therefore benefit the doctors and insurance groups that are helping finance the measure. Comedian Kathy Griffin decided to spoof the advertisements follow-the-money message in a video she released on Twitter Tuesday. Hey @YesOn56...I had to get involved! #YesOn56 https://t.co/ZXURPBZYZP  Kathy Griffin (@kathygriffin) October 27, 2016 Griffin highlighted that tobacco companies had funded the advertisement, which is clear when you read the fine print at the end. So in general just be careful of these opposite ads, Griffin said, dressed in a similar gardening outfit as the actress in the No on 56 ad. Or in general white ladies gardening. You can watch Griffins full spoof here: Facebook

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Los Angeles County Bar says expediting the death penalty system will compromise justice By Jazmine Ulloa The Los Angeles County Bar Assn. has joined opponents of a Nov. 8 ballot measure that intends to expedite executions in California, saying it would likely compromise access to justice at all levels of the court system. In a letter released late Wednesday, the organization, which comprises more than 20,000 members, said Proposition 66 would require appellate courts to hear initial death penalty appeals, without providing the roughly $100 million needed to fund additional judges, staff and resources. LACBA opposes Proposition 66 based entirely on its damaging effect on the operation of an already over-taxed judicial system, and most importantly, the resulting lack of access to justice for California citizens, states the letter signed by Margaret Stevens, the associations president. The association said it took no position on the death penalty itself, its effectiveness, morality or social merits. But its opposition to the ballot measure comes as top Los Angeles County officials, including Sheriff Jim McDonnell and Dist. Atty. Jackie Lacey, have announced their support. Proposition 66 has drawn wide support and funding from law enforcement officials and organizations that argue Californias death penalty must be preserved and reformed. Facebook

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Gov. Jerry Brown launches TV ad against Prop. 53s change to state revenue bonds By John Myers Its a nuanced pitch from Gov. Jerry Brown, asking California voters to oppose an effort that would give them a vote on future big infrastructure projects. But Brown has more than $15 million in campaign cash to make his case against Proposition 53, in a TV ad that began on Thursday. Proposition 53 asks voters to add revenue bonds of $2 billion or more to the list of government borrowing that requires statewide voter approval. Unlike general obligation bonds, which are paid back by taxpayer dollars through the states general fund, revenue bonds are paid back with fees charged to users of projects like bridges, dams and buildings. Brown takes aim in the ad at the fact that 53 is paid for by one millionaire, Central Valley agribusiness owner Dean Cortopassi. In an interview this week, Cortopassi called revenue bonds a blank check to sell debt forward into the future. Proposition 53 could force statewide votes on two high-profile infrastructure projects: Californias plan for a high-speed train system and the construction of twin underground tunnels to divert water from the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta to Southern California. Facebook

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New citizens can still register to vote Nov. 8 even though the California deadline has passed By Sophia Bollag Thomas Macariola, center, fills out a voter registration form after a naturalization ceremony on Oct. 26 in Sacramento, where a cardboard cut-out of Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton was among the witnesses. (Sophia Bollag / Los Angeles Times) Alex De Leon, a 30-year-old immigrant from Guatemala, was among more than 400 people who became U.S. citizens at a ceremony in Sacramento on Wednesday. After the program concluded, he walked outside and filled out his voter registration papers. The registration deadline to vote in the Nov. 8 election for most Californians was Monday. But a 2012 state law allows people like De Leon, who became citizens after the deadline, to register late. To vote, they must bring proof of citizenship and California residency to show to an official at a county election office. As a precaution against voter fraud, theyre not allowed to vote at a neighborhood polling place or with an absentee ballot. Read More Facebook

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A new poll shows Californians remain ready to legalize the recreational use of pot By Patrick McGreevy (David Zalubowski / Associated Press) A majority of Californias likely voters continue to favor legalizing the recreational use of marijuana, but the level of support has dipped from a reported 60% a month ago to 55% this month, according to a statewide poll released Wednesday night. The latest poll by the Public Policy Institute of California found 38% of those surveyed oppose Proposition 64 and 6% are undecided. But the basic finding is that the initiative would still pass with a majority vote if the election were held today, according to Mark Baldassare, the institutes pollster and president. The numbers have been favorable, consistent, and exactly where we expected and wanted to be at this point, said Jason Kinney, a spokesman for the Proposition 64 campaign. The poll was conducted Oct. 14-23 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.4% at a 95% confidence level. Proposition 64 is supported by 66% of Democratic likely voters and 56% of independents, but 60% of Republicans are opposed. Just under half of Latino likely voters (47%) would vote yes, while majorities of other racial/ethnic groups (65%) and whites (55%) would do so, the poll report said. Support is highest, at 78%, among those age 18 to 34. The opposition campaign said the campaign for Proposition 64 has turned voters away from the measure. It is clear that voters are realizing that Prop 64 is a 62-page mess that helps the marijuana industry tap into the California market, said Andrew Acosta, a spokesman for the campaign against the initiative. Those polled were also asked whether they have ever tried marijuana and, if so, if they used it in the last year: 18% said they have tried marijuana and used it in the last year, while 25% said they have tried it, but not in the last year. Updated at 9:30 am to include comments by the campaigns. Facebook

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New poll shows Kamala Harris leading Californias U.S. Senate race by a 2-to-1 margin By Phil Willon U.S. Senate candidates Kamala Harris, left, points a finger toward rival Loretta Sanchez during their debate at Cal State L.A. on Wednesday, Oct. 5. (Rick Loomis / Los Angeles Times) With ballots already being cast, State Atty. General Kamala Harris leads by a more than a two-to-one margin over her rival in Californias U.S. Senate race, according to a new poll by the Public Policy Institute of California. The survey showed that 42% of likely voters supported Harris, compared to 20% who favored her opponent, Orange County Rep. Loretta Sanchez. Among the remainder, 20% of voters were undecided and 18% said they will not vote for either candidate by election day on Nov. 8. The results are dramatically different that those in a PPIC released on Sept. 21, when Harris had just a 7-point lead over Sanchez. But the new poll numbers are closely aligned with results in the June 7 primary, when Harris received 40% of the vote and Sanchez came in second with 19% in a race with 34 candidates on the ballot. In a PPIC poll in July, Harris also had 38% support among likely voters and Sanchez 20%. From the start this has been a race in which Harris, who did very well in the primary, has had a large advantage, said PPIC President Mark Baldassare. Loretta Sanchez hasnt been able to, in any of our polls, get above 25% Unlike the PPICs surveys in July and September, the new poll included the ballot designations for the two Senate candidates, listing Harris as Attorney General of California and Sanchez as a United States Congresswoman. Both Harris and Sanchez are Democrats. There also have been a few major developments in the Senate campaign since Sept. 21, including the Oct. 5 Senate debate at Cal State Los Angeles where Sanchez caused a stir by dabbing as her finale. The following day, U.S. Sens. Barbara Boxer and Dianne Feinstein endorsed Harris. Both Harris and Sanchez are trying to succeed Boxer, who is retiring after serving four terms in the Senate. According to the new PPIC poll, Harris is favored over Sanchez across all general income and education levels of voters, as well as among both men and women. Harris also leads in these major regions of the state: Los Angeles, the San Francisco Bay area, Orange and San Diego counties, and the Inland Empire. Latinos are the only major cross-section of likely voters who favor Sanchez over Harris, by a margin of 41% to 33%, the poll shows. Harris also gained support from Republicans and independents over the past month, mostly likely from voters who previously said they would not vote. Still, more than a third of likely Republican voters said they would not vote for Sanchez or Harris, and 16% of independent voters also plan to take a pass. The two Democrats are facing off in the highest-profile contest between two members of the same party since California adopted a top-two primary election system. Facebook

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Will the Defense Department fix the National Guard bonus repayment problem? California congressional reps are skeptical By Sarah D. Wire (Paul Sakuma / Associated Press) Some members of Californias congressional delegation arent satisfied with a Defense Department plan to verify whether thousands of California National Guard members fairly received bonuses for enlisting during the height of the Iraq war or must repay the money. They said Wednesday that they want a detailed plan by the time Congress returns in mid-November. Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Bakersfield) organized a call so that Californias 53 House members could question the Defense Department about how it plans to fix the problem, which was first reported Sunday by The Times. Members werent sure exactly how many of their colleagues were on the call. Defense Secretary Ashton Carter on Wednesday ordered the Pentagon to pause efforts to claw back the enlistment bonuses. He said the suspension would continue until he was satisfied that our process is working effectively. Congressional members told The Times that Defense officials said they plan to increase the number of employees reviewing the cases and expect all of them will be examined by July. After the call, Rep. Julia Brownley (D-Westlake Village) said she was still outraged and wants a more detailed plan from the Defense Department. There was definitely a level of skepticism that they would move forward on this in a very fair and evenhanded way, Brownley said. Department officials told the delegation there are 13,800 questionable bonus cases in California. Of those, 4,000 have been cleared as properly eligible and 1,200 cases identified as possible fraud, meaning the guard member was not eligible or did not complete the contract. The department still must review the remaining 8,600 cases. (The case numbers relayed to members of Congress on Wednesday differ slightly from those provided to The Times by the department.) Rep. Judy Chu (D-Monterey Park) said the Defense Department told members its plan is to clear up to 100 cases a day. They will give everybody a chance to go through the panels and make their case, she said, even the 1,200 identified as possible fraud. Brownleys staff said some Guard members were told to pay back more than $60,000. Many of the bonuses were at least $15,000. Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Burbank) said that in many cases, Guard members werent spending money they knew they werent supposed to receive, and that the Pentagon should have the burden of proving the soldier knowingly took a bonus they werent supposed to get. In the vast majority of cases, soldiers accepted these bonuses in good faith, Schiff said. You dont call them up years later and say, We shouldnt have offered that and try to collect. The department will give the California members another briefing when Congress returns Nov. 14. Brownley said several members told the department they would go ahead with legislation to forgive the bonus debt for at least some Guard members if a detailed plan was not ready by then. Facebook

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Latinos in California are motivated to vote against Donald Trump, and that could affect a lot of other races By Sophia Bollag Voters make their way in and out of a polling place at the House of Mercy in Los Angeles in November 2012. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) Latinos make up the largest ethnic group in California, but are often underrepresented at the polls. This year, however, experts say they expect good Latino turnout in November, thanks largely to the heated presidential election that is motivating many Latinos to vote against presidential candidate Donald Trump and his anti-immigration rhetoric. They stand to have considerable impact on many down-ballot races in California, as well as on the outcome of many statewide propositions. Read More Facebook

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Tom Steyer is now the biggest donor in the effort to raise the tobacco tax By Liam Dillon Billionaire Tom Steyer is now the largest donor in the effort to raise the states cigarette tax by $2 a pack. With a $3.5-million donation to the Yes on Proposition 56 campaign Tuesday, Steyers total spending on the race has reached $11.3 million. Thats more than a third of the $31 million the primary Yes on 56 committee has raised and more than all the money raised during a similar, but failed, effort to increase the tobacco tax four years ago. Steyer, who is a major donor to state and national liberal causes, is the focus in two Yes on 56 television advertisements. Hes said hes motivated to spend to limit youth smoking and the memory of his mother, a smoker who died of lung cancer. Steyer also is frequently mentioned as a potential Democratic candidate for governor in 2018. The No on 56 campaign, which is almost entirely funded by tobacco companies, has raised $71 million. Facebook

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California congressional reps say they didnt know so many Guard members were being forced to repay enlistment bonuses By Sarah D. Wire Some of Californias members of Congress say Californias National Guard did not explain in 2014 how many guard members were being forced to repay enlistment bonuses. On Wednesday, Defense Secretary Ashton Carter ordered the Pentagon to suspend all efforts to collect reimbursement from the nearly 10,000 California National Guard members who were improperly given bonuses as an incentive to reenlist at the height of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Earlier in the week, a senior California National Guard official said it told the states members of Congress two years ago the Pentagon was trying to claw back reenlistment bonuses from thousands of soldiers, and even offered a proposal to mitigate the problem, but Congress took no action. After The Times first reported the problem Sunday, most of Californias 55 members of Congress signed onto letters to Carter, or House and Senate leaders, asking for an immediate fix. On Wednesday, they praised the Defense Department for halting the clawbacks and said Congress needs to stop the process entirely and refund the Guard members who already have repaid money. Still, some members took issue with the California Guards characterization of what it told the California delegation two years ago. Staff in members offices said the Guard broadly mentioned the clawbacks in a 2014 letter detailing its policy goals for the year, but officials didnt meet with members of Congress in person or by phone, and didnt otherwise tell them about the scale of the issue. Such letters are fairly common from groups working with Congress. If they would have come and said, Youre going to have thousands of combat veterans having their wages garnished and tax liens being put on them, we would have been all over this, said Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-Alpine). That was never communicated to us. Rep. Tony Cardenas (D-Los Angeles) said neither the Pentagon nor California Guard officials told him about the large number of soldiers ordered to repay bonuses, though his office had received complaints from individual soldiers. I have no record of receiving any formal notice of this widespread issue from any department  federal or state. The only record I have is of individual cases of service members who approached my office to get help, and we are working with these individuals who have served our country to make sure they are treated fairly, he said. Several high-ranking members of the delegation said this week they first heard of the scope of the problem from The Times reporting. The California Guard also sent members of Congress a suggested provision that would have allowed debt waivers for the affected soldiers in the 2015 defense authorization bill. Reps. Paul Cook (R-Yucca Valley) and Jeff Denham (R-Turlock) initially pushed for the provision but later abandoned the effort, and it didnt appear in the final bill. Cook and Denham said they dropped the effort after being told the Pentagon already had the power to waive the debts. Guard officials said they were told the provision was discarded because waiving the debt would have cost the Pentagon money, requiring the estimated costs to be offset with cuts elsewhere in the defense budget. For the record: An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated that Denham declined to discuss why he dropped the provision to waive the debt. He dropped the effort after being told the Pentagon already had the power to waive the debt. Facebook

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Ted Cruzs old gang called into action to help California GOP By Phil Willon Ron Nehring, a former aide in Sen. Ted Cruzs presidential bid, chats with visitors at the California State Fair in Sacramento during his 2014 campaign for lieutenant governor. (Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press) Texas Sen. Ted Cruzs presidential bid may be history, but his supporters in California are banding together to help GOP candidates locked in tight down-ballot races. Ron Nehring, the former state GOP chairman who was a top Cruz booster, said the focus will be turning out Republican voters and recruiting volunteers to work on a list of hotly contested congressional and legislative races selected by the California Republican Party. Among those pinpointed are Vista Rep. Darrell Issa, who faces his toughest challenge since being elected to Congress in 2000, and Sacramento County Sheriff Scott Jones, who is trying to unseat Democratic Rep. Ami Bera of Elk Grove. It is 100% exclusively boots on the ground, Nehring said. Michael Schroeder, who was co-chairman of Cruzs campaign in California and also served as the state GOP chairman, said Republican turnout in the Golden State is expected to be down because of the controversies surrounding GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump. Having Trump at the top of the November ballot also will motivate more Democrats to vote, and that could endanger GOP candidates in close races throughout the state, he said. Trumps campaign is a lost cause in California at this point, Schroeder said. Trump said he was going to drive Hispanic turnout, and I think hes right -- but not in the way hes hoping for. Californias Cruz alumni have a website and on Monday night held a conference call with 75 former Cruz organizers asking them to activate their local political networks to help with the effort, Nehring said. Other Republicans theyll work to protect or elect: Reps. Jeff Denham of Turlock, David Valadao of Hanford and Steve Knight of Palmdale.

Assembly members Catharine Baker of San Ramon, David Hadley of Manhattan Beach, Tom Lackey of Palmdale and Young Kim of Fullerton.

State Senate candidates Mike Antonovich of Glendale, Scott Wilk of Santa Clarita and Ling Ling Chang of Diamond Bar. Facebook

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Central Valley congressional race shifts to a toss-up By Sarah D. Wire (Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images) The 10th Congressional District race between Rep. Jeff Denham (R-Turlock) and Democrat Michael Eggman is now a toss-up, the nonpartisan analysts at the Cook Political Report announced Tuesday. The contest in the heavily Latino Central Valley district had been rated lean Republican, meaning the analysts thought Eggman had a chance, but they expected the third-term Republican to be reelected.The Cook Political Report now lists several California House districts held by Republicans as toss-ups, including Rep. Darrell Issas seat in the 49th District and Rep. Steve Knight in the 25th District. This is the second matchup for Denham and Eggman. Denham won their 2014 encounter with 56% of the vote, but this year, there is the added unknown of Republican presidential nominee Donald Trumps effect on other races and whether his unpopularity will drag down other candidates. For the record: An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated that Rep. David Valadaos race in the 21st District is listed as a toss-up. It is listed as leaning Republican. Facebook

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U.S. Rep. Ami Bera: Soldiers who served our country should not be penalized for the mistakes of others By Sophia Bollag Urging @DeptofDefense today to immediately stop ordering @theCAGuard members to pay back their enlistment benefits. pic.twitter.com/Ti6bzWJias  Ami Bera, M.D. (@RepBera) October 24, 2016 U.S. Rep. Ami Bera (D-Elk Grove) wrote to top Department of Defense officials Monday urging them to stop asking veterans to repay enlistment bonuses. The Pentagon has ordered nearly 10,000 California Guard soldiers to repay bonuses that were improperly awarded to them, The Times reported Saturday. With his letter, Bera joined the chorus of lawmakers who have condemned the action, calling on the Pentagon to waive the soldiers debts. Soldiers who served our country should not be penalized for the mistakes of others, wrote Bera, who faces a tough reelection battle in his Northern California district. I urge the Department to halt the collection of these bonuses at this time to prevent placing more service members in financial hardship. Facebook

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Crime victims oppose the death penalty in Yes on Prop. 62 ads By Jazmine Ulloa In new online ads released Tuesday by proponents of Proposition 62, which seeks to repeal the death penalty in California, crime victims urge voters to end the system and bring peace to grieving families. Proposition 62 would replace the ultimate punishment for murder with a sentence of life in prison without parole, ending a lengthy appeals process that some victims say has interfered with their healing. It is one of two competing death penalty measures on the Nov. 8 ballot. In one of two videos, which campaign officials say are geared toward swing voters, Beth Webb tells viewers she has had to face the death row inmate who killed her sister and seven others in a hair salon almost 50 times in court. Him sitting there, soaking up all of the attention, loving it, its disgusting, she says. The commercials come as proponents of the opposing measure on the ballot, Proposition 66, have released their own ads over the last few days, urging voters to reform the system, not end it. In one of those videos, a murder victims mother says no punishment other than the death penalty is appropriate for the twice-convicted sex offender who abducted her child. Read More Facebook

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Common, Russell Simmons, Shailene Woodley among celebrities pushing to legalize weed in California By Patrick McGreevy Common at the 2015 Academy Awards (Kevin Winter / Getty Images) Top celebrities including Common, Tim Robbins and the author of the Orange is the New Black memoir are joining forces in what they are calling Artists for 64"  the effort to legalize recreational use of marijuana in California. A show of force announced Tuesday includes rapper and actor Common; music producer Russell Simmons; Ty Dolla $ign; actors Danny Glover, Olivia Wilde, Tim Robbins, Sarah Silverman, Shailene Woodley of The Divergent series, Jesse Williams of Greys Anatomy and Michael K. Williams of the HBO series The Wire; and Piper Kerman, author of Orange is the New Black: My Year in a Womens Prison. Jay Z, who last week put out a video calling the war on drugs an epic fail, also signed on to the effort. In California, the question on whether to legalize marijuana for adult use is a policy change that will have a lasting impact on historically marginalized communities, Glover, the star of films including the Lethal Weapon series, said in a statement posted on Artists for 64. Marijuana laws have been used as a tool by law enforcement to racially profile, harass, intimidate and criminalize mostly young African American and Latino men for decades. I am shocked and saddened by the harm that marijuana criminalization brings, especially for communities of color, Wilde said in a statement. The campaign against Proposition 64 said Hollywood celebrities are not the most credible endorsers, charging they are out of touch with the reality of drug abuse in many communities in the state. Today the No on Prop 64 campaign did a press event in Fresno with faith and community leaders who know that the problems that recreational marijuana creates will impact these communities and neighborhoods across California not Hollywood, said Andrew Acosta, a spokesman for the opposition campaign. In a video produced by Dream Hampton and included on the website, former Golden State Warrior Al Harrington talks about how marijuana helped him overcome pain and inflammation during a staph infection and helped his grandmother with her glaucoma. Im a California voter and Im voting `yes for Prop. 64, he says. Williams spoke from personal experience. Im in recovery and dont use marijuana, and my Christian faith is my rock when it comes to staying sober, he said in a statement. But I dont believe people should be arrested for marijuana anymore. California can lead the country by voting yes on Prop 64. Drug Policy Action, an advocacy group backing Proposition 64 to legalize the drug for recreational use, paid for the site. Facebook

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Californias Congress members knew the Pentagon was trying to get back bonuses from soldiers, official says By David S. Cloud The California National Guard told the states members of Congress two years ago that the Pentagon was trying to claw back reenlistment bonuses from thousands of soldiers, and even offered a proposal to mitigate the problem, but Congress took no action, according to a senior National Guard official. What form that communication took and whether the members of Congress understood the scope of the problem at the time is unclear. On Monday, House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi sent a letter to Speaker Paul D. Ryan and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell saying that Congress should pass legislation to halt the Pentagon debt recovery as soon as we gavel back into session after the Nov. 8 election. Other California congressional members, including Sens. Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer, and House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, also sent letters to Defense Secretary Ashton Carter about the matter. Read More Facebook

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Proposition 56 and the great vape tax debate By Liam Dillon (Kenzo Tribouillard / AFP/Getty Images) Turn on any TV in California and you know that all the talk surrounding the Proposition 56 tobacco tax has been about cigarettes. But if the initiative passes next month, e-cigarettes will also be taxed like traditional cigarettes for the first time  a huge tax increase that could boost the price of a typical 30-milliliter bottle of e-liquid by $10. Read More Facebook

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State ethics watchdog asks court to force assemblymans campaign to turn over documents for investigation By Christine Mai-Duc Assemblyman David Hadley (R-Manhattan Beach) greets people after participating in a candidates forum in Torrance. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times) The campaign of Assemblyman David Hadley (R-Manhattan Beach) has delayed turning over documents related to an official investigation into his campaign practices, according to court documents filed by the state Fair Political Practices Commission. The investigation grew out of a complaint from Hadleys opponent, Democrat Al Muratsuchi, that claims Hadleys campaign was illegally coordinating with an independent expenditure committee that also supported Hadley. In a letter to the FPPC, Muratsuchi claimed Hadleys campaign and Spirit of Democracy, a group funded mostly by Republican donor Charles Munger, Jr., shared consultant Steven Presson during at least part of the primary campaign for Assembly District 66. In court documents filed Oct. 13, FPPC special investigator Garrett Micheels said he initially emailed Hadley Aug. 4, asking him to voluntarily provide certain records to the commissions enforcement division. The records requested included emails, letters and text messages between Jan. 1 and June 7 between Presson and the Hadley campaign, or any other individuals or groups concerning the Hadley race. The next day, Presson responded that the campaign would require a subpoena to avoid possible public exposure to sensitive emails within the Hadley campaign regarding our strategy. After a subpoena was issued on Aug. 12, Micheels said in court documents, Hadley retained attorney Steve Churchwell, who asked for extensions to produce the documents at least three times, but never provided the records. On Sept. 27, Hadley produced some of the documents, court filings say, but wrote to explain that he was withholding his communications with Presson because there are hundreds or thousands of such correspondences that contained sensitive/confidential campaign communications that he said he had not had the time to review. As of Friday, the FPPC says, they have not received the rest of the documents requested. There is only one reason Hadley would conceal documents, and that is because he is guilty and is trying to hide the evidence, said Mike Shimpock, a consultant for the Muratsuchi campaign. A Hadley campaign spokesman declined to comment and Churchwell did not return a request for comment. Oral arguments in the case are scheduled for 2 p.m. Friday in the Sacramento County Superior Court. Facebook

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New ads urge California voters not to repeal the last defense against killers By Jazmine Ulloa In two new television ads, police officers and prosecutors urge California voters not to repeal the death penalty on Nov. 8, calling it the last defense against killers. The commercials, released late Monday by the California Correctional Peace Officers Assn., are part of the No on Prop. 62, Yes on Prop. 66 campaign. The effort aims to defeat Proposition 62, which would replace the ultimate punishment for murder with life in prison without parole, and to support Proposition 66, which would change and limit how and how often death row inmates can appeal. The pro-death penalty campaign has drawn broad support and funding from law enforcement organizations across the state. The Correctional Peace Officers Assn. alone has donated nearly $600,000 since last September. Ive seen what the worst among us can do, killings so brutal families never recover, Sgt. Dan Cabral of the Sacramento County Deputy Sheriffs Assn. tells viewers in one ad. Its why we have a death penalty. The second ad features the case of serial killer Charles Ng, who has spent 17 years on death row for the rape, torture and slayings of at least 11 victims. This is cruel punishment for the families, Sharon Sellitto, one victims sister, says in the video. Read More Facebook

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GOP Rep. Darrell Issa returns fire after President Obama rips his campaign mailer By Phil Willon Vista Republican Rep. Darrell Issa said Monday he was disappointed but not surprised by President Obamas criticism of him for using the presidents photo in a campaign mailer. At a fundraiser in La Jolla on Sunday night, Obama said Issas primary contribution to Congress has been to obstruct and to waste taxpayer dollars on trumped-up investigations that have led nowhere. The president called Issa shameless for using his image in his reelection campaign. Im disappointed but not surprised that the president, in a political speech, continues to deny accountability for the serious scandals that happened under his watch where Americans died overseas and veterans have died here at home, Issa said in a statement released by his congressional campaign Monday. Youd be hard-pressed to find anyone who thinks Ive done too much to hold Washington accountable. Ive worked with the administration on good legislation where it was possible, called out wrongdoing wherever I saw it and will continue to do so. Issa is running his toughest congressional campaign to date, an increasingly nasty race that has been declared a toss-up by the nonpartisan Cook Political Report. Issas Democratic challenger in the 49th Congressional District, retired Marine Col. Doug Applegate, has criticized the congressman as a Washington insider and supporter of Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump. In the political mailer sent out by the Issa campaign, the congressman said he was pleased with the president for signing legislation he co-sponsored that provides victims of sexual assault legal protections in the federal criminal justice system. At the Sunday night fundraiser, Obama ripped Issa as a guy who, because poll numbers are bad, has sent out brochures with my picture on them touting his cooperation on issues with me. Now that is the definition of chutzpah, Obama said. Issa once called Obama one of the most corrupt presidents in modern times. While chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, he led investigations into the Benghazi attack, the Internal Revenue Service scandal, the botched Fast and Furious gun sting and other actions by the Obama administration. Facebook

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California Democrats remember Tom Hayden for pursuits close to home By Michael Finnegan (Lori Shepler / Los Angeles Times) Top California Democrats remembered Tom Hayden on Monday as an influential activist whose pursuit of liberal causes extended far beyond his best-known work leading protests against the Vietnam War. Tom took up causes that others avoided, Gov. Jerry Brown said. He had a real sense of the underdog and was willing to do battle no matter what the odds. Hayden died Sunday in Santa Monica after a long illness. He was 76. Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti recalled Haydens work negotiating a gang truce in Venice, along with his contributions to an anti-sweatshop ordinance to prevent worker exploitation. Tom Hayden was a giant who never stopped pushing for peace and justice, and inspired a generation of change agents to bring new voices and overlooked perspectives to the decision-making process, Garcetti said. Hayden, classified by the FBI as a rabble rouser in the 1960s, was prosecuted by President Nixons Justice Department in the raucous Chicago 7 trial after violent clashes with police at the 1968 Democratic National Convention. His conviction was dismissed on appeal. He went on to serve in the state Assembly and Senate for a total of 18 years. John Burton, chairman of the California Democratic Party, recalled two measures that Hayden got passed. One allocated $250,000 to buy tattoo removal machines for imprisoned youth so they could cut their gang ties. The other set up a program for parents to use tax-free accounts for savings dedicated to their childrens college education. These bills didnt get a lot of attention at the time, but they have had a far-reaching impact on young peoples futures, said Burton, who led the state Senate when Hayden was a member. The Senates current leader, Kevin de Leon of Los Angeles, said Hayden was well ahead of the curve on issues involving the environment, social justice, gang intervention and urban peace, access to higher education, domestic violence and much more. Hayden, he said, distinguished himself as a paragon of political integrity and a great intellect. Facebook

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Secretary of States office holds voter registration drive at the Capitol on the last day to register in California By Sophia Bollag .@CASOSvote staff are outside the Capitol today to register new voters. Today is the deadline to register in CA. pic.twitter.com/vNovU1jNla  Sophia Bollag (@SophiaBollag) October 24, 2016 The Secretary of States office is holding a voter registration drive outside the Capitol today, the last day to register in California before the November election. The offices staff registered about 20 people in the first couple of hours, said Milena Paez, who works in the offices elections division. Many people had also stopped by the booth to ask where their polling place is or check their voter registration status, she said. LaRhonda Sayles-Willis, who recently moved to the Sacramento area, said she saw the booth as she walked down the street and stopped by to see where she was registered. She ended up re-registering to vote to be on the safe side and said shes particularly motivated to vote for Hillary Clinton. I really oppose her opponent. I just dont like the guy, the 56-year-old said. I just dont think hes a good representation of the United States. Ada Avelar, 21, said she decided to register because she recently moved to the United States from Mexico City to attend Sacramento State University. Avelar is an American citizen. She said she saw the booth on her way back from having lunch with a friend and decided to register right there. I was like, its a sign, she said. I have to do it. Facebook

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Assemblywoman Patty Lopez vows not to give up on reelection despite lack of party support By Christine Mai-Duc Patty Lopez watches as ballots are counted in her 2014 race against then-incumbent Raul Bocanegra, who she bested by fewer than 500 votes. ( (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)) On a recent weekend, with just three weeks to go until the November election, Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon made a whirlwind tour of five of the most hotly contested races in the state, stumping for Democratic candidates. Assemblywoman Patty Lopez (D-San Fernando), who faces a stiff challenge from former Assemblyman Raul Bocanegra, was not one of them. Instead, she spent part of her Saturday walking through a community street festival, handing out fliers with a handful of volunteers. Ive been blocked from my party, but my district knows who is Patty Lopez, she said. Sometimes I feel disappointed, but thats not stopping me from doing what I need to do. In 2014, Lopez shocked many when she eked out a win against Bocanegra by a margin of less than 500 votes. With six Democrats on the ballot in this years primary, Lopez received just 27.2% of the vote, a distant second to Bocanegras 44.4%. Despite this, and the fact that the California Democratic Party has endorsed her challenger, Lopez says she is a woman of faith who believes 100 percent that shell be reelected. Read More Facebook

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Obama says Darrell Issa is shameless for praising him in campaign mailer that is the definition of chutzpah By Sarah D. Wire At a California fundraiser Sunday night, President Obama called Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Vista) shameless for using the presidents photo on a recent mailer and praising him after years of criticizing the Obama administration. Issa is facing an unexpectedly tough race this year as the eight-term Republican squares off against political novice former Marine Col. Doug Applegate. Issas primary contribution to the United States Congress has been to obstruct and to waste taxpayer dollars on trumped-up investigations that have led nowhere. And this is now a guy who, because poll numbers are bad, has sent out brochures with my picture on them touting his cooperation on issues with me, Obama told the crowd, according to a transcript, at a Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee fundraiser in the La Jolla home of donor Christine Forester. Now that is the definition of chutzpah. The Vista Republican has been a frequent critic of Obama and has called him one of the most corrupt presidents in modern times. The campaign mailer said Issa was pleased with the president for signing legislation he co-sponsored into law. Issa was one of 40 House members who co-sponsored the legislation, which provides some sexual assault victims legal protections in the federal criminal justice system. The president is in Los Angeles today and Tuesday for a taping of Jimmy Kimmel Live and two fundraisers, including a $100,000-per-ticket fundraiser at DreamWorks Chief Executive Jeffrey Katzenbergs home tonight that is completely closed to the press. Facebook

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The district where water is more important than all other campaign issues By Sarah D. Wire (Sarah D. Wire/ Los Angeles Times) In Californias Central Valley, the nations most productive agricultural region, the drought drives everything. And the ongoing fight over how much water flows could be the reason Democrats havent been able to win in the 21st Congressional District with a national race even though 47% of registered voters there are Democrats. Heres a look at the role of water in the race between Rep. David Valadao, and attorney Emilio Huerta. Read More Facebook

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What happens if both death penalty measures are approved by voters on Nov. 8? By Jazmine Ulloa (Pat Sullivan / Associated Press) California voters are weighing dueling death penalty propositions on the Nov. 8 ballot, one that seeks to repeal the system and another that aims to speed it up. If both pass with a majority, the initiative with the most yes votes would supersede the other. If both fail to garner the votes, then the status quo remains, a frustrating prospect for many as advocates on both sides of the issue say the system is broken. California has more than 740 inmates awaiting execution, the largest death row population in the country. Their appeals go directly to the state Supreme Court and take 25 years to process. Both capital punishment measures would require current prisoners to work and pay restitution to victims. But Proposition 62 would repeal the death penalty in California for first-degree murder and replace the sentence with life in prison without the possibility of parole. It also would apply retroactively to offenders already sentenced to death. Proposition 66 would designate lower trial courts to take on initial challenges to convictions and limit successive appeals to within five years of a death sentence. It also would require court-appointed lawyers who dont take capital appeals to represent death row inmates. Facebook

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California Politics Podcast: Propositions, polling and parole By John Myers The fact that there are 17 propositions on the statewide ballot has not only made things hard on voters, its been almost impossible for pollsters to sample opinion on so many issues. But one new poll looks at some of the least talked about measures, and its our first topic on this weeks California Politics Podcast. The poll suggests a lot of voters remain undecided about several of these low-profile proposals. We also take a detailed look at one of the most contentious ballot fights, the effort by Gov. Jerry Brown to revamp state prison parole rules through Proposition 57. Im joined on this weeks episode by Marisa Lagos of KQED News. Facebook

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In No on 62, Yes on 66 campaign ad, murder victims mother urges California voters to keep the death penalty By Jazmine Ulloa In three online ads released Friday, Sandra Friend tells California voters they should fix the states death penalty system, not end it. The 43-year-old mother has been a crime victims advocate since Robert Boyd Rhoades sexually abused and killed her 8-year-old son, Michael Lyons, two decades ago. She is now serving as one of the main voices behind a campaign that is working to defeat Proposition 62, which would repeal the death penalty, and in favor of Proposition 66, which seeks to speed up executions. Voters will weigh the dueling capital punishment initiatives on the Nov. 8 ballot. Both would require current death row inmates to work and pay restitution to victims, but would take opposing approaches to what the measures both call a broken system. Rhoades, who abducted Lyons on his way home from school in Yuba City, is one of 740 death row inmates in California. Executions have been on hold since 2006, when the states lethal injection protocol was challenged in court. Friend tells viewers it has been difficult coming to terms with the fact that her son was murdered by a twice-convicted sex offender. I am living a parents worst nightmare, she says. Facebook

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Former state Sen. Ronald Calderon sentenced to 42 months in prison on corruption charge By Joel Rubin Former state Sen. Ronald S. Calderon was sentenced in Los Angeles on Friday to 42 months in prison after he pleaded guilty in a federal corruption case. The Montebello Democrat, who served in the state Senate for eight years ending in 2014, admitted in a plea deal in June that he accepted tens of thousands of dollars in bribes from undercover FBI agents and a hospital executive in return for official favors. Federal prosecutors had asked for a five-year sentence for a charge where the maximum possible penalty was 20 years. U.S. District Judge Christina Snyder, who handed down the sentence to Calderon, said five years was too severe but that a significant prison sentence was needed to punish Calderon and send a message to other elected officials that corruption will not be tolerated. The crime is significant, she said during the court hearing. This is a true public corruption case. Striking a defiant tone throughout, Calderon refused to admit any wrong-doing or to apologize during the court hearing. My goal was always to do the right thing for California, he said. At no point did I intend to break the law. He said he ultimately decided to plead guilty in order to spare his family the ordeal of a trial, but persisted in his innocence, saying he never agreed to any quid pro quo to benefit himself or his family. Unemployed and tens of thousands of dollars in debt, Calderon said professional relationships had been ruined as had his relationship with his brother. My reputation is destroyed, Calderon said. Snyder was unmoved. I did not really hear Senator Calderon accept responsibility or apologize, she said. It was really about himself. Calderon, 59, had pleaded guilty to one count of mail fraud as part of a plea in which he admitted to accepting trips to Las Vegas, jobs for a son and daughter, and cash for him and his brother, former Assemblyman Tom Calderon. Tom Calderon was sentenced last month to one year in federal custody for laundering bribes taken by his brother. The Calderon family was politically powerful for decades in California. A third brother, former Assemblyman Charles Calderon, was not implicated in the corruption scandal. Ronald Calderons nephew, Ian Calderon, is a state assemblyman, the last family member in state elected office. He was not alleged to have any part in the corruption scheme. Assistant U.S. Atty. Mack E. Jenkins wrote a blistering brief opposing Calderons request to serve time with home detention or be released for the brief time he already spent in jail. Here, defendants trafficking in his legislative votes (for, by contrast, over $150,000 in benefits) caused a reverberation of negative effects throughout California and put a stain not just on his career, but on the reputation of the state legislature, Jenkins wrote. Read More Facebook

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Accusations fly in the congressional race for this Northern California swing district By Sophia Bollag Democratic U.S. Rep. Ami Bera, left, shakes hands with his Republican challenger, Sacramento County Sheriff Scott Jones, after their debate Tuesday in the race for the 7th Congressional District seat. (Jose Luis Villegas / Associated Press) Questions about character have been dominating the congressional race between Rep. Ami Bera (D-Elk Grove) and Sacramento County Sheriff Scott Jones. Both candidates have been plagued by allegations of wrongdoing. Beras father was recently sentenced to jail for illegally funneling money to two of his sons past campaigns. Jones faces allegations he sexually harassed a subordinate at the Sheriffs Department more than a decade ago, which he denies. Theyre competing in a divided district that leans Democratic, but not by much. In 2014, Bera beat his Republican challenger by less than a percentage point. This race is always one of the closest races in the country, he said. Read More Facebook

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Loretta Sanchez says she got death threats after she voted against the Iraq war By Phil Willon Rep. Loretta Sanchez, after her speech Thursday. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times) U.S. Senate candidate Loretta Sanchez on Thursday urged ROTC cadets at UCLA to have the courage to challenge politicians who call for ill conceived uses of military force such as the 2003 invasion of Iraq. We need military leaders that understand the limits of our military power, said Sanchez, who has served in Congress for two decades and sits on the House Armed Services Committee. Why is it that every generation and every president has to learn that all over again? The Orange County congresswoman made the comments during an address to ROTC cadets at UCLAs Pauley Pavilion. Sanchez said her experience on the House Armed Services Committee made her question the long-term implications of the Iraq invasion, and whether the U.S. might find itself bogged down in a war in the Middle East. In 2002, Sanchez was among the 133 House members who voted against the authorization of military force against Iraq. It was a lonely time, Sanchez told the cadets. [When] I came back to Orange County, I was spit on. I received death threats. The congresswoman told the cadets the military is just one part of a national security strategy that includes intelligence gathering, diplomacy and the use of the countrys economic strength. Because so much is at stake, the use of our military should always be a last resort, Sanchez said. Sanchez is running against fellow Democrat and state Atty. Gen. Kamala Harris for Californias U.S. Senate seat. She says her expertise on national defense and terrorism are among the reasons shes the most qualified candidate. Facebook

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Tobacco companies claim proponents of cigarette tax will use the new revenue to enrich their top executives By Liam Dillon Tobacco companies have unveiled a new claim in their campaign against the $2-per-pack increase in cigarette taxes on the November ballot. In a television advertisement that debuted over the weekend, the No on Proposition 56 campaign contends that the doctors and health insurance groups financing the initiative wrote it to avoid external oversight over the money going to low-income patient care. They even exempted themselves from the new audit requirements, the ad states. They can use the new revenue to enrich their top executives, and theres no requirement to treat even one more patient. The claim rests on a part of the Proposition 56 initiative that creates new auditing rules to govern where the new tax money would go. But it ignores the litany of state and federal auditing requirements to which Medi-Cal, the states low-income health program, already is subject. First, heres a little background about how the money from Proposition 56 would get spent. Assuming fewer people use tobacco because of the tax increase, the tax would raise about $1.27 billion next year, according to an estimate from the Legislative Analysts Office. Of that amount, $710 million  about 56%  would go to Medi-Cal, primarily to increase the payment doctors and other healthcare providers receive when they treat patients. The remaining dollars go to back-filling current state and local sales taxes and other programs because fewer people will buy cigarettes, doctor and dentist training and anti-tobacco efforts. The initiative kicks in $400,000 a year to audit the agencies receiving the money. Beth Miller, spokeswoman for the No on 56 campaign, said that opponents like that state and local agencies will be audited if the measure passes. The criticism is that the provisions dont go far enough. It would have been nice to have those audit requirements also apply to those end users, so to speak: the hospitals, the insurance companies and the doctors, Miller said. Medi-Cal providers, however, get audited all the time. The states Department of Health Care Services does internal audits and investigations through an entire department of about 700 employees and a $50-million budget dedicated to reviewing the programs under its jurisdiction, including looking at the financial records of Medi-Cal providers. Beyond that, the California State Auditor has issued at least two wide-ranging audits involving Medi-Cal providers in the last five years on the states oversight of managed-care plans. And the federal Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General also audits programs and providers that receive federal dollars for low-income patients. One recent federal audit of California that examined pediatric dental providers happened last May. Miller contended that the audits required under Proposition 56 are more transparent than the existing state and federal programs. Mike Roth, spokesman for the Yes on 56 campaign, said the initiative has plenty of safeguards to ensure the tax money is spent wisely, including the auditing provisions. This is another desperate and deceitful red herring from tobacco companies, and it takes the cake as far as their flagrant lies about Proposition 56, Roth said. Heres the full ad: UPDATES: 3:03 p.m.: This post was updated to include the full video of the advertisement. This article was originally published at 2:00 p.m. Facebook

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Central Valley congressional race that once leaned Republican is now a toss-up, report says By Sarah D. Wire Rep. Jeff Denham (R-Turlock) (Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images) The nonpartisan analysts at the Cook Political Report now say its a toss-up whether Republican Rep. Jeff Denham or Democrat beekeeper Michael Eggman will win the 10th Congressional District race. The race had been rated leans Republican since last fall, indicating that the analysts expected Denham to keep the seat, but felt Democrats had a chance. This is the second matchup for Denham and Eggman. Denham won in 2014 with 56.4% of the vote. Democrats have worked for months to tie vulnerable House Republicans to the rhetoric of their presidential nominee, Donald Trump, and this race is one where Trumps effect down the ballot could be most visible. Denham has said he disagrees with Trumps rhetoric, but hasnt backed off supporting him, a move that could prove unpopular in the Central Valley district where at least 40% of the population is Latino. Three Republican-held seats in California are now considered toss-ups. The other two are representing the 25th Congressional District, held by Rep. Steve Knight (R-Palmdale), and the 49th Congressional District, held by Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Vista). Facebook

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California Senate leader endorses gun control initiative despite differences with its author, Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom By Patrick McGreevy California Senate President Pro Tem Kevin de Leon, left, and Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom, right, applaud at Gov. Jerry Browns State of the State speech in January. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) Despite political differences with its author, state Senate President Pro Tem Kevin de Leon (D-Los Angeles) on Thursday endorsed Proposition 63, which would expand Californias already tough gun control laws. Proposition 63 was proposed by Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom and would outlaw large-capacity ammunition magazines, require background checks for those buying bullets, require lost or stolen guns to be reported quickly, make stealing a firearm a felony and provide a process for newly convicted felons to relinquish their guns. De Leon and Newsom have both been working on gun control issues for years and both have aspirations for higher office. Newsom is running for governor in 2018. Some in the De Leon camp thought when the initiative was proposed last year that it was being used to try to take over an issue on which the senator has been a leader. The two disagreed earlier this year on the best way to achieve gun control aims, with De Leon publicly calling on Newsom to drop his initiative and allow the Legislature to act, and Newsom refusing, charging that the Legislatures proposals were not extensive enough. In the end, the Legislature approved several bills, including one by De Leon that requires background checks for ammunition purchasers, even though a similar proposal is included in the Newsom initiative. The Legislature also mandated that its background-check plan would supersede the one in Proposition 63. On Thursday, De Leon made no mention of the differences. Earlier this year, our Legislature passed the most sweeping and important package of gun safety laws in the nation, increasing nationwide momentum and grass-roots outcries for common-sense safeguards against gun violence, De Leon said in a statement. I endorse Proposition 63 because we must send a powerful and united message to the national Gun Lobby that California will not capitulate to political bullying or compromise the public safety, he added. The differences between the two politicians were highlighted noted by Richard Grenell, co-chairman of the Coalition for Civil Liberties, which is campaigning against the initiative. This is a prime example of why people should trust law enforcement on this question before self-interested politicians, Grenell said. Just a few months ago, de Leon asked Newsom to repeal Prop 63. De Leons statement was released a day after Newsom ruffled some feathers in the De Leon camp when he told the Sacramento Press Club that his initiative accomplishes things that state officials could not. Newsom noted that 11 other states have enacted the requirement that stolen guns be reported. There have been legislative attempts and they have failed multiple times here in the Capitol, Newsom said. The Legislature did approve such a bill this year, but it was vetoed by Gov. Jerry Brown in July. The political dispute between the two leading Democrats surfaced last year when De Leon acted to slash a third of Newsoms staff, notifying him that two Senate employees who had been on loan to the lieutenant governors office were being reassigned. UPDATED at 1:10 pm to include comment from opponent of initiative. Facebook

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No fight from the business community over the proposed tobacco and income tax hikes By Liam Dillon (Justin Sullivan / Getty Images) Business groups often make up a triumvirate with Republicans and taxpayer advocates against tax increases. But on the two tax hikes on the 2016 California ballot, major business leaders are mostly staying away from the fight. They tend to dislike the income tax extensions promised by Proposition 55, but arent campaigning against them. And some are even backing Proposition 56s cigarette tax increases. Read More Facebook

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Almost half a million Californians have already voted by mail, with a surge in some hotly contested races By John Myers (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) Early data compiled from local elections officials shows a surge of ballots being returned in the mail, especially in some of the most closely watched races this election season. A report compiled by Political Data Inc. shows almost 408,000 ballots cast in just the first eight days of voting, with more than half of those ballots arriving in local election offices Wednesday. As weve reported before, election day in California is now more like an election month. A majority of the states voters cast their ballots away from traditional polling places, and political professionals can closely monitor which voters in any given race have turned those ballots back in. The report also shows strong early voting in some of Californias most talked about congressional races. In the hotly contested reelection race of Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Vista), more than four times as many ballots have been returned so far compared to the 2014 general election. And even though Republicans have an eight-point registration advantage in Issas district, the ballots cast so far have skewed more Democratic. In early voting, the two major parties are almost even in the number of votes cast. Issa, facing a tough race against Democrat Douglas Applegate, recently sent out a campaign mailer trying to appeal to local voters who support President Obama. Compared to the first few days of the 2014 general election, substantially more ballots have also been cast in the Central Valley races featuring Reps. Jeff Denham (R-Turlock) and David Valadao (R-Hanford). In both districts, Democratic voters are outpacing GOP voters in early ballot returns. While none of the data offers information on how those ballots were cast -- these are only totals received by county officials -- the early numbers may offer a glimpse at how energized some parts of the electorate are in this contentious campaign season. Facebook

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What will Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom focus on in his run for governor? Aging infrastructure among issues By Patrick McGreevy California Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom speaks at an event in Los Angeles in April. (Nick Ut / Associated Press) Signaling that his gubernatorial campaign will shift into higher gear after next months election, Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom said Wednesday that he is working on a plan to double spending on roads and other infrastructure since the Legislature failed to act this year. This is going to be something you will be hearing a lot more from me on over the course of the next number of months, a very aggressive infrastructure proposal, Newsom said in a speech to the Sacramento Press Club. The former San Francisco mayor is running for governor in 2018. He noted that the governor and Legislature did not reach an agreement on a transportation funding program in the face of a $130-billion backlog in state and local road repairs. Legislative Democrats proposed a $7.4-billion plan earlier this year that would raise the gas tax by 17 cents a gallon. Thats about twice the size of an earlier plan by Gov. Jerry Brown. Weve got to more than double our investment in infrastructure in this state, Newsom said, adding the problem has reached code red in California. Plans by the governor to use proceeds from sale of cap-and-trade credits have merits, he said. Separately, Newsom said he continues to support the vision of a high speed rail system for California but said I remain concerned about the finances. He said the private sector must step up to provide more of the money as the project cost has close to doubled from its original $33 billion price tag. Newsom acknowledged that he has work to do to introduce himself to voters outside his home base. I think a lot of the state really doesnt know me yet, he said, adding he sees it as a great opportunity to tell his story. He declined to comment on the gubernatorial candidacy of state Treasurer John Chiang and possible runs by former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and billionaire environmental activist Tom Steyer. Im not focused on those others, he said. Im focused on what we have before us. Facebook

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L.A. activist is building his AIDS organization into a political powerhouse with two November ballot measures By Christine Mai-Duc (Barbara Davidson / Los Angeles Times) When Michael Weinstein launched his AIDS Healthcare Foundation in the late 1980s, he had a coffee can for donations and a $50,000 budget to provide end-of-life care to those dying of the disease. Today, hes grown the nonprofit into a $1.2-billion operation that manages hundreds of clinics and pharmacies globally, and has quickly become a major political player in California, and, he hopes, nationally. AHF, as it is known, is sponsoring two initiatives on Californias November ballot: Proposition 60, which would require adult film actors to use condoms during sex scenes, and Proposition 61, which would bar state agencies from entering contracts to purchase drugs where the price is higher than that paid by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Thats quite a feat in a state as expensive as California, and in a political year as crowded as 2016. Were doing things on a scale that we havent before, Weinstein said in a recent interview from his office in a Hollywood high-rise. Read More Facebook

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These janitors are giving up sleep to knock on doors for Hillary Clinton By Sarah D. Wire Yamilex Rustrian, left, of North Hollywood, and Leticia Soto of Los Angeles check Las Vegas addresses to visit to encourage voters to support Hillary Clinton. (Sarah D. Wire / Los Angeles Times) Early Saturday morning, Yamilex Rustrian sat with her mother and other janitors assembled at long tables in the old mortuary that is home to the SEIU United Service Workers West. They ate ham, cheese and bean sandwiches as they waited for the final workers to get off the late shift. At least one came still dressed in her blue smock. The group of janitors and their children made a quick trip to Las Vegas over the weekend to knock on doors for Hillary Clinton, and got home Sunday just in time for the late shift. Each had their reasons to join the more than 150 union members who made the trip. Read More Facebook

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Federal prosector seeks 5 years for former California Sen. Ron Calderon in corruption case By Patrick McGreevy A federal prosecutor has recommended that former state Sen. Ron Calderon be sentenced to five years in prison as part of a federal corruption case that rocked the California state Capitol. Assistant U.S. Atty. Mack E. Jenkins wrote a blistering brief urging the federal judge to not show leniency to Calderon, who in June entered a plea deal in which he pleaded guilty to one count of mail fraud. Here, defendants trafficking in his legislative votes (for, by contrast, over $150,000 in benefits) caused a reverberation of negative effects throughout California and put a stain not just on his career, but on the reputation of the state legislature, Jenkins wrote ahead of Fridays sentencing date. The prosecutor noted that only one fellow politician wrote a letter of support for Calderon, a Montebello Democrat. In defendants plea agreement, he admitted to participating in two substantial and complex bribery schemes that entailed multiple forms of bribes, concealment and sophisticated money laundering, the prosecutor wrote. Here, defendant sold his vote not just to help pay for the expenses of living beyond his means, but for the more banal and predictable aims of corruption  fancy luxuries, fancy parties and fancy people. An attorney for Calderon has asked the judge to sentence the former lawmaker to time already served in jail during his booking or home detention. Jenkins proposed that Calderon be sentenced to five years in custody, one year of supervised release, a $7,500 fine and 250 hours of community service. Facebook

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A new Jay Z video says pot should be legal in California and calls the war on drugs an epic fail By Patrick McGreevy Rapper Jay Z has weighed in to support Proposition 64, which would legalize the recreational use of marijuana in California, calling the war on drugs an epic fail, in a YouTube video, which also describes how the effort filled prisons with young African American and Latino men. Young men like me who hustle became the sole villain, Jay Z says as the video depicts the deterioration of a neighborhood drawn by artist Molly Crabapple. The one-minute video was produced by the group Drug Policy Action from a longer animated video that addressed the general issue of drug prohibition, said Jason Kinney, a spokesman for the campaign. The shortened video, titled The War on Drugs from Prohibition to Gold Rush, ends with a new, written message urging people to vote for Proposition 64, adding, We can stop the harm on Nov. 8. Jay Z agreed to have the video tailored to the Proposition 64 campaign, Kinney said. Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom, who helped qualify the initiative, praised the rapper on Twitter, writing Thank you, Jay Z, for your strong voice for social justice & co-creating this new @Yeson64 video! Facebook

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Bay Area congressman Eric Swalwell got married over the weekend By Sarah D. Wire View Instagram post Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Dublin) and Brittany Watts, a sales director at the Ritz-Carlton in Half Moon Bay, got married on Friday. They were married at the Rene C. Davidson Courthouse in Oakland. Before being elected to Congress, Swalwell worked in the courthouse as a prosecutor with the Alameda County district attorneys office. Here is the couples wedding announcement. The congressman also posted an image of the couple cutting their wedding cake on Instagram. Facebook

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Los Angeles top elections officer talks about voter fraud and polling place intimidation in Reddit chat By John Myers The questions posed by Reddit users on Monday to the top elections officer in Los Angeles ranged from small problems over where to cast an early ballot to broader concerns about election security. Dean Logan, Los Angeles Countys registrar of voters, attempted to answer almost all of them during the hourlong online conversation. Asked about intimidation of voters at the polls, possibly inspired by criticisms over comments by GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump, Logan said the question has been popping up a lot in his office. We, of course, encourage people to observe all elements of the process, but any disruption of voters or intimidation of voters is unacceptable, he wrote. Another Reddit user asked whether all ballots mailed or dropped off at a polling place are counted. Any valid and timely received vote by mail ballot will be counted and included in the certified election results, Logan wrote. I am always surprised by this question. Logan said that officials mailed some 1.8 million ballots last week to Los Angeles Countys permanent absentee voters, with one-time requests for ballots by mail being sent out this week. Asked by one Reddit user about a potential way to commit voter fraud with absentee ballots, Logan said it is important to note that the voter doing so would be signing an oath under penalty of perjury. He also agreed with one questioners concern that voter turnout was too low, and suggested that a new state laws significant expansion of voting by mail may help. I think the model of voting we use is somewhat outdated and unfamiliar to new voters, Logan said. Facebook

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Kamala Harris and her husband made $1.17 million in 2015, according to report on their tax returns By Phil Willon Atty. Gen. Kamala Harris files to run for the U.S. Senate in February at the Los Angeles County Registrar with her husband, Douglas Emhoff. (Barbara Davidson / Los Angeles Times) The 2015 tax returns filed by U.S. Senate candidate Kamala Harris and her husband, Los Angeles attorney Douglas Emhoff, show that the couple earned $1.17 million that year, according to reports. Harris tax returns, which were viewed and first reported by the Sacramento Bee, also showed that the California attorney general and her husband paid $450,000 in state and federal income taxes. Harris campaign spokesman Nathan Click said journalists are being allowed to view the tax returns by appointment only. Harris rival in the Senate race, Orange County Rep. Loretta Sanchez, provided her 2015 tax return to the Orange County Register and will not make those tax records available to other journalists until after that news organization publishes its story, said Sanchez campaign spokesman Luis Vizcaino. Harris and Sanchez have net worths that likely run in the millions, according to federal and state financial disclosures. Facebook

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Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum reopens  and his daughter and grandson get a tour By Christine Mai-Duc Christopher Cox, grandson of Richard Nixon, talks to reporters during a tour of the newly renovated Nixon Presidential Library and Museum. (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times) The Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum reopened Saturday, after a 10-month renovation that sought to reframe the narrative of the 37th presidents life and legacy. The $15-million remake brings to a close a more than decade-long effort to bring greater legitimacy to a library that historian and Nixon scholar Stanley Kutler once called just another Southern California theme park whose reality level was slightly better than Disneyland. We wrote about the librarys new exhibits a couple of months ago, and the challenge of building an unflinching portrait of a complicated man. In attendance were Henry Kissinger, Nixons former secretary of State, former California Gov. Pete Wilson and Nixons daughter and grandson, Tricia Nixon Cox and Christopher Nixon Cox. Times photographer Mark Boster attende
Something is missing from President Obamas list.

Progress is on the ballot, he said at a campaign rally here last week. Tolerance is on the ballot. Justice is on the ballot. Equality is on the ballot. Our democracy is on the ballot!

Its not as if Obama forgot that Hillary Clinton, the nominee he is campaigning for, is also on the ballot. Its just that the election is about so much more for the outgoing head of state.

More than for most presidents, Obamas legacy rests in the hands of whoever follows him in office: Clinton, whose platform builds on his record, or Donald Trump, who has vowed to rescind many of Obamas actions. Thus, Obama is stumping more aggressively for a successor than any president has in modern U.S. history, claiming an unprecedented platform to extol his years in the White House.

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He has revived his considerable campaigning skills to sell both Clinton and his own record with the feel of a man on a victory lap, vindicated by his increasing popularity and what he sees as a mission to truth-squad the GOP message of the last eight years.

One of Obamas main campaign tasks has to been to tie Republicans to their nominee, who has been reluctantly embraced by some in his party, outright shunned by others over his divisive candidacy.

Obama has appeared to relish explaining his view that Republicans helped give Trump his opening by their consistent opposition to the president and sitting on the sidelines while Trump amplified the lie about where Obama was born.

Obama mocked Florida Sen. Marco Rubios contortions this year, when Rubio went from a GOP primary opponent who tried to bait Trump by making implications about the size of his genitals to a supporter of Trump once he secured the partys presidential nomination.

Republican politicians and far-right media outlets had just been pumping out all kinds of toxic, crazy stuff, Obama said last week in Miami, barely keeping his voice from cracking into laughter. And there were a lot of politicians, like Marco Rubio, who know better, but they just looked the other way.

Trump, he said, didnt come out of nowhere.

He wailed with similarly obvious glee against Rep. Joe Heck of Nevada, a Republican running for Senate, saying in North Las Vegas on Sunday that now that Trumps poll numbers have cratered, Heck is distancing himself.

Too late! Obama said. You dont get credit for that.

Obama, largely sidelined in the 2014 elections by wary Democrats, is starting to exhibit some of the spark of his historic 2008 campaign. Aides say he frequently asks for data from the field and talks about races down the ballot.

He recorded TV or radio ads for three Democrats running for governor, eight for Senate and 10 for the House. He attended 21 fundraisers for Democratic congressional and governors committees and five for individual candidates. He weighed in on behalf of 150 Democrats running for state legislatures.

Obamas vigorous campaigning for Hillary Clinton is a new dimension of the modern presidency, said Robert Schmuhl, professor of American studies and journalism at the University of Notre Dame. What Obama is doing this fall makes him stand out from his predecessors in a vivid and distinctive way. Hes using his approval ratings and campaign skills to create what he hopes will be a new kind of coattails.

This week alone, Obama is campaigning at least four days. After the stop in Las Vegas, he headed to California to raise funds Monday outside San Diego and Tuesday in Los Angeles, and he will rally for Clinton on Friday in Orlando, Fla.

And he resurrected an old character from his 2008 stump speech: Cousin Pookie, the lazy fictional relative who hasnt gotten off the couch to vote in several elections.

Dont boo. Vote! he told the crowd in Miami. And get your friends to vote! Get Uncle Joe to vote! Get Pookie to vote! And Javier to vote!  the last part a twist added for 2016, in which Latino voters, expected to make up 12% of the electorate, are more crucial to Democratic turnout than ever.

The energetic schedule isnt without its drawbacks. Republicans question the time the president is devoting to raising money for and pitching his candidate. They have used his involvement in the race as a lever for fundraising; Rubio fired off an email seeking donations while Obama was still in Miami.

And Trump has begun to complain during his campaign appearances that he is looking around for the commander in chief.

Id like to see him in the White House working instead of campaigning for Crooked Hillary, Trump said at a rally Monday in St Augustine, Fla.

Obama welds policy into his time on the trail, as when he prefaced the rally here with an hourlong discourse on healthcare policy at Miami Dade College.

Where there are imperfections, Obama blames Republicans. They didnt want healthcare reform, wouldnt engage with him on it, he explained to students. A total of 19 GOP governors have refused to cooperate with an expansion of Medicaid that the White House says would cover 4 million people.

Anthony Ordonez, a Miami Dade College sophomore voting in his first election, has reservations about Obamas use of drone strikes in the Middle East. But he thinks history will smile on Obamas record on domestic policy.

Hes right. Obamacare did help a lot of people, said Ordonez, an honors student studying mechanical and aerospace engineering. As I look back on what he has done, the record speaks for itself. He has done a good job.

Obamas legacy  on healthcare, climate and other progressive priorities  is at the heart of Democrats case.

I ran, Clinton said in Seattle recently, because I really believe that we need to build on the progress that we have made under President Obama.

At a fundraising brunch in La Jolla on Monday, Obama emphasized the importance of a big Clinton win to preserve and advance the gains of his administration. He challenged the GOPs latest argument, which acknowledges a possible Trump loss, that people should vote Republican as a check against a Clinton presidency.

Let me just translate that for you, Obama said, labeling it as simply code for more of the obstructionism Republicans erected against his agenda.

Theyre counting on people thinking that gridlock is the best we can do, because that plays to their basic philosophy that government has no role in helping people, he said. Theyre OK with gridlock. But you know what? We can do so much better than that.

Christi.Parsons@latimes.com

Follow @cparsons for news about the White House.

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A Republican senators strategy to save his seat in one of the countrys tightest races: Avoid Trump
Donald Trump was down in Gettysburg, in southern Pennsylvania, eclipsing his own speech about his first 100 days as president with a blustery vow to sue women who have lodged complaints against him of sexual assaults.

Sen. Patrick J. Toomey was as far away as a top-of-the-ticket mate could be, physically and psychically. The incumbent Republican from Pennsylvania spent part of Saturday in the states coal country to the north. He quietly greeted a handful of supporters and a few local reporters in a restaurant that had closed for the event, and held a baby named Reagan  after the president.

A prominent feature behind the bar of the restaurant, in a restored bank building, was the giant old vault, something of a metaphor for the campaign Toomey is waging for reelection, locked away as best he can, removed from the chaotic man who heads his partys ticket.

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Toomey and Democrat Katie McGinty are engaged in one of the tightest Senate races in the country, over a seat Democrats think theyll probably need to win to gain control of the Senate.

Alone among the major Republican Senate candidates, Toomey is publicly still on the fence about Trump, refusing to say whether he will back his partys nominee.

The posture is meant to keep him in the good graces of two warring constituencies, both of which he needs: blue-collar Trump voters in rural Pennsylvania and Hillary Clinton supporters in the suburbs of Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. But it risks making him look as though hes dodging a call that much of America has made, one way or the other.

When Trump appeared Friday night in Bucks County, one of the Philadelphia collar counties, Toomey was nine miles away at a Republican meeting but didnt drop by Trumps event. Neither did Trump bother to mention Toomey to the thousands at his rally.

The distance between the two campaigns is both a curse and a blessing for Toomey. It means the presidential machinery and momentum that are expected to kick in to help Senate candidates like him is utterly absent this year, even as his challenger has the entire array of her party behind her. That includes Hillary Clinton, who is leading easily in Pennsylvania and spent Saturday night blistering Toomeys indecision before nearly 8,000 fans in Philadelphia.

How much does he have to hear or to see? If he doesnt have the courage to stand up against Donald Trump after all of this, then how will he stand up to special interests and powerful forces that are going to be trying to have their way in Washington? Clinton asked.

But Toomey may have been able to hold on to a minimal lead in recent weeks in part because he hasnt weighed in on Trump and thus alienated a big chunk of voters.

I personally think its a better approach for him, said veteran Pennsylvania pollster G. Terry Madonna, whose Franklin & Marshall College survey in early October had McGinty narrowly ahead.

I think hes in serious trouble if he endorses Trump, particularly with suburban voters and women, in the suburbs and many places. And what he wants to do is win those blue-collar voters. Since he hasnt rejected Trump completely, its hard for them to say, Oh, Im not voting for you.

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In tandem with Clinton, McGinty has risen dramatically in polls since the summer, and her chances of victory would increase even more if Trumps assertions that the election is rigged depress Republican turnout. At least one major poll, released Sunday by ABC News, suggested a falloff in GOP voting nationally.

That has left Toomey  a veteran of two extremely close Senate races, one a loss and the last one a win  working to convince voters that hes nothing like his partys contentious nominee.

Where Trump is outsize and exaggerating, Toomey is low key and disciplined, repeating the same anti-McGinty lines over and over, word for word, wielding a stiletto to Trumps machete.

Where Trump goes out of his way to insult, Toomey takes care to praise, for example, the workaholic nature of immigrants and the care they take in providing for their families. Only then does he segue into his opposition to sanctuary cities that protect immigrants here illegally, a position he shares with Trump.

If Trumps campaign is a roiling and unpredictable venture, Toomey campaigns with all the dramatic verve of Ward Cleaver, home to greet Wally and Beaver before settling into his armchair.

He sees voters judging each race as if the other didnt exist.

I am convinced that Pennsylvania voters are going to make a complete separation in their minds, he said in an interview Friday after he was re-endorsed by a police group thats long sided with him.

Theres a presidential race going on, quite obviously, lots of attention, lots of focus, everybodys got their opinion about it, and then theres a totally separate thing happening in the Senate race  an incumbent senator most people know and an opponent. Totally separate campaign and totally separate judgment.

His choice of voting for Trump or not, he said, hinges on his serious reservations about the things Trump has said, on the one hand and on the other the probability that Trump would appoint Supreme Court justices acceptable to him and sign both tax reform and a repeal of Obamacare, among other things.

I cant believe in a country of 300 million people, these are our choices.  Sen. Patrick J. Toomey

Therein lies the dilemma, he said. I think Im like a lot of Pennsylvanians: I cant believe in a country of 300 million people, these are our choices.

What could Trump possibly do, for good or ill, he is asked, to clarify his decision?

I dont have a checklist, and Im not going to get into a bunch of hypotheticals that may or may not happen, he said. Ill leave it at that.

The problem is that as Toomey said, most everyone does have an opinion about the presidential race  except, notably, him. In two debates between the candidates, including one Monday night, frustrated questioners repeatedly asked Toomey whether he would vote for Trump. Each time, he declined to take a side.

McGinty and her allies have buried the state in ads linking the two men.

Donald Trump and Pat Toomey have plenty in common; theyre both putting Pennsylvania women at risk, says an ad now on the air, featuring video of Trump saying women should be punished for seeking abortions and Toomey saying doctors should be punished.

McGintys campaign stops over the weekend were as much about Trump as Toomey. In the basement of a school in Allentown on Saturday, she told of her adopted daughter worrying that shed be sent back to India if Trump were elected and said that in refusing to give his position, Toomey was avoiding his moral responsibility.

In politics, the definition of courage and character is doing whats right even if it costs you votes, she said, words that she would repeat later at Clintons Philadelphia event.

Asked in last weeks debate whether he would announce a position on Trump before election day, Toomey said that at some point I probably will.

But in Mondays debate, he passed up the opportunity. When it was pointedly suggested that his constituents deserved an answer, the senator replied, I dont think my constituents care that much how one persons going to vote. Theyre going to make their own decision.

Until election day, hes hoping to turn the campaign to his desired topics, which include the economy and security.

Repudiating Trump: Republicans are damned if they do, damned if they dont 

Over and over during a weekends campaigning, he cast McGinty as intent on raising taxes and as a rubber stamp for the Obama administration on national security. An ad running on his behalf scolds McGinty for supporting the administrations Iranian nuclear deal.

The deal puts Iran on a path to nuclear weapons, the ads says. It concludes, Katie McGinty: just too big a risk.

At least in Trump country, the rural areas where Republicans hope to defy the polls with a big turnout of blue-collar voters who usually dont cast ballots, Toomey met with some success: On Saturday, none of the local reporters at his event asked about Trumps campaign, but for a brief mention of his desire for tax reform.

Afterward, asked why he had not attended the Trump rally the night before, Toomey had a concise answer that may be repeated over and over in the final two weeks of campaigning in Pennsylvania.

You know, Im not campaigning with Donald Trump, he said. Hes running his campaign. Im running mine.

cathleen.decker@latimes.com

Twitter: @cathleendecker

ALSO:

The election is much more than Clinton vs. Trump. Its old America vs. new America.

Republicans fear Trumps woes will flip Senate to Democrats

Updates on California politics

UPDATES:

5:25 p.m.: The story was updated with comments made in Monday nights Senate debate.

The story was originally published at 6 a.m.
There are just over two weeks until the conclusion of this election cycle, and more attention than ever is being paid to the battle for control of the House and Senate.

Im Christina Bellantoni. Welcome to Essential Politics.

Republicans are prepared for a worst-case scenario, particularly in the Senate, where Democrats need to pick up four seats to flip the chamber if Hillary Clinton wins the White House, or five if Donald Trump wins.

The best hope for the GOP is that it can stem its losses with candidates who heeded early warnings not to hitch their prospects to Trumps volatile presidential campaign, Lisa Mascaro reports. But Republican senators who have agonized most over the nominee  toggling between support for and distance from Trump  are among those now seriously in jeopardy.

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Dont miss our balance of power chart to see just how precarious things are for the GOP.

HILLARY CLINTON RALLIES BLACK VOTERS IN NORTH CAROLINA

None of the traditional battleground states has more black voters than North Carolina, meaning Clintons path to victory goes right through the African American community.

Chris Megerian reports on the significance of how she spent Sunday: stumping at a historically black college, giving an interview to the states largest black newspaper and appearing with mothers who lost their sons to gun violence or after encounters with law enforcement.

WEEKEND HEADLINES

An adult film actress accused Trump of kissing her and offering to pay her money for sex.

Before the woman came forward Saturday, Trump vowed to sue his accusers.

Every woman lied when they came forward to hurt my campaign, Trump said while campaigning in Pennsylvania. Total fabrication. The events never happened. Never. All of these liars will be sued after the election is over.

His campaign manager acknowledged being behind in the final stretch.

Get the latest from the campaign trail on Trail Guide and follow @latimespolitics. Check our daily USC Dornsife/Los Angeles Times tracking poll at the top of the politics page.

A CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT WHERE WATER RULES

In a campaign season where the most frequent question for Republican candidates seems to be about their partys presidential nominee, the 21st Congressional District is still talking about water.

With a 75% Latino population, and a tendency to support Democrats for president, the Central Valley district looks like an easy pickup for Democrats, on paper. But the district has been a hard nut for Democrats to crack since Rep. David Valadao first won the seat in 2012. Sarah Wire reports from Hanford about why Valadao might buck national trends, and how Emilio Huerta may not be Democrats best chance to deliver a victory.

Were tracking several other interesting races, including the swing 7th Congressional District in Northern California. Sophia Bollag reports how mudslinging between Rep. Ami Bera and Sheriff Scott Jones and allegations of wrongdoing have been the focal point of what will likely be one of the tightest contests in the state.

In case you missed it, The Times published a detailed voter guide on the hottest congressional races in California in Sundays paper. For up to the minute news on California politics, keep an eye on our Essential Politics news feed.

PATTY LOPEZ ON HER OWN AND NOT GIVING UP

Assemblywoman Patty Lopez is facing one of the biggest uphill battles of any incumbent this fall. Shes running against former Assemblyman Raul Bocanegra, the man she defeated in 2014 by a margin of 466 votes in one of the biggest electoral shockers in years. But while Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon recently stumped for five Democratic candidates in a single weekend, Lopez was not one of them, Christine Mai-Duc reports.

Ive been blocked from my party, but my district knows who is Patty Lopez, she said on a recent Saturday as she handed out campaign flyers. Sometimes I feel disappointed, but thats not stopping me from doing what I need to do. Lopez, who lost to Bocanegra by a 44.4%-27.2% margin in the June primary, says shes a woman of faith who believes 100%" that shell be reelected.

A DESTROYED REPUTATION

Former state Sen. Ronald Calderon, once the most powerful member of a politically influential family, was sentenced Friday in Los Angeles to 42 months in prison after he pleaded guilty in a federal corruption case.

Patrick McGreevy and Joel Rubin have the story of the Montebello Democrats downfall after serving eight years in the state Senate for eight years ending in 2014. His plea was admitting to accepting tens of thousands of dollars in bribes from undercover FBI agents and a hospital executive in return for official favors.

NEWS ON THE PROPOSITIONS

-- George Skelton calls the gun control measure, Proposition 63, a textbook example of how public policy can be radically changed in a democracy laden with competing checks and balances. Thats through the long, slow process of taking incremental steps over decades. And some patience, he writes in his Monday column.

-- Here is what would happen if California voters approve the dueling death penalty measures, Proposition 62 and Proposition 66, on the Nov. 8 ballot.

-- In the first ads released by the No on 62, Yes on 66" campaign a murder victims mother urges voters to keep the death penalty.

-- Doctors, hospitals and insurance companies are spending a lot of money to support the Proposition 56 tobacco tax hike -- closing a spending gap between supporters and the tobacco industry that was much bigger in previous tax campaigns.

-- In its latest ad against Proposition 56, the tobacco industry says there isnt enough oversight of money the tax hike would bring it. But the ad ignores the litany of audit requirements on the states healthcare program for low-income residents.

-- Despite political differences with its author, state Senate President Pro Tem Kevin de Leon (D-Los Angeles) on Thursday endorsed Proposition 63 to expand tough gun control laws. It was proposed by Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom, who has clashed with De Leon over the best way to enact gun control. I endorse Proposition 63 because we must send a powerful and united message to the national Gun Lobby that California will not capitulate to political bullying or compromise the public safety, de Leon said.

-- Sen. Bernie Sanders explained why he is campaigning for Proposition 61 in a Times op-ed piece over the weekend.

ITS GOOD TO BE ATTORNEY GENERAL

There are few political offices in California that generate more news coverage than that of the attorney general, and U.S. Senate candidate Kamala Harris has been a major beneficiary of that soap box. Phil Willon reports that Harris, now in her second term, has had a distinct advantage over her Senate rival, Orange County Rep. Loretta Sanchez, when it comes to attracting throngs of news reporters. Political veteran and former attorney general Bill Lockyer said theres almost no downside publicity-wise to the office Harris holds. Its much tougher for Sanchez, one of 435 members in the House of Representatives, to rise above the din in Washington.

Willon reports that Harris got another boost from the California Democratic Party, which increased its direct support for her Senate campaign to $690,000. The state party, which endorsed Harris in February, hasnt given Sanchez a nickel. The party also forked out $431,000 for a slate campaign mailer sent to voters that features Harris, Clinton and local Democrats endorsed by the party.

Sanchez did get a dose of good news this week. The Council on American-Islamic Relations California issued a co-endorsement in the Senate race for both Sanchez and Harris, and praised Sanchezs record on helping protect the civil rights of Muslims. Sanchez was criticized last year after a comment about Muslims support for establishing a strict Islamic state.

And during an address to ROTC cadets at UCLA, Sanchez said she received death threats after she voted against the Iraq war on 2002. "[When] I came back to Orange County, I was spit on, she said.

POLITICAL ROAD MAP: UNLIMITED LEGISLATIVE CASH

As candidates for the Legislature wind their way into the homestretch of the campaign season, theyre doing so with an enormous amount of money from political parties -- unlimited amounts of it.

In this weeks Political Road Map column, Sacramento bureau chief John Myers takes a look at a legal way Democrats and Republican avoid campaign contribution limits, and how one lawmaker vows to try to change the system next year.

POLITICS PODCAST: PROPOSITIONS AND PAROLE

In the latest episode of the California Politics Podcast, Myers leads a discussion on some new polling of ballot propositions that have left a lot of voters undecided. Meantime, theres a big showdown in store over Gov. Jerry Browns prison parole measure, Proposition 57.

On Sunday we also printed The Times ballot box guide to Californias 17 propositions.

WHATS IN YOUR MAILBOX?

Have you received a barrage of campaign mailers this election season? Are you bombarded with information about local races and propositions? We want to hear from you.

Send images of campaign mailers and door-hangers, mp3 recordings of robo calls or links to web ads to politics@latimes.com. Include your name, city, state and age, and tell us about the material youre sharing. Your submissions may be featured on our site.

TODAYS ESSENTIALS

-- Today is the last day to register to vote in California.

-- Tom Hayden, the 1960s radical who became champion of liberal causes, died at age 76.

-- More Trump University drama erupted Friday as the lawsuit sought to exclude testimony from L.A. Times columnist David Lazarus.

-- The Trump brand has taken a hit this year.

-- We bid farewell to debates with our final scorecard on how the candidates did after three matchups.

-- Someone paid $22,000 for the naked Trump statue that appeared in Hollywood.

-- In a surprising move, the Los Angeles Daily News has endorsed write-in candidate Angela Rupert over two-term Assemblyman Adrin Nazarian (D-Sherman Oaks). Rupert, a political neophyte, landed a spot on the ballot with just 131 write-in votes.

-- Positive reports came out of the governors mansion Friday about Sutter Brown.

-- Learn more about the propositions on the ballot at the SeePolitical BallotCon event at the end of the month. Its free. Sign up here.

-- Who will win the November election? Give our Electoral College map a spin.

LOGISTICS

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The signs vie for space with political campaign placards at intersections along State Route 43 as a constant reminder to Central Valley residents. No water, no jobs.

Trees along the roadside are yellowed and shrunken. In the distance a tractor creates a cloud of dust as it makes its way across a field.

Water=Jobs, reads one billboard. Tell Feinstein to pass [the] water bill, reads another.

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The regions congressman is among the most vulnerable incumbents in California. But unlike other parts of the state, where Republicans are suffering thanks to Donald Trumps place at the top of the ticket on Nov. 8, Rep. David Valadao renounced Trump early and has been able to keep his reelection campaign local.

In Californias Central Valley, the nations most productive agricultural region, the drought drives everything. And the ongoing fight over how much water flows could be the reason Democrats havent been able to win in the 21st Congressional District with a national race.

On paper, Valadaos seat looks like an easy play for Democrats trying to win back control of the House: 47% of registered voters are Democrats, 30% are Republican. Latinos make up nearly 75% of the population and 57% of registered voters in the district, one of Californias largest, stretching from which covers a vast stretch of the Central Valley from Bakersfield north into Kettleman City and Wood Ranch.

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has tried for years to flip the 21st, but Republicans have held it since it was created in 2012. (Before redistricting, Democratic Rep. Jim Costa represented much of the area.)

As Valadao was first elected in 2012 with 57.8% of the vote over a Latino businessman, President Obama topped Mitt Romney here 55% to 44%. In 2008, with different district boundaries, Obama won with 51.5%.

This time around, Democrats see hope in attorney Emilio Huerta, the son of labor and civil rights icon Dolores Huerta. But Valadao is still, at this point, favored to win.

No matter what I do, what event I do, if its a tele-town hall, if its a door-knock, doesnt matter where Im at, water is the first thing you hear about, Valadao said in an interview from his campaign office here. A basic thing like water shouldnt be the No. 1 issue, but because of the situation that we face here it obviously is.

Californias often scarce water supply has pitted a wide array of powerful forces big cities, the agriculture industry and conservationists  against one another. Nowhere in the state is that quite as visible as in the Central Valley.

In Terra Bella and Porterville, fresh drinking water is brought in by trucks, and residents use community showers. Hardwick and other towns were out of water for a while, and water flowed from taps in East Porterville this August for the first time in three years.

Decades of state and national brawls over California water policy, and the feeling that the Central Valley has lost those fights as the drought continued, have led many local voters to one conclusion: blame Democrats, said Keith Smith, associate professor of political science at University of the Pacific.

So many peoples work is tied to farming. They feel the water issue. The view is were just not allocating it where it ought to be allocated, Smith said. If thats what you see and hear from employers and neighbors, you might begin to identify the Democratic Party as the problem.

Rep. David Valadao (R-Hanford) speaks with high school interns at his Hanford campaign office. (Sarah D. Wire / Los Angeles Times )

Thats how Valadao presents it, at least.

As he campaigns for a third term, the congressman stresses how much he has staked on the water battle. In Washington, he gets GOP leaders to add his water plan for increasing flows and storage of water as an amendment to other legislation. His bill has been attached to must-pass bills like spending authorizations  a move that infuriates many of the delegations Delta-area Democrats and prompted a a veto threat from the president.

His legislation focuses on funneling more water to San Joaquin Valley growers by reducing the amount used to support endangered fish populations. Democrats and environmental groups say it overrides federal legal protections for salmon, migratory birds and other fish and wildlife.

Valadaos bill has repeatedly passed the House and sits in multiple forms in the Senate. But Californias Democratic senators, Barbara Boxer and Dianne Feinstein, find the measure unacceptable, and Senate Republicans, who control the chamber, havent rushed to pick it up either. Feinstein has proposed her own water bill that would provide a holistic water plan for the state. Several House Democrats have proposed plans as well.

Were getting to the point where were almost there, Valadao said during a KSEE 24 debate Thursday.

There hasnt been talk of any agreement on Valadaos bill  at least publicly. If it doesnt pass in the weeks after the election, Valadao would have to start from scratch in the new year, potentially with a Democratic Senate and a slimmer House majority.

Democratic attorney Emilio Huerta gestures to staff during a tour of his Bakersfield campaign office. (Sarah D. Wire / Los Angeles Times )

Huerta countered that the Central Valley cant wait on a water bill that Democrats arent willing to pass. He said a Democratic representative would have an easier time reaching a compromise, especially given the current 39-14 domination the party has in Californias delegation.

Sitting in his Bakersfield campaign office, Huerta said he doesnt have a plan for addressing the areas water needs, yet. If elected, hed wait to craft water legislation with other House members.

The ability to reach across the table and get bipartisan support for real water legislation is required, and that hasnt taken place here, Huerta said. Having any congressional representative who is willing to work on a bipartisan basis will be more successful than one who doesnt even take into consideration the impact that a water delivery system may have on other stakeholders.

That idea may not be enough to sway a district thats consistently sent Republicans to Congress.

Only eight U.S. congressional districts have a higher Latino population than the 21st. With demographic trends giving Democrats a boost, the national party has always eyed the district and spent time and attention here.

Local activists identified that as part of the problem. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee picks a candidate with little feedback from those who live here and runs a generic Democratic campaign crafted from Washington.

The challengers until now have not been running a Valley race, said Democratic Party activist Victor Moheno. And a Valley race involves a significant ground game and a focus on local issues  like water  that cut across party lines.

Some hoped Huertas well-known name, and decades working in the district helping open banks and building senior and low-income housing, would bridge the gap this year. Moheno isnt sure it will be enough to counter Valadaos strengths as a dairy farmer with roots in the agricultural community.

Valadao has outspent Huerta throughout the race and had $1.3 million in the bank as of Sept. 30, nearly double what Huerta had left headed into the campaigns final five weeks.

The family name may help Huerta with farmworkers, but it wont get him anywhere with landowners who need water to stay afloat and dont think fondly of his mothers work organizing farmworkers, Moheno said.

She is roundly hated by the farmers, Moheno said. They are writing big checks to Valadao.

Either way, Democrats are hoping Huerta rides a national anti-Trump, high-turnout tide on Nov. 8. If Valadao survives what could be a devastating night for Republican politicians across the country, he knows hell face other fights down the line.

Look at the numbers in the district  its always going to be a tough race for a Republican.

sarah.wire@latimes.com

Follow @sarahdwire on Twitter

Read more about the 55 members of Californias delegation at latimes.com/politics

ALSO:

Welcome to California water wars: States congressional delegation debates water plans on the House floor

Feinstein water plan would fund recycling, desalination and storage

Democratic group releases misleading ads tying Rep. David Valadao to Donald Trump

Updates on California politics
Editors note: Tom Hayden, one of the nations best-known champion of liberal causes, has died in Santa Monica at the age of 76. Hayden served a total of 18 years in the California Assembly and state Senate, mounting a bid for governor in 1994. This article first appeared in the Los Angeles Times on May 22, 1994.

This is serious stuff, this business of running for governor. So why is Tom Hayden  the activist with the angry edge, the man who thwarted the Establishment during the Vietnam War, the non-glamour half of Jane and Tom, the man whose sober warnings of California crises have been uttered regularly for years  why is he having fun?

On the patio of a Santa Monica cafe, where the next tables raucous rendition of Happy Birthday has just ruined part of Haydens interview with a local television station, the candidate launches into a serious discussion of his place in the political landscape. Suddenly, he veers off.

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There was this guy in San Francisco. We were asking him what he knew about Hayden, the state senator says. He said: He was married to that woman who channels  whats her name?  Shirley MacLaine. 

Jane Fondas ex-husband let loose a well-timed grin. Wwweeellll, its a start.

These are the final weeks of the gubernatorial primary campaign, a time when humor has abandoned most candidates. It is a time when the answers to every question come out rote, memorized from briefing books or memos, when the sheer physical drain of a long campaign starts to wear out even the most hardy of characters.

And into this increasingly tense race for governor has come the loquacious Hayden, the states least likely purveyor of the politics of joy, having a darn good time slashing away at big-time politics even as he seeks to become the states big-time politician. His message is simple: The political system stinks, so lets reform it.

Sure, he has little chance of winning, say the seers and pundits, mindful of the huge advantages held by Democratic front-runner Kathleen Brown and a second major candidate, John Garamendi. But that would be measuring Haydens campaign by conventional standards and that, in the words of President Richard Nixon, whom Hayden battled in the streets, would be wrong.

Hayden wants to win, no doubt about that. In his ever-so-equivocal style, he offers his reasoning: Im as frail and flawed as anybody else, but Ive seen the people who have been governor and I think I can do that job.

But this is about more than winning. This is about Hayden fulfilling his destiny  spiritual and political. It is about Hayden becoming more than the four words he says capture his image among California voters: 60s radical, Jane Fonda. He is driving this vehicle of self-realization, and everyone else is invited along for the ride.

**

He is a California original, right down to the fact that he was born elsewhere and has remade himself a few times over: From the war protester to the legislator, from the man who questioned the state Senates necktie rule to the guy in the nice midnight blue linen suit and tie that matches, wending his way from interview to interview on a recent campaign day.

Part of Haydens rogue charm is that he plays all the parts at the same time with chameleon-like ease. Put former Gov. Edmund G. (Jerry) Brown Jr., who shares Haydens outsider, save the planet views, into a room with the states political aristocracy and he can look physically ill. Hayden, by contrast, is one of them.

He has even come to look like one of them  at 54, his hair is graying distinctively around the temples. But he will never sound like them, not with the things that keep coming out of his mouth.

What other candidate, when asked why he is running for governor, says that the Jan. 17 earthquake jolted him into questioning his time on earth?

What other candidate, asked his political profile, says earnestly: Im Jeffersonian in terms of democracy, Im Thoreau in terms of environment, and Crazy Horse in terms of social movements?

What other candidate circulates as the mailer for his $94-or-less fundraiser a picture of himself being beaten to the ground during a 1961 voter registration drive in Mississippi  complete with the line: You cant keep a good man down?

And he has a talent for making it all sound, well, reasonable.

Ask him if he is still the rebel liberal, an appellation bestowed upon him by this newspaper, and Hayden will heartily agree.

I hope so. What other honorable path is there? he says, as if mystified by the question. We live in a city with 105 square miles of poverty. . . . We have the most poisoned air in the United States. Weve lost 300,000 to 400,000 jobs in the past three to four years just in this district. If you dont rebel against this fate, God help you. Whats the alternative?

Still, Hayden has heard all the criticisms  that by running for governor he is ego-tripping or, worse in the eyes of Democrats, possibly harming his partys candidates. He doesnt buy it.

Im not really running against anybody, he said. Im running against the established order of things and I think Kathleen and John kind of reflect established thinking. . . . Youre trying to win but its not like youre trying to annihilate the other person.

His anti-Establishment attitude started early. I was told it was adolescent rebellion 40 years ago, he says wryly. Ive finally come to the conclusion that sure, some of its hormonal, but that doesnt explain the lifelong nature of it.

He is comfortable enough in the Establishment, however, to have been part of it for years. In 1982, he won election to the Assembly; 10 years later he moved up to the Senate in a hugely expensive and nasty race funded largely by his Fonda divorce settlement.

This campaign, however, is hardly the juggernaut. It has, by the count of campaign manager Duane Peterson, a staff of nine people. The campaign on which Peterson worked four years ago  Atty. Gen. John K. Van de Kamps bid for governor  had nine people just on its fundraising staff, and that for a campaign which nearly ran out of money before the primary.

It helps when the candidate doubles as research director, speech writer and chief strategist, Peterson said.

The Southern California headquarters are in an office in back of Haydens Santa Monica home, the only one on its fashionable block where the front lawn has been torn up in favor of a rebellious thatch of wildflowers and a discreet compost bin. Hayden is his campaigns biggest donor  he expects to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars before it is over and, in keeping with his reform strategy, will accept contributions of $94 or less to pay back his personal loans. It leaves the operation lean and mean, Peterson said.

That much can be gleaned from Haydens occasional obsessions about things that a more conventional candidate would never have to consider  for example, how to get the campaign a few cars so volunteers do not have to take the bus on their voter forays.

Careening down the Santa Monica Freeway from one appearance to the next, he moaned via cellular phone to Peterson in Sacramento.

We need help from our criminal supporters, he says. Go to the chop shop and get a car, for Gods sake.

Honest, he was kidding.

**

Haydens good humor, relative to the other candidates, should not be mistaken for a laissez-faire attitude about the governorship. About this, he is deadly serious. And although his chances of winning are slight, he has been given high marks by observers for his emphasis on the issues.

Rarely, unless pressed, will Hayden take off on a tirade about his opponents. He saves his powder for the system. Much of his time is spent attacking the gravy train that links the states lobbyists and its politicians. His campaign video, which is being run on cable stations statewide, underscored that with the presence of former legislator Alan Robbins, who served prison time for taking bribes.

The modern campaign has become a kind of sport in which you have a cell phone on your ear and youre asking for large sums of money from special interest groups to give to people who produce television images of you and you can rest content that many more people will see those television spots than will ever hear an interview, a discussion or read the Los Angeles Times, Hayden says. So its become more about merchandising and less about anything thats meaningful.

His solution is a $250 limit on campaign contributions, removing tax breaks for lobbyists and enforcing sanctions for political corruption.

He also was first among the candidates to release a budget proposal, although his was spare on some important details. In general, he favors closing $3 billion in tax loopholes, trimming the states bureaucracy by $1 billion and refusing to fund the recently approved three strikes legislation, which he considers fiscally reckless. He has vowed to cut student fees at the states universities and colleges, spend more money on seismic safety and create an electric car industry in Southern California.

Crime, he says, could be attacked by creating police and teacher corps made up of thousands of college students.

Driving through Hollywood, where graffiti mark gangland territories, Hayden says he considers the states fixation with crime a real problem.

The whole world is in spasms that were not immune from, he says. Religious disputes, racial grievances, poverty, drugs. Its apocalyptic out there.

**

Any politician is ambitious. In Haydens campaign meanderings, there is also something else  a sense that he is captive to a need for personal momentum, a demand to move from one psychic place to another. Ask him and he will agree. The campaign is only one manifestation.

Im also restless about trying to get to the bottom of things and be spiritually grounded and make and get a better understanding of what is going on, he says. Its one thing to say the system doesnt work and all the formulas for full employment and health care are brain-dead or tired or old ideas. But to really try to understand crime, drugs, despair, unemployment and put it into context  Im a seeker.

Spirituality and the pacifism that it suggests seem far from the Hayden of old. Indeed, the old rage seems to have tempered.

Ive begun to learn that while rage and hate are natural impulses, they are not sustaining, he said. I dont think I would have survived this long in movements or politics if I was fueled by the same level of anger that I was fueled by in the 60s.

Peterson, Haydens campaign manager and longtime aide, says the candidate is more centered than in the past, in part because of his marriage in August to actress Barbara Williams and his more prominent role in the state Senate.

And running statewide is exciting, Peterson said. California is a fantastic place and having an excuse and/or being forced to travel to the broad reaches is fun.

For Hayden, the campaign for governor is not only an opportunity to seek deep answers but also a chance to remake his image, which seems to have stalled a generation ago. It has been, after all, 26 years since the height of his student radical days; he and Fonda split five years ago. Still, he is well aware that most Californians think of him in those distant terms.

For a long time, I was feeling sort of upset that ones life could come down to such labels, he said.

But he takes heart from the symbolism in his favorite book, Hermann Hesses Siddhartha.

Any other candidate might shy away from such symbolic comparisons. Hayden openly makes them.

This is the role of somebody who wants enlightenment and wants meaning but understands they cant have it without it happening for everyone at the same time, he says, speaking about Siddhartha and himself. The quest for your own discovery of meaning is tied in with the need for everybody to have meaning.

cathleen.decker@latimes.com

Twitter: @cathleendecker
Proposition 63 would enact the toughest gun controls in the United States. But it also would do something else: represent an astonishing historical milestone.

And if passed as expected, the ballot measure would illustrate a textbook example of how public policy can be radically changed in a democracy laden with competing checks and balances.

How is that? Through the long, slow process of taking incremental steps over decades. By pushing hard and steadily, but with patience.

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Massive change doesnt necessarily have to come suddenly through a pitchforks-and-torches rebellion.

Who could have possibly imagined getting to this point on gun regulations 34 years ago?

California today is considered the toughest gun control state. But in 1982, strongly supporting a handgun control ballot measure made Los Angeles Mayor Tom Bradley a huge target in his race for governor.

Bradley, a Democrat, had been running far ahead in the polls. But toward the campaigns end, his Republican opponent, state Atty. Gen. George Deukmejian, began attacking Bradley on the gun issue. The gun proposal lost in a landslide and Deukmejian won narrowly.

But largely because of Gov. Deukmejian, California began turning toward gun control a few years later.

What happened was a mass shooting, as usually is the case before theres a cry of outrage for more regulation. A young racist drifter with an AK-47 shot up a Stockton schoolyard in 1989, killing five Asian immigrant children and wounding 30 other kids.

The Republican governor almost immediately endorsed legislation to ban assault weapons.

My thoughts simply were that regardless of what argument somebody might make about having the right to own and possess a gun, there was no common-sense reason for someone to have an assault weapon, Deukmejian told me years later.

So the assault weapons ban was enacted, albeit riddled with loopholes that the Legislature had to keep closing in future years.

One of the bills principal authors, then-state Senate leader David A. Roberti (D-Los Angeles), had to fight off an aggressive recall attempt by the National Rifle Assn. He survived, but it ended his political career.

Through the 1990s and into the 2000s, the Legislature kept strengthening firearms regulations  requiring background checks, limiting handgun purchases, forcing registration of long guns. Name it.

What good has it done? Since 2000, gun deaths in California have fallen 20%, while nationally theyve remained roughly the same.

Unfortunately, another shooting massacre somewhere can always be counted on to prod lawmakers into further gun tightening  at least in Sacramento, if not in Washington. Californias Legislature reacted strongly to last Decembers mass shooting in San Bernardino that left 14 dead and at least 22 wounded.

The lawmakers passed a raft of gun bills. And Gov. Jerry Brown signed roughly half.

Now back to Proposition 63, the product of Democratic Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom. Hes using the measure  along with a marijuana legalization initiative, Proposition 64  to enhance his statewide image and political operation as he runs for governor in 2018.

So right off, that shows a stark political contrast from the past. Bradley was mortally wounded by the gun issue. Newsom believes the issue will boost him, and it probably will.

But it has caused infighting with Senate leader Kevin de Leon (D-Los Angeles). De Leon orchestrated this years gun legislation and felt pride of authorship. Also, De Leon probably will be backing someone else for governor in 2018.

The senator tried to persuade Newsom to drop his initiative and negotiate a compromise deal in the Legislature. But the lieutenant governor wanted no part of it.

Updates from Sacramento 

After the bills were enacted, De Leon called Newsoms initiative irrelevant because we have taken care of business. Newsoms camp then took nasty shots at the Senate leader.

But the only thing that matters in the real world is that both gun control packages are good steps forward.

De Leon last week endorsed the initiative, declaring we must send a powerful and united message to the national gun lobby that California will not capitulate to political bullying.

Theres one identical feature of both packages: a ban on possession of large-capacity ammunition magazines holding more than 10 rounds.

Aside from that, theres not much duplication, Newsom insists.

I categorically reject that these [Proposition 63] issues have already been addressed, he says.

Both contain the nations first background checks for ammunition buyers. The legislations checks are far less cumbersome for gun owners than the initiatives and include more exemptions. The bill states that its checks would preempt the initiatives, but thats expected to be settled in court.

Ammunition is the last frontier of gun safety, Newsom says. A gun has never killed anyone unless its used as a blunt instrument. Its a gun and ammunition.

The ballot measure would require convicted felons to surrender their firearms prior to sentencing. Thats a big deal, Newsom says.

It also would treat any gun theft as a felony. Voters two years ago screwed up and decreed the theft of most handguns a misdemeanor.

Polls show the measure being favored by roughly 2 to 1.

The National Rifle Assn. is waving the white flag and spending its money on other battles.

Proposition 63s passage would send a strong message to politicians everywhere that citizens are demanding a tighter rein on guns.

But, unfortunately, the message probably wouldnt be noticed until the next shooting massacre.

george.skelton@latimes.com

Follow @LATimesSkelton on Twitter

ALSO

California Senate leader endorses gun control initiative despite differences with its author, Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom

NRA not putting up much of a fight against California gun control ballot measure

Updates from Sacramento
Cigarette smoking can be blamed for at least 167,133 cancer deaths in the U.S. in a single year, according to a new report.

Thats more than the total number of people who will attend the first four games of the World Series in Cleveland and Chicago. Its also more than the entire population of Salem, Ore.

These are only the deaths due to the 12 categories of cancer that the U.S. Surgeon General blames on smoking (a list that includes cancers of the lung, trachea and bronchus; the oropharynx; the esophagus; the larynx; the stomach; the bladder; the kidney and ureter; the pancreas; the cervix; the colon and rectum; the liver; and acute myeloid leukemia).

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The National Cancer Institute says smoking also causes cancers of the mouth and throat.

And thats just cancer. Smoking is also responsible for nearly one-third of deaths due to coronary heart disease, and it causes chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, diabetes and rheumatoid arthritis, among other ailments, according to the Surgeon General.

The new national estimate on smoking-related cancer deaths in 2014 comes from researchers at the American Cancer Society. They used data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to tally the death toll in each of the 50 states, plus the District of Columbia.

For each state, they combined statistics on the prevalence of current and former smokers  broken down by gender and age group  with statistics on the degree to which cigarettes are to blame for various kinds of cancer deaths.

What they found was wide variation in the proportion of cancer deaths that can be traced to cigarette smoking. It ranged from a low of 16.6% in Utah (where smoking is eschewed by Mormons) to a high of 34% in Kentucky. The average for all states was 29%.

Seven of the states in the top 10 were in the South: Kentucky, Arkansas, Tennessee, West Virginia, Louisiana, Alabama and Oklahoma. (The other three were Alaska, Missouri and Nevada.) Not coincidentally, 95% of tobacco grown in the U.S. is produced in Southern states.

The researchers drew a straight line between the tobacco industrys influence and the weaker tobacco control policies and programs in the South, resulting in a higher prevalence of smoking there. For instance:

Among the 21 states with anti-tobacco spending that is less than 10% of the amount recommended by the CDC, eight are in the South (Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia).

Among the 14 states with the fewest restrictions on indoor smoking, nine are in the South (Virginia, West Virginia, Kentucky, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Texas and Oklahoma).

The average cigarette excise tax in major tobacco states is 49 cents, compared with an average of $1.80 in other states. Taxes that make cigarettes more expensive are among the most effective anti-smoking policy tools available, the study authors noted.

Demographic factors are also at play. Americans who never attended college are up to four times more likely to smoke than Americans who are college graduates, and residents of the South have less education than people in other parts of the country.

In addition, African Americans  a group for whom 27.2% of cancer-related deaths can be blamed on smoking  are more likely to live in the South, while Latinos  for whom 19.8% of cancer deaths results from smoking  are underrepresented there.

The analysis revealed a significant gender gap in tobaccos contribution to cancer mortality. Nationwide, 34% of cancer deaths in men were due to smoking, compared with 23% of cancer deaths in women.

That gender gap is a reflection of the fact that smoking has historically been more prevalent among men than women, but those figures could converge in the future, the study authors wrote. Indeed, they noted that in South Dakota, Montana and Arkansas, the prevalence of smoking is already higher in women than in men.

After Utah, California had the second-lowest percentage of cancer deaths related to smoking, at 25.5%. However, due to the states huge size, it was home to the most victims (57,547 in 2014 alone).

The results were published online Monday in JAMA Internal Medicine.

The researchers found plenty of shortcomings in states efforts to reduce smoking. Only one state  North Dakota  meets the CDCs target for funding anti-tobacco programs.

Instead of lamenting this fact, the researchers focused on the potential to avert many more premature deaths by implementing some basic policies. Among them:

States could discourage smoking by raising cigarette taxes. The World Health Organization recommends that taxes account for 75% of the total price of cigarettes, and none of the states (or the District of Columbia) currently meets this goal.

Only one-third of states have laws that prohibit smoking in all public places. The other two-thirds of states could join them.

Connecticut, Indiana, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nevada, Pennsylvania and Vermont are the only states with Medicaid programs that provide comprehensive coverage for smoking cessation services. The rest of the country could follow their lead.

With 40 million Americans still smoking cigarettes, theres still work to do. In a commentary that accompanies the study, a trio of public health experts said the 10 states with the highest proportion of smoking-related cancer deaths should be a priority for stronger anti-tobacco policies and funding.

Government action can make a real difference, they wrote. In New York City, they noted, measures that banned smoking in bars and restaurants, raised the cigarette excise tax from eight cents to $1.50, and made nicotine replacement patches free to those who wanted them reduced the number of smokers there by about 140,000.

But in most parts of the country, anti-smoking efforts have stalled. The federal government could try to jump-start the process by withholding tobacco control funds from states with weak policies, the trio suggested. This, they wrote, is how the feds persuaded states to raise the legal drinking age to 21.

karen.kaplan@latimes.com

Follow me on Twitter @LATkarenkaplan and like Los Angeles Times Science & Health on Facebook.

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Irvine-based technology products and services company Ingram Micro Inc. has agreed to be acquired by Chinese business group Tianjin Tianhai Investment Co. for about $6 billion.

Upon the close of the deal, which is expected in the second half of the year, Ingram Micro will become part of China-based HNA Group, which runs companies in the aviation, tourism and logistics industries and is the largest stockholder of Tianjin Tianhai.

The cash transaction, which has been unanimously approved by Ingram Micros and Tianjin Tianhais boards of directors, is for $38.90 per share, representing a premium of about 39% over Ingrams average closing share price for the 30 trading days ending Feb. 16, according to a news release.

Ingram Micro will operate as a subsidiary of Tianjin Tianhai, though it is expected to remain headquartered in Irvine, according to the release.

Ingrams executive team will remain, with Alain Monie continuing as chief executive, the release stated. Ingrams lines of business and regional and national operations are expected to be unaffected.

Ingram Micro has clearly established itself as a leading distributor and global provider of IT products and services, Adam Tan, CEO of HNA Group, said in a statement. We look forward to supporting Ingram Micros management team and strategies, including continued expansion into new geographies, while also offering their vendor and customer partners access to new and complementary offerings.

Monie said in a statement that our agreement to join HNA Group delivers near-term and compelling cash value to our stockholders, and we expect it to provide exciting new opportunities for our vendors, customers and associates.

As part of HNA Group, Monie said, Ingram can add expertise, capabilities and geographic reach, especially through the organizations strong presence in China.

We are delighted to join forces with HNA Group, a partner who shares our vision for Ingram Micro and is committed to accelerating the growth of our business, Monie said.

The transaction is subject to regulatory approvals and must be accepted by Ingram Micros and Tianjin Tianhais stockholders.
A Best Buy spokesman said Friday that the company is investigating whether one of its employees was paid by the FBI for information about illicit material found on customers computers during repairs, as alleged by an attorney for a Newport Beach doctor facing federal child pornography charges as a result of a tip from the employee.

Best Buy regularly reports illegal material to law enforcement, but being paid by authorities to do so would violate company policy, according to an emailed statement from spokesman Jeff Shelman.

We are looking at whether this is true and, if so, will deal directly with the employee, Shelman said.

If we discover child pornography in the normal course of servicing a computer, phone or tablet, we have an obligation to contact law enforcement, he wrote. We believe this is the right thing to do, and we inform our customers before beginning any work that this is our policy.

Shelman sent the statement Friday in response to a Daily Pilot story detailing allegations by defense attorney Jim Riddet that Best Buy employee Justin Meade was signed up as an FBI informant and paid $500 by the agency while he was a supervisor at the companys computer repair facility outside Louisville, Ky.

Riddet is representing Dr. Mark Albert Rettenmaier, a gynecological oncologist who practiced at Hoag Hospital in Newport Beach until he was indicted last year on two felony counts of possession of child pornography.

According to court papers, FBI agents searched Rettenmaiers Laguna Hills home after he took his computer hard drive to a Best Buy store for repairs and it was shipped to the repair center in Kentucky.

There, court documents state, a technician discovered the child pornography and reported it to Meade, who then contacted the FBI.

Authorities say they also found child pornography on a laptop, multiple hard drives and an iPhone belonging to Rettenmaier.

Read the latest headlines from the Daily Pilot >>

According to Shelman, Meades job required him to be the point of contact with the FBI when technicians he supervised discovered illegal material.

In 2012, Meade was moved to a new job that doesnt require him to contact the FBI, Best Buy said.

Court papers say Meades FBI informant file was closed in 2012. Authorities acknowledge that Meade was paid the $500, but they have not explained why.

Rettenmaier has pleaded not guilty to the charges against him, and Riddet has asked a judge to throw out most of the evidence in the case.

By paying Meade, Riddet argues, the FBI was essentially encouraging him to look for child pornography. That, Riddet claims, amounted to a warrantless search of Rettenmaiers hard drive.

jeremiah.dobruck2@latimes.com

Twitter: @jeremiahdobruck

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A taxi driver was convicted Monday in the hit-and-run death of a pedestrian in Newport Beach on New Years Day 2015.

A jury found Ronald Aviles, 58, of San Clemente guilty of felony hit-and-run with permanent injury or death, according to the Orange County district attorneys office.

Aviles faces a maximum of four years in state prison at his sentencing Nov. 17 at Orange County Superior Court in Santa Ana.

Authorities said Aviles was driving his taxi south on East Coast Highway at about 3 a.m. when he crashed into Travis Marton, 23, of Valencia, who was crossing the intersection at Newport Coast Drive.

Aviles fled, according to the district attorneys office.

Marton was pronounced dead at the scene.

Police found Aviles driving the damaged taxi about five miles away in Laguna Beach, and he was arrested, according to the district attorneys office.

benjamin.brazil@latimes.com

Twitter: @benbrazilpilot
A 25-year-old Moreno Valley man was killed Monday morning when his car crashed into a tree in Huntington Beach, authorities said.

Police responded to a report of a crash near the intersection of Magnolia Street and Adams Avenue at 4:53 a.m., police said.

Officers found the body of Jose Luna Jr. in the drivers seat of a 2013 Toyota Camry.

Police said the Camry was headed south on Magnolia when it struck the center divider and ran into a tree.

The cause of the crash is under investigation, police said.

benjamin.brazil@latimes.com

Twitter: @benbrazilpilot
Like most everything else, the business of fashion has been turned upside down by real-world factors, including the Internet, reality television and very different generational tastes, attitudes and values. Fashion has always been an art form of sorts, but today it is so perhaps more than ever. Some might cry foul given the preponderance of very simple and casual dressing that dominates the landscape, not only in the U.S. but worldwide.

Yet as the designers showcase their wares this season at Fashion Week New York or on the hallowed runways in Paris, Milan, London and Tokyo, the artistic  albeit not exactly wearable  palette reigns supreme. Patrons attending fashion shows are both awestruck and dumbstruck. Designers of all stripes over the last two-plus decades, since the end of the Reagan era in the U.S., have pushed the envelope to the fashionable extreme.

And while the rank-and-file citizen (female and male) are not wearing the artistic and often outrageous garments on the Paris runway, the pret-a-porter seasonal fashions at your favorite Macys department store are strongly influenced by the styles that may seem out of this world and are very often influenced by the ever-present barrage of celebrities parading their publicity starving figures on so many red carpets.

Along with all of this sizzle and market push, prices have gone wild. Dressing well and owning quality garments was once attainable and affordable. Today it is a challenge.

And while the wealthy may be buying without reserve, the rest of the world is looking for bargains. Seventh Avenue is acutely aware of this economic reality. One line in one season that does not sell can send a designer into obscurity and the manufacturers to bankruptcy.

Get Ellen to wear that new boyish pantsuit on her show, a Kardashian to be photographed in that revealing black lace jumpsuit or First Lady Michelle Obama to sport the latest fitted dress off one shoulder and zipped down the back, and bingo! America goes shopping.

Again, the copy-cat phenomenon has always been part of the fashion equation for success.

Interestingly, the men and women behind the decision-making on Seventh Avenue are keenly aware of the fact that America is not the same nation coast to coast, north to south. Different regions require unique fashion. In Southern California, the L.A. market is dramatically different than the O.C. market, and different still from fashion taste in San Diego and the Inland Empire. If the cash register is going to ring, stores and Internet sites must know their customers.

In the O.C. this month, one of the most glamorous fall fashion shows catering to the well-dressed and well-heeled Orange Coast woman unfolded at Segerstrom Center for the Arts. The 24th annual Harvesters Fashion Show and Charity Luncheon, benefiting the Second Harvest Food Bank of Orange County and produced by South Coast Plaza and its luxury retail merchants, attracted more than 400 patrons checking out the fall and winter lines designed to entice O.C. women and men to shop.

Chaired by Melissa Knode, the daylong affair was once again the talk of the town. As glamorous as the runway fashions are this season, most of the 400 women attending are even more glamorous.

The Harvesters fashion show is pure people-watching at its best. From another perspective, this social phenomenon offers a glimpse at the youthful vibrancy of one of Americas most coveted and wealthy enclaves.

Indeed, this is not representative of all. In a county of more than three million, the top echelon represents a small percentage. These are the women buying and wearing the designer threads, making South Coast Plaza the envy of retailers nationwide.

O.C. citizens have dough and they shop. Fashion is perhaps for the regular citizen  rich, poor or in between  an avenue of personal expression on any given day or evening. Yes, we are what we wear, to a certain extent. This has not changed.

Participating in the fashion presentation, which unfolded on a runway in the chic Samueli Theater at SCFTA, were many international stars of design. Brunello Cucinelli, Fendi, Lanvin, Marni, Max Mara, Moncler, Oscar de la Renta, Ralph Lauren, Roberto Cavalli, Salvatore Ferragamo, Valentino and Versace were among the famous lines showcased.

Joining SCP in sponsoring the massive event were Bvlgari, Gucci, Salvatore Ferragamo and Union Bank.

A morning champagne reception set the mood, with lunch served in the elegant lobby of the Renee and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall following the show. An after-party at the Center Club finished the day of high fashion and high living.

Joining Knode chairing the day was co-chair Susan Croul. Committee members comprised a whos who of O.C. social standing. Lori Anderson, Susan Etchandy, Michelle Janavas, Irene Martino, Susan Lee Paek, Alex Parker, Julie Post-Guenther, Jodi Salerno, Jennifer Segerstrom and Ann Smyth were among the dedicated.

Also spotted in the elegant crowd were Cindi Morales, Lauren Wong, Elizabeth Ginger, Jamie McKinnon, Allison Olmstead and Julie Taylor. Major support came from Teddie Ray, Melinda Serra, Ginni Valley, Annette Oltmans, Yvette McCarthy, and Harvester co-founders Jill Johnson-Tucker and Jennifer Van Bergh.

Since its founding in 1992, the Harvesters have raised and donated $6 million to Second Harvest Food Bank. The O.C. may be rich, but statistics report that one in five kids living here may be going to bed hungry nightly. Second Harvest estimates that of the three million residents in the O.C., hundreds of thousands are living on the literal edge of homelessness, hunger and ruin.

------------

FOR THE RECORD

An earlier version of this article stated that since 1992 the Harvesters have raised and donated $1.6 million to Second Harvest Food Bank. The correct amount is $6 million.

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B.W. COOK is editor of the Bay Window, the official publication of the Balboa Bay Club in Newport Beach.
A registered sex offender on parole was arrested late Saturday on suspicion of exposing himself to people at The Triangle shopping and restaurant center in Costa Mesa, police said.

The man was being aggressive toward other patrons and was kicked out of the Black Knight restaurant in the 1800 block of Newport Boulevard around 11:40 p.m., police Lt. Greg Scott said. While he was walking around The Triangle, the man slid down his pants to expose his genitals, Scott said.

Security detained the man until police officers arrived.

Tony Harris, 37, of Santa Ana was taken into custody on suspicion of indecent exposure.

hannah.fry@latimes.com

Twitter: @HannahFryTCN
I received an email recently from a reader named Fred whos unhappy about the way that language and writing standards have gone down the tubes since his school days in the 1950s and 60s. Heres an excerpt:

Teachers have told me that punctuation is no longer being taught (considered by students who text as a waste of time) and that the grammar that I had to take half of each year through junior and senior high school has gone by the wayside also, Fred wrote.

I see bad writing everywhere: awkward sentences, minimal punctuation, misspellings, misuse of words, references to things not previously mentioned, use of acronyms not previously noted, etc. The reason those in my age group fuss about this so much is because we have seen our culture spiral down, which the younger generation cant see (yet!), he added.

Fred isnt alone. Many people have written to me over the years to express the same basic sentiment. Fascinatingly, their anecdotal experiences are echoed by some prominent educators.

Heres an English professor at a small college talking about the schools freshman class: Many do not know the alphabet or multiplication table, cannot write grammatically and seem to have been trained to hate mental exercise. Often they cannot read intelligently and dislike any reading.

One Connecticut teacher put it even more bluntly: From every college in the country goes up the cry, Our freshmen cant spell, cant punctuate. Every high school is in despair because its pupils are so ignorant of the merest rudiments.

Most damning of all are these words from the president of Harvard University: Bad spelling, incorrectness as well as inelegance of expression in writing, ignorance of the simplest rules of punctuation, and almost entire want of familiarity with English literature, are far from rare among young men of 18 otherwise well prepared for college studies.

No wonder folks educated in the good old days are so alarmed. Language, or at least propriety in language, is clearly teetering on the brink of collapse, right?

It sure sounds like it. Unless you happen to know the year in which each of those educators was speaking.

That English professor at the small college? He made that observation in 1956  the height of Freds golden age of grammar instruction.

The Connecticut teacher who alleged that college freshmen cant spell or punctuate was made that statement in 1917. And that Harvard president? His name was Charles Eliot, and he made those comments in 1871.

Lest anyone think this phenomenon is limited to America or even the English language, heres a tirade about a similar downward spiral in Latin. Spoken Latin has picked up a passel of words too casual for written Latin, and the grammar people use when speaking has broken down. The masses barely use anything but the nominative and the accusative. Its gotten to the point that the student of Latin is writing what is to them an artificial language, and it is an effort for him to recite it decently.

This little rant was translated from Latin. It was penned in the year 65. Not 65 with an apostrophe. Just 65.

I pilfered all these quotations from linguist John McWhorters 2013 Ted Talk titled Txting is killing language. JK!!! And anyone who believes that the language education she got in the good old days set a standard thats been sliding downhill ever since might want to find McWhorters talk online.

Because, while folks educated 30 or 40 or 50 years ago may, indeed, have received a good grammar education, some of them clearly didnt grasp what they were hearing in history class.

--

JUNE CASAGRANDE is the author of The Best Punctuation Book, Period. She can be reached at JuneTCN@aol.com.
The good news is that theres an elevator. In fact, the elevator is your only option if you hope to see the commanding view from atop the Washington Monument in Washington, D.C. It zooms 500 feet up to the observation deck in about 70 seconds.

The bad news is that rangers have had a lot of trouble with the elevator lately, with repeated closures in August and a sustained closure through much of September. Before you show up, double-check the elevator status by calling this number: (202) 426-6841.

The monument, which opened in 1888, is 555 feet tall. It has no bathrooms.

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On days when everything is working, free tickets are offered, first-come, first-served, at 8:30 a.m. each morning at the nearby Washington Monument Lodge on 15th Street. For advance tickets through recreation.gov, theres a service charge of $1.50 per ticket.

There is a stairwell with 897 or 898 steps, but its been off-limits to the public since the 1970s.

In honor of this years National Park Service centennial, the Travel section is posting 100 park travel ideas and tips based on trips staff travel writer Christopher Reynolds has taken, along with photo-op advice from Times photographer Mark Boster. Well post one per day through Dec. 31.

Follow Reynolds on Twitter: @MrCSReynolds

See travel videos by Reynolds from around the world.
Question: My daughter and her friends are studying in Florence, Italy, through a study-abroad program. In meetings before they left, nothing was said about the Schengen visa, but those in charge encouraged all the students to stay after their semester was over to travel around Europe. My daughter and others bought Eurail passes and have flights home which are well beyond the 90-day limit for the Schengen visa. We knew nothing about the 90-day stay until the last meeting before the students were about to leave. Can you shed any light on this or give us suggestions about what the students should do now? Are some countries stricter than others?

Celeste DeCoudres

Pasadena

Answer: Any traveler, not just students, who is spending longer than three months in certain parts of Europe must understand the rules concerning the Schengen visa.

The 26 countries that are party to the Schengen Agreement make it easy for U.S. passport holders to visit without having to apply for a visa for each country.

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The countries are Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.

In these countries, in any 180-day period, holders of U.S. passports are allowed to stay 90 days.

Unless this is the worlds shortest semester, DeCourdes daughter may need to take additional steps.

Heres a starting place: Italy has a slick Do you need a visa process through its embassy website that takes you through four steps to determine whether you need a visa.

You select your nationality, select your country of residence, choose whether youre staying longer than 90 days and then select the reason for your visit.

I entered information for a student and it came up yes, meaning a visa is needed.

Now what?

If you want to do continuous study in a country that is under the Schengen Agreement for more than 90 days within any 180-day period, then I advise that you first speak to the study abroad office at your originating university in the U.S., if you dont have a travel agent who can help you, Danette Jacob, a travel specialist with Travel Leaders in La Crosse, Wis., a travel agency network, said in a email.

More than likely the student enrolled in a study-abroad program through their home university [or secondary school]. These programs maintain contacts with the host school, and they already have procedures in place to help the student extend their visas for study purposes.

They will know exactly whom to contact to help facilitate this for you, or they will be able to tell you where to go or who to contact in the host country.

Patt Potter with Travel Leaders in Blaine, Minn., suggests contacting the U.S. Embassy to find out whom to contact at the nearest U.S. consulate, which can direct you to the host countrys branch of government that deals with visas.

It is important to stress that they do not overstay their visa validity without extending the dates, Potter said in an email.

DeCourdes asks whether some countries are stricter than others. Right now, the climate is such that adhering to the rules is a must, and any study-abroad program that didnt discuss visas is putting its students in jeopardy.

Immigration is such a hot topic, said Hans Benson, a lawyer with Fragomen Worldwide, who helps the companys employees get visas for work abroad. Because there is so much discussion about illegal immigration in Europe, following the letter of the law is imperative, not just advisable.

For instance, Benson just handled an issue for a traveler who was returning to a Schengen country after spending time away. Remember, you can spend 90 days within a 180-day period. Then you have to leave, but you can come back and the clock on the you dont need a visa starts again.

But the client slipped up and returned on Day 179. They made her stay the night in the airport, he said, before she was admitted to the country.

If youre having a hard time keeping track, check out a Schengen calculator (www.lat.ms/calculator) that can help you keep track of your travels.

If you do run into problems, do not expect help from the U.S. Embassy. We find their hands are tied, Benson said. Someone in visa difficulty is in no mans land and its hard for them [the U.S. Embassy] to assist.

And if you dont have enough to worry about, you should also think about your passport. What? Yes, your passport should be valid at least six months from your date of return, the State Department notes. Many countries require three months, but increasingly six months is the norm, and if you have less than a year left on your passport, you may as well go ahead and get a new one.

Travel to countries around the world has become easier, but entrance requirements are increasingly complex. To read more about visa requirements in the country youre visiting, go to the country-specific pages at the U.S. State Departments website (www.travel.state.gov).

Have a travel dilemma? Write to travel@latimes.com. We regret we cannot answer every inquiry.
A giant power plant set atop what was once a virgin forest churns with coal from a nearby mine, a roaring example of Indias aspirations to best Chinas economic growth and light the homes of its poorest people.

Yet the privately run Sasan power project  backed by hundreds of millions of dollars in U.S. government funding  has also generated land disputes, health and environmental concerns and financial hardship for villagers who say it has delivered little of what was promised.

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FOR THE RECORD

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Sasan power: In the Oct. 15 Section A, an article about the impacts of a coal-fired power plant in India said the village of Amlohri was two miles west of the Sasan plant. Amlohri is two miles west of a Sasan coal mine. Also, the article said that villager Kamala Prasad Panika was notified in June that because his family had not moved to a resettlement colony, his sons would be unable to attend school there, and that they were kicked out a week later. About two months ago, the boys were readmitted to the school. And the article said that in May, the All India Power Engineers Federation accused the Sasan plant of deliberately suppressing power output, which forced states to buy electricity from other suppliers at a cost of $500 million. In the complaint, the federation cited Sasans 58.3% power output for the 2013-14 fiscal year and 66.8% for fiscal 2014-15. The company has denied diverting any coal, and reported that in its most recent three-month period, which ended Sept. 30, Sasans output had improved to 90%.

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As India tries to bring electricity to 300 million people who lack it, it is defying international calls for reducing climate-changing fuel emissions and instead heavily expanding investments in coal, often with huge costs for rural people living in the path of the inexpensive fossil fuel.

In the village of Amlohri two miles west of the Sasan plant, a mountain of rocky mining waste dumped by Reliance Power, the plant developer, surrounds a cluster of mud-and-brick dwellings, their tin roofs reflecting a blinding sun.

Winds often scatter coal dust and fine rock over crops and into wells that store drinking water. Monsoon rains wash the soil down into the village and into homes whose walls have cracked, activists say, because of blasting from the mine.

Big trees were crushed under the rock, said Ramji Basor, one of several farmers who live in the shadow of the power plant about 375 miles southeast of New Delhi. We found dirt and dust on everything.

The stories told by Basor and his neighbors illustrate how not all Indians have benefited as coal propels their country in its bid to be the worlds fastest growing major economy. India expects to double its coal production over the next five years to 1 billion tons annually.

The Sasan project was touted as a win-win for both investors and residents, promising cheap electrical power and new housing and schools built by Reliance Power.

But interviews with dozens of residents and officials in Sasan, and a review of public records detailing the locals fight with the power plant, show that the company has failed to meet Indian standards for environmental protection.

Its efforts to compensate villagers uprooted by the project have driven many deeper into poverty, partly because of Indias flawed policies on resettling landowners, activists say.

Assessments in 2012 by the Pollution Control Board of the central state of Madhya Pradesh, and in 2014 by the Indian Ministry of Environment and Forests, determined that the companys mining waste was illegally overflowing into forests and farmland and that the company had failed to meet obligations to restore green space lost to construction.

The ministry also found that coal dust, which contains metals that can be toxic, had fallen into fields next to the mines. In August, a committee of experts reported to the National Green Tribunal, a court that hears environmental cases, that groundwater in the village of Harrahawa, next to the power plant, had high levels of mercury, which can cause birth defects and impair the nervous system.

The report did not identify a source for the contamination. Environmental experts say it is almost certainly linked to Sasan and several other major power plants in the area.

Indian regulators are notoriously toothless, however, and Reliance Powers plant and mines have continued to function.

It is a decades-old story in central Indias coal-rich Singrauli district, recently labeled one of the countrys most polluted areas, where residents and activists have long complained that abuses by energy companies go unpunished.

Each and every company is violating environmental norms, including Sasan, said Ashwani Kumar Dubey, a Singrauli resident and lawyer who has challenged the coal industry in Indias Supreme Court. But nothing happens because these companies run the economy of the country.

Reliance Power officials declined to answer questions about Sasan but said the company has supplied much-needed electricity and complied with all Indian social and environmental standards.

The controversy has spread to the U.S. because of Sasans American backer, the Export-Import Bank of the United States, a federal agency that finances the sale of U.S. products overseas. The bank lent Reliance Power $650 million beginning in 2013 to buy mining equipment from a supplier in Wisconsin, a loan that amounts to about 15% of the projects $4.3-billion total cost.

The bank lost its congressional authorization June 30, after opposition from conservative Republicans who call its loans corporate welfare, but its funding for Sasan is not affected.

Advocacy groups say that even as the Obama administration seeks a worldwide agreement to reduce greenhouse gas emissions at a climate summit in Paris in December, Export-Import Bank has financed overseas coal power plants that emit huge quantities of climate-warming carbon.

When Reliance Power was awarded the rights to the project several years ago, residents  including farmers and tribal people who eke out a premodern living from the forest  were swayed by the companys promises of jobs, cheaper electricity, new housing and other amenities, and signed over their land. But nearly all the jobs were temporary, ending when plant construction was completed.

Basor, a slender man whose eyes narrow in the bright sun, is one of about two dozen Baiga tribal people living in the shadow of what has become a giant Reliance Power dump site. The 5-acre plot that sustained his family has become infertile. A gray patina of coal dust coats his crops; the nearby Rihand reservoir, whose water he used for irrigation, is fouled by coal ash and industrial effluent, according to government studies.

Basors eldest son, Suresh, got a job as a welder at one of the mines. But he felt the growing pressure of supporting his parents and four siblings as the farm struggled, his father said.

One morning in April 2013, the wiry 18-year-old with shaggy dark hair was found lying in the dirt at the mines entrance. A hospital report said he had ingested poison. Authorities called it a suicide.

The company has offered Basor about $26,000 to vacate his land and get away from the potential pollution. But he said the amount isnt enough to buy a new home in an area where land prices have soared.

Everything depends on this farm, Basor said. If I sell to Reliance, how will I find another job?

Kamala Prasad Panika, a silver-haired villager in his 40s, refused to sell his home for what he called unfair compensation. So Reliance Power built around him, swallowing his home, which now sits within the walls of the sprawling compound dominated by twin red-and-white smokestacks.

The school his two sons attended was demolished to make way for a coal ash dump, and students were shifted to a new facility Reliance Power established at Surya Vihar, a resettlement colony it built 10 miles away. In June, administrators wrote to Panika saying that because he was not technically resettled, his sons  sixth-grader Arjun and fourth-grader Mukesh  could not attend the school.

The next week, Panika said, they were kicked out of their classes.

Reliance Power describes Surya Vihar as part of one of the most robust community development and corporate social responsibility initiatives by a power plant in India. But only a few dozen of the colonys 376 small concrete houses are occupied. Villagers say the plots are far from jobs and too small for farming, the way their families have earned a living for generations.

Many choose to live instead in makeshift dwellings closer to their former land, leaving Surya Vihar a ghost town. Weeds and thick brush encircle the vacant houses, where cows stand tethered to window frames with missing glass.

There is no way people here can make a living, not in the way they used to, and not in any other way, because they are so isolated, said Awadhesh Kumar, a longtime local activist. The resettlement policy means destitution forever.

Reliance Power says that under state and federal laws, local authorities bear ultimate responsibility for resettling people affected by industrial projects.

So far, Sasans economic benefits are unclear.

Reliance Power won the Sasan bid by agreeing to sell power to seven states initially for less than 2 cents per kilowatt-hour. In May, the All India Power Engineers Federation accused the company of deliberately suppressing Sasans electricity output in order to divert coal to its other plants, where it can sell power at a much higher rate.

The group said Sasans low production had forced states to buy electricity from other suppliers, costing them nearly $500 million.

Activists say Export-Import Bank should have known from the start that there was potential for abuses at Sasan.

We have been fighting against the practices of Indian companies for years, Kumar said. We didnt think we would have to fight a U.S. bank too.

shashank.bengali@latimes.com

Twitter: @SBengali
When French authorities arrived Monday to begin evacuating the sprawling Calais refugee camp known as the Jungle, the lines of migrants eager to leave formed quickly.

From first light, groups of mostly young men from the Middle East and Africa poured out of the encampment that had become their home, carrying their belongings in backpacks and small suitcases.

It was a bittersweet day for many who said they were looking forward to making a fresh start away from the camp, where living conditions were considered miserable, but who also said they were anxious about leaving behind friends and the lives they had built.

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Its emotional, we have been close friends for months now, said Said Wahab, 20, of Afghanistan. We were packing our clothes. It was like a family all leaving together to go on a trip.

Authorities said the refugee camp would be closed within the next few days and camp inhabitants  about 6,500 by official count, but closer to 8,300 according to aid workers  would be sent to reception centers across the country. Many of them have fled war or poverty in their homelands and are expected to either apply for asylum or be sent home, officials said.

The camp has been seen by some observers as a symbol of the French governments failure to effectively handle the migrant crisis facing Europe. Many migrants hoped to reach Britain and some have been injured or killed trying to get there aboard trains or trucks heading into the Eurotunnel under the English Channel.

Some leaving the encampment were struggling to accept that they had failed to reach Britain.

I have to go because there is no chance to go to the U.K. Theyre closing the borders, theyre closing the camps. Theres nothing for us here.  Said Wahab, 20, of Afghanistan

I have to go because there is no chance to go to the U.K., said Wahab, who said he had tried to sneak onto a truck bound for England several times a week for the last few months. Theyre closing the borders, theyre closing the camps. Theres nothing for us here.

Humanitarian aid workers and volunteers from Britain and France had supplied the inhabitants with hot meals, piles of clothes, bedding and even pool tables.

Friendships formed amid adversity, and places of worship were constructed along with restaurants, cafes and schools.

A WiFi truck arrived so the migrants  who come from far-flung places like Afghanistan, Syria, Eritrea and Sudan  could make contact with loved ones and keep track of the news. The camp quickly became a mini global village with a sense of community.

It was a home  like a village, like a town, said one Afghan man as he looked around him at the empty storefronts and people streaming past with their possessions in hand. We dont know where they will take us now. Maybe far, far away.

But there was tension too, especially after dark, when fights would sometimes break out. Many considered the camp dangerous.

Ultimately, on Monday, a number of those waiting patiently to get on a bus just wanted peace.

I came here for life, not fighting, said one man from Sudan, who had his bags in his hands. I will go to any city.

French authorities had announced that they planned to demolish the camp but endeavored to find a way to work with the population after a partial demolition in March was widely condemned by aid groups as overly aggressive.

There were a few flare-ups on Monday as police tried to control the swelling crowds pushing to get to the waiting buses, but it was mostly calm.

When one man became separated from his friends in the line, the remainder of his buddies refused to move on until he had been allowed to pass though the line of riot police. Officers initially refused, but eventually relented.

They are friends; its important for them to keep their community, a French aid worker told the police.

The group cheered and shouted out thank you as they headed straight for a bus, bound for a destination they did not yet know.

Authorities hoped to take 3,000 people in 60 buses to different parts of France on Monday but toward the end of the day, they said only 1,600 had been transported on 40 buses.

Some camp inhabitants seemed unable or unwilling to accept the inevitable. Many men walked around aimlessly, some played ball games or gathered around fires to stay warm. It was clear that many felt a sense of bewilderment at seeing their lives uprooted once again, and renewed uncertainty about where they might end up.

I have no friends, no life; all my friends are in the U.K., said Mahmood Khan, 21, who pointed to a photo at the Jungle Books Kids Cafe and named the unaccompanied minors he knew who had already been relocated to Britain. The Jungle is closed. All closed.

Maybe tomorrow, or after tomorrow, I will get on a bus, he said. I will make one last try to go to England tonight.

Boyle is a special correspondent.

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On the final day before authorities begin to dismantle the Calais refugee camp known as the Jungle, dozens of young people headed to a small sanctuary amid the chaos: a graffiti-fronted, one-room cafe  made of plywood and a tarpaulin roof  that has become a regular fixture in their otherwise disjointed lives.

Residents of the camp call it the Jungle Books Kids Cafe, and when the camp is torn apart, this place where refugee children found a small amount of normality and safety, as well as a vital community and support network, will be destroyed along with it.

Afghan music blasted out of speakers Sunday as teenagers sat in small huddles on the leather sofas, glued to their charging phones.

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Others played a game of pool, passing the only cue they had between them.

Afsar Khadarkhail, 12, paced anxiously back and forth, in search of a cellphone charger  but, more important, hoping to find someone who could assure him he would soon be able to travel to Britain.

Afsar has been in the Jungle for a year now. He says his journey to Calais began in Afghanistan nearly two years ago, shortly after his father was taken away by the Taliban and feared killed.

His mother went to live with her brother, and the young boy embarked on a roughly 4,500-mile journey alone, traveling on foot and in any vehicle he could find through Iran, Turkey, Bulgaria and Serbia before reaching Hungary, where he spent three months.

Boys play pool in the Jungle Books Kids Cafe. The cafe has provided a place where young people in the Calais refugee camp can listen to music, play games, eat warm food and charge their cellphones. (Christina Boyle / For The Times )

He then stowed away in a container for three or four nights before finally reaching France, where his sole intention has been to find a way to Britain.

I want to go to the UK. I dont want to [stay] in France, he said. In my home in Afghanistan, I said I was going to the UK. My uncle gave money for [me to come to the] UK.

Afsars story is painfully common in the Calais camp in northern France, where he is one of an estimated 1,000 children who are living without a parent or caregiver. The site is home to about 10,000 people and has become a symbol of Europes failure to deal with the more than a million migrants who have crossed into the continent from war-torn countries in the Middle East and Africa.

Tomorrow, I dont know what I will do, said Ihsanuallah Khan, a 14-year-old from Afghanistan who also spends time at the Jungle Books Kids Cafe, where a large poster of an iconic red London bus hangs on the wall.

I want to go to England, because I want to study and make my life there.

A young man walks through the camp early Sunday morning. (Christina Boyle / For The Times )

Britain appeals to the boys for a number of reasons. They speak and understand English, and they have heard the country will welcome them in a way that France has not.

French authorities have repeatedly clashed with the inhabitants and say they will begin relocating them starting at 8 a.m. Monday and plan to demolish it entirely.

The news has left Afsar and hundreds of unaccompanied minors like him feeling anxious and uncertain about what their future now holds.

Listen, you are OK, Mary Jones, a British former teacher who co-founded the cafe, tried to assure him. Im sure you will be OK. We will get you on a list.

When the Jungle was partly torn down in March, 129 children disappeared off authorities radars, said aid groups, which fear some of them may have fallen prey to traffickers.

In an attempt to prevent that from happening again, British and French authorities have stepped up their efforts to register all the minors living there before police move in.

As of Sunday morning, 251 people from the camp had been transferred to Britain, according to Safe Passage, an aid group working closely with the British government.

Some of these include young people with close relatives already living in Britain who are willing to take them in, and others who have no relatives there but were deemed to be vulnerable.

Jones also helped to set up the nearby Jungle Books library, a repository of donated books for people living in the camp, and has spent the last year and a half volunteering in the camp. She rarely asks the young people where they have come from or what they have experienced.

She simply wants to provide a place they can play, contact relatives, watch television, eat warm food and ultimately remember they are still children.

The Jungle is a horror, she said. It shouldnt exist, its full of dangers and its really not a nice place, but what it has got is this enormous human spirit and this wonderful feeling of community where everyone looks after each other. Whats being lost is this supportive community.

Those minors who are not processed by Monday morning will be moved into large white containers on the site of the camp, where authorities say their cases can be dealt with.

Some will end up in Britain; others could be processed in France. For Afsar and Ihsanuallah, it is hard to know whether this is an adequate solution.

Their hearts are set on making it to Britain, and both boys readily admit trying to sneak onto a train or truck heading through the tunnel that goes under the English Channel.

They know several who have made it, but also others who lost their lives in the process.

I will take the risk; I know I will maybe be dead, Afsar said. I think about going to the UK because I want to make my life there, I want to go there to study something.

On the eve of the demolition, confusion and tension in the camp were rampant, and aid groups warned that clearing the Jungle was simply putting a Band-Aid on a much bigger problem.

When the demolition is over, the problem is not over, said Red Godfrey-Sagoo, director of operations for Safe Passage UK.

We acknowledge the fact that both [French and British] governments are now trying to address all of this. But its incredibly worrying too that its basically come down to the wire with the demolition that these issues are being addressed. And it does not address the population that is on its way through Greece and to France.

Boyle is a special correspondent.
They fled Syria while she was pregnant with her second child, a small family trying to escape, like so many others, the civil war ravaging their country.

They landed in a one-bedroom apartment in Amman, the Jordanian capital, where their only furniture  two beds and two storage closets  was donated by an orphanage. In time, her husband returned to Syria, abandoning her and their two children.

Hes not a good father. He mistreated his children, the young woman said, trying to hold back tears. I am their father. I am their mother. I am everything to them.

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Her story is all too common. According to the United Nations High Commissioner on Refugees, women head 66,000  or around 35%  of the 188,000 Syrian refugee families registered with the agency in Jordan. Widowed, divorced or abandoned by their husbands, these women have become their families sole breadwinners, roles traditionally held in Syrian society by men.

I am their father. I am their mother. I am everything to them.  - A Syrian refugee in Amman, Jordan

The young mother recounted her journey to Jordan through an interpreter while she registered at a UNHCR processing center in Mafraq, some 50 miles north of Amman. Fearing reprisals for family in Syria, she wanted to only be identified as um Saif, meaning mother of Saif, the name of her fourth-grade son.

She fled Syria four years ago when the bombing became too much. I was very scared, she said, but the risk was worth it. I wanted to save myself and my children.

She receives $232 a month from the UNHCR and uses World Food Program-issued coupons worth about $14 a person, per month, to buy food. But heading a family meant doing something she had never done before: getting a job. She now works part time in a clothing store.

Working out of the home adds stresses and difficulties to already difficult lives.

Culturally, Syrian women are raised to be caretakers of the home, have dinner ready, the house cleaned, raise children, said Tahani Sadi, program coordinator for the Arab Women Organization. Many women feel that working outside the home could possibly ruin this role, Sadi said.

A woman sits with children at Jordans Zaatari refugee camp, home to more than 85,000 refugees. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times )

Bothaina Qamar, an Amman-based livelihoods specialist for UN Women, a United Nations entity for gender equality and the empowerment of women, said the concept of women working was generally perceived as a negative coping mechanism by Syrian families. She added that some women report feeling resentment that they must be the households breadwinner as well as their other roles.

Women in female-headed households, and those single and divorced, were more likely to hold jobs than women living in male-headed households, she said.

Some refugee men, unable to provide for their families and humiliated at having working wives, feel inadequate and emasculated, humanitarian workers said.

Domestic violence is very common among the Syrian refugees because of the level of frustration, said Layla Naffa Hamarneh, director of projects for the Arab Women Organization of Jordan.

Entering the workplace also puts women at risk for harassment, violence and exploitation, humanitarian workers said.

Women and children stroll through a business sector of Jordans Zaatari refugee camp, home to more than 85,000 Syrian refugees. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times )

Asma Khader, president of Sisterhood is Global Institute Jordan, a feminist human rights group, said her groups counseling center receives up to 20 calls and letters each day from women who have been victims of abuses such as unpaid work or gender-based violence, or who are dealing with divorce or forced marriages.

Officially, a minuscule number of female refugees work in Syria. Of the 25,455 work permits issued to Syrians since January, only 357 of them went to women, according to the Jordanian Ministry of Labor, as of Sept. 19.

Societal and cultural pressures discourage women from looking for jobs, but some women fear they will lose humanitarian assistance if they seek a work permit, Qamar said. Age is another obstacle. Most companies in the sectors qualified to hire refugees seek women younger than 40, Helene Daubelcour, a UNHCR spokeswoman in Jordan said in an email.

These most often have young children and rely on child care, Daubelcour said. Some employers understand this need and started providing kindergartens, but it is not available everywhere.

Most refugee women who earn a living rely on home-based activities, often making and selling food at tables or mats they set up outside their homes.

Reem Mahmoud Sofraji, a widow and mother of five children ages 4 to 14, sells homemade pastries and bread products to supplement the $169 she gets from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees each month to provide for her family. (Ann M. Simmons / Los Angeles Times )

Selling pastries is what Reem Mahmoud Sofraji has to do. The widow and mother of five children, ages 4 to 14, fled Syrian three years ago after her husband, Abdulkafi Sofraji, was killed.

A baker, he was hospitalized after a bomb dropped on his shop, Sofraji said. Syrian government soldiers raided the hospital, arrested all the male patients and took them to prison, she said. She never saw him again and later learned he died in jail. Thats when she made a run for the border.

She now lives in Mafraq with her brothers family  10 people sharing three rooms.

Sofraji contributes to the rent using the $169 she gets from UNHCR each month, and supplements that income with the $15 or so she makes a week selling pastries and breads. She uses World Food Program coupons to buy the ingredients.

Its not easy, Sofraji said, her lips quivering as she wiped away tears. I hope I dont lose my ability to provide for my children. I want them to feel like they have a father.

Some groups are trying to break the taboo against working women. Sadi, of the Arab Women Organization, said her group conducts sessions to raise awareness about women in the workplace.

Another effort is These Inspiring Girls Enjoy Reading, or TIGER, an effort by the Massachusetts-based Open Learning Exchange which focuses on improving the literacy, numeracy and social skills of adolescent girls. A key component of the program is getting girls ready to work.

They have to have a vision and a plan and a way to build the future, said Richard Rowe, the organizations chief executive officer. Just getting a high school diploma is not enough. They have to be ready to go from there.

One girl participating in TIGER at the Zaatari refugee camp, 11-year-old Nebal Wael Abusaloo, giggled as she recounted the fun she has in TIGER activities. Nebal, whose family fled the Syrian town of Inkhil three years ago, proudly showed off her skills in basic English.

So what does she want to be when she grows up?

I want to be a doctor to help the suffering people, she said.

ann.simmons@latimes.com

Funding for this report was provided by a grant from the United Nations Foundation

For more on global development news follow me @AMSimmons1 on Twitter

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A small plane heading toward Libyas coast to monitor migrant trafficking routes for the French government crashed soon after takeoff from Maltas airport Monday, killing all five French crew members, authorities said.

The twin-prop Fairchild Metroliner banked to the right and slammed into the ground in a huge fireball soon after lifting off at 7:20 a.m. local time, according to video of the moment captured by a dashboard video camera and posted on Facebook.

Maltas government said all five victims were French. It said the flight was part of a French customs surveillance operation tracing routes of illicit trafficking, both of humans and drugs, leaving Libyas lawless coasts. Libya is the main point of departure for the tens of thousands of migrants who have been paying smugglers to bring them toward Europe by boat.

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Earlier, authorities had said the flight was headed to Misrata, Libya; the government said later that the aircraft was due to return to Malta within a few hours without landing elsewhere.

Maltas international airport is used for surveillance flights to Libya due to its proximity. The government said the French customs operation has been active for about five months.

The airport was closed for four hours while debris was cleared, delaying more than a dozen flights, according to a notice on the airport website.

The Metroliner was registered in the U.S. and leased to a Luxembourg company, the government statement said.

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Bleeding from the head after a mortar attack, a soldier was rushed by ambulance Sunday from the front lines of the battle for Mosul to a cluster of roadside field hospital tents several miles away.

Within moments of arriving, Araz Ahmed Sharif was talking about rejoining the fight.

A doctor explained to Sharif, a 21-year-old Syrian Kurd, that he had a piece of shrapnel lodged in his scalp. But as nurses wrapped gauze around his head, Sharif  a member of the Kurdish special forces  insisted on leaving. He pushed aside his undershirt to expose the tattoo above his heart: Kurdish President Massoud Barzani.

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Im fighting for my land, Sharif said before climbing off a cot and into a waiting ambulance that took him back down the winding mountain road to battle.

Kurdish forces, known as peshmerga, are at the forefront of the fight to reclaim Mosul from the Islamic State group, and have suffered scores of casualties since the offensive began a week ago. But at this field hospital near where the offensive started and still raged Sunday, even those seriously wounded insisted on returning to the front lines.

Araz Ahmed Sharif talks about rejoining the fight. (Molly Hennessy-Fiske / Los Angeles Times )

The doctor was unfazed. Sometimes there will be two injured in the same family and they want to go back and fight. Its normal for us as peshmerga, said Maj. Gen. Muhsin Rashed Zangana, the Kurdish governments director of medical affairs.

Zangana was wounded two years ago in a suicide bomb blast while fighting Islamic State to the south of Mosul. Many of those he treats have been wounded two or three times before, including an amputee he recently treated for a chest wound.

The wounded Sunday included Jager Taha, 20, a third-generation Kurdish fighter with a piece of shrapnel lodged in his left shoulder. Taha sat still long enough for nurses to bandage his shoulder, then left with a fellow soldier to grab a shower and lunch of rice and beans at a nearby chow hall before returning to the front line.

Its an honor for me, he said of continuing the family tradition.

Zangana declined to say how many Kurdish and Iraqi troops have been injured and killed since the Mosul offensive started. He wouldnt say how many field hospitals were treating the injured, but stressed that the Kurdish ones he supervises treat all soldiers, including Iraqi troops and Islamic State militants.

Maj. Gen. Muhsin Rashed Zangana, the Kurdish governments director of medical affairs. (Molly Hennessy-Fiske / Los Angeles Times )

Doctors at the Bashiqa field hospital, about eight miles northeast of Mosul, said they have treated 93 people, 17 of whom died, including two on Sunday. Most were killed by land mines, they said.

They have a staff of about 60, a fleet of two dozen ambulances and four helicopters waiting on a nearby hill to fly the wounded to hospitals an hour away in Irbil.

Kurdish commanders said Sundays offensive in Bashiqa was successful, securing the northern route into Mosul, which they would continue to sweep as the Iraqi army advanced.

But Zangana still worried about suicide attacks. On Sunday, there were five.

Other doctors at the field hospital said they were well supplied, but Zangana disagreed. They were running short on tourniquets, he said  sometimes, they have to use shoelaces. Their helicopters were borrowed from a traffic unit, and not equipped with medical equipment  inside one, they had to jury-rig an oxygen tank.

The military doctor feared they were unprepared should Islamic State stage chemical weapons attacks in Mosul, a city of 1.2 million. The extremists could release noxious mustard gas, he said, or target industrial chemical facilities such as the sulfur plant they destroyed to the south of Mosul last week, releasing a toxic cloud.

Doctors in the field are not equipped with protective suits or decontamination tanks, he said. All they will be able to do is wash soldiers off, and send them back to the fight.

Most of the soldiers who were pronounced dead here did not survive the ambulance ride to the field hospital, Zangana said, having suffered trauma from suicide bombs, gunshots to the head and mortar strikes.

Among them was U.S. Navy Chief Petty Officer Jason C. Finan, 34, of Anaheim, assigned to an explosive ordnance disposal mobile unit that had been assisting the peshmerga. Thursday, Finan  a 13-year veteran of previous conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan - was brought in unconscious with a head injury. Hed been with Kurdish soldiers injured by an explosion, Zangana said.

I tried with the help of the team to treat him but I couldnt do anything. We did our best by CPR, intubation, oxygen, the doctor said, but Finan wasnt breathing and could not be saved.

The five injured Kurdish soldiers also died, as did six more brought in afterward, Zangana said.

Finans interpreter, also injured in the blast, survived. When Zangana checked on him, the interpreter had only one question: What about Finan? The doctor broke the news.

At first, the interpreter couldnt accept it, asking, Nothing can be done?

Zangana was shaken, too. Hes accustomed to seeing Kurdish soldiers die for their country. But it disturbed him to see an American killed.

As he spoke, two SUVs pulled up, covered with mud, and what appeared to be U.S. coalition forces climbed out for a pit stop. (They declined to comment to an American reporter.)

Finan was the fourth U.S. service member and the third Californian killed in the conflict against Islamic State since President Obama authorized military action and sent troops back to Iraq two years ago.

To Zangana and those at the field hospital in Bashiqa, Finan will always be a peshmerga. We will never forget him, he said.

molly.hennessy-fiske@latimes.com

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One after another, American fighter jets and armed drones screech down the runway at this mountain-fringed northern military outpost, launching missions around the clock to support Afghan forces battling militants aligned with Islamic State and the Taliban.

More than 700 U.S. airstrikes have been carried out this year against the militants, twice as many as last year, as Afghan soldiers and police have struggled to contain a perpetual insurgency.

The ferocity of the fighting, more than 15 years after the U.S.-led military invasion, highlights Afghanistans deepening security crisis and unremitting reliance on the United States. The Taliban has waged a campaign of attacks on government-held provincial capitals throughout the country and is expected to continue its assault well into the winter months, beyond what was historically referred to as the fighting season.

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The Afghan military, riddled with corruption and taking orders from President Ashraf Ghanis fragile government, lacks intelligence-gathering and other essential capabilities to ward off attacks. As a result, the security forces depend upon American air power and special forces to help them in their fight, two years after President Obama formally ended U.S. combat operations in Afghanistan.

In June, the White House authorized changes to restrictions on airstrikes against Taliban and Islamic State targets, which would be hit only as a self-defense measure to protect forces from harm. The new authorization gave U.S. commanders the power to launch a strike if it promises to bring strategic effects on the battlefield.

The move widened the air war by expanding the U.S. militarys ability to provide close air support to the Afghans as they maneuver on the battlefield.

M-9 Reaper drones, F-16 fighter jets and other aircraft here along the windswept flight line at Bagram have dropped about 1,000 bombs so far this year, according to the U.S. military.

U.S. Army Gen. John W. Nicholson Jr. looks on during an interview in Kabul, the Afghan capital, on Oct. 23, 2016. (Thomas Watkins / AFP/Getty Images )

Gen. John W. Nicholson Jr., the commander for U.S. and North Atlantic Treaty Organization forces in the country, told a small group of reporters at his headquarters in Kabul, the Afghan capital, on Sunday that the broader authorizations handed down by the White House had significantly enabled our ability to help the Afghans this year.

The U.S.-led invasion in late 2001 was aimed at eradicating a sanctuary for Al Qaeda, which had launched the Sept. 11 attacks, and ousting the Taliban from power in Kabul. It proved relatively easy to topple the Taliban, but difficult to pacify or unify a poverty-stricken country ruled by warlords.

The U.S. continues to play a large counter-terrorism role in helping defend the country from the Taliban and a mosaic of Muslim extremist groups including Islamic State, despite more than $4.1 billion in annual U.S. aid to the Afghan military.

Afghan forces are on track to surpass the 20,000 total in casualties sustained last year, including nearly 5,000 dead. Too often, Nicholson said, young soldiers are left ill-equipped at guarded checkpoints, which are routinely attacked by the Taliban.

This is a failure of leadership, the general said, adding that an assessment is underway to identify and replace incompetent Afghan commanders.

U.S. warplanes routinely carry out airstrikes to help the Afghans beat back the Taliban at the checkpoints. The Taliban attacks can chip away at public confidence in the Afghan governments ability to defend its citizens, according to the Pentagons most recent biannual report on Afghanistan.

Perceptions of security remain near all-time lows, says the report, which examined the situation on the ground from Dec. 1 to May 20. Twenty percent of Afghans say that security in their community is good.

Although the Afghan government continues to control city centers, the Taliban holds sway over rural areas and has more territory now than at any time since the war began in 2001, according to recent United Nations estimates.

Brig. Gen. Charles H. Cleveland, spokesman for the NATO mission in Afghanistan, said the Afghan government controls about two-thirds of the population, the Taliban controls about 10%, and the remainder is contested.

U.S. intelligence indicates that the Taliban will make a run on provincial capitals this year as the winter months approach. In the last few months, the Taliban has made several attempts to topple local forces in Farah, Tarin Kot, Lashkar Gah and Kunduz, a town it briefly seized last year.

Currently, about 700 U.S. forces are in Kunduz and Helmand provinces, military officials said, helping advise and coordinate with their Afghan counterparts on beating back Taliban offensives.

Afghan forces, backed by U.S. air power and special operations advisors, have thus far put down the uprisings. However, civilians caught in the crossfire are paying a high price, according to the U.N., which reported that 5,166 Afghans were killed or injured in the first six months of this year  the most since it began tracking casualties in 2009.

While the Afghan defense of these places has not been perfect and it hasnt been pretty all of the time  they have been successful and they have defended each of their capitals, Cleveland said.

For the first time, the Afghans have their own fixed-wing aircraft to provide close air support for their forces. But they have just eight A-29 Super Tucano attack aircraft  with nine pilots.

The new White House authorization has enabled more airstrikes against Islamic State positions, particularly in the eastern province of Nangarhar, where the group has gained strength.

The intensified U.S. airstrikes and deployments of American special forces, called enablers by the military, alongside Afghanistans 201st Corps helped kill about 100 Islamic State fighters in a 2-week-long campaign this month, according to Afghan Brig. Gen. Mohammed Ali Shujai.

We will continue to use all the enablers, all the capabilities and all the air assets, he said through an interpreter.

william.hennigan@latimes.com

Twitter: @wjhenn
Nearly three years after congress passed legislation to stimulate the use of PPPs, the government awards the first contract to expand two federal highways
PRETORIA, SOUTH AFRICA

South Africa announced Friday that it would withdraw from the International Criminal Court, dealing a major blow to a troubled institution set up to try the world's worst crimes.

The decision followed a dispute last year when Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir visited the country for an African Union summit despite facing an ICC arrest warrant over alleged war crimes.

South Africa refused to arrest him, saying he had immunity as a head of state.

Justice Minister Michael Masutha told reporters in Pretoria that the ICC was "inhibiting South Africa's ability to honour its obligations relating to the granting of diplomatic immunity".

"There is a view in Africa that the ICC in choosing who to prosecute has seemingly preferred to target leaders in Africa," Masutha added to AFP.

The ICC, set up in 2002, is often accused of bias against Africa and has also struggled with a lack of cooperation, including from the United States which has signed the court's treaty but never ratified it.

The withdrawal "shows startling disregard for justice from a country long seen as a global leader," Human Rights Watch said in a statement.

Amnesty International said South Africa was "betraying millions of victims of the gravest human rights violations and undermining the international justice system".

The US said it was "concerned" by Pretoria's decision.

"We do think that the ICC has made valuable contributions in the service of accountability in a number of situations and we hope that other governments would share that," State Department spokesman John Kirby told reporters.

POST-COLONIAL BIAS?

As an ICC signatory, South Africa's failure to arrest Bashir last year led to a wave of condemnation and an early threat from the government to withdraw from The Hague-based court.

Bashir has evaded arrest since his ICC indictment in 2009 for alleged war crimes in Sudan's Darfur conflict in which 300,000 people were killed and two million forced to flee their homes.

Earlier this month Burundi said it would leave the court, and Namibia and Kenya have also raised the possibility.

Welcoming South Africa's decision to withdraw from the ICC, Sudan urged other African member nations to follow suit.

"The presidency of the republic... calls on African leaders and the people of Africa who are still members of the ICC to take a collective step in withdrawing from the ICC," a presidency statement said.

Burundi's foreign minister Alain-Ayme Nyamitwe, meanwhile, said the country expected others to follow, adding that it was important to note that "the ICC is not popular in Africa".

South Africa, which delivered a letter to the United Nations on Wednesday to activate its official withdrawal, is likely to complete the process in one year.

"It could spark a domino effect on other African states," Anton du Plessis, of the Institute for Security Studies think-tank in Pretoria, told AFP.

"South Africa played an important role in developing the ICC and now to see it playing such a destructive role is saddening," he said.

The ICC said Friday it had not received any confirmation of the South African position, adding that it relied on "the international community in Africa and outside Africa... to fulfil its mandate."

'DISGRACEFUL CONDUCT'

In March, South Africa's Supreme Court of Appeal accused President Jacob Zuma's government of "disgraceful conduct" over Bashir's visit and ruled that the failure to arrest Bashir was unlawful.

The government was facing a possible defeat in the Constitutional Court next month over the issue, but said that Friday's decision meant its legal battle would be dropped.

During the summit, an emergency court order was obtained for Bashir's arrest, though government lawyers admitted he had quickly flown out of the country just before the order was issued.

"We were called as a country to arrest and prosecute a sitting head of state and the natural consequence would have been forced regime change in that country by South Africa," Minister Masutha told AFP.

Of the ten ICC probes since 2002, nine have been into African countries and one into Georgia, though most ICC cases have been referred to the court by African governments themselves.
Authorities were investigating the circumstances of a Fountain Hill woman pronounced dead Sunday in Allentown.

Susan Passalis, 61, of the 1000 block of Cherokee Street, was pronounced dead at 4:12 p.m. in the 500 block of North Emery Street in the city, the Lehigh County Coroner's Office said in a news release Monday.

Following an autopsy Monday, Passalis' cause and manner of death remained pending further toxicological testing.

The coroner's office and Allentown police are conducting the investigation, the release states.

Deputy Coroner Wendy Brantley pronounced Passalis dead.

Passalis' body was found inside a vehicle, and the death did not appear suspicious, police Capt. Bill Reinik said.

"It's nothing that anybody has to worry about," he said, declining further comment.

Following the results of testing, the manner of death may be ruled natural, accidental, suicide, homicide or undetermined.

Kurt Bresswein may be reached at kbresswein@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @KurtBresswein. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.
pennstate.jpeg

Penn State Ohio State Penn State coach James Franklin, center, celebrates with the crowd after the team's 24-21 win over Ohio State during an NCAA college football game on Saturday, Oct. 22, 2016, in University Park, Pennsylvania. (Abby Drey | Centre Daily Times via AP)

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UPDATE: 'Arrests pending' after Penn State fans rampage, report says

State and city police said disorderly fans caused damage following Penn State's upset victory over No. 2 Ohio State.

A celebratory crowd of an estimated 5,000 to 10,000 people gathered in downtown State College following Saturday's victory. The Nittany Lions scored the final 17 points in the 24-21 victory over the Buckeyes.

The group was mostly college-age men and women, according to police.

Action 4 News Pittsburgh is reporting some members in the crowd then damaged street lights and signs, as well as started small fires in the street. At least one vehicle was reportedly damaged and one person taken to a hospital after he was struck in the head with a bottle, according to the report.

State police and other agencies aided city police in clearing the streets over the next several hours. Police are asking anyone who took photos or video capturing illegal activity to send the images to investigators.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Pamela Sroka-Holzmann may be reached at pholzmann@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow her on Twitter @pamholzmann. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.
Kathleen Kane is going to jail.

The former Pennsylvania attorney general and rising star of the Democratic party on Monday was sentenced to 10 to 23 months in prison for perjury and obstruction of justice, according to a report on our sister website pennlive.com.

Kane, 50, who is appealing the conviction and has been adamant about her innocence, fought the charges at trial in August. The jury found her guilty on all nine counts.

In advance of Monday's sentencing, Kane's attorneys have argued that the loss of her career and reputation is punishment enough, but prosecutors pushed for jail time, according to an Associated Press report.

Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin Steele prosecuted the case. Judge Wendy Demchick-Alloy presided over the trial and handed down Monday's sentence.

Prosecutors said Kane ordered a campaign consultant to pass along confidential files about a rival prosecutor as a form of retribution. She later lied about the leak and tried to frame someone else, prosecutors said.

Kane, who was first elected to the post in 2012, announced her resignation a day after being convicted.

Gov. Tom Wolf nominated Bruce Beemer as a replacement. He was confirmed by the state Senate and sworn into office on Aug. 30.

Beemer on Monday released the following statement after Kane's sentencing:

"Today is another sad day for the commonwealth and its citizens. The Office of Attorney General is moving forward with steps to restore the public's confidence in the work that we do and the way that we do it.

"The men and women of the OAG are dedicated public servants who do their jobs with integrity on a daily basis. That is what the public expects and deserves."

Kane had sought a sentence of probation or house arrest, arguing that she wanted to be home to raise her two teenagers.

The judge had wide discretion in sentencing. She could have ordered probation, but also had the option of handing down a maximum sentence of 12 to 24 years in prison given the seriousness of the crimes.

Nick Falsone may be reached at nfalsone@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @nickfalsone. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.
A resident of the direct provision centre in Laois has been given the benefit of the probation act for producing a false driving licence to the gardai.

Secoudo Idara (29), the Montague Hotel, was charged with having a false licence at Portlaoise Courthouse, on July 21 this year.

Inspector Oliver Baker gave evidence that the accused was observed driving at the Ridge Road, Portlaoise, on September 18, 2015, where he drove across a mini-roundabout.

He was signalled to stop by the gardai and found to have no insurance or driving licence.

Insp Baker said that the accused claimed he had a French driving licence, which he produced to the gardai at Portlaoise Courthouse. However, the gardai got suspicious of the authenticity of the licence as it lacked any security features.

Defence, Ms Thomasina Connell said her client genuinely felt it had been a genuine document, but he had been reckless.

She told the court that Idara got the licence from a friend in France, which had been a very stupid thing to do.

Defence explained that the accused, who was originally from Guinea, was residing at the direct provision centre and is currently applying for citizenship.

Judge Catherine Staines told the accused: You have to earn a driving licence, you dont get it from a friend. I dont accept you thought it was genuine.

Judge Staines applied the probation act, section 1.1.
Doctors seek the support of Laois County Councillors to prevent downgrade of the Midlands Regional Hospital, Portlaoise

Doctors met local politicians in Laois today to urge them to step up to the plate in the fight for the retention of services at Portlaoise's hospital.

Hospital consultant Dr Peter Fleming was joined by GP colleagues, Dr Michelle Byrne and Dr Gerry White in giving a presentation at the October council meeting of Laois County Council.

Tullamore gets 84 million a year, Naas gets 56m and Portlaoise gets 51.7m. The very busy A&E doesn't match the funding, he said.

On average, 12 people were left overnight on A&E trolleys in Portlaoise this year.

There is nowhere else for people to go. The wait time for an ambulance in the midlands is particularly bad, the target was met in only 6 to 10 percent of cases, Dr Fleming told Laois County Councillors.

The Minster for Health Simon Harris was presented with a plan earlier this year which recommended downgraded. Last month the chief executive of the Dublin Midlands Hospital Group suggested the setting up of a new maternity unit in Tullamore to replace Portlaoise and other hospitals.

See more in the Leinster Express
A Durrow man who was disqualified from driving after crashing his car into a fence had the driving ban lifted at Portlaoise Circuit Court.

A Durrow man who was disqualified from driving after crashing his car into a fence had the driving ban lifted at Portlaoise Circuit Court.

Darragh Murphy, Laurel Lodge, Dunmore, Durrow, was fined 300 in Portlaoise District Court and put off the road for two years, after being convicted of dangerous driving at Colt Cross, Portlaoise, on March 23, 2013.

State solicitor, Mr Donal Dunne told the recent circuit court that Murphy failed to take a turn and collided with a fence, crashing the car.

Defence, Mr Frank Taaffe said that Murphy wished to appeal the disqualification, as he is a transport manager and needs his licence for work.

The loss of his licence means the loss of his job, said Mr Taaffe, adding that there were no injuries incurred and no other vehicle involved in the incident.

Mr Taaffe said the State was now prepared to reduce the charge to careless driving, to which Murphy was entering a plea of guilty.

Judge Petria McDonnell increased the original fine to 450 and agreed to lift the driving disqualification.

In a separate case during the same sitting of the circuit court, a Clare man had a driving disqualification for speeding lifted.

Patrick Sexton, OConnors Pub, Fisher Street, Doolin, Co. Clare, was previously fined 300 and disqualified from driving for one year, after he was convicted of driving at 185km/h in a 120km zone, at the M7, Cappakeel, Portlaoise.

Mr Dunne told the circuit court that Sexton had one or two minor previous convictions, including holding a mobile phone while driving.

Holding a mobile phone is no longer minor, observed Judge McDonnell.

Defence for Sexton, barrister Mr Rory Hanniffy said Sexton had failed to attend the district court on two occasions to meet the charge, as his life had been in turmoil at the time. As he didnt turn up, the district court judge imposed a driving disqualification, which Sexton was now appealing.

Mr Hanniffy said Sexton is a publican who needs his licence for work.

Judge McDonnell agreed to life the disqualification, but increased the fine to 450.
Purposeful efficiency at the Corn Street headquarters, a fair-sized room full of people moving about. Friendly greeting from the man with the large-shelved bookcase stuffed with leaflets and letters, whisked to the registration desk with people busy at computers behind it, more friendly smiles plus tea and cake.

It was the middle of Tuesday afternoon. And there was the candidate, Liz Leffman, pausing between trips out, pleased to meet another Cumbrian volunteer. I had just missed Tim, apparently, now on his way back to London after his fourth, penultimate, visit. (How had he managed four? Id heard him address the North-West Lib Dems conference in Lancaster the previous Saturday afternoon.)

Now it was time to work. Here were three volunteers, two men and a woman, about to go out in a car to a Witney estate. Would I join them? Within half an hour, equipped with large bundles of leaflets and letters, a map and a list of the exact houses to be delivered, I was starting my round: leaflets for every house, addressed letters for many of them. There were no posters up. A man walking a dog smiled, but one householder thrust back the leaflet and letter, saying crossly that her daughter was at Uni but wouldnt be voting Lib Dem anyway.

It was easy work for me on that modern estate with its clearly numbered houses. Yet after two hours I found my head was spinning slightly, my shoulders ached and my neck was cold. Why was this simple exercise wearing me out much more rapidly than Cumbrian fell walks? I was glad when my companions, a bit younger and faster than me, rang to say they were finished and came to help me complete my second road. Apparently they had done nine hours delivering the day before. I thought, I couldnt have done that.

They said they were camping out in the big house of a generous local Lib Dem. That took me back. Where had I done the same as a student Liberal? Wasnt it Nuneaton? The candidate there didnt get in (are there Lib Dems now in Nuneaton?), but in Colne Valley our late-lamented Richard Wainwright did, and of course David Steel in Roxburgh, Selkirk and Peebles. Happy days!

As dusk fell we re-entered headquarters: the room full of people listening to, presumably, the chief campaign manager, urging everyone to further efforts, and Liz being happy with all that had been done. Then there was a surprise  a little birthday cake with candles for Tom, one of my three companions, who had chosen to spend his 30th birthday like this, a true Lib Dem. Hes just half my age, muttered the man next to me with a rueful smile, no doubt recalling like the rest of us past birthdays and past campaigns as well.

But there was more work to be done. Would I go out and canvass with someone else? enquired the efficient woman organiser. I braced myself for the expected cold, regretting not bringing scarf, hat and gloves. However, I was reprieved. Liz would have to be driven back to her home in Charlbury by and by, could I take her? Meantime she would have some supper at the Three Horseshoes down the road, since it was good to be seen in the local hostelries.

I joined her there, with three new companions, and talk flowed over the quick meal. Then Liz and I walked to my car and I drove her home along the country roads in the dusk. Id already absorbed what an excellent standard-bearer she was for us, and it was good to hear more about her life.

Next morning we were going to Chipping Norton  splendid! Surely the epicentre of our fantasy enemy, the uncaring Tory, indifferent to the plight of the poor! Liz was there in the centre, with her entourage including her (I presume!) P.A. for the day, one Paddy Ashdown.

A tall man carrying a large number of leaflets spotted my rosette, and came over to see who I was. This was Ian, all the way from Edinburgh, been there since Saturday, doing his own deliveries after collecting each morning from HQ. He had plenty of deliveries left, so I joined him and we drove to a spot in the town where we could each take a long street. And just as I finished mine at the top of a hill, I met up with Ed and helped him finish a last little estate and drove him back to Witney.

Eds satnav led us through quiet golden-stone villages which I remembered from living here, talking of his impending move from London to live in Chesterfield, and of art and the poetry of Blake and Keats. We were bumping over far more sleeping policemen than there used to be, on little roads all now speed-limited. Still, there were obviously a lot more sleeping Liberal Democrats waiting to be roused by the good fairy Liz and her many attendant elves.

It was the afternoon before Polling Day. Sal Brinton was at HQ, just back from canvassing. I had last seen our President at Lancaster the previous Saturday: wheelchair travel must be remarkably quick!

After greeting her I tackled a last job in a little estate by the river and just managed the deliveries in the gathering dusk. Back at HQ I was in time to hear the final urging of the campaign manager to everyone to pull out all the stops next day, and hear Lizs final warm words, about her pleasure whatever the outcome of this splendid four-and-a-half week campaign. I looked at her, still fresh-faced, calm, friendly and capable, and said my farewells with regret. The gargantuan task undertaken by all involved would, as we know now, have an outcome which seems completely deserved, and is now being rightly celebrated.

* Katharine Pindar is a long-standing member of the Lib Dems and an activist in the West Cumbrian constituency of Copeland and Workington.


Its that time of the year again.

Could you please send us photos of your Halloween pumpkins?

We have had great fun with this in the past.

As a taster, here above is a rather unnerving effort produced by Alex Cole-Hamilton. Were delighted that Alex is still finding time to keep up his Pumpkin art despite the pressures of office. This is Trumpkin.
The result in the Witney by-election was a substantial swing to the LibDems, jumping from fourth place on 6.8% to second place on 30.2%. Liz Leffman and her team did an outstanding job, and the party was clearly ready to rally to the cause.

Over the next few days there were speculations about what that would mean if replicated at a General Election, with estimates of the number of seats likely to switch from Tory to LibDem put between 26 and 51. The statistician in me is wary of those extrapolations: there are lots of unknowns at by-elections, and British politics is especially turbulent at the moment.

On the other hand, political parties usually spend a long time building up profiles of voters. Lots of volunteers flooding in at the last minute is not a good substitute for that prolonged work, so there is more to the surge in Witney than simply the number of people who came to campaign. In fact, it will be far easier to win back people who voted LibDem in 2010, now they are able to see the difference between the Tories on their own and the Tories in coalition with LibDems.

But at the very least, the sheer numbers of LibDems who went to Witney, and the positive energy around the campaign, show we are in good heart. A recent article in The Economist rightly suggests that this could well be a turning point for the LibDems  proof that we are very much back in business  though it also counsels that this there is a long way to go.

Right now what is at stake is much bigger than one political party. Labour are manifestly not a credible government-in-waiting. The Conservatives are split, in hoc to their right wing extreme, and concentrating power in the executive (some might say the Prime Ministers office) in a way that is a big challenge to parliamentary democracy.

Where do people go who naturally inhabit the centre ground, and are concerned by the increasingly-obvious dangers of Brexit  both in terms of economics and of ideals?

The Witney result should unsettle Theresa May. It needs to spark a more conciliar, collaborative and co-operative approach, particularly to the EU. It should also push people to engage with the real reasons for people voting Leave, which seems to have been more to do with frustration at the status quo than a real understanding of the serious consequences of leaving.

The tragic irony is that there are a range of inspiring voices for change in the EU, including Guy Verhofstadt, of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe and Yannis Varoufakis. I suspect that many of those who voted Leave would have been enthusiastic supporters of some of these reforms if they were more widely known: staying in the EU and supporting changes within might actually be the best way to get what many of those who voted Leave were wanting.

* Mark Argent was the Liberal Democrat candidate in Huntingdon Constituency in 2019 and blogs at markargent.com/blog.
LIMERICK raised actress Ruth Negga  who is poised for an Oscar nomination after her latest role  has been photographed by one of the worlds top fashion photographers, Mario Testino, for Vogue magazine.

The influential fashion bible is also tipping Negga to be the next muse for high-end fashion label Prada.

In an interview in the November edition of Vogue, the former Love Hate star said that she drew on her connection to Ireland to identify with her character in her upcoming Oscar-tipped movie Loving.

The star, who was born in Ethiopia and raised in Limerick, continues to generate an Oscar buzz for her performance in Jeff Nichols' drama.

Loving tells the story of Mildred Jeter (Negga) and Richard Loving (Joel Edgerton), an interracial couple living in Virginia in the 1950s who must fight for their right to marry.

Speaking about how she identified with her character, Negga told Vogue: Virginia isn't that different from Ireland. Land and home and community are super important. When I was playing her, I tried to imagine I couldn't go home again because of whom I married. It must have drained the lifeblood from her. She went on to discuss her first encounter with racism saying she didn't experience it until she moved to London.

When I was a kid in Ireland, there were not very many black people. I was very much like the strange brown thing, intriguing and cute. I didn't experience racism there. The first time I did was in London. It was that moment that you realize you're black. A kind of lifting of the veil.

Negga, an only child, was born in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, where she lived until she was four. Her mother Nora was working in Ethiopia as a nurse when she met Negga's father. Sadly, Ruths father died in a car accident when she was just seven.

She went to national school in Roxboro, and later spent part of her secondary school at Scoil Carmel on OConnell Avenue, before moving to London and completing her drama studies at Trinity College Dublin.

Her breakout role was in Neil Jordans 2004 film Breakfast on Pluto, followed by Ophelia at the National Theatre, the Misfits TV series on E4, amongst others.

She was the toast of the Cannes Film Festival in the south of France earlier this year, and her Limerick cousin David Malone, accompanied her down the red carpet.
THE LONG-awaited decision on the patronage of two Limerick schools is due in the coming weeks, following repeated queries by local deputies in the Dail.

Speaking in Leinster House, Fianna Fail deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will announce the patronage of the proposed new secondary school in Mungret as soon as possible.

Deputy Collins said many parents in the locality are being requested to nominate their choice of schools in the absence of knowing this school's patron.

Minister Richard Bruton advised that in April this year applications were invited for the patronage of nine new post-primary schools to be established in 2017 and 2018, including the new post-primary school to serve the Limerick city area.

The closing date for receipt of applications for this process was June 8.

Patrons submitted with their application a parental preference template in which parents have been requested to declare their preference for their child to be educated through that patron's school model and also their preference with regard to education through the medium of English or Irish.

Applications received are currently being assessed by my Department. The assessment process is detailed and rigorous and numerous applications have been received in respect of each of the nine proposed new post-primary schools, said Minister Bruton.

The final assessment reports will be forwarded for the consideration of the New Schools Establishment Group (NSEG), an external independent advisory group set up to oversee the process. Following the Group's consideration, they will submit a report with recommendations to me for consideration and final decision. I will then announce who the successful patron of each school is. I expect to receive this report in the coming weeks, he added.

Labour deputy and the former Minister for Education, Jan OSullivan, last month condemned the delay in announcing the new patrons for two post-primary schools in Limerick. The Limerick and Clare Education and Training Board is competing with the Catholic Church and Educate Together for the right to run the new facilities in Mungret, and Castletroy/Monaleen.

Both schools will build up to a capacity for 600 pupils, and while the target for Castletroy is 2018, deputy OSullivan said there is a greater impetus to finalise plans for Mungret, which is due to come on steam in 2017.

She added that the successful patronage for each school will impact on many parents' decisions on where to send their children.

The matter was raised by Deputy O'Sullivan during a Topical Issues debate last week.
LABOURs leader Brendan Howlin has joined former Education Minister Jan OSullivan in saying he wants to grow his partys membership across county Limerick.

Mr Howlin  who until February was at Limerick Finance Minister Michael Noonans right hand leading the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform  was in the city recently.

While he paid a visit to the Limerick Leader, his main intention was to assess Labours state locally  with Limerick one of the few constituencies to return a TD for the party in the shape of Jan OSullivan.

I set an ambition in May to double the partys membership. We have started that progress. I have also set the ambition of doubling our number of councillors [Labour has 50 at present]. We have to prepare for the next election in 2019, and identify candidates. We have to connect with people who think like us but who do not engage in party politics, and invite them into the Labour family, he said.

Ms OSullivan said: In our last campaign  the general election  we have had really good teams, we have had people who maybe had drifted from us, a couple who were annoyed with us, but decided they wanted to keep a Labour seat in Limerick. These are the kind of people we want to ensure we keep in our organisation. One target I have is to build our organisation in county Limerick. We are healthy in the city, but quite thin on the ground in the county.

Since Labour left office following a heavy election defeat in February, Limerick has enjoyed a renaissance in terms of multi-nationals investing in the city, with 750 IDA-backed jobs being created in the last month alone.

Mr Howlin believes it was his government who helped put the right conditions in place for foreign direct investment companies to come here.

He said: Nobody believed back in 2011, a minority Fine Gael government would have survived six months. The likelihood is we would have been in a series of elections with catastrophic results for our economy. We would have had the flight of capital, there would have been no positive views of Ireland. What we needed to do over the last five years was give people confidence in this country to invest.

Unlike in 2011, when Labour coalesced with Fine Gael, the political landscape is a lot more choppy now, with the previous senior partner now in a minority coalition with the Independents.

Many commentators have speculated at dates for the next general election, with the consensus this government will not go full-term.

If the government went to the country in the short term, former Education Minister OSullivan confirmed she would absolutely go again.

And Mr Howlin bullishly predicted that she would hold onto her seat, despite the likelihood of Fianna Fail running two candidates after Willie ODea was elected with a huge surplus back in February.

We would certainly hold our seat in Limerick, Im confident of that. We have a superb representative in Jan OSullivan who was an outstanding member of government. We have a good organisation, and I think people want to see a role for social democracy, the Labour leader said.

Limericks Labour TD has previously sought a role at Labours top table  unsuccessfully running as Eamon Gilmores deputy in 2007.

There was no deputy leadership election after Mr Howlin took office, after a well-documented battle with Alan Kelly back in May  an episode he says he now wants to put behind him.

The reason for this, he says, is that he sees the partys other six TDs as all being his deputies.

And as for the future, the Wexford TD appeared to rule out any role for Ms OSullivan in the leadership ranks at least under his watch, saying: The structure I have presented with the party is to involve everybody  all the TDs, the Senators, our 50 councillors, but engaging with members as well. So in many ways, we will have a new flat organisation where everybody is absolutely involved in new ideas, in creating new policy and communicating that policy to more people.

The structure that Mr Howlin is proposing  with members having a big say  appears to be the same approach the British Labour party leader Jeremy Corbyn is advocating.

Opinion polls show the divisive leader of the British opposition is on average 11 points adrift of the Conservative government.

This concerns Mr Howlin  who spoke at the British Labour conference.

Its even more striking if you look at England, where the battleground is after the rise of the Scottish Nats, and they are 25% behind. There are real issues which need to be addressed. I wish them every success, because God knows, it would be much better for Ireland, and Europe in general, if there was a strong Labour party in Britain, he said, stopping short of offering an opinion on Mr Corbyn.

There was some controversy back in 2014, when, stood next to Mr Noonan after unveiling Budget 2015, Mr Howlin appeared to compare characters from Love/Hate to natives of Limerick.

It came after reporters suggested the excise duty on cigarettes could be considered a Nidge tax, in that they encourage criminality.

Mr Howlin jokingly said of Mr Noonan: Hes from Limerick!.

Laughing about the episode, the Labour leader said: It was a joke, no offence was ever intended. I think it was symptomatic of the relationship me and Michael had. In the greatest of crises, we also joked about a lot of things  including our colleagues, I might add!
Oct 24, 2016, 11 AM

The United States Postal Service has described recent actions during the Sept. 20 Universal Postal Union congress in Instanbul as providing a reasonable compromise regarding the Postal Service's costs for inbound international parcels.

By Bill McAllister, Washington Correspondent

The United States Postal Service has described what the Universal Postal Union did at its Sept. 20 congress in Istanbul as a reasonable compromise of the issues that will significantly improve costs coverage for inbound letter post products, particularly small packets.

Post & Parcel, a website that covers postal issues, noted that Siva Somasundram, general manager of international regulatory affairs for Australia Post, also described the UPU action as a compromise.

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That inevitably means that no one is completely satisfied, the website said.

It said that the UPU agreement means that the posts in industrialized countries will continue to charge less for the delivery of inbound international mail than for the delivery of domestic mail.

The postage rates for some countries, such as China, are a bargain compared to domestic prices in the United States, and that has upset U.S. mailers who complain that overseas shippers are getting too much of a price break.

Sen. Tom Carper receives award from APC

Sen. Tom Carper, D-Del., an indefatigable advocate for postal legislation, was lauded by the Association of Postal Commerce at an Oct. 18 reception.

The organization, composed of some of the nations largest mailers, presented the lawmaker with its highest honor, the J. Edward Day Award, named for a former postmaster general.

Carper recounted his efforts to help the financially troubled U.S. Postal Service with legislation that would aid its depleted treasury and to get some governors for its supposed nine-member board that has shrunk to a lone congressionally approved member.

The senator gave no hint as to whether lawmakers are likely to move on postal legislation in a lame duck session that is likely to follow the Nov. 8 elections. Thats what happened in 2008 when a lame duck session approved a postal law that is widely blamed for the USPSs current financial woes.

The award for Carper was presented at a Washington reception that also honored the associations longtime president, Gene Del Polito.

The often-quoted del Polito has been head of the mailing group for almost 30 years, and has emerged as a leading spokesman for the mailing industry.

Del Polito, who holds a Ph.D. in audiology and speech science from Purdue University, has an uncanny ability to say whats ailing the postal system in a few crisp words.

His tongue could cut through the postal lingo and bureaucratic jargon as few others in the industry could. His retirement undoubtedly will lead to less colorful stories about the USPS.

Marketing shakeup for USPS stamp program

A shakeup in the marketing department at USPS headquarters in Washington has placed the stamp program under Steve Monteith, the marketing vice president.

Monteith previously was executive director of product management for mailing products and services. He will now report to Jim Cochrane, the chief marketing officer for the USPS.

The new vice president will also oversee brand marketing, customer engagement and strategic alignment, customer and marketing insights, industry engagement, and product management, as well as stamp services.

Stamp services, which handles the stamp program, previously reported directly to the chief marketing officer, a change ordered by Patrick Donahoe when he was postmaster general.
May 2, 2021, 6 PM

The Isle of Man issued six Christmas stamps Oct. 20 featuring items from pantomimes staged on the island, including the The Wizard of Oz.

By Denise McCarty

The Isle of Mans Christmas stamps issued Oct. 20 honor the British holiday tradition of pantomime.

The Isle of Man Post Office said: Across the British Isles each winter professional and amateur performers take to the stage to keep the panto tradition alive. It has become as much a part of Christmas as the tree and turkey.

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The stamps represent six shows that have been staged on the Isle of Man over the years. They picture Dorothys ruby slipper from The Wizard of Oz (45 pence), Captain Cooks hook from Peter Pan (77p), the lamp from Aladdin (95p), the poisoned apple from Snow White (1.13), the knapsack from Dick Whittington (1.24), and the feathered hat from Robin Hood (1.86).

For ordering information, visit online; or write to Isle of Man Stamps and Coins, Box IOM, Isle of Man Post Office, Douglas, Isle of Man, IM99 1PB.
Oct 24, 2016, 10 AM

The theme for the Sepac stamps issued in 2007, 2009, 2011, 2013 and 2014 was Beautiful Corners of Europe. The first Sepac folder for 2007 is shown.

The folder for the 2016 Sepac stamps with the theme of Colorful Seasons.

Icelands 2016 Sepac-themed stamps feature the four seasons: spring (with the Sepac logo), summer, fall, and winter. They were issued April 28.

By Wayne Chen

Representatives from several postal administrations across Europe get together for an annual conference called Sepac, which stands for Small European Postal Administration Cooperations.

The goal of the organization and conference is to discuss various philatelic matters of interest to those postal administrations.

Currently there are 13 postal administration members: Aland Islands, Faroe Islands, Gibraltar, Greenland, Guernsey, Iceland, Isle of Man, Jersey, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, and Vatican City.

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Sepac is different from PostEurop, which organizes the annual issue of Europa stamps.

Sepac is smaller and allows smaller European postal administrations to focus on their shared interests. To become a member, a postal administration must have a smaller local market, with more than 50 percent of its philatelic customers residing outside of its country.

This cooperation between the small European postal administrations began in 1994 when a conference was initiated by a philatelic agent. In 1999, the postal administrations established and held their first annual conference under the name Sepac.

Since then, member postal administrations take turns hosting the conference.

This year, the group met in the beautiful Faroe Islands, a self-governing part of Denmark with its own independent postal administration.

More information about Sepac can be found on its website.

The Sepac members jointly select a theme each year to be featured on stamps bearing the official Sepac logo. These are not joint issues or common design stamps; each postal administration designs its own stamps and selects the issue date. This years common theme is Colorful Seasons.

The stamps, along with related philatelic items such as first-day covers, are sold separately by each of the postal administrations.

In addition, a collaborative product called the Sepac folder includes one mint stamp from each participating postal administration. This folder has been produced since the first Sepac multination issue in 2007.

However, the folder does not include a complete set of Sepac stamps for that year.

While some countries issue only a single stamp featuring the Sepac theme, others issue more than one.

For example, Iceland, Guernsey, and Malta each issued a set of four stamps with the Sepac theme in 2016. However, only one stamp in each set includes the Sepac logo.

Even without all of the stamps with the Sepac theme, the folder is a fun and easy way to collect all participating postal administrations stamps in one place.

This year, all of the postal administrations except Vatican City participated in the Sepac series.

The design styles and formats of the Sepac stamps vary greatly.

The official selling price of the folder also can vary from postal administration to postal administration, especially because they use different currencies.

Priced at approximately U.S. $17, the same folder will be offered for sale on the online philatelic shops of the Sepac postal administrations and at post offices in their jurisdictions.

For customers outside of the participating countries, one could shop around and find the most economical price with shipping fees.

Sepac organizes an annual competition to select the most beautiful stamp design in the series. The cooperation reaches out to subscribers of its philatelic newsletter and to the general public. Philatelic prizes are offered as an incentive to vote.

The competition for the 2016 stamps is open through Jan. 31, 2017.

I have participated by voting in the past, but have yet to win a prize.

I also have collected all seven of the presentation folders.

The Sepac stamps issued in 2007, 2009, 2011, 2013 and 2014 were are all under the theme Beautiful Corners of Europe and could depict scenery, fauna, and flora. The theme for 2015 was culture.

Several of the earlier folders included a promotional coupon from each participating postal administration for collectors to mail back and request more information. It only cost an international-rate stamp to mail back the coupon, and you received a complimentary philatelic collectible as gift.

These gifts included mint stamps, presentation folders, first-day covers, and maximum cards. A maximum card is a picture postcard, a cancel, and a stamp presenting maximum agreement with one another.

I enjoy the common-theme stamps from these beautiful places in Europe.
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Disturbing digs

Skulls from a forensic anthropology lab. (Image credit: David Hunt, North Carolina State University)

In archeology, bone fragments and other haunting reminders of long-dead people are a given. But some discoveries paint particularly gruesome pictures of past lives and deaths. From decapitated gladiators and vampire burials to ancient toothy tumors and a mummified lung, Live Science has gathered 25 archeological discoveries that give us the creeps.

Decapitated gladiators

These decapitated remains found in York belonged to a male who may have been a Retiarii gladiator, who fought with a net and spear or trident. (Image credit: York Archaeological Trust)

A set of skeletons discovered in York, England, belonged to tall men who died before the age of 45. What makes them gruesome is that all of them had also lost their heads. Their heads were buried with them, sometimes on their chests, and sometimes between their legs or feet.

Researchers aren't sure why most of the skeletons at the Driffield Terrace were decapitated. They date to between the second and fourth centuries A.D., when the area was part of the northern Roman Empire. Because most of the skeletons were particularly tall and showed signs of trauma, they may be the bones of gladiators. They might also have been military men. A genetic analysis of seven of the decapitated skeletons found that six hailed from Britain, while one may have come from Lebanon or Syria. [Photos: Headless Gladiator Skeletons]

Evidence of war

Here, another skeleton unearthed at Naturak that shows signs of violence (Image credit: Marta Mirazon Lahr)

About 10,000 years ago, something horrible happened in what is now Kenya. Twenty-seven people  men, women and children  died of trauma. Their bones, discovered in 2012 in the sediments of Lake Turkana, show the marks of blunt weapons like clubs and sharp projectiles like arrows. Archaeologists think that the size of the group indicates ancient warfare rather than a violent domestic dispute. One woman (shown here) was found with both knees broken, hands extended in front of her, prompting speculation that she may have been bound.

Pit of death

In 2012, researchers reported finding a deep pit filled with limbs of infants, children and adults with several skeletons dumped on top of the pile. (Image credit: Chenal et al, Antiquity 2015)

A property development project in France uncovered something truly shocking in 2012: A pit, 6.5 feet (2 meters) deep and 5 feet (1.5 m) in diameter, filled to the brim with bones.

Even more sickening, the bones consisted of severed arms and fingers as well as the skeletons of infants, children and adults. Researchers found at least seven upper arms, including one from a young teenager. On top of the amputated limbs, seven bodies had been tossed into the pit, including that of a middle-age man who'd had an arm chopped off and suffered a blow to the head. These bones dated back about 5,335 years.

The bodies (and body parts) most likely were casualties of war, the researchers told Live Science. Some may also have been executed in a sort of brutal Neolithic justice.

Toothy tumor

A close-up view of the two teeth still attached to the tumor. (Image credit: Photo courtesy Nuria Armentano, cropping by Owen Jarus )

When Spanish archaeologists unearthed the 1,600-year-old skeleton of a Roman woman, they were surprised at what they found in her pelvis. Peeking out from between her hips was a calcified ball of bone containing four malformed teeth.

This creepy discovery was an ovarian teratoma, a kind of tumor that arises from germ cells. Germ cells are the precursors of human egg cells, so they can form body parts like teeth and bones. The most common teratomas are benign, as was the one in the Roman woman's pelvis. Complications from the tumor could have eventually killed the woman, archaeologists said, but she may never have known the toothy thing was inside of her abdomen.

Polish 'vampire' burials

The skull of the "Vampire of Venice" was found in a mass grave with a brick stuck in its jaw. (Image credit: Matteo Borrini)

The real story behind Eastern European vampires is quite possibly creepier than the fictionalized tales of Dracula. Between the 1600s and 1700s in Poland, some people were buried with sickles over their necks or rocks wedged under their chins. These precautions were taken to prevent the dead from rising again as vampires who, locals believed, would return to suck the blood of friends and family.

In 2014, researchers found that the "vampire burials" at Drawkso cemetery in Poland were the bodies of locals who had not died of trauma. They were likely victims of a cholera epidemic that would have felled them rapidly, the researchers told Live Science.

Remnants of a witch hunt

An 1868 drawing of the former prison for witches, St Mary's Chapel, after it was restored to religious use. (Image credit: Open Space Trust/Mither Kirk Project)

Sometimes an archaeology discovery doesn't need to involve bones to be disturbing. A 15th-century church in Aberdeen, Scotland, contains an artifact like that. The chapel contained a stone pillar set with an iron ring, which may have been used to restrain accused witches in 1597.

Aberdeen hosted a series of witch trials that year known as the "Great Witch Hunt." Around 400 people were tried, and approximately 200 executed in an eight-month period. The deaths were grisly. One of the most famous cases, Jane Wishart, was convicted along with her son Thomas Leyis. Both were strangled and then burned.

Civil War massacre

Two mass graves holding an estimated 1,700 skeletons were found underground at the southern tip of Durham University's Palace Green Library. (Image credit: North News)

An attempt to expand the library at Durham University in northeast England turned into a discovery of 17th-century pain and suffering.

Archaeologists excavating in advance of construction discovered two mass graves containing 1,700 skeletons dating back to the mid-1600s. The skeletons are probably the remains of Scottish prisoners of war taken captive during the Third English Civil War, a battle between Parliamentarians led by Oliver Cromwell and Royalists loyal to King Charles II.

The skeletons belonged to men between the ages of 13 and 25, suggesting that they were military men. They showed few signs of trauma and probably died of disease while imprisoned, only to be thrown into anonymous mass graves.

"These are ordinary soldiers from the Scots army, probably raised from the lowlands of Scotland, some highlanders, and up into the northeast of Scotland, whose names we dont have," said Pam Graves, a senior lecturer at Durham University. "We know the names of contemporary officers, but so rarely do we ever know the names of ordinary soldiers."

Mummified lung

Drawing of the old queen Arnegunde, with the dress she probably wore when she died. (Image credit: L. Brossard/Inrap)

Whole-body mummies are a little creepy. But when you open a sarcophagus and find nothing but a skeleton and a single, leathery lung  well, you've crossed into some pretty spooky territory.

Archaeologists experienced just that when they opened a stone sarcophagus in the Basilica of St. Denis in Paris in 1959. The remains belonged to a queen named Arnegunde who lived between about A.D. 515 and 580.

For a long time, it was a total mystery why Arnegunde's body had decomposed while her lung became mummified. In April 2016, though, researchers reported at a conference in Germany that they'd figured it out. Arnegunde's lung showed chemical traces of plant compounds, as well as high levels of copper. It's likely that after Arnegunde's death, embalming fluid made of plants and spices was injected down her throat, landing in her lung. The queen was interred wearing a copper alloy belt. Copper has antimicrobial properties, so the combination of embalming herbs and metal likely preserved the single organ.

Shackled skeletons

A mass grave found outside of Athens may contain the burial of followers of Cylon, a tyrant who sought to take over the Acropolis in 632 B.C. (Image credit: Greek Ministry of Culture)

Their necks flexed and jaws gaping, dozens of skeletons peer up from an ancient mass grave near Athens. Their blank expressions aren't what make this discovery grisly: It's that many of the skeletons still wear shackles.

The skeletons  there are 80 in the mass grave, 36 of which have iron shackles around their wrists  belonged to prisoners who died between around 650 B.C. and 625 B.C., archaeologists say.

Historical records tell of an ancient coup in 632 B.C. that could explain the bodies. The Olympic champion Cylon attempted to take over Athens and failed. The bodies could be those of his executed followers, archaeologists said, though that interpretation is by no means certain.

Strange romance

This is a heart-shaped lead urn with an inscription identifying the contents as the heart of Toussaint Perrien, Knight of Brefeillac. (Image credit: Rozenn Colleter, Ph.D./INRAP)

True love was forever for Louise de Quengo, the Lady of Brefeillac. The widow died in 1656 and was interred with a rather alarming trinket: the heart of her husband.

Toussaint Perrien, Knight of Brefeillac, died in 1649. As was sometimes done at the time, his heart was removed, embalmed and put into a lead urn.

"It was common during that time period to be buried with the heart of a husband or wife," Fatima-Zohra Mokrane, a radiologist at Rangueil Hospital at the University Hospital of Toulouse in France, said in a statement. "It's a very romantic aspect to the burials."

Mokrane and colleagues used magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomography (CT) to study Perrien's heart as well as four others from elite graves at the Convent of the Jacobins in northwestern France. The organs were so well preserved that researchers could still see buildup of plaque on many of the arteries.
Water gushes into a sink, spilling over the edge and pooling on the floor. In the middle of a suburban street, sits a figure whose head, wrapped in layers of plastic, vibrates wildly. A woman climbs off a table in a deserted operating room, searching for the baby she has just delivered  which has mysteriously disappeared.

Images that appear in dreams are frequently unsettling and inexplicable. Typically they are beyond our control, though in some works of speculative fiction, characters can shape their dreams by interacting with technology in fantastic ways that sleep researchers might envy, but can only, well, dream about.

Certain areas of psychology and neuroscience have already offered tantalizing glimpses of what happens in people's brains when they dream, and hint at how dreams may reflect or even influence how brains perceive the waking world. But to what extent is controlling dreams really possible?

Two new television shows, introduced at New York Comic Con this month, explore dream control. One program is a dark comedy, and the other is a psychological thriller, but both introduce narratives suggesting that outside agents can manipulate dreams and dreamers. Sometimes, this benefits the fictional dreamer, but other times  not so much. [7 Mind-Bending Facts About Dreams]

"Dream Corp, LLC" combines animation with live action to tell the stories of desperate people seeking a questionably qualified scientist's assistance to improve their lives through controlled dreaming. "Falling Water" presents an eerie tale of three unrelated characters slowly coming to terms with the realization that they are sharing a common dream.

The fantastic dream technology that these stories describe doesn't exist. But the ability to detect images generated by sleeping brains and even influence how those images take shape is very real indeed, experts told Live Science.

Dream weaver

When you sleep, your brain "goes offline," though it is still just as active as when you're awake, said Robert Stickgold, a sleep researcher at Harvard Medical School. The brain needs time to process all the information that it takes in while a person is awake, and dreams may play a part in sorting and prioritizing experiences and other input, Stickgold told Live Science in 2015.

How the brain might do that is a matter of some debate among scientists, said Moran Cerf, a professor of neuroscience and business at Northwestern University in Illinois, and a scientific consultant for "Falling Water."

Cerf, who has investigated how dreams interact with short-term memory, told Live Science that one theory describes dreams as a means for the brain to explore potential outcomes for a recent event. Freudian theory, on the other hand, says that the brain uses dreams to call up suppressed memories. And yet another theory suggests that dreams are created when memories are shuffled from one area of the brain to another, Cerf said.

For most dreamers, the result is a hodgepodge of baffling images and scenes that frequently fade upon waking. Some people experience a state known as lucid dreaming, in which they are aware that they are dreaming and can even control what they dream about.

The prospect of guided dream control drives the story in "Dream Corps," in which "Dr. Roberts" (Jon Gries) wires up hapless patients in his strip-mall laboratory and walks them through dreamscapes where they confront their problems, such as erectile dysfunction. In the process, they have their lives changed, "but with some terrible side effects that come out down the line," Gries told Live Science. [Top 11 Spooky Sleep Disorders]

Dream a little dream

"Seeing" what someone else is dreaming isn't as far-fetched as it might sound. Scientists recently used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to scan sleepers' brains, and the researchers were able to identify imagery based on brain-wave activity.

And controlling what people dream about is also possible  up to a point, Cerf explained.

"Right now, we are in the beginning of mapping things that you can do to a person so it will penetrate their dreams  but not wake them up," he said. For example, Cerf explained, if you were to spray water on a dreamer, the person would likely report water in the dream.

"It could be a waterfall, or sitting by the ocean. When I spray water on your body, the tactile experience of water gets into your story," Cerf said. "Neuroscientists are now mapping all the things that you can do to a person sleeping  concentration, duration, all the details  in hope of having a menu of things that won't wake you up but can penetrate dreams," he added.

As for the ability to dream collectively, like the characters in "Falling Water," dreamers who live in the same regions or who have shared common experiences  especially traumatic ones  have been known to dream about similar themes, Cerf told Live Science.

"After 9/11, people in New York City had nightmares about planes hitting buildings," he said. "Events in the outside world that are shared by a society are also shared in their dreams."

"Falling Water" (USA Network) debuted Oct. 13, and "Dream Corp, LLC" (Adult Swim) debuted Oct. 23.

Original article on Live Science.
More than 200 feet (60 meters) below the ocean's surface, where the water is cold and only about 1 percent of the daylight above penetrates, is a dim, blue world filled with little-understood creatures. Now, researchers have discovered that the corals that inhabit this "twilight zone" have a never-before-seen adaptation that enables them to eke out enough light energy to survive.

The photosynthetic algae that live on and power these corals have unusual cellular "machinery" that enables them to conduct photosynthesis more efficiently than species that live at shallower depths, the researchers reported Oct. 17 in the journal Frontiers in Marine Science.

"It's unlike anything we've seen on land, or anything we've even seen in the shallow reefs," said David Gruber, a marine biologist at the City University of New York and one of the researchers on the study. [See Photos of the Deep 'Twilight' Coral Reefs]

Capturing a limited resource

On land and in the water, plants use cellular structures called light-harvesting complexes, or photosynthetic antennas, to capture photons (particles of light) and transfer them to the photosynthetic complexes that convert light into usable energy. The photosynthetic antennas are made of various proteins and chlorophyll pigments. In dim forests on land, plants in the underbrush often evolve very large antenna complexes to wring every drop of light out of the sky, Gruber said.

Mesophotic reefs, also known as twilight reefs, exist in a perpetual state of dim blueness. (Image credit: Mike Lombardi)

But that's not what the researchers found 213 feet (65 m) down in the northern Red Sea when they collected coral called Stylophora pistillata from reefs there. Inside the coral is symbiotic algae called Symbiodinium, which provide the coral oxygen and energy from photosynthesis in exchange for nutrients and protection. This makes for relatively easy living in shallow reefs, where sunlight is abundant. But below about 130 feet (40 m), the ocean gets dim. This is the "mesophotic" zone, where it's always twilight. At about 330 feet (100 m), only 1 percent of the sunlight above can reach down below. And only blue wavelengths of light can penetrate.

It might make sense for algae living in the mesophotic zone to build huge photosynthetic antennas. But that's not what Symbiodinium does. In fact, when Gruber and colleagues from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and the University of Haifa, both in Israel, analyzed the deep-living algae, they found that the algae antenna structures were actually smaller than that of shallower Symbiodinium algae.

Extreme environment

Instead of building bigger antennas, the algae modified its light-gathering system. Plants like algae have two types of cellular machines for converting light into sugars: photosystem I and photosystem II. Symbiodinium relies more heavily on photosystem II but positions the cellular machinery close to the machinery of photosystem I. This makes it easier for the two systems to share energy. They also adjust the types of light-snatching proteins in their cellular membranes, the researchers said. [Images: Colorful Corals of the Deep Barrier Reef]

Diving to these coral habitats is hard for humans; commercial scuba divers don't usually go below about 130 feet. To get to the twilight zone of the Red Sea, the researchers, led by lead diver Shai Einbinder, donned tri-gas rebreather systems, which enable divers to go lower while facing a smaller risk of serious problems such as nitrogen narcosis (an altered state of consciousness that occurs when nitrogen enters the bloodstream at the increased pressures seen at extreme water depths). Still, divers stay down only a few minutes because they must ascend very slowly to equilibrate to the lower pressures at the surface and thus avoid decompression sickness, also known as "the bends", Gruber said.

Over the course of four years of diving, the scientists took some samples of deep-reef coral and transferred them to shallow environments, and took shallow corals and transferred them to deeper areas. They did this slowly, moving the corals only 16 feet (5 m) every two weeks. They found that the corals collected in water depths of about 10 feet could hang on to life at 213 feet. Corals from the deep, however, couldn't survive at shallow depths. They lacked the natural compounds that protect corals from the sun's damaging ultraviolet light.

"They didn't have the 'sunscreen,'" Gruber said. "The light was just burning them out."

The researchers studied only one species of algae, and there are probably many more adaptations among the photosynthesizers of mesophilic reefs, Gruber said.

"I'm never unimpressed by the way nature evolved unique traits to allow life in some of the most seemingly unhospitable places," he said.

Original article on Live Science.
Sloping toward twilight

(Image credit: David Gruber)

Most research on coral reefs has been done in shallow waters, where it's relatively easy to scuba dive. But there's a whole new world in the ocean's mesophotic zone, where only a small percentage of sunlight penetrates. Mesophotic reefs, also known as twilight reefs, exist in a perpetual state of dim blueness. Here, a reef in the northern Red sea slopes toward the mesophotic zone.

[Read the full story on the twilight coral reef]

Bioflourescent coral

(Image credit: David Gruber)

The corals in mesophotic reefs have evolved to thrive on photosynthesis, despite limited light. Here, a specimen of Stylophora coral fluoresces under ultraviolet light. New research published in the journal Frontiers in Marine Science finds that the symbiotic algae inside these corals, whose photosynthesis powers the coral, have adapted the molecular machinery that turns sunlight into energy in order to make the process more efficient. These corals live in the northern Red Sea, off the coast of the city of Eilat, Israel.

Specialty diving

(Image credit: Dan Tchernov)

To dive to 213 feet (65 m), researchers must use specialty equipment. Commercial scuba divers don't usually dive below about 130 feet (40 meters). Here, marine scientists David Gruber and Oded Ben-Shaprut use rebreather systems with a mixture of three gases in order to decrease the risk of nitrogen narcosis, a dangerous drunken state caused by breathing nitrogen at high pressure. Divers can stay at mesophotic depth using these systems for up to an hour, Gruber told Live Science, but they usually spend less time than that. The longer they dive, the slower they must ascend to avoid decompression sickness, or "the bends."

Ready to dive

(Image credit: Dan Tchernov)

Marine biologist David Gruber of The City University of New York prepares for a dive to the mesophotic zone off of Eliat, Israel. Researchers conducted dives over the course of four years to study the corals in dim reefs. They gradually transferred deep corals shallow and shallow corals deep, moving the specimens a mere 16 feet (5 meters) every two weeks.

[Read the full story on the twilight coral reef]

A blue world

(Image credit: David Gruber)

Only blue light can penetrate into the ocean's mesophotic zone. Here, divers explore a coral wall in this dim, blue world. Researchers found that shallow corals from about 10 feet (3 meters) depth could barely survive when brought down to 213 feet (65 meters). Deep corals brought to shallow waters died rapidly, though: They simply couldnt take the intensity of the sun higher in the water column.

Deep dive

(Image credit: Hagai Nativ)

Marine scientist Shai Einbinder dives deep in the northern Red Sea to explore the physiology of corals adapted to dim light. Deep mesophotic reefs are little-explored compared to shallower, easier to reach reefs. They're too shallow for most remotely operated vehicles (which are expensive to use), and too deep for most scuba divers.

Bring your own light

(Image credit: Hagai Nativ)

Diver and marine biologist Shai Einbinder digs in his dive bag in the dim mesophotic zone of the northern Red Sea. Einbinder and other divers to this depth bring their own light, as only a very small amount of sunlight can penetrate down to 213 feet (65 meters), where much of this study was conducted.

[Read the full story on the twilight coral reef]

An unknown world

(Image credit: Hagai Nativ)

Marine biologist Shai Einbinder during a dive to the twilight reefs off the coast of Eilat, Isreal. Mesophotic reefs are found the world over. A recent study of reefs 300 feet (90 meters) down near Hawaii revealed colorful fish and meadows of gently waving algae. In the Red Sea, researchers discovered adaptations in the symbiotic algae in corals that have never been seen before in any photosynthetic organism.
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Small rural counties like Longford are facing into a fresh construction crisis due to a fall off in skilled apprenticeships, writes Liam Cosgrove.

It comes in the same week 1.2bn was set aside to address Ireland's social housing woes and a new help-to-buy scheme was introduced to aid first time buyers.

Both of those were rolled out by Government ministers last week as part of Budget 2017.

Less than 24 hours on, a meeting was told local building firms were struggling to attract young plasterers and blocklayers on to their books.

Building contractor and Co Cllr Martin Mulleady said the problems confronting developers were obvious.

We are going to have a serious shortage of these kind of apprentices going into the construction game and I for one am seeing it at first hand, he said.

Cllr Mulleady said his anxieties, which were first raised at a council meeting before its summer recess, were already taking their toll on locally-based companies.

He said much of that concern was fuelled by plans the Government had in terms of addressing Ireland's housing crisis.

With what is expected to happen over the next three to five years with the housing industry, I would love to know where all these men are going to come from, he said.

After questioning why both blocklaying and plastering apprenticeships courses were not part of Longford & Westmeath ETB's current programme, Cllr Mulleady switched his focus to prospective government intervention.

He said Education Minister Richard Bruton was the one person who could broker a solution by offering an incentive to would-be employers.

Fine Gael Cllr Gerald Farrell was another to speak out.

He said the lack of skilled workers available to building companies was one which affected almost every corner of Co Longford.

If any of us was to look for a blocklayer for a month, we just wouldn't get them, he told the meeting.

A letter outlining the fears expressed by both Cllrs Mulleady and Farrell is expected to be forwarded to Mr Bruton's department over the coming days.
Local News, Press Releases

By Long Island News & PR Published: October 24 2016

John Brooks unveiled ethics reform plan which will take meaningful steps to clean up all levels of government and restore the publics trust in elected officials.

Seaford, NY - October 21, 2016 - John Brooks today unveiled an innovative and comprehensive ethics reform plan which will take meaningful steps to clean up all levels of government and restore the publics trust their elected officials. Despite overwhelming support for clean government and the recent arrests of both Ed Mangano and John Venditto on corruption charges, current Senator Venditto has repeatedly blocked efforts to pass any meaningful ethics reform legislation.



For too long, corrupt officials have lined their pockets at the expense of Long Island taxpayers, and people like Senator Venditto have stood by and let it happen, John Brooks said. We deserve public servants who will fight to clean up government, not turn a blind eye to corruption or benefit from insider deal-making. Unlike my opponent, Venditto, I am going to fight to ensure all levels of government remain accountable to their constituents.



John announced his support for a series of ethics reform measures that will fight corruption,, end the pay-to-play culture in local governments, increase transparency, hold elected officials more accountable and take meaningful steps to finally restore New Yorkers trust in state government.



The ethics reform measures supported by John Brooks include:

Barring Gifts To Public Officials: Individuals, special interests and corporations have been able to provide gifts to politicians on the local, county and state level with minimal oversight or regulation, and that has helped result in major corruption scandals and abuses of power. In fact, the recent Mangano/Venditto ethics scandal illustrates how gifts and services could be given to elected officials in exchange for lucrative government contracts and assistance. To address this crisis, and to prevent further unethical behavior within county governments, Johns initiative will end that practice immediately.

Increased Transparency And Tough Restrictions On Campaign Account Spending: Johns proposal would require that all donations made to elected officials from the local to state level be property documented to ensure bribes in the form of campaign donations and gifts are no longer accepted. Johns plan will also restrict what elected officials can use campaign funds or matching donations for, to end the practice of politicians uses these accounts as personal ATMs.

Barring the Use of Campaign Money for Criminal Defense: This common sense plan from John Brooks would block campaign funds from being used for attorneys fees for defending against criminal or civil prosecution for alleged violations of any local, state or federal law. As more and more Long Island Republican officials are arrested for violating the publics trust, John wants to ensure that these politicians wont be able to defend themselves with the same funds and gifts that contributed to their crimes in the first place.

Closing Campaign Finance Loopholes: This proposal from John Brooks will close a loophole that currently allows special interests and wealthy individuals to circumvent the cap on campaign giving and unduly influence elections by using limited liability companies (LLCs) to donate massive amounts of money to candidates. This loophole helped contribute to the Dean Skelos corruption scandal and yet Venditto has refused to do anything to address this crisis.

For years, polls have shown conclusively that Long Island voters are deeply disappointed with the corruption crisis impacting their communities and state government. Additionally, with the arrests of Mangano and Venditto, the need for ethics reforms has never been clearer. Despite these facts and the overwhelming will of the Long Island voters, Senator Venditto has refused to support any meaningful ethics reform, and has clearly become part of the problem with corruption in government.



The simple reality is, we need action to clean up government, and that wont happen so long as Senator Venditto remains in office. I will fight tirelessly to restore the publics trust and end the disreputable and illegal actions taken by politicians on the town, county and state level, John Brooks concluded.

John E. Brooks has given a lifetime of service to the community, now he wants to serve Long Islanders as a State Senator. John is providing real solutions to the problems we face on Long Island. He is a lifelong resident of Seaford, NY, an ex Fire Chief, a husband, a father, and an Grandfather. Elect John E. Brooks on November 8th. Friend John on Facebook.
Local News, Business & Finance, Press Releases

By Long Island News & PR Published: October 24 2016

Councilman Mark Cuthbertson reiterated his demand that the New York State Liquor Authority revoke the liquor license of a longstanding troubled bar in Huntington Station.

Huntington Station, NY - October 21, 2016 - Following a spat of violent crime and a continued attack on the Huntington Station community, Councilman Mark Cuthbertson today reiterated his demand that the New York State Liquor Authority revoke the liquor license of a longstanding troubled bar located in the heart of the business district.

The Melissa Tavern is a blight on the Huntington Station community and I am once again asking the Liquor Authority to intervene and assist the Town in stemming violence directly attributed to this establishment, Councilman Cuthbertson said. Residents and nearby businesses have had enough and its time operations cease at Melissa.

The Councilman first requested the Liquor Authority revoke the taverns license following a string of violent crime ranging from menacing to homicide. Less than one month ago, Suffolk Police were once again summoned to the tavern following a stabbing. In March, a shooting occurred in the parking lot behind Melissa.

The tavern, located at 1419 New York Avenue, has been cited for 127 separate incidents [filed with the Suffolk County Police Department] that span a five-year period. The Melissa Restaurant/Tavern is managed by the El Paraiso Elvira Corp.

I am once again calling upon on the Liquor Authority to halt the cycle of violence at this location and deny El Paraiso Elvira Corps application for a liquor license, wrote Councilman Mark Cuthbertson in his October 11, 2016 letter addressed to Chairman Vincent G. Bradley of the Liquor Authority. Councilman Cuthbertson also noted that this corporate entity is newly formed, but the ownership of the building remains the same. The Change is form over substance and the gravity of these incidents cannot be underestimated or ignored, added Cuthbertson.
Local News, Community, Charity & Cause, Arts & Culture, Press Releases, Seasonal & Current Events

By Long Island News & PR Published: October 24 2016

The Huntington Arts Council announce Nightmare on Main, a Halloween inspired student art show, Juror Caitlyn Shea. The exhibit is on display from Oct. 27, through Nov. 5, 2016.

Huntington, NY - October 21, 2016 - The Huntington Arts Council is proud to announce Nightmare on Main, a Halloween inspired student art show, Juror Caitlyn Shea. The exhibit is on display from October 27, through November 5, 2016.

Saturday, October 29th from 1-3pm at the Main Street Gallery. The prizes for Best in Show, $50 each for senior and junior divisions will be awarded as well as prizes for best costume. Juror Caitlyn Shea will be with us and talk about her impressions of the work and congratulate the students personally. Refreshments will be served. This is a free event and all are welcome to attend. Celebrate Halloween and the achievement of the students who were accepted into the show at our costume party reception onfromat the Main Street Gallery. The prizes for Best in Show, $50 each for senior and junior divisions will be awarded as well as prizes for best costume. Juror Caitlyn Shea will be with us and talk about her impressions of the work and congratulate the students personally. Refreshments will be served. This is a free event and all are welcome to attend.

Nightmare on Main is a themed show. Students grades 6-12 were asked to submit original artwork reflecting their interpretation of Halloween, be it dark, light-hearted or just plain scary!

"It was truly a pleasure reviewing all of the artwork submitted to Nightmare on Main Street. I was incredibly impressed by the level of achievement present in each of the submissions; it actually seemed as if I was looking at college undergraduate portfolios. I expected the submissions to be creepy, but they surpassed my expectations by also being so confrontative and exploring unexpected themes like alienation and isolation. It was difficult selecting which works to include because every single entry was powerful in its own unique way!," said Caitlyn Shea.

Congratulations to those students who where accepted into the show: Lauren Landolfi, Jonelle Afurong, Sarah Astegher, Shiloh Benincasa, Rachel Berkowitz, Danielly Berrios, Summer Blitz, Julia Bretschneider, Elena Canas, Natasha Carbuccia, Alex Cartwright, Ben Conner, Eliana Davidoff, Lars Drace, Christian D'Sa, Julia Dzieciaszek, Sania Farooq, Katie Giambrone, Casey Goldstein, Michael Green, Vincent Guerrero, Ilyssa Halbreich, Michaela Hammer, Katrina Hanley, Cameron Matassa, Kallie McCarthy, Daniela Mendez, Noelle Pluschau, Bailey Rand, Noah Rebekah, Renee Rooney, Melissa Roy, Jack Ruthkowski, Olivia Sasso, Amanda Stark, Amanda Tobin, Alex Tonetti, Jessica Valme, Erica Vazquez, Teva Yaari, Steven Yeh and Sarah Young. Juror Caitlyn Shea loves all things scary, sinewy, and dark -- and has a special love for Francis Bacon paintings. She is a visual artist specializing in large, fierce paintings. While her palette explores upbeat color interactions, the loosely drawn, often chaotic figures leave a lasting impression of the sublime. Shea continues to exhibit her work in galleries across the U.S. and has received multiple stipends to create public works that bring moments of wonder in N.Y. and beyond. When she is not painting, Shea works as a co-producer for East End Arts JumpstART program and enjoys seeking out odd animals and insects as inspiration for new work.

Main Street Gallery

213 Main Street

Huntington NY 11743

Monday - Friday 9am - 5pm

Saturday Noon to 4pm
Local News, Business & Finance, Community, Charity & Cause, Press Releases

By Long Island News & PR Published: October 24 2016

The funding will be used to create an unprecedented outreach campaign to promote apprenticeships as a key workforce development tool for the 21st century.

Washington, DC - October 21, 2016 - U.S. Representative Kathleen Rice announced today that the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) has awarded $1.5 million to the New York State Department of Labor (NYSDOL) to fund the New York State Apprenticeship Expansion Grant project, which aims to expand apprenticeship training and employment opportunities throughout the state. The funding will be used to create an unprecedented outreach campaign to promote apprenticeships as a key workforce development tool for the 21st century. NYSDOL will work with Regional Economic Development Councils and local partners to provide incentives to increase business participation and boost apprentice enrollment, and the state will leverage partnerships with grassroots organizations to provide pre-apprenticeship training. The project will serve 800 individuals, with a focus on underrepresented populations.

The grant was awarded through DOLs ApprenticeshipUSA initiative, which has provided a total of $50.5 million in grant funding to 36 states and one territory in an effort to increase apprenticeship opportunities across the country. Over the next 18 months, the initiative will create thousands of new apprenticeships in diverse industries, including health care, advanced manufacturing, and information technology. DOL reports that 91% of apprentices are employed after completing their programs, with an average annual starting wage above $60,000. The U.S. has added new 125,000 apprenticeships since 2014, the largest increase in nearly a decade, and last year, the President signed into law the first-ever annual funding for apprenticeship programs in the Fiscal Year 2016 spending bill. More information about the initiative is available here.

Apprenticeships are good for workers, businesses, and the American economy, said Representative Kathleen Rice. They offer workers the opportunity to earn while they learn and get on a path to better jobs and higher wages, they offer employers a proven way to recruit and retain a highly skilled, diverse and productive workforce, and they have the potential to help rebuild a strong American middle class by giving more workers the skills they need to compete for the best jobs in the 21st century economy. Im very pleased that New York has secured this grant funding, and I look forward to continue working to expand apprenticeship opportunities on Long Island and throughout the state.

Rep. Rice has been a vocal advocate for expanding apprenticeship opportunities. In July, 2015, Rice called for apprenticeships to be included in Project Labor Agreements (PLAs) for major federal construction projects, and urged the administration to encourage federal agencies to enter into PLAs with contractors that graduate apprentices from certified apprenticeship programs. In November, 2015, Rice and U.S. Secretary of Labor Tom Perez visited a construction site at the Bay Park Sewage Treatment Plant in East Rockaway, NY, to meet with apprentices, local labor leaders and elected officials and highlight the potential for apprenticeship programs to help put more American workers with a path to new skills, higher wages, and greater opportunities to advance their careers. Prior to the visit, Rice also introduced H.Res. 522, a resolution that supported officially designating the first week of November, 2015 as National Apprenticeship week, recognizes the importance of apprenticeships in developing a well-trained and highly skilled workforce, and commends organizations and employers that actively support apprenticeship programs.
Local News, Business & Finance, National & World News, Health & Wellness, Press Releases

By Long Island News & PR Published: October 24 2016

Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman announced that Cigna will end its policy of requiring prior authorization for medication-assisted treatment (MAT) for opioid use disorder.

New York, NY - October 21, 2016 - Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman today announced that Cigna, a major global health insurer, will end its policy of requiring prior authorization for medication-assisted treatment (MAT) for opioid use disorder. Cignas change comes just months after Attorney General Schneiderman requested that the company provide information about its MAT policies to address concerns about barriers to treatment for opioid use disorder. Preauthorization requirements can lead to delays  sometimes significant -- in patients obtaining treatment for addiction.

MAT, when prescribed and monitored properly, has proved effective in helping patients recover from opioid use disorder, and is both safe and cost-effective to reduce the risk of overdose. This policy change will apply not only to most members in New York, but nationally as well.

Cigna required providers to submit a prior approval form for MAT requests, which required the providers -- who had already received specific training regarding MAT in order to prescribe these drugs -- to answer numerous questions about the patients current treatment and medication history. Authorization in some instances took several days.

Removing barriers to proven effective life-saving treatment is an important component to address New Yorks and the nations opioid addiction crisis. Getting people into treatment faster, and when the window of opportunity is open, is vital to stemming the opioid addiction crisis. I applaud Cigna for taking this action, said Attorney General Schneiderman. Other health insurers should take notice of Cignas actions to remove access barriers to treat opioid dependency and I encourage those insurers to follow suit.

Pre-authorization requirements for addiction medications are harmful and discriminatory, said Sally Friedman, Legal Director of the Legal Action Center. The Legal Action Center welcomes Cignas discontinuation of this practice for buprenorphine. This change, together with Cignas existing policy of not requiring pre-authorization for methadone, naltrexone, and other addiction medication, will save lives. Attorney General Schneiderman deserves praise for his aggressive enforcement of laws promoting access to treatment for substance use disorders. All insurers should remove barriers to coverage for FDA-approved medications to treat addiction."

ASAM applauds Attorney General Schneidermans agreement with Cigna to discontinue the requirement of prior authorization requirements for coverage of buprenorphine containing medication. There is often a small window of opportunity for a person seeking help to engage in treatment. Waiting for days to obtain medication to treat this condition represents an unnecessary risk for a deadly outcome. Hopefully, other payers will follow Cignas lead in decreasing barriers to access to this lifesaving medication, said Kelly Clark, President Elect, American Society of Addiction Medicine.

Unlike methadone treatment, which must be administered in a highly structured clinic, MAT medications, usually containing buprenorphine and naloxone, may be prescribed or dispensed in physicians offices to treat opioid dependency, provided the treating physician has obtained the appropriate certification and has been issued a special DEA license. In addition to the medication component, psychosocial therapy and management of medical issues are also recommended components of MAT to treat opioid dependency.

Buprenorphine is an opioid partial agonist, meaning that it has lesser euphoric effects than full opioid agonists such as heroin. At low doses, buprenorphine produces sufficient agonist effects to enable opioid-addicted individuals to discontinue the misuse of opioids without experiencing withdrawal symptoms. Buprenorphine carries a lower risk of abuse, addiction, and side effects when compared with full opioid agonists. Naloxone is an opioid antagonist that can be added to buprenorphine that will decrease the likelihood of diversion and misuse of the combination drug product. If the combination drug product is crushed and injected the naloxone and can bring on opioid withdrawal, which serves as a deterrent to diversion and misuse. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the number of drug overdoses related to opioid abuses have increased dramatically over the past decade, including over 2,000 drug overdose deaths in New York and over 10,000 overdose deaths nationally in 2014.

The CDC considers MAT a proven, effective treatment for individuals with an opioid use disorder. MAT has been shown to increase treatment retention and to reduce opioid use. One research study showed that for half the patients treated with buprenorphine/naloxone for addiction to opioid pain relievers, they were abstinent from the drugs 18 months after starting MAT, and after three and a half years 61% of the patients reported abstinence. MAT is supported/endorsed by the CDC, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM), the New York State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services (OASAS) and the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (NYCDOHMH) as a treatment for opioid addiction.

Addressing access barriers to MAT is just the latest step that Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman has taken to address the opioid addiction crisis. In June of 2011, Attorney General Schneiderman introduced state legislation for I-STOP, an online Prescription Monitoring Program or a PMP, that enables doctors and pharmacists to report and track controlled narcotics in real time. I-STOP became effective in August of 2013, making New York State one of the first states to establish such a PMP, and has reduced doctor-shopping by 75%. The OAG has also aggressively enforced laws that require parity in health plan coverage of mental health and addiction treatment, reaching agreements with six companies, including Cigna, MVP Healthcare, EmblemHealth, Excellus, Beacon Health Options, and HealthNow. The Attorney Generals Office has prosecuted many health care providers who illegally prescribed and diverted opioids. The OAGs Community Overdose Prevention (COP) Program, which equips New York law enforcement agencies with a life-saving heroin overdose antidote, has saved more than 100 lives. The OAG has also reached agreements with Purdue Pharma and Endo Pharmaceuticals Inc., to ensure that these opioid makers engage in responsible and legal marketing.

Cignas policy change follows efforts by both New York state and the federal government to increase access to MAT for opioid dependency. New York State recently enacted legislation prohibiting insurers from requiring prior authorization for emergency supplies of MAT medications and also removed prior authorization for Medicaid members seeking MAT for opioid dependence, while the federal government increased the maximum number of patients that MAT certified physicians can treat at one time from 100 to 275.

In recent years, we have lost too many of our loved ones to addiction disorders. Many of these addictions started through self-medication of a mental health issue. This horrific epidemic has to end, and one way of doing so is to insure that people have full access to medication assisted treatment disorders. The Mental Health Association in New York State, Inc. (MHANYS) applauds Attorney General Eric Schneiderman for reaching an agreement with CIGNA in regard to the elimination of prior approval for these treatments, said Glenn Liebman, Chief Executive Officer of the Mental Health Association of New York State.

The Long Island Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence (LICADD) commends New York State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman for his continued leadership in confronting insurance companies in New York State to increase access and availability to evidence based treatments on demand for individuals, and their families, contending with opiate dependence, said Steve Chassman, LCSW, CASAC, Executive Director of LICADD. Medication- assisted treatment (MAT), in conjunction with intensive psycho-social treatment modalities, has been proven effective in providing individuals with a pharmaceutical safety net needed as they move along the continuum of change towards recovery from the debilitating illness of opiate dependence.

Medication-assisted treatment (MAT) for opioid use disorder gives individuals and families dealing with addiction options, said Avi Israel, President and Founder of Save the Michaels of the World. For example, the flexible nature of MAT may allow someone who is battling addiction to keep a job while receiving treatment. I thank Attorney General Eric Schneiderman for continuing to eliminate obstacles to treatment, and I join him in urging other insurers to follow Cignas lead.

Consumers with questions or concerns about this settlement or other health care matters may call the Attorney Generals Health Care Bureau Helpline at 1-800-428-9071.

The investigation of this matter was conducted by Assistant Attorneys General Brant Campbell and Michael D. Reisman, of the Attorney Generals Health Care Bureau, which is led by Bureau Chief Lisa Landau. The Health Care Bureau is a part of the Social Justice Division, led by Executive Deputy Attorney General for Social Justice Alvin Bragg.

Read the agreement with Cigna.
Local News, Business & Finance, Press Releases

By Phil Andrews Published: October 24 2016

BPRS-NY looks forward to continuing to be a pillar with the Urban Network in the Tri-State area fulfilling its mission of creating opportunities for multi-cultural professionals in the communication arena.

New York, NY - October 24, 2016 - On October 1, 2016 Phil Andrews took the helm of Black Public Relations Society-New York. The Black Public Relations Society-New York is New York Chief Image Maker and Strategist. BPRS-NY looks forward to continuing to be a pillar with the Urban Network in the Tri-State area fulfilling its mission of creating opportunities for multi-cultural professionals in the communication arena. Our goal is to continue to advocate for Black Professional in Public Relations, Corporate Communications, Investor Relations, Government Affairs, Community Relations, and other related fields.

We look forward to building on the legacy that the founding fathers of BPRS-NY has created since its inception in 1989. We would like to give special acknowledgement to the Immediate Past President of BPRS-NY Kisha Barton; for we will be building on the mission, values, and goals they have entrusted to us in passing the torch of leadership to our newly established administration. We look forward to forming partnership with affiliate organizations, corporations and PR firms dedicated to diversity, and colleges and universities in New York," stated Phil Andrews, President BPRS-NY. "We look forward to hosting a variety of informative panels, workshop, and events geared towards opening the doors of access to more Black PR Professionals in the Public Relations Industry."

About: Phil Andrews  Phil Andrews is the President of Black Public Relations Society-New York/Phil Andrews President, Long Island African American Chamber of Commerce, Inc. serving Nassau, Suffolk, Queens and Kings Counties.

Phil Andrews is a two term Past President of the 100 Black Men of Long Island. Founded in 1974. "The 100" serves as an international coalition focused on creating educational opportunities, promoting economic empowerment, addressing health disparities and creating positive mentoring relationships. As founder of P.A. Public Relations Company, Phil has been afforded the privilege to serve as Public Relations Director for a myriad of companies, community initiatives and professional organizations. Andrews' business acumen is often sought after by organizations that host major events, benefits and fundraisers.

He has served on the Public Relations Committee for the Harlem Book Fair on Long Island {which attracted over 2000 participants in 2003), as Public Relations Committee Member of the New York Metro Black MBA Association and the 100 Black Men of Long Island. In 1995 and 1998, Mr. Andrews' excellence in his field garnered the Small Business Person of the Year award by two branches of the Nassau Council of Chambers of Commerce (Roosevelt and West Indian Chambers, respectively). He has also received a number of proclamations and citations from notable political officials including former Nassau County Executive Thomas S. Gullotta, former Town of Hempstead Supervisor Richard Guardino and Assembly-woman Earlene Hooper Hill, 18th Assembly District of Long Island NY. In 2011, Phil Andrews was awarded the Good Neighbor Award by the Korean American Association of Greater New York.

Phil's work has been featured in multi-platform publications including Black Star News, The New York Beacon, Amsterdam News, Minority Business Review, The Network Journal and more. He is also featured in "15 Years of Minority Business Development" a book published by Mr. Robert Adams. Mr. Andrews is listed in Who's Who in Black America and International Who's Who. Prior to beginning his career in Public Relations, Phil was the Vice President and Marketing Director of the Haircut Hut franchise for more than ten years.

Phil learned early on the importance of community and education. He was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York's Marcy Housing Development and attended Brooklyn Technical High School (one of the country's most recognized schools for academic excellence). After serving several years in the US Navy and Army Reserves, attending York College ( Jamaica, Queens, NY) and John Jay College, (New York, NY), he graduated from paralegal school and began a nearly twenty year career in law enforcement. Community, Service and Education have been constant themes in his life.

Andrews' drive is a profound concern for his community. This has led him to serve on several Boards of Directors includingthe Roosevelt Chamber of Commerce, Roosevelt Kiwanis and the West Indian Chamber of Commerce as the Public Relations Director. Mr. Andrews owns the Power Networking Business Seminar Series, a business network that builds viable connections between community and business. He continues to build networks in and across many an industry; but, none more important than that of the education and mentorship of young people. As a Certified Mentor, Phil Andrews' goals involve encouraging as many promising young men as possible by compelling them to serve with the very best of their minds and talents.

For more information on the programs and activities of the Black Public Relations Society-New York or to request application for membership into BPRS-NY, please email. Visit online.
Local News, Community, Charity & Cause, Press Releases

By Long Island News & PR Published: October 24 2016

The Governors former aide and Suffolk County regional representative, died August 21 in a car accident on the Long Island Expressway.

Long Island, NY - October 24, 2016 - Governor Cuomo today announced the creation of the Scott Martella Fellowship. Martella, the Governors former aide and Suffolk County regional representative, died August 21 in a car accident on the Long Island Expressway.



Scott believed in governments potential to improve lives and worked day in and day out in pursuit of this principle, Governor Cuomo said. I believe Long Island is a better place today because of Scotts tireless dedication and, with this fellowship, we will help ensure his legacy and public service will continue and endure for years to come.



The Scott Martella Public Service Fellowship

The Scott Martella Public Service Fellowship will be awarded every two years to a student, who like Martella, is committed to public service, and has a passion for helping others. The Fellow will serve for two years at the Department of Labor, where Martella served for over a year, and will focus on community outreach, similar to the work that he championed throughout his career. The Fellow will be assigned a mentor at the Department of Labor.



The Fellow will be selected from the 2017-19 class of Excelsior Service Fellows, and will have demonstrated a commitment to helping others and a record of public service. Nominated Fellows will be required to submit an additional personal statement outlining their commitment to community outreach and their desire to exemplify Scott Martellas legacy of serving others. The selected Martella Fellow will update the Martella family periodically as to his or her work and experience in the Excelsior Fellowship program.



About Scott Martella

Martella, 29, received his B.A. in International Business from Boston University in 2008. During his studies, he spent a semester in Washington, D.C., where he developed his love for public service and government. After graduating, he returned to Long Island to work on the campaign of a local state senator and was elected to the Smithtown Board of Education at the age of 22.



Martella began his work with the Governors Office in 2011. From 2011-2015, he served as the Governors Suffolk County Representative at the New York State Department of State before being promoted to Long Island Regional Representative for the New York State Department of Labor.



While working for this administration, Martella built and maintained strong relationships with leaders in the community and impacted the lives of thousands across Long Island and New York State. He most recently served as Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellones Director of Communications.



About the Excelsior Fellowship

The Excelsior Service Fellowship Program was created by Governor Cuomo in 2013. Fellows work at agencies throughout the Executive Branch, advancing the operational aspects of the Governors major policy initiatives. Fellows serve for a two year term, but highly qualified and dedicated individuals have continued with their respective agencies or gone on to new roles within state government.
Looking to stay up to date about all of the news stories and local headlines that are important to Long Islanders? We've rounded up the top coverage for all of the important topics from multiple sources around Long Island, so you can be sure you've got the most recent update on the top stories for Long Island. Have an idea for a news story? Email us at news@longisland.com

Columnists Press Releases
A generally accepted estimate is that about 80 percent of all people in prison have a problem with substance abuse and addiction, according to Faye Taxman, professor of criminology at George Mason University.

In Cumberland County, more than a third of all people brought into the county prison in 2015  roughly 1,000 inmates  required some form of medication to help them detox and deal with withdrawal from drugs and alcohol.

I think one of our problems is do we want to deal with this as a medical issue or a crime policy issue, Taxman said. We dont make policy around specific offenses. We make policy around the global piece and that has been this war on drugs.

But, what is addiction?

The science proves this is a disease of the brain, Sarah Atencio, licensed clinical professional counselor and lead clinician Kolmac Outpatient Recovery Center in Silver Spring, Maryland, said. It impacts logic. It impacts reasoning. When people say this is a choice, well really the part of your brain that makes logical, reasonable decisions is actually hijacked. ... Theres a lens on there that we cannot remove.

Atencio said environmental and genetic factors can contribute to a substance abuse disorder.

Diagnostic manual

Professionals use the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, better known as the DSM, to diagnose substance abuse disorders.

The DSM 5 utilizes 11 different criteria to identify individuals with a substance use disorder and rate them from mild to severe.

For example a person who meets at least two of the 11 criteria would indicate an alcohol use disorder. However, the presence of two to three symptoms would be considered mild compared to six or more would be considered severe and potentially require a different treatment approach.

The criteria include in the past year wanting to stop or cut down on drinking more than once but couldnt, having wanted to drink so badly that the patient couldnt think of anything else and continued drinking even though it was causing trouble with family or friends.

Atencio said that not all people who enjoy drinking alcohol or even get arrested for DUI have a substance abuse disorder.

She explained one of the main differences is whether or not that drinking is negatively impacting a persons life and well-being.

Are they having cravings for it? How often are they thing about it? Atencio said. If you think about how often during a day you think about broccoli. Is it the same as the number of times you think about alcohol and kind of compare those, because really if you dont have an alcohol problem, you shouldnt be thinking about it over and over and over during the day.

Thats a big indicator, she added. What in their life revolves around (drinking)?

Atencio said that does not mean people who commit crimes as a result of a substance abuse disorder should not be held accountable.

For people who get DUIs, of course, the first thing they need evaluated for is substance abuse problems, because clearly they are endangering lives, she said. Although I think treatment should be the go to intervention, people dont get commit murder and rape and say oh, but Im an addict, so its OK. We still need to have morals and reasons and justice.

Two views

Policy involving people with addiction and drug use can be viewed in two ways, criminal and medical, Taxman said.

Under the war on drugs, these issues were viewed largely as a criminal one, which led to steeper penalties for things like drug possession.

As with the war on drugs and the era of mass incarceration, we have expanded the things that criminal justice system is basically used for, she said.

More than half of all new criminal cases started in Cumberland County so far in 2016 included either the charge of DUI or a drug related offense, according to Cumberland County Insight.

Part of the cost issue is that we are happy to control people, but we dont include in there how we can help people become more effective citizens, Taxman said.

Without breaking the underlying problem of addiction, many people wind up back in prison.

What happens is people fail and the fail then means they are still addicted, they are still drinking or they are still engaged in drinking and driving behavior because they havent been given the tools to change, Taxman said. When they fail, we think we have to punish them more.

She said that criminal justice systems can do things like utilize drug treatment courts  which Cumberland County has  and leverage the systems ability to compel behavior to get people into the treatment that is needed.

Ultimately, Taxman said public perceptions of addiction, punishment and the role of the criminal justice system need to change.

I think our country has to come to some decision on how we are better able to handle these low-level offenders, where its clear they have an addiction disorder, she said. The reality is that sending people to treatment, especially for those who arent interested in treatment, is actually more punitive is some ways, because you are asking people to do harder work.

Taxman cited a study that found that roughly one third of individuals surveyed said they would rather go to jail than treatment because of the work involved in intensive treatment programs.

I think the public sees a non-incarceration scenario as sort of a slap on the wrist, she said. I think we need to recognize that these alternatives or other ways of legitimately dealing with these issues are valuable and we need to recognize them as legitimate.
As it turns out, history has been kind to Kevin Wagner.

The Carlisle High School history department chair is one of only 18 middle and high school teachers from across the U.S. selected to participate in Understanding Sacrifice, sponsored in part by National History Day, a nonprofit education organization based in Maryland.

In November, participating educators will select an American fallen hero who is buried or memorialized at an American Battle Missions Commission or National Cemetery Association cemetery in San Francisco, Honolulu or Manila. Participants then will conduct in-depth research on their fallen hero, travelling to those locations in July 2017 to gain a better understanding of Americas sacrifice in World War II.

I like to show my students that Im a lifelong learner. My students always joke to me, Dont you ever stop? Im not a teacher who takes summers off, said Wagner, whos in his 20th year of teaching.

The Understanding Sacrifice program also is sponsored by the Roy Rosenzweig Center for History and New Media, the American Battle Monuments Commission and the National Cemetery Association, according to a news release issued by National History Day. This years program focuses on World War II in the Pacific.

History has always been a passion of mine. I always felt kind of gypped that no one in my family served in a major war. I always felt that was something I missed. World War II has such a big affect on the U.S. It was a defining moment in history, said Wagner, of Carlisle.

Wagner said hes currently in the process of deciding which local fallen to research. The project involves him presenting a eulogy at the grave or memorial of his fallen hero and developing lesson plans for his students based on the experience. He currently teaches AP U.S. history to Carlisle 11th- and 12-graders and an AP seminar.

Theres a constant fresh perspective that young people bring to history, Wagner said. They dont come with all the biases and weights like adults sometimes do. Every day (of teaching) is different. I find it very easy. Young people are very open-minded.

This is the third year of Understanding Sacrifice, which previously took teachers to northern and southern Europe. For 2011, he traveled to France with Carlisle class of 2012 graduate Sam Spare as part of the Normandy: Sacrifice for Freedom Albert H. Small Student and Teacher Institute. The duo traced the history World War II veteran William T. McCabe, who graduated from Carlisle High School in 1941.

National History Day strives to connect students to the past, and one of the best points of contact with any student is their teacher. This program is highly competitive and Mr. Wagner should be proud to be accepted, said Cathy Gorn, National History Days executive director.

Wagner has been involved with National History Day for 15 years. He said hes excited that this years Sacrifice program is focusing on World War IIs Pacific Theater. Sometimes the Pacific Theater gets overlooked, Wagner said.

Wagners selection for the program apparently comes as no surprise to Carlisle Area School District administrators.

Kevin Wagner is a strong social studies teacher and program chair who continually seeks out new and distinct ways to improve the quality of social studies instruction and student learning, said Karen Quinn, the districts director of curriculum and instruction. He is well-respected by his students and professional staff as an innovator in the area of social studies. He is always looking for ways to improve the quality of his instruction and always finds unique ways to motivate students and staff.

This isnt the first accolade Wagner has received during his 20 years of teaching. In 2014, he was chosen as the Gilder Lehrman History Teacher of the Year for Pennsylvania, according to Sentinel archives.

Also in 2014, Wagner was selected for the Thomas W. Holtzman Jr. Educational Leader Award; and the Patricia Behring Pennsylvania Teacher of the Year Award, according to Messiah Colleges website. Wagner is a Messiah alumnus.

Ive been blessed to receive many state and federal awards, Wagner said.

Kevin truly believes that the study of our nations history and the people who shaped our history need to be honored and remembered for generations to come, Quinn said. We are all proud of Kevins achievements and this latest honor in being selected to participate in Understanding Sacrifice.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) held a commemoration ceremony in Tehran on Friday for members of the Fatehin (Conquerors) Special Unit of the Basij paramilitary killed in combat in Syria. IRGC chief commander Maj. Gen. Mohammad Ali Jafari praised the Fatehin battalion, reaffirming ongoing plans to establish these units beyond Tehran province and across the country. Jafari told the media that he had given a report to the supreme leader about the expansion of the Fatehin.

Earlier this year, the commander of the IRGCs Mohammad Rasulollah unit (Greater Tehran), Brig. Gen. Mohsen Kazemeini, signaled plans to expand these units, making the announcement at a ceremony commemorating the Fatehin who have fallen in Syria. The Fatehin unit of Qom province held its first drill in September. The drills motto was the path to Jerusalem goes through Karbala, first proclaimed by Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, founder of the Islamic Republic, during the Iran-Iraq war.

The IRGC commanders who delivered remarks at the ceremony on Friday in Tehran proclaimed that without the sacrifice of all Iranian-backed combatants in Syria, instability would spread to Iran.

Theres not a day we do not hear about murder and explosion in neighboring countries and Europe, Fatehin Commander Mahmoud Hashemi said on Friday.

The Basij, also known as the Organization for the Mobilization of the Oppressed, is an all-volunteer force that serves as auxiliary to the IRGC Ground Forces (IRGC-GF), as well as internal morality police and recruitment pool for the Guard. The IRGC Tehran unit established the Basij Fatehin some time in 2009 or 2010, according to Kazemeini. The decision to establish the unit was likely made following the 2009 post-election protests, during which the IRGC and the Basij led a crackdown on protesters. The Fatehin has participated in IRGC drills held in Tehran, during which units practiced exercises to suppress mass protests and unrest. The Fatehin receive advanced training courses such as airborne and parachute, in addition to heavy ideological indoctrination. In Sept. 2015, the IRGC established a Fatehin sniper unit.

Basij members have deployed to both Syria and Iraq as part of the IRGC Ground Forces expeditionary force. In Syria, regular IRGC forces fight alongside IRGC-backed proxies in support of Bashar al Assad. Over 30 members of the Fatehin have been killed in Syria, out of the approximately 440 regular IRGC-GF. Senior IRGC commanders praise the Fatehin as a model for the Guard.

Mehdi Hadavandi, the commander of the Fatehin Basij Tehran unit as well as the units Syria operations, said the IRGC has set up special courses for resistance forces, which include Iranian as well as proxies, for combat in Iraq and Syria. The commander told an audience last week that the required forces are in Syria right now, though registration is open should the situation demand more boots on the ground. He described the war in Syria as Kafai Jihad (meaning if the number of fighters are sufficient for jihad, the obligation to wage jihad is lifted for others).

Resistance in Syria is different than all the fields until today, Hadavandi said last week week. Many of warriors and commanders who have served in areas such as the northwest and northeast of the country, Iraq, and Lebanon admit that Syria is different than all others. Training demands operations field, which has been created in Syria.

Because the Basiji fights in Syria the Basij of the Islamic world has taken shape. The blood of Iranians, Lebanese, Afghans, Pakistanis, etc., have been mixed in Syria, Fatehin commander Hashemi said on Friday. The enemies must know that the Fatehin is ready to Israel.

Armed struggle of the Islamic revolution beyond Irans borders is a very big and divine blessing that not everyone will have, proclaimed IRGC chief commander Jafari on Friday. He vowed that all shrine defenders would continue armed struggle until fulfillment of goals. Jafari then boasted that the blood of the martyrs and the preparedness of the forces have strengthened the Islamic Republics hand, forcing regional countries who claim to determine the destiny of Syria to negotiate with Iran.

Jafari then claimed that the Islamic Revolution and the Islamic resistance have prevented Israels territorial expansion. He then proclaimed that all of the plans of Israel and the United States have been defeated.

Today we are witnessing the formation of the army of the Master of Time [12th Shiite Imam Mahdi who will herald the apocalypse] in Syria, proclaimed Hadavandi earlier this month at a ceremony for Ashura religious mourning ceremony in Tehran.

Amir Toumaj is a independent analyst and contributor to FDD's Long War Journal.

Are you a dedicated reader of FDD's Long War Journal? Has our research benefitted you or your team over the years? Support our independent reporting and analysis today by considering a one-time or monthly donation. Thanks for reading! You can make a tax-deductible donation here.
Somewhere in Iraqs Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) territory, Maj. Gen. Qassem Soleimani  the commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Quds Force (IRGC-QF)  visited the family of Hussein Mansour yesterday. Mansour was a senior Kurdish Peshmarga commander killed by the Islamic State last year.

The visit marked the first confirmed sighting of Soleimani in Iraq since Iraqi forces  backed by Kurdish, Sunni and Shiite militias, as well as US airpower  launched operations to retake Mosul from the Islamic State last week. It is not known where exactly Soleimani met with Mansours family. Iranian media published a photo of Soleimani on Oct. 17 alongside Iraqi Shiite militia commanders purportedly near Mosul last week, though the veracity of that photograph had not been confirmed. In August, a spokesman for the IRGC-backed Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) told the media that Soleimani was expected to play a major role in Mosul.

Your father was one of my comrades, Soleimani told the son of the deceased commander. We shared the trench most of the time in the wars surrounding Mosul. I was very saddened when I heard the news of his death.

When Mansour was asked about Iranian support of the peshmarga in Sept. 2014, he said, It makes sense. [The Islamic State] is a threat to the United States and the West, but even more so to Iran. Its closer. Its only natural that they would want to prevent it from getting any more powerful than it already is.

Tehran has cultivated relationships in Iraqi Kurdistan for the past several decades, and today backs the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), one of the two ruling parties in the KRG. Iran has also been actively providing support and military advisers to Peshmerga forces since the Islamic State expanded into Iraq in 2014.

Amir Toumaj is a independent analyst and contributor to FDD's Long War Journal.

Are you a dedicated reader of FDD's Long War Journal? Has our research benefitted you or your team over the years? Support our independent reporting and analysis today by considering a one-time or monthly donation. Thanks for reading! You can make a tax-deductible donation here.
YORK  This isnt in any of Pat Toomeys TV ads: The Republican U.S. senators voting record is one of Congress most conservative.

His re-election  and whether Republicans maintain control of the Senate  could hinge on Toomeys ability to defend his voting record in a tight race in Democratic-leaning Pennsylvania against Democrat Katie McGinty.

For Toomey, defending that voting record is tricky in a presidential election year when the electorate is expected to be more liberal than it was when he won Arlen Specters seat amid 2010s Republican wave. That year, Toomey squeaked through the midterm election by 2 percentage points while campaigning aggressively against President Barack Obamas signature health care law and the recessionary bailouts of states, automakers and investment banks.

This year, Toomeys fiscal hawkishness is blended into a palette of bipartisan pursuits or hard-edged national security positions.

Toomey disagrees that his voting record hurts him in a state where registered Democrats outnumber Republicans 4 to 3.

We have a lot of folks who are culturally conservative, there are a lot of registered Democrats who have supported me in the past and will support me this time, Toomey said in an interview. I think people recognize that Im a conservative. Im also a guy who is willing to make progress and look for common ground, so I think my voting record serves me very well.

Toomey is fiercely anti-tax and anti-regulation, and a stalwart proponent of free markets and smaller government.

Ratings by groups including the American Conservative Union and the Club for Growth, the take-no-prisoners free-markets advocacy group Toomey used to head, make Toomey one of the Senates most conservative members and one of Pennsylvanias most conservative members of Congress.

He is popular with several well-financed national groups, including the network steered by billionaire industrialists Charles and David Koch, that have plunked down more than $15 million to help Toomey.

Hes solid on trade, hes solid on dealing with the fiscal issues, said Bruce Josten, the U.S. Chamber of Commerces executive vice president for government affairs. Hes our guy from the state of Pennsylvania.

Toomey has battled tougher power plant and banking regulations, voted to end federal funding for Planned Parenthood and opposed efforts to raise the minimum wage, positions that could hurt him with the moderate voters he badly needs to win.

It also has provided fodder for Democrats and party allies. McGinty summed up Toomey in one recent TV ad as fighting for big banks, Wall Street, special interests.

When he does discuss it on the campaign trail, Toomey frames his fiscal conservatism as a populist fight against higher middle-class taxes, wasteful spending, corporate welfare and burdensome regulations that kill economic opportunities for average Americans. McGinty and Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton, he contends, would perpetuate it.

Meanwhile, Toomey, a Harvard-educated policy wonk and former investment banker, has spent considerable time touting bipartisan efforts, such as preventing suspected child molesters from working in schools, or red-meat security issues, such as ending immigrant sanctuary cities.

There are also his breaks from GOP orthodoxy: Voting for universal background checks on firearms purchases and distancing himself from his partys presidential nominee, Donald Trump.

But a prominent feature of Toomeys six years in the Senate includes votes to slash federal spending, advance international trade deals, repeal Obamas health care law and convert Medicare into a subsidy-based insurance option, labeled by Democrats as ending Medicare as we know it.

In some cases, Toomey has gone farther than many Republican colleagues.

In 2013, he opposed a deal to raise the nations borrowing limit and end the federal governments 16-day shutdown. Most Pennsylvania Republicans in Congress and most Republican senators supported it.

In 2012, he offered a budget blueprint to cut federal spending from 20 percent of GDP to 18 percent, cap Medicaid spending and slash tax rates and deductions.

The liberal Center on Budget and Policy Priorities said the plan would protect and extend tax cuts that disproportionately benefit higher-income Americans, while reducing deficits through steep cuts in programs that benefit average citizens and people on the bottom rungs of the economic ladder.

In his floor speech introducing it, Toomey warned of a mounting national debt and stagnating economy, and pitched the plan as the way to address the single most pressing problem facing our country today, restoring a fiscally viable path that allows us to have strong economic growth.

It failed, 42-57, opposed by every Democrat and four Republicans.
Culture / Art Republik

Oct 24, 2016 | By Nadya Wang

The poetically titled Singapore Biennale, An Atlas of Mirrors, will showcase artworks from Asia that reveal the close ties countries in the region share with each other, and in the process reveal their intrinsic commonalities and distinctness. The event is organized by the Singapore Art Museum (SAM) and commissioned by the National Arts Council of Singapore, and will take place from 27 October 2016 to 26 February 2017.

The previous edition, If The World Changed, took place in 2013, focused on Southeast Asia. An Atlas of Mirrors widens its focus to include South and East Asia as well; it is put together by Creative Director Susie Lingham and her team of curators from SAM: Joyce Toh, Tan Siuli, Louis Ho, Andrea Fam and John Tung; together with associate curators Suman Gopinath from Bangalore, India; Nur Hanim Khairuddin from Ipoh, Malaysia; Xiang Liping from Shanghai, China; and Michael Lee from Singapore.

This time, there are only nine curators, compared with the 27 who were involved in the previous edition of the Singapore Biennale. For this edition, we elected to have a smaller curatorial team as compared to the 2013 edition so that conversations between all involved could be more engaged, SAM curator Louis Ho explains. The SAM team met with our team of associate curators over a series of curatorial workshops held in Singapore, where we worked through ideas, artists, artwork proposals, sites, themes and curatorial narratives.

The curatorial workshops have been necessary to ensure the high standard of the sprawling exhibition. All proposed projects were brought to the table to be pondered  and, yes, argued  over, which made for several particularly lively and energized sessions. It is part and parcel of the creative process, says SAM curator Andrea Fam. A worthy exhibition is one that provokes thought and generates debate, and the scale of an undertaking like the Singapore Biennale certainly encompasses those aspects.

The exhibition will feature over 60 works by more than 50 artists from 19 countries and territories. Singapore is the most well represented, with 10 artists participating, including David Chan, Fyerool Darma and Melissa Tan. Indonesian artists include Ade Darmawan and Eddy Susanto. Chinese artists Qiu Zhijie and Ni Youyu are also participating. From the Philippines, there are Martha Atienza, Patricia Eustaquio and Dex Fernandez, among others. Some countries are represented by a single artist. Sri Lanka is, for instance, represented by Pala Pothupitiye, while Bangladesh is represented by Munem Wasif.

Highlights

The majority of the artworks are commissions or adaptations of existing works that respond to the biennales theme. A highlight is a video installation by Brunei artist Faizal Hamdan that explores the intersection of involuntary migration in Southeast Asia during the Second World War and his familys past. The artists grandfather was forcibly expatriated to Brunei from Java by the Japanese army, and stayed on after the occupation ended to raise a family, says Fam. Its an important work by an artist from a country thats not often represented on the contemporary art circuit  even here in the region.

Another artist whose work for the biennale is an exploration of her countrys history is Nguyen Phuong Linhs Black, White, Red (2016), a mixed-media installation that looks at colonial rubber plantations in Central and Southern Vietnam and the stories they can tell about Vietnam. I investigate the rubber plant and how it travelled to the southern and central highlands of Vietnam during French colonization, as well as how the proletariat emerged and socialism sprouted, says the artist, who started the work two years ago. The rubber plant and the land inspire both fear and fascination in me, holding the promise of untold wealth and the opportunity to discover old ghosts.

Some of the artists explore pressing current issues. Malaysian artist Azizan Palman is presenting Putar Alam Cafe, an interactive work made specially for the Singapore Biennale. Explaining the name of the cafe, the artist says, In Malay, putar alam refers to a charlatan, a person fond of cheating, deceiving, tricking and swindling other people for his or her own selfish benefit. The cafe is a space for the audience to talk about issues relating to the Western superpowers in the postcolonial world as filtered through media channels.

The space is outfitted to look like a cafe, but also comes with information and images the artist has selected to spark off discussions about what is going on in the world today, which the artist will facilitate. He says, By allowing people from different backgrounds and circumstances to meet, socialise and converse about a myriad of issues  from political, economic and social to religious, cultural and art matters  I attempt to stage a social experiment to show how the media, possibly the greatest charlatans of them all, can influence our perceptions of reality and our understanding of things around us.

While most of the artworks are specially made for the biennale, 12 of them are on loan, chosen for their relevance to the Biennales themes. Two of these works are by Hmong-Laos artists, Phasao Lao and Tcheu Siong. The married couple contribute to each others distinct artistic practices. Siong assists her husband by performing minor tasks in sewing and composition; and Lao, as the village shaman, performs the more significant role of interpreter through his interpretation of the creatures and abstract characters witnessed in Siongs dreams that are then embodied in her large-scale textile art, explains Ho. Together, the duo produces artworks that speak about the universal concepts of genealogy, movement and migration and symbolism and representation.

The main site of the biennale will be at Singapore Art Museum on Bras Basah Road and Sam at 8Q on Queen Street. Artworks will also be on display at other heritage venues including the Asian Civilisations Museum, the National Museum of Singapore, The Peranakan Museum. The SMU Green and De Suantio Gallery, SMU, located within the Civic and Cultural District, will also house some works.

Affiliate Projects

In addition, there will be exhibitions at the Institute of Contemporary Arts (ICA) Singapore at LASALLE College of the Arts, as well as at the neighboring DECK, an independent art space dedicated to the art of photography in Singapore and Southeast Asia, on Prinsep Street. These are affiliate projects of the Singapore Biennale, and reflect its curatorial themes.

The World Precedes the Eye at the ICA Singapore is supported by the Lee Foundation and the Cultural Matching Fund. The exhibition examines a current generation of artists creating new forms of material knowledge and experience, say curators Bala Starr, Silke Schmickl and Melanie Pocock. The title of the exhibition reflects the swing towards new realism  the concept that matter matters  in contemporary art.

The exhibition title also appears to play off the biennales title even as it captures the essence of its works. The mirror, without the eye, does not serve its purpose of reflecting what is before it. But to truly see the world, as symbolized by the atlas, we should understand and appreciate that it existed long before human beings did, and will probably exist long after, and holds possibilities that remain unknown to us. The curators note that implied in the works is the existence of new material worlds that lie outside the boundaries of current knowledge and that the lesson is that we share this world and are not its primary subject  the world is not constructed in our own image.

Nine artists will present works that challenge what we know about the world. These include a set of 16 paintings and works on paper from Firenze Lai and a 16mm film installation by Pratchaya Phinthong. Shimura Nobuhiro will present another video work titled Japanese Cattle. A sound work by Zou Zhao will be experienced throughout the exhibition. Other artists taking part are Ang Song-Ming, Cheng Ran, Matt Hinkley, Nabilah Nordin and Zeyno Pekunlu. Complementing The World Precedes the Eye is a solo project presentation, Black-Hut by Indonesian artist Boedi Widjaja that looks at the intersection of architecture with collective and personal memories.

DECK will present two solo exhibitions by Singapore artists: The Natural History of an Island by Robert Zhao Renhui and Hanging Heavy on My Eyes by Ang Song Nian. Both exhibitions look at human intervention, for better or for worse, in natural landscapes. Zhao charts photographically the evolution of the natural landscape of Singapore against its history in the 20th century, while Ang investigates the impact of persistent air pollution from the forest fires in Indonesia in recent times.
Properties / Hotels

The Prix Villegiature Awards 2016 winners have been announced, highlighting the best hotels across the world, including the Viceroy Bali as the best in Asia.

Oct 24, 2016 | By Staff Writer

The Prix Villegiature Awards 2016 winners have been announced, highlighting the best hotels across the world, including the Viceroy Bali as the best in Asia. Europe is a bit more complicated, as well see below and other stories.

In any case, big winners this year include La Reserve Paris Hotel and Spa, which was awarded the Best Hotel in Europe; it was also recognized for Best Service in a hotel of less than 80 rooms in Europe (yes there is a separate prize for the more than 80 rooms range but well get to that in a bit).

The TIGMIZA Hotel Restaurant Spa, Marrakesh, Morocco, picked up the Best Hotel in Africa. The Mamilla Hotel (Jerusalem, Israel) was named as the Best Hotel in the Middle East. Just incidentally, because we love good design here, the Hotel Valverde in Lisbon picked up the prize for Best Interior Design in a hotel in Europe.

For dining, Best Restaurant in a hotel in Europe went to Pariss Hotel Lancaster, for chef Julien Roucheteaus La Table du Lancaster, while the Best Bar award went to The American Bar at The Savoy, London. Speaking of which, The Savoy, also picked up Best Service for a hotel of more than 80 rooms in Europe. And for those looking for a different way to relax, the Hotel Hermitage Monte-Carlo boasts the Best Spa in a hotel in Europe.

The Oetker Collection picked up the prize for Best Hotel Group in Europe, while Best Resort in Europe was awarded to Evian, Frances Hotel Royal.

For a full list of winners head to the Prix Villegiature website.
Sing, O Muse, sing of the anger of Akamais. Okay, Im no Homer and this is no Odyssey, but we mortals are the victims of a fight we didnt start and which may last longer than the Trojan War. As I write this, on October 21, the Internet is unevenly available to people, with many major sites being difficult or impossible to reach. Those sites arent under attack: some of the Internets plumbing is.

A distributed denial of service (DDoS) attack against Dyn took down a hunk of the Internet in America on Friday, starting on the East Coast and then hitting the West, because that company provides one piece of networking glue for many major Internet companies. Dyn is a DNS (domain naming system) host, handling the lookup that happens every time any computer or mobile device anywhere in the world needs to convert a human-readable domain name (like macworld.com) into an Internet numeric address, find the appropriate mail server, or retrieve other domain-related details.

I imagine many of the companies that relied on Dyn may be rethinking having their eggs in the same basket as everyone else. Dyn certainly has a robust, globally distributed, redundant network of servers plus mitigation optionsit has to, to have passed scrutiny from all the companies that contract it for service. So its even more terrifying that this attack was so effective and so long in duration.

The worst part? As I said at the outset: its a war in heaven being fought on ground level, and theres little we can do as individuals to stop it. Its happening around and above us, currently fed in large part by all the smart, or Internet-connected, stuff in our homes.

The Internet of cheap crap

The promise of the Internet of Things (IoT) is that everything that does something in your home will have an Internet connection. So your thermostat, security camera, alarm system, television set, DVR, kitchen scale and bathroom scale, refrigerator, and the like will all be sending and receiving data for monitoring, streaming, and control.

Some IoT devices make sense. I upgraded our home alarm system with an Internet-connected panel a few years ago, and was able to get a text from home when I was on the opposite coast, my wife was out, and my mother-in-law, babysitting our kids, set off the alarm. I checked in with my mother-in-law, disabled the alarm from my smartphone, and then called the monitoring company.

But some IoT devices may leave you wondering, whats the point? Why should, say, my upright freezer have an Internet connection? Turns out, modern automatic defrost freezers have a cycle in which they briefly heat their coils to melt ice off. This happens whenever the freezers tiny brain thinks its appropriatewhich could be in the middle of the day, during a heat wave, with the grid under peak power use. A little Internet smarts could let the freezer negotiate a rebate with your electric company to perform the task later. (No joke: Experiments like this have been underway for years.)

The downside is that most of these smart devices are pretty dumb about security. Many ship with default administrative passwords and dont require you change them. They use UPnP (Universal Plug and Play) to punch through network firewalls for remote access. They use unencrypted connections over the Internet. And they often run outdated, exploit-riddled versions of embedded operating systems and open-source modules for networking access.

This equipment rarely receives software updates, even when its sold in large quantities and researchers or security firms find attacks in the wild. Even when updates come out, most owners arent aware of them, or lack the sophistication to install them, even if its just downloading a file, connecting to a Web-based administrative front end, entering a password, and uploading a file. Think how often that process has failed for you, and youre someone who reads this column.

These devices can be hijacked, and thats been happening lately on an alarmingly broad basis. Tens of millions to hundreds of millions of IoT devices have had malware installed that allows them to be remotely triggered as part of a botnet used in a DDoS. A large portion of those are apparently DVRs and home and business security cameras.

Botnets used to involved hijacked computers. While computer botnots still exist, improved OS security has made them less easy to acquire in large numbers and retain control over. IoT devices have more vulnerabilities, making them easier to subvert, and the kind of behavior they exhibit when running an attack can be entirely invisible to their owners: the attacks flood upstream, not downstream connections, and dont always interfere with a devices function or the users network. There are also simply fewer computers than other devices, too. Several billion IoT devices already exist worldwide, and it will swell to tens of billions in just a few years.

I spoke to Internet security expert Bruce Schneier a few weeks ago, when journalist Brian Krebs site was under one of the largest DDoS attacks ever experienced, and he noted, The problem is the patching ecosystem requires a certain price point of device to make it viable. We are dropping below that price. He calls it, The Internet of Things too cheap to secure.

Sadly, even when brand-name companies sell products and offer updates, they can still incorporate free or licensed components that have security issues that the equipment makers didnt test for. The NetUSB debacle in mid-2015 is a good example: a wide-open problem that manufacturers were unaware of and, when notified, didnt immediately leap to patch. (Its unclear how many millions of devices with NetUSB built in remain vulnerable.)

Theres no per se defense against this. Neither the U.S. nor any nation that allows the free use of consumer electronics requires security testing, although nearly all have regulations about signal emissions, and most manufacturers voluntarily apply for electrical tests with the Underwriters Laboratories (UL). The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has urged the industry to step up, but has no teeth to require it.

We have few tools at our disposal, which is why I say its a war in heaven. Only larger forces can affect the outcome. Users becoming educated about their equipment and making affirmative changes, such as picking a new password or bumping up a routers firewall settings doesnt help if a vulnerable smart device punches through the network to allow remote connections (one of its features, as an IoT device), and has hidden, immutable passwords, as is the case with some.

Internet service and network providers have a game plan written years ago that detail technical changes that would reduce the impact of all DDoS attacks, including those by IoT devices. But these changes are complex, and add cost or reduce network performance. In a competitive world, unless every provider has an obligation, its unlikely any will step forward.

Hardware makers could obviously improve their goods, but the IoT comprises mostly cheap equipment as Schneier notes. Its relatively easy to use free software and inexpensive components with a little bit of custom or licensed software to create Internet-connected video cameras or digital video recorders. Its much more expensive to perform security testing in advance and ongoing system development and updates.

Whats needed is industry certification of IoT security coupled with manufacturers agreeing to a minimum period of time during which theyll provide security updates. Theres no way for us to vote with our dollars in favor of that, because no such initiatives exist yet. It could happen if large retailers like Amazon started their own testing programs or worked with industry suppliers and major manufacturers, and only sold directly and allow third parties to sell electronics that met that bar. That isnt happening yet, either; Amazon reportedly cant even assure that its not allowing its sellers to offer counterfeit Apple cables.

If private companies cant figure out a way to improve security, you can imagine what happens next. Faced with attacks that cripple private and public infrastructure, governments intervene because the market failed. Governments dont always have a light hand, so its not the preferred solution, but companies and entire industries arent stepping up to the challenge. The market remains incompetent.

Until some change happens, the thunderbolts will continue to rain down upon the likes of us.
EPHRATA  A 16-year-old girl nearly died after taking a dose of heroin given to her by her father, authorities said.

At a preliminary hearing Friday, an EMT worker testified that the teen turned blue and was not breathing during the Oct. 8 incident. If not for the four doses of Narcan, the EMT testified, the girl would have died.

Upon regaining consciousness, the girl told police that her father, Kerry Lynn Long, supplied her with the heroin.

Long admitted to supplying his daughter with the drugs. He is facing a list of charges, including corruption of minor, aggravated assault, endangering the welfare of children and possession with intent to distribute.

In court, Lancaster city police Detective Heather Halstead said field testing results showed that heroin contained positive levels of fentanyl. Fentanyl, a pain-reliever, is 40 to 50 times stronger than heroin being sold on the street, according to the Drug Enforcement Administration.

Long is in Lancaster County Prison on $1 million bail.
Trump had his best debate in Nevada.

Instead of 90 minutes of him denying his alleged minor sexual aggressions, some actual issues were discussed  the Supreme Court, the economy, trade, terrorism, immigration, guns and abortion.

And before he jumped the tracks, Trump scored a few solid hits on the crookedness of the Clinton Foundation and Hillarys serial lies to the FBI, Congress and the American people.

Not that anyone in the liberal media really cared.

During the debate half the Friends of Hillary who pass themselves off as honest journalists were either too busy cheering their sweetheart or jeering Trump to take notes.

It really didnt matter much.

They were only waiting for Trump to say something they considered politically offensive so they could start pounding out their selective outrage and disgust on their laptops and smartphones.

Did Trump call Hillary a nasty woman? Did he refer to illegal immigrants who commit crimes as bad hombres? Did he call Hillary a puppet first, or did she call him one first?

Though the Hillary Media tried to make each of those trumpisms into a war crime, after 15 months they werent newsworthy. They were just new variations of the stuff Donald always says.

In the end, however, Trump didnt disappoint Hillarys fanboys and fangirls in the press room.

When he told moderator Chris Wallace he wasnt willing to say there and then that hed automatically accept the results of the election and might challenge them if he thought there was something fishy,it wrecked his whole night.

It may have been common sense, but it guaranteed that the Hillary Media would get up early and spend all day Thursday talking about Dictator Trump being an unprecedented enemy of American democracy, violating the sanctity of the ballot box, threatening the peaceful passing along of power, etc., etc.

The journalists were too partisan to remember Al Gore not conceding in 2000 and other Democrats  like Hillary, Bernie and Barack  using the rigged word to describe various aspects of the electoral process.

If Trump says the system is rigged, Western Civilization is at risk.

Its not that the Hillary Media would have been talking about the latest Wikileaks revelations or investigating what the holy Clinton Foundation did wrong in Haiti.

But Trumps mistake made it easy for them to continue ignoring Hillary, her health issues and the workings of her crime family.

Trumps mistake also did not help the Republican Partys chances to keep the Senate and House this fall.

Will you respect the results of this election? was probably the first question the local news media asked every Republican in America running for Congress or dogcatcher on Thursday.

Thanks to Trumps self-made distraction, Republican candidates couldnt get their messages out to the public in the same way Trump couldnt get out his.

Trump wont change. He cant change, no matter how much help his trainer Kellyanne Conway gives him. He cant pivot. He cant refute Hillarys lies in any detail.

He cant even look presidential. Hillary can fake a grandma smile with the best of them, but Trump wore a permanent scowl at the debate.

Winston Churchill had perpetual scowl too, but in case you havent noticed, Donald is no Winston Churchill.

Trump didnt help himself at the debate. In fact, he may have pounded the last nail into his own coffin.

Well find out in a little more than two weeks.

I just hope that if in early November the polls show hes going to get blown away, he doesnt go into a scorched-earth policy like Jimmy Carter did in 1980.

Carter conceded early on Election Day  5 p.m. Pacific time. That affected voter turnout on the West Coast and Democrat down-ballot candidates were hurt.

Trump may have no chance of winning, but for the sake of the Republican Party and the country he needs to fight all the way to the finish. The only thing worse than President Hillary is President Hillary and a Democratic Congress.

Michael Reagan is the son of President Ronald Reagan and a political consultant. He is the founder of the email service reagan.com and president of The Reagan Legacy Foundation. Email him at Reagan@caglecartoons.com.
Thiruvananthapuram: Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Monday ordered a probe into the Vigilance Director's phone tapping case, two days after the Vigilance Director Jacob Thomas alleged official phone call and email data breach.

While replying to the adjournment motion served by the opposition, CM Vijayan also added that tapping the official's phone data was not in the government's agenda. However, the crime branch will investigate the case.

He also pointed that Jacob Thomas lodged the complaint on the basis of some news reports regarding the breach of the confidential calls. Meanwhile, expressing displeasure over the government's proceedings, UDF led opposition boycotted the assembly.
Interview with Abdullahi Ali, Chairman and CEO of Simba Investments and member of the Somalia National Alliance Party (SNAP)

Please could you introduce yourself to our audience?

My name is Abdullahi Ali. I am a businessman who has been working in Kenya for the past 35 years. I have been involved in different ventures, especially relating to the pharmaceutical field. I make and import pharmaceutical products from various countries. I also work with tanneries and hide skin, which we export to China. I am involved with a telecommunications company which is an international gateway allowing us to deal across several countries, from Kenya all the way to Mozambique. We also deal with NGOs, who we try to assist in their work with poor people, as well as African Cross-Cultural Communication. Those companies are Simba Investments, which is a large corporation whose main focus is investment in the energy sector, and solar in particular. We call this green energy, and today Africa is in demand when it comes to energy. Simba Pharmaceuticals is the country's second largest company, and we have different branches in East and Central Africa. This is essentially what we do.

Could you give us an overview of the sectors you just mentioned?

In terms of the energy sector, we have secured a solar energy project in Somalia, which is close to 150 megawatts. We are currently taking this forward and we have already signed a contract. We will be looking to replicate this in different regions in Somalia.

We have also opened up in Uganda and Tanzania on the pharmaceutical front. Africa has long suffered from counterfeit products, and we take it upon ourselves to introduce good quality pharmaceutical products sold at a very low price, which in some cases we subsidise, and we ask manufacturers to give us a good price.

Our main efforts currently revolve around these two projects, and God-willing, we will finally succeed.

And what are your business plans over the next few years? Are you looking to launch any new ventures?

In fact, we are looking to upgrade the telecommunications sector, because the tariffs it offers are extremely expensive. When we talk about the East African Community and the COMESA, in southern African regions, telecommunications tariffs are very hard to deal with, as people cannot even afford to communicate, whether through voice or directly via the internet, given the high costs involved. Therefore, we lobby the government to reducing these costs, so as to allow people to actually communicate, thereby creating more business and more employment in the telecoms industry. This is where we have our sights set for the future.

You are also active in politics. Could you tell us a bit more about that?

Yes. I would like to put myself on a footing in Somalia, because the country has been suffering for over 25 years, as a result of religious conflict, warlords, pirates, etc. We are looking to put forward great efforts that principally involve myself, which would mean leaving the business and getting involved in the political fight in Somalia. I wish to become a leader for reform, especially in providing security for women and kids in Somalia, who are suffering a great deal. We would also like to introduce economic reforms, in addition to those relating to the security sector. There are many reforms I wish to implement directly in Somalia. Other reforms I am very much interested in are gender-based reforms, because there are a great number of educated women at a very senior level who currently cannot get a chance in Somalia. I am looking to provide them with that chance, so this is foremost in my reform agenda.

Why should people vote for you?

That's a good question. The reason why am asking people to vote for me is that all the candidates who are currently campaigning are either former ministers, prime ministers or presidents, and we have seen how they run the country. This is why I have more chances than anyone else.

Is there anything else you would like to mention?

Yes, I would like to bring the issue of insecurity to the fore, especially in the case of East Africa and particularly with regard to extremism. Many people believe that Somalia is rife with extremism and that this is directly connected to the religion. But I would like to emphasise that 99.9% of Somalian people are not extremist, to be honest. We are absolutely civilised, and extremism has seen a chance and has drawn attention solely as a result of the chaos. We wish to change Somalia's face in this respect.

If you were to pass on a message to our international business audience, considering Kenya or Somalia as business and investment destinations, what would you say are the strengths of these two countries? Why should they be considered?

I think that the reason they are worthy of consideration is that Kenya is a hub, when it comes to East and Central Africa, while Somalia is strategically located on the horn of Africa, which is very interesting. Kenya's economic strength in East Africa is clear. In terms of business, Kenya is the largest economy in the region. Without peace in Somalia, it would be difficult for business to prosper in Kenya. Sanity must be brought back to Somalia, which is why efforts are being encouraged in that direction.
If youre a new parent and youve never heard of Chicco, now is the perfect time for you to familiarise yourself with the name. As the largest baby brand in Europe, established back in 1958, Chicco has prided itself as a one-stop shopping destination for parents and parents-to-be looking for baby essentials and babycare products that meet all childrens needs.

Its great news, then, that Chicco has finally opened its very first concept store in Southeast Asia at Singapores Tanglin Mall this month. Parents will be glad to know that this well-stocked concept store also boasts the largest retail space out of all Chicco stores in all of Asia at 4,400 square feet.

With a range of chic fashion apparel to feeding bottles to exciting toys to a range of strollers and highchairs, and much more, Chicco is the mega-outlet for all your baby essentials and toddler needs. As the store houses a great variety of items, it is specially designed to deliver a simple and fuss-free shopping experience for its customers. Expect guided paths, easy-to-read signage, accessible prices, and an inviting atmosphere.

Chiccos first concept store for Southeast Asia is located at #02-17/18 Tanglin Mall, 163 Tanglin Road. For more information, visit the Chicco Singapore Facebook page.

Angela Goh

Photos: Chicco

Read more:

Maternity Street Style: 10 Chic looks to dress that baby bump

Shopping Mama: 5 Online maternity clothing stores that ship to Singapore

Motherhood Woes: Can intense parenting lead to depression?
Obama's Pivot to Asia Hits a Roadblock in the Philippines

While the mainstream media continues its obsessive reporting on the mud-slinging campaign for the White House, a dramatic development in China last week brought President Obama's "pivot to Asia" to a sudden halt. Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte, while in Beijing, announced his country's "separation" from the United States. He told his Chinese audience, "Your honors, in this venue, I announce my separation from the United States ... both in military, but also economics."

The State Department was stunned and asked for a clarification. The Philippines has been a virtual US protectorate since 1898, when it became US property after the Spanish-American war. Even after gaining independence after World War II it remained a close Cold War ally, hosting US military bases until 1992. Just this spring, as US tensions with China were heating up over a Chinese reclamation project in the South China Sea, the US signed a deal to open five military bases on Philippine territory. The deal was considered of major importance in an increasingly confrontational US approach to the region.

Suddenly it appeared the deal was off. Was the Philippines about to sever diplomatic relations with the United States?

Shortly after making the statement, the Philippine president walked back slightly from what appeared a break with the United States. He did not mean total separation, he said, but rather a desire to loosen his country from the firm grip of US foreign policy. But the point had been made. The Philippines was not happy in its current relationship with Washington.

President Obama's "pivot to Asia" has turned out not to mean improved trade and diplomatic ties with the region, but an aggressive stance toward China over, among other issues, the South China Sea. The US has concluded military agreements with Vietnam and the Philippines, and maintains strong military ties with Japan and South Korea.

The Philippines has been used as a US cat's paw in South China Sea dispute and Duterte's surprise statement signaled that he felt the relationship was too one-sided.

But the tension has been rising and the mood souring for some time. The US State Department has been critical of President Duterte's admittedly brutal crackdown on illegal drugs, which has cost perhaps 2,000 or more lives. In August, Secretary of State John Kerry conveyed the US government's concerns. As elsewhere, such condemnation by the US likely seemed hypocritical to the Philippine president, as the US leads the world in prison population with a large percentage serving long terms for non-violent drug crimes.

Last week a large protest was held in front of the US embassy in Manila in support of the president's move toward a foreign policy independent from Washington. Demonstrators burned American flags and demanded the departure of US troops from their country.

Will US-Philippine relations continue to spiral downward? Or will Washington begin to see that its aggressive foreign policy, in Asia and elsewhere, is beginning to alienate allies? Or perhaps the next US administration will decide that a CIA "regime change" is in order for the independent-minded Philippine president. A US pivot away from confrontation with China would go a long way toward repairing strained relations with the Philippines and beyond. Let's hope that's Washington's next move.



Buy Ron Paul's latest book, Swords into Plowshares, here.

Dr. Ron Paul

Project Freedom

Congressman Ron Paul of Texas enjoys a national reputation as the premier advocate for liberty in politics today. Dr. Paul is the leading spokesman in Washington for limited constitutional government, low taxes, free markets, and a return to sound monetary policies based on commodity-backed currency. He is known among both his colleagues in Congress and his constituents for his consistent voting record in the House of Representatives: Dr. Paul never votes for legislation unless the proposed measure is expressly authorized by the Constitution. In the words of former Treasury Secretary William Simon, Dr. Paul is the "one exception to the Gang of 535" on Capitol Hill.

Dr. Ron Paul Archive

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Is China About to Go Scorched Earth on the US Dollar?

Chinas currency, the Chinese Yuan, remains pegged to the US Dollar. So when the US Dollar strengthens, the Chinese Yuan strengthens to.

For an economy as rife with garbage debt as China (shadow banking debt is over 200% of GDP), this is a DISASTER.

With that in mind, consider that the US Dollar is now at 99.

Whenever the US Dollar reaches these heights, China fires a warning shot at the Federal Reserve by aggressively devaluing the Yuan.

And this in turn causes a stock market MELTDOWN.

Buckle up, because as I write this Monday morning, China just began to aggressively devalue the Yuan AGAIN.

Over 99% of investors have missed this. They continue to focus on what stocks do in the day to day. But a big move is about to hit the markets.

SERIOUS money is about to be made.

To that end, in the last two weeks Private Wealth Advisory subscribers have opened SIX new trades.

As I write this, ALL SIX OF THEM ARE SOARING: THEYRE NOW UP BETWEEN 6% AND 12% EACH.

Let me be clear, this is just the beginning of this move. By the time were done, I expect all six of these to be TRIPLE digit winners.

Seriously at this point, if youre not taking out a trial subscription to our Private Wealth Advisory newsletter, I dont know what else to tell you.

First of all, 109 of our last 113 trades were WINNERS.

That is not a typo. Weve only closed THREE losers in the last TWO YEARS.

This is a record in investing, a winning rate of 98% over a 24 month period.And weve done this during one of the most difficult eras in investing history.

In September alone weve closed WINNERS of 6%, 8%, 11%, 14% and 19%.

If you dont believe me, you can take out a trial for 30 days for 98 cents.

If you find Private Wealth Advisory is not what youre looking for, simply email us and you wont be charged another cent.

However, I have no doubt you, like our other subscribers will stay with us. Most subscribers make enough money on a single one of our trades to cover the cost of an entire YEARS subscription (just $199).

Indeed, less than 10% of subscribers choose NOT to stay with us. And the ones that DO cancel do so because theyre simply not active investors and prefer owning a single mutual fund.

I know youre not that kind of investor. Youre looking for regular market crushing gains and minimal losers to grow your capital like a rocket ship.

To take out a 30 day trial subscription to Private Wealth Advisory for just. 98 cents.

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Best Regards

Graham Summers

Phoenix Capital Research

http://www.phoenixcapitalmarketing.com

Graham also writes Private Wealth Advisory, a monthly investment advisory focusing on the most lucrative investment opportunities the financial markets have to offer. Graham understands the big picture from both a macro-economic and capital in/outflow perspective. He translates his understanding into finding trends and undervalued investment opportunities months before the markets catch on: the Private Wealth Advisory portfolio has outperformed the S&P 500 three of the last five years, including a 7% return in 2008 vs. a 37% loss for the S&P 500.

Previously, Graham worked as a Senior Financial Analyst covering global markets for several investment firms in the Mid-Atlantic region. Hes lived and performed research in Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and the United States.

 2016 Copyright Graham Summers - All Rights Reserved Disclaimer: The above is a matter of opinion provided for general information purposes only and is not intended as investment advice. Information and analysis above are derived from sources and utilising methods believed to be reliable, but we cannot accept responsibility for any losses you may incur as a result of this analysis. Individuals should consult with their personal financial advisors.

Graham Summers Archive

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Compared with the second debate, the final encounter between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton was mostly a snooze, but we did clear up one point of contention.

Now the American people know who to support if they want to complete the Latinization of the United States and install a tin-pot dictator in the White House just like South of the Border.

A vote for Hillary will be a two-fer: Shell undermine the Constitution while changing the drapes.

Hillarys answer to a question regarding her criteria for appointments to the Supreme Court cleared up everyone but the medias confusion. A crucial question since the next president will fill one open seat and potentially two to three more as leftist hacks move on to the final venue.

In 416-words Hillary didnt bother to mention the Constitution until the next-to-last sentence, and even then it was an incorrect procedural reference to the confirmation process.

Instead of appointing judges who will defend the Constitution, her goal is to make the Supreme Court a mini-legislature where she determines the membership and the decisions.

Even worse, Hillarylike other tin-pot dictators  intends to tell judges how to rule BEFORE she appoints them. The Clintonista judiciary is to stand on the side of the American people, not on the side of the powerful corporations and the wealthy. For me, that means that we need a Supreme Court that will stand up on behalf of womens rights, on behalf of the rights of the LGBT community, [and] will stand up and say no to Citizens United.

Thats not a litmus test  those are marching orders.

The role of the Supreme Court is to apply the law, in this case the Constitution, to the case at hand, regardless of the social standing or sexual preference of the individuals involved in the case. Lawsuits arent handicapped like horseraces. A judge doesnt give a poor minority the benefit of the doubt; he gives him the benefit of the law.

Hillarys whims will determine what is constitutional and what is not. Take her differing views of two court decisions. Roe v Wade re-wrote the Constitution to permit killing as long as the victim was under a certain age.

Citizens United held that money in campaigns was a form of speech and laws passed by Congress that banned this speech/money violated the 1st Amendment. At that the ban only applied to certain commercial enterprises. Corporate money was banned, but union moneyjust as commercialwas not banned, since that money helped elect Democrats.

Both decisions can theoretically be overturned by a future court, as long as its not a Clinton court. Hillary says Roe v. Wade guarantees a constitutional right to abortion, as if the wording is actually part of the document, while Citizens United is a decision [judges] must stand up against.

If you are interested in learning how Hillarys philosophy of appointing judges whose first loyalty is to the left and not the Constitution works in practice just look at the situation in Venezuela. Bloomberg News reports strongman President Nicholas Maduro has used his appointed judiciary to block a citizen-generated recall vote guaranteed in the countrys constitution.

Maduros unilateral edicts and the political situation is eerily similar to ours: Even after losing power in Congress 10 months ago, Maduro has managed to stifle constitutional attempts at removing him ...In coordinated actions, courts in five pro, government states suspended signature collections on Thursday, prompting the national electoral council to halt the process nationwide.

That ends any hope for a recall vote.

And dont take comfort in the false assurance that we wont be facing a recall situation here. Maduro uses his court for routine government, much like Hillary would like to if she gets the chance. Does this divide between the executive and legislative sound familiar? The legislature and executive remain at loggerheads, paralyzing the democratic process. Maduro even approved his 2017 budget through the supreme court, bypassing legislators.

A Hillary Clinton administration will be a continuation of eight years of Obama decline, only she will add to the Oval Office collection of office supplies.

Hillary will have a phone, a pen and a rubber stamp Supreme Court.

Michael Shannon is a commentator and public relations consultant, and is the author of A Conservative Christians Guidebook for Living in Secular Times. He can be reached at mandate.mmpr@gmail.com.
MARTINSVILLE  Much of Tuesday nights City Council meeting will be spent discussing education.

Zeb Talley, the recently-appointed superintendent of the Martinsville City Public Schools, will discuss with the council how the school year that started Aug. 10 has progressed so far.

During the councils last strategic planning process that continued until earlier this year, members indicated that they think communication between them and city schools officials needs to improve. They added an item to the citys strategic plan calling for the school division to periodically update the council about its work.

A joint council-school board work session tentatively is to be held in January.

Also Tuesday, Leanna Blevins, acting executive director/chief academic officer for the New College Institute, will update the council on the institutes efforts to chart a course for its future, such as by looking into a potential greater or sole affiliation with a university or developing into a stand-alone entity.

NCI, in uptown Martinsville, was established by the state in 2006 in an effort to increase the number of people with college degrees in Southern Virginia, the only region of the state without a public university. Statistics at that time showed that only about 11 percent of adults in the region had earned bachelors or higher-level degrees.

The institute provides local access to certain bachelors and masters degrees programs offered by various universities statewide, plus training and professional development programs designed to respond to needs of regional businesses and industries.

Martinsville City Council will meet at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday in its chambers on the second floor of the municipal building on West Church Street uptown.

Other agenda items will include:

@ Hearing from the Southern Area Agency on Aging about its Miles 4 Vets program and a recent award that the agency received from the Commonwealth Council on Aging.

@ Considering the citys proposed 2017 legislative agenda.

@ Hearing a report on city finances.

@ Considering routine-type budget amendments.

@ Hearing any comments from the public about matters not on the agenda to be discussed. This part of the meeting no longer is televised.

At 7 p.m., the council will meet privately to consult with legal counsel and discuss potential appointments to local boards and commissions.

The council will hold a neighborhood community meeting at 7:30 p.m. Monday at Albert Harris Elementary School on Smith Road, providing an opportunity for residents of Martinsvilles west side to informally talk with council members about matters affecting their area.

At 5 p.m. Monday, the council will tour the west side in a van to observe conditions of properties there.

Mickey Powell reports for the Martinsville Bulletin. He can be reached at mickey.powell@martinsvillebulletin.com.
HORSEPASTURE-Work is moving forward on water lines for the Horsepasture district. During the district community meeting last week, Henry County officials explained that the Pleasant Grove water line extension is finished. There is now a water line running down State Road 687 to Pleasant Grove. The next phase, Debra Buchanan told residents, is to install another line from Pleasant Grove to Preston. At this point, however, she said the county doesnt have a timeframe for when that would happen.

There will be a survey sent out to local residents in the near future to get their input. One of the questions involves a potential water extension along Friendly Church Road and Woodview Lane. Its been an idea looked at in the past, but its been too expensive to do. When the Carver Road intersection was improved, Buchanan explained, part of the work involved putting a water line and casing under U.S. 58. If the survey comes back and enough of the local residents along that area want water service, its affordable to do now.

The other extensions are nearing completion. The Eastwood and Sandy Level water line extensions are finished. The Grassy Creek sewer line extension is almost finished. The area of U.S. 58 at Grassy Creek now has sewer service.

Waiting for approval

Henry County is also ready to start work along the Virginia Avenue corridor in Collinsville, Buchanan explained. They just need final approval from the Virginia Department of Transportation. The work will involve the area between Mill Creek Drive and Kings Mountain Road, with street signs and an enhanced streetscape. VDOT is installing the crosswalks at Kings Mountain Road.

Over at Jack Dalton Park, county staff have removed the pine trees along the section of trail behind the administration buildings. Before next spring, the old asphalt and tree roots will be removed at the park, with new asphalt installed, along with fencing and metal roof dugouts on both fields. After thats finished, the county plans to start replacing the spectator bleachers at Jordan Creek Park.

Lisa Hughes from VDOT also explained that bridge repairs on Log Manor Road should be finished by Dec. 1. Afterwards, work will start on installing flashing lights and a reduced speed limit sign at the intersection of Route 692 at Horsepasture Price Road.
October 24: United Nations Day

Published: October 24, 2020

Every year, the United Nations Day is celebrated on October 24. This year, 2020, marks 75 years of successful functioning of the United Nations.

Key Highlights

The UN Day marks the anniversary of UN Charter coming in to force. The United Nations came into Existence on October 24, 1945. The day is being celebrated as the United Nations Day since 1947. This year, the United Nations Day is celebrated under the theme

Theme: The Future We Want, UN We Need: Reaffirming our Collective Commitment to Multilateralism

World War II Allies Day

The Day is also called World War II Allies Day. The Allies of World War called for establishing the United Nations in 1942. They together opposed the Axis powers during the second world war. The Axis powers were Japan, German and Italy.

The Allies alliance was formalised by the Declaration of the United Nations. The decisions of the allies were controlled by UK, Soviet Union and United States. These three countries were then referred as Big Three. Along with China, the four countries are referred to as Four Policemen of the United Nations.

India in the United Nations

India is the largest contributor to the United Nations Peace Keeping Force. There are more than 200,000 Indians serving in 71 peacekeeping missions of the UN. Also, India is the highest financial contributor of the United Nations. This year, India has been elected as the non-permanent member to the United Nations Security Council.

Why is United Nations Security Council membership important to India?

There are two reasons for which the United Nations Security Council membership is important to India. They are veto power and Prestige. With Veto power India can defend its interest against Pakistan. This is just similar to what Russia did in 2019 over the civil war in Ukraine. Also, the membership will acknowledge the rise of India as a global power and its key role in international peace and security.

Month: Current Affairs - October, 2020

Category: Important Days & Events Current Affairs

Topics: United Nations  United Nations Day  United Nations peacekeeping  United Nations Security Council  World War II

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We are republishing this article on the 1956 Hungarian revolution, first published on the 40th anniversary in Socialist Appeal

Eastern Europe has seen turbulence in its history for centuries, our present epoch being no exception. Since the fall of the Berlin Wall and the attempt to re-establish capitalism in the region, millions are coming to ask the crucial question of our time: if Stalinism was a hated and bankrupt system but the move towards capitalism leaves thousands in poverty, unemployment and hopelessness, is there a social system that can provide a job, a house and hope for the future - and if there is one, how can we achieve it?

The masses of Eastern Europe - and Hungarians in particular - could do no better than look at what happened in 1956 in giving them the ideas and a direction to follow. To quote Leslie Bain, a journalist and eyewitness of the events of 1956: "No event in recent history has been so much lied about, distorted and besmirched as the Hungarian Revolution".

Truth

It seems that it was expedient not to tell the truth about a small nation that rose, fought and lost. As far as the capitalist commentators were concerned this was simply a move to shake off Russian repression and a communist dictatorship, while the Stalinists called it a fascist counter-revolution aided and abetted by the CIA in order to defeat "socialism". It was true that the demand for the withdrawal of Russian troops from Hungarian territory was a major item in all declarations made by the people and the hatred of the Stalinist regime was the main fuel of the revolutionary express. However, this uprising had very quickly moved on from basic demands like that and became what Bill Lomax says in his book Hungary 1956 "a social revolution aimed not at restoring a previous regime but at creating a radically new social order, one that would be both more democratic than the capitalist West and more socialist than the communist East."

Lomax was one of very few chroniclers of the revolution who understood that the uniqueness of 1956 was in its finally clear cut movement towards establishing workers democracy, with Workers Councils, a Workers Militia, and the sort of true democratic freedom that Lomax felt was a brand new system, but which Marxists know as the re-establishment of the ideas and practice of Lenin and the early days of the young Soviet regime after the Russian Revolution. 1956 in Hungary was Trotsky's political revolution in practice, which is why it was drowned in blood the way it was.

So, how did it come about and what can today's socialists learn from its events? The seeds of discontent in the whole region of Eastern Europe were sown after the Second World War and in the forced establishment of so-called "socialist" regimes in the image of the Stalinist Soviet Union. While the first Hungarian parliamentary election in 1946 was fought between a variety of parties, it did not take long before the totalitarian, one-party system was established backed up by the only true representatives of state power at the time, the Red Army. Repression and persecution of all and any dissenters from the party line were rigorously pursued, creating and fuelling the underlying hatred for the regime. Show trials in the grand old tradition of the 1930's were staged and several long standing communists, who survived the underground years, were now denounced as agents of Western Imperialism or friends of "that dog" Tito and executed.

In the countryside forced collectivisation of the land was put through, creating poverty and discontent. In the factories, while the workers were told that the factory belonged to them, ever increasing speed-ups and high crippling production norms made them feel like slaves and possibly worse off than under the pre-war capitalist regime. Then at least they had their independent trade unions, now those too became part of the state machinery with fat cat bureaucrats in both the unions and the party living well on the sweat and toil of the masses. Due to the norm system, the compulsory purchase of "peace bonds" and the gross misappropriation of a large proportion of the national product by the bureaucracy, living standards were considerably lower by the early 1950's than immediately after the war. The new cast of bureaucrats, officials, their staff and all manner of spies and hacks numbered close on a million in a country of only 9 million people, of whom only 3 and a half million worked productively.

Stalin

It was Stalin's death in 1953 that signalled a most welcome thaw and a move towards a partial relaxing of the extreme harshness of the Hungarian regime. Discontent both in Hungary and in other parts of the region, in East Germany especially, has also underlined the need for reforms, if only to forestall a movement from below. In fact the Hungarian workers had already fired several shots across the bows of the Stalinist regime by organising strikes in the Matyas Rakosi iron and steel works in Budapest's industrial suburb on Csepel island as well as at Ozd and Diosgyor in Eastern Hungary. The protest was against low wages, the system of work norms and food shortages. The strikers in Csepel only stayed out for 48 hours and got a considerable pay rise, so anxious was the regime to hush it up.

Imre Nagy became Prime Minister and introduced his 'New Course'. This meant an amnesty for political prisoners, the abolition of internment camps, a move towards increasing the availability of consumer goods and the relaxation of the iron grip of the censor in publishing and broadcasting. The 'New Course' was nothing revolutionary, but a reflection of the brewing discontent in the masses and one of the solutions to it by one strata of the bureaucracy. This however, did not stop many layers in society beginning to breathe more freely and reflecting more and more openly the desire for more democracy.

The first stirrings came from a group of journalists round the party daily paper Szabad Nep. As it is often said: "in stormy times the tops of the trees move first." The intelligentsia had an independent tradition in Hungary which raised its head time and time again, and this period was no exception. However, very soon the line from Moscow changed and the worry over the possibility of a movement, which the bureaucracy might not be able to control produced a clampdown. Imre Nagy was removed from all his party posts and the 'New Course' was abandoned. The next to move was the Writers Association, whose presidium resigned en bloc and drew up a memorandum opposing censorship and demanding greater freedom of expression. This resulted in further disciplining of the writers, but led to the establishment of the Petofi Circle which planned a series of public debates.

The real push in the open expression of discontent, at least among the intelligentsia and the more reform minded party leaders, came after the XXth Congress of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, during which Khrushchev delivered his "secret speech" denouncing the crimes of Stalin. This was in February 1956 and an explosion of political debate followed. The Petofi Circle started organising public debates, first about how the decisions of the XXth Congress applied to Hungary, later on a variety of topics ranging from the freedom of the press, through economics, history and education, to philosophy. The schools and Universities were a hive of activity, until, according to one account of those days, all and everybody was talking politics most of the time.

Discontent

The level of discontent and frustration has also represented itself with open expression of hatred towards party bureaucrats and their lackeys. People spat on their cars until they were scared stiff even to walk the streets alone. Bolder and bolder articles and poetry appearing in literary and political magazines were published and tolerated by the regime, that was beginning to feel beleaguered. Dora Scarlett an English communist, who has been living and working in Hungary since 1953 wrote: "It would be wrong to think that there was any such organisation as 'The Party' any longer, with a unified control. It was breaking up into its component parts - the tiny, rigid core surrounding Erno Gero, and the mass of members who were in varying degrees drawn into the tide of opposition, criticism and independent action."

Marxism teaches us that the first condition for revolution is a split or crisis in the ruling class or strata. By the summer of 1956 the situation was beginning to look critical for the Hungarian regime. Its reform wing was demanding the return of Imre Nagy, the intelligentsia was getting bolder and bolder in open defiance through articles, poems and even outright demands for artistic freedom, the Universities were seething with debate and the Petofi Circle picked more and more contentious topics to needle the regime with.

In June 1956 the working class has yet again added its own voice to the general discontent when in the wake of the brutal repression of the striking workers of Poznan in Poland a new strike wave and several disturbances demonstrated their solidarity with their Polish brothers. In July finally the much hated Matyas Rakosi was replaced as Party Secretary, but the party was not offering anything new that would placate the discontent. Finally, it was on 6th October 1956 that it dawned on the masses that their potential power to organise was in their grasp. This was the date proposed for the re-burial of Laszlo Rajk one of the victims of the 1940's purge trials, which the party leadership had eventually conceded. They hoped to carry it out quietly with no fuss, but after much pressure agreed to provide some party speakers and publicity. However, nobody, not even the people themselves, expected the estimated 200,000 that turned out for the funeral. It was at the end of the day that a group of 200-300 students marched off under both the Hungarian and red flag towards the city centre singing revolutionary songs shouting: "We won't stop halfway, Stalinism must be destroyed!"

The students had been in ferment for several months by then. At the beginning of the autumn term they demanded that a panel of Central Committee members come to the university and answer their questions about the Sovietisation of Hungarian culture, the Soviet troops in Hungary, the norm system in the factories and the privileges of the party elite. Ten days after the Rajk funeral in the provincial city of Szeged its university students demanded an end to the compulsory study of Russian and called for a strike in support of their demand. At the end of this meeting they decided to set up an independent student organisation and send representatives to other universities to ask for support.

Finally, on 22nd October in an all day and all night session the students of the Budapest Technological University worked out a set of 16 demands and called for a demonstration on the following day to show solidarity with their Polish brothers and put their demands forward. The day started in a disorganised fashion. There was a common meeting place, but no clear plan of action and a certain reluctance on the part of politicians, intellectuals, and even some of the student leaders to head the march. It was as if the enormity of the events to come was already weighing heavily on those who knew full well that once the masses rise up it is very difficult to stop them.

Demonstration

The demonstration was on the whole very peaceful, only the law students turned up with placards and some duplicated lists of demands. As the day went on more and more people joined the students, some out of curiosity, others fully agreeing with their demands and aims. First amongst them stood the immediate withdrawal of all Russian troops, the demands for a free and independent students' organisation together with many others that showed the students' awareness of the needs of workers, intellectuals and all strata in society. They demanded putting the Hungarian economy on a new basis, the opening of all the books on international agreements, the revision of crippling production norms, a freeing of political prisoners, a plurality of parties and free and secret ballots in elections. Later, as the morning factory shift finished, industrial workers joined in, adding to the numbers and to the social weight of the crowd.

It was a speech by Erno Gero, the first secretary of the Communist Party, broadcast on the radio, that inflamed the situation and quickly changed the mood of the people. He denounced the demonstrators as enemies of the people and would not even consider any of their demands, threatening them with arrest, unless they immediately dispersed. By this time the demonstration had split up into several different ones. One of them approached the Parliament building, asking for Imre Nagy to come and address them, while another group moved to the Hungarian Radio building, requesting air time to broadcast their demands. It was here that the first battle of the revolution followed ending up with the insurgents' taking the building, but losing many in the fighting.

Under the pressure of events this was the time when the ruling bureaucracy started its manoeuvring first conceding that Imre Nagy should take over as Prime Minister, then promising to disband the AVH (the Hungarian equivalent of the KGB) opening negotiations with the Russians for troop withdrawals, and finally abolishing the Party and re-establishing it under a new name. While the masses were first inclined to give them the benefit of the doubt, these measures were overtaken by what was happening on the streets and in the factories as the revolution itself unfolded in all its complexity. The variety of views, opinions and groups holding them, (who both before and during these events tried to reform the old system), became a total irrelevancy in the face of the might of the people. A movement, that started with simple, sometimes basic patriotic demands, through the fighting, debating and organisation of its forces, entered a much higher stage. It not only became a movement of self-defence, but that of an armed uprising to establish a new society.

Tanks

When the Russian tanks were called in to put down the uprising, they soon found that they were faced with a well organised, fearless populace, which improvised with amazing bravery and was not going to be easy to subdue. There were also cases of fraternisation between the Russian soldiers, who had been lied to when sent in to shoot at Hungarian workers. They were told that there was a fascist insurrection in Budapest, but as many of them were already stationed in Hungary and spoke Hungarian they could talk to people and stopped fighting as soon as they realised what was happening.

One of the most infamous atrocities of the revolution, was a massacre of unarmed civilians in front the of the Parliament building on 25th October. While it was blamed on Russian tanks at the time, it was much more likely to have happened precisely to stop this fraternisation. There are many conflicting accounts of this event, but it is no accident that the machine guns situated on roof tops around Parliament Square started shooting first, as two Russian tanks clad in Hungarian flags, drove into view, carrying many freedom fighters.

Very quickly several fighting groups emerged at strategic points in the city. Most, if not all, of these were in working class districts and at major intersections and mostly, the fighters were workers, including the most lumpen elements, who were considered criminals under the Stalinist regime. When one of these youngsters was asked why he was fighting, he answered: "Why not? I have nothing to lose! Would you like to live on 600 Forints (less than 10) a month?" In fact, a large proportion of the fighters were very young, some only 10 or 12 years old.

In the meantime a general strike was declared and workers' councils started being set up in the factories. At this stage these councils were in their embryonic stages, their members mostly fighting, but already the ideas on how the working class can organise production and run all aspects of life in the working class districts were coming to the fore.

The fighting continued, but as a result of several Hungarian army units either coming over to the side of the revolution or at least staying neutral, as well as the obvious tactical need for the Red Army to regroup and change the compromised troops for some fresh ones who didn't speak Hungarian, an agreement was made for the Russian troops to start withdrawing from Budapest on 29th October.

The following week saw a blossoming of freedom in the factories, other workplaces, theatres, writers' clubs and in all aspects of industrial, political and artistic life. The workers' councils and revolutionary committees very quickly became the only organs of both decision-making and executive power that Hungarians recognised. Even during the fighting, but especially after it died down, ordinary people started taking the running of society into their own hands. All strata of society set about putting the new world into effect: the Army elected the Hungarian Peoples Army Revolutionary Committee, which became part of the new Revolutionary National Defence Committee - i.e. an armed people, not a standing army. Writers, students, actors, musicians, school students, housewives all joined in setting up their own organisations in the atmosphere of revolutionary freedom and enthusiasm.

The revolution spread to provincial towns and villages, especially to the areas of heavy industry and mining, where workers' councils and revolutionary committees were set up and representatives sent to Budapest. The new government under Imre Nagy set about the tasks of involving some non-communist politicians in its ranks, declared withdrawal from the Warsaw Pact and carried on implementing its reform program. Negotiations with the workers had even gone so far that a call to return to work on Monday 5th November was agreed.

Workers

However, some of the workers' organisations in the provinces had been sending warning messages to Budapest about new Russian troop movements and on the morning of 4th November a second assault began not only against Budapest, but nation-wide. This time the tactics were different. Eye-witness accounts confirm that no Russian soldier got out of his tank this time round. The fighting was not only against the barricades and actual units, but included deliberate intimidation of the population of Budapest. On a major road several tanks would slowly go down and systematically shoot at and destroy every other floor of every block with their cannon. These troops were from Central Asia, this time obviously believing that they were putting down a fascist uprising.

Instantly the working class moved into action. The general strike continued and the fighting was brilliantly organised. In the face of overwhelming odds, with minimal arms and a lot of initiative the tanks were resisted. One popular trick that seemed to work was to break off the handle of a frying pan and place it up side down in the middle of a main road. This tended either to stop the tanks, the tank crew thinking they were mines, or got the soldiers out of their tanks investigating, thus becoming vulnerable to small arms fire. It was in the working class strongholds of Csepel (pronounced Tcheppel), Ujpest, Kelenfold, Angyalfold, Zuglo and several other industrial districts, where resistance held out longest. One fighter, Mark Molnar, who under the Rakosi regime was stripped of his military rank and became a coalman said of fighting in Csepel: "The routine was simple. Each man spent eight hours fighting, eight hours working in the factories manufacturing shells and guns, eight hours sleeping at home. From the very first moment I arrived, I was allotted volunteer medical students and I knew just where to put my casualties." The organisation, he felt "was far better than it had been on the Hungarian general staff, I had nothing to do but fight."

Eventually, however, even Csepel fell and the armed resistance ceased. It was at this juncture that the workers' councils came into their own. The de facto power was in the hands of the Red Army. They occupied the factories and working hand in hand with the puppet government of Janos Kadar, which they had set up on 4th November, tried to re-establish their totalitarian rule. However, the general strike was solid nationally and the workers' councils began to flex their muscles. They knew, that as armed resistance now was not possible, the only power they had left was the strike weapon.

Winter

With the bitter Hungarian winter approaching the government was desperate to get production going, coal mined, electricity generated, and most of all get the workers back into the factories under armed guards. This they would not do. Moreover, they kept pressing their demands, meeting first in factories, then gradually widening out into district revolutionary committees and finally into the Central Workers Council of Greater Budapest. They were not going back to work until their demands had been met. Intimidation continued and slowly but surely arrests, beatings, torture and executions threatened them. The workers responded by organising their own press, militia and meetings which increasingly had to be held illegally.

The workers' councils set out their demands for workers' democracy at the point of production. These included:

1. The factory belongs to the workers.

2. The workers' council is the supreme controlling body of the factory and is democratically elected by the workers.

3. The workers' council elects it own executive committee composed of 3-9 members, which acts as the executive body, carrying out the decisions and tasks laid down by it.

4. The director is employed by the factory. The director and the highest employees are to be elected by the workers' council. This election will take place after a public general meeting called by the executive committee.

5. The director is responsible to the workers' council in every matter which concerns the factory.

The work of these councils was conducted with the highest level of democracy. All officials and representatives were subject to instant recall and several councils frequently replaced their chair and/or secretary and delegates to other bodies during these months. Many felt that as soon as the leaders became unrepresentative of the masses that appointed them, they had to be replaced. In revolutionary times events move so fast that leaders are tested hourly and all those not up to it were replaced with those that were. One can also look at this from a different standpoint: many leading figures also felt that when they came to vital turning points in events they made no moves until their organisation confirmed them with secret ballots, so they were confident that they still carried their original mandate. After his election as President of the Greater Budapest Workers' Council, Sandor Racz, a toolmaker from the Beloiannis factory, did this several times, thus lifting workers' democracy to a level of refinement not seen since the October Revolution of 1917. This living, breathing, direct system of workers' democracy continued even after renewed fighting, the workers always finding time and opportunity to exercise direct control over their representatives.

While many of these workers' councils were only set up to organise production and defend workers, it was inevitable, especially at a time of escalating persecution, that they would start co-operating and eventually linking up with each other.

Budapest

The Greater Budapest Workers' Council was set up in the face of intimidation from both Russian tanks and the regrouping Hungarian state security only 10 days after the second Russian intervention. The clearly political nature of this body can be seen from some of their demands:

The withdrawal of Soviet troops from Budapest and the whole country. Free elections in a multi-party system. Socialist ownership of the industries. The maintenance of workers' councils and the restoration of free trade unions. The right to strike and to assembly, freedom of the press and religion, etc.

Moreover the debate over their role in society was started, partially introduced by the intellectuals present, but frequently spontaneously erupting amongst the workers' representatives. The age, experience, background and understanding of these workers' leaders varied enormously. Many were in their 40's, veterans of the pre-war communist underground and militant trade union struggles. Others were very young, bringing the brave and uncompromising spirit of youth into the discussions. Some believed that the workers' councils must not take up a political role, as this might lead down the road to what had gone wrong in the past - i.e.: the party substituting itself for the workers. They believed that the workers' councils should organise the economic life of the country, free and independent trade unions should represent the workers' interests and the parties (of which there would now be many) should run the political life of the country.

There were others, who were clearly advocating the idea of the creation of district, city-wide and ultimately nation-wide revolutionary workers' councils as the only way to safeguard and ultimately develop further the achievements of the revolution. Whichever set of views was gaining the upper hand, reality created a clear case of dual power in Hungary during November/December 1956 and those who realised this could not fail to see its relevance to the political as well as the economic life of the country. In fact as early as the 4th November the Borsod County Workers' Council sent a delegation of 28 to meet with Imre Nagy in Budapest. In the program presented by them they included a demand for Parliament to be replaced by a National Assembly made up of delegates from the workers' councils.

Admittedly, in an atmosphere of being pushed further and further underground, arrests happening every day and all organisation having to go on under the watchful eyes of the Russian forces and the reconstituted AVH, the clear cut development of workers' democracy was not easy. It was the preparations for the setting up of a National Workers' Council, called for the 11th December that pushed the Kadar regime to speed up its repressive measures, firstly trying to limit the rights of workers' councils to operate at purely factory level, then making all other councils illegal. On 11th December came the wholesale arrest of the leaders of the Greater Budapest Workers' Council which resulted in a 48 hour general strike to protest against the arrests and to further press the councils' demands. Strikes and sporadic resistance continued well into 1957 until the last workers' council was abolished 10 months later. The summary jurisdiction of the so-called "Peoples' Courts" gave legitimacy to wide ranging powers of arrest, detention and torture that was exercised most harshly against the workers and especially the workers' leaders.

It is against a background of oppression on this scale that the achievements of the Central Workers' Council of Greater Budapest in organising and maintaining two rock solid massive general strikes and very nearly setting up the National Workers' Council with a clear programme of workers' democracy will go down in history as one of the greatest events of the world working class movement. The example of the Hungarian workers bravery, initiative and ability to rise to the task set by history is all the more amazing as the broad mass movement during the revolution produced leaders, programmes and a fighting force that rose spontaneously, without a revolutionary party and their struggle was fought out to the end.

Over the centuries history has been written by the victors. The dispossessed masses have very rarely had chroniclers of their own, so subsequent generations tend to look at past events through the eyes of the ruling class or strata. However it is the 20th century that has achieved the greatest levels of falsification of history, which was also attempted by the Stalinist leaders of Hungary after 1956. The greatest slander that has ever been uttered against a heroic fighting working class, is the one that has been perpetrated against the Hungarian workers of 1956. The consolidated Stalinist regime of Janos Kadar, having tortured, murdered, imprisoned or just simply beaten to death the flower of the Hungarian working class and youth dared to peddle the myth that this was a counter-revolution which aimed to restore capitalism.

Socialists

A large number of socialists, survivors of the fighting and others, spent many years refuting this claim all over the world. In Hungary you did not have to, people had eyes and ears and they knew what had happened. It is really heart warming to read the black humour that also developed, which is a characteristic of the Hungarian spirit, as hardship is so much easier to bear when you make fun of it. To this day there is a saying circulating in the provincial town of Salgotarjan, in response to the slander that the workers' and miners' demonstration, which had been brutally put down by the AVH, was actually carried out by fascists and reactionaries. It goes as follows: "While peacefully shooting in the centre of Salgotarjan, local security forces were subjected to a vicious, unprovoked attack by fascist miners hurling loaves of bread at them!"

For the rest of the world there is ample documentary evidence that provides testimony against this Goebbelsian lie. No organisation that had ever gained any prominence, (not even those one might have expected to), raised any call for the return to capitalism, in fact all of them made absolutely sure that no such call was included in their demands. One organisation that called itself the Hungarian Democratic Independence Movement, and which mostly represented the ideas of intellectuals and revisionist reform communists of the pre-1956 era, issued a summary of its program in a publication called October 23 on 6th December in the following terms:

Complete and unconditional independence Political democracy on the basis of the free activities of the workers' councils, revolutionary committees and political parties The maintenance of the land reform and the social ownership of the factories, mines and banks.

What the movement in Hungary in 1956 lacked was a clear, conscious leadership based on an understanding of Trotsky's analysis of the degeneration of the Russian Revolution and the need for the political revolution to restore the power into the hands of the working class. Had it had such a leadership events might have been different. However, the lessons are clear for today. Even without such a leadership the Hungarian workers created a program for workers' democracy clearly along the lines of Lenin's four points for a healthy workers' state. The Hungarian Workers' Councils of 1956 were in effect soviets and Lenin's four points about the election of all officials, a rotation of duties, all officials subject to recall and an armed people, while not expressed exactly in those terms, were established in practice. The Hungarian workers also added one more demand, arising from their own experience, which was the call for a plurality of parties as long as they accept the common ownership of the means of production, i.e. the gains of socialism, as they put it.

Has history now come full circle by posing a seemingly intractable question to the working class of Eastern Europe, Russia and all other ex-Stalinist states? What is the way out? The Stalinist regime of Janos Kadar fell to pieces and disappeared under its own contradictions, economic chaos and the hatred of its own people. What it was replaced by generated a thousand false hopes, only to be dashed as capitalism also was found wanting.

Traditions

The Hungarian working class has glorious traditions, which produced the heroes of 1956, but whose experience will have to be rediscovered and a new tradition created. The only route to peace, jobs, houses, economic and political freedom lies through another 1956. Take any program or demand from 1956, like the election of factory directors by the workers, the students demand for free association, or the writers' demands for artistic freedom - they can all be achieved through finishing what the Russian troops and Kadar's henchmen cut across in November 1956. The route to that society is through workers' democracy, as dreamt of and fought for by the thousands of freedom fighters who gave their lives for it.

It is the destiny of this generation of Hungarian workers to make it real. We and they can celebrate the 40th anniversary of the 1956 revolution no better than by working towards that goal.

For further reading we recommend Peter Fryer's book Hungarian Tragedy
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The 2014 Penya Rouge Grenache, Carignan, Syrah Cotes Catalanes

(Photo by Ken Ross)

We receive recommendations all the time.

Look up a book or a record on Amazon? We instantly know what other customers bought.

Watch "The Usual Suspects" on Netflix?

There are three other movies listed under "More like this."

"No Country for Old Men," "Rounders" and "Pulp Fiction."

But are they? Are all four movies really that alike? "The Usual Suspects" and "No Country for Old Men" are both great movies. But I don't know much they are "like" each other.

That's why I'm always a little hesitant to say that one wine's a lot like another wine. Like great movies or books, great wines are great in their own, unique ways.

A few weeks ago, I wrote about a great, French red wine for $8 a bottle - 2012 Chateau De Calce Cotes Du Roussillon Protege ($8.99 at Table & Vine in West Springfield).

I liked the wine so much, I was determined to find another great, affordable, French red wine to recommend.

Fortunately, Michael Quinlan at Table & Vine suggested several, red wines. And one wine from the same region really stood out - 2014 Penya Rouge Grenache Carignan Syrah Cotes Catalanes ($8.99 at Table & Table).

Like the Chateau De Calce, the Penya comes from the Roussillon region near the Mediterranean Sea bordering the northeast corner of Spain. Along with the Rhone region, Roussillon has some of the best bargains around.

But Roussillon - and specifically the larger, Languedoc-Roussillon - used to have a somewhat notorious reputation for flooding the world with mediocre wine. That may have been true a decade or so ago, but personally, I have had several superb, inexpensive red wines from this same place in France.

Along with the Penya and Chateau De Calce, I've written about several, stunning bargains from the Languedoc-Roussillon region. In particular, one of my favorite winemakers comes from the Cotes Catalanes region in France - Jean-Marc Lafage.

Lafage is the genius responsible for two, Cotes Catalanes wines for under $14 each I wrote about two years ago - 2012 Bastide Miraflors and 2012 Domaine Lafage "Nicolas."

The 2012 Domaine Lafage "Nicolas" was made with 100 percent Grenache Noir.

The Bastide Miraflors blends two grapes - 70 percent Syrah and 30 percent Grenache.

As for the Chateau De Calce and Penya, they're a blend of three, hearty grapes. Let me add that I love the way many French winemakers blend several grapes together to make delicious, red wines.

The Chateau De Calce and Penya have two grapes in common - Syrah and Grenache. The third grape for the Chateau De Calce is Mourvedre. As for the Penya, the third grape is Carignan, a grape popular in nearby, northeastern Spain sometimes called Mazuelo.

Specifically, the Penya is a blend of 52 percent Grenache, 36 percent Carignan and 12 percent Syrah.

This Penya tasted terrific right from the start. You don't have to open this spectacular wine and wait a few hours to taste all the delicious flavors. Everything is right there right away.

The first thing I noticed were hints of ripe cherries and dried blackberries. And like many great, dry, red wines that easily cost twice as much, the flavors in the Penya lingered on the tip of my tongue for nearly a minute.

The only problem you might have with this wine is making the bottle last several days. Normally, I have several different bottles open at the same time to taste different wines.

But whenever there's a bottle of Penya open in our house, it never seems to last very long. That's because this easy-drinking wine tastes so great.

But don't just take my word for it. Try a bottle of Penya or any of the other Roussillon wines recommended here.

Cheers!

Wine Press by Ken Ross appears on Masslive.com every Monday and in The Republican's weekend section every Thursday.
Fifty years ago this week President Johnson made a secrecy-shrouded trip to Vietnam during a swing through southeast Asia. He traveled to Cam Rahn Bay for a two hour visit with the troops, followed by a quick flight back to Manila for a meeting with the president of the Philippines. He was then off to Thailand where he was expected to have a break from his busy schedule.

Later in the week a Hampden County Superior Court jury convicted the 25th person in an automobile fraud ring. Investigators said that they had evidence to prosecute at least another twenty-five individuals in what was called the largest fraud ring in the country.

These are some of the headlines you'll see from Page 1 of The Republican and its predecessors over the past fifty years for the week of October 23 - October 29. Each week I'll put together a slideshow of Page 1 images from selected years over the course of that week. We're starting with a look back at one, five, thirty, forty and fifty years ago, with Page 1s from each day of the week for those years.

The slideshow for October 23 - October 29is embedded at the top of this article.

From the October 27, 1966 edition of The Springfield Union

We'll also find some humor printed out on page one over the years. In 1966 'Dennis The Menace' could be found on the bottom of page one six days a week.

Five years ago this week Congressman John Olver announced that he would not seek reelection to his seat. This was as it seemed likely that his seat would be merged into another district as Massachusetts lost a congressional seat during redistricting.

And a year ago, Springfield officials confirmed that they had paid more than $50,000 to criminal defendants and their attorneys to cover for cash missing from the police evidence room. The city also paid $170,000 to a Boston consulting firm to audit the police evidence room.

You'll find with looking through the slideshow, that while many stories come and go, many of the issues and topics that affected lives in the past, continue to have an impact on our lives today.

Copies of these and other stories can be found in the online archives. Links to the archives are at the bottom of the page at www.masslive.com/republican

The historic archive includes stories prior to 1989, and the Newsbank archive covers 1988 through the present day.


Union Government planning to fast-track irrigation projects in Indus basin

Published: October 24, 2016

The Union Government is planning to fast-track four projects in Indus river basin to increase irrigation area in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) by nearly 2.05 lakh acres.

This decision was taken after India had decided to exploit to the maximum the water of Pakistan-controlled rivers Indus, Jhelum and Chenab as per Indus Water Treaty (IWT).

Key Facts

Three projects Prakachik Khows Canal in Kargil, Tral Irrigation Project in Pulwama and restoration and modernisation of main Ravi Canal in Jammus Sambha and Kathua are expected to be completed by this fiscal. The fourth project of Rajpora Lift Irrigation is planned will be completed by December 2019.

While the first three projects will help irrigate around 1.45 lakh acres of land, the Rajpora Lift Irrigation is expected to help irrigat around 59,305 acres of land. The funds for these projects will be raised by National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD).

Background

These projects are part of the Union Governments efforts to irrigate larger swaths across the country by completing small and medium 99 irrigation projects under ambitious Accelerated Irrigation Benefits Programme (AIBP) and Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKYS). Besides, earlier in September 2016, Union Government had decided to review the 56-year-old IWT in the aftermath of the Uri attack, asserting that blood and water cannot flow together.

Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY): It was launched by the Union Government with an aim to enhance physical access to water on farm. It also seeks to expand cultivable area under assured irrigation, improve on-farm water use efficiency, introduce sustainable water conservation practices, etc through major and minor irrigation projects.

Accelerated Irrigation Benefits Programme (AIBP): It was launched in 1996-97 to provide central assistance to major and minor irrigation projects in the country. It main objective is to accelerate implementation of such major and minor irrigation projects. Since its inception, 143 projects have been completed under AIBP.

Month: Current Affairs - October, 2016

Topics: Indus basin  Irrigation  Jammu and Kashmir  National

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Five people were killed in a wrong-way crash on Interstate 495 in Middleborough shortly after midnight Monday morning.

Massachusetts State Police report a vehicle driven by a single occupant was heading the wrong way on the northbound side of 495 at about 12:11 a.m. when it collided with another vehicle with four occupants. All suffered fatal injuries.

The crash is being investigate by the Massachusetts State Police with assistance from the State Police Collision Analysis and Reconstruction Section and State Police Crime Scene Services Section.

The crash completely shut down the northbound side of the highway for several hours. At 5:22 a.m., the Massachusetts Department of Transportation reported all lanes had been reopened.

State police will hold a briefing later this morning to release additional details.
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MSP file photo.

Five "young adults" were killed on Interstate 495 in Middleborough shortly after midnight Monday after a driver drove the wrong way along the interstate.

Four people were traveling north along 495 in the left lane when they were hit head-on by a vehicle heading the wrong way.

The crash impact caused the northbound vehicle to become engulfed in flames, Anthony Thomas, commander of Massachusetts State Police Troop D, told reporters Monday.

The operator was the sole occupant of the vehicle traveling south in the northbound lanes. All occupants of both vehicles suffered fatal injuries.

State police have yet to identify the five killed as they notify next of kin, only identifying them as "young adults." Thomas expressed his condolences for the families of the five killed on behalf of the department.

The crash under investigation by the Massachusetts State Police with assistance from the State Police Collision Analysis and Reconstruction Section and State Police Crime Scene Services Section.
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Easthampton residents can vote early at the 50 Payson Ave. municipal building.

(Mary Serreze photo)

EASTHAMPTON -- It's the first year early voting has been available in Massachusetts, and according to poll workers in Easthampton, it's already a hit.

"We've been busy all day," said Jeannine Miller, a longtime election worker in the city. "We're getting positive reviews and good feedback," added poll volunteer Nancy Fallon. "People seem to like it."

City Clerk Barbara LaBombard said that as of mid-day Monday, 129 residents had already cast their ballots. She said the ballots, in sealed envelopes, would be put into a safe and then opened on election day and fed through the voting machine.

Anyone who casts a ballot early will not be allowed to vote at the polls on Nov. 8. Voters will not be allowed to amend early ballots or resubmit them, LaBombard said.

Any registered voter may cast their ballot in the basement of City Hall at 50 Payson Ave. from October 24 to November 4. People with questions may call the City Clerk's office at (413) 529-1460.

Here are Easthampton's early voting hours:

Monday (Oct. 24 and 31): 7:30 a.m to 5 p.m.

Tuesday (Oct. 25 and Nov. 1): 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Wednesday (Oct. 26 and Nov. 2): 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Thursday (Oct. 27 and Nov. 3): 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Extended hours:

Saturday, Oct. 29: 8 a.m. to noon

Friday, Nov. 4: 8 a.m. to noon
Marijuana

(Republican file photo)

Even if Massachusetts voters pass Question 4, which would legalize marijuana, officials say it still won't be allowed on college and university campuses.

Question 4 proposes a Cannabis Control Commission that would set up a regulatory structure for the taxation of commercial marijuana.

Because most colleges and universities receive federal funding, marijuana would still be barred from campuses because it is not legal under federal law. The requirement to follow federal law would surpass legalization in Massachusetts.

Matt McDonald, a spokesman for Northeastern University, told The Boston Globe that the use of marijuana violates the university's code of conduct.

Proponents say passing Question 4 would drive down the black market for marijuana, but opponents reject legalization because they see marijuana as a gateway drug.

The ballot question comes four years after Massachusetts voters approved medical marijuana and eight years after the decriminalization of small amounts of marijuana.

Colleges similarly addressed marijuana use on campus after it was approved for medical use. The handbook for Worcester State University affirms that marijuana use, possession, or cultivation on campus is prohibited even though the state allows it for medical purposes.

UMass spokesman Jeff Cournoyer told The Globe that if the question passes, the university would widely communicate that the new state law does not allow marijuana on campus.

However, not every college has spoken on the issue. Boston College and Harvard University told the Globe it was too soon to take a position before ballots were cast.
       :         , 10     5    
A prominent Bozeman lawyer has questioned the process of state university officials pushing through a $5.7 million research grant from the controversial Koch Foundation designed to create a research center at Montana State University.

Lawyer James H. Goetz said MSU has bypassed the standard public review process and public input. He pointed out that the regents have yet to approve the center  even though a signed agreement between the Koch Foundation and the university lists an initial payment of $793,380 made "on or about September 15, 2016."

"Im concerned about our wonderful university being hijacked by right-wing money," Goetz said Friday. "The Kochs preach the gospel of academic freedom, but common sense tells me otherwise."

Renata Birkenbuel [email protected]

Full Story: http://mtstandard.com/news/local/bozeman-lawyer-criticizes-lack-of-public-input-on-koch-foundation/article_684d213f-7a75-59e8-93f3-5a3b961a92a7.html
2016-11-03 08:00:00

Montana State University

Contact: http://www.21caf.org/icltss16.html

A conference on learning, teaching and student success will be held Nov. 3-5 at Montana State University.

"International Conference on Learning, Teaching and Student Success 16: Were All in This Together, A Community Commitment to Student Success," will be hosted by the MSU College of Education, Health and Human Development with the 21st Century Academic Forum, directed by MSU alumnus Tom Lechner, as a partnering organization. The conference will feature a diversity of stakeholders who represent pre-school to graduate school education, including faculty, student services staff, administrators and community partners from school districts around the state.

Full Story: http://www.montana.edu/news/16466/msu-to-host-nov-3-5-conference-on-learning-teaching-and-student-success
Portland began targeting "zombie homes" last spring, seeking to foreclose on abandoned and neglected properties that had become a blight in their neighborhoods. The city didnt know, though, how many of these derelicts there were.

The city had the information to figure it out, according to Mayor Charlie Hales: One bureau had been collecting data on neighborhood complaints. Another had data on liens. But there was no way to put them together.

Portland has been working to change that for several years, and now will have an important partner in that effort. The city has signed on to a national project designed to make government data more available to the public, and to help government offices use that information more effectively.

The initiative is called What Works Cities https://whatworkscities.bloomberg.org/ . Its run by Bloomberg Philanthropies, through which former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg directs his charitable giving.

By Mike Rogoway | The Oregonian/OregonLive

Full Story: http://www.oregonlive.com/silicon-forest/index.ssf/2016/10/portland_joins_bloombergs_publ.html#incart_river_index
PFL Tech Inc. is a marketing technology company that provides sales enablement and marketing automation solutions, as well asprinting, mailing, and fulfillment services. They also provide some great Montana Jobs.
Our range includes a flat range from 10-100 yards as well as a 20 target walking course for more realistic simulation of hunting scenarios.
Monday

Bonne Terre City Council

The Bonne Terre City Council will meet for a special session at 6 p.m. at Bonne Terre City Hall, located at 118 North Allen Street in Bonne Terre. Listed under new business is to hear a presentation from Charlie White from Shultz/Anderson Insurance and discuss and vote on two ordinances allowing City Administrator Jim Eaton to approve contracts for paving and to enter into a maintenance agreement for accounting software. The meeting is open to the public.

Leadwood Board of Alderpersons

The Leadwood Board of Alderpersons meets in regular session at 6 p.m. in the Leadwood Fire House, located at 1101 Mill St. The meeting is open to the public.

Farmington City Council

The Farmington City Council meets for regular session at 6:30 p.m. in council chambers, located at 110 W. Columbia St. The meeting is open to the public.

Tuesday

Park Hills City Council

The Park Hills City Council meets at 6 p.m. for a work session in the municipal court chambers at city hall, located at 9 Bennett St. The meeting is open to the public.
The long-awaited construction project to replace the St. Joe Drive bridge that spans the Union Pacific Railroad tracks in Park Hills is finally on track to begin the first week of November.

U.P. has looked over the demolition plan and theyre about to issue demolition approval, said Park Hills Economic Developer Norm Lucas. At which time, Kozeny Wagner (the project contractor) can apply for the right to enter the right-of-way that U.P. has around the track.

As soon as they get that, which we expect either on Halloween or Nov. 1, the Kozeny Wagner guys will start putting out the detour signs all around the project. And the detours are going to be fairly extensive because that is a route that a lot of people use and you have to go quite a little ways to find other ways to get through.

Lucas said once the detour signs are in place, crews will first take measures to protect the railroad tracks from damage during the bridge demolition phase to follow.

That should all transpire the first week of November, he said, adding that detour maps are now available at city hall, located at 9 Bennett St.

The entire project is expected to be completed before the beginning of next spring.

They have a schedule in which they have not overlapped certain parts of the work which could overlap, said Lucas. Meaning that, if the weather allows them to work, they may actually be able to work on two things at once and shorten up the timeframe theyve given us.

According to the timeframe provided by the contractor, the new bridge should be in place before the end of February 2017.

If their scheduling strategy works, they will be done by Feb. 20, Lucas said. So were looking at Halloween to just after Valentines Day.

Planning for the project began in 2015 with the design stage completed back in January by BFA-Engineers, Surveyors & Consultants of Washington. The plans were then sent to Union Pacific corporate headquarters in Omaha, Nebraska for final approval.

For a while, the way things seemed to be progressing indicated there was a chance to get the project completed by the first day of school in August.

Certainly, as Lucas stated earlier this year, the best time for the construction phase of the project to take place would have been during the summer.

One of the major challenges of the project, simply because of the way the streets in Park Hills are laid out, is the lack of options when it comes to creating a practical detour during construction of the new bridge.

A summer construction project would have reduced disruption for school buses and motorists who routinely travel along St. Joe Drive and over the bridge.

But as often happens, the best laid plans of mice and men often go awry.

According to Lucas, unexpected steps toward final approval for the project from Union Pacific temporarily stalled its progress around mid-summer.

The railroad just has these hurdles and you just have to go at em, Lucas said in July. There are no shortcuts.

Working their way through the process, directors of the St. Francois County Special Road District #2, who are responsible for implementing the project, accepted a bid, as recommended by the BFA firms engineers, for a contractor to, as the next step, develop a bridge demolition plan. Followed, again, by up to a 30-day waiting period.

Union Pacific representatives told Park Hills officials to expect them to take the full 30 days and maybe even a little longer to approve the demolition plan.

And the real kicker is, said Lucas back in July, the contractor cant even apply for right-of-entry onto railroad right-of-way until after the demolition plan has been approved, (which brings things back to the present.)"

Lucas said the new bridge, once it is finally completed, will be concrete and will be wider than the existing span. Each lane will be widened by about two feet and one side of it will be outfitted with a walkway for pedestrians. Like the bridge in place now, the replacement structure will be two lane.

Lucas and members of the St. Francois County Special Road District #2 Board of Directors have stated they wish to minimize as much as possible any inconvenience the detour will cause, but also believe the residents of Park Hills and all who regularly travel across the bridge will be satisfied once it has been completed.
Country

Afghanistan Albania, People's Socialist Republic of Algeria, People's Democratic Republic of American Samoa Andorra, Principality of Angola, Republic of Anguilla Antarctica (the territory South of 60 deg S) Antigua and Barbuda Argentina, Argentine Republic Armenia Aruba Australia, Commonwealth of Austria, Republic of Azerbaijan, Republic of Bahamas, Commonwealth of the Bahrain, Kingdom of Bangladesh, People's Republic of Barbados Belarus Belgium, Kingdom of Belize Benin, People's Republic of Bermuda Bhutan, Kingdom of Bolivia, Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina Botswana, Republic of Bouvet Island (Bouvetoya) Brazil, Federative Republic of British Indian Ocean Territory (Chagos Archipelago) British Virgin Islands Brunei Darussalam Bulgaria, People's Republic of Burkina Faso Burundi, Republic of Cambodia, Kingdom of Cameroon, United Republic of Canada Cape Verde, Republic of Cayman Islands Central African Republic Chad, Republic of Chile, Republic of China, People's Republic of Christmas Island Cocos (Keeling) Islands Colombia, Republic of Comoros, Union of the Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, People's Republic of Cook Islands Costa Rica, Republic of Cote D'Ivoire, Ivory Coast, Republic of the Cuba, Republic of Cyprus, Republic of Czech Republic Denmark, Kingdom of Djibouti, Republic of Dominica, Commonwealth of Dominican Republic Ecuador, Republic of Egypt, Arab Republic of El Salvador, Republic of Equatorial Guinea, Republic of Eritrea Estonia Ethiopia Faeroe Islands Falkland Islands (Malvinas) Fiji, Republic of the Fiji Islands Finland, Republic of France, French Republic French Guiana French Polynesia French Southern Territories Gabon, Gabonese Republic Gambia, Republic of the Georgia Germany Ghana, Republic of Gibraltar Greece, Hellenic Republic Greenland Grenada Guadaloupe Guam Guatemala, Republic of Guinea, Revolutionary People's Rep'c of Guinea-Bissau, Republic of Guyana, Republic of Haiti, Republic of Heard and McDonald Islands Holy See (Vatican City State) Honduras, Republic of Hong Kong, Special Administrative Region of China Hrvatska (Croatia) Hungary, Hungarian People's Republic Iceland, Republic of India, Republic of Indonesia, Republic of Iran, Islamic Republic of Iraq, Republic of Ireland Israel, State of Italy, Italian Republic Jamaica Japan Jordan, Hashemite Kingdom of Kazakhstan, Republic of Kenya, Republic of Kiribati, Republic of Korea, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Republic of Kuwait, State of Kyrgyz Republic Lao People's Democratic Republic Latvia Lebanon, Lebanese Republic Lesotho, Kingdom of Liberia, Republic of Libyan Arab Jamahiriya Liechtenstein, Principality of Lithuania Luxembourg, Grand Duchy of Macao, Special Administrative Region of China Macedonia, the former Yugoslav Republic of Madagascar, Republic of Malawi, Republic of Malaysia Maldives, Republic of Mali, Republic of Malta, Republic of Marshall Islands Martinique Mauritania, Islamic Republic of Mauritius Mayotte Mexico, United Mexican States Micronesia, Federated States of Moldova, Republic of Monaco, Principality of Mongolia, Mongolian People's Republic Montserrat Morocco, Kingdom of Mozambique, People's Republic of Myanmar Namibia Nauru, Republic of Nepal, Kingdom of Netherlands Antilles Netherlands, Kingdom of the New Caledonia New Zealand Nicaragua, Republic of Niger, Republic of the Nigeria, Federal Republic of Niue, Republic of Norfolk Island Northern Mariana Islands Norway, Kingdom of Oman, Sultanate of Pakistan, Islamic Republic of Palau Palestinian Territory, Occupied Panama, Republic of Papua New Guinea Paraguay, Republic of Peru, Republic of Philippines, Republic of the Pitcairn Island Poland, Polish People's Republic Portugal, Portuguese Republic Puerto Rico Qatar, State of Reunion Romania, Socialist Republic of Russian Federation Rwanda, Rwandese Republic Samoa, Independent State of San Marino, Republic of Sao Tome and Principe, Democratic Republic of Saudi Arabia, Kingdom of Senegal, Republic of Serbia and Montenegro Seychelles, Republic of Sierra Leone, Republic of Singapore, Republic of Slovakia (Slovak Republic) Slovenia Solomon Islands Somalia, Somali Republic South Africa, Republic of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands Spain, Spanish State Sri Lanka, Democratic Socialist Republic of St. Helena St. Kitts and Nevis St. Lucia St. Pierre and Miquelon St. Vincent and the Grenadines Sudan, Democratic Republic of the Suriname, Republic of Svalbard & Jan Mayen Islands Swaziland, Kingdom of Sweden, Kingdom of Switzerland, Swiss Confederation Syrian Arab Republic Taiwan, Province of China Tajikistan Tanzania, United Republic of Thailand, Kingdom of Timor-Leste, Democratic Republic of Togo, Togolese Republic Tokelau (Tokelau Islands) Tonga, Kingdom of Trinidad and Tobago, Republic of Tunisia, Republic of Turkey, Republic of Turkmenistan Turks and Caicos Islands Tuvalu US Virgin Islands Uganda, Republic of Ukraine United Arab Emirates United Kingdom of Great Britain & N. Ireland United States Minor Outlying Islands United States of America Uruguay, Eastern Republic of Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of Viet Nam, Socialist Republic of Wallis and Futuna Islands Western Sahara Yemen Zambia, Republic of Zimbabwe
by Richard Whitman , Columnist, October 23, 2016

If you've been to ad:tech any time in the past couple of years, you've likely noticed it's much smaller than it was in its earlier heyday. Attendance has shrunk. The exhibit hall is smaller. It's not at the top of the list of must-attend conferences anymore. But, the organization was recently scooped up by global event organizer Comexposium Group and is now overseen by Paran Johar, whose own Mobile Media Summit was also acquired by Comexposium.

At the time of the acquisition, Johar said, "together, we will be one of the largest international digital media event platforms with exhibitions, conferences, one-to-one business meetings, and summits exploring the full spectrum of burning issues from mobile to programmatic and beyond. Globally, we bring together the top 100,000 brand, agency, digital, marketing, advertising, and tech executives at our events and activate a community of more than 1.5 million through our content platforms.

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On the eve of the organization's fall event in New York, a new board of directors has been announced. Members include:

Jonathan Adams, Maxus, chief digital officer

Tamara Alesi, MediaCom, managing partner

Brad Berens, Big Digital Idea, principal

Heidi Browning, NHL, CMO

Chris Copland, Yieldbot, president

Christopher Curtain, Visa, Chief Brand & Innovation Marketing Officer

Sarah Fay, Glasswing Ventures, Managing Director

Richy Glassberg, Medialets, CEO

Pamela Horan, Horan Media Tech, partner

Peter Horan, Horan Media Tech, founder

Keith Kaplan, King (a division of Activision/Blizzard), global president of sales

Steve Katelman, Omnicom Media Group, EVP Global Strategic Partners

Andrew Kraft, AppNexus, VP publisher, Strategy & Account Management

Carol Kruse, Cambia Health Solutions, CMO

Rich LeFurgy, Archer Advisors, Director

Nicholas Matarazzo, Hearst Autos (a division of Hearst), President

Scot McLernon, YuMe, Special Advisor

Gayle Meyers, Luma Partners, CMO

Lori H. Schwartz, StoryTech, Principal

David Smith, Mediasmith, CEO

Anis Uzzaman, Fenox Venture Capital, General Partner & CEO

David Veneski, Intel, Director, North America Consumer Marketing

Doug Weaver, Upstream Group, Founder & CEO

Of the new board, ad:tech New York General Manager John Durham said, "We are very fortunate to have the input and insights from this august group of men and women, our Board of Governors, who know and have done their lifes work in our industry. Coming from all aspects of the business: brand, agency, publishing and all aspects of marketing technology, we are pleased that they are working with Comexposium and ad:tech in its 20th yeara very formative one. They have been exceptionally helpful to our team as we plan and re-imagine this event in New York in a few short weeks.

The board members comprise a cross section of industry veterans along with some folks who haven't been around so long and who may inject new ideas into the organizations. Time will tell. The next ad:tech will be in New York November 2-3. The west coast event -- which normally took place in San Francisco and moved to LA but never happened this year -- will take place in, according to the website, "Southern California" which can only mean LA or San Diego.

Upon announcing the move to LA about a year ago, ad:tech made a big deal about how LA has become quite the tech center. At the time, the press release gushed, "Los Angeles is the fastest growing technology startup region in the United States, and is currently the third largest technology startup ecosystem in the nation. Its also home to some of the biggest rising stars in the industry and is known for applying technology, which allows marketers and advertisers to further create synergies within the marketing and tech industries."

While that may be true, LA is hardly San Francisco when it comes to marketing and ad tech. But hey, how many times can you go to Moscone before anywhere becomes a better place to hold a conference?

Hopefully the LA event will actually happen this time around.
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by Philip Rosenstein , Staff Writer, October 24, 2016

Democrats always seem to have the edge when it comes to digital strategy. They were the first to effectively use email on a large scale with Howard Deans 2004 campaign. Plus, they perfected the email and data targeting approach in Obamas 2008 and 2012 campaigns.

The Hillary Clinton 2016 campaign has replicated the full gambit of best practices borne out of Obamas digital successes, Will Bunnett, principal and co-founder of digital agency Clarify and former senior digital writer and producer on Obamas 2008 presidential campaign, told Red, White & Blog.

The influence of the Obama campaigns on the 2016 Clinton campaign is largely due to the accumulated body of testing available to Democratic campaigns. This not only benefits Clinton on a granular or targeting level, but also with defining big campaign positions and how they are delivered to the public, added Bunnett.

Better tools have served the Clinton campaign well.

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Her robust team of data scientists rivals that of global marketing teams; the sophistication of her strategy remains unchallenged. There were a handful of primary Republican hopefuls who could possibly have matched Clintons digital prowess, most notably Texas Sen. Ted Cruz.

The Trump campaign has struggled with rushing to put together a digital team in the past few months. They are so far behind, that some down-ballot Democratic candidates are using email better than Trump, explained Bunnett.

Most likely, there are also down-ballot Republicans doing a better job of harnessing digital opportunities than their presidential candidate.

With the head start Democrats have in digital advertising, it is hard to imagine how the GOP catches up.

Email has been relatively mature since 2012, Clintons team didnt have to think about advancing that strategy too much, expounded Bunnett. In 2012, data targeting was tested, weve seen that mature in 2016.

Democrats have a strong digital base of work to utilize in 2018 and 2020. Republicans didn't employ a serious approach to digital until the very last months of the 2016 campaign. How they attempt to close the digital gap will be fascinating, but also crucial to Republican electoral success going forward.
by Larissa Faw , October 24, 2016

Nearly half of advertising industry employees (47%) say their morale is either "dangerously low" (16%) or "low" (31%) -- up 36% from 2015 when just 34% of workers said their morale was "dangerously low" (8%) or "low" (26%), according to the second annual Campaign US Morale Survey.

There appears to be a mid-career dip in morale: Respondents making between $101,000 and $250,000 are more likely to have low morale than high. Those who have been in the industry less than five years were twice as likely to say they have high morale than low; the same is true of those making less than $50,000 a year.

The cause of their unhappiness remains consistent with last year's results. Workers overwhelmingly say "company leadership" is the top factor contributing to their dissatisfaction (73%). More than half of those with low morale (58%) rated the leadership at their company as inadequate, while only 3% rated it as exceptional.

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The other top two reasons are lack of advancement (45%) and dissatisfaction with work (38%). The least-cited causes were lack of diversity (13%) and company performance (14%).

Unhappy workers are attempting to make some changes with 63% saying they are actively job hunting.

While unhappy workers express their frustrations toward the executive suite, employees with high morale, on the other hand, claim very different causes for their mood. Those who rated their morale as satisfactory (22%), good (20%) or excellent (12%) most often cite work/life balance (62%) as the prime reason. Satisfaction with work is second with 49% and creative freedom is third with 44%. Those rankings closely mirror 2015s findings, when work/life balance was also named the leading cause of high morale.

There is no correlation between gender and morale. Black or Hispanic employees are slightly more likely to have low morale than high, although the respondents were so overwhelmingly white  about 85%  that the remaining sample size is too small for meaningful analysis, says Campaign.

Conversations with people at all levels of the industry reveal widespread frustration and even despondence about the industry and their own jobs," stated Douglas Quenqua, editor in chief, Campaign US. "But seeing the numbers really crystallizes how serious an issue this is for advertising, particularly as it fights with other industries for tech and creative talent.

Some 61% of respondents worked for a creative agency, 13% for a brand and another 13% for a media agency. The rest were split between social platforms, publishers and freelancers. The survey, which received 294 responses, was conducted online during the month of September 2016.
by Erik Sass , Staff Writer @eriksass1, October 24, 2016

Everyones kids are brilliant, adorable, hilarious, future Olympic gold medalists and Nobel Prize winners. But that doesnt mean their parents should be sharing the early indications of their genius willy-nilly on social media, both for reasons of safety and out of respect for their privacy and autonomy.

In fact, parents should consider instituting a family rule that gives kids a veto over any content concerning them shared on social media, according to a new study by pediatricians presented last week at the Academy of Pediatrics annual national conference in San Francisco.

In the study, titled What Parents Should Share: Child Privacy in the Age of Social Media and the Pediatrician's Role, the authors note that 92% of 2-year-olds in the U.S. have some kind of presence online, thanks to their parents or other family members. One-third are on social media within 24 hours of being born.

The authors acknowledge plenty of valid reasons for parents to share about their kids on social media, including getting advice, commiserating about parenting challenges, keeping grandparents and other relatives in the loop, and of course, good old-fashioned showing off.

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However, they urge parents to consider the long-term effects of everything they share, and to pay particular attention to who can see this content.

For one thing, photos and personal information (including birth dates) can be stolen or re-shared by social media contacts without their knowledge, and eventually make its way to unsavory characters, including pedophiles or identity thieves.

Even if it doesnt turn into this nightmare scenario, parents may regret sharing some kinds of content  think bath pictures  if their kids find it embarrassing when they grow up. Worse, it could potentially return to haunt them during the college admissions process, applying for a job, or forming personal relationships.

The study makes a number of recommendations, including always posting anonymously whenever asking for advice (or merely venting) about behavioral or developmental issues. As noted, when children are old enough, they should get veto power over any content their parents want to share about them, including photos, quotes, milestones, and so on.

Parents should never share photos of their kids naked or disclose their location online under any circumstances.

Parents who still believe over-sharing about their kids is essentially harmless may be in for a rude awakening.

Last month, I wrote about a court case in Austria, where an 18-year-old has filed a lawsuit against her parents for breach of privacy and data violations for sharing around 500 photos of her on Facebook without her consent, beginning in 2009, including photos of her as a young child in which she is naked, having her diaper changed or potty training.

Earlier this year, the French national police force warned parents to think twice about posting photos of their children on Facebook or other social networks, due in large part, to concern they may be violating their privacy, as well as exposing them to danger from unsavory adults. Among other things, they warned that these photos could contribute to social or psychological problems that children could face later in life.

Meanwhile in the U.S., a survey conducted by researchers at the University of Washington and University of Michigan found that one of the most common requests from children 10-17 was that parents stop posting photos on social media without their permission.
by Wendy Davis @wendyndavis, October 24, 2016

Home sharing company Airbnb has asked a federal judge to prohibit New York officials from enforcing a new law that imposes fines of up to $7,500 on anyone who posts ads for illegal rentals.

The law, signed late last week by New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, gives new teeth to a 2010 measure that generally prohibits New York City residents from renting apartments for fewer than 30 days. In the past, landlords and other apartment owners -- but not renters -- were subject to fines for violating the short-term rental prohibition.

Airbnb, which also is challenging restrictive laws in California, alleges in a complaint filed Friday in U.S. District Court in Manhattan that the New York law violates the federal Communications Decency Act. That law immunizes Web sites from liability based on unlawful activity by users.

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Airbnb argues that the wording of the new New York law doesn't make clear whether companies like itself, which serve as intermediaries, could be held liable for "advertising" short-term rentals.

"Given the ambiguity of the Act, Airbnb anticipates the government will argue that the Act applies to ... online platforms, and will seek to enforce the Act against Airbnb and other hosting platforms," the company writes in a motion seeking a restraining order.

Airbnb adds that the possibility of sanctions would require it to either screen and review all listings of New York rentals, or else to "remove entire categories of rentals, encompassing many lawful listings."

The company also says the law harms its reputation because it "creates the incorrect perception that Airbnb's own activites are unlawful."

New York officials are expected to respond to Airbnb's arguments by the end of the day.
by Wendy Davis , Staff Writer @wendyndavis, October 24, 2016

Last year, Time Warner unveiled HBO Now, a long-awaited service that lets people pay a monthly fee to stream programs like "Game of Thrones" and "Girls" without also purchasing a pricey cable video package.

But now, the popular stand-alone streaming service could be endangered by AT&T's planned $85 billion merger with Time Warner. That's according to Sen. Al Franken (D-Minnesota), who is voicing concerns about the deal.

He says the merger "would create a mega media conglomerate with both the incentive and ability to use its platform to harm consumers and competitors alike."

AT&T "could promote its own programming ... or restrict other distributors' ability to offer its highly-desired content," Franken writes in a letter to the Federal Communications Commission and Department of Justice. "Innovative offerings like HBO's internet streaming service could be jeopardized entirely, or made available on different and discriminatory terms to broadband customers of companies other than AT&T," he adds.

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Franken also questions whether regulators can successfully impose the kinds of conditions that would limit those threats -- especially given that merger conditions haven't always been followed in the past.

The lawmaker points to Comcast, which has been accused of violating several of the conditions of its 2011 merger with NBC Universal. For instance, in 2012 the FCC fined Comcast $800,000 for allegedly failing to comply with a condition requiring it to offer reasonably priced stand-alone broadband service.

Comcast also has come under fire over terms of its new video service Stream TV, which lets cord cutters access many of the same programs as its cable customers, including all broadcast channels and HBO. The idea of a stand-alone streaming service isn't controversial. But Comcast isn't counting material viewed through Stream against customers' data caps.

Advocates alleged in a recent petition to the FCC that data-cap exemption for Stream violates net neutrality principles as well as the conditions of Comcast's merger with NBC. (For its part, Comcast says Stream is a "cable" service, not subject to net neutrality rules.)

"As as result of Comcast's questionable compliance with its merger order, I am doubtful that any behavioral conditions in a context such as this one could be structured with sufficient precision to prevent all competitive harms," Franken writes.

He urges regulators to subject AT&T's proposed acquisition to "the highest scrutiny."
Brown recluse spiders are one of the few species of spider that pose a potential threat to humans. There are more than 3,500 known species of spider in the United States. Although spiders cause fear in many people, only about five main groups worldwide can potentially cause significant reactions in humans. In the U. S., these venomous species fall into two different groups: Brown spiders and widow spiders. Brown recluse spiders belong to the brown spider group. The other well-known venomous spider is the black widow spider, which falls into the widow group.

What are brown recluse spiders? Share on Pinterest Brown recluse spiders are highly venomous, but can only release small amounts of venom at a time. The brown recluse spider is also known as the violin or fiddle-back spider. It lives in midwestern and southeastern parts of the U.S. This spider is brown and has a darker, violin-shaped spot on its back. Unlike other spiders, which typically have eight eyes, brown recluse spiders only have six, arranged in three pairs of two eyes each. The legs of a brown recluse are long, thin, and covered in small hairs. The scientific name for this spider is Loxosceles reclusa, which can be translated from Greek as with slanted legs. These spiders are most active at night and rest during the day, hidden away in dark areas. If they come indoors, brown recluse spiders prefer closets, attics, basements, and other dark areas of the house. They seem to prefer dry areas. The venom of a brown recluse can be highly toxic, but the spiders are only able to release a small amount during a bite. People are also more likely to come into contact with the male spider, which has only half as much venom per bite as a female spider. Why do they bite humans? Brown recluse spiders only rarely bite humans and do so out of self-defense. They are not aggressive towards humans and prefer running away to biting. Bites occur when the spider gets trapped against the skin, such as in tangled bedsheets or in clothing and shoes. It is important to check and shake out linen and clothes before using them when living in an area to which these spiders are common, especially if they have not been in recent use.

Appearance and symptoms There are many myths about brown recluse spider bites. One common myth is that their bite always causes severe wounds and destroys skin tissue. In reality, only a small number of bites result in this type of injury. Most bites either cause no symptoms at all or only mild reactions. Extremely rare complications can occur across the entire body , including acute anemia, blood clotting problems, and kidney failure. The bite is usually painless to begin with, and occasionally symptoms will progress with time. Most bites occur on the thigh, upper arm, and chest. If a skin reaction is to occur, over the first hour a person may experience the following symptoms around the area of the bite: redness

swelling

a burning sensation Over the next 2 to 6 hours, the site of the bite gets bigger, becomes more painful and forms a blister. if the area around the bite becomes more purple in color around 12 to 24 hours after the bite, skin death will likely occur. This is known as necrosis. If necrosis occurs, it can take several weeks or even months for the wound to heal fully. However, according to spider experts at the University of Florida, if there are no signs of skin changes within 48 to 96 hours, the wound will not become necrotic and should heal properly.

Risk factors While these spiders do not often bite humans, they pose a slightly higher risk to people who work indoors. Machinists, janitors, and housekeepers might face an even higher risk, due to working in areas where there is an increased likelihood of coming into contact with the spiders. Living in the Midwest or the southeastern U.S. is the main risk for accidental encounters with this type of spider. Complications Despite their fearsome reputation, only about 10 percent of brown recluse spider bites lead to serious skin complications. There are no documented cases of death as a result of a brown recluse spider bite.

Home treatments What people call spider bites are often misdiagnosed, usually the result of other skin conditions or infections. Tick bites, viral, fungal and bacterial infections, drug reactions, and skin complications from diabetes are common causes of similar-looking skin reactions. Share on Pinterest Clean a brown recluse spider bite with water and mild soap as soon as it happens. People can typically treat real spider bites at home. If possible, people should collect and identify the spider responsible. Do this by trapping the spider under a clear cup or jar so the spider can be easily seen, and slowly sliding a piece paper under the container. Turn the container over and secure the paper over the top or attach a lid. If someone receives a bite, they should clean the wound with mild soap and water. If the bite is causing discomfort, elevate it if possible and apply a cool compress or a covered ice pack to reduce swelling and pain. A pain reliever, such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen, can be helpful in reducing discomfort. An antihistamine, such as Benadryl, may also help with any itching.

When to see a doctor People should see a doctor for any wound that is painful, red, oozing, or not healing properly. If a brown recluse spider is confirmed as the cause, the doctor may recommend a tetanus booster if a person has not received one in the last 5 years. The doctor may also want to check the wound in 2 to 3 days after the bite, to ensure that the venom is not destroying tissue. Treatment can commence quickly if there are any concerns. This reduces the risk of further complications. Diagnosis There are many other conditions that can cause a severe wound similar to brown recluse spider bites. These conditions include tick bites, infections from bacteria, viruses and fungi, diabetes, and other skin conditions. Unless a person lives in an area where brown recluse spiders are known to live and has caught the spider for proper identification, the cause of a wound should not be blamed on a brown recluse spider bite.

Outlook A person with a brown recluse spider bite has an excellent chance of recovery, especially with proper care, since most bites require no particular treatment and heal on their own. In most cases, minor wounds from these types of bites heal completely within a week or so. People with other medical conditions, such as diabetes or immune system problems, are at a higher risk of complications. These individuals are also at higher risk for a wide variety of skin infections and other skin problems. However, it is especially important for them to contact their doctor in the event of an actual or suspected brown recluse spider bite within 24 hours if there is a reaction. Any wound that is not healing properly needs to be evaluated, regardless of the cause.

Prevention Though brown recluse spider bites are rare, it is possible to reduce the risk of getting one. These steps are important for people living in the areas where brown recluse spiders settle. Share on Pinterest Outdoor wood piles can attract brown recluse spiders. The best way to do this is by avoiding areas where brown recluse spiders tend to live, such as dry areas with outdoor wood or rock piles. Someone who works near or in these areas should wear gloves. When indoors, people should be sure to shake out clothing, shoes or bedding that they have not used for a while, particularly if they are kept in an attic, basement, or dark closet. Taking other measures to prevent brown recluse spiders from setting up home can be useful. Cleaning out attics, sheds, closets, and basements gets rid of the spiders preferred hiding places. However, its important to remember, a brown recluse spider would rather escape from you than bite you. Removing outdoor woodpiles can prevent their accumulation in these areas.
A new genetic testing method developed at Western University called LipidSeq can identify a genetic basis for high-cholesterol in almost 70 per cent of a targeted patient population. Using next-generation sequencing (NGS) technology, researchers were able to pinpoint specific areas of a person's DNA to more effectively diagnose genetic forms of high-cholesterol, which markedly increase risk for heart attack and stroke.

Dr. Rob Hegele, a Distinguished University Professor at Western University's Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry and a scientist at Robarts Research Institute says this new method provides a more cost-effective way to find these genetic links rather than sequencing the entire genome. By pre-identifying patients who have a personal and familial history of high-cholesterol, LipidSeq was able to find a genetic mutation in 67 per cent of those tested.

"Previous studies showed little yield in doing genetic testing," said Hegele, who is also an endocrinologist at London Health Sciences Centre, a Lawson Health Research Institute scientist and a world-leading expert in lipid metabolism disorders. "This new method shows there is a benefit, especially when you can add the extra step of medically selecting those with a familial history of the disease."

The study, published online in the journal Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology, used the LipidSeq method on 313 patients with LDL cholesterol levels above 5.0 mmol/L who had been referred to the lipid clinic at LHSC. From those patients, LipidSeq was able to identify a genetic mutation in 67 per cent. Fifty-four per cent were single gene mutations, and the other 13 per cent were polygenic DNA variants, meaning they were a combination of multiple bad genes inherited together. The study also showed that the percentage of individuals with an identified genetic component increased as cholesterol levels in the patient increased.

LipidSeq has already been licensed for use in the U.S. to help clinicians identify patients with genetically-based high-cholesterol in order to guide drug prescriptions. Hegele says that while statins, a typically prescribed class of drugs for high cholesterol, work well in the majority of the population, they don't bring cholesterol down to target levels in those with severe genetic-forms of the disease. A new class of biologic drugs came onto the market in Canada last year, and while more effective for treating high-cholesterol, they are also more expensive.

"With this testing method, we can pinpoint who needs these more expensive drugs and those that don't," he said. "This is particularly important in the U.S. for patients who have to justify to their independent health insurer why they need a more expensive medication."

The study was funded by CIHR, Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada, and Genome Canada.
Scientists at the University of Basel discovered a fundamental new mechanism explaining the inadequate immune defense against chronic viral infection. These results may open up new avenues for vaccine development. They have been published in the journal Science Immunology .

In the course of an infection or upon vaccination, specialized cells of our immune system, so-called B cells, produce antibodies that bind viruses and inactivate them. In the context of chronic viral infections such as HIV or hepatitis C virus, however, antibody production by B cells is quantitatively inadequate and starts too late.

A team of scientists headed by Prof. Daniel Pinschewer at the Department of Biomedicine, University of Basel, reports that the inadequate antibody response to chronic viral diseases is due to the strong inflammatory reaction upon infection. While most pronounced at the onset of an infection, inflammation can persist for decades, especially in HIV/AIDS.

Hasty immune response lasts only short-term

Under the influence of inflammatory messengers, so called interferons, B cells produce as many antibodies as they possibly can. Unfortunately, this hasty response occurs at the expense of sustainability. B cells that turn on antibody production too quickly lose their potential to proliferate and die shortly thereafter. As a consequence, the immune response takes an impetuous start but subsides rapidly.

The scientists assume that this panic reaction of B cells reflects a mechanism ensuring an optimized response to acute life threatening infections. In the context of chronic infections, however, the battle is not decided within a matter of days, but rather only after months or years. Under these circumstances, the hasty reaction of our body seems inappropriate and may actually favor the virus.

Cornerstone for new vaccines

For viral diseases such as HIV or hepatitis C protective vaccines remain unavailable. The scientists are hopeful that the discovery of this fundamental mechanism may provide a basis to improve vaccination strategies against chronic viral diseases.
Pathogenic bacteria use small RNA molecules to adapt to their environment. Infection researchers from Wurzburg have now pinpointed a protein involved in regulating the activity of these molecules.

Small regulatory RNA molecules are vital for salmonella and other bacteria potentially harmful to humans: This RNA type controls gene activity and allows bacteria to quickly adjust to changing conditions of living and stress as are typical during an infection, for example, when entering the blood stream or inside human cells.

Professor Jorg Vogel, head of the Institute for Molecular Infection Biology of the Julius-Maximilians-Universitat Wurzburg (JMU) in Bavaria, Germany, is a pioneer in researching small regulatory RNA molecules. He and his team are determined to get to the bottom of how these molecules work and act. His works could also show new ways to fight pathogens.

ProQ binds nearly 100 regulatory RNAs

New findings from Vogel's team have now been published in the journal PNAS: So far, two proteins (Hfg and CsrA) have been known to bind closely to the bacteria's regulatory RNA molecules and influence their activities. Using a new self-designed method, the Wurzburg team has now discovered a long-suspected third protein (ProQ) whose function inside the cell has been unknown until recently.

Experiments showed that the ProQ protein binds to 98 regulatory RNAs of the enterobacterial Salmonella enterica. The bacterium has been found to have around 300 such RNAs in total. Moreover, ProQ seems to have specialised in RNA molecules with a rather complex structure.

This protein and the RNA molecules that bind to it represent a largely unresearched class of gene activity regulators in the bacterial "RNA universe". "It will be particularly exciting to find out how ProQ is able to pinpoint the highly structured RNAs among millions of other RNA molecules in a cell," says Jorg Vogel.

PNAS considers results significant

These results have been reported in PNAS by the Wurzburg professor together with Alexandre Smirnov, Konrad Forstner, Erik Holmqvist and Regina Gunster as well as colleagues from Greifswald and Cologne. Considered highly significant for bacterial research, the new findings are featured in the journal's "Research Highlight" section.

A new technique developed by the JMU team has successfully tracked down the activities of the ProQ protein. "The methods available so far were subject to certain limits with regard to detecting and generally classifying RNA protein interactions which we have overcome here," Professor Vogel further. Since the new method can basically be applied to any other organism, it is expected to provide more progress in researching regulatory RNA.

Article: Grad-seq guides the discovery of ProQ as a major small RNA-binding protein, Smirnov A, Forstner KU, Holmqvist E, Otto A, Gunster R, Becher D, Reinhardt R, Vogel J, PNAS, doi: 10.1073/pnas.1609981113, published online 26 September 2016.
ONGENTYS (opicapone) has now been launched in the UK for the treatment of adult Parkinsons disease patients with motor fluctuations.

ONGENTYS (opicapone) was authorised by the European Commission in June 2016 as an adjunctive therapy to preparations of levodopa/DOPA decarboxylase inhibitors (DDCIs) in adult patients with Parkinson's disease and end-of-dose motor fluctuations who cannot be stabilised on those combinations.

Several therapeutic strategies are available to improve the signs and symptoms of Parkinsons disease, mainly dopaminergic drugs avoiding the degradation or mimicking dopamine physiological effects. Levodopa remains the gold-standard treatment for the disease, although its long-term use causes what is known as motor complications, like end of dose motor complications or wearing-off. "Wearing-off" episodes may be improved with appropriate changes in the medication regimen, i.e. adding an extra dose of levodopa or using a COMT inhibitor.

"There is still an unmet medical need for effective new therapeutic options for Parkinsons disease. Opicapone will provide clinicians in UK with a COMT inhibitor, with the convenience of once-daily dosing. It is an option when levodopa-treated patients need additional help to improve motor symptoms such as wearing off in Parkinsons disease.", said Professor Andrew Lees, Professor of Neurology at the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, Queen Square, London and University College London.

"Studies have shown that ONGENTYS (opicapone) is an effective, once-daily, an adjunctive therapy to preparations of levodopa/DOPA decarboxylase inhibitors (DDCIs) in adult patients with Parkinson's disease and end-of-dose motor fluctuations who cannot be stabilised on those combinations. We are pleased that opicapone is now available in UK, a country where BIAL has recently opened an affiliate. Opicapone is the outcome of BIAL's longstanding scientific commitment to neurological research. These launches also reflect BIAL's increasing European footprint and the company's mission to care for the Health of people worldwide", comments Antonio Portela, CEO of BIAL.

The European Commission authorisation for opicapone was based on data from a clinical development programme which included 28 human pharmacology studies with more than 900 patients exposed to opicapone in 30 countries worldwide. The two pivotal phase III studies, BIPARK-I2 and BIPARK-II3 demonstrated that opicapone once-daily achieved an absolute reduction in OFF-time of 103 and 107 minutes respectively and statistically significant increases in ON-time without troublesome dyskinesia compared to placebo (P=0.002).

Opicapone was also associated with significant improvements in both patient and clinician global assessments of change. BIPARK-I was an active-controlled trial and included an entacapone arm: opicapone once-daily demonstrated to be non-inferior to entacapone dosed multiple times per day. The data from the phase III trials demonstrated that opicapone improves motor fluctuations in levodopa-treated patients regardless of concomitant dopamine agonist or monoamine oxidase type B inhibitors use. It has also been demonstrated to have a generally favourable safety and tolerability profile in the whole trial population and in the subset of patients over 70 years, and is not associated with relevant electrocardiographic or hepatic adverse events.

Both phase III trials included a 1-year open-label extension and opicapone demonstrated an OFF-time reduction from the double-blind phase baseline that was sustained over the open-label phase

BIAL anticipates additional EU launches of opicapone over the coming year. The company recently opened affiliates in Frankfurt and London, so as to strengthen its internationalisation strategy and the commercialisation of its medicines in those countries.

Parkinson's disease is a neurodegenerative, chronic and progressive disease. The clinical manifestations usually start after the age of 50 years (average age for diagnosis is approximately 60 years) and the prevalence is estimated at 300 per 100,000 inhabitants, increasing to 1/100 over the age of 55-60 years. According to the European Parkinson's Disease Association (EPDA) around 6.3 million people have Parkinson's worldwide. Along with available statistics, 1.2 million people in the European Union have Parkinson's, approximately 260,000 in Germany and 120,000 in UK.

About ONGENTYS (opicapone)

Opicapone is a third-generation catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) inhibitor. It was rationally designed to provide a peripherally selective high COMT inhibitory potency and to avoid cell toxicity.

Opicapone dose dependently increases the bioavailability of levodopa by up to 55% vs placebo and this translates into a dose-dependent reduction in OFF time. Molecular structure resulted in an exceptionally high binding affinity (fentomolar) that translates into a slow complex dissociation rate constant and a long duration of action that allows once daily dosing.

About the BIPARK-I study

BIPARK-I was a phase III, randomised, double-blind, active- and placebo-controlled, parallel group efficacy and safety study with an open-label 1-year extension phase in levodopa-treated patients with idiopathic Parkinson's disease and motor fluctuations.

The efficacy and safety of three different doses (5, 25 and 50 mg) of opicapone administered once-daily, compared with entacapone (200 mg) or placebo administered with each dose of levodopa, were assessed. Opicapone 50mg once-daily was superior to placebo and non-inferior to entacapone.

The study enrolled 600 patients from 106 study sites in Europe. Patients were 34-83 years-old and had a diagnosis of idiopathic Parkinson's disease for at least 3 years; had a modified Hoehn & Yahr Scale stage of 3 in the ON state; had to receive optimum levodopa therapy (3-8 daily doses), stable for at least 4 weeks; had signs of end-of-dose deterioration (wearing-OFF) for at least 4 weeks with a mean daily OFF-time of 1.5 hours while awake, not including morning pre-first dose OFF-time; and had the ability to keep accurate 24-hour diaries. Patients were randomly assigned in a 1:1:1:1:1 ratio to opicapone 5 mg, 25 mg or 50 mg, entacapone and placebo.

The primary endpoint was the mean change from baseline in absolute OFF-time, as measured by 24-hour diaries. Secondary endpoints included proportion of responders, Investigators' and Subjects' Global Assessment of Change, UPDRS, quality of life, non-motor symptoms and sleep scales, tolerability and safety assessments. Ninety percent (542/600) of patients completed the study.

About the BIPARK-II study

BIPARK-II was a phase III, randomised, double-blind placebo-controlled study with an open-label 1-year extension phase in levodopa-treated patients with idiopathic Parkinson's disease and end-of-dose motor fluctuations.

The efficacy and safety of two different doses (25 and 50 mg) of opicapone, administered once-daily, were compared with placebo, administered with each dose of levodopa, were assessed. Mean reduction in absolute OFF-time in both the 25 and 50 mg OPC groups was greater than in the placebo arm.

286 patients completed the study from 69 multinational study sites. Patients inclusion criteria and trial assessments (primary and secondary outcomes) were similar to BIPARK-I.
New research led by the University of Liverpool aims to improve the administration and availability of drug therapies to HIV patients through the use of nanotechnology.

The research, conducted by the collaborative nanomedicine research programme led by Pharmacologist Professor Andrew Owen and Materials Chemist Professor Steve Rannard, examined the use of nanotechnology to improve the delivery of drugs to HIV patients.

Nanotechnology is the manipulation of matter on an atomic, molecular, and supramolecular scale. Nanomedicine is the application of nanotechnology to the prevention and treatment of disease in the human body. This evolving discipline has the potential to dramatically change medical science and is already having an impact in a number of clinically used therapies and diagnostics worldwide.

Leading research

Currently, the treatment of HIV requires daily oral dosing of HIV drugs, and chronic oral dosing has significant complications that arise from the high pill burden experienced by many patients across populations with varying conditions leading to non-adherence to therapies.

Recent evaluation of HIV patient groups have shown a willingness to switch to nanomedicine alternatives if benefits can be shown. Research efforts by the Liverpool team have focused on the development of new oral therapies, using Solid Drug Nanoparticle (SDN) technology which can improve drug absorption into the body, reducing both the dose and the cost per dose and enabling existing healthcare budgets to treat more patients.

Poorly available

Presently, no clinically available oral nanotherapies exist for HIV populations and conventional paediatric HIV medicines are poorly available. The programme examined one current paediatric formulation that utilizes high ethanol concentrations to solubilize lopinavir, a poorly soluble antiretroviral.

Through the use of a rapid small-scale nanomedicine screening approach developed at Liverpool, the researchers were able to generate a novel water dispersible nanotherapy, hence removing the need to use alcohol in the paediatric medicine.

The research, funded by the UK Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council is in ongoing human trials, and the preclinical development has been published in Nature Communications today (Friday, 21 October 2016).

Wide applicability

Professor Owen said "The fruits of our interdisciplinary research are beginning to be realised. Our approach has the potential to overcome challenges with current antiretroviral therapy, which include administration of high doses needed to achieve efficacious concentrations in the body, and the urgent need for better formulations for children living with HIV."

Professor Rannard added "The wide applicability of our strategy has implications for multiple therapy development programmes and we are actively engaged in the creation of nanomedicine options to impact a range of clinical needs."
The Indian Army sits at the epitome of sacrifice and gallantry. Its because of them that we can sleep in peace. If you didnt know, the Indian Army participates in countless joint-military with different armies from around the world and has always displayed exemplary performance. This time around, Gorkha Rifles team 2/8 Gorkha went to the Cambrain Patrol, an annual international military patrolling exercise in the rugged Cambrian Mountains of Wales, which is one of the toughest military exercises in the world. And guess what, conquered the patrol and brought home a gold medal.

 YouTube

What Is The Cambrain Patrol?

The annual exercise snakes across a treacherous distance of 55 kilometers in the Cambrain Mountains. Each team is handed over tasks and missions that must be completed within 48 hours with patrol carrying its entire kit and equipment. If they lose the equipment, it will be replaced by deadweight and the team will lose points. Other things the teams are judged upon are dismounted close combat skills, obstacle crossing drills, first aid procedures, recognition of aircraft, vehicles and equipment; IED and minefield clearance drills; patrol techniques, prisoner of war (PoW) handling; helicopter drills; media handling; radio communications skills and artillery target indication procedures. Its not exactly a competition. Points are awarded on the basis of number of points scored.
Humanity is the greatest religion that we can practice, and the Sikh community, time and again, sets some stellar examples, proving the fact that you dont need big charity functions, or a large reserve of money to help your fellow human. A loving heart and care is all that you need. The sewa of langar is one such pursuit.

The community has a reputation of extending a helping hand whenever it is required. Be it hosting an Iftaar for Muslims in Lucknow, or offering food during the Jat agitation in Haryana, the Sikhs have put the act of humanity above anything else. Atul Khatri, a stand up comedian from Mumbai shared a post on his Facebook that is beyond heart warming.

He spotted a mobile langar cart at the Amritsar airport. He initially thought the man was a hawker and was actually surprised by his presence at the airport, but when he went to him, the man explained that he was from a nearby gurudwara and was offering food to anyone and everyone who might be hungry. A simple act can stir such strong emotions. Humanity is not dead; it just needs to be revived and people like this Sikh man are the ones to do it.
We call ourselves a democracy, yet one cant really deny the fact that we are gradually turning intolerant and of late a lot of incidents have only added to it. At times like these, several celebrities, politicians and even opinion leaders have come forward and taken their stand either in favor of the issue or against it. Who can forget Aamir Khan and Shah Rukh Khans views on intolerance and the debate it triggered? Well, giving his views on the issue of intolerance, there is one man who has dubbed the growing intolerance as a curse we are seeing of late. The man is none other than Chairman Emeritus of Tata Sons, Ratan Tata.

 Reuters

I think everybody knows where the intolerance is coming from, what it is. Like many thousands, millions of Indians, one wants to see a country without intolerance, Ratan Tata told the media. He was addressing the 119th foundation day function of Scindia School in Gwalior. He further added, The Maharaja (Jyotiraditya) talked about intolerance. It is a curse we are seeing of late. Well, we couldnt agree more, who doesnt want to see a country free from intolerance?

In fact, Tata further said, we want to live in an environment where we love our fellow men. We dont shoot them, we dont kill them or hold them hostages, but give a bit of ourselves and we give and take. At the event, Jyotiraditya Scindia also addressed the students stating that an environment of intolerance was prevailing in the society where each person is told what to speak, how to dress, what to hear and what to eat.

 Reuters

Soon after Tata made the statement, Twitter was abuzz with comments on Tatas take on intolerance. Surprisingly, unlike other prominent personalities who received huge flak for their opinions, Tatas views did not meet the same fate. In fact, some people are actually praising him for speaking up against the issue.

Ratan Tata Says Intolerance Is A CurSe & Everyone Knows Whr Is It ComiNg From ~ Soon 2 B Termed As Anti-national By BJP? #JustAsking ? pic.twitter.com/nXPIjhCH0e  Bhushan Patil (@bhushankpatil12) October 24, 2016

Wise words from Tata on curse of intolerance&attack on dissent. You won't hear Modi cronies,Ambani,Adani saying thishttps://t.co/8IHMsN08Bi  Prashant Bhushan (@pbhushan1) October 23, 2016

No one will outrage at Ratan Tata talking about intolerance. Because bhakt ho ya sickular, sabne unka namak khaya hain. ?  Arup Roychoudhury (@aruproytweets) October 23, 2016

Welcome to the club, Mr. Tata. Finally speaks up against the bullying & intolerance by the BJP-RSS & their lapdogs! https://t.co/lUQa6GPbzs  Gaurav Pandhi (@GauravPandhi) October 22, 2016

H/T: The Times Of India
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UNIONVILLE  A rich tradition of Moravian Music will be celebrated at the Unionville Moravian Church on Saturday and Sunday.

Events begin on Saturday at 10 a.m. when Knouse will lead a workshop with the church band. They will work on several Moravian pieces which will be performed on Sunday during worship. Then at 1 p.m, she will work with the choir on several anthem pieces, which again will be performed on Sunday. On Sunday, the 9:15 a.m. worship will include Moravian Music, a special Moravian Liturgy and a message entitled, Why Then Shall We Sing, based on Luke 18:1-8 and 2 Timothy 3:14-4:5, given by Knouse.
Arch Resources, Inc. produces and sells thermal and metallurgical coal from surface and underground mines. As of December 31, 2021, the company operated seven active mines. It also owned or controlled primarily through long-term leases approximately 28,292 acres of coal land in Ohio; 952 acres of coal land in Maryland; 10,095 acres of coal land in Virginia; 306,033 acres of coal land in West Virginia; 81,470 acres of coal land in Wyoming; 234,543 acres of coal land in Illinois; 33,047 acres of coal land in Kentucky; 362 acres of coal land in Montana; 248 acres of coal land in Pennsylvania; and 19,018 acres of coal land in Colorado, as well as smaller parcels of property in Alabama, Indiana, Washington, Arkansas, California, Utah, and Texas. The company sells its products to utility, industrial, and steel producers in the United States, Europe, Asia, Central and South America, and Africa. The company was formerly known as Arch Coal, Inc. and changed its name to Arch Resources, Inc. in May 2020. Arch Resources, Inc. was incorporated in 1969 and is headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri.
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S.A. de C.V., Becton Dickinson Infusion Therapy UK, Becton Dickinson Insulin Syringe Ltd., Becton Dickinson International Holdings II Pte Ltd., Becton Dickinson International Holdings III Pte Ltd., Becton Dickinson International Holdings Pte Ltd., Becton Dickinson Israel Ltd., Becton Dickinson Italia S.p.A., Becton Dickinson Ithalat Ihracat Limited Sirketi, Becton Dickinson Korea Holding Inc., Becton Dickinson Korea Ltd., Becton Dickinson Ltd., Becton Dickinson Luxembourg Finance S.a.r.L., Becton Dickinson Luxembourg Global Holdings Sarl, Becton Dickinson Luxembourg Holdings II S.a.r.L, Becton Dickinson Luxembourg Holdings III S.a.r.L, Becton Dickinson Luxembourg Holdings V S.a.r.L., Becton Dickinson Malaysia Inc., Becton Dickinson Management GmbH & Co. KG, Becton Dickinson Matrex Holdings Inc., Becton Dickinson Medical (S) Pte Ltd., Becton Dickinson Medical Devices (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Becton Dickinson Medical Devices (Suzhou) Co. Ltd., Becton Dickinson Medical Products Pte. 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Bhd., Becton Dickinson Slovakia s.r.o., Becton Dickinson Sweden AB, Becton Dickinson Sweden Holdings AB, Becton Dickinson Switzerland Global Holdings SarL, Becton Dickinson Technology Campus India, Becton Dickinson U.K. Limited, Becton Dickinson UK Financing I Limited, Becton Dickinson UK Financing II Limited, Becton Dickinson Venezuela C.A., Becton Dickinson Venture LLC, Becton Dickinson Verwaltungs GmbH, Becton Dickinson Vostok LLC, Becton Dickinson Worldwide Investments Sa.r.L., Becton Dickinson Zambia Limited, Becton Dickinson and Company Ltd., Becton Dickinson de Colombia Ltda., Becton Dickinson de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Becton Dickinson del Uruguay S.A., Bee IT Solutions, Benex Ltd., Biometric Imaging, Bridger Biomed Inc., C. R. Bard (Portugal) - Produtos e Artigos Medicos e Farmaceuticos, C. R. Bard Do Brasil Productos Medicos Ltda., C. R. Bard GmbH, C. R. Bard Inc., C. R. Bard Netherlands Sales B.V., C.R. Bard Inc, CME America LLC, CME Ltd., CME Medical (UK) Limited, CME UK (Holdings) Limited, CRISI Medical Systems, CRISI Medical Systems Inc., Caesarea Medical Electronics, Cardal II LLC, Care Fusion Development Private Limited, CareFusion (Barbados) SrL, CareFusion (Shanghai) Commercial and Trading Co. Limited, CareFusion 213 LLC, CareFusion 2200 Inc., CareFusion 2201 Inc., CareFusion 302 LLC, CareFusion 303 Inc., CareFusion Asia (HK) Limited, CareFusion Corporation, CareFusion Corporation., CareFusion D.R. 203 Ltd., CareFusion France 309 S.A.S., CareFusion Israel 330 Ltd., CareFusion Italy 312 S.p.A., CareFusion Manufacturing LLC, CareFusion Mexico 215 S.A. de C.V., CareFusion Netherlands 328 B.V., CareFusion Netherlands 503 B.V., CareFusion Netherlands 504 B.V., CareFusion Netherlands Financing 283 C.V., CareFusion Resources LLC, CareFusion S.A. 319 (Proprietary) Limited, CareFusion Solutions LLC, CareFusion U.K. 244 Limited, CareFusion U.K. 305 Limited, CareFusion U.K. 306 Limited, Carmel Pharma AB, Carmel Pharma Inc, Cato Software Solutions, Cell Analysis Systems Inc, Cellular Research, Cellular Research Inc., Clearstream Technologies Group Limited, Clearstream Technologies Limited, Clontech Laboratories Inc, Corporativo BD de Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Critical Device Corporation, Cubex, Cytognos, Cytopeia Inc, DLD (Bermuda) Ltd., DVL Acquisition Sub Inc., Davol Inc., Davol International Limited, Davol Surgical Innovations S.A. de C.V., Difco Laboratories Incorporated, Distribuidora BD Mexico S.A. de C.V., Dutch American Manufacturers (D.A.M.) B.V., Dymax Corporation, Embo Medical Limited, Enturia de Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Enturican Inc., FJ International Inc., FlowCardia Inc., FlowCardia LLC, FlowJo LLC, Franklin Lakes Enterprises L.L.C., GSL Solutions, Gamer Lasertechnik GmbH, GenCell Biosystems, GenCell Biosystems Ltd., GeneOhm Sciences Canada ULC, GeneOhm Sciences Inc, Gentest Corporation, Gesco International Inc., Gesco International LLC, Glentech Inc, HandyLab Inc, HandyLab Inc., IBD Holdings LLC, Iontophoretics Corporation, JoHome LLC, Kabushiki Kaisha Medicon (Medicon Inc.), Liberator Health and Education Services Inc., Liberator Health and Wellness Inc., Liberator Medical Holdings Inc., Liberator Medical Supply Inc., Limited Liability Company Bard Rus, Loma Vista Medical Inc., Loma Vista Medical LLC, Luther Medical Products Inc, Lutonix Inc., Med-Design Corporation, Med-Design Investment Holdings Inc., Med-Safe Systems Inc, Med-Safe Systems Inc., MedChem Products Inc., Medafor Inc., Medegen LLC, Medinservice.com Inc., Medivance Inc., NAT Diagnostics Inc., NAT Diagnostics Inc., NOW Medical Distribution Inc., NOW Medical Distribution LLC, Navarre Biomedical LLC, Navarre Biomedical Ltd., Neomend Inc., Nippon Becton Dickinson Company Ltd., Omega Biosystems Incorporated, P.R.C. (Isialys) Societe a responsabilitie limitee, PT Becton Dickinson Indonesia, PharMingen, PharMingen., Plasso Technology Ltd, PreAnalytiX GmbH, Pristine Access Technologies Inc., ProSeed Inc., Procesos para Esterilizacion S.A. de C.V., Productos Bard de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Productos Para el Cuidado de la Salud S.A. de C.V., Puls Medical Devices AS LC, PureWick Corporation, Roberts Laboratories Inc., Rochester Medical Corporation, Rochester Medical Ltd., Saf-T-Med Inc, Safety Syringes Inc., Scanwell Health Inc., Sendal S.L.U., SenoRx Inc., SenoRx LLC, Shield Healthcare Centers Inc., Sirigen Group Limited, Sirigen II Limited, Sirigen Inc., Sistemas Medicos ALARIS S.A. de C.V., Specialized Cooperative Corporation, Specialized Health Products Inc., Specialized Health Products International Inc., Specialized Health Products International LLC, Staged Diabetes Management LLC, Straub Medical AG, Straub Medical AG, Surgical Site Solutions Inc., TVA Medical Inc, TVA Medical Inc., Tepha Inc, Tepha Inc., Tissuemed Ltd., Tri-County Medical & Ostomy Supplies Inc., TriPath Imaging Inc., Tru-Fit Marketing Corporation, Vas-Cath Incorporated, Vascular Pathways Inc., Velano Vascular, Velano Vascular Inc., Venclose Inc., Venetec International Inc., Venetec International LLC, Visitec, Y-Med Inc., Y-Med LLC, and ZebraSci Inc..

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The following companies are subsidiares of PepsiCo: Alimentos Quaker Oats y Compania Limitada, Alimentos del Istmo S.A., Amavale Agricola Ltda., Anderson Hill Insurance Limited, Asia Bottlers Limited, BAESA Capital Corporation Ltd., BFY Brands, BFY Brands LLC, BFY Brands Limited, BUG de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Balmoral Industries LLC, Bare Foods Co., Barrhead LLC, Be & Cheery, Beaman Bottling Company, Bebidas Sudamerica S.A., Beech Limited, Bell Taco Funding Syndicate, Bendler Investments II Ltd, Bendler Investments S.a r.l, Beverage Services Limited, Beverages Foods & Service Industries Inc., Bishkeksut OJSC, Blaue NC S. de R.L. de C.V., Blue Cloud Distribution Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Arizona Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Arkansas Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Colorado Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Florida Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Georgia Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Illinois Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Indiana Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Iowa Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Kentucky Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Louisiana Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Minnesota Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Mississippi Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Missouri Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Nebraska Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Nevada Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of North Carolina Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Ohio Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Oklahoma Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Pennsylvania Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of South Carolina Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Tennessee Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Texas Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Virginia Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Wisconsin Inc., Blue Ridge Sales LLC, Bluebird Foods Limited, Bluecan Holdings Unlimited Company, Bokomo Zambia Limited, Bolsherechensky Molkombinat JSC, Boquitas Fiestas LLC, Boquitas Fiestas S.R.L., Bottling Group Financing LLC, Bottling Group Holdings LLC, Bottling Group LLC, Bronte Industries Ltd, C & I Leasing Inc., CB Manufacturing Company Inc., CEME Holdings LLC, CMC Investment Company, Caroni Investments LLC, Centro-Mediterranea de Bebidas Carbonicas PepsiCo S.L., Ceres Fruit Juices Pty Ltd, ChampBev Inc., China Concentrate Holdings Hong Kong Limited, Chipsy International for Food Industries S.A.E., Chipsy for Food Industries S.A.E., Chitos Internacional y Cia Ltda, Cipa Industrial de Produtos Alimentares Ltda., Cipa Nordeste Industrial de Produtos Alimentares Ltda., Cocina Autentica Inc., Comercializadora CMC Investment y Compania Limitada, Comercializadora Nacional SAS Ltda., Comercializadora PepsiCo Mexico S de R.L. de C.V., Compania de Bebidas PepsiCo S.L., Concentrate Holding Uruguay Pte. Ltd., Concentrate Manufacturing Singapore Pte. Ltd., Confiteria Alegro S. de R.L. de C.V., Copella Fruit Juices Limited, Copper Beech International LLC, Corina Snacks Limited, Corporativo Internacional Mexicano S. de R.L. de C.V., CytoSport Holdings Inc., CytoSport Inc., Davlyn Realty Corporation, Defosto Holdings Limited, Desarrollo Inmobiliario Gamesa S. de R.L. de C.V., Dilexis S.A., Donon Holdings Limited, Drinkfinity USA Inc., Drinkstation Inc., Drinkstation Innovation Co. Ltd., Drinkstation Limited, Dutch Snacks Holding S.A. de C.V., Duyvis Production B.V., EPIC Enterprises Inc., Echo Bay Holdings Inc., Elaboradora Argentina de Cereales S.R.L., Enter Logistica LLC, Environ at Inverrary Partnership, Environ of Inverrary Inc., Eridanus Investments S.a r.l, Evercrisp Snack Productos de Chile S.A., FL Transportation Inc., FLI Andean LLC, FLI Colombia LLC, FLI Snacks Andean GP LLC, Fabrica PepsiCo Mexicali S. de R.L. de C.V., Fabrica de Productos Alimenticios Rene y Cia S.C.A., Fairlight International SRL, Far East Bottlers Hong Kong Limited, Food Concepts Pioneer Ltd., Forest Akers Nederland B.V., Forty-Six Peaks Holding Inc., Fovarosi Asvanyviz es Uditoipari Zartkoruen Mukodo Reszvenytarsasag, Freshwater International B.V., Frito Lay Gida Sanayi Ve Ticaret Anonim Sirketi, Frito Lay Poland Sp. z o.o., Frito Lay Sp. z o.o., Frito Lay de Guatemala y Compania Limitada, Frito-Lay Australia Holdings Pty Limited, Frito-Lay Dip Company Inc., Frito-Lay Dominicana S.A., Frito-Lay Global Investments B.V., Frito-Lay Inc., Frito-Lay Investments B.V., Frito-Lay Manufacturing LLC, Frito-Lay Netherlands Holding B.V., Frito-Lay North America Inc., Frito-Lay Sales Inc., Frito-Lay Trading Company Europe GmbH, Frito-Lay Trading Company GmbH, Frito-Lay Trading Company Poland GmbH, Frito-Lay Trinidad Unlimited, Fruko Mesrubat Sanayi Limited Sirketi, GB Czech LLC, GB International Inc., GB Russia LLC, GB Slovak LLC, GMP Manufacturing Inc., Gambrinus Investments Limited, Gamesa LLC, Gamesa S. de R.L. de C.V., Gas Natural de Merida S. A. de C. V., Gatorade Puerto Rico Company, General Bottlers of Hungary Inc., Golden Grain Company, Goveh S.R.L., Grayhawk Leasing LLC, Green Hemlock International LLC, Grupo Frito Lay y Compania Limitada, Grupo Gamesa S. de R.L. de C.V., Grupo Mabel, Grupo Sabritas S. de R.L. de C.V., Gulkevichskiy Maslozavod JSC, Hangzhou Baicaowei Corporate Management Consulting Co. Ltd., Hangzhou Haomusi Food Co, Hangzhou Haomusi Food Co. Ltd., Hangzhou Tao Dao Technology Co. Ltd., Health Warrior, Health Warrior Inc., Heathland LP, Helioscope Limited, Hillbrook Inc., Hillgrove Inc., Hillwood Bottling LLC, Hogganfield Limited Partnership, Holding Company "Opolie" JSC, Homefinding Company of Texas, Hudson Valley Insurance Company, IC Equities Inc., IZZE Beverage Co., Inmobiliaria Interamericana S.A. De C.V., Integrated Beverage Services Bangladesh Limited, Integrated Foods & Beverages Pvt. Ltd., International Bottlers Management Co. LLC, International KAS Aktiengesellschaft, Inversiones Borneo S.R.L., Inversiones PFI Chile Limitada, Inviting Foods Holdings Inc., Inviting Foods LLC, KAS Anorthosis S.a r.l, KAS S.L., KFC, Kevita Inc., Kinvara LLC, Kungursky Molkombinat JSC, Larragana S.L., Latin American Holdings Ltd., Latin American Snack Foods ApS, Latin Foods International LLC, Lebedyansky, Lebedyansky Holdings LLC, Lebedyansky LLC, Limited Liability Company "Sandora", Linkbay Limited, Lithuanian Snacks UAB, Mabel, Marbo Product d.o.o. Beograd, Marbo d.o.o. Laktasi, Matudis - Comercio de Produtos Alimentares Limitada, Matutano - Sociedade de Produtos Alimentares Lda., Mid-America Improvement Corporation, Mountainview Insurance Company Inc., Muscle Milk, NCJV LLC, New Bern Transport Corporation, New Century Beverage Company LLC, Noble Leasing LLC, Northeast Hot-Fill Co-op Inc., Office at Solyanka LLC, Onbiso Inversiones S.L., One World Enterprises LLC, One World Investors Inc., P-A Barbados Bottling Company LLC, P-A Bottlers Barbados SRL, P-Americas LLC, PAS Luxembourg S.a r.l, PAS Netherlands B.V., PBG Canada Holdings II LLC, PBG Canada Holdings Inc., PBG Cyprus Holdings Limited, PBG Investment Partnership, PBG Midwest Holdings S.a r.l, PBG Soda Can Holdings S.a r.l, PCBL LLC, PCNA Manufacturing Inc., PR Beverages Cyprus Holding Limited, PR Beverages Cyprus Russia Holding Limited, PRB Luxembourg S.a r.l, PRS Inc., PSAS Inversiones LLC, PSE Logistica S.R.L., PT Quaker Indonesia, Papas Chips S.A., Pei N.V., Pep Trade LLC, Pepsi B.V., Pepsi Beverages Holdings Inc., Pepsi Bottling Group Global Finance LLC, Pepsi Bottling Group GmbH, Pepsi Bottling Group Hoosiers B.V., Pepsi Bottling Holdings Inc., Pepsi Bugshan Investments S.A.E., Pepsi Cola Colombia Ltda, Pepsi Cola Egypt S.A.E., Pepsi Cola Panamericana S.R.L., Pepsi Cola Servis Ve Dagitim Limited Sirketi, Pepsi Cola Trading Ireland, Pepsi Logistics Company Inc., Pepsi Northwest Beverages LLC, Pepsi Overseas Investments Partnership, Pepsi Promotions Inc., Pepsi-Cola Advertising and Marketing Inc., Pepsi-Cola Bermuda Limited, Pepsi-Cola Bottlers Holding C.V., Pepsi-Cola Bottling Company Of St. Louis Inc., Pepsi-Cola Bottling Company of Ft. Lauderdale-Palm Beach LLC, Pepsi-Cola Company, Pepsi-Cola Ecuador Cia. Ltda., Pepsi-Cola Far East Trade Development Co. Inc., Pepsi-Cola Finance LLC, Pepsi-Cola General Bottlers Poland Sp. z o.o., Pepsi-Cola Industrial da Amazonia Ltda., Pepsi-Cola International Cork, Pepsi-Cola International LLC, Pepsi-Cola International Limited, Pepsi-Cola International Limited U.S.A., Pepsi-Cola International Private Limited, Pepsi-Cola Korea Co. Ltd., Pepsi-Cola Management and Administrative Services Inc., Pepsi-Cola Manufacturing Company Of Uruguay S.R.L., Pepsi-Cola Manufacturing International Limited, Pepsi-Cola Manufacturing Mediterranean Limited, Pepsi-Cola Marketing Corp. Of P.R. Inc., Pepsi-Cola Mediterranean Ltd., Pepsi-Cola Metropolitan Bottling Company Inc., Pepsi-Cola Mexicana Holdings LLC, Pepsi-Cola Mexicana S. de R.L. de C.V., Pepsi-Cola National Marketing LLC, Pepsi-Cola Operating Company Of Chesapeake And Indianapolis, Pepsi-Cola Sales and Distribution Inc., Pepsi-Cola Technical Operations Inc., Pepsi-Cola Thai Trading Co. Ltd., Pepsi-Cola de Honduras S.R.L., Pepsi-Cola of Corvallis Inc., PepsiAmericas Nemzetkozi Szolgaltato Korlatolt Felelossegu Tarsasag, PepsiCo ANZ Holdings Pty Ltd, PepsiCo Alimentos Antioquia Ltda., PepsiCo Alimentos Colombia Ltda., PepsiCo Alimentos Ecuador Cia. Ltda., PepsiCo Alimentos Z.F. Ltda., PepsiCo Alimentos de Bolivia S.R.L., PepsiCo Amacoco Bebidas Do Brasil Ltda., PepsiCo Asia Research & Development Center Company Limited, PepsiCo Australia Financing Cyprus Limited, PepsiCo Australia Financing Limited Partnership, PepsiCo Australia Financing Partner 1 LLC, PepsiCo Australia Financing Partner 2 LLC, PepsiCo Australia Financing Pty Ltd, PepsiCo Australia Holdings Pty Limited, PepsiCo Australia International, PepsiCo Austria Services GmbH, PepsiCo Azerbaijan Limited Liability Company, PepsiCo BeLux BV, PepsiCo Beverage Sales LLC, PepsiCo Beverage Singapore Pty Ltd, PepsiCo Beverages Bermuda Limited, PepsiCo Beverages Hong Kong Limited, PepsiCo Beverages International Limited, PepsiCo Beverages Italia Societa' A Responsabilita' Limitata, PepsiCo Canada Finance LLC, PepsiCo Canada Holdings ULC, PepsiCo Canada Investment ULC, PepsiCo Canada ULC, PepsiCo Captive Holdings Inc., PepsiCo Caribbean Inc., PepsiCo China Limited, PepsiCo Consulting Polska Sp. z o.o., PepsiCo De Bolivia S.R.L., PepsiCo Del Paraguay S.R.L., PepsiCo Deutschland GmbH, PepsiCo Eesti AS, PepsiCo Euro Bermuda Limited, PepsiCo Euro Finance Antilles B.V., PepsiCo Europe Support Center S.L., PepsiCo Finance Americas Company, PepsiCo Finance Antilles A N.V., PepsiCo Finance Antilles B N.V., PepsiCo Finance South Africa Proprietary Limited, PepsiCo Financial Shared Services Inc., PepsiCo Food & Beverage Holdings Hong Kong Limited, PepsiCo Foods A.I.E., PepsiCo Foods China Company Limited, PepsiCo Foods Group Pty Ltd, PepsiCo Foods Guangdong Co. Ltd., PepsiCo Foods Nigeria Limited, PepsiCo Foods Private Limited, PepsiCo Foods Sichuan Co. Ltd., PepsiCo Foods Taiwan Co. Ltd., PepsiCo Foods Vietnam Company, PepsiCo France SAS, PepsiCo Global Business Services India LLP, PepsiCo Global Business Services Poland Sp. z o.o., PepsiCo Global Holdings Limited, PepsiCo Global Investments B.V., PepsiCo Global Investments S.a r.l, PepsiCo Global Mobility LLC, PepsiCo Global Real Estate Inc., PepsiCo Global Trading Solutions Unlimited Company, PepsiCo Golden Holdings Inc., PepsiCo Group Finance International B.V., PepsiCo Group Holdings International B.V., PepsiCo Group Spotswood Holdings S.a r.l, PepsiCo Gulf International FZE, PepsiCo Hellas Single Member Industrial and Commercial Societe Anonyme, PepsiCo Holding de Espana S.L., PepsiCo Holdings, PepsiCo Holdings LLC, PepsiCo Holdings Toshkent LLC, PepsiCo Hong Kong LLC, PepsiCo Iberia Servicios Centrales S.L., PepsiCo India Holdings Private Limited, PepsiCo India Sales Private Limited, PepsiCo Internacional Mexico S. de R. L. de C. V., PepsiCo International Hong Kong Limited, PepsiCo International Limited, PepsiCo International Pte Ltd., PepsiCo Investments Europe I B.V., PepsiCo Investments Ltd., PepsiCo Ireland Food & Beverages Unlimited Company, PepsiCo Japan Co. Ltd., PepsiCo Light B.V., PepsiCo Logistyka Sp. z o.o., PepsiCo Malaysia Sdn. Bhd., PepsiCo Management Services SAS, PepsiCo Manufacturing A.I.E., PepsiCo Max B.V., PepsiCo Mexico Holdings S. de R.L. de C.V., PepsiCo Nederland B.V., PepsiCo Nordic Denmark ApS, PepsiCo Nordic Finland Oy, PepsiCo Nordic Norway AS, PepsiCo Nutrition Trading DMCC, PepsiCo One B.V., PepsiCo Overseas Corporation, PepsiCo Overseas Financing Partnership, PepsiCo Panimex Inc, PepsiCo Products B.V., PepsiCo Products FLLC, PepsiCo Puerto Rico Inc., PepsiCo Sales Inc., PepsiCo Sales LLC, PepsiCo Services Asia Ltd., PepsiCo Services CZ s.r.o., PepsiCo Services LLC, PepsiCo Twist B.V., PepsiCo UK Pension Plan Trustee Limited, PepsiCo Ventures B.V., PepsiCo Wave Holdings LLC, PepsiCo World Trading Company Inc., PepsiCo Y LLC, PepsiCo de Argentina S.R.L., PepsiCo de Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., PepsiCo do Brasil Industria e Comercio de Alimentos Ltda., PepsiCo do Brasil Ltda., PepsiCola Interamericana de Guatemala S.A., Pet Iberia S.L., Pete & Johnny Limited, Pine International LLC, Pine International Limited, Pinstripe Leasing LLC, Pioneer Food Group Pty Ltd, Pioneer Foods Groceries Pty Ltd, Pioneer Foods Group Ltd., Pioneer Foods Holdings Pty Ltd, Pioneer Foods Pty Ltd, Pioneer Foods UK Ltd, Pioneer Foods Wellingtons Pty Ltd, Pipers Crisps Limited, PlayCo Inc., Pop corners, PopCorners Holdings Inc., Portfolio Concentrate Solutions Unlimited Company, Premier Nutrition Trading L.L.C., Prestwick LLC, Prev PepsiCo Sociedade Previdenciaria, Productos Alimenticios Rene LLC, Productos S.A.S. C.V., Productos SAS Management B.V., Punch N.V., Punica Getranke GmbH, Q O Puerto Rico Inc., QFL OHQ Sdn. Bhd., QTG Development Inc., QTG Services Inc., Quadrant - Amroq Beverages S.R.L., Quaker Development B.V., Quaker European Beverages LLC, Quaker European Investments B.V., Quaker Foods, Quaker Global Investments B.V., Quaker Holdings UK Limited, Quaker Manufacturing LLC, Quaker Oats Asia Inc., Quaker Oats Australia Pty Ltd, Quaker Oats B.V., Quaker Oats Capital Corporation, Quaker Oats Europe Inc., Quaker Oats Europe LLC, Quaker Oats Limited, Quaker Sales & Distribution Inc, Raptas Finance S.a r.l., Rare Fare Foods LLC, Rare Fare Holdings Inc., Reading Industries Ltd, Real Estate Holdings LLC, Rockstar Energy Drink, Rolling Frito-Lay Sales LP, S & T of Mississippi Inc., SIH International LLC, SVC Logistics Inc., SVC Manufacturing Inc., SVE Russia Holdings GmbH, Sabritas LLC, Sabritas S. de R.L. de C.V., Sabritas Snacks America Latina de Nicaragua y Cia Ltda, Sabritas de Costa Rica S. de R.L., Sabritas y Cia. S en C de C.V., Sakata Rice Snacks Australia Pty Ltd, Sandora Holdings B.V., Saudi Snack Foods Company Limited, Sea Eagle International SRL, Seepoint Holdings Ltd., Senselet Food Processing PLC, Senselet Holding B.V., Servicios GBF Sociedad de Responsabilidad Limitada, Servicios GFLG y Compania Limitada, Servicios Gamesa Puerto Rico L.L.C., Servicios SYC S. de R.L. de C.V., Seven-Up Asia Inc., Seven-Up Light B.V., Seven-Up Nederland B.V., Shanghai PepsiCo Snack Company Limited, Shanghai YuHo Agricultural Development Co. Ltd, Shoebill LLC, Simba (Proprietary) Limited, Simba Proprietary Limited, Sitka Spruce, Smartfoods Inc., Smiles and Bites Holdings S.de R.L. de C.V., Smiths Crisps Limited, Snack Food Investments GmbH, Snack Food Investments II GmbH, Snack Food Investments Limited, Snack Food-Beverage Asia Products Limited, Snacks America Latina S.R.L., Snacks Guatemala Ltd., So Spark Ltd., Soda-Club CO2 Atlantic GmbH, Soda-Club CO2 GmbH, Soda-Club CO2 Ltd., Soda-Club Switzerland GmbH, Soda-Club Worldwide B.V., SodaStream, SodaStream Australia Pty Ltd, SodaStream CO2 SA, SodaStream Canada Ltd., SodaStream Enterprises N.V., SodaStream France SAS, SodaStream GmbH, SodaStream Iberia S.L., SodaStream Industries Ltd., SodaStream International B.V., SodaStream International Ltd., SodaStream Israel Ltd., SodaStream K.K., SodaStream New Zealand Ltd., SodaStream Nordics AB, SodaStream Poland Sp. z o.o., SodaStream SA Pty Ltd., SodaStream Switzerland GmbH, SodaStream USA Inc., SodaStream Osterreich GmbH, South Beach Beverage Company Inc., South Properties Inc., Spitz International Inc., Sportmex Internacional S.A. de C.V., Springboig Industries Ltd, Spruce Limited, Stacy's Pita Chip Company Incorporated, Star Foods E.M. S.R.L., Stokely-Van Camp Inc., Stratosphere Communications Pty Ltd, Stratosphere Holdings 2018 Limited, Streamfoods Ltd, TFL Holdings LLC, Tasman Finance S.a r.l, The Gatorade Company, The Good Carb Food Company Ltd., The Pepsi Bottling Group Canada ULC, The Quaker Oats Company, The Smith's Snackfood Company Pty Limited, Thomond Group Holdings Limited, Tobago Snack Holdings LLC, Tropicana Alvalle S.L., Tropicana Beverages Limited, Tropicana Europe N.V., Tropicana United Kingdom Limited, Troya-Ultra LLC, United Foods Companies Restaurantes S.A., V-Water, VentureCo Israel Ltd, Veurne Snack Foods BV, Vitamin Brands Ltd., Walkers Crisps Limited, Walkers Group Limited, Walkers Snack Foods Limited, Walkers Snacks Distribution Limited, Walkers Snacks Limited, Whitman Corporation, Whitman Insurance Co. Ltd., Wimm-Bill-Dann Beverages JSC, Wimm-Bill-Dann Brands Co. Ltd., Wimm-Bill-Dann Central Asia-Almaty LLP, Wimm-Bill-Dann Foods LLC, Wimm-Bill-Dann Georgia Ltd., Wimm-Bill-Dann JSC, and Wimm-Bill-Dann Ukraine PJSC.

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Bank of Montreal provides diversified financial services primarily in North America. The company's personal banking products and services include checking and savings accounts, credit cards, mortgages, and financial and investment advice services; and commercial banking products and services comprise business deposit accounts, commercial credit cards, business loans and commercial mortgages, cash management solutions, foreign exchange, specialized banking programs, treasury and payment solutions, and risk management products for small business and commercial banking customers. It also offers investment and wealth advisory services; digital investing services; financial services and solutions; and investment management, and trust and custody services. In addition, the company provides life insurance, accident and sickness insurance, and annuity products; creditor and travel insurance to bank customers; and reinsurance solutions. Further, it offers client's debt and equity capital-raising services, as well as loan origination and syndication, and treasury management; strategic advice on mergers and acquisitions, restructurings, and recapitalizations, as well as valuation and fairness opinions; and trade finance, risk mitigation, and other operating services. Additionally, the company provides research and access to markets for institutional, corporate, and retail clients; trading solutions that include debt, foreign exchange, interest rate, credit, equity, securitization and commodities; new product development and origination services, as well as risk management advice and services to hedge against fluctuations; and funding and liquidity management services to its clients. It operates through approximately 900 bank branches and 3,300 automated banking machines in Canada and the United States. Bank of Montreal was founded in 1817 and is headquartered in Montreal, Canada.
KeyCorp operates as the holding company for KeyBank National Association that provides various retail and commercial banking products and services in the United States. It operates in two segments, Consumer Bank and Commercial Bank. The company offers various deposits, investment products and services; and personal finance and financial wellness, student loan refinancing, mortgage and home equity, lending, credit card, treasury, business advisory, wealth management, asset management, investment, cash management, portfolio management, and trust and related services to individuals and small and medium-sized businesses. It also provides a suite of banking and capital market products, such as syndicated finance, debt and equity capital market products, commercial payments, equipment finance, commercial mortgage banking, derivatives, foreign exchange, financial advisory, and public finance, as well as commercial mortgage loans comprising consumer, energy, healthcare, industrial, public sector, real estate, and technology loans for middle market clients. In addition, the company offers community development financing, securities underwriting, brokerage, and investment banking services. As of December 31, 2021, it operated through a network of approximately 999 branches and 1,317 ATMs in 15 states, as well as additional offices, online and mobile banking capabilities, and a telephone banking call center. KeyCorp was founded in 1849 and is headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio.
Days after a news organization reported the Defense Department is forcing National Guardsmen from California to pay back bonuses received in error, lawmakers and advocates are calling on officials to forgive their debt.

Rep. Julia Brownley, a Democrat from the state, is among a growing number of lawmakers calling for the Pentagon to stop seeking repayment of enlistment bonuses from thousands of California National Guardsmen and veterans.

"I am outraged that our servicemembers and veterans are being asked to repay bonuses and benefits promised to them when they answered the call to serve our nation," she said in a statement Monday. "I intend to introduce legislation as soon as Congress returns to waive repayment, and will work with my colleagues to ensure a full accounting of how this mismanagement occurred."

Rep. Duncan Hunter, a Republican from the state and a former Marine who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, called the repayment policy "boneheaded."

"It remains my firm belief that even the simple request of asking soldiers to repay money contingent on reenlistment is disgraceful and insulting," Hunter said in a letter to Defense Secretary Ashton Carter.

"In fact, I find it difficult to believe that either you or your leadership team was aware that such a boneheaded decision was made to demand repayment -- and I ask that you utilize your authority to influence a solution, including a possible legislative fix if determined necessary, that's in the best interest of the individuals and families impacted," he added.

More than 10,000 veterans have been required to pay back bonuses of as much as $15,000 or face such penalties as interest charges and tax liens, according to an article published Saturday by David Cloud, a reporter for The Los Angeles Times.

SpouseBuzz: Will you have to repay a military bonus, too?

Like other branches of service, the Guard used enlistment bonuses to entice more people to enter the ranks a decade ago during the height of the U.S.-led wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

California National Guard officials were later found guilty of mismanaging the program. In 2014, eight current or former members were indicted on federal charges for fraudulently obtaining recruiting referral bonuses, The Associated Press reported.

The Pentagon is looking to speed up the process for granting waivers to the estimated 10,500 service members, mostly from the California National Guard, who received a combined total of about $22 million in improperly awarded bonuses, according to a statement from Navy Capt. Jeff Davis, a Pentagon spokesman.

But under current law and regulations, the department isn't authorized to grant a blanket waiver, so individuals still have to petition the Defense Office of Hearings and Appeals to have a debt waived, Davis said.

"We have the authority to waive individual payments on a one-by-one basis," he said. "We do not have the authority to waive these things writ large."

California Guard officials have also pledged to work with veterans who wish to file appeals to the National Guard Bureau and the Army Board for Correction of Military Records to wipe out the debts, The Los Angeles Times reported.

Davis, the Pentagon spokesman, said the department continues to encourage service members to pursue a formal review process to seek relief from the debt.

"We take doing right by our service members very seriously," he said. "This has the attention of our leadership and we're looking at what we can do to assist."

Rep. Adam Schiff, another Democrat from the state, criticized the department's repayment policy in a letter Monday to Maj. Gen. David Baldwin, adjutant general of the California National Guard, and Air Force Gen. Joseph L. Lengyel, chief of the National Guard Bureau.

"Seeking reimbursement for these funds when they were accepted in good faith imposes a substantial financial hardship on those who have served our nation and their families," he wrote.

Veterans groups also weighed in on the controversy.

"It is unthinkable to me that the Department of Defense's first reaction is to punish service members who fulfilled their end of the deal," Brian Duffy, national commander of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, said in a statement. "This is how you destroy all faith in a Pentagon that is supposed to have your back.

"These soldiers are being punished for something that is not their doing, which is why the VFW calls for the Pentagon to waive these debts without requiring these soldiers to first admit fault," he added. "They extended their enlistment contracts and did their duty as ordered. Many paid the ultimate price, and far more returned home wounded, ill and injured. Instead of seeking repayment, the Pentagon owes them a debt of thanks and an apology for insulting their honorable service to our nation."

Other parts of the Defense Department have mismanaged similar bonus programs.

Earlier this year, the Pentagon's bomb squad team was saddled with debt due to an accounting error. One member of the team committed suicide. The department agreed to forgive the debt after Military.com and The Washington Post reported on the case.

-- Richard Sisk contributed to this report.

-- Brendan McGarry can be reached at brendan.mcgarry@military.com. Follow him on Twitter at @Brendan_McGarry.
The top civilian leader of the Air Force said Monday that she believes the service could "figure out" how to create a no-fly zone over Syria while continuing to prosecute its fight against the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria if called upon to do so, despite budget cuts and scarce resources.

Speaking at a forum hosted by the Center for a New American Security with her Army and Navy counterparts, Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James said the Air Force would collaborate with other services to do so.

"If we were called upon to do a no-fly zone or territory of some sort, we know how to do this. We know how to put this together, how to plan it, how to execute it," she said. "It would be enormously complex. But what I'm trying to convey is, if asked to do so, we would step up to the plate; we would do it with our joint warfighting partners, and we would do it as part of the coalition."

The possibility of a no-fly zone over Syria as a measure to protect civilians against Syrian and Russian airstrikes and shield rebels backed by U.S. forces has been the subject of heated international debate.

Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton has vocally supported such a measure, reiterating her endorsement of a no-fly zone during the second presidential debate Oct. 9.

"We need some leverage with the Russians because they're not going to come to the negotiating table for a diplomatic resolution unless there is leverage over them," she said then.

Clinton didn't make clear how the U.S. would enforce the zone if a Russian aircraft were to violate the no-fly order.

For the service secretaries, the pressing concern is how to resource a high-intensity, multi-country combat operation against Islamic State militants and redirect resources to this other prospective contingency. The U.S. has participated in the creation of no-fly zones in the recent past, contributing to the 2011 NATO-led coalition effort to ban all flights in Libyan airspace in a measure designed to place pressure on the regime of then-dictator Moammar Gadhafi.

But as the Pentagon faces what may be another round of sequestration budget cuts, maintaining readiness as troops prosecute the current fight is a challenge.

"The forces that we deploy are at the absolute top of readiness training and equipping.The next to go are at that same level," Navy Secretary Ray Mabus said. "It's the next force, it's the surge force after that -- that because of sequester, because of declining budgets -- we're not getting enough training for the long term."

James said she believed the efforts to decrease the size of the Air Force after the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan wound down have gone too far, and the force is now trying to strategically add more capability in key fields such as maintenance, drone operation, and cyber warfare. Her worry, she said, is that the service will stand to take more casualties if it has to face a near-peer competitor, such as Russia, in combat in the near future.

"Now, if we get called upon to do it, make no mistake, we will go and we will do the job, but at levels of lower readiness," she said. "Our worry there is that it will take longer to get the job done, we may lose more lives, more people may be hurt or killed, we may lose more assets, more aircraft, and the like. That's the impact of not having sufficiently high levels of readiness for what I call the high-end complex fight."

But the strategic goal of a military able to prosecute two major contingencies at the same time has not fallen by the wayside, according to Army Secretary Eric Fanning.

"We have not given up on the idea of doing more than one thing in the world simultaneously," Fanning said. "I don't want anyone to think that. It's about balancing risk  we can do more than one thing, and we are now doing more than one thing."

-- Hope Hodge Seck can be reached at hope.seck@military.com. Follow her on Twitter at@HopeSeck.
Despite Flipping in Surf 4 Times in a Year, Marines Say New ACV Is the Future of Amphibious Warfare

Some Marine veterans familiar with the vehicle and its operations have worried about the reliability of the ACV.
The fall of Mosul will set in motion yet another training cycle for the Iraqi Security Forces and a return to the counter-insurgency strategy that will keep U.S. troops in Iraq indefinitely, according to U.S. military officials.

The battle for Mosul "will not be the last stand" in Iraq for Daesh, an Arabic acronym for the Islamic state of Iraq and Syria, a U.S. military official who spoke on grounds of anonymity said last Friday. "Clearing Mosul of Daesh will not be the end of Daesh and will not mark their military defeat," the official said.

The U.S. defense establishment from Defense Secretary Ashton Carter on down has predicted with near total confidence that the fall of Mosul was inevitable, although tough fighting was expected once the ISF enters the city itself.

Following its defeat in the northwestern city, "Daesh will transform into a traditional insurgent or terrorist-like organization," the official said.

A similar view was expressed earlier last week by Army Maj. Gen. Gary Volesky, commander of Combined Joint Forces Land Component Command-Operation Inherent Resolve and the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault).

In a video briefing to the Pentagon, Volesky said the ISF was a different military force from the one that broke and ran, discarding their equipment, when ISIS invaded from Syria in June of 2014.

"The Iraqi army isn't the same Iraqi army of 2014," Volesky said. The U.S. to that point had trained the Iraqis in counter-insurgency and they were not prepared for the force-on-force conventional fight of the ISIS invasion or for the skills they would need to take back cities such as Ramadi and Fallujah. "We didn't teach them on the big fight," he said.

The U.S. and its coalition allies were gearing up for another training cycle on the counter-insurgency, or COIN, strategy at various sites around Baghdad, Volesky said.

At Taji, the U.S. has set up the Infantry Center of Excellence run by Australian and New Zealand troops and "that's really where we talk about the infantry tactics," Volesky said. At Besmayah, Spanish troops were training Iraqis at the Armor Center of Excellence.

At Al-Asad, Belgian troops were in charge of training Iraqi border and federal police and in northern Irbil, capital of the Kurdish Regional Government, Italian troops were training Kurdish Peshmerga fighters, Volesky said.

"You've got multiple locations and organizations to train," he said. "We've had to modify our program of instruction based on what the enemy is doing" to adjust "for this insurgency that we expect them to go to," Volesky said.

He declined to speculate on how much longer a U.S. military presence would be required to train for the COIN mission in a nation still riven by sectarian and political factions. "Again, the decision of how long the U.S. stays is clearly made well above my pay grade, and that'll be done between the U.S. and the government of Iraq," Volesky said.

On the PBS "Newshour" program last week, retired Army Gen. David Petraeus said the ISF will face a "tough, tough fight" for Mosul but the ISIS defenders by now "realize they are dead men walking. It's just a question of how long" it takes to clear the city.

"The bigger question is the battle after this," said Petraeus, who led the 101st Airborne Division in occupying Mosul in 2003. He called Mosul "the most complex human terrain" in Iraq, with a mixture of Sunnis, Shia, Turkmen, Christians, Kurds and Yazidis in the city. "All will want to play a part in governance, all will want to be represented. This is going to be very difficult," he said.

"It is essential that the U.S. has a role" in working out the difficult compromises that will be necessary to maintain the peace after ISIS is driven out, Petraeus said, but how much influence the U.S. will have was open to question.

Petraeus noted that he had 23,000 U.S. troops in his command for Mosul alone in 2003, while the U.S. currently has about 5,200 trainers and advisers for all of Iraq.

"The coalition and the ISF want to get it right this time" in Mosul, said Nicholas Heras, a fellow at the Center for a New American Security, but "the crux of the matter is that the ISF is likely to be viewed somewhat by the local population as an occupying army."

"The U.S. role is to be the great coordinator. There is the risk that the U.S. becomes the de facto referee among the various factions," Heras said.

--Richard Sisk can be reached at Richard.Sisk@Military.com.
AF Approves Turkey Incentive Pay

Active-duty Airmen assigned to Turkey between Aug. 29, 2016, and Dec. 31, 2018, may be eligible for the secretary of the Air Force-approved Turkey Assignment Incentive Pay (TAIP). Airmen may apply for TAIP at three points in time. The TAIP rate is $300 per month. Airmen currently serving an unaccompanied tour of 12 or 15 months, who are within 30 days of arrival and agree to serve a total of 24 months in Turkey, will receive TAIP with a payment effective date based on when the Airman elects the incentive. For eligibility criteria, application procedures and guidance on TAIP, visit myPers. From the dropdown menu, select "Any" and search "Turkey."

For more on military pay and special pays, visit the Military.com Pay section.
Depending on your PT test, the order of swimming may best be determined by where it is in the order of events of that test.
In 1982, the foundation stone was laid for Wendel Minerals. Initially represented only on regional mineralshows, we expanded into one of the largest mineralogical companies in Europe and are represented at all the major mineralshows in the world.

The passion for collecting minerals was awakened in both of us in our earliest childhood. For almost 25 years we have been lucky enough to experience the fascination of precious minerals together.

More Info 
Though he wouldnt comment on the possibility of an offseason reunion, Royals GM Dayton Moore spoke highly of former Kansas City closer Greg Holland last week, writes Rustin Dodd of the Kansas City Star. Greg Holland is one of the very best and most talented relief pitchers that Ive been around, said Moore of the free-agent righty. The success of our bullpen is a direct correlation to his toughness and his competitive spirit. So we admire him as a person and a pitcher. Holland didnt sign anywhere this year after undergoing Tommy John surgery last October, and Dodd outlines the potential obstacles that stand in the way of a reunion, again mentioning the Royals potential payroll crunch as well as uncertainty surrounding Hollands health. A low-cost one-year deal with Luke Hochevar could also be pursued, Dodd writes, though Hochevar is coming off surgery to alleviate thoracic outlet syndrome. Dodd also lists young righty Josh Staumont as a potential bullpen darkhorse for the Royals at some point in 2017.

More from the AL Central
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PANAMA CITY, Fla. Mitchell Derek Houser, 52, of Panama City Beach, Fla., died Monday, Oct. 10, 2016, of complication from pneumonia. He was born June 7, 1966, in San Diego, Calif., a son of Troy L. and Frances H. Houser of Morganton. He was a graduate of Freedom High School in Morganton, Class of 1984. He was of the Baptist faith and member of Mount Home Baptist Church of Morganton. In addition to his parents, he is survived by a son, Dr. Dustin S. Houser of Winston-Salem; a daughter, Shanae Houser Gantt, RN, and husband, Tyler, of Morganton; a brother, Wesley C. Houser and wife, Katherine of Morganton; and nephews, Eli and Andrew Houser of Morganton. No formal funeral service is planned but a private memorial service will be scheduled at a later date for family members. Memorial gifts may be made to the Graceful Giving Fund of Mount Home Baptist Church, 2272 Mount Home Church Rd., Morganton, NC 28655. Kent-Forest Lawn Funeral Home of Panama City, Fla., is assisting the family.
Maintaining independence and editorial freedom is essential to our mission of empowering investor success. We provide a platform for our authors to report on investments fairly, accurately, and from the investors point of view. We also respect individual opinionsthey represent the unvarnished thinking of our people and exacting analysis of our research processes. Our authors can publish views that we may or may not agree with, but they show their work, distinguish facts from opinions, and make sure their analysis is clear and in no way misleading or deceptive.

To further protect the integrity of our editorial content, we keep a strict separation between our sales teams and authors to remove any pressure or influence on our analyses and research.

Read our editorial policy to learn more about our process.
In its bid to streamline industry standards and practices, Canadas largest mortgage brokerage has announced that it will be entering into a close collaboration with a leading mortgage underwriting company. Mortgage Alliance declared in its October 20 press release that it has established a direct connection between its MortgageBOSS enterprise software and Paradigm Quest Inc.s RUBI Platform. The linkage will permit MortgageBOSS users to forward applications (and their accompanying info and documents) sourced from internet, mobile, or desktop platforms to Paradigm brands like Lendwise, MERIX Financial, RightMortgage, and many others.To enhance the user experience, this direct connection also provides brokers with the ability to interact real-time with their dedicated credit team, the news release stated. The initial phase of development provides greater efficiencies for brokers and their customers and becomes the foundation for planned developments which include integrated conditions fulfilment, superior risk management tools, document collection and connectivity to a multitude of 3rd party suppliers.This direct connection between MortgageBOSS and Paradigm, without a 3rd party intermediary, is the first of its kind in Canada. It is currently in testing and the launch is expected shortly. Further exciting innovations are planned to be phased in post the initial launch.Mortgage Alliance CEO Michael Beckette expressed optimism that this venture would pave the development of an enterprise technology that would greatly benefit brokers, industry suppliers, and lender partners.The innovative leadership team at Paradigm Quest has made this achievement possible and we are very appreciative to be working with an organization that understands our goals and is willing to be part of the evolution in the mortgage application process. Beckette said.We are extremely honoured and excited about this innovative partnership and our future together towards revolutionizing the broker and customer experience. For the first time, Canadian mortgage brokers have direct access to a lending facility. This increases transparency, simplifies mortgage processing and improves service levels, Paradigm Quest president and CEO Kathy Gregory said.Used by over 80 independent affiliate brokerages, 100 franchise companies, and 3,000 brokers, MortgageBOSS represents one of the countrys largest broker networks.
Mount Pleasant, SC (29464)

Today

Partly cloudy. High near 80F. Winds light and variable..

Tonight

Partly cloudy in the evening with more clouds for later at night. Low 59F. Winds light and variable.
Donald Trumps presidential bid has undoubtedly increased his profile  but it may actually be hurting his business, according to some observers.



Trumps hotels have seen bookings plummet in recent weeks as the Republican presidential nominee has weathered repeated scandals, according to an NBC News report.



According to NBC, bookings at the Trump International Hotel in Washington, D.C., have taken a beating. When the hotel had its soft opening in September, rates for basic rooms started at more than $575 a night. The same room is now available for an unrestricted rate of $505, with a discount of more than $100 for AAA members.



The hotel has a prime location on Pennsylvania Avenue, and Trump himself has promoted it, but empty rooms have forced (the) hotel to reduce rates during the peak season, New York Magazine reported. Meanwhile, other five-star hotels in the area are renting rooms at full price or are already sold out, according to NBC News.



And bookings for Trump hotels in New York, Las Vegas and Chicago are also in freefall  down more than 58% year-over-year in the first half of 2016.



While the Trump name is a powerful brand name, it may also carry some negative connotation with travelers from around the world, Kevin Murphy, Hospitality Services Department chair at Rosen College of Hospitality Management, told NBC News.



Its possible Trump recognizes that the divisiveness of politics can hurt business  his newest hotel line, announced last month, wont feature his name at all, according to NBC News. The new hotel line will be called Scion.


No, I have not "trivialized life" because I do not believe an unviable fetus is a human life. I understand you believe differently. The two differences being:



1) My view comes from two thousand years of human intellectual progress. Your view comes from a book written two thousand years ago. I can't think of any scientific idea from 2,000 that has not been modified and improved upon in the intervening years. Do you think we should go back to how medicine was practiced 2,000 years ago? I don't think we should even go back 50 years ago.



2) I don't think the government has any place trying to force my belief on you. You feel differently.
Support from Midland has no boundaries

I want to extend my thanks to some special people all the way from Arizona. I was born, grew up in and lived as an adult in Midland. I was a teacher in Midland for 14 years. My family moved to Tucson in 2015 where I teach at Title 1 middle school. Each homeroom represents a college. My class represents Texas Tech. I reached out to friends and family a few weeks ago because I want each of my 30 homeroom students to get a Tech shirt for Christmas. In less than 24 hours, all 30 shirts were pledged for. Midland has some of the most sincere people on earth. Some of these Midlanders are family, friends, former students and parents of former students. Some are business owners, community leaders, stay-at-home moms, teachers and one is even running for school board. I love that these folks are pro-education, even from far away. Support from my home community has no boundaries.

Thank you to the following:

Paige Pipkin, Alicia Sites, Bryan Murry, Tye and Whitney Orr, Mara Dolan, Tamara Schulz, Hillary Lovell, Alison King, Debbie Harrell, Jenelle Milam, Blanche Wheeless, Cathy Meeks, Blake Roberson, Kelly Stout and Kelly Catalano.

Landi Roark

Milbank should have said Ashamnu for himself

Dana Milbank should have said the Ashamnu for himself and the Fourth Estate in his column in the Oct. 18 Reporter-Telegram. We are guilty of betraying, stealing, scorning, scheming, slandering, supporting evil, lying, ridiculing, abusing and corrupting the American public in general and the American voters in particular.

Ashamanu, we are guilty, of biased reporting against Donald Trump. Donating monies to Hillary Clinton without full disclosure. Ashamanu of not fairly covering the current election. Ashamanu of failures to treat Donald Trump as we have done Hillary Clinton. Ashamanu for not lambasting Paul Ryan for not fulfilling his pledge to support the GOPs presidential candidate. Ashamanu for our failure as journalists and protectors of the Fourth Estate.

And in closing, Ashamanu for my unabashed disdain, dislike and utter contempt for anyone called Clinton.

Dennis Walker

Project Literacy is a wonderful experience

Literacy is a critical element to economic development as well as individual and community well-being. As an elementary school teacher, I understand the importance of literacy and how it helps my students grow and become lifelong learners.

Project Literacy week has been a wonderful experience to be able to be a part of. Lamar Elementary had the great pleasure of having author David Wiesner come to our campus and visit with our fourth-graders. We have never had this kind of experience since Ive been at Lamar, and it was exciting to be able to get this opportunity for our students. As I watched Mr. Wiesner present and talk with the students, I couldnt help but smile the entire time because of the excitement that I saw on the faces of the students. They were engaged and in awe of all that he has accomplished and how he did it. It gave them hope that one day they could be doing something like Mr. Wiesner and follow their dreams.

Project Literacy is a great thing for Midland to have and be able to share with the schools to impact the lives of the children. Its a wonderful feeling knowing that our community wants to support and provide these wonderful opportunities for our students. I look forward to Lamar having more visits from authors in the future and experiencing the great things that are brought to Midland through the Midland County Public Library Foundation.

Crissa Minett

Lamar Elementary reading interventionist

Letters policy

There is a 350-word limit; candidate letters have a 200-word limit.

Letters must be submitted to letters@mrt.com.

Deadline is noon Thursdays for the following Sunday.

Reporter-Telegram policy limits individuals to one letter in a 30-day period.

Letter-writers should include phone number and address. Failure to do so could delay letters publication.
We have independently selected these offers and products because we love them and we think you might like them at these prices. E! has affiliate relationships, so we may earn a commission if you buy something through our links. Items are
Akufo-Addo should have apologised over hardship  ...
Physician joins

Sweet Home

Family Medicine

Dr. Wade Huey is taking over the practice of Nathan Mason at Sweet Home Family Medicine.

Most recently, Huey practiced medicine in Eugene before joining Samaritan Health Services.

He initially pursued a career in medicine out of an interest in research.

While I was in medical school, I discovered that I really liked the interpersonal relationships and helping people with complex medical problems, Huey said.

Mason left the clinic earlier this year to do full-time medical missions work in Papua New Guinea.

Oregon State

Credit Union

shreds 28 tons

Oregon State Credit Union provided four free shred days in Corvallis, North Albany and Keizer this year, and ended up shredding 28 tons of sensitive materials for safe and secure disposal.

The goal of the events, which served 1,400 vehicles, was to prevent the public from fraud and identity theft. The shred days also provided a benefit to the environment, as the equivalent of 481 trees was recycled.

This year, the credit union added a food share donation opportunity to two events in Corvallis and Keizer. The Corvallis event gathered 437 pounds of food and another $600 in donations for the Linn-Benton Food Share. The credit union provided a $250 donation, as well.

These annual events have been very well received and provide numerous benefits to the community. Shredding and now the food share partnerships are just another way to live by two of our values of social responsibility and cooperative spirit, said Richard Hein, Oregon State Credit Union president and CEO.

Volunteers

needed for

job fair

Volunteers are needed to do mock interviews for this years Youth Job Fair, scheduled for Tuesday, Dec. 13, at Linn-Benton Community College.

The fair, organized by the Albany Area Chamber of Commerce and Linn County schools, expects to welcome some 1,300 high school seniors this year. Its purpose is to give students job interviewing skills and immediate feedback from mid-valley professionals.

The Youth Job Fair begins at 8:45 a.m. and wraps up at 12:45 p.m. Interview materials with sample questions will be provided.

People who are interested in volunteering but dont want to give interviews are welcome to help the day of the fair. For more information, contact Kimberly Montgomery at 541-926-1517.
Oct. 27, 1918  Oct. 2, 2016

Third from the youngest of nine sisters, Mrs. Martin lived her life as a housewife and mother of three. She was always on the go and known for her sharp wit, kindness, knitting, and cooking. Born in Lebanon, she lived Toledo, Newport, Siletz, Albany and La Pine. After moving to Albany in 1996, Mrs. Martin kept busy knitting hats for the babies at Albany General Hospital. Her family loved eating her apple and strawberry-rhubarb pies, divinity fudge, and stew.
CHP San Andreas logo View Photos

San Andreas, CA  The CHP has identified a Stockton man that was killed in a crash on Highway 4 in Calaveras County late Friday afternoon.

75-year-old John Paul Fischer was driving a 2010 Toyota and attempted to turn from Meko Drive onto Highway 4. However, he did not see an eastbound Jeep on Highway 4 driven by 55-year-old Kimberly Gillin of Sacramento. Gillin attempted to swerve away from Fischer, but the two vehicles collided. Fischer died from the injuries sustained and was pronounced dead at the scene. Gillin was taken to Mark Twain Medical Center to treat moderate injuries. The CHP notes that drugs or alcohol are not believed to be a contributing factor in the crash. An investigation into the incident is still ongoing and anyone with information is asked to call the San Andreas CHP office at 209-754-3541.
Sonora, CA  The T.U.D. Board of Directors will vote on Tuesday whether to approve a $1-million contract to extend water service to over 30 Jamestown homes that have experienced well failures.

Many of the homeowners in the Stent and Quartz areas are participating the countys well assistance program, which will eventually expire. Funding for the Quartz-Stent Water Main Extension Project will come from the State of Californias Water Resources Control Board. It includes installing 12,000 linear ft. of water main and has the potential to connect over 100 properties. Mozingo Construction Inc. submitted the lowest bid 1,034,824, which is below T.U.D.s internal estimate of $1.25-million. The T.U.D. Board will vote whether to award the contract.

In addition, in relation to the extensive Phoenix Lake Preservation and Restoration Project, the Board will vote whether to approve an agreement with the Cedar Ridge Apple Ranch (Indigeny Reserve) for the company to take sediment generated during the dredging of Phoenix Lake. The contract, up to $350,000, includes taking up to 400,000 cubic yards.

Tuesdays meeting starts at 5:30pm in the T.U.D. Board room on Nugget Blvd.
To find trees in the desert, we often have to go up in the mountains. I grew up in the Midwest, so every once in awhile I get a yearning to ...
Medical marijuana advocates hope their second shot at the ballot delivers cannabis to sick Floridians.

Floridians will again decide on Amendment 2 in November

Proposal narrowly failed to pass in 2014

'No on 2' group claims amendment will lead to 'dispensary on every corner'

RELATED: Making sense of Florida's amendments: Amendment 2



One supporter, Amy Guenst of Riverview, has one person in mind when it comes to her belief in the need for Amendment 2.

"As a mother, I should have this option for my child," Guenst said. "A vote for medical marijuana is really about compassion."

Guenst is due any day now with her fourth child. But it was right around the due date of her third child that she learned her youngest son, Luke, had leukemia.

"He was in horrible pain from the chemotherapy," Guenst said.

Guenst said the pain medicine and chemotherapy caused nausea, vomiting and angry rages for Luke, who was just 2 1/2 years old at the time.

Luke is now a happy 4-year-old, and his leukemia is considered to be in remission. But he still has to do chemotherapy every day, and every three months Luke goes to the hospital for a spinal tap.

His mother thinks full strength medical marijuana would allow her to keep him off powerful painkillers such as morphine and hydrocodone.

"The politicians have not served us on this," Guenst said. "So now we are a group of grassroots people just begging for compassion."

Floridians will again decide on a medical marijuana amendment to the state's constitution in November, an amendment that narrowly failed to pass in 2014. This time, Amendment 2 has more clearly defined medical conditions for cannabis treatment.

The changes to the ballot question this time include language requiring parental consent before a doctor can recommend medical cannabis.

Amendment 2, of course, has its opponents, just as it did in 2014. The Florida Medical Association has come out against it, and the "No on 2" group claims the amendment will lead to a pot dispensary on every corner.

"All those ads are so bogus," Guenst said. "This is a healing plant. I hope people will pray before they vote, and God will lead them toward compassion."
Originally posted: Sunday, Oct. 23, 2016, 10:47 p.m.

Democratic vice presidential candidate Tim Kaine headlined an early voting rally in Orlando on Sunday as part of yet another campaign swing through Florida.

Kaine outlined Hillary Clinton's vision for America

Protester carrying 'Bill Clinton is a rapist' sign escorted out

Kaine stops in Miami, Palm Beach on Monday

For the most part, the Virginia senator was applauded as he spoke at the Dover Shores Community Center. At one point during the rally, however, an person carrying a sign stating Bill Clinton is a rapist was escorted out of the event.

That incident did not stop Kaine from outlining his and Hillary Clinton's vision for America should they be elected. Kaine discussed job creation, equal pay and creating better health care options for all Americans.

At one point, Kaine recalled why Clinton asked him to come on board the campaign.

"I want my administration to be known by just ... can we make a practical difference in peoples lives?" Kaine said. "And youve done enough stuff that you can help us remember what success is."

Its got to be the meaningful and simple and measurable and practical things that make a difference. This is who Hillary Clinton is. This is why shes going to make such a great president.

A number of people lined up to hear Kaine speak at the rally Sunday. Among them was Mary Angela Alessandri, 18, a first-time voter.

I am just really excited that this is my first time voting," Alessandri said. "Honestly, I am kind of speechless.

Alessandri came out to the rally with her 91-year-old grandmother, Cathy. For them, its not just about voicing their support but also bonding during the process.

If you have a uterus, a lot of men dont know what to do with us, Cathy Alessandri said. And I am so proud to think this is my granddaughter's first time to vote. Though she is not party affiliated, she is going to vote for Hillary.

Come Nov. 8, the Alessandris plan to go out to the polls together.

Photo: Stephanie Bechara, staff
Medical marijuana opponents are using Halloween to scare up votes against Amendment 2.

With children dressed in Halloween costumes like a Jedi, pirate and Chewbacca by his side, Orange County Sheriff Jerry Demings warned about children getting hold of edible marijuana products like candy during Halloween 2017.

Demings held a news conference at the Children's Safety Village of Central Florida Monday morning. He said ingestible pot products may be an unintended consequence of passing Amendment 2, approving medical marijuana in Florida.

"As a sheriff, I believe that the passing of the [Amendment 2] can be problematic and will negatively impact the overall public safety of our community," said Demings.

Demings is president of the Florida Sheriff's Association, which opposes Amendment 2.



Medical marijuana supporters disagree.

"This argument that children are going to get a hold of edibles and it's going to cause them harm is absolutely absurd," said attorney Matt Morgan. The Morgan family supports People United for Medical Marijuana. "If one wanted to cause a child harm during Halloween, they could put rat poison in a Reese's Cup."

"Why would they give a child an edible lollipop as has been suggested by the No on 2 campaign?" Morgan added.

A report by The Journal of the American Medical Association Network released last month did show an increase in the amount of children hospitalized after eating marijuana edibles after the drug was legalized in Colorado.

But in Colorado marijuana is legal for recreational as well as medical use, which means more people have access to it.

The ballot language for medical marijuana would allow the drug to be processed into products such as food, tinctures, aerosols, oils or ointments. Only state approved medical marijuana treatment centers would be able to cultivate, process and sell medical marijuana to qualifying patients.

While the details are vague, it is up to the state and the Florida Dept. of Health to write the specific rules on medical marijuana, should the amendment pass.

Members of The Don't Let Florida Go To Pot Coalition say children could mistake edible marijuana for regular candy because of misleading or a lack of labeling.

"They are made to look like a lot of commercial products," said Dr. Alfred Aleguas, the Managing Dirctor of the Florida Poison Control Center in Tampa. "We have a real problem and issue with that because it is just a potential for, unintentional, inadvertent ingestion by young children."

Morgan said it's possible to allow medical marijuana and still keep children safe.

"Ultimately the legislature will do their job and regulate this amendment in accordance with the way they're supposed to do their job," Morgan said. "A fair and just way and we're confident that they will pass legislation that makes sure that children are protected, that families are protected and that patients have the access to medication that they need via marijuana."

Amendment 2 needs 60 percent approval from Florida voters to pass. It failed in 2014 with 58 percent of the vote.
Employees returned to work Monday morning at the West Melbourne Police Department after two separate suspicious packages were found on the front doorstep.

2 suspicious packages left on West Melbourne PD doorstep

Packages ultimately determined to be not dangerous

Recently, old hand grenade caused department evacuation



Investigators said a cleaning person noticed the items just after 6 a.m. and notified staff.

Members of the Brevard Sheriff's Office bomb squad were called in and surrounding traffic was rerouted, including parents who were dropping off children at the West Melbourne School for Science across the street.

The suspicious items turned out to be a purse and plastic bag and not dangerous. At about mid-morning, the all-clear was given, and the department went back to normal operations.

"When you leave a package at a building like this, this is what it could cause. Again, it could be something very innocent, and we understand that. But we ask people not to leave packages unattended outside a government building, especially a police department," Capt. Rich Cordeau said.

A couple of weeks ago, a resident brought an old hand grenade to the West Melbourne PD, forcing an evacuation. The bomb squad responded and safely took care of it. Police said they will come to you if you find an item like that; don't bring it to the department.


U.S. Rep. John Larson, a Democrat in Connecticuts 1st Congressional District, is facing two familiar challengers in the Nov. 8 election.



Matthew Corey, a Republican business owner from Manchester, ran against Larson as an independent candidate in 2012 and as a Republican in 2014. Corey lost both times but said hes built better name recognition that can help negate Larsons incumbent and financial advantages.



Green Party candidate Michael DeRosa is also running for the seat. DeRosa, who also ran two years ago, and his party didnt return calls for comment last week.



Larson and Corey agreed that jobs were the most pressing issue for constituents, but they disagreed on how to go about improving the economy.



Corey said his work as a high-rise window cleaner has given him a firsthand view of declining corporate employment and the increase in vacant office space.



I just keep seeing the devastation in these corporate towers, he said. Something is fundamentally wrong with the business environment.



Corey is opposed to paying companies to stay in the state and said Larson has consistently opposed Republican efforts in Congress.



This isnt the type of leadership we need (in Washington), Corey said.



Over the past two years, Larson said, hes been able to help get $90 million in federal grants for the 1st District, which includes Southington and Berlin. Hes been in Congress for 18 years, 14 of them as a member of the minority party.



You learn how to work across the aisle, he said. Thats what people are looking for.



Larson said Pratt & Whitney and Electric Boat have been able to add thousands of jobs with military contracts, such as the F-35 fighter. That also boosts employment at supply chain companies, Larson said.



Our effort on manufacturing has really paid off, he said.



The incumbent said hes also proud of his work to improve the financial stability of Social Security.



Corey questioned Larsons support of the Promise Zone Job Creation Act, a designation for Hartfords troubled North End that Larson is trying to strengthen with tax credits for employers hiring zone residents. It also establishes bonus depreciation for businesses that relocate to the area.



If those types of benefits are effective at boosting the economy, they should be expanded to the entire state, according to Corey.



Larson defended the promise zone, saying it helped address an inequality of opportunity.



Corey hopes his previous runs have helped establish him in the district but acknowledged he faced an uphill battle against a longtime incumbent.



Its tough to get name recognition out there, he said.



Larson is in his ninth term in Congress.



The imbalance in funding doesnt help Corey. His campaign collected $32,000 in the 2014 race, he said, while Larson raised $1.6 million.



Octobers filings with the Federal Elections Commission show Corey had $6,500 on hand while Larson had $547,000.



jbuchanan@recordjournal.com 203-317-2230 Twitter: @JBuchananRJ






Connecticut residents are fleeing the state, businesses are staying away because taxes are too high, and the economy is headed off a cliff!



Sound familiar? It should. This dire proclamation  or a variation of it  has been relentlessly trumpeted by local Republicans running for seats in Hartford and Washington, and the message has resonated.



A Quinnipiac University poll released in June revealed that only 20 percent of respondents said the states economy was either good or excellent.



With voters soon heading to the ballot box, Democratic lawmakers from Connecticut running for re-election are pushing back against the pervasive belief that our state is in big trouble.



Speaking with the Record-Journal recently, U.S. Rep. Elizabeth Esty, who represents the 5th District, decried Republicans for putting forth a gloom-and-doom economic message. You would never do that ... in a company and expect good results, Esty said. You would never do that, and yet its become what we do in this state.



State Rep. Joe Aresimowicz, the House majority leader, went even further, accusing Republican legislative candidates of misleading voters when discussing the state of the state.



Real leadership is more than simply being negative or launching political attacks, said Aresimowicz, while putting forward a positive vision for Connecticut.



While Connecticuts economy certainly is not zooming along, Democratic politicians do have some positive news.



In late September, the General Assembly approved a $220 million deal with Lockheed Martin, which keeps Sikorsky in Connecticut as it fulfills an order from the Navy for helicopters beginning in 2019. According to the state Department of Economic and Community Development, the helicopter order would infuse an estimated $69.2 billion into the state economy and support 24,601 jobs at Sikorsky and in suppliers shops, many of which are close by.



Meriden and Cheshire each have eight supplier companies, Berlin has five, and North Haven and Wallingford are home to between 10 and 14 suppliers.



Consolidated Industries Inc. is among the companies which do business with Sikorsky. The Record-Journal reports that the Cheshire company recently invested $10.5 million in its forging operation and plans to add 30 new jobs over the next few years.



Drew J. Papio, vice president and general manager of Consolidated Industries, says other states often court the 68-year-old Mixville Road manufacturer, but the company is staying put.



People have to understand Connecticut, Papio said. Its a great quality of life, a great education, good standard of living that is achievable. Thats why we provide these types of jobs, so everyone can share in it.



Positive economic news out of Connecticut? Now, thats something we dont hear every day.






Antonio Perez/TNS

Activists are not chickens when it comes to protesting animal rights abuses. Their target: a local Costco.

Direct Action Everywhere staged a graphic protest at the stores SoMa location Sunday over the treatment of egg-laying hens. The protestors stormed the stores meat section and had a die-in near an entrance where actors covered in fake blood pretended to eat another protester.
Bill Hutchinson

The second floor of the former Potrero police station in San Francisco caught fire Monday afternoon, but firefighters quickly extinguished flames in the vacant, century-old building, officials said.

A small fire at the former station at 2325 Third St., in the citys Dog Patch neighborhood, was reported shortly before 1:30 p.m. and put out in about 10 minutes, said Lt. Jonathan Baxter, a San Francisco Fire Department spokesman. No injuries were reported.
San Antonio-based grocer H-E-B plans to offload a slice of its nearly 50-acre footprint in a growing retail corridor on the citys Northeast side, the company said Monday.

The citys Planning Commission will vote Wednesday whether to redesignate roughly 5.6 acres from suburban tier  intended for low density residential use  to regional center, which allows for a mix of multifamily residential and big box retail.
An Amber Alert was issued Monday afternoon for a 7-month-old boy abducted over the weekend by his mother  who doesnt have lawful custody and may be a threat to the infants well-being, officials said.

Hannah Ashley, 35, took the baby boy from his crib at his grandmothers home sometime between Saturday night and Sunday morning, said Sgt. Spencer Crum, a spokesman for the Sonoma County Sheriffs Office. The grandmother has legal custody of the infant.
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Wilmer Valderrama spent his weekend working on a "secret project" in South Texas.

The "That 70's Show" star shared multiple Instagram photos on Saturday and Sunday from Brownsville, where he traveled with a film crew near the U.S./Mexico Border for a project he said is "coming soon."

RELATED: 18 places in San Antonio where you might spot a celebrity

Before heading back to Los Angeles, Valderrama set up a fan meet-up at Half Moon Saloon, where hundreds of Brownsville residents filled a parking lot around the star.

Hola #Brownsville, I'll be posting a location very soon... A video posted by Wilmer Valderrama (@wilmervalderrama) on Oct 23, 2016 at 12:27pm PDT

"I am so humbled by your love," he captioned the Instagram video. "I put out one message to meet some of you and then look at how many of you come out to see me [...] words can't describe."

RELATED: People in Laredo are spotting actor Charlie Hunnam around town as he prepares to play 'La Barbie'

Valderrama also thanked the Brownsville Police Department for guiding his crew through the city.

mmendoza@mysa.com

Twitter: @MaddySkye
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Ever since restaurateur Andrew Goodman signed a deal to buy old Fire Station No. 7 at 604 S. Alamo St., food lovers have been wondering when it would turn into a dining destination.

The answer: Before the end of the year.

The name: Battalion.

Chef and partner Stefan Bowers announced the details Monday and said it will offer shareable plates of antipasti, appetizers and pastas, along with a la carte main dishes.

The menu will feature Bowers' interpretations of Italian classics such as veal saltimbocca, Tuscan-inspired T-bone steak, chicken and eggplant Parmesan, rigatoni alla vodka, fresh cannelloni and manicotti, handmade dumplings, spicy lobster ravioli and simple vegetable dishes in a what he calls the "natural field-to-table simplicity of Italy."

Goodman and Bowers have vaulted to the city's top tier of restaurants with Feast in Southtown and Rebelle at the St. Anthony Hotel.

Two years ago, Goodman said he was considering an old-school Italian steakhouse. But that idea faded and Bowers instead decided to combine Southern Italian and Italian American.

"It's Old World with gnocchi and dumplings, and New World with Boston/New York, American-style Italian dishes," Bowers said. "I want to take those classics, bring them out and do them right."

This project allows Bowers to draw inspiration from the flavors and techniques he experienced while apprenticing at a restaurant in San Diego, California under two sisters from the southern Italian town of Positano.

The atmosphere of Battalion, naturally, will have a contemporary aesthetic that is a hallmark of Goodman's approach, and a view that allows diners to see downtown, the Tower of the Americas and the reach of the city looking south.

Bowers said he expects the prices to be lower than Rebelle's, so diners can try lots of different dishes.

The name has a double meaning: A salute to the building as a fire station, and a nod to the group effort of renovating the restaurant.

Bowers said his team plans on opening in the coming months, and is shooting to finish by the end of the year.
ALBANY  Jurors acquitted a Troy man of attempted murder and felony assault charges Monday in the stabbing of a victim in the chest in West Hill last year.

Nathan Hennessy, 20, who faced up to 25 years in prison if convicted, was exonerated following a one-week trial before state Supreme Court Justice Richard McNally.
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DANBURY - A top womens advocate is criticizing a probation sentence for a man who avoided jail time for sexual assault, in part because jurors didnt believe his victims no was enough to prove they didnt consent.

Womens rights attorney Gloria Allred said jurors should be disqualified who dont believe that a womans no means no. She also expressed hope that a new yes means yes law for Connecticut college campuses would become the standard across the state and throughout the nation.

We have this pornification in our culture where people think that a womans no really means yes, said Allred, who represented rape victims in a case that led to a $1.3 million settlement with the University of Connecticut in 2014. The way it is today, there is no way for a woman to say no without risking her life, and sometimes when she says no, she does risk her life.

Allred, who made national headlines recently as the attorney for two women who accused GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump of sexual assault, was referring to the sentencing on Friday of a former Bethel restaurant owner accused of sexually assaulting two employees.

A mistrial was declared in the case in 2015 against Tonellis Restaurant owner Tony Fernandes after some jurors said the victims no was simply not enough to convict him of 1st-degree sexual assault. As a result, the two charges were downgraded to fourth-degree sexual assault, to which Fernandes pleaded no contest. A judge found him guilty, and Fernandes was sentenced Friday to three years of probation.

This is very disturbing, Allred said Monday in an interview from her Los Angeles office. When a woman says no, it means no.

A local womens advocate said the new yes means yes standard signed into law this summer by Gov. Dannel P. Malloy removes any doubt about what it means to say no to sex by requiring affirmative consent for each level of a sexual encounter.

Under the yes means yes standard, which expands on reforms passed in 2014 in response to the UConn settlement, silence or being drunk does not mean consent to sex.

The law defines affirmative consent as an active, clear and voluntary agreement by a person to engage in sexual activity with another person, and requires public and private college campuses to adopt affirmative consent policies.

There are many reasons why a victim may not be able to say no, said Ann Rodwell-Lawton, director of education, training and outreach at the Womens Center of Danbury. Research on the neurobiology of trauma victims shows there is a freeze effect they feel, and they cannot move or fight back.

The affirmative consent standard passed for Connecticut college campuses takes the responsibility away from the victim and puts the responsibility on both parties involved to determine whether consent was given, Rodwell-Lawton said.

The prosecutor in the Fernandes case said she was familiar with the affirmative consent standard, and there was nothing stopping it from replacing the no means no standard in Connecticut courts.

The idea with yes means yes is we are trying to teach young men to get affirmative consent - not just a lack of resistance but actually having someone say yes, said Deputy Assistant States Attorney Sharmese Hodge. I think it is good social standard and a good moral standard.

Similar affirmative consent laws are in place in California and New York.

Hodge said the Fernandes trial was a difficult case for jurors, who spent four days in deliberations before some decided the victims no alone did not prove resistance.

Allred said the entire legal landscape is complicated for sexual abuse victims. All the more reason, Allred said, for sexual assault victims to first call a lawyer.

If they are the victim of sexual assault or rape or domestic violence they should consult a private attorney about their options and the benefits and risks of those options so they can make a decision, Allred said.
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In their first and only U.S. Senate debate, Democratic incumbent Richard Blumenthal and GOP challenger Dan Carter tangled Sunday over gun control, the Affordable Care Act and job creation.

Both candidates took turns as the aggressor in the hour-long forum televised by WFSB-TV Channel 3 on the Hartford CBS affiliates political talk show, Face the State.

Blumenthal, 70, criticized Carters 2013 vote in the Legislature against a gun control package crafted in response to the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre, as well as the state representatives opposition to a 2016 law confiscating guns from alleged domestic abusers served with a temporary restraining order.

I think the NRA already has enough friends and defenders in Washington, Blumenthal said. I was at the Sandy Hook firehouse and then at the church that night with the families. This is a public health emergency, a crisis for our country. These common sense measures must be passed.

Carter, 49, a three-term legislator from Bethel, responded that Democrats have been grandstanding on the issue and have done nothing to address illegal gun trafficking.

That bill that I voted against in 2013 would have done nothing to prevent Sandy Hook from happening, Carter said.

Opportunities have been few and far between for Carter to contrast himself side-by-side with Blumenthal, a prohibitive favorite who was first elected to the Senate in 2010 after 20 years as the states attorney general. The Air Force veteran let that frustration show during the face-off with Blumenthal at the stations Rocky Hill studios.

My gosh, even Trump gave three debates, Carter said. People dont trust Washington.

Carter spent a significant portion of his time trying to cast Blumenthal as a career politician who is beholden to special interests, as well as trying to tie the incumbent to unpopular Democratic Gov. Dannel P. Malloy.

Senator, youve made a career out of fighting for the little guy, but most of the time I feel like youre fighting us, the little guy, Carter said.

Blumenthal, who is one of the Senates wealthiest members and is from Greenwich, accused Carter of distorting his record on helping veterans. He took credit with Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., for crafting the 2015 Clay Hunt Suicide Prevention for American Veterans Act, as well as co-sponsoring legislation to hold the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs accountable by withholding managerial bonuses from poor performers.

I have a special affinity for this problem, said Blumenthal, who mention that he has one son currently serving in the military and another who served in Afghanistan.

Obamacare fueled another flare-up between the candidates, with Carter saying that the 2010 law hasnt brought down the cost of health insurance.

Weve watched small businesses and families deductibles go through the roof, as well as their premiums, Carter said.

Blumenthal acknowledged that improvements need to be made to President Barack Obamas signature initiative, but said it would be a disservice to roll back insurance coverage guarantees for people with pre-existing medical conditions.

Im not willing to throw those people out of health insurance, Blumenthal said.

The collegial tenor of the debate was a stark contrast to the three presidential tilts between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, with Carter and Blumenthal shaking hands before the forum and avoiding interruptions. Still, each took the opportunity to whack the other partys presidential nominee.

Racism certainly is a plausible label to be attached to him, Blumenthal, a Yale Law School classmate of Clinton, said of Trump.

Carter said Clinton has lied about her email scandal.

I think shes dishonest, yes, Carter said.

neil.vigdor@scni.com; 203-625-4436; twitter.com/gettinviggy
Fifteen Capital Region school districts received water test results over the last week showing elevated lead levels in their water fountains, sinks, showers and other places, according to notices published on district websites.

Results are pouring in at breakneck speed as schools across the state work to comply with a new state law requiring the testing. The Times Union will be publishing the results weekly in print, and updating our database with results as often as they're posted.

The law requires all public schools in New York to test water for lead at any outlet that is currently or potentially used for drinking or cooking. If a source shows lead levels above 15 parts per billion, a district is required to shut it off, and develop and implement a remediation plan  whether that be replacing pipes, faucets and other parts, or making bottled water available to students.

Lead exposure is particularly harmful to young children, even at low levels. Prolonged exposure can result in lower IQ, behavioral problems and brain damage. The toxic material enters drinking water when pipes containing lead corrode, especially if the water running through them has high acidity or low mineral content.

New York became the first state in the nation to require comprehensive water testing in schools when the law was passed on Sept. 6. Districts had until Sept. 30 to test elementary schools, and must post the results within 10 days of receiving them. They have until Oct. 31 to test all other schools.

The latest districts to post results include Bethlehem, Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake, East Greenbush, Edinburg, Galway, Green Island, Mohonasen, Niskayuna, North Colonie, Saratoga Springs, Schalmont, Schenectady, Scotia-Glenville, South Colonie and South Glens Falls.

The column to pay attention to is "Drinking water," which lists the number of outlets that tested positive for elevated lead levels that are also drinking sources, like water fountains. Drinking water is a primary method of lead exposure. Human skin does not absorb lead in water, so sinks that are used for washing are not cause for worry.

bbump@timesunion.com  518-454-5387  @bethanybump
GREENWICH  A Greenwich woman was arrested in midtown Manhattan for allegedly being in possession of what looked like a Molotov cocktail and trying to set it aflame.

The media office at the New York City Police Department said Monday that Ludivine Baugier de Chevestre, 24, was charged with criminal possession of a weapon; placement of a false bomb or hazardous substance; and reckless endangerment. The NYPD said the liquid in the bottle was of an unknown type and the matter was still under investigation.

De Chevestre was accused of trying to set fire to the device in Times Square Friday night, according to reports.

She was taken to St. Lukes-Roosevelt Hospital to undergo a psychiatric evaluation, according to the NYPD.

De Chevestre is listed as a resident of Riversville Road. A man who answered the phone at the residence, listed in public records, declined comment Monday.

The suspect in the New York City incident has had run-ins with authorities in Greenwich.

In November of 2015, de Chevestre was arrested after police pulled her over on West Putnam Avenue and charged her with driving while intoxicated. She gave an address on Riversville Road at the time. That case is still being adjudicated in Superior Court in Stamford, according to the judicial data base.

Greenwich police spokesman Lt. Kraig Gray said there had been other incidents in the past involving de Chevestre. Shes been in contact with the police, with behavior thats out of the ordinary, he said.

On Sept. 16 of this year, officers were called to an estate on Riversville Road about a woman who was sitting on the grounds of the residence.

She was sitting there for an extended period of time, the police lieutenant said. The property owner who called police at the time was concerned about her welfare, he said. De Chevestre left the property without incident, according to the police report.

Robert.Marchant@scni.com
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Albany

Franklin Casatelli pleaded not guilty Monday at his arraignment on charges of first-degree rape and second-degree burglary, both felonies, in City Court.

Police said Casatelli, 25, of Guilderland, who is not a student, allegedly entered the residence of a female University at Albany student around 4 a.m. Sunday and engaged in sexual intercourse with her without her consent. No weapons were used or displayed during the incident, university police said.

Casatelli's defense attorney James Tyner objected to the use of cameras or recording devices in the courtroom and Judge William A. Carter agreed.

Court papers state Casatelli "did have sexual intercourse with the victim while she was asleep and, when the victim awoke and told him no and to get off of her, he continued to have sex with her and told the victim to let him finish. The victim again told him to stop and get off her and leave, which he refused to comply with. The victim was able to get (Casatelli) off of her and he left the room."

On the burglary charge, the papers state that about 3:40 a.m. Sunday, Casatelli entered Stuyvesant Tower on the Dutch Quad of the UAlbany campus "without permission or right to do so, and did remain in Stuyvesant Tower to commit a crime, which was sexual intercourse with the victim without her consent."

Assistant District Attorney Shanza Malik asked for an order of protection for the victim ordering Casatelli to have no contact with the unnamed woman.

Malik also asked the victim's name be left off all court documents for her protection. Casatelli does not know the victim's identity, the prosecutor said.

Tyner asked the court to dismiss the rape charge if the accuser's name was not listed but the judge denied the motion.

Carter said the victim's name needed to be on the papers. "How do you propose we sign an order of protection without the victim's name on it?" he said. Malik added the name and the order of protection was signed.

Casatelli, a parolee, was taken to Albany County Jail without bail. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Thursday.

emasters@timesunion.com  518-454-5467  @emilysmasters
The Milford Health Department, in collaboration with Kids Count of Milford and the United Way of Milford, will kick off Milfords 8th Annual Parent Leadership Training Institute in January.

The Parent Leadership Training Institute program was developed by the State of Connecticuts Commission on Children to enable parents to become leading advocates for children. The cornerstones of the program are respect, validagion, and a belief that when the tools of democracy are understood, the public will actively engage in civic life.
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GREENWICH  While aggravation and traffic delays have accompanied the large-scale renovation project around the Old Greenwich train station, traffic accidents have not increased.

That was the finding of a Greenwich Police Department review of the busy Sound Beach Avenue corridor since construction began in the summer.

The $14.87 million project is replacing the aged railroad bridges at Tomac and Sound View avenues, and making other improvements at the Old Greenwich station. Lane closures on Sound Beach Avenue, and the closing of some pedestrian routes, have been necessitated by the work.

Its caused a lot of grief to the residents and the merchants, but it hasnt caused a spike in accidents, said Sgt. John Slusarz of the Greenwich Police Department, who heads the Traffic Division.

Roughly the same number of accidents were logged during the relevant stretch of time last year, 37, as this year, 35. Those numbers include any type of accident that generated a police report.

The new traffic pattern caused by the renovation project has led to more conflicts between motorists and pedestrians, especially around rush-hour. Police have also been dispatched to the area at certain times to direct the flow of drivers and pedestrians. Back-ups heading into the business district on Sound Beach Avenue sometimes run for blocks.

The work is still causing concern. Sidewalks in the area are in a poor state of repair.

An Old Greenwich community leader, Meg Nolan Van Reesema, said local residents would like to see a greater sense of urgency and determination toward getting the work done.

While Im thrilled to learn accidents are not increasing, I do see the broken sidewalk as a legitimate hazard and am perplexed by the slow progress being currently made to both bridges, observed Van Reesema, president of the Old Greenwich Association.

Despite the warm temps, winter is coming, and I'd like to think there will be significant headway made before weather becomes a deterrent to further progress, she added.

The Old Greenwich Association is having its annual meeting Nov. 9, and the organization is hoping to get representatives from Town Hall and the Connecticut Department of Transportation to attend and answer questions.

The next phase of the project will see a number of changes to the stairs at the station in coming days. Temporary closures of the stairs and ramp at the west end of the northbound platform will take place over the next two weeks. A new temporary ramp will be installed as a result of that closure, according to the project managers. Nighttime operations will have work crews removing the pedestrian platform extensions.

Periodic lane closures will also continue during the month, at Sound Beach Avenue and Tomac Avenue, between the hours of 9 a.m. and 3 p.m.

Besides replacing the two old railroad bridges in Old Greenwich, more parking is being added. The number of parking spaces will go from the existing 99 spaces to 220. New platforms and stairs are also being constructed, and new lighting installed.

The project is currently scheduled for completion in July 2017.

Robert.Marchant@scni.com
In September, record flooding forced more than 10,000 Cedar Rapids, Iowa, residents to evacuate their homes and businesses. The Cedar River water levels exceeded 22 feet -- a full six feet above major flood stage -- deluging fields and properties in the area. It comes on the heels of a fatal Louisiana flood that affected 60,000 homes and took the lives of 13 people.

Spanning thousands of acres, the flooding was caused by an unbelievable amount of rain -- two feet in three days -- starting in August. Rivers overflowed, with stream depths remaining above flood stage for as many as 10 days. But even as waters begin to recede, residents faced an uphill journey to recovery.

My BELFOR staff members and I know the devastation that disasters such as these can cause. Late one night, we got a call that a fire had started in the strip mall in the shop next to Anthonys, one of our staffs favorite little mom-and-pop places. When we showed up to evaluate the damage, the owner was in tears, but he wasnt completely devastated. He had prepared for this. His employees were safe, and he was able to reopen in a new location. He lost the building -- but not the business.

In the early days of a startup, many people are so consumed with building traction and surviving the first couple of years that they dont think about how to protect the business from catastrophes. But disasters dont always wait for your business to take off. They can happen at any time, and they can close your doors forever.

If youre running a startup, youre pouring your life into your new business. Dont risk losing it all in an instant. You can take steps beyond insurance to make sure that if disaster strikes, your business will survive.

1. Establish action plans.

Just as children practice tornado drills in school so they know the best ways to escape danger, your employees need to know what to do in emergency situations. Yet about 23 percent of organizations with action plans have never tested them -- pretty much defeating the purpose of the plan altogether. You will never anticipate the challenges of a real disaster if you never test your plan beforehand.

Make preparedness a part of your training. Everyone should know what to do and where to meet afterward so you can quickly determine whether everyone is safe. If your business has patrons or clients in your building, train your people to help get them to safety, too. Keep a battery-operated radio in the building so you can stay informed if you need to take cover.

Related: Is Your Business Prepared to Handle an Unexpected Emergency?

2. Back up vital information.

Protect essential documents and vital information by backing them up ahead of time. Your physical building is rarely essential to a business, but many companies cant function without client or customer information or certain documentations of business history.

This past February, Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center learned just how much a failure to back up data could cost. The hospital actually had to pay hackers to restore its health data, email, etc., reportedly spending about $17,000 in bitcoin.

Related: 10 Data Security Mistakes Startups Can't Afford to Make

3. Know how to inspect your building in the aftermath.

Some damage may not be obvious at first but can cause serious problems down the line. Its hard to imagine that one disaster could bring your business to its knees. But about a quarter of small businesses dont reopen in the aftermath. Examine potential structural issues and gas and power lines. A property restoration company can be a huge help with the physical challenges.

Related: Why Every Small Business Needs a Backup and Disaster Recovery Plan

4. Know what to look for in a property restoration company.

An emergency property restoration company can help prevent further destruction, provide temporary power and protect your assets. When exploring your options, ask about timing and strategies of response systems, and make sure the company has representatives accessible at all times. Keep in mind that you can save a lot of money and heartache if the company handles every aspect of damage concerns. And to ensure youre hiring a reputable partner, check to see whether its a IICRC- or BOMA-certified company.

The worst time to figure out what to do in a catastrophe is after it happens. You cant always prevent fires and natural disasters, but a little preparation can shield your business from suffering a total loss. For the sake of yourself and your employees, make a plan for how you will rebuild your company if a disaster strikes. Youll never regret protecting your business from the unexpected.

Related:



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NORWALK  Norwalk Hospitals Department of Spiritual Care will host a community program open to all featuring national expert in addiction treatment and research Dr. David Gastfriend.

Scientific advisor at the Treatment Research Institute, Gastfriend will present a talk entitled The Opioid Epidemic: Facts, Treatments and Hope on Wednesday, Oct. 26, at 7 p.m. in the Norwalk Hospital Perkin Auditorium.
To the editor:

Residents of The Woodlands need Mike Bass (no relation) to continue representing us on the township board. His 10 years of experience as an appointed and elected official for Clear Lake Shores, Texas, where he led its economic development, financial management, road rebuilding, ad planning and zoning programs prepared him well for his service on the township board. In his four-plus years as a director with The Woodlands Township board, he has shown us that he listens to his constituents, studies the issues in an objective manner, and then casts his vote. There have been occasions when his constituents didn't totally agree with him, but he takes his position seriously, treating it as a paid job (which it's not), and then voting his conscience. Mike has helped reduce our property taxes and debt. He is a uniter, not a divider.

Mike understands that one of our biggest issues as we move forward is when to incorporate. Rest assured that when we become a city, our county tax burden will not be reduced, yet we will receive fewer services from the county. Our new city taxes (which will replace our current township taxes) will greatly increase because we will be responsible for the maintenance of our roads and many other expenses currently being paid by Montgomery County. According to the South County Mobility Study, we know there are approximately $180 million to $200 million in road improvements needed in The Woodlands within the next five to eight years.

The Texas Patriots PAC flier is meant to scare residents into voting for residents they support: House Bill 613, referred to in the TPP flier, was proposed but didn't pass. Even if it had passed, it could not have affected us because of the population demographic and the proposed effective date of the bill. The Legislature cannot arbitrarily overturn our Regional Partnership Agreement with the city of Houston unless the city of Conroe or The Woodlands fails to live up to our end of the agreement. The agreement assures us that we are "safe" until 2057 as long as we do that. The TPP has been told that, but they chose to use the wording they did on their flier. I am disappointed that they have apparently put their desire for their candidates to win above what they know is right and true.

Please vote for Mike Bass, one of the township directors who is looking out for us, not for himself.

Diane Bass

The Woodlands
OCT. 10

Officer Vorhees observed a gray Mazda 3 traveling north bound in the 6400 block of S. Rice Ave. Officer Vorhees completed a computer query on a vehicle and the query returned that the MVR was expired as of 12/2015. The driver was found to have a suspended driver's license and no insurance on the vehicle he was driving. The driver was subsequently placed under arrest for driving while license suspended enhanced/class B.

About 3 p.m., Officer Carson was dispatched to a burglary in progress in the 4600 block of Spruce. Other members of the Bellaire Police department also responded. Officer Carson observed the suspect exiting the side gate of the victim's home. The suspect fled on foot and was apprehended shortly after.

At 2:13 p.m., Officer Trujillo and Officer Guerra were dispatched to the 100 block of Whipple Drive in reference to a family disturbance call. Upon the Officers' arrival, they spoke to the victim who stated her estranged boyfriend threw a large stepping stone through the window of the victim's vehicle causing minor injuries.

OCT. 11

At 12:28 p.m., Officer Andrade was dispatched to the Bellaire Police Department Lobby in reference to a theft. Upon arrival, Officer Andrade spoke with the reportee who stated an employee took cash without the store owner's consent.

At 3:30 p.m., Officer Carson was dispatched to the 7000 block of West Loop South in regards to a fight in progress. A two-vehicle accident occurred in the city of Houston. The victim followed the vehicle that was involved in the accident. The victim was able to get the second vehicle to stop at the above address at which time he was assaulted by two males in the suspect vehicle. The two males fled scene after the assault.

OCT. 12

About 1:54 a.m., Sergeant D. Hollie #201 was patrolling the 8000 block of Chimney Rock Road N/B, when he observed vehicle traveling northbound with defective equipment: no rear tail lights. Sgt. Hollie made a traffic stop on this vehicle for this reason. After further investigation, the driver was arrested for driving while license invalid and also had a previous conviction for driving while license invalid.

At 5:30 a.m., Officer Lysack initiated a traffic stop on a vehicle in the 6700 block of 610 East Service Road. Upon further investigation, the suspect was found to have 24 active suspensions on his Texas Drivers License and was placed into custody for driving while license invalid enhanced.

OCT. 14

At 2:56 p.m., Officer Liccketto was dispatched to the 5300 block of Patrick Henry in reference to the smell of burning marijuana. Officer Liccketto arrived at 3:01 p.m. and made contact with the resident and all the persons in the house. Upon investigation, Officer Liccketto found a water pipe with marijuana residue in it and a green leafy plant growing in a clay pot in the backyard. Officer Liccketto arrested the resident for possession of marijuana and transported him to the Bellaire Police Department for booking and processing without incident. The resident qualified for the First Chance Program and agreed to participate in the program.

At 7:53 p.m., Officer Liccketto was dispatched to a holdup alarm at Family Dollar in the 5800 block of Bissonnet Street. A white male put his bags on the counter and stated he was not paying for anything and pointed to his waist band as if pointing to a concealed weapon, the suspect then fled the scene. The suspect was last seen headed west on Bissonnet on foot. Officers searched the area for the suspect but was unable to locate him. The suspect did not take any items and left the items at the store.

OCT. 15

At 2:48 a.m., Officer Clisham of the Bellaire Police Department and Sergeant Shelor of the West University Place Police Department made contact with a subject walking on the railroad tracks between the 4300 and 4200 blocks of Bissonnet. After further investigation, the subject was found to have four outstanding warrants with Houston Police Department. While attempting to place the subject in custody, the subject fled on foot into the Ponte Alba apartment complex. The subject was apprehended, placed in custody and charged with Felony Evading Arrest/Detention.

At 9:20 a.m., Sgt. Kerr was dispatched to the lobby of the Police Department in reference to a possible fraud case. Upon arrival, Sgt. Kerr spoke with the victim who stated she had received a phone call from someone saying her nephew was in Cook County Jail and she needed to send money to get him out. The victim stated she was on the way to the bank and decided to stop at the PD first. Contact was made with her nephew and it was verified he was not in jail or in Chicago, IL.

At 12:50 p.m., Officers Vorhees and Andrade were dispatched to a shoplifting in progress at 5130 Bellaire Blvd., Randall's grocery store. Officer's made contact with the suspects who were identified by the Randall's store manager. Both suspects were placed in custody and transported to the Bellaire Jail for processing. The passenger was charged with class C Theft and HCSO Felony Warrant. Driver gave incorrect information regarding name and was charged with fail to identify, class B.
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East Montgomery Improvement District is well known for its free annual festivals, but some may not know about the variety of services for existing businesses in East Montgomery County.

"People know about our festivals and grants, but they don't always know about the business end of what we offer," Kelley Mattlage, EMCID director of communications, said. "We think it's a good idea to provide opportunities for new businesses coming in, but also for the businesses that are already here."

One such opportunity is the Growth of East Montgomery County Initiative, which aims to inform the community about development opportunities for potential and existing local businesses through financial incentives available for hiring underemployed and low-to-moderate income EMC residents.

Entrepreneurs and local small business owners in EMC are invited to learn more about development and expansion options available through financial incentive agreements during a free seminar to be held at 6 p.m. Nov. 3 at the Splendora Independent School District Administration Building.

"This seminar is to get the word out that we do offer incentives for local businesses that are already here," Mattlage said. "We want them to grow and to be successful. We have programs where we offer grants, low interest loans and all kinds of different things for existing local businesses."

Business owners will receive information from the Small Business Development Center about options offered by the East Montgomery County Economic Development Corp., which is a nonprofit subsidiary of EMCID able to give financial incentives to fund training, improvements and equipment.

The financial incentives can include one or a combination of different options such as cash, lease-purchase options, tax abatement on improved property, land donation, low-interest loans, equity participation, professional construction assistance or participation in development costs.

"A lot of people think there's a menu or formula, but we don't have a formula," Mattlage said. "Each agreement is determined on a case by case basis based on the business, how many employees they have and what improvement or expansion they want to do. Then, a customized package is put together for the business."

In the past three months, several local businesses in EMC have benefited from customized incentive agreements including Back Pew Brewing Company in Porter, Brewingz, La Casita in Porter, Coals Smokehouse in Splendora and McDonald's at Northpark Drive and U.S. 59.

Each incentive agreement included unique specifications that work to meet the needs of the individual business while benefiting the community.

McDonald's, for example, received a check for $19,103.07 in October covering a rebate for a half-cent sales tax for 2014-15 in exchange for hiring at least 51 percent of employees from within EMC. The location surpassed its requirement, employing 69 percent of its employees from within the district.

La Casita Mexican Restaurant in Porter was provided a $12,000 EMCID grant for parking lot repairs in September and a $10,000 loan for additional repairs from EMCEDC. In return, La Casita agreed to hire at least one new employee from within EMC and contribute $500 annually to the EMCID Scholarship Foundation.

Coals Smokehouse is planning to open in Splendora in early 2017. It received $20,000 in incentive funds for agreeing to hire at least 50 percent of the first 30 employees from within EMC.

"It helps businesses because it grows their success," Mattlage said. "It also helps with job creation. When we have the opportunity to provide jobs in the community in which we live, it's important. A lot of people don't want to commute to Houston every day. They live out here and want a certain quality of life. It's important to stimulate the local economy and help grow local businesses so that we can have locals employed in the community."

The Growth of East Montgomery County Initiative also provides help to businesses seeking qualified local employees through Lone Star College Career Center Services and Mission Northeast,.

"Representatives from those organizations will be at the seminar too," Mattlage said. "They have a wealth of knowledge as far as people seeking jobs who have skill sets that are higher than the job they are currently performing."

EMCID provides incentives to approximately 10-to-15 businesses annually.

"We've had quite a bit of interest," Mattlage said. "Word is getting out there, which is good for everyone: businesses, residents the district. Any time we can increase retail, the sales tax revenue that comes back to EMCID then allows us to help even more people through community and economic development initiatives."

Business owners, entrepreneurs and community members interested in attending the seminar to learn more about the Growth of East Montgomery County Initiative can register for the event by calling 281-354-4419. A meal will be provided.

For more information about EMCID visit www.emctx.com.
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Tom Hayden, the influential antiwar activist who harnessed the unrest of the 1960s, was an agent of change  of his country and of his state and particularly of himself.

During a six-decade career, he transformed himself from a fiery, long-haired protest leader into an impassioned, short-haired state legislator and then into a sage, gray-haired college instructor. But he never retreated from taking on the powerful.

Mr. Hayden, the onetime husband of actress Jane Fonda and a defendant in the Chicago Seven case that put leaders of the anti-Vietnam War movement on trial in 1969, died Sunday in Santa Monica. He was 76. He suffered a stroke last year and had experienced heart problems since attending the Democratic National Convention in July, his family said in a statement.

Although Mr. Haydens tactics evolved from confrontation to working within the system, his politics remained true to the ideals he espoused as an early civil rights activist and one of the creators of the New Left.

Tom took up causes that others avoided, said Gov. Jerry Brown. He had a real sense of the underdog and was willing to do battle no matter what the odds.

Fellow antiwar activist David Harris recalled Mr. Hayden as having the best analytical mind of anyone. Mr. Hayden, he said, could assess a situation clearly, completely and right on the mark.

Born in Royal Oak, Mich., on Dec. 11, 1939, Thomas Emmet Hayden was the only child of Irish Catholic parents. He was editor of his high school newspaper but soon gave up journalism, saying he wanted to change the world instead of reporting about it.

While at the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor in the early 1960s, he helped form Students for a Democratic Society, which in its early days focused on civil rights and desegregating the South. As one of the Freedom Riders, activists who rode interstate buses in mixed racial groups through the South to challenge local laws enforcing segregation, Mr. Hayden was beaten in Mississippi and jailed in Georgia.

While in jail, he began working on what became the Port Huron Statement in 1962, a manifesto that inspired the national student movement to fight against what it saw as an oppressive government.

Where possible, the peace movement should challenge the peace credentials of the otherwise-liberals by threatening or actually running candidates against them, Hayden wrote. It was a philosophy he would later adopt himself in his numerous successful and unsuccessful runs for office.

In the mid-60s, Mr. Hayden worked as a community organizer in Newark, N.J., and was an early activist against the war in Vietnam. In 1968, he helped organize demonstrations in Chicago during the Democratic National Convention, which dissolved into bloody chaos as riot police violently suppressed protests on the citys streets.

Mr. Hayden was one of eight defendants later indicted by a federal grand jury on charges that included conspiracy and inciting a riot. The circus-like trial captivated the nation  the judge ordered one of Mr. Haydens co-defendants, Black Panther co-founder Bobby Seale, gagged and bound to his chair for four days when Seale insisted on representing himself.

Seales case was eventually severed from his co-defendants, and Mr. Hayden and four others were convicted of crossing state lines to incite a riot. The convictions were later overturned on appeal.

On Monday, Seale, now 80, praised his old friend as really a great guy, a great organizer, a great writer.

Chicago Seven defendants Abbie Hoffman and Jerry Rubin had their antics, but Tom was more serious, Seale said. During the Vietnam War he understood the problem of exploitation, he understood the plight of African Americans. He understood, the way I did, that the framework of government needed to be more progressive. He was someone we could count on.

Mr. Hayden lived in Berkeley during those years and was a member of the Red Family, a commune that served as a meeting place for activists working to develop a political platform.

He was a very funny, intelligent, dynamic, ironic guy with a terrific gift of gab, said longtime friend Larry Bensky, former national affairs correspondent for Berkeley public radio station KPFA. He always wanted to be where the action was. He was such an unusual person, who basically lived his politics.

As the explosive idealism of the 1960s gave way to the less-volatile 1970s, Mr. Hayden and his then-wife, Fonda, traveled across Vietnam interviewing people affected by the war. The trip was captured in a documentary film, Introduction to the Enemy.

They seemed devoted to each other, Harris said, before recalling with a smile that Mr. Hayden was the first to admit he did not have the traditional looks of a leading man. Visually, it was a hard one.

The couple divorced in 1990 after 17 years of marriage and two children. Mr. Hayden later married actress Barbara Williams and had another son.

While married to Fonda, Mr. Hayden turned his focus to political office and was elected to the California Assembly in 1982. Ten years later, he won election to the state Senate, where he fought for education and environmental issues. He was also known for legislation on behalf of shelter animals, food labeling and student political representatives from community colleges.

Bensky said that over the years, Mr. Haydens tactics evolved from those of an aggressive idealist to one who saw the benefits of pragmatism. He knew that in order to effectuate any social change, it is essential to engage the system, he said. But he never forgot his principles, and was always true to his instincts to help those that needed help in society.

Mr. Hayden had failed runs for the U.S. Senate in 1976, for California governor in 1994, for mayor of Los Angeles in 1997 and for Los Angeles City Council in 2001. He retired from a career in politics to lecture against the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and to teach at such colleges as UCLA, Scripps and Occidental.

Mr. Hayden wrote several books, including Reunion, his memoir of the upheavals of the 1960s. Frequently he contributed opinion pieces to newspapers, including a 2008 piece about the Iraq War for The Chronicle in which he called the Iraqi government a U.S.-created, U.S.-funded, U.S.-armed Frankenstein.

Morality aside, there is no certainty that transferring combat duties to the Iraqi army, with embedded U.S. advisers and trainers, will succeed in stabilizing Iraq anytime soon, Mr. Hayden wrote.

In a recent interview, Mr. Hayden maintained that a citizen was obliged not only to vote, but also to disagree with those he had voted for.

Dissent has been crucial to positive social change throughout our history, Mr. Hayden said. The American Revolution, abolition, womens suffrage, the labor movement, the environmental movement. Where would we be as a country without that kind of dissent?

Evan Sernoffsky and Steve Rubenstein are San Francisco Chronicle staff writers. Email: esernoffsky@sfchronicle.com and srubenstein@sfchronicle.com. Twitter: @EvanSernoffsky and @SteveRubeSF
FAIRFIELD  A disagreement over the location for Election Day registration and voting is headed to court.

Under state statutes, both registrars must agree on a location for the EDR. About a year ago, emails show Republican Roger Autuori agreed to Democrat Matthew Waggners preferred location on the Fairfield University campus, in exchange for counting absentee ballots at one central location, rather than at each polling place.

That agreement recently fell apart, prompting the Secretary of the States office to step in, as it readies the publication of the EDRs in each community.

An email from Peggy Reeves, director of elections, to Waggner and Autuori just minutes before 5 p.m. Monday said if there was no agreement by the close of business she intended to formally refer the matter, immediately, to the Attorney General.

Upon receipt of that referral, the Attorney Generals office will be preparing a complaint tonight against both registrars of voters, Matt Waggner and Roger Autuori, the email states. The two can expect to be served with that complaint by state marshal either Tuesday or Wednesday, with a court date in state Superior Court in Hartford either Oct. 28 or Oct. 31 for a show cause hearing.

They should plan election preparations around this potential litigation, Reeves said.

First Selectman Mike Tetreau, who had encouraged the two to resolve their differences, said protecting the right to vote is something people have fought and died for over the years. Our two registrars seem to have forgotten their duties to do everything they can to protect the voters of our town, Tetreau said. If they took an oath upon taking office, they are not living up to their oath of office.

Tetreau said the two are wasting taxpayer money with this figh.

In an email Friday, Reeves advised the registrars of the possibility of a court ballte and wrote: We are writing to advise you that if the deadline conveyed herein and on Oct. 19 is not met, the Office of the Attorney General stands ready to bring an appropriate legal action to enforce our directive. It is within the voting public's interest to have this resolved with no delay.

Reeves had originally indicated the EDR would default to town hall, if no agreement was reached. When election day registration was first instituted in 2013  allowing residents to both register and cast a ballot on election day  Old Town Hall was used as the location. In 2014 and 2015, the conference room in Sullivan-Independence Hall was used.

Waggner chose Fairfield University campus on the assumption that many of the last-minute voters needing to register would be college students.

I am in receipt of two messages this morning, Waggner wrote in an email Friday to Reeves, with Roger declaring that he would prefer to abdicate his duties than honor his agreement, and with Peggy declaring that the next stop is court. Ultimately, I think either is an acceptable path forward, especially since we have a soon-to-be elected Republican Deputy waiting in the wings ready to take office, and a newly minted registrar removal statute seemingly designed for scenarios where a sworn official declares that they will refuse to sign forms or hire pollworkers.

Autuori, on Thursday, sent out his own email, outlining his reasons for no longer supporting the Fairfield University location. Waggner, he said, misrepresented himself when he approached the university about hosting the EDR and never conferred with me on any discussions or plans with the university.

He said there is no means of getting remote access for the voter registration system as required by statutes and Waggner lied that the site We filed tested accessing CVRS offsite last week and all was in order. Autuori also claims that Waggner fabricated a photo of a laptop in the campus student center showing the Connecticut Voter Registration System home page that allegedly was the test when it was actually done the following week.

To get the photo, Autuori said, Wagger obtained an unauthorized account for remote access and falsely posted on the town web site that EDR was at Fairfield University without conferring with me.

Waggner, of course, disputes Autuoris assertions. On receipt of Roger's request, I checked out a town laptop, contacted my Deputy, and we conducted a second field test, with a photograph of CVRS functioning at the University location sent to Roger as evidence that the system was operational, Waggner said. Despite his claims, no evidence was fabricated, he has a photograph of the system functioning from our second field test.

Rather, Waggner said, the fabrications are Autuoris. The stated list of reasons for not following our agreement are a mix of fabrications, misrepresentations, and ad hominem attacks, and while I can take whatever is thrown at me, I believe it is wholly inappropriate to inflict chaos on our election proceedings more than a year after our agreement took effect (recall that I performed a substantial share of my obligations under this agreement in 2015) and less than a month before voting occurs, Waggner said. Tens of thousands of Fairfield residents have received notice of our agreed-upon site, and many will have made plans in reliance on that information.

On Friday,Tetreau wrote to both Autuori and Waggner, urging them to find a resolution to their disagreement and avoid a court appearance.

I really hope we can avoid this and not waste further taxpayer funds, Tetreau said. You both were elected and are being paid to work together by Fairfield voters. It is time to step forward, meet your obligations and earn your pay. There are a lot of state and town people spending time on this issue.

The two registrars currently work out of separate offices in Old Town Hall because of conflicts between the two. In October, 2013, Waggner had Autuori arrested, after he alleged Autuori pushed and slapped him during a disagreement over the handling of electronic scanners. Autuori was charged with breach of peace and granted accelerated rehabilitation, a form of adult probation.

The two were then given separate offices  Waggner on the first floor, and Autuori on the second floor in Old Town Hall.

In 2014, Autuori called police to report that Waggner kept removing a sign outside the first-floor office indicating Autuoris office on the second floor. Waggner called the Public Works Department because he said Autuori was gluing the sign to the wall.

greilly@ctpost.com; @GreillyPost
Lumberton police are investigating the theft of thousands of dollars from the Mighty Raider band booster club's accounts, chief Danny Sullins said on Monday.

In a post on the booster club's Facebook page Sunday night, president Randy Eason wrote that the organization "recently became aware that all of its funds are missing from the organization's accounts." The club reported the theft to police on Oct. 20, according to the post.

"We've identified one person and we feel confident about our case," Sullins said.

He declined to reveal the name of the suspect or the amount of money missing.

"It's going to take a forensic audit to determine the amount and that will affect the charge," he said.

The club's acting treasurer, Bob Dunham, who was appointed on Oct. 20, said that the amount of money missing "keeps going up" as the investigation continues, but is "probably more than $70,000."

Sullins said that the audit is not yet complete, but that $70,000 sounds close to what he expects.

In a second post on the group's Facebook page, Eason said the club has bills it can't pay, which he said are about $10,000 now but ultimately could amount to $30,000 or more.

The band boosters organization is separate from the Lumberton Independent School District, superintendent John Valastro said.

"Since they do work with us, as a school district, they have to provide us financials," he said, which are currently being reviewed as part of a routine audit as well as the ongoing investigation, he said.

The district provides students with band uniforms, while the booster club helps cover accessories like shoes and plumes, and other travel expenses, Valastro said.

"They go to Disney World every other year," said Sullins, whose son was previously a member of the Raiders band. The boosters also pay for costs associated with band trips and camps, as well as cleaning uniforms, Dunham said. At its most recent competition on Saturday at McNeese State University, the band earned first place for best overall music.

Valastro said the district is contacting vendors who work with the booster club to "let them know we have some issues with financing."

The booster club is considering additional fundraisers to cover the immediate bills, Eason said. The club also is accepting donations, which may be dropped off at the Lumberton High School band office.

Sullins said an arrest this week isn't likely because he has to subpoena bank records and complete other parts of the investigation.

"It's not like a burglary where you catch a person," he said. "It takes a little more time to peel back the layers of the onion."

LTeitz@BeaumontEnterprise.com Twitter.com/LizTeitz
Brian A. Pounds/Staff Photographer

Campus security has become a prime concern for school officials throughout the United States in the wake of tragedies such as the 1999 Columbine shooting. As a result, many districts are now adding security vestibules as a first line of defense to control access to campuses. Such is the thinking at Pearland ISD where a secured lobby featuring bullet resistant glass at all campuses is among the projects included in a proposed $220 million school bond proposal set to come before Pearland voters on Nov. 8.

"From the board direction, we wanted to make sure we kept our students and staff safe during the school day and when the long range planning committee provided us with the list of projects safety and security as at the top of the list," Decker said.
The Bayou Land Conservancy will celebrate 20 years of preserving Texas for Texans at a Nov. 5 gala hosted by Southwestern Energy at the newly constructed campus at 10000 Energy Drive in Spring, south of The Woodlands.

The gala will celebrate 20 years of preserving native Texas landscapes in the Houston region, now standing at more than 12,500 acres.

Harris County Precinct 4 Commissioner Jack Cagle will be the event's keynote speaker and a special focus will be honoring the many landowners who partner with the conservancy by preserving land.

Southwestern Energy is providing space for the event and also a Cypress Creek sponsorship to support the conservancy mission. Southwestern's 26-acre property, located just off of Interstate 45 in Springwoods Village, combines cost-effectiveness and efficiency while incorporating the native landscape into the overall campus design. The facility was certified LEED Gold for its construction.

The site features almost 6,000 trees planted to reforest areas disturbed during construction or that were bare when the land was purchased. The landscape features native plantings which require limited watering and include wildflowers and grasses. Irrigation comes from the Springwoods Village retention ponds

The conservancy is a community-sponsored land preservation organization working to permanently protect land, with a focus on the 13 watersheds that feed Lake Houston.

The Spring Creek Greenway is the longest contiguous urban forested corridor in the nation. Now close to 80 percent complete, it will ultimately be 33 miles long and cover more than 12,000 acres.

Visit http://www.bayoulandconservancy.org/ for more information about the gala or conservancy.
When I graduated from college, I had no work experience. And that didn't sit too well with the real life that followed. The result? I repeatedly messed up at work or fell behind schedule because I lacked good productivity habits. Before long, I realized I needed help.

Related: The 15 Best Productivity Apps for Getting Things Done

So I turned to productivity apps for answers. In the years since, Ive tried everything from Asana to ZipSchedules, and I've progressed from being basically unhire-able to running my own successful business.

Which got me thinking: There are so many productivity tools out there today that its nearly impossible to decide which ones to choose. Thats why I rounded up some of the most productive people I know and asked them what tools they use, on a daily basis, to stay productive. Here are their surprising answers.

1. Andres Moran

Moran is the co-founder of Fundera, a reputable small business loan startup, and Vestable, a marketplace for small businesses. Hes often in touch with other business owners, and his favorite productivity tools are email-related.

According to some studies, U.S. workers spend as much as 6.3 hours a day compulsively checking and responding to email. Lowering this number by whatever means necessary should be high on everyones priority list.

Yesware. This email extension allows you to see whenever someone opens an email you sent. It also shows you their location and whether they viewed your email on mobile or desktop. Beyond that, Yesware allows you to store email templates and schedule emails to be sent at a later time.

This email extension allows you to see whenever someone opens an email you sent. It also shows you their location and whether they viewed your email on mobile or desktop. Beyond that, Yesware allows you to store email templates and schedule emails to be sent at a later time. Rapportive. Rapportive allows you to see the social media profiles of recipients. The most utility I get out of it is to test different possible email address variations of a person I'd like to cold email.

2. Preston Pesek

Pesek started his career in real estate on Wall Street but has since turned to running Spacious, the worlds first time-share co-working solution. Pesek says he spends a lot of time managing his remote team of employees and responding to emails.

According to surveys, up to 49 percent of millennials support better social tools for workplace collaboration, while 86 percent of employees and executives think a lack of communication leads to workplace failures. Being able to keep in constant touch with decision-makers and team members is key to a healthy organization.

Slack. Can't live without it. Our team is distributed, mobile, and we work in multiple locations throughout the day. Slack is where we can always find each other, and Slack calls have replaced conference-call UX, video, voice and file-sharing.

Can't live without it. Our team is distributed, mobile, and we work in multiple locations throughout the day. Slack is where we can always find each other, and Slack calls have replaced conference-call UX, video, voice and file-sharing. Mail. There are lots of slick new apps out there for email, but nothing beats the clean and intuitive interface of Apple Mail. I ride the subway and draft underground. I send and forget, and don't get that message "failed to send" [as I do with apps] like Slack and SMS. Apple Mail just sends when I'm back online.

Related: 16 Productivity Tools Useful for Every Entrepreneur

3. Jay Baer

Baer has advised hundreds of blue chip companies on everything marketing related. By the time he started Convince & Convert in 2008, he was well on his way to becoming one of the biggest names in digital marketing. Unsurprisingly, Baer does a lot of traveling and speaking.

In the United States alone, people go on more than 488 million business trips annually to meet with clients and prospects. At the same time, over $213 billion per year (or 1 percent of the 2014 U.S. GDP) is wasted on unnecessary meetings. Streamlining both travel booking and appointment setting can go a long way to cutting costs.

Tripit. This keeps all of my travel plans and documents in one place, and easily accessible via laptop, phone or tablet. I travel 180 days per year, and couldnt survive without TripIt. Id be wandering around downtown trying to figure out what hotel I booked.

This keeps all of my travel plans and documents in one place, and easily accessible via laptop, phone or tablet. I travel 180 days per year, and couldnt survive without TripIt. Id be wandering around downtown trying to figure out what hotel I booked. Amy.io. Its the magic, human-like robot that schedules meetings and conference calls automatically. It offers the best of artificial intelligence, installed to your inbox and calendar. An amazing time-saver.

4. Eric Siu

Siu is the CEO of Single Grain, a digital marketing agency based in San Francisco. He co-hosts the Marketing School podcast with Neil Patel, and is also the founder of Growth Everywhere, a podcast on startup growth. Siu spends a lot of his time sharing files, and has figured out how to do it as efficiently as possible.

Not counting time spent on TV, radio or video games, the average American consumes over 3.5 hours of online media every day. Every second, over 2.3 million people Google something. Thats a lot of clicking, liking and sharing. Knowing how to share things even faster and with a higher degree of automation is the secret to social media mastery.

Droplr. You can take screenshots of things and annotate them quickly. After Dropir takes the screenshot, it copies it to the clipboard and you can share with people. Theres a lot less clicking around and it saves a lot of time each day.

You can take screenshots of things and annotate them quickly. After Dropir takes the screenshot, it copies it to the clipboard and you can share with people. Theres a lot less clicking around and it saves a lot of time each day. Alfred. A search bar that lets you find any file very quickly or do calculations on the fly. This will allow me to find something very quickly and drag it into Mac to send to somebody. It can even launch apps, run searches in Wikipedia, etc.

5. Joseph Warwick

Warwick, a content marketing consultant, is the former digital marketing director of Xerox and is currently a content marketing strategist at Blast Analytics. Hes a data-driven social media expert obsessed with tracking how he spends his own time.

Most of us think that were being as productive as possible at work. But when the average American worker wastes a median 2.5 hours each day, knowing how to keep better track of your time can be career-changing.

SproutSocial. It can be a challenge to respond to social media mentions and requests in a timely fashion, particularly when they're spread across five or more social channels. Sprout has helped me consolidate all of my social into one place and better manage community engagement.

It can be a challenge to respond to social media mentions and requests in a timely fashion, particularly when they're spread across five or more social channels. Sprout has helped me consolidate all of my social into one place and better manage community engagement. Harvest. Harvest is a time-tracking tool thats been a lifesaver and helps me understand whether I am scoping my client projects appropriately and staying profitable with my time.

Productivity is a deeply personal habit.

Did you notice that no two people listed the same tool? Perhaps productivity isnt something that you can just copy and paste from productive people. Maybe its more like a culture fit, a way of life that needs to be adapted to each persons unique personality, work style and needs.

My personal favorite productivity app is Google Drive. Not only does it make sharing and real-time collaboration a snap, I also keep my daily to-do list in a Google Doc. Whenever Im done with tasks, I cross them out. Any tasks that are left unfinished by the end of the day are simply pushed into the next day. Its simple, but it gets the job done.

Related: 6 Powerful Productivity Tools That Can Supercharge Every Solopreneur's Workflow

If youre still struggling to be productive, try out some of these apps. Just remember: You shouldnt use a productivity tool simply because other people do. Figure out what works best for you and stick with it. Sometimes the simplest productivity hacks are the most valuable

Related:

The Tools That 5 Highly Productive Entrepreneurs Use

5 Note-Taking Apps For Entrepreneurs For Paperless Work

'Time Management For Dummies' eBook Free For a Limited Time



Copyright 2016 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved
We have been asked by our students about how to have a civil conversation about politics during this very heated election season. This seems particularly important this year, given the unprecedented nature of this presidential campaign. Together we have compiled some general rules or recommendations that will hopefully help the community learn how to have a spirited conversation about any controversial subject without resorting to personal attacks and the acrimony that is too common in todays public discourse.

1. Manners are the oil of good political discussions . Never underestimate the power of a ready smile, simple courtesy and civility. Your courtesy may not be remembered or returned, but discourtesy will never be forgotten.

2. Show respect for differences by seeking first to understand . Tolerance and empathy does not necessitate approval or agreement  it does require a cordial and positive attempt to understand anothers feelings, beliefs, and positions. If youre doing all the talking, you are probably boring somebody. To lead others to your side on any issue it helps to see the road they must travel through their eyes, not your own. Master some timely questions: What are your most important issues? Why are they so important to you? What would you want your candidate to do? and then carefully listen to the responses.

3. Do your homework to build depth behind your convictions. Facts are important, as John Adams told us: Facts are stubborn things; and whatever may be our wishes, our inclinations, or the dictates of our passion, they cannot alter the state of facts and evidence. But while important, it is also necessary to be humble and fair with your facts. Statistics are only temporary snapshots in a stream of history, and far too many partisan quotes can be taken out of context. Try to use your facts in an even-handed manner. There is certainly value in doing your homework; however, its quite another thing to tell people everything you know about a subject as their eyes glaze over. Engage with the views of your audience.

4. When caught off-guard, take time to think before engaging in speech, sending emails, or leaving phone messages . Dont just say the right thing at the right moment; leave unsaid the wrong thing at the tempting moment! When you communicate with strong emotion and charged phrases, you may rally those who share your views, but those who disagree with you wont pay attention past the first attack. Take time to edit those tirades into clear statements designed to influence instead of inflame.

5. Avoid name-calling, you statements and should talk. Instead of putting down others or their positions, share your opinions in the form of I statements: I find , I feel , I think  Find that attractive middle ground where you can express opinions without demeaning those with whom you disagree.

6. Be focused more on what you are for, rather than what you are against . Anger over the past does not a vision for the future make. Participating in the blame game only tapes your eyes to the rearview mirror looking at things that cant be changed, while new obstacles and challenges are rapidly approaching out the front window. Let everyone save face and learn from mistakes by focusing conversations on working to invent a better future.

7. Admit your own mistakes and the mistakes of your own party . My party right or wrong! seldom impresses independent-thinking individuals. If you cant confront your own party when it is wrong, you wont be respected. Even when you cannot honestly concede a personal mistake, at least admit that you can appreciate that many see it differently. With the record of both parties in Washington over the last 30 years, its not hard to find failures worth confronting.

8. Learn to use humor to diffuse the tension conflict creates and to keep issues in perspective . The safest target for your humor is always yourself. When George Washington faced a Constitutional Convention that wanted to limit the size of his army to 5,000 troops, he agreed  as long as they would limit the size of the enemys forces to 3,000 troops. The resulting laughter ended the threat of unwise legislation.

9. Allow distance from a difficult conversation and give others time to think . The most powerful impact from a thoughtful conversation is often experienced after the parties have left each others presence. Forcing closure may only harden views that might have changed if the information shared had been given time to percolate. Giving others a little distance with dignity just may get them to reconsider a few of their views.

10. End fruitless conversations on a positive note. Many will never change their positions, no matter how civil the discussion or how long you talk. Learn to say, I guess no amount of dialogue is going to change either of us. Thats what makes this country so great  were free to disagree!

There is one additional rule wed like to propose to judge the merit of the opposing positions of any issue under debate: When one side resorts to attacking the messenger rather than the message, they have lost the debate.

We hope you all will become active participants in a politics that ideally not only helps us solve the many problems we currently face, but that will, by the manner in which we contest the various proposals, remind us that what joins us together is much greater than that which divides us.

Robert Guffin and Erin OGrady are Upper School history teachers at Greens Farms Academy in Westport.
We will have to see whether the art fair called Untitled, Art can translate its Miami success of the past five years to San Francisco. Something of a latecomer to the December madhouse of such events in the Florida city, the Untitled fair quickly gained a reputation as both more serious in purpose and more fun to look at than most of the myriad ancillaries to the main event, Art Basel Miami Beach.

Untitled, Art will now for the first time go head to head with San Franciscos Fog Design+Art, with both running Jan. 12-15. Both will be at the waterfront  Untitled at Pier 70 in the Dogpatch neighborhood, Fog returning to the Festival Pavilion pier at Fort Mason.

Fog, by the standards of big-city fairs, is smallish, and has signaled it will stay that way. That is to the good: It has an easy, party vibe rather than the dreary pall of a business trade expo that hangs over most such events. It is run for the benefit of the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, giving it a gala fundraiser feeling rather than that of a market hall.

The best fairs curate their shows, rather than renting booths to anyone who will pay. And all fairs like to have top dealers from around the world, balanced by galleries well known and respected in their local markets. That equation gives an event two essential kinds of credibility.

The 2016 Fog show attracted a number of international big names. And from its inception in 2014, it has had the support of many of the Bay Areas most venerated and important art dealers, including John Berggruen, Rena Bransten, Jeffrey Fraenkel, Cheryl Haines and Anthony Meier, as well as some of the best of the next wave (Altman-Siegel, Hosfelt, Silverman, Ratio 3s Chris Perez). (Fog also includes design, not currently in the purview of Untitled, which additionally limits the number of art exhibitors.)

That leaves Untitled with the task of luring galleries from elsewhere to an exciting but still unproven market. Even more difficult, though, may be getting the best locals to switch (aint gonna happen  apparently they all make money at Fog), persuading them to run booths at both fairs (unlikely, given that brick-and-mortar spaces also need to be maintained) or landing good galleries that cant make the cut at the impacted, exclusive Fog. Untitled seems, necessarily, to be pursuing the third route.

Another strategy, which holds great promise, particularly for those of us likely to look more than buy, is to enlist nonprofit art organizations. A number of them have been invited to put on exhibitions and events, without paying for booth rental. Among the participants will be 500 Capp Street Foundation, Contemporary Jewish Museum, Headlands Center for the Arts, Kadist, the Lab, UC Berkeley Art Museum & Pacific Film Archive and Wattis Institute for Contemporary Art.

Swissnex San Francisco

Switzerland in San Francisco: Piers, clearly, are being reborn across the Bay Area as cultural resources. Now the wharf just north of the Exploratorium has become home to Switzerland at Pier 17, a suite of offices housing the Swiss Consulate and related agencies. Among the new facilities, at Suite 800, is substantial new exhibition space  2,360 feet  for Swissnex, an art research program and gallery that has played an active role on the San Francisco scene for some 15 years.

On Nov. 4, Swissnex opens an exhibition celebrating the 100th anniversary of what organizers call the birth of Dada at the Cabaret Voltaire in Zurich. (Others might argue that Marcel Duchamp founded the movement slightly earlier in New York, but no matter.) Swiss and Bay Area artists  including Jonathon Keats, Tony Labat and Jenny Odell  have been asked to remix classic works from Swiss archives.

Also of interest is a program called Dart17, for which local artists and other creatives can apply, which will provide access to tools for experiments in augmented reality, virtual reality, robotics and other new technologies (learn more here: www.swissnexsanfrancisco.org/initiatives/dart17).

Guerrero Gallery

Birds of a feather: If it seems to you that the gallery scene in the Bay Area has picked up in the past 18 months or so, I think youre right. One reason for that, surely, is the launch of new and expanded efforts meant to take advantage of the San Francisco Museum of Modern Arts reopening. There are also dealers hopes that all the tech money sloshing around may be attached to an educated audience ready to become a sophisticated market  or, at least, that the new wealth implies a lot of new empty walls.

But its not just the sense of expanding gallery square footage. There is an increasing willingness among gallerists to make financial gambles on art that itself embraces risk. Thats growth of the best kind.

My job is to focus on ideas and images. But it stands to reason that if theres no market for challenging art, there will be fewer opportunities to engage with it outside museums and other nonprofits  which have their own limitations. Thats why I have great respect for how the galleries here have newly committed to work more collaboratively, and to educate themselves and each other on best practices in the field.

The vehicle they have employed is a reinvigorated San Francisco Art Dealers Association, founded in 1972 and now with a membership of 51 galleries, plus eight retired associates. Among other trade organization-type activities, theyve held discussions on such subjects as how to strategize about art fairs and how to work with museums, and mounted a two-day law and art business forum.

Wendi Norris (inset), whose eponymous gallery has rapidly become sharper and more intellectually provocative over its seven-year history, stepped down last Thursday, Oct. 20, from the presidency of the dealers group. The new president is Mark Pinsukanjana, co-owner of Themes + Projects; executive director is Petra Schumann.

In case you missed it: Guerrero Gallery has been in its new home just south of the Dogpatch-Bayview line since early summer, but I had not made a visit until last week. Thats a mistake I plan to redress. A visit to the gallery is, in itself, one of the more surprising and invigorating viewing experiences in the Bay Area.

Tucked around back of another business, the extraordinary Living Green Design warehouse, the space is reached via a winding path through towering plants and potted trees, past imposing geological and sculptural curiosities. That dark jungle expedition ends at a brightly lit, double-story white box inserted into a steel-beamed industrial space.

Andres Guerrero had maintained a constant but low profile since closing his popular Mission District space in 2013. Now hes back with a smart and colorful show that plays teasingly virtuoso paintings by Terry Powers against masterworks of neo-Pop ceramic sculpture by John DeFazio . On a central wall, a fulcrum of two new paintings made for the exhibition by Taravat Talepasand brings it all into balance, as she lovingly interprets and pays tribute to the other artists.

Charles Desmarais is The San Francisco Chronicles art critic. Email: cdesmarais@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @Artguy1
SAN ANTONIO  Early voting has started across the state, and it's off to a busy start at some San Antonio polling sites.

At Brook Hollow Library, perennially one of Bexar County's most active early polls, about 100 people were in line waiting to cast their ballots as voting started at 8 a.m.
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Voting devices are primed for action and hundreds of Bexar County poll workers are prepped for a busy day Monday, when a record turnout is expected for the first day of early balloting in the Nov. 8 election.

Forty-three early polling sites are open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday, where voters can finally weigh in on the presidential race, elect federal, state and county officials, and decide local matters including school bond elections.

The general election of 2016 is heading to the history books. An unprecedented number of voters  1,040,590  were registered in Bexar County as of Friday, with a larger, final number expected Monday. Late last week, election officials were processing the last remaining voter registration applications that arrived in compliance with the Oct. 11 deadline.

RELATED: Where they stand  Clinton, Trump on the issues

Early voting, which ends Nov. 4, is predicted to yield 65 percent of the countys total vote, which could range from 500,000 to 600,000 in Bexar County, officials said last week.

At least 150,000 in-person votes are expected on Election Day, when more than 700 polling sites will operate, County Judge Nelson Wolff said. He joined state and local officials in urging the public to vote early, when theres usually less waiting.

Bexar County Early Voting Numbers for 2016 General Election Bexar County residents cast a combined 436,731 early votes for the Tuesday, Nov. 8 General Election from Oct. 24-Nov. 4. Click on each polling place below to the total voters at the location for the last day of early voting, and the entire 12-day period.

It takes the stress off of Election Day, Wolff said.

The 43 early voting sites, also a record, include public libraries, community centers, school offices and other public areas in all corners of the county. This year, the often-changing lineup of early voting sites includes polls at the Alamo Stadium Convocation Center, Palo Alto College, Northwest Vista College and the main campus of the University of Texas at San Antonio.

Texas is one of 37 states with early voting  and one of the last to start the process. The Associated Press reported Friday that 4.4 million people nationwide have already voted in 34 states at a pace far exceeding 2012, the last presidential election.

The countys voter rolls have grown by more than 140,000 this year, a phenomenon also seen statewide. Texas registrations are approaching 80 percent of the 19 million Texans of voting age, a number that includes some ineligible non-citizens and felons.

RELATED: San Antonio Express-News Editorial Board endorsements for the 2016 General Election

Texas Secretary of State Carlos Cascos, the states chief elections official, said hes pleased by the high registration numbers and is criss-crossing Texas to encourage voting and explain photo identification requirements.

Its not that complicated, he said. Those whove been presenting a photo ID such as a driver license should still do so, he said. Those without one of the seven allowed forms of photo ID can still vote. They fill out an impedement declaration basically saying  theres been a reasonable impedement to obtaining or possessing one of the seven forms of photo ID.

Those who sign a declaration then will be allowed to vote if they have one of several other documents including a utility bill, bank statement, government document, or a blue voter registration certificate.

Cascos, a Republican and a former Cameron County judge appointed by Gov. Greg Abbott, dismissed the notion of a rigged election, saying thats highly unlikely, very improbable.

If someone would want to do something like that they would have to figure out how to hack into 254 different locations, Cascos said, referring to Texas 254 counties.

RELATED: Texans can vote without ID

With vote security concerns swirling nonetheless, Cascos said voters could encounter poll monitors unaffiliated with county election staff. Last week, Bexar GOP Chairman Robert Stovall said his party has seen a surge in interest among volunteer poll watchers, with scores offering to monitor the process.

With only 43 early polling sites compared to 700 on Election Day, candidates often strive to have an impactful presence at many of the early polls. Many deploy supporters to greet voters and hold signs, sometimes getting vocal about their support.

jgonzalez@express-news.net

Twitter: @johnwgonzalez
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Fall might be a bit late to the Alamo City, but residents can look forward to some extended, cooler weather this week, as a cold front approaches.

Temperatures should peak at 85 Monday, gradually dropping towards 81 degrees by Friday. Lows will reach the mid-60s early in the week, with some 50-degree temperatures possible later, according to National Weather Service reports.

The city also should get some significant cloud cover through Wednesday, before the sun breaks through on Thursday and Friday. Precipitation isn't expected, according to the forecast.

Hundreds of San Antonians got an early start on enjoying the weather at Market Square on Sunday, flocking between San Saba and Santa Rosa streets among the rows of vendors, musicians and performers.

"Last year, it never really felt like winter got here," said Bill Giamatti, 49, who was visiting the venue with his wife, Maria. "If I could take three solid months of this weather today, I'd do that ... in a heartbeat."

Giamatti, who has partial vision loss and uses a guide dog, Rufio, to get around, said he was "thrilled" at the chance to walk around "without sweating bullets."

"Nice change of pace," he said.

In front of the Alamo, the usual throngs of tourists positioned for group pictures and selfies in front of the iconic landmark.

David Ruiz, 19, of Pleasanton, was browsing through a reel of pictures on his smartphone near the landmark.

"I should have brought a jacket today," Ruiz laughed. "That's not something ...you usually get to say at noon down here."

Up at Brackenridge Park, runners Michael Thornton, 31, and Santi Cortes, 28, were taking a break under the shade of the tree canopy near a pair of picnic tables.

"This is the first weekend we've been able to (work out) in the middle of the afternoon," Thornton said. "Always nice to not have to wake up at 6:00 a.m. just to get a run in."

Cortes agreed.

"We try to come out here early most days, when it's still dark, just to get away from the sun" he explained. "If you're telling me ... we could get more of this weather, I'd be the first one out the door."

jgerlach@express-news.net
Transcription

1 Scenario of Large Scale Rice Production in Papua New Guinea Sailesh Samanta, Dilip Kumar Pal Department of Surveying and Land Studies, The PNG University Of Technology Morobe Province, Lae, Papua New Guinea Abstract Despite her vast, congenial land resources; affable agro-climatic conditions Papua New Guinea continues to be a rice importing country to meet its domestic demands. This research proposes an empirical methodology for modeling and mapping of rice suitability areas using the Remote Sensing (RS) and Geographic Information System (GIS) techniques. The study area happens to be the entire Papua New Guinea. All 19 provinces of Papua New Guinea (PNG) have been selected for the present study of large scale rice land suitability analysis; based on topography (altitude and slope), physical soil parameters (texture, water holding capacity, drainage and depth), chemical soil properties (ph, nitrogen, potassium, phosphorus and Base saturation) and climate (temperature and rainfall) that are mandatory inputs to rice land suitability model. These parameters are obtained from DSM (Digital Surface model) data, soil data base of PNG, monthly and annual temperature and rainfall data, respectively. Erdas Imagine v-11 model builder/maker is used to build the key model for rice land suitability mapping. All selected provinces have been classified into five qualitative categories of rice land suitability. The result indicates that about 14% lands are highly suitable for rice cultivation. Further refined parameters (e.g., inundation, slope etc.) are used to find out large scale suitable rice land for eight selected provinces namely, Central, East Sepik, East New Britain, Morobe, Madang, Milne Bay, West New Britain, and Western province. Keywords-Remote Sensing, Geographical Information System, Topography, Soil, Rice land I. INTRODUCTION Till today rice, wheat and corn do not form the staple food for the vast majority of Papua New Guineans. Their carbohydrate needs are still fulfilled by sweet potato, taro, yams, sago and bananas. Agriculture began in Papua New Guinea (PNG) about 10,000 years ago as shown by archaeological research where starch was found on stone tools excavated in Kuk in western highlands. It suggested that taro was cultivated in Kuk at that time. A number of staple food crops such as banana, sago, taro, greater yam, highland and lowland pitpits etc. were domesticated by the people of New Guinea area thousands of years ago (Boureke, 2009). PNG with one percent of world geographical land area inhabit 5% of the world s biodiversity (Kwa, 2009). Traditionally PNG farmers have a culture of actively sustaining this prolific biodiversity through their ago old agricultural practice (Joachim, 2011). In the 1884 colonial period formally started when most local economies depended almost entirely on the cultivation of staple crops as the basis of their livelihood. The crops included sweet potato, taro, yams and sago and these were supplemented with bananas, sugarcane etc. The shift to cultivation appears to have become the dominant means of acquiring food by 1880s (Laccey, 1981). But then, unlike many countries in Asia- Pacific region, Papua New Guinea did not change its food habit appreciably with the passing time. With the progress of development of human society, the new generation Papua New Guineans are showing ostensible preference for grain crop rice as the staple food. Here is the relevance of finding suitable rice growing areas in Papua New Guinea in order to discover its inherent potential to transcend into a rice exporting country from a rice importing country. Crop-land suitability analysis is a prerequisite to be achieved optimum utilization of the available land resources for sustainable agricultural production (Perveen et. al., 2007). One of the major burning needs in this country is to improve agricultural land management and to impart suitable cropping patterns in order to increase the agricultural production with proper use of land resources. This is paramount towards augmenting agriculture s contribution to the country s GDP, which is below the inherent potential at present day. As indicated earlier, the bulk of the Papua New Guinea s population relies on subsistence farming of non-cereal-grain crops such as taro, yam, banana, and sweet potato, and/or exploitation of sago palm. The situation perpetuates PNG s dependence on import from south-east Asian countries and Australia. Instead of her turning into a net exporter of rice by facilitating rice agriculture through identification of suitable rice growing areas, Papua New Guinea continues to be heavily dependent on rice imports (97 % of total consumption). Hence this study has been envisaged with a view to determining physical land suitability for rice IJIRSE/Vol. 2 Iss. 6 Page 463

2 using a multi-criteria decision, remote sensing and GIS approach. The aim of integrating remote sensing, Multi- Criteria Evaluation with Geographical Information Systems (GIS) is to provide more flexible and superior mechanism to the decision makers in order to evaluate the effective factors. This research provides information at local level that could be used by farmers to select cropping patterns in accordance with suitability. II. STUDY AREA AND DATA USED This work attempts to develop index model to determine suitable land for rice cultivation in the entire Papua New Guinea. Secondly large scale suitable rice land are to demarked for eight selected provinces namely, Central, East Sepik, East New Britain, Morobe, Madang, Milne Bay, West New Britain, and Western. Different types of data sets are used for rice land suitability analysis. Various physical and chemical variables are used for this purpose, they are topography (slope and aspect of the land), physical (texture, water holding capacity and depth) and chemical (ph, nitrogen, potassium, phosphorus) soil properties and climate (temperature and rainfall). One of the most widely used digital elevation model (DEM) data sources is the elevation information provided by the Digital Surface Model (DSM World 30) and Shuttle Radar Topographic Mission (SRTM) data are used for this study. Different statistical data are obtained from Geobook 2009 and PNGRIS (2008 census) of Papua New Guinea to carry out this research work. III. METHODS Spatial multi-criteria decision-making approach is a process where geographical data are combined and transformed into a decision using different GIS s/w platform (Samanta et. al., 2011). It involves input data, the decision maker s analytical acumen and manipulation of all relevant information using specified decision rules. In this spatial multi-criteria decision-making approach, the input data is geographical data. Topography, physical and chemical properties of soil and climate data are used leading to the rice land suitability analysis. A. Topographic database One of the most widely used digital elevation/ topographic data sources is the elevation information provided by the shuttle radar topography mission (SRTM) (Coltelli, et. al., 1996). When no high resolution auxiliary DEM is available, the 30 second SRTM30 DEM (90 m spatial resolution) is used as an auxiliary for large voids (Hutchinson (1988; 1989). For this present study the original DSM30 is used to produce absolute relief/altitude/height and a slope map of the study area. The Slope tool calculates the maximum rate of change between each cell and its neighbors. Each cell in the output raster has a slope value. The lower slope value indicates a flatter terrain and higher the slope value steeper is the terrain. ArcGIS v-10.0 is used to generate a slope map of the study area using the elevation data. Flat fields having smooth surface are better for rice cultivation as it facilitates even distribution of water across the neighbouring cells, which happens to be the crucial factor for rice agriculture. The table I bellow displays the minimum and maximum of altitude (above mean sea level) and slope in the study area. TABLE I. RELIEF AND SLOPE OF THE AREA Altitude (in m) Slope (Degree) Minimum 0 Minimum Flat (0) Maximum 3800 Maximum Steep (55) B. Soil database Physical and chemical data base of soils are prepared from soil region maps of Geobook and PNGRIS. Soil textures are classified by the fractions of each soil separate (sand, silt, and clay) present in a soil. Classifications are typically named for the primary constituent particle size or a combination of the most abundant particles sizes (Pal, et. al., 2011). In the United States, twelve soil texture classifications are defined by the United State Department of Agriculture (USDA), namely sand, loamy sand, sandy loam, silt loam, loam, sandy clay loam, silty clay loam, clay loam, clay, sandy clay, silty clay and Silt. Clay, silty clay, silty clay loam, clay loam and silty loam textures of soil are considered best for paddy/rice crop in view of their superior water retention capacity. The effective soil depth is defined as the thickness of soil above a layer restricting root growth (e.g., consolidated rock or cemented materials, such as gravel). Most annual crops have a rooting depth of about 50cm, while for tree crops the rooting system can reach beyond 150cm. However, most crops produce good yields in soils with an effective soil depth of about 100cm and this value has been used as an upper limit. The available water holding capacity of soil is the amount of water held in the soil between tensions corresponding to field capacity and permanent wilting point. The term ph refers to the alkalinity or acidity of a growing media water solution. Soil ph and base saturation are the important chemical properties that influence soil nutrient availability, plant growth, the activities of soil IJIRSE/Vol. 2 Iss. 6 Page 464

3 microorganisms, and organic matter decomposition. Most field crops prefer neutral or slightly acidic soil because it promotes the solubility of micro and macro nutrients for plant growth and development. Rice crops usually prefer slightly low acidic soils compared to other crops. Slightly acid soils having a ph value of 6 to 7 are better for paddy cultivation. However, it has been found to be grown in a wide range of ph varying from 4 to 8. The percentage base saturation (BS%) is termed the proportion of CEC occupied by bases (Ca ++, Mg ++, K +, and Na + cations) and it is inversely related to soil acidity (contributed by H + and Al +++ cations). In general, BS% is positively correlated to soil ph. In acidic soils CEC is dominated by H + and Al +++ cations, alkaline soils CEC is dominated by K+, and Na+ cations, while the neutral soils are dominated by Ca ++, Mg ++, K +, and Na + cations. The availability of nutrient cations, such as Ca ++, Mg ++, and K +, to plants increases with increasing BS%. The three major soil elements N, P, and K are generally highly correlated with plant growth and yield and are subject to rapid depletion following forest clearing and intensive cropping without proper soil management practice. Phosphorus is essential for plant growth. It is also necessary for seed germination, photosynthesis, protein formation, and plant metabolism, as well as flower and fruit formation. Nitrogen is a major component of proteins, hormones, chlorophyll, vitamins, and enzymes essential for plant life. It is the most important soil element for crop production. The presence of optimal nitrogen for crop production boosts crop yield while deficiencies reduce yield. Potassium enables plants to fight against pests, increases grain weight (yield), and fosters survival during drought episodes. Table III describes the various soil physical properties, e.g. textures, depths, water holding capacity and soil drainage found in the study area. Table IV gives various chemical attributes of the soils in the study area. C. Climate data Temperature and rainfall are two climatic factors which has a favorable and in some cases unfavorable influence on the development, growth and yield of rice. Rice is being a tropical and sub-tropical crop is normally grown at a fairly high temperature high rainfall region, ranging from 20 to 40 C and 3000 mm to 5000 mm of annual rainfall (Table V). D. Suitability rating According to the degree of favorable environment for rice cultivation, simple statistical weighting/ratings were used for all the variables leading to multi-criteria decision support approach. We contrived three rating systems, like 5 as high suitable, 4 as moderate to high suitable, 3 as moderately suitable, 2 as moderate to low suitable and 1 as unsuitable for all variables. All the details about weighting/rating are given in table II through V. TABLE II. RELIEF AND SLOPE SUITABILITY RATING AND WEIGHT Altitude Slope Altitude range (m) S Code^ Weight Slope range S Code Weight More than More than 10 1 ^S Code represents Suitability Code TABLE III. SOIL TEXTURE, DEPTH, WATER HOLDING CAPACITY AND DRAINAGE SUITABILITY RATING AND WEIGHT Soil Texture S Code Weight Soil depth S Code Weight Sands 1 Not stony/rocky 5 Loamy Sands 1 Slightly stony/rocky 3 Sandy Loams 2 Moderately stony/rocky 2 1 Silt 2 Very stony/rocky 1 Sandy Clay Loam 3 Extremely stony/rocky 1 2 Loam 3 Silty Loam 3 Clay Loam 4 Sandy Clay 4 Silty Clay Loam 4 Silty Clay 5 Clay 5 Available water holding Suitability Weight Soil Drainage Suitability capacity Code Code Very high (>15cm) 5 Well drained 3 High (10 to15) 4 Imperfectly drained 4 Moderate (5 to 10) 3 2 Waterlogged (swampy) 2 Low (3 to 5) 2 Poorly to very poorly drained 5 Very low (<3) 1 Weight 2 IJIRSE/Vol. 2 Iss. 6 Page 465

4 TABLE IV. SOIL PH, NITROGEN (N), PHOSPHORUS (P), POTASSIUM (K) AND BASE SATURATION SUITABILITY RATING AND WEIGHT Soil ph S Code Weig ht (%) Soil Nitrogen S Code Weig ht Available Phosphorus S Code Weig ht Weakly acid to neutral 5 > > 20 ppm 5 Acid Strongly acid to to 20 ppm Alkaline Strongly alkaline 1 <0.2 <10 ppm Available Potassium S Code Weight Base saturation S Code Weight High (> 20 ppm) 5 High (> 60%) 5 Moderate (10-20 ppm) 3 1 Moderate (20-60%) 4 1 Low (<10 ppm) 2 Low (<20%) 2 TABLE V. CLIMATE (TEMPERATURE AND RAINFALL) SUITABILITY RATING AND WEIGHT Mean Temperature (C) Rainfall (mm) Temperature Range S Code Weight Rain fall Range S Code Weight More than E. Land suitability analysis Erdas Imagine v-11 software is used to prepare topography layers (height and slope of the land), soil physico-chemical layers (texture, water holding capacity, drainage, depth, ph, base saturation, nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorus), and incumbent major climate feature layers (temperature and rainfall). We devised the relevant index model (Fig.1) in the model maker using the multi-criteria decision-making approach. All those thirteen variables are used as inputs in the index model. In the first step we produced the topographic suitability using slope and height layer for the area, followed by physical soil suitability using texture, water holding capacity, drainage and depth; chemical soil suitability using soil ph, base saturation, nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus; and climate suitability using temperature and rainfall. In the next step all suitable categories were stored in the temporary output memory file. Finally, we used them as temporary memory inputs for rice land suitability analysis. Figure. 1. Index model in the model maker using the multi-criteria decision-making approach IJIRSE/Vol. 2 Iss. 6 Page 466

5 F. Large scale rice production analysis with Physical Limitation Further two logical analyses are performed to find out suitable land (i) For large scale mechanized rice production and (ii) for large scale plus smallholders rice production. Eight provinces are chosen, namely Central, East Sepik, East New Britain, Morobe, Madang, Milne Bay, West New Britain, and Western province. Table 6 describes all refine parameters which are used to find out suitable land for large scale mechanized rice production and table 7 describes for large scale plus smallholders rice production. Refine parameters Suitability Category Slope Soil Texture Inundation Soil Depth Altitude TABLE IV. LOGIC FOR LARGE SCALE MECHANIZED RICE PRODUCTION Condition for large scale mechanized rice production Moderate to High and High 0 (Flat) Clay Loam, Silty Clay Loam, Silty Clay, Clay No flooding or inundation, Not stony/rocky Less than 1000m TABLE VII. Refine parameters Suitability Category Slope Soil Texture Inundation Soil Depth Altitude LOGIC FOR LARGE SCALE PLUS SMALLHOLDER S RICE PRODUCTION Condition for large scale mechanized rice production Moderate to High and High 0 to 1 (Flat) Clay Loam, Silty Clay Loam, Silty Clay, Clay No flooding or inundation, Seasonal inundation (25 cm) Not stony/rocky Less than 1000m IV. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION The index model is used to produce suitability database for entire Papua New Guinea (Fig. 2) as well as for all individual provinces. The final suitability output raster is classified into five categories of rice suitability. The result indicates that only fourteen percent (14%) land can be demarcated as high and thirteen percent (13%) as moderate to high suitability categories in the study area (Table VIII) and the spatial expanse of all the five categories within the province are mapped and displayed (Figure 2). Zonal statistics algorithm is used to generate statistics for each suitability category that fall under each province based on final model output raster and province boundary feature (shown in Table IX and Fig. 3). TABLE VII. AVAILABILITY OF SUITABLE LAND FOR RICE IN PAPUA NEW GUINEA Suitability PAPUA NEW GUINEA Percent Low Moderate to Low Moderate Moderate to High High Total TABLE IX. PROVINCE WISE AVAILABILITY OF SUITABLE LAND FOR RICE IN PAPUA NEW GUINEA Suitability CEN % EHY % ENB % ENG % ESK % Low Moderate to Low Moderate Moderate to High High GUL % MAD % MAN % MIL % MOR % NIR % NSL % ORO % SHY % SIM % WES % WHY % WNB % WSK % IJIRSE/Vol. 2 Iss. 6 Page 467

6 (IJIRSE) International Journal of Innovative Research in Science & Engineering Figure. 2. Available suitable land for rice cultivation in Papua New Guinea IJIRSE/Vol. 2 Iss. 6 Page 468

7 Figure. 3. Province wise availability of suitable land for rice in Papua New Guinea Available suitable land (all five suitability categories in hector) for each district are calculated using Zonal Histogram algorithm in the ARCGIS 10 software using suitable raster Raster layer and district layers (Table X to XVII) for eight (8) selected provinces. TABLE X. DISTRICT WISE SUITABILITY STATISTICS FOR CENTRAL PROVINCE Suitability Goilala Kairuku Hiri Rigo NCD Abau Low Moderate to Low Moderate Moderate to High High TABLE XI. DISTRICT WISE SUITABILITY STATISTICS FOR EAST SEPIK PROVINCE Suitability Wewak Maprik Angoram Ambunit Low Moderate to Low Moderate Moderate to High High TABLE XII. DISTRICT WISE SUITABILITY STATISTICS FOR EAST NEW BRITAIN PROVINCE Suitability Rabaul Kokopo Pomio Low Moderate to Low Moderate Moderate to High High TABLE XIII. DISTRICT WISE SUITABILITY STATISTICS FOR MADANG PROVINCE Suitability Bogia Karkar Mid_Ramu Madang Rai_Coast UP_Ramu Low Moderate to Low Moderate Moderate to High High TABLE XIV. DISTRICT WISE SUITABILITY STATISTICS FOR MADANG PROVINCE Suitability Losuia Esa_ala Rabaraba Alotau Samarai Misima Low Moderate to Low Moderate Moderate to High High IJIRSE/Vol. 2 Iss. 6 Page 469

8 TABLE XV. DISTRICT WISE SUITABILITY STATISTICS FOR MOROBE PROVINCE Suitability Siassi Kabwum Finschhafe Kaiapit Lae Mumeng Menyamya Wau Low Moderate to Low Moderate Moderate to High High TABLE XVI. DISTRICT WISE SUITABILITY STATISTICS FOR WESTERN PROVINCE Suitability Tabubil Kiunga Nomad Balimo Morehead Daru Low Moderate to Low Moderate Moderate to High High TABLE XVII. DISTRICT WISE SUITABILITY STATISTICS FOR WEST NEW BRITAIN PROVINCE Suitability Kimbe Bialla Gloucester Kandrian Low Moderate to Low Moderate Moderate to High High After analyzing with refine physical parameters resulted outputs showed district wise available suitable land for large scale mechanized (Table XVIII) and large scale plus smallholder rice production (Fig. 4 to 11) calculated using Zonal Histogram algorithm. TABLE XVIII. PROVINCE WISE AVAILABILITY OF SUITABLE LAND FOR LARGE SCALE MECHANIZED RICE CULTIVATION Province Land (ha) Province Land (ha) Central 870 Morobe East Sepik 4794 Madang 9583 East New Britain 7356 Western 4781 Milne Bay 5956 West New Britain 9291 Figure 4. Suitable land for large scale plus smallholder rice production in Central IJIRSE/Vol. 2 Iss. 6 Page 470

9 Figure 5. Suitable land for large scale plus smallholder rice production in East Sepik Figure 6. Suitable land for large scale plus smallholder rice production in East New Britain IJIRSE/Vol. 2 Iss. 6 Page 471

10 Figure 7. Suitable land for large scale plus smallholder rice production in Madang Figure 8. Suitable land for large scale plus smallholder rice production in Milne Bay IJIRSE/Vol. 2 Iss. 6 Page 472

11 Figure 9. Suitable land for large scale plus smallholder rice production in Morobe Figure 10. Suitable land for large scale plus smallholder rice production in Western IJIRSE/Vol. 2 Iss. 6 Page 473

12 (IJIRSE) International Journal of Innovative Research in Science & Engineering Figure 11. Suitable land for large scale plus smallholder rice production in West New Britain V. CONCLUSIONS Rice crop suitability analysis is carried out for entire Papua New Guinea. Spatial multi-criteria decision-making approach is used with twelve geographical data sets, as input in the model, namely slope and altitude, soil texture, water holding capacity, soil depth, soil drainage, ph, exchange base saturation, nitrogen, potassium, phosphorus, temperature and rainfall. Trukai Industry Ltd. currently harvesting (Fig. 12 and Fig. 13) 100 hectares of rice land located in Markham district, Morobe Province. The area falls under medium suitability zone according this present study. This is the first trail of 26 highland and lowland rice varieties (rain fed). Approximate yield is 80 tons of rice in 100 hectares of land. It seem to be very less. Next the company is planning for 400 hectares land to be cultivated (large scale machinery farming). While Papua New Guinea is the largest group of rice consumers in the country, very little is grown here. Ideally Trukai wants to increase local production in a scale where rice can be grown in the country for local consumption. In the next step study we are going to attempt high resolution scale mapping on eight selected provinces (Central, East Sepik, East New Britain, Morobe, Madang, Milne Bay, West New Britain and Western province) on a similar theme for Papua New Guinea with additional and further refined parameters (Land use, social behavior and government policies etc.). Figure 12. Rice field ready for harvesting in Erup farm at Morobe Figure 13. Rice field harvesting in Erup farm at Morobe IJIRSE/Vol. 2 Iss. 6 Page 474

13 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT Authors express sincere gratitude to Mr Mark Denovan, CEO, TRUKAI INDUSTRIES Ltd and to Mr Humphrey Saese, Project coordinator, TRUKAI INDUSTRIES Ltd for undertaking the financial liability for the carrying out the research work. Authors are grateful to Papua New Guinea University of Technology & Department of Surveying and Land studies for providing GIS laboratory facility to carry out the research work. The authors are also thankful to the all the academic staff of GIS section and National Agriculture Research Institute for their valuable comments and suggestions. REFERENCES [1] A. R. P. Joachim, "Subsistence Agriculture in Papua New Guinea is it contributor or a threat to biological diversity?", In: Proceedings of Fourth Annual Science and Technology conference, pp , Application of Science and Technology for Sustainable utilisation of Natural Resources, [2] B. Pal, and S. Samanta, "Surface runoff estimation and mapping using Remote Sensing and Geographic Information System", International Journal of Advances in Science and Technology, 3 (2), , [3] E. Kwa, "Biodiversity Conservation Policy and Law", University of Papua New Guinea, Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, [4] F.Perveen, N. Ryota, U. Imtiaz, and K. M. D. Hossain, Crop land suitability analysis using a multicriteria evaluation and GIS approach", 5th International Symposium on Digital Earth, pp. 1-8, The University of California, Berkeley, USA, [5] Geobook, Provincial GIS-based planning tools, Remote Sensing Centre, PO Box 320, University, NCD, Papua New Guinea, [6] M. Coltelli, G. Fornaro, G. Franceschetti, R. Lanari, M. Migiaccio, J. R. Moreira, K. P. Papathanassaou, G. Puglisi, D. Riccio, and M. Schwabisch, "SIR-C/X-SAR multifrequency multipass interferometry: A new tool for geological interpretation", Journal of Geophysical Research, Vol. 101, [7] M. Hutchinson, "A new procedure for gridding elevation and stream line data with automatic removal of spurious pits", Journal of Hydrology, Vol.106, pp , [8] M. Hutchinson, "Calculation of hydrologically sound digital elevation models," Third International Symposium on Spatial Data Handling, Columbus, Ohio, International Geographical Union, [9] PNGRIS- "Papua New Guinea Resource Information System", The Land-Use Section, Science and Technology Branch, Department of Agriculture and Livestock, 3 rd ed., P.O Box 1863, Boroko, NCD, Papua New Guinea, [10] R. Laccey, "Agricultural production on the eve of colonialism", In: D Denoon and C. Snowden (eds), A History of Agriculture in Papua New Guinea: A time to plant and a time to uproot. Institute of Papua New Guinea Studies, Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, [11] R. M. Boureke, "History of agriculture in Papua New Guinea", In: R.M. Bourke and T. Harwood (eds) Food and Agriculture in Papua New Guinea: ANU E Press, The Australian National University, Canberra, [12] S. Samanta, B. Pal, D. K. Pal, "Land suitability analysis for rice cultivation based on multi-criteria decision approach through GIS", International Journal of Science & Emerging Technologies, ExcelingTech, Pub, UK, Vol. 2 (1), pp , [13] SRTM (Shuttle Radar ftp://e0srp01u.ecs.nasa.gov. Topography Mission), elevation data on a near-global scale, [14] USDA (United State Department of Agriculture), Soil texture classification, IJIRSE/Vol. 2 Iss. 6 Page 475
Donald Trumps border wall in three words: Impractical. Illogical. Unnecessary.

Yet, that big, beautiful wall is arguably the reason Trump is the GOP presidential nominee. He has ridden Build that wall! through the primaries to a one-on-one showdown for the presidency with the other major-party candidate.

Many with personal or professional familiarity with the U.S.-Mexico border have long cited the impossible logistics and even worse optics inherent in building such a Pacific-to-the-Gulf barrier.

Earlier this month, an Express-News article by Jason Buch and Aaron Nelsen looked at the issue firsthand. They reported that most of the nearly 2,000-mile border with Mexico is already walled, fenced, saturated with devices that make it a virtual wall, and extensively patrolled by air and land. This is done by 21,400 Border Patrol agents and 23,900 field officers at a cost of more than $11 billion a year for border operations and $30 billion more for homeland security.

Unmindful of its own budget challenges and the resources the federal government already expends, Texas has additionally deployed 600 state troopers and Texas Rangers, and 2,700 surveillance cameras at a cost estimated at $1 billion or so by the end of the next biennium.

And  oh, yes  the article reported that claims that a flood of immigrants is inundating the border are long outdated. Unauthorized immigration reached its high point in 2000 and has declined since. There is net or minus migration from Mexico, though the number of Central Americans has surged.

This makes Trumps border wall  and Texas piling on with border security  simply unnecessary. And illogical.

Heres the impractical part. As existing fences and walls demonstrate  650 miles or so of them already on the border  devising routes that dont cut ranchers from water, property owners from their own property, and endanger the environment and natural habitat is exceedingly problematic. Moreover, fences and walls that actually accomplish what is intended  impenetrability  is impossible.

Even if immigration numbers are declining, existing walls and fences stand in testament to a border wisdom  build a wall or fence and watch migrants climb over. Texas is not walled or fenced as much as California, Arizona and New Mexico. Yet where walls or fences exist, so do migrants who find a way to beat them, border residents told the reporters. And where they arent climbing over them, they are taking more dangerous routes that have claimed lives.

Aside from being impractical, illogical and unnecessary, Trumps border wall  including his call to make Mexico pay for it  is an affront to one of this countrys most valuable trading partners. And Trumps accompanying call to deport 11.2 million undocumented immigrants sows division, not just with Mexico but with Latinos whose forebears were immigrants recently or over the generations.

There is indeed a need to address unauthorized immigration, but a wall isnt the solution. Comprehensive immigration reform is.

Such reform would be bilateral  Mexico would be a partner in it  and build bridges, not walls. It would regularize what now occurs, recognize what is needed to bolster the U.S. economy, include a path to legal residency for the undocumented immigrants already here, and look factually at any possible lapse in border security.

In calling for a wall, Trump has seized on fears that have little basis to them. He has nurtured these fears for political ambition, growing them into near hysteria. And he hasnt cared.

The rationale for his wall also has little basis to it. As with so many issues, Trump is simply fact-averse.

Reject the wall, reject Trump, and move on to immigration reform.
Michael Cummo / Hearst Connecticut Media

STAMFORD  A New York drug dealer who caused a hit-and-run accident while leading officers on a chase onto Interstate 95 earlier this month has been extradited back to Connecticut, police said.

Police said Eric Henry, 29, of Mount Vernon, N.Y., crashed into a car near the Stamford train station as he was leading officers on a chase on Oct. 12. Members of Stamfords Narcotics and Organized Crime squad then chased him onto I-95 southbound before cutting off the pursuit at the New York state line, police said.
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1 TOURIST SPACES AND TOURISM POLICY IN SPAIN AND PORTUGAL Fernando Almeida, Rafael Cortes and Antonia Balbuena doi:101108/s ABSTRACT This study analyses the relationship between the development of the tourism policy of Spain and Portugal and their effects on regional imbalances. Despite the proximity of the two countries and their specialisation in tourism, there are few comparative studies on tourism of the two Iberian countries. The study focuses on the two major phases of tourism policy: the period of mass tourism and post-fordist stage. In the conclusions we refer the debate on the existence of a model of development based on tourism to the Latin countries of Southern Europe and we note the export process of the Spanish low-cost tourism model to other countries. Keywords: Spain, Portugal, tourism, policy, spaces INTRODUCTION Tourism has contributed enormously to the economic growth of Spain and Portugal. Usually, the economic benefits generated by tourism have been highlighted more than the negative impacts on society, environment and territory. The benefits that economists usually emphasise are income, improvement in the trade balance, the use of tourism as a driver of infrastructure development, and job creation (Anton & Reverte, 2007). Among the problems that tourism can produce, one of the least studied is regional imbalance (Vera, 2011, p. 235) and this is one of the central themes of this study. Regional imbalances are closely related to the territorial nature of tourism. We cannot forget that tourism is a spatial phenomenon that generates different economic activities in the territory (Vera, 1997, p. 60). The territorial aspect of tourism has been relegated to a lower priority because of the preeminence of the economic analysis of tourism. Any way, we should not forget the importance of economic factors in the development of tourism and the generation of regional imbalances. The location of tourism is directly related to inequality, as each area has different tourist resources and the basis for development of mass tourism is the concentration of supply and demand. Tourism resources are not distributed equitably, so tourism tends to create territorial imbalances (Almeida, 2013). This study analyses the relationships between tourism policy, tourism hotel supply and regional imbalances in Spain and Portugal. There are few comparative studies of tourism policy and territorial processes in Spain and Portugal. Research into tourism policy has generally focused on specific countries, analysing the subject as a branch of national policy

2 and approaching the task in large, regional blocks (Lickorish, 1991). To date, there has been relatively little analysis contrasting the tourism policies of different countries, though several interesting studies have been carried out in Europe (Swarbrooke, 1993). Spain and Portugal, however, have rarely been compared, despite their geographical proximity and the existence of socioeconomic processes that are common to both. Most of the currently available references to these countries are to be found either in studies dealing with tourism in Europe in general, Southern Europe or the Mediterranean area (Akehurst, Bland, & Kevin, 1993; Apostolopoulos, et al., 2001), or in a series of publications compiled by international organisations such as the OECD and the WTO. Worthy of special mention are the analyses of tourism policy in Spain and Portugal undertaken by Williams and Shaw (1998) and Williams (1993), which assess the role played by tourism in both national economic development and regional imbalance, although none of these deals specifically with the two countries alone. Localization AZORES ISLANDS FRANCE Girona Oporto Barcelona MADEIRA ISLAND Lisbon PORTUGAL Madrid SPAIN Vale ncia BALEARIC ISLANDS ATLANTIC OCEAN Algarve Malaga Alicante MEDITERREAN SEA CA NARY ISLANDS MOROCCO 2

3 An examination of Spain and Portugal s shared history reveals parallel development as far as tourism policies and models are concerned, although the tourism processes in the two countries also display certain differences owing to their differing socioeconomic development. The evolution of tourism policy since the mid-twentieth century can be divided into two main stages: (1) The Fordian phase. This period was characterised by the emergence of mass tourism due to improved transport and paid holidays for the working class. Mass tourism was the end of elite tourism and the strengthening of tourism as a global phenomenon. Fordian tourism needs to standardise supply and demand to reduce production costs. These facts had a singular importance in shaping supply in destination countries such as Spain and Portugal. In this way the high concentration of the supply of accommodation is explained. The first phase, between 1950 and 1975, brought a series of important developments. The Iberian nations now understood that tourism held the key to economic growth. Indeed, several authors maintain that this period saw the introduction of a uniquely Latin model of development which was heavily reliant on tourism (Bote, 1998). This phase also marked the first major divergence between the two countries in terms of tourism policy: whereas the Spanish government committed itself fully to mass tourism as a means of maximising revenue and investment (Cals, 1974), the Portuguese opted instead to maintain a more gradual rate of tourist growth (Cunha, 2009). In fact, mass tourism was the dominant theme during this period, and tourism-based development is the facet of tourism most frequently studied by both Spanish and Portuguese authors (Cals, 1974; Cunha, 2009; Esteve & Fuentes, 1999; Martins, 1997). In this period the concentration of the hotels in certain areas of the Spanish Mediterranean coast and the Lisbon region is favoured. The high concentration is related to the maximisation of investment in tourism and a clear policy of laisser-faire. (2) The post-fordian phase. This period was characterised by the emergence of processes of production and the marketing of tourism. Governments get involved less in the tourism sector; we observe a lower interest in the development of tourism policies (e.g. social tourism practically disappears) and regulation and use of tourism is left to the market. New forms of production are based on flexibility, deregulation and public-private collaboration. Likewise, a strong diffusion of the tourism phenomenon is observed globally. During the second phase, Spanish and Portuguese society began to act in unison. The dictatorships in both countries ended in successive years (1974/75), they joined the European Union (1986), adopted the Euro (2001), and experienced similar economic ups and downs. However, their respective administrative structures and tourism planning procedures took vastly different paths. While Spain s heavily-centralised policy was replaced by a decentralised system overseen by its Autonomous Communities and the tourist towns themselves, in Portugal, the exact opposite now occurred. This chapter examines the effectiveness of tourism policies in terms of generating revenue and adapting to the changes in the sector introduced by the post-fordian model of management based on competitiveness, quality and sustainability (Fayos-Sola, 1996). Regional policy, the restructuring of the tourism sector, and the social and environmental impact of tourism are the aspects most commonly identified by authors as the main consequences of the protracted growth of tourism in Spain and Portugal. 3

4 This chapter provides a comparative analysis of tourism policy and its spatial effects in Spain and Portugal. This study aims to compare the evolution of tourism policies of the two countries since It also analyses the territorial imbalances caused by tourism in Spain and Portugal. EVOLUTION OF TOURISM POLICY The growth of tourist activity in Europe as a whole during the decade of 1950s led to a keener interest in tourism on the part of the Portuguese government, which took steps towards its development: (i) financial measures such as the Tourism Fund (1956) were introduced along with others of a fiscal nature, including the 1954 Public Utility Law, which offered tax exemption for investors in hotel infrastructure; (ii) in 1956, the Tourism Law was passed. The Tourism Regions exercised greater influence over tourism management and enjoyed financial independence thanks to the introduction of a local tourism tax. Though eminently regional, this policy failed to bring territorial diversity, and tourism was largely confined to the Lisbon area until the mid-1970s, when the Algarve emerged as a popular destination for foreign tourists. In 1963, for example, 30% of Portugal s hotels were located in the Portuguese capital and 41% in the surrounding region (Table 1). Beyond this established enclave, a lack of hotel facilities and the poor state of the country s roads made it impossible for tourism to take root (Cunha, 2009). Nevertheless, Portugal played host to 232,261 visitors in The 1960s and 1970s saw moderate growth in tourism demand and supply in comparison with Spain (Table 1). The main consequences of tourism in Portugal were: (i) the creation of an unbalanced territorial model (Map 1) which had a significant impact on the environment; (ii) the reduction of the country s balance of trade deficit (Cunha, 2003, p. 19; Martins, 2007, pp ), with revenue from tourism accounting for as much as 93.5% of the coverage rate during this period (Cunha, 2003, p. 20). The repercussions of tourism in Spain were similar, though more marked than in Portugal. Portugal s tourism strategy differed greatly from Spain s during this period in which Spanish tourism definitively took off. Portuguese tourism growth was slower than for Spain, since initially the government continued giving support to elite tourism and tourism was not considered as a strategic sector for the Portuguese economy. Spain, meanwhile, would have to wait until the mid-1950s for an upturn in foreign tourism after the decline brought about by the Spanish Civil War ( ) and the post-war period that followed (Fig. 1). The 1950s saw several measures taken to encourage tourism: (i) in 1951, the Ministry of Tourism and Information was created, lasting until 1977, and in 1952, the National Tourism Plan was introduced; (ii) the same decade marked the beginning of a process of economic liberalisation and adjustment that culminated in the Economic Stability Plan (1959). 4

5 millions Visitors and tourists in Spain and Portugal New Growth Restructuring 58.7 Crisis Development Spain Portugal Spanish Tourists Port.Tourists Spanish Visitors Port.V isitors Source: INE (National Institute of Stastistics) Spain and Portugal. Note: Methodological change en 2004 (Portugal) Fig.1. Visitors and tourists in Spain and Portugal. Spain remained fully committed to the development of tourism during the 1960s. Certain internal and external factors ensured that the country could hardly do otherwise (Esteve & Fuentes, 2000), though it did exercise choice over the degree to which the process should be pursued, opting for maximum intensity. As in Portugal and other Southern European countries, the model adopted was based on indicative planning designed to generate development and manage foreign investment. Objectives were centralised via the Development Plans, which focused progressively more closely on tourism, though viewing it more as a means of balancing payments than as a strategic economic sector in its own right. Between 1961 and 1969, the revenue generated by tourism covered 72% of Spain s balance of trade deficit (Vallejo, 2002). Certain authors contend that the key role played by tourism in the growth of Italy, Spain and Portugal points to a peculiarly Latin model of development based on mass tourism (Bote, 1998; Vallejo, 2002; Martins, 2007). The considerable revenue generated by tourism (and also by emigration) underpinned both the industrialisation processes and the development plans pursued by said nations. These countries also provide the earliest instance of mass tourism playing a key role in socioeconomic development, the relationship between the two being particularly marked in Spain. Development based on tourism would subsequently be attempted by other Mediterranean and Caribbean countries, with mixed results in accordance with their differing socioeconomic climates (Blazquez & Canada, 2011; Williams & Shaw, 1988). Several authors highlight the importance of the context (economic, social, political, geographical and technological) in which development takes place in determining its ultimate success or failure in a particular country (Pearce, 1991). The fact that Europe provided the backdrop for the Latin model was probably a key factor in the positive socioeconomic development achieved by the aforementioned countries. 5

6 Table 1.Hotel places by region and major tourist destination (%) % of Total Hotel Places Lisbon Region Algarve Madeira Islands Rest of Portugal Alicante Balearic Islands Barcelona Canary Islands Gerona Madrid Malaga Valencia Rest of Spain Spanish Mediterranean a Source: INE (National Institute of Statistics, Spain and Portugal), Ministry of Information and Tourism of Spain ( ). a Provinces of Alicante, Barcelona, Gerona, Malaga and Valencia, and the Balearic Islands. The years between 1950 and 1975 were a period of significant growth for tourism in both countries, though the firm commitment to tourism made by the Spanish government, which offered every possible incentive to private enterprise, ensured that its development in Spain was truly spectacular. However, this in turn had a profound effect upon the environment in the latter country, with coastal areas of immense natural value becoming built up, and part of the nation s historical heritage being replaced in certain cases by characterless constructions. All of this was done in the name of removing any conceivable barriers to private sector investment and increasing the number of tourists. In 1966, the country s most heavilydeveloped coastlines were in the Balearics (5,000 hectares), Gerona (3,000 hectares) and Malaga (2,500 hectares), followed by Barcelona, Tarragona and Alicante with approximately 1,500 hectares. Between 1950 and 1975, an estimated 90,000 hectares of Spain s total surface area were built on in order to cater for tourism (Casanova, 1970, p. 70). These figures, the source of much concern at the time, were subsequently dwarfed by the immense development project undertaken in Spain over the following decades, a process which also took place in Portugal, though on a smaller scale. A further territorial consequence was the enormous imbalance in the distribution of tourism facilities, which were concentrated on Spain s Mediterranean coast (61.7%) and in Portugal s Algarve (19.1%) (Table 1 and Map 1). During the post-fordist phase, between 1980 and 1990, tourism demand rose by 46.6% and hotel accommodation by 14.1% against a backdrop of economic development accelerated by Spain s admission to the EEC. In order to limit the severe impact that tourism had been having upon the environment for several decades, a series of new laws were now introduced. Of particular note were the Coastal Law (1988), which enabled certain public domain areas along Spain s coastline to be recovered, and the Conservation of Natural Spaces Law (1989). Although these legal changes initially relieved the pressure on coastal areas, the economic crisis of 1992 dealt a crucial blow. The protective measures taken were powerless to prevent the real estate bubble between 1997 and Between 1987 and 2006, 74,417 hectares of 6

7 the Spanish coast were built on at a rate of 2,884 ha/year from 1987 to 2000 and 6,154 ha/year from 2000 to 2006 (Observatorio de Sostenibilidad de Espana, 2010, pp ). At the beginning of the decade of the 1990s, Spain was confronted with economic crisis. This time, tourism suffered the consequences directly. The traditional Fordist tourism model had finally been exhausted (Vera, 1994). The sector had enjoyed decades of growth, but was now unable to compete with the new destinations springing up throughout the world saw a sharp decline in both the number of foreign tourists coming to Spain and average receipts per visitor. Between 1995 and 2000, the growth of hotel facilities was tempered, and the sector underwent a major overhaul involving the closure of less profitable hotels and a change in their categorisation. The combination of the slump in tourism, the environmental problems that it has created and the new administrative order in the 1980s-1990s, in which the lion's share of power now lay in the hands of the autonomous communities, forced the national Government to develop a specific programme of restructuring and boosting the tourism sector: Excellence and Stimulation Plans (Planes de Excelencia y Dinamizacion Turistica), besides tourism quality plans, tax incentives, etc. These plans helped the implementation of the new post-fordist production processes, and from the territorial point of view those plans caused a significant spread of tourism to new areas (Brunet et al., 2005). The latter was due to depletion of coastal land and the strong momentum of the interior areas that are supported by endogenous development policies (Map 3). The political transition in Portugal was accompanied by severe social, economic and political instability, which had far-reaching implications for the tourism sector. The remarkable recovery that took place from 1975 onwards owed more to the progressive normalisation of the political situation than to an increase in activity. In 1986, the introduction of dedicated planning in the shape of the National Tourism Plan signalled a change in tourism policy. The aim of this global plan was to ensure that tourism played a key role in the country s economic development (Martins, 2007, p. 129). Its objectives included the reduction of territorial imbalance, the promotion of training, the protection of the country s natural and cultural heritage, and the development of cultural tourism. By the beginning of the 1990s, tourism supply and demand in Portugal had grown significantly thanks to the country s consolidation as a medium-sized power in the sector (an increase of 60.7% in the number of tourists between 1985 and 1990, and a rise of 31.0% in accommodation facilities between 1990 and 1995). REGIONAL IMPLICATIONS The trend of tourism to cause regional imbalances was not prevented by the pre-democratic governments of Spain and Portugal. In the 1960s the supply of hotel accommodation was highly concentrated in the regions of Lisbon (Portugal) and Spanish Mediterranean provinces (Gerona, Barcelona, Baleares and Malaga) (Map 1). This scenario changed in the following decades. In the 1980s and 1990s there had been a spread of tourism accommodation to formerly non-tourist areas. This process was due to the need to diversify the tourism sector, the lack of competitiveness in some saturated coastal areas and the interest of local and 7

8 regional governments to development the inland regions, and real estate sector needs that demanded new areas for the building of second homes. We can confirm there has been a very strong concentration of hotels on the Spanish Mediterranean coastline, Balearic Islands, Canary Islands and Madeira in Almost the whole coastline of the Iberian Peninsula has become a tourist belt; this excludes small coastal stretches (coastal Alentejo in Portugal and the Spanish province of Lugo in northern Spain). The islands have a strong tourist density (Map 3). Before the great development of mass tourism in Portugal and Spain between 1950 and 1960, tourist accommodation supply was quite low and was relatively equally distributed across the country. The varying range of accommodation depends on the size of the demographic area. At the time of great tourism growth in the mid-1960s (mostly in Spain), the supply of tourist accommodation is concentrated on the Mediterranean coast (Baleares, Gerona, Barcelona, Alicante and Malaga). The huge growth of the Algarve came later. In the 1980s there was a strong focus on the Spanish Mediterranean coast in both Spain and the archipelagos (Balearic and Canary Islands). In Portugal, the areas with the highest tourism concentration were Lisbon, the Algarve and Madeira. From 1990, there was a diffusion of tourism to inland areas of Spain and Portugal and this process was extended to the last undisturbed coastal areas of the Atlantic and the Mediterranean. The process is related to the development of new tourism products such as rural and cultural tourism, eco-tourism, etc. These new tourism products are connected with tourist destination improvement plans (Map 2). In 2009 we see the consolidation of large tourist axes along the entire coastal area of Spain and Portugal and the major islands of Spain and Portugal (Map 3). In summary, the distribution of tourism in the two countries was unbalanced, which helped the most developed regions. The tourist sector was encouraged to finance the national development of the industrial sectors. 8

9 Map1 DENSITY OF HOTEL PLACES. PROVINCES (SPAIN) AND DISTRICTS (PORTUGAL) AZORES ISLANDS FRANCE MADEIRA ISLAND Barcelona Madrid Balearic Islands Lisbon ATLANTIC OCEAN MEDITERRANEAN SEA Hotel bed places by Km2 CA NARY ISLANDS Source: INE (Portugal), Ministerio de Informacion y Turismo (Spain) 9

10 Map2 DENSITY OF HOTEL PLACES. PROVINCES (SPAIN) AND NUTS III (PORTUGAL) AZORES ISLAN DS MADEIRA ISLAND Hotel places by Km2 CA NARY ISLANDS Source: INE (Portugal), Ministerio de Industria, Comercio y Turismo, Turespana (Spain) 10

11 Map 3 HOTEL PLACES. PROVINCES (SPAIN) AND NUTS III (PORTUGAL) AZORES ISLAN DS MADEIRA ISLAND CA NARY I SLANDS 0-10,000 10,000-20,000 Hotel Bed Places 30,000-50,000 50, ,000 20,000-30, ,000 Source: INE (Portugal and Spain) CONCLUSIONS Spain s seaside tourism sector has grown with great intensity in recent years and has exported its model of mass tourism to other countries, mainly to the Caribbean Sea (Blazquez & Canada, 2011). It has generated economies of scale sufficient to keep its production costs low. The internationalisation of the country's hotel chains, notably in the Balearic Islands, represents an exportation of this continuous process of growth and the search for low costs (Ramon, 2000). In these Caribbean countries, it has been also repeated processes of territorial imbalance, than it follows that there is a close relationship between mass tourism and regional imbalances. However, the Spanish tourism sector has also diversified, with cultural and culinary tourism among the alternatives now joining sun and sand vacations. Portugal, meanwhile, has turned its back on luxury tourism and is now belatedly exploiting the sun and sand market instead, though strenuous efforts have also been made to develop cultural and nature tourism. The Portuguese tourism sector has yet to reach full maturity. 11

12 Certain authors highlight the existence of a Latin model of development based on tourism. While the characteristics of this pattern are not radically different from those of subsequent methodologies implemented in tourist-receiving countries, its significance lies in the fact that this model was the first of the mass tourism era, a period which would ultimately transform the nations concerned into developed countries. In the Latin model, the role of the tourism sector was to provide resources (tourist revenue) that could be invested in industry. Spain's case is unique in that the early days of tourism saw the country open up to and rely upon foreign countries in much the same way as the small tourist nations of the Caribbean, the Indian Ocean and Oceania would do years later. In spite of this, the situation in Spain evolved towards greater independence, with Spanish hotel chains even replicating this model of economic Dependence in the Caribbean. In territorial terms, the post-fordist stage manifested in Spain by increasing hotel supply in the coastal areas of the Mediterranean and Atlantic sea, in addition to dissemination to inland mountainous areas (the Pyrenees and Cantabrian Mountains). In the Post-Fordian phase there has been a strong transformation of most of the Spanish territory caused by tourism. In Portugal, supply has remained concentrated around Lisbon and the Algarve, and to a lesser extent in Porto and Madeira Island (Map 3). Post-Fordian phase has meant a transformation of most of the Spanish territory. The tourism industry is constantly looking for the creation and exploitation of new tourist spaces. Finally, it should be noted that the tourism sector now combines Fordist and post-fordist processes in the territory and in the tourism market. Tourism seeks to introduce Fordist low cost measures in new areas and applying post-fordist in mature destinations. Acknowledgement This research project has received funding from the Spanish Government, Fundamental Research Program (CSO ), Geographies of crisis: analysis of urban territories of the Balearic Islands tourism Costa del Sol and main tourist destinations of the Caribbean. References Akehurst, G., Bland, N., & Kevin, M. (1993). Tourism policies in the European Community member states. Journal of Hospitality Management, 12(1), doi: / (93)90040-g Almeida, F. (2013). Tourism policy and territorial imbalances in Spain. Bulletin of Geography. Socio-Economic Series, 22, Anton, S., & Gonzalez, F. (Eds.). (2007). A proposito del turismo. La construccion social del espacio turistico. Barcelona: UOC. Apostolopoulos, Y., Loukissas, P., & Leontidou, L. (Eds.) (2001). Mediterranean Tourism. Facets of socioeconomic development and cultural change, London: Routledge. Blazquez, M., & Canada, E. (Eds). (2011). Turismo placebo. Nueva colonizacion turistica: Del Mediterraneo a Mesoamerica y el Caribe. Logicas especiales del capital turistico. Managua: Enlace. Bote Gomez, V. (1998). El desarrollo del turismo en Espana: cambio de rumbo y oportunidades cientificas. Revista Valenciana D`Estudis Autonomics, 4,

13 Brunet, P., Almeida, F., Coll, M., & Monteseirin, O. (2005). Los planes de excelencia y dinamizacion turistica (PEDT), un instrumento de cooperacion a favour del desarrollo turistico. Boletin de la Asociacion de Geografos Espanoles, 39, Cals, J. (1974). Turismo y politica turistica en Espana: una aproximacion. Barcelona: Ariel. Casanova, L. (1970). Urbanismo y turismo. La experiencia espanola. Madrid: Consejo Superior de los Colegios de Arquitectos. Cunha L. (2003). Perspectivas e tendencias do turismo. Lisboa: Edicoes Universitarias Lusofonas. Cunha, L. (2009). Introducao ao turismo. Lisboa: Verbo. Esteve, r., & Fuentes, R. (2000). Economia, historia e instituciones del turismo en Espana. Madrid: Piramide. Fayos-Sola, E. (1996). La nueva politica turistica. In R. Barba & R Pie (Eds.), Arquitectura y turismo: planes y proyectos (pp.59-70). Barcelona: Universitar Politecnica de Cataluyna. Lickorish, L.J. (1991). Developing a single European tourism policy. Tourism Management, September, Martins, J. (1997). Economia do turismo em Portugal. Lisboa: Verbo. Martins, J. (2007). Planeamento e ordenamento territorial do turismo. Lisboa: Verbo. Observatorio de Sostenibilidad de Espana (OSE). (2010). Sosteniiblidad en Espan Madrid: Ministerio de Medio Ambiente, Medio Rural y Marino y Fundacion General de la Universidad de Alcala (Spain). Pearce, D. (1991). Tourist development. New York: Willey. Swarbrooke, J (1993). Public sector policy in tourism: a comparative study of France and Britain, Insights, March, C33-C46. Vallejo, R. (2002). Economia e historia del turismo espanol del siglo XX. Historia Contemporanea, 25, Vera, J.F. (1994). El modelo turistico del Mediterraneo espanol: agotamiento y estrategias de reestructuracion, Papers de turisme, 6, Vera, J.F. (Ed.) (1997). Analisis territorial del turismo. Barcelona: Ariel. Vera, J.F. (Ed.) Analisis territorial del turismo y planificacion de destinos turisticos. Valencia: Tirant lo Blanc. Williams, A.M. & Shaw, G. (Eds.), (1988). Tourism and Economic Development. Western European experiences. London: Pinter Publishers. Williams, A.M. (1993). Tourism and economic transformation in Greece and Portugal, Inforgeo, 6,
In all but the political destruction of the ruling Zanu PF party, President Emmerson Mnangagwas administration is likely going to be slapped with a fresh dosage of economic sanctions and other restrictive measures by the US, European Union (EU) and Britain, Spotlight Zimbabwe, can exclusively report.

African diplomatic sources in Washington this week revealed that, they had received information from their counterparts working for Brussels and London, confirming that US President, Donald Trump, was considering issuing an executive order on a fresh round of sanctions against Zimbabwe, as his administration is increasingly convinced that another military coup is about to take place in Harare, and bring about a fully fledged military dictatorship, that might be led by Vice President, Rtd General Constantino Chiwenga, and current Zimbabwe Defence Forces (ZDF) Commander, General Philip Valerio Sibanda.

An executive order is a signed, written, and published directive from the President of the United States that manages operations of the federal government. They are numbered consecutively, so executive orders may be referenced by their assigned number, or their topic.

Trump has signed more executive orders than his predecessor, Barack Obama, in the first three years of his first term, according to a report in the UK Independent a few days ago.

The US is preparing to deal with a fully fledged military dictatorship in Zimbabwe, as theyre increasingly convinced that another military putsch is imminent, said the diplomats.

To that effect we hear President Trump is considering to issue a presidential executive order with a fresh regime of sanctions and other measures against your government. Proponents of the new sanctions inside his government circles, reportedly want Harares diamonds to be classified as blood diamonds amid allegations of forced labour and exploitation by the Chinese at the Marange fields. Furthermore theres also a feeling that Russia is propping Zimbabwe, as Mnangagwa has allowed them to come in and mine diamonds and platinum. Zimbabwes defence cooperation with Moscow, is also seen as a threat to Washingtons foreign policy objectives in Southern Africa.

Mnangagwa who was in Sochi, attending the inaugural Russia-Africa summit this week, confirmed that Zimbabwe is interested in defence industry cooperation with Russia, but was not seeking arms.

No, we dont have any specific military equipment that we are seeking but we continue to collaborate, Mnangagwa told Russian media.

Another envoy who works close to the African Union Representational Mission to the US in the American capital said, Zimbabwe should expect the EU and Britain to pass similar fresh sanctions, as they always take their lead on Harare from Washington.

Yes Britain which is about to leave the European Union, and the EU are also likely to adjust their own sanctions regime against Zimbabwe in line with the US, because theyre allies. Thats no secret. I dont see these sanctions being removed, not until at least 2023, depending on who wins elections that year. They will review them, but not remove them.

In March, the British government came up with regulations to maintain sanctions against Harare in place when London leaves the EU.

The regulations were published by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in a memo prepared for the British Parliament.

These Regulations are intended to ensure that the UK can operate an effective sanctions regime in relation to Zimbabwe after the UK leaves the EU, reads part of the memorandum.

Bringing this sanctions regime into UK law using the powers in the Sanctions Act will enable all the sanctions measures to continue to operate effectively after the UK leaves the EU, as well as enabling Her Majestys Government to amend and lift the sanctions, or impose further sanctions, autonomously.

Former US leader George W. Bush issued the first executive order to impose sanctions against Zimbabwe on March 6, 2003, as domestic violence in the country threatened to destabilize the region. The sanctions took aim at the late President Robert Mugabe and his political associates.

The U.S. Treasury Departments Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) established the Zimbabwe Sanctions Regulations on July 29, 2004, which placed the sanctioned Zimbabweans on the Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons (SDN) List.

Placement on this list generally blocks the U.S. assets of these individuals and prevents U.S. persons from conducting business with them.

Bush signed two additional executive orders to expand sanctions against the then Mugabe regime on Nov. 22, 2005, and July 25, 2008, for undermining Zimbabwes democratic processes and institutions.

Mnangagwa, who replaced Mugabe following an army coup in 2017, is also on OFACs SDN List.

Mnangagwa has provided 265 buses to ferry people from the countrys 10 provinces for todays anti-sanctions march, to be held at the National Sports Stadium.

Spotlight Zimbabwe, is the first online Zimbabwe publication to report on fears of another imminent coup in the country, which might topple Mnangagwa and replace him with VP Chiwenga, or ZDF boss General Sibanda, should his health continue to fail.

Mnangagwa, is allegedly plotting to disappear from the country into exile once toppled from power by the army or his own ruling Zanu PF party by June 2020, high level sources in the Office of the President and Cabinet (OPC) revealed early this week.

 SpotlightZimbabwe

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A GWERU woman has been arrested for fatally stabbing her husband following a misunderstanding over a l0ve text message that she had received from her suspected boyfriend.

It is alleged that Malcom Maliko (33) of Ascot suburb in Gweru came across a l0ve message on his wife Ruvimbo Chamunorwas phone on Friday, and a dispute arose.

Midlands provincial police spokesperson Inspector Emmanuel Mahoko yesterday confirmed the murder saying Chamunorwa, who was on the run, was nabbed by police on Monday in Zvishavane.

Zimbabwe Republic Police is investigating a case of murder in which a 33-year-old man died after sustaining a deep cut on his ribs following a misunderstanding with his wife, Mahoko said.

It is alleged that Maliko was warming himself at a fireplace outside the house in the company of one Arthur Kurai when he (Maliko) saw a message on his wifes phone purported to be from her boyfriend.

According to Mahoko, Maliko exchanged harsh words with his wifes alleged lover over the phone before confronting her over the message.

He said a dispute arose between the couple and at around 1030 hours a co-tenant went to report the domestic squabble at Mtapa Police Station.

Police attended the scene and found Maliko lying in a pool of blood in his room, but his wife had disappeared.

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1 Darko Tipuric (ed.) COPRORATE GOVERNANCE IN CROATIA Quality Evaluation of Corporate Governance in Croatian Joint Stock Companies via SEECGAN methodology The original title: KORPORATIVNO UPRAVLJANJE U HRVATSKOJ - Ocjena kvalitete korporativnog upravljanja hrvatskih dionickih drustava SEECGAN metodologijom CIRU - Governance Research and Development Centre Ltd, Zagreb (Centar za istrazivanje i razvoj upravljanja d.o.o.), Pages: 272. ISBN: The book Corporate Governance in Croatia (Korporativno upravljanje u Hrvatskoj) is the first genuine edition on corporate governance practice in Croatian joint stock companies listed at the Zagreb Stock Exchange. It originates from the idea of developing the South East Europe (SEE) specific customized measure of corporate governance quality and is one of the accomplishments of the large-scale international joint project, undertaken by the members of the South East Europe Corporate Governance Academic Network (SEECGAN). 108 The book is committed to the evaluation of corporate governance quality by using the newly developed and applied SEECGAN methodology. The methodology is designed and systemized under the supervision of the book s lead author and editor, Professor Darko Tipuric. The SEECGAN methodology is SEE business ecosystem specific and inherent to the market, with institutional, cultural and social particularities of the selected group of countries participating in the research: Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro, Slovenia and Macedonia. The main measurement tool of this undertaking is the SEECGAN index of Corporate Governance (hereinafter SEECGAN Index), aimed at quantification, and consequently, the improvement of the corporate governance practices. Moreover, the Index allows for the comparison/benchmarking of a firm s corporate governance characteristics with those governance provisions

2 that form the best practice platform. The Index also allows for corporate governance benchmarking among countries. The quality of the corporate governance system is a complex issue: it is difficult to measure and explain in an unambiguous manner. The rationale behind it is that corporate governance is a form of meta-management, since it embodies a set of relations between the management, board, shareholders and stakeholders of a firm. Hence, it defines the framework for setting goals and determining the means to achieve them, and consequently shapes the contextual outline that enhances or diminishes the firm s performance. Having in mind the significance of the corporate governance practice quality for firms, in order to build and sustain the corporate governance excellence, the author and coauthors elaborate the research content through tree chapters: the conceptualization of the methodological frame is explained in the first, the application of the methodology and the research results for Croatia are presented in the second chapter, while the concluding remarks, as well as the recommendations for annulations of the spotted weaknesses of Croatian corporate governance practice are suggested in the third chapter. The first chapter introduces the review of the most frequently used significant corporate governance indices (i.e. Gamma Score S&P-a; ISS Governance QuickScore Index, IFC Scorecard of Corporate Governance Standards, etc.) and continues with the detailed explication of the initiative for the SEE customized methodology, necessary for measuring the firms differences with respect to governance quality. Since all the available indices vary considerably in the spectrum of dimensions taken to evaluate a firm s corporate governance, which is considerably related to the national business context that nuances the significance of the sufficiently important areas to be included in the measurement tool, they are not aligned with the particularities of the SEE business context, governance structure, value and culture. Moreover, the authors do not find them suitable for the insider control governance system that is commonly practiced in the area. For all these reasons, as well as to enable the comparison of different firms across the entire range of relevant corporate governance quality context dimensions, the SEECGAN Index has been designed as the 109

3 composite measure of seven segments, distilled through the empirical research conducted in 2014 on the joined stock companies listed at the national stock exchanges in the selected SEE countries (Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro, Slovenia and Macedonia) participating in the research, so that the Index could become the benchmarking tool for the corporate governance practice quality, both between the firms and among nations. Seven selected segments of the SEECGAN Index are as follows: (1) Structure and Governance of Boards; (2) Shareholders Rights; (3) Transparency and Disclosure of Information; (4) Audit and Internal Control; (5) Compensation/Remuneration; (6) Corporate Risk Management; and (7) Corporate Social Responsibility. The first segment assesses supervisory and management boards and their commissions roles, or the board of directors roles, board organization and performance. The second evaluates shareholder s rights and their participation in the corporate decision-making process. The third segment assesses the transparency and disclosure of regulated information. The forth evaluates the system of external audit, the work of the audit commission, as well as the internal auditing and controlling activities. The fifth segment scores the compensation and remuneration system of board members and top management team, as well as the policies of remuneration. The sixth segment evaluates the risk prevention system and enterprise risk management, while the seventh assesses the corporate social responsibilities and the existence of the formalized corporate procedures and praxis of the social responsible performance. These seven segments are represented by a total set of 98 questions, mapped in a scorecard matrix. It is worth noting that the questionnaire is adapted particularly for companies practicing a one-tier corporate governance model. Each segment could be considered independently or grouped with other segments, forming an overall SEECGAN Index score. The maximum score for each segment is 10 (best possible practice) and the minimum is 1 (worst possible practice). The overall SEECGAN Index score is interpreted as the average value of all seven segments with 1 being the lowest value, and 10 being the maximum index value, that reflect the corporate governance quality of the particular company via a single calculate rating. 110

4 With respect to the score achieved, corporations are grouped in four clusters, labeled and marked as: Premium (A); Good (B); Unsatisfactory (C); and Poor (D) corporate governance. The author and coauthors emphasize that the SEECGAN methodology conveniently allows each company to interpret its overall and composite scores in two consistent manners: the first is an overall gained mark (A, B, C or D); the second is the composite gained score of each segment of the SEECGAN Index. For example, a company with premium corporate governance (A), might score a set of segment indices (A A A B A A B), which can be understood as a need for the improvement of the corporate governance praxis related to the fourth and seventh segment of the SEECGAN scorecard. For A scored companies, the index value ranges between , which indicates that the governance processes and practices applied assure high protection from possible value devastation and other harmful activities that might not be in the best interest of the corporation, shareholders or important stakeholder groups involved. The corporation governance system quality pertains minimal to zero weaknesses with respect to the seven evaluation dimensions. B scored corporations have gained the index value ranging between 5 7.5, which indicates that the governance processes and practices applied assure a medium protection from possible value devastation and other harmful activities that might not be in the best interest of the corporation, shareholders or important stakeholder groups involved. The corporation governance system s quality exhibits several weaknesses with respect to some of the seven evaluation dimensions. C scored corporations have gained the index value ranging between 2.5 5, which indicates that the governance processes and practices applied do not assure sufficient protection from possible value devastation and other harmful activities that might not be in the best interest of the corporation, shareholders or important stakeholder groups involved. The quality of the corporate governance system exhibits notable weaknesses with respect to the majority of the seven evaluation dimensions. D scored corporations have gained the index value ranging between 0 2.5, which indicates that the governance processes and practices applied assure low protection from possible value devastation and other harmful activities that might not be in the best interest of the corporation, shareholders or important stakeholder groups involved. The quality of the corporate governance system exhibits notable shortcomings and weaknesses in all the seven dimensions of evaluation. 111

5 The second chapter presents the results of the empirical research, which was conducted on 32 joined stock companies out of 162. The research results reveal that the Croatian overall SEECGAN index scores 3.91, which implies unsatisfying quality of the national corporate governance practice, and it scored lower than for example Slovenia (5.59) or Macedonia (4.09). According to the study findings, only three Croatian companies were scored with premium corporate governance quality. The 28.1% of the companies have good governance practice, while 40.6% of them were evaluated as unsatisfactory and the remaining 21.9% as having poor governance practice quality. The leading author and his associates further elaborate the analysis of the scores gained in details, by using the segment group s codification, the cluster and factor analysis, and link them to the size and ownership of the sample companies. The final chapter conveys important insights consolidated in concluding remarks and recommendations for the Croatian corporate governance practice improvements. Generally, as the research results highlight, the existing practice is oriented towards legal and regulatory compliance and the regularity of disclosure, as well as towards shareholders rights, audit and internal control obligations. Notably, the importance of remuneration and compensation issues are yet not recognized as the core contributing elements to the quality of corporate governance practice, neither is the board performance and operating mode. Moreover, the integrated risk management and the corporate social responsibilities dimensions are found to be rather neglected areas in Croatian governance practice, although they undoubtedly contain the core ingredients of use to sustain overall excellence of corporate performance. The recommendations offered explicitly point out to those governance provisions needed for elevating the present governance quality level, thus spanning the space for the elimination of the existing weaknesses. A good starting point, as suggested by authors, might be the strengthening of the role, independency and competences of the board members. The longterm strategic orientation, as well as the alignment and empowerment of shareholders and other important stakeholders activities in the corporate decision-making processes enable the strategic direction of the company to become wealth-generating and better fitting within the ecosystem it operates. Consequently, by becoming more collaborative, companies 112

6 strategies turn into even more competitive. Besides, as professor Tipuric and his colleagues advise, all the mentioned recommendations are not relevant only for the joined stock companies; they pertain to the state and municipal owned companies alike. The book Corporate Governance in Croatia (Korporativno upravljanje u Hrvatskoj) has improved the contemporary and holistic governance platform, which is able to sustain the best governance practices. Moreover, it has offered the missing, SEE region-specific tool for corporate governance practice benchmarking. Since the SEECGAN index indicates, besides strong, also the weak areas of performance by focusing on their improvement, it allows for building and sustaining the corporate governance practice excellence. Being understood as the virtue of balancing the shareholders and stakeholders expectations and company s interest, long term goals and legitimate competitive behaviors, in the scope of this research the corporate governance practice affirms its decisive impact on the overall corporate performance in complex and ever-changing business reality. This work sheds important new light on the corporate governance practice. The pragmatic side of the governance discipline, despite the vast scientific and commercial elaboration, has somehow remained neglected until now, so it merits to be considered as the genuine book value. By combining theoretical propositions and practical throughputs and outputs with a robustly conceptualized methodological framework to be applied as part of the conducted empirical research, significant sets of recommendations have been brought to the fore. Hence, the book could serve as an excellent navigator for the scholarly and business community alike. Moreover, the fact that the inaugurated SEECGAN Index allows for the comparison of the domestic and international companies corporate governance practices is particularly noteworthy, since it underpins the fundamental issues of interest for private and institutional investors, as well as for financial and legal actors. Dina Tomsic, Ph.D. 1 1 Dina Tomsic, Ph.D., Zagrebacki holding d.o.o., Ulica grada Vukovara 41, Zagreb, 113
PROMINENT businessman and arts promoter Boss Kudzanai Kangara was buried in Bindura on Monday. He died on Sunday after showing signs of Covid-19.

Kangara was 46 years old. His son Darlington could not shed more light since he was busy with funeral arrangements.

Its hard to swallow, I have no much time on the phone.

I can confirm Mudhara will be laid to rest in Bindura on Monday (yesterday).

Yes, its true he had Covid-19 symptoms. He had shortness of breath, he said.

According to a reliable source, Kangara (late) was rushed to a private hospital in Chitungwiza after showing signs of deterioration.

On Thursday, Boss Kangara was rushed to the hospital in Chitungwiza in an ambulance.

From that time he kept on deteriorating and he took his last breath on Sunday morning, said the source.

Kangara was not only a businessman in Bindura, but a father figure to the community.

Orphans, widows and other less privileged people benefited from him. An employee of Kangara Gold Buyers said his death was a loss to the family, community, Bindura and Zimbabwe.

We have lost a caring boss and a father figure. He was not difficult to approach and he could listen to us anytime.

He had an open door policy where every worker was able to approach and associate with him.

Takarasikirwa zvikuru and the gap will be difficult to fill.

We are still in shock, the year started on a bad note.

Meanwhile, the arts industry has once again been plunged into mourning following the death of music promoter Kangara. Musicians who benefited from his generosity expressed sorrow. Gospel musician, Mathias Mhere said it was sad to lose someone like Kangara.

I am in shock ndarwadziwa because he was a good man. Our relationship was still developing and I am grateful for what he has done in my life, he said.

Guspy Warrior, who was yet to meet Kangara in person, said it was a loss to the arts industry.

I just know his son Boss Darlington (Kangara 2) so its sad to lose a parent and he has been helping artistes.

I urge people to continue practicing all safety measures to avoid the spread of coronavirus.

These days I am always home and following all the orders, said Guspy Warrior.

Bindura-based gospel musician Lasper, who is still failing to accept the death of his promoter said it will take time for him to accept.

He was a father figure to me and everything was going well through his intervention.

Mudhara ndiye aiprovider everything to me and even made special decisions in my life. I dont know how will I accept that he is gone.

Mudhara aiva munhu wevanhu and it was very simple to approach him.

I am sure he was my number one fan because he was always encouraging me to preach the word of God through songs.

He sponsored collaborations with well-known artistes and we were working together very well.

I just want to say Boss Kangara rest in peace, you fought till the end, said Lasper.

Tocky Vibes, Madam Boss, Killer T and Kudzi Nyakudya are some of the entertainers who benefited from Kangara.

His death comes after Zimbabwe lost another mbinga, Boss G Genius Ginimbi Kadungure who was killed in horrific accident along Borrowdale road late last year.

 HMetro

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ATLANTA  Convenience retailing, or life for that matter, can be summed up by the two words of hope and love, said NACS 2016-17 Chairman Rahim Budhwani during the 2016 NACS Show Closing General Session on Friday.

Hope is the constant of all things. It's the only thing that stays with you when everything else feels lost. And without love, life has no meaning, no flavor, no passion, said Budhwani, who is CEO of 6040 LLC, which operates convenience stores, including the Encore brand, in Alabama.

Budhwani used the name of his company to explain the concepts of both love and hope. Originally, he developed the company with a partner who would work in their first store and own 60% of the company while Rahim, the silent partner with another career, would own 40%thus the name 6040.

But just before the deal closed, his partner had a change of heart. Budhwani was now a 100% owner of a convenience store businessalong with his full-time job as a computer programmer, his grad school studies and his newly expanded family with a newborn daughter.

After eight months of working two jobs plus attending graduate school, Budhwani focused exclusively on the convenience retailing industry. His hope that he would survive in the business was complemented by a love for the industry. But he still needed help to growand so he turned to local regional groups and NACS.

NACS delivers amazing connections that improve your business, Budhwani said. He described his first NACS committee meeting, when he was instantly put at ease, even though he wasnt sure he belonged there.

"If you need help, just ask for it. Someone will help you. This is part of the culture of NACS and something that I love, he said. That first meeting made me want to stay engaged, and become even more active, and it has led me to be here today.

NACS also delivers ideas, Budhwani said. He described insights gained at a NACS Leadership Summit five years ago, which led him to become the first convenience retailer in the state of Alabama to sell growlers.

We all need to continuously educate ourselves to be successful. Sometimes, we think we know it all. We think we are too busy working to learn more. And that is a big mistake, Budhwani stressed. If you dont get new ideas, you will never really grow your business. And you will never evolve from working in the store to working for the store.

Of course, not every idea will work, but the key is to try new ideas and learn from your experience, whether you succeed or fail. Budhwani said that the companys initial push into foodservice was an instant disaster.

That store was in a heavily Hispanic market. They didnt want pizza to take to the job site. They wanted the traditional food that they were used eating back home, Budhwani said. So they evolved the program and built a small 300-square-foot kitchen in the store, with a focus on Hispanic fare like tamales, tacos, tortas and chilaquiles.

From there, Budhwani added a twist, using his background with Indian cuisine, to create chicken curry tacos and maharaja tacos. The new foodservice programboth traditional Hispanic food and Indian fusionhave been so popular that the store was featured on a segment on National Public Radio last year.

But even with the best ideas and execution, convenience retailing is still a people business, he noted. We exist because of our importance in communities. C-store does not stand for convenience store, it stands for community store, said Budhwani, who talked about how he provided free food and drinks to first responders helping the community after Hurricane Katrina struck Birmingham in 2005. We didnt make one sale at that store for a monthbut it grew our business. Our support showed that we cared. And the community noticed.

That same spirit exists at the NACS Show and at other industry events, he said. I feel that same sense of community in our industry. People help each other. And groups come together to make the industry better.

Referencing back to the difficult early days as a new owner of a convenience store business, Budhwani said that things have certainly changed for the better because now he wakes up every day loving what he does, and hopes to become the best at what he does. Im here today to say that an average guy like me can make itas long as you have the passion and the love for what you do, Budhwani concluded.
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Yves here. Even though readers may differ with Ilargi on some of the particulars in his argument, I suspect that many will agree that hes focusing on a critical overarching issue, which is a loss of legitimacy of governments in many advanced economies. Personally, Im not keen about the term he uses in this headline, ungovernability, because that was one of the big claims made by the extreme right in the late 1960s and early 1970s to justify their campaign to move the values of the country to the right: that the civil disobedience of the 1960s and the unreasonable social welfare demands of unions were making the US ungovernable and Something Had To Be Done.

And I take issue with this view:

What America and Britain would need right now is a traditional media outlet -just one- that is actually objective; the first one that tries that approach could make a killing, but all are scared of being killed in the process.

I agree 100% that we desperately need a press that is dedicated to traditional journalistic values, as opposed to merely mouthing them while they act as official scribes. But need and commercial success are two different matters.

The Internet has killed traditional journalism. What allowed them to be independent in the past was that half their ad revenues came from classified ads. The Internet wiped that out and has also wreaked havoc with their subscriptions. Lucrative print subscribers are literally dying off, and to the extent they can get online subscribers, their profitability is much lower. Employment and pay among journalists have collapsed.

On the revenue side, newspapers and traditional media depend on delivering a particular slice of viewers to advertisers who want to reach them. The most valuable are well-educated, upper income customers. Do you think they want to hear about how bad corruption really is, how they are enabling more and more surveillance via their addiction to tech convenience, how official responses to climate change are grossly inadequate, or how US and UK policy in the Middle East is being run by nutcase ideologues, the military-industrial complex, and Saudi Arabia, and is going to wreck Europe if we dont change course? Those readers would abandon an outlet that was more candid on these topics because it would go against their class interests and most would find it too distressing to digest.

And thats before you get to the fact that the majority of what is considered to be news are initiated by government and business. A big chunk of the rest comes from think tanks and other interested parties. Comparatively little (a Pew study on post-crisis financial news stories found a mere 2%) is initiated by the media player itself. And reported stories, whether they start from the journalist or are prompted by sources or a skeptical take on official PR, take vastly more work than adding some journalistic decoration to planted stories.

More specifically, what happens when Clinton wins, as the press and pollsters tell us she will? The House is already planning to go to war with her, with two committee investigations supposedly green-lighted. Its not hard to imagine given Clintons sense of entitlement, and the fact that there does appear to be a lot of very dirty Clinton Foundation laundry, that these investigations could quickly move to a full-blown Constitutional crisis even in the absence of an impeachment, which would almost certainly follow in the event of a refusal to cooperate.

By Ilargi, editor of Automatic Earth. Originally published at Automatic Earth

Over the summer I introduced a two-fold assertion: 1) global economic growth is over (and has been for years and wont come back for many more years) and 2) the end of growth marks the end of all centralization, including globalization. You can read all about these themes in Globalization Is Dead, But The Idea Is Not and Why There is Trump There are also extensive quotes of the second essay in wicked former UK MI6 spymaster Alastair Crookes End of Growth Sparks Wide Discontent.

When I say the end of growth, I dont mean that in a Limits to Growth kind of way, or peak oil or things like that. Not because I seek to invalidate such things, but because I mean economics, finance only. Our economies simply ceased growing, and quite a few years ago. The only reason that is not, and very widely, recognized is the $21 trillion and change that central banks have conjured up ostensibly to kickstart a recovery that always remains just around the corner.

That those $21 trillion will have massive negative effects on all of us is not my point either right now. Just that growth is gone. And thats hard enough to swallow for a system thats based uniquely on that growth. That is what this essay is about: what consequences that will have.

All that said, I dont have the idea that too many people are willing to accept the notion of the end of eternal economic growth (let alone right this minute), nor of globalizations demise. Which may be partially understandable, but not more than that. Instead, quite a few people may honestly feel that the end of growth will make leaders try for more, not less, centralization/globalization, but that, if it happens, is temporary. Unless, as I wrote earlier, we see dictators in the west.

Because, as I said in those articles, the overbearing principle is, and must be, that when centralized power ceases to deliver benefits to people, they will no longer accept that decisions about their  ever poorer- lives are taken by people hundreds or thousands of miles away from where they live. People allow that only when they reap sufficient benefits from it. With growth gone, there are no such benefits left. Look at Greece and Italy and Brexit, and look at why Trump is where he is.

Since it will apparently take a while for the above to sink in  which is not because Im wrong-, Im a little hesitant to introduce the next assertion, which is very closely related to the other two and takes it a step further. That assertion is that there are multiple countries in the western world -and perhaps beyond- today that run a serious risk of becoming de facto ungovernable. Ill refrain from using the term anarchy.

Ive been playing around in my head for a while with the thought that it is striking that the last two major global powers, which together have dominated world politics and economics for over 200 years, look well on their way towards becoming ungovernable. It is perhaps even more striking that nobody appears to understand or even contemplate this.

Both Britain and America are caught in an apparent trap in which various groups of their citizens blame each other for everything thats going wrong with their lives -which admittedly is plenty-. But thats where the end of growth and globalization comes in: societies are in urgent need of new ways of organizing themselves, of formulating new goals, priorities and policies.

And since nary a soul recognizes that the old ways have expired, this is bound to be a very difficult process. Before formulating anything new, we will first see (well, we already do) forces, movements and individuals rise to the fore whose claim to fame is kicking against the existing grain without providing much in the way of -coherent- ideas of what should come next.

In fact, most of these transitory forces dont even realize or acknowledge the need for any novel paradigms; they -often hugely- gain in popularity basing themselves on talk of tweaking existing paradigms, on the notion of pretty much leaving things as they are but with a few different focus points here and there. Re-arranging deckchairs.

And if anyone would try on real change, theyd likely be voted down in record numbers, because the end of growth will mean loss of wealth and prosperity everywhere. And neither the people nor the times are ready for that message. Let alone the media machine or the establishment it serves. Which would rather go to war than admit they lost and give up their profits.

Before moving on to the most prominent and perhaps urgent examples, the US and UK, lets take a look at a handful or so European countries. By the way, the European Union is a prime example of an entity that is caught blinded on the way towards being ungovernable like a deer in 27/28 pairs of headlights. No growth, no EU.

In the same way that, as I explained in the earlier articles, all supranational entities face the fate of the dodo. Or at least the existing ones do, with their structures geared towards ever increasing centralization of power and money. Countries, societies, people will always find ways to trade and cooperate, and they will again, but the next time they do it will be only if and when they keep control over decisions that concern whats important to them.

But on to those European countries on their way towards challenging existing power structures and governability. Italy has a -constitutional- referendum on December 4, and it looks right now like PM Renzi will lose that, opening the way for our friend Beppe Grillo and his M5S Five Star movement to take over. Beppe wasnt against the euro when we met in 2010, but he is now. And M5S has since grown hugely, into a solid national force.

In the rich core of the EU, there are general elections in Holland in March 2017, France in April and Germany in September 2017. Hollands traditional parties have been losing clout for a long time, and Geert Wilders anti-Islam anti-EU pro-Freedom party scores big in the polls. And that in a country that says its doing great, talks about raising wages across the board and is stuck in a massive housing bubble.

France has a president, Hollande, whos polling lower numbers (a while ago it was 6%) than any US president probably ever did in history, and thats saying something. France has new crown princes on Hollandes Socialist side in PM Manuel Valls and Economy Minister Emmanuel Macron, but they are badly tainted by Hollandes achievements.

They have old crown princes for the Republican conservative party in ex-PM Sarkozy and the for some reason very popular Alain Juppe, but both can really only try and steal votes from Marine Le Pens Front National by leaning ever further right. Which leaves Le Pen, who has sworn to take France out of the EU, as the no. 1 contender.

Given what might happen in Italy, Holland and France, one must wonder what the September 2017 German elections will even matter anymore when they happen. Unless an M5S type movement stands up there, Merkel will have no choice but to pull sharply to the right to try and hold off the right wing AfD from getting into a kingmaker position. Germanys once proud and strong left wing movement looks bound for near extinction.

Belgium and Spain dont have elections scheduled for 2017, but both have recently endured long periods without functioning governments, and both look no closer to solving the issues than they were before. Just look at Wallonia blocking the CETA trade deal between the EU and Canada. One might say they already are, for all intents and purposes, on the verge of being ungovernable.

Grillo, Wilders, Le Pen and Spains Podemos are very different people and movements, but what they have in common is they can produce such a backlash in their respective countries, win or lose, that they can render the existing political structures obsolete and thereby their countries ungovernable. Maybe, then, those structures are already obsolete, and maybe thats why theyve gained such popularity?!

Plenty of candidates in Europe for governmental chaos; and I havent even touched on many countries, including in Eastern Europe, where the end of growth will shatter many dreams and promises of better lives that have been put on hold indefinitely. Even as many Czechs and Polish workers risk being sent back home from countries like Britain. Europe truly is a continent full of powder kegs. Even before you add refugees.

However, I still think the US and UK are first in line when it comes to the risk of being rendered ungovernable. Partly simply because of timing, and partly because the differences between various groups and movements are as pronounced as they are already today. Both countries are running out of carpet to sweep their dirt under.

A conspicuous part in all this is played by the nations respective media, who seem to have given up all attempts at pretending to be neutral, a.k.a. journalistic. Traditional media, newspapers and radio and TV channels, used to have reporters and then, separately, they would have opinion columns, and the difference would be clear. But thats all gone, every single article is now an opinion piece, which goes a long way towards explaining why people turn their backs on them.

The MSM media are digging their own graves. Or, rather, their graves were being digitally dug anyway, and theyre greatly speeding up the process of their own demise. What America and Britain would need right now is a traditional media outlet -just one- that is actually objective; the first one that tries that approach could make a killing, but all are scared of being killed in the process.

Moreover, most reporters have fooled themselves into thinking that they ARE objective; that objective means Trump and Brexit MUST be condemned, as well as everyone and everything that has anything to do with the two, and some that dont, like Putin. Which happens to play a major role into how both countries inexorably slide down into a state of chaos.

Their traditional political parties are self-immolating as we speak, and yet in neither country is there space for new parties to stand up. That seems to be a major difference (perhaps its an Anglo thing?) from countries in continental Europe, and even there things are screaming out of hand. The post-growth model appears to be: new parties or not, the incumbents are toast. Plenty room for big gaping holes.

Post Brexit, the UK has the Tories, who lost the Brexit vote but for some reason are still in power, just with a different figurehead. But they are hopelessly divided in pro-Brexit and pro-EU factions, and they appear so far to be messing up anything at all having to do with Brexit. All the egos collide too, of course; egos are all that politics has left to provide us.

Then theres the Labor Party, which is equally hopelessly divided into the pro-Corbyn camp and the anti-Corbyn Blairites, which have conducted a kind of guerrilla warfare that might put the Viet Cong to shame. The Blairites have made such a fuss over Corbyn not being electable that they made their wishes come true like a boomerang. But thats the MPs, not the voters or even the party members, who are behind Corbyn in massive droves.

The UK doesnt have a general election scheduled until 2020, but with all the infighting and even more importantly the real start of Brexit thats supposed to come in early 2017, and/or a potential parliamentary vote seeking to make the referendum null and void, its hard to see how the country could NOT descend into total chaos way before 2020.

The people who were comfortable before June 23 blame it all on Brexiteers, but they conveniently forget that before that date they completely ignored the people who did vote to Leave the EU, and are therefore now grasping at straws when it comes to explanations. The term deplorables has been patented by the Hillary camp, but it seems to express quite well how Remain feels about Brexit voters today. And thats toxic for any society.

This is just not good enough. Brexit voters from what I can see are a mix between those who have been hit hardest by former PM Cameron and his goon squad (and ignored by Remainers), and those who really find the EU a failed experiment, an aspect I rarely see discussed in Britain. They should be elated to be rid of Brussels, but its all only about how much money they will have short term, not about identity or pride or anything.

A country full of people pointing fingers at others, while remaining blind to their own failures. The mote and the beam, a recipe for mayhem. So you have this entire godawful political mess, and now imagine throwing in the end of growth, and deteriorating economic circumstances from here on in.

Britain had better start some kind of National Conversation first on where it wants to go, hire something in the vein of a bunch of National Therapists to tell people its not okay to blame everything on somebody else, whether theyre Brits or foreigners, or, with Scotland planning another independence vote, we could be back all the way to Braveheart.

That leaves the US. The country that has elections before any of the other basket cases. And, this being America, the land thats better than anyone at painting pictures of itself as tempting as they can be false, the antagonism is dripping off the walls and through the streets. The land that discusses which lives matter.

Its glaringly obvious that the majority of the US media would like you to believe that when it comes to ungovernability, a Trump victory would be a sure bet to lead the US into political mayhem. That may be true, though its by no means guaranteed, they make it up as they go along, but a Hillary win may well end up being even worse.

As I wrote mid-September in Hillary Became Unelectable Long Ago, Mrs. Clinton faces a ton of unanswered questions that will not just go away just because she might win a vote. If anything, scrutiny may well increase, and a lot, if she wins on November 8. And thats not just because the Donald is a sore loser (which also may or may not be true).

There are a lot of intelligence (FBI) voices protesting the decision to not charge Hillary for her email shenanigans. There are plenty of serious issues related to the capture of the DNC by Hillarys campaign, and the subsequent ousting of Bernie Sanders and all his supporters. The campaign went so far as to pay people to -violently- disrupt Trump events. Now spell democracy for me.

What may play an even bigger role going forward is the unrelenting blame game played by the campaign on Russia and Vladimir Putin, a litany of allegations for which precious little proof, if any, has been presented. Trying to link Putin to Trump to Julian Assange may have seemed a winning election strategy, and it may prove to be one, crazy as it is, but on November 9 the world will still keep turning and-a churning. And where are they all then?

Trump will not forget this. The Republicans wont. The FBI wont. All the people who support Wikileaks wont. Vladimir Putin wont. And neither will the leaders of a lot of other countries. They have now seen that sovereign nations and their leaders can be used as cannon fodder in a US election, or any other US political purposes, and thats going to make them feel queasy, and then some, for a long time.

Its very hard to see how Hillary and her people, as well as the American media, can climb down from the stance theyve taken. Its not exactly something you can easily apologize for after the fact. So the only thing to do would be to dig in and persevere.

For the media, as I said, itll be merely another step towards irrelevance. Just a bit steeper. For Hillary and her supporters, it wont be that smooth of a way down. When they dig in deeper into their trenches, all thats left them is to try and escalate the Russia tension.

But while an attack on Russia may go down reasonable well in American minds, Hillary would need to involve NATO, and there are plenty of member countries, and their citizens, who will not accept anything of the kind, no matter what their leaders say. The fact that NATO relies on unity would become a liability instead of an asset, in the same way that the EU will experience.

NATO would fall apart if the US under a Hillary presidency attacks Russia. So would the EU, which will fall apart anyway. And thats just on the international front.

Domestically, the Obama reign has been saved by those trillions from the Fed, by the crazy growth in debt, both public and private, and by a list as long as your arm of questionable official data, unemployment numbers, personal wealth, that sort of thing. While we all know that there would not be a Trump if those numbers reflected Americans real lives.

Trump may go away, though it wont be in silence, but what he represents will not. And what he represents is 180 squarely removed from Hillary. And its not going to be subdued, silent or obedient. Blaming that on Trump, or on things he says, misses the point by a mile.

Given what the Hillary campaign has perpetrated, given the links to the Clinton Foundation, and given a ton of other things, its not all that crazy that Trump says he may not accept an election result off the bat. And given what many voices in the Democratic party, including Obama, have said in the past about elections and systems being rigged, its nonsense to try and demonize him for suggesting that.

Of course American elections can be rigged. Hanging chads or not. As long as people have to wait in line for hours in certain districts to cast their vote, and as long as Diebold machines are used, they can be rigged. But you cant say it out loud?

Look, if Trump wins, how docile will the Democrat crowd be, given the propaganda machine targeted at Putin and Assange and anyone else (Bernie!) who dared stand in Hillarys way? If the result is close, will Hillary accept it without a single protest or question? She wont. But if Trump says hell keep you in suspense about the exact same thing, hes a threat to democracy itself?

Points of view and belief are so far apart that indeed, democracy is under threat. But not because of Trump. That threat goes back to times long before him.

Hillary owes her position, and her wealth, to the Saudis and Qataris and Wall Street banks and US industrial/military neocons. And they will all demand that she return the favor. But they want something completely different than the people who vote for her. And since the economy is shrinking, she will have to take whatever it is they demand in return for putting her on her pedestal, away from the people who voted for her.

And no matter how much propaganda is unleashed upon Americans, as they see their lives deteriorate, they will be on to this, more and more. And they will lean towards Trump or Bernie Sanders -or someone else in the future-, anyone they feel expresses their frustration.

Hillary wont be able to cure the economy any more than Obama has, she wont have the Feds virtual trillions to help her veil the real state of the economy, and shes already close to the lowest likeability rate in history to begin with.

Im thinking Trump would probably be an awful president, but he perhaps wouldnt be the worst option. And Im saying that from the point of view of keeping America governable going forward, something he may well screw up yuugely, but at least hes not certain to.

Itll be hard to keep America quiet in the years to come whoever wins, and Im going to have to think about this more, I just wanted to say for now that what many people think and claim is a given, is not. And that is a big thing given that the elections are only 16 days away.
This is Naked Capitalism fundraising week. 1285 donors have already invested in our efforts to combat corruption and predatory conduct, particularly in financial realm. Please join us and participate via our Tip Jar, which shows how to give via check, credit card, debit card, or PayPal. Read about why were doing this fundraiser, what weve accomplished in the last year, and our fifth goal, more original reporting.

Just How Welcome Are Foreigners on Japanese Trains? Global Voices (resilc)

Microsofts tablet deal with the NFL has been a disaster Yahoo (Dan K)

China?

Chinese house prices crash in October MacroBusiness

France begins to clear Calais camp BBC

CETA Panic

EU sets Belgium Monday deadline to back Canada trade deal Reuters. Among other things, the Walloons object to the investor-state dispute settlement process. This is a fundamental feature of the pact and there is no way to come up with a finesse on this issue. You have to love the blather: EU officials are rushing to assuage the Walloon governments concerns. How about, What about sovereignity dont you understand? If the Walloons refuse to back down on ISDS, this deal is toast. Keep your fingers crossed.

Brexit

Movimiento autonomista le propina duro golpe al oficialismo: Jorge Sharp se queda con Valparaiso elmostrador. Timotheus:

This is potentially huge for Chile and even S. America: a very young independent just crushed the two major party coalitions for mayor of the countrys #2 city, Valparaiso. Read PODEMOS in Spain. Chiles post-Pinochet politics for 25 years has been dominated by a neoliberal duopoly with a Democrat-like bunch alternating with a Republican-like bunch (with notes of fascism as they descend from the pinochetista formations of the 1980s). This outcome reflects the deep rejection of both that has been building for a while.

Haitis Clinton Problem: During his term, Bill Clinton used violent and underhanded tactics to promote US interests in Haiti Jacobin (Joe H)

Syraqistan

The Niger Delta Oil Wars Are Unlikely To End Soon OilPrice. Resilc: Ee have advisors in the north, how soon is the south too?

Big Brother is Watching You Watch

Imperial Collapse Watch

Clinton E-mail Tar Baby

Clinton Ally Aided Campaign of FBI Officials Wife Wall Street Journal

2016

AT&T-Time Warner face uphill battle in Washington Financial Times. Trump has spoken against it (see below); Clinton has been non-committal; Kaine has raised some lukewarm concerns.

Donald Trump rips into possible AT&T-Time Warner deal CNN (EM)

AT&T Is Buying Time Warner Because the Future is Google Wired (resilc)

Variations in party % sampling, 2016 and Oct 2016 polls Spread An Idea. The source of the misunderstanding is that oversampling does not mean overweighting. It means sampling more in a particular slice of the mix to get a more accurate reading on that particular cohort.

Political Road Map: How unlimited cash gets funneled into legislative campaigns Los Angeles Times (resilc)

Banker Deaths and WikiLeaks Deaths Have a Common Thread Pam Martens and Russ Martens (Wat)

Silicon Valley: Under pressure to float Financial Times

Class Warfare

Gary Younge, Americas Deserving and Undeserving Dead Children TomDispatch The Cure For Being A Woman YouTube (Chuck L). One of the things Ive come to realize is that Im much more gender blind than most people are. What is noteworthy to me about this clip is that the subject puts constant fear of physical harm on her short list of what is dysfunctional about being female. Thats never been part of my reality, in part due to not being cute when I was young and therefore not having been the object of unwanted male attention, but also having been bigger than all the boys in my classes in both height and weight through adolescence. As a result, Ive had only a very few instances where men have tried to intimidate me, like an overweight guy in his 40s coming into the ATM section of a bank branch, going through the motions of getting money, and then asking me at the neighboring ATM to give him cash. I was feeding checks in and reflexively gave him a What, are you crazy? look and continued without changing my rhythm. I had been planning to get cash but was not going to do that in front of him. I figured there were multiple cameras and he didnt look desperate or drugged out, so he was unlikely to do anything stupid. He lurked a few minutes and left before I was done processing my checks, so I did in the end get my cash too. The point of that long-winded story is not being afraid makes you less vulnerable. Ive also stared a man down when I could see the impulse to slug me flicker through his eyes, and again, that was reflex on my part, and clearly not what he was expecting. But if most women really are that afraid most of the time (ladies, pipe up), then the power of the Trump as bully trope in rallying women against him makes a ton more sense to me than it has heretofore. What is the gender pay gap and is it real? Economic Policy Institute. Anyone who has worked on Wall Street will tell you it is real. On top of the undervaluation of work done by women (confirmed by studies that show that the same writing sample attributed to a man will be scored higher than if attributed to woman, and women in the sciences on average have to publish 2.5X as many peer-reviwed papers as men to get tenure), women are perceived to be weaker bureaucratic infighters and are thus targeted more than men. Ive experienced, and have also had other women report, that men tried to invade their client relationships in a way they would be unlikely to do with a male peer. Oakland rent continues to rise, Zillow says KTVU. EM: Median asking rent up 70% in under 3 years. Americas Middle-class Meltdown: Core shrinks to half of US homes Financial Times (resilc)

Antidote du jour (Tracie H). I believe this is a tapir:

See yesterdays Links and Antidote du Jour here.
For last few years, we have been laboring earnestly to get CalPERS to travel on a straight and narrow path, with occasional success despite their dogged resistance. We hope you recognize how important these efforts have been for CalPERS beneficiaries, California taxpayers, public pension fund governance generally, and in helping in a small way curb bad conduct in private equity. So we hope youll enable us to apply even more pressure by visiting the Tip Jar and helping fund our work.

For instance, we exposed the fact that they had no idea what they were paying in private equity carry fees and worse falsely claimed they could not get the information. In less than six weeks, they did a volte face and were scrambling to collect the information. When they published the results, it was hailed as a landmark.

Similarly, CalPERS attempted to give private equity a free pass on risk via a stealth plan to subjecting it only to an absolute return return requirement. Not only is that bogus methodologically, it also would have been a complete departure from their framework for measuring risk and return and set a dangerous precedent that would have served as a powerful justification for other public pension funds to emulate them and thus put even more money into private equity. We sounded an alarm in a Bloomberg op ed. Even more important, Eileen Appelbaum and Rosemary Batt, scholars who are recognized private equity experts, heard our alert and quickly wrote an op-ed for the Sacramento Bee criticizing the plan. CalPERS staff retreated from their scheme the very next day.

In addition, last year, we warned about how disturbing it was for CalPERS to have appointed a scandal-ridden attorney, Robert Klausner, in the critically important role of fiduciary counsel. In addition of being involved of decades of questionable pay-to-play practices, Klausner was also known for telling public pension funds whatever they wanted to hear, regularly with not just strained justifications, but readings that other attorneys deemed to be flagrant distortions. Klausner resigned from the CalPERS account on terms we are told were not entirely voluntary less than a year after we started scrutinizing his activities at CalPERS.

Yet CalPERS continues to resist our efforts to keep them out of trouble. At our last visit to a board meeting, the chairman of the investment committee cut us off even though CalPERS has not passed a regulation as required under the Bagley-Keene Open Meetings Act, to limit the time of public comments.

Former CalPERS board member Michael Flaherman, now a visiting scholar at UC Berkeley, felt compelled to chide the board:

Michael Flaherman, Visiting Scholar, UC Berkeley: I was really disappointed by what happened with Miss Webber. You know, Mr. Jacobs is an effective advocate. He was a litigator for many years. No matter how illegal or even outrageous the behavior of his client, hes going to get up and say, make an argument for why it was legal. And its pretty transparent when he says, oh, it was legal, but dont worry were bringing back a regulation. And it was disappointing to me as a beneficiary and as a former member of the Board to see it as well, because what was the point of cutting off this woman? I suspect I think that many of you dont know actually that Susan Webber is actually one of the most important financial commentators in the United States. I dont think Ive ever talked to a financial journalist at any great length without them actually bringing up the fact that they read her avidly. In other words, she is the sort of central clearinghouse on a number of issues, private equity being the one that has the most nexus to this organization, and opinion maker. Similarly, all of themany of the members of the staffs of the congressional committees that are responsible for finance read her avidly. She is read avidly at the Securities and Exchange Commission among the staff. It was a mistake to cut her off. As far as I could tell actually, she was actually kind of praising you, which I dont think Ive ever heard her do, and, you know, and I also want to be clear. Im not a shill for her. Ive actually had very heated disagreements with her at times actually, and some of which actually related to some of her criticism of this organization. But I was the one, as you may know, who brought up the fact that there are no regulations permitting time limits on public comments. And its been disappointing to me that nothing has happened with it until today, where it got called publicly, and in a way that was embarrassing. And, you know, and there is, theres an age old legal doctrine I think that you all need to reflect on, which is, you know, which is, I took Latin for many years, so Ill say it in Latin, right, tacetus consensat importat, which means silence implies consent. If you sit here and an action is taken and you say nothing, then the world is left to believe that each of you supports that action. And thats very disappointing. Thank you.

CalPERS general counsel, Matt Jabobs (the Jacobs Flaherman mentioned) made flagrant misrepresentations to the board on this very topicat the last board meeting, so we need to keep the heat on. Back our initiatives to hold public officials accountable. Donate now to Naked Capitalism. If you cant afford much, give what you can. Whether you can contribute $5 or $5,000, it will pay for itself, I guarantee you. This isnt just giving, its a statement that you are want a different debate, a different society, and a different culture.
This is Naked Capitalism fundraising week. 1282 donors have already invested in our efforts to combat corruption and predatory conduct, particularly in financial realm. Please join us and participate via our Tip Jar, which shows how to give via check, credit card, debit card, or PayPal. Read about why were doing this fundraiser, what weve accomplished in the last year, and our fifth goal, more original reporting.

Yves here. During the foreclosure crisis, it was annoying to see how Wells Fargo would repeatedly cop a tude of moral superiority in the press, when if anything its chain of title abuses were more egregious by virtue of being better institutionalized. By contrast, Bank of America, which was also grinding up homeowners casually, had acquired garbage barge Countrywide and then by imposing its mindless cost controls, drove out all the people who knew how to run Countrywides home built servicing platform..which was one of its best assets. So as much as there was clearly a big element of design in Bank of Americas predatory conduct, some of it also resulted from incompetence. By contrast, given Wells smugness and tightly controlled retail operations, its a reasonable assumption that everything that takes place there is institutionalized.

This post demonstrates that despite former Wells CEO John Stumpfs pious promises under oath before the House and Senate banking committees that aggressive cross selling was a thing of the past, nothing has changed. But perhaps because Stumpf is no longer at Wells, the bank feels no obligation to honor his commitments.

By Wolf Richter, a San Francisco based executive, entrepreneur, start up specialist, and author, with extensive international work experience. Originally published at Wolf Street

They have learned nothing.

I walked into my Wells Fargo branch to put my data backup into my safe deposit box, as Ive been doing for a decade. This routine business turned into a wake-up call about safe deposit boxes and churned up insights into how Wells Fargo conducts to this day its cross-selling efforts: the algo makes them do it!

To clarify, Im a happy customer. Wells Fargo handles day-to-day banking for me and my vast WOLF STREET media-mogul-empire corporation. The people are nice, and I have not yet noticed any fraudulent accounts in my name.

It doesnt bother me that every time I call one of the national numbers with a problem or question, I have to swat away their offers of pre-approved credit cards, lines of credit, or other high-margin products. Having run a car dealership earlier in my life, I appreciate the art of aggressive cross-selling. However, we never-ever did it over the phone! We waited till we saw the whites of their eyes.

Yet at the counter for safe deposit boxes, I was in for a surprise. The young man  a 30-year-old employee would have looked suspiciously over-age at that branch  checked the computer for my box number. There was a problem. He asked for my drivers license. He rummaged through a file cabinet, found the signature cards. He conferred with another kid. He came back, embarrassed. Turns out, the fact that Ive been renting the box for a decade wasnt in their computer system. So no-go.

I thought: Thats how easy it is to block you from getting into your safe deposit box.

He called over a personal banker  a young woman  to fix the problem. We trotted off to her desk. She said the bank had updated its computer system. My box rental hadnt made it into the new version. So she got busy on her computer. Took a while. She had to set it up. There were fees and discounts to discuss. There were things I had to read, agree to, and sign. She was just about finished, when she suddenly did a mini double-take of her screen. Everything came to a halt.

I dont mean to sell you anything, she said after a long pause, with an embarrassed smile, but.

She could see the whites of my eyes! She turned her computer screen. It was filled with a Wells Fargo credit card promo. Youve been pre-approved for this great offer, she said. Your credit must be really good. Not many people get this offer.

An algorithm had decided it was time to cross-sell; and she had to cross-sell to finish her job. That credit card promo was the next step in the procedure.

The algo that forces employees at the branch and at call centers to cross-sell was designed by humans, after strategic decisions had been made and funded, under the direction of top management at headquarters, such as current CEO Timothy Sloan and former CEO John Stumpf.

This cross-selling push is embedded in the software, is algorithm-driven, and kicks in at the most effective moment.

Even the recent disclosures, settlements, the keel-hauling in California and other states, and further investigations have not motivated Wells Fargo to strip these algos out of its computer system. Theyre still there, working hard for your own good.

After she got rid of that promo page, and elegantly handled another topic she wanted to cover, I was finally allowed to get into my safe deposit box.

The next day, I received an email from Wells Fargo and Gallup. It asked for feedback on my recent Wells Fargo visit and offered me a chance to win $1,000.

Now I was curious. Though I never fill out surveys, I decided to check this out.

Up front, it asked if I spoke to a banker about opening a NEW account or product, or about one of my CURRENT Wells Fargo accounts or products. Was Wells Fargo trying to figure out if the banker did her job and pitched a new account?

After it asked me to rate my overall satisfaction with the visit, it listed a series of questions about the employee, whether they did things right the first time, etc. etc. It never once asked about the bank, how it screwed up with the safe deposit box.

And this: The employee asked questions to identify options for meeting your financial needs. Should I check strongly agree to help the employee out? She deserved it. She was nice. Clearly, the survey is checking on her to see if she did her job and tried to sell me something I didnt need or want.

Remember, Id gone to the branch to get into my safe deposit box, and not for retirement planning.

Did you visit the branch to resolve a problem or error? Nope. A problem or error occurred after I got there.

Did you work with an employee to establish or confirm your financial priorities? And The employee provided products or services that aligned with your current financial needs.

Again and again, each time couched in slightly different terms, the survey checked on the employee to see if she had been sufficiently aggressive in cross-selling.

The fact that surveys check to see if employees did their job in cross-selling tells me how big the pressure on them still is, even after all the revelations.

These survey results are used to manage employees. They probably get them rubbed in their faces during sales meetings and in performance evaluations. They know theyre being evaluated, not only by the algo-driven computer system at the bank, but also via customer responses, to make sure they push new accounts, credit cards, credit lines, brokerage accounts, and other products.

This is inbred into the bank. Its part of its management doctrine and computer system. Its partnering with Gallup to accomplish this. A contract with Gallup isnt set up at the lower levels. And a few slaps on the wrist arent going to change a whole lot. Its not just Wells Fargo. Its the industry. It puts banks into the same category as car dealers. So steel yourself when you deal with them (just like you would walking into a dealership).

No bank is so powerful as to be untouchable, explained California State Treasurer John Chiang. Read Wells Fargo Getting Clocked by California: What, No Perp-Walk?
You may have read yesterday that new polls are showing Democrats surging in gubernatorial races . The Trump effect looks like it will be kicking in up and down the ballots, even in the Republican-friendly states like Indiana, North Carolina, West Virginia and Missouri, that have gubernatorial races this year. Were in a map right now where were pleased, on a race-by-race basis, at how this looks, said Jared Leopold, a spokesman for the Democratic Governors Association. Everyone expected that 2016 would be a difficult cycle for Democrats because we were defending more. Is Leopold celebrating that the Trump-like "Democratic" billionaire, Jim Justice , a detestable arch conservative who reeks corruption and has announced he won't vote for Hillary, is ahead? I called the Democratic Governors Association and they refused to comment on West Virginia. They'd rather talk about North Carolina and Indiana

A Ball State University poll released Wednesday, conducted for WISH-TV in Indianapolis, shows former Indiana House Speaker John Gregg (D) leading Lt. Gov. Eric Holcomb (R) by a 48 percent to 43 percent margin in the race to replace Republican Gov. Mike Pence, Donald Trumps running mate.



In North Carolina, another Republican-led state, three surveys released this week show Attorney General Roy Cooper (D) locked in a tight race with Gov. Pat McCrory (R), who has faced nationwide backlash over the states law on public bathroom use for transgender people. Polls conducted by CNN and Survey USA showed Cooper with a narrow lead, while a survey conducted by the conservative Civitas Institute showed McCrory slightly ahead.



Surveys in two states led by Democrats, Oregon and New Hampshire, show Democrats up by significant margins in gubernatorial races.



A University of New Hampshire poll conducted for WMUR showed Executive Councilor Colin Van Ostern (D) leading fellow Executive Councilor Chris Sununu (R) 44 percent to 38 percent. A MassInc poll conducted for WBUR released last week showed Van Ostern up 47 percent to 44 percent.



...In Montana, both Democrats and Republicans believe Gov. Steve Bullock (D) is likely to win a second term.



Though governor races tend to be viewed differently by voters than federal races, some Republicans worry that Donald Trumps increasingly perilous political standing could begin to bleed down ticket, especially in North Carolina and New Hampshire, two presidential swing states.

But it's the Senate where most attention has been focused. This should have been a relatively easy year for Democrats to win the majority and to bank seats for the expected GOP come-back in 2018. The 2018 midterm map favors Republicans as much as the 2016 midterm map favors Democrats. Unfortunately, Schumer and Tester, who run the DSCC recruited excruciatingly bad candidates and not only are the Democrats not banking the seats they need to offset expected losses in 2018, they could possibly manage to not even win the Senate back this year. The only reason Schumer's dreadful, Wall Street-friendly conservative recruits are even in contention at all is because of Trump's toxicity. "Without Trump," one progressive senator who's no fan of Schumer's told me, "we wouldn't have a prayer. Schumer screwed up royally in too many states."





There are 34 Senate seats with elections this year. 10 are safely Republican-- Utah, South Dakota, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Kentucky, South Carolina, Alabama, Kansas, Idaho and Arkansas-- and not looked at as worth contesting by the Democrats and 8 are safely Democratic-- California, Oregon, Vermont, Hawaii, Maryland, Connecticut, New York and Washington-- not looked at as worth contesting by the Republicans. That leaves 16 seats with vulnerable incumbents that the two parties are battling over: just 2 Democratic-- Nevada and Colorado-- and a whopping 12 Republican seats-- Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Ohio, New Hampshire, Illinois, Georgia, Alaska, Indiana, Arizona, Missouri, Iowa, Louisiana, North Carolina and Florida.





are-- less fortunate. Schumer overrode Iowans to insert corporate shill Patty Judge, who is going down to a tremendous defeat. Schumer squelched the early enthusiasm for smart, young, ideas-driven candidate PG Sittenfeld in Ohio and forced walking corpse, conservative throwback Ted Strickland, into the race, where he's being slaughtered by dull and unaccomplished Republican Rob Portman. Schumer recruited reactionary New Dem Ann Kirkpatrick to run against the very vulnerable John McCain. The only way she will become senator is if McCain dies before election day. In Florida, Schumer promised Wall Street he would keep Alan Grayson out of the Senate and the vessel was Wall Street's favorite New Dem, Patrick Murphy, who the DSCC and their allies spent millions on to get over the primary finish line. The DSCC has now abandoned him to Marco Rubio-- a weak and flawed candidate Grayson could have eviscerated and beaten-- who is beating Murphy. In Pennsylvania, Schumer spent a fortune denying the nomination to the extremely popular Joe Sestak-- popular with real Democrats, not with establishment elites-- and Schumer's mediocre candidate, former fracking lobbyist Katie McGinty has been unable to put the reprehensible Republican, Pat Toomey, away. Even in the one race where Schumer's strategy worked-- recruiting very right-wing corporate whore Evan Bayh in Indiana, a state that would not have otherwise been in play-- even if Evan wins, it's a mixed bag, since he tends to vote with the GOP as much as with the Democrats and if he's in the Senate he will be constantly dragging the Democratic caucus further right on most issues. He's so bad that Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders have Despite poking around to see if he could get Wall Street whore and New Dem chief Ron Kind to run, Schumer didn't interfere in Wisconsin, where Russ Feingold was the overwhelming favorite of the state's Democrats and is kicking unpopular extremist Republican Ron Johnson's ass. Other states were-- and thereby-- less fortunate. Schumer overrode Iowans to insert corporate shill Patty Judge, who is going down to a tremendous defeat. Schumer squelched the early enthusiasm for smart, young, ideas-driven candidate PG Sittenfeld in Ohio and forced walking corpse, conservative throwback Ted Strickland, into the race, where he's being slaughtered by dull and unaccomplished Republican Rob Portman. Schumer recruited reactionary New Dem Ann Kirkpatrick to run against the very vulnerable John McCain. The only way she will become senator is if McCain dies before election day. In Florida, Schumer promised Wall Street he would keep Alan Grayson out of the Senate and the vessel was Wall Street's favorite New Dem, Patrick Murphy, who the DSCC and their allies spent millions on to get over the primary finish line. The DSCC has now abandoned him to Marco Rubio-- a weak and flawed candidate Grayson could have eviscerated and beaten-- who is beating Murphy. In Pennsylvania, Schumer spent a fortune denying the nomination to the extremely popular Joe Sestak-- popular with real Democrats, not with establishment elites-- and Schumer's mediocre candidate, former fracking lobbyist Katie McGinty has been unable to put the reprehensible Republican, Pat Toomey, away. Even in the one race where Schumer's strategy worked-- recruiting very right-wing corporate whore Evan Bayh in Indiana, a state that would not have otherwise been in play-- even if Evan wins, it's a mixed bag, since he tends to vote with the GOP as much as with the Democrats and if he's in the Senate he will be constantly dragging the Democratic caucus further right on most issues. He's so bad that Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders have pointedly left him out of their appeals to Democrats to vote to give the party a Senate majority.





The Democrats could take back Alaska-- where the GOP is in a vicious civil war between mainstream conservatives led by Lisa Murkowski and fringy neo-fascists led by Trumpist Joe Miller (running as a Libertarian) but instead of embracing the Democrat in the race, progressive reformer Ray Metcalfe, Schumer tried recruiting the incredibly corrupt Mark Begich and when Begich turned him down, gave the OK for his allies in the party establishment to throw Metcalfe under the bus and support an independent candidate instead.





The state of the race as I see it now is that Schumer has thrown away Alaska, Arizona, Iowa and Ohio and that the GOP will win each of those states. Georgia and Louisiana are going to vote Republican. Colorado, Wisconsin and Illinois are safely Democratic and Indiana, Nevada, and New Hampshire will probably go Democratic. That leaves Florida leaning Republican, Missouri leaning Republican, North Carolina and Pennsylvania true toss ups.





Politico yesterday, Burgess Everett wrote that the battle for the Senate is down to Over atyesterday, Burgess Everett wrote that the battle for the Senate is down to 6 states : "the traditional swing states of Nevada, Pennsylvania and New Hampshire, and the newly competitive states of North Carolina, Missouri and Indiana, which historically lean Republican."

One wild card is Florida, where Democrats are engaged in an internal battle about whether to add the Sunshine State back into the battleground mix. President Barack Obama was just there hammering Sen. Marco Rubio, but Democratic groups have cut more than $15 million in ad buys. Some in the party are advocating that Rep. Patrick Murphy (D-Fla.) can win with a reinvestment of party resources, but the DSCC and Senate Majority PAC are for now unmoved.



Here's Politico's guide to the half-dozen states that truly dictate whether Mitch McConnell or Chuck Schumer will be running the show next year.



New Hampshire









Democrats just got their best poll of the race from UNH/WMUR, showing Sen. Kelly Ayotte (R-N.H.) losing by nearly double-digits to Democratic Gov. Maggie Hassan. Democrats are crowing about it, but no one on the ground actually thinks its a blowout.



...Hassan is trying to make Ayotte pay for not disavowing Trump until this month.



When it became untenable to stick with him ... she switched, Hassan said of Trump in an interview this month.



Indiana



Republican Todd Young's campaign is laser-focused on a glaring vulnerability thats dogged Democrat Evan Bayh since he entered the race in July: The charge that he abandoned Indiana until he wanted to run for office again.



...Thought by Democrats to be a lock when the former senator and governor enjoyed a double-digit advantage three months ago, Bayh has seen his lead dwindle to single digits after a barrage of attack ads. Democrats are betting that Indiana voters long history with the Bayh family will be enough.



Pennsylvania



More than ever before, Democrat Katie McGintys campaign is hitching itself to the Clinton wagon and attempting to make GOP Sen. Pat Toomeys indecision on Trump the races signature issue. Toomey has said he's still waiting for Trump to earn his vote.



...But nationalizing the race by making it about Trump carries risks for McGinty as well. While Toomey has carved out a brand distinct from Trumps, many voters still see her as a generic Democrat. While Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton has pulled away in Pennsylvania, McGinty and Toomey are running neck-and-neck.



North Carolina





Its all tied up in North Carolina, where Democrat Deborah Ross has steadily gained on Sen. Richard Burr, a low-key and relaxed lawmaker who vowed not to start his campaign until October. Now, Republicans are betting it all on an advertising blitz about the radically liberal stances Ross took while at the American Civil Liberties Union. The spots slam her for voicing concern over the states sex offender registry, defending flag burners and even for advocating for an adolescent who was convicted of sexual assault. (The ACLU believed he had been given too harsh a sentence for someone his age.)



Burr, however, waited to launch the attacks, causing much grumbling among national and local Republicans, who say an aggressive summer ad campaign to define Ross wouldve put the race out of reach for Democrats. Republicans familiar with Burrs campaign said there was not enough cash to do so, as other Senate races were seen as higher priorities.



So the political winds, for now, are behind Ross, a former state legislator and a late-round draft pick for her party. Trump trails in the state, as Clinton airs wall-to-wall ads. And the GOP brand has suffered during a months-long fight over the states transgender bathroom law, which a majority of voters dont support.



Missouri



The GOP assumed Trumps popularity would guarantee GOP Sen. Roy Blunts reelection. But while Trumps numbers in the state slid slightly over the past month, Democrat Jason Kander gained momentum and kept outperforming Clinton on the Democratic ticket.



Kander got reinforcements from the Democratic Partys liberal firebrand Elizabeth Warren on a recent Friday in Kansas City before a capacity crowd of over 1,000 people. Warren delivered a roaring indictment of Blunt as part of the problem in Washington and tied him to special interest groups such as the Koch brothers.



Warren has limited appeal in red Missouri, but her depiction of Blunt as a career politician with deep ties to Washington lobbyists-- including within his own family-- syncs with Kanders central message in the race.



Polls show Blunt with only a slight lead, and Republicans have privately urged Blunt to hit back at the Democrats' attacks more forcefully. But Blunt has instead focused on criticizing Kander over his support for Clinton and Obamacare.



Nevada



The Silver State is the most diverse swing state up for grabs and the only one in which Republicans are on offense. Rep. Joe Heck (R-Nev.) has been a solid recruit for the GOP, acquitting himself well in the Democratic-leaning state against former Attorney General Catherine Cortez Masto. The winner will claim a big prize: the seat of Democrat Harry Reid, the retiring minority leader.



Heck has led for most of the year, though polls are showing the race beginning to tilt Cortez Mastos way. Polling in Nevada is notoriously unreliable due to the difficulty of reaching casino workers and cellphone users. The past two surveys showed Heck up 3 percentage points and Cortez Masto up 7.



But one thing is more certain: Heck is taking plenty of heat from conservatives for unendorsing Trump.



"No Cortez Masto supporter was going to change their vote and vote for him" because Heck unendorsed Trump, said Chuck Muth, a former state GOP executive director, on Nevada radio this month. Its one of several similar clips being circulated by Nevada Democrats.

So let's imagine that the Schumer curse is somewhat ameliorated by the Trump curse and that Democrats win Nevada, Pennsylvania, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Indiana and even Missouri and Florida. Hard to imagine, but play along. Two years later, unless Hillary suddenly turns into FDR (rather than the more likely Richard Nixon), the Democrats will face an electoral nightmare. Of the 33 Senate seats up, 9 are held by Democrats who will be considered vulnerable-- the governor-filled Kaine Virginia seat, Heidi Heitkamp (ND), Joe Manchin (WV), Claire McCaskill (MO), Sherrod Brown (OH), Tammy Baldwin (WI), Bill Nelson (FL), Jon Tester (MT) and Joe Donnelly (IN). On top of that Bob Menendez (D-NJ) will either be super-vulnerable or in prison. Independent Angus King (ME), who caucuses with the Democrats, will also be vulnerable if LePage decides to challenge him (likely). And among Republicans, only Dean Heller (NV) could be thought to be vulnerable to a Democrat.





So... say the pretty much everything within reason goes for the Democrats-- even Missouri and Florida-- they going into 2018 with 54 seats. That's 2 years into an obstructed Hillary term and with weak candidates in red states North Dakota (Heitkamp), Missouri (McCaskill), Montana (Tester), and Indiana (Donnelly), who-knows-what in Virginia, New Jersey and Florida, where Nelson is likely to run for governor and Rick Scott will probably run for the Senate. And no Trump on the ticket. I'm sure McConnell likes those odds better than the one's he's looking at today.








First steps towards the touch robot

(Nanowerk News) A squeeze in the arm, a pat on the shoulder, or a slap in the face  touch is an important part of the social interaction between people. Social touch, however, is a relatively unknown field when it comes to robots, even though robots operate with increasing frequency in society at large, rather than just in the controlled environment of a factory.

Merel Jung is conducting research at the University of Twente CTIT research institute into social touch interaction with robots. Using a relatively simple system  a mannequins arm with pressure sensors, connected to a computer  she has succeeded in getting it to recognize sixty percent of all touches.

The research is being published today in the Journal on Multimodal User Interfaces scientific journal ("Automatic recognition of touch gestures in the corpus of social touch").

Robots are becoming more and more social. A well-known example of a social robot is Paro, a robot seal that is used in care homes, where it has a calming effect on the elderly residents and stimulates their senses. Positive results have been achieved with the robot for this target group, but we still have a long way to go before robots can correctly recognize, interpret, and respond to different types of social touch in the way that people can.

It is a relatively little explored area in science, but one in which much could be achieved in the long term. Examples that come to mind are robots that assist children with autism in improving their social contacts, or robots that train medicine students for real-life situations.

Sixty percent

Merel Jung is therefore carrying out research at the University of Twente into social touch interaction between humans and robots. In order to enable a robot to respond in the correct manner to being touched, she has identified four different stages. The robot must perceive, be able to recognize, interpret, and then respond in the correct way.

In this phase of her research, Jung focused on the first two stages  perceiving and recognizing. With a relatively simple experiment, involving a mannequins arm fitted with 64 pressure sensors, she has succeeded in distinguishing sixty percent of almost 8,000 touches (distributed over fourteen different types of touch at three levels of intensity).

Sixty percent does not seem very high on the face of it, but it is a good figure if you bear in mind that there was absolutely no social context and that various touches are very similar to each other. Possible examples include the difference between grabbing and squeezing, or stroking roughly and rubbing gently.

In addition, the people touching the mannequins arm had been given no instructions on how to perform their touches, and the computer system was not able to learn how the individual touchers operated. In similar circumstances, people too would not be able to correctly recognize every single touch. In her follow-up research, which Jung is currently undertaking, she is concentrating on how robots can interpret touch in a social context.
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The Minister for Health Simon Harris is on a tour of hospitals in South Tipperary today.

Our reporter and photographer will be with him every step of the way and reporting back on travels, who he is meeting and what he has to say about local facilities.

This article will update throughout the day  come back for more.

3.40pm - Minister meets patients on trolleys in Clonmel

Minister Harris is visiting South Tipp General Hospital in Clonmel this afternoon and as part of his tour of the facilities he is speaking to some of the patients who are on trolleys in corridors.

The minister is expected to speak to journalists when he completes his tour of the hospital.

3pm - Minister arrives at South Tipp General Hospital in Clonmel

Minister Harris made no comment following his visit to Our Lady's Hospital in Cashel.

Asked by reporters what he thought of the unused hospital facilities, he said he wouldn't make any comment until he had visited South Tipperary General Hospital in Clonmel.



Minister Harris and his party have just arrived in Clonmel.



In Cashel he was shown around Our Lady's by HSE officials. The building has been described as being in pristine condition, ready for use if required,

There are wards ready for use but no beds.



Minister Harris has been urged in the past to use Our Lady's to tackle the overcrowding in Clonmel.

He has agreed to talk to journalists following his tour in Clonmel and we well keep you updated on the outcome.



Minister Harris was welcomed to Cashel by former Junior Minister Tom Hayes and is being accompanied on his visit by the Tipperary TDs.

2.20pm - No beds in empty hospital

Minister Harris has just finished his visit to Cashel now. He met no patients, no bed to be seen in the empty hospital.

1pm  Minister Harris arrives at Cashel hospital

Minister Harris has arrived at Our Ladys hospital in Cashel as he starts his visit to South Tipperary. He is accompanied by local public representatives.

Minister Harris was welcomed by former TD and Minister of State Tom Hayes and is having lunch with TDs and officials before starting a tour of the facilities.
The late Pierce Hallahan

The death has occurred of Pierce Hallahan, Clonmel, peacefully at St Anthonys Unit, Clonmel. Beloved husband of Aileen and much loved father of Pat and Sarah. Sadly missed by his loving wife, son, daughter, brother Harold, sisters Patsy and Dorothy, nephews, nieces, extended family and friends.

Reposing at Condon's Funeral Parlour on Monday from 5.00pm, with removal at 7.30pm to St John the Baptist Church, Powerstown. Funeral Mass on Tuesday at 12 oclock followed by burial in the adjoining cemetery.

The late Colm O'Donnell

The death has occurred of Colm O'Donnell, Barnora House, Cahir, in his 96th year (ex MCC and former chairman of Tipperary S.R. County Council) peacefully at home. Dearly beloved husband of the late Greta. Loving father of Helen, William, John and Colm Gerard. Devoted grandfather of Colm, Marian, Clara and Emma. Will be sadly missed by his daughter-in-law Margaret, sisters-in-law Peggy and Theresa, godchildren, nieces, nephews, extended family, neighbours and friends.

Reposing at his home from 2pm until 6.30pm Tuesday 25th. Arriving at St. Marys Church, Cahir, at 7.30pm. Funeral Mass Wednesday 26th at 11am, followed by burial in the adjoining cemetery. Family flowers only. Donations, if desired, to the National Council for the Blind.

The late Charles Edward Thorogood

The death has occurred of Charles Edward Thorogood, Knockaun Court, Clonmel.

Peacefully at South Tipperary General Hospital, Clonmel. Pre-deceased by his wife Maureen. Sadly missed by his loving family and friends.

The late John Hennessy

The death has occurred of John Hennessy, Blackrock, Dublin, and Lisobyhane Emly, Co Tipperary. Sadly missed by his loving wife Imelda, much loved father of John Paul, Catherine, Martin and Deirdre and his treasured grandchildren. He will be greatly missed by his sisters Breda and Alma, sons-in-law, daughters-in-law, sisters-in-laws, brothers-in-laws, nieces, nephews and all his relatives and wide circle of friends.

Reposing at his home 44 Meadow Vale, Blackrock on Tuesday (25th Oct) from 5pm until 8pm. Removal on Wednesday morning (26th Oct) to Church of Our Lady of Perpetual Succour, Foxrock arriving at 11.20am for 11.30am Mass. Followed by burial in Deansgrange Cemetery.

The late Ann Ryan

The death has occurred of Ann Ryan (nee Leamy), Woodview, Moyaliffe, Ballycahill, Thurles on October 22nd 2016, peacefully after a long illness. Sadly missed by her loving husband Phil, son Thomas, daughters Theresa and Kate, sisters, brothers, son-in-law William, sisters-in-law, brothers-in-law, grandchild Molly-Ann, nieces, nephews, relatives and friends.

Reposing at Hayes' Funeral Chapel, Clonoulty on Tuesday evening from 5:30 o'c with removal at 7:30 o'c to the Church of St. Cataldus, Ballycahill. Requiem Mass Wednesday at 11:30 o'c and burial afterwards in Kilvalure Cemetery.
A patient at South Tipperary General Hospital in Clonmel has just told Minister for Health Simon Harris that he has been on a trolley since admitted at 8am on Sunday morning.

Kilsheelan man Michael Kehoe told Minister Harris that conditons are 'disgraceful' with no privacy for patients.



Another man, who wished to remain anonymous, said he was discharged after being on a trolley in the corridor since admitted at 8pm on Saturday.

"I never even saw a hospital bed", said the man from Clonmel.



Michael Kehoe, son of a former Fine Gael councillor, Johnny Kehoe, told Minister Harris that conditions were totally unacceptable in the Emergency Department.

He said that following his admission on Sunday morning, it had been four hours before he was seen by a doctor and put on a nebulisor.

"I was under great pressure for that time", he said.



He told Minister Harris that there was no privacy on the corridor, no curtain to pull around the trolley, no bell to get someone's attention, and there was a constant stream of normal hospital traffic up and down the corridor.



Minister Harris is meeting patients on corridors as part of his visit to the hospital and will talk to reporters later.
Access National in Reston, Va., is making the most of the first bank acquisition in its 17-year history.

The $1.4 billion-asset company agreed on Monday to buy Middleburg Financial in northern Virginia. Access is paying $233 million  or more than two times tangible book value  for a similarly sized institution.

The transaction made sense to Access' management team since it combines the company's history of banking commercial clients with Middleburg's strong wealth management operations.

"Access has built a reputation on all things financial related to growing a middle-market business," while "working to create net worth," Michael Clarke, the company's chief executive, said during a conference call set up to discuss the transaction.

For outsiders, the deal's merits include more low-cost funding  Middleburg's cost of deposits is a third lower than that at Access  to support the latter's strong loan growth.

While the business models differ  Middleburg has a strong wealth management business and Access generates most of its fee income from selling mortgage originations  the companies largely target the same types of clients, Christopher Nolan, an analyst at FBR Capital Markets, wrote in a research note.

Access is keen on leveraging Middleburg's strong reputation in wealth management, which has included experience handling complex estates, Clarke said. Fee income should make up more than 35% of Access' operating revenue after the deal closes.

Gary Shook, Middleburg's president and CEO, said during the call that Access, which will gain nearly $2 billion in assets under management and administration, will be well positioned to expand that business. Access already has $625 million in assets under management.

"That puts us in the rarified air of being a player in these markets," said Shook, who is expected to serve as CEO of Middleburg Investment Group. "That will contribute to our ability to attract the higher end of business to penetrate the markets to the east."

Integration and execution will be the true tests for Access as it looks to close its first bank acquisition, said William Wallace, an analyst at Raymond James. Navigating the current regulatory environment, where areas such as anti-money laundering compliance and fair lending have held up deals, has been challenging for some acquirers.

Access has a "really strong management team that understands how to run a bank," Wallace said, which should provide helpful as the company's looks to close the deal. Still, there are "little things that come up in deals that when you're doing it for the first time that you may not expect," he said.

While Wallace expressed confidence that Access will complete the acquisition, he said it is unclear whether the company will be able to hit all of its financial targets in the timeframe that management outlined on Monday.

Commercial real estate exposure is unlikely to hold up a deal between Access and Middleburg since both banks are well below regulatory guidelines for CRE concentrations. Such loans would equal 157% of Access' risk-based capital at closing.

Having low CRE exposure "reduces regulatory risk associated with the transaction and adds more scarcity value to the combined franchise," Catherine Mealor, an analyst at Keefe, Bruyette & Woods, wrote in a note to clients.

Clarke called the low CRE concentration a "deliberate" move, noting that Access had evaluated at a half dozen deals in recent years before taking five months to vet Middleburg, an institution that had been facing pressure from its biggest investor to find a buyer.

Access is open to more acquisitions, though its immediate focus is Middleburg. The company's presentation noted that it would be interested in banks with more than $500 million of assets, adequate capital, good asset quality, stable core funding and a commercial lending focus.

"We do believe there is a compelling proposition for partners to join our group," Clarke said. "We're open to that, and we will be available for those discussions as we execute on the core plan."

Access could also be positioning for its own eventual sale. There are few institutions of its size left in around Washington, where more consolidation will likely happen.

Timing is the issue, Wallace said. Smaller banks are more apt to sell quickly, though timing is harder to predict for banks with $1 billion to $5 billion in assets that may eventually find buyers.

One recent example is the $4.2 billion-asset Cardinal Financial in Tysons Corner, Va., which agreed earlier this year to sell itself to United Bankshares in Charleston, W.Va., for $912 million. That deal is the sixth-biggest bank acquisition announced so far this year.

"I do see Access selling one day, but I don't think they're feeling any sense of urgency," Wallace said.
(NaturalNews) As you may know, the Tyson Food company has long been accused of producing chicken meat that is tainted with growth hormones and antibiotics , not to mention their practice of operating their poultry plants like slave labor camps . But now it seems the company may have finally done something worthwhile  at least when it comes to food production.is reporting that the nation's largest -- by sales -- meat company just purchased a 5 percent stake in Beyond Meat in a first-of-its-kind investment.The California start-up is creating meat-product alternatives like pea protein burgers and soy chicken strips. reported further that Tyson's stake in Beyond Meat is very likely the first time a traditional meat producer has bought into a plant-based food company, according to Michele Simon, an official with the Plant Based Foods Association.The Times noted that Whole Foods Market believes the product is close enough to the real thing that the organic-centric foods chain has placed one of the start-up's products, the Beyond Burger, next to the meat case in stores.Monica McGurk, a former executive with Coca-Cola who joined Tyson in the spring as a senior VP in charge of strategy and new ventures, praised the Beyond Burger, describing its quality as "amazing.""We think it's a game-changing product that gives us exposure to this fast-growing part of the food business," she told the Times.The terms of the deal were not publicly disclosed. The financing round includes additional investors such as the Humane Society of the United States, which also invested in Beyond Meat earlier this year.Conventional food makers are scrambling to catch up to the growing trend of more Americans than ever turning to plant-based foods, after years of research showing that red meat and other mass-produced meat products contain harmful chemicals, GMOs and antibiotics.The Plant Based Food Association told the Times that businesses in the United States  including Beyond Meat, Califia Farms and Heidi Ho  made $4.9 billion in sales in the 12 months prior to June 2016. In addition, plant-based foods grew faster than the food industry generally.In addition to other investors, the venture capital division of General Mills, 301 Inc., has put money into Beyond Meat, as well as in Kite Hill, a food maker that uses nuts and other plant-based proteins to replace dairy products in cheese and other products.In 2014, Pinnacle Foods  owner of the Armour canned meats line  purchased the maker of the Gardein line of plant-based meat substitutes, the Times noted."The question in my mind with the acquisition is always why they're being done. The most positive view is that this means the meat industry is shifting away from animal meat to plant-based meat, but I don't think we know that's the case yet," said Simon, adding that the purchases could also be aimed at distracting critics from their traditional meat manufacturing business.Beyond Meat founder Ethan Brown, who is also the company's chief executive officer, said he understood that the investments by traditional meat companies like Tyson would draw interest and curious attention, especially among ardent vegans and vegetarians. But he added that he hoped they and others would "see this as part of a deliberate course of action to get out of the penalty box that's the 'alternative' section of the supermarket" and wind up as part of a mainstream consumer discussion.Research conducted jointly in 2015 by the NPD Group, Midan Marketing and Meatingplace, the latter an industry publication, discovered that 70 percent of meat eaters claimed they used a meat substitute in place of meat protein at least once weekly. Of those surveyed, 22 percent said they were using such replacements much more frequently than a year ago.So, clearly the trend is moving towards organic, meat-less, plant-based protein foods
An almost centurian's vehicle to expound at nonspecific intervals on his opinions regarding politics-local to international, health care, life,society,and perhaps religion plus periodic vignettes about Plainfield N.J. In addition to "blowing off",I enjoyed my second career as an amateur public advocate.
(NaturalNews) Anyone who has suffered through a bout of foodborne illness knows that it is quite the unpleasant experience. A new study led by Canadian researchers has revealed that a case of this generally short-term condition can have a lasting impact on your health, especially if you are at risk for Crohn's disease.Researchers from McMaster University, located in Hamilton, Ontario, have found that exposure to foodborne pathogens may also accelerate the growth of a bacterial species that has been linked to Crohn's disease. The study was published by the journalin early October. Crohn's disease is a type of inflammatory bowel disease, and is a debilitating and painful condition. The condition most often affects the end portion of the small intestine, known as the ileum, however, it can affect any part of the gastrointestinal tract, from the mouth to the anus. Unlike ulcerative colitis, which only affects the innermost lining of the colon, Crohn's disease can affect the entire thickness of the bowel wall. The disease is also characterized by patches of affected and unaffected tissue  meaning that some areas may be horribly inflamed, while other patches of tissue remain normal.The Crohn's & Colitis Foundation of America estimates that up to 780,000 Americans are affected by Crohn's disease.This new research out of Canada provides a little more insight into the development of Crohn's disease . Dr. Brian Coombes, a professor at McMaster University and the study's senior author, states that their results indicate that foodborne illnesses may create an intestinal environment that would allow Crohn's-associated bacteria to flourish. The onset of disease could even occur years after a person has recovered from the initial illness."You set up this situation where the pathogen comes in via contaminated food or water, inflammation gets generated, and if that particular host has these Crohn's-associated E.coli already in them, then you've created an environment within the gut that allows them to thrive and grow to very, very high numbers," he explained.With the help of his team at the Michael G. DeGroote Institute for Infectious Disease Research, Dr. Coombes has been studying the relationship between microorganisms and Crohn's disease. He says that what actually causes the onset of Crohn's disease is still not fully understood by the medical world. He commented, "The pathway to get to Crohn's is really an enigma. People don't really understand in a fulsome way, what generates Crohn's disease. There are lots of risk factors that I would say are very well-known in the literature."Dr. Coombes says his research was inspired by previous studies that have examined the potential link between foodborne illness and Crohn's disease. When talking about a previously conducted study, Coombes noted that one of the most impressive findings was that even one exposure to food poisoning increased the risk of developing Crohn's disease within the subsequent 15-year period substantially, compared to not being exposed to food-poisoning.Because there is potentially a very large gap between exposure and disease onset, Coombes is hopeful that a preventive treatment protocol can eventually be developed. If an intervention was available, it could help to reduce the number of people who are eventually affected by Crohn's disease.Aida Fernandes, vice-president of Research and Patient Programs at Crohn's and Colitis Canada, called the study's findings "very exciting," and expressed the hope that this "important new information ... will continue to shape" future research and potential treatments.Hopefully, this new research can help build a pathway to prevention, and perhaps even a cure someday.
(NaturalNews) Something is killing giant stingrays in Thailand, and local officials believe it could be lethal doses of heavy metals, theResidents living in Samut Songkhram along the Mae Klong river are expressing their concerns to local authorities following the recent and mysterious mass deaths of the giant stingrays, which many have said is unprecedented in the western region's principle waterway.Normally, the Post reported, residents along the river avoid catching stingrays because of their superstitious beliefs. Also, they note that the sea-faring animals are a barometer of the fragile ecosystem in the area.But in recent weeks more than 15 of the giant stingrays, which are endangered and threatened already, have been found dead."I've never seen anything like this before," one local resident, Ubon Chanbandit, 60, a housewife and former fisherman in the Muang district, told the Post.She added that while dead fish were discovered in the river last year because of wastewater, it was the first time she'd seen such mass death of giant stingrays.Retired public relations worker Sompon Wangcharoen, 75, who was employed with the Tai Had Tambon Administration Organization (TAO), echoed Chanbandit's observations. He added that he, too, had not seen the number of stingray deaths recorded since September while working at TAO, a job he left 20 years ago.He did say that one time, the river was polluted by wastewater from a sugar plant in 2010, and that resulted in the deaths of prawns (an English/Irish/Commonwealth name for swimming crustaceans and shrimp) and fish. However this time, he told the Post, the water did not smell as it did last time, which is the first indication the water was tainted Chatree Tharaseng, head of the fisheries office in Samut Songkhram's Muang district, said that everyone concerned is quickly working on efforts to figure out what is killing the giant stingrays. He told the Post that there was also a recent drop in plankton levels as a result of a large amount of rainwater, which also often leads to poor water quality in the river, due to run-off, most likely. However, it's not clear if that is the cause this time around when it comes to the death of the stingrays , he said.Piya Promsthit, head of the Regional Environmental Office 8, said that officials discovered that a trio of water samples from three separate locations upstream from the Mae Klong Rover in Ratchaburi contained lower-than-normal levels of oxygen.That said, a coordinated effort will be needed from several agencies in order to confirm what is causing the death of the stingrays. That will include lab examination and testing of the tissue of the dead sea creatures, as well as further analysis of the river water.But already the deaths of the stingrays has spurred some suspicions that perhaps factories upstream are discharging toxic , tainted waste into the river. As such, one environmental protection organization has already filed a formal complaint against a sugar factory in Ban Pong because the group suspects that it has discharged foul wastewater into the river."It must be investigated whether water discharged from these Ratchaburi-based factories is linked to the death of the stingrays," said Rattawut Wallathanaroj, secretary-general of the network for environmental protection and against corruption, the Post reported.He added that provincial industrial authorities have taken water samples from the factories wastewater pipe for analysis.He also said he believes there is a connection to the deaths of the stingrays given the location of the city of Samut Songkhram at the end of the river, which makes it a catch-all area.
Is your hand wash toxic?

Cloflucarban Fluorosalan Hexachlorophene Hexylresorcinol Iodine complex (ammonium ether sulfate and polyoxyethylene sorbitan monolaurate) Iodine complex (phosphate ester of alkylaryloxy polyethylene glycol) Nonylphenoxypoly (ethyleneoxy) ethanoliodine Poloxamer-iodine complex Povidone-iodine 5 to 10 percent Undecoylium chloride iodine complex Methylbenzethonium chloride Phenol (greater than 1.5 percent) Phenol (less than 1.5 percent) 16 Secondary amyltricresols Sodium oxychlorosene Tribromsalan Triclocarban Triclosan Triple dye

Smart move from Japan

(NaturalNews) Just a few weeks ago, The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a rule banning the use of triclosan, triclocarban and 17 other chemicals commonly found in over-the-counter antibacterial hand and body washes. Companies are given one year to take these ingredients out of their products or remove them from the market.The decision was made after manufacturers failed to prove that these ingredients are safe for long-term daily use. Furthermore, they could not present enough evidence that these antibacterial soaps are more effective than regular soap."There's no data demonstrating that over-the-counter antibacterial soaps are better at preventing illness than washing with plain soap and water," the FDA said in a press release Following the FDA's decision, the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare has announced that it already put the rule in motion and will eliminate 19 ingredients from antibacterial or antiseptic hand washes, shower gels, and facial cleansers.Some manufacturers already started phasing out these toxic ingredients after the FDA issued a proposed rule in 2013. The rule required companies to provide safety and efficacy data from manufacturers and consumers if they wanted to continue marketing antibacterial products containing one of the ingredients in question.Here's the full list of the 19 ingredients banned by the FDA:Theresa Michele, director of the FDA's Division of Nonprescription Drug Products, said that if the product makes an antibacterial claim, you can almost be certain that it contains one of the ingredients from the list.Today, a lot of liquid soaps, among other cosmetic products, that are labeled antibacterial contain triclosan to prevent bacterial growth. Research has shown that triclosan may alter the function of certain hormones. Furthermore, some laboratory studies suggest that triclosan contributes to making bacteria resistant to antibiotics. The health dangers of triclosan have been well documented in the news over the recent years. Therefore many companies have replaced triclosan with one of three other chemicals  benzalkonium chloride, benzethonium chloride or chloroxylenol (PCMX)  which are not on the list.Are these a safer alternative? Time will tell. The FDA has given companies another year to produce more data on their safety and effectiveness. If they fail to provide the information, products containing these chemicals may face a ban too.While the FDA has given all companies one year to remove these substances from their products, Japan announced more immediate actions and will be banning all consumer products containing one of these 19 ingredients from its production lines and shelves., called it a smart move. The sooner they get rid of these tainted products, the faster they can start to market new products and make sales. For a country like Japan that has experienced slow growth recently, it is a great economic opportunity to improve consumer appeal and attract new clients from the growing natural and organic consumer sector that stands for safe and chemical-free cosmetics and beauty products
"You should clarify your position on immunizations. If you just totally throw out immunizations because of their toxicity then that's being ignorant and incorrect. I agree that some of the ingredients In immunizations are toxic to our body but so are the diseases they are preventing!! Much more so! Our generation and the ones coming after us have never experienced a loved one who is debilitated by polio or a deformed baby from a mother who had Rubella while pregnant. So we have gotten ignorant of what the cost is for not having those vaccines and say that he stuff In the vaccines is toxic. Not addressing the toxicity of the disease it's preventing. This makes it hard to take things you say seriously because what else are you leaving out or not being completely honest about. If you want people to trust you on your other points, you need to address everything about the immunizations so that your argument has merit. Like if you say you are lobbying or for a more natural form of immunizations without the toxic elements that would be a more reasonable argument."



VACCINATION vs. IMMUNIZATION:

FLAWED RESEARCH:

BOOSTER BUST:

POLIO PUSHERS:

RUBELLA RANT:

MEASLY MEASLES:

PERTUSSIS PUSH

HEPATITIS B.S.

DIPHTHERIA DUPED

TRICKED by TETANUS

POINTLESS PNEUMOCOCCAL

RARE ROTAVIRUS

MUMPS BUMPS

ABRACADABRA VARICELLA

HEPATITIS A-HOLE

HiB-izness

FLU and H1N1 HOAX

The TRUE COST.

THOSE PEOPLE ARE:

POOR NUTRITION

(NaturalNews) Recently, I asked for feedback with a survey that went out in my email newsletter. If you did it, thank you for your feedback. I want to keep health care about health and your feedback helps me do that.(Article by Dr. Kurt Perkins, republished from HealthImpactNews.com One question I asked was 'What should I STOP doing?' Below is a response that caught my attention and feel it's one that many of you may have questions regarding so I need to address it. This is going to be lengthy but I want to be CLEAR with my response, and hopefully a little fun doing it.After reading it a few times, I'm trying to think who would write this. Remember it's anonymous but I still like to guess. Usually when I get questions regarding vaccines with the argument they are good because of what happened with polio and many other communicable diseases, it's usually someone in the Baby Boomer type population. It could also be someone in the medical field. As I mentally scanned my list of clients, email contacts, Facebook friends, and professional organizations, I could only think of one person that fits my assumed social profile.The only person it could be is my mom. Imagine your mom calling you out like this, questioning your integrity and honesty? Pretty hurtful, right? Therefore I need to make my position on vaccines (not immunizations) crystal clear, just like mom suggested.This will be lengthy, I don't want to leave ANYTHING out, but these are the points as to why I will never choose to vaccinate my own son and any future kids my wife and I have. Just to be clear, I'll go to jail before allowing someone to force a vaccine into my child's arm.Clarification needs to be created regarding. I'm all for immunization. The problem created by media and pharmaceutical influence is that people equate immunization with vaccination. Vaccination is simplyinto your body. Thisfor your body. These are 2 totally separate entities.Another thing that irks me is my 'mom's' comments about me leaving out stuff and therefore destroying my credibility. I would like to add I make ZERO money off of this blog. I may book some speaking gigs from it but those revenues will come nowhere near thethe makers of vaccines cherish. Who do you think has more weight on their shoulders to hide information? Huh, mom? Huh?With building immunity, it's a natural process. With that natural process, your body uses many defenses.. This blocks out any harmful opportunistic buggers. With a vaccine, this law of nature is totally bypassed by injecting you with a needle full of stuff your skin would never allow past it.You also have athat also aids in defense. You cough, you sneeze, and you blow your nose, in attempt to expel the potential invader.. Don't suppress it with fever reducers, anti-histamines, etc. You're just making it easier for the invader.You also have yourto fight with the stronger stuff. If your system is so deficient to get past these natural defenses, the potential invader, live or dead, enters the blood stream. Once something is in your blood stream, it can be transported any anywhere in your body, not good at all.A vaccine violates all laws of natural immune defenses by taking a potential pathogen along with all the(aluminum, formaldehyde, adjuvants, etc) directly into your blood system. This process would never occur in building natural immunity. That last sentence is kind of an oxy-moron. Immunity is a natural thing. Vaccines are an artificial thing.The scientific mantra of vaccines is that they are safe and effective based on their research. Their research is flawed and is a double standard from any other drug product studied. The Gold Standard in research design is the double blinded, randomized controlled trial (RCT).This means that people are split into 2 groups randomly and participants are given either the real thing or the fake thing being tested. Then progress is charted on who gets better, who gets worse, and the like. In theory there should be no bias as to reporting because the researchers don't know who is in the placebo or the real intervention group.The reason? The researchers will say they cannot perform an RCT because it would be unethical to NOT give a child a vaccine because if that child dies of something that could have been prevented, then they don't want to be responsible. But if someone dies in their trials from taking their anti-depressants, it must be OK.Hey drug companies,to be in the placebo group and compare him to the health and well being of those that have gotten all the recommended vaccines. I'm sure I can gather a few hundred thousand more to be in the placebo group to create a large sample.Instead of research to see safety and effectiveness, they instead seeto the antigen (the foreign invader) that is in the vaccine. If antibodies are built, then it's 'safe and effective,' or so they lead us to believe. These studies are rarely, if ever done on kids younger than 4 years old. How can you say it's safe or effective for a baby if it's never studied on a baby?The 2 populations that have limited production of anti-bodies areand, the 2 most heavily vaccinated populations. If they can't produce anti-bodies, then the vaccine would be pointless. The whole premise of the vaccine is that you get injected with a foreign invader and you produce anti-bodies against it. If you can't produce anti-bodies well then what's the use of injecting something to try and stimulate that reaction?With kids, they don't produce any anybodies until after age 6 months. Soif they can't produce antibodies. Even if the whole vaccine theory really worked, it would be absolutely pointless to inject a baby of 6 months or less with a vaccine . With a child's immune system being very immature until age 2, the overload of 36 vaccines by the age of 18 months seems about as logical as drinking from a fire hydrant.This is another aspect to the junk science of vaccines that exposes kids only 18 months old to 36 shots. In their research of efficacy (), they have no idea. For this reason, we have multiple shots for multiple antigens. Just take the latest HPV vaccine, the 3 series shot given to 12 year old girls to prevent HPV (an STD) which "MIGHT" but has never been confirmed, contribute to cervical cancer.The manufacturer is only claiming. The problem with this is 2 fold. 1. The average age of cervical cancer is 50. 2. The shot is administered to 12 year old girls.So we have a system pushing multiple shots (boosters) with a supposed 5 year efficacy timeline onto pre-teen girls, that was never tested on them, for a disease that has an average age of 50. You give it a 12 year old and by the time she's 17 the effects are worn off and then you claim you can prevent cervical cancer as they get older. And I'm the quack for speaking out against vaccines.So what are the efficacy rates of other vaccines? Who knows? They don't study that, they assume and say we need more. Once the vaccine is FDA approved and on the market, there's no need to put any more money into it to study the effects. Instead, we have a test tube of 4 million new subjects each and every year where they canSince no studies go into how long the vaccine would last, then there can be an endless recommendation of potential booster shots. The part that really confuses me are the shots that are 4 part series. If the first 3 didn't confirm immunity, how do we know that the last shot was 'the one' that provides lifetime immunity? Why would the 2nd to last shot be good for only a year but the last one be good for an entire lifetime?If I were to ask you what polio looks like, you probably have images of wheel chairs, crutches and kids limping around. You would be absolutely correct...of the time. I want to make it clear that I am not downplaying the devastation of that 2%. The point I'm making, hopefully it's clear enough, is that I am making decisions based on. As a parent, it's very hard to separate the two sometimes.In over 95% of the time, polio presents with the following symptoms:. These start 3-5 days after exposure and recovery is 24-72 hours with a result of lifetime immunity. Bet you never heard that from your pharma influenced media or doctor?In fact, if you went to your doctor with those symptoms and you were told you had polio, you would leave his office laughing and write bad reviews on his Google Places page.The remaining. This presented for 2-10 days as high fever, severe headache, stiff neck, hyperesthesia/paresthesia in extremities and some asymmetrical limb weakness. Take this list of symptoms to your doctor and you will probably get a label of, not polio.But Dr. Kurt, the vaccine saved all those people from getting the paralyzing version. If you look at the charts below, you will see thatto any vaccine ever introduced. I would also like to add that the highest incidence came at a time our country was in despair (poor sanitation, hygiene, nutrition) during the depression.It was a time where sanitation was poor, hygiene was poor, and nutrition was poor. These are the reasons that third world countries have problems with communicable diseases,. As the Great Depression was clearing up, people were living cleaner and healthier and there was also the introduction of a drug class called antibiotics that was given for any sniffle, cough, or fever.The last natural case of polio in the US was 1979, yet we still give kids 4 rounds of this vaccine at 2, 4, 6-12 months, and 4-6 years. But the fear tactics continue of, "it can come back or you don't know about the destruction it caused." I'm not being ignorant to history. I'm being reasonable about the present.What aboutand? They had just as much devastation and with no vaccine, they are not a problem. Nature took its course and with the advent of better sanitation, hygiene, and nutrition, they wiped themselves out.This was another scary moment for women back in the middle part of the last century, as stated by my 'mom's' criticism above. You may be more familiar with this being called German measles. Symptoms for Rubella are aThere was a big scare back in 1964-65 with 12.5 million cases diagnosed, with 20,000 of those cases orof them being newborns. As a result there were 11,000 or% abortions (surgical and spontaneous) as well as 2,100 orneonate deaths. Again, having a child die is something I hope I or you never have to experience. I can't even imagine that experience but when I look at the actual chances of my child being infected or dying from this illness, there's not much cause for concern in present day.Here's the thing with Rubella. It's the mom that is in danger, not the child. The problem is if mom gets infected with Rubella in her first 4 months of pregnancy then she can pass it along to her fetus. The child is born with it.So why even give the shot to kids? There's no concern about them getting pregnant. My only concern is that the easiest place to contract a communicable illness in our country is the hospital or OBGYN's office, the places you're going to bring your child for the'Well Baby Check.' If you really are concerned about the Rubella, why not wait until you are planning on getting pregnant to get the shot as an adult?I know, because that would deplete a massive piece of the market away from the drug companies. It just decreased that market from a potential 4 million babies each year to about ? of that by just targeting women. As a man, why would I worry about German measles? The market would be decreased even more because not all women want kids.But Rubella is tied into a vaccine that includes regular measles as well as mumps.. It doesn't happen. Then why create vaccines like this?This is getting lengthy so let me throw in some charts for your viewing pleasure.The only stat I could find for deaths from measles in the US was in 2003 we had. 1 death was attributed to post bone marrow transplant surgery and the other was a 75 year old with pneumonia. Media loves to report when there are measles outbreaks but what you'll never hear in their reports is that anyone died from it.You can see from the charts above that pertussis or Whooping Cough was virtually wiped out prior to any vaccine ever introduced. Whooping cough gets a lot of media attention with outbreaks happening in California. What gets failed to mention is that the overwhelming majority of the kids that have been diagnosed have been fully vaccinated.I'm just waiting for an onslaught of media that people need to get MORE booster shots of DPT. It's already given at 2, 4, and 6 months (useless due to no way of building anti bodies). It's also given at 15-18 months and then boosters at 4-6 years. Seriously? If 5 shots aren't working, how many more until it does?Why does pertussis travel so well in communities? Poor sanitation, poor hygiene, poor nutrition.This seems to be a very emotional issue as no parent enjoys hearing the awful cough and wheezing associated with Pertussis. But is the shot safe? According the research of the last 50 years, the vaccine is safe. But what test showed it was safe?It's called the. "Researchers" would vaccinate mice at their stomachs. If the mice continue to gain weight and don't die right away, it's considered safe. I wish I could make this stuff up.Should I go on? After all, I don't want to leave anything out.You should only be scared of this illness if you have sex with an infected person, have multiple sex partners, have other STDs, you are a man that has sex with other men, inject drugs (isn't that a vaccine?), or share needles, syringes, or other drug equipment.I'm failing to see the need for 3 shots of this into a baby at birth, 1-2 months, and then again at 6-18 months. I could be wrong. Maybe there areout there.The symptoms that warrant 4 shots of this vaccine before the age of 15 months are:. The weird thing is that in order for the toxins to be released, a specific strain of bacteria has to be infected with a specific virus called a B phage. In other words, a certain bacteria has to make out with a certain virus. In any case, it's nothing a simple antibiotic can clear up, no need for a vaccine.One thing I would like to point out is the ridiculousness of giving a tetanus shot AFTER you have a puncture wound. Why get a puncture wound that definitely contains tetanus after a puncture wound that might not contain tetanus? It's sketchy enough to say you're immune from tetanus from the regular vaccine schedule but to say there are curative powers by getting the vaccine AFTER the puncture wound is pretty ballsy, yet many line up to get injected after they think they might have tetanus.Let's look at who is at risk for tetanus? Is it babies?After all, where do you find tetanus? It's in. I want my son to experience nature but I draw the line at playing in the intestines of animals or humans.Pneumococcal disease is caused by Streptococcal pneumonia bacteria. The interesting thing is that there arebut the vaccine only contains 7 subtypes. Are the other 83 subtypes not important or am I playing roulette with another shot? I got accused of leaving out stuff, what about this vaccine?It's estimated based on population studies (estimates), not actual stats that there are 40,000 cases of pneumococcal disease each year. There is also an estimated (not confirmed) about 4,400 deaths () each year, with the highest mortality rate being in the elderly with underlying conditions ().With the shots given at 2, 4, 6, and 15-18 months, what chance does a baby have of developing anti-bodies against this disease? Next to nil. The first 3 shots are pointless.Rotavirus is responsible for diarrhea. It's estimated that 55,000 children are hospitalized each year in the US. There's an estimated 527,000 deaths worldwide due to rotavirus.How many die in the US? The only stat I could find was from 1996 Journal of Infectious Disease whereof rotavirus. Again, any death from anything for a child is devastating. But let's compare rotavirus to lighting strike deaths.You have a greater chance of dying from lightning than you do rotavirus.Not to mention the rotavirus shots are administered at ages 2, 4, and 6 months, a time where a baby cannot develop antibodies against the antigen.All those worldwide deaths? Those are coming from the same reasons we had a polio epidemic,In 2004, there were 350 deaths due to mumps. 312 were from Egypt., leaving you with afrom mumps.Mumps never posed a threat to the health and vitality of the American public. In regards to the incidence of mumps, even the CDC states, "" Why create a vaccine? There's big money in vaccines. The vaccine industry has 4,000,000 potential new clients every year that will be repeat buyers until the age of 18.From 1990-1994, there was about 100 deaths each year due to chicken pox split between kids and adults. Your chance of death by. I'll take my chances by not giving this shot to my child. My decision. You have to do what's best for your family. If my kid does get chicken pox and your kid is vaccinated, then you shouldn't worry about it, right? Your child is protected.How do you contract Hepatitis A? Eat food that someone else pooped in that is infected with Hepatitis A. There are, just a 0.0098% chance of contracting it. The solution is good sanitation, hygiene, and nutrition. Eating out is going to be a risk but again, I'll take my chances of eating food prepared by other people. I have a greater chance of dying from a lightning strike.This series of 4 shots are given at 2, 4, 6, and 12-15 months. Again, if a baby cannot develop antibodies until after 6 months, what's the point of giving a child any shot this early? HiB is a common cause of bacterial meningitis. If it's bacterial than ashould do the trick. There's no need to add more shots that contain heavy metals into a child's ecosystem.Do I even have to discuss these? Even people pro vaccine think these are ridiculous.The cost of vaccinating is WAY larger than the cost of not-vaccinating. Check out this German study. I wish someone in the states would do this. It will probably never happen because there is too much lobby money going into the. If this were done in the US, I would throw in rates for(1 in 88 or 1.14% chance),, andIn the US, 1/4 of children have a chronic illness. Any nation that adopts our style of health care sees similar results.Other costs are not just the chronic illness rates but the actual costs of vaccine damages. In 1986, President Reagan signed theinto public law (Public Law 99-660).On October 1, 1988, thewas created. The government also set up the Vaccine Adverse Events Reporting System. Since 199175% has been awarded for reactions to the DPT shots.To clarify my position on vaccines,ingredients for vaccines. If vaccines had organic ingredients, I still would choose to not vaccinate.I will lobby and help those that lobby for vaccines to be a, not a state or federal mandate.I will not kick anyone out of my practice that chooses to vaccinate butI will continue to educate and support those that educate in the name of choice. There are some great organizations and doctors out there that do it much better and bigger than I can.National Vaccine Information CenterDr. Tim O'SheaDr. Sherri TenpennyDr. Lawrence PalevskyI keep harping on the poor sanitation, poor hygiene, and poor nutrition aspect of why communicable diseases spread but you're probably wondering about the poor nutrition. In our infants, breast milk is going to be the absolute best form of nutrition. Antibodies get passed from mom to baby until baby can start forming some on his/her own.I know there are some women out there having trouble breast feeding. There are options like buying breast milk from other nursing moms. This may sound gross but genetically, it's a heck of a lot saner than giving a child milk from a cow, a totally different species.There are also ways to make your own infant formula that aren't full of cow's milk, sugar, high fructose corn syrup, artificial flavorings, etc. Just Google it.But mom needs to get good nutrition. By good nutrition, I'm not talking about the food pyramid/plate garbage pushed by the government that includes all the foods subsidized by the government. I'm talking about genetically compatible nutrition. Read more on my thoughts regarding nutrition. I want to be clear.I sincerely hope my point is clear. Obviously there are 2 sides to the story and I presented the one less known, hardly ever heard, and greatly ignored. You can take it and choose to not vaccinate, get extra vaccines or pick and choose certain ones, it doesn't affect me one bit. Just make sure you look at both sides to make an informed decision.Read more at: HealthImpactNews.com
Government protecting fossil fuel interests

Attack on the First Amendment

(NaturalNews) On October 11, journalist and documentary filmmaker, Deia Schlosberg, was arrested while filming, in her professional capacity, a protest in solidarity with the struggle against the Dakota Access Pipeline.Rather than recognizing the right of journalists to document First Amendment activity, the prosecutor charged Schlosberg with three felonies: conspiracy to theft of property, conspiracy to theft of services and conspiracy to tampering with or damaging a public service. If convicted of all charges, the journalist could be sentenced to 45 years in prison.The Dakota Access Pipeline is a controversial oil pipeline that has come under fierce resistance in North Dakota, where it is slated to cross indigenous land recognized as sovereign in treaties with the U.S. government. Protesters say the pipeline would destroy sacred sites and threaten water supplies across the Midwest.Schlosberg was arrested while filming a protest in Walhalla, North Dakota, where activists shut down a tar sands pipeline in solidarity with the Dakota Access struggle. Police confiscated her footage and held her for a full 48 hours before filing charges.In a recent statement, Schlosberg noted how the mainstream media has consistently failed to give due attention to struggles against fossil fuel infrastructure."The mainstream did not break the story on fracking nor did it break the story about what is happening at the Standing Rock reservation in North Dakota," she said."Accordingly, I felt I had a duty to document the unprecedented #ShutItDown climate action, which stopped all Canadian oil sands from entering the United States. Canadian oil sands importation is a controversial issue that is not getting the coverage it warrants, especially considering that the extraction and use of oil sands has a profound impact on every person on this planet."Observers immediately condemned the felony charges as unconstitutional and politically motivated."They have in my view violated the First Amendment," said Josh Fox, producer of the film"They threw the book at Deia for being a journalist."NSA surveillance whistleblower , Edward Snowden, pointed out that the charges he faces for leaking government documents carry a maximum sentence of 30 years, compared with the 45 faced by Schlosberg for filming a protest.A group of celebrities including Neil Young, Mark Ruffalo and Daryl Hannah have signed a letter calling on President Obama and North Dakota Governor Jack Dalrymple to intervene on Schlosberg's behalf, calling the charges against her "unfair, unjust, and illegal."In an op-ed in, Fox notes that Schlosberg's case is just part of a larger war on journalists who dare challenge the fossil fuel industry."The arrest of journalists, filmmakers, and others witnessing and reporting on citizen protests against fossil-fuel infrastructure ... is part of a worrisome and growing pattern," he wrote.Recently, actress Shailene Woodley was arrested simply for live-streaming a prayer event taking place at the Dakota Access construction site."She was singled out, the police told her, because she was well-known and had 40,000 people watching live on her Facebook page," Fox wrote. "Other filmmakers shooting protest actions along the pipeline have also been arrested."Another case that sparked widespread outrage was that of Amy Goodman of, who had a warrant issued for her arrest after she broadcast footage of private Dakota Access security guards loosing attack dogs on nonviolent protesters. The charge was later changed to "participating in a riot.""They saw that they could never make that [trespassing] charge stick, so now they want to charge me with rioting," said Goodman. "I wasn't trespassing, I wasn't engaging in a riot, I was doing my job as a journalist by covering a violent attack on Native American protesters."The charges were eventually dropped. But according to Reporters Without Borders, they "never should have been filed in the first place.""The First Amendment and the Constitution are at stake," Fox wrote. "If we lose it, we lose America too."
NASA recently announced its Small Spacecraft Systems Virtual Institute, another one of its projects to help the small spacecraft industry at the Ames Research Center in California.

The Small Spacecraft Systems Virtual Institute will be instrumental in the small spacecraft community. It will help promote new technologies and it will strategically identify potential and new opportunities. Also, this will be a vital channel for the small spacecraft industry to showcase their capabilities and will also benefit the academe and other concerned government agencies.

"NASA sees enormous benefits from investing in research and technology development in small spacecraft systems, such as propulsion, that will be essential in advancing the commercial space sector," Steve Jurczyk, associate administrator for NASA's Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD) said in a press release.

"Over the past several years, NASA has increased the generation of new, innovative applications of small spacecraft, with several mission directorates using small spacecraft to meet their goals," Jurczyk added.

NASA has always been very supportive of the development of small spacecraft technologies, recognizing the potentially significant contribution and capabilities of small spacecraft in space explorations.

The Space Technology Mission Directorate already established Small Spacecraft Technology program in the year 2011. Together with STMD, the Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate (HEOMD) are maximizing the potential of small spacecraft in scientific purposes both in Earth and space setting. The spacecraft are used in studying microgravity and even in some robotics study.

The newest virtual institute will be used together with STMD's Cube Quest Challenge and CubeSat Launch Initiative (CLSI). This will encourage companies, students and experts to use small spacecraft for space explorations.

"The S3VI will provide the first one-stop shop for technical knowledge in the rapidly burgeoning small spacecraft technology fields," Jay Bookbinder, director of programs and projects at NASA Ames Research Center said in a statement. "This will result in more efficient development efforts, and enable smaller vendors to compete more effectively in this market," Bookbinder added.

Currently, there are several small spacecraft that are being used and they range from an ounce up to 400 pounds.
NASA's New Horizons Spacecraft is speeding towards the edge of the Solar System to observe a mysterious red object found residing within the Kuiper Belt and beyond the dwarf planet Pluto.

Ever since signs of potential clouds were spotted on the dwarf planet Pluto, all eyes turned to the Kuiper belt. A mysterious red object is now the target of New Horizons after the scientists' interest of the mysterious bright object increased.

The object, known as MU69 has a potentially red surface that gives it its bright appearance when being viewed from a far away distance. The tiny Kuiper Belt Object (KBO) only measures 20 to 30 miles in diameter and is about 2.6 billion kilometers away from the dwarf planet Pluto. NASA's New Horizons spacecraft is expected to rendezvous with the KBO on Jan. 1, 2019.

The mysterious red object is more or less 44 times farther from the Sun compared to Earth. The flyby in 2019 is highly anticipated as the spacecraft will fly closer to MU69 compared to when New Horizons flown passed Pluto last July 15, 2015.

The last Pluto flyby yielded a ton of scientific observation about the dwarf planet including new observations about its "icy heart" and other observations about the surface of Pluto. The mysterious object might be as red or even redder than Pluto says NASA. The recent updates about New Horizons' Kuiper Belt probe were given during the American Astronomical Society Division for Planetary Sciences (DPS) and European Planetary Science Congress (EPSC) in Pasadena, Calif.

"We're excited about the exploration ahead for New Horizons, and also about what we are still discovering from Pluto flyby data," Alan Stern, principal investigator from the Southwest Research Institute in Boulder, Colorado said in a statement. "Now, with our spacecraft transmitting the last of its data from last summer's flight through the Pluto system, we know that the next great exploration of Pluto will require another mission to be sent there," Stern added.

Although New Horizons is still a few years away from its target, it is already giving scientists a glimpse of the mysterious red object. Scientists expect that it may not have clouds but if it does, it will mean that the weather on Pluto is more intricate that initially thought.
Though dogs are affectionately known as man's bestfriend, experts caution that letting dogs lick people's faces could lead to the spreading of disease.

Professor John Oxford, emeritus professor of virology and bacteriology at Queen Mary, University of London, asserted that viruses could also be caught from dogs, whether from their saliva or fecal contact. "Dogs spend half of their life with their noses in nasty corners or hovering over dog droppings so their muzzles are full of bacteria, viruses and germs of all sorts," said Professor Oxford in The Hippocratic Post. "Some, but not all viruses, can cross the species barrier and these are the ones that may cause problems."

Most people wouldn't be able to resist letting excited puppies lick their hands and faces, but Dr. Joe Kinnarney, the immediate past president of the American Veterinary Medical Association, highly discourages this since a puppy could have as many as 20 million to 30 million roundworm eggs in its intestinal tract each week.

Dr. Leni K. Kaplan, a lecturer of community practice service at Cornell University's College of Veterinary Medicine, asserted that bacteria such as clostridium, E. coli, salmonella, and campylobacter, which can be found in dogs' mouths, cause severe gastrointestinal disease in humans. According to the Food Standards Agency, campylobacter is the most common cause of food poisoning in the United Kingdom, resulting in an average of 280,000 cases of upset stomachs each year.

But Dr. Kaplan is not entirely unbending on the subject of canine affection. "When dog saliva touches intact human skin, especially in a healthy person, it is extremely unlikely to cause any problems, as there will be very little absorption through the skin."
Led by the University of Kansas, an expedition seeking through the ridges and geographically isolated areas in the Philippines found out that it tripped on "the center of center of biodiversity"--the Philippine island of Mindanao.

Originally aimed to further broaden the information available on herpetology in the Philippines, the University of Kansas led by Rafe Brown, the curator-in-charge of the University of Kansas Biodiversity Institute, mentioned in an article that they have found a really diverse area in the northern portion of the Mindanao region in the Philippines.

"The Philippine archipelago is recognized as a globally significant conservation priority--a biodiversity hotspot," Brown said. "For example, 95 percent of Mindanao's amphibians don't appear anywhere else in the world. The terrestrial biodiversity of the Philippines is amazing, and this part of Mindanao is the center of the center of that diversity. The biodiversity is so high in this one pocket of northeast Mindanao largely because the ranges of so many species in the archipelago overlap in this one area. We knew it was really diverse, but we didn't have a sense of this one area being the bull's-eye, the epicenter of this diversity."

Read here: Rafe Brown and Colleague's Published Report on Philippine's Amphibian and Reptile Distribution in Mindanao Region

Based on their findings featured in ScienceDaily, the expedition was able to identify 126 species made up of 40 frogs, one caecilian, 49 lizards, 35 snakes, one freshwater turtle, and one crocodile. These discoveries were accounted as 36 of the total known reptiles and amphibians in the country.

Aside from raising the rich diversity in the area, the team has also called the attention of the agencies and the people to take a closer look at the status of Mindanao. Adding up the conflicts between religious beliefs, they have duly noted that Mindanao's environment is at high risk of degradation due to anthropogenic activities and destructive extractive industries. Their group has highlighted that from 85 percent original forest cover, it is now down to an alarming six percent, with 15 percent second growth forest.

"Giant U.S. logging operations made it big under the Marcos administration. They deforested Mindanao in about 40 years. Mindanao formerly supported incredibly diverse forests with trees as big around as your house standing 250 feet tall. I saw a bit of it left in Cotabato in 1991 during my first trip to the Philippines before it was cut down in the early '90s," Brown explained.

The research team was composed of University of Kansas graduate students and researchers from Father Saturnino Urios University, University of Oklahoma, the National Museum of the Philippines, and Silliman University. Their paper was published in a free open access journal.
Planetary disks have been spotted before, but never around a very old red dwarf star. A group of citizen scientists and professional astronomers from Disk Detective, a project led by NASA/GSFC's Dr. Marc Kuchner discovered the oldest known planetary disk in an unusual ground.

The group was formed in an attempt to find possible planet-forming regions. As noted by Phys.org, planetary disks around red dwarfs are rare because these disks are often associated with young planetary systems.

The star called AWI0005x3s, appears to have sustained its disk for an exceptionally long time --- at 45 million years to be exact. Steven Silverberg of University of Oklahoma said that most disks of this kind usually fade away in less than 30 million years.

Circumstellar disk is a primordial ring of gas, dust, or collision fragments in orbit around a star. A dissertation published in Harvard University said circumstellar disks provide the reservoirs of raw material and initial physical conditions for the formation of nascent planetary systems which is important in studying the planet formation process.

"It is surprising to see a circumstellar disk around a star that may be 45 million years old, because we normally expect these disks to dissipate within a few million years," Carnegie's Jonathan Gagne, who was involved in the study explained in a press release.

"More observations will be needed to determine whether the star is really as old as we suspect, and if it turns out to be, it will certainly become a benchmark system to understand the lifetime of disks."

Aside from the planetary disk unusually lasting for a long time, the discovery is also interesting because of the chance that it could host extrasolar planets.

"Without the help of the citizen scientists examining these objects and finding the good ones, we might never have spotted this object," Kuchner said. "The WISE mission alone found 747 million [warm infrared] objects, of which we expect a few thousand to be circumstellar disks."

The discovery was detailed in a new paper, published this week in the Astrophysical Journal Letters.
A baby was removed from womb for surgery and then eventually returned inside for her actual birth, making her the first baby to be born twice.

According to News.Au.com, her mother, Margaret Boemer, who was then 16 weeks-old pregnant , had a customary ultrasound. During which, the doctors who examined her found a tumor on her baby's tailbone, a medical condition called Sacrococcygeal teratoma.

The report added that the only way the tumor could be removed is through a surgery that would require the baby to be pulled out of the womb of Margaret.



"They saw something on the scan, and the doctor came in and told us that there was something seriously wrong with our baby and that she had a sacrococcygeal teratoma," Margaret said in an interview shared by Texas Children's Hospital to CNN.



"And it was very shocking and scary, because we didn't know what that long word meant or what diagnosis that would bring."

The Fetal Treatment Center said Sacrococcygeal teratoma (SCT) is more common in female babies. They are usually not malignant, but occasionally cause trouble before birth. SCTs that are largely cystic (fluid-filled) generally do not cause a problem for the fetus before birth, but SCTs that are mostly solid tissue, and has a lot of blood flow in it, can be dangerous to the fetus as it may suffer adverse effects.

"Some of these tumors can be very well-tolerated, so the fetus has it and can get born with it and we can take it out after the baby's born," said Dr. Darrell Cass, co-director of Texas Children's Fetal Center and associate professor of surgery, pediatrics and obstetrics and gynecology at Baylor College Medicine told CNN.

"But about half of the time, they cause problems for the fetus and it's usually causing problems because of a blood flow problem."

When the tumor sucks blood flow more than the heart of the baby should, complications will form and the fetus will start to get ill, as in the case of Boemer's baby.

The baby who weighed just 583 grams then was taken out of the womb for 20 minutes. After the life-saving surgery, Margaret was able to carry her baby for another 12 weeks. And finally on June 6, at 36 weeks and five days, Lynlee was born at 5 lbs, 5 oz, People reported.

Meanwhile, eight days after being born, Lynlee had another surgery to remove the remaining parts of the tumor.
California National Guard soldiers who received bonuses of $15,000 or more for their willingness to re-enlist and go to war now must pay back that money with interest, according to letters they received from the California Guard over the past decade.

Nearly 10,000 soldiers, many of whom served multiple combat tours, have been ordered to repay the large re-enlistment bonuses  and slapped with interest charges, wage garnishments and tax liens if they refuse  after audits revealed widespread overpayments by the California Guard at the height of the wars last decade, according to the Los Angeles Times, which first reported the story.

Members of Congress and veterans leaders on Monday called for federal action to absolve the debts. Maj. Gen. Matthew Beevers said the California National Guard is working with members of Congress to introduce legislation that, if approved and signed by the president, would order the National Guard Bureau to clear the debts of soldiers who were wrongly told they were eligible for bonuses.

"This is how you destroy all faith in a Pentagon that is supposed to have your back," Brian Duffy, head of the national service organization Veterans of Foreign Wars, told the Associated Press in an emailed statement. "Instead of seeking repayment, the Pentagon owes them a debt of thanks and an apology for insulting their honorable service to our nation."

Bay Area lawmakers also are fighting back. U.S. Rep. John Garamendi (D-Walnut Grove) called the payback plan "outrageous" and Monday proposed legislation to change the National Defense Authorization Act in a way that "it would tell the Department of Defense and the National Guard that they can't claw back retention bonuses."

U.S. Rep. Jackie Speier (D-San Francisco), who serves on the House Armed Services Committee, also is outraged and said she plans to investigate the reimbursement plan.

At least 54 members of Congress and the California Legislature sent letters to Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter asking that he halt the collections and provide further information.

In 2012, Christopher Van Meter, an Iraq War veteran guardsman with 21 years of service and a purple heart, was stunned when he received the letter that said he had to repay $25,000 in re-enlistment bonuses and $21,000 in student loans.

"It was awful; it was gut-wrenching," said Van Meter, a Manteca resident. "I was frustrated and in denial and not sure what's going on."

Van Meter was not alone. The California National Guard sent similar letters to nearly 10,000 soldiers. The bonuses were supposed to be paid to soldiers in high-demand assignments such as intelligence or to noncommissioned officers badly needed in Iraq and Afghanistan.

In 2010, a federal investigation found thousands of bonuses and student loan payments were given to California guardsmen who did not qualify.

Van Meter and his wife fought the repayment for two years but ultimately began payments of $1,300 a month until that became too stressful on their household.

"In the end, we decided to refinance our house so the debt would go away in 2014," Van Meter said.

The Guard said the bonuses were paid with taxpayer money and legally they it must get the money back. A class-action lawsuit has been filed in federal district court in Sacramento on behalf of the soldiers who received bonuses.

"The problem we ran into is even with the old bonus payment, if the soldier was overpaid, the only avenue we had was debts initiated," said National Guard spokesman Michael Piazzoni. "But that doesnt take away a soldier's due process to fight the debt. Weve talked to thousands of soldiers, and we told them, 'You didnt do anything wrong. You just werent authorized to receive this amount of money.'"

But many question why the very people whove given so much for their country are now being asked to give even more.

Many of the thousands of guardsmen who have not been able to pay back the money now face interest payments and penalties. Some have had their wages garnished.

So far, the guard has recovered more than $22 million.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Members of the First Congregational Church in Berkeley lost their place of worship indefinitely after a three-alarm fire ripped through their brick home in September.

Lending a helpful hand, a nearby Jewish congregation has opened its doors and welcomed the displaced members to practice in their synagogue beginning Sunday.

Leaders of Congregation Beth El located on Oxford Street notified its worshippers earlier in the week that they would be providing a "mitzvah," or good deed, and allow the First Congregational Church to have a temporary home without having to pay a single cent.

"It's fantastic," said First Congregational Church member Scott Sporte. "It's great the Congregation Beth El could invite us here. They were so quick and they're been so welcoming."

The act of sharing act works perfectly for both parties. Church services are held on Sundays, while the Jewish Sabbath is celebrated on Saturday.

As for the burned church campus, which suffered roughly $2 million in damage, Sporte said that authorities and leaders are still assessing the damage, but they hope to begin repairs soon and return to their sanctuary sometime in early 2017.

"Right now we're just determining whether the walls can be saved or whether the building needs to be knocked down and we can start again," Sporte said.

Aside from the sanctuary's status, church officials are unsure if they will be able to save surrounding office spaces located on the campus, Sporte said.
Early voting for the Nov. 8 election was expanded Monday throughout Chicago and the citys neighboring suburbs.

In Chicago, each of the citys 50 wards will offer one in-person registration and voting site through Nov. 7. This is in addition to the Illinois State Board of Elections Super Site in the Loop, which opened earlier this month.

Chicago State University, Northeastern Illinois University and the University of Illinois at Chicago will also be facilitating voter registration and early voting sites from Nov. 2-4. Here's a full list of early voting sites in Chicago.

Additionally, there are 51 places voters can cast ballots in the Cook County suburbs. Heres a full list of early voting sites in the Cook County suburbs.

The states early voting technically started on Sept. 29, but voters were only able to cast ballots at pre-approved locations, like county election offices.
In the race for Illinois' 6th Congressional District House seat, Democratic newcomer Amanda Howland looks to knock off Republican incumbent Peter Roskam. The 6th Congressional district includes portions of Cook, DuPage, Kane, Lake and McHenry counties. The largest concentration of voters are in Wheaton, Downers Grove, Palatine, Naperville and Glen Ellyn.

Roskam has served in the U.S. House of Representatives since 2007, winning four consecutive re-election bids. The congressman, who currently serves as chairman of the Ways & Means Oversight Subcommittee, has led the investigation into IRS political targeting and passed legislation to reform the agency. Last year, he wrote and passed the Taxpayer Bill of Rights.

The Republican staunchly opposed the 2015 Iran nuclear deal and has used his chairmanship to fight terrorism through the tax code, keeping money out of Irans hands. Roskam has also fought against Medicare fraud during his time in Congress, pushing the program to adopt private sector innovations and new technology to prevent improper payments.

The congressmans top priorities include protecting the homeland maintaining national security, fixing the tax code to encourage growth and innovation and demanding oversight from all levels of government. Roskam is also dedicated to repealing the Affordable Care Act and replacing it with a patient-centered alternative aimed at lowering costs and increasing options.

During a time of deep partisanship and rancorous rhetoric, its easy to get discouraged, Roskam said in a statement. Thats why Im especially proud of my record of delivering results for the west and northwest suburbs by working across the aisle to find effective solutions to major issues. From IRS reform to increased funding for Alzheimers and childhood cancer research, theres a lot we can accomplish if we work together.

Roskam is backing Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump's presidential candidacy. Following the "Trump tapes" imbroglio, Roskam went from publicly backing the billionaire to claiming he was undecided before once again pledging his support to the real estate magnate.

His opponent, Howland, is an attorney and College of Lake County trustee. Her current law practice is devoted to mediation and protecting the rights of people in both civil rights cases and employment law. She previously served as a a teacher of behavior disordered children before working as a grade school principal in Bartlett.

The political newcomer has vowed to stand up for hard-working middle class families Washington has ignored for too long.

In terms of policy, Howland wants to ensure that tax and spending policies reflect the priorities and values of middle-class families. She looks to protect social security and Medicare, make college more affordable, reform student loans and safeguard a womans right to her own healthcare decisions.

Howland also aims to reform the Affordable Care Act to adapt Obamacare to a changing market, providing access to quality health care to all Americans. She also wants to reform campaign finance laws to get big money from corporation and special interests out of politics.

For too long Peter Roskam has catered to special interests and pursued an extreme agenda  from changing the law to protect Super PACs, to shutting down Planned Parenthood, to working to elect Donald Trump, Howland said in a statement. I will pursue results, not extreme ideas. On the College of Lake County Board, I found common ground to reform ethics and protect taxpayers.

In Congress, I will bring that same independence and work ethic to finding real solutions that help middle class families, she added.
President Barack Obama endorsed Rep. Cheri Bustos re-election bid in Illinois 17th Congressional District Monday.

In his endorsement, Obama called Bustos a fighter for the middle class and credited her work to protect Social Security and Medicare.

Im proud to endorse Cheri Bustos for the United States House of Representative, Obama said in a statement. In Congress, Cheri has had my back as weve worked to make the country stronger, safer and fairer for Illinois families  and now I have her back.

Ive counted on Cheri Bustos, and Illinoisans can, too, the president added.

Bustos, who has also been endorsed by Vice President Joe Biden, called Obama a fighter for middle class families and said she was honored by the endorsement.

As your congresswoman, Ill continue working to protect Social Security and Medicare, invest in our schools and grow our manufacturing economy so we can create more good-paying jobs for Illinois hardworking families, the congresswoman said in a statement

In an exclusive interview with Ward Room last week, Bustos discussed Republican presidential nominee Donald Trumps incendiary nasty woman comment and criticized her opponent, Republican newcomer Patrick Harlan.
Six men were killed and at least 32 other people were wounded in shootings across the city between Friday evening and Sunday night, according to Chicago Police.

The weekends latest homicide happened shortly before 5 a.m. Sunday in the Little Village neighborhood on the Southwest Side. Officers responding to a call of shots fired found a man on the ground in the 2800 block of South Pulaski with gunshot wounds to the head and torso. The man, thought to be between 20 and 30, was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 9:28 a.m., according to police and the Cook County medical examiners office. His name has not yet been released.

About two hours earlier, a 23-year-old man was shot to death in the Lawndale neighborhood on the West Side. Officers responding about 3:05 a.m. to a call of a person shot in the 2400 block of West Lexington found the man lying on the ground with gunshot wounds to the back. He was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, where he died at 3:45 a.m., authorities said. His name was not released Sunday.

About an hour earlier, a 22-year-old man was gunned down in a separate Lawndale attack. Officers saw shots fired about 2:10 a.m. in the 1500 block of South Christiana, where an Isaiah Hurley was hit in the chest and pronounced dead at the scene at 2:25 a.m., police and the medical examiners office said. Officers spotted several people leaving the scene and arrested them nearby. Charges were pending early Sunday.

At 1:50 a.m., a 27-year-old man was fatally shot in the Rogers Park neighborhood on the North Side. He walked out the backdoor of his apartment in the 7300 block of North Sheridan and later returned and told his friends that hed been shot, police said. He was shot in the back and taken to Saint Francis Hospital in Evanston, where he died at 3:30 a.m., authorities said. His name was not released Sunday.

Saturday morning, a man was killed in another Little Village shooting. Giovanni Galvan, 20, was standing on the sidewalk about 10:15 a.m. in the 3100 block of West 24th Street when a vehicle pulled up and someone inside shot him in the chest, abdomen, back and arm, authorities said. Galvan was taken to Mount Sinai, where he died at 10:41 a.m. He lived in the 2200 block of South Trumbull Avenue.

The weekends first fatal shooting happened about 1:40 a.m. Saturday in the West Garfield Park neighborhood. Officers found a 37-year-old man lying in an alley in the 4200 block of West Wilcox with multiple gunshot wounds to the head, authorities said. He was pronounced dead at the scene at 2:02 a.m. His name has not been released.

The most recent nonfatal shooting happened at 7:45 p.m. Sunday, when a 16-year-old boy was shot in the Gresham neighborhood on the South Side, police said. He was outside in the 1500 block of West 81st Street when two males approached and shot him twice in the buttocks. The boy was taken to Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, where his condition was stabilized.

At least 31 more people were wounded in other shootings across the city between 5:50 p.m. Friday and 7:05 p.m. Sunday.

Additionally, a Chicago Police officer shot a person who authorities say pulled a gun after running from a traffic stop Sunday morning in Englewood.
Firefighters rushed to the scene of a church that collapsed in Chicagos Wicker Park neighborhood early Monday morning.

Crews responded to Mision Cristiana Church in the 1900 block of W. Schiller St. just after 6 a.m. after a large portion of the large bridge structure caved in.

Firefighters rushed to the scene of a church that collapsed in Chicagos Wicker Park neighborhood early Monday morning. Regina Waldroup reports.

Demolition fences surrounding the church suggest the building was scheduled to be torn down at some point.

The Mision Cristiana Family Ministries put the church up for sale in September 2013, according to DNA Info, with plans to reconstruct the building into town homes and single-family residences.

No injuries were reported in the collapse, fire officials said.

Further details surrounding the cause of the collapse were not immediately made available.

Check back for more on this developing story.
The ex-wife of former Subway pitchman Jared Fogle is suing the fast food company for not acting on its alleged knowledge of Fogle's sexual interest in children.

Katie McLaughlin's suit, filed Monday in Indiana, alleges Subway was told about Fogle's interest in having sex with children as early as 2004  years before they began dating  but did nothing to stop it and continued having Fogle promote the brand for a decade.

"The safety of kids was not a priority but Subway's bottom line was," the suit argues. "Subway ignored its corporate responsibility and provided a platform for [Fogle] to prey on children by sending him to elementary schools all over the country."

Subway issued a statement saying it could not comment on pending litigation.

Last year, Fogle, 39, pleaded guilty to distributing and receiving child pornography and traveling out of state to engage in illicit sexual conduct with a minor, and was sentenced to more than 15 years in prison. The company has severed its ties to him, and Fogle and McLaughlin were divorced soon thereafter.

The restaurant chain has admitted it received a "serious" complaint about Jared Fogle in 2011, but that the complaint did not imply any criminal sexual activity.

After an internal investigation in 2015 found a former journalist named Rochelle Herman-Walrond once brought a "serious" complaint about Fogle to the company's attention, the company regretted that it was "not properly escalated or acted upon."

But that complaint did not imply anything about sexual behavior or criminal activity involving Mr. Fogle, the company said. "It is important to note that the investigation found no further evidence of any other complaints of any kind regarding Mr. Fogle that were submitted to or shared with SUBWAY."

Herman-Walrond is one of three people who allegedly came forward with information about Fogle's activity who are cited in McLaughlin's suit, which claims that "Subway failed every test of corporate responsibility in its response to each."

The lawsuit also claims that in 2004 a marketing executive was told Fogle approached a young girl for a sex act in Las Vegas and that a franchise owner alerted the company's CEO in 2008 that Fogle liked having sex with minors.

"He has met someone. She is a teacher and he seems to love her very much, and we think she will keep him grounded," then-Subway CEO Jeff Mills allegedly told the franchise owner, which McLaughlin claims she found out about in July 2015, after the FBI had raided her home.

McLaughlin claims that in both of those cases, Subway sent a public relations employee to discuss the claims with Fogle, but nothing more.

McLaughlin is seeking financial damages, though no amount is listed in the suit, NBC News reported.
The ban came after local authorities received complaints about a large number of dogs around small children.

Dogs without muzzles are now forbidden from the pedestrian zone around the Hoan Kiem Lake (Sword Lake) in Hanoi as the city said it needs to protect locals and tourists in the area.

Pham Tuan Long, a senior official of Hoan Kiem District, told news website Dan Tri that the ban was introduced late last week after local authorities received complaints about a large number of dogs on the walking streets.

The pedestrian zone, which is opened from 7 p.m. on Friday through Sunday midnight, has become a new favorite destination for locals and tourists alike. But many parents say they don't feel safe bringing small children to a place with so many dogs around.

Nguyen Thi Hoa from Dong Da District said that her family always has to keep an eye on her two kids when they walk through the zone.

Even adults cant avoid a dog attack, not to mention young children, she said.

I also saw many dogs defecate on the streets but their owners didnt clean after them, Hoa added.

Even though some owners have argued that their dogs are friendly, the district insists there's no exception to the ban.

A government decree introduced from 2007 also stipulated that in public places or densely populated areas, dogs must be kept in cages or muzzled.

Related news:

> Hanoi considers expanding pedestrian zone around Hoan Kiem Lake

> Hanoi to install free wi-fi hotspots around Hoan Kiem Lake

> $23 million in four days: Hanoi's tourist-friendly approach is paying off
Police were responding to a group of students who were attempting to shut down a traffic outside the Art Institute of Chicago, according to a news release from the group and Sky 5 footage of the scene.

Traffic was moving again on Michigan Avenue about 5:10 p.m. after some activists could be seen being taken into custody, including one who was carried away by police.

Led by students from Chicago area universities, Moral Mondays Illinois activists are blocking the intersection of Michigan Ave. and Adams St., outside the Art Institute of Chicago, demanding museum trustee Ken Griffin stop funding Rauners political agenda to gut funding for public higher education and other vital state responsibilities, the news release states. As a trustee of the Art Institute and other universities, Griffin should push for free, fully funded public higher education, funded by taxes on corporations and the rich.

Some the cap and gown clad protesters were chained together stretching across Michigan Avenue. Police could be seen talking to the protesters before they eventually moved them into a police van.

The group said it organizes for "racial, economic, and gender justice at Chicago area universities and in the broader community.
Two Norwich twins wanted for their suspected involvement in a bank robbery last month have been taken into custody in New York state, Connecticut state police said.

Police have felony arrest warrants for 50-year-old twins, Vince Rollins and Vance Coffin, in connection with a bank robbery at the Savings Institute Bank in a Canterbury on Sept. 23, police said.

On Tuesday state police confirmed that the pair was located in New York. They are awaiting extradition from New York to Connecticut.

Police had previously warned the public to look out for the suspects but not to confront them, as they were considered armed and dangerous.
A former state representative who admitted to a mortgage fraud scheme has been sentenced to one year of probation and has been fined $1,000 fir conspiring with others to commit bank fraud in connection with his home mortgage loan application.

Officials from the U.S. Department of Justice in a news release that Victor Cuevas, 52, of Bristol, who pleaded guilty on June 20 was sentenced on Monday.

In 2013, Cuevas applied for a loan from the Federal Housing Administration Loan to buy a residence in Bristol and the FHA program has various restrictions on the types of funds that can be used to purchase properties, federal authorties said.

According to court documents, Cuevas claimed he was using funds gifted to him by family to purchase the property.

At the time, Cuevas was an employee of the City of Waterbury and the state representative for the 75th District and investigators determined that the funds he used to buy the Bristol property were actually a loan from another City of Waterbury employee, whom Cuevas repaid $7,000 after the mortgage closed, officials said.

He resigned from the Connecticut General Assembly in March 2016.

Cuevas was also arrested on DUI charges in October of last year.
Shelton police are investigating after a 56-year-old man was found dead in a drainage ravine.

Police said the victim, Theodore Bortnick, was found dead near his mother's house on Longfellow Road Sunday.

Police said Bortnicks mother reported him missing Sunday morning around 11:45 a.m. When police searched the area around the home, they found Bortnick dead in a drainage ravine on the property.

Police said there does not appear to be any foul play, but the case is still under investigation. The Connecticut State Police Major Crimes team is assisting.
Police arrested two men accused of trying to steal rims and tires from a Milford car dealership last week.

Police said they responded to Courtney Honda, at 767 Bridgeport Ave., around 4 a.m. on Wednesday to investigate reports of suspicious men walking around the lot.

While heading to the scene, officers learned that a staff member who was not at the dealership was looking at video surveillance that showed two men taking tires and rims off of cars in the lot.

As officers were en route, they learned that the men had just left in a White SUV.

While responding, officers found a White SUV in the area of Bridgeport Avenue and School House Road and performed a motor vehicle stop.

Inside the vehicle, police found 45-year-old Franky Cortez, Newburg New York, and 40-year-old Steven Green, of Bronx New York.

Police said Cortez admitted to trying to steal tires and rims from the dealership, using Green as a lookout.

Inside the truck police found cinderblocks, cutting tools, a vehicle jack and tire iron, police said, and they found more cinderblocks at the dealership and a hammer an area of fence that had been cut.

Police said the windows of several vehicles at the dealership had been smashed and lug nuts were removed.

Cortez and Green are accused of attempted to take or damaging more than $12,600 worth of vehicle parts.

Cortez was charged with second-degree larceny, second-degree conspiracy to commit larceny, four counts of second-degree criminal mischief, four counts of second-degree conspiracy to commit criminal mischief and Green was charged with second-degree conspiracy to commit larceny, second-degree conspiracy to commit larceny, second-degree conspiracy to commit criminal mischief.

Cortez was released on $100,000 bond and is due in Milford Court on Nov. 15.

Green was held on $100,000 bond.
The surviving pilot in the plane crash in East Hartford has been released from the hospital, according to hospital officials.

Arian Prevella was released from Bridgeport Hospital on Friday, officials told NBC Connecticut.

Prevella is the owner of the American Flight Academy and was in the intentional crash that killed student pilot, Feras M. Freitekh on Oct. 11.

Freitekh died of smoke inhalation and heat and fire injuries, according to the office of the chief medical examiner.

Federal investigators have called the crash an "intentional act."

A senior law enforcement official familiar with the investigation previously told NBC News that Freitekh was arguing with his instructor and the crash appears to have been a case of suicide, not terrorism.

Officials identified him through fingerprints and the manner of his death is pending further investigation of the circumstances, according to the office of the chief medical examiner.

Freitekh was killed and his instructor, Prevalla was injured when the twin-engine Piper PA 34 they were in crashed on Main Street, near the Connecticut headquarters of military jet-engine maker Pratt & Whitney, and burst into flames.

The National Transportation Safety Board previously said the crash that killed Freitekh and seriously injured Prevalla appeared to have been the result of an intentional act.

A senior law enforcement official familiar with the investigation told NBC News, Prevalla told investigators that Freitekh, a Jordanian national, was at the controls at the time of the crash. Some kind of argument or struggle for the controls ensued, the official said, and the plane crashed. The instructor did not know why it happened.

Police searched Freitek's Hartford-area home but did not find anything to indicate any terrorist interests or sympathies, a senior federal official told NBC News' Pete Williams.

He was also not on any terrorism watch list, the official added.
Hartford police arrested several people after busting a suspected drug house on Friday and said they had information that several people from Puerto Rico were staying there with guns and working as enforcers.

Police raided an apartment on the second floor of 535-537 Zion St. because they suspected several people had guns and were dealing narcotics from the apartment. As the emergency response team went in, several people ran out the back, went into other apartments or tried to escape through the back yard, police said.

Inside the apartment, detectives found a female. Outside, officers and detectives stopped the people who were fleeing, police said.

During the search, detectives found a loaded .22 caliber firearm, 470 bags of heroin and 270 bags of crack, police said.

Outside the apartment, detectives found 13 fentanyl patches, $300 in cash and 10 bags of heroin, police said.

Inspectors from license and inspections and housing also responded to the scene.

Armando Colon, of Hartford, was charged with criminal trespass, possession of narcotics and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Eduardo Ortiz, of Hartford, was charged with third-degree criminal trespass and possession of narcotics.

Frank White, of Hartford, was charged with third-degree criminal trespass and possession of narcotics.

Bradley Gonzalez, of Hartford, was charged with possession of narcotics and interfering with police.

Ramon Benitez, of Hartford, was charged with possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of narcotics, operating an unregistered motor vehicle, misuse of plates and insufficient insurance.

Hipolito Aldana, of Hartford, was charged with third-degree criminal trespass and possession of a controlled substance.

Luis Rivera, of Hartford, was charged with criminal possession of a firearm, possession of narcotics, possession of narcotics with intent to sell and interfering with a search warrant.
Nashua police believe the body of a young man found in the Merrimack River is a missing 16-year-old Nashua boy who may have been swept into a storm drain during heavy rains over the weekend.

The Massachusetts State Police Air Wing spotted a body in the Merrimack River in Tyngsborough, Massachusetts Sunday morning. The Nashua Police Department's Dive Team and Tyngsborough Fire Rescue recovered the body from the river Sunday at around 12:20 p.m.

The body has not been positively identified; however, based upon the clothing description and body condition, it is believed to be Jacob Goulet.

Jacob was reported missing Saturday morning by his father, and Nashua police say officers responded to a call late Friday evening for a report of a person who may have fallen down a storm drain on the north side of Water Street. When officers went to the scene Friday evening, they found personal items that didn't have any personal information.

When his father reported him missing the next day, he reportedly told police this behavior wasn't normal for his son, and police connected some of the items found near the storm drain to Jacob based on his parents' description.

Police searched parts of the Nashua and Merrimack rivers and the entire storm drain system nort of Water Street and south to Sawmill Drive.

Jacob, currently a student at Nashua North High School, is described as about 5-feet 8-inches tall, about 200 pounds, with a black mowhawk and blue eyes. He was last seen wearing a denim vest with medal studs on it, a gray t-shirt, black shorts and black Converse All-Star sneakers.

Meanwhile, video surveillance viewed by Nashua police confirmed Jacob was on foot in the area during the storm Friday evening.

Anyone with information about Jacob's whereabouts is asked to call Nashua police at 603-594-3500.
An American Airlines flight from Nashville to Los Angeles with two Hollywood stars on board made an emergency landing in Little Rock after a suspicious odor was reported in the cabin.

The aircraft landed Saturday at the Bill and Hillary Clinton National Airport.

American Airlines spokeswoman Alexis Aran Coello told Little Rock television station KTHV that the flight landed safely and no injuries were reported.

Actors Kate Mara and Jamie Bell said on Twitter that they were on the flight.

Bell tweeted a photo of the pair at the airport and Mara tweeted that the flight was "a disgraceful, pathetic way to treat the families traveling with infants and elderly."

It might be rigged. We were just "emergency diverted" here pic.twitter.com/4OBBgMWdup  Jamie Bell (@1jamiebell) October 22, 2016

Hey @AmericanAir

Flight 1134 was unacceptable.

A disgraceful, pathetic way to treat the families traveling with infants and elderly.  Kate Mara (@katemara) October 23, 2016

The Fort Worth-based airline apologized, also via Twitter, for the disruption.
The Dallas crime rate continues to rise so far this year despite police efforts to reverse the spike.

Violent crime year to date as of Oct. 19 was up 10.5 percent, led by murder up 25.78 percent.

Overall including nonviolent property crimes, the rate is up 2.5 percent.

It comes after 11 straight years of falling crime rates in Dallas.

Police leaders will discuss it with members of the City Council Monday.
Guided-missile destroyer USS Decatur operates in the South China Sea, which Vietnam calls the East Sea, on Friday. Photo by Diana Quinlan/U.S. Navy/Handout via Reuters

The foreign ministry says the country respects freedom of navigation under international rules.

Vietnam has said it respects other countries freedom of navigation in the East Sea, known internationally as the South China Sea, and calling for all to contributing to maintaining peace and stability in the region.

The remarks came as a U.S. navy destroyer sailed through the waters on Friday. The guided-missile destroyer USS Decatur came near Tri Ton and Phu Lam islands of the Paracels archipelago, which Vietnam calls Hoang Sa, on Saturday. It reportedly did not enter the 12-nautical-mile territorial limit of the islands.

Le Hai Binh, Vietnams foreign ministry spokesman, said in a statement on Monday that as a signatory of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea 1982, Vietnam respects other nations exercise of their rights in the sea in accordance with the conventions regulations, including the freedom of navigation and overflight.

Vietnam calls on all countries to make constructive contributions in line with international law to maintaining peace, stability and the rule of law at sea and in the ocean, he said in the statement.

He said Vietnam has full historical evidence and legal foundations to prove its sovereignty over the Paracels and Spratly (Truong Sa) Islands in the East Sea.

Last week, Vietnams Vice Minister of National Defense Nguyen Chi Vinh reassured Cara Abercrombie, the visiting U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for South and Southeast Asia, that Hanoi would support Washingtons engagement in the Asia-Pacific as long as it brought peace, stability and prosperity.

China has claimed both the islands and put up a lot of construction there, despite strong international opposition. A tribune in the Hague on July 12 ruled that Beijing has no legal basis to claim historic rights to the strategic and resources-rich East Sea.

Chinese Defense Ministry has criticized the U.S.s move as illegal and provocative, saying the two Chinese warships had told the U.S. destroyer to leave.

The Pentagon said the Decatur conducted this transit in a routine, lawful manner without ship escorts and without incident.

This operation demonstrated that coastal states may not unlawfully restrict the navigation rights, freedoms and lawful uses of the sea that the United States and all states are entitled to exercise under international law, White House spokesman Josh Earnest said at a news briefing, as reported by Reuters.

Its the fourth time over the past year the U.S. has sailed a ship to the East Sea, through which about $5 trillion worth of trade passes each year.

Related news:

> Vietnam calls for peace maintenance as Russia joins China in military drill in S.China Sea

> Vietnam protests Chinas election and patrols in flashpoint waters
Authorities said they reopned Interstate 635 after clearing a multi-vehicle crash in Dallas Monday morning.

Dallas Fire-Rescue officials said up to six vehicles were involved in the crash on eastbound I-635 near Abrams Road just after 10 a.m.

Firefighters said the initial call reported three vehicles were involved and that a secondary crash might have resulted in the additional vehicles.

Four ambulances arrived at the scene, though no one has been transported to hospitals.

All lanes were reopened just before 11:30 a.m.

No further details have been released.
A nurse who contracted Ebola two years ago while caring for the first person to be diagnosed in the U.S. with the deadly disease has settled a lawsuit against the parent company of the Dallas hospital where she worked.

Attorneys for Nina Pham announced the settlement Monday with Texas Health Resources and filed a motion to dismiss her claim. But they and the company said in a joint statement that terms will not be disclosed.

"Texas Health Resources and Ms. Pham have resolved the pending lawsuit, and wish the best for each other going forward. All parties have agreed the terms of the resolution are confidential and will not make additional statements or grant media interviews," Texas Health said.

Pham contracted Ebola in 2014 while caring for Thomas Eric Duncan at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas. Duncan was visiting Texas from Liberia and died days after arriving in Dallas.

Pham and another nurse who contracted Ebola survived.

Pham said in her lawsuit that the hospital was unprepared to treat Ebola cases. She also said she worried about her long-term health.

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Heavy turnouts have been reported across North Texas as early voting begins for the Nov. 8 general election. In some areas, early voters shattered first-day records set in 2012.

"It's a lot of interest, more than we've ever had before," said Dallas County Elections Administrator Toni Pippins-Poole.

Some, 58,213 people in Dallas County had voted on Monday by 7 p.m., when the polls were set to close. A few polling locations stayed open past 7 p.m. to allow people already in line the chance to vote.

The previous record in Dallas County was set in 2008, when 34,415 people cast ballots on the first day of early voting.

Election administrators in Tarrant County reported a first-day turnout of about 43,000 voters.

And Collin County smashed its previous record for the first day of early voting, as 30,288 people cast ballots Monday, nearly twice the previous record of just over 16,000 in 2012.

A long line spilled out the door nearly all day at the Lancaster Veterans Memorial Library.

"People have been pretty patient because they want to get it over with," said Carlon Terry, a campaign volunteer handing out pamphlets outside.

Many voters couldn't wait to vote and put the election behind them.

"I've been watching the debates and all that stuff, and I just wanted to be done with it, just wanted to get it over with and out of the way," says Hope Wilcox, of Dallas. "The election series has been crazy and I'm just kind of ready for it to be over."

"We want to get it over with, make sure that we're done with it," added Stayce Armant, of Lancaster.

"Champing at the bit," Jeff Hemstreet, a Lancaster voter, described the feeling of casting a vote. "I think a lot of people are really excited about this, this year, this election."

Some voters said they came on the first day to cast an historic vote.

"We came on this day to vote because we've been waiting our entire lives to vote for a woman for president," said Karen McCrocklin, of Dallas.

Numbers were up as well in Denton County, where more than 15,000 people voted, up by about 3,000 votes from 2012.

Texas set a record for statewide registered voters at more than 15 million, nearly 78 percent of the state's estimated voting age population. More than 13. 6 million Texans registered to vote in 2012.

More Polling Locations Added in Dallas This Year

Dallas County officials expected a large turnout, prompting elections officials to open 41 polling locations.

"Normally we have 25 early voting locations, and we've seen historically people are in line and they are in line for maybe more than an hour, so we are trying to reduce that impact on our locations," Pippins-Poole explained. "Early voting now is almost over 50 percent of the people who are actually going to vote. So, we are looking at our polling locationsmore than 470,000 of our registered voters will vote early."

Dallas County election workers will open nine more locations in the last week of early voting on college campuses.

"We normally don't vote on college campuses, but we want to try to reduce the impact on some of our other locations," Pippins-Poole said.

This comes as Texas Secretary of State Carlos Cascos announces a record number of registered voters at more than 15 million.

"If you want to vote, you must be registered, so it's good to see that so many Texans are preparing for this November's election," Cascos said in a media release.

With so many voters expected at the polls, Dallas County launched a new web-based tool to track wait times.

We have compiled a list of voting locations and sample ballots from counties around the area including Dallas, Tarrant, Collin and Denton.
Bullets narrowly missed a civilian taking a ride in a police cruiser in central California early Sunday morning, when a traffic stop turned into a police chase.

Many citizens who want to understand the job of police officers and get a sense of the excitement of the job go on ride-alongs, like the woman in Madera. But her morning was anything but routine after a suspect ended up firing 14 rounds at the patrol car, leaving the passenger scratched by broken glass and crying in fear, but safe, Police Chief Steven Frazier recapped Monday at a news conference. Originally, police had said nine rounds were fired.

The story, and especially the dashcam video police posted of the shootout and chase, has been seen nearly 1 million times on the department's Facebook page, and made its rounds on the TV morning talk shows, including the "Today" show.

"By the grace of God," Frazier told reporters, "this officer and this civilian ride-along are with us today."

Officer Julian Garcia, who was on his second week of the job and spotted a Mazda with a broken headlight, wasnt injured and the woman on the ride-along suffered minor scratches, Frazier said. She is part of the department's volunteer citizen's academy. She declined to be interviewed or identified.

Madera is in San Joaquin County near Yosemite National Park.

The ride-along started off normally on Sunday about 4:30 a.m., police said. Garcia tried to stop a Mazda SUV traveling west on Howard Road because the car had a broken headlight and the driver failed to stop at a stop sign, according to the dashcam video and the chief.

"He's not stopping," the woman is heard asking in the video, before a chase ensued.

When the Mazda turns onto Lighthouse Drive, its front passenger is apparently seen sticking a gun out the window, prompting the officer's passenger to say, "He has a gun! No, no, no, no!"

Approximately 14 rounds were fired at the police car, Frazier said. The patrol car was struck by three bullets, two of them through the windshield, and the patrol car was disabled. Frazier said that one of the bullets even landed inside someone's home in a pile of laundry.

The Mazda sped away, and the police cruiser pulled over. "You OK?" the officer is heard asking the woman, who begins sobbing in the car.

The Mazda was later found abandoned on Krest Street, and police found an AR 15-style pistol and other evidence, which they didnt detail. Det. Sgt. Johnny Smith told NBC Bay Area there were paper license plates on the car, which was stolen from Fresno.

Police have not announced any arrests, and the chief said they were looking for at least two suspects.

Frazier said that he believes this video should be a prerequisite for all ride-along candidates so they can see what officers face day to day. He doesn't think the department will change its ride-along policy in any way, but he expects some citizens might refuse to participate after what happened this weekend.

"I think what occurred," he said, "is that at any time, any situation can go sideways. And this young lady experienced that."
The Standing Rock Sioux Tribe has asked the U.S. Department of Justice to immediately intervene in the escalating situation between protesters and law enforcement over construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline, the tribe's chairman told NBC News on Sunday night.

"The DOJ should be enlisted and expected to investigate the overwhelming reports and videos demonstrating clear strong-arm tactics, abuses and unlawful arrests by law enforcement," Chairman Dave Archambault II told NBC News.

The tribe's request comes after a weekend in which the months-long protest entered a new and more chaotic phase. On Saturday, 127 protesters were arrested on suspicion of criminal trespassing on private property, according to new figures released Sunday by the Morton County Sheriff's Office.
For the first time in Paul Quinn College's 144-year history, the school will be a polling location for early voters.

The small liberal arts school located in South Dallas is a closed-campus, meaning the gates are normally locked tight.

But for the next two week of early voting, the gates will remain open to everyone in the community.

It is one of 50 early voting locations spread throughout Dallas County, a number that has doubled since the last presidential election, according to Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins.

"The shorter the lines are and the easier it is to vote, the better it is for democracy," Jenkins said.

Early voting locations are also set up at all Dallas community colleges, Southern Methodist University and the University of Dallas.

"Means more young people can get involved in democracy and thats all good for the process," Jenkins added.

Paul Quinn sophomore Sherman Redmond spent the last 3 months registering students and community members to vote, hoping the proximity of a polling place will now draw out more people in an area with historically low voter turnout.

"I think the biggest thing is the attitude and culture of voting could possibly change in this area, which would be great for the community," Redmond said.

The voting machines are locked up tight in Zale Library until election workers set them up Monday morning.

"We're making sure no one is touching any of this. We don't want to be part of any controversy that may come up," said Mercedes Fulbright, special assistant to the president of Paul Quinn.

Andn Paul Quinn isn't the only one that's new at this -- freshman Paloma Piett is a first-time voter.

"In this election of all elections," Piett said. "It's really nerve-wracking to see whos actually going to win."

Early voting in Dallas County begins at 7 a.m. Monday, October 24.

For the first time in Paul Quinn College's 144-year history, the school will be a polling location for early voters.

The small liberal arts school located in South Dallas is a closed-campus, meaning the gates are normally locked tight.

But for the next two weeks of early voting, the gates will remain open to everyone in the community.

It is one of 50 early voting locations spread throughout Dallas County, a number that has doubled since the last presidential election, according to Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins.

"The shorter the lines are and the easier it is to vote, the better it is for democracy," Jenkins said.

Early voting locations are also set up at all Dallas community colleges, Southern Methodist University and the University of Dallas.

There are hundreds of early voting locations across North Texas -- see them all here.

"Means more young people can get involved in democracy and thats all good for the process," Jenkins added.

Paul Quinn sophomore Sherman Redmond spent the last three months registering students and community members to vote, hoping the proximity of a polling place will now draw out more people in an area with historically low voter turnout.

"I think the biggest thing is the attitude and culture of voting could possibly change in this area, which would be great for the community," Redmond said.

The voting machines are locked up tight inside Zale Library until election workers set them up Monday morning.

"We're making sure no one is touching any of this. We don't want to be part of any controversy that may come up," said Mercedes Fulbright, special assistant to the president of Paul Quinn.

And Paul Quinn isn't the only one that's new at this -- freshman Paloma Piett is a first-time voter.

"In this election of all elections," Piett said. "It's really nerve-wracking to see whos actually going to win."

Early voting in Dallas County begins at 7 a.m. Monday, Oct. 24.

For a list of times and locations across North Texas, click here.
A defiant Donald Trump blamed his campaign struggles on "phony polls" from the "disgusting" media on Monday, fighting to energize his most loyal supporters as his path to the presidency shrinks.

With just 14 days until the election, the Republican nominee campaigned in battleground Florida as his team conceded publicly as well as privately that crucial Pennsylvania may be slipping away to Democrat Hillary Clinton. That would leave him only a razor-thin pathway to the 270 electoral votes needed to win the White House on Nov. 8.

Despite continued difficulties with women and minorities, Trump refuses to soften his message in the campaign's final days to broaden his coalition. Yet he offered an optimistic front in the midst of a three-day tour through Florida as thousands began voting there in person.

"I believe we're actually winning," Trump declared during a round table discussion with farmers gathered next to a local pumpkin patch.

A day after suggesting the First Amendment to the Constitution may give journalists too much freedom, he insisted that the media are promoting biased polls to discourage his supporters from voting.

"The media isn't just against me. They're against all of you," Trump told cheering supporters later in St. Augustine. "They're against what we represent."

In more bad news for Trump, a new poll shows young voters turning to Clinton now that the race has settled down to two main candidates. Clinton now leads among likely voters 18 to 30 years in age by 60 percent to 19 percent, according to a new GenForward survey.

Young black voters already were solidly in her corner, and now young whites are moving her way, according to the survey by the Black Youth Project at the University of Chicago with the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.

With Trump on the defensive, Democrat Clinton worked to slam the door on his candidacy in swing state New Hampshire while eyeing a possible Democratic majority in the Senate.

The former secretary of state campaigned alongside New Hampshire Gov. Maggie Hassan, who is running for the Senate, and Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, who was merciless as she seized on recent revelations of Trump's predatory sexual language and several allegations of sexual assault.

"He thinks that because he has a mouth full of Tic Tacs, he can force himself on any woman within groping distance," Warren charged. "I've got news for you Donald: Women have had it with guys like you."

Trump has denied all of a recent allegations, and he addressed a new one Monday in an interview with WGIR radio in New Hampshire.

He called the accusations "total fiction" and lashed out at former adult film performer Jessica Drake, who said Saturday that he had grabbed and kissed her without permission and offered her money to visit his hotel room a decade ago.

"One said, 'He grabbed me on the arm.' And she's a porn star," Trump said. He added, "Oh, I'm sure she's never been grabbed before."

With Election Day two weeks away, Trump's electoral map looks bleak.

The Republican National Committee ignored him altogether in mailers to New Hampshire voters set to be distributed later this week, according to material obtained by The Associated Press. The mail focuses instead on Clinton's credibility, featuring a picture of her and former President Bill Clinton and the words, "No More of The Lying Clintons."

Trump's campaign manager Kellyanne Conway outlined a path to 270 electoral votes on Sunday that banks on victories in Florida, Ohio, Iowa and North Carolina along with New Hampshire and Maine's 2nd Congressional District. Assuming Trump wins all of those  and he currently trails in some  he would earn the exact number of electoral votes needed to win the presidency and no more.

Noticeably absent from the list was Pennsylvania, a state that a top adviser privately conceded was slipping away despite Trump's aggressive courtship of the state's white working-class voters. The adviser spoke on the condition of anonymity to share internal discussions.

Florida was largely the focus on Monday as in-person early voting began across 50 counties, including the state's largest: Broward, Duval, Hillsborough, Miami-Dade, Orange and Palm Beach. Remaining counties will start in the coming week.

Early voting by mail has been underway for weeks. Nearly 1.2 million voters in Florida have already mailed in ballots.

Clinton plans to visit Tuesday and Wednesday, while her running mate, Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine, made two Florida appearances Monday. He took a shot at Florida Republican Sen. Marco Rubio in the first, a reminder that Clinton's team is fighting to retake a Senate majority.

Kaine noted that Rubio previously called Trump a dangerous "con artist," though the senator currently supports him.

Democrats would take the Senate majority if they pick up four seats and Clinton wins the White House.

Trump's difficulties are evident in this week's travel plans, which include a possible stop in Arizona. A Democratic presidential candidate hasn't won there in 20 years, yet polls show Trump in a close race.

Republicans look worse in New Hampshire, a state Trump must win in the scenario his campaign manager outlined.

"Women voters can sway elections here," said Republican strategist Ryan Williams. "And he's doing nothing to reach out to them."
Two gang members were convicted of first-degree murder Monday for the killing of a 19-year-old mentally disabled man who prosecutors said was gunned down near a South Los Angeles car wash because he was wearing red shoes.

Kanasho Johns, 29, and Kevin Deon Johnson, 26, were convicted for the May 29, 2015, killing of Tavin Price. Johns, the gunman, was also convicted of felony possession of a firearm.

"It felt good to know that they got found guilty and that I know my son is going to rest in peace," mother of victim Jennifer Rivers.

Rivers wiped away tears as the verdict was read in the courtroom. Her son was shot and killed right in front of her. She still goes to his grave every day and has attended every day of the trial.

At the onset of the trial, Deputy District Attorney Bobby Zoumberakis told jurors Price "was not allowed to wear red shoes in that gang neighborhood."

"Tavin Price was murdered because of gang pride, because the gang pride was more important than Tavin Price's life," the prosecutor told the eight-man, four-woman jury.

A third man, Dwight Kevin Smith, 31, pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter in Price's death and is set to be sentenced in October.

Both the prosecution and defense agreed Smith confronted Price in a smoke shop near the car wash in the 3300 block of West Florence Avenue, while Johnson stood nearby. That conversation and the shooting itself were caught on surveillance video, though there was no audio recording.

Smith identified himself as a gang member and said to Price, "Why are you wearing all that red? Where are you from?" according to Johnson's attorney, Curt Leftwich.

"I don't bang," Price replied, to which Smith retorted, "Come out of those shoes," according to Leftwich.

Both sides also told jurors that Hilary Wade, who is the mother of Price's nephew and was in the store with him, told Smith that the young man wasn't a "gangbanger" and explained that he was "slow."

A short while later, Price was standing by his mother's car when a gunman fired four rounds at "this 19-year-old boy who did nothing wrong and ended him'' with "no hesitation," Zoumberakis said.

He said there an eyewitness who knew Johns identified him as the shooter, and Johns fled to Texas in an effort to avoid prosecution.

For his part, Johnson left the car wash, picked up Johns and drove him to the scene of the shooting, according to Zoumberakis.

"Hes done nothing wrong. He had no criminal record. He had no gang involvement. And I think the jury saw that, and saw how important it was to get justice for him," Zoumberakis said.
Finding no evidence of a breach of contract or violation of civil rights, a judge dismissed all of the claims filed against several entities and a law firm by a camp ranger who sought more than $1 million in reward money amid assertions that he alerted authorities to the whereabouts of rogue ex-LAPD Officer Christopher Dorner.

Los Angeles Superior Court Judge William Fahey granted motions by attorneys for the cities of Los Angeles and Irvine, Riverside County and the law firm of Richards, Watson & Gershon to remove them as defendants in Richard Heltebrake's lawsuit.

The rulings mean Heltebrake can only take to trial his allegations against James and Karen Reynolds, a couple who were competing claimants. He also can seek a default judgment against another claimant, Daniel McGowan.

Fahey's Oct. 13 rulings came more than a year after a three-justice panel of the 2nd District Court of Appeal unanimously reversed Judge Elizabeth Allen White's ruling dismissing all of Heltebrake's claims against the city of Los Angeles and the county of Riverside.

White in August 2015 found that the claims against the city of Los Angeles and Riverside County infringed on "protected activities." The appeals court disagreed, but upheld White's ruling dismissing the city of Riverside as a defendant.

The justices also said they were not expressing their opinion on the merits of Helebrake's claims, opening the door for the remaining defendants to file new dismissal motions.

Dorner died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound on Feb. 12, 2013, while he was holed up inside a burning cabin during a shootout with San Bernardino County sheriff's deputies in the unincorporated San Bernardino Mountains community of Angelus Oaks near Big Bear.

The death of the 33-year-old Navy reserve officer ended a roughly 10-day crime spree and manhunt that had law enforcement and the public on edge. His rampage began on Feb. 3, 2013, when he gunned down the daughter and future son-in-law of the ex-police captain who represented him at his Board of Rights hearing.

The bodies of Monica Quan and her fiance, USC public safety officer Keith Lawrence, were found in Lawrence's car in the parking structure of their Irvine condominium building. The next day, Dorner posted the 6,000-word manifesto on Facebook, promising warfare on LAPD officers and their families for what he believed was his unjustified firing.

Dorner, who lived with his mother in La Palma, was later involved in a shootout with Los Angeles police guarding an officer's home in Corona, leaving one officer with a graze wound to the head.

About 20 minutes later, he fired on a pair of Riverside police officers stopped at a red light, killing Officer Michael Crain and wounding the other. San Bernardino County sheriff's Detective Jeremiah MacKay was fatally shot during the gun battle with Dorner at the cabin. Heltebrake's suit, filed in April 2013, maintains he is entitled to all of the more than $1 million in multi-agency rewards because his 911 call put authorities on the trail that eventually led to Dorner.

The legal tangle over the reward was further complicated by a May 2013 decision of a panel of three retired judges appointed to make a final determination about the money. The judges found that 80 percent of the money should go to the Reynolds, who were bound and gagged by Dorner in their Big Bear cabin.

The panel also recommended that McGowan, a ski resort employee who found Dorner's burning truck, be awarded 15 percent and that a tow truck driver, R.L. McDaniel, receive 5 percent for reporting that he saw Dorner's truck in Corona earlier in the manhunt.

Heltebrake was not entitled to any of the money, according to the retired judges. In his rulings, Fahey said he asked the attorneys during the Sept. 23 hearing on the dismissal motions whether there actually ever was any evidence that then-Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa publicly said there was a $1 million reward for Dorner's capture.

"The parties agreed that no such evidence was before the court," Fahey wrote.

The City Council did offer a $100,000 reward for Dorner's capture in February 2013 and the procedures for making a claim were posted on the Los Angeles Police Department's website, Fahey wrote.

"It is undisputed that plaintiff did not submit a claim in accordance with these procedures," according to Fahey. The city of Irvine contributed $100,000 to the reward fund, but Heltebrake did not follow the steps for presenting a claim even though Mayor Steven Choi sent a letter to the plaintiff's attorney explaining the process, Fahey wrote.

The Riverside County Board of Supervisors heard Heltebrake's reward request, but declined to give him any reward money, basing its decision in part on the recommendations of the three-judge reward panel, Fahey said.

"This court has concluded that there was nothing illegal or constitutional about the formation of the three-judge panel or as to their procedures and recommendations," Fahey wrote.

Richards, Watson & Gershon agreed to hold the reward monies in escrow and then distribute them as directed, but did not contribute any funds or create the reward process, Fahey said.
President Barack Obama wrapped up a Los Angeles visit that included appearances at a pair of fundraisers and an appearance on "Jimmy Kimmel Live."

Tuesday morning's fundraiser was a roundtable discussion at the Beverly Hills home of television producer Ryan Murphy. Tickets for the fundraiser were $33,400, with the proceeds benefiting the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee. Murphy, a writer, director and producer, is best known for "Glee," "American Horror Story" and "Nip/Tuck."

Obama then headed to LAX for a trip back to Washington, D.C.

On Monday, Obama entertained Jimmy Kimmel's audience with some of the mean tweets sent his way, beginning with one sent by Donald Trump in August when he said "President Obama will go down as perhaps the worst president in the history of the United States."

Obama's reply: "Really? Well, @realDonaldTrump, at least I will go down as a president."

The president appeared on ABC's "Jimmy Kimmel Live" during the middle of his three-day visit to Nevada and California, where he is campaigning and raising money for presidential nominee Hillary Clinton and other Democratic candidates. The segment contained a mix of humor and serious talk about the current election.

Kimmel routinely has celebrities read some of the mean tweets sent their way. Another person asked: "Barack Obama, bro do you even lift?"

"Well, I lifted the ban on Cuban cigars. That's worth something," Obama replied.

Obama spoke Monday at a $100,000-per-person evening fundraiser in Beverly Hills on behalf of Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign, at the home of DreamWorks Animation CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg and his wife Marilyn, according to an invitation obtained by City News Service.

The visit was Obama's 26th to Los Angeles and Orange counties as president and the fundraisers will be his 42nd and 43rd in the region. He conducted fundraisers during 22 of his past visits.

The visit was Obama's first since April 8 when he spoke at two fundraisers during a roughly 17-hour visit.

The Katzenberg event will be the fourth Clinton campaign fundraiser in the Los Angeles area in seven weeks with a $100,000 price tag.
Shoppers walk past shelves of soy sauce, fish sauce, and cooking oil at a supermarket in Hanoi. Photo by Reuters/Kham

The group has come under fire from all sides.

The Vietnam Standards and Consumers Association, also known as Vinastas, is being investigated by the government after releasing a study about fish sauce that sparked a health scare across the country.

The study claimed that there are high, unsafe levels of arsenic concentrations in fish sauce. The government has dismissed such findings as misleading, saying organic arsenic in seafood is safe and must be distinguished from its inorganic form.

An investigation team, led by the Ministry of Industry and Trade's Vietnam Competition Authority, will look into the results of the study and how it was conducted.

Vinastas, funded by an anonymous donor to conduct the survey, said it was "not capable of carrying out a study on a larger scale," its vice chairman Vu Van Dien, was quoted by local media as saying last week.

Government inspectors will focus on whether or not Vinastas received money from a private company to conduct the survey and if there is any ulterior motive.

Vinastas claimed that the study tested 150 samples of fish sauce on the market and found nearly 70 percent of them exceeded the Health Ministrys maximum limit of one milligram of arsenic per liter."

Many experts then picked the results apart, saying that the limit of one milligram of arsenic per liter is intended to keep traces of inorganic arsenic in food safe.

They pointed out that, in all the samples with arsenic levels higher than the permissible level, Vinastas could only find traces of organic arsenic, which is naturally found in fish and other seafood and is considered to be non-toxic.

In the latest development, the Ministry of Health has released its own findings, showing that samples of both traditionally and industrially produced fish sauce have safe levels of organic arsenic.

The ministry also said that other metals such as lead, mercury and cadmium in the tested samples are all within the permitted levels.

Fish sauce manufacturing associations in Kien Giang, Binh Thuan and Hai Phong on Friday sent a formal request to the government asking it to punish whomever gave the industry a bad name.

Related news:

> Organic arsenic in fish sauce safe for humans: experts

> Vietnam debunks arsenic fish sauce scare
Miami Police are still on the hunt for a woman who robbed and shot three young people near a park over the weekend, as one of the victims spoke out Monday.

The youngest victim of the Saturday night shooting is just 12 years old and was still recovering Monday inside the Children's hospital at Jackson Memorial.

Heydi Martinez, 20, is also recovering from the armed robbery that has her shaken up and badly wounded. She says she never thought something like this would happen to her.

The robbery and triple shooting took place around 8 p.m. Saturday near Roberto Clemente Park at the corner of Northwest 34th Street and 1st Avenue.

Dramatic cell phone video captured the moments when rescue crews arrived on scene near Midtown. Martinez says she was with her two cousins when the shots were fired, 12-year-old Delber Diaz and 17-year-old Juan Escobar.

Martinez, who spoke with NBC 6 in Spanish, said a woman approached her from behind, grabbed her purse and told her to hand over the phone.

Miami Police say the woman they're looking for jumped out of a mid-sized four-door sedan, possibly a silver of white Chrysler, catching the victims off-guard, taking their items at gun point.

When the woman began shooting Martinez said they started running. But it wasn't enough. The 12-year-old was shot in the stomach. The other victim was also shot, all three rushed to Jackson Memorial Hospital.

Police are asking anyone with information to call Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-TIPS.
A good school can make an enormous impact on a neighborhood. When Barbara Goleman High School opened in Miami Lakes in 1995, its students got to work on a campaign to build a bridge over I-75 on 87th Avenue, and they got it done. That began the schools tradition of community service.

"Thats probably one of the most satisfying, one of the proudest things that I love about this school, how our students, its not just take, its go ahead and let me see what I can do for the community and for others," said principal Joaquin Hernandez, who started at Goleman as a teacher and is now running the place.

The school has a variety of magnet and choice programs, including the AP Capstone. It attracts the highest level students, the ones who aspire to attend the nations most selective colleges. However, Goleman does something unique: it admits a select group of students into the Capstone program who show ambition but dont have the grades to otherwise be accepted. The idea is to give those kids a chance to excel and rise to the level of their peers, and Hernandez says its working, and mainly because the higher achieving students tend to help them along.

The newest program at Goleman is called National Security Intelligence. Its a full-scale criminal justice program led by a former career FBI agent. Students hone their critical and analytical thinking skills as they learn to investigate crimes, working collaboratively like real detectives do.

So whats it like for former FBI veteran Nelson Barbosa to go from tracking down kidnappers in the Colombian jungle to teaching high school kids in Miami Lakes?

"I think its thrilling in the sense that it gives me the opportunity to kind of pass to a new generation of students that Im hoping will one day consider similar fields, like becoming an FBI agent or law school or whatever they feel is related to criminal justice," said Barbosa.

The biggest industry in the state of Florida is tourism. Thats why the magnet program in Tourism and Hospitality management is so popular. Its a four-year program in which the kids can get college credit. They do a summer internship in the field, and they do field trips to learn the industry from all sides.

We call them experiential learning activities, weve gone anywhere from New York City to the Miami Seaquarium to the Intercontinental in Downtown Miami, we tend to do one or two every quarter to get them out in the industry, said teacher Laura Diaz-Rodriguez.

Theres a lot going on at the home of the Goleman Gators, which are, by the way, maybe the only Gators who wear garnet and gold.
Halloween is just a week away, and a new national survey is helping to show which candy is the favorite in each state and across the country.

An online poll surveyed over 40,000 people across the United States to determine the most popular Halloween candies across America in 2015.

Candy corn was the top pick for five states -- including Oregon, Wyoming, Tennessee, Texas and South Carolina.

The candy pulling the highest total number of votes? Reese's peanut butter cup.

While in Florida, it's was Nestle Crunch bars that got the most votes.
Rachel Weisz is mesmerizing in the first New York revival of Plenty, the 1978 David Hare drama about a female British secret agent whose dissatisfying post-war life drives her slowly mad -- but the award-winning actress would have been better served by a more coherently directed and designed production.

The Public Theater produced the first staging of Plenty in 1982, starring Kate Nelligan. A few years later, it was a celebrated Meryl Streep film. Plenty is now at The Public again, directed by five-time Tony nominee David Leveaux (Nine, The Real Thing).

Plenty is a story about grand expectations and subsequent disillusionment in the wake of World War II, when there was an unrealized belief that post-war England would be in a period of wealth: Were all going to be rich  peace and plenty, says Alice (Emily Bergl), the Bohemian roommate of Weiszs unstable Susan Traherne.

We meet Susan at the end of her story, in her flat, where she and Alice (Emily Bergl) are considering a lump on the floor: a mildly obese, naked man, bleeding from his thumb. The man is her diplomat husband (Corey Stoll), who isnt dead, as he first appears, but is, at least, ruined. Susan has been working diligently to destroy his career.

From there, we flash back 20 years to France, where Susan is at her most vibrant, as a teenager aiding the resistance. A soldier has parachuted into a field and their worries about avoiding the Gestapo paint a clear picture of her as an adrenaline junkie.

So whats an adrenaline junkie to do when world affairs defy her another hit? Have a long, slow meltdown, it turns out.

Part of my difficulty with Plenty is that it can be hard to follow the chronology, even though we know its a non-linear story. Scenes are set between 1943 and 1962, and though they progress almost sequentially, there is little connective tissue from one to another.

In Leveauxs interpretation, I was particularly unsure what time or place it was. Perhaps it was the dim lighting and relatively spare visual cues. Or maybe it was the fact Weisz is costumed as a fashion model with seemingly no regard for a given era.

Weisz, at least, offers a consistent portrayal of a woman who is manic, manipulative and hollow. The characters arc is devastating, but -- and I mean this in the best possible way -- her performance is like a slow-motion car crash from which you cant avert your eyes.

Stoll, seen this summer in The Publics Troilus and Cressida, does good work as her listless and co-dependent spouse, Raymond Brock, whose eyes seem willingly shut to his wifes deterioration. Bergl is excellent as the fun-loving and enabling roommate.

I also enjoyed Byron Jennings (Roundabouts She Loves Me) as Leonard Darwin, a foreign serviceman, and Brocks superior, whose crisis of conscience over English involvement in the Suez Canal fiasco is a metaphor for the crumbling British empire.

The turntable set features enormous moving walls, topped off by bars of electric light. A climactic scene that has Susan reliving her great, long ago period of perceived relevance sees one wall gradually leaning back on hydraulics to simulate a cliff, but its slow descent was a distraction from the already difficult-to-track proceedings.

Plenty, through Dec. 1 at The Public Theater, 425 Lafayette St. Tickets: $95 and up. Call 212-967-7555.

Follow Robert Kahn on Twitter@RobertKahn
What to Know Bridget Kelly was testifying in the lane-closure case for the second time Monday

Earlier she said Christie signed off on the lane closures as part of what she maintains was described to her as a traffic study

The governor's spokesman denies that; Christie has repeatedly denied wrongdoing in the case and has not been charged

Questions over what Republican Gov. Chris Christie knew about the George Washington Bridge lane closings were raised again Monday as a former ally testified she told him a Democratic mayor had expressed concern the resulting traffic jams in his city were political retribution.

Ex-aide Bridget Anne Kelly testified in her criminal trial that she told Christie about Fort Lee Mayor Mark Sokolich's concern while the lanes were closed in September 2013. She said Christie lied three months later when he said at a news conference no one on his senior staff knew.

Kelly said that when she shared Sokolich's concern with Christie, he told her it was a Port Authority of New York and New Jersey project and to "let Wildstein handle it," referring to David Wildstein. Wildstein, an executive at the Port Authority, pleaded guilty to his role in a scheme to punish Sokolich for not endorsing the governor's re-election effort.

"I said, 'He's talking about government retribution,'" Kelly testified. "(Christie) said, 'It's a Port Authority project. Let Wildstein handle it.'"

Christie has consistently denied any knowledge of the plot or the lane closures while they were going on and has not been charged.

Christie spokesman Brian Murray has said the governor had "no knowledge prior to or during these lane realignments" and "no role in authorizing them." Murray added that anything said to the contrary "is simply untrue."

Kelly maintains she believed the lane closures were part of a traffic study, but she testified Monday she became confused on their final day after Port Authority Executive Director Patrick Foye ordered the lanes reopened even though Wildstein said the study was a success.

Kelly is accused of plotting with Wildstein and another former Christie ally, Bill Baroni, to close lanes on the bridge, which connects Fort Lee and New York, as revenge against Sokolich. Kelly and Baroni have pleaded not guilty and have said the government has twisted federal law to turn their actions into crimes.

Kelly on Friday testified that Christie approved of the idea for a traffic study of the bridge, and she testified she spoke with the governor a third time about the lane closures while they were going on.

One of Christie's top political advisers, Mike DuHaime, testified Friday that he told Christie ahead of a December 2013 news conference that Kelly and his campaign manager, Bill Stepien, knew about the lane closures. Christie then told reporters that no one in his administration was involved in the closures.

Kelly said that the news conference was "like an alternate world."

"I just knew that it wasn't going to be a good thing for me," she said.

Kelly on Monday also testified that Christie said that he had told Democratic New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo to have Foye back off in the days after Foye had testified to New Jersey lawmakers that the lane closures were ordered by Wildstein and that he had no knowledge about any traffic study.

A spokesman for Cuomo noted "longtime tensions between New York and New Jersey staff at the Port Authority before, during and after Bridgegate that were discussed at all levels." But spokesman Richard Azzopardi said there were no conversations between the governors to have Foye "stand down or to have the issue whitewashed."

Kelly was asked about a text message conversation with Wildstein in which she asked whether it was wrong that she was "smiling" about a note from Sokolich that the traffic was leading to schoolchildren being late.

Kelly said she was happy for Wildstein that his traffic study was going well and should have used different words.

She will return to the witness stand Tuesday to face cross-examination from federal prosecutors.
What to Know A man stole a marked police car from the 50th Precinct parking lot in the Bronx Sunday morning

The car had keys in the ignition prior to the theft

The suspect crashed into four unoccupied vehicles before fleeing the scene in a Lincoln Town Car

A man stole an NYPD cruiser from a precinct parking lot and crashed into four parked vehicles in the Bronx on Sunday morning, police said.

The suspect stole the marked police cruiser from the 50th precinct parking lot near West 236th Street and Kingsbridge Avenue in University Heights. The car keys had been left in the ignition and the man hopped in around 6:20 a.m. Sunday and took off.

He subsequently crashed the cruiser into four empty parked vehicles near Fordham Road and Sedgwick Avenue.

"When I saw it was a police car, I said, 'Oh my God, are they okay?' But then when no cops came out and the guy did, I said, 'Oh my God, did this guy steal a car?'" Deitra Guerrant said.

The cruiser was still smashed up against the other cars as dawn broke Sunday. The front of a green Jeep was completely smashed and the vehicle was tilted upright in the air. The driver's side of a red SUV was crushed nearby.

"You could just see glass everywhere, car doors open, the hood of the car just messed up," one man said.

Authorities said there were no injuries as a result of the crash.

Juan Martinez said he was at work when he got a call from his wife. She said his car had been smashed.

"I went over here and I find my car not working anymore," Martinez said.

Neighbors snapped photos from their windows above the scene and posted them to social media.

The suspect was last seen entering a black Lincoln Town Car as he fled the area Sunday morning.

Police released a surveillance photo of a suspect and asked anyone with information to call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS.
An upstate New York man has been accused of advertising hitman-for-hire services dark web, according to authorities.

Joshua Craig Rowling, 18, was charged with conspiracy to commit murder and other crimes after prosecutors said he went to Mahwah, New Jersey, to meet a person he thought was seeking his services as a hitman.

The Bergen County Prosecutor's Office said that Rowling allegedly advertised his services as a hitman on the dark web -- a secret corner of the internet only accessible by specialized software. Federal agents and police in New Jersey picked up on Rowlings alleged scheme and that he had agreed to kill someone in exchange for cash and a gun fitted with a silencer.

Rowling was cuffed by undercover agents when he got to Mahwah on Oct. 21.

Afterward, police executed search warrant on Rowlings car and home in Richmondville, New York.

Hes being held at the Bergen County Jail in lieu of $1 million bail. Attorney information for the man wasnt immediately available.
Police say they're searching for at least two other men who was seen running naked inside a park on Long Island, days after they charged a man suspected of doing the same thing.

Police say a 51-year-old woman reported seeing a man running naked from the waist down in the 432-acre Massapequa Preserve on Sunday afternoon.

The woman said the man was running the opposite way wearing only a dark green sweatshirt with a hood covering his face. In the other three cases, the man was wearing a hooded sweatshirt and nothing else.

Police arrested a 57-year-old Amityville man on Friday and charged him with public lewdness after people reported a naked man was approaching women in the park.

Police say the cases do not appear to be related and have increased patrols throughout the park.

Parkgoers said they were concerned about the naked men, but several said they weren't going to stop their daily routines.

"I just felt angry and said 'Damnit, I'm going to walk here anyway,'" said Martha Webster. "It's a beautiful day."
A state commission is searching for artists to design an LGBT memorial honoring victims of hate, intolerance and violence, including those killed in June's attack in an Orlando gay nightclub.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced the memorial and established a commission to create it in the wake of the Orlando shootings that killed 49 people.

The Democratic governor says New York has a long history of being at the forefront of the fight for equal rights. He says the monument will serve as a symbol of the sacrifice New Yorkers have made in building a more just world.

The monument will be in a waterfront park at the edge of New York City's Greenwich Village.

Artists must submit proposals online by Nov. 21.
A group of ethnic women are making clothes to welcome a new year. Photo by VnExpress.

Women work harder and spend less time on recreational activities than men.

Vietnamese women spend an average of five hours a day on unpaid work such as household chores and childcare while men spare around three hours.

In some disadvantaged areas, women can spend over eight hours a day on unpaid work.

The figures were extracted from a survey conducted by the Labor Ministry and ActionAid, a non-governmental organization working against poverty and injustice worldwide, between January and April this year.

The survey involved 825 participants aged over 15 from nine provinces in Vietnam.

Hoang Phuong Thao, head of ActionAid Vietnam, said: Unpaid work is thought to be a womans responsibility, so they have less time to engage in paid jobs or join in social activities.

Each woman has about 13.6 hours for personal time such as sleeping, relaxing and enjoying hobbies, one hour less than men.

With 22 million women of a legal working age, the survey estimated that Vietnamese women spend up to 110 million hours on unpaid work every day.

This work, though making up 20 percent of Vietnams GDP last year (around $41 billion), is underestimated by society and women themselves, Thao said.

Is it good for women to spend more time on unpaid work?

The head of ActionAid Vietnam said that more time spent on unpaid work means less time on studying and paid jobs, so more and more Vietnamese women are falling into the poverty trap.

This affects not only themselves but also future generations.

Khuat Thu Hong, director of the Institute for Social Development Studies, said that in many cases, a womans role in the family is often undermined and they are more likely to suffer domestic violence as they earn less than their male counterparts.

The government has been campaigning to raise public awareness of gender equality as well as the efforts women devote to unpaid work, but the situation hasnt improved much.

Son Thi Na Qui, head of the Women's Union from Ward 8 in the Mekong Delta province of Tra Vinh, one of the surveyed regions, said that only a small portion of local males had started doing housework after taking part in the survey.

But they just picked up their kids from school or repaired electrical appliances. They refused to do other stuff like cleaning the house or washing dishes, Qui said.

Related news:

> Fake sanitary napkins pose disease-threat to Vietnamese women

> Vietnamese farmer to receive UN award for helping women adapt to climate change
What to Know Police say they're searching for a gunman in a wheelchair and his partner after a man was shot down in the Bronx over the weekend

Police say a 28-year-old man was shot multiple times and killed on Sunday morning

Police released images of the men they are looking for; one of them was in a wheelchair

Police are searching for two men, including an alleged gunman in a wheelchair, seen on surveillance video after another man was gunned down in the Bronx over the weekend.

Kevin Thomas, 28, was found on East 143rd Street in the Mott Haven Houses early Sunday. Police said he had been shot multiple times in the torso.

Thomas was rushed to Lincoln Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

No arrests had been made as of Monday morning.

Police released surveillance images of two men they are looking for. They said they believe that the gunman was in a wheelchair when he opened fire.

The NYPD asks anyone with information to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS.
What to Know A New Jersey State trooper saved a buck from drowning Friday afternoon

The buck wandered into a Harmony Township home and was found drowning in the swimming pool

The trooper pulled the buck out of the pool by the rack before it ran off into the wild

A Harmony Township buck hung on for deer life as a New Jersey State Trooper pulled him to safety Friday afternoon.

Trooper Dwayne Phillips was dispatched to a Warren County home when a worker discovered a deer drowning in a swimming pool.

According to New Jersey State police, the buck had been struggling for some time by the time Phillips arrived at the home. He grabbed the buck by its rack and pulled the deer to safety.

After spending some time resting on the ground, the buck eventually recovered and ran off.

"There is always the possibility of serious injury when trying to rescue a drowning victim, and even more so when the victim is a wild animal," the New Jersey State Police wrote in a Facebook post. "But this trooper did an outstanding job! Great job troop! #Attaboy"

This the second incident this week where a deer bumbled into human territory. Earlier this week, a deer was caught on video tromping wildly through a Bergen County high school.
Police are searching for a man and woman accused of robbing an amputee during a home invasion early Sunday morning in North Philadelphia.

The 61-year-old victim, who did not want to be identified, began using a wheelchair after his legs were amputated. He told NBC10 he was locking the front door of his home on N. Warnock Street at 1:40 a.m. when a man and woman in their 20s approached him from behind.

He said he had a gun, the victim said. But I didnt see no gun.

The suspects forced their way inside the home and pushed the man out of his wheelchair and to the floor. The victim said they used a t-shirt to gag him so that he couldnt scream for help. They then ransacked his home, stealing his television, cellphone, wallet and other items.

All the way down to paper towels, the victim said. Toilet tissue.

The suspects left the victim on the floor and then fled through the backdoor of the home.

I drug myself to the door, he said. I opened it.

The man said he crawled to the door and made his way outside. He then waited for an hour before someone passed by and helped him.

The victim told NBC10 he was also once robbed of his shopping bags before after leaving a store. He believes robbers see him as an easy target because of his disability.

If you have any information on the incident, please call Philadelphia Police.




Kathleen Kane isn't having a good day.

As the disgraced former Pennsylvania attorney general sat in a Norristown courtroom Monday afternoon asking a judge to go easy when sentencing her for a perjury conviction, a meter maid hit Kane's car with a parking ticket.

Well, at least the black Land Rover, she arrived to court in.

NBC10

The $28 ticket was issued for an expiring meter at 1:01 p.m. -- about two hours before she was slapped with a 10 to 23 months jail sentence.

Kane left court in a different black SUV, a Montgomery County police truck, which took her to the county correctional facility in Eagleville for processing.

If the ticket isn't paid in five days, the fine will increase to $38.
Delaware State Police say a Laurel man stabbed two roommates, then surrendered to police in Maryland.

Police said in a statement Monday that 29-year-old Dwight Shivers was asked to leave the home Sunday. Police say Shivers then took a kitchen knife from a drawer and stabbed a 20-year-old woman as she washed dishes, and her 24-year-old boyfriend.

Police say Shivers drove off, but pulled into the Maryland State Police barracks in Salisbury, and surrendered about 30 minutes later. The injured man was flown to a hospital in stable condition and the woman is expected to be treated and released.

Shivers is charged with driving under the influence and he's being held pending extradition to Delaware. Police say he'll be charged with attempted first-degree murder, assault and other offenses.
A vehicle carrying marijuana-laced candy caught fire on the Delaware Memorial Bridge Sunday, causing lane closures and a massive backup.

The Weed World Candies truck was traveling from Washington, D.C. to Philadelphia when it caught fire on the northbound side of the bridge around 6 p.m. Two northbound lanes were closed, causing heavy traffic as firefighters responded.

Fire on the Delaware Memorial Bridge from about 35 minutes ago #netde pic.twitter.com/CvPgcLty5b  Kim Turner (@KimTurnerInDE) October 23, 2016

Firefighters were eventually able to bring the flames under control and no injuries were reported, according to bridge authority officials.

Weed World Candies is an organization that launched in 1999 that uses tour vehicles to promote the legalization and decriminalization of marijuana. The company also sells marijuana-laced candy.

"Dr. Dro," the owner of 'Weed World Candies,' told NBC10 in Philadelphia that more than $50,000 in merchandise was lost in the fire. The company is visiting colleges on the East Coast.
The Residential Treatment program at a Philadelphia school geared toward students with behavioral challenges and disabilities closed more than a week after a teen died following an altercation with staff members.

Debbie Albert, a spokeswoman for Wordsworth Academy, located on Ford Road in Philly's Wynnefield Heights section, told NBC10 the school's Residential Treatment program is ceasing operations following notification by the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services' Bureau of Human Service Licensing.

"Wordsworth has a long history in serving youth and families and we remain committed to our mission," Albert wrote in a released statement. "We plan to use this time to improve our Residential Treatment program by enhancing operations, staff training, and our residential facility. The Residential Treatment program currently serves 90 children ranging in age from 10-21, all of whom will be transitioned out to other facilities. All other Wordsworth programs continue to operate."

A 17-year-old student died on Oct. 13 around 9 p.m. after becoming unresponsive on the 4th floor of Wordsworth Academy. Philadelphia Police refused immediate comment but sources close to the investigation told NBC10 that the student -- who had an iPod that didn't belong to him -- began fighting with staff and became unresponsive as workers restrained him.

Medical staff and school staff were in the room as staffers administered first aid and called for Philadelphia medics, said sources.

At no point was the student left alone while unresponsive, said sources.

"Although we are shocked and saddened by this event, it is an ongoing investigation, and we are unable to comment further at this time," said Albert.

The school dates back to 1952.

"The mission of Wordsworth is to provide education, behavioral health and child welfare services to children and youth who are experiencing emotional, behavioral and academic challenges so that they are empowered to reach their potential and lead productive, fulfilling lives," says a message on the school's website.
A 41-year-old Fresno man has been sentenced to 1,503 years in prison for raping a teenage relative over a four-year period.

The Fresno Bee reports Rene Lopez was sentenced Friday to the longest-known prison sentence in Fresno Superior Court history.

A jury in September found Lopez guilty of 186 felony counts of sexual assault, including dozens of counts of rape of a minor.

Prosecutors say the victim, a relative, was first sexually abused by a family friend but that instead of protecting her, Lopez turned her into "a piece of property."

They say the victim was raped two to three times a week from May 2009 to May 2013, when the girl got the courage to leave him.

In announcing the punishment, Judge Edward Sarkisian Jr. told Lopez he is a "serious danger to society" and noted that Lopez had never shown remorse and has blamed the victim for his predicament.

[NATL] Top News Photos: Pope Visits Japan, and More
The following content is created in consultation with GEICO. It does not reflect the work or opinions of NBC San Diego's editorial staff. To learn more about the GEICO Military Center, visit geico.com.

Everybody knows that GEICO can save you 15 percent or more on your car insurance.

But did you know that GEICO has served the unique needs of military personnel and their families for over 75 years?

Since opening its doors in 1936, GEICOthat's short for Government Employment Insurance Companyhas supported and provided auto insurance to the Military and Federal segments.

That tradition continues today thanks to the GEICO Military Center. Staffed with current and former military family members, the department proudly gives back to Active duty, guard, reserve, and retired military personnel, offering discounts of up to 15 percent on total insurance premiums.

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Beyond auto insurance, GEICO can help you with products covering all your insurance needs, from Homeowners to Renters to Cycle insurance.

GEICO is also saying thanks to all military personnel by sponsoring NBC 7's 6th Annual Salute to Service Festival. Taking place this Veterans DayFriday, November 11aboard the flight deck of the USS Midway Museum, the annual tribute will feature live music from local bands, exciting giveaways, Kidzone activities and more! Military members and their families will receive free admission with ID.

To learn more about the GEICO Military Center and to get a quote on your car insurance, visit geico.com.
Youll be able to watch the drama of Election Night with popcorn, candy and dozens of like-minded strangers.

AMC Theatres and CNN will broadcast the Nov. 8 presidential election on the big screen at 50 theaters in 25 cities nationwide, including in two theaters in San Diego.

The event is free for members of AMC Stubs , a tiered perks program from the exhibitor chain, and their guests, AMC Theatres said Monday. Audience members can choose between "red" and "blue" locations, depending on party preference.

In San Diego County, youll head to AMC Mission Valley 20 if youre part of the Democratic party and to AMC La Jolla 12 if you favor the Republican party.

Other cities with theaters taking part include Los Angeles, San Francisco, Boston, Chicago, New York, Philadelphia and Washington D.C.

The broadcast, which will also include major national, state and local elections, will begin at 4 p.m. Pacific Standard Time.

This isn't the first time this election season that a theater company is getting in the politics game. Last week, Regal Cinemas hosted debate viewing parties in San Diego.
New York Times names Vietnam a place to travel in your 20s

Ha Long Bay, Hoi An and Hue stand out as some of the must-see places in the country.

A new travel check list by the New York Times has listed Vietnam among 20 places you should visit in your 20s, an age when people are eager to explore the world but do not have a lot of money or time off from work.

Vietnam is recommended as a country rich in cuisine, culture and natural beauty, as well as low prices. The country attracted 7.3 million foreign visitors in the first nine months of this year, up 25 percent on-year.

The magazine highlighted three particular destinations  Ha Long Bay, the ancient town Hoi An and the former capital Hue.

All three places are among the greenest tourist destinations in Vietnam and are much loved by both local and foreign visitors.

Ha Long is a natural marvel with more than 1,500 islands and inlets popping up from emerald waters that are perfect for a boat cruise.

The bay has become famous since UNESCO named it a natural heritage site and has made many travelers bucket lists.

Earlier this month, U.S. news site Business Insider also named a cruise trip through Ha Long Bay among the must-do travel experiences in Asia.

800km to the south of Ha Long is Hue, the seat of the Nguyen Dynasty from 1802 until the end of feudal Vietnam in 1945.

The city known for its Imperial City and photogenic royal tombs on the outskirts, as well as its poetic beach, river, mountain sites and a wide range of special rice cakes.

Hoi An is just a three-hour ride to the south of Hue. Once a popular trade port in the region, Hoi An now draws tourists to its picturesque wooden houses, pagodas, street-side eateries and hundreds of tailor shops.

A travel forum run by U.S. magazine USA Today described Hoi An as one of the 10 most beautiful places in Southeast Asia, a place where one can find tranquility and timelessness.

Best Day on Earth, a new book by the U.K. travel publisher Rough Guide, listed Hoi Ans full-moon festival among the worlds most extraordinary travel experiences for the hundreds of lanterns that glow along alleys and river banks around town.

The New York Times list also includes Amsterdam, Berlin, Budapest, Cuba, Montreal, New Orleans, Oaxaca in Mexico, Patagonia in Argentina and Prague.

Street lanterns win the hearts of many tourists to Hoi An. Photo by VnExpress/Tran Viet Anh

The Perfume River in Hue. Photo by VnExpress/Thien Dinh Phan

The Trang Tien Bridge across the Perfume River. Photo by VnExpress/Thien Dinh Phan

Thien Mu Pagoda in Hue. Photo by VnExpress/Thien Dinh Phan

Related news:

> US news site names Vietnam's pho, Ha Long Bay must-try experiences in Asia

> Hue to open royal citadel at night for tourists to escape summer heat

> Vietnam's ancient town to light up main attractions with solar power
Flags at the California State Capitol will be flown at half staff in honor of Jason Finan, the fallen Coronado-based sailor killed in Iraq Thursday.

"On behalf of all Californians, Governor Brown and First Lady Anne Gust Brown honor Chief Petty Officer Jason C. Finan, who bravely gave his life in service to our state and nation," read a statement from Governor Jerry Brown's office.

Chief Petty Officer Jason C. Finan, 34, died Thursday from injuries suffered by an "improvised explosive device," or roadside bomb, officials said.

Finan was from Anaheim, California, and was serving in Iraq with Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit 3 in an advisory capacity, according to the Pentagon.

The Chief Petty Officer's family will receive a letter of condolence from the Governor as well, according to the statement,

Finan was the first U.S. service member to die in combat since the launch of a massive operation to retake the Islamic State-held city of Mosul last week.

More than 100 U.S. special operations forces are embedded with Iraqi units, and hundreds more are playing a supporting role in staging bases.

"The entire Navy Expeditionary Combat Command family offers our deepest condolences and sympathies to the family and loved ones of the Sailor we lost," said Rear Adm. Brian Brakke, commander of the Navy Expeditionary Combat Command/NECC Pacific, in a news release.

Three other service members have died in Iraq since the U.S.-led coalition began launching airstrikes against IS in August 2014.
More than five years of writing, composing and creating will come to fruition when the curtain raises on the highly anticipated "Miss You Like Hell" at the La Jolla Playhouse this month.

The story started more than five years ago, when Pulitzer Prize winning Quiara Alegria Hudes, who wrote the musical's book and lyrics, first wrote a play called "26 Miles".

"I think she was happy with it, but not totally satisfied with it's ultimate end point," Erin McKeown, who wrote the music and co-wrote the lyrics, said.

The musical, commissioned by the La Jolla Playhouse, follows a smart and creative teenager who agrees to take a road trip across the country with her free-spirited Latina mother as a custody battle unfurls.

More than five years ago, Hudes approached McKeown and asked her to help her make the show a musical. It was in an email, McKeown said, she first heard from her future writing partner.

"It was as if she was saying, 'I know youre being asked to make ten other musicals, but you should really make mine,'" McKeown said, laughing. "And I've never ever been asked to make a musical before."

When McKeown got involved to help turn the initial piece into a fully-fledged musical, the pair worked out a way to collaborate.

Hudes wrote the book, McKeown wrote the music, and the pair co-wrote the lyrics.

"But the fact of doing the lyrics together means we do all the rest of it together," McKeown said.

That manifests itself in different ways: sometimes Hudes will show McKeown a scene from the show, and McKeown will have a specific question about why the scene is written this way, or something she may be missing. And vice-versa, McKeown said she would would come up with a musical idea and show it to Hudes, who would give her feedback.

"So in that way where we toss ideas back and forth, were kind of both working on all of it at the same time," McKeown said. "Like I said, we each have our own responsibilities. At the end of the day, she has to sit at the computer and write the scene, and I have to go write the melody."

The resulting piece is something unlike anything McKeown has ever produced, she said.

"I've really never made anything with anyone quite like this," McKeown said. "I've written songs with people before and Ive been in bands and I've helped other artists create their music, but I've never made something that is so much a product of me and someone else, which is great."

As audiences are watching the mother and daughter take a transformational road trip, there's a separate narrative pushing the story forward: the mother is involved in a deportation process.

And the resulting story people see on stage this fall is one that may resonate with many San Diegans in a city so close to the border, though the creators behind the musical do not necessarily want the piece to send a message.

"We are not interested in telegraphing a message about the show, in that were not interested in telegraphing a political message, or an emotional message," McKeown said, adding that Hudes often said this about the show. "There's no way you should feel at the end of it, there's nothing that we want you to do when you leave the theater."

McKeown said she hopes they are telling a story where people want to know what happens next - and one they can relate to with their own families.

"But yes it matters, definitely, that were in Southern California and that we are 15 miles from the border and that this is a really diverse city with a lot of people, with a lot of different family structures and backgrounds and ethnicity's, and it felt like a good place to land with a story like this," McKeown said.

McKeown says her influence on the show is the unique addition of drums and percussion that is not as common in classical musical theater.

"For me, the songs, all of them, begin with that, even though if in the end its just a person and a guitar singing," McKeown said. "I'm still, from the beginning, thinking of about the momentum of it."

When Musical Director Julie McBride came in this summer, she said, her job was made easier by the fact that she was handed a fully fleshed out score.

"It makes it easier for me to relay that to the ensemble: this is what its needs to sound like, not, let's figure out what it's supposed to sound like," McBride said. "We know what it's supposed to sound like, it's about figuring out how to get there."

When she first pitched the production by Hudes and McKeown this summer, McBride said she was instantly drawn to the music.

"I just thought it was so awesome, and I liked listening to it and thats what drew me in, music that I liked hearing. I wanted to be a part (of it)," she said.

There are so many different sounds in the show, McBride said: folk, R&B, musical theater - in a voice that McBride describes as McKeown's own.

"Its not your typical musical theater score," McBride said. "Youre not going to come to the show and hear a bunch of songs and dances with big, flashy dances. The music is more understated than a typical Broadway show, and its so unique. Every song has its own feeling to it."

And though the musical may not sound like what some would expect, both McBride and McKeown agree: when you listen to it, you hear a wealth of sounds.

"I love musicals, so I think you can like musicals and listen to this music and hear that we like musicals, too," McKeown said.

When opening night rolls around, McBride will be standing tall in front of the orchestra, ready to conduct.

"By the time opening night rolls around, usually, we all know that the show can happen, that the technical kinks have been worked out, people know their lines...and thats usually just like a Hail Mary," McBride said.

"We hope everyone likes us, but if not, I like us," McBride said.

Miss You Like Hell opens at The La Jolla Playhouse on Oct. 25 and runs through Dec. 4. Books and lyrics by Quiara Alegria Hudes, music and lyrics by Erin McKeown. Directed by Lear deBessonet and choreographed by Danny Mefford. Musical direction by Julie McBride. Buy tickets here.
A man walked across a highway on-ramp and was struck and killed by an oncoming car early Monday, California Highway Patrol Officers.

CHP investigators say an MTS bus has video that may show the collision that occurred around 8 a.m. along eastbound La Jolla Village Drive near the ramp to southbound Interstate 5.

The grey 2015 Mercedes involved in the collision was stopped at the crosswalk of the on-ramp. The car had damage to the windshield on the driver's side.

It's not known in which direction the pedestrian was traveling.

Paramedics administered CPR but attempts to revive the victim were unsuccessful.

CHP investigators said it doesn't appear alcohol or speed were factors in the collision.They would not comment on possible charges until after investigation.
Some voters probably already know whether they will vote for Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton on Election Day, leaving one important question to consider when you walk into your polling place. Is it OK to take a picture of their ballot?

While secrecy in the voting booth has become a thing of the past for those ready to share their views and daily lives on social media, laws nationwide are mixed on whether voters are allowed to take pictures of themselves in the act of voting or of their ballots, "ballot selfies."

Federal judges have struck down bans on selfies in New Hampshire and Indiana, and rules have been changed in places like California and Rhode Island, but in many states, it's still a violation that carries potential fines or jail terms.

There are laws against sharing any photo of a ballot in 18 states, while six other states bar photography in polling places but do allow photos of mail-in ballots, according to a review by The Associated Press.

In D.C., there's no ban. Election officials discourage people from taking pictures but won't do anything to stop them, said Tamara Robinson, a spokeswoman for the D.C. Board of Elections.

In Virginia, Attorney General Mark Herring issued a formal opinion last month that said ballot selfies are legal in Virginia. Nothing in Virginia law prohibits voters from taking pictures of themselves, fellow voters or their ballot within the polling place, he said.

However, Maryland bans electronic devices in a polling place, except for the media. Even media members aren't allowed to photograph a ballot that shows how someone is voting. But photos of mailed ballots are OK.

Critics said regulations have not kept up with technology and are confusing for voters and election workers. Some states that ban ballot selfies or have moved to block them cited concerns the photos could harm the integrity of the voting process by encouraging vote-buying or coercion, though some acknowledged there's no evidence to support those fears.

Nikola Jordan, 33, of Omaha, Nebraska, has been taking such photos for about 10 years and believes they are a great way not only to share her views on the issues, but also to stress the importance of voting and being civically active. A Nebraska lawmaker added a provision to state election law this year to allow ballot selfies.

"I was doing this for years before I learned it was technically illegal," Jordan said with a laugh. "It's all about encouraging other people to get involved in the process, to show it can be fun and exciting to make your voice heard (at the polls). Don't think of voting as some boring thing. It's your chance to make a difference.''

The 1st Circuit Court of Appeals in Boston last month upheld a decision that New Hampshire's ban on ballot selfies was unconstitutional, saying it suppressed a large swath of political speech, and there was no evidence to support the state's concerns.

"It goes to the core of democracy," said Gilles Bissonnette, legal director for the American Civil Liberties Union of New Hampshire, which brought the suit on behalf of three people investigated for violating the statute.

Among those filing briefs in support of ballot selfies was Snapchat, which argued they are the latest way voters, especially young adults, get involved in the political process and express support for or against a cause or a candidate.

"We had a failure to recognize the importance of online political speech, especially to the younger generation," Bissonnette said. "The First Amendment needs to be guarded rigorously. These old laws cannot and should not be applied to the modern technology."

California Gov. Jerry Brown signed a bill last month that repeals a 125-year-old law barring voters from showing people their marked ballots. It goes into effect after the November election, but legislative analysists have found no occasion of the ban being enforced, and it hasn't stopped people from sharing photos of their 2016 ballots.

Colorado started mailing ballots this week in the all-mail presidential election, and some ballot selfies started popping up on social media. In response, Denver District Attorney Mitch Morrissey on Thursday issued a reminder that publicizing completed ballots is a misdemeanor in the state.

The ACLU criticized his statement as potential voter intimidation. Morrissey's spokeswoman told reporters he had no plans to comb social media looking for folks posting ballot selfies, saying authorities investigate only in response to a complaint.

"This is a product of the times we live in," said Democratic New Jersey Assemblyman Raj Mukherji, who has sponsored a measure to allow ballot selfies. "If voters want to express their pride in participating in our democracy by voting or tout their political preferences on social media, they should be entitled to do so."

Clarissa Livingstone, 26, of Toms River, New Jersey, said she doesn't understand concerns raised over ballot selfies. She doesn't believe people would be influenced by seeing ballot photos that she or anyone else might post.

"People are so rigid in their political beliefs these days, they're not going to change their votes once they see how some Jersey girl voted," Livingstone said.
The woman whose harrowing account of being raped at the University of Virginia was the centerpiece of a now-discredited Rolling Stone magazine article said that she felt pressured to participate in the story and became scared in the weeks leading up its publication when she realized it may be too late to back out.

A video deposition of the woman identified in the article only as "Jackie'' was played for jurors Monday in the defamation trial against Rolling Stone magazine for the 2014 story "A Rape on Campus'' by Sabrina Rubin Erdely. UVa administrator Nicole Eramo is seeking $7.5 million from the magazine, claiming it cast her as the story's "chief villain.'' A police investigation later found no evidence to back up Jackie's claims.

Jackie said in the video that when she initially agreed to talk to Erdely, she was under the impression that the article was going to be about sexual assault advocacy, not her rape. Jackie said she didn't even realize that her comments during her first conversation with Erdely would be published.

"I was 20 years old and had no idea there was an off-the-record or an on-the-record,'' Jackie said. "I was naive.''

Jackie said she remembered "feeling upset'' when she found out her story was going to be the central focus and was concerned that Rolling Stone was going to paint Eramo in a negative light. A few weeks before publication, a friend of Jackie's expressed Jackie's concerns to Erdely in a text message, but Erdely responded "there's no pulling the plug at this point - the article is moving forward.''

"I remember feeling scared and overwhelmed and unsure of what to do,'' Jackie said. She added: "I felt like I was getting a lot of pressure from a lot of people to do things I didn't want do.''

In the deposition, which was taken in April, Jackie sounded timid and quiet. An attorney for Rolling Stone noted earlier in the trial that she sounds like a "shell of a person'' compared to the bubbly and outgoing person who can be heard in her interviews with Erdely.

Several times in the deposition Jackie took long pauses or struggled to answer the questions, saying she couldn't remember what she was feeling at the time. The monitors in the courtroom were turned around so that only the jury and the attorneys could see the screen.

Erdely has testified that she would have allowed Jackie to back out of the article if that's what she wanted and was prepared to use another woman as the central story in the piece if necessary. Erdely said Monday that when she texted Jackie's friend to say there "no pulling the plug,'' she meant the article about the university was moving forward, not that Jackie couldn't back out if she wanted to.

The trial, which began last Monday, is expected to last until about 12 days. Eramo was initially asking for $7.85 million, but recently withdrew her request for $350,000 in punitive damages. Her attorneys have to prove that Erdely and Rolling Stone acted with "actual malice,'' meaning that they knew what they were writing about Eramo was false or should have known it wasn't true.
Can't make it to the polls Nov. 8?

Residents in D.C., Maryland and West Virginia can vote early. While Virginia does not have early voting, residents in the commonwealth can participate in absentee voting.

Here's a guide to early voting and absentee voting in our area:

EARLY VOTING

Early voting in D.C. ended Nov. 4. The District of Columbia Board of Elections website said 101,077 voters voted at the nine early voting sites. There are approximately 480,000 people registered to vote in the city.

Virginia does not allow early voting, but you can vote absentee (see below for details).

West Virginia early voting is available now through Nov. 5. Go here for more information and a list of early voting sites.

Maryland early voting ended Nov. 3.

ABSENTEE VOTING

Like voting deadlines, absentee ballot deadlines differ slightly from state to state.

If you're voting via absentee ballot in D.C., the Board of Elections must receive your request for a ballot no later than Nov. 1 (you can also apply online). Then, your completed ballot must be received by Election Day.

In Virginia, applications to receive absentee ballots in the mail must be processed by Nov. 1 at 5 p.m. (you can apply online here). The deadline changes to Nov. 5 if you're requesting a ballot in person, and you must have one of 19 valid reasons for voting absentee in person.

In Maryland, requests for absentee ballots must be received by Nov. 1 at 8 p.m. (here's a link to the form you'll need). You can also download an absentee ballot online, which must be done by Nov. 4. You'll have to postmark your absentee ballot by election day, and it must be received by Nov. 18. You can also hand-deliver your completed ballot to your local board of elections by 8 p.m. on election day.

In West Virginia, eligible voters may request absentee ballots by submitting their applications to their county clerks before Nov. 2. Any voter seeking an emergency absentee ballot has until noon on Nov. 8. Find other information on absentee voting in West Virginia online here.
What to Know Daiquan Fields, 32, pleaded guilty to charges of involuntary manslaughter and felony child abuse and neglect in the death of the 2-year-old.

Court documents suggested a change in Fields' routine dropping off the 2-year-old and her siblings may have contributed to her death.

An investigator wrote that Fields saw the toddler in the back seat after he returned to the car.

A Northern Virginia man has pleaded guilty to leaving his girlfriend's toddler in a hot car, leading to her death.

Daiquan Fields, 32, pleaded guilty Sept. 20 to charges of involuntary manslaughter and felony child abuse and neglect, News4 has learned.

Fields was arrested in April after he drove to Pentagon City to pick up his girlfriend at work and discovered he'd left the two-year-old girl in the vehicle earlier that morning.

He called 911, but emergency crews could not revive the little girl.

Under the terms of the plea agreement, all but six months of the five-year prison term was suspended, allowing Fields to go free Sept. 27.

Now on supervised probation, Fields is barred from living with the victim's mother, must find full-time work and must stay away from drugs and alcohol. In addition, he was ordered to complete a parenting class, pay court costs and get a mental health evaluation. He is not permitted to drive.

Northern Virginia Bureau Chief Julie Carey reports on charges against a man accused of leaving a 2-year-old child in a hot car for seven hours.

Court documents suggested a change in his routine dropping off the 2-year-old and her older siblings may have contributed to the tragedy.

Fields said in an interview with police that he normally dropped off the toddler with a babysitter and then took the two older children, ages 10 and 15, to school. But on April 20, they were running late dropping off the oldest child, so Fields dropped off that child first, followed by the middle child, he told police. Fields then returned to the family's apartment in Annandale, leaving the 2-year-old strapped in her car seat.

A change in routine can contribute to a child being left in a car, Don Goddard of the Fairfax County Police Department said in the wake of the little girl's death.

"When people get into routines like this, they become accustomed to doing things in an order," he said. "If that routine or habit changes, sometimes it leads to a tragedy."

A 2-year-old girl found dead in the back seat of a car in Arlington, Virginia, was in the car for hours before her mothers boyfriend realized she had been forgotten, Fairfax County police say.

Fields told police he was home in Annandale, Virginia, all day, even meeting a housing inspector who stopped by. He drank a beer and watched TV before he left late in the afternoon to pick up the children's mother from her job at the mall in Pentagon City, he told police.

An investigator wrote that when Fields pulled up at the mall and sent a text message to his girlfriend, he saw the toddler in the back seat. The child appeared blue, and fluid was dripping from her nose, he told police. He called 911 and told the dispatcher he was trying to perform CPR. The toddler was pronounced dead at the hospital.

The temperature that day was about 70 degrees, but the toddler had a body temperature of 107 degrees when she was rushed to a hospital, a search warrant said.
What to Know The defendants allegedly operated a company that claimed to help poor people in developing countries, prosecutors said.

They are accused of using investors' money for personal reasons, including payments toward a $1.75 million house.

The senior pastor of Victorious Life Church in Alexandria and his wife were arrested Sunday.

A senior pastor and his wife defrauded members of their Virginia congregation of more than a million dollars, prosecutors said.

Victorious Life Church Pastor Terry Wayne Millender; his wife, Brenda, and church member Grenetta Wells -- all of Alexandria -- were arrested Sunday in a $1.2 million scheme, allegedly operating a company that claimed to help the poor and recruited investors with the false promise of guaranteed return rates, according to an indictment released by the U.S. Attorney's Office of the Eastern District of Virginia.

The company claimed a Christian mission of providing loans to start or expand existing businesses in developing companies, prosecutors said, but actually used the money for personal reasons, including paymets toward the Millenders' $1.75 million home.

They blamed the Great Recession, among other things, for the delayed repayments, prosecutors said.

Federal authorities began investigating three years ago when some investors became suspicious.

The Millenders' attorney, Drew Hutcheson, said he thought investigators closed the case because he hadn't heard from prosecutors in a while.

In court Monday, Brenda Millender was released on her personal recognizance, but Terry Millender and Wells were ordered held. Another hearing is set for Tuesday.

Terry Millender served as chief executive officer of the company and Wells as chief operating officer.
After spending 17 years in prison for the murder of his former high school girlfriend, a man at the center of popular podcast "Serial" is asking to be released from prison.

Justin Brown, a lawyer representing Adnan Syed, wrote in a motion filed Monday that Syed should be released while awaiting retrial because he poses "no danger to the community" and has already served 17 years in prison "based on an unconstitutional conviction for a crime he did not commit.''

Syed was convicted in 2000 of strangling 17-year-old Hae Min Lee. His story became the centerpiece for the first season of the "Serial'' podcast, and a judge in June granted Syed a new trial because his attorney failed to cross-examine an expert witness about cell tower data linking Syed to the crime scene.

"Completely absent from Syed's record are circumstances that typically cause courts concern regarding pretrial release," Brown wrote in his motion. Brown also wrote that Syed is not a flight risk because of his strong ties to the community, and because he enjoys so much support from the public after "Serial,'' which attracted millions of listeners and inspired an army of armchair investigators to help hunt down evidence to bolster his defense.

The Attorney General's office, which is handling the case, did not immediately respond to an email message seeking comment.

Brown said in a statement that "there is no reason to think Adnan would run from the case he has spent half his life trying to disprove."

In his request for a new trial, Brown argued that Syed's original attorney erred by failing to call an alibi witness to share with the jury her claim that she saw him in the library shortly before Lee's slaying. Brown also said the attorney failed to ask any questions about cell tower records.

The state thus far has opposed Syed's motions, and appealed the judge's granting of a new trial. State officials have said that if they lose the appeal, they will retry the case.
Hacked emails purport to show Hillary Clinton's campaign wrestled with how to announce her opposition to construction of the controversial Keystone XL pipeline without losing the support of labor unions that supported to project.

Emails published this week by WikiLeaks show debate and confusion within the Clinton camp as it faced down the unexpectedly strong primary challenge by liberal Sen. Bernie Sanders, who opposed the pipeline.

The alleged emails have not been authenticated by NBC News. The Clinton campaign has not offered authentication of the emails.

As Clinton prepared to come out against the pipeline last year, her aides appeared worried about how her shift in position would be perceived.

Clinton press secretary Brian Fallon asked in an alleged email whether the candidate's "newfound position on Keystone" would be "greeted cynically and perhaps as part of some manufactured attempt to project sincerity?"

Wikileaks has not said where it got the emails, which were allegedly stolen from the accounts of Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta, the latest in a series of high-profile hacks that U.S. intelligence officials have blamed on Russia. Clinton has condemned the breaches as an attempt by a hostile foreign government to sway the election in favor of her Republican rival, Donald Trump.

For seven years, the administration of President Barack Obama delayed deciding whether to build the pipeline to carry heavy crude oil from the tar sands of western Canada more than 1,700 miles to refineries on the U.S Gulf Coast. The pipeline had long been a flashpoint in the political debate over climate change, with environmentalists opposing its construction and Republicans in Congress voicing strong support.

As secretary of state, Clinton helped oversee the federal government's yearslong review of the pipeline's economic and environmental impact. Asked about the issue in 2010, Clinton said: "We've not yet signed off on it. But we are inclined to do so."

But once she left the State Department and began preparing for her presidential run, Clinton studiously avoided taking a hard position on whether the pipeline should be built. Emails show that throughout 2015, Clinton's aides were awaiting word on when Obama would come out against the pipeline, offering Clinton a measure of political cover to do the same.

Clinton campaign labor liaison Nikki Budzinski and others warned that opposing the Keystone pipeline might earn the ire of union leaders who supported the pipeline due to the thousands of construction jobs that would be created. Political director Amanda Renteria offered reassurance in an August 2015 email that even if Obama took that position, the campaign could still keep support of the trade unions.

"We are so close to getting bldg trades and if we do this right, it will be ok even though they won't like it," Renteria wrote.

Energy adviser Trevor Houser circulated talking points intended to minimize potential political damage. They emphasized Clinton's broader energy plans for the presidency, which would include infrastructure programs with enough spending and job creation to mollify specific labor groups, including ironworkers, boilermakers and electricians.

"We are trying to find a good way to leak her opposition to the pipelinewithout her having to actually say it and give up her principled stand about not second-guessing the president in public," Clinton speechwriter Dan Schwerin wrote.

As the Clinton team prepared to announce her opposition to the pipeline, they heard that Obama had again pushed back his announcement until late October. Clinton aides speculated that the delay was due to political considerations involving the Canadian election, where Liberal Party leader Justin Trudeau was working to oust Conservative Prime Minister Stephen Harper, an ardent Keystone proponent.

Concerned about the primary threat from Sanders, Clinton's team decided not to wait on Obama. They drafted a statement for her "which uses opposition to KXL as a pivot to talk about a plan for broad investment in modernizing our energy infrastructure and forging a climate compact between the US, Mexico and Canada."

According to the emails, the planned rollout was designed to "soften the blow to the Building Trades" with scripted language about "making the US the leader in fighting climate change and becoming a clean energy superpower."

Budzinski provided an update on how efforts to work with various labor unions were going in September 2015.

"Great news that today we received the Bricklayers endorsement coming out of the meeting today. They brought checks today :)" Budzinski wrote.

She also detailed talks with the national building trades union, saying they appreciated Clinton being "candid and up front with them on a difficult issue like KXL."

Budzinski added not to worry about reports that the Laborers' International Union of North America was reaching out to Republicans.

"That is for show," she wrote.

On Sept. 22, 2015, Clinton appeared at a community forum in Des Moines, Iowa.

"I think it is imperative that we look at the Keystone pipeline as what I believe it is  a distraction from important work we have to do on climate change," Clinton said. "And unfortunately from my perspective, one that interferes with our ability to move forward with all the other issues. Therefore I oppose it."

Obama finally announced in November 2015 that the pipeline project would be shelved.

"The right call," Clinton tweeted in response to the president's announcement. "Now it's time to make America a clean energy superpower."
The country has turned its back on guided tours costing less than $540.

Any tour costing less than VND12 million ($538) from Vietnam to South Korea will no longer receive financial support for advertising campaigns from the Korea Tourism Organization (KTO), the Vietnamese branch of the organization has announced.

Le Thi Thu Trang, the head of the KTOs Vietnamese branch, said that the move is expected to prevent cheap, low-quality tours reaching South Korea.

Several years ago, Vietnamese tourists paid nearly VND20 million ($900) for a tour to visit South Korea but now many tourism agencies are offering tours under VND12 million. These tours often drive tourists to shopping centers, which reduces the time they can spend sightseeing and makes them feel tired.

We have been supporting Vietnamese travel agencies, but from now on we will stop giving incentives to any businesses that offers tours costing less than VND12 million, Trang was quoted by Saigon Times as saying.

The number of Vietnamese tourists entering South Korea has grown exponentially in the last few years. In 2012, 106,000 Vietnamese tourists visited South Korea, but that figure is forecast to more than double to 240,000 this year.

Such strong development is partly attributed to a large investment KTO has poured to support Vietnamese enterprises, Trang told Saigon Times, refusing to disclose the specific figure.

On October 20, the KTO and Vietnams National Administration of Tourism signed an agreement to boost tourism between the two countries.

The agreement set a target of two million visitors in 2017, up 17.7 percent against the estimated figure for this year. By 2018, the number of tourist traveling between the two countries is expected to hit three million.

South Korea is Vietnams second largest tourist market with a projected 1.5 million visitors arriving this year.

Related news:

> Vietnam stops 10 provinces from exporting laborers to South Korea

> South Koreas Daesang bids to buy Vietnam food processor for $33 mln

> South Korea's Woori Bank to open subsidiary in Vietnam
Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren warned Republican nominee Donald Trump that "nasty women" will come out in droves to help send Hillary Clinton to the White House.

Warren appeared with Clinton at a rally Monday in Manchester, New Hampshire. Warren was picking up on Trump calling Clinton "such a nasty woman" during last week's final debate.

"Get this Donald: nasty women are smart, nasty women are tough, and nasty women vote," she said.

"On Nov. 8, we nasty woman are going to march our nasty feet to cast our nasty votes to get you out of our lives forever," Warren added.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren joined Hillary Clinton at St. Anselm College in Goffstown, New Hampshire, to rally supporters.

The liberal favorite sad that Trump thinks because he's wealthy "he can call women fat pigs and bimbos."

"He thinks because he has a mouth full of Tic-Tacs he can force himself on women within groping distance," Warren said.

Trump has denied allegations from 11 women that he groped them or kissed them without their consent.

Warren said "America is angry" that Washington works for those at the top and leaves everyone behind.

"Donald Trump is right. The game is rigged. Its rigged for guys like Donald Trump! And I say its time to fight back," Warren said.

Warren has tussled repeatedly with Republican Donald Trump on Twitter. Trump has appeared more frequently in New Hampshire, campaigning it the Granite State nearly once a week.

Clinton returned to New Hampshire with just about two weeks to go until Election Day. At the rally held at Saint Anselm College, Clinton called Trump out for "basically declaring defeat" before the start of the battle to retake Mosul, Iraq, from the Islamic State group.

This is Clinton's third trip to New Hampshire since July. Clinton campaigned alongside former rival Bernie Sanders in both of her previous trips, reflecting her attempts to reach out to the supporters who propelled Sanders to a win in the February primary.

New Hampshire provides four Electoral College votes.

The election is Nov. 8.
Mourners gathered at a bus stop in Los Angeles' Koreatown to remember and pray for those who were killed and injured in a tour bus crash on Sunday near Palm Springs.

Candles were placed at the bus stop to honor the 13 passengers who were killed and the 31 others who were injured when their tour bus slammed into a semi-truck early Sunday morning.

Delia Sanchez, who survived the crash with minor injuries, showed up at the memorial Sunday evening to be with friends.

Her face  with bruises and cuts visible around her eye and lip  are marks of survival. She said she was sitting four seats behind the driver.

"We all feel really bad," she said through a translator.

Sanchez and most of the other passengers were asleep when the bus, headed to LA from the Red Earth Casino in Salton City, crashed into the truck on Interstate 10 so fast the truck's trailer was embedded 15 feet into the bus.

Sanchez added that she feels horrible for the lives lost  including the driver, who many at the vigil said they knew for years.

"After I got the news ... [I] bought a candle and I came straight up here to show my respects," said Sheila Ashley, who has riden the bus before.

Another person who attended the vigil was Rosa Esmeralda Venegas, who lost her best friend of 17 years in the crash and is now caring for her granddaughter.

"I'm praying for the people who are fighting for their lives," Venegas said in Spanish.

The California Highway Patrol said Sunday the bus was operated by Los Angeles-based USA Holiday. A phone message The Associated Press left for the company was not immediately returned. A Facebook message from USA Holiday said it did not have much information about the crash.

Neighbors told NBC4 that the owner of the bus company lived in Alhambra and was a father who was running a small family business.

As of late Sunday night, the identities of those killed in the crash had not yet been released by the coroner's office.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
One person was killed and another injured in an overnight house fire in Panton, Vermont.

Authorities say 63-year-old Muriel Neel died inside her home on Route 22A.

Her husband Harold Neel made it out safely, but investigators say a family friend, Susan Idle of Waitsfield, who was staying with the Neels was injured.

She was rushed to the Unversity of Vermont Medical Center in Burlington with second and third-degree burns.

State police say Muriel Neel's body was found in the bathroom.

"Sometimes people become disoriented and they can't find their way out due to smoke and heat. So that's still under investigation as to exactly why, but it's not uncommon for people to become disoriented during fires," State Police Det. Sgt. Todd Wilkins said.

Firefighters reported strong winds Monday morning made the flames move quickly.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation, but police say it does not look suspicious.
A squirrel caused widespread power outages on the Storrs campus of UConn today, which led to school officials canceling several classes and sending some employees home.

UConn spokeswoman Stephanie Reitz said a squirrel got into a transformer on top of a power pole on North Eagleville Road and a spark that ran along the power line knocked out the nearest circuit, which serves dozens of buildings on various parts of campus.

A squirrel had somehow gotten itself in there on top of the pole and had gotten into the transformer and when this squirrel met its demise the spark from this led down the wire over to the circuit and caused the circuit and the transformer both to blow out, Reitz said.

Power was out from around 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. and the outage affected more than 50 educational buildings, administrative buildings and residential buildings and classes are canceled for the rest of the day in buildings affected by the outage.

Non-essential employees who work in those buildings were sent home and students in residence halls without power could remain in their rooms.

The following buildings were affected, according to the UConn website:
Schools in a Maine town are closed on Monday as authorities continue to search for a shooting suspect.

Ellsworth police tell WCSH they're searching for Aaron Wagner in connection with a shooting on Sunday near the Deane Street Apartments. No one was hurt in the shooting, but an off-duty officer spotted him on Route 1A a few hours later before he evaded K9s and police again, according to law enforcement.

Police add that Wagner is more blonde now than in the photo they've provided to the public.

Wagner, 41, is facing charges of reckless conduct with a firearm and aggravated criminal mischief.

Anyone with information about Wagner's whereabouts is asked to contact Ellsworth police immediately.
A dog found in New Haven was reportedly so underweight it sparked outrage and brought some animal lovers to tears.

Now Frank  as hes being called  is being nursed back to health at Central Hospital for Veterinary Medicine in North Haven, but it could be a tough road ahead for the German Shepard mix.

Glorianne Lagnese, the president of Super Paws Rescue, said neighbors of the dogs owner first became concerned about the treatment of the animal.

From what Ive been told by all the neighbors, they havent been feeding him. They just throw him scraps and stuff, Lagnese said.

Eventually Lagneses group got involved. She said the dog's owner voluntarily gave up the animal and an associate picked him up on Sunday.

Hes horribly emaciated. He can hardly move. Every bone is sticking out. Its really sad, Lagnese, said.

Frank was taken to Central Hospital for Veterinary Medicine to be given fluids and medical care.

Lagnese said, at this point, they dont even know how old Frank is but theyre sure he was not taken care of properly and was reportedly left outside for several days.

As Frank rests at Central Hospital, his future is uncertain, especially after the discovery of a concerning mass, which could be cancerous.

Honestly we dont know. When, after we get the tests back from my vet, well know more information, Lagnese, said.

Frank is expected to be transferred to another veterinarian today for more tests.

NBC Connecticut reached out to New Haven police to see if theyre investigating the case, but we have yet to hear back.
A Providence, Rhode Island woman is facing a driving under the influence charge after police say her SUV flipped over onto the Statehouse lawn.

Police say 42-year-old Gloria Komrowski faces several charges in connection with the Saturday afternoon crash. It wasn't immediately known if she has an attorney.

Police say Komrowski's Ford Explorer had hit another vehicle on I-95 North. They say the struck vehicle then followed Komrowski until she crashed again at the Statehouse. She was the only one at the scene when police arrived.

State police say Komrowski was also involved in an earlier incident in which she sideswiped another vehicle on U.S. Route 6. No injuries were reported.
Police in Merrimack, New Hampshire say a man wearing a red jumpsuit and a Hillary Clinton mask assaulted another man and tried to pull him out of a vehicle Wednesday night.

Nicholas Bonzagni, 28, of Merrimack, is facing a charge of simple assault.

Police say a caller told police Bonzagni was protesting loudly at Route 101. The man told Bonzagni to get a job and he allegedly argued with the victim and grabbed him arm, attempting to pull him out of the vehicle.

Callers reported Bonzagni earlier in the afternoon for the protesting and police say they did not see anything disorderly.

Officers spoke to Bonzagni at his home later in the evening. An arrest warrant was obtained for the simple assault charge.

Bonzagni turned himself in to police and was released on $1,500 personal recognizance bail.

He is set to be arraigned in court on December 1. Its not clear if he has an attorney.
Boston Police responded after a person was shot in the city's South End.

The shooting was reported just after 1:30 p.m. Police responded to the intersection of Melnea Cass Boulevard and Massachusetts Avenue.

The victim's injuries are not considered life-threatening.

Boston University Police sent out a campus alert saying there was a "shooting incident" and that students and faculty should avoid the area until further notice. The school's medical campus is located in the same general area.

"Suspect has fled the scene in the direction away from campus," the alert said.

The school's emergency response plan has been activated, but police said no further action is required at this time.
Police in Laconia, New Hampshire, say a suspect is sought in a kidnapping that happened Monday.

Active warrants are pending for the arrest of James Lemmond, 32, for kidnapping and armed robbery.

Officers responded to Cottage Street Monday night for a report of a screaming woman being dragged into a vehicle by her hair.

The vehicle, a black GMC Terrain, drove away from the scene.

Police found the vehicle abandoned in Concord.

The victim has since been found and an interview led to Lemmond's identification.

He is described as being 5-9, 160 pounds and has blue eyes and blonde hair.

Anyone with information is asked to contact police at 603-524-5252.
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Quick question, MPLS or SD-WANs, which would you say offers better performance? For the same bandwidth, wed assume MPLS. After all, MPLS services are managed for a reason, right? However, as we learned on one recent project, internet performance has improved so much over the years that its performance can rival, even exceed, private WAN services.

The situation

The project was with a manufacturing company that wanted to see if modernizing its MPLS WAN made sense. The alternative would be an SD-WAN or hybrid WAN.

The companys data center in Los Angeles was connected via MPLS to 17 offices across the U.S., Asia Pacific and Latin America. A mix of applications ran between those sites: SAP, CIFS, mail, VoIP, video and file sharing were the most common.

The assessment

As we were conducting our initial network assessment, we started to see some unusual latency on some of the pings from LA. Check out the MPLS performance table below, and see if you spot the anomaly:

(Note: Using ICMP pings to measure latency is only a rough guide. The most accurate way is to simulate data plane traffic using a traffic generator for the transit traffic. ICMP is low priority traffic, which can result in slower ICMP response.)

So, did you spot the problem? Look at the variance in the latencies. Typically, a managed network might see latencies changing by 10 or 20 milliseconds, but this company was seeing latency fluctuations by as much as 100 milliseconds on some routes!

Why the delay?

There are many reasons for varying MPLS latencies on a given route. Routing policies is one issue. What's more, when service providers need coverage in underserved regions, they will sign interconnect agreements with local providers. Depending on the quality and routing policies of those networks, latency may suffer. In the other instances, the bandwidth coming into the region may be insufficient for the traffic levels, causing congestion for all customers during peaks. Sometimes, the carrier network interconnect is not in a direct paththink LA to Dallas to Tijuana, perhaps?

The internet: a better choice?

Regardless of why MPLS performance was fluctuating, the bigger issue was whether there was a better approach. Enter the internet. Take a look at the how internet performance and MPLS performance compare for Mexico and Costa Rica. As you will see, Costa Rica is pretty consistent between MPLS and internet, but theres an enormous difference when it comes to Mexico:

In fact, MPLS is a significantly poorer choice in this case when going from LA into Mexico. On average, the internet exhibited 66 percent less latency than MPLS. We didnt trust those results either, by the way, and repeated the tests only to reach similar findings. The internet was the better choice on this route from a latency perspective. Multiple internet connections would still be needed to match MPLS uptime.

SD-WAN not MPLS?

So, should the company drop MPLS? Not necessarily. Except for Mexico, the company would see better performance across MPLS in most cases. But what our research did show was the importance of getting beyond the catechism accompanying networking today.

Whether you're a network engineer concerned about maximizing performance and uptime or a CIO/CFO focused on reducing top-line costs, evaluating your WAN performance is the only way to accurately assess your networking options. Network performance varies too much between services and routes within a service to assume that any one technology will necessarily answer your requirements.
The old way of doing IT at The LEGO Group was very much we decide how you work, said Michael Loft Mikkelsen. But things are changing at the family-owned company based in Billund, Denmark. One big change is the growing number of Mac users among the 17,000 worldwide LEGO employees. Driving the change is LEGOs corporate mission.

We have one overarching mission: to inspire and develop the builders of tomorrow. Thats our single most important goal, said Loft Mikkelsen, infrastructure engineer at LEGO. To create these fantastic products, we need an IT infrastructure thats agile, scalable and robust enough to keep up with our development and growth.

Over the last several years, LEGO has deployed about 700 Macs, primarily to employees in creative roles, such as designers and product developers.

They are crucial in developing new products and solutions for LEGO customers. For them, its not an option which platform they work on, said Loft Mikkelsen, who spoke at the Jamf Nation user conference in Minneapolis. Jamf specializes in Apple management software, and LEGO is a user of its Jamf Pro (formerly called Casper Suite) platform. Some of them come straight out of college, some are recruited from the LEGO fan community. Most of them have been working on Macs their entire life. Theyre comfortable with it. They love it. For them, its part of their identity.

The goal of the Mac project is to enable these colleagues to be as productive and inspired as possible. And we do that by providing them with the platform that fits them and their way of working  and not a platform where we decide how they should work.

In the past, Macs were scarce at the Windows-centric enterprise. Even as the numbers grew, the process of deploying a new Mac to an employee remained slow and labor intensive. IT had to bind the Mac to its Active Directory setup, deploy a third-party VPN client, and install LEGOs Office toolset and any necessary creative or product development tools, depending on the users role. When a new Mac was ordered, it had to go through a manual re-image, Loft Mikkelsen said. We had single-job scripts and manually deployed profiles. It was enough to get anyone exhausted.

The process worked, to most degrees, but it was unsustainable, he said. It was very locked-down.

LEGO realized it needed to rethink how Macs were being managed and supported. Mac users wanted access to the same resources as the PC community  timely support and a proper software catalog, for example. But LEGO lacked a true enterprise management solution for Macs, and it didnt have enough IT pros with deep technical skillsets on the platform.

Loft Mikkelsen joined LEGO in 2015, and the company set out to streamline its Mac environment. Culturally, part of the challenge was overcoming biases.

Like most enterprises that have Mac in their environment, the Mac was meeting resistance from the established IT organization, Loft Mikkelsen said. Its not uncommon to hear phrases like these: this has always been a problem on Mac, or the Mac is just not enterprise ready. I think both of these used to be true, but not anymore. Its a stigma thats very hard to lose.

For its technical overhaul, the company considered two strategies: piggybacking a Mac management layer onto its existing environment for managing the PC infrastructure, or implementing Jamfs dedicated Apple device management platform.

The IT team created two full test environments to evaluate each approach. Team members then compared the capabilities and shortcomings of each in a matrix that weighed categories such as asset management, software distribution, security, reporting and supplier support. It was crucial that this was a team decision. We needed everyone on board, Loft Mikkelsen said.

Our technical analysis, and the human aspect, both pointed in the same direction. For us to gain the full benefit and value, we had to choose Jamf, he said.

Today, LEGO is nearing the end of its three-phase rollout of its new enterprise mobility management infrastructure, centered around Jamf. Loft Mikkelsen offered some advice for companies that might be considering a similar project.

For starters, engage with the Mac community. See what works. Hear stories of what others are doing, he said. This made a huge difference in our process.

Loft Mikkelsen also advocates thorough testing  and unbiased data collection. Make data-driven decisions, he said. If you have a feeling that something is wrong, prove it. Nothing makes a more compelling argument than valid data.
Earlier this year Forbes posted an article speculating that Avayas private equity firm, Silver Lake was exploring a sale of the company or at least parts of it. Private equity companies typically hold its portfolio companies for three to five years and then divest themselves of it through an IPO or a sale to another organization. The Avaya situation is somewhat of a rarity because its coming up on 10 years since Silver Lake took ownership of it.

Avaya is a strong company with good products that has been trying to transform itself into more of a software and services company, but it is saddled with debt. A sale of its contact center and/or networking business could help offset that debt and put the rest of Avaya in a much better position.

The networking business should be attractive to many companies. Avaya has a unique software-defined networking (SDN) solution based on the shortest path bridging (SPB) protocol. Network configuration is done at the edge, with provisioning of the core being fully automated. The company recently introduced a highly flexible cloud management solution that unifies wired and wireless management. Also, under the leadership of Nidal Abou-Itaif, Avaya has seen tremendous growth in the Middle East and India, highly coveted markets, as these are some of the regions leading the digital revolution. Lastly, the senior management team at Avayamade up of Marc Randall, Jake Power and JT Turgeonis as good a trio as there is in the industry.

Potential Avaya buyers

What company is most likely to buy Avayas networking business? Here are my ideas:

Alcatel-Lucent Enterprise (ALE)

In 2014, Chinese investment firm China Huaxin acquired the enterprise division of Alcatel-Lucent. When the acquisition happened, China Huaxin had a stated goal of doubling the revenue through organic growth and acquisitions. ALE has a strong networking portfolio built on SPB, so bringing the two product lines together should be straightforward. More important, Avaya would give ALE a strong customer and channel base in the U.S., something it has tried and struggled to build on its own. Lastly, Avayas Wi-Fi products would give ALE its own solution instead of having to use OEMs for Arubas products.

Extreme Networks

Extreme acquired Enterasys in 2013 with the purpose of creating a bigger company that was better equipped to compete with Cisco and HP. Since then, the company continued its mission of rolling up some of the smaller players when it acquired the Wi-Fi business from Zebra technologies. An Avaya purchase would roll another small networking vendor under the Extreme umbrella, moving the company closer to the billion-dollar revenue mark. Some product rationalization would need to happen, but the company just went through that with Enterasys, so it should be able to apply what it learned in that process to this acquisition. More important, there should be very little overlap in customers or channel partners, giving Extreme a much bigger base to monetize.

Fortinet

Most know Fortinet as a security vendor, but it has a portfolio of products that is as broad as any vendors that includes VoIP phones, Wi-Fi, routers and other products. It also has a small line of Ethernet switches that are used to complement the security business. Avaya Networking would give Fortinet a robust portfolio of modular and stackable products that would make Fortinet a legitimate network player. Fortinet customers tend to love the companys products, so it could look to displace the incumbents in its current install base.

NEC

One of the best-kept secrets in this market is that NEC has networking products. If one has heard of NEC in networking, its probably as one of the early evangelizers of SDN. NEC is a much bigger company than most realize, but most of its revenue comes from the Asian markets, where the company is headquartered. Similar to the value proposition Avaya would play with ALE, Avaya would give NEC an instant customer base in the U.S.

Dell Technologies

Avaya owner Silver Lake also owns Dell Technologies. Dell has a networking business that includes the low-end PowerConnect portfolio and high-end, data center class of switches the company got when it acquired Force10. There would obviously be some overlap at the high end, but Dell would get a great campus and Wi-Fi portfolio from Avaya. Currently, Dell has a mix of OEM Wi-Fi vendors, including Aerohive. Avaya would give it its own product set to build a unified networking strategy. This acquisition makes sense, but Dell currently has its hands full with the integration of EMC.

Mitel

This is a bit of a dark horse, but Mitel CEO Rich McBee has discussed the importance of rolling up a number of smaller vendors to help the company better compete with the likes of Cisco and Microsoft. Since he has taken the reigns of the company, he has acquired fellow UC companies Aastra and InterTel, as well as mobile infrastructure provider Mavenir. Mitel has also tried to buy ShoreTel and Polycom. The deals did not close, but the message from McBee is clear: Mitel is actively looking for companies to buy and roll up into its portfolio. To date, McBee hasnt shown much interest in the enterprise. But it did buy Mavenir, so purchasing Avaya is possible.
The massive DDoS attacks that took down internet address-translation service Dyn and its customers last week raise a lot of need-to-know questions about the overall security of online infrastructure and its performance.

While the attacks were ultimately mitigated and have subsided, the means for carrying out others are still viable and could crop up at any time with other targets. Here are some questions and answers that address what happened, how it happened, whether it could happen again and what the consequences might be.

Is the internet broken?

No, or at least not any more than it was before. Its made up of a system of independent vendors and institutions working cooperatively to provide access to sites around the world. Each works in its own best interests but also cooperates with the others to make the system work for everybody. Like any such system, its got flaws and weaknesses. The Dyn attackers targeted some of these vulnerabilities and exploited them for maximum effect.

If just Dyn was attacked, why did it seem that the entire internet was broken?

Denial of service attacks can be very targeted  as narrow as a single server hosting a Website, for example  but their impact can be wide depending on what is targeted. In this case, it was Dyns DNS servers that do the job of turning human-language URLs into machine-readable IP addresses, thereby making sure internet communications are forwarded to the right computer on the internet. The attackers chose a target that offers services to a vast number of high-profile Web sites. By impairing Dyn, the attacks affected access to thousands of internet domains around the world, effectively blocking traffic to Web sites large and small that happened to be Dyn customers. To anyone trying to reach those customer sites, it seemed as if the internet was broken.

+ ALSO ON NETWORK WORLD How the Dyn DDoS attack unfolded +

What did it take to do this?

The attackers used tens of millions of internet-connected devices known as the internet of things (IoT) to carry out the attack. This takes advantage of the inherent weaknesses of a vast number of these devices, namely they use default or readily guessable passwords, have little or no security and are connected to the internet all the time. Think DVRs and cameras.

Why hasnt this happened before?

It has.

Last month marked the grand debut of Mirai, a malware that helps round up IoT devices and infect them so they can carry out coordinated DDoS attacks of enormous scale. The first highly publicized such attack was targeted at a single site, that of Krebs on Security. It was perhaps the largest volume attack up to that time and showed just how powerful IoT botnets could be. Perhaps it was a deliberate, very public demonstration by its creators that these devastatingly powerful attacks were possible  a type of advertisement. Subsequent release of a version of Mirai source code showed that these attacks could be replicated, more or less at will.

So Mirai was responsible?

Certainly it played a large part, given the number of IoT machines Dyn says was involved  tens of millions. But analysts who observed the attacks say they included other devices that might have been grouped together in more traditional botnets. This suggests that the aggregate botnet was made up of DDoS-for-hire resources as opposed to a botnet compiled by a single actor to carry out just that actors bidding. That means others with the money to rent these for-hire services could do the same thing.

Why did it affect the East Coast of the U.S.?

The attacks came in two phases. The first was directed against three Dyn data centers in Chicago, New York and Washington, D.C. Since DNS lookups are done at the closest DNS server, those centers had a big impact on East Coast lookup requests. In the second phase, Dyn data centers around the globe were hit. This required considerable planning because it meant individual bots had to be making lookup requests from within the region served by each Dyn data center. So the attack force had to be divided into units that each had specific targets based on location.

Who did this?

Nobodys sure.

Brian Krebs, who runs Krebs on Security, was the first hit by Mirai. He writes that a Dyn researcher collaborated with him on a blog post exploring the activities of DDoS mitigation firm BackConnect, Inc., and that both his own site and Dyns network were DDoSed. It would be peculiar if such a massive and sophisticated botnet were used for simple revenge when it could be used for much more lucrative purposes.

What devices were used?

A variety of them, but mainly security cameras, DVRs and routers. Some cameras made by Chinese firm Hangzhou Xiongmai Technology were involved. The company acknowledges the problem and is recalling some of its Web cams and issuing patches for others.

What should I do?

Individuals can be diligent about patching their IoT devices as security updates are issued. They can check whether passwords for their devices can be changed  some cannot  and change them to something besides the default. They can invest in better home firewalls and deny internet access to their IoT devices. Businesses hoping to keep their Web sites unaffected can use multiple DNS providers and detailed, written plans for what to do when they suffer such an attack. This should include who to call, what remediation steps to take and might call for tabletop exercises to practice the response and make sure the kinks are ironed out.

Could this happen again?

Absolutely. In fact many security experts who keep an eye on internet attacks predict that its just a matter of time.
At this writing, the odds that Hillary Clinton will defeat Donald Trump for the U.S. presidency are very high.

If your concern is trade between Canada and the United States, Canada dodged a bullet. Donald Trump is hostile to trade, mainly with China but also, it appears, with anyone outside U.S. borders. He has never shown an inkling of understanding about the benefits of trade and, although hes inconsistent on many things, Trump has been a steady opponent of foreign trade.

I recall a news item about a speech he gave against NAFTA in Fresno, California in 1993 or 1994. He told his audience that Mexican businessmen favoured NAFTA and, therefore, it couldnt be good for the U.S. This showed that he didnt understand the basic economics of trade. In any trade, both sides gain or, at least, expect to gain. And unless what they get in return is a big disappointment, they do gain. Otherwise, they wouldnt trade. And if they got disappointment after disappointment, they wouldnt keep trading. Trump didnt understand that.

So the good news is that Canada will likely dodge the Trump bullet. The bad news: Canada wont dodge the Hillary Clinton bullet.
Money from Parkway developer expected 'within weeks' after dispute resolved

CASH-strapped West Berkshire Council is set to receive 1.2m in car parking revenue from Parkway developer Standard Life Investments (SLI) within weeks.

Before construction began at Parkway, the council sold public land to SLI for 1 on the basis that a fee of around 300,000 was received in parking revenue each year.

However, the council has yet to receive a single penny owing to its ongoing dispute with the developer over the affordable homes at Parkway.

In 2008, West Berkshire Council paid 900,000 of taxpayers money to SLI to ensure that 37 of the 147 homes being built at Parkway were affordable.

The 37 units were completed in early 2013, but were still unoccupied at the start of 2016 as SLI had not appointed a social housing provider to manage them.

After growing tired of SLIs delays, the council refused to transfer ownership of the land until the issue was resolved and took the unprecedented step of blocking the sale of new private homes.

But the councils tough stance came at a cost.

The council said that before the car parking money can be exchanged, a land transfer must take place between the two parties, but that this cannot be done until the agreement for the affordable homes is signed off.

However, SLI has repeatedly contradicted that claim, saying that the car parking revenue was not linked to the affordable homes, and blamed the council for the delay.

In August 2015, SLI announced that it had finally exchanged contracts with One Housing Group  a leading developer and provider of homes and housing in London and the South East.

Now SLI has completed the contract for the affordable homes, the council says it will immediately stop blocking the sale of private homes.

The land transfer from West Berkshire Council to SLI can then take place and, as a result, the council will receive four years-worth of car parking income, worth in the region of 1m.

This week a spokesman for West Berkshire Council, Martin Dunscombe, said: Around half the affordable homes at Parkway are occupied.

We expect to receive the money in the next few weeks; it will be four years worth of money at around 300,000 per year.
Digital guides created to help those caring for others

WEST Berkshire Councils adult social care team has joined forces with other Berkshire councils to create an online resource for carers.

The Digital Resource, launched earlier this year, is designed to help and support those caring for others in the district.

Its free and features a number of useful online resources including:

. Jointly  a mobile app to help reduce the stress of caring by improving organisational skills.

. About Me  an e-learning course for carers to help build their resilience in the challenging caring role.

. Upfront Guide to Caring  an online assessment tool that directs carers to specific sections of Carers UKs website to access information relevant to them and their situation.

It then produces a short action plan from the assessment to help plan their next steps.

West Berkshire Councils executive member for adult social care, Rick Jones, said: Many of us will become a carer at some point in our lives.

Carers play an essential role in our community and need all the support they can get.

These tools are specifically and sympathetically tailored to individual and practical needs. I urge carers to give the tools a try and to spread the word to others too.

The digital resources were created in partnership with Carers UK.

Carers can find more information or register at www.carersdigital.org entering the free access code DGTL4366.

Professionals can also access the digital service via the same registration process.
Be your own man, Ratan Tata has advised Cyrus Mistry, who will succeed him at the helm of the USD 100 billion Tata group two weeks from now.

"I don't think it is right to have a ghost to shadow over somebody," says Tata, dismissing any notion that his larger-than-life persona would linger even after he retires on December 28 when he turns 75.

The Tata patriarch has told Mistry, 31 years younger, "you should be your own person, you should take your own call and you should decide what you want to".

Tata spoke about his 50 years with the group, 21 as its chairman, the highs and lows of his tenure, his equation with Mistry and his post-retirement plans during an expansive interview to PTI in his office at "Bombay House", the group headquarters.

Mistry, currently Vice Chairman of the conglomerate that spans automobiles, IT, hotels, tea and steel across 80 countries, has been working closely with Tata to prepare for the transition.

Have you passed on a success mantra to Mistry?, the outgoing chairman was asked.

"No, I told him the same things that I told myself when JRD (late J R D Tata) handed over the mantle to me. The first reaction of anybody is to be Mr J R D Tata because you are filling his shoes.

"I instantly told myself, 'I can never do that'. I will never be him much as I try to imitate him. So I took a decision to be myself and to do what I thought was the right thing. I told Cyrus the same thing," he said.

During the transition, Mistry had asked him from time to time, 'is this ok, that ok'. He had responded by telling him that he should look at things as "if I were not there because you should be your own person".

He had told Mistry, "if you want my inputs I will give it to you but be your own man and be yourself and just be driven by the fact that every act you do and every move you make has to stand the test of public scrutiny".

That, he said, was the test he had given himself. "If it stands the test of public scrutiny, do it....if it doesn't stand the test of public scrutiny then don't do it."

Asked if his counsel would be available to his successor, Tata replied, "Yes, certainly. He knows where to reach me and, we in fact, would talk business and stay in touch after I leave."

He then disclosed that the two of them would have lunch every couple of weeks "over something and we will talk about whatever he wants to talk about".

Tata, who will remain Chairman of the various Tata trusts, which hold 66 per cent shares of Tata Sons, was asked as to whether this would not give him a large influence over the group.

He replied, "I don't want to say I will have a large influence over the group. I think I would have to wear a different hat of being the major shareholder. The same kind of view that a shareholder might have, not a Chairman's view of the company.

"I should not be involved in the business of the company or how the company goes about its growth. But at the same time I should be concerned about the return I get on my shares because it is the only income that the trusts have."

The dividend from Tata Sons was to be distributed for charity by the trusts. "So I should protect that," he said.

Looking ahead to the future of the group, Tata said that he personally believed that it was poised to continue to grow.

"Where it would grow, I think Cyrus Mistry should have his space and define where he would like it to grow," he said.

His 20 years at the helm was enough time to charter course. Quite often an organisation has played out one course and is ready to go in a different direction, he said.

Often, an unwillingness to have that "course correction brings about the demise of an organisation because when you bring fresh blood into it, he sees things in another way," Tata said.

The group would continue to grow at the same kind of growth that it had achieved but the patriarch warned, "competition is growing all the time and sustainability of business is becoming more and more difficult".

He went on to say, "So I am sure Cyrus will bring new ideas and new things. I feel very confident that the organisation and his leadership will grow."

Asked about the changes he had not been able to achieve in the group, Tata said that he had wanted a more open, flat organisation where there is not much hierarchy, where there is much more informal working relationship at all levels.

"We are very hierarchical, not feudal--given to honouring years of experience... We don't touch each other's feet but we still almost bow down every time when one passes."

Describing his long tenure as a "journey of great learning", Tata said that he had a role model to look up to in Mr J R D Tata whom he had got to know about six years after he joined the group.

He knew him but was not close to him and they had come close together because they were both pilots.

"I have been flying since I was 17 and when he came to Jamshedpur, it was flying which he liked to do and I liked to do. That brought us close and created a friendship between us which grew over the years," he said of the elder Tata.

"So it was a period of learning, a period of frustration also from time to time. Things didn't happen which as a young man I thought should happen.

"As an older person I understand being told as I was at that time that you have to be patient and so on as things don't happen as you might wish them to be."

Summing up his life with the 144-year-old conglomerate, Tata said, "On the whole it has been a very rewarding experience. I tried to uphold the values and ethical standards that were there.

"I feel satisfied that I have done my best to do what I considered to be the right thing and that has been there throughout."

Asked about moments of frustration, Tata said that there were many, recalling his first job in the foundries of TELCO where when one asked why something was being done in a particular way, one was told, 'this is the way we have done it and it is the best way'.

Has that changed in the group now?, Tata was asked.

"I have tried to change. I have been constantly telling people to encourage people to question the unquestioned and not to be ashamed to bring up new ideas, new processes to get things done.

"It has changed to some extent. I would be arrogant and lying if I were to say it has really changed. There are pockets which have changed and there are pockets which continue to be just as they were," he replied.

Asked about the goals he had set for himself when he took over as chairman in 1991, Tata replied that one of the fundamental goals he had set was to restructure the group into a more cohesive one with lesser number of activities and companies. But he had not succeeded very much.

The first company he had tried to divest was TOMCO, Tata Oil Mills, which at that time had a large market share and was competing with Hindustan Unilever.

He had negotiated a sale to Levers which he thought "was very dignified". It was a sale of shares and Lever would give an undertaking that they would not touch any TOMCO employee for three years at least.

"But the banging that I got from the media, from the stock market, from our own people who said I was destroying a tradition. My father who was also an earlier MD of TOMCO was against me.

"That really frightened me as a new chairman and that was the last major restructuring I did. Then I did some movement of shareholding within the company to make it more cogent....that was possibly one area in which I did set goals to myself and failed."

Tata is of the view that people want to do things after retirement which they have always wanted to do. What is it that he wanted to do and has not been able to do?

"I will spend more time on technology, for example, which is quite a passion with me. As an architect I would like to once again go back to it.

"Actually I do it even today but would now implement what I do on the drawing board. Then there are things like piano which I learnt when I was nine years old. I haven't played it since and would like to relearn to play the piano," he said.

About his passion for flying, Tata, a licenced pilot, said, "The day I am not able to fly will be a sad day for me."

Asked about his other hobby of scuba diving, he said he had given it up about four years ago "because I perforated my ear drum too many times".

Which is the best car he had driven, Tata, Chairman of the group that makes BMW and Land Rover, was asked?

"I have two or three cars that I like but today Ferrari would be the best car I have driven in terms of being an impressive car," he replied.

Did he have any regrets in life?

"No, I don't like to look back. There are many things that, if I have to relive, may be I will do it another way.

But I would not like to look back and think what I have not been able to."

What is the legacy he would leave at the Tatas?

"Apart from values and ethics which I have tried to live by, the legacy I would like to leave behind is a very simple one--that I have always stood up for what I consider to be the right thing and I have tried to be as fair and equitable as I could be.

"I may have hurt some people along the way but I would like to be seen as somebody who has done his best to do the right thing for any situation and not compromised," the Tata patriarch, one of the world's most influential business leaders, concluded.

Be your own man, Ratan Tata has advised Cyrus Mistry, who will succeed him at the helm of the USD 100 billion Tata group two weeks from now."I don't think it is right to have a ghost to shadow over somebody," says Tata, dismissing any notion that his larger-than-life persona would linger even after he retires on December 28 when he turns 75.The Tata patriarch has told Mistry, 31 years younger, "you should be your own person, you should take your own call and you should decide what you want to".Tata spoke about his 50 years with the group, 21 as its chairman, the highs and lows of his tenure, his equation with Mistry and his post-retirement plans during an expansive interview to PTI in his office at "Bombay House", the group headquarters.Mistry, currently Vice Chairman of the conglomerate that spans automobiles, IT, hotels, tea and steel across 80 countries, has been working closely with Tata to prepare for the transition.Have you passed on a success mantra to Mistry?, the outgoing chairman was asked."No, I told him the same things that I told myself when JRD (late J R D Tata) handed over the mantle to me. The first reaction of anybody is to be Mr J R D Tata because you are filling his shoes."I instantly told myself, 'I can never do that'. I will never be him much as I try to imitate him. So I took a decision to be myself and to do what I thought was the right thing. I told Cyrus the same thing," he said. During the transition, Mistry had asked him from time to time, 'is this ok, that ok'. He had responded by telling him that he should look at things as "if I were not there because you should be your own person".He had told Mistry, "if you want my inputs I will give it to you but be your own man and be yourself and just be driven by the fact that every act you do and every move you make has to stand the test of public scrutiny".That, he said, was the test he had given himself. "If it stands the test of public scrutiny, do it....if it doesn't stand the test of public scrutiny then don't do it." Asked if his counsel would be available to his successor, Tata replied, "Yes, certainly. He knows where to reach me and, we in fact, would talk business and stay in touch after I leave." He then disclosed that the two of them would have lunch every couple of weeks "over something and we will talk about whatever he wants to talk about".Tata, who will remain Chairman of the various Tata trusts, which hold 66 per cent shares of Tata Sons, was asked as to whether this would not give him a large influence over the group.He replied, "I don't want to say I will have a large influence over the group. I think I would have to wear a different hat of being the major shareholder. The same kind of view that a shareholder might have, not a Chairman's view of the company."I should not be involved in the business of the company or how the company goes about its growth. But at the same time I should be concerned about the return I get on my shares because it is the only income that the trusts have." The dividend from Tata Sons was to be distributed for charity by the trusts. "So I should protect that," he said. Looking ahead to the future of the group, Tata said that he personally believed that it was poised to continue to grow. "Where it would grow, I think Cyrus Mistry should have his space and define where he would like it to grow," he said. His 20 years at the helm was enough time to charter course. Quite often an organisation has played out one course and is ready to go in a different direction, he said. Often, an unwillingness to have that "course correction brings about the demise of an organisation because when you bring fresh blood into it, he sees things in another way," Tata said. The group would continue to grow at the same kind of growth that it had achieved but the patriarch warned, "competition is growing all the time and sustainability of business is becoming more and more difficult". He went on to say, "So I am sure Cyrus will bring new ideas and new things. I feel very confident that the organisation and his leadership will grow." Asked about the changes he had not been able to achieve in the group, Tata said that he had wanted a more open, flat organisation where there is not much hierarchy, where there is much more informal working relationship at all levels. "We are very hierarchical, not feudal--given to honouring years of experience... We don't touch each other's feet but we still almost bow down every time when one passes." Describing his long tenure as a "journey of great learning", Tata said that he had a role model to look up to in Mr J R D Tata whom he had got to know about six years after he joined the group. He knew him but was not close to him and they had come close together because they were both pilots. "I have been flying since I was 17 and when he came to Jamshedpur, it was flying which he liked to do and I liked to do. That brought us close and created a friendship between us which grew over the years," he said of the elder Tata. "So it was a period of learning, a period of frustration also from time to time. Things didn't happen which as a young man I thought should happen. "As an older person I understand being told as I was at that time that you have to be patient and so on as things don't happen as you might wish them to be." Summing up his life with the 144-year-old conglomerate, Tata said, "On the whole it has been a very rewarding experience. I tried to uphold the values and ethical standards that were there. "I feel satisfied that I have done my best to do what I considered to be the right thing and that has been there throughout." Asked about moments of frustration, Tata said that there were many, recalling his first job in the foundries of TELCO where when one asked why something was being done in a particular way, one was told, 'this is the way we have done it and it is the best way'. Has that changed in the group now?, Tata was asked. "I have tried to change. I have been constantly telling people to encourage people to question the unquestioned and not to be ashamed to bring up new ideas, new processes to get things done. "It has changed to some extent. I would be arrogant and lying if I were to say it has really changed. There are pockets which have changed and there are pockets which continue to be just as they were," he replied. Asked about the goals he had set for himself when he took over as chairman in 1991, Tata replied that one of the fundamental goals he had set was to restructure the group into a more cohesive one with lesser number of activities and companies. But he had not succeeded very much. The first company he had tried to divest was TOMCO, Tata Oil Mills, which at that time had a large market share and was competing with Hindustan Unilever. He had negotiated a sale to Levers which he thought "was very dignified". It was a sale of shares and Lever would give an undertaking that they would not touch any TOMCO employee for three years at least. "But the banging that I got from the media, from the stock market, from our own people who said I was destroying a tradition. My father who was also an earlier MD of TOMCO was against me. "That really frightened me as a new chairman and that was the last major restructuring I did. Then I did some movement of shareholding within the company to make it more cogent....that was possibly one area in which I did set goals to myself and failed." Tata is of the view that people want to do things after retirement which they have always wanted to do. What is it that he wanted to do and has not been able to do? "I will spend more time on technology, for example, which is quite a passion with me. As an architect I would like to once again go back to it. "Actually I do it even today but would now implement what I do on the drawing board. Then there are things like piano which I learnt when I was nine years old. I haven't played it since and would like to relearn to play the piano," he said. About his passion for flying, Tata, a licenced pilot, said, "The day I am not able to fly will be a sad day for me." Asked about his other hobby of scuba diving, he said he had given it up about four years ago "because I perforated my ear drum too many times". Which is the best car he had driven, Tata, Chairman of the group that makes BMW and Land Rover, was asked? "I have two or three cars that I like but today Ferrari would be the best car I have driven in terms of being an impressive car," he replied. Did he have any regrets in life? "No, I don't like to look back. There are many things that, if I have to relive, may be I will do it another way. But I would not like to look back and think what I have not been able to." What is the legacy he would leave at the Tatas? "Apart from values and ethics which I have tried to live by, the legacy I would like to leave behind is a very simple one--that I have always stood up for what I consider to be the right thing and I have tried to be as fair and equitable as I could be. "I may have hurt some people along the way but I would like to be seen as somebody who has done his best to do the right thing for any situation and not compromised," the Tata patriarch, one of the world's most influential business leaders, concluded.
IANS By

As Ratan Tata steps down as chairman of India's largest industrial house Friday, he leaves behind for his successor at Bombay House, Cyrus Mistry, not just a $100-billion empire he helped grow 13-fold in the 21 years at its helm but also a legacy that earned him wide praise as an able corporate leader with values.



Tata joined Tata Group as an apprentice on the shop floor of Tata Steel's Jamshedpur plant in 1962. He took over the top job in 1991, succeeding uncle JRD Tata, at a crucial time when India began its market liberalisation programme and his peers at the "Bombay Group" argued against it and sought a level-playing field for their businesses.



In the more than two decades at the helm, the Cornell-educated Tata not only consolidated the group's business in domestic markets but also expanded it globally, acquiring assets, diversifying businesses and forging new linkages.



In recent years, he conceived and presented to the world the smallest car "Nano". Much before that, in 2008, the Government of India honoured him with its second-highest civilian award, the Padma Vibhushan.



"Ratan has built very adroitly on the grand foundations built by his predecessors, especially JRD. He has not only nurtured the Tata DNA but reshaped it for the new age," Says Bajaj Group chairman Rahul Bajaj.



"The very fact that he is retiring at 75 speaks volumes of his commitment to managing the Tata companies through values," Bajaj added.



Tata Group's market capitalisation, which has some 30-odd listed companies, is now nearly Rs.4.54 trillion ($825 billion), 33 times more than in 1991 when Tata took over the top job. During this period, the group's aggregate sales have increased 43 times, while net profit has grown 51 times.



Tata Group's global expansion started in 2000 with the acquisition of Britain's largest tea firm, Tetley, by Tata Tea, now called Tata Global Beverages.



Since then Tata Group has made several big-ticket global acquisitions, including the purchase of Anglo-Dutch steel maker Corus Group. Tata Steel also acquired Europe's second largest steel maker Corus in 2007 for $12 billion. The company is now called Tata Steel Europe.



Another big acquisition was of iconic British auto makers Jaguar and Land Rover by Tata Motors.



The Group under Tata's leadership also made serveral other acquisitions in the global and domestic markets.



These include acquisition of controlling stake in government-run Videsh Sanchar Nigam Ltd (VSNL) by Tata Sons, purchase of heavy vehicles unit of Daewoo Motors in South Korea by Tata Motors, acquisition of Singapore's NatSteel by Tata Steel and purchase of New York-based The Pierre hotel by Indian Hotels Company.



According to those following the Tata Sons story, it was to Ratan Tata's credit that the group entered new businesses like telecommunications, finance and retail and increased focus on information technology and renewable energy.



At the same time the Group, they add, he led the exit from sectors like cement, textiles and cosmetics, while embarking on new areas. Today, as a result of that, the Tata empire has in its fold the most profitable company in the information technology busines -- Tata Consultancy Services.



Godrej Group chairman Adi Godrej said Ratan Tata leveraged the strength of TCS and Tata Motors while getting out of businesses such as Tata Oil mills and Lakme which were not a strategic fit.



"His clarity of thought and vision for the group has shone through remarkably," said Godrej, who is also the head of industry lobby Confederation of Indian Industry.



Ratan Tata is retiring from the Tata Group's top job as he turns 75, a rule he himself framed. He, however, will remain as chairman emeritus of Tata Sons. Cyrus Pallonji Mistry, 44, who was selected by a panel of eminent people, succeeds him.



Mistry will be the sixth chairman of Tata Group in its 144-year history and only second who does not carry the "Tata" surname. Other people who held the position of chairman of the Tata Group, apart from Ratan Tata, are: Jamsetji Nusserwanji Tata, Sir Dorab Tata, Sir Nowroji Saklatwala and J.R.D. Tata.



Ratan Tata's departure from the iconic Bombay House in downtown Mumbai marks the end of an era in which India looked outward and its business went global.

As Ratan Tata steps down as chairman of India's largest industrial house Friday, he leaves behind for his successor at Bombay House, Cyrus Mistry, not just a $100-billion empire he helped grow 13-fold in the 21 years at its helm but also a legacy that earned him wide praise as an able corporate leader with values.Tata joined Tata Group as an apprentice on the shop floor of Tata Steel's Jamshedpur plant in 1962. He took over the top job in 1991, succeeding uncle JRD Tata, at a crucial time when India began its market liberalisation programme and his peers at the "Bombay Group" argued against it and sought a level-playing field for their businesses.In the more than two decades at the helm, the Cornell-educated Tata not only consolidated the group's business in domestic markets but also expanded it globally, acquiring assets, diversifying businesses and forging new linkages.In recent years, he conceived and presented to the world the smallest car "Nano". Much before that, in 2008, the Government of India honoured him with its second-highest civilian award, the Padma Vibhushan."Ratan has built very adroitly on the grand foundations built by his predecessors, especially JRD. He has not only nurtured the Tata DNA but reshaped it for the new age," Says Bajaj Group chairman Rahul Bajaj."The very fact that he is retiring at 75 speaks volumes of his commitment to managing the Tata companies through values," Bajaj added.Tata Group's market capitalisation, which has some 30-odd listed companies, is now nearly Rs.4.54 trillion ($825 billion), 33 times more than in 1991 when Tata took over the top job. During this period, the group's aggregate sales have increased 43 times, while net profit has grown 51 times.Tata Group's global expansion started in 2000 with the acquisition of Britain's largest tea firm, Tetley, by Tata Tea, now called Tata Global Beverages.Since then Tata Group has made several big-ticket global acquisitions, including the purchase of Anglo-Dutch steel maker Corus Group. Tata Steel also acquired Europe's second largest steel maker Corus in 2007 for $12 billion. The company is now called Tata Steel Europe.Another big acquisition was of iconic British auto makers Jaguar and Land Rover by Tata Motors.The Group under Tata's leadership also made serveral other acquisitions in the global and domestic markets.These include acquisition of controlling stake in government-run Videsh Sanchar Nigam Ltd (VSNL) by Tata Sons, purchase of heavy vehicles unit of Daewoo Motors in South Korea by Tata Motors, acquisition of Singapore's NatSteel by Tata Steel and purchase of New York-based The Pierre hotel by Indian Hotels Company.According to those following the Tata Sons story, it was to Ratan Tata's credit that the group entered new businesses like telecommunications, finance and retail and increased focus on information technology and renewable energy.At the same time the Group, they add, he led the exit from sectors like cement, textiles and cosmetics, while embarking on new areas. Today, as a result of that, the Tata empire has in its fold the most profitable company in the information technology busines -- Tata Consultancy Services.Godrej Group chairman Adi Godrej said Ratan Tata leveraged the strength of TCS and Tata Motors while getting out of businesses such as Tata Oil mills and Lakme which were not a strategic fit."His clarity of thought and vision for the group has shone through remarkably," said Godrej, who is also the head of industry lobby Confederation of Indian Industry.Ratan Tata is retiring from the Tata Group's top job as he turns 75, a rule he himself framed. He, however, will remain as chairman emeritus of Tata Sons. Cyrus Pallonji Mistry, 44, who was selected by a panel of eminent people, succeeds him.Mistry will be the sixth chairman of Tata Group in its 144-year history and only second who does not carry the "Tata" surname. Other people who held the position of chairman of the Tata Group, apart from Ratan Tata, are: Jamsetji Nusserwanji Tata, Sir Dorab Tata, Sir Nowroji Saklatwala and J.R.D. Tata.Ratan Tata's departure from the iconic Bombay House in downtown Mumbai marks the end of an era in which India looked outward and its business went global.
ENS and Agencies By

NEW DELHI: In a sudden and dramatic turn of events, Cyrus Mistry was today sacked as Chairman of India's largest conglomerate Tata Group and replaced by his predecessor Ratan Tata in the interim, triggering a possible confrontation between the single-largest shareholder and the company's founding family.

Mistry's family firm Shapoorji Pallonji Group, which has 18.4 per cent in Tata Sons -- the holding company of USD 100- billion salt-to-software conglomerate -- is believed to be considering fighting out the "illegal" removal. Senior executive who worked with Tata Group of companies for more than two decades, both under Ratan Tata and Cyrus Mistry, said it should have happened more amicably.  We knew the differences with every top executive in the board. His exit was expected, but the time and manner is little surprisingvery unlike Tatas.

In the surprise development, the board of Tata Sons, where 66 per cent shares are held by philanthropic trusts endowed by members of Tata family, ousted Chairman Mistry saying it was acting "for the long-term interest" of the firm. No reason was given for removing Mistry who was brought in less than four years back with much fanfare, but it is believed there were differences over management style and his approach of selling assets after writing them down.

Speaking to Express, a senior executive of a leading steel maker said, We had heard rumours about Cyrus not heeding to the suggestions of senior Board members, but did not expect his removal.

The board named a five-member search committee, which includes Tata, to choose a successor within four months. "Tata Sons Board met today and decided to replace him as Chairman with immediate effect. The Tatas Sons board in its collective wisdom and on the recommendation of principal shareholder decided that it may be appropriate to consider a change for the long term interest of Tata Sons and the Tata group," a Group spokesperson said. Mistry, 48, who replaced Tata, 78, as chairman in December 2012, was only the sixth group Chairman in nearly 15 decades and the first from outside the Tata family.

He will remain a director of the individual companies, though his tenure as Chairman is the shortest so far at the group. Tata will be interim head of the group while a Selection Committee appointed by the company searches for a replacement. The spokesperson said the Committee has been constituted with a mandate to complete the process in four months. Also, there will be no change at the level of CEOs in the operating company, he said.

"Tata Sons today announced its board has replaced Mr Cyrus P Mistry as Chairman of Tata Sons. The decision was taken at a board meeting held here today," a Tata Sons statement said. The board constituted a selection committee comprising Tata, TVS Group head Venu Srinivasan, Amit Chandra of Bain Capital, former diplomat Ronen Sen and Lord Kumar Bhattacharya.

All of them, except Bhattacharya, are on the board of Tata Sons. "The committee has been mandated to complete the selection process in four months," it added. Under Ratan Tata's chairmanship spanning over two decades (1991 to 2012), the Group's revenue grew from around USD 6 billion to USD 100 billion, driven by his expansionist strategy that included overseas purchases like tea maker Tetley in 2000 and luxury car company Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) in 2008. But out of 100 companies under Tata Sons, only a few were profitable, with Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) and JLR clearly standing out. Tata Steel, which bought Corus Group Plc in 2007, has been cutting operations in the UK since the 2008 global financial crisis.

Mistry, on the other hand, was looking at tackling mounting debt by raising cash, refinancing loans and selling assets after writing them down. He was chosen as Tata's successor in November 2011, and was appointed Deputy Chairman of Tata Sons, whose board he had entered in 2006. He became chairman in December 2012 on the basis of his representation from Shapoorji Palonji, the largest shareholder in Tata Sons.

An engineer from the Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine in London, he began working for the group controlled by his father, billionaire Shapoorji Pallonji Mistry, in 1991. Founded in 1868, Tata Group employs nearly 700,000 people and its 100 business include making salt, steel, leather goods, watches, tea, trucks and buses and luxury cars, developing software, generating electricity, running shopping chains, operating undersea cables and mobile telephony and owning hotels. Recent additions include defence, infrastructure and financial services.

Mistry, who was chosen by a five-member panel in 2011 to succeed Ratan Tata, took over the reins of the conglomerate when the veteran industrialist retired on December 29, 2012 at the age of 75 years. After taking charge, Mistry had to face some challenging situations such as the decision to sell Tata Steel UK in the wake of mounting losses.

Tata group is also engaged in a legal battle with Japan's Docomo over the split of their erstwhile telecom joint venture Tata Docomo. In an interview with an in-house magazine, Mistry had last month stated that the group "should not be afraid of taking tough decisions for the right reasons, with compassion" amid "challenging situations" confronted by some of the group's businesses that would require hard and bolder decisions on pruning portfolio.

Roy Rickhuss, the Tata Steel Union UK head while expressing his discomfort with this decision said, "I am quiet shocked. I have been critical of Tata in the recent past due to the lack of communication and coordination in UK. We will be seeking meetings of the highest levels and will be writing to Ratan Tata to directly discuss this."

Born on July 4, 1968, Mistry completed his graduation in civil engineering from London's Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine and followed it up with a masters in Management from the London Business School.

(With inputs from PTI)

NEW DELHI: In a sudden and dramatic turn of events, Cyrus Mistry was today sacked as Chairman of India's largest conglomerate Tata Group and replaced by his predecessor Ratan Tata in the interim, triggering a possible confrontation between the single-largest shareholder and the company's founding family. Mistry's family firm Shapoorji Pallonji Group, which has 18.4 per cent in Tata Sons -- the holding company of USD 100- billion salt-to-software conglomerate -- is believed to be considering fighting out the "illegal" removal. Senior executive who worked with Tata Group of companies for more than two decades, both under Ratan Tata and Cyrus Mistry, said it should have happened more amicably.  We knew the differences with every top executive in the board. His exit was expected, but the time and manner is little surprisingvery unlike Tatas. In the surprise development, the board of Tata Sons, where 66 per cent shares are held by philanthropic trusts endowed by members of Tata family, ousted Chairman Mistry saying it was acting "for the long-term interest" of the firm. No reason was given for removing Mistry who was brought in less than four years back with much fanfare, but it is believed there were differences over management style and his approach of selling assets after writing them down. Speaking to Express, a senior executive of a leading steel maker said, We had heard rumours about Cyrus not heeding to the suggestions of senior Board members, but did not expect his removal. The board named a five-member search committee, which includes Tata, to choose a successor within four months. "Tata Sons Board met today and decided to replace him as Chairman with immediate effect. The Tatas Sons board in its collective wisdom and on the recommendation of principal shareholder decided that it may be appropriate to consider a change for the long term interest of Tata Sons and the Tata group," a Group spokesperson said. Mistry, 48, who replaced Tata, 78, as chairman in December 2012, was only the sixth group Chairman in nearly 15 decades and the first from outside the Tata family. He will remain a director of the individual companies, though his tenure as Chairman is the shortest so far at the group. Tata will be interim head of the group while a Selection Committee appointed by the company searches for a replacement. The spokesperson said the Committee has been constituted with a mandate to complete the process in four months. Also, there will be no change at the level of CEOs in the operating company, he said. "Tata Sons today announced its board has replaced Mr Cyrus P Mistry as Chairman of Tata Sons. The decision was taken at a board meeting held here today," a Tata Sons statement said. The board constituted a selection committee comprising Tata, TVS Group head Venu Srinivasan, Amit Chandra of Bain Capital, former diplomat Ronen Sen and Lord Kumar Bhattacharya. All of them, except Bhattacharya, are on the board of Tata Sons. "The committee has been mandated to complete the selection process in four months," it added. Under Ratan Tata's chairmanship spanning over two decades (1991 to 2012), the Group's revenue grew from around USD 6 billion to USD 100 billion, driven by his expansionist strategy that included overseas purchases like tea maker Tetley in 2000 and luxury car company Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) in 2008. But out of 100 companies under Tata Sons, only a few were profitable, with Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) and JLR clearly standing out. Tata Steel, which bought Corus Group Plc in 2007, has been cutting operations in the UK since the 2008 global financial crisis. Mistry, on the other hand, was looking at tackling mounting debt by raising cash, refinancing loans and selling assets after writing them down. He was chosen as Tata's successor in November 2011, and was appointed Deputy Chairman of Tata Sons, whose board he had entered in 2006. He became chairman in December 2012 on the basis of his representation from Shapoorji Palonji, the largest shareholder in Tata Sons. An engineer from the Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine in London, he began working for the group controlled by his father, billionaire Shapoorji Pallonji Mistry, in 1991. Founded in 1868, Tata Group employs nearly 700,000 people and its 100 business include making salt, steel, leather goods, watches, tea, trucks and buses and luxury cars, developing software, generating electricity, running shopping chains, operating undersea cables and mobile telephony and owning hotels. Recent additions include defence, infrastructure and financial services. Mistry, who was chosen by a five-member panel in 2011 to succeed Ratan Tata, took over the reins of the conglomerate when the veteran industrialist retired on December 29, 2012 at the age of 75 years. After taking charge, Mistry had to face some challenging situations such as the decision to sell Tata Steel UK in the wake of mounting losses. Tata group is also engaged in a legal battle with Japan's Docomo over the split of their erstwhile telecom joint venture Tata Docomo. In an interview with an in-house magazine, Mistry had last month stated that the group "should not be afraid of taking tough decisions for the right reasons, with compassion" amid "challenging situations" confronted by some of the group's businesses that would require hard and bolder decisions on pruning portfolio. Roy Rickhuss, the Tata Steel Union UK head while expressing his discomfort with this decision said, "I am quiet shocked. I have been critical of Tata in the recent past due to the lack of communication and coordination in UK. We will be seeking meetings of the highest levels and will be writing to Ratan Tata to directly discuss this." Born on July 4, 1968, Mistry completed his graduation in civil engineering from London's Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine and followed it up with a masters in Management from the London Business School. (With inputs from PTI)
M Rajendran By

Express News Service

MSTC, which provides a platform for auction of mineral products besides agricultural and forest products through e-auctions, is a public sector mini ratna company under the Ministry of Steel. Its CMD, B B Singh in an interaction with M Rajendran tells how he is steering the company and hopes to auction spectrum for telecom operators soon. Excerpts:

What is the potential of MSTC and has it achieved it?

Metal Scrap Trade Corporation (MSTC) is an organization that offers a platform for the e-auction of human hair to metals. MSTC has e-auctioned 73 coal blocks in the country. Since e-commerce is growing and not many have tried it, we see a huge opportunity. MSTC can expand its offering to other commodities. We have diversified into agriculture commodities and scrap metal. Now, we have been nominated for auctioning non-coal mining blocks, like gold and diamond and iron ore.

Can you auction spectrum?

We almost did qualify to do that, but due to a few issues we could not get the opportunity. But my team is highly qualified and is capable of conducting auctions of any product. Our hands are full now and we have met all expectations of the government.

What keeps your team motivated?

Our top management constantly interacts with our teams. Recently, we created a concept of team leaders for mid rung managers for projects that gives them a sense of responsibility. It has worked well. We have also enhanced perks like allowing all officers to travel by flight. The steps we have taken in human resource development has attracted brilliant students to join us.

How has MSTC managed the challenges?

The company is the most sought after for e-auctioning by many government departments. Each one of them threw at us different challenges. Each challenge is a learning opportunity that has made our officers better equipped to take on new businesses in new sectors. It also gives us an edge over other firms.

Will MSTC explore overseas opportunities?

Yes certainly. We recently had an offer for e-auction and procurement of minerals in mines at Mozambique, but due to their internal reasons, the project was stalled. However, we see a huge opportunity in South Asia and other neighbouring countries. For example, we are in talks with Bhutan for e-auctioning their forest produce. Our experience in similar activities in Kerala and Andhra Pradesh had helped us get the project.

Metal Mandi-- Why a separate portal?

We have huge experience in e-auctioning, and realized that the retail area for industrial products have not been fully tapped yet. So, we decided to create a separate portal to serve buyers and sellers, especially in the steel sector, along with non-ferrous products like aluminum and copper. We had been working on this for the last one year and have incorporated inputs from all our stake holders. We have covered most of the country. It is one of the most user friendly portals around.

MSTC, which provides a platform for auction of mineral products besides agricultural and forest products through e-auctions, is a public sector mini ratna company under the Ministry of Steel. Its CMD, B B Singh in an interaction with M Rajendran tells how he is steering the company and hopes to auction spectrum for telecom operators soon. Excerpts: What is the potential of MSTC and has it achieved it? Metal Scrap Trade Corporation (MSTC) is an organization that offers a platform for the e-auction of human hair to metals. MSTC has e-auctioned 73 coal blocks in the country. Since e-commerce is growing and not many have tried it, we see a huge opportunity. MSTC can expand its offering to other commodities. We have diversified into agriculture commodities and scrap metal. Now, we have been nominated for auctioning non-coal mining blocks, like gold and diamond and iron ore. Can you auction spectrum? We almost did qualify to do that, but due to a few issues we could not get the opportunity. But my team is highly qualified and is capable of conducting auctions of any product. Our hands are full now and we have met all expectations of the government. What keeps your team motivated? Our top management constantly interacts with our teams. Recently, we created a concept of team leaders for mid rung managers for projects that gives them a sense of responsibility. It has worked well. We have also enhanced perks like allowing all officers to travel by flight. The steps we have taken in human resource development has attracted brilliant students to join us. How has MSTC managed the challenges? The company is the most sought after for e-auctioning by many government departments. Each one of them threw at us different challenges. Each challenge is a learning opportunity that has made our officers better equipped to take on new businesses in new sectors. It also gives us an edge over other firms. Will MSTC explore overseas opportunities? Yes certainly. We recently had an offer for e-auction and procurement of minerals in mines at Mozambique, but due to their internal reasons, the project was stalled. However, we see a huge opportunity in South Asia and other neighbouring countries. For example, we are in talks with Bhutan for e-auctioning their forest produce. Our experience in similar activities in Kerala and Andhra Pradesh had helped us get the project. Metal Mandi-- Why a separate portal? We have huge experience in e-auctioning, and realized that the retail area for industrial products have not been fully tapped yet. So, we decided to create a separate portal to serve buyers and sellers, especially in the steel sector, along with non-ferrous products like aluminum and copper. We had been working on this for the last one year and have incorporated inputs from all our stake holders. We have covered most of the country. It is one of the most user friendly portals around.
S Lalitha By

Express News Service

BENGALURU: With the Bangalore Development Authoritys (BDA) coffers already empty, the Rs 1,791 crore steel flyover project between Basaveshwara Circle and Hebbal, approved by its Board, is set to bleed its finances further.

There is a gaping financial chasm between income generated by BDA and funds needed for its projects during the ongoing financial year.

According to sources, for its projects during 2016-2017, the BDA requires Rs 5,500 crore for fresh works and pending ones, Rs 11,850 crore for works and compensation amount for the Peripheral Ring Road project; Rs 700 crore for the Outer Ring Road alignment project and Rs 131 crore for works in Yeshwanthpur.

These ongoing projects already cost Rs 18,050 crore. In addition the steel flyover project will cost nearly Rs 1,800 crore and its cost is likely to escalate by another Rs 350 crore before it is completed, said a source. Hence, BDA will need to mobilise a total of Rs 20,422 crore for the ongoing financial year, said the source.

The financial statements released by BDA reveal this shocking reality. The estimated expenditure planned for the ongoing financial year stands at Rs 2,314.26 crore, while the income that will be generated is Rs 2,314.71 crore. It reveals a surplus of only Rs 45 lakh. This income that is being projected for the financial year is just 11.33 per cent of the amount required for BDAs total projects ( Rs 20,422 crore).

Former top officials of BDA have told Express about the empty coffers of the BDA not allowing it to provide compensation to landowners who have given away their lands for formation of layouts.

According to its website, BDA is expecting to mobilise up to Rs 1,277.47 crore after the allotment of 5,000 sites in its Nadaprabhu Kempegowda Layout project and as initial deposit for another 5,000 sites. The amount BDA will get from KG Layout and auctioning of sites could party fund the flyover project, said a top source.

Asked how the funds will be given to the contractors, a top source said, Generally 5 per cent of the total contracted amount is handed over as advance. The remainder will be handed over in instalments depending on the progress. However, this is unique project, he said. The cost of procuring 60,000 tonnes of steel alone would work out to 80 per cent of the cost. The BDA will need to pay a substantial initial sum for the raw material, he said.

A spokesman for L&T said, Our contract does not allow us to speak about the project.

BENGALURU: With the Bangalore Development Authoritys (BDA) coffers already empty, the Rs 1,791 crore steel flyover project between Basaveshwara Circle and Hebbal, approved by its Board, is set to bleed its finances further. There is a gaping financial chasm between income generated by BDA and funds needed for its projects during the ongoing financial year. According to sources, for its projects during 2016-2017, the BDA requires Rs 5,500 crore for fresh works and pending ones, Rs 11,850 crore for works and compensation amount for the Peripheral Ring Road project; Rs 700 crore for the Outer Ring Road alignment project and Rs 131 crore for works in Yeshwanthpur. These ongoing projects already cost Rs 18,050 crore. In addition the steel flyover project will cost nearly Rs 1,800 crore and its cost is likely to escalate by another Rs 350 crore before it is completed, said a source. Hence, BDA will need to mobilise a total of Rs 20,422 crore for the ongoing financial year, said the source. The financial statements released by BDA reveal this shocking reality. The estimated expenditure planned for the ongoing financial year stands at Rs 2,314.26 crore, while the income that will be generated is Rs 2,314.71 crore. It reveals a surplus of only Rs 45 lakh. This income that is being projected for the financial year is just 11.33 per cent of the amount required for BDAs total projects ( Rs 20,422 crore). Former top officials of BDA have told Express about the empty coffers of the BDA not allowing it to provide compensation to landowners who have given away their lands for formation of layouts. According to its website, BDA is expecting to mobilise up to Rs 1,277.47 crore after the allotment of 5,000 sites in its Nadaprabhu Kempegowda Layout project and as initial deposit for another 5,000 sites. The amount BDA will get from KG Layout and auctioning of sites could party fund the flyover project, said a top source. Asked how the funds will be given to the contractors, a top source said, Generally 5 per cent of the total contracted amount is handed over as advance. The remainder will be handed over in instalments depending on the progress. However, this is unique project, he said. The cost of procuring 60,000 tonnes of steel alone would work out to 80 per cent of the cost. The BDA will need to pay a substantial initial sum for the raw material, he said. A spokesman for L&T said, Our contract does not allow us to speak about the project.
By PTI

NEW DELHI: A 27-year-old man was allegedly shot at by some unidentified men in south Delhi's Neb Sarai area over a parking row, police said today. Sagar Malhotra was returning home yesterday after watching the India vs New Zealand ODI at a relative's place when the incident occurred.

He was rushed to a nearby hospital, police said. Malhotra's brother informed the police about the incident after which a team rushed to the spot and questioned the locals. His family alleged that he had a fight over parking of his vehicle with someone and that could have been the reason he was shot.

"They did not hear the gunshot but just saw Malhotra collapse. His family is also being questioned about any previous enmities," said a senior police officer. Malhotra's statement was recorded yesterday, the officer said. A case has bern registered and police is scanning the CCTV footage from the area, the officer added.

NEW DELHI: A 27-year-old man was allegedly shot at by some unidentified men in south Delhi's Neb Sarai area over a parking row, police said today. Sagar Malhotra was returning home yesterday after watching the India vs New Zealand ODI at a relative's place when the incident occurred. He was rushed to a nearby hospital, police said. Malhotra's brother informed the police about the incident after which a team rushed to the spot and questioned the locals. His family alleged that he had a fight over parking of his vehicle with someone and that could have been the reason he was shot. "They did not hear the gunshot but just saw Malhotra collapse. His family is also being questioned about any previous enmities," said a senior police officer. Malhotra's statement was recorded yesterday, the officer said. A case has bern registered and police is scanning the CCTV footage from the area, the officer added.
By Express News Service

HYDERABAD: Close on the heels of a cab driver misbehaving with a woman staffer of Google in Narsingi police limits, a security personnel, who is supposed to escort women techies to and fro from work at night, harassed a techie in a moving car in Alwal police limits.

The 25-year-old woman software employee lodged a complaint with Rachakonda police. The case was later referred to Alwal Police where the offence took place. Alwal Inspector T Anand Reddy said the complainant works for a reputed IT firm, located at Cyber Towers in Madhapur.

The company provides a vehicle with a security escort to drop employees after their duties. The security personnel allegedly used abusive language against the victim, the inspector said. When the driver tried to come to the victims rescue he was threatened. The scared victim asked the driver to halt and got off. She reached home with the assistance of some locals.

On Sunday, the victim posted the complaint on WhatsApp to the Rachakonda police. The case was referred to the Alwal police, who registered a case under section 354 (assault) of the IPC. According to police, an investigation is on.

HYDERABAD: Close on the heels of a cab driver misbehaving with a woman staffer of Google in Narsingi police limits, a security personnel, who is supposed to escort women techies to and fro from work at night, harassed a techie in a moving car in Alwal police limits. The 25-year-old woman software employee lodged a complaint with Rachakonda police. The case was later referred to Alwal Police where the offence took place. Alwal Inspector T Anand Reddy said the complainant works for a reputed IT firm, located at Cyber Towers in Madhapur. The company provides a vehicle with a security escort to drop employees after their duties. The security personnel allegedly used abusive language against the victim, the inspector said. When the driver tried to come to the victims rescue he was threatened. The scared victim asked the driver to halt and got off. She reached home with the assistance of some locals. On Sunday, the victim posted the complaint on WhatsApp to the Rachakonda police. The case was referred to the Alwal police, who registered a case under section 354 (assault) of the IPC. According to police, an investigation is on.
Team Edex By

Express News Service

A quiz team from Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU), won the grand finale of the Sweden-India Nobel Memorial Quiz 2016 at Indraprastha College for Women, New Delhi on October 7. They warded off stiff competition from 11 other teams in the final round and beat quizzers from other cities to become title holders and claim the big prize  a week-long trip to Sweden.

The team, comprising of students Ambuj Singh Gaharwal, Sunny Aryan and Kisalay, will visit the headquarters of global Swedish companies, Swedish universities and the Nobel Museum among other things. We are extremely excited to have won the grand finale. We have received immense support from our college to reach this position. Sweden-India Nobel Memorial Quiz has given us this opportunity to prove our intellectual skills. The prize will also give us an opportunity to visit Sweden and renowned Swedish companies, said Ambuj. The three boys are doing their post graduation in Culture and Folklore Studies at IGNOU.

Speaking about the kind of questions asked, Ambuj said, There were questions related to various Nobel citations. Every prize winner has a citation, which we needed to know. The year in which a particular prize was awarded was also asked. There were various combinations. The quiz wasnt just about the Nobel, it was about Sweden as well.

Ambuj adds that the team prepared for 2 to 3 hours every day for about a month for the quiz and the preparations also involved memorising some Wikipedia pages. The college library came in handy for them to prepare.

Reach Out: facebook.com/SwedeninIndia

A quiz team from Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU), won the grand finale of the Sweden-India Nobel Memorial Quiz 2016 at Indraprastha College for Women, New Delhi on October 7. They warded off stiff competition from 11 other teams in the final round and beat quizzers from other cities to become title holders and claim the big prize  a week-long trip to Sweden. The team, comprising of students Ambuj Singh Gaharwal, Sunny Aryan and Kisalay, will visit the headquarters of global Swedish companies, Swedish universities and the Nobel Museum among other things. We are extremely excited to have won the grand finale. We have received immense support from our college to reach this position. Sweden-India Nobel Memorial Quiz has given us this opportunity to prove our intellectual skills. The prize will also give us an opportunity to visit Sweden and renowned Swedish companies, said Ambuj. The three boys are doing their post graduation in Culture and Folklore Studies at IGNOU. Speaking about the kind of questions asked, Ambuj said, There were questions related to various Nobel citations. Every prize winner has a citation, which we needed to know. The year in which a particular prize was awarded was also asked. There were various combinations. The quiz wasnt just about the Nobel, it was about Sweden as well. Ambuj adds that the team prepared for 2 to 3 hours every day for about a month for the quiz and the preparations also involved memorising some Wikipedia pages. The college library came in handy for them to prepare. Reach Out: facebook.com/SwedeninIndia
By IANS

MUMBAI: The chairperson of the Central Board Of Film Certification (CBFC) says no one has a right to stop a film from being shown after it has been given a certification.

CBFC chief Pahlaj Nihalani said it was wrong to target any kind of cinema for its Pakistani presence.

"We've given censor certificates to both 'Ek Tera Saath' and 'Ae Dil Hai Mushkil'. Both are equally eligible for release. No faction, political or otherwise, has any right to stop their release," he told IANS over phone.

Nihalani said Fawad Khan was not the only Pakistan artist to perform in a film. Rahat Fateh Ali Khan from Pakistan has rendered two songs in "Ek Tera Saath".

" 'Ek Tera Saath' releases this week. Why isn't there even a murmur of protest against these songs? Only because it is a small film? Is 'Ae Dil Hai Mushkil' a soft target because it is made by Karan Johar? Why are only high-profile films being made soft targets?" he asked.

The Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) had threatened to attack theatres if they screened Johar's film in which Fawad Khan was one of the actors.

On the intervention of Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, MNS chief Raj Thackeray agreed to allow the film to go ahead on assurance that no other Pakistani artists would be given work in future.

There was also talk of Johar donating Rs 5 crore to the army welfare fund. Several commentators have called this extortion by the the MNS, with approval from the chief minister.

Nihalani, a controversial figure himself for taking a stand against kissing scenes in films, also had a word of advise for film maker Anurag Kashyap on his criticism of the Prime Minister.

"Kashyap wants the Prime Minister to apologise for his visit to Pakistan. I suggest Mr Kashyap concentrate on making films instead of commenting on the Prime Minister's policies. Modiji knows what he is doing. But after seeing 'Bombay Velvet', India wants to know if Mr Kashyap knows what he is doing," he said.

MUMBAI: The chairperson of the Central Board Of Film Certification (CBFC) says no one has a right to stop a film from being shown after it has been given a certification. CBFC chief Pahlaj Nihalani said it was wrong to target any kind of cinema for its Pakistani presence. "We've given censor certificates to both 'Ek Tera Saath' and 'Ae Dil Hai Mushkil'. Both are equally eligible for release. No faction, political or otherwise, has any right to stop their release," he told IANS over phone. Nihalani said Fawad Khan was not the only Pakistan artist to perform in a film. Rahat Fateh Ali Khan from Pakistan has rendered two songs in "Ek Tera Saath". " 'Ek Tera Saath' releases this week. Why isn't there even a murmur of protest against these songs? Only because it is a small film? Is 'Ae Dil Hai Mushkil' a soft target because it is made by Karan Johar? Why are only high-profile films being made soft targets?" he asked. The Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) had threatened to attack theatres if they screened Johar's film in which Fawad Khan was one of the actors. On the intervention of Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, MNS chief Raj Thackeray agreed to allow the film to go ahead on assurance that no other Pakistani artists would be given work in future. There was also talk of Johar donating Rs 5 crore to the army welfare fund. Several commentators have called this extortion by the the MNS, with approval from the chief minister. Nihalani, a controversial figure himself for taking a stand against kissing scenes in films, also had a word of advise for film maker Anurag Kashyap on his criticism of the Prime Minister. "Kashyap wants the Prime Minister to apologise for his visit to Pakistan. I suggest Mr Kashyap concentrate on making films instead of commenting on the Prime Minister's policies. Modiji knows what he is doing. But after seeing 'Bombay Velvet', India wants to know if Mr Kashyap knows what he is doing," he said.
By PTI

MUMBAI: CBFC chief Pahlaj Nihalani says it is wrong to demand a proof of someone's patriotism.

Director Karan Johar recently made a video appeal to those protesting the release of his directorial venture because it has Pakistani actor Fawad Khan. He said he was a patriot and wouldn't cast Pakistani artistes in future.

Raj Thackeray-led MNS had threatened to stall the movie's release on October 28.

While Nihalani didn't make any direct reference to Johar, when asked about the demand for a ban on Pakistani artistes, he said this environment was created by some, who wanted to gain mileage and no one needs to reiterate his or her patriotism.

"Not only Pakistani actors, there should be no import or export. Even the films we send are via Dubai. Our films are illegally exported there...

"This environment was created by certain people to gain mileage. In this, our film association body IMPPA was also there whose committee members don't make films but to gain mileage they said 'we will ban Pakistani actors'.

"The exhibitor association said 'we will ban too'. I believe nobody is required to give a certificate of their patriotism. Every citizen of this country is patriotic. Nobody needs to give any certificate or fight. People who ask for it are wrong," he said.

Nihalani was speaking during a session at Aaj Tak's conclave 'Manthan'.

"Ae Dil Hai Mushkil" is now set for a worldwide release as per schedule with MNS ending its protest against it. Nihalani, who has spoken in favour of the film earlier, said a ban on its release would have only resulted into loss of Indians.

"If Karan Johar's film loses money, the Pakistani artist has taken his money, and he also contributed through arts and culture in bridging the gap between the two countries, when the two nations were trying to come together. He fulfilled his duty. It will be our loss," he said.

MNS has asked Johar to donate Rs 5 crore to Uri martyrs. Nihalani said had this discussion happened earlier, the film wouldn't have faced this problem.

"If they would've earlier said give certain section of your earnings to soldiers, victims, the problem would've been solved earlier."

Superstar Shah Rukh Khan's "Raees" has been another film which faced ire of many sections for its casting of Pakistani actress Mahira Khan.

Nihalani said the censor board will certify the film regardless of Mahira's presence, if its release has government's approval.

"I'll give certificate to the film. The issue of Pakistani actors being there or not bring there is not my concern. If it has legal permission, I will give, if it doesn't, then I won't.

MUMBAI: CBFC chief Pahlaj Nihalani says it is wrong to demand a proof of someone's patriotism. Director Karan Johar recently made a video appeal to those protesting the release of his directorial venture because it has Pakistani actor Fawad Khan. He said he was a patriot and wouldn't cast Pakistani artistes in future. Raj Thackeray-led MNS had threatened to stall the movie's release on October 28. While Nihalani didn't make any direct reference to Johar, when asked about the demand for a ban on Pakistani artistes, he said this environment was created by some, who wanted to gain mileage and no one needs to reiterate his or her patriotism. "Not only Pakistani actors, there should be no import or export. Even the films we send are via Dubai. Our films are illegally exported there... "This environment was created by certain people to gain mileage. In this, our film association body IMPPA was also there whose committee members don't make films but to gain mileage they said 'we will ban Pakistani actors'. "The exhibitor association said 'we will ban too'. I believe nobody is required to give a certificate of their patriotism. Every citizen of this country is patriotic. Nobody needs to give any certificate or fight. People who ask for it are wrong," he said. Nihalani was speaking during a session at Aaj Tak's conclave 'Manthan'. "Ae Dil Hai Mushkil" is now set for a worldwide release as per schedule with MNS ending its protest against it. Nihalani, who has spoken in favour of the film earlier, said a ban on its release would have only resulted into loss of Indians. "If Karan Johar's film loses money, the Pakistani artist has taken his money, and he also contributed through arts and culture in bridging the gap between the two countries, when the two nations were trying to come together. He fulfilled his duty. It will be our loss," he said. MNS has asked Johar to donate Rs 5 crore to Uri martyrs. Nihalani said had this discussion happened earlier, the film wouldn't have faced this problem. "If they would've earlier said give certain section of your earnings to soldiers, victims, the problem would've been solved earlier." Superstar Shah Rukh Khan's "Raees" has been another film which faced ire of many sections for its casting of Pakistani actress Mahira Khan. Nihalani said the censor board will certify the film regardless of Mahira's presence, if its release has government's approval. "I'll give certificate to the film. The issue of Pakistani actors being there or not bring there is not my concern. If it has legal permission, I will give, if it doesn't, then I won't.
By Express News Service

CHENNAI: Did you know that RG Torney shot a Marathi play in lesser than four hours and screened it? Till date, the makers have claimed it to be the quickest movie ever made. Now, filmmaker MS Selva has attempted to direct a Tamil film titled Aradavanukku Irundadhellam Pei, in 10 hours. Selva tells City Express, I have been in this industry for more than 15 years and I wanted to create a record. So, we began shooting this movie in a big house from 7 am and completed it by 5 pm the same day. We also shot two songs and a montage which last for more than two minutes. He is quite confident that this would make it to either Guinness Book of World Records or Limca Records.

The director says everything was possible due to the prior rehearsals that took place. A lot of planning has gone into it. Technicians, supporting artistes and lead actors cooperated extremely well. The films message to the audience is be happy with whatever comes to you and lead a content life, he adds.

Arandavanukku... has Saravanan, Anu Krishnan, Singam Puli, Crane Manohar, Nellai Siva, Kumaresan, and others in important roles. Music is by Raja and the song lyrics have been penned by Selva himself. Though we have completed the shooting, post-production work is pending. Were looking to get the movie released some time soon, he shares.

But were the group of members from the Guinness team present at the location spot? No, they asked me to have this whole thing on a specific date, but I couldnt accommodate all the artistes that day. Ill explain these practical difficulties to the team again, he shares.

CHENNAI: Did you know that RG Torney shot a Marathi play in lesser than four hours and screened it? Till date, the makers have claimed it to be the quickest movie ever made. Now, filmmaker MS Selva has attempted to direct a Tamil film titled Aradavanukku Irundadhellam Pei, in 10 hours. Selva tells City Express, I have been in this industry for more than 15 years and I wanted to create a record. So, we began shooting this movie in a big house from 7 am and completed it by 5 pm the same day. We also shot two songs and a montage which last for more than two minutes. He is quite confident that this would make it to either Guinness Book of World Records or Limca Records. The director says everything was possible due to the prior rehearsals that took place. A lot of planning has gone into it. Technicians, supporting artistes and lead actors cooperated extremely well. The films message to the audience is be happy with whatever comes to you and lead a content life, he adds. Arandavanukku... has Saravanan, Anu Krishnan, Singam Puli, Crane Manohar, Nellai Siva, Kumaresan, and others in important roles. Music is by Raja and the song lyrics have been penned by Selva himself. Though we have completed the shooting, post-production work is pending. Were looking to get the movie released some time soon, he shares. But were the group of members from the Guinness team present at the location spot? No, they asked me to have this whole thing on a specific date, but I couldnt accommodate all the artistes that day. Ill explain these practical difficulties to the team again, he shares.
By PTI

LUCKNOW: As fissures in Samajwadi Party deepened, BJP today demanded that Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav prove his majority in the Assembly or resign, labelling the party as "a sinking ship" which has failed on every front.

"CM Akhilesh Yadav should resign or prove his majority on the floor of the Assembly," UP BJP chief Keshav Prasad Maurya told reporters in Lucknow hours after Akhilesh sacked four pro-Amar Singh ministers, including his uncle Shivpal Yadav, from his government.

Seeking to fish in troubled waters, Maurya said Governor Ram Naik should ask Akhilesh to prove his majority on the floor of the Assembly and till he did so, he should not take any policy decision.

"A government reduced to minority should not take any policy decision," he said.

In New Delhi, BJP national secretary Shrikant Sharma said the fast-paced developments within the Mulayam Singh Yadav-led party has "exposed" Akhilesh as he exuded confidence that the people of the poll-bound state will now evince faith in the NDA major as "change is inevitable" there.

"The ongoing theatrics within SP is an exercise of shrouding their sins. The party has become a sinking ship which has failed on every front. Mafia raj prevailed during Akhilesh's tenure. He could not keep promises of providing roads, electricity, drinking water. Even healthcare is in doldrums," Sharma said.

He said that the people elected Akhilesh with a "lot of hopes" after witnessing "rampant" corruption and lawlessness during the previous BSP regime.

"But now he stands exposed, impelling them to engage in such theatrics. However, change is inevitable in Uttar Pradesh. The people of the state are set to evince trust in the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP President Amit Shah in the forthcoming polls," Sharma said.

Rita Bahuguna Joshi, who recently joined BJP after quitting Congress, said the Samajwadi Party was on the verge of a split as in the coming days the differences would widen and there would be no bridging among leaders of the ruling party.

The crisis within SP deepened after Akhilesh sacked Shivpal Yadav, Narad Rai and Om Prakash Singh (Cabinet ministers) and Minister of State (Independent Charge) Sayeda Shadab Fatima.

LUCKNOW: As fissures in Samajwadi Party deepened, BJP today demanded that Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav prove his majority in the Assembly or resign, labelling the party as "a sinking ship" which has failed on every front. "CM Akhilesh Yadav should resign or prove his majority on the floor of the Assembly," UP BJP chief Keshav Prasad Maurya told reporters in Lucknow hours after Akhilesh sacked four pro-Amar Singh ministers, including his uncle Shivpal Yadav, from his government. Seeking to fish in troubled waters, Maurya said Governor Ram Naik should ask Akhilesh to prove his majority on the floor of the Assembly and till he did so, he should not take any policy decision. "A government reduced to minority should not take any policy decision," he said. In New Delhi, BJP national secretary Shrikant Sharma said the fast-paced developments within the Mulayam Singh Yadav-led party has "exposed" Akhilesh as he exuded confidence that the people of the poll-bound state will now evince faith in the NDA major as "change is inevitable" there. "The ongoing theatrics within SP is an exercise of shrouding their sins. The party has become a sinking ship which has failed on every front. Mafia raj prevailed during Akhilesh's tenure. He could not keep promises of providing roads, electricity, drinking water. Even healthcare is in doldrums," Sharma said. He said that the people elected Akhilesh with a "lot of hopes" after witnessing "rampant" corruption and lawlessness during the previous BSP regime. "But now he stands exposed, impelling them to engage in such theatrics. However, change is inevitable in Uttar Pradesh. The people of the state are set to evince trust in the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP President Amit Shah in the forthcoming polls," Sharma said. Rita Bahuguna Joshi, who recently joined BJP after quitting Congress, said the Samajwadi Party was on the verge of a split as in the coming days the differences would widen and there would be no bridging among leaders of the ruling party. The crisis within SP deepened after Akhilesh sacked Shivpal Yadav, Narad Rai and Om Prakash Singh (Cabinet ministers) and Minister of State (Independent Charge) Sayeda Shadab Fatima.


President Barack Obama recently signed a Presidential Policy Directive that encourages further engagement between the United States and Cuba and the people of our two countries. He called the Directive another major step forward in our efforts to normalize relations with Cuba.

This process of normalizing relations with Cuba began under President Obama in December 2014. Since then, the United States has re-established diplomatic relations with Cuba, re-opened its embassy in Havana, facilitated authorized travel, and launched initiatives to help cooperation and innovation between the United States and Cuba.

In support of the Presidents policy of engagement with Cuba, the Departments of Treasury and Commerce have issued six sets of regulatory changes to facilitate additional authorized interactions between the Cuban and American people, including through authorized travel and commercial opportunities, and greater access to information.

The newest set of regulatory amendments that took effect on October 17 allow Cuban and U.S. institutions to engage in joint medical research and authorize greater collaboration on the testing and commercializing Cuban drugs in the United States, meaning that Americans will increasingly benefit from Cuban pharmaceutical discoveries. In addition, the Commerce Department rules now authorize online sales of certain consumer goods to Cubans for personal use under a license exception.

These amendments, said U.S. Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker, will create more opportunities for Cuban citizens to access American goods and services, further strengthening the ties between our two countries.

Even as ties with Cuba are expanded, President Obama acknowledged that challenges remain  and very real differences between our governments persist on issues of democracy and human rights. But engagement, he said, remains the best way to address those differences and make progress on behalf of our interests and values.
By Express News Service

VISAKHAPATNAM/MALKANGIRI/BHUBANESWAR: In a major exchange of fire between the police personnel and Maoists in the interior forest areas on Andhra-Odisha Border (AOB), around 24 suspected Maoists were reportedly gunned down by the police forces. The encounter took place early this morning.

UPDATES:

Andhra #Odisha joint strike on #Maoist camp in Malkangiri, death toll mounts to 24, search ops on, toll likely to increase @NewIndianXpress  Hemant Rout (@Hemant_TNIE) October 24, 2016

Jt Director of NVBDCP Kalpana Baruah, who visited #JapaneseEncephalitis hit Malkangiri, says the disease is under control. @NewIndianXpress  Hemant Rout (@Hemant_TNIE) October 24, 2016

Encounter death toll rises to 24.

Unconfirmed reports suggested death toll is 23. Police said since the operation is being carried out in an inaccessible cut-off area they are finding it hard to get a clear picture on death toll.

According to preliminary information, one body was washed away and 22 recovered.

File pics of Maoists who were killed in encounter near malkangiri in andhra Orissa boarder today.

Maoists Chalapathi and his wife

also died.

Malkangirl SP Mitrabhanu Mohapatra: 40 to 50 Maoists were in the camp when the smart and coordinated operation was carried in Panasput area in Malkangiri district.

The joint opertaion was carried in the cut-off area of Chitrakonda. Our forces are engaged in search operation.

Reliable sources informed top leader Ramakrishna, who luckily escaped was present and they were having a meeting to boycott ensuing Panchayat polls in Odisha.

Top Maoist leader Uday is suspected to have been killed. Andhra-Odisha Border (AOB) zonal committee member Uday was carrying a cash reward of Rs 2 lakh. Four AK 47, 3 SLRs and ten 303 rifles seized.

Two Greyhound jawans injured during the crossfire in Beijing forest between Ramgarh and Panasput, shifted to Vishakhapatnam. Four AK-47 and 3 SLRs have been seized. Two State committee members Ganesh and Uday are believed to have been killed.

------

The operation was jointly carried by Greyhound force of AP and Special Operations Group (SOG) and District Voluntary Force (DVF) of Odisha. The joint operations team entered North East interior forest region of AOB and opened fire at the Maoists, at a place which is about 6-8 km from Bujipattu village. The two sides exchanged fire in which 18 Maoists were killed and a police officer sustained injuries.

Joint operation carried out in Panasput forest, a cut-off area under Chitrakonda police limits of #Odisha's Malkangiri dist @NewIndianXpress  Hemant Rout (@Hemant_TNIE) October 24, 2016

Greyhounds of AP Police have been combing the area for the last two days after receipts of inputs on Maoists movements @NewIndianXpress  pridhviraj rayasam (@Raj_TNIE) October 24, 2016

Two policemen injured in the encounter have been flown to a hospital by helicopter. @NewIndianXpress  pridhviraj rayasam (@Raj_TNIE) October 24, 2016

"Around 18 Maoists died. We have to get confirmation if the dead include any top Maoist leader. We will take the help of locals to identify the bodies. Guns, kitbags and few personal belongings of the slain Maoists were recovered from the site of encounter," said a police officer from Visakhapatnam district police.

Bodies of Maoists are being brought to Chitrakonda.

DIG Visakha Range Ch Srikanth, Visakhapatnam SP Rahul Dev Sharma and few others are on the way to the spot.

VISAKHAPATNAM/MALKANGIRI/BHUBANESWAR: In a major exchange of fire between the police personnel and Maoists in the interior forest areas on Andhra-Odisha Border (AOB), around 24 suspected Maoists were reportedly gunned down by the police forces. The encounter took place early this morning. UPDATES: Andhra #Odisha joint strike on #Maoist camp in Malkangiri, death toll mounts to 24, search ops on, toll likely to increase @NewIndianXpress  Hemant Rout (@Hemant_TNIE) October 24, 2016 Jt Director of NVBDCP Kalpana Baruah, who visited #JapaneseEncephalitis hit Malkangiri, says the disease is under control. @NewIndianXpress  Hemant Rout (@Hemant_TNIE) October 24, 2016 Encounter death toll rises to 24. Unconfirmed reports suggested death toll is 23. Police said since the operation is being carried out in an inaccessible cut-off area they are finding it hard to get a clear picture on death toll. According to preliminary information, one body was washed away and 22 recovered. File pics of Maoists who were killed in encounter near malkangiri in andhra Orissa boarder today. Maoists Chalapathi and his wife also died. Malkangirl SP Mitrabhanu Mohapatra: 40 to 50 Maoists were in the camp when the smart and coordinated operation was carried in Panasput area in Malkangiri district. The joint opertaion was carried in the cut-off area of Chitrakonda. Our forces are engaged in search operation. Reliable sources informed top leader Ramakrishna, who luckily escaped was present and they were having a meeting to boycott ensuing Panchayat polls in Odisha. Top Maoist leader Uday is suspected to have been killed. Andhra-Odisha Border (AOB) zonal committee member Uday was carrying a cash reward of Rs 2 lakh. Four AK 47, 3 SLRs and ten 303 rifles seized. Two Greyhound jawans injured during the crossfire in Beijing forest between Ramgarh and Panasput, shifted to Vishakhapatnam. Four AK-47 and 3 SLRs have been seized. Two State committee members Ganesh and Uday are believed to have been killed. ------ The operation was jointly carried by Greyhound force of AP and Special Operations Group (SOG) and District Voluntary Force (DVF) of Odisha. The joint operations team entered North East interior forest region of AOB and opened fire at the Maoists, at a place which is about 6-8 km from Bujipattu village. The two sides exchanged fire in which 18 Maoists were killed and a police officer sustained injuries. Joint operation carried out in Panasput forest, a cut-off area under Chitrakonda police limits of #Odisha's Malkangiri dist @NewIndianXpress  Hemant Rout (@Hemant_TNIE) October 24, 2016 Greyhounds of AP Police have been combing the area for the last two days after receipts of inputs on Maoists movements @NewIndianXpress  pridhviraj rayasam (@Raj_TNIE) October 24, 2016 Two policemen injured in the encounter have been flown to a hospital by helicopter. @NewIndianXpress  pridhviraj rayasam (@Raj_TNIE) October 24, 2016 "Around 18 Maoists died. We have to get confirmation if the dead include any top Maoist leader. We will take the help of locals to identify the bodies. Guns, kitbags and few personal belongings of the slain Maoists were recovered from the site of encounter," said a police officer from Visakhapatnam district police. Bodies of Maoists are being brought to Chitrakonda. DIG Visakha Range Ch Srikanth, Visakhapatnam SP Rahul Dev Sharma and few others are on the way to the spot.
A K Verma By

Express News Service

The new sultan of Samajwadi Party (SP) is finally born. Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadavs sacking of Shivpal Yadav, his uncle and president of SP in UP from cabinet transcends thesis of family feud and points not only to a serious conflict between legislative and organisational wings of party, but also testifies rebirth of Akhilesh asserting himself as real power centre both in party and government. By this, Akhilesh has demolished charge of multiple CMs in UP. More than victory, Akhilesh is taking the party and government on new trajectory devoid of criminals, corrupt and crony-socialists. Dr. Lohia stood against casteism, criminality, dynasticism and populism  traits that have become hallmark of the present SP. So, Akhilesh is differentiating between good samajwadi and bad samajwadi to take UP towards development.

Dr A K Verma

By roping in Harvard Professor Steve Jarding as his campaign consultant, Akhilesh signaled that he would not take dictation from Mulayam and Shivpal for coming polls. Akhilesh has pushed himself into competitive mode of development vis-a-vis the Modi government. If he takes the new trajectory, he is likely to get the peoples support.

The Muslims who traditionally vote for the SP are now at crossroads; whether to vote Akhilesh or Shivpal? Many think that Muslim mafia don Mukhtar Ansari, who recently merged his Quami Ekta Dal with SP, may be a factor in swinging Muslim votes towards Shivpal. But, Muslims may realize that old samajwadis, including Mulayam Singh Yadav, are being assigned to history bins and may prefer Akhilesh.

The Yadavs may split between rival factions of SP though many may think that Mulayam may be, internally, with his son. However, some division in traditional supporters of SP may not be ruled out though that may be more than compensated by new supporters, especially from development-oriented youth.

Both Yadavs and Muslims, traditional supporters of the SP, are less likely to vote for BJP. But, inadvertently, they may help it. The Yadav votes may get divided between rival factions of SP, and the Muslims, apart from ones choosing to stick with the SP, may turn either to the Congress or to the BSP which is pursuing the Dalit-Muslim coalition.

However, the caste calculus may take the backseat, and Akhileshs amalgamation of socialism with development may trump over caste in run-up to 2017 Assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh.

Author is Director, Centre for the Study of Society and Politics, Kanpur

The new sultan of Samajwadi Party (SP) is finally born. Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadavs sacking of Shivpal Yadav, his uncle and president of SP in UP from cabinet transcends thesis of family feud and points not only to a serious conflict between legislative and organisational wings of party, but also testifies rebirth of Akhilesh asserting himself as real power centre both in party and government. By this, Akhilesh has demolished charge of multiple CMs in UP. More than victory, Akhilesh is taking the party and government on new trajectory devoid of criminals, corrupt and crony-socialists. Dr. Lohia stood against casteism, criminality, dynasticism and populism  traits that have become hallmark of the present SP. So, Akhilesh is differentiating between good samajwadi and bad samajwadi to take UP towards development. Dr A K VermaBy roping in Harvard Professor Steve Jarding as his campaign consultant, Akhilesh signaled that he would not take dictation from Mulayam and Shivpal for coming polls. Akhilesh has pushed himself into competitive mode of development vis-a-vis the Modi government. If he takes the new trajectory, he is likely to get the peoples support. The Muslims who traditionally vote for the SP are now at crossroads; whether to vote Akhilesh or Shivpal? Many think that Muslim mafia don Mukhtar Ansari, who recently merged his Quami Ekta Dal with SP, may be a factor in swinging Muslim votes towards Shivpal. But, Muslims may realize that old samajwadis, including Mulayam Singh Yadav, are being assigned to history bins and may prefer Akhilesh. The Yadavs may split between rival factions of SP though many may think that Mulayam may be, internally, with his son. However, some division in traditional supporters of SP may not be ruled out though that may be more than compensated by new supporters, especially from development-oriented youth. Both Yadavs and Muslims, traditional supporters of the SP, are less likely to vote for BJP. But, inadvertently, they may help it. The Yadav votes may get divided between rival factions of SP, and the Muslims, apart from ones choosing to stick with the SP, may turn either to the Congress or to the BSP which is pursuing the Dalit-Muslim coalition. However, the caste calculus may take the backseat, and Akhileshs amalgamation of socialism with development may trump over caste in run-up to 2017 Assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh. Author is Director, Centre for the Study of Society and Politics, Kanpur
By AFP

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan responded with fury Thursday after India said it had carried out "surgical strikes" along the Line of Control dividing the disputed territory of Kashmir, as tensions soar between the rival nuclear powers.

Here are five things to know about the conflict.

Why is Kashmir disputed?

Muslim-majority Kashmir has been divided between Pakistan and Hindi-majority India since the end of British colonial rule in 1947 -- but both claim it in full and two of their three wars have been fought over it.

Rebel groups are fighting for independence of the Indian-administered portion of the region or its merger with Pakistan.

Besides the thorny question of religion, the conflict is exacerbated by Kashmir's status as a regional water tower: the mountainous area feeds the Indus river essential for agriculture in both countries.

An insurgency broke out in 1989 and tens of thousands of people have died since, most of them civilians.

Why are tensions flaring now?

Ceasefire violations along the Line of Control are not uncommon.

But the killing in July of a popular young rebel leader in a gun battle with Indian soldiers has led to the worst unrest since 2010 on the Indian side.

Security experts and India's government accuse Pakistan of sending militants across the line to further destabilise the territory.

On September 18, 18 soldiers were killed in a raid on an Indian army base near the town of Uri.

It was the worst such attack in more than a decade and tensions soared -- but while India swiftly blamed a Pakistani militant group, Islamabad denied any role.

Is Kashmir an isolated issue?

No. Pakistan's Balochistan province has been hit by sectarian violence and a years-long separatist insurgency which the Pakistani military has repeatedly claimed is "terrorism" promoted by hostile states such as India.

Pakistan, on the other hand, is widely believed to carry out asymmetric warfare by using militant proxies to launch assaults in India, such as the Mumbai attack in 2008.

In Afghanistan the rivalry spills out into the international arena.

India is one of Afghanistan's biggest international donors and has been a key supporter of the Afghan government. Pakistan, the historic backer of the Taliban, has long been accused of supporting insurgents in the country.

Analysts point to the threat of a "proxy war" in Afghanistan between India and Pakistan.

What does the rest of the world think?

Kashmir, caught between two nuclear powers, is often described as one of the world's biggest flashpoints.

But to many it remains a bilateral issue -- unable to ignite global attention on the level of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict despite the parallels.

"In Kashmir, people are fueled by local grievances -- namely, the brutalities inflicted on them by Indian security forces," says analyst Michael Kugelman at the Woodrow Wilson Center in Washington.

"They don't have much interest in the more global objectives of international terror groups like Al-Qaeda and ISIS," he says, citing failed efforts by Al-Qaeda's South Asia affiliate to recruit Kashmiris.

And, while Muslims suffering abuses at the hands of Hindu security forces could make for a compelling Islamist narrative, Kugelman also argues there is little evidence jihadists use the conflict as a recruiting tool elsewhere.

What happens next?

Pakistan and India have been here before, and likely will again -- but for now, despite hype in the media and online, both must act with restraint, analysts say.

Pakistani defence analyst Shaukat Qadir, a retired army brigadier, said he doubts hostilities will go much further.

"Actually India knows very well that if it did something, Pakistan would respond in some way, and gradually these incidents would turn into an escalation and nobody would be able to control it," he says.

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan responded with fury Thursday after India said it had carried out "surgical strikes" along the Line of Control dividing the disputed territory of Kashmir, as tensions soar between the rival nuclear powers. Here are five things to know about the conflict. Why is Kashmir disputed? Muslim-majority Kashmir has been divided between Pakistan and Hindi-majority India since the end of British colonial rule in 1947 -- but both claim it in full and two of their three wars have been fought over it. Rebel groups are fighting for independence of the Indian-administered portion of the region or its merger with Pakistan. Besides the thorny question of religion, the conflict is exacerbated by Kashmir's status as a regional water tower: the mountainous area feeds the Indus river essential for agriculture in both countries. An insurgency broke out in 1989 and tens of thousands of people have died since, most of them civilians. Why are tensions flaring now? Ceasefire violations along the Line of Control are not uncommon. But the killing in July of a popular young rebel leader in a gun battle with Indian soldiers has led to the worst unrest since 2010 on the Indian side. Security experts and India's government accuse Pakistan of sending militants across the line to further destabilise the territory. On September 18, 18 soldiers were killed in a raid on an Indian army base near the town of Uri. It was the worst such attack in more than a decade and tensions soared -- but while India swiftly blamed a Pakistani militant group, Islamabad denied any role. Is Kashmir an isolated issue? No. Pakistan's Balochistan province has been hit by sectarian violence and a years-long separatist insurgency which the Pakistani military has repeatedly claimed is "terrorism" promoted by hostile states such as India. Pakistan, on the other hand, is widely believed to carry out asymmetric warfare by using militant proxies to launch assaults in India, such as the Mumbai attack in 2008. In Afghanistan the rivalry spills out into the international arena. India is one of Afghanistan's biggest international donors and has been a key supporter of the Afghan government. Pakistan, the historic backer of the Taliban, has long been accused of supporting insurgents in the country. Analysts point to the threat of a "proxy war" in Afghanistan between India and Pakistan. What does the rest of the world think? Kashmir, caught between two nuclear powers, is often described as one of the world's biggest flashpoints. But to many it remains a bilateral issue -- unable to ignite global attention on the level of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict despite the parallels. "In Kashmir, people are fueled by local grievances -- namely, the brutalities inflicted on them by Indian security forces," says analyst Michael Kugelman at the Woodrow Wilson Center in Washington. "They don't have much interest in the more global objectives of international terror groups like Al-Qaeda and ISIS," he says, citing failed efforts by Al-Qaeda's South Asia affiliate to recruit Kashmiris. And, while Muslims suffering abuses at the hands of Hindu security forces could make for a compelling Islamist narrative, Kugelman also argues there is little evidence jihadists use the conflict as a recruiting tool elsewhere. What happens next? Pakistan and India have been here before, and likely will again -- but for now, despite hype in the media and online, both must act with restraint, analysts say. Pakistani defence analyst Shaukat Qadir, a retired army brigadier, said he doubts hostilities will go much further. "Actually India knows very well that if it did something, Pakistan would respond in some way, and gradually these incidents would turn into an escalation and nobody would be able to control it," he says.
By Express News Service

HYDERABAD: Alleging that the Left and the Trinamool Congress have unleashed political violence on its workers, the RSS will pass a resolution against lawlessness in Kerala and West Bengal, besides expressing serious concerns on rising Islamist terrorism in Tamil Nadu at its national executive meeting here.

There will be two resolutions which will be passed in the meeting. The crucial one is growing intolerance in Kerala and West Bengal against political opponents by ruling parties in the two states. Scores of our workers and activists of the BJP have been killed and their properties destroyed in Kerala by the functionaries of Left outfits. This political violence is undemocratic and inhuman, said RSS joint general secretary V Bhagayya.

Incidentally, the saffron outfit has been seeking to spread its footprints in the southern states, besides West Bengal. Opening a new front, the RSS singled out Tamil Nadu where it said Islamist terrorism was wreaking havoc in areas bordering with Kerala.

We have noted with concerns the rise of Islamist terrorism in Tamil Nadu. The state government needs to crack the whip against the Islamist terrorists on its land, added Bhagayya.

We have witnessed increasing violence against Hindus in West Bengal by the Trinamool Congress in the name of Muslim appeasement. On the excuse of Muharram, the state government deprived the Hindus of their religious rights. Police refused to register cases against Muslim criminals who killed and brutalised a Dalit minor, the RSS leader said.

The meeting will also adopt a resolution on the importance of Pandit Deendayal Upadhyays philosophy of integral humanism.

The RSS meet will also brainstorm on the issue of caste discrimination. It claims to have done surveys in Telangana, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Karnataka as part of its attempts to help social harmony.

The survey in Telangana found that all can enter temples in 431 out of 489 villages surveyed, while all have equal access to common water resources in 475 habitations and equal rights to crematoriums in 190, said Bhagayya.

He sad 13,000 people, including upper-caste men, had taken part in the surveys. The RSS leader also said the social harmony programme had been conducted in 9,000 villages of Madhya Pradesh.

HYDERABAD: Alleging that the Left and the Trinamool Congress have unleashed political violence on its workers, the RSS will pass a resolution against lawlessness in Kerala and West Bengal, besides expressing serious concerns on rising Islamist terrorism in Tamil Nadu at its national executive meeting here. There will be two resolutions which will be passed in the meeting. The crucial one is growing intolerance in Kerala and West Bengal against political opponents by ruling parties in the two states. Scores of our workers and activists of the BJP have been killed and their properties destroyed in Kerala by the functionaries of Left outfits. This political violence is undemocratic and inhuman, said RSS joint general secretary V Bhagayya. Incidentally, the saffron outfit has been seeking to spread its footprints in the southern states, besides West Bengal. Opening a new front, the RSS singled out Tamil Nadu where it said Islamist terrorism was wreaking havoc in areas bordering with Kerala. We have noted with concerns the rise of Islamist terrorism in Tamil Nadu. The state government needs to crack the whip against the Islamist terrorists on its land, added Bhagayya. We have witnessed increasing violence against Hindus in West Bengal by the Trinamool Congress in the name of Muslim appeasement. On the excuse of Muharram, the state government deprived the Hindus of their religious rights. Police refused to register cases against Muslim criminals who killed and brutalised a Dalit minor, the RSS leader said. The meeting will also adopt a resolution on the importance of Pandit Deendayal Upadhyays philosophy of integral humanism. The RSS meet will also brainstorm on the issue of caste discrimination. It claims to have done surveys in Telangana, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Karnataka as part of its attempts to help social harmony. The survey in Telangana found that all can enter temples in 431 out of 489 villages surveyed, while all have equal access to common water resources in 475 habitations and equal rights to crematoriums in 190, said Bhagayya. He sad 13,000 people, including upper-caste men, had taken part in the surveys. The RSS leader also said the social harmony programme had been conducted in 9,000 villages of Madhya Pradesh.
By Express News Service

Last weeks devastating fire at the SUM Hospital in Bhubaneswar brings out all the lacunae in our hospitals fire safety systems. Everything needs a makeover: Safety regulation, fire-fighting equipment, rescue protocols and prevention mechanisms

The AMRI hospital fire of Kolkata in 2011, which took the lives of 90 people, is a milestone in the infamous annals of hospital fires in India. The tragic deaths apart, it served to throw up several lessons for hospital administrators and fire safety regulators. The list is long but chief among them were these: Hospitals have a multitude of flammable materials, each with different degrees of combustibility, each reacting differently to heat and fire.

Smoke, as deadly a killer of immobile victims as fire itself, spreads insidiously through chutes, vents and interstitial spaces. Space is necessary for fire tenders to operate. Smoke detectors are a necessary first line of defence. Electrical and electronic installations ought to be sequestered and fire-proofed. Evacuation passages should be clutter-free. Basements are not storage areas. Fire drills are not comedies. Fire safety professionals ought to be employed full-time.

And then, add to that list remedies even a schoolboy can suggest: Fire-fighting equipment is mandatory. Fire extinguishers must work.

Take that litany and superimpose it on last weeks fire at Bhubaneswars Institute of Medical Sciences and SUM Hospital, which killed 26 hapless patients, and it will fit like a surgical glove. And then SUM. The fire was sparked from faulty electrical wiring in a storage area in the dialysis ward and smoke spread unseen to the ICU in the gap above the false ceiling. When noticed, it triggered absolute bedlam with doctors, paramedics and orderlies rushing to the exits they knew about, leaving disoriented patients to navigate through thick black smoke.

There were no smoke alarms, no emergency exits, no water in the hydrants, no overhead tanks, no circuit breakers, not a trace of any disaster response system. Yet, SUM has a modicum of a claim to being a modern hospital. Only, in the tradition of many new hospitals in India, it gave attention to appointing itself with modern technological appurtenances rather than invest in fire-fighting systems, whose success lies in never having to be used.

The SUM tragedy brought to the nations focus the sum total of all failures relating to hospital fire safety. The hospital had been operating without mandatory fire certification for three years and had its registration renewed as recently as July despite that. Yet, SUM was not unique in operating in the nether spaces of safety regulation.

In the aftermath of the Bhubaneswar tragedy, all the southern states scurried to audit fire safety in their hospitals and the findings would be laughable if they werent macabre. The day after Bhubaneswars manic Monday, Express asked its photographers to take pictures of dysfunctional or post-expiry fire extinguishers in hospitals across the south. The pictures, uploaded at newindianexpress.com tell their own story. In Odisha, a fire audit was commissioned in 2013, but its findings were never released nor implemented. Only eight of the 1,800 hospitals in Odisha have fire safety clearance. While the picture in the State capital is grim enough, it is frightening in the districts and rural areas: The VIMSAR hospital in Burla, for instance, has 1,000 beds but only eight fire extinguishers. The Sambalpur district headquarters hospital has none.

In metropolitan Chennai, where the authorities rushed to audit hospitals after the SUM fire, an affidavit submitted to the High Court by the TN Fire and Rescue Services Department lay bare the situation: Government hospitals in the State capital operating out of G+4 buildings do not have fire certification, and in the worst case, not one of the 105 hospitals in Tiruvannamalai has bothered to comply. These are only the extreme cases. Disregard for fire safety is the norm with a majority of hospitals, both in private and government institutions, in cities as well as district headquarters.

Karnataka hastened to launch a week-long audit of all health facilities in the State two days after the SUM fire but betrayed a disarming lack of preparedness ahead of its findings.

How many hospitals in the State lack fire certification? The fire department does not have the data. The audit presumably will have to start from scratch. We only know that 44 high-rise hospitals have no NOCs.

How many private and how many government? No data.

Kerala has had the good fortune of not suffering even one hospital fire in the last five years, but has at the same been innocent of the need to audit its 1,280 government hospitals and 2,000 private hospitals. It is now hastening to do so.

State Fire and Rescue Services boss A Hemachandran said a three-member mission has been sent to Odisha to study the SUM fire. Keralas innocence to fire safety percolates down the bureaucracy.

At the Medical College and General Hospital in Kozhikode, for instance, there are no fire safety systems bar a few fire extinguishers and the hospital secretary and divisional fire safety officer do not know if the facility has a mandatory certificate of approval from the Department of Fire and Rescue. At the Kozhikode Medical College, the largest medical care centre in the Malabar region catering to over 10,000 patients, even the new building for multispecialities has no functioning fire safety system.

In most states, statutory fire safety protocols are expected to be monitored  even if they are not  by the fire service if the height of the building exceeds 15 m, as per the National Building Code. Lesser hospitals are left to the monitoring devices of the local civic authorities, and it is here that fire safety is an unheard of danger.

In many cases, the fire service does not have the power to shutdown a hospital if it does not toe the line. That power is vested with other agencies of the bureaucracy, which leaves the errant hospitals to continue to operate within the interstices, much like the fire that ravaged Sum Hospital.

(With inputs from S V Krishna Chaitanya, Sushmitha Ramakrishnan and Ram M Sundaram in Chennai; Bijay Chaki and Hemant Rout in Odisha;Rajitha S and Jayendra Chaithanya T in Hyderabad; Suraksha P in Bengaluru; P S Dileep in Vijayawada; and M S Vidyanandan and Kiran Murali in Kerala)

Last weeks devastating fire at the SUM Hospital in Bhubaneswar brings out all the lacunae in our hospitals fire safety systems. Everything needs a makeover: Safety regulation, fire-fighting equipment, rescue protocols and prevention mechanisms The AMRI hospital fire of Kolkata in 2011, which took the lives of 90 people, is a milestone in the infamous annals of hospital fires in India. The tragic deaths apart, it served to throw up several lessons for hospital administrators and fire safety regulators. The list is long but chief among them were these: Hospitals have a multitude of flammable materials, each with different degrees of combustibility, each reacting differently to heat and fire. Smoke, as deadly a killer of immobile victims as fire itself, spreads insidiously through chutes, vents and interstitial spaces. Space is necessary for fire tenders to operate. Smoke detectors are a necessary first line of defence. Electrical and electronic installations ought to be sequestered and fire-proofed. Evacuation passages should be clutter-free. Basements are not storage areas. Fire drills are not comedies. Fire safety professionals ought to be employed full-time. And then, add to that list remedies even a schoolboy can suggest: Fire-fighting equipment is mandatory. Fire extinguishers must work. Take that litany and superimpose it on last weeks fire at Bhubaneswars Institute of Medical Sciences and SUM Hospital, which killed 26 hapless patients, and it will fit like a surgical glove. And then SUM. The fire was sparked from faulty electrical wiring in a storage area in the dialysis ward and smoke spread unseen to the ICU in the gap above the false ceiling. When noticed, it triggered absolute bedlam with doctors, paramedics and orderlies rushing to the exits they knew about, leaving disoriented patients to navigate through thick black smoke. There were no smoke alarms, no emergency exits, no water in the hydrants, no overhead tanks, no circuit breakers, not a trace of any disaster response system. Yet, SUM has a modicum of a claim to being a modern hospital. Only, in the tradition of many new hospitals in India, it gave attention to appointing itself with modern technological appurtenances rather than invest in fire-fighting systems, whose success lies in never having to be used. The SUM tragedy brought to the nations focus the sum total of all failures relating to hospital fire safety. The hospital had been operating without mandatory fire certification for three years and had its registration renewed as recently as July despite that. Yet, SUM was not unique in operating in the nether spaces of safety regulation. In the aftermath of the Bhubaneswar tragedy, all the southern states scurried to audit fire safety in their hospitals and the findings would be laughable if they werent macabre. The day after Bhubaneswars manic Monday, Express asked its photographers to take pictures of dysfunctional or post-expiry fire extinguishers in hospitals across the south. The pictures, uploaded at newindianexpress.com tell their own story. In Odisha, a fire audit was commissioned in 2013, but its findings were never released nor implemented. Only eight of the 1,800 hospitals in Odisha have fire safety clearance. While the picture in the State capital is grim enough, it is frightening in the districts and rural areas: The VIMSAR hospital in Burla, for instance, has 1,000 beds but only eight fire extinguishers. The Sambalpur district headquarters hospital has none. In metropolitan Chennai, where the authorities rushed to audit hospitals after the SUM fire, an affidavit submitted to the High Court by the TN Fire and Rescue Services Department lay bare the situation: Government hospitals in the State capital operating out of G+4 buildings do not have fire certification, and in the worst case, not one of the 105 hospitals in Tiruvannamalai has bothered to comply. These are only the extreme cases. Disregard for fire safety is the norm with a majority of hospitals, both in private and government institutions, in cities as well as district headquarters. Karnataka hastened to launch a week-long audit of all health facilities in the State two days after the SUM fire but betrayed a disarming lack of preparedness ahead of its findings. How many hospitals in the State lack fire certification? The fire department does not have the data. The audit presumably will have to start from scratch. We only know that 44 high-rise hospitals have no NOCs. How many private and how many government? No data. Kerala has had the good fortune of not suffering even one hospital fire in the last five years, but has at the same been innocent of the need to audit its 1,280 government hospitals and 2,000 private hospitals. It is now hastening to do so. State Fire and Rescue Services boss A Hemachandran said a three-member mission has been sent to Odisha to study the SUM fire. Keralas innocence to fire safety percolates down the bureaucracy. At the Medical College and General Hospital in Kozhikode, for instance, there are no fire safety systems bar a few fire extinguishers and the hospital secretary and divisional fire safety officer do not know if the facility has a mandatory certificate of approval from the Department of Fire and Rescue. At the Kozhikode Medical College, the largest medical care centre in the Malabar region catering to over 10,000 patients, even the new building for multispecialities has no functioning fire safety system. In most states, statutory fire safety protocols are expected to be monitored  even if they are not  by the fire service if the height of the building exceeds 15 m, as per the National Building Code. Lesser hospitals are left to the monitoring devices of the local civic authorities, and it is here that fire safety is an unheard of danger. In many cases, the fire service does not have the power to shutdown a hospital if it does not toe the line. That power is vested with other agencies of the bureaucracy, which leaves the errant hospitals to continue to operate within the interstices, much like the fire that ravaged Sum Hospital. (With inputs from S V Krishna Chaitanya, Sushmitha Ramakrishnan and Ram M Sundaram in Chennai; Bijay Chaki and Hemant Rout in Odisha;Rajitha S and Jayendra Chaithanya T in Hyderabad; Suraksha P in Bengaluru; P S Dileep in Vijayawada; and M S Vidyanandan and Kiran Murali in Kerala)
By IANS

LUCKNOW: Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav on Sunday refused to comment on the bitter tussle in the party and said he will react publicly only on Monday.



Emerging after an 'emergency' meeting with party leaders, Mulayam Singh said he would speak up only after meeting all legislators, former MLAs and senior party colleagues.



Insiders say Mulayam Singh was very hurt over the day's developments and had not taken kindly to the sacking of his brother Shivpal Yadav and three other ministers by his Chief Minister son Akhilesh Yadav.



And angry over a letter written by cousin and Rajya Sabha member Ram Gopal Yadav supporting Akhilesh Yadav, he sacked him from all party posts and expelled him from the party for six years.

LUCKNOW: Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav on Sunday refused to comment on the bitter tussle in the party and said he will react publicly only on Monday. Emerging after an 'emergency' meeting with party leaders, Mulayam Singh said he would speak up only after meeting all legislators, former MLAs and senior party colleagues. Insiders say Mulayam Singh was very hurt over the day's developments and had not taken kindly to the sacking of his brother Shivpal Yadav and three other ministers by his Chief Minister son Akhilesh Yadav. And angry over a letter written by cousin and Rajya Sabha member Ram Gopal Yadav supporting Akhilesh Yadav, he sacked him from all party posts and expelled him from the party for six years.
By Express News Service

MUMBAI: The Maharashtra government has set up a task force headed by State Health Minister Deepak Sawant to recommend long-term measures to eradicate malnutrition in tribal areas of Palghar district. There were deaths reported from Palghar district due to malnutrition in recent months.

The announcement to set up a task force was recently made by Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. Accordingly, a Government Resolution (GR) to this effect was issued last Friday. Deepak Sawant will be the chairperson of the task force, which will have women and child welfare and rural development minister Pankaja Munde, tribal minister Vishnu Sawra, agriculture minister Pandurang Fundkar and food and civil supplies minister Girish Bapat as members.

The other members include additional chief secretary of women and child welfare ministry, principal secretary of agriculture ministry, secretaries of Tribal and Food and Civil Supplies ministries. Principal secretary (health) will be the member secretary of the task force. Fadnavis had announced setting up of such a State-level task force to curb malnutrition in Maharashtra in September. In order to eradicate the problem of malnutrition, there is a need for co-ordination among different departments. Taking this into account, the task force committee is being set up, the Chief Minister had said.

MUMBAI: The Maharashtra government has set up a task force headed by State Health Minister Deepak Sawant to recommend long-term measures to eradicate malnutrition in tribal areas of Palghar district. There were deaths reported from Palghar district due to malnutrition in recent months. The announcement to set up a task force was recently made by Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. Accordingly, a Government Resolution (GR) to this effect was issued last Friday. Deepak Sawant will be the chairperson of the task force, which will have women and child welfare and rural development minister Pankaja Munde, tribal minister Vishnu Sawra, agriculture minister Pandurang Fundkar and food and civil supplies minister Girish Bapat as members. The other members include additional chief secretary of women and child welfare ministry, principal secretary of agriculture ministry, secretaries of Tribal and Food and Civil Supplies ministries. Principal secretary (health) will be the member secretary of the task force. Fadnavis had announced setting up of such a State-level task force to curb malnutrition in Maharashtra in September. In order to eradicate the problem of malnutrition, there is a need for co-ordination among different departments. Taking this into account, the task force committee is being set up, the Chief Minister had said.
Prasanta Mazumdar By

Express News Service

GUWAHATI: Manipur Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh on Monday escaped unhurt when suspected militants of the Isak-Muivah faction of National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN-IM) opened fire, allegedly targeting him, just as he was getting out of his chopper at Ukhrul helipad.

A jawan of Manipur Rifles was injured in the firing. The incident came barely hours after Sundays twin grenade blasts in Ukhrul in which a jawan of India Reserve Battalion was injured.

Official sources said accompanied by Deputy Chief Minister Gaikhangam, Ibobi had gone to the states Naga-majority Ukhrul to inaugurate some government projects. The visit came when a strong public mood was building against the chief minister. The powerful Tangkhul Naga Long had called Ukhrul district bandh on Monday protesting the visit.

According to defence sources, hundreds of protestors had congregated outside the helipad to prevent Ibobi from visiting the places.

The chief minister was to have inaugurated a district hospital and two power sub stations but he left due to the violent protests, during which three police vehicles were torched, the sources said.

From the helipad, the chopper carrying Ibobi took off for Chingai in the district but could not land there as protests were being staged even there too. Later, it flew back to Manipur capital Imphal where the chief minister convened an emergency Cabinet meeting.

The Tangkhul (tribe) Nagas are in a large majority in Ukhrul which is one of the four Naga-majority districts of Manipur. It is also the birthplace of NSCN-IM general secretary Thuingaleng Muivah. The Tangkhul Naga Long, which is the apex social organisation of the Tangkhuls, was miffed with Ibobi for his attempt to inaugurate the 100-bed hospital where the work was allegedly not completed.

Ibobi is a strong critic of the NSCN-IM and its contentious demand for the creation of Greater Nagaland. The major Naga insurgent group envisages the creation of Greater Nagaland by slicing off the Naga inhabited areas of Manipur, Assam and Arunachal Pradesh.

Given the rebels demand, the Manipuris are worried about Manipurs territorial integrity. Ibobi has made it clear time and again that his Congress government will not allow even an inch of the states land to be ceded. A few years back, his government had thwarted Muivahs attempt to visit Ukhrul on the ground that the territorial limit of the NSCN-IMs ceasefire with the Centre was within the state of Nagaland.

The NSCN-IM, which has been in peace mode since 1997 following its signing of ceasefire agreement, has held over 70 rounds of talks with the Centre but a solution continues to elude the Nagas.



GUWAHATI: Manipur Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh on Monday escaped unhurt when suspected militants of the Isak-Muivah faction of National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN-IM) opened fire, allegedly targeting him, just as he was getting out of his chopper at Ukhrul helipad. A jawan of Manipur Rifles was injured in the firing. The incident came barely hours after Sundays twin grenade blasts in Ukhrul in which a jawan of India Reserve Battalion was injured. Official sources said accompanied by Deputy Chief Minister Gaikhangam, Ibobi had gone to the states Naga-majority Ukhrul to inaugurate some government projects. The visit came when a strong public mood was building against the chief minister. The powerful Tangkhul Naga Long had called Ukhrul district bandh on Monday protesting the visit. According to defence sources, hundreds of protestors had congregated outside the helipad to prevent Ibobi from visiting the places. The chief minister was to have inaugurated a district hospital and two power sub stations but he left due to the violent protests, during which three police vehicles were torched, the sources said. From the helipad, the chopper carrying Ibobi took off for Chingai in the district but could not land there as protests were being staged even there too. Later, it flew back to Manipur capital Imphal where the chief minister convened an emergency Cabinet meeting. The Tangkhul (tribe) Nagas are in a large majority in Ukhrul which is one of the four Naga-majority districts of Manipur. It is also the birthplace of NSCN-IM general secretary Thuingaleng Muivah. The Tangkhul Naga Long, which is the apex social organisation of the Tangkhuls, was miffed with Ibobi for his attempt to inaugurate the 100-bed hospital where the work was allegedly not completed. Ibobi is a strong critic of the NSCN-IM and its contentious demand for the creation of Greater Nagaland. The major Naga insurgent group envisages the creation of Greater Nagaland by slicing off the Naga inhabited areas of Manipur, Assam and Arunachal Pradesh. Given the rebels demand, the Manipuris are worried about Manipurs territorial integrity. Ibobi has made it clear time and again that his Congress government will not allow even an inch of the states land to be ceded. A few years back, his government had thwarted Muivahs attempt to visit Ukhrul on the ground that the territorial limit of the NSCN-IMs ceasefire with the Centre was within the state of Nagaland. The NSCN-IM, which has been in peace mode since 1997 following its signing of ceasefire agreement, has held over 70 rounds of talks with the Centre but a solution continues to elude the Nagas.
By Express News Service

MUMBAI: The death of a penguin in the Jijamata Zoo here has led to political mudslinging between the Shiv Sena and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS). While the MNS tried to blame Thackeray scion Aditya for the incident, Uddhav Thackeray advised the MNS to save the party rather than harping about penguins.

Shiv Sena mouthpiece Saamana carried an editorial on Monday titled Yeh to Honahi Tha (This was bound to happen). The editorial criticised the MNS for withdrawing its agitation against Pakistani movies. The MNS too, meanwhile, wrote a letter to the municipal commissioner titled Yeh to Honahi Tha criticising the decision to bring penguins to the zoo.

Eight Humboldt penguins were brought to the Jijamata Zoo at Byculla from South Korea three months back. Of them, a one-and-a-half-year-old female penguin died at the zoos quarantine section on Sunday. Liver dysfunction and intestinal infection were cited as the reasons for the death by the zoo authorities. The penguins were supposed to be put on public display in November.

The Shiv Sena-led civic body had announced the introduction of the penguins after the 2012 civic elections as part of the zoos modernisation plan. Around `3 crore was spent to buy the penguins. While animal activists accused the zoo authorities of negligence, the MNS chose to target Yuva Sena chief Aditya Thackeray for it. Aditya is being promoted as the Sena face for the forthcoming Assembly elections and it was reportedly his idea to bring the penguins to the zoo.

MNS corporator and State spokesperson Sandeep Deshpande shot off a letter to municipal commissioner Ajoy Mehta demanding that the remaining seven Humboldts be immediately sent back to ensure their survival. Deshpande said the penguins can thrive only in a cold climate and not a warm place like Mumbai and that MNS and environmentalists had been protesting against acquiring such exotic creatures from the beginning. Stung by the MNS criticism, Uddhav sharply countered it by advising Deshpande to save the party before saving the penguins. This is a protest by some ill-omened (panauti) persons... They should first save themselves instead of the penguins, Thackeray said without naming the MNS.

MUMBAI: The death of a penguin in the Jijamata Zoo here has led to political mudslinging between the Shiv Sena and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS). While the MNS tried to blame Thackeray scion Aditya for the incident, Uddhav Thackeray advised the MNS to save the party rather than harping about penguins. Shiv Sena mouthpiece Saamana carried an editorial on Monday titled Yeh to Honahi Tha (This was bound to happen). The editorial criticised the MNS for withdrawing its agitation against Pakistani movies. The MNS too, meanwhile, wrote a letter to the municipal commissioner titled Yeh to Honahi Tha criticising the decision to bring penguins to the zoo. Eight Humboldt penguins were brought to the Jijamata Zoo at Byculla from South Korea three months back. Of them, a one-and-a-half-year-old female penguin died at the zoos quarantine section on Sunday. Liver dysfunction and intestinal infection were cited as the reasons for the death by the zoo authorities. The penguins were supposed to be put on public display in November. The Shiv Sena-led civic body had announced the introduction of the penguins after the 2012 civic elections as part of the zoos modernisation plan. Around `3 crore was spent to buy the penguins. While animal activists accused the zoo authorities of negligence, the MNS chose to target Yuva Sena chief Aditya Thackeray for it. Aditya is being promoted as the Sena face for the forthcoming Assembly elections and it was reportedly his idea to bring the penguins to the zoo. MNS corporator and State spokesperson Sandeep Deshpande shot off a letter to municipal commissioner Ajoy Mehta demanding that the remaining seven Humboldts be immediately sent back to ensure their survival. Deshpande said the penguins can thrive only in a cold climate and not a warm place like Mumbai and that MNS and environmentalists had been protesting against acquiring such exotic creatures from the beginning. Stung by the MNS criticism, Uddhav sharply countered it by advising Deshpande to save the party before saving the penguins. This is a protest by some ill-omened (panauti) persons... They should first save themselves instead of the penguins, Thackeray said without naming the MNS.
By PTI

JAMMU: A 6-year-old boy and a BSF jawan were killed and 10 people, including 8 civilians, were injured in the heaviest cross-border shelling by Pakistani troops which targeted civilian areas and 25 posts of the Indian border guarding force along the International Border in Jammu throughout the night.

As the ceasefire violations intensified, BSF chief K K Sharma said Pakistani forces are deliberately trying to "create a flash point" to facilitate infiltration of militants into India and asserted that these designs will be foiled. The Pakistani soldiers used small and automatic weapons and resorted to mortar bomb shelling to target over 25 border out posts (BoPs) and civilian areas in R S Pura, Arnia, Suchetgarh, Kanachak, Pargwal sub sectors of Jammu district since last night, a BSF officer said.

"One child died and 8 civilians were injured in the firing and shelling by Pakistani troops on posts and civilian villages along IB in Jammu district," Deputy Commissioner Jammu Simrandeep Singh said. The boy Vicky Kumar was killed as Pakistani forces resorted to unprovoked firing in a "complete bizarre manner" on civilian areas at Laliyal village in R S Pura, official sources said. Vicky, belonging to a labourer family from Bihar, died due to splinter injuries from a mortar shell explosion.

He had spent the night in a bunker and as soon as he came out to play, the splinter hit him, officials said. BSF constable Sushil Kumar of Kurukshetra in Haryana was also martyred and another was injured in the Pakistani firing and shelling, the BSF officer said. Sushil Kumar was hit with a splinter in his neck at a post in R S Pura and was shifted to GMC hospital, where doctors declared him dead, the senior BSF officer said. Nine others were injured in the overnight firing of whom condition of a woman was stated to be critical. BSF was giving a befitting reply, the officer said.

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, who is on a visit to Bahrain, said he spoke to BSF DG K K Sharma who apprised him of the situation in border areas of Jammu region. "The BSF is capable of giving befitting reply," he tweeted. "I salute the bravery and sacrifice of BSF jawan Sushil Kumar who was martyred in RS Pura sector of Jammu region last night," Singh added. Simrandeep Singh said 30 cattle had also perished and 130 others were injured in the Pakistani firing and shelling in various border hamlets in the district. Police and Civil authorities are assessing losses to property in various villages along the IB in Jammu district on account of Pakistani shelling, the Deputy Commissioner added. A huge damage has been caused to the houses and other properties in the border hamlets, an official said.

Meanwhile, Pakistan Army claimed that two people, including a minor girl, were killed in "unprovoked firing" by Indian troops. Pakistan Army, in a statement, alleged that the Indian soldiers resorted to firing and shelling in Harpal, Pukhlian and Charwah sectors on the working boundary.

Due to India's "unprovoked firing" at the working boundary last night a civilian of village Janglora and a one and a half-years old girl were killed while seven civilians were injured, it said. BSF chief insisted that his force never targets civilian areas nor initiates ceasefire violations. "They (Pakistani forces) deliberately create such flash points with an aim of engineering infiltration," he told reporters here while commenting on the intensified cross- border shelling and firing by Pakistani troops.

"You can say that they (Pakistani troops) always try to create a flash point so that they get an excuse to go for action," Sharma added after laying wreath on mortal remains of BSF Head Constable Sushil Kumar who was killed in Pakistani shelling in R S Pura sector this morning. The BSF Director General said while Pakistan may start the confrontation, "we are committed to give befitting reply and foiling their designs of infiltration.... We have to react so that we do not allow them to get successful in their designs to engineer infiltration from across the border."

He said the morale of the troops is "very high and we are ready to meet any eventuality". Asserting that BSF never initiates ceasefire violation, he said the Indian border guarding force only gives a "befitting reply" to the provocations by the Pakistani forces. "I want to clarify that we have never initiated (any ceasefire violation). It is Pakistan which is doing it. As you know in case of (BSF constable) Gurnam Singh, they killed him in a sniper fire first. In reply to that we gave them befitting reply," Sharma said, referring to last week's incident in which BSF claimed to have killed 7 Pakistani Rangers and a terrorist in retaliatory fire.

"The way they are bombarding our areas, they are targeting civilians but as a policy, BSF does not target civilians at all," Sharma said. "We only target the place from where the fire is coming. We only target military and Pakistani Rangers establishments. We never intentionally target civilian areas," he added. About today's incident, he said, "They initiated heavy shelling in R S Pura, we retaliated to that." He added, ".. the area weapons do not have great amount of accuracy.

As a result, civilians are also harmed, property is also damaged. That is the collateral damage." In reply to another question about his message and directive to the field commanders, Sharma said "I have asked my commanders not to initiate anything. But at the same time give them befitting and strong reply". Sending out a message, the BSF DG said, "I would like to convey to Pakistan that as in the past, they will have to retreat. I will only tell them that they should desist from unholy designs and they should not do anything that will harm us as in the past."

JAMMU: A 6-year-old boy and a BSF jawan were killed and 10 people, including 8 civilians, were injured in the heaviest cross-border shelling by Pakistani troops which targeted civilian areas and 25 posts of the Indian border guarding force along the International Border in Jammu throughout the night. As the ceasefire violations intensified, BSF chief K K Sharma said Pakistani forces are deliberately trying to "create a flash point" to facilitate infiltration of militants into India and asserted that these designs will be foiled. The Pakistani soldiers used small and automatic weapons and resorted to mortar bomb shelling to target over 25 border out posts (BoPs) and civilian areas in R S Pura, Arnia, Suchetgarh, Kanachak, Pargwal sub sectors of Jammu district since last night, a BSF officer said. "One child died and 8 civilians were injured in the firing and shelling by Pakistani troops on posts and civilian villages along IB in Jammu district," Deputy Commissioner Jammu Simrandeep Singh said. The boy Vicky Kumar was killed as Pakistani forces resorted to unprovoked firing in a "complete bizarre manner" on civilian areas at Laliyal village in R S Pura, official sources said. Vicky, belonging to a labourer family from Bihar, died due to splinter injuries from a mortar shell explosion. He had spent the night in a bunker and as soon as he came out to play, the splinter hit him, officials said. BSF constable Sushil Kumar of Kurukshetra in Haryana was also martyred and another was injured in the Pakistani firing and shelling, the BSF officer said. Sushil Kumar was hit with a splinter in his neck at a post in R S Pura and was shifted to GMC hospital, where doctors declared him dead, the senior BSF officer said. Nine others were injured in the overnight firing of whom condition of a woman was stated to be critical. BSF was giving a befitting reply, the officer said. Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, who is on a visit to Bahrain, said he spoke to BSF DG K K Sharma who apprised him of the situation in border areas of Jammu region. "The BSF is capable of giving befitting reply," he tweeted. "I salute the bravery and sacrifice of BSF jawan Sushil Kumar who was martyred in RS Pura sector of Jammu region last night," Singh added. Simrandeep Singh said 30 cattle had also perished and 130 others were injured in the Pakistani firing and shelling in various border hamlets in the district. Police and Civil authorities are assessing losses to property in various villages along the IB in Jammu district on account of Pakistani shelling, the Deputy Commissioner added. A huge damage has been caused to the houses and other properties in the border hamlets, an official said. Meanwhile, Pakistan Army claimed that two people, including a minor girl, were killed in "unprovoked firing" by Indian troops. Pakistan Army, in a statement, alleged that the Indian soldiers resorted to firing and shelling in Harpal, Pukhlian and Charwah sectors on the working boundary. Due to India's "unprovoked firing" at the working boundary last night a civilian of village Janglora and a one and a half-years old girl were killed while seven civilians were injured, it said. BSF chief insisted that his force never targets civilian areas nor initiates ceasefire violations. "They (Pakistani forces) deliberately create such flash points with an aim of engineering infiltration," he told reporters here while commenting on the intensified cross- border shelling and firing by Pakistani troops. "You can say that they (Pakistani troops) always try to create a flash point so that they get an excuse to go for action," Sharma added after laying wreath on mortal remains of BSF Head Constable Sushil Kumar who was killed in Pakistani shelling in R S Pura sector this morning. The BSF Director General said while Pakistan may start the confrontation, "we are committed to give befitting reply and foiling their designs of infiltration.... We have to react so that we do not allow them to get successful in their designs to engineer infiltration from across the border." He said the morale of the troops is "very high and we are ready to meet any eventuality". Asserting that BSF never initiates ceasefire violation, he said the Indian border guarding force only gives a "befitting reply" to the provocations by the Pakistani forces. "I want to clarify that we have never initiated (any ceasefire violation). It is Pakistan which is doing it. As you know in case of (BSF constable) Gurnam Singh, they killed him in a sniper fire first. In reply to that we gave them befitting reply," Sharma said, referring to last week's incident in which BSF claimed to have killed 7 Pakistani Rangers and a terrorist in retaliatory fire. "The way they are bombarding our areas, they are targeting civilians but as a policy, BSF does not target civilians at all," Sharma said. "We only target the place from where the fire is coming. We only target military and Pakistani Rangers establishments. We never intentionally target civilian areas," he added. About today's incident, he said, "They initiated heavy shelling in R S Pura, we retaliated to that." He added, ".. the area weapons do not have great amount of accuracy. As a result, civilians are also harmed, property is also damaged. That is the collateral damage." In reply to another question about his message and directive to the field commanders, Sharma said "I have asked my commanders not to initiate anything. But at the same time give them befitting and strong reply". Sending out a message, the BSF DG said, "I would like to convey to Pakistan that as in the past, they will have to retreat. I will only tell them that they should desist from unholy designs and they should not do anything that will harm us as in the past."
ELKO  Republicans were encouraged to stick together as U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz campaigned in support of Nevada Senate candidate Joe Heck on Saturday night.

About 100 residents made it out to Adobe Middle School eager to hear Hecks message and excited to see Cruz, who won the Republican caucus in Elko County.

Jack Cunningham was one of the many concerned citizens who attended the rally. He said he is a supporter of Cruz but will ultimately vote along party lines in this election after hearing Cruz emphasize the importance of keeping Hillary Clinton out of the White House.

We need strong leaders and I really feel strongly for Ted Cruz, he said. I am a Republican and I will back the Republican Party all the way.

Vietnam veteran Gil Hernandez was concerned about the state of the Veterans Administration and wanted to support a senate candidate who made members of the military a priority in their policies.

That affects our military and our VA and if we dont get that taken care of then our military suffers because they cant train and do what they need to do, he said.

When Heck addressed the crowd he touched on the importance of looking after veterans and emphasized the importance of Elko County in swinging the election with the high number of registered Democrats in Clark County.

Despite the importance of Elko County there has not been a debate in Elko or in northern Nevada. Heck blames Catherine Cortez Masto for refusing to agree to terms on a debate in Washoe or Elko County.

My opponent has refused to negotiate debates in Reno and Elko, he said. We did have the one in Las Vegas and the focus group there overwhelmingly said I won that debate, which is probably why she doesnt want to have any more. But we thought it was critically import to have one in Reno and one in Elko so the folks all around the state could hear from both of us.

One issue that both Cruz and Heck had to address was the effect of Donald Trump on the senate race. Heck recently distanced himself from Trump but said his relationship with the Republican presidential nominee has not affected the message he has been delivering across the state.

We havent seen that, he said. Weve been traveling around talking about our Senate race and why its important that the Senate remain in Republican hands.

Cruz reiterated the importance of keeping Republicans in control of the Senate and claimed that Sen. Harry Reid has not done enough to properly represent people in areas like Elko.

The Senate really hangs in the balance and for far too long Nevada has suffered under Harry Reid as the senator, he said. Hes a senator who doesnt reflect this states values, of people up here in northern Nevada.

Cruz has expressed some concerns over Trumps ability to lead and did not mention him by name when he addressed the crowd at the rally. Instead, Cruz emphasized the importance of keeping Republican control of the White House and the Senate.

What I did say is that weve got to defeat Hillary Clinton and Im working very hard to defeat Hillary Clinton because she is manifestly unfit to be president, he said. Weve seen the Hillary Clinton agenda. Its been the Obama agenda of the last eight years and it isnt working.
By PTI

NEW DELHI: Supreme Court today rejected the interim bail plea of self-styled religious figure Asaram Bapu, who is facing trial in rape cases, on health grounds and asked him to get his treatment done in Rajasthan in judicial custody itself.

A bench of Justices A K Sikri and N V Ramana said if Asaram wantrf to undergo treatment, he could get the diagnosis done at AIIMS, Jodhpur or at Rajasthan Ayurvedic hospital while staying in judicial custody.

The apex court's direction came after Asaram said he wanted to undergo ayurvedic treatment in Delhi for which he needed one month's interim bail.

"If you (Asaram) want ayurvedic treatment, you can get that it in Rajasthan itself. There is no need for interim bail as AIIMS medical board has also said that the health condition is stable," the bench said.

Counsel appearing for Rajasthan government said they were ready to provide all possible treatment to Asaram at the hospitals in the state.

The bench, however, clarified that Asaram's supporters should not be allowed in the hospital and none of his followers should meet him.

The court said it will hear the plea for regular bail of Asaram in November.

On October 18, the apex court had sought Rajasthan government's response to Asaram's bail pleas and said it will first deal with the interim bail and then regular bail.

Earlier, a medical board of All India Institute of Medical Sciences had told the apex Court that the health condition of Asaram was stable. Asaram had refused to undergo several tests, the seven-member board had also said in its report filed before the bench of Justices A K Sikri and N V Ramana.

On August 11, the apex court had denied interim bail to Asaram in a rape case and directed AIIMS to set up a medical board to ascertain his health condition before taking up his regular bail plea.

Asaram was arrested by Jodhpur Police on August 31, 2013 and has been in jail since then. On August 9, the High Court had rejected his bail application in the rape case.

A teenage girl had accused him of sexual assault at his ashram in Manai village near Jodhpur. The girl, who belonged to Shahjahanpur in Uttar Pradesh, was a student living in the ashram.

NEW DELHI: Supreme Court today rejected the interim bail plea of self-styled religious figure Asaram Bapu, who is facing trial in rape cases, on health grounds and asked him to get his treatment done in Rajasthan in judicial custody itself. A bench of Justices A K Sikri and N V Ramana said if Asaram wantrf to undergo treatment, he could get the diagnosis done at AIIMS, Jodhpur or at Rajasthan Ayurvedic hospital while staying in judicial custody. The apex court's direction came after Asaram said he wanted to undergo ayurvedic treatment in Delhi for which he needed one month's interim bail. "If you (Asaram) want ayurvedic treatment, you can get that it in Rajasthan itself. There is no need for interim bail as AIIMS medical board has also said that the health condition is stable," the bench said. Counsel appearing for Rajasthan government said they were ready to provide all possible treatment to Asaram at the hospitals in the state. The bench, however, clarified that Asaram's supporters should not be allowed in the hospital and none of his followers should meet him. The court said it will hear the plea for regular bail of Asaram in November. On October 18, the apex court had sought Rajasthan government's response to Asaram's bail pleas and said it will first deal with the interim bail and then regular bail. Earlier, a medical board of All India Institute of Medical Sciences had told the apex Court that the health condition of Asaram was stable. Asaram had refused to undergo several tests, the seven-member board had also said in its report filed before the bench of Justices A K Sikri and N V Ramana. On August 11, the apex court had denied interim bail to Asaram in a rape case and directed AIIMS to set up a medical board to ascertain his health condition before taking up his regular bail plea. Asaram was arrested by Jodhpur Police on August 31, 2013 and has been in jail since then. On August 9, the High Court had rejected his bail application in the rape case. A teenage girl had accused him of sexual assault at his ashram in Manai village near Jodhpur. The girl, who belonged to Shahjahanpur in Uttar Pradesh, was a student living in the ashram.
Suresh Sundaram By

By-election bouts are generally a no-brainer as the rule of thumb says they tend to tilt in favour of the party in power. In Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, four such contests for Assembly seats will happen on November 19. Puducherry Chief Minister V Narayanasamy is in the fray from the safe Nellithope constituency that was vacated by sitting Congress member John Kumar to ensure his smooth passage into the Assembly. Since Narayanasamy has already sewn up an alliance with the DMK, the contest is of academic interest.

In Tamil Nadu, two of the three seats  Aravakurichi in Karur district and Thanjavur  are actually those where elections were put off in May last after the massive seizure of money that was allegedly meant to bribe voters. Though technically the two seats dont fall under the bypoll bracket, they could be treated as one since the May 16 Assembly elections that gave a decisive mandate to the AIADMK could influence voting as people by and large tend be on the right side of the ruling party.

If the Election Commission indeed wanted to showcase Aravakurichi and Thanjavur as examples of its will power to cleanse the system, there is little evidence to suggest it is on the job. For, both the Dravidian majors thumbed their nose at the poll watchdog and repeated the same candidates whose alleged use of money power was responsible for the postponement of polls. It reminds you of this story of a snake on a biting spree that went passive after it was persuaded to behave by a saint. On his next visit, the saint found the reptile badly bruised because of stoning by street urchins. The saint drilled some common sense into the snake, saying Agreed, I asked you not to bite, but when did I stop you from hissing? The Election Commission may have hissed once by putting off the polls in Aravakurichi and Thanjavur, but without follow-up hissing that has not happened yet, it may only serve as target practice for the urchins.

That brings us to the jugaad factor that crafty politicians employ when the going gets tough. Since there is no substitute for victory, the really jugaad ones find workarounds to get under the radar and sweeten the deal with voters in the last few days before polling under the cover of darkness. The Election Commission would definitely raise the bar in terms of vehicle checks to look for large unaccounted cash in all the four constituencies, but what is the guarantee that money has not reached the distribution points already? Does it have a mechanism to ferret it out? Since the proof is in the pudding, the polling day will be the judgement day as well.

In Tiruparankundram, the DMK shot itself in the foot by fielding its medical wing secretary Dr P Saravanan as it bypoll nominee there, as he is already facing a chargesheet for implanting expired stents on cardiac patients in his Saravana Multispecialty Hospital. The Madras High Court has already rejected two anticipatory bail petitions filed by him. That the medical practitioner is a man with deep pockets was outed by dissident leader M K Alagiris son Dhaya Alagiri. So sad to know that Madurai DMK doesnt have any better candidate than Saravanan to contest the by-elections, Dhaya tweeted and tagged it #KaasuPanamDhoduMoneyMoney, a popular song from a hit Tamil film that talks about the manipulations possible with money power.

It is well known that political parties give a lot of weightage to ticket aspirants who are moneybags. They are asked upfront about their ability to spend during interviews that happen before parties cherry pick their candidates. When the choice of a candidate itself is tied to his ability to mobilise funds, money power is a given in any elections. So what type of electoral cleansing are we talking about? Piecemeal solutions definitely wont work.

The only variable during the current round of by-elections is the health status of Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa. The ailing chief minister has been the subject of vicious speculation for over a month with the Opposition looking for opportunities to crack open the party amid hyperactivity from Raj Bhavan. Latest reports quoting Apollo Hospitals chairman Dr Prathap C Reddy as saying she is interacting and responding remarkably to treatment and Governor C H Vidyasagar Rao meeting her would give the AIADMK added confidence and serve it well.

After finding that the health card was no longer working, the Leader of the Opposition and DMK heir apparent tried to shift focus by calling an all-party meeting on the Cauvery water row. He was promptly told off by the Peoples Welfare Alliance convenor Vaiko and BJPs Tamilisai Soundararajan, who questioned his locus standi to do so. The battle for voter attention is building up, but the electorate may have already made their choice.

Suresh Sundaram

Assistant Resident Editor, Tamil Nadu

Email: ssuresh@newindianexpress.com

By-election bouts are generally a no-brainer as the rule of thumb says they tend to tilt in favour of the party in power. In Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, four such contests for Assembly seats will happen on November 19. Puducherry Chief Minister V Narayanasamy is in the fray from the safe Nellithope constituency that was vacated by sitting Congress member John Kumar to ensure his smooth passage into the Assembly. Since Narayanasamy has already sewn up an alliance with the DMK, the contest is of academic interest. In Tamil Nadu, two of the three seats  Aravakurichi in Karur district and Thanjavur  are actually those where elections were put off in May last after the massive seizure of money that was allegedly meant to bribe voters. Though technically the two seats dont fall under the bypoll bracket, they could be treated as one since the May 16 Assembly elections that gave a decisive mandate to the AIADMK could influence voting as people by and large tend be on the right side of the ruling party. If the Election Commission indeed wanted to showcase Aravakurichi and Thanjavur as examples of its will power to cleanse the system, there is little evidence to suggest it is on the job. For, both the Dravidian majors thumbed their nose at the poll watchdog and repeated the same candidates whose alleged use of money power was responsible for the postponement of polls. It reminds you of this story of a snake on a biting spree that went passive after it was persuaded to behave by a saint. On his next visit, the saint found the reptile badly bruised because of stoning by street urchins. The saint drilled some common sense into the snake, saying Agreed, I asked you not to bite, but when did I stop you from hissing? The Election Commission may have hissed once by putting off the polls in Aravakurichi and Thanjavur, but without follow-up hissing that has not happened yet, it may only serve as target practice for the urchins. That brings us to the jugaad factor that crafty politicians employ when the going gets tough. Since there is no substitute for victory, the really jugaad ones find workarounds to get under the radar and sweeten the deal with voters in the last few days before polling under the cover of darkness. The Election Commission would definitely raise the bar in terms of vehicle checks to look for large unaccounted cash in all the four constituencies, but what is the guarantee that money has not reached the distribution points already? Does it have a mechanism to ferret it out? Since the proof is in the pudding, the polling day will be the judgement day as well. In Tiruparankundram, the DMK shot itself in the foot by fielding its medical wing secretary Dr P Saravanan as it bypoll nominee there, as he is already facing a chargesheet for implanting expired stents on cardiac patients in his Saravana Multispecialty Hospital. The Madras High Court has already rejected two anticipatory bail petitions filed by him. That the medical practitioner is a man with deep pockets was outed by dissident leader M K Alagiris son Dhaya Alagiri. So sad to know that Madurai DMK doesnt have any better candidate than Saravanan to contest the by-elections, Dhaya tweeted and tagged it #KaasuPanamDhoduMoneyMoney, a popular song from a hit Tamil film that talks about the manipulations possible with money power. It is well known that political parties give a lot of weightage to ticket aspirants who are moneybags. They are asked upfront about their ability to spend during interviews that happen before parties cherry pick their candidates. When the choice of a candidate itself is tied to his ability to mobilise funds, money power is a given in any elections. So what type of electoral cleansing are we talking about? Piecemeal solutions definitely wont work. The only variable during the current round of by-elections is the health status of Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa. The ailing chief minister has been the subject of vicious speculation for over a month with the Opposition looking for opportunities to crack open the party amid hyperactivity from Raj Bhavan. Latest reports quoting Apollo Hospitals chairman Dr Prathap C Reddy as saying she is interacting and responding remarkably to treatment and Governor C H Vidyasagar Rao meeting her would give the AIADMK added confidence and serve it well. After finding that the health card was no longer working, the Leader of the Opposition and DMK heir apparent tried to shift focus by calling an all-party meeting on the Cauvery water row. He was promptly told off by the Peoples Welfare Alliance convenor Vaiko and BJPs Tamilisai Soundararajan, who questioned his locus standi to do so. The battle for voter attention is building up, but the electorate may have already made their choice. Suresh Sundaram Assistant Resident Editor, Tamil Nadu Email: ssuresh@newindianexpress.com
By Express News Service

VISAKHAPATNAM/BHUBANESWAR: Are Indias Maoists fighting a losing battle? At least, thats what top police officials believe in the wake of the killing of 24 Naxalites, including some top Maoist leaders, in a thick forest bordering Odisha and Andhra Pradesh early Monday morning. An equal number of Maoists reportedly escaped from the engagement. It is one of the biggest anti-Naxalite operations jointly conducted by the police of the two states.

According to information accessed by The New Indian Express from highly placed officers, the operation was led by a team of the Greyhounds, the specialized anti-Naxalite force, based on thorough intelligence gathered over a period. Incidentally, the encounter spot is just a few kilometers away from the place near the Balimela reservoir where Maoists gunned down policemen in 2008.

While it is believed that the slain included some top leaders of the Andhra-Odisha Border (AOB) committee of the CPI (Maoist), senior police officials to whom New Indian Express spoke did not confirm the identity of those killed. We are still in the process of establishing the identities of the Maoists. A team will be reaching the encounter spot shortly, an officer said.

The place where the encounter happened is said to be 15 km in Orissa from the AP border in the Visakhapatnam Agency area. All those killed are said to represent the AOB committee of the Maoist party which has separate state committees for Andhra and Odisha, apart from AOB.

According to an official, around 50 kit bags were found at the spot which meant that at least 50 Maoists would have assembled for what is believed to be a meeting of the AOB committee. While 23 bodies have been recovered so far, one is said to have been washed away in the Balimela reservoir as the Maoists tried to escape in boats soon after the encounter began. The others, however, managed to flee. One policeman was injured in the encounter which lasted for many hours.

Those in the know of developments said the police were fully prepared for the operation. Apparently, they received information about the scheduled meeting and how and when the AOB committee members would reach the place for the session. The Maoists, on the other hand, had no inkling of what was coming and could do little to counter the fully-armed Greyhounds personnel, who are well-trained to carry out such surprise attacks.

While it is more than possible that the Maoists could regroup, we can certainly say that this is a huge psychological blow to them and a major setback to the AOB committee at least, a senior officer said, adding that the police were fed information about the movements of Naxalites by local people themselves.

According to him, the Maoists are clearly fighting a losing battle as there is no way they would be in a position to take on the forces at any point of time. What should be understood is that we are currently using the lowest rung of our response teams to tackle them. But if and when we decide to unleash our complete capabilities, they will be no match.

With the telecom revolution touching even interior villages and forest belts and police equipping themselves with the latest gadgets to intercept communications, the Maoists have been finding it extremely difficult to maintain secrecy about their movements in the past few years.

Recent acts like what one of those killed in todays encounter reportedly did  posting a selfie on a social media platform  and they could well be sitting ducks.

VISAKHAPATNAM/BHUBANESWAR: Are Indias Maoists fighting a losing battle? At least, thats what top police officials believe in the wake of the killing of 24 Naxalites, including some top Maoist leaders, in a thick forest bordering Odisha and Andhra Pradesh early Monday morning. An equal number of Maoists reportedly escaped from the engagement. It is one of the biggest anti-Naxalite operations jointly conducted by the police of the two states. According to information accessed by The New Indian Express from highly placed officers, the operation was led by a team of the Greyhounds, the specialized anti-Naxalite force, based on thorough intelligence gathered over a period. Incidentally, the encounter spot is just a few kilometers away from the place near the Balimela reservoir where Maoists gunned down policemen in 2008. While it is believed that the slain included some top leaders of the Andhra-Odisha Border (AOB) committee of the CPI (Maoist), senior police officials to whom New Indian Express spoke did not confirm the identity of those killed. We are still in the process of establishing the identities of the Maoists. A team will be reaching the encounter spot shortly, an officer said. The place where the encounter happened is said to be 15 km in Orissa from the AP border in the Visakhapatnam Agency area. All those killed are said to represent the AOB committee of the Maoist party which has separate state committees for Andhra and Odisha, apart from AOB. According to an official, around 50 kit bags were found at the spot which meant that at least 50 Maoists would have assembled for what is believed to be a meeting of the AOB committee. While 23 bodies have been recovered so far, one is said to have been washed away in the Balimela reservoir as the Maoists tried to escape in boats soon after the encounter began. The others, however, managed to flee. One policeman was injured in the encounter which lasted for many hours. Those in the know of developments said the police were fully prepared for the operation. Apparently, they received information about the scheduled meeting and how and when the AOB committee members would reach the place for the session. The Maoists, on the other hand, had no inkling of what was coming and could do little to counter the fully-armed Greyhounds personnel, who are well-trained to carry out such surprise attacks. While it is more than possible that the Maoists could regroup, we can certainly say that this is a huge psychological blow to them and a major setback to the AOB committee at least, a senior officer said, adding that the police were fed information about the movements of Naxalites by local people themselves. According to him, the Maoists are clearly fighting a losing battle as there is no way they would be in a position to take on the forces at any point of time. What should be understood is that we are currently using the lowest rung of our response teams to tackle them. But if and when we decide to unleash our complete capabilities, they will be no match. With the telecom revolution touching even interior villages and forest belts and police equipping themselves with the latest gadgets to intercept communications, the Maoists have been finding it extremely difficult to maintain secrecy about their movements in the past few years. Recent acts like what one of those killed in todays encounter reportedly did  posting a selfie on a social media platform  and they could well be sitting ducks.
Dileep V Kumar By

Express News Service

KOLLAM: The Prison Statistics India-2015, published the other day by the National Crime Records Bureau, has brought three cheers to the state. The state which spends the highest on welfare activities of prison inmates in the country has been acknowledged for its innovative programmes like opening up a cafeteria, a boutique, a beauty parlour-cum-hair salon and its Share Meal programme.

The state stands third when it comes to the gross sale of products manufactured by jail inmates.

Under the head Best Practices in the Field of Welfare and Rehabilitation of Prison Inmates, the Prison Statistics lists out four programmes initiated by the Kerala prisons. Namely, a cafeteria-cum-takeaway counter for the sale of food items at the Central Prison, Thiruvananthapuram; a boutique opened on the campus of Central Prison, Thiruvananthapuram, for the sale of fashionable readymade dresses produced by jail inmates; a beauty parlour-cum-hair salon named Freedom Expression at Central Prison, Kannur, and the Share Meal programme introduced at the Ernakulam District Jail which envisions the distribution of food to the poor.

Meanwhile, officials with the Kerala Prisons said that they were committed to introducing such programmes which were not only in tune with the changing times but also would bring revenue to the department.

The officials had told Express that they were looking beyond the conventional programmes like food processing, apparel making and organic farming and would soon operate fuel bunks along with an automobile repairing service centre. The fuel bunk is expected to come up at four places - Thiruvananthapuram, Thrissur, Kannur and Cheemeni. They had also tipped about starting Thiruvananthapuram-model cafeteria in Thrissur and Kannur.

KOLLAM: The Prison Statistics India-2015, published the other day by the National Crime Records Bureau, has brought three cheers to the state. The state which spends the highest on welfare activities of prison inmates in the country has been acknowledged for its innovative programmes like opening up a cafeteria, a boutique, a beauty parlour-cum-hair salon and its Share Meal programme. The state stands third when it comes to the gross sale of products manufactured by jail inmates. Under the head Best Practices in the Field of Welfare and Rehabilitation of Prison Inmates, the Prison Statistics lists out four programmes initiated by the Kerala prisons. Namely, a cafeteria-cum-takeaway counter for the sale of food items at the Central Prison, Thiruvananthapuram; a boutique opened on the campus of Central Prison, Thiruvananthapuram, for the sale of fashionable readymade dresses produced by jail inmates; a beauty parlour-cum-hair salon named Freedom Expression at Central Prison, Kannur, and the Share Meal programme introduced at the Ernakulam District Jail which envisions the distribution of food to the poor. Meanwhile, officials with the Kerala Prisons said that they were committed to introducing such programmes which were not only in tune with the changing times but also would bring revenue to the department. The officials had told Express that they were looking beyond the conventional programmes like food processing, apparel making and organic farming and would soon operate fuel bunks along with an automobile repairing service centre. The fuel bunk is expected to come up at four places - Thiruvananthapuram, Thrissur, Kannur and Cheemeni. They had also tipped about starting Thiruvananthapuram-model cafeteria in Thrissur and Kannur.
By Express News Service

BHUBANESWAR: SUM Hospitals principal promoter Manoj Ranjan Nayak was produced in SDJM court here after his two-day remand ended on Sunday. Nayak was sent to judicial custody. He was interrogated by the local police for two consecutive days.

DCP Satyabrata Bhoi, who was part of the team which examined Nayak, said the interrogation revolved around organisational structure, his role and responsibilities. He was asked whether he was aware that the hospital is functioning without fire safety measures.

Nayaks direct accountability in the hospitals day to day functioning is yet to be ascertained. If required, he would be taken on remand once more, the DCP said.

How they managed to operate the hospital without necessary approval from Bhubaneswar Development Authority (BDA) and Fire Services Department is the primary concern for the police, said Bhoi.

Police had also quizzed Dean of SUM Hospital and Registrar of Siksha O Anusandhan University to examine their roles in the management of this health facility. Their statements are being verified with the documents seized from the Registrars office and hospital.

The incident is also being examined on the basis whether a case can be registered against the hospital authorities for flouting BDA norms. Meanwhile, Nayak has moved the District and Session Court, Khurda seeking bail. Hearing on his bail plea is likely to take place on Tuesday, sources said.

BHUBANESWAR: SUM Hospitals principal promoter Manoj Ranjan Nayak was produced in SDJM court here after his two-day remand ended on Sunday. Nayak was sent to judicial custody. He was interrogated by the local police for two consecutive days. DCP Satyabrata Bhoi, who was part of the team which examined Nayak, said the interrogation revolved around organisational structure, his role and responsibilities. He was asked whether he was aware that the hospital is functioning without fire safety measures. Nayaks direct accountability in the hospitals day to day functioning is yet to be ascertained. If required, he would be taken on remand once more, the DCP said. How they managed to operate the hospital without necessary approval from Bhubaneswar Development Authority (BDA) and Fire Services Department is the primary concern for the police, said Bhoi. Police had also quizzed Dean of SUM Hospital and Registrar of Siksha O Anusandhan University to examine their roles in the management of this health facility. Their statements are being verified with the documents seized from the Registrars office and hospital. The incident is also being examined on the basis whether a case can be registered against the hospital authorities for flouting BDA norms. Meanwhile, Nayak has moved the District and Session Court, Khurda seeking bail. Hearing on his bail plea is likely to take place on Tuesday, sources said.
By Express News Service

HYDERABAD: Hours after the Andhra Pradesh and Odisha police gunned down 24 Maoists on the border between the two states, civil rights activists rushed to the High Court here and filed a public interest litigation (PIL) pleading for a thorough judicial probe into what the police say was an encounter.

In Hyderabad revolutionary poet Varavara Rao said the killings were state-sponsored murders because the police brutally gunned down Maoists who were holding a meeting.

"Cases should be booked against Andhra Pradesh director-general of police N Sambasiva Rao and others under Section 302 of the Indian Penal Code for resorting to this inhuman act," he said.

Telangana Democratic Front [TDF] leader Prof Haragopal demanded a probe by a serving judge to bring out the "actual facts."

The PIL filed in the Hyderabad High Court sought a directive to the authorities to shift the bodies of all slain Naxalite leaders to the King George Hospital in Visakhapatnam to conduct a thorough autopsy.

The litigation was filed advocate V Raghunath, on behalf of Civil Liberties Committee member Chandrasekhar. The petition is likely to be heard this evening.

Varavara Rao said the AP police had specific information about the meeting convened by Maoists in Malkangiri district of Odisha. Directly upon reaching the spot, policemen of the Greyhounds unit opened indiscriminate fire at the Maoist leaders.

"They killed the Maoists and spread the news that it was an encounter. After bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh, there has not been a single Maoist attack on the police in both Telugu-speaking states. Why did the police commit this brutal offense now?" the poet asked.

According to him, precious natural resources are being looted in North Andhra, particularly in the Visakhapatnam Agency areas, by capitalists with the help of the state government. Vast extents of land are being illegally mined by contractors.

"Local tribal people have been questioning the AP government over the way it is allocating precious natural resources to private persons in Visakha Agency. There is also severe opposition to the state government's plans to construct the Polavaram irrigation project, which will leave the local tribal people in the lurch. Hence, young men driven by ideals are standing by these innocent tribals. That's the reason why the Maoists are being killed in fake encounters," he said.

Prof Haragopal alleged that the fake encounter took place at the behest of the TDP government led by chief minister Chandrababu Naidu. "The encounter is the best example for Chandrababu Naidu's autocratic rule in Andhra Pradesh. The government must produce the bodies in the presence of the media and conduct a post-mortem procedures to reveal the facts," he demanded.

HYDERABAD: Hours after the Andhra Pradesh and Odisha police gunned down 24 Maoists on the border between the two states, civil rights activists rushed to the High Court here and filed a public interest litigation (PIL) pleading for a thorough judicial probe into what the police say was an encounter. In Hyderabad revolutionary poet Varavara Rao said the killings were state-sponsored murders because the police brutally gunned down Maoists who were holding a meeting. "Cases should be booked against Andhra Pradesh director-general of police N Sambasiva Rao and others under Section 302 of the Indian Penal Code for resorting to this inhuman act," he said. Telangana Democratic Front [TDF] leader Prof Haragopal demanded a probe by a serving judge to bring out the "actual facts." The PIL filed in the Hyderabad High Court sought a directive to the authorities to shift the bodies of all slain Naxalite leaders to the King George Hospital in Visakhapatnam to conduct a thorough autopsy. The litigation was filed advocate V Raghunath, on behalf of Civil Liberties Committee member Chandrasekhar. The petition is likely to be heard this evening. Varavara Rao said the AP police had specific information about the meeting convened by Maoists in Malkangiri district of Odisha. Directly upon reaching the spot, policemen of the Greyhounds unit opened indiscriminate fire at the Maoist leaders. "They killed the Maoists and spread the news that it was an encounter. After bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh, there has not been a single Maoist attack on the police in both Telugu-speaking states. Why did the police commit this brutal offense now?" the poet asked. According to him, precious natural resources are being looted in North Andhra, particularly in the Visakhapatnam Agency areas, by capitalists with the help of the state government. Vast extents of land are being illegally mined by contractors. "Local tribal people have been questioning the AP government over the way it is allocating precious natural resources to private persons in Visakha Agency. There is also severe opposition to the state government's plans to construct the Polavaram irrigation project, which will leave the local tribal people in the lurch. Hence, young men driven by ideals are standing by these innocent tribals. That's the reason why the Maoists are being killed in fake encounters," he said. Prof Haragopal alleged that the fake encounter took place at the behest of the TDP government led by chief minister Chandrababu Naidu. "The encounter is the best example for Chandrababu Naidu's autocratic rule in Andhra Pradesh. The government must produce the bodies in the presence of the media and conduct a post-mortem procedures to reveal the facts," he demanded.
By Associated Press

NEW YORK: The annual Alfred E. Smith Memorial Foundation Dinner, a white-tie gala in New York that is often the last time the two presidential nominees share a stage before Election Day, is traditionally a time when campaign hostilities are set aside.

Not this year.

Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton traded sharp barbs and brutal takedowns Thursday, the night after their final debate, with many in the well-heeled crowd turning on the Republican nominee midway through his remarks and showering him with jeers.

Trump, who had drawn big laughs earlier in the speech, appeared to lose the room as he repeatedly dug in with caustic swipes at Clinton, drawing rare boos at a charity event meant to raise money for impoverished children throughout New York.

He appeared to straddle the line when he talked about how "listening to Hillary rattle on and rattle on" has made him better appreciate his longtime nemesis Rosie O'Donnell. But he then seemed to cross it when he referred to her as "corrupt" during a lengthy riff on the FBI's investigation into her use of a private email server as secretary of state.

"Hillary is so corrupt she got kicked off the Watergate Commission. How corrupt do you have to be to get kicked off the Watergate Commission? Pretty corrupt," he said to loud boos and at least one call demanding he get off the stage.

He then almost appeared to segue into the standard attack lines of his rally speeches, setting aside jokes to bring up material contained in hacked Clinton campaign emails.

"Hillary believes that it's vital to deceive the people by having one public policy and a totally different policy in private," he said to growing jeers. "Here she is tonight, in public, pretending not to hate Catholics."

Clinton also veered into personal digs, making one joke in which she said the Statue of Liberty, for most Americans, represents a symbol of hope for immigrants.

"Donald looks at the Statue of Liberty and sees a '4,'" Clinton joked. "Maybe a '5' if she loses the torch and tablet and changes her hair."

Trump and Clinton sat one seat apart for the evening, with New York's Cardinal Timothy Dolan acting as the only buffer. And when they entered and took their seats, they did not greet each other or make eye contact, though they did shake hands at the conclusion of the roast.

Dolan later called his seat "the iciest place on the planet."

Most eyes were on Trump, who infamously glowered through Obama's jokes at his expense during the 2011 White House Correspondents Dinner and is not known for being self-deprecating.

Some of his jokes landed well, drawing laughs from both the crowd and Clinton.

His biggest laughs came as he talked about Michelle Obama getting rave reviews for a recent speech. "They think she's absolutely great. My wife Melania gives the exact same speech, and people get on her case," he said to whoops and laughs.

And some of his attack lines flashed a sense of humor that has been mostly absent from the grueling campaign. Clinton was the first one to laugh when Trump joked that she had bumped into him earlier in the night "and she very simply said 'Pardon me'"  an unsubtle reference to the Republican nominee's frequent declarations that his opponent should go to jail.

Clinton, meanwhile, was more self-deprecating than Trump, joking that she's taken a break from her "usual nap schedule" to attend and suggesting that the audience should be pleased she's not charging her usual fee for speaking in front of potential donors.

But she also got in some digs at Trump, a few of which drew scattered jeers. Clinton said she understood why Trump was leery of teleprompters because they can be difficult to follow and "I'm sure it's even harder when you're translating from the original Russian."

The dinner is named after the former New York governor, who was the first Catholic to receive a major party nomination for president when he unsuccessfully ran in 1928. And fittingly for an event named after a man nicknamed "The Happy Warrior," the occasion has produced dozens of memorable presidential jokes  and sincere moments of goodwill that have remained largely absent from the 2016 campaign.

"I can't wish my opponent luck," John McCain said in 2008, turning toward Obama, "but I do wish him well."

NEW YORK: The annual Alfred E. Smith Memorial Foundation Dinner, a white-tie gala in New York that is often the last time the two presidential nominees share a stage before Election Day, is traditionally a time when campaign hostilities are set aside. Not this year. Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton traded sharp barbs and brutal takedowns Thursday, the night after their final debate, with many in the well-heeled crowd turning on the Republican nominee midway through his remarks and showering him with jeers. Trump, who had drawn big laughs earlier in the speech, appeared to lose the room as he repeatedly dug in with caustic swipes at Clinton, drawing rare boos at a charity event meant to raise money for impoverished children throughout New York. He appeared to straddle the line when he talked about how "listening to Hillary rattle on and rattle on" has made him better appreciate his longtime nemesis Rosie O'Donnell. But he then seemed to cross it when he referred to her as "corrupt" during a lengthy riff on the FBI's investigation into her use of a private email server as secretary of state. "Hillary is so corrupt she got kicked off the Watergate Commission. How corrupt do you have to be to get kicked off the Watergate Commission? Pretty corrupt," he said to loud boos and at least one call demanding he get off the stage. He then almost appeared to segue into the standard attack lines of his rally speeches, setting aside jokes to bring up material contained in hacked Clinton campaign emails. "Hillary believes that it's vital to deceive the people by having one public policy and a totally different policy in private," he said to growing jeers. "Here she is tonight, in public, pretending not to hate Catholics." Clinton also veered into personal digs, making one joke in which she said the Statue of Liberty, for most Americans, represents a symbol of hope for immigrants. "Donald looks at the Statue of Liberty and sees a '4,'" Clinton joked. "Maybe a '5' if she loses the torch and tablet and changes her hair." Trump and Clinton sat one seat apart for the evening, with New York's Cardinal Timothy Dolan acting as the only buffer. And when they entered and took their seats, they did not greet each other or make eye contact, though they did shake hands at the conclusion of the roast. Dolan later called his seat "the iciest place on the planet." Most eyes were on Trump, who infamously glowered through Obama's jokes at his expense during the 2011 White House Correspondents Dinner and is not known for being self-deprecating. Some of his jokes landed well, drawing laughs from both the crowd and Clinton. His biggest laughs came as he talked about Michelle Obama getting rave reviews for a recent speech. "They think she's absolutely great. My wife Melania gives the exact same speech, and people get on her case," he said to whoops and laughs. And some of his attack lines flashed a sense of humor that has been mostly absent from the grueling campaign. Clinton was the first one to laugh when Trump joked that she had bumped into him earlier in the night "and she very simply said 'Pardon me'"  an unsubtle reference to the Republican nominee's frequent declarations that his opponent should go to jail. Clinton, meanwhile, was more self-deprecating than Trump, joking that she's taken a break from her "usual nap schedule" to attend and suggesting that the audience should be pleased she's not charging her usual fee for speaking in front of potential donors. But she also got in some digs at Trump, a few of which drew scattered jeers. Clinton said she understood why Trump was leery of teleprompters because they can be difficult to follow and "I'm sure it's even harder when you're translating from the original Russian." The dinner is named after the former New York governor, who was the first Catholic to receive a major party nomination for president when he unsuccessfully ran in 1928. And fittingly for an event named after a man nicknamed "The Happy Warrior," the occasion has produced dozens of memorable presidential jokes  and sincere moments of goodwill that have remained largely absent from the 2016 campaign. "I can't wish my opponent luck," John McCain said in 2008, turning toward Obama, "but I do wish him well."
By PTI

BERLIN: Officials say 35 Turkish diplomats and family members have applied for asylum in Germany since the failed military coup in Turkey.

The Turkish government has launched a massive crackdown on people suspected of sympathizing with the U.S.-based Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen, who it accuses of instigating the coup attempt in July.

German Interior Ministry spokesman Johannes Dimroth declined today to say how many of the 35 asylum seekers were diplomats and how many were family members, citing privacy rules.

He also said that since diplomatic status isn't normally part of the asylum application the actual figure might be higher. Germany has a large Turkish minority, numbering more than 3 million, due to decades of migration of laborers and Turks claiming persecution at home.

BERLIN: Officials say 35 Turkish diplomats and family members have applied for asylum in Germany since the failed military coup in Turkey. The Turkish government has launched a massive crackdown on people suspected of sympathizing with the U.S.-based Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen, who it accuses of instigating the coup attempt in July. German Interior Ministry spokesman Johannes Dimroth declined today to say how many of the 35 asylum seekers were diplomats and how many were family members, citing privacy rules. He also said that since diplomatic status isn't normally part of the asylum application the actual figure might be higher. Germany has a large Turkish minority, numbering more than 3 million, due to decades of migration of laborers and Turks claiming persecution at home.
By AFP

VALLETTA, MALTA: A reconnaissance plane working for France's defence ministry crashed in a ball of flames at Malta's international airport on Monday, killing all five people on board, officials said.

The plane plummeted into the ground nose-first shortly after taking off for an undisclosed surveillance mission from the island, which lies just 220 miles (350 kilometres) north of Tripoli, the capital of conflict-torn Libya.

The Maltese government said in a statement that there was no indication of an explosion prior to the crash but did not rule out sabotage.

The French defence ministry said the plane had been working on its behalf, carrying out "reconnaissance missions in the Mediterranean".

Three of those who died were employees of the defence ministry, it said. The two others were pilots employed by CAE Aviation, a private company based in Luxembourg which specialises in aerial surveillance and regularly works with European military.

Defence sources said "not all" of the dead had been from the French military but did not want to reveal further details pending notification of all the victims' families.

CAE aviation said the plane "was being flown by an experienced crew with no technical issues reported on previous flights."

It added: "At this stage, no cause for the accident can be determined."

The defence ministry in Paris refused to release any details of the nature of the plane's mission amid speculation it could have been bound for Libya.

France led the 2011 Western military intervention in the north African country which led to the overthrow and death of former dictator Moamer Kadhafi and plunged the country into a state of chaos from which it has barely recovered.

Paris confirmed in July that its special forces were operating inside the conflict-torn north African state after three of its troops died in a helicopter crash.

Malta described the plane as having been working for a five-month-old French "customs" operation. It had been due to return to the airport after a flight of a few hours on Monday without touching down anywhere else.

The US defence department said it was not aware of the French mission.

Close to Libya

The twin-prop aircraft was a Fairchild Metroliner Mark III registered in the United States and leased to CAE aviation.

It took off around 7:20 am (0520 GMT). Shortly afterwards it tilted suddenly to the right and was seen plunging nose-first towards the ground, finally exploding into a ball of flames on a road that rings the main runway, damaging the perimeter wall and fence.

"Official information, footage and eyewitnesses, including three members of the Armed Forces of Malta at the nearby barracks, and two commercial airline pilots, clearly indicate that there was no explosion prior to impact," a government statement said.

Remains of all five victims had been recovered and an investigation had begun, it added.

"The flight was part of a French customs surveillance operation which has been taking place for the past five months, with the aim of tracing routes of illicit trafficking of all sorts, including human and drug trafficking amongst others," the statement said.

"The flight was registered with the Malta Air Traffic Services as a local flight and was to return to Malta within hours without landing in third countries."

The accident resulted in traffic in and out of the airport being suspended for almost four hours, with 13 incoming flights diverted to Sicily.

But the terminal was not evacuated and only two outgoing flights were cancelled before normal service was resumed.

Malta is on the front line of Europe's efforts to contain the waves of migrants trying to reach Italy from Libya in boats operated by people smugglers who are often also involved in illicit drugs and arms dealing.

The island is also strategically located for Western powers seeking to monitor developments in Libya, where a fledgling national unity government is struggling to impose its authority and militants loyal to the Islamic State group have established a foothold.

VALLETTA, MALTA: A reconnaissance plane working for France's defence ministry crashed in a ball of flames at Malta's international airport on Monday, killing all five people on board, officials said. The plane plummeted into the ground nose-first shortly after taking off for an undisclosed surveillance mission from the island, which lies just 220 miles (350 kilometres) north of Tripoli, the capital of conflict-torn Libya. The Maltese government said in a statement that there was no indication of an explosion prior to the crash but did not rule out sabotage. The French defence ministry said the plane had been working on its behalf, carrying out "reconnaissance missions in the Mediterranean". Three of those who died were employees of the defence ministry, it said. The two others were pilots employed by CAE Aviation, a private company based in Luxembourg which specialises in aerial surveillance and regularly works with European military. Defence sources said "not all" of the dead had been from the French military but did not want to reveal further details pending notification of all the victims' families. CAE aviation said the plane "was being flown by an experienced crew with no technical issues reported on previous flights." It added: "At this stage, no cause for the accident can be determined." The defence ministry in Paris refused to release any details of the nature of the plane's mission amid speculation it could have been bound for Libya. France led the 2011 Western military intervention in the north African country which led to the overthrow and death of former dictator Moamer Kadhafi and plunged the country into a state of chaos from which it has barely recovered. Paris confirmed in July that its special forces were operating inside the conflict-torn north African state after three of its troops died in a helicopter crash. Malta described the plane as having been working for a five-month-old French "customs" operation. It had been due to return to the airport after a flight of a few hours on Monday without touching down anywhere else. The US defence department said it was not aware of the French mission. Close to Libya The twin-prop aircraft was a Fairchild Metroliner Mark III registered in the United States and leased to CAE aviation. It took off around 7:20 am (0520 GMT). Shortly afterwards it tilted suddenly to the right and was seen plunging nose-first towards the ground, finally exploding into a ball of flames on a road that rings the main runway, damaging the perimeter wall and fence. "Official information, footage and eyewitnesses, including three members of the Armed Forces of Malta at the nearby barracks, and two commercial airline pilots, clearly indicate that there was no explosion prior to impact," a government statement said. Remains of all five victims had been recovered and an investigation had begun, it added. "The flight was part of a French customs surveillance operation which has been taking place for the past five months, with the aim of tracing routes of illicit trafficking of all sorts, including human and drug trafficking amongst others," the statement said. "The flight was registered with the Malta Air Traffic Services as a local flight and was to return to Malta within hours without landing in third countries." The accident resulted in traffic in and out of the airport being suspended for almost four hours, with 13 incoming flights diverted to Sicily. But the terminal was not evacuated and only two outgoing flights were cancelled before normal service was resumed. Malta is on the front line of Europe's efforts to contain the waves of migrants trying to reach Italy from Libya in boats operated by people smugglers who are often also involved in illicit drugs and arms dealing. The island is also strategically located for Western powers seeking to monitor developments in Libya, where a fledgling national unity government is struggling to impose its authority and militants loyal to the Islamic State group have established a foothold.
Said Rbib, in white, meets Juan Manuel Munoz, right, in Madrid.

More information La contabilidad de los Zetas al descubierto

In March of this year, Spanish police arrested Mexican national Juan Manuel Munoz Luevano, aka El Mono (The Monkey), charging him with money laundering and working for the Zetas drug cartel. Since then, authorities have uncovered a money trail to the top of Mexican politics, as well as learning more about the organizations European distribution network.

Munoz, now being held in a Spanish prison, is linked to Humberto Moreira, a former high-ranking Mexican politician, and Rolando Gonzalez Trevino, a Mexican media mogul who has turned states evidence. According to Gonzalezs statements to US police, he helped Moreira funnel embezzled government funds. Moreira is also believed to have used some of the funneled funds to help finance the 2012 campaign of Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto.

Munoz was arrested in Spain as part of an investigation between the US and Spanish authorities

Following Munozs arrest, Spanish police found Excel spreadsheets on a laptop computer at his home detailing the handover of 59 suitcases containing a total of 63 million to Zetas bosses inside luxury hotels, supermarket parking lots and car dealerships in Mexico City.

EL PAIS has seen official documents confirming that the money came from the sale of 2,100 kilograms of cocaine the Zetas cartel shipped into the country through the port of Valencia over the course of six days in early February 2012, and then sold on to the rest of Europe.

The US authorities have asked Spain to extradite Munoz, calling him an important member of the Zetas who has high-level political links in Mexico. The DEA further describes him as a major drug trafficker and money launderer. They say he runs a chain of gas stations in Mexico he uses to launder the money he makes from drug trafficking.

Spanish police believe the computer they found in Munozs house, in the upscale La Moraleja district of Madrid, belonged to Ricardo Fuyivara Romero. The latter is believed to have visited Munoz in June 2012, and was arrested the following month in Mexico.

Munoz is linked to Humberto Moreira, a former high-ranking Mexican politician

One entry on the spreadsheets in the computer notes the loss by accident of some $900,000 after Fuyivara was arrested in Mexico. The amount tallies with the figure the Mexican police reported finding in a suitcase when they detained him.

The spreadsheets detail the handover of money from the sale of cocaine in Europe by Jose Antonio Guzman Inzunza and Said Rbib Erraouy. Both were photographed by Spanish police when they met Munoz in Madrid.

Guzman allegedly made 19 payments from the proceeds of the sales, receiving a commission of 1.1 million. Rbib distributed around 650 kilograms of cocaine in Europe, receiving 2.5 million. Both mens commissions were estimated at between 10% and 16%.

Spanish police say that Rbib was a key player in the Zetas drug distribution network, describing him as not only tasked with supplying cocaine to buyers and distributors throughout Europe, but also responsible for providing phones and secure communications systems to its members.

After Spain, The Netherlands is a key distribution point for the Zetas cartel in Europe. Munoz traveled to Amsterdam in July 2012, at the time when the gang was transferring to Mexico the money from the sale of the 2,100 kilograms shipped into Spain.

The Spanish police also discovered references to several people used to transport and transfer cash to Mexico.

English version by Nick Lyne.
PK Balachandran By

Express News Service

COLOMBO: Indicating the importance of their on-going visit to Sri Lanka, the Indian public and private sector business delegation headed by Foreign Secretary S.Jaishankar met Sri Lankan Prime Minster Ranil Wickremesinghe for the second time on Monday, to carry forward the discussions the group had had with Sri Lankan governmental and private sector stakeholders spread over two days on increasing bilateral trade and investment.

The Indian technical team is spearheaded by the Investment & Technology Promotion (ITP) Division in the Indian Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).

The ITP gives a definite direction and focus to the economic diplomacy strategy of MEA. It works closely with Indian Missions abroad and government Ministries and Departments as the nodal division on trade and investment. It also engages with Export Promotion Councils, Chambers of Commerce & Industry, and industry associations on promoting our common objectives of facilitating trade and investment. Some of the areas that ITP Division handles in conjunction with other Ministries are Lines of Credit, consultancy services, civil aviation matters and foreign investment. It also provides support to the Commercial Wings of Indian missions abroad in the form of resources and information to enable them to carry out their functions.

India is looking to investing in Sri Lanka in the field of energy, highway construction, medical services, and ports and airports construction. In the field of energy, Indian Oil is already an importer and distributor of petroleum products. It has renovated and is using about 15 giant oil storage tanks in Trincomalee. It now wants to renovate and use more of the 99 tanks allotted to it some years ago.

India is to set up a 500 MW LNG-fueled power plant at Kerawelapitya near Colombo. In North Sri Lanka it will build roads linking Jaffna with Mannar; Mannar with Trincomalee via Vavuniya and linking Vavuniya with Colombo via Kurunegala. The Indian railways will be bidding for projects in South Sri Lanka after successfully completely rail projects in the North.

India is also interested in airport construction with an eye on the Palaly airport in Jaffna with a view to making it an international airport to be linked with South Indian cities. Two Mumbai based companies are to lead an international consortium to build a container terminal in Colombo port.

Companies which are in the Indian delegation include PSU majors as well as private sector companies like GMR and GVK.

During the three-day visit, Foreign Secretary Jaishankar called on President Maithripala Sirisena and Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera also. The visit ends on Tuesday.

COLOMBO: Indicating the importance of their on-going visit to Sri Lanka, the Indian public and private sector business delegation headed by Foreign Secretary S.Jaishankar met Sri Lankan Prime Minster Ranil Wickremesinghe for the second time on Monday, to carry forward the discussions the group had had with Sri Lankan governmental and private sector stakeholders spread over two days on increasing bilateral trade and investment. The Indian technical team is spearheaded by the Investment & Technology Promotion (ITP) Division in the Indian Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). The ITP gives a definite direction and focus to the economic diplomacy strategy of MEA. It works closely with Indian Missions abroad and government Ministries and Departments as the nodal division on trade and investment. It also engages with Export Promotion Councils, Chambers of Commerce & Industry, and industry associations on promoting our common objectives of facilitating trade and investment. Some of the areas that ITP Division handles in conjunction with other Ministries are Lines of Credit, consultancy services, civil aviation matters and foreign investment. It also provides support to the Commercial Wings of Indian missions abroad in the form of resources and information to enable them to carry out their functions. India is looking to investing in Sri Lanka in the field of energy, highway construction, medical services, and ports and airports construction. In the field of energy, Indian Oil is already an importer and distributor of petroleum products. It has renovated and is using about 15 giant oil storage tanks in Trincomalee. It now wants to renovate and use more of the 99 tanks allotted to it some years ago. India is to set up a 500 MW LNG-fueled power plant at Kerawelapitya near Colombo. In North Sri Lanka it will build roads linking Jaffna with Mannar; Mannar with Trincomalee via Vavuniya and linking Vavuniya with Colombo via Kurunegala. The Indian railways will be bidding for projects in South Sri Lanka after successfully completely rail projects in the North. India is also interested in airport construction with an eye on the Palaly airport in Jaffna with a view to making it an international airport to be linked with South Indian cities. Two Mumbai based companies are to lead an international consortium to build a container terminal in Colombo port. Companies which are in the Indian delegation include PSU majors as well as private sector companies like GMR and GVK. During the three-day visit, Foreign Secretary Jaishankar called on President Maithripala Sirisena and Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera also. The visit ends on Tuesday.
By AFP

Iraq's joint operations command on Monday denied Turkey was participating in military operations to retake the northern city of Mosul from the Islamic State group.

"The spokesman of the Joint Operations Command denies Turkish participation of any kind in operations for the liberation of Nineveh," a statement said, referring to the Iraqi province of which Mosul is the capital.

Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim told reporters on Sunday that Turkish troops stationed outside Mosul had provided support "with artillery, tanks and howitzers" following a request by Kurdish peshmerga forces.

Thousands of peshmerga forces are currently involved in a massive push in the Bashiqa area northeast of Mosul, where Turkey has a military base.

The forces of the autonomous Kurdish region, whose leader has close ties with Turkey, have complained recently that the US-led coalition's air support as insufficient.

Turkey had repeatedly stated it wanted a part in the massive operation to retake Mosul, the Islamic State group's last major stronghold in Iraq.

Turkish presence in northern Iraq is not new but reinforcement sent to the Bashiqa base last year sparked the ire of parts of Iraq public opinion and of dominant Shiite parties.

AFP reporters on the front line near Bashiqa saw artillery fire emanating from the Turkish base and targeting IS positions on several occasions since the offensive started a week ago.

Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi is under domestic pressure not to be seen as tolerating the presence on his soil of troops from a country many in Iraq see as having abetted the rise of the jihadist group.

US Defence Secretary Ashton Carter visited Baghdad on Saturday and Arbil, the Kurdish capital, on Sunday.

He had suggested before his visit to Iraq that Turkey should be given a role in the Mosul offensive, Iraq's biggest military operation in years.

But speaking after a meeting with Carter, Abadi swiftly rejected the idea.

"I know that the Turks want to participate... We tell them 'thank you, this is something the Iraqis will handle and the Iraqis will liberate Mosul'," he said.

Iraq's joint operations command on Monday denied Turkey was participating in military operations to retake the northern city of Mosul from the Islamic State group. "The spokesman of the Joint Operations Command denies Turkish participation of any kind in operations for the liberation of Nineveh," a statement said, referring to the Iraqi province of which Mosul is the capital. Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim told reporters on Sunday that Turkish troops stationed outside Mosul had provided support "with artillery, tanks and howitzers" following a request by Kurdish peshmerga forces. Thousands of peshmerga forces are currently involved in a massive push in the Bashiqa area northeast of Mosul, where Turkey has a military base. The forces of the autonomous Kurdish region, whose leader has close ties with Turkey, have complained recently that the US-led coalition's air support as insufficient. Turkey had repeatedly stated it wanted a part in the massive operation to retake Mosul, the Islamic State group's last major stronghold in Iraq. Turkish presence in northern Iraq is not new but reinforcement sent to the Bashiqa base last year sparked the ire of parts of Iraq public opinion and of dominant Shiite parties. AFP reporters on the front line near Bashiqa saw artillery fire emanating from the Turkish base and targeting IS positions on several occasions since the offensive started a week ago. Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi is under domestic pressure not to be seen as tolerating the presence on his soil of troops from a country many in Iraq see as having abetted the rise of the jihadist group. US Defence Secretary Ashton Carter visited Baghdad on Saturday and Arbil, the Kurdish capital, on Sunday. He had suggested before his visit to Iraq that Turkey should be given a role in the Mosul offensive, Iraq's biggest military operation in years. But speaking after a meeting with Carter, Abadi swiftly rejected the idea. "I know that the Turks want to participate... We tell them 'thank you, this is something the Iraqis will handle and the Iraqis will liberate Mosul'," he said.
By PTI

BAGHDAD: The Islamic State group "executed" five Iraqis, including members of the security forces, during ongoing fighting in the western town of Rutba, army officers said today.

Jihadist fighters launched an attack on Rutba, a remote but strategic town near the Jordanian border in Anbar province, early yesterday.

They briefly seized the mayor's office before being pinned back by the security forces but were still deployed in some other neighbourhoods of the town, the officers said.

"Daesh (IS) controls Mithaq and Intisar neighbourhoods in central Rutba," an army colonel told AFP.

"They captured people -- civilians and policemen -- and executed them," he said. "At least five people were executed" on Sunday, the colonel said.

Lieutenant General Ismail al-Mahalawi, head of the Operations Command for the western Anbar province, confirmed the executions but said Iraqi forces were regaining the upper hand.

"Military units from the (army) 8th division and a brigade from Anbar Operations Command moved to Rutba, redeploying there to clear the positions Daesh control in the city," he said.

The attack on Rutba was seen as a fresh attempt by IS to draw attention and Iraqi military resources away from Mosul, which is their last major stronghold in the country.

Tens of thousands of Iraqi forces launched an offensive on Mosul a week ago. IS is vastly outnumbered and the outcome of the battle appears to be in little doubt.

The jihadists are offering stiff resistance however and launching attacks elsewhere in the country to mobilise Iraqi forces on several fronts.

On Friday, dozens of jihadist fighters launched a spectacular attack on the Kurdish-controlled city of Kirkuk that killed at least 46 people, most of them members of the security forces.

The Joint Operations Command overseeing the fight against IS in Iraq said that jihadists launched their attack on Rutba at dawn on Sunday.

After forcing the attackers out of the mayor's office, Iraqi forces destroyed 12 IS vehicles, killing their occupants, the JOC said in a statement.

Iraqi forces have in recent months retaken a lot of ground from IS in Anbar, a vast Sunni province which has long been considered an insurgent bastion and has borders with Syria, Jordan and Saudi Arabia.

IS fighters only control areas near the Syria border but are still able to move in desert areas and harass government forces in the province's town and cities.

BAGHDAD: The Islamic State group "executed" five Iraqis, including members of the security forces, during ongoing fighting in the western town of Rutba, army officers said today. Jihadist fighters launched an attack on Rutba, a remote but strategic town near the Jordanian border in Anbar province, early yesterday. They briefly seized the mayor's office before being pinned back by the security forces but were still deployed in some other neighbourhoods of the town, the officers said. "Daesh (IS) controls Mithaq and Intisar neighbourhoods in central Rutba," an army colonel told AFP. "They captured people -- civilians and policemen -- and executed them," he said. "At least five people were executed" on Sunday, the colonel said. Lieutenant General Ismail al-Mahalawi, head of the Operations Command for the western Anbar province, confirmed the executions but said Iraqi forces were regaining the upper hand. "Military units from the (army) 8th division and a brigade from Anbar Operations Command moved to Rutba, redeploying there to clear the positions Daesh control in the city," he said. The attack on Rutba was seen as a fresh attempt by IS to draw attention and Iraqi military resources away from Mosul, which is their last major stronghold in the country. Tens of thousands of Iraqi forces launched an offensive on Mosul a week ago. IS is vastly outnumbered and the outcome of the battle appears to be in little doubt. The jihadists are offering stiff resistance however and launching attacks elsewhere in the country to mobilise Iraqi forces on several fronts. On Friday, dozens of jihadist fighters launched a spectacular attack on the Kurdish-controlled city of Kirkuk that killed at least 46 people, most of them members of the security forces. The Joint Operations Command overseeing the fight against IS in Iraq said that jihadists launched their attack on Rutba at dawn on Sunday. After forcing the attackers out of the mayor's office, Iraqi forces destroyed 12 IS vehicles, killing their occupants, the JOC said in a statement. Iraqi forces have in recent months retaken a lot of ground from IS in Anbar, a vast Sunni province which has long been considered an insurgent bastion and has borders with Syria, Jordan and Saudi Arabia. IS fighters only control areas near the Syria border but are still able to move in desert areas and harass government forces in the province's town and cities.
By AFP

French authorities are set to begin Monday moving thousands of people out of the notorious Calais Jungle before demolishing the camp that has served as a launchpad for attempts to sneak into Britain.

Migrants carrying suitcases and bundles of possessions started queueing up in the early morning darkness at the official meeting points for transportation to reception centres across France.

A major three-day operation is planned to clear the sprawling shanty town near Calais port -- a symbol of Europe's failure to resolve its migrant crisis -- of its estimated 6,000-8,000 occupants.

"I feel very happy, I've had enough of the Jungle," said 25-year-old Abbas from Sudan.

"There are a lot of people who don't want to leave. There might be problems later. That's why I came out first," he added.

More than 1,200 police officers will be deployed to prevent any unrest as the migrants are directed to buses that will take them to temporary shelters nationwide where they can seek asylum.

The closure of the squalid camp is aimed at relieving tensions in the Calais area, where clashes between police and migrants trying to climb onto trucks heading to Britain are an almost nightly occurrence.

As officials and charity workers spread out across the Jungle on Sunday distributing flyers about the camp's impending demolition, some were still clinging to hopes of a new life across the Channel.

"They'll have to force us to leave. We want to go to Britain," said Karhazi, a young Afghan among many of the migrants who had their hearts set on Britain, believing it to offer better prospects.

"We have yet to convince some people to accept accommodation and give up their dream of Britain. That's the hardest part," Didier Leschi, head of the French immigration office OFII told AFP.

Aid agencies have warned that some migrants could try resist being relocated.

There were riots when French authorities razed the southern half of the settlement in March.

A Syrian man named Sam who spent 13 months in the Jungle told AFP he had fled the camp on Saturday night to an undisclosed location about 12 kilometres (seven miles) away where he said "dozens" of migrants were hiding out to avoid being moved.

But as winter sets in and the rain turns part of the Jungle into a swamp, some residents have cautiously welcomed the chance of a warm bed.

"The officials say tomorrow is the beginning of something better. Let's hope this is true," Faisal al-Ajab, a 39-year-old Sudanese man who has already applied for asylum in France but is still waiting for housing, said.

- The Jungle is 'over' -

The flyers distributed on Sunday instructed the migrants in Arabic, Tigrinya, Pashto and other languages to show up at a hangar next to the camp from 8:00 am on Monday (0600 GMT) with their luggage.

There they will be separated into four groups for families, single men, unaccompanied minors and other people considered vulnerable before boarding one of 60 buses that will take them to nearly 300 shelters nationwide.

British officials have been racing to process child refugees seeking to be transferred to Britain before they become scattered throughout France.

By Saturday, the number of minors given a one-way ticket to Britain under a fast-tracked process for children launched a week ago stood at 194, according to France Terre d'Asile, a charity helping in the process.

Most have relatives across the Channel but 53 girls without family in Britain also departed France at the weekend.

A spokesman for Britains interior ministry confirmed it had "now started the process of taking in those children without close family links".

Adult migrants with relatives in Britain have complained about being left out in the cold. Some have vowed to keep trying to stow away on a truck or to jump onto a train entering the Channel Tunnel.

Dozens of migrants have died in such attempts.

The dire security and humanitarian situation in the Jungle  situated on a former rubbish dump where migrants first established a camp in the early 2000s  has long been a bone of contention between France and Britain.

The centre-right front-runner in next year's French presidential election, Alain Juppe, has called for Britains border with France, which was extended to Calais under a 2003 accord, to be moved back to British soil.

French authorities are set to begin Monday moving thousands of people out of the notorious Calais Jungle before demolishing the camp that has served as a launchpad for attempts to sneak into Britain. Migrants carrying suitcases and bundles of possessions started queueing up in the early morning darkness at the official meeting points for transportation to reception centres across France. A major three-day operation is planned to clear the sprawling shanty town near Calais port -- a symbol of Europe's failure to resolve its migrant crisis -- of its estimated 6,000-8,000 occupants. "I feel very happy, I've had enough of the Jungle," said 25-year-old Abbas from Sudan. "There are a lot of people who don't want to leave. There might be problems later. That's why I came out first," he added. More than 1,200 police officers will be deployed to prevent any unrest as the migrants are directed to buses that will take them to temporary shelters nationwide where they can seek asylum. The closure of the squalid camp is aimed at relieving tensions in the Calais area, where clashes between police and migrants trying to climb onto trucks heading to Britain are an almost nightly occurrence. As officials and charity workers spread out across the Jungle on Sunday distributing flyers about the camp's impending demolition, some were still clinging to hopes of a new life across the Channel. "They'll have to force us to leave. We want to go to Britain," said Karhazi, a young Afghan among many of the migrants who had their hearts set on Britain, believing it to offer better prospects. "We have yet to convince some people to accept accommodation and give up their dream of Britain. That's the hardest part," Didier Leschi, head of the French immigration office OFII told AFP. Aid agencies have warned that some migrants could try resist being relocated. There were riots when French authorities razed the southern half of the settlement in March. A Syrian man named Sam who spent 13 months in the Jungle told AFP he had fled the camp on Saturday night to an undisclosed location about 12 kilometres (seven miles) away where he said "dozens" of migrants were hiding out to avoid being moved. But as winter sets in and the rain turns part of the Jungle into a swamp, some residents have cautiously welcomed the chance of a warm bed. "The officials say tomorrow is the beginning of something better. Let's hope this is true," Faisal al-Ajab, a 39-year-old Sudanese man who has already applied for asylum in France but is still waiting for housing, said. - The Jungle is 'over' - The flyers distributed on Sunday instructed the migrants in Arabic, Tigrinya, Pashto and other languages to show up at a hangar next to the camp from 8:00 am on Monday (0600 GMT) with their luggage. There they will be separated into four groups for families, single men, unaccompanied minors and other people considered vulnerable before boarding one of 60 buses that will take them to nearly 300 shelters nationwide. British officials have been racing to process child refugees seeking to be transferred to Britain before they become scattered throughout France. By Saturday, the number of minors given a one-way ticket to Britain under a fast-tracked process for children launched a week ago stood at 194, according to France Terre d'Asile, a charity helping in the process. Most have relatives across the Channel but 53 girls without family in Britain also departed France at the weekend. A spokesman for Britains interior ministry confirmed it had "now started the process of taking in those children without close family links". Adult migrants with relatives in Britain have complained about being left out in the cold. Some have vowed to keep trying to stow away on a truck or to jump onto a train entering the Channel Tunnel. Dozens of migrants have died in such attempts. The dire security and humanitarian situation in the Jungle  situated on a former rubbish dump where migrants first established a camp in the early 2000s  has long been a bone of contention between France and Britain. The centre-right front-runner in next year's French presidential election, Alain Juppe, has called for Britains border with France, which was extended to Calais under a 2003 accord, to be moved back to British soil.
By IANS

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has urged Britain to play a role in ensuring the resumption of the stalled dialogue with India, and to help stop the alleged human rights violations in Jammu and Kashmir.

Prime Minister's Special Assistant on Foreign Affairs Syed Tariq Fatemi, during a meeting with Britain's National Security Adviser Mark Lyall Grant on Sunday said the UK being a member of the UN Security Council should urge India to end human rights violations in Kashmir.

"As a country with historic links to this region and as a member-state of the UN Security Council [five permanent members], it was incumbent on Britain to urge India to end its human rights violations in the occupied territory and to enter into a sustained dialogue with Pakistan so as to enable the two countries to peacefully resolve their differences," Fatemi said, Dawn reported.

According to a statement issued by the Pakistani Foreign Office, regional security issues and matters of mutual interest were discussed during the meeting.

Grant acknowledged the important role being played by Pakistan in promoting peace and stability in the region, the successes made by the country and the sacrifices rendered by its people in the fight against terrorism.

He reaffirmed Britain's continued support for Pakistan in this endeavour.

Grant was briefed on the continuing ceasefire violations by India along the Line of Control and the Working Boundary and was told that two women and two children were injured in a recent incident of cross-border shelling.



ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has urged Britain to play a role in ensuring the resumption of the stalled dialogue with India, and to help stop the alleged human rights violations in Jammu and Kashmir. Prime Minister's Special Assistant on Foreign Affairs Syed Tariq Fatemi, during a meeting with Britain's National Security Adviser Mark Lyall Grant on Sunday said the UK being a member of the UN Security Council should urge India to end human rights violations in Kashmir. "As a country with historic links to this region and as a member-state of the UN Security Council [five permanent members], it was incumbent on Britain to urge India to end its human rights violations in the occupied territory and to enter into a sustained dialogue with Pakistan so as to enable the two countries to peacefully resolve their differences," Fatemi said, Dawn reported. According to a statement issued by the Pakistani Foreign Office, regional security issues and matters of mutual interest were discussed during the meeting. Grant acknowledged the important role being played by Pakistan in promoting peace and stability in the region, the successes made by the country and the sacrifices rendered by its people in the fight against terrorism. He reaffirmed Britain's continued support for Pakistan in this endeavour. Grant was briefed on the continuing ceasefire violations by India along the Line of Control and the Working Boundary and was told that two women and two children were injured in a recent incident of cross-border shelling.
By Associated Press

MANILA, Philippines The top American diplomat in Asia says Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte's controversial remarks and a "real climate of uncertainty" about his government's intentions have sparked distress in the U.S. and other countries.

U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Daniel Russel said Monday that he also relayed to Philippine Foreign Secretary Perfecto Yasay Jr. international concern over continuing killings under Duterte's crackdown against illegal drugs.

Russel said that while Washington welcomes the relaxation of tensions between Manila and Beijing under Duterte, the rapprochement should not come at the expense of the U.S., the Philippines' treaty ally.

Russel's visit to Manila comes amid increasing animosity between the allies as Duterte tries to scale back U.S. military engagement with his country and reaches out to China.

MANILA, Philippines The top American diplomat in Asia says Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte's controversial remarks and a "real climate of uncertainty" about his government's intentions have sparked distress in the U.S. and other countries. U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Daniel Russel said Monday that he also relayed to Philippine Foreign Secretary Perfecto Yasay Jr. international concern over continuing killings under Duterte's crackdown against illegal drugs. Russel said that while Washington welcomes the relaxation of tensions between Manila and Beijing under Duterte, the rapprochement should not come at the expense of the U.S., the Philippines' treaty ally. Russel's visit to Manila comes amid increasing animosity between the allies as Duterte tries to scale back U.S. military engagement with his country and reaches out to China.
By PTI

MANAMA: India today told Bahrain's top leadership that Pakistan's use of terrorism as "an instrument of state policy" was a matter of concern and the incitement from across the border was the main reason behind the current unrest in Jammu and Kashmir.

Home Minister Rajnath Singh, who is here on a three-day visit, made the remarks during his meeting with Bahraini Interior Minister Rashid bin Abdullah Al Khalifa. Singh also called on Bahrain King Hamad bin Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa and Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa and shared with them India's concern over terrorism.

"We shared concern over terrorism and human trafficking," Singh tweeted after the meetings. Bahrain is a key member of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference in which Pakistan is also a member. Singh apprised Rashid about Islamabad's open support and participation to glorify slain Hizbul Mujahideen militant Burhan Wani in Pakistan, saying it indicates continued free movement that terrorists and their supporters enjoy there.

Wani was killed in an encounter on July 8 and since then the unrest has been continuing in Kashmir Valley. "Pakistan is a country which refuses to give up use of terrorism as an instrument of state policy,"

Singh is said to have conveyed to his Bahraini counterpart. He raised the issue of the arrest in July of Pakistani terrorist Bahadur Ali, who was armed and trained in LeT camps and then exfiltrated into Jammu and Kashmir with instructions to mingle in crowds for throwing grenades at security forces.

"Since there is no change in Pakistan's approach of sponsoring terrorism we cannot take at face value any of the assurances that Pakistan provides in regard to stopping terrorism," Singh said.

Asserting that Jammu and Kashmir is an internal matter of India and no interference is acceptable, he said the central government as well as the Jammu and Kashmir government and other relevant authorities in India are involved in addressing the situation in the state and various efforts have been undertaken to redress the grievances of the local population.

He conveyed that there is complete political consensus in India on reaching out to the people of Jammu and Kashmir and substantial progress has been made in this regard. Singh told his counterpart about the lack of progress in the investigation into the Pathankot airbase terrorist attack and on the Mumbai terror attack trials in Pakistan.

"It betrays Pakistan's selective approach to terrorism. We have conveyed to Pakistan that we are ready to discuss various aspects of the challenge of terrorism that is directed from Pakistan against us, which has been our core concern and is at the centre of the current situation in Jammu and Kashmir," he is believed to have said.

The two leaders rejected the linking of terrorism to any race, religion or culture. "The two sides agreed on their strong stances against all forms of terrorism, saying terrorism is a hazard to all countries and communities," said a joint statement.

The Home Minister also met Bahrain's Deputy Prime Minister Shaikh Ali Bin Khalifa Al Khalifa and Foreign Minister Shaikh Khalid Bin Ahmed Al Khalifa separately.

Addressing the Indian community last night, Singh said terrorism is a global problem and the international community must join hands to root out the menace. Singh had also said the Narendra Modi government has made several structural and procedural changes and that resulted in successfully reducing the "wholesale corruption" in India.

The Home Minister said both India and Bahrain are vulnerable to the scourge of terrorism and there were extensive discussions about the menace during his talks with Interior Minister of Bahrain. Expressing his concern over the terrorism, Singh said terrorism constitutes the greatest threat to humanity since World War II and there are no good or bad terrorists. He said terrorism should be dealt with in a comprehensive manner and segmented and partial approaches as adopted by some of the countries have been unsuccessful in countering terrorism.

He thanked the Bahraini leadership for condemning the recent terrorist attack in Uri in September and the Pathankot airbase attack in January this year, an official release said. He said it is a matter of satisfaction that the world opinion is with India in its resolution to dismantle the launching pads of terrorism from across the border.

Singh expressed happiness over the fact that the bilateral security dialogue at the Deputy NSA level has now been institutionalised and the second round was held in New Delhi last week. The Home Minister said signing of agreement for cooperation in combating international terrorism, transnational organised crime and trafficking in illicit drugs, narcotic and psychotropic substances and precursor chemicals has laid strong foundation for enhanced security and counter-terrorism cooperation between the two countries.

He said India would like to enhance ties with Bahraini defence and security establishment. Singh said India is keen to strengthen trade and investment ties with Bahrain and avail of the strategic location of Bahrain as a "gateway" to the GCC market. "While our bilateral trade is healthy and has reached about USD one billion, there is still a huge potential to further expand it," the release said. Singh said the presence of a large Indian community in Bahrain constitutes an important link between the two nations.

Indians are the largest expatriate community in Bahrain. He thanked the Bahraini authorities for launching the 'Little India in Bahrain'.

This is a praiseworthy gesture towards India and Indian community and will promote Indian culture in Bahrain, he said. Singh said Bahrain had supported India on many occasions and India will reciprocate in the same manner, more than what Bahrain has given to India.

MANAMA: India today told Bahrain's top leadership that Pakistan's use of terrorism as "an instrument of state policy" was a matter of concern and the incitement from across the border was the main reason behind the current unrest in Jammu and Kashmir. Home Minister Rajnath Singh, who is here on a three-day visit, made the remarks during his meeting with Bahraini Interior Minister Rashid bin Abdullah Al Khalifa. Singh also called on Bahrain King Hamad bin Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa and Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa and shared with them India's concern over terrorism. "We shared concern over terrorism and human trafficking," Singh tweeted after the meetings. Bahrain is a key member of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference in which Pakistan is also a member. Singh apprised Rashid about Islamabad's open support and participation to glorify slain Hizbul Mujahideen militant Burhan Wani in Pakistan, saying it indicates continued free movement that terrorists and their supporters enjoy there. Wani was killed in an encounter on July 8 and since then the unrest has been continuing in Kashmir Valley. "Pakistan is a country which refuses to give up use of terrorism as an instrument of state policy," Singh is said to have conveyed to his Bahraini counterpart. He raised the issue of the arrest in July of Pakistani terrorist Bahadur Ali, who was armed and trained in LeT camps and then exfiltrated into Jammu and Kashmir with instructions to mingle in crowds for throwing grenades at security forces. "Since there is no change in Pakistan's approach of sponsoring terrorism we cannot take at face value any of the assurances that Pakistan provides in regard to stopping terrorism," Singh said. Asserting that Jammu and Kashmir is an internal matter of India and no interference is acceptable, he said the central government as well as the Jammu and Kashmir government and other relevant authorities in India are involved in addressing the situation in the state and various efforts have been undertaken to redress the grievances of the local population. He conveyed that there is complete political consensus in India on reaching out to the people of Jammu and Kashmir and substantial progress has been made in this regard. Singh told his counterpart about the lack of progress in the investigation into the Pathankot airbase terrorist attack and on the Mumbai terror attack trials in Pakistan. "It betrays Pakistan's selective approach to terrorism. We have conveyed to Pakistan that we are ready to discuss various aspects of the challenge of terrorism that is directed from Pakistan against us, which has been our core concern and is at the centre of the current situation in Jammu and Kashmir," he is believed to have said. The two leaders rejected the linking of terrorism to any race, religion or culture. "The two sides agreed on their strong stances against all forms of terrorism, saying terrorism is a hazard to all countries and communities," said a joint statement. The Home Minister also met Bahrain's Deputy Prime Minister Shaikh Ali Bin Khalifa Al Khalifa and Foreign Minister Shaikh Khalid Bin Ahmed Al Khalifa separately. Addressing the Indian community last night, Singh said terrorism is a global problem and the international community must join hands to root out the menace. Singh had also said the Narendra Modi government has made several structural and procedural changes and that resulted in successfully reducing the "wholesale corruption" in India. The Home Minister said both India and Bahrain are vulnerable to the scourge of terrorism and there were extensive discussions about the menace during his talks with Interior Minister of Bahrain. Expressing his concern over the terrorism, Singh said terrorism constitutes the greatest threat to humanity since World War II and there are no good or bad terrorists. He said terrorism should be dealt with in a comprehensive manner and segmented and partial approaches as adopted by some of the countries have been unsuccessful in countering terrorism. He thanked the Bahraini leadership for condemning the recent terrorist attack in Uri in September and the Pathankot airbase attack in January this year, an official release said. He said it is a matter of satisfaction that the world opinion is with India in its resolution to dismantle the launching pads of terrorism from across the border. Singh expressed happiness over the fact that the bilateral security dialogue at the Deputy NSA level has now been institutionalised and the second round was held in New Delhi last week. The Home Minister said signing of agreement for cooperation in combating international terrorism, transnational organised crime and trafficking in illicit drugs, narcotic and psychotropic substances and precursor chemicals has laid strong foundation for enhanced security and counter-terrorism cooperation between the two countries. He said India would like to enhance ties with Bahraini defence and security establishment. Singh said India is keen to strengthen trade and investment ties with Bahrain and avail of the strategic location of Bahrain as a "gateway" to the GCC market. "While our bilateral trade is healthy and has reached about USD one billion, there is still a huge potential to further expand it," the release said. Singh said the presence of a large Indian community in Bahrain constitutes an important link between the two nations. Indians are the largest expatriate community in Bahrain. He thanked the Bahraini authorities for launching the 'Little India in Bahrain'. This is a praiseworthy gesture towards India and Indian community and will promote Indian culture in Bahrain, he said. Singh said Bahrain had supported India on many occasions and India will reciprocate in the same manner, more than what Bahrain has given to India.
By IANS

WASHINGTON: US Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump's campaign director Kellyanne Conway said on Sunday that "this election doesn't feel over", although she admitted that "we are behind" the real-estate magnate's Democratic rival Hillary Clinton.



Clinton "has some advantages," EFE news quoted Conway as telling to NBC's "Meet the Press", including "$66 million in ad buys just in the month of September, ... doubling her ad buys from August. ... She has a former President, who happens to be her husband (Bill Clinton), campaigning for her. The current President and First Lady (Barack and Michelle Obama), Vice President (Joe Biden), all much more popular than she can hope to be."



Conway said on the circuit of Sunday morning political discussion programmes that many media outlets say that a win by Clinton is virtually a foregone conclusion.



Because of Clinton's advantages, Conway said, Trump will invest more resources in the states considered to be crucial in winning the November 8 election, including Florida, Ohio, Iowa, North Carolina and Nevada.



She said that the campaign was not going to give up, adding that Trump can still win the election, despite being behind in the polls at present.



In all those key states, except Ohio, Clinton is ahead of Trump, but Conway said that the race is still close enough that it could turn in Trump's favour in the next two weeks.



Trump has redoubled his campaign efforts and in the coming days he will kick things up a notch with up to three rallies or other events per day in those states.



Between Sunday and Tuesday, the GOP candidate is scheduled to hold five rallies in Florida, the first one to take place on Sunday evening in the southwestern coastal city of Naples.

WASHINGTON: US Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump's campaign director Kellyanne Conway said on Sunday that "this election doesn't feel over", although she admitted that "we are behind" the real-estate magnate's Democratic rival Hillary Clinton. Clinton "has some advantages," EFE news quoted Conway as telling to NBC's "Meet the Press", including "$66 million in ad buys just in the month of September, ... doubling her ad buys from August. ... She has a former President, who happens to be her husband (Bill Clinton), campaigning for her. The current President and First Lady (Barack and Michelle Obama), Vice President (Joe Biden), all much more popular than she can hope to be." Conway said on the circuit of Sunday morning political discussion programmes that many media outlets say that a win by Clinton is virtually a foregone conclusion. Because of Clinton's advantages, Conway said, Trump will invest more resources in the states considered to be crucial in winning the November 8 election, including Florida, Ohio, Iowa, North Carolina and Nevada. She said that the campaign was not going to give up, adding that Trump can still win the election, despite being behind in the polls at present. In all those key states, except Ohio, Clinton is ahead of Trump, but Conway said that the race is still close enough that it could turn in Trump's favour in the next two weeks. Trump has redoubled his campaign efforts and in the coming days he will kick things up a notch with up to three rallies or other events per day in those states. Between Sunday and Tuesday, the GOP candidate is scheduled to hold five rallies in Florida, the first one to take place on Sunday evening in the southwestern coastal city of Naples.
By Associated Press

LONDON: WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange first outlined the hypothesis nearly a decade ago: Can total transparency defeat an entrenched group of insiders?

"Consider what would happen," Assange wrote in 2006, if one of America's two major parties had their emails, faxes, campaign briefings, internal polls and donor data all exposed to public scrutiny.

"They would immediately fall into an organizational stupor," he predicted, "and lose to the other."

A decade later, various organs of the Democratic Party have been hacked; several staffers have resigned and Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton has seen the inner workings of her campaign exposed to the public, including disclosures calling into question her positions on trade and Wall Street and her relationship with the party's left . Many of these emails have been released into the public domain by WikiLeaks.

Some see the leaks as a sign that Assange has thrown his lot in with Republican rival Donald Trump or even with Russia. But others who've followed Assange over the years say he's less interested in who wins high office than in exposing  and wearing down  the gears of political power that grind away behind the scenes.

"He tends not to think about people, he thinks about systems," said Finn Brunton, an assistant professor at New York University who has tracked WikiLeaks for years. "What he wants to do is interfere with the machinery of government regardless of who is in charge."

WikiLeaks' mission was foreshadowed 10 years ago in "Conspiracy as Governance," a six-page essay Assange posted to his now-defunct blog.

In the essay, Assange described authoritarian governments, corporations, terrorist organizations and political parties as "conspiracies"  groups that hoard secret information to win a competitive advantage over the general public. Leaks cut these groups open like a double-edged knife, empowering the public with privileged information while spreading confusion among the conspirators themselves, he said. If leaking were made easy, Assange argued, conspiratorial organizations would be gripped by paranoia, leaving transparent groups to flourish.

When the group published 250,000 U.S. State Department cables in 2010, it helped launch a multimillion dollar quest to unmask insider threats at home while causing problems for U.S. diplomats overseas. The recent leaks have affected the Democratic National Committee in much the same way, with staffers advised to use caution when communicating about sensitive topics.

Clinton supporters say Assange is targeting her out of partisan bias. U.S. intelligence officials believe Russia is behind the hacks to interfere in the U.S. election.

"Wouldn't it be good reading to see internal discussions (about) Trump's taxes?" Clinton Press Secretary Brian Fallon tweeted recently. "Wikileaks isn't targeting Trump. That tells you something."

It's possible that malicious sources are using WikiLeaks for their own ends, said Lisa Lynch, an associate professor at Drew University who has also followed Assange's career. But she noted that a lifetime far from public service and an aversion to email make Trump a more difficult target.

"If Trump had a political career, he'd be more available for Wikileaking," she said.

Assange did not return messages seeking comment, but he has described allegations that he's in the service of the Kremlin as a conspiracy theory and has denied picking sides in the U.S. electoral contest.

He has targeted Republican politicians in the past; in the run-up to the 2008 election his group published the contents of vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin's inbox. Her reaction at the time anticipated the Democrats' outrage today.

"What kind of a creep would break into a person's files, steal them, read them, then give them to the press to broadcast all over the world to influence a presidential campaign?" Palin wrote in her autobiography, "Going Rogue."

In fact, Assange has long tried to influence presidential campaigns. In 2007, WikiLeaks published a long-suppressed corruption report ahead of Kenya's national elections. It unleashed a wave of anger and, Assange oftenboasts , swung the vote.

In reality, the publication barely played a role in Kenya, according to Nic Cheesman, an associate professor of African politics at Oxford University. And it's not clear whether the recent WikiLeaks revelations will fare differently. Clinton has a commanding lead in the polls despite the leaks.

Still, Assange appears game to try. Between the DNC emails and the inbox of Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta's messages, his organization has published 46,000 messages from some of the most powerful people in Democratic politics. More is coming. When one Twitter user noted that WikiLeaks had not published any of Podesta's emails dating past March 21, WikiLeaks responded .

LONDON: WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange first outlined the hypothesis nearly a decade ago: Can total transparency defeat an entrenched group of insiders? "Consider what would happen," Assange wrote in 2006, if one of America's two major parties had their emails, faxes, campaign briefings, internal polls and donor data all exposed to public scrutiny. "They would immediately fall into an organizational stupor," he predicted, "and lose to the other." A decade later, various organs of the Democratic Party have been hacked; several staffers have resigned and Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton has seen the inner workings of her campaign exposed to the public, including disclosures calling into question her positions on trade and Wall Street and her relationship with the party's left . Many of these emails have been released into the public domain by WikiLeaks. Some see the leaks as a sign that Assange has thrown his lot in with Republican rival Donald Trump or even with Russia. But others who've followed Assange over the years say he's less interested in who wins high office than in exposing  and wearing down  the gears of political power that grind away behind the scenes. "He tends not to think about people, he thinks about systems," said Finn Brunton, an assistant professor at New York University who has tracked WikiLeaks for years. "What he wants to do is interfere with the machinery of government regardless of who is in charge." WikiLeaks' mission was foreshadowed 10 years ago in "Conspiracy as Governance," a six-page essay Assange posted to his now-defunct blog. In the essay, Assange described authoritarian governments, corporations, terrorist organizations and political parties as "conspiracies"  groups that hoard secret information to win a competitive advantage over the general public. Leaks cut these groups open like a double-edged knife, empowering the public with privileged information while spreading confusion among the conspirators themselves, he said. If leaking were made easy, Assange argued, conspiratorial organizations would be gripped by paranoia, leaving transparent groups to flourish. When the group published 250,000 U.S. State Department cables in 2010, it helped launch a multimillion dollar quest to unmask insider threats at home while causing problems for U.S. diplomats overseas. The recent leaks have affected the Democratic National Committee in much the same way, with staffers advised to use caution when communicating about sensitive topics. Clinton supporters say Assange is targeting her out of partisan bias. U.S. intelligence officials believe Russia is behind the hacks to interfere in the U.S. election. "Wouldn't it be good reading to see internal discussions (about) Trump's taxes?" Clinton Press Secretary Brian Fallon tweeted recently. "Wikileaks isn't targeting Trump. That tells you something." It's possible that malicious sources are using WikiLeaks for their own ends, said Lisa Lynch, an associate professor at Drew University who has also followed Assange's career. But she noted that a lifetime far from public service and an aversion to email make Trump a more difficult target. "If Trump had a political career, he'd be more available for Wikileaking," she said. Assange did not return messages seeking comment, but he has described allegations that he's in the service of the Kremlin as a conspiracy theory and has denied picking sides in the U.S. electoral contest. He has targeted Republican politicians in the past; in the run-up to the 2008 election his group published the contents of vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin's inbox. Her reaction at the time anticipated the Democrats' outrage today. "What kind of a creep would break into a person's files, steal them, read them, then give them to the press to broadcast all over the world to influence a presidential campaign?" Palin wrote in her autobiography, "Going Rogue." In fact, Assange has long tried to influence presidential campaigns. In 2007, WikiLeaks published a long-suppressed corruption report ahead of Kenya's national elections. It unleashed a wave of anger and, Assange oftenboasts , swung the vote. In reality, the publication barely played a role in Kenya, according to Nic Cheesman, an associate professor of African politics at Oxford University. And it's not clear whether the recent WikiLeaks revelations will fare differently. Clinton has a commanding lead in the polls despite the leaks. Still, Assange appears game to try. Between the DNC emails and the inbox of Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta's messages, his organization has published 46,000 messages from some of the most powerful people in Democratic politics. More is coming. When one Twitter user noted that WikiLeaks had not published any of Podesta's emails dating past March 21, WikiLeaks responded .
King Felipe greets Mariano Rajoy in July. REUTERS

After a 10-month political impasse, Spain looks set to have a government by early November. The Socialist Partys (PSOE) decision on Sunday to lift a veto that has blocked the Popular Party (PP) in Congress means that Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy will return to office at the head of a minority administration.

Rajoy will rule without the support of any of Spains three other main parties, with just 137 deputies out of 350. He will be forced to negotiate every step of the new legislature, seeking support from the emerging center-right Ciudadanos grouping, as well as other groups.

The decision avoids Spaniards returning to the polls for a third time in a year

All that is required now is a meeting between Rajoy and King Felipe and then two rounds of voting in Congress at which the Socialist Party will most likely abstain, allowing Rajoy to form a minority government toward the end of next week.

If the Socialists had not agreed to abstain at the upcoming investiture vote, the country would have had to return to the polls for a record third time in a year. Javier Fernandez, who is in charge of the PSOE until it elects a new leader, has described the partys position as the lesser of two evils.

The Socialist Partys decision to lift its veto came after a special meeting held in Madrid on Sunday, with 139 regional leaders voting to allow Rajoy to form a government, and 96 opposing the move. The question has divided the party, with its former leader, Pedro Sanchez insisting for the last 10 months that he had widespread support among the grass roots for his refusal to allow Rajoy back into office. He stood down on August 31.

In the first round of voting in Congress next week, Rajoy will likely garner 170 votes: the PPs, along with those of Ciudadanos and the Canaries Coalition. A second vote will take place two days later, on Saturday or Sunday. The Socialists will abstain, thus opening the door to Rajoy to return to office.

English version by Nick Lyne.
By Associated Press

BARRINGTON: Hundreds of women, girls and other supporters proudly donned their yoga pants on Sunday as they peacefully paraded around the Rhode Island neighborhood of a man who derided the attire as tacky and ridiculous.

Alan Sorrentino said the response to his letter to the editor, printed in The Barrington Times on Wednesday, has been "vicious" and that he's received death threats. He maintained the letter was meant to be humorous.

But organizers said even if Sorrentino's letter was meant to be a joke, the message is clear.

"Women are fed up with the notion that we have to dress for people's visual pleasure," said Jamie Burke, parade organizer.

The so-called yoga pants parade wasn't a protest against Sorrentino specifically but part of a bigger movement against misogyny and men dictating how women should dress, organizers said.

More than 300 people  many of them women and young girls  came out for the social media-driven event in the affluent, coastal town of Barrington, wearing yoga pants of different styles and colors.

Some held up signs that said "Peaceful Pants Party" and "I've Got Passion For My Pants."

Participants also collected personal hygiene items for the Sojourner House, a local domestic violence organization. Marchers ended with a group yoga session.

Sorrentino, in his letter, described yoga pants as the worst thing in women's fashion since the miniskirt. He argued that they belong in the yoga studio and that women over age 20 shouldn't wear them in public.

One parade-walker, clad in bright red yoga pants, held a sign that read: "I'm 53."

Sorrentino told WPRO-AM the letter was meant to be a humorous break from the current political campaign rhetoric and that he doesn't really have an issue with yoga pants. He says he even owns a pair.

Sorrentino likened the death threats and expletive-laden voicemails he says he's received to what he's experienced for years as an openly gay man.

"It's vicious and intimidating," he said Saturday on WPRO-AM. "The fact that this is seen as an appropriate reaction to something I wrote in the paper is really disgusting."

On Sunday, a police detail was posted in front of Sorrentino's home, which had a hand-written banner saying "Free Speech" hanging over it. Burke said she advised participants to respect a quiet zone by his home. A call to Sorrentino on Sunday went unanswered.

BARRINGTON: Hundreds of women, girls and other supporters proudly donned their yoga pants on Sunday as they peacefully paraded around the Rhode Island neighborhood of a man who derided the attire as tacky and ridiculous. Alan Sorrentino said the response to his letter to the editor, printed in The Barrington Times on Wednesday, has been "vicious" and that he's received death threats. He maintained the letter was meant to be humorous. But organizers said even if Sorrentino's letter was meant to be a joke, the message is clear. "Women are fed up with the notion that we have to dress for people's visual pleasure," said Jamie Burke, parade organizer. The so-called yoga pants parade wasn't a protest against Sorrentino specifically but part of a bigger movement against misogyny and men dictating how women should dress, organizers said. More than 300 people  many of them women and young girls  came out for the social media-driven event in the affluent, coastal town of Barrington, wearing yoga pants of different styles and colors. Some held up signs that said "Peaceful Pants Party" and "I've Got Passion For My Pants." Participants also collected personal hygiene items for the Sojourner House, a local domestic violence organization. Marchers ended with a group yoga session. Sorrentino, in his letter, described yoga pants as the worst thing in women's fashion since the miniskirt. He argued that they belong in the yoga studio and that women over age 20 shouldn't wear them in public. One parade-walker, clad in bright red yoga pants, held a sign that read: "I'm 53." Sorrentino told WPRO-AM the letter was meant to be a humorous break from the current political campaign rhetoric and that he doesn't really have an issue with yoga pants. He says he even owns a pair. Sorrentino likened the death threats and expletive-laden voicemails he says he's received to what he's experienced for years as an openly gay man. "It's vicious and intimidating," he said Saturday on WPRO-AM. "The fact that this is seen as an appropriate reaction to something I wrote in the paper is really disgusting." On Sunday, a police detail was posted in front of Sorrentino's home, which had a hand-written banner saying "Free Speech" hanging over it. Burke said she advised participants to respect a quiet zone by his home. A call to Sorrentino on Sunday went unanswered.
By PTI

KARACHI: Around six militants have attacked a police training centre in Pakistan's southwestern city of Quetta, injuring 20 policemen and taking some security personnel hostage.



The terrorists stormed the police training centre's hostel on Saryab road at around 11:30 pm last night and started firing.



The attackers are currently inside and engaged in an intermittent exchange of fire with security forces.



"At least 20 people have been injured in the attack," a senior provincial official was quoted as saying by the Express Tribune.



"5-6 terrorists attacked police training centre hostel. Army and FC troops arrived on the site. Operation is underway," Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a statement.



The attackers entered the complex through the front gate and have reportedly taken some police personnel hostage, said SSP Operations Mohammad Iqbal.



Around 200 cadets are said to be present in the centre's hostel.



Balochistan's Home Minister Mir Sarfaraz Ahmed Bugti confirmed that terrorists have attacked the training centre.



"Our security forces have the capability to combat such attacks and threats," the home minister told reporters.



He added that that recently there were 700 cadets present, but a batch passed out a few days ago.



"As of now, I do not have a confirmed figure on cadets present inside the centre," he said.



An emergency has been declared in all government hospitals of the provincial capital, with the injured shifted to Civil Hospital Quetta and the Bolan Medical Complex.



The injured are in stable condition, said the police official.



Extra contingents of security forces have been deployed at the spot and a cordon has been established.



"Exchange of firing is going on but it is not clear how many hostages might have been taken by the attackers," a spokesman for the Baluchistan government said.



But he conceded that at a time at least around 200 trainees took training at the centre.



Militants have conducted attacks against security forces and national installations in Balochistan, which has been plagued by an insurgency and growing sectarian killings for more than a decade.

KARACHI: Around six militants have attacked a police training centre in Pakistan's southwestern city of Quetta, injuring 20 policemen and taking some security personnel hostage. The terrorists stormed the police training centre's hostel on Saryab road at around 11:30 pm last night and started firing. The attackers are currently inside and engaged in an intermittent exchange of fire with security forces. "At least 20 people have been injured in the attack," a senior provincial official was quoted as saying by the Express Tribune. "5-6 terrorists attacked police training centre hostel. Army and FC troops arrived on the site. Operation is underway," Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a statement. The attackers entered the complex through the front gate and have reportedly taken some police personnel hostage, said SSP Operations Mohammad Iqbal. Around 200 cadets are said to be present in the centre's hostel. Balochistan's Home Minister Mir Sarfaraz Ahmed Bugti confirmed that terrorists have attacked the training centre. "Our security forces have the capability to combat such attacks and threats," the home minister told reporters. He added that that recently there were 700 cadets present, but a batch passed out a few days ago. "As of now, I do not have a confirmed figure on cadets present inside the centre," he said. An emergency has been declared in all government hospitals of the provincial capital, with the injured shifted to Civil Hospital Quetta and the Bolan Medical Complex. The injured are in stable condition, said the police official. Extra contingents of security forces have been deployed at the spot and a cordon has been established. "Exchange of firing is going on but it is not clear how many hostages might have been taken by the attackers," a spokesman for the Baluchistan government said. But he conceded that at a time at least around 200 trainees took training at the centre. Militants have conducted attacks against security forces and national installations in Balochistan, which has been plagued by an insurgency and growing sectarian killings for more than a decade.
A British man has been found guilty of assault and bodily harm after smashing a wooden plank into a Spaniards face to screams of Speak English!

Security cameras captured the moment when a Spanish man was attacked by an assailant in Bournemouth, on Britains southern coast, in May of this year.

I have heard more from my attacker than I have from the police or the courts

Tomas Gil, victim

Despite the incident happening earlier this year, the images have only just been released, following the conviction. The attacker, 37-year-old Daniel Way, screamed Fucking Spanish, speak English at his victim before hitting him in the face with a wooden plank that he ripped off a nearby establishment.

Way has been sentenced to 150 hours of unpaid community work and a payment of 800 pounds (900) in compensation to Tomas Gil, a 27-year-old from Valencia who had been living in the UK for four years.

Way also received a 12-month prison sentence, which has been suspended. Gil told EL PAIS that until then, he had never witnessed or suffered any racist incidents while in Britain.

The attack took place at around 5am on May 19. Gil said that he was inside a pub with a group of friends, then walked out with a woman named Silvia. Both of them stopped to talk for a while.

Racist graffiti was scrawled on a school for Spanish children in London shortly after the Brexit vote. A.C.

The assailant then came at us from the other side, screaming you fucking Spanish, speak English, and I faced up to him a bit. Silvia told me to let it go. And then... well, you see it in the video: he pretends to leave, gets the stick...and takes good aim.

Several people who witnessed the attack ran to help him and to restrain the attacker, who was held by security personnel until the police showed up.

Gils face was swollen for a week, especially around the jaw, but there were no broken bones or significant injuries. The police telephoned Gil a week later to take a statement from him, and that was when he saw the CCTV footage.

I told them I was returning to Spain and that my phone number would change, and I gave them my email address, he says. Yet Gil has had no official news about the court decision or about the compensation that is due him.

In fact, Gil found out through the media after the story first ran in the Bournemouth Echo, then made it into The Sun, Daily Mail and Mirror. Spanish media outlets picked up the story, and a friend of Gils added a link on his Facebook wall.

[Daniel Way] has been in touch with me through Facebook to apologize, I suppose his lawyer must have recommended it. And he told me he needs to start paying me next month... I have heard more from him than I have from the police or the courts, notes Gil.

Gil says he had decided to return to Spain before the attack. He now works as a social assistant back home. In the four years that he lived in Britain, he worked in a kitchen, at a factory, as a sales representative and as a waiter, and says he saw no racism, although you do sense a feeling of superiority because you are a foreigner.

London Tube assault

Another racist assault involving a Spaniard went viral online in recent days. This attack took place on Monday of last week on the London Underground, where a man punched a fellow passenger in the face as a train pulled into a station, then jumped out.

The victims wife ran after him, screaming insults in Spanish. Thanks to a cellphone video made by another passenger, the 33-year-old suspect was detained on suspicion of assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

Jubair Ahmed told the Evening Standard that he is a 31-year-old finance student from Bangladesh and that he has been living in London since 2011. His wife Kilian, who studied in the Spanish city of Seville, says in her Facebook profile that she has worked as a tourist guide and now heads the family business.

There have been several reports of an increase in racist incidents ever since Britain voted to leave the European Union in the so-called Brexit vote. There are around 200,000 Spaniards currently living in the UK.

English version by Susana Urra.
Police at the triple murder scene in Mendoza, Argentina. Telam

Less than a week after thousands of Argentineans staged a one-hour work stoppage to protest the gang rape and murder of 16-year-old Lucia Perez, the lives of three more women have been claimed.

On Sunday, following an argument, Daniel Gonzalo Zalazar, a 31-year-old martial arts teacher from the western city of Mendoza, stabbed his ex-wife, Claudia Lorena Arias, aged 30, along with her aunt, Marta Susana Ortiz, aged 45, and her grandmother, 90-year-old Vicenta Diaz. He also attempted to murder a seven-month-old baby and the 11-year-old son from his ex-wifes previous marriage. Both children are in intensive care. The couples eight-year-old son was able to hide, and later called the police. The killer was arrested when he sought treatment for a cut on his hand at a nearby hospital.

The countrys Supreme Court last year set up a national register to record murders of women

When police arrived at the murder scene, they discovered that Zalazar had left a gas valve open near a lit candle.

This is an unbelievably cruel act. He is a killer, a psychopath who cannot claim that he was in danger. Leaving the gas on shows his crime was premeditated, says Gianni Venier, the head of Mendozas Department of Security.

Zalazar, who has no previous convictions and has been described as peaceful posted a photograph of himself with two friends on Instagram a few days ago with the message: Its great to train with people who have the same mental problems#locura [madness]

On October 19, womens groups throughout Argentina staged marches to protest the countrys high levels of gender violence. More than 200 women are murdered each year by their partner or former partner.

Argentinas Supreme Court recorded 235 murders of women in 2015, an average of one every 36 hours. The previous year, 225 murders of women were recorded. In response, for the last two years, womens groups have staged marches in cities throughout the country, but authorities have taken little action to protect vulnerable women. On average, around 20% of murder victims had reported harassment and violence by their killer to the police.

The case of Lucia Perez shocked the country and made headlines around the world

With anger about the numbers of women being murdered in Argentina on the rise, the countrys Supreme Court last year set up a national register to record such killings.

The case of Lucia Perez shocked the country and made headlines around the world. The 16-year-old was drugged and repeatedly raped earlier this month by at least two men and then taken to a hospital where they claimed she had suffered a drug overdose. She died in hospital of her injuries. Three other women were murdered within days of the incident.

English version by Nick Lyne.
A scene from the movie.

More information El deshielo entre Cuba y Estados Unidos llega al espacio

Since the United States and Cuba began the process to normalize bilateral diplomatic relations, many sectors have been considering the islands potential for business. Hollywood is no exception. The Kardashians visited Havana, Michael Bay shot some of Transformers 5 there and Don Cheadles show House of Lies also came to record. Amid that pageantry of celebrities, actor and producer Ron Perlmans 10-day stay went largely unnoticed. But Perlman was there to shoot Sergio & Sergei, which could be considered the first Cuban-American co-production, 56 years on from the embargo.

The film chronicles the friendship between a ham radio enthusiast and a Soviet cosmonaut who is stranded on the Mir Space Station

The story, written by director Ernesto Daranas and Martha Daranas, takes place in 1992 as the Soviet Union dissolved and Cuba entered its most severe economic crisis. The film chronicles the friendship between Sergio (Tomas Cao) a ham radio enthusiast and Cuban Marxist professor, and Sergei Asimov (Hector Noas), a Soviet cosmonaut who is stranded on the Mir Space Station.

Perlman, who is well-known for the title role in Hellboy, was in Cuba with his friend and filmmaker Gabriel Beristain when he received the offer to act and co-produce the film. He told Deadline that he has a passion for independent films, so could not pass up the opportunity to work on this feature on the island. Perlman, the favorite actor of the Mexican director Guillermo del Toro, said his job as co-producer is to represent the film in the American marketplace and at festivals.

It was exciting to be part of what we felt was an inevitable change in direction, he said. My very first independent film was Cronos, which was a coming-out party for the young Mexican director Guillermo Del Toro and here was a chance to work with and help introduce a world class filmmaker in Daranas. He is the most important person in this whole mix; this will be his coming-out party and Ive got to make sure he gets his due.

The feature-length film, like every production, had its obstacles. One of them was that the lead characters did not speak Russian. Another was the presence of actor Vin Diesel, Daranas added. His production team had a lot of trouble recording ambient sound on one of their sets, a small terrace roof in Havana. What caused this sound issue? Sergio & Sergei was shooting at the same time as Fast and Furious. Their helicopter flew over us for days, Baranas explained.

English version by Dyane Jean Francois.
For opening the third box they wait for Serzh Sargsyan and Karen Karapetyan (video)

As a result of exceptional research in historical Aghdzk, relics of Armenian kings have been found. Archeologist Hakob Simonyan is sure that those are the bones of Artashisyan and Arshakunyats kings. By the way, the relics were found not in the mausoleum, but under the paving of the church. Three stone boxes were found in front of the altar; they were sealed. A cross was even preserved on one of them. We dug up two boxes, in which there were human bodies; one thing was clear; before placing them in the boxes soft tissues were removed from the bones, archeologist Hakob Simonyan told the journalists. By the way, if organic substances are maintained in the bones, DNA testing will be used. The third box hasnt been opened yet. The archeologists want to open it in the presence of officials and journalists. The day will be set when Serzh Sargsyan and Prime Minister find time, said Hakob Simonyan. According to the preliminary project, the excavations will continue for a year. The idea of carrying out excavations was proposed by the NA lawmaker Aragats Akhoyan at the NA. According to his words, the excavations are carried out fully by the state means and it is the only mausoleum of the kings, which place is known. It must be preserved and passed to the future generations, summed up Aragats Akhoyan. During these days the number of visitors in Aghdzk is over 500.
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Mikayel and Karen Vardanyans provided 136 million AMD support for the overhaul of the Myasnikyan statue, which was in unsafe state of disrepair

Believe me, as a representative of a country which uses the Schengen system very often, it is quite important. Vardanyan

I really look forward to having answers from the Azerbaijani side for these alleged gross human rights violations: Secretary General

I call on Armenian and Azerbaijani parliamentarians to use this Assembly as an agora of opportunities President Tiny Kox

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There is no place for the death penalty in a State that respects human rights: PACE General Rapporteur

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The statement of the meeting between Prime Minister Pashinyan, President Aliyev, President Macron and President Michel of October 6, 2022

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Nikol Pashinyan, Nancy Pelosi discuss a number of issues related to the Armenian-American agenda and regional developments

Delegation by Nancy Pelosi Accompanied by Alen Simonyan Visits Tsitsernakaberd Memorial Complex

Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi Arrives in Yerevan

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Serzh Sargsyan meets with Prince and Grand Master of the Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of Malta Fra Matthew Festing (video)

At the invitation of President Serzh Sargsyan, at Saturday night the Prince and Grand Master of the Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of Malta Fra Matthew Festing arrived to the Republic of Armenia on a state visit. Today, at the Presidential Palace there took place an official welcoming ceremony for the Prince and Grand Master of the Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of Malta Fra Matthew Festing and his delegation. Later, there took place a meeting of the President of Armenia and the Grand Master in the extended format with the participation of the official delegations. Your Most Eminent Highness, it gives me a special pleasure to greet you in Armenia. I am greatly honored to welcome you and your delegation. The visit of the Grand Master of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta to Armenia is a very important event in the history of our diplomatic relations and it, I am sure, will allow us to invigorate our cooperation. Ties between the first Christian nation and the oldest Christian Order had formed back in times of the crusades and were based on mutual respect and mutual benefit. We share the same Christian values, and they constitute the base which allows us today to form active interstate relations. I am aware that the agenda of your visit to our country is pretty full. I hope that in the process you will have the opportunity to familiarize with our people, our Christian culture which in a way is similar to the common Christian culture but is also unique, special. Welcome to Armenia, said the President of Armenia in his welcoming remarks. The Prince and Grand Master of the Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of Malta Fra Matthew Festing thanked the President of Armenia for the warm welcome and hospitality and stressed the importance of his state visit to Armenia from the viewpoint of further strengthening the bilateral relations. I was really delighted for the opportunity to meet with you at the Saint Peters Cathedral where you had arrived to participate at the holy mass dedicated to the memory of the saint martyrs of the Armenian Genocide. I believe that it is critical that the Christian nations and representatives of the Christian organizations establish very close relations, considering prevailing in these times secular morals. It is particularly important in the light of the extraordinary problems which we face nowadays, particularly, the flow of migrants, problems of refugees and their movements. I believe in that context it is crucial for us to maintain a constant contact, exchanging views and coordinating our approaches. That is why these relations are so important, said His Most Eminent Highness the Prince and Grand Master of the Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of Malta Fra Matthew Festing at the meeting with the President of Armenia.
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Armenia-Azerbaijan: EU sets up monitoring capacity along the international borders

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There is still 35% gender pay gap: Sona Ghazaryan

Global Finance Names Ameriabank the Safest Bank in Armenia

Mikayel and Karen Vardanyans provided 136 million AMD support for the overhaul of the Myasnikyan statue, which was in unsafe state of disrepair

Believe me, as a representative of a country which uses the Schengen system very often, it is quite important. Vardanyan

I really look forward to having answers from the Azerbaijani side for these alleged gross human rights violations: Secretary General

I call on Armenian and Azerbaijani parliamentarians to use this Assembly as an agora of opportunities President Tiny Kox

UCOMS SPECIAL OFFER OF THE UNLIMITED INTERNET IS NOW TERMLESS

There is no place for the death penalty in a State that respects human rights: PACE General Rapporteur

EU and CoE call on two Member States that have not yet acceded to this Protocol  Armenia and Azerbaijan  to do so without delay

An urgent debate requested on "The military hostilities between Armenia and Azerbaijan".

UCOM AND PES-PES CONTINUE COOPERATION WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK OF EDUCATIONAL PROJECT

The statement of the meeting between Prime Minister Pashinyan, President Aliyev, President Macron and President Michel of October 6, 2022

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The statement of the Defender on the video of the execution of Armenian PoWs by the Azerbaijani armed forces

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STATEMENT BY SECRETARY ANTONY J. BLINKEN

This criminal act is another proof that the Armenophobia policy. Tatoyan

Nikol Pashinyan, Nancy Pelosi discuss a number of issues related to the Armenian-American agenda and regional developments

Delegation by Nancy Pelosi Accompanied by Alen Simonyan Visits Tsitsernakaberd Memorial Complex

Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi Arrives in Yerevan

Armenian Revytech, global technology leader SAP and financial services software specialist SAP Fioneer sign a cooperation agreement

With 120 million drams donated by Mikael Vardanyan, the defenders of the homeland will be treated in a new building

OSCE Chairman-in-Office and OSCE Secretary General call for immediate cessation of hostilities along Armenia-Azerbaijan border

Statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Artsakh

USA Embassy Message for U.S. Citizens
Girls like extreme; they are more courageous

Especially girls are fearless and like extreme sports, says author of Yell Extreme Park project Tigran Chibukhchyan, Our clients are mainly single women at the age of 18-26. I think in the independent Republic of Armenia the girls are more fearless and active, it is the reason. He says that this project, which has been operating in Yenokavan community of Tavush marz, which is 140 km far from Yerevan, for already a year, is a family business, We considered our target group to be the foreign tourists, but Armenians were more active, especially Yerevan residents. We aim at proving that there is future in Armenia for staying and earning so much money, which will ensure welfare. Tigran Chibukhchyan says that their employees, 50-60 people, are from Yenokavan, It is a fact that at present Yenokavan is the community with the least number of migration. Yenokavan residents dont want to leave Armenia; Yerevan residents didnt believe the success of our project, but Yenokavan residents believed and stayed. There are also Syrian Armenian employees, who arrived in Armenia after the recent war. The more the flow of tourists to regions is, the greater the chance to reduce migration is. Yell Extreme Park project has 5 zip-lines, which are already under the supervision of MES. Though all the security measures are taken into consideration, in this case the most important thing is the vigilance of zip-line user. If there are problems, it is because of the adventurousness of the zip-line user. Of course, it is a risk, adrenaline, but while making each step one should remember that they shouldnt be adventurous and should keep all the security rules, noted spokesperson of the project Tatevik Simonyan. Tigran Chibukhchyan also noted that they are planning to have the worlds longest zip-line (3.2 km) until the end of May, 2017, We expect foreign investment worth USD 200 000. This new zip-line will grant an opportunity to bridge Yenokavan and Yell Extreme Park. By the way, French district will be built in Yenokavan; a few years ago Yenokavan became a sister-city with one of French cities. It is a marketing step and there will be French investments. We plan to develop ethno and eco tourism, as well as agrotourism; on one of the hills we have established traditional cornel plantations, about 5000 trees, and we are going to make traditional vodka of Yenokavan. We have 5-10 years development projects. By the way, Yell Extreme Park has hosted 12 000 visitors in a year. The authors of the project also plan development of small aviation with short flights from Yenokavan to Yerevan.
Republican: Hovik Abrahamyan didnt instil confidence in the people (video)

Republican Hamlet Harutyunyan has heard that there is monopoly in Armenia, If we use the term oligarchy and no one sues us, it means that there is monopoly, isnt it. And we are fighting against it. Two days ago Prime Minister said that everyone can import whatever they want. Vahram Baghdasaryan, Head of the Republican Party of Armenia (HHK) faction, cannot see anything strange in the PMs statement to be the personal guarantor of importers. He says that the opposition has always reiterated the same that no one is able to carry out importation, We dont rule out that there have been such cases. Mr Baghdasaryan says that at present PM notes that if a persons right to import goods is hindered, people can call him. Head of the Republican faction states the same, If there are obstacles, contact me, and I will deal with that issue. But until now there hasnt been any call. Prime Minister keeps his word, says Vahram Baghdasaryan. Republican Arakel Movsisyan notes that some people have turned PMs statement into an object of ridicule. We should unite around PM, says Republican political figure, we shouldnt criticize. But the reporter noted that they said the same during Hovik Abrahamyans tenure, when he was newly appointed, Hovik Abrahamyan was a member of the team and even now he is a member, thats why he didnt instil confidence in the people. But this person is new He hasnt been a member of the team, he isnt partisan. Arakel Movsisyan is ready to be one of his supporters. Head of Armenian National Congress (HAK) faction Levon Zurabyan notes that the issue cannot be solved with the statement of becoming a guarantor. There is a clearer criteria; the prices must decrease, The prices of sugar, food, flour, medicine, diesel, oil, by the way, after some anti-monopoly measures also the price of gas. If the prices drop, we will be able to see that it gave its results. Levon Zurabyan says that ensuring equal opportunities for businesses is an issue of political will, and not a phone call.
On October 22, 2016, Belgian television RTL-TVI Place Royale broadcasted a video interview made by a journalist with Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume and Hereditary Grand Duchess Stephanie of Luxembourg. The video was shot in different locations of Luxembourg (Vianden, Differdange, Moselle, Clervaux) and introduces these locations. The video also includes questions about the Prince and the Princess. The video is in French. (VIDEO - RTL-TVI Place Royale )
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Tom Kacich is a columnist and the author of Tom's Mailbag at The News-Gazette. His column appears Sundays. His email is tkacich@news-gazette.com, and you can follow him on Twitter (@tkacich).
Congenica, a clinical interpretation partner for the UK 100,000 Genomes Project, has announced that its whole genome analysis platform Sapientia is detecting clinically relevant variants in over 35% of diagnostics reports returned to the NHS Genomic Medicine Centres (GMCs) for the Pilot and Main Phase studies. The anticipated diagnostic rate for such a large population study would be closer to 25%.

The UK 100,000 Genomes Project is a UK large-scale genomic project aiming to sequence and analyse the genetic information of NHS patients affected by cancers or rare diseases. Genome interpretation software analyses a participants genome sequence, to support clinicians in identifying the likely cause of someones rare disease.

Tom Weaver, CEO of Cambridge-based Congenica, is delighted that its technology is reaching patients and said:

One of the aims of Genomics England is to enable NHS patients to gain early benefit from advances in genomics and through participation in the UK 100,000 Genomes Project we have been able to accelerate development of our Sapientia diagnostic platform.

This high diagnostic yield makes Sapientia a reliable and efficient tool used in clinical settings by genomic centres around the UK.

Dr Simon Ramsden, lead geneticist for the Manchester Centre for Genomic Medicine (MCGM), is using Sapientia to scale its operation to accommodate an explosion in genomic analysis.

He said:

What Sapientia does is give us a format: it is a web-based tool where we can take our data, compare it to what's out there in the world, and support the clinicians to come up with a diagnosis.

Dr Ramsden is speaking at a symposium that Congenica is hosting at the Annual Meeting of the American Society of Human Genetics on October 20th from 13:00-14:30 in Room 9 of the East Building of the Vancouver Convention Centre. The symposium will include talks from experts in clinical genomics with first-hand experience of using Sapientia and its impact on patient diagnosis.
A Danish research team is behind a new method for studying how a tracer is distributed in a cancer tumour via its extensive vascular network.

The method can be used for purposes such as closely studying the effect of medical treatment using cancer inhibitors.

By means of mathematical modelling, the researchers combined two previously known scanning technologies - magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomography (CT) - and used these to study tumours in laboratory animals.

This resulted in completely new images at very high resolution, which provide detailed mapping of the branching of tumour blood vessels.

"We can lay two images of the same cancer tumour on top of each other so to speak, so we get a more geometrically complex understanding of the individual tumour's blood vessels, and thereby an opportunity to very precisely study the way drugs are distributed," says Associate Professor Jens Vinge Nygaard, Department of Engineering, Aarhus University.

He is responsible for the mathematical modelling work for the imaging, and he expects that the method could ultimately be used to develop new drugs and optimise dosing for the individual patient.

15,000 blood vessels under the microscope

An MR image can show how a tracer used as a cancer-inhibiting drug is distributed inside the tumour, but only in a relatively coarse resolution.

An image from a micro-CT scanner, on the other hand, can show an extensive network of blood vessels in the tumour at very high resolution, but it is unable to identify how the drug is transported locally.

The combination of the two imaging technologies can thereby provide significantly improved scanning images of cancer, which can play an important role in developing new drugs.

"The new images give us an opportunity to follow the way a tracer travels through the blood vessels in the tumour and into the surrounding tissue to the cancer cells. As scientists, we're interested in mapping the size and branching of the blood vessels, and understanding what goes on between the blood vessels over time. This can provide us with more detailed insight into specific treatment needs," says Thomas Rea Wittenborn, who is a cancer researcher at the Department of Experimental Clinical Oncology, Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University Hospital.

The tumours they studied measure approximately 200-300 cubic millimetres and typically contain 15,000-20,000 branches of blood vessels.

Computer models replace experimental animals

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The researchers followed a total of ten mice with tumours on their feet, and used the two scanning technologies to develop a computer model for each of these.

In principle, the models form the foundation for a completely unique experimental platform.

"Using the computer models, we've created a virtual experimental platform so to speak, and can thereby considerably extend our experiments because we're not dependent on experimental animals. In practice, we can sit in front of our computer screens and study what happens to the tumour if we use drugs that stay in the tissue for longer or shorter periods, or are adapted for small or large blood vessels," says Associate Professor Nygaard.

In the time ahead, the researchers will expand their experiment with more mice and follow the cancer tumours over a period of time. This will provide them with an opportunity to develop computer models that not only describe drug distribution in a static stage of the cancer process, but also generate precise growth scenarios for cancer tumours.

"Using the new imaging method, we'll be capable in purely mathematical terms of predicting tumour development in connection with different drug strategies," says Associate Professor Nygaard.

FACT BOX:

The results are based on interdisciplinary research collaboration cutting across a number of centres and departments at Aarhus University and Aarhus University Hospital: the Department of Engineering, the Department of Clinical Medicine, the Interdisciplinary Nanoscience Centre (iNANO), the Centre of Functionally Integrative Neuroscience (CFIN) and the Department of Biomedicine.

Both the MRI and CT scans of the tumours in the mice were made using research equipment that provides very high image resolution. The researchers subsequently used a classical computer-based calculation method (FEM) to process data from the two scanners.

FEM stands for Finite Element Method and is a numerical calculation method used in engineering in many different contexts.

MRI scanning is based on magnetic fields and radio waves, and can show changes in body tissue. CT scanning is based on X-radiation, and can form three-dimensional images of organs and cancer tumours.

The ordinary hospital scanners currently used for imaging of patients do not yet have spatial resolution that is good enough to achieve adequate data quality. However, the researchers estimate that technological advances will make it possible within a few years to transfer the method to humans.
A potentially life-saving technology which could dramatically impact on the lives of thousands of children and adults receiving cancer treatment has won a place at the UKs largest innovation event - Innovate 2016.

The Tookie Vest for Oncology was developed by Liverpool based healthcare innovation business Tookie Ltd, to prevent the accidental fall out and safe management of central venous catheters; vital to cancer patients.

Over 200,000 central lines are fitted in the UK each year, with over 10,000 used in children being treated for cancer - many having their central lines accessed on a daily basis to administer medicine and monitor patient health.

Mr Ross J Craigie  a Consultant Paediatric Surgeon at Royal Manchester Children's Hospital said:

As a childrens surgeon, I see first-hand the concerns that parents have around care and security of their childs central line and also the implications of premature line removal. The Tookie Vest aims to give both actual line security and also peace of mind to families, something that we have been waiting for in central line care.

Launching as a product that is focused around children but also available to adults, the Tookie Vest minimises the chance of toddlers and children tampering with chords, eliminating exposed looping and provides peace of mind to worried parents. In addition to this, the vest has a movable pouch to host and support the ends of the catheter line and is manufactured from a textile impregnated with an anti-bacterial agent.

Mr Stephen Tooke, Commercial Director of Tookie Limited said:

The Tookie Vest for Oncology is the first of Tookies product designs to be launched - no other such product exists. Generally, there are makeshift solutions - but nothing that provides constructive, consistent and robust support, to a patients fitted with a central venous catheter, in the UK or internationally.

Complications related to central lines are common with tubes often snagging, twisting and looping. The accidental removal of a catheter from a patient receiving long-term chemotherapy can often result in infection with serious consequences for the patient. In the UK approximately 36.2 million is spent on treating central line infection each year and in the US this figure is $2.6 Billion.

The company is engaged with a number of NHS Hospital Trusts - whom with clinicians and patients are developing the renal, nutrition and respiratory Tookie Vest to suit each patient groups needs to support their lines. Additionally, on display at Innovate 2016 is the Tookie Smart Vest which features embedded textile biosensors that capture and send vital patient information via Wi-Fi to a smartphone for enhanced patient self-care and monitoring in the home.

The Tookie Vest will be on show alongside 100 of the most cutting edge innovations from businesses across the country at the Innovate 2016 event in Manchester on November the second and third.
Students from the University of Sheffield are building a device capable of quickly diagnosing bacterial infections, which could help doctors improve the way they prescribe treatment for patients.

The new tool could help doctors make more informed prescriptions, which in turn could help to tackle antibiotic resistance by reducing the number of patients with viral infections being prescribed antibiotics.

Plans for the new tool, which could differentiate between bacterial and non-bacterial infections, are being showcased at iGEM 2016 - a leading international competition held in Boston, USA, where some of the world's brightest student scientists unveil their latest innovations.

The Sheffield students hope that the device could be placed in GP surgeries or walk-in centres to enable patients with flu-like symptoms to give a small blood sample and be promptly told whether they have a bacterial or non-bacterial infection and be treated accordingly.

The diagnostic tool uses genetically engineered bacteria to detect the presence of a bacterial infection in a patient's blood sample.

It can distinguish between a viral and bacterial infection by detecting a protein known as lipocalin. This protein is produced in high levels by cells of the immune system in response to bacterial infections.

The protein's function is to bind to small molecules which bacteria use to access iron in order to grow.

The Sheffield team, which consists of students from a range of science, engineering and medicine disciplines, are developing the device so that genetically modified bacteria mixes with a patient's blood sample and turn florescent when there are low levels of the lipocalin protein - indicating a viral not bacterial infection.

Saylee Jangam, a student from the University of Sheffield's iGEM team, said: "The main aim behind this project is to create more informed prescriptions to address the ever increasing resistance against antibiotics that we face today.

"Antibiotic resistance is a huge problem and this is why we chose to base our project on it. We may not be able to reverse it, but with our device, we could potentially slow it down.

"What's even more interesting is that we are using genetically engineered bacteria to detect the presence of bacterial infections in blood - that's right - using bacteria to detect bacteria."

The University is currently conducting world-class research into infectious diseases. Sheffield scientists across all levels of study are developing radical solutions to global problems of disease and antimicrobial resistance as part of projects including Florey, Imagine, and the Sheffield Antimicrobial Resistance Network (SHAMROK). These are signature research projects addressing some of the world's biggest biomedical problems.
New research from the University of Liverpool highlights problems impacting on the cognitive development of children in sub-Saharan Africa.

Cognitive function includes a wide range of processes including perception, memory, attention and behavioural control, with some of these processes not being fully developed until early adulthood.

Over a period of two-and-a-half years researchers from the University's Institute of Ageing and Chronic Disease, led by Dr Paul Knox, studied the longitudinal development of children in the city of Blantyre, Malawi, who had suffered from cerebral malaria (one of the severest forms of malaria) and compared them to local children who had not.

Anti-saccade test

Malaria presents a substantial global health challenge, with an estimated annual incidence of approximately two million cases and over 600,000 deaths per year. Most deaths occur in children under five years of age, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa.

To assess the children, a particular type of eye movement test, the anti-saccade test, was used. The participant fixates on a small, central, dot; a second dot is then presented to either left or right of centre. The participant has to make a saccadic eye movement away from the target dot. For example, if the target is on the left, the participant looks to the right. The proportion of errors (occasions on which the dot is looked at) is closely related to key aspects of cognitive function, allowing performance to be tracked over time, and compared between groups.

While the performance of children who had suffered from cerebral malaria in the past was expected to be worse than children who had not, results revealed that both the performance and development of children who had survived cerebral malaria without epilepsy or other severe complications, was indistinguishable to that of controls. However, the results also showed that all of the children from Blantyre performed much worse than expected, based on other published data.

Unknown factors

Dr Paul Knox, said: "Our research suggests that factors beyond cerebral malaria are affecting cognitive development in this population as a whole. Real progress is being made in tackling malaria. But this study is a reminder that we need to know more about factors such as nutrition, other diseases, and even environmental factors like cooking smoke, that impact on child development."

The research was carried out in the Queen Elisabeth Central Hospital in Blantyre, Malawi, as part of the Malawi-Liverpool Wellcome Trust Clinical Research Programme.
A leading UK manufacturer of single-use medical devices for womens health, Pelican Feminine Healthcare will be showcasing the latest technologies at MEDICA 2016.

Pelican is committed to the continuous developments of pioneering healthcare solutions in womens health and this year, will be showcasing the FETOfit, a strapless foetal monitoring solution and PELIspec Pro-Wall, a vaginal speculum designed to offer added vaginal wall support.

Simple, secure and strapless, the FETOfit is a disposable device specifically designed to secure both TOCO and CTG transducers quickly and easily for foetal monitoring.

The hypoallergenic adhesive pads adhere directly to the front of the abdomen with a flexible material that moulds to the bodys contours, offering a secure fit whilst promoting maternal comfort and mobility with easy access for epidural.

Also showcasing this year is the PELIspec Pro-Wall, a device that provides a professional solution in cases of anterior vaginal wall laxity. This product features a ready-applied latex-free sheath configured to efficiently secure an unobstructed view of the cervical anatomy ensuring maximum visibility during the procedure, whilst saving time wasted modifying existing speculum.

Both products offer a cost effective but high quality single-use solutions. Developed in conjunction with specialist clinicians, Pelicans market-leading innovations are manufactured to the highest quality standards. This is reinforced by stringent monitoring processes with over 15,000 quality control checks performed annually and across their product range.

The company will be at MEDICA 2016 to meet new and existing export partners, with a particular focus on new distribution partners in Latin America.

Export Manager, Michael Denver, said:

Our products are revolutionising the single-use market and are fast becoming products of choice for health services and professionals worldwide. We are keen to build on this success globally, especially in Latin America and MEDICA is the perfect platform to appoint new partners and develop existing relationships. We have invested heavily in the design and manufacture of products including the market-leading PELIspec - strength tested every four hours to ensure it meets stringent product specifications. These checks are conducted at a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in the UK, which since 2011 has served international markets with production of over 15 million vaginal speculum.

MEDICA 2016 is taking place from 14  17 November. Throughout the show, Pelican will be located in Hall 16, stand F42.
New Delhi: State-owned firms such as NTPC and SAIL will be roped in to manage the stressed assets of banks so as to effectively deal with the problem of bad loans, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said today.



"The government has already taken a series of steps. In some cases, we already have seen exits in order to lower their (group) debts and make them more sustainable. The Oversight Committee is dealing with some cases which have now arisen on account of various steps that have been taken," he said.



After chairing the meeting on stressed assets in steel, power and shipping sectors, Jaitley said: "Today's agenda was whether in some cases we can also involve the management team of certain established and successful PSUs in certain sectors to operate, at least at the interim, some of the plants."



The meeting was attended by chairpersons of three important PSUs, NTPC, SAIL and Cochin Shipyard Ltd.



The meeting also deliberated as to what can be done in case of certain defaulters, whose assets have found no takers. Jaitley said banks will invoke their power of converting debt into equity in such cases, and some entities will come up to take over the stressed assets.



"Today one of the legitimate problems is whenever some assets are put out, there are no takers so the takers will be created," he said.



The meeting was attended by Department of Financial Services, Economic Affairs Secretary and Officials from PMO and Secretaries and representatives from Steel, Power and Shipping were present.



"The concerned secretaries have been asked to coordinate between the banks and concerned PSU heads. I think they will start immediately," he said.



The three sectors account for bulk of gross non-performing assets (NPAs) which surged to 9.32 per cent (Rs 4.76 lakh crore) in 2015-16. Jaitley said the restructuring will necessarily involve the banks invoking their powers under the contract converting a part of the debt into equity taking control of those stressed units.



Banks will then appoint a management team of established people from either current or retired representatives who have great experience of those sectors, he said.



Earlier in the day, bankers met separately with Steel Secretary to discuss issues related to NPAs in the steel sector.



Jaitley had last week said that banks should enforce their right and recover dues in the larger interest of the economy.



"The problem of NPAs, which is of course the next big challenge as far as Indian economy is concerned, we are now coming to a stage when a lot of effective steps both legislative and in terms of policy have been taken," he had said.



Banks now have to enforce their right in the larger interest of the economy because if money keeps lying and blocked with one particular section, then your capacity to lend to others itself is adversely impacted, Jaitley said.



"I think stage is now set for banks to take effective action in some cases so that people realise that indefinitely you cannot hold on public money because bank money is also at the end of day is public money itself," he had said.




In a short statement on Monday Tata group announced that Cyrus Mistry was being replaced as the chairman of Tata Sons by Ratan Tata as an interim chairman. Though no reasons were given for the leadership change, market speculation is that the ongoing difficulties in the telecom and steel businesses may be the cause.



In 2009 Japanese firm NTT DoCoMo purchased a 26.5% stake in Tata Telecom. In 2014 it announced its plan to exit the joint venture and since then the negotiations, especially related to the valuation of the stake (the amount Tata would have to pay to DoCoMo for buying back the stake) have been stuck in national and international arbitration. An arbitration court in London asked Tata to pay $1.7 billion for breach of contract, while the company deposited more than a billion dollars with the Delhi High Court.



Similarly, Tata Steels acquisition of Corus has not worked out well. The Indian steel company purchased Corus in 2007 fo $12.5 billion. But it has been struggling for the last four years because of a dip in steel prices.



Earlier this year Tata Steel said that it was looking at options to sell the UK business, due to global oversupply of steel, significant increase in third country exports into Europe, high manufacturing costs, continued weakness in domestic market demand in steel and a volatile currency.



An analyst who tracks Indian corporates said on condition of anonymity that it was probably the ongoing issues at these two units of the Tata group that may have led to the replacement of Cyrus Mistry with Ratan Tata.



He further added that Tata Consultancy Services, for long the cash cow and the crown jewel of the Tata empire, could no longer be relied upon to provide the revenues because of the slowdown of the Indian IT industry.




Aramus carrot may become a brand (video)

Support to agronomists is the creation of consumption markets. According to the observation of Gagik Makaryan, Chairman of the Union of Employers of Armenia, if there are consumption markets, the villagers will be interested in enlarging their lands, harvest, the usage of fertilizers or chemicals will be more available for them, they will use technologies more correctly. During the program of A1+, On paper and in reality, Mr Makaryan proposes to invest the idea of rural brands, for example, the carrot of Aramus. If even a few families unite, the number will already be interesting both for the recyclers, and in case of homemade canned food. We can use the eco-products during the coffee breaks for tourists and international conferences of small groups and other similar objectives, said Gagik Makaryan, adding that it also has a social side. When we dont speak about its social side, we lose, as it has its value around the world, said Chairman of the Union. According to Anahit Karapetyan, Chief specialist of the RA Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs State Employment Agencys projects implementation and methodical consultation department, besides the social projects, they have projects supporting the small business. During the projects training are organized on how to organize a business and examine the tax filed. Very often we deal with long-term unemployed, who are far from working environment. We try to increase their self-confidence, so that they can move forward relying on their capabilities, said Anahit Karapetyan.
In a span of around 12 hours on an otherwise uneventful Friday, 26-year-old Taruna Aswani's life was disrupted in a manner most unexpected.At 8:59am, she received this email.It was followed by a timely reminder that night.And these weren't empty threats. Attached with the mails were three pictures of her naked  pictures she had sent her boyfriend.But Taruna did not cower down to her harasser. She did not give in to his perverted demands. Neither did she choose to wait and watch, doing nothing at all.Taruna bucked the trend. She chose to speak up instead. And go public.Predictably, her post has raised quite the storm on social media. And like everything on the Internet, opinion on it, too, is fiercely divided.While thousands of people have supported her and lauded her courage... there are also many who reacted harshly, questioning her decision to click such pictures of herself in the first place.In this exclusive interview to CNN-News18, Taruna responds to those criticising her and calls upon other women caught in similar situations to speak up against their harassers.Her long-time boyfriend, Stas Estko, a Polish national, working in India for the past seven years, concurs. There are many people in India who are conservative and are judging Taruna negatively. But these people must understand that sending such pictures to your partner is neither uncommon nor unnatural. It is an act between two consenting adults whose privacy must be respected instead of their moralities being questioned.(Picture Courtesy: CNN-News18)Taruna hails from Mumbai but shifted to Maryland in the US five months ago to pursue a career as a professional physical therapist. She has been in Maryland throughout the ordeal.She has sought help from investigating agencies in the United States, including the FBI and the Maryland police, but to no avail.CNN-News18 helped Taruna get in touch with Sachin Patil, DCP, Cyber Cell of the Mumbai Police. Patil has requested Taruna to provide information regarding the IP addresses from which logins were made into her cloud storage facilities.Speaking to CNN-News18, Patil said, The investigating agency with which the initial complaint has been filed is in Maryland, USA. If we receive word from them requesting for cooperation in the probe, we will definitely assist them in tracking down the perpetrator.But DCP Patil does not mince words  success rates in tracking down such cyber criminals is not very high.The perpetrators are often beyond the jurisdiction of the country in which the victim is based. In such situations, international cooperation is imperative before the blackmailers can be tracked down.According to Patil, email and cloud service providers like Google and Microsoft also prove unhelpful at times, especially when the investigating agency dealing with the case is from a country other than the US.Governed by American cyber laws, Google may not necessarily release information sought by an Indian probe agency. Thankfully, in Tarunas case, this is not likely to be a problem as the complaint was filed with American law enforcement agencies. But only if the American agencies concerned choose to act on her complaint.Taruna Aswani is not the first woman to have been threatened because private pictures and videos of her have been accessed by someone looking to blackmail her over them. And she will most definitely not be the last.But what makes Tarunas story extraordinary is her willingness to take the harasser by the horns.DCP Patil commends her courage. Taruna has set an example. The problem must be reported to the police at the earliest. Most often, cases like these go unreported. But hopefully, victims of such harassment will take a cue from the courage shown by Taruna and come forward and break their silence.Very often, the reason victims stay quiet is because of the stigma they are likely to face if they go public. Character assassination by acquaintances, neighbours and, possibly, even family members may seem too high a price to pay.And Tarunas mother, Divya Aswani, does not shy away from accepting that there will be many who criticise, judge and shame her daughter.I do not care what people have to say. I am extremely proud of my daughter and I salute her courage in coming clean with this. I will support her every step of the way. The pictures she took were meant to be private. Nobody has the right to violate her privacy. The crime was not committed by my daughter in clicking those pictures, the crime was committed by the man who used them to harass her.In an increasingly vulnerable web space, where everything from your credit card details to private images are at the risk of being exploited or exposed, the debate will rage on as to whether it is wiser to delete information that may compromise you in future.But that is not the issue at the core of this story. This is a story of a victim of online sexual harassment speaking out against cyber criminals, defying her harassers intimidation and not giving in.Because Taruna Aswani realises that that is the only way to fight the menace that haunts her. And the thousands of others who suffer a similar fate, but in silence.
Jammu: Two persons were killed and seven others, including a Border Security Force (BSF) trooper and six civilians, were injured in Jammu and Kashmir on Monday in Pakistan shelling along the Line of Control in Jammu district.



"A BSF trooper identified as Sushil Kumar, and an eight-year-old boy were killed, while seven others, including a BSF trooper and six civilians were injured in heavy shelling and automatic gunfire by Pakistan Rangers on the LoC," police said.



"The BSF trooper from Haryana's Kurukshetra was killed in R.S.Pura sector while the boy was killed in Kanachak area," the police said.



"All those injured, including one BSF trooper and six civilians were shifted to hospital for treatment," said the police.



Reports said Pakistan Rangers have targeted around a dozen BSF outposts on the LoC during the night.



"BSF has been effectively retaliating Pakistan shelling and automatic gunfire," police said.



Some cattle have also been killed because of mortar shells fired by Pakistan in Akhnoor sector.



The Indian and Pakistani armed forces had exchanged heavy shelling and firing all night through along the international border of Jammu district on Monday.



"Heavy shelling and firing exchanges continued throughout the night between Indian and Pakistani troops in Kanachak, Akhnoor, Arnia and some other places on the international border in Jammu district," the police said.



"The exchanges were triggered by the Pakistani Rangers who resorted to unprovoked shelling and firing at Indian positions around 7 p.m. yesterday (Sunday)," the police said.



Residents in the border villages of Jammu and Kashmir in Khour tehsil and other places in Jammu district spent another sleepless night as shells from across the border landed in the agricultural fields close to their homes.
New Delhi: Two passengers went off the radar after checking in their luggage at an airline counter, sending security personnel scurrying for answers at the Indira Gandhi International Airport here.



Amit Rajaram Chavan and Sheetal were due to fly from New Delhi to Munich and then to Toronto via London on the intervening night of Saturday and Sunday. They checked-in two bags at the airline counter but slipped away without collecting their boarding passes and did not return.



Worried, the airline crew approached the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), which is tasked with guarding all commercial airports in the country. We alerted our entire surveillence and CCTV team, a senior CISF official said.



The surviellance footage did not show the couple exiting the airport terminal. Their bags were immediately sent for an explosives check but were found to contain nothing dangerous.



The CISF then deployed its CCTV monitoring team, which is tasked with combing through the footage of 3,000 cameras installed at the terminal, in the Security Operations Control Centre. In one surveillance video, the couple was seen entering a toilet but exiting in different attires, a CISF official said.



The Toronto-bound duo seemed to have changed their plans and instead opted for domestic travel, a senior CISF official said. "They were noted have to discarded their original itinerary and were trailed to have instead proceeded to the domestic departure by some domestic flight," the official said.



Several CISF teams were deployed to locate the couple's new flight and destination. Intensive scrutiny with a low-cost domestic carrier revealed the couple was headed for Pune under different names  Karan Patel and Megha Patel .



The CISF rushed to get them de-boarded but failed as the flight was in the late stages of departure.



The security personnel at IGI Airport immediately alerted their counterparts in Pune, who apprehended the couple as soon as the flight landed there.



Upon interrogation, the couple revealed their real identities were Karan Patel and Megha Patel, both residents of Ahmedabad. They said they were not married yet and were trying to emigrate to Toronto, Canada under forged passports.



They were flown back to Delhi and underwent joint interrogation by officials from the CISF, Delhi Police, Intelligence Bureau and Immigration.



They revealed they had procured the fake documents and tickets for travel to Pune from an agent who identified himself as Imran and had been present at the Delhi airport terminal as a co-passenger. Investigation revealed Imran had not boarded any flight and had exited the terminal building.



Details, documents and video surveillenace of all three were handed over to Immigration for further investigation.



The incident comes amid tight security protocols across major airports in the country in the wake of increased tensions with Pakistan after the Indian Army's surgical strikes at terror camp across the Line of Control last month.
Jammu: A BSF head constable was killed while another trooper and a local resident got injured in ceasefire violations by Pakistan on the Line of Control (LoC) in RS Pura Sector in Jammu and Kashmir, an officer said on Monday.



"Two BSF troopers suffered bullet injuries along with a woman resident in an unprovoked firing in RS Pura Sector by Pakistani troopers. One of our troopers was killed in the attack," BSF Spokesperson Subhendu Bhardwaj told IANS.



Border Security Force (BSF) trooper Sushil Kumar, 47, succumbed to injuries in an attack on Sunday night, the officer said.



Kumar, a resident of Kurukshetra in Haryana, was inducted in the force in 1992. He is survived by a son and a daughter.







The firing comes after a lull of nearly 48 hours as Pakistani Rangers resorted to small arms firing and mortar shelling on at least three places in the sector.



Another BSF constable, Gurnam Singh, had succumbed to his injuries on Sunday in firing by Pakistani snipers in Bobiya area of Hira Nagar sector on the LoC on Friday.



After the injury suffered by Gurnam Singh, the BSF had launched an offensive in which, it claimed, seven Pakistan Rangers and a militant were killed on Friday.



Gurnam Singh belonged to Bhalesar village of R.S. Pura in Jammu district.














Srinagar: Accusing the ruling coalition of betraying people in Jammu and Kashmir, JKPCC on Monday sought a "sustained and meaningful" dialogue with all stakeholders, including the separatists, to address Kashmir issue and bring the Valley out of the nearly four-month-long unrest.



"We have been seeking talks with the Hurriyat for over three months now. We told the Governor that this government is committed to dialogue but they have kept dialogue at the backdoor (sic) now, which is a betrayal with the people.



"There should be a sustainable and meaningful dialogue with all stakeholders including the Hurriyat," Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) president G A Mir said here.



"We want to tell the two parties (PDP and BJP) that their agenda of alliance (common minimum programme) favoured sustainable dialogue by taking everyone onboard," he said.



Mir was addressing a press conference after a delegation of Congress's state unit called on Governor N N Vohra at Raj Bhavan here.



He said the party urged the Governor to impress upon both the state as well as the Centre to initiate a process of dialogue for addressing the issues.



"We asked the Governor to use his powers to make the state and the Centre to sit (on the dialogue table). Otherwise, how long will this bloodshed, unrest and strike continue.



"If after this, there is no meaningful dialogue by taking on-board everyone, then perhaps even the Congress party cannot play any role," he said.



The JKPCC president said the dialogue process should be initiated with an "open mind".



Let a dialogue process be initiated with an open mind, then they can seek time as these issues are such which cannot be resolved in a day. Let a group or forum be created for suggestions or dialogue where everyone can put forward his viewpoint, Mir said.



He said the ruling PDP has "betrayed" with the people. "Now, the chief minister herself has said that AFSPA cannot be revoked even as it sought votes on that (plank) from the people. They have a habit of making u-turns. Nothing has been done for the return of the power projects as well," he said.



Mir said, during their meeting with the Governor, the party sought an inquiry by a retired Supreme Court Justice into the over three month unrest in the Valley.



"We want a retired Supreme Court justice be appointed to inquire into the situation during the last three-and-a-half month-long and clear the confusion, fix the responsibility and see what steps went wrong and who took them," he said.



Expressing concern over the situation, he said the government was now acting against its own machinery by sacking employees.



"We want inquiry into the allegations against the employees. They have been terminated without any inquiry. Why embarrass them and take away their livelihood without an inquiry.



The people of the Valley are feeling uncertainty and the alienation is increasing.



"On one hand the situation in the whole Valley is showing no signs of ending, but on the other hand the PDP-BJP government remains unmoved," he said.



He said the people had hopes that the government, especially Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti would take some steps on her own so as to provide solace to the people.



She herself has been a political worker and should have understood the ground situation, that what the people of Kashmir want, to break the unrest which has affected livelihood of the people especially labourers.



It is the responsibility of the government to look into the problems of the people and not just transfer officers.



"We have tried to cooperate with both the state as well as the Centre," Mir claimed.



The JKPCC president said the party informed the Governor that many teenagers have been arrested under PSA, even after commitments by the Prime Minister and the Union Home Minister that the government will review the cases of the first-time offenders or juveniles.



But hundreds of children are languishing in jails even as the government wants to conduct examinations, he claimed.



"Has any inquiry been conducted, any report solicited before arresting them or have they been arrested on pure political vendetta because someone had not voted for you or supported you? We are not against conducting examinations, Mir said.



"But it is the inherited duty of the government to create an atmosphere first for the children to come out and reach their schools before their exams are conducted," he added.



As many as 85 people, including two cops, have been killed and several thousand others injured in the ongoing unrest in the Valley which was triggered after the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani in an encounter on July 8.
Islamabad: Pakistan has urged Britain to play a role in ensuring the resumption of the stalled dialogue with India, and to help stop the alleged human rights violations in Jammu and Kashmir.



Prime Minister's Special Assistant on Foreign Affairs Syed Tariq Fatemi, during a meeting with Britain's National Security Adviser Mark Lyall Grant on Sunday said the UK being a member of the UN Security Council should urge India to end human rights violations in Kashmir.



"As a country with historic links to this region and as a member-state of the UN Security Council [five permanent members], it was incumbent on Britain to urge India to end its human rights violations in the occupied territory and to enter into a sustained dialogue with Pakistan so as to enable the two countries to peacefully resolve their differences," Fatemi said, Dawn reported.



According to a statement issued by the Pakistani Foreign Office, regional security issues and matters of mutual interest were discussed during the meeting.



Grant acknowledged the important role being played by Pakistan in promoting peace and stability in the region, the successes made by the country and the sacrifices rendered by its people in the fight against terrorism.



He reaffirmed Britain's continued support for Pakistan in this endeavour.



Grant was briefed on the continuing ceasefire violations by India along the Line of Control and the Working Boundary and was told that two women and two children were injured in a recent incident of cross-border shelling.
New Delhi: Supreme Court on Monday rejected the interim bail plea of self-styled religious figure Asaram Bapu, who is facing trial in rape cases, on health grounds and asked him to get his treatment done in Rajasthan in judicial custody itself.



A bench of Justices A K Sikri and N V Ramana said if Asaram wantrf to undergo treatment, he could get the diagnosis done at AIIMS, Jodhpur or at Rajasthan Ayurvedic hospital while staying in judicial custody.



The apex court's direction came after Asaram said he wanted to undergo ayurvedic treatment in Delhi for which he needed one month's interim bail.



"If you (Asaram) want ayurvedic treatment, you can get that in Rajasthan itself. There is no need for interim bail as AIIMS medical board has also said that the health condition is stable," the bench said.



Counsel appearing for Rajasthan government said they were ready to provide all possible treatment to Asaram at the hospitals in the state.



The bench, however, clarified that Asaram's supporters should not be allowed in the hospital and none of his followers should meet him.



The court said it will hear the plea for regular bail of Asaram in November.



On October 18, the apex court had sought Rajasthan government's response to Asaram's bail pleas and said it will first deal with the interim bail and then regular bail.



Earlier, a medical board of All India Institute of Medical Sciences had told the apex Court that the health condition of Asaram was stable. Asaram had refused to undergo several tests, the seven-member board had also said in its report filed before the bench of Justices A K Sikri and N V Ramana.



On August 11, the apex court had denied interim bail to Asaram in a rape case and directed AIIMS to set up a medical board to ascertain his health condition before taking up his regular bail plea.



Asaram was arrested by Jodhpur Police on August 31, 2013 and has been in jail since then.On August 9, the High Court had rejected his bail application in the rape case.



A teenage girl had accused him of sexual assault at his ashram in Manai village near Jodhpur. The girl, who belonged to Shahjahanpur in Uttar Pradesh, was a student living in the ashram.
CM Fadnavis shows scant respect for Home Ministers assurance of safe passage for #ADHM. BJP better haul him up and demand explanation  Azmi Shabana (@AzmiShabana) October 23, 2016

MNS will decide whether Im patriotic or not?I bow to d Indian Constitution Raj Thackeray does not.Whos patriotism needs questioning?  Azmi Shabana (@AzmiShabana) October 23, 2016

Veteran actress Shabana Azmi has criticised Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, saying he "brokered deal" with Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) instead of enforcing law and order, amid the row around the release of Karan Johar's Ae Dil Hai Mushkil.Johar accompanied by Producers' Guild President Mukesh Bhatt met Fadnavis on Saturday along with MNS chief Raj Thackeray, whose party had been opposing the release of the film, which features Pakistani actor Fawad Khan. In the meeting, it was decided that Bollywood film producers would not engage with Pakistani artistes in future and Johar will have to to put a special mention in the beginning of the film paying homage to martyrs of the Uri attacks."What a sorry state of affairs! CM brokers deal and buys patriotism for 5 crores! After Home minister had promised peaceful passage for #ADHM," Azmi, 66, posted on Twitter. "Sangh Parivar speaks in different voices most blatant expression is CM MHRSTA brokering deal with MNS instead ofenforcing law and order for ADHM release." Further slamming MNS, Azmi said that the party of no one to decide people's patriotism."MNS will decide whether I am patriotic or not? I bow to the Indian Constitution, Raj Thackeray does not. Whose patriotism needs questioning?"Before the meeting with the CM, Bhatt and a representative from Dharma Productions, which has produced Ae Dil Hai Mushkil, had met Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, who had assured a smooth release of the film."CM Fadnavis shows scant respect for Home Ministers assurance of safe passage for #ADHM. BJP better haul him up and demand explanation." Ae Dil Hai Mushkil, starring Ranbir Kapoor, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Anushka Sharma in lead roles, will released on October 28.
Mumbai: CBFC chief Pahlaj Nihalani says it is wrong to demand a proof of someone's patriotism. Director Karan Johar recently made a video appeal to those protesting the release of his directorial venture because it has Pakistani actor Fawad Khan. He said he was a patriot and wouldn't cast Pakistani artistes in future.



Raj Thackeray-led MNS had threatened to stall the movie's release on October 28. While Nihalani didn't make any direct reference to Johar, when asked about the demand for a ban on Pakistani artistes, he said this environment was created by some, who wanted to gain mileage and no one needs to reiterate his or her patriotism.



"Not only Pakistani actors, there should be no import or export. Even the films we send are via Dubai. Our films are illegally exported there..."This environment was created by certain people to gain mileage. In this, our film association body IMPPA was also there whose committee members don't make films but to gain mileage they said 'we will ban Pakistani actors'.



"The exhibitor association said 'we will ban too'. I believe nobody is required to give a certificate of their patriotism. Every citizen of this country is patriotic. Nobody needs to give any certificate or fight. People who ask for it are wrong," he said.



Nihalani was speaking during a session at a media conclave. Ae Dil Hai Mushkil is now set for a worldwide release as per schedule with MNS ending its protest against it. Nihalani, who has spoken in favour of the film earlier, said a ban on its release would have only resulted into loss of Indians.



"If Karan Johar's film loses money, the Pakistani artist has taken his money, and he also contributed through arts and culture in bridging the gap between the two countries, when the two nations were trying to come together. He fulfilled his duty. It will be our loss," he said.



MNS has asked Johar to donate Rs 5 crore to Uri martyrs. Nihalani said had this discussion happened earlier, the film wouldn't have faced this problem. "If they would've earlier said give certain section of your earnings to soldiers, victims, the problem would've been solved earlier."

Superstar Shah Rukh Khan's Raees has been another film which faced ire of many sections for its casting of Pakistani actress Mahira Khan.



Nihalani said the censor board will certify the film regardless of Mahira's presence, if its release has government's approval. "I'll give certificate to the film. The issue of Pakistani actors being there or not bring there is not my concern. If it has legal permission, I will give, if it doesn't, then I won't."
Samajwadi Party's veteran Muslim face Azam Khan reiterated that the ongoing family feud in the Yadav household will not impact community votes, but a slew of analysts News18 spoke to hinted the chaos could eventually brighten the prospects of arch-rival BSP that's been trying to cobble a Dalit-Muslim alliance in poll-bound Uttar Pradesh.The cabinet minister is confident that there is no reason to worry about the Muslim votes as SP implodes, while the Muslim community leadership is keeping a watch on the house in disorder.In an interview to News 18, the minister said, Muslim community knows that it is a small family problem, and any split of their votes will benefit BJP. Muslims will not let any party that wants to harm them come to power. Muslims are too attached to Samajwadi Party to be able to desert it.There has been no decision taken by the community leaders or voters at this time of family feud. Everyone is waiting for things to get better. Muslims have other things to do than think about polls and what party to vote for.Recounting the five-year term of the party, the minister asserted that the SP has benefited Muslim community, and they are with SP. It is no childs play. They cant desert SP. The party has benefited Muslims.Samajwadi Party has been the first preference for Muslim voters, so much so that party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav won for himself the sobriquet Maulana Mulayam. But, now, when the party is presenting a divided stand with exits, sackings and splits marked by tears and family drama there is renewed interest in what is the preference of Muslim voters in UP election 2017.In fact after the storm settles down SP has an uphill task ahead  it has to work on convincing their 18% Muslim voters that despite the family feud the party can effectively combat BJP. The chief concern of the Muslim voter has been to stop BJP. If the Muslims find SP cannot effectively combat BJP it will certainly benefit BSP, and Congress is nowhere here, said Sudhir Panwar, political commentator who is also a member of Akhilesh Yadav governments planning board.BSP supremo Mayawatis caution call for Muslims was about warning them against voting for the Samajwadi Party. It surfaced much before the family drama. She had said voting for SP or Congress will only help BJP. Her statement came at the time, when the movement of social consolidation between Dalit and Muslim groups had already made inroads in the state. The community leaders of the two groups are still working on coming together of two groups, which is 40% votes, and if directed towards any particular party it becomes a force to reckon with  a social endeavor that is expected to reap political benefits in UP polls 2017.Community leaders, ministers and political experts are waiting for the dramatic dust to settle down. Panwar said, Everybody is confused  both the supporters of SP and Muslims.If SP split happens, Shia cleric Kalbe Jawad said Muslims will stand with Mulayam. He said, Akhilesh Yadav government did not do anything for Muslims, even general public did not gain much from his leadership. If the party heads for a split, Muslims will go with Mulayam Singh Yadav  he is more popular among Muslims than his son.Khan, however, said: There will be no split in the party  cycle thi aur rahegi His words might come as a relief to the Muslim community leadership in the state, which is keenly keeping an eye of the house in disorder.Talking to News, 18 Maulana Khalid Rasheed, Firangi Mahal, said, It is of utmost importance for the Samjawadi Party to put their house in order before UP election, which is just four months away.The concerns of split are pricking community leaders, as Rasheed said, The split will not be good, as the vote bank is the same, it will lead to multi-divisional votes  both father and son will lose here. This matter of showing a united stand is important if they want to avoid any further split of votes.One way to avoid any kind of worsening of situation in SP, the cleric routed for strict disciplinary action against those who are undermining the authority of Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav.
What is happening within the Mulayam Singh Yadav family may have a simple explanation.



It is not about a breakthrough in Indian socialist politics, nor is it a family unable to hide its internal strife from the public.



It is about a generation gap in understanding the changed social fabric of Uttar Pradesh, and especially of the basic cadre of the Samajwadi Party.



Go back a quarter of a century, when Mulayam led one of the factions to emerge out of the failed Janata Dal (People's Party) of VP Singh fame. That was 1992. Since then and till now, without even the simplest of socialist pretences, Mulayam has managed to chug his party along in Uttar Pradesh.



He did this with the help of his brother Shivpal, no doubt. Son Akhilesh was a kid those days.



It is an open secret how the brothers corralled support for the party in the state. Brawn was the primary factor which settled scores and differences. There were no pretences.



Good old rustic knowledge was at work. Rustic logic that believed in harsh and instant justice was a premium value. Those were the days when a well-oiled lathi spoke better than even a loud mouth. Slowly, but surely, the cadre was built with caste loyalty as the primary consideration.



The Muslims were roped in to complete the secular facade of the party  a successful manoeuvre previously perfected by Mulayam's "relation" Laloo Yadav in Bihar.



In district headquarters, zilla and panchayats and villages all over Uttar Pradesh, trusted lieutenants of the Yadav brothers set up their administrative machinery. It had two objectives: Draw and consolidate support at any cost, and keep the revenue flowing.



That the party was also in power, whether in the state or at the Centre in the form of Mulayam's Cabinet berth, that there were repeated allegations of financial misdemeanors, that extortion and crime had touched a new high in many districts of UP  all these contributed to the strengthening of the mass base of the party.



In 2012, there was a major change. Young Akhilesh, who had come of age, was married, with a degree from an Australian university, made his entry into the state politics. There was a striking resemblance with Mulayam in the way their noses resembled. He later became chief minister.



Initially, the older gang did not take him seriously. He was after all, the "chhotu" of the family. That was a mistake which perhaps sowed the seeds of the family strife.



Akhilesh was young, but he had his own thinking. He liked his father. Whether he also respected his father? Yes, because he owns the party, the son always said. There were several uncles, Shivpal being the over-bearing of them all. There were others like Azam Khan, Naresh Chandra Uttam, Dharampal Yadav and, of course, Ramgopal Yadav, Mulayam's cousin and Akhilesh's favourite uncle.



The young chief minister tolerated the older generation for more than two years. Then he decided enough is enough. He began to talk back to them, challenge them and their actions, began to assert his authority. After all, it was his chance to consolidate his position not only as the political heir of Mulayam but also develop a political base of his own and of his own custom.



That explains largely the old versus new friction.



The older generation failed to grasp that the changes taking place within the Mulayam family were also taking place among all Yadav households in the state. Over two decades of economic and political dominance  Mulayam's favourite mantra to keep his flock together being the posting of Yadavs at all levels of the government  had made the community powerful.



It began to appreciate the benefits of education, social decorum, craved for social and societal acceptance and, among the OBCs of UP, became the only community to aspire for modern living.



This change in the mental and social set-up brought about attitudinal changes. The Yadavs today have the strongest middle class section among all other communities in UP, save perhaps two upper caste communities.



And the Yadav middle class, once it arrived, began keeping a distance from the past image of a section of the community. It did not like crime and criminals. It would not associate its youth with history sheeters. Criminal activities like kidnapping, hoarding, roughing people up, and the like, were looked down upon. The Yadav youth learnt English, would communicate in that language, and started going out of UP for higher studies. Akhilesh and his step-brother Prateek  who has a management degree from Leeds, UK  were the new models.



The older generation remained immune to these key changes. If it was made aware of them, it thought nothing of the changes. The senior leaders still stick to old, now ancient, values, and expect the youngsters to continue to follow them.



The schism which began to grow between the young and the old in the Mulayam household is at the root of all strife. Amar Singh, Sadhana Singh, this and that, etc, are factors which only exploited this. Mulayam is a Yadav by birth. Akhilesh is a Yadav by co-incidence.
Varanasi: Keeping alive the 'surgical strikes' issue ahead of state polls, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said people celebrated 'choti Diwali' when the Army destroyed terrorist launch pads across LoC, and asked them not to forget valour of security forces.



Addressing a public rally after launching slew of projects in his Lok Sabha constituency, Modi asked citizens to also remember soldiers even when there are no sounds of firing of bullets and shelling on borders.



"I saw on TV, read in newspapers and some locals informed me that residents of Kashi have celebrated choti Diwali when the army displayed its valour on September 29, the entire Kashi witnessed celebrations. As your MP, I feel proud of the manner in which you paid tributes to valour of armed forces and expressed your support to them," he said.



The Prime Minister said that the nation has been able to convey to the armed forces that the entire country of 125 crore people is behind them.



He asked countrymen to send Diwali greetings to security forces.



The greetings can be sent to security forces through an App which can be downloaded by giving a missed call on 1922.



"Security forces should always feel how proud we are about them," Modi said, adding that the nation should hail their valour and courage all time.



Referring to the initiatives of his government, Modi said: "we are not a government whose work stops at laying foundation stones. It is ensured that the projects are also completed."



Schemes are not about publishing advertisements in newspapers, the real aim of initiatives is proper execution and touching people's lives, he added.



Modi launched seven projects, including a gas pipeline and power projects, involving an expenditure of Rs 5,000 crore.
New Delhi: Amid the raging internal war in ruling Samajwadi Party in Uttar Pradesh, Priyanka Gandhi for the first time on Monday participated in a strategy session of Congress leaders from the poll-bound state.



Convened by AICC General Secretary Ghulam Nabi Azad, the hour-long meeting saw Gandhi intensely interacting with the state leaders including PCC Chief Raj Babbar, Congress CM candidate Shiela Dikshit and campaign chief Sanjay Singh.



Party spokesman R P N Singh said that this was for the first time Gandhi participated in such a meeting of leaders from UP where the Assembly polls are scheduled early next year.



The interaction saw some state leaders suggesting tie-ups with smaller parties like RLD and Peace Party while some pitching for block level meetings to garner support instead of taking out yatras.



The impact of Rahul Sandesh Yatras, currently touring all districts in the state, was also discussed.



At the party briefing, Singh, however, steered clear of the questions whether Priyanka would be campaigning outside Amethi and Rae Bareli Lok Sabha constituencies where she has been restricting her role so far in previous Assembly polls.



"It would be better if the decision is left to her" was the refrain of Singh to such questions. He spoke in similar vein when asked as to why Congress, which projects itself as a democratic party, leaves such a decision to the family.



There have been strong demands from partymen in the state that Priyanka play a larger role in the campaigning to help revive the organisation in the state. Congress is out of power in the state for 27 long years.



In the last Lok Sabha polls, the party had secured just two seats-Amethi and Rae Bareli in the backdrop of a Modi wave that saw BJP and its allies secure 73 of the total 80 seats.



In the last Assembly polls, Congress had secured just 28 seats out of 403.


Lucknow: Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav will chair a core group meeting of the party on Monday evening, hours after the rift within the Yadav clan took a turn for the worse with an open spat between Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav and state party president Shivpal Yadav.

The evening meet will be the partys third gathering of the day after the first two failed to end the power struggle between Akhilesh and his uncle Shivpal, whom he ousted from his cabinet a day before.

Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav left father Mulayam Singhs residence in the afternoon and met his supporters and asked them to not indulge in any sloganeering after the party chief sought action against sloganeers during the party meet.

A day after a series of revenge sackings within the Samajwadi Party, high drama ensued at the crucial meeting at SP office in Lucknow with Shivpal and Akhilesh having an open spat over Amar Singh and even trying to snatch the microphone from each other on the stage.

The spat between Akhilesh and Shivpal was over an article published in a national daily which termed Akhilesh as Aurangazeb and Mulayam as Shahjahan.

Shivpal snatched the microphone from Akhilesh and told the crowd that the chief minister is lying after Akhilesh blamed Shivpal of conspiring with Amar Singh and MLC Ashu Malik in getting the article published.

The meeting of MPs, MLAs, MLCs and senior party leaders was called to resolve the current political crisis in the party.

Mulayam called the meeting a day after Akhilesh sacked Shivpal Yadav and three of his cabinet ministers who are loyalists of Shivpal.

Upset with Akhileshs decision, Ram Gopal Yadav (believed to be in the anti-Mulayam camp) was expelled from the party on Sunday by state president Shivpal Yadav.

According to Shivpal, the decision to sack Ram Gopal Yadav was taken after consultation with SP supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav.

However, Akhilesh has made it clear many a times that he is with his father but is firm on a stern action against those, including Amar Singh (known to be close to Mulayam), indulging in anti-party activities.

In the evening, sacked minister Om Prakash said a truce had been reached between Mulayam, Akhilesh and Shivpal and that the chief minister might brief the media later in the day.

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Facebook recently announced that it will begin allowing more graphic or potentially disturbing newsworthy posts to be shared at the leading online social network.



"We're going to begin allowing more items that people find newsworthy, significant, or important to public interest -- even if they might otherwise violate our standards," Facebook vice presidents Joel Kaplan and Justin Osofsky said in a blog post.



They explained that they were working with the social network's community and partners on how exactly to recalibrate standards regarding which posts are deemed too offensive to allow.



"Our intent is to allow more images and stories without posing safety risks or showing graphic images to minors and others who do not want to see them," Kaplan and Osofsky said.



Facebook has become a major platform for sharing news stories, and that has come with criticism for censoring some content despite it having historical or editorial value.



The California-based social network on Friday apologised for taking down a breast cancer awareness video because the images were flagged as offensive, saying the move was "an error".



Swedish cancer charity Cancerfonden had put out word that its video explaining to women how to check for suspicious lumps, featuring animated figures of women with circle-shaped breasts, had been removed from Facebook.



"We find it incomprehensible and strange how one can perceive medical information as offensive," Cancerfonden communications director Lena Biornstad told AFP.



"This is information that saves lives."



Facebook faced outrage in September for repeatedly deleting a historic Vietnam War photo included in a post by Norway's Prime Minister Erna Solberg.



It said the iconic photo of a naked Vietnamese girl fleeing a napalm bombing violated its rules, but it later backtracked on the decision.



Facebook has a ban on posts that contain nudity, with some exceptions, such as images of works of art and women breastfeeding, or educational content. The social network also bans posts inciting violence or hate.



The Wall Street Journal on Friday reported that some Facebook employees lobbied at the social network to have some posts by US presidential candidate Donald Trump - such as those calling for a ban on Muslim immigration - branded hate speech and removed.



Chief executive Mark Zuckerberg rejected the request on the grounds it would amount to censoring a political candidate, according to the Journal.



Facebook boasts having some 1.7 billion users around the world.
Islamabad: Authorities in Pakistan have frozen bank accounts with more than Rs 400 million of over 5,100 terror suspects, including JeM chief Masood Azhar, who is under "protective custody" after the terror attack on the Pathankot airbase, officials said.



"Following a request of the Ministry of Interior, we have frozen accounts of all top suspected terrorists, including Masood Azhar, son of Allah Bux," said a senior official of the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) who is part of a team monitoring the progress pertaining to this matter.



The interior ministry sent three different lists of thousands of suspects, including kingpins of some proscribed organisations, The News quoted the official as saying.



Around 1,200 suspects whose accounts were frozen by SBP were listed in category 'A' of the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997, a term used for terrorists put on exceptional risk or high risk, the paper reported.



Azhar has been included in the list's top suspects whose accounts were frozen by the SBP, said officials of the Ministry of Interior and SBP.



"Azhar's name was listed in category 'A' of the 4th Schedule," the paper quoted officials as saying.



"It happened since the government put the JeM chief under 'protective custody' of security agencies after terrorists attacked the Pathankot Airbase," the officials said.



After the attack on the airbase in Pathankot in January, India had in February written to the UN calling for immediate action to list Azhar under the UN Sanctions Committee.



The National Counterterrorism Authority (Nacta) sent around 5,500 names to the SBP earlier this month, they said. National Coordinator Nacta Ihsan Ghani confirmed that over 5,000 accounts of suspects have been frozen by the SBP.



"These accounts hold net amount worth Rs 400 million," he said. About Azhar's accounts, Ghani said he would revert with latest updates later this week.



"More than 3,078 accounts of suspects whose accounts were frozen belonged to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Fata, 1,443 from Punjab, 226 from Sindh, 193 from Balochistan, 106 from Gilgit-Baltistan and 27 from the Islamabad Capital Territory," the paper said, adding that 26 suspects belonged to Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.



Accounts of other suspects such as cleric of Islamabads Lal Masjid Maulana Aziz, Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat leaders Maulvi Ahmed Ludhianvi and Aurangzeb Faroogi, Matiur Rehman of al-Qaeda, Mansoor alias Ibrahim of Tehreek-e-Taliban and Qari Ehsan alias Ustad Huzaifa and Ramzan Mengal of Lashkar-e-Jhangvi were also frozen, the paper added.




Islamabad: Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said on Monday that his country has achieved major successes in eliminating militancy and turning around the economy.



He stated this in a meeting with Christine Lagarde, Managing Director of International Monetary Fund (IMF) who called on him here.



The prime minister said that the tireless efforts of the economic team of the government have "turned around the Pakistani economy" in a short span of three years.



"We are successfully delivering on the major challenges of terrorism, economy and power shortages that we inherited from the previous governments," he said.



He said Pakistan has dismantled the terrorists' networks and even presently 200,000 troops remained deployed in the northern part of our country to completely eliminate the menace of terrorism from the country.



"More than 24,000 precious human lives have been lost, about 50,000 wounded while our economy suffered a loss of USD 100 billion in this war against terrorism," he said.



The prime minister said that though the situation is under control, but the armed forces are still working hard to dismantle the remaining hideouts of terrorists from the country.



He said that the government's ongoing endeavours include addressing energy shortfall at the earliest and improving the country's infrastructure and communication networks.



He said that the government was focussed on increasing the economic growth and then take it to the next level by ensuring the trickledown effect of the economic gains achieved by our government.



"We want to further reduce our expenditures, increase our exports and lower down the cost of production for our industrial and agriculture sectors," he said.



He said that his government is setting up power projects in hydel-power, coal, LNG and would be able to eliminate the power shortages from the country by the year 2018.



He further said that there is no load shedding for the industrial sector and the focus is on producing cheaper and affordable electricity.



"We are also committed to provide social protection to the poor and vulnerable people of our society for which our government has increased the budgetary allocation to BISP (Benazir Income Support Program) from Rs 40 to Rs 120 billion in the last three years.

The poor families covered under this programme have been increased from 3 million to 5.6 million families," said Sharif.



Appreciating IMF's assistance for Pakistan's economic recovery and macroeconomic stability, the prime minister said that the present government has achieved economic stability by pursuing a comprehensive reforms agenda.
Manila: America's top diplomat for Asia said Monday that Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte's controversial remarks and a "real climate of uncertainty" about his government's intentions have sparked distress in the U.S. and other countries.



Daniel Russel, the assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs, said he also relayed to Philippine Foreign Secretary Perfecto Yasay Jr. international concern over continuing killings under Duterte's crackdown against illegal drugs.



Russel's visit to the Philippines, part of a three-nation trip to South-east Asia, comes amid increasing uncertainty about Washington's treaty alliance with Manila. The brash Duterte, who took office on June 30, has displayed antagonism toward America, declaring his desire to scale back military engagements with the U.S. and telling President Barack Obama to "go to hell."



Duterte's administration, however, has not formalized his public declarations to remove U.S. counterterrorism forces from the volatile southern Philippines and stop large-scale joint exercises involving American forces, creating confusion among even his Cabinet officials.



In a major walk-around, Duterte sparked diplomatic alarm when he announced during a state visit to Beijing last week his "separation" with the United States. Upon returning home the next day, Duterte said he did not mean he was severing diplomatic ties with Washington but only wanted to end a foreign policy that's overly oriented toward the U.S.



"I've pointed out to Secretary Yasay that the succession of controversial statements, comments and a real climate of uncertainty about the Philippines' intentions has created consternation in a number of countries, not only in mine," Russel told reporters in Manila after an extended meeting with Yasay.



The unease, Russel said, was also palpable "not only among governments, but also ... in other communities, in the expat Filipino community, in corporation boardrooms as well."



"This is not a positive trend," he said, adding that the U.S. remains committed to continuing a solid alliance with and providing assistance to the Philippines, including in fighting drug crime.



Coinciding with Russel's visit, the U.S. military turned over a refurbished C-130T cargo plane as part of Washington's effort to help modernize the underfunded Philippine military, which has struggled to deal with Muslim and communist insurgencies and natural disasters.



Outgoing U.S. Ambassador Philip Goldberg said at the turnover ceremony that the U.S. was trying to clarify Duterte's remarks in relation to existing policies, including their impact on planned joint military exercises. Despite the concerns, Goldberg said the U.S. rebalance to Asia would proceed.



"It's a historical relationship, it has its ups and downs," Goldberg told reporters. While he remains optimistic, Goldberg said "some of the language we've heard is inconsistent with that friendship."



Asked if joint combat exercises with the Americans would continue despite Duterte's declared opposition to them, Yasay could not give a categorical answer.



Duterte wanted the joint combat drills to enable the Philippines "to be self-reliant in our defensive requirements," Yasay said. "If this will not be achieved, (Duterte) said then, there's no purpose of proceeding with these."



Patrolling the China-held Scarborough Shoal with the U.S. Navy, for example, can send a signal that it's a deterrent against bad Chinese intentions. "It has precisely resulted in both parties digging in and made a peaceful resolution of the disputes even farthest from achieving," Yasay said.



Russel said that while Washington welcomes the relaxation of tensions between Manila and Beijing under Duterte, the rapprochement should not come at the expense of the U.S. or other nations.



"It's a mistake to think that improved relations between Manila and Beijing somehow come at the expense of the United States," he said. "This should be addition and not subtraction."



Duterte said Sunday that Filipino fishermen "may" be able to return to Scarborough in a few days after he discussed the territorial rift with Chinese leaders in Beijing last week, but he did not say whether China imposed conditions. China also committed to provide up to $16 million in financial assistance primarily for agriculture, aside from business deals with Philippine companies, he said, praising China's kindness.



Asked whether China would allow Philippine fishermen access to Scarborough, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang made no commitments on Monday.



"So I can assure you that, with sufficient political will on both sides, all issues between China and the Philippines can be resolved appropriately," Lu said.
Lynchburg police said a reported robbery Monday at a Boost Mobile store actually was an employee trying to hide embezzlement.

Christian Dior Anthia Cruz-Ayala, 38, of Lynchburg, is charged with embezzlement, falsely summoning the police and filing a false police report, according to a police news release.

Police went to the Boost Mobile cellphone service store at 2323 Memorial Ave. in the Plaza shopping center at about 10:03 a.m. after a robbery was reported.

Police said the employee told them she was walking to make a deposit when she was pushed from behind and robbed.

However, during the initial investigation we were able to determine that this employee had actually falsely reported the robbery as a means to embezzle the money, police said in a news release.

The money was recovered.
WASHINGTON (AP)  For years, the U.S. housing market looked bleak for young couples hoping to buy their first homes but struggling with high student debt, low pay and meager down-payment savings.

But a new survey by the real estate firm Zillow suggests that first-time buyers may be entering the market in greater numbers than industry watchers had assumed.

Over the past year, the survey found, nearly half of home sales have gone to first-timers. Thats a much higher proportion than some other industry estimates had indicated. And it comes as a surprise in part because ownership rates for adults under 34 are at their lowest levels since the government began tracking the figure in 1994.

Zillows survey results suggest that the trend is shifting, and that some of this years growth in home sales has come from a wave of college-educated couples in their 30s, who are the most common first-time buyers.

They are people like Natasja Handy, a 32-year-old lawyer and new mother. She and her husband, a doctor, are about to close on their first home in the Northeast section of Washington, D.C.  a row house with about 1,900 square feet that cost $720,000.

The couple worked with brokers at Redfin and made a 5 percent down payment after having lost two bids on other homes.

We waited a very long time to purchase our first house, Handy said. Weve always felt like we were giving someone else our money, instead of putting it into something we own.

In suburban Minneapolis, few first-time buyers have enough savings for a down payment, and many rely on gifts or loans from relatives, said Marcus Johannes, an agent with Edina Realty.

Most of my people, they get funds from family, he said. They get creative tapping 401(k)s.

If the pattern in Zillows survey holds, it could raise hopes that todays vast generation of 18-to-34-year-old millennials will help support the housing market as more of them move into their 30s.

The 168-page report that Seattle-based Zillow released last week also found that home ownership is increasingly the domain of the college-educated. And it reported that older Americans who are looking to downsize are paying premiums for smaller houses.

Heres a breakdown of Zillows key findings:

Forty-seven percent of purchases in past year went to first-timers

Their median age was 33. By contrast, surveys from the National Association of Realtors have indicated that first-timers account for only about 32 percent of buyers.

The difference between the two surveys may stem from their methodologies. The NAR has used a mail-based survey for its annual figures. Zillow used an online survey that might have generated a greater response rate from younger buyers.

Zillows findings might help explain a persistent shortage of homes for sale: Unlike move-up buyers, first-time purchasers dont have a home to list for sale, thereby depriving the market of supply.

Adam DeSanctis, an NAR spokesman, noted that his organizations own survey, due out later this month, will show a rising share of first-time buyers, though it will remain below the historical average of 39 percent thats prevailed since the organization began tracking this figure in 1982.

DeSanctis noted that government figures show home ownership among young adults remain at its lowest level in history, which is why his organization is skeptical that nearly half of sales go to first-time buyers.

No college? Dwindling chance of homeownership

Its become harder to realize the dream of home ownership without a college degree. Sixty-two percent of buyers have at least a four-year college degree. Census figures show that just 33 percent of the U.S. adults graduated from college. The gap between the education levels of homebuyers and the broader U.S. population indicates that workers with only a high school degree are becoming less likely to own a home. In 1986, just 12 percent of homeowners were college graduates, according to government figures.

Millennial home buyers are increasingly Hispanic

Out of the 74 million U.S. households that own their homes, a sizable majority  77 percent  are white. But these demographics are changing fast. Only 66 percent of millennial homeowners are white. The big gains have come from Latinos, who make up 17 percent of millennial homeowners but just 9 percent of all homeowners.

Asians also make up a greater share of millennials. This means that as todays millennial generation ages, the housing market may look considerably more diverse than it does now.

Older Americans arent just downsizing; theyre upgrading

The so-called silent generation  those ages 65 to 75 bought homes in the past year with a median size of just 1,800 square feet, about 220 square feet smaller than the homes they sold. But that smaller new home still cost more. These retirement-age buyers paid a median of $250,000, nearly $30,000 more than the home they sold. In some cases, the higher purchase price likely reflects the profits from the sale of their previous home, in other cases a desire by upscale buyers for luxury finishes and amenities.

Starter homes are no longer popular

When millennials buy, theyre leapfrogging past the traditional, smaller starter home. This younger generation paid a median of $217,000 for a 1,800-square-foot house. That median is nearly identical to what older generations buy.

Across the United States, the typical home costs $222,000, has three bedrooms, 2 baths and 1,900 square feet. For someone with children at home, that figure swells to 2,000 square feet and a median price of $234,000.

___

AP Business Writer Alex Veiga contributed from Los Angeles.
The top executive at Genworth Financial Inc. assured analysts and investors Monday that the proposed sale to a China-based investment firm was the best option to preserve and create value for shareholders.

Genworth, a major seller of home mortgage insurance and long-term care insurance, announced Sunday evening that its board agreed for the Henrico County-based company to be bought for about $2.7 billion by Beijing-based China Oceanwide Holdings Group, a privately held international financial company that has been expanding its holdings in the U.S.

On a conference call with analysts Monday morning, Thomas J. McInerney, Genworths president and CEO, said the companys leadership concluded that the cash sale to China Oceanwide is the best possible strategic alternative for the stockholders.

China Oceanwide would pay $5.43 per share  a 4.2 percent premium to Genworths closing price of $5.21 per share on Friday.

But Genworth shares fell 42 cents, or 8.06 percent, to close Monday at $4.79 in trading on the New York Stock Exchange. Genworths stock price has suffered since the economic recession hurt the companys home-mortgage insurance business, and its shares have traded between $1.57 and $5.36 over the past 52 weeks.

Shares could have declined as much as 20 percent given that Genworth also announced plans Sunday to set aside additional money for the long-term care business, Sean Dargan, a senior analyst for Wells Fargo Securities, said in a research note.

The proposed sale requires shareholder and regulatory approval.

McInerney, who has been CEO since 2013, was asked during the conference call about the purchase price and what other potential deals Genworth may have considered.

McInerney did not give specifics of any other possible deals, but he said the proposed sale is the result of a nearly two-year internal review in which the company looked at many different options and strategic alternatives.

Our board believes that China Oceanwides proposal delivers the best outcome for Genworths shareholders, including the best price through an all-cash transaction with no financing contingencies, he said. The sale also eliminates downside risks for shareholders resulting from ongoing problems in the companys long-term care insurance business, he said.

That business, which provides insurance for nursing-home or at-home care, has struggled with losses because of higher-than-expected claims and historically low interest rates.

Analysts Mark Palmer and Giuliano Bologna with financial services firm BTIG said in a research report Monday that we believe higher bids for the company are unlikely to emerge given ongoing uncertainty in the companys long-term care business and that China Oceanwide also agreed to provide an additional $1.1 billion capital infusion to help Genworth pay debts and to support its U.S. life insurance business.

Genworth posted an overall loss of $615 million, or $1.24 per share, for 2015, and a loss of $1.24 billion, or $2.51 per share, in 2014. In February, the company said it would eliminate about 270 jobs in its Virginia operations  including about 70 employees in Henrico  after suspending sales of its traditional life insurance and annuity policies.

If the deal is approved, Genworth, a Fortune 500 company, would become a subsidiary of China Oceanwide. Genworth would keep its headquarters in Henrico, and its management team would remain intact.

The transaction is expected to close by mid-2017, though some analysts on Mondays conference call questioned whether the company can get the necessary regulatory approvals in that time frame. McInerney expressed confidence that company could do that.

The proposed sale has to get regulatory approval in multiple jurisdictions, including from state regulators in Virginia and three other U.S. states, along with regulators in China, Mexico and Canada.

It also must be reviewed by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, or CFIUS, an interagency committee of the U.S. federal government that reviews transactions that would result in the control of a U.S. business by a foreign person.

Lu Zhiqiang is the majority owner of China Oceanwide. He has been listed by Forbes magazine as one of Chinas richest businessmen, with an estimated net worth this year of $5.2 billion, ranking him at No. 298 among the worlds billionaires, according to Forbes.

The deal was structured to give it the best possible chance of receiving regulatory approval, McInerney said.

China Oceanwides cash infusion of $1.1 billion includes $600 million to cover Genworths debt maturing in 2018, and $525 million to bolster its U.S. life insurance business. It is our belief that the additional $1.1 billion in capital from China Oceanwide will facilitate regulatory approval, McInerney said.

McInerney reaffirmed in a letter to Genworth employees that job cuts are not part of the deal.

First off, unlike other mergers and acquisitions, this transaction does not include a consolidation of resources, and no specific expense or job reductions are planned as a result, he wrote in the letter, which the company disclosed Monday as part of a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. We may, however, change some jobs as we move from a public to a private company.

I have great confidence in Genworths future under our new ownership, McInerneys letter said. While there is still work to be done, the transaction will alleviate some of the pressures we have been operating under for some time now. Further, China Oceanwide recognizes the strength of our MI (mortgage insurance) platform and the importance of LTC (long-term care insurance) to address an aging population in the U.S.

Genworth executives including McInerney and Zhiqiang, the chairman of China Oceanwide, met with Gov. Terry McAuliffe and Virginia Secretary of Commerce and Trade Todd Haymore last week, briefed them on the deal and answered questions about its impact on Virginia, according to the company and Haymore.

We viewed it as a very positive meeting, Haymore said Monday.

This infusion of new capital and financial resources will help put Genworth back on track to be profitable and grow in the future, he said. That was the message that we got over and over.
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Home News Sports Social Obituaries Events Letters Looking Back Health Jewels Stitch in Time Missing hunter found safe October 23, 2016 A local hunter was found safe this morning, walking out on his own after spending a chilly night in the woods off Giles Connection Cutoff.



Thomas Dyott, 58, was reported missing by his wife Saturday evening, who expressed concerns that her husband had medical issues.



Dyott's pickup was located be sheriff's deputies near midnight about three miles up Giles Connection not far from the Camp Nine Road intersection, and personnel from Boundary Search and Dive Rescue, Boundary Volunteer Ambulance and North Bench Fire were called out at 12:07 a.m. to begin the search over rough and swampy terrain.



At about 3:18 a.m., a rescue helicopter from Two Bear Air, Whitefish, Montana, joined the search, and the Air Force Search and Rescue Unit, Fairchild Air Force Base, Washington, was gearing up to join in as well.



At about 6:30 a.m. Sunday, a call went out for all available Boundary County firefighters to join in the search, and personnel from throughout the county interrupted their Sunday mornings to respond.



At about 9:30 a.m. a sheriff's deputy spotted Dyott walking down the road toward where he'd parked his truck. Dyott was tired and suffered a broken finger, but was otherwise in good shape, and refused medical treatment.



Within minutes, a sheriff's dispatcher notified his worried wife that her husband was safe.
Trini in bitter loss vs NY school district

Still reeling from the verdict he painfully recalled the details of a case that riveted and divided a community.

As a resident of the district, I spoke out against a retired superintendents contract extension. That was 2010 and he was still at the district after eight years; thats against New York State waiver stipulations.

[Further], the day after I protested his budget, my union president warned me of pending consequences. Besson had his reasons for challenging the district. He noted the troubling demographics at the school that comprised of 90 percent white teachers and administrators, one black administrator, and a student of over 80 percent black and Hispanic.

That year, though, a showdown was already brewing. Besson stated that the superintendent and the district were up in arms after he thwarted their plans to award a white female student the valedictorian award, over the rightful black male student who would eventually receive the award. The expected backlash was swift and sweeping. Bessons position was reduced to .5, meaning that he was no longer entitled to health insurance.

The district attributed this to budgetary constraints.

His department was cut by US $225,000, the steepest of all departments.

According to Besson there was hardly any truth to the budgetary excuse.

A smoking gun emerged after the trial. According to the NYS Comptroller, Malverne District was over-funded by nearly US $1million; meaning that it had the capacity to restore me and several other teachers. Then the unthinkable happened: a bewildering development just before the trial that sent his case into a tailspin while injecting a soap-opera atmosphere to a matter that brimmed with race and politics.

My lawyer, Steve Morelli, was arrested four days before my trial because of past legal transgressions which I was not aware of. I saw this as more than coincidence as his sins hadnt been acted upon until now. I stuck with the firm and didnt postpone, believing in the strength of the case. The only lawyer available was a new real estate lawyer and I wasnt aware that civil rights was not his field.

In fact, he had never tried a case of this type but we worked over the weekend to prepare him. Still, Besson was confident of winning the case because of the mountain of evidence in his favour, and the decisive account his former union president was expected to deliver on the witness stand.

Initially, Besson was buoyed by the favourability of the jury pool.

Of a pool of about 60 potential jurors, about six were brown or black. To my surprise, Judge Joan Azrack randomly selected the first eight potential jurors of which three were black. I couldnt believe my fortune. However, two of the jurors were removed because they lived too far, and the other was dismissed because of a handicap that might have hindered her attendance.

Besson conceded that the judge used the same logic to remove two white jurors, but her move, he said, was calculated to pre-empt any suspicion of prejudice. At that juncture, Bessons case unhinged. The opposing counsel used the right of peremptory challenge that removed a Hispanic and Indian juror.

I couldnt believe that it was that easy to remove people of colour from the process, Besson said. When the long-anticipated case finally began the final jury comprised seven white women and one Asian American.

These jurors could not identify with me or relate to my challenge.

I was disenfranchised and I couldnt do anything about it. And his case continued to unravel. My former union president and key witness did not show although she was subpoenaed.

She was critical to my case. She knew that the Superintendent [was out to get me.] That was the checkmate, and she didnt show up to testify. Stunned by what he termed falsehoods spewed from the witness box, Besson contemplated charges of perjury against witnesses, a move that was discounted by his attorney. The writing was on the wall.

Besson has since tried to come to terms with a verdict he is disinclined to appeal for financial reasons.

I attribute the decision to the deliberate absence of my key witness, a judicial system less concerned about the administration of justice and more about preserving racial hegemony, and lastly, a poorly prepared counsel. He said that he fought a good fight, a fight for democracy in the decision-making process, and for reforms to include an independent monitor of district business, including its hiring practices.

Besson referred to his experience as grinding and challenging. Despite taking its toll personally and professionally, he is still determined to correct a wrong. I hope someone, some group, media outlet would find the story interesting enough for an expose as there is so much more to this story. Besson is certain that his case speaks to race and politics in US education.

Educational challenges are a reflection of a racially disparate political structure.

Unfortunately, organisations that serve the welfare of black and Hispanic students are woefully unprepared for taking on the juggernaut that is the status quo. Old organisations are compromised or dont possess the necessary toolbox to deal with the subtle, and evolved strategies of a discriminatory power structure that continue to hurt the education of young people of colour. He noted that his relationship with the National Association for the Advancement of Coloured People (NAACP) was unfruitful as it was unable to provide legal of financial support. Mindful that public schools have not offered students a comprehensive education package, many parents have eyed charter schools. Besson called for caution, citing mixed results.

Remember that charter schools are really backed by corporations where profits are first.

Students are cherry- picked and you will never see any meaningful programmes geared to cultural development. He also stated that charter schools are good at manipulating numbers so that success can deceptive. Of the much debated common core agenda, he opined that raising the bar is good and very important, but the process cannot be independent of parents, with agendas focused more on tests and testing, and less on the authentic learning and exposure of students to the entire world. Besson is currently working on two projects: a Caribbean novel entitled, Tulum, and a book of letters to inspire young Trinbagonians.

Feedback: glenvilleashby@ gmail.com or follow him on Twirtter@ glenvilleashby
The dubious legacy of Barack Obama

Obamas signature domestic policy achievement, the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) survived a Supreme Court challenge; he re-established diplomatic relations with Cuba; signed the Paris Accord on climate change; implemented the Dodd-Frank reforms that protect consumers from financial industry abuses; and negotiated a deal with the Islamic State of Iran that curtailed its nuclear ambitions.

But as compelling as these achievements and policies appear they might not be enough to award a passing grade to the president.

Hopeless is a compilation of articles that traces the meteoric rise of Obama from his activist years as an Illinois senator to the nations highest office. His natural star power was enabled by a slick campaigned oiled with hard cash.

Some US $52 million was spent on media, consultants, image marketing, research, and telemarketing, according to Pam Martens Obamas Money Cartel. Obama once called for reducing the influence of money in politics, a call that is forever drowned by the drumbeat of Wall Street.

In Obamas Sellout on Taxes, by Michael Hudson, this truism jumps at you. He writes: Obama has only done what politicians do: He has delivered up his constituency to his campaign backers  the same Wall Street donors who back Republicans. Notable is that the many contributors of this study cannot be discounted as conservative hacks willing to discredit every progressive policy. In fact, many are crestfallen liberals. There is no attempt here to dismiss or ignore Obamas magnetic appeal and infinite potential.

Praise, though, is parsed and paradoxically delivered, as in Franklin C Cpinneys The Afghan War Question. On the one hand Obama is lauded for his oratorical gift and intelligence, but later disparaged for his lack of moral courage. Throughout, there is a stubborn argument that the Obama administration is unwilling or incapable of projecting power.

From a hem-and-haw foreign policy that puzzles allies and emboldens adversaries, the US has surrendered its geopolitical clout, according to many of the writers.

Some editorials are more provocative than others. In The Novocaine Presidency Kevin Alexander Gray argues that the lot of blacks has devalued under Obama. Many blacks, regardless of class, see themselves and their aspirations in Obama and the threats against his life only strengthen that support. He argues that the patience of blacks has enabled Obama to get away with not saying or doing anything that would favour black interest, and doing things against their interest, like bailing out Wall Street fat cats while everyday people are cast adrift. Gray goes on to cite staggering statistics on black unemployment.

[As] wealth, poverty, education and health disparities between blacks and whites grow wider [and] as the number of black homeless, jobless and incarcerated increases, there is a host of questions blacks need to find answers to and act on.What is the change they need, and who leads the fight? He ends with chilling pronouncement: [If]Obama is not part of the solution, hes is part of the problem. Right now, hes the latter. And he better look out if the Novocaine wears off. In Wajahat Alis Obamas Immigration Reforms: Neither Humane nor Thoughtful, the president is assailed for the deplorable conditions at immigration centres.. He attributes this to outsourcing core public functions to private actors...

without an enforceable system of regulations Ali argues that as a result of the current immigration policy, overpopulated, remote detention centres house immigrants who are denied meaningful contact with their lawyers, access to legal resources to fight their case, proper medical care and contact with family members. Interestingly, Ali blames the massive influx of immigrants from Central America on the Honduras coup d?tat that was orchestrated by the Obama Administration.

The disruptive US interference is examined in the intriguing The Honduran Coup: A US Connection by Conn Hallinan.

Feedback: glenvilleashby@gmail.

com or follow him on Twitter@ glenvilleashby Hopeless: Barack Obama and the Politics of Illusion Editors: Jeffrey St. Claire and Joshua Frank Publisher: AK Press, USA ISBN: 978-1-84935-110-2 Available at Amazon Ratings: Highly recommended
TEEN GANG TORCH SCHOOL

According to sources, teachers at the Cunupia High School seized a camera phone from the student on Friday afternoon. It is believed that this prompted the attempt to burn down the school in retaliation.

Sources said the student, the son of a police officer, is part of a gang which entered the schools compound at about 4 pm by cutting through a wire fence at the back.

They ransacked the principals office, where the phone was being kept and after retrieving the item, the office was set on fire.

The gang of unruly students then entered the lower floor of the school where they vandalised the staff room and stock room.

Newsday was told that files with important information on students behaviour were also stolen.

According to police reports, a security guard on duty at the school observed fire coming from the North side of the compound and alerted the Chaguanas Fire Station and the Cunupia Police.

When fire officers arrived at the scene, the principals office was already ablaze but firemen were able to contain the fire and prevent it from spreading to other parts of the school.

The lower floor suffered smoke and water damage.

Newsday was also informed that fire officers had to call for backup tenders to extinguish the blaze as they encountered low water pressure problems at the school.

The schools principal, David Ramsundar, was alerted and he visited the school to survey the damage.

A team of officers from the Cunupia Police Station, led by WPC Harper, went to the school and interviewed two security guards who were on the compound at the time of the incident.

Newsday was told that teachers at the suspects former school repeatedly complained about his behaviour and his tendency to set fires.

Earlier this month, there was another break-in at the school where acts of vandalism took place and police believe the suspect was also involved in that incident.

Sources said the Ministry of Education was informed of the incident.

Fire prevention investigators returned to the scene yesterday in attempts to ascertain the cause of the fire.

They are expected to return today to continue inquiries.

Police sources told Newsday, they intend to question the teenage suspect, however, attempts to contact him late Saturday and yesterday proved futile.

They assured that an arrest is imminent.

Newsday was told that since Ramsundar took over as principal of the school, acts of indiscipline and deviant behaviour were reduced because of his no-nonsense approach to students who flout the school rules.

In response to questions during a sitting of the Standing Finance Committee on the 2017 budget last week, Education Minister Anthony Garcia defended the decision to reduce expenditure on school security to $117 million. In addition to having little or no effect on violence and indiscipline in schools, he said, there are now fewer incidents of school violence. Minister Garcia also assured that adequate security resources continue to be deployed to highrisk schools.
Samsung S7s not allowed on flights

According to the release, The Trinidad and Tobago Civil Aviation Authority (TTCAA) wishes to advise the general public of the issuance of its Operative Directive TOD-005 which takes effect from 20th October, 2016.

TOD-005 deals with the prohibition of the carriage of any Samsung Galaxy Note 7 Devices on board aircraft. As such, TOD-005: Prohibits persons from offering for air transportation or transporting by aircraft any Samsung Galaxy Note 7 device on their person, in carry-on baggage, in checked baggage, or as cargo, or shipping it via air cargo; Requires national and foreign aircraft operators and pilots-in-command of general aviation aircraft to alert passengers to the prohibition against air transport of Samsung Galaxy Note 7 devices, in particular, immediate prior to boarding, and to deny boarding to a passenger in possession of a Samsung Galaxy Note 7 device unless and until the passenger divests himself and his baggage of the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 device. The new directive applies to all national and foreign airlines; cabin crew and aircraft passengers.

Samsung has since stopped production of its S7 after many reports of the phone exploding.

For further information, persons may contact the Safety Regulation Division of the TTCAA at (868) 668-8222 or via email at safetyregulation@ caa.gov.tt
Thankful for every day

It does not discriminate, does not know gender, age, ethnicity or beliefs. Yet some people think they just cannot contract cancer.

The attitude is usually, Im young. I dont have to worry about that for a few years. Plus, I dont smoke and Im healthy.

Im safe.

Well Josane Williams at age 23 found out otherwise.

Williams was first diagnosed with stage two colon cancer three years ago and just last year, she was diagnosed with stage two triple negative breast cancer - a rare and aggressive form of cancer.

I want to let people know that cancer DOES affect young women and the numbers have increased over the years. Young women need to be conscious of their body and any changes that may occur. I want a lot more young women to get involved - to know their bodies, know what tests are available to them, and get them done because lot of young people, when they DO get diagnosed, the cancer is at a late stage because they may have noticed something but they just didnt take it on, she stressed.

At the time of her initial diagnosis, Williams was a medical student at St Georges University, Grenada. During her second year, she began to have unbearable abdominal pains so she visited a doctor who gave her antibiotics but the pains did not improve. In addition to the pains, she began to feel fatigued, the bowel movements changed, and finally she saw blood in her stool.

The doctors suggested she return to Trinidad and Tobago to see a specialist, which she did in October 2013.

A colonoscopy was performed and the gastroenterologist found a tumour. Three days later she was sent to a surgeon for tests and a consultation to have a laparoscopy.

Both doctors had suggested that the tumour may have been cancerous but initially, she was just relieved to have found out the reason for her pain, and happy that there was a way to fix it.

I dont know what happened but while he was explaining what the surgery entailed, I started to cry.

I guess everything sunk in then and I just broke down, she said.

One week after the surgery, she received the results of the biopsy of the tumour. They told her the tumour was large, that he had to remove a lot of lymph nodes, half of her colon and her appendix, and confirmed that it was cancerous.

The good news, however, was that the cancer had not spread.

There was no indication at all as to why I got the cancer. I have no family history of colon cancer.

They said this kind of cancer affected mostly older people, I did not eat red meat, and after I did some genetic testing it confirmed I had no genetic syndromes for it, she said.

Her oncologist gave her the choice of chemotherapy, explaining it would increase her chances of survival by three percent.

Thankfully, her treatment consisted of simply taking tablets in cycles for about eight months.

She had no hair loss and had relatively mild symptoms compared to the intravenous method.

The most difficult thing for me was the fact that I had to take leave of absence from school. It was affecting the course I had planned out for my life, she said.

After her treatment, she got the all-clear to finish her studies. She returned in August 2014. I was a bit apprehensive at first because that would mean I had to leave all the doctors here, go back to Grenada, and I would be on my own until the next school break.

But then I realised that staying in Trinidad would not have prevented the cancer from returning so I might as well go back. So I went, she said.

Everything was back to normal, relatively, with Williams, except that she was much more alert to any changes in her body. Despite this awareness, when she noticed a lump in her left breast in April of 2015, she did not immediately rush to a doctor.

I mean, it was painless, I was young, and I thought the chances of me having breast cancer as well as colon cancer was slim.

I had one more month to finish off the school year so I decided to wait and check it out when I got home, she recalled.

When she returned, she scheduled an ultrasound. The technicians saw a mass that looked highly suspicious. My mom was outside. I had to think of how I was going to tell her this news.

It was bad enough for me but for her... she didnt take the first diagnosis that well and to have to hear this again... she said.

Her mother suggested she contact her oncologist and surgeon, which she did. She had another ultrasound and a mammogram with the same result, and her doctors suggested a biopsy of the mass.

Surprisingly I was really calm throughout. I had no emotions.

I dont know if my mind and my body were not connected but I just dealt with everything. I just remember praying and hoping that this was not because my colon cancer had spread and gone to the breast, she said In July 2015, Williams started intravenous chemotherapy. She told Sunday Newsday the plan was to do all her chemotherapy before surgery. She recalled that during her first infusion, the port which carried the drugs to her veins began to leak so she had to have an emergency removal.

Imagine I was just finished with my first chemotherapy so I was weak and then my body had to be subjected to general anaesthetic to get this thing removed.

After that surgery I was shaking, I was vomiting... it was terrible, she said.

Then, after two cycles she began to feel pain in her fingers, and could not walk without pain in her feet. The doctors decided to stop chemo, remove the mass, and later resume chemo as well as radiation therapy.

She decided to have a modified radical mastectomy instead of a lumpectomy. She made the decision after finding out that she had a susceptible gene to breast cancer even though she had no family history of it. This meant that, if she left most of her breast intact, chances were high that she would have a recurrence, especially as the type of cancer she had was very aggressive.

Thankfully, it was not the case that the colon cancer had metastasized.

It was a totally different thing and that was a good thing, she said. Also, after the first two bouts of chemo, little to no cancer was left in the tumour. However, that was where good news stopped.

The new chemo drug she was to take was called The Red Devil by patients as the drug itself is red in colour and the side effects are horrible. She lost all her hair, she was very sick and weak, she developed mouth sores so that she could not eat, back pains so that she could hardly sleep, and her throat, chest and stomach burned as if they were on fire.

The only way I made it through was by prayer and family support including my dad, brother and nephews but especially my mom. I know it was tough for her but she would always be strong for me. She was there with me for every chemotherapy infusion, she would make me as comfortable as possible. I just knew she was there and I didnt have to worry, she said.

Williams, now 26, said the ordeal was also an emotional challenge.

She said she would ask herself why she had to face this again but eventually decided to use the experience to help others rather than feeling self-pity.

It was a very tough time but I tried to keep myself uplifted.

I wore wigs and head scarfs. I dressed up. I told myself that a lot of women were facing this and it was nothing new. I didnt want to feel like a victim, she said.

She also made the decision to have radiation therapy as well as a prophylactic mastectomy (the removal of breasts to reduce the risk of developing breast cancer) on the unaffected breast and is scheduled for breast reconstruction surgery.

After all this, Williams tries not to plan for the future and now lives within the moment. Despite not knowing what the future holds for her, she would like to one day complete her medical training and specialise in oncology.

In the interim, however, she is thankful for every day she is alive and tries to enjoy it to the fullest.
Dow Just Had Its

Best Month Since 1976
(Newser)  The feral cat population has exploded in Hawaii, where they are not native and face no natural predatorsand this could spell disaster for the endangered monk seal. That's because cat poop often contains a parasite called Toxoplasmosa gondii, and when sewage and polluted runoff carry the infected feces to the ocean, it can prove lethal, reports Scientific American. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration estimates that eight Hawaiian monk seals have succumbed to the disease since 2001, which is a sizable number given that 1,100 are estimated to be alive today in the wild. The same bacteria have also killed California sea otters and helped send the Hawaiian crow into extinction, reports the Christian Science Monitor.

But while conservationists call for the "humane euthanization" of some feral cats, animal welfare advocates oppose a "hierarchy in which the protection of certain animals comes at the suffering of others," as the president of the Hawaiian Human Society puts it. Monk seals are considered the most endangered pinniped in the country, and their numbers are expected to dip below 1,000 soon, with starvation among the young the largest known problem. Meanwhile, Hawaii's Division of Forestry and Wildlife estimates that 300,000 feral cats live on Oahu and as many as 400,000 on Maui, which is roughly two cats per human resident. NOAA is working with Californias Marine Mammal Center on a monk seal hospital in Kona to try to care for the sick ones before they die. (Humans have hunted Caribbean monk seals to extinction.)
(Newser)  When New Zealand professor Christoph Bartneck received an invitation to submit a paper to the International Conference on Atomic and Nuclear Physics in the US, he was skeptical given he has "practically no knowledge" of nuclear physics. So he decided to use his iPhone's iOS autocomplete function to help him write a paper by feeding it a word like "atomic" or "nuclear" and then randomly tapping one of the suggested next words, he writes in a blog post. (Bartneck demonstrates how on YouTube.) Sample line: "Physics are great but the same as you have been able and the same way to get the rest to your parents." Bartneck then submitted the nonsensical paper under the fake name Iris Pear (think "Siri Apple"). He received a reply three hours later telling him the abstract was approved for presentation at the Nov. 17-18 conference in Atlanta.

Registering to attend, however, costs $1,099, reports the Guardian. Bartneck declined to move forward. This isn't the first story of its kind. One paper that simply repeated the phrase "get me off your f---ing mailing list" ad nauseam was accepted by the open-access Journal of Advanced Computer Technology in 2014. In this case, Bartneck may have simply scammed a scam; one commenter on his blog says the conference isn't legit and only exists to "phish larger conference fees." The Christian Science Monitor agrees that, "Between its poorly designed website, open calls for abstracts, and vague location, the conference smacks of a scam." Bartneck says it does indeed smell like "a money-making conference with little to no commitment to science," but he's tempted to ask for the reviewers' comments for a laugh. (One study finds issues with open-access journals.)
(Newser)  The caper of the missing baby Jesus head has been solved. A woman who snatched the head from the statue in a churchyard in Canada returned it after the story became international news, the CBC reports. That happened after a local artist sculpted a new noggin in red terra cotta with lizard-like eyes and spiky hair a la Maggie Simpsonand drew global scorn for her trouble. The head of baby Jesus, cradled in the arms of a sedate Virgin Mary, has been a frequent target of vandals at the Sainte-Anne-des-Pins Catholic church in Sudbury, Ontario. After the latest theft, the pastor said he would forgo ordering a replacement that could cost as much as $10,000.

That's when local artist Heather Wise stepped in, crafting a "temporary replacement" that one Twitter user likened to ET and another to a "demonic hedgehog." After reading about the dust-up, a local woman said to be suffering from personal problems returned the head on Friday. "I almost cried," the Rev. Gerard Lajeunesse told the Star. He said he doesn't plan to press charges and is thankful baby Jesus is intact again. News of the happy ending drew applause at Sunday Mass. (Fans were less than thrilled with this "scary" Lucille Ball statue.)
(Newser)  "The first thing we do, let's kill all the lawyers," wrote William Shakespeare in Henry VI, Part IIor was it Christopher Marlowe? After more than 400 years, Marlowe has been given joint credit for all three of the Henry VI plays long thought to have been the work of Shakespeare alone, the Telegraph reports. Marlowe gets the credit in the upcoming New Oxford Shakespeare collection of Shakespeare's works. For the first new edition of the collection in 30 years, an international team of scholars worked to identify co-authors of Shakespeare works. The collection also includes works that Shakespeare has been declared the co-author of for the first time, like Thomas Kyd's The Spanish Tragedy.

Gary Taylor of Florida State University, one of the new edition's editors, tells the Guardian that the1986 edition identified eight of 39 plays as collaborations, and the new edition lists co-authors for 17 of 44 plays. He says the team has "strongly and clearly" identified Marlowewho was stabbed to death in mysterious circumstances when he was just 29 years oldas co-author of the Henry VI plays, despite his supposed rivalry with Shakespeare. "We can now be confident that they didnt just influence each other, but they worked with each other," Taylor says. "Rivals sometimes collaborate." (Portrait cleaning could drastically change the appearance of the Shakespeare we know.)
(Newser)  An already sad occasion was rendered devastating early Saturday in Gastonia, NC, when a South Carolina woman in town for her sister-in-law's funeral was killed by gunfire that bombarded the home she was visiting, the Charlotte Observer reports. Jacobia English Lane had joined a gathering of friends and family members (the Observer, the AP, and WSOC say up to 30 had congregated; the Gaston Gazette says 17) on the eve of the funeral for her sister-in-law, who had died after a long battle with cancer, when about 30 bullets from what a local detective confirmed was a high-powered rifle flew through the air outside and struck her brother's home at around 12:30am; one bullet hit the 37-year-old Lane in the back of the head as she sat on a couch inside, family spokesman Christopher Dennis says.

Denniswho calls the occurrence a "senseless, unprovoked act of violence," per the Observersays a bullet also pierced a pillow on a bed where Lane's husband was sleeping, though he wasn't injured. Lane's 13-year-old son and 16-year-old daughter witnessed her death. Cops say a teen in the home was also hit in the arm with a bullet but will be fine. "My sister and my wife were best friends," Tim English, Lane's brother and the deceased woman's widower, tells the Gazette, noting how Lane would often make the two-hour drive to visit his wife during her illness. "We were all just ... remembering the good times we had with my wife." Police are asking for the public's help in Identifying the shooter. "I think they're going to turn themselves in because of their conscience," English says. "But if anybody has anything, please come forward." (This man lured his wife to her death by killing her family.)
(Newser)  Some 26 "forgotten hostages" held by Somali pirates for years after the piracy crisis faded from the headlines are finally free. The captives, fishermen from Vietnam, Taiwan, Cambodia, Indonesia, China, and the Philippines, were freed Saturday with the help of the Hostage Support Partners group, which negotiated with tribal and religious leaders. John Steed, a retired British colonel who works as a coordinator for the group, tells the AFP that the men are in "reasonable condition," considering that they have "spent over four and a half years in deplorable conditions away from their families." He says the men are the "last remaining seafarers taken hostage during the height of Somali piracy."

Steed says one crew member died during the March 2012 hijacking of their Omani-flagged vessel and another two died during their captivity. He says the boat sank a year after its capture and the men were taken to a village in Somalia, where they were held by "pirates making increasingly irrational demands." On Sunday, the freed sailors were flown from Somalia to Kenya, where one of them told the BBC he felt like the "walking dead" after so long as a captive. He said food and water were in short supply and the men had eaten rats to survive. "Eat anything, even you not like, you feel hungry, you eat it, he said. "You eat rat, you cook it." (Read more Somali pirates stories.)
(Newser)  The country that puts misbehaving bank bosses in prison may become the first to be ruled by the Pirate Party. The partydescribed by the Washington Post as a "collection of anarchists, hackers, libertarians, and Web geeks"has gained popularity rapidly in Iceland and could emerge as a partner in a coalition government after the country's Oct. 29 election, the Washington Post reports. Recent polls put the Pirates, which won three seats in the last election, in first place among more than a dozen parties, with its 22.6% support higher than that of the ruling center-right Independence Party, the Next Web reports.

Like other Pirate Parties around Europe, the Icelandic version is strongly in favor of freedom of speech and copyright law reform. The Icelandic party, founded four years ago by fomer WikiLeaks activist Birgitta Jonsdottir, also advocated legalizing drugs and offering citizenship to Edward Snowden. Analysts say the Pirates will be helped by public anger over the Panama Papers offshore banking scandal. "The distrust that had long been germinating has now exploded. The Pirates are riding on that wave, University of Iceland political history professor Ragnheithur Kristjansdottir tells the Post. (Read more Pirate Party stories.)
(Newser)  Jehovah's Witnesses are defending their ban on blood transfusions after the death of a new mom in Quebec this month. Family members of Eloise Dupuis, 27, say she was influenced to decline a potentially lifesaving blood transfusion after a bedside visit by a "hospital liaison committee" of Jehovah's Witnesses, the CBC reports. Dupuis, a practicing member of the church, died Oct. 12 after suffering a hemorrhage six days after giving birth by C-section. (Her baby is doing fine.) A Quebec coroner opened an inquest, but Health Minister Gaetan Barrette said Dupuis made the choice on her own. "She knew, and she made it clear, that if something was to happen, because of her religion she didn't want any transfusion," he told the CBC. A former church member describes the committees as "intimidating," but the church defends them.

They are "not surrogate decision makers for patients" and are "generally well received in the medical community and recognized as contributing to advances in bloodless medicine and surgery," the church said in a statement. A spokesman says the church is confident the inquest will show the legal standard for consent was met. Dupuis' aunt, Manon Boyer, isn't so sure. She filed a complaint with police charging that the new mom was pressured into her decision. Jehovah's Witnesses believe the Bible bars them from receiving blood, though the church is not supposed to interfere with a patient's decision. Dupuis' childhood friend, Cassandra Zelezen, tells the National Post that having a baby was Dupuis' "biggest dream." She adds, It's not normal that you have a baby at 27 and then die." (Ex-members are "mentally diseased," the church says.)
(Newser)  Bill Murray accepted a bust of Mark Twain for his lifetime achievement in comedyand immediately handed it to the audience to be passed around. Murray was honored Sunday night at the Kennedy Center by more than a dozen of his co-stars and collaborators, including David Letterman, Sigourney Weaver, and his older brother, Brian Doyle-Murray, the AP reports. Murray thanked his brother for helping him get his start in improvisational theater, saying, "My brother had more guts than anyone I ever knew." Murray then added, "He's been waiting a long time to hear that."

Performers introduced clips from Murray's movies and appearances on Saturday Night Live, and the evening was also a roast of sorts, with jokes about Murray's well-known tendencies to turn down roles and not return phone calls. The 66-year-old Murray joins several other SNL alumni who've received the prize, including Tina Fey, Will Ferrell, and last year's winner, Eddie Murphy. The prize was first awarded in 1998 and goes to those who influence society in the tradition of Samuel Clemens, the writer and satirist better known as Mark Twain. (On Friday, Murray stepped in for White House press secretary Josh Earnest.)
(Newser)  Famed '60s anti-war activist Tom Hayden, whose name became forever linked with the celebrated Chicago 7 trial, Vietnam War protests, and ex-wife actress Jane Fonda, has died. He was 76. He died on Sunday after a long illness, said his wife, actress Barbara Williams, noting that he suffered a stroke in 2015. Hayden, once denounced as a traitor by his detractors, overcame his past and won election to the California Assembly and Senate, where he served for almost two decades as a progressive force on such issues as the environment and education. He was the only one of the radical Chicago 7 defendants to win such distinction in the mainstream political world, the AP reports.

In 1960, while a student at the University of Michigan, Hayden was involved in the formation of Students for a Democratic Society, then dedicated to desegregating the South. In 1968, he helped organize anti-war demonstrations during the Democratic National Convention in Chicago that turned violent and resulted in the notorious and circus-like Chicago 7 trial. Hayden and three others were convicted of crossing state lines to incite riot. The convictions were later overturned, and an official report deemed the violence "a police riot." "Rarely, if ever, in American history has a generation begun with higher ideals and experienced greater trauma than those who lived fully the short time from 1960 to 1968," he wrote in the essay "Streets of Chicago." Read more about Hayden, who was married to Fonda for 17 years, here. (Read more Vietnam War protests stories.)
(Newser)  Being cleared of murdering her roommate wasn't exactly easy. But the hard part, Amanda Knox says, is living under siege and constant shaming. "I have learned that condemnation doesnt stop once youre found innocent," Knox writes in USA Today. "From the moment I walked out of prison, my family and I have focused on healing and rebuilding our lives. But the beast of media sensationalism wasnt satisfied," she says. Tabloids tailed her, classmates posted pictures of her online with "lewd and aggressive commentary." Threats sent her to self-defense classes and "everywhere I lived, I had an escape plan, just in case." This isn't the first time Knox has spoken out about the "Kafkaesque nightmare" that began with her arrest in 2007, at age 20, after roommate Meredith Kercher, 21, was found with her throat slashed. (Kercher's family believes Knox is guilty.)

In 2013, Knox published a memoir, "Waiting to be Heard," asserting her innocence, and last month a Netflix documentary took a microscope to the case. "Either Im a psychopath in sheeps clothing, or I am you," Knox intones in a voice-over. Since Italy's highest court exonerated her and her ex-boyfriend of all charges in 2015 (one man was convicted), Knox says she's tried to get her life back on track while pelted with hate mail calling her a "murderess," "psychopath," and "whore." All that media scrutiny helped in one sense, Knox writes, drawing "experts and advocates to my defense. And because of their hard work, I now have opportunity to voice my experience and humanity as an exoneree." She promises to continue sharing her story. "I will not disappear. I will advocate, I will bear witness." (Read the full piece here.)
(Newser)  It sounds more the stuff of a soap opera than reality, but as an El Paso, Texas, courtroom has heard, it was very much the stuff of real lifeand death. Samuel Velasco was last Monday convicted on three counts of conspiracy to commit murder in a foreign country: The first murder was that of Velasco's father-in-law, Francisco Maria Sagredo Villareal, who was murdered in his house in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, on Oct. 3, 2008. His daughter Cinthia Sagredo Escobedo was murdered in the same city on Nov. 20. Two days later, Ruth Sagredo Escobedodaughter of Francisco and sister of Cinthiawas murdered while in her sister's funeral procession, reports KDBC. Prosecutors say Velasco arranged to have his wife's relatives killed in order to lure her across the border and to her own death.

Ruth Sagredo didn't attend her father's funeral, per court documents cited by the Washington Post, so her sister was next killed. As for why Velasco wanted Sagredo dead: He was staring at a possible 99-year sentence in connection with a 2005 sex-assault case involving a child. Vice News reports Sagredo was the only witness the prosecution intended to call, as the victim confided in her (the Post specifies the victim was Velasco's 4-year-old stepdaughter). Sagredo had married Velasco in February 2004 but filed for divorce 11 months later, with her stated date of separation as the date the alleged molestation occurred. Sagredo's first husband testified that she was "very adamant" that Velasco should "pay for what he did." The sex-assault case was dismissed in 2009; Velasco now faces mandatory life in federal prison at his Jan. 25 sentencing, per an ICE press release. (Read more murder stories.)
(Newser)  "Sacrococcygeal teratoma" are not the words you want to hear during a pregnancy ultrasound, but that's what Margaret Boemer was confronted with when she went for her 16-week checkup. In an interview shared by Texas Children's Hospital with CNN, the Texas mom, who already had three kids at home, was told during that doctor's visit that her fetus had a rare condition in which a tumor grows out of the base of the tailbone. Although the fetus can sometimes withstand the tumor until after birth, it can compete for blood to the point of killing the fetus, says Dr. Darrell Cass of Texas Children's Fetal Center. Boemer had already had complications, and she didn't want to terminate the pregnancy, as some doctors suggestedso her baby was "born" twice instead.

Translation: Boemer opted for risky fetal surgery in which the fetus, by then almost 24 weeks, was taken out of her uterus in a five-hour procedure. The fetus was "hanging out in the air," Cass explains, while doctors removed most of the tumor; People notes the fetus was outside of the womb for about 20 minutes. Doctors then returned the fetus back to its corporeal home and stitched everything back up. Per NBC Chicago, blood started flowing normally, and little Lynlee was born healthy via C-section at 36 weeks in June. Doctors removed the tumor remnants when Lynlee was eight days old, and now, at 4 months, she's recuperating at home after a few weeks in the NICU. (Fetal surgery to treat birth defects was the subject of a landmark study.)
/

Trump on New Accuser: 'Oh, Sure She's Never Been Grabbed Before'

The presidential candidate was discussing former adult film star's 'total fiction'
(Newser)  Pennsylvania's former attorney general has been sentenced to 10 to 23 months in jail for illegally disclosing details from a grand jury investigation to embarrass a rival and then lying about it under oath, the AP reports. Kathleen Kane, the first woman and the first Democrat elected as the state's top prosecutor, was also sentenced Monday to eight years of probation. In the final year of her first term, the 50-year-old was convicted Aug. 15 of two felony charges of perjury and seven misdemeanor charges. She resigned the next day. Kane's lawyers had argued the loss of her career, law license and reputation was punishment enough. They said she needed to be home to raise her two sons, ages 14 and 15. But the judge told Kane her children were "collateral damages" of her own actions. (Read more Kathleen Kane stories.)
A conspiracy theorist was found dead in Poland after vomiting black liquid and texting his mother to investigate if he dies. While the authorities declared that he died due to natural causes, others won't accept that because he was healthy.

UFO expert Max Spiers is a well-known figure as a UFO researcher. According to his mother Vanessa Bates, he was a very fit man and was in good health. She added that she fears he made enemies while he was "digging into dark places."

"Your boy's in trouble. If anything happens to me, investigate," this is the text message that Spiers sent to his mom days before he died.

While in Poland, where he was set to give a talk about his conspiracy theories, he stayed with a woman that Bates said they didn't know for long.

Before his death, his girlfriend Sarah Adams from Kent said that he called her. Spiers revealed that he is only calling her in secret since he is held in Warsaw.

According to Mirror UK, Adams said that Spiers was very terrified saying that he wanted to leave. He said that he was trying to escape but he cannot.

Adams added that the people around Spiers were doing very dark black magic as well as satanic rituals. It is said to be a way to "de-programe" him and get rid of the demons in him. The British UFO expert was in a coma for two days.

With that, there are some who believed that he was sacrificed by Satanists who wanted to get rid him of demons. Others believe that secret services called men in black took his life since he was close to the truth.

He was recently probing into the lives of celebrities, politicians, businessmen and other well-known figures. He was investigating an occult connection among the elites. This made others conclude that he could have known something that is very important which moved them to kill him.

But to the dismay of his family, the authorities refused to investigate the matter. Instead, it appears that they are trying to silence his death. They refuse to give a post-mortem examination of the body, merely declaring that he died of natural causes.

Bates said that her son did not suffer any physical injuries. She speculated that he was slowly poisoned which is why it is important to get the results of the post-mortem to check on the toxicology tests. Other UFO experts are also suggesting that they need the autopsy to find out the real cause of his death.
Seems like iPhone 7 is trying to join the Suicide Squad, and it's not about Joker, Harley Quinn or Dead Shot, it is the smartphone version Suicide Squad. Samsung reported to discontinue its Samsung Galaxy Note 7 for safety due to its explosion issues.

According to Mashable, a surfer from the South Coast of New South Wales, Australia took a footage of his one week old iPhone 7 after the vehicular damage. Yes, if this will be proven true, Apple has really stepped its game up for causing a severe vehicular fire damage.

"As I look into my car you could not see inside the car. All the windows were just black," the surfer said based on 7 News Melbourne. "Ash was coming from inside the pants. Once you unwrapped the pants, the phone was just melting inside of it." He also said.

Los Angeles Times suggests that the reason of all these explosions are the lithium-ion devices which iPhone 7 and Samsung Galaxy Note 7 have. For these cases maybe 2016 is really their explosive year, check our previously written article, 'Apple, Samsung: Is 2016 Their Explosive Year? Find Out Here!'.

But so far, as per CNet, there is no enough evidence yet that iPhone 7 is the root of the surfer's vehicular fire damage. For now, this could serve as a free warning for smartphone users to keep their eye on their phone and to avoid overcharging batteries.

Maybe this could be the time that Samsung users take a jab on Apple by saying their fan base's tagline, "Better luck next time, Apple, because Samsung did it first, they had this feature before."
People living on the East Coast experienced trouble accessing websites like Spotify Netflix, Twitter, Reddit, and Amazon. This is after cyber criminals attacked Dyn, a company that provides technology services to some of the most well-known Internet's destinations.

During the first few hours, experts were clueless as to who is behind the attack. A computer security firm later confirmed that the attack involved Mirai, which scours the web for devices with factory-default usernames and passwords.

DDos attacks are normal but this one involving the East Coast proved that hackers are becoming more powerful and sophisticated as attacks are now primarily aimed at internet infrastructure providers. On the other hand, the Federal Bureau of Investigation is looking into the hacking incident and is trying to distinguish potential causes such as nation-state attack and other criminal activities.

The hacking furthermore stirred up some political tensions, with the US accusing Russia of being behind the attack. To note, during the third and the final presidential debate, Ms. Clinton has directly accused Russian President Vladimir Putin, of carrying out the attack. Dyn later confirmed that the onslaught came from millions of internet addresses, which made it one of the biggest cyber-attacks ever.

Experts, however, were able to counter the attack eleven hours after the incident took place. They were able to restore their service back to normal and users were able to access the affected websites once again. At exactly 6:17 p.m. ET Friday, Dyn has released a statement on their website saying that their service has been restored. Kyle York, Dyn's chief strategy officer, confirmed that incidents such as this were normal "It's a very smart attack. We start to mitigate, they react. It keeps on happening every time. We're learning, though," On the other hand, it is still unknown where exactly the onslaught originated.
New Delhi:

One BSF Jawan was killed and another injured on Sunday night in one of the heaviest firing by Pakistani troops across the Line of Control in RS Pura Sector of Jammu and Kashmir.

According to sources, a local woman has also been injured in the firing.

"BSF HC Sushil Kumar was hit by splinters on neck and shifted to Jammu where he was declared brought dead," BSG DIG Dharemder informed.

Sushil Kumar Abdulliah belonged to Pahova district of Haryana.

"He sustained splinter injuries in upper part of chest while retaliating the Pakistan fire. He was immediately evacuated to GMCH with first aid where he unfortunately succumbed to his injuries," DIG said.

We salute to his supreme sacrifice in the line of duty, BSF official said.



Pakistan forces continued to fire motor shells throughout the night, resulting in befitting retaliation from our Indian troops.

Very well planned strong retaliation is being given to Pakistan fire which has caused heavy damage to them, officials said.

Also read: Pakistan violates ceasefire for the second time in a day, along International Border

#WATCH Jammu: Ceasefire Violation By Pakistan in RS Pura, injured BSF jawan brought to Government Medical College pic.twitter.com/ggFwa9mP6a  ANI (@ANI_news) October 24, 2016

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Mumbai:

AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi on Sunday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of converting the triple talaq issue into a political tool ahead of the Assembly elections in some states.

Around 7.36 crore Muslims are married in the country and they have not divorced. Hardly one per cent of Muslims have gone for talaq. But, (Narendra) Modi is making this a tool in his Mann ki Baat for political gains in view of the forthcoming elections, he told a public meeting at Kausa in Mumbra township.

The Law Commission recently sought public views on abolition of the practice of triple talaq among Muslims and on Uniform Civil Code, triggering a feverish debate in various quarters.

Meanwhile, attacking the RSS, Owaisi said the country got freedom due to the efforts of all and not because of the Sangh Parivar.

He demanded justice for Ishrat Jahan, a local girl, who along with others, was allegedly killed in a fake encounter by the police on the outskirts of Ahmedabad in 2004.

The All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen president also attacked Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis for his mediation in ensuring the release of Karan Johars film Ae Dil Hai Mushkil and Raj Thackeray, whose party Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) had opposed its release for featuring Pakistani actor Fawad Khan.

It is a mockery to suggest that the (army) jawans should get Rs 5 crore, the Hyderabad MP said in an apparent reference to Thackeray asking filmmakers, who had worked with Pakistani actors, to contribute Rs 5 crore as prayschit (penance) money to Army Welfare Fund.

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New Delhi:

The rift between Akhilesh Yadav and Shivpal Yadav camps escalated sharply on Monday after the two leaders launched a fight against each other on all front, While the supporters of the two leaders engaged in scuffle outside party office, Akhilesh and Shivpal fought a war of words, on dais as well as off it. The situation was so tense that security forces had to intervene to mitigate the situation.

Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav called for a mega meeting of party MPs, MLAs, MLCs and ministers at the party office on Monday. The meeting could be landmark in the UP politics as SP is heading for split after the in-party rift widened on Sunday.



Actions and reactions by Akhilesh Yadav and UP party chief Shivpal Yadav on Sunday are going to be the chief topic of discussion. It is speculated that SP chief Mulayam may make a big announcement after the meeting.



Here are the live updates:

#MLC Ashu Malik meets UP CM Akhilesh Yadav at his residence in Lucknow



Lucknow: SP Chief Mulayam Singh Yadav calls for a meeting with Akhilesh Yadav and Shivpal Singh Yadav at his residence at 5:30 PM.  ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) October 24, 2016

#WATCH Earlier Visuals: Heated argument between CM Akhilesh Yadav and Shivpal Yadav during Samajwadi Party meeting in Lucknow pic.twitter.com/nzMLQPK3A3  ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) October 24, 2016

#Meeting between Mulayam Singh, Akhilesh Yadav and Shivpal Yadav ends

#Kolkata: Amar Singh refuses to answer questions on rift in Samajwadi Party

#Shivpal reaches Mulayam residence, meeting underway

#Shivpal, Akhilesh trade charges on dais, CM's mike snatched amid commotion

#Akhilesh also had a heated argument with father and party patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav

#Security forces intervene to stop debate, Shivpal calls Akhilesh liar: Sources

#Heated argument between Akhilesh Yadav and Shivpal Yadav breaks out during latter's speech.

#Look at PM Modi, he became PM with dedication & struggle. He comes from a poor family, says he can't leave his mother: Mulayam Singh Yadav (Watch full speech here)

#Amar Singh is my brother, says Mulayam

#Drunkards, goons have been added to the party. You get some power and it goes to your head. Shivpal Yadav is leader of the masses: MS Yadav

#If you can't face criticism, you can't be a leader: Mulayam Yadav

#I will never forget the work Shivpal has done for me and Samajwadi Party: Mulayam Singh Yadav

#Need great vision to be come great leader: Mulayam

#We have worked really hard to form this party: Mulayam Yadav

# Could have become PM, but did not compromis: Mulayam

#I am not a weak person, even to this day. Do not think that the youth is not with me, says Mulayam

#Some ministers are just busy being sycophants. And people who can't think big can't be a minister: Mulayam Yadav

#Instead of fighting our weaknesses we are fighting amongst ourselves: Mulayam Yadav

#I feel really sad because of this rift in our family, says Mulayam Yadav

#Mulayam Singh addresses the meeting

#People who work to weaken SP, who work against us...they should know we will form Govt again with Netaji's sweat & blood: Shivpal Yadav (Watch full speech here)

#Akhilesh speaks out on Prajapati episode, Amar Singh; alleges a definite conspiracy within the party

#I was hurt when Amar Singh said that by November Akhilesh will not be CM in UP. Ramgopal ji didnt say that: Akhilesh Yadav

#UP CM Akhilesh Yadav breaks down while giving a speech at SP office in Lucknow (Watch full speech here)

#Would have resigned if asked to, says Akhilesh Yadav

#Along with an efficient govt, it is my responsibility to weed out conspirators from the party, says Akhilesh Yadav

#People are saying a new party will be formed. Who is forming is a new party? I am not: Akhilesh Yadav

#People who have been ousted from party need to leave the meeting, force won't work: Shivpal Yadav at Samajwadi Party meeting

#Akshay Yadav, son of Ram Gopal Yadav writes letter (Read full story here)

#Mulayam Singh Yadav reaches party office for meeting

#Situation tense outside party office, police called from other districts, RRF deployed

#SSP Manzil Saini takes charge to control the situation, IG, DIG also on spot

#Akhilesh Yadav reaches party office ahead of key meeting with Mulayam, Shivpal

#Scuffle between party workers and police outside party office: Sources

#WATCH Clash between Akhilesh Yadav supporters & Shivpal Yadav supporters outside SP office in Lucknow. pic.twitter.com/TuMtvxtL5C  ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) October 24, 2016

#We are preparing for upcoming elections and will directly meet people, I knew this will happen someday: Shivpal Singh Yadav

#Shivpal Yadav reaches party office for high level meeting

#Akhilesh Yadav crosses in front of party office, but does not go in

#Youth party workers raise slogans outside party office before key meeting



#Mulayam Singh Yadav calls for high level meeting to resolve rift

On Sunday, the ruling Samajwadi Party appeared to be headed for a split as the face-off between Party Chief Mulayam Singh Yadav and UP CM Akhilesh Yadav worsened as the day progressed. Both of them sacked each others loyalists Shivpal Yadav and Ram Gopal Yadav.

While Akhilesh sacked Shivpal, his uncle and partys state unit chief, along with three other pro-Amar Singh ministers from his Cabinet, his father hit back by dismissing Ramgopal, pro-CM cousin and SPs national general secretary, from the party for six years.

Also read: Samaj'Viwadi' Party? Mulayam Singh Yadav's family dangal continues; a recap of what happened on Sunday

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New Delhi:

Just four months ahead of the Uttar Pradesh assembly polls, ruling Samajwadi Party is appearing to be headed for a division, with Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav and his party chief and father Mulayam Singh Yadav busy in a battle of power by removing each other's supporters Shivpal Yadav and Ramgopal Yadav.



was the day of fast-paced developments, CM Akhilesh Yadav first sacked Shivpal yadav, his uncle and party's state unit chief, along with three other "pro-Amar Singh" ministers from his Cabinet. Mulayam, in a tit-for-tat action, expelled Ram Gopal Yadav, pro-CM cousin and SP's national general secretary, from the party for six years.



Mulayam, who remained silent during the day, told reporters in the evening that "Whatever I have to say, I will say ()."



He made the remarks after a meeting with Shivpal, Om Prakash Singh, senior minister and spokeperson Ambika Chaudhary, and MLC Ashu Malik, and some others.

(Watch as the Yadav family drama unfolds on Day 2)



The crisis in the first family of Uttar Pradesh unfolded in the morning when Akhilesh held a meeting of party legislators, a day ahead of a mega meeting of party MPs, MLAs, MLCs and ministers called by Mulayam where some more tough decisions are likely to be taken.



Those who attended the meeting claimed that 183 of 229 SP MLAs attended it and there were demands for cracking the whip against supporters of Amar Singh, whose re-induction in the party two months ago had triggered a fight in the family.



After the meeting, the Chief Minister recommended to Governor Ram Naik that Shivpal, Narad Rai and Om Prakash Singh (all Cabinet ministers) and Sayeda Shadab Fatima (MoS -Independent charge) be sacked from his ministry. This was accepted immediately.



While the meeting was underway, hundreds of Akhilesh's supporters were raising slogans in his favour outside.



Significantly, before Akhilesh announced the sacking of Shivpal and three other ministers, Ram Gopal issued a letter written to party workers, expressing support to the chief minister and warning those opposing him.



"Those who oppose Akhilesh won't be able to show their faces in the legislative assembly. Where Akhilesh is, victory follows," he said in the letter.



After his sacking, Shivpal met Mulayam at his residence, which is just nearby that of the CM's bungalow.



Hours later, he announced that the SP chief had expelled Ramgopal from the party for six years.



Shivpal told mediapersons that Ramgopal was colluding with BJP and had thrice met a senior leader of the saffron party to save himself and his son from a CBI probe in the Yadav Singh Noida scam.



He said he was not worried about being dropped from the government and declared that the state Assembly elections would be fought under leadership of Mulayam.



As the confrontation between the Akhilesh camp and the Mulayam camp appeared to be reaching a point of no return, reports were already doing the rounds that the Chief Minister could launch a new party named 'National Samajwadi Party' or 'Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party' with motorcycle as its symbol.



Interestingly, according to some media reports, Ramgopal had met officials of the Election Commission in New Delhi a few days back, which was seen as an exercise aimed at exploring a new symbol and party name if Akhilesh dumps SP.



Launching a scathing attack on Ram Gopal, Shivpal said he was tarnishing the image of SP by dabbling in corruption, colluding with BJP and weakening Mulayam's leadership.



"On Mulayam's directive, Ram Gopal is being stripped of his posts of party spokesman and national general secretary and is being expelled from the party for six years," Shivpal said, giving rise to intense speculation about an imminent split.



Ram Gopal then issued a statement, saying whether he remained in the party or not, he will always be with Akhilesh in the "holy war" even though Mulayam is his "guru" in politics and will remain so.



He said he had no grievances over his expulsion from the party but the "cheap allegations levelled against me have defintely hurt me deeply."



Ram Gopal, who was expelled for "colluding" with BJP, asserted that it was no crime to meet leaders of other parties.



"Whether I am in Samajwadi Party or not, in this 'dharma-yudh (holy war)', I shall always be with Akhilesh Yadav," he said, adding that he would continue to side with him till he is re-elected as the chief minister.



He appealed to SP cadres to stand by Akhilesh so that the "political power brokers", an apparent reference to Amar Singh, do not succeed in their designs against him.



For the time being it appears that Mulayam has been surrounded "evil spirits", but whenever he would be "free from those powers, he would realise the truth", the former national general secretary said.



"I will continue to respect (Mulayam) throughout my life," he said in the statement.



The developments came a day after Akhilesh skipped an important strategy meeting of SP district and city unit presidents called by Shivpal. The CM instead separately met the delegates later at his official residence.



SP old-timers Beni Prasad Verma and Reoti Raman Singh tried to mediate a thaw to the ongoing crisis, but their efforts did not yield any positive result.



The tussle in the party began last month when Mulayam replaced 43-year-old Akhilesh with his 61-year-old uncle Shivpal to the post of UP party chief, and also expelled several youth leaders seen as close to Akhilesh.



Shivpal's sacking came a day after a close aide of Akhilesh Yadav, MLC Udayveer Singh was expelled from the Samajwadi Party. Udayveer was sacked a few days after he shot off a stinging letter to Mulayam accusing his second wife of hatching a conspiracy against the Chief Minister.



The letter also mentions the use of black magic against Akhilesh by his step-mother.



While asking Mulayam to clarify on his political successor, Udayveer also demanded that Akhilesh be made the party's national president so that there was no room for speculation or doubt.



Udayveer had earlier this week announced that he along with other Akhilesh loyalists would boycott the SP's silver jubilee celebrations in protest protest the expulsion of many of their colleagues by Mulayam and Shivpal.



On , Shivpal had announced the new top office-bearers of the party's front organisations - the Yuvajan Sabha, minority wing, Mulyam Singh Youth brigade and Lohia Vahini.



(With PTI inputs)

Also read: Rebellion is in the air. So is the inevitable split. Will Mulayam ride the cycle into the sunset of Samajwadi Pariwar?





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New Delhi:

The rift between Akhilesh Yadav and Shivpal Yadav camps escalated sharply on Monday after the two leaders launched a fight against each other on all front, While the supporters of the two leaders engaged in scuffle outside party office, Akhilesh and Shivpal fought a war of words, on dais as well as off it.

1. Samajwadi Party feud: Heated argument between Akhilesh Yadav, Shivpal Yadav during meeting

Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav called for a mega meeting of party MPs, MLAs, MLCs and ministers at the party office on Monday.

2. Pak troops kill 8-year-old girl, injure 4 others in Kanachak sector of J&K

Eight-year-old girl died and four others were injured in shelling and firing by Pakistan in Kanachak sector of J&K on Monday.

3. Gurgaon: 22-year-old Woman stabbed at MG Road metro station

A 22-year-old woman was allegedly stabbed by a man at the M G Road station of Delhi Metro network on Monday.

4. UP, Punjab and 3 more states to go to polls in Feb-March after budget

Uttar Pradesh, which is set to witness game-changer elections, and four other states will go to polls simultaneously, most likely in February-March next, commencing shortly after the presentation of the Union Budget on February 1.

5. Security breach: Congress demands resignation of SBI chief Arundhati Bhattacharya

Amid reports of widespread debit cards security breach, Congress on Sunday demanded resignation of Chairperson of the State Bank of India Arundhati Bhattacharya, alleging that the largest public sector bank was the mothership in the scam in which 19 banks have been hit.









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New Delhi:

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on asked the countrymen to send Diwali messages to the army and security personnel while addressing the Bundelkhand Parivartan rally at Mahoba in Uttar Pradesh.



Here's the highlights of PM Modi's speech at Mahoba-

#People from Uttar Pradesh will vote for UP this time, Delhi knows that UP has decided this: PM Modi

#I request people who participate in TV debates don't make women rights into Muslim Hindu issue.Women's right is a development issue: PM Modi

#Is it fair for a man to say "talaaq" thrice over the phone and a Muslim woman's life to be ruined? This issue shouldnt be politicised: PM

#I am surprised that for vote bank politics, some parties want to keep Muslim women bereft of their natural rights: PM Modi

#Just like a Hindu will be punished for infanticide, Muslim women need to have equal rights, PM Modi speaks against Triple Talaq

#UP has given many PMs to the nation. UP has a claim on me as well. And I want to do more work than all those PMs put together: PM

#Modi raaj karne kay liye paida nahin hua hai, Modi apne aap ko khapaane kay liye nikla hai: PM Modi

#Service is my 'pramo dharam': PM Modi

#I am here to payback your loan, I am here to serve you: PM Modi

#Money was provided to Bundelkhand for some projects, and yet no work was done here...you will be very sad to hear this: PM Modi

#This land of UP is our mother, and we won't let our mother be looted anymore: PM Modi

#Centre allotted similar funds to both UP's Bundelkhand and MP Bundelkhand, but BJP ruled part in MP has become far more progressive: PM

# I request the cpuntry men to send Diwali wishes to army personnel and every security persons



# This region of Bundelkhand is the voice of nation's power.

# This Diwali, let us remember our brave Jawans who are serving the nation.



# I have requested citizens to dedicate message and a well wish for all our jawans & security forces.



# Uttar Pradesh has given birth to great warriors; has shown calibre with sword and creativity with pen.



# Gujarat is now free of the problems of water after a long struggle.

# The farmers of Bundelkhand can produce gold from soil, if they are given enough water.



# Uma Bharti has taken Atal Bihari Vajpayee's dream of joining Ken-Betwa forward; entire UP will benefit from it.



# Bundelkhand has plenty of natural resources, nothing can stop it from progressing.



# UP has seen all kinds of games, politics. Time to put an end to it. You have to make Uttar Pradesh an Uttam Pradesh.

PM Modi is scheduled to visit his Lok Sabha constituency on where he launched a number of ambitious projects including a 1500-km-long gas pipeline costing Rs 51,000 crore and doubling of railway tracks on a busy route.



On his eighth visit here since becoming Prime Minister, Modi will launch "Urja Ganga", the gas pipeline project which promises to provide piped cooking gas to residents of Varanasi within two years and, in another year thereafter, cater to millions of people in states like Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal and Odisha.



Modi will also flag off projects like doubling of railway tracks on the busy Allahabad-Varanasi section and expansion of the Diesel Locomotive Works (DLW) here besides laying foundation stone for a fully air-conditioned perishable cargo centre.



He will also release a stamp dedicated to the ancient temple town, which is believed to be among the oldest surviving ones in the world.



Tight security arrangements are in place across the city where the Special Protection Group (SPG) has been camping since to oversee preparations for the Prime Minister's visit.



Recently, the party's Uttar Pradesh unit had also issued a statement welcoming the Prime Minister on his "first visit to Varanasi after the surgical strikes".

Watch video: PM Narendra Modi launches #Sandesh2Soldiers campaign, urges citizens to send their messages to jawans

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Kolkata:

It took seven years, traveling to two countries and finally a series of challenging surgeries by the city doctors in Kolkata to make Rasheed Obaid Hassan Motawa from UAE stand up again after a fateful accident, and finally walk.

Rasheed met with a devastating bike accident in his home town of Fujairah on the east coast of United Arab Emirates (UAE) in November 2009, which left him paralysed with severe injuries in his brain, chest and legs.

Rasheed was only 16-years-old and studying when the accident happened. He had a memory loss and lost his ability to speak which eventually hampered his education, Hassans father Obaid Hassan Motawa said.

He (Rasheed) was riding the bike with his friend as pillion rider, when a truck hit them from the rear, he said. His friend died on the spot, but Rasheed survived miraculously though he turned into a vegetable, he added.

Visits to several hospitals in UAE, however, failed to deliver any fruitful results for the then class XI student.

It was almost five years that Rasheed was lying on bed as his entire left side was paralysed with the hip-joint and ankle of his left leg being totally damaged.

His education was stopped and we had no clue what to do. Then on the suggestion of one of our family friends, we decided to take him to Thailand, Obaid said.

In Thailand, doctors tried twice to reconstruct the damaged thigh and ankle, but nothing helped his cause.

Rasheed underwent six surgeries in total, but remained the same. The doctors in the UAE and Thailand never gave us hope that he would be able to walk again, Obaid, who runs a steel manufacturing factory in UAE, said.

One day one of my employees, who is a Bengali, suggested us to bring Rasheed to Kolkata where Apollo Gleneagles Hospitals Orthopaedic and Reconstructive unit has the facilities to treat him, the father said, adding he brought his youngest son to the city in October 2015.

Orthopaedic and shoulder specialist Abheek Kar assured Obaid Hassan that his son would be able to stand up on his legs and walk.

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Srinagar:

Massive traffic jams were witnessed in many parts of Srinagar on Monday as people defied the strike call given by the separatists.

Queues of private vehicles could be seen in many parts of the city including Rambagh, Jawahar Nagar, Bemina, Batamaloo and Tengpora Bypass as people slowly began to pick up the threads of their lives affected by the separatist sponsored strike, officials said.

They said additional traffic police personnel were deployed at some intersections in the city to ensure smooth flow of traffic, which was at its peak since the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen militant Burhan Wani in an encounter with security forces that triggered the current unrest.

An increased number of street vendors set up stalls at many places around the commercial hub of Lal Chowk in the summer capital.

"More shopkeepers are now opening their business establishments and there is improvement in movement of people and transport with each passing day, the official said.

However, normal life continued to remain affected in the rest of the Valley due to separatist-sponsored strike.

While there were no curbs on the movement of people anywhere in Kashmir, the official said restrictions on assembly of four or more people were in place throughout the Valley for maintaining law and order. He said security forces have been deployed in strength at vulnerable spots and along the main roads as a precautionary measure.

Shops, business establishments and fuel stations remained shut, but are expected to open this evening as separatists have given a 14-hour relaxation in the shutdown from 5pm.

The ongoing unrest in Kashmir has affected the education as schools, colleges and other educational institutions continue to remain shut in the Valley. As many as 85 people, including two cops, have been killed and several thousand others injured in the ongoing unrest in the Valley.

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Seoul:

South Korean Galaxy Note 7 smartphone owners were about to file a lawsuit against Samsung Electronics over the fire-prone device on October 24.

Attorney Peter Young-Yeel Ko, head of the Harvest Law Firm said on October 24 that 527 consumers want Samsung to compensate them for the costs to visit shops to exchange their phones, for the hours they had to wait while transferring data and for psychological harm from using a hazardous product.

His clients include a consumer who claims to have lost thousands of pictures from a family vacation and another who drove eight hours round-trip to return the phone.

Samsung recalled the Galaxy Note 7 phone because it tends to overheat. It recalled replacement of Note 7s after finding they also were prone to catch fire, the company stopped making or selling them.

The company did not immediately respond to called andemailed requests for comment.

Ko, a longtime Samsung phone user, said he had to visit a mobile shop three times after buying the Note 7 in August, first to get the battery checked when reports of the devices catching fire first surfaced. He went back to get a replacement of the phone after Samsung's first recall and again after the company's second Note 7 recall.

Apparently in response to criticism over its handling ofthe recalls, Samsung announced on October 24 that Note 7 owners who switch to Samsung Galaxy S7 or S7 Edge smartphones can get 50 per cent discounts on upgrades to Galaxy S8 or Note 8 smartphones next year if they return the S7 or S7 Edges.

Samsung earlier offered 30,000 won (USD 26) worth ofcoupons for the Samsung mobile shopping mall to all Note 7 users. Those switching to other Samsung phones were offered 70,000 won (USD 62) worth of coupons.

Kim Chae Yong, who joined the lawsuit, said he spentnearly USD 100 on gas and highway fees to return a Note 7phone after the first recall.

Kim drove about 300 kilometers from his home in Cheonan to Busan, where he had bought the Note 7. "I feel betrayed," the 26-year-old plant engineer said. "I am angry and I don't ever want to use it again."

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Beijing:

Taking exception to the visit by US envoy in India to Arunachal Pradesh which it claims as southern Tibet, China said on Monday any interference by Washington in the Sino-India boundary dispute will make it "more complicated" and "disturb" hard-won peace at the border.

Asking the US to desist from interfering in the border dispute, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Lu Kang told media that China is firmly opposed to the visit.

Referring to US envoy Richard Verma's October 22 tour to Tawang at the invitation of Arunachal Pradesh chief minister Pema Khandu, Lu said while replying to a question that the US envoy visited a "disputed region".

"We have also noted that the place visited by senior US diplomatic official is a disputed region between China and India. We are firmly opposed to his visit," he said.

China claims Arunachal Pradesh as part of southern Tibet and routinely protests visits by Indian leaders, foreign officials as well as the Dalai Lama to the area.

"China's position on eastern section of the boundary is very clear and consistent. The two countries are now trying to resolve territorial disputes through negotiations and consultations," he said referring to the Special Representatives mechanism headed by National Security Advisors of both countries to find a solution.

Both sides held 19th round of Special Representatives' talks to resolve the disputes over the 3,488-km Line of Actual Control (LAC).

While China claims Arunachal Pradesh as Southern Tibet and India asserts that the dispute covers Aksai Chin area which was occupied by China during the 1962 war.

Lu said "any third party with a sense of responsibility should respect efforts made by China and India for peace reconciliation? and tranquility rather than the opposite," he said.

The behaviour by the US contrasts the efforts made by China and India, he said.

"It will only make the dispute more complicated, disturb the hard-won peace and tranquility of border areas and sabotage peaceful development of the region," Lu said.

"We urge the US to stop its interference in the boundary issue between China and India and make more contribution to regional peace and stability," he said.

The boundary question between China and India is very complex and sensitive, he said adding that "the interference by a third party will only stir up or heighten tensions".

"At the end of the day only the peoples of the two countries will fall victims," he said. "We believe India and China as two major countries have enough wisdom to properly to deal with this issue and safeguard the fundamental interest of the two peoples," Lu said.

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New Delhi:

The Supreme Court on Monday issued notice to ex-RJD MP Mohammad Shahabuddin, Centre and the Bihar government seeking their reply for shifting the former from Siwan district jail in Bihar to Delhi's Tihar jail.

A plea had been filed in SC by slain journalist Rajdeo Ranjan's widow Asha Ranjan for shifting the RJD strongman from Siwan to Tihar jail so that witnesses in her husbands murder case dont get influenced.

Asha Ranjans plea was heard by an apex court bench on October 17 which in turn had directed the CBI to complete the murder probe within a period of three months.

Rajdeo Ranjan, bureau chief of hindi daily Hindustan was shot dead in July this year near Siwan railway station.

The case has been recommended to the CBI via the Bihar government.

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Jerusalem:

Israel defence minister Avigdor Lieberman said in an interview with a Palestinian newspaper on Monday that his country's next war with Gaza militants would be their last "because we will completely destroy them".

Lieberman however said he had no intention of starting a new war in Gaza, which would be the fourth since 2008.

Lieberman urged Palestinians to pressure Hamas, the Islamist movement that runs the Gaza Strip, to "stop your crazy policies". "As minister of defence, I would like to clarify that we have no intention of starting a new war against our neighbours in the Gaza Strip or the West Bank, Lebanon or Syria," he said in the interview with Jerusalem-based Al-Quds newspaper.

"But in Gaza, like the Iranians, they intend to eliminate the state of Israel... If they impose the next war on Israel, it will be their last. I would like to emphasise again: It will be their last confrontation because we will completely destroy them."

Lieberman is part of what is seen as the most right-wing government in Israeli history, with several prominent members of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition openly opposing a Palestinian state.

But while known as a security-minded hardliner, Lieberman believes in a two-state solution to the conflict based on land swaps. He reiterated that position in the interview, saying he sees the main settlement blocks in the occupied West Bank remaining part of Israel under a final peace deal.

Lieberman, who took office in May, also criticised Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas, accusing him of failing to make tough compromises that could lead to peace.

He predicted Abbas would lose if elections were held, with polls showing most Palestinians would like the 81-year-old to resign.

Such elections could lead to Hamas taking power in the West Bank, where Abbas's secular Fatah party currently dominates, but Lieberman said he believed a different outcome was possible.

"There are enough sensible people in the (Palestinian authority) who understand the situation and know if there is a choice to make between Hamas and Israel, they think partnering with Israel will be better for them," he said.

Lieberman has recently spoken of trying to bypass Palestinian leaders and reach out directly to communities, and his interview appeared to be part of that effort.

Al-Quds was heavily criticised on social media by Palestinians who say it should not have agreed to an interview with an Israeli official as it amounted to sanctioning "normalisation" with an occupying power.

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New Delhi:

India strongly slammed China on Monday for objecting US Ambassador Richard Verma's recent visit to Arunachal Pradesh, and claimed there was "nothing unusual" abou this trip to a state which is an integral part of the country.

"The US Ambassador visited Arunachal Pradesh, a state which is an integral part of the country to which he is accredited. There is nothing unusual in it," said External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Vikas Swarup.

Taking exception to the visit by Verma, China said it was firmly opposed to it and that any interference by Washington in the Sino-India boundary dispute will make it "more complicated" and "disturb" hard won peace at the border.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang also asked the US to desist from interfering in the India-China border dispute while referring to Verma's October 22 tour to Tawang at the invitation of Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu.

"We have also noted that the place visited by senior US diplomatic official is a disputed region between China and India. We are firmly opposed to his visit," he said.

China claims Arunachal Pradesh as part of southern Tibet and routinely protests visits by Indian leaders, foreign officials as well as the Dalai Lama to the area.

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New Delhi:

Problems dont seem to end for Samsung as a user reported that his Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge exploded while being on charge.

This is not the first time that Galaxy S7 has found itself in the center of a controversy.

A report in September alleged that a Galaxy S7 Edge had exploded inside the pocket of a Ohio resident Daniel Ramirez, giving him second and third degree burns.

The current incident puts a lot of questions before Samsung and it will be interesting to see what action they take in the wake of this tragedy.

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New Delhi:

In the aftermath of bird flu scare in the capital, Delhi Rural Development Minister Gopal Rai on Monday cancelled his two-day visit to Goa which was scheduled to start on Teusday.

"The development minister has cancelled his two-day Goa visit owing to bird flu scare in city. Once the situation is controlled, the minister's visit will be rescheduled," said a senior AAP functionary.

The senior Aam Aamdi Party leader was to embark on a two-day visit to Goa from Tuesday to campaign for his party.

The state goes to poll next year. Fifty-eight birds have been found dead so far in the national capital and out of them, three deaths have been confirmed to have been caused by H5N8 avian influenza.

The Kejriwal government had to face a lot of criticism in September as most of its ministers, including Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia and Health Minister Satyendar Jain, were away from the city amid outbreak of chikungunya and dengue.

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Srinagar:

Terrorists on Monday attacked the residence of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) minister Abdul Rehman Veeri in south Kashmirs Anantnag district, reports said.

According to reports, the terrorists opened fire on guards who were posted at the residence of the Minister for Public Works and Parliamentary Affairs in Bijbehara.

No one was hurt in the attack. Police have cordoned off the area and an investigation has been launched. According to the police, the attack looked like an attempt to snatch arms of security guards.

On October 22, a PDP ministers cavalcade was attacked with stones in north Kashmirs Bandipora district.

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Islamabad:

The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) has frozen the bank accounts of around 5,100 terror suspects, including Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) chief Masood Azhar, media reports said on Monday. The frozen bank accounts reportedly had more than Rs 400 million.

Among those whose accounts were frozen include 1,200 suspects that belong to category A of the Anti-Terrorism Act of 1997, which covers terrorists who pose high risk. 1500 are listed in the Fourth Schedule of the Anti-Terrorism Act of 1997, The News daily quoted unnamed officials as saying. Masood Azhar is included in category A, officials of the interior ministry and SBP said.



Following a request of the ministry of interior, we have frozen accounts of all top suspected terrorists, including Masood Azhar, son of Allah Bux, a senior official of SBP told The News.

Ihsan Ghani, national coordinator of the National Counter-Terrorism Authority (NACTA) confirmed that SBP has frozen more than 5,000 bank accounts of the terror suspects. These accounts hold a net amount worth Rs 400 million, he said.



Suspects whose accounts were frozen include Maulana Abdul Aziz of Islamabads radical Lal Masjid, Ahmed Ludhianvi of the Ahl-e-Sunnat Wal Jamaat, Matiur Rehman of al-Qaeda Pakistan, Qari Ehsan of Lashkar-e-Jhangvi.

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New Delhi:

Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia along with the officials of the Excise Department raided four liquor shops in Mayur Vihar Phase 2 Monday evening and suspended the license of one.

The Deputy CMs move came after some local residents complained about the liquor shops violating excise rules.

During the raid, it was found that out of four shops, two were being run on one license which is against the rules.

The Deputy CM has ordered suspension of the license. The excise department has also sealed the illegal liquor shop, said a government official.

The Deputy CM, who heads the Excise Department, said he had received complaints from the locals that people drink alcohol in the open near these shops and Haryana-made liquor also is served. He said strict action will be taken against the violator.
Islamabad:

Pakistan may attend a key regional conference on Afghanistan in India in what is seen as a calculated move to offset efforts by the Indian government to isolate the country following the Uri terror attack, media reported on Monday.



According to media reports, Pak Prime Ministers Adviser on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz said on Monday that Pakistan to attend 'heart of Asia' conference in India. The Heart of Asia-Istanbul ministerial meeting is scheduled to take place in the first week of December in Amritsar in Punjab.



Pakistans participation was doubtful due to ongoing tensions and Indian boycott of the summit of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) scheduled to be held in Pakistan in November.

ALSO READ | To control India's SAARC influence, Pakistan proposes another economic alliance



Citing continuous cross-border terrorism from Pakistan, India had announced that in the present circumstances it was unable to participate in the SAARC summit in Islamabad.

Pakistan to attend 'heart of Asia' conference in Amritsar in December says Adviser to Pak PM on foreign affairs Sartaj Aziz: Pak media  ANI (@ANI_news) October 24, 2016

Foreign ministers from 14-member countries, including Russia, China and Turkey, are expected to attend the day-long conference meant to discuss the current Afghan situation and possible initiatives the immediate and extended neighbours of Afghanistan could undertake to restore long-term peace and stability in the war-torn country.



Senior officials from 17 supporting countries, including the United States, will also participate in the meeting to be jointly presided over by Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

ALSO READ | After boycott by India and 4 other nations, Pakistan postpones SAARC Summit in Islamabad



The Heart of Asia-Istanbul Process was established in 2011 at the initiative of Afghanistan and Turkey. Its main objective is to foster efforts for regional cooperation and connectivity with a view to promoting long-term peace and stability as well as progress and development in Afghanistan.



Pakistan hosted the last Ministerial Conference in December last year which was also attended by Indian External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj.



Notably, the Afghan regional conference last year had helped Pakistan and India to revive their stalled peace process after the meeting between Aziz and Swaraj on the sidelines.

(With PTI inputs)

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Iran launches war drills after accusations that US broke nuclear deal

With each passing day, World War III seems closer and closer to becoming a reality. If its not radical Islamic terrorists, its the Russians. If its not the Russians, its the Chinese military. If its not the Chinese military, its Iran. No matter what side of the world were talking about, someone is likely only moments away from attacking the United States. As horrifically as it sounds, weve almost gotten completely used to the idea that a foreign country could potentially try to nuke us, leading to a full-scale nuclear war.

Adam Kredo of The Washington Free Beacon reports, Irans Artesh Air Force kicked off a three-day series of drills aimed at displaying the Islamic Republics air might, according to Iranian military officials who told the countrys state-run press that the drills are in preparations for upcoming war  Top Iranian military commanders say the armed forces remain committed to removing the American presence from the region.

Its clear from this statement that the Iranian military desperately wants the United States to stay out of Iran. For the libertarians of the world, this logic is easy to completely understand. Theres no reason why the American government should be involved in any of these affairs, but that doesnt make it a good idea for Iran to threaten to wage war on our entire country. Theres no doubt that it would end horribly for them, but our country  and the rest of the world  needs to avoid warfare at all costs.

This year just continues to get more and more unpredictable. Just when you think it has reached a peak of lunacy, new information is revealed that manages to make the situation even more complicated than it previously was. And while there is no way to accurately be prepared for what a potential World War III might bring with it, there are a number of precautions we can take in order to be best ready for what may come. The last thing any of us need is to be blindsided by an attack from a foreign power, leading to mass hysteria.

We have to avoid electing more establishment politicians that will profit off of more wars. They are the sole reason why the United States military continues to occupy countries that we have no business being in. With them gone, our troops will return home and the likelihood of World War III will drop drastically. So remember that when you walk into your polling place this election day

Sources:

FreeBeacon.com

USNews.com

PressTV.ir

Submit a correction >>
Trump responds to WikiLeaks reveal on Clinton Foundation and Morocco: More pay for play

Donald Trump responded to a recent revelation from WikiLeaks that Hillary Clinton planned to speak at the Clinton Global Initiatives 2015 meeting in Morocco on the condition of a $12 million dollar donation, again accusing the former secretary of state of pay for play scheme between the Department of State and the Clinton Foundation.

Article by Alex Swoyer

More pay for play, Trump alleged during a campaign rally in Fletcher, North Carolina, where he currently trails Clinton by an average of 2.5 points.

Todays Trump rally crowd in Fletcher, NC. Good showing for a Friday at lunchtime pic.twitter.com/yPyzFsbKqJ  David Martosko (@dmartosko) October 21, 2016

The WikiLeaks reveal comes from Clintons campaign chair John Podestas hacked emails between him and her top aide Huma Abedin.

Abedin wrote that this was HRCs idea for her to speak at a meeting of the Clinton Global Initiative in Morocco in May 2015 as an explicit condition for the $12 million commitment from the king, Fox Newss Ed Henry reports.

No matter what happens, she will be in Morocco hosting CGI on May 5-7, 2015. Her presence was a condition for the Moroccans to proceed so there is no going back on this, Abedin stated in the 2014 email.

As Breitbart Newss Frances Martel writes, In a subsequent email, Abedin explained that the King of Morroco had invested millions in the meeting on the condition that Hillary Clinton would attend. The email read: Just to give you some context, the condition upon which the Moroccans agreed to host the meeting was her participation. If hrc was not part if it, meeting was a non-starter. CGI also wasnt pushing for a meeting in Morocco and it wasnt their first choice. This was HRCs idea, our office approached the Moroccans and they 100 percent believe they are doing this at her request. The King has personally committed approx $12 million both for the endowment and to support the meeting. It will break a lot of china to back out now when we had so many opportunities to do it in the past few months. She created this mess and she knows it. Trump repeated his proposal of ethics reforms to drain the swamp in Washington, D.C. Hillary Clinton is the most corrupt politician ever to seek the office of the presidency, Trump told the crowd, which responded by chanting Lock her up. Lets do this  Nov 8  lets win! Trump responded to the chant. We win, we have lots of options, but we got to win.

Read more at: breitbart.com

Submit a correction >>
Wikileaks: Hillary Clinton ditched CGI meeting despite $12 million from Morrocan King

A new batch of emails hacked from Clinton campaign chairman John Podestas account, and published by the organization Wikileaks, reveals the star-studded guest list for the Clinton Global Initiatives 2015 meeting in Morocco. It also reveals that those attending, including heads of state and CEOs of major global corporations, were expecting Hillary Clinton to be there.

Article by Frances Martel

Clinton did not attend, instead spending the days of the conference campaigning in Nevada and California. Aide Huma Abedin repeatedly insists in emails published today that Clinton will be at the event, warning it would break a lot of china for Hillary Clinton to back out, before suggesting to Clinton campaign manager Robby Mook that Clinton would cancel her appearance at the last minute.

No matter what happens, she will be in Morocco hosting CGI on May 5-7, 2015. Her presence was a condition for the Moroccans to proceed so there is no going back on this, Abedin asserted in a November 2014 email. In a subsequent email, Abedin explained that the King of Morroco had invested millions in the meeting on the condition that Hillary Clinton would attend:

Just to give you some context, the condition upon which the Moroccans agreed to host the meeting was her participation. If hrc was not part if it, meeting was a non-starter. CGI also wasnt pushing for a meeting in Morocco and it wasnt their first choice. This was HRCs idea, our office approached the Moroccans and they 100 percent believe they are doing this at her request. The King has personally committed approx $12 million both for the endowment and to support the meeting. It will break a lot of china to back out now when we had so many opportunities to do it in the past few months.

She created this mess and she knows it.

By March 2015  two months before the CGI meeting  Abedin was less certain that Clinton would be able to make it.

huma said it was still happeneing [sic], then said that shes going to cancel at the last minute but it sounded a little tentative, Mook wrote to Podesta. Just sounded more up in the air than I thought it was.

Clinton never made it to that meeting, instead sending her husband Bill. The Washington Post wrote that it appeared Clinton was striving to keep her husband, a former president himself, as far away as he could get.

Reports from the days of the meeting, May 5-7, confirm Clinton was in Los Angeles andLas Vegas on those days. The final conference schedule does not mention Hillary, though it notes that daughter Chelsea was scheduled to moderate a panel. Read more at: breitbart.com

Submit a correction >>
DANBURY  Praxair Surface Technologies and GE Aviation have announced the formation of PG Technologies, a joint venture that will focus on coatings for GE Aviations engine models and be based in Ellisville, Miss.

The formation of PG Technologies builds upon decades of collaboration between Praxair Surface Technologies and GE Aviation, Pierre Luthi, PG Technologies board member and president of Praxair Surface Technologies, said in a statement. This joint venture will take the leadership role in the next generation of coating technology applications and will invest in new coating production capacity to meet the needs of the burgeoning aviation sector.

Praxair Surface Technologies, which will hold a majority interest in the venture, is a wholly owned subsidiary of Danbury-based industrial gas company Praxair.

Praxair Surface Technologies specializes in high-performance coatings for the aviation, energy and other industries. Its coatings help customers improve environmental performance, decrease energy consumption, reduce operating costs and extend component life, company officials said. It is based in Indianapolis.

GE Aviation, which is based in Evendale, Ohio, makes jet and turboprop engines, components and systems for commercial and military aircraft.

PG Technologies will develop, support and apply specialized coatings for GE Aviations and CFM Internationals current and future engine models.

PG Technologies will play an important role in GE Aviations engine manufacturing system, said Colleen Athans, vice president and general manager of GE Aviations Supply Chain. With engine production volume levels growing, GEs need for specialized coatings will also increase, and this joint venture will ensure we meet our commitments on the performance and durability of our engines.

PG Technologies will have locations in Indianapolis and in Singapore.

The main facility in Mississippi will be at an existing GE Aviation facility and increase employment there to 250 by 2020. The project can potentially grow the workforce there to 400.

Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant touted the new companys site selection.

PG Technologies will combine the expertise of GE Aviation and Praxair, continuing the tradition of quality for which both companies are known, he said in a release. I look forward to this new partnership thriving in Ellisville and thank the leadership of PG Technologies for choosing a Mississippi location.

A Praxair official said the site was a nice fit for PG Technologies because of the existing GE Aviation site and employees in Mississippi.

The site has room for expansion, as well, the official said.

cbosak@hearstmediact.com; 203-731-3338
From the White Houses Tech Inclusion Pledge to Apples and Googles annual diversity reports, players across the tech world have been expressing concern about the industrys infamous diversity problem. According to CB Insights research in 2010, only one percent of venture capitalfunded startup founders were black. Although there have been only minor pockets of progress thus far, several organizations have emerged as leaders in the effort to help minority entrepreneurs start companies, build businesses, secure funding and eventually achieve success. To highlight a few of the most prominent:

1. Techstars Foundation.

International accelerator Techstars takes a unique approach in its effort to increase representation of minority founders in the tech community. In addition to funding technology companies all over the world, it also launched a nonprofit division, the Techstars Foundation, which aims to increase representation of minority tech founders by providing opportunities through grants, scholarships and sponsorships. By donating cash or company stock to the foundation, Techstars enormous network of portfolio startups  762 startup companies, with collective total funding of more than $2 billion  can make a real contribution to diversity in the tech community.

Donations are used to fund a variety of organizations that are dedicated to helping minority entrepreneurs through tangible, meaningful programs and initiatives. Current grant recipients include Change Catalyst, a nonprofit that provides minority founders with mentorship, education, and funding opportunities. By encouraging a Give First mindset in their startups and partners, Techstars hopes to create a ripple effect, spawning change agents who can, in turn, help more underrepresented entrepreneurs succeed.

Related: The 10 Best Cities to Be a Minority Small-Business Owner (Infographic)

2. CODE2040.

CODE2040 takes its name from the year when it is predicted that minorities will become the majority in the United States. It is a nonprofit organization that is aggressively pursuing its goal of having Blacks and Latinos proportionally represented in the leading edge of America's innovation economy as technologists, investors, thought leaders and entrepreneurs.

In addition to a flagship Fellows Program that places promising black and Latino college-level computer science students in internship programs at top tech companies, CODE2040 has also started a Residency Program designed to help black and Latino entrepreneurs build companies and cultivate diversity in their own communities. The oneyear residency provides participating founders with a $40,000 nonequity stipend, as well as additional support from CODE2040, Google for Entrepreneurs and participating founders hometown tech hubs. Participants receive hub workspace for the resident and his/her team, along with mentoring by experienced entrepreneurs and investors in the CODE2040 and Google for Entrepreneurs networks.

3. 500 Startups.

500 Startups is among the leading seed accelerators and early funders that are advancing the cause of diversity and inclusion across the global tech community. According to founding partner Dave McClure, 500 Startups has a long history of supporting startups led by women and minorities. Since its inception, it has invested in such minorityled startups as Walker & Co., AllDay Media and Mayvenn. The 15th graduating class of the 500 Startups accelerator was onequarter minority  15 percent black and 10 percent Latino.

Related: Franchises a Draw for Minority Entrepreneurs

In May of this year, 500 Startups held its first Diversity & Entrepreneurship Summit as part of an ongoing conference series in which minority entrepreneurs could connect with venture partners and other founders and leaders from the tech startup community. In June, the organization also launched a $25 million micro fund dedicated to investments in earlystage startups led by black and Latino founders. The fund will invest in up to 100 companies and provide minority founders with capital and access to networks and expertise that they need to build their businesses.

4. NewME Startup Accelerator.

NewME was founded in 2011 by Angela Benton, a widelyacclaimed change agent in Silicon Valley. The organizations mission is to accelerate the funding and success of underrepresented founders and innovators around the world. Its 12 week residential incubator program offers entrepreneurs an opportunity to nurture ideas and seek mentorship from tech industry leaders and to live and work with fellow founders 24/7 to foster collaborations and exchange ideas. At the end of the accelerator program, entrepreneurs can also pitch their ideas to potential investors. NewME has successfully helped launch and grow the businesses of hundreds of minority founders, who have collectively raised more than $20 million in venture capital financing.

Entrepreneurs in the program can also take advantage of NewME's sophisticated online learning platform, which provides educational resources, tools and access to the accelerators network of technology mentors at any time and from any place.

5. Black Founders.

Black Founders is a national network of African-American founders that is dedicated to increasing the number of successful black entrepreneurs in tech. The organization creates networking events yearround, as well as educational programs and a conference series, Ideas Are Worthless, in San Francisco, Atlanta, New York and Austin where black founders can network with each other and potential partners and investors.

Related: 11 Grants for Women-Owned Businesses You Need to Know About

Black Founders started the HBCUHacks program, which is a well known series of weekend hackathons that provide students at HBCUs (historically black colleges and universities) the opportunity to develop their computer science skills and invent apps or software. In fact, during the last few years, one-fifth of graduating black students at HBSUs with a degree in engineering have benefited from the hackathon program.

As a minority entrepreneur who has founded several startups and successfully raised VC money, Ive always advised young people of color who are interested in entrepreneurship to actively seek outside help. Even if only 1 percent of resources within the tech community are dedicated to minority founders, those of us who want to see change in minority representation in future years should make the most of these resources  in the hope of maximizing not only our own chances of success but also our ability to help others and pay it forward.
Most people don't go in for a routine day of work expecting to fly in a hot air balloon. But most people don't work directly with Richard Branson.

For 31 years, Penni Pike, of Hampshire, England, worked as the personal assistant to the founder of the Virgin Group.

Pike got her start with the company as a backroom helper at the first Virgin Megastore, located on London's Oxford Street, in the 1970s. She told Entrepreneur she quickly progressed to become the executive personal assistant to the golden-haired entrepreneur, a job she held for 31 years.

Pike hasn't retired, however, even after suffering a "devastating stroke" in 2008. "I refused to sit back and accept it, and I was determined to carry on with my life and career, Pike told Entrepreneur. She joined Time etc, a 9-year-old company that provides virtual assistants to professionals in the U.S. and U.K., after meeting its founder, Barnaby Lashbrooke. He reminded her "a lot of Richard when he was younger."

Related: 12 Leadership Traits of the World's Most Successful Entrepreneurs

Pike acts as special advisor at the company, helping to design and shape the service it provides, as well as advising its 600 VAs on how to look after clients.

So who better to provide insights into the adventurous British entrepreneur than the woman who was by his side for three decades? We couldn't resist asking Pike questions about her memories of Branson and the lessons she learned from him. Here's how she responded, edited for length and clarity.

What were your daily duties for Mr. Branson? How did you help him? What specific projects/duties were your main focus?

There is no easy answer here because every day was so different. Youd go in thinking you were going to do filing or something routine and end up flying in an air balloon! Days were long, often not ending until 2 a.m.

On most days I would get there early, perhaps 7 a.m., see Richard and immediately jump into organizing whatever was on the list. I would coordinate everything -- for example, if Richard was traveling I would take care of every part of organizing the trip -- and simply hand all the documents and his passport to Richard as he headed to the airport.

Oh, and I took the call that resulted in Virgin Atlantic starting!

Are there any funny anecdotes or stories you can share about your time working closely with Mr. Branson?

One of the most memorable tasks I was given was to leap out of a helicopter carrying Richard in order to read road signs for the pilot, who had forgotten his map.

What surprised you most about Mr. Branson?

Nothing! Because almost everything was a surprise, but I never let it phase me. When you were working for Richard you just did it!

What do you want people to know most about your time working with Mr. Branson?

My time with Richard was absolutely wonderful from start to finish -- and something that can never be replaced. It was the time of my life. The only reason we stopped working together is that he wanted to move to Necker and I didnt want to work anywhere else. As a parting gift, Richard lent me his houseboat in London for seven years.

Related: Richard Branson: Just Say Yes to Smoking Pot With Your Kids

What did you like best about working with Mr. Branson as his assistant and why? What did you like least and why?

I loved the variety and adventure -- literally no two days were the same. The only task I didnt relish was coordinating the travel plans for the hundreds of friends and family that Richard would fly to his private island, Necker, every summer. In those days people had to fly to New York, then down to Miami, then to an island, then take a private plane to another island and finally a boat to Necker. Organizing that for 300 people was sometimes a nightmare!

What specifically did you do while working so closely with Mr. Branson that taught you how to be an effective virtual assistant? How did these things help you do what you do better?

Supporting one of the worlds most successful business owners for 31 years taught me exactly what successful people require in an executive assistant. There are many things, like learning to be always one step ahead, that you simply cannot learn any other way.

How did working closely with Mr. Branson help you develop the competitive, 10-stage selection process for Time etc virtual assistants?

Because I was lucky enough to work so closely with Richard for so many years, I know exactly what traits a good executive assistant has to have -- and Ive used that unique knowledge to help design the selection process at Time etc. What we look for ranges from specific skills right down to softer personality traits like humbleness -- a very important thing to have in this role!

What are the top specific lessons you learned about business and productivity directly from working with Mr. Branson?

I learned so much from Richard, but more than anything else:

I learned that if you look after your people, like Richard looked after me, they will happily work seven days a week and long hours without feeling like they want to stop. He was incredible at keeping me interested and engaged, and I wouldnt have wanted to work for anyone else.

I also learned about the value of hard work. Richard never stopped and was always on the go -- always planning and starting new adventures almost constantly.

What are your top productivity tips for busy entrepreneurs struggling to "juggle it all"?

Firstly, invest the time in planning your week and your day -- this is vital to making sure you get the most out of the precious time you have. Secondly, learn to delegate -- sooner or later you will have to get some help in order to grow. Delegation takes a huge amount of effort, patience and practice, but when you master it, its extremely powerful -- just look at Richard Branson!

Finally, make sure you take the time to rest up -- whether thats once a week or a couple of times a year. Richard was always very good at making sure he took time away from the grind to spend with his family, and its when he had all his best ideas!

What's the biggest productivity mistake people make and what should they do to fix it, specifically?

People often end up being busy on the wrong things -- so they feel theyre being productive, but it isnt getting their business or career anywhere. Richard was a master at being productive only on the things that pushed Virgin forward.

Related: On His Birthday, 7 Great Richard Branson Moments

What is the key to staying productive?

I believe in short cycles -- doing lots of different tasks for an hour or two each helps me to stay productive. Id really struggle if I tried to do the same thing all day every day!

What was it like to work with Mr. Branson? Are there general impressions or quirky things that stand out from working with him?

In two words: simply incredible. One of the most amazing things in all those years [is that] Richard never lost his temper in front of me -- not even once. Considering the pressure he was under -- I think thats remarkable!

Reporting by Kim Lachance Shandrow.

Related:

The Awesome Advice We Learned From Richard Branson's Former Assistant

Presenta tu idea de negocio al magnate Richard Branson

Richard Branson's Virgin Galactic Returns to the Skies After Two Years



Copyright 2016 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved
President Tran Dai Quang received outgoing Mongolian Ambassador to Vietnam Dorj Enkhbat in Hanoi on October 24th.

(Photo: VNA)



He hailed the Ambassadors efforts to enhance the two countries traditional friendship over the past 20 years.

Both nations have increased high-level delegation exchanges and reached important agreements on economics, trade, defense and security in recent years, he said.

Though the bilateral trade is still modest, its potential is extremely huge, the President said, urging the two sides to boost mutual support at multilateral forms, including of the United Nations.

Vietnam will persuade other members of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum to support Mongolia to get involved in, he said.

He expressed his belief that the Ambassador will continue contributing to the development of the long-standing amity between the two countries in his new position.

Ambassador Dorj Enkhbat thanked the Party, State and Government of Vietnam for supporting him to fulfil his mission during his tenure in Vietnam.

The two countries have seen progresses in bilateral relations in recent times thanks to the top leaders exchange activities, thus propelling their political and trade ties forwards, he added./.
Sri Lanka, India, Maldives to begin sea exercise

Sri Lanka,Indo-Pak/Pakistan,Defence/Security, Mon, 24 Oct 2016 IANS

Colombo, Oct 24 (IANS) Sri Lanka, India and the Maldives will begin a four-day Coast Guard exercise in the Maldives on Tuesday to strengthen corporation and enhance the interoperability of forces.

The Sri Lanka Navy's Offshore Patrol Vessel SLNS Sagara left for the Maldives from Colombo in order to take part in the tri-lateral exercise dubbed "DOSTI - XIII", reports Xinhua news agency.

The 13th edition of the exercise will focus on Maritime Search and Rescue, Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief, Marine Pollution Response and anti-piracy operations.

Representing the Indian Coast Guard are Samudra Pavak and Aadesh.

--IANS

mr/
Pakistan urges Britain to help restart talks with India

Pakistan,Indo-Pak/Pakistan,Diplomacy, Mon, 24 Oct 2016 IANS

Islamabad, Oct 24 (IANS) Pakistan has urged Britain to play a role in ensuring the resumption of the stalled dialogue with India, and to help stop the alleged human rights violations in Jammu and Kashmir.

Prime Minister's Special Assistant on Foreign Affairs Syed Tariq Fatemi, during a meeting with Britain's National Security Adviser Mark Lyall Grant on Sunday said the UK being a member of the UN Security Council should urge India to end human rights violations in Kashmir.

"As a country with historic links to this region and as a member-state of the UN Security Council [five permanent members], it was incumbent on Britain to urge India to end its human rights violations in the occupied territory and to enter into a sustained dialogue with Pakistan so as to enable the two countries to peacefully resolve their differences," Fatemi said, Dawn reported.

According to a statement issued by the Pakistani Foreign Office, regional security issues and matters of mutual interest were discussed during the meeting.

Grant acknowledged the important role being played by Pakistan in promoting peace and stability in the region, the successes made by the country and the sacrifices rendered by its people in the fight against terrorism.

He reaffirmed Britain's continued support for Pakistan in this endeavour.

Grant was briefed on the continuing ceasefire violations by India along the Line of Control and the Working Boundary and was told that two women and two children were injured in a recent incident of cross-border shelling.

--IANS

sm/rn/vt
World's oldest sail ship arrives in Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka,Indo-Pak/Pakistan, Mon, 24 Oct 2016 IANS

Colombo, Oct 24 (IANS) The world's oldest working full-rigged ship, SS Sorlandet from Norway, has arrived here while on a two-year circumnavigation, the Norwegian Embassy said on Monday.

The ship, nicknamed "The Pearl of Norway", has 27 sails. She has sailed the oceans of the world for close to 90 years, most of the time as a training ship, hosting students and cadets.

She has also been used as a prison ship during World War II, the embassy said in a statement.

The ship has 70 students from Norwegian and international high schools on board. During their stay in Colombo they will greet Sri Lankan maritime students, Xinhua news agency reported.

The ship will be part of several events hosted by the Royal Norwegian Embassy.

The ship will end its visit on October 30 and set sail for the Maldives.

--IANS

py/vt
France starts 'calm' evacuation of Calais migrant camp

France,Defence/Security,Immigration/Law/Rights, Mon, 24 Oct 2016 IANS

Paris, Oct 24 (IANS) France on Monday started to clear, in a "calm and controlled manner", the shanty town in northern Calais where about 9,000 migrants live, Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve said.

"The objective is to find shelter for those who are seeking asylum in France and who should not be in precarious conditions, vulnerable, and in the hands of smugglers," Xinhua news agency quoted Cazeneuve as saying.

Television footage showed dozens of migrants lining up with their suitcases, waiting to be transported to reception centres where they will receive medical checks and start the procedure of applying for asylum.

Thousands of migrants from Africa and the Middle East have fled war and poverty in their native countries recently, leading to an unprecedented migrants crisis in Europe.

Some of the migrants live in Calais where the French end of the Channel Tunnel is located, while they attempt to board lorries and trains heading to Britain to seek a better life.

The French government pledged that 9,000 places would be made available at "reception and orientation centres" for refugees who will be dispersed into groups of 40 to 50 people for a period of between three and four months.

The migrants who fit the asylum criteria will stay in France while those who do not will be sent home.

On Monday morning, 17 buses, out of the 60 that were planned, have left the Calais "jungle" carrying 711 migrants. The total evacuation will take at least a week, according to officials.

"We will take the necessary time. The most important thing is that (the evacuation) is carried out smoothly and with respect for migrants and also for those who will welcome these people," Fabienne Buccio, Pas-de-Calais prefect, said.

France promised to receive 30,000 refugees over the next two years.

--IANS

py/dg
India home to most generous people globally: Report

Delhi,National,Human Interest/Society, Mon, 24 Oct 2016 IANS

New Delhi, Oct 25 (IANS) Despite some recent cases that somewhat reflected people's insensitivity in the country, a study shows India tops in terms of number of people helping out strangers, volunteering their time and giving money for charity.

As per the World Giving Index (WGI) released by the Charity Aid Foundation (CAF), India's overall position (percentage of population) in global generosity jumped to 91 in 2015 from 106 in 2014.

The report states that in India, 401 million people had helped a stranger in 2015 which is up from 335 million in 2014.

The report adds that more than 200 million in India had given money up from 184 million in 2014 and 200 million people in India volunteered this year as compared to 157 million in 2014.

In terms of percentage, however, Myanmar tops the world with 70 per cent overall generosity, where 63 per cent people helped strangers, 91 per cent people donated money and 55 per cent people volunteered time. Myanmar is followed by the US, Australia, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, Canada, Indonesia, the UK, Ireland and the UAE.

"India has a fabulous tradition and culture of giving and it is great news that India is becoming more generous over time," said Meenakshi Batra, Chief Executive of CAF India.

She added that people generously stepped up to help after the devastating Tamil Nadu floods and the Nepal earthquake.

"It's humbling that people instinctively try to help when they see their fellow citizens suffering adversity," said Batra.

The CAF is a Britain-based international non-profit organisation NGO and the research was conducted over 140 countries.

Individually, the report says 81 per cent people helped a stranger in Iraq followed by 79 per cent Libya and 78 per cent in Kuwait.

Similarly, 60 per cent people in Turkmenistan volunteered their time, followed by Myanmar, Indonesia and Sri Lanka and the US.

In terms of donating money, Myanmar tops, followed by Indonesia with 75 per cent of donors and Australia, where 73 per cent of population donated.

In terms of the number of helping strangers, India was followed by China with 272 million people and the US with 191 million people.

Following India, 120 million people in the US and 93 million people in Indonesia also devoted their valuable time in volunteering towards a social cause.

The US with 165 million donors was second in terms of donating money and Indonesia third with 139 million donors.

As per the survey, more people than ever before are helping others in countries across the globe.

"For the first time since the index began, more than half of people in 140 countries said they helped a stranger, and a record number of people volunteered their time. The numbers of people worldwide giving money was very slightly up," the report said.

--IANS

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MONTREAL, Oct. 24, 2016 /CNW Telbec/ - On the occasion of the historical Peace Agreement between the Colombian government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), Handicap International calls Canada and the entire international community not to reduce their support for Colombia. There is still much to do to decontaminate the country from its landmines, and other explosive remnants of war, and to assist survivors and their families.

According to the Landmine Monitor Report, Colombia is the 2nd country of the world in terms of victims of mines, just behind Afghanistan. 50 years of civil war have contaminated 31 of the 32 departments of the country and generated thousands of victims of anti-personnel mines and other explosive devices. Between 1990 and 2013, more than 10.000 victims have been counted. Almost half of them were civilians, including 26% of children.

To sustain the commitment of Canadians towards the Colombian population affected and threatened by landmines, and more widely all the countries affected by this scourge, Handicap International (HI) Canada will welcome from October 25 to 28 Mrs Luz Dari Landazury Segura, a Colombian landmine survivor, who benefitted from the support of HI's support through a 4-year, $2.8 million project funded by Global Affairs Canada. She will be accompanied by Mrs Johana A. Huertas Reyes, Operational Coordinator for Handicap International in Colombia. Amongst their meetings in Ottawa, she will be received by Marie-Claude Bibeau, Minister of International Development and La Francophonie, to discuss the condition of survivors, especially women, in Colombia.

This visit in Canada is linked to the upcoming conference in Toronto, "The Ottawa Process 20 years later," taking place on October 27th and 28th, organized by the Canadian Landmine Foundation, the Bill Graham Centre for Contemporary International History and the Canadian International Council. The conference's closing plenary address will be given by The Honourable Stephane Dion, Minister of Foreign Affairs.

www.handicap-international.ca

Resources:

Information about visitors: http://bit.ly/2emAPpn

Information about Handicap International's work in Colombia: http://bit.ly/2ewA2ju

Photos from Handicap International in Colombia: http://bit.ly/2enNff9

Short documentary: 'The path of hope: focus on the Colombian women facing landmines": http://bit.ly/29eqY0x

SOURCE Handicap International

For further information: Jerome Bobin, Executive Director, [email protected], Cell. : (514) 567-9228
VANCOUVER, Oct. 24, 2016 /CNW/ - Absolute (TSX: ABT), the industry standard for persistent endpoint security and data risk management solutions, today announced that it will host a conference call on Monday, November 7, 2016 at 5:00 p.m. ET (2:00 p.m. PT) to discuss its fiscal 2017 first quarter financial results. Mr. Geoff Haydon, Chief Executive Officer, will host the call.

A press release announcing the quarterly results will be issued at 4:00 p.m. ET (1:00 p.m. PT) that same day. The corresponding Management's Discussion and Analysis and financial statements will also be made available at www.absolute.com.

All interested parties can join the call by dialing 647-427-7450 or 1-888-231-8191. Please dial-in 15 minutes prior to the call to secure a line. The conference call will be archived for replay until Monday, November 14, 2016 at midnight. To access the archived conference call, please dial 416-849-0833 or 1-855-859-2056 and enter the reservation code 4508154.

A live audio webcast of the conference call will be available at www.absolute.com and http://bit.ly/2ebd7Qg. Please connect at least 15 minutes prior to the conference call to ensure adequate time for any software download that may be required to join the webcast. An archived replay of the webcast will be available for 90 days.

About Absolute

Absolute Software Corporation (TSX: ABT) is the industry standard in persistent endpoint security and data risk management solutions. Persistence technology from Absolute provides organizations with visibility and control over all of their devices, regardless of user or location. If an Absolute client is removed from an endpoint, it will automatically reinstall so IT can secure each device and the sensitive data it contains. No other technology can do this. Persistence technology is embedded in the firmware of computers, netbooks, tablets and smartphones by global leaders, including Acer, ASUS, Dell, Fujitsu, HP, Lenovo, Microsoft, Panasonic, Samsung, and Toshiba, and the Company has reselling partnerships with these OEMs and others, including Apple. For more information about Absolute, visit www.absolute.com.

2016 Absolute Software Corporation. All rights reserved. Absolute and Persistence are registered trademarks of Absolute Software Corporation. For patent information, visit www.absolute.com/patents. The Toronto Stock Exchange has neither approved nor disapproved of the information contained in this news release.

SOURCE Absolute Software Corporation

For further information: Public Relations: Becky Obbema, Interprose, [email protected] or 1 408 778 2024; Investor Relations: Kristen Dickson, NATIONAL Equicom, [email protected] or 1 416 848 1429
OTTAWA, Oct. 24, 2016 /CNW/ - Unifor National President Jerry Dias will make a presentation Tuesday to the federal government's Special Parliamentary Committee on Electoral Reform, where he will call on the Trudeau government to keep its promise on electoral reform.

"Canadians gave this government a strong mandate to reform the way we vote in this country. It's time to get the job done," Dias said.

Dias said recent comments by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau questioning support for electoral reform are concerning, but was pleased to see that the Prime Minister later assured Canadians that he remains committed to the idea.

"Canadians need clarity on the issue and for the country to get moving on making the needed changes," Dias said.

Dias is scheduled to appear before the committee on Tuesday, October 25 between 5pm and 8pm. He will bring with him a motion from Unifor's national convention last summer calling for a Proportional Representation electoral system to be in place by the next election.

"It is vital in a democracy that every vote count," Dias said. "That is the very strong message from the Unifor membership that I will be delivering to Members of Parliament."

WHAT : Unifor National President Jerry Dias at the Special Parliamentary Committee on Electoral Reform

: Unifor National President at the Special Parliamentary Committee on Electoral Reform WHEN : Tuesday, October 25 , between 5pm and 8pm

: , WHERE: Room C-110, 1 Wellington Street, Ottawa

To see the full Unifor motion on electoral reform and to learn more about other Unifor action on the issue, including presentations at hearings across the country by Unifor members, go to unifor.org/electoralreform.

Unifor is Canada's largest union in the private sector, representing more than 310,000 workers. It was formed Labour Day weekend 2013 when the Canadian Auto Workers and the Communications, Energy and Paperworkers union merged.

SOURCE Unifor

For further information: please contact Unifor Communications National Representative Stuart Laidlaw at [email protected] or (cell) 647-385-4054.
OTTAWA, Oct. 24, 2016 /CNW/ - The Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, today issued the following statement on United Nations Day:

"When I addressed the United Nations (UN) General Assembly for the first time as Prime Minister this past September, I made Canada's position clear: the world needs to focus on what brings us together and not what divides us.

"Canada firmly believes that the UN is essential to addressing many of the world's most pressing challenges  from fighting climate change, mass migration, poverty and disease, to securing peace and stability in a turbulent world.

"Canada and Canadians have a storied past working with the UN, from helping draft the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, to helping resolve the Suez Canal crisis, to taking leadership roles in peacekeeping, environmental protection, and fighting AIDS in Africa.

"The UN and the essential work it does for humanity is once more a priority for Canada. We recently ratified the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, and remain committed to playing a major role in peacekeeping and conflict prevention efforts.

"On this day, let us pause to reflect on all that the UN has accomplished for the world, and celebrate the employees of its many affiliated programmes, funds, and specialized agencies who work tirelessly to make our global community a safer, more prosperous place. The UN is a vital organization, unparalleled in scope, that is a source of great optimism for a better tomorrow."

SOURCE Prime Minister's Office

For further information: PMO Media Relations: 613-957-5555
Ambassador Cecilia Piccioni (Photo: Italian Embassy)

She confirmed that the visit would mark the next step of development in bilateral relations between the two countries, adding that Italy was waiting the visit.

According to the Italian Ambassador, on October 28th, for the first time, a consular services office of Italy will be opened in Da Nang city by Italian Minister of Justice during his visit to Vietnam. The office is expected to help Vietnamese residents in Da Nang city and the central region to apply for visas to Italy more rapidly and economically without having to travel to the Italian General Consulate in Ho Chi Minh city or the Italian Embassy in Hanoi.

Italy is the first member of the Schengen Area to open a consular services office in Da Nang city, as there are increasingly high numbers of Vietnamese people going to Italy for tourism, study and work.

Besides, from now until late November, a series of activities promoting the Italian language, food, design, culture and fashion will take place in Vietnam, including Italian fashion designers participation in Vietnam Fashion Week and the 16th Week of Italian Language./.
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has ordered the suspension of MTN Group dividend payment from the Nigerian subsidiary of the telecommuni...

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has ordered the suspension of MTN Group dividend payment from the Nigerian subsidiary of the telecommunications giant, until further notice.In a quarterly update to shareholders, MTN Group said it was not guilty of the illegal repatriation charges levelled against it by the Nigerian senate, stating that the claims are totally unfounded and without merit.Addressing the latest developments on the alleged illegal repatriation of $13.97 million by the Group, MTN said the CBN had ordered the four commercial banks operated by MTN to suspended dividend payout from Nigeria.MTN Nigeria, four commercial banks, certain MTN Nigeria directors and shareholders, the Central Bank of Nigeria and others appeared before the Senate on 20 October 2016 at the outset of this investigation, the update read.The allegations are that $13.97 billion was repatriated illegally by MTN Nigeria through its bankers. MTN Nigeria and its bankers are cooperating with the investigation with a view to resolving the matter as expeditiously as possible.In the interim, the CBN has instructed the banks to suspend any remittance of dividends until further notice. MTN Nigeria continues to refute the allegations that MTN Nigeria had improperly repatriated funds from Nigeria.Consequently, MTN Nigeria will strongly defend any action that would be prejudicial to its interest. MTN Nigeria has no intention to make any dividend payments over the next six months.
Antonio Conte felt he did nothing wrong by encouraging the Chelsea fans to cheer the players in the closing stages of the 4-0 win over M...

Antonio Conte felt he did nothing wrong by encouraging the Chelsea fans to cheer the players in the closing stages of the 4-0 win over Manchester United.Conte geed the Stamford Bridge faithful up after N'Golo Kante struck Chelsea's fourth and was involved in an exchange of words with a seemingly irked Mourinho following the conclusion of the match.The Italian claimed his antics were an attempt to try and drown out the noise from the incessant United faithful in the away end, suggesting his players deserved the full backing of the stadium."I was listening to the support of Manchester United, always supporting their team and after a great win like this I was asking my fans to do a clap for the players for the performance," he told Sky Sports."I think this is normal. All the players deserve this clap"When there is a private conversation it is right to remain private, I have great respect for Jose, he is a great manager and he won a lot here," Conte also told the BBC.Chelsea took just 30 seconds to move ahead through Pedro, with Gary Cahill and Eden Hazard adding to the tally before Kante's goal.After losing at home to Liverpool and away at Arsenal in recent weeks, Conte was delighted to see his team come out on top in a big match."I am pleased with a great performance. We started very well, with high intensity and moving the ball quickly, creating chances to score the goal. I see the commitment of the players in training every day and they deserve this," he said."We are improving; we must continue to work, because only through the work we can improve. We know that we have a long way to go, but I'm satisfied."It is very important after the Arsenal and Liverpool defeats, it was important to understand our mission. We must look to Wednesday against West Ham [in the EFL Cup] and prepare for that."
Ambassador Ton Sinh Thanh debuts the Vietnamese Honorary Consulate in Nepal. (Photo: VNA)

Vietnamese Ambassador to Bhutan and Nepal Ton Sinh Thanh, representatives from the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, staff from the Vietnamese Embassy in India, Nepali high-ranking officials, Nepali entrepreneurs, the Vietnamese community in Nepal, international friends and diverse Nepali press agencies attended the event.

Addressing the ceremony, Ambassador Ton Sinh Thanh expressed his praise towards the opening of the Vietnamese Honorary Consulate in Kathmandu. He added that Vietnam and Nepal shared a large number of similarities in terms of culture and history. Over 41 years since the establishment of diplomatic ties, the relationship between Vietnam and Nepal has continuously been reinforced and increased.

The opening of the Vietnamese Honorary Consulate in Kathmandu marks an important milestone in the relationship, friendship and solidarity between the two nations, he said. It will make more favourable conditions for trade activities between the two countries and contribute to protecting Vietnamese citizens who are living and working in Nepal.

Ambassador Ton Sinh Thanh congratulated Dr. Rajesh Kazi Shrestha on being appointed as honorary consul in Nepal, showing his trust that with his experience in doing business and good understanding about the Vietnamese country and people, Dr. Shrestha would make great contributions to fostering the relationship between the two countries.

For his part, Dr. Shrestha said that it was his honour to be appointed as the honorary consul, pledging to promote the trade, investment, culture and tourism relations between Nepal and Vietnam./.
Edo State Governor, Adams Oshiomhole on Monday said that the governor-elect, Godwin Obaseki is more competent than him and will bring mor...

Oshiomhole is scheduled to handover to Obaseki next month after eight years in the saddle.He spoke with State House correspondents after Progressives Governors met with President Muhammadu Buhari at the State House, Abuja.The governor, who worked tirelessly for Obaseki to win his election, said that he doesnt care if Obaseki betrays him at the end of the day.Obasekis allegiance, he said, should be to the people and not him.He also revealed that his service to the people of the state was the main tactics he engaged to give the All Progressives Congress (APC) edge over the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) that ruled the state for nine years.He said: That is very important if you say he will disappoint me, I am not the state I am only one out of about four million Edo people. So his obligation and his loyalty should be to the people of Edo State.The oath of office he is going to subscribe to says that he will defend the constitution of Nigeria, he will do everything to uplift the quality of life of Edo people. Nothing in his oath of office will include I shall not betray my predecessor because I have no interest to be betrayed.For me, I have presided over Nigeria Labour Congress for eight years and I had a successor, there was no story of me having conflict with my predecessor. Because conflict only arise when you refuse to accept that when your tenure is over, it is over. He saidHe went on: As for the campaign, and this is the problem, the media picks the negatives from the mouth of those who are the least competent. That I campaigned for him, I was this I was that.That is the way it should be. Look at what is going on in the US, is Obama not vigorously campaigning for Clinton? Is Obamas wife, the First Lady of US, is she not as vigorous perhaps much more than Bill Clinton? But these are skills I acquire from short floor which they will never acquire.I am a product of struggle as a result of my many years of being exploited fighting the oppressors, I deployed those skills and I defeated them. At a point they said I should allow the man to talk, did the electorate complain?. He queriedOn what he will want to be remembered for after leaving office, he said, I want to be remembered as a factory worker who worked and laboured as a daily paid worker in the most subordinates post in textile mill rising to become leader of the textile union and eventually spending eight years as NLC president, then going back home to confront the most feared and vicious godfathers that monopolised Edo state. I fought godfathers, which is essential to make way for liberal democracy.On the allegations that he rigged the elections, he said, PDP lost because it could not convince the people of its legacy while in power. We did not rig the poll, else we would not have allowed our party chairman to lose his unit.Oshiomhole, said he was in the Villa to invite President Buhari to come for a state visiting, where he is expected to commission some impacting projects his administration has put in place including state of the art hospital.Stressing that he has no regret in his eight years stay in Edo Government House, he said that now in his 60s, it was time to take a break and be a caring husband and father to his children.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Monday accused defence counsel in the trial of a former Chief of Air Staff, Air M...

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Monday accused defence counsel in the trial of a former Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Adesola Amosu (retd.) and 10 others of plotting to delay the case.Amosu was charged along with a former Chief of Accounts and Budgeting at the Nigeria Air Force, Air Vice Marshal Jacob Adigun and a former Director of Finance and Budget Air Commodore Olugbenga Gbadebo.Companies arraigned with them are Delfina Oil and Gas Ltd, Mcallan Oil And Gas Ltd, Hebron Housing and Properties Company Ltd, Trapezites BDC, Fonds and Pricey Ltd, Deegee Oil and Gas Ltd, Timsegg Investment Ltd and Solomon Health Care Ltd.EFCC accused them of converting N21billion from the Nigeria Air Force around March 5, 2014 in Lagos.They were also accused of concealing proceeds of crime and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 18(a) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) (Amendment) Act, 2012 and punishable under Section 17(a).Amosu had initially moved to enter a plea bargain with EFCC, but later abandoned it as parties could not reach an agreement.During hearing last week, a defence counsel, Norrison Quakers (SAN), had cast doubts on the identity of a prosecution witness, Skye Bank Plcs compliance officer Mr Mojeed Olatunji.Quakers demanded that Olatunji should produce his international passport, following which the court adjourned until Monday.When the trial resumed on Monday, Olatunji produced his International Passport, which was tendered in evidence.Quakers pointed out that the name on the document was at variance with the name the witness gave the court.After further cross examination, the defence team sought an adjournment because they needed to question the witness based on a document which was in EFCCs possession.When prosecution counsel Rotimi Oyedepo offered to produce the original documents in court, the defence counsel refused to accept them.They insisted they would prefer to apply formally to the EFCC after paying the prescribed fees.Oyedepo, however, objected to an adjournment, saying the ground for the prayer was baseless.I have presented the certified true copy of the documents they requested. Having shown good faith, I submit that the ground for seeking an adjournment cannot stand, he said.But Justice Mohammed Idris said he would allow the defence counsel to formally apply to the EFCC for the documents since the Evidence Act allowed it.He adjourned until November 23, 24 and 25 for continuation of trial.
Enugu State Government led by Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi will host victorious players and officials of Rangers between December 19 and 21, officials have disclosed.According to Enugu State commissioner for youth and sports, Charles Ndukwe, these dates are to allow stakeholders and well-wishers from home and abroad be part of the celebrations.The government is expected to reward the team for this achievement.Rangers were crowned Nigeria league champions on October 2 after they last won a major trophy in 1984.They will represent Nigeria in the 2017 CAF Champions League.
Manchester City, Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur all dropped points as Chelsea ensured an uncomfortable return to Stamford Bridge for Jose ...

Manchester City, Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur all dropped points as Chelsea ensured an uncomfortable return to Stamford Bridge for Jose Mourinho with a 4-0 rout of Manchester United.Here are five things we learned from the Premier League this weekend:After a run of six matches without defeat in all competitions, Jose Mourinho appeared to be turning a corner with Manchester United, who had lost three games in succession in September.But his teams recovery came crashing to the ground at Stamford Bridge, home of his former club Chelsea, as United fell to a scarring defeat.A team who appeared to be growing in confidence suddenly looked entirely bereft of it, Chris Smalling and Daley Blind producing error-strewn performances in defence, Paul Pogba turning in a completely anonymous midfield display and Zlatan Ibrahimovic going a sixth league game without finding the net.Compounding matters, centre-back Eric Bailly was forced off with what could be a serious knee ligament injury.Changes could now follow, with club captain Wayne Rooney and under-used new signing Henrikh Mkhitaryan among those pressing for inclusion in the starting XI.Following eight games without a goal, and having been dogged by a groin complaint during the week, Jamie Vardy was left on the bench for Leicester Citys home game with Crystal Palace.Benching Vardy, emblem of last seasons fairytale title win, was a gamble by manager Claudio Ranieri, whose side had gone three league matches without victory. But it paid off as goals from Ahmed Musa and Shinji Okazaki, plus a scorching late Christian Fuchs strike, secured a 3-1 win.Vardy entered the fray as a second-half substitute, but by that point his team-mates had demonstrated that they are perfectly capable of scoring, and winning, without him.It appears Manchester City fans may have to get used to the kind of mistake that saw England defender John Stones set up Southamptons goal in the Premier League leaders 1-1 draw when his careless back pass across the face of goal was seized on by Nathan Redmond.With City manager Pep Guardiola determined to play a passing game and the ball-playing Stones often lauded for all aspects of his game except his actual defending, merely clearing the danger will no longer cut it at Eastlands.As Redmond told Sky Sports, From watching them in preparation we knew they would give us chances, they only play three at the back.There was a conspicuous absence as Liverpools forwards celebrated the second of their goals in a 2-1 home win over West Bromwich Albion.After volleying in Roberto Firminos cross to put Liverpool in front, Sadio Mane freed Philippe Coutinho to double the hosts advantage.Mane, Coutinho and Firmino, grins as wide as the River Mersey, celebrated the second goal with a light-hearted dance. Daniel Sturridges goal-celebration wiggle used to be a regular sight at Anfield, but he was dropped to the bench as manager Jurgen Klopp recalled the fit-again Adam Lallana to his starting XI.Klopp appears to prefer Firmino to lead the line and when he turned to his bench for extra firepower in stoppage time it was Divock Origi who was told to get ready. Not for the first time, television cameras caught Sturridge looking nonplussed. A long winter beckons for the England striker.Arsene Wengers 67th birthday proved a damp squib as Arsenal were held to a 0-0 draw by struggling Middlesbrough. Wenger was hoping to toast his birthday by watching Arsenal extend their winning streak in all competitions to eight matches.But there was no celebratory drink for the manager. When you win, you deserve it (a drink); when you dont, you need it, Wenger said. Following their swaggering midweek rout of Ludogorets in the Champions League, Wenger had warned his players to stay humble, but this lethargic effort was typical of the stumbles that cost Arsenal any chance of winning the title in recent seasons.AFP
Governor Simon Lalong has described Pauline Tallens decline of Buhari's ambassadorial offer as an exhibition of political maturity.

Governor Simon Lalong has described Pauline Tallens decline of Buhari's ambassadorial offer as an exhibition of political maturity.The governor, who said he was shocked about the abrupt appointment, also claimed that Plateau State is always on the front-burner when it comes to politics.The governor claimed that her rejection shows her maturity not just in Plateau but as a national figure.Once things are not done properly, it is better for a leader and a mother to come out and say that things are not done properly in the interest of the state.When I heard the announcement, I was very shocked because what happened was without proper consultation, he said while interacting with newsmen in Abuja.The governor said that his administration was working toward addressing the issue of balancing appointments, and pointed out that he had already discussed the issue with Buhari in their last meeting.Lalong said that the opposition was already saying that the appointments were lopsided, but stressed that his administration was a government of change and they would only do what would favour all sections of the North-Central state.He appreciated Tallen for her decision, and assured the people that their quota would be filled and he would go further to ensure that distinguished sons and daughters of Plateau get more appointments.
Wife of the Rivers State Governor , Justice Eberechi Suzzette Nyesom-Wike has stated women's positive contributions form the platform ...

Wike and wife

Wife of the Rivers State Governor , Justice Eberechi Suzzette Nyesom-Wike has stated women's positive contributions form the platform for the development of the society .Justice Nyesom-Wike also said that women are divinely wired to do more at all times for societal growth and stability .She spoke on Sunday at the 10th Biennial Diocesan Women's Guild Conference Thanksgiving Service of Anglican Diocese of the Niger Delta North at Saint Thomas Anglican Church in Diobu, Port Harcourt .She said as a woman she belongs to all rooms because a woman's activities cannot be restricted as the society needs these contributions for progress."All women have been through a lot as they strive to build the society . Our contributions to societal development cannot be underestimated ."I belong to the kitchen, I belong to the living room and I belong to every room created by God. So also other women. We are created by God to do more. In my own case as a judicial officer, I also belong to the courtroom. Other women belong to different rooms, depending on their professional calling".She added: " Women are very important to the development of any community. They form a larger percentage of the workforce that keeps the society "Commenting on the person of the Provincial/ Diocesan President of Women's Guild of Anglican Diocese of the Niger Delta North , Mrs Beatrice Kattey , the Wife of the Rivers State Governor said she is a perfect example of a Christian Woman .Justice Nyesom-Wike called on the women of Rivers State to continue to pray for Governor Wike so that he can remain focused in the delivery of pro-people prejects all through his leadership .In her remarks, Provincial/Diocesan President of Women's Guild , Mrs Beatrice Kattey said that the Anglican Church will continue to play a major role in evangelism and growth of Christianity .Mrs Florence Brown , the lay preacher in her sermon titled "the power of patience " noted that patience is a virtue that leads to success.The Archbishop of Niger Delta North Diocese , Most Reverend Ignatius Kattey prayed for Rivers State and the first family for God's grace and support .
The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board has hinted that it may cancel the use of uniform cut-off points for admitting candidates th...

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board has hinted that it may cancel the use of uniform cut-off points for admitting candidates that took the Universities Tertiary Matriculation Examination.The issue of cut-off marks as currently being used for admission, it said, should be subjected to national debate by stakeholders.The Spokesperson of JAMB, Dr. Fabian Benjamin, gave the indication in a statement he issued on behalf of its Registrar/Chief Executive, Prof Is-haq Oloyede, on Sunday evening in Abuja.He said a situation where universities, polytechnics and colleges of education were subjected to the same cut-off marks was no longer tenable because it prevented the institutions from admitting candidates of their choice.Tertiary institutions, he sated, should be allowed to determine the kind of candidates they want to admit.He added that there was an urgent need to reconsider the current cut-off point of 180 for admission in order to strengthen access to education, particularly for the less-privileged.Benjamin said, The uniformity of cut-off marks doesnt make any sense when colleges (of education) and polytechnics admit for national certificate of education and diplomas, while universities admit for degrees.Yet, we subject them to the same cut-off marks, thereby starving these tiers of institutions from admitting candidates who, if not engaged, may likely become easy prey to social vices.This means that if a University wants 250 as minimum cut-off marks, why not? And if another wants less so be it. If a Polytechnic like YABATECH (Yaba College of Technology) wants 250 as cut-off marks, let them admit and if Gboko Polytechnic in Benue State where I come from wants less than 200, let them admit.Institutions should be known for their individual quality and not collective standards. This will foster positive competition for the overall good of our tertiary institutions. It is critical for all notable stakeholders to rethink the issue of cut-off marks.I am calling for a national debate on the propriety of cut off marks; institutions should be allowed to determine the kind of candidates they want.JAMB also expressed worry over the class opportunities as it affects the distribution of admission resources.The organisation said, The rich have multiple opportunities which include going abroad for studies while the poor only have the opportunity of struggling for the scarce spaces here.They come back and they are integrated while the poor cant afford it and are forever denied the opportunity of education. Let institutions admit what they want according to their needs.JAMB urged Nigerians to look at the decision critically for it to take action that would be for the good of the education sector.
The Niger Delta Avengers, NDA, has issued a strong fresh warning to the Federal Government that it would resume bombing of oil facilities ...

The Niger Delta Avengers, NDA, has issued a strong fresh warning to the Federal Government that it would resume bombing of oil facilities if the government made any further mistake to enter into negotiation with selfish leaders in the region.The group said the so-called leaders only represented themselves instead of the interest of the people.The Avengers in a statement accused some unnamed selfish Niger Delta leaders and groups of appropriating the overall interest of the region to themselves and cronies, while the majority wallowed in penury.A spokesman for the NDA, who gave his name as Col. Rightman Hudson Opukurowari, in the statement, warned that any attempt by the government to engage in any form of dialogue with Niger Delta leaders who had allegedly hijacked the commonwealth of the people for their selfish interest, would be resisted.Opukurowari said: Since we had agreed to suspend bombing oil facilities and enter into genuine dialogue with the government, the administration has not shown any seriousness in talking to the right set of people to move the peace process forward.Two months after the ceasefire, it has become clear to the world that this government has not been sincere and serious in meeting the simple demands of the people to put in place a concrete plan of transforming the landscape and giving us any sense of hope despite our critical contribution to the commonwealth of the nation.From the way the government is going after we had suspended bombings, it is clear to the world that the Federal Government is not ready to make peace with us as earlier promised and we are under pressure to resume our attacks.It is obvious that the Muhammadu Buhari administration has rather chosen to be nonchalant to the dialogue and has deliberately decided to invite only their political friends for a dinner in the name of dialogue, by their own selective measures, thereby ignoring the chance for real peace and dialogue with the appropriate persons and groups.The Government is trying to avoid a holistic approach to addressing the real issues affecting us and finding solutions to them but merely taking time off to engage those we see as Niger Delta Vultures sitting in Abuja with their sponsors, taking credit for our genuine agitations.We have watched and observed that with the body language of the President and the composition of the so-called dialogue group, no meaningful solution will be proffered unless the government invites all concerned and genuine individuals and groups for the purpose of finding a lasting solution to the crisis in the region.We hereby warn that any action taken by the government to provoke us to resume hostilities would be more brutal than before until we enter the promised land.We are concerned because these same persons invited for the scheduled dialogue have become Federal Government dialogue contractors and they do not represent the interest of the generality of the people.
Progressives Governors Forum on Monday faulted the ambassadorial list forwarded to the Senate for screening and approval by President Mu...

Progressives Governors Forum on Monday faulted the ambassadorial list forwarded to the Senate for screening and approval by President Muhammadu Buhari.They had complained that it was lop-sided in favour of some senatorial zones in the states at the detriment of other zones.Plateau State Governor, Solomon Lalong, who spoke with State House correspondents at the end of the meeting with the President, shed light on Pauline Tallens rejection of the ambassadorial appointment.He said: Pauline is an astute politician from my state, and part of the issue we also raised was on some of the appointments that were made. So all the states that had complain are going to put it in writing and the president promised he is going to look into it.Well, it is not only about her husband I think it is the dimension of plateau politics because I had already made complains to Mr. President that appointments should not be concentrated in one zone. And so all these appointments came again from one zone, in that particular zone.So the complains that are coming from our state is not about her own personal interest, it is the fact that two ambassadorial appointments are coming from the same zone that we had complained. That is my zone.We had complained that the next appointment should go to the other zone the central and the northern zone. And so when that appointment came the kind of uproar that followed that appointment also necessitated an intervention.And I think as a matured politician she stepped down and sacrifice that for the people of plateau, he added.He said that the state is still working on Tallens replacement.According to him, a little consultation before the appointments were announced would have resolved the problems.It is not a big issue but at times a little consultation would have solved that problem because these are issues in the interest of the state. So you cant have two appointments, very key appointments like that coming from a particular zone that is already overloaded with appointments. All the federal appointments is from the southern zone, so it would not be fair.So it is the issue of fairness now we are approaching Mr. President to consider fairness and appoint people from those areas that do not have representation. he stated.
The National Electricity Grid, yesterday experienced further drop in its generation to about 3, 531.7 megawatts (mw). This will translate...

The National Electricity Grid, yesterday experienced further drop in its generation to about 3, 531.7 megawatts (mw). This will translate to a drop in supply sent out to the 11 Distribution Companies (DISCOs) across the country.Statistics obtained from the Nigeria System Operator (NSO), a section of the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), indicated that about 78242.67mw hour (mwh) was sent out on Saturday for supply across the DISCOs. Also, while electricity generation peaked at 3,808.5mw, there was a significant drop the same day to 2,931.9mw.Meanwhile, the Generation Companies (GENCOs) had earlier attributed the recent drops in the countrys generation to inadequate gas-to-power for the mostly gas-based power plants.The report further reads that, the highest system frequency recorded on the day under review was 51.62 Hz, while the lowest frequency was 48.87 Hz.However, there are strong indications that the Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, might be forced to increase electricity tariff by 20 per cent, as distribution companies across the country, have threatened a total shut down of operations, if their request is not granted. The proposal from the distribution companies, seeks to increase the current rate of N22.8 kilowatts per hour, to N105 kilowatt s per hour.The planned increment is coming, not less than 8 months after the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, NERC, had increased electricity tariff by 45 percent. Despite the nationwide condemnation and disobedience of court orders on the 45 percent increment, the Distribution Companies have been reported to have sent a copy of the new proposal to electricity regulatory body, for ratification and enforcement.
Dame Pauline Tallen, the former Deputy Governor of Plateau State, has turned down President Muhammadu Buhari's offer to serve as an am...

Dame Pauline Tallen, the former Deputy Governor of Plateau State, has turned down President Muhammadu Buhari's offer to serve as an ambassador.Tallen on her social media account over the weekend said: I am fully committed to nation building and completely loyal to the Federal Republic of Nigeria as well as its leaders. I count myself privileged to serve our dear country as an ambassador of change.However, family comes first and as such my decision is borne out of the love for my ailing husband who needs the support of his family. God bless Nigeria.She also appreciated the president for counting her worthy to serve Nigeria in the capacity of an ambassador. It is a hard decision I had to take, but I have to, because he is my primary responsibility.
Rivers state chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP has called on the Minister of Transportation, Mr Chibuike Amaechi to resign his...

Rivers state chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP has called on the Minister of Transportation, Mr Chibuike Amaechi to resign his position, saying he had no moral basis to remain in office after the allegations of bribery leveled against him by two judges.In a statement Sunday, Chairman of the party, Mr Felix Obuah called on the Minister to step aside to allow for thorough investigation of the allegations, adding that President Muhammadu Buhari should relieve him of his appointment as Minister in hishis cabinet. To further prove his innocence of the various allegations, Mr. Amaechi should resign, cooperate and allow the process of his investigation by not sabotaging any of such efforts in getting to the truth.The revelations have vindicated the PDP in Rivers State, as it has consistently complained about the corrupt and undemocratic dispositions of and some of his APC folks. We demand thorough investigation into these stunning revelations by these honouable Justices of the Supreme Court and call on the accused (Amaechi) to resign immediately, as he lacks the moral rectitude to remain in office as a public servant, Meantime, the All Progressive Congress, APC, in the state, has dismissed the allegations by the Judges against Amaechi as laughable, saying they were part of ploy by those not happy with the role Amaechi played to dislodge the PDP at the centre to destroy him. Media aide to the Chairman, Chief Eze Chukwuemeka described the allegations by the judges as baseless and unfounded. I consider PDPs suggestion that Amaechi should resign because two drowning Justices are looking for a tool to stay afloat as not only laughable, mischievous but exposure of a group that so desperate to expose their evil plots against a man whom they see as the arrowhead that dislodged them from power at the centre.These useless calls based on the unfounded and baseless attempted bribery allegations against the former Rivers State Governor confirms our fears and stand that the two discredited Justices made these allegations as part of a political strategy to run down the political fortunes of this rising star. PDP is only acting out its frustration over the key role that Amaechi played to end the corruption system engineered by the past PDP administration at the centre, Rivers APC said.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has said that President Muhammadu Buhari detests the Judiciary and the Rule of Law. The party made ...

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has said that President Muhammadu Buhari detests the Judiciary and the Rule of Law. The party made this known on Sunday in a statement titled 2ndLetter from JSC Ngwuta, Again Accused Amaechi & OthersConfirmed that President Buhari Is Against Justice And The Rule of Law and signed by Prince Dayo Adeyeye, National Publicity Secretary.The Statement read thusThe attention of the leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is once again drawn to another letter written to the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) and Chairman of the National Judicial Council (NJC), Justice Mahmud Mohammed dated 18th of October, 2016, in which Justice Nwali Sylvester Ngwuta, Justice of the Supreme Court accused former Governor of Rivers State and now Minister of transport, Rt. Hon. Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi, the former Governor of Abia State and now Minister of Science and Technology, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu and President Muhmmadu Buhari on their involvement and hot pursuit to induce and subvert justice in favour of the APC Governorship Candidates of Rivers State and that of the Labour Party in Ebonyi State who is to switch to APC if he had claimed victory at the Appeal Court.Ridiculous! This latest allegation is another indictment on the Executive Arm of Government and the serial complicity and involvement of the President, members and leaders of his Party, the APC, the DSS, especially, the former Governor of Rivers State who has been mentioned twice in both petitions written by the Honourable Justices of the Supreme Court within few hours interval. For emphasis, below is an excerpt from the Justice Ngwutas Letter narrating his meeting with Rt. Hon Amaechi who came at the instance of President Buhari: On my return he came in the evening and even before he sat down he barked You have seen Wike.Then he made a call and ask me to speak with someone.The man he called said he was a DSS man.Next he said Oga is not happy. I asked him who is the unhappy Oga and he answered Buhari. I retorted go and talk to his wife. He got very angry, and left, remarking we shall see several times. However, we are not surprised with the mention of President Buhari in the Statement by Justice Ngwuta because President Buhari has left no stone unturned to confirm the fact that he detests the Judiciary and the Rule of Law as seen in his body language and actions since he assumed office.Below comments also buttresses his detest and hostility towards the Nigeria Judiciary: On the fight against corruption vis-a-vis the Judiciary, Nigerians will be right to say that is my main headache for now. In my first attempt in 2003, I ended up at the Supreme Court and for 13 months I was in Court. The second attempt in 2007, I was in Court close to 20 months and in 2011, my third attempt, I was also in Court for nine months.All these cases went up to the Supreme Court until the fourth time in 2015, when God agreed that I will be President of Nigeria. (President Buhari, February 2016).Nigerians will also recall that its not only President Buhari that is striving strongly to derail our nascent democracy, but his Party National Chairman, Chief John Odigie Oyegun who once lambasted the Judiciary on the Outcome of the Supreme Court Judgment in Rivers and Akwa Ibom States Gubernatorial Elections on grounds of business and investments. He said: I still find the Judgmentonthe Rivers State Governorship Election totally astonishing. There is something fundamentally wrong in the Judiciary. We have lost very important resource-rich states to the PDP. No matter how crude oil prices have fallen, it is still the most important revenue earner for the Country.There is obviously something fundamentally wrong in Rivers State which needs to be investigated and addressed. From the two statements of President Buhari and Chief John Odigie Oyegun, National Chairman, All Progressive Congress (APC) above, it is obvious that the Judiciary can be said to have functioned appropriately only when they and their Party wins a Case. Otherwise, the Judiciary must be punished. How ridiculous! On this note, it has become clearer that the present ordeals of judges in the hands of President Buharis DSS are the fulfillment of series of threats by President Buhari, Hon. Amaechi and Odigie Oyegun? Consequently, we wish to sadly conclude that Nigerias democracy is indeed in grave danger. It therefore appears that we have returned to barracks rule through the ballot.To this end, we are further calling on all stakeholders in the Nigerian State, the international community, the media, the civil society organizations (CSOs) and all well-meaning Nigerians to intervene and stop this constitutional rape before it is too late. Nigeria is sliding aggressively into anarchy and this must not be allowed. Nigeria belongs to all of us irrespective of party affiliation, tribe and religion.This APC led Government of President Buhari must be stopped forthwith from these reckless acts of impunity as it is no longer acceptable.God bless Nigeria.
Despite the drop in electricity generation from 5000 to less than 3000 megawatts, Vice  President Yemi Osinbajo, on Monday expressed the...

Despite the drop in electricity generation from 5000 to less than 3000 megawatts, Vice  President Yemi Osinbajo, on Monday expressed the hope that Nigeria can still meet its 7000 megawatts electricity generation target by 2017.Osinbajo revealed that the Federal Government is currently working on about 9 critical transmission projects across the country  all to enable it achieve that set target of 7, 000 megawatts electricity generation for the country.The Vice  President made this known in Abeokuta, the Ogun state capital, during a speech preceding his declaring open, the 8th Session of the National Council on Industry, Trade and Investment (NCITI).The four  day NCITI meeting themed: Diversification of the Nigerian Economy from over dependence on oil exports, and hosted by the Ogun State government, had in attendance, Governor Ibikunle Amosun, his Depuy, Princess Yetunde Onanuga, Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr. Okechukwu Enelamah and his junior counterpart, Hajia Aishat Abubakar.Others are former President Olusegun Obasanjo, Senate Committee Chairman on Commerce and Industry, Senator Sam Egwu, States Commissioners of Commerce and Industry, the Olu of Ilaro, Oba Kehinde Olugbenle, Awujale of Ijebuland, Oba Sikiru Adetona, Alake of Egbaland, Oba Adedotun Gbadebo among others.Osinbajo expressed the confidence that the work on the critical transmittions projects would be completed by the first quarter of the year 2017.According to him, the Buhari led federal government is equally working on increasing gas supplies to the power stations to enhance increase power supply throughout the country.He lamented that the power generation which had risen to 5000 megawatts by January this year, dropped to about 2500 megawatts following vandalizations of gas pipelines and destruction of other national economic assests in the Niger Delta by militants but said the government is working to address the issue.He explained that the efforts are manifestations of federal governments recognition of the importance of infrastructure to re  jigging the economy back to competitiveness.Osinbajo, who also identified poor transportation system across the country as another challenge against economic recovery, disclosed that federal government was already working on the LAGOS/Kano; Lagos/Calabar rail transportation system in a way that would further contribute to revamping the economy.The VP further hinted that the federal government is already encouraging a privately owned oil refinery firm in the country which would refine 650, 000 bpd towards easing the petroleum products supply and accessibility in Nigeria.According to him, when the privately owned refinery project is completed, Nigeria would be saving about 30 percent of the amount it spends on importation of refined crude into the country.In the area of technology, Osinbajo explained that Nigeria is building six technology hubs across the six geo-polotocal zones of the country including the two mega technology hub in Lagos and Kano states.He explained that there had been over 4, 000 entries out of which the federal government would select 30 that are viable and visible for sponsorship.Osinbajo said: global competitiveness is crucial to our growth. We simply need to be competitive. It is crucial to trade more and produce more, we simply need to increase productivity not just in farming but also in manufacturing ,but in order to increase in productivity,There are so many issues that we need to address, we need to reduce transaction cost, the cost of doing business in Nigeria and of course we need to simply focus more on made in Nigeria. We simply have to do a lot more in terms of improving our infrastructure and in 2016 budget and also in 2017 budget which is about ready, focused more on investment in infrastructure.For example, we are doing a lot more in the area of power. I am sure that many of us probably follow that in February 2016 we were producing 5,000mw of power which is the highest in the history of the country.But with vandalisation of the folcado terminal and three, four other export terminals, we found ourselves down to almost 2500mw of power again, but substantial investment in power sector will certainly be a key in improving our productivity.As we go forward and we are doing quite a bit in material and many of us are familiar with some of the efforts made in improving transmission about eight or nine critical transmission projects which we expect to be completed by the firrst quarter of 2017. And this will substantially increase the general output.We are also looking at being able to supply gas to several idle federal plants. These are some of the plants that are idle because they simply dont have enough gas. With a lot of what is going on especially, we are trying to get gas from some of the sources that hitherto had been lying idle , we think that we will be able to do far more and our 7,000mw target is achievable. Of course, a lot of this depends on peace in Niger Delta, a lot will depend whether we are able to ensure that vandalisation stops in the Niger Delta on both oil and gas facilities.Also, the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Okechukwu Enelamah identified areas through which Federal Government via the National Council on Industry, Trade and Investment, planned to diversify and grow the nations economy.Enelamah said the three pillars in the policy framework of are creation of a business-friendly environment, ensuring coherence between monetary, fiscal and structural reform policies and provision of hard and soft infrastructure for growth.According to him the economic policies of government are coordinated and targeted at the common purpose of structural transformation to diversify and eliminate distortions and sustained growth.Some of the priority areas of the MITI plan include: Creating an Enabling Environment to Improve the Ease-of-Doing Business; implementing the Nigerian Industrial Revolution Plan (NIRP); providing support for Micro- Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) to enhance job creation; promoting Trade and investment as engines for growth; and promoting a digital economyPresident Muhammadu Buhari has approved the establishment of the Presidential Council on Ease-of Doing Business (PEBES). The Council is being chaired by the Vice-President and the Secretariat of the Enabling Business Environment Secretariat (EBES) is being set-up. Implementation is underway, he said.
Muhammadu Buhari is holding a meeting with the progressive governors of the All Progressives Congress (APC) at the Presidential Villa in A...





Muhammadu Buhari is holding a meeting with the progressive governors of the All Progressives Congress (APC) at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, the nations capital.Speculations have it that the governors may have been piqued by some of the actions of the president which may not have been favourable with the APC governors.Among other reasons why the President summoned the meeting was said to be on the ambassadorial list which many say has not favoured the governors' choices.Majority of the APC leaders across the country, including APC governors, according to reports, were reportedly not happy with the way the latest ambassadorial list was handled, as they were completely alienated from the selection process, rendering them inconsequential in the power equation in their home zones.Apart from the likes of Senator Olorunimbe Mamora, Mrs. Paulin Tallen, Mr. Usman Bugaje, and a few others whose appointments, many of the partys leaders can justify, the aggrieved APC chieftains have vowed to frustrate other ambassadorial nominees on the grounds that they do not represent the reality and endorsement of party leaders in their states.
MAHWAH - A New York man who advertised his services online as a hitman has been charged with conspiracy to commit murder for hire, authorities said Monday.

Joshua Craig Rowling (BCPO)

Joshua Craig Rowling, 18, of Richmondville, N.Y., was arrested Friday after traveling to Mahwah, where he thought he would commit a murder, according to Acting Bergen County Prosecutor Gurbir S. Grewal.

"The investigation revealed that Rowling agreed with another to commit a murder in exchange for a firearm fitted with a silencer and cash," Grewal said.

"Ultimately, Rowling drove from his home in Richmondville, N.Y., to Mahwah to meet with a person he thought was seeking his services as a hitman, but who was actually an undercover officer," Grewal said.

Rowling, who is unemployed, was arrested on Ramapo Valley Road.

He was charged with one count of conspiracy to commit murder for hire and weapons possession, according to the prosecutor.

Rowling was held in the Bergen County Jail on $1 million full bail.

He is scheduled to appear in court on Nov. 2.

Anthony G. Attrino may be reached at tattrino@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @TonyAttrino. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
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Clockwise from top left: Justin Sommers, Jordyn Massood, Nakeem Gardner, Christian Lopez and Christopher Rainone (File photos)

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MAHWAH - A woman who attended Ramapo College two years ago claims she was lured into a frat party and raped by members of the fraternity and other students, according to a federal lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court.

The woman, identified in court documents as "Jane Doe" of Passaic County, claims she was 19 the night of Nov. 14, 2014, when members of the Pi Kappa Alpha Fraternity fraternity called her into their party from a balcony at on-campus quarters known as "The Village Townhouses."

The theme of the frat party was "Date Night" and minors were there being served alcohol, according to the 61-page suit, which was filed Friday.

The lawsuit states that frat members "actively solicited, recruited, and persuaded random students outside of the apartment building to come to this party."

"They were calling down to recruit guests," the lawsuit alleges.

Other underage females were also called into the party, where they were greeted by a 24-year-old frat member in a tuxedo who pushed alcohol on them, the lawsuit claims.

Once intoxicated and passed out, "Jane Doe" was allegedly laid out on a bed as the frat members played the juvenile game of Rock, Paper, Scissors (to) determine who would get to sexually assault" her first, the lawsuit states.

The lawsuit claims several male fraternity members physically and sexually assaulted her while others stood outside the door and did not intervene.

"Incredibly, rather than helping, (the defendants) watched and celebrated the assaults," the lawsuit states.

After the initial sexual assault, the teen was involuntarily moved "without her shoes, underwear and jacket" across campus to Mackin Hall, where she was raped by others, the lawsuit claims.

The suit alleges some of the male students "were falling-down laughing hysterically while also videotaping the sexual assault" on a cell phone.

Cathy Davey, spokeswoman for Ramapo College, declined to comment.

"Ramapo College has not received notice of this law suit. As with any litigation, the College cannot comment," Davey wrote in an email.

Five of the accused have been indicted in connection with the alleged attack: Christian A. Lopez, 26, of Secaucus; Nakeem Gardner, 20, of Paterson; Christopher Rainone and Justin Sommers, both 20 both of Staten Island; and Jordyn Massood, 20, of Wayne. Rainone, Sommers and Massood were charged with encouraging or aiding the assault, according to NorthJersey.com.

The status of their cases was not immediately known.

The lawsuit alleges that Ramapo College and/or PIKE Fraternity and Chapter representatives were aware of the events leading up to the assaults "but did nothing to intervene or stop them from unfolding."

"This includes Public Safety and security employees and representatives, including outside Campus Security staff on patrol and present in security booths and checkpoints, as well as the individual responsible for entry and exit at Mackin Hall," the lawsuit states.

The lawsuit claims the school failed to enforce their own alcohol policies and failed to deter underage drinking on campus.

The lawsuit accuses Ramapo College of negligence, "deliberate indifference," failing to render assistance to a victim and intentional infliction of emotional distress.

The woman claims in the suit that her civil rights were violated and that the college failed to comply with U.S. Department of Education's guidelines prohibiting peer-on-peer sexual harassment and sexual assault, the Federal Campus Sex Crime Prevention Act, as well as other federal guidelines and policies.

The suit claims the college failed to supervise and monitor fraternities and failed to prevent and eradicate a "hostile educational environment for female students."

In addition to serious and permanent physical injuries, the woman claims she sustained permanent psychological injuries, emotional and mental distress as well as economic and other damages.

She claims she was unable to continue with her education at Ramapo and that "these events have derailed her future plans and will have a negative impact on her educational and vocational opportunities and future."

In addition to the alleged attackers, the lawsuit names members of the college administration and the national fraternity.

The lawsuit seeks unspecified compensatory and punitive damages and a jury trial.

Anthony G. Attrino may be reached at tattrino@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @TonyAttrino. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
MOUNT LAUREL TWP. -- A new program at Rowan College at Burlington County has caused a falling out between the school and other colleges and universities in the area.

Rowan College has banned other schools from recruiting on campus and canceled the transfer fair where those institutions connected with potential transfer students.

In response, those colleges are holding a transfer fair not far from the Mount Laurel campus and refusing to allow Rowan College to join.

But why does a two-year school want to be at a transfer fair?

The county college now sees itself as competing with the four-year schools because of its new "3+1" program. In partnership with Rowan University, the program promises students a bachelor's degree at a fraction of the usual cost.

Asked about the growing bitterness between the institutions that have worked together for so long, a college spokesman said the college's priority is its students.

"Our most important relationship is the relationship we have with our students, and we are focused on providing them with the most affordable route to a four-year degree," Greg Volpe of Rowan College, a spokesman for Rowan College.

The 3+1 program allows students to get a bachelor's degree for about $25,000, he said, which is equivalent or less than they'd pay for just a single year at those four-year schools. The college worked with Rowan University to create the program because cost is becoming a barrier to young people seeking bachelor's degrees.

Students who have completed an associate's degree at the school can now take junior year courses on campus -- paying regular rates -- and then complete their final year as a student of Rowan University.

While that year comes with a higher price tag, the Rowan College students will get a 15 percent discount if they take classes online or at the Mount Laurel campus, according to the college.

Since Rowan College is now competing with four-year schools for students seeking bachelor's degrees, it makes sense for the college to limit their recruiting on campus, Volpe said.

Philly.com reported that the college notified the other schools in September that it had canceled the transfer fair and that in the future, they were not allowed to distribute materials or recruit on campus anymore.

The snubbed schools, including Rider, Temple, Stockton and Rutgers and the College of New Jersey, banded together to hold their own transfer fair with over two-dozen schools Nov. 9 at the Moorestown Mall, according to the news site.

Grecia Montero, director of admissions at the College of New Jersey, told the news site that the substitute transfer fair was the institutions' way of "making lemonade with lemons that have been given to us."

Volpe said that Rowan College's request to join the new transfer fair was denied. The college has also asked to join fairs at other area county colleges, Philly.com reported, and was rebuffed again.

Transfer students are important for many four-year institutions trying to keep enrollment numbers up. That's now true of Rowan College, too.

Volpe acknowledged that the college's enrollment was down 2 percent this semester and that the 3+1 program is "one of our plans to stabilize enrollment."

Starting in the spring semester, the college will offer junior-level classes in criminal justice, liberal studies and biology. Nursing, psychology, computing and informatics and general studies are being added in the fall, Volpe said.

He said the college plans to add more and more courses to the 3+1 program, but recognizes that some students will still want to transfer to a four-year school to pursue a different course of studies, or just because they prefer another university.

That's why the college still has a transfer office, where students can get materials about other colleges and learn about the transfer process. Rowan College still has transfer agreements with many of the institutions that it banned from recruiting on campus.

"Students still have all the transfer options they had before 3+1, we're just not allowing other colleges to market on campus," he said.

Volpe said he does not know if any students on campus have pushed back about the change.

Rebecca Everett may be reached at reverett@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @rebeccajeverett. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
WILDWOOD -- The mayor of Wildwood wants the city to spend $20 million to repair and upgrade a 15-block section of the shore town's famed boardwalk, according to a report.

Mayor Ernie Troiano said the stretch of boardwalk from north of the Wildwoods Convention Center to Lincoln Avenue and from Oak Avenue to 26th Avenue is in "deplorable" condition," according to the Wildwood Leader's website.

A 2014 file photo of the Wildwood boardwalk. Mayor Ernie Troiano says a 16-block stretch of the boardwalk needs to be replaced, according to a report.

Troiano said the boardwalk should be rebuilt with hardwood from Brazilian rain forests even though environmentalists will likely object, the report said.

The boards on that stretch have been in place since 1926, though the surface planking has been replaced with yellow pine a few times.

The mayor said it curls in hot weather and has become a hazard with people falling.

If the city approves a new boardwalk it would pay for it with bonds, grants and low-interest loans.

Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JeffSGoldman. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
TRENTON -- Gov. Chris Christie and Senate President Stephen Sweeney have spent the past few months pitching dueling plans to revise New Jersey's school funding system. Now, Assembly Speaker Vincent Prieto is joining the fray.

Prieto (D-Hudson) and Assembly Education Committee Chairwoman Marlene Caride (D-Bergen) on Thursday will introduce their own proposal for addressing what Prieto called an "unacceptable" status quo.

Like Sweeney, Prieto is calling for a panel of experts to study the issue and make recommendations. But in contrast to Sweeney's proposal, Prieto's plan would allow state lawmakers to make tweaks to the group's recommendations before voting.

"The Senate's commission would abrogate the legislative process and silence the voice of the people," Prieto said. "It would also cut off valuable input and debate, which as anyone who knows my background can tell you, is completely unacceptable to me."

Currently, New Jersey's $9.1 billion in direct school aid is allocated primarily through a formula that gives districts extra money for students from low-income families, students learning to speak English and special education students.

The existing formula also considers each community's ability to raise revenue for its schools through property taxes and expects wealthier communities to a pay a higher percentage of school costs with their own tax dollars.

However, the state has consistently underfunded its formula by about $1 billion, saying it doesn't have the revenue to pay schools what they are owed.

Christie's plan would end the additional funding for students who typically need extra services, with the exception of special education costs, and give each district the same funding per student, $6,599, regardless of the community's ability to raise revenue thorough property taxes.

But Democratic lawmakers who control the state Legislature widely denounced Christie's plan, which would trade tax cuts in suburban districts for drastic budget cuts in urban districts, and the Senate has since approved Sweeney's proposal.

Along with adding $500 million in new funding over five years, Sweeney (D-Gloucester) wants a panel appointed by state lawmakers to devise a modified version of the existing funding formula.

He said he would call for a vote on the plan without amendments in order to avoid political maneuvers that hurt the existing school funding formula, such as a provision that ensured districts with declining enrollment would not lose state aid.

The Assembly plan would use a similar approach but with the important distinction that lawmakers can make amendments before voting.

"The Legislature can craft a school funding plan that is fair, that can be embraced on a bipartisan basis and that can pass constitutional muster," Caride said. "Equally important, it can help control property taxes."

Adam Clark may be reached at adam_clark@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on twitter at @realAdamClark. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
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In partnership with Budweiser, Lyft is offering free rides on Halloween. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

Could you use a free ride in New York this Halloween weekend?

As part of a mission to prevent drunk driving, Budweiser and ride-sharing company Lyft have teamed up to offer riders free trips for the holiday, from Thursday through Monday night.

While the offer isn't available in New Jersey, it is valid on trips from New York to elsewhere in the tri-state area as well as in Colorado, Illinois, Florida and Washington, D.C. The rides are free up to $10.

Those who want to take advantage of the offer can head to Budweiser's Facebook page on Thursday after 2 p.m. to obtain a code.

The rides, for adults 21 and over only, begin the night of Thursday, Oct. 27 and continue through Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday during "peak party hours," from 10 p.m. through 2 a.m.

The promotion is also available during the same times on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays through the end of the year.

Budweiser's Facebook page is at facebook.com/budweiser.

Amy Kuperinsky may be reached at akuperinsky@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @AmyKup or on Facebook.
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Teresa Giudice tackles her first day without her husband Joe, who recently left to serve out his prison sentence. (Bravo)

Jacqueline is making enemy upon enemy and Teresa is presiding over a yoga class. If you told us this in 2010, we would think we were in the Upside Down -- though we wouldn't know what that was yet, either.

Anyway, as we open on this housewives Sunday, it's Teresa's first day without Joe and Milania is already calling her boring.

"Milania is the most sensitive and she is the closest to Joe," Teresa explains, asking each of her daughters how they're faring in light of their father's recent incarceration. Naturally, Milania speeds off on a quad, flattening any unfortunate squirrel that happens to be in her path.

Dolores is excited that she can pay for her super symbolic, life-refreshing kitchen makeover, and hosts a kitchen-warming party to celebrate, inviting both her 102-year-old grandmother and all the ladies.

Confirming the housewives maxim that all housewarmings, parties, getaways and wine truces usually end in further conflict, this episode of RHONJ is titled "Nama'stay Away From Me," after the shirt Jacqueline wears to the gathering.

"I see that the troublemakers are here, too," Melissa announces, looking in the direction of Jacqueline and blast-from-the-past Kim D.

Teresa sits this one out, saying she and the girls are expecting a call from Joe. Jacqueline, who's feeling under the weather and has a froggy throat, reluctantly offers a cheek to Joe Gorga when he says hello, and ends up leaving the party early.

Chris sits down with him to clear the air.

"What happened in Vermont upsets me," he says, telling Joe he would have appreciated a phone call to debrief. Joe in turn says he respects him for sticking up for his wife, with a disclaimer -- when you're wrong you're wrong. Chris disagrees and states his case.

"To me, I think they were both wrong," Joe surmises. A little "girl fight," he says.

After hearing her mother's confession during the last episode that she doesn't make enough time for her, Siggy takes her to a salon and lunch for some "me" time. She says she sometimes avoids being around her mother because she's too selfless, to the point that she doesn't "do" for herself. Her prescription for this affliction is apparently more spa days.

As Jacqueline, still sick, sinks deeper into her couch, Dolores hosts a ladies' night at her gym, where newly minted yogi Teresa teaches a yoga class -- she's in the process of getting certified as an instructor -- and Siggy shows up to talk about her book. After the event, Dolores is miffed that Jacqueline is saying she left her off the gym announcement on purpose, apparently as retribution ... for calling her? Miffed enough, anyway, that she utters a choice expletive in her direction despite her fragile state of health.

"I think that Jacqueline is paranoid at this point," Siggy concludes.

Melissa, meanwhile, is again anticipating hosting her first fashion show. It's all about proving to Joe that she's not just bringing home "crumbs," she says.

Up next: Teresa contemplates putting her house up for sale, Jacqueline mulls having words with her growing group of frenemies and Melissa's fashion show finally (?) arrives. Riveting stuff.

Amy Kuperinsky may be reached at akuperinsky@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @AmyKup or on Facebook.
'It's not fair and it's not right': At vigil, relatives lament teen's death at jail
WASHINGTON (AP)  The House committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol has issued a subpoena to Donald Trump. The nine-member panel sent a letter to the former president's lawyers on Friday, demanding his testimony under oath by mid-November and outlining a series of corresponding documents. The decision by lawmakers to exercise their subpoena power comes a week after the committee made its final case against the former president, who they say is the "central cause" of the multi-part effort to overturn the results of the 2020 election. It remains unclear how Trump and his legal team will respond to the subpoena, if at all.
Welcome to non league daily news now - your number one spot for all things relating to the National League System. Our dedicated reporters have come straight from the sidelines to bring you news fresh from the dugout - but not before theyve stopped off at the burger van first!

We know that non league football fans are full of heart, passion, and belief. You trust the manager, you believe in the team, and, for some strange reason, you trust those rickety stands, too! Here at Non League Daily, we hope we can become your trusted non league news resource - a platform thats just as passionate about non league daily news now as you.

Come rain or shine, well be out reporting on the latest non league fixtures. Well also be scouring the news, refreshing social media, and sourcing information from team websites in the hopes of finding the latest breaking non league daily news for our readers.

As youll soon see, weve got exclusive match reports on the Vanarama National League, weve got transfer speculation thatll affect the National League South, weve found great stories thatll spice up the National League North, and weve even got news on the latest giant killers of the FA Cup.

We may not be able to agree on who is going up this year, but we can all agree that any news on the NLS worth knowing will be published here, at Non League Daily.
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Officials in the supervisory board of public joint-stock company Ukrzaliznytsia are to be removed and the board should only consist of independent specialists, Ukrainian Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman has said.

"Today our task is to make the Ukrzaliznytsia's supervisory board public and independent. There are officials there now. Independent specialists must be there," he said in parliament last week answering a question of MP Yuriy Solovey (Petro Poroshenko Bloc).

The latter addressed Ukrainian Infrastructure Minister Volodymyr Omelyan, who leveled some criticisms at Ukrzaliznytsia Head Wojciech Balczun.

"I have an appeal concerning the Ukrzaliznytsia head. I sent 10 requests asking to meet the lawmaker. After two months I was granted 15 minutes to meet with the extremely important head of Ukrzaliznytsia. I prepared appeals on other issues. Balczun disrupts construction of roads, especially in western Ukraine, via non-supply of wagons. Some 1,000 wagons for construction of the R-24 road, but only 115 were delivered. The situation is the same all over Ukraine," Solovey said.

Omelyan said that last week a meeting with exporters, producers and shipping agents that use Ukrzaliznytsia's services was held. An action plan to settle the situation was drawn up. The minister expressed hope that by the end of October the situation would stabilize and urgent measures to repair electric locomotives, diesel locomotives and wagons would be taken.

As for the lawmaker's requests and the meeting with the Ukrzaliznytsia head, Omelyan made an apology and promised to hold the meeting in his presence.

Groysman added that it would be unfair to rest responsibility on the head of Ukrzaliznytsia for what is going on in the company. He has been working in the company since May 2016.

"Ukrzaliznytsia was permanently pushing into losses. Unfortunately, the funds that were to be sent to modernization and used efficiently were spent God knows on what things. The good enterprise billionaire is now in the poor state," Groysman said.

He added that the policy of the Ukrzaliznytsia's manager today is to bring the company out of crisis.

"He does not give wagons because neither modernization and repair, nor purchase of new wagons was made systemically for years. He does not have a traction fleet only because it was not repaired and new was not bought. He also faces a serious challenge of the old system that corrupted Ukrzaliznytsia procurements, tenders and in other activities," the prime minister said.

He also asked Solovey to invite the Ukrzaliznytsia head to a meeting of the profile parliamentary committee. He said that he will personally ask Balczun to show schedules, procedures and existing wagon supply contracts.

"I think that you will see many new things," Groysman said.

He said that the task of Ukrzaliznytsia is to reach good positions for cargo and passenger transportation in a year.

"They are doing this today: they place orders for modernization of wagons and improve management. However, the old system creates resistance. It must be broken. The serious and powerful national enterprise Ukrzaliznytsia will become profitable and will invest funds in the economy, rolling stock and quality of work. The new head needs support here," Groysman said.
Ukraine will build own centralized spent nuclear fuel storage facility and from 2017 the country would not remove spent nuclear fuel for temporary storage to Russia from 2017, Ukrainian Energy and Coal Industry Minister Ihor Nasalyk has said.

"I want to thank the Verkhovna Rada that we have settled the issue of building the dry spent nuclear fuel storage facility that completely diversifies fuel disposal. Each year Ukraine pays $200 million to dispose spent nuclear fuel. Starting from 2017, we will not pay these funds, as we have own [facility]," he said in parliament last week.

The minister said that Ukraine will also diversify supplies of fresh nuclear fuel  Westinghouse fuel will be loaded to 40% of Ukrainian NPPs' reactors.

As reported, referring to Director General of Atomprojectengineering (a subdivision of National Nuclear Generating Company Energoatom) Oleksandr Rybchuk, The active phase of construction works on the site of the centralized spent nuclear fuel storage facility is scheduled to start in March 2017.

The communications department of Rosatom said that the corporation is working with Ukrainian partners using advance payments.
The European Union (EU) is ready to pay attention to the protection of rights of households as part of the provision of technical assistance to Ukraine in reforming the energy market, Secretary of Competitive Policy and Energy Markets at the Delegation of the European Union to Ukraine Jose Manuel Hernandez has said.

At the discussion devoted to the day of protection of heat and power consumers in Kyiv last week he said EU countries have enough experience in the sphere and the effective legislative base.

Hernandez said that in 2015 the EU passed reform programs describing what will be done for consumers.

He pointed out the right to select suppliers in the EU, while Ukraine does not have it, as well as the right to connect power grids (the regulator sets the rules for connecting to power grids), the right to have a clear and transparent agreement with suppliers, the right to use alternative sources and protection of a vulnerable group of consumers.

Ombudsman for protecting vulnerable consumers Martinez Jurgen shared Germany's experience. He said that in Germany households can appeal to the ombudsman with complaints, while suppliers are obliged to take part in discussion of the complaints.

Jurgen said that with 40 million power consumption agreements with households, the ombudsman office received around 14,000 complaints in 2013, some 10,000 in 2014, up to 5,000 in 2015 and in 2016 it would be around 6,500.

Head of the regulatory policy department of Ukraine's largest private energy holding DTEK Yulia Nosulko said that the electricity market reform in Ukraine will create absolutely new conditions for power consumers when suppliers engage in real competition and fight for consumers.

"In the current administrative model to manage energy in Ukraine there is no market in its real sense. Consumers do not have choice. On the new market regional power supply companies will be divided into power transportation and supply companies," the expert said.

Thus, monopoly (transportation) will be divided from a competitive market (supply).

She said that the Third Energy Package that will be introduced in Ukraine thanks to the power market reform pays special attention to consumers' rights protection, mainly, households and small businesses that have smaller income and an opportunity to challenge actions of service providers in court.
A total of 82 banks removed from the market in the period when Valeriya Gontareva worked as governor of the National Bank of Ukraine (NBU) were involved in money laundering or simply did not have assets, Gontareva has said.

"In fact, do not have regrets about those 82 banks we removed from the market, no matter how painful it was. Twenty of them were simply involved in money laundering, and the rest were without assets, as they had been stolen from depositors," she said on ICTV channel late on Sunday.

Gontareva spoke about VAB Bank and bank Financial Initiative, which belonged to businessman Oleh Bakhmatiuk as an example.

"On one had Mr. Bakhmatiuk owes UAH 37.9 billion to the banking system and the NBU, including UAH 21 billion to the Individuals Deposit Guarantee Fund, almost UAH 11 billion to the NBU and UAH 5.3 billion to the Ukrainian banking system, state-run banks. This is more than the recent tranche we received from the IMF [International Monetary Fund]. Some 90% of the funds in this bank were given personally to the businesses of Mr. Bakhmatiuk, who has not paid them back, and the Deposit Guarantee Fund has paid UAH 15 billion on guaranteed deposits today," she said.

She also said that the former owner of bank Mykhailivsky Viktor Polischuk owes UAH 23 billion to banks and the Deposit Guarantee Fund.

She said that the Deposit Guarantee Fund today has sent 3,246 applications for UAH 248 billion to law enforcement agencies.

"I want that all owners of these banks know that in April 2015 the Verkhovna Rada passed the law on responsibility of not only managers of banks, but the responsibility of shareholders of these banks," she said.
Penrith Panthers winger Josh Mansour isn't worried about being potentially overlooked for the Kangaroos' Four Nations opener against Scotland.

Mansour and Wests Tigers skipper Aaron Woods were unavailable for the Kangaroos' warm-up Test against the Kiwis in Perth nine days ago as they were each getting married.

In Mansour's absence Sharks flyer Valentine Holmes made his international debut on the left wing and produced a starring role in the Kangaroos' 26-6 win over New Zealand.

Roosters utility Blake Ferguson has played in both of Australia's Tests in 2016 on the opposite wing alongside centre Josh Dugan.

"I'm not thinking too much about selection at the moment. Whatever happens, happens. I'm confident in my own ability," Mansour said.

"I'm keen to return to the side though. You don't have many opportunities throughout the year to play for the Kangaroos. If the opportunity arises, I'll take it with both hands."

Mansour last played for Australia at the 2014 Four Nations and featured in all four of the Kangaroos' games.

Having made his State of Origin debut for New South Wales and earning Dally M Winger of the Year honours this season, Mansour is hoping to add to his season of achievements in Hull this weekend.

"I can't wait to strap on the boots with the boys," Mansour said.

"I'm very excited to be back playing footy. It will be good to do it with a green and gold jumper back on."

Mansour also quickly ran his eye over Australia's upcoming New Zealand and England clashes.

"You have obviously have the Wayne Bennett factor for England. They also have a star-studded squad with obviously James Graham and the Burgesses," Mansour said.

"Then there's obviously the Kiwis. They're the number one team in the world. They have a good team and a good culture with what they're building there.

"It's going to be a tough tournament."
The Ports of Indiana is moving forward with a plan to build a fourth port, but it wont be on Lake Michigan as Gary and East Chicago officials once hoped.

Commercial Development Company Inc. has announced it bought a 725-acre former coal-fired power plant on the Ohio River, and is working with the Indianapolis-based Ports of Indiana to build a fourth port there. The retired Tanners Creek power plant in Lawrenceburg had belonged to Indiana Michigan Power and was decommissioned last year.

It is in the Cincinnati area, about 90 miles from the Port of Indiana-Jeffersonville across from Louisville, Kentucky. The developer plans to do environmental remediation and tear down all the buildings, which would take an estimated 3 to 5 years.

We have identified the retired Lawrenceburg plant as a potential site for future port development, Ports of Indiana CEO Rich Cooper said. Its too early to say what could be constructed here, but were excited to have the exclusive right to further investigate this site.

East Chicago, Gary and union officials have called for a third port on Lake Michigan because of all the cargo thats been flowing into the Port of Indiana-Burns Harbor, but that does not appear likely to happen anytime soon.

Port officials say the deepwater port in Portage and Burns Harbor has enough capacity to handle the international ships coming in from the St. Lawrence Seaway, and a panel of state lawmakers questioned whether either Gary or East Chicago had the land or infrastructure to support a Lake Michigan port.

The new port would be the third on the Ohio River, where the self-sustaining statewide port authority already operates the Port of Indiana-Mount Vernon and the Port of Indiana-Jeffersonville.

Gov. Mike Pence has backed the fourth port, including in his 2016 State of the State address, when he called on the Ports of Indiana to vigorously explore the building of a fourth port in the far southeastern part of our state, which could unleash enormous economic investment throughout the southeast region of our state.

The Ports of Indiana set its all-time freight-handling record in 2015, moving more than 12.2 million tons of cargo surpassing 2014s record volume by nearly 18 percent. It was the first time annual shipments exceeded 12 million tons in the port authoritys 54-year history.
VALPARAISO  Valparaiso High School senior Dawson Brown has been working for several different construction companies in the last few years and welcomed the chance to work on the Grand Trunk Train Depot.

Valparaiso High School junior Madilyn Madi Mayernick has been working with her father since she was a little girl, assisting with the cleanup. Now, shes learning the construction trade firsthand in hopes of following in her fathers footsteps and taking over the business one day.

Hobart High School junior Jasmine Willis said she wants to be an architect, and the construction trades program is giving her the background that she needs.

The trio are among 28 students who are in the construction trades technology program at the Porter County Career Center. The two-year program focuses on teaching students the basics of the construction business.

Students in the program are refurbishing the 1912 train depot, which was moved from Calumet Avenue to the career center campus in 2014 after Canadian National outgrew the building. The project has the support of the state, the community of Valparaiso and the Valparaiso Community School Corp.

Teacher Barbara Biernat is in her second year at the career center. Biernat has been a builder for 40 years through her company Barbara B Builder LLC, and now continues to consult.

Biernat wants the students to learn the language of construction, the importance of measuring, safety, hand tools and how they are used, construction materials and get some hands-on experience.

Porter County Career Center Director/Principal Jon Groth said last year the students focused on the demolition work in the depot. Groth said the railroad officials had constructed office walls and ceilings that needed to be removed to restore it closer to the original design.

The students already have installed the framework for the front and back decks.

This year, our students have nearly completed the decks, repaired the interior flooring and made the interior safe for visitors, Groth said. They will spend the bulk of the rest of the year re-purposing the interior for a future school assembly hall, instructional laboratory and classrooms.

Groth said the career center is at capacity and the additional space will allow it to serve more students in the future.

He said the train depot project has been funded through private donations. Groth said they received $240,000 in cash donations and $38,000 in-kind donations of material and labor.

More girls enrolling

Groth said Biernat is one of the few women construction trade teachers in the area, and she is active in several local organizations.

Under Biernats leadership, Groth said, more young women are enrolling in the construction trade technology program.

Mayernik said it can be intimidating being a woman in construction.

A lot of guys dont think women belong in this career field, she said. Some guys think women are too weak and shouldnt be dong it. Ive had some experience working with my father. Im guessing Im more of a leader in this class. I like showing that girls can do these jobs. Like Ms. B says, women used to be primarily in nursing, now you see more male nurses. Men changed that industry, and women can do the same thing in construction.

Willis has enjoyed making things since she was a little girl. I want to be professionally taught. I thought this construction technology program would be a really good class to take, she said. Ive learned how to measure, and about the different kinds of board and how to lay it correctly.

Planning ahead for future careers

Valparaisos Brown said hes been working on construction projects for several years and has done roofing, bricklaying, interior and exterior painting and landscaping. Most recently, he built an outside bar for a friends parents.

However, he said he intends to become a pipe fitter, and hopes to obtain an apprenticeship after graduation.

Valparaiso High School junior Jacob Evers said he intends to go into construction, and has been helping his family with small remodeling projects around the house, including a re-roofing job.

Last school year, Biernat conducted a weeklong program with subcontractors who came in and talked to students about home maintenance projects, including electrical and plumbing.

It was very popular, she said. I brought people in because many of the students said they wanted to know how to take care of their own homes when they became homeowners. Im going to do it again this year.

Grand Trunk history

The historic 1912, 3,000-square-foot depot building had moved from Calumet Avenue in Valparaiso to sit at the Porter County Career and Technical Center campus, 1005 N. Franklin St.

Groth and Biernat said its been a community project. The railroad officials were originally going to demolish the building but once they connected with city officials the plan to re-purpose it was born in September 2012.

The Porter County Building Trades Corp. began collecting donations in May 2014 to cover the move and the refurbishing project.
Steel production shot up in China and declined in the United States in September, according to new data from the World Steel Association.

The Belgium-based group found the world's steelmakers produced 132.9 million tons last month, a 2 percent increase over September 2015. Capacity utilization of steelmakers in the 66 countries that report to the World Steel Association was 70 percent in September, up 1.5 percent from August and 0.5 percent year-over-year.

The United States made 6.3 million tons of steel, a drop of 3.8 percent as compared to September 2015. Capacity utilization in the U.S. has been below 70 percent for weeks, according to the American Iron and Steel Institute.

Overall steel output in North American over the first nine months is 83.9 million tons, which is down 1.4 percent as compared to the same period in 2015. Production is down 4.8 percent year-over-year over the same period in Europe.

In Asia, steel production in the first nine months has risen 0.6 percent to 825.9 million tons.

Output rose by 1.1 percent in South Korea in September and by 3.9 percent in China. China, the world's leading producer of steel, made 68.2 million tons in September.

Production rose by 2.2 percent in France, 3.1 percent in Brazil, and 8.1 percent in Turkey in September.

Steel output declined last month by 1.5 percent in Japan, 2.1 percent in Russia, 3.9 percent in Germany, 5.3 percent in Italy, and 8 percent in the Ukraine.
Ukraine's Verkhovna Rada has sufficient grounds to dismiss Governor of the National Bank of Ukraine Valeriya Gontareva, as she has lost her business reputation and the trust of citizens, MP Serhiy Taruta believes.

"The level of confidence in the NBU top managers is the lowest in the whole history of Ukraine," he said on Shuster Live show on Friday.

The lawmaker said that the ground for dismissal is the loss of impeccable business reputation, according to Article 18 of the law on the National Bank of Ukraine.

Taruta said that around 1 million of Ukrainians and 30,000 companies have lost their deposits at banks.

The lawmaker said that the key element for recovery of the banking system is trust. Today there is no trust. Only one of every five Ukrainians uses deposit services at Ukrainian banks from time to time.

Taruta said that the International Monetary Fund (IMF) is dissatisfied with the results of monitoring of Ukrainian banks.

"Do not deceive people  The IMF has toughly criticized the system of preliminary monitoring of all banks. The inside information from IMF representatives  I met them  is that they are dissatisfied with the monitoring situation," he said.
KHAZER, Iraq  Iraqi Kurdish forces pushed toward Mosul on Sunday, cordoning off eight villages and coming within 5 1/2 miles of the northern city held by the Islamic State group, which staged an attack in a western town hundreds of miles away in an apparent diversionary tactic.

The Kurdish forces, known as peshmerga, said the area they cordoned off measures around 38 square miles and that they also secured a "significant stretch" of highway. The statement said eight car bombs were destroyed in the operation, including three by U.S.-led coalition aircraft, and "dozens" of militants were killed.

The offensive near the town of Bashiqa came nearly a week after Iraq announced the start of the long-awaited Mosul offensive. Iraqi and Kurdish forces are approaching from the north, east and south through a belt of mostly abandoned and heavily mined villages scattered across the Ninevah plain.

Maj. Gen. Haider Fadhi, of Iraq's special forces said they also took part in the operation, and that Bashiqa was completely encircled.

IS has put up stiff resistance in many areas and has carried out attacks further afield that appear aimed at diverting attention from the Mosul operation.

IS militants stormed into the town of Rutba, in far western Iraq, unleashing three suicide car bombs that were blown up before hitting their targets, according to the spokesman for the Joint Military Command, Brig. Gen. Yahya Rasool.

He said some militants were killed, without giving an exact figure, and declined to say whether any civilians or Iraqi forces were killed. He said the militants did not seize any government buildings and that the situation "is under control."

The IS-run Aamaq news agency had earlier said militants stormed Rutba from several directions.

Lt. Gen. Stephen Townsend, the top U.S. commander in Iraq, confirmed there had been a complex attack in Rutba and said he expects more such diversionary attacks as Iraqi forces close in on Mosul.

IS carried out a large assault on the northern city of Kirkuk on Friday, in which more than 50 militants stormed government compounds and other targets, setting off more than 24 hours of heavy fighting and killing at least 80 people, mainly security forces.

The Mosul offensive involves more than 25,000 Iraqi ground forces as well as U.S.-led coalition aircraft and advisers. It is expected to take weeks, if not months, to drive IS from Iraq's second-largest city, which is home to more than a million civilians.

Bashiqa is close to a military base of the same name where some 500 Turkish troops are training Sunni and Kurdish fighters for the Mosul offensive. Turkey's prime minister, Binali Yildirim , told reporters Sunday that Turkish tanks and artillery had begun aiding the Kurdish forces in the Bashiqa offensive.

The presence of the Turkish troops has angered Iraq, which says it never gave them permission to enter the country and has called on them to withdraw. Turkey has refused, insisting that it play a role in retaking Mosul from IS.

U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter has visited both countries in recent days, and was in the Kurdish regional capital, Irbil, on Sunday.

After meeting with Turkish leaders, Carter announced an "agreement in principle" for Turkey to have a role in the operation. But Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi told Carter on Saturday that Mosul was an "Iraqi battle."

The forces taking part in the Mosul offensive include Iraqi troops, the peshmerga, Sunni tribal fighters and state-sanctioned Shiite militias. Many fear the operation could heighten tensions between Iraq's different communities, which are allied against IS but divided over a host of other issues, including the fate of territories near mostly Sunni Mosul that are claimed by the largely autonomous Kurdish region and the central government.

Carter praised the peshmerga, saying they "fight extremely well," but also acknowledged that they had suffered casualties.

Brig. Gen. Halgord Hekmet, a spokesman for the Kurdish forces, told reporters that 25 of their troops have been killed since the battle to retake Mosul began and a "large number" had been wounded. He said the peshmerga have had good coalition air support, but could use more armored vehicles and roadside bomb detectors. Most of the fallen peshmerga were riding in unarmored vehicles, he said.

The U.N. agency for children meanwhile expressed concern over the more than 4,000 people it says have fled from areas around Mosul since the operation began.

UNICEF's Iraq representative, Peter Hawkins, said that in at least one refugee camp the conditions for children were "very, very poor." He said UNICEF teams delivered water, sanitation and other supplies expected to last seven days.

They also provided immunizations against polio and measles, which he said had not been available during the more than two years that the people lived under IS rule. UNICEF has plans to assist more than 784,000 people, including up to 500,000 children.

Hawkins says children in and around Mosul are at risk of death or injury from the fighting, as well as sexual violence, kidnapping and recruitment by armed groups.

___

Krauss reported from Baghdad. Associated Press writers Sinan Salaheddin in Baghdad, Lolita C. Baldor in Irbil, Iraq, and Maamoun Youssef in Cairo contributed to this report.
HAMMOND  A 37-year-old woman who stopped in the 5400 block of State Line Avenue after having car trouble Saturday night told police she was robbed at gunpoint and shot in the abdomen after she got out of her car.

The woman stopped about 11 p.m., pulled her vehicle to a curb and parked it, Hammond police Lt. Richard Hoyda said.

She told police two men approached, and one pointed a handgun at her. The man with a gun told the woman to give up her purse, and she did, police said.

She got out to her vehicle and told the men there was no money in her purse, Hoyda said. The man hit her in the head with the gun and fired it two or three times, striking her in the lower abdominal area, police said.

She was able to walk to Franciscan St. Margaret Health hospital in Hammond for treatment.

Anyone with information about the shooting is asked to call Detective Sgt. Dan Bates at (219) 852-2979.
OGDEN DUNES  One hundred years ago, the Porter County Historical Museum was created almost by accident.

Today, celebrating its centennial, the museum is expanding to reach more Porter County residents to share the county's rich history, Kevin Pazour, executive director of PoCo Muse, told members of the Historical Society of Ogden Dunes on Sunday during the group's meeting at the historic Hour Glass house.

Pazour said the museum was founded by a group who were planning Porter County's role in Indiana's centennial 100 years ago. As part of that celebration in 1916, they gathered artifacts to be on display for a week at the Carnegie Library in Valparaiso.

"People didn't pick up artifacts at the library," said Pazour, adding by 1922, the museum was opened in the library on a regular basis and continued to grow until the 1930s when it had outgrown the space.

It was fortuitous, said Pazour, that government moved slowly then. The museum had planned to move into the third floor of the Porter County Courthouse, but was delayed because of government red tape. The delay saved the museum from losing all its holdings as a fire raged through the courthouse on Dec. 27, 1934.

Over the years, the museum continued to grow, moving into the old jail in the 1970s and today working on renovating two buildings on Indiana Avenue in downtown Valparaiso to become its newest home. The present building will be kept and restored at some point in the future, said Pazour.

Pazour said attendance has grown dramatically, aiming to top 10,000 people this year, nearly 10 times the number as when he interned at the museum.

Pazour believes the museum's popularity has grown because of the different approach that has been taken. Instead of just displaying artifacts, they use the artifacts to illustrate stories of Porter County's history.

The change has earned the museum the 2016 Outstanding Historical Organizations Award for the state of Indiana presented by the Indiana Historical Society.
WASHINGTON  There are an estimated 21.6 million veterans in the United States. Among them, nearly 9 million are enrolled in health care provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs. About 4.3 million veterans get disability compensation from the VA and nearly 900,000 have been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder.

A 2014 law signed by President Barack Obama aimed to alleviate delays many veterans faced in getting treatment at VA hospitals and clinics and end the widespread practice of fake wait lists that covered up long waits for veterans seeking health care. Two years later, many of the problems remain.

Where they stand

Hillary Clinton has pledged to ensure veterans have access to timely and high-quality health care and vows to block efforts to privatize the Veterans Health Administration, the VAs health-care arm. Clinton also wants to bolster veterans benefits, including education and housing aid included in the GI bill. She would ensure that military sexual trauma is acknowledged as a disability under VA rules.

Donald Trump says he will expand programs that allow veterans to choose their doctor  regardless of whether theyre affiliated with the VA  and still receive government-paid medical care. Trump says thats not privatized care but, he told The Associated Press, a way of not allowing people to die waiting for doctors. Trump also pledged to fire or discipline VA employees who fail veterans or breach the public trust. He also would increase mental health professionals and create a White House hotline dedicated to veterans.

Gary Johnson said veterans should have a choice of where they receive their care  either through VA facilities or through private providers. He also has pledged to remove federal obstacles to the use of medical marijuana to treat PTSD and other conditions.

Why it matters

Lifetime health care is part of the bargain for many of those who put their lives on the line in the armed forces, and its become clear the government isnt holding up its end.

Veterans care has gained prominence since a 2014 scandal in which as many as 40 veterans died while waiting for care at a Phoenix VA hospital. Similar problems were soon discovered nationwide. Veterans waited months for care even as VA employees created secret waiting lists and other falsehoods to cover up the delays.

A law approved after the scandal broke created a program that allows veterans to seek private care at government expense, but the program is limited to veterans who have waited 30 days for an appointment or live 40 miles from a VA health center. Trump says he would vastly expand the program, calling problems at the VA under President Barack Obama widespread and totally inexcusable.

Clinton says the VA must retain the ultimate responsibility for veterans care. She cites the Veterans Health Administrations leadership in areas such as prosthetics and traumatic brain injury. She promises to create an oversight board to monitor quality of care.

With nearly 370,000 employees and an annual budget of nearly $167 billion, the VA is the largest civilian agency in the government, and second overall to the Defense Department.

Veterans are also a politically consequential group. Nearly 70 percent voted in the 2012 presidential election, a higher rate than the general population.
INDIANAPOLIS  Two Northwest Indiana senators have each been proclaimed the states top lawmaker by interest groups representing aviation and water businesses.

State Sen. Jim Arnold, D-LaPorte, recently was named Senator of the Year by Aviation Indiana for his consistent support for local airports and their contributions to economic development during his 10 years in the Senate.

In March, Arnold won approval for House Enrolled Act 1154 permitting airport board members to participate in meetings electronically rather than in-person, saving Indiana airport authorities untold time and effort while planning for improvements.

Arnold, a former Air Force air traffic controller, said he was deeply honored by the award. He said local airports are the front door to the community and the first impression that a prospective business notices when they come in. The airport is also the last thing they see as they fly out.

Also this month, the Indiana Chapter of the National Association of Water Cos. named state Sen. Ed Charbonneau, R-Valparaiso, as its Legislator of the Year for his proactive approach to addressing the states water issues.

These issues are directly linked to the quality of life of all Indiana residents and the economic viability of our state and the communities where we all live and work, said Jeff Williams, chapter chairman.

Charbonneau said he was honored to be recognized and plans to continue his water focus during the 2017 legislative session.

Water is vital to our states overall health and stability. Addressing issues that could put this natural resource at risk is a step toward ensuring that Indianas water is safe and abundant for Hoosier families, he said.
MUNSTER  One of the towns most active and involved citizens has received a Sagamore of the Wabash award.

Russell A. Snyder, a former Town Council member who was instrumental in the development of Centennial Park, was given the award by State Rep. Bill Fine, who cited Snyders achievements and all the ways hes been instrumental to the towns growth.

The Sagamore of the Wabash is an honorary award and title created in the 1940s by then governor Ralph F. Gates. Sagamore was a term used to describe tribal chiefs by Algonquian speaking Indian tribes in the northeastern United States. The Wabash is the state river of Indiana and a major tributary of the Ohio River.

Astronauts, presidents, ambassadors, artists, musicians, politicians and everyday citizens have been given the Sagamore to recognize the ways theyve contributed to Hoosier heritage.

(The award) is greatly appreciated, Snyder said. Theres more stuff to get done; were not through yet.

Fine, who represents District 12, Munster, Highland and parts of Hammond and Griffith, made his presentation at the beginning of a recent Town Council meeting. Snyder, he said, sat on Munsters first Park Board in 1960. He was a Town Council member for 16 years and was instrumental not only in the development of Centennial but also of the Munster Municipal Complex.

Upon leaving the board, he joined the Munster Municipal Center Corp. and helped oversee significant improvements to Centennial. A member of Munster Lions for 55 years, Snyder also belongs to Ridge Methodist Church in Munster. Snyder has also worked as a commercial real estate broker in Munster and has made it his personal mission to walk every street in town, Fine said.
VALPARAISO  The Rev. James Greanias called Saturday's Feast of St. Iakovos service "historic" in a number of ways.

Greanias, who serves as parish priest at St. Iakovos Greek Orthodox Church in Valparaiso, said he was honored to welcome back His Eminence Metropolitan Iakovos, of Chicago.

Greanias made his comments at the end of a two-hour service officiated by five other Greek Orthodox priests in addition to Iakovos.

"I'd like to welcome you on this historic night. His Eminence was here with us four years ago and now he is back with us to celebrate. We are very honored," Greanias said.

Iakovos, who serves as spiritual leader of Greek Orthodox parishioners within six Midwestern states, came to celebrate and officiate Saturday services marking the beginning of the Feast of St. Iakovos.

"Just to have our spiritual leader here is special to us. I have known His Eminence since I was a senior in high school and he was a bishop," Greanias said.

Iakovos, who has served in his present position since 1979, also stayed to officiate at the Sunday morning Matins and the Divine Liturgy services at St. Iakovos.

Greanias said the weekend was also historic for St. Iakovos because it also marked its 35th anniversary as well as a next major step which is to begin construction of the permanent church.

The congregation, which four years ago moved to its present 8,200-square-foot building at 34 W. 700 North, has paid off its $325,000 mortgage, Greanias said.

"We now own all of this and can look to our future," Greanias said.

That future entails construction of a permanent church to be built on the northeast side at a cost of between $3 to $4 million.

The congregation of some 150 families began celebrating services starting in 1981 at a former Methodist church near Valparaiso University and moved on a temporary basis in 2007 to the old St. Paul's School gymnasium.

The Rev. Andrew Georganas, parish priest at St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church in Elmhurst, Ill., provided the homily at Saturday's service.

In his sermon, Georganas called upon parishioners to remember those who have helped build up the faith.

"Along with the Feast of St. Iakovos, we celebrate our dear spiritual leader and shepherd, Metropolitan Iakovos. As we gather and draw from the well, we thank Almighty God for giving us a true bishop of the church. One whose steady hand, compassionate demeanor, Fatherly counsel and Christ-like example has helped make us better followers of Christ," Georganas said.

Georganas also called upon parishioners to remember St. Iakovos, or James, the Apostle whose memory was celebrated in the service on Saturday.

"May we always remember St. Iakovos and our Metropolitan Iakovos," Georganas said.

Georganas also wished Iakovos Xronia polla, or many years, to him on his name day which is also that of the Valparaiso church.

Within the Greek Orthodox faith, it is common to celebrate an individuals name day rather than ones birthday and the name day is the day honoring the saint for whom a person is named, according to John Ackerman, director of media relations for the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Chicago.

Iakovos said he was thankful and humbled by the kind words said about him.

"The great mission is to bring more people to be brothers of Christ and embrace him and to listen to his miracles," Iakovos said in part.
Community Civility Counts, a nationally recognized campaign that started in Gary in 2015, will partner with The Civility Center (civilitycenter.org), a longtime non-profit organization, as both organizations continue to expand and bring awareness to #CivilityCounts in communities and classrooms.

The partnership fits for The Civility Center, with an international board of directors and a mission to be the catalyst for conversation about civility in society and to provide leadership, resources, and tools that empower individuals and organizations to be civility champions in their communities.

The Civility Center is a resource clearinghouse with a civility toolkit, a speakers bureau and other features at civilitycenter.org. The Center recently released its Civility Scorecard, which is designed to encourage political candidates to speak in a civil manner so that voters can be informed about important issues.

The partnership also fits for Community Civility Counts, which sold out its first World Civility Day last April in Gary, Indiana, attracting visitors from nine states and three nations and civility groups that included The Civility Center.

Representatives of both organizations recently attended and presented at the biannual National Coalition for Dialogue & Deliberation conference held in Boston.

Community Civility Counts, which started as a partnership with the Gary Chamber of Commerce and The Times Media Co., has been expanding throughout Northwest Indiana and has been reaching out further with a model of how to bring #CivilityCounts to communities.

It debuted a pilot Civility in the Classroom program last year at Lighthouse College Prep Academy in Gary and, working with a group of teachers, has since expanded it to a full curriculum at Lighthouse and Steel City Academy charter schools this year. The curriculum can be offered to schools in and outside the Region.

Several local government councils have passed civility resolutions in Northwest Indiana, and the Indiana Senate and House recently passed civility resolutions. The wording of these resolutions can be offered to other governments through The Civility Center.

We are pleased to join with The Civility Center and raise the bar on our #CivilityCounts work and programs in communities and schools, said Bob Heisse, editor of The Times Media Co. This is so important for local communities as we see such a lack of civility at the national level during this presidential campaign.

The Times Media Co. recently won the Associated Press Media Editors Innovator of the Year award for its work in Community Civility Counts. And the Community Civility Counts team has just been recognized as members of the Northwest Indiana Society of Innovators.

As part of its partnership, The Civility Center will support an annual World Civility Day in Northwest Indiana, where the effort started. The next World Civility Day will be held on Thursday, April 13, 2017. Details will come soon.

Follow Community Civility Counts activities at nwi.com/civilitycounts and on the Civility Counts Facebook page.

Follow The Civility Center at civilitycenter.org and on The Civility Center Facebook page.

For our how-to guidelines on becoming a civil community or school, contact Bob Heisse or Summer Moore with The Times Media Co. They can be reached at bob.heisse@nwi.com and summer.moore@nwi.com.
Hundreds of ghosts and goblins took to the streets today in the West Village. As our Gene Apodaca reports, this wasn't a zombie apocalypse, it was all for a good cause.

Halloween came extra early for hundreds of kids in the West Village.

But, this parade and party wasn't just for these little ghouls and goblins. Organizers were hoping to scare up a few bucks too.

"Any little bit of money we can help for the kids of this city is really important," said one parent.

The annual Halloween Fundraising festival was designed to raise money for the Bleecker Playground, a popular site for many families in the West Village.

Some of the equipment here is getting old and outdated, and needs replacement. That is a frightening prospect for a play area with such history.

"This is the hub of the West Village," said Jillian McIntyre President of the Friends of Bleecker Playground. "I mean this is where it all happens and this is a fantastic playground. My son who is now seven really learned to walk here. He was singing, playing."

That's the reason The Friends of Bleecker Playground enlisted dozens of donors and volunteers.

The New York City Classical Training Troup came out to teach kids some "thriller" moves.

Perry School was also here, helping kids decorate their very own jack-o-lanterns.

"The downtown area has an eclectic group of people that is very special to New York City and we are very proud to be a part of this," said Dawn Lesley Stewart, founder of Perry School. "We have been in the community for 15 years working with children, education and community."

Just four years ago, this event was nearly cancelled because there weren't enough volunteers. Today, however, the event is thriving and organizers are hoping that means more dollars in the donation box.''

"We're in an area in the West Side of Manhattan where we have some of the most park-starved neighborhoods around," said state Senator Brad Hoylman. "That's why Bleecker Playground is so important and that's why I'm so grateful to the organizers who stepped in about four years ago to save this event."

And save it they did. The event raised $25,000 for the upgrades, giving kids a boo-ti-ful gift they'll enjoy for years.
Police are investigating a deadly shooting in the Bronx and they say the gunman uses a wheelchair.

Investigators want to find the men seen in surveillance photos.

They say the man in the wheelchair shot 28-year-old Kevin Thomas several times in the chest early Sunday morning at the Mott Haven Houses on 143rd Street near Willis Avenue.

Thomas was pronounced dead at the hospital.

Police say the shooting appears to be drug-related.

Anyone with information on the case should contact the Crime Stoppers hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS, or text CRIMES and then enter TIP577, or visit www.nypdcrimestoppers.com.


Daily gas imports from Slovakia by Ukraine set new record

Ukraine on October 22 imported record-breaking 42.016 million cubic meters of natural gas from Slovakia, according to data from public joint-stock company Ukrtransgaz.

The previous highest figure for imports from Slovakia in the 26-month history of gas imports from this country was recorded in October 2016: 41.859 million cubic meters on October 21 and 41.627 million cubic meters on October 5.

The application for gas imports for October 23 exceeds 42 million cubic meters.

On October 1 through October 22, Ukraine imported 1.077 billion cubic meters of gas from Europe, including 897.5 million cubic meters from Slovakia, 92.8 million cubic meters from Poland and 86.9 million cubic meters from Hungary.

Earlier Naftogaz Ukrainy Board Chairman Andriy Kobolev predicted that in October gas imports from Europe would total some 1.3-1.4 billion cubic meters.

Ukraine has halted imports of gas from Russia since November 26, 2015 (for almost 11 months).
Apple Computer introduced a portable music player today and declared that the new gadget, called the iPod, was so much easier to use that it would broaden a nascent market in the way the Macintosh once helped make the personal computer accessible to a more general audience.

But while industry analysts said the device appeared to be as consumer friendly as the company said it was, they also pointed to its relatively limited potential audience, around seven million owners of the latest Macintosh computers. Apple said it had not yet decided whether to introduce a version of the music player for computers with the Windows operating system, which is used by more than 90 percent of personal computer users.

''It's a nice feature for Macintosh users,'' said P. J. McNealy, a senior analyst for Gartner G2, an e-commerce research group. ''But to the rest of the Windows world, it doesn't make any difference.''

Steven P. Jobs, Apple's chief executive, disputed the concern that the market was limited, and said the company might have trouble meeting holiday demand. He predicted that the improvement in technology he said the iPod represented would inspire consumers to buy Macintosh computers so they could use an iPod.
Steve Dillon, a comic-book artist best known for Preacher, a long-running series, recently adapted for television, about three companions who literally search for God, died over the weekend in Manhattan. He was 54.

His brother, Glyn, announced the death on Twitter on Saturday but did not say when he died. His friend and collaborator Garth Ennis, a comic book writer, said the cause was a ruptured appendix that Mr. Dillon at first assumed was food poisoning.

Mr. Dillon, who lived in England, had been in New York to attend Comic Con, the annual industry convention for comic book fans.

He was a legend among comic-book fans and considered a master of his craft by colleagues. Known for a deeply expressive, often humorous style that leapt off the page, he created characters that could communicate volumes with a single expression.
Over three decades ago, such was AT&Ts monopoly over the nations communications networks that the government forcefully shattered its empire.

Now, as one of its successors again seeks a formidable business empire by buying Time Warner, lawmakers, analysts and advocacy groups are closely watching to see if the union, or any that follow in its wake, poses harm to consumers.

Reaction to AT&Ts $85.4 billion purchase was swift  and, outside of Wall Street, full of skepticism. Much of the concern was rooted in how consumers have fared since Comcast bought NBCUniversal, a deal that provided a template for the consolidation of media and telecommunications.

Acquisitions in general raise warning signs for regulators because of a reduction in competition. But combining a telecommunications company with a media company, in particular, raises questions about whether consumers would have less choice because the conglomerate both creates its own content and provides the pipes that deliver both its own offerings and its competitors.
Lets be honest, prices arent going to go down because of this, said Rich Greenfield, a media analyst at BTIG Research. I dont think vertical integration lends itself to consumer benefits.

Already, Donald J. Trump has denounced the acquisition and said, Well look at breaking this deal up if he were president. Tim Kaine, Hillary Clintons vice-presidential nominee, said he was concerned about the transaction. Less concentration, I think, is generally helpful, especially in the media, he said on Meet the Press.

A raft of consumer-protection groups are already girding for a fight. And media and telecommunication rivals are hinting that they are prepared to battle the deal in Washington. A transaction of this magnitude obviously warrants very close regulatory scrutiny, a spokesman for Disney said.

The worry among consumer groups and rivals, of course, is that for AT&T to make the deal work strategically and financially  the company is paying a 35 percent premium to Time Warners stock price before news of the deal broke last week  it is going to use Time Warners content as a weapon against its rivals by raising the price that they pay for carriage of channels such as HBO and CNN, while integrating those same channels into new AT&T offerings at lower prices.
Article: Hackers Used New Weapons to Disrupt Major Websites Across U.S.

Before Reading

Did you experience any internet outages on Friday? If not, did you hear about such outages? Do you know why they occurred?

Questions for Comprehension and Analysis

1. Why were some major websites inaccessible to people in parts of the United States on Friday?

2. What does the article describe as a troubling development in the attack? Why?

3. How does a distributed denial-of-service attack happen?

4. Why are companies like Dyn frequent targets of attacks like the one that occurred on Friday?

5. Who is Bruce Schneier? What does he believe is the purpose of a large DDoS attack for those who carry it out?
The new City Point retail center in Downtown Brooklyn has the usual big-box staples like Target and Trader Joes, but just past the fourth-floor entrance to a Century 21 department store is a bar called House of Wax that is far from conventional.

It looks as if it should have a barker out front. And inside, where your average saloon might feature a pool table or televised ballgames, this one has other diversions. Near one end is a Foetal Abnormalities section. Next to the D.J. booth is a Body Modification section, featuring a life-size wax model of a woman, physically disfigured by years of wearing a corset, with her inner organs displayed.

House of Wax, which is set to open on Friday as part of the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema multiplex, includes more than 100 anatomical models salvaged from a 19th-century wax museum in Berlin, said Ryan Matthew Cohn, who bought the display last year from a German dealer.

We literally built this bar around the collection, said Mr. Cohn, as he gave a preview of the place last week, adding that the bars theme made it the only one I know of its kind.
Crows and ravens would seem to be the perfect New Yorkers. Both bird species are whip-smart, sociable, energetic, talkative and loud. And they dress entirely in black.

But just a decade ago, they were almost nowhere to be seen or heard in New York City.

Common ravens had always been an uncommon sight in New York. The American crow population, having grown steadily through the 1990s, collapsed almost overnight in the early 2000s after an outbreak of the West Nile virus. Only the fish crow population has held on, but not surprisingly, they tend to congregate along the shorelines.

So could that really have been a photo of a raven that turned up this month, perched on the roof of the Flatiron Building? Could those really have been caws heard the next morning in Central Park, a grating but not unwelcome note in the daily symphony of Manhattan noises?

Yes, the experts answered. Both were possible.

When I started birding, if you wanted to see a raven, you drove up to Cascade Lake in the Adirondacks, and waited, said Thomas W. Burke, who runs the Rare Bird Alert service in New York City. Now, if you dont see one in a day at Prospect Park, youve probably been unlucky.
The race in the 22nd District is unusual because it also includes a well-financed independent candidate, Martin Babinec, a wealthy technology sector businessman. A recent Time Warner Cable News/Siena College poll showed Ms. Tenney with support from 35 percent of voters surveyed, with Ms. Myers at 30 percent and Mr. Babinec at 24 percent. In the poll, released on Sept. 29, before Mr. Trumps boasts about groping women became public, Mr. Trump led Mrs. Clinton by 11 points in the district.

Voters are not only angry and frustrated, but are asking questions about how did we find ourselves in this situation, Mr. Babinec said, adding that the election drama at the top of the ticket raised interest and appetite for the value of an independent candidate.

In August, after Mr. Trump criticized the family of a Muslim-American soldier killed in Iraq, Ms. Tenney was quoted as saying that he had crossed a line. But she said she would still vote for him because he was preferable to Mrs. Clinton.

Ms. Tenney did not respond to requests for an interview, but her spokeswoman, Hannah Andrews, said Mr. Trumps comments about groping women had not changed her position. She says she will vote for him and supports him, Ms. Andrews said.

But an ad running on Ms. Tenneys behalf, paid for by the National Republican Congressional Committee, sounds a very different note. It makes no mention of Mr. Trump, warns ominously about the Islamic State and job losses, and says Ms. Myers would be a rubber stamp for Mrs. Clinton  implying that she will be the next president.

The 22nd District is one of many across the country seen as crucial to both parties congressional hopes. It is currently represented by a Republican, Representative Richard L. Hanna, who is retiring. Mr. Hanna, perhaps freed by not having to run for re-election, has denounced Mr. Trump and said he plans to vote for Mrs. Clinton.
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Long before he became known as Barack Obamas political guru, David Axelrod was a journalist  a political storyteller at The Chicago Tribune. His storytelling instincts are obvious on his podcast, The Axe Files. Its become my favorite new podcast over the past year.

Each episode consists of Axelrod talking with a single guest, usually a politician, a political aide or a writer. He starts by asking guests to tell their life story  how they ended up doing what they do  and the conversation eventually comes around to current events, which these days means the 2016 campaign. In the best episodes, you emerge feeling as if youve heard a human story and also become smarter about the world.

One place to start is a recent episode featuring Ron Brownstein, of The Atlantic. The conversation builds to a succinct diagnosis of our political landscape. Brownstein notes that Democrats appear on the verge of winning the popular vote for the sixth time in seven presidential elections  which no party has done before in the United States.
President Obama is fond of saying that Hillary Clinton is the most qualified person to ever seek the presidency. And, if current polls are correct and prove resilient, she will be one of the most qualified people to be elected and ascend to that office.

But one of the great ironies of this election is that Americas first female president may be viewed by many as the countrys most invalid president, hanging under the specter of suspicion, mistrust and illegitimacy.

This is partly because her opponents all along the way have complained that the system  from the media to the electoral apparatus  was rigged and unfairly tilted in her favor, and its partly because of unflattering bits of information that have come to light from an illegal hack.

During the primaries, Bernie Sanders (who now supports Clinton) made very clear that he thought that both the media and the Democratic Party itself had not been fair to him. As he put it, We knew we were taking on the establishment.
Member of Parliament Serhiy Taruta says he welcomes the recent appointment by Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko of his representatives as members of the Council of the National Bank of Ukraine, however, he expects there will be a decision on the dismissal of NBU Governor Valeriya Gontareva as well.

"I'm glad that President Poroshenko has taken my open letter into consideration. After more than a year's break, the president has appointed his representatives to the NBU Council today. I hope President Poroshenko's next step will be the fulfillment of my major demand - the dismissal of NBU head Valeriya Gontareva," Taruta said on Monday in an interview to journalists.

As was reported, Poroshenko on October 24 appointed former Economy Minister Bohdan Danylyshyn and President of Kyiv Institute of Banking Vasyl Furman as members of the NBU Council.

"1. To appoint Bohdan Danylyshyn for the period of seven years and Vasyl Furman for the period of six years as members of the Council of the National Bank of Ukraine," the president said in decree No. 470/2016 published on Monday on the presidential website.
On Nov. 1, 2006, I found my wife, Adrienne Shelly, dead in her West Village office. Adrienne, an actor and filmmaker, had been brutally murdered by a 19-year-old undocumented Ecuadorean construction worker; he later said they were having an argument and, fearing she would report him and have him deported, he killed her and staged her death so it would appear to be a suicide. Our daughter was just 2 years old at the time.

Given the anger and grief I still feel, I could easily be seduced by Donald J. Trumps anti-immigrant rhetoric that is the cornerstone of his presidential run. Theyre bringing drugs. Theyre bringing crime. Theyre rapists, he said as he began his campaign in 2015. And in these final weeks before the election, rather than tacking to the middle, he seems to be doubling down. Weve got some bad hombres, he said in last weeks debate, referring to immigrants who commit crimes.

And its not just Mr. Trump. In the years since Adriennes murder Ive received several offers from prominent members of the conservative media, including Fox News Bill OReilly and Megyn Kelly, to speak out on this issue and give legitimacy to right-wing anti-immigrant sentiment. Who better than a Democrat to attack an entire segment of our population, right?

But Adrienne was not murdered by an illegal immigrant, per se. She fell victim to a depraved killer who simply happened to be an undocumented immigrant. It is an obvious distinction, almost too obvious, but its an important one to consider as the country goes further down the dangerous path of demonizing those not born here.
Cambridge, Mass.  Ive been at Harvard University for 17 years, but Ive never been in a classroom here. Im a cook in the dining halls. I work in the cafeteria at the T.H. Chan School of Public Health, where every day I serve amazing students studying medicine, nutrition and child welfare, as well as the doctors and researchers who train them.

While Ive earned no college credits here, Ive had a lesson in hypocrisy.

On my way to work each morning, I pass a building with the inscription: The highest attainable standard of health is one of the fundamental rights of every human being. If Harvard believes this, why is the administration asking dining hall workers to pay even more for our health care even though some of us pay as much as $4,000 a year in premiums alone?

I serve the people who created Obamacare, people who treat epidemics and devise ways to make the world healthier and more humane. But I cant afford the health care plan Harvard wants us to accept.

Thats why I have been on strike with 750 co-workers for more than two weeks. Thats why the other day, co-workers and I were arrested after we sat down in Harvard Square, blocking traffic, in an act of civil disobedience. And thats why the medical school students, in their white coats, have been walking the picket line with us in solidarity.
Since there were about 14,000 murders around the country last year, its easy to imagine that the small number of newly condemned people shows that the justice system is focusing on the worst of the worst. But thats wrong. In fact the crimes of the people sentenced to death are no worse than those of many others who escape that fate. Rather, nearly all of last years death sentences came from a tiny fraction of counties with three common features: overzealous prosecutors; inadequate public defenders; and a pattern of racial bias and exclusion. This was the key finding of a two-part report recently issued by the Fair Punishment Project at Harvard Law School.

Even in the most death-friendly counties, public support appears to be fading. In two of the worst  Duval County in Florida and Caddo Parish in Louisiana  local prosecutors lost elections at least partly due to voters concerns about their stance on the death penalty. In other counties around the country, prosecutors are finding that aggressive advocacy for death sentences isnt the selling point with the public that it once was.

In some of the biggest states, death-penalty systems are defunct or collapsing. Earlier this month, the Florida Supreme Court struck down a terrible state law that allowed nonunanimous juries to impose death sentences  increasing the likelihood that innocent people and those with intellectual or mental disabilities would be condemned. A large number of Floridas 386 death-row inmates could now receive new sentencing trials, or have their sentences thrown out altogether.

In California, which hasnt executed anyone since 2006 even though more than 740 inmates sit on death row, voters will decide in November whether to eliminate capital punishment for good. A similar ballot initiative in 2012 was narrowly defeated. In 2014, a federal judge ruled that the states decades-long delays in capital cases violated the Eighth Amendments ban on cruel and unusual punishment. (The decision was overturned by an appeals court on technical grounds the following year.)
To the Editor:

Re In Defense of the Religious Right, by Ross Douthat (column, Oct. 16):

As the granddaughter of an evangelical pastor, I am numbed by the hypocrisy of this group and the candidacy of Donald Trump.

Always quick to condemn the sexual behavior of others in the past, evangelical leaders have chosen to look the other way regarding the outrageous sexual behavior of their candidate.

In the apparent hope that a Trump Supreme Court will finally make all abortions illegal in this country, they have willingly signed on with a candidate who sexually degrades and humiliates women.

No matter which way you slice it, women cannot win with this bunch.

DARLEE CROCKETT

La Jolla, Calif.

To the Editor:

Ross Douthat writes about politics as if the religious right is and has been the only home for Christians. New Yorks great liberal senator, Robert Wagner, was born an ordinary German, married Irish and was buried Catholic. Some of us still see his work  Social Security, labor and racial justice  as the secular expression of the great papal encyclical, Rerum Novarum.
BUSINESS DAY

An article on Friday about the online lending industrys efforts to shape standards for itself, partly to stave off federal regulators, described the business of one online company, Fundera, incorrectly. It is a loan marketplace that connects borrowers with online lenders; it does not underwrite or make loans itself.



A subheading with an article on the Automobiles page on Friday about a father and son who leased a Porsche together misstated the pairs geographic proximity. James Schembari, the father, lives in Connecticut and his son Sam lives in Michigan. They are not in different time zones. A picture caption with the article also misstated, in some editions, the two mens reason for traveling to Porsches American headquarters in Atlanta. They were there to take the racing training that the company offers to new Porsche owners and lessees, not to take delivery of their car.



An article on Thursday about Silicon Valleys unease with contributions to the Trump campaign by the billionaire investor Peter Thiel misstated the job title of Sam Altman at Y Combinator, an incubator for tech start-ups. He is president of the YC Group, not managing director of YC Research.

THE ARTS

An article on Thursday about a fund-raising campaign by the Smithsonian Institution to repair a pair of Dorothys ruby red slippers worn by Judy Garland in The Wizard of Oz misstated the name of the museum being built by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in Los Angeles, where another pair of the slippers will be on display. It is the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, not the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Museum.
That bad and beautiful Susan Traherne is back in town, glowering and glamorous and hellbent on kicking the stuffing out of what evers left of the British Empire. Somehow, though, she seems more fragile than she did when New Yorkers first met her 34 years ago, and far less dangerous. Like many mavericks who once shocked the world, she has aged into a bit of a bore.

Reincarnated with equal parts limp hysteria and fashion-plate elegance by Rachel Weisz, Susan is the radioactively unhappy center of David Hares Plenty, which has been revived by David Leveaux at the Public Theater, where it was first seen in 1982. At that time, Susan was portrayed by Kate Nelligan, who had originated the part in London, and her arrival was heralded as the second coming of Hedda Gabler.

Like Ibsens doomed Hedda, Susan was perceived as a figure of fascinating and fatal perversity, a woman of wildly heroic longings amid oppressive and insular small-mindedness. Mr. Hare, one of the British theaters most fervent chroniclers of his countrys moral failings, made his agent of destruction a former teenage courier for the French Resistance, unleashed in all her angry disillusionment onto the increasingly affluent and ideal-stripped England of the post-World War II era.

Nearly everyone who saw Ms. Nelligans blazing performance left the theater dazzled into near blindness. Only a fool would hold his breath waiting to see a better performance this season, Frank Rich wrote in The New York Times, hailing the play for its explosive theatrical vision and tour de force dialogue.
NORTH LAS VEGAS, Nev.  President Obama on Sunday savaged Representative Joe Heck, Republican of Nevada, for failing to reject Donald J. Trump earlier in the presidential race, seeking to tarnish Mr. Heck and other Republican candidates across the country by association with a standard-bearer he called indecent and unfit for the presidency.

Speaking at a high school here as he began a three-day campaigning and fund-raising trip, Mr. Obama portrayed Mr. Heck, who is in a competitive Senate race that could determine control of that chamber, as having helped enable Mr. Trumps rise by endorsing his breed of divisive politics. Only now, with Mr. Trumps campaign foundering, is Mr. Heck willing to abandon him, the president said.

I understand Joe Heck now wishes he never said those things about Donald Trump, Mr. Obama told several thousand people, noting that Mr. Heck had said he had high hopes that Mr. Trump would become president and thought he was fit to have control over the nuclear codes. But theyre on tape, theyre on the record, and now that Trumps poll numbers are cratering, he said, Im not supporting him? Too late! You dont get credit for that.

In wading so aggressively into the Nevada race, in which Mr. Heck is vying against Catherine Cortez Masto, a Democratic former state attorney general, to succeed Harry Reid, the retiring Senate Democratic leader, Mr. Obama was working to broaden his argument against Mr. Trump into one that can sully a large number of Republicans.
Alcohol-based hand sanitizer can be found in schools, offices, restrooms and restaurants and is great for cleaning hands in public places. But most of us would never think of drinking it.

But the products also contain a stronger concentration of alcohol than beer, wine and most hard liquors, and can be easily abused. The issue gained national attention recently when a former Wells Fargo banker admitted to swigging hand sanitizer at work to cope with the stress of working at the bank. A recent Saturday Night Live sketch also included a joke about the practice.

Ingestion of hand sanitizer can cause alcohol poisoning and even death, and the vast majority of those exposed are children under 6 who drink it by accident after finding it in the home or a parents purse or bag. Its less common for adults who can buy alcohol legally to deliberately ingest hand sanitizer, unless they are in an institution like a hospital or prison where alcohol is not allowed, are trying to commit suicide, or are alcoholics who cant obtain alcohol any other way or are trying to hide their drinking.

The problem appears to be on the rise. Last year the nations poison control center received 19,729 reports of exposure to hand sanitizer, up from 17,821 reports in 2011. But most exposures are accidental and the vast majority involve children who may have just licked their hands after rubbing hand sanitizer on them, tasted it by accident or inhaled it. Only 1,394 of last years incidents involved intentionally swallowing the liquid, according to the American Association of Poison Control Centers. There were two deaths.
NEW DELHI  As an opposition leader, Narendra Modi was a vocal critic of Indias government for not responding more forcefully to cross-border attacks from militants based in Pakistan. As prime minister, Mr. Modi has not shied away from openly retaliating in Pakistani-controlled Kashmir against the militants  and stirring up nationalist passions.

Now, with his tough stance, there are growing concerns that Mr. Modi may have narrowed his options, raising the risks of war with Indias nuclear-armed rival, Pakistan.

Experts are worrying about what India will do when Pakistan-based militants carry out another attack in India, as is almost certain. And how will Pakistan respond?

Were not at the point of no return, but we are in very dangerous waters, said Bruce Riedel, a fellow at the Brookings Institution who served in the Central Intelligence Agency, where he advised several American presidents on South Asia.
BERLIN  In this city laden with history, they were just two events recalling a heinous past: one, the opening of a public exhibition calling for a reckoning with a particularly brutal period of the Nazis rule; and the other, a modest remembrance of one Holocaust victim. Both channeled questions ever present here: Why did Germans under Hitler abandon their humanity  and who and what survived?

The exhibition, which opened late last month, confronts the mass murder of Jews and other minorities after the Nazis invaded the Soviet Union in June 1941. For all the attention paid to the past here, this display is the first in Germany to focus solely on those executions of more than two million people. Their bodies fell into pits, which were then covered and left as anonymous mass graves.

This Holocaust of the bullets, as it has come to be known, is deeply familiar to citizens of the former Soviet Union, particularly in Ukraine, Belarus, the Baltics and large parts of western Russia. The very oldest people in those places have vivid, direct memories; those who are middle-aged were raised on Soviet documentaries and war movies; and the young are exposed to modern displays of remembrance.

In Germany, however, the mass shootings are less known than the gas chambers and horrors of Auschwitz, Treblinka and other camps in Nazi-occupied Poland.
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has appointed former Economy Minister of Ukraine academician Bohdan Danylyshyn and President of Kyiv Institute of Banking Doctor of Economics Vasyl Furman members of the Council of the National Bank of Ukraine (NBU).

"1. To appoint Bohdan Danylyshyn for the period of seven years and Vasyl Furman for the period of six years members of the Council of the National Bank of Ukraine," the president said in decree No. 470/2016 published on Monday on the website of the head of state.

By the same decree the president of Ukraine ordered invalidating Article 1 of similar decree No. 384 dated February 28, 2005, which appointed Director of the Institute for Economics and Forecasting of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine Valeriy Heyets as member of the NBU council.

The decree also invalidated Article 1 of similar decree No. 545 of April 16, 2010, which appointed first deputy head of the presidential administration Iryna Akimova, advisor to the president Pavlo Haidutsky, head of the finance department at the Hetman Kyiv National Economic University Viktor Fedosov and presidential adviser Roman Shpek as members of the NBU council.

"This decree enters into force on the day of its publication," the document said.
PARIS  Two art collectors from the United States, Marlene and Spencer Hays, have pledged the Musee dOrsay here the largest foreign collection of art to be donated to France since World War II  more than 600 masterworks from the late 19th and early 20th centuries, including works by Pierre Bonnard, Edouard Vuillard, Amedeo Modigliani and Henri Matisse.

The couple, both 80 years old, signed an agreement with the French state on Saturday at the Elysee Palace in a ceremony in which President Francois Hollande named them both commanders of the Legion of Honor.

In 2013, 187 works valued at 173 million euros ($188 million) were shown at the museum in A Passion for France: The Marlene and Spencer Hays Collection, an exhibition organized in part by Guy Cogeval, the president of the Musee dOrsay and Musee de lOrangerie and a key player in securing the donation.

The works will be transferred to France upon the couples deaths, and the Musee dOrsay has agreed to display their collection intact in a dedicated space in the museum rather than dispersing the works throughout the galleries.
PHILADELPHIA  Adam ruins everything, but backstage late last month at the Trocadero Theater here, he was hoping that the tide of events wouldnt ruin his coming truTV election special. And that was before the presidential campaign really turned wacky.

Adam is Adam Conover, who gleefully corrects various popular misperceptions on the truTV series Adam Ruins Everything. On Tuesday night he turns that debunking skill toward presidential politics in The Adam Ruins Everything Election Special, a taped version of a live stage show he performed in 15 cities this fall.

Backstage before his Sept. 27 show at the Trocadero, a magnificently faded former burlesque house that was packed for the occasion, his worry wasnt that topical jokes about Donald J. Trump or Hillary Clinton would grow stale. Its not that kind of show, and hes not that kind of comic. He was concerned that any election-themed television special would be rendered irrelevant by some calamitous development in the unpredictable campaign.

It was just a vague worry, but soon it became more real. In Los Angeles on Oct. 5, Mr. Conover taped the performance that will be broadcast on Tuesday. Two days later, the infamous recording made during a visit to Access Hollywood in which Mr. Trump denigrates women came to light, and for a moment there was talk in the Republican Party about dropping him from the ticket.
For all these reasons, books continue to be written about the master of suspense, from the lurid and trashy (The Dark Side of Genius by Donald Spoto) to the thoughtful and scholarly (Hitchcocks Films by Robin Wood, The Moment of Psycho: How Alfred Hitchcock Taught America to Love Murder by David Thomson). After all these years, the one essential work on Hitchcock remains Francois Truffauts series of interviews with him, originally published as a book in 1967.

The latest volume, Alfred Hitchcock: A Brief Life, by the novelist and biographer Peter Ackroyd, offers no new revelations, but it provides a smart, fluent overview of the directors life and art, and the mysterious dynamic between the two. As with other serious books on Hitchcock, this volume will be judged, partly, by how closely the authors take on various films accords with the readers own. In this case, Notorious  Hitchcocks darkly brilliant masterpiece, in this viewers opinion  is hastily dismissed in a couple of pages, while the self-important Vertigo (which seems to be enjoying a surge in popularity these days) is minutely analyzed and dissected. Nearly as much time is spent on portentous fluff (like the dreadful Marnie and the oddly listless Topaz) as on the bravura and still stylish North by Northwest.

But Mr. Ackroyd does deftly situate Hitchcocks work in the rapidly emerging film industry. He succinctly sketches in Hitchcocks apprenticeship  how he absorbed lessons in chiaroscuro from the German Expressionist master F. W. Murnau, and the art of montage from the great Soviet director Sergei Eisenstein. Mr. Ackroyd also points out that his British films tend to be more grounded in a particular time and place, compared with his glossier Hollywood productions, which often float free from social ties and exist in some large indefinite space.

Mr. Ackroyd reminds us that Hitchcock believed that civilization is as thin as ice, beneath which lie depths and darknesses, and that his obsession with precision and control (manifested in his preference for shooting on carefully constructed sets, and his penchant for cruelly manipulating his actors) was a means of guarding against such cracks in the ice. Images and plot twists seem to have come more easily to Hitchcock than character work, which he left largely to screenwriters. And many of the famous set pieces in his movies  the shower scene in Psycho, the crop duster scene in North by Northwest  Mr. Ackroyd suggests, were part of the directors initial inspiration.
LONDON  Shakespeare may have had a little more help than previously suspected.

The New Oxford Shakespeare edition of the playwrights works  which will be published by Oxford University Press online ahead of a worldwide print release  lists Christopher Marlowe as Shakespeares co-author on the three Henry VI plays, parts 1, 2 and 3.

Its the first time that a major edition of Shakespeares works has listed Shakespeares colleague and rival as a co-author on these works, the volumes general editor, Gary Taylor, said in a phone interview.

No one has had the confidence to put the name actually on the title page, Mr. Taylor said. Which is perfectly reasonable because the only reason that we can do it now is because Shakespeare has entered the world of big data.

The Henry VI plays have long been believed to be the work of more than one author. Names floated by scholars in addition to Marlowes include Robert Greene and George Peele.
Good morning.

Were trying something new for our readers in Asia and Australia: a morning briefing to jump-start your day.

What do you like? What do you want to see here? Email us with your feedback at asiabriefing@nytimes.com.

Heres what you need to know:
With Thanksgiving less than a month away, airlines and airports  not to mention savvy travelers  are bracing for what could be a record-setting year-end holiday travel season in the United States.

Capping a year in which lower fuel prices kept airline ticket prices down, and a more robust economy spurred an increase in passengers, the coming holiday season could make airports more crowded than ever. Thats why it pays to start planning ahead to navigate crowded check-in and security lines.

Jessica Tipton, a lawyer in San Francisco who flies frequently for work and leisure, said she planned to give herself three hours to get checked in and through security when traveling this holiday season.

Thats kind of my minimum for holiday travel, even for a domestic flight, she said. I went to a wedding in mid-August, and it took me almost three hours to get through security  in the middle of a day on a Wednesday.
AT&Ts proposed $85.4 billion acquisition of Time Warner has no shortage of skeptics.

First, there are the analysts.

Vertically challenged, was the headline from a research note by Craig Moffett, a play on the term vertical integration, where a company combines with its customer, rather than competitor.

Morgan Stanley analysts called the deal a bold step, wondering whether the companies were swinging for the fences. Nomura said the deal was puzzling.

Then, there are the investors.

At midday on Monday, shares of Time Warner, the recipient of by all accounts a rich offer from AT&T, were down more than 2 percent, nearly 20 percent off the deals price tag. AT&Ts shareholders did not seem too thrilled either  its shares were off nearly 2 percent.
HONG KONG  A Chinese conglomerate has agreed to buy the insurer Genworth Financial of Virginia for $2.7 billion, in the latest example of Asian firms buying American insurance companies.

The conglomerate, China Oceanwide, which has interests in real estate and finance, said on Sunday that it had struck a deal to buy Genworth for $5.43 per share, offering a 4 percent premium to shareholders compared with Fridays closing. It also said that it would contribute an additional $1.1 billion to cover maturing debt and to invest in Genworths life insurance business.

Genworth, which provides mortgage and long-term-care insurance, would become a stand-alone subsidiary of Oceanwide.

Genworth also announced on Sunday that it would have an after-tax charge of $260 million to $300 million in the third quarter after reviewing how much it would have to keep in reserve for long-term-care claims.
Courts have expressed concern that prosecutors may violate a defendants rights by improperly withholding immunity to keep important evidence out of court. There are three requirements to showing such misconduct: that the government was discriminatory in granting immunity to favorable witnesses while denying it to those who will help the defendant to gain a tactical advantage, the testimony the witness would have given was helpful and important, and the information was not available from other sources.

One challenge to proving misconduct is that the witness immunity statute provides that a court can grant it upon the request of the United States attorney, but not on its own. It is recognized that the decision to charge someone with a crime is within the Justice Departments broad discretion, so judges are reluctant to interfere in a case when they may not have the same perspective as prosecutors.

Cases finding that the government acted improperly have proved to be quite rare, despite acknowledgment by the appeals courts that a judge may be able to immunize a defense witness as a means to combat prosecutorial misconduct that would result in an unfair trial. In a 1992 case, United States v. Bahadar, the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit in Manhattan, which governs the prosecution of Sean Stewart, pointed out that we have yet to be presented with a case in which the defendant gets over the first hurdle, let alone succeeds entirely.

A law review note found that through 2012, only a dozen cases resulted in a finding that prosecutors acted improperly in not granting immunity to a defense witness. Almost all were concentrated in appeals courts in California and Pennsylvania, while the only case in the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit was in 1979.

Even when prosecutors grant immunity to some witnesses while refusing to do so for the defense, that does not necessarily show improper conduct. In the prosecution of Bernard J. Ebbers, the former chief executive of WorldCom who was convicted of accounting fraud, the defense wanted immunity granted to senior executives who would testify that they were unaware of problems in the companys records. The government declined to give that immunity to three of the executives, who then refused to testify for the defense. The United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit found the government did not act improperly because there is no evidence of overreaching or the manipulation of immunity expressly for tactical reasons.

For Sean Stewart to show a violation, it will require more than just pointing out that his father would have been helpful to his case. Prosecutors act improperly when they refuse to grant immunity with the purpose of keeping evidence out of court that would have a significant impact on the case and that is not otherwise available.
HONG KONG  In a surprise move on Monday, the German authorities withdrew approval for the takeover of a domestic semiconductor firm by a Chinese bidder, a deal that was set to be an emblem of a new push by Chinese companies to acquire cutting-edge technology businesses and a sign of Berlins tolerance for such moves.

A statement from Aixtron, the German company being bought by Fujian Grand Chip, did not specify a reason for the reversal of the decision by the regulator in Germany. But it comes as concerns rise about Chinese firms taking over leading German tech companies, and with federal elections scheduled for next year.

Although Chinese investment in European companies is nothing new, some experts have raised concerns as Chinese funds have shifted focus from ailing businesses to more advanced and successful firms, particularly in Germany. So far this year, the country has been the largest recipient of Chinese investment in Europe, according to the Mercator Institute for China Studies, a research foundation based in Berlin.

In an article last month, The New York Times highlighted how a Chinese customer that dropped a large order  in turn crashing Aixtrons shares  had a relationship with Fujian Grand Chip. The connection did not indicate wrongdoing, but it does illustrate the blurred lines between acquisitive Chinese companies and Chinese industrial policy.
Ukrtransgaz agrees plan of pipeline repairs on Balkan route for 2017 with other gas companies

PJSC Ukrtransgaz has agreed the 2017 plan of repairs of pipelines for the Balkan area with other transiters of Russian gas, the press service of the company has said.

The plan was agreed in the framework of the conference, which in addition to the Ukrainian company was attended by Gazprom, Moldovagaz, Transgaz (Romania), Bulgargaz, Botas (Turkey), Desfa, Depa (both based in Greece) and Depa (Macedonia).

Plans for pipeline repairs are agreed with gas transportation companies every year.

As reported, Ukrtransgaz operates the system of trunk gas pipelines and 12 underground gas storage facilities in the country with a total capacity of 31 billion cubic meters.
The prediction is a 100 percent chance that it will fail, said Judge A. Raymond Randolph. Thats what the assumption is.

In response, Mr. Stern argued that the council considered a host of interrelated factors such as leverage that go to the issue of vulnerability, asserting that regulators were never required to assess the likelihood of distress on its own.

What the council is trying to determine is not whether but how distress will affect an institution  in this case, MetLife, he said.

He added that predicting the likelihood of failure was tremendously difficult, noting that very few people, except perhaps those featured in the recent movie The Big Short, would have forecast the collapse of American International Group before the financial crisis. But Mr. Stern argued that its near-failure in September 2008 and the consequences were devastating.

A.I.G. is instructive, Mr. Stern said.

While the line of questioning at the hearing appeared sympathetic to MetLifes arguments, the judges also asked some pointed questions of the insurers lawyer, Eugene Scalia, son of Antonin Scalia, the late Supreme Court justice. They pressed him about whether regulators had acted within the law in applying the SIFI designation, even if they did not conduct the exact analysis that the insurer itself would have preferred.

In addition, the judges asked Mr. Scalia about whether it was the job of the regulatory council to estimate the potential costs and benefits of the SIFI label.

Mr. Scalia emphasized that the designation itself had already posed significant costs on the firm, including millions of dollars in assessments to the government. He said that MetLife had hosted about a dozen examiners who were overseeing its activities before the March ruling.
TD Ameritrades $4 billion takeover of Scottrade merely delays the inevitable. Uniting the two American online stockbrokers stacks up financially, because of cost cuts, a tax break and a sale of a banking unit. Income and margins should rise, too. But it still leaves TD Ameritrade and rivals like Charles Schwab facing the longer-term competition of index investing and robo advice.

These two forces could upend the business of so-called discount brokers  those charging just a few dollars a trade. That is because they can obviate the need for either individual stock trading or a broad suite of tools to help investors play in the market  or both.

There is already evidence that investing in index funds is taking market share. Assets in passive mutual funds and exchange-traded funds grew by nearly $1.3 trillion in the three years through the end of August, according to Morningstar. Over the same period, money under management at active funds fell more than $250 billion.

Ameritrade has weathered the storm better than some: It averaged 463,000 trades a day in the financial year that ended on Sept. 30. That is slightly higher than the previous 12 months, although volume fell 7 percent in the final quarter. The latest figures for its privately owned new partner show a 3 percent year-on-year decline for the three months to June.
CMV should be every bit as urgent a priority as Zika, he argues. Health officials called for a vaccine decades ago, and there still isnt one, partly because of a lack of public awareness about CMV, Dr. Schleiss said.

CMV is a hardy member of the herpes family, and it is transmitted by contact with saliva and urine  often from diaper-wearing children to adults. Pregnant women often get it from toddlers, especially those in day care who share drool-drenched toys.

Toddlers are hot zones for CMV, said Dr. Gail Demmler-Harrison, a pediatric infectious disease specialist at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. It is difficult for mothers to protect themselves from a virus carried by the children they care for.

Nearly one in three children is infected by age 5, and more than half of adults by 40. CMV takes up permanent residence in the body and can cause illness again after being dormant. Like the Zika virus, it causes mild flulike symptoms, or none  but can be devastating to a fetus.

Had she known any of that while pregnant, Ms. Sweet might have reduced her chances of contracting CMV with diligent hand-washing, especially after diaper changes, and not sharing utensils or food with her son, Henry, then 2 and in day care.

If there was awareness about CMV, at least women working in day care and women with toddlers could potentially modify some behavior, Ms. Sweet said.
That was already a novelty: Renting a car is impossible or inadvisable in Libya and Syria, two of the Arab countries where Ive worked this year. Petrol (or gas, as Americans call it) is also strikingly cheap in Arizona: $30 for 15 gallons, or about one-third the price of what it costs in London, where I lived for a couple of years before moving to Cairo.

Image The re-enactment of the shootout at the OK Corral in Tombstone, Ariz., was entertaining and, thankfully, uneventful. Credit... Declan Walsh/The New York Times

We spent a week roving back and forth along a 120-mile stretch of border, under giant skies filled with dramatic columns of rolling clouds. Small towns with names like Apache, Rodeo and Tombstone echoed the Old West I had in my head. (The re-enactment of the shootout at the OK Corral in Tombstone was entertaining but not as eventful as it had been one day last year when an actor, having accidentally loaded real bullets into his gun, shot and wounded another cast member during the show.)

The Cochise County Fair in Douglas, with its glittering fairground and rodeo riders, presented a slice of amber-hued rural Americana that, until then, I had imagined only existed in the pages of National Geographic. In the animal stalls, children in cowboy hats cleaned and blow-dried their competition goats and cattle; vendors offered a glorious profusion of snacks like Zachs Poppin Johnny Ice Cream, made using a 1927 John Deere hit-n-miss engine that pops and chugs as it turns two old-fashioned oak churns (delicious). Otherwise they sold items that I found funny (Warning: You are Entering a Red Neck Area, read one sign) or faintly disturbing (Confederate flags hung from a stall where a tattoo-wearing trader displayed his array of large daggers to a spellbound young boy).

We crossed the border several times, parking the Jeep and traveling by foot. Getting into Mexico was easy  a simple security scan and a desultory document check and we were over. (Once, I didnt even have to show my passport.) Returning to America was another matter  a weaving journey through an elaborate, multimillion-dollar border post, replete with guards, cameras, scanners and dogs.

Image Jose Manuel Talavera, a quietly determined Honduran coffee farmer who has repeatedly slipped across the United States border into Arizona. Credit... Declan Walsh/The New York Times

Nogales, Ariz., is dwarfed by the eponymous city across the border in the Mexican state of Sonora. At a Christian shelter there, I interviewed a few migrants on Facebook Live, one of whom  a quietly determined Honduran coffee farmer named Jose Manuel Talavera  would become a central figure in our story. We spent a few hours with Mr. Talavera, walking the streets of Nogales and taking lunch together, so we could better understand why he was willing to risk all for such a perilous journey.
He said last week that it was too early to discuss skipping stations and that he was focused on making sure they were all ready on time. We havent given up on anything at this point, he said.

Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo of New York, who controls the authority, has pressed officials to meet the December deadline, Mr. Prendergast said. The governor meets with leaders at the agency each week to discuss the project and regularly visits different stations to monitor the contractors work, said James Allen, a spokesman for the governor, a Democrat.

Businesses and real estate agents on the Upper East Side are closely monitoring signs that an opening is near. Years of disruptions have frustrated residents and slowed the housing market along the subways corridor.

In the shadow of the construction on 72nd Street, the Trend Diner advertises a Hard Hat Special: 10 percent off for subway workers. The restaurants manager, Nicanor Gonzalez, said that business was rough and that he hoped it would improve once the construction clutter was gone.

They say December  I dont think so, he said. It doesnt look like its ready.

Even if passengers do start coming through the turnstiles by then, it would be difficult to claim the line was on schedule after such a tortured history, said Joseph B. Raskin, a former New York City Transit employee and the author of a book on subway lines that were never built.

You cant say its on time, Mr. Raskin said. I guess you could say: Better late than never.
To the Editor:

Re All the People, Places and Things Donald Trump Has Insulted on Twitter Since Declaring His Candidacy for President (a two-page chart, Oct. 24):

If Donald Trump loses on Nov. 8, he will indeed have been defeated by a rigged election: an election rigged against him by one named Donald Trump. Your litany of his destructive comments is all the proof that he or anyone should need.

LEONARD S. MARCUS

Brooklyn

To the Editor:

Let us not forget Khizr and Ghazala Khan, the Gold Star parents of Humayun Khan, an Army captain killed in Iraq, when tallying up the people whom Donald Trump has insulted on Twitter. His insults toward these grief-stricken and patriotic parents truly made me weep with rage and despair.

DONNA GITTER

New York

To the Editor:

I have no problem with your two-page, tiny-print list of Donald Trump insults. They are what they are. But how about some equal attention (perhaps at least half a page) to all of Hillary Clintons lies, insults and double dealings? They are both extremely flawed candidates.

The New York Timess actions to influence the outcome should be limited to the editorial page, not the news section. You only prove Mr. Trumps claim that the system is rigged.
To the Editor:

Although the Republican Party has spent enormous energy on stopping an infinitesimal number of ineligible voters, I believe that our democracy is in far greater peril from its efforts to make it harder to vote.

The Brennan Center for Justice has identified 14 states that have passed laws limiting voting rights in 2016, including the implementation of voter ID laws, reduced voting hours and making it harder to register to vote. The Supreme Courts 2013 decision that struck down key parts of the Voting Rights Act made it easier for states to set up barriers to voting.

Our elected officials need to enact changes to our voting process to ensure that the voices of all Americans are heard.

First, there should be an explicit constitutional right to vote.

Second, eligible voters should be automatically registered upon turning 18 or becoming a citizen.
Caracas, Venezuela  The decision on Thursday by several Venezuelan courts to annul the signatures gathered to activate a recall referendum casts into limbo the possibility of removing President Nicolas Maduro from office by constitutional, peaceful and electoral means. Unsurprisingly, the National Electoral Council used the decision to announce a few hours later that this weeks signature collection had been suspended, thus preventing the referendum from being carried out.

This judicial stratagem exudes an aura of illegality and cannot be explained without taking into account the ironclad concentration of powers wielded by the Chavista government in Venezuela since 2005. As the constitutional lawyer Gustavo Linares Benzo has stressed, Article 35 of the Penal Code clearly states that no criminal court judge may annul administrative acts. But this is exactly what happened when the courts annulled the initial decision of the electoral authorities to accept the one percent of the signatures already gathered in a first-stage drive for the recall referendum.

The government has trapped the opposition in a dead end, confining it within the institutional framework, and its remaining options are as difficult as they are crucial. The oppositions majority leader in the National Assembly, Julio Borges, announced on Sunday a legal investigation against Mr. Maduro to assess his responsibility in the constitutional rupture that has broken democracy.

Venezuela is at a breaking point. Canceling the referendum, which the majority wanted, closes the escape valve that has so far contained the discontent of over 80 percent of Venezuelans in the face of the economic and social collapse brought about by Mr. Maduros government. And there is no doubt that adding greater pressure to the boiling cauldron that Venezuelan society has become could cause it to explode.
Gordon Hamilton, a prominent climate scientist who studied glaciers and their impact on sea levels in a warming climate, died on Saturday in Antarctica when the snowmobile he was riding plunged into a 100-foot-deep crevasse. He was 50.

The National Science Foundation, which was funding his research, reported the death. The episode is under investigation, officials said.

Dr. Hamilton died on White Island in the continents Ross Archipelago, according to the University of Maine, in Orono, where he was an associate research professor in the glaciology group at the Climate Change Institute.
Experts who retrieve long cylinders of glacial ice to recreate climates of the past are rushing to secure samples before the ice melts and the precious information it records is gone forever. The immense ice sheets covering Greenland and Antarctica, whose disintegration would raise the ocean and drown coastal cities the world over, must be studied firsthand if scientists hope to understand what is happening to them.

Over meals, after a couple of beers, many of these scientists will speak of close calls on their expeditions: the slip of a foot on a narrow mountain trail, the collapse of a heavy piece of gear inches from somebodys head, the icy crevasse spotted just in time. For his Greenland expeditions, Dr. Hamilton carried a rifle to guard against attacks by polar bears.

Lonnie G. Thompson, a renowned glaciologist at Ohio State University, was once camped on an ice cap when a savage wind knocked down his tent and began blowing it off the side of the mountain  with him inside. A colleague helped him stop the slide by plunging an ax through the canvas into the ice.

I have watched on expeditions as senior scientists have put their own bodies at risk to protect junior associates and students. Nor are students who go on these trips immune to danger. One of the tragedies of Dr. Thompsons career was losing a graduate student, Shawn Wight, to an illness that began with altitude sickness on a Himalayan expedition.

Why take these risks?

You might imagine that a certain kind of personality would be drawn to this work, a swashbuckling Indiana Jones type for whom science is an excuse to go off and have grand adventures.
Businessman Oleh Bakhmatiuk has stated he is ready for compromise with the National Bank of Ukraine (NBU) on the issue of guarantees, he said in an interview with Interfax-Ukraine.

"We offered an open amicable agreement with installments over seven years. If the National Bank wanted to return the money, it would sit down at the negotiating table, but if Valeriya Gontareva [the NBU head] wants to destroy the company, she is not interested in our proposals," he said.

According to him, he is also ready to strengthen collateral to the National Bank on the issue of guarantees.

"If the National Bank wants to change the terms, I am ready for negotiations. If it wants to increase the security, I'm ready to talk about it. Those UAH 37 billion of debt I allegedly owed is nonsense. The real total debt to the Individual Deposit Guarantee Fund and the National Bank is UAH 18-19 billion. Of this amount UAH 7 billion is my personal guarantee to the NBU, and still we need to talk with the fund," Bakhmatiuk said.

He also said that until now all talks with the National Bank on the issue of guarantees were fruitless.
In a Roman mosaic from antiquity, a man on a street studies the sundial atop a tall column. The sun alerts him to hurry if he does not want to be late for a dinner invitation.

Sundials were ubiquitous in Mediterranean cultures more than 2,000 years ago. They were the clocks of their day, early tools essential to reckoning the passage of time and its relationship to the larger universe.

The mosaic image is an arresting way station in a new exhibition, Time and Cosmos in Greco-Roman Antiquity, that opened last week in Manhattan at the Institute for the Study of the Ancient World, an affiliate of New York University. It will continue until April.
People who tell small, self-serving lies are likely to progress to bigger falsehoods, and over time, the brain appears to adapt to the dishonesty, according to a new study.

The finding, the researchers said, provides evidence for the slippery slope sometimes described by wayward politicians, corrupt financiers, unfaithful spouses and others in explaining their misconduct.

They usually tell a story where they started small and got larger and larger, and then they suddenly found themselves committing quite severe acts, said Tali Sharot, an associate professor of cognitive neuroscience at University College London. She was a senior author of the study, published on Monday in the journal Nature Neuroscience.

Everyone lies once in a while, if only to make a friend feel better (That dress looks great on you!) or explain why an email went unanswered (I never got it!). Some people, of course, lie more than others.
Some people are old enough to remember when websites went down because of incompetence, not malicious intent.

The good news is that the software that runs big websites has improved significantly over the years. There are now tools that can spread traffic loads among thousands of servers and other improvements, so we have come to expect that our favorite sites will stay up all the time.

Image

The bad news? Hackers also have new tools to take those sites down. Friday morning, Dyn, a New Hampshire company that hosts critical portions of the internets infrastructure, was hit with so much traffic that its servers were overwhelmed. The attack caused sporadic disruptions at sites like Twitter, Reddit and The New York Times.
Mr. Lamas recently sat down inside the 199-seat Theater Center to talk about his return to the stage and how he found new life in the air. These are edited excerpts from the conversation.

Do you enjoy being a theater actor?

I only started doing stage in 2006. If youd asked me 15 years ago, when I was doing television, if Id ever be onstage, I would have told you absolutely not. It frightens the hell out of me.

What did working on soaps teach you?

There were days when I had 15 to 30 pages of dialogue that I only got the night before. That was a tremendous amount of work for me to get to the point where I felt confident as an actor.

Youve also had an extensive career as an action movie star. Why go that route?

I really wanted to be the American James Bond when I was starting out in the business. Then I got Falcon Crest, and the film portion of my career took a back seat. But toward the end of the 80s, I was offered a chance to do some action movies that were shot in Canada and went straight to video. That fulfilled my James Bond desires.

What do people recognize you for?

The ladies remember me from Falcon Crest, and the guys remember me from Renegade. Although theres crossover in both, most of the guys that come up to me or that want to say hello watched me as kids on Renegade. Many of them wanted to buy a motorcycle because of my character, or grow their hair long, or wear a duster, or be a badass, start karate. Its really a wonderful feeling to have where youve given people a purpose to do something thats good for them, whether its exercise or riding motorcycles.
The larger Hillary Clinton's polling margin over Donald J. Trump grows, the louder the question becomes: Is control of the House of Representatives really in play?

Among House strategists in both parties, the answer remains the same as it has been all year: not yet. Democrats must gain 30 seats to capture a majority. That requires sweeping nearly all Republican-held seats in which they nurse even small hopes of winning.

Yet the interplay between the presidential race and others on the ballot has made those small hopes bigger. So far, to the relief of Speaker Paul Ryan, pollsters don't see evidence of a broad Democratic wave. Mr. Trump's candidacy has veered so far outside traditional political norms that it hasn't changed how voters regard most conventional Republicans.

Their prospects nevertheless remain connected, at least loosely. Robert Erikson, a Columbia University scholar of links between the presidential contest and down-ballot races, notes two competing influences. The coattails of popular White House candidates lift House candidates of their party by drawing like-minded voters to the polls. Because of party polarization, those backing Democratic presidential candidates typically back Democrats for the House and Senate, too.
SILSBEE, Tex.  The last time a Democrat won Texas in a presidential election was 1976, when voters chose Jimmy Carter over Gerald R. Ford. Carey Georgas was 22 back then, a disillusioned Democrat who voted for Eugene McCarthy, the independent candidate, and who was working at Cravens Insurance in this East Texas town.

Forty years later, Mr. Georgas, 62, is still a Democrat, but not so disillusioned. He says he is voting for Hillary Clinton and has been following the polls showing Donald J. Trump with a narrow lead over her in Texas, one so slim that it fell within the margin of error in some surveys.

Yet, like many Democrats in a state that has voted to send Republicans to the White House in nine consecutive presidential races spanning four decades, he is equal parts optimist, realist and pessimist. Many of his friends and neighbors are Republicans who are supporting Mr. Trump.

Im bumfuzzled by the whole thing, said Mr. Georgas, now the president of Cravens. I dont think shell win the state. But I think shell close the margin closer than anybody has.
Along a secluded gravel road that runs between a riverbank and cotton fields in the Mississippi Delta region, a purple sign marks the area where Emmett Tills mutilated body was pulled from the Tallahatchie River in the summer of 1955.

For eight years, the sign has been riddled with bullet holes.

The 14-year-old from Chicago was visiting the South when he was accused of whistling at a white woman and murdered. His death became a rallying cry for the civil rights movement, but several signs meant to memorialize the killing  including the one on the riverbank between the towns of Glendora, Miss., and Webb, Miss.  have been vandalized by spray paint and bullet holes. Others have been stolen.

It took a visiting filmmaker, Kevin Wilson Jr., to rally support for replacing the sign by the Tallahatchie River when he shared a photo of it on his Facebook page this month.
SAN FRANCISCO  To the red-and-blue map of American politics, it may be time to add green. The movement to legalize marijuana, the countrys most popular illicit drug, will take a giant leap on Election Day if California and four other states vote to allow recreational cannabis, as polls suggest they may.

The map of where pot is legal could include the entire West Coast and a block of states reaching from the Pacific to Colorado, raising a stronger challenge to the federal governments ban on the drug.

In addition to California, Massachusetts and Maine both have legalization initiatives on the ballot next month that seem likely to pass. Arizona and Nevada are also voting on recreational marijuana, with polls showing Nevada voters evenly split.

The passage of recreational marijuana laws in Alaska, Colorado, Oregon and Washington over the past four years may have unlocked the door to eventual federal legalization. But a yes vote in California, which has an economy the size of a large industrial countrys, could blow the door open, experts say.
Senator Elizabeth Warren delivered a blistering rebuke of Donald J. Trump on Monday, warning him that nasty women vote and imploring a crowd to cast ballots for Hillary Clinton.

I dont know about you, Mrs. Clinton said as she flashed a thankful smile and seized the microphone from Ms. Warren at a rally in Manchester, N.H. But I could listen to Elizabeth Warren go on all day.

She might have to.

With polls and early voting data signaling that Mrs. Clinton is likely to prevail against Mr. Trump in two weeks, liberal Democrats are already looking past Election Day  and relying on Ms. Warren to become the thorn in chief in Mrs. Clintons side, scrutinizing her appointments and agenda.

Mrs. Clinton has vowed that if elected she will work across the aisle with congressional Republicans, but relations with liberals, including Ms. Warren of Massachusetts and Senators Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Sherrod Brown of Ohio, could prove quite contentious.
The Voting Rights Act was passed by Congress and signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson at the height of the civil rights era. In the Shelby County decision, Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. wrote that our country has changed since those days of rampant voter discrimination.

The decision  which freed nine states, mostly in the South, to change their election laws without advance federal approval  unleashed a wave of new voting arrangements in scores of jurisdictions throughout the country. Civil rights advocates argue that those changes, including voter identification requirements that have since been overturned, have been intended to make it more difficult for blacks, Hispanics and other minorities to vote.

The Shelby ruling did not specifically address the Justice Departments authority to send observers inside polling places. But Ms. Gupta said department lawyers had interpreted the decision to mean that officials could send observers only into jurisdictions where there was already a relevant court order regarding voting practices.

She said department lawyers felt bound to limit their use of poll observers because the program had used the same coverage formula that the Supreme Court had invalidated as a basis for requiring certain jurisdictions to get pre-approval for changing election rules.

That broad interpretation has puzzled some legal scholars on both the left and the right.

I was a little surprised by the Justice Departments decision, to be honest, Derek T. Muller, a conservative scholar on election law at Pepperdine University School of Law, said.

Mr. Muller said he believed that the Justice Department could legally send observers to jurisdictions not specifically covered by court orders. Until a court tells them otherwise, that provision is still on the books, he said.

In any case, the restrictive new voting procedures enacted after the Shelby ruling threaten to have a chilling effect on minorities, particularly if Mr. Trumps supporters show up at polling places to challenge voters status, said Nina Perales, the litigation director for Maldef, a Hispanic civil rights group.
There are no secret agreements with the foreign partners regarding Donbas, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has said.

"The first myth is that some covert agreements unknown to the broad public or our partners allegedly exist over 'Minsk.' I want to categorically dismiss this. This is an atypical style for European politics. This is in Moscow where it is possible to hold talks, sign secret agreements and then not to publish them for years," the president said in an interview with the Ukrainian television channels aired on Sunday evening.

He assured that the Minsk agreements have been accurately published and there have been no secret agreements.

Besides, Poroshenko reiterated that there has been no alternative to the Minsk agreements and 'Minsk' is the only path to peace.

"If Ukraine withdraws from the Minsk agreements itself, then forget about the sanctions. If Ukraine itself assumes the status of violator of the Minsk agreements, forget about the coalition. If someone suggests repealing 'Minsk, this means that he should offer an alternative," the president said.
Tom Hayden, who burst out of the 1960s counterculture as a radical leader of Americas civil rights and antiwar movements, but rocked the boat more gently later in life with a progressive political agenda as an author and California state legislator, died on Sunday in Santa Monica, Calif. He was 76.

His wife, Barbara Williams, said he died in a hospital. He had been treated for heart problems and fell ill in July while attending the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia. He lived in Los Angeles.

During the racial unrest and antiwar protests of the 1960s and early 70s, Mr. Hayden was one of the nations most visible radicals. He was a founder of Students for a Democratic Society, a defendant in the Chicago Seven trial after riots at the 1968 Democratic National Convention, and a peace activist who married Jane Fonda, went to Hanoi and escorted American prisoners of war home from Vietnam.

As a civil rights worker, he was beaten in Mississippi and jailed in Georgia. In his cell he began writing what became the Port Huron Statement, the political manifesto of S.D.S. and the New Left that envisioned an alliance of college students in a peaceful crusade to overcome what it called repressive government, corporate greed and racism. Its aim was to create a multiracial, egalitarian society.
If CPR, shorthand for cardiopulmonary resuscitation, is immediately applied when an electrical malfunction causes a persons heart to stop, chances of survival, although small, are doubled or tripled. Given that 70 percent of cardiac arrests occur at home, a family member or friend is most likely the beneficiary of bystander CPR. At the very least, housemates of people with known cardiac risk factors  like smoking, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity or a prior heart attack  should learn CPR and review the training every two years.

In the 40-odd years since I learned CPR at The New York Times, the American Heart Association has simplified the technique while barely compromising its effectiveness. Although an in-person class with practice on a mannequin is ideal, the current method can be used by untrained people and learned via a brief online video at Hands-Only CPR. For those unwilling or unable to do mouth-to-mouth breathing, the latest technique focuses on critical chest compressions, which  when done correctly  can get blood flowing through the heart and to the brain.

Have someone call 9-1-1 while you start chest compressions, pressing hard and fast at the center of the chest at a rate of 100 to 120 compressions a minute. You can use the beat of the song Stayin Alive to achieve the desired rhythm, depressing the chest of an adult at least two inches and, without removing your hands, letting the chest rebound between compressions.

If you or a second person is able to perform rescue breathing, two breaths should be administered for every 30 compressions.

The next step would be to restore the hearts normal rhythm using an A.E.D. To minimize damage, the heartbeat should be restored within five minutes or less of a sudden cardiac arrest. Every minute that passes without this correction reduces the persons survival chances by 10 percent.

Thus, the life of a person with cardiac arrest often depends on having an A.E.D. nearby and someone who knows where it is and how to use it. You may have seen one in an airport or stadium; they should also be in schools, theaters, convention centers, houses of worship, casinos  everywhere that large groups gather. There are both fully automatic and semiautomatic versions ranging in price from $1,200 to $2,500. If a facility can afford a computer, it can probably afford an A.E.D. I found an at-home package on Amazon for about $1,300.

Although A.E.D. training is recommended, the device is user-friendly and can also be used by untrained individuals. It comes with built-in written instructions and voice prompts as well as safety precautions. The A.E.D.s computer analyzes the victims heart rhythm and determines whether an electric shock is needed. Check How to use an Automated External Defibrillator online for instructions from the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute.
NAIROBI, Kenya  With a stroke of his pen, President Uhuru Kenyatta spared the lives of thousands of prisoners on Kenyas death row on Monday by commuting their sentences to life in prison.

Kenyan law allows capital punishment and convicts are regularly sentenced to death, but the sentence is almost never carried out; the last execution was in 1987. In colonial times, the British authorities executed more than 1,000 Kenyans who were accused of fomenting revolt.

Kenyan news sites beamed images of Mr. Kenyatta leaning over his desk on Monday, surrounded by top officials, as he signed documents that spared the lives of 2,655 men and 92 women. Kenyas last president, Mwai Kibaki, did something similar in 2009.

Mr. Kenyatta faces re-election next year. Some analysts said the mass reprieve on Monday may have been intended to make the president appear more compassionate as the election draws near. Mr. Kenyatta remains popular among members of his own ethnic group, the Kikuyu, and he enjoys support from other ethnic groups that belong to his political alliance. But opposition leaders say his government has allowed corruption to flourish.
BEIJING  At least 14 people were killed and nearly 150 wounded when a blast tore apart a neighborhood in a small town in northwestern China on Monday, battering nearby homes, shattering windows and sending residents streaming from the smoking ruins.

The explosion occurred in the afternoon in Xinmin, a town in Fugu County, Shaanxi Province, and by early Tuesday rescuers had counted 147 wounded, 113 of whom had been hospitalized, according to Xinhua, the main state news agency. Eleven of the wounded were in intensive care.

By Tuesday, rescuers had finished searching for anyone buried under wreckage after pulling six people out overnight.

An investigation into the cause of the blast suggested that it was another example of a widespread hazard in China: dangerous substances stored improperly and too close to homes.
Among democratic countries in the developed world, Japan ranks low on gender equality in health, education, the economy and politics. Despite recent high-profile examples, women hold very few powerful positions in politics or business, while many working mothers say that day care is inadequate.

The marital naming law, supported by many conservatives who believe that women belong predominantly in the home supporting their husbands and families, is seen by some as another vestige of discrimination against women in Japanese society.

In the Tokyo District Court case, the three judges, all men, ruled that the teachers employer, a private school in Tokyo, could not be compelled to let her use her birth surname at work. Citing surveys that show about a quarter of women use their original surnames in the workplace, the court said doing so was not deeply rooted in society.

The plaintiff, who has remained anonymous in the publicly available court documents, declined an interview request through her lawyer. In court filings, the teacher, described as recently married, said students and colleagues knew her by her given surname. She asked to be allowed to continue to use it on letters home to parents, attendance records and report cards.

Makiko Terahara, one of the lawyers for the plaintiff, said the teacher, now in her 30s, had worked for 15 years using her birth surname.

We have to work on changing the law so that couples can choose their names when marrying, Ms. Terahara said. A name represents a person. Its a matter of personal rights.

Hidehisa Takase, the principal of Nihon University Daisangakuen, the school where the plaintiff works, said he had offered a compromise in which the teacher could continue to be called by her birth name publicly but use her married name for official documents, including student report cards.
NEW DELHI  Indian police officials said they had killed 24 Maoist rebels early on Monday in a gun battle at what appeared to be a training camp in a remote area of eastern India.

Among the dead were seven women, the police said.

Mitrabhanu Mahapatra, the chief of police in the Malkangiri district of the state of Odisha, said that the rebels had gathered for some kind of training during the early morning hours when the police challenged them, and that the gun battle went on for about 90 minutes. A police commando from the neighboring state of Andhra Pradesh was killed, he said, and another police officer was wounded.

Mr. Mahapatra added that two senior commanders and several lower-ranking commanders in the insurgent forces had been killed.

Maoist rebels in the area are waging an armed struggle with the aim of establishing communist rule and securing greater rights for tribal people and the poor.
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan  Wielding guns and explosives, three militants killed at least 59 people and wounded 120 at a police training college in southwestern Pakistan late Monday, before security forces, who mobilized outside, seized control of the campus, government officials said.

Most of the victims were cadets. The college housed 700 cadets and training staff members, most of whom were rescued, according to local news media reports.

Within four hours, we have cleared the compound, said Mir Sarfraz Bugti, a minister of Baluchistan Province, who added that two attackers had detonated suicide vests and the third had been shot.
BEIJING  After unleashing an anti-American tirade in Beijing last week, President Rodrigo Duterte of the Philippines left some Chinese, who like tightly scripted state visits, wondering if their unpredictable guest could be trusted.

Yet his alacrity in accepting direct talks over the disputed South China Sea, and his gratitude for $24 billion in investment and financing deals, also left the broad impression that China may have started a strategic realignment in Southeast Asia by bringing an important American ally to its side.

Countries like Vietnam, which had been edging closer to the United States, and Malaysia and Thailand, which were moving toward Beijing, may now see the value in drawing closer to China, analysts said.

China has improved relations with Duterte immediately, and set up a way to settle the South China Sea disputes peacefully, said Yan Xuetong, a professor of international relations at Tsinghua University and a prominent foreign policy hawk. Generally speaking, this problem in the South China Sea is over, and the United States cannot do anything now.
SEOUL, South Korea  President Park Geun-hye proposed revising the Constitution on Monday, calling South Koreas single-term restriction on presidents outdated. Her initiative is the first serious attempt to rewrite the countrys Constitution since it was last amended in 1987 to end decades of military dictatorship.

Opposition leaders immediately accused Ms. Park of making the surprise proposal to divert attention from a growing scandal that involved some of her close associates and helped push her approval ratings to a record low. But they did not immediately reject the idea of amending the Constitution.

During a nationally televised speech, Ms. Park cited recent surveys in which 70 percent of respondents voiced frustration with deeply polarized domestic politics and supported a constitutional revision as a potential remedy. Ms. Park said she hoped that the next government would be formed under a new constitution and asked rival parties to start discussing a draft revision.

Under the Constitution, Ms. Park is limited to a single five-year term that ends in February 2018. She is barred from seeking re-election even if the Constitution is changed to allow a second term.
Before Mondays operation, the population was 6,000 to 8,000. By the end of the day, the government announced that it had relocated 2,318 people.

Judging by the crowds on Monday, many of the migrants appeared set to shed their dreams of Britain and were as anxious to be rid of the camp as the government was. On Tuesday, French officials plan to start demolishing and clearing its flimsy shacks, fields of tents and piles of trash spread over 1.5 square miles.

While the clearing of the camp was peaceful, the police warned that they were expecting some resistance from activist groups, if not from the migrants themselves, when the demolition begins on Tuesday.

The Jungle is no good, said Abdullah Umar, 24, who is from Sudans war-torn Darfur region and hoped to apply for asylum in France. He was waiting in line on the road. There are problems. Sometimes theres fighting. And its cold.

Mr. Umar added: France is a good country. People from France gave me all these clothes. He pointed to his new suitcase, which looked packed full.

Hassan Jibril, 35, another Sudanese man, trying to keep himself warm in the Jungles warren of tents, said, We are ready to leave.

He was wearing flip-flops in the 40-degree chill and heating some pots over an outdoor fire. It is a very bad situation here, he said. You see that? he said, pointing to a trash-filled puddle next to his tent. If you stay here, you can die.
The advisers to the leaders of the 'Normandy Four' countries (Ukraine, Germany, France, Russia) will meet soon to discuss a draft roadmap to implement the Minsk agreements, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said.

"We've agreed that we will hold a meeting of the diplomatic advisers to the 'Normandy Four' countries' leaders soon; and the foreign ministers from the Normandy Four countries will hold a meeting no later than in November in order to prepare the next summit, at which a roadmap will be endorsed," the president said in an interview with the Ukrainian television channels aired on Sunday evening.

He recalled that the drafting of the roadmap should be finished before the end of November. "And I think that we must insist this should be done. If it is not done, then at the Council of the European Union, which will convene in December, the leadership of the EU countries will have every reason to continue and bolster the sanctions," Poroshenko said.

In this regard, the Ukrainian side has made a proposal to Brussels to consider the possibility to extend the anti-Russian sanctions not for half a year, but a year. "Now this issue is being discussed in the European Union," the Ukrainian president also said.
BERLIN  The warning came to the German security authorities in early September from our best partners, as they euphemistically refer to the American intelligence agencies: A terrorist assault might be in the works.

In the weeks that followed, the Germans identified a suspect, a refugee from Syria. They unearthed evidence that he had been casing a Berlin airport for an attack, and they recovered powerful explosives from his apartment, only to see him slip through their fingers. When they eventually captured him, the suspect promptly hanged himself in his jail cell.

The case was notable for its dramatic turns. But it also underscored two central challenges facing the Continent: getting a handle on the security risk related to the arrival of more than a million migrants last year, and addressing the continued reliance of European governments on intelligence from the United States to avert attacks.

Both issues have been plaguing Europe since the high-profile attacks in France and Belgium over the past two years. Governments have scrambled to counter the threat even as migrants, many with little or no documentation of their identity or country of origin, came over their borders in previously unheard-of numbers. The challenge has become more pressing in Germany in recent months after a spate of arrests and attacks, some linked to migrants.
BERLIN  Germany has received nearly three dozen applications for political asylum from Turkish diplomats and their families, amid widespread purges of assumed opponents of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, following the failed attempt to overthrow his government, an official said Monday.

Relations between Germany and Turkey were strained even before the failed military coup on July 15, and have only improved slightly in recent weeks. Granting asylum to 35 Turkish citizens holding diplomatic passports could further threaten the uneasy calm between the countries, at a time when Germany remains dependent on Turkey to uphold its end of an agreement that has prevented thousands of refugees and migrants from reaching Europe.

It was not immediately clear how many of the 35 applications were submitted by diplomats, and how many were family members, Johannes Dimroth, a spokesman for Germanys Interior Ministry, told reporters, citing privacy laws. He indicated it was possible there could be even more applicants.

I would like to point out that there are, of course, no statistics that take into account these characteristics in any form, so that this is not a final and complete number, Mr. Dimroth said.
That should not necessarily mean an expansive American military presence, Mr. Inbar added. Indeed, there is little appetite in the region for a return to the more interventionist policies of President George W. Bush. But if Mr. Bush was judged to be too assertive, many here consider Mr. Obama too restrained, and hope to see some middle ground.

To be sure, Americas approach to the Middle East has rarely followed a consistent set of goals or course of action, as Patrick Tyler wrote in his book A World of Trouble, a history of 10 presidents and the region. Each president managed the Middle East from different perspectives. Richard M. Nixon saw it as part of his chess match with Moscow. Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton pursued diplomatic breakthroughs between Israel and its enemies. Mr. Bush and his father focused on Saddam Husseins Iraq.

Mr. Obama certainly inherited a messy situation in the region with the war in Iraq. But by the time he took office, Mr. Bushs troop surge and Gen. David H. Petraeuss strategy change had helped turn the war around to the point that Mr. Bush felt free to negotiate a three-year withdrawal plan with Baghdad that Mr. Obama then followed.

The next president will not find such a clear-cut playbook waiting. Like Mr. Bush before him, Mr. Obama is on track in his final months in office to leave his successor an improved military situation on the ground as American-backed Iraqi, Kurdish and Syrian rebel forces retake territory from the Islamic State.

But even if the terrorist group is battered on the battlefield, the Middle East remains torn by so many other conflicts that it requires a scorecard to keep track. The Arab Spring revolutions of 2011 failed to deliver democracy except perhaps in Tunisia; instead they upended the traditional structures and touched off a civil war in Syria that has killed or wounded hundreds of thousands of people, displaced millions and continues to consume much of the region.

Mr. Obama has defended his resistance to being dragged deeper into the Syrian war beyond the limited engagements against the Islamic State, arguing that it would only enmesh America in yet another bloody quagmire. But even if the next president imposes a no-fly zone, as Hillary Clinton has promised, or aligns more closely with Russia, as Donald J. Trump has suggested, the political crosscurrents will remain treacherous.
The Long Room is uncannily reminiscent of Jill, by Philip Larkin, about a provincial boy who goes up to Oxford with high hopes, only to be overwhelmed by loneliness and longing, a sense that life is something that goes on elsewhere, in sparkling rooms he glimpses from the street. Who told the long-limbed boys, the Greenwoods and the Bennet-Gilmours of this world, the Buckinghams, that asparagus is eaten with the fingers not a fork? No nation has produced this kind of aching query with a hundredth of the frequency of England, whose great original sin is class, as Americas is slavery. Stephens ressentiment drives him to more and more desperate choices, less and less realistically, culminating in an absurd and anticlimactic trip across the country. But the grace of Kays voice is hypnotizing, and there are moments when her empathy for Stephen makes them seem barely divisible. Spies and writers are both paid to notice, after all.

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If theres a golden mean between Childs crisp technique and Kays melancholy, lovely one, the English novelist James Lasdun may have found it in his exceptionally entertaining new book, THE FALL GUY (Norton, $25.95). Its a cross of literary fiction, thriller and mystery; as David Shields has said, and as good writers realize quickly, genre is a minimum-security prison. Maybe the title places it most accurately: Lasdun, after the pathogenic proliferation of Girls in crime fiction  gone ones, good ones, train ones, through glass ones  offers us two guys with enigmatic motives, in restrained competition over a woman to whom one of them is married. Which of them will be the fall guy?

Their names are Charlie and Matthew, and they are cousins whose friendship dates to their London school days, though both now live in New York. Charlie is rich and married, Matthew poor and at loose ends, obsessively reading his dead fathers copy of Pascals Pensees, trying to figure out where things went wrong, and so Charlie and his wife, Chloe, invite Matthew to stay for the summer in the guesthouse of their wooded mountainside retreat. From the start theres a febrile mood to this ad hoc household, languorous poolside mornings, friends coming over to drink a bit too much. Matthew has a secret feeling of closeness with Chloe, not even precisely sexual, which makes her sacred to him, an idealized composite in whom daughter, sister, cousin, mother, mistress, friend and mystical other half were all miraculously commingled.

When he discovers that shes being unfaithful, then, hes bereft. Does he confront her? Charlie? Both of them? Theres something reptilian in Lasduns gaze, a coldblooded interest in furtiveness, in the lithe selfishness of the genteel. The Fall Guy reads like early Ian McEwan or late Patricia Highsmith, and while often novelists who write as finely as he does seem to feel above what Jonathan Franzen once called the stoop work of narrative, Lasdun is masterly in his storys construction. His clues never seem like clues until they bind tightly around one of the three leads. This is exactly what a literary thriller should be: intelligent, careful, swift, unsettling. Its author deserves to find more readers on these shores.

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Pascal, who acts as Greek chorus to The Fall Guy, said that all of mans misfortune comes from one thing, which is not knowing how to sit quietly in a room. That might also be the motto of Cenzo, an Italian fisherman waiting out the last days of World War II in Martin Cruz Smiths novel THE GIRL FROM VENICE (Simon & Schuster, $27). Ive declared myself an official coward, Cenzo says. I intend to outlive this war and the next. This seems like a sure sign that a lot of stuff is about to happen to him.
The Ukrainian side insisted on demilitarizing Debaltseve, Donetsk region, at the Normandy Four talks in Berlin, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has said.

"We have four new zones subject to disengagement. And one of these four zones, and I have put it clearly at the 'Normandy format' meeting, should be Debaltseve," the president said in an interview with the Ukrainian television channels aired on Sunday evening.

These positions should be stipulated in a roadmap, he also said. "The area, which had been clearly determined [in the Minsk agreements], remains in force, and this gives us serious grounds to insist on Debaltseve being a demilitarized zone where the disengagement should take place," Poroshenko said.

He also underlined the importance of completing the separation of forces and hardware in the three sectors near the populated localities of Zolote, Petrivske and Stanytsia Luhanska. "Ukraine will not give away a single sector of the village, [...] therefore, the disengagement regime is advantageous to us," Poroshenko also said.
 This desert, called the Tengger, lies on the southern edge of the massive Gobi Desert, not far from major cities like Beijing. The Tengger is growing.

For years, Chinas deserts spread at an annual rate of more than 1,300 square miles. Many villages have been lost. Climate change and human activities have accelerated desertification. China says government efforts to relocate residents, plant trees and limit herding have slowed or reversed desert growth in some areas. But the usefulness of those policies is debated by scientists, and deserts are expanding in critical regions.

Beijing ARID REGIONS TENGGER DESERT Shanghai Hong Kong Beijing ARID REGIONS TENGGER DESERT Shanghai Hong Kong

Nearly 20 percent of China is desert, and drought across the northern region is getting worse. One recent estimate said China had 21,000 square miles more desert than what existed in 1975  about the size of Croatia. As the Tengger expands, it is merging with two other deserts to form a vast sea of sand that could become uninhabitable.

Liu Jiali, 4, lives in the Tengger.

Like Jialis family, many people herd animals and run small tourist parks on the edge of the Tengger Desert.

Jiali lives in an area called Alxa League, where the government has relocated about 30,000 people, who are called ecological migrants, because of desertification.

Across northern China, generations of families have made a living herding animals on the edge of the desert. Officials say that along with climate change, overgrazing is contributing to the deserts growth. But some experiments suggest moderate grazing may actually mitigate the effects of climate change on grasslands, and Chinas herder relocation policies could be undermining that.

Officials have given Jiali and her family a home in a village about six miles from Swan Lake, the oasis where they run a tourist park. To get them to move and sell off their herd of more than 70 sheep, 30 cows and eight camels, the officials have offered an annual subsidy equivalent to $1,500 for each of her parents and $1,200 for a grandmother who lives with them.

Jialis mother, Du Jinping, 45, said the family would live in the new village in the winter, but return to Swan Lake in the summer. Jialis mother, Du Jinping, 45, said the family would live in the new village in the winter, but return to Swan Lake in the summer.

The family charges each tourist $4.50 to visit Swan Lake. Visitors also rent camels and dune buggies, and can pay to eat in the round Mongolian tents, called gers. But the oasis, which is the main attraction, is shrinking. Ms. Du said the water level had been declining.

Many of the oases in the Tengger are drying up. The family charges each tourist $4.50 to visit Swan Lake. Visitors also rent camels and dune buggies. And they can pay to eat in the round Mongolian tents, called gers. But the oasis, which is the main attraction, is shrinking. Many of the oases in the Tengger are drying up.

Local governments in desert regions began relocating people away from the encroaching sands decades ago. JILIN MONGOLIA INNER MONGOLIA LIAONING NORTH KOREA GOBI DESERT Seoul Beijing Hohhot XINJIANG SOUTH KOREA HEBEI Tengger Desert Taiyuan GANSU SHANDONG SHANXI NINGXIA JIANGSU CHINA Lanzhou HENAN Shanghai QINGHAI SHAANXI ANHUI HUBEI ZHEJIANG TIBET Chengdu JIANGXI SICHUAN HUNAN Taipei FUJIAN GUIZHOU JILIN MONGOLIA INNER MONGOLIA NORTH KOREA LIAONING GOBI DESERT Seoul Beijing Hohhot XINJIANG SOUTH KOREA Tengger Desert HEBEI Taiyuan GANSU SHANDONG SHANXI NINGXIA CHINA JIANGSU Lanzhou Xian Shanghai HENAN QINGHAI SHAANXI ANHUI HUBEI ZHEJIANG TIBET Chengdu JIANGXI SICHUAN Taipei HUNAN FUJIAN GUIZHOU JILIN MONGOLIA INNER MONGOLIA LIAONING GOBI DESERT NORTH KOREA Hohhot Beijing Tengger Desert HEBEI Taiyuan SHANDONG SHANXI NINGXIA JIANGSU HENAN Lanzhou Shanghai SHAANXI ANHUI CHINA HUBEI ZHEJIANG Chengdu JIANGXI SICHUAN HUNAN FUJIAN GUIZHOU GUANGDONG GUANGXI ZHUANGZU YUNNAN VIETNAM MONGOLIA GOBI DESERT Hohhot Beijing Tengger Desert Taiyuan Shanghai Lanzhou Chengdu CHINA VIETNAM

But Chinas densely populated areas are pushing toward the deserts, as the deserts grow toward the cities. JILIN MONGOLIA INNER MONGOLIA LIAONING NORTH KOREA Moderately populated areas Seoul Beijing XINJIANG Densely populated areas SOUTH KOREA Desert Expansion HEBEI Taiyuan GANSU Yinchuan SHANDONG SHANXI NINGXIA JIANGSU CHINA Lanzhou Xian HENAN Shanghai QINGHAI SHAANXI ANHUI HUBEI ZHEJIANG TIBET Chengdu JIANGXI SICHUAN HUNAN Taipei FUJIAN GUIZHOU MONGOLIA Moderately populated areas Hohhot Beijing Taiyuan Desert Expansion Shanghai Lanzhou Densely populated areas Chengdu CHINA VIETNAM JILIN MONGOLIA INNER MONGOLIA LIAONING Moderately populated areas NORTH KOREA Hohhot Beijing HEBEI Desert Expansion Taiyuan SHANDONG SHANXI NINGXIA JIANGSU HENAN Lanzhou Shanghai SHAANXI ANHUI CHINA HUBEI ZHEJIANG Chengdu JIANGXI Densely populated areas SICHUAN HUNAN FUJIAN GUIZHOU GUANGDONG GUANGXI ZHUANGZU YUNNAN VIETNAM INNER MONGOLIA JILIN MONGOLIA NORTH KOREA Moderately populated areas Seoul Beijing Hohhot XINJIANG SOUTH KOREA Desert Expansion HEBEI Taiyuan SHANDONG Yinchuan GANSU Densely populated areas SHANXI NINGXIA CHINA JIANGSU Lanzhou Xian Shanghai HENAN QINGHAI SHAANXI ANHUI HUBEI ZHEJIANG TIBET Chengdu JIANGXI SICHUAN Taipei HUNAN FUJIAN GUIZHOU

Storms of wind-driven sand have become increasingly frequent and intense, reaching Beijing and other large cities. We dread the sandstorms, Ms. Du said. JILIN MONGOLIA INNER MONGOLIA High sandstorm severity LIAONING NORTH KOREA Moderate sandstorm severity Seoul Beijing Hohhot XINJIANG SOUTH KOREA HEBEI Taiyuan GANSU Yinchuan SHANDONG SHANXI NINGXIA JIANGSU CHINA Lanzhou HENAN Shanghai QINGHAI SHAANXI ANHUI HUBEI ZHEJIANG TIBET Chengdu JIANGXI SICHUAN HUNAN Taipei FUJIAN GUIZHOU JILIN MONGOLIA High sandstorm severity INNER MONGOLIA NORTH KOREA LIAONING Moderate sandstorm severity Seoul Beijing Hohhot XINJIANG SOUTH KOREA HEBEI Taiyuan Yinchuan GANSU SHANDONG SHANXI NINGXIA CHINA JIANGSU Lanzhou Shanghai HENAN QINGHAI SHAANXI ANHUI HUBEI ZHEJIANG TIBET Chengdu JIANGXI SICHUAN Taipei HUNAN FUJIAN GUIZHOU JILIN MONGOLIA INNER MONGOLIA LIAONING NORTH KOREA Hohhot Beijing HEBEI Taiyuan SHANDONG SHANXI NINGXIA JIANGSU HENAN Lanzhou Shanghai SHAANXI ANHUI CHINA HUBEI ZHEJIANG Chengdu JIANGXI SICHUAN HUNAN FUJIAN GUIZHOU GUANGDONG GUANGXI ZHUANGZU YUNNAN VIETNAM MONGOLIA Moderate sandstorm severity Beijing Taiyuan Shanghai Lanzhou High sandstorm severity Chengdu CHINA VIETNAM

Residents who live on the edge of the deserts try to limit the steady march of the sand. Along with local governments, they plant trees in an effort to block the wind and stabilize the soil.

Many people in this area are from families that fled Minqin, at the western end of the Tengger Desert, during Chinas Great Famine from 1958 to 1962, when tens of millions died.

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Guo Kaiming, 40, a farmer who also manages a tourist park at the edge of the Tengger Desert, planted rows of trees by a new cross-desert highway in June.

Mr. Guo took saplings that the government had left behind after it completed a tree planting operation.

He said he was not ready to join the climate refugees. He has his corn and wheat fields, plus income from running the tourist park.

Last year, the company that operates the park paid students to build seven giant sand sculptures as its centerpiece.

But strong desert winds steadily eroded them. They are all a mess now, Mr. Guo said. The wind is fierce. It has messed up everything. Last year, the company that operates the park paid students to build seven giant sand sculptures as its centerpiece. But strong desert winds steadily eroded them. They are all a mess now, Mr. Guo said. The wind is fierce. It has messed up everything.

The government encourages farmers like Mr. Guo because it says agriculture can help reclaim land from the desert. Officials offer subsidies: Mr. Guo gets $600 per year for grassland ecological protection.

But farming is also becoming more difficult. Huang Chunmei, who grew up in the town of Tonggunaoer and now farms there, said the water table was two meters, or about six feet, below ground during her childhood, and now, you have to dig four or five meters.

Ms. Huang planted more than 200 trees on her own last spring, in the hope that they would help block sandstorms and hold back the sand.

Ms. Huang, 38, grows corn and tomatoes, some in greenhouse structures.

The soil is not as soft or good as it was before, she said. We use more fertilizer now.

Ms. Huang and her husband have sent their 14-year-old daughter to a boarding school in a nearby city.

I dont want my girl to return, she said. The sand and wind make life tough here. Well see what she wants to do when she finishes school. Ms. Huang and her husband have sent their 14-year-old daughter to a boarding school in a nearby city. I dont want my girl to return, she said. The sand and wind make life tough here. Well see what she wants to do when she finishes school.

About 17 percent of the population in Alxa League are ethnic Mongolians, whose lives and livelihoods have long been tied to the herding the government is trying to halt.

Mengkebuyin, 42, and his wife, Mandula, 41, grow corn and sunflowers, but their 200 sheep provide most of their income: They sell the meat to a hotel restaurant in a nearby city.

The sheep graze in the desert, where grass is growing scarce. They roam by his old family home, near the shores of a lake that dried up years ago. Mengkebuyin and his wife maintain the old home but do not stay for long periods.

They have moved to a village five miles away.

Mengkebuyin uses a motorcycle and a desert buggy to drive the sheep to graze. He herds the sheep toward the old family home, where he can give the animals water. He would like to move to better pasture, but the government will not allow it. Mengkebuyin uses a motorcycle and a desert buggy to drive the sheep to graze. He would like to move to better pasture, but the government will not allow it. He herds the sheep toward the old family home, where he can give the animals water.

Mengkebuyin and Mandula have decided that they want their 16-year-old daughter to live and work in a city.

Four generations of Mengkebuyins family lived by the lake in a thriving community. But gradually, everyone left.
TRENTON, N.J.  You probably already know whether youll vote for Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton on Election Day, leaving one important question to consider when you walk into your polling place: Is it OK to take a picture of your ballot?

While secrecy in the voting booth has become a thing of the past for those ready to share their views and daily lives on social media, laws nationwide are mixed on whether voters are allowed to take pictures of themselves in the act or of their ballots  ballot selfies.

Federal judges have struck down bans on selfies in New Hampshire and Indiana, and rules have been changed in places like California and Rhode Island, but in many states, its still a violation that carries potential fines or jail terms.

There are laws against sharing any photo of your ballot in 18 states, while six other states bar photography in polling places but do allow photos of mail-in ballots, according to a review by The Associated Press.

Critics say such regulations have not kept up with technology and are confusing for voters and election workers. Some states that ban ballot selfies or have moved to block them cite concerns the photos could harm the integrity of the voting process by encouraging vote-buying or coercion, though some acknowledge theres no evidence to support those fears.

Unknowingly illegal

Nikola Jordan, 33, of Omaha, Nebraska, has been taking such photos for about 10 years and believes they are a great way not only to share her views on the issues, but also to stress the importance of voting and being civically active. A Nebraska lawmaker added a provision to state election law this year to allow ballot selfies.

I was doing this for years before I learned it was technically illegal, Jordan said with a laugh. Its all about encouraging other people to get involved in the process, to show it can be fun and exciting to make your voice heard (at the polls). Dont think of voting as some boring thing. ... Its your chance to make a difference.

The 1st Circuit Court of Appeals in Boston last month upheld a decision that New Hampshires ban on ballot selfies was unconstitutional, saying it suppressed a large swath of political speech and there was no evidence to support the states concerns.

It goes to the core of democracy, said Gilles Bissonnette, legal director for the American Civil Liberties Union of New Hampshire, which brought the suit on behalf of three people investigated for violating the statute.

Among those filing briefs in support of ballot selfies was Snapchat, which argued they are the latest way voters, especially young adults, get involved in the political process and express support for or against a cause or a candidate.

We had a failure to recognize the importance of online political speech, especially to the younger generation, Bissonnette said. The First Amendment needs to be guarded rigorously. These old laws cannot and should not be applied to the modern technology.

Product of the times

California Gov. Jerry Brown signed a bill last month that repeals a 125-year-old law barring voters from showing people their marked ballots. It goes into effect after the November election, but legislative analysts have found no occasion of the ban being enforced  and it hasnt stopped people from sharing photos of their 2016 ballots.

Colorado started mailing ballots this week in the all-mail presidential election, and some ballot selfies started popping up on social media. In response, Denver District Attorney Mitch Morrissey on Thursday issued a reminder that publicizing completed ballots is a misdemeanor in the state.

The ACLU criticized his statement as potential voter intimidation. Morrisseys spokeswoman told reporters he had no plans to comb social media looking for folks posting ballot selfies, saying authorities investigate only in response to a complaint.

Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring issued a formal opinion last month that nothing in Virginia law prohibits voters from taking pictures of themselves, fellow voters or their ballot within the polling place.

This is a product of the times we live in, said Democratic New Jersey Assemblyman Raj Mukherji, who has sponsored a measure to allow ballot selfies. If voters want to express their pride in participating in our democracy by voting or tout their political preferences on social media, they should be entitled to do so.

Clarissa Livingstone, 26, of Toms River, said she doesnt understand concerns raised over ballot selfies. She doesnt believe people would be influenced by seeing ballot photos that she or anyone else might post.

People are so rigid in their political beliefs these days, Livingstone said, theyre not going to change their votes once they see how some Jersey girl voted.

Contributing to this report were Associated Press writers Josh Cornfield in Trenton, Alanna Durkin Richer in Richmond, Virginia, and Kristen Wyatt in Denver.
President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko has said that the European Union must complete all the internal procedures of granting to Ukraine visa-free regime with the EU by November 24, 2016.

"It will take place until November 24. Why? The EU-Ukraine summit will take place on November 24, and we agreed that the documents will be ready for this summit," Poroshenko said in an interview to Ukrainian TV channels, shown on Sunday evening.

According to him, today the European Parliament has support of most of the European parliamentarians on granting visa-free regime to Ukraine.
BEIJING  Philippine President Rodrigo Dutertes controversial statements and uncertainty about his intentions are causing distress in the United States and elsewhere, said the top American diplomat for Asia on Monday.

Duterte has called President Obama a son a whore, and told him to go to hell. Last week he sensationally announced his nations separation from the United States and embrace of China, but later partially walked those remarks back.

On returning home from a state visit to Beijing, Duterte said he did not want to sever economic and military ties with Washington, but just wanted to underline that his foreign policy would not dovetail with that of the United States.

Dutertes administration has also not followed through on his pledges to remove U.S. counterterrorism forces from the southern island of Mindanao and end annual military exercises with American forces, with his own cabinet members often appearing confused and wrong-footed by successive announcements.

Daniel Russel, the assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs, flew to Manila Sunday in attempt to get clarity, and spoke to reporters Monday after meeting Philippine Foreign Secretary Perfecto Yasay Jr.

Ive pointed out to Secretary Yasay that the succession of controversial statements, comments and a real climate of uncertainty about the Philippines intentions has created consternation in a number of countries, not only in mine, Russel said, according to the Associated Press.

The unease, Russel said, was also palpable not only among governments, but also  in other communities, in the expat Filipino community, in corporation board rooms as well.

This is not a positive trend, he said.

The United States remains a steady and trusted partner of the Philippines, and will continue to provide assistance, including in its effort against the scourge of drugs, Russel said. But he said Washington is concerned over the loss of lives in Dutertes drugs war, which is not a positive trend and is bad for business as well.

Since Duterte swept to power in July, thousands of Filipinos have been killed, either gunned down by police in late-night drug operations or killed by assassins, often after being named by police. Last month he said hed be happy to slaughter millions of drug addicts in his country, comparing his campaign to Hitlers massacre of Jews in the Holocaust.

But the prospect of being lectured about extrajudicial killings in a meeting planned with Obama in September appeared to get under Dutertes skin, and prompted a string of antagonistic and vitriolic remarks about Obama and the United States.

Governments around Southeast Asia, especially those with claims to the waters of the South China Sea, have also been concerned about Duterte, amid fears he is being bought off by Beijing.

The Philippines won an important victory in July after an international tribunal ruled that Chinas expansive claims to the disputed waters, encompassed by its nine-dash line, have no legal basis.

But Duterte has since agreed not to raise the tribunals ruling in international meetings, and instead to start bilateral talks with China over the issue.

In return, he secured a Chinese pledge to step up investment and lending to the Philippines, especially for infrastructure. But it is far from clear he has secured any concession over the maritime dispute.

On Sunday, Duterte said Filippino fishermen might soon be able to return to Scarborough Shoal off his countrys northwest coast, for the first time since China took control of the area from the Philippines in 2012.

But Chen Xiangmiao, a research fellow at National Institute for South China Sea Studies in Hainan said China would not allow Filipino fisherman back onto Scarborough Shoal.

China will never open up the island to them, he said. China will not allow its sovereignty to be questioned.

Ian Storey, a senior fellow at ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute in Singapore, said Duterte was taking a big risk in his approach to China, partly because the people of his country are enthusiastic about the United States and distrust China.

If Beijing doesnt give access to Scarborough Shoal, thats going to go down pretty badly at home, in the Philippines, Storey said.

He said countries around the region, including Vietnam, Singapore and Malaysia, were watching agog, afraid that the country that instigated the tribunal ruling would put the findings to one side, and so undermine their own positions.

If Duterte follows through, puts aside the ruling, significantly loosens ties between Philippines and the United States, and moves his country towards China, they will have achieved all of that by basically conceding nothing, other than being the rising power of Asia, he said.

This would reinforce Chinas narrative that it is now so powerful that other Asian countries should accommodate its interests  or face the consequences, he added.

Yet Dutertes inconsistency and temperament, and his countrys history of foreign policy flip-flops, may have dampened the enthusiasm in Beijing.

China should not simply pin all its hopes on Dutertes unusual governance. China still has much to do to constantly expand its common interests with the Philippines and work for a complete turnabout in the South China Sea, said Chinas Global Times in an editorial Monday.

(c) 2016, The Washington Post.
As rebel-held sections of Aleppo crumbled under Russian bombing this month, the Obama administration was secretly weighing plans to rush more firepower to CIA-backed units in Syria.

The proposal, which involved weapons that might help these forces defend themselves against Russian aircraft and artillery, made its way onto the agenda of a recent meeting President Barack Obama held with his national security team.

And thats as far as it got. Neither approved nor rejected, the plan was left in a state of ambiguity that U.S. officials said reflects growing administration skepticism about escalating a covert CIA program that has trained and armed thousands of Syrian fighters over the past three years.

The operation has served as the centerpiece of the U.S. strategy to press Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to step aside. But U.S. officials said there are growing doubts that even an expanded version could achieve that outcome because of Moscows intervention. Obama, officials said, now seems inclined to leave the fate of the CIA program up to the next occupant of the White House.

If so, Obamas successor will inherit an array of unattractive options. Critics of the proposal to increase arms shipments warn that it would only worsen the violence in Syria without fundamentally changing the outcome. But inaction has its own risks  increasing the likelihood that Aleppo will fall, that tens of thousands of CIA-backed fighters will search for more reliable allies, and that the United States will lose leverage over regional partners that until now have refrained from delivering more dangerous arms to Assads opponents.

The proposed expansion of the agency program  dubbed Plan B because it was seen as a fallback for failed diplomatic efforts  still has supporters, including CIA Director John Brennan and Defense Secretary Ashton Carter. But even former ardent proponents, including Secretary of State John Kerry, have voiced skepticism about any escalation at this point. He and others fear that the new weaponry could end up killing Russian military personnel, triggering a confrontation with Moscow.

One senior U.S. official said that it is time for a ruthless look at whether agency-supported fighters can still be considered moderate, and whether the program can accomplish anything beyond adding to the carnage in Syria.

The CIA units are not doing any better on the battlefield, theyre up against a more formidable adversary, and theyre increasingly dominated by extremists, said the U.S. official, who, like others, spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss a sensitive operation. What has this program become, and how will history record this effort?

Backers of the program said that the CIA effort had succeeded in important aspects of its mission  building a politically moderate force that by last year posed a serious threat to Assad. A U.S. official said that the CIA-backed opposition  widely known as the Free Syrian Army  remains largely intact after a year of Russian pounding, and is the only force in Syria capable of prolonging the war and possibly pushing Moscow to abandon Assad as part of a political solution.

The FSA remains the only vehicle to pursue those goals, said a second U.S. official.

The White House and CIA declined to comment. Administration officials familiar with Obamas thinking said all options remain on the table, though the president has made clear his reluctance to use overt military force.

We continue to press for options that will decrease violence in Aleppo and alleviate the suffering of the Syrian people, a senior administration official said. We and our partners will continue to provide support to the opposition and Syrian civil society in a manner that advances those objectives.

Neither Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton nor her Republican counterpart, Donald Trump, has publicly outlined a position on the widely known but nevertheless classified CIA operation in Syria.

In their final debate, Clinton struck a more hawkish tone, reiterating her support for carving out an area in northern Syria for civilians and moderate opposition elements where Syrian and Russian planes would not be allowed to fly. A no-fly zone can save lives and hasten the end of the conflict, Clinton said, adding that doing so would take a lot of negotiation. It would also take making it clear to the Russians and the Syrians that our purpose here was to provide safe zones on the ground.

Trump did not articulate specific plans for Syria, other than to describe the war as a disaster and declare that Aleppo  a major city with the largest concentration of opposition forces  is in his view already a lost cause.

U.S. officials said predictions of Aleppos imminent fall should be viewed with skepticism. It is more likely, they said, that the battle for Aleppo will drag on for months. Even if it were to fall, some in the administration hope that rebels can open new fronts against the regime in other parts of the country, forcing Russia to spread its air assets more widely.

Clinton was a backer of CIA intervention in Syria when the plan was first proposed in 2012 by then-CIA Director David Petraeus and she was serving as secretary of state. But Russia was not directly involved in the conflict at the time, and it is unclear whether Clinton would continue to favor an aggressive agency arms program given Moscows powerful presence there now.

Its a fine mess weve gotten ourselves into, said a former senior administration official who was directly involved in the early White House deliberations over the CIA program. Theres a huge risk here since the Russians entered.  The lesson out of this is that if you dont take action early on, you should almost expect the options to get worse and worse and worse.

The former official said that Obama now had understandable reason for caution, but dismissed the White House argument that its inaction on Plan B shouldnt be interpreted as significant. The lack of a decision is a decision, the former official said.

Members of the Free Syrian Army and other U.S.-backed groups in Aleppo said they have gone long stretches without weapons deliveries but have stockpiled arms in large quantities since 2014, anticipating that the air bombardment would eventually give way to a ground assault.

Molham Ekaidi, deputy commander of an FSA unit in Aleppo, said in an online interview that the United States failure to deliver advanced antiaircraft weapons to aid in the defense of Aleppo amounted to a green light for Moscow to lay waste to the city.

U.S. intelligence officials say the rebels have proven to be effective street fighters but they arent sure how long they will be able to hold out given the extensive damage inflicted from the air. Ekaidi said street fighting would favor the rebel side.

They wont be able to solve Aleppo by military means, Ekaidi said. The regime is weak when it comes to street warfare. The air bombardment wont be effective enough.

Obama was always lukewarm in his enthusiasm for CIA intervention. In 2012, he commissioned a classified study of other cases of the agency backing rebel forces. In an interview with the New Yorker magazine, Obama said that he wanted examples of when that actually worked out well. And they couldnt come up with much.

When the deteriorating situation in Syria prompted Obama to authorize the CIA to begin vetting, training and arming moderate factions in 2013, he imposed constraints that frustrated agency operatives. Their goal in Syria would not be to enable rebels to win and seize power, according to officials accounts, but to push the conflict toward a stalemate and force various factions to negotiate Syrias future after Assad.

The CIA set up jointly run compounds in Jordan and Turkey, where officials said more than 10,000 rebels have gotten training and equipment over the past three years. Those vetted units are part of a constellation of opposition groups with 50,000 or more fighters that have gotten money and weapons from the CIA and regional partners including Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Turkey.

The terms required the partners to keep certain classes of weapons out of Syria, particularly MANPADs, highly portable surface-to-air missiles that Washington worried would fall into the hands of terrorist groups and be used to target civilian aircraft.

Rebels chafed at the restriction, complaining that it left them vulnerable to air attack by Assad and, more recently, Russia. The Plan B proposal envisioned a compromise in which the CIA and its partners would deliver truck-mounted antiaircraft weapons that could help rebel units but would be difficult for a terrorist group to conceal and use against civilian aircraft.

As the Russian pounding of Aleppo intensified, horrific images of injured children and destroyed hospitals put new pressure on Obama to authorize expanded weapons shipments to besieged opposition groups. Plan B was raised during a series of weekly White House meetings and was finally put to Obama during an Oct. 14 session with the National Security Council.

Carter has for months favored a doubling down of the CIA program, officials said, to inflict higher costs on Moscow for its intervention, while opposing using U.S. military force out of worry that it would divert resources from the campaign against the Islamic State.

But he and Brennan have been outnumbered by skeptics. White House Chief of Staff Denis McDonough has been cautious about the operation from the outset. Kerry, a longtime supporter, has edged toward the camp of doubters, officials said, partly out of concern that any U.S. escalation at this time will only trigger an asymmetric response by Moscow.

The Russians have seized the initiative, said a second senior administration official involved in Syria discussions. You cant pretend you can go to war against Assad and not go to war against Russia.

The CIAs own assessments of the program have been viewed with suspicion by some at the White House, officials said. Does it make any sense that the people who are totally invested in this program  are the same people who are writing analyses of the Syrian opposition on which decisions are based on the future of that program? the first U.S. official said.

Amid the setbacks in Syria in recent months, key figures in the administration have advocated prioritizing the fight against the Islamic State, rather than against the Assad government. But agency officials disagree with this rationale, saying that the Islamic State cant be eradicated until a new government emerges capable of controlling the terrorist groups territory in Raqqa and elsewhere.

You cant defeat ISIL without removing Assad, the second U.S. official said, using an alternative name for the Islamic State. As long as there is a failed state in Syria, ISIL will have a homeland.

Obamas reluctance has frustrated the CIAs partners overseas who were expecting Plan B to be approved. U.S. officials said the ban on the most worrisome weapons remains intact. Key partners such as Turkey, with busy airports and a long border with Syria, are equally determined to keep MANPADs and other munitions out of extremists hands.

Still, a senior Turkish official said his government feels misled about U.S. intentions and would likely begin exploring unilateral arrangements to provide heavier arms to Turkey-backed groups.

They promised to give more support, the Turkish official said. But it now seems like nothing is going to happen. This coalition hasnt delivered. Its obsolete now. So were going to look at our options. If Aleppo falls, Assad wins.
HUNTINGTON BEACH  A man died when the vehicle he was driving careened into a tree just before 5 a.m. Monday near Magnolia Street and Adams Avenue, police said.

Officers found a 2013 Toyota Camry with the body of 25-year-old Jose Luna Jr. from Moreno Valley.

Investigators believe the Camry was traveling southbound on Magnolia when it veered onto the center divider and struck the tree.

Contact the writer: lawilliams@scng.com
In an election one side claims is rigged as the other was apparently targeted by Russian hackers and Wikileaks, voters may be concerned that some entity will alter the results on Nov. 8.

Its possible, according to some experts, although the likelihood of a significant attack on ballot boxes is exceedingly low.

Everything is hackable, said Jeremy Epstein, a senior computer scientist at SRI International, a nonprofit California-based think tank. Everything could have bugs in it.

On one hand, the U.S. election system is hard to sabotage. Anyone trying to swing the electoral college would have to meddle with voting machines in jurisdictions from Alaska to Maine  or at least about a dozen swing states.

Youd have to be pretty good at microtargeting, said Jamil Jaffer, director of the Homeland and National Security Law Program at George Mason University. To have an impact, you would have to know where its going to be close.

But others say machines, which are often used to count paper ballots, can malfunction. And even if computer voting results are backed up on paper, the backup is only worthwhile if results are audited  that is, if a statistically significant sample of ballots is double-checked to make sure machines have counted them correctly.

David Dill, a professor of computer science at Stanford University and the founder of Verified Voting, pointed to registration system hacks in Arizona and Illinois, saying such attacks were his biggest concern.

If people are able to modify voter registration records, it could cause serious problems, he said. It could cause chaos when someone shows up to vote.

The outcome some election experts fear most is the possibility that excessive worry about a hacked election will dissuade people from voting.

One way to be sure your vote isnt counted is not to show up, Smith said. We dont want voters to be terrified of voting.

Republican presidential nominee Donald Trumps claims about a rigged election could make this one of the most closely watched in American history. The Department of Homeland Security has met with officials in Washington, D.C. and 36 states to discuss election security, Washington officials said.
Faris Lee Investments in Irvine has closed escrow on the $56.6 million sale of a shopping center in Rancho Santa Margarita. The center, Plaza El Paseo at Rancho Santa Margarita Town Center, spans roughly 107,000 square feet. Built in 2002 and situated on 10.56 acres at the corner of El Paseo and Alma Aldea, the complex is anchored by Bed, Bath & Beyond, BevMo, and Wood Ranch BBQ. Rick Chichester, Nicholas Coo, and Chris DePierro of Faris Lee represented both the seller, K&G El Paseo 1 & 2 and the buyer Plaza El Paseo Center.

Villa Rosa Memory Care has sold for $6.5 million, or $130,000 per unit. The Costa Mesa community was acquired by Pacifica Senior Living, a privately owned company with over 45 seniors housing communities on the West Coast. Villa Rosa features 50 memory care units and 98 licensed memory care beds in the 31,900-square-foot community. In 2011, the community underwent a $1.72 million renovation to units and common areas. Evans Senior Investments represented seller Sorenson Capital in the Villa Rosa Memory Care transaction.

JLL has arranged the sale of an industrial complex on nearly 16 acres on Berry Street in Brea to Newport Beach-based Western Realco, which bought the five-building, 180,087-square-foot property for roughly $26 million. Louis Tomaselli, senior managing director, and Zach Niles, senior vice president, represented the seller, Guardian Capital Management, in the transaction. The property was 100 percent leased at the time of sale.

MCA Realty in Irvine has acquired Walnut Business Park, a 92,056-square-foot industrial business park in Las Vegas for an undisclosed amount. The firm did say it acquired the property at a significant discount to its replacement cost. It plans to reposition the complex to create long-term value, according to Tyler Mattox, Principal at MCA Realty. The business park was developed in 2008 and is 87.5 percent occupied.

Insurance firm Allianz has acquired a 45 percent interest in Park Place, a mixed-use complex in Irvine. Allianz joins Irvine-based LBA Realty and principal real estate investors in a joint venture in which terms were not disclosed. Allianz stake includes six assets that make up the office campus, the 3121 and 3333 Michelson office towers, and the retail center. In total, the investment encompasses roughly 2.2 million square feet.

NEW VENTURES

Lockehouse Retail Group in San Mateo has launched Lockehouse Restaurant Group in Irvine to meet the real estate needs of emerging restaurant brands as well as other food-service concepts. Russell Friend, most recently the chief development officer for The Habit Burger Grill in Irvine, will lead the new Restaurant Group. He spent nine years with Habit, where he headed up real estate, design, development, construction and property management during the companys initial expansion phase from 18 to over 150 company-owned locations.

Balboa Capital recently moved into a new office at the MET Costa Mesa after being based in Irvine for more than two decades. The move was prompted by recent company growth, which required a larger office space. The new address: 575 Anton Boulevard, 12th floor. The MET office campus consists of three, 12-story office towers on a 15-acre campus.

PEOPLE IN REAL ESTATE

Saywitz Co. has hired Robert Jones and Gustav Mentzer to the companys brokerage division in its Newport Beach office. Jones, a resident of Laguna Niguel, comes to The Saywitz Company with a background in real estate, mortgage, and sales. He has more than 20 years of experience in both residential and commercial real estate in the Orange County area and has a background in business law. Mentzer, who graduated from California State Long Beach with a business marketing degree, has experience in the mortgage brokerage industry as well as property management experience with Anza Management. He is a resident of Laguna Beach. Saywitz, a commercial real estate brokerage, also has branch offices in San Diego.

Orange Countys Credit Union in Santa Ana has appointed Carlos Miramontez vice president of mortgage lending. Miramontez has more than 20 years of lending experience. Before joining the credit union, he served as chief lending officer for LA Financial Credit Union. He has also served on Freddie Macs credit union advisory board and was chairman of Freddie Macs Affordable Housing Advisory Committee.

Travis McKinney, department manager for the construction design-build group at Burns & McDonnell in Brea, was recently promoted to the principal. As a group manager, Travis runs field operations for California, coordinating construction activities, project safety, construction quality assurance, construction schedules and costs. Burns & McDonnell employs wome 5,300 engineers, architects, construction professionals, scientists, and consultants throughout the world.

A series of paintings by artist Lawrence R. Armstrong, chief executive of Ware Malcomb, an architecture firm in Irvine, will be on display at John Wayne Airport as part of its community Focus Space Program. The exhibit will run through November 14, 2016.

Submit real estate items to Business Editor Samantha Gowen at sgowen@ocregister.com. Please allow at least a week for publication. High-resolution photos are also recommended for executive promotions and property transactions.
An Orange senior and his granddaughter have grown closer than ever thanks to an unexpected partnership developing a new app  with grandpa handling all of the programming.

Luis Guerra, 70, and Alexandra Garcia, 27, have been working for more than a year on KliqueShare, an app meant to streamline renting and sharing items, especially in college communities. The app, available on the iOS App Store, lets you keep track of things youve shared, make requests for items you need and list items that youre willing to rent out or sell.

The duo started seriously marketing the app this month, presenting it to sororities at Chapman University and UC Irvine.

For the duo, working on the app has been a chance to bond more tightly than ever, they said. Though they have always been close, Guerra lives part time in Orange and part time in a vacation home in Mexico, and Garcia only recently returned from more than 10 years on the East Coast and away from her family.

Garcia returned with the idea for her app, but had difficulties finding a reliable developer. Guerra stunned his granddaughter by saying hed handle the coding. Before long, Garcia said she was amazed by Guerras technical know-how.

I had no idea that my grandfather had these skills, she said. After the first couple of weeks, I was just in awe of what he was able to accomplish.

Guerra said he picked up his knowledge of computers mostly through tooling with them as a hobby. He was first exposed to programming about 40 years ago, well before the first release of Windows. He learned to dive into source code and make modifications out of practicality, wanting to add accounting features to help his family business.

He continued programming and tinkering with code, mostly for fun, which made keeping up with developments through the years a breeze, he said.

Guerra said he learned a new programming language in just two weeks to fit Garcias needs.

Garcia said Guerra has always had a strong work ethic, and working on the app has noticeably invigorated him. Guerra had begun to slow down a bit in recent years, growing bored in his retired life. Now, he feels a renewed drive, he said.

Every day, Guerra wakes up at 4 a.m. to start texting and emailing his granddaughter about the days work. When hes in Mexico, they work using a screen-sharing application to keep things going smoothly.

It almost doesnt feel like hes away, said Garcia, adding she talks with her grandfather at least 20 times a day.

Its very frustrating not having anything to do, Guerra said. Now, I do things pretty fast. I enjoy it, really. Im much happier having a purpose in life.

Contact the writer: jwinslow@scng.com
A mailer issued last week by Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Vista, drew sharp rebuke late Sunday from President Barack Obama, who described the flyer as shameless, according to a transcript issued by the White House.

Issa, who represents part of south Orange County and north San Diego County, is a longtime Obama critic who once described the Obama White House as one of the most corrupt administrations.

But last week, Issa issued a mailer to residents in his district that featured a photo of Obama signing The Survivors Bill of Rights, legislation co-sponsored by Issa and 39 other members of the House:

Issa, who is supporting Donald Trump in the presidential election, is facing a tough re-election fight for his House seat thanks to the challenge of retired Marine Col. Doug Applegate.

Obama, speaking in La Jolla as part of a Democratic fundraising tour that brings him to Los Angeles, suggested the mailer was a disingenous bid by Issa to appeal to moderate voters.

That is the definition of chutzpah, Obama said of the mailer.

Issas primary contribution to the United States Congress has been to obstruct and to waste taxpayer dollar on trumped-up investigations that have led nowhere, Obama added.

Issa said Monday he was disappointed but not surprised by Obamas comments.

Youd be hard-pressed to find anyone who thinks Ive done too much to hold Washington accountable, Issa said.

Ive worked with the administration on good legislation where it was possible, called out wrongdoing wherever I saw it, and will continue to do so.

Obama suggested Issa isnt the only Republican to send conflicting messages. Obama said some of his most vocal GOP critics have attended White House Christmas parties, where they privately tell him, Im praying for you.

I dont question the sincerity that they are praying for me: Please change this man from the socialist Muslim that he is, Obama said, laughing, before quickly adding: Im sure its more sincere than that.

Contact the writer: amouchard@scng.com
Luis Marcano still remembers Republican presidential nominee Donald Trumps first speech as a candidate.

The Venezuela native said he found Trump disrespectful and brash. And there was also a certain resemblance that he couldnt shake, to Hugo Chavez, former president of Marcanos former homeland.

Though socialist strongman Chavez may have little else in common with capitalist tycoon Trump, both men hold the media in contempt, Marcano said, and displayed similarly aggressive personalities.

When Marcano began to hear Trumps hard-line immigration rhetoric, he and his wife, Maria Carolina, pushed to get their citizenship. We are all called United States of America; this guy is not helping anyone to be united, Marcano said.

The couple became U.S. citizens Tuesday at the Los Angeles Convention Center, in the last naturalization ceremony before the Oct. 24 deadline to be able to register to vote in the Nov. 8 election.

I could not be sitting around as a spectator of this, said Marcano, a Santa Ana resident, holding an American flag in one hand and his naturalization documents in another.

The Marcanos dont appear to be alone. Between Oct. 1, 2015, and June 30, 718,430 immigrants applied for U.S. citizenship, according to government records cited by the San Francisco Chronicle. That is a 25 percent increase from the same period the prior year. Its the largest increase in applications for that time frame in an election year since 1996.

At last weeks ceremony, more than 3,700 people became U.S. citizens. They represented 115 countries, with more than 1,200 originating from Mexico.

Martha Contreras was one of them. The 70-year-old Sun Valley resident, who got her permanent residency 20 years ago, said she was motivated to gain her citizenship to cast her vote for Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton.

What (Trump) said has been bad and hes discriminating against Latinos, Contreras said, wiping away tears, even though were the reason the United States is progressing and has progressed.

Bill Thomas, who worked with the California Republican Party to register new voters at the convention center, said hes confident not all new citizens are coming on board simply to oppose Trump.

The party, he said, is seeing more Latinos sign on as Republicans. Trump is a celebrity and they like what he says, Thomas said.

An awful lot of them know the Trump name but really dont understand the political system, he said.

CITIZENSHIP AND VOTES

Experts agree that obtaining citizenship and even registering to vote doesnt necessarily translate into actual ballots cast, but another statistic may hint at a link. During the June 7 primary election  which traditionally has a lower voter turnout across the board, especially among Latinos  20 percent of the total votes were from Latinos.

Thats huge, said Mindy Romero, founder and director of the California Civic Engagement Project at the UC Davis Center for Regional Change.

A new report from CALmatters, a nonpartisan, nonprofit journalism group, shows a recent surge in California voter registration  and one in three of the new voters is a Latino.

There was an 18 percent increase in Latino voters, the study shows, as well as a 12 percent jump in all foreign-born registrants.

Latino-registered voter turnout increased in the 2016 primary to 38.7 percent, up 22 percentage points from the 2012 presidential primary, according to the engagement project.

Junes primary was the first California primary since the 2008 presidential primary in which a higher percentage of registered Latino voters turned out than Asian American voters.

We have seen this last year an increased number of applications for citizenship in the Latino community and a lot of what is driving that is concerns around Trump, Romero said. Some of that is pushback and anger at him. But a lot is also the fear of becoming vulnerable, given all of his rhetoric toward Latinos period. This has left many non-citizens feeling vulnerable.

Latinos will vote when an election hits close to home. They flocked to the polls in 1994 when Proposition 187  an initiative that established a state-run citizenship screening system and prohibited undocumented immigrants from using non-emergency health care, public education and other services in the state  appeared on the ballot.

I expect a higher turnout in November, but how much higher is the question, Romero said.

TRUMP AND LATINOS

How all these new Latino voters will shape the elections outcome remains to be seen.

Trump has said repeatedly that he hasnt given up on the Latino vote, despite polls indicating hell fare poorly with them in November.

On the heels of the backlash spurred by the campaign-kickoff speech that declared some illegal immigrants rapists and criminals, Trump gathered Latino groups for meetings in various states, brought Latino advisers aboard his campaign and made a high-profile trip to Mexico to meet with Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto.

The businessman, who believes immigration isnt the sole defining issue for many Latinos, has consistently made the case that his economic policies would be better for small minority-owned businesses than those of Democratic rival Hillary Clinton.

We have to listen to the concerns that working people, our forgotten working people, have over the record pace of immigration and its impact on their jobs, wages, housing, schools, tax bills and general living conditions, Trump said during one campaign speech this summer.

During an appearance this year in Anaheim, Trump said he had a great relationship with the Hispanics.

The Mexican people are great. Theyre going to vote for me like crazy, he said.

Trump, however, just last week appeared to reaffirm the hard-line immigration stance that first drew the ire of many Latinos, repeating that he would build a wall on the Mexican border and deport some bad, bad people in this country. He blames some bad hombres here for drug epidemics and other crime around the nation, and he promised anew that were going to get em out.

THE NEW VOTERS

Outside the Convention Center last week, the waves of new citizens were bombarded by volunteers from the two major parties looking to land first-time voters. After the first of two ceremonies, the Los Angeles County Democratic Party had registered 80 voters while the California Republican Party signed about 25.

Republican volunteer Thomas said he helped register a diverse array of people at the Los Angeles event and he expects Trump to do better with Latinos than the polls indicate.

They want to vote and theyre angry with the establishment, he said. Trump is their savior that is going to get things.

Thomas said the polls arent capturing a true picture of voter sentiment. I hope well be pleasantly surprised, he said.

Not far away, only moments after becoming a citizen, Joquin Velazquez registered to vote with the Los Angeles County Democratic Party, hoping to dispel Trumps incendiary comments about Mexican immigrants.

A retired nurse, Velazquez, 67, said that in his native country of Mexico he was a doctor. He immigrated to the U.S. for a better opportunity for his family.

Velazquez and his wife, Senoria, 64, had just met the cutoff to be able to apply for their citizenship but werent sure it was enough to qualify for the Oct. 18 ceremony.

The Highland Park couple said they were nervous and anxious while waiting for word if they could become citizens in time to register to vote. They said they were beyond happy when they learned only 15 days before the ceremony that theyd made the cutoff.

Liliana Serrano of Pacoima came to the United States when she was 3 months old. Serrano, 29, has had her permanent residence for five years but wasnt sure she even wanted to become a citizen because she opposed the U.S. presence in the Middle East.

And then Trump came onto the political scene.

I think (Latinos) are motivated by what Trump is saying and they dont want that representation. It has hurt the Latino community and (is) outraging us, Serrano said.

Hours after Serrano got her citizenship, she was back at the Convention Center, this time to celebrate her mother, Lourdes Rubvalcaba, gaining citizenship.

This is a really important election and possibly the biggest election in our lifetime, Rubvalcaba said. He speaks badly of Hispanics/Latinos. Thats why I became a citizen, to be able to give it my all.
Roadmap on Donbas may be approved before yearend, implemented from January  source

Leaders of Normandy Four nations may lay out a roadmap of political settlement in eastern Ukraine before the end of the year, a source with the Trilateral Contact Group's political subgroup told Interfax.

"Participants in the Normandy Format are expected to submit their proposals regarding the roadmap before the end of November. It is then planned to first discuss the draft document in the Normandy Format and then to present it to the Contact Group," the source said.

An agreement on the new document may be probably achieved before yearend, the source said.

"Direct implementation of it may start in January 2017," the source said.
A divorced Russian couple recently made headlines after they split their expensive mansion in half with a brick wall, which left the ex-wife unable to access the upper floors on her half because the stairway is on her former partners side.

After their divorce, Margareta Tsvitnenko, 45, and her former spouse, Sergei, were ordered to split the three-storey property in half. They have been in several legal battles since they decided to break up, in 2010, and the woman claims that Sergei has tried to force her and their 12-year-old disabled son out of the house several times, by disabling the heating system during winter time. But recently, he came up with a new, more effective way of causing her trouble. After the court approved his request to separate his side of the mansion with a wall, he quickly brought in a team of workers who bricked up all connecting doors and other access areas including the only staircase to the upper floors.

According to the legal expert who measured the mansion and decided which rooms belonged to each of the former spouses, the stairway was on Sergeis side of the house and he recently moved to restrict Margaretas access to it. She claims that she and her son were having breakfast one morning, when construction workers accompanied by a court official showed up and proceeded to split the house down the middle with a thick brick wall. When he showed the men a court decision giving her until March 17, 2017 to build a separate staircase, they just shrugged and said that her former husband was free to do whatever he wanted on his side.

Margareta says the workers didnt even care that a friend of hers was sleeping in one of the upstairs bedrooms, and just walled up the stairs without first allowing her to wake the woman up. She ended up completely walled in and Tsvitnenko had to call the police to evacuate her. A squad from the Ministry of Emergencies arrived on the scene and had to use a ladder to get the woman out from the third floor bedroom, an operation that took hours to complete.

Me and my son were downstairs when it was happening, but my friend was asleep in one of the bedrooms upstairs. So she got blocked, marooned there. She couldnt get down, it was too dangerous because of the height, Margareta told the Komsomolskaya Pravda newspaper. I called the police and they called emergency services and they brought a long ladder. So my friend who was stuck there for several hours before she finally managed to get out.

Unfortunately for the former Mrs. Tsvitnenko, she needs to sue her husband in order to get a court order to demolish the wall, and after spending the last six years in legal battles, its not something she wants to pursue. At the same time, the woman claims she currently lacks the financial resources to build her own set of stairs, so for the time being she is locked out of the upper floors of her half of the mansion.

Meanwhile, Sergei Tsivtnenko has unrestricted access to his side of the house, but hardly ever comes by anymore, as he lives in an apartment with his new wife.

Youre probably wondering why the two former spouses dont just sell the mansion and get it over with? Reporters from the Komsomolskaya Pravda asked Margareta this exact same question, to which she answered that the Russian real estate market is in crisis, and they just wouldnt get a fair price for it. Neither of us wants a bad deal, she added. At least they agree on something.
At first glance, Bella Devyatkina, from Moscow, Russia, is your typical carefree, playful four-year-old, but ask her a question in Russian, English, French, Spanish, German, Chinese or Arabic, and you will be shocked by her articulate response.

Bella made headlines in Russia a few days ago, when she appeared on a TV talent show, where she spoke seven different languages without a prominent accent, stunning both the judges and millions of viewers. Since then, a YouTube video of her performance went viral online, transforming the four-year-old polyglot into on overnight internet celebrity. She has since been invited to appear on a variety of television programs where moderators and other guests conversed with her in several of the seven languages she is fluent in, and she always understood their questions and answered accordingly.

So how does a four-year-old girl learn so many languages in such a short period of time, when most people spend years struggling to become fluent in just one foreign language. Bellas mother, Yulia, said that she and her father started teaching her English when she was just two years old, and after noticing her interest in the language and the ease with which she picked up everything, they decided to gradually adding more languages to her schedule. They hired native tutors for each new language, and by the time she was three and a half years old, she was already speaking two languages. She mastered two more, in the next six months.

Photo: video screengrab

Bella Devyatkinas language skills were put to the test on the Russian television talent show Incredible People, where she had to answer questions in English, French, Spanish, German, Chinese and Arabic. She passed the test with flying colors, proving that she either can really understand all these foreign languages, or she has the best memory of any four-year-old, allowing her to memorize all the answers.

Yulia Devyatkina claims that Bella now spends about six hours every day studying foreign languages, from 10 in the morning to 1 p.m. and again from 5 p.m. to 8 in the evening. Upon hearing this, many people have accused her parents of stripping her of her childhood, but they insist that the classes are all structured as fun games that she genuinely enjoys. As far as Bella is concerned, she is playing, not studying.



But while most of the world has been shocked by the young girls ability to speak six foreign languages, Russian neuropsychologist Anna Semenovich reminds us that in 19th century Russia, speaking several foreign languages was common for children of royal families.

In pre-revolutionary Russia, if a child from a noble family couldnt speak three-four languages by the age of five or six, it was a shame to take him out. Then in school Latin and ancient Greek were added to those. So five-six languages were a standard package for an educated youth back in 19th-century Russia, Semenovich told Komsomolskaya Pravda.

The neuropsychologist says that we can only say that Bella Devyatkina has some truly special abilities in 15-20 years. She gave musical prodigies as an example. Some children possess remarkable hearing and singing ability, but they lose them as they grow older. Either their voices change, or they simply lose interest in music. Semenovich claims that a lot of work is required for these kids to reach their full potential, as well as favorable conditions, like talented teachers, a creative environment and an atmosphere of love and support. I want to wish this girl good luck, but the public needs to understand that the path to true genius is a thorny one. Thats why most prodigies dont reach their full potential, she concluded.

Still, many argue that the fact that Bella has managed to become fluent in languages belonging to three different groups: Indo-European (Russian, French, English, Spanish, German), Semitic (Arabic) and Sino-Tibetan (Chinese), which means they are very different and lack structural similarities, is simply mind-blowing.
Bodine Williams

Game Face: Mastering the Media Interview, 19 Cautionary Tales, by Bodine Williams

Fueled with a high-octane personality and his reckless rhetoric, Donald Trump talked his way onto the top of the ticket as the Republican nominee for president. Both proved to be his undoing during the final debate with Hillary Clinton.For a while, the two behaved, as you would expect with the election only days away. They followed the cues of moderator, Fox Newsanchor Chris Wallace. The audience heard opposing, well-articulated positions on the future of the Supreme Court, the Second Amendment and abortion rights. But, with voters having long accepted the fact that presidents must learn on the job, the real topic of this final debate was character.

Soon the old animus returned providing a test in real time to determine which candidate has the attributes to face the stressors of being president. It started with Clintons first jab at Trump during the question on immigration.



He went to Mexico, he had a meeting with Mexican Presidentdidnt even raise it, he choked, and then he got into a Twitter war because the Mexican president said were not paying for that wall.



That energized Trump but not in a good way. Clintons debate strategy to provoke Trump with stiletto-size taunts, leading him to appear petty and thin-skinned, was now perfected. Each time he took the bait he moved further way from a man undecided voters would trust with nuclear codes or invite into their lives for four years.



At one point, Clinton struggled with a question about her call for open borders in a speech leaked by WikiLeaks. She shifted the focus to Trump.



Will Donald Trump admit and condemn that the Russians are doing this and make it clear that he will not have the help of Putin in this election?



Trump got a laugh when he pointed out Clintons obvious deflection, but then he got sidetracked.



He said nice things about me. If we got along well that would be good. If Russia and the United States got along well and went after ISIS, that would be good. He has no respect for her. He has no respect for our president.



She doesnt like Putin because Putin has outsmarted at every step of the way. Putin has outsmarted her in Syria, he has outsmarted her every step of the way.



Trumps response suggested that he was pleased to be the Russian presidents favorite. He sounded unpatriotic; then Clinton made him sound weak with her best put down of the night.



Well, thats because he'd rather have a puppet as president of the United States.



At this point in the debate Trumps character flaws may have even have dimmed the enthusiasm of those tilting his way. He continued to project his less appealing self. Asked about the video of Trump boasting of groping and kissing women, he retreated to the oddly personal with his denial.



And I didn't even apologize to my wife who is sitting right here because I didn't do anything.



Women have come forward claiming otherwise. Even if voters could be convinced that they lied, why would Trump declare that he had not apologized to his wife after the embarrassing video was seen around the world? This was another smudge on his character with more to follow when the topic turned to taxes.



Again, Trump conceded that he has not paid federal income taxes in years, but now he provided a reason: Hillary Clinton and the other ninety-nine Democratic and Republican senators over the relevant time periods.



"If you don't like what I did you should've changed the law.



Trump was telling voters that what he did was legal and in his best interest. This was not a winning message from someone who kick-starts every rally on the sad state of the nations schools, veteran hospitals, infrastructure and the lack of resources for border patrol officers.



When Clinton accused him of using Chinese steel and aluminum over American steel and American workers, Trump again blamed his access to foreign materials on lawmakers.



And if you say I've used steel or I used something else, make it impossible for me to do that.



Another telltale reply, it suggested a would-be president incapable of making ethical or principled choices then refusing to take responsibility when challenged.



Trump had bested Clinton as she struggled to explain his charge of the pay-to-play culture at the Clinton Foundation when she was Secretary of State. She ran long when over explaining her plans for a turnaround in Syria. But for every gain, Trump lost ground, appearing more and more self-centered and un-American in his dealings.



Another problem for Trump was his penchant for over-the-top exaggerations. Even when he had Clinton scrambling for answers, he undermined his most compelling moments with hyperbole. This one on abortion:



I think it's terrible if you go with what Hillary is saying in the ninth month you can take the baby and rip the baby out of the womb of the mother just prior to the birth of the baby.



Here on NAFTA, the trade agreement signed by President George H.W. Bushnot Bill Clinton as he stated repeatedly.



The NAFTA deal signed by her husband is one of the worst deals ever made of any kind of signed by anybody.



Two unpopular candidates, Trump and Clinton took different paths. She banked on experience, Trump on his personality. Yet, Trump was the candidate voters liked and respected the least. He had flunked the character test. When he was asked about his statements questioning the legitimacy of the election outcome, he blew up the last remaining path to victory.



She should not be allowed to run. And just in that respect I say it's rigged because she should never have been allowed to run for the presidency based on what she did with e-mails and so many other things. What I'm saying now is I will tell you at the time. I will keep you in suspense, okay?



By the end of the debate his bitterness was on full display. Trump dismissed his opponent, characterizing her as such a nasty woman. It was a final shot at Clinton and a lasting slur on his temperament.



* * *



Bodine Williams is a public relations consultant who specializes in crisis communication, issues management and media training. Her new book, Game Face: Mastering the Media Interview, 19 Cautionary Tales, is available on Amazon.
Colaiste Iosagain in Portarlington has received the Cycle Against Suicide, Ambassador School Award, in recognition of the school's support of positive mental health promotion.

Teachers Ms Nolan and Ms Browne, on behalf of the wellness team, with students Alex Butler and Leah Cooney, collected the award on September 23 at a ceremony in the Royal Hospital, Kilmainham.

It was one of 83 schools around Ireland who completed the Ambassador School Programme, a Cycle Against Suicide initiative which is school-led. It involved the completion of Five Gears over a year, aimed at spreading the message Its OK not to feel OK; and its absolutely OK to ask for help.

It was wonderful to attend such a positive event, and have the efforts of the students recognised. Our participation in the Ambassador School Programme had an enormously positive impact in our school, fostered a school-wide approach to the promotion of positive mental health, and provided incredible opportunities for student leadership, said Ms Nolan.

Minister for Education and Skills, Richard Bruton TD, congratulated the schools.

This is a hugely important issue that affects so many families, he said.

Founder of Cycle Against Suicide is Jim Breen who commented, "Id like to thank each of the schools for their extraordinary commitment to breaking the cycle of suicide on the island of Ireland.

Each of them has gone the extra mile to raise awareness of our message, empowering themselves and others to build resilience, and seek help when necessary. They are changing the mind-set, behaviour and culture of an entire generation.

www.cycleagainstsuicide.com .
Long term Offaly natives are likely to share a common genetic link with their counterparts in Kildare and Laois.

Researchers have this week launched a nationwide appeal for Irish people with four locally-born grandparents to take part in a new DNA project to help map the genetic history of Ireland.

The Irish DNA Research Project, led by British ancestry firm Living DNA, is appealing for individuals with four Irish grandparents all born within 80 kilometres (50 miles) of each other to join this pioneering project by taking a simple DNA test.

Preliminary tests carried out so far show that Offaly, Laois and Kildare are mapped under the banner Cill Dara.

Preliminary results show that there is a distinct genetic Irish link in the cluster of three counties.

By focusing on people whose grandparents were all born in close proximity, the research team aim to build up the most detailed and accurate regional map of Irelands genetic history  prior to the mass migrations of the 20th Century.

David Nicholson, managing director of Living DNA comments, our DNA can tell us extraordinary things about our origins and family histories, all from a simple cheek swab."

More details on the project and how to get involved visit www.livingdna.com/irishdna
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The contact group on Ukraine in Minsk on Wednesday will focus on discussing new security zones on the contact line in Donbas.

"There are two important issues on the agenda that are related to security. The first one is that there is a need to determine the reasons that prevented the completion of the implementation of the disengagement on three pilot sections, and the second is the work on new security zones on the contact line," the subgroup on security told Interfax.

In the meantime, the issue of the sending of an armed OSCE mission to Donbas is not on the agenda of the contact group meeting on October 26. "Such an issue is not declared for the agenda and will not be discussed," the source said.

A relevant OSCE decision is needed to submit the issue to the contact group for discussion, the source said.

"All OSCE member countries have to approve such a decision first and then it can be submitted to the contact group. None of that has happened so far," the source said.
After a breakout debut record, there was no worry about a sophomore slump for Alabama rock soul band St. Paul and the Broken Bones.

So says frontman Paul Janeway, the voice behind the band's powerful soul sound.

Before the band hit The Waiting Room Lounge this week, I talked to Janeway about the band's second record, "Sea of Noise," and the energy in their live show.

Q. Was there any pressure after the band's success on the first record to repeat that?

A. I think the biggest goal was to make an album that we were proud of. I think we did that. I didnt feel much pressure until I saw our touring schedule after the record was done. It was just unknown if we could fill such big rooms.

Q. What was your state of mind going into making "Sea Of Noise?

A. I think it was to make something different than the first record. I am still getting to know my voice and I wanted to expand that part of the songs. I also concentrated on writing lyrics that were cohesive throughout the record.

Q. Songs on the record were pretty topical, which isn't something you see in much music, and not always in soul. Did you have any worries about how the songs would be accepted or considered?

A. I certainly did. I also thought if I didnt do that I wouldnt be true to myself. I think you have to write what moves you and that is what I did. My mentality was not to write a political record but a record about the exploration of my southern identity.

Q. People love your live show. What have you done to keep pushing the energy in the show?

A. I have to put everything into a performance so I think the energy at the show will always be up. It is my therapy session for an hour and a half.

Q. Soul music has made a comeback in popular music. What do you attribute that to?

A. I think it is just the desire to hear real music with raw emotion. There is no better music for that than soul music. Big labels are starting to notice that desire so I think that is a good thing.

St. Paul and the Broken Bones with Diane Coffee

When: 8 p.m. Tuesday

Where: The Waiting Room Lounge, 6121 Maple St.

Tickets: $20 in advance or $23 day of show ( Buy them here!
A primary school teacher whose go-to outfit includes pairing a blazer with an A-line dress. A high school adviser who refuses to dress down for casual Fridays. A college professor who doesnt leave home without matching lipstick and heels.

What do all of these educators have in common?

Times up. Pencils down.

The answer: Theyre impeccable dressers.

A study earlier this year found that teachers believe their professional attire has a positive influence on students learning and behavior. Students appear to model those teachers, according to the research by Walden University in Minnesota.

Gretna teacher Jennifer Plowcha said she prepares her wardrobe a week in advance to make certain that she always puts her best foot forward.

I cant say Im making better mathematicians because I wear heels, said Plowcha, 40, who teaches second grade at Palisades Elementary. But they pay attention to what I wear. Its the first thing that gets their attention in the morning.

October is the month for parent-teacher conferences  a time when teachers are in the spotlight  so we asked a handful of Nebraska educators, including Plowcha, to share how their attire has set the tone for their classrooms.

Mrs. Jennifer Plowcha

Second-grade teacher, Palisades Elementary in Gretna

Dressing up, well, thats just part of being a professional, Plowcha said. This job is one where people are looking at you all day long. Its important to me that even though Im in a classroom setting I look polished and put together.

Gretna mom Tracy Barnes Cartwright definitely took notice, saying: Mrs. Plowcha has mastered casual chic. Everything she wore looked adorable and effortless. She wasnt afraid to be bold with colors and styles. I got more than one outfit idea off of her.

Plowcha, with 19 years of teaching experience, said she makes it her goal to dress nice even though

primary teachers often leave the day covered in paint, clay and other messy materials.

A lot of times in teaching, the pumpkin sweaters and school spirit shirts could pass as being acceptable... and although theyre nice, I try my hardest to look put together, she said.

If youre well-dressed, she said, the kids respond to that.

She shops mostly at big retail stores such as Marshalls and TJ Maxx, but recently switched to online browsing on consignment sites such as Poshmark.com because of the more affordable offerings. She doesnt buy a piece over $100.

I live on a teachers budget, she said.

Mr. Courtland Olson

Talent adviser, Millard South High

In his first year of teaching, Olson was mistaken for a student. He shrugged the error off, but took it as a teaching opportunity. He professionally distinguished himself by his wardrobe choices. Donning tailored slacks, slim ties and nicely pressed, button-down shirts helped establish Olson as an authority figure.

When they come into my classroom, they know were there to take care of business.

Olson, 29, taught history at Benson High School for five years before becoming the Millard South High School talent adviser for the Avenue Scholars Foundation. He works with students from lower-income homes to hone career and life skills and advises them on pursing higher education. A major component, he said, is being able to model to students what its like to dress appropriately.

Every single day of teaching, he wears a shirt and tie. On jeans day, or casual Friday, he wears slacks, not denim. He has seen his students mirror his approach.

I ran into a former student, he said. One of the things he remembered the most about my class was that I wore a suit. So after he graduated he said the first thing he did was buy a suit. He saw the way others treated me and wanted the same respect.

Students notice even the smallest of details, like when his ties match his socks. When they ask about it, hell say, I dress how I feel. And I feel good.

Mrs. Danita Webb

School improvement manager, Omaha Public Schools

When asked about her favorite fashion piece, Webb didnt hesitate: Heels. Definitely heels. I wear a lot of them.

Webb, 32, is the school improvement project manager for Wakonda and Howard Kennedy Elementary Schools in the Omaha Public Schools.

As an administrator, I always want to dress the part, she said. Many of my co-workers and the teachers dont think I repeat anything, but really all I do is just mix and match well.

On this particular day, Webb sported a faux fur vest, a pencil skirt and heels. Webb often pairs blazers  she has one in just about every color  with dresses and slacks. It just really changes the persona of an outfit, she said.

Webb said she believes dressing the part is a sign of respect. Im always conscious of that. I think about what Im going to wear and what it communicates to my peers and the students.

That valuable lesson recently was taught during a partnership program between Wakonda Elementary and the 100 Black Men of Omaha community group. The men donated dress shirts and ties to several young boys and spent time discussing why professional dress is important for all ages.

Webb said the boys loved dressing up. It made them feel smart. They loved when people told them they looked nice.

Even as an adult, its a special feeling that doesnt go away, Webb said. I love being someone they look up to.

Senor Juan Magana

Technology specialist, Gomez Heritage Elementary

Magana wears mostly classic, stylish pieces that stand the test of time, not fly-by-night trends. His inspiration for professional dress is sparked by his storied past.

I grew up very poor. At one point, I remember living in a van with my dad, he said. I really cant remember school until I was in the fifth grade and I had a teacher named Mr. VerMass.  He was the best-dressed teacher I had ever seen. Always looked good.

Magana, 34, wrote college papers about how that teacher shaped his career choice just because of the way he dressed. He was the only one on a day-to-day basis that I saw dressed like a professional.

Now, I try to do the same for our kids and the community, he said.

On school picture day, students run up to him to share how theyre dressed just like him in a tie. Parents stop in his classroom to tell him how their kids want to buy a dress shirt or a tie like Senor Magana. For Christmas, parents will gift him ties and scarves.

Your clothes are the first impression you make.

Dr. Sasha Shillcutt

Associate professor, University of Nebraska Medical Center

Shillcutt said her appearance boosts her confidence and adds to her professionalism.

I dont think there is any excuse for not putting your best style every day, she said. It takes just as much effort to put on skinny jeans and a stylish blazer as it does to toss on yoga pants and a T-shirt.

Shoes and accessories are a must, she said, joking that animal print is a neutral. She even matches her lipstick to her high heel color.

Shillcutt, 41, an associate professor of anesthesiology, wasnt always fashion forward. It was so easy to hide in my baggy scrubs.

Now when colleagues ask, Why are you dressed up? Do you have something important to do? she says: Yes, Im teaching a class. Or, I have a patient to see.

The only person holding me back was myself, she said. A lot of people want to be more fashion-conscious. So, just do it. Stop hiding. Add a pop of color. Dont be afraid to embrace your own style and be brave to live your best self every single day.

Its a concept she preaches in a Facebook group she created called Style M.D. She provides style tips to more than 3,600 women in the medical profession.

Its so easy to wear scrubs to the hospital, she said. Weve worked so hard to get where we are. Dressing up and dressing the part really brings respect not just for yourself but also for your patients and your students.
Theres a lot Matt Stinchfield can say about the plow.

To him, its a symbol of hard, honest work and a simple life. To him, its a symbol of his life and work in Nebraska.

Two years ago, Stinchfield, 55, opened Ploughshare Brewing Co. in Lincoln. Last month, Ploughshare was chosen as the wild card winner in Samuel Adams Brewing the American Dream Pitch Room Competition.

After submitting a 2-minute video explaining Ploughshare and his vision for its future, Stinchfield and his brewery are in the running to win a $10,000 grant and a years worth of mentoring from Sam Adams.

In December, Stinchfield will travel to Boston to compete against six finalists for the grand prize.

I think weve already proven ourselves in the market. Its not like we have a crazy unproven idea, Stinchfield said. Good beer has a very long tradition of success.

Stinchfield, a native of Vermont, moved to Nebraska six years ago from Nevada, where he was working cleaning up industrial properties for redevelopment. He didnt come for family or friends, he said. It just seemed like a nice place to live.

He also saw opportunity  a market for good, locally sourced craft beer. He started Ploughshare about two years ago.

My backgrounds in chemistry, so I guess I naturally liked cooking, he said.

The brewery itself, he said, is rooted in values of the agrarian Midwest  simplicity and community. There are no TVs in the taproom, he said. Customers just talk to each other.

We have really interesting conversations that take place between punk rockers and parish priests and professionals that all come into our taproom, he said.

Currently, Ploughshare is available in draft form in Omaha and Lincoln. Stinchfields pitch to Sam Adams involved launching a bottling expansion. He would also like to expand distribution into Nebraska cities such as Kearney and Grand Island.

I think its important for our business at least that we brew beer thats going to suit the vast majority of people here in Nebraska, he said. Beer is like fresh bread  you want to get it close to the bakery.
Poroshenko says he didnt raise his voice, but urged Putin to stop shooting in Donbas

President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko has confirmed that during the Normandy Four meeting in Berlin he urged Russian President Vladimir Putin to stop shooting in the Ukrainian Donbas.

"I never raise my voice during talks. But regarding the request to stop shooting  indeed, I addressed such a request to Putin," Poroshenko said in the illustrated Sunday night interview to Ukrainian TV channels, responding to a question whether he raised his voice against the Russian president.

He noted the importance of the fact that the "Normandy Four" negotiations took place for the first time a year after the Paris meeting. "Nothing has been done during a year, and Ukraine pays a very high price for the continuation of armed conflict," the head of state said.

Poroshenko said that the Ukrainian side during the talks proposed to develop a document that would include when and who should implement the specific positions of the Minsk agreements.

"Without this, I see no progress. This is called the 'road map.' And if half a year ago everyone refused from the 'road map,' I said we will not move until a clear 'road map' is developed, which will include two components - the consistency and responsibility. Finally, the Ukrainian position was accepted," he said.

In addition, according to the president, Ukraine insisted on the need for the introduction of the armed OSCE mission in Donbas, which would control the security situation.
Americans are addicted to their jobs. U.S. workers not only put in more hours than workers do almost anywhere else. Theyre also increasingly retiring later and taking fewer vacation days.

A new study tries to measure precisely how much more Americans work than Europeans do overall. The answer: The average person in Europe works 19 percent less than the average person in the U.S. Thats about 258 fewer hours per year, or about an hour less each weekday. Another way to look at it: U.S. workers put in almost 25 percent more hours than Europeans.

Hours worked vary a lot by country, according to the unpublished working paper by economists Alexander Bick of Arizona State University, Bettina Bruggemann of McMaster University in Ontario, and Nicola Fuchs-Schundeln of Goethe University Frankfurt. Swiss work habits are most similar to Americans, while Italians are the least likely to be at work, putting in 29 percent fewer hours per year than Americans do.

The study was designed to make it easier to compare countries to one another, by capturing the overall hours per person, not just for people with jobs. That incorporates not just the length of the typical workweek but also retirement, vacation, unemployment, and other time spent out of the workforce.

Not all time spent at the office, shop or factory is time well spent; output is also critical to the productivity equation. But its important to have a reliable calculation of hours worked per person to accurately measure productivity, the amount of economic value nations get out of each hour their citizens spend working. The studys detailed data could help researchers figure out why Americans toil so much longer than Europeans and which factors most influence productivity.

One theory is that Americans work longer hours because their additional effort is more likely to pay off. People earn a wider range of incomes in the U.S., so workers have an incentive to try harder to move up the job ladder because a promotion is worth more, said Dora Gicheva, an economist at the University of North Carolina-Greensboro, citing a study that compared the U.S. with Germany.

Taxes are an issue. Taxes in the U.S. are substantially lower than in Europe. Studies have suggested that this higher tax burden reduces the incentive to earn more by putting in extra hours.

Americans are indeed richer than Europeans, and one reason why is because of taxes that depress the incentives to work in Europe, said Lee Ohanian, an economist at the University of California-Los Angeles.

Maybe the key factor is that labor unions, along with other worker protections, are much stronger in Europe than in the U.S. The data strongly suggest that labor regulation and unionization appear to be the dominant factors explaining the differences between the United States and Europe, economists at Harvard and Dartmouth concluded in a 2006 study.

Generous pensions in Europe are also a strong factor in discouraging older people from working, the study found. In the U.S., more people over 65 are working than at any point in the past 50 years. The U.S.s shift from traditional pensions to 401(k) plans makes it harder for Americans to know when its safe to retire.
The winds of change are howling in the Nebraska energy industry.

The Omaha Public Power Districts closure of its Fort Calhoun nuclear plant today clears the way for new renewable generation to fill the void left by the 478-megawatt plant, even though the utility plans to replace just a portion of its output.

OPPD will have virtually doubled the portion of energy it receives from renewable sources by the time the new year rolls around. Renewables refers to sources of energy that arent depleted when theyre used  wind, sun and water, for instance.

The largest wind project in state history  the 400-megawatt Grande Prairie wind farm  now is mostly online. When its fully up and running, OPPD will eventually increase its total renewable generation portfolio to more than 818 megawatts.

With the nuclear plant at Fort Calhoun set to churn out its last gasp of energy today, renewables share of total generation at OPPD will be about 31 percent once Grande Prairie comes fully online. Thats a rise from its current 15 percent.

And that share stands to grow: OPPD will replace about 42 percent of the nuclear plants 478-megawatt output with wind and other renewables. The remaining void left by the nuclear plants shutdown will go unfilled because the utility is already generating more electricity than ratepayers use.

OPPD isnt yet taking energy produced at Grande Prairie, but it will soon  most likely by the beginning of the year, at the latest. Grande Prairie is on 45,000 acres east of ONeill, which is about 185 miles northwest of Omaha.

Thomas Budler, president of Des Moines-based BHE Wind, told The World-Herald that 78 of 100 turbines at its Grande Prairie project in Holt County are commissioned and up and operating.

Were really in good shape to deliver the project at its fully commissioned operating date by Nov. 30, Budler said. BHE Wind is a division of Berkshire Hathaway Energy.

The privately built project  which will sell 100 percent of its electricity output to OPPD  cost about $610 million.

Once Grande Prairie is fully online, its generation will be enough to increase Nebraskas total statewide wind capacity by about 40 percent. With the recent approval of an additional 300 megawatts of wind in Saline County by Lincoln-based Aksamit Resource Management, wind developers are building even more momentum in the state.

OPPD in July issued a request for proposals up to 400 megawatts for wind or up to 100 megawatts for solar, though the request is not confined to projects only within Nebraska.

BHE Winds Budler said his organization is looking at additional projects in Nebraska but would neither confirm nor deny whether it responded to the recent OPPD request.

The Omaha utility has gotten responses to backfill the gap left by Calhoun from projects both inside and outside of Nebraska. Wind proposals ranged from 10 megawatts up to 400 megawatts; solar proposals ranged from 1 megawatt to 100 megawatts.

OPPD officials expect to reformulate the utilitys resource generation plan by the end of 2016.

The 300-megawatt project backed by Aksamit in Saline County will represent a statewide increase of about 23 percent additional wind capacity when it comes online in mid-2018.

Unlike the BHE project, Aksamit still has to find a buyer for power generated by the approximately 90 turbines planned for that installation. A sister project will have about 37 turbines and add 74 megawatts when complete, pushing the Milligan projects to 374 megawatts of capacity.

Company officials said negotiations for power sales from those projects are ongoing, but it did respond to the OPPD request in July.

Berkshire Hathaway Inc. owns the Omaha World-Herald
DETROIT  Since embracing tough new fuel economy standards in 2012, automakers have spent billions to develop more fuel-efficient vehicles and have been so successful at meeting tougher regulations that theyve become victims of their own success.

Over the past four years, automakers deployed new cars and trucks with gasoline direct injection and more sophisticated transmissions, found ways to cut gobs of weight, improved aerodynamics and developed stop-start systems that reduce fuel consumption by eliminating idling.

Now automakers are pleading for a break on even more aggressive standards that will go into effect between 2022 and 2025.

Automakers have been aggressively lobbying the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and Congress to lower the standards. The lobbying is part of a midterm evaluation of corporate average fuel economy standards intended to limit greenhouse gas emissions and dependence on foreign oil by improving fuel economy.

Enacted in 1975 as a result of the OPEC oil embargo and finalized in 2012, the target real world fuel economy for passenger vehicles is about 41 mpg by 2025. The unadjusted target is 54.5 mpg.

The problem for automakers is they have proven over the past four years that theyre able to meet tougher future standards.

Manufacturers are adopting CO2-reducing technologies very rapidly. In fact, we are seeing technologies that reduce emissions and improve fuel economy entering the fleet at faster rates than we originally expected, Janet McCabe, acting assistant administrator of the U.S. EPAs office of air and radiation, said at a congressional hearing last month.

McCabe said automakers already have introduced more than 100 car, SUV and pickup models that meet 2020 or later standards.

Carmakers can meet the standards at similar or lower costs than we had anticipated in our 2012 analysis, she said.

Without changes, automakers say the industry could lose sales and profits, cut jobs, fail in its effort to sell vehicles that cost more to consumers and, ultimately, fall short of reaching the environmental benefits the government is trying to achieve.

We are bumping up against this affordability limit with the consumer, said Jeff Carlson, chairman of the National Automobile Dealers Association. If we cant sell the cars, if we cant clear the fleet, we are never going to get to the fuel economy targets.

Paul Hemmersbaugh, chief counsel of the traffic safety administration, also argued that automakers have proven that they are capable of meeting stricter future standards when he testified before Congress.

Under current standards, stringency levels have been increasing steadily since model year 2012, and manufacturers have been meeting those standards, Hemmersbaugh said. That means consumers are buying, and benefiting from, more-efficient vehicles with lower greenhouse gas emissions, and saving money on fuel costs.

The EPA and NHTSA, along with the California Air Resources Board, issued a 1,200-page report in July that kick-started a review of the standards that is expected to take nearly two years.

The agencies repeatedly say the initial report is not a policy or regulatory document. At the same time, the report signals that the agencies are opposed to adopting any major changes to the regulations.

Our new analysis confirms that the standards can be met largely with more efficient gasoline-powered cars, Hemmersbaugh said.

Another reason the government may be reluctant to amend the regulations is that the new standards are among the signature achievements of President Barack Obamas administration.

As model year 2017 vehicles reach showrooms, the Obama administrations fuel economy program has already reduced carbon pollution emissions significantly and has saved Americans a lot of money at the pump at the same time, McCabe said.

Mitch Bainwol, president and CEO of the Alliance for Automobile Manufacturers, argues that the industrys ability to meet tougher standards over the past four years doesnt ensure success in the future.

Bainwol told Congress that the final four years of the program impose an expectation of fuel economy gains of about 5 percent per year for both cars and trucks.

The agencies have repeatedly stated that compliance with the model year 2025 standards will not require significant hybridization or electrification, but that clearly seems to reflect a leap of faith that transcends current technology realities, Bainwol said.

Automakers, environmental groups and others were given 60 days to react and respond to the report. The next step for the agencies is to review the comments received during the 60-day period and to issue a proposal sometime next year. Then the agencies will again solicit input and issue a final report by April 1, 2018, at the latest.
The sun set quickly on the smallest nuclear plant in the country, situated 20 miles north of Omaha.

About 18 weeks after the Omaha Public Power District board of directors voted unanimously to pull the plug on the Fort Calhoun nuclear plant, operators today will power down the reactor there for the final time.

Energy output at the 43-year-old plant has been waning since Sept. 29, when a coasting down period began. Officials expect Calhouns output to be near 77 percent of capacity by 8 a.m. today, when a more aggressive process will begin cutting down capacity by about 10 percent an hour until 1 p.m.

Thats when the plants energy-producing turbine is expected to eke out its last bit of electricity before going offline for good.

About 1:30 p.m., operators will flip the switch to the nuclear reactor. And so will mark the end to the atomic era at OPPD.

Its one that began in 1966, when the utility first announced its plans to build the nuclear plant on the Missouri River. By the time the power station was dedicated in May 1974, it was one of only 44 such licensed facilities.

Today, 100 nuclear reactors are licensed to operate by the federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

But that number is falling: In 2016 alone, six nuke plants including Fort Calhoun have announced plans to shut down. All but one are closing years before their licensing terms expire.

* * *

More OPPD coverage

* * *

Where Fort Calhoun was seen as a viable alternative source of energy during the energy crisis of the 1970s, the run-up to its debut was no honeymoon. What was planned to be a $77 million project more than doubled to a total cost of $178 million.

Still, OPPD forged ahead with what Richard Dugdale, the utilitys president at the time, described as a valiant decision.

It was bold  bolder than we realized, Dugdale said of the endeavor at the plants dedication in 1974. It was courageous, and it took all the courage that we could muster as construction proceeded.

Since then, the plant has accounted for about one-third of OPPDs total electricity generation. At its recent peak, Calhoun was responsible for 700 high-paying jobs.

But a different force has darkened the doors of existing nuclear plants in recent years.

The glut of low-priced natural gas that has been a major driver in forcing other, far larger nuclear plants into premature shutdowns has also doomed Fort Calhoun. In the last seven months alone, four other nuke plants have been dispatched into early twilight, rendered too expensive to operate because of cheap and plentiful electricity from other sources.

Still, Fort Calhoun differs from these other recent cases: The local plant has been on financial life support since returning from a disastrous spell in which it was shut down for more than 30 months between April 2011 and December 2013.

The utility spent heavily to recover from a historic Missouri River flood, a costly electrical fire and a subsequent laundry list of hundreds of performance-related deficiencies exposed by federal regulators.

The facility recovered, but at a steep cost: The fire alone cost the utility almost $40 million. In all, OPPD spent about $300 million to recover from the prolonged outage.

And since then, the utility has paid more than $94 million to Exelon Generation to run the show at Calhoun. The Chicago-based nuclear fleet operator got the keys to the plant in September 2012 and has been paid about $64,000 a day to manage operations there.

Since then, the plant has operated at levels rivaling any other period in its history in recent months, according to performance metrics from industry standards groups and regulators.

But following the money led OPPD management and board members to decide to shut down the plant. A World-Herald analysis pegged Calhouns costs per megawatt-hour at about $71. The industry average for nuclear power operators is $35.50, and the natural gas oversupply has depressed the wholesale price for a megawatt-hour of electricity to as low as $20.

OPPD board Chairman Mick Mines in June put the situation in simple terms: Unfortunately for the 700 people that are associated with the plant, its just not a competitive alternative anymore. From a fiscal perspective, there is no other decision.
TOKYO (AP)  Matsuri Takahashis dream career at Japans top ad agency, Dentsu, ended with her suicide as her overtime pushed past 100 hours a month.

Im emotionless and only wish to sleep, she wrote, exhausted and depressed, in a Twitter post in October 2015, six months after starting the job. On Christmas day, the 24-year-old leaped from a dormitory balcony, leaving behind a last email to her mother saying her work and life had become unbearable.

Takahashis was not the first karoshi, or death from overwork at Dentsu, a company notorious for demanding long hours from its employees.

Despite efforts over the past two decades to cut back on overwork, karoshi still causes hundreds of deaths and illnesses every year in Japan, affecting all sorts of workers, from elite salary-man and career-woman employees like Takahashi to IT technicians and manual laborers.

In August 2015, labor authorities caught Dentsu exceeding its own 70 hour monthly maximum overtime limit and ordered it to cut back.

Asked for comment, Dentsu said that as of October 2015, nobody was reporting overtime exceeding 70 hours. It now limits overtime to 50 hours a month. We will keep trying to manage work appropriately, to curb long hours of work and maintain employees health, Dentsu told the Associated Press in a statement.

But at Dentsu and many other companies, much overtime goes unreported, labor officials say.

Despite the 40-hour workweek the Labor Standards Law sets for most workers, an exception allows companies to establish voluntary ceilings for overtime. That makes the law toothless, experts say.

In Japans male-dominated, hierarchical corporate world, company interests tend to come first. Employees, especially young, foreign or female workers, are ill-placed to resist pressure from higher-ups to work extra-long hours or take on too much work. Older workers who retire from permanent positions with full benefits often are replaced by part-timers or chronically overworked contractors who likewise have little leverage and no union representation.

Overtime is supposed to be for unanticipated occasions, but in Japan, its become expected as part of daily duties that nobody can refuse, said Kansai University professor Koji Morioka, an expert on labor issues. People are chronically working long hours because they have too much work to do as staff sizes have shrunk.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abes government wants companies to drastically cut working hours to enable men to help out more at home and create more job opportunities for women. But that strategy, dubbed womenomics, appears to be making little headway.

Takahashis case became public after the government recently recognized her suicide as karoshi.

Im on duty again Saturday-Sunday. I just want to die, she tweeted in November 2015. By December she was getting only two hours of sleep a day.

Asked during parliamentary questioning about Takahashis death, the third officially acknowledged case of karoshi at Dentsu, Minister of Health, Labor and Welfare Yasuhisa Shiozaki threatened harsh action against the company, which dominates advertising for both companies and the government.

It is extremely regrettable that the lesson was not learned and yet another young employee ended up committing suicide at the same company because of long working hours, he said.

There is growing recognition that efforts to curb overwork are failing and that the pressure increasingly is affecting younger workers, said Emiko Teranishi, who founded a group for karoshi victims families after her husband, a chef, died of overwork.

A survey of 10,000 companies published in Japans first white paper on karoshi, released this month, found that overtime at more than 20 percent exceeded the 80 hour per month threshold for overwork.

In 2015 alone, 93 suicides and attempted suicides were officially recognized as overwork cases and eligible for compensation and 96 deaths from heart attacks, strokes and other illnesses were linked to overwork, it said. It listed 1,515 cases of workers or families seeking compensation for overwork-related mental problems.

More than half of Japanese workers give up taking paid vacations, while more than one in five Japanese work an average of 49 hours or longer each week, compared with 16.4 percent in the U.S., 12.5 percent in Britain and 10.1 percent in Germany.

Many Japanese karoshi victims were men in their 30s and 40s in managerial positions that have no legal limits on overtime.

That includes a 40-year-old nuclear engineer at Kansai Electric Power in Tsuruga, western Japan, who hanged himself in April. Regulators found that he had logged up to 200 hours of overtime a month. Highlighting another lapse in oversight, workers in Japans vocational training programs for foreign workers are among the most vulnerable.

A 27-year-old Philippine man, Joey Tocnang, died of heart failure in April 2014 while participating in a government-sponsored training program at a die-casting factory in central Japans Gifu prefecture. His monthly overtime exceeding 120 hours was recognized as the cause of his death just months before he was due to finish the three-year program.

Growing official recognition seems not to have altered the tendency for long hours to trump work-life balance.

A landmark Supreme Court decision in 2003 recognized the 1991 suicide of a 24-year-old Dentsu radio advertising worker as karoshi. A 30-year-old Dentsu employee who died of illness three years ago also was recognized as an overwork victim.

Someone tell me why my daughter had to die, Takahashis mother Yukimi said after winning an undisclosed amount of compensation for her daughter, whose name means festival.

I wish someone had taken steps sooner when she was still alive.

Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
A 28-year-old North Platte man has been arrested in connection with the sexual assault of a teenager.

The Lincoln County Sheriffs Office said investigators were made aware of a possible assault of a 15-year-old.

Investigators met with the teen at the Bridge of Hope Child Advocacy Center in North Platte, where the youth told authorities that the assault occurred Sept. 10.

Investigators arrested the man Friday, the Sheriffs Office said.

The investigation into the case continues, officials said.
CHEROKEE, Iowa (AP)  Businesses in northwest Iowa are getting a boost when construction workers building the Dakota Access oil pipeline arrive in town.

Sam Kooiker, Cherokee city manager, told the Sioux City Journal that the difference is clear downtown in the evenings when few parking spots are available.

The impact is significant, Kooiker said. As a community, its been a net positive.

The 1,200-mile pipeline is designed to carry crude oil from North Dakota to Illinois. The Energy Transfer Partners project, which has drawn opposition from people worried about potential effects on drinking water and tribal land, is about 75 percent complete.

Its hard to put an exact figure on the economic benefits, but Mark Buschkamp with the Cherokee Area Economic Development Corp. said its apparent at area businesses.

When I drive in in the morning, I see all the construction rigs parked in hotel parking lots, he said. Our hotels are full. I see a lot of people in lines at the grocery store that Ive never seen before.

Lyon County Economic Development Director Steve Simons said that even without concrete figures, he knows that businesses in the area saw a boost when pipeline workers arrived, especially in Inwood near the pipeline route.

They did see a nice bump in business during the construction process, he said.

In Buena Vista County, pipeline workers set up camp during construction.

I know our campground is full. I know a lot of those people, when they come off of work, are in our restaurants and bars, said Gary Lalone, executive director of Storm Lake United, a business development organization.

Cherokee is considering leaving its Spring Lake Park campground open this winter to accommodate pipeline workers who have filled the campgrounds 46 spots for most of the summer and fall. The campers pay $15 per night or $320 per month.

Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
DES MOINES (AP)  Iowa school districts are holding more than $145 million in their accounts, but superintendents say restrictions on that money is making it hard to spend.

The money in dozens of different funds has grown since 2013, when the total was about $130 million, the Des Moines Register reported, so school officials are lobbying for more flexibility.

Iowa State Board of Education member Mary Ellen Miller said the Legislature should consider loosening the restrictions on the money.

It doesnt make much sense to have this money sitting in banks around the state, Miller said.

But some lawmakers say the districts should just spend the money for the purpose it was intended.

Its there for a purpose. It needs to be used for the purpose  not sitting on it, said Brian Schoenjahn, D-Arlington, chairman of the Senate subcommittee that governs education spending.

State data shows that about half of the states 338 school districts had at least one fund with a balance of more than $50,000 at the end of the 2014-15 school year, and 26 districts had more than $1 million unspent when all of their restricted funds were combined.

In Davenport, the districts preschool fund has grown from nearly $660,000 in 2013 to $900,000, partly because the money is earmarked for half-day preschool.

Superintendent Art Tate said his district has been having trouble attracting enough families to half-day programs, but the money wont pay for full-day preschool. The district has cut about $14 million from its budget over the past five years while the preschool money sits unused.

In Sioux City a training account grew to more than $1.1 million.

Its hard, during the school year, to get subs to cover teachers, district spokeswoman Alison Benson said.

Some education officials said that lawmakers should allow the districts to spend 10 to 20 percent of the earmarked money without restriction.

Having all these moneys in restrictive (funds)  its becoming stifling, said Galen Howsare, chief financial officer for the Iowa Association of School Boards.

Other lawmakers and Iowas teachers union question that approach.

Dipping into categorical funding to compensate for inadequate increases in general school funding doesnt solve the underlying issue, and is akin to stealing from Peter to pay Paul, union lobbyist Brad Hudson said. Were not interested in that.

Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Authorities have identified the man killed and the three who were seriously injured Saturday night in a single-vehicle rollover crash on Interstate 80 near Avoca in western Iowa.

The Iowa State Patrol said all of the men were from Talmage, Nebraska, including Mario Rodriguez, 38, who died in the crash.

The patrol said the crash occurred about 8:30 p.m. on eastbound I-80 when Jesus German, 26, lost control of a 1996 Honda Passport. The SUV entered the I-80 median and rolled several times, with Rodriguez partially ejected, the patrol said.

German, who was wearing a seat belt, was taken by medical helicopter to Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha, the patrol said. The hospital said he was no longer listed as a patient Monday.

Two passengers, Steven Baney, 20, and Antonio Aguilar, 26, were taken to Myrtue Medical Center in Harlan for treatment of their injuries, the patrol said. Baney was not wearing a seat belt, the patrol said, and Aguilar was.

Avoca is about 45 miles northeast of Omaha, and Talmage is about 15 miles southeast of Nebraska City.
Illegal armed formations in Donbas attacked Ukrainian positions 35 times in the past day, Sunday, October 23, the press center of the Anti-Terrorist Operation (ATO) headquarters wrote on Facebook on Monday.

Twenty instances of the violation of the ceasefire were reported in the Mariupol sector alone. Militants opened fire from large-caliber machine guns, grenade launchers and small arms in the town of Maryinka, and the villages of Shyrokyne, Talakvka and Taramchuk. In addition to these types of weapons, 82mm mortars were used to shell in the town of Krasnohorivka and the village of Pavlopil.

Such Ukrainian positions in the Luhansk sector as the villages of Novozvanivka and Novo-Oleksandrivka were attacked on Sunday with the use of grenade launchers, machine guns and small arms. What is more, 82mm mortars were engaged to shell the village of Krymske and the town of Schastia.

Nine barrages were reported in the Donetsk sector. The village of Luhanske came under 82mm mortar fire, while the town of Avdiyivka was shelled with the use of grenade launchers, machine guns, and banned 120mm mortars.

On Saturday, October 22, Ukrainian troops stationed in Donbas were attacked 12 times.

Defense Ministry spokesman for ATO issues Andriy Lysenko reported two Ukrainian servicemen were wounded on Saturday and three were wounded on Friday. There were no killed in action on October 21-22.
Douglas County officials have been saying for months that they need to see a price tag before they can ponder a proposal to merge the City of Omaha and county crime laboratories.

They may soon have the numbers.

Members of a crime lab working group recently agreed to determine a detailed cost estimate of building and operating a new joint crime lab, several group members said. The group is forming committees of county, city and other stakeholders to study the finances and governance of such a facility. The University of Nebraska Medical Center is doing research to provide the information.

Presumably the lab would be at UNMC, although thats one of the questions being studied, Douglas County Board member Mike Boyle said.

Were off dead center, Boyle said. This is where we should have been a long time ago.

Omaha Mayor Jean Stothert, Omaha Police Chief Todd Schmaderer and a Nebraska Legislature committee have been pressing for an independently run, full-service regional crime lab.

Douglas County Board Chairwoman Mary Ann Borgeson and Sheriff Tim Dunning have not embraced the idea. The county recently renovated its crime lab and has been seeking accreditation for it.

The Omaha City Council unanimously passed a resolution supporting the concept of a merger.

County Board members have eyed the proposal warily without knowing how much it would cost or where the money would come from.

According to emails sent to public officials in the working group earlier this year, UNMC officials put the ballpark figure for a new joint facility at $19 million to $20 million. But several working group members, including Stothert, Boyle and UNMC Vice Chancellor Bob Bartee, said that was a rough estimate meant to start the discussion. They said it shouldnt be seen as the cost figure.

It was just very preliminary, Stothert said.

More thorough analysis is being done now, she said.

The working group decided in an Oct. 7 meeting to do due diligence on one of several options that it has been considering.

Those options included adding some functions to the countys crime lab and doing others elsewhere, and creating a joint facility between the city crime lab and several other entities, but not the county.

The working group chose to more deeply study a merged, independent, full-service facility, including space not only for crime lab work but also for such entities as the Nebraska Organ Recovery System, the Lions Eye Bank and the county coroner.

The group agreed to explore and vet thoroughly this all-in-one option, said Douglas County Board member Chris Rodgers, whos part of the working group.

The decision doesnt bind any government entity to that option. In fact, Rodgers said, it may lead to consideration of other options.

This is going to be a thorough examination of the governance and the finances, he said. Then wed get back together and see if its doable. ... When we get the numbers, well know what the options are.

The way Sheriff Dunning sees it, the county officials in the group finally pushed them to give us a dollar figure.

Lets not plan on anything else until we get a dollar figure, he said.

Stothert, who also is on the working group, participated in the Oct. 7 meeting by phone.

Im looking at it very positively now, she said. It was the consensus of the group that we have finally decided on which option that was on the table that we are going to go forward and do our due diligence on.

The mayors chief of staff, Marty Bilek, said the research should address county officials concern about not knowing the costs of a new, merged facility.

Hes hopeful that the county will support the idea in the end but said county participation wouldnt be necessary for the city to move ahead with UNMC.

We do not need the county for this to happen, Bilek said. But it would be a whole lot easier for a lot of reasons, politically and financially.

How much a merged crime lab would cost is one thing. Where the money would come from is another. No specific funding source has been identified. Some ideas have been floated, such as the city and countys Public Building Commission, state funding, private investors, philanthropists or the citys capital improvement program.

Rodgers said the Public Building Commission doesnt have the necessary bonding capacity. State funding is questionable.

State Sen. Robert Hilkemann of Omaha, who was on the Legislatures crime lab study committee, said he would put the chances at zero from the next session, with the state facing prison funding and other financial crunches. But he said he would work for a state appropriation if one were warranted.

Borgeson, the County Board chairwoman, said the working group is doing only what it had already agreed to do  to thoroughly look at options.

Theres nothing to get excited about until we have details, Borgeson said. And even after we have details, whos going to pay for it?

And for her, there remains the question of the county crime lab.

We have a well-functioning and soon-to-be-accredited crime lab, and were just going to throw it away? Borgeson said. Not the smartest thing to do with taxpayer money.
PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (AP)  A maintenance crew had slowed down traffic on a California highway through the night, and the work had gone on for hours without problems.

Then a tour bus returning to Los Angeles from a casino trip slammed into the back of a semitrailer truck. Passengers who were asleep on the bus woke up to loud screams and the sound of crushing metal.

The gambling jaunt ended in one of the deadliest wrecks in California history with 13 people killed and 31 others injured.

Authorities said the bus was going much faster than the truck, causing it to plow about 15 feet into the truck on Interstate 10 just north of the desert resort town of Palm Springs.

You can see it was a substantial impact, California Highway Patrol Border Division Chief Jim Abele said.

It was not known if alcohol, drugs or fatigue played a role in the crash, but the bus was inspected in April and had no mechanical issues, Abele said. The bus driver was killed, and the truck driver received minor injuries.

The bus was coming from Red Earth Casino in the desert town of Thermal and was about 35 miles into its 135-mile trip back to Los Angeles.

CHP officers had been slowing traffic to allow utility workers to string wires across the freeway, Abele said.

Passengers told officials that most people were asleep when the crash occurred shortly after 5 a.m. Abele said it appeared the 1996 bus didnt have seat belts and likely didnt have data recorder that would reveal how fast the bus was traveling and whether the driver braked before impact.

I was awakened by the sounds of people screaming for help, passenger Ana Car, 61, told the Los Angeles Times. I noticed a heavyset woman lying in the center aisle to my right yelling, My legs! My legs!

Before April, the bus also was inspected in 2014 and 2015, the CHP said. Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration records show it had no crashes in the past two years and had a satisfactory safety rating.

The front of the bus crumpled into the semi-trucks trailer and debris was scattered across the key route through Southern California. Firefighters used ladders to climb into the bus windows to remove bodies, and tow trucks lifted the trailer to make it easier to reach the bus, whose front end was demolished.

Fourteen patients were sent to Desert Regional Medical Center in Palm Springs, the areas only trauma center. Four remained in critical condition Sunday evening, two were transferred to other hospitals for continuing treatment and the rest were treated and released, hospital officials said.

Many suffered facial injuries, a telltale sign they were not wearing seat belts, said Dr. Ricard Townsend, a trauma surgeon.

It seemed as though most of the victims were unrestrained and were therefore flown through the air and ended up sustaining facial trauma, he said.

Two other hospitals received patients with minor injuries.

The tour bus company, USA Holiday, has one vehicle and one driver, according to federal regulators. A call to the company was not immediately returned.

The company says on social media that it has more than 25 years of experience traveling to casinos in Southern California. It posts about quick turnaround trips leaving the Los Angeles area to casinos in the Southern California desert area and Las Vegas.

The bus owners neighbor said shed often see a tour bus with the sign USA Holiday parked on the street in front of his apartment in a working-class neighborhood in Alhambra, about 7 miles east of downtown Los Angeles.

Sonia Anderson said the family who lived there  a man, woman and their college student son  had lived in the apartment for about 17 years. She said the father generally drove the bus and his wife and son would sometimes travel on the bus with him.

Anderson described them as a kind, close-knit family. All three of them are hard-working people. Good people. Beautiful family, she said.

The father was always working, coming in and out, providing for his family, Anderson said.

The National Transportation Safety Board is sending a team to California to investigate.

The crash comes two years after a FedEx truck veered across an interstate median north of Sacramento and slammed into a bus full of high school students, killing 10 people.

In 1963, 32 Mexican farm workers who were in the Central Valley as part of a work visa program were killed when a freight train struck the flatbed truck they were riding on. In 1976, a bus carrying the Yuba City high school choir plunged off a freeway ramp in Martinez, killing 28 students and one teacher.

Copyright 2016, the Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
WASHINGTON (AP)  President Barack Obama was looking to boost Hillary Clintons prospects and help Democrats in their bid to retake Senate control, scheduling a campaign stop Sunday in tightly contested Nevada before headlining party fundraisers in California.

Obamas recent itinerary has focused on competitive White House states that also have close Senate races.

In Nevada, the president is trying to help Democrats retain the seat of the Senates top Democrat, Harry Reid, who is serving out his fifth term before retiring.

The president was scheduled to speak at a rally at a Las Vegas-area high school for Clinton and Senate candidate Catherine Cortez Masto, a former state attorney general whose opponent is GOP Rep. Joe Heck.

Late Sunday, Obama planned to speak at an event in San Diego to benefit the organization that leads party efforts to election Democrats to the House. His schedule included fundraisers in Los Angeles on Monday and Tuesday.

Polls indicate that the presidential and Senate races in Nevada are extremely tight. Reids seat is considered the only one Republicans could reasonably flip to their side this election. Outside groups have spent tens of millions of dollars trying to influence the outcome.

Heck, now in his third House term, is trying to distance himself from GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump. Two weeks ago, Heck said: I cannot, in good conscience, continue to support him nor can I vote for Hillary Clinton.

But Democrats are calling it too little, too late. Cortez Masto said in the recent Senate debate, Donald Trumps ship is sinking, and Congressman Heck is scurrying off it.

Heck was one of the first GOP candidates to withdraw his backing from Trump after a recently released video showed Trump making sexually inappropriate comments about women back in 2005. Hecks decision could help him appeal to moderate voters, but he risks alienating some of Trumps ardent supporters.

Obama is working to tie Republican candidates to Trump every chance he gets. I mean, I know that some of them now are walking away. But why did it take you this long? Obama said during a speech in Miami this past week when he criticized Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla.

Democrats need to pick up five seats to gain the majority in the Senate, or four if they hang onto control of the White House. The vice president casts tie-breaking votes in the Senate.

Copyright 2016, the Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Hundreds of photos of the Speer family, displayed at Calvary Christian Church in Bellevue, showed a young, happy, active family in the prime of life: parents and the girls swimming, boating, playing, holding each other in the tightest of hugs and squeezing in close with relatives and other loved ones.

The family photos and a slideshow on large screens captured both the special and ordinary moments of life for Mike and Michelle Speer, both 36, and the four girls, Elli Perez, 11; Adilynn, 7; Emma, 5; and Anniston, 2. The sweet, tender images also demonstrated why their deaths in a house fire last week were so tragic.

Embers from a living-room fireplace ignited carpeting and furniture, sparking the blaze at their rural Nehawka home Wednesday night, the Cass County Sheriffs Office said Monday.

Monday evening, as the sun set on what otherwise would be a picture-perfect fall day  the type that the family would have relished  mourners filed through the auditorium at Calvary Christian Church to bid their farewells.

In the church auditorium, people formed a line leading to the stage where a large family portrait stood, along with more than 50 flower arrangements. The familys cremated remains were in the center, in a wooden box inside a glass case; it, too, was covered with flowers and a teddy bear.

Friends and family gathered in the auditorium and elsewhere in the activities center for visitation Monday. Some sat and quietly watched the slideshow, while others greeted one another in tearful embraces.

Jason Elliott was one of the mourners Monday evening. He said he worked with Mike Speer for about six years at Union Pacific, but Elliott hadnt met the rest of the family, he said. Their sudden deaths, he said, were sad.

The funeral, at 10 this morning, also will be in the activities center at Calvary Christian Church, 10100 Cedar Island Road in Bellevue. The activities center is across the street from the main church building. The Rev. Andy Turner, campus pastor at Calvary, said an overflow room in the main church building will be open and will carry a live feed of the funeral. Pastors will be there, too.

The childrens pastor at the church was the Speers close friend, he said.

Fire investigators said Monday that they had determined the origin of the fire by examining fire-damage patterns and interviewing witnesses.

The smoke produced by the fire would have filled the two-story house and led to the deaths of all six people, officials said. The preliminary autopsy report indicates that the cause of death of all the victims was smoke inhalation.

The fire was reported by a neighbor about 12:05 a.m. Thursday. The house was at 10014 McKelvie Road. Fire crews responding to the blaze could see flames from miles away. The fire, officials said, led to the collapse of the houses walls and parts of the roof before firefighters arrived. Firefighters were unable to enter the burning building.

During their examination of fire debris, officials said, the Nebraska State Fire Marshals Office investigative team couldnt find identifiable parts of smoke detectors. However, interviews conducted with relatives and friends indicate that the house had a smoke detector or detectors, but the condition and function of the battery-operated detectors was unclear.

A team of Nebraska State Fire Marshals Office investigators was assisted in the investigation by the Cass County Sheriff Office and the Cass County Emergency Management Agency.

The extensive destruction of the house made the recovery of the victims a lengthy process, officials said, with the final recovery completed Thursday evening. Investigators remained at the scene trying to determine the origin and cause of the fire until 9 p.m. Saturday, officials said.

Autopsies and dental forensic examinations conducted Friday confirmed the victims identifications, officials said.
There was a time when Marietta Jaeger-Lane says she would have been happy to kill her daughters killer herself.

But she said God transformed her and led her to believe that he should be given life in prison instead of the death penalty.

My Catholic faith calls me to a different virtue, an attitude of concern and compassion, she said.

Jaeger-Lane, of Florida, was one of two death penalty opponents who spoke during a press conference held Monday by the Nebraska Catholic Conference. The organization, which represents Nebraskas three Catholic bishops on policy issues, brought in the speakers as it steps up efforts to persuade Nebraska voters to retain the Nebraska Legislatures 2015 repeal of the death penalty.

The Catholic Conference and bishops have joined the Catholic Mobilizing Network Nebraska to organize public presentations and an online advertising campaign.

The Catholic Conference and the three dioceses are kicking off events this week in Omaha, Grand Island and Lincoln that will feature talks by Jaeger-Lane, who co-founded a national forgiveness group after her 7-year-old daughter was slain by a serial killer in 1973; and Joe DAmbrosio, who wrongfully spent 20 years on Ohios death row.

Death penalty proponents, who obtained the signatures needed for the Nov. 8 referendum, say capital punishment in Nebraska should be reserved for a small number of killers. They say it helps protect prison officers from violence by inmates who would have nothing left to lose if the death penalty were eliminated.

Jaeger-Lanes daughter Susie was kidnapped and murdered during a family camping vacation in Montana. On the first anniversary of Susies disappearance, the killer called Jaeger-Lane and inadvertently revealed sufficient information to lead to his arrest.

Four hours after his confession, he committed suicide.

Jaeger-Lane has spoken in numerous venues throughout the United States, on Vatican Radio and at the U.N. Commission on Human Rights in Geneva, Switzerland.
LINCOLN  An assistant United States attorney will be standing by on Election Day to respond to complaints about election fraud or voting rights abuses in Nebraska.

U.S. Attorney Deborah Gilg announced Monday that Assistant U.S. Attorney Laurie Kelly has been appointed to serve as the district election officer for the state. She will work with the U.S. Justice Department to oversee the handling of election-related complaints.

Gilg said federal law protects against such crimes as intimidating or bribing voters, buying and selling votes, impersonating voters, altering vote tallies, stuffing ballot boxes and marking ballots for voters against their wishes or without their input.

It also contains special protections for the rights of voters and provides that they can vote free from acts that intimidate or harass them.

For example, actions designed to interrupt or intimidate voters at polling places by questioning or challenging them, or by photographing or videotaping them, under the pretext that these are actions to uncover illegal voting, may violate federal voting rights law. Further, federal law protects the right of voters to mark their own ballot or to be assisted by a person of their choice.

Kelly will be on duty while the polls are open to take complaints and ensure that they are directed to the appropriate authorities. Kelly will be available at 402-661-3700.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation also will have special agents available to take allegations of election fraud and other abuses. The FBI field office can be reached at 402-493-8688.

In addition, complaints about possible voting rights violations can be made directly to the Civil Rights Divisions Voting Section in Washington, D.C., at 1-800-253-3931 or 202-307-2767, by fax at 202-307-3961, by email to voting.section@usdoj.gov or by complaint form at this link.
Affordable care for whom?

As Blue Cross Blue Shield of Nebraska is no longer offering health insurance policies pertaining to Obamacare, it is safe to say that our wallets will only get lighter with a pro-Obamacare Democrat attaining the White House.

Putting bias and ethical preference aside, our health care system is a disaster, and voting for a continuation of what made it that way will not fix it. I hope that voters will think about their top priorities when voting this November.

C.J. LeWarne, Omaha

Legislative staff shouldnt be targeted

It is disturbing that you chose to base part of your Oct. 17 criticisms of Sen. Les Seiler on accusations that his Judiciary Committee staff is insufficiently responsive to a narrow portion of lobbyists in the debate over criminal justice reform measures.

My older sister Diane Amdor is the legal counsel to that committee. Diane is someone who puts her principles into action, particularly her fidelity to the concept of equality before the law. In fact, on Sept. 29, this paper featured her on this front page in her role as a volunteer working with prisoners in the Nebraska State Penitentiary. Diane is a thoughtful attorney and public servant committed to the legislative process.

In that process, bills and amendments are advanced by the vote of senators. If a lobbyist or editorial board finds their arguments fail to persuade a legislator one way or the other, theyre free to oppose his or her re-election.

That freedom to resolve policy disputes through elections is a hallmark of our system of government. Elected officials should be judged on their positions and their votes. Sen. Seilers political opponents should confine themselves to those substantive differences rather than attacks on his staff.

John Amdor, Chicago

Not all of us can retire in our 50s

Brig. Gen. Don Bacons plan to raise the retirement age of Social Security recipients to 70 would save a lot of money. Bacon retired after nearly 30 years in the Air Force with a sizable pension. I can understand his position, especially when you consider that hes set for life already. Somethings wrong here. Everyone who wants to retire at 55, raise your hand.

Ann Chaney, Omaha

Stop telling half-truths about Bacon

In college, I asked Colorado Gov. John Love to explain the difference between the parties. He said, Democrats want to strengthen society to benefit the individual and Republicans want to strengthen the individual to benefit society. Both are noble. However, society only truly benefits when they work together.

History shows some bad behavior by both parties. Yet Democrat Tip ONeill and Republican Ronald Reagan battled during the day and dined at night, as friends.

Today, half-truths are rabidly used by both sides. One TV campaign hits a nerve with its barrage of misleading ads about Don Bacon and Social Security/Medicare. These half-truths use older actors in their attacks. The truth is that Dons actuarially based changes wouldnt occur for years and would mostly affect millennials. But these ads on behalf of Rep. Brad Ashford dont use millennials, do they?

Brig. Gen. Bacon is re-enlisting by offering continued service in Congress. His distinguished career shows commands over an estimated 57,000 military personnel. Professional politicians have had their chance, so lets give the general his. But people tend to vote their pocketbooks, and Im afraid the very political campaign of half-truths cant be overcome. Two years isnt that far off, and even then, wont a half-truth still be a half-lie?

Tom Hallstrom Jr., Omaha

Ashfords bipartisanship welcome

While registered for many years as a Republican, I refuse to believe that all other parties and individuals are the enemy. I also refuse to believe that working with people of other political views is evil or wrong.

Rep. Brad Ashfords emphasis on being bipartisan impressed me and led me to vote for him in 2014. I will again vote for Ashford in 2016.

Ken Belew, Papillion

Rep. King should debate Weaver

Iowa U.S. Rep. Steve Kings refusal to debate Kim Weaver and the majority of his previous opponents in congressional races represents a continuation of the cowardice he exhibited as a young adult by obtaining three student draft deferments to evade military service and dropping out of college after fate provided him a draft lottery number so high that it eliminated the possibility of conscription.

When I reflect on the number of Iowans from the age group of citizens to which King and I belong, which includes three from here in Dunlap who made the ultimate sacrifice, it puzzles me as to why we would continue to accept as our representative a person bearing a character trait that we would discourage in our children.

Timothy E. Grady, Dunlap, Iowa

Time for a woman, but not Hillary

Yes, I would like to see a woman become president of the United States. No, I wont be voting for Hillary Clinton. I dont want the first female president to be famous for (eventual) impeachment. I have yet to see Clinton be truthful with the American people.

Lisa M. Botkin, Omaha

Hillary is running, not Bill

It is sickening that the presidential campaign has been dominated recently by the sexual exploits of two promiscuous men. But it was inevitable that explicit evidence of Donald Trumps attitude toward women would surface and that his campaign would rebut with Bill Clintons past sexual misconduct. Trumps behavior is relevant in this election; Bill Clintons is not. Hillary Clinton is the candidate.

When he lost support over the recently released video, Trump became scarier than ever. Sounding like a banana republic dictator, he said he would jail his opponent if he was elected. He made the grandiose claim that America is doomed to extinction without him as president. He said that if he doesnt win, it means the election was rigged. So what are we to expect from his fervent supporters if he loses? Trumps angriest supporters seem to be motivated by a vicious hatred of Clinton. But I empathize with Republicans, including friends and relatives, who oppose Clintons policies and are stuck with Trump as their candidate.

I ask myself what I would do if Trump, who has changed party affiliation seven times since 1999, were running as a Democrat. I hope I would put America first, as some Republicans plan to do in this election, and vote for the opposition candidate.

Louise Edge, Papillion

President should do the peoples work

I know that I am not the only one who is upset about the president and the vice president campaigning for Hillary Clinton. So why are not more people upset that the president and vice president are out campaigning on the American taxpayers dime? I have no idea how much it costs for Air Force One, the Secret Service and all of the logistics to move the president around the country. The Democratic Party or the president and vice president themselves should bear the cost.

Bob Callahan, Omaha

Biting the bullet for the Supreme Court

I keep hearing my co-workers, friends and relatives say that the candidates for president this year are so bad they just arent going to vote at all. I try to convince them that this election is not about the candidates. I cannot see either candidate being re-elected in four years, and the amount of damage done in that time would be minimal.

However, whoever is elected will make multiple Supreme Court appointments, and those will affect this country for decades. If Hillary Clinton is allowed to appoint left-wing, liberal judges to the court, we will see the end of the Second Amendment, taxpayer-funded abortion and basically an end to the Constitution that our forefathers enacted.

Big government involvement in our everyday lives will soar. I do not like Donald Trump and find it hard to stand the ridiculous things he says, but thinking of my children and the future, I will bite the bullet and vote for him over the disaster that Hillary Clinton represents.

Jeff Miller, Omaha

A plague on both their houses

Wake up, America. The election is about to happen in which, no matter who wins, we lose. Yesterday I found out that 65 million Americans are getting a big monthly raise in our Social Security, a whopping $3.72. Wow, I sure hope the government realizes how little that helps, because right behind that comes an increase in the Medicare premium.

This is no more than a slap in the face to us retired folks. Neither of the people running for the highest job in the nation cares. They can live very well with their millions.

God help us, and God Bless America.

To my fellow retirees on Social Security, I feel your frustrations. If there were a decent candidate running, I would vote, but sorry. This is the first year I will not be voting. They can keep my $3.72. Oh, they will, with Medicare premiums.

Ellen Vollmar, Council Bluffs

Deadline for election letters

The deadline for receiving election-related letters is Thursday Nov. 3. The last day election-related letters will appear in the Public Pulse is Sunday Nov. 6.
Julian Assange might be forgiven for feeling paranoid. Shortly after WikiLeaks posted a transcript of a speech delivered by Hillary Clinton to Goldman Sachs, his Internet access at the Ecuador Embassy in London, where he has lived since 2012, went down.

A few days later, a British bank suspended the bank accounts of RT, the Russian state-backed news outlet that has enthusiastically reported on WikiLeaks recent publications.

Assange immediately claimed that shadowy forces were acting against the WikiLeaks founder and accused the U.S. government in a tweet of leaning on Ecuador to shut down his Internet. Washington denied the claim.

Denying Internet access to Assange amounted to something of a slap on the wrist of Ecuadors moody boarder. But it also represents Quitos acknowledgement that a shifting political and economic environment in Ecuador has turned Assange into a serious liability.

In a time of high oil prices, protecting Assange represented a convenient way for the anti-American government in Quito to poke at Uncle Sam.

But amid collapsing commodity prices and an implosion of the Latin American left, Ecuador is confronted with an unappetizing future: a potential Donald Trump presidency, ushered in by Assange, that may damage Quitos interests.

Russia may be rooting for Trump, but Ecuador knows its best interests would be served by a Clinton administration, Michael Shifter, president of the Inter-American Dialogue, a Washington think tank, said.

Ecuadors foreign ministry confirmed in a statement it had severed Assanges Internet. Ecuador respects the principle of non-intervention in the internal affairs of other states.

WikiLeaks published a wealth of documents, impacting on the U.S. election campaign. As a result, Ecuadorian diplomats exercised the countrys sovereign right to limit Internet access.

The new stance represents a stunning evolution for a government whose provocations of Washington have, on occasion, risen to an art form. Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa, after all, once said Hugo Chavezs comparison of George W. Bush to Satan was unfair to the devil.

Correa rode Ecuadors oil boom to international prominence as part of a vanguard of 21st-century socialism in Latin America. But that movement, buoyed by high oil prices and sustained by anti-Americanism, is now collapsing.

Oil prices have cratered. Chavez is dead; Venezuelas free-falling economy has dragged down Ecuadors exports. And the Cuban revolutionaries who provided the intellectual base for this new brand of socialism have made peace with the United States.

Today, Correa presides over an economy gripped by recession. If growth is going to return to Ecuador, it will likely be with the help of its main trading partner, the United States.

While its unclear exactly what Washington can do to boost the Ecuadorian economy, Correa isnt confident about what Trump would do for the United States as president. If Correa were a U.S. citizen, he said in an interview this month, hed vote for Hillary Clinton.

But Correa also saw a silver lining to a Trump presidency. I sincerely believe that it would be better for Latin America if Trump won, he said in the interview. When did progressive governments come to power in Latin America? During the Bush administration. His primitive policies were rejected so much that it caused reaction in Latin America. Trump would do the same.

Experts said a Trump presidency might in fact boost the budgets of Ecuador and its leftist, oil-producing allies  a far better payoff than sparking an ideological renaissance. If Trumps policies created global instability, the oil price might rise, which would actually give Ecuador a big boost, said Dan Altman, a professor of economics at New York University.

Despite losing Internet access, Assange has continued his furious pace of publishing. On Wednesday, WikiLeaks released another batch of emails apparently belonging to Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta.

Ecuador has not completely abandoned Assange. Ecuadors foreign ministry reiterated its intention to safeguard his life and physical integrity until he reaches a safe place.

Next year, Ecuadorians head to the polls to select a new candidate  and Correa will not be on the ballot. The governments favored candidate is viewed as a more conciliatory figure than Correa, Shifter said. If the opposition wins in February, relations with the U.S. are bound to improve, he added.

In short, Ecuador has accomplished a neat diplomatic trick. It can say it has acted to rein in Assange, while also continuing to shelter him. Perhaps that will build some good will with its most important economic partner even as it allows the cypherpunks work to continue.
Prosecutor General of Ukraine Yuriy Lutsenko has denied owning a 'family house' in Kyiv, as MP Serhiy Leshchenko previously stated.

"I read MP Leshchenkos fantasy on the website of the Ukrayinska Pravda newspaper saying I have 'a huge house in the center of Kyiv' drawn up on my wife's accountant. I officially declare I and my family do not own any such house. It is the exclusive prerogative of Leshchenko to hide revenues behind women," Lutsenko said on his Facebook page on Monday morning.

Prosecutor General also said that he fills out and submits his electronic declaration on time.

The current prosecutor general has everything "registered on his wifes accountant, the owner of a huge house in the center of the city," Leshchenko said in the published interview with the Channel 5 TV website on Sunday. When asked whether he was talking about Lutsenko, the MP said: "Well, of course, Lutsenko. There are many examples when everything is registered to figureheads."
In a first, two inmates of Institute of Mental Health tie the knot

Oommen Chandy says Jayalalithaa is progressing very well, but doesnt get to meet TN CM in hospital

Chennai

oi-Oneindia

By Oneindia Staff Writer

Chennai, Oct 24: On Sunday, former Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy visited Apollo Hospitals in Chennai to enquire about the health condition of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa.

The 68-year-old AIADMK supremo is undergoing treatment at Apollo Hospitals, Greams Road in Chennai, since September 22.

After his hospital visit, Chandy interacted with the media and said he discussed the health status of the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister with doctors in the hospital.

The former Kerala Chief Minister, however, did not meet the incumbent Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu in the hospital.

"We are getting positive reports from the hospital on the health of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa. I met the doctors and they explained everything to me. According to them, she is progressing very well...she will recover in a very short time," Chandy told reporters.

Chandy also wished Jayalalithaa a speedy recovery. In the last one month, several political leaders visited the hospital to enquire about Amma's medical condition, but hardly anyone had met the AIADMK supremo.

Also read: Finally, medical bulletin, press release on Jayalalithaa's health, but they reveal very little

During their hospital visits, the dignitaries spoke to medical experts treating Jayalalithaa to find out about the Chief Minister's health status.

Few of the political heavyweights interacted with the media after their hospital visits and others updated the Janata (public) on Jayalalithaa's health on social media. Many have even preferred to remain silent on the issue.

Since almost a month now, several top leaders from various political parties, including Rahul Gandhi, Arun Jaitley and Amit Shah, had visited the hospital to enquire about the ailing Chief Minister's health.

AIADMK spokesperson CR Saraswathy said Jayalalithaa is progressing very well and would be home very soon. She said prayers by the people, cutting across caste and religious barriers, was also helping in the recovery of the Chief Minister.

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Story first published: Monday, October 24, 2016, 7:49 [IST]
In a midnight crackdown, police detains TET candidates; BJP says WB or Hitler's Germany?

A dream, a call and some courage: How a 15-year-old stopped her marriage

Mamata likely to visit Chennai for WB Governor's family function

West Bengal to launch more electric, CNG buses to reduce air pollution

Schoolgirls in Purulia get self-defence training to fight eve-teasers

(In Pics) Nation gearing up for Diwali, Kali Puja

Feature

oi-Oneindia

By Oneindia Staff Writer

Diwali is a Hindu festival of lights that is being celebrated every year with huge pomp and show all over India. As the nation gears up for the festival with Diyas and crackers, Kolkata has more to 'joy'.

It is time for Kali puja, where Shakti is revered for her Supreme Power, thus symbolising the light over the dark, the goodness over the evil.

Late night preparations for the puja are commonplace in West Bengal, accentuated by food, fun and light. So, here are some pics of both the festivals.

The making of the Shakti Kolkata: An artist making clay idols of Goddess Kali ahead of Kali puja in Kolkata on Saturday. PTI The streets of Kolkata Kolkata: Artists busy in making idols of Goddess Kali for upcoming Kali Puja at Kumartuli in Kolkata on Sunday. PTI Sea of lights Chennai: A policeman tries to control the sea of people thronging the famous shopping hub of Ranganathan Street for Diwali shopping, in Chennai on Sunday. PTI Painting life Bhopal: An artist paints an idol of Goddess Lakshmi ahead of Diwali in Bhopal on Saturday. PTI Lining up the lamps Karad: A vendor arranges lanterns for sale ahead of Diwali in Karad, Maharashtra on Saturday. PTI Making Diyas Agartala: A potter makes diyas in preparation for the Diwali in Agartala, Tripura on Saturday. PTI Say no to Noise Ambala: School students hold placards promoting a 'Green Diwali' without firecrackers in Ambala Cantt on Tuesday. PTI Lighting up lives Jodhpur: A potter makes diyas in preparation of the upcoming Diwali festival in Jodhpur, on Monday. PTI Dancing to the tunes of India London : People gather to watch dancers during the London Diwali Festival celebrations for Hindus, Sikhs, and Jains, in Trafalgar Square, central London, Sunday Oct. 16, 2016. PTI In Trafalgar Square London : People gather to watch the London Diwali Festival celebrations for Hindus, Sikhs, and Jains, in Trafalgar Square, central London, Sunday Oct. 16, 2016. Major events are planned across the capital as London marks its cultural diversity with the Diwali festival.AP The guests New Delhi: Delhi Police Commissioner Alok Kumar Verma with his wife Shefali Verma after shopping decorative items during Diwali Utsav 2016, organized by Police Families Welfare Society at Delhi Sports Ground in New Delhi on Saturday. PTI Speaking for a true cause New Delhi: Delhi Police Commissioner Alok Kumar Verma addresses during Diwali Utsav 2016 organized by Police Families Welfare Society at Delhi Sports Ground in New Delhi on Saturday. PTI Shopping for Diwali New Delhi: Delhi Police Commissioner Alok Kumar Verma (C) with his wife Shefali Verma (Right) shopping decorative items at a stall during Diwali Utsav 2016, organized by Police Families Welfare Society at Delhi Sports Ground in New Delhi on Saturday. PTI Diyas in the making Jammu: A woman potter carrying earthen lamps to dry at a workshop ahead of the Diwali festival in Jammu on Friday. PTI The Diwali stamp A new stamp is being released on Diwali.

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Story first published: Monday, October 24, 2016, 16:58 [IST]
TRS, BJP are two sides of same coin: Rahul Gandhi in Telangana

18 naxalites killed in an encounter at AP-Odisha border

India

oi-Vicky

Hyderabad, Oct 24: In a major operation, the Andhra Pradesh police have killed 18 naxalites in an encounter. The encounter took place on the Andhra-Odisha border. The operation was carried out by the elite Greyhounds and the Andhra Police.

Security forces seized 4 AK-47s and 2 self loading rifles. 2 INSAS have also been recovered following the encounter. The encounter took place at the Bejjangi area in Malkangiri district of Odisha in the early hours of Monday.

This area has been a concern due to the rise in the activity of naxalites. According to Superintendent of Police, Rahul Dev Sharma, there were few top commanders who were killed in the encounter. "It is being ascertained," he informed.

The operation was conducted after a tip-off regarding the movement and presence of a large number of naxalites in the area.

The team was well prepared to execute this operation and inflicted heavy casualties on the naxalites. Two security personnel have been injured in the attack and are currently being attended to at a hospital.

It may be recalled that a similar operation had taken place on September 2013. In that encounter, 13 top leaders of the banned CPI(Maoists) were killed.

OneIndia News
57 borrowers owe banks whopping Rs 85,000 cr: SC informed

India

oi-PTI

New Delhi, Oct 24: Only 57 borrowers have defaulted on bank loans worth a whopping Rs 85,000 crore. The Supreme Court said this after perusing a report submitted by RBI about persons who have taken loan worth over Rs 500 crore and defaulted and asked the central bank why their names should not be made public.

"Who are these people who have borrowed money and are not paying back? Why this fact that the person has borrowed money and not paying back be not known to public," asked a bench headed Chief Justice T S Thakur.

The bench, also comprising Justices D Y Chandrachud and L Nageswara Rao, said if the bar was lowered below Rs 500 crore, then the default amount would cross over Rs one lakh crore. Observing that if people file an RTI query, they must know who the defaulters are, it asked the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) why the information on defaulters should be withheld.

"People should know how much money a person has borrowed and how much money he needs to pay back. The amount payable should be known to public. Why should you withhold the information," the bench said.

Counsel appearing for RBI opposed the suggestion and said that not all defaulters were wilful. The cntral bank says it is working in the interest of banks and names of defaulters cannot be made public as per the statute, he said. To this, the bench said, "You (RBI) must work in the interest of the country, not just in the interest of banks".

Advocate Prashant Bhushan, appearing for NGO Centre for Public Interest Litigation (CPIL), favoured disclosure of the outstanding loan amount and cited an apex court verdict of December 2015 to claim that RBI has to provide all information.

The bench said it will hear on October 28 the matter on the aspect of disclosure of names of defaulters.

The apex court had earlier expressed concern over the growing amount of loans not being returned and said "people are taking thousands of crores and running away by declaring their companies insolvent, but poor farmers who take small amounts of Rs 20,000 or Rs 15,000 suffer."

PTI
Lack of development in J&K for decades was one of the reasons behind rise of terrorism: Rajnath Singh

40 down and counting: Forces on the verge of wiping out Pakistani terrorists in Valley

After Gurnam Singh, another BSF jawan, injured by Pakistani gunmen, dies

News

oi-Oneindia

By Oneindia

Srinagar, Oct 24 Just hours after 26-year-old BSF soldier Gurnam Singh, shot by Pakistani gunmen, succumbed to his injuries on Saturday night, another BSF jawan, who was also severely injured by Pakistani snipers, died at RS Pura Sector in Jammu and Kashmir on Monday.

The identity of the slain soldier is yet to be confirmed by BSF officials.

According to a BSF official the dead jawan was evacuated to a hospital in Jammu after he was injured in firing from across the border on Sunday. He died in the hospital.

Pakistan Rangers violated ceasefire twice on Sunday in RS Pura sector of international border (IB), using mortar shells and firing small arms.

The Border Security Force (BSF) gave a "suitable reply" and no one was injured on Indian side. Firing was still going on.

On Friday night, Pakistan Rangers had targeted the border hamlets and border outposts (BoP) with mortar shells and opened fire from automatic weapons along the IB in the sector.

During the late night attack, which started around 11 PM and continued till Saturday morning, Pakistan Rangers had used 60 and 81 mm shells in the Korotana Khurd and Budhipur Jattan villages in the RS Pura sector.

Seven Pakistan Rangers personnel and a terrorist were killed and three others seriously injured in a befitting retaliatory action by the BSF as the Pakistani troops had targeted six sectors in Jammu, Kathua, Samba, Poonch and Rajouri districts of Jammu and Kashmir.

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Story first published: Monday, October 24, 2016, 10:00 [IST]
Centre encouraging online applications for Haj: Naqvi

India

oi-PTI

Mumbai, Oct 24: The Centre is encouraging online applications for the next Haj pilgrimage so that people can get an opportunity with complete transparency, Minority Affairs Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said here today.

Naqvi, who inaugurated a meeting of Haj Committee of India and states/UTs Haj committees at the Haj House in south Mumbai this morning, said during this year's Haj pilgrimage, 45,843 people applied online, which was about 11 per cent of total applications received from across the nation.

Maharashtra was at top place regarding online applications for Haj in 2016 with 10,960 online applications, Naqvi said. Altogether, 9,257 online applications were received from Kerala, 5,407 from Uttar Pradesh, 2,983 from Telangana, 2,426 from Jammu and Kashmir and 2,425 online applications were received from Gujarat, he said.

"We have been making efforts to make the process of online application simple and easy so that more people can apply online for next Haj pilgrimage," he said.

Altogether 99,903 people went to Saudi Arabia for Haj from 21 embarkation points across India through Haj Committee of India this year, he said. About 36,000 Haj pilgrims also proceeded for Haj through private tour operators, he added.

During the last Haj, Ministry of Minority Affairs had sent a team of officials to two holy cities (Mecca and Medina) in Saudi Arabia to take stock of arrangements for the pilgrims, he said.

"The Centre is committed to provide best facilities to pilgrims and making their pilgrimage comfortable. We have written to Chief Ministers of all the states and MPs last week to give suggestions regarding Haj," he said.

The Ministry has already started preparations to make arrangements for the next Haj, he said. Haj Committee of India and state Haj committees should chalk out a strategy to ensure that pilgrims do not face any problems at Mecca and Medina, he said.

"The Ministry has been preparing a 10-15 minutes duration film which will provide all the necessary information to Haj pilgrims. This film will be shown to pilgrims at training camps to be organised for pilgrims. Our Ministry has been making efforts to ensure smooth Haj pilgrimage next time also," he added.

The Saudi Arabian government had cooperated a lot which ensured smooth Haj 2016, he said.

PTI
Ratan Tata's special welcome message for passengers aboard Air India: Listen to what he said

What kind of a petition is this? Delhi HC on PIL seeking Bharat Ratna for Ratan Tata

Watch: Greatest pleasure is trying to do what everybody says 'can't be done', says Ratan Tata

Cyrus Mistry ouster: Ratan Tata writes to PM Narendra Modi

India

oi-PTI

Mumbai, Oct 24: Ratan Tata has informed Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday about change in the top management of Tata Group.

In a shocking development, Tata Sons has announced that it has removed Cyrus P. Mistry as chairman of the salt-to-software conglomerate.

The decision to remove Mistry was taken at a board meeting in Mumbai on Friday, the company said. Ratan Tata, whom Mistry had succeeded, has been called back to be interim chairman.

Back in interest of stability: Ratan Tata's letter to Tata staff

Tata Sons has not said why it removed Mistry, who had been at the helm of the $108 billion group, India's most prominent and reputed industrial brand, for close to four years.

PTI

For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications

Story first published: Monday, October 24, 2016, 21:57 [IST]
Did ISIS recruit from Tamil Nadu skip a German assignment?

India

oi-Vicky

Bengaluru, Oct 24: Did Subhani Moideen flee from Iraq while skipping an assignment he was given in Germany by the ISIS? There is something amiss in the story of Subhani Moideen who was arrested in Tamil Nadu for his alleged links with the ISIS.

He says that he was sick of the war in Iraq and decided to quit. He also goes on to state that he was arrested and ill-treated when he told the ISIS about his decision to quit.

While the story reads well till here, a big question mark arises when he says that he was released by the ISIS one fine day and asked to return home. The ISIS is not known to go easy on quitters. The only reward for a quitter is death or life imprisonment.

Did he skip a German assignment?

It is a well known fact that the ISIS has been planning a major hit in Germany. It wants to attack as many places as possible in Europe and after France the next target was Germany. Sources say that his release may have been conditional. It is impossible that his ISIS handler grew a heart and let him have a happy homecoming.

As part of the deal, Subhani is said to have been ordered to go to Germany and execute a strike along with others. He is said to have agreed while all along he was plotting his return to India. "An Indian operative in Germany would have raised less heat as compared to a local and hence he may have been chosen for the job," the source also informed.

Also read: French police likely to question Indian ISIS recruit in connection to Paris attacks

However, Subhani did not make it to Germany. Instead he went to the Indian embassy in Turkey and called his relatives in Tirunelveli. His return to Tamil Nadu was arranged and he got back home earlier this year.

Upon his return, he stayed low and worked as a salesperson in a jewellery shop. It is still unclear why he took up the job of a salesperson when he was an engineer by profession.

If Moideen was so keen on leading a normal life, why would he be back chatting with the ISIS handlers online, six months after his return? The indication is that he wanted to carry out the work of the ISIS, but sought to do it from the comfort of his home town.

This could well be part of a larger strategy, officials say. The ISIS handlers who were aware of his escape may have thought of using him to carry out an attack in South India, intelligence bureau officials point out.

OneIndia News

For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications

Story first published: Monday, October 24, 2016, 10:03 [IST]
Fadnavis missed chance to show '56-inch chest' govt in place: Sena on film row

India

oi-PTI

Mumbai, Oct 24: Shiv Sena today took a sharp dig at Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis over his role in facilitating the release of "Ae Dil Hai Mushkil" featuring Pakistani actor Fawad Khan, saying he gave up an opportunity to show that there is a "56-inch chest" government.

In a stinging editorial in its mouthpiece "Saamana", the ruling alliance partner said the developments pertaining to the release of the film, which was threatened to be blocked by Raj Thackeray-led MNS, were "horrible, ruthless and have rubbed salt into the wounds of martyred soldiers."

Fadnavis has come under a grim attack from the opposition Congress and NCP for "brokering" a truce between the film's producers and the MNS, alleging that by doing so he has shirked his prime responsibility of maintaining law and order.

"A lot has happened behind the curtains and all opposition to the film was diluted in the cup of tea at 'Varsha' (chief minister's official residence). We do not want to get into who lost and who won but the whole episode has insulted our martyred soldiers," the Saamana editorial said.

"(BJP) Central leaders are threatening Pakistan and boasting about surgical strikes. But none of them has the courage to say that films having Pakistani artistes will not be allowed to be released. Pakistan has violated ceasefire about 25 times after the surgical strikes and nobody is bothered about it. Here, everyone is rallying behind film producers seeing them in trouble," it said.

Fadnavis had the opportunity to show that there was a "56-inch chest" government in place now, that has a much stronger spine than the previous Congress-led government, which was "pro-Pakistan", it added.

"Masks of many came off after the tea session at 'Varsha'. Karan Johar was asked to pay Rs 5 crore to the Army welfare fund in lieu of release of his film. Is the sacrifice of our soldiers worth this much? The developments of the entire episode is horrible, ruthless and have rubbed salt into the wounds of martyred soldiers," the Sena said.

Justifying his intervention in defusing the stand-off over the film, Fadnavis had said the issue could be resolved because the producers guild and MNS were on the same lines, expressing solidarity with the Indian Army.

On October 22, under pressure from political and other outfits, Bollywood film producers announced that they will not engage with Pakistani artistes, clearing decks for the release of Karan Johar's film as MNS withdrew its threat to stall the screening.

"Ae Dil Hai Mushkil" starring Ranbir Kapoor, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Anushka Sharma in lead roles, is set to be released on October 28.

PTI
Prosecutions story may be attractive but should be backed by evidence

French police likely to question Indian ISIS recruit in connection to Paris attacks

India

oi-Vicky

Bengaluru, Oct 24: The French police are likely to question Indian ISIS recruit, Subhani Haja Moideen after he revealed that he knew the Paris attackers. Moideen, who was arrested from Tamil Nadu recently, claimed before the National Investigation Agency (NIA) that he knew the Paris attacker, Abdeilhamid Abaaoud and Sarah Abdeslam.

The Paris attack took place last November in which over 100 people had died. ISIS had claimed responsibility for the attack.

After Moideen was arrested, he was shown photographs of the attackers. While recognising the attackers, he told the NIA that he knew them. He, however, added that he was not aware of the Paris plot and got to know about the attack only after his return to India.

He also told them that he did not know their names. He said while he was in Mosul, Iraq, he was in a camp which was close to where the Paris attackers were staying. He said that they were addressed as al-Francisi.

Also read: Kodaikanal was a target for ISIS module in South India

The NIA has informed French officials and also contacted the embassy in India. The French police are likely to question him after the due process is followed, an official informed.

Moideen, a resident of Tirunelveli, had joined the ISIS in 2015. He, however, claimed that he was shaken badly by the bloodshed in Iraq. He decided to leave Iraq.

When he informed the ISIS handler about it, his informer was angry and Moideen was jailed. He claims that they let him off following which he returned to India.

Upon his return, he took up a job as a salesperson. However, a few months later he was back to surfing ISIS sites and decided on setting up a module in South India.

OneIndia News
Ukrainian Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman says that an initiative that was backed by the Verkhovna Rada to almost double the salaries of Members of Parliament (MPs) will be rejected.

Last week the Rada voted for conclusions and recommendations put forth by parliamentarians as the feedback for the government-prepared draft national budget for 2017 and now the Cabinet is analyzing the changes proposed by the lawmakers, Groysman said on Facebook.

"Those that are right will be taken into account. But we'll definitely reject some of them. We won't support the parliamentarians' initiative to almost double their own salaries. I think it's not time to. We should first think how to raise common people's income," he said.

He also said that the draft budget proposes an increase in the salaries of teachers and doctors, aiming at raising social standards in general. In his words, the government would only strengthen these positions by second reading.
The persecution of Hindus in Pakistan continues with a Hindu girl forcibly converted and married

Hindus should increase their population: Griraj Singh

India

oi-IANS

By Ians English

Patna, Oct 24: Union Minister Griraj Singh on Monday said Hindus should seriously think of increasing their population in the country by producing more children.

"There is a need to increase population of Hindus in the country. They should take this issue seriously as their population has been decreasing in eight states in the country," Griraj told media here.

He recalled that none other than RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat had advised Hindus in last August to produce more children and said no laws can prevent them from reproducing more children.

"Muslims population has increased from mere 10 per cent at the time of India's independence in 1947 to 24 per cent now and Hindus population has decreased from 90 per cent in 1947 to 76 per cent now," the minister said.

He also demanded to review the definition of minority tag to Muslims as their population have increased in some districts to blocks and villages to a level where they ceased to be minority.

Giriraj is BJP's Lok Sabha member from Nawada constituency in Bihar. He is known to be a vocal supporter of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and champion of Hinduvta politics.

IANS


UP: 5, including a child, killed and 5 seriously hurt as car hits electric pole

Modernisation of police force helped in controlling crime in UP: CM Yogi

BJP leader booked for threatening doc at gun point in UP

Live SP crisis: SP feud: Shivpal Yadav leaves UP CM's residence after he was not able to meet him

News

oi-Oneindia

By Oneindia

Lucknow, Oct 24 Less than six months away from Uttar Pradesh elections, the state's 'First Family', the Mulayam Singh Yadav clan is in turmoil and the ruling Samajwadi Party in a meltdown.

It's a manic Monday today in the politics of India's largest state, with Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav and his father Mulayam seemingly going head-to-head against each other.

Will Akhilesh tamp down after Mulayam's warning that "while the youngsters in the party think they are goons, I am the bigger goon here"?

And even if they do make an uneasy peace today, is it all downhill for the party from here?

Who will benefit the most from the SP's self-goal -- the BJP or BSP?

Stay tuned in for the latest updates on crisis in the Samajwadi Party which is celebrating Silver Jubilee here:

8:45 pm: Shivpal Singh Yadav leaves UP CM Akhilesh Yadav's residence after he was not able to meet him.

8:30 pm: SP MP Amar Singh extends his bets wishes to CM Akhilesh Yadav.

8:25 pm: For me silence is the best strategic answer to all questions: Amar Singh, SP MP

7:45 pm: CM Akhilesh Yadav reaches Mulayam Singh Yadav's residence.

7:20 pm: SP feud: Shivpal Yadav meets CM Akhilesh Yadav at CM's residence in Lucknow.

6:50 pm: MLC Ashu Malik's slapping allegations baseless. He can lodge an FIR, probe will reveal the truth: MLC Anand Bhadauria, Akhilesh supporter.

6:30 pm: Only Shivpal Yadav has raised finger at me. My political opponents haven't ever. Minus Akhilesh, Samajwadi Party is zero: Ram Gopal Yadav.

6:14 pm: There is no question of forming a new party. People who have nothing will form new party, Akhilesh has all support: Ram Gopal Yadav.

6:12 pm: I stand with Akhilesh Yadav, we will again make him Chief Minister: Ramgopal Yadav on feud in SP.

5:46 pm: Was slapped by minister Pawan Pandey at CM's residence: SP MLC Ashu Malik.

5:36 pm: SP rift continues: Day after he was sacked by the Chief Minister, Shivpal Yadav sacks Akhilesh's 10 aides.

10 SP workers, who raised slogans against Shivpal Singh Yadav during his speech at the party meeting, have been sacked from the party.  ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) October 24, 2016

2.56 pm: Samajwadi Party to act against those who shouted slogans.

2.55 pm: Mulayam tells both Shivpal and Akhilesh that he is very angry.

2.54 pm: Akhilesh tells supporters not to shout slogans after meeting with father ends.

Meeting between Mulayam Singh, Akhilesh Yadav and Shivpal Yadav ends. pic.twitter.com/hbbmX2jU7R  ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) October 24, 2016

2.22 pm: Kolkata: Amar Singh refuses to answer questions on rift in Samajwadi Party.

1.17 pm: Akhilesh Yadav reaches Mulayam Singh's residence after heated spat with father

12.44 pm: Before walking out, Mulayam Singh says Akhilesh will not be removed as the CM. Hug your uncle Shivpal, Mulayam tells son.

12.38 pm: Mulayam Singh walks out after telling CM's supporters that he is lying. Akhilesh goes to podium and says Amar Singh not acceptable in the party. Meet ends without a decision

12.31 pm: The spat is for everyone to see. Father son argue as drama worsens in Samajwadi Party.

12.29 pm: A heated debate on between father and son. Akhilesh interrupts Mulayam.

12.26 pm: "Samajwadi Party will not break, I will not let the party break," Mulayam.

12.25 pm: Please work together and don't fight. Mulayam appeals to both son and brother.

12.12 pm: Narendra Modi became the PM due to struggle and dedication. He comes from a poor family, Mulayam says at meet.

[With Amar Singh's name cropping up again, can Mulayam lose him?]

12.09 pm: All of Amar Singh's sins are forgiven. I cannot leave Singh or Shivpal says Mulayam.

[Uttar Pradesh: Will a battered SP choose Mulayam Singh as CM?]

12.08 pm: This meeting was called by me so that we can win the elections. It is not Akhilesh who called for this meeting, it was I who did says Mulayam.

12.06 pm: "I wont hear a word against Shivpal," says Mulayam Singh.

12.05 pm: "Why this letter war. If you had concerns you should have sent a note," Mualayam tells Akhilesh.

[UP Family Mahabharata: Akhilesh-Mulayam war out in the open; SP on the brink of split]

12.00 pm: Mulayam, "Amar Singh is like a brother to me. He stood by me during tough times".

11.52 am: "I will never forget what Shivpal has done for me and the party," Mulayam at SP meet.

11.51 am: "Drunkards and goons have been added to the party. Some people get some power and it goes to their head. Shivpal is the mass leader," says Mulayam.

11.46 am: "Don't think I am weak. Dont think the youth is not with me. I am the bigger goon. I made the party. The young persons in the party thinks they are goons, but I am the bigger one," says Mulayam.

11.40 am: Unfit to be a leader if you cant take criticism, Mulayam says without naming anyone.

11.37 am: "Instead of fighting our weakness we are fighting among each other. Those who are jumping around too much will not be able to bear it if they get hit with a stick. We have worked very hard to form this party. We have given importance to the young. Some ministers are being sycophants. Those who cannot think big cannot be ministers," says Mulayam.

11.28 am: You have to take charge now says Shivpal to Mulayam. Mulayam Singh speaks. Says he is hurt about this rift in the family.

11.24 am: "Netaji you are an alternative to Modi. Who has let you down? We will form the next government in UP under the leadership of netaji." - Shivpal Singh Yadav

11.19 am: I made calls to Ajit Singh and several MLAs to ensure that we won seats in the MLC and Rajya Sabha polls. Akhilesh never made any such calls says Shivpal.

11.17 am: "The SP will not tolerate liars. Everyone in the party must work towards winning the UP election," says Shivpal.

11.16 am: "I welcomed the decision to make Akhilesh president of the party. Did I work any less than Akhilesh," asks Shivpal.

11.15 am: "Amar Singh ke pairon ki to dhool bhi nahin ho tum log (you people are not even the dust of his feet). I never hid that I met him," says Shivpal.

11.11 am: Shivpal gets emotional and says, "Have I contributed nothing? Netaji appreciated me. My ministry has done well. Netaji you know that. What is my fault in all this? I have listened to both the CM and Netaji".

11.09 am: Shivpal exposed Akhilesh- says he told me that he would float a new party. Yes he told me that. Akhilesh had earlier denied floating a new party.

11.08 am: Shivpal Yadav responds to the hooting against him at the party office and says, "Only those who are unauthorised are shouting. I could have also called in my people and shouted. I have contributed to the party. I have been working since 1972, the year the CM was born".

11.05 am: Shivpal Yadav begins his address. Says indiscipline will not be tolerated in the party.This party is what it is only because of Netaji (Mulayam).

11.03 am: Akhilesh gets emotional. Breaks down at party office in Lucknow says, "I have only done what my father has told me".

11.01 am: Teary eyed Akhilesh says, "If your party is at stake, then my career too is on the line. What will I do if I leave politics? This is my career".

11.00 am: Akhilesh to Mulayam, "I was hurt when Amar Singh said by November I won't be the CM".

10.58 am: Was very hurt when I heard that you wanted to remove me from the party. This is your party, Akhilesh tells Mulayam.

10.57 am: You asked me to sack Prajapati, Akhilesh tells Mulayam.

10.56 am: "If there is a conspiracy against the party, I will have it investigated," says Akhilesh.

10.54 am: "If you had asked for my resignation, I would have submitted it," Akhilesh tells Mulayam.

10.54 am: "I am not forming any new party. That is a lie," says Akhilesh.

10.53 am: There is a conspiracy against me alleges Akhilesh Yadav. I have only worked for the welfare of the people, the UP CM says at the SP meet.

10.50 am: Meeting begins with supporters of CM and Shivpal Yadav exchanging blows.

10.36 am: Ahead of party meet Akhilesh: "Some people are trying to create confusion in Samajwadi Party. I want to speak first to Mulayam Singh and Shivpal Yadav".

10.25 am: CM Akhilesh meets father Mulayam Singh Yadav ahead of party meet.

10.22 am: Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav reaches Samajwadi Party office in Lucknow.

10.17 am: Mulayam Singh Yadav arrives at Samajwadi Party's office in Lucknow. He has called for the party meet.

OneIndia News
Meghalaya woman stabbed to death at Metro station in Gurgaon

India

oi-PTI

Gurgaon, Oct 24: A 22-year-old woman from Meghalaya was allegedly stabbed to death by a man at the M G Road station of Delhi Metro network here today. Officials said the incident occurred around 9:30 AM in the gallery area of the station.

They said the accused, identified as 25-year-old Jitendra, allegedly used a knife to stab Pinky who was married to a man from the Northeast. CISF personnel and other Metro staffers rushed to the spot, which is at the entrance of the station.

Pinky was taken to a hospital where she died around 11.30 AM. "The incident happened in the unpaid area where there is no CISF presence. Train operations are normal," one of the officials said, adding further details about the attacker was awaited.

PTI
Lack of development in J&K for decades was one of the reasons behind rise of terrorism: Rajnath Singh

40 down and counting: Forces on the verge of wiping out Pakistani terrorists in Valley

Minor boy, BSF jawan killed in Pakistan shelling

India

oi-PTI

Jammu, Oct 24: A 6-year-old boy and a BSF jawan were killed and 10 people, including 8 civilians, were injured in the heaviest cross-border shelling by Pakistani troops which targeted civilian areas and 25 posts of the Indian border guarding force along the International Border in Jammu throughout the night.

As the ceasefire violations intensified, BSF chief K K Sharma said Pakistani forces are deliberately trying to "create a flash point" to facilitate infiltration of militants into India and asserted that these designs will be foiled.

The Pakistani soldiers used small and automatic weapons and resorted to mortar bomb shelling to target over 25 border out posts (BoPs) and civilian areas in R S Pura, Arnia, Suchetgarh, Kanachak, Pargwal sub sectors of Jammu district since last night, a BSF officer said.

"One child died and 8 civilians were injured in the firing and shelling by Pakistani troops on posts and civilian villages along IB in Jammu district," Deputy Commissioner Jammu Simrandeep Singh said.

The boy Vicky Kumar was killed as Pakistani forces resorted to unprovoked firing in a "complete bizarre manner" on civilian areas at Laliyal village in R S Pura, official sources said.

Vicky, belonging to a labourer family from Bihar, died due to splinter injuries from a mortar shell explosion. He had spent the night in a bunker and as soon as he came out to play, the splinter hit him, officials said.

BSF constable Sushil Kumar of Kurukshetra in Haryana was also martyred and another was injured in the Pakistani firing and shelling, the BSF officer said. Sushil Kumar was hit with a splinter in his neck at a post in R S Pura and was shifted to GMC hospital, where doctors declared him dead, the senior BSF officer said.

Nine others were injured in the overnight firing of whom condition of a woman was stated to be critical. BSF was giving a befitting reply, the officer said. Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, who is on a visit to Bahrain, said he spoke to BSF DG K K Sharma who apprised him of the situation in border areas of Jammu region.

J&K: 400 border residents evacuated after Pakistani firing

"The BSF is capable of giving befitting reply," he tweeted. "I salute the bravery and sacrifice of BSF jawan Sushil Kumar who was martyred in RS Pura sector of Jammu region last night," Singh added. Simrandeep Singh said 30 cattle had also perished and 130 others were injured in the Pakistani firing and shelling in various border hamlets in the district.

Police and Civil authorities are assessing losses to property in various villages along the IB in Jammu district on account of Pakistani shelling, the Deputy Commissioner added. A huge damage has been caused to the houses and other properties in the border hamlets, an official said.

PTI
Cyrus Mistry out, Ratan Tata back as interim chairman of Tata Sons in surprise development

India

oi-IANS

By Ians English

In a shocking development, Tata Sons has announced that it has removed Cyrus P. Mistry as chairman of the salt-to-software conglomerate. The decision to remove Mistry was taken at a board meeting in Mumbai on Friday, the company said. Ratan Tata, whom Mistry had succeeded, has been called back to be interim chairman.

Tata Sons has not said why it removed Mistry, who had been at the helm of the $108 billion

group, India's most prominent and reputed industrial brand, for close to four years.

The board has constituted a selection committee to choose a new chairman. The committee comprises Ratan Tata, Venu Srinivasan, Amit Chandra, former foreign secretary Ronen Sen and Lord Kumar Bhattacharyya, as per the criteria in the Articles of Association of Tata Sons.

The committee has been mandated to complete the selection process in four months.

Irish-Indian Cyrus Mistry, 48, is the youngest son of construction magnate Pallonji Mistry, who by virtue of his 18.5 percent share of Tata Sons is the largest single share-holder in the firm that's otherwise mostly controlled by trusts. Cyrus Mistry was also only the second chairman of the group from outside the Tata family.

Ratan Tata, 78, was chairman of Tata Sons for 20 years, and is regularly in the news these days over his investments in start-ups. He will be at the helm for the next four months, by which time the selection committee is to find the new chairman.
Tears, temper and tantrums mar Samajwadi Party meet in UP

India

oi-Vicky

Lucknow, Oct 24: A meeting that was organised to discuss the silver jubilee celebrations of the party turned into a full fledged family feud of the Yadavs in Uttar Pradesh. What began on an emotional note, soon turned into a full-fledged verbal duel between Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav and his son Akhilesh Yadav.

Mulayam tried to broker peace between his son and brother, Shivpal while also making it clear that Amar Singh will stay in the party. This enraged Akhilesh who came on to the podium and said, "Singh is not acceptable in the party."

Mulayam then left the venue thus leaving the meeting on an indecisive note.

Mulayam who did his best to patch things up also ordered his son to go and hug his uncle, Shivpal and bury all differences. "I cannot leave either Shivapal or Amar Singh," said Mulayam while also stating that the latter's sins had been forgiven.

Mulayam continued to insist that the rift is not helping anyone. He, however, did not announce any change in the Chief Minister and said that Akhilesh would continue in that post. Post the meeting, a large number of SP workers assembled at the venue in Lucknow's Vikramaditya Road. The situation was tense and the presence of police in large numbers could be seen.

Party still divided:

One may have expected a resolution to the ongoing crisis in the party. While there were no changes made, the divide between father and son continued.

Also read: You are not worth the dust of Amar Singh's feet: Shivpal at SP meet

There was a heated exchange between Mulayam and Akhilesh. Mulayam even retorted and told the party workers, "Aap ka CM jhoot bol raha hai."(Your CM is lying).

Akhilesh was clearly upset that Mulayam had vouched for Amar Singh. "He is not acceptable in the party," Akhilesh screamed on top of his voice.

Earlier, Mulayam who spoke after Akhilesh and Shivpal, said that he was pained by this rift. "We are in a very difficult situation today. Instead of fighting our weakness we are fighting among each other. Those who are jumping around too much will not be able to bear it if they get hit by a stick," Mulayam said.

"We have worked very hard to form this party. We have given importance to the young. Some ministers are being sycophants. Those who cannot think big cannot be ministers," he also said.

Taking a clear dig at his son, he said that the one who cannot take criticism is unfit to be a leader. "Don't think I am weak. Don't think the youth is not with me. I am the bigger goon. I made the party. The young people in the party thinks they are goons, but I am the bigger goon," he also said.

Amar Singh's sins forgiven:

Mulayam while batting for both Amar Singh and Shivpal said that he will not forget what his brother had done for him. "Drunkards and goons have been added to the party. Some people get power and it goes to their head. Shivpal is the mass leader," he said.

Also read: SP Drama: Akhilesh can't let Amar Singh stay, Mulayam can't let him go

"Amar Singh is like a brother to me. He stood by me during tough times. I won't hear a word against Shivpal," he further added. "All of Amar Singh's sins are forgiven. I cannot leave Singh or Shivpal," he further made it clear.

Citing the struggles of Narendra Modi, Mulayam said that he had become the prime minister due to his struggle and dedication. "He comes from a poor family and he really struggled, Mulayam also told party workers.

Mulayam once again made an appeal to the party workers to work together. "Please work together and don't fight," Mulayam said while telling his son to go hug Shivpal.

Despite all this, the meeting ended on a bitter note. Akhilesh reiterated that Amar Singh cannot be in the party. He even took offence to a newspaper article in which MLC, Ashu Malik had compared him to Aurangazeb and Mulayam to Shahjahan.

OneIndia News

For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications

Story first published: Monday, October 24, 2016, 15:42 [IST]
SP Drama: Akhilesh can't let Amar Singh stay, Mulayam can't let him go

India

oi-Vicky

Bengaluru, Oct 24: Trouble seems to follow Amar Singh wherever he goes. The crisis that has broken out in Samajwadi Party in Uttar Pradesh once again has led to many blaming Amar Singh for the same. On Sunday, scores of party workers vented their anger against Amar Singh.

The decision by Akhilesh Yadav to sack four minister including his uncle Shivpal Yadav clearly sends out a message to Singh. Further sacking Jayaprada from the post of vice chairperson of the UP Film Development Council also shows Akhilesh's anger against those who are close to Singh.

Last month too, when the crisis broke out, Akhilesh had referred to the role of an outsider. However, Shivpal Yadav rejected his nephew's claim and said that there was no outsider in the party.

Will Mulayam back Singh?

While many in the SP have spoke about Singh, Mulayam has not uttered a single word. Can Mulayam continue to remain quiet about Singh despite too much dissent in the party? Akhilesh considers Singh to be a liability. His supporters feel that Singh is acting at the behest of the BJP.

Also read: Uttar Pradesh: Will a battered SP choose Mulayam Singh as CM?

The question is will Mulayam be able to get rid of Singh? Many credit Singh with the image makeover that Mulayam got. It was Singh who took Mulayam to the national stage with his powerful Delhi connections.

Singh also added the glamour factor to the party as he is very often seen with the who's who of Bollywood.

Since the family feud broke out in the party, Singh's name has been dragged into it more than once. Mulayam has, however, not paid any attention to the allegations being made against Singh despite those coming from his son.

In SP, many feel that Singh is pitting Akhilesh against his father and uncle.

It will be a tough choice for Mulayam to make at this juncture. If he continues to back Amar Singh, then the rift could widen further. Mulayam will also have to take into account his brother Shivpal's view. Shivpal is considered to be close to Singh and will have a major say in any decision in this regard.

OneIndia News
Artificial Intelligence predicts outcomes of human rights trials

International

ians-IANS

By Ians English

London, Oct 24 Using Artificial intelligence (AI) or machine learning technology, a team of researchers has predicted outcomes in judicial decisions at the European Court of Human Rights (EctHR) with 79 per cent accuracy.

The AI method, developed by researchers from University College London (UCL), University of Sheffield and US-based University of Pennsylvania is the first to predict the outcomes of a major international court by automatically analysing case text using a machine learning algorithm.

"We don't see AI replacing judges or lawyers but we think they will find it useful for rapidly identifying patterns in cases that lead to certain outcomes," said Nikolaos Aletras, who led the study at UCL's computer science department.

"It could also be a valuable tool for highlighting which cases are most likely to be violations of the European Convention on Human Rights," Aletras added.

In developing the method, the team found that judgements by the ECtHR are highly correlated to non-legal facts rather than directly legal arguments, suggesting that judges of the Court are 'realists' rather than 'formalists'.

The team along with Daniel Preotiuc-Pietro from University of Pennsylvania extracted case information published by the ECtHR in their publically accessible database.

They identified English language data sets for 584 cases applied an AI algorithm to find patterns in the text.

To prevent bias and mislearning, they selected an equal number of violation and non-violation cases.

The most reliable factors for predicting the court's decision were found to be the language used as well as the topics and circumstances mentioned in the case text.

The "circumstances" section of the text includes information about the factual background to the case.

By combining the information extracted from the abstract 'topics' that the cases cover and "circumstances" across data for all three articles, an accuracy of 79 per cent was achieved.

"This tool would improve efficiencies in courts but to become a reality, we need to test it against more articles and the case data submitted to the court," noted Lampos in the paper published in the journal PeerJ Computer Science.

"The study should be further pursued and refined through the systematic examination of more data," explained co-author Dimitrios Tsarapatsanis from University of Sheffield.

IANS
Sonia chose Manmohan Singh as he posed no threat to her, Rahul Gandhi: Obama

Barack Obama hunts for a new job as the United States is all set to get a new President

International

oi-Oneindia

By Oneindia

He is surely the coolest President the United States ever had. That is why President Barack Obama has no qualms in publicly declaring that he is looking for a new job.

As the citizens of the country are making their final decision as whom to elect as their next President-the Republican Presidential nominee Donald Trump and the Democratic Presidential nominee Hillary Clinton-the incumbent President is frantically looking for a job.

In fact, popular television host and comedian, Stephen Colbert, helped Obama to spruce up his resume to get a new job as soon as he leaves the White House in January next year.

The hilarious video from Colbert's popular show, The Late Show, gives us a glimpse of Obama's "funny and cool" side once again.

In the video, Obama tells moustachioed Colbert, while consulting for a new job, "Honestly, there wasn't a lot of room for advancement in my last job." "The only one with a more powerful position was my wife."

There has been a lot of speculation about the 55-year-old Nobel Peace Laureate's new job.

Although there is no official confirmation, however, according to a report published by the AOL, Obama has announced what his main focus politically will be after leaving the White House.

"Politico reports Former Attorney General Eric Holder and Obama will work to overhaul America's system of legislative redistricting," added the AOL report.

OneIndia News
In his maiden visit to Russia since Ukraine war, Jaishankar to hold talks with Lavrov

Russia oil minister signals cooperation with Saudis on price

International

oi-PTI

Cairo, Oct 24: Russia's oil minister signaled possible cooperation with Saudi Arabia at a meeting with his Gulf Arab counterparts in Riyadh, as the kingdom seeks to convince major oil producing countries to cut production in order to increase prices.

After the meeting in the Saudi capital yesterday, Russian Oil Minister Alexander Novak was quoted in a ministry statement as saying that the parties had discussed specific production limits for Russia and other nations that may join the agreement, although he did not mention any figures or commitments from Moscow.

"We see the need to balance the market in the coming months to encourage the return of investments and the reduction of volatility," Novak said.

In a statement, Saudi Oil Minister Khalid Al-Falih also mentioned the need to "restore balance" to the market, where a surge in production globally has led to low prices that have weakened state coffers including that of the Saudis, currently engaged in a costly war in Yemen.

The Vienna-based Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries last month agreed to reduce daily output to between 32.5 million and 33 million barrels, sending the price of crude up about 15 per cent.

The cartel is seeking help from countries who are not members, such as Russia, to join in its efforts to curb supply. Oil production from OPEC nations hit a record last month, although members have agreed to come up with a plan to reduce it before a meeting on Nov. 30 in Vienna, before which Novak said negotiations would continue.

The Russian position could signal a rare bright spot in its recent relations with Saudi Arabia. The two countries are adversaries in the Syrian civil war, with Moscow supporting President Bashar Assad and Riyadh aiding rebels who seek his overthrow. Russia is also close to Saudi nemesis Iran.

AP
No Ukrainian troops were killed in action in Donbas in the past 24 hours, but seven servicemen were wounded, Andriy Lysenko, spokesman for the Ukrainian Defense Ministry on Anti-Terrorist Operation issues, said.

"No Ukrainian military were killed in the past 24 hours, seven were wounded. All of them [were wounded] in enemy attacks," Lysenko told a briefing in Kyiv on Monday.

The enemy carried out brief mortar attacks on the Luhansk track in Schastia and Krymske last night, he said. Provocations were registered in Novoaleksandrivka in the afternoon. The situation in Stanytsia Luhanska and in the area of the Bakhmut road was calm. There were nine provocations on the Luhansk track in the past 24 hours, and heavy weapons were used in three of them, Lysenko said.

On the Donetsk track, the enemy used heavy weapons in the areas of Luhanske and Avdiyivka - over 100 mortar mines of various caliber were launched against Ukrainian positions. Six attacks were registered on the Donetsk track in the past 24 hours, including four using heavy weapons, he said.

"A tendency towards a reduction of the intensity of attacks using heavy weapons persists on the Mariupol track," Lysenko said. In Krasnohorivka and Pavlopil, the enemy launched 20 mortar mines, which is several dozen less than the week before, Lysenko said.

The enemy's snipers were active in the Vodiane and Shyrokyne areas, he said.

A total of 20 attacks, including four using heavy weapons, were registered on the Mariupol track in the past 24 hours, Lysenko said.
Pak committing atrocities against people in PoK, will have to bear consequences: Rajnath Singh

Lack of development in J&K for decades was one of the reasons behind rise of terrorism: Rajnath Singh

Terrorism a global issue; international community must join hands: Rajnath

International

oi-PTI

Manama (Bahrain), Oct 23: Terrorism is a global problem and the international community must join hands to root out the menace, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh said here on Sunday as he began his three-day visit to the Gulf country.

Addressing the Indian community in Bahrain, Singh also said the Narendra Modi government has made several structural and procedural changes and that resulted in successfully reducing the "wholesale corruption" in the country.

"Terrorism is a global problem and the entire international community has to come together to face the challenges posed by the menace," he said.

Highlighting various initiatives of the Modi government, the Home Minister said the NDA dispensation is creating an environment that will make every Indian "proud". "India today is the fastest growing economy in the world and now it has become the most favorite destination for investments.

India has attracted maximum FDI in one year which is more than even of the United States and China. India attracted USD 51 billion FDI in one year," he said.

Singh said that schemes like 'Jan Dhan Yojana', Skill India, Digital India, Make in India and others are having a positive impact on India's economy. "Our Prime Minister is very imaginative and extremely hard-working leader. He is working to minimise economic disparities in India," he said.

The Home Minister said Bahrain has started a "Little India in Bahrain" project and both the countries are coming closer on "emotional level" as well.

Earlier, upon his arrival, the Home Minister was received at the airport by Bahrain's Interior Minister Rashid bin Abdullah Al Khalifa. Singh will meet Bahrain King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, Prime Minister Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa and the Interior Minister and will discuss with them various bilateral issues.

Pakistan's continuous support to cross border terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir is expected to be raised by the Home Minister in his meetings with the top leadership of Bahrain, official sources said.

There will be extensive discussions on how to enhance bilateral cooperation with regard to tackling terror and each other's fugitives at the meeting between Singh and his Bahrain counterpart Rashid bin Abdullah Al Khalifa, sources said.

PTI
Sky News 31 Oct 2022

The diversity of a Lula crowd is really quite exceptional; it's a melting pot of Brazilian society.
euronews (in English) 31 Oct 2022

The settlement negotiations reflect an attempt by Moscow to shore up its influence in the region.
Putin, Poroshenko had difficult talk but none of them raised voice  Peskov

The Kremlin rejected the reports that during the meeting of the Normandy Four in Berlin, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko allegedly improperly addressed the Russian president, demanding that the shelling of Ukrainian troops be stopped.

"There was no heated discussion. The conversation was certainly difficult but also quite business-like and constructive enough," Russian Presidential Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov told reporters

"So this information does not reflect the reality," he said.
Secretary of Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council (NSDC) Oleksandr Turchynov and Turkey's Undersecretary for Defense Industry Ismail Demir have discussed cooperation between leading enterprises of the two countries' defense industries and the implementation of joint projects in military and technical cooperation, the NSDC's official website said on Monday.

Agreement to set up a joint group to coordinate military and technical cooperation was implemented after a previous meeting with Demir, and "the group has begun to effectively work," Turchynov said.

"We are working to implement specific projects and a wide range of tasks, in particular in terms of the manufacture of armored vehicles, rocket and aircraft manufacture, and others," the NSDC secretary said.

Ukraine considers that the creation of joint ventures with Turkey "that would be engaged in the manufacture of munitions, unmanned aerial vehicles, rocket and missile engineering, tank construction, communications devices, and the like" will have potential, he said.

The parties also discussed Turkish investments in the military-industrial complex of Ukraine.

Demir in turn said that Turkey is interested in developing cooperation with Ukraine in the field of defense industry. "We appreciate cooperation with Ukraine and are interested in significant expansion of mutually beneficial cooperation ... We see our country can ensure the implementation of many large-scale projects that will constitute greater synergy and strengthen their defense capabilities," the Turkish official said.
by  Graham Pierrepoint



Brexit has made for a pretty uncertain time for just about everyone in the British Isles  whether or not you voted for the UK to stay in the European Union or not  and, certainly, the value of the pound and the countrys economy in general have been hit by growing speculation over exactly what an exit from the EU is going to entail. While much of the talk is just that  speculation  anyone interested in economics will tell you that the morning and afternoon after the Brexit referendum saw British markets  and indeed the countrys attractiveness in terms of its financial status  take a significant dip. There has been recovery of note since the economy was initially hit, however, worry over what will happen to some of the bigger investors on UK soil as a result of the referendum vote continue to reverberate  and, thanks to recent claims made in The Observer over the weekend, it may be sooner rather than later that some major banks leave the country altogether.

According to the chief executive of the British Bankers Association, Anthony Browne, many banks both large and small are considering their options with regard to changing their base of operations. Advising that many are quivering over the relocate button, Browne stated that the uncertainty ahead with regard to Brexit could mean that current passporting rights are under threat  these rights currently allow EU member states within what is known as the single market to be able to offer certain financial services flexibly across the continent. However, as recent weeks appear to show that UK Prime Minister Theresa May could be keen to opt for a hard Brexit  which may result in the loss of access to the single market depending upon negotiations  such rights could well be at risk of vanishing for UK-based banks. Therefore, it is perhaps not surprising that many home-grown financial services are eyeing up the idea of escaping to the continent.

The idea of a hard Brexit has been leapt upon as a buzzword in recent weeks, and it comes as representatives of EU member states such as Frances Francois Hollande make it clear that the UK will not necessarily receive the easy ride it is hoping for. For the UK, two major elements look set to balance the majority of negotiation and debate  the idea of free movement between countries, and access to the single market. As various EU representatives have advised in recent weeks, the UK may well be lucky to hold on to both upon leaving the Union.
In order to streamline the operation of the Prosecutor General's Office of Ukraine, a new directorate has been created based on the PGO's Special Investigations Department  the Organized Crime Office, the PGO's press service reported.

"In order to speed up and complete the pre-trial investigation and send to court 'the big criminal case' against [ex-president of Ukraine Viktor] Yanukovych and his entourage, the Organized Crime Office has been created [within the PGO]. The organization will be made up of 63 employees," the press service of the Prosecutor General's Office of Ukraine said in a statement released on Monday.

The PGO said that 'the big case' against Yanukovych consists of many items in particular  the usurpation of power, ruining the economy, weakening the country's defense and information security, seizure of state property  the Mezhyhirya residence, and the like.

Meanwhile, the Special Investigations Department after the reorganization will have 56 employees and will continue to be headed by Serhiy Horbatiuk.

"This department will be in charge of investigating and transferring to court the cases related to Maidan," the PGO's press service explained.

As Interfax-Ukraine learned from the General Prosecutor's Office, the newly created office will be an independent structural subdivision of the PGO. It is still undecided to which department the Office will be accountable, most probably directly to the Prosecutor General's Office of Ukraine.

At the same time, the PGO's Special Investigations Department will still be probing those cases against Yanukovych which deal with the organization of mass killings on Kyiv's Independence Square in February 2014.
The Ukrainian Prosecutor General's Office has closed the criminal proceedings against member of the Verkhovna Rada of the 7th convocation from the Party of Regions Volodymyr Medianyk and he has been released, his defense lawyer Oleh Babych has said.

"The Prosecutor General's Office of Ukraine has decided to close criminal proceedings against Medianyk. He has been released from custody today, all charges against him have been dropped," she told Interfax-Ukraine on Monday. ---

As reported, on August 7, Ukrainian Prosecutor General Yuriy Lutsenko announced that Medianyk was arrested in the same case involving former lawmaker of the Party of Regions Oleksandr Yevfremov. Medianyk was suspected of taking premeditated actions with the aim of changing the borders of the territory of Ukraine, which violate the Constitution, which says individuals responsible for the death of people and other heinous crimes pursuant to Article 3, Paragraph 100 of Ukraine's Criminal Code, as well as helping create and oversee the activities of the self-proclaimed Luhansk People's Republic, an offense punishable under Part 1, Article 258-3 of the Criminal Code.

On August 8, a court ruled to remand Medianyk in custody for 60 days, until October 4, 2016. The court denied the suspect an alternative in the form of a bail.

The prosecutor general said that Medianyk worked as a mediator between the so-called LPR and the Ukrainian side.

On October 22, Lutsenko said Medianyk will be released soon, because the PGO had no evidence of his guilt.
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RGW Sochi Set to Take Place This Thursday

Published October 24, 2016 by Ivan P

Russian Gaming Week (RGW) Sochi will discuss development ideas for the new gambling zone, as well as investment opportunities and legal implications.

Russian Gaming Week (RGW) Sochi is set to take place this week, Thursday October 27, 2016. The event represents an international forum which will gather experts and interested parties from the gambling and other connected industries to talk strategies, exchange ideas, and much more.

Sochi as New Gaming Industry Center in Russia

The coast of Sochi is set to become a new gambling hub of Russia. Development plans for the zone include 8,000 slot machines and 400 game tables, which should boost the local budget with RUB 120 million on a monthly basis.

RGW will provide a perfect opportunity to discuss development strategies, expectations, legal implications, and more. Many casino and sportsbook owners, legal experts, software developers, and investors are expected to be in attendance.

Legal Aspects of New Gaming Zone

The creation of Krasnaya polyana gaming zone in Sochi would provide significant tax benefits but there are many legal issues that need to be addressed prior to realization of this project. Exploring the subject, a representative of RGW caught up with Maria Lepschikova, a lawyer with more than 12 years of experience in the gaming industry.

Licensing Operators

In the interview, Ms Lepschikova explained that the development of the gaming zone is mostly dependent on the number of companies that apply for operational licenses. Although the government designated the area where the future gambling venues will be located, only the companies that can provide necessary documents to prove their eligibility will be granted permissions to set up their business operations in Sochi.

Foreign Investments Prospects

According to the Russian law, casino game organizers can only be legal entities established within the territory of the Russian Federation. Founders of such entities must meet certain legal criteria, in terms of them not being convicted of serious economic or other grave crimes. Thus, foreign investors can use their money to fund the operations in Krasnaya polyana zone only through an established Russian business entity.

Implications for Existing Bookmakers

There are bookmakers who already have legal betting shops in Sochi. The development of the new gaming zone is bound to have a certain impact on their day-to-day operations, but Ms Lepschikova believes that it doesn't necessarily have to be all bad. Many tourists will probably venture outside of the new gambling zone, which could produce some extra foot traffic for the existing betting shops.
Kyiv calls for humanitarian group meeting on Donbas as soon as possible

Ukraine sees no reason for a pause until November 9 in the work of the humanitarian subgroup of the Trilateral Contact Group in Minsk and insists on their meeting in the very near future, Ukraine's representative in the subgroup and parliamentary first deputy speaker Iryna Gerashchenko said.

"The Ukrainian side considers the pause in the humanitarian subgroup until November 9 to be unmotivated, especially in the context of Normandy-format meetings where at Ukraine's insistence the humanitarian problem was named as one of the priorities," Gerashchenko told Interfax-Ukraine on Monday.

The parties should "get together as quickly as possible and work on the implementation of the Normandy-format decisions," she said.

On October 24, Denis Pushilin, representative of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic, said that because of Ukraine the Contact Group will be meeting in Minsk on October 26 without its humanitarian subgroup.

"Because of the Ukrainian side, the meeting of the humanitarian subgroup in Minsk on October 26 will not be taking place. There were multiple reschedulings on the Ukrainian part and no consensus reached as a result. The subgroup's next meeting is only due on November 9," he said.
Both sides are right about the existence of the problem. The mainstream media are a concentrated power bloc that muffles the voices of the majority. The "big three" newspapers (New York Times, Washington Post, and Wall Street Journal), for example, alone have a combined daily circulation of 4 million, while their regular opinion columnists can be syndicated in hundreds of smaller newspapers. Compare this to the acceptance rate for op-eds submitted to these "big three" newspapers by ordinary intelligent people. It is always lower than one in a hundred, and sometimes as low as one in a thousand. These are a lot of unheard opinions compared to the few opinions that regularly reach millions.

But while both the Left and the Right are correct about the existence of this problem, neither is correct in its diagnosis of it. The concentration of power in the media is really just a reflection of and response to the concentration of power in the United States itself.

Consider all the attention currently being directed to the US presidential election. If you care about it more than you care about the 18 other presidential elections in the world held this year, you might ask yourself why. Although you could claim that you only care because the dominant media have rammed it down your throat through nonstop coverage, you are more apt to say you care because the outcome is important. The President of the United States has a lot of power, possibly more power than anyone else in the world, a reality that makes the presidential election pretty darn important.

But what happens when tens or even hundreds of millions of people all care about the same issue at the same time in the same place? The public forum instantly becomes too crowded for all of them--even a small fraction of them--to express their views.

Let's do some hypothetical math. If the only people who care about the US presidential election are the 130 million or so Americans who can be expected to vote, and only one in every 10,000 of them has an opinion important enough to merit the attention of others, there are 13,000 voters the rest of us ought to give a listen to. Suppose that by some waive of the media magic wand we could figure out a way to give each of these 13,000 voters a five-minute major media soapbox at some point during the five-month campaign. The result would require the rest of us to spend over seven hours everyday for five consecutive months listening to a steady stream of five-minute opinions.

Well, we aren't going to sit still seven hours a day listening this barrage of opinions. Instead, we will let the consolidated major media whittle down the number of opinions we are exposed to from the nearly 87 per day that would be expressed in the above scenario to maybe eight or nine. Thus, instead of listening to the opinions of one in 10,000 voters, we'll only hear the opinions of one in 100,000. However, we're going to let the major media reduce the number different opinions we are exposed to more severely than this. For reasons of efficiency, the major media like the predictability of regular contributors, and in order to capture as large a market share as possible, the major media prioritize opinions that appeal to the wide middle swath of the market rather than to the smaller fringes. As a result, instead of hearing the opinions of one in 100,000 voters, we'll probably hear ten opinions from one pundit and none from a million, while most of the one-in-a-million opinions we hear will be middle-of-the-road views.

Sure, we'll pitch a fit about the concentration of media power every time it dishes up a viewpoint we don't like. If we're especially feisty, we will occasionally turn to alternative media (and even contribute to it). However, for the most part we're going to consume the mainstream media for the very reason it exists: It cuts the welter of viewpoints in an overcrowded public forum down to a manageable few.

The problem therefore isn't the media, it's the nation-state. As long as power affecting hundreds of millions of people is concentrated in a single nation-state, media power will concentrate too.

America's Founders anticipated this problem and had a remedy ready. It was to design a federal system in which multiple small and semi-autonomous democratic-republics would be loosely joined together into a nation that was only supposed to play umpire (and wouldn't even have a standing army). This way, most of the issues that affect people would exist on a small enough scale for most able people to weigh in on them in suitably-sized public forums.

Had the Founders' design prevailed, this year's US presidential election would still be important, and probably more important than the other 18 presidential elections held around the world. But it wouldn't be of such overwhelming importance that over half (17 of 31) of the articles posted on even Opednews.com the other day would focus on the presidential election. Instead, there might be two or three. This would free up space in the national public forum for attention to be directed to other important national and global issues. Meanwhile, people would be more concerned than they are about gubernatorial elections and mayoral races, and there would be more local media with more local empowerment fostering more manageable public forums and more vibrant local democracies.

But neither the Left nor the Right liked the federal system very much, and for different reasons both busily built a powerful nation-state to replace it. (The US now maintains one of the largest standing armies in the world, despite the Constitutional prohibition against that.) Then, go figure, both the Left and the Right complain about a media that are no more concentrated or undemocratic than is the imperial nation-state.
From Paul Craig Roberts Website

A month ago I wrote a column, "He Who Hesitates Is Lost -- And Russia Hesitated." The consequences of this hesitation are now apparent:

1. A UN report orchestrated by Washington has accused Syria and Russia of war crimes in Aleppo. According to the report, "indiscriminate airstrikes across the eastern part of the city by Government forces and their allies [Russia] are responsible for the overwhelming majority of civilian casualties. These violations constitute war crimes. And if knowingly committed as part of a widespread or systematic attack directed against civilians, they constitute crimes against humanity."

The UN Human Rights Council has now voted to start an "independent" investigation. The purpose of the investigation is to indict Russia and Putin as war criminals and to "bring to justice those responsible for the alleged abuses." Moreover, "the situation should be urgently referred to the International Criminal Court. Every party to this conflict must know that they will be held accountable for the international crimes they commit -- all, without selective protection or discrimination." Keep in mind that Washington provides the largest share of the UN's budget, and the UN will overlook that it was Washington that sent ISIS to Aleppo.

Obviously, neither Washington nor the UN will be able to drag Putin into the International Criminal Court, but a war criminal charge can serve Washington's purpose by stopping Putin from traveling abroad and curtailing his diplomatic efforts. The purpose of this orchestrated exercise is its propaganda value. Among Washington's many concerns is that some Eastern European countries, alarmed by the conflict that Washington is leading them into with Russia, will threaten NATO with a non-participation statement. If Russia is branded a war criminal, it becomes even more difficult for countries that foolishly and thoughtlessly joined NATO to extricate themselves from the consequences.

2. Washington has succeeded in bringing to power in Poland the far right-wing Law and Justice Party. These agents of Washington have re-opened the matter of the death of Poland's President Kaczynski in a plane crash, making wild claims that the crash was a terror attack by Russia aimed at depriving Poland of its political leadership.

Despite massive and convincing evidence to the contrary, the Law and Justice Party's claims will find traction thanks to the scary portrait of Russia painted by Washington's demonization campaign. The intended result is to further blacken and isolate Russia and its government.

3. As the anointed spokesperson for the neoconservative warmongers, Hillary wants Washington to enforce a no-fly zone in Syria. A no-fly zone would require Washington to attempt to prevent Syrian and Russian air strikes against ISIS positions. It seems clear enough that Syria and Russia would not accept any attempt to deny Syria the use of the country's own airspace in the conflict against forces sent by Washington to overthrow the Syrian government, as happened to Gaddafi in Libya. Unless Russia and Syria surrender, Hillary's no-fly zone would result in military conflict between Russia and the US.

To advance the no-fly zone proposal, the "use of chemical weapons" ruse has been resurrected. Fabricated reports are appearing that the Syrian air force is guilty of dropping chemical weapons on the Syrian population. On October 22, the Indian Express reported that on October 21 the UN-Led Joint Investigative Mechanism informed the UN Security Council that the chemical attack on Qmenas "was caused by a Syrian Arab Armed Forces helicopter dropping a device from a high altitude which hit the ground and released the toxic substance that affected the population." The report concluded that three of the chemical attacks investigated were made by Syria and one by the Islamic State.

The fact that the Russians resolved the chemical weapons issue in 2014, a year before the alleged attack on Qmenas, by taking possession of the weapons and removing them from Syria means that the report has little credibility. However, at no time during Washington's 15-year-old attack on Muslim countries have facts played any role, and certainly facts have played no role in Washington's demonization of Russia.

4. Diana Johnstone has concluded that Hillary intends regime change for Russia and will use the presidency for that purpose.

It is impossible to imagine a purpose more reckless and irresponsible. Many members of the Russian government have stated that Washington's provocation and demonization of Russia have brought trust between the nuclear powers close to zero and that Russia will never again fight a war on her own territory. Sergey Karaganov told the German news magazine, Der Spiegal, that if Washington and NATO move from provocations to encroachments against Russia, a nuclear power, they will be punished.

Many foolish people believe that nuclear war cannot happen, because there can be no winner. However, the American war planners, who elevated US nuclear weapons from a retaliatory role to a pre-emptive first strike function, obviously do not agree that nuclear war cannot be won. If nuclear war is believed to be unwinnable, there is no point in a war doctrine that assigns the weapons the role of surprise attack.

The Russians are aware and disturbed that Washington has made the situation between the US and Russia more dangerous than during the Cold War. Vladimir Putin himself has stated that the West does not hear his warnings. In an effort to avoid war, Putin wrings everything possible out of diplomacy. He enters into agreements with Washington that he must know will not be kept.

So much has happened to teach him this lesson -- the Washington instigated invasion of South Ossetia by Georgia while he was at the Beijing Olympics, Washington's coup in Ukraine while he was at the Sochi Olympics, Washington's abandonment of the Minsk Agreement, the advantage Washington took of the Syrian ceasefire agreements, the violation of Washington's promise not to move NATO to Russia's border, Washington's sacking of the Anti-ABM Treaty, the orchestrated blame of Russia for MH-17, Hillary's hacked emails, etc.

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From Salon



Solidarity rally against the Dakota Access Pipeline

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In bad movies (and bad history alike), the Native American ceremonial pipe figured prominently as symbol of defeat -- typically in a cliched scene of subdued chieftains signing a treaty of surrender and passing around a "peace pipe" in a sorrowful gesture to seal the raw deal.

The reality is that the communal smoking of a ceremonial pipe, often filled with tobacco, is a centuries-old tradition rich in spiritual meaning for many Native people who see it as an eternal channel through which tribes seek metaphysical strength, courage and endurance. The ceremonial pipe both shapes and conveys Native people's living history, a story that's perpetually being written.

Indeed, a dramatic new chapter is unfolding this year in a volatile confrontation on a remote stretch of the Northern Plains in rural North Dakota. It's a "Battle of Two Pipes," pitting the cultural power symbolized by the Native American pipe against the bruising financial power of a giant pipeline, owned by Energy Transfer Partners.

In 2014, ETP, a Texas oil behemoth, went public with its scheme to build a massive oil pipeline from the fracking wells of the Bakken oil fields in northwestern North Dakota. ETP's 30-inch-wide Dakota Access pipeline would cut a 1,172-mile-long scar diagonally through the heart of North Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa and Illinois.

If ETP's $3.8 billion line is completed, it would carry 570,000 barrels of oil a day through most of the four states' watersheds and wildlife habitats; it would transit hundreds of farms and ranches and make 200 river crossings. All the water and land in its path would be endangered, for one unpleasant fact about pipelines is that they regularly leak, sometimes rupture and can blow up (an especially relevant concern with fracked Bakken oil, which is not only some of the dirtiest crude on the planet but also is exceptionally flammable and "more prone to explosions than earlier thought," according to U.S. officials).

Kelcy Warren is the honcho of Energy Transfer Partners and its parent financial outfit, Energy Transfer Equity, a fossil fuel colossus that also owns Sunoco oil and Southern Union gas. Warren's company -- with such an unkempt environmental record plus national notoriety for bulldozing over opposition from outraged landowners and communities -- regularly has state and federal regulatory authorities to clear its pat. This is done the old-fashioned way: Warren, ranked by Forbes as the 86th richest American, pumps big bucks into the campaign coffers of key politicos, drawing from corporate funds as well as his personal $5.45 billion fortune.


Donald Trump

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After watching the third and final debate between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton I agree with those who say ... we should vote for Clinton on election day. Our conclusion is the same ... but for different reasons.

I do not think if Trump were elected that the United States would succumb to Fascism.

That Has Already Happened.

It is true that the U.S. pulled back from the brink in the 30's and 50's. But the country sailed over the edge the moment the Supreme Court nullified the voice of the people and handed the presidency to George W. Bush on December 12, 2000. That's the day democracy in the United States stopped breathing and died. And Guess what? 16 years later, It's Still Dead.

We could argue about whether or not the U.S. is a Fascist State, or an oligarchy, or to be more precise, a plutocracy, but that's not the point. The point is: all Americans must vote against Donald John Trump.

Because he is insane.

That's it.

There's no need to explain any further. Trump is f*cking insane.

It is not a matter of The Lesser of Two Evils. It's simpler than that. We should not elect a full blown crazy person to be president of the United States.

Ever.

End of argument.

Remember watching George W. and Gore debate? It was apparent that there was something wrong with Bush. He was obviously an incredibly stupid man. Dick Cheney, the real president, was (and is) evil walking on two legs.

But Donald Trump is fuckin' nuts.

Back in 1976 The Firesign Theatre started The Natural Surrealist Party with George Papoon as their candidate for president. Papoon wore a paper bag over his head and his motto, Not Insane, should be the first benchmark for anyone running for president. Trump doesn't qualify.

If I started making a list of reasons why Hillary Clinton shouldn't be president I would be typing for the next two days. At the tippy top of my list is Hillary seems hell bent to start World War III.

On purpose.

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From Consortium News



Russian President Vladimir Putin laying a wreath at Russia's Tomb of the Unknown Soldier on May 8, 2014, as part of the observance of the World War II Victory over Germany.

(Image by Foto, ru) Details DMCA



In February, the Obama administration announced that it was quadrupling funding for a major increase in NATO troops and weaponry in the countries of Eastern Europe on the border with Russia. Diplomatic relations have faltered between the two countries over Syria.

And the corporate media in the U.S. and U.K. have again stepped up their demonization of all things Vladimir Putin -- he's corrupt, he personally orders hits on people, is facilitating war crimes in Aleppo, and wants to invade Europe. The media also pushes the idea that Russia is an uncivilized and backwards cesspit.

Considering that Russia is a nuclear superpower, the largest country geographically in the world, and is the sixth largest economy in terms of purchasing power parity (and projected to be number six in 2021 in terms of GDP), the U.S. relationship with Russia is one of the most important and delicate.

In order to have any chance of conducting this relationship in a rational manner, an accurate and nuanced understanding of the country itself and the history of post-Soviet U.S.-Russia relations is essential. This requires cutting through the misinformation and distortion that saturates much of our mainstream news and political discourse.

It's important to keep in mind that Russia has a 1,000-year history of authoritarian rule and only started its climb-out in the late 1980s. It is a transitional society, with elements of both authoritarianism and democracy. Putin, along with Dmitri Medvedev and Mikhail Gorbachev, is the least authoritarian leader that Russia has ever had.

Considering that the U.S. has supposedly been an established democracy for over 200 years, we Americans should consider a few significant problems we still have in order to gain some perspective. Only 55 years ago, African-Americans could not vote and could even be murdered with impunity in many parts of the country.

Today, we have an epidemic of militarized police officers who are shooting first and asking questions later; more and more people on death row are turning out to be innocent; rising inequality threatens our stability; and, a system of deep corruption in terms of campaign financing has compromised our democracy -- corruption that is so profound that two political science academics have recently quantified the ways in which we are now officially an oligarchy.

Is this any better than Russia's corruption because it has been folded into our legal system? We certainly have our own "oligarchs" in the form of the Koch brothers, Bill Gates, and the Walton family. Perhaps we can concede that it's not very useful to beat on Russia for not being Switzerland after only 25 years.

Russian Sentiment

A recent poll by the independent Levada Center revealed that 66 percent of Russians feel free and 68 percent don't believe it is likely that Russia will revert back to dictatorship. To understand why Russians may see themselves as fairly free, it is important to understand not only their history of authoritarian rule but also some facts and observations about Russia that run counter to the narrative often presented in our mainstream corporate media, which is owned by those same oligarchs that have captured our political system.

When I visited Russia last autumn, one of the first things I observed was that the police in both Moscow and St. Petersburg did not carry guns, only batons. I asked some Russians about this and was told that if an officer had a special assignment, he/she might carry a gun but that generally they did not. This is not consistent with the characterization that most Americans have about Russia being a police state or autocracy.

Speaking of guns, Russian citizens have to abide by much stricter gun control laws than in the U.S. These include the requirement for gun owners to obtain a five-year renewable license. Before the first license is issued, attendance in a firearms safety class and the passing of a federal safety exam is required as well as a background check.

One example of how the Russian gun control laws have helped to prevent the deadly types of mass shootings seen in the U.S. is the hate crime against patrons of a gay club in Yekaterinburg that occurred shortly after the Orlando massacre. Due to the fact that Russians don't easily have access to (illegal) assault weapons, no deaths occurred as a consequence of the violence perpetrated against the patrons by a group of Russian hoodlums who only had small, pneumatic weapons.

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From Strategic Culture

The U.S. Intelligence Community, led by the three most political actors in recent history, claims to have irrefutable "proof" that the Russian government was behind the hacking of Democratic Party computers and those affiliated with the Hillary Clinton presidential campaign. However, Central Intelligence Agency director John Brennan, Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, and National Security Agency director Admiral Mike Rogers provided not one iota of evidence that it was Russian state players who hacked into the computers of the Democrats or the personal email accounts of Hillary Clinton campaign manager John Podesta and other staffers.

Podesta has a long track record of interest in extraterrestrial visitations of our planet and unidentified flying objects (UFOs) and the files the U.S. government possesses on these subjects. Consequently, Podesta, who has served as White House chief of staff for Presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama, has drawn the interest of the most dedicated contingent among the computer hacker community: those who hope to discover the "mother lode" of secret files allegedly held by the U.S. government on alien visitations and UFOs.

Podesta, along with his brother, Washington DC super-lobbyist Tony Podesta, are at the center of the power structure of the United States. So, when a well-connected individual like John Podesta claims an interest in government files on aliens and UFOs, the UFO hacker community takes a keen note. Podesta is at the center of his own UFO "podesteria." A "podesteria" in medieval Italy was an administrative division of Italian city-states lime Venice and Genoa.

Today, there is a "podesteria" in cyberspace that includes computer hackers and UFO investigators having varying degrees of expertise in discovering where the U.S. government is hiding its most critical secrets. It was this "podesteria" of hackers that penetrated the weak security of Podesta's Google mail account and discovered, in addition to some intriguing email on the subject of extraterrestrials between Apollo 14 moon astronaut Dr. Edgar Mitchell and Podesta, other emails dealing with the 2016 election campaign.

The bottom line with the hacking of Podesta's email and that of others in his email chain, which included Mrs. Clinton's top advisers Huma Abedin and Jennifer Palmieri, is that Russia had nothing to do with it. The U.S. intelligence community, hungry to go back to the era of the Cold War and bloated U.S. intelligence budgets, is inventing Russian involvement in a desperate move to divert attention away from the corruption of the Clinton family and Hillary Clinton's campaign.

Podesta is a magnet for the successors to WikiLeaks' founder Julian Assange's old 1980s and 1990s "Cypherpunk" colleagues -- young hackers who will do just about anything to expose what they see as a massive cover-up of the ET presence on Earth. The largest hacking of military computers in recent times was carried out by a young Scottish hacker named Gary McKinnon. Using the handle "Solo," McKinnon was charged with breaking into 97 U.S. military and NASA systems between February 2001 and March 2002. McKinnon said he was searching for files on the suppression of free energy systems (what astronaut Mitchell wanted to discuss with Podesta) and UFOs. Russia was not involved in the case with McKinnon then and it certainly is not involved in the issue regarding the hackers of Clinton's campaign today.

The United States tried to have McKinnon extradited to the United States but in 2012, British Home Secretary Theresa May, now the prime minister, surprisingly vacated the extradition order. British criminal charges against McKinnon were suddenly dropped. Among those who supported McKinnon in resisting extradition to the United States were Boris Johnson, the present Foreign Secretary, and David Cameron, the former prime minister.



Earlier this year, Hillary Clinton attracted her own share of hacker attention when she told the Conway Daily Sun in New Hampshire that as president she would "get to the bottom" of the UFO cover-up. That served as another magnet for the global hacker community.



And Bill Clinton has done his best to draw the interest of UFO hacker groups. In a 2005 speech in Hong Kong, Bill Clinton told the audience, "I did attempt to find out if there were any secret government documents that reveal things, and if there were, they were concealed from me, too. I wouldn't be the first president that underlings have lied to or that career bureaucrats have waited out. But there may be some career person sitting around somewhere hiding these dark secrets, even from elected presidents. But, if so, they successfully eluded me, and I'm almost embarrassed to tell you I did try to find out."



Asked by the New Hampshire newspaper what her husband meant, Mrs. Clinton replied, "I think we may have been [visited already]. We don't know for sure." In 2014, Bill Clinton told television host Jimmy Kimmel: "If we were visited [by aliens] someday, I wouldn't be surprised. I just hope that it's not like [the movie] "Independence Day," that it's a conflict."

The CIA, NSA, and DNI know fully well that the UFO hacker community is very adept at ferreting out the private emails of those who they believe possess knowledge about their favorite subject. John Podesta also knows this. In 1998, when Podesta served as President Clinton's chief of staff, 72 of 215 Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests to NSA were for UFO files. In addition, 15 percent of all FOIA requests to the CIA in 1998 were for UFO-related documents. After he left the White House, Podesta actually championed the cause of UFO researchers who wanted full disclosure of government UFO files pursuant to the FOIA!

What part of the UFO research community gets through legal channels, often with disappointing results as a result of heavily-redacted declassified pages, another part achieves through computer hacking. In September of this year, two North Carolina men who were part of a hacker group called "Crackas With Attitude" were indicted for hacking into the Verizon personal email accounts of CIA director Brennan and DNI director Clapper. Three other members of the hacker group lived in Britain. A text message sent by one of the indicted North Carolina men reads: "I've been looking for evidence of aliens since Gary." The reference was to Gary McKinnon, the British UFO hacker. While looking for references to aliens in Brennan's emails, one of the hackers claimed he stumbled upon information that showed the CIA had engaged in torture: "I f***ing own this loser [meaning Brennan], I have just released emails of them admitting to torture."

This is a prime example of how UFO hackers, while looking for information on their favorite subject, stumbled across extraneous information that was, nevertheless, of interest. And this is exactly how the hackers who penetrated Podesta's and the other Democrats' email stumbled across other email of interest, in this case email of interest to Julian Assange and WikiLeaks and the Donald Trump campaign. Again, there is not one scrap of evidence of Russian government involvement.

The corporate media is trying to lay blame for the hacking of Podesta's and other Clinton campaign officials' email on Russian President Vladimir Putin. That is because the Democrats do not want to be embarrassed by admitting that the real culprits are hackers who want to know more about Podesta's knowledge of the "little gray aliens." It is the fault of Podesta and Mr. and Mrs. Clinton that they have attracted, with their talk about aliens, every computer hacker and script kiddie on the planet hungry for any morsel held in government and private computers about ET.

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Today the path to total dictatorship in the U.S. can be laid by strictly legal means, unseen and unheard by Congress, the President, or the people.-- Senator William Jenner, 1954 speech

Unaffected by elections. Unaltered by populist movements. Beyond the reach of the law.

Say hello to America's shadow government.

A corporatized, militarized, entrenched bureaucracy that is fully operational and staffed by unelected officials who are, in essence, running the country, this shadow government represents the hidden face of a government that has no respect for the freedom of its citizenry.

No matter which candidate wins the presidential election, this shadow government is here to stay. Indeed, as recent documents by the FBI reveal, this shadow government--also referred to as "The 7th-Floor Group"--may well have played a part in who will win the White House this year.

Composed of unelected government bureaucrats, corporations, contractors, paper-pushers, and button-pushers who are actually calling the shots behind the scenes, this government within a government--also referred to as the Deep State--is the real reason "we the people" have no real control over our government.

The Deep State, which "operates according to its own compass heading regardless of who is formally in power," makes a mockery of elections and the entire concept of a representative government.

So who or what is the Deep State?

It's the militarized police, which have joined forces with state and federal law-enforcement agencies in order to establish themselves as a standing army. It's the fusion centers and spy agencies that have created a surveillance state and turned all of us into suspects. It's the courthouses and prisons that have allowed corporate profits to take precedence over due process and justice. It's the military empire with its private contractors and defense industry that is bankrupting the nation. It's the private sector with its 854,000 contract personnel with top-secret clearances, "a number greater than that of top-secret-cleared civilian employees of the government." It's what former congressional staffer Mike Lofgren refers to as "a hybrid of national security and law-enforcement agencies."

It's every facet of a government that is no longer friendly to freedom and is working overtime to trample the Constitution underfoot and render the citizenry powerless in the face of the government's power grabs, corruption and abusive tactics.

These are the key players that drive the shadow government.

This is the hidden face of the American police state that will continue long past Election Day.

Just consider some of the key programs and policies advanced by the shadow government that will continue no matter who occupies the Oval Office.

Domestic surveillance. No matter who wins the presidential popularity contest, the government will continue to spy on every person in the United States whether they're walking through a store, driving a car, checking email, or talking to friends and family on the phone.

Global spying. The NSA's massive surveillance network, what the Washington Post refers to as a $500 billion "espionage empire," will continue to span the globe and target every single person on the planet who uses a phone or a computer.

Roving TSA searches. The American taxpayer will continue to get ripped off by government agencies such as the TSA in the dubious name of national security.

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This article originally appeared at TomDispatch.com. To receive TomDispatch in your inbox three times a week, click here.

It's rare to hear an author say, "Researching and writing this book has made me want to scream." But perhaps it's not surprising, given the topic of Gary Younge's Another Day in the Death of America: A Chronicle of Ten Short Lives -- the daily, weekly, monthly, yearly death-by-gun of startling numbers of kids in this country -- and the time he spent tracking down the stories of the young Americans who died on a single day in November 2013 in separate incidents nationwide.

After all, these days, the U.S. is a haven and a heaven for guns. It's hard to find another nation on the planet -- except in places like Syria or Afghanistan where whole populations have been thrown into desperate internecine conflicts -- in which guns are so readily available. Between 1968 and 2015, the number of guns in the U.S. essentially doubled to 300 million. Between 2010 and 2013 alone, American arms manufacturers doubled their production of weapons to almost 11 million a year. And those guns have gotten more deadly as well. Military-style assault rifles and semi-automatic handguns are now the weapons of choice for mass killers and "lone wolf" terrorists in this country. In almost all cases those killers got their guns and ammo (often high-capacity magazines capable of holding 15 to 100 rounds) in perfectly legal fashion. And it's getting easier to carry concealed weapons all the time. Missouri, for instance, recently passed a law that allows the carrying of such a weapon without either a permit or training of any sort.

Under the circumstances, no one should be surprised that kids die in remarkable numbers from guns for all kinds of reasons. Believe me, though, that makes it no less shocking when you read Younge's unsettling and moving book. Long a journalist, columnist, and editor for the British Guardian stationed here in the U.S., today he offers us a look at the death toll from guns among our young and the way we Americans generally like to explain that toll to ourselves (or rather how we like to explain it away). Tom

An All-American Slaughter

The Youthful Carnage of America's Gun Culture

By Gary Younge

Every day, on average, seven kids and teens are shot dead in America. Election 2016 will undoubtedly prove consequential in many ways, but lowering that death count won't be one of them. To grapple with fatalities on that scale -- 2,500 dead children annually -- a candidate would need a thoroughgoing plan for dealing with America's gun culture that goes well beyond background checks. In addition, he or she would need to engage with the inequality, segregation, poverty, and lack of mental health resources that add up to the environment in which this level of violence becomes possible. Think of it as the huge pile of dry tinder for which the easy availability of firearms is the combustible spark. In America in 2016, to advocate for anything like the kind of policies that might engage with such issues would instantly render a candidacy implausible, if not inconceivable -- not least with the wealthy folks who now fund elections.

So the kids keep dying and, in the absence of any serious political or legislative attempt to tackle the causes of their deaths, the media and the political class move on to excuses. From claims of bad parenting to lack of personal responsibility, they regularly shift the blame from the societal to the individual level. Only one organized group at present takes the blame for such deaths. The problem, it is suggested, isn't American culture, but gang culture.

Researching my new book, Another Day in the Death of America, about all the children and teens shot dead on a single random Saturday in 2013, it became clear how often the presence of gangs in neighborhoods where so many of these kids die is used as a way to dismiss serious thinking about why this is happening. If a shooting can be described as "gang related," then it can also be discounted as part of the "pathology" of urban life, particularly for people of color. In reality, the main cause, pathologically speaking, is a legislative system that refuses to control the distribution of firearms, making America the only country in the world in which such a book would have been possible.

"Gang Related"

The obsession with whether a shooting is "gang related" and the ignorance the term exposes brings to mind an interview I did 10 years ago with septuagenarian Buford Posey in rural Mississippi. He had lived in Philadelphia, Mississippi, around the time that three civil rights activists -- James Chaney, Andrew Goodman, and Michael Schwerner -- were murdered. As I spoke to him about that era and the people living in that town (some of whom, like him, were still alive), I would bring up a name and he would instantly interject, "Well, he was in the Klan," or "Well, his Daddy was in the Klan," or sometimes he would just say "Klan" and leave it at that.

After a while I had to stop him and ask for confirmation. "Hang on," I said, "I can't just let you say that about these people without some proof or corroboration. How do you know they were in the Klan?"

"Hell," he responded matter-of-factly, "I was in the Klan. Near everybody around here was in the Klan around that time. Being in the Klan was no big deal."

Our allegiances and affiliations are, of course, our choice. Neither Posey nor any of the other white men in Philadelphia had to join the Klan, and clearly some were more enthusiastic participants than others. (Posey himself would go on to support the civil rights movement.)

It's no less true that context shapes such choices. If Posey had grown up in Vermont, it's unlikely that he'd ever have joined the Klan. If a white Vermonter had been born and raised in Mississippi in those years, the likelihood is that he'd have had a pressed white sheet in the closet for special occasions.

At the time, for white men in Philadelphia the Klan was the social mixing place du jour. It was what you did if you had any hope of advancing locally, did not want to be left out of things, or simply preferred to swim with the tide. Since pretty much everyone you knew was involved in one way or another, to be white and live in Philadelphia then was to be, in some way, "Klan related." That doesn't mean being in the Klan should give anyone a pass, but it does mean that if you wanted to understand how it operated, why it had the reach it did, and ultimately how to defeat it rather than just condemn it, you first had to understand its appeal in that moment.

The same is true of gangs today in urban America. On the random day I picked for my book, 10 children and teens died by gun. Not all of their assailants have been caught and probably they never will be. Depending on how you define the term, however, it would be possible to argue that eight of those killings were gang related. Either the assailant or the victim was (or was likely to have been) part of a group that could be called a gang. Only two were clearly not gang related -- either the victim and the shooter were not in a gang or membership in a gang had nothing to do with the shooting. But all 10 deaths did have one clear thing in common: they were all gun-related.
From Sputnik

We really have entered a macabre twilight zone when US-led warplanes are massacring civilians in several countries -- and yet Washington and its allies condemn others for war crimes.



Of course, governments that act criminally cannot be expected to be honest. But what about nominally independent organizations like the United Nations and Western media? The collective deception is damning of systematic complicity.



What makes it more disturbing is that if criminality can be so capriciously covered-up by institutions that are relied upon for law and accountability then the world really is in a dangerous, dark place.

The latest atrocity involved US coalition aircraft reportedly killing 15 women and injuring 50 others when they hit a funeral procession near the northern Iraqi city of Kirkuk on Friday.

American-led coalition warplanes, including from Britain, France, and Turkey, are bombing Iraq, supposedly to help defeat the Islamic State (Daesh) terror group.

Shamefully, the Western news media, which have been blaring allegations of war crimes against Russia over its military operations in Syria, were largely silent on the massacre near Kirkuk.

Only days before that barbarity, there were several other mass atrocities committed by American allies elsewhere in the Middle East.



In Syria, two F-16 fighter jets belonging to NATO member Belgium killed six civilians in the village of Hassadjek, near Aleppo. Within hours of that murderous assault, warplanes from Turkey, another NATO member, were responsible for killing some 150 Syrian civilians in multiple air raids also in Aleppo countryside, according to Syrian state media.

Meanwhile, in Yemen, the US-backed Saudi air bombardment continued its slaughter of innocents despite cynically declaring a non-entity ceasefire earlier in the week. Three farmers were killed in Saudi air strikes in Saada province -- almost a week after American and Saudi warplanes massacred 140 people attending a funeral ceremony in the capital Sanaa. Another grotesque "anti-terror" operation.

Washington and its allies are now openly bombing sovereign countries without any legal mandate. As such, these actions constitute the crime of aggression -- the most grave violation of international law. This is a redux of 1930s fascist banditry by Western states who haughtily pontificate to Russia.



In Syria, the US-led coalition including Britain and France have been carrying out air strikes on that country for over two years, killing hundreds of civilians -- all in the name of "fighting terrorism." Three months ago, in late July, US and French warplanes murdered over 100 civilians, including women and children, in and around the town of Manbij, near Aleppo, in wave after wave of bombings.



Occasionally, the Western news media do give reports on such crimes. But, generally, their duty is to minimize, by describing such incidents as unfortunate "collateral damage," if not to willfully cover-up, as in the latest atrocity near Kirkuk.

Nevertheless, the entire hideous Western charade is gradually being exposed. In Syria, for nearly six years the Arab country has been almost completely destroyed by a US-led covert war for regime change. To achieve this illicit objective, Washington and its NATO and regional allies funded, armed and directed a proxy army of the most vile terror groups.

When Russia and Iran intervened last year to help their Syrian ally against this international criminal conspiracy, the country was brought back from the brink of devastation. The terrorist proxy army supported by Washington, London, Paris, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Qatar, has been routed from hundreds of towns and villages.





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The Global Biochar market is accounted for $3303.8 million in 2015 and is expected to reach $923.56 million by 2022 growing at a CAGR of 15.8%. The increasing government initiatives and stringent government regulations regarding the agriculture productivity had given rise to the market of Biochar. Carbon sequestration property, waste management potential and improved soil fertility & crop yield are some of the factors driving the market. However, financial barriers, technological constraints and lack of consumer awareness are the factors hampering the market.Know More about Report @Batch pyrolysis kiln segment is expected to witness rapid growth owing to high yield coupled with high carbon content and stability. It is one of prominent technology to produce high-quality product. Agriculture segment is accounted for the dominant share of the market due to increasing use of Biochar in the crop yielding process. North America is dominating the world owing to the growth in organic farming, followed by Europe.Some of the key players of the Biochar market include 3R ENVIRO TECH Group , Agri-Tech Producers, ARSTA Eco, Biochar Products, Inc., Biochar Supreme LLC, Blackcarbon, Carbon Gold, Clean Fuels B.V., Cool Planet Energy Systems Inc., Diacarbon Energy Inc. , Earth Systems, Full Circle Biochar, Genesis Industries, Pacific Pyrolysis Pty Ltd. , Phoenix Energy, The Biochar Company and Vega Biofuels, Inc..Technologies Covered: Batch pyrolysis kiln Continuous pyrolysis kiln Gasifier and cookstoveApply for Sample copy Of this report @Manufacturing processes Covered: Fast & Intermediate Pyrolysis Slow Pyrolysis Gasification Other Manufacturing ProcessesWhat our report offers:- Market share assessments for the regional and country level segments- Market share analysis of the top industry players- Strategic recommendations for the new entrants- Market forecasts for a minimum of 7 years of all the mentioned segments, sub segments and the regional markets- Market Trends (Drivers, Constraints, Opportunities, Threats, Challenges, Investment Opportunities, and recommendations)- Strategic recommendations in key business segments based on the market estimationsGet Discount on this report @About Company:With the arsenal of different search reports, we help you here to look and buy research reports that will be helpful to you and your organization. Big Market Research reports have the capability and authenticity to support your organization for growth and consistency.With the window of opportunity getting open and shut at a speed of light, it has become very important to survive in the market and only the fittest and competent enough can do so. So, we try and provide with latest changes in the market that can suit your needs and help you take decision accordingly.Contact Us:5933 NE Win Sivers Drive,#205, Portland, OR 97220United StatesDirect :+ 1-503-894-6022Toll Free : + 1-800-910-6452Email: help@bigmarketresearch.comWeb:
Coronary Stents Market to Register a CAGR of 6.6% by 2026

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Future Market Insights provides an in-depth analysis of the global coronary stents market in a new report titled Coronary Stents Market: Global Industry Analysis and Opportunity Assessment, 2016-2026. Coronary stents is a billion dollars industry that occupies a significant market share in the cardiovascular market. In terms of revenue, the global coronary stents market is estimated to reach a market valuation of US$ 6,002.9 Mn by 2016 end and is expected to register a CAGR of 6.6% during the forecast period. The global coronary stents market is expected to represent incremental opportunity of US$ 5,318.7 Mn between 2016 and 2026.According to Future Market Insights, factors such as an increase in the prevalence of coronary artery disease, obesity, and minimal invasive procedures; and an increasing preference for advanced stenting procedures by cardiologists are some of the factors fuelling the growth of the global coronary stents market. Economic factors such as an increase in awareness campaigns about cardiovascular diseases conducted by government bodies, rapid progress in medical technology, and extended reimbursement support are also expected to boost the growth of the global coronary stents market over the forecast period.Request Free Report Sample@Segmentation highlightsThe global coronary stents market is segmented on the basis of Product Type (Drug Eluting Stent, Bare Metal Stent, Bioresorbable Vascular Stent); Raw Material (Cobalt Chromium, Stainless Steel, Platinum-Chromium, Nickel-Titanium, Polymer); and End Use (Hospitals, Ambulatory Surgical Centres, Cardiac Catheterisation Laboratories).The Drug Eluting Stent product type segment is estimated to be valued at US$ 8,750.2 Mn by 2026. The Bioresorbable Vascular Stent segment is estimated to account for 11.0% revenue share by 2016 endThe Polymer raw material segment is estimated to account for the highest market share of 29.2% by the end of 2016. The Cobalt Chromium segment is expected to register a CAGR of 5.6% during the forecast periodThe Hospitals end use segment is anticipated to account for 70.9% value share of the global coronary stents market by the end of 2016. The Cardiac Catheterisation Laboratories segment is estimated to be valued at US$ 2,526.8 Mn by the end of 2026, registering a CAGR of 8.0% over the forecast periodRegional projectionsThe global coronary stents market is segmented on the basis of region into North America, Latin America, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, APEJ, MEA, and Japan. The APEJ market is estimated to be valued at US$ 4,165.2 Mn by 2026, exhibiting a CAGR of 8% during the forecast period. The North America coronary stents market is expected to dominate the global coronary stents market in terms of revenue by 2016 end and is likely to retain its dominance throughout the forecast period. The coronary stents market in North America is estimated to account for 29.2% market share of the global coronary stents market by 2016 end. The North America region is likely to be the second most attractive market with an attractiveness index of 2.5 during the forecast period. The markets in North America, Western Europe, and APEJ represent the highest growth opportunities in the global coronary stents market owing to a large patient population and an increasing demand for coronary stents in these regions.Send An Enquiry@Vendor insightsThe global coronary stents market report profiles some of the top companies operating in the market. Leading market players featured in the report include Terumo Corporation, Boston Scientific Corporation, Medtronic, Vascular Concepts, B. Braun Melsungen AG, Biotronik SE & Co. KG, Abbott Laboratories, Biosensors International Group, Ltd., Hexacath, and Stentys SA. Key market players are focussing on increasing their footprints in emerging markets such as Asia Pacific and are expanding their manufacturing facilities and distribution network to gain a larger share of the global coronary stents market.ABOUT US:Future Market Insights (FMI) is a leading market intelligence and consulting firm. We deliver syndicated research reports, custom research reports and consulting services, which are personalized in nature. FMI delivers a complete packaged solution, which combines current market intelligence, statistical anecdotes, technology inputs, valuable growth insights, an aerial view of the competitive framework, and future market trends.CONTACT:616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comPress@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite:
China Shiitake Market 2016-2021 : Shanghai Xuerong, Hubei Yandi

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The shiitake (Lentinula edodes) is an edible mushroom native to East Asia, which is cultivated and consumed in many Asian countries. It is considered a medicinal mushroom in some forms of traditional medicine.Request for sample report atThis report provides detailed analysis of worldwide markets for Shiitake from 2011-2015 and provides extensive market forecasts 2016-2021 by region/country and subsectors. It covers the key technological and market trends in the Shiitake market and further lays out an analysis of the factors influencing the supply/demand for Shiitake, and the opportunities/challenges faced by industry participants. It also acts as an essential tool to companies active across the value chain and to the new entrants by enabling them to capitalize the opportunities and develop business strategies.China Shiitake Market Outlook 2016-2021, has been prepared based on the synthesis, analysis, and interpretation of information about the global Shiitake market collected from specialized sources. The report covers key technological developments in the recent times and profiles leading players in the market and analyzes their key strategies.Access full report atThe competitive landscape section of the report provides a clear insight into the market share analysis of key industry players. The major players in the global Shiitake market are Shanghai Xuerong, Hubei Yandi, among others.The report provides separate comprehensive analytics for the North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Middle East and Africa and Rest of World. In this sector, global competitive landscape and supply/demand pattern of Shiitake industry has been provided.Fior Markets is a leading market intelligence company that sells reports of top publishers in the technology industry.Our extensive research reports cover detailed market assessments that include major technological improvements in the industry. Fior Markets also specializes in analyzing hi-tech systems and current processing systems in its expertise.Contact UsMark StoneSales ManagerPhone: (201) 465-4211Email: sales@fiormarkets.comWeb:Blog:
China Hypsizygus Marmoreus Market 2016-2021 : Shanghai Xuerong, Shanghai Finc, Starway, Shanghai Esunyes

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Hypsizygus tessellatus or buna shimeji is an edible mushroom native to East Asia. It is cultivated locally in temperate climates in Europe, North America and Australia and sold fresh in super markets. In nature, shimeji are gilled mushrooms that grow on wood. Most often the mushroom is found on beech trees, hence the common name, Beech Mushroom. They are often small and thin in appearance and popular in many nations across the world.Request for sample report atThis report provides detailed analysis of worldwide markets for Hypsizygus Marmoreus from 2011-2015 and provides extensive market forecasts 2016-2021 by region/country and subsectors. It covers the key technological and market trends in the Hypsizygus Marmoreus market and further lays out an analysis of the factors influencing the supply/demand for Hypsizygus Marmoreus, and the opportunities/challenges faced by industry participants. It also acts as an essential tool to companies active across the value chain and to the new entrants by enabling them to capitalize the opportunities and develop business strategies.China Hypsizygus Marmoreus Market Outlook 2016-2021, has been prepared based on the synthesis, analysis, and interpretation of information about the global Hypsizygus Marmoreus market collected from specialized sources. The report covers key technological developments in the recent times and profiles leading players in the market and analyzes their key strategies.Access full report atThe competitive landscape section of the report provides a clear insight into the market share analysis of key industry players. The major players in the global Hypsizygus Marmoreus market are Shanghai Xuerong, Shanghai Finc, Starway, Shanghai Esunyes, among others.The report provides separate comprehensive analytics for the North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Middle East and Africa and Rest of World. In this sector, global competitive landscape and supply/demand pattern of Hypsizygus Marmoreus industry has been provided.Fior Markets is a leading market intelligence company that sells reports of top publishers in the technology industry.Our extensive research reports cover detailed market assessments that include major technological improvements in the industry. Fior Markets also specializes in analyzing hi-tech systems and current processing systems in its expertise.Contact UsMark StoneSales ManagerPhone: (201) 465-4211Email: sales@fiormarkets.comWeb:Blog:
Current and Projected Respiratory Devices Market size in terms of volume and value 2014-2020

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Cyber security is related to information technology security, which focuses on protecting networks, computers programs and data from unauthorized access. Defense and military, government, financial institutions and corporation etc. collect and store confidential information on computers and transfer that data across networks. In order to protect this data and information from cyber attack cyber security becomes necessary. Increasing threats such computer intrusion (hacking), virus deployment and denial of services are increasing the demand for cyber security solutions and services. The governments of various countries such as U.S., Canada, Germany and China etc. are increasing their investment in cyber security due to expansion in computer interconnectivity and dramatic in computing power of government network.The cyber security market report contains the global scenario of this market discussing detailed overview and market figures. The research report analyses the industry growth rate, industry capacity, and industry structure. The report analyses the historical data and forecasts the cyber security market size along with key factors driving and restraining the market growth.Request Free Report Sample@The Cyber security market can be segmented into four major types into security, services, solutions and applications. The Cyber security market is segmented on the basis of types of security which includes six major categories namely network security, application security, endpoint security, cloud security, content security and wireless security. The services segment includes consulting services, risk assessment services, designing and integration services and training services. On the basis of solutions, ten major categories namely risk and compliance management, identity and access management, data loss protection, firewall, IDS, Unified threat management, encryption, antimalware and antivirus, web filtering and others (security and vulnerability management, DDOS mitigation and disaster recovery). The cyber security market can be segmented on the basis of applications into six categories namely defense and military, BFSI (banking, financial services and insurance), public utilities, healthcare, telecom and IT and others (retail and manufacturing). The market can also be segmented geographically into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific and Rest of the World (Latin America, Middle East and Africa).The cyber security market across the globe is a multi billion market and is expected to show a substantial growth in CAGR, from 2013 to 2019. There is a significant increase in the cyber security market because cyber security solutions increase cyber speed and offers number of options to save data.The key drivers of this market include Government regulation on data privacy, increasing cyber threats and increasing number of data centers, which are the biggest revenue generators for Cyber Security Market. The key restraints to this market are lack of awareness and availability of pirated security software.Visit For TOC@Some of the key players in the Cyber Security Market are IBM International, Booz Allen Hamilton, Cisco, Lockheed Martin, McAfee, CA Technologies, Northrop Grumman, Trend Micro, Symantec and SOPHOS among others.Cyber security market offers various benefits such as improved security of cyberspaces, increased cyber-defense and faster response time to national crisis. These benefits of cyber security market automatically increase value of service to the end-users.About Us:Future Market Insights is the premier provider of market intelligence and consulting services, serving clients in over 150 countries. FMI is headquartered in London, the global financial capital, and has delivery centres in the U.S. and India.Contact Us:Future Market Insights616 Corporate Way,Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage,New York 10989,United StatesTel: +1-347-918-3531Fax: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comPress: press@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite:
Eyewear Market Revenue, Opportunity, Forecast and Value Chain 2015-2025

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Eyewear Market OverviewEyewear is anything which one wears to protect the eyes or to correct the vision. It could be of different types depending on the quality, size, material, and frame. The demand for eyewear is increasing globally. People are becoming more aware and have realized the importance of regular eye checkup/examination. As a result, demand for corrective eyewear, such as contact lenses and spectacles is increasing. Also, a number of people wear it just to make a fashion statement or because it looks good on them.Eyewear Market SegmentationThe global eyewear market can be segmented into spectacles, contact lenses and sunglasses. Spectacles, which includes frames as well as lenses, are the preferred choice for visual inaccuracies such as hyperopia and myopia. Frames cost significantly more than the lenses, but their replacement rate is lesser. Frames can be made of different materials like nylon, plastic, metal, etc. Contact lenses can be of two types, soft contact lenses: which are easily adaptable to the eyes, and rigid gas permeable lenses: which is mainly used for correcting astigmatism.Request Free Report Sample@Contact lenses are also used for cosmetic purposes or to look glamorous (example colored contact lenses). Great care should be taken while wearing lenses and they should be changed when required, or else it can lead to a condition known as contact lens-induced acute red eye (CLARE).Globally, the demand for eyewear market is robust in North America. Europe and Asia Pacific are the other dominant regions for the eyewear market. It is anticipated that the eyewear market will witness steady growth in these regions in the future as well.Eyewear Market DynamicsThe growth is expected to be driven by lifestyle changes due to growing urbanization, acceptance of eyewear products, high number of individuals using corrective eyewear, increased usage of silicon hydrogel, and growing ageing population. The growth of the industry can be hindered by price differentiation between branded and unbranded frames, sale of illegal novelty contact lenses, and the challenging local conditions in various countries.Visit For TOC@Eyewear Market: Key PlayersMajor players in the industry are Carl Zeiss AG, Essilor, Luxottica, Safilo Group, Acuvue, and Crizal. Distribution channels include retail chains, independent stores, drugstores, mass merchandisers as well as specialty stores. Notable retail stores include Sunglass Hut, Oliver Peoples, Sun Planet and Sunglass Icon.About Us:Future Market Insights is the premier provider of market intelligence and consulting services, serving clients in over 150 countries. FMI is headquartered in London, the global financial capital, and has delivery centres in the U.S. and India.Contact Us:Future Market Insights616 Corporate Way,Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage,New York 10989,United StatesTel: +1-347-918-3531Fax: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comPress: press@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite:
Halal Pharmaceuticals Market Revenue, Opportunity, Forecast and Value Chain 2016-2026

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Halal pharmaceuticals are those medicines that stringently adhere to Shariah law. More specifically, halal pharmaceuticals refer to medicines that should not contain any parts of animals (dogs, pigs and ones particularly with pointed teeth), insects (bees), alcohol and other substances prohibited as haram under the Shariah law. Competent religious local regulatory bodies in countries generally provide a better segregation regarding the classification of drugs as halal or haram (unlawful) across the world. Halal pharmaceuticals are subject to normal pre-marketing and post-marketing controls by the relevant national pharmaceutical regulators such as the National Pharmaceutical Control Bureau in case of Malaysia. Halal medicines market has vast potential globally in terms of revenue generation supported by growing demand for faith-compliant medicines from an expanding Muslim population. Drugs approved by halal drug certifiying agencies such as Lembaga Pengkajian Pangan Obatobatan dan Kosmetika Majelis Ulama Indonesia (LPPOM MUI) of Indonesia and Jabatan Kemajuan Islam Malaysia are expected to witness rising consumption globally. Currently, halal medicines are estimated to have contributed close to one-third of the total revenue from the global halal market, posing an extremely attractive opportunity for Shariah compliant drugs. This is supported by the fact that demand outstrips supply of halal medicines by a significant margin, creating potential for future economic value added in the industry.Halal Pharmaceuticals Market: Drivers and RestraintsDrivers of the halal pharmaceuticals market include a growing Muslim population. Given that Muslims have been estimated to account for close to 25% of the global population in 2015~1.6 billion people (PewResearch)  the annual growth rate of the Muslim population has been estimated to be ~1.6%, which is higher than the growth rate of the world population (1.1% per annum). Increasing awareness among Muslims regarding wellness and medicines is propagating mainly through increased education. This is another prime factor contributing to growth of the halal medicine market. Other socio-economic factors driving the need and uptake of halal medicines include rising purchasing power parity, increasing access to critical medicines in resource-constrained nations supported by public organizations such as World Health Organization, safety of consumption, assurance of product efficacy and hygienic processing among others. Increasing need to get medicines certified from an approved regulatory body is driving regulatory convergence in the halal medicines market among countries such as Malaysia, Indonesia and Brunei, Turkey, France and others.Request Free Report Sample@Key restraints include lack of adequate infrastructure in non-Islamic countries to avoid cross-contamination between halal and non-halal production lines, and lack of sufficient halal advisory and certification agencies to approve medical products. Other restraints include dearth of sufficient R&D for halal medicines globally and omission of critical medicine classes such as vaccines and biologics as they do not comply with Shariah norms. Ban on use of forbidden components such as porcine excipients also limit the number of drugs that can be produced. Industry experts have noted that formation of a proper, well-regulated and harmonized accreditation and halal management system could serve a long way in raising demand for halal medicines.Halal Pharmaceuticals Market: SegmentationHalal pharmaceuticals market can be segmented as indicated below:Segmentation by drug classesRespiratory drugsCardiovascular drugsEndocrine drugsPain medicationsAllergies (cough &cold)OthersSegmentation by product typeTabletsSyrupsCapsulesOthersSegmentation by source materialPlant and plant derivativesAnimals (compliant under religious laws)Synthetic and semi-synthetic sourcesRecombinant DNASegmentation by regionsHalal Pharmaceuticals Market: OverviewUptake of Halal medicines is gaining major traction globally, primarily due to two reasons. Firstly, these medicines are fully compliant with faith and so are readily acceptable under religious laws. Secondly, these medicines are very well assessed for quality and certification before being released into the market and are mostly made using herbal and synthetic materials. The market for halal pharmaceuticals is expected to register a significant CAGR as well as annual growth rates over the forecast period. Regulatory harmonization and regional regulatory convergence is expected to emerge as the key market trends in the near future.Halal Pharmaceuticals Market: Region-wise OutlookOn the basis of geographic regions, halal drug market is segmented into seven key regions: North America, South America, Eastern Europe, Western Europe, Asia Pacific, Japan and Middle East & Africa.In terms of geography, Asia Pacific region is the main region exhibiting development and uptake of halal medicines, particularly in countries such as Malaysia, Indonesia and Brunei. However, R&D activities related to halal medicines are gaining traction in the European and North American regions. Discussion on formation of halal medicine certification agencies and guidelines are key features found in the traditionally pharmaceutically developed markets. Companies producing halal medicines are expected to enter Saudi Arabia, Malaysia, Turkey, Iran, Qatar, Russia, France, Libya, Algeria and Singapore as well as the UAE to cater to the high demand base for better revenue generation, either through distributor route or via tie-ups with established players.Visit For TOC@Halal Pharmaceuticals Market: Key PlayersSome key accredited players in the halal medicine market include Chemical Company of Malaysia Berhad (CCM Pharmaceuticals Sdn Bhd), Pharmaniaga Bhd, Simpor Pharma Sdn Bhd, EMBIL Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd, Nutramedica Incorporated, etc. among others.About Us  Future Market Insights is the premier provider of market intelligence and consulting services, serving clients in over 150 countries. FMI is headquartered in London, the global financial capital, and has delivery centers in the U.S. and India.Contact Us:Future Market Insights616 Corporate Way,Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage,New York 10989,United StatesTel: +1-347-918-3531Fax: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite:
Robotic Vision Market Expected to Expand at a Steady CAGR through 2026

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Robotic vision comprises of vision algorithm, calibration, temperature software & cameras that are used to identify and determine the position of all the objects in robot workplace. Apart from identification and navigation, robotic vision also facilitate robots to analyse, interpret, extract and characterize the image information and to make description accordingly. Robotic vision technology provides several benefits including improvement in quality, reliability, safety and productivity. Performance of robotic vision depends on the effective communication between robot system & application and control over the environment.Robotic Vision Market: Drivers and RestraintIntelligent homes are specifically designed for the ageing population, where robots are capable to assists the elderly people in day-to-day tasks. The demand for intelligent homes is continuously increasing, as the ageing population is growing with significant rate across the globe. Increase in demand for intelligent homes, government regulations about sanitation in food processing industry and rising need of precise, safe and reliable vision guided robots in different verticals are major driving factors of the robotic vision market.Request Free Report Sample@However, high initial investment and lack of global standards for robotic implementation are some of the major challenges for the robot vision market.Robotic Vision Market: SegmentationRobotic Vision market can be classified on the basis of component, application and type.On the basis of component, the market can be bifurcated into hardware and software. Hardware segment consists of camera, sensors, lightning, and optics. Camera, sensors, lightning and optics incorporate with each other in order to facilitate the collapsible free movement of robot in environment. Camera, lightning and optics are used to capture the images while sensors allows obstacle free movement of robots. Software segment is composed of object tracking and image processing software.Robotic vision has high demand in wide range of industries including food processing, automotive and aerospace for several applications. On the basis of applications, the robotic vision market is segmented into inspection & testing, material handling, manufacturing, assembling and packaging. Manufacturing and packaging are the dominating segments in the category, as the governments across the major countries maintain stringent sanitation standards in food processing & packaging industry.On the basis of type, the market can be categorised in to 3D and 2D. 3D vision is more precise and capable of providing accurate dimensional data of an object. Currently, 3D robotic vision systems are more expensive than 2D and restricted for specialised operations.Segmentation on basis of Region:Robotic Vision Market is segmented into 7 key regions- North America, Latin America, Eastern Europe, Western Europe, Asia Pacific excluding Japan, Japan and Middle East & Africa.Robotic Vision Market: Region-wise OutlookNorth America was the largest market of robotic vision in terms of consumption in 2015. US was the leading market in the region, as there was significant growth in rate of deployment of reliable and precise vision guided robot systems in food and manufacturing industries in 2015.By the end of year 2015, Asia Pacific was the fastest growing market for robotic vision, due to significant growth in demand for industrial robots in manufacturing and automotive industries in the region. China, South Korea and Japan were the leading regional markets in Asia Pacific.Visit For TOC@Robot vision market in Europe is driven by the metal, automotive and food & beverage industry. Germany was the largest market in the region in terms of volume consumption in 2015.Robotic Vision Market: Key PlayersOmron Adept Technologies, Inc (US),? ComauS.p.A.(Italy), MVTec Software GmbH (Germany), Matrox Electronic Systems Ltd. (Canada), ABB Ltd (Switzerland), Point Grey Research, Inc. (US),Cognex Corporation (US), Matrox Electronics Systems Ltd (Canada), Keyence Corporation (Japan), IVISYS (Sweden).About Us  Future Market Insights is the premier provider of market intelligence and consulting services, serving clients in over 150 countries. FMI is headquartered in London, the global financial capital, and has delivery centers in the U.S. and India.Contact Us:Future Market Insights616 Corporate Way,Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage,New York 10989,United StatesTel: +1-347-918-3531Fax: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite:
Nazi psychology in Austria

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The history of academic psychology after the "Anschluss", the annexation of Austria by Germany in 1938, and its role as a discipline used in National Socialist policies is being examined systematically for the first time in a research project supported by the Austrian Science Fund FWF."It is a sad fact, says psychologist Gerhard Benetka from the Sigmund Freud University Vienna "that applied psychology flourished during the National Socialist era  and the history of Austrian psychology after the "Anschluss" in 1938 has not yet been systematically documented." Benetka identifies the main reason for this as the fact that psychology is still trying to present itself as a victim of National Socialist science policy. This is justified in part: for example, almost the entire Psychological Institute of Vienna established by Karl and Charlotte Buhler was forced to emigrate. What tends to be forgotten, however, is that psychology was used for a variety of applications outside the university during the National Socialist period. As part of a recently launched project supported by the Austrian Science Fund FWF, Benetka is carrying out a comprehensive examination of this patchily researched period in the history of Austrian psychology.Practical psychologyThe focus of the project is on the links between National Socialist policies and developments within the discipline of psychology. Preliminary research has shown that psychologists willingly put their expertise at the service of the regime's racial and war policies, e.g. in the selection of German army officers, in the testing of the suitability of prisoners of war for working in the munitions industry and, in the context of welfare and health policy, in the classification of children and young people as "aufwandunwurdig" ("unworthy of expenditure"). "The full extent of this practical application of psychological knowledge is still unknown, says Benetka. "In the German army alone, around 450 psychologist positions were created in 1942. Because there were too few psychologists available, some of the positions had to be filled by teachers, for example."Crimes against humanityThe project is dedicated above all to the role of psychology in the context of National Socialism's crimes against humanity. The use of psychological testing in the area of "child euthanasia" is of particularly importance here.Thanks to the availability of new archive material, it is now possible to examine the prevalence of psychological testing in general: for example, the Buhler-Hetzer test  a diagnostic procedure for testing the children's development from infancy to pre-school age  was created at the Department of Psychology at the University of Vienna during the war and operated from there. The organisations that purchased the test can be identified from the institute's accounts. The main customer was the National Socialist People's Welfare service (NSV): "The NSV began to establish a kind of elite welfare system: services and payments should only benefit those who had been classified as worthy of support on the basis of their racial and genetic origins and their psychological development, explains Benetka.Psychologists of the periodThe research study also focuses on the career strategies of the historical actors. As was the case in other disciplines, a variety of political stances and attitudes existed among the university-based representatives of psychology: from convinced Nazis and opportunists, who adapted their levels political activism to different situations, to professors who were known as open opponents of the regime. The case of Hubert Rohracher, for example, is interesting: "It appears that the army expected his EEG tests to yield results that would make an important contribution to the war effort, says Benetka. "His appointment as professor at the University of Vienna shows that in a context of 'total war', the prospect of research results that could be used for military purposes outweighed the reservations about the professor's ideological reliability." In late autumn 1940 Rohracher was due to be handed over to a concentration camp on account of his anti-Nazi views. He evaded the Gestapo, however, by volunteering for service at the front. Just two years later he was appointed professor of one of the most important institutes of psychology in the German-speaking world and his research was subsidised by the state.New archive sourcesDocuments of the German Research Foundation (Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft DFG), the National Socialist People's Welfare service (Nationalsozialistische Volkswohlfahrt NSV) and material from the National Archives and Records Administration in Washington, USA, are being consulted for the first time for this project. Background information will also be provided by interviews with contemporary witnesses. The results of the FWF project will be made available to both specialist and general audiences for the first time through publication in book form.FWF Austrian Science FundThe Austrian Science Fund (FWF) is Austria's central funding organization for basic research.The purpose of the FWF is to support the ongoing development of Austrian science and basic research at a high international level. In this way, the FWF makes a significant contribution to cultural development, to the advancement of our knowledge-based society, and thus to the creation of value and wealth in Austria.Scientific Contact:Prof. Gerhard BenetkaSigmund Freud University ViennaFaculty of PsychologyCampus Prater, Freudplatz 11020 Vienna, AustriaT +43 / 1 / 798 40 98 - 517E gerhard.benetka@sfu.ac.atAustrian Science Fund FWF:Marc SeumenichtHaus der ForschungSensengasse 11090 Vienna, AustriaT +43 / 1 / 505 67 40 - 8111E marc.seumenicht@fwf.ac.atCopy Editing & Distribution:PR&D  Public Relations for Research & EducationMariannengasse 81090 Vienna, AustriaT +43 / 1 / 505 70 44E contact@prd.at
Data Center Construction Market in Latin America 2016-2020: Industry to grow at a CAGR of 14.77% during Forecast

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Albany, NY, Oct 24: Data centers are used to house enterprise IT infrastructure. They are the backbone of essential business operations. The demand for cloud-based services and the growth of the Internet of Things (IoT) are prompting enterprises in Latin America to construct data centers to gain a competitive edge. Complexities associated with business applications have increased because of enormous growth in data volumes, triggering an increased need for the construction and renovation of data centers. In addition, enterprises in Latin America are focusing on the construction of green data center facilities to reduce power consumption and carbon dioxide emissions.The construction of a data center encompasses design, architecture, installation of electrical and mechanical systems, and incorporation of security mechanisms. Infrastructure certifications play a vital role in the building of data center facilities.The data center construction market in Latin America to grow at a CAGR of 14.77% during the period 2016-2020. The report covers the present scenario and the growth prospects of the data center construction market in Latin America for 2015-2020. To calculate the market size, the report considers the revenue generated from new data center construction and renovation of data centers.Get a Sample Research PDF with TOC:The market is divided into the following segments based on construction type:- Electrical construction- Mechanical construction- General constructionTechnavio's report, Data Center Construction Market in Latin America 2016-2020, has been prepared based on an in-depth market analysis with inputs from industry experts. The report covers the market landscape and its growth prospects over the coming years. The report also includes a discussion of the key vendors operating in this market.Key vendors- Aceco TI- AECOM- Analgica- Constructora Sudamericana- Turner ConstructionOther prominent vendors- Fluor- Jacobs Engineering- Holder Construction- Mortenson ConstructionMarket driver- Growing adoption of cloud-based services- For a full, detailed list, view our reportEnquiry at:Key questions answered in this report- What will the market size be in 2020 and what will the growth rate be?- What are the key market trends?- What is driving this market?- What are the challenges to market growth?- Who are the key vendors in this market space?- What are the market opportunities and threats faced by the key vendors?- What are the strengths and weaknesses of the key vendors?ResearchMoz is the worlds fastest growing collection of market research reports worldwide. Our database is composed of current market studies from over 100 featured publishers worldwide. Our market research databases integrate statistics with analysis from global, regional, country and company perspectives. ResearchMozs service portfolio also includes value-added services such as market research customization, competitive landscaping, and in-depth surveys, delivered by a team of experienced Research Coordinators.Albany NY - 12207United StatesTel: +1-518-621-2074Tel: 866-997-4948 (Us-Canada Toll Free)Email: sales@researchmoz.usFollow us on LinkedIn at:
Latin America Industrial Refrigeration Equipment Market Gains Impetus from Mounting Industrialization, to reach US$668.3 mn by 2019

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The increased demand for refrigerated food products in Latin America is escalating the business for industrial refrigeration equipment in the region. Additionally, due to changing lifestyles and shift in food consumption trends among the Latin American population, the market for frozen food is witnessing tremendous growth, which is adding to the development of the refrigeration equipment market in the region, states the report.According to the report, the industrial refrigeration equipment market in Latin America is analyzed on three fronts: products, applications, and the numerous regional segments of the global market.Based on products, the industrial refrigeration equipment market in Latin America is classified into the markets for thermal panels, refrigeration systems, coils and condensers, and support products, wherein the market for refrigeration systems captured the leading position among all the product segments, accounting for 28.9% of the overall revenue generated by the market in 2012.PDF Sample For Latest Advancements with Technological breakthroughs is @By application, the Latin American market is categorized into the markets for food production and processing, chemicals and pharmaceuticals, beverage production, petrochemicals, logistics, and energy. In 2012, the market was led by the food production and processing market and the food production and processing market along with the market for beverage production collectively help 45.1% of overall revenue generated in the market.The report discusses the regional distribution of the market for industrial refrigeration equipment market in Latin America in detail. The market in Brazil has occupied the leading position among all the regional markets in Latin America and is likely to maintain its dominance over the forecast period. The rapid growth in the Brazilian beverage industry has stimulated the expansion of beverage firms in the region, resulting in high demand for industrial refrigeration equipment for storage purpose.Apart from this, the market in Mexico is projected to report a faster growth rate compared to the markets in Southern and Central America over the forecast period. In 2012, the markets in Mexico and Brazil collectively contributed 54.6% of overall revenue generated in the industrial refrigeration equipment market in Latin America.Market Insight can be Viewed @The report also analyzes the company profiles of the major players participating in the industrial refrigeration equipment market in Latin America, such as Lennox International, Johnson Controls Inc., Corval Group, Inc., Ingersoll-Rand Company Ltd., GEA Group AG, Yantai Moon Co. Ltd., Daikin Industries, Ltd., Mayekawa Mfg. Co., Ltd., BITZER Kuhlmaschinenbau GmbH, Industrial Frigo srl, Danfoss Group, Carrier Corporation, Vilter Manufacturing, and DE RIGO Refrigeration srl. The market is identified as a concentrated market, where the top four market participants occupy almost 56% of the overall industryTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a global market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of Analysts, Researchers, and Consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.Transparency Market Research90 Sate Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Global Release Paper Market 2016 - Ahlstrom, Munksjo Group, Fedrigoni Group, Cham Paper, Mondi, Glatfelter, Sappi, 3M, Loparex, DNP, Asahi Roll, LINTEC, Koan Hao, DM, Lucky Film

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A release liner is a paper or plastic-based film sheet (usually applied during the manufacturing process) used to prevent a sticky surface from prematurely adhering. It is coated on one or both sides with a release agent, which provides a release effect against any type of a sticky material such as an adhesive or a mastic. Release liners are available in different colors, with or without printing under the low surface energy coating or on the backside of the liner. Release is separation of the liner from a sticky material; liner is the carrier for the release agent.Request for sample report atThis report provides detailed analysis of worldwide markets for Release Paper from 2011-2015 and provides extensive market forecasts 2016-2021 by region/country and subsectors. It covers the key technological and market trends in the Release Paper market and further lays out an analysis of the factors influencing the supply/demand for Release Paper, and the opportunities/challenges faced by industry participants. It also acts as an essential tool to companies active across the value chain and to the new entrants by enabling them to capitalize the opportunities and develop business strategies.Global Release Paper Market Outlook 2016-2021, has been prepared based on the synthesis, analysis, and interpretation of information about the global Release Paper market collected from specialized sources. The report covers key technological developments in the recent times and profiles leading players in the market and analyzes their key strategies.Access full report atThe competitive landscape section of the report provides a clear insight into the market share analysis of key industry players. The major players in the global Release Paper market are Ahlstrom (Finland), Munksjo Group (Sweden), Fedrigoni Group (Italy), Cham Paper (Switzerland), Mondi (South Africa), Glatfelter (USA), Sappi (USA), 3M (USA), Loparex (USA), DNP (Japan), Asahi Roll (Japan), LINTEC (Japan), Koan Hao (Taiwan), DM (China), Lucky Film (China), Zhejiang Karen (China), Zhongshan Shengqiang (China), Dongxin Composite Materials (China), among others.The report provides separate comprehensive analytics for the North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Middle East and Africa and Rest of World. In this sector, global competitive landscape and supply/demand pattern of Release Paper industry has been provided.Fior Markets is a leading market intelligence company that sells reports of top publishers in the technology industry.Our extensive research reports cover detailed market assessments that include major technological improvements in the industry. Fior Markets also specializes in analyzing hi-tech systems and current processing systems in its expertise.Contact UsMark StoneSales ManagerPhone: (201) 465-4211Email: sales@fiormarkets.comWeb:Blog:
Lithium Iron Phosphate Battery Market - Better power density and longer lifetimes and safety

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The lithium iron phosphate battery (LFP) battery refers to rechargeable lithium-ion battery which uses LiFePO as a cathode material. The energy density in LiFePO batteries are lower as compared to that of have common LiCoO design available in consumer electronic. However, better power density and longer lifetimes and safety are some of the benefits associated with these batteries.. Lithium Iron Phosphate, also known as LFP has various features such as long cycle life, high safety and high temperature resistance. Lithium iron phosphate batteries find application in power tools, electric vehicles, energy storage devices and electric bicycles among others. But as of now, the main use of Lithium Iron Phosphate battery is its use power batteries for electric vehicles.The Lithium Iron Phosphate battery market is expected to grow as a result of various factors such as the ever increasing population due to which there has been a significant depletion of fossil fuel reserves. This has led to a shift in the focus on the part of various countries towards have renewable power generation. Therefore, as a result of increasing focus towards renewable energy to address the serious concern of climate change and also improving upon the energy conservation is expected to contribute to the growth of the Lithium Iron Phosphate battery market during the forecast period. Moreover, there has also been a growing focus towards the integration of renewable energy resources with power grid networks which in turn is fuelling the growth of the market. These hybrid power systems and power grids use lithium iron phosphate batteries as a backup.PDF Sample For Technological breakthroughs is @As per trends it has been observed that the various manufacturers of Lithium Iron Phosphate batteries are continuously engaged in research and development activities. The market requires extensive investments and return on investment is a time taking process. This has resulted in the manufacturers to be heavily dependent on government funding in order to expand their their facilities. Moreover, as a result of favorable government policies in countries such as Japan, South Korea and China among others is helping the market to flourish. The government in these countries are in support of green and eco-friendly technologies, which is bound to result in many manufacturers to enter the market and develop their own manufacturing units. Currently, the Lithium Iron Phosphate battery market is highly competitive and product quality, brand recognition, durability, reliability, pricing and energy density are of prime importance for the manufacturers in order to stay afloat in the competition. Furthermore, manufacturers offering better quality products at a competitive price are expected to prefer.The lithium iron phosphate battery (LFP) battery on the basis of application can be segmented into; EVs and HEVs (electric vehicles and hybrid electric vehicle), Renewable power and Consumer electronics. The EVs and HEVs is expected to dominate the market in terms of revenue. Unconventional energy storage systems that have the capability to enhance the performance and vehicle efficiency are an important area of focus for the EV manufacturers. As a result of long cycle time and high energy density, lithium iron phosphate batteries are expected to be the most preferred choice as far as alternative energy storage systems are concerned. Therefore, the growth in the demand for EVs in countries such as China is expected to fuel the demand for lithium iron phosphate battery (LFP) batteries.Geographically, the lithium iron phosphate battery (LFP) battery market can be segmented into five regions, namely, North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa and Latin America.Some of the key players operating in the lithium iron phosphate battery (LFP) battery market are BYD, A123, Electrical Vehicle Power System Technology, OptimumNano Energy, K2Energy, Pihsiang Energy Technology and Victory Battery Technology among others.Transparency Market Research (TMR) is a global market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of Analysts, Researchers, and Consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.Transparency Market Research90 Sate Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Global Vertical Packaging Machines Market: Need for Cost-effective and Time-saving Packaging to Boost Adoption

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The global vertical packaging machines market is driven by the high speed of uninterrupted packaging, provided at a low cost by these machines, states a new report by Transparency Market Research (TMR). The report is titled, Vertical Packaging Machines Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast 2016 - 2024. According to the report, the market is estimated to witness a steady CAGR from 2016 to 2024. The report is a comprehensive analysis of macro-economic indicators, trends, opportunities, and other factors governing the global vertical packaging machines market. It discusses the performance of the market and its key segments. The study also assesses the potential of geographical areas likely to exhibit promising growth.Interpret a Competitive outlook Analysis Report with PDF Brochure:Vertical packaging machines assist in enhancing the safety of the contents and increasing product shelf life. These machines can efficiently and effectively pack a wide range of products such as coffee, tortellini, and fresh and frozen vegetables. This is one of the key drivers of the market. Moreover, products packed with vertical packaging machines have an attractive presentation.High labor costs make manual packaging unfeasible for end-user industries, creating a need for vertical packaging machines. These packaging machines make use of inert gas in place of air, thus combating oxidation and resulting in extended life of the product. Another important feature of these machines that is driving their demand is the flexibility to allow printer and labelers to be added separately or in combination, thus producing packaged products faster than those by traditional packaging machines. On the other hand, one of the constraints with vertical packaging machines is that they can only produce pillow style pouches with a seam running the length of the pouch.The report segments the global vertical packaging machines market on the basis of product type, application, geography, and end-user industry. On the basis of application, the market is segmented into solid, liquid, and powder. On the basis of end-use, the report segments the global vertical packaging machines market into consumer products, pharmaceuticals, and food and beverages. By product, the market is segmented into 3-side sealed and 4-side sealed vertical packaging machines. By geography, the report segments the market into Latin America, North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific and the Middle East & Africa.Key manufacturers in the global vertical packaging machines market have been profiled in the report. They are: Pro Mach, Tecnicas Mecanicas Ilerdenses, IMANPACK Packaging & Eco Solutions S.p.a., Robert Bosch GmbH, Kizui Packaging Machinery Co. & Boecker, Ishida Europe Limited, Jornen Machinery Co., Ltd., Premier Tech Chronos, and TMI.About TMRTMR is a global market intelligence company providing business information reports and services. The companys exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trend analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.Contact TMR90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
E-Beam Wafer Inspection System Market by Application - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast 2016 - 2024

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Electron beam wafer inspection system is a semiconductor fabrication device, which is primarily used during the process of semiconductor wafer manufacturing. The primary application of the system is to locate a fault in the wafers before packaging it. With the growing technological advancement the application of electron beam wafer inspection system is spreading across the automotive, industrial and consumer electronics field globally. The market has been segmented into by application which includes consumer electronics, automotive, industrial segment among others. The market for electron beam wafer inspection systems by geography has been segmented into, Europe, North America, Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa and South America.With rising research activities in the field of e-beam wafer inspection system, the application of the system are growing in the high-end industrial, consumer electronics and automotive application segments. Growing adoption of consumer electronic and communication devices is one of the major reasons behind the rising popularity of e-beam wafer inspection system. Increasing usage of smartphones, LCDs, SSDs, LEDs, tablets, and other wearable smart gadgets are fueling the market for e-beam wafer inspection system across different regions globally. Furthermore, rising demand for advance quality silicon wafers in the semiconductor devices is one of the prime factors fueling the market.The growing research and development in the field of advanced electron beam wafer inspection solutions and equipments for major semiconductor processing fabs is contributing in the positive development of the market. Electron column and electron gun technologies are effective and crucial fault inspection solutions and algorithms. Furthermore, in the manufacturing process of high end and advanced IC, electron-beam inspection plays a crucial role. Moreover, the application of electron-beam inspection system plays an essential role where sensitivity is required to find defects in the process. The system is also important in the production process in order to monitor major process steps primarily for fault excursions. E-beam wafer inspection technology is generally applied to locate physical faults which are unable to detect optically. The system can find the subtle defects in the time of manufacturing process while introducing new device structures and materials.PDF Sample For Latest Advancements with Technological breakthroughs is @Asia Pacific is dominating the electron beam wafer inspection systems market worldwide. Rapid usage of consumer electronics and communication devices such as smartphones, tablets, wearable, LCDs, LEDs, SSDs and other smart electronic devices in economies such the Japan, China, South Korea, Taiwan, South Korea and India is contributing in the positive growth of this market across Asia Pacific (APAC). North America is another major region which is contributing in the positive growth of the electron beam wafer inspection systems. The U.S., Mexico and Canada are some of the major economics contributing in the positive development of this market. Brazil, Argentina and U.A.E are expected to witness positive growth over the forecast period from 2016 to 2024 across South America, Middle East and Africa. With increasing advancement in the consumer electronics, industrial and automotive field, the application of electron beam wafer inspection systems is growing rapidly.Research and development along with merger and acquisitions and strategic partnership agreements are some of the key business strategies adopted by the companies operating in this industry in order to strengthen its presence across different regions globally. Applied Materials, Inc. (The U.S.), ASML Holding (The Netherlands), KLA-Tencor Corporation (The U.S.), Lam Research Corporation (The U.S.), Hermes Microvision Inc (Taiwan), Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation (Japan), Integrated Device Technology, Inc. (California, The U.S.), STMicroelectronics (Switzerland), GlobalFoundries (The U.S.), Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation (Shanghai, China), Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Limited (Taiwan), NXP Semiconductors N.V. (The Netherlands), Renesas Electronics Corporation (Japan) among others are some of the major players operating in the electron beam wafer inspection systems market.Transparency Market Research (TMR) is a global market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of Analysts, Researchers, and Consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.Transparency Market Research90 Sate Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Data Loss Prevention Market - Global Industry Analysis, Share, Growth, Trends, Forecast 2016 - 2024

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Data Loss Prevention Market: OverviewData loss prevention (DLP) is a software designed to prevent and detect data breaches by monitoring and blocking critical data at rest, in motion or in use. DLP prevents unintended and accidental loss or transfer of organizations critical data. It also protects data from decisive data theft and cyber-attacks ensuring data security.The DLP market provides network and cloud based solutions for e-mail, mobile devices, USB drivers and laptops among others For instance, Skyhigh Networks provides DLP cloud based solutions to protect employees uploaded data such as personal health information (PHI), customer information and personally identifiable information (PII). It supports management of internal policies, prevents disclosure of sensitive data and achieves compliance and regulation policies such as Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH). The rising number of breaches in various industry verticals such as oil and gas industries, retail industries and business financial services and insurance (BFSI) has expanded the adoption of DLP. For instance in march 2015, data breaches in Primera Blue Cross, a health insurer company based in Washington and Anthem, a health insurer company was hacked and suffered data breach in February 2015Get Sample PDF file of Data Loss Prevention Market :Data Loss Prevention Market: Drivers and RestraintsThe data loss prevention market has been experiencing sustainable growth in recent years due to increasing security breaches, high demand for protection of intellectual property against theft and rising adoption of cloud computing such shift in storage of data from on-premises to public and private cloud platform. The other additional factor contributing to the growth of data loss prevention market is emerging commercialization. For instance, rising adoption of social media leading to advanced information sharing. However, lack of awareness is hindering the DLP market growth. The acceptance of cloud based business models and persistent cyber-attacks is expected to provide opportunities for growth of data loss prevention market during the forecast period.Data Loss Prevention Market: SegmentationThe data loss prevention market is segmented on the basis of deployment type, end-user adoption, solution tools, application, service and geography. On the basis of deployment type, the data loss prevention market is segmented into on-premise DLP and cloud DLP. In terms of end-user adoption, the data loss prevention market is segmented into encryption, web and e-mail protection, policy, standards and procedures, cloud storage, centralized management and incident response and workflow management. In terms of solution tools, the data loss prevention market is segmented as storage or data center DLP, network DLP and endpoint DLP. Based on the application, the data loss prevention market is segmented into manufacturing, telecommunication and IT, healthcare, aerospace and defense, retail and logistics, government and public utilities and banking, financial services and insurance.Further on the basis of services provided, the data loss prevention market is segmented into managed security services, risk & threat assessment services, consulting services, education & training and system integration & installation services. Moreover, on the basis of geography the data loss prevention market is segmented into North America, Europe, Middle East and Africa, Asia Pacific and Latin America. North America is expected to lead the market due to increased adoption of cloud and big data technologies. Moreover, Asia Pacific and Middle East and Africa are expected to sustainable growth in data loss prevention market during the forecast period due to high demand for data loss prevention software and increasing security attacks.Data Loss Prevention Market: Key PlayersSome of the key players in data loss prevention market are GTB Technologies, Inc., Code Green Networks, Symantec Corporation, Check Point Software Technologies Ltd., Trustwave Holdings, Inc., CA Technologies, Trend Micro Incorporated, Blue Coat systems, Inc., Cisco Systems and Websense, Inc.About Us :Transparency Market Research (TMR) is a global market intelligence company providing business information reports and services. The companys exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trend analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.TMRs data repository is continuously updated and revised by a team of research experts so that it always reflects the latest trends and information. With extensive research and analysis capabilities, Transparency Market Research employs rigorous primary and secondary research techniques to develop distinctive data sets and research material for business reports.Contact Us :-Transparency Market ResearchState Tower,90 State Street,Suite 700,Albany NY - 12207United StatesTel: +1-518-618-1030Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Commentary: China will not sit idle and let the US act wantonly

On October 21, the destroyer USS Decatur sailed near Xisha Islands in the South China Sea without China's permission. The Chinese government strongly opposes this type of behavior and has taken countermeasures against the US.

According to Chinese law, foreign warships need approval from the Chinese government prior to entering Chinese waters. The US is no exception.

The US provocation carried out in the name of freedom of navigation infringed China's sovereignty, security, and maritime interests, and the act has unmasked the ugly underbelly of the US pivot strategy to the Asia-Pacific.

The provocation was carried out during Philippines President Rodrigo Dutertes visit to Beijing, and at a time when the region is coming together. The destructive role of the US in the South China Sea provides clear evidence that Washington has malign intentions.

Washington may lack the courage to admit it, but we no longer live in a world where a single country can lead through conflicts, lies, and alliances.

Washingtons hard power move to maintain US hegemony only reaffirms the necessity for China to enhance its military power and has only stimulated Chinas determination and will to safeguard its national interests. China will not allow the US to act in wanton disregard for the peace and stability of the South China Sea.
Espire and Sitecore to Co-host a Webinar on Data Protection and Cyber Security in Financial Services

This webinar would address the complex problem of coupling compelling multi-channel customer experiences with robust data security in the financial services industry.The financial services industry is finally embracing new technology with gusto. There are now more banking interactions on mobile than there are in-branch. But as technology advances and the complexity of the supply chain increases, concerns over data management grow bigger and bigger.Data leaks and other cyber security breaches are no longer headlines as they become more frequent and organisations need to give a reassuring message to their customer base in order to remain relevant and trustworthy.Such vulnerabilities are getting more complicated due to the multiplicity of online channels (websites, social media, mobile devices and cloud technology) and customers expecting faster and better services. But how can financial institutions address this pressing problem of coupling compelling multi-channel customer experiences with robust data security?To find answers to this complex problem, Espire Infolabs, a digital experience transformation company and Sitecore, a leader in experience management software are co-hosting a webinar on Data Protection and Cyber Security in Financial Services for the Connected Customer. This webinar would be conducted on November 1st, 2016 from 3-4 PM GMT.Targeted at Marketing, Digital & Customer Experience Leaders and IT & Cybersecurity Leaders, this webinar has three power-packed sessions to be delivered by:Geoff White, Technologist, Cybersecurity Expert & Journalist with Channel 4 NewsPaul Fennemore, Digital Experience Consultant, SitecorePravin Patel, Region Head (UK & Europe), Espire Infolabs.Key takeaways from this webinar will prove essential for ambitious financial services businesses aiming to strengthen their brand loyalty and plug customer data breaches. For instance they would:1. Know how to build strong brand loyalty among connected customers who demand compelling customer experience and data security in the same breath?2. Get insights on how to tightly secure all digital customer touch-points, while offering exceptional customer experience.3. Understand how innovative digital experience transformation technologies are powering leading financial services companies across the globe.To know more about this webinar and to register, visit: Espire InfolabsAbout Espire InfolabsEspire Infolabs is a global technology company empowering businesses to drive growth and customer engagement with exceptional digital experience solutions through digital content management, multi-channel customer communication management, enterprise applications and IT infrastructure solutions. It is a SEI CMMI Level 5 Ver 1.3 (Dev + SVC) Appraised, ISO 27001:2013 & ISO 9001:2008 Certified and ITIL & ISO 20000 Compliant Company. Espire Infolabs has offices in UK, USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore and Development Centers in India.Asha GopinathVP - Marketing & Corporate Communication)Espire Infolabs Pvt. Ltd.486 & 487, Udyog Vihar Phase-III, Gurgaon - 1220160124-3843000, 3843499asha.gopinath@espire.com
Inclusion Body Myositis (IBM) Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends And Forecast 2014 - 2020

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ResearchMoz added Latest Research Report titled " Inclusion Body Myositis (IBM) Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends And Forecast 2014 - 2020 " to it's Large Report database.Inclusion body myositis (IBM) is an age related muscle disorder, which is most common among aged individuals and it may lead to severe disability due to its incurable nature. This muscle disorder is mainly characterized by inflammatory myopathy that slowly progresses and causes weakness of the limbs, least or no reflexes from deep tendons, mixing of neurogenic and myopathic changes in electromyography as well as dysphasia. Many a times, IBM remains under-diagnosed as it occurs mainly in the aged individuals, with several co-morbidities, and hence, often misdiagnosed with polymyositis. People over 50 years of age suffering from polymyositis mostly suffer from inclusion body myositis.Download free Sample PDF report with TOC:Major structural features of IBM include cytoplasmic vacuolation, inflammatory infiltrate and tubo-filamentous inclusions within the nuclei and cytoplasm of the muscle cells. For proper and effective management of IBM, adoption of appropriate diagnostic and therapeutic procedure is essential. Some routine tests can also be adopted for early detection of IBM, such as, tests for full blood count (FBC), calcium and phosphate, creatine kinase, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), and fasting glucose among others. Some of the specific tests include, nerve conduction tests, electromyography, muscle biopsy (for beta-amyloid and ubiquitin) and electron microscopy. However, there is no therapeutic procedure that has been proved effective in curing IBM. Several therapies are in different stages of clinical trials by different manufacturers worldwide.Read All Healthcare Market Research Reports @Some of the major driving factors for the growth of IBM market, include, high prevalence of the disorder, growing geriatric population, rising demand for advance therapeutics for specific and effective treatment of IBM and increasing number of drugs for IBM treatment in the pipeline. IBM is the most prevalent muscle disorder that mainly affects people over 50 years of age, but people may suffer from this disorder between 20 to 80 years of their ages. According to the estimates of patient.co.uk, it was found that a population of 10.7 individuals per million in the U.S. are suffering from this disorder. The disease prevalence was least in the Netherlands in Europe with a population of 4.9 individuals per million. It was also found that people over 50 years of age in the least disease prevalent nations like Netherlands and Sweden have shown a prevalence of 16 individuals per million.Also, men are more prone to IBM with 4:1 to 3:1 ratio compared to the female population. Thus, high prevalence along with high geriatric population will contribute towards the growth of this market. Rising demand for advanced therapeutics and increasing number of drugs in the pipeline will contribute towards the growth of this market in future.About ResearchMozResearchMoz is the world's fastest growing collection of market research reports worldwide. Our database is composed of current market studies from over 100 featured publishers worldwide. Our market research databases integrate statistics with analysis from global, regional, country and company perspectives. ResearchMoz's service portfolio also includes value-added services such as market research customization, competitive landscaping, and in-depth surveys, delivered by a team of experienced Research Coordinators.Contact Us:Mr. NachiketAlbany NY, United States - 12207Tel: +1-518-621-2074 / Tel: 866-997-4948 (Us-Canada Toll Free)Email: sales@researchmoz.usFollow us on LinkedIn at:Follow me on Blogger at:
FOEX and Expertos Oracle Apex sign partnership for South America

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FOEX GmbH and Expertos Oracle Apex (EOAPEX) join forces to improve enterprise web application development for Spanish speaking companies in South America.The combination of FOEX's Enterprise Rapid Application Development tool  the FOEX Plugin Framework, empowered by EOAPEX's expertise in the Oracle APEX environment have set the stage for South American companies who are looking to speed up the development of large-scale web applications."We are excited to launch this partnership, expanding our footprint on the South American market by collaborating with a Spanish speaking partner. We believe that Expertos Oracle Apex's expertise will accelerate the introduction of the FOEX Plugin Framework into the market and improve the service level provided to customers," Markus Lauda, Co-CEO of FOEX GmbHEddie Molina, the CEO of Expertos Oracle Apex continued "For Expertos Oracle Apex is an honor and a great opportunity to partner with FOEX. I believe that the FOEX Plugin Framework is a great product and an excellent way to grow our company's solutions portfolio, not only from a commercial point of view, but also as a way to share knowledge and learn together with the FOEX team. At Expertos Oracle Apex we aim to provide our clients with the best possible solutions which solve their challenges in a timely and cost effective manner. Through this partnership we aim to extend the use of the FOEX Plugin Framework on the Spanish-speaking market in Central and South America."About FOEX GmbHFOEX GmbH is an Austrian IT company founded in 2012 and based in Perchtoldsdorf (near Vienna, Austria). We are experts in developing plugins & add-ons which enhance the standard Oracle APEX platform, allowing developers to build the best products imaginable without the overheads from traditional software development.Our mission is to simplify the way enterprise-level applications are being built and provide a robust platform which enables developers to create such applications in a fast, easy and secure way. By using the FOEX Plugin Framework developers can significantly reduce the complexity of creating and maintaining data-heavy web applications, thus lowering IT costs and increasing efficiency.To learn more about FOEX, please visitAspettenstrae 48, A-2380 Perchtoldsdorf
Smart & Mobile Supply Chain Solutions Market at Rapid Pace due to Increasing Demand from Retail, Manufacturing, and Logistics Sectors

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Transparency Market Research (TMR) has recently published a report titled Smart and Mobile Supply Chain Solutions Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast 2014 - 2020, detailing the present dynamics and growth opportunities for the global smart and mobile supply chain solutions market. It studies the prevalent demand and supply trends for smart and mobile supply chain solutions, and evaluates how the same is likely to impact the market in the near future. Based on in-depth findings, the analysts behind the report estimate that the global smart and mobile supply chain solutions market, which was valued at US$7,095.3 million in 2013, is likely to develop at a positive CAGR of 13.2% between 2014 and 2020.Download PDF Brochure for Emerging Market Trends on Smart and Mobile Supply Chain Solutions atSmart and mobile supply solutions provide users intelligent, interconnected, and instrumented information about the supply chain. The information thus obtained is crucial for supply chain executives who participate in decision making. Furthermore, it also helps product managers in analyzing the dynamics of consumer behavior. The report has highlighted these as key factors fuelling demand from the global smart and mobile supply chain solutions market.On matters of the regional segmentation of the global market, a lead TMR analyst said, Whilst North America held the largest share of the smart and mobile supply chain solutions market, accounting for 37.2% in 2013, the market is also anticipated to capitalize on the rising demand from the emerging economies around the world.The smart and mobile supply chain solutions market comprises both software and services. The entry of multiple supply chain solution providers in the market has augmented the demand for integration services, which the report identifies as a major factor expected to drive the market over the reports forecast period. The two major software segments of the market  connected supply chain (SCP) and connected sourcing and procurement, collectively hold 50% of the global smart and mobile supply solutions market. Factors such as increasing e-tendering by governments from around the world, technological advances, and escalating emphasis on cost and carbon emission control drive the demand for the aforementioned software.View Report:Key end-use segments of the smart and mobile supply chain solutions market include IT and telecommunication, retail, banking, financial services and insurance (BFSI), energy and utility, logistics, manufacturing, government, healthcare, and transportation. Of these, retail and manufacturing held the two largest market shares in 2013, accounting for 18.5% and 18.4% of the market, respectively. Accelerating demand for integrated supply chain solutions from the logistics and retail sectors is expected to boost the smart and mobile supply chain solutions market further during the reports forecast period. Some of the leading companies profiled in the report are JDA Software Group, Inc., SAP SE, Epicor Software Corporation, Manhattan Associates, Inc., Descartes Systems Group, Inc., GT Nexus Inc., Oracle Corporation, IBM Corporation, Infor Global Solutions, Inc., and Kewill Systems Plc.About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of Analysts, Researchers, and Consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.State Tower, 90 State Street, Suite 700,90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Global Analysis, Major Regions Revenue and Growth Rate of Global Liquid Biopsy Products Market 2016

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Global Liquid Biopsy Products Market 2016 - Industry Research Report Size and Share Published in 2016-10-21 Available for US$ 2800 at Researchmoz.usDescriptionTo Browse a Full Report at:This report studies Liquid Biopsy Products in Global market, especially in USA, Europe, Asia, focuses on top manufacturers in global market, with revenue, Gross Margin and market share for each manufacturer, coveringRainDanceTechnologiesBiocartisQiagenGuardant?HealthMDxHealthPathway GenomicsNeoGenomics LaboraoriesSysmex Inostics?CynvenioSilicon BiosystemsAdaptive BiotechnologiesBioceptAngle plcOtherGet a Sample Copy of the Report:Market Segment by Regions, this report splits Global into several key Regions, with revenue, market share and growth rate of Liquid Biopsy Products in these regions, from 2011 to 2021 (forecast), likeUSAEuropeAsiaSplit by biomarker, with revenue and market share and growth rate of each type, can be divided intoCTCctDNAExosomesSplit by Sample Type, this report focuses on revenue, market share and growth rate of Liquid Biopsy Products in each sample type, can be divided intoBlood SampleUrine SampleOther Bio FluidsInquiry on this report:Table of Content1 Industry Overview of Liquid Biopsy 11.1 Definition and Specifications of Liquid Biopsy 11.2 Liquid Biopsy Classification by Biomarker 31.2.1 CTC 41.2.2 ctDNA 51.2.3 Exosomes 81.3 Liquid Biopsy Classification by Sample Type 91.4 Workflow of Liquid Biopsy 101.5 Industry Overview and Major Regions Status of Liquid Biopsy 121.6 Industry Policy Analysis of Liquid Biopsy 131.6.1 FDA Approves First Blood Test to Detect Gene Mutation Associated with Non-small Cell Lung Cancer 131.6.2 GPC to Host Forum on Payer Policies for Liquid Biopsy & Emerging Clinical Genomics 141.7 Industry News Analysis of Liquid Biopsy 162 Background Overview 202.1 Economy Analysis 202.1.1 Global Economy Analysis 202.1.2 Europe Economy Analysis 212.1.3 Japan Economy Analysis 222.1.4 China Economy Analysis 232.1.5 USA Economy Analysis 252.2 Health Expenditure Analysis 262.3 Cancer Patients Analysis 332.3.1 Key Facts 332.3.2 Cancer Incidence and Mortality Analysis 342.4 Labor Cost Analysis of Liquid Biopsy 352.5 Global Electricity Price of Industry by Country 383 Technical Data and Manufacturing Plants Analysis of Liquid Biopsy 403.1 Revenue and Establishment Date of Global Liquid Biopsy Major Manufacturers in 2015 403.2 Headquarters of Global Liquid Biopsy Major Manufacturers 403.3 R&D Status of Global Liquid Biopsy Major Manufacturers in 2015 413.4 Liquid Biopsy Product Analysis of Global Liquid Biopsy Major Manufacturers in 2015 444 Global Revenue, Cost, Gross and Gross Margin Analysis by Region 454.1 Global Revenue of Liquid Biopsy Products by Regions 2011-2016 454.2 Global and Major Regions Revenue and Growth Rate of Liquid Biopsy Products 2011-2016 504.3 Global Gross Margin of Liquid Biopsy Products 2011-2016 52ResearchMoz is the worlds fastest growing collection of market research reports worldwide. Our database is composed of current market studies from over 100 featured publishers worldwide. Our market research databases integrate statistics with analysis from global, regional, country and company perspectives.Mr. NachiketState Tower,90 State Street,Suite 700,Albany NY - 12207United StatesWebsite @Tel: 866-997-4948 (Us-Canada Toll Free)Tel: +1-518-621-2074Follow us on LinkedIn @ bit.ly/1TBmnVG
Global LOW-E Glass Industry 2015, Competitive Landscape Analysis, Distribution and Key Development Trends

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Global LOW-E Glass Industry 2015 Market Research Report Size and Share Published in 2015-09-25 Available for US$ 2800 at Researchmoz.usDescriptionTo Browse a Full Report at:The Global LOW-E Glass Industry 2015 Market Research Report is a professional and in-depth study on the current state of the LOW-E Glass industry.The report provides a basic overview of the industry including definitions, classifications, applications and industry chain structure.The LOW-E Glass market analysis is provided for the international markets including development trends, competitive landscape analysis, and key regions development status.Development policies and plans are discussed as well as manufacturing processes and cost structures are also analyzed. This report also states import/export consumption, supply and demand Figures, cost, price, revenue and gross margins.Get a Sample Copy of the Report:The report focuses on global major leading industry players providing information such as company profiles, product picture and specification, capacity, production, price, cost, revenue and contact information. Upstream raw materials and equipment and downstream demand analysis is also carried out.The LOW-E Glass industry development trends and marketing channels are analyzed. Finally the feasibility of new investment projects are assessed and overall research conclusions offered.With 210 tables and figures the report provides key statistics on the state of the industry and is a valuable source of guidance and direction for companies and individuals interested in the market.Inquiry on this report:Table of Content1 Industry Overview1.1 Definition and Specifications of LOW-E Glass1.2 Classification of LOW-E Glass1.3 Applications of LOW-E Glass1.4 Industry Chain Structure of LOW-E Glass1.5 Industry Regional Overview of LOW-E Glass1.6 Industry Policy Analysis of LOW-E Glass1.7 Industry News Analysis of LOW-E Glass2 Manufacturing Cost Structure Analysis of LOW-E Glass2.1 Raw Material Suppliers and Price Analysis of LOW-E Glass2.2 Equipment Suppliers and Price Analysis of LOW-E Glass2.3 Labor Cost Analysis of LOW-E Glass2.4 Other Costs Analysis of LOW-E Glass2.5 Manufacturing Cost Structure Analysis of LOW-E Glass2.6 Manufacturing Process Analysis of LOW-E Glass3 Technical Data and Manufacturing Plants Analysis3.1 Capacity and Commercial Production Date of Global Key Manufacturers in 20143.2 Manufacturing Plants Distribution of Global Key LOW-E Glass Manufacturers in 20143.3 R&D Status and Technology Source of Global LOW-E Glass Key Manufacturers in 20143.4 Raw Materials Sources Analysis of Global LOW-E Glass Key Manufacturers in 20144 Production Analysis of LOW-E Glass by Regions, Technology, and Applications4.1 Global Production of LOW-E Glass by Regions (US, EU, China, Japan, etc.) 2010-20154.2 Global Production of LOW-E Glass by Technology 2010-20154.3 Global Production of LOW-E Glass by Applications 2010-20154.4 Price Analysis of Global LOW-E Glass Key Manufacturers in 20154.5 US Capacity, Production, Price, Cost and Revenue of LOW-E Glass 2010-20154.6 EU Capacity, Production, Price, Cost and Revenue of LOW-E Glass 2010-20154.7 Japan Capacity, Production, Price, Cost and Revenue of LOW-E Glass 2010-20154.8 China Capacity, Production, Price, Cost and Revenue of LOW-E Glass 2010-20154.9 US Supply, Import, Export and Consumption of LOW-E Glass 2010-20154.10 EU Supply, Import, Export and Consumption of LOW-E Glass 2010-2015ResearchMoz is the worlds fastest growing collection of market research reports worldwide. Our database is composed of current market studies from over 100 featured publishers worldwide. Our market research databases integrate statistics with analysis from global, regional, country and company perspectives.Mr. NachiketState Tower,90 State Street,Suite 700,Albany NY - 12207United StatesWebsite @Tel: 866-997-4948 (Us-Canada Toll Free)Tel: +1-518-621-2074Follow us on LinkedIn @ bit.ly/1TBmnVG
Freeze Drying Market - Global Trend, Growth Forecast & Industry Outlook Analysis Report 2015-2022

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DecisionDatabases.com offer Freeze Drying Market Research Report. This Report covers the complete Industry Outlook, Growth, Size, Share and Forecast till 2022.View More about Freeze Drying Market Research Report @The report on global freeze drying market evaluates the growth trends of the industry through historical study and estimates future prospects based on comprehensive research. The report extensively provides the market share, growth, trends and forecasts for the period 2015-2022. The market size in terms of revenue (USD MN) is calculated for the study period along with the details of the factors affecting the market growth (drivers and restraints).A glimpse of the major drivers and restraints affecting this market is mentioned below:A. Drivers> Technological advancements in lyophilization methods> Rising demand from pharmaceutical industryB. Restraints> Increasing utilization of alternative drying techniquesGet Free Sample Copy of this Report @Furthermore, the report quantifies the market share held by the major players of the industry and provides an in-depth view of the competitive landscape. This market is classified into different segments with detailed analysis of each with respect to geography for the study period 2015-2022.The comprehensive value chain analysis of the market will assist in attaining better product differentiation, along with detailed understanding of the core competency of each activity involved. The market attractiveness analysis provided in the report aptly measures the potential value of the market providing business strategists with the latest growth opportunities.The report classifies the market into different segments based on scale of operations, type and technology. These segments are studied in detail incorporating the market estimates and forecasts at regional and country level. The segment analysis is useful in understanding the growth areas and probable opportunities of the market.The report also covers the complete competitive landscape of the worldwide market with company profiles of key players such as Azbil Corporation, GEA Group, HOF Enterprise Group, Industria Macchine Automatiche S.P.A., Labconco Corporaton, Martin Christ Gefriertrocknungsanlagen Gmbh, Millrock Technology, Inc., Optima Packaging Group Gmbh, SP Industries, Inc. and Tofflon Science And Technology Co., Ltd. A detailed description of each has been included, with information in terms of H.Q, future capacities, key mergers & acquisitions, financial overview, partnerships, collaborations, new product launches, new product developments and other latest industrial developments.SEGMENTATIONS IN THE REPORT:1. By Scale Of Operations:> Industrial-Scale Freeze Dryers> Pilot-Scale Freeze Dryers> Lab-Scale Freeze Dryers2. By Type:> Loading And Unloading Systems> Controlling And Monitoring Systems> Vaccum Systems> Clean-In-Place (Cip) Systems> Drying Chambers> Freeze Drying Trays And Shelves> Manifolds> Other Freeze Drying Accessories3. By Technology:> Tray-Style Freeze Dryers> Manifold Freeze Dryers> Rotary Freeze Dryers/Shell Freeze Dryers4. By Geography:> North America (NA)> Europe (EU)> Asia Pacific (APAC)> Rest of the World (RoW)Major Table Of Contents:1. INTRODUCTION2. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY3. MARKET ANALYSIS4. FREEZE DRYING MARKET ANALYSIS BY SACLE OF OPERATION5. FREEZE DRYING MARKET ANALYSIS BY TYPE6. FREEZE DRYING MARKET ANALYSIS BY TECHNOLOGY7. FREEZE DRYING MARKET ANALYSIS BY GEOGRAPHY8. COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE OF THE FREEZE DRYING COMPANIES9. COMPANY PROFILES OF THE FREEZE DRYING INDUSTRYPurchase Complete Global Freeze Drying Market Research Report At:DecisionDatabases.com is a global business research reports provider, enriching decision makers and strategists with qualitative statistics. DecisionDatabases.com is proficient in providing syndicated research report, customized research reports, company profiles and industry databases across multiple domains.Our expert research analysts have been trained to map clients research requirements to the correct research resource leading to a distinctive edge over its competitors. We provide intellectual, precise and meaningful data at a lightning speed.3rd Floor,Fountain chambers,Nanabhai Lane,Fort, Mumbai - 1E-Mail: sales@decisiondatabases.comPhone: +91 99 28 237112Web:
Farmers Insurance says it will lay off 91 Hillsboro employees at the end of the year.

The company notified Oregon employment officials in a letter last week that the job cuts will begin Dec. 30 and conclude within two weeks.

Farmers did not indicate why it's eliminating the jobs or what kind of positions will go away, but did say the facility won't close altogether. The company did not immediately respond to an inquiry seeking further details.

The company opened a customer service center at that location in 2008, which initially employed 548.

Oregon's unemployment rate stood at 5.5 percent last month, down slightly from a year earlier. The state has been growing jobs at a 3.5 percent annual rate, more than double the national pace.

-- Mike Rogoway

mrogoway@oregonian.com

503-294-7699

@rogoway
Frost's Descent falls on October 23 this year. Recently the temperature in north China's Shanxi has fell down to 8 degree C. In the ice cave in Luya mountain in Shanxi province, which is the largest ice cave in China, shining ice shoots, icicles and ice grapes are seen everywhere. [Photo: weibo.com]
A police chief in Oklahoma told a local newspaper a 51-year-old man, identified as a suspect in a Milwaukie homicide last week, painted his Mini Cooper before arriving in the town.

Dean Boettcher

Officers in Pauls Valley, Oklahoma, arrested Dean Boettcher early Sunday morning near the town, about an hour's drive southeast of Oklahoma City, according to the Pauls Valley Democrat. The newspaper reported he was hoping to get to an old acquaintance's home.

Clackamas County Sheriff's Office detectives announced they were looking to speak with Boettcher after finding Matthew Nelson Timmons, a roommate, dead inside their home on the 17000 block of Southeast Oatfield Road. Timmons died of multiple stab wounds, officials have said.

Sheriff's Office deputies had identified Boettcher as an armed and dangerous suspect and asked the public to use extreme caution if contacted by him.

On Saturday evening, a woman in Pauls Valley was contacted by Boettcher, who told her he was in western Oklahoma and planned to pay the home a visit, according to the Democrat.

Suspicious of the contact, the woman began to search online and learned about last week's homicide. She contacted police, according to the Democrat.

About three hours later, officers found Boettcher in his car at the woman's home and arrested him without incident. Police Chief Mitch McGill told the Democrat that Boettcher arrived in a black Mini Cooper after painting the car.

Clackamas County detectives had asked the public to be on the lookout for a tan-colored Mini Cooper. Detectives obtained a warrant for Boettcher's arrest on Thursday.

Timmons and Boettcher lived together at a home near Gladstone. Boettcher has a criminal history that includes a 2001 first-degree assault conviction for beating his former boss with a claw hammer.

He was also convicted in 2001 of third-degree sex abuse after he inappropriately touched a 16-year-old girl, according to Clackamas County Community Corrections records.

He was released from the Oregon Department of Corrections custody in December 2012, said spokeswoman Betty Bernt.

Court records show Boettcher was convicted of fourth-degree assault and attempt to commit a Class A felony. He again caught prison time in June 2012 until March 2015, Bernt has said.

-- Tony Hernandez

thernandez@oregonian.com

503-294-5928

@tonyhreports
Portland's second favorite alternative weekly may be declaring 2016 the Year of the Restaurant Pop-Up, approximately two years too late.

In an email sent out Monday to attendees of Willamette Week's secret "Superstars of Fried Chicken Dinner," the alternative weekly announced its "Pop-Up" and "Pop-In" of the year: Mae, an Appalachian pop-up, and Hat Yai, a Southern Thai fried chicken spin-off of Langbaan restaurant.

Two years ago, just as celebrated supper clubs Langbaan and Holdfast Dining were heating up, the weekly's dining critic named the fried chicken and potato salad at his mother's house as one of the "hottest pop-ups" of the year.

The weekly wrote in a blog post about Monday night's dinner, "we usually celebrate by hosting a secret supper at our Restaurant of the Year. Well in 2016, we are excited to announce we have something entirely different up our sleeves."

They promise after this year's special six course meal "you'll feel like a winner."

As of Monday at 12:30 p.m., the paper still hadn't announced their Restaurant of the Year. Is it possible that one of the local weeklies has eschewed "Restaurant of the Year" for the more conceptual "Pop-In" and "Pop-Up"?

After this story was originally posted, Willamette Week confirmed that they have yet to announce their official Restaurant of the Year. They release their annual guide to Portland's restaurants on Friday.

Earlier this month, Portland Monthly declined to name a Restaurant of the Year, instead handing out a pair of "Rising Star" awards to a pair of just-opened restaurants, Revelry and Tusk. At six weeks old, both were about the same age as The Oregonian's 2015 Restaurant of the Year, Renata.

According to the weekly's email, Monday's dinner will be a collaboration between the Mae and Hat Yai, and it will take place at Old Salt, where Mae holds its pop-up, Monday evening. The dinner is sold out.

Lizzy Acker once worked at Willamette Week.

This post originally said the annual guide to restaurants comes out Wednesday. It has been updated.

-- Lizzy Acker

503-221-8052

lacker@oregonian.com, @lizzzyacker
haunted theatre.jpg

Cast and crew pose for a photo at Theatre in the Grove's haunted theatre. (Courtesy Photo)

What's that noise?

In February, an eerie, unexplained high-pitched noise heard in parts of Forest Grove garnered international attention and speculation. Now, it's back, as the basis for Theatre in the Grove's annual haunted house: "Aliens in the Grove."

The premise? A journalist has gone missing while searching for a mysterious sound in Forest Grove. Could the sound be caused by an other-worldly force?

The interactive walk-through haunted house experience will take visitors throughout the theater. Tickets are $5 and can be purchased at the door. The haunted theater is open from 7-11 p.m. Oct. 28, 29 and 31.

Family-friendly versions of the haunted theater will be open from 2-6 p.m. Oct. 30 and 4-6 p.m. Oct. 31.

For more information, email haunted.titg@gmail.com. And for a reminder of what "The Noise" sounded like, check out the promo video below:
Oregon Health & Science University is hosting a job networking event on Wednesday for people with disabilities.

The event features 50 employers spanning a range of sectors, from health care to high tech and education to government.

The event last year helped Wesley Struder, a switchboard operator, land a position at OHSU.

"Anything employers can do to make a job seeker with disabilities feel more comfortable, to make them feel confident that they can achieve success, should be treasured," Struder said. "It always helps to put yourself out there."

Last year more than 400 people showed up. People with disabilities have the highest rate of unemployment among minorities.

The event will feature recruiters, facilitators, attendants and interpreters. Uber is offering free rides up to $25 in both directions and there will be food, drinks and live acoustic music at the fair, which takes place Wednesday from 6 to 9 p.m. at OHSU's Collaborative Life Sciences Building, 2730 S.W. Moody Ave., Portland.

The Schnitzer parking lot, one block north or the life sciences building, will offer free parking after 5 p.m. There is also parking under the building at $4 an hour. On-street parking is limited. For Uber, riders need to use the code N4NPDX after getting the app.

Registration is recommended. For more information, check, OHSU's web page on the event, call 503-503-494-5248 or email n4n@ohsu.edu.

-- Lynne Terry
Michael H. Schill

This week I had the pleasure of announcing that two extraordinary members of our university family, Phil and Penny Knight, made a jaw-dropping $500 million gift to the University of Oregon.

Their amazing generosity will launch the Phil and Penny Knight Campus for Accelerating Scientific Impact, a 10-year, $1 billion quantum leap forward in the way Oregon approaches scientific research.

Both the amount of money and the vision for the Knight Campus are staggering. The first questions from everyone I talk to are "What is it?" and "What kinds of discoveries will it make?"

The beauty of scientific research is that we cannot predict the discoveries that may be revealed or the impacts those discoveries will generate. The possibilities are limitless. As my colleague, President Joe Robertson of Oregon Health & Science University, said, "Science by its very nature is unpredictable, which is what makes it so exciting."

But there is much we do know.

The Knight Campus is a radical idea, but it's built on the university's well-established history of interdisciplinary collaboration. The vision came directly from the faculty and will focus on accelerating the cycle of inquiry, discovery, innovation and impact.

The Knight Campus will allow us to recruit the world's best researchers to Oregon -- engineers, data scientists, robotics experts, entrepreneurs and clinicians -- and to pair them with our exceptional faculty. Scientific discoveries will be more quickly refined, tested -- leaping traditional hurdles -- to become life-changing medicines, products or solutions. When fully implemented, it will comprise three 70,000-square-foot buildings outfitted with labs, prototyping facilities and clinical space.

During peak construction, the Knight Campus will directly contribute $99.7 million in annual economic activity to Oregon's economy, which will support more than 1,300 jobs. This 21st-century science hub will be home to 30 research teams and support 250 graduate students, 150 post-doctoral researchers, and 150 undergraduate researchers, offering these students new research, educational, and career-preparatory opportunities.

The impact of this unprecedented gift will ripple far beyond the sciences and the campus in Eugene. This research environment will offer new collaborative opportunities with the university's public research counterparts of OHSU, Oregon State University, and Portland State University.

The Knight Campus also will help Oregon enhance and expand its innovation economy. When fully operational, the Knight Campus will drive nearly $80 million in annual economic activity statewide and support more than 750 jobs. It will enhance the state's workforce, incubate new Oregon-based companies and train a new generation of scientific entrepreneurs.

Its broad economic benefit and possibility for collaboration are just some of many reasons we want to partner with the State of Oregon. During the 2017 legislative session, the university will seek an investment of $100 million in bonds to support the Knight Campus. The investment would be immediately deployed to construct one of the three research facilities, allowing the UO to drive other funds into endowing faculty positions and ensuring those professors have the resources needed to research, discover and produce new innovations that can be brought to market and help change the world.

While this project does not reduce the need for more classroom space for students, the public investment would be matched ten-to-one by private philanthropy -- an exceptional public-private partnership and a solid investment in our state's prosperity. We fully intend that this structure will ensure that the Knight Campus remains financially sustainable without drawing from other campus resources or student tuition.

This monumental act of philanthropy provides a ray of hope to public universities throughout the nation that, according to a recent speech by AAU president Mary Sue Coleman, are at "a tipping point." The Knights' gift is a perfect example of how a pub- lic university -- even in a state that has struggled to invest in higher education -- can still hope to achieve eminence in the 21st century.

Share your opinion

Submit your essay of 700 words or less to commentary@oregonlive.com. Please include your email and phone number for verification.

This extraordinary gift was given out of the Knight's deep love for our university and our state. It was given out of an abiding belief that with the right resources, the right strategy, and the right leadership, the University of Oregon can achieve a level of excellence and create a type of scientific innovation that had previously been out of reach. We are profoundly grateful to Phil and Penny.

This is a defining moment for the UO and the state of Oregon, one that will push the bounds of discovery and the limits of our imagination. We are eager to seize this moment -- to partner with the state, public universities, industry, alumni, donors and the community -- to make our world a better place. The possibilities are limitless.

Michael H. Schill is president of the University of Oregon and a professor of law.
-d8b227bd209cce04.jpg

Sen. Jeff Merkley

(Beth Nakamura/Staff)

MERKLEY FIGHTS TO PROTECT KIDS: As an anti-tobacco youth advocate from Portland, Oregon, I want to thank Sen. Jeff Merkley for his leadership in protecting kids from tobacco. He has successfully pushed the Food and Drug Administration to issue new rules regulating e-cigarettes and cigars, which use sweet flavors and bright colors to attract kids. In Oregon, 17.1 percent of high school students now use e-cigarettes.

Unfortunately, not all members of Congress show the same commitment as Sen. Merkley. Some are trying to weaken the FDA's rules, and even exempt some cigars completely, by attaching special-interest provisions to an important appropriations bill. If these provisions become law, it will be very difficult for the FDA to protect kids from e-cigarettes and cigars in flavors like cotton candy and watermelon.

I urge Sen. Merkley to keep fighting to protect kids from tobacco products and make sure these harmful proposals never become law.

Allysson Angeldekao, Northeast Portland
By E.J. Dionne

WASHINGTON -- The lies and distortions that Donald Trump's campaign messengers deploy to rationalize their candidate's outrageousness are more typical of the last couple of decades of our politics than we'd like to admit.

Especially revealing and infuriating are the efforts to use Al Gore as a human shield against the public indignation Trump aroused by refusing to say whether he would accept the verdict of a democratic election. To compare what Gore did in the aftermath of the contested 2000 election with what Trump is doing now is like analogizing a fire marshal investigating the causes of a blaze to an arsonist.

But first, the larger lesson. As Trump has plummeted in the polls, more conventional Republicans who thought they could get away with supporting him have tried to pretend that Trump and his message were foisted on them from some distant planet.

On Thursday in Florida, President Obama called the GOP's bluff. "Trump didn't come out of nowhere," he declared. "For years, Republican politicians and far-right media outlets had just been pumping out all kinds of toxic, crazy stuff. ... Donald Trump didn't start all this. Like he usually does, he just slapped his name on it, took credit for it, and promoted the heck out of it."

Obama cataloged the craziness he had in mind: the "birther thing," climate change as "a Chinese hoax," and claims that "I'm about to steal everybody's guns in the middle of the night and declare martial law, but somehow I still need a teleprompter to finish a sentence."

The headline news was about Obama taking on Sen. Marco Rubio for calling Trump "dangerous" and a "con artist" and then deciding it was still OK to endorse him. A race is on between now and Election Day: Can Republican candidates run away from Trump fast enough to keep their opponents from tagging them as enablers of the most dangerous candidate ever nominated by either party?

Many politically vulnerable Republicans have tried to cover themselves by condemning Trump's refusal to say he'd accept the election's outcome if he lost. But his election-rigging charges have a long history.

Part of Trump's rationale rests on accusations that the media are stacked against him. This has been a staple Republican talking point since the days of Richard Nixon and Spiro Agnew. And Trump's insistence that Democrats win elections through "voter fraud," mostly in big cities and minority neighborhoods, is the groundless, evidence-less rationalization Republicans have used for years to justify laws aimed at disenfranchising those who are inclined to vote against them.

In fact, voter suppression is a far graver danger to our democracy than the vanishingly tiny amount of fraud, as Ari Berman, the author of "Give Us the Ballot," documented last week in The Nation.

Which brings us to Gore. Knowing the political trouble Trump's blatant disrespect for the democratic process is causing him, the Republican's defenders are relying on innocence by association. "I'm going to keep reminding everybody about the 2000 election when Al Gore said he would accept the results of the election and then did not," said Kellyanne Conway, Trump's campaign manager. "He retracted his concession."

This, of course, is ridiculous, as the fact-checkers have shown. Gore's call to Bush after midnight conceding the race actually showed how much respect he had for the electoral process. It was only after news organizations withdrew their calls of Florida for Bush, depriving him of an Electoral College majority, that Gore decided a recount was called for.

To this day, many Democrats view the Supreme Court's 5-to-4 decision abruptly halting recounts and awarding Florida to Bush by 537 votes as partisan and even lawless. Yet despite this, and even though Gore won the national popular vote by more than 500,000, he nonetheless conceded with exceptional graciousness. "What remains of partisan rancor must now be put aside," Gore said, publicly congratulating Bush and urging the country "to unite behind our next president."

It's very important to notice that Conway was effectively channeling the efforts of Bush partisans during the Florida struggle. They attacked Gore simply because he wanted a recount in an agonizingly close race. The Wall Street Journal's editorialists spoke then of "a Gore Coup d'Etat" while Rush Limbaugh flatly asserted that Gore was trying to "steal it." Limbaugh also said this: "We know the whole thing has been rigged."

Yes, we've heard almost everything Trump and his minions are saying before. You wonder how much introspection Republicans will be capable of after all the votes are counted this year.

E.J. Dionne's email address is ejdionnewashpost.com. Twitter: EJDionne.

(c) 2016, Washington Post Writers Group
Former Gov. John Kitzhaber parted ways with Gov. Kate Brown and two other former Democratic governors Sunday night issuing an anti-Measure 97 manifesto on his new website and on Facebook.

Business could and should contribute more, Kitzhaber said. But the new revenue generated by Measure 97 is too much and won't necessarily fix anything, he added.

"There is no question but that we need more money in the general fund to close a $1.4 billion structural budget deficit and to better support important public services," Kitzhaber wrote in the Facebook post. "And, yes, I believe that corporate Oregon can afford to contribute quite a bit more to support these priorities.

"The problem," the former governor said, "is that BM 97 proposes to spend an additional $6 billion a biennium on current programs regardless of whether those programs are actually producing the outcomes we want... The sheer magnitude of the new revenue being proposed (a thirty-one percent increase in the general fund) will eliminate any motivation for fixing the "education funding disconnect," created by Ballot Measures 5 and 50."

Measure 97 would create a new gross receipts tax on specific kinds of Oregon businesses with sales of $25 million or more. It has become one of the most expensive political fights in state history with opponents and proponents raising more than $32 million.

Kitzhaber has been moving slowly back into the public eye since he resigned under fire in February 2015 after an influence-peddling scandal involving former First Lady Cylvia Hayes. He put up a new website on Oct. 12, which he said will deal primarily with environmental and healthcare issues.

Kitzhaber's opposition to the new tax measure is no secret. He said in his Facebook post that he wanted to publicly explain his opposition "because many of my friends and former political allies support it."

One of those allies, veteran Legislator Peter Buckley, D-Ashland, said Kitzhaber was wrong. "We've had 25 years as a state to come up with options, and M97 is the first proposal I've seen that provides a viable choice for progress," Buckley commented.

-- Jeff Manning

jmanning@oregonian.com

503-294-7606
Voters in Multnomah County will decide on an ambitious proposal for campaign finance reform this fall, one of a handful of measures on the November ballot that would refashion how the county governs itself and alter the future of local elections.

One of those proposals would turn the county's elected sheriff into an appointed position, while another would let county commissioners serve 12 years in a row instead of eight.

Each was placed on the ballot by the county's Charter Review Committee, a citizen panel convened every six years to decide on changes to the county's charter.

Here's a look at what those measures would do:

Campaign finance reform: Oregon is one of six states without limits on campaign contributions. Measure 26-184 would change that, at least in Multnomah County races.

Candidates could collect no more than $500 from individuals and political committees. So-called "small donor committees," which bundle up smaller contributions from individuals, could accept no more than $100 per donor each year.

Independent expenditures in support of a campaign would be limited to $5,000 per person and $10,000 per political action committee. And every political ad in county races would have to say who paid for it.

A group called Honest Elections Multnomah County -- which includes three members of the Charter Review Committee -- rallied behind the measure. It's also garnered support from five political parties, advocacy groups for people of color and several candidates, including state Labor Commissioner Brad Avakian, who's running for Oregon Secretary of State.

Proponents say the limits would level the playing field among potential candidates and make elections more transparent. And they say it would ensure that candidates spend time speaking with voters instead of courting people with money.

But even if the measure passes muster with voters, will it pass legal muster?

Opponents predict the measure will face swift and costly litigation -- just like when voters statewide tried to cap campaign contributions nearly 20 years ago. The Oregon Supreme Court in 1997 ruled the limits violated the state's free speech clause.

Juan Carlos Ordonez, a member of the Charter Review Committee and the Honest Elections group, agrees the courts will probably have to revisit the issue. But with the distance of two decades, he said, the outcome could be different.

Ordonez argues the Oregon Legislature has shown little appetite for statewide limits. A local measure, he said, could pave the way for limits across Oregon.

"We do expect there will be a legal challenge," he said. "We welcome it. It's really the only path forward right now."

The measure has faced other criticism. County Commissioner Loretta Smith, the only African American on the county board and Portland City Council, tried to dissuade the citizen panel from putting the measure on the ballot. She argued the limits would harm chances for women, minorities and "the little guy" to make it into office.

"You are going to stop folks like me from being in office," she told the Charter Review Committee in June.

She supports statewide campaign finance limits, she said, but said enacting only in Multnomah County would be unfair. She said it would ensure county commissioners are chosen by business or lawyer groups. And it would hurt commissioners who later run for non-county offices, she argued, because they would lack connections to big donors.

Ordonez said Smith's comments were "upside-down." The Portland branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and the Asian Pacific American Network of Oregon have both endorsed the measure.

"Campaign finance reform is an absolutely a priority for people of color," Ordonez said. "Communities that have been historically marginalized, people with less wealth and less income, are at a complete disadvantage."

Appointed sheriff: Measure 26-183 asks voters to switch the sheriff from an elected official to a department head, appointed by the the county chair.

If approved, the change would take effect in 2019, canceling a currently scheduled election for sheriff in 2018. It would give Multnomah County the only appointed sheriff in Oregon. But it wouldn't be a first for the county

Voters passed a similar charter amendment in 1966. Then, in 1982, voters passed an amendment that returned the sheriff to an elective position.

Commissioner Judy Shiprack reignited the appointment idea last year -- before former Sheriff Dan Staton became the subject of a state criminal investigation in part because of his interest in the committee's work.

She argued the board may be better suited than voters to pick a forward-thinking administrator to lead the sheriff's office, which was knocked in a 2013 county audit for budget troubles that included overspending on overtime. Under Shiprack's plan, the county board would vote on the chair's pick for sheriff, just like other department heads.

But Staton's troubles -- fueled by long-simmering tension within the office that spilled into public view -- loomed over the debate.

Staton, who opposed the idea of an appointed sheriff, faced allegations of collecting information on the committee members, making threatening remarks about them, creating a hostile work environment and retaliating against his employees.

The Oregon Department of Justice found no evidence of criminal wrongdoing. But during several months of intense scrutiny, the litany of allegations grew to include include bullying, sexism, improperly purchasing a fancy car and trying to influence a union vote. Three unions called on him to step down, and he eventually relented, retiring more than two years early in August.

"When public concerns about the sheriff's fitness for office arise, the public's options are to initiate a costly recall campaign or to endure a months-long process of scandal," the Charter Review Committee concluded in a recent report.

"Returning to an appointed sheriff position would increase accountability, expand the candidate pool, and improve the county's ability to coordinate criminal justice policy," the committee wrote.

Although Staton clashed with County Chair Deborah Kafoury, she and other officials have expressed support for keeping the sheriff's position elective. Supporters say voters should get to choose their top law enforcement official, and the sheriff should be accountable to the public - not a single politician.

Former Portland Police Chief Mike Reese stepped in as interim sheriff in August. He's now running unopposed to finish the remainder of Staton's term, which ends in 2018. Reese also opposes the measure.

"As an appointed sheriff," he told The Oregonian/OregonLive, "there would be times when it may be harder to speak frankly with the voters on public safety issues when you could maybe lose your job because of those frank conversations."

Term limits: The county's charter limits elected officials to two four-year terms in any 12-year period. Measure 26-181 would allow them to serve up to three consecutive terms, or 12 years, in any 16-year period.

The issue of term limits has resurfaced many times since the two-term limit was set in 1982. This time, the Charter Review Committee determined that keeping term limits overall was important because of the difficulty of defeating an incumbent. Portland City Council, for example, has no term limits.

However, adding one more term, they concluded, would reduce turnover in county offices and give officials a greater chance to apply their expertise.

Running for county chair: Measure 26-182 would allow a county commissioner to run for chair without resigning mid-term. The amendment would not apply to campaigns for any other elected office.

The county added its resignation requirement as part of voter-approved reforms in 1982. The charter panel said voters then were probably inflamed by a county commissioner who ran for Portland City Council less than halfway through his term.

But a county commissioner who's running for county chair is still focused on county business, the committee decided this year when recommending the measure. The current requirement results in unnecessary turnover, committee members concluded, and shouldn't apply in this limited scenario.

-- Emily E. Smith

esmith@oregonian.com

503-294-4032; @emilyesmith
markohatfieldcourthousebeth.jpg

The Mark O. Hatfield Courthouse in downtown Portland.

(Beth Nakamura|Staff)

Haoqian "Jim'' Liu, who admitted to helping another man in the Philippines evade export controls by shipping firearms accessories to him from Oregon at least 30 times, urged a federal judge Monday to release him early from his three-year probationary sentence.

Liu told federal authorities he accepted packages of firearms accessories - including gun sights and rifle scopes -- sent to his Oregon City home that were ordered by a co-defendant in the Philippines, Warren Sumaylo.

Liu acknowledged he then repackaged the goods and shipped them by U.S. mail to Sumaylo in the Philippines. Liu admitted some of the packages he received were labeled with export restrictions. He said he removed those labels before sending them to Sumaylo.

Some items shipped were on the U.S. munitions list and controlled by the International Trafficking in Arms Regulations, and they required a State Department license to export. The United States Munitions List is a catalog of designated defense articles that are subject to export restrictions. The export of other items required a Commerce Department license before export.

In June 2015, Liu was sentenced to three years probation after pleading guilty to failure to file export information. Liu had agreed to cooperate with the federal investigation and testify against his co-defendant.

Sumaylo, however, remains a federal fugitive, according to the prosecutor.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles F. Gorder Jr. objected Monday to any reduction of the penalty, arguing that Liu hasn't even served half of his probationary sentence and that three months after his sentence Liu had a package of firearms accessories addressed to his Oregon home intercepted by federal customs officials in Los Angeles.

On Sept. 22, 2015, a package from China addressed to Liu and labelled as "Auto Joint" valued at $480 was intercepted at the Los Angeles airport, according to Gorder. Examination of the package, however, revealed 300 "quad rail hand guards'' for AR-15 rifles, which would require a license to be imported from China, the prosecutor wrote in a legal brief.

The package was seized by U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers.

Liu's defense lawyer, Kevin Sali, argued Monday that Liu asked Sali in July 2015 to find out whether he needed any special permit or license to import the AR-15 rifle hand guards. Despite multiple calls and inquiries to the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Sali said he never received any response, and his client decided to abandon any further attempt to import such rifle parts in the future.

"I've never to this day heard back from the ATF'' or received any guidance, Sali told U.S. District Judge Anna J. Brown on Monday.

Liu stood and told the court he's eager to have his probationary term end as he's interested in becoming a U.S. citizen, and he is concerned about being deported if he were to travel to China to visit with his elderly grandparents.

Brown told Liu, "There are consequences to having a felony conviction. That's not going to change.''

She said she was reluctant to reduce his term of probation, as the three years was the agreed-upon sentence.

"To me, 16 months is not enough time in light of the seriousness of the original offense,'' Brown said.

Liu's family manufactures optical equipment, which Liu imports into the U.S. and sells over the internet. His criminal activity occurred between 2010 and 2012.

Liu estimated he earned about $50 per shipment he sent to Sumalyo, or about $1,500, according to court documents.

-- Maxine Bernstein

mbernstein@oregonian.com

503-221-8212

@maxoregonian
File photo shows the train runing from from Lanzhou, capital of northwest China's Gansu Province, to Minsk in the Republic of Belarus. [Photo: Chinanews.com]

Workers are performing final checks on the chassis and railcars of a train that will depart next week from Lanzhou, capital of northwest China's Gansu Province, to Minsk in the Republic of Belarus.

The trip will mark the second chartered service via the 7,000 km rail line after cargo service began on September 23. The direct link connects the logistics hub of Lanzhou and the China-Belarus Industrial Park, which is under construction in Minsk.

The train service will become regular once the industrial park opens.

Statistics from the Gansu provincial government showed that 63 cargo trains made trips from Lanzhou to Europe and Central Asia during the first nine months of 2016, with goods totaling 108.463 million U.S. dollars in value. The goods for export include building materials, machinery equipment, home furnishings and drilling rig accessories.

Xia Hongmin, vice governor of Gansu, said that the international cargo trains have tightened connections between China and countries along the ancient Silk Road while deepening foreign trade.
Two co-workers at a Portland insurance company turned up dead on Saturday, one murdered, the other dead by suicide.

Now Portland Police are investigating whether there is a connection.

Mitra Mehrabadi and Jimmy Alan Morgan worked together at Liberty Mutual Insurance.

At just after 10 a.m. Saturday, officers encountered Morgan, 51, of Gresham, at the 800 block of Northeast 19th Avenue. They'd received reports of a suspicious person with a gun sitting in a black sedan.



As officers approached Morgan in his 2005 Mercury Montego sedan, they heard a gunshot from inside the vehicle. Morgan had shot himself, police determined.

Later the same day, at 7:41 p.m., officers were called to the Liberty Centre office building on Northeast Holladay Street. They found Mehrabadi, 36, of Lake Oswego. An autopsy performed later determined she'd been shot multiple times.

Homicide detectives learned late Saturday evening that Morgan and Mehrabadi knew each other and worked together. Detectives said Sunday they are continuing to investigate the connection between the two people.

The Liberty Centre is located about a mile away from where Morgan shot himself.

Police ask that anyone with information contact Detective Michele Michaels at 503-823-0692, michele.michaels@portlandoregon.gov; or, Detective Bryan Steed at 503-823-0395, bryan.steed@portlandoregon.gov.

-- Jeff Manning

This post was updated to correct the seventh paragraph.
Three people died and three were seriously injured Saturday night in a two-car accident north of Molalla on Highway 211.

Oregon State Police said a Toyota Supra traveling at a high rate of speed failed to negotiate a corner and slid sideways through the curve only to be t-boned by a northbound vehicle.

Joseph Ferris, 25, of Clackamas, driver of the Toyota, was pronounced dead at the scene, as was his passenger, Dylan Sams, 25, of Salem.

Kayla Cole, 19, of Eagle Creek, a passenger in the other car, also suffered fatal injuries. Also seriously injured were Mark Cole, 55, and Tina Cole, 51 and a three-year-old male whose name was unavailable. They were transported by air ambulance to area hospitals.

-- Jeff Manning
portland_city_hall_michelle_brence.JPG

Portland has been promoting public use of city information since 2009, when the City Council adopted an open data policy to share internal information with the public.

(Michelle Brence/The Oregonian)

Portland began targeting "zombie homes" last spring, seeking to foreclose on abandoned and neglected properties that had become a blight in their neighborhoods. The city didn't know, though, how many of these derelicts there were.

The city had the information to figure it out, according to Mayor Charlie Hales: One bureau had been collecting data on neighborhood complaints. Another had data on liens. But there was no way to put them together.

Portland has been working to change that for several years, and now will have an important partner in that effort. The city has signed on to a national project designed to make government data more available to the public, and to help government offices use that information more effectively.

The initiative is called What Works Cities. It's run by Bloomberg Philanthropies, through which former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg directs his charitable giving.

"His attitude is you've got to start thinking corporately, as an organization, make your city work in a businesslike way," Hales said.

Businesses rely on "big data" to guide decision-making for marketing, product development and to gauge their operational performance. Bloomberg's initiative wants to do the same thing for local governments.

What Works Cities says it aims to help cities use data to improve services, decision making, and to engage residents. It's already enlisted 39 cities in the effort - including Gresham, which joined up in June.

The program offers participating cities an online toolkit with suggestions, including tips for connecting residents with data, building an open data culture inside city government, creating open data policies, and communicating with the media.

Portland won't get any money through Bloomberg's program, but it will get help. What Works Cities contracted with five organizations, including universities and the nonprofit Sunlight Foundation, to provide guidance to participating cities on how to manage their data and how to make it available.

Portland has been promoting public use of city information since 2009, when the City Council adopted an open data policy to share internal information with the public. Shannon Carney, a performance management analyst leading Portland's data project, said the Bloomberg partnership represents an opportunity to refresh that effort.

"Sometimes I feel as frustrated as anyone else trying to get information about what's happening in the city," Carney said. "Even though I'm part of the city."

-- Mike Rogoway

mrogoway@oregonian.com

503-294-7699

@rogoway
"We are behind," Donald Trump's campaign manager, Kellyanne Conway, said Sunday on "Meet the Press."

But are they really? Many of Trump's most ardent supporters refuse to believe the polling trend. And it is at least possible they're onto something.

Data expert Nate Silver at fivethirtyeight.com puts Hillary Clinton's chances of winning the presidential election at 86.2 percent. The New York Times is even more bullish, insisting the Democratic nominee has a 92 percent chance of coming out on top.

But while most polls do put Clinton comfortably out front -- some by double digits since a rash of sexual-assault accusations against Trump -- a few still show the Republican nominee leading. These are the ones Trump's fans are clinging to. Maybe, they hope, these outlier polls are in fact the true polls.

The Rasmussen and Investors' Business Daily polls are the two key surveys that continue to show Trump with the edge.

Rasmussen gives Trump a "slight" lead, 43 percent to Clinton's 41 percent, in its latest results. One reason Rasmussen tends to lean Republican: its "landline-heavy" automated-calls approach to polling, which is likely to skew results toward older, less-educated voters -- a Trumpian sweet spot. "Lots of poll-watchers suggest that [Rasmussen's Republican tilt is] intentional," Huffington Post writes, "but there is not any concrete evidence of that."

Investors' Business Daily, meanwhile, puts Trump and Clinton dead-even at 41 percent each in its most recent poll. The IBD poll's methodology appears to be in line with those that show Clinton leading by a large margin, with 65 percent of its "randomly selected live interviews" coming from cell phones. Critics have speculated about "sample error."

There's also the USC Dornsife/Los Angeles Times poll, which does things very differently than other polls. For example, it surveys the same people over and over again, rather than seeking out voters randomly for each poll. This gives the individual respondents great power to speak for their entire demographic cohort. A single 19-year-old Illinois man who's a Trump fan, the New York Times pointed out, has skewed the poll's results. "Alone, he has been enough to put Mr. Trump in double digits of support among black voters."

Trump himself embraces these "outlier" polls, declaring that 2016 is the year of against-the-grain insurgents in politics. He points to Brexit, the July referendum in Great Britain that asked voters whether they wanted to take the country out of the European Union. The final polls showed the "stay" campaign -- backed by the political establishment in the U.K. -- ahead. "Leave" ultimately won. Trump on Friday declared that this U.S. presidential election would be "Brexit times five." He blames the "dishonest" media for Clinton's poll lead, insisting it's purposely putting out incorrect surveys to create an aura of inevitability for the Democratic nominee.

Trump has spent the past few weeks complaining about the election being "rigged," hoping to get his supporters to stampede to the polls while convincing millennials -- Democrat-leaning younger voters who are suspicious of the status quo -- to stay home. At this point, after three general-election debates and more than a year of campaigning, voter turnout is what this presidential election is all about.

Conway, for her part, appears to accept the preponderance of the polls. She says Clinton is leading but only because the full of weight of the establishment is behind her -- knowing full well this is an anti-establishment year. "She has a former president, happens to be her husband, campaigning for her," Conway said Sunday. "The current president and first lady, vice president -- all more popular than she can hope to be. And she's seen as the incumbent."

-- Douglas Perry
Khizr Khan Pocket Constitution Signing (2).jpg

Khizr Khan signs a pocket Constitution for former U.S. Attorney Dwight Holton ahead of the Gold Star father's speech in Tigard.

(Eder Campuzano/staff)

As Khizr Khan made his way through the dining room at the Muslim Educational Trust building in Tigard, visitors peeked over each others' shoulders to catch a glimpse of the man who would take the podium in just over an hour.

Once he was done shaking hands and introducing himself to the dozens waiting to dine with him, Khan met briefly with former U.S Attorney Dwight Holton to sign a copy of his pocket Constitution.

"I wanted him to sign it for my kids, to thank him for everything he's been doing for the (Democratic) ticket," Holton said.

The former U.S. attorney's older sister is married to Tim Kaine, vice presidential nominee on the Democratic ticket.

Khan, whose son Humayun died in 2004 as a U.S. soldier in Iraq, is visiting Oregon to deliver a lecture at the Muslim center. The national spotlight fell on Khizr Khan and his wife, Ghazala, after he delivered an impassioned speech during the Democratic National Convention where he asked Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump: "Have you even read the U.S. Constitution?"

Khan was referring to Trump's proposed ban on Muslims entering the U.S. in the wake of terror attacks in France and Belgium. He hammered the Republican nominee for negatively singling out ethnic minorities throughout his campaign.

He was invited to the Muslim educational facility in Tigard to deliver a speech on those themes titled "Building Bridges, Breaking Barriers."

Khan takes the podium at 7 p.m. We'll report on the speech live via the Twitter widget below:

--Eder Campuzano

503.221.4344

@edercampuzano

ecampuzano@oregonian.com
The Oregon Department of Transportation wasn't sure how the public would react when it launched a new bus service between Portland and Multnomah Falls earlier this year. Would people really give up driving to get to one of Oregon's most popular attractions?

With the first season now done, officials have their answer: It's a success.

More than 30,000 people took the bus in 2016, which ran Friday, Saturday and Sunday from May 27 to Sept. 25. It stopped at the Gateway Transit Center in Portland, Rooster Rock State Park and Multnomah Falls. Fare was $5 round-trip from Gateway, but people who boarded at Rooster Rock rode free.

Initially, three 20-seat buses made the trip 12 times daily, but due to unexpected popularity ODOT added a 56-seat bus to the fleet in July on the leg between Rooster Rock and Multnomah Falls. Each bus came equipped with bike racks, which officials said riders used every day.

The primary goal of the the two-year pilot program is to reduce congestion in the Multnomah Falls parking lot. The lot closed 181 times over the previous two years due to crowds, according to the department. ODOT officials aren't sure yet what the bus service's impact was on that overcrowding, but spokesman Don Hamilton said they'll be looking at that data to improve service next year.

"I think that all of this is still under study," Hamilton said. But "any time you're taking this many trips off interstate 84 you're doing something to ease congestion."

The Columbia River Gorge Express bus is a two-year pilot program by the Oregon Department of Transportation that will run between the Gateway Transit Center in northeast Portland and Multnomah Falls, aimed at reducing traffic congestion in the Columbia River Gorge. (Photo courtesy of Oregon Department of Transportation)

With 2016 behind them, ODOT officials are now looking ahead to second year of the pilot program - and even a third year if things continue to go well.

In 2017, they plan on using larger buses to reduce wait time, and will attempt to alleviate rider stress by adding shelters at Multnomah Falls and Rooster Rock, providing a staff member at Rooster Rock to reassure riders that a bus is coming, and moving the Gateway stop closer to other bus and light rail lines.

For 2018, the department is considering expanding the service to Hood River, adding possible stops at Bonneville Dam, Cascade Locks, Eagle Creek and the Pacific Crest Trail. It's still unclear how all of this would affect overcrowding in the national scenic area, but it is clear that something needs to be done.

"We have to take steps to make sure we can ease congestion, ease some of the pressure on these, some of these most beloved locations," Hamilton said. "We're in danger of really over-loving the gorge."

--Jamie Hale | jhale@oregonian.com | @HaleJamesB
China will never allow the US to run amok in South China Sea waters, the Peoples Daily asserted in a commentary on Sunday after a US Navy guided-missile destroyer, the USS Decatur, sailed through the waters of the Xisha Islands on Friday without the Chinese approval.

What the US did, driven by its hegemonic mentality, cannot increase its influence in Asia-Pacific region, the article said, adding that such acts to stir up enmity and make troubles will only result in the accelerated decline of its global influence.

The Chinese government resolutely opposes such provocative behavior and takes a series of effective counter-measures, added the commentary under the byline of "Zhongsheng".

The following is the translation of the article:

A US Navy guided-missile destroyer, the USS Decatur, sailed through Xisha Island waters, part of the South China Sea as Chinese territorial waters on Friday without the approval of Chinese authorities. The Chinese government resolutely opposes such provocative behavior and will take a series of effective counter-measures.

In the statement of the Chinese government on the territorial sea baseline issued in May 1996, China clarified the baseline of the Xisha Islands. The Law of the People's Republic of China on the Territorial Sea and the Contiguous Zone and other international laws also stipulates that all foreign warships need to gain approval from the Chinese government before entering Chinese waters.

The illegal entry of US warships into Chinese waters without permission seriously violates Chinas sovereignty and security interests, breaches both Chinese and international laws as well, and poses threats to peace, security as well as order in the relevant waters.

What the US did aims to encroach upon the sovereignty, security and maritime interests of regional countries in the so-called name of a freedom-of-navigation operation. But such provocative acts once again expose the negative energy of its Rebalance to Asia strategy, and at the same time verify the US role as a real trouble-maker in the South China Sea.

The so-called patrol launched by the US this time came just as China and the Philippines, a country immediately concerned with the South China Sea issue, were restoring their ties. During Philippine President Rodrigo Dutertes state visit to China, the two countries inked a series of cooperation agreements.

This US provocation in Chinese territorial waters, at a time when the improvement of ties between China and relevant countries is pulling the South China Sea issue to a encouraging solution, proves that the US has been destabilizing the South China Sea by playing up tensions.

By launching the so-called patrols, the superpower is telling the world that it can tolerate neither a tranquil South China Sea, nor a peaceful and stable Asia-Pacific. Since it cannot find a puppet troublemaker any longer, the exasperated Washington has to create a disturbance by itself.

President Duterte pointed out in a speech that the US feels a little anxious over Chinas sound ties with the Philippines, and his remarks revealed the complicated psychology of the US. Its peremptory provocation, as a matter of fact, can be regarded as a way to release its depression and an inertia to maintain its hegemony.

Washington has to realize that it is rightly this hegemonic mentality that has resulted in its declining global influence and inability to provide public goods with positive energy. It also has to admit that the era when one country can dominate an alliance network by creating tensions with lies will never come back.

No one wants to weaken the US influence in the Asia-Pacific region, but such influence must be based on a positive dedication to common development of the whole region. Its outdated hegemonic mentality is by no means accepted by regional countries who aspire for peace, cooperation and shared progress.

It is well-known that freedom-of-navigation, often cited by the US as a pretext, is actually a falsehood to allow the country to pursue absolute freedom of its own security. But the US should bear in mind the ultimate consequences of seeking absolute security as the country has paid enough bitter prices for its arrogance and ignorance.

The arbitrary decision will certainly bring the country to deadlock, and such a stubborn country may obtain some hard power, but never soft power and smart power.

If the US really wants to be a world power, it can never resort to guns, firearms, separation or fishing in troubled waters. Efforts to expand interests can be shared by all countries. Highfalutin words but obstinate and aggressive deeds will win no respect and trust from other countries.

Over the past years, in a bid to cement its maritime hegemony, the US has been destabilizing regional peace and stability by meddling in the South China Sea, challenging China and alienating ties between China and the Philippines.

Washington has not realized that those tricks cannot overturn the regional trend of peaceful development. As the Philippines once appealed, We can't be US' 'little brown brother' forever. Its choice to adjust diplomatic policies and reinforce cooperation with China also proves that an unjust cause committed to by the US finds little support.

Whats more, the US should not bear any fantasy in terms of the South China Sea issue as this is not its first head-to-head game with China. China has a rock-solid determination to safeguard its sovereignty and territorial integrity. China will not ask for anything not belonging to itself, but it will fight for every inch of its territory within its sovereignty.

Chinese President Xi Jinping, at the gathering commemorating the 80th anniversary of the conclusion of the Long March (1934-36), urged the entire military to remain vigilant and be aware of its responsibilities, stressing that the modernization of national defense and armed forces must advance in a bid to safeguard the country's national sovereignty, security and development interests.

The US consolidation of hegemony with military actions will only highlight Chinas necessity to strengthen defense, and activate Chinas resolution to improve its capability to safeguard its own interests.

The Chinese army will definitely safeguard Chinas national sovereignty and security by stepping up patrols based on demand and optimizing its defensive capabilities. China will never allow the US to run amok in the South China Sea, an issue concerning principles.
Nigerias economy is on downhill roll and that is no longer news.

In the past five years, crude oil business in the international market keeps dipping that even the highest oil explorers and exporters have started having it rough. That is one of the reasons Nigeria plunged into troubled waters. But prior to that, few Nigerian businesspeople had started channelling their energy into some uncharted and new areas, including international partnerships and linkages to attract businesses into the country whose economy is mainly private sector driven. In such trying times, Chinas growing business interest in Nigeria, especially by private Chinese investors, has been a potent force to help the country out of the bad season.

That is the reason the China-Nigeria business relationship has flourished more with the private sector investors and the investments have featured prominently in clusters and Special Economic Zones like those in Lekki, Igbesa in Ogun State and the Calabar Free Trade Zone. They target furniture and home appliances like the Haier giant home appliance manufacturer. Last week, during a tour of the Shandong District of China by African journalists in China, Nigeria was a constant mention in China business reach in Africa.

At the world class Inspur Technology, Chinas number one wireless and data management service providers in Shangdong capital city of Jinan, Nigeria was an issue, and when stepping out of the premises, a team of Africans were disembarking from their bus. Someone immediately pointed in my direction as the people walked towards me to introduce that they are Nigerians and had been in China for 10 days then. We later found that they were staffers of the Systems Department of the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and on training tour of China. The Inspur tour guide had mentioned Nigeria as one of the destinations they have in Africa. Mr. Meng Qingwei, the regional General Manager for Africa regions including Nigeria spoke so highly of their prospects in the Nigerian market.

At the government level also, in the last week of June, the then deputy petroleum minister and chief executive of the NNPC, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu was in Beijing with his team for a business drive which. Kachikwu in his interview with me hinted that his team signed about $90b MoUs with Chinese investors with intent to play in the countrys oil and gas sector.

At the Haier Technology office in the port city of Qingdao, the tour guide explained that they have a flourishing manufacturing spot in Nigeria he called one of the most prominent in Africa according to the General manager, Nigeria and Egypt markets, Mr. Guo Huachuns discussion.

Chinas investments in Nigeria also target steel and construction materials, food and beverage, automobile assembly like the Innoson Motors, BAIC Motors and the Sinotruk that would come on board for production in November.

But of special note is the manner Aliko Dangote, Nigerian businessman and Africas richest man in the past 20 years has been a constant name in China investment in Africa even beyond Nigeria, for instance his $4.34b deal with the Sinoma, a major Chinese engineering group for the production of cement in eight African countries in August last year. At the African journalists visit to the office of the Jiangsu Overseas Company (JOC) in Nanjing in April, the name Dangote was on their lips. During another visit to the China Africa Development Fund (CADFund) in Beijing established three years ago with an asset base of $10b, the major reference is that the Fund has very strong business links with the Dangote Group as Mr. Zheneng Wu (Johnny), the Deputy Managing Director, Marketing and Investment Cooperation revealed.

A meeting with Sinotruk in their head office in Jinan was most amazing about Dangote influence in China and how he flies the Nigerian foreign investment flag over here and cements the China/Nigeria business ties.

While playing their profile video, Aliko Dangotes face featured so much and later the African Division President/Executive Director, Zhang Yuzong spoke to me and assured that as he travels to Lagos in November they expect to switch on the Sinotruk production line in Lekki that is expected to generate hundreds of jobs. That business came in 2013 after Dangote signed a $100m deal with Sinotruk.

Just last month, the Chinese Charge De Affairs in the Nigerian Embassy, Qin Jian, stated that Chinas operational investment in Nigeria has hit $2.5b mark and most of these are by the private investors.

On August 16, Peoples Daily ran a report of the business interest of Beloxxi Industries, the continents largest and most automated biscuits manufacturing plant in Nigeria.

Beloxxi cream crackers, the flagship product, is widely distributed in Nigeria, other African countries and served aboard most Nigeria out bound international airlines such as Lufthansa, KLM, British Airways, Emirates, Ethihad, Ethiopian, Kenyan, South African Airways.

The interview by the President/CEO of Beloxxi attracted so much business interest in China as it announced the conclusion of the firms minority shares divestment of $80m to German investment group. The report stated that: Between July 1 and August 1, Beloxxi Industries concluded a USD80m minority equity sale deal to a consortium of three international firms led by KFW-DEG Bank of Germany, 8Miles of London and African Capital Alliance of Nigeria. This landmark transaction represents the largest transaction in the biscuit sector of the Nigerian economy.

The deal also announced by the Financial Times of London has expanded the flanks of Beloxxi to the creation of a conglomerate, the Sagemill Group that targets to diversify Beloxxi operations in allied sectors such as flexible biscuits wrappers production, corrugated cartons, compressed natural gas stations and ultimately an industrial park. While the first three already have sure China production contacts and partnerships in firms around Shanghai and Guangdong, the last, Industrial Park, which is a specialty of the China economy model is also looking towards China and already forging impressive and credible discussions with Chinese partners and agencies with interest in investment in Africa.

The company said her credibility is a potent force, even as a major Chinese government agency exclusively confided that a letter of interest between it and Beloxxi is already getting positive attention both in Beijing and in the African outpost of the agency. When concluded as expected judging from the encouraging revelations of the two sides, the deals would culminate in the penning of business partnership that would run into several hundreds of dollars in power and agriculture especially as Beloxxi has interest in cultivating the most needed grains for its production in the country through which it intends to generate at least 4,000 new jobs.

The latest of the Chinese interventions will be the reception of a business team from China by the Nigerian Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo in Abuja Monday, October 24.

The consortium of Chinese investors is to sign the final document for an alliance to invest in the infotech and digital switch of Nigeria telecast sector. The deal valued at $1b is expected in the next two years to create 7000 new jobs in Nigeria.

Emewu is senior editor of The Sun Newspaper, Nigeria, Fellow of the China Public Diplomacy, Beijing and former intern at the Peoples Daily ([email protected])
When the sun goes down, the fun begins at Nature at Night.

Chippewa Nature Center, located at 400 S., Badour Road, will host this free, family-friendly event for all ages from 6-8:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
The 1st International Industrial Capacity Cooperation Forum and 8th China Overseas Investment Fair opened on Oct. 20. During the opening ceremony, Muzamir Mustafa, the president of ASEAN-China Young Entrepreneurs Association (ACYEA), told Peoples Daily Online that China is opening its doors wider to the world, and ASEAN needs Chinas help. He hopes that China will attract more ASEAN investment.

China is ASEANs biggest trading partner, Mustafa said. The country is making huge investments in Malaysia, Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam. At the same time, ASEAN is Chinas second biggest trading partner, with the business volume of the two parties reaching $400 billion in 2015. ASEAN and China share a unique relationship, one in which ASEAN depends on China for investment, according to Mustafa.

The year 2016 marks the 25th anniversary of China-ASEAN dialogue. During this period, the two parties cooperation has gradually matured. By May 2016, two-way investment between ASEAN and China had accumulated to $160 billion. Mustafa mentioned logistics, tourism and green energy as three areas with great potential for future bilateral cooperation. He also explained that China has expertise, which is another thing ASEAN countries lack.

Mustafa launched the International Innovation Investment Platform (IIIP) with Mr. Zhao Xiaolong, chairman of the board of China Volant Industry Co., Ltd. Zhao told Peoples Daily Online that, in the e-commerce era, IIIP will encourage local entrepreneurs to go abroad and promote their products to the world, and ASEAN countries are looking forward to learning about Chinas products.

As the president of ACYEAMustafa encouraged young entrepreneurs from ASEAN countries and China to find business partners from both sides. His association organizes a summit every year, and will launch a competition among young Chinese and ASEAN entrepreneurs in November. In his opinion, young people are hungry for business, and the Chinese government has provided great opportunities for ASEAN entrepreneurs to expand their businesses.
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After a combative 2014 campaign for the 98th State House seat, this years race had been relatively quiet until last Wednesday when the Daily News received an email from Korean War Vet William Miller of Auburn.

The email, which was also sent to info@midlandcountydems.org, stated that, On the Michigan-Sportsman.com website, an individual with the user name GMalicoat posted shockingly disparaging and disrespectful comments regarding both current and past members of the U.S. military  in other words, American veterans.

One Daily News source, who spoke on a condition of anonymity, says incumbent Republican Rep. Gary Glenn was behind the email.

The email brought a response from 98th District Democratic candidate Geoff Malicoat, who said he did create an email account, GMailcoat, 10 years ago. The account was then shared with several others, quickly banned and has remained inactive for years.

Malicoat, an attorney who specializes in elder law and is accredited by the Department of Veterans Affairs to represent veteran claimants, was upset someone would try to attribute the disrespectful comments to him.

These comments are reprehensible. As someone who has devoted themselves to serving veterans, I was offended to read them myself. Speech which dismisses the service and bravery of our servicemen and servicewomen should rightly be called out as ignorant and cruel. ... I did not write these things, nor had I ever seen them until today, said Malicoat, who at one time was a freelance writer for the Daily News.

Malicoat blames the email on the Glenn campaign.

There is hard, irrefutable forensic evidence that this email was crafted by the Gary Glenn campaign. He stated that Millers email contained several links, one of which came directly from the hard drive of Jeremiah Ward, Glenns campaign manager.

The Daily News attempted to contact Glenn three times, twice by email and once by voice mail. In response to the first email, which asked Glenn if Ward sent the email from his hard drive, Glenn had Ward email a response to the Daily News. The last two attempts, which asked specifically if Glenn wrote any part of Millers email, did not receive a response.

Wards response stated that Glenns campaign assisted Miller in sending out the email. Simply because it was more convenient for him, I used my computer to submit former American Legion state commander Bill Millers letter bringing to light Geoff Malicoats hostile and disparaging comments toward the U.S. military, Ward said.

Ward also said that Malicoat was not being truthful about the comments. ... We expect most people will find his denial simply unbelievable, as they should, Ward said.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture is announcing funding for conservation financial assistance through the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative. Assistance is available to farmers in designated watersheds to improve water quality and help control invasive species.

Areas eligible for funding include watersheds in the Saginaw Bay area, the Western Lake Erie Basin, and watersheds in northern Michigan adjoining Lake Huron and Lake Michigan. Applications for financial assistance must be submitted to the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service by Nov. 18.
MONDAY

 The Delta College board of trustees received a final overview of plans to construct the $12.7 million Saginaw Center satellite campus.

 Michigan State Police are waiting for positive identification of the people involved in a fatal crash in Isabella County on Saturday; they are believed to be Meridian High School graduates.

TUESDAY

 Pickering Auto was damaged in a fire Monday night; the cause of the fire is under investigation and the owner plans to rebuild.

 Midland Public Schools confirmed that enrollment has risen in the new school year, with the current estimate of about 65 more students than the district budget was based.

WEDNESDAY

 Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette and U.S. Rep. John Moolenaar have decided to continue supporting Donald Trump for president, but have serious concerns about his comments.

 Comerica announced plans to close one branch in Midland and its Beaverton branch by April of next year.

THURSDAY

 A lost black miniature pig was returned to its owner after it was found running around the parking lot at K&D Industries early Wednesday morning.

 Delta College received $1.8 million in funding, to be distributed over five years, in order to create and operate an Educational Opportunity Center for area residents.

FRIDAY

 A former patrolman with the Midland Police Department died in a motorcycle crash after hitting a deer on Thursday in Auburn.

 The Arnold Center recently acquired an industrial shredder to reduce or eliminate the risk of data breaches.
To the editor:

I am writing this letter to the editor in concern for our upcoming elections. Most importantly, our representation in Lansing. In a time of contentious politics, we should all remember one thing: mutual respect.

Our current representative to the Michigan House of Representatives lacks that very important quality of mutual respect. Gary Glenn doesnt want to represent all of Midland, only those who voices and concerns align with his. When Glenn is challenged on his position on Facebook, he blocks the constituent from commenting on his page, while affording other constituents the ability to post that do align with his ideologies. Therefore censoring segments of his constituency on a public platform. That is not democracy.

Gary Glenn was and is currently the president of the American Family Association (AFA) of Michigan. The AFA is a recognized hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center. The AFA has been directly responsible for much of the anti LGBT legislation thats brought embarrassment to our entire nation. Just Google Ten Things You Didnt Know About The AFA and youll get a much clearer idea of the ideology of this so-called family association. The last time I checked hate was not a family value. Gary Glenn has used his position as representative to further his organizations own agenda.

When the Midland Daily News named the current news editor (Tony Lascari, a gay man), Gary Glenn very vocally posted his opposition to it. On his Facebook page he posted Agenda Alert when it came to the promotion of a gay man to news editor of the paper, bringing much embarrassment to the City of Modern Explorers.

His brand of hate politics is not something that should be tolerable to our community. If we truly are the City of Modern Explorers, then we must progress to equal voices for all. Explorers are people who advance and move forward, not backwards. Modern exploration takes team work of varied peoples and their voices, and not silencing the voices of those who dont adhere to a politicians ideologies.

I urge all of Midland to vote for Geoff Malicoat. Malicoat will bring the voice of all his constituency to Lansing. He will work to bring equal pay for equal work to the women Michigan. Malicoat will work to help seniors by working to lift the pension tax imposed upon senior citizens implemented by the current state administration. These taxes were imposed upon those with already fixed incomes in order to pay for tax cuts to business and the wealthy. He will fight to bring funding back to our education system, and aid in Michigan moving forward in science, technology, engineering and mathematics education. Malicoat is also dedicated to ensuring the rights of all people by his support for The Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act.

Help to move Midland forward in exploration on Nov. 8, not backwards with cronyism and self serving politicians. Please help to ensure that all voices are heard, and not those of special interests.

Please vote Malicoat!

MIKE MADAY

Midland
To the editor:

With several neighbors and friends, we spent a couple of hours with Geoff Malicoat, who is running for the 98th District seat in the Michigan House.

We were most impressed by his experience as an attorney working with families trying to care for their aging or ill loved ones. Unlike his opponent, he grew up in Michigan and cares for the people and our natural resources. Unlike his opponent, he is not being bankrolled by the lobbyists and special interest groups that have taken over our state government. Unlike his opponent, he is not affiliated with an organization that the Southern Poverty Law Center has defined as a hate group. Unlike his opponent, he wishes to serve and listen to all his constituents, even those who might differ with him.

We wholeheartedly endorse Geoff Malicoat to be our next representative in the Michigan State House, 98th District, and encourage all voters of the 98th District to read Geoffs webpage at malicoatforhouse.com/ and consider voting for him, too.

LARRY AND CHERYL LEVY

Midland
To the editor:

The board of directors of the Midland Area Chamber of Commerce, representing nearly 1,000 businesses with approximately 53,000 employees in the Great Lakes Bay Region, has voted unanimously in support of the downtown Midland streetscape project.

The project addresses several key issues currently being experienced by both our citizens as well as visitors to our downtown:

 Safety: With some of the curbs crumbling and pavers heaving, walking in parts of downtown has become a safety issue, especially for our seniors and our disabled. In addition, costs to maintain these old streets and sidewalks continue to climb, much like what happens to older homes. A new streetscape will address these areas.

 Infrastructure: In addition to selecting materials that will last for the foreseeable future, items such as the electrical infrastructure need to be brought up to current standards allowing the downtown to be used in multiple ways.

 Economic Opportunity: The proposed changes in the sidewalk and street design will provide opportunity to both existing and future businesses in downtown Midland. Whether it be sidewalk cafes or new events designed to showcase the downtown area, this will serve as a driver for growth. Included in these changes are moving toward two?way streets for both Ashman and Rodd. We feel that his change will help our current businesses located on those streets as they will now not function as ways into and out of downtown.

We realize that the last major effort of this kind took place over 20 years ago, so it is understandable that a project of this scope is required to bring the downtown back to the level we have come to expect. At the same time, it also speaks to need to get it right and address not only the current, but anticipate future, requirements of a vibrant downtown.

We commend the City of Midland and the Downtown Development Authority for engaging the public early and often in the project to gather input on both the project and the process itself. We also thank the family foundations and their generosity to help support this endeavor which will result in no additional contributions from taxpayers. It shows what can be accomplished when different constituencies come together and address an important need.

We are excited to see the project move to the next step and eventually see the first shovels in the ground next year.

BILL ALLEN

President and CEO

Midland Business Alliance

JON LAUDERBACH

Warner Norcross & Judd LLP

Board Chairman

Midland Area Chamber of Commerce
China-Russia Internet Media Forum will be held in Tianhe district, Guangzhou, capital of South China's Guangdong province between Oct 28 and Oct 29, 2016.

The forum, whose theme is "development and cooperation between Chinese and Russian internet new media organizations", aims to enhance people-to-people exchanges between the two countries, create an information platform for the Belt and Road countries, enable relevant enterprises to hold dialogues and further promote development in the cultural, creative and information industries of the two nations.

With the assistance of Sputnik News Agency and Radio, the forum will be hosted by China Daily website under the guidance of the organizing committee of Sino-Russian Media Exchange Year and the Ministry of Telecom and Mass Communications of the Russian Federation.

Due to achievements made by Guangzhou's Tianhe district in recent years in technological innovation and international exchanges, it was chosen as the venue of the forum, a major event of the 2016-2017 Sino-Russian Media Exchange Year, which was proposed by President Xi Jinping and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in 2015, according to the organizer of the event.

The China-Russia New Media Youth Leadership Summit will be held over the same time in Guangzhou's Tianhe district.
Updated : Mar 10, 2020 in Culture

Some Things You Need to Know About Pakistani Culture - In the previous article I discussed the history, the system of government and its economy,
At least 13 dead in tour bus crash in Southern California

At least 13 people were killed and 31 injured after a tour bus and big rig collided in Southern California on Sunday morning, local authorities said.

The tour bus had crashed into the big rig's trailer near Palm Springs, about 100 miles east of Los Angeles. Photos from the scene showed the front end of the bus had been demolished.

The tour bus was identified as a USA Holiday bus. The Los Angeles-based firm typically runs from LA to Southern California.

Firefighters were using ladders placed near the bus' windows to pull out victims. Rescuers continued to search the wreckage for more victims. Throughout the morning, more bodies were removed from the bus and placed along the road.

Authorities shut down the freeway following the crash. Details on the cause of the crash were unclear.
A photo shows the regional distribution of Chinese multi-millionaires. [Photo: thepaper.cn]

There are now around 89,000 Chinese individuals worth more than 100 million yuan, said China Ping An Insurance Group.

During the ongoing Ping An Family Wealth Management Summit held in Sanya, the company's sales department manager Yang Jingdong pointed out that 60% of the China's multi-millionaires have assets overseas.

Due to reasons such as limited allocations to overseas shares and unfamiliar foreign markets, most of these individuals only invest some 10% of their total gross assets into properties outside of China.

Based on analysis, the features of their investment can be characterized as a focus on saving and investing relatively little. Their investment categories are highly concentrated, along with a high proportion of non-financial assets, said Yang Jingdong.

According to the latest figures released by Hurun Wealth Report, the year-on-year growth rate of the Chinese mainland's individual's with a net worth over 100 million yuan or more reached 14% in May 2016.

In terms of the regional distribution, China's eastern part enjoys the largest number of Chinese multi-millionaires, accounting for 43% of this population. It's followed by the northern and southern parts of China, with 23% and 15% respectively.

At the provincial level, Guangdong province replaced China's capital city, Beijing, in 2016 and attracted the majority of individuals with at least 10 million yuan in assets. Guangdong claimed the fastest rate of increase at 18%.

The roundup of the top 4 is Beijing, Shanghai and Zhejiang Province. It's noted that 843,000 individuals worth at least 10 million yuan live in these four regions, or 63% of their population.

The Hurun report further indicates that entrepreneurs, gold-collar workers, real estate speculators, and professional stockholders compose this population of multi-millionaires, occupying 55%, 20%, 15% and 10% separately.

For the financing method, most multi-millionaire's families are in favor of bank savings or pour their money into real estates and insurances.

The Boston Consulting Group predicts, by the end of 2010, there will be 3.8 million households in China with available financial assets soaring to 10-thousand billion yuan.
MOSCOW, Oct. 24 -- Russian inspectors will start on Monday an observation flight over the Turkish territory under the Open Skies Treaty to monitor compliance with the treaty, said a senior Russian defense official said on Monday.

The observational flight, which was canceled by Ankara in February, "will be carried out between Oct. 24 and Oct. 28 with the maximum range of 1,900 kilometers using the Eskisehir air base (In Turkey) to refuel," Russian news agency TASS quoted Sergey Zabello, acting chief of the Defense Ministry's National Nuclear Risk Reduction Center, as saying.

The Russian flight will use an An-30B aircraft with Turkish specialists on board, he added.

The flight is part of the confidence-building measures in Europe after the Cold War under the international Open Skies Treaty, which establishes a program of unarmed aerial surveillance flights over the entire territory of its 34 state parties, including Russia and most members of North Atlantic Treaty Organization.

The treaty was signed in March 1992 and took effect at the beginning of 2002.
Zhong Guangwu wipes away tears talking about the difficult application process. File Photo

Earlier this month, a special news story garnered sympathy and outrage on behalf of a Chinese villager. An impoverished man in a remote Chinese village spent 600 RMB, his total income for three months, to treat officials to a meal at their request, as a precondition of their approving a special grant for him. The Party chief of the village has since been suspended, and the officials involved in the incident have lost their Party membership for one year.

Zhong Guangfu, 63, is a widower with no children living in Zenghua Village in Sichuan. He makes a meager living by knitting and selling bamboo baskets. In December 2013, after filling out forms applying for a special grant at a local government office, Yang Xiuguang, the village's Party chief, asked Zhong to treat the officials to a meal. He persuaded Zhong that once the grant was approved, it would bring Zhong more than 400 RMB per month, making the single meal a small cost in comparison.

Days later, Zhong and another villager also asking for a favor treated 11 officials to a restaurant meal, even buying them expensive cigarettes. The two split the bill, with Zhong contributing 600 RMB.

More than one and a half years later, his grant was approved. But Zhong remained traumatized from the difficult application process.

I sell my bamboo baskets for 30 yuan each, and I can sell 80 in a year at most. My dinner expense, 600 RMB, was nearly three months of my total income, Zhong pointed out.

After the case was exposed, Party inspectors investigated, uncovering even more malpractice. The misdeeds of the officials include falsely claiming earthquake damage to get more reconstruction funds, extorting money from residents for violating family planning policies and taking many free dinners from villagers.
The damaged drone with a crack on its body

On Oct. 22, a drone flying over a valley near the Xiling Snowy Mountains in Sichuan province was downed by a hawk.

A witness, surnamed Zhang, said he saw a hawk pecking at something in the sky, but didnt realize the white dot was a drone at first. Zhang described the drone as hovering when the hawk dived toward it. Hit by the hawk, the drone swayed but continued to hang in the air. Then, directing itself at the drone's propellers, the hawk attacked the top of the drone. As a result, the propellers stopped working and the drone dropped to the ground.

The drone's propellers

After walking around 500 meters along the valley, the drone's operator, Xue Ping (a pseudonym), eventually found the broken drone, its propeller and body damaged. The drone also sported a bloodstain, presumably from the hawk. Xue said he had only planned to fly the drone, which was borrowed from his friend, on the flat land in the valley. The hawks appearance was not something he anticipated. Xue tried to turn the drone around and avoid the bird, but his attempts came too late.

Shen You, head of the Chengdu Bird Watching Organization, explained that the hawk likely mistook the drone for food or an invader. Shen also emphasized that the growing number of drones has had an impact on birds. Some birds fear the buzz of flying drones. Moreover, birds can be hurt by the drones, either by flying into the propellers or by attempting to attack them.

Of course, there is a possible upside to the interest many hawks exhibit in drones. Netherland police plan to train hawks to catch illegal drones, since hawks target drones already, reported the BBC in September.

[File photo: hawk]
In everyone's high school class, there are success stories.

Maybe there's a mayor in your class.

Or a state senator.

Or an ex-class wiseacre who became a stock broker and now makes millions, owns a mansion in the Hamptons and flies his own jet to reunions.

Which brings us to Patsy Henderson.

A longtime Bloomington woman, a success story of her own as a speech and language therapist, the founder of an acclaimed outdoor learning center and a proud mother, too, Patsy also has kept up a close friendship for more than 60 years with an equally successful high school classmate.

In fact, in a couple weeks, she could be president of the United States.

"Hillary was one of those who everyone liked," says Patsy, Park Ridge (Ill.) Maine South High Class of '65, who in marriage became Patsy Bowles while Hillary Diane Rodham became a Clinton. "She was conscientious, smart and tons of fun. She also had a confidence that caused us all to pretty much figure she'd be a successful person. And I guess we were right. Can you imagine having a friend who becomes a first lady, a U.S. senator, secretary of state and then runs for president of United States?"

In a word, no.

And this friendship?

When Patsy's late husband, Jack Bowles, a patriarch of a well-known Twin City insurance agency, began doing final battle with a faltering heart a few years ago, one of the first to console, says Patsy, was her friend.

(Yes, out of the thousands of emails that are the subject of Clinton's private email server and headline news, Patsy is, no doubt, among them.)

Fifty-one years ago, when Patsy was crowned homecoming queen at Maine South, one of the first to congratulate her, she says, was Hillary.

Back in early grade school, when the two first met in Sunday school at First Methodist Church of Park Ridge, Hillarys mom, Dorothy, was their teacher.

And therein is what makes Patsys perspective interesting.

You know how it might offend you when you overhear a someone ripping into a good friend of yours? Consider Patsy. Theyve piled on so much about Hillary that, as a friend, naturally you get upset," she says. "Toxicity in this campaign has become so normalized and so accepted. It gets good ratings, but I think were losing something in the process  like simple kindness for one another.

It was more than 20 years ago, when Patsy first realized this life friendship of hers had suddenly taken an odd turn.

On a girls-weekend-out-retreat, she awakened in the middle of the night and opened her eyes to look up at the ceiling of the house where they were all sleeping to realize Abe Lincoln might have done that, too.

It was an over-nighter in the private quarters of the White House.

In eight years of the Bill Clinton presidency, there were occasional get-togethers, a dinner here and there, one year a costume party at the White House attended by several Maine South friends. That's when the president's costume was out of the 1950s, with greased-back hair, and Hillary wore a hoop skirt.

When the Clintons left the White House in 2001, Patsy considered the end to all that.

But then Hillary became a U.S. senator, ("I heard less from her ... as she got very busy") and then secretary of state ("I heard even less, as she was always busy") and now possibly president.

One assumes, if elected, this might be one of Clinton's busier gigs.

"Through the years, it has been interesting ... especially since so many in Bloomington-Normal are Republican and so many of my friends are Republican," says Patsy. "Heck, my own husband was a Republican. But good friends remain friends, even if you don't all share political viewpoints ..."

That, in turn, is where a bit of worry enters Patsy's mind.

"It's all gotten so nasty now ..."

In Philadelphia in July, Patsy was a Clinton delegate at the national convention. Eight other classmates from Maine South were there, too. They stay that close, she says. One classmate makes the jewelry that Hillary wears. Another writes books and dedicated one to Clinton. They've all been friends for so long, Patsy remembers going to class reunions in Park Ridge when Bill Clinton still needed to wear a name tag.

"It's a shame the world cannot see the Hillary that we (her high school pals) know," says Patsy. "She's a caring, loyal, devoted person who is constantly aware that part of our role here is to help others. Christianity has always been a center of her identity. That goes back to our days in Sunday school ... and it's so hurtful now to read and hear the nastiness that's out there."

That, of course, is probably not going to end, especially if Clinton emerges victorious on Nov. 8.

In the world in which Patsy and Hillary grew up, when they heard that old adage, usually spoken among boys  "Anyone can grow up to be president"  it is all rather surreal now, if not something else.

Like, maybe even true.
BLOOMINGTON  If you have a spotlight, Randy and Flint are gonna steal it.

"Every single time," says their owner, Zack Hileman as Randy and Flint move in for their latest closeup ... this time, on behalf of a Pantagraph photographer.

No need to request a "cheese" or a good side: these two display a perfect profile from any angle.

Randy and Flint are strapping, statuesque draft horses, each weighing in at a cool ton, each sharing a stable on a farm in rural Bloomington, each a horse of a different color (white for Randy, charcoal for Flint), each downing 25 pounds of food daily ... and neither one shy in front of the public or a camera eye.

Well, OK, maybe not in exactly equal proportions.

Celebrity or no, "Randy's a little more stand-offish," reveals Zack of the pair's senior half (13 years old, with a teenager's sense of self).

"But he's a lot harder-working ... stronger and faster ... out-and-out so much surer."

Flint doesn't flinch as the equine profiling continues.

"Randy has a great work ethic, and is willing to do anything you want him to do," Zack continues, with Randy's tail end facing photographer and reporter momentarily.

The media, you know.

At the frolicsome age of 4, Flint "is the baby, and he's still learning," observes Zack, with obvious paternal affection.

"I love him ... he's good and soooo affectionate. I don't have that with Randy."

Flint knows a compliment when he gets one and gives Zack a good nuzzle or three.

Randy stands off.

But never fear: by the time the photographer's shutter clicks, Randy is flanking Zack with Flint, and it's all hugs and kisses. Moments later, they're out in the corral, horsing around with the best of 'em.

Lately there have been a lot of stolen spotlights going down as Randy and Flint, with a little help from Zack, have been popping up everywhere around Pantagraphland: weddings, funerals, birthday parties, festivals, processions, TV commercials and more.

Zack, sans Randy and Flint, isn't doing so bad either, manning carriages and buggies in movies and TV series episodes filmed too far away for Randy and Flint to travel.

Such is life at the Hileman Carriage Co., which Zack runs from rented stable space on that farm southeast of Bloomington.

Randy and Flint run, too, but on all fours, sans the paperwork and other affairs of business.

If there's a fancy carriage seen hereabouts, newlyweds in tow, you can bet it's Zack, Randy and Flint.

If there's a stately funeral procession, either for real or for a staged spectacle such as the Abraham Lincoln Funeral Train re-creation two years ago, odds are that one or more of the trio is involved.

Zack says there is a surprising demand for horse-drawn hearses since he began offering the service several years back, currently averaging one a month, with one a week anticipated down the road.

Those Uptown Normal/Downtown Bloomington holiday affairs around yuletide offering free horse-and-carriage rides ... yep, those guys again.

That Pizza Hut TV commercial, hawking "not so Normal delivery"? For sure, that's Zack at the reins and Randy being greeted by a pack of kids as they ferry the pizza to a suburban family's doorstep.

And that clever, stop-motion-animated Bloomington-Normal Visitor and Convention Bureau spot about "Mini-Abe's Visit to Bloomington-Normal" involving the animated foot-tall Abe being ferried around McLean County? Oh, yeah: Zack & Co., complete with the 16th president handing them a dollar tip.

How lucky can a guy and his two horses get?

Hileman, a Bloomington-Normal-area native, began navigating horse-drawn carriages through urban environments a decade ago in St. Louis, where he drove a carriage through the downtown area, with the horses stabled in a barn "just a block east of Busch Stadium."

Upon his return to his roots in 2011, he started up the Hileman Carriage Co., and began finding his services in constant demand ... both in front of cameras and off.

In 2011, the National Geographic Channel series, "Amish: Out of Order" tapped Zack's carriage services in a sequence filmed at Sugar Grove Nature Center at Funks Grove (the buggy was an authentic Amish one on loan), with the perfect sunset provided by Mother Nature.

Hileman is also on call for the Springfield-area KEL Productions, a major Hollywood source for horses, carriages and other related props and gear run for 30 years by horse doctor Karl Luthin (or, as he calls himself, "equine ambulatory physician," meaning, yes, he makes house, er, stall calls).

Luthin has serviced everything from contemporary fare like "Batman vs. Superman" to historical dramas like Steven Spielberg's "Lincoln" (Abe rides a Luthin horse), PBS's "Mercy Street" and AMC's "The American West," executive-produced by Robert Redford.

Luthin summoned Hileman for assistance on the latter shoot in Richmond, Va., driving wagons and pulling extra duty.

"We originally worked on the Lincoln Funeral Procession (in Springfield) and since then we've become more acquainted," says Luthin, now family doctor for Randy and Flint. "When we needed some wagon drivers in West Virginia, I hired him as one of the drivers."

It was a match made in equine heaven.

Between Zack's professional film and TV work with Luthin, and his home-front activities with Randy and Flint, there's never a dull moment.

"It's a very specialized niche thing I'm doing," Zack says. "But I'd like to see it grow even more."

Off in the stalls, his suggestion is met with a couple "neighs" ... the kind that mean, "YES!"
As the market for single-family homes in Bloomington-Normal has grown more strained, some new residents have expanded their prospects to the county's rural communities.
BLOOMINGTON  A 21-year-old Maywood man has been identified as the person killed in a single-car accident late Friday night on Interstate 55 near Chenoa.

Bryan Snow Jr. was pronounced dead at 12:22 a.m. Saturday at the scene of a crash at mile marker 186, McLean County Coroner Kathy Davis said in a news release Saturday night. Her office was notified at 11:35 p.m. Friday.

Preliminary autopsy results indicated he died of head injuries suffered when the car left the roadway and rolled over, she said. Toxicology tests are pending, she said.

A woman in the car was taken to a hospital for treatment.

The crash remains under investigation by the coroner's office and Illinois State Police.

Chenoa police and firefighters, state police and the Southeast Livingston County Ambulance Service were at the scene.
BLOOMINGTON  Residents who need legal advice on issues unrelated to criminal and traffic matters will have a chance on Saturday to speak to a lawyer without paying a fee.

The Free Legal Advice Fair at Mid-Central Community Action, 1301 W. Washington St., offers access to attorneys on housing, family and debt issues.

The event, from 9 a.m. to noon, also will provide legal advice on expungement of criminal records, suspended driving privileges and immigration matters.

The fair is sponsored by Prairie State Legal Services, State Farm Insurance, the 11th Judicial Circuit ProBono Committee, the Immigration Project, the Public Interest Law Initiative, the McLean County Bar Association and Mid-Central Community Action.
The daily life of the two Chinese astronauts onboard the Tiangong-2 space lab was revealed on Oct. 23. While in the lab, Jing Haipeng and Chen Dong can not only watch live CCTV news in the Tiangong-2 experiment module, they can also conduct a variety of experiments while in orbit, such as those relating to brain capacity and emotional characteristics.

According to Wu Dawei, a director at the Chinese Astronaut Research and Training Center, the crew on Earth uploads real-time news and even the astronauts favorite shows to the space lab throughout the mission. In addition, the astronauts are also able to make video calls and send e-mails to their loved ones back home.

For one experiment, Jing and Chen wear a device on their heads to test brain capacity in orbit, which in turn verifies the adaptability of brain-computer interaction in space. Another experiment is related to the cultivation of lettuce. The growth cycle of lettuce is 30 days, which is about the number of days the two astronauts will stay in space. They have therefore been tasked with researching the conduction and control of water and nutrient supply in a microgravitational environment.
SPRINGFIELD  Two state senators are introducing legislation that would ban directors of state agencies and other high-level gubernatorial appointees from using their official authority or influence to sway elections.

Sens. Andy Manar, D-Bunker Hill, and Sam McCann, R-Plainview, are touting the measure as an important expansion of the states ethics laws.

Manar said the measure will close a gaping hole in existing law and is similar to restrictions at the federal level and in other states.

Im of the opinion that agency directors should not spend their time campaigning, he said. They should spend their time managing the agencies that they have been entrusted to run and to manage when the Senate confirmed their appointments.

The proposal wouldnt place new restrictions officials financial contributions to campaigns.

The announcement last week comes during a tough election season, one in which Wayne Rosenthal, director of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, has appeared in a radio ad for state Rep. Avery Bourne, R-Raymond. Bourne is running against Democrat Mike Mathis of Gillespie for Rosenthals former House seat, to which she was appointed when Gov. Bruce Rauner tapped Rosenthal to lead the state agency.

In the ad, Rosenthal calls Mathis, a former circuit court clerk and Democratic Party chairman in Macoupin County, a career politician who will do or say anything to get elected. He doesnt identify himself by his current state position.

The Department of Natural Resources declined to comment.

In a statement, Bourne noted Rosenthals service in the Illinois Air National Guard and the General Assembly.

Its clear that Wayne is passionate about Central Illinois and I share his commitment to defending our values at the Capitol, she said.

McCann said he and Manar began discussing the idea during the spring primary season when constituents contacted them both about Department of Agriculture Director Raymond Poe appearing in ads for McCanns opponent.

The lawmakers said the issue isnt about any one election or party, noting that Manar testified on Rosenthals behalf at his Senate confirmation hearing and McCann testified on Poes behalf.

This is good government, McCann said. This is what we should do regardless of whos in control.

Rauner spokeswoman Catherine Kelly wrote in an email that the governor welcomes any discussion to reform our political process, like constitutional amendments on fair (legislative district) maps and term limits.

Senate Minority Leader Christine Radogno, R-Lemont, issued a statement saying that the proposal may be too narrow.

If we are to consider legislation to ensure accountability to the taxpayers, we should consider the same restrictions be placed on taxpayer-paid appointees to boards and commissions, term limits and redistricting reform, Radogno said in a statement.

Manar and McCanns proposal is modeled on the federal Hatch Act, a 1939 law that limits the political activities of federal employees. Similar laws exist in 43 other states.

The federal law does allow cabinet members to campaign on their own time without using their government titles.
Buckman Announces Global Price Increase for Select Specialty Chemicals

Oct. 24, 2016  Specialty chemical producer Buckman announced a price adjustment on select product lines effective November 15, 2016. The price increase will be 2 to 6 percent, dependent on geographic location and products and services sold. In some areas increases may be higher where exchange rate based adjustments are necessary.

This price increase is being driven by rising raw material, energy, transportation, labor, and regulatory costs, said Brad Walden, Buckman Vice President Global Supply Chain.

Buckman continues to invest in new technology and optimize operations around the world to offer the highest value products and services to customers at the lowest possible costs.

Buckman is a privately held, global specialty chemical company with headquarters in Memphis, Tennessee, USA. To learn more, please visit: www.buckman.com.

SOURCE: Buckman
A 63-year-old grandmother is behind bars after she was accused of smuggling $500,000 worth of cocaine into the Metro Airport of Detroit. Defense argues that she was used as a drug mule but the woman is said to have a long criminal history.

The woman was identified as Chery Cheatham. According to People, the woman started to act strange after arriving in Detroit from Las Vegas. She reportedly acted like she did not own the luggage and closely inspected the tags of other bags at the baggage claim. She also allegedly paused at one point before leaving the airport to make sure that no one was on her tail. Officials arrested Cheatham after they followed her from the airport to a nearby hotel. Cheatham is now facing charges of one count of possession of cocaine with intent to distribute.

The vehicle of Cheatham was also searched by officials and they were able to recover around 17 kilograms of cocaine insider her suitcases. The grandmother reportedly has serious health and mental problems as per her lawyer. Her lawyer argued that she should be in the hospital and not in jail.

Cheatham has been denied bond by a magistrate judge when she appeared in federal court earlier this week. Since 1986, Cheatham was involved in other crimes such as theft, shoplifting and possessing drugs. She also failed to appear in court in some of her hearings. Aside from the run-ins with the law, Cheatham was sentenced to six and a half years in prison due to theft conviction, which she was able to serve, Consumnes Connection reported.

It was advised that the 63-year-old woman be held in jail and denied bail due to her history of not going to her scheduled court appearances. Magistrate Judge David R. Grand also scolded Cheatham saying that people make bad choice when they are younger and they are expected to learn to make better decisions as they grow older.

Grand added, "Unfortunately, in your situations, that doesn't seem to have happened. Here we are in 2016, and you're caught with this substantial amount of narcotics." Meanwhile, her family has not yet commented on the matter.
The photo of a 16-year-old boy from Leesburg, Florida has gone viral on Oct. 21 after standing up to pay homage for the U.S. flag. His gesture has inspired a lot of Americans to be more patriotic.

In an article published by ABC News, Arek Trenholm is making heads turn both in the virtual and real world after standing up from his wheelchair to pay some respect to the American flag. It is quite an inspiring story because the 16-year-old boy has been suffering from spina bifida for a decade now. Spina bifida is a health condition that disables a person to develop his spinal cord.

In result to that, he is unable to walk and has just been sitting on his wheelchair since he was diagnosed with it. But despite of his current health condition, he still had the courage to move and got up as soon as he saw the U.S. flag being waved during a high school parade in their town.

The patriotic teenage boy used his arms to get up of his wheelchair. It was the perfect timing when Myron Leggett, his uncle, took a photo of him trying to stand up from his wheelchair. Legett actually does photography for a living that he has studio for this type of business. In fact, it was right outside his photography studio that he took the picture of his nephew paying respect to the American flag.

Palm Beach Post also reported this inspiring story saying that Legett uploaded his shot on Facebook, in which the platform where his photo went viral. The teenage boy's mother was in shock and she couldn't help by yell that her son was actually trying his best to stand up.

Are you inspired by this story? Share this article to your friends and loved ones so they too could be inspired today.
Halloween celebrations in some U.S. schools have been cancelled or cut down as officials believe it's no longer safe to hold costume parties and trick or treats. Authorities also cite that the occasion could be seen as an exclusion for other students who have been raised with different beliefs and religions but not all parents agree with the schools' decisions.

At Lillie B. Haynes Elementary School's in Connecticut, the principal has announced it is cancelling Halloween by not having a Halloween parade this year. Citing religious beliefs, the move is to supposedly show that the school doesn't intend to exclude some of its students.

"We must be sensitive in regards to holidays and celebrations of religious, cultural or secular nature," school Principal Melissa DeLoreto said in a statement, NBC Washington reports. But there will still be celebrations in the school, which will center on a fall theme rather than Halloween.

The school also cited safety concerns as its other reason for cancelling Halloween festivities. Fox 61 reported that adults also participate the annual Halloween parade, which has been a tradition in the school for decades. Having adults in costumes can be seen as a threat in light of the recent spate of killer clown sightings across the country.

Since the children and their parents will no longer have to prepare or buy costumes, some have expressed their disagreement with the decision for cancelling Halloween. On Facebook, parents expressed that the school is taking the fun away from the children.

"Halloween didn't hurt us when we were kids, just be responsible for your kids," one father remarked on a local NBC Facebook page. "The happy and fun days of being a child are gone, political correctness is destroying this country," another parent said on an ABC News Facebook page.

Patheos sites that cancelling Halloween isn't a new thing in schools because some institutions have done this in respect to other religions. In some communities around the United States, the practice of having a fall-themed celebration, sans the usual scary images during Halloween, have also been in place for years, yet it wasn't reported in the news.

Did your child's school cancelled Halloween as well? What are your thoughts about this decision at Lillie B. Haynes Elementary School? Share your thoughts in the comments!
[File photo: Sichuan brocade featuring giant pandas]

Sichuan brocade, embroidery and lacquer art, all of which were added to the list of China's nonmaterial cultural heritage in 2006, are now facing an inheritance crisis, with young people opting not to study the ancient crafts.

The history of Sichuan brocade dates back over 2,000 years. Using silk as a raw material, it usually takes from four months to one year to finish a single piece of brocade, from design to completion.

Cao Daiwu, an inheritor of the craft, said he has had many apprentices before, but few of them persist since it requires a long time to master the techniques. Currently, only four apprentices remain. In April, statistics showed that fewer than 10 craftspeople in Chengdu are able to produce Sichuan brocade. The average age of those craftspeople is over 70.

Cao's apprentice, Li Boli, recommended that a salary be guaranteed in order to attract young people; otherwise it will no longer be handed down through generations. Although high-efficiency machines can be used, the texture of the final product is different from handmade brocade.

Sichuan embroidery featuring lotus and carps

Sichuan embroidery, together with Suzhou embroidery, Hunan embroidery and Guangdong embroidery is known as the "four renowned Chinese embroideries." Peng Yongxing, a national-class artist, is responsible for a contemporary masterpiece of Sichuan embroidery featuring lotus and carps. Pengs son, 55, is taking over the handicraft.

Peng's apprentice, Li Hongxia, 41, explained that embroidery work requires extreme concentration to come out right. Li said at least five years must be spent learning the craft. She herself used to have 20 apprentices, but only one or two stuck with it.

Li has proposed including the handicraft in secondary school education. However, her proposal was rejected by students' parents, as they thought learning the traditional craft would be a waste of study time.

[File photo: lacquer art]

Lacquer art, too, is facing the same challenge. In one lacquer art factory in Sichuan, there are currently 30 workers. Yin Liping, 63, has become the mainstay of this factory, working to carry on the legacy of this 3,000-year-old handicraft.

Chen Shen, a young man born in the 1990s, has also been working in the factory for two years. Before that, he was a designer working in Beijing. Chen explained that he made the career change in order to follow his passion, despite the low salary. Chen said that workers are doing their best to preserve lacquer art and make innovations in the technique so it can be handed down to future generations.
An elementary school in Montreal, Canada is seeing the effects of giving students extra hours of Physical Education (PE) class. Instead of the usual three hours a week, the students have five hours of gym class. Experts have said all along that extra hours of gym class benefit the kids physically and mentally, which can help them succeed as students.

CBC reports that students at the Pierre-de-Coubertin school who are given extra hours of P.E. classes are more well-adjusted and have become more attentive in the classes. Teachers observe that the kids seem happier to be in school and they don't spend their time wasting away.

Even as the kids don't spend too much time studying for their academics, they still do well in school. The school district has prepared for adding extra hours of gym class by hiring more gym teachers, who personalize the instructions.

In 2013, a study published in National Institutes of Health showed how students who were asked to do physical exercises first before taking a math exam did fairly well. The kids were apparently a lot calmer and relaxed while answering test papers, thus they made fewer mistakes in the exams.

Another study, published in the journal Plos One, cited that children who were more physically active had better memory retention. Thus, during a test on maps and geography, they were able to answer 40 percent better than the kids who had little or no aerobic activity.

The U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention cites that ideally, children below the age of 17 years old should be getting an hour's worth of physical activities daily. Advocates of extra hours of P.E. classes in schools continue to push this as the norm, instead of the exception, especially since school districts across America have different requirements and standards.

What do you think, parents? Should schools in America all adopt extra hours of P.E. classes? Share your thoughts in the comments section below!
A home in Jonesboro, Georgia was invaded and the home invaders fatally shot the two children inside the property. According to police officials, the parents of the two children were not around when the encounter took place.

Reuters reported that the two killed children are a 15-year-old boy and an 11-year-old girl. They are said to be siblings. The area where the two children were killed is said to have less than 5,000 residents and is located 20 miles south of the Georgia capital, Atlanta. The 15-year-old and the 11-year-old were reportedly shot at least once but details about where they were shot have yet to be disclosed.

Sergeant Ashanti Marbury of the Clayton County Police Department said in a statement that they receive an emergency call at around 5 A.M. from the house. The caller reported that someone broke in and that shots were fired from inside the home. Aside from the 15-year-old and the 11-year-old kids found dead, several other children were said to be found. The youngest is six years old. It was not confirmed what the relationship of the kids were to each other and how many other children were inside the home.

Marbury said that the parents were not at home during the incident and that they have been notified. They are not persons of interest or suspects. Howeverm it was not stated why the parents were not home or where they were at the time of the incident.

No suspects have been revealed yet and the motive for the invasion remains unclear. However, officials believe that the home invasion was not random and that investigators are trying to determine why the home was targeted. It was also not clear what led to the shooting.

Marbury added, "They've executed a search warrant at the residence to see if they can locate any additional facts or anything that might have been left behind," Guns.com reported. Neighbors said that the family has been living in the Jonesboro home for two to three months before the incident.
New Hampshire police officials believe that the missing Massachusetts teenager, Jacob Goulet, have been found. Officials pulled out a body out of the river and they believe that the teen fell into a storm drain when he went missing on Saturday.

Nashua Police Department officials said that the clothing description and the body condition is the same with that of the 16-year-old of Nashua. A Massachusetts State Police helicopter reportedly discovered the body in the Merrimack River in Tyngsboro on Sunday morning. The body was recovered hours after by search teams, The Washington Post reported.

The parents of Goulet reported the teenager went missing on Saturday. They noted that they have not seen him since Friday evening. Officials then received a report from a citizen saying that some personal items were found near an open storm drain. It was then believed by officials that the teenager fell down the drain during the heavy rain. Accordingly, the open sewer was located near 75 Main St. in Nashua.

It is possible that Goulet ended up in the river due to the overflow of water through the system. This comes after an intense downpour on Friday, Boston Globe reported. Officials said that the sewer should have not been left open but they are not yet sure why it was. They are investigating the matter.

Goulet was last seen leaving a friend's house. He was on his way home when he possibly fell into the open sewer. He was seen near the sewer via a surveillance video.

Goulet attended Nashua High School North. One of his friends took to Facebook to say, "He was funny, he was passionate, and he was kind and truly cared about his friends."

A positive identification is yet to be made by the Massachusetts chief medical examiner. A GoFundMe page has been set up to cover for the expenses for the funeral of Goulet. It has raised more than $8,000, as of Sunday evening.
Halloween is in the air and kids with food allergies wish to receive treats that are not restricted for them to eat. Good thing there are solutions like the Teal Pumpkin Project, which prompts people to be careful about which treats to drop inside children's pumpkins.

A Tennessee mom named Becky Basalone had an idea about four years ago. That is to make it less tricky for kids with food allergies through pumpkin design different from the traditional ones, which are orange smiling pumpkins.

Her idea gave birth to the Teal Pumpkin Project, which is now a nationwide effort to encourage families - whether their own kids have food restrictions or not so as to give some non-food treats on Oct. 31. This is basically done by putting a teal-colored pumpkin or sign outside the door and offering trick-or-treaters spider rings, glow sticks, Halloween stickers or other non-food goodies that come along with or instead of the traditional candies offered.

Food Allergy Research & Education (FARE), a non-profit advocacy group, promoted this idea nationwide in 2014 through social media. After a year, 1 million people visited the group's website having had approximately 10,000 of them participating in the project. This year, the number of participants is expected to swell higher and so the awareness will be raised further.

"Our goal is to have a home on every block in America with a teal pumpkin. We hope that it becomes a new Halloween tradition." USA Today quoted Nancy Gregory, senior director of communications, as saying.

One mother from Chevy Chase Village Md., Natalie Wilensky, said that she is putting out a teal pumpkin because it is of help for her children with food restrictions. She bakes a birthday cake or takes a treat to school, which actually a way to teach her unaffected son Jacob, 7, to think of others.

The goal of the project is beyond giving kids what they want. It is also a way to let them learn to be sensitive to other people.

The project has now commercial tie-ins. FARE has licensed Teal Pumpkin Project products whether it is a foam pumpkin, painting kits or other goodies. Some of the partners on the list are Michael's, CVS, Oriental Trading Company, and Party City. The organization also gets a cut for its research, education and advocacy programs.
A 19-year-old St. Clair County teenage boy with IQ of 50 pleaded not guilty on the grounds of probably having autism, after being accused of soliciting or providing support to terrorist groups such as Islamic State and Pakistani Taliban.

Peyton Pruitt, 19, from Wattsville, was at last freed last Tuesday, Oct. 18 after he spent one year in jail for the accusation of soliciting financial support for an extremist act. The teenager promised not to hold another computer again.

As of an arrest report quoted in Alabama Local News, Pruitt solicited or provided support for an act of terrorism in the second-degree. The teenager has solicited a total amount of $1,000 or less. On November 13, 2015, Peyton Pruitt was arrested and imprisoned in St. Clair County Jail with bond fixed at $1 million.

Fast forward to September 2016; Pruitt has pleaded not guilty to the accusation of suspected connivances with terrorist groups after a mental issue has been discovered in the teenage boy and not really a threat to himself or the society. Then last Tuesday, Oct. 18, the boy was ordered by St Clair County Circuit Judge Phil Seay to be released after a second mental test discovered him as probably having an autism disorder.

James Gallini, the attorney of the accused, expressed that he is delighted with the judge's decision. When found guilty, the teen would have been imprisoned for 10 years. Before the last decision is made up about the teen's disposition, he will go through another mental test with Taylor Hardin Secure Mental Facility of Tuscaloosa.

"Of course, his evaluation earlier this year showed he has a mental defect, so we're appreciative to the district attorney for not challenging those results," Alabama Local News quoted Gallini as saying. He also added that they agree that Pruitt poses not risk to himself or the community at large and they are confident another evaluation will show this.

Now free, the teenage boy, who described his imprisonment as "hard," thanked all his family, supporters, and friends, telling them he was really sorry for what he did.

The judge gave custody to Pruitt's father having the condition of 100 percent supervision to internet and cellphone access, DailyMail reported.
A 49-year old pedophile is pleaded guilty in Franklin County Common Pleas Court and sent to jail to suffer for 17 years after charity workers found stomach-turning images of him raping a toddler. The said pictures were reportedly discovered in a bag donated to an op shop.

Gary Sovie was arrested after the said tote bag of items was donated to a US charity shop. The bag horrified workers as they got 32 confronting images inside it.

As per the Police, pay stubs and mail to Sovie were traced. The suspect was then searched immediately in his address at Ashville in Pickaway County, Ohio. When officers found Sovie, he told the detectives: "I'm a very sick person." The Sun quoted Sovie as saying.

The photographs found had a young girl naked alone while some other images taken were showing the pedophile, Sovie, abusing the toddler. It was very nauseating to look at, police and charity workers said.

Judge Julie M Lynch sentenced Sovie to 17 years imprisonment after pleading guilty in Franklin County Common Pleas Court to one count each of rape along with pandering sexually orientated matter involving a minor, the Columbus Dispatch reported.

It will be unbelievable to see the man released from jail according to the Judge. She said what the man did to the young girl who has been between 16 to 18 months old at the time of the assault was "the bottom of the barrel for a human being."

"Right now, you live in the bottom of the barrel, but I bet that bottom is going to fall out for you shortly." Judge Lynch quoted by Columbus Dispatch as saying.

The judge also imposed the maximum penalty of $35,000 for the offenses plus court costs on top of Sovie's period of imprisonment. In 17 years, after pedophile is released from prison, he will be required to register as a sex offender every 90 days until his last breath.
Patna: Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Sunday visited Patna Saheb to take stock of the ongoing preparation for the much-publicized Prakash Utsav commemoration to mark the 350th birth anniversary of the 10th Guru of the Sikhs Guru Govind Singh.

{gallery}newsimages2016/oct/102316{/gallery}Kumar, who was surrounded by top bureaucrats, asked them to ensure all arrangements were completed prior to their respective deadlines and no guest left Patna with bad feelings or negative impression about Patna and the state of Bihar.

Hundreds of thousands of Sikhs, and even non-Sikhs, are expected to visit Patna Saheb during the 10-day celebration starting December 30, 2016 and ending on January 8, 2017.

The Chief Minister noticed accumulated water on the Guru Govind Singh Path and asked the officials to ensure no such puddle is formed in future. He also directed the officials to make sure the over-bridge is repaired and the region below it is cleaned and sanitized. Wherever he saw overhead electrical cable hanging loosely, he asked the Principal Secretary of the Energy Department to get it repaired immediately.

Kumar also visited Kangan Ghat and reviewed the ongoing repair work. The government has transferred 12 acres of land near Kangan Ghat where the Gurudwara Management Committee will hold 'langars', or the kitchen, where visitors will be served food for the entire period of the celebration.

The Chief Minister then visited the Gurudwara where he paid respect to the Sikh Guru. He also visited Patna Saheb railway station and directed officials to ensure its cleanliness.

"The railway station must be kept clean all the time and amenities like drinking water and rest areas must be available at all time for the visitors," he said.

Chief Secretary Anjani Kumar Singh, Development Commissioner Anand Kishore, District Magistrate Sanjay Agrawal, Director General of Police P. K. Thakur, Pratyaya Amrit, Harjot Kaur, Chanchal Kumar, and Brajesh Mehrotra were among many senior officials who accompanied the Chief Minister.
Envoy hails as 'historic' Finland President's visit to Tehran

10/24/16

Source: Tehran Times

TEHRAN - Finnish President Sauli Niinisto, at head of a high-ranking delegation, will visit Tehran in an effort to broaden and deepen ties between Tehran and Helsinki. The delegation consists of a number world-known Finnish companies in different areas such as environment and water resources management, Finnish Ambassador to Tehran Harri Kamarainen told the Tehran Times on Sunday.





Finnish Ambassador to Tehran Harri Kamarainen





Over the past weeks, the ambassador has been very hectic, paving the way for the presidential visit, which he hailed as "historic".

"We are preparing for the historic visit as this is the first visit by a Finnish head of state to the Islamic Republic of Iran. As a matter of fact, this is also the first official bilateral visit by a Finnish head of state ever. The visit marks a new beginning in relations between Finland and Iran on the highest political level and we are therefore very much forward-looking to the discussions in Tehran," Ambassador Kamarainen stated.

President Niinisto will lead a large business delegation to Tehran, which include world-class technological moguls.

"My president will bring along our Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Kai Mykkanen as well as a prominent Finnish business delegation, comprising of the most prominent leading Finnish global companies, companies that are well-known all around the world and this of course dominate the agenda during the discussions."

Visits between the officials have been arranged.

"President Sauli Niinisto will meet with the political leadership of the Islamic Republic of Iran and in these discussion we will discuss, of course, issues of mutual interest, namely bilateral relations between the two countries, including enhancing trade and economic cooperation. Also, issues of regional importance will be discussed. We are still working on a final agenda for the meetings. But, possibly meetings with the parliament speaker are on the agenda.

"Also, as I mentioned we will have a sizable business delegation participating in this program which means we are planning to organize a number of important meetings in different sectorial ministries in Tehran, possibly the ministry of information and technology (ICT) and possibly Dr. Vaezi is one of them."

Referring to academic cooperation between the two countries, the Finnish ambassador emphasized the field has been one of those areas that has connected Finland and Iran.

"Finland is ranking very high in the international competition when it comes to the level of education and therefore, it provides a good basis to enhance and broaden cooperation between our universities. I have already seen concrete results in the field. For example, one of the leading Finnish universities, Aalto, which has been ranked among the top universities in the world, has already been active in Iran since two years ago, offering training in the field of executive business management. It has resulted in excellent outcomes and 60 senior Iranian managers have already received diplomas from the Finnish university. Also, some other Finnish universities have also good cooperation with Iranian universities. So, I'm very optimistic about this field and we very much welcome this kind of cooperation."

One fascinating area for cooperation between the two countries is the environment. The two have already signed a document to expand environmental cooperation.

"The fact that cooperation between Iran and Finland has started in this field is symbolic. It shows both countries take these issues seriously. During the visit of Minister for Environment and Agriculture, Kimmo Tiilikainen, in February, he signed a memorandum of understanding with Iran's Department and Environment, led by Her Excellency Masoumeh Ebtekar."

"The fact that the MOU was among the first MOUs during the past two or three years shows that we have actually started the cooperation from a very important sector of the society. This MOU gives a very good basis and framework for the private companies and also for the authorities to enhance the cooperation the field of environment.

"Also, in the delegation which is arriving at Tehran, we have prominent companies which are very active in solving environmental issues not only in Europe but also worldwide. If we take, for instance, the company Kemira is a world leader in water management and we have invited Kemira to visit Iran, particularly for this reason since we know that Iran has a lack of water in certain periods of year and the company has excellent solutions for communal water waste management as well as for the industrial water waste management which we hope could be a very good solution for many Iranian companies."

Iranian officials have highlighted that time is ripe for the country to enter into an implementation phase in its relations with foreign partners after the nuclear deal. The Finnish envoy believes relations between the two countries have already entered into an implementation phase. Yet there are issues to be resolved.

"The number of delegations exchanged between the two sides after the nuclear deal shows both sides take this historic agreement seriously. So many contacts have been established and MOUs signed. All these show we are already in the implementation phase. Still we are in the beginning of the implementation phase but we are paving the way for deepening contacts.

"But, one has to acknowledge that we still do have problems in certain areas of the implementation. Not everything is as smooth as we probably thought it would be at the very beginning. There are problems, for instance, when it comes to banking and money transfers. But these problems need to be addressed jointly by both sides."

Steps have already been taken to resolve the banking challenge, including contacts between the two countries' chambers of commerce.

"During the visit of His Excellency Foreign Minister Mohamad Javad Zarif to Helsinki in May this year a working group between the chambers of commerce was established, and this working group comprises of representatives of Finnish private banks, Iranian private banks as well as representatives of the Finnish central bank and Iranian central bank."

"The purpose of this working group is to look jointly at problems and obstacles at a practical level and how to overcome these obstacles in order to start money transactions between Finnish and Iranian banks. But I would say that the issue of money transfer is not the only obstacle. There are still many other things and issues that need to be solved. For example, one is the issue of transparency. As you know, Finnish banks have been ranked among the most secure and trustworthy financial institutions in the world and for Finnish banks it is very important to maintain that high status. Also, important for Finnish banks are measures against money-laundering. And that working group has to discuss these issues and also try to identify measure to address these problems in order to start the banking connections as soon as possible. We have seen some progress recently and I will remain optimistic toward the future although it takes time."
(Xinhua) 18:03, October 24, 2016

CHANGSHA, Oct. 24 -- More than 130 experts from around China and abroad gathered in the central province of Hunan, focusing on the centuries-old Chinese Tusi chieftain system and culture.

The Tusi system is an ancient chieftain system adopted by feudal Chinese emperors to govern ethnic minorities in the southwest from the 13th to the early 20th century. "Tusi" refers to a tribal leader appointed as an imperial official by the central government.

During a seminar from Oct. 21 to 23 in Yongshun County, Tujia-Miao Autonomous Prefecture of Xiangxi, experts discussed issues such as protection and application of the Tusi legacy. The seminar collected over 120 essays on Tusi culture from both Chinese and foreign writers.

The Yongshun old Tusi fortress has a history dating back more than 600 years. Lying on the bank of a river, it is considered the largest, oldest and best preserved Tusi fortress in China.

The Yongshun old Tusi fortress, the ruins of Hailongtun castle in Guizhou Province and the Tangya Tusi fortress in Hubei Province were added to the World Cultural Heritage List in July 2015.

Li Ping, vice head of Xiangxi prefecture, said in order to better protect the old Tusi structures, authorities should balance the relationships between protection and tourism, protection and exploration, and properly deal with the interests of local residents.
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Quick, name three popular antivirus products. If your list included Baidu, Qihoo 360, or Quick Heal, you're probably in China or India. These vendors are huge in Asia but much less famous in the west. My last review showed that Quick Heal, at least, deserved its obscurity. I'm happy to say that Quick Heal AntiVirus Pro 17 is much better than the version I reviewed nearly two years ago. Even so, there are areas and features that could use even more enhancement.

I've observed lately that the going rate for a one-device one-year antivirus license seems to be around $39.95. On that basis, Quick Heal's $30 subscription is a bargain. For $60, you get a three-license subscription.

Anybody can download a 30-day trial of the program. The initial download is just a stub that downloads the latest version of the actual software, automatically choosing 32-bit or 64-bit as appropriate. To upgrade to a paid version, you enter your license key on the About page. Quick Heal wants to know quite a bit about you. In addition to an email address, it wants your full name, a phone number, and your country, state, and city. Picking your country and state from a drop down list is common, but I was surprised when choosing California caused the next entry to display a list of every city in California.

Immediately after installation, you're prompted to connect with Quick Heal Remote Device Management. You create an online account, with your email address and a password, and enter the product key again. Then you turn on the feature within Quick Heal, which gives you a one-time password that must be entered back in the online console. This complicated handshake might be a bit daunting for the neophyte user. In any case, the Remote Device Management account is only truly useful for mobile devices.

The components of the program's main window haven't changed, but they're colored and arranged slightly differently. You still see a big banner reporting the system's security status above four panels representing Files & Folders, Emails, Internet & Network, and External Drives & Devices. A News panel now appears at the bottom, with links to educational articles on security.

Mixed Lab Results

When I reviewed the previous version of Quick Heal, it appeared in almost none of the lab tests I follow. Things have changed for the better since then. Quick Heal received certification for malware detection from ICSA Labs. This sort of certification is different from scored lab tests. If a vendor's product doesn't initially achieve certification, ICSA Labs helps the vendor remediate any problems and attain certification.

Quick Heal is now also on the radar of the experts at AV-Test Institute(Opens in a new window), who evaluate antivirus products three different ways. Naturally they measure how effective the antivirus is at protecting against malware infestation. They rate its effect on system performance. And they calculate a usability score that's highest when the product exhibits the fewest false positives (valid programs or websites flagged as malicious). A product can earn 6 points in each category; Quick Heal got 5.5 in each, for a total of 16.5 points. That's decent, but in this same test Bitdefender Antivirus Plus 2017(29.99 3 devices / 1 year  50% off at Bitdefender)(Opens in a new window), Kaspersky, and Trend Micro Antivirus+ Security($29.95 Per Year at Trend Micro Small Business)(Opens in a new window) earned a perfect 18 points.

Lab Test Results Chart

Quick Heal also now participates in four of the five tests by AV-Comparatives(Opens in a new window) that I follow. A product that simply passes one of this lab's tests earns Standard certification. Those that go above and beyond the minimum needed to pass get certified at the Advanced or Advanced+ level. Quick Heal earned Advanced+ in the performance test and the static file detection test. In a test that measures how thoroughly products clean up malware that all of them detect, Quick Heal took an Advanced certification. And in the important whole-product dynamic test it was certified at the Standard level.

These aren't bad scores, but Avira Antivirus Pro 2016($19.95 at Amazon)(Opens in a new window) took an Advanced+ rating in all four of the same tests. Bitdefender and Kaspersky Anti-Virus($29.99 for 3 Devices for 1 Year at Kaspersky)(Opens in a new window) did the same in all five of the tests that I follow. Overall, though, Quick Heal made a much better showing than when I reviewed it last.

Scan Choices

A full scan of my standard clean system took Quick Heal just 36 minutes. That's pretty quick, given that the current average is 45 minutes. It finished a second scan in just 7 minutes, demonstrating some form of optimization during the first scan. Some products take that optimization even further. For example, a repeat scan with F-Secure Anti-Virus 2016(39.99 1 PC for 1 Year at F-Secure)(Opens in a new window) finished in just two minutes.

You can choose to just scan for malware in memory, or to scan a specific drive or folder, if you prefer. For malware that manages to resist the normal scan, you can choose a Boot Time Scan instead, either a full scan or a quick scan of areas where malware commonly lurks. When you reboot the system, the text-only Boot Time Scan goes into action at the very beginning of the boot process, before rootkits and other persistent malware types have had a chance to load.

It's always possible that malware could render your PC unusable, either accidentally, due to bad coding, or on purpose, locking you out until you pay a ransom. Quick Heal does offer screen locker protection in the form of a special keystroke that can break you free from certain screen locking ransomware types. But sometimes you just can't run Windows, or can't run Quick Heal. That's where the Emergency Disk comes in.

As soon as you install Quick Heal, you should click the Tools menu and click Create Emergency Disk. A wizard guides you to download the latest content for the disk, and then handles the task of creating a bootable USB or CD/DVD. I had some trouble booting my test system from the Emergency Disk, which is not surprising given that I test on a virtual machine. It did boot, but then rebooted over and over. I did see enough to know that it boots in to a portable Windows environment, not a Linux variant.

Also on the Tools page is a separate AntiMalware scanner that focuses on edge cases like spyware, adware, fake antivirus, and so on. When I ran this scan it finished in a trice, reporting no malware found.

Some Slipups in Malware Removal

I continued my testing by opening the folder that contains my current set of malware samples. Quick Heal started picking them off right away, eliminating 58 percent of the samples on sight. Others have done much better at this stage of testing. For example, Check Point ZoneAlarm PRO Antivirus + Firewall 2017($39.95 at ZoneAlarm)(Opens in a new window) killed off 81 percent of the samples on sight, and Trend Micro whacked 94 percent of them.

Next, I launched each sample that survived the initial purge. Every single one of them launched and at least started to install. That's quite different from my experience with McAfee AntiVirus Plus($14.99 at McAfee Australia)(Opens in a new window), which so thoroughly quashed execution for most of the samples that it freaked Windows out, causing a "file not found" error. Quick Heal did detect almost all of the samples during installation, for a total detection rate of 94 percent. However, it allowed half of those it detected to plant one or more malware executables on the test system. Those executable files dragged its malware blocking score down to 8.5.

Malware Blocking Results Chart

For a different look at Quick Heal's ability to protect against malware attack, I started with a feed of malware-hosting URLs from MRG-Effitas(Opens in a new window), URLs no more than a day old. I launched each and noted whether Quick Heal steered the browser away from the URL, eliminated the malware download, or sat idly doing nothing.

Out of 100 verified malware-hosting URLs, Quick Heal blocked 92 percent, almost all of them by keeping the browser from ever reaching the URL. That puts it among the top few contenders in this test. Symantec Norton AntiVirus Basic($19.99 for 1-Device on 1-Year Plan at Norton LifeLock)(Opens in a new window) blocked 98 percent of its challenge URLs, and Avira blocked 99 percent.

So-So Phishing Protection

The same Web-level protection that fends off malicious URLs also serves to steer naive users away from phishing sites, frauds that try to steal login credentials by imitating financial sites or other secure sites. In fact, the warning page that appears in the browser is precisely the same for a malicious URL as for a fraudulent one. However, Quick Heal wasn't quite as effective against the frauds.

Phishing websites are ephemeral, because they quickly get blacklisted and shut down. That doesn't bother the fraudsters; they just open another fake site. But it does mean that I need the very newest phishing URLs for testing. I scrape phishing-oriented websites to capture URLs that have been reported as fraudulent but that haven't yet been analyzed.

Antiphishing Results Chart

The phishing URLs are different each time, and different fraud styles come and go. Rather than report hard detection-rate numbers, I report the difference between product's protection rate and Norton's. Why Norton? For ages it has consistently done a really good job detecting the very latest phishing frauds. It beats almost all the competition; Bitdefender, Kaspersky, and Webroot SecureAnywhere AntiVirus($18.99 More than 50% Off Exclusive for PCMag at Webroot)(Opens in a new window) are the only recent products to outperform Norton.

Quick Heal didn't join those products in the top tier. In fact, it lagged 32 percentage points behind Norton, and 24 points behind the protection built into Chrome. It eked out a 5 percentage point advantage over Internet Explorer and handily drubbed Firefox. On the plus side, the previous edition of Quick Heal didn't even offer phishing protection, so this is a big step up.

Uneven Firewall

The first challenge for any third-party firewall is that it must protect the system at least as well as the built-in Windows Firewall. Quick Heal fell down at this step. While it stealthed almost all of my test system's ports, it left the all-important HTML port 80 wide open. In addition, one of my Web-based tests revealed that it let the system respond to what's called a ping echo, a technique used by malefactors to troll the Internet for victims. That's not a good start.

Program control is the other main feature of most third-party firewalls. In Quick Heal this feature is a bit simplistic. Some settings are extreme. At the Low level, the firewall just allows all traffic. At the Block level, it blocks all traffic, including Quick Heal's own. There's also a mode to only allow Internet access for known and trusted programs. When I turned on this mode, trying to go online using my hand-coded tiny browser didn't trigger any kind of warning. It just displayed an error message.

In between all these extremes are firewall levels Medium (the default) and High. At the Medium level, the firewall displays a message when it detects suspicious incoming network traffic. At the High level it warns of suspicious incoming or outgoing traffic. I ran a handful of leak test utilities, but just one of them proved suspicious enough to trigger a warning.

The Intrusion Prevention System is considered a separate feature from the firewall, though they have similar tasks. I didn't see it spring into action when I hit the test system with 30 exploits generated by the CORE Impact(Opens in a new window) penetration tool. However, the antivirus component eliminated the malware payload for almost half of the exploits, identifying most of them by name.

While the firewall's protection may not be top-tier, it's tough, at least. I couldn't find any way a malware coder could disable its protection. Significant values in the registry are protected against tampering. I couldn't find any way to kill its 12 distinct processes. Likewise, all of the nine essential Windows services associated with this program were hardened against anything I could do.

Browser Sandbox

According to the help system, the Browser Sandbox "applies a strict security policy for all untrusted and unverified websites" and can "isolate any possible infection." I had trouble seeing just how this feature works during my last review, but I gamely dug in again, hoping to gain understanding.

This feature is turned off by default, and turning it on requires a reboot. By default, it displays a green border around any Chrome, Firefox, or Internet Explorer border that it's protecting. You can turn the border off, but seeing it is a good reminder. Also by default, it opens downloaded documents in a sandboxed environment.

You can up the protection level by banning the browser from any access to folders you define as confidential, and you can also prevent any browser-related process from making changes in protected folders. For testing, I defined the Desktop folder as confidential and set it to protect the Documents folder.

I uploaded a tiny text editor that I wrote myself to Dropbox, then tried to download it to the desktop on the test system. I got an Access Denied warningBrowser Sandbox at work! I downloaded the file to the Downloads folder instead, then launched it and edited a text file in the Documents folder. I thought Quick Heal should prevent that, but it didn't.

My contacts at the company explained that Browser Sandbox very specifically manages code running in the browser itself, for example, a malicious browser extension or drive-by download. It didn't let the browser download a program to the protected folder, but once the program was downloaded, it wasn't under observation or control by Browser Sandbox. This feature might protect you in some situations, but it's not the same as the hardened browser feature in Bitdefender, Avast Pro Antivirus 2016($55.99/Year at AVAST)(Opens in a new window), and others.

See How We Test Security Software

Bonus Features

I mentioned the AntiMalware scanner and the Emergency Disk earlier. The Tools page contains several other items that can be helpful, starting with Hijack Restore. It's not uncommon for malware to tweak your system settings in ways that make removal harder, or reset your browser home page and other defaults to unwanted value. Hijack Restore puts back the defaults for browser settings. It can also fix a raft of malware-induced configuration problems, restoring access to Control Panel, Windows Update, Regedit, Task Manager, and other useful tools.

Track Cleaner deletes traces of computer usage such as most recent file lists, along with cookies, cache files, history, and other traces of Web surfing. It wipes MRU lists for 7-Zip, Acrobat, and Microsoft Office programs, among others. And it sweeps away browsing traces for Chrome, Internet Explorer, Edge, Opera, and Safari (but not Firefox).

Almost all modern malware spreads via the Internet, but there are still some that use infected USB drives as a primary or secondary mode of infection. Quick Heal's USB Drive Protection modifies a USB drive so that, although a malware process can still copy itself to the drive, it can't configure itself to launch automatically when the drive is plugged in. The USB Vaccine feature in Panda Antivirus Pro 2016($19.99 at Panda Security)(Opens in a new window) and K7 Antivirus Plus 15($9.00 at K7 Computing)(Opens in a new window) works in much the same way.

Disabled by default, Anti-Keylogger claims to prevent capture of your keystrokes. In testing, I found it did not work. I turned off antivirus protection in order to load a popular free keylogger. I typed some random search terms in my browser. And I found that the keylogger totally captured what I typed. In any case, keystroke capture is just one feature of these spy programs. The one I chose also captures screenshots, logs chat activity, records the websites you visit, notes which programs you launch, and more. I'm not impressed with this feature.

Diagnostic Tools

The remaining three tools aren't for you. Don't mess with them unless you're an antivirus expert. These are present so a Quick Heal support technician who's remote-controlling your system can use them to get information.

System Explorer displays all running processes, a bit like Task Manager, and it can kill processes like Task Manager. The main difference is that it offers plenty of detail about the selected process. When you drag the crosshairs from Windows Spy onto a visible window, you get a detailed property list for the application that owns that window. And support agents can exclude specific file instructions from the product's scan for troubleshooting purposes.

A Big Improvement

Quick Heal AntiVirus Pro 17 is much better than version 16. It earned decent scores from the independent labs and did well in some, but not all, of our hands-on tests. Its bonus firewall didn't test well, though, and while it offers quite a few bonus features, they're not all top-notch.

I track almost four dozen antivirus products, and from that crowd I've identified five worthy of being designated Editors' Choice. Bitdefender Antivirus Plus and Kaspersky Anti-Virus consistently get top ratings from the independent labs. Symantec Norton AntiVirus Basic does well too, and offers an impressive Intrusion Prevention System. An unusual behavioral detection system makes Webroot SecureAnywhere Antivirus the smallest antivirus around, and it aced my hands-on malware-blocking test. And while it doesn't test out quite as high as the rest, McAfee AntiVirus Plus lets you protect every device in your household, across multiple platforms. One of these will surely be the right antivirus for you.

It's Surprisingly Easy to Be More Secure Online It's Surprisingly Easy to Be More Secure Online
The plan by AT&T to acquire Time Warner for US$85.4 billion has come under the microscope of U.S. politicians and public interest groups that are concerned about the antitrust implications of the mega-deal.

On Saturday, Randall Stephenson, AT&T chairman and CEO, said the deal would let it combine premium content with the networks to deliver it to every screen, including mobile displays.

But many politicians including Democratic party presidential candidate Hillary Clinton and her Republican rival Donald Trump are concerned about the implications of the deal.

U.S. Senators Mike Lee, a Republican from Utah, and chairman of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Antitrust, Competition Policy, and Consumer Rights, and ranking member Amy Klobuchar, a Democrat from Minnesota, said they will hold in November a subcommittee hearing on the proposed acquisition.

We have carefully examined consolidation in these industries to ensure that existing market leaders do not block or co-opt new options for receiving video content or exercise disproportionate control over the video content market, the senators said Sunday. We will continue to carefully review and investigate any consolidation in this industry to makes sure that it does not harm consumers.

There is concern that as the owner of pipes to the consumer such as DirecTV, the satellite TV company it acquired last year, and its broadband and mobile services, AT&T could skew the market by giving preference to content from Time Warner over that of its rivals.

DirecTV might favor Time Warner content by crowding out or refusing to carry other programming that viewers might prefer, wrote John Bergmayer, senior counsel at Public Knowledge, a public interest organization in Washington, D.C., when press reports of the proposed acquisition first started making the rounds.

AT&T might also make it expensive or difficult for competitors to DirecTV or to its streaming service to access Time Warner programs, so as to drive customers to its own platforms, Bergmayer said in a statement last week, which expressed similar concerns about AT&T favoring its own content on its broadband networks.

Clinton has also weighed in favor of a close scrutiny by regulators of the AT&T-Time Warner deal, her spokesman told reporters on Sunday. Brian Fallon said that there were a number of questions and concerns about the proposed acquisition but theres still a lot of information that needs to come out before any conclusions should be reached, according to Reuters.

Her Republican rival Donald Trump had earlier stated that his administration would block the deal, claiming it would result in too much concentration of power in the hands of too few.

The Twitter account of Senator Bernie Sanders, who earlier withdrew his bid for the Democratic party nomination, on Sunday tweeted that the administration should kill the Time Warner/AT&T merger. This deal would mean higher prices and fewer choices for the American people.

AT&T expects that the transaction with Time Warner will close by the end of 2017, and said it was subject to review by the U.S. Department of Justice, and possibly the Federal Communications Commission to the extent that FCC licenses may have to be transferred to AT&T under the deal. But AT&T may be too optimistic about the time line as political and other forces line up against the deal.

A similar acquisition proposal by Comcast to acquire NBC Universal in 2009 likewise came under regulatory scrutiny and the deal was finally cleared in 2011 after a number of conditions were imposed.

AT&Ts reported proposal to acquire Time Warner for more than $80 billion raises some immediate flags about consolidation in the media market, which is an area Ive worked to address for years, said Senator Al Franken in a statement Saturday. The senator from Minnesota said he would be asking for more details on the deal in the next few days as he was skeptical of huge media mergers because they can lead to higher costs, fewer choices, and even worse service for consumers.

Franken said regulators often agree as was evident when Comcasts bid to buy Time Warner Cable was stymied last year.

AT&Ts rivals are also likely to watch closely as events unfold, more so as Time Warner has been a coveted acquisition in the past. Disney has said that the deal will have to be reviewed by regulators. A transaction of this magnitude obviously warrants very close regulatory scrutiny, Zenia Mucha, chief communications officer for the Walt Disney Company, told some media outlets.

Late Sunday, AT&T said that the editorial independence of CNN, a part of Time Warner, would be maintained. Our intent is to operate Time Warner as it operates today, with autonomy in its divisions, it said in a statement.
There are a few Halloween-related releases the week prior to the holiday  Lights Out, Nerve  but if you arent into horror, try Captain Fantastic.

While the story from writer-director Matt Ross struck me initially as a bit contrived, its ultimately an affecting film. Viggo Mortensen is pretty fantastic as the father of a brood who have unplugged from modern life.

They live somewhere in the deep forest of Oregon, where Mortensens Ben Cash is teaching his kids survival techniques, as well as about Noam Chomsky, Henry Thoreau, the classics and a number of languages. His six kids range from ages 7 to 18, and every day brings more training for them. They grow most of their own food, climb rocks and read by the light of the campfire.

Ben had been doing all of this with his wife, Leslie (Trin Miller), but shes gone now, though the reasons are hazy at first. Eventually, the outside world impinges, and the family has to take a road trip. They use an old school bus, which is reminiscent of Ken Keseys gang of Merry Pranksters.

Once they start traveling, the kids realize how cut off they have been. It hits the oldest, Bo (George MacKay), who would be ready for college if his father would let him go. They are well-prepared academically and physically and can think for themselves, but they are ill-prepared for a world of cellphones and social media.

Captain Fantastic has heart, laughs and emotions. Whether Ben is right in the way he raises his children is for you to decide.

Our Kind of Traitor

John le Carres 2010 novel Our Kind of Traitor makes for a decent  if low-key  spy thriller in director Susanna Whites film.

Ewan McGregor plays Perry, a professor of poetics on a holiday in Morocco to improve his marriage with his wife, Gail (Naomie Harris). After she leaves him in a restaurant to go to work, he meets a Russian gangster named Dima (Stellan Skarsgard). Dima knows his days are numbered, and worried about his family, he shows Perry a good time so he can win his trust.

Dima then persuades the professor to pass on information to MI5, the British spy agency. The top brass dont think what he has is worth it, though. But one agent (Damian Lewis), sees it as a way to settle some old scores and begins a clandestine operation of his own that draws in both Perry and Gail.

Though not quite at the level of the recent miniseries The Night Manager, another le Carre adaptation, Our Kind of Traitor has plenty of twists and turns amid the realpolitik.

Film sequels

Independence Day: Resurgence and Alice Through the Looking Glass are not even close to the worst sequels to come along, but you can be assured that you pretty well know what you are getting before watching a frame.

Contact the writer: rlowman@scng.com Twitter: @RobLowman1
In the 10 years since the explosive Esperanza fire killed five U.S. Forest Service firefighters protecting an unoccupied home in the San Jacinto Mountains, wildland firefighting tactics, philosophies and organizational culture have changed, with agencies now strongly emphasizing valuing emergency workers lives over buildings.

Some of the new guidelines, officials say, are inevitable improvements in firefighting whose timing is coincidental. Others can be directly attributed to efforts to prevent a repeat of the doomed stand that the Engine 57 crew of Capt. Mark Loutzenhiser, Jess McLean, Jason McKay, Daniel Najera and Pablo Cerda made at the so-called Octagon House in Twin Pines overlooking the San Gorgonio Pass.

For many of us who were there, there is the awareness that you never want to go through this again, said John Hawkins, chief of Cal Fires Riverside Unit, which assumed initial command of the Oct. 26, 2006, fire before being joined by the Forest Service. The job of firefighting is continually evolving, whether we have fatality fires or not. Fatality fires truly do drive the law of catastrophic reform.

Shawna Legarza, who in June became the Forest Services director of Fire and Aviation, said she inherited an agency that is in transition.

The biggest shift that weve made from Esperanza and Engine 57 is really trying to become a learning organization, said Legarza, who was chief of the San Bernardino National Forest from 2011 to 2013.

Its not that the Forest Service is just now emphasizing safety. The 10 safety-related Standard Firefighting Orders were developed in 1957; shortly thereafter, 18 Watch Out Situations also were created to avoid tragedy.

But John Phipps, director of the Forest Services Rocky Mountain Research Station, said those 28 rules did not consider the complexities of fighting wildland fires that can increase in ferocity at a moments notice because of wind, topography and temperature, and as a result, firefighters for a time were too strictly held accountable for violating them.

MISTAKES CALLED CRIMINAL

In 2001, when four hand crew members were killed battling the Thirtymile fire in Washington state, victims families and politicians clamored for answers and accountability. That resulted in Congress passing a law requiring that the Office of Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the parent agency of the Forest Service, investigate every wildland fire that resulted in a federal firefighter death.

Ellreese Daniels, a Thirtymile fire incident commander, was charged with four counts of manslaughter among 11 felony charges. Eventually, he pleaded guilty to two counts of making false statements to investigators about his crews positioning and was sentenced to 90 days in a work-release program.

The prosecutions had a secondary effect: Federal firefighters, fearing jail, began refusing to cooperate with investigators, limiting what officials could glean from mistakes to make sure they didnt happen again, Phipps said. Firefighters also began purchasing liability insurance and refusing supervisory assignments, according to reports.

The Inspector Generals 2009 report on the Esperanza fire said some firefighters refused to cooperate with investigators, fearing criminal prosecution. To allow the joint Cal Fire/Forest Service investigation to go forward, Inspector General investigators delayed their interviews until January 2008.

Eventually, Phipps said, Forest Service officials began to realize that firefighters still were dying despite the heavy-handed approach. The Forest Service in 2014 adopted new investigation methods that focus on learning from mistakes instead of finding fault.

Instead of holding individuals responsible, were trying to hold the organization responsible for learning how to change this system so it can increase the probability that everybody goes home, Phipps said.

No fire commanders were prosecuted in the Esperanza fire.

COMMUNICATIONS CONFUSION?

The 2013 book The Esperanza Fire: Arson, Murder and the Agony of Engine 57, by John N. Maclean, suggests that the Forest Services Loutzenhiser misunderstood what Cal Fire Battalion Chief Bob Toups said was his warning to leave the Octagon House for safety reasons, or that Toups did not clearly convey the gravity of his concern before the flames roared up a funnel-shaped creek drainage and swept over the crew in seconds with temperatures of at least 1,600 degrees.

The 118-page Esperanza Fire Accident Investigation Factual Report, released in July 2007 and jointly written by Cal Fire and the Forest Service, did not attempt to sort that out. Investigators instead wrote that they found a loss of situational awareness concerning the dangers associated with potential fire behavior and fire environment while in a complex wildland urban interface situation, a term for where homes abut forests. They also wrote that the decision to attempt to save the Octagon House at the head of a rapidly developing fire either underestimated or accepted the safety risk.

The captains of four other engines protecting homes nearby rejected those assertions in a September 2007 response. Others in the fire service, including Toups, have described the title of the Factual Report as a misnomer.

The Inspector General report, meanwhile, provided a detailed account by Toups. Toups said Loutzenhiser told him he planned to leave the Octagon House when the flames approached and that he told Loutzenhiser that this was not a place they wanted to be and that they could not fight the fire there.

Engine 57 was to leave the Octagon House and meet up with crews in a safer area several hundred yards away when the fire was close to the bottom of the drainage area, Toups told investigators.

Hawkins, who said he believes Toups account, added sadly that the other witnesses to what happened are dead.

Toups retired seven years ago as an assistant chief and lives in Canyon Lake. He declined in a recent interview to talk about his conversation with Loutzenhiser. But he did say: Its a terrible tragedy. People like myself are still scarred by it.

Toups now consults for a company that has developed a web-based product that can track the exact location of firefighters and fire engines and allow fire commanders to see from afar when they are in danger. Hawkins and Legarza said firefighting agencies in general are behind in adopting technology.

I think it would significantly reduce the possibility of a terrible accident like this, Toups said.

Tim Chavez was a Cal Fire captain when the Esperanza fire broke out about 1 a.m. He watched as a combination of heat, dry brush and Santa Ana winds caused flames to suddenly explode uphill toward the Engine 57 crew. Chavez said some of the ideas for the operating principles definitely came out of Esperanza.

Now a battalion chief and fire behavior analyst, Chavez said Cal Fire is getting away from putting firefighters in the path of flames.

Oftentimes, in the first place, you are not successful, and in the second place, thats how you kill people, Chavez said.

STRUCTURE PROTECTION SECONDARY

The Factual Report also expressed concern over a joint Cal Fire/Forest Service firefighting plan that investigators said appeared to have emphasized aggressive structure protection over firefighter safety.

Some issues raised by the report were addressed when, in 2014, Cal Fire released the 313-page Wildland Urban Interface Operating Principles to provide better training in safety, protecting structures, leadership, fire behavior and other subjects.

Because firefighter and civilian safety is always the first consideration, any tactical action should reflect that concern, the document says.

Hawkins said he hopes all  local, state and federal  firefighting agencies in California will adopt the standards in the 2014 document.

The Forest Service has, in the past year, had conversations with its firefighters that emphasized their safety, Legarza said.

We want to make sure all of our employees, when they have time to think things through, they think things through more than they have in the past. Talking about life and property and what is the most important value: human life, Legarza said.

The Forest Service has made other changes.

The Forest Service has been ranking areas by risk to firefighters and the public, with dispatchers relaying that information to fire crews. Over 2011-12, Legarza said, the Forest Service turned over primary responsibility for structure protection during wildfires in Big Bear, Lake Arrowhead and Idyllwild to Cal Fire.

It seemed like that was putting our firefighters in a place of more risk and a conflict of what the mission of this agency is: land management and exterior (structure) protection, Legarza said.

Cal Fire spokeswoman Janet Upton said a vast majority of the homes in those areas are in locations where state and local firefighters have responsibility for structure protection.

We are trained to do that. Its a risk we accept, Upton said.

The Forest Service also has completed implementing seven recommendations made by a Forest Service task force in the wake of Esperanza, including integrating its firefighting plans with those adopted by Riverside County fire safety task forces and improving risk assessment.

Reducing risk  it will never end, Legarza said. We manage our risk so we can come home every single day on every single fire.

Contact the writer: brokos@scng.com or 951-368-9569
One of the first people to the scene of a triple murder in Pinyon Pines testified Monday that he saw the body of the youngest victim in a wheelbarrow outside her burning home.

It was illuminated by the flames, Timothy Sumerlee said during a preliminary hearing for murder suspects Robert Lars Pape and Cristin Conrad Smith. I saw a head and torso. I told the (firefighters) that I had seen something that looked like a body in that wheelbarrow.

Sumerlee was the first witness summoned by the prosecution to testify at the hearing, which will determine whether theres sufficient evidence to warrant a trial for the defendants. Additional witnesses are slated to be called to the Riverside Hall of Justice today.

Pape of Cathedral City and Smith of Olympia, Wash., each face three counts of first-degree murder with a special circumstance allegation of multiple murders for the deaths of 53-year-old Vicki Friedli; her boyfriend, 55-year-old Jon Hayward; and her 18-year-old daughter, Becky Friedli.

Sumerlee attempted to recollect his and his wifes actions on the night of Sept. 17, 2006, testifying that they saw the victims single-story residence burning and contacted emergency services.

According to the witness, he walked to the house, which was located across from his residence at 68550 Alpine Drive, just south of Palm Springs. Sumerlee said he called out to see if anyone needed help, but there was no reply.

The fire very quickly grew robust. It had taken hold and was significant by the time Sumerlee arrived, he said.

He testified that he did not realize the remains in the wheelbarrow were those of Becky Friedli and only learned about that later.

Sheriffs Detective Ben Ramirez testified that the young womans remains were about 70 feet north of the house. An autopsy listed her cause of death as homicidal violence, but nothing more specific.

Ramirez said Vicki Friedlis charred body was located in the laundry room. She had been shot once in the head.

Hayward was found in the kitchen with a shotgun blast to the chest, according to the prosecution.

There were two gas cans in the garage, Ramirez said. We found matchsticks and lighter fluid on the north side of the house.

Pape and Smith, both 28, were previously charged with the killings, but after problems arose during grand jury proceedings in 2014, the Riverside County District Attorneys Office temporarily shelved the case. The defendants were rearrested last June.

New evidence emerged following a 16-month investigation, which included a cell tower analysis that placed Pape and Smith in Pinyon Pines at the time of the killings, according to an arrest warrant declaration by sheriffs Investigator Lester Harvey.

The affidavit referenced phone calls between Pape and his girlfriend, Sara Honiker, regarding an unregistered gun and a statement from an anonymous informant indicating Smiths alleged admission to igniting a fire at the victims home.

Pape and Smith told investigators they were in Cathedral City when the trio were killed, but analysis of cellphone records showed that the pair were on Monterrey Avenue, heading toward Pinyon Pines, according to the affidavit.

Pape, whos being held without bail at the Robert Presley Detention Center in Riverside, could face the death penalty if convicted. Smith, whos being held without bail at the Southwest Detention Center in Murrieta, was a juvenile at the time and would face life in prison without the possibility of parole if found guilty.

Contact the writer: news@pressenterprise.com
The hopes of thousands of Ghanaians, especially the youth and unemployed graduates, to secure jobs in public sector institutions in 2017 has been dashed as government has pledged to strictly enforce compliance with the policy of net freeze on recruitment.



The move, according to government forms part of measures to reinforce its strict expenditure control to ensure that the wage bill remains within the approved budget limits.



The net freeze on recruitment is contained in a Letter of Intent, Memorandum of Economic and Financial Policies, and Technical Memorandum of Understanding Ghana sent to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in September 2016 requesting the IMF Executive Board to complete the third review of Ghanas Extended Credit Facility (ECF) arrangement and approve the disbursement of the fourth tranche of the loan based on the satisfactory implementation of performance criteria (PC).



The 51-page letter dated September 16, 2016 was addressed to Ms. Christine Lagarde, Managing Director of the IMF.



The letter was jointly signed by Finance and Economic Planning Minister, Seth Emmanuel Terkper and Governor of Bank of Ghana, Dr Abdul-Nashiru Issahaku.



$918 m bailout package



Government agreed to a $918 million loan package with the IMF in April last year to narrow its budget gap and halt the decline of the currency.



In the 3-year bailout programme, the IMF wants Ghana to reduce public sector wage bill to 35 percent of government revenue by 2017 as part of a plan to restore macroeconomic stability.



With a little of over two months to enter 2017, this objective is far from being achieved.



Wage bill ratio to tax revenue is 49.2%



According to the letter to IMF, government said the wage bill ratio to tax revenue is 49.2 percent as at the end of 2015.



To achieve the 35% wage bill ratio to tax revenue, government was to strictly enforce a net freeze on employment this year as well as downsize the public next year.



Some economic and social analysts say downsizing the public sector as contained in the three-year programme will effectively lead to retrenchment as the public sector is believed to be over bloated with staff but the government rejected any suggestion of job losses.



Rightsizing of public sector



In the new letter of intent, there is no mention of rightsizing the public sector, which raises questions of how government intends to achieve 35% wage bill ratio to tax revenue.



The fear of losing jobs in the public sector has the potential to influence public sector workers to vote against the incumbent government and, therefore, the failure to include rightsizing in the letter of intent could be a strategic decision.



Impending demonstrations for jobs



The government to assume office in January 2017 faces a lot of demonstrations from the thousands of unemployed Ghanaians as has been seen this year by several groups including, newly-trained teachers, fresh nurses, fresh doctors, among others, if the net freeze on recruitment into the public sector is strictly enforced.



Wage bill to rise further



Even if the government strictly enforces the net freeze on recruitment, the wage bill ratio to tax revenue is likely to rise above the 49.2 percent achieved at the end of last year.



This is because government is recruiting thousands into the health and education sectors, as well as the security agencies.



Though the recruitment is good news, in light of the revelation by the World Bank that 48% of Ghanaian youth are unemployed, it has the potential to shake the very foundation of governments three-year bailout programme with the IMF aimed at stabilising the troubled economy.



Reducing the public sector wage bill to 35 percent of government revenue by 2017 is seen as the nerve centre of the three-year IMF bailout programme because a bulging wage bill was the main reason government cited to apply for the programme.



GOV'T OPENS EMPLOYMENT FLOODGATES



YEA recruits 70,000



The Youth Employment Agency (YEA) has, so far, hit 70% of its target of recruiting about 100,000 new recruits into the various modules.



This includes 1,347 unemployed graduates of the School of Hygiene to been be deployed to various metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies (MMDAs) before May 2, when they are expected to start work.



Emerging figures indicate that not less than 10,000 names will be added to the wage bill from ongoing employment into the public sector.



2,400 Math and Science teachers for GES



The Ghana Education Service (GES) has announced that it has been granted the financial clearance by the Ministry of Finance to recruit 2,400 teachers who will teach Mathematics and Science in senior high schools.



4,799 Health workers employed by Ministry of Health



The Ministry of Health has recruited and posted 4,799 nurses, psychiatry nurses, enrolled nurses, community nurses and midwives who graduated in 2014 and 2015 to various health facilities in Ghana.



The categories of persons employed are as follows: Registered Midwives - 1,268; Registered Community Nurses - 56; Registered General Nurses (Psychiatry) - 507; Health Assistant Clinical - 321; Registered General Nurses - 2,389; and Community Health Nurses  258.



1,018 Lecturers recruited



A total of 1,018 lecturers have been recruited as requested but the universities say the number is woefully inadequate.



SECURITY AGENCIES



Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) - 2,000 recruits



Last year, the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) recruited 2,000 personnel, but 500 were sacked from training due to insubordination.



Even though GAF has not disclosed the number of personnel to be recruited this year, sources say it is likely another 2,000 personnel would be recruited.



Ghana Police Service - 1,000



The Ghana Police Service, which has commenced its first recruitment in three years, is likely to recruit 1,000 personnel and officers.



The service is yet to disclose the total number of personnel to be recruited.



Ghana Prisons Service  500 recruits



The Ghana Prisons Service, which has been understaffed for years, is expected to recruit more than 500 personnel.



GNFS and GIS  1,000 recruits



Ghana National Fire Service and Ghana Immigration Service are also recruiting personnel each of the services is to recruit not less than 500 staff.



70,407 NSS personnel



The National Service Secretariat (NSS) has released placements for 70,407 prospective national service personnel for the 2016/2017 service year.



The service personnel, who have been deployed to both the private and public sectors, are from 137 tertiary institutions across the country as well as those who have completed their studies abroad.



These people would complete their service in July 2017 and begin to seek employment but the public sector will have not jobs to offer.



6 Months NSS extension due to no jobs



The NSS has announced an optional six months extension to service personnel who have completed their service in July, this year, but wish to be redeployed for additional duties primarily because they cannot secure jobs.



These six months would end in March 2017 and the personnel involved would have to seek for jobs.

Source: The Finder









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Mrs. Sally Molley of the Small Tax Payer Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority has advised Small and Medium Enterprises to keep proper records to enable them to know their expenses and the right taxes to pay.



If you fail to keep proper records we will calculate for you what the Authority deems right, she stated explaining that as an Authority they were mandated to calculate the appropriate taxes and collect them and pay into the Governments coffers for development.



Mrs. Molley during an engagement with the SMEs on the Responsibilities of the Tax Payer at Takoradi, said various complaints that the Authority had issued high rating systems on tax payment was due to the lack of data and recording at the respective businesses to work with.



Mr. Peter Baah, an Assistant Commissioner of the Unit, urged all businesses to register for the TIN number to help speed up business transactions and to solicit the needed assistance from the authorities should the need arise.



He said soon the activities of the Authority would be automated and it was the TIN number that could help in doing business with the relevant bodies.

Source: GNA









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Professor Joshua Alabi, outgoing vice-chancellor of the University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA), has appealed to the government for a clearance to recruit more administrative staff to meet the demands of the fast expanding university.



Prof. Alabi made the appeal at the universitys 2016/2017 academic year matriculation in Accra on Saturday during which 3,216 students were admitted into the university.



The figure represents 46.25 per cent of the 6,954 applications received by the University.



Prof. Alabi said the student population had increased over the past years, as a result of the growing demand for university education.



This has led to the need to recruit more lecturers, he stated.



He, therefore, lauded the government for granting the UPSA the clearance to recruit 118 additional lecturers to augment its academic staff strength.



He said two new programmes  Bachelor of Laws (LLB) and Bachelor of Science Actuarial Science  had been added to the Universitys programmes portfolio this academic year.



He stated that other programmes such as the doctorate courses in leadership and marketing were awaiting accreditation from the National Accreditation Board.



The vice-chancellor announced that the UPSA Council had given approval for the acquisition of 100 plots of land at Oyibi, near Accra, for the construction of staff bungalows.



This initiative is within the context of managements desire to motivate staff of the university, who have worked very hard over the past years to improve conditions at the university, and also to continue to give of their best, he said.



He said work had also started on the construction of a students centre, which when completed, would house shops, food courts and meeting rooms.



Prof. Alabi commended the students and staff for their impressive support during his tenure as a vice-chancellor, and urged them to do same for his successor.



To the matriculants, the vice-chancellor admonished them to be focused on their education and work to achieve academinc excellence.



He advised them to develop their creative abilities, aim high and diligently pursue their aspirations.





Source: The Ghanaian Times









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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The Northern Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Daniel Bugri Naabu has been cautioned and granted a police enquiry bail.



This was after he reported to the police on Saturday morning on an invitation on grounds of causing fear and panic.



Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), Mr Ebenezer Tetteh in charge of Public Relations at the Northern Regional Police Command told Graphic Online that Mr Naabu was granted bail after his statement had taken.



He said he was questioned in relation to an inflammatory statement he made at the partys rally at Savelugu last Saturday and that he is to report to the police periodically.



Mr Naabu at the rally told party supporters that the NPP would deploy well built men (Macho men) to every single polling station in the Northern Region to police ballot boxes on Election Day to prevent them from being snatched by supporters of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC).



He went further to state that NPP supporters should chase and smash the head of any NDC supporter who would snatch a ballot box on Election Day.



The statement by Mr Naabu drew a lot of criticism and condemnation from Civil Society groups, some security analysts and the NDC who called on the police to invite the NPP Northern Regional Chiar for questioning.

Source: Daily Graphic









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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21 year old student of University of Ghana, Leah Brown has been crowned the new Miss Malaika queen.



After several weeks on different competitive activities, Leah took enviable crown home last Saturday October 22, 2016 at the National Theatre in Accra.



The University of Ghana Political Science and French student beat nine other contestants to win the crown at this years event. The competition on the night started with 10 ladies which was later cut down to top five before the queen and her two runners up were announced.



Amanda Edem Fiawosime, a Business Administration (Insurance) student at the University of Ghana, and Delsey Hamilton Yankah, a Business Management student at the University of Cape Coast (UCC), emerged first and second runner-ups respectively.



For winning the title, Leah Brown drove home a brand-new Renault Captur Hatchback. She also received one-year wardrobe supply of clothes, a trip to Dubai and a $10,000 education scholarship.



The crowing of this years winner follows 13 weeks of intensive grooming and mentoring by the organisers, Charterhouse.



The finale of the pageant which was hosted by the ever smiling Berla Mundi, witnessed performances from MzVee, Joey B, EL and Lil Shaker.

Source: Nkonkonsa.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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A real estate firm reckons the dodgy-as-heck demolition of Melbournes Corkman Irish Pub has essentially doubled the lands value, which doesnt exactly do much to dispel the notion the heritage-listed hotel was knocked down under flimsy pretences.

The 159-year-old building, located on the corner of Leicester and Pelham streets in Carlton, was reduced to rubble after sustaining fire damage. Critics have argued that damage wasnt serious enough to necessitate its demolition, and that doing so may have seriously violated council protections.

1857-2016, 160 Leicester Street #carlton #corkman #melbourne A photo posted by @cliq on Oct 18, 2016 at 2:54am PDT

Now, Savills Australia have told Fairfax the property would probs sell for between $8 million and $10 million in todays market. That figure stands in pretty stark contrast to the $4.76 million developers Stefce Kutlesovski and Raman Shaqiri paid back in the latter part of 2014.

Despite the beaucoup bucks that are apparently now on offer, a representative of Savills delivered a pretty searing burn, saying the firm would prefer to focus our resources on assisting our many highly reputable clients with their landholdings.

So far, Fairfaxs attempts to contact Shaq Demolitions  the firm responsible for the job, which is also half-owned by Shaqiri  have been fruitless.

Fairfax also spoke to Alf King, the pubs previous owner, who said he fully expected the site to undergo redevelopment. King also said the developers mentioned their intention to turn the much-loved watering hole into apartments  which seems to be a reoccurring theme in Australia of late.

FWIW, a petition calling on the City of Melbourne to ensure the buildings full restoration has surged north of 17,000 signatures. Well keep you updated on whether the student haunt, which was lovingly eulogised as something both more, and less, than a standard Irish uni pub, is granted a miraculous second life.





Illegal demolition happens everywhere. Corkman Irish Inn Built in 1857 Demolished in October 2016 A photo posted by kellychoi (@klyychoi) on Oct 22, 2016 at 2:01am PDT

Source: Brisbane Times.

Photo: Melbourne Heritage Action / Instagram.
Were in the waning days of the US presidential campaign  thank God. In 20 days, the country will hit the polls and decide whether they want Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton to have their finger over the big red nuke button. Its not a particularly edifying thought either way.

But everyone knows Trump has not been doing well over the past few weeks. His off-the-cuff, meandering, reflexively insulting campaign rhetoric is effective when hes demonising Muslims and immigrants, but not so great when hes defending himself against accusations of harassment and sexual assault. His polling has taken a serious hit.

The generally well-regarded FiveThirtyEight poll of polls model has Clinton at a 87.4% chance of winning the election right now. And Trumps people are coming to that realisation. Kellyanne Conway, Trumps campaign manager and a longtime Republican pollster, has long dismissed assertions that Trump isnt doing so crash hot, but on an appearance on Meet The Press she was more forthcoming.

We are behind, she said.

She clarified that stance, though:

[Clinton] has some advantages, like $US66 million in advertisement buys just in the month of September, thereby doubling her ad buys from August. Now, most of those ads are negative against Donald Trump  classic politics of personal destruction, cesspool kind of ads. And she has tremendous advantages: She has a former president, who happens to be her husband, campaigning for her. The current president and first lady, vice president, all much more popular than she can hope to be.

Media Matters for America also dug up a bunch of Conways old statements about Trump and chucked them into a little compilation, so you can see how much her tune has changed when it comes to her boss:

remember when Kellyanne Conways cable news appearances looked like this? pic.twitter.com/5ObZdl2BC3  Alazar (@zarzarbinkss) October 23, 2016

More likely that not, were gonna see a Clinton presidency. And for progressive Americans, you gotta hope to God shell be a tiny bit better than the Clinton were seeing in the Wikileaks emails  who is craven and prone to capitulating to any kind of rightwing policy she thinks will get her elected.

Oh well! We have our own problems here, dont we?

Source: NBC.

Photo: Getty Images.
A womans tweets about a male passenger assaulting her as she boarded a flight are going viral, not least because they highlight just how difficult it is for women to press charges for assault.

Ariana Lenarsky was boarding a flight in Austin, Texas, when a dude sitting in the aisle seat grabbed and stroked my calf as she walked past him.

When she told the flight attendants what happened, it turned out they knew exactly who she was talking about, because hed already done the same thing to other female passengers.

It was too late to kick him off the flight, so Lenarsky took to Twitter to talk about the incident and ask what she should do next.

Its like a real-time Choose Your Own Adventure for how to deal with harassment.  Ariana Lenarsky (@aardvarsk) October 23, 2016

Howzabout that in-flight WiFi, hey?

Lenarsky decided to ask the flight attendants what they were planning to do after the plane landed.

The answer: the flight attendants had already informed the captain, were filing a report to the airline, and had alerted authorities who would meet them upon arrival.

As it turned out, the same dude had attempted to kiss another woman mid-flight, and ended up being escorted off the plane by police.

Police took him off the plane. Im still here & theyre taking my & another womans report. The legal term for how he grabbed me is battery.  Ariana Lenarsky (@aardvarsk) October 23, 2016

Neither woman ended up pressing charges, because the requirements for them to do so made the process extremely difficult.

In Lenarskys case, the incident fell under the Austin Police Departments jurisdiction, meaning shed have to fly back to Austin at her own expense just to report it. In the other womans case, the FBI would have to get involved because the incident happened in the sky, and she didnt want to go through that process.

To add salt to the wound, the police then told Lenarsky that while theyd give the man a talking to, it was not, after all, the crime of the century.

True! tweeted Lenarsky in response. Im going to tweet his picture now since its NBD.



You cant grab women on a plane, guy. You cant do it. Hope you get the help you need. pic.twitter.com/5A5nGqdx87  Ariana Lenarsky (@aardvarsk) October 23, 2016

Lenarsky didnt reveal which airline she flew with, so we cant include a statement from them about the incident, but you can read Lenarskys entire account of what happened below:

Some guy grabbed & stroked my calf (??) as I walked by on the plane, so I took his picture. Not gonna post it, but I hope hes freaked out.  Ariana Lenarsky (@aardvarsk) October 23, 2016

I just told the flight attendants, and they both nodded. They already knew who it was, because other women already complained. Lol.  Ariana Lenarsky (@aardvarsk) October 23, 2016

Anyway. We dont land for an hour and a half. Anything else I need to do here? Tag the airline? Tweet the photo?  Ariana Lenarsky (@aardvarsk) October 23, 2016

Its like a real-time Choose Your Own Adventure for how to deal with harassment.  Ariana Lenarsky (@aardvarsk) October 23, 2016

I am now going to ask the flight attendants what they plan to do when we land.  Ariana Lenarsky (@aardvarsk) October 23, 2016

They told the captain and are filing a report with the airline. Local authorities will meet the plane when we land.  Ariana Lenarsky (@aardvarsk) October 23, 2016

I feel depressed.  Ariana Lenarsky (@aardvarsk) October 23, 2016

Police took him off the plane. Im still here & theyre taking my & another womans report. The legal term for how he grabbed me is battery.  Ariana Lenarsky (@aardvarsk) October 23, 2016

He tried to kiss the other woman. She doesnt want to press charges bc since it happened in the sky, the FBI would have to get involved.  Ariana Lenarsky (@aardvarsk) October 23, 2016

If I want to press charges, Id have to fly back to Austin on my dime, since its Austin PDs jurisdiction. I dont want to do that.  Ariana Lenarsky (@aardvarsk) October 23, 2016

Police said they would give him a talking to& its not the crime of the century. True! Im going to tweet his picture now since its nbd  Ariana Lenarsky (@aardvarsk) October 23, 2016

You cant grab women on a plane, guy. You cant do it. Hope you get the help you need. pic.twitter.com/5A5nGqdx87  Ariana Lenarsky (@aardvarsk) October 23, 2016

Photo: Twitter / Ariana Lenarsky.
Like everyone with an interest in video games, when I think about whats at the forefront of the modern gaming experience, Farming Simulator immediately springs to mind.

Transforming the tedious analogue process of doing actual farmwork into a tedious simulated exercise rendered in excruciating detail, its absolutely the best way to spend hundreds of hours operating heavy machinery without getting paid a single cent for it.

In their own words:

Immerse yourself in a huge open world loaded with a yield of new content. Explore farming possibilities over hundreds of acres of land, including a detailed new North American environment. Drive over 250 authentic farming vehicles and equipment from more than 75 manufacturers, including huge new brands such as Challenger, Fendt, Massey Ferguson and Valtra.

Amazing stuff.

While we have to wait what feels like thousands of years between Grand Theft Auto games, Farming Simulator games have been released once a year nearly every year since 2008, and the 2017 edition looks like it will feature the highest fidelity tractors yet, and no one is more excited about that fact than whoever made the new launch trailer.

Accompanied by a deceptively cool chillwave soundtrack, the trailer takes the male gaze to its most mechanical extreme, staring at and lingering on various harvesters and pieces of farming equipment that Im too city-ruined to identify with lustful abandon and almost tangible desire.

If driving tractors at a medium speed over rolling hills at sunset gets your erogenous zones primed, then prime your erogenous zones for this incredible piece of gaming technology:

This dope slice of digital bliss can be yours as of October 25th, you can pre-order it on Steam here.

Source and photo: YouTube.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Oct. 24

Trend:

After the official welcoming ceremony, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and President of the Republic of Croatia Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic had a one-on-one meeting October 24.

The importance of Croatian president's visit to Azerbaijan was stressed at the meeting.

President Aliyev recalled a meeting with President Grabar-Kitarovic which took place as part of the conference entitled "Support for Syria and the region" in London in early 2016 and the visits to Croatia.

President Aliyev also stressed the high level of Azerbaijan-Croatia relations in all spheres.

While expressing gratification with the visit to Azerbaijan, the Croatian president stressed the importance of the business forum, to be held as part of the visit.

President Grabar-Kitarovic expressed the Croatian companies interest in the activity in Azerbaijan.

The good opportunities existing for the expansion of bilateral relations in various spheres and confidence in further development of relations were stressed during the meeting.

President Aliyev and President Grabar-Kitarovic exchanged views on bilateral issues and issues of mutual interest.
Update: Pa. Turnpike crash cleared.

Early morning commuters will run into some traffic delays on the Pennsylvania Turnpike in Cumberland County.

According to the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission, traffic is stopped or slow moving at mile post 224.6 between the Blue Mountain and Carlisle exits due to a crash in the eastbound lane.

The right lane is blocked, and traffic is slow moving.

Drivers should use caution.

For more traffic information, follow live traffic updates, accident reports and road closures below from PennDOT, Total Traffic Network and other Twitter sources.

Get a look at conditions on local roads -- via PennDOT traffic cameras -- anytime here on PennLive. For Pennsylvania Turnpike updates and possible travel delays visit the Turnpike website here.

Tweet us at @pennlive with any incidents you see on your commute or send a submission to submissions@pennlive.com.
Kareem Ross

(Lancaster County district attorney's office)

One of the two men

was ordered to stand trial in Lancaster County Court on Monday.

Kareem Ross, 24, of Wilmington, Delaware, is accused of killing Jared Weaver, 19, on Sept. 26, 2015 at Advanced Auto Parts on the 1000 block of East King Street in Lancaster Township. Weaver was robbed and shot in the chest by Kareem and Rashan Ross, police said.

The Rosses, who are cousins, stole $90 worth of "lean", a candy-flavored cough syrup concoction used as a drug, Manheim Township police detective Brent Schultz testified at the preliminary hearing Monday. Schultz also testified that the Rosses' phone records show the devices were in Lancaster on the day of Weaver's murder, returning to Delaware after the shooting, according to a news release from the district attorney's office.

Lancaster County First Assistant District Attorney Christopher Larsen argued at the hearing that the Rosses arranged to buy the lean from Weaver, but robbed him instead. Video surveillance showed two men confronting Weaver before he fell to the ground suffering from the fatal gunshot wound, officials said in the news release.

"The lean is gone," Larsen said to District Judge Mary Sponaugle. "They weren't going to pay for that lean."

A man who was with Weaver before he was killed told police that Weaver made arrangements for the transaction.

Kareem Ross faces charges for criminal homicide, robbery, conspiracy to commit robbery and theft. He is scheduled for formal arraignment Nov. 23 in county court. Rashan Ross faces the same crimes. He is awaiting extradition to Lancaster County.
Security is being stepped up on Temple University's campus in Philadelphia after as many as 200 youths roamed across campus, assaulting students and others Friday night.

Four juveniles were arrested for three assaults, the first of which was reported at 8:30 p.m., said a statement from Temple University police.

A "meet-up" post on Instagram is believed responsible for the large numbers of juveniles gathering at a movie theater at Broad and Oxford streets south of the campus around 6:45 p.m. Friday, police said.

"For the next few hours, the juveniles split into several smaller groups, some of which committed assaults, and ran from police in various directions between Jefferson and Norris streets and between Broad and 17th streets," police said.

A similar group of juveniles was reported the weekend of Oct. 15 on the campus, police said.

Two Temple police officers sustained injuries while arresting a 15-year-old male who earlier had been seen throwing rocks at passing cars, said Brandon Lausch, Temple spokesman.

Philly.com said juveniles were charged with pushing down a patrolman on a bicycle and hitting a mounted officer, among other things. CBS Philly reports as many as 50 students were taken into custody, including one who hit a mounted police officer's horse.

NBC10 said 25 to 50 youths roved across campus, fighting each other and assaulting others.

The Temple News student newspaper said groups of youths gathered at different spots along Broad Street, fighting and harassing students and others. A similar situation occurred Oct. 16 at Broad Street and Cecil B. Moore Avenue, said the report.

Last Friday, one of the incidents included an attack by about 20 youths on a group of three people, Philly.com said. One student was kicked and stomped, and required treatment at the emergency room, said her father, Joe Lauletta, on Facebook.

Philly Voice said police are stepping up patrols in the area, citing the robbery of a female student Oct. 14 near Ninth and Berks streets. Parents and family weekend is coming up this weekend

Temple students criticized an alert message from the university an hour-and-a-half after the attacks.

TU Alert: Increased police activity due to large groups of juveniles along Broad Street on/near Main Campus. Police responding. Avoid area.  Temple University (@TempleUniv) October 22, 2016

Temple police say they are working with Philadelphia police to have an increased presence on campus, especially on weekends. The campus community is also urged to be cautious and be aware of surroundings when walking.

There are walking escorts available and also Flight, an on-demand evening shuttle service for Temple students, faculty and staff. For assistance call Temple police at 215-204-1234.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Oct. 24

Trend:

Azerbaijan and Croatia have good opportunity to develop bilateral cooperation, said Azerbaijans President Ilham Aliyev.

He made the remarks during an expanded meeting with Croatias President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic in Baku Oct. 24.

Madam President, dear guests, welcome to Azerbaijan, we are very glad to see you in our country. Its a very important visit of president of Croatia to our country, said Ilham Aliyev.

We just have had an opportunity to exchange views on bilateral issues, regional issues, issues related to security. And as we see, our positions coincide, he noted. We want to develop bilateral cooperation. Its a good opportunity now. We have close political connections in different areas. Madam Presidents visit once again shows that tomorrow well have a very interesting session of the business communities. We need to see how we can increase the level of mutual trade and investments and see other opportunities.

Of course, cooperation in the energy area is of extreme importance. We are partners in the Southern Gas Corridor which is being implemented on time, said the Azerbaijani president. We have a very broad agenda. Also, of course, we have EU-Azerbaijan cooperation where Croatia plays a very important role, and we want to see more development on this track.

I think our countries established very close partnership relations in many areas and we need now to see what else we can do, especially in the area of trade, economic development, business-to-business contacts because, as I said, political relations are very good, and they will be even better after your visit, noted Ilham Aliyev.

I am sure that the visit will be very successful and will be another important step towards the development of our friendly cooperation. Madam President, once again welcome, he added.

The two presidents discussed prospects for cooperation in the fields of economy, high technologies, expansion of trade, shipbuilding, transportation, energy, agriculture, food industry, tourism, and pharmaceutical industry.

President Ilham Aliyev highlighted the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic reaffirmed Croatias support for Azerbaijans territorial integrity and sovereignty.

The importance of Azerbaijan-Croatia relations within Azerbaijan-EU cooperation was stressed at the meeting.
Office of Inspector General

Gov. Tom Wolf has vowed to veto a legislative proposal to make the Office of Inspector General, which investigates state agencies and welfare programs, permanent and subject to Senate oversight.

(PennLive photo illustration)

HARRISBURG -- The state Office of Inspector General is tucked away on the eighth floor of a nondescript high-rise, sandwiched between the offices of the budget and comptroller operations.

Its 230 employees investigate waste, fraud and abuse in Pennsylvania's welfare programs, as well as allegations of misconduct within state agencies. For example, the office is currently in the midst of an investigation of the State Police Academy near Hershey, a report from which is expected early next year.

Most Pennsylvanians don't know the inspector general exists or, if they do, they confuse it with the infinitely more visible attorney general. That the last inspector general, Bruce Beemer, is currently serving as attorney general probably doesn't help matters.

But this little-known office could soon be the subject of a showdown between Gov. Tom Wolf and the Legislature.

Since it was created via executive order by Gov. Bob Casey, the post has been a provisional one. Each successive governor could choose to shut it down, since the office falls entirely within the umbrella of the governor's executive offices. It isn't elected, like attorney general, and the appointments aren't subject to Senate confirmation like many other Cabinet posts, from environmental secretary to state police commissioner.

That could change this week, as a bill poised to land on the governor's desk would make the inspector general a permanent office subject to a two-thirds vote of the state Senate.

"We spend over 30 billion taxpayer dollars every day throughout the year," said the bill's sponsor, Rep. Mindy Fee. She was referring to the overall state budget, which is more than $30 billion spread throughout the year. "I think it's very important to make sure we're diligent with every dollar that comes in and that the programs we're setting up are getting to those who are eligible and not to cheaters."

UPDATE:

An earlier iteration of the office created by Gov. Dick Thornburgh investigated corruption in PennDOT. In 1987, when it launched under Casey with just 25 employees and a $225,000 budget, its scope expanded across state government. Last year, the office saved taxpayers an estimated $115.8 million versus its $16.9 million operating budget.

Wolf has made it clear he doesn't approve of Fee's proposal, although his administration hasn't given a reason, at least not publicly.

"It's a waste of time and he will veto it," Wolf spokesman Jeff Sheridan said, in a written statement.

Fee, a Lancaster County Republican, said she amended her original proposal to allow the Senate confirmation language to take effect after Wolf's first term because several Democratic colleagues raised concerns that it would be seen as a slight to the sitting governor.

"Surely, I understand that," she said. "I wanted to make it apparent that the governor came in with a set of rules and that should be honored."

House Bill 1618 gives the inspector general a six-year term, with a requirement that the governor appoint a replacement 90 days before the end of the term. That was designed, she said, to avoid the kind of power struggle that ensued when outgoing Gov. Tom Corbett issued a series of last-minute appointments before handing the reins to Wolf.

"I wanted to make sure they overlap with governors," she said, "and the governor couldn't just put up a name as they go out the door."

The bill also comes with a requirement that the office issues an annual report, made available to the Legislature. In recent years, the office's standard practice has been to issue an annual report but there's no statutory requirement.

Since taking office, Wolf also required the office to release investigation report summaries to the public, although that too is a policy that could disappear with the next administration.

"This is about transparency and good government," Fee said.

If Wolf does choose to veto HB 1618, it's not clear that his veto would stand. The most recent vote on the bill, to amend it on second consideration, was 34-15. That's greater than the two-thirds majority vote needed to overturn a veto if the Senate chose to pursue an override.

Making the office permanent and requiring things like an annual report, Fee said, ensures that a new administration can't simply shutter the office or render it moot through inaction.

"I don't know how you report to your boss that there might be waste, fraud and abuse," she said, of the office's current status reporting on other agencies overseen by the governor.

Several former inspectors general said the office does work at the pleasure of the sitting governor -- who sets overarching priorities -- but that, in practice, it has generally operated independently.

"I was never pressured by the governor's office," said Albert Masland, who served just over a year under Mark Schweiker. "In my brief time there, I can't say there was any situation where the governor's office weighed in heavily one way or another."

Albert Masland, in a 1998 file photo. He served as inspector general in 2002 and 2003.

When Masland took office, he said the agenda had already been set. His job was to manage the office and to respond to new tips. The office, he said, launched investigations based on a mix of external tips and information from within the agencies themselves. During that time, he said, he never had any contact with Schweiker.

"There were a number of investigations that came in just through the normal course of business," said Masland, who now serves as a Cumberland County common pleas judge. "From people being aware that we were out there. They thought something was fraudulent and they'd give us a holler."

Part of the reason so few people have heard of the office, he said, is that much of its investigative work--by necessity--is completed in secrecy. The office has tried to get the word out across the state in order to generate more tips, but there's only so much promotion that a single inspector general can do.

Because of his current role as a judge, Masland said he couldn't weigh in on HB 1618 or the direction of the office.

Other former inspectors general were similarly hesitant, given their current or former work in the law, law enforcement or politics.

"I can say this: I think it's good someone's looking at it to see if there's a better way," Masland said. "I know every state seems to do it slightly different and there may be a better model than what we have."
Update: Former AG Kathleen Kane sentenced to 10 to 23 months in county jail

Kathleen Kane's defense team called a series of witnesses Monday to bolster their argument that the convicted former attorney general should be sentenced to house arrest instead of prison time.

"There's no doubt in my mind," testified former Hazleton Police Chief Frank DeAndrea. "If we sentence the attorney general to any prison in the commonwealth or the United States, she will then be a target accessible to all these prison gangs and it will be a death sentence."

Prosecutors, meanwhile, called witnesses to testify about the harm Kane inflicted on the Attorney General's Office and the public's trust. They asked for her to serve out consecutive sentences on her perjury and other convictions in prison.

Erik Olsen, a chief deputy attorney general, testified that Kane encouraged him and other staff members to violate a court order related to the grand jury leak investigation against her.

"For the first time in 30 years as a prosecutor, I called an ethics attorney," he said. "'What do I do?'"

As the resulting scandal unfolded, Olsen said, other law enforcement agencies--from state police to FBI--declined to join the office in investigations. Those relationships have begun to be repaired since Kane stepped down following her August criminal conviction but they had a tangible impact on the office's operations.

"It's been a really difficult two years," he said. "You have to deal with sarcastic judges [and] snide remarks from the defense bar."

Prosecutors also entered a TV news report in which she said she had "no regrets" from her time as attorney general. That tape was recorded on her last day in office, two days after a Montgomery County jury found her guilty of felony perjury and other charges related to the leak of secret grand jury materials to embarrass a political rival. After a defense objection, a video of the full interview--in which Kane describes 5-foot-high weeds in her lawn--was played.

"I try to live my life without any regrets," she said, in response to a question about her legacy.

DeAndrea, who led the Hazleton police department for four years, said Kane was instrumental in curbing drug crime and violence through the mobile street crimes task force she established partnering local police with about 20 state law enforcement officers.

The task force removed 35,000 packets of heroin from the streets, he testified, and identified and dismantled 67 separate heroin distribution systems.

"Thirty-five thousand packets," he said. "That's the potential for 35,000 lives that could have been saved."

During his own testimony, Olsen argued that a full accounting of Kane's impact should not be based simply on arrests. Although he did not have figures available, he said one has to look at the number of prosecutions and convictions.

Having grown up in the city, the former chief said he's seen gang members order hits on other members and law enforcement officers. The local gangs have direct ties to the Sinoloa cartel in Mexico, he said.

"That scares me and should scare anyone in law enforcement," he said.

Upon cross-examination, DeAndrea said he understands and respects the work of the court and Kane's conviction.

"I am not negating the court or anything that took place here with the jury," he said. "I am here for mitigating circumstances . . . [they] do not negate the findings of the jury but they are above or beyond or need to be expressed."

DeAndrea, who attended Kane's August trial but never spoke publicly, was ousted from his role by Hazleton's incoming mayor earlier this year. The City Council eliminated the full-time chief's job, according to news reports.

Thomas Cappelloni, a Catholic priest and chaplain of the Hazleton police, said Kane's active involvement in his city helped keep young people away from drugs and the street gangs. She was the first major official to take an interest and follow through with resources, he said.

"It's a city abandoned by both political parties," he said "All types of promises and nothing ever happens: Nameless, faceless people."

When pressed by the prosecution team, Cappelloni said Kane's actions mean that she can no longer help Hazleton.

"The good she did remains," he added. "She made a mistake."

Marc Steinberg, Kane's sentencing attorney -- part of an 8-member legal team that was present on Monday -- also called Kane's son, Christopher, who lives and goes to school in Clarks Summit. The teen said it was his own decision to testify.

"My mom is like my rock," he said, his voice low and quivering. "She's there for me. For her to leave me, it'd be bad. It 'd be tough for all of us, for me and my brother and my family. We understand what happened. We respect the court's decision."

Her niece, Grace Granahan, testified that her aunt was a supportive presence when she underwent treatment for an eating disorder.

Clarke Madden, a former deputy attorney general who left the office in 2015, said Kane's employees were diverted from their prosecutorial efforts to perform legal research and other work due to Kane's criminal defense. It also made their work as prosecutors more difficult, as it became necessary during jury selection to ask jurors if they had any biases due to the ongoing criminal investigation against Kane. Similarly, victims and witnesses were hesitant to work with the office due to the erosion of trust caused by the mounting scandal.

"It was like dancing on a trap door," he said.

The atmosphere, Madden said, "was one of abject demoralization which set out like a poison cloud over the office."

He eventually left the office for private practice as the climate became intolerable.

"If that building was on fire it could scarcely be less comfortable," he said.

In his argument before the judge, Steinberg read lengthy excerpts from several of the 31 letters Kane's family, friends and colleagues wrote on her behalf. He also outlined her biography, growing up in Scranton and working her way through law school, and career.

Steinberg also raised the specter of violence if she is incarcerated due to her work against drug cartels. Her children, he added, need her in their lives.

"She is clearly unlikely to reoffend," he said, during his plea for leniency, due to Kane's pending disbarment and the absence of any criminal history. "She has lost what she worked so hard to achieve."

Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin Steele emphasized the victims who were impacted by Kane's decisions.

"We do not make our request lightly for consecutive sentences," he said. "This is a result of an egregious act."

Chief among them was J. Whyatt Mondesire, the former NAACP president who was the subject of Kane's leak. He had never been charged with a crime, Steele said, but he suffered from Kane's "vindictiveness" against her rivals. Mondesire died of health problems that his fiance testified at trial were exacerbated by the resulting scandal.

"His face was put in the paper as collateral damage," Steele said, approaching his fiance and business partner. "I remind you of the trial, I remind you of Catherine Hicks, who sits here in the front row who talked about what happened to Mr. Mondesire."

Steele said he has struggled with his belief that Kane knew what she was doing. "She knew better," he said, repeatedly, and her actions undermined trust in the criminal justice system.

"It's immeasurable--the effect of this," he said.

During his argument, Steinberg said Kane's felony perjury charge was not as serious as other offenses, including violent ones, in state code.

Steele objected to that classificiation in his own argument.

"That's the fundamental aspect of what we do every day," he said, his voice rising. "To seek the truth."

Kathleen Kane also delivered her own statement to the court, asking Judge Wendy Demchick-Alloy to think of her children when handing down the sentence.

"I really don't care what happens to me," she said, through tears.

The court has recessed and will reconvene at 2:15 p.m.

Catch up on the story so far:
Update: Former AG Kathleen Kane sentenced to 10 to 23 months in county jail

"I really don't care what happens to me," Kathleen Kane said Monday, in an impassioned plea for leniency so she can be with her teenage sons.

Pennsylvania's former attorney general could face a maximum sentence of between 14 and 24 years for felony perjury and other charges related to her leak of secret grand jury materials to embarrass a political rival.

Sentencing guidelines, however, give Judge Wendy Demchick-Alloy discretion to hand down a far shorter sentence. Prosecutors have asked for Kane to serve her time consecutively for each charge in prison; Kane's defense team has asked for probation and house arrest.

On Monday, after nearly three hours of witness testimony and attorney arguments, Kane addressed the court in an allocution--a direct address at sentencing that is not subject to cross-examination.

Kane expressed contrition, although she did not speak of her crimes in detail, and focused on the effect a lengthy prison sentence could have on her sons Christopher and Zachary.

In the midst of her tearful address, she asked, "May I have a tissue?" She continued: "In my life, I have never felt the love that I feel for my sons."

The months between her August conviction and Monday's sentencing, Kane said, "have been like a countdown clock to losing my boys." In recent days, she said she couldn't stop crying.

"I felt as if our family was ending," she said.

At several points during the allocution, Kane said she did not care about herself but asked the judge to consider her sons' future when handing down a sentence.

"Their lives will turn for the worse," she said. "Maybe I deserve everything I get, but they don't."

Kane thanked the judge for her patience in hearing her and her defense team out, before making a final plea:

"I only ask that you care about my sons and their lives, just as much as anybody else, even though their mother is a convicted felon," she said.

The court has recessed and will reconvene at 2:15 p.m.

Catch up on the story so far:
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Women's Resource Center adapts to meet rising domestic abuse concerns

With many victims unable to reach out during the pandemic, the Women's Resource Center had to find new ways to connect.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Oct. 24

Trend:

An official welcoming ceremony was held for President of the Republic of Croatia Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic October 24, who is on an official visit in the Republic of Azerbaijan.

A guard of honor was arranged for the Croatian president in the square decorated with the national flags of the two countries.

The chief of the guard of honor reported to Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev.

President Aliyev greeted President Grabar-Kitarovic.

The chief of the guard of honor reported to the Croatian president.

The national anthems of Croatia and Azerbaijan were played.

President Aliyev and President Grabar-Kitarovic reviewed the guard of honor.

The Croatian president saluted the Azerbaijani soldiers.

State and government officials of Azerbaijan were introduced to President Grabar-Kitarovic, and members of the Croatian delegation were introduced to President Aliyev.

The guard of honor marched in front of the presidents.

President Aliyev and President Grabar-Kitarovic posed for official photos.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Oct. 24

By Seba Aghayeva  Trend:

Malta attaches great importance to cooperation with Azerbaijan, said Maltese President Marie Louise Coleiro Preca during a meeting with Azerbaijani Ambassador to the country Mammad Ahmadzadeh.

The Azerbaijani ambassador with a residence in Rome presented his credentials to Maltas president.

During the meeting, the Azerbaijani diplomat noted the intensification of cooperation between the two countries in recent times.

Meanwhile, prospects of cooperation were discussed during the meeting and it was noted that Malta, during its chairmanship at the European Union (EU) in the first half of 2017, can contribute to Azerbaijans cooperation with the EU.

As part of the visit to Malta, Mammad Ahmadzadeh also held a number of other official meetings.
Details added (first version posted at 15:07)

Baku, Azerbaijan, Oct. 24

Trend:

President of the Republic of Croatia Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic, who is on an official visit to Azerbaijan, visited the Alley of Honors to lay a wreath at the tomb of national leader, founder and architect of modern Azerbaijani state Heydar Aliyev October 24.

President Grabar-Kitarovic also put flowers at the grave of prominent ophthalmologist, academician Zarifa Aliyeva.

President Grabar-Kitarovic also visited the Alley of Martyrs.

A guard of honor was lined up for the Croatian president there.

President Grabar-Kitarovic paid tribute to Azerbaijani heroes who gave their lives for the country`s independence and territorial integrity.

The Croatian president laid a wreath at the Eternal Flame monument.

A military orchestra played the national anthems of Croatia and Azerbaijan.
She did it for love and money, a former bank teller told a federal judge Monday before he sentenced her to seven years in prison for her role as the inside woman in a pair of Philadelphia-area bank robberies.

Yet when pressed to explain why she agreed to help armed men burst into her workplace and threaten her coworkers in 2013 for a man she had known less than a month, Calia Kane struggled to come up with an answer.

"I knew it was wrong," she told U.S. District Judge Legrome Davis at her sentencing hearing. "There's no amount of times I can apologize."

Kane, 22, of East Falls, pleaded guilty in 2014 to aiding Marquis Wilson and two accomplices in their scheme to rob the bank at which she worked - the Wells Fargo branch at 307 Levering Mill Rd. in Bala Cynwyd - and later a branch in Phoenixville.

She testified at Wilson's trial last month, explaining how she advised the robbers on the best ways to enter and exit the bank, and texted from her work station to let them know when the coast was clear. In their second robbery, she cased various branches and helped them pick their target.

Looking back, her lawyer, Patricia McKinney, told Davis, Kane couldn't recognize herself in the decisions she made.

Raised by a supportive family and working at the bank after graduating near the top of her high school class, Kane, then 19, decided to enroll in community college. On the same day, she was approached on the campus by Wilson, a Bible-quoting smooth talker, who asked her to pray with him.

The next day, Wilson asked Kane if he could rob her bank. She thought he was joking, she told the judge Monday. But the question kept coming.

Within a month, Kane said, she had fallen for Wilson and begun to feel sorry for him after learning that he was living out of his car. He told her that robbing the bank was the only way to better his situation, she said.

"I think Calia romanticized the notion of it," her mother testified Monday. "I don't think she thought it was real until it actually happened."

Kane, through tears, explained it this way: "I took his promise that no one would get hurt more literally - as in physically hurt. I never thought once about the fear from someone putting a gun in your face and not knowing what could happen."

Assistant U.S. Attorney Salvatore Astolfi conceded that Wilson could be manipulative and that it was unlikely that Kane ever would have committed a crime on her own were it not for her dalliance with Wilson.

Still, Astolfi said, her role in the robberies could not be ignored.

During the planning stages, she vetoed the robbers' idea of disguising themselves as hijab-wearing women, pointing out that such attire, although not uncommon in Philadelphia, was likely to draw attention on the Main Line.

She also suggested that the best time for the robbery would be a Monday morning, when the bank still had cash on hand from weekend deposits.

In all, the twin scores netted $151,529 from the two banks and endangered workers at both branches, Astolfi said. Wilson and his other two accomplices are expected to be sentenced in the next three months.

"They manipulated her," Astolfi said. "But she allowed herself to be manipulated."

Davis agreed, addressing Kane shortly before imposing her sentence.

"This isn't a little thing that you've done," he said. "This was huge, and to say 'I'm sorry' can't take away what you did."

jroebuck@phillynews.com

215-854-2608

@jeremyrroebuck
Baku, Azerbaijan, Oct. 24

Trend:

Azerbaijani presidents aide for public and political affairs Ali Hasanov is on an official visit to Turkey in line with President Ilham Aliyevs instruction, the Azerbaijan State News Agency (AZERTAC) reported Oct. 24.

Hasanov met with Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu during the visit.

They discussed a range of issues, including strengthening cooperation for protection of the socio-political stability between both countries.

During the conversation, they exchanged views on prospects of relations, as well as improving Azerbaijani-Turkish strategic ally to a new level.

President`s Assistant Ali Hasanov has also met Director-General of the Directorate General of Press and Information Mehmet Akarca.

They discussed increasing the role of Media in further development of Azerbaijani-Turkish ties, boosting information exchange between the media bodies of both countries.

The parties stressed the importance of promoting the successful results of fruitful cooperation.

During the meeting with Deputy General of Justice and Development Party Yasin Aktay the sides spoke about deepening geopolitical and geostrategic aspects of relations between the two countries.

Yasin Aktay said state of Turkey appreciated the socio-economic reforms carried out in Azerbaijan.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Oct. 24

Trend:

President of the Republic of Croatia Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic, who is on an official visit in Azerbaijan, has delivered a lecture on Azerbaijan-Croatia relations at ADA University.

She hailed bilateral ties between the two countries.

The Croatian president said Azerbaijan plays the role of a bridge between Europe and Asia, and highlighted Azerbaijan-initiated energy projects of global importance.

The president also responded to students questions.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Oct. 24

Trend:

Speaker of Azerbaijans Parliament Ogtay Asadov has met President of the Republic of Croatia Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic, who is on an official visit in Azerbaijan.

Asadov spoke about the Azerbaijani-Croatian relations.

He noted that Croatia was one of the first countries to recognize Azerbaijans independence.

We celebrate 20th anniversary of establishment of relations. Our relations are on a level of strategic partnership, he said.

Asadov stressed the role of reciprocal visits of the heads of states in developing these ties.

He said this visit of the Croatian president would give a push to developing bonds.

Speaking on importance of comprehensive development of relations, Asadov also stressed the significance of boosting economic cooperation.

He underlined the activity of the friendship group operating in the parliaments.

President of Croatia Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic highlighted the similarities between the two countries.

She stressed the necessity of boosting economic cooperation.

The Croatian president also said there are good opportunities for development of cooperation in the fields of culture, education, and science.

Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic said Croatia supports the peaceful settlement of the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
On October 27, 2016, the CMHC met with various parties to discuss their future intentions for the large block of land owned on Mount Seymour. To summarize the new developments, the CMHC confirmed that their concern was liability and that they were willing to discuss ways for all recreational users to access trails on the CMHC lands in the "short to medium term". The Province of BC's responsible agency is RSTBC which has a track record of successfully managing and sanctioning recreational trail access. No further color was given on proposed long-term access by recreational users of the land.



*CMHC has responded and stated that responsible recreational use will be permitted. They have not articulated a stand on organized or commercial events as yet.

The CMHC acknowledges that they did not conduct sufficient consultation with user groups and neighbouring land managers before posting the updated signage.

CMHC is pursuing a coordinated and consultative approach to identifying future uses of the land.



The best option for the short to medium term is to find ways to permit recreational use in a way that is safe for users and reasonably mitigates liability risks to CMHC. The longer-term site review will take into account the prior use of the land and related environmental aspects and a best use strategy for the property will be developed.

As a result of the meetings, and information brought forward by interested parties, CMHC and the Province are prepared, as co-owners, to permit reasonable and responsible recreational use of the property. Users are reminded that persons entering this land do so entirely at their own risk and that the owners are not responsible for any damage or loss to property, or personal injury.

No Trespassing

Mount Seymour

CMHC Lands on Mount Seymour

No Trespassing

Impact on trail users

CMHC statement and "Safety"

Potential outcomes

No Trespassing

Warning

No Trespassing

No Trespassing

Resources and references

Update- October 28th, 2016The NSMBA released the following statement with respect to the meeting which states in par that:No meeting minutes have been provided by any of the parties. The CMHC refrained from commenting on the NSMBA's statement but provided the following statement (a portion excerpted below) :Going forward, CMHC will work closely with the Province to consider the management of appropriate recreational usages of the property.The DNV did not reply to requests for comments on the meeting.David Stuart, the CAO of DNV had previously stated the DNV's willingness to explore managing the CMHC lands on Seymour for recreational use. Longtime trail advocate Sharon Bader stated that if the DNV was to manage the land then the results would generally be positive. Bader participated extensively in the DNV's Alpine Recreational Strategic Study process which resulted in many of the trails on Mount Fromme attaining sanctioned status. According to Bader "."John Hawkings confirmed that the provincial agency at the meeting is FLNRO (Ministry of Forestry, Lands and Natural Resources Operation) confirming that the Recreation Sites and Trails BC ("RSTBC") arm of Forestry is the arm of government handling permitting processes and management of recreational trails on BC land. Hawkings further stated that RSTBC would be involved with discussions concerning the CMHC lands.Todd Hellinga of the Whistler Off-road Cycling Association ("WORCA") had encouraging words concerning the prospects of sanctioning trails under the RSTBC umbrella explaining that RSTBC is proactive and works in collaboration with WORCA. Hellinga addedLawyer Sean Rowell of Perry and Company explained that the law under which RSTBC would sanction trails was the Forest and Range Practices Act adding that the Forest Act made it a civil offence to construct trails without permission and that directors could be held liable for the actions of employees who had constructed trails. However, Rowell added that the same s. 57 had been applied throughout BC to legitimize trails in diverse jurisdictions citing the examples of Smithers, Burns Lake (see Pinkbike coverage here) and other areas in Northern BC where there had been substantial government help in sanctioning and creating trail systems.On October 10, 2016, trail users and residents neighboring Mount Seymour foundsigns placed over 25 access points and trailheads indicating that access was prohibited. Mass confusion ensued. Very few users and/or residents knew that the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation ("CMHC"), a Canadian Crown Corporation providing mortgage insurance to homeowners, owns a swathe of land on Mount Seymour in North Vancouver.The signage potentially affects all recreational users of these trails whether they are hikers, dog walkers, trail runners, mountain bikers, parents, kids, old people, or young people. We caution that this does not necessarily mean that all trails are closed. What this does mean is that a significant number of Seymour trails are on lands signed as private and prohibited for access. This article will describe what has occurred and potential impacts.Mount Seymour is a prominent peak in the eastern part of Vancouver's North Shore. Trailforks lists 72 trails on Mount Seymour . MTBTrails' Locals Guide to North Shore Rides guidebook describes Mt Seymour as the "hard working, blue collar brother" able to accommodate a diversity of users and lists 42 trails. The trail number discrepancy can be explained in that Trailforks segments trails into different sections.Mount Seymour is surrounded by the municipality of the District of North Vancouver ("DNV"), a city of 85,000 people. Land in the Mount Seymour area is owned and managed by a multiplicity of land managers; the DNV, Metro Vancouver, BC Parks and private landowners such as the CMHC.The area is heavily forested and cherished by all users who as recently as the mid-90s won a land zoning battle to have 1200 acres of land protected from residential development. Trails are used by residents and visitors to the area throughout the year for recreation.On Thanksgiving Monday, October 10, 2016;signs were installed on the perimeter of the CMHC's landholding with no prior notice given to either neighboring land managers, trail users or community organizations. Thirty-eight trails are potentially affected as being partially or completely located within the CMHC's landholding.How did the CMHC come to own 640 acres of land in the middle of North Vancouver? References are from Donna Sacuta's definitive account of the history of the Blair Rifle Range in North Vancouver . In 1927 Canada's Department of National Defence ("National Defence") expropriated this land parcel from DNV for a make-work military installation and rifle range. This land thus became federal crown land (Sacuta pp 4 - 6). The area was largely unsettled at the time and the DNV did not have much choice in the matter. As the DNV grew and residential development began to surround the area National Defence conveyed the land to the CMHC via the Crown Assets Disposal Corporation (now known as GC Surplus ) thus transforming the land from crown land to a private landholding (Sacuta, pg 28-9). This was a mechanism to sidestep First Nations claims on federal property and evidently was somewhat successful as the land has stayed somewhat under land claims radar.Tracing the same map seen above and searching against the public British Columbia Land Title and Survey ("LTSA") database results in a hit for 8 parcels of land (see the land parcels here ).The total value of these 8 parcels is $151 million but can be considered grossly understated as the values are historical from 2010 especially considering that the Real Estate Council of BC's estimates for bare North Vancouver land appreciation is approximately 180% from 2010 to 2016 (depending on location).It should be noted that any land valuation is highly speculative as a significant portion of the CMHC lands cannot be developed. In large part due to the Seymour community's active lobbying, DNV zoned the bulk of the 644 acre CMHC parcel for parks and recreation (details are here ). Litigation ensued between the parties with the BC Court of Appeal deciding in DNV's favor in 2000 , therefore upholding the parks and recreation zoning and settling the matter.Trail users have stated bewildered and surprised reactions to the CMHC signs. DNV Councillor Mathew Bond has been active in informing the community about this issue and solicited comments from users via Facebook Blueridge residents Aaron and Cheryl Sauve hike and bike in the Seymour trails. They relayed that the Seymour trails were a major factor in why they bought their house where they did and why they moved to North Vancouver in the first place, relocating from Seattle. In their words:. According to Riverside residents, Glade and Jen Schoenfeld, their family will continue to use the CMHC trail statingAmberlea and Jeremy Schaab trail run and bike and also confirm that they will be continuing to use these trails;Commercial entities who use the trails have also expressed similar disappointment at CMHC's actions and uncertainty about continued access to trails on CMHC lands. Barry Rueger of the North Shore Professional Dogwalkers' Alliance conveyed that the licensed dog walkers who might have used these trails in the past will be avoiding them in large part due to insurance concerns at least until the confusion has been resolved. Graham Archer of Kintec Footlabs stated the importance of the CMHC trails to trail runners and his business in that the trail network is ideal for trail running in being lower grade which allows for great 'runnability' all the way up to Baden Powell which allows for higher mileage all within a relatively safe and accessible area. Kintec uses these trails for trail clinics and race training and will be looking at whether insurance coverage dictates changing trail usage patterns.Commercial and organized biking-related organizations will also be adversely affected - all citing insurance concerns. Speaking on behalf of the BC Bike Race , Andreas Hestler added that the BCBR would be looking at alternative options for different trails to use and may consider moving the course to a different city altogether. Hestler explained that the BCBR applies for and administers 110 permits per year and has no issue with applying for and complying with permit terms but that should obtaining permits from the CMHC be as difficult in the future as it had in the past then insurance concerns may militate in favor of changing the race. NSRide is the biggest mountain bike club in North Vancouver. Senior ride leader Brian Brittain confirms that NSRides will be changing its ride patterns to not use trails in the CMHC lands also citing insurance concerns.A local trail organization, the NSMBA has announced that all trail maintenance in the CMHC lands is suspended ; NSMBA director Penny Deck explaining the reasons being insurance issues. NSMBA director Brian Earle added that the grassroots Fiver race series will not take place on CMHC lands until the uncertainty is resolved also due to the same concerns. Cessation of trail maintenance would end the NSMBA's volunteer trail maintenance on trails on the CMHC lands after a 16-year run (the first recorded formal trail day held by the NSMBA on the CMHC trails was on Severed on May 28, 2000 In response to requests for interviews Karin LeBlanc of the CMHC emailed as follows:It is worthwhile to parse the CMHC statement. The old CMHC signs were hard to find and were indeed decrepit and barely legible. The CMHC did not provide a response when asked if there were specific concerns leading to replacement and updating of the signs. The CMHC did not provide a response when asked if the CMHC's "" towards recreational use is to prohibit accessEyewitness Ken Lang of Vancouver was riding when he came across two people identifying themselves as with the CMHC installing the No Trespassing signs at the Corkscrew/Salvation trail intersection of Seymour. Lang asked if this meant that his group could keep riding that trail. Lang's recollection is that the CMHC personnel stated that they were not "saying anything"; that the CMHC now wanted to be more involved and that the safety concern was in relation to structures. CMHC spokesperson Leblanc did not clarify if CMHC's safety concerns were specifically concerning structures.Lawyer Sean Rowell of Perry and Co . commented that "safety" was an ambiguous term potentially having many meanings but possibly encompassing liability. Rowell, whose main area of practise includes real estate, explained that in British Columbia landowner's liability is addressed by the Occupiers Liability Act as amended by the Occupiers Liability Amendment Act . (collectively the "OLA"). According to Rowell a recreational user on BC lands, in certain circumstances, is owed a diminished duty by a landowner, with the landowner only liable to the user if the recreational user is injured because of a landowner's intentional acts or "reckless disregard". On being shown the text of the CMHC signs Rowell commented that it was curious that the signs lacked any identification signing trails as "recreational trails"; an element that would confer upon the CMHC trails the protection of the BC OLA laws. Rowell also added that it was unnecessary under BC law for lands to be signed with No Trespassing or to prohibit recreational access for landowners to invoke the shield of the OLA.Further to the topic of safety Douglas Pope of North Shore Search and Rescue confirmed that NSSAR responds to very few incidents in this area. A comment was also sought from DNV's Fire department which provides first responder services in the CMHC lands with no answer being provided at this time. Pinkbike will update when an answer is received.DNV Councillor Mathew Bond commented:adding that many trail users had expressed a strong connection to the Seymour trails and their deep disquiet with the uncertainty introduced by the CMHCsignage.Sharon Bader is a long time resident and user of the trails on the North Shore as well as a co-author of a biking guidebook for Shore trails and had this to lend from a historical perspective.Bader opined that many recreational users will ignore the CMHC signs just as they ignored other posted signs.Alan Bardsley is a long time resident of the District of West Vancouver ("DWV") and trail access advocate. Bardsley observed that British Pacific Properties ("BPP") a landowner of large land parcels in West Vancouver hassigns and has built gates on major access points. These gates are left open, which is consistent with their intent to be a good corporate citizen. While BPP does not support any trail work on their land, they have reached out to recreational users regarding future plans. It is envisioned that hiking, mountain biking, and other outdoor recreation will be a major activity at their next development, Cypress Village Bader, Bond, and Hestler (for the BCBR) added that the CMHC has been notoriously unresponsive to questions or permit requests for decades. It appears that there may be some changes on that front; the installation of thesigns being the foremost indicator of such.DNV's Chief Administrative Officer David Stuart relates that the CMHC had meetings with the DNV and other neighboring land managers in June 2016. During that meeting Stuart commented that some DNV residents had raised concerns about trail maintenance efforts in the CMHC lands; and that DNV Parks then forwarded those concerns to the CMHC. However, Stuart clarifies that DNV only can manage lands either owned by the DNV or where the DNV has permission to do so.Stuart further advised that DNV offered to share its experiences with the CMHC with its success in cooperating with volunteer organizations and also, to discuss possible ways in which the DNV could assist in managing CMHC land; however, no responses were received to such offers. Like the DNV, Metro Vancouver also reiterated its long-standing policy towards actively engaging with user groups and collaborating with volunteer organizations and affirmed that it only has an interest in managing trails within Metro's jurisdiction.The outcome of the CMHCsigns is indeterminate. As of the present, the CMHC is not actively enforcing the No Trespassing signs. A search of the BC Court Services Online public database discloses no applications for injunctions by the CMHC pursuant to enforcing trespass actions. The ray of light is that the CMHC appears to be taking steps towards community engagement. Leblanc of the CMHC advised that they have scheduled a meeting withUsers of the trails and readers of this article can help by staying informed. The situation is fluid and Pinkbike will update this story as it unfolds. A significant landowner of North Shore trails has seemingly awoken from indifference and indicates that it wishes to engage with users who have recreated on their land for decades. This is hopefully a positive development.As the intent of this article has been to relay news and distinguish news from speculation editorial comments have been left out. Please feel free to ask questions in comments, ask for opinions and, in particular, to add to Councillor Bond's request for comments should you have personal notes to add in respect of your use of the Seymour trails. Donna Sacuta historical article re the Blair Rifle Range David Hay article "The Wild Game of Occupiers Liability" re Occupiers Liability in BC Mary MacGregor article "Occupiers Liability Act Amended" re Occupiers Liability in BC. Mary MacGregor article "Trespass I" re the Trespass Act in BC Mary MacGregor article "Trespass II" re the common law tort of trespass in BC Graham Litman and Matt Hulse article "ENHANCING PUBLIC ACCESS TO PRIVATELY OWNED WILD LANDS" re Trespass, Occupiers Liability and Right to Roam laws CMHC land parcels on Mount Seymour
I'm speechless... I donated because I've lost a lot of friends and family so I'm always willing to give back in order to say F CANCER!



This cause means that hopefully in my lifetime people won't need to suffer as much. Just maybe one person can survive from this terrible disease and it starts with giving back so that those smarter cats can pave the way to a cure.



I'm speechless - I never win. Either way, I'm healthy so I'm beyond stoked which is what this fundraiser is all about - giving back so that a cure can be found or for support to be given in a time of need. Being from Northern New Jersey I'm going to take my new girl any and all places around the tri-state and just maybe out west... Time will tell. I'm wishing everyone the best and with or without these "gifts", it always feels great to give back especially when it's so close to your heart. And F yeah, this has to be the best Friday, period! - Bryan Holster

Some stats and list of winners

3269 people donated and we raised a staggering $76,055.54 USD for Breast Cancer Awareness.

100% of Your contribution goes to the YSC which will:

To thank all those that contributed in the battle, a grand prize was drawn at random. The winner of the Custom Evil Wreckoning is Bryan Holster and this was his reaction when asked about why he supported and where he intends to ride his new bike: Evil Wreckoning - Bryan Holster - New Jersey, USA GoPro Hero 5 camera - Kristian E. - Norway GoPro Hero 5 camera - Tim E. - Canada Pink Bike Kit 1 - Jason Z. - Saint Louis, MO Pink Bike Kit 2 - Samuel T. - London, UK Pink Bike Kit 3 - Josef K. - Vancouver, BC Anthill Films Swag Pack - Andreas T. - Bern, Switzerland Anthill Films Swag Pack - Marshall M. - Denver, CO Fund support and education programs for young women affected by breast cancer. Help support YSCs mission to ensure no young woman faces breast cancer alone. Raise awareness that young women can and do get breast cancer.Go to the following link ( www.youngsurvival.org ) to check out the website and have a little read, it is a great organization, doing super human things for people that need our help.Thanks to Evil Bikes (Frame), Shimano (Drivetrain, Brakes, Hubs, and Pedals), Pro Components (Bar, Stem, Seat, and Grips), Fox (40 Fork, Rear Shock, and Seat Post), ENVE (Rims), and Vittoria (Tires) for putting this amazing bike together. @evil-bikes / @foxracingshox / @ENVE
Acute kidney injury, earlier known as acute renal failure, affects about 3 in 1000 people. However, on hospital wards the situation is much more serious: up to 40% of hospital patients may suffer from this disease. With early diagnosis the effects of acute kidney injury are reversible. The clear symptoms of the disease such as fatigue, vomiting or altered consciousness, however, only appear at an advanced stage of its development when possible complications become a serious threat to life (in the most advanced stage, the mortality rate reaches up to 50%!). Kidney damage, which occurs in the late stages of the disease, may be permanent and require continued dialysis or even entire organ transplantation. Fortunately, now it will be possible to detect the disease in its initial stages, when treatment is still relatively simple and the prognosis good. The key to this health and life-saving manner of diagnosis is a new polymer, designed at the Institute of Physical Chemistry of the Polish Academy of Sciences in Warsaw. The chemical heart of low-cost diagnostic tools capable of detecting the early stages of kidney disease may, in the near future, be a special polymer prepared by PhD student Zofia Iskierko under the supervision of Dr. Krzysztof Noworyta, in Prof. The polymer was designed and carefully constructed so as to particularly effectively entrap only one substance in its vicinity: lipocalin-2 (NGAL), a protein naturally occurring in human blood. For the clinician, an increase in the concentration of this compound in a patient is a valuable signal of still symptomless, but already developing, acute kidney injury. Work on the implementation of the polymer, funded by grant from the Polish National Centre for Science, was carried out in collaboration with the University of North Texas in Denton, the Warsaw Institute of Physics of the Academy of Sciences and the International Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology. "We deal with the creation of polymer recognition films for chemosensors that detect various substances. These include biomarkers and other biologically important compounds, whose presence or changes in concentration in body fluids carry information about the health of the patient. Our latest polymer can selectively capture lipocalin-2, a protein biomarker for acute kidney injury," says Dr. Noworyta. "Before acute kidney injury develops, the concentration of lipocalin increases in patient's blood. So, we devised a polymer in whose structure there are molecular cavities that are a good fit for the shape and properties of the molecules of just this compound. The probability that any other protein will get caught in them is very, very small," explains PhD student Zofia Iskierko, the lead author of the publication in the journal ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces. The new polymer was prepared by molecular imprinting. Molecules of lipocalin were first surrounded by appropriately selected (so called functional) monomers binding with the protein at specific locations characteristic only for itself. Then, a cross-linking monomer was introduced which combined with the functional one. Those monomers were later subjected to polymerization, after which the lipocalin was washed out of the resulting structure. Finally, a stable polymer film was obtained with molecular cavities matching lipocalin molecules both in terms of their local chemical features as well as their size and shape. However, it seems reasonable to suppose that in the next decade devices detecting various biomarkers and warning early on of a threat to health will become an integral part of the ubiquitous smartphone. Diagnosis would then become as simple as testing blood sugar using today's glucose meters: it would suffice to connect a removable, simple chemosensor with an appropriately selected polymer recognition film to the smartphone, apply a little physiological fluid to it and... wait for the smartphone to display the result. Everyone would be able to carry out advanced medical diagnostics as often as they deemed appropriate. An electroactive device fabricated from polyvinylidene fluoride that facilitates wound healing has been devised by NASA. This is a device that uses electrical activity to facilitate the wound healing process while protecting the wound. The bandage is made of an electroactive material that is stimulated by the heat of the body and the pressure of cell growth, thus no external power source is required. It offers benefits of speeding the wound healing process, combining active healing and wound protection into one, offering a slim, self-contained alternative to electrical stimulation devices for accelerated wound healing and minimizing infection and related complications (e.g., illness, amputation). The electroactive device is applied to an external wound site. This method utilizes generated low level electrical stimulation to promote the wound healing process while simultaneously protecting it from infection. The material is fabricated from polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), a thermoplastic fluoropolymer that is highly piezoelectric when poled. The fabrication method of the electroactive material is based on a previous Langley invention of an apparatus that is used to electrospin highly aligned polymer fiber material. A description of the fabrication method can be found in the technology opportunity announcement titled "NASA Langley's Highly Electrospun Fibers and Mats," which is available on NASA Langley's Technology Gateway. Applications include Military personnel wounded in the field, Hospital patients who have undergone surgery, General patients who have suffered a serious wound, Astronauts in space. Solvay's medical grade KetaSpire polyetheretherketone (PEEK) and AvaSpire polyaryletherketone (PAEK) polymers enabled one of the medical device pioneers, Shanghai Reach Medical Instrument Company, to develop a lighter, more ergonomic and highly cost-effective kit of reusable instruments for spinal surgeries. Typically, these parts would be made from stainless steel. But Shanghai Reach,s goal was to reduce instrument weight by up to 70% for improved ergonomics, yet not compromise on mechanical properties or sterilizability. In addition to lightweight strength and stiffness, Solvays two biocompatible polymers offer strong resistance to fatigue and are compatible with sterilization methods based on stringent chemicals, steam and even gamma radiation. The kit includes six reusable instruments: one rod bender, two pairs of distraction and compression pliers, and three awls. For the rod bender, the medical device-maker specified KetaSpire KT-880 CF 30 PEEK, a 30% carbon fiber-reinforced resin that delivers the high strength and stiffness necessary to bend implantable 5.5mm to 6.0mm titanium rods. For the pliers and awls, AvaSpire AV 651 GF 50 PAEK, a 50% glass fiber-reinforced resin offers a cost-effective balance of strength, stiffness and dimensional stability.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Oct. 24

Trend:

Fifth-year student of Baku Higher Oil School (BHOS) Rafael Samadov specializing in Chemical Engineering was awarded with a prize by Heriot-Watt University, Great Britain. He received a certificate and a cash bonus in an amount of 100-pound sterling for his excellent marks in 2015-2016.

BHOS Rector Elmar Gasimov congratulated Samadov and wished him new success in his study. He also emphasized that BHOS reputation should be always maintained at high level.

Despite the fact that he is still a student, Samadov assists BHOS professors in conducting laboratory practical lessons. He is the only BHOS student who was awarded twice as the best student of the Heriot-Watt Universitys course on the Chemical Engineering specialty.

Rafael Samadov often participates in the scientific conferences and delivers speeches. His research interests are in the field of renewable energy sources.
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While campaigning in Charlotte, NC, Hillary Clinton hammered Trump for refusing to say that he would accept the outcome of the election.

Video:

https://youtu.be/KYwqNlspI5U?t=34m56s

Clinton said:



He refused to say that he would respect the results of our election. Now, I have to admit when we were both asked the question I assumed he would say what everybody has always said which is hey, of course, you know because to say that you wont respect the results of the election, that is a direct threat to our democracy. The peaceful transfer of power is one of the things that makes America, America.

As your secretary of state, I visited 112 countries and a lot of those countries are places that dont even pretend to be democracies, and then there are ones that pretend to be democracies, but if you are the political opponent to a powerful, strong dictator you end up in exile, or you end up in jail, or you end up dead.

It is not a joke. Look, some people are sore losers, and we just gotta keep going.

This isnt a campaign anymore. Hillary Clinton is moving in to finish off Donald Trump. Clinton perfectly tapped into the perception of most voters that Trumps refusal to say that he would accept the results of the election reeks of a sore loser.

Thats not how we do things in the United States of America. Presidential candidates dont get to say that they will keep in suspense over whether or not they will accept the will of the people. Presidential nominees dont get to put conditions on their acceptance of the results.

Hillary Clinton called Trump out on his sore loser behavior, with the intention of reminding voters all across the country that they want a commander in chief not a crybaby in chief occupying the Oval Office.
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*The following is an opinion column by R Muse*

In a normal American election when a newspapers editorial board endorses a candidate they typically cite whatever flaws they deem valid targets and then spend the remaining space touting the candidates policy positions, achievements and qualifications for office. However, as one or two Americans have likely concluded by now, this is no more of a normal presidential election than Donald Trump is a normal American.

Because this is not a typical presidential election, when the Miami Herald endorsed Hillary Clinton for president, they included a very prescient reason for supporting the former Secretary of State; a reason that this author never imagined hearing from a newspapers editorial board. And no, it was not the Heralds brutally harsh condemnation of Clintons opponent Donald Trump; although this Clinton endorsement certainly invested a fair number of words assailing the television celebrity as the epitome of incompetence, greed, hate, fascism and a clear threat to America, its Constitution, and democracy itself.

Typically, the Miami Heralds endorsement hit all the regular talking points one expects in a presidential endorsement, and like the New York Times and Washington Post pieces, this one from the Miami Herald is well worth a three-minute read. It delineated Clintons service and achievements as First Lady, Senator, Secretary of State and private citizen as well as point out what it regarded as her flaws.

Like every other newspapers endorsement of Hillary Clinton, the Heralds Ed-board began thus:

Lets make clear what the 2016 presidential election isnt about:

It is not about choosing between a bad candidate and a worse one. The narrative that Hillary Clinton is the lesser of two evils is patently wrong. Ms. Clinton is a pragmatic, tough-minded woman of accomplishment and political conviction with a demonstrated mastery of policy.

Clinton has used her insider status to work aggressively on behalf of the disenfranchised, here and around the world. She has not won every battle, but she fights the good fight, and she fights the right ones in the name of equality and democracy.

The editorial boards endorsement of Ms. Clinton may have been the first to note what it believes is one of the most important things for Americans to understand; what this election is really about:

Our values, our national identity and even the enduring power of the Constitution are in question  and at stake. And Hillary Clinton is by far the best person in this race to lead us to a definition of which we can be proud. She will protect the best interests of this nation, its standing on the world stage and even democracy itself.

Now, it is beyond belief that an editorial boards endorsement would ever claim that the Constitution and even democracy itself are in jeopardy unless they saw it as a clear and present danger. Many pundits and political commenters, including this author, have noted often that Americas greatest threat is not from outside forces or radical regimes, it is from uber-conservatives and libertarians who would abolish most of the Constitution if they had a chance. Donald Trump has actually intimated he will do exactly that if he is elected. It is a horrifying possibility that wasnt lost on the Heralds endorsement of Hillary Clinton.

The editors noted that Donald Trump does represent a threat to constitutional freedoms and that In normal times, the Constitution is not at stake in a presidential election, but this year is a frightening aberration. It was odd for an endorsement, but the Herald cited:

Mr. Trumphas barred some reporters from his campaign because he dislikes what theyve written, has threatened to change libel laws to punish [his] critics. He vowed to put his opponent, Ms. Clinton, in prison. Only a candidate whos a dictator at heart could see such a threat as a campaign talking point.

Religious freedoms are also under siege. He has repeatedly targeted Muslims; last month, he joked about excluding people who arent conservative Christians from one of his rallies. But to anyone who reveres what this country truly stands for, it was no joke.

The editorial board concluded saying something that should put to rest this idea that Clinton is hiding something from the media and the people and thus corrupt. It is an idea, frankly, that is getting old and informs an individual of extremely low-information and void of any independent thinking abilities whatsoever.

Ms. Clinton is often accused of being secretive, which is true up to a point. Yet most of her adult life has been lived in the glare of the public spotlight. She has the scars and headlines to prove it. She may be the most scrutinized individual in public life. Her flaws have been chewed over for years. And yet shes still standing, an accomplishment in itself.

The reason Hillary Clinton is still standing is because despite hyper-scrutiny over the past quarter century, even her harshest critics found nothing untoward and certainly nothing corrupt. In the sense, the editorial board wrote:

The priority of every voter who cares about standards of honesty and decency, not to mention the future and direction of this country, is to reject what Donald Trump represents. America does not need an arrogant, self-absorbed charlatan in the Oval Office. It needs a steady hand in perilous times, a voice of compassion in pursuing policies that help, not hurt, the disenfranchised; a leader capable of narrowing, if not healing, this nations divisions.

One would reiterate that besides helping Americans by pursuing policies that work for all the people, Hillary Clinton will preserve our values, our national identity, the enduring power of the Constitution and democracy itself. It is something that should never have to be mentioned in an endorsement during an American presidential election, and it is too bad because it is a distraction from the real reason the Herald endorsed Ms. Clinton; she is the most qualified person in the nation to be president.
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A PPP poll of North Carolina found that Democrats arent just saying that they will vote, they are showing up at the polls to early vote in massive numbers.

According to PPP:



PPPs newest North Carolina poll finds that Democrats are running up large leads already during early voting. Among those who say theyve already voted, 63% say they cast their ballots for Hillary Clinton to only 37% for Donald Trump. Interestingly, less than half of a percent say they voted for Gary Johnson, which could be a sign that he wont end up getting that much more support than a normal third party candidate. The big Democratic advantage holds down ballot as well. Roy Cooper leads Pat McCrory 61-33 for Governor among those who have already voted, with Libertarian Lon Cecil at 1%. And Deborah Ross leads Richard Burr 52-34 for Senate, with Libertarian Sean Haugh at 7% among those who say they have already cast their ballots.

Overall Hillary Clinton maintains a modest advantage in North Carolina with 47% to 44% for Donald Trump, and Gary Johnson at 4%. In a head to head Clintons lead remains steady at 3 points at 49/46.

Republicans won North Carolina in 2012 by shaving off 100,000 early votes from Obamas 2008 total. The GOP has taken ten steps backward in 2016 as indicators suggest that Republican early voting turnout is dropping with Trump at the top of the ticket.

Democrats need to build a large advantage in early voting because Republicans tend to show up in bigger numbers on election day. If Hillary Clinton and the Democratic get out the vote operation build a big enough advantage, the state will be unwinnable for Trump.

Trumps very narrow path to the White House requires him not to lose a single state that Mitt Romney won in 2012. If Trump loses North Carolina, the door will be slammed shut on any hopes that he has of pulling an election night surprise.

The encouraging news for Democrats is that voters are not just telling pollsters that they support Hillary Clinton and the Democratic slate in North Carolina. Voters are stepping and going to the polls in overwhelming numbers.

Nothing has been decided yet, but if early voting is any indication, Democrats in North Carolina are fired up and going to the polls.
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*The following is an opinion column by R Muse*

It is probably the case that there are few Americans that actually hate animals, and if there are very many at all, they are certainly outnumbered by the uncivilized Americans that actually hate other Americans. Of course at this particular juncture in time there is plenty of evidence that the Americans exuding hatred for American people who arent white, arent evangelical fundamentalists, arent wealthy, and arent male all support Donald Trump. What is fairly certain is that even the barbaric savages that support Trump likely support efforts to protect animals from people with a predilection to abuse and slaughter innocent animals, and it is also fairly certain they are unaware that animal rights groups have endorsed Hillary Clinton for president and slammed Donald Trump as a threat to animals everywhere.

The national animal rights and protection group, the Humane Society Legislative Fund, announced that it was taking the unusual step of wading into the presidential race to endorse Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton. The reason the animal rights group gave was because they believe Trump represents the greatest threat ever to federal policy-making and implementation of animal protection laws, and we are taking the unusual step of wading actively into a presidential campaign. The group made it very clear that it evaluate[d] candidates based on a single, non-partisan criteriontheir support for animal protectionand did not default to one party or the other.

The HSLF is a lobbying affiliate of the Humane Society of the United States that also said that Ms. Clintons Republican opponent was a threat to animals everywhere.

On the exact same day the HSLF announced their endorsement of Hillary Clinton, they launched a vicious anti-Trump ad campaign (video here) that cited his past record on animal protection; a record that should sicken any animal lover, even Trump supporters. The group also explained that its biggest concern was that a Trump administration would be stocked with anti-animal rights barbarians.

The HSLF said that based on potential policy decisions under the aegis of the U.S. Department of Fish and Game, Fish and Wildlife Service, National Park Service, Bureau of Land Management, National Institutes of Health, and various other executive level agencies, the stakes are just too high to allow a Trump presidency. The HSLF also noted that there could not be a greater contrast among the White House hopefuls that guarantees either the potential for advancing animal welfare reforms at the federal level, or rolling back the recent gains and rule-making actions that will have devastatingly adverse effects on animals. They also, rightly noted, that where Hillary Clinton has a clear, compelling record of support for animal protection, the opposition has already assembled a team of advisors and financial supporters intricately tied to trophy hunting, puppy mills, factory farming, horse slaughter, and other abusive industries.

The names that Trumps campaign has floated to run the Interior and Agriculture Department issues are a veritable whos who of vicious anti-animal welfare activists. One of those names, according to Politico, is an oil magnate considered to be the front-runner for Trumps Secretary of the Interior as well as currently serving on Trumps agriculture advisory committee. The man, Forrest Lucas is the funding machine providing money for the front group, Protect the Harvest, behind every attack on every organization in the nation involved with protecting animals and defending wildlife.

As HSLF noted, Lucas has never met a case of animal exploitation he wouldnt defend, and he is a fierce advocate for trophy hunting, puppy mills, and big agribusiness. Lucas also personally provided the funding for attacks on a Missouri ballot measure (Prop. B) because its purpose is insuring there are humane breeding standards for dogs and regulations on horrendously inhumane puppy mills; something Lucas will not allow even though it has no impact on his oil business. Lucas opposes humane treatment of animals so ardently that he personally financed the attack on Missouris Prop. B because it is one of the animal welfare movements most important ballot measures designed to enact humane breeding standards for dogs and crack down on puppy mills.

Lucas and his animal-hating cohorts also have fought animal rights activists efforts to establish felony-level penalties for malicious cruelty against dogs, cats, and horses; promote the spaying and neutering of pets; and provide adequate shelter for dogs to protect them from the elements. In fact, the inhumane Lucas spent the time, energy, and money to form a super PAC for the specific intent and purpose of defeating any and all activists efforts to protect animals and wildlife.

HSLF also considered the reports that an Iowa factory farming mogul, Bruce Rastetter, is probably Trumps leading candidate for Secretary of Agriculture. Mr. Rastetter fortune derives from the kind of industrial agricultural practices that family farmers and animal advocates have been condemning and battling for decades. Rastetters connection to Donald Trump is though New Jerseys governor, Chris Christie. Christie did a big solid for Rastetters when he vetoed a ban on cruel pig gestation crates as a gift to the pork industry and Mr. Rastetters brother. His brother is the CEO of the company that builds pig gestation crates. HSLF said what any sane, thinking American already knows; their concern is the extremely high potential for crony capitalist dealings in a [possible] Trump administration.

Of course there is evidence Donald Trump is not any kind of animal lover. He condemned Barnum and Bailys decision to stop using elephants for entertaining circus goers and was boycotting them. In the anti-Trump video, HSLF reminds viewers that Trumps son is a trophy hunter and just had to display that nasty photo of him hoisting up a slain cheetah and a slaughtered elephants tail.

Although HSLF spent a fair number of words railing on Trump while endorsing Clinton, the animal rights organization spent an equal number of words citing Hillary Clintons stellar record on defending animal rights. They cited Clintons animal welfare statement on her campaign website and specifically noted her statement that, the way our society treats animals is a reflection of our humanity. HSLF more than adequately covered Clintons animal rights accomplishments as Senator, Secretary of State, First Lady, and as private citizen through the Clinton Foundation. For any animal lover it is worth perusing the HSLF endorsement to see exactly why she garnered a perfect 100+ mark on the Humane Scorecard in the 108th and 109th Congresses as a Senator. There are no scorecards for her other accomplishments and advocacy for animal rights, but they are impressive and demonstrate Clintons dedication to the humane treatment and more importantly the protection of animals; whether domesticated or wild.

It is not surprising that the Humane Society endorsed Hillary Clinton based on her animal rights record, or that they assailed a possible Trump administration as a threat to animals everywhere. It is, though, a tad surprising that they were concerned enough about Trump to spend the time and effort to research his possible appointees to cabinet-level agencies that may on the surface not appear to impact animal welfare.

What is not surprising is that an organization dedicated to the humane treatment of domesticated and wild animals cited the one quote from Hillary Clintons campaign website that really informs that Trump is a serious threat to animals. The way our society treats animals is a reflection of our humanity, and after nearly a year of learning exactly that Donald Trump has no humanity whatsoever, its fairly obvious how he intends to treat animals.

image: HumaneSociety
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President Barack Obama laid into Darrell Issas attempt to campaign as somebody who cooperated with Obama on the issues, actually having the audacity to send out brochures with Obamas photo on them. Speaking at a fundraiser in La Jolla, California, Obama demolished what he called Issas chutzpah, stating that,

[Darrell] Issas primary contribution to the United States Congress has been to obstruct and to waste taxpayer dollar on trumped-up investigations that have led to nowhere.

Issa was made to look the fool he is by way of the presidents signature, scathing wit:

[Darrell] Issas primary contribution to the United States Congress has been to obstruct and to waste taxpayer dollar on trumped-up investigations that have led to nowhere. And this is now a guy who, because poll numbers are bad, has sent out brochures with my picture on them touting his cooperation on issues with me. Now, that is the definition of chutzpah. Heres a guy who called my administration perhaps the most corrupt in history  despite the fact that actually, we have not had a major scandal in my administration  that, when Trump was suggesting I wasnt even born here, said, well, I dont know, was not sureThis guy has spent all his time simply trying to obstruct, to feed the same sentiments that resulted in Donald Trump becoming their nominee. I think somebody called Darrell Issa  was this you, Doug, who said Darrell Issa was Trump before Trump? And now hes sending out brochures touching his cooperation with me. Now that is shameless. To his credit, I will say that he has been very pleasant to me at our Christmas parties.

Obama is right. Issa is in real trouble thanks to his association with Donald Trump. Remember, he spent 7 years lying about Obama, and now he wants to pretend, because of Trumps toxicity, that he has been some kind of Obama supporter.

Issa showed not an ounce of shame in responding to Obamas comments, claiming,

Im disappointed but not surprised that the president in a political speech continues to deny accountability for the serious scandals that happened under his watch where Americans died overseas and veterans have died here at home.

According to Issa, who is as out of touch with reality as Trump,

Youd be hard-pressed to find anyone who thinks Ive done too much to hold Washington accountable. Ive worked with the administration on good legislation where it was possible, and called out wrongdoing wherever I saw it, and will continue to do so.

The list of Darrell Issas attacks on President Obama is a long one, and each lie seems worse than the last. He really was Trump before Trump, and there was literally no lie too big for him to tell. Now he is getting his comeuppance as reality rears up to bite him in the backside. And President Obama just made sure everybody knows it.
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Donald Trumps need to seek revenge for every imagined slight is well attested. Besides vowing to destroy those who did not help him through his bankruptcy, he has threatened to jail his opponent after the election; he has threatened to abridge freedom of the press and threatened to sue The New York Times; he even called for the cancellation of Saturday Night Live for poking fun at him.

Most appalling of all, he has used what was supposed to be a major policy address at Gettysburg to threaten to sue the women who have accused him of sexual assault.

His descent into madness continues as he now intends, says Senior Economic Advisor Peter Navarro, in a statement released by the campaign, to break up the new media conglomerate oligopolies that have gained enormous control over our information, intrude into our personal lives, and in this election, are attempting to unduly influence Americas political process.

To make it worse, Navarro invokes progressive Teddy Roosevelt in this foray into Putin-style politics. The two men, the president and the would-be dictator, could not be any further apart.

By influence, of course, Trump means criticizing one Donald J. Trump, since for the Republican nominee this is a zero sum game, and you are either with him or you are against him.

That by unduly influence he means backed Hillary Clinton is made clear in the wording of the text, as he is careful to point out each and every incidence of their alleged ties to Clinton.

So we get NBC, and its Clinton megaphone MSNBC, and AT&T, the original and abusive Ma Bell telephone monopoly, is now trying to buy Time Warner and thus the wildly anti-Trump CNN, and so forth.

Needless to say, only in Trumps fevered imaginings is MSNBC a Clinton megaphone and only someone who is very delusional would think the network hosting a paid Trump employee, Corey Lewandowski, posing as a journalist, is wildly anti-Trump.

Here is Trumps list of those who have sinned against Trump and must now pay the price:

NBC, and its Clinton megaphone MSNBC, were once owned by General Electric, a leader in offshoring factories to China. Now NBC has been bought by Comcast, which is specifically targeting the Chinese market  even as Comcasts anchors and reporters at MSNBC engage in their Never Trump tactics.

AT&T, the original and abusive Ma Bell telephone monopoly, is now trying to buy Time Warner and thus the wildly anti-Trump CNN. Donald Trump would never approve such a deal because it concentrates too much power in the hands of the too and powerful few.

The New York Times strings are being pulled by Mexicos Carlos Slim, a billionaire who benefits from NAFTA and supports Hillary Clintons open border policies. Amazon, which controls the Washington Post, profits from the flow of illegally subsidized foreign products through its distribution channels. Lower costs mean higher margins  no matter if bad trade deals lead to massive unemployment in America.

Trump says he is protecting America from greedy corporations, but in blaming Hillary Clinton he has donned the aluminum foil hat of those who fear the tread of the Illuminati in every darkened corner:

The very corporations that have gained from shipping Americas factories and jobs offshore are the very same media conglomerates now pushing Hillary Clintons agenda. She is the official candidate of the multinational ruling elite.

Oh dear.

This oligopolistic realignment of the American media along ideological and corporate lines is destroying an American democracy that depends on a free flow of information and freedom of thought. Donald Trump will drain the swamp of corruption and collusion, standing against this trend and standing for the American people.

Trump claims he is doing this for the American people, but Trump, in a snit that all are not falling to their knees before him, is doing this for Trump.

Republicans  and many corporations  have long wanted corporations and not the federal government to run our country under the guise of privatization, but Trumps dictatorial spirit is greatly in evidence here, as Trump intends Trump to run our country, and let no one stand in his way.

NYT prints a list of everything "Donald Trump has insulted on twitter since declaring his candidacy." It's a two page spread. pic.twitter.com/ZVqN5Qe9Di  Patrick W. Gavin (@pwgavin) October 24, 2016

If The New York Times two-page spread  in very tiny print  of all the people, places and things Donald Trump has insulted is not enough for you (digital version here), if ever evidence was required that Mad King Donald is now thoroughly revenge-crazed, it is here in this poisonous proclamation.

The White House would not be a bully pulpit for Trump, but a throne.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Oct. 24

By Huseyn Valiyev  Trend:

The Azerbaijani State Committee on Property Issues has chosen a company that will render consulting services for the privatization of Daskesen Filizsaflasdirma OJSC, the committee said in a message.

According to the message, KPMG Azerbaijan Limited is the winner of the tender which was announced previously.

Eight companies participated in the tender, the message said.

According to the terms of the tender, KPMG Azerbaijan Limited Company will assess the compliance of the company with international standards and norms, prepare financial and economic analysis of the company and assess the investments required for its development.

The winner of the tender must prepare an information memorandum to attract local and foreign investors, as well as other documents necessary for organizing the investment contest.
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British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond, left, looks at U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry during a joint press conference on Monday. (Daniel Leal-Olivas/Pool photo via AP)
Watchdog and Public Service reporter

Thad Moore is a reporter on The Post and Couriers Watchdog and Public Service team and a graduate of the University of South Carolina. To share tips securely, reach Moore via ProtonMail at thadmoore@protonmail.com or on Signal at 843-214-6576.
Here's a political curve ball -- some may call it a bean ball -- about two weeks before Election Day.

Rochester City Council President Randy Stavercontacted me Sunday regarding a complaint that has been filed against him with the city's Ethical Practices Board . The complaint was filed Oct. 14 but hasn't been reported in the media or on social media until now, which is remarkable, since it was filed by Abe Sauer, who's outspoken on Facebook and elsewhere regarding campaign finance and ethics issues.

Four days before he filed the ethics complaint, Sauer had a letter to the editor published in the PB that called out Staver and Council Member Mark Bilderbackfor taking campaign contributions from Oronoco businessman Javon Bea.

Why his ethics complaint hasn't been reported in the media or social media until now is fascinating all by itself. The timing is interesting, just a few weeks before the Nov. 8 election. Staver is seeking re-election; Sauer describes himself as a supporter of Staver's challenger, businessman and neighborhood activist Sean Allen.

I contacted Sauer Sunday night and he said he emailed me as well as the Med City Beat blog on Oct. 14, with all the attachments. The email apparently got caught in the PB's spam filter. Sauer re-sent it Sunday night and I'll post the complaint below.

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As to why it hasn't been reported elsewhere or why he hasn't brought it up in other forums, he told me, "I did not want it to gain attention from me saying I filed it, which looks like grandstanding. I wanted it to get attention on its own merits. And I think it has a ton of merit."

Staver says, in his response, that the complaint is "groundless" and asks that it be dismissed.

Here's Sauer's ethics complaint, Staver's email to me Sunday and a statement Staver says he'll file with the Ethical Practices Board. Needless to say, we'll get a story going on the issue.

Sauer's complaint:

Ethical Practices Board Complaint

Requester: Abe Sauer

Re: Council President Randy Staver's Ethics Disclosure Form

Complaint Detail:

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The Ethics Ordinance Disclosure Form required of all office holders was completed and signed by President Staver on Feb 1, 2016 and filed with City Clerk. On Page 2, Question 5, this official disclosure required Mr. Staver to "List any and all community, civic and nonprofit organization of which you are a member. If you also serve in any such organization in a leadership or decision-making capacity, please note that capacity."

On that form, Mr. Staver disclosed that his only memberships were with the "Eagles" and the "Lions." (see attached)

President Staver has been a Trustee of the Greater Rochester Arts and Cultural Trust for some time (exact length unknown).

LINK: http://www.rochestermnarts.com/about/board.html

This violation is worthy of note for two reasons. First, the Rochester City Council, of which Mr. Staver is President, recently voted to grant the Greater Rochester Arts and Cultural Trust a financial award from the city. Second, and more important, the disclosure is important for who also makes up the leadership of the Arts Trust. The staffer for the organization and several of Mr. Staver's fellow trustees are prominent financial supporters of his campaign. On Sept. 13, 2016, Greater Rochester Arts and Cultural Trust trustee Joe Powers, Arts trustee Al Mannino, and Greater Rochester Arts and Cultural Trust CEO Bari Amadio were organizing hosts of a political fundraiser for President Staver at Mr. Power's Mayowood Stone Barn.

Further, evidence exists that Mr. Staver was conscious of a need to disclose this membership. At a May 4, 2015 Committee of the Whole meeting, President Staver made the membership known to the other city councilors, explaining that this membership was in his words "by choice." (This discussion can be heard in the 23:00 minute of the May 4 COW audio record. http://rochestercitymn.iqm2.com/Citizens/SplitView.aspx?Mode=Video&MeetingID=2181 ) At the COW, Mr. Staver also spoke very much in favor of the funding grant and more importantly very much in opposition to putting the Arts Trust's request for $15,000 taxpayer dollars on the consent agenda and NOT before a public hearing. (58:00 minute mark.)

This trustee membership requires disclosure on his ethics ordinance disclosure. President Staver failed to disclose this.

Second. President Staver failed to disclose his membership as a Vice-Chair of the Board of the Rochester Convention and Visitors Bureau. This is clearly a membership requiring disclosure as recognized by other city council members. Council Member Ed Hruska noted his RCVB board member status on his ethics disclosure.

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This is not a reflection of the work the Greater Rochester Arts and Cultural Trust but solely on the failure of its trustee, President Staver.

By not disclosing his memberships and then advocating on behalf of those organizations in his elected role, President Staver violated the Ethical Practices Board stated goal to "ensure that all persons acting in the public service not only maintain the highest possible standards of ethical conduct in their transaction of public business, but that such standards be clearly defined and known to the public as well as to the persons acting in public service."

Staver's email Sunday:

You will most likely hear of an ethics allegation and complaint that was filed last week against me by Mr. Abe Sauer. This apparently relates to an incident from about a year and a half ago. In the spirit of full disclosure, I thought I would go ahead and make you aware of the complaint filed and also include my response, which I intend to forward to the Ethical Practices Board. I am including the appropriate attachments. Please let me know if you have any questions.

Randy Staver, President

Rochester City Council

And here's the response Staver says he'll file with the Ethical Practices Board:

October 23, 2016

Response to Ethical Practices Complaint Filed as it Relates to the Ethics Disclosure Form

An ethical practices complaint (attachment 1) was filed against me on October 14, 2016 by Mr. Abe Sauer. The complaint alleges three violations based on non-disclosure of my involvement on two groups and council action taken that affected one of the groups. The complaint is groundless and I would like to offer the following response.

In the first allegation, Mr. Sauer claims that I did not properly acknowledge my membership on the Greater Rochester Arts and Cultural Trust (GRACT) on my annual Ethics Disclosure form dated February 1, 2016. That is a true statement and was an oversight on my part.

In the second allegation, Mr. Sauer goes on to recount action taken by the Council in May of 2015 where funding in the amount of $15,000 was granted to the GRACT. The request for funding came to the Council at a Committee of the Whole meeting held on April 27, 2015. Mr. Sauer's complaint incorrectly identifies May 4, 2015 as the date of the discussion. Details of the request may be found in attachment 2 as well as the recommendation from the City Administrator to advance the requested funds using contingency funds.

The council discussion Mr. Sauer refers to actually revolved around the council's general approach as to whether decisions like this should come forward as a public hearing before making a decision. Further, there was some discussion whether an arts commission should be formed.

The discussion concluded by my simply asking if there was consensus that the item should come forward on the consent agenda versus a public hearing and there was no disagreement. I would remind the public that we do not vote at Committee of the Whole meetings and all formal action must take place within the context of a regular council meeting.

Critical to this allegation, and something completely unmentioned by Mr. Sauer, is the subsequent discussion and voting that took place at the regularly convened council meeting held on May 18, 2015. The request for $15,000 in funding came before the Council as item E.2. under Reports and Recommendations. The minutes for the May 18th meeting (attachment 3) clearly document on page 9 that I fully disclosed my participation on the GRACT Board and that I would be abstaining from discussion or voting on the matter. The vote further indicates that the recommendation was unanimously adopted on a vote of 6 to 0 with one abstention (Staver). In short, in no way did I participate in council action that extended the request for funding to the GRACT.

The final allegation states that I also failed to note my membership on the Rochester Convention and Visitors Board (RCVB). City policy allows that council members may participate on boards or commissions and yet still participate in council actions, including voting, that may come before the Council. But certain criteria must apply. One such criteria applies if the entity occupies city owned facilities or receives public funding. Both are true in the case of RCVB as their offices reside in the Mayo Civic Center and they receive partial funding via the city initiated lodging tax. Furthermore, the By-Laws (attachment 4) for RCVB require the participation of a city council member as appointed by the City Council. As such, my interpretation is that I am not required to list RCVB as one of the boards I am assigned to serve.

The first allegation that I omitted my involvement on the GRACT board on the annual disclosure form is legitimate and can easily be corrected with an updated filing. While the oversight of omitting my membership on the GRACT board is clear, it is also abundantly clear that I nevertheless understood the conflict, noted it for the record, and properly abstained from the discussion and voting when an item involving GRACT came before the Council. Finally, the allegation of erroneously omitting my participation on the RCVB is also not valid based on city policy and the organization By-Laws.

It is my contention that, with the exception of the omitted participation on the annual disclosure form of one group, no impropriety can be shown in the form of voting that resulted in inappropriate expenditure of funds to GRACT.

I will therefore request that this ethical practices complaint be dismissed.

Randy Staver
In Allen Eskens' novels, Minnesota is a dark, violent place. His recurring characters routinely wrestle with loss, loneliness and loathing as they work their way through the carefully plotted mayhem imagined by the lawyer turned mystery writer.

Eskens' third book, "The Heavens May Fall," is not exactly part of a trilogy, but it does follow a familiar pattern with familiar names. Minneapolis detective Max Rupert, who appeared as a stoic hero in Eskens' first two offerings, tries to solve a grisly murder in a Kenwood mansion. He continues to grieve guiltily for not protecting his wife, killed in an unsolved hit-and-run four years before. Rupert's brother, a fellow cop, has also died, and his best friend, lawyer Boady Sanden, has betrayed him by ably defending the prime suspect in the Kenwood case. Lila Nash, a young law student whose life Rupert once saved, is helping Sanden.

Everyone is sort of damaged goods. Rupert drifts toward self-destructive isolation. Sanden has quit practicing law because he screwed up the case of an innocent young man who then was murdered in prison. Lila, featured in Eskens' first novel, "The Life We Bury," bears physical scars from a savage beating where she was nearly raped and murdered.

Even surrounded by those who care, members of an Eskens cast seem emotionally numb, as if they have turned the old Minnesota ice cliche on themselves.

Some readers may crave more character development and depth. Eskens' most fascinating fictive creation, Joe Talbert, the young hero of his first novel, merits only a passing reference here. Now engaged to Lila, Talbert has parlayed a journalism degree from the University of Minnesota into a job with the Associated Press and has taken in his developmentally disabled brother, all while supporting Lila's dream of becoming an attorney.

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Still, Eskens, a graduate of the University of Minnesota, Hamline University law school and the master of fine arts program at Minnesota State University, Mankato, has established himself as a master of show-don't-tell. Images reveal character. Rupert's visits to his wife's grave on the anniversaries of her death are futile forays against silent suffering suffused in alcohol. Sanden's regrets play out as he swims into the wall of a pool while thinking about his dead client during a workout.

The best part "The Heavens May Fall" is Eskens' ability for most of the book to keep readers guessing what will come next and, of course, who did it. Those are hallmarks of great mystery writers. His spare prose drives readers through a nicely constructed narrative that twists and turns without much distraction.

The worst part of the novel is its too quick, too tidy and too predictable conclusion. It parrots the endings of Eskens' first two books.

What seems clear is that Eskens structured "The Heavens May Fall" to offer a path to a fourth novel. For those who enjoy solid mystery writing that leads to happy endings for sad players, this comes as good news.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Oct. 24

By Azad Hasanli  Trend:

Azerbaijan reduced import of goods from Georgia twofold up to $93.97 million in January-September 2016, Georgias National Statistics Office said in a report.

The report says that Azerbaijans share in export of Georgian goods amounted to 6.2 percent (12.1 percent in January-September 2015).

Azerbaijan was the leader in import of goods from Georgia for a long period. However, the situation changed after the introduction of a temporary ban on imports of cattle from Georgia in 2016, as well as due to a sharp decline in exports of cars and other products.

Azerbaijan ranked sixth on this index as of January-September.

For comparison, Azerbaijan was the leader in import of goods from Georgia ($199.66 million) as of January-September 2015.

Georgia mainly exports pipes, iron alloys, etc. to Azerbaijan.

Turkey takes the lions share  $142.6 million with a specific weight of 9.4 percent  in export of Georgian goods. China with almost $138.9 million (9.2 percent) and Russia - $132.1 million (8.7 percent) are following Turkey.

Trade turnover between Azerbaijan and Georgia amounted to $415.1 million in January-September 2016, according to the report.

The specific weight of Azerbaijans trade turnover with Georgia is 4.6 percent of the total volume of Georgias foreign trade operations.
Running for office as a first-time candidate is tough enough. Now imagine you are going up against a candidate with a similar name and appearance.

That's the situation in House District 21A. Democrat Lisa Bayley and Republican Barb Haley, both of Red Wing, are running for the open House seat, which previously was held by GOP Rep. Tim Kelly. The two have to contend with similar, rhyming last names  Bayley-Haley. In addition, they also look somewhat similar  they are about the same age, have short brown hair and they both have two kids and a dog.

Both candidates said it's not uncommon for voters to get the two of them confused when they are out on the campaign trail.

"We both have people mistake us for the other person. One woman at the doors came up to me and said, 'Barb, I bet you never thought I'd recognize you.' And I said, 'Well, I'm not actually Barb.' And I'm sure she's had the same thing," Bayley said.

Indeed.

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"I have been in somebody's living room and had a conversation and realized they think I'm Lisa. It's provided for levity when you've been out door-knocking for four or five hours," Haley said.

'A bad decision'

Three years ago, House District 26B candidate John Austinson was convicted of a misdemeanor for drunken driving in Hennepin County.

In an interview, Austinson said he deeply regrets what he did.

"I've always said all along I'm a flawed person. I have a history. I think a lot of us do, and we all make mistakes," he said.

Austinson, a Democrat from Eyota, is running against Rochester Republican Rep. Nels Pierson.

The Post Bulletin became aware of the DWI conviction after being sent information about it in an envelope with no return address. Austinson said he has been told other news outlets also were sent this information.

Austinson said it is unfortunate someone is choosing to go after his personal life. Nonetheless, Austinson said he has "nothing to hide."

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"I realize my mistake. I paid my dues and did my time," Austinson said. "I want to be honest about it."

Austinson was sentenced to 90 days in jail, with 88 days stayed for two years. He was given credit for one day already served, and allowed to do 10 hours of community work service in lieu of serving the second day in jail.

He was also fined $378 and placed on probation for two years. Austinson was discharged from probation in June 2015.

Legislative candidates face off

Rochester-area legislative candidates are set to square off in upcoming forums sponsored by the League of Women Voters Rochester.

All of the forums are at the Rochester Public Library. The first debate is tonight and begins at 5:30 p.m. with Byron Republican Rep. Duane Quam running against Mantorville Democrat Linda Walbruch. At 6:30 p.m., Rochester Sen. Dave Senjem debates Byron Democrat Dale Amorosia. At 7:30 p.m., former Rochester GOP Rep. Fran Bradley squares off against Rochester Democrat Duane Sauke.

The second round of debates is Wednesday night at the Rochester Public Library. It starts at 5:30 p.m. with Rochester GOP Sen. Carla Nelson debating Rochester DFL Rich Wright. At 6:30 p.m., DFL Rep. Tina Liebling will go up against Republican Will Waggoner. At 7:30 p.m., Austinson faces Pierson.
Rochester police are investigating after a 26-year-old man said he was assaulted early Sunday morning.

Officers responded about 3 a.m. to a business in the 1900 block of Scott Road Northwest, where the victim had walked from somewhere in the 2900 block of Charles Court, said Capt. John Sherwin.

The man said he'd been out with some friends earlier, then went to an apartment with six people he didn't know well. At the apartment, the men knocked him to the ground, kicked him and punched him in the face, the report says. They stole his wallet and cell phone.

The man didn't seek medical treatment, Sherwin said.
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CANNON FALLS  Two car crashes in the region claimed lives over the weekend.

Sixteen-year-old Sahra Ahmed, of Rochester, died in a crash Friday on U.S Highway 52 north of Cannon Falls.

And on Saturday morning, Brenda Travis, 78, of Rochester, died in a crash Minnesota Highway 56 west of Cannon Falls.

Both accidents were reported by the Minnesota State Patrol.

In the Friday accident, besides the fatality four others were injured, two seriously. It occurred around 2:44 p.m. at the intersection of U.S. 52 and Minnesota Highway 50 near Hampton, when the driver of a northbound vehicle, Affey Asdirham, 18, of Rochester, lost control, then overcorrected and crossed the median to collide head-on with a southbound vehicle.

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Three teens were ejected from the vehicle, including Sahra Ahmed, Suad Ahmed, 16, and Edna Ahmed, 14. Sahra Ahmed was declared dead at the scene, authorities said. Suad Ahmed and Edna Ahmed suffered serious injuries and were taken to Regions Hospital in St. Paul. A condition update was not immediately available and it's unclear if they're related.

None of the three were wearing seat belts, according to State Patrol.

Asdirham and 17-year-old Ali Mustaf, another passenger, suffered non-life-threatening injuries and were taken to Saint Marys Hospital in Rochester for treatment. They were both wearing seat belts, according to the patrol.

The driver of the other vehicle, Karen Arbuckle, 54, and her father, 87-year-old Brandon Bjerke, both of Farmington, suffered non-life-threatening injuries. Both were wearing their seatbelts and did not require medical attention, according to the patrol.

Four-vehicle crash

The Saturday crash involved four vehicles. The Minnesota State Patrol reported that Lori Hoefs, 55, of Oronoco, was driving west on Goodhue County Road 88 at Minnesota Highway 56 and 292nd St. E Road about 10:24 a.m. According to the report, Hoefs failed to stop at a stop sign and broadsided a car driven by Glen Travis, 81, of Dodge Center, and his passenger, Brenda Travis, 78, of Rochester.

The impact caused the Travis vehicle to go into the southbound lane of Highway 56, where a car driven by Erica Myking, 36, of Burnsville and her passenger Renee Piersas, 36, of Bloomington crashed into it while traveling southbound on the highway. Another car was damaged from the debris at the crash site.

Brenda Travis died at the scene, and Glen Travis had serious injuries and was transported to Mayo Clinic HospitalSt. Marys Campus. He was seen and discharged, according to a hospital spokesman.

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Hoefs and Myking didn't have any apparent injuries from the crash. Piersas sustained what was considered to be non-life threatening injuries and was transported to Fairview Ridges Hospital in Burnsville for treatment.

A total of five people were involved in the incident, according to reports.

The Cannon Falls Police Department assisted on scene as well as the Dakota County Sheriff's Office.
Despite Friday's tragic car crash that resulted in the death of a Rochester teen and several others getting injured, the Somali community pressed forward to learn about local and state political candidates running in this fall's election.

At a forum Sunday at the Rochester STEM Academy, about 100 people heard from candidates for state Legislature, Rochester School Board, Olmsted County Board and Rochester City Council on topics including immigration, health care, education and unity. Interpreters translated the candidates' words from English to Somali.

Some of the candidates expressed their condolences for the devastating car crash that affected many in the Somali community and ended the life of Sahra Ahmed, 16, of Rochester, and injured two others.

"The community went to the Cities to visit the victims," said Mascuud Xaaji, co-founder of Engaged Local Citizens. "Despite everything, this forum went very well beyond expectations. They wanted to participate and exercise their right to vote."

Even though there was sadness, there was a high turnout for the forum itself.

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"This was a great turnout given the tragedy that happened, it was not our expectation," said Ahmed Aden, co-founder of Engaged Local Citizens. "I hope that there are many more of these (forums) to come."

Engaged Local Citizens, a nonpartisan organization, translated for community members. Though most speak English, many feel comfortable discussing complex political issues in their native language.

A lthough the Somali population in Rochester is growing, it still is underrepresented in local elections . The Minnesota State Demographics Center estimates the Somali population to be anywhere from 1,300 to 2,300 people in Olmsted County.

"It's very important having communities exercising their rights and that their vote counts," said Jamal Omer. "They're getting a chance to see where candidates from different parties stand, and we welcome (them) and try to engage them."

Engaged Local Citizens did not endorse candidates, rather letting those who came to the forum make up their own minds by basing their decisions on the people who they related with the most on certain topics.

"Somalis are getting informed of their options and who would represent them at the political level," Xaaji said. "The community is very optimistic and interested in participating in their right to vote."

"They're going to be involved," Aden said. "They're more engaged and more educated, and they're ready to vote."
Authorities: 2 dead in 6 heroin overdoses in Anoka County

ANOKA  Law enforcement authorities in Anoka County are investigating six separate heroin overdoses, two of them fatal, that happened in the span of 12 hours Saturday.

The Anoka County Sheriff's Office says investigators are speculating that the incidents could be linked to the same source of the drug.

Five men and a woman overdosed. Their identities have not been released. Two are from Fridley, while the others are from Anoka, Andover, Isanti and Ham Lake.

The sheriff's office says the number of cases and the time frame in which they happened is "alarming." It says the investigation is "extremely difficult" because heroin users do not cooperate with authorities.

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Man gets nearly 8 years in prison in fatal stabbing of wife

MINNEAPOLIS  A Minneapolis man accused of fatally stabbing his wife a year ago has been sentenced to nearly eight years in prison.

The Star Tribune reports that 52-year-old Wayne Watson, who pleaded guilty to second-degree manslaughter, was sentenced earlier this month.

Authorities accused Watson of killing 53-year-old Flowera Ransom on Oct. 1, 2015. Watson called 911 that night to report that he had stabbed Ransom at their apartment. She was found on the floor with a stab wound on her neck.

Before sentencing, a victim advocate read a statement from Ransom's brother. He wrote that his sister wanted to end her relationship with Watson and return to Oklahoma.

Watson apologized for his actions in court.

Minnesota woman gets probation in Iowa prescriptions case

MASON CITY, Iowa  A Minnesota woman accused of counterfeiting prescriptions in northern Iowa has been given five years of probation.

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Online court records say 27-year-old Jenna Fuhrmann, of Glencoe, Minnesota, was sentenced last week in Mason City. She was given a deferred judgment, which means that if she successfully completes her probation, the conviction will be wiped from her record. A $1,000 civil penalty was suspended.

The records say Fuhrmann pleaded guilty to one count of prohibited acts. Prosecutors dropped two more counts in exchange for Fuhrmann's plea.

Court documents say Fuhrmann illegally filled 22 counterfeit prescriptions for the stimulant drug Adderall in Mason City from August 2014 through the past April. The documents say the prescriptions used the name of a Minnesota doctor.

Little Free Libraries robbed throughout Twin Cities

ST. PAUL  Community book cubbies in families' yards have been repeatedly burglarized in recent months all across the Twin Cities.

The Little Free Libraries have been mysteriously cleaned out multiple times, leaving the community out of books, the St. Paul Pioneer Press reported. The nonprofit Little Free Libraries promotes the idea for small mailbox-like structures in front of people's yards that allow trading of personal books for free to encourage reading.

While nobody knows yet who is behind the thefts and why, there has been speculation that the books are being stolen so they can be sold at local bookstores. The nonprofit has been stamping the books to locate their whereabouts easier, should a Little Free Library be emptied. Former newspaper columnist Nick Coleman said the recurring thefts are a longstanding problem in St. Paul.

Although the thefts continue in the community, few Little Free Library owners are reporting the thefts to the St. Paul Police Department.

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"I haven't heard rumblings about these book dispensaries being raided," department spokesman Sgt. Mike Ernster said. However "sometimes these might go unreported since people are (running the little libraries) on a volunteer basis."

St. Paul community members have expressed that residents have come together to help refill the libraries after a theft. A St. Paul resident wrote on Facebook that her library "was completely cleared out earlier this summer. The nice thing is I posted my sorrow and disbelief on a few community Facebook pages and people really stepped up to fill it with new books. That made me feel great!"

 Associated Press
CHASKA  Prince's legal family portrait is coming into focus as the process to establish his estate's heirs moves toward a conclusion.

Nearly two dozen would-be relations  including a purported son and a Wisconsin woman who claimed to have secretly married Prince  have already been ruled out as heirs by Carver County District Court judge Kevin Eide. At least four are appealing that ruling.

Eide held a hearing in Chaska Friday that focused on three other outstanding claimants: the daughter, son and granddaughter of a man related to some of Prince's half-siblings, but who apparently did not share a biological parent.

That man, Duane Nelson, Sr., died in 2011. He was a contemporary of Prince, born the same year. The trust administering Prince's estate says in court filings that Duane Sr. was the son of Vivian Nelson and a man named Joseph Griswold  neither of whom have a blood tie to Prince.

Court filings say four previous children of Vivian Nelson are related to Prince, as they share the same father, John Nelson. (Prince was born to a woman John Nelson married later, Mattie Shaw.)

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But even so, Duane Sr.'s daughter, Brianna Nelson, son Corey Simmons, and Victoria Nelson, the daughter of Duane Sr.'s son, Duane Jr. claim to be the niece, nephew and grandniece of Prince, respectively.

They don't claim a genetic relationship and declined genetic testing. But their attorneys say that that John Nelson was listed as Duane Sr.'s father on his birth certificate and treated him as a son in some key respects.

Attorneys for Prince's estate, some of his family and the would-be heirs argued over whether that would be enough, under Minnesota law, for them to qualify as heirs.

"Once it was stipulated that they had no genetic relationship, it's over, it's done," attorney Thomas Kane, told the judge. He represents Omarr Baker, one of Prince's half-brothers.

But attorneys for Brianna and Victoria Nelson argued that there could be a parental relationship that links them to Prince, beyond that described in probate and parentage law. They pointed to a will of Prince's father, found in the music icon's estate, listing John Nelson's children, and including Duane.

They also pointed to a federal copyright lawsuit that names John and lists Duane as his son, saying John didn't contest the characterization while he was alive.

Eide has said he will rule soon on whether there is a legal basis to explore the arguments  possibly followed by an evidentiary hearing on the claims by Duane's descendants.

At stake are millions of dollars. A half dozen other known heirs are already in court, including Prince's sister, Tyka and five surviving half siblings.

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Speculation has valued the estate to be worth as much as $300 million, and has come to include the museum operation established at Paisley Park, Prince's Chanhassen complex where the Minnesota-born international pop star died April 21 of an accidental painkiller overdose.

Warner Brothers records also announced that they are planning to release two Prince projects, including a 40-song compilation that includes unreleased music from Prince's vault, as well as a deluxe reissue of Purple Rain that is also expected to include previously unreleased music.
Regardless of who wins the Minnesota Senate seat in District 25, it will be someone with deep Mayo Clinic roots.

Incumbent Dave Senjem retired from a 44-year career as an institutional biosafety officer with the clinic in 2008, In 2013, he helped shepherd the legislation to create Destination Medical Center.

His challenger Dale Amorosia is a longtime clinic patient, dating back to 1978 when diagnosed with congenital heart defects. He currently works in the Mayo Clinic pharmacy, after recently transferring out of food services.

Food service debate

While Amorosia proudly claims to be one of the Mayo Clinic's top supporters, he's also a critic of at least one recent decision  outsourcing the food service department. He's joined protesters and says he wants to be a voice for the workers, a position he says Senjem should be taking,

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"If you're not going to be for the workers of Mayo Clinic, you're clearly not going to be for other workers in the community," he said, adding that Senjem needs to be more assertive as a lawmaker.

Senjem has argued that lawmakers should not be interfering in a dispute between a private company and labor union.

We like Amorosia's willingness to stand up against his employer's actions when he thinks it's in the best interest of the people he wants to represent. At the same time, we must acknowledge that Senjem's vote against his party wishes helped create DMC, keeping the Mayo Clinic flagship  and related jobs  in the state.

Both candidates also have long ties to the political process.

Senjem started with city government in the 1980s and has been a state senator since 2002.

Amorosia's name might not be as well known, but he has interned for a California congressman and to work with campaigns in California and serve as a field representative for a state assembly member after receiving a masters degree in business administration.

Taxes

While both bring a wealth of insights on issues, they frequently differ.

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On taxes, Senjem told the Post Bulletin Editorial Board he'd like to see several changes in the state's tax structure. While saying the state should eliminate its tax on Social Security benefits, he said his first objective would be to ween off the statewide commercial property tax. "You can't do $800 million in one swath," he said. "It's maybe a 20-year swath."

He said reducing the state property tax could provide flexibility for local governments, allowing them to reduce dependence on Local Government Aid by generating local property tax revenue.

Amorosia, on the other hand, said he'd like to see LGA payments increase to cover expenses created by state mandates.

At the same time, he said he doesn't see a need to change income taxes in the state, but he could support a gas tax as a consistent revenue stream for transportation needs.

Senjem supports using the state's $900 million surplus and existing sales tax revenues from the sale of vehicle-related products to fund transportation budget.

Mental health

Both see a need for additional mental health funding. While they agree, Senjem is more forceful on the issue, making it a top campaign priority and suggesting a possible a bill seeking $100 million in borrowed funds for state mental health facilities.

"We've got to light up this issue in the state legislature," he said, noting the proposed bonding would at least kickstart the conversation.

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As he talked about the need to address the topic and voiced a desire to shift into a more humanities-based role in the Legislature, Senjem offered a glimpse of change. We've known him to be willing to cross party lines  voting for the state's largest tax bill to support DMC legislation and backing the Vikings stadium  but he also acknowledged missteps. Asked about his vote to oppose same-sex marriage, he said his view has changed. "I think in retrospect, it was a mistake," he said.

While Amorosia rightfully notes Senjem is often viewed as a "go-along to get-along" senator, we must also acknowledge his low-key approach has been effective. He has provided a quiet voice for bipartisanship in a divided legislature.

We wish the voice would sometimes be a bit louder, however. In an effort to allow him to strengthen that voice and see what new directions it will take him, the Post Bulletin Editorial Board endorses Dave Senjem for re-election to District 25 of the Minnesota Senate.



Learn more

The Post Bulletin Editorial Board endorsements are offered to provide one view of candidates for local and regional offices.

We encourage you to do your own research as you get ready to vote.

To find out more about the candidates in Minnesota Senate District 25, visit their websites:

 Dave Senjem

senjemforsenate.com

 Dale Amorosia

daleamorosia.org

For information on polling places and sample ballots, visit the Minnesota Secretary of State website at www.sos.state.mn.us.

Upcoming endorsements:

Tuesday

Minnesota House, District 26A

Tina Liebling vs. Will Waggoner

Minnesota House, District 26B

Nels Pierson vs. John Austinson

Wednesday

Minnesota Senate, District 26

Carla Nelson vs. Richard Wright

Thursday

Minnesota House, District 27A

Peggy Bennett vs. Gary Schindler

Minnesota House, District 27B

Jeanne Poppe vs. Dennis Schminke

Friday

Minnesota Senate, District 27

Dan Sparks vs. Gene Dornink

Saturday

Minnesota House, District 28B

Greg Davids vs. Thomas Trehus

Minnesota Senate, District 28

Jeremy Miller vs. John Pieper

Oct. 31

U.S. House, First District

Tim Walz vs. Jim Hagedorn

U.S. House, Second District

Angie Craig vs. Jason Lewis

Endorsements published:

Oct. 10: Olmsted County Board, District 3

Oct. 11: Olmsted County Board, District 7

Oct. 12: Rochester City Council, Ward 2

Oct. 13: Rochester City Council, Ward 4

Oct. 14; Rochester City Council, Ward 6

Oct. 15: Rochester City Council president

Oct. 17: Rochester School Board, Seat 1

Oct. 18: Rochester School Board, Seat 3

Oct. 19: Rochester School Board, Seat 7

Oct. 20: Minnesota House, districts 21A and 21B

Oct. 21: Minnesota Senate, District 21

Oct. 22: Minnesota House, districts 25A and 25B

Past endorsements are online at postbulletin.com/opinion
Baku, Azerbaijan, Oct. 24

By Maksim Tsurkov  Trend:

Azerbaijan Caspian Shipping CJSC has launched Shahdag ferry for traffic on the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route, the CJSC said in a message posted on its website Oct. 24.

The message says that the ferry has been launched after major overhaul.

Main and auxiliary engines, various systems, steering wheel and other mechanisms, as well as premises and accommodation were modernized during the overhaul, which started in late September 2016, according to the message.

Shahdag ferry will operate on the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route, on the Baku-Aktau-Baku and Baku-Turkmenbashi-Baku lines.

Depending on the volume of freight traffic, the companys vessels are being kept in reserve or being returned back into operation that allows cutting expenses. Considering the significant growth in freight traffic volumes, Azerbaijan Caspian Shipping decided in December 2015 to use a number of standby ferries.

The Trans-Caspian International Transport Route runs through China, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Georgia and then through Turkey and Ukraine to Europe.

The first test container train from China arrived at the Baku International Sea Trade Port on Aug. 3, 2015.

The agreement to create the Trans-Caspian International Transportation Consortium was signed in April in Baku by the railway authorities of Azerbaijan, Georgia and Kazakhstan. New competitive tariffs were introduced for the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route since June 1, 2016.

---

Follow the author on Twitter: @MaksimTsurkov
"We're all trying to become more Chamorro, (so) the least we can do is give our ancestors an appropriate burial site."  Lynda Aguon, Guam State Historic Preservation officer

The Guam State Historic Preservation Office spoke briefly with the Post yesterday in regards to proposed legislation that would reserve land for the construction of a reburial facility for the more than 2,000 Chamorro ancestral remains disinterred before 1989.

Bill 374 calls for the reservation of approximately 8 acres of land near Ypao Point for the construction of "Naftan Manaina-ta," an entombment facility for ancestral remains disinterred by development projects before 1989 including the Hornbostel Collection, a collection of more than 500 ancestral Chamorro remains unearthed in the 1920s by amateur anthropologist Hans Hornbostel for the Bernice B. Bishop Museum of Honolulu and repatriated to Guam in 2000.

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The parcel of land, known in the Chamorro Land Trust Commission's inventory as Lot 5173-1-R2-NEW-R6, has been the subject of contentious debate concerning its best use in the eyes of various individuals, groups and government agencies.

Mike Borja, director of the Department of Land Management and the administrative director of the CLTC, referred to the lot as the "crown jewel" and "the most valuable 8 acres" of CLTC's land inventory and estimated its value at $5.4 million. During a public hearing on the bill on Oct. 6, Borja stated that CLTC had met on the matter of the Ypao Point property in November of 2004 to discuss Public Law 25-179 and declared "the highest and best use of CLTC's most valuable property was for commercial development for the purpose of generating revenues to conduct infrastructure improvement on CLTC lands." Borja added that the commission had been moving toward a direction to engage in commercial lease for the property.

On the same date, the Tamuning-Tumon-Harmon Municipal Planning Council (TaTuHa MPC) approved a resolution indicating their inability to support bill 374 on the grounds that it was drafted without their input and that it did not "take into account the best use of the property."

'It's our choice'

With opposition to the bill seemingly on the rise, Lynda Aguon, the State Historic Preservation officer, told the Post that the matter ultimately comes down to an issue of respect.

"It's our choice," Aguon said in response to why that particular plot of land was selected.

Aguon, who was a member of the Ancestral Remains Task Force that repatriated around 500 remains from the Bishop Museum in Hawaii in 2000, said that the Ypao Point land was originally suggested to the task force when they were organizing the repatriation efforts.

According to Aguon, the Ypao Point location was chosen for its historical significance, its proximity to Tumon where most of the repatriated remains were originally disinterred and its place of prominence overlooking Tumon Bay.

"We're all trying to become more Chamorro," she said in a telephone interview, "(so) the least we can do is give our ancestors an appropriate burial site."

Aguon said that the failure to quickly rebury remains disturbed by development projects amounted to a grave show of disrespect.

Although alternate sites for the "Naftan Manaina-ta" have been proposed, Aguon maintained her desire to see the structure erected in a place of honor and prominence that is centrally located and easy for people to access, so that Chamorros can visit the shrine and pay their respects to their ancient ancestors.
Congressional candidate Jim Moylan will not let truth or distortions stop him from saying anything to get elected. It is up to political analy Read morePolitical ploys at the last part of election?
The East Anglia email scandal of 2009 was a major turning point in the climate change crusade. At the time I compared it to the Pentagon Paperssomething that changed the narrative fundamentally.

Now theres another climate scandal breaking. The Daily Mail reported yesterday about the apparent fraud of the Centre for Climate Change Economics and Policy (CCCEP), a project of the London School of Economics and the University of Leeds in the UK. It has been closely associated with top figures from Tony Blairs government, especially Nicholas Stern (of the shoddy Stern Review, for people with long memories of climate stunts). It seems the CCCEP is guilty of appropriating other peoples work and calling it their own. Maybe no one would care except that CCCEP has received a lot of taxpayer fundingat least 9 million Pounds worth to date.

Heres some of David Roses report:

One of the worlds leading institutes for researching the impact of global warming has repeatedly claimed credit for work done by rivals  and used it to win millions from the taxpayer. An investigation by The Mail on Sunday also reveals that when the Centre for Climate Change Economics and Policy (CCCEP) made a bid for more Government funds, it claimed it was responsible for work that was published before the organisation even existed. Last night, our evidence was described by one leading professor whose work was misrepresented as a clear case of fraud  using deception for financial gain. The chairman of the CCCEP since 2008 has been Nick Stern, a renowned global advocate for drastic action to combat climate change. . . Part of the CCCEPs official mission, which it often boasts about in its public reports, is to lobby for the policies Lord Stern advocates by presenting the case for them with British and foreign governments and at UN climate talks. Last night, CCCEP spokesman Bob Ward admitted it had made mistakes, both in claiming credit for studies which it had not funded and for papers published by rival academics. This is regrettable, but mistakes can happen We will take steps over the next week to amend these mistakes, he said.

One of the persons quoted to devastating effect of Richard Tol, one of the worlds top environmental economists:

The paper cited by the CCCEP of which Prof Tol is a co-author was published online by the Ecological Economics journal on July 31, 2008. At the time, he and the lead author, David Anthoff, were on the staff of the Economic and Social Research Institute in Dublin. Their co-author, Cameron Hepburn, was at Oxford University. The research on the marginal costs of climate change was funded by the European Commission and the Stockholm Environment Institute. . . Prof Tol said: Our paper had no relationship to the CCCEP. It came out of David Anthoffs masters thesis. At the time, the CCCEP did not exist, and it only came into existence after the paper was published. Fraud means deception for financial gain. That is what this is.

Im a big fan of Richard Tol, for what its worth:
Our weekly feature about academic absurdities is drawn usually from the social sciences and humanities, because thats where you find the most politicized work and the most tolerance for complete gibberish and nonsense. This would never happen in the hard sciences, right? Right?

From The Guardian:

Nonsense paper written by iOS autocomplete accepted for conference By Elle Hunt A nonsensical academic paper on nuclear physics written only by iOS autocomplete has been accepted for a scientific conference. Christoph Bartneck, an associate professor at the Human Interface Technology laboratory at the University of Canterbury in New Zealand, received an email inviting him to submit a paper to the International Conference on Atomic and Nuclear Physics in the US in November.

Bartneck explained it on his blog:

Today I received an invitation from the International Conference on Atomic and Nuclear Physics to submit a paper. Since I have practically no knowledge of Nuclear Physics I resorted to iOS auto-complete function to help me writing the paper. I started a sentence with Atomic or Nuclear and then randomly hit the auto-complete suggestions. The text really does not make any sense. After adding the first illustration on nuclear physics from Wikipedia, some references and creating a fake identity (Iris Pear, aka Siri Apple) I submitted the paper which was accepted only three hours later! I know that iOS is a pretty good software, but reaching tenure has never been this close.

And he offers this YouTube tutorial on how you, too, can get a paper accepted at an academic conference:

Shades of the great Sokal hoax.

(Hat tip: Wesley Smith.)
Many conservatives hold out hope that, as president, Hillary Clinton will be okay on foreign policy and national security issues. A few even plan to vote for her for this reason, seeing Donald Trump as worse than Clinton on these matters.

Keith Kellogg, a retired U.S. Army Lieutenant General and adviser to the Trump campaign, demonstrates that hopes for a sound foreign national security policy can only be founded on wishful thinking and dislike of Trump. They find no support in her record.

Kellogg begins with Iraq. Clinton voted for that war. Was this a mistake? Clinton says it was.

It certainly was a major mistake to vote (as Clinton did) against the surge that turned the tide in Iraq, and to ridicule Gen. Petraeus, the surges architect. And it was a major mistake to pull out of Iraq when President Obama came to office. (The excuses for the pullout have been debunked by Dexter Filkins of the New York Times.)

Kellogg blames Clinton for not being able to negotiate a status of forces agreement with the Iraqi government. The evidence suggests that Obama didnt want to reach an agreement and I believe that this, not poor negotiating by Clinton, is why we didnt get one. But Clinton was part of the team that gave away our hard-won gains (gains she tried to prevent by opposing the surge) in Iraq.

Kellogg next considers Libya. There can be no Clinton finger pointing when it comes to the disasters that have occurred there. She was the architect of our Libya policy, which, email traffic shows, her team considered her greatest achievement as Secretary of State.

Some achievement. As Kellogg points out:

When [Qaddifi] was overthrown, there was no plan for follow-up governance. The result was instability, a huge refugee flow into southern Europe and the Islamic State gaining a foothold in Libya. Worse was the eventual loss of U.S. Ambassador Christopher Stevens in the Benghazi terrorist attack. It was the first killing of a U.S. ambassador in the line of duty since 1979. The response from our secretary of state? She claimed his killing was the result of an anti-Islamic video.

Clintons Russian reset began badly. As Kellogg reminds us, Clinton couldnt even get the translation on the idiotic reset button correct: The Russian word emblazoned on the button actually meant overload.

Since the reset, Russia has taken Crimea, invaded main portions of Ukraine, strongly supported Syrian President Bashar Assad, conducted airstrikes against civilians in Aleppo, Syria and significantly increased its military and political presence in the Middle East.

Its ironic that Clinton is winning the debate over Russia. Yes, Clinton talks tougher than Trump about Russia. But, as Trump likes to say, its all talk.

Egypt is a case in point. In 2009, she called Mubarak a family friend. But when he came under attack, she supported his overthrow and then backed the Muslim Brotherhood government. Now, she denounces the U.S. friendly government as basically a military dictatorship.

As for Iran, Clinton backs the great giveaway known as the nuclear deal. We can be confident that in a Clinton administration, Iran will get away with violation after violation.

As for Syria, Clinton has tried to distance herself from the disastrous Obama policy. Supposedly, she wanted a firmer anti-Obama stance.

You can believe this if you want to. But the big question is how Clinton will deal with Syria now and, more generally, how she will deal with the next hot spots and crises.

Given her astounding misjudgments about Iraq, Libya, and Russia  indeed, about virtually every hot spot and crisis that arose during her time as Secretary of State  it should be impossible for any fair-minded observer to believe Clinton wont botch any significant foreign policy issue that comes up.
Recently I learned that my Jewish congregation is providing training for college age congregants on how to deal with anti-Semitism on campus. Thats how bad things have gotten.

I wonder whether the sad irony of the situation has registered with the congregation, the vast majority of whose members are leftists. Anti-Semitism is so rampant at Americas colleges and universities that teenage Jews need special training before entering this bastion of leftism.

During the High Holidays, I heard congregants moan at the mention of Donald Trump. Thats understandable; I had to suppress a moan myself (though not because Trump is at all anti-Semitic). But many of these same liberals found Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan chilling (though some will no longer admit it). As for George W. Bush, he was evil incarnate for many a Jewish liberal of my acquaintance.

Yet, it is the playground of the leftist social justice warriors  with whom many of my fellow congregants strongly associate  that produces the anti-Semitism my synagogue feels it must counter. The conservative ethos does not prevail on campus; nor is it anti-Semitic.

Brandeis University has produced a booklet called Hotspots of anti-Semitism and anti-Israel Sentiment on US Campuses. It is based on a recent survey of Jewish undergraduates at 50 colleges and universities.

The survey found that there is significant variation in the extent of anti-Semitism and anti-Israel sentiment from campus to campus. Moreover, on some campuses, the hostility is perceived as primarily anti-Israel, while at others it is viewed as anti-Semitic.

Frankly, I suspect that its just a matter of time until (1) anti-Israel sentiment becomes a significant force at campuses where the level of hostility is now low and (2) open anti-Semitism replaces anti-Israel sentiment. Thats the direction in which things are moving.

Which campuses of those surveyed are the worst right now? The study identified Brooklyn College (CUNY-Brooklyn), Northwestern, Rutgers, Wisconsin, Illinois, and schools in the University of California system.

I was particularly dismayed by Brooklyn Colleges appearance on this list of dishonor. Both of my parents graduated from this institution. In those days it provided a superb and basically free college education to high achieving students like my parents who couldnt afford a more prestigious school or couldnt get admitted because they were Jewish (or members of some other disfavored minority).

When my parents attended Brooklyn College, there was a small Fascist presence  this was the 1930s after all. But the school was a haven for the children of Jewish immigrants like my parents.

Clearly, the CUNY Brooklyn of today is not my fathers Brooklyn College. Nor, unless you are under 35 years old (say), is the institution you attended likely to be your college. And Im no longer talking just about anti-Semitism.
FOX News has obtained and reported on the 2010 video of then Secretary of State Hillary Clinton lecturing State Department staff on their special duty to recognize the importance of cybersecurity (video below). The real key to cybersecurity rests with you, Clinton explains in the video. Complying with department computing policies and being alert to potential threats will help protect all of us. FOX News summarizes Clintons warning: hackers try to exploit vulnerabilities and penetrate department systems.

The video looks like it was phoned in from outer space. The spacy quality gives it an apt Twilight Zone sort of feel. Adapting one of Rod Serlings famous lead-ins slightly to the Clintonian context, the preface might read: It lies between the pit of mans fears and the summit of his knowledge. This is the dimension of prevarication. It is an area which we call the Twilight Zone.

The FOX News report includes this remembrance of things past:

During her interview with the FBI, according to bureau documents released last month, Clinton claimed she could not remember a number of details regarding the training or guidance she received on various areas of department protocol. The interview summary said Clinton could not recall any briefing or training regarding the retention of federal records or the handling of classified information. She also claimed she could not recall receiving guidance on email policies outlined in the Foreign Affairs Manual. The video marks the latest example of how Clinton ran afoul of the very practices she expected others to follow. As Fox News Catherine Herridge previously reported, an internal 2011 department cable shows Clintons office once told employees not to use personal email for security reasons. The same year, Clinton skipped a cyber briefing that the department security team put together just for her, according to congressional investigators and an unclassified letter from the State Department. In 2010, the same year as the video, some State Department officials were voicing concerns about Clintons own email and computer setup. A department report found that two Information Resource Management officials had discussed worries about the system and were told it was approved by the legal department staff. The inspector general report said it found no evidence that staff in the Office of the Legal Adviser reviewed or approved Secretary Clintons personal system. Further, the same report detailed a January 2011 incident where an adviser who provided tech support for the Clinton email system notified a Hillary Clinton aide that he had to shut down the server because he believed someone was trying to hack us and while they did not get in i didnt [sic] want to let them have the chance to.

What would one of these reports be without a comment by Clintons spokesman, the fallacious Brian Fallon. Drawing from the well-worn Clinton scandal management playbook, Fallon comments: This is not new. It has been widely reported that during Clintons tenure the State Department issued these kinds of warnings about possible cybersecurity to employees. These warnings were more than appropriate given that it was subsequently confirmed that States email was hacked.

At the press conference announcing his recommendation not to prosecute Clinton, FBI Director James Comey commented:

With respect to potential computer intrusion by hostile actors, we did not find direct evidence that Secretary Clintons personal e-mail domain in its various configuration since 2009 was hacked successfully. But given the nature of the system and of the actors potentially involved, we assess we would be unlikely to see such direct evidence. We do assess that hostile actors gained access to the private commercial e-mail accounts of people with whom Secretary Clinton was in regular contact from her personal account. We also assess that Secretary Clintons use of a personal domain was both known by a large number of people and readily apparent. She also used her personal e-mail extensively while outside of the United States, including sending and receiving work-related e-mails in the territory of sophisticated adversaries. Given that combination of factors, we assess it is possible that hostile actors gained access to Secretary Clintons personal e-mail account.

Fallon is confident that this incredibly damning portion of Comeys comments has receded into the realm of ancient history.
The news this morning of the passing of the radical activist Tom Hayden, at age 76, summons to mind something Ive been wanting to go over for a while now: that the New Left of the 1960s almost makes sense compared to the advance edge of the left today. And thats a scary thought, given that the New Left of the 1960s was born out of a rejection of the liberal establishment of the time. As either Hayden or one of his close SDS collaborators once put it, the agenda of the New Left was to murder liberalism in its official robes.

Hayden was the principal author of the founding document of the New Left, the Port Huron Statement. It is quite long, often repetitive and always overwritten like much of leftist thought. I dont recommend trying to read it through. It really could have used a good editor. Just compare it to the Sharon Statement, the founding document of the Young Americans for Freedom in 1960, which fits on a single page. (My old mentor M. Stanton Evans was the principal author of the Sharon Statement.)

Sure enough, the Old Left, so to speak, was not impressed with young Haydens handiwork. Irving Howe was not alone in thinking that the energy of the New Left was mostly a gesture of moral rectitude. The legendary socialist Norman Thomas was similarly unimpressed, remarking that Ive seen a lot of manifestoes in my day, and this ones no worse, nor no better. The New Lefts sentimental slogans, noted Tom Kahn of the League for Industrial Democracy (an Old Left organization), appealed perfectly to the romantic defeatism of the free floating anxiety that is typical among disaffected youthhow can we hope to prevail against a Leviathan-like System? And Norman Podhoretz, then still on the left, decided against publishing a condensed version of the Port Huron Statement in Commentary because he was troubled by a premonition of dogmatic authoritarianism implied in the New Lefts rhetoric.

Still, there are parts of the Port Huron Statement that make for ironic reading today, and its worth a look at a few almost serviceable parts. Contrary to todays campus left, there were no demands for safe spaces. (And they also didnt demand, as Charles Kesler has joked, that sex on campus could only take place with lawyers present.) To the contrary, Hayden in Port Huron was demanding an end to coddling by college administrators. They wanted to grow up faster, and take on more responsibility. Port Huron criticizes both value-free social science and excessive theorizing in favor of idealism, which is notably absent from the campus left today: Theoretic chaos has replaced the idealistic thinking of old  and, unable to reconstitute theoretic order, men have condemned idealism itself. Remember, Hayden was writing before the arrival of Foucault.

Then theres this passage, some of which could be written by a conservative today:

Academia includes a radical separation of student from the material of study. That which is studied, the social reality, is objectified to sterility, dividing the student from life  just as he is restrained in active involvement by the deans controlling student government. The specialization of function and knowledge, admittedly necessary to our complex technological and social structure, has produced and exaggerated compartmentalization of study and understanding. This has contributed to: an overly parochial view, by faculty, of the role of its research and scholarship; a discontinuous and truncated understanding, by students, of the surrounding social order; a loss of personal attachment, by nearly all, to the worth of study as a humanistic enterprise. There is, finally, the cumbersome academic bureaucracy extending throughout the academic as well as extracurricular structures, contributing to the sense of outer complexity and inner powerlessness that transforms so many students from honest searching to ratification of convention and, worse, to a numbness of present and future catastrophes. The size and financing systems of the university enhance the permanent trusteeship of the administrative bureaucracy, their power leading to a shift to the value standards of business and administrative mentality within the university.

Today, the campus crybullies demand as a remedy still more administrative offices (deans of diversity, etc.) and special programs to mollify their butthurt.

And of course one of my favorite lines is this: With nuclear energy whole cities can easily be powered. . . This was at a time when the Sierra Club still supported nuclear power, but then Hayden went on to marry Jane Fonda and become an anti-nuclear power activist.

Finally, one of the complaints of the Port Huron statement was the ideologically confused character of the two parties at the time:

A crucial feature of the political apparatus in America is that greater differences are harbored within each major party than the differences existing between them. Instead of two parties presenting distinctive and significant differences of approach, what dominates the system if a natural interlocking of Democrats from Southern states with the more conservative elements of the Republican party. . . It is somewhat to the interests of the United States that such a movement should be a public constituency pointed toward realignment of the political parties, demanding a conservative Republican Party in the South and an exclusion of the leftist elements of the national GOP. . . [and] the shuttling of Southern Democrats out of the Democratic Party. . .

Mission accomplished! Except that now the establishment media is aghast at the polarization that has arisen precisely from the fact that the two parties are now more ideologically coherent than theyve ever been. Be careful what you wish for, leftists.

Meanwhile, this old short SCTV sketch of Hayden and Fonda on Firing Line is good for a grin:
Baku, Azerbaijan, Oct. 24

By Maksim Tsurkov  Trend:

Germanys major transportation and logistics company DHL is interested in conducting freight traffic between Europe and Asia through Azerbaijan, Nadir Azmammadov, spokesperson of Azerbaijan Railways CJSC, told Trend Oct. 24.

Azmammadov said that the development and prospects of the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route, which is a part of the East-West transportation corridor, were discussed during a meeting of the head of Azerbaijan Railways Javid Gurbanov with the head of DHLs Shanghai branch Allen Chen in China.

Representatives of the German company expressed their interest in implementation of cargo traffic between Asia and Europe, using the corridor that passes through Azerbaijan, noted the spokesperson.

It was noted that after commissioning of the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars (BTK) railway, which is a part of the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route, the volume of freight traffic via the corridor will increase and simultaneously, cargos delivery period between Asia and Europe will decrease, he added.

DHL is present in over 220 countries and territories across the globe, making it the most international company in the world. With a workforce exceeding 340,000 employees, we provide solutions for an almost infinite number of logistics needs.



DHL is part of the worlds leading postal and logistics company Deutsche Post DHL Group, and encompasses the business units DHL Express, DHL Parcel, DHL eCommerce, DHL Global Forwarding, DHL Freight and DHL Supply Chain.

---

Follow the author on Twitter: @MaksimTsurkov
Not many leading international beauty brands would risk making one the worlds most famous feminist the face of its beauty range.

But, this was exactly what the popular UK and Ireland pharmacy chain, Boots, did when it announced the award-winning author, Chimamanda Adichie, as the face of its No7 beauty range on last week.

The news may not come as a surprise to some who are aware of Adichies love for make-up and fashion.

The official images of the advert campaign have been released and the writer looks stunning and almost unrecognizable. The No7 premium beauty range, comprises of anti-ageing serums, make-up and skin care products.

According to a statement published on the Boots website, Adichie is quoted as saying that make-up has the added benefit of making her walk a little taller.

I believe women should be free to express themselves and their femininity. Wearing make-up, or not, has no bearing on who you are or what you have to say. But it can have a bearing on how you feel. It certainly affects how I feel. Make-up doesnt diminish my voice; it enhances it. It helps me feel amazing, it helps me feel like the best version of me, she said.

I love make-up, and its wonderful possibilities for temporary transformation. And I also love my face after I wash it all off. There is something exquisitely enjoyable about seeing yourself with a self-made new look. And for me that look is deeply personal. It isnt about what is in fashion or what the rules are supposed to be. Its about what I like. What makes me want to smile when I look in the mirror and what makes me feel slightly better on a dull day.

Defending the decision to make Adichie its brand ambassador, the brand says, When she was younger, she battled with the idea that she wouldnt be taken seriously in a mans world if she loved lipstick or eyeliner.

As she grew, she realised she had no need to hide who she was. She is now a vocal advocate of how beauty is part of her feminine identity and how she uses make-up to show up how she wants to. She is passionate about colour cosmetics, and has spoken openly about her love of beauty and make-up.

One of Nigerias great literary exports, Adichies TED talks have received millions of views across the world. She has three critically acclaimed novels under her belt and just days ago, she contributed a thank-you note to U.S. First Lady Michelle Obama for The New York Times Magazine cover feature.
Last week, President Muhammadu Buhari submitted 46 names to the Senate for confirmation as ambassadors. Festus Owete presents the profiles of some of nominees.

Olurunimbe Mamora (Lagos): Mamora, 63, is a trained medical doctor and graduate of Obafemi Awolowo University. He was the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly between 1999 and 2003. During the period, he chaired the Conference of the Speakers of the State Houses of Assembly. In 2003, he won election to the Senate to represent Lagos East Senatorial District where he was to spend the next eight years. In the upper legislative chamber, Mr. Mamora, then a member of the Alliance for Democracy, was appointed into the committees on petroleum resources (upstream), selection, health, federal character and inter-governmental affairs. He also chaired the Ad-hoc committee that investigated the allegation by the then FCT minister, Nasir El-Rufai that the Deputy Senate President, Ibrahim Mantu, and the Deputy Senate Leader, Jonathan Zwingina, demanded a bribe of N54 million to clear him (El-Rufai) in the ministerial screening in July 2003. The new ambassadorial nominee, a political ally of former Lagos governor, was a member of the Buhari Presidential Campaign Organisation where he served as the deputy director (operations).

Pauline Tallen: Mrs. Tallen hails from Plateau State. She was minister of state for science and technology in the first term of former President Olusegun Obasanjo between 1999 and 2003. She later became the deputy governor of Plateau State under former Governor Jonah Jang. She however fell out with Mr. Jang shortly before the 2011 election. She left the PDP for the Labour Party where she picked up the ticket to contest the governorship election against her former boss but lost. Mrs. Tallen returned to the PDP but left the party again for the APC in January 2015. She is a close friend of the wife of the president, Aisha Buhari, and often represents her at events

Musa Ibeto (Niger): Mr. Ibeto was the deputy governor of Niger State until last year. He caused a stir in 2014 when left the PDP, on whose platform he and former Governor Babangida Aliyu came to power, for the APC. He had complained of mistreatment during the PDP governorship primary election which he claimed was skewed in favour of Umar Nasko. He was barred from the state executive council meetings as a punishment for defecting to the APC. He was reportedly ejected from the Government House in Minna. Mr. Ibeto was one of the ministerial nominees last year but was later dropped by the president before the screening commenced in the senate.

George Oguntade (Lagos): Mr. Oguntade, 76, retired as a Supreme Court justice in March 2010. He is arguably the first retired justice of the apex court to be appointed ambassador. He attended Holborn College of Law between 1961 and 1964 and the Nigerian Law School, Lagos in 1965. He was called to the Nigerian Bar in January 1966. His appointment could be seen as a payback by President Muhammadu Buhari. In 2007, Mr. Oguntade delivered a dissenting judgement on the appeal filed by Mr. Buhari, who was the ANPP presidential candidate in the 2007 election, against late President Umaru YarAdua of the PDP. The justice, in his minority ruling, annulled the election and ordered a re-run. He was to comment on the judgement in a media interview thus:

When I spoke out in the YarAdua vs. Buharis case, some of my colleagues joined me. So, it is not a question of somebody singled out to write dissenting judgment. That was most unfair.

I know that was the feeling of some people outside. A friend of mine once mentioned that. How can one do that by burning manymidnight candle? Before I could write my judgments in YarAdua and Buhari, Atikus case, it took me more than one month writing and comparing many laws in this country, looking at the Africa, the Commonwealth and several other laws. I would not be doing that if all I want to do was to write a dissenting judgment.

Of what benefit will that be, especially for a man like me approaching retirement. I have my name to protect for history, because these judgments will live after us. The judgments we write show the state of our laws. If you go to America, Britain etc, you find dissenting judgments. So to say the one in Nigeria is camouflage is very unfair.

Yusuf Tuggar (Bauchi): Mr. Tuggar, 49, is the son of Second Republic senator, Abubakar Tuggar. He was a member of the House of Representatives representing Gamawa federal constituency on the platform of the defunct ANPP. He later contested the governorship election in his native Bauchi State in 2011 on the ticket of the defunct Congress for Progressive Change, a party formed by Mr. Buhari and his allies. He also showed interest in the governorship race in 2015.

Usman Bugaje (Katsina): He is a Pharmacy graduate from the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria. In 1999, he was appointed special adviser on political affairs in the presidency and was assigned to the office of the vice president. In 2003, Mr. Bugaje, 65, later won election into the House of Representatives where he chaired the committee on foreign affairs. The doctorate degree holder in intellectual history was appointed the National Secretary of the Action Congress, (later ACN) the then leading opposition party in the country. An ally of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Mr. Bugaje showed interest in governing Katsina State in 2011.

Nurudeen Mohammed (Kwara):Mr. Mohammed who hails from the northern senatorial district of the state, was commissioner for finance in the military administration of Rasheed Shekoni. He a well-known ally of Mr. Buhari who he has followed stoically. He was a governorship aspirant on the ticket of the defunct CPC in the state in 2011. Mr. Mohammed was a member of the defunct NPN in the Second Republic during which he worked with the late Kwara strong politician, Olusola Saraki.

Jamila Ahmadu-Suka (Sokoto):She is the Registrar of Trademarks, Patents and Design.

Suleiman Hassan (Gombe): He was the Chairman of the defunct Congress for Progressive Change in Gombe State.

Godwin Umo (Akwa Ibom): He is a retired major general. While in the military, he was Commander, Army Corps of Signal.

Clifford Zirra (Adamawa): He is the Managing Director/CEO Savingscorp Microfinance Bank Limited.

Baba Madugu (Bauchi): Mr. Madugu is currently the information commissioner in Bauchi State. A year ago, the Election Tribunal had nullified his election into the Bauchi State House of Assembly where he was representing Sade constituency on the platform of the APC.

Enyantu Ifenne (Benue): She is a trained paediatrician with over 30 years experience in public service and development work. Mrs. Ifenne was Chairman of Okpokwu Local Government Area and Commissioner for Education in Benue State. She was also a member of the defunct National Political Reform Conference.

Stanley Diriyai (Bayelsa): He is a retired army general. He was among the political leaders of the south-south and middle belt regions who in January 2015 insisted that the only guarantee for the full implementation of the National Conference held that year was the re-election of former President Goodluck Jonathan.

Mohammed Hayatuddeen (Borno): Mr. Mohammed, a Shuwa Arab, is a financial expert. He was a member of the transition committee set up by Mr. Buhari in 2015. He is believed to be a close friend of the Chief of Staff to the President, Abba Kyari. Earlier this year, it was speculated that he was being positioned to take over from Godwin Emefiele as the CBN Governor.

Jonah Odo (Ebonyi): He is 53 years old. He was the APC candidate for the House of Representatives election in Ezza South/Ikwo federal constituency in 2015.

Deborah Iliya (Kaduna): She is a close ally of the Aisha Buhari, the presidents wife. During the presidential campaign last year, Mrs. Iliya, it was who debunked speculations that Aisha was not a Nigerian. They have also said Aisha Buhari is not a Nigerian but Aisha said I should tell everyone that she is a Nigerian, she said at a public presentation of a book.

Haruna Ungogo (Kano): He was a governorship aspirant on the platform of the defunct ANPP in 2007. He was secretary to the state government and former Rector of Kano Polytechnic.

Adegboyega Ogunwusi (Osun): He is the elder brother of the Ooni of Ife, Adeyeye Ogunwusi. Earlier this month, the monarch had appointed Adegboyega as the Sooko Laekun of the Source. The appointment places him as the head of Ife princes and he will serve as one of the Oonis closest confidantes.

Orji Ngofa (Rivers): Mr. Ngofa is the deputy national secretary of the APC. He was chairman of Eleme Local Government Area.
A former deputy governor of Plateau, Pauline Tallen, has said that she turned down her ambassadorial nomination in order to be fair to other parts of the state in terms of federal appointments.

Mrs. Tallen, who is also a former Minister of Science and Technology and Labour Party governorship candidate in Plateau in 2011, made this known in Abuja on Monday.

I hail from the same local government and tribe with Gov. Simon Lalong. I turned down the nomination because of balancing of appointments, I dont think it is right for me to accept the appointment, she said.

Secondly, proper consultation was not done, my governor was not consulted because I called him when he was in United States of America to ask but he said that he was not aware.

For me, I was consulted and I turned down the appointment even before the announcement was made, Mrs. Tallen said.

She also cited her husbands poor health.

My husbands ill-health is another reason why I will not accept the appointment, she said.

Mrs. Tallen, who was nominated last week by President Muhammadu Buhari, alongside 45 others, said the president gave her another option and also assured her that Plateau would not miss its two slots.

The former deputy governor, who appreciated the president for the honour, said that her name was not included on the list of nominees and was surprised when the announcement was made.

Meanwhile Gov. Simon Lalong has described Mrs. Tallens decline as an exhibition of political maturity.

Plateau is always on the front-burner when it comes to politics, that shows her maturity not just in Plateau but as a national figure.

Once things are not done properly, it is better for a leader and a mother to come out and say that things are not done properly in the interest of the state.

When I heard the announcement I was very shocked because what happened was without proper consultation, he told journalists in Abuja.

The governor said his administration was working towards addressing the issue of balancing appointment.

Mr. Lalong said the opposition was already saying that the appointments were lopsided.

He appreciated Mrs. Tallen for her decision, and assured the people that their quota would be filled and he would go further to ensure that distinguished sons and daughters of Plateau get more appointments.

(NAN)
Dangote Group has emerged Nigerias best Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) company in 2016, a survey by Governance Advancement Initiative for Nigeria (GAIN) has shown.

Dangote was the adjudged overall winner among 25 Nigerian and multinational companies operating in the country, scoring 6.3 per cent, followed by Nestle with 5.51 per cent and Etisalat with 5.45 per cent.

Others included Cadbury (5 per cent) and Glaxo (4.89 percent), as fourth and fifth companies, while Dana, Multichoice and Arik were among companies with the worst reputation in business and services during the year.

GAIN specializes in conducting periodic polls and surveys dedicated to enhancing political and corporate governance in Nigeria.

The latest survey involved companies operating in five select sectors  aviation, communications (mobile & cable), consumer goods, infrastructure and food & beverage, focusing on business to consumer (B2C) firms with extensive direct consumer services.

GAINs corporate survey coordinators, Malcolm Fabiyi and Adeleke Otunuga, said results were tracked across five broad categories, including perceptions of community give back and engagement, ethical conduct, quality of products and services, brand appeal and reputation.

Apart from CSR, the other categories covered by the survey included ethical conduct, quality of products & services, brand appeal and reputation.

Under CSR, the survey measured the extent of engagement of firms with communities they sell to and operate from as well as how they function as responsible corporate citizens, by giving back to the people.

Giving back to the community involves either funding community skill development centres, donation of drugs, provision of basic infrastructure, scholarships and educational endowments, among others.

The result showed Dangote as the leading CSR firm, with 8.78 per cent score, beating Globacom to second place, with 8.49 per cent. Etisalat ranked third with 6.22 per cent.

Aviation firms, Dana and Arik, were ranked 24th and 25th, the lowest in this category, with 2.05 per cent and 1.51 per cent respectively.

In the ethical standards category, Nestle Nigeria emerged top with 5.77 per cent score among firms omitted to ethical standards in their operations and services, followed by Glaxo (5.63 per cent), Julius Berger (5.35 per cent), Etisalat (4.87 per cent) and Unilever (4.82 per cent).

Multichoice, Airtel and Arik were the three firms with the worst ethical compliance.

On quality of products and services, Dangote was again selected as the best, with 4.05 per cent of respondents votes, followed by Cadbury (3.98 per cent) of the votes and Nestle with 3.66 per cent.

The bottom of the pack were in this category were Dana, Multichoice and Arik.

Again, Dangote clinched the first position as the most awesome line of products and services, with 5.75 per cent of the votes, ahead of major multinationals, namely Coca Cola, which came second (5.16per cent), Etisalat (5.08 per cent), Cadbury (5.06 per cent) and Nestle (4.8per cent). Promasidor, Lafarge and Multichoice took the rear.

Among the companies with the worst reputational problems, Arik was reputed to be the most notorious, with 13.08 per cent votes, followed by MTN (10.95 per cent), Multichoice (10.17 per cent), Dana (7.35 per cent) and Airtel (6.03 per cent.

On the other hand, Unilever, Honeywell Group and PZ Cussons were adjudged the top three most reputable firms in Nigeria during the year.

There seems to be a crisis of reputation and a lack of impactful community engagement by firms in the Nigerian aviation industry, Mr. Fabiyi said.

He observed that the two aviation companies Dana and Arik  featured on the list of 25 firms used for the survey were among the bottom three companies in the overall rankings.

With the current recession negatively impacting operations of the airlines, resulting in some international carriers suspending operations in Nigeria, Mr. Fabiyi said the outcome of the poll reflected some of the economic challenges the aviation sector was facing.

The telecommunications sector appears to be doing well in the area of CSR, with three firms operating in the sector (Globacom, Etisalat and MTN) making the top five in the category.

The next phase of the survey is expected to include select top performing organizations in the financial sector.
After several months of blaming the erstwhile ruling party, PDP, for the current state of Nigerias economy, the APC has accepted responsibility.

The ruling party also promised to fix the problems.

The APCs position was stated by Governor Rochas Okorocha who briefed journalists after a meeting between the partys governors and President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

Details later
The All Progressives Congress on Monday said the lingering economic crisis in the country should no longer be blamed on the 16-year streak of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.

The party said it could no longer continue to blame past administrations for the enormous hardship Nigerians are grappling with.

The partys new position was disclosed by the Governor of Imo State, Rochas Okorocha, when he briefed reporters shortly after he and other APC governors met with President Muhammadu Buhari in the State House on Monday afternoon.

We must take responsibility and we must never shift the responsibility to anybody, Mr. Okorocha said. We are responsible for everything happening in Nigeria.

The good, the bad, the ugly but we are promising Nigerians that we shall fix it, Mr. Okorocha said.

The admission followed months of stern denial from the leadership of the APC and the Buhari administration, who maintained that Nigerians should direct their anger towards the PDP.

Between mid-August and early September, the APC joined issues with the PDP for the latters role in bringing Nigeria to its current unbearable state.

The partys chairman, John Oyegun, admonished the PDP to desist from commenting about economic matters, saying the party should apologise for its 16-year rule instead.

It was stomach-churning and downright immoral for the ruinous PDP, which has yet to show remorse or exhibit any form of penitence for presiding over the mindless looting of the nations treasury, to now put itself up as the saviour of Nigerians, Mr. Oyegun said in an August 22 statement.

Mr. Oyegun reiterated his position on September 5, a week after the country officially plunged into recession.

Barely a week later on September 22,President Buhari again blamed the PDP for ruining the economy.

After 16 years of PDP regime, there was no power supply, no much infrastructure, no rail and no security; this is what it left for us, Mr. Buhari said.

But Mr. Okorocha, who is also the chairman of APC Governors Forum, said the party had now recognised that Nigerians are experiencing untold economic pains and his party had commenced initiatives that would address them.

We share the pains of Nigerians, every human being must feel it, Mr. Okorocha said. We also feel what they are going through but we are asking for a little patience let us do things the right way and do it once and for all.
A former presidential spokesperson, Reuben Abati, has been arrested.

Mr. Abati, who was spokesperson to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan was arrested on Monday and is expected to spend at least Monday night at the office of the anti-graft agency, EFCC.

The journalist is being questioned for allegedly receiving some money from former National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki, EFCC sources told PREMIUM TIMES.

Mr. Dasuki is currently being tried by the EFCC for his management of arms funds under him , in what is now known as #Dasukigate.

Mr. Abatis arrest makes it at least three former aides of Mr. Jonathan who are currently in EFCC custody.

A former Minister of State for Defence, Musiliu Obanikoro, is still with the commission since last week Monday when he voluntarily surrendered himself after staying months away from the country.

Femi Fani-Kayode, a former Jonathan campaign spokesperson, was arrested on Friday and is still with the commission.
The National Industrial Court will hear Major General Ijioma Ijiomas case against the Nigeria Army Council on November10.

Mr. Ijioma is challenging his retirement by the Nigeria Army Council through a letter dated June 9, 2016.

At the resumed hearing, the court could not continue because the clamants counsel, Benson Igbanoi, who held brief for Michael Ozekhome, had made an oral application to adjourn the suit.

Mr. Igbanoi said that an adjournment was necessary to enable the court hear all the pending applications before it.

He told the court it was a good development and that the issue of representation

of the respondents had been sorted out.

Today, we know who is representing who; this is one of the issues that brought us to court today, he said.

The counsel to Nigeria Army Council and Chief of Army Staff, Michael Owolabi, opposed the application, saying that no cogent reason was given.

Owolabi said that the application for adjournment was a ploy by the claimant to keep the case in view.

Today, we are ready; why are they not ready? the lawyer in court is competent and has not given us any cogent reason.

This is a court of Justice and Justice is not one way; if your right is encroached upon why are you running away from defending your right, he questioned?

The judge, Maureen Esowe, assured the parties that the adjournment sought would not incur any loss on parties.

She held that due to her transfer to another division of the court, the case was likely to be heard de novo by the incoming judge.

We have not started the case but the case is bound to start de novo anyway; either way, nobody loses anything , Ms. Esowe held.

It would be recalled that on October 12, the court could not proceed with the case because it was not clear which counsel represented the defendant.

The court then adjourned hearing to enable the counsel, Mr. Owolabi and Ibrahim Etsu, sort out the issue of representation.

The claimant joined the Minister of Defence, Chief of Defence Staff and Chief of Army staff as co-respondents.

(NAN)
Aisha Buhari, the wife of the president, said on Monday that strong family values should be cherished and nurtured to surmount the challenges of poverty and crime in the country.

She gave the advice in Lagos while declaring open the three-day 16th National Women Conference organised by the Committee of Wives of Lagos State Officials (COWLSO).

The conference has as its theme: Strong Family, Strong Nation.

The presidents wife, represented by the wife of the Imo State Governor, Nneoma Okorocha, said that that love, support, friendship and guidance were key qualities necessary in the family.

We must continue to emphasise the importance of strong family values.

Poverty, crime and declining school performance are some of the challenges a country could face when families are not cohesive, she said.

Ms. Buhari enjoined participants to take advantage of the array of topics to be discussed and see the conference as a knowledge-based one to enrich their lives.

The conference also provides a forum for women to deliberate on issues that affect us, our families, communities and the nation at large.

Our core concern should be how we can make a positive impact on ourselves as women and our society, she said.

Also speaking, Governor Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos State said his administration had implemented many policies to enable women thrive.

He pledged to continue to ensure that the rights of women and girls were protected to ensure a peaceful and progressive society.

The governor said that the family unit was very important to the overall development of any nation.

The family is the foundation and smallest unit of any nation. The heart and conscience of a nation is formed, to a large extent, in the family.

With strong families, we can build a strong nation; but strong families will only exist in a society where nobody is left behind, where everybody has a voice and a stake, Mr. Ambode said.

He described women as the glue that held families together.

According to him, an empowered woman, with a sense of self-esteem, will be better positioned to make a success of her career and at the same time be a pillar of strength for the family.

He said that his administration was totally committed to empowering women and also protecting the girl-child against all forms of negative vices to create platforms for families to bond and recreate.

In his goodwill message, Governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State said the theme of the conference was apt, as the myriad of problems facing the country were due to the erosion of family values.

His Osun State counterpart, Rauf Aregbesola, said that women were the foundation of families, and as such, the values they passed on to their children reflected greatly on the society.

In her remarks, wife of the Lagos State governor, Bolanle Ambode, said the theme was carefully chosen for participants to rub minds on the best ways to tackle some of the social challenges confronting the nation.

Most of the social challenges currently confronting our country like drug addiction, cultism, teenage pregnancy, kidnapping, armed robbery, among others, have their foundation in dysfunctional family units, she said.

According to her, to build a strong and virile country, strong family units must be built.

The highlights of the event include the investiture of Oluremi Tinubu as the Grand Matron of COWLSO and the presentation of Inspirational Woman of the year award to a beauty entrepreneur, Tara Fela-Durotoye.

(NAN)
Baku, Azerbaijan, Oct. 24

By Azad Hasanli  Trend:

Azerbaijani goods export to Georgia decreased by 17.4 percent  to $321.16 million in January-September 2016, according to a report of Georgias National Statistics Office (Geostat).

The report says that Azerbaijan with a specific weight of 4.2 percent (6.8 percent in January-September 2015) ranks sixth among the countries, from which Georgia imports goods.

Canada with almost $1.8 billion (23.6 percent) is the leader on this indicator and is followed by Turkey - $997.8 million (13.1 percent) and Ireland - $620.34 million (8.2 percent).

Trade turnover of Georgia with Azerbaijan amounted to $415.1 million in January-September 2016, according to the report.

The specific weight of Azerbaijans trade turnover with Georgia accounts for 4.6 percent of total volume of Georgias foreign trade operations.
Today I received 21 dear daughters. They have seen the worst that the world has to offer. It is now time for them to experience the best.

 President Muhammadu Buhari says, while receiving the 21 Chibok girls released by the Boko Haram terrorists (Source: Twitter)

The one thing you have over me is experience. But its bad experience.

 Republican candidate, Donald Trump, tells his rival, Hilary Clinton of the Democratic party, during the last U.S presidential debate (Source: NBC News)

He (President Goodluck Jonathan) said he had talked to all the leaders in Ondo State and that if PDP lost the election, it would be because of me. Then I asked Jonathan, What if you lose in the whole of Nigeria? Would that still be because of me? That was the end of our conversation.

 Jimoh Ibrahim, PDP governorship candidate in Ondo State, blaming the state governor, Olusegun Mimiko, for the defeat of Jonathan in the state during the 2015 presidential election (Source: The Punch)



If we could defeat military despots, no civilian dictator will be tolerated by the Nigerian people. I dont believe in the assertion that the arrest of a few judges is an indication that the state has become fascistic. There is nothing dictatorial in arresting criminal suspects accused of corrupt practices.

 Nigerian lawyer, Femi Falana, on the recent arrest of some judges by the State Security Services (Source: The Punch)

I move as a former head of state to offer the nations profound regrets and my personal apology to the good people of Oloibiri with the prayers to the present and future government at all levels in the land to work towards redressing the wrongs of the past to these people.

 Yakubu Gowon, Nigerias former military Head of State, after seeing a movie titled Oloibiri, apologized to the people of Oloibiri, Bayelsa State, for the devastation oil exploration has brought to the community and how it has been neglected by successive government. (Source: The Cable)

If any party fields Aisha Buhari as a Presidential candidate in 2019, I would be tempted to not only vote for her but to campaign for her!

 Reno Omokri, social commentator and critic of President Muhammadu Buhari (Source: Twitter)

The Chief Justice of Nigeria wishes to state in clear terms that the sting operations carried out by the DSS on 07 and 08 October 2016 was certainly an assault on the independence of the Nigerian Judiciary.

 Chief Justice of Nigeria Mahmud Mohammed (Source: The Nation)

The agitations and counter agitations are ill-timed. We have been together for over 100 years and it is very difficult for us to part ways.

 Former governor of Kaduna State, Balarabe Musa, on the call for the restructuring of Nigeria (Source: The Nation)

We (the Igbos) should destroy this idea of victimhood; we are not the only people who have suffered and are still suffering to keep Nigeria one. Even if we dont forget we must forgive.

 Chido Onumah, Nigerian journalist and author, on the agitation for the independent state of Biafra. Mr. Onumah was speaking at the 2016 National Convention of the Anambra State Association (ASA-USA), Dallas, Texas, USA (Source: Osun Defender)

It is horrific. The country of Madiba (Nelson Mandelas South Africa) is being run like a spaza shop.

 A retired South African judge, Johan Kriegler, opposing the fraud charges against South Africas Finance Minister, Pravin Gordhan, accused of fraudulently approving an early retirement package of about $720,000 for a former employee at the tax agency about a decade ago (Source: Time Live newspaper)
Six members of the Ibru clan have appealed to a matriarch in the family, Maiden Alex-Ibru, to settle the lingering dispute between her and Goodie Ibru.

In an open letter addressed to Mrs. Alex-Ibru, the nephews and nieces accused the Guardian Newspapers publisher and her son, Toke, of masterminding a relentless investigation of Mr. Ibru by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.

Aunty, we are aware, sadly, that this unfortunate dispute arose from multiple grievances that could have been lovingly resolved within the family without any external interference, they said.

The letter, dated October 19, was signed by the children of Michael Ibru, Felix Ibru, Bernard Ibru, Grace Ibru, Goodie Ibru, and Mabel Okolie (nee Ibru).

The Ibru family has been engaged in a protracted legal battle over the ownership and running of some of their companies.

Since 2011, at least 10 suits have been instituted and are still pending before federal and state courts across the country.

In September last year, the EFCC filed a notice of discontinuance in a matter between the Nigerian government and Mr. Ibru, Associated Ventures International Limited, IHL Services Ltd, and Clearview Investment Ltd.

Mr. Ibru and the companies had earlier been accused of conspiring to steal N867.7 million property of Ikeja Hotels Plc between January and December 2010.

In their open letter, the Ibru children said that the EFCCs notice of discontinuance on the suit was opposed in a belligerent attitude.

Then, dramatically, the EFCC sought to withdraw the Notice of Discontinuance and pursue criminal charges, that in the main centre on this family misunderstanding and boardroom politics.

This is at great cost to the Ibru family and other honest, hardworking Nigerians, they said.

On October 12, the EFCC declared Mr. Ibru wanted for alleged capital market fraud, money laundering, and diversion of funds on the same matter to had filed a discontinuance notice last year.

Aunty, the Ibrus may mean many things to many people, but not criminality, not fraud.

We had thought that both parties had legitimate issues. We had thought in line with our communal wisdom that we would not allow lizards to enter our home through cracks in our walls.

We had thought that reason would prevail. We had looked forward to the successful outcome of the peace moves initiated to bring all parties together, and right the wrongs, as we look forward to the future with good cheer.

Alas, it appears our hopes have been in vain, they said.

The open letter accused Mrs. Alex-Ibru of having a hand in The Guardian newspapers ignoring of the Ibru familys rejoinder after the EFCC had declared Mr. Ibru wanted; despite publishing the Commissions Public Notice on its front page.

It also appealed to her to withdraw her petitions against Mr. Ibru before the EFCC, as the family prepares for an intensive and wholesome solution to the feuds after the funeral rites of Michael Ibru.

You have accused Uncle Goodie of appropriating for himself the wealth of our Uncle Alex, your late husband; but nothing could be further from the truth. Uncle Goodie is a gentleman, who covered your husbands back as Uncle Alex also did for him; and as, in fact, all the Ibru siblings have been known to do for one another.

Uncle Goodie is a good man, who remains the last man standing of our first generation of Ibru brothers; after the passages this year of our older uncles, Felix and Michael.

Before the bridge is broken irreparably, we urge you to please seek amicable settlements in all cases you instituted directly or indirectly against Uncle Goodie, they said.
A former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Aliyu Modibbo, has defected from the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to the All Progressives Congress, APC.

Mr. Modibbo was a founding member of the Peoples Democratic Party, which has ruled Nigeria for 16 years.

The former minister registered to become a member of the APC last Saturday at the partys office in his ward in Kumo West of Akko Local Government Area of Gombe State.

Mr. Modibbo served as Minister of State, Power and Steel as well as Minister of Commerce during the administration of Olusegun Obasanjo.

Late President Umaru YarAdua, who succeeded Mr. Obasanjo in 2007, appointed him Minister of FCT.

Speaking shortly with reporters after his registration, Mr. Modibbo said he joined the APC in order to contribute to the success of President Muhammadu Buhari in his quest to change Nigeria for the better.

This is the first time I am personally joining a political party, even though I served as minister three times under the PDP administration. All the appointments were based on merit, he said.

He also said he deliberately delayed his joining the APC till now so that he would not be accused of seeking for an appointment in the administration of the new government.

He however, said he has always wanted to be in the APC.

He pledged to work with leaders of his new party in Gombe, such as former Governor Danjuma Goje, to unite all members of the APC in the state.

A report by Hausa medium, Rariya, on Saturday said although Mr. Modibbo did not signify any intention to seek for elective office, several persons within and outside the state have asked him to run for the office of governor in 2019.

The paper said many in the state were of the view that someone with his experience is needed to run the affairs of the state. It also said that was partly why his constituents requested him to join the APC.
A Federal High Court in Lagos on Monday fixed November 25 to hear a N2.4 billion suit filed against a company  Innosson Nig. Ltd  over alleged falsification of shipping documents.

Charged alongside Innosson Nig. Ltd are Innocent Chukwuma, Charles Chukwu, Maximian Chukwura, Mitsui Osk Lines C and Anajekwu Sunny, who are facing a four-count charge.

At the hearing of the case on Monday, J.I. Ajakaiye announced appearance for the prosecution, while George Uwechue, C. Mbadugha, and Olusola Abioye announced appearance for the accused.

The prosecutor informed the court that he had served the court processes on all the defence counsel on October 21 at about 4.18 p.m., while the counsel to the third to sixth defendants were served in court before the commencement of trial.

In his response, Mr. Uwechue confirmed to the court that he had received the processes, but required adequate time to study and file a response.

Based on the agreement of counsel, Justice Saliu Saidu adjourned hearing to November 25.

Meanwhile, Mr. Uwechue has filed a motion, urging the court to recuse from the suit.

In the charge, the defendants were alleged to have conspired to commit the offences on October 10, 2013 at Apapa Wharf.

The prosecution alleged that they falsified shipping documents which they deposited with Guaranty Trust Bank as collateral for the sum of N2.4 billion granted to Innoson Nig. Ltd.

The shipping documents were also said to have been presented as genuine and with intent to defraud and to clear goods worth N2.4 billion.

The offences contravened Sections 1(2) (c), and 3(6) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act, Laws of the Federation 2004.

(NAN)
The lawmaker representing Kaduna Central Senatorial District, Shehu Sani, has called on the federal government to either make the National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, voluntary or adopt life insurance policy for corps members.

Mr. Sani made the call on Monday when he paid a condolence visit to the family of Lawal Kontagora, a 26-year-old corps member shot dead in Kaduna on October 17.

Mr. Kontagora, a graduate of a Malaysian University, was inside his stationary car in company of his girlfriend at Gambia Road junction, Malali Low Cost Housing Estate, Kaduna when he was fatally shot.

The state police command spokesperson, Aliyu Usman, said two suspects had been arrested over the incident, while another is at large.

Mr. Sani, an All Progressives Congress senator, said government must take responsibility for Mr. Kontagoras murder, since it has failed in its duty to protect the corps member.

He described the incident as a tragedy not just for the family, but for the people of Kaduna State and Nigeria.

The very fact that we failed to protect the young man from thugs and murderers clearly shows how vulnerable the whole society is.

When a state has reached a point that it cannot provide and it cannot protect, then question could be raised of the essence of government and governance, he said.

Our young people are not safe in primary schools, they are not safe in secondary schools, they are not safe in the universities, they are not safe even after university.

Mr. Sani said the country was at a point where kidnapping is on the increase, and mass murder and killing of young people of this kind is a daily event.

He promised to raise the issue in parliament.

We have to choose what to do. For corps members, it is either government makes the service voluntary or there should be life insurance for people engaged in it.

This is not the first time that a corps member has been killed. But it has always been the case that when it happens, we mourn, we condemn the act and it repeats itself. But this happened in my constituency and the deceased and his parent are from my constituency. I have a duty to pursue this case to the last point.

The senator prayed for the repose of the victims soul, for the family to have the fortitude to bear the loss and for those in positions of power to see the killings and kidnappings in our society as a minus to us.

On reported increase in incidence of rape of minors in his district, Mr. Sani said a bill was being considered in the National Assembly to address the problem of rape across the country.

The father of the slain corps member, Auwal Kontagora, thanked the senator for the condolence visit.

He described the killing of his son as a very painful gruesome murder and urged government to ensure that the culprits were brought to book.

The police spokesperson, Mr. Usman, an assistant superintendent of police, said nemesis caught up with the suspects in the murder when they had disagreement over sharing of money and GSM handsets they took from the victim.

He named the key suspect as a 22-year-old bus driver, Jamilu Lado, in whose house the gun suspected to have been used in the murder was allegedly found.

He gave the name of Mr. Lados alleged accomplice simply as Sarki, whom he described as a 22-year-old bricklayer. Mr. Usman said the two suspects have been taken into custody, while the third suspect, described as an apprentice tailor, is currently at large.
Nigerians on Twitter are slamming an unprofessional conduct of the Nigerian Army after the institution blocked an outspoken citizen for raising awareness about the plight of soldiers still locked in a fierce battle with Boko Haram across the Northeast.

Kayode Ogundamisi, a rights campaigner and social commentator, attracted many to his timeline on Monday afternoon after posting heart-rending images of the undignified condition under which Nigerian soldiers were being fed.

His updates apparently rattled the Nigerian Army, prompting the handlers of its Twitter account to block Mr. Ogundamisi.

The measure was swiftly criticised by commentators, who said Mr. Ogundamisi deserved appreciation rather than scorn.

This is the worst response I had ever come across, a Twitter user said. So citizens arent supposed to question the military again?

Mr. Ogundamisis tweets came the same week PREMIUM TIMES report of the aftermath of a major attack by the Boko Haram on troops on October 17.

The report detailed how scores of Nigerian troops stationed at Gashigar, Borno State, were forced to abandon their position by dreaded Boko Haram terrorists approaching in a high number.

Several of the fleeing soldiers were later feared dead from drowning in the River Yobe.

Twenty-two were rescued by Nigerien soldiers and dispatched to a hospital in Diffa, southern Niger, PREMIUM TIMES gathered.

This newspaper also mentioned how the greed of a few senior officers had seen soldiers upkeep being arbitrarily held back or slashed.

Although the Army has not issued any updates about the missing 83 soldiers or those recuperating in Niger, some of the soldiers told PREMIUM TIMES on Sunday that their allowances were hurriedly paid over the weekend following the reports.

After his efforts to get the Army to provide information about the missing soldiers failed during the weekend, Mr. Ogundamisi commenced his independent findings and brought the results to social media to corroborate PREMIUM TIMES reports.

In a series of 30 posts, he used oral accounts he obtained from the troops to narrate the disturbing images they shared with him.

The details showed how the combatants were living on the edge with poorly nourished and sometimes cold foods, a situation the military leadership would rather hush up, Mr. Ogundamisi said.

A lot is going on and a lot of covering up, Mr. Ogundamisi told PREMIUM TIMES Monday afternoon.

For the most part of the afternoon, Nigerians were still lampooning the Army, which came after Mr. Ogundamisi posted a composite image of how Nigerian Army handle blocked him shortly after his tweets.

The Buhari administrations critics said the development lends credence to their suspicion that government was actively suppressing information from coming out of the Northeast.

In December 2015, the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, suggested what appeared a media blackout of Boko Haram attacks, citing national interests.

Acting in the national interest means not playing up reports of cowardly Boko Haram attacks on soft targets, Mr. Mohammed said during a press briefing on Christmas Eve.

PREMIUM TIMES checks revealed that the Nigerian Army is not the only public institution that blocks people on Twitter over for disagreeable comments.

Official handles such as those of the president (@NGRPresident) and official State House communication department (@DigiCommsNG) are known to have blocked dozens of critics.

Nigerian senators, especially Ben Murray-Bruce and Dino Melaye, have also been criticised for blocking citizens at the slightest provocation.

But Mr. Ogundamisi said the culture of intolerance could be about the aides handling such accounts than the actual personalities who own them.

I think the intolerance is more about the handlers of the social media accounts, Mr. Ogundamisi said.
A former Acting Director-General of NIMASA, Haruna Jauro, and two others facing N304.1 million fraud charges in a Federal High Court in Lagos, have indicated intention to enter into a plea bargain.

Justice Mojisola Olatoregun, before whom the accused are being prosecuted, fixed November 21 for a report on the plea bargain process.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Prosecutor, Rotimi Oyedepo, confirmed to the court on Monday that the accused had approached the anti-graft agency to explore the option of a plea bargain.

Mr. Jauro, Dauda Bawa and Thlumbau Enterprises Ltd., were arraigned on a 19-count charge on April 12.

They had pleaded not guilty to the charges and were admitted to bail in the sum of N5 million each with two sureties each in like sum.

Mr. Jauro assumed the leadership of NIMASA following the sack of an erstwhile Director General of the agency, Patrick Apkobolokemi, who is also being prosecuted alongside others for alleged multi-billion naira fraud.

At the resumed proceeding of the case on Monday, Mr. Jauros lawyer, Babajide Koku, told the court that his client had decided to enter into plea bargain with the EFCC.

Mr. Koku said his client had already commenced talks with the EFCC.

The prosecutor, Mr. Oyedepo, confirmed the development to the court.

Consequently, Mr. Olatoregun directed the parties to proceed with the plea bargain and ensure that the process went on without delay.

The court adjourned till November 21 for the parties to return to court to give a report on the process.

The EFCC had earlier accused Mr. Jauro and others of conspiring among themselves to defraud NIMASA of N304.1 million between January 2014 and September 2015.

The anti-graft agency also alleged that the accused converted the sum to their personal use.

The prosecution told the court that the offence contravened Section 15(1) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) (Amendment) Act, 2012.

(NAN)
Justice Nathaniel Ayo-Emmanuel of the Federal High Court, Ibadan, on Monday dismissed the N100 million suit instituted against the EFCC by Ayoade Adeseun over alleged breach of his fundamental human rights.

Mr. Adeseun, a former senator who represented Oyo Central between 2011 and 2015, had through his counsel, Michael Lana, slammed a N100 million suit against the EFCC, saying it unlawfully detained him.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that Mr. Adeseun was being investigated over the sources of his campaign fund during the 2015 senatorial election which he lost.

Mr. Lana told the court that his client was arrested on May 10 and was unlawfully detained for over 30 days.

Other reliefs sought bordered on the arrest of the applicant without knowing the reason for this and a declaration that the anti-graft body abused its power in a democratic setting.

But the EFCC stated that though Mr. Adeseun was granted bail, he was not released due to his inability to meet the bail conditions.

Justice Ayo-Emmanuel held that the EFCC did not breach the rights of Mr. Adeseun and consequently dismissed the seven reliefs sought by him.

I have found that the rights of the applicant have not been breached in anyway.

 I hereby dismiss the reliefs being sought by the applicant, the judge said.

(NAN)
The Lagos State University, LASU, has dismissed 13 members of staff in the junior cadre, following reports from the Junior Staff Disciplinary Committee.

The institution, in an official bulletin obtained by the News Agency of Nigeria on Monday in Lagos, said the decision was taken by the Governing Council at its 112th Statutory Meeting held on October 29.



It said the council, after deliberation, approved the recommendation of the disciplinary committee to dismiss 13of the 14 staff members presented by the disciplinary committee for necessary action.

Council at its 112th statutory meeting received and considered Paper No. 10/GC/16/068 on the Report of Junior Staff Disciplinary Committee on allegations levelled against some members of staff.



It, after deliberations, approved the recommendation of the Junior Staff Disciplinary Committee on the affected members of staff, it said.



The university authorities said in the bulletin that one of the staff members was exonerated of the allegation of falsification of results levelled against him.



According to the authorities, nine of the affected members of staff were dismissed on the grounds of falsification and irregularities in their West African Examination Council (WAEC) results.



The bulletin indicated that one of the affected staff members was dismissed for involvement in fraudulent act, two for theft and one for abandonment of duty.

(NAN)
The candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Rotimi Akeredolu, on Monday launched his governorship campaign at Ore, Odigbo Local Government Area, with a promise to reposition the state if elected.

Mr. Akeredolu who enjoined the people of the state to vote for his party in order to join the progressives states in the south west, promised to tackle decay in the infrastructural facilities in the state.

While addressing the crowd of supporters, the Senior Advocate of Nigeria noted the state of infrastructural decay across the state, assuring that his party would make improved infrastructure its focus when voted into office.

According to him, his government would implement only people-oriented programmes that would directly and positively impact on the lives of the people.

He said over N500 billion accrued to the Ondo State Oil Producing Area Development Commission (OSOPADEC) since the lifespan of the Mimiko administration, but there was nothing to show for it.

The candidate said the state had been marginalized in the scheme of things in the country for so long, but the APC was set to make the state ascend its pride of place in the country.

Mr. Akeredolus campaign starts a bit late for the November 26 elections, following the controversies which dogged his nomination as the APC candidate.

He has made efforts to reconcile aggrieved members who vowed not to accept his candidature, despite the decision of the partys national working committee.

In spite of the setbacks, he has expressed optimism that the APC will win the governorship election.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Oct. 24

By Maksim Tsurkov  Trend:

Azerbaijan has received an official invitation to the OPEC High Level Committee Meeting on the implementation of Algerian agreements, to be held in Vienna in late October, head of the press service of Azerbaijans Energy Ministry Zamina Aliyeva told Trend Oct. 24.

She said Azerbaijan intends to accept the invitation and participate in the meeting.

The invitation came today, on Oct. 24, and it will be a meeting of the relevant ministers of OPEC and non-OPEC countries, Aliyeva said. The meeting will be held in Vienna October 28-31. If nothing unforeseen happens, Azerbaijani Energy Minister Natig Aliyev will leave for Vienna.

OPEC agreed to limit oil production in the range of 32.5-33 million barrels of oil per day at an informal meeting in Algeria on September 28. However, there is no agreement on specific limits for each of the OPEC member-state.

A final decision must be made at the OPEC official meeting in Vienna on November 30.

The organization expects a number of other oil-producing countries, especially Russia, to join the measures to stabilize the market.

---

Follow the author on Twitter: @MaksimTsurkov
The Hungarians paid a high price for desiring freedom, but they won it after years of repression and suffering, Polish President Andrzej Duda said Sunday in Budapest at a ceremony marking the 60th anniversary of Hungary's 1956 anti-communist uprising.

Addressing crowds gathered on Budapest's Kossuth Square, Andrzej Duda recalled that the 1956 insurgents in Hungary wanted a life in dignity, and reminded that similar protests took place in Poland earlier that year.

"They wanted a life in dignity, they wanted freedom, they wanted what communism had taken away from them. They took to the streets because they were fed up with deception, exploitation, persecution, the imprisonment of patriots and the stifling of all public and political freedom", the Polish president said.

Duda also emphasised that the Hungarian protesters "went further" in demanding the withdrawal of Soviet troops from their country, which proved unacceptable to the Soviets.

"The Hungarians paid a heavy price for their desire of freedom, but they won their freedom after years of persecution and suffering", Duda observed, adding that "nothing can break people who carry freedom in their hearts".

President Duda also assured the Hungarians of Poland's friendship and support. "You can count on Poland in the hardest moments", the Polish head of state declared. He also reminded about Polish aid to the 1956 insurgents.

Earlier in the day Duda addressed Poles commemorating the Hungarian revolution anniversary in front of a monument to General Jozef Bem in Budapest.

"We know how much sovereignty and independence costs and we will not let them be taken away from us. That is why we have been together for years", Duda remarked.

The Polish president also laid flowers at a memorial to the 1956 revolt in Budapest's Rakoskeresztur Cemetery, and visited the grave of Hungary's 1956 Prime Minister Imre Nagy and a memorial to Polish victims and heroes of the 1956 events.

President Duda was the only foreign head of state invited to the anniversary observances.

The Hungarian revolution broke out on October 23, 1956 over demands for freedom of speech and independence from the Soviet Union. On November 4 the uprising was brutally quenched by Soviet forces.

More than 2,500 people died in the events, in the aftermath of the revolution over 200,000 Hungarians fled the country, several hundred were executed and thousands imprisoned. (PAP)
The President has posthumously promoted Ryszard Kuklinski to the rank of brigadier general (photo by Colonel Kuklinski Intelligence Museum)

President Andrzej Duda has posthumously promoted Ryszard Kuklinski, a Polish Army colonel who worked for the CIA during the Cold War, to the rank of brigadier general.

The promotion was in response to a request made in February by the countrys Defence Minister Antoni Macierewicz.

Substantiating his request at the time, Macierewicz said that the gesture would be a token of "obvious gratitude" for Kuklinski for his "dangerous" and "intensive" work for Polands independence.

A senior Polish Army officer under communism, Kuklinski secretly served as one of the CIA's key sources behind the Iron Curtain during the Cold War. Over the years, he provided the Americans with information about strategic Soviet and Warsaw Pact plans, including plans for an attack on NATO countries. He also passed to the CIA documents about the Polish government's secret plans to impose martial law in the country in 1981.

Kuklinski died in 2004 in Tampa, Florida, in the United States. (PAP)
CAPE MAY POINT, N.J. (AP)  A ship that once towed warships to safety during World War II and battled 40-foot waves to help rescue seven people in what was portrayed in the book and film "The Perfect Storm" is poised to be sunk off the New Jersey and Delaware coasts.

Officials tell The Record newspaper the Coast Guard vessel Tamaroa will help grow a reef near Cape May Point by drawing large game fish and boosting recreational fishing.

The sinking is planned around Oct. 30, the 25th anniversary of the 1991 storm in which the Tamaroa helped rescue the crew of a sailboat and a downed Air National Guard helicopter near Massachusetts.

Efforts to convert the ship into a museum and memorial ended in 2012 after its hull sprung a leak.

___

Information from: The Record (Woodland Park, N.J.), http://www.northjersey.com
EGG HARBOR TOWNSHIP  Local school officials are studying how they might expand their half-day kindergarten to a full-day program with no impact on property taxes.

The district will host a public meeting 6 p.m. Thursday at the Slaybaugh school complex to get input from parents and residents about the proposal.

Interim Superintendent Fred Nickles said the proposal developed as staff noted class sizes in the half-day programs were shrinking and began to discuss if they could accommodate a full-day program with existing facilities and staff.

Overall enrollment in the district has shrunk by about 470 students during the past five years, which could free up enough classrooms and teachers for an estimated nine additional kindergarten classrooms.

Full-day kindergarten has become the norm in New Jersey, with only about 55 of the states more than 600 school districts and charter schools still offering half-day programs in 2015-16, according to state enrollment data.

The state only provides state aid for half-day programs in most districts, so the cost falls to local taxpayers.

In Atlantic, Cape May, Cumberland and Ocean counties, only EHT and Linwood still offer a half-day program. All other districts have gone to full-day kindergarten.

For years, EHT school officials talked about expanding to a full day, but as the districts enrollment grew, there was no space to provide it.

The district currently has 24 half-day kindergarten classes in 12 classrooms at the Slaybaugh, Swift and Davenport schools. That comes to an average of about 16 students per class. While most morning classes have 15 to 20 students, some afternoon classes only have about 10.

The district posted a survey on its website and interim Assistant Superintendent Donna Haye said of 567 responses so far, 517 said they were interested and 221 said they had children who would enter kindergarten in the 2017-18 school year.

The current program offers just about two hours of actual instruction. A full-day program would expand that by 2.5 hours per day.

Studies have shown that children who attend a full-day program show better achievement and attendance in later grades.

A full-day program also would assist working parents who may now pay for private kindergarten because they need full-day care.

Parents could save thousands of dollars a year, but the plan could hurt the private schools those children now attend.

The school district also offers an after-school program, which parents pay for.

There are 375 students in kindergarten this year, and 485 in first grade, so the district expects that moving to full-day kindergarten could attract students who might otherwise attend a private or parochial school.

Teachers support the concept, although there is some concern about how large the class sizes might be.

Marielle Webster currently has 20 students in her morning class and 11 in the afternoon. She said it is easier to get all activities done in the afternoon with the smaller class, but she thinks a full-day program would benefit the children by providing more time for different activities.

The time is so short now, everything is really packed in, she said as her students worked on a counting project.

EHT Education Association president Kathy Waszen taught kindergarten for 20 years and supports the expansion.

Over a full day we can go slower, include more specials, she said.

It makes it hard to do the fun things in a half-day, teacher Kristi Barnes said.

Haye said with most students statewide getting full-day kindergarten, having only a half-day program puts EHT students at a disadvantage.

Slaybaugh School Principal Kevin Fricke said his children attended preschool and full-day kindergarten in Hammonton, and he can see the benefits.

It helps them to spend more time with their teachers, he said.

Nickles said they want to get public input and are still auditing class sizes and staffing in the district. He said the school board would make a decision as part of the budget process in January.
More than 100 years after my great-grandparents came to the United States from Krakow, Poland, I was given the opportunity to return to the city they left.

It was the trip of a lifetime.

I was living in Northeast Philadelphia at the time. The expenses were paid for by The Charitable Exchange, a Pennsylvania-based organization that donates to Catholic causes, and is run through the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.

I was selected by my priest at Temple Universitys Newman Center to be one of a couple dozen people to represent my city at World Youth Day, a weeklong Catholic event this past July presided over by Pope Francis.

For 12 days, our group, made of teenagers and young adults, traversed central and eastern Europe, making stops in Munich and Prague for a couple days each before heading into Poland for the rest of our stay.

Three million other young Catholics made the World Youth Day pilgrimage to Krakow, which Polish organizers dubbed the City of Saints.

Krakow is a city that has experienced immense suffering. Travel an hour outside the city and youll find what remains of Auschwitz-Birkenau, the former Nazi concentration and extermination camp during World War II.

I saw its remains. Walking through the rows and rows of brick buildings, seeing the chimney of the crematorium and staring into the pond where the ashes were dumped brought tears to my eyes.

This is sacred land, I thought. More than a million people were killed here, and I could feel the power of it all.

Visiting the Nazi death camp was sad, but even in such desolation there were glimmers of hope.

Take St. Maximilian Kolbe, a Polish friar who died at the camp. When Nazi guards chose men to starve to death to send a message to the camps entire population, Kolbe volunteered in place of a man with a family.

Poland seemed to be full of stories like this: In the midst of repression and brutality, there were signs of hope.

Before visiting Krakow, we toured Munich and Prague  two beautiful cities  but the most beautiful part of the trip was our visit to Jasna Gora Monastery, the site of the shrine to Our Lady of Czestochowa.

Our Lady of Czestochowa, an icon of the Virgin Mary, mother of Jesus, has been a source of hope for the Polish people for hundreds of years. I, along with thousands of other World Youth Day pilgrims, approached the icon on my knees, per tradition, and prayed before it.

The monastery is one of the most popular pilgrimage sites in the world. Its fantastically adorned with religious statues, paintings and other ornamentations.

The most striking aspect, for me anyway, was the many everyday items left on the wall by pilgrims.

Crutches were left by people who were unable to walk when they entered the monastery, but were cured of their ailment after praying at the site. Rosaries and other items left by people from all over the world hang on the walls of the main chapel.

Praying alongside Catholics from every corner of the earth during the World Youth Day was an amazing experience. Standing hand-in-hand with Iraqis, Brazilians, Japanese and others was a tremendously unifying experience that Ill never forget.

There was a festival atmosphere. Every night, there was dancing and singing in the street. Delegations from each country carried their respective flags, and crowds chanted USA when they saw us.

I struck up friendly conversations with strangers  pilgrims and locals alike  in a way that was extremely foreign to me coming from the crowded streets Philadelphia.

In a way, we were writing another chapter of Krakows history, in a city that saw some of the most terrible horrors in human history.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Oct. 24

Trend:

Azerbaijan hopes that at the latest stage Croatia and other countries of the Balkans will join the Southern Gas Corridor (SGC) project, said Azerbaijans President Ilham Aliyev making statements for media with his Croatian counterpart Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic in Baku Oct. 24.

Today we also discussed cooperation in the energy area, which is very promising. And we are already partners, said Ilham Aliyev.

Croatia participated in the second Advisory Council of the Southern Gas Corridor, which took place this February in Baku, he reminded.

We have a memorandum of understanding between our countries on the project related to the gas delivery to Europe, added President Aliyev. The Southern Gas Corridor project is a global project of energy security, and Azerbaijan as a leading country is playing a very important role. This role, by the way, is appreciated and referred to in the memorandum between EU and Azerbaijan on strategic partnership in energy area.

The president said the Southern Gas Corridor project is already a reality.

Implementation of the project is on time, and I hope that at the latest stage Croatia and other countries of the Balkans will join this important project of energy security and diversification, the project of cooperation, he noted. Today seven countries are already members of the team, if I may say so. I think that several countries including Croatia will soon join it.
A.C. OKs fiscal plan, cuts 100 more jobs

{child_byline}CHRISTIAN HETRICK

Staff Writer

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{span class=print_trim}(tncms-asset)86558028-917f-11e6-93e5-00163ec2aa77(/tncms-asset){/span}ATLANTIC CITY  After the city approved a fiscal recovery plan to avoid a state takeover  including a $103 million settlement of the $150 million tax refunds the city owes the casino  Borgata denied any agreement Tuesday.

Joe Corbo, the vice president and general counsel for the casino, said in a statement there has been no agreement and the casino will wait until the city reaches a consensus with the state to continue negotiations.

Borgata has not agreed to accept any offer to settle its tax refund judgments and pending tax appeals. Borgata has had an ongoing dialogue with City and State representatives this year in an attempt to reach a fair and equitable settlement. In those meetings we have repeatedly expressed our willingness to compromise the amount due to Borgata. Once the City submits its fiscal plan and reaches consensus with the State, we look forward to resuming our settlement negotiations and putting this matter behind us, the statement said.

City officials Monday night approved the plan, 5-3-1. City officials went to the state Department of Community Affairs on Tuesday to submit the plan, and the state will have until Nov. 1 to accept the plan or take over the citys finances for five years.

The city plans to cut 100 more full-time workers, sell Bader Field to its water authority and settle with Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa over tax refunds, among other cost-cutting and revenue-raising measures. If implemented, the citys budget would drop to $207 million by 2021, according to a summary of the plan. The citys budget was $262 million in 2015.

It is a comprehensive document that we, professionally, all believe will work if it is adopted and embraced, said Michael Nadol, a consultant from The PFM Group, which helped the city draft the plan.

The cornerstone of the plan is selling Bader Field, a 143-acre former airstrip, to the Municipal Utilities Authority for $110 million. Those proceeds, plus $105 million in low-interest financing, would pay down all outstanding debt to Borgata, MGM and the state for deferred employee benefit costs, according to the summary. It would leave the city with $30 million in reserves.

The plan indicated that the city and Borgata would settle for $103 million on tax refunds the city owes the casino. The city owed Borgata $150 million in tax refunds before interest after successful tax appeals by the casino. A financial consultant for the city said the settlement had not been finalized, as Borgata waits to see if the state will accept the citys plan.

The city would reduce its full-time workforce from 965 to 865 post-recovery plan. That would be done by transferring a majority of the citys senior and health services to Atlantic County, bidding out 10 services to the private sector and using early retirement buyouts to have as few disruptive layoffs as possible, according to the summary. The city has offered buyouts to 165 senior workers.

Atlantic City would also see savings in renegotiated labor agreements that include no salary increases, an elimination of longevity for future workers, a more affordable medical plan and a reduction in overtime pay. The labor deals also end terminal-leave payments and use a new salary scale with longer pay progressions for future police hires.

The plan does not include a tax increase for five years and relies on state aid to balance budgets. The city received $13.5 million in Transitional Aid in 2015. By 2021, the city projects receiving $13.8 million. The city will get $26.2 million in Transitional Aid for 2016, city officials said.

The city wasnt united as it rolled out its plan to stave off a takeover.

Residents, activists and four councilmen held a news conference ahead of the meeting, accusing city officials of not being transparent about the plan and the citys finances. Councilman George Tibbitt said he didnt receive the 120-page document until 11 a.m. Monday, six hours before the meeting. Steve Young, of the National Action Network, called the situation a conspiracy.

The four councilmen  Tibbitt, Frank Gilliam, Moisse Delgado and Chuen Jimmy Cheng  tried but failed to adjourn the meeting to get more time to review it. They suggested postponing the vote for two days.

You expect us to say, Take this Monday, vote on it Monday, Gilliam said. The public doesnt have a clear understanding (of the plan). We dont have a clear understanding. I may be able to speed read, but I cant speed read 120 pages in five hours.

Councilman Kaleem Shabazz said, We dont have any more time for people to obstruct.

Council President Marty Small said the councilmen had the chance to meet financial consultants earlier this year but chose not to.

Every part of this process you voted against saving the city from the state, Small said to Gilliam. You say you dont want the state to take over, but your actions and your votes speak otherwise.

The tense meeting spilled over into public comment, where some residents yelled at the dais.

Mayor Don Guardian held a news conference after the meeting and said he expects the state to accept the plan, but added that they city will appeal to court if the state rejects it.

A state committee hearing on the plan takes place Wednesday in Trenton.

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UPDATE: A key part of the city's plan would be settling its outstanding tax appeal with Borgata for $103 million, down from the $150 million it originally owed.

_____________________________________________________

The battle over an Atlantic City state takeover enters its final stretch today, with city officials unveiling its fiscal recovery plan Monday night.

City Council will hold a special meeting at 5 p.m. to introduce and hold a public hearing on the plan.

Once the plan is submitted, the state will have five days to decide whether to accept it or take over the citys finances and major decision-making powers for five years.

Mayor Don Guardian will hold a news conference after the council meeting. Residents and activists plan to protest the stealing of Atlantic City in the lobby of City Hall at 4 p.m.

The city has already announced parts of its plan. City Council gave preliminary approval to selling Bader Field to its water authority for $110 million. The money will be used to pay down the citys roughly $500 million debt.

The city offered buyouts to 165 senior workers, renegotiated labor contracts and plans other cost-cutting and revenue-generating measures.
ATLANTIC CITY  The No North Jersey Casinos Coalition, with support from the Greater Atlantic City Chamber, will host a rally Thursday at Kennedy Plaza on the Boardwalk.

The rally, which runs from 10:30 a.m. to noon, is designed to drum up opposition to the Nov. 8 referendum that would allow casino gambling in North Jersey. The rally comes as support for the proposal appears to be dwindling, according to a Fairleigh Dickinson University PublicMind poll.

About 24 percent of registered voters say they support expanding casinos to areas in northern New Jersey, while 70 percent are opposed, according to the poll released Monday. In June, support was stronger for the question, with 35 percent in favor and 58 percent opposed, the poll said.

This is an issue weve been polling on for years, and there has never been broad and deep support for allowing casinos to expand beyond Atlantic City, said Krista Jenkins, professor of political science and director of PublicMind. Its no surprise, then, that backers of the amendment are having a hard time selling the idea to voters.

Voters will decide whether to approve as many as two casinos in North Jersey during the Nov. 8 election. The ballot question states the new casinos must be in separate counties and at least 72 miles from Atlantic City, where five casinos have closed since 2014.

During the rally Thursday various local officials, including Atlantic City Mayor Don Guardian, will speak about the impact expanding gambling could have on the resort.

Deutsche Bank said last year North Jersey casinos could generate $500 million in gambling revenue.

There is growing opposition to this fundamentally flawed and thoroughly misguided ballot measure, which, if approved, would have a devastating effect on the Atlantic City region, South Jersey and the state, said Joe Kelly, president of the Greater Atlantic City Chamber. This rally is an opportunity to remind stakeholders how critically important it is to vote no on ballot question No. 1.

Those who wish to participate in the rally are encouraged to register at www.acchamber.com. Kennedy Plaza is located directly across from Boardwalk Hall between Mississippi and Florida avenues.
CAPE MAY  The U.S. Coast Guard Training Center hosted a foreign military class Monday, including people from 27 countries.

The group was given a tour of the Coast Guard commands and facilities, according to a statement.

The class, sponsored by the International Division of the Resident Training Branch at the U.S. Coast Guard Training Center in Yorktown, Virginia, is a 16-week immersion in the Coast Guard.

The class is taken to sites throughout the country, including Philadelphia, New York City, Boston and Gettysburg, to learn about American history and culture, the statement said. The class also visits four service academies.

It is always an honor to be able to meet with service members from other countries and show them how we conduct business here in Cape May, Capt. Owen Gibbons, commanding officer of Coast Guard Training Center Cape May, said in a statement. It provides us the opportunity to showcase the genesis of our services professionalism and pride by exposing them to the training program that 80 percent of our workforce has experienced.

During the visit, class members used the training centers firefighting and weapons simulators and explored the seamanship building to learn about knot-tying and ship navigation.

The group heads to New York City next.
New Jersey is taking another shot at becoming the fifth state to enact a law giving terminally ill people some control over when they die. The Assembly passed the measure easily Thursday. Senate passage will be more difficult, and Gov. Chris Christie has said hell veto it if it reaches him.

Thats unfortunate. We think the proposal is thoughtful and well-crafted. It gives the terminally ill the ability to responsibly choose an alternative to an approaching natural (or medically prolonged) end of life that might entail intense suffering.

The first requirement is that the means to end life be provided only to those for whom death within six months is a medical certainty. The N.J. Aid in Dying for the Terminally Ill Act requires that two doctors confirm the patients diagnosis and prognosis.

The greater challenge is ensuring the patients choice to control their end is made freely and soundly. To that end, the act requires two doctors to affirm the patients ability to make medical decisions, and if either feels judgment is impaired, the patient must have a psychological exam.

The patient must ask their doctor twice, at least 15 days apart, for the necessary medications. Then they must submit a written request for them witnessed by two qualified adults. The prescribing doctor must confirm no one has coerced or unduly influenced the patient in making the choice. The doctor also must inform the patient of alternative care, including pain relief. And then the patient must be given a chance to withdraw the request.

Some doctors think aid in dying is incompatible with their role as healers. Others see it as an extension of palliative care, which seeks to relieve pain and stress in cases in which healing isnt possible.

The N.J. proposal stipulates a doctor or anyone else who administers the lethal medication may face criminal charges. Patients must be able to ingest it on their own.

A 2015 Rutgers-Eagleton Poll reported that about two-thirds of New Jersey residents support an aid-in-dying law, and 29 percent disapprove. Likewise, two-thirds said it is morally acceptable for the terminally ill to choose the end of their lives.

The death-with-dignity movement argues that if death is already approaching, actions to change when it arrives shouldnt be considered suicide. Thats reasonable, as is the view of some religions that it would still constitute an improper taking of ones life.

Such diversity is good, and in this nation people are free to try to convince others of the wisdom of their views. But we dont think the terminally ill should be prevented from ending their suffering if they freely choose to do so.
Protesting anthem free speech

The comments of those decrying the taking of a knee during the national anthem seem un-American to me. I thought the idea of this country was that we are free to speak our opinions and thus change the way we live as a society.

I think many of us would prefer we had This land is your land as the national anthem.

Evidently we are a country deeply divided. Those in power love to divide and conquer, so the racism angle suits them well.

The words of Samuel Johnson ring very true, Patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel. This truism is displayed daily by the flag pins on the jackets of elected leaders.

Robert Davisson

Absecon

Secular American government vs. the Catholic Church

The Catholic Church is politically incorrect! But the Catholic Church is correct in all its doctrines. Life exists from conception to natural death. Abortion, mercy killing and assisted suicide should be considered murder and against the Sixth Commandment.

Marriage is between a man and a woman. Sex without marriage either between straight or gay couples is a word we dont hear much  sin. These two doctrines are true, because they have been given to us by the splendor of truth himself, Jesus Christ, and they are non-negotiable.

There is an assault today by the secular government against Christianity, to take away religious freedom and to deny us from making decisions according to our consciences. Doctors, nurses and health-care workers are being coerced to participate in killing or loose their jobs. Business owners are fined or even jailed for refusing to participate in gay weddings. We are forced to pay for contraception, sterilization, abortion and even sex changes through health insurance and federal taxes.

The coming election may be the most important of our lifetime, especially considering the likely appointment of three Supreme Court judges (people who interpret the Constitution by their morals). The liberal, leftist candidate brags of 30 years working for children to attain their God-given potentials, but doesnt mention the thousands of babies killed through abortion. Even when these candidates claim to be faithful Catholics, we shouldnt vote for them. The Catholic Church was instituted by Christ and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

Rita Tice

Cape May

EHT schools insult parents by not accepting absence notes

As an Egg Harbor Township parent and taxpayer, I am frustrated and insulted by the recent decision by the school to not accept parental written notification of their childs absence due to illness. I as a parent am no longer trusted to determine my childs ability to attend school due to illness and now need a doctors visit for all illnesses.

Now to add insult, the interim superintendent is quoted as referring to these previously allowed notes as mommy notes. At $2,500 a week, we in the township are paying this seat warmer to implement flawed policy along with insults.

We can surely do better than this and lets hope we do so soon.

Vincent Salerno

Egg Harbor Township

Gas tax increase is unacceptable

How can state representatives add an additional 23 cents per gallon to the gasoline tax? We already pay the highest car insurance rates in the country, pay the highest property taxes in the country and have the county with the highest home foreclosure rate in the nation!

Now they want more money by adding 23 cents per gallon onto the cost of gas. Voters should remember the representatives who voted for this increase on voting day. When is enough enough?

Robert Carpenter

Egg Harbor City

Supports Dase for freeholder

Regarding the Oct. 6 letter, Backs Stokes for freeholder:

The writer discusses the 4th District freeholder race in which Rich Dase is running for re-election. Let me politely disagree.

I have lived in Galloway Township and the district for a long time and personally have known Dase. As the letter writer seems to agree, Dase is a good and kind man. But the writer misses what makes Dase such an effective freeholder, that he listens, which is exceptionally uncommon these days. I have watched Dase listen to all sides, and always be approachable and reasonable as a freeholder.

I seem to remember Dase pushing to eliminate health benefits for freeholders. Isnt that the definition of acting selflessly, voting to end health benefits for yourself? Pushing to get the White Horse Pike repaved? Pushing to get the Galloway Senior Center? And watching over a county budget for the county with one of the best bond ratings in the state?

When the fiscal disasters coming out of Atlantic City just keep coming, it just makes a bunch of sense to vote for a nice reasonable man who listens like Dase, who knows what he is doing and who is up to speed. The letter writer makes no argument as to why any challenger to Dase would be a better choice. Dase is the obvious best choice for re-election to freeholder in District Four.

Robert J. Chester

Egg Harbor City
Baku, Azerbaijan, Oct. 24

Trend:

Georgias Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili met with BP Regional President for Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey Gordon Birrell Oct. 24, Georgia Online reported citing the prime ministers office.

During the meeting, an exchange of views was held on ongoing BP projects, which are being implemented in the region and Georgia.

The sides discussed the work, being carried out in Georgia, on expansion of the Shah Deniz-2 gas corridor project, which is considered as one of the main components of the Southern Gas Corridor.

The special role of the project, the commissioning of which is scheduled for 2019, for the South Caucasus countries was also noted during the meeting.
For the New World Order, a world government is just the beginning. Once in place they can engage their plan to exterminate 80% of the world's population, while enabling the "elites" to live forever with the aid of advanced technology. For the first time, crusading filmmaker ALEX JONES reveals their secret plan for humanity's extermination: Operation ENDGAME.

Jones chronicles the history of the global elite's bloody rise to power and reveals how they have funded dictators and financed the bloodiest warscreating order out of chaos to pave the way for the first true world empire.

Watch as Jones and his team track the elusive Bilderberg Group to Ottawa and Istanbul to document their secret summits, allowing you to witness global kingpins setting the world's agenda and instigating World War III.





to Ottawa and Istanbul to document their secret summits, allowing you to witness global kingpins setting the world's agenda and instigating World War III. Learn about the formation of the North America transportation control grid, which will end U.S. sovereignty forever.





Discover how the practitioners of the pseudo-science eugenics have taken control of governments worldwide as a means to carry out depopulation.





View the progress of the coming collapse of the United States and the formation of the North American Union.

Never before has a documentary assembled all the pieces of the globalists' dark agenda. Endgame's compelling look at past atrocities committed by those attempting to steer the future delivers information that the controlling media has meticulously censored for over 60 years. It fully reveals the elite's program to dominate the earth and carry out the wicked plan in all of human history.

Endgame is not conspiracy theory, it is documented fact in the elite's own words.




Baku, Azerbaijan, Oct. 24

Trend:

Nar launched one more social project in order to support persons with disabilities. Main aim of the Training School project is successful continuation of the mobile operator's social responsibility strategy, carried out for integration of speech and hearing-impaired youths into society.

To support vocational trainings for the persons with speech and hearing impairments, increase their job skills are most important purposes and targets of the Training School project. Within the mission, special trainings will be organized for these youths.

Within the three-month project, professional experts will conduct special trainings on 3 directions - communication device repair, computer repair and design programs - for 75 speech- and hearing-impaired youths between the ages of 18-30, in order to improve their knowledge, skills and experience.

During the period of the project, a psychologist invited by the organizing staff will assess occupational potential of the youths as well as help them to overcome inhibitions, increase self-confidence and motivation.

Addressing the press conference, held regarding presentation of the Training School project to the general public, Ugur Academy Co-founder Javid Shahmaliyev stressed that the project is another successful one to integrate the persons with disabilities into the society as well as especially noted invaluable contribution of such estimable projects of social responsibility to the development of the society.

The head of Corporate Communications of Azerfon LLC Aziz Akhundov spoke about the many-branched Nar corporate social responsibility (CSR) strategy.

"I believe that this training will be motivation for youths, working at different positions as well as serve to their employment in the future. It should be noted that Nar has presented such an example in the business environment of Azerbaijan by recruiting people with disabilities. We are extremely proud of the Training School project, which is the next successful support to the speech and hearing-impaired people. We will further support such projects", Aziz Akhundov told reporters.

Already for three years, Nar carries out various projects for social inclusion of persons with speech and hearing impairments. In addition to being a continuation of the charitable tradition, Training School project also is of great importance for integration of physically impaired citizens into the society.

For further information about Nar CSR strategy, please visit nar.az.
CARLSBAD, California and COLOGNE, Germany, October 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

How can we stay healthy through the human life cycle? What role will novel cell and gene therapies play in achieving this goal? When will new treatments be available and at what price? These and many more industry-relevant questions will be addressed when the doors open at BIO-Europe 2016, a global life science partnering event starting on November 7. The conference will once again bring leaders in the life sciences together to meet and forge partnerships that propel global drug development. High-level executives from pharma, biotech, the investment sector and patient groups are already confirmed to attend, and will lead program panels and discussions relevant to the industry.

Featured speakers

Kim Andersen - Senior VP and Head of Research, H. Lundbeck A/S

- Senior VP and Head of Research, H. Lundbeck A/S Julia Berretta - VP, Business Development, Cellectis

- VP, Business Development, Cellectis Kate Bingham - Managing Partner and EU Deal Team, SV Life Sciences Advisers

- Managing Partner and EU Deal Team, SV Life Sciences Advisers Paul Biondi - Senior VP, Head of Business Development, BMS

- Senior VP, Head of Business Development, BMS Sylvie Bove - CEO, EIT Health

- CEO, EIT Health Jeanette Evans - Executive Director, Business Development and Licensing, MSD

- Executive Director, Business Development and Licensing, MSD Jonathan Garen - Chief Business Officer, UniQure

- Chief Business Officer, UniQure Debra Miller - President and CEO, CureDuchenne/CureDuchenne Ventures

- President and CEO, CureDuchenne/CureDuchenne Ventures Jorg Moller - VP, Head Global Business Development, Bayer

Nerida Scott - Senior Director, Transactions, Johnson & Johnson Innovation

- Senior Director, Transactions, Johnson & Johnson Innovation Rehan Verjee - Chief Marketing and Strategy Officer, Merck KGaA

- Chief Marketing and Strategy Officer, Merck KGaA Juergen Windeler - Director, Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care, IQWiG

Hot topics

Value and the pricing of innovation

Your microbiome and lifelong health

Navigating the post-deal landscape

An autobahn for rare drug development

Immunotherapies: Partnership models driving cures

Program Highlights

Spotlight Track: The human healthcycle

Beginning with an insightful discussion about the lifelong health impact of our individual microbiomes, this year's spotlight track will shine a light on the diseases, and the biotech breakthroughs to treat them, that are prevalent at each stage of the human healthcycle. From factors that affect infant immune development to the lifestyle diseases that emerge at middle age, from childhood allergies and vaccinations to the neurological diseases associated with ever longer lifespans, this track will address the treatments, technologies and systems developed and adopted by healthcare systems to manage the intricacies of the human healthcycle.

Partnerships in Cell and Gene Therapies

Cell and gene therapies continue to attract the interest of the entire healthcare spectrum from investors to biotechs, pharmas to patient groups. The Cell and Gene Therapies track at BIO-Europe will zero in on those areas in which innovation is a driving force of change and development. A dedicated panel on cancer therapies will begin the track, followed by a second deep-dive into immunotherapies. The possibilities for this sector resulting from new efforts of patient engagement will then be examined, followed by an in-depth discussion about the unique commercialization challenges for cell and gene therapy products.

Registration and event information is available online.

Watch video coverage from previous events, interviews with executives and thought leaders in the life science industry and premier content related to the biopharma industry on EBD Group's Insight.

# # #

Additional links and information:

Follow BIO-Europe on Twitter: @EBDGroup (hashtag: #BioEurope).

About EBD Group

EBD Group is the leading partnering firm for the global life science industry. Since 1993, biotech, pharma and medical device companies have leveraged EBD Group's partnering conferences, technology and services to identify business opportunities and develop strategic relationships essential to their success.

EBD Group's conferences are run with the support of leading corporations and international trade associations and include:

BIO-Europe and BIO-Europe Spring, Europe's largest life science partnering conferences, supported by the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO)

largest life science partnering conferences, supported by the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) BioPharm America, the fastest growing partnering event in North America

Biotech Showcase, a unique forum in San Francisco for presenting to investors and business development executives, co-produced with Demy-Colton Life Science Advisors

for presenting to investors and business development executives, co-produced with Demy-Colton Life Science Advisors BioEquity Europe, the investor conference co-organized with BioCentury Publications and BIO

ChinaBio Partnering Forum, the first dedicated biotech/pharma partnering conference in China , co-produced with ChinaBio Group

, co-produced with ChinaBio Group Biolatam, facilitating partnering among global life sciences executives in Latin America's vibrant life science hubs

vibrant life science hubs Cell & Gene Exchange, a partnering forum focused on the patient community in cell and gene therapy sectors, co-produced with Alliance for Regenerative Medicine (ARM).

EBD Group's sophisticated web-based partnering service, partneringONE, is used as the partnering engine at numerous third-party events around the world, and partnering360 is the open online community of life science dealmakers that enhances partnering experiences throughout the year.

Tune into EBD Group's Insight for timely coverage of news that influences the business strategies of the life science industry.

EBD Group is an Informa company. Informa is the largest publicly-owned organizer of exhibitions, conferences and training in the world.

EBD Group has offices in the USA and Europe.

For more information please visit http://www.ebdgroup.com.

SOURCE EBD Group
Baku, Azerbaijan, Oct. 24

By Elena Kosolapova - Trend:

Kyrgyzstans presidential Social Democratic Party decided to leave the coalition of the parliamentary majority, the party announced on Oct. 24.

Withdrawal of the Social Democratic Party will result in the coalition disintegration, which could lead to the resignation of the government.

The coalition of the parliamentary majority consist of four factions: the Social Democratic Party (38 members), Kyrgyzstan party (18 members), Onuguu - Progress party (13 members) and Ata Meken party (11 members).

We cannot be in one coalition with people who have common interests with Akayev and Bakiyev, and who still follow their instructions, who act against national interests. All this became clear during the constitutional reform.

Askar Akayev and Kurmanbek Bakiyev are former Kyrgyz presidents. Both of them are in exile now. Akayev lives and works in Russia. Bakiyev got a political asylum in Belarus.

Previously, we tried to believe in our partners innocence of looting. But now we face more and more facts and evidences testifying the most hard-hitting accusations against them and decide to refrain from a coalition with them until all new circumstances and facts are cleared up, the party said.

According to the law, one of the fractions should form a parliamentary coalition in the near future. If it fails, the countrys president will give the right to form a coalition of other party.

Follow the author on Twitter: @E_Kosolapova
CHICAGO, October 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

According to the new market research report, "Biosimilars Market, by Product Types (Recombinant Non-Glycosylated Proteins, Recombinant Glycosylated Proteins, and Recombinant Peptides), Application (Oncology, Blood Disorders, Infectious Diseases, Autoimmune Diseases, and Others) - Global Revenue, Trends, Growth, Share, Size and Forecast to 2022", published by Scalar Market Research, the global biosimilars market is expected to grow from USD 3 billion in 2016 and reach USD 58.40 billion by 2022, growing at an estimated CAGR 52.77%, during the forecast period.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20161017/429206LOGO )

The global biosimilars market report offers in-depth analysis of the market size (revenue), market share, major market segments, different geographic regions, key players, premium trends and forecast to 2022. It also focuses on the key drivers and opportunities in this market.

Browse Report & Table of Content: https://www.scalarmarketresearch.com/market-reports/biosimilars-market

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Key findings of the report :

The rising demand and awareness towards the applications of biosimilars are considered as one of the major driving factors for the biosimilars market, during the forecast period.

The majority of the top market players are investing in the biosimilars market, creating strong growth opportunities for the market in the near future.

The biosimilars are considered as one of the most promising options for the treatment of various chronic diseases. The rising instances of various diseases such as cancer and cardiovascular diseases are also expected to drive the demand in the biosimilars market.

Oncology is the fastest growing market in the application segment

Oncology was the largest application segment of the biosimilars market in 2015. According to the report, oncology is expected to remain the fastest growing application segment, due to the rise in the aging population, the increased prevalence of cancer, and the rising number of patients with the hospital-acquired diseases.

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North America: Anticipated to dominate the biosimilars market

The North America region is expected to dominate the global biosimilars market based on the total market share, due to the rising demand for the biosimilars products. The Europe region is also considered to be the potential market for biosimilars, due to the impressive growth in the research and development activities in the region.

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The key players highlighted in the biosimilars market report include:

Actavis

Amgen

Biocon Ltd.

Cipla Ltd.

Hospira, Inc.

Sandoz Pharma

Stada Arzneimittel AG

Wockhardt Ltd.

Others

Browse Related Reports:

Prescription Pharmaceuticals Market, by Therapeutic Segments (Cardiovascular Disorders, Inflammatory Conditions, Metabolic Disorders, Oncology, Respiratory Disorders, Others), Formulations (Capsules, Inhalants, Parenterals, Tablets, Topicals) - Global Revenue, Trends, Growth, Share, Size and Forecast to 2020

https://www.scalarmarketresearch.com/market-reports/prescription-pharmaceuticals-market

Stem Cell Therapy Market, by Treatments (Allogeneic Stem Cell Therapy and Autologous Stem Cell Therapy), Applications (Central Nervous System Diseases, Eye Diseases, Musculoskeletal Diseases, Wound & Injuries, Metabolic Disorders, Cardiovascular Disorders, Gastrointestinal Disorders and Immune System Disorders), End-users (Hospitals and Ambulatory Surgical Centers) - Global Revenue, Trends, Growth, Share, Size and Forecast to 2022

https://www.scalarmarketresearch.com/market-reports/stem-cell-therapy-market

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The new 650-meter-long and 17-meter-deep quay increases DCT's annual handling capacity to up to 3 million TEU (twenty-foot equivalent unit). Additionally, the new terminal berth can now accommodate ultra-large container vessels of capacity exceeding 18,000 TEU, such as the Maersk Triple E class container ships, which enter the Baltic Sea through the Danish Straits.

"The construction of Terminal 2 is of strategic importance to us, and we decided to entrust the contract engineer's role to CH2M, thanks to their strong, global experience in maritime ports infrastructure," said Maciek Kwiatkowski, the CEO of DCT Gdansk. "They provided a great team with both local and international experience who worked closely with the DCT team, providing us with high-quality deliverables, timely communication and expert advice."

At a height of 82 meters, T2's new ship-to-shore (STS) container cranes are the largest port equipment in Poland. Terminal operations are supported by an assembly of electrified rubber-tired gantry (eRTG) cranes. A key requirement of the project was to power the STS and eRTG cranes with electricity rather than diesel fuel to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and noise pollution.

Respecting local regulations and procedures, CH2M's T2 team was comprised of Polish supervision engineers who specialized in hydrotechnical, structural and electrical engineering; highways; and instrumentation and control. They were complemented by a team of CH2M engineers and designers in the UK with broad expertise in designing maritime ports and container terminals.

Delivering this large scale project under a fast-track schedule required careful diligence and collaboration between DCT Gdansk, CH2M and BESIX to ensure the highest safety standards. The team achieved a milestone of 1 million man-hours without a recordable incident.

About CH2M

CH2M leads the professional services industry delivering sustainable solutions benefiting societal, environmental and economic outcomes with the development of infrastructure and industry. In this way, CH2Mers make a positive difference providing consulting, design, engineering and management services for clients in water; environment and nuclear; transportation; energy and industrial markets, from iconic infrastructure to global programmes like the Olympic Games. Ranked among the World's Most Ethical Companies and top firms in environmental consulting and programme management, CH2M in 2016 became the first professional services firm honoured with the World Environment Center Gold Medal Award for efforts advancing sustainable development. Connect with CH2M at www.ch2m.com; LinkedIn; Twitter; and Facebook.

Contact: Tom Doerr

CH2M, Marketing & Communications

720-286-3004

tdoerr@ch2m.com

Related Links

http://www.ch2m.com



SOURCE CH2M
WOOBURN GREEN, England, October 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

Provides Pan-European Availability of Widely-used and Much Needed Oral Liquid Version Tlobazam Tablets

Martindale Pharma, the UK-based international specialty pharmaceutical company, today announced the regulatory approval of its clobazam oral suspension product, Epaclob in France, Ireland, Germany and Italy and Silocalm in Denmark, Spain and Iceland following the successful completion of a decentralised procedure (DCP).

Epaclob/Silocalm are based on Tapclob, the world's first oral liquid suspension version of clobazam to receive regulatory approval, which has been available from Martindale Pharma under the tradename Tapclob since May 2013. Clobazam oral suspension is used principally as an adjunctive therapy for epilepsy with the formulation particularly suitable for children and young adults. Epaclob/Silocalm are approved in two strengths, 5mg/5ml and 10mg/5ml, and will be supplied in packs containing dosing syringes and dosage cups to facilitate accurate dosing and aid adherence to treatment.

Commenting on the approval Michael Harris, CEO of Martindale Pharma, said: "Martindale Pharma is committed to developing and providing provide high quality innovative products to our customers and to patients in international markets. We are pleased to have received regulatory approval of our oral liquid formulation of clobazam in an additional seven European countries. Already an established product in the UK, this formulation not only allows for better ease of use, especially for paediatrics, but will allow both prescribers and patients access to a much needed safe and cost-effective licensed oral liquid formulation when required."

Notes to editors

About Martindale Pharma

Martindale Pharma is a leading UK-based, international specialty pharmaceutical company providing essential medicines to over 50 countries around the world.

Our strategy is to build leading positions in defined business segments where there is a high unmet medical need and a demand for improved product presentations. Our focus is on Opioid Addiction, Emergency Care, Hospital-initiated Medicines, Ophthalmics and Unlicensed Medicines (also called "Specials").

With a strong UK presence and expertise in marketing hospital and specialty medicines, Martindale Pharma is recognised as a strategic partner to the NHS and other healthcare providers, supplying over 100 licensed products, and has a track record of successful new specialty product launches.

The business also includes a rapidly growing international organisation currently centred on three geographical regions: Saudi Arabia and the Gulf Co-Operation Council territory, Australia and South East Asia and Northern Europe (focused on Scandinavia).

Uniquely as an independent pharma company, the business is underpinned by our own modern, efficient UK manufacturing facility which enables us to develop and compete globally to supply high quality, low cost specialty pharmaceuticals in sterile injection and oral liquid formats.

For further information visit our website http://www.martindalepharma.co.uk

Media contacts:

Martindale Pharma

Michael Clark

Tel: +44 (0) 1628 551934



Hume Brophy

Mary Clark, Hollie Vile, Alex Protsenko

Tel: +44 (0) 207 862 6390



SOURCE Martindale Pharma
"The dedication of the highly enthusiastic team at the CoorsTek Glenrothes plant has been the foundation of our success over the past 35 years," stated Mark Cameron, Plant Manager at Glenrothes. "I am proud of the contribution my colleagues have made to ensure CoorsTek continues to be the partner of choice for many of the leading companies in the markets we serve. Our commitment to strong relationships has been a constant throughout the last 35 years, and we will continue to drive forward with our collaborative approach to deliver success for our customers and for CoorsTek."

CoorsTek continues to invest in people, technology, and capabilities, with a footprint which now extends across a dozen European manufacturing locations in the Czech Republic, England, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Scotland, and Sweden.

"Being a partner of choice means being responsive, collaborative experts  serving our clients locally," explained Timothy Coors, Co-CEO of CoorsTek. "The Glenrothes team pioneered our manufacturing in Europe, and we are proud of how they continue to live out our true customer focus. We look forward to an exciting future as we partner with customers to innovate amazing solutions to some of the world's toughest challenges."

Joining CoorsTek at the celebration were customers, business partners, and local community officials who have worked with the company for decades. Jim Leishman MBE, Provost of Fife Council, reflected, "I acknowledge the positive contribution the employees of CoorsTek have made to the Fife economy over these last 35 years, and their dedication and loyalty to the business. I also recognize and commend the company's leadership for continuing to service Europe from their base here in Glenrothes, Fife."

Watch the video, or find out more at coorstek.com.

About CoorsTek

CoorsTek makes the world measurably better as the partner of choice for technology and manufacturing companies worldwide whose success requires the unique, high-performance properties of products manufactured from engineered ceramics and advanced materials. CoorsTek products and components touch people's lives through amazing solutions to global challenges in energy, transportation, information technology, healthcare, and defense, among others. For more information about CoorsTek, including product information, its history since 1910, and locations throughout Europe, North America, South America, and Asia, visit coorstek.com.

Media Contacts





Dane Bartlett | CoorsTek

dbartlett@coorstek.com

+1-303-271-7000 Bill Fallon | keating/co bfallon@keatingco.com

+1-973-768-6764

Related Links

http://www.coorstek.com



SOURCE CoorsTek
CHICAGO, Oct. 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- CNA Financial Corporation (NYSE: CNA) announced today that Dino E. Robusto will assume the role of Chairman and Chief Executive Officer on November 21, 2016, succeeding Thomas F. Motamed, who is retiring after eight years at the helm of CNA. Last November CNA announced that Mr. Robusto would be joining the company in late 2016.

"Dino's impressive track record of success and extensive experience across nearly every insurance industry discipline will serve CNA well in the Company's next phase of growth and development," said James S. Tisch, a member of the CNA Board of Directors and Chief Executive Officer of Loews Corporation (NYSE: L), CNA's largest shareholder. "The CNA Board of Directors and I enthusiastically welcome Dino and look forward to benefiting from his leadership."

"We would also like to thank Tom for his many accomplishments at CNA. During Tom's tenure, CNA's underwriting capabilities, operating performance and competitive standing have improved significantly," Mr. Tisch emphasized. "Tom is leaving the company with a deep bench and a fortress balance sheet. Over the past three years, CNA has paid almost $2 billion in dividends to shareholders while maintaining a AAA level of capital."

Mr. Tisch added, "Dino is inheriting a CNA poised for continued growth and further value creation, thanks to the expertise and dedication of Tom and his team."

About CNA

Serving businesses and professionals since 1897, CNA is the country's eighth largest commercial insurance writer and the 14th largest property and casualty company. CNA's insurance products include commercial lines, specialty lines, surety, marine and other property and casualty coverages. CNA's services include risk management, information services, underwriting, risk control and claims administration. For more information, please visit CNA at www.cna.com. "CNA" is a service mark registered by CNA Financial Corporation with the United States Patent and Trademark Office. Certain CNA Financial Corporation subsidiaries use the "CNA" service mark in connection with insurance underwriting and claims activities.

Follow CNA (NYSE: CNA) on: Facebook | Twitter | LinkedIn | YouTube

CONTACT:

Brandon Davis, 312-822-5167 / 312-834-6091

Sarah Pang, 312-822-6394 / 312-607-5544

Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130627/NY40132LOGO

Related Links

http://www.cna.com



SOURCE CNA Financial Corporation
SEOUL, South Korea, October 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

Earlier this month, Editage launched a new service called 'Editing until acceptance' to provide sustained post-submission English-language support to Korean authors. Often ESL (English-as-a-second-language) authors struggle to navigate the entire publication process. Editage's new service will provide comprehensive English-language support to authors until their research paper is accepted for publication, even if it is re-submitted to a different journal. The launch of this service comes at a time when Korean researchers are dealing with stiff competition to publish in reputed journals. Over the past few months, Editage has intensified its support to Korean authors through various activities including author-focused workshops and specialized services to help authors at various stages of publication. This author services company seems to be on a mission to empower the Korean research community and help maximize its research output.

When asked about the new service, Vikas Narang, Vice President of Delivery Academia at Editage, Cactus Communications, commented: "Some Korean researchers require extensive English-language support, especially when they have to revise and re-submit their paper to a different journal. 'Editing until acceptance' provides unconditional and unlimited re-editing and re-formatting support to authors, who will only have to pay once for this premium service. Although we cannot re-write a manuscript or guarantee its publication, we can provide authors with unlimited re-editing support, including free response letter checks."

Journal publication is a time-consuming and effort-intensive process. Owing to increasing global competition, a surge in the volume of submissions, and a dynamic publication landscape, most authors end up resubmitting their papers to the same or a different journal, after rejection. This service offers the same level of editing as Editage's Premium editing service along with an unlimited number of response letter crosschecks and reformatting for different journals.

About Editage:

Editage, the flagship brand of Cactus Communications (CACTUS), is well recognized in the publication and academic communities, globally. Apart from working with individual researchers, Editage partners with publishers, journals, academic societies, and pharmaceutical companies worldwide to assist them in creating compelling, high-quality scientific publications. Editage is also dedicated to author education through its comprehensive author resources website Editage Insights. Cactus Communications offers many services such as English language editing, translation, transcription, and medical communication. Please visit http://www.editage.com

Media contact:

Hridey Manghwani

Manager, Public Relations, Editage

Phone: +1(877)334-8243

Email: PR@cactusglobal.com



Related Links

http://www.editage.co.kr/



SOURCE Cactus Communications
EFFRETIKON, Switzerland and SHANGHAI, October 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

The general contractor for customized and temporary constructions in trade fair booth, pavilion and event structures from Effretikon in Zurich is expanding its strong presence and geographic reach in Asia. On 21 October 2016, Expomobilia AG will establish the fully owned subsidiary Expomobilia Shanghai Ltd in Shanghai. "Our experts have been active for our clients in China for more than 10 years," says Florian Faber, Managing Director of Expomobilia AG. "With our investment in this strong market, the new location in the heart of Shanghai and our local team, Expomobilia can further develop its successful business relationships and better meet the regional requirements and needs of our national and international customers."

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20161021/431325 )



Under the leadership of Yvonne Chen Neddo, Regional Director Asia, the Expomobilia subsidiary will launch with a team of project managers with profound knowledge of trade fair booth and pavilion construction as well as extensive technical expertise.

With over 40 years of experience in the field of customized and temporary constructions, Expomobilia AG from Effretikon in Zurich has established itself as a globally active general contractor for trade fair booth, pavilion and event structures. The company has been an independent subsidiary of the MCH Group AG since 2007 and employs around 90 members of staff.

More information (link):

Expomobilia AG

Irene Graven-Koller

+41-52-354-74-48

igraven@expomobilia.com

http://www.expomobilia.com



SOURCE Expomobilia AG
PUNE, India, October 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

The report "Feed Preservatives Market by Type (Feed Acidifiers, Mold Inhibitors, Feed Antioxidants, Anticaking Agents), Livestock (Cattle, Poultry, Swine, Aquaculture), Feed Type (Compound Feed, Feed Premix, Feed Meal, Silage), and Region - Global Forecast to 2022", the market is projected to reach USD 3.57 Billion by 2022, at a CAGR of 9.2% from 2016 to 2022.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160303/792302 )



Browse 77 market data Tables and 63 Figures spread through 165 Pages and in-depth TOC on "Feed Preservatives Market"

http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/feed-preservative-market-260003490.html

Early buyers will receive 10% customization on this report.

With the growing awareness about customized formulations and feed management practices to reduce production costs and improve livestock health, the meat processors and livestock farmers have been investing on nutrient-rich and high quality feed products.

"Feed acidifiers dominated the Feed Preservatives Market, by type, in 2015"

Feed acidifiers have become an integral part of compound feed significantly after the EU ban on antibiotics in 2006. Acidifiers have been gaining strong growth due to its demand among monogastric species such as poultry and swine. The European region was the largest market for feed acidifiers in 2015 due to the strict regulatory restrictions on antibiotics and the increasing popularity for feed acidifiers as a suitable alternative.

"The application of feed preservatives is projected to gain strong growth in the feed premix industry"

Feed premixes is projected to be the fastest-growing segment, on the basis of feed type, from 2016 to 2022, due to the increased need to sustain the quality of premix ingredients such as vitamins, minerals, and amino acids which are easily perishable and can deteriorate in the presence of light, heat, or air. The growing demand for feed premixes to maintain livestock health in turn would boost the usage of feed preservatives by manufacturers to maintain the premix quality.

Make an Inquiry: http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Enquiry_Before_Buying.asp?id=260003490

"Europe accounted for the largest share in the global market in 2015"

The European region has been a dominant user of feed preservatives due to the highly regulated environment for feed production, especially in the Western European region. The Feed Preservatives Market has been supported by the increasing focus of the European authorities on food safety concerns and livestock health. The efforts to improve feed conversion efficiency without any loss in nutrient quality have also been a strong factor for feed preservatives to be utilized as an essential feed additive.

The Feed Preservatives Market report includes a study of marketing and development strategies, along with the product portfolio of key service providers. It includes the profiles of leading companies such as Alltech, Inc. (U.S.), Biomin Holding GmbH (Austria), Kemin Industries, Inc. (U.S.), Nutreco N.V. (The Netherlands), Perstorp Holding AB (Sweden), Cargill, Incorporated (U.S.), Novus International, Inc. (U.S.), BASF SE (Germany), Impextraco NV (Belgium), and E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Company (U.S.).

Browse related reports:

Feed Acidifiers Market by Type (Propionic Acid, Fumaic Acid, Lactic Acid, Formic Acid, and Others), Livestock (Poultry, Swine, Cattle, Aquatics, and Others), Form, Brand, & by Region - Global Trends & Forecast to 2021

http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/feed-acidifiers-market-163262152.html

Feed Additives Market by Type (Antioxidants, Acidifiers, Antibiotics, Vitamins, Minerals, Enzymes, Amino Acids & Binders), Livestock (Swine, Poultry, Ruminants, & Aquatic Animals), Form, Function, & by Region - Global Trends & Forecast to 2021

http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/feed-additives-market-870.html

About MarketsandMarkets

MarketsandMarkets is the largest market research firm worldwide in terms of annually published premium market research reports. Serving 1700 global fortune enterprises with more than 1200 premium studies in a year, M&M is catering to a multitude of clients across 8 different industrial verticals. We specialize in consulting assignments and business research across high growth markets, cutting edge technologies and newer applications. Our 850 fulltime analyst and SMEs at MarketsandMarkets are tracking global high growth markets following the "Growth Engagement Model - GEM". The GEM aims at proactive collaboration with the clients to identify new opportunities, identify most important customers, write "Attack, avoid and defend" strategies, identify sources of incremental revenues for both the company and its competitors.

M&M's flagship competitive intelligence and market research platform, "RT" connects over 200,000 markets and entire value chains for deeper understanding of the unmet insights along with market sizing and forecasts of niche markets. The new included chapters on Methodology and Benchmarking presented with high quality analytical infographics in our reports gives complete visibility of how the numbers have been arrived and defend the accuracy of the numbers.

We at MarketsandMarkets are inspired to help our clients grow by providing apt business insight with our huge market intelligence repository.

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SOURCE MarketsandMarkets
DUBLIN, October 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

Research and Markets has announced the addition of the "Recreational Vehicles - Global Strategic Business Report" report to their offering.

This report analyzes the worldwide markets for Recreational Vehicles in Units. Classification of Recreational Vehicles differs across major geographical markets, in accordance with consumer lifestyles and requirements.

The report provides separate comprehensive analytics for the US, Canada, Japan, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and Rest of World. Annual estimates and forecasts are provided for the period 2015 through 2022. Also, a six-year historic analysis is provided for these markets. Market data and analytics are derived from primary and secondary research.



The US and Canadian markets are analyzed by the following Product Segments:



Motor Homes (Class A, Class B, and Class C)

Travel Trailers (Conventional Travel Trailer, and Fifth Wheel Travel Trailer)

Campers & Camping Trailers (Folding Camping Trailer, and Truck Camper).



The Japanese market is analyzed by the following Product Segments: Trailers, and Others

The European market is analyzed by the following Product Segments:



Motor Caravans

Touring Caravans



The Asia-Pacific market is analysed by the following Product Segments:



Caravans

Camper Vans



The report profiles 90 companies including many key and niche players such as



ADRIA MOBIL , d.o.o ( Slovenia )

, d.o.o ( ) REV Group Inc. ( USA )

) Forest River , Inc. (US)

, Inc. (US) Coachmen RV, a Division of Forest River Inc. (US)

Palomino RV (US)

Hobby-Wohnwagenwerk Ing. Harald Striewski GmbH ( Germany )

) Hymer GmbH & Co. KG ( Germany )

) Jayco Inc. (US)

Starcraft RV, Inc. (US)

Lunar Caravans (UK)

Northwood Manufacturing (US)

Nexus RV (US)

Niesmann + Bischoff GmbH ( Germany )

) Pilote (France)

Swift Group (UK)

Thor Industries Inc. (US)

Airstream (US)

Heartland Recreational Vehicles, LLC (US)

K-Z Inc. (US)

Triple E Recreational Vehicles ( Canada )

) Trigano SA (France)

Chausson (France)

Westfalen Mobil GmbH ( Germany )

) Winnebago Industries, Inc. (US)

Key Topics Covered:



1. OVERVIEW



Nature Deprived Modern Lifestyles Ignites the Focus on the Great Outdoors

Human Trend Towards Reconnecting With Nature Encourages Willingness to Experience Nature Tourism Through Adventure Road Travel & Car Camping

RVs: Automobiles Prefect for the Great Outdoors

Growth of the Travel & Tourism Industry Higher than Global GDP Provides a Favorable Platform for Growth

How the RV Industry Was Ravaged by the 2007-09 Recession: A Retrospective Review

Noteworthy Market Trends & Drivers

End of Mass Tourism & Search for Alternative Sustainable Tourism Bodes Well for RV Tourism

Development of Outdoor Recreational Infrastructure to Fuel Growth

Affluent Aging Population Seeking Exotic Vacations & Experiences to Spur Growth Prospects

Home is Where You Park It!: RVing Lifestyles Fuel Demand for Motorhomes

Focus on Active Outdoor Life Spurs RV Ownership Among Younger People

Oil Price Break to Catalyze Growth in the RV Market

Rise in the Number of HNW Individuals Spur Demand for Luxury Vacation RVs

Innovation in RV Design & Style to Benefit Market Growth

Expanding Middle Class Population to Benefit Overland Camper Travel in Asia

RV Tourism Gains Steady Momentum in China

Workamping & Extreme Remote Working Trend Brings in a Lucrative Base of Younger Full-Time RVers

Electric RVs

The Future of Sustainable Drive Tourism

Growing Popularity of RV Rental Services: A Challenge to Market Growth

Market Outlook

2. PRODUCT OVERVIEW



Definition

Reasons for Buying RV

Family Appeal

Affordability

Convenience and Flexibility

Home Comfort

Recreational Vehicle Classification

Motor Homes

Class A Motor Home

Class B Motor Home

Class C Motor Home

Travel Trailer

Conventional Travel Trailer

Fifth Wheel Travel Trailer

Campers & Camping Trailers

Folding Camping Trailer

Truck Camper

Conversion Vehicles

3. PRODUCT INTRODUCTIONS/INNOVATIONS



Ford Unveils Travel Trailers, Campers and Toy Haulers

Chevrolet Unveils Lova RV MPV

Adria Mobil Unveils 2016 Collection

Winnebago Reveals The Grand Tour

NextGenAuto Introduces NextGenRV

EverGreen RV Unveils Floor Plan for Ever-Lite Travel Trailer

Jayco Introduces Precept Class A Motorhome

Knaus Tabbert Unveils 2015 Motorhomes Collection

Airstream Unveils 2015 Airstream Classic Trailer

EverGreen RV Reveals 28RLSS Floor Plan

EverGreen Unveils Bay Mountain 379FL 5th Wheels

Swift Unveils New Models for 2015

Motor Home Specialist Unveils 2015 Foretravel Realm FS6

Winnebago Announces the Re-launch of Brave RV

PCP Launches PCP Terra Motorhome

Safari Condo Introduces New Recreational Campers

Winnebago Unveils Solei Motorhome

4. RECENT INDUSTRY ACTIVITY



HYMER Expands its Premium Product Range

Thor Industries Acquires Jayco

Coach-Net Inks Partnership Agreement with Velvac

Roadtrek Inks Cooperation Agreement with Erwin Hymer Group

Thor Takes over Postle Aluminum

Camping World Partners Good Sam, Signs Agreement to Take over Dealerships from Tom Raper RV

Thor Acquires DRV and Cruiser RV

Heartland to Establish Production Unit in Nampa

Winnebago Enters Agreement to Sell RVs to Apollo Motorhome Holidays

Hymer and Chongqing Jinguan Automobile Enter Deal for RV Joint Venture In China

LKQ Completes Takeover of Keystone Automotive

EverGreen RV Takes over of Skyline RV

Thor Enters Deal to Takeover K-Z

5. FOCUS ON SELECT GLOBAL PLAYERS



6. GLOBAL MARKET PERSPECTIVE



Total Companies Profiled: 90 (including Divisions/Subsidiaries 101)



The United States (58)

(58) Canada (8)

(8) Europe (27)

(27) - France (3)

- Germany (15)

(15) - The United Kingdom (6)

(6) - Italy (2)

(2) - Rest of Europe (1)

(1) Asia-Pacific (Excluding Japan) (8)

For more information about this report visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/2pdb9w/recreational

Media Contact:

Research and Markets

Laura Wood, Senior Manager

press@researchandmarkets.com



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SOURCE Research and Markets
SANTA CATARINA, Brazil, October 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

First Results of a Multinational Study Evaluating Nutrition Practices in Latin American Hospitals Reveals About 75 Percent of Critically Ill Patients are Malnourished or at Risk to be Malnourished

Screening Day Latin America, a multinational study evaluating clinical nutrition practices in 120 Latin American hospitals, found that 75 percent of critically ill patients were malnourished or at risk to be malnourished; a protein deficit was present in 49 percent of critically ill adults, and 40 percent of critically ill adults showed a caloric deficit.



Initial findings from the study were presented today at the 15th Congress of the Federacion Latino Americana de Terapia Nutricional, Nutricion Clinica y Metabolismo (FELANPE) in Santa Catarina, Brazil.

"All critically ill patients involved in this study were receiving clinical nutrition support. Nevertheless, the prevalence of caloric deficits among this patient group was found to be very high," said Prof. Dr. John Stover, Vice President Global Medical Clinical and Regulatory Affairs at Fresenius Kabi. "Caloric intake failed to meet targeted energy delivery in more than one-third of patients in this high-risk population. We hope these results increase awareness and knowledge about current nutritional management, and offer solutions for improvement."

Data was collected in collaboration with local healthcare professionals from more than 1,000 critically ill patients in 120 hospitals across Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, Panama and Peru.

"The results showed an increased probability of patients reaching their caloric target when receiving both enteral and parental nutrition compared to those patients receiving enteral nutrition alone," says Dr. Karin Papapietro Vallejo, head of the multidisciplinary team of nutrition therapy at Hospital Clinico de la Universidad de Chile. "We believe the route of clinical nutrition administration is significantly associated with the caloric target met. The findings of this study suggest that administration of supplemental parenteral nutrition could be an opportunity for critically ill adults, who fail to receive adequate nutrition support from enteral nutrition alone."

Full results of the study are scheduled to be published in 2017. Screening Day Latin America is part of 'United for clinical nutrition' an initiative launched in 2015 and supported by Fresenius Kabi, a global healthcare company specialized in clinical nutrition.

About 'United for clinical nutrition':

Launched in May 2015 by Fresenius Kabi, 'United for clinical nutrition' seeks to support healthcare professionals across Latin America. The initiative offers practical, data-driven, online and offline therapy support tools to provide best practice for the clinical nutrition of critically ill patients.

To learn more, visit http://www.unitedforclinicalnutrition.com.

About Fresenius Kabi:

Fresenius Kabi is a global healthcare company specialized in lifesaving medicines and technologies for clinical nutrition, infusion, and transfusion. Our products and services are used to help care for critically and chronically ill patients. With our corporate philosophy of 'caring for life', we are committed to putting essential medicines and technologies in the hands of people who help patients and finding the best answers to the challenges they face.

More information: and http://www.fresenius-kabi.com

Media Relations Contact

Mona Horner

+49-0-69-40-12-54-372

mona.hoerner@edelmanergo.com



SOURCE Fresenius Kabi Deutschland GmbH
Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, Oct. 24

By Huseyn Hasanov Trend:

In the first nine months of 2016, profitable part of the state budget of Turkmenistan was executed in the volume of 10.7 billion manats, and expenditure part was executed in the volume of 11.9 billion manats, according to the countrys Ministry of Finance.

Some 79.3 percent of the Turkmen budgetary funds have been allocated to finance the social sphere during this period, the ministry said.

The state budget revenues of Turkmenistan for 2016 approved by the parliament are projected at 102.478,5 billion manats, while expenses - at 104.878,5 billion manats.

Since January 1, 2015 the official exchange rate in Turkmenistan remains at 3.50 manats to the US dollar.

Turkmenistan holds one of the key positions in the region on the natural gas supplies. China and Iran are gas importers. Russia stopped purchasing Turkmen gas in 2016.

The revenue part of the budget of the country is mainly formed due to such sectors of the industry as oil and gas, chemical, electric power industry, construction.
SAN FRANCISCO, October 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

The global produced water treatment market is expected to reach USD 9.79 billion by 2024, according to a new report by Grand View Research, Inc. The technological advancement pertaining to water management in the oil & gas sector with an aim to not only enhance productivity but also as ensure environment protection is expected to have a positive impact on the market. Depleting reserves of crude oil in major OPEC countries including Saudi Arabia and Indonesia owing to rising capital costs in exploration & production (E&P) is expected to force oil companies to invest in alternate sources including tight oil, coalbed methane (CBM) and gas hydrates. This trend is projected to promote the usage of produced water treatment in E&P activities of alternative sources including shale gas and tight oil over the forecast period.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20150105/723757 )



Offshore application is projected to account for 28.9% of total industry share by 2024. Numerous companies are focusing on expanding their market share by focusing on offshore applications. For instance, Siemens AG offers Combosep, a primary treatment system for offshore applications. This system comprises flotation units for removal of total suspended solids and oil droplets.

Browse full research report with TOC on "Produced Water Treatment Market Analysis By Production Source (Crude Oil, Natural Gas), By Technology (Primary Separation, Secondary Separation, Tertiary Separation), By Application (Onshore, Offshore) And Segment Forecasts To 2024" at: http://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/produced-water-treatment-market

Further key findings from the report suggest:

Natural gas is projected to grow at a CAGR of 6.2% from 2016 to 2024. In July 2016 , the government of Saudi Arabia announced Vision 2030 with an aim to increase gas production to 17.8 billion cubic feet by 2030 from 12 billion cubic feet per day in 2015. The abovementioned plan is expected to play a key role increasing the use of produced water treatment services over the projected period.

, the government of announced Vision 2030 with an aim to increase gas production to 17.8 billion cubic feet by 2030 from 12 billion cubic feet per day in 2015. The abovementioned plan is expected to play a key role increasing the use of produced water treatment services over the projected period. Primary separation technology was valued at USD 1.62 billion in 2015 and is projected to have a high market potential in hydraulic fracturing in light of increasing importance of separation equipment in hydrocyclone and corrugated plate separators.

in 2015 and is projected to have a high market potential in hydraulic fracturing in light of increasing importance of separation equipment in hydrocyclone and corrugated plate separators. Europe generated a revenue of USD 1.12 billion in 2015 and is expected to witness significant gains in light of increasing E&P spending for natural gas in the Barents Sea, ( Norway ) and Sakhalin fields ( Russia ).

generated a revenue of in 2015 and is expected to witness significant gains in light of increasing E&P spending for natural gas in the Barents Sea, ( ) and Sakhalin fields ( ). The industry is anticipated to witness significant growth in light of significant investments by OMCs', which will open new opportunities for growth over the forecast period. In July 2016 , a research partnership between the USGS, ONGC, and the JAMSTEC announced the discovery of vast reserves of natural gas hydrates in the Indian Ocean. This trend is expected to open new industry avenues for produced water treatment services over the next eight years.

, a research partnership between the USGS, ONGC, and the JAMSTEC announced the discovery of vast reserves of natural gas hydrates in the Indian Ocean. This trend is expected to open new industry avenues for produced water treatment services over the next eight years. Key service providers operating in the market include Haliburton, GE, Siemens, Weatherford, Veolia, and Baker Hughes. The majority of service providers are located in North America and Europe in light of easy access to consumables and calibration equipment in the vicinity. Over the past few years, the companies including Weatherford and GE have been establishing strategic business units in developing countries including China and India providing the solutions to upstream oil & gas sector.

Browse related reports by Grand View Research:

Fracking Water Treatment Market - http://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/fracking-water-treatment-market

Membrane Bioreactor (MBR) Systems Market - http://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/membrane-bioreactor-mbr-systems-market

Diatomite Market - http://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/diatomite-market

Drilling Waste Management Market - http://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/drilling-waste-management-market

Grand View Research has segmented the global produced water treatment market by production source, application, and region:

Production Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2013-2024) Crude oil Natural gas

Technology Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2013 - 2024) Primary Separation Secondary Separation Tertiary Separation Others

Application Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2013 - 2024) Onshore Offshore

Regional Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2013 - 2024) North America U.S. Mexico Canada Europe Russia Norway UK Asia Pacific China Indonesia India Latin America Brazil Argentina Venezuela Middle East & Africa (MEA) Saudi Arabia UAE Qatar Algeria Iran Iraq



Access research Insight - http://www.grandviewresearch.com/research-insights/produced-water-treatment-market-insights-rising-production-of-shale-gas-will-enhance-demand

About Grand View Research

Grand View Research, Inc. is a U.S. based market research and consulting company, registered in the State of California and headquartered in San Francisco. The company provides syndicated research reports, customized research reports, and consulting services. To help clients make informed business decisions, we offer market intelligence studies ensuring relevant and fact-based research across a range of industries, from technology to chemicals, materials and healthcare.

Read Our Blogs - http://www.grandviewresearch.com/blogs/energy-and-power

Contact:

Sherry James

Corporate Sales Specialist, USA

Grand View Research, Inc

Phone: 1-415-349-0058

Toll Free: 1-888-202-9519

Email: sales@grandviewresearch.com



Web: http://www.grandviewresearch.com

SOURCE Grand View Research, Inc.
CERGY, France, October 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

SPIE Oil & Gas Services announced that it has been awarded a five-year contract with Kuwait National Petroleum Company (KNPC) under Clean Fuels Project (CFP) which is currently under EPC phase of implementation.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120731/552278 )



The Clean Fuels Project of KNPC is a major upgrade of its flagship refineries to meet the future diversified market requirements for petroleum products both in the domestic and international sectors. The Project encompasses increasing the combined refining capacities of its Mina Al Ahmadi (MAA) and Mina Abdullah (MAB) Refineries and enhance production of environment friendly value added products through Bottom of Barrel processing using state of the art technologies. The Project also contributes towards linking the two refineries into an integrated refining complex and further enhance performance towards operational safety, reliability and energy conservation.

SPIE Oil & Gas Services has begun work on the five-year contract with Kuwait National Petroleum Company (KNPC). The services shall involve providing Commissioning Management and Support Services at both Mina Al Ahmadi (MAA) and Mina Abdullah (MAB) Refineries under CFP Scope of Work. The contract will draw the expertise of SPIE Oil & Gas Services and work in tandem with KNPC Operations Team.

"With SATORP, YASREF, PETRO RABIGH and now with KNPC Project in Kuwait, we have become a major player in downstream activities in the Middle East" says Yves Company, Managing Director of SPIE Oil & Gas Services. "We have been working in the field since 2010 and are one of the few companies with the level of expertise needed in the area."

About SPIE Oil & Gas Services

As an international multi-technical services subsidiary of the SPIE Group, SPIE Oil & Gas Services provides the oil and gas industry with a complete range of resources and skills for exploring and investigating new fields, building and operating facilities and optimising production in the best possible conditions in terms of safety, costs, lead times and quality.

With 4,000 employees of 70 different nationalities working 22 countries in Europe, Africa, the Asia-Pacific region and the Middle East, SPIE Oil & Gas Services offers services across four business major lines - well services and geosciences, engineering and projects services, asset support, and competency development - for its customers, including operators, engineering firms, and oil and gas contractors.

With 38,000 employees working from close to 600 sites in 38 countries, SPIE achieved in 2015 consolidated revenues of 5.3 billion and consolidated EBITA of 351 million.

In its "Oil & Gas and Nuclear" segment, with 6,000 employees working from more than 80 sites, the SPIE group generated revenues of 794 million in 2015.

http://www.spie.com

https://www.facebook.com/SPIEgroup

http://twitter.com/spiegroup

Press Contacts:



SPIE

Pascal Omnes

Group Communications Director

+33(0)1-34-41-81-11

pascal.omnes@spie.com



SPIE Oil & Gas Services

Fabio Di Mario

Human Resources and Communication Director

+33(0)1-34-41-87-15

f.dimario@spie.com



SOURCE SPIE
CERGY, France, October 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

SPIE Oil & Gas Services announced that it has been awarded a five-year contract with Kuwait National Petroleum Company (KNPC) under Clean Fuels Project (CFP) which is currently under EPC phase of implementation.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120731/552278 )



The Clean Fuels Project of KNPC is a major upgrade of its flagship refineries to meet the future diversified market requirements for petroleum products both in the domestic and international sectors. The Project encompasses increasing the combined refining capacities of its Mina Al Ahmadi (MAA) and Mina Abdullah (MAB) Refineries and enhance production of environment friendly value added products through Bottom of Barrel processing using state of the art technologies. The Project also contributes towards linking the two refineries into an integrated refining complex and further enhance performance towards operational safety, reliability and energy conservation.

SPIE Oil & Gas Services has begun work on the five-year contract with Kuwait National Petroleum Company (KNPC). The services shall involve providing Commissioning Management and Support Services at both Mina Al Ahmadi (MAA) and Mina Abdullah (MAB) Refineries under CFP Scope of Work. The contract will draw the expertise of SPIE Oil & Gas Services and work in tandem with KNPC Operations Team.

"With SATORP, YASREF, PETRO RABIGH and now with KNPC Project in Kuwait, we have become a major player in downstream activities in the Middle East" says Yves Company, Managing Director of SPIE Oil & Gas Services. "We have been working in the field since 2010 and are one of the few companies with the level of expertise needed in the area."

About SPIE Oil & Gas Services

As an international multi-technical services subsidiary of the SPIE Group, SPIE Oil & Gas Services provides the oil and gas industry with a complete range of resources and skills for exploring and investigating new fields, building and operating facilities and optimising production in the best possible conditions in terms of safety, costs, lead times and quality.

With 4,000 employees of 70 different nationalities working 22 countries in Europe, Africa, the Asia-Pacific region and the Middle East, SPIE Oil & Gas Services offers services across four business major lines - well services and geosciences, engineering and projects services, asset support, and competency development - for its customers, including operators, engineering firms, and oil and gas contractors.

With 38,000 employees working from close to 600 sites in 38 countries, SPIE achieved in 2015 consolidated revenues of 5.3 billion and consolidated EBITA of 351 million.

In its "Oil & Gas and Nuclear" segment, with 6,000 employees working from more than 80 sites, the SPIE group generated revenues of 794 million in 2015.

http://www.spie.com

https://www.facebook.com/SPIEgroup

http://twitter.com/spiegroup

SPIE

Pascal Omnes

Group Communications Director

+33(0)1-34-41-81-11

pascal.omnes@spie.com



SPIE Oil & Gas Services

Fabio Di Mario

Human Resources and Communication Director

+33(0)1-34-41-87-15

f.dimario@spie.com



SOURCE SPIE
LONDON, October 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

Independent customer experience design consultancy Start announces the acquisition of StartJG Hong Kong by Fitch. The acquisition comes as Start's key hubs in the UK and Middle East focus on providing digital technologies and enhanced customer experience design-led solutions to global clients via these "centres of excellence".

StartJG Hong Kong, founded in 2009 by Managing Director Jonathan Cummings, won Hong Kong's Brand Consultancy of the Year award in 2014. Cummings and General Manager Cally Williams will join Fitch's senior leadership team for South East and North Asia.

Cummings said: "With Start's support we've grown to 40-strong and are a recognised leader in the region. This acquisition lets us further expand our offer. Speaking on behalf of the team, I can say that we are enormously excited about the future."

Start President, Mike Curtis said: "We're pleased to conclude this acquisition with Fitch, a business I know well having begun my career with them in 1988. Jonathan and team have achieved a great deal. We're pleased with the part Start's played in the business growth, and wish Fitch Hong Kong every success."

With a track record in digital transformation and customer experience design for brands Adidas, Barclays and Virgin, Start will focus on growing its global partnerships through a more expanded portfolio of design-led solutions; investing further in technology to offer a cloud-based collaborative work platform and enabling greater levels of access to its specialist core design skills and consultancy services.

Curtis added: "Clients need more direct access to expert teams. We believe our future lies in smarter working practices regardless of location. Start's Connected Retail Platform already offers brands remote collaborative working environments. These tangible solutions allow our clients to develop closer, more insightful, relationships with their customers. We absolutely see this as indicative of smarter working. Now in our 20th year, it's time for a smarter Start."

Kevin Gill, Start UK CEO, added: "The UK is a recognised leader of design excellence, and our centrepiece of world class design talent. Our Dubai location has grown into a strategic gateway, and it's from here that our new model is emerging."

About Start

Start is an independent, global design consultancy with multi-skilled teams and cross-channel expertise. Start helps clients achieve competitive advantage by defining and designing solutions to improve customer experience.

More information:

http://www.startjg.com

Contact: Rachel O'Rourke, +44(0)20-7269-0101, rachel.orourke@startjg.com

SOURCE Start
GENEVA, October 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

- Wendy Sim brings a wealth of experience and expertise to her role

- ZEDRA's approach in the Far East is based on fresh thinking, independence and family ownership

ZEDRA, the global independent specialist in trust, corporate and fund services has appointed Wendy Sim to lead the development of its Singaporean office, which will additionally support markets in North and South Asia.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20161003/414270LOGO )



Wendy has over 20 years experience working with ultra high net worth clients across Asian markets, specialising in wealth management and estate planning for Asian corporate and high net worth individuals and their families. She joins ZEDRA from HSBC Trustee (Singapore) Ltd., where she was responsible for developing and delivering pan-Asian family governance solutions as well as assisting global families looking for Asian based structures.

With a detailed understanding of the particular needs of high net worth Asian individuals and their families, Wendy's appointment reflects ZEDRA's commitment to developing its business across the important Asian region.

Commenting on her new role, Wendy said, "Asian markets offer enormous prospects for growth for ZEDRA. Our company is perfectly placed to take advantage of this potential from our new base in Singapore, aligned to a worldwide network of offices in nine other jurisdictions."

She continues, "Asian clients have very specific needs and increasingly prefer a global wealth management solution. Our typical clients are likely to be multi-banked and seek an open architecture platform which will enable them to select specific expert advisers, according to their exact requirements. As an independent business, ZEDRA Singapore with its global network is perfectly placed to work with clients to meet this need."

Niels Nielsen, Group Chief Executive Officer says, "Wendy Sim's appointment as the ZEDRA Managing Director for Singapore is integral to our growth plan for the Far East. ZEDRA's approach is based on fresh thinking, independence and family ownership. We recognise the fact that Asian clients in particular will have needs that are very different from European families, where perhaps wealth has already passed through multiple generations. This is a key cultural

difference and one which Wendy is well placed to understand, given her extensive experience and background."

Wendy is a former lawyer, who has specialised in trust litigation and structuring. In addition she has led family governance workshops for clients, is involved in advising on and establishing philanthropy related structures and was a member of the Charities Committee of HSBC Trustees in Singapore.

Photos available:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/iuadylp6xa5qxxe/Wendy%20Sim%20Zedra%20managing%20director%20Singapore%20col.jpg?dl=0

Logo: https://www.dropbox.com/s/78a2o0osrrup4cq/Zedra%20Master%20CMYK%20Logos%20%2B%20Stap.jpg?dl=0

-ends-

About ZEDRA

ZEDRA is an independent, global specialist in trust, corporate and fund services. The company was acquired from Barclays in January 2016 by an independent investor group, with an ambitious plan to grow the company, expanding and strengthening the services it offers to clients around the world. It currently has global offices in 10 jurisdictions, including Jersey, Guernsey, the Isle of Man, the Cayman Islands, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Netherlands, Singapore, the UK and Switzerland.

ZEDRA's 320-strong team of industry experts is dedicated to creating and delivering bespoke solutions for clients. The business is focused on the strong commitment of an experienced team, fostering an entrepreneurial approach to delivering exceptional client services.

ZEDRA has a diverse client base including high-net-worth individuals and their families, international corporations, institutional investors and entrepreneurs. Under the ownership of a private independent investor group, ZEDRA has the flexibility, boldness and expertise to respond to complex needs whilst maintaining the highest standards of corporate governance in an ever-evolving regulatory environment.

http://www.zedra.com

SOURCE ZEDRA
Through a partnership with Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA) and input from the teen members, Aaron's associates and Club officials worked last Wednesday painting, decorating and furnishing a study and lounge area in a multipurpose space at the Club. Last Friday, local Aaron's associates and Club officials unveiled the new space, which is now equipped with new technology, sectionals, tables and chairs, sound systems and fresh coats of paint. Teens chose the special Sherwin-Williams paint colors for the rooms: Navel, Direct Green and Jay Blue.

"We're so excited to be kicking off the 2016 school year renovations with the Sarah Heinz House, a landmark after-school teen destination in Pittsburgh," said John Robinson, CEO of Aaron's, Inc. "The Boys & Girls Clubs of America are essential to creating supportive and safe environments for kids in communities across the country and Aaron's is committed to continue empowering teens as we move into our next year of our partnership."

Pittsburgh Mayor William Peduto attended the surprise unveiling and congratulated the teens. "What an exciting space for these teens to learn how to interact with the community and grow as leaders," said Pittsburgh Mayor Peduto. "With public-private partnerships forged by companies like Aaron's, we are together building strong communities for our teens to develop as tomorrow's leaders."

In 2015, the Aaron's Foundation, Inc. announced a three-year, $5 million national partnership with Boys & Girls Clubs of America's Keystone Program, helping teens develop their character and leadership skills in hopes of helping them reach their potential and creating positive change in the community. Keystone Club teen centers provide members ages 14-18 an environment to plan and participate in activities that focus on community service, academic success, career preparation and teen outreach. The Keystone Club makeover at the Boys & Girls Club of Pittsburgh's Sarah Heinz House includes an additional in-kind retail donation valued at $28,000.

"The Sarah Heinz House focuses on building the character, service and leadership of Pittsburgh kids and teens, and it's clear that Aaron's shares these same values," Dan Turkovich, Teen Director at the Boys & Girls Club of Pittsburgh's Sarah Heinz House. "Thanks to Aaron's, our Teen Center now reflects an environment that is conducive to inspiring admirable leaders in our community who give back now and throughout their lives."

Aaron's partnership with BGCA's Keystone Program inspires teens to "Own It" by taking ownership of their choices to build the lives they deserve. The Aaron's and Keystone Club "Own Your Future" campaign supports three principles:

Own Your Path: No matter where you come from, the future is yours to decide.

No matter where you come from, the future is yours to decide. Own Your Decisions: Making good choices opens more doors for your future.

Making good choices opens more doors for your future. Own Your Community: Use your talents to make an impact in your community.

To see photos of the Keystone Club remodel at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Pittsburgh's Sarah Heinz House, visit Aaron's on Facebook (www.facebook.com/aaronsinc), on Twitter (www.twitter.com/AaronsInc) and at www.AaronsGives.com.

About Aaron's, Inc.

Headquartered in Atlanta, Aaron's, Inc. (NYSE: AAN) is a leader in the sales and lease ownership and specialty retailing of furniture, consumer electronics, home appliances and accessories, and currently has more than 1,930 Company-operated and franchised stores in 47 states and Canada. Progressive Leasing, a leading virtual lease-to-own company, provides lease-purchase solutions through approximately 16,000 retail locations in 46 states. Dent-A-Med, Inc., d/b/a the HELPcard, provides a variety of second-look credit products that are originated through a federally insured bank. Aaron's was founded in 1955, has been publicly traded since 1982 and owns the Aarons.com, ProgLeasing.com, and HELPcard.com brands. For more information, visit www.aarons.com.

About Boys & Girls Clubs of America

For more than 100 years, Boys & Girls Clubs of America (GreatFutures.org) has enabled young people most in need to achieve great futures as productive, caring, responsible citizens. Today, more than 4,100 Clubs serve nearly 4 million young people through Club membership and community outreach. Clubs are located in cities, towns, public housing and on Native lands throughout the country, and serve military families in BGCA-affiliated Youth Centers on U.S. military installations worldwide. They provide a safe place, caring adult mentors, fun and friendship, and high-impact youth development programs on a daily basis during critical non-school hours. Club programs promote academic success, good character and citizenship, and healthy lifestyles. In a Harris Survey of alumni, 54 percent said the Club saved their lives. National headquarters are located in Atlanta. Learn more at www.facebook.com/bgca.clubs and https://twitter.com/BGCA_Clubs.

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20161024/431863

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20161024/431862

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130826/CL69318LOGO

SOURCE Aaron's, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.aaronsinc.com


LAKE ZURICH, Ill., Oct. 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- ACCO Brands Corporation (NYSE: ACCO), one of the world's largest designers, marketers and manufacturers of branded business, academic and consumer products, today reported its third quarter results for the period ended September 30, 2016. In a separate release, the company also today announced it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Esselte Group Holdings AB ("Esselte").

"We are excited to add Esselte, its talented employees and its portfolio of products and brands to the ACCO Brands family," said Boris Elisman, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of ACCO Brands. "We are also pleased to report solid third quarter results, driven by a strong back-to-school season in North America and continued effective operational execution. With the completion of the Pelikan Artline acquisition earlier in the year and the anticipated closing of the Esselte transaction in early 2017, our company is well positioned to deliver strong free cash flow as well as sales and earnings growth. After performing well for the first nine months, we are raising our 2016 guidance."

Third Quarter Results

Net sales increased 4% to $431.3 million from $413.6 million in the prior-year quarter. The acquisition of Pelikan Artline, which was completed May 2, 2016, added 7% to sales. Comparable sales declined 3%, as strong growth during back-to-school was more than offset by lower sales and destocking at certain customers and reduced volume in certain international markets. Operating income increased to $55.7 million from $54.8 million in the prior-year quarter despite one-time and restructuring charges of $5.2 million in the current quarter. Adjusted operating income increased to $60.9 million from $54.8 million in the prior year primarily due to the Pelikan Artline acquisition and productivity improvements. Net income was $22.7 million, or $0.21 per share, and included a $6.3 million non-cash loss from the refinement of the revaluation to fair value of the company's previously held equity investment in Pelikan Artline. This compared to a net income of $32.6 million, or $0.30 per share, in the prior-year quarter. Adjusted net income increased 3% to $32.0 million, or $0.29 per share, from $31.1 million, or $0.28 per share, in the prior-year quarter. The improvement was primarily driven by sales growth and improved gross margin.

Business Segment Highlights

ACCO Brands North America - Sales decreased 2% to $273.3 million from $279.8 million in the prior-year quarter. Sales decreased 2% on a constant currency basis as strong sales during back-to-school with mass merchant and e-tail customers were more than offset by declines in the wholesaler and office superstore channels. Operating income increased to $48.6 million from $48.4 million in the prior-year quarter, primarily due to cost savings and productivity improvements.

ACCO Brands International - Sales increased 23% to $128.5 million from $104.3 million in the prior-year quarter. The Pelikan Artline acquisition added 26% to International sales, or $27.6 million, and foreign exchange added 1%. On a comparable basis, sales decreased 4% due to volume declines. Operating income increased to $16.7 million from $11.3 million in the prior-year quarter. Adjusted operating income increased to $17.5 million from $11.2 million in the prior-year quarter due to Pelikan Artline, which contributed $4.5 million, and productivity improvements.

Computer Products - Sales were even with the prior year at $29.5 million. Operating income increased to $3.1 million from $2.7 million in the prior-year quarter due to improved gross margin.

Nine Month Results

Net sales increased 2% to $1.12 billion compared to $1.10 billion in the prior-year nine-month period. The Pelikan Artline acquisition contributed 4% and foreign currency reduced sales by 2%. On a comparable basis, sales were even with the prior year. Net income was $89.4 million, or $0.82 per share, compared to net income of $54.5 million, or $0.49 per share, in the prior-year period. The increase was primarily due to the $28.9 million gain from the revaluation to fair value of the company's previously held equity investment in Pelikan Artline, as well as a tax benefit of $10.7 million. Adjusted net income increased 10% to $59.5 million, or $0.55 per share, from $53.9 million, or $0.48 per share, in the prior-year period. The improvement was primarily the result of sales growth and gross margin expansion.

Business Outlook

The company is increasing its 2016 outlook for adjusted earnings per share and free cash flow. The company now expects adjusted earnings per share of $0.84-$0.86 and free cash flow of approximately $145 million. The company continues to expect 2016 sales to increase low single-digits.

Webcast

At 8:30 a.m. Eastern Time today, ACCO Brands Corporation will host a conference call to discuss the company's third quarter results as well as the acquisition of Esselte. The call will be broadcast live via webcast. The webcast can be accessed through the Investor Relations section of www.accobrands.com . The webcast will be in listen-only mode and will be available for replay for one month following the event.

Non-GAAP Financial Measures

To supplement our consolidated financial statements presented in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the U.S. ("GAAP"), in this earnings release, we provide investors with certain non-GAAP financial measures, including adjusted operating income, adjusted earnings per share, adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization ("EBITDA"), free cash flow and comparable net sales at constant currency. See our Reconciliation of GAAP to Adjusted Non-GAAP Information (Unaudited), Reconciliation of Net Income to Adjusted EBITDA (Unaudited), Reconciliation of Net Cash Provided by Operating Activities to Free Cash Flow (Unaudited), Supplemental Business Segment Information and Reconciliation (Unaudited) and our Supplemental Net Sales Change Analysis (Unaudited), for a description of each of these non-GAAP financial measures and a reconciliation to the most directly comparable GAAP financial measure for each of the periods presented herein. The Company provides forward-looking financial information on a non-GAAP basis for adjusted earnings per share and free cash flow. However, the Company does not provide a reconciliation of adjusted earnings per share because the GAAP financial measure is not accessible on a forward-looking basis and reconciling information is not available without unreasonable effort due to the inherent difficulty of forecasting and quantifying certain amounts that are necessary for such a reconciliation, including adjustments that could be made for restructuring, integration and acquisition-related expenses, the variability of our effective tax rate and other charges reflected in our historical numbers. The probable significance of each of these items is high and, based on historical experience, could be material.

We believe these non-GAAP financial measures are appropriate to enhance an overall understanding of our past financial performance and also our prospects for the future, as well as to facilitate comparisons with our historical operating results. Adjustments to our GAAP results are made with the intent of providing both management and investors a more complete understanding of our underlying operational results and trends. For example, the non-GAAP results are an indication of our baseline performance before gains, losses or other charges that are considered by management to be outside our core operating results. In addition, these non-GAAP financial measures are among the primary indicators management uses as a basis for our planning and forecasting of future periods and senior management's incentive compensation is derived, in part, using certain of these non-GAAP financial measures.

There are limitations in using non-GAAP financial measures because the non-GAAP financial measures are not prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles and may be different from non-GAAP financial measures used by other companies. The non-GAAP financial measures are limited in value because they exclude certain items that may have a material impact upon our reported financial results such as unusual income tax items, restructuring and integration charges, acquisition-related expenses, goodwill or other asset impairment charges, foreign currency fluctuation, and other one-time or non-recurring items. The presentation of this additional information is not meant to be considered in isolation or as a substitute for the directly comparable financial measures prepared in accordance with GAAP. Investors should review the reconciliation of the non-GAAP financial measures to their most directly comparable GAAP financial measures as provided in the tables accompanying this press release.

About ACCO Brands Corporation

ACCO Brands Corporation is one of the world's largest designers, marketers and manufacturers of branded business, academic and consumer products. Our widely recognized brands include Artline, AT-A-GLANCE, Derwent, Five Star, GBC, Hilroy, Kensington, Mead, Quartet, Rexel, Swingline, Tilibra, Wilson Jones and many others. Our products are sold in more than 100 countries around the world. More information about ACCO Brands can be found at www.accobrands.com .

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains statements, which may be "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. These forward-looking statements are subject to certain risks and uncertainties, are made as of the date hereof and we undertake no obligation to update them. In particular, our business outlook is based on certain assumptions, which we believe to be reasonable under the circumstances. These include, without limitation, assumptions regarding changes in the macro environment, fluctuations in foreign currency rates, changes in the competitive landscape and consumer behavior and the effect of consolidation in the office products industry, as well as other factors described below.

Our ability to predict results or the actual effect of future plans or strategies is inherently uncertain. Because actual results may differ from those predicted by such forward-looking statements, you should not place undue reliance on them when deciding whether to buy, sell or hold the Company's securities.

Among the factors that could affect our results or cause our plans, actions and results to differ materially from current expectations are: the risk that material conditions to closing the acquisition of Esselte Group Holding AB ("Esselte"), including regulatory approvals, may not be satisfied; the risk that the acquisition of Esselte may not be completed; the length of time necessary to consummate the acquisition of Esselte; the risk that material conditions to the entry into the Third Amended and Restated Credit Agreement may not be satisfied; our ability to realize the synergies, growth opportunities and other potential benefits of acquiring Esselte and successfully combine it with our existing business; the concentration of our business with a relatively limited number of large and sophisticated customers; the consolidation of our customers, including the merger of Office Depot and OfficeMax in late 2013; risks associated with foreign currency fluctuations; our ability to realize the synergies, growth opportunities and other potential benefits of the Pelikan Artline acquisition and successfully combine Pelikan Artline with our existing Australian business; shifts in the channels of distribution of our products; challenges related to the highly competitive business segments in which we operate, including, low barriers to entry, customers who have the ability to source their own private label products, limited retail space, competitors' strong brands, competition from imports from a range of countries, including countries with lower production costs, competitors' ability to source lower-cost products in local currencies and competition from a wide range of products and services, including electronic, digital and web-based products that can render obsolete or less desirable some of our products; our ability to develop and market innovative products that meet end-user demands; commercial and consumer spending decisions during periods of economic uncertainty or weakness; a failure of our information technology systems or supporting infrastructure or an information security breach; our ability to successfully expand our business in emerging markets which generally involve more financial, operational, legal and compliance risks and create exposure to unstable political conditions, civil unrest and economic volatility; our ability to grow profitably through acquisitions; the ability of our Computer Products Group to successfully compete in a rapidly changing and highly competitive industry; the impact of regulatory and self-regulatory requirements, litigation, regulatory actions or other legal claims or proceedings; the risks associated with outsourcing production of certain of our products, information systems and other administrative functions; the continued decline in the use of certain of our products, especially paper-based dated time management and productivity tools; risks associated with seasonality, raw material, labor and transportation cost fluctuations; the impact of pension costs; any impairment of our goodwill or other intangible assets; risks associated with our substantial indebtedness, including our significant debt service obligations, limitations imposed by restrictive covenants and our ability to comply with financial ratios and tests; our failure to comply with customer contracts; the insolvency, bankruptcy or financial instability of our customers and suppliers; our ability to secure, protect and maintain our intellectual property rights; our ability to attract and retain key employees; the volatility of our stock price; material disruptions at one of our or our suppliers' major manufacturing or distribution facilities resulting from circumstances outside our control; and other risks and uncertainties described in "Part I, Item 1A. Risk Factors" in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2015, in "Part II, Item 1A. Risk Factors" in our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2016 and in other reports we file with the SEC.



ACCO Brands Corporation and Subsidiaries Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets



(unaudited)



(in millions of dollars) September 30,

2016

December 31,

2015 Assets





Current assets:





Cash and cash equivalents $ 101.0



$ 55.4

Accounts receivable, net 344.7



369.3

Inventories 263.5



203.6

Other current assets 30.6



25.3

Total current assets 739.8



653.6

Total property, plant and equipment 541.5



526.1

Less: accumulated depreciation (339.4)



(317.0)

Property, plant and equipment, net 202.1



209.1

Deferred income taxes 27.3



25.1

Goodwill 595.6



496.9

Identifiable intangibles, net 575.2



520.9

Other non-current assets 16.6



47.8

Total assets $ 2,156.6



$ 1,953.4

Liabilities and Stockholders' Equity





Current liabilities:





Notes payable $ 20.0



$ 

Current portion of long-term debt 4.4





Accounts payable 150.5



147.6

Accrued compensation 38.2



34.0

Accrued customer program liabilities 82.5



108.7

Accrued interest 14.6



6.3

Other current liabilities 63.4



58.7

Total current liabilities 373.6



355.3

Long-term debt, net 759.8



720.5

Deferred income taxes 147.8



142.3

Pension and post-retirement benefit obligations 75.2



89.1

Other non-current liabilities 76.1



65.0

Total liabilities 1,432.5



1,372.2

Stockholders' equity:





Common stock 1.1



1.1

Treasury stock (16.9)



(11.8)

Paid-in capital 2,003.1



1,988.3

Accumulated other comprehensive loss (385.4)



(429.2)

Accumulated deficit (877.8)



(967.2)

Total stockholders' equity 724.1



581.2

Total liabilities and stockholders' equity $ 2,156.6



$ 1,953.4



ACCO Brands Corporation and Subsidiaries Consolidated Statements of Income (Unaudited) (In millions of dollars, except per share data)



Three Months Ended

September 30,





Nine Months Ended

September 30,





2016

2015

% Change

2016

2015

% Change Net sales $ 431.3



$ 413.6



4%

$ 1,119.5



$ 1,098.3



2% Cost of products sold 287.1



279.9



3%

758.1



757.7



% Gross profit 144.2



133.7



8%

361.4



340.6



6% Operating costs and expenses:





















Advertising, selling, general and administrative expenses 82.3



74.1



11%

233.1



219.4



6% Amortization of intangibles 5.8



4.8



21%

15.9



14.9



7% Restructuring charges (credits) 0.4







NM

4.8



(0.3)



NM Total operating costs and expenses 88.5



78.9



12%

253.8



234.0



8% Operating income 55.7



54.8



2%

107.6



106.6



1% Non-operating expense (income):





















Interest expense 13.0



11.0



18%

36.5



33.5



9% Interest income (1.8)



(1.9)



(5)%

(5.1)



(5.3)



(4)% Equity in earnings of joint venture 



(2.5)



NM

(2.1)



(5.1)



(59)% Other expense (income), net 6.8



0.3



NM

(28.7)



2.2



NM Income before income tax 37.7



47.9



(21)%

107.0



81.3



32% Income tax expense 15.0



15.3



(2)%

17.6



26.8



(34)% Net income $ 22.7



$ 32.6



(30)%

$ 89.4



$ 54.5



64%























Per share:





















Basic income per share $ 0.21



$ 0.30



(30)%

$ 0.84



$ 0.50



68% Diluted income per share $ 0.21



$ 0.30



(30)%

$ 0.82



$ 0.49



67%























Weighted average number of shares outstanding:





















Basic 107.2



108.0







106.8



109.7





Diluted 109.4



109.5







108.9



111.5





















































Statistics (as a % of Net sales, except Income tax rate)





































Three Months Ended

September 30,





Nine Months Ended

September 30,





2016

2015





2016

2015



Gross profit (Net sales, less Cost of products sold) 33.4 %

32.3 %





32.3 %

31.0 %



Advertising, selling, general and administrative 19.1 %

17.9 %





20.8 %

20.0 %



Operating income 12.9 %

13.2 %





9.6 %

9.7 %



Income before income tax 8.7 %

11.6 %





9.6 %

7.4 %



Net income 5.3 %

7.9 %





8.0 %

5.0 %



Income tax rate 39.8 %

31.9 %





16.4 %

33.0 %





ACCO Brands Corporation and Subsidiaries Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows (Unaudited)



Nine Months Ended September 30, (in millions of dollars) 2016

2015 Operating activities





Net income $ 89.4



$ 54.5

Revaluation gain on previously held joint-venture equity interest (28.9)





Amortization of inventory step-up 0.4





Gain on disposal of assets (0.5)



(0.1)

Depreciation 23.0



24.7

Other non-cash charges 



0.1

Amortization of debt issuance costs 3.2



2.5

Amortization of intangibles 15.9



14.9

Stock-based compensation 12.1



10.5

Loss on debt extinguishment 



1.9

Equity in earnings of joint ventures, net of dividends received (1.6)



(1.3)

Changes in balance sheet items:





Accounts receivable 67.7



40.7

Inventories (31.3)



(37.3)

Other assets 



(4.7)

Accounts payable (7.3)



(18.3)

Accrued expenses and other liabilities (37.7)



(36.1)

Accrued income taxes 5.6



17.7

Net cash provided by operating activities 110.0



69.7

Investing activities





Additions to property, plant and equipment (11.1)



(21.4)

Proceeds from the disposition of assets 0.8



2.7

Cost of acquisitions, net of cash acquired (88.8)





Net cash used by investing activities (99.1)



(18.7)

Financing activities





Proceeds from long-term borrowings 187.4



300.0

Repayments of long-term debt (163.5)



(320.1)

Borrowings of notes payable, net 7.8



46.2

Payments for debt issuance costs (0.8)



(1.7)

Repurchases of common stock 



(46.0)

Payments related to tax withholding for share-based compensation (5.0)



(5.9)

Excess tax benefit from share-based compensation 0.9





Proceeds from the exercise of stock options 1.9



0.5

Net cash provided (used) by financing activities 28.7



(27.0)

Effect of foreign exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents 6.0



(6.3)

Net increase in cash and cash equivalents 45.6



17.7

Cash and cash equivalents





Beginning of the period 55.4



53.2

End of the period $ 101.0



$ 70.9



ACCO Brands Corporation and Subsidiaries Reconciliation of GAAP to Adjusted Non-GAAP Information (Unaudited) (In millions of dollars, except per share data)



Three Months Ended September 30, 2016

Three Months Ended September 30, 2015





Reported

% of

Adjusted

Adjusted

% of

Reported

% of

Adjusted

Adjusted

% of

% Change

GAAP

Sales

Items

Non-GAAP

Sales

GAAP

Sales

Items

Non-GAAP

Sales

Adjusted Gross profit $ 144.2



33.4 %

$ 0.2

(A.1) $ 144.4



33.5 %

$ 133.7



32.3 %

$ 



$ 133.7



32.3 %

8 % Advertising, selling, general and administrative expenses 82.3



19.1 %

(4.6)

(A.2) 77.7



18.0 %

74.1



17.9 %





74.1



17.9 %

5 % Restructuring charges (credits) 0.4







(0.4)

(A.3) 



























NM Operating income 55.7



12.9 %

5.2



60.9



14.1 %

54.8



13.2 %





54.8



13.2 %

11 % Interest expense 13.0











13.0







11.0











11.0







18 % Other expense (income), net 6.8







(6.3)

(A.6) 0.5







0.3











0.3







67 % Income before income tax 37.7



8.7 %

11.5



49.2



11.4 %

47.9



11.6 %





47.9



11.6 %

3 % Income tax expense 15.0







2.2

(A.7) 17.2







15.3







1.5

(A.7) 16.8







2 % Income tax rate 39.8 %









35.0 %





31.9 %









35.0 %







Net income $ 22.7



5.3 %

$ 9.3



$ 32.0



7.4 %

$ 32.6



7.9 %

$ (1.5)



$ 31.1



7.5 %

3 % Diluted income per share $ 0.21







$ 0.09



$ 0.29







$ 0.30







$ (0.01)



$ 0.28







4 % Weighted average number of shares outstanding: 109.4











109.4







109.5











109.5























































Nine Months Ended September 30, 2016

Nine Months Ended September 30, 2015





Reported

% of

Adjusted

Adjusted

% of

Reported

% of

Adjusted

Adjusted

% of

% Change

GAAP

Sales

Items

Non-GAAP

Sales

GAAP

Sales

Items

Non-GAAP

Sales

Adjusted Gross profit $ 361.4



32.3 %

$ 0.4

(A.1) $ 361.8



32.3 %

$ 340.6



31.0 %

$ 



$ 340.6



31.0 %

6 % Advertising, selling, general and administrative expenses 233.1



20.8 %

(8.3)

(A.2) 224.8



20.1 %

219.4



20.0 %





219.4



20.0 %

2 % Restructuring charges (credits) 4.8







(4.8)

(A.3) 







(0.3)







0.3

(A.3) 







NM Operating income 107.6



9.6 %

13.5



121.1



10.8 %

106.6



9.7 %

(0.3)



106.3



9.7 %

14 % Interest expense 36.5







(0.9)

(A.4) 35.6







33.5







(0.1)

(A.5) 33.4







7 % Other expense (income), net (28.7)







29.9

(A.6) 1.2







2.2







(1.9)

(A.5) 0.3







300 % Income before income tax 107.0



9.6 %

(15.5)



91.5



8.2 %

81.3



7.4 %

1.7



83.0



7.6 %

10 % Income tax expense 17.6







14.4

(A.7) 32.0







26.8







2.3

(A.7) 29.1







10 % Income tax rate 16.4 %









35.0 %





33.0 %









35.0 %







Net income $ 89.4



8.0 %

$ (29.9)



$ 59.5



5.3 %

$ 54.5



5.0 %

$ (0.6)



$ 53.9



4.9 %

10 % Diluted income per share $ 0.82







$ (0.27)



$ 0.55







$ 0.49







$ (0.01)



$ 0.48







15 % Weighted average number of shares outstanding: 108.9











108.9







111.5











111.5











Notes for Reconciliation of GAAP to Adjusted Non-GAAP Information (Unaudited)





A.

"Adjusted" results exclude restructuring (credits) charges, amortization of the step-up in value of finished goods, transaction and integration expenses associated with the acquisition of Pelikan Artline and the pending acquisition of Esselte Group Holdings AB, other one-time or non-recurring items and all unusual income tax items, including income taxes related to the aforementioned items; in addition, income taxes have been recalculated at a normalized tax rate.

1. Represents the adjustment related to the amortization of step-up in the value of finished goods inventory associated with the acquisition of Pelikan Artline.

2. Represents the elimination of transaction and integration expenses. Expenses associated with the acquisition of Pelikan Artline were $0.3 million of integration expenses for the quarter ended September 30, 2016 and $2.0 million (consisting of $1.4 million in transaction and $0.6 million in integration expenses) for the nine months ended September 30, 2016. In addition, transaction expenses associated with the pending acquisition of Esselte Group Holdings AB were $4.3 million for the quarter ended September 30, 2016 and $6.3 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2016. An additional $2.0 million in Esselte Group Holdings AB transaction expenses that were incurred in the quarter ended June 30, 2016, but not previously identified as a transaction expense, have been excluded from the nine months ended September 30, 2016.

3. Represents restructuring charges (credits).

4. Represents a loan breakage fee of $0.5 million incurred in the acquisition of Pelikan Artline and the write-off debt issuance costs of $0.4 million due to a debt swap of part of our USD term loan for the new Australian dollar revolving loan.

5. Represents the write-off of debt issuance costs and other costs associated with the Company's refinancing in the second quarter of 2015.

6. Represents:



i. The fair value gain upon acquisition of Pelikan Artline. During the third quarter of 2016, the Company further refined its allocation of the purchase price to the acquired assets, which resulted in a $6.3 million reduction to the net gain on previously held equity interest. For the nine months ended September 30, 2016 the net gain was $28.9 million.



ii. The foreign currency gain of $1.0 million related to the settlement of certain intercompany transactions.

7. Primarily reflects the tax effect of the adjustments outlined in items A.1-6 above and adjusts the company's effective tax rate to a normalized rate of 35%. The Company's estimated long-term rate remains subject to variations from the mix of earnings across the Company's operating jurisdictions.

ACCO Brands Corporation and Subsidiaries Reconciliation of Net Income to Adjusted EBITDA (Unaudited) (In millions of dollars)

The following table sets forth a reconciliation of reported net income (loss) in accordance with GAAP to Adjusted EBITDA.





Three Months Ended September 30,





Nine Months Ended September 30,







2016

2015

% Change

2016

2015

% Change Net income $ 22.7



$ 32.6



(30) %

$ 89.4



$ 54.5



64 %

Inventory step-up amortization 0.2







NM



0.4







NM



Transaction and integration expenses 4.6







NM



8.3







NM



Restructuring charges (credits) 0.4







NM



4.8



(0.3)



NM



Depreciation 7.5



7.9



(5) %

23.0



24.7



(7) %

Stock-based compensation 4.2



2.9



45 %

12.1



10.5



15 %

Amortization of intangibles 5.8



4.8



21 %

15.9



14.9



7 %

Interest expense, net 11.2



9.1



23 %

31.4



28.2



11 %

Other expense (income), net 6.8



0.3



NM



(28.7)



2.2



NM



Income tax expense 15.0



15.3



(2) %

17.6



26.8



(34) % Adjusted EBITDA (non-GAAP) $ 78.4



$ 72.9



8 %

$ 174.2



$ 161.5



8 %

























Adjusted EBITDA as a % of Net Sales 18.2 %

17.6 %





15.6 %

14.7 %





Notes for Reconciliation of Net Income to Adjusted EBITDA

"Adjusted EBITDA" represents net income after adding back depreciation; stock-based compensation expense; amortization of intangibles; interest expense, net; other (income) expense, net and income tax expense. Adjusted EBITDA also excludes the amortization of step-up in value of finished goods inventory, transaction and integration expenses and restructuring charges (credits).

Reconciliation of Net Cash Provided by Operating Activities to Free Cash Flow (Unaudited) (In millions of dollars)

"Free Cash Flow" represents cash flow from operating activities less cash used for additions to property, plant and equipment and plus cash proceeds from the disposition of assets. The following table sets forth a reconciliation of reported net cash provided by operating activities in accordance with GAAP to Free Cash Flow.



Nine Months Ended

September 30, 2016

Nine Months Ended

September 30, 2015

2016 Outlook Net cash provided by operating activities $ 110.0



$ 69.7



$ 164.2













Net cash (used) provided by:









Additions to property, plant and equipment (11.1)



(21.4)



(20.0)

Proceeds from the disposition of assets 0.8



2.7



0.8

Free cash flow (non-GAAP) $ 99.7



$ 51.0



$ 145.0



ACCO Brands Corporation and Subsidiaries Supplemental Business Segment Information and Reconciliation (Unaudited) (In millions of dollars)



2016

2015

Changes

















Adjusted

















Adjusted

















Reported





Adjusted

Operating





Reported





Adjusted

Operating





Adjusted Adjusted







Operating





Operating

Income





Operating





Operating

Income





Operating Operating



Reported

Income

Adjusted

Income

(Loss)

Reported

Income

Adjusted

Income

(Loss)

Net Sales Net Sales Income Income Margin

Net Sales

(Loss)

Items

(Loss) (A)

Margin (A)

Net Sales

(Loss)

Items

(Loss) (A)

Margin (A)

$ % (Loss) $ (Loss) % Points Q1:

















































ACCO Brands North America $ 165.7



$ 10.3



$ 



$ 10.3



6.2%

$ 166.7



$ 5.6



$ (0.5)



$ 5.1



3.1%

$ (1.0)

(1)% $ 5.2

102% 310 ACCO Brands International 85.3



3.8







3.8



4.5%

94.6



3.3







3.3



3.5%

(9.3)

(10)% 0.5

15% 100 Computer Products 27.1



1.7







1.7



6.3%

28.7



2.0







2.0



7.0%

(1.6)

(6)% (0.3)

(15)% (70) Corporate 



(9.3)



0.6



(8.7)











(8.3)







(8.3)











(0.4)





Total $ 278.1



$ 6.5



$ 0.6



$ 7.1



2.6%

$ 290.0



$ 2.6



$ (0.5)



$ 2.1



0.7%

$ (11.9)

(4)% $ 5.0

238% 190



















































Q2:

















































ACCO Brands North America $ 279.1



$ 51.6



$ 1.2



$ 52.8



18.9%

$ 268.6



$ 50.1



$ 



$ 50.1



18.7%

$ 10.5

4% $ 2.7

5% 20 ACCO Brands International 101.3



2.9



3.8



6.7



6.6%

96.7



6.2







6.2



6.4%

4.6

5% 0.5

8% 20 Computer Products 29.7



3.2



(0.1)



3.1



10.4%

29.4



2.2



0.2



2.4



8.2%

0.3

1% 0.7

29% 220 Corporate 



(12.3)



2.8



(9.5)











(9.3)







(9.3)











(0.2)





Total $ 410.1



$ 45.4



$ 7.7



$ 53.1



12.9%

$ 394.7



$ 49.2



$ 0.2



$ 49.4



12.5%

$ 15.4

4% $ 3.7

7% 40



















































Q3:

















































ACCO Brands North America $ 273.3



$ 48.6



$ 



$ 48.6



17.8%

$ 279.8



$ 48.4



$ 



$ 48.4



17.3%

$ (6.5)

(2)% $ 0.2

% 50 ACCO Brands International 128.5



16.7



0.8



17.5



13.6%

104.3



11.3



(0.1)



11.2



10.7%

24.2

23% 6.3

56% 290 Computer Products 29.5



3.1







3.1



10.5%

29.5



2.7



0.1



2.8



9.5%



% 0.3

11% 100 Corporate 



(12.7)



4.4



(8.3)











(7.6)







(7.6)











(0.7)





Total $ 431.3



$ 55.7



$ 5.2



$ 60.9



14.1%

$ 413.6



$ 54.8



$ 



$ 54.8



13.2%

$ 17.7

4% $ 6.1

11% 90



















































Q4:

















































ACCO Brands North America



















$ 248.2



$ 43.5



$ (0.1)



$ 43.4



17.5%











ACCO Brands International



















131.3



20.0







20.0



15.2%











Computer Products



















32.6



3.4







3.4



10.4%











Corporate























(10.0)







(10.0)

















Total



















$ 412.1



$ 56.9



$ (0.1)



$ 56.8



13.8%































































Full Year:

















































ACCO Brands North America $ 718.1



$ 110.5



$ 1.2



$ 111.7



15.6%

$ 963.3



$ 147.6



$ (0.6)



$ 147.0



15.3%











ACCO Brands International 315.1



23.4



4.6



28.0



8.9%

426.9



40.8



(0.1)



40.7



9.5%











Computer Products 86.3



8.0



(0.1)



7.9



9.2%

120.2



10.3



0.3



10.6



8.8%











Corporate 



(34.3)



7.8



(26.5)











(35.2)







(35.2)

















Total $ 1,119.5



$ 107.6



$ 13.5



$ 121.1



10.8%

$ 1,510.4



$ 163.5



$ (0.4)



$ 163.1



10.8%































































(A) See "Notes for Reconciliation of GAAP to Adjusted Non-GAAP Information (Unaudited)" for a description of adjusted items on page 9.

ACCO Brands Corporation and Subsidiaries Supplemental Net Sales Change Analysis (Unaudited)





Percent Change - Sales



GAAP Non-GAAP









































Comparable











Net Sales

Currency





Net Sales











Change

Translation

Acquisition

Change (A)

Price

$ Volume/Mix Q1 2016:























ACCO Brands North America

(0.6)%

(1.2)%

%

0.6%

1.0%

(0.4)% ACCO Brands International

(9.8)%

(11.6)%

%

1.8%

9.3%

(7.5)% Computer Products

(5.6)%

(2.1)%

%

(3.5)%

3.8%

(7.3)% Total

(4.1)%

(4.7)%

%

0.6%

4.0%

(3.4)%

























Q2 2016:























ACCO Brands North America

3.9%

(0.7)%

%

4.6%

1.8%

2.8% ACCO Brands International

4.8%

(4.8)%

17.4%

(7.8)%

10.2%

(18.0)% Computer Products

1.0%

(0.7)%

%

1.7%

2.0%

(0.3)% Total

3.9%

(1.7)%

4.3%

1.3%

3.9%

(2.6)%

























Q3 2016:























ACCO Brands North America

(2.3)%

%

%

(2.3)%

%

(2.3)% ACCO Brands International

23.2%

0.8%

26.4%

(4.0)%

6.5%

(10.5)% Computer Products

%

%

%

%

1.7%

(1.7)% Total

4.3%

0.2%

6.7%

(2.6)%

1.8%

(4.4)%

























2016 YTD:























ACCO Brands North America

0.4%

(0.6)%

%

1.0%

0.9%

0.1% ACCO Brands International

6.6%

(5.0)%

15.0%

(3.4)%

8.6%

(12.0)% Computer Products

(1.5)%

(0.9)%

%

(0.6)%

2.5%

(3.1)% Total

1.9%

(1.8)%

4.0%

(0.3)%

3.1%

(3.4)% (A) Sales excluding acquisitions and with current period foreign operation sales translated at prior year currency rates.

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SOURCE ACCO Brands Corporation

Related Links

http://accobrands.com


LAKE ZURICH, Ill., Oct. 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- ACCO Brands Corporation (NYSE: ACCO), one of the world's largest designers, marketers and manufacturers of branded business, academic and consumer products, today announced that it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Esselte Group Holdings AB ("Esselte"), a leading European office products company, from private equity firm J.W. Childs for $333 million in cash.1 Esselte's 2015 sales were $458 million with adjusted EBITDA of $60 million.1 ACCO Brands plans to combine Esselte with its existing European operations, creating a pan-European leader in branded business products.

Esselte is a leading European manufacturer and marketer of office and consumer products. It takes products to market under the Leitz, Rapid and Esselte brands in the storage and organization, stapling and punch, business machines and do-it-yourself tools product categories. Through its combination with Esselte, ACCO Brands increases its scale and enhances its position as an industry leader in the European marketplace.

"The acquisition supports our brand leadership strategy, creates a pan-European leader in branded business products and further solidifies ACCO Brands' position as a leading global marketer and manufacturer of branded business, academic and consumer products," said Boris Elisman, chairman, president and chief executive officer of ACCO Brands Corporation. "We believe this acquisition will provide investors with a compelling financial benefit and further enhance ACCO Brands' strategic ability to grow long-term shareholder value. We expect this combination to be immediately accretive to adjusted earnings per share."

The combination is expected to:

Yield an estimated $23 million of annualized cost synergies, or approximately $0.13 per share, within 3 years, excluding one-time restructuring, integration and purchase accounting costs;

of annualized cost synergies, or approximately per share, within 3 years, excluding one-time restructuring, integration and purchase accounting costs; Result in $0.12 adjusted EPS accretion in the first 12-month period, including synergies of $0.03 per share but excluding charges;

adjusted EPS accretion in the first 12-month period, including synergies of per share but excluding charges; Generate incremental free cash flow of approximately $20 million in year one, growing to approximately $55 million in year three;

in year one, growing to approximately in year three; Create a premier branded pan-European player, with more than $600 million in combined European sales, providing greater consumer access, deeper channel relationships and cost leverage;

in combined European sales, providing greater consumer access, deeper channel relationships and cost leverage; Complement ACCO Brands' existing European sales footprint, adding significant revenue in continental Europe ;

; Add important new brands and products in key categories to ACCO Brands' existing portfolio of leading brands and provide incremental sales opportunities outside of Europe ; and

; and Enhance product innovation, category management and customer relevance.

Other Financial Details, Approvals and Timing

The transaction will be funded with cash and Euro-denominated bank debt. As part of the financing, and contingent upon the deal closing, the company intends to refinance its existing senior-secured credit facilities.

As part of the acquisition, ACCO Brands will assume an estimated $160 million of unfunded pension liabilities, net of associated deferred tax, predominantly in Germany. German pension law does not require pre-funding of pension liabilities, which will be payable over approximately the next 40 years.

The closing of the transaction is subject to the satisfaction of customary closing conditions, including regulatory approvals, and is expected to be completed in early 2017.

ACCO Brands Corporation's financial advisor in the transaction is Rothschild. Its legal advisor is Latham & Watkins LLP.

Webcast

At 8:30 a.m. Eastern Time today, ACCO Brands Corporation will host a conference call to discuss the transaction and its third quarter 2016 financial results. The call will be broadcast live via webcast. The webcast can be accessed through the Investor Relations section of www.accobrands.com . The webcast will be in listen-only mode and will be available for replay for one month following the event.

About the Companies

ACCO Brands Corporation is one of the world's largest designers, marketers and manufacturers of branded business, academic and consumer products. Our widely recognized brands include Artline, AT-A-GLANCE, Derwent, Five Star, GBC, Hilroy, Kensington, Mead, Quartet, Rexel, Swingline, Tilibra, Wilson Jones and many others. Our products are sold in more than 100 countries around the world. More information about ACCO Brands can be found at www.accobrands.com .

Esselte is a leading global manufacturer and marketer of branded office products serving over 10,000 customers in over 120 countries. Esselte takes products to market under the Leitz, Rapid and Esselte brands in the storage and organization, stapling and punch, business machines and do-it-yourself tools product categories.

J.W. Childs is a Boston-based private equity firm focused on investing in middle-market growth companies. Since inception in 1995, J.W. Childs has invested in excess of $3 billion of equity capital in more than 45 best-in-class companies across the consumer, specialty retail and healthcare industries. The firm's success has been built on its industry focus and the extensive operating expertise of its partners. J.W. Childs is investing out of its fourth private equity fund, which was raised in 2014. For more information about J.W. Childs Associates, please visit www.jwchilds.com.

Non-GAAP Financial Measures

In this press release, the Company provides forward-looking financial information on a non-GAAP basis for adjusted earnings per share and free cash flow. However, the Company does not provide a reconciliation of adjusted earnings per share or free cash flow to GAAP because the GAAP financial measures are not accessible on a forward-looking basis and reconciling information is not available without unreasonable effort due to the inherent difficulty of forecasting and quantifying certain amounts that are necessary for such a reconciliation, including adjustments that could be made for restructuring, integration and acquisition-related expenses, the variability of our effective tax rate and other charges reflected in our historical numbers. The probably significance of each of these items is high and based, on historical experience, could be material.

We believe these non-GAAP financial measures are appropriate to enhance an overall understanding of our prospects for the future, assuming the acquisition is completed.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains statements, which may be "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. These forward-looking statements are subject to certain risks and uncertainties, are made as of the date hereof and we undertake no obligation to update them. In particular, our business outlook is based on certain assumptions, which we believe to be reasonable under the circumstances. These include, without limitation, assumptions regarding changes in the macro environment, fluctuations in foreign currency rates, changes in the competitive landscape and consumer behavior and the effect of consolidation in the office products industry, as well as other factors described below.

Our ability to predict results or the actual effect of future plans or strategies is inherently uncertain. Because actual results may differ from those predicted by such forward-looking statements, you should not place undue reliance on them when deciding whether to buy, sell or hold the Company's securities.

Among the factors that could affect our results or cause our plans, actions and results to differ materially from current expectations are: the risk that material conditions to the closing of the acquisition of Esselte Group Holdings AB ("Esselte"), including regulatory approvals, may not be satisfied; the risks that the acquisition of Esselte may not be completed; the length of time necessary to consummate the acquisition of Esselte; the risk that material conditions to the entry into the Third Amended and Restated Credit Agreement may not be satisfied; our ability to realize the synergies, growth opportunities and other potential benefits of acquiring Esselte and successfully combine it with our existing business; the effect of foreign currency, and other risks and uncertainties described in "Part I, Item 1A. Risk Factors" in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2015, in "Part II, Item 1A. Risk Factors" in our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2016 and in other reports we file with the SEC.

1 Based on exchange rates of 1 EUR:1.12US$

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SOURCE ACCO Brands Corporation

Related Links

http://accobrands.com


ADELAIDE, Australia, October 23, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

The first Australian World Routes will take place in Adelaide following the city's successful bid to host the event in 2019.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20150730/250177LOGO )

World Routes brings together over 3,000 delegates from airlines, airports and tourism authorities to discuss new air services. The largest conference and meeting forum in the aviation industry, World Routes moves to a new location every year to showcase different destinations to the airline network planning community.

The 25th annual World Routes Development Forum will be hosted by South Australian Tourism Commission, Tourism Australia and Adelaide Airport. The event will bring South Australia to the attention of the world's leading airlines and provide a unique opportunity to negotiate new services.

Last year visitors injected a record AUD$5.95 billion into South Australia's visitor economy, as the State continued to attract a record number of international and interstate guests. An estimated 422,000 international travellers contributed a record AUD$944 million, up 9.5 percent from the previous year. South Australia appeals to visitors as a one stop destination for world class wine, unbeatable produce and unique native wildlife.

Tourists can cuddle a koala at Cleland Wildlife Park, swim with dolphins at the beachside suburb of Glenelg and cage dive with great white sharks on the Eyre Peninsula. Murray River, Kangaroo Island, the mountains of Flinders Ranges and 30km of unbroken white sand beaches are also popular.

World Routes will support South Australia's aim to achieve an AUD$8 billion tourism industry by 2020 through the growth of Adelaide's air services. The event itself will have an estimated impact of AUD$21 million on the local visitor economy.

Adelaide is Australia's fastest growing capital city airport. It was redeveloped in 2005 at a cost of AUD$260 million and AUD$1 billion is currently being spent on projects to further expand its capacity. Passenger numbers have grown steadily in the last decade to over 7.7 million and aircraft movements are expected to grow by 3% annually over the next 20 years.

The new routes added to Adelaide's international network this year include Qatar Airways' service to Doha and China Southern Airlines' service to Guangzhou (due to start in December).

UBM organises Routes events. Michael Duck, executive vice president of UBM Asia, said: "The first Australian World Routes will be an exciting event for our business. Adelaide is growing in popularity as a destination and it is a gateway to South Australia's many attractions. We look forward to working with the Adelaide team in the coming years."

South Australian, Minister for Tourism, Leon Bignell said: "Securing World Routes 2019 is a huge coup for South Australia. We beat the rest of the world to bring this massive convention to Adelaide.

"It is the world's biggest trade conference and will help deepen our connections with aviation leaders as well as see more than $20 million pumped into our visitor economy. The redeveloped Riverbank Precinct, together with the State's growing list of international airlines flying direct into Adelaide such as Qatar and China Southern, helped Adelaide secure World Routes. We are increasingly becoming internationally renowned as a world-class destination for major business events.

"We know South Australia is a great place to live, and now more people from interstate and overseas are discovering what our State has to offer. Our visitor economy is at a record $5.95 billion, as our State continues to attract record numbers of interstate and international visitors.

"That is why the State Government sees tourism and major events as an important part of the transformation of South Australia's economy.

"Our investments in recent years in our vibrant city and magnificent regions and our efforts to attract new major events to South Australia are delivering immediate results.

"The State Government's strong partnership with Adelaide Airport Limited, Tourism Australia and the Adelaide Convention Bureau has also been instrumental in securing World Routes 2019 and I would like to thank them for their support and contribution," Minister Bignell said.

More information about World Routes can be found at routesonline.com

World Routes 2019, Autumn 2019, Adelaide Convention Bureau, Adelaide, Australia.

Notes to Editors

About Routes

Routes events are unique forums dedicated to the development of new air services. Five 'regional' route development forums are held between February and July in the Americas, Asia , Europe and Africa . The flagship World Routes event takes place in September. http://www.routesonline.com

, and . The flagship World Routes event takes place in September. http://www.routesonline.com The events revolve around pre-scheduled meetings and an exhibition and conference which are delivered in partnership with host stakeholders. Hosts tend to be a collaboration between airports, tourism authorities and investment partners (the bidding process takes place two to three years before the event takes place).

Routes is part of the EMEA division of UBM plc.

For further information contact:



Karen Reeves

Communications & Content Marketing Manager

Routes, UBM EMEA

T: +44(0)161-234-2721

M: +44(0)796-6405-105

E: [email protected]

SOURCE Routes
Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, Oct. 24

By Huseyn Hasanov Trend:

The presidential election campaign started in Turkmenistan October 24, the countrys Central Election Commission said in a message.

Nomination of candidates will begin 60 days before the election day. The presidential election will be held February 12, 2017 in accordance with the decision of the Parliament of Turkmenistan.

The Central Election Commission discussed a number of organizational issues at the meeting. Invited international experts and observers will be monitoring the course of the upcoming campaign.

In accordance with the decision of the Central Election Commission, the corresponding polling stations will be set up at the diplomatic missions of Turkmenistan abroad for compatriots who will be outside of the country on the election day.

Participants of the meeting were unanimous that their main goal is to do everything for the next Turkmen presidential election to be held at the highest organizational level, in strict compliance with the current electoral laws of the country and international law, the message said.

Incumbent Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov was elected to this post twice.

During the last election in February 2012, 97.4 percent of voters cast their ballots for him. President of Turkmenistan is elected for a term of seven years, according to the recently adopted new constitution of the country.
LAS VEGAS, October 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

AEVI enabled BBPOS Android-based terminal WisePOS to connect to the Global Marketplace, branching into easily mobile device options to provide more tailored solutions to customers. At this year's Money 20/20, being held in Las Vegas, AEVI is making a statement about being a truly open ecosystem. The company is announcing its cooperation with hardware vendor BBPOS on their device WisePOS, which runs in AEVI's portfolio as Sofia. Sofia complements AEVI's Albert offering, and is the first third-party device connected to AEVI's Marketplace.

AEVI's drive comes from the belief that the industry needs to turn challenges into strategic upsides, with real end-consumer interaction. This is why the company has built a future-proofed, open ecosystem for secure transactions and value-added apps and services. Through the Global Marketplace, a white-labelled B2B app store for merchant banks and merchant acquirers, AEVI delivers a portfolio of high-quality and secure apps and services, enabling a whole new range of value propositions through innovative SmartPOS devices. Merchants can download apps from an acquirer-branded marketplace, which enable them to create a customised operational environment tailored to their business needs.

With the ecosystem, AEVI is pushing the boundaries of collaboration to enable merchant banks and acquirers to provide choice to their merchants, rather than locking merchants into a single system or device. AEVI welcomes further hardware vendors and app developers to connect with the Global Marketplace.

Mike Camerling, Chief Product Officer and Board Member of AEVI says: "We are pleased to announce the cooperation with BBPOS, who shares our vision of collaboration open solutions that have the power to deliver more value and choice. We will continue to build an open ecosystem and connect more devices to our Marketplace to increase the options available to our customers.

Sofia is a hand-held, all-in-one, four-inch Smart POS device that integrates magstripe, EMV, and NFC card readers, a barcode scanner and a 5-megapixel camera. As an AEVI enabled device, Sofia can run all apps available on AEVI's Global Marketplace. Combined with the right business apps, the device provides increased mobility in taking payments and performing other secure transactions.

Sofia combines with the ever-growing app content on the Global Marketplace to allow merchant acquirers to provide even more tailored solutions for their customers. The acquirers and merchant banks working with AEVI to provide merchants a customised marketplace can now offer a choice of two devices to merchants, depending on the mobility they require. Sofia is an ideal solution for highly mobile industries, such as transport and delivery services.

"The cooperation with AEVI set a milestone in the payments industry, with two of the biggest players join forces in enhancing the payment experience", says Alex Choi, CEO of BBPOS. "We particularly like their open approach and Global Marketplace that is so innovative", Choi continues, "WisePOS TM and the AEVI's ecosystem is a perfect match, in that the device enhances the functionality of AEVI's ecosystem and vice versa. Together we provide more choice to merchants, which aligns with our international market strategy to convert payment devices into multifunctional terminals and create enhanced user experiences."

- End -

Notes to Editors :

About BBPOS:

BBPOS was founded in 2008 and is an electronic payment solution provider headquartered in Hong Kong with regional offices in San Jose, Miami, London, Singapore and Shanghai. Today, the company is respected as a leading innovator, designer, and manufacturer of end-to-end mobile POS solutions, serving key sectors including mobile merchants, retail, hospitality, delivery, transport and government.

The company's world-class engineering team has developed a family of innovative POS devices delivering quality solutions while implementing the highest security standards. Products are designed with the flexibility to securely manage any transaction, in any environment, anywhere in the world. In March 2016, BBPOS was ranked 6th among 212 global payment industry players with a high score of 70 by mPOS tracker.

| http://www.bbpos.com |

About AEVI:

AEVI has developed a unique, open ecosystem to bring merchant banks and merchant acquirers closer to their merchants, and merchants closer to their consumers. AEVI provides a global gateway for secure payment transactions together with a marketplace for high-quality value-added apps and services (VAAS) providing new business opportunities beyond payments, which enables fast and effective innovation, plus enhanced control and flexibility. This combination delivers a reduced total cost of ownership for clients.

AEVI works with customers to help them embrace collaboration and adopt open solutions that have the power to deliver more value and better meet the needs of today's consumer.

In short, AEVI enables businesses to DO MORE.

| http://www.aevi.com |

AEVI International GmbH is a subsidiary company of Diebold Nixdorf and is headquartered in Germany with operations in the Czech Republic and the United Kingdom.

AEVI Press & Media Contact:

[email protected]

Tel.: +49 (0) 52 51 / 693-3375

SOURCE AEVI
DUBLIN, Oct. 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Allergan plc (NYSE: AGN), a leading global pharmaceutical company committed to improving outcomes and meeting critical needs in infectious diseases, will present new data from its anti-infectives portfolio as a part of 23 presentations at the upcoming IDWeek 2016, taking place Oct. 26-30, 2016, in New Orleans.

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Presentations will feature microbiology, clinical and health outcomes and economics data, including two oral presentations evaluating patient risk factors for carbapenem-resistant Enterobactericeae (CRE) and timing of appropriate therapy in patients with serious infections, as well as other poster presentations addressing the cost of infections due to multi-drug resistant Gram-negative pathogens and acute bacterial skin and skin structure infections (ABSSSI). Additional data will highlight AVYCAZ (ceftazidime and avibactam) clinical efficacy and susceptibility in certain difficult-to-treat pathogens; DALVANCE (dalbavancin) pediatric safety and in vitro activity in Gram-positive pathogens causing ABSSSI; and TEFLARO (ceftaroline fosamil) clinical outcomes and in vitro activity in Gram-positive pathogens, including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA).

"The diverse range of data presented at IDWeek underscore the burden to patients and the healthcare system that can result from a variety of serious infections," said David Nicholson, Ph.D., Chief R&D Officer, Allergan. "Allergan remains committed to ongoing research and development of its portfolio, as well as providing physicians with education and surveillance data that may improve clinical outcomes for patients."

The scheduled times and titles of all the presentations are as follows:

Oral Presentations

Saturday, October 29, 10:56  11:09 a.m. CT

Presentation #1794: Identification of Patients at Greatest Risk for Carbapenem Resistance in Patients with Serious HospitalOnset Infections Due to Enterobacteriaceae Species

Saturday, October 29, 11:22  11:35 a.m. CT

Presentation #1796: Does Timing of Receipt of Appropriate Antimicrobial Therapy Make a Difference among Patients with Serious Infections Due to Resistant GramNegative Pathogens?

Poster Presentations

AVYCAZ (ceftazidime and avibactam)

Thursday, October 27, 12:30  2 p.m. CT

Poster #580: Evaluation of Avibactam Combined with Beta-Lactams against Non-Tuberculous Mycobacteria

Poster #703: Ceftazidime-Avibactam Antimicrobial Activity and Spectrum When Tested Against Gram-Negative Organisms from Pediatric Patients: Results from the INFORM Surveillance Program ( USA , 2011-2015)

Friday, October 28, 12:30  2 p.m. CT

Poster #1324: In Vitro Activity of Ceftazidime-Avibactam (CAZ-AVI) against Urinary Tract Infection (UTI) and Intra-Abdominal Infection (IAI) Pathogens from Latin America : Results of the INFORM Surveillance Initiative

Saturday, October 29, 12:30  2 p.m. CT

Poster #2044: Efficacy of Ceftazidime-Avibactam against Multi-Drug Resistant Enterobacteriaceae and Pseudomonas aeruginosa from the Phase 3 Clinical Trial Program

Pseudomonas aeruginosa Poster #1850: Antimicrobial Susceptibility of KPC-Producing Enterobacteriaceae Stratified by Infection Site ( USA , 2012-2015)

Poster #1837: Ceftazidime-Avibactam Activity When Tested against Gram-Negative Bacteria Isolated from Patients with Pneumonia, Including Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia (VAP), Hospitalized in United States Medical Centers (2011-2015)

Poster #1831: Antimicrobial Activity of Ceftazidime-Avibactam Tested against Pseudomonas Aeruginosa Isolates from USA Hospitals Stratified by Site of Infection: Results from the INFORM Surveillance Program, 2013-2015

DALVANCE (dalbavancin)

Friday, October 28, 12:30  2 p.m. CT

Poster #1163: Necrotizing Fasciitis (NF) within the First 72 Hours after Presentation with Skin and Skin Structure Infection

Saturday, October 29, 12:30  2 p.m. CT

Poster #1834: Dalbavancin In Vitro Activity Obtained against Gram-Positive Clinical Isolates Causing Osteomyelitis in USA Hospitals (2011-2015)

In Vitro Poster #1970: Dalbavancin Pharmacokinetics and Safety in Children 3 Months to 11 Years of Age

Poster #1835: Activity of Dalbavancin Tested against Gram-Positive Clinical Isolates Causing Skin and Skin Structure Infections in Pediatric Patients from USA Hospitals (2014-2015)

TEFLARO (ceftaroline fosamil)

Friday, October 28, 12:30  2 p.m. CT

Poster #1263: Clinical Use of Ceftaroline Fosamil for the Treatment of Hospital-Acquired Pneumonia and Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia

Poster #1126: Clinical Use of Ceftaroline Fosamil for the Treatment of Gram  Positive Osteomyelitis

Poster #1164: In vitro Activity of Ceftaroline against Skin and Soft Tissue and Respiratory Pathogens Isolated from Latin America

Poster #1091: Clinical Use of Ceftaroline Fosamil for the Treatment of Gram-Positive Bacteremia: CAPTURE Study Experience

Saturday, October 29, 12:30  2 p.m. CT

Poster #1846: Evaluation of the in vitro Activity of Ceftaroline Tested against Clinical Bacterial Isolates from USA hospitals: Results from 5 Years of the AWARE Surveillance Program (2011-2015)

Clinical and Health Outcomes and Economics Data

Thursday, October 27, 12:30  2 p.m. CT

Poster #355: Association between Carbapenem Resistance and Mortality among Adults Hospitalized with Serious Infections Due to an Enterobacteriaceae spp: Results of a Systematic Literature Review and Meta  Analysis

Poster #319: Outcome of Initial Antibiotic Treatments among Hospitalized Patients with Hospital- and Healthcare-Associated Bacterial Infections in Brazil : Findings of the RECOMMEND Study

Friday, October 28, 12:30  2 p.m. CT

Poster #1146: Economic Burden of Inpatient Stays for Patients with Acute Bacterial Skin and Skin Structure Infections in the United States : A Retrospective Observational Analysis of Premier Hospital Admissions

Poster #1145: Hospital Cost and Reimbursement for Acute Bacterial Skin and Skin Structure Infections: A Retrospective Observational Analysis of Admissions Using 2014 Medicare Claims Data

Saturday, October 29, 12:30  2 p.m. CT

Poster #2045: Clinical and Economic Burden of Multi-Drug Resistant Pseudomonas sp. (MDRP) among Patients with Serious Infections in U.S. Hospitals

Full abstracts can be found on the IDWeek website at http://www.idweekinternational.com.

About AVYCAZ

AVYCAZ is an antibiotic developed to treat certain serious Gram-negative bacterial infections. It consists of ceftazidime, a third-generation cephalosporin and established treatment for serious Gram-negative bacterial infections, and avibactam, a non- lactam -lactamase inhibitor.

The addition of avibactam to ceftazidime protects ceftazidime from breakdown by certain -lactamases. AVYCAZ offers a differentiated profile in the treatment of complicated intra-abdominal infections (cIAI) (in combination with metronidazole) and complicated urinary tract infections (cUTI) caused by designated microorganisms in patients 18 years or older through its in vitro activity against Enterobacteriaceae, including those that produce certain extended-spectrum beta-lactamases (ESBLs) and Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase (KPCs), and difficult-to-treat Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

Ceftazidime and avibactam is being jointly developed with AstraZeneca. Allergan holds the rights to commercialize ceftazidime and avibactam in North America under the brand name AVYCAZ, while AstraZeneca holds the rights to commercialize the combination in the rest of the world under the brand name Zavicefta.

INDICATIONS AND USAGE

Complicated Intra-Abdominal Infections (cIAI)

AVYCAZ (ceftazidime and avibactam), in combination with metronidazole, is indicated for the treatment of complicated intra-abdominal infections (cIAI) caused by the following susceptible Gram-negative microorganisms: Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Proteus mirabilis, Enterobacter cloacae, Klebsiella oxytoca, Citrobacter freundii complex, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa in patients 18 years or older.

Complicated Urinary Tract Infections (cUTI), including Pyelonephritis

AVYCAZ is indicated for the treatment of complicated urinary tract infections (cUTI) including pyelonephritis caused by the following susceptible microorganisms: Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Citrobacter koseri, Enterobacter aerogenes, Enterobacter cloacae, Citrobacter freundii, Proteus spp., and Pseudomonas aeruginosa in patients 18 years or older.

In the treatment of cUTI, as only limited clinical safety and efficacy data for AVYCAZ are currently available, reserve AVYCAZ for use in patients with cUTI who have limited or no alternative treatment options.

Usage

To reduce the development of drug-resistant bacteria and maintain the effectiveness of AVYCAZ and other antibacterial drugs, AVYCAZ should be used only to treat infections that are proven or strongly suspected to be caused by susceptible bacteria.

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION

CONTRAINDICATIONS

AVYCAZ is contraindicated in patients with known serious hypersensitivity to the components of AVYCAZ (ceftazidime and avibactam), avibactam-containing products, or other members of the cephalosporin class.

WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS

In a Phase 3 cIAI trial, clinical cure rates were lower in a subgroup of patients with baseline creatinine clearance (CrCl) of 30 to less than or equal to 50 mL/min compared to those with CrCl greater than 50 mL/min. The reduction in clinical cure rates was more marked in patients treated with AVYCAZ plus metronidazole compared to meropenem-treated patients. Clinical cure rates in patients with normal renal function/mild renal impairment (CrCl greater than 50 mL/min) was 85% (322/379) with AVYCAZ plus metronidazole vs 86% (321/373) with meropenem, and clinical cure rates in patients with moderate renal impairment (CrCl 30 to less than or equal to 50 mL/min) was 45% (14/31) with AVYCAZ plus metronidazole vs 74% (26/35) with meropenem. Within this subgroup, patients treated with AVYCAZ received a 33% lower daily dose than is currently recommended for patients with CrCl of 30 to less than or equal to 50 mL/min. Monitor CrCl at least daily in patients with changing renal function and adjust the dosage of AVYCAZ accordingly.

Serious and occasionally fatal hypersensitivity (anaphylactic) reactions and serious skin reactions have been reported in patients receiving beta-lactam antibacterial drugs. Before therapy with AVYCAZ is instituted, careful inquiry about previous hypersensitivity reactions to other cephalosporins, penicillins, or carbapenems should be made. Exercise caution if this product is to be given to a penicillin or other beta-lactam-allergic patient because cross sensitivity among beta-lactam antibacterial drugs has been established. Discontinue the drug if an allergic reaction to AVYCAZ occurs.

Clostridium difficile -associated diarrhea (CDAD) has been reported for nearly all systemic antibacterial drugs, including AVYCAZ, and may range in severity from mild diarrhea to fatal colitis. Careful medical history is necessary because CDAD has been reported to occur more than 2 months after the administration of antibacterial drugs. If CDAD is suspected or confirmed, antibacterials not directed against C. difficile should be discontinued, if possible.

-associated diarrhea (CDAD) has been reported for nearly all systemic antibacterial drugs, including AVYCAZ, and may range in severity from mild diarrhea to fatal colitis. Careful medical history is necessary because CDAD has been reported to occur more than 2 months after the administration of antibacterial drugs. If CDAD is suspected or confirmed, antibacterials not directed against C. difficile should be discontinued, if possible. Seizures, nonconvulsive status epilepticus, encephalopathy, coma, asterixis, neuromuscular excitability, and myoclonia have been reported in patients treated with ceftazidime, particularly in the setting of renal impairment. Adjust dosing based on creatinine clearance.

Prescribing AVYCAZ in the absence of a proven or strongly suspected bacterial infection is unlikely to provide benefit to the patient and increases the risk of the development of drug-resistant bacteria.

ADVERSE REACTIONS

The most common adverse reactions in cIAI (incidence of 5% when used with metronidazole) were diarrhea (8%), nausea (7%), and vomiting (5%). In cUTI, the most common adverse reactions (incidence of 10%) were constipation (10%) and anxiety (10%).

Please see full Prescribing Information for AVYCAZ at www.avycaz.com.

About DALVANCE

DALVANCE for injection is a second-generation, semi-synthetic lipoglycopeptide, which consists of a lipophilic side-chain added to an enhanced glycopeptide backbone. DALVANCE is the first and only 30-minute, one-dose treatment option for acute bacterial skin and skin structure infections (ABSSSI) that delivers a full course of IV therapy. DALVANCE can be administered as either one 1500 mg dose or as a two-dose regimen of 1000 mg followed one week later by 500 mg, each administered over 30 minutes. DALVANCE demonstrates bactericidal activity in vitro against a range of Gram-positive bacteria, such as Staphylococcus aureus (including methicillin-resistant, also known as MRSA, strains) and Streptococcus pyogenes, as well as certain other streptococcal species.

Allergan is in partnership with Angelini and Cardiome to market dalbavancin outside of US. Angelini distributes dalbavancin under the brand name Xydalba in several countries, which include Italy, Spain, Poland, Portugal and many Eastern European countries, including Russia and Turkey. Cardiome commercializes dalbavancin as Xydalba in the U.K, Germany, France, the Netherlands, Belgium, Nordic nations, certain other Western European nations, various Middle Eastern nations and Canada.

INDICATION AND USAGE

DALVANCE (dalbavancin) for injection is indicated for the treatment of adult patients with acute bacterial skin and skin structure infections (ABSSSI) caused by susceptible isolates of the following Gram-positive microorganisms: Staphylococcus aureus (including methicillin-susceptible and methicillin-resistant strains), Streptococcus pyogenes, Streptococcus agalactiae, Streptococcus dysgalactiae, Streptococcus anginosus group (including S. anginosus, S. intermedius, S. constellatus) and Enterococcus faecalis (vancomycin-susceptible strains).

To reduce the development of drug-resistant bacteria and maintain the effectiveness of DALVANCE and other antibacterial agents, DALVANCE should be used only to treat infections that are proven or strongly suspected to be caused by susceptible bacteria.

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION

CONTRAINDICATIONS

DALVANCE is contraindicated in patients with known hypersensitivity to dalbavancin.

WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS

Hypersensitivity Reactions

Serious hypersensitivity (anaphylactic) and skin reactions have been reported with glycopeptide antibacterial agents, including DALVANCE. Exercise caution in patients with known hypersensitivity to glycopeptides due to the possibility of cross-sensitivity. If an allergic reaction occurs, treatment with DALVANCE should be discontinued.

Infusion-related Reactions

Rapid intravenous infusion of DALVANCE can cause reactions, including flushing of the upper body, urticaria, pruritus, and rash.

Hepatic Effects

ALT elevations with DALVANCE treatment were reported in clinical trials.

Clostridium difficile-associated Diarrhea

Clostridium difficile-associated diarrhea (CDAD) has been reported with nearly all systemic antibacterial agents, including DALVANCE, with severity ranging from mild diarrhea to fatal colitis. Evaluate if diarrhea occurs.

Development of Drug-resistant Bacteria

Prescribing DALVANCE in the absence of a proven or strongly suspected bacterial infection is unlikely to provide benefit to the patient and increases the risk of the development of drug-resistant bacteria.

ADVERSE REACTIONS

The most common adverse reactions in patients treated with DALVANCE were nausea (4.7%), headache (3.8%), and diarrhea (3.4%).

USE IN SPECIFIC POPULATIONS

There have been no adequate and well-controlled studies with DALVANCE in pregnant or nursing women. DALVANCE should only be used if the potential benefit justifies the potential risk in these populations.

In patients with renal impairment whose known creatinine clearance is less than 30 mL/min and who are not receiving regularly scheduled hemodialysis, the recommended regimen of DALVANCE is 1125 mg, administered as a single dose, or 750 mg followed one week later by 375 mg. No dosage adjustment is recommended for patients receiving regularly scheduled hemodialysis, and DALVANCE can be administered without regard to the timing of hemodialysis.

Caution should be exercised when prescribing DALVANCE to patients with moderate or severe hepatic impairment (Child-Pugh Class B or C) as no data are available to determine the appropriate dosing in these patients.

Please see full prescribing information for DALVANCE at www.dalvance.com.

ABOUT TEFLARO

TEFLARO was first approved by the U.S. FDA in October 2010 for the treatment of adults with community-acquired bacterial pneumonia (CABP) and acute bacterial skin and skin structure infections (ABSSSI) due to designated susceptible pathogens. TEFLARO is a bactericidal cephalosporin with activity against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative pathogens. TEFLARO is indicated in adult and pediatric patients 2 months of age and older for the treatment of CABP, including cases caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae, and ABSSSI, including cases caused by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). TEFLARO is the first and only cephalosporin with activity against MRSA in ABSSSI. In clinical trials, TEFLARO was generally well-tolerated with an adverse event profile consistent with the cephalosporin class of antibiotics. TEFLARO has been administered in over 2.3 million days of therapy, treating more than 350,000 patients.

Allergan plc (formerly Forest Laboratories) obtained the worldwide rights (excluding Japan, where Takeda Pharmaceuticals holds rights) to TEFLARO in 2007 when it acquired Cerexa, Inc., a privately held biopharmaceutical company. In August 2009, Forest Laboratories and AstraZeneca (NYSE: AZN) entered into a definitive collaboration agreement to co-develop and commercialize ceftaroline fosamil in all markets outside the U.S., Canada and Japan.

INDICATIONS AND USAGE

TEFLARO  (ceftaroline fosamil) is indicated in adult and pediatric patients 2 months of age and older for the treatment of acute bacterial skin and skin structure infections (ABSSSI) caused by susceptible isolates of the following Gram-positive and Gram-negative microorganisms: Staphylococcus aureus (including methicillin-susceptible and -resistant isolates), Streptococcus pyogenes , Streptococcus agalactiae , Escherichia coli , Klebsiella pneumoniae , and Klebsiella oxytoca .

(ceftaroline fosamil) is indicated in adult and pediatric patients 2 months of age and older for the treatment of caused by susceptible isolates of the following Gram-positive and Gram-negative microorganisms: (including methicillin-susceptible and -resistant isolates), , , , , and . TEFLARO is also indicated in adult and pediatric patients 2 months of age and older for the treatment of community-acquired bacterial pneumonia (CABP) caused by susceptible isolates of the following Gram-positive and Gram-negative microorganisms: Streptococcus pneumoniae (including cases with concurrent bacteremia), Staphylococcus aureus (methicillin-susceptible isolates only), Haemophilus influenzae , Klebsiella pneumoniae , Klebsiella oxytoca , and Escherichia coli.

caused by susceptible isolates of the following Gram-positive and Gram-negative microorganisms: (including cases with concurrent bacteremia), (methicillin-susceptible isolates only), , , , and To reduce the development of drug-resistant bacteria and maintain the effectiveness of TEFLARO and other antibacterial drugs, TEFLARO should be used to treat only ABSSSI or CABP that are proven or strongly suspected to be caused by susceptible bacteria. Appropriate specimens for microbiological examination should be obtained in order to isolate and identify the causative pathogens and to determine their susceptibility to ceftaroline. When culture and susceptibility information are available, they should be considered in selecting or modifying antibacterial therapy. In the absence of such data, local epidemiology and susceptibility patterns may contribute to the empiric selection of therapy.

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION

Contraindications

TEFLARO is contraindicated in patients with known serious hypersensitivity to ceftaroline or other members of the cephalosporin class. Anaphylaxis has been reported with ceftaroline.

Warnings and Precautions

Hypersensitivity Reactions

Serious and occasionally fatal hypersensitivity (anaphylactic) reactions and serious skin reactions have been reported with beta-lactam antibacterial drugs. Before therapy with TEFLARO is instituted, careful inquiry about previous hypersensitivity reactions to other cephalosporins, penicillins, or carbapenems should be made. Maintain clinical supervision if this product is to be given to a penicillin- or other beta-lactam-allergic patient, because cross sensitivity among beta-lactam antibacterial agents has been clearly established.

If an allergic reaction to TEFLARO occurs, discontinue TEFLARO and institute appropriate treatment and supportive measures.

Clostridium difficile-Associated Diarrhea

Clostridium difficile-Associated Diarrhea (CDAD) has been reported for nearly all systemic antibacterial agents, including TEFLARO, and may range in severity from mild diarrhea to fatal colitis. Careful medical history is necessary because CDAD has been reported to occur more than 2 months after the administration of antibacterial agents. If CDAD is suspected or confirmed, antibacterials not directed against C. difficile should be discontinued, if possible.

Direct Coombs' Test Seroconversion

In adults, seroconversion from a negative to a positive direct Coombs' test result occurred in 120/1114 (10.8%) of patients receiving TEFLARO and 49/1116 (4.4%) of patients receiving comparator drugs in the four pooled adult Phase 3 trials.

In children, seroconversion from a negative to a positive direct Coombs' test result occurred in 42/234 (17.9%) of patients receiving TEFLARO and 3/93 (3.2%) of patients receiving comparator drugs in the three pooled pediatric trials.

No adverse reactions representing hemolytic anemia were reported in any treatment group. If anemia develops during or after treatment with TEFLARO, drug-induced hemolytic anemia should be considered. If drug-induced hemolytic anemia is suspected, discontinuation of TEFLARO should be considered and supportive care should be administered to the patient if clinically indicated.

Development of Drug-Resistant Bacteria

Prescribing TEFLARO in the absence of a proven or strongly suspected bacterial infection is unlikely to provide benefit to the patient and increases the risk of the development of drug-resistant bacteria.

Adverse Reactions in Adults

In the four pooled adult Phase 3 clinical trials, serious adverse reactions occurred in 98/1300 (7.5%) of patients receiving TEFLARO and 100/1297 (7.7%) of patients receiving comparator drugs. Treatment discontinuation due to adverse reactions occurred in 35/1300 (2.7%) of patients receiving TEFLARO and 48/1297 (3.7%) of patients receiving comparator drugs with the most common adverse reactions leading to discontinuation being hypersensitivity for both treatment groups at a rate of 0.3% in the TEFLARO group and 0.5% in the comparator group.

The most common adverse reactions occurring in >2% of patients receiving TEFLARO in the adult pooled Phase 3 clinical trials were diarrhea (5%) nausea (4%), and rash (3%).

Adverse Reactions in Pediatrics

In the three pooled pediatric clinical trials, serious adverse reactions occurred in 10/257 (4%) of patients receiving TEFLARO and 3/102 (3%) of patients receiving comparator drugs. Treatment discontinuation due to adverse reactions occurred in 10/257 (3.9%) of patients receiving TEFLARO and 2/102 (2%) of patients receiving comparator drugs with the most common adverse reaction leading to discontinuation being rash in 2/257 (0.8%) of patients treated with TEFLARO

The most common adverse reactions occurring in  3% of patients receiving TEFLARO in the pooled pediatric clinical trials were diarrhea (8%), rash (7%), vomiting (5%), pyrexia (3%) and nausea (3%).

Drug Interactions

No clinical drug-drug interaction studies have been conducted with TEFLARO. There is minimal potential for drug- drug interactions between TEFLARO and CYP450substrates, inhibitors, or inducers; drugs known to undergo active renal secretion; and drugs that may alter renal blood flow.

Use in Specific Populations

There have been no adequate and well-controlled studies with TEFLARO in pregnant or nursing women.

Safety and effectiveness in pediatric patients below the age of 2 months have not been established as no data are available.

Because elderly patients, those 65 years of age, are more likely to have decreased renal function and ceftaroline is excreted primarily by the kidney, care should be taken in dose selection in this age group and it may be useful to monitor renal function. Dosage adjustment for elderly patients should therefore be based on renal function.

Dosage adjustment is required in adult patients with moderate (CrCl >30 to 50 mL/min) or severe (CrCl 15 to 30mL/min) renal impairment and in patients with end-stage renal disease (CrCl <15 mL/min). There is insufficient information to recommend a dosage regimen for pediatric patients with CrCl < 50 ml/min/1.73m 2 .

. The pharmacokinetics of ceftaroline in patients with hepatic impairment have not been established.

Please also see the full Prescribing Information at www.TEFLARO.com.

About Allergan plc

Allergan plc (NYSE: AGN), headquartered in Dublin, Ireland, is a bold, global pharmaceutical company and a leader in a new industry model  Growth Pharma. Allergan is focused on developing, manufacturing and commercializing branded pharmaceuticals, devices and biologic products for patients around the world.

Allergan markets a portfolio of leading brands and best-in-class products for the central nervous system, eye care, medical aesthetics and dermatology, gastroenterology, women's health, urology and anti-infective therapeutic categories.

Allergan is an industry leader in Open Science, the Company's R&D model, which defines our approach to identifying and developing game-changing ideas and innovation for better patient care. This approach has led to Allergan building one of the broadest development pipelines in the pharmaceutical industry with 70+ mid-to-late stage pipeline programs in development.

Our Company's success is powered by our more than 16,000 global colleagues' commitment to being Bold for Life. Together, we build bridges, power ideas, act fast and drive results for our customers and patients around the world by always doing what is right.

With commercial operations in approximately 100 countries, Allergan is committed to working with physicians, healthcare providers and patients to deliver innovative and meaningful treatments that help people around the world live longer, healthier lives every day.

For more information, visit Allergan's website at www.Allergan.com.

Forward-Looking Statement

Statements contained in this press release that refer to future events or other non-historical facts are forward-looking statements that reflect Allergan's current perspective of existing trends and information as of the date of this release. Except as expressly required by law, Allergan disclaims any intent or obligation to update these forward-looking statements. Actual results may differ materially from Allergan's current expectations depending upon a number of factors affecting Allergan's business. These factors include, among others, the difficulty of predicting the timing or outcome of FDA approvals or actions, if any; the impact of competitive products and pricing; market acceptance of and continued demand for Allergan's products; difficulties or delays in manufacturing; and other risks and uncertainties detailed in Allergan's periodic public filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including but not limited to Allergan's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2015 and Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2016 (certain of such periodic public filings having been filed under the "Actavis plc" name). Except as expressly required by law, Allergan disclaims any intent or obligation to update these forward-looking statements.

CONTACTS:

Investors:

Lisa DeFrancesco

(862) 261-7152

Media:

Mark Marmur

(862) 261-7558

Fran DeSena

(973) 517-3132

SOURCE Allergan plc

Related Links

http://www.allergan.com


SAN DIEGO, Oct. 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- AltheaDx, Inc. ("AltheaDx" or the "Company"), a commercial stage molecular diagnostics company specializing in the field of personalized medicine, today announced the appointment of Mr. Andrew Jackson as Chief Financial Officer.

Mr. Jackson joins us with over 20 years of finance experience. Prior to joining AltheaDx, Mr. Jackson was Chief Financial Officer and Principal Accounting Officer of Celladon Corporation, a publicly traded, clinical stage biotechnology company. During his time at Celladon, Mr. Jackson scaled the company through its growth and led Celladon's public company compliance following its Initial Public Offering and completed the company's accretive merger with Eiger Biopharmaceuticals. Prior to Celladon, Mr. Jackson held senior finance positions at various life science and technology companies where he had extensive experience with mergers & acquisitions, treasury management, capital & debt financing and financial planning. He holds a B.S.B. in Accounting from the University of Minnesota, an M.B.A in Finance from San Diego State University and is a Certified Public Accountant.

"We are pleased to welcome Andrew to the executive leadership team of AltheaDx," said Jorge Garces, President and Chief Executive Officer. "He has a proven track record with both venture-backed and public companies and will provide the leadership and strategic vision required as we grow our business."

About AltheaDx

AltheaDx is a commercial stage molecular diagnostics company which focuses on enabling physicians, managed care organizations, pharmaceutical companies and other healthcare entities to make personalized therapeutic decisions for patients. AltheaDx's IDgenetix pharmacogenetic testing portfolio addresses some of the most prevalent clinical conditions in the United States, including cardiovascular disease, neuropsychiatric disorders and pain. AltheaDx is a CAP-accredited, CLIA-certified laboratory located in San Diego, CA. For more information, visit www.altheadx.com.

Forward Looking Statements

This press release may contain forward-looking statements regarding the business strategy of AltheaDx. These statements relate to future events and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual levels of activity or performance to differ materially from those expressed or implied by these forward looking statements. These statements reflect the views of AltheaDx as of the date of this press release with respect to future events and, except as required by law, it undertakes no obligation to update or revise publicly any forward looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise after the date of this press release.

SOURCE AltheaDx, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.altheadx.com


NEW YORK, Oct. 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --



Report Details

Amines  our new study reveals industry trends, R&D developments and predicted revenues

Visiongain assesses that the global amines market will reach $14.43bn in 2016. This definitive new report identifies where the business opportunities are.



Amines are versatile chemicals which are used across a wide range of industries and applications including agrochemicals, personal care, cleaning products, petroleum & gas treatment, water treatment, pharmaceutical, textile, plus many others.



The use of amines has expanded rapidly in recent years in the fields of personal care, petroleum & gas treatment, and agricultural enhancement. There are various amine grades which are developed by leading manufacturers to cater to specific application requirements of customers across the globe.



Visiongain's amines report keeps you informed about these new developments and ahead of your competitors. Gain that competitive advantage.



5 Reasons why you must order and read this report today:



1) The report provides detailed profiles of 10 leading companies operating within the amines market:

- AkzoNobel N.V.

- Arkema

- BASF SE

- Eastman Chemical Company

- Evonik Industries

- Huntsman International LLC

- Nippon Shokubai Co., Ltd.

- The Chemours Company

- The Dow Chemical Company

- Tosoh Corporation



2) Our analysis reveals the company market share % for these amine chemical types

- Top 3 Alkyl Amine companies

- Top 4 Ethanolamine companies

- Top 5 Ethyleneamine companies

- Top 6 Fatty Amine companies

- Top 6 Specialty Amine companies



3) View global amines forecasts in volume (KT) and market value ($) terms from 2016-2026



4) See detailed amines forecasts for 7 applications from 2016-2026 at the global level and also segmented within each of the regional forecasts in volume (KT) and market value ($) terms from 2016-2026

- Agrochemicals

- Personal Care

- Cleaning Products

- Petroleum & Gas Treatment

- Water Treatment

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- Textile

- Others



5) The study reveals the regional prospects for amines in volume (KT) and market value ($) terms from 2016-2026 with each region further segmented by the 7 applications.

- North America

- South America

- Europe

- Middle East

- Asia-Pacific

- Africa



Competitive advantage

This independent 251 page report guarantees you are better informed than your competitors. With 270 tables and figures examining the amines market space, the report gives you an immediate, one-stop breakdown of your market. With volume (KT) and market value ($) forecasts as well as analysis from 2016-2026 keeping your knowledge that one step ahead of your rivals.



This report answers questions such as:

- What are the prospects for the overall amines industry?

- What does the amines value chain look like?

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Who should read this report?

- Anyone within the amines value chain.

- Amine manufacturers

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- End-user industries in Agrochemicals, Personal Care, Cleaning Products, Petroleum & Gas Treatment, Water Treatment, Pharmaceutical, Textile & Other



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This report is essential reading for you or anyone in the chemicals sector with an interest in amines. Purchasing this report today helps you to recognise those important market opportunities and understand the possibilities there.

Read the full report: http://www.reportlinker.com/p04244237-summary/view-report.html



About Reportlinker

ReportLinker is an award-winning market research solution. Reportlinker finds and organizes the latest industry data so you get all the market research you need - instantly, in one place.



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__________________________

Contact Clare: [email protected]

US: (339)-368-6001

Intl: +1 339-368-6001

SOURCE Reportlinker

Related Links

http://www.reportlinker.com


LAS VEGAS, October 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

Anodot, the real time business incident detection and analytics company, has launched its services for financial technology companies. Anodot will provide machine learning and real-time data streaming analytics to the fintech companies which are lending and processing transactions in greater quantities than ever before, and initiating new financial business models.

Issues like payment drops or page latency erode fintech companies' customer satisfaction and trust, revenue and brand. Yet intelligence analysts utilizing standard BI solutions will often miss these and other issues like processing changes, faulty integrations or visitor behavior changes, or they will learn of them days or weeks after they occurred.

This delayed notification is debilitating for companies in the financial industry which must perform with the highest standard of availability and reliability.

Anodot's business incident detection solution automatically learns streaming data's normal behavior including seasonal and other complex patterns, to identify and alert customers on any combination of metrics that behave abnormally. Anodot finally provides fintech companies the tools needed to detect and diagnose issues early, resolve them quickly, and take preemptive actions before they turn into crises. This is a drastic change from the static nature of BI as it exists today.

"Fintech companies are charging ahead with increasingly sophisticated technologies, yet they are relying on old-fashioned BI solutions that do not meet their needs," said David Drai, CEO of Anodot. "Business intelligence is more than looking at attractive visualizations on graphs, it is the provision of clear and accurate insights needed to identify and correct issues which, when undetected, can destabilize companies. As our client base continues to grow steadily, we are looking forward to welcoming more financial technology companies to the world of rapid anomaly detection and real time business analytics."

Anodot's scalable SaaS solution uses machine learning to learn the normal patterns in streaming data, and to identify, report, and visualize business incidents in real time, as they occur. Anodot's algorithms handle complex data including transactions, transaction volume, and impressions for every combination of data variables. It's smart scoring and correlation of related anomalies decreases alert storms and enables root cause analysis for rapid and effective management of issues and discovery of business opportunities. In 10 months since Anodot's launch the company's customers have grown to include scores of data-centric business, among them Fortune 500 companies.

Anodot will be exhibiting at Money2020 in Las Vegas this week at booth K2051.

About Anodot

Anodot provides valuable business insights through anomaly detection. Automatically uncovering outliers in vast amounts of time series data, Anodot's real time business incident detection uses patented machine learning algorithms to isolate and correlate issues across multiple parameters in real time, supporting rapid business decisions. Anodot customers in fintech, ad-tech, web apps, mobile apps and other data-heavy industries use Anodot to drive real business benefits like significant cost savings, increased revenue and upturn in customer satisfaction. The company was founded in 2014, is headquartered in Ra'anana, Israel, and has offices in Silicon Valley and Europe. Learn more at: http://www.anodot.com.

Contact

Marissa Shapiro

[email protected]

+1-914-336-4051

SOURCE Anodot
LONDON, October 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

April International UK has spotlighted the importance of the added value benefits it offers alongside all new policies taken out with details of an emergency which one of its partners, the Blood Care Foundation, played a key role in resolving.

The Blood Care Foundation is a charity which sources and supplies screened blood worldwide on a not-for-profit basis, working alongside international private health insurers, their assistance companies and local hospitals.

Whilst on holiday in Mexico, an 18 year old male fell from the seventh floor balcony of his flat and landed on his feet, which resulted in severe compression fractures. His blood group was the rare group O negative - only 7% of the population have this group. As O negative blood can be given to anyone, it is used heavily and so is often the blood group in the shortest supply amongst the eight main blood types. His condition too meant that he was too ill to evacuate to any nearby country which would have clean supplies of the correct blood, so the Blood Care Foundation was contacted and they were able to supply lifesaving blood from a centre in Florida. The patient was stabilised locally in Mexico and thanks to the availability of the blood, made a full recovery.

Joe Thomas, April International UK's Business Development Director comments, "This case highlights the importance of blood. Without an organisation such as the Blood Care Foundation, as insurers, we would find it harder to offer effective treatment to seriously injured clients in countries where the quality of local blood is problematic. These are often destinations which are important for expatriate workers too, so our tie up with Blood Care Foundation is an important one for us."

Julian Bruce, Chief Executive of the Blood Care Foundation adds, "We are a not for profit organisation which specialises in supplying blood and selected other products, such as rabies immunoglobulin. The Foundation has access to a global network of blood banks, enabling it to provide blood to almost any location in the world within 12-18 hours, subject to the availability of schedule air services.

Joe Thomas ends, "Adding relevant benefits to our policies is a win-win for clients - it means we have greater chance of being able to offer treatment locally, so the cost and inconvenience of medical evacuation can be avoided, which in turn keep costs down. As an organisation, cost control is a vital focus for us, as it allows us to offer lower cost premiums in the long run."

April International UK offers a range of standout added value benefits on all policies taken out including Best Doctors, red24 services and The Blood Care Foundation. Best Doctors gives clients access to a free second professional medical opinion, whilst red24 offers clients complimentary access to their extensive global travel and risk management services.

Note to Editors

April International UK Limited (until recently known as MediCare International) is part of the April Group which was founded in France more than 35 years ago. It is an internationally known and respected insurance services group with operations in 37 different countries, looking after close to 6 million policyholders worldwide, consisting of some 86 different nationalities located in more than 120 countries.

April International UK are specialists in designing and delivering outstanding, flexible international health insurance solutions for individuals and companies, with long term, short term and student healthcare plans available.

All April International UK plans include the additional services of Best Doctors (second medical opinion), Blood Care Foundation (screened blood available worldwide) and RED24 (crisis management specialists)

Cover under group plans may also available for local nationals. Discounted group rates start with 3 lives and full medical history disregarded underwriting is available on groups of 10 or more employees, making April International one of the most competitive group cover providers.

April International UK Limited is an Appointed Representative of APRIL Medibroker Limited which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Registered Office: Minster House, 42 Mincing Lane, London, EC3R 7AE, United Kingdom  Registered in England No7261287.

SOURCE APRIL International UK
"What's even more repugnant about this case is the fact the victim was a minor," Shegerian says. "She was forced to deal with an issue no 16-year-old should ever have to handle, but luckily, she had the courage to speak out against her adult supervisors and demand the justice she deserves."

"Despite the verdict in this case, Chipotle has yet to apologize to the victim or accept responsibility," Shegerian continues. "In fact, Chipotle's attorneys had the audacity to claim the 16-year-old welcomed the sexual conduct, even though minors under the age of 17 cannot consent to sexual activity in Texas."

"The first step to preventing sexual harassment in the workplace is admitting it's a problem, and it seems as if Chipotle is unwilling to do so," Shegerian says. "Chipotle's denial sends a message to other employees within the organization that sexual harassment is not taken seriously. Unfortunately, this is probably not the last time a sexual harassment case will be brought against the corporation."

Located in Santa Monica, Shegerian & Associates is a law firm specializing in protecting the rights of employees who have been wronged by their employers. Richly experienced in labor and employment law and possessing an unparalleled success record as litigators, Shegerian & Associates is passionately dedicated to serving the needs of its clients. For more information about the firm, visit www.ShegerianLaw.com.

Located in Los Angeles County, Shegerian & Associates is a law firm specializing in employment law and personal injury litigation. Shegerian & Associates is dedicated to serving the needs of its clients, and has won over 73 jury trials, including over 31 seven and eight figure verdicts. For more information, visit www.ShegerianLaw.com or www.GotFired.com

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20161024/431866

SOURCE Shegerian & Associates, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.shegerianlaw.com


SHANGHAI, Oct. 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Baird, an employee-owned, international financial services firm, today announced that it has appointed Lydia Xu as Managing Director and Head of China Investment Banking in Shanghai. In the role, Xu will be responsible for expanding both access to strategic and financial Chinese buyers for the firm's sell side assignments, as well as advisory work from Chinese corporates and private equity firms looking to sell assets, make new investments or refinance debt.

Xu joins Baird from BDA Partners where she was a Managing Director. A seasoned investment banker and finance professional with 15 years cross border M&A experience, Xu has advised on transactions across a range of industries, including manufacturing, chemical, auto and healthcare. Her clients have included Areva, AXA Private Equity, BASF, C.R. Bard, Donaldson, Hercules, Johnson Controls, Life Technologies, Magna, Millipore, Schneider and Siemens VDO. Xu has a M.B.A from China Europe International Business School in Shanghai and a B.S. in Mathematics from Peking University in Beijing.

"We are very pleased that Lydia has decided to continue her successful career at Baird," said Chris McMahon, Head of Global M&A at Baird. "With proven access to and coverage of key strategic buyers and private equity firms in China and the greater Asia Pacific region, Lydia's background and expertise are a great fit for our franchise.

"Asian buyers continue to look to Europe and the U.S. for acquisitions, and Baird is uniquely positioned to help. Baird's one-team approach, broad geographic coverage and deep sector insights give us a true advantage in serving clients and helping them achieve the best outcomes. With the addition of Lydia to our already strong platform, we are extremely confident of and excited for our growth opportunities in China and the rest of Asia."

Xu added, "Baird has a strong and growing reputation, particularly as a global, middle market, sell side advisor. I'm excited to be able to join their well-regarded investment banking platform and work to accelerate the deal flow that the firm has already begun in the region."

Brian McDonagh, Co-Head of Baird's Global Investment Banking business, said, "Continuing to build our global footprint, particularly throughout Asia, is one of Baird's highest strategic priorities. We are thrilled to be able to attract a veteran M&A banker like Lydia to lead our greater China efforts and further enhance our presence and success in the region."

Baird has made significant investments in its global M&A platform over the past several years, which now includes a 260-plus network of investment bankers covering the U.S., China, Japan and all of Europe, as well as strategic alliances with banks in India, Australia and Brazil. In 2015 the firm expanded its Industrial, Healthcare and Consumer sector coverage in the UK and enhanced its senior advisory team in the DACH region. This summer, Baird announced a strategic partnership with BR Partners, expanding access to Brazil, and appointed two senior bankers in the U.S., adding sub-sector coverage in Food and Beverage and Transportation and Logistics.

With these platform investments, Baird's deal flow has grown and become more global, particularly as Asian buyers are increasingly looking to Europe and the U.S. for acquisitions. As of the end of September 2016, China year-to-date (YTD) outbound M&A deal count and deal value were up 42% and 147% respectively compared to YTD 2015. In the past year, Baird advised on notable deals such as Mayborn Group's sale to Shanghai Jahwa (Group) Ltd., Metabo AG's sale to Hitachi Koki Co., Ltd. and OMRON Corporation's acquisition of Adept Technology, Inc.

NOTES TO EDITORS

About Baird Global Investment Banking

Baird is a leading global investment bank focused on the middle market. Approximately 260 investment banking professionals in the U.S., Europe and Asia provide corporations, entrepreneurs, private equity and venture capital firms with in-depth market knowledge and extensive experience in merger and acquisition, debt advisory and equity financing transactions. Since 2011, Baird has completed nearly 400 advisory transactions representing more than $94 billion in transaction value and 530 financings raising $151 billion.

About Baird

Baird is an employee-owned, international wealth management, capital markets, private equity and asset management firm with offices in the United States, Europe and Asia. Established in 1919, Baird has more than 3,300 associates serving the needs of individual, corporate, institutional and municipal clients. Baird has more than $160 billion in client assets. Committed to being a great place to work, Baird ranked No. 6 on FORTUNE's 100 Best Companies to Work For in 2016  its 13th consecutive year on the list. Baird's principal operating subsidiaries are Robert W. Baird & Co. in the United States and Robert W. Baird Group Ltd. in Europe. Baird also has an operating subsidiary in Asia supporting Baird's investment banking and private equity operations. Robert W. Baird Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. For more information, please visit Baird's Web site at www.rwbaird.com or www.bairdasia.com.

SOURCE Baird Global Investment Banking
RALEIGH, N.C., Oct. 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Bestcollegevalues.com is a website that provides resources on objective value in higher education. Best College Values rankings highlight programs of study that balance low tuition with a high return on investment and reputable quality. By offering an objective comparison of institutions, these rankings help prospective students as they search for a program of study. When prospective students do not have to sort through the objective comparisons between schools, they are freer to focus on subjective factors and personal preferences in order to find an institution that will be a good fit for their individual needs and interests.

This month, Best College Values has released the latest in its series of "Best Value College Value" rankings, the 10 Best Online Master's of Engineering in Chemical Engineering.

This ranking is limited to schools that are regionally accredited by one of the six regional accrediting bodies for colleges and universities and have a reputation for offering high quality academic programs in engineering in one or more national publications such as U.S. News & World Report.

The Best Value Online Master in Chemical Engineering ranking can be found here: http://www.bestcollegevalues.com/rankings/best-online-masters-in-chemical-engineering/

Placing first in this ranking was the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, Virginia. Auburn University in Auburn, Alabama, and North Carolina State University in Raleigh, North Carolina, came in second and third respectively.

Other schools that made the ranking are listed below in alphabetical order:

Clarkson UniversityPotsdam, New York

Illinois Institute of TechnologyChicago, Illinois

Kansas State UniversityManhattan, Kansas

Lehigh UniversityBethlehem, Pennsylvania

Rutgers UniversityNew Brunswick, New Jersey

University of FloridaGainesville, Florida

University of IllinoisChicago, Illinois

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, those with a master's degree in engineering can earn an average of $400,000 more than those with only a bachelor's degree. Brett Gershon, site editor, says, "Because we live in a rapidly advancing technological society, the field of engineering is one of the most lucrative and secure professional fields, with the number of jobs for individuals with engineering training predicted to grow significantly in the coming years."

Because a Master's degree in engineering is known to provide some of the best returns on the investment among advanced degrees, these online degree programs are an excellent way for professionals to gain significant professional advantages without disrupting current employment or needing to relocate. These "Best Value" rankings are intended to direct prospective students to online programs that are specialization specific, balance reasonable tuition rates, offer a reputably high quality of education, and a high return on investment.

BestCollegeValues.com is an online resource for prospective college students seeking an education worth its cost. Best College Values strives to provide the most comprehensive and rigorously researched set of online resources on the intersections of college affordability, educational quality, and educational outcomes so that individuals pursuing higher education can find the best college at the best price.

Contact:

Brett Gershon, editor

Best College Values

http://www.bestcollegevalues.com/

[email protected]

763.503.0162

SOURCE Best College Values

Related Links

http://www.bestcollegevalues.com


Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, Oct. 24

By Huseyn Hasanov Trend:

Discussion of prospects of cooperation regarding implementation of the EU Border Management Program in Central Asia (BOMCA) took place in Ashgabat, the State Migration Service of Turkmenistan said in a message.

At the meeting with an expert Plamen Tonchev, the sides expressed hope for successful implementation of the ninth phase of BOMCA in Turkmenistan.

This program is aimed at strengthening border security in the region, promoting cross-border cooperation, legitimate trade and transit traffic.

BOMCA assists Central Asian countries in their pursuit of regional economic development and facilitates trade in Central Asia, with neighboring countries and between the countries of Central Asia and the EU member states.
WASHINGTON, Oct. 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Experts from Blackboard Inc. will make multiple presentations during EDUCAUSE Annual Conference 2016, taking place October 25-28 at the Anaheim Convention Center in California. During these presentations, participants will explore best practices around the adoption of technology to improve student outcomes. Among the topics covered will be some of the most pressing issues facing the higher education community, including innovations in mobile technologies; the use of predictive and learning analytics; and personalizing technology and support for each learner to achieve real world results.

The annual conference is the premier convening of IT professionals and technology providers across the diverse higher education landscape.

Tuesday, October 25



2:00 p.m.  3:00 p.m. Meeting Workplace Goals: Bellevue University's Skills to Performance Model: Chad Kainz, Director of Solutions at Blackboard Inc., and Ed Jarecki, Assistant Vice President at Bellevue University, will discuss the university's Skills to Performance program - a unique model focused on higher order skills that translate to success in industry. Attendees will learn how Bellevue and Blackboard have partnered to differentiate the learning experience to connect more tightly with the skills that workforce partners value. Session will be held at Marriott Newport Beach/Rancho Las Palomas/Lower Level.

Wednesday, October 26



3:30 p.m.  4:30 p.m. Learning at Scale with Analytics: Findings from the Field and Open Questions: Higher education is experiencing an explosion of interest in using new data sources, applying analytical techniques, and expanding access to data visualizations/analysis. During this panel, campus leaders and solution providers will discuss lessons learned from both creating and implementing learning analytics systems and the big questions remaining. Speakers include John Whitmer, Director for Analytics and Research at Blackboard Inc.; Alfred Essa, Vice President of Analytics and R&D at McGraw-Hill Education; Michael Feldstein, Partner at MindWires Consulting; Russ Little, Chief Innovation Officer at Hobsons; and Jeff Gold, Assistant Vice Chancellor at California State University. Session will be held in Meeting Room 204B, Level Two.

Thursday, October 27



9:10 a.m.  10:00 a.m. Only Blackboard: Innovation to Drive Student Success through the LMS and Beyond: Brook Bock, Vice President of Mobile at Blackboard Inc. and Mike Sharkey, Vice President of Analytics at Blackboard Inc. will share how institutions can leverage new advancements across the Blackboard Learn product, including predictive analytics and mobile technologies, to further promote student success. Session will be held in Meeting Room 303A, Level Three.



1:30 p.m.  2:00 p.m. IBM Watson: Building a World Class Ecosystem for Higher Education: IBM's cognitive platform Watson represents the new paradigm in the computing era. It is fundamentally transforming industries and their daily operations, including higher education. This session will explore the possibilities of Watson in higher ed and early use cases, and share the latest thinking on industry strategy to adopt and leverage Watson. Speakers include Katie Blot, Chief Strategy Officer at Blackboard Inc.; Michael King, Vice President of Global Education Industry at IBM; and Douglas Hunt, Watson Global Education Leader at IBM. Session will be held in Meeting Room 303A, Level Three.

CONTACT:

D'Anthony White, Blackboard Inc.

[email protected], 202.303.9314

About Blackboard Inc.

Blackboard is a global leader in enterprise technology and innovative solutions that improve the experience of millions of students and learners around the world every day. Blackboard's solutions allow thousands of higher education, K-12, professional, corporate, and government organizations to extend teaching and learning online, facilitate campus commerce and security, and communicate more effectively with their communities. For more information about Blackboard, follow us on Twitter @Blackboard.

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SOURCE Blackboard Inc.

Related Links

http://www.blackboard.com


PISCATAWAY, N.J., Oct. 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- BlackStratus, a leading provider of cloud-based security and compliance technology tailored for both SMBs and large enterprises, announced today that it has partnered with Alpha Generation to assist with the launch of CYBERShark and channel operations in the United Kingdom (UK). CYBERShark is the first white-label, Security Information Event Management (SIEM) platform designed specifically to monitor and remediate cyber security threats and compliance violations within small to midsize businesses. CYBERShark takes BlackStratus' proven enterprise class security and compliance platform, trusted by thousands of large enterprise customers, and delivers it via the cloud to small and midsize businesses at an affordable price point.

Cybercriminals often attack small and midsized businesses to launch attacks against large enterprise targets. In a recent report by the National Security Alliance about the cyber security threats on SMBs, the following statistics were given: 71% of data breaches target small businesses; 69% of cyber attacks target retail and restaurants; 96% of data breaches target payment card data; and 60% of small businesses close within six months of experiencing a data breach.

In addition to their own data, most SMBs have access to partners' computer systems and access to their valuable data and intellectual property. Previously the SMB market was unable to afford advanced security and compliance technology because of the enormous cost, leaving only large enterprises the means to afford the only technology capable of identifying cyber security threats in real-time. To address this exponentially growing threat on the SMB market, BlackStratus has engineered its award-winning CYBERShark technology so SMB's can not only afford it, but can receive the same level of protection as the largest enterprises in the world.

"We're excited to have a partner like Alpha Generation that will help us penetrate the UK market with our new CYBERShark security and compliance service by growing our base of channel partners," said Dale Cline, CEO of BlackStratus. "At BlackStratus we strive to be an innovator and leader in the cyber security market that transcends the boundaries of traditional on-premise solutions with specialized products that rapidly and dramatically improve security for organizations while leveraging the power of cloud computing to reduce the cost and complexity of maintaining a SIEM infrastructure."

Benefits to MSP's/Channel Partners

MSPs can white label CYBERShark and provide world-class security and compliance managed services to their customers and grow their business. CYBERShark empowers MSPs to build a sustainable managed services business without the need to invest in expensive infrastructure, buy expensive hardware appliances and recruit expensive security analysts. By simply sending their end-customer event log data to the advanced CYBERShark cloud, MSPs will receive a white-labeled portal view of their customers' compliance reports and security posture complete with step-by-step remediation to resolve security incidents and malicious activity.

"Security-as-a-Service is a valuable proposition for end-users, so it's in our interest to support MSPs," says Chris Walsh, Sales Director at Alpha Generation Distribution. "With CYBERShark, we can give existing MSPs a new source of revenue and even help resellers start offering managed services. It's an amazing opportunity for both Alpha Gen and the UK channel, and we're excited to give MSPs this new value-add."

CYBERShark Benefits to IT Service Providers

Provides unparalleled threat and risk visibility in real time

24/7 monitoring performed by security experts at Security Operation Center (SOC) Offers guided remediation via actionable trouble tickets  no in house security expertise needed

Dramatically reduces cost and time to repair

Includes Proofpoint commercial intelligence for highly accurate identification of known threats and threat actors

Advanced correlation and analysis of network traffic, system alerts, and behavior patterns in real time

Ensures compliance with detailed reports for HIPAA, PCI, FISMA, and other regulatory requirements

Has no hardware requirements

Can be up and running on day one

Purpose Built for IT service providers

Low monthly cost

Pricing and Availability

CYBERShark is available now, with monthly subscriptions for reseller partners starting at 300 per month. There is no long-term commitment and no restrictive service agreements, just the services that MSPs need to generate new lines of revenue and increase profitability by offering enterprise class security and compliance services to their SMB customers.

About Alpha Generation Distribution Ltd

Alpha Generation Distribution provides value-added distribution to the UK IT channel. Founded in May 2013, the company has a strong background in IT distribution and specialises in proactive security solutions.

Alpha Generation works on a foundation of product knowledge, channel building, marketing support and personal expertise to deliver tangible value to the channel.

Visit: www.alpha-gen.co.uk

About BlackStratus

BlackStratus is a pioneer of trusted security and compliance solutions deployed and operated on premise, in the cloud or "as a Service'' by providers of all sizes, government agencies and individual enterprises. Through patented multitenant security information and event management (SIEM) technology, BlackStratus delivers unparalleled security visibility, prevents downtime and achieves and maintains compliant operations at a lower cost to operate. BlackStratus is headquartered in Piscataway, New Jersey, and protects millions of devices and thousands of businesses worldwide.

For more information about BlackStratus, please visit www.blackstratus.com. Follow the firm via Twitter at @BlackStratusInc.

BlackStratus PR Contact:

David Splivalo

[email protected]

1.703.798.2395

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SOURCE BlackStratus

Related Links

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MIAMI, Oct. 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Bloomberg Philanthropies and the Aspen Institute today announced the Bloomberg Aspen Initiative on Cities and Autonomous Vehicles, a new program for leading global mayors who will work together to prepare their cities for the emergence of autonomous vehicles. Bloomberg Philanthropies and the Aspen Institute will galvanize experts and data to accelerate cities' planning efforts, and produce a set of principles and tools that participating cities, as well as cities around the world, can use to chart their own paths forward. The inaugural cities in the initiative include Austin, USA; Buenos Aires, Argentina; Los Angeles, USA; Paris, France; and Nashville, USA. Five additional cities will be announced later this year.

At the CityLab conference - an annual meeting for the world's most creative mayors, academics, artists, and others focused on improving cities - philanthropist and three-term New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg said, "The advent of autonomous cars is one of the most exciting developments ever to happen to cities  and if mayors collaborate with one another, and with partners in the private sector, they can improve people's lives in ways we can only imagine today."

The Bloomberg Aspen Initiative will accelerate preparedness in 10 leading global cities for the era of autonomous vehicles. Over the course of the year, Bloomberg Philanthropies and the Aspen Institute will convene leading global experts, marshal cutting edge data and insights, and facilitate an innovation process that helps city leaders consider the many ways this technology could solve chronic urban challenges, and improve the lives of citizens. By helping participant cities plan for their own future, the initiative will produce and release a set of principles, resources and tools that many other cities can use in their own efforts.

This new initiative responds to discussions with mayors from around the world who are already beginning to feel the impacts of this technology. As regular conveners of mayors, Bloomberg Philanthropies and the Aspen Institute are positioned to connect mayors with experts, data and other resources to plan for this shift.

"Cities are natural sites for collaboration that leads to innovation. This partnership between the Aspen Institute's Center for Urban Innovation and Bloomberg Philanthropies is a wonderful opportunity for mayors, technologists, policy experts, and thought leaders to apply technology to make cities safer, healthier, and better connected. The real innovation potential here is not just for new kinds of cars, but new kinds of communities," said Walter Isaacson, president and CEO of the Aspen Institute.

The Initiative will create a cross sector public dialogue around autonomous vehicles, leveraging the Aspen Institute's history of convening leading thinkers and policy makers to address the most complex issues of our time, and Bloomberg Philanthropies' experience working in more than 400 cities around the globe to solve major problems and improve city life. The initiative will tap experts across a wide range of practice areas and concerns, from technologists to urban planners to experts in the areas of inequality and mobility.

Raj Chetty, Professor of Economics, Stanford University said, "Greater residential segregation is strongly associated with lower levels of upward economic mobility. Driverless cars could potentially reduce segregation and improve upward mobility by connecting many low-income families to areas of opportunity. But this technology also has the potential to increase segregation by allowing higher income families to live in more distant suburbs. Ensuring that a shift to driverless cars increases opportunity and improves the lives of urban residents across the world will require carefully designed social and economic policies. The Bloomberg Aspen Initiative on Autonomous Vehicles takes a valuable step in this direction by bringing mayors and city leaders together to discuss these issues."

"This is a much needed opportunity to bring together different stakeholders to help ensure we foster a transportation revolution focused on improving quality of life in our cities. I look forward to working together on this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to reimagine and redesign our cities around people over cars," said John Zimmer, co-founder and President of Lyft.

The Bloomberg Aspen Initiative on Cities and Autonomous Vehicles is Bloomberg Philanthropies' latest Government Innovation offering. Government Innovation equips mayors and other city leaders with the tools and techniques they need to solve urban challenges and improve citizens' lives.

About Bloomberg Philanthropies :

Bloomberg Philanthropies' mission is to ensure better, longer lives for the greatest number of people. The organization focuses on five key areas for creating lasting change: Public Health, Environment, Education, Government Innovation and the Arts. Bloomberg Philanthropies encompasses all of Michael R. Bloomberg's charitable activities, including his foundation and his personal giving. In 2015, Bloomberg Philanthropies distributed $510 million. For more information, please visit bloomberg.org or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and Twitter @BloombergDotOrg.

About The Aspen Institute :

The Aspen Institute is an educational and policy studies organization based in Washington, DC. Its mission is to foster leadership based on enduring values and to provide a nonpartisan venue for dealing with critical issues. The Institute has campuses in Aspen, Colorado, and on the Wye River on Maryland's Eastern Shore. It also maintains offices in New York City and has an international network of partners. For more information, please visit AspenInstitute.org, or follow us on Twitter @AspenInstitute.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Rebecca Carriero, [email protected], +1 212-205-0182

Pherabe Kolb, [email protected] +1 202-736-2906

SOURCE Bloomberg Philanthropies

Related Links

https://www.bloomberg.org


CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Oct. 21, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Boston Biomedical, an industry leader in the development of novel compounds designed to target cancer stemness pathways, today announced dosing of the first patient in CanStem303C, a new global Phase III study investigating napabucasin in combination with standard of care (FOLFIRI) in patients with previously treated metastatic colorectal carcinoma (mCRC).

Approximately 1.4 million patients are diagnosed with colorectal cancer each year, making the disease the fourth leading cause of cancer-related deaths annually with nearly 700,000 deaths reported worldwide.i, ii An estimated 50 percent of all colorectal cancer patients will experience disease recurrence.iii

"Early clinical data for napabucasin in combination with FOLFIRI in advanced colorectal cancer has demonstrated encouraging anti-tumor activity even in FOLFIRI-pretreated patients, so we are eager to understand more deeply its potential therapeutic benefits in this difficult-to-treat cancer," said Chiang J. Li, M.D. FACP, President, CEO and Chief Medical Officer of Boston Biomedical, and the Head of Global Oncology for Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma Group. "This milestone study is evidence of our commitment to uncover the full potential of cancer stemness pathway inhibition, and develop innovative second-line options for the colorectal cancer patient population."

Patients in this global Phase III study will be randomized in a 1:1 ratio to receive either two daily doses of 240 mg napabucasin  an orally administered investigational agent designed to inhibit cancer stemness pathways by targeting STAT3  plus biweekly FOLFIRI or biweekly FOLFIRI alone. The study also allows for the addition of bevacizumab per direction by the study investigator.

A total of 1,250 patients will be enrolled in the study. The primary endpoint of the study is overall survival. Secondary endpoints include progression-free survival (PFS), objective response rate (ORR), disease control rate (DCR), safety and quality of life. Overall survival, PFS, ORR and DCR analyses will be conducted in the general study population as well as in biomarker-positive patients.

"Cancer stem cells are known to be resistant to traditional therapies such as chemotherapy and radiation, and represent a more therapeutically challenging subgroup of cancer cells," said Axel Grothey, M.D., Professor of Oncology, Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN. "Therefore, the opportunity to investigate the addition of a cancer stemness inhibitor to established chemotherapeutic regimens in colorectal cancer research is attractive to clinicians seeking to improve long-term outcomes for metastatic colorectal cancer patients."

Further information about the study is available at www.ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT02753127).

About Cancer Stem Cells

Cancer stem cells (CSCs) exhibit stemness  the ability to self-renew and differentiate into heterogeneous cancer cells. This allows the CSCs to act like seeds, causing a patient's cancer to relapse or spread within their body.iv,v Evidence suggests that these cells possess resistance to conventional chemotherapy and radiation, so while such treatments can successfully shrink tumors, a population of CSCs may still survive.v,vi

Boston Biomedical is leading the biopharmaceutical industry in the development of novel compounds designed to target cancer stemness pathways, with the goal of addressing stemness, an ongoing challenge in cancer treatment.

About Napabucasin

Napabucasin is an orally-administered investigational agent designed to inhibit cancer stemness pathways by targeting STAT3.vii

Napabucasin is currently being investigated in three Phase III studies in advanced stomach (NCT02178956), colorectal (NCT02753127) and lung cancer (NCT02826161). It is also being investigated in earlier phases in multiple solid and hematologic malignancies, including tumors of the liver, pancreas and brain. More information on napabucasin and ongoing clinical trials can be found at www.BostonBiomedical.com.

About Boston Biomedical

Boston Biomedical, Inc. (Founder, President, CEO and CMO: Chiang J. Li, M.D. FACP) was founded in November 2006 and is wholly owned by Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma Co., Ltd. Boston Biomedical's mission is to develop the next generation of cancer therapeutics by creating drugs designed to target cancer stemness pathways. Boston Biomedical's innovation in drug discovery has received a number of recognitions and awards in the United States, including the Frost & Sullivan 2010 North American Drug Discovery Technology Innovation of the Year Award, the National Cancer Institute (NCI) cancer stem cell initiative grant award in 2010, and the 2011 Biotech Pioneer Award at the Alexandria Oncology Summit. The company also received the "Company To Watch" award in the 10th Annual Team Massachusetts Economic Impact Awards in 2013. Boston Biomedical is headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA.

Additional information about the company and its product pipeline can be found at www.BostonBiomedical.com.

Disclaimer Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

The forward-looking statements in this press release are based on management's assumptions and beliefs in light of information presently available, and involve both known and unknown risks and uncertainties. Any forward looking statements set forth in this press release speak only as of the date of this press release. We do not undertake to update any of these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances that occur after the date hereof. Information concerning pharmaceuticals (including compounds under development) contained within this material is not intended as advertising or medical advice.

i World Health Organization. Colorectal cancer fact sheet. Accessible at: http://globocan.iarc.fr/Pages/fact_sheets_cancer.aspx.

ii World Health Organization. Cancer. Accessible at: http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs297/en/.

iii Patrick, E., et al. "Early detection of colorectal cancer recurrence in patients undergoing surgery with curative intent: Current status and challenges." Journal of Cancer. 2014;5(4):262-271.

iv Gupta PB, Chaffer CL, Weinberg RA. Cancer stem cells: mirage or reality? Nat Med. 2009;15(9):1010-1012.

v Ajani JA, Song S, Hochster HS, Steinberg IB. Cancer stem cells: the promise and the potential. Semin Oncol. 2015;42(suppl 1):S3-S17.

vi Jordan CT, Guzman ML, Noble M. Cancer stem cells. N Engl J Med. 2006;355(12):1253-1261.

vii Li Y, Rogoff HA et al. PNAS. 112(6):1839-44, 2015.

For general inquiries:

Boston Biomedical

617-674-6800

For media inquiries:

Sara Baker

CHAMBERLAIN PR

212-849-9474

[email protected]

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SOURCE Boston Biomedical Pharma, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.bostonbiomedical.com


Braman describes the new beers as the result of raising the bar on quality across the craft beer category. "Each beer here is unique," he said. "We use the highest quality ingredients. They are not just crafted, but 'hand-crafted' to yield the best possible product. We take our time on each brew, never rushing the process, so that our customers get a great craft beer experience with every can."

Indeed, these new craft beer offerings are packaged in Ardagh beverage cans, which protect beverage quality and integrity as well as deliver a favorable drinking experience by cooling fast and remaining cold for a long period of time.

Braman cites an additional benefit. "My whole life has been about taking care of this bountiful land, so little things that help preserve the environment can become big things," he said. "Cans are recycled at a high rate, so we're committed to a long-term positive impact for our product and packaging."

Claude Marbach, CEO, Ardagh Metal, North American Beverage, says craft beer is a bright spot in the beverage market. "With customers like Joe Braman and his brand team choosing Ardagh to support their brand and their business, we remain excited about further potential in the fast-growing craft beer category," he said.

The new offerings from Braman Brands are currently available in the Houston, Texas, area. Joe Braman and his team cite that shipping to other locales is easier and more cost effective because cans ship and stack very efficiently. "We're excited about the possibilities of sharing our new beers with surrounding areas and we think there's plenty of room to grow in the craft beer arena when you have products genuinely based on quality and taste," he said.

About Braman Brewery

Most people would be content living out a family legacy steeped in Texas ranching, real estate, and oil. Joe Braman isn't most people. A true Texas cowboy  champion team roper, avid outdoorsman, conservationist  Joe's life has been filled with charting new ground. A passion for cooking, noticed and nurtured by his grandmother, Mary O'Connor Braman, led Joe to culinary school and his exceptional skill for pairing wine with food. So it was a natural step to take those same talents and apply them to use the best ingredients to create the best beer possible. Braman Brewery was born to carve out a new legacy  one for Joe to pass on to his family, and to share with beer lovers everywhere.

About Ardagh

Ardagh Group is a global leader in glass and metal packaging solutions, producing packaging for most of the world's leading food, beverage and consumer care brands. We operate 110 facilities in 22 countries, employ over 23,000 people and have global sales exceeding $8.8 billion (Eur7.9 billion). www.ardaghgroup.com

Contact:





Gregg Deeb Jennifer Cumbee

Braman Brands Ardagh

(832) 759-5179 (773) 399-3035

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SOURCE Ardagh Group

Related Links

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VANCOUVER, Oct. 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ - Bravura Ventures Corp. (CSE: BVQ; OTC: BRVVF; FRA: 23B) ("Bravura" or the "Company") is pleased to announce it has entered into an Option Agreement (the "Option") dated October 24, 2016 with Golden Predator Mining Corp. ("Golden Predator") to acquire up to a 90% interest in and to certain mineral properties, together with the surface rights, mineral rights, personal property and permits associated therewith (collectively, the "Grew Creek Property" or the "Property"), located in the Watson Lake Mining District in southeast Yukon.

Highlights:

Option to acquire 90% of the Grew Creek Project





19,000 m in 70 drill holes since 2010 by Golden Predator, highlights include: GCRC11-328 1 : 68.0 m of 5.96 g/t gold and 24.1 g/t silver Including 4.0 m of 63.15 g/t gold and 344 g/t silver GC10-001 2 : 146.3 m of 1.72 g/t gold Including 3.1 m of 17.93 g/t gold Including 32.2 m of 2.80 g/t gold Including 15.7 m of 2.90 g/t gold GC11-281 3 : 92.0 m of 2.02 g/t gold Including 44.0 m of 3.09 g/t gold Note: All the above intersections are stated as down hole intercepts and not true thickness Americas Bullion News Release dated February 23, 2012 Americas Bullion News Release dated October 25, 2010 Americas Bullion News Release dated July 5, 2011

Exploration expenditures of more than $4.7 million by Golden Predator since 2010

by Golden Predator since 2010 Year-round access in southeast Yukon , less than 1 km from the highway with powerlines crossing the project area

Greg Burns CEO, commented "The company is very excited in its latest option & welcomes the opportunity to align itself with a progressive company such as Golden Predator. We look forward to defining the next steps on this exceptional project."

The Company is excited to option & advance exploration of the Grew Creek Project in close association with Yukon focused Golden Predator who have a significant database on the project and well developed relationships with many Yukon First Nation groups. Golden Predator is well funded and focused on developing its high grade 3 Aces project.

About the Grew Creek Property:

The near surface Carlos zone is the largest known area of gold mineralization on the property measuring 300 m along strike, 100 m wide and open at depth below 400 m and is defined by core and RC drilling. The Grew Creek Property is located adjacent to the Robert Campbell highway between Faro and Ross River and consists of 670 contiguous quartz claims totaling approximately 110 km which are owned 100% by Golden Predator (subject to a 4% NSR). The property lies within the Tintina Gold Belt, an extensive regional system of dextral strike-slip faults which host multiple gold prospects and mines.

The Tertiary stockwork epithermal gold mineralization at Grew Creek is hosted in Eocene felsic volcanics within a 4 km wide grabben. Stratigraphy consists of silicic-pyroclastics and epiclastic sediments bound by mafic lavas and overlain by Pleistocene gravels. Mineralization at the Carlos zone occurs within silicic/phyllic altered volcanoclastics along a steeply dipping structural zone as electrum with lesser eugenite in banded epithermal quartz-carbonate-Kspar veins.

2.5 km southeast of the Carlos Zone, chalcedonic coliform quartz, geochemical path finders and trace gold mineralization have been found within epiclastic rocks at the underexplored Knoll Zone.

The property was staked in 1983 by Al Carlos and has seen geological mapping, geophysics, geochemical sampling, trench and over 290 drill holes with a composite length of more than 57,000m.

Agreement Terms

Bravura has the option to acquire 90% of the Grew Creek Property in consideration for:

A. Payment to Golden Predator of an aggregate amount of $950,000 to be paid upon the following:

a. $35,000  on the closing date

b. $50,000  on the first anniversary of the closing date

c. $75,000  on the second anniversary of the closing date

d. $140,000  on the third anniversary of the closing date

e. $150,000  on the fourth anniversary of the closing date

f. $250,000  on the fifth anniversary of the closing date

g. $250,000  on the sixth anniversary of the closing date

B. Issuance to Golden Predator of an aggregate amount of 2,000,000 common shares and an

additional 6% of the company to be issued upon the following:

a. 500,000  on the closing date

b. 500,000  on the first anniversary of the closing date

c. 500,000  on the second anniversary of the closing date

d. 500,000  on the third anniversary of the closing date

e. On the fourth anniversary of the closing date such a number of common shares as is

equal to 2% of the undiluted issued and outstanding common shares of the company for

70% of the right, title and interest in assets

f. On the fifth anniversary of the closing date such a number of common shares as is equal

to 2% of the undiluted issued and outstanding common shares of the company for an

additional 10% of asset

g. On the sixth anniversary of the closing date such a number of common shares as is

equal to 2% of the undiluted issued and outstanding common shares of the company for

an additional 10 % for a total aggregate ownership of 90%

h. Optionor shall transfer legal title to the assets to optionee on the six anniversary of

closing date

C. If during the Term, Bravura receives a technical report (the "First Report") that (i) complies with

National Instrument 43-101, Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects, and (ii) defines a

resource on the Claims, Bravura shall, within 30 days of receipt of such report, pay to Golden

Predator an additional $50,000 and issue an additional 500,000 Common Shares. If during the

Term but after its receipt of the First Report Golden Predator receives a second technical report

(the "Second Report") that increases the resource estimate by 100% or more over the estimate

contained in the First Report, Bravura shall issue to Golden Predator such number of Common

Shares as is equal to two percent (2%) of the issued and outstanding Common Shares of Bravura

on the date that is ten (10) Business Days prior to the date of receipt of the Second Report.

Qualified Person

Brandon Macdonald, P.Geo, is the qualified person as defined in NI 43-101, that has reviewed and approved the contents of this press release. Potential quantity and grades results disclosed in this press release are conceptual in nature, there has been insufficient exploration to define a mineral resource and it is uncertain if further exploration will results in the discovery of a mineral resource.. The historical estimates should not be relied upon until the Company can confirm them.

BRAVURA VENTURES CORP.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF BRAVURA VENTURES CORP.

"Greg Burns"

_______________________

Greg Burns, Director

Disclaimer for Forward-Looking Information

Historical data for the prospects were performed under supervision of a Professional Engineer or a geologist, and believed to be of good quality, with drill core and underground sampling results from fire assay analyses by B.C. Certified Assayers. However, under NI43-101 policy historical information included in this release has not been verified by a QP, and as such cannot be relied upon and must be treated as historical in nature.

This press release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities laws, including statements that address capital costs, recovery, grade, and timing of work or plans at the Company's mineral projects. Forward-looking information may be, but not always, identified by the use of words such as "seek", "anticipate", "plan", "planned", "continue", "expect", "thought to", "project", "predict", "potential", "targeting", "intends", "believe", "opportunity", "further" and others, or which describes a goal or action, event or result such as "may", "should", "could", "would", "might" or "will" be undertaken, occur or achieved. Forward-looking information in this press release includes, but is not limited to, statements regarding expectations of management regarding the acquisition of the Property and includes that address future mineral production, reserve potential, potential size or scale of a mineralized zone, potential expansion of mineralization, potential type(s) of mining, potential grades as well as to the Company's ability to fund ongoing expenditure, or assumptions about future metal or mineral prices, currency exchange rates, metallurgical recoveries and grades, favourable operating conditions, access, political stability, obtaining or renewal of existing or required mineral titles, licenses and permits, labour stability, market conditions, availability of equipment, accuracy of any mineral resources, anticipated costs and expenditures. Assumptions may be based on factors and events that are not within the control of the Company and there is no assurance they will prove to be correct. Such forward-looking information involves known and unknown risks, which may cause the actual results to materially differ, and/or any future results expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking information are reasonable, there can be no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. Such forward-looking information is subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results, performance or developments to differ materially from those contained in the statements including, without limitation, the risks that the Company may not have the funds necessary to make its payments pursuant to the Agreement, that the CSE may not approve the transaction, and other factors beyond the control of the Company.

Additional information on risks and uncertainties can be found within Financial Statements and other materials found on the Company's SEDAR profile at www.sedar.com. Although Bravura has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking information, there can be no assurance that such information will prove to be accurate as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Bravura withholds any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, unless required by law.

SOURCE Bravura Ventures Corp.

Related Links

http://www.bravuracorp.com/


LONDON, Oct. 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- VTTI BV, VTTI Energy Partners LP, NYSE: VTTI (together "VTTI") and Vitol today announced that Buckeye Partners, L.P. ("Buckeye") has signed a definitive agreement to acquire a 50 percent equity interest in the holding company of VTTI for $1.15 billion. Upon completion, VTTI will be 50 percent (indirectly) owned by Buckeye and 50 percent (indirectly) by Vitol1. It is intended that the joint shareholding of Buckeye and Vitol will add greater strategic value to VTTI and will further strengthen VTTI's position as a leading independent provider of energy storage solutions.

Buckeye is a publicly traded master limited partnership and owns and operates a diversified network of integrated assets providing midstream logistic solutions, primarily consisting of the transportation, storage, and marketing of liquid petroleum products. It is one of the largest independent liquid petroleum products pipeline operators in the United States in terms of volumes delivered, with approximately 6,000 miles of pipeline and a terminal network comprising more than 120 liquid petroleum products terminals with aggregate storage capacity of over 110 million barrels.

Through this transaction, Buckeye will access VTTI's significant international footprint. VTTI is one of the largest independent global energy terminal businesses that, through its subsidiaries and partnership interests, owns and operates approximately 54 million barrels of petroleum product and crude oil storage capacity across 13 terminals located on five continents. VTTI Energy Partners LP began trading on the New York Stock Exchange as a master limited partnership on 1 August 2014.

Chris Bake, Chairman of VTTI said, "We look forward to partnering with Buckeye for the next phase of VTTI's future. Buckeye brings in a wealth of terminalling experience and knowledge which will further strengthen the strategic position of VTTI as we continue to invest in its growth."

Upon completion, Buckeye and Vitol will have equal Board representation and voting rights in VTTI. VTTI will continue to be run as an independent, standalone company under the leadership of CEO Rob Nijst.

Rob Nijst, CEO of VTTI said: "We are looking forward to our cooperation with Buckeye, and we believe that their industry expertise and experience will offer great value to VTTI. Through this transaction, VTTI will have two strong shareholders that will support VTTI's continued growth as an independent global terminal operator."

The transaction is subject to regulatory approvals and customary closing conditions and is expected to close in early January 2017.

Notes to editors

1Vitol's share will be owned by Vitol and also through Vitol Investment Partnership ("VIP"), an investment vehicle sponsored and managed by Vitol.

About VTTI BV

VTTI BV is a fee-based, growth-oriented business formed to own, operate, develop and acquire refined petroleum product and crude oil terminalling and related energy infrastructure assets on global scale. VTTI BV's assets include interests in a broad-based portfolio of terminals that are strategically located throughout the world with a combined total storage capacity of 54 million barrels including assets under construction. On 1 August 2014, VTTI Energy Partners LP began trading on the New York Stock Exchange as a master limited partnership (MLP).

For more information: http://www.vtti.com/

http://www.vttienergypartners.com

About Vitol

Vitol is an energy and commodities company; its primary business is the trading and distribution of energy products globally  it trades over 6mbpd of crude oil and products and, at any time, has 200 ships transporting its cargoes.

Vitol's clients include national oil companies, multinationals, leading industrial and chemical companies and the world's largest airlines. Founded in Rotterdam in 1966, today Vitol serves clients from some 40 offices worldwide and is invested in energy assets globally including; circa 15.5mm3 of storage across six continents, 390kbpd of refining capacity and Shell-branded downstream businesses in 16 African countries, as well as Australia. Revenues in 2015 were $168 billion. For more information: www.vitol.com.

For more information:

Vitol:

Andrea Schlaepfer

M: +44 (0)7525 403796

[email protected]

VTTI:

Lisanne Kosters

M: +31(0)652526405

[email protected]

Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20141031/155895LOGO

SOURCE VTTI Energy Partners LP

Related Links

http://www.vttienergypartners.com


NATCHEZ, Miss., Oct. 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Callon Petroleum Company (NYSE: CPE) ("Callon" or the "Company") today announced the closing of its previously announced acquisition of certain assets located in the Midland Basin within its WildHorse operating area. On October 20, 2016, the Company completed the acquisition of 6,904 gross (5,952 net) acres primarily located in Howard County, Texas from Plymouth Petroleum, LLC and additional sellers that exercised their "tag-along" sales rights for total cash consideration of $340 million, subject to customary post-closing adjustments. The acquisition increases Callon's surface acreage position in the Midland Basin to over 40,000 net acres.

Fred Callon, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer commented, "This transaction represents an attractive bolt-on opportunity in our WildHorse area which now comprises over 20,000 net acres focused in Howard County. After building this new core area over the course of 2016, we have quickly transitioned our WildHorse operations to support horizontal program development and currently have one horizontal drilling rig dedicated to the area. Following a completion in the Wolfcamp A zone with our Silver City A1H well immediately offsetting the acquired acreage, we recently commenced drilling two-well pads targeting both the Wolfcamp A and Lower Spraberry zones, and expect to place new wells from this development program on production in late 2016."

About Callon Petroleum Company

Callon is an independent energy company focused on the acquisition, development, exploration, and operation of oil and gas properties in the Permian Basin in West Texas.

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward Looking Statements

This news release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Forward-looking statements include all statements regarding the implementation of the Company's business plans and strategy, including future drilling plans, as well as statements including the words "believe," "expect," "plans" and words of similar meaning. These statements reflect the Company's current views with respect to future events and performance. No assurances can be given, however, that these events will occur or that these projections will be achieved, and actual results could differ materially from those projected as a result of certain factors. Some of the factors which could affect our future results and could cause results to differ materially from those expressed in our forward-looking statements include the Company's ability to realize the anticipated benefits of the acquisition, the volatility of oil and gas prices, ability to drill and complete wells, operational, regulatory and environment risks, our ability to finance our activities and other risks more fully discussed in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including our Annual Reports on Form 10-K, available on our website or the SEC's website at www.sec.gov.

This news release is posted on the Company's website at www.callon.com and will be archived there for subsequent review. It can be accessed from the "News" link on the top of the homepage.

For further information contact:

Eric Williams

Manager, Finance

1-800-451-1294

SOURCE Callon Petroleum Company

Related Links

http://www.callon.com


NASHVILLE, Tenn., Oct. 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Captain D's, the leading fast casual seafood restaurant, announced today the opening of its newest franchised restaurant in Hartsville, South Carolina. Located at 829 South 5th St., this new location marks the brand's 29th in the state and emphasizes the acceleration of Captain D's franchise and corporate development plans for South Carolina. Since October 2015, Captain D's has expanded its presence across the region with openings in cities including Spartanburg and Boiling Springs. The Hartsville restaurant will celebrate its grand opening on October 24, starting with a ribbon cutting at 10 a.m. attended by local dignitaries and members of the Greater Hartsville Chamber of Commerce.

Captain D's

The new Hartsville restaurant is owned and operated by first-time Captain D's franchisees Edward Fort and Kelvin Horne. Fort has been a successful entrepreneur and business owner in the Hartsville area for more than 20 years, and Kelvin, who will be serving as the operating partner, has been a part the Captain D's team for nearly 30 years, holding several leadership operation positions during that time.

"For nearly three decades, I've witnessed first-hand the time and effort Captain D's has invested into ensuring its product and business model are absolutely top-notch, which has successfully established the brand as a leader in the fast casual segment and propelled its extraordinary success," said Horne. "This impressive growth motivated me to take the next step as an operator of my own franchised restaurant, and we couldn't be more excited to be a part of the company's expansion in South Carolina. We look forward to opening our doors and welcoming the Hartsville community to enjoy the high-quality, affordable and delicious seafood Captain D's is known for."

Following the Hartsville opening, Captain D's will continue its ongoing expansion in South Carolina with its next corporate location in Easley, which is expected to open this November. The company's growth in the Palmetto State comes on the heels of the outstanding success it has experienced in 2016, closing out the third quarter of the year with its 20th consecutive quarter of positive growth, generating a 2.8 percent system-wide same store sales increase. Additionally, Captain D's is on track for its fourth successive year of achieving record high system-wide AUV and its sixth consecutive year of same store sales increases.

"A year ago we brought Captain D's back to the Upstate of South Carolina for the first time since the early 1990's. Our success and continued development throughout South Carolina since then has proven that this region has tremendous potential with a consumer base that's hungry for more," said Michael Arrowsmith, chief development officer for Captain D's. "The grand opening of our new Hartsville location reflects the strength of our growth, and we know we are just getting started. As we head into 2017, we look forward to accelerating this momentum."

Coupled with its ongoing menu innovation, Captain D's credits its new restaurant beach design with contributing to the brand's compounding success. To date, 50 percent of all restaurants have been reimaged to the brands new vibrant, coastal design, with another 50 locations to be remodeled by the end of this year. With these efforts, Captain D's has remained true to what it does best  serving high-quality seafood with warm hospitality at an affordable price in a welcoming atmosphere.

With 514 restaurants in 21 states, Captain D's is the fast-casual seafood leader and number one seafood franchise in America ranked by average unit volume. The company is currently seeking single- and multi-unit operators to join in the brand's rapid expansion. For more information about franchise opportunities, visit http://www.captaindsfranchising.com or call 800-550-4877.

ABOUT CAPTAIN D'S

Headquartered in Nashville, Tenn., Captain D's has 514 restaurants in 21 states, plus military bases around the world. Captain D's is the nation's leading fast casual seafood restaurant and was named the #1 seafood chain in the QSR 50, ranked by AUV. Founded in 1969, Captain D's has been offering its customers high-quality seafood at reasonable prices in a welcoming atmosphere for more than 46 years. Captain D's serves a wide variety of seafood that includes freshly prepared entrees and the company's signature hand-battered fish, which is cooked to order. The restaurants also offer premium-quality, grilled items such as shrimp, and surf and turf, as well as hushpuppies, desserts and freshly brewed, Southern-style sweet tea, a Captain D's favorite. For more information, please visit www.captainds.com.

Contact:

Samantha Russo

Fish Consulting

954-893-9150

[email protected]

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SOURCE Captain D's

Related Links

http://www.captainds.com


WEST CALDWELL, N.J., Oct. 24, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Community Education Centers, Inc. is pleased to welcome Anthony Carochi to the company in his new role as Colorado State Director. Mr. Carochi brings over 30 years of experience to CEC with an extensive background in correctional management in both the public and private sectors. His wide range of experience in the field of criminal justice and corrections includes a focus on public safety, pre-release, reentry, and leadership development. Mr. Carochi has held senior management roles at nineteen State of Colorado Correctional facilities and four private contract prison facilities. He has been an advisor to Mexico on corrections programming for the United States Embassy on a wide range of policy issues related to United States contributions.

"We are pleased to welcome Tony Carochi to CEC and look forward to working with him in the State of Colorado," said Steve Tomlin, Senior Vice President of Reentry Operations. "Tony brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to his new role from his Colorado experiences and national exposure in both corrections and reentry."

Mr. Carochi began his career in Corrections in 1985 working for the Colorado DOC and worked his way through the ranks holding positions of Associate Warden, Warden and Deputy Director of Prisons, to Director of Prisons in 2011. As the DOP, he oversaw a $500 million dollar budget and responsibility for over 5000 employees, including supervision of two Deputy DOP's, the Deputy Director of Clinical Services, the Director of Offender Services, and the Manager of Emergency Operations.

Prior to coming to CEC, Mr. Carochi served as Regional Vice President of JPay, Inc., and was previously employed at the GEO Group in Director's roles. Mr. Carochi holds a BA in Behavioral Science from Colorado State University.

At CEC Mr. Carochi will lead varied reentry efforts across the state. Programs ranging from secure reentry setting at CMRC in Colorado Springs to our latest community reentry treatment partnership with Denver County as we launch our CBT initiative.

CEC is a leading national provider of rehabilitative services for offenders in reentry and in-prison treatment facilities, as well as providing comprehensive management of county, state, and federal jail facilities. The Company provides evidence-based programming for residential and non-residential clients and maintains a documented record of reducing recidivism. CEC services also include drug and alcohol testing by SECON, our comprehensive drug testing and screening company that provides services worldwide.

SOURCE Community Education Centers

Related Links

http://www.cecintl.com


Baku, Azerbaijan, Oct. 24

By Khalid Kazimov  Trend:

Iran has exported more than 570 kilograms of caviar valued at $1.3 million in the first half of the current calendar year (started March 20).

The volume of Irans caviar export has dropped by 18.48 percent in the mentioned period, ISNA news agency reported Oct. 24.

However the value of the countrys caviar exports has increased by 21.8 percent as Iran sold a kilogram of caviar at $2,397 in the mentioned period.

The value of a kilogram of Irans caviar last year in the same period stood at $1,580.

Spain, Germany, the UAE, the UK, Italy, Belgium, Switzerland, France, Qatar, Canada and Malaysia were among the main importers of Irans caviar.

Iran harvested more than 1.5 tons of caviar in its fish farms over the past Iranian year, indicating a 25-percent increase year-on-year.

Irans Fisheries Organization plans to harvest 100 tons of caviar from fish farms by 2021.
The new 650-meter-long and 17-meter-deep quay increases DCT's annual handling capacity to up to 3 million TEU (twenty-foot equivalent unit). Additionally, the new terminal berth can now accommodate ultra-large container vessels of capacity exceeding 18,000 TEU, such as the Maersk Triple E class container ships, which enter the Baltic Sea through the Danish Straits.

"The construction of Terminal 2 is of strategic importance to us, and we decided to entrust the contract engineer's role to CH2M, thanks to their strong, global experience in maritime ports infrastructure," said Maciek Kwiatkowski, the CEO of DCT Gdansk. "They provided a great team with both local and international experience who worked closely with the DCT team, providing us with high-quality deliverables, timely communication and expert advice."

At a height of 82 meters, T2's new ship-to-shore (STS) container cranes are the largest port equipment in Poland. Terminal operations are supported by an assembly of electrified rubber-tired gantry (eRTG) cranes. A key requirement of the project was to power the STS and eRTG cranes with electricity rather than diesel fuel to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and noise pollution.

Respecting local regulations and procedures, CH2M's T2 team was comprised of Polish supervision engineers who specialized in hydrotechnical, structural and electrical engineering; highways; and instrumentation and control. They were complemented by a team of CH2M engineers and designers in the UK with broad expertise in designing maritime ports and container terminals.

Delivering this large scale project under a fast-track schedule required careful diligence and collaboration between DCT Gdansk, CH2M and BESIX to ensure the highest safety standards. The team achieved a milestone of 1 million man-hours without a recordable incident.

About CH2M

CH2M leads the professional services industry delivering sustainable solutions benefiting societal, environmental and economic outcomes with the development of infrastructure and industry. In this way, CH2Mers make a positive difference providing consulting, design, engineering and management services for clients in water; environment and nuclear; transportation; energy and industrial markets, from iconic infrastructure to global programmes like the Olympic Games. Ranked among the World's Most Ethical Companies and top firms in environmental consulting and programme management, CH2M in 2016 became the first professional services firm honoured with the World Environment Center Gold Medal Award for efforts advancing sustainable development. Connect with CH2M at www.ch2m.com; LinkedIn; Twitter; and Facebook.

Contact: Tom Doerr

CH2M, Marketing & Communications

720-286-3004

[email protected]

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20161024/431867

Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160315/344421LOGO

SOURCE CH2M

Related Links

http://www.ch2m.com


FULTON, Md., Oct. 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- NewDay USA, a leading provider of VA loans, announces that Regina Lowrie, former chairman of the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) and Certified Mortgage Banker (CMB), has been appointed to the Board of Advisors of Chrysalis Holdings, LLC, a private investment company focused on mortgage banking and financial services. A key member of the Chrysalis Holdings family of companies, NewDay USA is one of the top companies in the industry serving the mortgage banking needs of veterans and active members of the armed services.

"We are immensely proud that Regina Lowrie has agreed to join the Chrysalis Holdings Board of Advisors," said Rear Admiral Tom Lynch (USN, Ret.), chairman of NewDay USA. "Regina is a renowned industry expert with more than thirty years of experience in all aspects of mortgage banking. She brings exceptional leadership abilities and knowledge to NewDay USA and Chrysalis Holdings. It is an honor to have her serve on our Board of Advisors."

Lowrie currently serves as President and CEO of RML Advisors, LLC, an independent consultant and advisory firm that provides a broad range of mortgage industry-related services to the financial services community.

"It is gratifying to be part of NewDay, which provides support for veterans, active duty service members and military families," Lowrie said. "I am pleased to be a member of the company leadership team and look forward to contributing to its efforts to help military families achieve and sustain homeownership, as well as to its other financial goals," Lowrie said.

Prior to founding RML Advisors, Ms. Lowrie served as president of Vision Mortgage Capital, a division of Continental Bank, and as senior vice president of Continental Bank. Earlier in her career, she founded and served as president and CEO of Gateway Funding Diversified Mortgage Services, where she grew the company from seven employees to 800 employees with 57 branch offices licensed in 42 states. When Lowrie sold her interest in Gateway Funding, loan production stood at $3.5 billion, and revenues were over $100 million.

In addition to her groundbreaking achievement as the first woman to chair the MBA, Lowrie served as chairman of the MBA Political Action Committee (MORPAC) and is a past member of the Fannie Mae Advisory Board.

With more than three decades of experience in purchase originations, compliance, risk management, operations management, and capital markets, Lowrie is an award-winning businesswoman with an impressive list of accomplishments. A Pennsylvania native, Ms. Lowrie was honored in 2000 by Governor Tom Ridge as one of Pennsylvania's Best 50 Women in Business.

"We are extremely pleased to have Regina Lowrie join us," said Rob Posner, CEO of NewDay USA and Chrysalis Holdings. "As we look to build the leading mortgage company serving our nation's veterans and active servicemen and women, I know the leadership team at NewDay will benefit immensely from Regina's experience as a strategic thinker and leader. Regina's leadership will be invaluable in further expanding our purchase business to help active military and veteran families achieve the American Dream. Her involvement in developing the next generation of mortgage bankers will be very impactful for our company."

About Chrysalis Holdings, LLC

Chrysalis Holdings, LLC, is a premier investment company focused on building and growing successful businesses and intellectual capital within the financial services industry. Chrysalis provides early stage capital, infrastructure development and management expertise to growth oriented companies within its target markets. Key holdings include NewDay USA, a registered trade name of NewDay Financial, LLC, and Chrysalis Analytics, LLC.

About NewDay USA

NewDay USA is a nationwide VA mortgage lender focused on helping active military personnel, veterans and their families achieve their financial and housing goals. . NewDay USA is also a Ginnie Mae (GNMA) approved issuer / servicer. The company employs best practices in mortgage lending and career growth for mortgage professionals. Consistent with its mission, NewDay is a philanthropic partner of numerous organizations focused on assisting military veterans and their families in need. The NewDay USA Foundation provides four-year scholarships to the children of fallen and severely disabled military veterans to attend JROTC military high schools across the nation. The company is also a major philanthropic partner of The Medal of Honor Foundation, the USO, Boulder Crest Retreat for Military and Veteran Wellness, and is a major sponsor of the Military Bowl. Community service and giving back in the form of volunteerism also plays a significant role among the NewDay USA workforce. NewDay USA is a registered trade name of New Day Financial, LLC, which is a key holding of Chrysalis Holdings, LLC, a premier private investment company focused on the financial services industry. For more information about NewDay USA, visit www.newdayusa.com.

Press Contact

Mike Murray

Strategic Vantage Marketing & Public Relations

[email protected]

(240) 498-0863

SOURCE NewDay USA

Related Links

http://www.newdayusa.com


NEW YORK, Oct. 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Convergex, an agency-focused global brokerage and trading related services provider, is pleased to announce that it has entered into an agreement granting it an exclusive license to The OptionEyes, a front-end technology platform that helps active traders manage and trade positions in an options or equity portfolio.

The OptionEyes uses enhanced OMS technology and provides clients with flexibility in how they trade, view, and manage risk in their equity and options portfolios. Additional functionality of The OptionEyes platform includes:

Scanners to allow traders to pre-set or create strategies that will trade automatically or send an alert when opportunities appear in the marketplace;

Simple "click-through" work flow process for generating complex and single-leg orders;

An enhanced volatility management infrastructure.

"Convergex is excited to offer a new set of functionality and technology to our clients," said Ben Londergan, Convergex Executive Managing Director of Options Trading and Technology. "This new software will allow Convergex to add value to both active retail and institutional clients as well as other market participants responsible for managing large portfolios of positions and who want to employ a more streamlined approach to their trading and risk management," said Londergan.

Members of the development team who created The OptionEyes will join Convergex's options team and Convergex anticipates the platform will be fully integrated by January 2017.



About Convergex

Convergex is an agency-focused global brokerage and trading related services provider that takes on the industry's toughest challenges, from complicated trades to complex businesses. With clients' interests as the top priority, Convergex delivers comprehensive solutions that span global high-touch and electronic trading, options technologies, prime brokerage, clearing, commission management and beyond. Headquartered in New York with a presence in several other locations including Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Orlando, San Francisco and London, the company serves nearly 3,000 clients accessing over 100 global market centers.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

Convergex is an agency-focused global brokerage and trading related services provider. In the U.S., Convergex offers products and services through Convergex Execution Solutions LLC (member NYSE/FINRA/NFA/SIPC), of which Convergex Prime Service and Options Trading and Technology are divisions; Westminster Research Associates LLC (member FINRA/SIPC); and Convergex Solutions LLC, of which Jaywalk and LDB are divisions. In London, Convergex operates through Convergex Limited, which is incorporated in England and Wales (registered with company number 06262150). Convergex Limited is authorized and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) of the United Kingdom. Westminster Research Associates LLC is regulated in the United States by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Westminster provides services in Australia pursuant to an exemption from the requirement to hold an Australian financial services license under the Corporations Act 2001 (ASIC Class Order [CO 03/1100]).

Convergex provides brokerage services primarily on an agency basis, but may operate in a riskless principal and/or net trading capacity and in connection with certain ETF or ADR transactions, may act as principal or engage in hedging strategies. Convergex does not engage in market making or investment banking activities.

The material, data and information (collectively "Convergex Information") that is available from Convergex is intended for institutional investor use only; is for informational purposes only; is subject to change at any time; is not intended to provide tax, legal or investment advice; and does not constitute a solicitation or offer to purchase or sell securities. Convergex Information is believed to be reliable, but Convergex does not warrant its completeness or accuracy and Convergex assumes no duty to update such information. Clients should read their account agreement(s) and documentation with Convergex carefully as those documents contain important information and disclosures about the products or services covered thereby. Convergex is not responsible for third-party information or services, including market data from the exchanges. (Rev. 03/30/2016)

 2016 Convergex Group, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Contact: Lynda Caravello

[email protected]

212-468-7713

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SOURCE Convergex

Related Links

http://www.bnyconvergex.com


"The dedication of the highly enthusiastic team at the CoorsTek Glenrothes plant has been the foundation of our success over the past 35 years," stated Mark Cameron, Plant Manager at Glenrothes. "I am proud of the contribution my colleagues have made to ensure CoorsTek continues to be the partner of choice for many of the leading companies in the markets we serve. Our commitment to strong relationships has been a constant throughout the last 35 years, and we will continue to drive forward with our collaborative approach to deliver success for our customers and for CoorsTek."

CoorsTek continues to invest in people, technology, and capabilities, with a footprint which now extends across a dozen European manufacturing locations in the Czech Republic, England, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Scotland, and Sweden.

"Being a partner of choice means being responsive, collaborative experts  serving our clients locally," explained Timothy Coors, Co-CEO of CoorsTek. "The Glenrothes team pioneered our manufacturing in Europe, and we are proud of how they continue to live out our true customer focus. We look forward to an exciting future as we partner with customers to innovate amazing solutions to some of the world's toughest challenges."

Joining CoorsTek at the celebration were customers, business partners, and local community officials who have worked with the company for decades. Jim Leishman MBE, Provost of Fife Council, reflected, "I acknowledge the positive contribution the employees of CoorsTek have made to the Fife economy over these last 35 years, and their dedication and loyalty to the business. I also recognize and commend the company's leadership for continuing to service Europe from their base here in Glenrothes, Fife."

Watch the video, or find out more at coorstek.com.

About CoorsTek

CoorsTek makes the world measurably better as the partner of choice for technology and manufacturing companies worldwide whose success requires the unique, high-performance properties of products manufactured from engineered ceramics and advanced materials. CoorsTek products and components touch people's lives through amazing solutions to global challenges in energy, transportation, information technology, healthcare, and defense, among others. For more information about CoorsTek, including product information, its history since 1910, and locations throughout Europe, North America, South America, and Asia, visit coorstek.com.

Media Contacts





Dane Bartlett | CoorsTek [email protected] +1 303 271 7000 Bill Fallon | keating/co [email protected]

+1 973 768 6764

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SOURCE CoorsTek

Related Links

http://www.coorstek.com


CAROL STREAM, Ill., Oct. 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- CoreCentric Solutions, Inc. (http://www.corecentricsolutions.com), a leader in aftermarket service solutions, has consolidated all operations into a new state-of-the-art facility in Carol Stream, IL.

The company has moved all operations into a new 350,000 sq. ft. facility located at 191 E. North Avenue in Carol Stream, IL. The company's consolidation from three facilities to one will streamline and improve operations, drive efficiencies and fuel future growth.

"The new offices combine cubicle banks and open floor plans resulting in a hybrid office which really optimizes the ability to do solo work or work collaboratively in groups," said Badal Wadia, CEO. "Another important aspect of this move was to locate in an area that was still a reasonable commute for most of the employees," said Wadia.

Much of the 350K sq. ft. of the new headquarters is dedicated to production and warehousing; the remaining space houses a new state-of-the-art engineering research and development lab; a new customer service call center; a customer walk in area and all administrative offices.

"This move is much more than a merging of operations; it is a significant step in our future growth; this world class facility will enhance our ability to innovate and align more closely with our customers and continue our momentum," said Wadia

CoreCentric provides returns management, remanufactured parts and remanufacturing services for notable brands of consumer products around the home; categories include major appliances, electrics, HVAC, outdoor power and automotive.

ABOUT CORECENTRIC SOLUTIONS

Founded in 1995, CoreCentric Solutions has become a leader in aftermarket service solutions. From its headquarters outside Chicago, the company provides customized product and part lifecycle management and remanufacturing solutions to some of the largest U.S. retailers and the world's major appliance manufacturers. For more information, visit http://www.corecentricsolutions.com.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Donna Barbic: 630-216-5050

SOURCE CoreCentric Solutions, Inc

Related Links

http://www.corecentricusa.com


NEW YORK, Oct. 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- CoreCompete, a global consulting firm that enables organizations to deliver value from Big Data, announced that it has been ranked the 2nd fastest growing consulting firms in North America. Published by ALM's Consulting Magazine, the list includes the top 100 fastest growing firms based on last 3 years' revenue growth between 2012 and 2015.

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CoreCompete is a big data and analytical services organization that quickly delivers measurable financial value to enterprise clients through its Systems of Innovation and Agile Analytics Infrastructure offerings. Established in 2012, CoreCompete is headquartered in Durham, NC with offices in Europe and India. In a short span of 3 years, CoreCompete has achieved the Gold Partner status with SAS Institute, the leading analytics software company in the world and Big Data Competency Partner status with Amazon Web Services, the leading provider of Cloud services.

"We are proud to be ranked as the 2nd fastest growing consulting firms in North America by Consulting Magazine. It validates the confidence that our customers are placing in CoreCompete' s ability to help them tackle the opportunities provided by Big Data and to provide innovative and cost-effective analytical solutions that deliver measurable results," said Shiva Kommareddi, Managing Partner of CoreCompete LLC.

CoreCompete has been providing innovative solutions to Retail, Manufacturing, Banking and Financial Services organizations in North America, UK, Europe and APAC.

To see the complete list of Fastest Growing Consulting Firms in North America, please click here.

About CoreCompete

CoreCompete is a big data and analytical solutions organization. We deliver financial value to our clients by delivering Systems of Innovation, leveraging strong partnerships with AWS, SAS and Hortonworks. Based out of Durham, North Carolina with offices in UK and India, CoreCompete brings experience in delivering analytically oriented solutions in Retail, Manufacturing, Communications, Healthcare and Banking industries. To know more about CoreCompete, visit our website http://www.corecompete.com

About Consulting Magazine

Consulting magazine is the flagship publication of the consulting profession featuring the latest information on consulting careers, thought leadership and corporate strategies. It's published by ALM, an information and intelligence company.

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SOURCE CoreCompete LLC

Related Links

http://www.corecompete.com


DALLAS, Oct. 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- The Dallas Women Lawyers Association (DWLA) has honored six attorneys for outstanding work in their legal careers, naming Lisa Blue the 2016 recipient of the prized Louise B. Raggio Award.

Ms. Blue, name partner in the Dallas firm Baron and Blue, is a nationally renowned trial lawyer, forensic psychologist, jury selection specialist, author, speaker and philanthropist. She is past president of the American Association for Justice, formerly known as the Association of Trial Lawyers of America, and has been named among the "Top 100 Most Influential Lawyers in America" by The National Law Journal. In her legal career, she has amassed more than $350 million in verdicts and additional millions in settlements for her clients.

The Raggio Award is named for DWLA co-founder and Dallas legal pioneer Louise Raggio, who was the first female prosecutor in Dallas County history and who helped develop the Texas Family Code. Each year, the organization confers the Raggio Award to someone who has demonstrated the highest levels of professionalism while making significant contributions to the advancement of women attorneys.

Other honorees this year include:

Stacey Dore, Outstanding Corporate Counselor Award. She is the former Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Co-Chief Restructuring Officer at Dallas -based Energy Future Holdings.

-based Energy Future Holdings. Kit Addleman , Outstanding Female Partner, Large Firm. She is a partner in the Dallas and Fort Worth offices of Haynes and Boone, LLP.

, Outstanding Female Partner, Large Firm. She is a partner in the and offices of Haynes and Boone, LLP. Dawn Estes , Outstanding Female Partner, Small Firm. She is one of the founding partners of Estes Thorne & Carr PLLC of Dallas .

, Outstanding Female Partner, Small Firm. She is one of the founding partners of & Carr PLLC of . Jennifer Ryback , the Rising Raggio Award. Ms. Ryback is a lawyer with McGuire, Craddock & Strother, P.C., in Dallas .

, the Rising Raggio Award. Ms. Ryback is a lawyer with McGuire, Craddock & Strother, P.C., in . Judge Tonya Parker , DWLA Outstanding Director. She serves Dallas County's 116th Judicial District.

"All of these women are truly extraordinary leaders and are deserving of this recognition," said DWLA President Angela Zambrano. "And all are terrific examples for the rest of us to follow in our own careers."

Founded in 1968, the Dallas Women Lawyers Association is a non-profit organization that works to benefit women attorneys and elevate the standing of women in the legal profession. Founding members include acclaimed Dallas lawyers Louise B. Raggio, Judge Sarah T. Hughes and Joann Peters. More information is available at http://www.dallaswomenlawyers.org.

For more information on the DWLA 2016 Awards, please contact Mark Annick at 800-559-4534 or [email protected].

SOURCE Dallas Women Lawyers Association

Related Links

http://www.dallaswomenlawyers.org


PHILADELPHIA, October 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

Two-volume format provides easy print and online access

Elsevier, a world-leading provider of scientific, technical and medical information products and services, today announced the publication of the seventh edition of Auerbach's Wilderness Medicine, a proven, practical and highly visual textbook that is the written foundation for the specialty of wilderness medicine. It provides in-depth discussions for effectively diagnosing and treating medical conditions that can occur in any wilderness or other austere setting.

"This book provides expert explanations and guidance from outstanding world experts about how to recognize and face medical challenges that arise in the wilderness and other resource-limited locations," said Paul S. Auerbach, MD, MS, FACEP, MFAWM, FAAEM, Wilderness Medicine's editor. "It is intended to assist medical professionals, including doctors, nurses and advanced practice providers, but has always been important to rescuers and first responders. I'm thrilled that we've been able to go to two volumes so that it was possible to expand the breadth and depth of coverage, including topics pertinent to the wilderness environment."

Among the new features of Auerbach's Wilderness Medicine, 7th edition:

New and expanded chapters with hundreds of photos and illustrative drawings to help increase visual understanding of the material.

Revised chapters that provide expanded discussions of high-altitude medicine, improvisation, technical rescue, telemedicine, ultrasound, and wilderness medicine education.

Ten new chapters that cover: High-Altitude Medicine and Pathophysiology; High-Altitude and Pre-Existing Medical Conditions; Cycles, Snowmobiles and other Wilderness Conveyances; Medical Wilderness Adventure Races (MedWAR); Canyoneering and Canyon Medicine; Evidence-based Wilderness Medicine; National Park Service Medicine; Genomics and Personalized Wilderness Medicine; Forestry; and Earth Sciences.

30-plus Expert Consult online videos covering survival tips, procedural demonstrations, and detailed explanations of disease and incidents.

An Expert Consult eBook version is included with the purchase of Auerbach's Wilderness Medicine. This enhanced eBook enables search of all text, figures, images, videos, and references from the book on a variety of devices.

"The seventh edition of Auerbach's Wilderness Medicine is targeted to medical professionals and emergency responders for quickly and decisively managing medical emergencies, no matter where they happen," said Linda Belfus, Senior Vice President of Content, Clinical Solutions, Elsevier. "Its brand-new two-volume format ensures that all content is available in print and online to provide easy access."

To purchase Auerbach's Wilderness Medicine, visit http://www.elsevierhealth.com.

---

About Elsevier

Elsevier is a world-leading provider of information solutions that enhance the performance of science, health, and technology professionals, empowering them to make better decisions, deliver better care, and sometimes make groundbreaking discoveries that advance the boundaries of knowledge and human progress. Elsevier provides web-based, digital solutions - among them ScienceDirect, Scopus, Research Intelligence and ClinicalKey - and publishes over 2,500 journals, including The Lancet and Cell, and more than 35,000 book titles, including a number of iconic reference works. Elsevier is part of RELX Group, a world-leading provider of information and analytics for professional and business customers across industries. http://www.elsevier.com

Media contact

Christopher Capot

Director Corporate Relations, Elsevier

+1 917 704 5174

[email protected]



SOURCE Elsevier
"fairlife is excited to be a part of the solution Snack Pak 4 Kids has created for the local Texas community," said fairlife, LLC CEO Steve Jones. "Together with our partners, we are raising the bar not only for the dairy industry, but for children's nutrition across the country."

Snack Pak 4 Kids' priority has always been to offer high quality brand name products to the students it serves each weekend. As an organization, Snack Pak 4 Kids is focused on dignity and respect, which is demonstrated through offering the very best shelf stable nutrient-rich snacks.

Using a one-of-a-kind cold-filtration process, fairlife ultra-filtered milk concentrates the natural protein and calcium found in milk and reduces its natural sugars. Per serving, fairlife offers 13 grams of protein and half the sugar found in conventional milk, and is also lactose free. The company uses the high quality milk provided by Select Milk Producers, a co-op of American dairy families who lead the industry in their commitments to milk quality, humane animal care and environmental sustainability.

"We are thrilled to partner with our local dairy farmers to provide delicious fairlife ultra-filtered milk each weekend to the students we serve," said Snack Pak 4 Kids Founder Dyron Howell. "We're excited about what this partnership means for the students in our community, and we are grateful for the support from a top notch companies like fairlife, Southwest Dairy Farmers and Elanco."

"Southwest Dairy Farmers and its dairy producer members are pleased to once again be associated with Snack Pak 4 Kids and the valuable work it does for Texas kids," said James Hill, CEO of Southwest Dairy Farmers. "We are proud that our organization has been a partner with SP4K for the past three years and we've watched the program grow and help kids get better nutrition through dairy." Hill added, "We're pleased that the Select Milk Producers are joining with us in this worthwhile effort."

David Goode, Elanco sales representative in West Texas said, "We've been partnering with Snack Pak 4 Kids because their cause connects to our company's global fight against food insecurity. It's exciting to see our customers sign on to provide a premium source of protein for children in the program."

In addition to fairlife's inclusion in the Snack Paks, the shelf stable products will also be available through the Snack Shak program, designed by and for teenagers. Snack Shak gives middle and high school students the opportunity to select and prepare their own nutritious meals, using products available through the Snack Pak 4 Kids network, and with the help of their favorite teachers.

For more information on how you can donate to the cause, please visit www.snackpak4kids.org and for more product information, please visit www.fairlife.com.

About fairlife, LLC

fairlife, LLC is a health and wellness dairy company that produces and markets premium-quality, value-added, great tasting milk products  from farmers who share your values  crafted into real food nutrition that provides you with the vitality you need to live a fulfilled life. fairlife, LLC's patented cold filtration process filters milk to increase natural protein and minerals and decrease lactose and sugar. In 2012, Select Milk Producers entered into a partnership with The Coca-Cola Company to form fairlife, LLC. The Coca-Cola Company is the distribution partner for the products that fairlife, LLC, creates, markets and sells. fairlife, LLC owns and operates its own state-of-the-art plant in Michigan. fairlife, LLC, produces fairlife ultra-filtered milk, a high protein, reduced sugar great-tasting milk for the whole family, Core Power, a high protein milkshake for athletes and fitness enthusiasts, and YUP!, a delicious line of flavored milks.

About Snack Pak 4 Kids

Snack Pack 4 Kids was founded in September 2010, and uses 100% of all donated funds to purchase food only. We are committed to giving a voice to hungry kids, and ending weekend hunger so kids show up to school on Monday ready to learn. Currently we provide over 7,000 weekend bags of brand new, brand name, nutritious, shelf-stable snacks to students in 42 school districts across the Texas Panhandle and South Plains. We have a franchise location in San Antonio, TX. We also serve an additional 3,000+ kids across the state of Texas through our buying cooperative. Additionally, we serve our middle and high school students through a student led, student run program called Snack Shak. For more information, please visit www.snackpak4kids.org.

About Elanco

Elanco provides comprehensive products and knowledge services to improve animal health and food-animal production in more than 70 countries around the world. We value innovation, both in scientific research and daily operations, and strive to cultivate a collaborative work environment for more than 6,500 employees worldwide. Together with our customers, we are committed to raising awareness about global food security, and celebrating and supporting the human-animal bond. Founded in 1954, Elanco is a division of Eli Lilly and Company. Our worldwide headquarters and research facilities are located in Greenfield, Indiana. Visit us at Elanco.com.

About Southwest Dairy Farmers

Southwest Dairy Farmers is an alliance of dairy producers from Texas, New Mexico, Kansas, Arkansas, and Oklahoma. The organization is a federally-authorized, regional Dairy Checkoff Program and uses the pooled resources of its members to promote dairy products and the dairy industry. Southwest Dairy Farmers works in alliance with Southland Dairy Farmers, a group of dairy producers in Kentucky, North Carolina, and Virginia. Southwest Dairy works to promote dairy products and the industry through local marketing, advertising, and promotion efforts. These initiatives focus on education, nutrition, and public outreach within the communities and states of the Southwest dairy producer members. Southwest Dairy Farmers is headquartered within the Southwest Dairy Museum and Education Center in Sulphur Springs, Texas. For additional information, please go to www.southwestdairyfarmers.com.

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SOURCE fairlife, LLC

Related Links

http://www.fairlife.com


NEWARK, N.J., Oct. 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- FOWNDERS, the social-impact start-up accelerator based in Newark, New Jersey launched the Art of Code, a Code-a-Thon that pits two-person teams in a coding competition for cash prizes. Art of Code Code-a-Thon begins at 6:30PM, Friday November 4th at FOWNDERS-Newark campus at 48 Norfolk Street. Competition registration is available at The Art of Code  Competitive Coding for Self-Fulfillment and Expression Meet Up Group and Fownders.com.

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20161024/431756

NJIT's Keith Williams will lead Art of the Code at FOWNDERS in Newark, NJ.

FOWNDERS' Art of Code Code-a-Thon will be led Keith Williams, the "Mr. Miyagi of Code" who is the director of web information systems at New Jersey Institute of Technology and CTO at Anthiem Ventures. Regarding the Code-a-Thon, Williams said: "FOWNDERS is fast-becoming one of the pillars of Newark's entrepreneurial spirit and leading the charge in bridging some of the best minds in marketing with the technical talent that is building our future."

Regarding Keith Williams, FOWNDERS CEO Gerard Adams said: "Keith is a foremost expert in both teaching and collaborating on some of the most advanced technologies that solve marketable problems across IT infrastructure, big data systems, cybersecurity and applications testing and design. Williams is a force in the tech community in the New York area. We're blessed to have him lead Art of Code at FOWNDERS."

ABOUT FOWNDERS

FOWNDERS is a Newark, New Jersey-based social-impact startup accelerator serving entrepreneurs nationally. FOWNDERS is led by CEO and Millennial Mentor Gerard Adams, the winner of Magic Johnson's 32 Under 32 Award and a Top-100 Influencer in Silicon Alley. A serial entrepreneur, Adams overcame early adversity to become a self-made millionaire by the age of 24. Adams has built, backed or invested in twelve businesses across multiple industries that have all delivered over seven-figure profits including the sale of Elite Daily to Daily Mail for $50 million. FOWNDERS' mission is to mentor and inspire young entrepreneurs to develop what it takes to be successful and to turn dreams into reality.

Media Contact

Jordan French, COO

[email protected]

(512) 905-3003

Related Links

FOWNDERS Official Website

The Art of the Code

This content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com. For more info visit: http://www.newswire.com

SOURCE FOWNDERS, Inc.

Related Links

http://fownders.com


Tehran, Iran, October 24

By Mehdi Sepahvand - Trend:

The Netherlands Minister of Infrastructure and Environment Melanie Schultz van Haegen is in Iran to discuss various grounds of cooperation with Iranian officials.

Speaking to Trend about the mutual ties, she compared the two countries natural resources, saying the Netherlands has a lot more water than Iran, but said she was jealous of Irans sun exposure.

She went on to underline that Iran and the Netherlands have many similar challenges, which provide the opportunity for close cooperation.

I just arrived yesterday. Some contracts have to be signed this week. Most of the meetings are about water management, maritime, and port development. Yesterday I had a meeting with Energy Minister Mr. Hamid Chitchian, where we signed an MoU on cooperation between the two countries, especially on tackling the issues of water scarcity, water reuse, she said.

We face the same challenges. One of the things we have in common for example is the salt intrusion problem, infecting the ground water reserves. On this we are working together.

Mrs. Schultz van Haegen said he will have more meetings in Tehran today.

This morning I saw the minister of transport on totally different subjects: aviation, road, and transport. And his afternoon I will meet the vice president for environment Masumeh Ebtekar to discuss climate change.

On the sidelines of her meeting with Iran's Energy Minister Hamid Chitchian October 23, the Renewable Energy Organization of Iran (SUNA) signed a cooperation agreement with a Dutch company on the construction of a solar power plant in Iran.

Although the Islamic Republic has a lot of sun exposure, strong winds, etc., Iran draws only 0.01 percent of its electricity output from energy.

On October 24 morning during Schultz van Haegens meeting with Irans Minister of Transport Abbas Akhondi, the two countries signed an MoU on logistic cooperation, investment, launching a joint committee for exchange of experts, management education, and executive affairs.

During that meeting, Akhondi said Iran and the Netherlands had signed a comprehensive document on cooperation on maritime and port development, as well as investment in Irans Port Chabahar and road transit, noting that currently 800 Iranian trucks transit goods to the Netherlands.
HOUSTON, Oct. 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Gastar Exploration Inc. (NYSE MKT: GST) ("Gastar") announced today that it will release its third quarter 2016 results on Thursday, November 3, 2016 after the market closes. In conjunction with the release, Gastar has scheduled a conference call for 11:00 a.m. Eastern Time (10:00 a.m. Central Time) on Friday, November 4, 2016. Investors may participate in the call either by phone or audio webcast.

By Phone: Dial 1-412-902-0030 at least 10 minutes before the call. A telephone replay will be available through November 11 by dialing 1-201-612-7415 and using the conference ID: 13648397.



By Webcast: Visit the Investor Relations page of Gastar's website at www.gastar.com under "Events & Presentations." Please log on a few minutes in advance to register and download any necessary software. A replay will be available shortly after the call.

For more information, please contact Donna Washburn at Dennard-Lascar Associates at 713-529-6600 or e-mail [email protected].

About Gastar Exploration

Gastar Exploration Inc. is a pure play Mid-Continent independent energy company engaged in the exploration, development and production of oil, condensate, natural gas and natural gas liquids. Gastar's principal business activities include the identification, acquisition, and subsequent exploration and development of oil and natural gas properties with an emphasis on unconventional reserves, such as shale resource plays. Gastar holds a concentrated acreage position in what is believed to be the core of the STACK Play, an area of central Oklahoma which is home to multiple oil and natural gas-rich reservoirs including the Meramec, Oswego, Osage, Woodford and Hunton formations. For more information, visit Gastar's website at www.gastar.com.

Contacts:

Gastar Exploration Inc.

Michael A. Gerlich, Chief Financial Officer

713-739-1800 / [email protected]

Investor Relations Counsel:

Lisa Elliott / [email protected]

Dennard-Lascar Associates: 713-529-6600

SOURCE Gastar Exploration Inc.

Related Links

http://www.gastar.com


"Take advantage of the hassle-free slow cooker for sides and desserts and leave the oven free for your turkey," said McCormick Kitchens Executive Chef Kevan Vetter. "Top a mixture of apples, brown sugar and cinnamon with seasoned oat crumbles for a warm Oatmeal Apple Cobbler  an ooey gooey dessert that will fill your kitchen with an irresistible, sweet and spicy aroma while it slow cooks."

For more time-saving tips and recipes for your Thanksgiving feast, check out McCormick.com and visit McCormick Spice on Facebook and Pinterest.

Slow Cooker Cranberry Sauce Prep time: 5 minutes Cook time: 3 hours, 45 minutes Servings: 8







1 package (12 ounces) fresh or frozen cranberries

2/3 cup sugar

1 seedless orange, peeled and sectioned

2 McCormick Bay leaves

1 McCormick Cinnamon Stick

Place all ingredients in 4-quart slow cooker. Cover.

Cook 3 hours on high, stirring every hour. Uncover. Stir well.

Cook, uncovered, 30 to 45 minutes longer on high or until slightly thickened.

Slow Cooker Sausage Stuffing Prep time: 15 minutes Cook time: 1 hour, 25 minutes Servings: 12 (2/3-cup servings)







1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter

2 cups chopped celery

1 cup chopped onion

1/2 pound mild (sweet) Italian sausage, casing removed

1 cup Kitchen Basics Original Chicken Stock

2 teaspoons McCormick Rubbed Sage

1 teaspoon McCormick Crushed Rosemary

10 cups cubed French bread (1-inch pieces)

Melt butter in large skillet on medium heat. Add celery and onion; cook and stir until softened, about 5 minutes. Add sausage; cook and stir until no longer pink, about 5 minutes.

Spray inside of slow cooker with no stick cooking spray. Add stock and herbs; stir to blend. Stir in bread cubes and sausage-vegetable mixture. Cover.

Cook 45 minutes on high. Uncover and stir. Cook, uncovered, 30 minutes longer.

Slow Cooker Oatmeal Apple Cobbler Prep time: 15 minutes Cook time: 3 hours Servings: 10





Apple Filling:

5 medium Gala apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced

1 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1/4 cup all-purpose baking mix, such as Bisquick

1 teaspoon McCormick Ground Cinnamon Oatmeal Cobbler Topping:

1 cup all-purpose baking mix, such as Bisquick

1/2 cup quick-cooking oats

1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon McCormick Ground Cinnamon

1/2 cup (1 stick) cold butter, cut into pieces

Spray inside of slow cooker with no stick cooking spray. For the Apple Filling, toss apple slices, brown sugar, baking mix and cinnamon in large bowl. Place in slow cooker.

For the Cobbler Topping, mix all ingredients, except butter, in medium bowl. Cut in butter with fork until crumbly. Sprinkle over Apple Filling. Cover.

Cook 3 hours on high.

Slow Cooker Pumpkin Cake with Caramel Sauce Prep time: 10 minutes Cook time: 3 hours, 35 minutes Servings: 16





Pumpkin Cake:

1 package (2-layer size) yellow cake mix

1 can (15 ounces) pumpkin

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, melted

1/4 cup milk

2 eggs

2 teaspoons McCormick Pumpkin Pie Spice

1 cup chocolate chips Caramel Sauce:

1 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1/2 cup heavy cream

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter

1 teaspoon McCormick Pure Vanilla Extract

1/2 teaspoon McCormick Pumpkin Pie Spice

Spray inside of 6-quart slow cooker with no stick cooking spray. For the Cake, mix all ingredients in large bowl. Pour into greased slow cooker. Place towel over slow cooker and cover with lid.

Cook 3 1/2 hours on low or until cake is almost set.

Meanwhile, for the Caramel Sauce, cook and stir all ingredients in small saucepan on medium-high heat 5 minutes or until sauce is smooth.

Carefully remove slow cooker insert and place on wire rack. Pour 1/2 of the Caramel Sauce over the cake. Let stand 10 to 15 minutes to cool slightly. Serve cake with remaining sauce and ice cream or whipped cream, if desired.

Substitution: Use 1 cup chopped candy bars in place of the chocolate chips.

Michael French

[email protected]

1-888-824-3337

editors.familyfeatures.com

About Family Features Editorial Syndicate

Established in 1974, Family Features is a leading provider of free food and lifestyle content for print and online publications. Our articles, photos, videos and web content solutions save you time, money and help create advertising opportunities. Registration is fast and free  with absolutely no obligation. Visit editors.familyfeatures.com for more information.

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SOURCE Family Features Editorial Syndicate

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FREDONIA, Wis., Oct. 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Once again, PLMA is returning to Chicago. Guy & O'Neill Inc., a private label and contract manufacturer, will be exhibiting their products and services relating to wet wipes, liquid fill and more. This year the company is proud to showcase our capabilities in household cleaning wipes, automotive wipes, facial wipes and personal care wipes and lubricants. The show dates are November 14 and 15 and takes place at the Rosemont Horizon Convention Center in Chicago, Illinois. You are invited to schedule an appointment or visit us at Booth 314 anytime during the show.

About Guy and O'Neill

Guy & O'Neill, Inc. was founded in 1975 with headquarters in Fredonia, Wisconsin. It is focused on contract, private label and consumer goods manufacturing for wet wipes, personal care, beauty care, household care, adult care and automotive care. Guy & O' Neill has created and delivered innovation for Fortune 500 retailers and consumer product companies with an emphasis on the highest standards for business ethics, quality and customer service. For more information visit www.guyandoneill.com.

SOURCE Guy and ONeill Inc.

Related Links

http://www.guyandoneill.com


Join us at the Digital Health Summit , presented by Living in Digital Times , as we examine the role technology is playing in advancing modern medicine, healthcare and wellness. From chronic illnesses and opioid addiction to the personalization of consumer medication and advances in precision medicine to telemedicine and augmented reality, these hot topics are tackled by industry experts offering inventive approaches to today's biggest healthcare challenges and solutions that provide better health outcomes. The two-day summit at CES 2017 is scheduled for January 6 and 7 at The Venetian, Level 4, Lando 4303.

CES attendees will not want to miss Confronting the Sleep Epidemic Head-On, a featured session with Dr. Oz live on stage, revealing the results of a groundbreaking, national sleep study. He will be joined for a more in-depth discussion from industry experts Shelly Ibach, president and CEO of Select Comfort, Mick Farrell, CEO of ResMed and Dave deBronkart aka e-Patient Dave, International patient engagement advocate, speaker, and author of "Let Patients Help: A Patient Engagement Handbook." The session will begin at 11:30 AM PT.

ResMed (NYSE: RMD), the global leader in medical devices and digital connected care for the diagnosis, treatment and management of sleep apnea, teamed up with the nationally syndicated Dr. Oz Show on a campaign to foster better public understanding of sleep health. The campaign includes a national sleep study, launched on October 20, 2016, to determine America's Sleep Score. More than one million nights of anonymous sleep data will be gathered, to assess the nation's sleep fitness, while determining a national score.

"Sleep is the single most under-appreciated problem affecting our overall health and remains a top queried area for help on search engines," said Dr. Mehmet Oz, host, The Dr. Oz Show. "We're excited to work with ResMed over the next several months to assess the sleep habits of our country, and will announce the results live at the Digital Health Summit at CES, the launch pad for innovation and technology that has changed the world. Understanding public health patterns lets us build new pathways to wellness and we can really move the needle with sleep insights and advice."

In addition to this session, the 8th annual Digital Health Summit will feature a roster of speakers representing startups and established healthcare providers, pharmaceutical companies, hospitals, physicians, researchers, associations, regulators and other top thought leaders in the caregiving community, sharing their insights on topics such as:

How precision medicine is helping doctors treat each patient based on his or her individual genetic and chemical makeup

Telemedicine, and how our voice has become the new call button with patient assistants like Alexa, Siri and Google Home

Explosion in gaming for your health, using simulation to improve cognitive impairment and increase patient experiences and engagement

How artificial intelligence and deep machine learning are shedding light on diagnosing and treating our most vexing diseases

How augmented and virtual reality are being used to treat everything from mental illness to trauma, from rehabilitation to pain management

How today's latest technologies are harnessing Zero UI, and how they will radically transform long-term engagement

What the top digital health investors say are the must-have business elements before they write the check

"Digital Health Summit will cover the most innovative technology tackling some of the world's greatest healthcare's challenges and the savvy businesses and investors that are supporting this explosive market," stated Jill Gilbert, producer of the Digital Health Summit. "More so than any other industry, collaboration is vital to moving innovations in healthcare forward, and CES provides the ideal platform to bring together medical professionals, tech innovators and business leaders that are having the greatest impact on the industry today."

In addition to the summit, CES attendees can get a first-hand look at the latest digital health products at the four-day corresponding Health & Wellness Marketplace, starting Thursday, January 5 at CES 2017, Tech West within the Sands Expo, Level 2, Halls A-C.

Keep up on the latest news from Digital Health Summit by following @DHSummit on Twitter. Join the conversation online with hashtag #DigitalHealthCES.

Tweet this: Join top #DigitalHealth minds at @DHSummit during #CES2017 to explore the impact of innovation on healthcare http://bit.ly/1LEZn44

About Living in Digital Times

Founded by veteran technology journalist Robin Raskin, Living in Digital Times brings together the most knowledgeable leaders and the latest innovations impacting both technology and lifestyle. It helps companies identify and act on emerging trends, create compelling company narratives, and do better business through strong network connections. Living in Digital Times produces technology conferences, exhibits and events at CES and other locations throughout the year by lifestyle verticals. Core brands include Digital Health Summit, Digital Money Forum, FitnessTech, Baby Tech, [email protected], Family Tech Summit, TransformingEDU, MommyTech TV, Beauty Tech, Wearables and FashionWare runway show, Mobile Apps Showdown, Last Gadget Standing, Robots on the Runway and the KAPi Awards. The company also works with various foundations and manages the Appreneur Scholar awards program for budding mobile entrepreneurs, as well as the 10 Under 20: Young Innovators to Watch awards recognizing student STEAM innovations in New York City. For more information, visit www.LivinginDigitalTimes.com and keep up with our latest news on Twitter, Linkedin and Facebook.

About CES:

CES is the world's gathering place for all who thrive on the business of consumer technologies. It has served as the proving ground for innovators and breakthrough technologies for 50 yearsthe global stage where next-generation innovations are introduced to the marketplace. As the largest hands-on event of its kind, CES features all aspects of the industry. Owned and produced by the Consumer Technology Association (CTA)TM, the technology trade association representing the $287 billion U.S. consumer technology industry, it attracts the world's business leaders and pioneering thinkers. Check out CES video highlights. Follow CES online at CES.tech and on social.

Media Contact:

Karen Pineman

LKPR, Inc. for Living in Digital Times

[email protected]mailto:[email protected]

917-453-6887 (mobile)

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SOURCE Living in Digital Times

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ROCKVILLE, Md., Oct. 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- BioHealth Innovation, Inc. (BHI) announced today that the Maryland Economic Development Corporation (MEDCO), who is the agent for Montgomery County, has selected BHI to manage the Germantown Innovation Center (GIC) located within the Pinkney Innovation Complex for Science and Technology at Montgomery College (PIC MC). The Germantown Innovation Center was previously managed by the Montgomery County Department of Economic Development, which transitioned into the Montgomery County Economic Development Corporation (MCEDC) on July 1, 2016.

Additionally, BHI and PIC MC have signed an agreement to work collaboratively on business incubation and company recruitment at the PIC MCa 20-acre integrated academic, business and research campus.

"We are pleased that MEDCO has selected BHI as a partner to manage GIC, a quality incubation facility for the growing biohealth and biotech sector in Montgomery County. The County is the lead founder of BHI, and this decision to have our organization manage and lead the GIC further demonstrates Montgomery County's dedication to BHI's mission and ever-growing partnership," said Richard Bendis , BHI President and CEO. "Furthermore, we are excited about our new partnership with Montgomery College and look forward to supporting the growth of the innovation complex."

BHI will lead the overall management, programming, and entrepreneurial support at the GIC, which includes new company recruitment to the facility. BHI will use its network of partnerships with leading biohealth industry organizations and regional service providers to support the budding small businesses at the GIC for individual growth needs. Additionally, BHI and Montgomery College will host outreach events with the overall goal of building a stronger biohealth community.

"Having BHI manage our Germantown bio incubator makes great sense, as it aligns directly with the organization's mission to advance early-stage biomedical R&D," said Assistant Chief Administrative Officer for Economic and Workforce Development Lily Qi. "We are confident the partnership between BHI and the College will be a tremendous value for GIC companies and help drive increased growth for this county and beyond."

Montgomery College and the PIC MC will largely focus on driving local resources to the innovation center to further develop it as an economic engine in the region. GIC tenant companies will have access to the College's resources, including experienced biotechnology faculty and staff, equipment, a diverse talent pool, as well as educational and post-doctoral courses. The College will also support the GIC by identifying synergistic grant, teaching and speaking opportunities.

"We have known BHI for many years and know that they are the perfect partner to help grow our entrepreneurial companies and partners," said Montgomery College Senior Vice President of Academic Affairs Dr. Sanjay Rai. "This collaboration is the start of a partnership that we believe will continue to set our region apart."

About BioHealth Innovation, Inc.

BioHealth Innovation, Inc., is a regional innovation intermediary focused on commercializing market-relevant bio-health innovations and increasing access to early-stage funding in Maryland. BHI is known for providing commercial assistance to scientists and founders, educating and infusing Maryland's life science community with new and young entrepreneurs and fueling startups within Central Maryland's bio-ecosystem by connecting young companies to funding and business resources. Learn more at: www.biohealthinnovation.org

About Montgomery College and Pinkney Innovation Complex for Science and Technology at Montgomery College (PIC MC)

Montgomery College is a public, open admissions community college with campuses in Germantown, Rockville, and Takoma Park/Silver Spring, plus workforce development/continuing education centers and off-site programs throughout Montgomery County, Md. The College serves nearly 60,000 students a year representing 160 countries, through both credit and noncredit programs, in more than 130 areas of study. Montgomery College is the only community college in the country with an integrated academic, business and research campus, (PIC MC in Germantown). PIC MC is actively engaged in attracting life sciences companies and entrepreneurs to locate on the Germantown Campus to connect with our students in the College's premier biotechnology, cybersecurity and technology programs. Learn more at: www.montgomerycollege.edu

SOURCE BioHealth Innovation, Inc.

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BOSTON, Oct. 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- MedAptus today announced that its Assign for Rounding Providers platform has been installed at nearly 20 hospitals in 2016, less than a year after general product availability. Assign is the cornerstone of MedAptus' emerging care coordination suite, which leverages existing admission and workforce scheduling data to automatically assemble the optimal care team and support collaboration across the care continuum.

Assign for Rounding Providers has been enthusiastically embraced by hospitalist group leaders for its ability to replace manual patient assignment processes with computerized logic that can simultaneously apply multiple assignment protocols in order to distribute patients in a fair, equitable manner. This workload balancing feature is especially critical to not only provider satisfaction, but patient safety as well, given that studies show 40 percent of hospitalists routinely report unsafe patient loads. Problematic workloads are also linked to longer length of stays and increased cost.

Customers that have adopted Assign include a number of hospital systems already using MedAptus for professional charge entry and submission. Beyond enjoying benefits from a fast, accurate patient list each morning that is also distributed in multiple form factors across the hospital, reducing morning calls and pages, these groups also enjoy seamless integration between Assign and Pro Charge.

One such customer that expanded its relationship with MedAptus via the adoption of Assign is Kennedy Health, an integrated, multi-hospital system in southern New Jersey. Care for admitted patients across each of Kennedy's three acute care hospitals is managed by a team of nearly 30 employed hospitalists. Anthony Wehbe, DO, MBA, Kennedy Health Chief Population Health Executive, spearheaded the healthcare organization's decision to begin using MedAptus Assign.

"We wanted to facilitate and improve communications between all healthcare associates involved in the patient's hospital visit  from the admissions staff to the post-discharge follow-up," Wehbe said. "We have been very pleased with the efficiency and results achieved through this program."

Joseph N. Badolato, DO, Medical Director of the Hospitalist program at Kennedy University Hospital in Stratford, added that, "Beyond driving daily time savings and better efficiency, there are other end-user benefits, including providing doctors with more detailed information about each patient's needs through this electronic platform."

Other groups signing on for Assign to re-invent hospitalist-to-patient alignment processes to help drive improvements around patient outcomes and cost management include Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital-Plymouth, University Physician Associates of New Jersey, Summit Health and another ten hospitals within one of the largest, nonprofit healthcare systems in the country.

"The response to Assign from my hospitalist peers has confirmed much of what I have long suspected  that there has to be a better way to create patient-provider relationships in the acute setting, especially these days where hospitalists are key to initiatives seeking to prevent re-admissions. Disregarding factors such as continuity and acuity work against a provider's ability to obtain and nurture the sometimes nuanced patient information that can be the X factor when it comes to a re-admit," offered Ryan Secan, MD, MPH, MedAptus Chief Medical Officer.

For hospitalists attending the SHM Leadership Conference in Lake Buena Vista, FL, MedAptus will be in the exhibit area demonstrating its hospitalist-oriented solutions.

About MedAptus

MedAptus solutions streamline the process of delivering patient care. From simplifying pre-care clinical workforce needs, to automating administrative tasks at the point-of-care, our offerings provide customers with a foundation for improved operational efficiency, personal productivity and ultimately, optimized financial performance. Adoption of the MedAptus suite enables providers to spend their time where it matters most: with patients. For more information, visit www.medaptus.com, call 617.896.4000 or follow us on Twitter @MedAptus.

MedAptus Contact: Jennifer Crowley

p. 617.896.4030

[email protected]

SOURCE MedAptus

Related Links

http://www.medaptus.com


MEXICO CITY, Oct. 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, the Mexico Tourism Board (MTB) announced a new, multi-faceted campaign to bring tourists to Mexico during the annual Day of the Dead holiday that is celebrated all over the country. Encompassing both media and brand partnerships, MTB is also hosting an inaugural Day of the Dead Parade in the heart of Mexico City with the goal of drawing locals and tourists to experience this traditional holiday in a memorable way.

The Day of the Dead (Dia de Muertos), an important festival in Mexico, celebrates the souls of departed loved ones. The traditions date back centuries, and origins of the festival can be traced back to Mesoamerican times when month-long celebrations were held.

"Dia de Muertos, in various forms, has been an integral part of Mexican culture for centuries," said Lourdes Berho, CEO of the Mexico Tourism Board. "The Mexico Tourism Board is thrilled to share time honoured rituals with the world with this initiative, and we invite everyone near and far to join us in celebrating our culture on this special holiday."

Although traditions vary by regions, an integral theme of the festival is welcoming back the souls of lost loved ones. Family and friends of the departed decorate gravestones in bright flowers or build special altars in their home laid out with treats like sweets, liquor or gifts to entice souls back to earth for the day. The most iconic of these offerings are las calaveras, or the sugar skulls, decorated and engraved with the deceased's name for the holiday.

The festivities are widely thought to be presided over by the goddess Mictecacihuatl, wife of Mictlantecuhtli, Lord of the underworld. She is known as "Lady Death" or, more recently as "La Catrina", a character created by artist Jose Guadalupe Posada. Her image has become a core part of celebrations across the country.

First-Ever Parade in Mexico City

On Saturday, October 29, Mexico City will host the first-ever Day of the Dead Parade, which will start at the Angel of Independence monument, go down Reforma, then towards the city center through 5 de Mayo Avenue. The parade route will showcase floats and costumed performers marching and dancing down the avenue, culminating in Mexico City's iconic Zocalo square.

The parade can be enjoyed from 2 P.M. to 6 P.M CMT, and will be livestreamed via Facebook Live (www.facebook.com/VisitMexico) hosted by the popular Mexican talk radio show personality Martha Debayle.

In addition, participating restaurants and hotels will be joining the revelry with their own Day of the Dead altars during the festivities. Tourists and locals are invited to dress in colourful clothing, wear sugar skull masks and flower crowns, and bring traditional treats, like bread of the dead, for a truly immersive experience.

Activations and Media Partnerships

Additionally, the celebrations extend beyond just Mexico with a partnership with the legendary cultural and art magazine The New Yorker. In addition to digital and media elements throughout the month of October, an event was hosted in New York City on October 8. Consumers attended culinary demonstrations, Day of the Dead tutorials with Chef Joel Zaragoza as well as a mezcal and mixology class with spirits expert Steve Olson at New York's Casa Neta restaurant.

In addition to the event, The New Yorker launched a newsletter edition detailing the events and rituals surrounding the Day of the Dead to be shared with the outlet's subscribers.

Another media partner, National Geographic, will host a specialty photo collection for consumers in Washington, D.C. The collection, which opens on Nov. 3, outlines the traditions of the Day of the Dead throughout Mexico and the important role the celebration plays in Mexican culture and history.

In Mexico, Grupo Expansion's publications: Chilango, Accent and Aire, will feature special sections on Day of the Dead, the history of the event, and this year's celebrations throughout Mexico. As part of the collaboration, Chilango, Accent and Aire will even offer individual booklets in each of their October or November print editions for consumers to deep-dive into the traditions of Day of the Dead, and see the ways they can join the celebration from anywhere around the world.

Additional activities include special Day of the Dead content for social and public relations efforts, social media amplification through official channels, and experiential initiatives such as familiarization trips to experience Mexico City.

For more information go to http://www.visitmexico.com/dofd.

Follow VisitMexico Social Media Platforms from Oct. 28  Nov. 2 to join in on the Day of the Dead celebrations.

Facebook: /VisitMexico

Twitter: @WeVisitMexico

Instagram: /DescubreMiMexico

Pinterest: /VisitMex

Webpage: www.visitmexico.com

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SOURCE Mexico Tourism Board

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MILWAUKEE, Oct. 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- MGIC Investment Corporation (NYSE: MTG) today announced that Donald T. Nicolaisen has retired from the company's Board of Directors to reduce his outside time commitments. "Don has been a valued advisor to MGIC," stated Curt Culver, non-executive Chairman of the Board. "His wise counsel helped our company weather one of the most difficult housing markets in U.S. history, enabling MGIC to return to the strong condition it enjoys today. On behalf of the board and the company, we thank him for his dedicated service and wish him well for the future."

Mr. Nicolaisen was the Chief Accountant of the United States Securities and Exchange Commission from September 2003 to November 2005, when he retired from full time employment. Prior to joining the SEC, he was a Senior Partner at PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, an accounting firm that he joined in 1967. Mr. Nicolaisen had served on the Board of MGIC Investment Corporation since October 2006, including as Chair of the Board's Risk Management Committee.

"Don's broad knowledge of the financial industry and insight have been invaluable to us," said Patrick Sinks, President and Chief Executive Officer of MGIC Investment Corporation. "We will miss having him as part of the MGIC family, and his impact on our Company will continue to be felt long into the future."

About MGIC

MGIC ( www.mgic.com ), the principal subsidiary of MGIC Investment Corporation, serves lenders throughout the United States, Puerto Rico, and other locations helping families achieve homeownership sooner by making affordable low-down-payment mortgages a reality. At September 30, 2016, MGIC had $180.1 billion of primary insurance in force covering approximately one million mortgages.

From time to time MGIC Investment Corporation releases important information via postings on its corporate website without making any other disclosure and intends to continue to do so in the future. Investors and other interested parties are encouraged to enroll to receive automatic email alerts and Really Simple Syndication (RSS) feeds regarding new postings. Enrollment information can be found at http://mtg.mgic.com under Investor Information.

SOURCE MGIC Investment Corporation

Related Links

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"MHS Health Wisconsin is committed to recognizing Wisconsin healthcare professionals for the excellent care they provide to our members," said Robert Lyon, MD, Chief Medical Director for MHS Health. "We are pleased to recognize Lillian Oduwole for the ongoing contributions she makes to improve the care, quality and long-term health outcomes of our members."

Winners of the annual Summit Award demonstrate superior performance in areas such as:

Establishing a "patient-centered medical home" for new enrollees by promoting the member-primary-care-physician relationship. In the medical home model, each person has a primary care provider, who manages all healthcare needs throughout the patient's life.

Routine preventive and well-care services for both adults and children.

Open access to appointments and follow-up care after emergency room and hospital visits.

Oduwole received her award Oct. 7.

About MHS Health Wisconsin

MHS Health Wisconsin, founded in 1984, is a health maintenance organization (HMO) that provides coverage for Wisconsin in BadgerCare Plus, SSI and Medicare Advantage. MHS Health also offers commercial health plans, branded as Ambetter from MHS Health Wisconsin, through the Wisconsin Health Insurance Marketplace. The health plan currently serves about 80,000 members. MHS' Medicaid plan is accredited through the NCQA. MHS, through its parent company, Centene Corp., also offers specialty services including behavioral health, life and health management, managed vision, telehealth services and pharmacy benefits management. For more information, visit www.mhswi.com.

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SOURCE MHS Health Wisconsin

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Baku, Azerbaijan, Oct. 23

By Fatih Karimov  Trend

Iran is expected to sign six new oil MoUs in the near future, Gholam Reza Manouchehri, an official with the National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC), said.

Manouchehri said that under the newly developed model Iran Petroleum Contract (IPC) foreign companies can use Iranian partners in the projects, SHANA news agency reported Oct. 23.

It is predicted that even in large oil fields where foreigners work as operators, some 70 percent of the work will be carried out by Iranian companies, he said.

Manouchehri further said that so far, the NIOC has signed MoUs with 10 foreign companies.

It was earlier announced that Iran will sign several new oil and gas contracts worth $10 billion with foreign and domestic companies until March 2017 for developing upstream oil and gas sectors.

The Islamic Republic has planned $185 billion worth of oil and gas projects by 2021 and hopes to attract foreign investments by using IPCs.

Unlike the old contracts, IPC allows foreign companies to sign long-term contracts with Iran (20-25 years) and receive a percentage of produced oil as long as the field is active. This would encourage the foreign company to increase the field's recovery rate to receive more oil in the long term.
BROOMFIELD, Colo., Oct. 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Vail Resorts, Inc. (NYSE: MTN) today announced that Michele Romanow has been appointed to the Company's board of directors, effective Oct. 17, 2016, as part of the Company's acquisition of Whistler Blackcomb Holdings Inc.

Romanow is the co-founder of various technology start-up companies, including Clearbanc, a technology company that provides financial services for freelancers in the United States; Buytopia.ca, a Canadian e-commerce company; and SnapSaves, which was purchased by Groupon, Inc. in June 2014. She served as a senior marketing executive for Groupon from June 2014 to March 2016. Romanow was also a member of the board of directors of Whistler Blackcomb Holdings Inc., which was acquired by the Company effective Oct. 17, 2016.

"We're thrilled to have Michele join our board," said Rob Katz, chairman and chief executive officer of Vail Resorts. "Michele brings an incredible background in web-based commerce and digital marketing and consumer advertising, as well her very successful experiences as a serial entrepreneur. We look forward to having Michele's insight as we work towards integrating Whistler Blackcomb into Vail Resorts."

Romanow is currently one of the venture capitalists on the award-winning series Dragons' Den on CBC, a Canadian television broadcast network. Romanow is also on the board of directors of Shad Valley International, a non-profit organization that works with youth to unleash their entrepreneurial and innovative potential.

Romanow holds a bachelor's degree in engineering and a master's degree in business administration from Queen's University. While at Queen's University, Romanow was the recipient of the Tricolour Award, the highest award granted at Queen's to recognize outstanding contributions to the university. Romanow was named a "Millennial on a Mission" by Forbes in 2013, the only Canadian to be featured on the list and named as one of Canada's top 100 most powerful women. She was also a finalist for the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year award in 2014.

Michele grew up in Calgary, Canada, and spends her time between Toronto, Chicago and San Francisco and is an active skier and outdoor enthusiast.

Michelle is the Company's ninth board member, joining Sue Decker, Roland Hernandez, Rob Katz, John Redmond, Hillary Schneider, Bruce Sewell, John Sorte and Peter Vaughn.

About Vail Resorts, Inc. (NYSE: MTN)

Vail Resorts, Inc., through its subsidiaries, is the leading global mountain resort operator. Vail Resorts' subsidiaries operate 10 world-class mountain resorts and three urban ski areas, including Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge and Keystone in Colorado; Park City in Utah; Heavenly, Northstar and Kirkwood in the Lake Tahoe area of California and Nevada; Whistler Blackcomb in British Columbia, Canada; Perisher in Australia; Wilmot Mountain in Wisconsin; Afton Alps in Minnesota and Mt. Brighton in Michigan. Vail Resorts owns and/or manages a collection of casually elegant hotels under the RockResorts brand, as well as the Grand Teton Lodge Company in Jackson Hole, Wyo. Vail Resorts Development Company is the real estate planning and development subsidiary of Vail Resorts, Inc. Vail Resorts is a publicly held company traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: MTN). The Vail Resorts company website is www.vailresorts.com and consumer website is www.snow.com.

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SOURCE Vail Resorts, Inc.

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AUSTIN, Texas, Oct. 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Protect America, Inc., a leading provider of home security solutions, today announced a major investment in new video technology. The new camera offering, supported by a uniquely simplified installation process, will deliver quality footage at an aggressive price point currently unrivaled in the industry.

Protect America plans to release the camera during the 2016 holiday season and will integrate it within customizable home security packages to ensure its availability to a wide variety of homeowners. Among the product's many capabilities are dual cloud and physical storage with automatic emergency recording and a "call back" feature: allowing the user to view prerecorded footage from a user-specified date and time on mobile devices or desktop.

"We're beyond excited," said Protect America CEO Scott Fleming. "Our new cameras will offer best-in-class performance and were designed with our customers' feedback in mind. This is the intersection of value, performance and ease-of-use that homeowners have needed for some time. It will be the best home security and camera offer in the industry."

The company will release further product information on the announcement of launch date.

About Protect America, Inc.

Protect America is an Austin, Texas-based provider of wireless home security systems, fire protection and home automation solutions. Since the company's founding in 1992, Protect America has secured nearly half a million homes in the United States and Canada. Protect America is a member of the Rockbridge Growth Equity family of companies which includes the Cleveland Cavaliers and Quicken Loans.

This content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com. For more info visit: http://www.newswire.com

SOURCE Protect America, Inc.
TORONTO, Oct. 24, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- For the first time in Canada, start-up ventures will be permitted to raise funding from venture cap investors through a two-year program authorized by the Ontario Securities Commission. The new program is part of the OSC LaunchPad initiative, the first innovation hub introduced by a Canadian securities regulator aimed at improving the integration of Fintech companies entering the regulatory framework.

Beginning tomorrow, eligible ventures in the Creative Destruction Lab at the University of Toronto's Rotman School of Management as well as ventures with NEXT Canada, will be able to raise money through AngelList, a platform for startup fundraising and hiring.

Eligible investors will be Ontario investors who meet both the Ontario accredited investor criteria and the AngelList sophistication screening. Eligible ventures must be headquartered in, or have significant operations in, Canada.

"The Creative Destruction Lab works with tech startups and innovative businesses and we are happy to see new opportunities for these businesses to raise funds in order to grow. It is good for Canadian inventors and entrepreneurs," says Avi Goldfarb, a professor of marketing at the Rotman School and the Lab's Chief Data Scientist.

Research on crowdfunding by Prof. Goldfarb with Rotman colleague Prof. Ajay Agrawal, the Lab's founder, and Prof. Christian Catalini of the MIT Sloan School of Management, helped inform the OSC on the initiative.

"This is great for Canadian innovation because it allows investors, through "syndicates" to leverage their knowledge of a new venture. In particular, it aligns the incentives of lead investors to conduct careful screening and monitor progress with those of issuers and follow-on investors, which our research demonstrates," says Prof. Goldfarb.

Founded by Prof. Ajay Agrawal, the Creative Destruction Lab leverages the Rotman School's leading faculty and industry network as well as its location in the heart of Canada's business capital to accelerate massively scalable, technology-based ventures that have the potential to transform our social, industrial, and economic landscape. Each year the Lab accepts ventures in two streams one for technology ventures and a second exclusively for machine learning and artificial intelligence ventures. The program admitted fifty AI companies this year. To our knowledge, this represents the greatest concentration of AI companies in any program in the world. The Lab has helped many nascent startups, including Deep Genomics, Greenlid, Atomwise, Bridgit, Minuum, Nymi, NVBots, OTI Lumionics, PUSH, Thalmic Labs, Vertical.ai, Neverfrost, Chargespot, and VoteCompass, among others. . Since its inception, companies who have graduated from the program have gone on to create more than $800 million (CDN) in equity value. For more information on the Lab, visit www.creativedestructionlab.com

The Rotman School of Management is located in the heart of Canada's commercial and cultural capital and is part of the University of Toronto, one of the world's top 20 research universities. The Rotman School fosters a new way to think that enables our graduates to tackle today's global business and societal challenges. For more information, visit www.rotman.utoronto.ca.

SOURCE Rotman School of Management

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FULLERTON, Calif., Oct. 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- The Cafe Essentials brand of clean label specialty beverage mixes now includes Pumpkin Spice, Apple Spiced Chai, Caramel, and Cinnamon Roll. Created to meet market demand, each of these new powdered products brings true flavor and dimension to the chai and specialty beverage category. Not only that, their simple ingredient lists are free from artificial color, flavors and sweeteners. It's everything consumers are craving!

Win taste comparisons and open doors to fresh opportunities with these new Cafe Essentials seasonal beverages:
NEW YORK, Oct. 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- The New York Mesothelioma Victims Center says, "We want to try to educate diagnosed mesothelioma victims anywhere in New York State and their family members on a new strategy we have come up with. Call us at 800-714-0303 for direct access to a few of the nation's most skilled mesothelioma attorneys who just so happens to be New York based. This incredibly skilled legal specialist and his team actually will produce a much better financial settlement for you and your family." http://NewYork.MesotheliomaVictimsCenter.Com

Workers New York

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20161021/431235

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20161021/431236

The Center is urging people who have been diagnosed with mesothelioma in New York state to hire a New York based law firm to help them with their financial compensation. For a diagnosed person anywhere in New York State the Center says, "If you are already talking to a lawyer/law firm please ask them where they are located-before you hire them. If the lawyers are not located in New York State please call us at 800-714-0303 for on the spot access to one of the nation's premier mesothelioma attorneys who actually will want to talk directly to you, and he has amazing references from people in New York. His law firm is also based in New York State, and he is held in the highest regard nationally. Why settle for less than the best possible financial compensation?" http://NewYork.MesotheliomaVictimsCenter.Com

The New York Mesothelioma Victims Center's tips for all diagnosed victims of mesothelioma anywhere in New York State and their family members about compensation:

"Ask for references that are specific to New York State to prove the lawyer actually has a track record in assisting people with mesothelioma instate obtain the very best compensation.

to prove the lawyer actually has a track record in assisting people with mesothelioma instate obtain the very best compensation. "Make certain the lawyer you talk with on the phone or meet in your home is the same attorney who will also assist you with your mesothelioma financial compensation claim

"Before you hire a lawyer to help you with a mesothelioma compensation claim, please call us at 800-714-0303 and allow us to make suggestions about who we consider to be the nation's best mesothelioma compensation attorneys-who are also based in New York State ."

The New York Mesothelioma Victims Center's unsurpassed services for a diagnosed person are available anywhere in New York State including communities such as New York, Rochester, Albany, Yonkers, Syracuse, Schenectady, Utica, and Buffalo." http://NewYork.MesotheliomaVictimsCenter.Com

For the best possible mesothelioma treatment options in New York the New York Mesothelioma Victims Center strongly recommends the following three heath care facilities with the offer to help a diagnosed victim, or their family get to the right physicians at each hospital.

* New York City's Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Clinic: http://www.mskcc.org/

* New York City's Columbia Presbyterian Hospital: http://hiccc.columbia.edu/

* New York City's Mount Sinai Hospital:

http://www.mountsinai.org/lung-cancer/about-lung-cancer/about-mesothelioma/

The New York Mesothelioma Victims Center specializes in financial compensation for diagnosed victims of mesothelioma. High risk work groups for exposure to asbestos in New York include US Navy Veterans, power plant workers, maritime workers, manufacturing, or industrial workers, plumbers, electricians, auto mechanics, machinists, miners, railroad workers or construction workers. Typically the exposure to asbestos occurred in the 1950's, 1960's, 1970's, or 1980's. http://NewYork.MesotheliomaVictimsCenter.Com

According to the CDC the states indicated with the highest incidence of mesothelioma include Maine, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia, Virginia, Michigan, Illinois, Minnesota,Louisiana, Washington, and Oregon. However, based on the calls the Mesothelioma Victims Center receives a diagnosed victim of mesothelioma could live in any state including New York. http://NewYork.MesotheliomaVictimsCenter.Com

For more information about mesothelioma please refer to the National Institutes of Health's web site related to this rare form of cancer: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/mesothelioma.html

Media contact:

Michael Thomas

[email protected]

800-714-0303

SOURCE New York Mesothelioma Victims Center

Related Links

http://NewYork.MesotheliomaVictimsCenter.Com


NEW YORK, Oct. 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- New York REIT, Inc. ("NYRT" or the "Company") (NYSE: NYRT), today announced that it has entered into a settlement agreement with Michael L. Ashner, Steven Witkoff, and their jointly owned entity, WW Investors LLC ("WW Investors"), pursuant to which the Company will expand the size of its Board of Directors (the "Board"), adding James P. Hoffmann, Gregory F. Hughes and Craig T. Bouchard as new independent directors, effective immediately, and expeditiously opting out of the Maryland Unsolicited Takeover Act ("MUTA"). With the election of Messrs. Hoffmann, Hughes and Bouchard, the Board will comprise nine highly-qualified and experienced directors, eight of whom are independent.

Randolph C. Read, Chairman of the Board, said "We welcome open dialogue with and input from our stockholders and are pleased to have reached this agreement with WW Investors, which we believe represents a positive outcome for all NYRT stockholders. James, Greg and Craig all possess relevant expertise that complements the talents possessed by our current directors. We look forward to benefitting from their added perspective to NYRT's Board as we seek to execute on the proposed plan of liquidation. NYRT remains committed to acting in the best interest of all stockholders and will continue to take action to maximize stockholder value."

Michael Ashner of WW Investors stated: "We are pleased to have reached a constructive resolution with the NYRT Board that is in the best interests of all NYRT stockholders. By adding James and Greg, as well as Craig as directors, opting out of MUTA, and conducting a joint vote on the proposed plan of liquidation at the Annual Meeting, NYRT has both enhanced the Board with strong stockholder advocates with exceptional track records of creating stockholder value and enhanced its corporate governance. We have confidence James, Greg, and Craig will work effectively with the rest of the NYRT Board towards a successful execution of the proposed plan of liquidation to maximize value for all stockholders."

The appointment of Messrs. Hoffmann, Hughes and Bouchard is pursuant to a settlement agreement between the Company and WW Investors, which beneficially owns an appreciable number of the Company's outstanding shares. Under the terms of the agreement which include the Company's agreeing to take all action necessary to opt out of MUTA, WW Investors has agreed to vote its shares in support of NYRT's slate of nine director nominees at the 2016 Annual Meeting of Stockholders (the "Annual Meeting"), which will be held concurrent with a stockholder vote on the proposed plan of liquidation. The Company plans to disclose these nominees in forthcoming solicitation materials to be filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") in due course. In addition, WW Investors will, among other things, withdraw its nomination of candidates to stand for election at the Annual Meeting, and has agreed to customary standstill provisions through December 31, 2017. The Company has also agreed to reimburse WW Investors' expenses. The complete settlement agreement will be included as an exhibit to a Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Additionally, the Company's agreement to opt out of MUTA, which would have permitted the Board to stagger its members without stockholder approval, is irrevocable unless first approved by the stockholders with an affirmative vote of a majority of the votes cast.

About James P. Hoffmann

Mr. Hoffmann is a former Partner and Senior Vice President of Wellington Management Company, a private, independent investment management company, at which he additionally served as the Global Industry Analyst for the real estate sector, as well as on numerous internal management oversight committees, from 1997 to 2012. Prior to that, Mr. Hoffmann served as Vice President and Analyst for Everen Securities, Inc., a nationwide brokerage firm, from 1995 to 1997, and LaSalle Street Capital Management, LLC, an investment advisory firm, in 1995. From 1992 to 1994, he served as Senior Investment Officer for Real Estate at the Washington State Investment Board, an agency which manages the state's retirement and public funds. Mr. Hoffmann served as Vice President of Eastdil Realty, Inc., a real estate investment banking company, from 1986 to 1991. Mr. Hoffmann has served as a member of the Board of Trustees of First Potomac Realty Trust (FPO), a real estate investment trust, since May 2015, and also serves on its Audit Committee and Finance and Investment Committee. In addition, Mr. Hoffmann has served as a director of HCP, Inc. (HCP), a company that invests primarily in real estate serving the healthcare industry in the United States, since July 2014, and also serves on its Audit Committee, Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee, and Finance Committee. Since March 2015, Mr. Hoffmann has been a member of the Board of Representatives of the International Market Centers, L.P., a private REIT, and also serves on its Audit Committee and Compensation Committee. He received a B.S. in Economics and an M.S. in Real Estate Appraisal and Investment Analysis from the University of Wisconsin, Madison.

About Gregory F. Hughes

Mr. Hughes is currently Principal for Roscommon Capital Limited Partnership, a financial advisory and investment firm, a position that he has held since 2010. Mr. Hughes has served as a member of the Board of Directors and the Audit Committee of Gramercy Property Trust (GPT) since 2012. Mr. Hughes also served as the Chief Operating Officer of SL Green Realty Corp. (SLG) ("SL Green") from 2007 to 2010 and its Chief Financial Officer from 2004 to 2010, responsible for finance, capital markets, investor relations and administration. From 2004 to 2008, Mr. Hughes also served as Chief Credit Officer of Gramercy Capital Corp. From 2002 to 2003, prior to joining SL Green, Mr. Hughes was Managing Director and Chief Financial Officer of the private equity real estate group at JP Morgan Partners. From 1999 to 2002, Mr. Hughes was a Partner and Chief Financial Officer of Fortress Investment Group, an investment and asset management firm, which managed a real estate private equity fund of approximately $900 million and a NYSE listed real estate investment trust with assets in excess of $1.3 billion. Mr. Hughes also served as Chief Financial Officer of Wellsford Residential Property Trust and Wellsford Real Properties, at which he was responsible for the firm's financial forecasting and reporting, treasury and accounting functions, capital markets and investor relations. From 1985 to 1992, Mr. Hughes worked at Kenneth Leventhal & Co., a public accounting firm specializing in real estate and financial services. Mr. Hughes received a B.S. degree in Accounting from the University of Maryland and is a Certified Public Accountant.

About Craig T. Bouchard

Mr. Craig T. Bouchard serves as the Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of Cambelle-Inland, LLC, a small, private entity created in 2013 through which Mr. Bouchard manages certain investment activities in China. Mr. Bouchard served as the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer at Real Industry, Inc. (formerly, Signature Group Holdings Inc) since June 4, 2013 until August 22, 2016. Prior to founding Cambelle-Inland, LLC, in 2010, He co-founded Shale-Inland Holdings, LLC, the nation's leading specialty supplier of pipe valve and fittings to the water, food, and energy sectors (formerly Shale-Inland, LLC) in 2010 and served as its Chairman until February 2013 and Chief Executive Officer until December 2012. Previously, Mr. Bouchard was President and Vice Chairman of Esmark, Inc., a U.S.-based steel company, which he co-founded. From 1998 to January 2003, Mr. Bouchard served as the President and Chief Executive Officer of NumeriX LLC. Mr. Bouchard served as Senior Vice President of First National Bank of Chicago (now J.P. Morgan Chase) from 1976 to 1995. In his 19-year career at J.P. Morgan, Mr. Bouchard served as Global Head of Derivatives Trading, Head of Institutional Research, and Head of Asia Pacific. From 1990 to 1993, he served as the Managing Director of the Board of CCIC Finance. He served as Vice Chairman of the Board of Wheeling-Pittsburgh Corp. and Esmark, Inc. He has been a Director of RG Steel Wheeling Steel Group, LLC since November 17, 2006. He is a Trustee of Boston University and the Foundation of the University of Montana. Mr. Bouchard holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree from Illinois State University in 1975, a Masters Degree in Economics from Illinois State University in 1977 and an MBA from the University of Chicago in 1981.

About NYRT

NYRT is a publicly traded real estate investment trust listed on the NYSE that owns income-producing commercial real estate, including office and retail properties, located in New York City. Additional information about NYRT can be found on its website at www.nyrt.com . NYRT may disseminate important information regarding it and its operations, including financial information, through social media platforms such as Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.

Forward-Looking Statements

The statements in this press release that are not historical facts may be forward-looking statements. These forward looking statements involve substantial risks and uncertainties. Actual results or events could differ materially from the plans, intentions and expectations disclosed in the forward-looking statements NYRT makes. Forward-looking statements may include, but are not limited to, statements regarding stockholder liquidity and investment value and returns. The words "anticipates," "believes," "expects," "estimates," "projects," "plans," "intends," "may," "will," "would," and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. Factors that might cause such differences include, but are not limited to: the impact of current and future regulation; the impact of credit rating changes; the effects of competition; the ability to attract, develop and retain executives and other qualified employees; changes in general economic or market conditions; the Company's ability to complete asset sales, refinance its credit facility on favorable terms, if at all, and realize the results of its plan of liquidation; the timing of and the amount of proceeds of asset sales; and other factors, many of which are beyond NYRT's control, including other factors included in NYRT's reports filed with the SEC, particularly in the "Risk Factors" and "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" sections of NYRT's latest Annual Report on Form 10-K for year ended December 31, 2015, filed with the SEC on February 26, 2016, the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2016 filed with the SEC on August 9, 2016, and the Preliminary Proxy Statement on Schedule 14A with respect to the plan of liquidation filed with the SEC on September 27, 2016 (the "Preliminary Liquidation Proxy"), as such Risk Factors may be updated from time to time in subsequent reports. NYRT does not assume any obligation to update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.

Additional Information about the Plan of Liquidation and the Election of Directors

and Where to Find It

The plan of liquidation and the election of directors at the Company's annual meeting will be submitted to the stockholders of the Company for their approval. The Company has filed the Preliminary Liquidation Proxy and expects to file with the SEC other relevant materials, including definitive proxy statements which will be mailed or otherwise disseminated to the Company's stockholders when available. THE COMPANY'S STOCKHOLDERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO READ ANY PROXY STATEMENT AND OTHER RELEVANT DOCUMENTS FILED WITH THE SEC IF AND WHEN THEY BECOME AVAILABLE BECAUSE THEY WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION.

Investors may obtain free copies of the Preliminary Liquidation Proxy, any other proxy statement and other relevant documents filed by the Company with the SEC (when they become available) through the website maintained by the SEC at www.sec.gov. Copies of the documents filed by the Company with the SEC are also available free of charge on the Company's website at www.nyrt.com.

Participants in Solicitation Relating to the Plan of Liquidation and the Election of Directors

The Company and its respective directors and executive officers may be deemed to be participants in the solicitation of proxies from the Company's stockholders in respect of the plan of liquidation and the election of directors at the Company's annual meeting. Information regarding the Company's directors and executive officers can be found in the Company's latest Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2015, filed with the SEC on February 26, 2016. Additional information regarding the interests of such potential participants has been included in the Preliminary Liquidation Proxy and will be included in any other proxy statements or other relevant documents filed with the SEC in connection with the plan of liquidation or the election of directors at the Company's annual meeting when they become available. These documents are available free of charge on the SEC's website and from the Company's using the sources indicated above.

Contacts









Michael A. Happel Jonathan Keehner Matthew Furbish CEO and President Mahmoud Siddig Director, Investor Relations New York REIT, Inc. Joele Frank, Wilkinson Brimmer Katcher New York REIT, Inc. [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] (212) 415-6500 [email protected] (212) 415-6500

(212) 355-4449



SOURCE New York REIT, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.nyrt.com


HARRISBURG, Pa., Oct. 24, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- In its third Limited-Release Lottery of 2016, the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board (PLCB) will award 927 bottles of Buffalo Trace Antique Collection whiskeys, including, for the first time, packages consisting of one bottle of each of the five whiskeys in the Antique Collection.

The Antique Collection was introduced more than a decade ago and has become a cult favorite among whiskey connoisseurs. Since 2000, these whiskeys have garnered numerous awards from publications including Whisky Advocate Magazine, Spirit Journal and Jim Murray's Whisky Bible.

The first drawing features six, five-bottle packages of the complete Buffalo Trace Antique Collection (three for individual consumers; three for licensees) including one bottle of each of the following:

Sazerac Rye 18 Year, 90 Proof

Eagle Rare 17 Year, 90 Proof

George T. Stagg 144.1 Proof

144.1 Proof William L. Weller 135.4 Proof

135.4 Proof Thomas H. Handy 126.2 Proof

Each complete Antique Collection package costs $599.99.

Additional drawings will be held, in the following order, to award individual bottles of each whiskey in the Antique Collection, each costing $99.99.

Sazerac Rye 18 Year, 90 Proof: 48 bottles including 36 for individual consumers and 12 for licensees

Eagle Rare 17 Year, 90 Proof: 84 bottles including 63 for individual consumers and 21 for licensees

George T. Stagg 144.1 Proof: 165 bottles including 124 for individual consumers and 41 for licensees

144.1 Proof: 165 bottles including 124 for individual consumers and 41 for licensees William L. Weller 135.4 Proof: 192 bottles including 144 for individual consumers and 48 for licensees

135.4 Proof: 192 bottles including 144 for individual consumers and 48 for licensees Thomas H. Handy 126.2 Proof: 408 bottles including 306 for individual consumers and 102 for licensees

Pennsylvania residents and licensees have until 11:00 PM Saturday, Oct. 29 to opt in to one or more of the drawings. Participants must be registered customers at www.FineWineAndGoodSpirits.com with billing information on file.

Separate drawings will be conducted for the packages and each of these limited-release bourbons, and lottery participants may opt into one, several or all drawings. Purchase is limited to one package or bottle per participant, and if a participant wins a package or bottle in a drawing, he or she will be removed from subsequent drawings.

These lotteries are open to Pennsylvania residents and licensees age 21 or older who provide both a verifiable Pennsylvania billing address and a Fine Wine & Good Spirits store address at registration. Any registrant with a billing address that can't be verified as a Pennsylvania address will be removed from the lottery. Purchase is limited to one bottle per household, per lottery. Entries will be vetted for duplicative names, addresses and other information, and duplicates will be deleted from the lottery pool.

Lottery drawings will be witnessed by an independent third party. Winners will be selected at random by computer program. Participants will be notified by email when the lottery process is complete.

To opt in to one or more of these lotteries, visit the Limited-Release Lottery web page at www.FineWineAndGoodSpirits.com, which can be found under the "Events" tab.

The PLCB regulates the distribution of beverage alcohol in Pennsylvania, operates more than 600 wine and spirits stores statewide, and licenses 20,000 alcohol producers, retailers, and handlers. The PLCB also works to reduce and prevent dangerous and underage drinking through partnerships with schools, community groups, and licensees. Taxes and store profits  totaling $15.1 billion since the agency's inception  are returned to Pennsylvania's General Fund, which finances Pennsylvania's schools, health and human services programs, law enforcement, and public safety initiatives, among other important public services. The PLCB also provides financial support for the Pennsylvania State Police Bureau of Liquor Control Enforcement, the Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs, other state agencies, and local municipalities across the state. For more information about the PLCB, visit www.lcb.pa.gov.

MEDIA CONTACT: Elizabeth Brassell, 717.783.8864

SOURCE Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board

Related Links

http://www.lcb.pa.gov


CHARLOTTE, N.C., Oct. 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Piedmont Natural Gas, a subsidiary of Duke Energy, today issued its annual winter bills forecast for the upcoming winter period.

The forecast covers the period from November through March and applies to residential customers in Piedmont's three-state service area of North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee.

In its forecast, Piedmont notes that the upcoming winter period is likely to be significantly colder than last year's winter, which was approximately 20 percent warmer-than-normal throughout Piedmont's service area. Colder weather typically increases the amount of natural gas that a residential customer consumes.

The forecast follows EIA's recent Winter Fuels Outlook in projecting significantly colder winter weather compared with the previous winter, increased energy consumption, and higher monthly energy costs.

Piedmont's forecast estimates that its average residential customer's monthly natural gas bill will increase by approximately $20 to $30 per month, or from $100 to $150 over the upcoming winter period.

The total winter period bill for Piedmont's average residential customer is expected to range from $430 to $550; the EIA outlook projects average household winter heating fuel expenditures for the Southern region to be approximately $545 for the upcoming winter.

Residential customers could see higher or lower monthly bills than forecast depending on actual winter weather.

In addition to the expectation for a colder winter this year, the forecast also notes that the wholesale cost of natural gas is higher relative to last winter and will contribute to higher monthly natural gas bills for the average residential customer.

Piedmont passes on the wholesale cost of natural gas, which is market-based and can fluctuate up or down, to customers on a dollar-for-dollar basis with no added markup. Even so, Piedmont's wholesale natural gas cost benchmark included in its billing rates remains low by historical standards.

Company website a resource for energy saving tips for customers

For customers who want to learn more about energy saving tips, Piedmont maintains a special section on its website devoted to educating customers about their home's energy usage.

Visiting www.piedmontng.com, could help customers better manage the natural gas they use this winter, along with their monthly bills.

Energy saving tips include steps that are simple to do such as turning the thermostat down a few degrees and making sure windows and doors are properly sealed.

Still other steps, like investing in a programmable thermostat or purchasing higher efficiency natural gas equipment and appliances, may cost a bit more upfront, but will save the customer both energy and money over the life of the equipment.

For customers who want to know how much energy their home or their appliance uses, Piedmont also has several energy calculator tools on its website. The tools provide customers with a way to see what energy their home actually uses and how they can potentially reduce their consumption and better manage their natural gas bills.

Piedmont's "Share the Warmth" program assists others in the community

Piedmont noted in its winter forecast that one of the ways customers can assist those within the community who may need assistance with their energy bills during the upcoming winter is by enrolling in Piedmont's Share the Warmth Round Up Program.

Customers who sign up for the program will have their monthly natural gas bills rounded up to the nearest dollar. The amount rounded up goes to provide emergency energy assistance funds to individuals and families within the communities Piedmont serves, regardless of what energy is used in the home or what time of year the need arises.

For those customers who want to learn more about the Share the Warmth Round Up Program or want to enroll can visit Piedmont's website at www.piedmontng.com.

Piedmont Natural Gas

Piedmont Natural Gas, a subsidiary of Duke Energy, is an energy services company primarily engaged in the distribution of natural gas to more than 1 million residential, commercial, industrial and power generation customers in portions of North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee, including customers served by municipalities who are wholesale customers. Its subsidiaries are invested in joint venture, energy-related businesses, including unregulated retail natural gas marketing, regulated interstate natural gas transportation and storage, and regulated intrastate natural gas transportation businesses. More information about Piedmont Natural Gas is available at www.piedmontng.com.

Headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., Duke Energy is an S&P 100 Stock Index company traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol DUK. More information about the company is available at duke-energy.com.

The Duke Energy News Center serves as a multimedia resource for journalists and features news releases, helpful links, photos and videos. Hosted by Duke Energy, illumination is an online destination for stories about remarkable people, innovations, and community and environmental topics. It also offers glimpses into the past and insights into the future of energy.

Follow Duke Energy on Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook.

MEDIA CONTACTS

David Trusty Loree Elswick Piedmont Natural Gas Piedmont Natural Gas (704) 731-4391 (704) 731-4236 [email protected] [email protected]

Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20161019/430345LOGO

SOURCE Piedmont Natural Gas

Related Links

http://www.piedmontng.com


GRAND RAPIDS, Mich., Oct. 24, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Judge Janet T. Neff of the United States District for the Western District of Michigan issued a preliminary injunction in the case Crookston v. Johnson today, ruling that state law must not prohibit plaintiff Joel Crookston and other Michigan voters from photographing their own marked ballots and posting them on social media.

In other words, the opinion rules that Michigan voters may take "ballot selfies" under the First Amendment.

"This is a big victory for a simple but powerful act of free speech," said Stephen Klein, Pillar attorney and lead counsel in the case. "Under this ruling, Michigan voters may take pictures of their own marked ballots and post them to social media without fear of fines and imprisonment."

Judge Neff rejected Michigan Secretary of State Ruth Johnson's arguments that ballot selfies could distract or intimidate voters in polling places or facilitate vote-buying as speculative, noting that other laws already prohibit and punish these activities, including displaying a marked ballot to other voters in a polling place instead of on social media after one has voted.

"This is not a case about disrupting the election process, but simply making sure the rules don't go too far," said Klein. "Under this ruling, a voter still cannot show his or her marked ballot to others in a polling place, but may take a photo of it in the voting booth before putting it in the envelope and submitting it. It's that simple."

The Crookston ruling is the latest in a series of free speech cases nationwide to recognize the First Amendment's application to ballot selfies. This morning, Pillar filed another lawsuit against Colorado's ban, which is similar Michigan's.

The Pillar of Law Institute is a nonprofit public interest law firm. Located in Washington, DC, Pillar represents citizens nationwide against unconstitutional censorship of political speech. Patrick Jaicomo of the Michigan law firm Miller Johnson serves as co-counsel in the case.

Click here to read the opinion and order.

Click here to read the preliminary injunction.

Contact

Stephen Klein, Attorney

(202) 815-0955

[email protected]

SOURCE Pillar of Law Institute
"Our process determined that the best location for building the T-100 is Meridian, Mississippi," said Rick Yuse, president of Raytheon Space and Airborne Systems. "It provides the right blend of infrastructure, proximity to our customers, government support and a talent base that's ready for the high tech jobs critical to our success."

Raytheon has manufactured products in Mississippi for more than three decades. The company manufactures Active Electronically Scanned Array radars at its facility in the city of Forest.

"Mississippi's existing partnership with Raytheon is one reason we are a global leader in advanced manufacturing for the defense industry," said Mississippi Governor Phil Bryant. "With a firm understanding of the significance of the advanced pilot training mission, we are excited about the possibility of expanding that partnership and creating hundreds of new, high-paying jobs supporting our brave men and women who serve this country."

The T-100 Integrated Air Training System is a comprehensive, next-generation training solution customized to meet and exceed the U.S. Air Force's mission requirements. Based on the Aermacchi M-346, it combines cuttingedge, ground-based simulators with computerized classroom training to prepare the next generation of pilots. Leonardo-Finmeccanica, CAE USA and Honeywell Aerospace have partnered with Raytheon to offer the T-100 to the U.S. Air Force.

About Raytheon

Raytheon Company, with 2015 sales of $23 billion and 61,000 employees, is a technology and innovation leader specializing in defense, civil government and cybersecurity solutions. With a history of innovation spanning 94 years, Raytheon provides state-of-the-art electronics, mission systems integration, C5ITM products and services, sensing, effects, and mission support for customers in more than 80 countries. Raytheon is headquartered in Waltham, Massachusetts. Follow us on Twitter @Raytheon.

This document does not contain technology or Technical Data controlled under either the U.S. International Traffic in Arms Regulations or the U.S. Export Administration Regulations. E16-5PXJ.

www.raytheon.com

Media Contact

B.J. Boling

+1.972.952.4761

[email protected]

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20161024/431649

SOURCE Raytheon Company

Related Links

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Baku, Azerbaijan, Oct. 24

By Fatih Karimov  Trend

Irans petrochemical officials have held negotiations with the US-based UOP Company to resume cooperation in petrochemical industry.

The two parties held talks on the sidelines of the trade fair for plastics and rubber which is ongoing in Germanys Dusseldorf, Iran's Association of Petrochemical Industry Corporation (APIC) reported.

The talks were focused on providing finance and modern technologies for Irans petrochemical industry.

The issue of constructing new petrochemical units and licensing new petrochemical projects as well as transfer of know-how and technology in particular in the field of polypropylene production, converting methanol to ethylene and polymer, MTO (Methanol-to-olefins petrochemical technology) and propane dehydrogenation (PDH), were discussed during the meeting, according to the APIC.

The talks come amid Irans plans to increase its polypropylene production capacity to four million tons by 2020 and eight million tons by 2025.

The countrys polypropylene production capacity was 965,000 tons in 2013.

UOP is a multi-national company developing and delivering technology to the petroleum refining, gas processing, petrochemical production, and major manufacturing industries.

Last year Michael Millard, senior vice-president and general manager of catalysts, absorbents and specialities in UOP expressed interest to resume cooperation with Iran.

We have not been involved in Iran for about twenty years and we dont know much about the industry. A lot of technology in Iran is UOP based, he said.
WASHINGTON, Oct. 24, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Commerce Data Advisory Council (CDAC) will hold its fifth and final meeting of the Obama Administration on Friday, October 28th at the U.S. Department of Commerce. U.S. Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker will deliver the keynote address at the event and receive final recommendations from the Council.

Appointed by Secretary Pritzker, the 19-member council provides guidance on areas such as data management practices; common, open data standards; policy issues related to privacy, latency, and consistency; effective models for public-private partnership; external uses of Commerce data; and methods to build new feedback loops between the Department and data users. The council is comprised of leading technologists and data leaders who work for some of the most innovate public and private sector organizations, including: Intel, Google, IBM, LinkedIn, PayPal, Amazon Web Services, City of San Francisco, Indiana University, and more.

Visit the CDAC webpage for more information on its members and meeting agenda. This event will be broadcast live on YouTube; follow and provide live feedback on Twitter at #CDACmtg.

See livestream of this event on http://www.esa.gov/cdac/.

Title: Commerce Data Advisory Council Meeting

Date and Time: Friday, October 28, 9 a.m.  5 p.m.;

Secretary Pritzker's Keynote Address: 9:00 a.m.  9:45 a.m.

Location: U.S. Department of Commerce, 1401 Constitution Ave

Commerce Research Library

RSVP: Please Register by Thursday, October 20 via Eventbrite:

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/department-of-commerce-data-advisory-council-cdac-october-2016-meeting-tickets-28337358803

The mission of the Economics and Statistics Administration is to provide high-quality economic analysis and foster the missions of the Census Bureau and the Bureau of Economic Analysis. Join us on the web at www.esa.gov ; find us on Facebook, and on Twitter @ESAJustinA. Sign up to receive the latest economic indicators: https://service.govdelivery.com/accounts/USESAEI/subscriber/new/

CONTACT: Rebecca Gale

202-482-5632

SOURCE U.S. Department of Commerce

Related Links

http://www.esa.gov


AUSTIN, Texas and LAS VEGAS, Oct. 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- SimplyTapp, a leader in mobile proximity payments technology, today launched Gane, a new mobile payments app that is the first to offer instant access to funds, Tap and Pay POS functionality on both Android and iOS, and the ability to automatically collect and apply discount offers in one mobile experience. The new app will be unveiled today at the Money 20/20 conference in Las Vegas.

With Gane, users can transact and share offers through the Gane application, use transferred money instantly, as well as receive and apply offers automatically at the point of sale, and pay using Tap and Pay functionality. Gane also functions with chatbots embedded in Messenger and Telegram social messaging platforms, with additional platforms expected.

Gane's enhanced real-time functionality moves the mobile payments industry forward, versus existing apps that fund payments over two to three business days and only allow users to apply those funds within the app or by moving them to a bank account.

"By combining the most important mobile payment services into one experience, Gane is the first app that is truly responsive to the needs of consumers," said Ted Fifelski, president and co-founder, SimplyTapp. "The slow pace of traditional banking doesn't fit in with the quick pace of life today. By bringing offers to consumers where they are  their smartphones  and facilitating real-time money transfers and offer sharing, we bridge the divide between their digital and physical worlds, improving the customer experience."

"SimplyTapp's technology and deep experience servicing some of the world's largest banks allows them to fill a tremendous gap in the consumer mobile payment market with Gane," said Vijay Doradla, Director at Verizon Ventures, a lead investor in SimplyTapp. "Gane is the first app that allows for instant access to funds, and chatbot-powered integration to allow social messaging platforms to further monetize their offerings."

Gane also helps retailers harness the power of online window shopping with offline purchasing. Retailers can create campaigns to reach targeted Gane users in both the Gane app and via the web and social media through a customized UVL (Universal Value Locator). Offers are redeemed automatically at the point of sale when users pay through Gane.

"Research from Forrester and the National Retail Federation1 show that 76 percent of US retailers plan to accept Apple Pay by year-end 2017," added Doug Yeager, co-founder and CEO, SimplyTapp. "We expect the uptake for Tap and Pay to continue, and Gane will allow consumers and merchants alike to take advantage of this trend."

Gane leverages technology invented by SimplyTapp and honed over the past four years. This technology, called host card emulation (HCE), allows businesses to accept card-emulated payments from Android smartphones. Card issuers can implement SimplyTapp's platform to access and manage card information on an encrypted server, bypassing the costs and negotiations that physical secure elements require while maintaining control of the customer relationship and experience.

The Gane app is currently available for download from the Google Play and Apple App Store and through the Gane website at https://gane.io/.

SimplyTapp Chief Executive Officer and Co-founder Doug Yeager is speaking at the Money 20/20 conference on the panel entitled "Tap and Go: The Current & Future State of In-Store Mobile Payments" on Tuesday, October 25 at 10:40 a.m. PDT. Yeager will be joined by SimplyTapp President and Co-founder Ted Fifelski to present "SimplyTapp Reimagines POS Transactions" Tuesday at 4:00 p.m. PDT. SimplyTapp is exhibiting at Money 20/20 booth 2128. Demonstrations of the Gane app will be available at the SimplyTapp booth and four complimentary vending lounges around the Venetian Las Vegas for the duration of the conference.

For more information about Money20/20, visit http://www.money2020.com

About SimplyTapp

SimplyTapp enables issuers and developers to leverage mobile devices for proximity payments and other real-world transactions. SimplyTapp's technology powers payment functionality on Android devices for card-issuing banks and provides a simple and secure transaction environment for industries including retail, transit, ticketing and hospitality. To learn more, download The ABC's of HCE. An established player in financial services with deep relationships with top banks, SimplyTapp is well poised to facilitate easier banking for consumers. SimplyTapp's NFC-technology forms the backbone of this experience. SimplyTapp has raised more than $10 million in funding from Verizon Ventures, Texas Venture Labs, Lightspeed Venture Partners, Blue Sky Capital and Mozido. Learn more about SimplyTapp at https://simplytapp.com/.

About Money20/20

Money20/20 is the largest global event enabling payments and financial services innovation for connected commerce at the intersection of mobile, retail, marketing services, data and technology. With 10,000+ attendees, including more than 1,000 CEOs, from over 3,000 companies and 75 countries, expected at its 2016 U.S. event, Money20/20 is critical to realizing the vision of disruptive ways in which consumers and businesses manage, spend and borrow money. Money20/20 will be held in Las Vegas, October 23-26, 2016.

1 Source: National Retail Federation, The State of Retail Payments 2016, http://www.nfcworld.com/2016/08/16/346700/three-quarters-us-retailers-plan-accept-apple-pay-2018/

SOURCE SimplyTapp

Related Links

http://www.simplytapp.com


(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120731/552278 )



The Clean Fuels Project of KNPC is a major upgrade of its flagship refineries to meet the future diversified market requirements for petroleum products both in the domestic and international sectors. The Project encompasses increasing the combined refining capacities of its Mina Al Ahmadi (MAA) and Mina Abdullah (MAB) Refineries and enhance production of environment friendly value added products through Bottom of Barrel processing using state of the art technologies. The Project also contributes towards linking the two refineries into an integrated refining complex and further enhance performance towards operational safety, reliability and energy conservation.

SPIE Oil & Gas Services has begun work on the five-year contract with Kuwait National Petroleum Company (KNPC). The services shall involve providing Commissioning Management and Support Services at both Mina Al Ahmadi (MAA) and Mina Abdullah (MAB) Refineries under CFP Scope of Work. The contract will draw the expertise of SPIE Oil & Gas Services and work in tandem with KNPC Operations Team.

"With SATORP, YASREF, PETRO RABIGH and now with KNPC Project in Kuwait, we have become a major player in downstream activities in the Middle East" says Yves Company, Managing Director of SPIE Oil & Gas Services. "We have been working in the field since 2010 and are one of the few companies with the level of expertise needed in the area."

About SPIE Oil & Gas Services

As an international multi-technical services subsidiary of the SPIE Group, SPIE Oil & Gas Services provides the oil and gas industry with a complete range of resources and skills for exploring and investigating new fields, building and operating facilities and optimising production in the best possible conditions in terms of safety, costs, lead times and quality.

With 4,000 employees of 70 different nationalities working 22 countries in Europe, Africa, the Asia-Pacific region and the Middle East, SPIE Oil & Gas Services offers services across four business major lines - well services and geosciences, engineering and projects services, asset support, and competency development - for its customers, including operators, engineering firms, and oil and gas contractors.

With 38,000 employees working from close to 600 sites in 38 countries, SPIE achieved in 2015 consolidated revenues of 5.3 billion and consolidated EBITA of 351 million.

In its "Oil & Gas and Nuclear" segment, with 6,000 employees working from more than 80 sites, the SPIE group generated revenues of 794 million in 2015.

http://www.spie.com

https://www.facebook.com/SPIEgroup

http://twitter.com/spiegroup

Press Contacts:



SPIE

Pascal Omnes

Group Communications Director

+33(0)1-34-41-81-11

[email protected]



SPIE Oil & Gas Services

Fabio Di Mario

Human Resources and Communication Director

+33(0)1-34-41-87-15

[email protected]



SOURCE SPIE
WASHINGTON, Oct. 24, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Hillary Clinton's defense against charges that she has lawlessly handled classified information in her emails, and by using her private email server, has been that the FBI performed a complete investigation and found no violation of law. This morning, thanks to investigative reporting by the Wall Street Journal1 and Fox News2, we may understand why the FBI dropped the case. Governor Terry McAuliffe of Virginia, a Clinton confidant, directed almost $800,000 into the political coffers of the wife of this high-ranking FBI official overseeing the email investigation.1

I call on FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe, who, it is reported, was responsible for "overseeing the Clinton email investigation," to resign immediately based on disclosures from a front-page Wall Street Journal article today.

Last year, I ran for re-election to the Virginia State Senate against Jill McCabe. I was astonished at how much money she was able to raise --- $1.8 million. How convenient for your husband to be a high-ranking FBI official with lots of potential influence.

Andrew McCabe's wife, Jill, received $467,500 of her campaign budget from Governor Terry McAuliffe's political action committee. And the Virginia Democratic Party, which is under his strong influence, gave another $207,788 to Jill McCabe's campaign.1

Few people in the country are closer to Hillary than our illustrious Governor, who has served her interests for decades. He even served as Chair of Hillary's 2008 national presidential campaign and was a potential VP running mate. When Hillary needs rescuing, Terry McAuliffe has always been there to do whatever needs to be done.

Meanwhile, the career of Jill McCabe's husband, Andrew McCabe, has taken off within the FBI. In July 2015, FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe, was promoted to third in command at the FBI. In January 2016, McCabe became second in command of the FBI under Director James B. Comey.

The last eight years of Democrat rule led to politicization and distrust of the nation's leading law enforcement agency --- the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

As an attorney, and a former JAG officer who has had responsibilities over the investigation and prosecution of crimes, I am at a loss to see how the FBI could possibly allow Andrew McCabe to oversee the investigation of Mrs. Clinton's email server scandals. Mr. McCabe was clearly indebted to the Clinton Campaign because of the support given his wife.

McCabe should have immediately recused himself from the investigation. His failure to do so proves that he is unqualified to serve as Deputy Director of the FBI, or in any position of trust in the United States Government.

1 http://www.wsj.com/articles/clinton-ally-aids-campaign-of-fbi-officials-wife-1477266114

2 http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2016/10/24/clinton-ally-aided-campaign-fbi-officials-wife.html#

Contact: Chris Lore

703-468-1342

[email protected]

SOURCE Senator Richard Black

Related Links

http://www.dickblack4senate.com/


HOUSTON, Oct. 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Superior Energy Services, Inc. (the "Company") today announced a net loss from continuing operations for the third quarter of 2016 of $113.9 million, or $0.75 per share, on revenue of $326.2 million. This compares to a net loss from continuing operations for the second quarter of 2016 of $468.6 million, or $3.09 per share, on revenue of $356.3 million and a net loss from continuing operations for the third quarter of 2015 of $816.6 million, or $5.42 per share, on revenue of $601.4 million.

The Company recorded a pre-tax charge of $4.3 million for restructuring costs during the third quarter. The resulting adjusted net loss from continuing operations for the third quarter of 2016 was $110.9 million, or $0.73 per share. This compares to an adjusted net loss from continuing operations of $80.4 million, or $0.53 per share for the second quarter of 2016, and an adjusted net loss from continuing operations of $68.8 million, or $0.46 per share for the third quarter of 2015.

David Dunlap, President and CEO, commented, "The third quarter was clearly one of transition in U.S. land markets. The U.S. land rig count increased throughout the quarter and crude oil and natural gas prices stabilized. Despite these key early indicators that a cyclical recovery may be approaching, customer urgency around increased activity levels remained lethargic.

"A transition period in U.S. land markets following such a severe downturn may take several quarters to unfold but we've maintained throughout the downturn that we will respond early when market conditions improve and that is exactly what we began to do as the third quarter progressed. Our cash liquidity provides us the ability to ramp into a recovery and aggressively position our most competitive product and service lines in the market to fully benefit from higher utilization and pricing increases as they occur.

"While U.S. land markets may be beginning to awaken, the Gulf of Mexico and certain international markets continue to lag and declined further during the third quarter. We will continue to appropriately size our businesses in these geographies but we will also pursue opportunities that will enhance our performance when these markets improve."

Third Quarter 2016 Geographic Breakdown

U.S. land revenue was $170.2 million in the third quarter of 2016, an 8% increase as compared with revenue of $157.1 million in the second quarter of 2016 and a 50% decrease compared to revenue of $338.3 million in the third quarter of 2015. Gulf of Mexico revenue was $73.4 million, a sequential decrease of 30% from second quarter 2016 revenue of $104.3 million, and a 44% decrease from revenue of $131.9 million in the third quarter of 2015. International revenue decreased 13% to $82.6 million as compared with $94.9 million in the second quarter of 2016 and decreased 37% as compared to revenue of $131.2 million in the third quarter of 2015.

Drilling Products and Services Segment

The Drilling Products and Services segment revenue in the third quarter of 2016 was $63.6 million, a 21% decrease from second quarter 2016 revenue of $80.7 million and a 51% decrease from third quarter 2015 revenue of $128.5 million.

U.S. land revenue increased 30% sequentially to $15.2 million, as land drilling activity increased throughout the quarter. Gulf of Mexico revenue decreased 32% sequentially to $26.5 million resulting from fewer rigs working throughout the quarter. International revenue decreased 27% sequentially to $21.9 million, also as a result of reduced drilling activity during the quarter.

Onshore Completion and Workover Services Segment

The Onshore Completion and Workover Services segment revenue in the third quarter of 2016 was $125.0 million, an 8% increase from second quarter 2016 revenue of $115.9 million and a 38% decrease from third quarter 2015 revenue of $202.9 million. On a sequential basis, the revenue increase was driven by higher well fracturing utilization as completion activity, primarily in the Permian Basin, increased during the quarter.

Production Services Segment

The Production Services segment revenue in the third quarter of 2016 was $73.6 million, a 9% decrease from second quarter 2016 revenue of $80.5 million and a 55% decrease from third quarter 2015 revenue of $163.9 million.

U.S. land revenue decreased 6% sequentially to $19.3 million due to lower levels of coiled tubing activity which was partially offset by increased well testing revenue. Gulf of Mexico revenue decreased 9% sequentially to $14.2 million due to decreased hydraulic workover and snubbing and electric line activity which was offset slightly by increased coiled tubing and slickline activity. International revenue decreased 10% sequentially to $40.1 million primarily due to a decrease in well service and intervention activity in Latin America.

Technical Solutions Segment

The Technical Solutions segment revenue in the third quarter of 2016 was $64.0 million, a 19% decrease from second quarter 2016 revenue of $79.2 million and a 40% decrease from third quarter 2015 revenue of $106.1 million.

U.S. land revenue increased 17% sequentially to $10.7 million primarily due to increased well control activity. Gulf of Mexico revenue decreased 34% sequentially to $32.7 million due to decreased completion tools revenue and lower subsea intervention activity. International revenue was unchanged at $20.6 million.

Conference Call Information

The Company will host a conference call at 11:00 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time on Tuesday, October 25, 2016. The call can be accessed from the Company's website at www.superiorenergy.com or by telephone at 412-902-0030. For those who cannot listen to the live call, a telephonic replay will be available through November 1, 2016 and may be accessed by calling 201-612-7415 and using the pass code 13646177#.

About Superior Energy Services

Superior Energy Services, Inc. (NYSE:SPN) serves the drilling, completion and production-related needs of oil and gas companies worldwide through its brand name drilling products and its integrated completion and well intervention services and tools, supported by an engineering staff who plan and design solutions for customers. For more information, visit: www.superiorenergy.com.

The press release contains, and future oral or written statements or press releases by us and our management may contain, certain forward-looking statements within the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Generally, the words "expects," "anticipates," "targets," "goals," "projects," "intends," "plans," "believes," "seeks" and "estimates," variations of such words and similar expressions identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. All statements other than statements of historical fact regarding the Company's financial position, financial performance, liquidity, strategic alternatives, market outlook, future capital needs, capital allocation plans, business strategies and other plans and objectives of our management for future operations and activities are forward-looking statements. These statements are based on certain assumptions and analyses made by our management in light of its experience and prevailing circumstances on the date such statements are made. Such forward-looking statements, and the assumptions on which they are based, are inherently speculative and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause our actual results to differ materially from such statements. Such uncertainties include, but are not limited to: the cyclicality and volatility of the oil and gas industry, including changes in prevailing levels of capital expenditures, exploration, production and development activity; changes in prevailing oil and gas prices or expectations about future prices; operating hazards, including the significant possibility of accidents resulting in personal injury or death, property damage or environmental damage for which we may have limited or no insurance coverage or indemnification rights; the effect of regulatory programs (including regarding worker health and safety laws) and environmental matters on our operations or prospects, including the risk that future changes in the regulation of hydraulic fracturing could reduce or eliminate demand for our pressure pumping services, or that future changes in climate change legislation could result in increased operating costs or reduced commodity demand globally; counter-party risks associated with reliance on key suppliers; risks associated with the uncertainty of macroeconomic and business conditions worldwide; changes in competitive and technological factors affecting our operations; credit risk associated with our customer base; the potential inability to retain key employees and skilled workers; challenges with estimating our oil and natural gas reserves and potential liabilities related to our properties; risks inherent in acquiring businesses; risks associated with cyber-attacks; risks associated with business growth during an industry recovery outpacing the capabilities of our infrastructure and workforce; political, legal, economic and other risks and uncertainties associated with our international operations; potential changes in tax laws, adverse positions taken by tax authorities or tax audits impacting our operating results; risks associated with our outstanding debt obligations and the potential effect of limiting our future growth and operations; our continued access to credit markets on favorable terms; and the impact that unfavorable or unusual weather conditions could have on our operations. These risks and other uncertainties related to our business are described in our periodic reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Although we believe that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, we can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. Investors are cautioned that many of the assumptions on which our forward-looking statements are based are likely to change after such statements are made, including for example the market prices of oil and gas and regulations affecting oil and gas operations, which we cannot control or anticipate. Further, we may make changes to our business strategies and plans (including our capital spending and capital allocation plans) at any time and without notice, based on any changes in the above-listed factors, our assumptions or otherwise, any of which could or will affect our results. For all these reasons, actual events and results may differ materially from those anticipated, estimated, projected or implied by us in our forward-looking statements. We undertake no obligation to update any of our forward-looking statements for any reason and, notwithstanding any changes in our assumptions, changes in our business plans, our actual experience, or other changes. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Paul Vincent, VP of Investor Relations, (713) 654-2200

SUPERIOR ENERGY SERVICES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES Consolidated Statements of Operations Three and Nine Months Ended September 30, 2016 and 2015 (in thousands, except earnings per share amounts) (unaudited)





Three Months Ended

Nine Months Ended



September 30,

September 30,



2016

2015

2016

2015

















Revenues

$ 326,225

$ 601,396

$ 1,095,629

$ 2,229,415

















Cost of services and rentals (exclusive of depreciation, depletion, amortization and accretion)

258,168

420,485

802,142

1,468,264 Depreciation, depletion, amortization and accretion

123,308

146,757

392,017

467,329 General and administrative expenses

86,743

123,189

270,467

403,812 Reduction in value of assets

-

755,632

462,461

1,563,269

















Loss from operations

(141,994)

(844,667)

(831,458)

(1,673,259)

















Other income (expense):















Interest expense, net

(21,771)

(22,622)

(68,325)

(71,213) Other income (expense)

3,667

(3,123)

22,103

(10,620)

















Loss from continuing operations before income taxes

(160,098)

(870,412)

(877,680)

(1,755,092)

















Income taxes

(46,185)

(53,825)

(210,599)

(161,876)

















Net loss from continuing operations

(113,913)

(816,587)

(667,081)

(1,593,216)

















Loss from discontinued operations, net of income tax

(4,085)

(4,610)

(8,577)

(24,107)

















Net loss

$ (117,998)

$ (821,197)

$ (675,658)

$ (1,617,323)



































Loss per share information:















Basic and Diluted















Net loss from continuing operations

$ (0.75)

$ (5.42)

$ (4.40)

$ (10.60) Loss from discontinued operations

(0.03)

(0.03)

(0.06)

(0.16) Net loss

$ (0.78)

$ (5.45)

$ (4.46)

$ (10.76)

















Weighted average common shares used















in computing earnings per share:















Basic and diluted

151,707

150,742

151,337

150,372

SUPERIOR ENERGY SERVICES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS September 30, 2016 and December 31, 2015 (in thousands)













9/30/2016

12/31/2015 ASSETS

















Current assets:







Cash and cash equivalents

$ 278,155

$ 564,017 Accounts receivable, net

271,323

428,514 Prepaid expenses

37,477

42,298 Inventory and other current assets

151,084

165,062 Assets held for sale

62,247

95,234









Total current assets

800,286

1,295,125









Property, plant and equipment, net

1,753,713

2,123,291 Goodwill

806,087

1,140,101 Notes receivable

55,782

52,382 Intangible and other long-term assets, net

227,952

303,345









Total assets

$ 3,643,820

$ 4,914,244









LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY

















Current liabilities:







Accounts payable

$ 81,641

$ 114,475 Accrued expenses

242,376

271,246 Income taxes payable

2,919

9,185 Current portion of decommissioning liabilities

22,770

19,052 Current maturities of long-term debt

-

29,957 Liabilities held for sale

3,080

4,661









Total current liabilities

352,786

448,576









Deferred income taxes

200,664

383,069 Decommissioning liabilities

99,485

98,890 Long-term debt, net

1,283,581

1,588,263 Other long-term liabilities

193,571

184,634









Total stockholders' equity

1,513,733

2,210,812









Total liabilities and stockholders' equity

$ 3,643,820

$ 4,914,244

SUPERIOR ENERGY SERVICES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES SEGMENT HIGHLIGHTS THREE MONTHS ENDED SEPTEMBER 30, 2016, JUNE 30, 2016 AND SEPTEMBER 30, 2015 (in thousands) (unaudited)

















Three months ended, Revenue

September 30, 2016

June 30, 2016

September 30, 2015 Drilling Products and Services

$ 63,570

$ 80,633

$ 128,489 Onshore Completion and Workover Services

125,022

115,893

202,912 Production Services

73,540

80,543

163,937 Technical Solutions

64,093

79,202

106,058













Total Revenues

$ 326,225

$ 356,271

$ 601,396



























Income (Loss) from Operations

September 30, 2016

June 30, 2016

September 30, 2015 Drilling Products and Services

$ (29,347)

$ (71,275)

$ 6,997 Onshore Completion and Workover Services

(74,195)

(261,206)

(795,397) Production Services

(27,722)

(247,052)

(46,065) Technical Solutions

(10,730)

2,102

(10,202)













Total Income (Loss) from Operations

$ (141,994)

$ (577,431)

$ (844,667)













Adjusted Income (Loss) from Operations (1)

September 30, 2016

June 30, 2016

September 30, 2015 Drilling Products and Services

$ (27,333)

$ (23,214)

$ 7,536 Onshore Completion and Workover Services

(73,401)

(68,209)

(53,206) Production Services

(26,803)

(21,876)

(23,818) Technical Solutions

(10,210)

3,553

(9,046)













Total Adjusted Income (Loss) from Operations

$ (137,747)

$ (109,746)

$ (78,534)















(1) Adjusted income (loss) from operations excludes the impact of reduction in value of assets and restructuring costs for the three months ended September 30, 2016, June 30, 2016 and September 30, 2015.

Non-GAAP Financial Measures

The following tables reconcile consolidated net loss from continuing operations and income (loss) from operations by segment, which are the directly comparable financial results determined in accordance with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP), to consolidated adjusted loss from continuing operations and adjusted income (loss) from operations by segment (non-GAAP financial measures). Consolidated adjusted loss from continuing operations and income (loss) from operations by segment exclude the impact of reduction in value of assets and restructuring costs. These financial measures are provided to enhance investors' overall understanding of the Company's current financial performance.

Reconciliation of As Reported Net Loss from Continuing Operations to Adjusted Net Loss From Continuing Operations For the three months ended September 30, 2016, June 30, 2016 and September 30, 2015 (in thousands) (unaudited)





























Three months ended,



September 30, 2016

June 30, 2016

September 30, 2015



Consolidated

Per Share

Consolidated

Per Share

Consolidated

Per Share

























Reported net loss from continuing operations

$ (113,913)

$ (0.75)

$ (468,632)

$ (3.09)

$ (816,587)

$ (5.42)

























Reduction in value of assets and other items

4,247

0.03

467,685

3.09

766,133

5.08 Income taxes

(1,225)

(0.01)

(79,450)

(0.53)

(18,370)

(0.12)

























Adjusted net loss from continuing operations

$ (110,891)

$ (0.73)

$ (80,397)

$ (0.53)

$ (68,824)

$ (0.46)

Reconciliation of As Reported Income (Loss) from Operations to Adjusted Income (Loss) From Operations For the three months ended September 30, 2016, June 30, 2016 and September 30, 2015 (in thousands) (unaudited)



Three months ended, September 30, 2016



Drilling

Products

and

Services

Onshore

Completion

and Workover

Services

Production

Services



Technical

Solutions

Consolidated





















Reported loss from operations

$ (29,347)

$ (74,195)

$ (27,722)

$ (10,730)

$ (141,994)





















Restructuring costs

2,014

794

919

520

4,247





















Adjusted loss from operations

$ (27,333)

$ (73,401)

$ (26,803)

$ (10,210)

$ (137,747)

























Three months ended, June 30, 2016



Drilling

Products

and

Services

Onshore

Completion

and Workover

Services

Production

Services



Technical

Solutions

Consolidated





















Reported income (loss) from operations

$ (71,275)

$ (261,206)

$ (247,052)

$ 2,102

$ (577,431)





















Reduction in value of assets

47,659

188,741

223,883

-

460,283 Restructuring costs

402

4,256

1,293

1,451

7,402





















Adjusted income (loss) from operations

$ (23,214)

$ (68,209)

$ (21,876)

$ 3,553

$ (109,746)

























Three months ended, September 30, 2015



Drilling

Products

and

Services

Onshore

Completion

and Workover

Services

Production

Services



Technical

Solutions

Consolidated





















Reported income (loss) from operations

$ 6,997

$ (795,397)

$ (46,065)

$ (10,202)

$ (844,667)





















Reduction in value of assets

-

740,000

15,632

-

755,632 Restructuring costs

539

2,191

6,615

1,156

10,501





















Adjusted income (loss) from operations

$ 7,536

$ (53,206)

$ (23,818)

$ (9,046)

$ (78,534)

SOURCE Superior Energy Services, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.superiorenergy.com


MILPITAS, Calif., Oct. 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Silicon Valley-based company Bimpies has created and released an iOS app that promises to deliver professional services for starting just at $10. Bimpies has successfully recruited local small business professionals to provide a myriad of home and lifestyle services such as handyman, plumbers, makeup-artists, fitness trainers, mobile mechanics, and other specialty services - all in one "marketplace."

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20161024/431658

The uniqueness to Bimpies is that it is the first true "on-demand-marketplace" app. Bimpies professionals simply mark themselves available in which users will instantly see them by matching search results. Users booking professionals will experience a faster turn-around time and the best service possible at the right price. Next, users will instantly see location updates on arrival time of the hired professional. Moreover, Bimpies professionals are vetted and background checked for quality and reliability.

"Our app is very simple to use. No cheap thrills, just tap and order. The best part is that consumers get to hire pros right in their own backyard and keep their dollars local," said John Chang, CEO of Bimpies.

Using location services technology and complex matching algorithms, the app searches for instantaneous providers closest to the user, and presents users with details and pricing. Users then confirm the purchase and are given real-time updates of arrival time.

"Bimpies opens up a huge opportunity for many who are looking for jobs, freelance or temporary work. Over 35% of the U.S. workforce are freelancing and ditched the 9-5. I believe we create a compelling conversation for many to easily pursue work that they love," said John Chang.

Professionals can also add-on other services on top of their basic service level for added value to the consumer. They can add as many add-on services as needed and charge anywhere from $1-$999 per add-on. This lets users customize their experience with the professional to a minute level.

"The future of hiring pros will be 100% app and bot based. We intend to lead that parade. This is only the beginning of our vision," said John Chang.

The app and services are available only to the Bay Area at this time. The company would not say definitively if it will expand beyond California borders. "We really want to deliver the best in the Bay Area at first. Once that happens, I think the possibilities are endless," said John.

About Bimpies

Bimpies is the first real-time on-demand-marketplace technology company that caters to the changing behavior and demands of consumers living in the digital economy. Bimpies mission is to connect local professionals and consumers quicker and providing unique value to both ends. It is based in Milpitas, CA and employs seven people.

For more information, visit bimpies.com or direct any press inquiries to [email protected].

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SOURCE Bimpies

Related Links

http://bimpies.com


Uganda has 12 habituated mountain gorilla families (11 in Bwindi and one in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park ), and the opportunity to track them in their natural habitat tops the bucket lists of wildlife enthusiasts and intrepid travelers worldwide. Researchers began the Habinyanja family's two-year habituation process in 1997, spending time with them daily until they became at ease around humans. The other two infants belong to the Bushaho and Bikyirigi families, which are currently undergoing habituation and cannot yet be tracked by visitors.

Uganda Wildlife Authority: Conservation in Action

The number of mountain gorillas in Bwindi has progressively increased over the last 20 years according to four censuses taken to monitor population size. Despite this growth, mountain gorillas remain threatened due to issues such as poaching, habitat loss, and encroachment by humans. Government organizations like the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) proactively combat these problems to protect the gorillas and their forest home. The UWA, founded in 1996, manages and patrols Uganda's 10 national parks and is dedicated to the conservation, economic development, and sustainable management of the country's wildlife protected areas.

From Veterinarians to Tourists: Keeping Gorillas Healthy

Disease and respiratory infections are also threats to Uganda's mountain gorilla population. Gorillas are susceptible to many of the same illnesses as humans, and keeping them healthy is critically important. Visitors to Bwindi and Mgahinga are required to stay 21 feet from the gorillas at all times to prevent the passing of germs and are advised not to track gorillas if they are experiencing a cold or other signs of infection. UWA rangers monitor the health and well-being of gorilla families on an ongoing basis. When a gorilla is in need of care, the UWA calls upon Gorilla Doctors, a partnership of the UC Davis Mountain Gorilla Veterinary Project and the UC Davis Wildlife Health Center with staff on the ground in Uganda.

Tracking Permits: Funding Future Generations

Permits priced at US$600 per person in high season are required to track the habituated gorillas. A portion of the tracking permit fee is used to fund the salaries of park rangers and anti-poaching measures, and 20% of the fee goes to the local communities surrounding Bwindi and Mgahinga, which often equals upwards of US$1 million each year to support community growth and education.

Community Education: A Grassroots Approach

When members of Uganda's communities learn more about the gorillas and begin to reap the economic and employment benefits created by gorilla tracking, their relationship with the mountain gorillas typically begins to shift. They become less likely to engage in poaching, and human-wildlife conflicts are reduced. Teenagers and young adults in the communities have the opportunity to serve as gorilla tracking assistants, working to help visitors navigate the trails and paths required to reach the gorillas. Through this process, they develop a new understanding of the gorillas, which they then share with their friends and family. In some cases, poachers from these local communities have even become park rangers dedicated to maintaining the gorillas' safety.

"Uganda's wildlife and national parks are our most precious natural resources, and we must all do our part to support their conservation," said UWA Executive Director Andrew Seguya. "I am proud that the UWA plays such an important role in ensuring that Uganda's mountain gorillas, giraffes, rhinos, and other animals will continue to thrive for generations to come."

Editor Note: High-res images can be downloaded here.

ABOUT UGANDA

Known as the "Pearl of Africa," Uganda is located in East Africa and offers some of the continent's most diverse wildlife viewing, dramatic landscapes, and immersive cultural experiences. Uganda is home to more than half the world's population of endangered mountain gorillas, and trekking to observe these gentle giants in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest is one of the world's top "bucket list" travel activities. Safari opportunities abound in savanna, forest, and wetland settings throughout 10 national parks, where visitors can come face to face with "The Big Five"  lion, leopard, rhino, elephant, and buffalo  as well as giraffe, zebra, chimpanzee, hippopotamus, crocodile, and more than half of all bird species found in Africa. Among Uganda's extraordinary natural attractions are the snow-capped Rwenzori Mountains; expansive Lake Victoria, which forms the source of the Nile River; and Murchison Falls National Park. Air service to Uganda's Entebbe International Airport is available on carriers including Delta Air Lines/KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, Brussels Airlines, Qatar Airways, Emirates Airlines, Turkish Airlines, Etihad Airways, South African Airways, EgyptAir and Ethiopian Airlines. For more information, please visit www.visituganda.com.

Contact:

Ashley Norman

1-646-465-9775

[email protected]

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20161018/430118

SOURCE Uganda Tourism Board

Related Links

http://www.visituganda.com


ATLANTA, Oct. 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Vertera Spine, a developer of medical devices using advanced biomaterial technologies, today announced the first early successful outcomes using the COHERE Cervical Interbody Fusion Device. COHERE is Vertera Spine's first device featuring the company's patented porous PEEK (polyetherether ketone) Scoria biomaterial technology. Scoria's porous architecture seamlessly integrates with the bulk PEEK implant providing an environment for bony tissue ingrowth while retaining the mechanical and imaging properties of traditional PEEK implants. Vertera Spine will be showcasing COHERE and its Scoria technology at the upcoming NASS meeting October 26-28th in Boston, MA.

Since its initial soft launch in May 2016, over 400 COHERE devices have been implanted in anterior cervical fusion surgeries by a select number of surgeons across the United States. Dr. Robert McGuire, Past Chairman of AO Spine North America and from the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson, Miss., was one of the first surgeons to use the COHERE implant.

"I have been very pleased with the early outcomes I am seeing with the COHERE device," said Dr. McGuire. "There has been a clinical need for a porous PEEK fusion device that addresses the limited integration capabilities of traditional PEEK devices. I am excited to adopt COHERE into my practice."

Studies have demonstrated that porous implants are able to generate a stronger osteogenic cellular response and better osseointegrate over implants with micro- and nano-roughness.1,2 While porous metal or porous metal-coated PEEK implants have found their way into spinal fusion applications, COHERE is the first device in clinical use to be manufactured entirely out of PEEK and contain porosity. Because there is no metal, COHERE also provides the additional advantage of not producing any medical imaging artifacts, allowing accurate visualization of the fusion site.

Dr. Clint Hill (The Orthopaedic Institute in Paducah, Kentucky), another soft launch COHERE user, has several several patients at 5 months post-surgery.

"COHERE with its porous PEEK architecture is the first of its kind to offer an osteoconductive environment without the use of metal. With all my patients who have received a COHERE device, I am observing early signs of fusion with significant bony bridging," said Dr. Hill.

Likewise, Dr. Brandon Strenge, also from the Orthopaedic Institute in Kentucky, has implanted several COHERE devices and is observing similar outcomes at almost 5-months post-surgery.

"The hydrophilic nature and ingrowth capability of COHERE's porous architecture gives me the confidence that fusion can be achieved even in more challenging multi-level cases," said Dr. Strenge. "Porous PEEK Scoria is a game-changing technology that will make all other PEEK devices obsolete and could lend itself to many future applications."

Vertera Spine's porous PEEK Scoria technology is backed by extensive academic research at Duke University and the Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience at Georgia Institute of Technology. Professor Ken Gall, Chair of the Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science at Duke, will be sharing some of the latest research in a presentation entitled, "Biomechanical Performance of a Novel Porous PEEK for Interbody Fusion Devices" at the NASS meeting on Wednesday October 26th.

About Vertera Spine:

Vertera Spine is a privately-held medical device company that develops and commercializes multifunctional implants that use or complement its patented porous technology to address critical clinical needs in spine surgery. The company has received funding from the National Science Foundation, Georgia Research Alliance, and Duke Angel Network to translate its growing technology portfolio into commercial products. For more information, visit www.verteraspine.com or call 678.705.9039.

COHERE and Scoria are registered trademarks of Vertera Spine. All other trademarks and trade names are the property of their respective holders.

1Svehla M, Walsh MR et al. Morphometric and mechanical evaluation of titanium implant integration: Comparison of five surface structures. Journal of Biomedical Materials Research, 2000.

2Cheng A, Boyan BD, et al. Enhanced Osteoblast Response to Porosity and Resolution of Additively Manufactured Ti-6Al-4V Constructs with Trabeculae-Inspired Porosity. 3D Printing and Additive Manufacturing, 2016.

SOURCE Vertera Spine

Related Links

http://www.verteraspine.com


OTTAWA, Ontario, Oct. 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- VMS Rehab Systems, Inc. reported today that BioPharmcor Sp z o.o., the Poland based subsidiary of its generic drug company, BioPharmcor B.V., has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with a private investor to acquire up to 4.5 million PLN (USD 1.125) of the Polish company's 3 year 9% Convertible corporate Bonds. The transaction is expected to close within 30 days.

To date, BioPharmcor's Polish unit has raised more than 8 million PLN (USD 2 million) in working capital to support the BioPharmcor drug development program. The pending inflow of new investment capital will assist BioPharmcor to complete human trials for its generic drug product, tadalafil, a first line treatment for Erectile Dysfunction (ED) and Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH). During the human trials, the BioPharmcor tadalafil generic drug will be benchmarked for bioequivalence against the branded reference product Cialis, manufactured by Eli Lilly and Company.

In 2014, VMS Rehab Systems, Inc. made an investment in the generic pharmaceutical business with the acquisition of BioPharmcor Sp z o.o., Warsaw, Poland. The company's drug unit was subsequently reorganized under Dutch based BioPharmcor B.V., headquartered in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. A Canadian unit, BioPharmcor Inc., was established in 2016 to manage the Company's drug formulation program in conjunction with Kabs Laboratories, St. Hubert, Quebec.

Established in 1998, as a manufacturer and distributor of Home Healthcare products, VMS Rehab Systems, Inc. is headquartered in Ottawa, Canada and maintains affiliate offices in Amsterdam, The Netherlands and Warsaw, Poland. The shares of VMS Rehab Systems, Inc. are listed on the US OTC Pink Current Market (Symbol: VRSYF).

FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION

Certain statements contained in this press release constitute forward-looking information. These statements relate to future events or future performance. The use of any of the words "will" and similar expressions and statements relating to matters that are not historical facts are intended to identify forward-looking information and are based on the Corporation's current belief or assumptions as to the outcome and timing of such future events. Actual future results may differ materially. Various assumptions or factors are typically applied in drawing conclusions or making the forecasts or projections set out in forward-looking information. Those assumptions and factors are based on information currently available to the Corporation. The forward-looking information contained in this release is made as of the date hereof and the Corporation is not obligated to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable securities laws. Because of the risks, uncertainties and assumptions contained herein, investors should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. The foregoing statements expressly qualify any forward-looking information contained herein.

SOURCE VMS Rehab Systems, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.vmsrehabsystemsinc.com


DENVER, Oct. 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- The Western Aero portfolio of companies (www.westernaero.com), a leading, award-winning and FAA/EASA-certified service provider in the aviation industry, today announced the completion of its integration of the Canoga Park, California-based aircraft parts and equipment company, American Jet Industries. All three companiesWestern Aero Services, Western Aero Repair, and American Jet Industriesare now fully managed under one administrative system. Additionally, all three companies have updated their branding, which includes new logos, websites, and corporate collateral.

"The integration of all three companies now provides a robust, 360-degree resource for the entire aviation community," explains Scott Balfanz, who, along with his wife Kim Balfanz, owns all three Western Aero portfolio companies. "We are now able to provide best-in-class aircraft parts and equipment sourcing and aircraft repair services to all segments of the industry, from military to commercial and cargo," he emphasized.

Michael Saso, the prior owner of American Jet Industries, describes his decision to solely approach Western Aero for this acquisition opportunity by pointing to: "The Balfanz' industry-wide reputation for delivering the highest standards of integrity, reliability and excellent customer service." A chronological accounting of American Jet Industries' storied history under Saso's stewardship can be viewed on that company's new website.

As part of the integration process, all three companies have undergone a comprehensive branding overhaul. As David Roth of the brand staging company, Get Stirred Up (www.getstirredup.com) describes: "It was critical to present the distinct attributes of all three entities in a bold and fresh manner, reinforcing both the 360-degree resource and concierge-oriented positioning that this integration ensures. That included creating entirely new logos, websites and corporate collateral for each entity."

There are now four new websites for the three Western Aero portfolio entities: www.westernaero.com, www.westernaeroservices.com, www.westernaerorepair.com, and www.americanjetindustries.com. The new branding will be revealed at today's 20th annual 707 Aircraft Working Group convention in Oklahoma, where Western Aero will be co-hosting an evening event.

About Western Aero

The Western Aero portfolio of companiesWestern Aero Services, Western Aero Repair and American Jet Industriesis where leading military, commercial and cargo aviation companies turn to for a 360-degree approach to servicing their MRO needs. With various industry awards and vital FAA/EASA certifications, the safety of the troops and the flying public anchors everything they do. It shows up in unmatched quality standards, the blending of ingenuity and resourcefulness, and reliable and timely turnaround. All three companies are known for taking a "concierge-like" approach to servicing their customers' needs, not just fulfilling their orders. Being a proud, family-owned enterprise with deep aviation industry roots contributes to this core value. For more information, please visit: www.westernaero.com.

Media Contact:

David Roth

[email protected]

303-859-1505

Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20161024/431669LOGO

SOURCE Western Aero Services, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.westernaero.com


Baku, Azerbaijan, Oct. 24

By Khalid Kazimov  Trend:

Iranian banks have provided their customers with about $73.374 billion in loan over the first half of the current Iranian calendar year (started March 20).

The governor of Central Bank of Iran, Valiollah Seif, has said banks paid 2.33 quadrillion rials ($73.374 million according to the official rate on Oct. 24) in loan to their customers in a period of six months between March and September, IRNA news agency reported.

This is while banks paid about $131.317 billion (4.17 quadrillion rials according to official rate on Oct. 24) in loan to the customers over the last Iranian calendar year.

According to the official, banks, so far, have allocated about $3.086 billion (98 trillion rials) in loan to 12,522 small businesses.
FAIRFIELD, Iowa, Oct. 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Bill Stowe, CEO and General Manager of the Des Moines Water Works, will speak on Iowa's terrible water quality that is sparking a new statewide campaign at the JFAN Annual Meeting, Reclaiming the Soul of Iowa: Why We Need a Factory Farm Moratorium, on Wednesday, October 26 beginning at 7:15 pm at the Fairfield Arts & Convention Center, 200 N. Main Street, Fairfield.

Iowa has over 9,000 factory farms confining the vast majority of 20 million Iowa hogs and a record 754 water impairments, and those numbers keep growing. Stowe will focus on the significant contribution industrial hog production makes to polluting Iowa waters and why we need a factory farm moratorium to address this crisis.

Stowe is no stranger to the health impacts and economic hardships brought about by Iowa's polluted waterways. As Des Moines Water Works (DMWW) CEO and General Manager, he's responsible for providing safe drinking water to 500,000 people in the Des Moines area. Dangerously high nitrate levels in the Raccoon River forced Stowe to run the utility's denitrification facility for a record 177 days in 2015 at a cost of $1.5 million to customers. Des Moines Water Works is now engaged in a contentious and highly publicized lawsuit that has the potential to change how agriculture is regulated nationwide.

Volumes of peer-reviewed studies conducted over the last 50 years document the harmful impacts of CAFOs on people, the environment, rural economies, and more.

Like the DMWW, Iowans from around the state are saying "enough is enough." On September 21, 2016 the Iowa Alliance for Responsible Agriculture (IARA), a coalition of over 20 national, state, and local environmental and community organizations, called for a factory farm moratorium until there are less than 100 water impairments in Iowa.

Joyce Otto, a registered nurse and President of Poweshiek CARES, will share how living near a confinement impacted her professional and family life. Jess Mazour, community organizer with Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement will outline a variety of approaches to actively advocate for a moratorium.

A panel discussion will be held at the conclusion of the meeting.

Admission is free; a donation of $5 is welcome to support JFAN's mission.

JFAN is a 501(c)(3) educational foundation working to protect the quality of life of Jefferson County residents since 2005. For more information: website or Facebook.

SOURCE Jefferson County Farmers and Neighbors, Inc. (JFAN)

Related Links

http://www.jfaniowa.org


A dozen shots have reportedly been fired outside the Iranian Embassy in Turkey capital, Ankara.

According to informed sources, the shots heard may have been fired by security forces at a checkpoint near the embassy building to warn a suspicious vehicle, Press TV reported Oct. 24.

Earlier, the US issued a stern warning over the possibility of terror attacks or attempted kidnapping of foreign nationals in Istanbul.

Just a few weeks ago, Turkey extended a nationwide state of emergency -- introduced in the wake of the abortive coup in July -- for another three months.

Turkey imposed the state of emergency after it declared the end of a coup attempt by a group of military officers, which resulted in over 270 deaths.
Baghdad, Oct 21 : At least 24 persons were killed and dozens injured in multiple attacks by Islamic State militants on a police compound and government buildings in the Iraqi city of Kirkuk, police said.

The attacks occurred early in the morning when dozens of IS militants, many wearing explosive-laden vests, attacked the police compound, a building of Kurdish security, and some government buildings and mosques inside the city of Kirkuk, Xinhua news agency quoted a source as saying.

After fierce clashes with the guards of the buildings, the attackers seized a police headquarter, a mosque and a house, in Kirkuk, some 250 km north of Baghdad, the source said.

The security forces backed by reinforcement Kurdish troops from the neighbouring provinces of Sulaimaniyah and Arbil, deployed in the city and surrounded the IS-held buildings inside the city, while clashes continued with the attackers in the following hours of the day, the source said.

The toll could rise further as the security forces are still fighting the attackers who holed up in the buildings, the source said.

Authorities in the city imposed curfew and blocked the entrances of the city, as dozens of police and Kurdish security forces deployed outside the government buildings and main streets, the source said.

Another attack targeted al-Debis power plant, some 35 km northeast of Kirkuk, when two suicide bombers entered the station sparking heavy clash with the guards, but the attacker took control of part of the facility and executed 16 workers, including four Iranians, the source said.

The Iranian victims were technicians of the Iranian Sunir company, which has been implementing a contract of expanding the power plant with the German Siemens company.

Later in the day, the security forces killed the suicide bombers and the situation in the plant is under control, the source added.

The attack came as the Iraqi security forces backed by anti-IS coalition are carrying out a major offensive to drive out the militants from its last major stronghold in and around the city of Mosul in northern Iraq.
Guwahati, Oct 22 : Several Bodo organisations have given a call for a 12-hour 'rail roko' stir on Monday in support of their long-standing demand for the creation of a separate Bodoland state, a senior Bodo leader said on Saturday.

All Bodo Students Union President Promod Boro said rail tracks will be blocked at Basugaon (in Kokrajhar district) and Udalguri (in Udalguri district) in Assam to press the central and state governments on their demand.

Boro said the 12-hour bandh will begin at 5 a.m. on October 24, in which over one lakh Bodoland supporters will converge at Basugaon and Udalguri.

The protestors belong to the Peoples' Joint Action Committee for Bodoland Movement (PJACBM), a conglomeration of civil society organisations, and National Democratic Front of Bodoland's (NDFB) pro-talk faction.

Movement of most of the up and down trains in Assam and other parts of the north-east region will likely be affected since these pass through the Kokrajhar and Udalguri districts.

"We have met Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh at least seven times and Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju at least 10 times after the BJP came to power in May 2014. It seems the government is only interested in delaying action on the legitimate demand of the Bodos," Boro said.

The ABSU leader said they had also reminded Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal of the Bharatiya Janata Party of its poll promise on the matter in the past.

"However, nothing has happened. We have failed to understand what the government wants? We have been raising our demands in a peaceful way but it seems the government has ears only for violence," he said.

ABSU on August 30 called for a five-hour blockade of the National Highways across Assam on the Bodoland issue.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Oct. 24

By Fatih Karimov  Trend

Iran and the EU will hold a new round of comprehensive talks in Brussels in December, Bahram Qasemi, the Iranian foreign ministry spokesman, said.

The talks will cover various topics, Qasemi said at a press conference in Tehran Oct. 24, IRNA news agency reported.

He further said that the Iranian delegation will participate in the negotiations at the level of deputy foreign minister.

Human rights related issues also will be discussed in the talks, however it will not be the only topic, Qasemi added.

Iran and the EU have a lot of topics to discuss, he said.

The Islamic Republic and Europe have different viewpoints regarding the human rights issue, he said, adding that Tehran can hear their concerns on the issue and state its own view of human rights.

Difference of positions is historical as well as natural, while we have had a long history of diplomatic relations with the EU, and it will continue in the future, since Iran provides inherent capacities for trade for the EU, Qasemi said.

Earlier in June Iran's foreign minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif announced the Islamic Republics readiness to launch human right talks with Europe, underlining that the will to talk should be mutual.

"As I already told Federica Mogherini [the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy] the human rights talks will be mutual and no doubt during that every party will hear unpleasant things," Zarif said while speaking in the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.

"However we should seriously enter the talks," he added.

Elsewhere in his remarks, Qasemi commented on recent dispute between Ankara and Baghdad, saying Turkey should get permission from Iraq's government to participate in the operation to take back Mosul from the Islamic State terrorist group.

It is not acceptable at all if a country, under the pretext of combating terrorism or any other crimes, tries to violate the sovereignty of another country, Qasemi added.
Ankleshwar/Bharuch, Oct 23 : President Pranab Mukherjee on Sunday inaugurated a revamped version of the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Hospital and Heart Institute and a modern Sevashram Hospital in Gujarat's twin cities of Ankleshwar and Bharuch.

The President, who arrived in Gujarat on Saturday night, also threw open a Gandhi Smruti Bhawan at the location where Mahatma Gandhi had stayed during his Dandi Yatra in Bharuch.

Mukherjee unveiled statues of Mahatma Gandhi, Chandubhai Desai and Chhotubhai Purani.

The Sardar Patel Hospital, which has been developed by the Sardar Patel Trust with efforts of Congress Rajya Sabha MP Ahmed Patel, who hails from Bharuch district, will have all modern health care facilities otherwise not available in the district.

At present, heart patients in the area have to travel to Vadodara, Surat and Ahmedabad for treatment. The new hospital will offer them treatment within Bharuch.

It will have facilities like radial angiography and angioplasty, besides cathlab, Intra-aortic balloon pum (IABP), elos facial and eco cardiogram. The hospital will have 14 permanent and 20 visiting doctors.

The revamped hospital now has a 100-bed facility. It offers numerous medical facilities.

Besides Ahmed Patel, the President was accompanied by Gujarat Governor O.P. Kohli and Minister of State for Home Pradipsinh Jadeja.
Washington, Oct 24 : The US Senate committee on antitrust will carefully examine an acquisition of Time Warner Inc by AT&T Inc., Fox Business reported on Sunday.

AT&T agreed on Saturday to buy Time Warner for $85.4 billion, Xinhua news agency reported.

US Senator Bernie Sanders said in a statement that President Obama administration should kill the Time Warner/AT&T merger, adding that this deal would mean higher prices and fewer choices for the American people.
Los Angeles, Oct 24 : Actor Colin Farrell never read the "Harry Potter" books before starring in "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them".

The Irish actor plays the role of Percival Graves, the director of security at the Magical Congress of US, in the eagerly awaited-new movie, which is based on J.K. Rowling's book by the same name.

Farrell shared that he has never read Rowling's most popular books but is a self-confessed fan of the "Harry Potter" film series, reports femalefirst.co.uk.

"There are a few films where in they're on the television, I just can't turn them off, they're just so comforting and any 'Harry Potter' series qualifies as one of those films.

"It's just such a beautiful and immersive world, that pays due respect to human emotions. I would be a liar if I said being in a trailer where that score kicks in didn't get me excited. I'm 40 and I shouldn't say such things," Farrell told SFX magazine.
Jammu, Oct 24 : The Indian and Pakistani armed forces exchanged heavy shelling and firing all night through along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu district on Monday.

"Heavy shelling and firing exchanges continued throughout the night between Indian and Pakistani troops in Kanachak, Akhnoor, Arnia and some other places on the international border in Jammu district," the police said.

"The exchanges were triggered by the Pakistani Rangers who resorted to unprovoked shelling and firing at Indian positions around 7 p.m. yesterday (Sunday)," the police said.

Residents in the border villages of Jammu and Kashmir in Khour tehsil and other places in Jammu district spent another sleepless night as shells from across the border landed in the agricultural fields close to their homes.

Damages to civilian property, if any, in the area would be assessed during the day, the district authorities said.
New Delhi : On October 8, 2016, in a series of anti-militancy crackdowns, 12 Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) militants were killed in Gazipur, Tangail and Dhaka districts. Seven of them were killed in the Harinal area under Gazipur city of Gazipur district in Operation Spate 8 conducted jointly by a Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTC) unit, a Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team and the Gazipur police.

Two others were killed during an operation by a Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) at a JMB den in Lebubagan area of Gazipur district. In another raid carried out by the RAB, two other militants were killed in a three-storey building in the Mirzamath area of Tangail town in Tangail district. Separately, in Dhaka district, Nazmul Haque alias Abdur Rahman, the financier of JMB, died after he jumped off from his flat in the fourth floor to flee during a raid by the RAB.

According to partial data collected by the Institute for Conflict Management, since the July 1, 2016, Gulshan attack on a cafe, a total of 41 JMB terrorists have been killed and 80 others have been arrested across Bangladesh in different raids (data till October 17, 2016). Prominent among those killed were: 'financier' Nazmul Haque alias Abdur Rahman, 'military commander' of the northern region Ripon alias Golam Tareque alias Abu Ibrahim (29), mastermind of Gulshan attack Tamim Ahmed Chowdhury, 'military commander' Murad alias Jahangir Alam alias Omar alias Major Shaheb.

The JMB was founded in 1998 by Sheikh Abdur Rahman, with the objective of establishing Islamic rule in Bangladesh and to replace the current state and constitution. It opposes the existing political system and seeks to "build a society based on the Islamic model laid out in Holy Quran-Hadith." It opposes democracy, socialism as well as cultural functions, cinema halls, shrines and NGOs. The government did not realize the gravity of JMB's agenda until the terror group triggered a countrywide serial bombing on August 17, 2005. A staggering 459 explosions had occurred in 63 of Bangladesh's 64 districts (excluding Munshiganj) killing three and injuring more than 100 people.

In the crackdown that followed, according to an estimate of the police headquarters, a total of 160 cases were filed across the country and 1,157 JMB leaders and cadres were named as accused. Of these, 960 were arrested. Remarkably, two top leaders of the group, Sheikh Abdur Rahman and Sidiqul Islam alias Bangla Bhati, were executed on March 30, 2007. That was the end of the JMB's first phase.

Before the crackdown, the JMB was led by a seven-member Majlis-e-Shura, comprising its top leadership, including Abdur Rahman and Bangla Bhai. The group had 16 'regional commanders' and 64 'district heads', besides hundreds of 'operational commanders'.

The cadre was organized in three tiers. The first tier was known as Eshar, where the 200 members were full-timers and reported directly to the central committee. The second tier was Gayeri Easher and had about 10,000 members. The third tier was Sathis or Sudhis consisting of younger foot soldiers.

For operational requirements, the group divided the country into nine divisions - one division each in Khulna, Barisal, Sylhet and Chittagong, two each in Dhaka and Rajshahi. The JMB also had a suicide squad called Shahid Nasirullah Arafat Brigade. The members had an 'insurance policy' from the group.

The JMB took only nine years to reorganise. This time, the born-again militant outfit, Neo JMB, as called by law enforcers, is far more radicalized and fearsome. The Neo JMB is now inspired by the ideology of Islamic State (IS), skilled in modern technology and equipped with sophisticated firearms capable of causing damage more than the old JMB which a decade ago carried out suicide bombing and synchronized blasts across the country.

Emerging in 2014, the Neo JMB drew law enforcers' attention only after committing Bangladesh Commerce Bank Limited (BCBL) robbery in Ashulia, a suburban area near Dhaka city on April 21, 2015, leaving eight people dead. The Neo JMB is responsible for the July 1, 2016, Gulshan attack in which 20 hostages, including 17 foreigners, was killed. The armed attack launched near the historic Sholakia Eidgah on July 7, 2016, leading to the death of two policemen, a housewife and a militant, was also an act of Neo JMB.

Notably, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina who has consolidated Bangladesh's secular commitments reining in the Islamist extremist groups during a visit to Dhakeshwari National Temple in Dhaka city on October 8, 2016, said: "Our government has always taken stern action against terrorism and militancy and would continue to curb the twin demons with an iron hand.... There would be no place for terrorism and militancy on Bangladesh's soil."

Earlier on September 3, 2016, asking the terrorists and militants to surrender or face dire consequences, Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan said: "If you do not give yourself up to the law enforcement agencies, you will face what your accomplices have experienced in the immediate past operations."

Indeed, the re-surfacing of JMB in the form of Neo-JMB, mainly consisting of tech-savvy youngsters, has surprised Bangladesh's security forces, who are finding it difficult to detect their motives and future plans. No doubt, Bangladesh's law-enforcement agencies have neutralized a number of hardcore JMB militants who posed a serious security threat to the country. Despite the successes, law enforcers must be on their guard as the militant groups are still gaining fresh recruits.

Law enforcers should address how these organisations are being funded as the weapons collected from the dead militants suggest that they continue to receive substantial external assistance. If the source of their support can be identified and neutralized, the security forces can deal a substantial blow to their activities.

(S. Binodkumar Singh is a Research Associate at the Institute for Conflict Management, New Delhi. The article is by special arrangement with South Asia Monitor/www.southasiamonitor.org)
New York, Oct 24 : A team of US researchers has developed a unique method that, after analysing online comments or tweets, can find dishonesty levels behind posting those thoughts - a practice also called 'astroturfing'.

Astroturfing is the deceptive practice of presenting an orchestrated marketing or public relations campaign in the guise of unsolicited comments from members of the public.

Former US President George W Bush and current US presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump have been accused of 'astroturfing' to claim widespread enthusiasm for their platforms.

Kim-Kwang Raymond Choo, associate professor of information systems and cybersecurity at University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) developed a method for detecting people dishonestly posting online comments, reviews or tweets across multiple accounts.

"Astroturfing is legal, but it's questionable ethically. As long as social media has been popular, this has existed," said Choo.

The method analyses multiple writing samples. Choo and his collaborators found that it's challenging for authors to completely conceal their writing style in their text.

Based on word choice, punctuation and context, the method is able to detect whether one person or multiple people are responsible for the samples.

Choo and his co-authors used writing samples from the most prolific online commentators on various news websites.

They discovered that many people espousing their opinions online were actually all linked to a few singular writers with multiple accounts.

The practice has been used by businesses to manipulate social media users or online shoppers, by having one paid associate post false reviews on web sites about products for sale.

It is also used on social media wherein 'astroturfers' create several false accounts to espouse opinions, creating the illusion of a consensus when actually one person is pretending to be many.

"Businesses can use this to encourage support for their products or services or to sabotage other competing companies by spreading negative opinions through false identities," Choo added in a university statement.

Choo is now looking into whether the algorithm can be used to prevent plagiarism and contract cheating.

"In addition to raising public awareness of the problem, we hope to develop tools to detect astroturfers so that social media users can make informed choices and resist online social manipulation and propaganda," Choo noted.
Lucknow, Oct 24 : Supporters of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav and Samajwadi party leader Shivpal Yadav clashed outside the party headquarters ahead of a crucial meeting called by SP supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav.
Suva, Oct 24 : A naval ship of India will pay a goodwill visit to Fiji, the Fijian government announced on Monday.

Indian Naval Ship (INS) Sumitra, scheduled to berth on Wednesday, is expected to bring in five tonnes of vegetable seeds that will be handed over to the Fijian government to assist with the Tropical Cyclone Winston rehabilitation programme, according to Fiji's Department of Information, Xinhua news agency reported.

As part of the visit, a joint programme by Fiji's Ministry of Defense and India's High Commission there has been organised for the general public for a medical camp to conduct free medical check-ups and counselling together with a band display.

INS Sumitra will be open for visitors on Friday, said the department.

Due to historically colonial reasons, some 40 per cent of Fiji's total population today is of Indian descent.
New Delhi : Mumbai, Oct 24 (OANS) The chairperson of the Central Board Of Film Certification (CBFC) says no one has a right to stop a film from being shown after it has been given a certification.

CBFC chief Pahlaj Nihalani said it was wrong to target any kind of cinema for its Pakistani presence.

"We've given censor certificates to both 'Ek Tera Saath' and 'Ae Dil Hai Mushkil'. Both are equally eligible for release. No faction, political or otherwise, has any right to stop their release," he told IANS over phone.

Nihalani said Fawad Khan was not the only Pakistan artist to perform in a film. Rahat Fateh Ali Khan from Pakistan has rendered two songs in "Ek Tera Saath".

" 'Ek Tera Saath' releases this week. Why isn't there even a murmur of protest against these songs? Only because it is a small film? Is 'Ae Dil Hai Mushkil' a soft target because it is made by Karan Johar? Why are only high-profile films being made soft targets?" he asked.

The Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) had threatened to attack theatres if they screened Johar's film in which Fawad Khan was one of the actors.

On the intervention of Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, MNS chief Raj Thackeray agreed to allow the film to go ahead on assurance that no other Pakistani artists would be given work in future.

There was also talk of Johar donating Rs 5 crore to the army welfare fund. Several commentators have called this extortion by the the MNS, with approval from the chief minister.

Nihalani, a controversial figure himself for taking a stand against kissing scenes in films, also had a word of advise for film maker Anurag Kashyap on his criticism of the Prime Minister.

"Kashyap wants the Prime Minister to apologise for his visit to Pakistan. I suggest Mr Kashyap concentrate on making films instead of commenting on the Prime Minister's policies. Modiji knows what he is doing. But after seeing 'Bombay Velvet', India wants to know if Mr Kashyap knows what he is doing," he said.
New Delhi : Salgaon (Sirohi district) In a classroom in the government school here in southwest Rajasthan, about 25 students from standards 3, 4 and 5 standing in a circle, animatedly recited a story spoken by a specially trained volunteer-called a Team Balika (Team Child) -- their recitation gradually rising in decibels with every repetition.

Run in government schools by Educate Girls, a nonprofit, the recitation was a prep session for a new style of learning, an attempt to address declining arithmetic and language skills nationwide, despite a Rs 1.2 lakh crore ($17.7 billion) investment in universal education, leaving millions of students ill-prepared for employment.

Instead of the traditional blackboard-and-chalk style of rote learning, the students, like hundreds of others in six Rajasthan districts -- Ajmer, Bundi, Jalore, Pali, Rajasamand and Sirohi -- learn by pictures instead of words, puzzles that help them find words, alphabet cut-outs they can put together and other uncommon learning aids that whet their appetite to learn.

The programme appears to be working. In 2015, these creative-learning sessions, conducted at least twice weekly during school hours with 79,695 standard 3, 4 and 5 students in 3,399 rural Rajasthan schools, helped record average score increases --irrespective of gender and social background -- of 45 per cent in Hindi, 26 percent in English and 44 per cent in math.

Sitting with other children on a durrie (carpet) -- benches and desks are a luxury -- Rahul Chauhan, 9, was engrossed in and clearly enjoying a story in his work book, Hathi aur Hiran (the elephant and the deer). He explained why. "Because of the pictures and because I like to learn stories to tell (outside of school)," said Chauhan, a broad grin on his face.

After the prep session, students were organised into three groups based on their learning level, which was determined by a test held two months ago at the start of the intervention, instead of by their class. So, a standard 4 student might be in a group with standard 3 students learning to identify alphabets, ensuring that no child is left behind.

This strategy, developed in 2005 by Pratham, a nonprofit working towards improving primary education, has been adopted by Educate Girls. It is called "teaching at the right level".

Teaching at the right level helps weak students catch up, a process vital to schools across rural India, where 52 per cent of class 5 students cannot read a class 2 textbook in Hindi, according to the Annual Status of Education Report 2014 (ASER 2014) by Pratham. Barely one in four class 5 children can read simple sentences in English or subtract double-digit numbers.

Educate Girls trains both volunteers -- whom it designates Team Balikas -- and teachers in creative teaching methods, but Salgaon school lacked a trained teacher, reflecting the fact that less than one in five primary school teachers is adequately trained, IndiaSpend reported in May 2015.

The Educate Girls programme, too, is affected by India's general teaching inability. English improvements, for instance, trail those in maths and Hindi because the language is not spoken in rural Rajasthan. "So, the Team Balika's own understanding of the language is poor," said Pallavi Singh, regional manager of Educate Girls.

The Salgaon government school had no regular English teacher, said headmaster Ashok Kumar, which illustrates another fact: India is short of 556,000 primary school teachers.

Of the teachers available, many stay absent or are assigned non-teaching jobs. Almost 24 per cent teachers were absent during random visits to rural schools, found this 2015 study by the University of California, IndiaSpend reported in September 2016.

"We are assigned all sorts of duties, from making election voter lists to counting livestock," said Dalpat Singh Rathore, a school teacher.

Last year, Himachal Pradesh piloted Pratham's intensive-learning programme in Hamirpur district. Encouraging early results, including 14 percent improvement in students who could read a text with two or fewer mistakes and 12 per cent improvement in division skills -- simple division was considered a problem area for class 5 students despite being taught in class 3 -- led the state government to own the concept, albeit with some customisation.

"We have increased the length of the learning programme to 45 days and start the day with a two-hour learning session before switching to the regular curriculum," said Ghanshyam Chand, state project director for Himachal Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan and the Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (National Middle-School Education Programme).

"We have also expanded the scope of the initiative to include assessment of students, to remove any teacher bias from the process and to encourage regular grading," he said.

"With the Programme for Result Enhancement, Resource Nurturing and Assessment, as the expanded state government programme has been called, for which Pratham is a technical advisor, we expect to put a stop to primary students being promoted to the next level without imbibing basic language and math skills," said Chand.

(In arrangement with IndiaSpend.org, a data-driven, non-profit, public interest journalism platform. Bahri is a freelance writer and editor based in Mount Abu, Rajasthan. The views expressed are those of IndiaSpend. Feedback at respond@indiaspend.org)
05:25 (GMT +4) Gunmen stormed a police training center Monday in Pakistan's restive Baluchistan province and detonated explosive vests, killing at least 59 police trainees, TASS reported.

04:18 (GMT +4) A group of militants held some 200 cadets after storming a police facility in southwestern Pakistan. At least 51 people were killed, with dozens more wounded, Sputnik reported.

03:41 (GMT +4) A group of militants held some 200 cadets after storming a police facility in southwestern Pakistan. At least 33 people were killed, 100 more wounded, according to the Associated Press.

03:31 (GMT +4) A group of militants held some 200 cadets after storming a police facility in southwestern Pakistan. At least 20 people were killed, with dozens more wounded, according to Agence France Presse.

At least two of those killed were police officers, while another three were the gunmen. Over 200 hostages were rescued by Pakistan's Special Services Group (SSG).

According to the Dunya News television channel, five or six gunmen were responsible, and the Pakistani army launched an operation at the training facility in the city of Quetta.

One witness claims that the gunmen opened fire upon entering the building. Sources tell Denya that the attackers are wearing suicide vests.

"We received intelligence reports three to four days back that terrorists, suicide bombers planned to target Quetta," said Nawab Sanaullah Zehri, chief minister of Baluchistan, according to GEO News. "Security was already on high alert and maybe that is why they have targeted the police training center on the outskirts of the city." Pakistan's Interior Ministry established a control room to monitor the situation, and has expressed confidence in local law enforcement's ability to resolve the incident. Over 700 cadets train at the facility in total. The capital of Baluchistan Province, Quetta lies in an area filled with Baluch rebels, as well as Taliban militants. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack at this time.

23:39 (GMT +4) A group of militants is holding some 200 cadets after storming a police facility in southwestern Pakistan, while four people were wounded, Sputnik reported.

According to the Dunya News television channel, the Pakistani army has launched an operation at the training facility in the city of Quetta. The media outlet reported that five or six gunmen were present at the scene.
Bhubaneswar/Visakhapatnam, Oct 24 : As many as 24 Maoists, including eight women, were killed by security forces in a gunbattle which also left a Greyhounds commando dead near the Andhra-Odisha border on Monday, police said.

Acting on intelligence inputs, a combined team of Andhra Pradesh and Odisha Police carried out the operation in the Bejjangi forest in Odisha's Malkangiri district early in the day.

"A total 24 Maoists have been killed in the encounter and a jawan succumbed to his injuries," Malkangiri Superintendent of Police Mitrabhanu Mohapatra told IANS.

He, however, said the dead Maoists would be identified only after the bodies reached the district police.

The Maoists belonged to the outlawed Communist Party of India-Maoist.

Of the two personnel of Greyhounds -- an anti-Naxalite force of the Andhra Pradesh -- injured and flown to the King George Hospital in Visakhapatnam for treatment, Md Abu Bakar succumbed to his injuries.

Mohapatra said they had got the information about the presence of around 40 Maoists in the area.

Top Maoist cadre Ramakrishna alias RK is said to have managed to escape during the fighting.

Ramakrishna's son Munna is believed to be among the slain Maoists. Munna recently joined the CPI-Maoist.

The dead also believed to include some other top leaders of the Maoist outfit from Telugu states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.

"We had information about the gathering of members of Andhra-Odisha Border Special Zone Committee," Odisha Police chief K.B. Singh said.

"The joint operation was led by the Andhra Pradesh Police and Greyhounds played a major role in it," he said.

The officer said 10 .303 rifles, two SLRs and four AK-47 guns and some Maoist kits were seized from the spot.

Andhra Pradesh Director General of Police N. Sambasiva Rao said in Visakhapatnam that police asked the Maoists to surrender but they opened fire, forcing the police to retaliate.

The police chief said the exchange of fire continued till the evening as Maoists rejected the call for a ceasefire.

He said a helicopter was rushed to the scene to bring the injured personnel as well as Maoists to Visakhapatnam for treatment.

The DGP visited deceased Greyhounds commando Abu Bakr's house in Gajuwaka area in Visakhapatnam and consoled his family members. He announced compensation of Rs.40 lakh for the commando's family.

This is the first major gun battle since division of Andhra Pradesh to carve out Telangana state in 2014.

The incident dealt a huge blow to the Maoist outfit, which weakened over the last decade and is now confined to Andhra-Odisha and Telangana-Chhattisgarh border areas.

In Hyderabad, revolutionary poet Varavara Rao alleged that police killed the Maoists after attacking their meeting.

Varavara Rao demanded that a murder case be booked against the policemen involved in the attack.

"Did Maoists carry out any attack after the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh? Then where was the need for this fake encounter?" asked Rao, a leader of Veerasam, a body of revolutionary writers.

Rao also demanded an inquiry into the incident by a sitting judge of the high court.

In a related development, the High Court of Judicature at Hyderabad for the states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana on Monday directed the Andhra Pradesh government to preserve the bodies of the Maoists killed in the gunbattle till October 27.

The court gave this direction on a petition filed by a civil liberties activist.

The petitioner had sought comprehensive probe into the incident and action against the policemen involved as per Supreme Court guidelines about encounter killings.

The state government informed the court that the incident occurred in Odisha and that bodies of slain Maoists were yet to reach Andhra.

Stating that it cannot pass orders on the petition at this stage, the court directed that the bodies of the Maoists be preserved at King George Hospital in Visakhapatnam.
Colombo, Oct 24 : Students in northern Sri Lanka on Monday launched a protest and submitted a petition to the government over the death of two university students in Jaffna town last week.

The students gathered opposite the Jaffna Government Agent's office and handed over a petition to President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, Xinhua news agency reported.

Students in Kilinochchi town also launched a protest and demanded justice over the killing of the two Jaffna university students.

Northern Provincial Council member M.K. Sivajilingham said there was a feeling that state-sponsored terrorism was behind the killing.

Sirisena last week called for an impartial investigation into the death of the two youths.

Sri Lanka's Criminal Investigation Division is probing the deaths.

The two youths were shot dead by the police after they reportedly failed to stop when ordered to do so.

Five police officers were arrested over the incident. They were immediately interdicted and remanded by court.

The government said necessary steps have been taken to ensure that the law is fully implemented with regard to the incident.
New Delhi, Oct 24 : The Supreme Court will on Friday hear the Bihar government's plea challenging the bail granted by Patna High Court to Rocky Yadav, accused of killing a young boy in a road rage case.

The bench of Chief Justice T.S. Thakur, Justice D.Y. Chandrachud and Justice L. Nageswar Rao scheduled the hearing of the Bihar government's petition for Friday after counsel Gopal Singh on Monday mentioned it for an early hearing.

Seeking the cancellation of bail granted to Rocky Yadav by the high court on October 19, the Bihar government, in its petition, has contended that "he has shot dead a young boy on the highway because he could not tolerate a small Swift car overtaking his big and imported Land Rover".

Rocky Yadav alias Rakesh Ranjan Yadav was arrested on May 11, 2016.

He holds a certificate of "Renowned Shooter" from the National Rifle Association of India.

While granting bail to Rocky Yadav, the high court noted that co-accused Rajesh Kumar has already been granted bail.

The petitions said that while granting bail to Rocky Yadav, the high court "conveniently" ignored the "vital fact" that the bail has been granted to the co-accused only on the ground that Rocky, and not him, is the main accused.

Describing the grant of bail as complete miscarriage of justice, the Bihar government has contended that "if this is not set right, public confidence in the criminal justice system would suffer".

The Bihar government's petition further says that the high court has considered "irrelevant grounds", and that too "incorrectly", while granting bail to Rocky Yadav within six months.

The petition says that the high court ignored factors like "nature and gravity" of the offence, manner of its commissioning, severity of the punishment he would be given if convicted, "character, position/status of his family", threats, intimidation and coercion of the prosecution witnesses and the family of the victims, and the capacity of the offender to tamper with evidence.

The petition maintains that Rocky Yadav would be sentenced to death, if the offence under Section 27 of Arms Act is established against him.

Pointing out that his mother is a sitting member of the Bihar Legislative Council and is herself facing criminal prosecution, the petition said his father also has several criminal cases lodged against him.

Rocky Yadav is "intoxicated with an assumed sense of power and clout", adds the petition.
Mumbai, Oct 24 : A part clue to the mystery behind Tata Sons' surprise move on Monday to replace Cyrus P. Mistry as its Chairman could be traced to his background.

The 48-year-old Cyrus Mistry is the youngest son of Pallonji Mistry, whose construction firm Shapoorji Pallonji & Co is the largest shareholder of Tata Sons, with a stake of around 18 percent.

The Mistrys, like the Tatas, belong to the Parsi community, which came to occupy a predominant position in the economic life of Mumbai, and the country, since the time of the British rule.

Cyrus Mistry, on his surprise appointment in Tata Sons in 2012, had relinquished his position as managing director of Shapoorji Pallonji, to avoid any conflict of interest.

Till then, his father had been a passive investor in Tata Sons, although he sat on its board till 2006, when he retired and ceded the position to Cyrus.

Mistry took over from Ratan Tata at a time when some of the main companies of the group were facing tough operating environments, and his major challenge was to turn around the group's international steel business and to consolidate other businesses.

The Irish-Indian businessman became the sixth chairman of the group and the second who did not have the name of Tata, after Nowroji Saklatwala. The Economist once described him as "the most important industrialist" in both India and Britain.

The man who talked about Tatas' 2025 vision document had to leave within four years of taking the reins. The document talked about 25 per cent of world population being touched by Tata quality of life and that the group would become among the 25 most admired corporates and employers globally. If it does, it would be without Mistry, though.

In an interview to the Tata Group's online platform last month, Mistry said that the high debt levels of some group companies should be seen in the context of business growth, increasing cash from operations and capital projects underway which would lead to future growth.

"As the group has been growing significantly in the past, the total capital employed has also grown. Proportionately, there has been an increase in debt," he said in the interview.

In September, Tata Steel reported a 10-fold jump in its net loss to Rs 3,183 crore in the quarter ended June 30, as compared to a net loss of Rs 317 crore in the corresponding quarter last year.

"Loss from discountinued operations of Rs 3,296 crore was recognised on account of divestment of Long Steel UK Limited. The sale was completed during the quarter," said the steel producer, adding the total comprehensive income for the period was a loss of Rs 2,833 crores due to the divestment.

Tata Steel UK is currently progressing with the divestment of the specialty steel business and the pipe mills in Hartlepool. The company said that it would continue discussions with industry players to explore options for a strategic collaboration through a potential joint venture.

On the company's performance in India, T.V. Narendran, Managing Director of Tata Steel India and Southeast Asia, said: "Seasonal headwinds and a slowdown in a large steel consuming sector like real estate affected steel demand in the quarter. While the regulatory changes have helped stem the flood of imports, domestic supply has increased and added to the competitive pressure."

Calling the move to replace Mistry as being done in the "long-term interest" of the company, the Tata Sons Board on Monday named Ratan N. Tata as the interim chairman and said a four-member committee has been formed to select the next chairman within four months.

(Biswajit Choudhary can be contacted at biswajit.c@ians.in)
New Delhi, Oct 24 : Week-long celebrations will mark the birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, also known as the Iron Man of India, later this month, the government said on Monday.

Patel, the first Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister of India, was born on October 31, 1875 in Nadiad, Gujarat. The government last year decided to observe his birth anniversary as "Ekta Diwas".

The celebrations would commence on October 31 with Prime Minister Narendra Modi paying tributes at the statue of Patel and later in Parliament House here, according to an official statement.

The Prime Minister would also release a commemorative stamp on the same day. He will also administer the Pledge of Unity and flag off the Unity Run. Modi will also release a digital film on the life of Patel at a programme to be organised at Pragati Maidan here by the Ministry of Culture.

"In all the government offices, the Pledge of Unity will be administered on October 31. Essay writing, elocution, painting and slogan writing competitions will be held in schools and colleges recalling Patel's contribution to the unification of India, during the week till November 6," the statement said.

All central ministers will visit different parts of the country during the week, garlanding Patel's statues and holding public meetings.

All central ministries and departments will organise appropriate programmes including administering pledge of unity and will display his photos with the caption "A grateful nation salutes Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, the pioneer of national unity".

"Beginning this week, Doordarshan and All India Radio will launch special programmes on the life and works of Sardar Patel using archival material," it said.

"Home Minister Rajnath Singh has written to all the Chief Ministers suggesting to organise programmes recalling the life and works of Sardar Patel and use the occasion to reaffirm the inherent strength and resilience of the nation to withstand the actual and potential threats to the unity, integrity and security of the country," the statement said.
New Delhi, Oct 24 : In an indication of her taking on a more active role in electoral politics, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Monday took part in a strategy meet of the Congress for the upcoming Uttar Pradesh assembly elections.

Party sources said it was the first time that Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, the daughter of party chief Sonia Gandhi, had taken part in a such a meeting and sought feedback about the party's electoral preparations in the crucial state which is expected to go the polls early next year.

"She had interactions with all those present, listened to them carefully and also asked questions," said the party source.

Among those present in the meeting were party General Secretary Ghulam Nabi Azad, state party chief Raj Babbar and party's chief ministerial candidate Sheila Dikshit. Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi was not present.

The meeting comes amid the turmoil in Uttar Pradesh's ruling Samajwadi Party, which is set to have electoral ramifications for various political parties in the state, including the Congress.

The sources said that Priyanka Gandhi Vadra's participation in the meeting was a signal of her taking on a more active role in Uttar Pradesh where the Congress faces a tough political battle.

Priyanka Gandhi has so far confined her electoral campaigning to constituencies of her mother and Congress president Sonia Gandhi and her brother Rahul Gandhi.

The sources said her participation in the meeting was also a signal of her taking a formal role in the party's campaign in Uttar Pradesh.

"This is the first time that she attended a meeting where all senior Congress leaders were present. Everybody wants her to actively participate in the campaign," said a party leader, who did not want to be named.

Officially, Congress said the meeting was aimed at taking stock of all the yatras undertaken by the party in the state.

"The meeting was aimed at taking feedback as to where we need to improve and the strategy to be taken up after Diwali," Congress spokesperson R.P.N. Singh told reporters.

"Priyankaji has always campaigned in Rae Bareli and Amethi. Many in the state have urged her to take on a larger role in these elections. Whether she'll participate in the campaign outside these two constituencies, this decision will be taken by her," he added.

Party sources said there were suggestions to ally with smaller parties and hold more meetings at the block level.

Congress has been out of power in Uttar Pradesh for over three decades. The party has also not won any major state assembly poll since its debacle in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections.
New Delhi, Oct 24 : The service personnel serving in remote areas will now be able to vote through an e-ballot, though they will still be required to return the ballot paper through manual post, official sources said on Monday.

"The Election Commission has developed a system whereby blank postal ballots could be electronically transmitted to the voter. The recipients can download it and print the blank postal ballot," a source said.

After marking his vote in the blank postal ballot, the same would have to be returned to the Returning Officer concerned by post as in the present system of postal ballot.

The two-way electronic transmission has not been recommended by the Election Commission for security and secrecy reasons.

Introduced on a pilot basis, the facility is being extended to the central armed police forces, other forces covered under the Army Act, 1950, armed forces of a state serving outside that state and the Union government employees posted outside India.

The government issued a notification on October 21, amending Rule 23 of the Conduct of Elections Rules, 1961, enabling service voters, including armed forces personnel, to cast their vote through e-postal ballot.

The Election Commission had proposed that the categories of voters mentioned under Rule 18 of the Conduct of Election Rules, 1961, may be made eligible for e-postal ballot system.

However, on a pilot basis, the e-postal ballot facility is being extended to some select categories.
Thiruvananthapuram, October 24 : Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan told the assembly Monday that the crime branch will look into the allegations of vigilance director Jacob Thomass phone being tapped and e-mails hacked.

Pinarayi Vijayan was responding to the notice for adjournment motion moved by the opposition.

Raising the issue of the alleged letter written by the vigilance chief to State police chief Loknath Behera complaining that his phone calls and e-mails have been compromised, the opposition said that Jacob Thomas had put the chief minister in the dock through the snooping allegations.

The chief minister, however, denied having received a complaint from Jacob Thomas over the issue.

The vigilance director had merely communicated his concerns over new reports to the effect that his phone calls and e-mails were being snooped upon, Pinarayi said.

Announcing a crime branch probe into the issue, the chief minister asserted that the government had not given sanction to tap anybodys phone.

Nor was it the policy of the government to tap phone calls, he added.

To a question by opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala, Pinarayi denied that Jacob Thomas had asked to be relieved of the post of vigilance director.

Acknowledging that he did receive a letter from the vigilance chief, Pinarayi said that Mr. Thomas had raised some other issues in the missive.

The chief minister also said that Jacob Thomas enjoyed the backing of the government and had a free hand to discharge his duties.

The vigilance chief had the other day written to the State police chief complaining that his phone calls had been tapped and his e-mails hacked.

He had reportedly sought a probe into the charges by an officer not below the rank of DGP.
Guwahati, Oct 24 : Thousands of members of the All Bodo Students Union (ABSU) and other Bodo groups went on a 10-hour rail blockade in Bodo districts of Assam on Monday, badly hitting train services in the state.

The blockade, to press for reviving the demand for a separate Bodoland, began at 5 a.m. It hit train traffic as most trains entering and exiting the Northeast have to pass through Bodo-dominated districts of Assam.

According to Railways officials, more than 22 trains, including Rajdhani express connecting Northeast to Delhi, were hit. Many local trains had to be halted till the agitation got over around 3 p.m.

The rail blockade hit two places - Chirang and Udalguri districts - the most.

Bodoland activists declared the rail blockade last week accusing the BJP of backing out of its poll-time assurance to discuss the issue of Bodoland if it comes to power.

Bodo community is the biggest tribe of Assam and they have been demanding a separate state for the last five decades.

Pramod Bodo, President of All Bodo Students Union, in a message on Monday appealed to Government of India to "come forward with a pragmatic policy decision" on Bodoland and said that almost half a century had elapsed in agitations for statehood, claiming 5,000 lives. He said the movement will continue till the Centre concedes their demand.

Assam Additional Director General of Police and in charge of Bodo areas L.R. Bishnoi told IANS that frequent bandhs cause "gigantic inconvenience" to common people. "Today thousands of passengers were stranded at various railway stations and faced tremendous difficulties. Bandh culture should not raise its ugly head as it keeps all of us on tenterhooks. Massive police mobilisation is required to maintain peace and order," he said.

Among other demands of Bodo groups are ensuring political right to Bodos living outside the proposed Bodoland Area.

Apart from ABSU, the agitation was also supported by People's Joint Action Committee for Bodoland Movement and National Democratic Front of Bodoland (P), which is led by rebel leader Gobinda Basumatary. The group is now in ceasefire with the government and is holding peace talks.

According to Bodo, only a separate Bodoland would protect, preserve and safeguard the identity of the Bodo people and their language, culture and traditions, which they say is being suppressed by the current Assam government.

The Bodo groups also outlined future agitation programmes, like Mass Gathering in November, Maha Rally, Dharna and Hunger strike in Delhi during the winter session of Parliament in December and 24-hr National Highway and Railway Blockade in January 2017.

Speaking about the Bodo situations, Bodo told IANS: "The Bodo people, an indigenous people of Assam are being victimised and face socio-economic exploitation, suppression, oppression and political domination. Seventy years of India's independence has failed to protect, preserve and safeguard the land, identity, language and culture of the Bodo people."

The movement for Bodoland started in 1967, with the establishment of the ABSU. Though the government has signed two Bodo accords in the name of resolving the Bodo people's demand, both of them could not fulfil the political aspirations or address the fundamental demands of the Bodo people.
New Delhi, Oct 24 : Delhi Police on Monday increased the reward amount from Rs 50,000 to Rs 1 lakh for information about missing JNU student Najeeb Ahmed, 10 days after his disappearance following an altercation with some ABVP activists.

In a fresh order, the police said any information or clue regarding the missing/abducted Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) student could be given to the Vasant Kunj North police station in charge.

"A cash reward of Rs 1 lakh would be given to anyone who provides information regarding Ahmed's whereabouts," Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police Nupur Prasad said.

Ahmed went missing on October 15 night from the university hostel Mahi-Mandvi after a brawl with ABVP students.

A police complaint was filed under section 365 of Indian Penal Code (IPC) for kidnapping or abducting with intent secretly and wrongfully to confine a person, and a proctorial inquiry was also initiated by the varsity.

Earlier too, Delhi Police declared a reward of Rs 50,000 for giving information about missing Najeeb. JNU students had also pasted "missing posters" in areas around JNU and on various roads leading to the university.
Four PKK terrorists were killed Sunday in an air operation in Turkey's southeastern province of Bitlis, Anadolu reported.

According to the Bitlis governorship, the four PKK terrorists were detected by a drone near a village.

The PKK -- listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the U.S., and the EU -- resumed its decades-old armed campaign in July last year.

Since then, PKK terrorist attacks martyred more than 700 security personnel and also claimed the lives of many civilians, including women and children, while nearly 8,000 PKK terrorists were killed in army operations.
New Delhi, Oct 24 : Delhi Police on Monday said they have arrested five persons for kidnapping a 23-year-old bridal artist and Bhojpuri actor from Uttar Pradesh.

The arrested kidnappers have been identified as Wasim, 32, a native of Hastsal in Uttar Pradesh, and Vinod, 31, Deepak, 28, Neeraj, 23, and Nasir, 21 -- all residents of Delhi.

They were arrested during a police raid in Hardoi district in Uttar Pradesh on Sunday night and Abhishek Khetrapal rescued from their clutches, police said.

Khetrapal had also acted as second lead role in Bhojpuri blockbuster "Chhabili" in 2012, police said.

Khetrapal, a resident of Janakpuri in west Delhi, was kidnapped dramatically at gun-point by the kidnappers from outside Radisson Blu hotel in Mahipalpur area where he was called by the kidnappers ostensibly for a bridal make-up assignment on October 20, police said.

"Khetrapal had sent a text message to his family hours before his kidnapping, which helped police bust the gang," Joint Commissioner of Police (JCP) Deependra Pathak said.

"Khetrapal's family immediately contacted Delhi Police and we formed a 15-man dedicated team to bust the gang," Pathak added.

He said the abductors had also made a first ransom call to Khetrapal's family for Rs 2 crore 22 hours after his kidnapping from Kanpur and the second call from Hardoi on October 23 using different SIM cards.

"Police identified the exact location of the kidnappers and arrested them in a raid on Sunday late night and rescued Khetrapal from their clutches," Pathak added.

The kidnappers told the interrogators that Wasim, who worked as helper in Khetrapal's family business of beauty parlour in Janakpuri, hatched the conspiracy of his kidnapping along with his friend Deepak and other associates. Wasim knew that Khetrapal was financially strong, police said.
New Delhi, Oct 24 : Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia on Monday raided four liquor stores in Mayur Vihar Phase II along with officers of the excise department.

Sisodia suspended the licence of one of the stores for violating terms of the licence. The store was sealed as well.

The Deputy Chief Minister said the inspection of the four shops was done on the complaints of residents of the area.

"During the inspection, we found that there were two shops running under one licence," Sisodia said.

Sisodia added that under L-12 licence, a departmental store can keep liquor in only 15 per cent of the space but in the said shop, 90 per cent of the space had liquor bottles.

"Alcohol is not banned in Delhi. But liquor mafia should not be under the impression that they can do anything because of their connections (with powerful people)," he said.

He warned liquor stores not to violate licence rules.
New Delhi, Oct 24 : The Congress party on Monday said it will not reply to "hypothetical questions" on whether it will ally with the Samajwadi Party or its breakaway faction ahead of the upcoming Uttar Pradesh assembly elections.

Earlier, the Congress had said that it would not ally with any party before the elections.

"Has the party split? The party hasn't broken, so why should we discuss this issue? Had the spilt happened and then you had asked me the question, I would have replied," Congress Spokesperson R.P.N. Singh said replying to a question during a media briefing.

"I can't answer hypothetical questions at this moment. What has been simmering for the last three four years in the Samajwadi party is imploding now," he added.

Asked about Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi's statement earlier that described Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav a "good guy", Singh said: "Some might be a great guy personally, but may not be a great politician.

"He (Rahul Gandhi) does not mean that if he is good guy, he will be good in everything. He never said he is a good Chief Minister. He could not fulfil the expectations of the people of Uttar Pradesh," he added.

However, within the party circles of the Congress, there are voices who support allying with Akhilesh, if at all the split within the Samajwadi Party happens.

Uttar Pradesh's ruling Samajwadi Party was in turmoil on Monday as party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav publicly pulled up his son and Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav at a meeting, which ended on a fiery note, with sacked minister Shivpal Yadav calling Akhilesh a "liar".

The Shivpal and Akhilesh factions within the once united party came to blows ahead of the meeting called by Mulayam Singh, who made it clear that he would never let go either his brother Shivpal Yadav or long-time aide Amar Singh, who the Chief Minister intensely dislikes.

On Sunday, the Samajwadi Party appeared headed for a split as Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav ousted uncle Shivpal Yadav and three others from the government, while the party brass sacked his backer and MP Ram Gopal Yadav from the party in an intensifying dynastic power struggle ahead of next year's election.
New Delhi, Oct 25 : There is a need to increase Japan-involved tourism in the country, said Culture and Tourism Minister Mahesh Sharma on Monday.

"A lot of Indians visit Japan. Similarly, a lot of Japanese tourists come to India, but we need to increase Japan-involved tourism," the minister said speaking at the "India-Japan Tourism Programme" here.

Quoting Prime Minister Narendra Modi's belief in tourism being the future of India, he said: "Tourism can increase the scope of everything, be it employment generation, agriculture or women empowerment."

He also said that the relations with Japan are as old as six centuries, as Lord Buddha carried Buddhism forward from India to Japan.

"We value our relations with Japan. We specially invite our Japanese friends to come here and participate in helping us create a new hotel industry. We are still short of 2,90,040 rooms. We need to have investment and participation for development of tourism in the country," the minister said.

"We are trying to address all the issues related to tourism whether it is infrastructure, cleanliness or safety and security of our tourists. We at government level are doing all efforts to ensure all facilities for them," he added.

According to Suman Billa, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Tourism, India and Japan are very well connected but there is always a space for more.

"The two countries have had excellent relations and there hasn't been any hostility or animosity between the two countries, and thus, there is a good scope of tourism exchange," he said.

"India is the largest economy in the world whereas Japan is the most prosperous one. The number of tourists going to Japan from India or the vice versa is very less. It is a matter of shame for us," Billa said, adding: "Most Indians tend to have a misconception about Japan that it is a very expensive country. We need to change this perception."

Referring to the fewer number of Indian tourists to Japan, Japanese Ambassador Kenji Hiramatsu said: "Around 80,000 people visited Japan in 2015 and near about 1.2 million Indian tourists went to the US.

"India is growing in the field of economy and also otherwise. I see a huge potential. And, the number can increase to five times of the previous year's figures. In the framework of Indo-Japan Tourism, I wish to see things improve in a visible way."
Quetta, Oct 25 : Six terrorists stormed a police training centre in Pakistan's province Balochistan, prompting an operation by the military, media reports said.

At least two policemen were killed in the attack, while at least 51 have been injured and were treated at Civil Hospital. Three were said to be in critical condition.

At least three of the attackers have also been killed.

The attack started at 9.30 p.m. on Monday as the attackers reportedly entered the complex through the front gate after shooting the guard, while others climbed the rear wall of the training centre.

About five or six militants entered the hostel of the police training centre, which houses nearly 200 cadets and opened fire on recruits.

The attackers are currently inside the building where an intermittent exchange of fire is ongoing with the security forces.

Three loud explosions, which occurred inside the college, were also heard.

Police and army personnel have surrounded the vicinity in large numbers as the operation is continuing inside the premises.

An emergency has been declared at hospitals around the provincial capital.

"I am myself monitoring the situation. Our forces have entered into the centre and soon these terrorists will be eliminated," Geo Tv quoted Balochistan Chief Minister Sanaullah Zehri as saying.

The training college is situated on Sariab Road, which is one of the most sensitive areas of Quetta. Militants have been targeting security forces in the area for almost a decade.

The training college has come under attack in the past in 2008 and 2006, with attackers firing rockets into the college playground.

In August, a suicide bombing at a Quetta hospital killed 73 persons. The attack was later claimed by the Islamic State group and the Jamaat-ul-Ahrar.
New Delhi, Oct 25 : Expressing solidarity with the missing JNU student Najeeb Ahmed, the university students took out a march from Mandi House to Jantar Mantar here.

About 1,000 students gathered at Mandi House on Monday and proceeded towards the Jantar Mantar at 4 p.m. raising slogans against the JNU administration and the police.

Police was present at Jantar Mantar to evade any untoward actions and the barricades were also put in place.

It has been ten days since a 27-year-old M.Sc. student, Najeeb Ahmed, has been missing from the university.

Ahmed was beaten up by a mob of students, reported to be from Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), on the night of October 14 after a student named Vikrant had gone to his room at Mahi-Mandavi hostel to campaign for the post of mess secretary.

JNU students have been demanding a speedy inquiry into the matter and an action against the students involved in the thrashing of Ahmed.

A memorandum was also submitted to Lt. Governor Najeeb Jung today by the Jawaharlal Nehru University Students Union (JNUSU) in this regard.

"We are demanding a concrete action from the administration. So far, we have been kept completely in the dark about their actions and the police procedures," Mohit Pandey, JNUSU President told IANS.

"We have demanded the opening of a proper communication channel between them and the student community," he added.

"Tomorrow we will meet Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to raise the same issue," he said.
Giant panda Bao Bao was born in Aug. 2013 at the Smithsonian's National Zoo in Washington D.C. and is set to move to China next year. (Photo : Smithsonian National Zoo)

Giant panda Bao Bao, born at the Smithsonian's National Zoo in Washington D.C. in Aug. 2013, will be moved to China next year as part of an agreement that aims to help in giant panda reproduction and health.



The China Wildlife Conservation Association (CWCA) and the Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute are participating in a cooperative breeding program that requires pandas born from Mei Xiang and Tian Tian, Bao Bao's parents who are on loan to the U.S. from China since 2000, will be sent to China before they reach the age of 4.



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The giant pandas will eventually participate in a breeding program when they reach sexual maturity at the age of 5 to 6 years. But before this they have a sufficient time to adjust to their new environment.



Chinese scientists are helping to increase the number of giant pandas, which are reclassified from endangered to "vulnerable" in the wild by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. They are working toward the reintroduction of giant pandas, which are born in human care, to the wild.



According to the Smithsonian's National Zoo, FedEx will fly Bao Bao to Chengdu, China and along with her is a keeper and a veterinarian. Her departure will be in the late winter of 2017. The Zoo will not release the exact date to ensure the safety of Bao Bao and their staff.



Bao Bao will live at one of the stations controlled by the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda (CCRCGP), and a keeper from the Zoo will stay with her for a while until she adjusts and her new keepers learn about her.



Before Bao Bao leaves the U.S., the public has a chance to bid their goodbyes in a special event to be organized by the Zoo and the Friends of the National Zoo (FONZ).



Bao Bao has captured the hearts of people all over the world who watched her grow up through the panda webcams and has been an ambassador for conservation.



In a website report of the zoo, associate director of animal care sciences Brandie Smith, said that Bao Bao is very special to them and that they are sad to see her leave but are also excited for her further contributions to the giant panda population.


A Tibetan nomad takes a break from harvesting cordycep fungus on the 15th day of Saka Dawa, the holiest day in the Buddhist calendar. (Photo : Getty Images)

China has easily transformed into a financial hub from in its initial status as an agriculture economy. The entire Chinese economy may not be agriculturally based now, but some decades ago it was.



The importance of agriculture in any developed economy cannot be undermined because this is the sector that's the starting point for any country to embark on its road to development. The primary sector's importance cannot be nullified by higher sectors up the economic hierarchy.



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Given its new five-year plan, the State Council remarked that the country aims to achieve "agricultural modernization" by the year 2020. According to China Daily, the project intends to improve the quality of farm production and efficiency in supply. It also aims to strive for food security in order to augment the primary sector's international competitiveness.



What's more importance is that China's agricultural initiative also expresses concerns for the rural population and promises economic prosperity in the domain of agriculture to elevate the lifestyles of those who are dependent on this sector.



According to the plan, modern agriculture ought to be established and maintained in China's eastern coast, along the developed regions which include various suburbs, state farms, demonstration areas and even major cities.



The project speaks of promoting agricultural innovation, inducing green development and sector coordination in order to enhance the welfare of Chinese farmers. The plan is well systematized. Xinhua reported that it comprises of 14 key projects which will serve as milestones to assess the plan's eventual accomplishments.



These key projects are inclusive of effectively cultivating farmland and integrating sub-industries to ensure good quality farm output and production. The government of China will provide fiscal and financial support to uphold the stature of the country's agricultural sector, along with executing improved land policies and market regulations that will work towards bettering the entire industry.






The most popular birthday card on Davia The popularity of fireworks birthday cards is a totally new trend for us. It is very clear to us that online birthday cards should be flashy and outstanding.

OKWAVE Inc.s e-card service, Davia, recently released birthday card trends based on card sending data on their website from May 1st to September 30th 2016. The data revealed that the top two birthday cards both featured fireworks, going beyond the traditional trend of birthday cards featuring things like balloons, cake and gifts. It was also found that the top three birthday cards between May and September were all colorful and shiny, reinforcing the fact that card-givers are attracted to eye-catching cards.

OKWAVE Inc. CEO Tatsuo Yada stated Our popular birthday cards always include typical birthday items. The popularity of fireworks birthday cards is a totally new trend for us. It is very clear to us that online birthday cards should be flashy and outstanding. We will continue creating birthday cards in response to user needs. "

About Birthday & Greeting Cards by Davia

Birthday & Greeting Cards by Davia is a 100 percent free e-card service. Davia offers more than 1,000 free e-cards as well as customizable birthday calendars and reminders. Davia has served over 14 million users since its inception. For more information visit: https://www.holidaycardsapp.com/. OKWAVE Inc., is the U.S. subsidiary of OKWAVE (3808.NG.), which offers the Japan's first Q&A social web service and enterprise help desk system. OKWAVE has received strategic investments from Rakuten and Microsoft.

For more details, visit:

OKWAVE Inc. http://corp.okwave.com

OKWAVE http://www.okwave.co.jp
The Colon and Rectal Clinic of Colorado-SurgOne is pleased to welcome Dr. Noelle Bertelson to their award winning staff. Dr. Bertelson will be joining her colleagues in providing world class treatment and minimally invasive surgical solutions to colon and rectal issues like hemorrhoids, inflammatory bowel disease, colon and rectal cancer, and diverticulitis.

We are thrilled to add Dr. Bertelson to our team, said Dr. Graham Sellers. With her background as dual fellowship trained in both colon & rectal surgery and laparoscopic surgery, she adds additional expertise to our practice skill set. Noelle also shares our passion for patient-centered, dignified care, especially as it relates to management of anal and hemorrhoid issues. Having being raised in Alaska, she and her family are excited to move to the Rocky Mountain region."

About Dr. Bertelson

Dr. Bertelson is a graduate of the University of Washington School of Medicine, one of the top ranked institutions in the United States. After graduation, she completed her general surgery residency at the prestigious Rush University Medical Center/Cook County Hospital in Chicago and completed additional fellowships at the Mayo Clinic of Arizona, University of Illinois-Chicago, and Cook County Hospital. During her colorectal fellowship, Dr. Bertelson scored highest in the nation on her in-training exam, and again on the Colon and Rectal Surgery Board examination the following year.

Dr. Bertleson has most recently been a member of Nebraskas prestigious Colon and Rectal Surgery Inc., where in addition to treating patients, she trained fellows, residents, and students from both the University of Nebraska and Creighton University. Dr. Bertlesons experience also extends to treating both Native American and U.S. Veteran patients while serving as a general surgeon with the Indian Health Service and United States Veterans Administration.

About the Colon and Rectal Clinic of Colorado-SurgOne

The Colon and Rectal Clinic of Colorado-SurgOne is the largest practice of its kind in the State of Colorado. Drs. Brown, Sellers and Strutt maintain 3 offices across the front range in Denver, Aurora and Lafayette. The Colon and Rectal Clinic of Colorado-Surgone specializes in non surgical and surgical management of proctologic problems, as well as minimally invasive surgical management of colon and rectal cancer, inflammatory bowel disease, and diverticulitis.

For more information or to set an appointment, visit http://www.crccolorado.com/ or call (303) 839-5669.
Attorney Ronald L. Bell Attorney Bell's secret to success - always put in the effort to be better than the next guy

Lake County Illinois Family Law Firm, Ronald L. Bell & Associates PC., is honored to announce that attorney Ronald L. Bell has been inducted as a member of the prestigious Trial Masters. Trial Masters is one of the most objectively exclusive accreditations a trial lawyer in the United States can receive. Membership is strictly limited to those who have tried to verdict 35 or more trials in their career, and Ronald has tried over six hundred. There are Trial Masters members in all 50 states and in Washington D.C., but less than one-half of 1% of U.S. attorneys are Trial Masters. A Trial Masters membership is acknowledgment of a rare advocate that is consistently willing to take their clients cases to the courthouse in order to obtain the best results for the client.

Based in Libertyville, Illinois, Ronald L. Bell & Associates, PC is a full service law firm, practicing in all areas of Family Law, Personal Injury, Drug and DUI Criminal Defense, Medical Malpractice, Business Law and Business Litigation. Ronald L. Bell is a third generation lawyer with over thirty years of legal experience. His vast legal experience includes work before local trial courts, appellate courts, the Illinois Supreme Court, and federal courts. He has litigated cases worth millions of dollars and everything in between. Attorney Bell says his secret to success is, always putting in the effort to be better than the next guy. Ronald Bell's background includes private practice, in-house counsel and government work, representing individuals, companies, state entities and even judges.

Attorney Bell brings the network of his resources and his knowledge to bear directly on the cases he handles. Mr. Bell is respected and known among judges in Lake county and has played a leading role in developments in implied consent, sentencing and search and seizure laws in Illinois.

Ronald L. Bell earned his Bachelor of Arts in history and political science from Lake Forest College. He earned his Juris Doctorate from John Marshall Law School, where he earned the Deans List Scholarship and was a Law Review Editor. Ronald L. Bell focuses his practice on Family Law, handling a wide range of Family Law matters, including interstate child custody, complex divorce, visitation and parenting time, child support, paternity, post judgement modifications, debt allocation, domestic violence, marital asset division, prenuptial agreements and spousal maintenance.

Ronald L. Bell is listed in the Whos Who in American Law and by the National Academy of Jurisprudence as a Top 100 - Best Trial Attorney in Illinois. He is also recognized by the National Association of Distinguished Counsel, as the Nations Top 1% and was voted 10 Best in Illinois in Client Satisfaction by the American Institute of Family Law Attorneys. Ronald Bell earned a Superb 10.0 and Clients Choice rating in Family Law by AVVO, a rating he received by his peers and clients. Ronald L. Bell practices throughout Northern Illinois and is dedicated to protecting the rights of individuals and families in critical legal matters. With thirty-six years of legal experience and over six hundred courtroom trials, Ronald L. Bell has the legal acumen to handle the most complex divorce and child custody issues. Call 847-495-6000 to schedule a consultation.
Cultivate by Standard Process continues to expand and evolve its proven approach to delivering business performance through chiropractic-led on-site corporate wellness. Through the Cultivate Business Enterprise Academy, Cultivate is developing DCs to become executive leaders who drive wellness and business success.

The sole purpose of the Cultivate Business Enterprise Academy is to equip chiropractors with skills to improve business performance for their corporate clients and for their private practices, Cultivate President Jerry Curtin says.

Cultivate Business Enterprise Academy curriculum was designed by a panel of experts with a combined 180 years of applicable field experience. Cultivate uses documented chiropractic expertise, corporate processes and proprietary tools based on 10 years of data and outcomes.

Cultivate Adds Practice Development Coordinators From Chicago and Milwaukee

Dr. Michelle Wesely, Chicago, and Dr. Ken Krimpelbein, Milwaukee, recently joined Cultivate Business Enterprise Academy as practice development coordinators. Both run successful private practices. Both are Cultivate-certified on-site corporate wellness chiropractors.

Joining the Cultivate Business Enterprise Academy appeals to me for one reason, Dr. Wesely says. We bring real-life practical experience in delivering on-site corporate wellness to chiropractors seeking to make a difference in their communities and in their private practices.

Those chiropractors accepted into the Cultivate Business Enterprise Academy gain access to a network of leaders in the corporate on-site wellness model and successful private practitioners.

The ongoing support offered through the Cultivate Business Enterprise Academy staff and accredited DCs includes regular phone conferences, webinars and exclusive high-level continuing education sessions. All centered on delivering business performance.

The proven Cultivate on-site business model develops you and your practice to deliver more confidence while solving for common chiropractic challenges, Dr. Ken Krimpelbein says. These include maximizing community visibility, diversifying your practice, creating more certainty in care and, ultimately, impacting more lives. Cultivate does not succeed unless your private practice succeeds.

Visit http://www.cultivateonsite.com/partner/for-chiropractors to explore the Cultivate Business Enterprise Academy. Get started by completing the short form at the bottom of the page.

Dr. Ken Krimpelbein Biography

Dr. Ken Krimpelbein graduated from Cleveland Chiropractic College in Kansas City, Mo., in 1995. He completed his undergraduate studies at UW-Whitewater. Since 1995, he has run and maintained a successful practice. In April of 2005,The American Chiropractor (a chiropractic trade journal) featured Dr. Ken in an article entitled The Amazing Chiropractor. Dr. Krimpelbeins practice has been selected by readers of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel as a Top Choice Finalist in the Chiropractic Category and the Business of the Year by the South Shore Chamber of Commerce.

Dr. Michelle Wesely Biography

Dr. Michelle Wesely hails from Whitby, Ontario, Canada, and is a Certified Functional Medicine Practitioner and a board certified Chiropractic Physician in Illinois. She completed her functional medicine training at Functional Medicine University after earning a Doctorate in Chiropractic and Bachelor of Science in Human Biology from the National University of Health Sciences. Dr. Wesely has been practicing with her husband Dr. Mark Wesely since 2001 in Glen Ellyn, Ill. In 2015, Wesely Family Chiropractic was awarded the Patients Choice Award for their commitment to quality patient care and the community.

About Cultivate by Standard Process

Cultivate is the first company of its kind that incorporates an on-site chiropractic professional with nutritional expertise as part of an organizations wellness offering. This expert serves as the central resource to provide key elements of an effective wellness program, including chiropractic care, fitness consulting, nutritional guidance, and ongoing health education curricula. Cultivate works to assess and then deliver scalable wellness solutions to impact individual employees and the overall company using onsite chiropractic as a central component of the program. To learn more, visit http://www.cultivateonsite.com

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QAADS 2016 "QAADS attendees are problem solvers, they're looking 40-plus years out at hybrid and emerging technologies to anticipate future needs and be better positioned to tackle today's challenges.

Quadrant's Aviation, Aerospace & Defense Symposium (QAADS) is a one-day event for engineers being held November 3, 2016 in Long Beach, California. The lightweighting symposium will deliver actionable strategies from experts in high-strength, lightweight thermoplastics, encouraging the most ambitious brands in aerospace to think big and accelerate the next generation of innovations in global flight. Registration is free and open now at qaadsevent.com.

QAADS 2016 is hosted by Quadrant Engineering Plastic Products (Quadrant EPP), a leading global manufacturer of high-performance thermoplastic materials in the form of semi-finished products and finished parts. Quadrant is continuously developing new and innovative materials for leaders in the aerospace manufacturing industry.

Symposium topics cover concerns and challenges faced by the aviation, aerospace, and defense industries, including maximizing profit and value across the global supply chain with new material technologies, eliminating potential failure points with one-piece designs, advanced material solutions that are easier to design, shape and repair, lightweighting for increased fuel efficiency and reduced green house gas emissions, designing with high-strength & lightweight materials for inside & out applications; propulsion, interiors, structures and systems, reducing friction on wear surfaces with little or no lubrication, reducing aerospace manufacturing costs by replacing traditional materials; aluminum, titanium and other metals and more. Attendees will gain access to top industry leaders and receive actionable insights from subject matter expertsleaving the symposium with a competitive advantage that will help them spark innovation and accelerate global advancements in flight.

The industry is concerned about how to retain competitive advantages while still achieving eco-efficiency goals and safety regulations, says Frank Johanning, Quadrants Global Market Manager of Transportation and Aerospace. What we're really talking about here are the complex challenges experienced by top tier OEM's as a result of industry globalization. To us at Quadrant, we believe it's not good enough anymore just to produce innovative thermoplastic and composite materials  it's about looking at a material's efficiency in the overall system it's expected to perform in for the optimal balance of performance and safety. Specifying the right materials can be a frustrating process, but at QAADS we arm attendees with the knowledge they need to cut through the confusion and unlock the next generation of breakthroughs in aviation, aerospace and defense applications. QAADS attendees are problem solvers, they're looking 40-plus years out at hybrid and emerging technologies to anticipate future needs and be better positioned to tackle today's challenges. Johanning is scheduled to speak at the symposium this November.

QAADS 2016 is open to Engineers and Procurement Professionals including but not limited to Design & Process Engineers, Mechanical & Structural Engineers, Material Scientists & Engineers, Flight Engineers, Production Engineers, Systems Engineers, and Test & Evaluation Engineers. The symposium will offer continuing education sessions with Q&A (where attendees will listen to and interact with experts); one-on-one meetings (where experts will hold confidential meetings in order to explore specific material/application challenges); and manufacturer-user roundtables.

For information about the symposium (schedule, travel, and venue information) and event registration visit qaadsevent.com.

Media Contact:

Kim Imes, Marketing

kim.imes(at)qplas.com | 610.320.6709
Bikes have grown in popularity in major cities like Shanghai, Beijing and Guangzhou due to the convenience it offers commuters. (Photo : Getty Images)

Tech giants in China are looking at 'Uber for bikes' as the country's next big Internet craze, by investing millions of dollars as investment, according to Reuters.



The bicycle is now making a comeback as a way to beat traffic jams in many Chinese cities and startups have equipped it with smartphone apps, GPS and scannable codes, the report said.



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In August, Didi Chuxing acquired Uber's China branch, turning it into a $35 billion giant, and driving firms to invest in car ride-hailing apps.



In the past months, MoBike and ofo have raised money from investors who are seeking the country's next tech unicorn.



Sources said Mobike, with backing from Internet giant Tencent, among others, has raised nearly $100 million in fund round while ofo made out $130 million this month from investors that included Didi, smartphone maker Xiaomi and U.S. hedge fund Coatue, which is backed by Facebook and Google.



"We did not expect there to be so many investors and we did not expect this field to get so hot," ofo co-founder Zhang Siding, 26, said in an interview.



Experts said it is still early to tell how much profit MoBike and ofo have made as they were both launched only in 2015.



Both companies use a feature which is its major advantage over traditional services. This feature allows riders to use smartphone apps to unlock and pay the hiring cost of the bikes and they are free to leave the bikes at the end of their journey. Users can also find nearby vacant MoBikes using a GPS tracking system.



Experts however, question if the business model can be replicated in other cities.



The business and rivalry between the two firms are growing. ofo said it has 85,000 bikes which provide 500, 000 rides daily while MoBike chief executive Wang Xiaofeng said they have more than 100,000 daily active users.



"We want to make bicycles sexy again by making a fashionable, high-tech bike," Wang said in an interview. Wang, a MoBike co-founder, was previously the Shanghai head of Uber.



The two firms are also facing challenges such as risks of theft, vandalism and irresponsible users who leave bikes in off-limit areas. Their services are also facing tight regulations and restrictions on drivers by the government. In addition to this, Chinese cities were designed for private cars which are on the increase in the last two decades.


Atlas RFID Solutions, the world leader in material readiness for the capital asset market, announced today that their 4th annual Jovix Executive Forum (JEF) attracted over 50 subject matter experts from 5 countries to discuss how industrial construction projects can increase labor productivity, supply chain visibility, and cost savings through better technology and knowledge sharing.

JEF is an annual event for Atlas RFID Solutions clients and industry leaders to come together and jointly identify the ways in which technology and innovation can make construction safer, more efficient, and more productive. Participants included representatives from top global oil & gas owners and 8 of the top 10 ENR EPC firms.

This years event was held October 10 - 13 in The Woodlands, Texas, and guest presentations were given by two EPC leaders and one oil & gas owner from the Canadian Oil Sands. Collaborative group discussions and brainstorming breakout sessions promoted the sharing of industry pain points and possible solutions for obstacles that plague the construction industry.

The construction industry lags behind all other major industries in technology adoption, with the exception of agriculture. To us, that is unacceptable, states COO Robert Ball. We invite industry influencers to this conference to help identify ways in which technology can transform our industry and how our industry can better embrace that technology. It takes a true partnership between the technology providers and the end users in order to make substantive progress.

Atlas leadership will use the feedback gained from JEF discussions to shape the Jovix product roadmap to ensure the product is responding to the current needs of the industry and progressing construction to a more digitized and collaborative future.

To find out more about the Jovix solution, visit http://www.atlasrfid.com.

About Atlas RFID Solutions

Jovix is an award-winning material readiness application developed by Atlas RFID Solutions specifically for the industrial asset market. Jovix combines web-based server software with mobile and auto-ID technologies to extend access to information to decision makers in the field, as well as digitize and automate manual paper-based data collection processes. Jovix provides value for Owner/Operators, EPC firms, contractors, fabricators and suppliers by removing impediments to productivity that result from material readiness issues.

To learn more about Jovix, Atlas RFID Solutions material readiness application used on more than 250 sites across the globe, and how it helps industrial construction projects and operating assets increase efficiency, protect schedule and reduce unnecessary costs, visit http://www.atlasrfid.com or call +1 855-568-4151 in the US or +1 587-487-5737 in Canada, and 82 2 3782-4528 in South Korea..
We are eager to build on the success of the SBRE program in Los Angeles and to work with entrepreneurs in Chicago, New York and Atlanta to help them develop strategies that will protect and grow their businesses.

VEDC today announced that it has received a $425,000 grant from Travelers to expand its partnership with the Travelers Small Business Risk Education (SBRE) program. VEDC has supported SBRE in Los Angeles since 2012 and will now manage the program in all of its locations, including Chicago, New York and Atlanta. The program provides safety risk management education for women- and minority-owned small businesses.

SBRE participants have access to workshops, one-on-one assistance and small business loans through a partnership with VEDC. The program has helped more than 700 women- and minority-owned small business representatives and has provided nearly $1 million in small business loans.

VEDC is grateful for the support of Travelers, said Alex Guerrero, Senior Vice President of External Affairs, VEDC. We are eager to build on the success of the SBRE program in Los Angeles and to work with entrepreneurs in Chicago, New York and Atlanta to help them develop strategies that will protect and grow their businesses.

We understand the important role that small businesses play in the growth of the American economy, said Tara Spain, Second Vice President, Community Relations, Travelers. Travelers launched the SBRE program in 2012 to help small businesses mitigate their risks and prepare for the future. We are pleased to expand our partnership with VEDC and provide our combined resources to even more small business owners around the country.

The SBRE program offers comprehensive, free access to risk management and economic development through:



Workshops presented by Travelers risk control professionals that will help identify the unique risks that participants face.

One-on-one assistance from VEDC and Travelers experts to develop personalized risk management and business continuity plans.

Small business loans funded by VEDC for qualified participants who have completed risk management and business continuity plans and wish to implement the identified risk mitigation strategies.

For more information about SBRE, please contact VEDC at 818-907-9977, ext. 231 or visit http://www.vedc.org/travelers.

# # #

About VEDC

VEDC is a leading non-profit small business lender that has a 40 year history of changing the way small business lending is done by making it more available and impactful. With a growing footprint, VEDC has lent $400 million in direct and guaranteed loans to over 108,000 small businesses to create and retain more than 200,600 new jobs. VEDCs mission, as a certified Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI), is to help create jobs and promote small business development in under-served communities. The organization provides loans and micro-financing options to small businesses, particularly those owned by women and minorities, that dont qualify for traditional financing. VEDCs expanding portfolio is composed of community-based loan funds in California, Illinois, Nevada, Utah, New Jersey, Connecticut, Florida and New York.
Aquarium Software Sales and Marketing Director, Mark Colonnese This YouGov data is certainly a surprise to us. Students outperformed the national average by 7% on this question, illustrating that the pet parent is not confined to older demographics.

Despite students infamous reputation for hard partying, the findings are set to confound those who view the term student as a synonym for socialising; it would appear a strong majority prefer dining in with the dog or curling up with the cat after a hard days studying, as opposed to more traditional student past-times.

This YouGov data is certainly a surprise to us, said Sales and Marketing Director at Aquarium Software, Mark Colonnese. Students outperformed the national average by 7% on this question, illustrating that the pet parent is not confined to older demographics, reflecting an emerging trend for younger adults in the UK to own pets, too.

A transformation is underway from the traditional night owls view of university life, to the rise of the trapdoor spider student; popping out for lectures and lunch, before heading back to digs for a night with in with their furry friend. Yet out of an estimated 20,000,000 pets in the UK, only 38 per cent are insured (according to Aquariums YouGov research) , leading Aquarium to advise even the most cash-strapped student to consider pet insurance.

Students wondering if they can afford a pet must factor insurance into their thinking, said Colonnese. Next generation software and technology is helping to lower the cost, and student deals are available from several providers, reflecting this growth in pet ownership among the undergraduate population. Rising vets bills and the cost of operations among other economic factors, is making pet insurance a must have undergrad option.

The findings form part of YouGov research commissioned by Aquarium to investigate the nations attitudes to pets and pet insurance in general; 20 years after a 1996 study suggested animal companions could help reduce loneliness and feelings of isolation  suggesting pets do indeed offer significant benefits to groups of people like students living alone for the first time.

A raft of further research over the intervening two decades has crystalised the view that animals are good for us. Students clearly agree, concluded Colonnese.

Aquarium Software is currently being implemented by a number of key pet insurers, and affinity partners in the UK, Europe, USA and Canada. For further information contact Aquarium Software on

+44 (0)161 927 5620 or visit http://www.aquarium-software.com
Exhibitus today announced BeyondUs, a charitable-giving initiative to support the local community. Participation in various projects each year will be inspired by the companys employees passions and interests around giving and service.

Giving back to the community is one of the principle tenets of the Exhibitus Mission Statement, said Brad Falberg, President of Exhibitus. Throughout our 22-year history, the company has supported many national and international causes with employee and corporate donations.

Falberg continued: Now, thanks to the leadership of Stacie BeVille, Sr. Account Executive, we have a formal program that will fulfill my dream of taking a more hands-on approach to giving. Stacie and her committee have developed a program that will give each employee the opportunity to go BeyondUs.

As a family of colleagues and a community that cares, we can make a difference in so many ways  we just have to look at the need in our community and commit the time and resources to help, commented BeVille. Im excited and grateful that Exhibitus is eager to support this initiative.

The first BeyondUs event was held on October 11, 2016. The company closed operations for two hours to assemble 65 large bags of classroom supplies  one for each classroom at Nesbit Elementary School in Tucker, Georgia. Nesbit is a Title 1 school with a high percentage of children who require free or reduced-cost lunches.

The next initiative, scheduled for December, will support the work of Feed My Starving Children. Families of the companys employees are invited to participate in this holiday season service project. FMSC ships meals specifically for malnourished children in over 70 countries around the world.

Exhibitus

Exhibitus is an award-winning custom exhibit house specializing in 3-dimensional design for trade shows, corporate events, user conferences, permanent installations, museums and corporate interiors. Driven by the philosophy that "DESIGN MATTERS", the company builds jaw-dropping exhibits that capture brand, inspire action and ensure business success.

Headquartered in Atlanta with offices in New York and Chicago, Exhibitus also features global service capabilities to support clients abroad. Exhibitus clients include Abbott, AGCO, Alcoa/Kawneer, Cessna, Cox Business, Lexus, Mack Trucks, Porsche, Purina, Toshiba, ViaSat, Verizon, Wells Fargo, and Yamaha.
The League for Innovation in the Community College and Innovative Educators are pleased to announce the selection of the 2016 Terry OBanion Student Technology Award winners. The awards are presented to students pursuing their education and a career in technology, and given annually in honor of Terry OBanion, Senior League Fellow and President Emeritus of the League.

Award winners are designated as Student Technology Champion or Student Developer Champion. Student Technology Champion awards are presented to students with a career interest in a technology field. Student Developer Champion awards are presented to students with a career focus specifically in software development. This year, two recipients were recognized in the category of Technology Champion and one as Developer Champion. Each winner will each receive a $2,500 scholarship to be used toward their educational expenses (e.g., tuition, fees) and a plaque commemorating their achievement. The awards will be presented at the 2016 STEMtech Conference in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, November 6-9.

Each of these outstanding students demonstrates a passion for technology, a commitment to their education and community, and financial need. All three recipients possess exceptional qualities and have remarkable life stories to tell, all of which sparked the interest of the selection committee. Here are this years winners by category:



Benjamin Carpenter, Student Developer Champion attending Johnson County Community College, Overland Park, Kansas

Katrina Zayas, Student Technology Champion attending Valencia College, Orlando, Florida

Michael B. Sammons, Student Technology Champion attending Kirkwood Community College, Cedar Rapids, Iowa

Student Developer Champion: Benjamin Carpenter

Benjamin Carpenter is a freshman enrolled in Johnson County Community Colleges Web Development & Digital Media program. Ben has undertaken, on a voluntary basis, the building of a personal food computer (PFC). The food computer movement is led by the MIT Media Lab Open Agriculture Initiative. These computers are built from scratch and only a few currently exist. The PFC supports sustainability goals and can grow food in any location, regardless of climate, addressing global hunger and nutrition. Ben maintains a 4.0 GPA, and, after earning a two-year Computer Science A.A.S. at Johnson County Community College, he plans to transfer to a four-year university to complete a bachelors degree. Bens joy, curiosity about how things work, and patience make him an exceptional candidate for this honor, states Professor Lisa Friedrichsen.

Student Technology Champion: Katrina Zayas

Katrina Zayas is enrolled in Valencia Colleges Information Technology program. Overcoming a challenging early life, she is working her way through college and has earned top grades and a spot on the Presidents List, and is also a member of Phi Theta Kappa. As the first female Vice President of Valencias Technology Club, she has volunteered over 150 hours to teach students computer programming, and provides computer repair services for students. Katrina was on the winning team of the Deloitte Challenge, in which students are asked to come up with a real-world solution to a problem that the firm is facing. Her instructor, Heith Hennel, explains that this scholarship will help Katrina reach her goal of obtaining a bachelors degree in information technology. He confirms, This scholarship will really help. You will never meet a more well-mannered, high-achieving, goal-setting student.

Student Technology Champion: Michael B. Sammons

Mike Sammons is enrolled in Kirkwood Community Colleges innovative Energy Production and Distribution Technologies program. Mike was recommended for this award based on his outstanding academic performance and aptitude placing him in the 99th percentile of his class. Mike is ambitiously pursuing two honors programs, an unprecedented achievement in his department. He is developing his own version of FarmBot Genesis, which seeks to automate small-scale and greenhouse farming to get more fresh produce to more people in the most economical way. As his instructor Chad Dougherty asserts, During the past year, I have had a chance to work with Mike on a number of occasions. He is an exceptional student and a joy to have in the classroom. His creativity and inquisitive mind are an absolute pleasure.

The award is sponsored by Innovative Educators and the League for Innovation.

About Innovative Educators

Innovative Educators is dedicated to providing superior training focused on critical issues facing students and educators today. The primary goal is to provide the information, training, and skills necessary to implement positive change on a personal, professional, and institutional level. Learn more at http://www.innovativeeducators.org.

About League for Innovation

The League for Innovation in the Community College (League) is an international nonprofit organization with a mission to cultivate innovation in the community college environment. The League hosts conferences and institutes, develops print and digital resources, and leads projects and initiatives with almost 500 member colleges, 100 corporate partners, and a host of other government and nonprofit agencies in a continuing effort to advance the community college field and make a positive difference for students and communities. Information about the League and its activities is available at http://www.league.org.
Spooky Jack-O-Lantern made with dry ice

Dry ice is an easy and effective way to create a spooky Halloween for your family and friends. Continental Carbonic Products, Inc.s website has the recipes, a dry ice locator, and safety tips you need to produce a multitude of spooky effects this Halloween.

In addition to the eerie Jack-O-Lantern and Witches Brew, experiments including Dry Ice Fog, Ghostly Floating Bubbles, Laser & Fog Fun, and Crawling Bubbles can be found on the site. To find the recipes and view a video about Halloween experiments, visit http://www.continentalcarbonic.com/halloween-experiments.html.

Continental Carbonic can provide dry ice from one of 40 locations throughout the eastern two-thirds of the United States and Ontario, Canada. Dry ice is sold in quantities of 10 pounds or more, with prices based on quantity purchased.

All Continental Carbonic locations will be open special hours from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Saturday, October 29th, 2016 and will carry foam coolers and gloves for purchase. Each location will have printed dry ice safety tips available as well.

Dry ice is the solid form of carbon dioxide (CO2). It's called "dry ice" because it does not melt like wet ice. Instead, dry ice converts into carbon dioxide gas, which creates the fog effect ideal for Halloween. Dry ice is extremely cold (-109F/-78.5C). Simple safety precautions need to be taken when handling dry ice, including:



Always use gloves or a towel when touching dry ice. Dry ice can freeze skin cells and cause a burn-like injury.

Since dry ice displaces oxygen as it converts to a gas, open car and room windows to ensure proper ventilation. Leave the area if you experience difficulty breathing.

The CO2 gas produced by dry ice can cause an explosion if left in an airtight container. We sell foam coolers which ensure the dry ice will ventilate properly while preserving the life of the dry ice.

Always supervise children when using dry ice.

About Continental Carbonic:

Continental Carbonic, a wholly owned subsidiary of Matheson Tri-Gas, Inc., specializes in the manufacture and distribution of dry ice (solid carbon dioxide), along with sales and rental of dry ice blasting equipment. We service customers throughout the eastern two-thirds of the United States and Ontario, Canada through our strategic network of dry ice manufacturing and distribution facilities. For more information, visit http://www.continentalcarbonic.com or call 1-800-DRY-ICE2.
This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to own one of the most famous brands in American History, Getty.com. It is rare for a brand like this to come to market these days. Once it sells it will likely never be available again!"

Media Options S.A. (MediaOptions.com), a leading broker of premium domain names with over 18 years of experience in the industry, announced today that Getty.com has been listed exclusively for sale with their firm.

Getty.com is a high-profile, iconic name linked to Americas economic and industrial revolution and conjures images of eminence, fortune and philanthropy. It is highly marketable and offers a unique branding opportunity to capitalize on a universally recognized symbol of power and influence.

The current owner of the name is Getty Realty Corp. (NYSE: GTY; gettyrealty.com), a publicly traded real estate investment trust, which specializes in the ownership, leasing and financing of convenience store and gasoline station properties. Getty Realty owns and leases 835 properties located in 23 states across the United States and Washington, D.C.

Getty Realty took title to the domain registration from a former tenant which operated a multi-state petroleum storage, marketing and distribution business until its bankruptcy in 2012.

Getty Realty, having re-acquired the domain name Getty.com, has determined that this unique asset is no longer core to its real estate business. It is therefore making this rare and valuable domain name available to the highest bidder.

Andrew Rosener, the CEO of Media Options S.A., said, This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to own one of the most famous brands in American History, Getty.com. It is rare for a brand like this to come to market these days. Once it sells it will likely never be available again! I feel honored to represent Getty.com, it is truly an icon.

About MediaOptions.com

Established in 2007 by domain name investor Andrew Rosener, Media Options is an industry leading domain name broker that helps companies, big & small, acquire and sell premium domain names assets. Media Options, based in Panama City, Panama, has been involved in many of the largest and most important domain name sales in history. For more information visit: http://www.MediaOptions.com

About Getty Realty Corp.

Getty Realty Corp. is the leading publicly-traded real estate investment trust in the United States specializing in ownership, leasing and financing of convenience store and gas station properties. As of September 30, 2016, the Company owned and leased 835 properties nationwide.
Independent drug chain Benzer Pharmacy has opened its first store in the state of Arkansas.

Benzer Pharmacy currently has over 60 locations throughout Tennessee, Florida, Michigan, Virginia, North Carolina, Texas, Georgia, Nevada, Oklahoma, Iowa, Louisiana and Arkansas.

The store which is located at 300 Perry Street, Helena, AR 72342, is the first one in this state and will focus on customers needs by offering over-the-counter products, immunizations, health consultations, and personalized care.

The pharmacy will also provide a wide range of innovative solutions to address the dispensing, delivery, dosing and reimbursement of clinically intensive, high-cost specialty drugs.

Benzer Pharmacy is well known for its impeccable brand and phenomenal customer care.

Our mission is to reach more customers and guarantee that their experiences match their expectations. Says John Cox, pharmacy operations manager at Benzer Pharmacy.

In addition, Benzer is a full service and patient oriented pharmacy and this store will of course offer a whole range of services with competitive prices to customers including free home delivery, free med pack preparations, refill reminders, and wait time less than 10 minutes.

The store will open Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday from 8:30 am to 6:00 pm, Wednesday from 8:30 am to 5:00 pm, and Saturday from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm.

For more information, call the store: 870-338-6464

###

ABOUT BENZER PHARMACY

Benzer Pharmacy is a chain of independent retail pharmacies that specializes in specialty drugs and also focusses on medication management programs for people with complex chronic diseases, including Hepatitis, HIV, Multiple Sclerosis (MS), Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA), Dermatological conditions and Gastrointestinal Disorders (GI). The first Benzer Pharmacy opened in the year 2009 and there are now over 60 locations throughout Tennessee, Florida, Michigan, Virginia, North Carolina, Texas, Georgia, Nevada, Oklahoma, Iowa, Louisiana and Arkansas.

ACCREDITATIONS



2016: Utilization Review Accreditation Commission (URAC) accreditation for Specialty Pharmacy

2015: PCAB compounding accreditation with Accreditation Commission for Health Care (ACHC)

ACCOLADES



Florida Fast 50 (2016) - Tampa Bays Fastest Growing Companies.

EY Entrepreneur of the Year, (2016) - Benzer Pharmacy CEO was a Florida Finalist.

CFO of the Year Awards (2016): Finalist Large company category.

Chain Drug Review (2016: Rank 54 out of 100 in the Top 100 Chains by Pharmacy Count

Inc. 5000 (2015): Rank 1500 - Fastest growing private company in America.

Florida Fast 100 (2015): Rank 39 out of 100  Fastest growing private companies in Florida

TBBJ 200 (2015): Rank 67 out of 200 - Tampa Bays largest private companies

All Benzer Pharmacy medications require a doctor's prescription. For more information: http://www.benzerpharmacy.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BenzerPharmacy

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/benzerpharmacy
The Lodge, the community center in the new master-planned community of Riverstone in southeast Madera County, California. The advantage of getting first pick of home sites and great pricing make pre-sales a good time for home shoppers to purchase their dream home in Riverstone  Robert McCaffrey, CEO, McCaffrey Homes

McCaffrey Homes  an award-winning, third-generation local homebuilder based in Fresno, California  is pleased to announce that pre-sales for Santerra at Riverstone have begun.

Santerra is the inaugural neighborhood in the new master-planned Riverstone community, located in southeast Madera County, California.

Riverstone is an innovative 2,000-acre community with an extensive hiking and biking system, 200 acres of private parks, a community farm, a dog park and more.

Homeowners will have access to The Lodge at Riverstone, a clubhouse featuring a resort-style pool and cabanas, a fully equipped fitness center and a refreshment bar.

McCaffrey Homes is returning to our roots in Madera County, said Robert McCaffrey, CEO of McCaffrey Homes. The advantage of getting first pick of home sites and great pricing make pre-sales a good time for home shoppers to purchase their dream home, McCaffrey added.

The Santerra collection will include:



Four single- and two-story open design floor plans;

Homes ranging from approximately 1,598 to 2,880 sq. ft.;

Homes featuring up to 5 bedrooms, 3.5 baths and 2-car garages with bike storage;

Two-story floor plans that incorporate a first-floor bedroom and bath perfect for older children, in-laws or guests;

Available Idea Rooms that can be used to create your perfect space like a Pub Room, Cabana, Game Room and more;

Pricing from the low $300,000s.

With expansive glass windows for plenty of natural light, the homes exemplify indoor/outdoor living, with spaces like front and side courtyards, large covered patios and outdoor fireplaces. Optional casitas are also available to extend the homes living space.

The Santerra neighborhood is family friendly, with an active play area called Adventure Park that includes a large play structure and connecting bridge that leads to three slides, climbing boulders and more.

The community will eventually be mixed-use with planned commercial space offering office, service and retail options. In addition, Riverstone is conveniently located near North Fresnos most desirable dining and shopping, such as River Park, Villagio and RiverView Shopping Centers.

Homebuyers interested in pre-model information on the Santerra collection can call (559) 276-7533 or get more information at McCaffrey Homes Liberty Square Welcome Center, which is open daily from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., at Herndon and Hayes Avenues in northwest Fresno.

With three generations of experience, McCaffrey Homes has built more than 9,000 homes and has been honored nationally for the quality of its construction and customer service.

In 2014, Robert and Karen McCaffrey were inducted into the Hall of Fame by the California Homebuilding Foundation in recognition of their contribution to the building industry and their lifelong commitment to innovation, public service and philanthropy.

Today, along with the Santerra neighborhood, McCaffrey Homes is building in two communities in the Fresno/Clovis metro area: The Gallery in Clovis and Liberty Square, and an additional upcoming neighborhood in Riverstone.

For more information about McCaffrey Homes, visit http://www.mccaffreyhomes.com/.
Cascata Packaging "Consumer demand for stand-up pouches continues to accelerate and Cascata is strategically positioned to capitalize on these trends." - Jeremy Andrus

Cascata Packaging (http://www.cascatapack.com), a new contract packaging company, announces the formal launch of its 75,000 square foot facility, specializing in the manufacturing of stand-up pouches. With the opening of this $18 million facility, Cascata raises the standard for form-fill-and-seal spouted and tear-top pouches with premier equipment and quality systems. Cascata is capable of processing the most challenging formulations, notably energy and protein gels, nutritional supplements, applesauce, baby food, and juices.

The significant investment made in the facility and employees make Cascata a highly efficient operation capable of meeting the industrys growing demand for stand-up pouches. The opening of Cascata makes it the largest independently owned co-packer of form-fill-and-seal spouted and tear-top pouches in the western United States. The state-of-the-art filling machines are supported by technologically advanced batching and pasteurization equipment as well as air-driven cooling tunnels and post-fill pasteurization systems that preserve the quality of the product and its active ingredients, color, and taste.

Jeremy Andrus, co-founder and Chairman, stated, Although raising money for capital-intensive start-ups is typically challenging, a clear market opportunity allowed us to assemble an interesting group of investors who believe in this opportunity. I am excited to be a part of a premier operation that will not only produce quality products, but create skilled manufacturing jobs in the state of Utah. Mr. Andrus added, Consumer demand for health-focused snacks and supplements packaged in stand-up pouches continues to accelerate and Cascata is strategically positioned to capitalize on these trends.

Bryan Wright, co-founder and CEO, said, "We have engineered a plant and hired talent to exceed customers expectations by making our facility an extension of their business through transparency and openness of the manufacturing process. The response from our customers has been overwhelming with demand exceeding our forecasts. This has prompted us to invest in additional equipment and personnel to immediately increase our packaging capacity before we have started production.

Chief Financial Officer and co-founder, Lindsay Jones, commented, We thank our equity partners, lenders, suppliers, and West Valley City leaders who have caught our vision to create a world-class operation. Our partners continued financial support allows the company to expand and grow with current and future customer orders.

About Cascata Packaging, LLC

Cascata is a privately-held company strategically-located in the Salt Lake City area with the capabilities to process and package liquids, gels, purees, and sauces in stand-up pouches. Cascata is recognized by the Mountain West Capital Network (MWCN) (http://www.mwcn.org) as a 2016 Emerging Elite company for its operations and promising future success. Cascata's production operation complies with Good Manufacturing Practices under 21 CFR parts 110 and 111. The quality management system is designed to meet SQF and NSF standards. Additionally, Cascatas facility can accommodate organic, gluten-free, kosher, and halal label claims.
Pedestrians walk past a money exchange booth in Hong Kong. (Photo : Getty Images)

China's currency regulator has stopped underground banking operations that involved more than 1 trillion yuan ($148 billion) following a crackdown on illegal capital outflows, according to Bloomberg.



Advertisement

Zhang Shenghui, an official of the State Administration of Foreign Exchange (SAFE) said that the agency also seized $8.43 billion in foreign exchange funds as part of its nationwide operation on illegal outflows.



Earlier his year, foreign exchange settlement and sales in three banks were suspended by SAFE, after they failed authentication procedures.



In a statement, SAFE said that to maintain the stability of the foreign exchange market, they will continue monitoring unusual cross-border capital flows and prevent the operation of underground banks.



The report said that China's move reflects its desire to diversify money out of the country and expresses its determination to prevent outflows that affect the country's currency and drove more capital flight.



Since the People's Bank of China devaluated its currency in August last year, the Chinese yuan has depreciated 7.8 percent against the U.S. dollar, and more recently, 1 percent.



"As regulators tighten the formal channels, underground activities seem to be heating up," Raymond Yeung, chief greater China economist at Australia & New Zealand Banking Group Ltd. in Hong Kong, noted.



China has made repeated efforts to prevent the weakening of the yuan, which included increasing the offshore yuan borrowing costs in Hong Kong.



The report however, said that some Chinese investors have turned to creative ways to spirit money of the country such as buying life insurance policies in Hong Kong, hiding tourist spending abroad, and faking trade invoices. The decline in yuan deposits in offshore banks also showed that the demand to get money into other currencies increased.



Amid the growing demand for foreign currency, several banks have cautioned that capital outflows could be larger as expected. Deutsche Bank AG warned that in the next few months, the outflows would intensify while the economic growth slows and the yuan weakens.



Goldman Sachs Group Inc. analysts noted that the amount of capital getting out of the country in yuan, rather than in dollars, has increased.



According to official data, about $27.7 billion in yuan payment have left the country in August, despite the stabilization of the Chinese currency and low net foreign-exchange purchases.



MK Tang, Hong Kong-based senior China economist at Goldman Sachs, however said that the large cross-border movement of money cannot be explained by market-driven factors, which must be considered when measuring currency outflows.



From $133 billion in the previous three months, the illegal flows have increased to $246 billion in the third quarter of the year, according to Iris Pang, senior economist for Greater China at Natixis SA in Hong Kong.



Since February, the country's reserves have been around the $3.2 trillion level, after dropping to $323 billion in over four months.



China however, is far from a currency crisis as it has enough defenses and little vulnerability, according to Bloomberg Intelligence economists Tom Orlik and Fielding Chen.



"From Mexico in 1994 to Turkey in 2001, crisis countries had a combination of high foreign debt, insufficient FX reserve buffers and limited policy space," the two economists said. "On those metrics, China looks relatively secure."


U.S. CAD, an AEC technology consultant and Autodesk Platinum Partner, announces the addition of Ron Couillard to its Professional Services team in the role of Solutions Consultant.

Design and engineering technology is changing rapidly and is driving demand for new levels of expertise. With his skillset and experience, Rons addition positions U.S. CAD to better anticipate the needs of our customers and deliver impactful results, states Chris Keck, Senior Director of Professional Services at U.S. CAD. We are delighted to welcome Ron to the team and look forward to the contributions he will make as U.S. CAD continues to grow and evolve.

Ron Couillard brings more than 16 years of civil infrastructure industry experience to his new role, where he will be tasked with providing clients with technology, software, and hardware recommendations to help solve their business needs. Mr. Couillard will also leverage his experience from serving as CAD Manager and Senior Civil Designer at several engineering firms to address challenges that are unique to the civil infrastructure industry. Prior to joining U.S. CAD, Mr. Couillard served in a similar role at CADSoft Solutions in Arizona.

Mr. Couillard will be attending the 2016 Phoenix BIM Workshops on October 27th. For more information about U.S. CADs civil infrastructure solutions or to request a Discovery Meeting, visit http://www.uscad.com.

About U.S. CAD

U.S. CAD is a full-service technology consultant for the architecture, engineering, construction, and infrastructure industries, connecting companies with the software, hardware, training, production, and consulting they need to win more, produce more, and achieve more. From BIM software to 3D laser scanning and drones, customers are able to address their specific needs with the guidance and expertise of the U.S. CAD team. U.S. CAD is an Autodesk Platinum Partner and Bluebeam Platinum Partner, and also a member of the Leica, 3D Robotics, Panzura, CADLearning, CGS Tools, and Twinmotion partner networks. For more information, visit http://www.uscad.com or call (877) 648-7223.

# # #

Autodesk and the Autodesk logo are registered trademarks or trademarks of Autodesk, Inc., and/or its subsidiaries and/or affiliates in the USA and/or other countries.
Stratford Managers Corporation, the business consulting firm that helps small and mid-sized businesses achieve their full potential, announced today that it has opened its first US location in California. The new Stratford Managers Incorporated office in San Diego will enable the company to better serve its current US customers while growing its client base.

Growing companies seek out Stratford Managers to address the challenges in achieving scale, said Jim Roche, CEO of Stratford Managers. Californias thriving entrepreneurial market is a natural fit for our operationally experienced consultants.

Stratford Managers consultants are senior managers with decades of experience in growing companies. Unlike traditional management consultants, they take a pragmatic approach and lean-in to ensure successful implementation. Stratford Managers provides early stage and mid-size businesses with hard-to-find, seasoned expertise across eight areas essential to business growth. Starting with the Intellectual Property practice, Stratford will be expanding the San Diego office to offer services in all practice areas.

Weve developed a unique virtual IP management service to offer turn-key IP solutions including cost effective strategies to foster innovation and optimize IP portfolios, effectively off-loading this burden from busy executives, said Natalie Giroux, Stratford Managers VP & Practice Lead of Intellectual Property and Technology. Our proactive and pragmatic approach to IP management helps our clients develop marketable IP portfolios that showcase value to investors, shareholders and potential acquirers.

Stratford Managers new San Diego, California office complements existing offices in Ottawa, Toronto and Montreal from which the firm serves local clients with global operations.

ABOUT STRATFORD

Stratford Managers is a leading management consulting firm that specializes in helping small and mid-sized businesses achieve their potential. Unlike traditional management consulting firms, Stratford consultants are operationally accomplished senior managers who lean-in to drive organizations to achieve and sustain higher performance. With practices in the major functional areas essential for business success, Stratford Managers brings the experience necessary to execute plans and achieve desired results.
Michele Smith, Senior Vice President and Phil Ritchie, CTO along with a wider Vistatec team will be presenting and exhibiting at LocWorld32 in Montreal, Canada on October 26-28th. The Vistatec team will be discussing all matters language, localization, translation and content related.

LocWorld is always a prominent date in the localization calendar and here at Vistatec we like to attend many of these industry leading events around the world. commented Michele Smith.

Lara Daly, Director of Strategic Accounts, Vistatec will be taking part in the LocWorld Life Sciences Business Round Table on October 26th and John Freeston, Director of Sales, Vistatec will be moderating a panel at LocWorld on The Role of Localization in Social Media Marketing, October 27th.

Vistatec will be adding a unique LocWorld pre-event taking place at Le Westin Hotel on the topic of Deep Content. LocWorld32 and the Deep Content events are a great opportunity to connect with many industry partners and customers, some of whom are executive panel members on the Think Global Forum. http://www.thinkglobalforum.org

We are looking forward to connecting and sharing information and ideas with such a diverse group of people coming together from all over the world, added Edward Robetcky, Director of Sales.

The Vistatec team in Montreal includes Senior Vice President, Michele Smith, Brian Gallant, Lara Daly, Edward Robetcky, John Freeston and Chief Technology Officer, Phil Ritchie.

Vistatec will be at stand #21.

#LocWorld32 #ThinkGlobal

About Vistatec

Vistatec has been helping some of the worlds most iconic brands to optimize their global commercial potential since 1997. Vistatec is one of the worlds leading localization solutions providers. HQ in Dublin, Ireland, with offices in Mountain View, California, USA.

Media Contact

Simon Hodgkins, Chief Marketing Officer, Vistatec

info(at)vistatec.com
As a 5-year-old boy, Steve Jamnicky developed a love of traveling by car and an interest in exotic locales from his father. It was then when he found Ushuaia, Argentina, on a globe and decided that he wanted to visit the southernmost point of South America.

Better by Car by Far details Jamnickys three-year journey as he sets out from his home near Calgary, Alberta, with his daughter Emily to drive the length of two continents and a voyage to Antarctica.

During the trip Jamnicky discovers surfing, visits many local hotspots and destinations, and meets many new friends. He also shares his troubles while navigating border crossings, poor road conditions and minor mechanical breakdowns in remote locations.

I want to tell readers what I learned during this journey: that people can learn a new language at any age, they can learn a difficult sport, and they can start a new life in an unfamiliar place if they choose to do so, Jamnicky said. No obstacle is too great that it cant be dealt with and overcome.

This book is for people who have a love of travel and adventure, and for those who may not know what to do when they retire. I say, Dont be afraid of the unknown. I encourage them to not wait until its too late before they start exploring, whether its your province, your country or the world.

If youve ever wanted to travel spontaneously, then Better by Car by Far will allow readers to see where the road less traveled can take you.

Better by Car by Far

By Steve Jamnicky

ISBN: 978-1-5245-0431-1 (sc); 978-1-5245-0432-8 (hc); 978-1-5245-0430-4 (e)

Available at XlibrisUS, Amazon, Barnes&Noble and Google Books

About the author

When his youngest daughter turned 18, Steve Jamnicky retired early and took off on an epic journey to fulfill a lifelong dream to visit South America by car, while meeting new people, experiencing new cultures, and discovering a new life. An avid sportsman, Jamnicky continues to travel the world in search of new adventures and experiences. He currently lives in Florianopolis, Brazil.

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Review Copies & Interview Requests:

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Attorney Mark Thiessen of Thiessen Law Firm, LLC has received the Thomson Reuters Super Lawyers award for the fourth consecutive year. Awarded to legal professionals who have demonstrated a high degree of achievement in their field, the honor is a result of Thiessens outstanding professional achievement and peer recognition.

I am extremely honored to receive this prestigious award, said founder Mark Thiessen. Its a testament to the relentless passion and dedication of our entire staff at Thiessen Law Firm, as well as our commitment to the success of our clients.

Thiessen has consistently set high standards in his field since establishing Thiessen Law Firm in 2011. His scientific investigation process and comprehensive list of victories have led to overwhelmingly positive testimonials and results.

Thiessen first earned the recognition in 2013, becoming one of the youngest lawyers to ever receive the honor. He was also awarded Thomson Reuters Rising Star award in 2012typically awarded to legal professionals 40 years or younger or in practice for more than 10 years.

No more than five percent of a states attorneys are named Super Lawyers, making it one of the most competitive achievements in the industry. Blending rigorously-monitored peer nominations and third-party research on each candidates credentials, the patented approach analyzes a total of 12 indicators of professional excellence before making a final decision. A full description of the selection methodology can be found at http://www.superlawyers.com/about/selection_process.html.

About Thiessen Law Firm

Since Thiessen Law Firm opened its doors in July 2011, the firm has experienced tremendous success. Having already represented hundreds of DWI clients and achieved numerous dismissals, Thiessen Law Firm has now expanded to include two associates, two paralegals, a marketing director, a process server and an investigator. Thiessen Law Firm is located in the Heights of Houston, next to Jed Silverman and Associates.
Its one of our core values as a practice to engage in constant study of our treatment protocols. Our research enlightens us to refine our practices so that more patients can achieve the goal of successful pregnancy. - Kate Devine, M.D.

Physician-scientists from Shady Grove Fertilitythe largest fertility center in the nationhad 17 studies accepted to present at this years premier education and research meeting for reproductive medicine. Held from October 15 to 19, 2016, in Salt Lake City, UT, the theme of the 2016 Scientific Congress of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine was Scaling New Heights in Reproductive Medicine. The program featured scientific, postgraduate, and video presentations as well as plenary lectures addressing the most pressing clinical and basic-science issues in reproductive medicine. The meeting drew physicians and scientists from across the world to share their clinical research and study findings from the past year.

For the past 25 years, the physicians at Shady Grove Fertility have placed a high value on conducting clinical research and remain a leader in the field. It is one of only a few private practice fertility centers in the country to employ a full-time dedicated research team who perform under the direction of Co-Directors of Research, Kevin S. Richter, Ph.D., in Biological Sciences, and Kate Devine, M.D. , board certified reproductive endocrinologist.

This conference offers physicians in our field from around the world a wonderful opportunity to collaborate and learn from each other, explains Dr. Devine, who sees patients in the Shady Grove Fertility K Street, Washington, D.C. location. With a common goal of improving treatment outcomes for patients across the nation, we are able to share our findings so they can then be taken back to our respective practices and patients. Learning from each anothers research also stirs innovation by planting the seeds of new ideas for next years research endeavors, Devine adds.

Among the findings Shady Grove Fertility presented this year, three of the most notable included: 1) a new study that confirmed that IVF cycles producing that produce higher egg numbers result in higher pregnancy rates from the fresh transfer as well as improving cumulative pregnancy rates (including both fresh and frozen transfers). These findings stand in contrast to other studies suggesting that better egg quality may result with milder stimulation during IVF; 2) a new study that identified a promising method for selecting better quality sperm used during IVF; and 3) an analysis of suggesting that overweight and obese women do not have an increased occurrence of chromosomally abnormal embryosthe suggestion that overweight and obese women do not have an increased occurrence of chromosomally abnormal embryos.

In the first study SGF researchers evaluated 8,573 autologous IVF cycles performed between 2009 and 2014 among patients under 35 years of age. They found that when the number of eggs retrieved per cycle increased, so did the likelihood of a live birth per fresh embryo transfer procedure. There was a significant increase in birth rates with 10 to 19 eggs compared to five to nine eggs, and birth rates per fresh transfer remained high when greater numbers of eggs were retrieved. These results suggest that retrieval of larger egg cohorts did not compromise either the quality of the embryos transferred or the ability for the uterus to support implantation and pregnancy, following an IVF cycle productive of high egg numbers, which usually entails high serum estradiol levels.

For patients, these findings are significant and contrast with others who propose that milder ovarian stimulation during IVF yields similar pregnancy rates. When more eggs are retrieved, there is a greater likelihood of having more high quality embryos available to freeze for later use.

In the second study, Shady Grove Fertility scientist, Matteo Avella, Ph.D., shared findings about a new sperm selection assay that helps select the best spermthose with a greater ability to bind and penetrate eggsin the hopes of improving outcomes for these patients. This method could prove useful in selecting the most viable sperm for intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), a procedure that has transformed how physicians treat male factor infertility. With ICSI, the embryologist selects a single sperm and injects it directly into each egg, yielding dramatically improved treatment success rates than before ICSI was introduced. Improved sperm selection holds potential to yield even better outcomes by improving chances of fertilization and development of the resulting embryos.

Shady Grove Fertility also presented research designed to shed light on whether body mass index (BMI) causes chromosomally abnormal embryo development. Because high BMI has been associated with lower pregnancy and live birth rates and higher miscarriage rates, SGF researchers conducted a retrospective review to better understand if overweight or obese women have an increased occurrence of chromosomal abnormalities (aneuploidy) among their embryos.

SGF researchers evaluated 1,237 fresh embryos from 267 women who underwent preimplantation genetic screening (PGS) to determine their chromosomal makeup. Within this sample, the rates of aneuploidy were similar for underweight, normal, and obese patients (between 60.7 percent and 59.1 percent for the three groups), and the rate for overweight women was 55.8 percent. Hence, the study suggests that aneuploidy likely does not account does not account for increased miscarriage rates that have been reported among overweight and obese women. In keeping with the available evidence, physicians at Shady Grove Fertility generally suggest that losing even a small amount of weight could potentially improve the chances of success among overweight women.

Its one of our core values as a practice to engage in constant study of our treatment protocols. Our research enlightens us to refine our practices so that more patients, both at Shady Grove Fertility and elsewhere, can achieve the goal of successful pregnancy, adds Devine.

Select other studies presented by SGF researchers at ASRMs 2016 Scientific Congress & Expo: New Study Examines Lining Thickness and Its Impact on Letrozole with IUI Pregnancy Rates; SGF Studies Embryo Growth Rate and Likelihood of Chromosomal Abnormality; Fathers Age Did Not Impact IVF Pregnancy Rates in SGF Research Study.

To learn more about ongoing research being conducted at Shady Grove Fertility visit [https://www.shadygrovefertility.com/research.

About Shady Grove Fertility

Shady Grove Fertility is a leading fertility and IVF center of excellence offering patients individualized care, innovative financial options, and pregnancy rates among the highest of all national centers. 2016 commemorates 25 years of Shady Grove Fertility providing medical and service excellence to patients from all 50 states and 35 countries around the world, and celebrates over 40,000 babies bornmore than any other center in the nation. Today, 34 reproductive endocrinologists, supported by a highly specialized team of 600 urologists, Ph.D. scientists, geneticists, and staff care for patients in 19 full-service offices and six satellite sites throughout Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Washington, D.C. Shady Grove Fertility physicians actively train residents and reproductive endocrinology fellows and invest in continuous clinical research and education to advance the field of reproductive medicine through numerous academic appointments and partnerships such as Georgetown Medical School, Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, the University of Maryland, and the National Institutes of Health. More than 1,700 physicians refer their patients to Shady Grove Fertility each year. For more information, call 1-888-761-1967 or visit https://www.shadygrovefertility.com.
According to recent media reports in Dakar, Senegal, a French national, wanted for the abduction of two children and subject to an international arrest warrant issued by Interpol, was intercepted and detained at the airport in Dakar.

According to the posted media reports, the suspect was charged and placed in custody at Rebeuss Jail, and was awaiting ruling from the Dakar Court of Appeal on an extradition request made by his country of origin. The report further stated that the French national who arrived in Dakar was automatically identified and reported by Securiports Integrated Immigration Control System, which is linked with Interpol Watch-List databases.

In the past year, Securiport has successfully engaged its sophisticated systems; helping Senegalese Security Authorities arrest two radicalized extremists. These individuals were detained at the same Senegalese airport as the French citizen in the latest incident.

Securiport's unique proactive Watch-List Database Management Solution is specifically designed to help local security authorities efficiently detect suspected individuals who are attempting to enter or leave a country. It is just one of many proprietary tools provided with Securiport's Integrated Immigration Control System, a comprehensive immigration processing system that utilizes patented ultrasonic biometric technologies for traveler identification and enhances security through the use of advanced data analytics. It has been successfully deployed and effectively used in several major African nations such as Senegal, Equatorial Guinea, Sierra Leone, and Ivory Coast.

Securiports IICS allows authorities to create and maintain Wanted-Persons Records, which include demographic and biometric features. Data can be imported from any government database. Real-time identification checks are performed on every passenger. The Securiport system then alerts immigration and security officials on possible watch-list hits by issuing a veiled alarm.

For more details about the Senegal story, please visit the original media report at http://www.leral.net/Arrestation-a-l-aeroport-Lss-d-un-Francais-recherche-par-Interpol-Une-rocambolesque-affaire-d-enlevement-d-enfants-entre_a181104.html

For more information about Securiports Integrated Immigration Control System (IICS), visit http://www.securiport.com/solutions/integrated-immigration-control-system.

About Securiport

Securiport LLC is a global leader in the design and implementation of civil aviation security, passenger biometric recognition, immigration processing, and intelligent information management and reporting software systems. With headquarters in Washington, DC, USA, Securiport partners with governments around the world. Securiports Civil Aviation and Immigration Security Services, a comprehensive security product that performs secure biometric recognition of travelers at immigration posts, provides proprietary intelligent information for the identification of potential security risks, criminal activity, and disease prevention based on the comparison and multi-dimensional analysis of the biometric data and traveler information collected during immigration processing. Learn more at http://www.Securiport.com.
Troy Gill, co-author of report As more IoT devices become connected and unless consumers start taking the time to install these devices more securely, this trend may only get worst in the short term.

DDoS-sourced malware is on the rise, according to the security research team at AppRiver. The company detailed recent malware trends in its Q3 Global Security Report, a summary and analysis of malware and spam trends traced between July and September 2016.

AppRivers security analyst team quarantined 5.7 billion emails containing malware in Q3, pointing to a 35 percent increase over the already record-setting total AppRiver recorded in Q2 of this year. For comparison, this quarterly total is more than triple the 1.7 billion emails containing malware that analysts observed during all of 2015. Spam traffic also remained steady throughout Q3, quarantining 2.34 billion spam messages.

For the first time, the web saw disruptions caused by DDoS attacks leveraged by botnets comprised primarily of IoT devices. The first attack making headlines, aimed at security blogger Brian Krebss website, temporarily shut it down through a massive botnet of more than 150K IoT devices. Soon after, a similar attack reported a 1Tbps attack from hosting company OVH.

Manager of Security Researche Troy Gill states, As more IoT devices become connected and unless consumers start taking the time to install these devices more securely, this trend may only get worst in the short term.

Other highlights from AppRivers Q3 report include:



Noteworthy Breaches: Having already reached a fever pitch this year, data breaches remain a major concern for organizations across the globe. Some of the more noteworthy breaches include the one recently disclosed by Yahoo, the hack of DNC emails, stolen NSA hacking tools and even an iCloud account containing private pictures of the royal couple.

Trident Malware: In August, after Apples security update, a very advanced exploit chain type malware was discovered. The malware some are now referring to as Trident used multiple zero day exploits that could essentially jailbreak an iOS9 device, thus giving the attacker access to emails, texts, voice calls and the phones camera, microphone and location.

File Formats Malware: This quarter, the three primary file formats malware has been coming in are JScript (.js), Windows Script Files (.wsf), and Macro enabled documents (.doc and .xls).

Locky and Zepto Ransomware: This quarter isnt any different. Ransomware was still extremely popular and there have been various versions with specific targets seen over the past few months. Locky and Zepto are still some of the reigning champs as far as volume goes, but a few others have been seen lurking online these days. Including EduCrypt, IoT Ransomware and MarsJoke.

PayPal Phishing Attacks: PayPal themed messages spiked in the third quarter.

AppRiver has included more detail on these attacks and statistics within its Q3 Global Security Report. To read the full report and watch AppRivers security analysts round table discussion on its findings, visit https://www.appriver.com/about-us/security-reports/global-security-report-2016-quarter-3/

About AppRiver

AppRiver offers cloud-based cybersecurity and productivity services to 53,000 companies worldwide, with more than 10 million mailboxes under its protection. Launched in 2002 as a spam and virus filtering company, AppRiver has since added Web malware protection, email encryption, secure archiving and email continuity to its suite of security services. The company is also among the worlds top providers of Office 365 and Secure Hosted Exchange. All services are offered on a pay-as-you-use basis with a free, fully supported 30-day trial and 24/7 US-based Phenomenal Care. Easy, effective and affordable solutions  backed by white-glove customer care  have enabled the company to maintain an annual 93-percent customer retention rate. AppRiver is headquartered in Florida and maintains offices in Georgia, Texas, New York, Switzerland and Spain. To learn more, visit AppRiver online, Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter.
Veran's SPiN Thoracic Navigation System

Same day CT chest imaging for suspected lung cancer can uncover partial or total resolution of some lung nodules and thereby reduces unnecessary bronchoscopic procedures. Those are the findings from a newly published clinical study from physician investigators at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Study results were published in the Annals of the American Thoracic Society.

Bronchoscopy is commonly used for the diagnosis of suspicious pulmonary nodules discovered on computed tomographic (CT) imaging of the chest. The study was a retrospective analysis of 116 patients who underwent, or were scheduled to undergo navigated bronchoscopies utilizing Veran Medicals SPiN Thoracic Navigation System. The SPiN System is a precision thoracic guidance system that helps physicians pinpoint suspicious lung lesions and biopsy them. Verans unique same day inspiration/expiration CT scan protocol is designed to reduce diagnostic error and provide doctors with the most accurate 3D map to find lesions, expedite diagnosis, and get patients appropriate life saving therapy earlier. Prior CT studies have shown that there is significant nodule movement between inspiration and expiration (respiratory cycle), which may adversely affect diagnostic yields.

The Johns Hopkins study found that in 8/116 patients (6.9%), nodules discovered on previous CT scans had disappeared or were so reduced in size that procedures were no longer necessary. The average time between initial scan and procedure day for those patients was 53 days. For other study patients, it was 50 days.

Veran navigation technology is built around same day inspiration/expiration CT scans because the clinical data confirms it helps account for nodule movement and delivers an industry leading pinpoint accurate 3D map of a patients lungs, said Veran CEO Jason Pesterfield. This new study is additional affirmation that our protocol is good for patients, good for health care providers and good for payers with a mission to improve patient care, reduce risks, and reduce the costs of unnecessary procedures.

Authors note that other manufacturers earlier generation Electromagnetic Navigation systems utilized previous scans completed at the time of diagnosis. However, these scans were often performed weeks to months before the patient is referred to a specialist and scheduled for their procedure. The rationale for the same day procedural CT scan is to utilize the ENB platform (Veran) technology to pair both an expiratory and inspiratory CT to allow the software to build a virtual airway model which localizes the nodule and compensates for respiratory variation.

In the publication, study authors note that their case series highlights an important point for patients having invasive diagnostic testing following findings from an imaging study. If there is a significant delay from the initial imaging, practitioners should consider repeat studies prior to proceeding with the scheduled procedure.

About Veran Medical Technologies

Veran is a privately held medical device company headquartered in St. Louis, MO. The companys main focus is assisting physicians in the early diagnosis and treatment of lung cancer. In the United States, lung cancer kills more people each year than breast, prostate, pancreatic and colon cancers combined.

Veran has developed and commercialized an FDA cleared, next generation electromagnetic thoracic navigation platform called the SPiN Thoracic Navigation System. Verans breakthrough technology has been adopted by leading cancer centers throughout the United States. Veran provides physicians with a full line of bronchoscopic brushes, needles, forceps and steerable catheters with tiny electromagnetic sensors embedded in the tips for precise navigation. The combination of these proprietary Always-On Tip Tracked instruments and Verans exclusive patient respiratory gating technology enables physicians to accurately access lung nodules by accounting for nodule movement during patient breathing, a common challenge for lung specialists.

Another challenge lung specialists face is that approximately 40% of lung nodules lie outside of an airway, making them very difficult to reach endobronchially, and traditionally requiring an additional procedure. Verans SPiN Thoracic Navigation System is the first and only FDA cleared technology that enables Pulmonologists or Thoracic Surgeons to safely and accurately access lung nodules outside of an airway using SPiN Perc, a navigated transthoracic needle. With SPiN Perc, Veran combines endobronchial navigation with percutaneous navigation, allowing physicians to access all lung nodules in a single procedure, regardless of nodule size or location. This eliminates the cost and risk of unnecessary procedures and empowers physicians to provide a same day diagnosis for their patients. The early diagnosis and treatment of lung cancer has been proven to save lives.
This accreditation, recognized by the United States Department of Defense, is another way to communicate to the world the high level of safety and operational performance REVA adheres to on a daily basis.

Following a comprehensive audit of administrative processes and policies, medical practices, and facilities, the National Accreditation Alliance of Medical Transport Applications (NAAMTA) is awarding REVA Inc. with their second consecutive NAAMTA accreditation for their fixed wing program.

REVA demonstrates compliance to each of the defined standards, excels in identifying best practice procedures, and instills these values in each employee. NAAMTA verified compliance through employee interviews, process reviews, and on-site evaluations, all of which were conducted using ISO 9001:2008 auditing guidelines.

LaDonna Randal, REVAs Clinical Supervisor, reported: NAAMTA standards serve as great benchmarks to meet at minimum. Their standards help guide safe practice as well as provide for constant accountability to quality improvement, especially in a progressive and innovative industry.

REVAs Program Director, Lesa Armstrong, RN said, "Reva has been continuously accredited by NAAMTA since 2013. Our continued commitment to accreditation, assures our client and patients that they are choosing a superior medical transport service."

As a leader in the medical transport industry, REVA is a tremendous asset to NAAMTA Alliance, said Roylen Griffin, NAAMTAs Executive Director. NAAMTA Alliance Members are held in high esteem for meeting stringent requirements that define and influence transport operational excellence. Griffin continues, REVA is driven by the attitude of being the best. This attitude of excellence starts from the top and permeates the entire organization. From safety to quality of patient care, REVA pays attention to detail.

Stuart Hayman, CEO of REVA stated, "REVA is proud to be accredited by NAAMTA and to have met all the stringent prerequisites this accreditation requires. This accreditation, recognized by the United States Department of Defense, is another way to communicate to the world the high level of safety and operational performance REVA adheres to on a daily basis."

About NAAMTA

NAAMTA is an accreditation standard-bearer for the medical transport industry, offering procedures that include guidelines for developing a system focused on transport safety, patient care, quality management, and continuous improvement. NAAMTA is globally recognized for its ISO 9001:2008 QMS certification and the implementation of quality practices in their accreditation program.

NAAMTAs certified quality management system is audited annually by PRI Registrar which is an ANSI-ASQ National Accreditation Board-approved Registrar accredited to certify organizations to a variety of management systems including ISO 9001.

NAAMTA has successfully made great strides in identifying key best practices to improve the standard of performance among EMS providers at the national and global levels. Through a dynamic approach to auditing and a vast array of web-based reporting and learning tools for members, NAAMTA distinguishes itself as an accreditation source interested in providing services to their members and working toward the improvement of medical transportation practices.

About REVA

REVA owns and operates a fleet of 14 medically equipped aircraft, including Learjets and Cessna Citations, performing both domestic and international air ambulance and medevac operations.

The transport team is a diverse group of highly trained and qualified industry veterans who have completed over 25,000 flights in 65 countries. With extensive experience, REVA delivers top-tier medical transport services for ill or injured patients anywhere in the world. When patients need care that cannot be provided by normal commercial travel, they call REVA to Fly Home. Feel Better.

Roylen Griff Griffin,

Executive Director

NAAMTA

P.O. Box 111

American Fork, UT 84003

(801)-756-7215

http://www.naamta.com
Apple Craig Federighi, Apple senior vice president of Software Engineering, speaks about OS 10, El Capitan, during Apple WWDC on June 8, 2015 in San Francisco, California. (Photo : Getty Images/Justin Sullivan)

Pangu, a Chinese jailbreak development team, has been playing a waiting game with Apple in its iOS 10 jailbreak tool release. The tech giant just rolled out the fifth beta for iOS 10.1, the first major update for the mobile operating system.



Apple has been working on the release of small iterations of the software in the past months and the Cupertino-based firm is getting close to the official launch of the iOS 10.1. However, there is no release of any jailbreak tool for this OS yet and Pangu is still silent about it, making jailbreak users worry.



Advertisement

According to Pangu8, Pangu was able to release a working jailbreak tool for the first beta version of the iOS 10, therefore, without any subsequent updates about the upcoming iOS, it is normal for fans to start worrying. It is said that the team is just taking its time and it is possible that the jailbreak tool will be availed once the iPhone maker releases the official iOS 10.1 version.



It is rumored that Pangu team is waiting to formulate the right tools and tweaks when it comes to bypassing the security measures employed by Apple on the iOS 10 and its updates. Apple has been releasing small updates such as the iOS 10.0.1 and iOS 10.0.2, and the iOS 10.0.2 rollout may have put a temporary stop in terms of the jailbreaking, MobiPicker reported.



Pangu's move to wait until the iOS 10.1 is released first may be its plan all along as the hacker group will manage to avail an iOS 10 jailbreak that can circumvent all these jailbreak-cancelling tweaks Apple used. Apple is now focused on the new iteration of iOS 10.1 and the fifth beta is already out, hence, it should not be long before the iOS 10 jailbreak by Pangu is released.



Pangu may only be buying time in order to make the new jailbreak available for public use and the iOS 10 jailbreak may be just around the corner with final touches underway before Pangu officially roll it out.



Watch iOS 10 Jailbreak update! Pangu's Schedule & iOS 10.0.1 video here:






Only three dealerships received this award and BMW of Darien is very grateful to all our employees for this achievement, stated Flavia Callari, Vice President of Callari Auto Group.

This month the award for excellence in the car delivery experience was awarded to BMW of Darien, the only BMW dealer in the eastern region to win this prestigious award. The qualifying factors for this achievement were as follows: Over 50% of all new car deliveries in the competition period had to have an ENCORE, where the customer is invited back to go over key features with a product genius, and that the geniuses use the new Relay App to demonstrate the functionalities of the new car to each new client. Additionally, the J.D. Power Initial Quality Score had to be above the national brand average; i.e.; clean quality of delivery, client advisor follow-up and explanation of vehicle features.

Only three dealerships received this award and BMW of Darien is very grateful to all our employees for this achievement, stated Flavia Callari, Vice President of Callari Auto Group. We are all so thankful for our incredible staff, working as hard as they did to earn this award. My father, Felix Callari, would be very proud to know that his employees earned this coveted award and BMW of Darien will celebrate in the coming weeks with details to follow.

About Callari Auto Group

Callari Auto Group encompasses three dealerships within Fairfield County, specializing in BMW, MINI and VOLVO brand cars. Customer satisfaction remains the companys number one priority along with product knowledge and client education. Callari Auto Groups outstanding service record has been recognized on numerous occasions, most notably in 1998 when Mr. Callari received a Time Magazine Quality Dealer Award, representing the state of Connecticut. The individual dealerships have also received numerous awards for Dealer Excellence and longevity from BMW and Volvo Corporate.

Callari Auto Group

http://www.bmwdarien.com

http://www.callaricars.com

http://www.volvoofwestport.com

http://www.minifairfieldcounty.com

Press Inquiries:

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We are delighted to welcome Rob Rae as Vice Chairman of the Vendor Advisory Council"

Datto, the leading provider of total data protection solutions for businesses around the world, today announced that Vice President of Business Development, Rob Rae, has recently been appointed Vice Chair of the Vendor Advisory Council at CompTIA, the non-profit association for the technology industry. As Vice Chair, Rae will engage with a group of executives and leaders from across the information technology community to set strategies designed to advance the industry.

CompTIA's Vendor Advisory Council explores the key issues and inflection points facing hardware manufacturers, software vendors, carriers and ISPs. Rae will provide CompTIAs executive leadership with guidance on the programs, education and research currently offered by CompTIA for their members.

Ive been actively involved in CompTIA for a decade and find their research, events, and community to be invaluable, said Rob Rae, Vice President of Business Development at Datto. Given my admiration for the work this organization does, Im beyond thrilled to be taking on a leadership role.

We are delighted to welcome Rob Rae as Vice Chairman of the Vendor Advisory Council, said Annette Taber, Vice President, Industry Strategies for CompTIA. His vision and perspective on the challenges and opportunities within our industry will further empower us to advocate, develop, and create programs and services that will have a meaningful impact for CompTIA members, the IT industry and every person and organization that uses technology.

With more than 20 years of experience with IT hardware and software sales, Rob Rae joined the Datto team in 2013 to lead business development efforts. Rae has a wealth of experience within the channel, successfully helping channel partners grow their businesses. Consistently recognized as a thought leader in the IT channel, Rae frequently contributes to popular IT and channel publications. In 2016, Rae has been recognized with several channel awards including being named a CRN Channel Chief, a ChannelPro 20/20 Visionary, as well as being named to The Channel Companys Top Midmarket IT Executive list.

About Datto

Datto protects essential business data for tens of thousands of the worlds fastest growing companies. Our Total Data Protection platform delivers uninterrupted access to data on site, in transit and in the cloud. Through Datto's network of partners, we provide forward-looking technology companies with products and services designed to continually keep business running, combined with unrivaled customer service and unmatched accountability. Datto is headquartered in Norwalk, Connecticut, and has offices in Rochester, Boston, Toronto, London, Singapore, and Sydney. Learn more at http://www.datto.com.

About CompTIA

The Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA) is a non-profit trade association serving as the voice of the technology industry. With approximately 2,000 member companies, 3,000 academic and training partners, 90,000 registered users and more than two million IT certifications issued, CompTIA is dedicated to advancing industry growth through educational programs, market research, networking events, professional certifications and public policy advocacy. To learn more, visit CompTIA online, Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter.
Voalte User Experience VUE16 is the premier event where healthcare leaders share their experiences in implementing enterprise-wide communication platforms that improve timeliness and quality across the entire continuum of care.

Voalte, the leader in enterprise healthcare communication technology, today announced that the second annual Voalte User Experience (VUE) conference will take place Wednesday, November 9, through Friday, November 11, 2016, at the Hyatt Regency in Sarasota, Florida. VUE16 will bring together leaders in the mobile health (mHealth) industry to explore how innovative communication solutions promote better patient outcomes, improve care team collaboration and maximize the value of healthcare technology investments.

Voalte customers are the mHealth industrys leaders and visionaries, and their commitment to deliver the highest-quality patient care is inspiring, said Adam McMullin, Voalte Chairman and CEO. VUE16 is the premier event where healthcare leaders share their experiences in implementing enterprise-wide communication platforms that improve timeliness and quality across the entire continuum of care. Were looking forward to collaborating with these leaders to build a better future for caregivers, patients and their families.

The two-day event will include educational sessions, roundtable discussions and networking events with leaders from healthcare organizations such as Ascension, Avera Health, Novant Health, UCSF Medical Center and many others. Zebra Technologies, Spectralink, ScanSource, Catalyze, GroundControl, Honeywell and Visit Sarasota County are sponsors of the event. For more information on VUE16, please go to https://www.voalte.com/vue16 or contact Naila Maroon at nmaroon(at)voalte(dot)com or 941-312-2830, ext. 125.

About Voalte

Voalte develops smartphone solutions that simplify caregiver communication. As the only company to offer a comprehensive Mobile Communication Strategy, Voalte enables care teams inside and outside the hospital to access and exchange information securely. Voalte customers benefit from a solid smartphone infrastructure that supports their existing systems and expands to accommodate future technologies. Founded in 2008, Voalte is a privately held company based in Sarasota, Florida. Voalte solutions are now available to more than 132,000 caregivers throughout the United States. For more information, visit voalte.com or follow @Voalte on Twitter.

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Based on our research, advancing an organizations security agenda no longer rests upon educating its cyber workforce: rather, it must educate its entire workforce, across all departments, in cyber, said Dan Waddell.

(ISC) (ISC-squared) today announced a series of recommendations for the recently appointed federal chief information security officer (CISO) to consider in order to keep critical workforce issues at the forefront during the coming year of presidential transition. The recommendations were delivered last week directly to Federal CISO Brigadier General (retired) Gregory J. Touhill, government officials at the White House and the Office of Personnel Management, as well as other influencers within the federal workforce community.

As supported by data from The 2016 State of Cybersecurity from the Federal Cyber Executive Perspective: An (ISC) Report, leaders are realizing that people can be their organizations greatest cybersecurity asset, or their greatest liability. Federal executive survey respondents said that cybersecurity within their agencies continues to be viewed largely as an information technology endeavor, with many organizational departments ranking cybersecurity as unimportant to their roles. Consequently, people through actions both intentional and neglectful, remain the greatest security vulnerability to federal agencies, according to nearly half of federal executive survey respondents.

During the June gathering of (ISC)s U.S. Government Advisory Council (USGAC), Council members representing current and former CISO-level executives from federal agencies and departments were asked to build on these survey outcomes with specific recommended actions that address the following topics:



distinguishing between and addressing the needs of the cyber vs. general workforce;

improving awareness and vigilance across the organization;

and effectively addressing the shortage of talent based on the evolving role of the cyber professional.

Based on our research, advancing an organizations security agenda no longer rests upon educating its cyber workforce: rather, it must educate its entire workforce, across all departments, in cyber, said Dan Waddell, CISSP, CAP, PMP, USGAC chair, (ISC) managing director, North America Region, and director, U.S. Government Affairs. Our goal in delivering these recommendations to Brig. Gen. Touhill is to support workforce prioritization and facilitate dialogue among those in the federal CISO community as critical decisions are being made during the upcoming presidential transition period, and beyond.

For a copy of the letter sent to members of the U.S. government cybersecurity community that includes a complete list of (ISC)s recommendations, please visit https://www.isc2.org/isc2-to-fedCISO.

About (ISC)

(ISC) is an international nonprofit membership association focused on inspiring a safe and secure cyber world. Best known for the acclaimed Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) certification, (ISC) offers a portfolio of credentials that are part of a holistic, programmatic approach to security. Our membership, over 115,000 strong, is made up of certified cyber, information, software and infrastructure security professionals who are making a difference and helping to advance the industry. Our vision is supported by our commitment to educate and reach the general public through our charitable foundation  The Center for Cyber Safety and EducationTM. For more information on (ISC), visit http://www.isc2.org, follow us on Twitter or connect with us on Facebook.

 2016, (ISC) Inc., (ISC), CAP, CCFP, CCSP, CISSP, CSSLP, HCISPP, SSCP and CBK are registered marks of (ISC), Inc.
Rigaku NEX QC+ Energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence analyzer

Applied Rigaku Technologies, Inc. has published a new application report describing the measurement of oxides in phosphate rock. Information about sample preparation, calibration and repeatability is included in the report.

Rigaku Application Note #1587 describes a method employing energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence (EDXRF) for the measurement of phosphorus pentoxide (P2O5) and magnesium oxide (MgO), as well as other major oxides in phosphate rock.

Phosphate rock is mined from high phosphorous clay deposits and processed to be used in fertilizers. During mining and processing, levels of P2O5 and MgO, as well as other major oxides, are monitored to ensure proper product quality is achieved and the desired physical and chemical properties are maintained.

For the analysis described in the report, the sample was ground to a homogeneous powder, approximately 200 mesh, from which a 6 g hydraulically pressed pellet was produced. An empirical calibration was built using a set of seven commercially available standards. Each sample was measured in static position for ten repeat analyses using a total analysis time of 400 sec per measurement.

The analysis was performed using the Rigaku NEX QC+ high-resolution benchtop EDXRF spectrometer. Designed for demanding QC/QA applications, or for situations where analysis time or sample throughput is critical, the NEX QC+ spectrometer employs next generation silicon detector technology and features a 50 kV X-ray tube for wide elemental coverage. The self-contained unit with touch screen operation is ideally suited for at-line quality checks or the QA/QC lab.

The performance shown in the report demonstrates that the NEX QC+ analyzer provides excellent sensitivity and performance for the measurement of P2O5, MgO and other major oxides in phosphate rock.

A copy of this report may be requested at

http://www.rigakuedxrf.com/edxrf/app-notes.html?id=1587_AppNote

About Rigaku

Since its inception in Japan in 1951, Rigaku has been at the forefront of analytical and industrial instrumentation technology. Rigaku and its subsidiaries form a global group focused on life sciences and general purpose analytical instrumentation. With hundreds of major innovations to its credit, Rigaku and its subsidiary companies are world leaders in the fields of small molecule and protein crystallography, Xray spectrometry and diffraction, X-ray optics, as well as semiconductor metrology. Rigaku employs over1,400 people globally and its products are in use in more than 90 countries  supporting research, development, and production control and quality assurance activities. Throughout the world, Rigaku continuously promotes partnerships, dialog, and innovation within the global scientific and industrial community.

For further information, contact:

Scott Fess

Product Manager

Applied Rigaku Technologies, Inc.

tel: +1. 512-225-1796

info(at)RigakuEDXRF(dot)com
In observance of the American Bar Associations National Pro Bono Week from Oct. 23-29, 2016, the West Palm Beach office of international law firm Greenberg Traurig, P.A. is hosting a 15th Circuit Pro Bono event to raise awareness of the legal needs of low and moderate income residents of Palm Beach County. The event will be held Monday, Oct. 24, from 5:00 to 7:30 p.m. at Greenberg Traurigs West Palm Beach office to honor Equal Justice Works (EJW) Fellows and Palm Beach Legal Aid Society staff attorneys for their contribution and dedication to equal justice and public service in the area.

More than 3 million Floridians are living at or below the federal poverty level, many of them suffering from civil legal problems and a lack of meaningful access to the civil justice system, according to U.S. Census Data. Bar members from the 15th Judicial Circuit provided more than 15,000 hours of pro bono service between July, 1, 2015 and June 30, 2016, according to The Florida Bar.

The event hosted by Greenberg Traurig is intended to encourage even more attorneys to get involved with pro bono cases within the 15th Circuit and help close the civil justice gap.

There is a serious need to help underserved residents obtain legal assistance and Pro Bono Week is a national celebration intended to attract, encourage, and inspire attorneys to provide more pro bono services to communities in need, said Hilarie Bass, Co-President of Greenberg Traurig and President-Elect of American Bar Association, who will also deliver the keynote address at the event. At Greenberg Traurig, we have a long-standing commitment to giving back to the community and helping to ensure equal access to justice.

In addition to Bass, other event speakers will include: The Honorable Jorge Labarga, Florida Chief Justice (appearing by video); Robert Bertisch, Esq., Executive Director, Legal Aid Society and The Honorable Samantha Schosberg Feuer, Chair, 15th Judicial Circuit Pro Bono Committee.

Attorneys in the firms Palm Beach County offices have been recognized for their ongoing community involvement in pro bono work, providing legal services to underrepresented populations. Anthony P. Vernace, a shareholder in the West Palm Beach Real Estate Practice, was honored by the Legal Aid Society of Palm Beach County in 2016 for his pro bono services to the YMCA of the Palm Beaches. Bridget Berry, a West Palm Beach litigation shareholder and the pro bono coordinator for the firms Palm Beach County office, was awarded the Presidents Pro Bono Service Award for the 15th Judicial Circuit by The Florida Bar for her contributions to Equal Justice Works. Shareholder Stephen Mendelsohn dedicated pro bono services on behalf of Ruth and Norman Rales Jewish Family Services.

Greenberg Traurig provides funding through the Greenberg Traurig Fellowship Foundation for lawyers and law students to work with public interest groups to serve low-income and underrepresented populations. Since 1999, this firm has sponsored nearly 142 Equal Justice Works Fellows in 40 cities across the country. In Palm Beach, Greenberg Traurig has sponsored six Equal Justice Works fellows. To learn more about Equal Justice Works, please visit http://www.equaljusticeworks.org.

The National Pro Bono Celebration is a nationwide event that focuses attention on the increased need for pro bono legal services during challenging economic times and celebrates the outstanding work of lawyers who volunteer their legal services. For more information about National Pro Bono Week, please visit http://www.probono.net/celebrateprobono/.

About Greenberg Traurig, LLP

Greenberg Traurig, LLP is an international, multi-practice law firm with approximately 2,000 attorneys serving clients from 38 offices in the United States, Latin America, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. The firm is No. 1 on the 2015 Law360 Most Charitable Firms list, third largest in the U.S. on the 2015 Law360 400, on the 2015 Am Law Global 100, and among the 2015 BTI Brand Elite. More information at: http://www.gtlaw.com.
Buick's achievement is commendable and sure to be a wake-up call to other manufacturers.

While Asian brands continue to dominate, Buick has become the first domestic brand in more than three decades to earn a place in the top three most reliable brands in Consumer Reports Annual Brand Reliability Survey. The findings were announced during a press conference before the Automotive Press Association in Detroit today.

There was trouble, too, for one of the imports: Hondas popular Civic model proved to have much-worse-than-average reliability due to problems with its power equipment and infotainment systems. The Civic was North American Car of the Year for 2016.

Buick, General Motors near-luxury brand, has been hovering in the top 10 of CRs brand reliability rankings for the past few years. But CRs latest findings show Buick has joined Lexus and Toyota on the podium for the first time since the organization began tracking brand performance in the early 1980s. Chevrolet ranks as the second-best domestic brand and is in 15th place overall among the 29 brands covered.

Consumer Reportsthe worlds largest and most trusted consumer nonprofitfirst published its annual brand reliability rankings in 2001. That initial analysis showed that domestic nameplate vehicles had been lagging behind Japanese and European imports for the previous 20 years. Factoring in that history makes Buicks third-place finish the highest for any American brand in more than 35 years.

Buicks achievement is commendable and sure to be a wake-up call to other manufacturers, said Jake Fisher, Consumer Reports director of automotive testing. One reason why the brand has been able to leapfrog others in the General Motors stable has been its limited vehicle lineup--with none of the pickups and truck-based SUVs that have negatively impacted Cadillac and Chevrolet.

All of the Asian nameplates scored among the top half of the 29 brands tested, accounting for seven of the top 10 spots. Lexus and Toyota continued their domination, finishing in first and second place for the fourth straight year. All nine Lexus models CR rated had better-than-average reliability, as would have Toyota, had it not been for the below average score of the redesigned 2016 Tacoma pickup truck.

Among the other Asian brands, Infiniti made the biggest gain, while Acura was up six spots and Nissan moved up two. All Mazda models remained above average except for the new CX-3 small SUV, which came in at average. Kia and Hyundai continue to surge up the rankings, coming in at five and seven this year. No Kia or Hyundai models scored below average.

Honda has continued with its erratic trajectory, making landfall at number 10 among all brands. Usually a top finisher known for reliability, the brand has been hurt by new introductions. In addition to the new Civic, the redesigned Pilot SUV was just average.

Historically a strong performer, Subaru is an example of how smaller manufacturers can be helpedor hinderedby the performance of one or two models. Subaru fell out of the top 10, hurt by the 2016 Legacy and Outback falling to average, and the sporty WRX/STi dropping to below average.

Reliability improvements helped some luxury brands move up. Infiniti jumped 16 spots to number eight, but the brand still runs hot and cold. The older QX50 SUV and Q70 sedan had top scores, but the newer QX60 SUV and Q50 sedan were below average. BMW also moved into the top 10, with the 5 Series, X5, and i3 improving to average.

Audi has had several years of upward progress, and it continues to rank in the top five. The new Q7 and the Q3 SUVs were very reliable. Other European brands continue their inconsistency. Mercedes was one of the big movers, jumping four spots to number 17. The 2016 GLC, which replaced the reliable GLK, launched with well-above-average reliability, and the GLA and GLE SUVs were average. But the large GLS SUV was among the 20 most trouble-prone new cars in the survey, and the C- and S-Class sedans remained unreliable.

Volkswagen and Volvo, however, tumbled. Aside from the Tiguan SUV, all other VW models had below average reliability. The redesigned XC90 was the big culprit in Volvos plunge to the bottom third ranking, with its touch-screen infotainment and climate systems being particularly problematic.

Transmissions with more ratios and advanced drivetrains continue to be a challenge for a number of brands. While the Acura TLX and Jeep Cherokee have seen improvements in the reliability of their nine-speed automatics, earlier models are still problematic. Fords dual-clutch automatic transmission continues to afflict the Fiesta and Focus, which is one reason they are among the lowest-scoring models. Likewise, early versions of the current Nissan Pathfinder and similar Infiniti QX60 SUVs continue to suffer from problems with their continuously variable transmissions.

Other GM marques did not fare as well as Buick. Chevrolet saw gains, moving up five spots since last year. It was helped in particular by the stellar reliability of the redesigned 2016 Cruze, which topped all compact cars, and the Corvette, which moved up to average. Cadillac has two models with below-average reliabilitythe Escalade and small ATS sedanwhile the CTS and XTS sedans were average or better. GMC has dropped, hurt by its versions of the same large SUVs and pickup trucks that haunt Chevrolet.

Consumer Reports requires at least two models with sufficient data in order to be included in its brand reliability rankings. With the introduction of the new Model X SUV, Tesla is now included and is ranked toward the bottom, at 25th. The Model X launched with abundant problems, including frequent malfunctions of the falcon-wing doors, water leaks, and infotainment and climate-control system problems. The Model S gained ground this year, improving to average reliability.

Fiat-Chrysler continues its turbulent voyage. The Fiat 500L, the most trouble-prone new car for the past two years, is now only the seventh-most troublesome. No Fiat or Ram vehicle managed even an average reliability rating. Only the Chrysler 300 sedan, Dodge Grand Caravan minivan, and Jeep Patriot SUV managed an average or better score.

Follow Consumer Reports or Facebook at facebook.com/consumerreports and on Twitter @consumerreports for more coverage of CRs 2016 annual #reliability survey.

The Consumer Reports 2016 Annual Auto Reliability Survey, gathered information from Consumer Reports subscribers who collectively owned or leased over half a million vehicles, from model years 2000 to 2016, with a smattering of 2017s, covering more than 300 models. More information can be found at http://www.ConsumerReports.org and in the December 2016 issue of Consumer Reports magazine.

About Consumer Reports

Consumer Reports is the worlds largest and most trusted nonprofit consumer organization, working to improve the lives of consumers by driving marketplace change. Founded in 1936, Consumer Reports has achieved substantial gains for consumers on food and product safety, financial reform, health reform, and many other issues. The organization has advanced important policies to prohibit predatory lending practices, combat dangerous toxins in food, and cut hospital-acquired infections. Consumer Reports tests and rates thousands of products and services in its 50-plus labs, state-of-the-art auto test center, and consumer research center. It also works to enact pro-consumer laws and regulations in Washington, D.C., in statehouses, and in the marketplace. An independent nonprofit, Consumer Reports accepts no advertising, payment, or other support from the companies that create the products it evaluates.

NOVEMBER 2016

 2016 Consumer Reports. The material above is intended for legitimate news entities only; it may not be used for advertising or promotional purposes. Consumer Reports is an expert, independent nonprofit organization whose mission is to work for a fair, just, and safe marketplace for all consumers and to empower consumers to protect themselves. We accept no advertising and pay for all the products we test. We are not beholden to any commercial interest. Our income is derived from the sale of Consumer Reports, ConsumerReports.org and our other publications and information products, services, fees, and noncommercial contributions and grants. Our Ratings and reports are intended solely for the use of our readers. Neither the Ratings nor the reports may be used in advertising or for any other commercial purpose without our permission. Consumer Reports will take all steps open to it to prevent commercial use of its materials, its name, or the name of Consumer Reports.
Service First Mortgage Company today announced that Joe Miller will join the company as Chief Operating Officer (COO).

Miller brings more than 27 years of mortgage industry and financial services experience to this role. He will oversee the operations of Service First Mortgage and lead strategic initiatives to drive growth and increase overall operational efficiency through process improvement and leveraging the latest technology.

I am extremely excited to welcome Joe to the Service First Mortgage team, said Shawn Broussard, CEO. He is a results-oriented executive with comprehensive experience in the leadership and management of large operations, strategy development, risk, technology innovation and operating model development. I am confident that Joe will help us further streamline our processes while continuing to provide best-in-class service to our customers and maintaining our unique culture.

Prior to joining Service First, Miller served in various national executive leadership roles over a 13-year career at Bank of America, including Vendor Operations Executive, Retail Operations Executive, Centralized Retail Operations Executive and Wholesale Operations Executive. In these roles, Miller led and executed large scale national operations, operating model optimization strategies and risk management execution. Core to these roles were a focus on the customer, speed and agility in processes, innovation and delivering quality.

Millers extensive leadership experience also includes positions with Wells Fargo Home Mortgage, Fifth Third Bank, Mellon Mortgage Company, BankAmerica Mortgage and Prudential Home Mortgage Company.

Miller earned a Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance from the University of Iowa.

####

About Service First Mortgage:

Service First Mortgage was established in 1997 and is headquartered in Richardson, Texas. Our mission is to deliver a better home financing experience by being an innovative, principle-based company of highly trained professionals.

After becoming a top lender in our home state of Texas, and with branches in Arizona and Florida, we have begun an aggressive expansion with plans to build on our established reputation and high service levels. Together, we continue to support the real estate community through our well trained, top performing loan officers. Visit http://www.servicefirstmtg.com to learn more about Service First Mortgage.

Media Contact: Sammy Gonzalez

Marketing Director, Service First Mortgage

Email: sgonzalez(at)servicefirstmtg(dot)com

214-576-2952
The stem cell conference organized by Ricardo De Cubas was a fine example of how international research starts with human interactions.

Last week, President Barack Obama took executive action to expand the opportunities for scientific collaboration and medical research between companies and individuals from the United States and Cuba. These changes in policy were part of a broader series of moves designed to increase the means for Americans and Cubans to work together in business, education, travel and medicine.

At the very same time the president was taking this action, an American company was taking the first steps to initiate this sort of scientific collaboration with the Cuban medical community. Regenestem (http://www.regenestem.com), a medical practice company focused on adult stem cell treatments and physician training, hosted an innovative conference in Cuba devoted to regenerative medicine.

The First Inter American Regenerative and Cellular Medicine Conference was held October 13-15, in Havana. The event was attended by 180 physicians and other medical professionals from 14 different countries.

The three-day event, organized by Regenestem Founder & CEO Ricardo De Cubas, was designed to explore stem cell therapies as a standard form of medical treatment. In addition, the conference addressed specific issues involving the process of replacing, engineering or regenerating human cells, tissues and organs to restore or establish a bodys normal function.

The roster of prominent physicians in the field of regenerative medicine who spoke at the conference were:



Anthony Atala, M.D. - Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, N.C.

Rocky S. Tuan, PhD  University of Pittsburgh

Arnold I. Caplan, PhD - Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio

Robert M. Nerem, PhD  Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta

Jakub Tolar, M.D., PhD - University of Minnesota, Minneapolis

Joshua M. Hare, M.D. - University of Miami Miller School of Medicine

Charles F. Mahl, M.D.  GenLife Regenerative Medicine, Coral Gables, Fla.

The stem cell conference organized by Ricardo De Cubas was a fine example of how international research starts with human interactions, said Dr. Tolar, director of the Stem Cell Institute at the University of Minnesota. Derived in part from shared knowledge of regenerative medicine literature and in part from the shared goal of alleviating human suffering anywhere in the world, the meeting of Cuban and American clinician-researchers offered a blueprint for future interactions.

The second annual conference is scheduled for November 2017 in Varadero, Cuba.

About Regenestem, LLC

Regenestem (http://www.regenestem.com) is a U.S.-based medical practice company focused on providing comprehensive solutions involving adult stem cell treatments and research. The firm has assembled a talented staff of medical specialists - professionals trained in the latest cutting-edge procedures and protocols in cellular medicine. Regenestem is certified for the medical tourism market - and staff physicians are board-certified or board-eligible, providing services in more than 10 specialties. Regenestem investigates, shares, utilizes and integrates the latest protocols in the adult stem cell arena to deliver the best medical solutions to its patients. The brand includes a membership association of regenerative medicine clinics, a training and education division, and an online store.
I look forward to bringing Levvels deep capabilities and innovative culture to the APAC region, where we can further help clients create and manage disruptive technology solutions.

Levvel, LLC, a fast-growing IT consulting firm based in Charlotte, North Carolina, is pleased to announce the addition of Akhil Bhaskar to its executive leadership team. Bhaskar joins as the Managing Director of the companys offerings in the Asia-Pacific region. In this position, he will have profit and loss responsibility for the APAC region and will oversee sales, delivery, hiring, and day-to-day operations.

I have known much of Levvels senior leadership for years and have enjoyed watching them expand the business throughout North America, says Bhaskar. I look forward to bringing Levvels deep capabilities and innovative culture to the APAC region, where we can further help clients create and manage disruptive technology solutions.

Levvels decision to build a presence in the region comes as it seeks opportunities to better serve their clients, many of whom are increasingly serving global markets. We are already working with a number of U.S.-based customers having operations in Australia and Asia; it made sense to build the capability to serve them locally, says John Espey, CEO of Levvel.

Matt Ernst, co-founder of Levvel, calls the appointment an important milestone, and recognizes the natural alignment between the companys goals and Bhaskars proven record as a strategic, effective leader. I have had the pleasure of knowing Akhil for over 15 years and have witnessed his development into an incredible leader and strategic thinker, says Ernst. Our combined vision for APAC aligns well; Akhil will play a pivotal role in Levvels evolution into a world-class IT consultancy.

Bhaskar brings over 16 years of IT experience to Levvel, particularly in the areas of enterprise software, cloud technology, and integration. He relocated to Melbourne, Australia in 2010 to establish the JBoss Middleware practice for Red Hat. Over the next three years, he helped create teams spanning sales, technical sales, and consulting roles, achieving a thirty-fold increase in revenues across the Australia and New Zealand region. Prior to his time in Australia, he was responsible for the companys middleware consulting offerings in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States and in Canada. Most recently, he served as Red Hats Director of Global Partner and Technology Enablement. He has also consulted customers throughout the Asia-Pacific region on a number of topics, such as DevOps, Cloud, and open source.

About Levvel

Levvel is an IT consulting firm that combines the innovative DNA of a start up with the wisdom, scalability, and rigor of a Fortune 100 company. We help big companies innovate like startups and small businesses scale like industry leaders, providing both technical implementation and strategic advisory services to companies across a wide range of industries. Our comprehensive set of services includes a specialized focus in the following areas: DevOps, cloud technologies, mobile, UI/UX, product innovation and design, payment strategy, big data, and analytics. Levvel is headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, and has offices in Washington, D.C., San Francisco, New York City, Richmond, and Melbourne, Australia. Vist us at http://www.levvel.io to learn more.
The iPhone 7 is getting a lot of flack in China. (Photo : Getty Images)

Apple's new iPhone 7 models have been recently criticized for having the smaller variants slower than their larger counterparts and now some iPhone 7 Plus models reportedly have poor 4G reception due to Intel chips.



Not all of the iPhone 7 Plus models have slow download and upload speeds for the mobile data connection. Only those models that used the Intel modem chips have been found to perform worse than their Qualcomm counterparts.



Advertisement

Earlier reports suggested that the 32GB iPhone 7 models had slower read and write speeds for the internal storage compared to a 128GB or 256GB variant. Now, there is also a difference between those iPhone 7 Plus models sold outside of the United States, Japan and China which used Intel chips.



Cellular Insights have done some tests to see reception quality and speeds for the iPhone 7 Plus models and found out that the ones with Intel modems had poorer network performance under not so ideal conditions, Trusted Reviews has learned. Both did provide the same quality if the conditions were optimal.



Apple did not use non-Qualcomm parts for their iPhones and the iPhone 7 is the first exception. It seems like the Intel decision was not a good one considering the negative feedback those models are receiving now due to the poor connection.



There are also other features that are not present in the iPhone 7 Plus with Intel modem chips which makes it worse besides the network performance alone, Mac World reported. Some of the not supported features include the Ultra HD Voice and Enhanced Voice Services which aim to increase the clarity of the users' phone calls.



The Cupertino-based tech giant has not yet commented on the reports. Some fans are now outraged seeing as Apple seems to have cut corners with the iPhone 7.



Cellular Insight's report stated: " We are not sure what was the main reason behind Apple's decision to source two different modem suppliers for the newest iPhone."



There are still some ways to get the iPhone 7 Plus models with Qualcomm chips but that would involve paying for expensive shipping fees. Users who want them can buy them from online stores that have the US versions of the smartphone from Apple.






The Hualapai Tribe and Grand Canyon West will mark the 20th anniversary of the Hualapai Lodge hotel along historic Route 66 on Tuesday, October 25, 2016, with a ceremony gathering together scores of tribal officials and elected and business leaders from across the region. In honor of the event, Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey has declared Tuesday Hualapai Tribe and Grand Canyon West Day in an official proclamation from his office.

The hotel, which features more than 60 guest rooms, was first opened in 1996 along the longest stretch of highway left of the original Route 66. It serves as the primary starting point for thousands of travelers looking to explore the West Rim of the Grand Canyon. Rooms at the hotel and its lobby feature authentic Hualapai artwork, cultural icons and performances.

The ceremony commemorating the opening of the lodge begins at 11 a.m., Tuesday. The hotel is located at 900 Historic Route 66, Peach Springs AZ 86434.

Duceys proclamation focuses on how the Tribe, its Grand Canyon Resort Corporation and the hotel have added to the tourism economy of the region and the state. It reads:

WHEREAS, the State of Arizona and the Hualapai Tribe for many years have enjoyed a cooperative partnership on issues and efforts impacting all Arizonans; and

WHEREAS, the Hualapai Tribe, also known as The People of the Tall Pines, have promoted tourism to stimulate economic growth and job creation for residents who call Mohave County home; and

WHEREAS, the Grand Canyon Resort Corporation is owned by the Hualapai Tribe to oversee the operation of Grand Canyon West which offers unparalleled experiences from sky, land water that have attracted millions of visitors from around the world; and

WHEREAS, the Hualapai Lodge is located in Peach Springs and has played a vital role in increasing tourism along historic Route 66 for the past twenty years; and

WHEREAS, the 25th day of October 2016, marks the 20th anniversary of the grand opening of the Hualapai Lodge; and

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Douglas A. Ducey, Governor of the State of Arizona, do hereby proclaim October 25, 2016 as

Hualapai Tribe and Grand Canyon West Day

For more information about Hualapai Lodge and the Tribes tourism entities, visit the Grand Canyon West web site: http://www.grandcanyonwest.com/.
Panna cotta with wine-poached cherries We encourage all cherry lovers to think outside the pie for National Cherry Month and discover new and unique ways to use them.

In honor of National Cherry Month this February, Oregon Fruit Products is showing consumers how to make a whole meal out of its canned cherries. Boasting three distinct flavors ranging from sweet to tart, theres a cherry to suit any kind of dish at any course of a meal, any time of year.

Oregon Fruit Products cherries are canned soon after picking, making them a kitchen cupboard staple that is fresh-tasting and versatile for everything from cocktails to salads to main dishes, says Chris Sarles, CEO of Oregon Fruit Products. We encourage all cherry lovers to think outside the pie for National Cherry Month and discover new and unique ways to use them.

To that end, Oregon Fruit has released some new recipes that make cherries the focal point of an entire meal:



Oregon Fruit Products offers three varieties of canned cherries, all canned within hours of picking: Dark Sweet, Royal Anne and Red Tart. The red tart Montmorency cherry has become particularly popular for its healthful anthocyanins: deep-colored pigments that are responsible for the cherrys crimson color. Grown in Michigan, Montmorency cherries boast a multitude of anti-inflammatory benefits  from decreasing muscle soreness, to combating gout, to helping with insomnia. Oregon Fruit Products Red Tart Cherries contain no added sugar, so they are perfect for adding to dishes and drinks that balance richness with the cherries bright acidity.

All of Oregon Fruit Products are Non-GMO Project Verified, packaged in cans without a Bisphenol A (BPA) lining, and made without high fructose corn syrup. They are available at most grocers nationwide.

Oregon Fruit Products LLC

Founded in 1935, Oregon Fruit Products offers a complete line of canned, frozen and shelf-stable premium fruit for consumers, foodservice operators and ingredient sales. The company is located in Salem, Oregon and can be found on the web at oregonfruit.com.
Apollo Video Technology (Apollo Video), a leading manufacturer of mobile video surveillance and fleet management solutions, is ranked number 68 on Puget Sound Business Journals list of 100 Fastest-Growing Private Companies in Washington State for 2016. Earlier this year, Apollo Video was ranked number 26 on Puget Sound Business Journals list of 50 Eastside Fastest-Growing Private Companies.

Apollo Video is honored to be recognized with other leading companies from across the state of Washington, said Rodell Notbohm, CEO of Apollo Video Technology. We wouldnt be part of this impressive group without the dedication of our employees and their exemplary customer service. They are critical to our continued growth and we make it a priority to hire the best local talent committed to creating innovative and forward-thinking video and information management solutions for our customers.

The Puget Sound Business Journals list honors 100 privately held companies with the largest percentage of revenue growth between 2013 and 2015, based on minimum revenue of $500,000 or more in 2013. The 100 companies that made the Business Journals 2016 list collectively had revenue of nearly $3.17 billion in 2015, an increase of 137.26 percent over their total revenue in 2013. Together these companies employ more than 9,500 employees  7,083 of them are located in Washington State.

Delivering cutting-edge mobile video surveillance solutions for transit and government agencies worldwide, the company has partnered with more than 28 public agencies in Washington State. Agencies include King County Metro, Community Transit, Pierce Transit, Whatcom Transit, Skagit Transit, the Clark County Public Transit Benefit Authority (C-Tran), Everett Transit and Sound Transit.

Apollo Video offers agencies technologically advanced surveillance solutions that enhance safety, deliver comprehensive video evidence, and increase the efficiency of operations through easy management and distribution of video and supplementary vehicle data. Such capabilities have become crucial to fleet operations nationwide, especially as the use of camera surveillance on buses and trains has begun to extend beyond the core requirements of safety and security to include planning and scheduling, maintenance, and training programs.

Follow Apollo Video Technology on Twitter @ApolloVideo.

About Apollo Video Technology

Apollo Video Technology is a leading manufacturer of video surveillance, fleet and information management solutions for public transit, rail, school transportation, law enforcement, military, commercial transportation, fire and EMS applications. With public and private-sector installations throughout North America and worldwide, the RoadRunner mobile video and audio recording system provides exceptional video quality with management software optimized for wireless downloading and live video streaming.

Renowned for its reliability, durability and ease of use, Apollo Video solutions improve accessibility of data and deliver streamlined, fleet-wide management of video surveillance and on-board equipment to reduce liability, mitigate risk, improve efficiency and reduce maintenance and operating costs. Apollo Video is unique in the industry with software interoperability and compatibility across multiple generations of hardware.

In 2015, Apollo Video was named the No. 1 supplier of transit bus mobile video surveillance equipment in the Americas [1]  an achievement held since 2010 that further supports the company's commitment to offer its customers superior, compatible solutions throughout the lifetime of their fleet.

Since its release in 2004, Apollo Video has supplied the RoadRunner system to over 400 agencies worldwide, representing more than 30,000 total implementations.

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[1] 2015, 2013 and 2011 editions of IHS World Market Report for Mobile Video Surveillance Equipment (http://www.ihs.com)
This team has done a tremendous job with an incredible community in an outstanding location. Bainbridge Shady Grove Metro is the premier community in the area, in terms of both the quality of amenities and finishes and the unparalleled living experience."

The Bainbridge Companies and National Real Estate Advisors today announced that Bainbridge Shady Grove Metro has been selected as a winner in Delta Associates 20th Annual Washington/Baltimore Apartment Industry Awards for Excellence.

The 417-unit apartment community in Rockville, Md., which opened in September 2015, received the Best Lease-Up Pace for a Suburban Maryland Apartment Community award. The awards ceremony was held Oct. 19 in Washington, D.C.

"We could not be more proud of Bainbridge Shady Grove Metro and its leasing staff," said Tom Keady, President & Chief Operating Officer of The Bainbridge Companies. "This team has done a tremendous job with an incredible community in an outstanding location, and they are richly deserving of this award. Bainbridge Shady Grove Metro is the premier community in the area, in terms of both the quality of amenities and finishes and the unparalleled living experience the on-site team delivers."

Jeff Kanne, President and CEO of National, said This project is a prime example of Nationals commitment to invest in development projects which compete effectively with other properties in attracting residents because of quality features, location, and attention to detail in concept, delivery, and management.

Located just steps from the Shady Grove Metro station, Bainbridge Shady Grove Metro offers convenient access to I-270, I-370 and the Intercounty Connector, enabling residents to easily move about the metro Washington, D.C., area. Numerous restaurants and retail establishments are located nearby on Rockville Pike. Residents also have easy access to major professional employers such as Lockheed Martin, Shady Grove Adventist Hospital, The Universities at Shady Grove and IBM.

Bainbridge Shady Grove Metro also sits on the former site of the locally famous Reed Brothers Dodge dealership, which opened in 1915 and was the first Dodge dealership in Maryland history. A sculpture standing more than 20 feet high and over 6 feet wide on the front lawn of the community commemorates the dealership. The sculpture incorporates the look of 1939 Dodge headlamps and the fender of a 1957 Dodge pickup truck.

"During the latter part of 2012, Bainbridge proactively contacted me and asked if I would work with them to help showcase the dealership history into the design of the development, said Jeanne Gartner, granddaughter of Lewis Reed, founder of Reed Brothers Dodge. It was an honor to have served as their 'history consultant. I worked closely with Sabine Roy of SR/A Interior Design and sculptor TJ Aitken to pay tribute to a century of history at the new development.

To further preserve the historical significance of the location and create a cohesive brand, Bainbridge included various automobile-themed touches throughout the community and its marketing collateral. Residents of Bainbridge Shady Grove Metro can select from community's floor plans named after Dodge vehicles such as the Durango, Dart, Dakota, Phoenix or Viper.

"Honoring the rich historical legacy of this site was extremely important to us," Keady said. "With the sculpture and the floor plan names, our residents and visitors feel a real connection to the site's past, and we pay tribute to Reed Brothers Dodge's role in creating a vibrant Rockville."

Bainbridge Shady Grove Metro offers one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments. The apartment homes feature open layouts with separate dining rooms, hardwood-style floors, designer lighting packages, modern kitchens with islands, granite countertops, full-sized washers and dryers, and Juliet balconies in select apartments.

Notable community amenities include a South Beach-style pool area with cabanas, a fire pit and in-pool tanning decks. Bainbridge Shady Grove Metro also features a casual bar with clubroom seating and a green roof with grass to insulate the building and mitigate the heat-island effect. Other amenities include a fully equipped fitness center featuring an array of cardio equipment, free weights, weight machines and suspension training; a courtyard with a fire pit; cyber cafe; and storage units.

Delta Associates has provided consulting and research services and subscription reports to the commercial real estate industry for more than 35 years. The organization is experienced in the apartment, condominium, office, retail, hotel and mixed-use sectors.

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About The Bainbridge Companies, LLC

The Bainbridge Companies is a leading owner, developer and manager of luxury multifamily apartment communities in the Eastern United States. Founded in 1997, Bainbridge is a fully integrated family of real estate companies engaged in the development, construction, management and acquisition of residential and commercial real estate. Bainbridge is headquartered in Wellington, Fla., and Bethesda, Md., with regional offices in Raleigh, N.C., Orlando, Fla., and the New York Tri-State area. Our team consists of over 500 passionate professionals in Florida, Maryland, New York, North Carolina, Virginia and Washington, DC.

About National Real Estate Advisors, LLC

National Real Estate Advisors is a leading investment manager, specializing in build-to-coredeveloping and owning large-scale, urban commercial and multifamily projects for its institutional client accounts. National constructs investment portfolios of stabilized modern property assetsapartment, office, mixed-use, industrial, data center and hotelwith design features, technological enhancements, and amenities that can drive high tenant demand and create value for investors. The firm is a subsidiary of the National Electrical Benefit Fund. For more information, please visit http://www.natadvisors.com.
Through the soybean checkoff, farmers contribute one-half of one percent of the net market value of soybeans at the first point of sale to support research, marketing and education projects.

Frank Hrupsa of Harrington, Del., has been elected to the board of directors of the Delaware Soybean Board. His term began Oct. 1.

Hrupsa raises soybeans, corn, sorghum and small grains in Kent County, Del. He also farms with his father and fellow DSB director Dale Blessing.

Hrupsa joins Blessing, seven other farmer-directors and the Secretary of Agriculture on the Delaware Soybean Board.

Jay Baxter of Georgetown was re-elected chairman of the board. Blessing, of Harrington, was re-elected vice chairman. Jon Snow of Smyrna continues to serve as treasurer.

Rounding out the board are Robbie Emerson and Bob Uniatowski, both of Middletown, representing New Castle County. Cory Atkins of Seaford, Yolonda Messick of Lincoln, Fred West of Frankford and Baxter represent Sussex County. Blessing, Hrupsa and Snow represent Kent County.

Delaware farmers plant about 180,000 acres of soybeans each year, and the crop generates approximately $60 million in value to the state. Delawares agricultural industry contributes about $8 billion per year to the Delaware economy.

The Delaware Soybean Board consists of nine farmer-directors and the Secretary of Agriculture. Funded through a one-half of one percent assessment on the net market value of soybeans at their first point of sale, the checkoff works with partners in the value chain to identify and capture opportunities that increase farmer profit potential. One-half of the soybean checkoff assessments collected by the state boards are forwarded to the United Soybean Board.

About Delaware Soybean Board: The Delaware Soybean Board administers soybean checkoff funds for soybean research, marketing and education programs in the state. One-half of the checkoff funds stay in Delaware for programs; the other half is sent to the United Soybean Board. To learn more about the Delaware Soybean Board, visit desoybeans.org.

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"We are thrilled to expand the reach of our faculty practice and offer high-quality care to the Rutgers family in New Brunswick, as well as area residents and workers,'' said Dean Cecile A. Feldman

Rutgers Health University Dental Associates proudly announces the opening of its new faculty practice in New Brunswick, where dentists and specialists offer the latest treatments.

The practice is located blocks from Rutgers' Old Queens Campus, in the heart of New Brunswick at 135 Somerset St. It welcomes Rutgers staff, faculty and students, in addition to residents and corporate workers.

In a modern private practice setting, specialists and dentists who teach at the Rutgers School of Dental Medicine treat patients directly, rather than overseeing students. The New Brunswick office joins Rutgers Health University Dental Associates' Newark practice at 90 Bergen St. on the Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences campus.

"We are thrilled to expand the reach of our faculty practice and offer high-quality care to the Rutgers family in New Brunswick, as well as area residents and workers," said Dean Cecile A. Feldman of the Rutgers School of Dental Medicine. "Our practitioners are teaching the next generation of dentists, so not only are they highly skilled, they understand the best and newest research and can apply that knowledge when working with patients."

In both locations, Rutgers Health University Dental Associates provides a full range of expert care, from family dentistry to complex specialty needs. The practice accepts most insurance plans.

For appointments, patients are encouraged to call (732) 235-5050, New Brunswick or (973) 972-2444, Newark. Rutgers University Dental Associates will also provide information during RU open enrollment health benefit fairs. To learn more about the practice, visit http://www.rutgersdentists.org.

University Dental Associates is part of Rutgers Health, the most comprehensive academic health care provider organization in the state. Patients have access to care and treatment from faculty at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey. The staff also offers routine and preventive oral health care for all ages.
Ejay Filtration Machine Shop As an industry leader of filtration products, we have improved the functionality of our website to make it extremely user-friendly in both securing information and requesting additional support.

Since it was founded in 1988, Ejay Filtration has grown to become one of the most successful and well-respected manufacturers of aerospace filtration products in the country. Today, the company is one of a select few manufacturers whose products meet the quality standards necessary to secure contracts with NASA, the U.S. Military and companies in the commercial aerospace industries. The company is AS9100 and ISO9001 certified, and a Nadcap accredited stainless steel woven wire mesh filter manufacturer.

Over the course of its 28-year history, Ejay Filtration has manufactured custom stainless steel and wire mesh filtration products for organizations in a wide variety of industries, including but not limited to aerospace engineering, oil and gas exploration, defense and cryogenics. In addition to the contracts the company has secured with government agencies, it has also worked with major players in the private sector including Haliburton and Hamilton Sundstrand (now UTC Aerospace Systems following a merger with The Goodrich Corporation).

Ejay Filtration designs and manufactures all of its products in its own full-service machine shop. Today, the company prides itself on being a woman owned and operated corporation. In 2014, the company was recognized as one of the top three finalists in Southern Californias Spirit of the Entrepreneur Awards. Now, the filter manufacturer has launched a new, fully-redesigned website to facilitate quality customer service and user interaction.

I am proud to announce the launch of our new website, http://www.ejayfiltration.com, said President and CEO Cheryl Young in a statement. Ejay Filtration, Inc. continues to excel in diverse conditions through advanced engineering and filter manufacturing. As an industry leader of filtration products, we have improved the functionality of our website to make it extremely user-friendly in both securing information and requesting additional support.

To learn more about Ejay Filtration, you can find the companys representatives showcasing their products at the largest aviation trade show in the countrythe upcoming MRO Americas Aviation Week in Orlando, Florida from April 25-27, 2017.
Educating our youth on the dangers of drugs now, will have a great effect on what the future holds, in regards to this epidemic, and the number of overdoses in the community

Every year, at the end of October many groups come together for a very well known observance amongst law enforcement officials. This event does not symbolize the yearly celebration of Halloween with trick or treating. It is a rather solemn observance where our servicemen and women, parents, teachers, children and families come together. This observance is Red Ribbon Week.

The campaign serves to educate youth and communities to participate in drug prevention activities. Red Ribbon week came about in response to the murder of DEA agent Enrique Camarena. Angered parents and communities, from all over the country came together and began wearing red ribbons as a symbol of their commitment to raising awareness about the destruction of drugs in America.

The observance, now sponsored by the National Family Partnership has gained support from millions across the United States. This year marks the 31st year of Red Ribbon Week, which started in 1985.

Wickstrom Committed to Resolving the Michigan Drug Problem

Per Wickstrom, the CEO of several drug and alcohol rehabilitation programs in the state of Michigan donated over 10,000 coloring pages to local high schools and middle schools across the state in observance of Red Ribbon Week. Mr. Wickstrom feels that by promoting Red Ribbon Week and educating youth on drug prevention through these pages, teachers will have a chance to communicate about the drug problem.

With the help and guidance of our great local educators, children and teens can get information to help them recognize why they should stay away from drugs, and what they can do if they know someone with a substance abuse problem, says Wickstrom. Educating our youth on the dangers of drugs now, will have a great effect on what the future holds, in regards to this epidemic, and the number of overdoses in the community.

The Michigan Drug Problem

The drug problem has continued to grow in Michigan, negatively impacting families from across the state. Every single day, an average of two people in the state of Michigan lose their lives because of drug overdoses. According to the Michigan Free Press, overdoses in Michigan are up 14%.

Mr. Wickstrom and the staff at his facilities fully support Red Ribbon Week and helping the community through drug prevention efforts.

For more information visit http://www.perwickstrom.com.

Sources: http://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/2016/03/07/mich-drug-overdose-deaths-up-14-heroin-painkillers-culprits/81442912/

http://redribbon.org/about/
We see Vail.net being the premier resource for those living and visiting the Vail Valley area.

iWeSocial today announced the launch of a new, redesigned version of its website, Vail.net. Key enhancements of the site include a cleaner and more attractive design, a more engaging user experience with enhanced search and navigation, and feature rich content. The website is also entirely mobile friendly, or responsive.

The sites refreshed and simplified look, combined with enhanced content, improved search functionality, and optimization for mobile devices allow for residents and visitors to get the most of their Vail Valley experience. The site is a great resource for planning your trip to Vail for visitors or uncovering your weekend activity for Vail residents. Vail.net highlights top tier businesses in the area that offer a wide range of services and accommodations.

We see Vail.net being the premier resource for those living and visiting the Vail Valley area said Evan Escobedo, VP and GM of iWeSocial. Vail.net provides great ideas on what to do when they are in the area and the site highlights top tier businesses through our business partner network.

Vail.net provides an excellent opportunity for those businesses adjacent to Vail as well, looking to promote day trips to Vail visitors.

About Vail.net

Vail.net has been helping Vail Valley guests and people from all over the world plan their vacations since 1995. Whether you are looking for adventure, family time, or just rest and relaxation you will find what you are looking for right here.

Vail.net currently averages between 10,000 and 20,000 website visits per month depending on the month and season with the winter ski months being the prime season, and generates thousands of website visits to their paid clients websites. The primary goal of Vail.net is to generate traffic, new visitors, and bring awareness and clicks to their paid clients websites.

About iWeSocial

Headquartered in Denver, Colorado iWeSocial (a division of Zunesis, Inc.) is a digital marketing firm that serves small and large clients across multiple industries and verticals. We were founded in 2013 on the premise that social media marketing goes beyond a Like or a Share. We believe that digital marketing done right can bring tangible business return to an entire organization. We continue to help organizations realize their marketing goals by providing a world-class technology (iWeSocial IQ), proven process, and outstanding digital marketing expertise.
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The new iPhone 5S is displayed during an Apple product announcement at the Apple campus on September 10, 2013 in Cupertino, California. (Photo : Getty Images/ Justin Sullivan)

iPhone jailbreak could get significantly harder in the future as Apple plans to restrict the system to those who want to modify it. Apple's fans have been hoping that the company will loosen their grip on iOS, allowing more future jailbreaks.



After the release of iOS 10, it was rumored that the system has additional security features in place that made it more challenging to crack. No actual jailbreak has come out yet despite the mixed reports about the current status of the jailbreak for iOS 10, with rumors claiming that a jailbreak solution is around the corner.



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Pangu, a Chinese jailbreak development team, was expected to release the iOS 10 jailbreak; however, the hacker group have reportedly hit a wall in their effort to unlock iOS 10. The group seems to be stuck just like their competitors at the moment.



Pangu is reported to have made a working solution already but they have been having problems getting it to work properly on all iOS 10 devices. Some of the jailbreak tool users have criticized the group, claiming that they should just avail the iOS 10 jailbreak tool for the devices on which it is known to be stable.



Meanwhile, other hacking groups and individuals have been making some progress, but there is no complete solution yet. Luca Todesco, a well-known iOS hacker and developer, is said to have managed cracking his own device. However, this is hardly any consolation for anyone as Todesco has a reputation for not sharing his tools with the public, MobiPicker reported.



Apple has been quiet on the situation and the company has already said enough about their stance on jailbreaking in the past. The company has been having an issue with it, to the extent that they are not going to allow it in any form on their systems.



The tech giant, at one point, allowed users to side-load apps to their gadgets, and it was seen as a step in the right direction. Unfortunately, nothing else has happened since then.



Those who have been jailbreaking their iPhones have been enjoying some great additional features, which are not available on the standard iOS. However, Apple have made some worrying moves with regards to iOS 9, and it seems like it is no longer possible to downgrade to it after moving up to iOS 10, Macworld reported.



Watch iOS 10 Jailbreak and iOS 10.0.1 Jailbreak is possible with TaiG9's iOS 10 Jailbreak video here:






Dogs are one of the most common household pets in the world, so its curious that we know relatively little about their cognitive abilities when we know so much about the abilities of other animals, from primates to cetaceans. Over the last couple decades, researchers have been aiming to bridge this gap in scientific knowledge, investigating how our canine companions behave and what they know and why.

A special issue of Current Directions in Psychological Science is dedicated to exploring all that psychological scientists have learned about dog behavior and cognition in recent years.

Although Pavlovs classic work on conditioning was conducted with dogs, since then most research with animals has been done primarily with rats, pigeons, and primates (including humans), notes special issue editor and APS Fellow Thomas R. Zentall of the University of Kentucky in an introduction to the special issue. The reason for this shift in experimental subjects can be attributed to a number of factors, including the issue of keeping them housed in cages, and although dogs are generally quite available as companion animals, researchers have been reluctant to have to deal with the large range in breed characteristics, experience, and age.

In the past 20 years, however, researchers have recognized that those sources of variability may not be as great as once imagined, and a wealth of research on the cognitive abilities of dogs has appeared in the literature, Zentall explains.

The special issue offers an overview of the literature, highlighting the kinds of questions scientists have been trying to answer in an effort to understand the mental and social capacities of dogs, he adds.

The collection of articles underscores the unique relationship that dogs have with humans. Accumulated research shows, for example, that dogs are highly attentive to humans communicative cues  including pointing and eye gaze  and they are able to comprehend and respond to human spoken words. Studies also indicate that dogs can recognize individual humans based on their face and can discriminate between different expressions of emotion, at least to some degree.

But existing research also provides little evidence that dogs have a meaningful understanding of humans motivations and mental states, or the ability to reflect on their own mental states. Although studies suggest that dogs can solve complex visual tasks and store multisensory representations, dogs appear to have limited spatial memory and numerical discrimination. And data indicate that dogs sense of object permanence is roughly equivalent to that of a 1- to 2-year-old child.

There can be little argument that dogs are remarkable beings: Their ability to inveigle a larger, stronger, and surely more intelligent species to support their welfare is itself striking enough, writes APS Fellow Clive D. L. Wynne of Arizona State University in his article about dog cognition. But just because dogs are incredibly skilled when it comes to social interactions with humans doesnt necessarily mean that they have more advanced cognitive abilities than other animals do, he adds.

As many contributors to the special issue note, research on dogs particular capacities and abilities is still in its infancy. Existing studies tend to be small and underpowered, making it difficult to examine individual variability and complex behaviors. Furthermore, integration across multiple levels of analysis  including behavior, neurobiology, and genetics  tends to be rare. But momentum in the field seems to be building.

Although dogs had not been considered worthy of research for their own sake for many years, the situation has changed dramatically in the past decade, write Gregory S. Berns and Peter F. Cook, both of Emory University. There is now a veritable renaissance in canine behavioral research.

The fact that dogs are so socially adept means that they can be trained to participate in studies that employ a variety of investigative approaches, including relatively new technologies like noninvasive neuroimaging techniques. This opens up avenues for exploration that are not available to researchers who study most other animals.

As research methods improve and collaborative partnerships develop, the field stands to gain deeper insight into the mechanisms and processes that underlie dogs behavior. These insights may, in turn, elucidate important aspects of human behavior.

Bringing these scientific practices to bear on canine cognition will have huge advantages, researchers Rosalind Arden (London School of Economics and Politics, United Kingdom), Miles K. Bensky (University of Illinois at UrbanaChampaign), and Mark J. Adams (University of Edinburgh, Scotland) write in their review of 105 years worth of canine research. We have an immense amount to learn from these captivating animals. Lets go to the dogs.
Lee Jong Suk attends the Burberry Menswear January 2016 Show held in London, United Kingdom. (Photo : Getty Images/Gareth Cattermole)

Lee Jong Suk recently gave fans a special treat during the actor's fan meeting held in Taiwan. The South Korean celebrity reprised his role in the MBC drama "W - Two Worlds" to reenact some of the series' sweet scenes with lucky fans.



"W - Two Worlds" was one of the popular MBC dramas released this year that boasted of an original plot and intriguing storyline. Lee portrayed Kang Chul, a character in the webtoon titled "W" who gained the ability to go back and forth between the real world and the webtoon's universe. He was partnered with South Korean actress Han Hyo Joo who played Yeon Joo, a doctor and daughter of the webtoon creator.



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Apart from suspenseful scenes, the MBC drama also featured several romantic moments between the two protagonists. One of these scenes involved Kang Chul acting out sweet scenarios from a picture that included tying Yeon Joo's hair and more.



In Lee's recent Taiwan fan meeting, three lucky fans were called on stage to help the actor reenact the said romantic scenes. Described as a popular segment from the actor's current Asia fan meeting tour, the "Pinocchio" star allowed the chosen fans to use his shoulder as a pillow, engage in a sweet staring moment and hold hands together, Korea Herald reported.



The actor even memorized some of Kang Chul's lines and popular dialogues in Chinese to connect with his fans during the said event. Apart from reenacting scenes from "W," Lee also performed during the fan event and participated in several activities with his loyal followers.



In other news, Oct. 22, Saturday, marked the first day of production and filming activities for Lee's upcoming movie titled "VIP." The actor joined co-stars Park Hee Soo, Kim Myung Min and Jang Dong Gun in the movie's undisclosed filming location.



In an interview with Yonhap News, the film's director Park Hoon Jung stated that the upcoming movie will show a different side of the four South Korean actors. Known for the hit film "New World," the filmmaker also commented that "VIP" will be considered more than just a "noir" film despite its suspenseful storyline.



The upcoming movie will feature the story of a North Korean defector hunted by a North Korean spy, as well as the police. Lee portrays the said North Korean defector whom the police also identified as a suspect in a series of murder cases.



"VIP" is expected to hit South Korean movie theaters in 2017. Meanwhile, watch some of the romantic scenes from "W" below:






A North Cairo prosecution ordered on Monday the release of Khaled Abdel Latif, the administrator of a satirical Facebook page, pending investigation on charges including insulting state institutions.

Abdel Latif, founder and administrator of a page called Translation Done on Facebook, was arrested last weekend by security forces at his home.

On Sunday, prosecutors had ordered Abde-Latif detained 15 days pending investigation.

Abdel Latif, a copy writer at the prominent night puppet show Abla Fahita on CBC TV, also faces charges of inciting protests on 11 November and disturbing security and public peace.

Translation Cleared, long known for its sarcastic content on social issues and trends on social media, has more than one million likes on Facebook.

Mahmoud Ezzat, a colleague of Abdel Latif at Abla Fahita, told Ahram Online he believes an eight-second video that went viral on social media mocking Egypts President Abdel Fattah El-Sisis Change or Fakka initiative might be the reason behind his arrest.

Ezzat stressed that Abdel Latif does not have any political affiliations.

In the past week, several people have been detained on charges of joining the now-banned Muslim Brotherhood and inciting "illegal protests on 11 November," over the countrys economic situation.

No political or social group have backed the anonymous calls to protest.

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Ismailiya prosecution ordered on Monday the detention of El-Mostakbal Prison's warden and chief inspector for four days pending investigations into the escape of inmates from the prison last week, Ahram Arabic website reported.

The prosecution is accusing the two officers of "extreme negligence" and being directly responsible for the escape of six inmates from El-Mostakbal Prison, which serves as a temporary detention centre for prisoners who are being tried in nearby courts.

On Sunday, three other officers and 11 lower ranking policemen were ordered detained for four days pending investigations and also face charges of "extreme negligence."

The interior ministry announced on Monday the appointing of a new security director for the Suez Canal city of Ismailiya.

Last Thursday, six inmates escaped from the prison after taking possession of a guard's weapon.

An exchange of fire ensued inside the prison between security forces and the armed inmates, who received help from outside.

A local resident was killed and five policemen were injured in the gun battle, including a police major who was shot in the head and died Saturday from his injuries.

One of the six escaped inmates was apprehended on Friday and another was shot dead by police in Ismailiya.

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A cookie is a small text file that a website saves on your computer or mobile device when you visit the site. Cookies are widely used in order to make websites work, or work more efficiently, as well as to provide information to the owners of the site.Website use Google Analytics, a web analytics service provided by Google, Inc. ("Google") to help analyse the use of this website. For this purpose, Google Analytics uses"cookies", which are text files placed on your computer.The information generated by the cookies about your use of this website - standard internet log information (including your IP address) and visitor behaviour information in an anonymous form - will be transmitted to and stored by Google including on servers in the United States. Google will anonymize the information sent by removing the last octet of your IP address prior to its storage.According to Google Analytics terms of service, Google will use this information for the purpose of evaluating your use of the website and compiling reports on website activity.We not use, and not allow any third party to use the statistical analytics tool to track or to collect any personally identifiable information of visitors to this site. Google may transfer the information collected by Google Analytics to third parties where required to do so by law, or where such third parties process the information on Google`s behalf.According to Google Analytics terms of service, Google will not associate your IP address with any other data held by Google.You may refuse the use of Google Analytics cookies by downloading and installing Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on. The add-on communicates with the Google Analytics JavaScript (ga.js) to indicate that information about the website visit should not be sent to Google Analytics.Cookies are also used to record if you have agreed (or not) to our use of cookies on this site, so that you are not asked the question every time you visit the site.You can control and/or delete cookies as you wish. You can delete all cookies that are already on your computer and you can set most browsers to prevent them from being placed.Most browsers allow you to:If you chose to delete cookies, you should be aware that any preferences will be lost. Also, if you block cookies completely many websites (including ours) will not work properly and webcasts will not work at all. For these reasons, we do not recommend turning cookies off when using our webcasting services.
On Nov. 8 Rock Island County voters will be asked to approve a 1 percent sales tax for school construction. We urge voters to approve it.

Why? Picture a family visiting our community to look for a place to live. As the Realtor shows them suitable homes, she drives them past local schools. Schools in Iowa which have benefited for years from a school sales tax look like modern, 21st century learning centers.

The good news for the Illinois Q-C region, is that schools in Henry, Whiteside and Knox counties, which more recently approved the tax, already are moving in that direction. Geneseo, for example, is getting ready to create a shiny modern facility.

Meanwhile, schools in Rock Island County show the effects of deferred maintenance, so our family of newcomers settles elsewhere, our property taxes continue to decline, and our children attend outmoded schools lacking the infrastructure to power more than one computer and teach in a modern era. Thats surely one reason household growth has flatlined in RICo for years.

Meanwhile, new Iowa housetops drive retail growth and revitalization of other school districts.

That needs to happen here too.

Fairer than property taxes

The issue also goes to the root of the current unfair way local education is financed. Its hard to ignore concerns that another sales tax tips the economic playing field toward Iowa. But such fears are outweighed for us by the benefit of shifting some of the burden for schools off of Illinois unfair and growth-killing property taxes.

Currently, to pay for building projects, school boards ask voters to approve bond issues which are mostly paid off through higher property taxes. Most such bond issues would no longer be needed if this tax is approved, superintendents say.

School districts also levy a Life Safety Tax for essential building repairs. RICo districts have said they would eliminate that tax. If future boards dont live up to that promise, voters can and should turn them out of office.

If the tax is approved everyone buying taxable products in RICo will be paying to support our local schools. That means friends who live in Iowa but work or shop in Illinois; it means people just passing through. About one-fifth of the $11.5 million a year the tax is expected to raise is projected to come from people who dont live here.

Those new sales tax dollars would ease the pressure on local property taxpayers -- who, by the way, already are supporting our neighbors good schools when they make taxable purchases in surrounding bistate counties.

Opponents of the hike point to low scores, high teacher and administrator compensation, and fears that new sales tax would encourage school boards to enhance wages and benefits by shifting dollars. That is possible, but not legal; co-mingling funds would be quickly uncovered in annual audits, allowing voters to spot school boards which try to do so.

As for student performance, standardized tests measure how good students are at taking tests and memorizing information. They dont focus on things like the ability to research and analyze, to work together as a team, think outside the box, discuss or argue a point, or apply historical lessons to modern day challenges. All are necessary if our kids are to thrive in a modern world.

Record or near-record graduation rates at our local schools -- and the success of graduates after they leave -- are the real test of whether our schools are succeeding. Safe and modern learning spaces that make it easier to learn will give all of our kids the opportunity to succeed.

Proponents have said the 1 percent sales tax amounts to about $5 a month per person in Rock Island County. It does not apply to groceries, farm inputs, prescriptions and titled vehicles. That is a small price to pay to support growth of our communities, protect the value of our homes, ease the pressure on property taxes and give our students a 21st century learning environment.

We urge voters to support this crucial investment in our schools and our communities. We trust that our school leaders will do as they promise and if they dont we promise to lead the outcry to hold them accountable.
CAMBRIDGE --Ten candidates, five Republicans and five Democrats, are seeking the five seats to be filled from Henry County Board District One in the Nov. 8 election. District One covers roughly the north half of the county.

The Republicans are Kathy Nelson, Jacob Waller, Lawrence Reddick, Rex Kiser and Erik Brown. Democrats are Jo Anne Hillman, Ann DeSmith, William Womac, Don Thorsen and Paula Simosky.

The board, which has 20 members overall, oversees county government operations, including the highway department and Hillcrest Nursing Home.

Six of the 10 candidates responded to a questionnaire from The Dispatch and Rock Island Argus about, among other topics, the ongoing deficit in the county's general fund, what to do if a half-cent public safety tax referendum fails in November and ho w they would allocate one-time revenue from building permits for a new wind farm being planned in the county. Their responses follow:

The county is likely to have a fiscal year 2016 deficit of more than $700,000, and is projecting a deficit of more than $300,000 for fiscal year 2017. What are your thoughts on balancing the budget?

Ms. Nelson: Balancing the budget requires spending less money than the county receives. That is not only the responsibility of the county board but also every elected official, department head and employee of Henry County. We have reached the point that everyone must make concessions. In making concessions, the citizens of the county must also realize if making cuts to balance the budget are necessary, then expect less services, delayed services or fewer employees to provide those services. The time has come where everyone in the state is responsible for the financial disaster the state is facing.

Ms. Hillman: I think serious effort needs to made to try to get our budget back under control. It seems to be a trend in all governments to have out-of-control budgets, and I think that is a definite downfall to our success.

Mr. Womac: At this time, I am not involved in balancing the budget, but if I am elected, I will ensure that I devote all the time necessary in balancing the budget.

Mr. Thorsen: After examining current and proposed budgets, it appears that the county shortfall will be in the neighborhood of $300,000, which is still bad, but not as bad as the question implies. The recession has definitely hurt Henry County (by lowering sales tax revenues and slowing the building of new homes and businesses). Therefore, we need to continue to work to bring new revenue sources into the county. As examples: About a decade ago, the Democratic board set the groundwork for bringing in the revenues generated by local wind power; and, more currently, the county is looking into ways to draw more visitors by highlighting tourism and sporting opportunities. We need to be creative and continue to work to make Henry County grow.

Mr. Kiser: I will want to review the current obligations and determine the necessity and benefits of all of them and adjust the funding accordingly.

Ms. DeSmith: The proposed budget for 2017 actually shows a deficit of $305,741. For the past several years, the revenues have not kept pace with the expenditures. There are several factors that contribute to the deficit, such as a reduction in the tax base, the state of Illinois delay in distributions, unfunded mandates, etc. We cannot rely on existing revenue sources. We need to focus on fostering economic development and identifying alternative sources of revenue.

A county public safety tax would generate an estimated $700,000 to $1 million per year. Are you prepared to make cuts in public safety (the sheriffs department) if it fails in November?

Mr. Thorsen: Henry County has a very low crime rate, and that is how we hope to keep it. However, there does not seem to be much waste visible in our budget, although we certainly always need to watch it closely. But, without the ability to trim much from the budget, if the proposal is voted down in November, I will be prepared to make necessary cuts.

Ms. Hillman: Necessary and responsible steps would have to be taken if the tax fails.

Ms. Nelson: If the public safety tax fails in the November election, then the taxpayers have spoken and the county board needs to listen to their voices and make the necessary cuts.

Ms. DeSmith: If the 0.5 percent public safety sales tax referendum passes, it is estimated to generate $1.5 million annually. The funds are not limited to the sheriffs department. Funds can be used for anything that involves public safety including crime prevention, detention, firefighting, police, medical, ambulance and other emergency services. The sheriff departments budget is approximately 44 percent of the total general fund budget. The department includes the deputy sheriff/patrol, investigations, corrections (jail) and telecommunications (dispatch/911) divisions, as well as administrative staff. There are 63 full-time and 9 part-time employees who provide Henry County with outstanding 24/7 coverage 365 days a year. The employment levels are the lowest they have been since Ive been on the county board, and the 2017 proposed budget does not include any expenditures for squad cars or radio equipment that were requested.If the public safety sales tax does not pass, there will be some very difficult decisions to be made and cuts will most likely have to occur in all general fund areas.

Mr. Womac: I would prefer to not make any cuts in our public safety. I would like to look for other options that would allow us to keep the public safety the same.

Mr. Kiser: Adding a tax to help balance a budget is nothing more than asking taxpayers to approve spending that has already been done without their consent. If it fails, then the voters have told us what is expected of us. I will do as the voters demand: Make cuts.

There have been instances of people buying 10 acres in order to qualify as a farm and, among other issues, avoiding building fees. Would you favor changing current zoning that considers 10 acres as the minimum size to qualify as a farm?

Ms. Nelson: Henry County has a Zoning Board and zoning ordinances. Those ordinances need to be applicable and enforced for everyone doing business in Henry County. If not, then the county has the right to take legal action against parties in violation of Henry County ordinances.

Mr. Kiser: Ten acres is not a farm. Yes, I would change the format.

Ms. Hillman: No. Our county was built on farming, and I believe the opportunity should remain even if on a small scale to keep that dream alive.

Mr. Womac: I do not think we should raise taxes on them if they are using that land on agriculture.

Ms. DeSmith: The concept of increasing the number of acres that defines a farm has been considered during my tenure on the County Board. The review indicated there was not enough public support to institute a change.

Mr. Thorsen: Yes, in these tight times, I would be in favor of changing zoning law to avoid losing revenue.

If the county receives a one-time cash infusion from Invenergys new wind farm phase, would you argue for using it in any particular way?

Mr. Kiser: No. What are the needs of the county, and how does it benefit the voters/ taxpayers of Henry County?

Mr. Womac: I feel it should be reviewed, and the money should be spent on whatever is more useful for our county.

Mr. Thorsen: I believe the revenue should be used to plug the shortfall in the current budget. In my 20-plus years of setting and operating budgets for public libraries, Ive always made it top priority to operate within or below each year's budget.

Ms. Hillman: My suggestion would be to help balance the budget rather than instituting more taxes.

Ms. DeSmith: Typically, the finance committee would make the recommendation of how to best utilize the funds if a one-time cash infusion occurred. It would be premature to say Id argue for using it in a particular way when a lot would depend on what the financial conditions are at the time.

Ms. Nelson: Yes. The one-time cash infusion of money should be set aside in restricted funds for major repairs, expenses or continued renovation to the courthouse. It should not be used for on-going monthly expenses, salaries or bonuses.

What issue(s) is/are most important to you?

Mr. Womac: I would like to see more progress in our small communities and supporting the small/local businesses.

Mr. Kiser: I will listen to the taxpayers and follow their demands. I will encourage economical growth within the county both commercially and agriculturally.

Ms. DeSmith: The biggest issue the county continually faces is the budget. Expenditures, while controlled, are projected to exceed revenues again in 2017 and the state of Illinois financial crisis continues to negatively affect all levels of government. Pursuing new revenue sources and promoting economic development will be vital to maintaining the quality services currently provided to the citizens of Henry County.

Mr. Thorsen: Working to best serve the interests of Henry County residents is my top priority. My father tended to vote Republican and my mother Democrat, but neither of them wanted higher taxes. So, Im less concerned with party labels than with doing whats best for community members. Decades of work as a library director show that I can work with limited resources to best serve all of the public. And now, we need to work on measures that strengthen the local economy. Better jobs mean better schools and better public services for everyone.

Ms. Nelson: Revenue and balancing the budget.

Don D. Thorsen

Age: 68

Address: 16572 E. 150th Street, Orion

Political party: Democrat

Education: Master's degree in Information and Library Science, University of Illinois C-U campus

Previous offices: None

Ann DeSmith

Age: 51

Address: 401 Westview Drive, Atkinson

Political party: Democrat

Education: BA Western Illinois University

Previous offices: Member Henry County Board since January 2002; current chair, Planning and Development Committee; chair, Planning Committee; secretary of the Hammond Henry Hospital Board

Rex E. Kiser

Age: 71

Address: 23 Oak Grove Road Court, Geneseo

Political party: Republican

Education: Master's degree in Business Education from Ball State University, Muncie, Ind.

Occupation: Retired from Central Bank Illinois in 2010 as senior vice president, lending; currently Mel Foster Co. Realtor/broker, Geneseo office

Jo Anne Hillman

Age: 61

Address: Colona

Political party: Democrat

Education: High school/some college

Previous offices: Colona City Council

Kathy Nelson

Age: 67

Address: 802 Meadowlawn Drive, Geneseo

Political Party: Republican

Education: 1966 Orion High School graduate, Moline Institute of Commerce

Previous Offices: Six years serving on Henry County Board

William Womac

Age: 54

Address: 16308 W. Co Rd., Orion

Political party: Democrat

Education: United Township High School 1980, Black Hawk College

Previous offices: None
During the civil-rights struggles of the 1960s, many of the largest -- and bloodiest -- demonstrations were in the South. But the fight was also evident in Illinois, and not just in the heavily African-American population of Chicago.



Not surprisingly, Chicago was home to the highest concentration of black residents in the state, particularly on the South and West sides. The black population of Chicago increased by 300,000 in the 1960s, and Cook County was home to more blacks than any county in America. More blacks lived in Chicago than in the whole state of Mississippi, where many of the worst moments in the civil-rights struggle originated.



Periodic race riots stemmed from the unrest, particularly in August 1965, when violence on Chicagos West Side caused 80 injuries. In 1967, there were riots in Elgin, Peoria, Rockford and East St. Louis, a city that was two-thirds African-American and one of the poorest in the nation.



In racially charged Cairo, the killing of an AWOL black soldier by police touched off three days of rioting in 1967. From 1969 to 1971, there were more than 140 episodes of gunfire between blacks and whites.



The problems in Chicago, considered by some the nations most segregated large city, were observed by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., who believed he could work with powerful Mayor Richard Daley to create change. King declared that if we can break the system in Chicago, it can be broken any place in the country.



It would become the Chicago Freedom Movement, Kings first major initiative outside the South. Daley, however, proved a formidable challenge. Though lauded for some public policies toward blacks, the mayor worked for separation of blacks and whites, approving huge housing projects in ghettos and supporting segregation in public schools.



King arrived in Chicago in January 1966 and promptly moved into a tenement flat on the West Side. Over the next several months, he organized several marches in white neighborhoods. As part of his End Slums effort, his marchers commandeered a rundown apartment building to demonstrate living conditions for minority tenants with white absentee owners.



Protesters harassed the marchers in many instances, including one particularly brutal exchange at Marquette Park in August, where King was struck in the head by a stone. He remarked, I have seen many demonstrations in the South, but I have never seen anything so hostile and so hateful as Ive seen here today.

King and Daley finally agreed on an open-housing agreement, which was viewed as a failure by many blacks in Chicago. King himself later conceded that his Chicago efforts were unsuccessful.



When King was assassinated on April 4, 1968, rioting spread across Chicago, where three days of violence killed nine, injured 500 and resulted in 3,000 arrests. Violence also erupted in Evanston, Maywood, Joliet, Aurora, Chicago Heights, East St. Louis, Alton and Carbondale.

In Springfield, Gov. Otto Kerner pushed for a bill to create a commission on fair employment practices. Passage of the bill ended a battle in the legislature, which had shot down support of the measure since 1945. Kerner also signed an executive order to ban discrimination in real estate sales or rentals.



In 1967, President Lyndon Johnson named Kerner to chair the National Advisory Commission on Civil Disorders. The commissions report asserted that America was two societies, one black, one white -- separate but unequal.



Earlier, Sen. Everett Dirksen, a conservative Republican from Pekin, had led the way for compromise on passage of the Civil Rights Act in 1964 and the Voting Rights Act the following year. He referred to the measures as an issue whose time has come.



At the end of the decade, racial tensions were still rampant across Illinois. But progress had been made, and the struggles of the 1960s laid the foundation for improvements to follow.
CHICAGO (AP)  Illinois was once billed as one of November's most competitive U.S. Senate races. Now, Democrats are counting on U.S. Rep. Tammy Duckworth to defeat Illinois Republican U.S. Sen. Mark Kirk as the party looks to reclaim the majority in the chamber.

Duckworth is expected to benefit from what's historically been high Democratic turnout during presidential election years, and the most recent polls show she has a comfortable lead.

But Kirk warns that counting him out would be a mistake. The former congressman and first-term senator said a recent internal poll showed him trailing Duckworth by just two points.

"News of my political death has been way too early," Kirk said, noting he has exceeded expectations on Election Day. "Always Kirk has closed strongly."

In a state where Democrats typically win statewide, Kirk has worked to distance himself from Republicans, especially this year, when he's been one of the most vocal critics of GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump, calling him "delusional" and "too bigoted and racist for Illinois."

Kirk, of Highland Park, also frequently notes his "F'' rating from the National Rifle Association and that he called for the Senate to hold hearings on President Barack Obama's pick for the Supreme Court. And former Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney praised Kirk's independence Wednesday, adding that the GOP must hold on to the Senate to "keep America from going off the rails."

But Duckworth has had her own high-profile endorsements. Obama appeared at a fundraiser with her this month, and the campaign launched a new radio ad in which Obama notes Duckworth's father worked in a factory and that she worked her way through college with the help of student loans and grants.

"Tammy knows what's important to our families. That's because she's walked in our shoes," Obama says, calling the Hoffman Estates resident "a terrific leader who will never stop fighting for all of us."

Both candidates also offer compelling personal stories. Duckworth lost both legs when her helicopter was shot down in Iraq, while Kirk suffered a stroke in 2012 and went through grueling rehabilitation before returning to work in Washington.

The second-term congresswoman brought in more than three times the cash Kirk did during the final fundraising quarter before the Nov. 8 election, leaving her with more than $4 million to Kirk's roughly $1.4 million.

Kirk has criticized Duckworth's time as director of the Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs and in a leadership post at the federal VA, running television ads featuring women who say Duckworth ignored problems they reported or retaliated against them.

Duckworth has denied the claims, says she was unaware of problems with waiting lists at Illinois veterans' homes and blames the failure of a program to increase veteran access to health care on imprisoned former Gov. Rod Blagojevich.

Kirk said this week he isn't buying those explanations  "I'm sure she'll say the dog ate my homework or something."

Duckworth has blasted Kirk in campaign ads for exaggerating his own military record, including his assertion that he came under enemy fire while flying reconnaissance missions in Iraq. The former Navy intelligence officer has apologized for the misstatements.

The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee had scheduled additional TV ads in the final weeks of the race, but recently cut back on the order and diverted the money to states with more competitive Senate races.

Kirk and Duckworth are scheduled to meet for two televised debates before Nov. 8: Thursday in Springfield and Nov. 4 in Chicago.

Libertarian Kent McMillen and Scott Summers of the Green Party also are running.
Egypt's President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi met in Cairo on Monday with a delegation of US businessmen headed by US Ambassador David Thorne, the Senior Advisor to the Secretary of State for economic issues, to discuss strategic and economic cooperation between the United States and Egypt, the Egyptian Presidency announced.

According to the statement issued by Egyptian Presidency, President Sisi welcomed the US delegation and stressed the importance of strategic relations between Egypt and the United States, as well how much Egypt is looking forward to cooperating with the new U.S administration to be elected in January.

The parties also discussed the progress of the Egyptian government on economic reforms as well as national programs currently underway, particularly the Suez Canal Area Development Project.

El-Sisi also referred to a series of meetings he held with US businessmen and business sector representatives in September in New York, and how those meetings resulted in new cooperation opportunities.

The statement also quoted Thorne stating that the timing of the US delegation to Egypt was to show the United States' support for the preliminary deal with the International monetary fund (IMF) over a $12 billion loan.

According to Egyptian presidency spokesperson Alaa Youssef, US Ambassador Thorne praised the Egyptian government's efforts toward economic reform during the meeting.

The US delegation included nearly 50 representatives from major US corporations.

The meeting was attended by Egypt's ministers of foreign affairs, telecommunications, oil, commerce and industry and finance who answered questions from the US delegation.

The US ambassador to Egypt was also in attendance.

The Egyptian presidency said in its statement that US investments in Egypt increased from $19.3 billion in 2013 to $21.3 billion in 2014 and that US investments in Egypt represent 30% of US direct investments in Africa.



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Almost 50 Illinois counties have filed lawsuits against Democratic Governor, JB Pritzker, and the ill crafted SAFE-T Act. Introduced in the General Assembly by the Illinois Black Caucus, the Act passed the Democratic-led General Assembly in the wee hours of Jan. 13, 2021. Amongst many of its weaknesses and deficiencies, the Act eliminates cash bail, emboldens criminals, and makes it even more difficult for law enforcement to keep offenders off our streets. Public Safety personnel and States Attorneys across our great State have decried the legislation, noting that it was drafted and written with very little constructive input from Public Safety leadership, from either party; potentially impacting every Illinois community with dangerous consequences. Allowing perpetrators to bail out of jail, based on their good word that they will be glad to return to court is laughable, at best, and both ludicrous and dangerous, at worst. Soon after the SAFE-T Act was passed at the State level, the Republican-led Henry County Board drafted a resolution, requesting that the General Assembly repeal and replace the SAFE-T Act with a new criminal justice bill, this time with input from professional law enforcement, States Attorneys from across the State, and other Public Safety officials. We unanimously passed our resolution on May 19, 2022, and encourage all County Boards in Illinois to follow our lead. Our Republican-led Board in Henry County believes we all, Democrats, Independents, and Republicans, deserve effective and fair law enforcement in our communities.
G'day! It's Murray here. I've put together a little quiz to test your musical knowledge. Think you can score top marks in Murray's Magic Music Quiz? Give it a go now!
WLB needs to replace older high-floor vehicles built between 1979 and 1996 and also intends to increase the service between Wiener Neudorf and Baden, which currently operates at 15-minute intervals.

WLB launched a tender for up to 24 new vehicles in the summer and bids are now being evaluated. Deliveries are due to begin in 2020.

WLB carries 35,000 passengers per day and ridership continues to increase.
Cubic Transportation Systems (CTS) announced October 24 it was awarded a contract from Northern, the U.K.s largest train operator outside London, to supply electronic gates at its stations.

Northern will receive Cubics next-generation, advanced electronic gating system at eight stations, for a total of 52 installed gates. The gates are equipped with ITSO-compliant smart card and barcode reading capabilities, in addition to accepting magnetic tickets.

CTS already completed the installation at two stations  Wigan Wallgate and Liverpool Lime Street  per the operators requested September 30 deadline. The remaining six stations  Salford Cresent (Manchester), Bolton, Blackburn, Bradford Forster Square, Halifax and Harrogate  are scheduled to be completed by the end of March 2017.

We are delighted to have Cubic on board, and with the dedication of the entire team, including Network Rail and our contractors, they were able to meet our requested deadline and complete the gate installation of these first two stations in less than two months, said Alex Hynes, managing director, Northern.

We are proud to have been entrusted with this important contract for Northern and strengthen our foothold in the U.K. market, said Roger Crow, executive vice president and managing director for Cubic Transportation Systems Europe. We delivered the first two stations in record time, thanks to a true team effort, and were looking forward to delivering the remaining stations in an equally efficient manner.
With US President Barack Obama approaching the final weeks of his time in the Oval Office, it is clear he is leaving behind an incomplete vision for democracy and peace in the Middle East, anticipated in his Cairo speech eight years ago.

Syria is perhaps one of the worst troubles left behind by the Obama administration.

In the eyes of prominent political science professor and commentator Gilbert Achcar, Obama did not merely fail to provide answers to the dilemma in Syria before the peaceful calls for democracy metamorphosed into civil war; he is actually responsible for the suffering of the Syrian people that has persisted endlessly for five years.

The Obama administration and Barack Obama himself are directly responsible for the massacre in Syria, Achcar said in an interview with Ahram Online.

According to Achcar, while Russia was getting heavily involved in Syria directly and through its regional allies, the Obama administration failed to take the side of the opposition and it did even put a ceiling on the support that regional powers were providing for those acting against Syrian dictator Bashar Al-Assad.

The Obama administration denied the opposition anti-aircraft missiles at a time when Assad and his allies from Russia were heavily bombarding the cities where the call for democracy started, Achcar said.

This, he argued, created a situation of imbalance in favour of Assad and left millions of Syrians devastated and dispelled from their own homes and their entire country, carrying a firm belief that the US is to blame for their plight, he said.

Unlike other commentators, the Lebanese-born and London-based professor of political science sees no war by proxy in Syria, simply because in Syria there is no balance, and because while Russia is so heavily involved the US is involved to a much lesser degree.

This lack of balance, which he is not certain will be reversed by a new US administration come January next year, is the driver of ongoing war in Syria.

There is no end in sight and all the political negotiations are simply unable to secure an answer because the situation on the ground does not compel Assad to go. The opposition cannot come to accept the rule of this dictatorespecially considering that in 2013 and 2015, with limited means, they managed to make considerable progress in the face of Assad and regional allies including Hezbollah and other militias, he said during a telephone interview.

Short of a decisive change on the ground there cannot be any ending of the war in Syria because the dictator will continue his war with the support of the Russians; he would not settle for any compromise as long as he knows that the opposition is being denied serious defensive weapons, he insisted.

Achcar is not willing to confuse the war on ISIS with the war in Syria, and said it is impossible that the Obama administration could have been fooled into believing that one is the other. Rather, the Obama administrationand possibly Israelfeared the collapse of Syria in the absence of a credible replacement that could have won approval by all concerned regional and international partners.

Syria, Achcar insisted, will be one of the greatest and most important challenges for the next US presidency. He believes that despite setbacks, the Arab Spring that began in Tunis in the very late days of 2010 is bound to reemerge, because it reflects the true will of people who have had enough with economic injustice and poor governance.

Author of two volumes on the Arab Spring printed in 2013 and the spring of this year under the titles of The People Want: a Radical Exploration of the Arab Uprising and Morbid Symptoms: Relapse in the Arab Uprising, Achcar sees Syria through the lens that the old is dead and the new is yet to be born.

This is precisely the point he argues in his two volumes: the old regimes which prompted so much contemptdemonstrated in the squares by the massescannot be resurrected no matter the political ploys of their remnants. But the progressive alternative is not there yet, and meanwhile we see the continued struggle within the old, between military and Islamist, and not between the old and the new as some might think.

Achcar has no doubt in his mind that contrary to the narrative given by Assad and other leaders in countries currently suffering the setback of the Arab Spring, the US was not the one to instigate the massive show of rebellion.

Those who promote this argument seem determined to overlook the very shocking unfair distribution of wealth in Arab countries, Achcar said.

He insisted that in Syria with Assad, in Egypt with Hosni Mubarak and even in Libya with Muammar Qaddafi who had been collaborating with the West since 2003, the US was taken by surprise and was not sure how to react.

Actually, the only country that could not have been qualified as a US ally was Syria  although of course the US never treated Syria as an enemy; like Israel, the US was content with a Syrian regime that kept the borders with Israel peaceful and handled the Palestinian resistance in Lebanon, he said. Despite the friction with the Bush administration, around Syrian opposition to the occupation of Iraq as well as Syrian alliance with Iran and Hezbollah, the Obama administration had improved its relations with Damascus, he added.

According to Achcar, the US actually tried to co-opt the revolution in Syria in its early days through the association of the Muslim Brotherhood and Qatar but it failed, just as it failed to present the other Arab Spring countries with regimes that could both appease the demands of the masses and still do business with the US.

Today, Achcar argues that in every Arab Spring country the US remains engaged with regimes that have not bowed to the demands of the masses, beyond empty slogans and false promises to meet the actual demands of redistribution of wealth and developmental policies, and of course democracy.

According to Achcar, while some try to address their socio-economic woes by pursuing IMF-prescribed reform measures, this too is part of the old and it does not provide a sustainable shield against a socio-economic explosion.

However, he argues, the basic political dilemma remains unresolved: the military versus the Islamist, and now we are actually talking about Sunni Islamist versus Shia Islamist with both Saudi Arabia and Iran at loggerheads.

According to Achcar, this is why the situation is still unsettled and will remain as such as long as no new breakthrough manages to finally finish the old and introduce the new; we will see a lot more upheaval and it could take several more years or a few decades but the old has to go completely and the new has yet to be born.

This elimination of the old and the birth of the new are indispensable but not inevitable, argued Achcar. Short of this indispensable radical change, the region will keep suffering from instability and violence.



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Four consortia comprising 11 Spanish companies are competing for a European Union contract to support the DTT switchover in Colombia.





The 4 million Europeaid project, which will be carried out in the eight months from June 2017, is expected to be awarded in the next few weeks.The first consortium is formed from four Spanish companies from within the broadcasting industry, namely, Grupo Secuoya (Secuoya Servicios Audiovisuales), Evoluxer, Magicbox Television and Interactive Services and Centro de Produccion Multimedia para la Television Interactiva CPMTI.The second group being considered is formed by IDOM Ingenieria y Consultoria, Broad Telecom, Euskal Irrati Telebista EITB and Itelazpi, all from Spain, while the third integrates an Italian company, Persidera, along with Corporacio Catalana de Mitjans Audiovisuals and Base dAssistencia I Assessoramente BAa Consultors.A fourth bid, which wasnt initially accepted but entered the tendering process after issuing a complaint, has been presented by Spains Axion Infraestructuras de Telecomunicaciones. The EU-funded project encompasses technical support for DTT deployment, advising management of the radio-electric spectrum, design and operation of the digital terrestrial network and training to develop and create digital content.Colombia, which is the only South American country to have chosen Europes digital standard DVB-T, is currently carrying out the third phase of its DTT deployment , which aims to give 88% of population access to digital TV .
Subscribers to Naspers video-on-demand (VOD) service ShowMax will now be able to view eight shows from Afrikaans lifestyle channel VIA, following a deal with broadcaster Media24.





The shows  Vrydag 4 Uur, Pasgetroud, Padkos, Driekuns, n Halfuur met Hanlie, Die Kliek, Op Pad met Dana, and Brood en Botter  will be available to subscribers to the video streaming service in South Africa as well as 28 countries around the world. A ninth VIA show, Kom Ons Braai, will also be available to subscribers outside Africa.VIA and ShowMax are the perfect partners. Both are young, fresh platforms entertaining audiences in a new way. VIA is one of Afrikaans DStv viewers favourite lifestyle channels and ShowMax is a great way for people who love a proudly South African lifestyle to watch VIA whenever and wherever they want, said Izelle Venter, channel head of VIA.The shows cover the genres of food, travel and relationships. Vrydag 4 Uur (seasons one to three) is an unconventional travel show featuring young couple Alti Fouche and Dirk Smit. Pasgetroud (seasons one and two) is a wedding show where discovering whether couples dreams for their big day come true. Padkos (seasons one and two) is described as a funky food truck show where presenter Leroux Botha cooks his midlife crisis away. Driekuns (season one) is about three celebrities who share stories about their lives and careers, while n Halfuur met Hanlie features famous South Africans in conversation with Rapports celebrated journalist Hanlie Retief.Season one to four of comedy dating show Die Kliek is also part of ShowMaxs new content deal, as is Op Pad met Dana (season one) where writer Dana Snyman travels across South Africa. Finally, in Brood en Botter (season one), chef Bertus Basson leads the search for new culinary talent.Jeanne van Zyl, head of diaspora at ShowMax, said: VIAs lifestyle shows are full of the energy and passion that makes South Africa great, so were confident theyll be a hit with our subscribers no matter where they might be in the world.ShowMaxs VOD service is available for subscribers in a number of European countries where there are large numbers of South African expatriates, including the UK, as well as the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.
Australian pay-TV operator Foxtel is offering non-subscribers the opportunity to view the first episode of a number of HBO programmes for free via its website.





The opening episode of HBOs new sci-fi drama Westworld was the first show to be offered by Foxtel without charge, with Divorce and Quarry next in line. The pay-TV operator is also making the initial episodes of upcoming HBO shows Insecure and High Maintenance available on its website from next month.Episode one of Westworld  a dark portrayal of the dawn of artificial consciousness and the evolution of sin  starring Anthony Hopkins, Evan Rachel Wood, and James Marsden is available on the Foxtel website until 2 November.Divorce, starring Sex and the Citys Sarah Jessica Parker and Thomas Haden Church (Sideways, Broken Trail), is also available until 2 November. The show focuses on Frances, who after a decade of marriage and two children, has begun to reassess her life and her strained relationship with her husband Robert.The first episode of Quarry, also available for free on-demand until 2 November, is set during the early 1970s and tells the story of Mac Conway (Logan Marshall-Green), a US Marine who returns home to Memphis from Vietnam in 1972.From 4 November until 3 December Foxtel will play host to the opening episodes of the new HBO series Insecure and High Maintenance.
Trial of alleged organizer of 2002 Moscow theater hostage crisis to begin on November 2

MOSCOW, October 24 (RAPSI, Lyudmila Klenko)  The Moscow District Military Court will begin hearing a case against Khasan Zakayev, an alleged mastermind of the hostage taking at the Dubrovka theater in southeast Moscow in 2002 that left 130 dead, RAPSI learnt in the court on Monday.

Earlier, the Moscow District Military Court has returned the case to prosecutors. To date, repeated investigation is completed; the accused has finished reading case materials.

Investigators claim that Zakayev was a member of a criminal gang headed by Chechen separatist leader Shamil Basayev and assisted in organizing the terrorist attack and taking of hostages at the theater. In 2002, he allegedly organized transportation of weapon and homemade explosive devices to Moscow for terrorists.

A group of terrorists led by Movsar Barayev took hostage the audience and participants of the Nord-Ost musical on October 23, 2002.

40 attackers were killed. Zakayev is the only one who was arrested, victims lawyer Igor Trunov said earlier.

The majority of hostages were released in an operation planned by Russian security services.

Shamil Basayev who was reportedly killed in 2006 and Gerikhan Dudayev who is still at large are among the organizers of the attack, according to investigators.
Military court sentences imam to 5 years in prison for justifying terrorism

MOSCOW, October 24 (RAPSI) - The North Caucasus District Military Court has sentenced imam of a mosque in the Dagestan Republic, Magomednabi Magomedov, to 5 years in prison for public justification of terrorism, RIA Novosti reported on Monday.

Magomedov has been accused of incitement of hatred and enmity as well as violation of human dignity (Article 282 of the Russian Criminal Code) and public calls for terrorist activity or public justification of terrorism (Article 205.2 of the Criminal Code).

Investigators claim that in February 2016, Magomedov, being an imam of Vostochnaya mosque, made a public speech containing statements justifying terrorist activity and calls aimed at incitement of religious hatred.

Moreover, the defendant showed hatred towards law enforcement authorities, according to investigation.
BBC News, October 23, 2016

Opium production in Afghanistan has increased by 43% in the past year, United Nations officials have said.

The UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) said the area used to farm the poppy plant, the source of opium, increased by 10% to 201,000 hectares.

But better farming conditions resulted in a higher yield per hectare, increasing overall production.

Afghanistan is the world's largest producer of the substance, which is the main ingredient in heroin.

Growing opium is a crime in the country, but it is still a major cash crop for impoverished farming communities.

The Taliban also taxes poppy production in areas it controls, which is a major source of income for its military activities.

UNODC Executive Director Yury Fedotov said the figures were "a worrying reversal in efforts".

The opium produced from the poppy plant is used to make some of the most powerful medicinal painkillers, such as morphine.

However, many nations cultivate their own supply for medicinal use, and Afghanistan's production of illicit opium is primarily sued for the illegal drug trade.

The Afghan government has a stated policy of eradicating poppy crops, but the crop is widespread in many government-controlled regions, and officials are often accused of turning a blind eye.

Earlier this year, the BBC's South Asia correspondent Justin Rowlatt visited poppy farms in the north-east, where one farmer told him the local government knew about his crop, but "they also know it is the only way anyone can make decent money."

Just 355 hectares (877 acres) of poppies were eradicated by provincial authorities in the last year - down more than a 90% since 2015, when almost 4,000 hectares were cleared.

Seven insurgents and one officer died during attacks on eradication teams this year. Seven more people were injured.

The southern region of the country is the most productive area, accounting for 54% of the entire national opium production.

Helmand province, which has seen a resurgent Taliban presence, is the single largest producer, with more than 80,000 hectares of poppy cultivation.

The region was a contested area between the Taliban and Nato-led forces, before the latter withdrew in 2014.

Taliban militants launched a fresh assault on the Helmand regional capital of Lashkar Gah in early October.
Iraq's joint operations command on Monday denied Turkey was participating in military operations to retake the northern city of Mosul from the Islamic State group.

"The spokesman of the Joint Operations Command denies Turkish participation of any kind in operations for the liberation of Nineveh," a statement said, referring to the Iraqi province of which Mosul is the capital.

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Hassan Mneimneh is a scholar specializing in the Middle East and North Africa at the Middle East Institute. This article has been published in collaboration with the Institute. The views expressed are solely those of the author.

In an ideal world, the ousting of a militant group that has openly committed genocide and engaged in ethnic and religious cleansing ought to be followed by an affirmation of national unity. This sadly is not the case in Iraqs war-torn Nineveh province.

Many communities victimized by the Islamic State group are now pondering their fate and their place in the Iraq that will follow the liberation of Nineveh, the last Iraqi province held by the terrorist organization. Yazidis, Christians, and Shiite Turkmen generally agree that new administrative arrangements should offer each group a degree of autonomy while recognizing their primacy on the territory they claim. Three questions remain open, however, once the discussion moves from the general to the specific: What would be the geographic extent of the territory? What administrative shape will it take, and how much autonomy might it possess? Finally, which government would claim its allegiance -- the central government in Baghdad, or the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) in Erbil?

Nineveh is the heartland of historical Northern Mesopotamia. Its ethnic, linguistic, religious, and cultural diversity is the product of centuries of conquests, trade, migration, displacement, and fusion. Competing narratives highlighting the entitlement of the many communities of the region were built upon history remembered, discovered, and imagined, and have co-existed throughout the past century. The recent sequence of tragedies afflicting the region, however, has polarized the narratives and nudged them toward calls for separation.

The Yazidi self-image is one of fierce independence and defiance. Yet it has also been one of proud Iraqi patriotism. A sense of betrayal haunts many in the Yazidi community as a result of the deplorably inadequate reaction from their fellow Iraqis (as well as the rest of the world) toward the abject genocide, enslavement, and rape committed against them by ISIS. Yazidi anger also extends to Kurdish Peshmerga forces amid disputed accusations of abandonment in the course of the ISIS attack. The support accorded by Yazidi militants to the Kurdistan Workers Party, or PKK -- the Kurdish secessionist militia operating in southeastern Turkey -- reflects a reluctance to align solely with the Kurdish government in Erbil. The grassroots militants balancing act between the PKK and the Peshmerga is mirrored at a higher level by an attempt on the part of prominent Yazidi political and cultural figures to maintain parallel relations with Baghdad and Erbil. A yet to be delineated Yazidi-dominated province with the town of Sinjar as its capital is anticipated; and while the KRG would endeavor to strengthen its influence in Sinjar over time, the initial arrangement will likely shape the province as a Baghdad dependency.

Baghdad can also be confident of the allegiance of a Shiite-Turkmen-majority province that has been proposed with the city of Tal Afar as its capital. True to its claim of not discriminating on the basis of ethnic background, the Islamic State subjected Shiite Turkmen to the same treatment it meted out to Shiite Arabs: decimation of the population, obliteration of religious shrines, and dispossession of all property. Having taken refuge in the Iraqi Shia heartland, many Turkmen militants are back in Nineveh as part of the Popular Mobilization Units, or PMUs, which are dominated by Iranian-backed Shiite militias. While the participation of the PMUs in the battle of Mosul is controversial and opposed by many Sunni political and tribal leaders, Tal Afar and adjoining areas have already been assigned to these Shiite forces as their area of operations in the anti-ISIS effort. The putative province that will emerge in the aftermath of the battle will be an unprecedented Shiite administrative entity away from the contiguous Shia provinces in central and southern Iraq. The religious character of this territory, in contrast to an ethnic Turkmen one, may be enhanced through its extension to include the Shabak minority, a Kurdish-speaking Shiite heterodox sect. This province can be expected to be a significant asset for Baghdad in its efforts to complicate the demands for the creation of a Sunni federal region. It should also help the central government curb any KRG irredentism in the soon-to-be former Nineveh province.

The Christian Question

Erbil can be expected to mount a vigorous defense of its interests in trying to adjust the claims and desires for a Christian enclave. While comprising a number of sects who observe different rites and stem from different historical and ethnic backgrounds, the Christians of Iraq are united in being a vulnerable population that has suffered severe attrition since the fall of Saddam Hussein. The Christians of Mosul, dispossessed and expelled from the city as an act of grace by ISIS, exemplify the existential plight faced by all Iraqi Christians. There seems to be little place to accommodate Christians amid the competing claims of stronger parties. This applies in particular to the Nineveh Plain region, east of Mosul, with its slim Christian plurality. Kurdish leaders, who claim this territory as being within their purview, would be willing to recognize a special Christian status within Nineveh so long as its inhabitants declare their loyalty to Erbil, and not Baghdad. Indeed, both Erbil and Baghdad are well positioned through Christian allies and proxies for an impending competition.

The aspirations of the Nineveh minorities are elements in the tug of war between Baghdad and Erbil, expected to flare up as the battle of Mosul unfolds. The agency shaping the trajectory of events, however, is not limited to Baghdad, Erbil, and the embattled communities. Iraqi Sunnis remain a distinct majority in the province. The disarray that has been inflicted on them may have muted the expression of their interests, but the price of ignoring these interests would be the seeding of certain future conflicts over Nineveh. This would be terrible news for nearly everyone involved, and welcome news for a wounded Islamic State.
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The Islamic State group "executed" five Iraqis, including members of the security forces, during ongoing fighting in the western town of Rutba, army officers said Monday.

IS fighters launched an attack on Rutba, a remote but strategic town near the Jordanian border in Anbar province, early on Sunday.

They briefly seized the mayor's office before being pinned back by the security forces but were still deployed in some other neighbourhoods of the town, the officers said.

"Daesh (IS) controls Mithaq and Intisar neighbourhoods in central Rutba," an army colonel told AFP.

"They captured people -- civilians and policemen -- and executed them," he said. "At least five people were executed" on Sunday, the colonel said.

Lieutenant General Ismail al-Mahalawi, head of the Operations Command for the western Anbar province, confirmed the executions but said Iraqi forces were regaining the upper hand.

"Military units from the (army) 8th division and a brigade from Anbar Operations Command moved to Rutba, redeploying there to clear the positions Daesh control in the city," he said.

The attack on Rutba was seen as a fresh attempt by IS to draw attention and Iraqi military resources away from Mosul, which is their last major stronghold in the country.

Tens of thousands of Iraqi forces launched an offensive on Mosul a week ago. IS is vastly outnumbered and the outcome of the battle appears to be in little doubt.

The IS mlitants are offering stiff resistance however and launching attacks elsewhere in the country to mobilise Iraqi forces on several fronts.

On Friday, dozens of IS fighters launched a spectacular attack on the Kurdish-controlled city of Kirkuk that killed at least 46 people, most of them members of the security forces.

The Joint Operations Command overseeing the fight against IS in Iraq said that jihadists launched their attack on Rutba at dawn on Sunday.

After forcing the attackers out of the mayor's office, Iraqi forces destroyed 12 IS vehicles, killing their occupants, the JOC said in a statement.

Iraqi forces have in recent months retaken a lot of ground from IS in Anbar, a vast Sunni province which has long been considered an insurgent bastion and has borders with Syria, Jordan and Saudi Arabia.

IS fighters only control areas near the Syria border but are still able to move in desert areas and harass government forces in the province's town and cities.

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Before orientation, the University of Georgia hands incoming freshmen a to-do list to prepare them for the incoming year. In addition to practicalities like memorizing student ID numbers, students must also complete AlcoholEdu and Haven, online programs by EverFi that teach safe drinking habits and sexual assault prevention.
Kuwait still needs to do more to combat the financing of IS militants, a top Kuwaiti official said Monday at a meeting aimed at choking off funding for the Islamic State group.

"We still have a lot to do, though we are satisfied with what we have done so far," Deputy Foreign Minister Khaled al-Jarallah told reporters on the sideline of a meeting of the Counter-ISIL Finance Group (CIFG) in Kuwait City.

"We are ready to cooperate with our brothers and friends," he said, responding to US criticism of Kuwait and Qatar over their steps to cut the financing of militants.

Formed early last year, CIFG is led by the United States, Italy and Saudi Arabia and is made up of over 35 countries and four international bodies.

Jarallah said Kuwait "has come a long way in introducing legislation that controls the collection of (charity) donations", a suspected channel of funding extremists.

The CIFG takes a global approach to undermining the flow of funds to the jihadist group, according to Adam Szubin, US Treasury's acting Under Secretary on Countering the Financing of Terrorism.

Szubin said last week that the meeting in Kuwait City aims "to share information and continue developing and coordinating countermeasures against ISIL's (IS group) financial activity worldwide".

He said the Treasury was working closely with Kuwait and Qatar in particular to strengthen the technical side of the fight against terrorism finance, but "there is room for improvement".

Szubin said the effort to choke off funding was showing some success.

IS group fighters had been abandoning the fight "as their pay and benefits have been cut and delayed, in what ISIL members in Mosul are calling a 'recession'", he said, referring to Iraq's battle to recapture the city from the group.

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In this Sept. 29, 2016 image taken from video, actress Mandy Gonzalez appears during an interview in New York. Gonzalez, a Broadway veteran of such shows as Wicked, Aida and In the Heights replaced Renee Elise Goldsberry as Angelica Schuyler in Lin-Manuel Mirandas musical about Alexander Hamilton. (AP Photo)

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By MARK KENNEDY, AP Drama Writer

NEW YORK (AP)  The night Mandy Gonzalez made her triumphant debut in "Hamilton" on Broadway, there was a special guest in the audience cheering her on: a Jedi Master, in fact.

Mark Hamill came backstage afterward and took photos with the cast of the hit show. Gonzalez's husband was there, too, and she jokes that he was as excited for her that night as he was to meet Luke Skywalker.

"I understand. That's like a deep love. It's like people I had on my wall at 15," said the actress. "When I meet them, it's deep, deep feelings there. So I understand."

A long list of celebrities has followed Hamill, including Paul Rudd, Sean Penn, Adele, Eddie Vedder, Alfonso Ribeiro from "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air," the girl who voices Doc McStuffins and John Tesh.

Such is life now for Gonzalez, a Broadway veteran of shows such as "Wicked," ''Aida" and "In the Heights" who has replaced Renee Elise Goldsberry as Angelica Schuyler in Lin-Manuel Miranda's musical about Alexander Hamilton.

"I've never been a part of anything like this. Even though I've done 'Wicked' and I've done these other shows that have been big, it's really something special," she said. "I only hope to continue the journey and do justice to that role."

In many ways, Gonzalez has gone back to the past. She was in the opening cast of Miranda's "In the Heights" and has been reunited now with some of the actors who also made the jump to the new musical, like Christopher Jackson and Javier Munoz. Plus, she's in the same theater where "In the Heights" played. She's even in the same dressing room. "I truly feel like I'm back home," she said.

Gonzalez grew up in Santa Clarita, California, in a house filled with music. Her dad worked three jobs and on Sundays, his one day with the kids, he'd put Elvis movies into the LaserDisc. Meanwhile, her grandmother loved musicals. "So my life was pretty much show tunes and Elvis growing up. I fell in love with music through that," she said.

She attended the California Institute of Technology until she won a part backing up Bette Midler on tour. "I went back to California and I said, 'I'm leaving the LaserDisc behind. I need to move to New York.'" She did  and won an Obie Award her first time out in "Eli's Comin'" and then was Idina Menzel's standby in "Aida" on Broadway.

Gonzalez said she identifies with Angelica Schuyler's sacrifice and her sense of duty. She also knows what it's like  swiping a line from the musical  to be "young, scrappy and hungry."

"I worked so hard to be here so there are a few tears shed at the end of the show  for myself. This is where I want to be. This is right where I want to be," she said. "This time in my life, this part, I can relate with it, with her. I think that this is a dream, a dream role."

Gonzalez was part of the team that first tackled "In the Heights" at a reading in the basement of a drama bookshop in Manhattan in 2004. That's when she first met Miranda, who sang all the songs that day. "I had never heard anything like it. I had never seen anything like him. And I've been working with him ever since," she said.

Also in the room was Thomas Kail, an Emmy Award-winning director who helmed "In the Heights" and "Hamilton." He said she brought grace and humanity and warmth to the project  and continues to do so.

"Her diligence, her approach to the work, her seriousness about making theater, was at an incredibly high level," Kail said. "Mandy was always at rehearsal 10 minutes before you and she would stay 10 minutes later. She was always there, she was always ready."

Gonzalez, who is married to Douglas Melini, an abstract painter, is also on the small screen, having snagged parts as an assistant to the president on "Madam President" and an agent in "Quantico."

The couple are the parents of a 4-year-old daughter, who proudly brought a Playbill of "Hamilton" to show her pre-kindergarten class recently. "She loves the soundtrack and plays it for all her friends," said Gonzalez.

After looking at the photos of her mom's opening night, the little one did have one question: What was Luke Skywalker doing there?
Steve Karlen, 40 Days for Life organizer, prays in front of a crowd on Sunday as part of a pro-life prayer tour in Redding.

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By Nathan Solis of the Redding Record Searchlight

A pro-life prayer tour stopped in Redding as part of a cross-country protest of clinics that provide abortions and other health services for women.

The 40 Days for Life bus stopped at the Women's Health Specialists clinic on Victor Avenue in Redding on Sunday afternoon. A crowd of 60 wrote messages on the side of the bus and shared testimonies about the pro-life movement in America.

The clinic was closed on Sunday, so there were no patients present.

Event organizer Steve Karlen spoke of the efforts of the 40 Days for Life Movement, which includes members praying in front of Planned Parenthood Clinics and other facilities across the country. Karlen said 136 clinic workers have left their jobs since the 40 Days for Life protest began about a month ago.

The group that came out Sunday, what Karlen called the faith-based residents of Redding, will be the ones that close abortion clinics, because the Planned Parenthood organization does not have much influence in smaller communities like in the North State.

"Sometimes we feel alone," said Karlen. "We have to ask what kind of nation do we want to live in."

Organizers allowed the crowd to sign the bus with pro-life messages or words of encouragement for pregnant women. The bus was going to stop in Sacramento later Sunday and organizers passed around a bucket for gas money.

Crystal Rico, mother and wife, shared her story of receiving an abortion at the age of 17. Rico married her then high school boyfriend and the couple went on to have two children, but her abortion caused her grief. She shared that grief with the crowd and said the subject did not mean much to her, until she was put into the position.

Kayla Clineschmidt, 14, attended the event with her mother, Robin. In school abortion has been discussed, said Kayla, but those lessons do not include many details.

"Last year we discussed it in school, but I feel that we don't go into it enough," said Kayla.

Mark Heinzman held his Bible to his chest as he signed the bus. He attended the event, because he feels abortion services are too readily available to women.

"I remember when I was a kid in school you needed a note for aspirin," said Heinzman.

Redding resident Amy Pomeroy, mother of one child and with another on the way, said the event provided a nice place for people to be inspired and go out into the community to influence others.

Erika Watkins, of Shasta Lake, has organized pro-life prayers in Redding in previous years. The Sunday crowd will continue to pray for the women who receive services from the Redding clinic, she said.

"Today's prayer event will reinvigorate the community," Watkins said. "We have a non-denominational movement here. Across the board we want to end abortions and save lives."

Watkins' son, Zach, 12, held a sign that read, "Praying to End Abortion. Come join us."

Zach said he sometimes talks about abortions with people at school, but it does not come up often.

The 40 Days for Life tour will continue to other parts of the country, including Alaska. The last day in California will be a rally in San Bernardino on Wednesday.
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By Damon Arthur of the Redding Record Searchlight

The owner of the McCloud River Railroad agreed Thursday to donate and sell 80 miles of railroad right of way to a Redding nonprofit agency that plans to turn the strip of land into a recreation trail.

Railroad owner Jeff Forbis of Mount Shasta said he donated to the Shasta Land Trust two-thirds of the appraised value of the land, which he said was worth close $1.5 million.

"I'm really glad that it's going to be preserved as a trail and there's going to be some historical and recreational aspects to it," Forbis said.

The land trust recently was awarded a $350,000 grant from the state Transportation Commission to buy the property. Ben Miles, executive director of the land trust, said that over the next couple years, his agency will try to raise the rest of the purchase money through grants from federal, state and private agencies.

He declined to provide the exact purchase price of the rail right of way.

Before purchasing land for the "Great Shasta Rail Trail," the land trust had focused on preserving open space, wildlife habitat and agricultural land in Shasta County.

"This is definitely new and really exciting, and it's really great to be working with all these different partners," Miles said.

The trail will have access to other recreation sites in the area, such as the Pacific Crest Trail, McArthur Burney Falls Memorial State Park and Lake Britton. Miles said eventually there will be signs along the trail pointing out important features in the area. The trail also is an easy hike for most, with only a gentle rise in elevation from McCloud to Deadhorse Summit near Bartle. From there, the trail begins a general descent in elevation to Burney, he said.

Miles said the land trust is working with four other groups on the project: Save Burney Falls, McCloud Local First Network, the Volcanic Legacy Community Partnership, and McCloud Trail Association.

The groups have put together a team of about 30 people to craft specific plans on how to develop the trail, Miles said.

The purchase also places the land under "railbanking" status in the National Trails Sys

tem Act, which allows railroad rights of way to be used for recreation and keeps them from being abandoned and reverting back to adjacent landowners. The land could also be converted back to railroad right of way in the future.

The trail opens a new chapter for the rail line, which officially stopped operating in 2009, said Forbis, who purchased the McCloud River Railroad in 1992. The railroad was built in 1896.

When Forbis bought the line, he said it was used for hauling logs, lumber and diatomaceous earth between McCloud and Burney. The Shasta Dinner Train also operated on the line.

Area projects get commission funds

The California Transportation Commission recently allocated funds to build and improve several north state projects.

$350,000 to be used toward the purchase of an 80-mile section of the former McCloud Railroad. The former railroad right of way will be converted into a hiking and biking trail.

$320,000 to develop a connection between the Sacramento River Trail and Palisades Avenue in Redding.

$350,000 to build bike lanes and trails along various roads leading to the Palo Cedro Community Park on Cedro Lane.

$40,000 used toward replacing bridges over Jewett Creek at Columbia Avenue and Kirkwood Avenue near Corning. Another $798,000 is coming from other sources to pay for the bridge work.

$58,000 for replacing a bridge over Thomes Creek at Highway 99W. Caltrans also is receiving $447,000 from other sources to help pay for the bridge work.
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Regular readers of this column will remember two recent offerings on this crazy 2016 presidential election: one, a warning not to risk destroying everything we've gained by voting for Donald Trump; two, a plea not to make a mockery of this election by voting for Gary Johnson.

Here today the important third installment: Making your vote count  not just by voting against Trump or Johnson  but by voting for Hillary Clinton.

For all Democrats, for all Republicans who love their country more than their party, and, yes, for all former Bernie Sanders supporters like me, voting for Hillary Clinton should be an easy, automatic and enthusiastic choice. A no-brainer.

She is, hands down, as President Obama frequently notes, the most qualified person to run for president  ever! Yes, we know, experience doesn't always count for everything. But it counts for a lot. And certainly her experience as first lady of Arkansas, first lady of the United States, U.S. senator from New York, and secretary of state gives her an unparalleled grasp of how government works and how to get things done. There will be no period of on-the-job training needed for Hillary Clinton.

Even outside of public office, Clinton has a lifetime record of fighting for good causes, especially children and women's rights. In high school, she volunteered to baby-sit children of migrant workers. In law school, she volunteered on child abuse cases at New Haven Hospital. Her first job after law school was as staff attorney to the Children's Defense Fund. And her lifelong passion for women's rights led directly to her historic 1995 speech to the U.N. Conference on Women in Beijing where she looked China's repressive leaders in the eye and declared: "If there is one message that echoes from this conference, let it be that human rights are women's rights and women's rights are human rights, once and for all."

For Americans sick of Washington's ugly political battles, Clinton also offers the best hope of ending partisan gridlock. She definitely will have a better working relationship with Congress than President Obama ever had. She proved it, in the Senate, where she sponsored dozens of bills with Republican senators, including such conservative icons as Orrin Hatch (R-UT) and James Inhofe (R-OK) (payments to public service officers after Sept. 11); Johnny Isakson (R-GA) and John McCain (R-AZ) (auto safety); and Lindsey Graham (R-SC) (health care for National Guard families). In 2001, she so surprised GOP senators by showing up and becoming a regular member of their weekly prayer meetings that Sam Brownback, then Republican senator from Kansas, stood up and begged forgiveness for hating her. She was confirmed by the Senate for Secretary of State 94 to 2.

And let there be no doubt for Bernie Sanders supporters, young and older: If you really believe in what Bernie stands for, if you really want to see the progressive agenda become real, Hillary Clinton's your only hope. She's already embraced many of the issues Sanders raised during the primary: opposition to TPP; tuition-free community college; $15 minimum wage; cutting prescription drug costs and adding a public plan option under Obamacare as a first step toward a single-payer health care system. The challenge will be to hold her feet to the fire once she's in the White House. But that's the job of Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren and progressive organizations.

There's one other reason for voting for Clinton, one she never talks about. Voting for her because she's a woman is not alone sufficient reason, but it is important. We made history in 2008 by electing our first African-American president. How great to make history again in 2016 by electing our first female president. Madame President? It's about time!

And if you had any doubts about voting for Hillary Clinton, this week's third and final presidential debate should have convinced you. She was never stronger or in more command of the issues. He was never more flummoxed or unhinged. Trump bragged about his respect for women, then called Clinton "such a nasty woman." He asserted his confidence in the military, then accused the U.S. military of helping the Iraqi Army retake Mosul only to help Hillary get elected. And then he refused to say whether he would accept the results on Nov. 8, thereby undermining the very foundation of democracy, which has carried us for 240 years.

Isn't that enough? Rule No. 1: Any candidate who refuses to accept the will of the voters should be disqualified from running for president.

Bill Press is the host of a nationally-syndicated radio show, a CNN political analyst and the author of a new book, "Buyer's Remorse," which is available in bookstores now. His email address is: bill@billpress.com. Readers may also follow him on Twitter at @bpshow.
I've never really cared about the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Even as someone who's employed to write about music and culture, the yearly spectacle and induction ceremony for the long-running museum does little for me other than as fodder for a quick news post or maybe as the eighth coolest thing to do if I'm ever in Cleveland for a week. With its confusing, wildly inconsistent and oddly political selection process; often groan-worthy, male-dominated inductees; and off-base snubs (seriously, Chic has 11 nominations and hasn't been inducted yet and more acts, such as Whitney Houston, have gone without nominations), to me, the Rock Hall has always been a self-congratulatory industry fest that deserves snark rather than seriousness.

After all, the ceremony's become so corny that last year, Steve Miller, of "The Joker" and "Jungle Love" fame, managed to be the most punk person there not in Cheap Trick or N.W.A. when he told reporters after he won: "This whole industry fucking sucks and this little get-together you guys have here is like a private boys' club and it's a bunch of jackasses and jerks and fucking gangsters and crooks who've fucking stolen everything from a fucking artist." He added, continuing to not mince words, "And if the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame wants to be taken seriously, they need to put their books out in the public. They need to fucking become transparent."

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That's why last week, when the Rock Hall unveiled its 2017 shortlist of nominees, which included first-time nods like Bad Brains, Depeche Mode, Joan Baez, Pearl Jam, Tupac Shakur and more, I quickly deleted my screencap tweet with a sarcastic "lol" caption in favor of one that read, "wow, Bad Brains, that's cool." Along with those acts, new nominees Jane's Addiction, Journey, Electric Light Orchestra and Steppenwolfsome of who just became eligible because of the ceremony's 25-year rule, while some were included for no reason other than the committee felt like itand previously nominated acts like The Cars, Chaka Khan, Chic, Janet Jackson, The J. Geils Band, Joe Tex, Kraftwerk, MC5, Yes and The Zombies can also be inducted in 2017.

While it could use more women and less Journey, that's not really a list to laugh at. Even hardcore legend Ian MacKaye, of Fugazi and Minor, in his typically skeptical way complimented the selection: "I don't know who the nominators are, and frankly don't care, but the person who put Bad Brains name in the hat is either visionary, or they're savvy and trying to bring some legitimacy to their brand." So why does the the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame seem less embarrassing in 2016 than it did in years past?

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Well, for one, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame got predictably roasted this year for not inducting a single woman in its 2016 class. It got so bad that even Rolling Stone, the publication owned by Rock Hall co-founder Jann Wenner, wrote a post decrying its lack of women. When the Rock Hall has 321 members but only 44, or a paltry 13.7 percent, are women, it's not only ridiculous for its disparity and lack of reflecting the actual musical landscape, but also really weird. So not to knock on Chicago or Steve Miller, who were inducted last year, but when it's 2016 and those are some of the year's inductees, it's tough to get excited.

Long the subject of criticism, the Rock Hall knows it. In 2015, it purged several older members of the nominating committee, the 40 or so bloc of voters who pick the acts that make the ballot, as opposed to the 800 or so voters who actually induct artists into the Hall. "We've made a conscious effort to diversify it," Wenner told Billboard that year. Notable artists like Rage Against the Machine's Tom Morello and the Roots' Questlove Thompson have recently been added to the nominating committee to add more diverse voices to the fray. But, as Wenner also notes, change is going to be hard: "The nominating committee is a more educated, elite and sophisticated group of people. The broader voters are more like meI loved a certain period of music, but I'm not deeply committed to knowing everything that's going on."

So, while the nominating committee this year produced the most diverse list of Rock Hall nominees in over 20 years, there's still a lot of work to do. While, of the 19 acts this year, there are only three women, it's a step in the right direction. Tupac is finally nominated and, wow, again, but I still can't believe Bad Brains are there, too. But, if the Rock Hall of Fame is going to continue to surprise us with well thought-out nominees and a diverse array of artists who actually reflect the culture, one of the only ways we can do that is to keep them accountable by making fun of it. But please, tease away as long as you're not criticizing it for including acts from hip-hop, disco and popdon't sound like geezer-in-chief Gene Simmons in 2016.

@joshhterry | jterry@redeyechicago.com
Cheese and cocktail pairings, beer poured from a pumpkin and more things to do in Chicago on Tuesday, Oct. 25.

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Q-BBQ Pop-Up

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Willis Tower

233 S. Wacker Drive

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The restaurant chain tries to break the curse on the Chicago Cubs by smoking a goat every day through Friday and serving it in a sandwich with chimichurri sauce ($10.08). You can also grab pulled pork, chopped brisket and pulled chicken on a sandwich ($6.99) or in a plate with two sides ($8-$11). 10 a.m.-2 p.m.



Burger Night

Publican Quality Meats

825 W. Fulton Market St. 312-445-8977

Teams headed by Marina Squerciati of "Chicago P.D." and Colin Donnell of "Chicago Med" face off by preparing themed burgers, with the police side using Glazed and Infused doughnuts as a bun while the hospital crew serves a double-patty Heart Attack burger, bacon and cheese ($14 each). 5:30-9 p.m.



DRINK

The Great Punk'n Party

Fountainhead

1970 W. Montrose Ave. 773-697-8204

The sixth annual bash includes a beer poured from a pumpkin and a kit for you to carve a pumpkin to enter in a contest awarding prizes. The Ravenswood bar plays punk music before and after the Cubs World Series kick-off game, which will air on both floors with sound. 7 p.m. $20. Tickets: greatpunknparty.bpt.me. No cover if you don't want to compete.



Pairing Spirits and Cheese

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5212 N. Clark St. 773-358-7181

Experts from Pastoral and CH Distillery team up to lead a class on pairing spirits and cocktails with artisan cheeses. 6:30-8 p.m. $45. Tickets: pastoralartisan.com



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Making Mainbocher: The First American Couturier

Chicago History Museum

1601 N. Clark St. 312-642-4600

Making Mainbocher.

The new exhibit, which runs through August 2017, displays nearly 30 garments from Chicago-native Main Rousseau Bocher along with fashion illustrations, photography, video and interactive areas that let you design your own garments. 9:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. $14-$16. Tickets: makingmainbocher.com



HAPPY HOUR OF THE DAY

Sunda (110 W. Illinois St. 312-644-0500) offers $5 Kirin Ichiban drafts, $4-$10 dim sum, $7 select cocktails, glasses of sake and red or white house wine from 3:30-6:30 p.m.

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"The biggest complaint we have faced in the past is that we are not delivering the kind of skilled people businesses require. They need oranges and we are delivering apples. So, in 2009, it was decided that the entire task of creating course or training content would be handed over to industry.

So, NSDC is now led almost entirely by the private sector. The whole idea is that the skilling eco-system should be led by business."

It is estimated that the working-age population, between 15 and 64 years, will rise by 125 million over the coming decade and a further 103 million over the following one. However, a recent survey showed no net new jobs were created between 2004-05 and 2009-10, a dramatic slowdown compared with the previous five years, when 60 million jobs were created. Rohit Nandan, secretary, ministry of skill development and entrepreneurship, talks to Anjuli Bhargava on the situation. Excerpts:

Where are these skilled people we hear so much about? It seems theres more talk and less action.

Skilling is a very intangible concept. How will you, especially in an urban environment, actually perceive the difference it is making?

Moreover, it is a very hierarchical concept. As we see it, 12-13 million Indians need to be skilled every year. But, not everyone has to have skills of the same order or level.

To start with, you need skills of a very local variety. The skilled person need not have skills of national standards; just traditional or local skills will do. Good enough for the market he is catering to.

At a slightly higher level are national-level skills. Where, if a skilled worker wants to move from one state to another to work, his skills are usable or transferable. So his skills and certification have to be nationally recognisable. His certification should hold good in the other state.

Third, we need skills that can be exported. If a person wants to migrate out of India, the skills he requires have to be a different order altogether.

Here, quality is very relevant. To export our workers - construction workers, plumbers, electricians, carpenters, nursing staff, beauty care experts - to the UK or even the West Asia needs a different type and level of skilling.

We are primarily focusing on the first two. For the first time last year, we were able to skill around 10.4 mn people. This does not take into account skilling that is being done by industry or employers directly.

This is only through our system, where loans have been taken through NSDC (National Skill Development Council).

This includes ITIs (Industrial Training Institutes), government-backed training and private training done with loans from government sources.

This doesnt include TCS, Wipro, Welspun and others who train directly. If we include this, the numbers would go to 12.5-13 mn in the year.

How are you creating training capacity?

When this ministry was formed, there were around 1,700 centres through which training was being imparted. This has gone up to around 8,000.

We have financed new centres through loans to the tune of around Rs 2,200 crore (Rs 22 billion). The centres are run by the private partners to whom we offer a loan at a concessional rate.

The biggest complaint we have faced in the past is that we are not delivering the kind of skilled people businesses require. They need oranges and we are delivering apples. So, in 2009, it was decided that the entire task of creating course or training content would be handed over to industry.

So, NSDC is now led almost entirely by the private sector. The whole idea is that the skilling eco-system should be led by business.

We created 40-odd sector skill councils, each headed by a major player in that sector. All courses are decided by them. We have developed 4,000 national occupational standards. Now, I am in the happy position of asking business why it is not skilling people to its own requirements.

We have also established an electronic platform to bring the two together. There could be a trained worker in Bengal and someone might need him in Tamil Nadu. How do they find each other?

Around 60,000 listings have come on our electronic platform since 2014. If an industry in Maharashtra requires 10 welders, it can go on the site and find them. Although this is a passive way of bringing them together, we will be partnering with sites like naukri.com to allow them to access and use our database on a non-exclusive basis.

We have also done a study to see where our skilled workers can be exported. For instance we think there could be a market for Indian geriatric care-givers to the West.

The biggest quality of Indians is our ability to give care. For instance, the ageing population in Japan could well use the services of young girls from the northeast.

There is a physical and cultural similarity, and with some language skills, this could be a good fit. We are closely studying where such similarities can work to the advantage of both countries.

If it is working so well, shouldnt there be a spurt in the employment figures? Shouldnt all this help solve what seems to be a gargantuan problem?

This is perhaps the only thing we cannot do. New jobs are a function of how well your economy is faring and growing. We can make people job-ready but we cant create jobs. We dont have a magic wand. Its unfair to expect the skill ministry to fill this void.

If there are more hotels, they will require more chefs, more waiters, more front desk managers. I can supply those but I cant build more hotels.

Illustration: Uttam Ghosh/Rediff.com
Major global airlines, including Gulf carriers, are keen to invest in this space.

Major airlines from the Gulf countries have shown an interest to invest in Indias regional aviation market.

This coincides with the government announcing a new policy to kickstart regional airlines in the country through sops and subsidies.

Minister of State for Civil Aviation Jayant Sinha told Business Standard that many foreign airlines, including major carriers from West Asia, have held negotiations with the government to fly on regional routes connecting the countrys major cities to tier-II and tier-III cities.

We have had large airlines like IndiGo, SpiceJet, Jet Airways expressing interest. Then we have people in the UK and the US engaged in regional aviation showing interest some large global airlines from the Gulf have expressed interest to run regional airlines in India, Jayant Sinha said in an interview. He, however, declined to name the airlines.

The investment could be in the form of a stake in an existing airline or opening a new regional airline in the country. With the recent changes in FDI (foreign direct investment) rules, India now has liberal and open policy in the world. Naturally, they will be interested, the minister said.

In June, the government increased the FDI limit in domestic airlines to 100 per cent. But FDI is on automatic route only up to 49 per cent. The rules, however, state that the principal place of business must be in India.

According to industry sources, India being a significant market for the Gulf majors, they would want to have a feeder airline, which brings West Asia-bound traffic from tier-II and tier-III cities to the metro airports.

A significant traffic to the Gulf comes from the smaller cities. Take, for instance, passengers from Chandigarh, who, until recently, had to fly to Delhi to take flights abroad. Similarly, there are cities like Indore, Vizag and Surat, which feed to the Gulf traffic. Having a joint venture with a regional carrier like Air Costa or TrueJet can be captured as a thoroughfare product, explained an executive of a major domestic carrier.

THE GULF WIDENS Market share of the big 3 Gulf airlines in India (2015-16) Emirates: 10.8% Etihad: 4.7% Qatar Airways: 4.0% Source: DGCA

Over the past few years, the three major Gulf carriers -- Emirates, Etihad and Qatar -- have taken up a bulk share of the international traffic of India. Etihad, Emirates and Qatar Airways did not respond to queries on the subject.

Abu Dhabi-based Etihad, which owns 24 per cent of Indian carrier Jet Airways, became the first foreign airline in 2013 to invest in an Indian carrier. Qatar Airways chief executive officer (CEO) Akbar Al Baker said in March that the airline was willing to pick up a stake in IndiGo.

Experts warned that the investment makes sense for the Gulf carriers, but they might face opposition from Indian carriers.

India is a key market for Arab airlines, not just because of the big population that is employed with Gulf countries but also due to international traffic that connects via hubs like Dubai, Doha and Abu Dhabi. While the plan proposed by the Gulf carriers looks good, the litmus test is whether the government will allow this to happen and whether opposition from the likes of Air India and others will thwart this idea, said Saj Ahmad, chief analyst, StrategicAero Research.

Some analysts were of the view the investment proposal should not be linked to enhanced bilateral entitlements because that might hurt the Indian carrier. As long as the interest to invest is on merit and not bilateral enhancements, it should be welcome. Capacity enhancement is a core issue for those carriers and needs to be dealt with, based on Indias connectivity needs, said Kapil Kaul, CEO South Asia at Sydney-based consultant CAPA-Centre for Aviation.

Gulf carriers have been demanding more seats, as the existing quota has been used up. Since 2000, there has been an FDI inflow of $288.6 billion in India -- in sectors such as trading, pharmaceuticals, broadcasting, air transport, retail and defence. Of this, only $931 million has been in air transport.'

Image: Emirates Airline crew. Photograph: Reuters.
Akhilesh was always seen as someone working under the shadow of his father and uncles. However, overtime, he started asserting his authority, say Virendra Singh Rawat and Amit Agnihotri.

Even as the ruling Samajwadi Party in Uttar Pradesh is preparing to celebrate its silver jubilee on November 5 in Lucknow, indications are the party might split before the event with the warring factions hardening their stand.

The latest crisis has come with Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav removing his uncle Shivpal Singh Yadav and three other ministers from the state cabinet on Sunday.

The unexpected move was seen as an open challenge to not only Shivpal but party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav, too. Following this, the party announced expulsion of general secretary Ramgopal Yadav for six years for openly siding with Akhilesh and writing two terse letters to Mulayam over the feud.

With 2017 polls less than five months away, the infighting can affect the poll prospects of the SP. The rift has been widening over the past few months with Shivpal saying some officials were not heeding his directives and causing impediments in development projects. The jibe was seen as directed at the CM, who controlled the senior officials of the government.

The fault lines in the party had started emerging prominently after the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, which reduced its tally to five from the 23 seats it had won in the 2009 elections.

Following this debacle, there were calls for Mulayam to take over as CM and sack Akhilesh. However, Mulayam chose to back Akhilesh, while some other party leaders were removed from prominent positions over the poor show in elections.

Akhilesh was always seen as someone working under the shadow of his father and uncles. However, overtime, he started asserting his authority over projects, postings, party hierarchy, etc, causing heartburn among the old guards represented by Mulayam and Shivpal.

On September 12, Akhilesh removed two powerful cabinet ministers -- Gayatri Prasad Prajapati and Raj Kishore Singh.

The next day, he removed chief secretary Deepak Singhal, considered close to Shipval.

Akhilesh even divested Shivpal of key portfolios, including peoples works department and irrigation, after Mulayam replaced Akhilesh with Shivpal as SPs state unit president.

Soon after, Shivpal tendered his resigning from the state cabinet and party posts. There was public acrimony at the Lucknow party office by the respective supporters of Akhilesh and Shivpal, who indulged in shrill slogan-shouting, causing huge embarrassment to the party.

Mulayam intervened and Prajapti was re-inducted into the cabinet on September 26, while Shivpal continued to be the partys UP president.

On October 1, Akhilesh stripped Shivpal of two of his other portfolios -- social welfare and minor irrigation -- and allotted these to other ministers.

On June 21, Shivpal had announced the merger of the two parties in the presence of Quami Ekta Dal president Afzal Ansari, the elder brother of incarcerated mafia don and legislator Mukhtar Ansari. However, Akhilesh opposed it and the SP parliamentary board reportedly called off the decision.

Now, Shivpal says the QED merger has become effective and that there is no need for a fresh announcement.

Further, Shivpal has nominated his key aides in the 81-member SP state executive, while showing the door to those who are close to Akhilesh.

On October 14, replying to a reporters question on the CM candidate for the upcoming election, Mulayam said the partys parliamentary board and legislators would chose the person, in the event of SP securing majority in the assembly election.

Soon, SP national vice president Kironmoy Nanda announced Akhilesh remained the partys official chief ministerial candidate for the 2017 polls. He claimed Mulayam was only referring to the procedure of electing the CM, when a scribe asked that specific question.

The rift in the party is too deep to be mended, say political observers. Besides, the party is now perceived weaker in comparison to the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party. It threatens to derail the election campaign of SP, which is faced with anti-incumbency, apart from stiff challenge from both the BJP and BSP.

Akhilesh has now decided to kick-start his Samajwadi Vikas Rath Yatra from November 3 and it is speculated that he would stay away from the partys silver jubilee celebrations as well.

Meanwhile, the Congress is closely watching the developments in Uttar Pradesh and feels that a split in the SP could benefit it. According to Congress leaders, its rivals in the state -- SP and BSP -- gained at its expense over the past two decades.

If the graph of either SP or the BSP goes down, it is a positive development for the Congress, party veteran in the state Rajaram Pal said. If the SP breaks up, its core Muslim votes might look for a new anchor. Some of them may like to come back to the Congress as the BSP under Mayawati, too, is facing internal problems, said Pal, who was made the UP Congress vice president recently.

Muslims, Dalits and Brahmins used to be the traditional vote bank of the Congress in UP and gradually moved to its rivals as the Congress was pushed to the margins in the years after the 1992 Babri mosque demolition.

Party managers also feel that part of the Brahmin and other upper caste voters, who had been voting for the BJP, might also come back.

The partys strategy in UP is to keep the BJP out of power. Towards this goal, the Congress is trying its best to increase its tally in the state assembly (it won just 28 of the 403 seats in 2012 polls), so that it is in a position to play a role in the formation of the next government.

The Congress, in that case, might support the BSP or the SP to keep the BJP out, said a senior party leader.
If Muslims who are 20 percent of UPs population feel the SP has no future they will go with the BSP. Even if 10 percent Muslim vote goes to the BSP every equation will change.

Indian politics has not seen anything like what is going on in Uttar Pradesh.

What is unfolding in Lucknow is straight out of a television soap, with father fighting son, nephew opposing uncle, and cousins playing politics, while an outsider is in the midst of it all.

Why is Mulayam Singh hell-bent on cutting the ground from under his son Akhilesh Singhs feet? What is special about Shivpal Yadav that makes Mulayam pick him over the chief minister? Why is Amar Singh back in the Samajwadi Party?

And crucially, why are the leaders more concerned about their individual turf more than putting up a joint front for a critical round of assembly elections, due in just a few months time?

To make sense of what is happening in Uttar Pradesh, Syed Firdaus Ashraf/Rediff.com interviewed Shahid Siddiqui, former Samajwadi Party member and editor of Urdu newspaper Nai Duniya.

Siddiqui, image, below, was sacked from the Samajwadi Party in 2012 for interviewing Narendra Modi, then chief minister of Gujarat. He was removed by Ram Gopal Yadav, the same man who was sacked by Mulayam Singh from the party on Sunday.

We have seen family disputes before but the goings-on in the SP are like nothing we have seen. Can you explain what is happening in the Samajwadi Party?

This is an old battle, an expected one. This is like a family battle in a feudal set-up where such palace conspiracies take place and are in fact expected.

Differences between Akhilesh and Shivpal are not new. Shivpal always wanted to inherit power in Uttar Pradesh from his brother Mulayam Singh Yadav. That did not happen in 2012 and from then on Shivpal has been unhappy and angry. The problem went on from then and has now reached a point where Akhilesh has revolted in his own way and Shivpal is trying to extract his pound of flesh.

Mulayam Singh initially wanted to be neutral but he has failed. Mulayam made Akhilesh the chief minister in 2012 thinking that he himself will go for the prime ministers post in the 2014 elections. However, things did not work out that way and Mulayam was left with no position (of power). After that the family wanted Mulayam to take over as chief minister of Uttar Pradesh but Akhilesh refused to give up his post.

In this situation Ram Gopal Yadav stood by Akhilesh and said that he should be the chief ministerial face of the Samajwadi Party in the 2017 assembly elections and thus began the tussle between the old leaders of the Samajwadi Party and the new. Now the pressure is on Akhilesh to resign and make way for Mulayam to should lead the party in the 2017 elections.

Did Mulayam always want to become the chief minister after the Samajwadi Party lost badly in the 2014 parliamentary elections?

Yes. Mulayam was disappointed when the Samajwadi Party won only five seats from Uttar Pradesh in the 2014 parliamentary elections. He was expecting his party to win at least 40-50 seats so he could be a kingmaker but that did not happen. After that there was a talk of grand alliance and he thought he could be its leader.

He felt that since he could not be the leader in Delhi, he could be the leader in Lucknow, and people around him started saying that Mulayam should take over as chief minister since Akhilesh was not meeting the expectations of the people. These things happen in Indian feudal political set-ups as they are autocratic, not democratic.

What was the grand alliance theory about?

Before the Bihar elections, Nitish Kumar and Lalu Yadav came to Mulayam Singh Yadav and told him that they all will merge into one national party. They said they will contest the Bihar elections under Mulayams leadership. Everything was worked out and all the old Janata Dal leaders were part of it. Mulayam however scuttled it then, but now the news has come out from Shivpal that Ram Gopal Yadav scuttled that grand alliance to help the Bharatiya Janata Party.

Mulayam said he wanted to join Lalu and Nitishs alliance but it was Ram Gopal and Akhilesh who convinced him that they will not benefit anything from the grand alliance.

But why would Ram Gopal Yadav be against the grand alliance?

All of them have an understanding at the highest level. He wanted his cases withdrawn. Sitting in Delhi he was playing his own power games by showing off to people that he was important and powerful. He did that during the time of the United Progressive Alliance too for the Indo-US nuclear deal.

He was always trying to get close to people in power in Delhi and made them feel that he could get things done in Lucknow through Mulayam. In UP he knows he is not important but he used to throw his weight about in Delhi. Leaders are as weak as any other human being. They seem to be powerful but in reality they are extremely insecure characters. Because of this insecurity they do extremely silly things.

You tweeted that Ram Gopal Yadav was sacked from the Samajwadi Party the same way he sacked you from the party.

When I interviewed Narendra Modiji (as a journalist), Shivpal Yadav went to every TV channel and said I did not belong to the Samajwadi Party although the fact is I joined the party in front of Mulayam Singh Yadav, Akhilesh Yadav and Azam Khan. I was sacked just for interviewing Modi and Ram Gopal threw me out on that pretext without consulting Mulayam Singh.

I am not complaining because Ram Gopal has now been thrown out of the party on the same charges by Mulayam Singh.

Does it mean that Akhilesh and Ram Gopal Yadav had some kind of an understanding with the BJP for not letting the grand alliance come into the picture?

All of them have been working with the BJP secretly. Even Mulayam Singh was working secretly with the BJP as he has to run a state with the help of the Centre. In the Rajya Sabha the SP was supporting many bills of the BJP government. They isolated the Congress on many bills.

Are Akhilesh and Ram Gopal Yadav powerful enough to form their own party by splitting the Samajwadi Party?

The Samajwadi Party has two very important components, MY. That is, Muslims and Yadavs. The Muslims and Yadavs are with Mulayam and as far as the party organisation is concerned it is with Shivpal. Ram Gopal Yadav was never on the ground. He was in Delhi, in the Rajya Sabha. He was always cut off from the organisation and from grass-root workers. Akhilesh has his own face and support but it is a small section of young people, they are not the core voters of SP.

The core voter for the SP is the Muslim-Yadav vote which will go to Mulayam Singh and that forms 24 percent of the partys votes. The rest four to five percent voted against Mayawati due to anti-incumbency or for the young face of Akhilesh. Akhilesh on his own can damage the Samajwadi party but on his own he will not emerge as a great leader.

Dont the leaders realise they are harming the Samajwadi Party by their infighting?

That is the unfortunate part. Power blinds you and when you get this kind of power you only look at your own share. History tells us that these kind of feudal parties go (out) this way. They see they are being damaged but they dont care because they only care for their own share and that is what is happening in the SP. Whether they break up or not (is a different matter), but they have brought the dirt of the family out on street and it is terrible.

We have seen the division of the Congress many times and of the Janata Dal too but we have not seen any family battle out in the open. In the past it never used to come out in the open but today we are in the era of live TV and social media. Everything is reported within minutes.

What about Amar Singh, why was he taken back in the party? And what is the problem between Akhilesh and Amar Singh?

The Akhilesh vs Amar Singh battle is old. From the very beginning Ram Gopal Yadav was working for Mulayam Singh but when Amar Singh emerged on the scene Ram Gopal was sidelined. It was Amar Singh who was managing and networking for the SP in Delhi. This made Ram Gopal very unhappy.

Akhilesh used to be close to him, would call him uncle. In fact, it was Amar Singh who convinced Mulayam to let Akhilesh marry Dimple. When Dimple lost the Ferozabad elections (in 2009), Akhilesh felt that it was because of Amar Singh as he was managing all the film-stars, Ram Gopal convinced Akhilesh at that time that Dimple lost the election to Raj Babbar of the Congress because of Amar Singh. Akhilesh suffered a personal setback over the Ferozabad election, as some of the leaders commented that Akhilesh claims to be a mass leader but could not make his own wife win.

So Akhilesh held a grudge against Amar Singh and convinced Mulayam to throw him out of the party, which his father did. Now Mulayam Singh wants to get back to power and realised that Ram Gopal who was networking for Mulayam earlier was now working for Akhilesh. So Mulayam wanted Amar Singh back in the party.

(The issue was precipitated) When there was a party to honour Zee TV chairman Subhash Chandra where Amar Singh made some comments about Akhilesh which was either recorded or someone passed on the message to Akhilesh. This has ultimately led to todays impasse. Akhilesh has now said he is ready to accept everything except Amar Singh. Mulayam on the other hand in his speech at the SP meet on Monday said he will not let Amar Singh go.

Why is Mulayam Singh so fond of Amar Singh?

I have my own theory which I will not like to share.

Who will benefit from this infighting in the Samajwadi Party?

The BJP can benefit but it can be damaged also. The way things are going, if Muslims who are 20 percent of the population feel the SP has no future they will go with the BSP. Out of 20 percent of Muslim votes even if 10 percent goes to the BSP every equation will change.

But I feel there is still time because the way things are going on in UP at the moment it is like a soap opera. We dont know what Mulayam will do. Whether the SP will remain united. Right now 122 episodes are over (laughs) but we do not know what is going to happen next. Let things get crystallise and let us get a clearer picture.

Image: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav address Samajwadi Party officials with a portrait of his father Mulayam Singh Yadav looking down on him. Photograph: Pawan Kumar/Reuters.
A Hamas member was killed on Monday when a tunnel collapsed in the Gaza Strip, the group's military wing said in a statement.

The Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades named the man as Amir Jaber Abu Taimeh and said the accident occurred in the town of Khan Yunes. It gave no further details.

Over the past few months at least 16 militants have died in tunnel accidents in the strip.

Another al-Qassam Brigades member was killed in a collapse near Al-Maghazi in the central Gaza Strip on Saturday.

Israel accuses Gaza militants of building tunnels for use in attacks against the Jewish state, and destroyed several during the devastating 2014 war with Hamas.

The Islamist movement, which controls the coastal enclave, and other militant groups such as Islamic Jihad have a network of tunnels in the Israeli-blockaded territory, both for smuggling and militant purposes.

Egypt, which shares a border with Gaza, has also destroyed tunnels Palestinians use to smuggle commercial goods, cash, people and allegedly weapons.

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'To safeguard himself he moves around with his personal security. That's it.'

News that Arnab Goswami, the anchor of the NewsHour show on the Times Now television news channel, has been given 'Y' class security by the government is not correct, a close friend of Goswami told Subhash K Jha.

"Arnab has no clue where this news came from," this friend, who said he was speaking on Goswami's behalf, pointed out.

"A week ago he suddenly got calls and messages from a daily newspaper which he did not take. Before he knew it, the report was picked up by numerous papers and Web sites."

"Arnab has not been provided any security, Y, Z or otherwise," the friend, speaking on Gowami's behalf, clarified.

"To safeguard himself he moves around with his personal security. That's it. Arnab finds the whole debate that has opened up on whether he deserves governmental security to be very amusing," the friend added.

"Neither has the government come forward to provide him any security nor is he soliciting any security from the government."

A contributing correspondent, familiar with events, had told Rediff.com October 17, military intelligence had alerted the government to perceived threats emanating from Pakistan to Times Now Editor-in-Chief Goswami.

Two terrorist organisations in Pakistan, military intelligence learnt, had detailed information about Goswami's movements in Mumbai.

An eight page transcript of conversations in Urdu was provided by military intelligence to the Union home ministry in New Delhi.

A joint secretary in the home ministry had requested Maharashtra's director general of police to assign 20 policemen to guard Goswami around the clock.

Policemen, it was learnt, would be stationed at Goswami's home and office. All visitors, it was said, would undergo a comprehensive security check before they meet the news anchor.

When Subhash K Jha asked Arnab last week if he is fazed by the terror threats?

"There is no need to worry," Goswami told Jha.

"There is a lot of support for the work we do," he said. "Public support and goodwill is what matters the most."

"In many ways, it is the best security blanket that I can get."

Now comes the clarification from a source close to Goswami that no government security is being provided to the news anchor.
Taking exception to the visit by United States envoy in India to Arunachal Pradesh which it claims as southern Tibet, China on Monday said any interference by Washington in the Sino-India boundary dispute will make it "more complicated" and "disturb" hard-won peace at the border.

Asking the US to desist from interfering in the India-China border dispute, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang told a media briefing in Beijing that China is firmly opposed to the visit.

Referring to US envoy Richard Verma's October 22 tour to Tawang at the invitation of Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu, Lu said while replying to a question that the US envoy visited a "disputed region".

"We have also noted that the place visited by senior US diplomatic official is a disputed region between China and India. We are firmly opposed to his visit," he said.

China claims Arunachal Pradesh as part of southern Tibet and routinely protests visits by Indian leaders, foreign officials as well as the Dalai Lama to the area.

"China's position on eastern section of the China-India boundary is very clear and consistent. The two countries are now trying to resolve territorial disputes through negotiations and consultations," he said referring to the Special Representatives mechanism headed by National Security Advisors of both countries to find a solution.

Rebuffing China for objecting to Verma's recent visit, India said there was "nothing unusual" about his trip to a state which is an integral part of the country.

"The US Ambassador visited Arunachal Pradesh, a state which is an integral part of the country to which he is accredited. There is nothing unusual in it," External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Vikas Swarup said in New Delhi.

"We have also noted that the place visited by senior US diplomatic official is a disputed region between China and India. We are firmly opposed to his visit," he said.

Both sides held 19th round of Special Representatives' talks to resolve the disputes over the 3,488-km Line of Actual Control.

While China claims Arunachal Pradesh as Southern Tibet and India asserts that the dispute covers Aksai Chin area which was occupied by China during the 1962 war.

Lu said "any third party with a sense of responsibility should respect efforts made by China and India for peace reconciliation and tranquility rather than the opposite," he said.

The behaviour by the US contrasts the efforts made by China and India, he said.

"It will only make the dispute more complicated, disturb the hard-won peace and tranquility of border areas and sabotage peaceful development of the region," Lu said.

"We urge the US to stop its interference in the boundary issue between China and India and make more contribution to regional peace and stability," he said.

The boundary question between China and India is very complex and sensitive, he said adding that "the interference by a third party will only stir up or heighten tensions".

"At the end of the day only the peoples of the two countries will fall victims," he said.

"We believe India and China as two major countries have enough wisdom to properly to deal with this issue and safeguard the fundamental interest of the two peoples," Lu said.

IMAGE: US Ambassador to India Richard Verma with Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal and Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu at Tawang festival in Arunachal Pradesh. Photograph: @USAmbIndia/Twitter
India on Monday told Bahrain that terrorism emanating from Pakistan remains its most important concern and support from across the border has incited the current unrest in Jammu and Kashmir.

This was conveyed by Home Minister Rajnath Singh to Bahraini Interior Minister Rashid bin Abdullah Al Khalifa during a bilateral meeting in Manama.

Bahrain is a key member of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference in which Pakistan is also a member.

Singh, who is on a three-day visit to the Gulf country, apprised Khalifa about Islamabad's open support and participation to glorify slain Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist

Burhan Wani in Pakistan, saying it indicates continued free movement that terrorists and their supporters enjoy there.

Wani was killed in an encounter on July 8 and since then the unrest has been continuing in Kashmir Valley.

Pakistan is a country which refuses to give up use of terrorism as an instrument of state policy, he said.

The home minister raised the issue of the arrest in July of Pakistani terrorist Bahadur Ali, who was armed and trained in LeT camps and then exfiltrated into Jammu and Kashmir with instructions to mingle in crowds for throwing grenades at security forces.

"Since there is no change in Pakistan's approach of sponsoring terrorism we cannot take at face value any of the assurances that Pakistan provides in regard to stopping terrorism," Singh is said to have conveyed to his Bahraini counterpart.

Asserting that Jammu and Kashmir is an internal matter of India and no interference is acceptable, Singh said the central government as well as the Jammu and Kashmir government and other relevant authorities in India are involved in addressing the situation in the state and various efforts have been undertaken to redress the grievances of the local population.

The home minister conveyed that there is complete political consensus in India on reaching out to the people of Jammu and Kashmir and substantial progress has been made in this regard.

Singh also told Khalifa about the lack of progress in the investigation into the Pathankot airbase terrorist attack and on the Mumbai terror attack trials in Pakistan.

"It betrays Pakistan's selective approach to terrorism. We have conveyed to Pakistan that we are ready to discuss various aspects of the challenge of terrorism that is directed from Pakistan against us, which has been our core concern and is at the centre of the current situation in Jammu and Kashmir," he is believed to have said.

Rajnath also met Crown Prince of Bahrain Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa at Gudaibiya Palace and discussed various bilateral issues.

Singh will meet Bahrain King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, Prime Minister Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa.

IMAGE: Home Minister Rajnath Singh interacts with Crown Prince of Bahrain Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa at the Gudaibiya Palace in Manama. Photograph: Rajnath Singh/Twitter
Joining the debate on triple talaq, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday opposed the practice among Muslims and in the same breath he condemned the prevalence of female foeticide in Hindu society.

Female foeticide is a sin. So what if the sinner is a Hindu. My government has taken a number of steps (to stop this practice). Daughters, mothers, sisters should be protected. One should not consider religion. Mothers and sisters should be respected. We have raised the issue firmly.

Now the issue of talaq has come up. Just like if any Hindu commits female foeticide he will have to go to jail, similarly what is the crime of my Muslim sisters that some one says talaq over phone and her life is destroyed, he said addressing a Maha Parivartan Rally in Mahoba in the Bundelkhand region in poll-bound Uttar Pradesh.

Urging TV news channels to not turn triple talaq into an issue of Hindu versus Muslim or the Bharatiya Janata Party versus other parties, Modi said that in its submission to the Supreme Court, the central government had clearly stated that there should not be any atrocity on women and there should be no discrimination on the basis of religion.

In democracy, there should be discussion. The government has put forward its position. Those who want to digress from triple talaq are instigating people...in the country, lives of Muslim women cannot be allowed to be ruined by triple talaq, he said.

In his speech, the prime minister asked the audience whether the rights of Muslim women should be protected or not and whether they should get equal rights or not?

I am surprised that some political parties of the country in their lust for vote bank are hell-bent upon committing injustice to women in the 21st century. What kind of justice is this?

Politics and elections have their own place but getting Muslim women their rights as per the Constitution is the responsibility of the government and the people of the country, he said.

Asking the media to not turn the issue of triple talaq as a matter between the government and the opposition, Modi said, The debate should be between knowledgeable persons from Muslim community knowing Quran. In Muslim community, knowledgeable and progressive people are there. There are educated Muslim women who can put their views forth.

When you do TV debate, do not turn it into Hindu-Muslim issues. Debate should be between those who want change in Muslim society and those who do not want 125 crore Indians to know what is the issue, the prime minister said.

He said in a democracy, there should be discussion. The government has put its position but there are people who want to digress from triple talaq and are instigating the people, he said.

This was Modis fourth public meeting in Uttar Pradesh in the past six months after Ballia, Gorakhpur and Lucknow.

IMAGE: Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses a rally in Mahoba, UP on Monday. Photograph: @BJP4India/Twitter
The second SSN that India is negotiating to lease from Russia will only replace the Chakra, when its 10-year lease expires, reports Ajai Shukla.

The Indian Navy will not be deploying a second Russian nuclear attack submarine in addition to the INS Chakra -- a "sub-surface nuclear" vessel leased from Russia for 10 years, from 2012-2022.

Instead, Business Standard learns from government sources in New Delhi that the second sub-surface nuclear submarine that India is negotiating to lease from Russia will only replace the INS Chakra when its 10-year lease expires.

Confirms a Russian official source from Moscow: "India would only get delivery of a second SSN by 2020-21. There might be some overlap with INS Chakra but, after its lease runs out in 2022, India will continue to operate just one Russian SSN."

Russian media reports indicate that a half-built Amur-class submarine in Russia, tentatively named Irbis, could be completed and delivered to India by 2020-21. While the Chakra lease cost $970 million, the next submarine might be substantially costlier.

The defence ministry has been evaluating a replacement for the Chakra even before it came to India. Speaking to the media in April 2012, the day the Chakra joined the navys eastern fleet in Visakhapatnam, then Defence Minister A K Antony told the media: There is a proposal (about a second nuclear submarine) but we have not taken a decision about that.

Meanwhile, as part of the established Russia-India partnership in nuclear submarines, Russian experts continue supporting the Indian Navys indigenous SSN programme, which New Delhi plans to develop into four-six indigenous SSNs. The Chakra and its successor are intended to develop the expertise needed to operate these.

Negotiations on nuclear assets are top secret, which is why there was no mention of a replacement SSN after the 17th Russia-India annual summit meeting in Goa last week between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Vladimir Putin.

However, Indian officials say there are direct linkages between visible programmes, like Indias decision to buy four Russian stealth frigates; and the invisible strategic programmes like the lease of an SSN to replace the Chakra, and Russian cooperation in Indias SSN and SSBN programme.

Sources familiar with the advanced technology vessel project, as the Arihant development programme was called, tell Business Standard that Russian experts played a significant role in helping India build the shell for the indigenously developed nuclear reactor, and in installing the reactor in the submarine.

Installing a reactor is a precision task that is vital for a nuclear submarines stealth. It involves segregating all moving or noisy reactor parts from the hull by mounting the reactor on a raft and using noise suppression systems.

Nuclear submarines -- both SSNs and SSBNs -- have far greater endurance than conventional submarines. When submerged, a conventional (diesel-electric) vessel runs on power supplied by its on-board electric batteries.

When these are drained, typically in 8-72 hours, depending upon how fast it moves, the submarine must surface to run its diesel generators and recharge its batteries. In so doing, it is vulnerable to detection and attack by enemy aircraft, surface ships and submarines.

A nuclear submarine, in contrast, can remain submerged indefinitely, since generating of nuclear power does not require air.

This allows it to silently cover long distances underwater, slip undetected into a patrol area, and lurk in wait for enemy shipping, which it can destroy with torpedoes or missiles before escaping, still submerged.

The Indian Navy currently faces a dire shortage of submarines. Against an assessed requirement of 24 conventional submarines, it deploys just 13. In addition, Mazagon Dock, Mumbai, is building six Scorpene conventional submarines, slated to enter service between 2017-20.

Due to Indias peculiar coastal hydrography, and its operational requirements, the navy requires both conventional and nuclear submarines. The smaller conventional vessels are needed for the Arabian Sea, which is too shallow in many places for larger nuclear boats. Simultaneously, the deeper Bay of Bengal and Indian Ocean, with their vast expanses, require SSNs to cover.
Mulayam, Akhilesh shout at each other as the SP supremo defends brother Shivpal, Amar Singh. And outside the venue, supporters of Akhilesh and Shivpal come to blows.

Acrimonious scenes were witnessed on Monday at the meeting of the Samajwadi Party where Mulayam Singh Yadav and his son Chief Mnister Akhilesh Yadav exchanged heated words, with the party supremo making clear his support for Amar Singh, describing him as his brother and Shivpal Yadav as mass leader.

However, Mulayam made it clear that Akhilesh Yadav will remain in the party.

The SP supremo said the party was facing a difficult situation and party members should not fight with each other but his words had little effect as chaos broke out at the venue and heated words were exchanged on the dais, leading to an abrupt end of the meeting.

The crisis in the ruling party seems to have worsened with Mulayam Singh Yadav and his son and Akhilesh shouting at each other at the meeting.

Fresh clashes broke out outside the venue with supporters of rival sides exchanging blows, and giving police a tough time.

At the meeting of party legislators, MPs and ministers, which ended abruptly, Mulayam said, I cant tolerate anything against Amar and Shivpal. Amar saved me from going to jail.

From tears to shouting My father is my guru, said Akhilesh in a choked voice while speaking at the meet. He offered to resign and said he will not form a new party. Mulayam too broke down while addressing the meeting. Though he said he will not sack Akhilesh, he pulled him up, asking, 'What is your capability? Can you win elections?' The SP supremo said he can't leave Shivpal or Amar Singh. 'I cannot forget the work done by Shivpal Yadav,' he said. About Amar Singh he said, 'Amar has helped me a lot. If Amar was not there I would have been in jail.' He also defended the QED's merger with the SP, which the party had to cancel earlier as Akhilesh was not happy with it. This angered Akhilesh, who then shouted at his father and the duo had a heated exchange.

Mulayam said mere donning of red cap (the colour of SPs cap) does not make one Samajwadi. Admonishing Akhilesh, the party supremo said he had been abusing Amar Singh.

Amar has helped me a lot. If Amar was not there I would have been in jail, he is like my brother, Mulayam said, referring to the Rajya Sabha member.

Some ministers are just sycophants, he added.

I cannot forget the work done by Shivpal Yadav, he said while describing Shivpal as a mass leader. We are facing difficult situation, we should remove our weakness and not fight with each other.

Mulayam said he had to struggle hard to give his Samajwadi Party a shape. He said he followed the ideals of Ram Manohar Lohia and fought for the poor and the farmers.

He said he was sad over the current developments in the party "though I kept myself aloof from what was happening".

Pulling up Akhilesh, Mulayam said, What is your capability? Can you win elections?

Though the feud in the Mulayam clan has escalated, the SP chief maintained the ties were cordial in the family.

He said some leaders indulged in sycophancy and I do not like such sycophants.

Referring to those criticising the party, he said those who cannot tolerate criticism cannot become leaders. If criticism is right, there is scope for improvement, he said, adding, Those who cannot think big, cannot become leaders.

Mulayam said he had not become weak and asserted that Samajwadi Party would not break up.

I have ensured that youths get due respect and importance. One should not think the youth are not with me, he said.

He said a government or a party does not succeed with the help of slogan-shouting and sycophancy. I will drive out those shouting slogans, he warned.

He also defended the merger of the Quami Ekta Dal with the SP and described Ansaris family as respectable.

Monday was the birthday of Akhilesh, who touched the feet of his father and uncle Shivpal to seek their blessings.

Earlier, while speaking at the meet, Akhilesh ruled out forming any new party and offered to step down if Mulayam so desired.

Akhilesh broke down while addressing the meeting. Amid protests from his supporters, Akhilesh said, "Let netaji (Mulayam) install a chief minister who he feels is honest, he said.

Why should I form a new party? he asked in an emotionally choked voice, saying that all these years he had toiled hard for the welfare of the people.

Merey pita, merey guru hain (my father is my guru), he said.

The chief minister said many people were trying to create divisions within his family through various machinations and that he had taught himself how to oppose any wrongdoing.

His uncle Shivpal was also present at the meeting.

Tension was palpable much before the meeting began with youth supporters of Akhilesh mounting pressure on the leadership in support of the chief minister.

The meeting assumed significance as it came a day after Akhilesh engaged in a face-off with his father by sacking each others loyalists Ramgopal Yadav and Shivpal Yadav.

Akhilesh had sacked Shivpal, his uncle and partys state unit chief, along with three other pro-Amar Singh ministers from his cabinet.

Mulayam, in a tit-for-tat action, expelled Ramgopal, his pro-CM cousin and SPs national general secretary, from the party for six years, plunging the party into its worst-ever crisis days ahead of its silver jubilee celebrations and at a time when assembly elections are barely few months away.

Amid talk that Akhilesh could give a miss to the silver jubilee celebrations of the party, the chief minister said, Rath bhi chaley, sthapana diwas bhi maney (my rath yatra will go on and establishment day of the party will be celebrated).

Akhilesh will embark on his rath yatra on November 3, two days ahead of the silver jubilee event, which gave rise to speculation that he would skip the big show to express his displeasure over the recent developments in the party.

The chief minister said that he had connected with the masses with the help of Samajwadi Pension Yojana.

People kept criticising me, but I went ahead keeping my promises to them, he said.

An angry Akhilesh targeted Rajya Sabha MP Amar Singh for the current developments saying that he (Amar) had hinted that some major changes would take place in October.

At the same time, the chief minister said that if he had said something beyond his limit, he should be pardoned.

Meanwhile, supporters of rival SP factions clashed outside the party headquarters in Lucknow ahead of the crucial meeting called by Mulayam Singh Yadav, with camp followers of both Akhilesh and Shivpal exchangiong blows.

The police used force to disperse the slogan-shouting supporters who tried to break the cordon to march towards the party office.

While the meeting was underway, hundreds of Akhileshs supporters were raising slogans in his favour outside.

The tussle in the party began last month when Mulayam replaced 43-year-old Akhilesh with his 61-year-old uncle Shivpal as the party's UP chief, and also expelled several youth leaders seen as close to Akhilesh.

Shivpals sacking on Sunday came a day after a close aide of Akhilesh Yadav, MLC Udayveer Singh, was expelled from the Samajwadi Party. Udayveer was sacked a few days after he shot off a stinging letter to Mulayam accusing his second wife of hatching a conspiracy against the chief minister.

While asking Mulayam to clarify on his political successor, Udayveer also demanded that Akhilesh be made the partys national president so that there was no room for speculation or doubt.

Udayveer had earlier this week announced that he along with other Akhilesh loyalists would boycott the SPs silver jubilee celebrations in protest protest the expulsion of many of their colleagues by Mulayam and Shivpal.

Photographs: Reuters
Will Amar Singh be the go-between between the SP and Congress, asks Aditi Phadnis.

Illustration: Uttam Ghosh/Rediff.com

Amar Singh is back: In the Rajya Sabha, the Samajwadi Party which expelled him several years ago, as well as in Netaji's heart.

What role is he going to play?

Everyone is looking at the UP assembly elections that the Bharatiya Janata Party desperately needs to win.

The victory will not just make a political point; it is also the only way to ensure the BJP holds the initiative in the election for the President of India (at this moment, it does not look as if an election can be avoided) due in July next year.

Top leaders in the BJP say forming a government in UP is difficult, but certainly not impossible. But they purse their lips and shake their heads.

They warn that judgement must be suspended until we know what the pattern of alliances is going to be.

For the BJP, it is well-nigh impossible to strike any new deals. The SP would not ally with them and given that Keshav Prasad Maurya has been made the chief of the BJP in the state, it is a powerful disincentive for Bahujan Samaj Party President Mayawati to agree to help the party.

Judging by the way she has been hitting out at the BJP lately, a beautiful relationship does not seem to be in the offing.

In the 2012 assembly elections, out of the total 403 seats, the Congress contested 355 and won 28, garnering 11.65 per cent of the total votes cast.

The SP contested 401 seats and bagged 224, getting 29.13 per cent of the vote share.

The BSP fought 403 seats, getting 80 seats and 25.91 per cent of the votes.

The BJP contested 398 seats and got 47, with 15 per cent of the votes.

Then came the Lok Sabha polls of 2014.

Of the 80 seats, the Congress got two, or 7.53 per cent of the votes.

The SP won five seats, or 22.35 per cent of the votes.

The BSP got nothing but still accounted for 19.7 per cent of the votes.

The BJP bagged 71 seats -- a whopping 42.63 per cent of the votes polled.

What does this tell us? Mathematically, only if the SP, BSP and the Congress were to tie up, would they be able to beat the BJP?

Politically, that is not possible. To create conditions for the BJP's defeat, at the very least, either the SP or the BSP has to tie up with the Congress.

In the past, Amar Singh has rendered crucial service to both the SP and the Congress.

It was he who introduced the Congress to the SP through his friend and mentor Harkishan Singh Surjeet.

In an interview to journalist Karan Thapar, no less than former prime minister Manmohan Singh recalled the circumstances in which the no-confidence motion -- after the Left parties pulled out of the government following the India-US civil nuclear agreement -- was passed by Parliament.

The SP was bitterly opposed to it and former President A P J Abdul Kalam and Amar Singh's intervention won the day.

'Of course, when I faced a vote of no confidence in Parliament (July 2008), he (Kalam) was no longer the President,' Manmohan Singh said. 'But even then he played a very important role in helping the deal go forward. That time, there was a problem with regard to the voting pattern... how it will go... The prospects of the government winning the vote of confidence were being questioned. And I was discussing these matters with Amar Singhji and also with Mulayam Singhji. And with great difficulty we managed to persuade them to (take a) re-look at their objections.'

'It occurred to me that Mulayam Singhji had great regard and respect for Dr Kalam,' the former prime minister told Thapar. 'So I suggested then to Amar Singhji (that) maybe if you don't believe my word, you might like to hear Abdul Kalam's. And they went to see Kalam and he told them that this deal is in the national interest, and that means the Samajwadi Party was on board and we won the vote of confidence.'

After a bitter falling-out with Mulayam Singh Yadav and family, Amar Singh is back again.

The decision-making fulcrum in the Congress has shifted slightly -- it is now moving towards Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.

In UP, both the SP and the Congress will only be dissipating their energies if they decide to fight each other.

Together there is a slight chance they could put up a good show.

Will Amar Singh be the go-between... again? He says he won't. But you never know.
Joining the BJP cannot have been an easy decision for former UP Congress chief Rita Bahuguna Joshi, who grew up with secular values and appears to be a victim of the partys durbar politics. Amit Agnihotri reports.

More than the votes, which may or may not come, the Congress lost the political legacy of Hemvati Nandan Bahuguna when his daughter, Rita Bahuguna Joshi, joined the Bharatiya Janata Party last Thursday, after spending 24 years in the older party.

Joshi, who once taught history at the University of Allahabad, started her political journey in 1995 when she managed to win a mayoral poll, with a little help from the Samajwadi Party, leveraging upon a clean image.

She held the post from 1995 to 2000 and used it as a springboard for a more active political career.



Later, when she was the UP Congress chief from 2007 to 2012, Joshi often took on Bahujan Samaj Party supremo and then chief minister Mayawati -- she was even sent to Moradabad jail for making derogatory remarks against the Dalit leader.

Before that, Sonia Gandhi had made Joshi head of the All India Mahila Congress and would consult her on UP matters. She worked closely with Rahul Gandhi during these years.

Joshi was among the few female politicians who were arrested at Bhatta-Parsaul in western UP when Rahul began his anti-land acquisition politics there in 2011.



After the 2012 state assembly poll debacle, when the Congress could win only 28 of the 403 seats, she quit the post, taking moral responsibility for the result but continuing to play an active role in UP politics. As a member of the panel of national spokespersons, she was a regular face on television debates, defending the Congress.

She is now called an opportunist and traitor by former colleagues. Yet, joining the BJP cannot have been an easy decision for the former UP Congress chief, who grew up with secular values and appears to be a victim of the party's durbar politics.



Doubts had been cast on Joshi after her brother, Vijay Bahuguna, former Uttarakhand chief minister, joined the BJP. She had been confiding in those close to her over her limited access to Rahul.

Over the past few months, she was pushed to the sidelines as rivals moved closer to the high command.



After the 2012 polls, former UP Congress legislative party leader Pramod Tiwari, who often faced allegations of hobnobbing with the ruling Samajwadi Party, got a Rajya Sabha seat. He and she both belong to Allahabad and are considered arch rivals. She was upset over Tiwari getting a Rajya Sabha berth.

The final push apparently came when All India Congress Committee mandarins excluded her from the revamped state unit and also gave her no meaningful role in the planning and organising of Rahul's 'Kisan Yatra' across UP.



While Tiwari was made coordination panel chief for the polls, another veteran, Sanjay Singh, was made the poll campaign in charge. And, with Sheila Dikshit named the party's chief ministerial nominee, to woo the important Brahmin vote bank, Joshi's fate was seen as sealed in the UP Congress.

Sources said part of the blame lies with the high command. Party managers had wind of Joshi exploring options with the BJP but chose to let things be, instead of reaching out to and retaining her. What role she plays now will be watched closely by friends and foes alike.

Image: Bharatiya Janata Party president Amit Shah greets former UP Congress chief Rita Bahuguna Joshi after she joined the BJP at the party headquarters in New Delhi. Photograph: Kamal Singh/PTI Photo.
'An operation such as the Mumbai attacks, which needed expert technical assessment, money and time to prepare, could not have been carried out without the knowledge of the ISI's leadership.'

Dr Hein G Kiessling -- who lived in Pakistan from 1989 to 2002 in Pakistan, including four years in Quetta and nine in Islamabad during which he forged close contacts with Pakistan's political, military and intelligence elite -- on the horrific November 2008 Mumbai terror attacks.

An exclusive excerpt from Dr Kessling's new book, Faith, Unity, Discipline: The ISI Of Pakistan.

IMAGE: The iconic Taj Mahal Hotel burns during the Mumbai terror attacks of November 2008. Photograph: Arko Dutta/Reuters

On November 26, 2008, a 10-man terrorist commando landed on small boats in Mumbai to spread terror and death.

Their principal targets were two famous hotels, one of the city's major train stations and a Jewish centre.

At the end of 60 hours of continuous terror, there were 173 dead and numerous wounded.

Of the 10 terrorists, nine were killed and one, Ajmal Amir Kasab, from Pakistan's Punjab, was captured alive. He was later hanged.

His interrogation brought the first insights into the attack. All 10 perpetrators came from Pakistan, nine from Punjab and the leader from NWFP.

They were a Lashkar-e-Tayiba terrorist group, who had been trained and primed over months in two camps close to Muzaffarabad in Azad Kashmir and later in Karachi.

According to Kasab's statement, among the trainers were two former Pakistani military personnel.

Indian officials and experts quickly made it known that an operation of this magnitude could hardly have been planned, prepared and accomplished solely by LeT.

They pointed the finger at the ISI and the (then) Indian prime minister, Manmohan Singh, stated unequivocally on January 6, 2009, that 'there is enough evidence to show that, given the sophistication and the military precision of the attack, it must have had the support of some official agencies in Pakistan.'

The ISI added fuel to these suspicions.

As soon as the first pictures of the terrorists surfaced in the media, they tried to erase the traces.

The ISI turned up in Kasab's village of Faridkot, in Okara district and threatened his neighbours to swear silence. Kasab's parents also vanished from the village.

Just how much the ISI felt under pressure was visible in the subsequent weeks. It invited international journalists to the ISI headquarters to prove the alleged spuriousness of the accusations.

Director General ISI Lieutenant General Pasha, who had formerly been based in Germany for military training and spoke German, granted an exclusive interview to Der Spiegel, in which he denied all accusations against the secret service.

In the Pakistani press, articles and columns from commissioned writers were published, praising the agency and its role as the guarantor of Pakistan's security.

Simultaneously polemic statements about alleged atrocities carried out by India's R&AW surfaced on the Internet.

R&AW responded, and this led to a lively and interesting bout of psychological warfare between the two adversaries.

IMAGE: Ajmal Kasab during the 26/11 attack at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus. Photograph: Kind courtesy Sebastian D'Souza/Mumbai Mirror

Any analysis of the Mumbai events must ask the question whether the leadership of the ISI and GHQ were informed beforehand about the planned terror attacks.

One answer common among writers on intelligence matters is the idea of 'an ISI within the ISI,' but the author thinks this is erroneous.

This phrase might have been deliberately created by the ISI itself.

Pakistan's prime intelligence service is a strictly led, efficiently run organisation, with no room for groups pursuing their own secret agenda.

An operation such as the Mumbai attacks, which needed expert technical assessment, money and time to prepare, could not have been carried out or kept hidden without the knowledge of the service's leadership.

Considering the political explosiveness of the event, the COAS as well would have to have been informed.

The government in Islamabad was not accused of co-conspiracy or of having prior knowledge of the Mumbai attack by New Delhi, so they opted for damage limitation.

As soon as the attacks became public knowledge, (Pakistan President Asif) Zardari and (Pakistan Prime Minister Yousaf Raza) Gilani spoke to their minister of foreign affairs, (Shah Mehmood) Qureshi, who happened to be in India.

He proposed to his Indian counterparts a visit by DG ISI Pasha to investigate the incident. But GHQ (Pakistan's army headquarters) and the ISI quickly put a stop to this: Qureshi was recalled and flew home on a PAF (Pakistan Air Force) plane that night.

The government now began to toe the military line: All allegations were denied, evidence demanded and reports and information from India were explained as insufficient.

Meanwhile the LeT was blacklisted, its offices closed and its bank accounts frozen.

Allegedly only that part of the organisation active in the social welfare was excluded, whereas all LeT base groups continue to have a free field of action.

A number of LeT cadres were arrested, among them the masterminds of the Mumbai attacks, Zakir-ur Rehman Lakhvi and Zarrah Shah.

During their interrogation, both spoke candidly about their role in the preparation of the terror atrocity, without regrets, without doubts.

Initially, seven LeT cadres faced prosecution under the Pakistan anti-terrorism act, to which two were later added.

Initially, the trial was closed. New Delhi realistically expects neither an accurate factual explanation of what occurred nor an appropriate sentence to be passed on its perpetrators.

In the US, India's battering coincided with the outgoing Bush government and the incoming Obama administration. They feared retaliatory strikes from India on Pakistan, in particular a real prospect of a bombing attack on the ISI HQ in Islamabad.

Senator John Kerry, designated chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, flew to New Delhi, tasked with the mission of persuading India to adopt a more prudent response. He promised future American intervention in South Asia politics in a manner that might satisfy Indian expectations.

In reply, India submitted intelligence data about the Mumbai attacks collated jointly between R&AW and the CIA.

Both services managed to obtain some of the intercepted communications between the terrorists and their backers.

As in the Kabul embassy bombings, the possibility of a forthcoming high profile attack was known beforehand, but not where and when it might take place.

Kerry's journey ultimately proved to be successful. New Delhi refrained from military retaliation. They decided to erect no additional hurdles for President Zardari, who was more appreciated in India than he was in Pakistan, and to see what the Obama administration's new policies towards Pakistan would bring.

Nearly a year after the Mumbai attacks, in October 2009, David Coleman Headley was arrested in the United States.

At birth, the Washington-born US citizen was known as Daqood Sayed Gilani but used his new Western name to erase his Pakistani roots and links to LeT.

For Headley, it proved straightforward to travel five times to India, carrying a US passport with a business visa and to obtain local information for LeT before the planned outrage.

During his interrogation he gave details of 26/11, as the Mumbai attack came to be known.

According to Headley, the ISI was in constant contact with LeT over the preparations for Mumbai, at each and every stage of the operation.

In addition, the ISI had prepared a list of four or five Al Qaeda members who they were to put in the frame as potential suspects involved in the attacks.

This plan failed largely because of the self-confidence of the LeT leadership: They envisioned global interest in the 26/11 terror acts, which they regarded almost as a marketing opportunity for their brand of terrorism, an event that would help them obtain further financial assistance and recruit new fighters.

Excerpted from Faith, Unity, Discipline: The ISI Of Pakistan by Dr Hein G Kiessling, with the permission of the publishers, HarperCollins India.
Affaq Husain and his wife Saira built a Rs 100 crore empire preying on the most vulnerable people in society.

Rashme Sehgal reports on their rise and fall and how trafficking of young girls has reached frightening proportions.

Affaq Husain and his wife Saira, the kingpins of a strong trafficking racket, have forced thousands of vulnerable girls from the 24 Parganas district in West Bengal and Nepal into the flesh trade in the national capital.

Husain is known to use different ways of trapping young, underage girls.

Following the earthquake in Nepal in 2015, he went to Kathmandu with his key aides -- including a Nepali woman Piya Thapa.

Posing as an educationist, he toured the most vulnerable areas, asking parents to send their daughters with him to India where he would educate them. He also gave money to each family to help them rebuild their homes. No wonder they looked upon him and his team as saviours.

The girls were then smuggled into five brothels he owned on GB Road in New Delhi, including the notorious Kotha no 64.

Not only was this the biggest brothel on GB Road but also comprised several secret rooms and large wardrobes where girls would be hidden for hours in case of a police raid.

During the last 15 years, Husain and Saira had succeeded in trafficking over 5,000 girls.

Each girl was 'sold' for up to Rs 5 lakh.

No wonder, when they were finally caught, they had built up assets worth over Rs 100 crore (Rs 1 billion) -- including a swanky house in Friends Colony, outside which were parked a bevy of high-end foreign cars.

The couple had Rs 10 crore (Rs 100 million) in their bank account.

Their fall came about in the most innocuous manner.

The police found two trafficked girls, one a Bengali and the other a Nepali, in Kotha no 64.

As they looked underage, the police asked for their birth certificates.

One of Husain's managers handed over a certificate which was placed before the Child Welfare Committee. The certificate turned out to be forged and the CWC ordered an investigation.

Fresh raids were then conducted, leading to arrests of some of Husain's key aides. Two of them spilled the beans.

"There was so much incriminating evidence against Husain and his wife that the police decided to arrest them under Section 3 and 4 of MCOCA (the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act) instead of registering an offence under the Immoral Trafficking Act," says Rishi Kant, who runs Shakti Vahini, a non-governmental organisation, and has been working to free girls trafficked to GB Road for the past three decades.

One reason why the police decided to book the couple under MCOCA was that then they could not apply for bail.

Saira was arrested in 1990 and was sentenced to a seven-year jail term. In 2001, following her release, they were back in business.

Two chargesheets were filed against them couple. The most recent was filed in March this year, which charged the couple with rape, trafficking, abduction and criminal conspiracy, but no action was taken against them.

It was obvious they enjoyed both political patronage and protection from the police.

In August-end, when the police was forced to arrest them, it led to the transfer of an unprecedented 127 policemen -- from the lowest beat constable right up to senior officers.

It also resulted in the closure of 35 of the 90 brothels functioning on GB Road.

On October 20, the police arrested Damodar Pandey, Afaq Husain and Saira's Nepalese manager, from the Kingsway Camp area in New Delhi. Pandey was Afaq's key henchman and played a key role in trafficking girls from Nepal.

"Whenever the police mounts a rescue operation, the traffickers, madams and pimps on GB Road receive a tip-off," says Rishi Kant. "The minor girls are then immediately shifted to Meerut, Jaipur and Agra. When the situation cools down, they are brought back."

One of the reasons why their trafficking trade reached these dimensions was that Saira had been a prostitute in her youth. She knew the ins-and-outs of her profession and through grit and determination, she succeeded in becoming a 'madam' at GB Road brothels.

Following her marriage to Husain, their work flourished and they succeeded in building up a vast network operating in the north-east and Nepal.

"We have created a task force which is reaching out to schoolgirls in 24 Parganas," says Rishi Kant, who is presently an adviser to the West Bengal government on how to end trafficking. "The police has also been sensitised and is now taking the issue more seriously."

P M Nayyar, retired director general of the Central Reserve Police Force who currently works with the Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai, on how to prevent trafficking, says the traffickers have succeeded in expanding their footprint across the globe, with girls being trafficked from Thailand, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lank, and India's northeastern, southern states and tribal areas.

"Traffickers are using new technology," says Nayyar. "A girl reported missing in Nepal was to be found in Pune. Another girl missing in Bangladesh is recovered in Thane."

"The police and other investigating agencies need regional systems of technological integration across all SAARC nations to track these girls, because traffickers are using the garb of placement agencies, massage parlours, escort agencies etc to run these rackets," Nayyar adds.

"It is a mistake to think only poor tribal or under-privileged girls are being trafficked. Girls from all strata of society are being trafficked," he warns.

Nayyar feels that no realistic assessment has been done on how much money this trade generates.

"In Jharkhand," Nayyar says, "a couple was arrested with Rs 10 crore in assets. How did they succeed in making so much money?"

Lacunae in the law is one of the reasons why this human trade has flourished.

"If a parent registers a complaint of a missing child," Bharti Ali, who heads HAQ: Centre for Child Rights, points out, "the police will pass on this information to the trafficking department after four months. This gives traffickers enough time to smuggle the child into another state."

"The investigation on the missing child should be undertaken immediately," Ali emphasises, "because a kidnapped child is usually kept in the same vicinity for a few days before being taken to a new destination."

"The police just does not know how to tackle this situation," says Ali.

"Earlier, girls in the age group of 10 to 12 were being trafficked. Today, kids between 3 and 4 years are being trafficked for begging, pornography, etc. Young boys are also being trafficked in very large numbers," Ali adds.

Dr Sunita Krishnan, who heads the Bangalore-based NGO Parivartan, feels the only way this issue can be dealt with is if a consolidated effort is made by civil society and the government to fight this evil.

"HIV was fought at a national level. We need to do the same with trafficking," says Dr Krishnan. "Anti-trafficking has to be developed into a national programme with much better inter-state coordination."

Most of those tackling the issue at the grassroots level strike a despondent note while discussing the scale of the problem.

"We are failing. We are losing the fight against the traffickers," says Rishi Kant, "and the government must realise this. This is because no one wants to support the victims."

"I can cite you the example of a girl who was kidnapped from West Bengal and brought to Delhi. She has deposed before the court five to six times, but each time her case gets adjourned. The traffickers would hire the best lawyers and even the lower judiciary seems indifferent to their plight," says Rishi Kant.

"The victims receive no support. Ultimately, where should the vulnerable girls and women go? They don't get support from anyone."

Kindly note: Image published only for representational purposes. Photograph: Reuters
Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallem will hold talks with Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov in Moscow on Friday, Russia's deputy foreign minister said Monday.

"Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallem's visit to Moscow and his talks with Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov are expected on October 28," deputy foreign minister Gennady Gatilov told Interfax news agency Monday.

The visit comes as the West accuses Moscow of perpetrating potential war crimes in Aleppo through indiscriminate bombing in support of a Syrian government offensive to retake total control over the city of Aleppo.

A ceasefire meant to allow civilians and armed combatants to quit rebel-held eastern Aleppo ended at the weekend, with Moscow on Monday ruling out an extension of the truce for the time being.

Lavrov last week accused fighters from the Fateh al-Sham Front and influential Islamist Ahrar al-Sham group of obstructing the departure of civilians and combatants prepared to leave, saying they used "threats, blackmail and brute force."

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Peace activist Tom Hayden, whose radical views were at the forefront of the anti-Vietnam War movement in the 1960s, has died. He was 76.

Hayden's wife, Canadian actress and author Barbara Williams, told CNN that he died late Sunday at the UCLA Medical Center in Santa Monica, California, from complications related to a 2015 stroke. He is also survived by the couple's son, Liam.

On Twitter, his official account hailed him as a "1960s radical who became a champion of liberal causes."

Hayden was a member of the "Chicago 7" convicted on federal charges of conspiracy and incitement to riot over anti-Vietnam War protests at the 1968 Democratic National Convention. The conviction was overturned on appeal.

As an ideological leader of the influential Students for a Democratic Society, he authored its Port Huron statement, a visionary document that still inspires anti-authoritarian and pro-democracy movements today.

"We are people of this generation, bred in at least modest comfort, housed now in universities, looking uncomfortably to the world we inherit," reads the document's first line.

He later served for almost two decades as a California state lawmaker, both in the State Assembly and the Senate, and was married to actress and fellow political activist Jane Fonda from 1973 to 1990. The couple had two children.

Liberal leaders quickly paid tribute to Hayden.

"A political giant and dear friend has passed. Tom Hayden fought harder for what he believed than just about anyone I have known. RIP, Tom," tweeted Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti.

Alan Spencer, who was recruited by Hayden to write debate material in the 1980s, praised his former boss, saying "he shook up the system, made an impact."

Hayden taught at various universities, including the University of California, Los Angeles, Scripps College, Pitzer College, Occidental College and the Harvard Institute of Politics.

He was also a prolific author, editing and writing about 20 books. His last volume is due to be published in March.

"At time when we need revived peace movement, Tom Hayden's (forthcoming) book 'Hell No: The Forgotten Power of the Vietnam Peace Movement' will be vital," The Nation magazine editor and publisher Katrina vanden Heuvel wrote hours before news of Hayden's death broke.

Hayden was a columnist and member of the editorial board of the magazine.

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Milwaukee, WI -- (ReleaseWire) -- 10/24/2016 --Radio hosts Captain Bob and Arlo will be on site at the SEMA Show in November interviewing television celebrities and automotive legends for their weekly radio show, Wisconsin Hot Rod Radio. On Wednesday, November 2nd at 3:00PM the duo will interview television celebrity Jo Coddington in the International AERO Products booth #12543. Coddington has appeared with WHRR on many occasions, including the Wisconsin Dells.



"Jo is our little sister," said Arlo Dillman. "Her enthusiasm for life and her faith in others is endless, and her knowledge of the automotive industry is super trustworthy. We love hanging out with her."



While at SEMA Captain Bob and Arlo will be broadcasting from SEMA booths to give listeners a chance to hear from the manufacturers, learn insider tips and tricks, and showcasing new products. During the show, they will also catch up with old friends in the industry. To stay up to date with their schedule and booth appearances, follow them on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/wisconsinhotrodradio/ and on Instagram at @WisconsinHotRodRadio.



About Wisconsin Hot Rod Radio

Almost ten years ago, Arlo Dillman and Bob "Captain Bob" Trinastic were inspired to create a space for hot rod enthusiasts to find events, hear manufacturer news and become part of a community that is now worldwide. Both Dillman and Trinastic travel the country to car shows and automotive events to bring the car show experience to their listeners whether they are down the street from their studio to across the pond in London, England.



To tune into their show, visit their website, http://www.wisconsinhotrodradio.com, or check out their podcast "Hot Rod Adventures of Captain Bob and Arlo."



About International AERO Products

International AERO Products are designed to withstand the most extreme environments on Earth, from airfield surface temperatures that can reach 120 F to a frigid -60 F at 50,000 feet above the Earth. Until now, AERO products have only been available to the aerospace industry for maintaining the world's most exclusive aircraft. International AERO Products offers a wide selection of quality tested and approved cleaning, polishing, protective coating and detailing products for all of your vehicle's maintenance needs.



To find out where to purchase AERO products visit http://www.InternationalAeroProducts.com or call 800-337-9274.
Indian police on Monday killed at least 21 rebels in a shoot-out in eastern India, a local officer said, the deadliest such incident this year in a long-running Maoist insurgency.

Police said they ambushed a meeting of 30 to 40 Maoists in a forest near the border of Odisha and Andhra Pradesh states, triggering a gunbattle.

"Now 21 bodies of the Maoists have been recovered. The search operation is still on," sub-inspector C.K. Dharua told AFP by phone from Malkangiri district in Odisha where the attack occurred.

Dharua had earlier confirmed 18 deaths but warned the toll could rise as "there was a large number of people at the meeting".

A top Maoist leader and his son were suspected to be among those killed, the Press Trust of India news agency said, citing unnamed police.

Two police officers were also injured in the shootout that last about an hour, according to local media.

Weapons including four AK-47s and three self-loading rifles were recovered from site, some 640 kilometres (400 miles) from the state capital Bhubaneswar, Dharua said.

India's Maoist insurgency began in the 1960s, inspired by Chinese revolutionary leader Mao Zedong, and has cost thousands of lives.

The rebels, described by former prime minister Manmohan Singh as India's most serious internal security threat, say they are fighting authorities for land, jobs and other rights for poor tribal groups.

Monday's gunbattle comes after 10 paramilitary commandos in eastern Bihar state were killed in July after suspected Maoist rebels ambushed their convoy and set off a series of homemade bombs.

In March, suspected rebels triggered a powerful landmine blast in central Chhattisgarh, killing seven policemen.

The South Asia Terrorism Portal (SATP) website, which tracks separatist trends, showed Monday's attack as the deadliest Maoist incident this year. The insurgency has claimed more than 7,000 lives between 2005 and 2016, according to SATP.

Maoist sympathiser and author Varavara Rao cast doubt on the police version of Monday's events, saying it was likely officers simply ambushed the rebels, with no little time for them to return fire.

"With (the) information (that) you have, (you have) gone and hurled grenades there and then they have fired in self-defense," Rao told the NDTV network.

The rebels operate in at least 20 Indian states but are most active in the forested and resource-rich areas of Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Bihar, Jharkhand and Maharashtra.

They draw recruits from tribal communities whose members are often desperately poor and living in underdeveloped areas neglected by successive governments.

Government critics say attempts to end the revolt through tough security offensives are doomed to fail, and the real solution is better governance and development of the region.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been seeking to stem the insurgency by earmarking development funds for revolt-hit areas and improving policing.

Last year, Modi urged Maoists to put down their guns and take up ploughs, saying "violence has no future".

The remote forests of Malkangiri district are a major transit point for rebels because it borders Maoist-strongholds in Chhattisgarh and Andhra Pradesh, the Hindu newspaper said.

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Gary Bomar/Big Country Ag Charles Adans and his daughter Shellby Adams manage the Warren Ranch in Coleman County.

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By Gary Bomar of the Abilene Reporter News

Upon entering the Warren Ranch in Coleman County, the first impression is how outstanding it is.

A showcase ranch in West Central Texas, the benevolence and management of this property is "top notch."

Under the management of Charles Adams since 1988, the ranch has developed into one of the premier game ranches in Texas. Adams is a self-taught game biologist by observation, reading and attending as many educational events as he can.

"You can always pick up new information by visiting with others in the same business," he said.

The Warren Ranch is 50 percent high fenced. This management level gives Adams the feeling that he can monitor his progress more effectively. With game cameras and both ground and aerial surveys, he always knows the inventory of the whitetail deer herd.

"To produce high quality whitetail bucks, you need them to mature, (so you) supply all the nutrition they need, plus genetics," Adams said.

To increase a more diverse genetic base, the ranch has introduced special "breeder bucks" from ranches known to produce quality deer. Each hunt is guided one-on-one, with the guide qualifying the buck before harvest. To obtain a buck-doe ratio of one buck to two does, selective harvesting of game results in donations to organizations such as "Hunters for the Hungry."

Adding to the management of the ranch is Shelby Adams. The daughter of Charles is the "top hand" on the ranch. Developing into a wildlife biologist in her own rights, she oversees the hunting operation, and is in the process of developing a new wildlife operation in Northern Coleman County.

As a cadet in the 2008 session of the Rolling Plains Bobwhite Brigade, she found her niche in life.

Shelby's parents were quite impressed with what the Bobwhite Brigade had imparted to their daughter in terms of confidence and leadership skills.

The Warren Family, which owns the ranch, is extremely community minded. In the past they have donated the facilities to such events as the Wounded Warrior Program and provided guided hunts for these veterans. They also host retreats for first responders, and provided the gun range for law enforcement officers to qualify.

When the Adams reported the success of the Texas Brigade program, the family wanted to support it. When the new Bass Brigade was looking for a home, it found it at the Warren Ranch. Warren Ranch now hosts three of the eight brigade camps. The ranch essentially turns over its facilities to Texas Brigades for the month of July each year. To enhance and improve the camp, a special new dormitory and classroom was constructed with the brigades in mind.

To quote Dr. Dale Rollins, a key leader in the Texas Brigades, "The Warren Ranch's unwavering support is another example of how important it is to weave the private sector into educational efforts like brigades. We often quote anonymous wisdom that notes 'one generation plants the tree and another enjoys the shade.' From our standpoint, we're honored to know that Warren Ranch is helping plant those trees."

Besides the brigades, the Warren Ranch is an excellent location for other events such has corporate retreats, family reunions and weddings. Additional information is on their website, warrenranch.net or by calling 325-624-5537.
Ronald W. Erdrich/Reporter-News Mary Stanley, owner of the Turtle Restaurant in Brownwood, holds one of the prickly pear paddles she prepared Saturday Oct. 22, 2016. Stanley made a meatball dish incorporating the cactus and a red wine for the Prickly Pear Food and Wine Festival.

Ronald Erdrich Ron Erdrich's BC Journal SHARE Ronald W. Erdrich/Reporter-News Bob Fair of Odessa eyes the work of one of the chefs during the Prickly Pear Food and Wine Festival in Coleman Saturday Oct. 22, 2016. An estimated 700 people turned out for the event, it's second annual. Ronald W. Erdrich/Reporter-News Visitors tour the wine barrels at the Rancho Loma Vineyards winery in Coleman Saturday Oct. 22, 2016. The 2nd annual Prickly Pear Food and Wine Festival was held Saturday in Coleman. Ronald W. Erdrich/Reporter-News Nathan Sheasby of A la Table Catering in Abilene tops his dish made from baked grits, pork belly, and a prickly pear faux-caviar Saturday Oct. 22, 2016 in Coleman. The 2nd annual Prickly Pear Food and Wine Festival was held downtown on Saturday. Ronald W. Erdrich/Reporter-News Friends gather for a selfie during the Prickly Pear Food and Wine Festival in Coleman Saturday Oct. 22, 2016. Mild temperatures and sunshine helped with turnout for the event, its second-annual.

By Ron Erdrich of the Abilene Reporter News

COLEMAN  There was lots of wining, but no complaining when it came to the weather.

The contrast between last year's Prickly Pear Food and Wine Festival and the 2016 iteration of the same event on Saturday can be summed up in one word  sunshine.

"It was a monsoon, for sure. I was very wet the entire time," recalled Kristin Barnett. The owner of Signal Fredericksburg, a festival production management company that put on the event. Last year's rain made for a rough time.

Barnett explained the festival's origin.

"I grew up in Coleman, I've had an event management company for fifteen years," she said. "Robert and Laurie Williamson, who own Rancho Loma and Rancho Pizzeria, asked me to bring something to Coleman."

The Williamson's Rancho Loma restaurant near Valera has become a staple of Coleman County, attracting diners and notoriety from across the nation. With the Williamson's downtown winery taking shape across the street from their pizzeria, a wine and food festival seems only logical. Barnett estimated at least 700 came for the event, with 500 signed up for the food and wine tasting.

Nathan Sheasby of A la Table Catering in Abilene explained the strategy behind pairing wine and food. Basically it's using either the wine to bring out a flavor in the food, or the food to highlight a characteristic of the wine.

"A lot of times you pair white wines with lighter dishes, red wines with more flavor-forward dishes," he said. "If you wish to accent different flavor points, you can pair you dishes with a specific wine and it brings out those flavors."

"You taste the wine and all the different flavors that are in it, and then you try to make a dish that accentuates those flavors in the wine."

Sheasby used a white wine to complement his dish.

"We did a baked grit cake with braised pork belly, cilantro oil, poached egg, and then a prickly pear and Serrano pepper faux-caviar," he said.

There's one more thing about the festival, of course. Every dish must feature prickly pear cactus.

"Sometimes it's difficult to incorporate a sweeter juice element into a savory dish," Sheasby said. "Some people here did barbecue sauces or chutney. I decided to throw some Serrano peppers in and do a sweet-and-savory thing for the top of ours."

Mary Stanley of Brownwood's Turtle Restaurant called their dish Texas Landscape.

"We have a grilled prickly pear, and a prickly pear barbecue sauce and then the meatballs poached in Brennan's Tempranillo," she said, naming the wine. "So this is kind of like a Texas landscape."

My only experience with eating prickly pear came from desert survival school in the Navy. Those purple berries left over after the flowers fall away made for a nice snack, I recall.

But cooking the paddles seems like it would be a little touchy.

"Well you should wear gloves, otherwise you'll get cactus needles in your hand," she said, showing me the spot where she got jabbed. "But it's really easy to prepare."

She brought out an uncooked paddle and described how to cut under the needles using a sharp knife. With any cactus, it's not just the big spikes you have to worry about as much as the tiny ones that are hard to see. Those can really irritate.

"You can eat it completely raw in a salad; you can boil it and you can grill it, which is my favorite way," Stanley continued. "You just put a little olive oil on, some salt and pepper, and that's it. It's kind of like asparagus or okra."

She gave her own perspective on mixing wine and food.

"I just try to think of what flavors are in the wine," Stanley said. "If it's fruity or a sweet wine, I might want to use something spicier. If it has apple flavors, or in the case of the Tempranillo which is more 'oaky' and earthy, I think that works well with the beef.

"Sometimes you want to counterbalance it, sometimes you kind of want to meet it in the middle."

Debbie Rosales counted the Turtle's dish among her favorites sampled during Saturday's event. She and two friends stood beneath the tent balancing plates and glasses in the shade.

"I've never had cactus before and it was really good," she said.

"The sauce really made it," added Alissa Hohmann.

Comanche's Brennan Vineyards produced the Tempranillo wine used by Stanley. She said the wine is produced from a grape of the same name from a region in Spain with a climate similar to Texas.

Pat Brennan, owner of the vineyard, said they brought five cases of wine but the dry red Tempranillo seemed to be the most popular. He was glad to be back this year.

"I think the festival has great potential," he said. "This is a great asset to the community and we're proud to be part of it."

Brennan admitted a fondness for red wines with big flavor, especially when paired with the right cuisine.

"We have an varietal called Super Nero that goes great with Italian food," he said.

None of this talk of pairing food and wine is rocket science, of course, but it is a legitimate question for those wishing to add flavor to a meal. Overall, Stanley cautioned not to be worried about it.

"You shouldn't feel bad if you don't have a lot of knowledge," she said. "If it tastes good to you, who cares?"
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China has won high praise from the International Energy Agency (IEA) for its efficiency efforts despite continuing concerns about the accuracy of its claims.

In a study released this month, the Paris-based IEA commended China for its progress in improving energy efficiency, crediting the country with a leading contribution to global gains.

"Progress in the People's Republic of China ... over the last decade has made it the world's energy efficiency heavyweight," said the IEA in its 142-page Energy Efficiency Market Report.

Between 2000 and 2015, China reduced energy intensitythe amount of energy used per unit of gross domestic product (GDP)by 30 percent, the study said.

The measure of energy savings or waste is seen as a key to controlling pollution, greenhouse gas emissions and climate change.

In 2015 alone, China improved its energy intensity by 5.6 percent, beating the country's average annual reduction of 3.1 percent over the previous decade, the IEA said.

The strong performance in a year of low energy prices and economic transition was seen as a critical factor in limiting climate impacts.

In a press release, the IEA noted that last year's improvement in world energy intensity had increased from 2014 "in spite of lower oil prices, which generally dampen the enthusiasm for energy savings." Much of the credit went to China.

"Without Chinese energy efficiency gains, the global energy efficiency improvement would have been only 1.4 percent, instead of 1.8 percent," the IEA said.

The favorable outcome was made possible by low growth in China's primary energy demand of just 0.9 percent while its gross domestic product rose 6.9 percent, according to the report.

The report made clear that China still has a long way to go before it matches the efficiency of the IEA's 29 member countries, which are all members of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). But progress has been substantial.

From 2000 to 2015, China lowered its energy intensity from 65 percent more than IEA countries to 50 percent more, the agency estimated. China's energy savings in 2014 were greater than the total primary energy supply of Germany, the report said.

Curbs on coal-fired industry

There is little doubt that China's efficiency has improved as the country curbs its reliance on coal-fired heavy industry for GDP growth. But how much may be debatable, as China's GDP and coal figures have both been open to question in the past.

Since energy intensity is a ratio of energy consumption to GDP, last year's 5.6-percent improvement, as reported by China's National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), may reflect either a jump in efficiency or an exaggeration of GDP, or perhaps a bit of both.

Some economists have argued that the low 0.9-percent rate of energy demand growth is more likely to be a sign that GDP has been overstated. Experts like Thomas Rawski, a University of Pittsburgh professor of economics and history, have estimated China's true GDP growth rate last year was in the range of 4 percent or less.

Criticism of China's official figures escalated last week with the release of third-quarter estimates that GDP expanded by 6.7 percent from a year earlier, exactly matching the growth rates for the two previous quarterly periods.

"In economics, stability like that is remarkableand usually not to be believed," said a New York Times report.

"Many investors have come to treat these figures as massaged at best, and a joke at worst," said The Wall Street Journal in its "Heard on the Street" column.

"The official GDP figures remain too stable to tell us much about the performance of China's economy," said Julian Evans-Pritchard, China economist at Capital Economics in Singapore, as reported by Reuters. The analysts estimated China's growth rate at around 5 percent.

In its economic report for the third quarter, the NBS said that energy use per unit of GDP fell 5.2 percent from a year earlier in the first nine months of this year.

Much of last year's efficiency gain is reflected in a 3.7- percent drop in coal consumption, according to NBS data, which may only suggest the depths of the industrial slide.

But official coal figures have been notoriously unreliable, subject to under-reporting by as much as 17 percent in the past.

At a pre-release press briefing for the report, an IEA official was asked whether the agency had been able to verify the accuracy of China's official statistics, which were used in the report.

"Of course, questions have been raised in the past about Chinese data," said Brian Motherway, head of IEA's efficiency division.

But he told RFA that IEA works "to ensure that the statistics are the best quality we can make them." Motherway also voiced confidence in China's efficiency improvements, citing first-hand observations.

"We know the work is being done, and we know that energy efficiency is being taken very seriously," he said.

Chinese workers mount high-voltage cables over massive fields in Fengyang county of Chuzhou city in eastern China's Anhui province, May 22, 2014. Credit: ImagineChina Data falsification problems

Questions about the size and significance of the improvement remained, however.

China's government has acknowledged problems with data falsification and made several attempts to address the problems over the past decade.

But a statement from a high-level Communist Party meeting chaired by President Xi Jinping on Oct. 11 suggests that the problems remain unresolved.

The party's reform leading group ordered officials to "prevent and punish counterfeit statistics" according to law and party discipline, Reuters reported, citing the official Xinhua news agency.

Officials were told to "ensure statistics are truthful, accurate, complete and timely," the group said.

While the new warnings did not specify which statistics have been found wanting, they may do little for confidence in the official reports.

David Fridley, staff scientist for the China Energy Group at the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, said the official estimate of last year's GDP growth is "difficult to believe."

"I am not able to reconcile that figure with the change in electricity consumption," Fridley said in an email message, noting that such a low sensitivity of GDP growth rates to changes in power use had never been achieved before.

Last year, electricity consumption rose only 0.5 percent, according to the National Energy Administration (NEA).

"So, if GDP is overstated, then certainly the economic energy intensity change is overstated as well," Fridley said.

He also argued that declines in energy use and carbon emissions last year had come almost entirely from the slumping steel, cement and thermal power industries.

Since these are not particularly high value-added industries, the effect of lower energy use could be seen as an improvement in "economic" energy intensity, "even if actual physical energy efficiency had not improved," Fridley said.

'Energy intensity can improve'

A similar distinction was also drawn by the IEA report.

"It is important to note that energy intensity in these sectors can improve without efficiency investments," the study said. "If firms become more profitable with the same energy-using equipment, for example by reducing other input costs, their energy intensity improves."

But the IEA argued that efficiency due to investment has been advancing since 2006.

The limitations of measuring efficiency in terms of economic performance make it hard to chart China's progress in relation to developed countries.

"Comparing China's economic energy intensity trends against IEA countries tells you very little of substance, particularly since the denominator is GDP," Fridley said.

Energy efficiency improvements are important for controlling emissions, but they only indicate how much may have been saved rather than a country's total emissions growth.

The IEA study estimates that China's energy efficiency increased by more than 19 percent since 2000, but its economy grew 260 percent between 2000 and 2014.

Over the same period, China's carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions rose 184.5 percent, according to data from the Global Carbon Project, an international research group.

China's share of global energy use more than doubled in that time, increasing from 10.4 percent to 22.8 percent, based on estimates from annual editions of the BP Statistical Review of World Energy.
Thousands of people converged on Beijing with complaints, while political activists were held under house arrest at the start of a high-level political meeting of the ruling Chinese Communist Party on Monday.



The petitioners, who hail from across China, gathered outside government complaints offices in the hope of winning redress for long-running complaints against local officials, as the sixth plenary session of the 18th Party Congress opened in Beijing.



"There were about 200-300 people there today, as well as a lot of plainclothes police," petitioner Jiang Jiawen told RFA. "As soon as the petitioners got off the bus, they would be stopped and searched and questioned."



"Most of the petitioners were escorted away today."



She said police had sealed off the streets 200-300 meters from the sixth plenum venue, so that petitioners had no way to approach it.



A second petitioner said authorities were detaining petitioners from among a crowd of around 1,000 who outside the complaints office of China's cabinet, the State Council, on Monday.



"I am still getting threatening phone calls ... saying they are going to detain me," Shandong petitioner Gao Hongyi told RFA. "I told them, go right ahead. I'm not scared."



"I also saved someone from my hometown who was about to be taken away by the interceptors," she said. "I told them I would take photos and post them online if they took him away against his will."



'Chats' with the police



Asked why the petitioners had picked the date of the plenum to pursue their complaints, Gao said: "We have come to visit the Communist Party because we want to draw attention to our situation."



Gao said officials in her home city of Qingdao and Shandong's provincial capital Jinan had refused to act on her complaint.



"That's why we're all here," she said, adding that a number of fellow petitioners from Shandong had either been detained en route to Beijing or prevented from leaving home by surveillance teams.



Police have also detained or placed under house arrest at least 18 political activists who are trying to run as candidates in forthcoming elections to their local-level legislatures, or People's Congresses.



Beijing resident Ye Jinghuan, who recently tried to register as a candidate in elections to the Xicheng District People's Congress, said she has been repeatedly questioned since Sunday in enforced "chats" with local police.



"I was visited by some police officers from my local police station and some from the district police department who wanted to have a chat with me, to tell me not to attend an information event at the home of Yang Lingyun in Dongcheng district," Ye said.



"Since then, I have been taking certain measures, but some people have been whisked away on enforced vacations away from Beijing, while others have been prevented from leaving their homes by [police] blocking their door," she said.



"[They] also told me not to give interviews to foreign media."



Under house arrest



Fellow would-be election candidate Wang Xiuzhen confirmed to RFA that she is currently under house arrest at her home in Beijing's Chaoyang district.



"I didn't manage to go [to the event] today," Wang said. "They are sitting out there in the hallway waiting for me, and they won't let me go out."



"I can't go to Yang Lingyun's place for the event, and I can't even go out to buy groceries," she said.



An official who answered the phone at the Beijing People's Congress standing committee offices on Monday said she couldn't help.



"It's meaningless for you to tell me this," she said when asked about the status of the would-be candidates. "You can report this to the central government, but it's pointless telling me about it."



The plenum, which runs through Oct. 27, is the sixth full meeting of the 18th Congress of the Communist Party Central Committee that convened in November 2012, during which Xi took charge of the party, replacing former president Hu Jintao.



Xi is using the meeting to consolidate his personal power within the ruling party amid growing reports of bitter factional strife linked to his anti-corruption campaign launched in 2013, according to political analysts.



'Stronger leadership'



Party newspaper the People's Daily announced on Monday that Xi's administration will announce key changes to rules aimed at preventing the emergence of a single, powerful individual in Chinese politics after the political turmoil linked to the personality cult around late supreme leader Mao Zedong.



It is unclear exactly how the rules, brought in by economic reformer Deng Xiaoping in 1980, will change, however.



The new rules will "forge an even stronger, energetic leadership core, ready and waiting to guide China at its new starting point," the paper said, without giving further details.



Xi's recent actions have prompted speculation that he will be the first leader since Deng to refer to himself as a "core" leader, a term generally understood to indicate absolute authority.



According to state news agency Xinhua, "strict party governance will enhance the party's ability to rule the country."



Reported by Yang Fan for RFA's Mandarin Service, and by Wong Siu-san and Sing Man for the Cantonese Service. Translated and written in English by Luisetta Mudie.




A group of Chinese asylum-seekers trying to reach Australia in a private yacht lands in southern Thailand after their vessel took on too much water, Mar. 1, 2016.

A rights activist from the southwestern province of Yunnan has fled China and arrived in Thailand seeking asylum, as the United Nations granted political refugee status to two family members of another activist.

Democracy activist Zhou Ping arrived in Bangkok at the end of August with his wife and two sons, applying for resettlement with the U.N. High Commission for Refugees on the grounds that his family's future had been placed in jeopardy because of his peaceful activism.

Zhou, a former member of the banned opposition China Democracy Party (CDP) told RFA on on he had feared for his children's future under the ruling Chinese Communist Party, which frequently jails peaceful dissidents and those who press for democratic change.

But he said he had cut off contact with exiled Chinese dissidents in Thailand after the authorities there detained a number of activists and repatriated them at Beijing's request.

Chinese political asylum-seekers are continuing to flee to Thailand in spite of a growing willingness by the country's military junta to detain and repatriate refugees.

Last November, Chongqing-based activists Dong Guangping and Jiang Yefei were handed back to Chinese authorities in a move that drew strong criticism from the U.N., which had already classified them as genuine political refugees.

They are now in criminal detention in Chongqing, where they face subversion charges, while their families have been resettled in Canada.

Seeking a safe environment

Zhou said he is simply looking for a safe place to bring up his family.

"Certain people [detain and repatriate us] on behalf of certain foreign countries," Zhou told RFA. "But we need security, and a safe environment in which to raise the next generation."

"Children's education is so important."

Chinese authorities are increasingly denying the children of dissidents access to education, prompting many to send their children overseas if possible.

Authorities in the eastern province of Anhui jailed rights activist Zhang Lin for three years on public order charges after he campaigned publicly for his daughters to be allowed to attend school.

Zhang's daughters Anni and Ruli eventually left China for California after their father's arrest in , where they were taken in by Reggie Littlejohn, founder of the Women's Rights Without Frontiers rights group, and granted political asylum.

Anni was dubbed "China's youngest prisoner of conscience" after she was taken out of school by state security police and detained for several hours in , and prevented from attending school during her fathers house arrest.

Wife faces deportation

After his daughters escape, Zhang and three fellow activists were jailed for gathering a crowd to disrupt public order for their role in the campaign for Zhang Annis place in school.

Meanwhile, Li Xiaolong, another Chinese political refugee currently in Thailand, called on the U.N. to speak out in favor of his detained wife Gu Qiao, who is currently facing deportation to China after being found without a valid Thai visa.

"Now that my wife has obtained refugee status and a letter of protection from the U.N. High Commission for Refugees, she needs them to make a bit more effort to [prevent] her deportation," Li said.

Gu is currently facing deportation for illegal immigration after the family were rescued from the wreck of a sailing yacht off the coast of southern Thailand.

They and a group of other refugees were attempting to sail the yacht to Australia when it foundered.

Gu, who holds no passport, is being held in a Thai immigration detention center, and recently pleaded guilty to immigration offenses, paving the way for her repatriation.

Li was released on bail with the children, while another refugee who sailed with them, Zhao Wei, was released because he holds a valid Thai visa, as were two other members of the yacht's crew.

Gu was later transferred to the Bangkok Immigration Detention Center from a similar facility in Chumphon, where the rescue operation took place.

Reported by Hai Nan for RFA's Cantonese Service. Translated and written in English by Luisetta Mudie.
Spain entered a crucial week Monday as acting conservative Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy prepared to re-take power, ending 10 rollercoaster months without government marked by hope and disillusion.

As the country headed towards an unprecedented third election in less than a year, its political fate hinged on whether the Socialists would allow a Rajoy-led minority government to rule and avoid more polls, and on Sunday they swallowed a bitter pill and voted to do so.

While conservatives cautiously welcomed the move, it will come as a blow to millions of Spaniards who voted for two upstarts they thought could bring change --- far-left Podemos and centrists Ciudadanos -- and many Socialist supporters.

"An important decision was taken yesterday, and in my opinion a reasonable one," Rajoy tweeted Monday with his usual reserve, as the main Ibex 35 index of Spain's stock market shot up 1.44 percent early afternoon on news the country would finally get a government.

The decision caps a 10-month period that saw Spain go from jubilant hope after December 2015 elections ended the traditional two-party system to disillusion following repeat polls in June.

Back in December, millions of voters fed up with austerity and corruption during Rajoy's four-year term had cast their ballot for Podemos and Ciudadanos, led respectively by the 38-year-old Pablo Iglesias and Albert Rivera, 36.

This resulted in a fragmented parliament where no grouping had enough lawmakers to govern alone, even if Rajoy's Popular Party (PP) won the most seats.

But party leaders failed to reach any kind of viable coalition deal, prompting repeat elections in June with a similar result.

Now Rajoy -- whose perceived dullness and mistrust of the media earned him the nickname "plasma prime minister" after he conducted press conferences via video screen -- is poised to rule again thanks to the Socialists.

On Sunday, after weeks of in-fighting that led to the resignation of Socialist chief Pedro Sanchez, 44, they voted to abstain in a parliamentary confidence vote on a PP government -- which would give it enough traction to get through the vote.

"The great winner is Mariano Rajoy," said Anton Losada, politics professor at the University of Santiago de Compostela.

"The headline could be: 300 days later, the boring plasma prime minister knocks out the three young emerging leaders who had come to eat him alive."

On Monday, King Felipe VI started a round of talks with party leaders -- an obligatory stage in the post-election process and the fifth to take place since December.

He meets Rajoy on Tuesday and will almost certainly designate him as prime ministerial candidate, safe in the knowledge that his minority government will succeed, even if rebel Socialist lawmakers threaten to vote no.

Two parliamentary debates and confidence votes will subsequently be called -- the final one expected to take place on Saturday or Sunday, and Spain due to have a government by November 1.

But with just 137 lawmakers out of 350, Rajoy will not have an easy ride, given the huge opposition in parliament.

"It's unprecedented in Spain to have a government with so little parliamentary support," said Fernando Vallespin, politics professor at the Autonomous University of Madrid.

"He will have to negotiate every single law."

Still, he may be able to count on a divided opposition.

The Socialists have been ripped apart by in-fighting while Podemos has also been marked by divisions -- and both strongly distrust each other.

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North Korean medicines and other products offered on Chinese e-commerce sites are largely failing to sell, with consumers opting instead for products manufactured in rival South Korea, sources say.



Goods produced in North Korea and listed for a fee on Chinese sites such as taobao.com and tmall.com include ginseng liquor, cigarettes, and cosmetics, as well as medications touted for their efficiency in treating cardiovascular disorders and cerebral hemorrhage, one source told RFAs Korean Service.



But most of these are never sold, or almost never sell, said RFAs source, an online trader based in Dandong, China, on the border with North Korea.



For example, in the case of the medicine Hyeolgung Bullojeong, which is used for treating cardiovascular problems, fewer than 100 cases were sold in a month, the source said, speaking on condition of anonymity.



In comparison, South Korean productsespecially cosmetics, electronic products, and foodstuffshave been selling from 10,000 to 100,000 cases per month.



Also speaking to RFA, a Chinese online seller who had been asked by a North Korean trade worker to offer Hyeolgung Bullojeong on the Tabao site said that he had sold only one bottle of the product in a month.



I didnt expect that this would be in great demand right from the start, but I never thought that North Korean products would be completely ignored by Chinese consumers, the source said, also asking that he not be named.



North Korean products offered on Chinese e-commerce sites are listed mainly at the request of North Korean trade workers, the source said.



And the Chinese sellers dont care if the products sell or not, because the products are not their own, he said.



Chinese shoppers tend to purchase only best-selling products, a third sourcethe manager of a Chinese e-commerce sitetold RFA. And since North Korean products have such a poor track record, they will be shunned by Chinese shoppers forever.



Meanwhile, new restrictions by the China Food and Drug Administration on the online sale of unregulated medicines mean that North Korean medical supplies will probably disappear from Chinese e-commerce sites in the near future, sources said.



Reported by Joon-ho Kim for RFAs Korean Service. Translated by Hyosun Kim. Written in English by Richard Finney.




Lottery officials in the communist country of Laos are rigging the system, manipulating winning numbers in order to avoid large pay-outs, sources in the Southeast Asian nation say.



Drawings in the national lottery, which take place three times each week, often show numbers that vanish from purchased tickets or that are deemed unlucky and are unlikely to be chosen, sources say.



The winning number 509 on Oct. 14 this year appeared only as 5 on tickets sold throughout the day of the drawing after large numbers of Lao buyers sought to buy tickets including the random number 09, a resident of the capital Vientiane told RFAs Lao Service.



This number is associated in Laos with the buffalo, a symbol of good fortune, and many people wanted to pick this number, RFAs source said, speaking on condition of anonymity.



Machines would not accept it, though, saying that too many of the number had already been sold.



Access to the number, which was unavailable throughout the day, was mysteriously restored only an hour before the scheduled drawing, the source added.



In a similar case on Oct. 10, Lao radio announced the winning number of that days drawing as 134, changing the number only 10 minutes later to 662, the source said.



And last year , the winning numbers for three consecutive drawings at the end of September were 367, 267, and 567, the source said, adding that the number 67 is commonly associated with the turtle, an animal believed in Laos to bring bad luck.



The Lao people will not pick this number. And even if they use it and win, they wont keep the money, but will give it away to a charity foundation or a temple.



How is it possible that the number 67 would appear like this three times in a row? he asked.



'Completely transparent'



Speaking to RFA, Sommaly Thammavongdaughter-in-law of former prime minister Thongsing Thammavong and a co-owner in the lottery management group run by Thai-based business firm Insee Trading Co.denied the lottery is rigged.



The drawing uses random numbers and is completely transparent, and there are no problems with the system at all, Sommaly told RFA.



A Lao state official speaking on condition of anonymity meanwhile said that Lao business interests with a stake in the lotterys work include other persons with connections to the countrys ruling elite.



The majority of the companies responsible for the lottery include people from the families of national leaders, including former prime minister Thongsing and former president Khamtay Siphandone, he said.



The public is not told how much these business interests pay to the Lao government for the annual cost of the concession, and no one inspects it, he said.



Hopefully, the government will resume control of the national lottery, because it should be 100 percent managed by them, a caller from Laos told RFA.



Private business interests should not be allowed to be responsible for the national lottery, because the drawings cant be trusted, he added.



Reported and translated by Ounkeo Souksavanh for RFAs Lao Service. Written in English by Richard Finney.




Myanmar teachers and civil servants fleeing armed clashes in Maungdaw township crowd onto a river jetty in Sittwe, western Myanmar's Rakhine state, Oct. 13, 2016.

Some of the people who fled Maungdaw township after deadly fighting broke out in the volatile northern part of the Rakhine state earlier this month are trickling back into Maungdaw as the area struggles to return to normal.

Some schools have reopened in Maungdaw, the administrative capital of Maungdaw township in the restive Rakhine state, but schools in rural villages remain closed over safety fears, Rakhine state government officials told RFAs Myanmar Service.

Female teachers are already in Maungdaw, Chan Thar, the Rakhine states social welfare minister, told RFA. When it is safe for them, we will send them to their villages.

About 40 people from 14 households, who were staying in Rakhine state capital of Sittwe, have returned home. State government officials are providing them with emergency goods for living, while the civil society organization Sittwe Free Funeral Service is providing 50,000 kyats (U.S. $39) for each family.

They want to go back to their homes as they know it is safe now in their places, said Min Aung, the states city development minister. Thats why the state government plans to send them back to their homes.

Army soldiers and police swept into the area after nine officers died in raids on three border patrol stations in Maungdaw and Rathedaung townships on Oct. 9.

The clashes between security forces and groups of armed men that followed, forced about 3,000 residents to flee to other parts of the Maungdaw township, the neighboring Buthidaung township and to the state capital of Sittwe.

So far, security forces have killed about 30 alleged insurgents and captured 29 others. They locked down the area as they hunted for roughly 400 other people involved in the attacks, whom they believe are local Muslims who received funding and training from Islamists abroad.

We dont see how we will be able to live in peace and survive

Oo Mya Sein, a resident of the Mawyawaddy Village in Maungdaw Township, told RFA that they hoped it was safe as they were anxious to get back to their farm.

As we have cows and farms in our village, we decided to return home, she said. It is good if authorities deployed enough security police. If not, we will face difficulties.

That uneasiness was reflected by Sein Aye Hlaing, a resident from Ywarthayar Village.

We work in the forest gathering firewood and vegetables to survive, she said. If the situation goes on like this, we dont see how we will be able to live in peace and survive.

The northern part of Rakhine state where Maungdaw is located has been under military control since the attacks and ensuing hostilities that authorities have blamed on insurgents linked to Aqa Mul Mujahidin, an Islamic organization active in Rohingya Muslim-majority Maungdaw.

It is not the first time that the Rakhine state has experienced hostilities caused by ethnic tensions.

In 2012, communal violence between majority Buddhists and Rohingya Muslims left more than 200 people dead and displaced 140,000 Rohingya who were forced into IDP camps where about 120,000 remain today.

Many in Myanmar view the Rohingya as illegal immigrants from Bangladesh and have persecuted them by denying them citizenship, restricting their movement, and preventing them from having access to education and health care.

Trafficked Muslims detained in Yangon

While Maungdaw residents are hoping to return to normal, authorities in Yangon region detained 17 Muslims from Rakhine State who paid human smugglers to take them to Malaysia.

Human traffickers brought them and they paid traffickers between 120,000 -150,000 kyats (U.S. $94-117) to go to Malaysia.

The detained people face charges under Myanmar criminal and immigration law, Police are still searching for the traffickers.

Reported for RFA's Myanmar Service by Min Thein Aung, Wai Mar Tun and Waiyan Moe Myint. Translated by Khet Mar. Written in English by Brooks Boliek.


A prominent Iranian Koran reciter and teacher is facing allegations of sexual abuse lodged against him by several of his students, who claim that he sexually assaulted them several years ago.

Saeed Tusi who is known for reciting the Koran at state events attended by senior officials, including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has denied the allegations against him as "false and spurious," and suggested the story was suitable only for the movies.

WATCH: Saeed Tusi Recites The Koran In The Presence Of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei

Judiciary spokesman Hojatoleslam Mohseni Ejei said last week that "four plaintiffs" brought allegations against the 46-year-old Tusi, who rejects them. Ejei did not say specifically what charges Tusi might face, other than to say he was being investigated for "encouraging" moral corruption, but he confirmed that a court had decided that Tusi would not face prosecution for "acting" against public morals.

Ejei said a "religious and experienced" judge was being consulted and added that the case was being reviewed with "sensitivity."

"Some of the charges are difficult to prove. It is possible that the plaintiffs are right, but it is difficult to prove," Ejei told reporters last week.

"We've always had such cases, before the [1979] revolution and after," he added.

One of the plaintiffs quoted in a report published by the Persian service of the BBC on October 23 claimed that Tusi abused him twice, "five or six years ago," when he was "12 or 13."

The plaintiff, who requested anonymity, said he came from a religious family and that he met with Tusi because he thought that "Koran experts such as Tusi" could be a stepping stone to success.

He claimed that Tusi asked "unusual questions," including about puberty. Later, the teenager claimed, Tusi used the warm weather as an excuse to take him to a public bath and sexually abused him there.

"He did some things that are so shameful that I can't say," the teenager told the BBC.

It is unknown whether the charges could include homosexual rape, which could carry the death penalty.

The teen said that out of "fear" and "shame" he did not speak publicly about the alleged abuse. He said he decided to speak out about what he went through after he learned that others had experienced similar abuse.

He said later they later filed complaints against Tusi.

"It's been five years, 5 1/2 years now, and we haven't seen any action on the part of the government and the country," he said.

'Divine Test'

The teenager claimed he and others have provided the court with strong evidence, including "two repentance letters signed by Tusi" and text messages Tusi had sent.

Tusi has said that was prompted to publicly defend himself after "the satellite channel of the voice of the Great Satan," a term that the Islamic republic uses to describe the United States, covered the allegations against him.

He appeared to be referring to the Persian service of Voice of America (VOA), a U.S. government-funded media outlet, which was the first outside Iran to interview one of Tusi's accusers.

In an October 20 statement posted by the semiofficial ISNA news agency on its website, Tusi warned that he would take "legal steps" to preserve his reputation, and expressed hope that he would be able to successfully overcome this "divine test."

The Koran reciter claimed he had never engaged in "such sins" and "actions incompatible with chastity."

The accusations against Tusi have generated numerous messages of support and criticism.

"Death to America," wrote one commenter on ISNA's website. "I ask people not to believe these lies."

A Twitter user, meanwhile, wrote sarcastically that "holding concerts goes against the goals of the Islamic republic" -- a reference to recent efforts by conservatives to halt the staging of concerts in the religious centers of Qom and Mashhad -- "but raping children in Koran classes is in line with their religious upbringing."
Mohammad Nayeb-Zehi was among the hundreds of worshippers who gathered on September 30 at the Great Mosalla, a religious site in Iran's southeastern city of Zahedan, for Friday Prayers.

Just hours later, the 16-year-old's family learned he was dead.

Nayeb-Zehi was among the scores of people gunned down by security forces in a brutal crackdown following anti-government protests in Zahedan, the provincial capital of Sistan-Baluchistan Province, which is home to the country's Baluch minority.

"He was a simple laborer and not political," Nayeb-Zehi's brother, Ahmad, told RFE/RL's Radio Farda in a telephone interview from Zahedan, adding that his sibling had been shot in the heart. "We're in pain, and we cannot accept it."

The crackdown in Zahedan came amid weeks-long nationwide protests triggered by the death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old who died on September 16, days after she was detained by Iran's morality police.

In Sistan-Baluchistan, public anger at the authorities escalated amid reports that a 15-year-old Baluch girl had been raped by a police official in the province's southern port city of Chabahar.

The violence erupted soon after protesters gathered outside a police station near the central mosque in Zahedan. Members of the crowd chanted anti-government slogans, and some threw rocks. Security forces responded with deadly force by firing on the crowd from the station, according to witnesses.

Security forces also raided the central mosque and the nearby Great Mosalla and opened fire on worshippers using live ammunition, rights groups said, adding that many were shot in the head, heart, neck, or torso, revealing a clear intent to kill or seriously wound.

At least 94 people were killed and 350 wounded on that day, referred to as "Bloody Friday," according to the U.S.-based Iran Human Rights Documentation Center. At least 13 minors were among those killed, including Nayeb-Zehi.

The victims were overwhelmingly Baluch -- a mostly Sunni ethnic group that has long faced disproportionate discrimination at the hands of the Iranian authorities.

"He was martyred inside the Mosalla while holding his prayer mat," said Ahmad Nayeb-Zehi.

Nayeb-Zehi's family first visited Zahedan's Khatam al-Anbia hospital, hoping he was among the wounded. They later found his body in a seminary at the Great Mosalla.

"We entered a room there and saw about 10 bodies," said Ahmad Nayeb-Zehi. "[Mohammad] was among them."

He said the authorities prevented the family from filming the scene. "I told them this has to be documented, it has to be published by international media," he said, adding that footage later emerged on social media showing the gruesome scene at the seminary.

The family refused to send Nayeb-Zehi's body to the morgue. Instead, his body lay in the living room for around 24 hours before he was buried.

"We said he was martyred and there was no need for an autopsy," said Ahmad Nayeb-Zehi.

The authorities accused Jaish al-Adl, a Sunni militant group, of attacking the police station. The group is recognized as a terrorist organization by both Iran and the United States and has previously claimed deadly attacks in Sistan-Baluchistan targeting Iranian security forces.

But local and independent sources have rejected the authorities' claims.

The authorities have also reported a much lower number of fatalities, announcing that only 19 people, including several members of the security forces, were killed.

Ahmad Nayeb-Zehi said the authorities were "rubbing salt into the wounds of the people" by claiming "terrorists" were involved.

He said he witnessed a military helicopter shooting at civilians near the Great Mosalla. "I haven't even seen such scenes in Hollywood movies," he said. "A helicopter was shooting at people. A lady was shot in front of my eyes."

RFE/RL could not verify his account. But activists have accused security forces of shooting at protestors from helicopters.

"I don't know what the intention of this crime was," he said. "Our only demand from the establishment is for the murderers of our [family members] to be punished."

The killings have led to widespread anger in Sistan-Baluchistan, one of Iran's poorest provinces.

Anti-establishment protests have been reported in Zahedan since the crackdown, including on October 14 and October 21, when protesters took to the streets after Friday Prayers and chanted "Death to the dictator."

During his Friday Prayers sermon on October 21, influential Sunni cleric Molavi Abdolhamid Ismaeelzahi said senior officials, including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, were "responsible" for the September 30 killings.

"We are surprised by the silence of the high-ranking officials," he said in his sermon, which was posted on his website.

"Scores were killed here without any reason. I don't have the exact number. Some have reported 90, some say less, some say more," Ismaeelzahi added.

He also said people will not be satisfied until "those who killed the people" are brought to justice.

The Iran Human Rights Documentation Center said the events of September 30 amounted to "a massacre of protesters by security forces."

"The government's total denial of responsibility for the massacring of citizens by its security apparatus is consistent with similar past denials and is evidence that internal calls for investigation of such crimes are insufficient," said the rights group, which documents human rights violations in Iran.
Iraqi and Kurdish Peshmerga forces are poised on three sides of Mosul after a weekend in which they seized villages and towns to the south, east, and north of the Islamic State (IS) stronghold in northern Iraq.

Peshmerga fighters and Iraqi Army troops, backed by U.S.-led coalition air strikes, have been coordinating their efforts -- with Peshmerga fighters seizing eight villages on the northeastern flank on October 23 and advancing within 9 kilometers of Mosul.

Masud Barzani, president of the Iraq's Kurdish autonomous region, told U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter that Kurdish Peshmerga also seized control of the strategic town of Bashiqa, about 24 kilometers northeast of Mosul.

The top U.S. Army commander in Iraq, Lieutenant General Stephen Townsend, said his own information "suggests that President Barzani is right, that there has been a considerable success at Bashiqa."

Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said Turkish tanks and artillery were supporting the Peshmerga -- despite calls from Iraqi Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi in Baghdad for the Turkish forces in the area to stay out of the battle.

CNN Turk quoted Yildirim as saying the Peshmerga "have mobilized to cleanse the Bashiqa region" from IS militants and "had asked for help" from Turkey's military.

Ankara's latest involvement in northern Iraq could further increase tensions with Baghdad.

The town of Bashiqa has been a front line position between IS militants and Peshmerga fighters since it was seized by IS in August 2014.

Some 500 to 1,000 Turkish troops have been positioned to the east of the town since late 2015 at a military base known as Camp Bashiqa where they have been training Sunni Arab tribal militia fighters and Peshmerga troops for the fight against IS.

WATCH: Iraqi Army, Kurds Join Forces At Khazir Front Line

The offensive to recapture Mosul began a week ago, with Peshmerga forces first advancing from the east before pivoting during the weekend to positions on Mosuls northeastern flank.

Meanwhile, Iraqi Army forces over the weekend seized the strategic town of Bartella, 12 kilometers due east of Mosul.

Bartella controls access to Iraqs Highway 2, which links Mosul with Irbil, the capital of Iraq's Kurdish region.

Iraq's army also seized control on October 22 of the historically Christian town of Hamdaniyah, which controls the strategic crossroads to the southeast of Mosul.

Iraqi forces also hold blocking positions to the south of Mosul and, early on October 23, entered the last settlement on the northern approach to the extremist-controlled stronghold -- the village of Tall Kayf, which is 5 kilometers due north of Mosul.

However, reports early on October 24 suggest IS militants still controlled territory to the west of Mosul -- including positions along Iraqs Highway 2 leading into Syria.

Western leaders have expressed concern that IS fighters will try to blend in with civilians fleeing westward from Mosul.

But military analysts say they think most foreign IS fighters within Mosul will stay to fight from positions within the city.

As the Iraqi-led offensive has been advancing to positions that put its tanks and artillery within range of the city, IS militants have tried to counter the offensive against Mosul by launching their own attacks further to the west and to the southeast of Mosul.

An IS attack on October 23 against government forces at Rutba, a town in the far western part of Anbar Province on a highway leading to southern Syria, has led to calls from local officials for reinforcements from Baghdad.

Two days earlier, on October 21, Iraqi security forces repelled a major attack by IS militants on the oil-producing city of Kirkuk, about 175 kilometers southeast of Mosul.

With reportng by RFE/RL's Radio Farda, Reuters, AP, AFP, and dpa
Iraqi and Kurdish forces pushed closer towards Mosul on October 24 as part of an operation to retake the northern city from the Islamic State (IS) extremist group.

The operation came amid tensions between Turkey and Iraq, with Ankara insisting it was taking part in the offensive to take Mosul while Baghdad denied the claim.

Iraqi special forces stormed the villages of Khazna, Khazna Tabba, and Tob Zawa near Mosul, the last major IS stronghold in the country.

After entering the village, Iraqi forces allowed dozens of people who had been hiding in a school to escape the fighting.

Iraqi forces also pushed into a small village in the Shura district south of Mosul, where they battled IS militants before taking control of the area.

Meanwhile, Peshmerga fighters gained ground around Bartella, a historically Christian town east of Mosul that they had retaken last week.

Fighting still raged around Bashiqa, which Kurdish forces claimed to have seized over the weekend.

Violence also erupted in the Sinjar area of north-western Iraq after IS militants clashed with Kurdish forces, leaving at least 15 militants dead. 

Turkey's 'Multi-Faceted Involvement'

The fighting came as Iraqi Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi reiterated his call for Turkey to keep out of the operation to retake Mosul.

Ankara has so far refused and insisted it will participate in the offensive.

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu told reporters on October 24 that Turkey was involved in the Mosul operation "in a multi-faceted way," including the participation of four Turkish F-16 fighter jets in the U.S.-led coalition against IS militants.

Seventeen IS militants have been killed by Turkish troops since the beginning of the Mosul offensive, according to Cavusoglu.

A day earlier, Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said Turkish tanks and artillery were supporting Peshmerga forces battling IS militants near Mosul.

Some 500 to 1,000 Turkish troops have been positioned near Mosul since late 2015 at a military base known as Camp Bashiqa where they have been training Sunni Arab tribal militia fighters and Peshmerga troops for the fight against IS.

Abadi, in remarks on October 24, denied Turkey's claim that its troops were taking part in the operation, describing it as "baseless and untrue."

"We reject any interference in Iraqi internal affairs and violating its sovereignty," Abadi said at a press conference.

Iran, a close ally of Baghdad, said Turkey must get permission from the Iraqi government to take part in the operation to retake Mosul.

We regard as very dangerous [acts of] intervention by foreign countries without any coordination with the host country," Iranian President Hassan Rohani said on October 24.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Ghasemi said on October 24 that "it is not acceptable at all if a country, under the pretext of combating terrorism or any other crimes, tries to violate the sovereignty" of another country.

With reporting by AP, dpa, and AFP






The trial of a Kazakh citizen suspected of fighting alongside Russia-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine started in Kazakhstan on October 24.

Maksim Yermolov, who attended his trial in the northwestern city of Aqtobe, pleaded not guilty.

Yermolov, an ethnic Russian, was detained in February 2015 after returning to Kazakhstan from Ukraine's Donetsk region, where he allegedly fought alongside pro-Russia separatists who are battling Ukrainian government forces.

Yermolov was charged with "taking part in military conflicts abroad" and ordered not to leave the city of Aqtobe.

He was placed in pre-trial detention after he failed to attend his trial twice.

Kazakhstan jailed at least two Kazakh citizens for fighting against Ukrainian government forces in eastern Ukraine from 2014 to 2015.

Four Kazakh citizens were also convicted during that period of inciting separatism and ethnic hatred on the Internet in connection with Ukraine's conflict.


Two Pakistani civilians and an Indian soldier have been killed in cross-border firing in the disputed region of Kashmir, officials from the two sides say.

Pakistan's military said on October 24 that two civilians, including a 1-year-old baby, were killed in the village of Janglora, and seven others were injured in the overnight exchange of fire.

The Indian Army said a guard from India's Border Security Force was killed and another injured.

Both countries accused the other of resorting to unprovoked firing and shelling.

Tensions have been rising since India accused Pakistan-based militants of launching an assault on an army base in Indian-administered Kashmir in early September that killed 18 soldiers.

Kashmir has been divided between India and Pakistan since the end of British rule in 1947. Both claim the disputed Himalayan territory in its entirety and have fought two wars over it.

Based on reporting by Reuters, dpa, and Dawn
Hillary Clinton sought Monday to cement her lead over Republican White House rival Donald Trump, looking to conquer swing states including Florida and Ohio where early voting has already begun.

With barely two weeks before Election Day, Clinton and Trump are blitzing the nation's crucial battlegrounds where the race will be won or lost November 8.

But voters in Chicago, Charlotte, Miami, Cleveland and Las Vegas are already going to polling stations to cast ballots -- with initial indications suggesting a surge in early voting among Clinton's Democrats.

No less than 37 of the 50 states provide in-person voting in advance of the big day, and all offer some form of absentee ballots by mail.

"We've got to get people turning out. That's the most important thing we can do," Clinton said Monday on WZAK radio station in Cleveland.

In 2012, fully a third of all ballots were cast in advance, according to the Census Bureau. The Clinton campaign is counting on an even larger early turnout this year, as it expands its efforts to mobilize committed and undecided voters alike, particularly in swing states Florida, Nevada and North Carolina.

"It is possible, because there is so much access to early voting, that we could build an insurmountable lead in those keys states before election day," Clinton campaign manager Robby Mook said this month.

Some six million Americans have already voted, according to election expert and University of Florida professor Michael McDonald.

"Nothing can go wrong now. My vote's in," Hannah Widlus, 61, told AFP after casting her ballot for Clinton at a Chicago polling station crowded with morning voters.

Normally she would not vote early, but Widlus said she was eager to do so in part because of "the circumstances of the current election," which she said "has been made a mockery of this year."

Early ballots are not counted until Election Day, but a look at who is requesting or casting them shows gains for Clinton, particularly in Nevada, where her ground game is prodigious, and in Florida, where Republicans usually dominate early voting.

"At a comparable time in 2012, registered Republicans had a lead of 5.3 percentage points over Democrats in returned mail ballots" in Florida, McDonald wrote in Monday's Huffington Post.

"As of Saturday, the Republican lead was 1.6 percentage points."

Campaigning for Clinton in Las Vegas at the weekend, President Barack Obama drove the advance voting message home: "Everybody has got to vote early," he said. "That's how we won in '08. That's how we won in 2012. That's how we're going to win in 2016."

Most polls put Trump a few points behind Clinton in Florida. Trump was hosting two rallies in the state Monday, while Clinton campaigns there on Tuesday and then Wednesday, her 69th birthday.

"The truth is I think we're winning," Trump said at a farmers' roundtable in Boynton Beach, Florida, adding he believed he was ahead in Ohio and Iowa.

"We're doing great in North Carolina," and "I think we're doing great in Florida, I think we're going to win Florida big."

Trump's campaign manager Kellyanne Conway appeared to contradict her candidate, admitting Sunday on NBC's "Meet the Press" that "we are behind," but nevertheless insisting that the race was not over.

"We're not giving up. We know we can win this," she added.

Clinton, the former secretary of state vying to become America's first female president, leads the Republican real estate mogul nationally by about six points according to the RealClearPolitics average of polls. She also leads in most battleground states.

A new national ABC News poll showed her leading by 50 percent to 38 percent -- her highest score since the race to succeed Obama began.

Conscious that winning the minority vote will help lead her to victory, Clinton meanwhile campaigned Sunday at a mainly black church in Durham, North Carolina.

Obama narrowly won the southeastern state in 2008, but lost it to Mitt Romney four years later.

Clinton is now pulling out all the stops to try and win it back, returning there Thursday with potent surrogate Michelle Obama. It will be the first joint rally for the former and current first ladies.

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Pakistani police say gunmen have shot dead an intelligence officer in the country's volatile northwest.

Police officer Khalid Khan said two gunmen on a motorcycle opened fire early on October 24, killing officer Akbar Ali in the Charsadda district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, located along the porous border with Afghanistan.

He said the gunmen fled the scene.

Khan said Ali was on his way to work in the provincial capital, Peshawar, when he was killed.

The Pakistani Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement after the attack.

The group's spokesman, Muhammad Khurasani, said the gunmen returned to their hideout after carrying out the attack.

It was unclear why Ali was specifically targeted.

On September 18, three Pakistani military officers were killed in an ambush in Peshawar. Both the Islamic State extremist group, which has stepped up attacks in Pakistan and Afghanistan recently, and a Pakistani Taliban faction claimed responsibility.

Based on reporting by AP and Reuters


Dozens of police trainees have been killed and more than 100 wounded in an overnight raid by militants on a police academy in southwest Pakistan, officials said.

Health authorities in Balochistan Province said that more than 58 had died and dozens more seriously wounded cadets from the academy outside Quetta had arrived at hospitals.

They said that most of the deaths occurred when the militants, who used guns to fight their way into the compound, killing a guard in the process, detonated explosive vests.

The Islamic State (IS) militant group has claimed responsibility for the attack although Pakistani authorities had initially pinned it on a group linked to the Taliban.

According to reports, between three and six armed men attacked the dormitory of the training center on the outskirts of Quetta where cadets were resting and sleeping, provoking a counterterrorism response from the army and Frontier Corps.

Balochistan Province Interior Minister Sarfaraz Bugti said that more than 200 of the 700 cadets at the academy were immediately rescued "by God's grace."

Security forces killed one of the attackers and two more died when they detonated their explosive vests, he said.

Bugti said the hourslong counterterrorism operation mostly ended around 4 a.m. local time, but "cleanup" operations were continuing.

Hours after the attack, IS militants claimed responsibility for the attack.

An IS news agency said on October 25 that "Islamic State fighters carried out the assault.

Earlier, however, Major General Sher Afgan, chief of the paramilitary Frontier Corps in Balochistan, which led the counteroperation, said the militants belonged to the Al-Alimi faction of the Lashkar-e Jhangvi militant group, which is affiliated with the Pakistani Taliban.

"They were in communication with operatives in Afghanistan," he said.

The police academy has come under attack twice in the past, in 2006 and 2008.

With reporting by Dawn, Geo TV, AP, AFP, dpa, RFE/RL's Radio Mashaal, and Reuters


19 Iraqi children from the village of Al-Khuwayn, south of Mosul, pose for a photo after Iraqi government forces recaptured the village from Islamic State (IS) militants on October 23. (AFP/Ahmad al-Rubaye)
1 Rasool Mahmood was hospitalized in Irbil after he was injured in an attack in Bashiqa, about 24 kilometers north of Mosul. He was apparently wounded by mortar fire. Doctors said there was only a small chance they could save his vision in his damaged eye.
WASHINGTON -- A freelance video journalist covering the battle against the Islamic State (IS) militant group in Mosul, Iraq for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) was critically injured in a mortar attack October 20.

Rasool Mahmood, who was covering the military campaign against IS in Iraq for RFE/RLs service to Iran, Radio Farda, was reporting from the front lines of the push to retake the countrys second largest city from IS militants when he was wounded by a mortar in a counter attack by IS fighters against Kurdish Peshmerga and Iraqi forces.

Mahmood was traveling with Peshmerga soldiers about 25 kilometers from the center of Mosul when the attack happened. He sustained broken bones and the likely loss of one eye. He is currently being treated at a hospital in Erbil.

We are devastated by the news that our colleague is wounded, said RFE/RL President Thomas Kent. He is a brave and dedicated reporter and we are doing everything possible to support his family and get him the medical attention he needs.

Mahmoods coverage of the battle for Mosul has included exclusive video and photo reports from the battlefield, as well as exclusive interviews, including with the Iraqi Army Chief of Staff and the Secretary General of the Peshmerga forces. Several of Mahmoods reports for Radio Farda have been picked up by CNN, Time magazine, USA Today and other international media outlets.

RFE/RLs Radio Farda has set up a GoFundMe campaign to raise funds for Mahmood and his family.
A court in Russia's North Caucasus has sentenced a Daghestani Islamic cleric to prison on terrorism charges.

A Russian rights group, however, has defended Magomednabi Magomedov and described him as a political prisoner.

The North Caucasus Regional Military Court on October 24 sentenced Magomedov to five years in jail after finding him guilty of inciting hatred and making public calls for terrorist activities.

Magomedov was detained in April after he visited a local police station Daghestan, demanding the immediate release of several local Muslims.

Police initially accused Magomedov of violating regulations over public religious sermons.

The Moscow-based Memorial human rights center recognized Magomedov as a political prisoner, saying that he never called for terrorism, but instead criticized local authorities for violating Muslims' rights.

Magomedov's lawyer said later that his client was beaten while in custody.

Based on reporting by kavkaz-uzel.eu and jpgazeta.ru


Ivan the Terrible was the first ruler to be called the "Tsar of All the Russias," but not all Russians today agree on the legacy of the 16th-century monarch.

Far from it: Some praise Ivan IV as a protector of Russia, while others believe he was a bloody tyrant who killed his own son and created a secret police force that set the stage for centuries of oppression at the hands of the state.

Now those two views are set out in two monuments. Despite protests, Russia's first-ever statue of Ivan the Terrible was unveiled earlier this month in the southwestern city of Oryol, which he founded as a fortress in 1566.

Some 4,500 kilometers away, in the Siberian city of Kansk, an artist swiftly responded by putting up an "alternative" monument to the infamous tsar: a wooden stake dripping with blood-red paint.

Vladislav Gultyayev, who created the unusual monument, suggests it is a warning to Russians today that too little separates them from the state-inflicted violence of Ivan's rule.

"This hints that the days when killing was 'just because' and for fun aren't that distant," Gultyayev said on Facebook.

"The baton of the battle against our people was passed on to Anna Ivanovna, blessed be her memory, and to the jolly, mustachioed Stalin," he added in an apparently sarcastic reference to two other Russian leaders known for their brutality.

Gultyayev said that he was inspired to counter the monument unveiled in Oryol on October 14. It depicts Ivan IV, on horseback, holding a Russian Orthodox cross.





By agreeing to such a monument, Gultyayev said, Russians silently condone repression, torture, and execution.

Officials have not commented on the stake, which juts from the ground on a riverbank in Kansk, near Krasnoyarsk.

Ivan the Terrible carried out mass repressions with the Oprichnina, the original Russian secret police force that he founded. The new force carried out the Novgorod massacre, an event that became notorious for its brutality and high number of casualties.

The alternative monument has an additional meaning, according to Gultyayev: It symbolizes the backbone that "every Russian person must have."

"Its elegant profile, stretching upward, shows the commitment of our people to glorious deeds and titanic achievements," he wrote. "The blood on it implies that the price is not a concern."


Kazakhstan says Ashgabat has suspended visa-free travel for Kazakhs living close to the Turkmen border.

Officials from Kazakhstan's western Manghystau region said on October 23 that the measure will last until October 27, when Turkmenistan marks Independence Day.

Residents of the Manghystau region are allowed to visit Turkmenistan's Balkan region without a visa for a period of five days.

Turkmenistan has temporarily closed the Turkmen-Kazakh border at least twice since July, citing unspecified security reasons.
Moscow supports the idea of creating an armed Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) police mission in eastern Ukraine but cast doubt that such a force could be formed soon.

Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists on October 24 that President Vladimir Putin "responded with potential consent to the idea of such a mission."

"But for the time being, the OSCE has no understanding of how such a mission can be formed, where it is to be deployed, and so on," Peskov added.

Representatives of the Russia-backed separatist movements in Ukraine's Luhansk and Donetsk regions opposed the deployment of an armed OSCE mission, a spokesman for the separatists said the same day.

The idea of such an OSCE mission was discussed at international talks in Berlin on October 20.

Russia denies providing military support to the separatists in Ukraine, despite mounting evidence provided by Kyiv and the international community that it is doing so.

According to the United Nations, more than 9,600 people have been killed and more than 22,000 injured since the conflict began in April 2014.

Based on reporting by TASS and Interfax


An Uzbek woman who was filmed waving the severed head of a young girl outside a Moscow metro station in February has pleaded guilty to murder.

The high-profile case has sent shock waves through Russia and led to increased calls by nationalists and others for greater controls on migrants from the ex-Soviet republics of Central Asia.

Gyulchekhra Bobokulova -- an Uzbek citizen who had been hired to care for the four-year-old Russian girl -- went on trial in Moscow on October 24.

Bobokulova, 38, was detained on February 29 in the Russian capital where videos showed her, dressed in black and a hijab, holding up the child's head and shouting "I am a terrorist."

Investigators said she killed and beheaded the child and then set fire to the family's apartment and fled.

In a video of an apparent police interrogation that was posted online in early March, Bobokulova said she acted to avenge Muslims who had been killed by Russian air strikes in Syria.

While being led to a courtroom for an initial appearance on March 2, Bobokulova told reporters that "Allah ordered" her to do it.

Prosecutors told the court in March that they believed there were people still at large who "incited" Bobokulova to commit the crime.



Russian state news agency RIA reported at the time that Bobokulova -- a divorced mother of three -- had been living with a Tajik man who subjected her to "Islamic extremist ideas." But the claims were never verified.

Russian authorities said later that they found no link between Bobokulova and any terrorist organizations.

Interviews in the Russian media with people who claimed to have known Bobokulova in her native Uzbekistan alleged that she was known to be mentally unstable and had been treated for schizophrenia in the past.

The main state-owned and Kremlin-influenced TV channels have avoided extensive coverage of the child's grisly death and Bobokulova's actions, a decision many believe is aimed to avoid fueling nationalist unrest or aggravating tension between Russians and Muslim migrants from Central Asia and the Caucasus.

President Vladimir Putin's government is wary of nationalist violence, as killings of ethnic Russians by representatives of other ethnic groups have triggered unrest among extreme nationalists.



But the incident has led to numerous calls for a clampdown on migrants.

Islamic militants based in Russia's North Caucasus have carried out numerous deadly bombings in Moscow over the past two decades, but there have been no reports of incidents like this one.



The killing occurred amid persistent fears of potential attacks by Islamic State (IS) militants or other extremists in Russia.



The rise of IS has contributed to long-standing tensions between Russians and people from Central Asia and the Caucasus who come to the country in search of work.

With reporting by TASS and Interfax


Egypt will hold a series of meetings with investors in the second week of November to promote its dollar-denominated Eurobonds of at least $3 billion, the country's finance minister Amr El-Garhy said in a Cairo conference on Monday.

El-Garhy said in the AmCham Egypt conference that he was observing Saudi Arabia's Eurobond issuance last week, as the oil-rich kingdom conducted its largest-ever emerging market bond sale, selling $17.5 billion of debt in the government's first international offer.

The Gulf country's order book totalled $67 billion.

In June, El-Garhy said that we are studying a bond issuance of $3 billion in order to fill part of the budget's financing gap, which is expected to reach $10 billion.

El-Garhy had previously said the bonds could reach up to $5 billion, depending on the investors' appetite for purchase.

In September, deputy finance minister Ahmed Kojak said the bonds could bring a yield of 6 to 6.5 percent.

Egypt has searched for a variety of funding sources, from development loans to foreign grants and aid, to plug its financing needs as it contends with an acute dollar shortage that has hampered its ability to purchase from abroad.

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Four candidates are running for the 4th District seat to replace Kristen Larson on the citys School Board:

Barrett Hardiman, 37, director of external and government affairs for the Luck Companies;

Sean M. Smith, 28, a victim services advocate and consultant;

Irvine Lee Reaves Jr., 31, an attorney; and

Jonathan Young, 39, a teacher at Virginia State University.

Heres where they stand on issues facing the citys school district.

What is your opinion of Superintendent Dana Beddens tenure, and do you intend to support him if elected?

Hardiman: Dr. Bedden has presented strong facilities and academic plans for our school system that include strong metrics and accountability. The school board should judge his performance based on his ability to deliver on those plans. It is important for us to be partners, not barriers, in that effort.

Smith: I cannot say I fully support Dr. Bedden, but would permit him time under a new board to make improvements. If agreed upon goals are not met, I would proceed with asking for his resignation.

Reaves: I believe Dr. Bedden deserves an opportunity to succeed. I know that the existing inefficiencies in RPS will not change in a year but I intend to support Dr. Bedden, the principals, teachers, families and students through that transition.

Young: I have conversed with scores of teachers who are not supportive of Bedden because he never addresses the chronic problem of teacher turnover and that administrators micromanage teachers forcing them to teach from the same curriculum, same lesson plans, teaching to the test. I will vote to remove Bedden because I prioritize teachers.

What is a School Board members role in the day-to-day administration of RPS?

Hardiman: The role of the board in day-to-day administration is to hire competent professionals and address systemic challenges. Leaders empower their employees, they dont micro-manage. Ultimately, however, the school board is responsible to parents and taxpayers for the overall performance of the schools.

Smith: A school board member should be focused on establishing and implementing policies and curricula that are trauma informed and culturally competent; competently managing the schools budget, and ensuring the Superintendent is adhering to policy and the districts strategic plan.

Reaves: Transparency and communication. Virginia Code Section 22.1-79 details the powers and duties of local school boards. Chief among those, are communicating laws and regulations for your district as well as communicating any consolidation of schools and identifying any shortages within the district.

Young: The School Boards role regards the big picture. The School Board should identify the vision and prioritize values for the schools and then turn over the day to day management to competent capable persons to execute said vision.

School administrators have said a possible solution to dealing with some fiscal issues facing RPS and to create a more efficient district is to close some schools. Will you support closing schools if the administration recommends that it will be best in the long term? Why or why not?

Hardiman: Option 5 of the facilities plan identifies schools that need to be combined or closed. That plan was publicly vetted and needs to be implemented. I support moving forward with Option 5 with the understanding that it will require significant community outreach and input for implementation.

Smith: Yes, but only after a socially competent and comprehensive plan is put in place to ensure a smooth transition of students and staff to other facilities, and critical services and programs would not be jeopardized. Buildings need to be brought up to compliance with federal and state regulations.

Reaves: I will support the consolidation of some schools if recommended by the administration. If the consolidation of schools equates to more dollars dedicated to classroom instruction and added opportunities to RPS students, I will support such a plan.

Young: The School Board will have no credibility whatsoever absent consolidation of schools. We have the exact opposite problem that the counties have, i.e our challenge regards too few students for too many buildings. We are bleeding money hand over fist as it relates to maintenance, utilities, etc.

One issue you may face early on is redistricting. When it comes to moving school lines, what should the priorities be?

Hardiman: Overall student performance should be the top priority. I also believe that equity, facility standards, cost effectiveness, and system efficiency should be considered.

Smith: Priorities should focus on redistricting those schools that are near or currently at capacity, and enrolling students in schools that are under extreme capacity.

Reaves: I prioritize redistricting only if it preserves a healthy and productive learning environment for ALL RPS students. I believe every child, in every neighborhood is valuable. With that said, the goal should be balancing classroom size and providing equal opportunities to each student.

Young: I support neighborhood schools and believe that schools work best when parents live in near proximity to the school and can be active participants in PTA.

Given the budget realities facing RPS, where can the district make cuts that save money without affecting academics?

Hardiman: It is irresponsible to suggest cuts without a full understanding of departmental needs and goals. Rather than focusing on cuts, we must make sure all spending directly supports the success of our children. If you cannot justify spending based on that metric it should receive more scrutiny.

Smith: Reducing the number of consultants that we utilize, and downsizing unnecessary positions in the Superintendents Administration.

Reaves: RPS spends about 64 percent of its budget on classroom instruction. Hanover tops the list of local districts with about 74 percent of their budget dedicated to instruction. The cuts must occur in overlapping administrative cost and inefficient facilities management.

Young: Our schools are spending more money per-capita on administrators salaries than any school district in the region except for the City of Petersburg, I am running to cut the bureaucracy and prioritize teachers.

Attracting and retaining teachers is seen as key to turning RPS around. What will you say to current and prospective teachers thinking about going elsewhere about why they should stay?

Hardiman: The students in RPS need and deserve the best teachers in the world. You are the key to their future. Being a change agent isnt easy, but you have that opportunity here. You also have our respect, trust, and full support. You might be the only light in some of these kids lives. We need you.

Smith: I would encourage them to wait until new leadership is installed on the School Board, and work with them to establish focus groups to adequately determine the exact reasons for their departures. I would then encourage them to help implement the new changes and provide consistency for students.

Reaves: As the only 4th district representative who attended 4th district schools, I have been personally affected by RPS teachers. I know teachers are the engine of any school system, and I am dedicated as both an alumnus and a father of a current student to your professional growth and compensation.

Young: I am running to create a new culture in our schools that allows for teachers to be entrepreneurial, to take risks, to innovate and create, to be CEO of the classroom absent any interference from administrators pretending to know best. Allow our teachers to teach and we retain our teachers.

The number of schools gaining full accreditation and the on-time graduation rates are both down. What needs to be done to turn those around, and do you support RPSs current School Progress Plan?

Hardiman: Yes. The self-evaluation required of the schools by the plan can be challenging. Establishing a baseline metric will help to set reasonable goals and metrics that arent SOL based. This level of accountability can be intimidating at first, but eventually leads to improved culture and performance.

Smith: The school district needs to focus on implementing a trauma informed approach to education, and establish more transparent and direct community engagement to meet individuals where they are. We could do a better job of adequately utilizing community programs, which the current plan fails to do.

Reaves: When I graduated from Richmond Community and entered the University of Virginia I recognized that while I was prepared, the expectations of what was adequate in RPS were not sufficient. Accountability partnered with support and mentorship is the key to turning our school system around.

Young: We are losing our teachers at an alarming rate so it should be of no surprise that we are regressing. Beddens plan is the same old top-down nonsense. I support bottom up freedom for teachers to problem solve. That is how we get better.

While RPS faces a slew of issues and problems, name something positive being done in the district or at a school and how it can be duplicated elsewhere in the district?

Hardiman: There are many positive things happening at RPS that we rarely hear about. The partnership between (Westover Hills Elementary School) and the Westover Hills neighborhood is great and is keeping families in the city! A similar effort at the middle schools could completely change the perception of middle schools in the city.

Smith: The partnership between RPD and RPS to help reduce the number of students being referred to the Criminal Justice System. We can focus on constructing and implementing more trauma informed restorative justice models to address discipline issues.

Reaves: The Excel Program at Southampton Elementary extends the school day. It provides a structured environment that allows students to complete their homework and engage in tutoring before they go home. Duplicating excel requires a few willing teachers and an administration willing to open its doors.
An Egyptian foreign ministry official criticized a recent article published by Britain's Guardian website that attacked Cairo's stance on Syria.

The October 20 article on Iran's desire that Egypt attend key Syria talks in Russia days earlier said Cairo voted for a Russian UN Security Council resolution on Syria to block a rival French draft "which had demanded an end to airstrikes on Aleppo."

In a letter published by the foreign ministry Sunday, Egyptian ambassador in London Nasser Kamel said he was "astonished" at "the obvious and factual mistakes" the article contained.

"Egypt voted in favor of [the French] resolution as well as for the Russian draft resolution due to what we view as common elements shared by both drafts," Kamel wrote.

Egyptian president Abdel Fattah El-Sisi has said that Cairo voted on the two draft resolutions, which eventually failed to pass, because they both called for a ceasefire. Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry denied that Cairo's move has caused a rift with Saudi Arabia, a key backer of rebels fighting against Bashar al-Assad, who are supported by Moscow.

Kamel said the article was misleading for claiming that Saudi Aramco had temporarily suspended supply of refined oil products in response to Cairo's action.

He cited a statement given by Egypt's petroleum ministry early this month, which shows the decision by Armaco was made prior to the Syria vote.

The ambassador called on the paper to work towards changing or alleviating "the prevailing perception in my country about the Guardian being biased and lacking objectivity" in its coverage of Egypt. He said he expects the paper to publish his response to the story.

Russia on October 8 vetoed the draft resolution presented by France demanding an end to the bombing of Aleppo, but its own rival text which made no mention of a halt to airstrikes was rejected after it failed to get a minimum nine votes in favour.



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RICHMOND  The top executive at Genworth Financial Inc. assured analysts and investors Monday that the proposed sale to a China-based investment firm was the best option to preserve and create value for shareholders.

Genworth, a major seller of home mortgage insurance and long-term care insurance, announced Sunday evening that its board agreed for the Henrico County-based company to be bought for about $2.7 billion by Beijing-based China Oceanwide Holdings Group, a privately held international financial company that has been expanding its holdings in the U.S.

On a conference call with analysts Monday, Thomas McInerney, Genworths president and CEO, said the companys leadership concluded that the cash sale to China Oceanwide is the best possible strategic alternative for the stockholders.

China Oceanwide would pay $5.43 per share  a 4.2 percent premium to Genworths closing price of $5.21 per share on Friday.

But Genworth shares fell 42 cents, or 8.06 percent, to close Monday at $4.79 in trading on the New York Stock Exchange.

Genworths stock price has suffered since the economic recession hurt the companys home-mortgage insurance business, and its shares have traded between $1.57 and $5.36 over the past 52 weeks.

Shares could have declined as much as 20 percent given that Genworth also announced plans Sunday to set aside additional money for the long-term care business, Sean Dargan, a senior analyst for Wells Fargo Securities, said in a research note.

The proposed sale requires shareholder and regulatory approval.

McInerney, who has been CEO since 2013, was asked during the conference call about the purchase price and what other potential deals Genworth may have considered.

McInerney gave no specifics of other possible deals, but he said the proposed sale is the result of a nearly two-year internal review in which the company looked at many different options and strategic alternatives.

Our board believes that China Oceanwides proposal delivers the best outcome for Genworths shareholders, including the best price through an all-cash transaction with no financing contingencies, he said.

The sale also eliminates downside risks for shareholders resulting from ongoing problems in the companys long-term care insurance business, he said.

That business, which provides insurance for nursing-home or at-home care, has struggled with losses because of higher-than-expected claims and historically low interest rates.

Analysts Mark Palmer and Giuliano Bologna with financial services firm BTIG said in a research report Monday that we believe higher bids for the company are unlikely to emerge given ongoing uncertainty in the companys long-term care business and that China Oceanwide also agreed to provide a $1.1 billion capital infusion to help Genworth pay debts and to support its U.S. life insurance business.

Genworth posted an overall loss of $615 million, or $1.24 per share, for 2015, and a loss of $1.24 billion, or $2.51 per share, in 2014.

In February, the company said it would eliminate about 270 jobs in its Virginia operations after suspending sales of its traditional life insurance and annuity policies.

If the deal is approved, Genworth, a Fortune 500 company, would become a subsidiary of China Oceanwide. Genworth would keep its headquarters in Henrico, and its management team would remain intact.

The transaction is expected to close by mid-2017, though some analysts on Mondays conference call questioned whether the company can get the necessary regulatory approvals in that time frame.

The proposed sale has to get regulatory approval in Virginia and three other U.S. states, along with China, Mexico and Canada.
(Beijing)  The Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) has convened a four-day plenary session aimed at strengthening intraparty discipline, according to the official Xinhua News Agency.

At the closed-door meeting that began Monday in Beijing, the committee  which includes more than 200 full members and about 170 alternative members  will induct five alternates as full members. Four seats became vacant due to members' indictments on corruption charges, and one vacancy was created when a member died.

The four disgraced members are Huang Xingguo, former mayor of the northern port city of Tianjin; former Fujian provincial Governor Su Shulin; former Liaoning party boss Wang Min; and Tian Xiusi, a retired army general who oversaw the People's Liberation Army's Air Force. The committee is expected to formally expel the four from the party for gross violations of party discipline.

Three alternates who were also indicted for corruption  including Lu Xiwen, a former deputy party chief of the city of Beijing  are expected to be expelled from the committee.

The committee, led by the 25-member Politburo under a seven-member Standing Committee, will deliberate on a new code of conduct for its 80-million-plus party members and a revision to a set of intraparty supervision rules that have been in place since 2004.

This sixth plenary session of the CPC's central committee is the next to last before a new party congress opens late next year, when a new top party leadership lineup will be ushered in as part of a major top-level shakeup.

Contact reporter Li Rongde (rongdeli@caixin.com); editor Calum Gordon (calum@caixin.com)
CHARLOTTESVILLE  The woman whose harrowing account of being gang raped at the University of Virginia was the centerpiece of a now-discredited Rolling Stone magazine article testified in a deposition heard by the public for the first time on Monday that the story was what she believed to be true at the time.

A video deposition of the woman identified in the article only as Jackie was played for jurors Monday in the defamation trial against Rolling Stone magazine for the 2014 article A Rape on Campus by Sabrina Rubin Erdely.

University of Virginia administrator Nicole Eramo is seeking $7.5 million from the magazine, claiming she was cast as the storys chief villain. A police investigation later found no evidence to back up Jackies claims.

Jackie said she has trouble remembering details of her assault and the aftermath because she has post-traumatic stress disorder. When asked by an attorney if she stands by the truth of her account, Jackie responded: I stand by the account I gave to Rolling Stone. I believed it to be true at the time.

Jackie repeatedly answered I dont know or I cant remember when asked about her meetings with police, discussions with Eramo and specific things she told Rolling Stone.

Tom Clare, an attorney for Eramo, pressed Jackie to explain why she told Eramo that she was forced to perform oral sex on several men while she told Rolling Stone she was gang raped at a Phi Kappa Psi fraternity house.

My comfort level was different, and I dont remember exactly what I told Dean Eramo or Rolling Stone, Jackie said.

Jackie said she felt pressured to participate in the story and became scared in the weeks leading up its publication when she realized it may be too late to back out.

She said when she initially agreed to talk to Erdely, she was under the impression that the article was going to be about sexual assault advocacy, not her rape. Jackie said she didnt even realize that her comments during her first conversation with Erdely would be published.

I was 20 years old and had no idea there was an off-the-record or an on-the-record, Jackie said. I was naive.

Jackie said she remembered feeling upset when she found out her story was going to be the central focus and was concerned that Rolling Stone was going to paint Eramo in a negative light.

A few weeks before publication, a friend of Jackies expressed Jackies concerns to Erdely in a text message, but Erdely responded theres no pulling the plug at this point  the article is moving forward.

I remember feeling scared and overwhelmed and unsure of what to do, Jackie said. She added: I felt like I was getting a lot of pressure from a lot of people to do things I didnt want do.

Erdely has testified that she would have allowed Jackie to back out of the article if thats what she wanted and was prepared to use another woman as the central story in the piece if necessary.

Erdely said Monday that when she texted Jackies friend to say there was no pulling the plug, she meant the article about the university was moving forward, not that Jackie couldnt back out if she wanted to.

In the deposition, which was taken in April, Jackie sounded timid and quiet. The monitors in the courtroom were turned around so that only the jury and the attorneys could see the screen. Jackies last name has never been released by the court and she will not take the stand as a live witness during the trial.

Eramo and Erdely both took notes as they watched Jackies video. Erdely began crying when an attorney read a text message that Jackie had sent her friend before the article was published urging her not to talk to Erdely because the reporter was on a witch hunt to interview the man Jackie claimed had attacked her and it was a disaster.

In another text message sent after the article was published and read by attorneys on Monday, Jackie said that Erdely never even fact checked things about that night with me.

The trial, which began last Monday, is expected to last about 12 days. Eramo was initially asking for $7.85 million, but recently withdrew her request for $350,000 in punitive damages.

Her attorneys have to prove that Erdely and Rolling Stone acted with actual malice, meaning that they knew or should have known that what they were writing about Eramo wasnt true.
(Beijing)  E-commerce tycoon Jack Ma has proposed that China's security bureau use big data to crack down on crime, showing his support for the government practice of demanding companies share data with authorities.

"It's easy to re-evaluate past actions or decisions after the fact, but what can we do beforehand to prevent crimes?" the founder and CEO of Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. said at a lecture in Beijing.

Ma made his remarks while speaking to officials of the Commission for Political and Legal Affairs, which oversees national legal enforcement matters, the state-owned China Daily newspaper reported on Saturday.

The answer lies in big data, Ma said. For example, "it's normal when one person buys a pressure cooker, or a clock, or steel balls or even gunpowder. But if one person buys all these things at the same time, it is peculiar. Without big data, how do you know he is making a bomb?"

Top officials from the Ministry of Public Security, the Supreme People's Court and the Supreme People's Procuratorate, the country's top prosecutor's office, attended the lecture, according to China Daily. More than 1.5 million police officers also watched the lecture online.

Companies in China have been ordered to share data with Chinese authorities when requested. In 2015, Alibaba started offering local governments access to its service to track shopping transactions and the number of packages shipped out of or delivered to their region. It also has a 2,000-member cybersecurity task force to help government agencies crack down on intellectual property violations and online scams.

Contact reporter Chen Na (nachen@caixin.com); editor Kerry Nelson (kerry@caixin.com)
(Beijing)  A former official of a state-owned enterprise (SOE) subsidiary was convicted in Heilongjiang province on Friday of taking a record 307 million yuan ($45.4 million) in bribes.

Yu Tieyi, a deputy general manager of a logistics company affiliated with Heilongjiang Longmay Mining Holding Group Co. Ltd., one of the top SOEs in Heilongjiang, was sentenced to death with a two-year reprieve by a city court.

The 307 million yuan in bribes that Yu received from 2005 to 2011 is the largest amount an official has been charged with receiving in the history of the People's Republic of China. Previous record-holder Bai Enpei, a former party chief in Yunnan province, received the same punishment in Henan province on Oct. 9. Bai had accepted 246 million yuan in bribes.

At least seven senior party officials, including former security chief Zhou Yongkang, have been indicted or been found by anti-corruption investigators to have embezzled or taken bribes of at least 100 million yuan.

Yu, 62, who was detained by Heilongjiang anti-corruption authorities in 2012 and arrested a year later, was found to have helped suppliers secure contracts and manipulated procurement prices in favor of subcontractors, court documents show. In return, he received a stake in some of the firms or was paid as an adviser.

Yu had a particular penchant for luxury cars and luxury watches, according to the anti-graft agency in Heilongjiang. Investigators uncovered dozens of expensive vehicles in his possession, including Rolls-Royce and Bentley cars.

"I would feel bad if there was a day when I was not given money," he was quoted as saying in an article published on the Heilongjiang Commission for Discipline Inspection website on Sept. 3, 2014.

Anti-corruption authorities did not say how Yu's crimes came to light.

Contact reporter Li Rongde (rongdeli@caixin.com); editor Kerry Nelson (rongdeli@caixin.com)
(Beijing)  The head of a company that helps Chinese firms invest abroad has publicly questioned the wisdom of some mergers and acquisitions that state-owned enterprises (SOEs) have made in recent years, saying that many of them are merely vanity projects.

Chen Shuang, CEO of China Everbright Ltd., a Hong Kong subsidiary of financial conglomerate China Everbright Group, made the remarks last week at a corporate conference in Qingdao, and come as China's outbound investments involving M&As are surging.

Without mentioning any companies by name, Chen said some of the investments have been so poorly conceived and implemented that the SOEs making the acquisitions seemed to be just "messing around."

Chen's remarks came right after the Chinese Ministry of Commerce released data on September's outbound direct investments. The data showed that Chinese enterprises conducted 521 overseas M&A deals in the first nine months of this year with a combined value of $67.4 billion, compared with $54.4 billion for all of 2015.

The surge has been driven in part by unwise investments that some SOEs have made, Chen said.

Some of the deals were entirely vanity projects, he said. Companies already loaded with debt ventured into fields they barely understood, not because the investment was strategically important but because the executives thought they would lose face if their companies did not make any overseas acquisitions under their watch.

"This phenomenon has become very pronounced with M&As conducted over the past two years," he said.

Chen also said that some SOEs that are making acquisitions abroad were actually just trying to dodge regulatory limits on capital flows and move assets abroad. Some SOEs participated in the acquisition of overseas-listed Chinese enterprises, betting they could relist on a domestic stock exchange at a higher value.

Such actions violate the spirit of the central government's encouraging Chinese enterprises to "go out," according to Chen. Through foreign M&A deals, the government wants to help upgrade domestic technologies, he said. "And yet, there is a big question mark over how much M&A investments made in this sense account for the total."

He added: "Many cross-border M&As have served no use in facilitating the consolidation and upgrading of industries. Neither do the Chinese acquirers have professional teams for post-deal integration. These M&As are bound to fail, and it may just not be apparent now."

Everbright Ltd. provides services for cross-border investment and assets management.

Everbright Ltd. and IDG Capital Partners have jointly launched an M&A fund in June with at least 20 billion yuan ($3 billion) in committed capital available for investment. The fund focuses on helping mature and strong Chinese and foreign companies raise funds, conduct M&A deals and make other types of investments.

Contact reporter Wang Yuqian (yuqianwang@caixin.com); editor Ken Howe (kennethhowe@caixin.com)
A FIREWORK set off at a party landed on a shed roof and sparked a fire which destroyed it.

Firefighters were called to Verelst Avenue, Aston, at around 8pm on Saturday.

They spent around half-an-hour at the scene and no-one was injured in the incident.

Meanwhile, wood and cardboard left next to a log burner has been blamed as the cause of a garage fire.

Fire crews from three stations were called to the blaze at a house on Greenland Avenue, Maltby, at 11.30am on Saturday.

Fire officers spent half-an-hour at the scene.

Arsonists torched a pile of furniture and rubbish on Sunday night.

A crew from Rotherham fire station was called Far Lane, East Dene, to tackle the incident at 11pm on Sunday and spent about 30 minutes at the scene.
Christies Geneva Magnificent Jewels auction on 8 November Christies Geneva Magnificent Jewels auction on 8 November 2022 presents the very best in outstanding gemstones, alongside historic and modern jewels, led by The Fortune Pink (estimate: CHF25,000,000-35,000,000), an exceptional fancy vivid pink...

SUNLIGHT opens flagship in the legendary place of Old Arbat Jewelry chain No. 1 SUNLIGHT revives jewelry traditions by opening the doors of its flagship store in Old Arbat on the site of the elite boutique "Gems", known for having a separate entrance and a secret VIP room for the "Soviet nobility"...

Call for KPCS to commit to serious reforms The Kimberley Process Civil Society Coalition (KPCSC) has called on the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme (KPCS) to come to terms with the shortcomings of the certification scheme and to commit to serious reforms. A KPCS plenary...

Barrick Gold secures future of DRC mine with exploration success Barrick Gold says the ability of the Kibali mine, Africas largest gold mine to replace its reserves beyond depletion will secure its position as one of the companys tier-one assets well into the future. Company president and chief executive Mark Bristow...
Efforts to trim excess capacity seem to have paid off as the steel industry appeared to have met more than 80% of its annual target by September and steel prices rebounded.

This may sound like good news, but it does not necessarily mean that the sector is set for a recovery any sooner than expected. Here's why:

The latest figures on the progress of capacity cuts  now reaching 36 million tons of steel, or 80% of the national annual target  that were revealed by Ministry of Industry and Information Technology official Huang Libin at a news conference on Thursday surprised market-watchers. That's largely because two months previously, steel producers were reported to have met just 47% of their target reductions.

During the announcement in August, Zhao Chenxin from the National Development and Reform Commission said that cuts in steel capacity had fallen behind schedule. This prompted several government departments to send inspection teams to local governments and steelmakers to check on their progress, which put a lot pressure on them.

Steel producers responded to this by adopting ingenious measures to nearly double the amount of capacity trimmed by counting long-closed production lines as newly reduced overcapacity in a bid to conjure up more-attractive figures.

Some of these "dead" steel factories, which had ceased production for as long as three years, have been recorded by provincial governments as trimmed capacity, an industry source told Caixin.

In one survey, industry-watcher CUSteel estimated that 71% of the combined annual targets of 24 provincial governments involved long-shuttered mills, representing a reduction in capacity of 82 million tons of steel.

Many factories were also ordered to suspend operations during major events such as the G20 summit in Hangzhou in September, and events to mark the 40th anniversary of the Tangshan earthquake in July, which also helped to hasten reductions in overcapacity.

However, we should never rely on random events to enforce reform.

This said, profits for companies across the steel sector have shown a marked rise. Members of the China Iron and Steel Association, 373 firms in total, saw their balance sheets rebound from showing losses in the first eight months of 2015 to turning a profit for the same period this year, thanks in part to rising steel prices.

Steel prices rose by 30% in the first three quarters of 2016, which might have been a result of reductions in capacity, but some experts believe this may have only had a limited influence on the market as a whole.

The 45-million-ton target for capacity cuts for steel production were based on the total amount of capacity in 2014, 1.1 billion tons, as published by the National Bureau of Statistics. However, this figure did not cover small steel factories, which were believed by insiders to have pushed up total annual production to as much as 1.2 billion tons.

The uptick in steel prices also prompted some dormant factories to restart their machinery. In September, steel production increased by 3.9% from a year earlier, much more than a 0.1% contraction in the first eight months.

Since the start of September, reductions in capacity haven't helped to raise steel prices. Instead, rising import prices for coke, a type of fuel made of coal, and iron ore have boosted steel prices, which would in turn push the value of steel higher.

So in general, the situation in the steel sector is not quite as rosy as the figures suggest.

Contact editor Calum Gordon (calum@caixin.com)
PJSC ALROSA set to begin deep underground diamond production at its Jubilee kimberlite pipe after getting all the necessary rights.

ALROSA has acquired the right for subsoil use, exploration and mining of diamonds in the deep horizons of the deposits at the Jubilee pipe of the Aikhal mine. The lower boundary of the license area changed from 1030 to 1300 meters below the surface. Deposits at the specified depth range amount to 7.4 million tons of ore and 5.4 million carats of diamonds.

Exploration of deep horizons will provide the data necessary for further mine design due to depletion of the overlying horizons of the deposit.

"Successful implementation of the ore body exploration within this range will extend the service life of the field, which in turn will increase the mineral resource base of ALROSA," - says Rinat Gizatulin, vice-president of ALROSA.

At present, Jubilee mine is being developed as an open pit. During the first 9 months of 2016, the diamond production from the field was 6.9 million carats.

Aikhal Mining and Processing Plant was built in 1986 and is being used to process ore from the following sites: Jubilee pipe, Komsomolsky pipe, and Aikhal mine. The share of the plant in the total production of the ALROSA Group amounted to 32% in 2015.




Dominion Diamond Corporation reported Diavik Diamond Mine production results for the third calendar quarter of 2016.

Processing volumes in the third calendar quarter of 2016 were 22% higher than in the same quarter of the prior year primarily due to higher ore availability, particularly from A-418 which experienced poor ground conditions in the third quarter of calendar 2015.

Diamonds recovered in the third calendar quarter of 2016 were also 22% higher than in the same quarter of the prior year reflecting higher processing volumes. Diamonds recovered in the third quarter of calendar 2015 included approximately 40,000 carats recovered from Coarse Ore Rejects ("COR").

In the third quarter of 2016 at the mine Diavik were recovered 1.54 million carats of diamonds against 1.27 million carats of diamonds over the same period of 2015.



Alex Shishlo, Editor of the Rough&Polished European Bureau in Brussels




Chow Tai Fook Jewellery Group's retail sales value (RSV) has fallen in the markets of both Mainland China and Hong Kong & Macau, according to the company report announcing its unaudited results for the second quarter ended September 30, 2016.

Chow Tai Fook's share of the different segments offered for sale showed that gem-set jewellery took a 28% share in Mainland China, while it had a 27% share in Hong Kong & Macau; gold products accounted for 52% of sales in the former and 52% in the latter; platinum/karat gold products had a 14% share in the former and a 12% share in the latter; and watches took a share of 6% and 7% respectively.

The company said that the RSV decreased by 17% in Mainland China and dropped by 33% in Hong Kong & Macau. It attributed this to the high base resulting from a surge in gold products in the same period last year, as prices of gold had fallen at that time. Also, the report noted that same store sales showed a decline of 22% in Mainland China and 30% in Hong Kong & Macau; while same store sales volumes were lower by 32% in the former and 39% in the latter.



Aruna Gaitonde, Editor-in-Chief of Asian Bureau, Rough & Polished




Rockwell Diamonds recorded a 14 percent decrease in rough diamond revenues at $10.6 million in the second quarter of the fiscal year 2017 compared with $12.3 million, a year earlier chiefly due to reductions in grade and diamond values realised at Remhoogte-Holsloot (RHC) and Saxendrift in South Africa.

The groups revenue also weakened due to a 67 percent drop in beneficiation revenue to $2.8 million during the period under review compared with $8.7 million, relised during the same period last fiscal year.

It also recorded a net loss of $600 000 compared with a profit of $1.2 million, a year earlier.

The loss was attributed to the drop in volumes and grades, as well as the impact of less favourable pricing or trading, and the impact of exchange rates on profitability.

"Rockwell has seen some significant challenges during the first half, and notably so during the second quarter of the 2017 fiscal year, both in production volumes and ore quality which resulted in lower than planned diamond revenues, said the new company chief executive Tjaart Willemse.

This, combined with a reduction in projected economic large volume resources, especially at our Remhoogte-Holsloot operation, has had an adverse impact on future economic outlook when compared to the same period in the previous fiscal year. Going forward it will not be business as usual.

Meanwhile, the company said that market expectations heading into the festive season are for a reduction in rough diamond supply by the Diamond Trading Company and for no substantial change to prices, except for small increases that may occur on certain items.

Polished demand, it said, should pick up towards the end of the year, which would assist in reducing industry inventory.



Mathew Nyaungwa, Editor in Chief of the African Bureau, Rough&Polished




New York-based private equity firm Greenbriar Equity Group LLC has acquired Frauscher Sensor Technology, a global supplier of train tracking solutions for the railway signaling industry.

Representatives say Frauscher was acquired in conjunction with the companys current management team. Terms of the transaction were not made available.

Frauscher designs and manufactures railway wheel detection and axle counting systems based on inductive sensor and distributed acoustic sensing technologies. The companys products are used globally to monitor track occupancy across railway networks.

Representatives say Greenbriar aims to support Frauschers expansion into North America, continuing to support the management team strategic vision. Greenbriar also says it plans to accelerate the development of Frauschers offerings, such as the new Frauscher Tracking Solutions system, which is based on distributed acoustic sensing technology.

Michael Weiss, managing director at Greenbriar, says Frauscher has established itself as a technology leader in the industry.

We are excited to partner with [Frauscher CEO] Michael Thiel and his team and look forward to supporting the Company during its next growth phase, he said. We are particularly excited about Frauschers opportunities to leverage its differentiated product offering within new and existing geographic markets and develop innovative products.

Thiel described the acquisition as an exciting time for the organization.

We are eager to work with Greenbriar as our new partner to continue to implement our growth strategy, he said. Their extensive experience and relationships in the rail industry will be invaluable as we expand our presence in North America and introduce new technologies into the marketplace.
Nokia (NOK) Monday said it has signed two Memoranda of Confirmation frame agreements with Globe Telecom, a telecom operator in the Philippines. One agreement is for wireless technologies and the other is for IP, Optical and SDN technologies.

Under the deals, Nokia plans to transform Globe Telecom's current fixed and mobile networks into a more robust network that will help Globe meet the country's burgeoning and future digital demands.

Nokia noted that Globe Telecom will transition to a flexible cloud-based network infrastructure, with Nokia's 5G-ready AirScale radio access and IP, optical and carrier SDN solutions.

The modernized Globe network will also allow it to support the Philippine government's initiative to further expand the availability of broadband services in the country.

The agreements were signed during the State Visit of the Philippine President to China.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Business News
TD Ameritrade Holding Corp. (AMTD) and its largest stakeholder, Toronto-Dominion Bank or TD Bank (TD,TD.TO), announced Monday an agreement to acquire online brokerage Scottrade Financial Services Inc. in a cash and stock transaction valued at $4 billion.

The transaction will take place in two, concurrent steps. First, TD Bank will purchase Scottrade Bank from Scottrade Financial for $1.3 billion in cash consideration.

Under the terms of the proposed acquisition, Scottrade Bank will merge with and into TD Bank, N.A., an indirect unit of The Toronto-Dominion Bank. Additionally, TD will purchase $400 million in new common equity from TD Ameritrade in connection with the proposed transaction, pursuant to its preemptive rights.

Then, immediately following that acquisition, TD Ameritrade will acquire Scottrade Financial Services, Inc., for $4 billion, or $2.7 billion net of the proceeds from the sale of Scottrade Bank.

For TD Ameritrade, the transaction adds significant scale to its retail , extends its leadership in trading, and more than quadruples the size of its branch network.

TD Ameritrade expects to realize approximately $450 million in combined annual expense synergies, and more than $300 million in additional longer-term opportunities. The first 25 percent of the expense synergies are expected to be realized in Year 1 post-close and the remainder realized in Year 2. Furthermore, the transaction is expected to generate double-digit EPS accretion post-conversion.

Additionally, following the transaction's close, Scottrade Founder and CEO Rodger Riney will be appointed to the TD Ameritrade Board of Directors.

Following this transaction, the company expects to maintain strong free cash flow.

TD's purchase of Scottrade Bank is subject to the concurrent closing of the TD Ameritrade/ Scottrade transaction as well as receipt of regulatory approvals and satisfaction of other customary closing conditions, and is expected to close in the second half of fiscal 2017.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Business News
ACCO Brands Corp. (ACCO) announced a definitive agreement to acquire Esselte Group Holdings AB, an European office products company, from private equity firm J.W. Childs for $333 million in cash. ACCO Brands plans to combine Esselte with its existing European operations.

Esselte is a leading global manufacturer and marketer of branded office products serving over 10,000 customers in over 120 countries. Esselte takes products to market under the Leitz, Rapid and Esselte brands in the storage and organization, stapling and punch, machines and do-it-yourself tools product categories. Esselte's 2015 sales were $458 million with adjusted EBITDA of $60 million.

The combination is expected to: yield an estimated $23 million of annualized cost synergies, or approximately $0.13 per share, within 3 years, excluding one-time restructuring, integration and purchase accounting costs; result in $0.12 adjusted EPS accretion in the first 12-month period, including synergies of $0.03 per share but excluding charges; and generate incremental free cash flow of approximately $20 million in year one, growing to approximately $55 million in year three. As part of the acquisition, ACCO Brands will assume an estimated $160 million of unfunded pension liabilities, net of associated deferred tax, predominantly in Germany.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Business News
Indian shares posted modest gains on Monday as firm cues from Asia and Europe helped investors shrug off weak earnings updates from the likes of Wipro and MindTree.

The benchmark BSE Sensex rose by 101.90 points or 0.36 percent to 28,179.08, while the broader Nifty index ended up 15.90 points or 0.18 percent at 8,708.95.

ICICI Bank climbed 2.6 percent to extend recent gains while Tata Motors, Coal India and BPCL rose about 3 percent each.

ONGC rallied 4.5 percent on the buzz that it may announce a bonus share issue. Lakshmi Machine Works soared 4.8 percent ahead of a board meet on Wednesday to consider a share buyback proposal.

Bharti Airtel fell over 1 percent and Idea Cellular dropped 3.5 percent as telecom regulator TRAI recommended a Rs 3,050 crore fine on the top three network operators for denying Jio adequate points of interconnection.

Wipro tumbled 3 percent after the country's third-largest IT services exporter reported weak September quarter results and projected slower revenue growth in the third quarter.

MindTree lost as much as 5.3 percent on posting a 37 percent fall in consolidated net profit for the September quarter.

HCL Technologies declined 2.5 percent on reports that it is aggressively looking at acquisition opportunities to drive future growth.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com
Gold futures were lower Monday morning ahead of a flurry of Federal Reserve speeches.

Gold for December was down 5 dollars at $1263 an ounce.

On the economic front, the Markit Purchasing Managers' Manufacturing Index Flash for October is expected at 9.45 am ET. Economists are looking for a slight decline to 51.2 from 51.4 in the previous month.

The Chicago Fed National Activity Index for September will be released at 8.30 am ET. In the prior month, the index recorded a decline of 0.55.

New York Federal Reserve Bank President William Dudley will give opening remarks at the second annual conference on the Evolving Structure of the U.S. Treasury Market at the New York Fed at 9.00 am ET.

St. Louis Federal Reserve President James Bullard will give presentation to Association for University Business and Economic Research in Fayetteville, Ark. at 9.05 am ET.

Chicago Federal Reserve President Charles Evans would give a speech at the Civic Affairs Society of the University Club of Chicago Luncheon, followed by audience and media Q&A, in Chicago at 1.30 pm ET.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Market Analysis
Crude oil futures were lower Monday morning after Iraq said it does not intend to join OPEC members in cutting oil supplies.

Dec. crude oil was down 56 cents at $50.29 a barrel.

On the economic front, the Markit Purchasing Managers' Manufacturing Index Flash for October is expected at 9.45 am ET. Economists are looking for a slight decline to 51.2 from 51.4 in the previous month.

The Chicago Fed National Activity Index for September will be released at 8.30 am ET. In the prior month, the index recorded a decline of 0.55.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Market Analysis
In the last 24 hours, India reported 1,326 new Covid-19 cases and eight cases, the Union Health Ministry said on Monday. ...


The Samoa International Finance Authority which had a turnover of $17million in 2014 was urged to lend a helping hand to students struggling to get into University due to the cost of school fees.

The call was made by the Member of Parliament for Salega West, Toomata Aki Tuipea in parliament on Tuesday when the Foundations Bill 2016 was tabled by the Minister of Finance, Sili Epa Tuioti.

While Toomata applauded S.I.F.A. for its well done work in the development of the country, he suggested the Authority should consider the academic live of the youth.

Their parents are not wealthy and my only plea is to use the Authoritys surplus funds to assist them in paying their tuition fees.

Sili did not respond directly to the request from Toomata but pointed out that S.I.F.A. does inject a lot of money to fund the government budget.

He said some of the assistance from S.I.F.A. is giving financial assistance to the Manu Samoa 7s team and the Samoa Rugby League.

Furthermore he said there are currently 38,000 companies registered under S.I.F.A. who are paying U.S.$300 per year.

S.I.F.A.s Chief Executive Officer, Aiono Dr. Fanaafi Aiono - Le Tagaloa said S.I.F.A. assists sporting bodies because they cover the whole country.

She pointed out that they are mindful of other government departments like Education and Health who are responsible for the sectors and do not want overstep their boundaries.

Aiono said the office does consider other assistance if they request it.
The sentencing of Daniel Vailopa has been postponed due to his lawyer Alalatoa Rosella Papalii being away from the country.

It has now been adjourned until 4th November before the Supreme Court.

Vailopa was scheduled to be sentenced last week for attempting to sexually violate a Norwegian woman climbing the Mount Vaea trail last year.

The convict pleaded guilty to the charges against him including the theft of a cell phone belonging to the victim.

The woman was working in the country when the incident occurred.

Vailopa escaped from Tafaigata prison on 2nd August 2015 where he made his way to Vailima and attempted to sexually violate the victim.

He also stole the cell phone valued at AUD$2,000.

The prisoner was dealt with in the District Court on the charge of escaping prison.

Two weeks ago Vailopa requested for name suppression for fear of being identified in the media.

However, Supreme Court Judge, Tafaoimalo Leilani Warren ruled against the request denying name suppression for Vailopa.
An investigation into a domestic incident took a more serious turn with the discovery of an unlicensed revolver which a Police officer had taken home with him. He claimed he had taken the gun home with him as other guns had gone missing from Faleolo Police Station.

The unlicensed 357 revolver was taken from the Faleolo Police Station around March last year.

It is part of an investigation conducted by the Police Standard Unit (P.S.U.), confirmed Acting Police Commissioner, Samoa Mulinuu Mulinuu.

Samoa was asked for a comment following court proceedings involving the Officer in Charge of Lotofaga Police Post, Sione Menefata who revealed there were guns missing from the Faleolo Police Post.

Menefata was charged with possession of an unlicensed weapon namely a 357 revolver.

He also faced charges of common assault and adultery to which he pleaded not guilty but then later changed his plea to guilty of all charges.

Menefata was sentenced in the District Court two weeks ago where he was discharged without conviction and ordered to pay $400 for Prosecution costs.

Acting Police Commissioner, Samoa emphasised that no one is above the law and such matters are investigated by the P.S.U.

I am not clear on details of the matter, said Samoa.

Its important that I am aware of it so I can follow up on the matter.

I cannot say anything further about how it is being handled and investigated by P.S.U. but I will get the investigating officer to see what the latest progress is.

Police Media Spokesperson, Sua Muliaga Tiumalu confirmed that Menefata has resumed work following his sentencing two weeks ago.

A decision by District Court Judge, Leiataualesa Daryl Clarke in the matter said that the father of three children has been suspended since April 2015 since the incidents occurred.

A delay of 18 months in dealing with the matter, were because Counsels were unavailable to appear for Menefata.

I strongly encourage prosecution and defence counsels to proceed with matters before the Courts in an expeditious manner to avoid unnecessary delay, cost and uncertainty for all involved as has occurred here, said Judge Clarke.

Here is the full Court ruling:

IN THE FAMILY COURT OF SAMOA

HELD AT MULINUU

BETWEEN

POLICE

Informant

A N D

SIONE MENEFATA, male of Fasitoo tai

Defendant

Counsel:

Ms I Atoa and Ms F Lagaaia for National Prosecution Office

Ms R Papalii for defendant

Decision: 5 October 2016

SENTENCING DECISION OF JUDGE CLARKE

1. Sione Menefata, you appear for sentencing on the following charges:

o (i) One count of possession of an unlawful weapon pursuant to section 12 of the Arms Ordinance 1960which carries a maximum penalty of 5 years imprisonment or a fine not exceeding $10,000;

o (ii) one count of common assault in breach of section 123 of the Crimes Act 2013 which carries a maximum penalty of 1 year imprisonment; and

o (iii) one count of adultery pursuant to section 65 of the Crimes Act 2013 which carries a maximum penalty of $100.00.

2. You initially entered not guilty pleas but these were vacated on 12 July 2016 by leave and substituted with pleas of guilty.

The Offending

3. According to the amended Summary of Facts together with your affidavit dated 7th September 2016 which was admitted by consent of Prosecution, you were the Officer-In-Charge at the Lotofaga Police Post (Police Post).

On the 7th March 2015 at between 10.00pm and 11.00pm, your wife became suspicious of you and believed that you were being unfaithful. She went to the Police Post, you were not present but she found womens clothing in your office. Your wife stayed at the Police Post overnight and early the next morning at approximately 7.00am, she left. Not long after she left, you returned to the Police Post with a fellow female Police Officer. You both went in to your office together. Your wife returned, went into your office and found you together with the female Police Officer. You accept that you committed an act of adultery. A verbal confrontation occurred between you and your wife and you then left together with your wife.

4. On the 21st of March 2015, your wife again became suspicious of you. She came with your daughter to the Police Post and a dispute occurred between your wife and yourself. Your wife then scratched your face leaving scratch marks and uttered words to you including ailalafa, paumuku and fia kama mamafa. These statements were made in the presence of your child and within hearing of other Police Officers at the Police Post. You tried to calm her down but as she continued to lash at you and insult you, you slapped her on the cheek.

5. Due to your dispute, your wife reported you to Police for possession of an unlicensed firearm, a 357 revolver. In your affidavit, you have told the Court that the revolver was a Police exhibit in a matter under investigation. As guns in other matters had gone missing from Faleolo Police Station, you said you kept the revolver with you to protect the revolver as evidence. It had first been kept by you in a box in your office at Faleolo Police Station. When you were transferred to Lotofaga Police Post, you took the revolver with you to ensure it did not go missing. You left the revolver in a box at your wifes family home at Gagaifoilevao in a sealed bag for safety. You were subsequently kicked out of that home by your wife and banished from Gagaifoilevao. Your wife reported you to Police for possession of the revolver and the revolver was subsequently recovered when Police executed a warrant on the family home at Gagaifoilevao.

6. As a result of your offending, you were banished from your wifes village of Gagaifoilevao Lefaga. You were also fined $7,000.00.

The Accused

7. You are a 44 year old male of Fasitoo-tai. You are married with 3 children and are a serving Police Officer. You have been a member of Police Service since 1993. Since these incidences occurred last year, you have been suspended from the Police Service. From the Bar table through your counsel, I am told you have been suspended with pay since approximately April 2015.

8. Your member of Parliament for Aana Alofi No. 3 Constituency which includes the village of Fasitootai addressed the Court at your sentencing hearing and also provided a written reference in support of your character. He speaks of your dedication to your community, you being a devout member of your village council and as a responsible and disciplined man. He spoke of the serious crime issues in the constituency and the important role you have played in your village council in educating your fellow matai and addressing crime in the constituency.

9. The Acting Commissioner of Police Afamasaga Michael Soonalole has also provided a written reference in support of you. He speaks of you as a self-disciplined, mature, reliable and honest person. He says that you are a talented person with very good leadership and management skills. In his further reference dated 1 October 2016, he outlines the extensive work you have carried out in the Ministry of Police in respect of counter-terrorism, disaster management, customer service, investigations and leadership. You have also been commended by your superiors on deployment overseas in Solomon Islands for your professionalism and commitment according to Afamasaga Soonalole. He concludes that your chances of further training locally and internationally may be hindered if you are convicted.

10. Similar glowing references as to your character are given by Le Mamea Sua Tiumalu from Faleolo Police Post, Sua Mataalii Pasina your family matai and Lumafu Tagoiaega Maotua Levi of the Alii and Faipule of Fasitotai.

The Victim

11. The victim of your offending is your wife. She is a 41 year old female of Gagaifolevao Lefaga. The Probation Service confirms that you have apologized and reconciled with your wife. She has addressed the Court this morning and reiterated this and has asked the Court for leniency.

Aggravating features of Offending

12. The aggravating features of your offending are as follows:

o (a) The offending occurred in your workplace and whilst you were apparently on duty;

o (b) Your assault on your wife is a matter of domestic violence which by itself is an aggravating feature of your offending;

(c) Your assault was in the presence of your daughter; and

(d) The firearm was evidence in a Police investigation.

The mitigating features of your offending

13. In respect of the assault, I accept that there is an element of provocation in the statements made to you by your wife and in her assaulting you.

The aggravating factor relating to you as an Offender:

14. You are a first offender and there are therefore no aggravating features personal to you as an offender.

The mitigating factors relating to you as an Offender:

15. Firstly, I take into account that you entered a guilty plea. Whilst this was not at the earliest opportunity, you nevertheless receive some credit for your guilty plea.

16. Secondly, I take into account that you had been banished by Gagaifo Lefaga and paid a fine to that village of $7,000.00 as I am required by the Village Fono Act 1990 and the Community Justice Act 2008.

17. Thirdly, I accept that you are genuinely remorseful and have taken responsibility for your actions. This was evident in your presentation and demeanor before the Court, through what your counsel submitted to the Court, your guilty plea, apology to your wife and in what has been said in the Probation Service Pre-Sentence Report and by your wife herself.

18. Fourthly, I take into account your reconciliation with your wife and her forgiveness of you and her request for leniency. You have taken the steps necessary to rebuild your family and your life.

19. This matter was not listed before the Family Violence Court and you did not therefore get the benefit of the programs available there in mitigation of sentencing. Given the very long delay in reaching this point for your matter and the fact that you have reconciled with your wife and are genuinely remorseful, I have not referred you to programs as that would simply add further delay and uncertainty to you and your family and would not in the end meet the interests of justice.

Application for a discharge without conviction

20. You have asked the Court to exercise its discretion in favour of a discharge without conviction under section 104(1) of the Criminal Procedure Act 1972. The basis of your application is because of your remorse. You said if convicted, your employment would be terminated.

Discussion

21. Section 104 of the Criminal Procedure Act 1972 provides as follows:

o "If after inquiry into the circumstances of the case, any Court having jurisdiction to try any person for any offence, is of the opinion that, although the charge is proved:

(a) the offence was in the particular circumstances of so trifling a nature that it is inexpedient to inflict any punishment or any other than a nominal punishment; or

(b) Having regard to the age or some other special circumstance of the offender, the entering of a conviction would of itself be a hardship out of proportion to the particular circumstances of the offence committed; it may discharge that person without convicting her or him unless a minimum penalty is expressly provided for the offence by any enactment. 

22. In Police v Papalii and Moalele [2011] WSSC 132 (25 November 2011), a sentencing decision of His Honour Sapolu CJ, the Supreme Court granted a discharge without conviction to an officer who was found guilty of common assault after a defended hearing. The relevant approach in determining the question of whether to discharge an accused without conviction under 104 (1)(b) under Criminal Procedure Act 1972 adopted in Police v Papalii and Moalele (op. cit) is the three step approach that was indentified in the case of R v Hughes [2000] NZCA 544, as derived from the judgment of Richardson, J in Fisheries Inspector v. Turner [1978] 2 NZLR 233.The three step approach is such that the Court must firstly consider the gravity of the offending; secondly, the consequences of a conviction, and finally whether these consequences are out of all proportion to the gravity of the offending.

o (i) The gravity of your offending

23. In terms of your assault, you slapped your wife once. This occurred in the precincts of the Police Station at Lotofaga and in the presence of your child. This however followed insults made against you in the Police Post by your wife and your wife having scratched your face leaving scratch marks. There is no evidence of any injuries suffered by your wife from the slap. Whilst your assault cannot be said to be at the lowest end of the scale of this type of assault, it is also not at the most serious or grave. There is an element of provocation. It is however at the lower end of seriousness.

24. In terms of the charge of being in possession of an unlawful weapon, you have set out the reasons why you had possession of the weapon in detail in your affidavit. You say in your affidavit that you kept the gun to the evidence as other guns had disappeared from Faleolo Police Post. You had done the same with another gun that was returned to Police at the end of that matter. That affidavit is not contested by Prosecution. In the circumstances, your possession of the firearm is also at the lower end of the gravity of offending and falls well short in my view of warranting a custodial sentence.

25. In relation to the charge of adultery, your offending cannot be said to be serious offending in its context.

o (ii) The consequences of a conviction on you

26. Your counsel submits that the consequences of a conviction on you is that it may lead to your termination and refers to 51B of the Police Service Act 2009. She also refers to the termination of Constable Meaalofa Hakai by the Police Commissioner following conviction.

27. If you are convicted, I note that there are various penalties that may be imposed upon you by the Commissioner including no punishment at all, you be fined an amount not exceeding $2,000.00, you be discharged despite the charge proven, you be cautioned or you be dismissed. Where you are dismissed, you have a right of appeal under the Police Service Act 2009 to the Appeal Board presided over by a Judge. I do however accept that there is a risk of termination of your employment by the Commissioner but that you do also have appeal rights if you are terminated.

28. You are a long serving highly trained Police Officer with a distinguished Police record. You have played a critical role both in your village council and as a Police Officer. You have been highly commended by Acting Commissioner Afamasaga Michael Soonalole and your service has been recognized by your superior officers on mission overseas according to AC Soonalole. A conviction against you places your participation at future trainings at risk, particularly those trainings overseas. In my view, given your experience, role and promising future in the Samoa Police Service, a conviction against you will have a significant impact on you.

o (iii) Whether the consequences of a conviction will be out of proportion to the gravity of your offending.

29. In all and for the reasons that I have stated, I find that the consequences of a conviction are out of all proportion to your offending.

30. I want to make mention of an aspect of this matter for future reference. You pleaded not guilty on the 19th May 2015. Four hearing dates were then set and vacated due to unavailability of counsels, including Ms Peteru who was counsel for your co-defendant. On the fifth hearing date in July this year, the not guilty pleas were vacated and a guilty plea substituted following withdrawal and dismissal of some charges. More adjournments then again followed before we have reached this stage in October 2016.

1. During the intervening 18 months since you were first charged in April last year, you have been suspended with pay. This is at significant cost to the tax payer. Whilst you have been paid, I have no doubt that the delay will have been a heavy burden on you in terms of uncertainty around your future, your career as well as the stress that these types of proceedings naturally involve. I strongly encourage prosecution and defence counsels to proceed with matters before the Courts in an expeditious manner to avoid unnecessary delay, cost and uncertainty for all involved as has occurred here.

The penalty

32. You are to pay $400.00 Prosecution costs within 14 days and on payment of those costs, you are to be discharged without conviction.

33. I thank all counsels for their helpful submissions and supporting documentation.

JUDGE LEIATAUALESA D.M. CLARKE
Raising the level of education in Samoa has now become the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints main priority.

In doing so, the church has partnered with government ministries and Non Governmental Organizations to lift educational standards across the region.

The church owns and maintains 15 schools in Samoa, Tonga, Fiji and Kiribati. It also holds regular after-school tutoring programmes in Vanuatu, among the other education-based initiatives across the South Pacific. This week, John McLean and Callum Blair from one of their partners from Furniture for Schools Charitable Trust in New Zealand, are in the country to survey the impact of donated school equipment and supplies.

During a Press Conference held on Friday, John McLean, one of the Trustee of Furniture for Schools said the main aim is to improve education in Samoa.

The Furniture for Schools Charitable Trust ships educational equipments, books, and other supplies from New Zealand to various islands in the Pacific. The loading and unloading of shipping containers are done by the L.D.S. before donations are delivered to school.

The charity was established around about two years ago and it has legal status in New Zealand, said Mr. McLean.

Its primary aim is to take the furniture which is donated by the schools in New Zealand, generally public schools, sometimes private schools.

And look to basically pick up the furniture and bring it to the island schools where perhaps they dont have the same facilities or equipment we in New Zealand have. So to simplify it, its a gift of furniture from a group of children to another group of children in another part of the world.

He also believes that this is a wonderful gesture by the parents, the children and the schools in New Zealand.

Its wonderful because it benefits the lives of many, many children here in Samoa.

Moreover, McLean said he is happy to be in Samoa and to see how these help with the childrens education in Samoa.

Its lovely to come here after two years. I have heard all about the wonderful things that are being done and its lovely to be here and mixing with nice people and seeing the end result.

McLean went on to say that the help will go to where the need is greatest. Thats where it will go. And the people here will make sure that they have targeted the right schools after theyve talked to the education department.

The Education Department in Samoa has been very careful as to which schools are deserving of the next furniture.

Having said that, we do have another 24 containers on the water right now, somewhere between Auckland and Suva and that will be arriving very shortly. Wed like to think that it goes to wherever the need is greatest.

Last month the Pacific Area Presidency of the Church released a video which outlines Latter-day Saint principles and efforts with respect to lifting educational aspirations and achievement across the region.

In the video, the Church leaders spoke about a new resource called, Success in School begins at Home, which is available for students, teachers and parents throughout the South Pacific.

Copies of the booklet can be requested through local Latter-day Saint leaders. It is also available on line at Pacific.LDS.org in English, Samoan, Tongan, French, Tahitian, Fijian, Bislama, Kiribati and Marshallese languages.
One week after full moon in October: its time to make the annual early morning pilgrimage to one of the spots known to produce lots of palolo worms in the past.

Whether well be lucky, today is anyones guess.

Arriving at Tuialamu in Aleipata at 5 oclock in the morning shows more people know about this spot, about 100 cars are parked along the road.

Walking towards the reef in the dark shows dozens of torches shining into the water: the scouts standing in waist-deep water waiving their hand-made nets about.

As time goes on one hears the call palolo now and then, but no definitive war cry.

By the light of the last-quarter moon, more and more people move into the water: holding their containers, waiving their nets and shining their torches down.

An occasional long worm is seen wriggling about. They are only a few millimetres in diameter, but the segments can but up to a foot long.

Most of them are only one to a few inches. Collectors taste the occasional sample: very salty and some say nutty in flavour.

It turns out many Samoans dont like them at all.

But if successful, this can be lucrative business, fetching high prices on the market from connoisseurs.

As it grows a little lighter beyond Nuutele island it becomes obvious just how many people there are fishing in the knee- to waistdeep water: literally hundreds!

Its all in good spirits, even if the catch is disappointing this morning.

Tomorrow is another chance, and then again in one months time before the nets are hung up for next year.

Those who have caught a reasonable amount of the worms  either by sheer hard work or pooling family effort  seem happy to give a taste of them.

As it becomes lighter everyone moves out of the water. Because they know: once the sun is up the palolo melt, they dissolve out of sight and the fun is over.

But in biological terms, this is when the real thing begins.

Because the phenomenon of palolo rising is nothing less than a reproduction orgy that brings millions and millions of sperm (in the green worm segments) and of eggs (in the red worms) to the water surface.

When the segments dissolve, all those sperm and eggs are released en masse so fertilisation takes place, and a new life cycle of the palolo worm begins.

Palolo live in the coral reef and, by the way, the front part of their bodies always stays there.

What we collect and eat are just the segments at the end of the worms that are snared off.

How amazing though, that that happens just once or twice a year, exactly one week after full moon, precisely in the two hours leading up to sunrise.

How do these simple worms know when its time to let go?

* Jaap (iapi) Jasperse, who first heard about Samoa when studying biology in the Netherlands.
Bank South Pacific has completed installing three 10,000 litres water tanks for the villages of Sagone, Salailua and Gataivai Savaii. These will be handed over to the three villages today.

The community project is an initiative that is done across the Region in all the countries that B.S.P. trade in.

For the year 2016 the themes of the community projects were Tuffa Tanks or Renewable Energy. Samoa chose to provide water tanks as water is a necessity for most families in Samoa.

B.S.P. sought the help of Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (M.N.R.E) and Civil Society Support Program (C.S.S.P) as they have updated data and have done researcheson locations that are vulnerable to water.

C.S.S.P then provided Sagone, Salailua and Gataivai to Bank South Pacific.

We are proud to be able to present and handover these three ten thousand litre tanks to the villages of Sagone, Salailua and Gataivai today, says Taituuga Maryann Lameko-Vaai, General Manager for Bank South Pacific Samoa.

It has been a long time coming but the day is finally here. This is part of our promise right from the beginning that we will give back to the Samoan community in order to grow with the community and to help the community prosper.

The total cost of the projects came down to $23,970.00 for installation of all the three ten thousand litre tanks and filling them up with drinkable water. Samoa Superior Poly Products were kind enough to donate some of the materials and their expertise to assist B.S.P. with their community project.

B.S.P. would also like to acknowledge the assistance of John Bellinger and the team at Samoa Superior Poly Products for their kind donation that has helped us complete our project. This project is a staff project and 30 staff members came from Apia last Saturday together with our team here in Salelologato donate their time to help build the tank bases, says Taituuga.

This year has seen B.S.P. gave back to the community through projects like these. In September they also donated a 10,000 litre tank to Mapuifagalele Home of the Aged, and also held a free Zumba at Maliu Mai in support of governments initiative of a healthy Samoa. These are just some of the many community projects that B.S.P. has in store for Samoa.
Hundreds of passengers traveling from Australia, Fiji and Auckland were affected in delays and cancellations of flights at Faleolo International Airport during the past few days.

Reports that the delays were caused by the lights on the runway could not be confirmed.

Repeated phone calls to the Samoa Airport Authority (S.A.A) Chief Executive Officer, Magele Hoe Viali, were not responded to. A message was also left at his office but by press time last night, there was no response.

An employee at the Faleolo Airport confirmed yesterday that the flights were back to normal but would not discuss the reports about runway lights not working.

The Samoa Observer understands that Virgin Samoa and Fiji Airways flights to the Faleolo airport were delayed due to the problem.

One of the Virgin flights was cancelled.

A passenger on one of the flights from Brisbane on Sunday said their plane had to circle around for hours before it could land.

We were told (by the crew) the lights on the ground were not working, said the passenger who works for the government and wishes to remain anonymous.

We had to wait until there was light when the sun came out before we could land.

We were supposed to land after 5 in the morning but we didnt. We ended up landing after 7 oclock yesterday morning (Sunday).
A one-year-old baby from the village of Laulii was burnt to death when a house he was sleeping in caught fire last Friday.

Relatives' desperate attempts to pull him out were in vain as the house was fully engulfed by flames.

Contacted for a comment, Acting Police Commissioner, Samoa Mulinuu Mulinuu, said the Police are investigating the matter.

He said he would make a note of the Samoa Observers questions before returning the call with details. He did not.

When the Samoa Observer visited the family affected yesterday, they declined to comment.

But a relative who did not wish to be named confirmed a one-year-old baby boy was burnt with the house.

The relative said the incident was tragic and the family is mourning the death of the baby.

The baby boy was sleeping in the house when it happened, said the relative.

One of the relatives attempted to run through the flames to get the baby but it was too hot and she got burnt on her arms when she tried that.

The relative said the incident has left them in a deep state of shock.

We are not sure how the fire started but the baby was sleeping inside the house while we were at the other house at the back preparing some things for an event.

According to the relative, the family is trying to find a way to release his body for burial.

The house is located on a hill at Laulii next to a church.

There are no other families living up the hill next to the house that was demolished by the fire.

The inferno destroyed the three-bedroom house leaving ashes, charcoals and cement poles behind.
The relationship between China and Samoa continues to grow from strength to strength.

And with the signing of an Air Service Agreement (A.S.A) between the two nations yesterday for direct flights between Beijing and Faleolo, the relationship is bound to become stronger.

The agreement was signed by the Minister of Works, Transport and Infrastructure, Papaliitele Niko Lee Hang and the Ambassador of China to Samoa, Wang Xuefeng at the T.A.T.T.E Building.

The deal opens the door for any carrier interested in servicing the route. But its not just China that the government is looking to. Singapore is also on the list.

Minister Papalii said there are airlines that have showed interest in servicing the route but the A.S.A had to be signed first.

There are companies who have showed interest to come to Samoa, not only from China but also other investors who are in partnerships with people in China, he said.

And now that we have signed the agreement, we are now open for market to whoever is interested. The market is now open. If Chinese airlines want to start coming in now then we are now opening it up for them.

During the signing, Papaliitele thanked China for their contribution in achieving this milestone.

It is with great honor that I extend the government of Samoas appreciation and gratitude to the government of the Peoples Republic of China for this milestone achievement, said Papaliitele.

The Air Service Agreement (A.S.A) signifies yet another bond between our two nations in terms of further expanding Samoas development aviation activities.

He added that the endorsement of the A.S.A would have a domino effect on Samoa.

Not only in aviation but also tourism, said Papaliitele. This will increase the number of tourists and also in terms of trades not only between China but also with other countries.

This is also in good timing as well. The rebuilding of our international airport is progressing really well, we need to have more airplanes to come to Samoa once our international airport is opened.

Ambassador Wang congratulated the government of Samoa and all the Ministries for their contribution towards the completion of the agreement.

Today is a very important day, said Mr. Wang.

Samoa has a long history and rich culture, good environment. It is a paradise; its the heart of Polynesian culture and the heaven of tourism.

So after signing the A.S.A, I am sure, more and more Chinese tourists can come to Samoa for travel.

It will also help increase the development of trade, tourism and people to people exchange.

The A.S.A with China is formalised at a time when the government is reviewing the future of the joint venture between Virgin Australia and Samoa.

While Papaliitele was coy about the state of the review, he indicated that the government continues to weigh its options.

There are some problems with the joint venture that we have now with Virgin Australia, he said. Weve noticed that a lot of benefits are not coming straight to us. So thats why our government is now looking at finding our own airline.

We now have a committee working on finding us a new airline to carry our flag. There is a great need to have our own airline. The main problem we now have with our joint venture is the money coming in. Thats why we are now looking at getting our own airline.

As for the future, Papalii confirmed that Singapore is also on the radar.

We will sign a similar agreement with Singapore. Theyve already agreed as well to have flights from Singapore to Samoa but we are also waiting for the agreement to be signed probably next week.

The following is the press release issued for the event:

The government of the Independent State of Samoa has concluded an Air Service Agreement with the Government of the Peoples Republic of China on the 24 October 2016. The conclusion of this Air Service Agreement (A.S.A) reflects the warm bilateral ties between Samoa and China.

Under the Air Services Agreement, the designated airlines of Samoa and China will be able to fly between the two States, as well as via or beyond to any third country. There are no restrictions on capacity, frequency and aircraft type. This agreement will not only create better connectivity between the two States but will also have the added benefit of increasing trade and tourism. In the foreseeable future, this should create more opportunities for our local entrepreneurs and tourist service operators.

The agreement also reaffirms the Samoa International Air Services Agreement Policy which states that the Government of Samoa promotes Open Skies Air Services Agreements.
The owner of an Alcohol Factory at Nuu that has become the subject of complaints from nearby residents about the smell has strongly refuted the claims.

Ma Fugen, who owns the Fagu Maso factory, told the Samoa Observer yesterday he does not understand what the complaints are all about.

The complaints were in featured in a Village Voice story titled Chinese Alcohol Factory worries villagers published last week, highlighting the concerns about the foul odour it produces. The factory produces the Rice Vodka Strong brand.

Yesterday at the factory, Mr. Fugen explained that one of the reasons for the rise in complaints is because he used to give villagers gifts to keep them quiet but once he stopped giving them gifts, they began to complain.

He added that a lot of the complaints are from former employees he fired.

During an interview last week with one of the residents of the village, Taiasina Taia Iu, he said the smoke from the factory has been the cause of grief for those living in the area for some time now.

That smoke cant be right, he said. The residents in this area are forced to inhale the toxic smoke every day and its a real health risk.

My children are growing up and it seems like they will have to endure breathing in that smoke for about ten more years.

Taiasina said he has raised the issue with the owner of the factory.

I went to ask them to explain themselves and they said that they have approval from P.U.M.A, he said.

Compared to cigarettes, the smoke produced from that factory is far worse. And everyone in this village has no choice but to smoke it.

This cant be right. Thats a big problem here. 

But Mr. Fugen said the people are afraid of something they do not understand. He said the smell from the factory is new to the villagers and thats why they are uncomfortable.

They (residents) are far away and they think they can smell it but they cant, he said.

The smell comes from the rice (fermented), this is the first time something like this has ever been in Samoa and thats why they complain. This is the first time something like this has been done in Samoa.

Mr. Fugen denied claims about the factory being a health hazard.

Its not bad for the health, he said.

Both P.U.M.A. and the Health (M.O.H.) usually come over here and they dont like the smell but they understand.

According to Mr. Fugen, the M.O.H. and P.U.M.A. run frequent checks and they have found nothing wrong with the factory.

Despite smoke from the chimney and the smell of the fermenting rice, he insists that there is no health risk posed by his factory.

He said when he first opened the factory; there were hardly any residents in the area.

But now there are so many of them, he said, reiterating that people are scared because they do not understand.

Mr. Fugen also refuted claims about producing harmful gases saying his factory only uses firewood provided by the Minister of the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, Laauli Leuatea Polataivao.

They think that sometimes the new smell is bad for the health, he said.

Theyre just scared. We only use the firewood. If you look over there its the firewood from Laauli, Minister of Agriculture; their family from Savaii.

If you ask anyone, all the fire wood is supplied from Savaii.

It was not possible to get a comment from the Minister of Agriculture yesterday.
CALAIS, France (AP)  France began the mass evacuation Monday of the makeshift migrant camp known as "the jungle," a mammoth project to erase the humanitarian blight on its northern border, where thousands fleeing war or poverty have lived in squalor, most hoping to sneak into Britain.

Before dawn broke, long lines of migrants waited in chilly temperatures to board buses in the port city of Calais, carrying meager belongings and timid hope that they were headed to a brighter future, despite giving up their dreams of life across the English Channel in Britain.

Closely watched by more than 1,200 police, the first of dozens of buses began transferring them to reception centers around France where they can apply for asylum. More police patrolled inside the camp, among them officers from the London police force.

Authorities were expected to begin tearing down thousands of muddy tents and fragile shelters on Tuesday as the migrants vacated them.

Migrants have flocked to the Calais region for nearly two decades, living in mini-jungles. But the sprawling camp in the sand dunes of northern France became emblematic of Europe's migrant crisis, expanding as migrant numbers grew and quickly evolving into Europe's largest slum, supported by aid groups, and a black eye on France's image.

"It's not good, the jungle," said 31-year-old Mahmoud Abdrahman of Sudan. "Eating not good. Water not good, shelter not good, no good toilets." He said he would leave Tuesday when lines were shorter, gesturing to a black knapsack that was all packed to go as proof he was ready.

Ultimately, Abdrahman said, he wanted one thing more than anything else.

"I need peace," he said. "Anywhere."

Home to migrants from Afghanistan, Sudan, Eritrea, Syria and elsewhere, the closing of the camp fell like a stone on many as the reality of the evacuation sunk in and plans had to be made. Uncertainty and a lack of precise information left many fearful.

"What should I do?" asked a 14-year-old newly arrived Afghan.

"It is really hard because we have found some good friends over here," said Tariq Shinwari, a 26-year-old Afghan.

The camp shutdown left some, like Imran Khan, an Afghan who was fingerprinted in another country before coming to France, with a tough choice  get on a bus and risk expulsion or go on the run as winter approaches. Under European rules, asylum seekers must be returned to the country where they were fingerprinted on arrival.

"I will decide tomorrow what to do," the 35-year-old said.

By nightfall on Monday, French Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve said 1,918 people had been processed and sent to 80 centers around France. Another 400 unaccompanied minors were being housed in heated shelters at the camp.

The numbers were lower than the 3,000 expected to be evacuated Monday. The operation, expected to last a week, would continue as long as necessary, Cazeneuve said. "This is an operation we want to be peaceful and under control. So far it is," he said.

Authorities say the camp holds nearly 6,500 migrants, while aid groups put the number at more than 8,300, with more than 1,200 unaccompanied minors among them.

Unaccompanied minors, many with family members in Britain, were to be housed on-site in containers set up earlier this year as their files are studied in London to see if they qualify for a transfer across the English Channel. The humanitarian organization France Terre d'Asile says 1,291 unaccompanied minors live in the camp.

In a breakthrough, Cazeneuve announced late Monday that Britain had agreed to take in unaccompanied minors with family ties in Britain, an important step after months of prodding by France.

Officials have said that there will be a solution for each migrant, though expulsion may be among them for those who don't qualify for asylum. Meanwhile, France will spend 25 euros a day on each migrant in the reception centers, according to officials.

As the day dragged on, a group of Sudanese got tired of waiting and returned to their shelter in the camp, bags slung over their shoulders and laughing. They said they'd try again on Tuesday.

The camp, which sprang up 18 months ago, was previously tolerated but given almost no state help. Aid groups, and hundreds of British volunteers, have provided basic necessities. It devolved into a slum where tensions bubbled, friendships formed and smugglers thrived.

The forced departure of thousands is an enormous task, planned for months, but authorities have had practice. They dismantled the southern half of the camp in March, a chaotic, often brutal, bulldozing operation that drew complaints from human rights groups.

This time, France hopes to restore some pride by closing the camp that has been seen as a national disgrace in a peaceful, humane operation.

Some doubt the camp's dismantling will end the migrant influx into northern France which predates the slum. A 2003 French-British accord effectively put the British border in Calais, stopping migrants there and putting the onus on France to deal with their plight.

While a sense of camaraderie grew inside the camp, so did tensions. Two of the largest communities, Afghans and Sudanese, have clashed in the past and whole sectors of shelters burned down.

Life at night is the toughest. In the dark, migrants invade the roadway, throwing tree branches and other objects into the path of oncoming trucks heading to port ferries to slow traffic enough to hop on the back.

Fourteen migrants have died this year in the Calais area, mostly in hit-and-run accidents.

"I'm three months in the jungle. I feel like I've stayed three years," said Amin, a 32-year-old Sudanese with perfect English  and a brother in Britain.

Amin, who asked not to be further identified because of concerns for his future, lost his best friend in a hit-and-run accident this summer, a man he shared the treacherous journey with to Calais.

"Nobody looked after this case. He's a murderer," Amin said of the driver who struck his friend. "There was no mention in the newspaper that he died."

Amin said he will take a bus tomorrow and seek asylum in France.

"We have tried but we're fed up. France is good," he said.
Seeking easier access to the regions businesses  especially its large life-science sector  the United Kingdom has opened a government office in San Diego.

The office is headed by native San Diegan David Pasquini, who has been a vice consul for the U.K.s international trade department in Los Angeles. Working with Pasquini is Hilda Mwangi, the newly appointed life sciences officer for San Diego. Until the office gets its telephone number, Mwangi can be reached at hilda.mwangi@mobile.trade.gov.uk.

Until now, the U.K. has handled San Diego trade relations from Los Angeles, Pasquini said. The geographic distance between the two cities and heavy traffic hindered developing stronger ties with San Diegos business community.

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Pasquini spoke during a gathering Friday at the downtown San Diego office of the law firm Procopio. Others who made public remarks there included Chris OConnor, the U.K. consul general in Los Angeles, and San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer.

The United Kingdoms existing ties to San Diego include a defense manufacturer thats making electronics locally and an extensive U.K. National Health Service contract with Illumina for its DNA sequencing instruments, Pasquini said.

The new local office is designed to help San Diego-based companies do business in the U.K. and assist British companies interested in forming or expanding their presence in San Diego. In particular, Britain offers San Diego life-science firms access to research from top-rated universities, Pasquini said.

OConnor said the expansion would help deepen the already strong cultural, economic and military special relationship Britain and the United States have long shared.

The economic ties between Britain and the United States exceed that of all their other trading partners, but that fact is often not appreciated, OConnor said. Britain is the biggest foreign investor in the U.S. and vice versa.

A million people every day in the UK get up and go to work for American companies, OConnor said. And a million American people every day get up and go to work for British companies.

Trade between San Diego and Britain exceeds $300 million annually, he said.

As an indicator of the two countries close scientific collaboration, OConnor said more joint American/British research teams have won Nobel Prizes than those won by exclusively American or British teams.

The most famous American/British Nobel award, which he didnt mention, laid the groundwork for the biotechnology industry. It was given in 1962 to American James Watson, along with Britons Francis Crick and Maurice Wilkins, for the discovery of the structure of DNA.

Along with the San Diego office, the U.K. is opening two other regional offices this year  in Minneapolis and Raleigh, N.C.

bradley.fikes@sduniontribune.com

(619) 293-1020
The last major shipbuilder on the West Coast began informing 700 employees Friday they may lose their jobs in January.

General Dynamics NASSCO, situated in Barrio Logan, sent letters to employees last week that should arrive in mailboxes this week. A layoff notice was filed Friday with the state Employment Development Department, the company said.

We are working diligently so not all employees who were notified will be affected, said a statement from the company provided by spokesman Dennis DuBard. We regret the impact this will have on employees and their families.

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The shipbuilder is one of the biggest moneymakers for the Unified Port of San Diego, paying rent of $3.4 million in fiscal year 2015, and supports 3,500 jobs. In June, it was awarded a roughly $3 billion contract from the Navy to build six oiler ships and, in August, won a contract to build two container ships for San Francisco-based shipping company Matson.

The shipbuilding industry is known for boom-and-bust cycles. NASSCO is scheduled to deliver a record six ships this year, but only two next year. The company has a history of announcing layoffs, only to cancel all or most of them once more work comes in.

In 2015, it canceled 107 of 142 layoff notices after it got more Navy work. In 2014 the company sent a layoff notice for 152 employees but narrowed it to 24 job losses. In 2013, it canceled 655 layoffs after federal budget sequestration cuts were not as severe as predicted.

NASSCOs workforce has varied considerably throughout the years. In 1975, it had 5,500 workers but had dropped to 3,800 by 1990. It shot up to 5,200 in 1995, only to drop to 2,900 in 2000. By 2015, it had 4,000 workers.

NASSCO said it will provide programs to assist workers that may be laid off in January through the San Diego Workforce Partnership, San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce and San Diego Regional Economic Development Council.

The company is expected to benefit from the Navys plan to base more ships in San Diego, increasing from 59 to 70 within the next four years.

General Dynamics built its first commercial container ship in 1960 and its first ship for the Navy in 1963.

Union-Tribune staff writer Gary Robbins contributed to this article.

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For the first time since 2008, General Dynamics NASSCO is hiring trainee welders and shipfitters in their training program.

phillip.molnar@sduniontribune.com (619) 293-1891 Twitter: @phillipmolnar

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If the polls are any indication, California may become the next state to legalize marijuana use by adults 21 or older for recreational purposes.

But that does not mean pot shops will suddenly appear on street corners across the state or in San Diego County in particular.

In fact, should Proposition 64 receive a majority of yes votes on Nov. 8, the lions share of its provisions do not go into effect until early 2018, including the tax and regulatory framework necessary to create retail marijuana businesses.

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And for a host of reasons, the full impact of the measure figures to take a longer period of time.

I would love for marijuana to be treated like tomatoes, said Michael Cindrich, a San Diego attorney and the executive director of the countys chapter of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML). But the reality is ....whats not going to change overnight is recreational dispensaries popping up everywhere.

California is one of five states  Arizona, Maine, Massachusetts and Nevada are the others  in which voters will decide on initiatives to legalize and regulate the adult use and retail sale of cannabis on Election Day.

As Election Day nears, opponents to the measure are coalescing. California would be falling into a pit hole, falling into a ditch, Bishop Ron Allen, the founder of the International Faith Based Coalition in Sacramento, said at a news conference in San Diego Tuesday.

A number of polls on Prop 64 have been conducted, with most indicating the measure will pass.

A USC Dorsife/Los Angeles Times poll released Sept. 13 found 58 percent support among 1,909 voters surveyed. A Survey USA poll of likely voters that came out Oct. 16 showed the measure winning by an 11 percent margin, 51 percent to 40 percent.

And with less than a month before the election, the Prop 64s supporters have outspent the measures opponents by a factor of nearly 8 to 1.

But Cindrich cited a number of hurdles that will keep commercial, recreational marijuana shops from opening at a moments notice.

The most daunting is Section 3(d) of what is called the Adult Use of Marijuana Act that specifically allows local governments to ban businesses that deal in the recreational pot business.

Local jurisdictions are still going to have complete control over who gets licenses, if any of these businesses are allowed, Cindrich said. And historically, local jurisdictions arent rushing to change their laws just because the state passed something, especially when it comes to marijuana.

Look no further than medical marijuana dispensaries.

The states voters in 1996, through Proposition 215, legalized the use of medical marijuana but under the terms of the proposition cities and counties maintain regulatory control.

In San Diego, 14 medical marijuana dispensaries have received permits to operate legally, with just eight up and running as of Oct. 6. Critics say the citys regulations are too strict and dont keep up with demand.

Passing Prop 64, which would cater to recreational users, will likely result in communities quickly passing ordinances prohibiting marijuana stores.

We will resist it like the plague, Poway mayor Steve Vaus told Union-Tribune columnist Logan Jenkins earlier this year.

Even for communities that may be willing to consider recreational marijuana storefronts, the history of medicinal marijuana in California indicates the transition for potential business owners will take time.

Thats because marijuana is still against federal law.

In fact, marijuana is listed by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration as a Schedule I drug  the same classification as LSD, ecstasy and heroin for having what the DEA says is no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse.

While the federal government allows banks to work with cannabis businesses in states that have passed laws approving recreational marijuana, banks still have to file suspicious activities reports in addition to following standard banking guidelines. That means extra costs.

And since the federal prohibition against marijuana is still in effect, banks fear they could be held criminally liable should a marijuana business run afoul of the law.

Banks not only dont want to spend the extra time and money to file these reports, they dont want to open themselves up to this kind of liability because they are so tied to the federal government and federal regulations, said Cindrich, who used to be a prosecutor for the County of San Diego.

As a result, many of Californias medicinal marijuana outlets are forced to largely bypass banks.

They are paying their employees in cash, theyre paying their tax bills in cash and it makes it very difficult to operate, Cindrich said. It opens them up for robbery and burglary when youre dealing with those levels of cash.

Taking it one step further, potential marijuana business owners have trouble leasing retail space because banks are leery.

If potential marijuana storefront operators find a landlord that wants to lease (property) to them, and the landlord doesnt own the property outright, if the banks find out these property owners are leasing to a marijuana business, they could call the loan, and the property owner is really out of luck at that point, said Cindrich.

So its a huge gamble for someone to lease to a marijuana business if they dont own the property outright. And if they do own the property outright, pursuant to current federal laws, they could theoretically have their property subject to forfeiture.

As a result, few landlords are wiling to lease to marijuana businesses and if they do, the lease or sale prices are often well above the fair market value.

That limits business potential because most people dont have the money to buy a storefront, much less an industrial warehouse to cultivate cannabis.

You either have to buy the building or luck out with a landlord who will sign on tenants. Thats a problem, said David Blair, CEO and co-founder of A Green Alternative, a medical marijuana dispensary in Otay Mesa.

Plus, Blair said, San Diegos rash of illegal pot shops makes landlords all the more nervous about dealing with marijuana brokers.

Blair is pulling for the passage of Prop 64, saying, the war on drugs has been a total failure but he also said a yes vote figures to be good news for his business.

As Colorado went from medical only to recreational (marijuana in 2013), the dispensaries  at least the founders  quadrupled their business, Blair said. We dont feel that it will quadruple our business but well at least double because anybody over the age of 21 can walk in at that point.

But dont expect medical marijuana dispensaries to instantly start selling recreational marijuana because they have to wait until they receive a license to sell recreational pot from the state and by all indications, a licensing regime does not figure to be intact until early 2018.

Im a little disappointed that it would take a year, especially here in San Diego where we have already established legal shops, Blair said.

And if prior experience is any indication, clearing the legalization of pot is one thing while actually getting the licensing needed to actually sell it to customers is another.

Its strictly a zoning issue, said Blair, whose shop paid taxes for one year before it finally got approval to open its doors in March 2015.

It was a rough opening, Blair said. It just seemed we were behind the eight ball a lot. Its getting better now.

How long will it take for medical marijuana shops to get licensed to sell recreational cannabis?

Thats the $64,000 question, Blair said. First Prop 64 has to pass, then the state has to decide  theyre not fast movers. They have to decide how theyre going to license and regulate from seed to sale every shop that is recreational.

Supply may offer other delays.

Under the terms of Prop 64, potential recreational marijuana businesses can obtain their product only through state-licensed cultivators. Marijuana cannot be transported across state lines.

But the number of licensed cultivators is limited and while some locales such as Adelanto and Desert Hot Springs have cultivation ordinances in place, most cities and counties in California do not.

Theres a long history in California of pot growers operating illegally.

And while the medicinal marijuana sector is legally supplied by licensed cultivators, legalizing recreational use through Prop 64 will increase the market for cannabis by orders of magnitude.

The whole market is going to shift tremendously because the only people who will be able to legally sell product are going to be licensed dispensaries and theres going to be a limited number of them, Cindrich said.

Blair is more optimistic that supply can ramp up quickly enough to meet a likely surge in demand.

Its a big state and (growers) have been cultivating for decades, Blair said.

Should voters approve Prop 64, Californias population of 39 million would represent the largest potential marijuana market in the nation, far surpassing the states that have already passed measures legalizing recreational marijuana use such as Washington (7.1 million) and Colorado (5.4 million).

Preliminary figures by analysts in Sacramento estimated additional state and local tax revenues could eventually range from the high hundreds of millions of dollars to over $1 billion annually.

But the transition will take time.

The people who have the money dont necessarily have the experience, Cindrich said. And the people who have the experience arent necessarily used to operating in a regulated environment and youre trying to make these people partners.

So how long will it take before shops appear in California?

That, Cindrich said, depends on the locale.

In San Francisco, Oakland, realistically, maybe by early to mid-2018 we can see some recreational dispensaries opening, he said.

But San Diego has a history of moving much more slowly. The state Legislature passed a measure in 2004 to clarify issues surrounding medical marijuana but it took San Diego 10 years to actually start licensing medical marijuana dispensaries.

That tells me that they werent very eager to license these types of businesses, Cindrich said. So taking it one step further and talking about recreational marijuana, my guess is that it may not take 10 years but its not going to happen in early 2018.

Mark Kersey of the San Diego City Council has introduced a local measure that will be on the ballot  Measure N  that assesses a 5 percent tax on gross receipts from potential recreational marijuana businesses.

The tax is designed to cover the citys regulatory costs for marijuana legalization, which is estimated to be about $650,000 per year.

A fiscal analysis estimated that Measure N could generate $22 million for the city in its first year. The levy would only go into effect if Prop 64 passes.

It all depends on how the city of San Diego wants to handle it because in order to get a state license, you have to get a license from the municipality that youre in, Blair said.

Provisions in Proposition 64

*Would legalize the recreational use of marijuana for adults aged 21 years or older

*Smoking would be permitted in a private home or at a business licensed for on-site marijuana consumption

*Smoking would remain illegal while driving a vehicle, anywhere smoking tobacco is prohibited and in all public places

*Individuals would be permitted to grow up to six plants within a private home, as long as the area is locked and not visible from a public place

*Adults may possess, process, transport, purchase, obtain or give away to adults age 21 or over up to one ounce (28.5 grams) of marijuana or up to 8 grams of concentrated cannabis

*Businesses would need to acquire a state license and may need a local license from community governmental bodies

*Businesses would not be authorized to sell within 600 feet of a school, day care center or youth center

*Licenses will not go to large-scale marijuana businesses for five years in order to prevent unlawful monopoly power

Source: Ballotpedia

If Prop 64 passes, who will regulate recreational marijuana?

The Bureau of Medical Cannabis Regulation  which regulates medical marijuana in the state  would be renamed the Bureau of Marijuana Control to oversee and license the marijuana business in California, as part of the Department of Consumer Affairs.

The Department of Food and Agriculture would be in charge of marijuana cultivation with the Department of Public Health overseeing manufacturing and testing. The Board of Equalization would collect the excise taxes associated with the marijuana business and the Controllers Office would distribute the revenue.

Proposition 64s opponents are urging voters to look at increased crime and traffic crashes in Colorado, where recreational use of marijuana has become legal. Supporters of the 64 the regulation of cannabis is necessary, long overdue, and will be a

rob.nikolewski@sduniontribune.com

(619) 293-1251 Twitter: @robnikolewski
Some years back, when administrators at a group of Los Angeles charter schools ordered the entire instructional staff to cheat on state standardized tests, the charter division at the Los Angeles Unified School District was at first willing to forgive what had happened and move on.

But last week, the L.A. Board of Education followed the recommendation of the charter division and voted to shut down three charters, ostensibly because their parent organization had been sluggish in providing requested paperwork that was important but not crucial to the schooling of students.

Although district officials insist theyve been consistent and diligent, some pro- and anti-charter forces perceive a charter division that demands more from  and favors fewer  charters.

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Within its boundaries, L.A. Unified authorizes these independently managed schools and then evaluates whether to renew them every five years. At the same time, the district is competing intensely with these charters over student enrollment and the education dollars that come with it.

Renewals have become a public trial before the school board, with rules and arguments over what evidence can be reviewed and impassioned testimony from charter supporters, said Charles Kerchner, senior research fellow at Claremont Graduate University. The structure of this process is unworkable for both the district and charter operators.

Last week the school board voted to not grant renewals to schools that it had approved twice before: three campuses operated by Magnolia Public Schools and two others run by Celerity Educational Group. Academically, all are performing acceptably or better, according to L.A. Unifieds criteria.

The interaction between charters and L.A. Unified is complex and often strained. For much of the last two decades, the district grudgingly approved charters; it had to under state law, provided that a prospective charter properly completed a lengthy application process.

With support from private philanthropy, the number of charters in L.A. Unified has exploded to 225, the most in any American school system, attracting about 16% of enrollment. Powerful pro-charter reformers, including local philanthropist Eli Broad, want rapid growth to continue, even in the face of declining overall enrollment.

Many educators in traditional schools worry that this expansion could force L.A. Unified into bankruptcy, hurting public school students.

In this climate, charter advocates accuse the district of accelerating efforts to stymie charters through obstructionism and an avalanche of paperwork.

The charter cheating scandal occurred in 2010, when a whistleblowing teacher told L.A. Unified that Crescendo charters chief executive John Allen had ordered principals and teachers to look at the state tests in advance and drill students accordingly. Many witnesses stepped forward to corroborate the allegations, which Allen denied.

Allen was the choir director at the church of then-school board member Marguerite Poindexter LaMotte, and this relationship nearly saved the Crescendo schools and his job  until the matter was exposed by The Times.

NEWSLETTER: Get the days top headlines from Times Editor Davan Maharaj 

Charter advocates see the fate of Magnolia as an example of the other extreme, in which side issues or politics appear to trump merit.

Officially, the transgressions that sank the three Magnolia schools included incorrect wording in their renewal petitions. The charter division also highlighted problems between Magnolia and the Fiscal Crisis and Management Assistance Team, a quasi-governmental organization, which the school district pushed Magnolia to hire to remedy poor financial management.

The fiscal team, which helps educational organizations meet financial and management responsibilities, complained that Magnolia was slow to hand over documents. Magnolia blamed the transition to an improved financial system. When the fiscal team threatened to walk out, Magnolia negotiated a new contract with it and pledged to collaborate better.

Board members cited the problems with the fiscal team as a major reason to close the schools at the end of this school year.

Unofficially, some district officials were at least as concerned about Magnolias past practice of importing nearly 100 Turkish workers  mainly teachers  and their families and using taxpayer funds to pay their immigration fees. Because the visas were legal, however, bringing in the teachers didnt constitute grounds for closing the schools.

Board members also could have been concerned about possible future revelations, given that the Turkish government has singled out charters with heavily Turkish boards, accusing them of playing a part in fomenting last summers attempted coup.

L.A. Unifieds charter division defends its oversight by noting that the rate of charter renewals is consistently high. Last year, the division recommended approving 34 of 35 renewal petitions, and the board voted in favor of all 35.

However, the number of denials last week was greater than in the last four years combined, according to figures reviewed by The Times. And the rate of approval for new charters has dropped steeply.

Last year, 10 of 17  or 59% of petitions were approved. In previous years, the rate went as high as 96%. An additional seven applicants last year, possibly fearing rejection, withdrew petitions before they went before the board.

High-performing organizations have been asked not to submit a new petition or...to expand and to instead focus on their existing schools, said Jason Mandell, a spokesman for California Charter Schools Assn. It seems even the slightest discrepancy or administrative misstep is used to allow the district to bring the hammer down.

Jeanne Allen, head of the pro-charter Center for Education Reform, based in Washington, D.C., said school districts should not be forced to oversee charters  and that charters should not be forced to submit to local districts. If universities, for example, also could authorize charters, she said, then local districts could no longer target charters unfairly.

Charter critics, meanwhile, cite research suggesting that unscrupulous charter operators are getting away with too much already  profiting through self-dealing, turning away some students and requiring voluntary labor from parents.

UCLA education professor John Rogers wants state law to require more transparency from charters. And hed give districts more latitude in evaluation. School boards, he said, should be able to consider whether a charter is having a negative effect on the students of the district as a whole. Or whether it has encouraged parents, community members and possibly students to take part in leading the school.

In responding to criticism of the denials, Jose Cole-Gutierrez, head of L.A. Unifieds charter division, said a charter groups past success is just one factor the district considers. Schools are not static, he said. Their situations and performance evolve.

Charters have much freedom, he said, but there is an exchange. Autonomy for accountability.

howard.blume@latimes.com

Twitter: @howardblume

Editors note: Education Matters receives funding from a number of foundations, including one associated with an individual named in this article. The California Community Foundation and United Way of Greater Los Angeles administer grants from the Baxter Family Foundation, the Broad Foundation, the California Endowment and the Wasserman Foundation. Under terms of the grants, The Times retains complete control over editorial content.

To read the article in Spanish, colick here

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Police were searching Monday for a gunman who they said shot and killed a man and a woman inside a Winnetka home.

Neighbors reported hearing multiple shots about 11 a.m. in the 7800 block of Oso Avenue, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.

Witnesses later saw a man running north from the home, police said.

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The victims were pronounced dead by paramedics.

The woman lived at the home and the man was a recent acquaintance, according to LAPD Capt. Paul Vernon. Both victims were in their 20s.

Preliminary information would lead us to believe the shooter knew one or both victims, Vernon said in a statement.

Detectives surrounded the neighborhood Monday afternoon as they searched for clues in the shootings.

In the last year, three other homicides occurred in Winnetka, according to The Times Homicide Report.

Anyone with information is urged to call LAPD Det. David Peteque at (818) 374-1934.

veronica.rocha@latimes.com

For breaking news in California, follow @VeronicaRochaLA on Twitter.

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4:35 p.m.: This article was updated with details about the shooting and comments from Capt. Paul Vernon.

This article was originally published at 1:15 p.m.
Hillary Clinton inserted a sly remark near the end of her speech from a Baptist church pulpit here on Sunday, telling the crowd, Im not going to tell you who to vote for.

She didnt need to, of course. The black congregants who packed the pews laughed and applauded, and when Clinton finished speaking, they said goodbye with the same standing ovation with which they had greeted her.

Driving up turnout among black voters is a key element of Clintons campaign strategy in North Carolina. At an estimated one-quarter of this years electorate, African Americans are a larger percentage here than in any other traditional battleground state.

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The problem for Clinton in North Carolina, where polls continue to show a close race with Donald Trump, is not opposition  by all accounts, shell win overwhelmingly among those blacks who do vote  its the risk of apathy.

Anemic black turnout, even if it overwhelming goes for Hillary Clinton, is a problem, said Andra Gillespie, a political science professor at Emory University in Atlanta.

To combat that possibility, the campaign has showered the state with visits from President Obama and black celebrities, networked with church leaders and invested heavily in organizing black students. Clinton is scheduled to be back in North Carolina on Thursday, this time with First Lady Michelle Obama.

After speaking at the Durham church on Sunday, Clinton gave an interview to the states largest black newspaper, visited a polling place with actress Uzo Aduba from Orange is the New Black and spoke at a rally at St. Augustines University, a historically black school.

Weve always understood that this is a crucial demographic for us, said Dan Kanninen, the campaigns senior advisor in the state.

Follow live coverage of the presidential campaign on Trail Guide 

North Carolina is where Obama had his smallest margin of victory in 2008 and his smallest margin of defeat in 2012. Now residents are already casting ballots in this election. Early voting at polling places began on Thursday; mail ballots were available as early as Sept. 9.

The Clinton campaign is certainly putting forward a very aggressive effort, said J. Michael Bitzer, a political science professor at Catawba College in Salisbury, N.C. Whether they can match what Barack Obama was able to achieve is still up in the air.

Hillary Clinton has been urging supporters to vote early in North Carolina. (Robyn Beck/AFP/Getty Images )

His analysis shows 26% of early voters this year are black, down from 29% in 2012.

Clintons ties with the black community date back decades, and she often touts her work opposing school segregation at the Childrens Defense Fund in the 1970s.

In the current campaign, Clinton has spoken bluntly about race  talking about racial discrimination in the criminal justice system in a way that no previous Democratic nominee has done, referring to systemic racism and implicit bias. And shes embraced the Black Lives Matter movement, which sprung up in response to police shootings of unarmed black men.

In a recent interview with a Florida radio station, she praised Black Lives Matter for playing a very constructive role.

Ive met with them, Ive listened to them, theyve come up with a lot of recommendations, she said.

But set against such statement are words she has uttered in the past. Critics have most notably pointed to her use of the word super-predator when speaking about the need for tougher criminal justice legislation in the 1990s during her husbands presidency.

Some young voters fear Clinton wont bring the sweeping change they feel is necessary to prevent the criminal justice system from unfairly targeting black people.

Theyre more dissatisfied, and more impatient. They want to go for the jugular of problems, Gillespie said. They view Hillary Clinton as a throwback to the past.

Gwen Carr, mother of Eric Garner; Sybrina Fulton, mother of Trayvon Martin; Lucia McBath, mother of Jordan Davis; and Maria Hamilton, mother of Dontre Hamilton, cheer while Hillary Clinton speaks on Sunday in Raleigh. (Mary Altaffer / Associated Press )

Clintons most high-profile campaign partners are from an older generation, including mothers whose children died after encounters with law enforcement or during high-profile cases of gun violence. Five of them joined her at the church on Sunday.

Geneva Reed-Veal, whose daughter, Sandra Bland, died in a Texas jail after she was arrested during a traffic stop, said there was no excuse for not voting.

You have no business staying home in this election, she said to applause. If you decide to stay home, shut your mouth. Dont complain about anything thats going on.

Clinton has reached out to leading young black activists. Last week in Ohio, she sat down with DeRay Mckesson and Brittany Packnett, who endorsed Clinton in an interview with Elle magazine.

Packnett said her appreciation for Clintons record had grown, as had her concerns about Trump.

I knew I couldnt look at myself in the mirror if I didnt stand up and do what I could do now to encourage young people to vote in this election, she said.

The issue of police shootings received added urgency in North Carolina last month when Keith Lamont Scott was shot and killed in Charlotte. Police have said Scott had a weapon; his family said he was reading a book and waiting for his son.

Clinton had planned to travel to the city shortly after Scotts death, but delayed her trip at the mayors request. When she arrived a week later, she met at a soul food restaurant with young black men, some of them who were involved in the protests.

You can tell some politicians are uncomfortable about African Americans, said Shaun Corbett, a barbershop owner who was at the meeting. Hillary sat right down and started talking about the banana pudding.

Corbett, who has gained national recognition for a program fostering dialogue between cops and residents, said he was impressed that Clinton spent the meeting listening rather than asking for votes. And he said Clinton didnt mince words about the problems facing the black community.

Theres not many white politicians who can say race is a problem, he said. Its taboo.

Mario Black, a seventh-grade social studies teacher who has worked on anti-violence efforts, was also at the meeting. He knows others are skeptical about Clinton, even though they might still vote for her.

Shes trying to bridge the gap. Shes trying to be a part of the solution, Black said. Its not something thats going to happen overnight.

Clinton has acknowledged that gap.

My worries are not the same as black grandmothers, she said in a Charlotte church earlier this month. Because my grandchildren are white.

That frankness has made a difference for some young black voters, even those who didnt support her during the Democratic primary.

She doesnt really understand our struggle because shes not black, said Camilia McAllister, 21, who went to see Clinton speak at St. Augustines University on Sunday. At least shes trying.

chris.megerian@latimes.com

Twitter: @chrismegerian

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San Diegans face the first tough decision in trying to realize the citys Climate Action Plan, which calls for hundreds of thousands of commuters to ditch their cars in favor of walking, biking or using public transit.

After much public debate, the City Council is set to vote Tuesday on so-called community plan updates for North Park and Golden Hill  the first of dozens of pivotal zoning plans to be updated since the city approved its climate document last year.

These neighborhood blueprints, which are often not revised for decades, cap building heights and limit the number of commercial and residential units that can be constructed on any given block.

Transit experts and city planners nationwide are nearly unanimous in their belief that dense, walkable neighborhoods  with homes located near job sites and basic amenities like grocery stores  are essential for cutting down on tailpipe emissions that harm the publics health and heat up the globe.

However, putting such policies into community zoning plans can be politically difficult. While green groups and affordable-housing advocates have pushed to urbanize more neighborhoods in San Diego and across the country, many residents and business owners have vociferously resisted such change. They fear traffic jams and noise pollution.

The issue has become so pervasive that in September, President Barack Obama released a report calling on municipal leaders to overcome local opposition to greater housing density if theyre to ably combat a nationwide housing crisis and protect the environment.

Against this backdrop, San Diegos vision for North Park and Golden Hill, as well as the forthcoming neighborhood plans for Uptown and San Ysidro, seem to be falling short of the citys own climate change targets.

Of all residents who live within a half-mile of a major transit stop, the city has called for only half to drive to work by 2035, down from about 89 percent currently.

That benchmark wont be met by any of the four urban neighborhoods whose community plans are being updated at the moment, according to a recent analysis the city produced after the Planning Commission and environmentalists demanded it.

The proposed updates that will go before the City Council in coming days and weeks closely reflect the plans already on the books  a status quo approach that likely reflects the divided electorate.

On one hand, people like Tom Mullaney, who founded the nonprofit group Uptown United to oppose higher density, said even the plan update being considered for his neighborhood will result in an unbearable influx of new residents and dramatically increased traffic.

Then theres people like Vicki Granowitz, chair of the North Park Planning Group, who believes her neighborhood could greatly benefit from significantly more growth that focuses on building walkable communities.

In lieu of embracing major increases in each communitys density level, San Diego officials now intend to unveil at Tuesdays council meeting a series of additional strategies aimed at helping to boost transit, biking and pedestrian traffic in North Park and Golden Hill. The city hasnt given details, but has hinted that they will include attempts to make public transit, walking and biking more appealing and convenient for residents.

Councilman Todd Gloria, whose District 3 includes North Park, Golden Hill and Uptown, has supported this approach, which eschews a major overhaul of the allowable housing stock.

It is important to note that the community plan updates are just one part of a comprehensive strategy for reaching the citys Climate Action Plans legally binding goals, he said in an email. The city must do its part to support additional local and regional transportation projects 

While a city analysis did find that neighborhoods can expect to see notable drops in car commuters based in part on new investments in transit, bike and pedestrian facilities, the city wouldnt give specifics on those investments.

City officials have also pointed out that while the overall number of housing units allowed in each community wont increase significantly in the next two decades, those neighborhoods have room for growth under their existing blueprints.

The following is a cross-section of people from the affected communities, all speaking about the relationship between climate change and the future character of their neighborhoods.

Jason Wells is head of the San Ysidro Chamber of Commerce. (John Gibbins / Union-Tribune) (John Gibbins / Union-Tribune )

Jason Wells, 42, is the head of the San Ysidro Chamber of Commerce. He lived in Tijuana for 15 years before moving to San Ysidro more than six years ago. He supports the community plan update for San Ysidro but is concerned that follow-up investment in his community from the private and public sectors would need to rise dramatically to create more vibrant pedestrian-oriented streetscapes.

The chamber did support the mayors Climate Action Plan, and I think it would be ridiculous to create community plans without taking that into account.

In San Ysidro, certainly for the commercial corridor, which is east San Ysdiro Boulevard, which is the border crossing, we really want to create more opportunities for pedestrians. The reality is, and for San Ysidros economic development, vehicles arent coming here. Theyre going through here.

Theres a few things that we did get into the community plan update that really help with that, one of them being a bicycle crossing at Virginia Avenue. That will then link into the Bayshore Bikeway.

Were very hungry for these things. Its just hard to excite us because weve been studied and promised for so long with no real results. Thats how weve been treated for the good part of the last 15 years.

The sad thing is, I was just reviewing the current community plan, which was written in 1988, 89. And you know what? Not a lot has changed.

Uptown United founder Tom Mullaney and Roy Dahl in the groups office. (John Gibbins / Union-Tribune) (John Gibbins / Union-Tribune )

Tom Mullaney, 67, is founder of Uptown United, a nonprofit group that has been lobbying again density in the Uptown community plan, which impacts Hillcrest, Mission Hills, Bankers Hill and a portion of University Heights. The 31-year resident of Mission Hills said his group would accept growth, but only if its preceded by more investment in the public-transit system.

Under this plan, as population increases and the number of commercial businesses increases, traffic will get worse and worse and worse. Vehicles will move more slowly. Air pollution will increase and greenhouse gases will increase.

With climate change, the simplistic view is adding enough density will get people to use transit. The biggest shortcoming in the community plan is the lack of a transportation plan.

We have always said we will support density with needed infrastructure. It has to be done sensitively. It cant be like downtown. People have said, Lets not make Uptown into downtown. We view this as a unique neighborhood, but we could accept a lot more density with a decent transportation system.

I dont think any of our City Council members have really come to grips with what it means to try to add 20,000 people in a neighborhood thats already basically completely built.

Density should be part of our planning for the future, with climate action and improving mobility. But what the city is doing is not realistic planning.

Michael Brennan is part of the Hillcrest Business Association and the group Uptown Planners. (courtesy photo) (courtesy photo )

Michael Brennan, 37, serves on the Hillcrest Business Association and the group Uptown Planners. He has lived in Hillcrest for seven years. He backs efforts to get people out of their cars and into alternate forms of transportation, but said thats a minority view in the association and Uptown Planners.

I think the Climate Action Plan was something that was desperately needed to focus our attention on the changes that needed to be made in our city and in our individual communities. And I think its a really great tool that can be used to guide our community plan updates.

So far, its been a bit of a missed opportunity. Theyre just about to go to council, and I feel like were just now trying to figure out if theyre in compliance with the Climate Action Plan or not.

I would love to see community plans that show specific ways of how we mode-shift from cars to bikes and pedestrian and transit modes.

I think in general, Hillcrest is moving in that direction, but in a lot of cases its with a lot of kicking and screaming.

I think slowly people are coming around to the fact that we cant just expect other people in other communities to make changes to their lives. In our own community, we actually do have a personal responsibility to address climate change.

Architect and developer Jonathan Segal at one of his mixed-used projects. (John Gibbins / Union-Tribune) (John Gibbins / Union-Tribune )

Jonathan Segal, 54, is an architect and developer who has done a number of notable mixed-use developments in San Diego, including the North Parker on 30th and Upas streets. He has lived downtown for about three decades. He argues that the city should promote density by loosening parking requirements and revamping zoning rules so buildings can include an increased number of smaller, more affordable units.

It would be counterproductive to not allow us to develop denser areas. If you had the ability to create greater density based on mass and scale, then you would have more walkable neighborhoods because you would have more bodies per square foot adjacent to the coffee shops and all the other amenities that everybody wants.

The [community plan updates] are a missed opportunity to revamp something that only happens every 15 years to help us get to a San Francisco or a Portland or a Seattle. It was just a missed opportunity.

I couldnt believe when I was listening to the re-planning of Hillcrest. And I just asked the planners, Whos your consultant? Whos the top planner in the nation that you guys hired to give you guys the guidance you need? And I got no response.

I really dont want to look like Im being derogatory toward the planning department because I love everyone there. And I think they have really good intentions, and they really are the best part of the city operations. But they should have hired the best planners in the nation to help us with this.

Dennis Seisun is an eight-year resident of Hillcrest. (courtesy photo) (courtesy photo )

Dennis Seisun, 65, is an eight-year resident of Hillcrest. The homeowner said hes from Brussels and doesnt necessarily oppose pedestrian-oriented neighborhoods, but is worried about the urban core of Hillcrest losing its character to high-rise buildings. Specifically, he has opposed a plan put forth by a group of developers and landowners called The Uptown Gateway Council, which would loosen height requirements in an effort to build denser, pedestrian-friendly cityscapes.

I think its extremely walkable as it is. Its very walkable, bike-able, and the character I think would be totally destroyed with the plan of putting a bunch of not quite skyscrapers, but very tall buildings in the heart and soul of Hillcrest.

The idea of removing height limits to satisfy the Climate Action Plan is totally bogus and misleading. In fact, they have not given any indication of how they come to the conclusion that without such high-rise buildings, youre not going to achieve the Climate Action Plan.

Im from Europe originally, so Im into walkable public transport. Whats not being done to reduce car use is increasing the public transport. Right now, none of the plans addresses how you make public transport more accessible and, most importantly, more rapid.

A lot of these plans are based on, Well build this really high-density in the core and well sort of force people to take public transport. Well, if its not convenient, theyre still going to drive. Theyre still going to jam the street.

Vicki Granowitz is chair of the North Park Planning Group. (Eduardo Contreras / Union-Tribune) (Eduardo Contreras / Union-Tribune )

Vicki Granowitz, 60, is a North Park resident of 27 years. Shes also chair of the North Park Planning Group. She said the community plan update for her neighborhood managed to modestly increase density in certain commercial areas like along El Cajon Boulevard and 30th Street, but that she would have liked to see a more aggressive plan.

Can I tell you that weve done enough? We probably havent done enough. Weve done what we could get our community to buy into because its all a compromise in the end. People were anti-density, anti-height, anti-traffic, anti-bikes.

I understand it. Were an aging population. I mean, I have multiple sclerosis. I cant always walk very far. In fact, I cant always walk. So the idea that I cant park close [by] scares me at times, but theres something about the greater good for me. I probably wont be here in 30 years, and so we have to put the next generation ahead of ourselves.

The millennials, they have a whole different connection to cars than what my generation does. Theyre already shaping change in my community, and over the next 20 years, cars and how we get places is going to be entirely different.

The neighborhood is already starting this transition. Now on any day or evening, you can see lot of people out on the streets walking. My husband and I go three or four days where we dont drive a car at all because the place is now full of retail and restaurants and interesting places to go.

Twitter: @jemersmith

Phone: (619) 293-2234

Email: joshua.smith@sduniontribune.com
The countys first significant autumn storm brought plenty of thunder and lighting along with spotty rain Monday, with some areas getting only a trace of precipitation while others received a quarter of an inch.

Residents in coastal North County, especially Carlsbad and Oceanside, awoke to thunder and lightning that rattled windows and lit up the sky for several hours.

A second wave of storms came ashore about 2:30 p.m. and moved quickly through the region, said Brett Albright, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service office in San Diego.

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Another storm is expected to reach the county late Thursday and last into Friday. That weather system is not expected to have as much lightning.

Between Sunday night and Monday morning, automatic sensors counted 124 lightning strikes over land and 429 over the ocean within 60 miles of land in San Diego County, Albright said. Most of the activity was focused around Oceanside, Camp Pendleton and Carlsbad, though some isolated thunderstorms did pop up farther south in the afternoon.

Counties near San Diego also experienced considerable lightning. By Monday morning, sensors had counted 171 strikes over land in Orange County, 283 in Riverside County and 531 in southwest San Bernardino County.

As for rainfall, the largest totals also were clustered in North County. Oceanside tallied 0.29 of an inch of rainfall as of 4 p.m. Monday, Fallbrook reported 0.22, De Luz registered 0.24 and the Las Flores area of Carlsbad got 0.35.

To date, San Diego County is behind on rainfall for October. The San Diego International Airport weather station has recorded a trace of precipitation, while Oceanside has come closest to reaching normal. It has received 0.32 of an inch of rain, slightly shy of the 0.45 average for the first 24 days of October.

paul.sisson@sduniountribune.com

(619) 293-1850

Twitter: @paulsisson
In the last stretch running up to election day, county Supervisor Dave Roberts and Encinitas Mayor Kristin Gaspar are making greater efforts to distinguish themselves from each other as early voting has commenced.

Roberts, a former Solana Beach mayor and councilman, is portraying himself a polymath with a collaborative streak who has shown he can serve the district for another four years.

I am supported by the people across the political aisle, he said in an interview. Just look, I am supported by Democrats, Republicans and independents.

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Wouldnt you think that the former Republican mayor of Encinitas, the former Republican supervisor would support my opponent? Roberts said, referring to his predecessor, Pam Slater-Price.

Gaspar is running against what she sees as gaps and faults in the incumbents resume. She has brought plenty of attention to accusations from former Roberts staffers of wrongdoing by the supervisor, which cost the county $310,000 in legal settlements last year. She said Roberts lacks a strategy to help county government reach long-term goals, adding that she has the business acumen to help guide the county and the judgment to avoid the scandals that dogged Roberts.

I can always make you proud. I know you can always look at me as a role model, an example in your community. Issues come and go, Gaspar said at a forum.

Gaspar is continuing to criticize Roberts for a scandal that rocked his office last year. And now, Roberts is starting to swing back.

Their contest is the only county supervisor race on the ballot. Roberts finished first in the primary with 38.7 percent of the vote, while Gaspar received 34.2 percent. Escondido Mayor Sam Abed, like Gaspar a Republican, received 26.9.

County candidates discuss landfill, development 

Roberts, the sole Democrat on the board, is running on his attendance record at hundreds of community meetings, his assignment to committees and government boards, and the times hes teamed up with other supervisors to develop social service programs. He works well with people around the state, he said, and because of his collaborative nature he and his four colleagues on the board almost always unanimously approve legislation. His last four years in office show hes good for four more, he said.

Just look at what (Supervisor) Dianne Jacob and I have done on mental health health in the last four years, he said.

And it was a group effort to improve programs for young people in the justice system, and handle an influx of offenders in the community from state prisons to local jails.

The Board of Supervisors works very well to make sure we give the tools and resources to our public safety folks, he said.

He has criticized Gaspar for split votes on the Encinitas City Council, a political division he says shows his opponent doesnt know how to collaborate and iron out disagreements.

She said she couldnt get anything accomplished because its a 3-2 council Look at all that Ive gotten accomplished in four years because I worked with my colleagues, Roberts said.

Supervisor offices are technically non-partisan, but election politics often follow party lines.

Gaspar said she votes with her colleagues in Encinitas around 90 percent of the time, and while Democrats have a voter registration advantage, her constituents elected her, a Republican.

Gaspar is running on her experience as the chief financial officer of a physical therapy firm she runs with her husband, a job that she says has afforded her business sense to help the county set long-term goals and run efficiently.

Gaspar said she wants to introduce greater accountability measures into government programs to make sure that they meet goals. The chief administrative officer does an exemplary job managing county business, she said, but with metrics in place it will be easier to evaluate the value of various programs and services.

Until we put accountability programs in place, we cant say if we are deploying our resources appropriately, Gaspar said.

My operational style is not one of micromanaging, but at the same time, I want to see programs that are are accountable, she later added.

Shes also running on the fact that shes not Dave Roberts. Last year four women abruptly resigned from the supervisors office and accused their boss of having his staff do political work on county time and that Roberts had an improper but non-sexual relationship with an employee. Three women filed formal claims that the county later settled for $310,000.

Roberts accusers get $310K settlement 

All of these things, as a business person, would have put me out of business, she said. My leadership style is one of collaboration. I treat people with respect and autonomy.

For most of the election season, Roberts has had to defend himself against attacks based on the scandal. Gaspar brought it up twice at a recent forum hosted by the San Diego Farm Bureau.

Unfortunately, due to Mr. Roberts behavior, he immediately disqualified himself from serving, Gaspar said.

Gaspars campaign recently launched a Hall of Shame website that features Roberts alongside former disgraced San Diego Mayor Bob Filner and former Rep. Duke Cunningham, who was sent to prison in a bribery scandal.

Roberts has started to fight back. Hes criticized Gaspar for supporting Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, saying that shows shes not a moderate but an extremist. Since the primary Gaspar has said that Trump lost her support.

And Roberts said said Gaspar will bend to special interests, and noted that the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce, the Lincoln Club, and a consortium of developers spent heavily to help his opponent get elected.

People dont give over a half-million dollars and dont expect something in return, Roberts said.

Business groups weigh in big for Gaspar 

Records show that two campaign committees backing Garpar have received contributed over $640,000. Gaspar said shell scrutinize any project and wont green-light a development unless all the harmful impacts are neutralized.

Gaspar and Roberts have both declined to say how they will vote on Measure B, a ballot item that would amend the countys general plan and zoning to allow for the 1,746-home Lilac Hills Ranch development. Currently the land is zoned for up to 110 homes. Both candidates said that complex land use decisions are best left in the hands of county supervisors, who have had the time to study the nuances and fine details of urban planning and development.

Voters to decide the fate of Lilac Hills development 

Roberts has not taken a position on Measure A, a ballot item that will raise the county sales taxes by a half cent in order to partially fund transportation and infrastructure projects for four decades. Gaspar is opposed to the measure.

The contest to represent District 3, an area that runs from northern San Diego up the coast to Encinitas, and encompasses Escondido, Rancho Bernardo, Scripps Ranch, Carmel Mountain, Tierrasanta and other areas, has been one of the more-watched local races this year.

Renderings show what Lilac Hills Ranch might look like off the Interstate 15 corridor. (Charlie Neuman/San Diego Union-Tribune )

Around 90 percent of the district is in an incorporated city that provides public safety and public works services and sets land use policies. But the supervisor is part of a five-member board thats responsible for a $5.4 billion budget, countywide social services and public health initiatives, emergency responses, among other things.

They also set land use policy, shaping unincorporated areas of the county that are largely outside their district but could still have impact on traffic, the environment, water, and other issues within their area.

Twitter: @jptstewart

joshua.stewart@sduniontribune.com

(619) 293-1841
The future of incumbent Rep. Darrell Issa in the House, and the fate of challenger Doug Applegate may come down to who can get women to dislike the other more.

Applegate, a Democrat, is working to convince women voters that Issa has an ongoing history of putting his political career before their interests. In turn, Issa, a Vista Republican, is just as committed to trying to convince women that Applegate is a dangerous man when it comes to women.

The political dynamics related to women are an overarching theme this election year. Democrat Hillary Clinton could become the first woman to win the presidency while much of her campaign in recent weeks has been dominated by the treatment of women by her opponent, Republican Donald Trump.

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Meanwhile, the two men running for the coastal 49th District seat arent so much trying to persuade women voters that they are the best person to represent them as much as theyre claiming their opponent is hostile toward them.

Theyve used old court records, the battle over birth control and legislation to make their cases.

In just one instance in the race has the effort to reach out to women voters not turned negative, but it required a major stretch across the partisan divide. Issa, who once called the Obama administration one of the most corrupt, sent a mailer showing the president in the Oval Office apparently signing a document.

I am very pleased that President Obama has signed into law the Survivors Bill of Rights  legislation I co-sponsored to protect the victims of sexual assault, Issa said in the mailer, referring to a bill where he was one of 40 co-sponsors. He signed onto the legislation after a group of 26 bipartisan original co-sponsors.

Applegates campaign, in turn, said that Issas use of the president is a sign of a desperate campaign.

He has called for President Obamas impeachment and has attacked the President at every turn but Congressman Issa has never let the truth get in the way of trying to advance his partisan, political agenda and we dont expect him to start now, Applegates campaign manager, Robert Dempsey said.

The Issa campaign said he has also promoted his work in mailers and web ads on the Violence against Women Act and the Gynecologic Cancer Education and Awareness Act of 2005, a bill he wrote that creates a gynecological cancers public awareness campaign to encourage early detection of these diseases. Mostly, women voters are taking about jobs and opportunities, Issas campaign said.

The two candidates are likely attacking each other over women because thats where they see the most weakness in their opponent, said Thad Kousser, a political science professor at the UC San Diego. They havent spoken much about policy, he said.

This is a race that has been about as issue-free as our presidential race, Kousser said.

Applegate made the first accusation that Issa was bad for women in August when he announced an endorsement from Sandra Fluke. Fluke had no particular allegiance to Applegate or the district, but she had a nationally chronicled feud with Issa in 2012 when she was a law student at Georgetown and Issa was the chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee

Democratic women citing Limbaugh in fundraising 

The congressman had convened a panel of five men to discuss religious objections to providing women with birth control coverage in health insurance policies. Democrats attempted, in vain, to add Fluke, who previously worked on domestic violence, human trafficking and health insurance coverage for reproductive health issues, to the list of the hearings speakers.

Issa and other Republicans were criticized for excluding women from a discussion about policy that so specifically impacted women and their health. It gained national attention, and some conservative commentators made harsh gender-based accusations about Flukes character.

Four years later, Fluke is backing Applegate, and Issa again is facing accusations that he is anti-women.

I know firsthand that Rep. Darrel (sic) Issa is exactly what is wrong with Washington, Fluke said in a statement. I trust Colonel Doug Applegate to defend womens rights and access to health care, unlike Issa, who continues to wage partisan crusades.

In mid-September, Issa got fodder that he would use for the coming weeks. Reports surfaced that Applegates ex-wife had received temporary restraining orders against her former spouse in 2002 and 2004, requiring him to stay at least 100 yard away from her.

Issa challenger faced restraining orders related to ex-wife 

In the latter incident, Priscilla Applegate, now Priscilla Greco, told the court that she saw the candidate looking through her window, and that he once appeared at their childrens elementary school. Applegate was required to relinquish firearms to the Sheriffs Department.

Applegates campaign said the allegations were dismissed, the restraining order rescinded, and the handguns returned. Greco released a statement condemning Issa for disrespectful ... personal attacks against our family, and said she would vote for her ex-husband. Her and Applegates children delivered a similar message via web video.

Since then, many statements Issas campaign has released have had a direct or passing reference to the story. On Oct. 10, his campaign released a television ad that included details about the restraining orders.

Applegate would get his fodder with another old record. This time it wasnt court files but a 2005 video with Access Hollywood host Billy Bush where Trump was caught on a hot microphone speaking in vulgar terms about women, and bragging how his fame allowed him to get away with sexually assaulting women.

Applegate quickly turned the revelation into an ad that criticized Issa for supporting Trump despite the nominees views on women, and levied similar attacks against Issa after several women accused the presidential candidate of touching them sexually without their consent.

And the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee likewise referenced the Trump video in an anti-Issa ad. It was the first commercial of the race that used a woman narrator.

In response, Issas campaign released a statement that brought up Applegates restraining orders.

The most recent rebuke for Issas alliance with Trump came last week at UC San Diego when dozens of women  most all of whom had Democratic or labor ties  gathered to demand that the congressman renounce his affiliation with the GOP nominee.

Mary Latibashvili, the head of the college Democrats at the school, said that sexual assault is a rampant problem for college women, and Trumps statements cant be excused as locker room banter like the candidate said. Issa, by continuing to endorse Trump, is a quietly approving this attitude, she said.

Issa has shown implicit acceptance and implicit agreement with Trumps predatory words and actions against women. ... If Darrell Issa wants to take a stand against sexual assault on campus and in all walks of life, he needs to withdraw his endorsement of Trump, Latibashvili said.

Applegate and Issa have a vulnerability, said political scientist Kousser said, and almost by coincidence, their political weaknesses have something to do with women.

Theyll take the votes where they can get them, and their best ammunition has to do with women, he said.

Twitter: @jptstewart

joshua.stewart@sduniontribune.com

(619) 293-1841
President Barack Obama had sharp words for Rep. Darrell Issa Sunday night, contending the Vista Republicans primary contribution to the United States Congress has been to obstruct and to waste taxpayer dollars on trumped-up investigations that have led nowhere.

Obamas comments came at a La Jolla event to raise money for Democratic congressional candidates. Among those in attendance was Doug Applegate, whos in a close race with Issa.

Issa, when he was chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, led investigations into the Obama administrations Internal Revenue Service, the bungled Fast and Furious gun trading-operation and how it handled the attack in Benghazi.

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This is now a guy, Obama said of Issa, who because poll numbers are bad has sent out brochures with my picture on them touting his cooperation on issues with me. That is the definition of chutzpah.

Heres a guy who called my administration perhaps the most corrupt in history  despite the fact that actually we have not had a major scandal in my administration.

In a statement Sunday night, Issa said: Im disappointed but not surprised that the president in a political speech continues to deny accountability for the serious scandals that happened under his watch where Americans died overseas and veterans have died here at home.

1 / 12 Flying in on Air Force One, President Barack Obama arrived at Marine Corps Air Station, Miramar Sunday evening. After landing President Barack Obama met briefly with supporters who came out Sunday evening. (Nelvin C. Cepeda / San Diego Union-Tribune) 2 / 12 Flying in on Air Force One, President Barack Obama arrived at Marine Corps Air Station, Miramar Sunday evening. After landing President Barack Obama met briefly with supporters who came out Sunday evening. (Nelvin C. Cepeda / San Diego Union-Tribune) 3 / 12 Marines waited as Air Fore One landed at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar Sunday evening. (Nelvin C. Cepeda / San Diego Union-Tribune) 4 / 12 Flying in on Air Force One, President Barack Obama arrived at Marine Corps Air Station, Miramar Sunday evening. After landing President Barack Obama met briefly with guest who came out Sunday evening. (Nelvin C. Cepeda / San Diego Union-Tribune) 5 / 12 Marines waited as Air Fore One landed at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar Sunday evening. (Nelvin C. Cepeda / San Diego Union-Tribune) 6 / 12 Air Force one arrives with President Barack Obama arrives at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar Sunday night. (Nelvin C. Cepeda / San Diego Union-Tribune) 7 / 12 Marines waited as Air Fore One landed at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar Sunday evening. (Nelvin C. Cepeda / San Diego Union-Tribune) 8 / 12 Flying in on Air Force One, President Barack Obama arrived at Marine Corps Air Station, Miramar Sunday evening. After landing President Barack Obama met briefly with guest who came out Sunday evening. (Nelvin C. Cepeda / San Diego Union-Tribune) 9 / 12 After landing President Barack Obama met briefly with Gunnery Sgt. Tyanna Tolson (center), Silas Gross and his daughter Dorothy McCray. (Nelvin C. Cepeda / San Diego Union-Tribune) 10 / 12 Flying in on Air Force One, President Barack Obama arrived at Marine Corps Air Station, Miramar Sunday evening. After landing President Barack Obama met briefly with guest who came out Sunday evening. (Nelvin C. Cepeda / San Diego Union-Tribune) 11 / 12 Flying in on Air Force One, President Barack Obama arrived at Marine Corps Air Station, Miramar Sunday evening. After landing President Barack Obama met briefly with guest who came out Sunday evening. (Nelvin C. Cepeda / San Diego Union-Tribune) 12 / 12 Flying in on Air Force One, President Barack Obama arrived at Marine Corps Air Station, Miramar Sunday evening. After landing President Barack Obama met briefly with guest who came out Sunday evening. (Nelvin C. Cepeda / San Diego Union-Tribune)

Youd be hard-pressed to find anyone who thinks Ive done too much to hold Washington accountable. Ive worked with the administration on good legislation where it was possible, and called out wrongdoing wherever I saw it, and will continue to do so.

Obama indirectly reminded people at the fundraiser that Issa continues to back Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump

This guy has spent all his time simply trying to obstruct, to feed the same sentiments that resulted in Donald Trump becoming their nominee, Obama said.

Earlier in his talk, Obama went through the familiar list of achievements on his watch, including turning the economy around, fighting climate change, bringing troops back from Iraq and Afghanistan, countering the Islamic State, and passing the Affordable Care Act.

Across almost every economic index, we are better off than where we were, by a long shot, Obama said.

He also emphasized how his accomplishments were in large part possible because of House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, who attended the fundraiser, when she was speaker.

A lot of this got done because in the first two years, when really the template for our economy, and our foreign policy was being formed, at that moment where the well-being of this country was teetering, I had a congressional majority that was able to deliver, that was willing to take tough votes, Obama said.

After Nancy Pelosi was no longer speaker, Congress essentially shut down, he later added.

The event to benefit the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee was at the home of Christine Forester, an architect and early supporter of Obamas first White House bid, who served as vice chair of his national finance committee.

The tickets to the fundraiser were $10,000 or more, per person. There were about 65 guests, including Reps. Scott Peters and Susan Davis, both San Diego Democrats. Peters also was among those who greeted Obama when he landed at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar on Air Force One shortly before 7 p.m. Sunday.

The president is scheduled to attend a Hillary Victory Fund event in San Diego this morning before going to Los Angeles.

Obama in recent weeks has crisscrossed the country rallying supporters for Clinton as well as House and Senate candidates.

Obamas standing in the polls has made him a popular surrogate for congressional candidates hoping that a decisive Clinton victory will benefit them as well. The White House has said that Obamas primary mission in the next two weeks will be helping Clinton, but he will also use his appearances at campaign events and in television ads to support Democratic candidates up and down the ballot, even in some state legislative races.

Earlier Sunday, Obama campaigned in Las Vegas where he urged supporters to get out to the polls and back the states former attorney general, Catherine Cortez Masto, who is vying for the seat being vacated by her mentor, Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid.

Obama castigated her opponent, Rep. Joe Heck, for his past support of Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump. Heck has withdrawn his backing of Trump.

When they finally get [Trump] on tape, bragging about actions that qualify as sexual assault ... suddenly thats a deal breaker, said Obama, noting Hecks comments from the summer in which he attested to having high hopes Trump would become president

What the heck, he added in a word play on the Republicans last name, drawing chants of what the Heck from those packed inside a high school gymnasium here.

An average of several polls in Nevada shows Cortez Masto leading Heck by about 2 percentage points.

Kurtis Lee of the Los Angeles Times contributed to this report.
Police are searching for two men suspected of committing a string of robberies overnight, San Diego police said.

The first happened at a Shell gas station on Torrey Pines Road in La Jolla about 10:55 p.m.

The Latino men walked into a convenience store at the location, approached the clerk and demanded money, said San Diego police Lt. Steve Behrendt. One of the men was toting a revolver.

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The employee handed over cash, and the robbers sped off in a waiting car driven by a woman. It was described as a red or maroon two-door Ford Explorer.

Then, about 40 minutes later, the same men robbed a Valero gas station on Health Center Drive near Starling Drive in the community of Birdland, police said.

One was again armed with a revolver when they demanded cash from a clerk about 11:35 p.m. The employee handed over money, and the two fled in the older model Ford.

They were described as 18 to 25 years old with medium builds. One man was wearing a black shirt with a hand on it and black pants. The other man was wearing a gray shirt and dark pants. They put the money they stole in a black, red, yellow and green bag, police said. Police on Tuesday released a surveillance photo of the suspects.

The men also may have committed a robbery at a 7-Eleven on Worthington Street in the community of La Presa just after midnight and another at a Shell gas station on Washington Street in Hillcrest about 3:30 a.m. Monday.

Breaking News

Twitter: @LAWinkley

(619) 293-1546

lyndsay.winkley@sduniontribune.com
The Port of San Diego is one of three ports in the nation that has partnered with a branch of the U.S. Department of State to help enhance maritime security in countries around the world.

From Karachi, Pakistan to Kingston, Jamaica, San Diegos port and its police agency, the Harbor Police Department, are helping foreign ports to better harness existing capabilities, share strategies and improve collaboration.

A lot of the partners (we) work with cant afford to buy the latest inspection technology or the latest patrol boats, but strong inter-agency coordination is really a no-cost endeavor, and you can have really strong, positive impacts on port security in that country and maritime security more broadly, said Scott Lueders, a public affairs officer for a branch of the State Department.

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The effort is part of the State Departments ongoing mission, spearheaded by its Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, to diminish the illegal drug trade and instability abroad. Its also an opportunity for countries and for individual agencies to forge relationships with international partners.

San Diego is joined by the Port of Miami and the Port of Long Beach.

San Diego became a partner in 2015 and several months in, a five-member group from the Port of Karachi visited the Port of San Diego.

Karachi, dubbed the Gateway to Pakistan, handles a majority of the countrys cargo, including supplies headed toward the war in Afghanistan.

They were very interested in port security and what are the best practices were using here, said Harbor police Chief Mark Stainbrook. What we do, how we do it, and what the results are.

Then in February, a small Harbor police crew spent two weeks in Jamaica, traveling to more than a dozen outposts. After their visit, the Jamaican force increased its drug seizures three fold.

The State Department official said San Diegos experiences with the team from Karachi and in Jamaica illustrate different goals of the agencys partnerships.

Training provided by San Diegos port helped Jamaican officers make the best use of equipment provided by the State Department.

The partnership helped the country increase its seizure of cocaine from 360 kilograms in all of 2015, to 876 kilograms in the first half of 2016. Thats three times larger than any other seizure total for any six-month period in the last 15 years, Stainbrook said.

Comparatively, the benefit of a visit from a foreign country, like Pakistan, is less quantifiable - but no less valuable, he said.

Having strong relationships with this entity that manages this entry point is really a win-win, not only for the Pakistanis, who get to see best practices at such a high-functioning port, but also U.S. personnel stationed in Pakistan andthe port of San Diego, said Lueders, the public affairs officer.

The CEO of the Port of San Diego now has the Karachi Port Trust chairmans contact details, he said.

Ports are reimbursed for any expenses incurred while working with foreign countries. Costs associated with these missions vary. A spokeswoman for the Port of San Diego said the trip to Jamaica cost about $21,800.

The partnership is also a professional development opportunity for local officers.

Harbor police Sgt. Donald Brick, who was on the three-person team that headed to Jamaica, said his crew didnt put on a formal training. Rather, they drove around the island nation and met face-to-face with Jamaican officers at their substations. The U.S. group wanted a first-hand look at what resources were available to them and what their day-to-day operation looked like.

What they saw was eye-opening.

At one substation, their headquarters was half of a Conex box dropped in the middle of a dirt lot several hundred yards from the water, Brick said. They didnt have electricity, they had no computer, no internet.

The Jamaican force had just recently received a number of boats from the State Department, so part of the Harbor police crews visit was focused on the upkeep of those vessels. They shared maintenance schedules, repair tips and helped compile a list of much-needed tools.

They also went over patrol strategies including tips for what to look for when scouring for smugglers. After being visited by the Harbor police team, Jamaican police logged a record number of cocaine seizures.

I think its a combination of the training and information we gave them, plus the ability to do more patrols because they had better and functioning vessels, Brick said.

The sergeant said his team benefited from the trip as well.

These guys are making next to nothing, theyre going out and risking their lives on a daily basis, and doing it with a smile and a real positive work ethic, Brick said. For me, I brought that back. Were well paid and have the best equipment, but sometimes our attitudes could be better. It was a nice wake up call.

Twitter: @LAWinkley

(619) 293-1546

lyndsay.winkley@sduniontribune.com
The people at the National Museum of American History are over the rainbow Monday morning as the venerated museum has successfully raised enough money to restore the famous ruby slippers worn by Dorothy Gale in The Wizard of Oz.

Dreams do come true, wrote the Smithsonians Thomas Stackpole about the Keep them Ruby Kickstarter campaign which reached its $300,000 goal in just seven days.

https://twitter.com/smithsonian/status/790530185372246016

More than 5,300 people donated to the cause, with some giving as much as $7,000, and the campaign still has 23 more days to go. Stackpole wrote that the museum would announce later today what any additional money would used for and hinted that one only needs not much of a brain to guess.

(In addition to Dorothys magical shoes, the museum also has the Scarecrow costume worn by the Ray Bolger in the 1939 MGM musical.)

The money raised will be used to slow the deterioration of the iconic memorabilia, one of several pairs of heels that were made for 16-year-old Judy Garland to wear while skipping down the Yellow Brick Road. But the props were not built to last and the years have taken a toll on the delicate, sequined-covered footwear.

The color has faded and discolored, some of the threads are frayed and broken and the coating on the sequins that gave the shoes their brilliant ruby color is flaking off.

The shoes also need to be put in a new, specially designed display case that will be designed after conservators study and better understand the effects that light, humidity and temperature have had on them.

Dorothys ruby slippers are one of the most popular items on display at the museum and millions of people see them every year.

I dont think theres a costume or accessory that has transported people quite like Dorothys ruby slippers, said costume designer William Ivey Long.

These are treasured by the American people, said Richard Barden, the head of the museums preservation services.

Dorothy clicked her heels together three times and was transported back to Kansas. Now that thousands have clicked online, the shoes that have enthralled generations will be forever safe from the wicked witch of time.

For more on the ruby slippers, including how they were rescued, and/or stolen depending on how you look it, how they ended up at the Smithsonian and what happened to the other pairs can be found here.

The Smithsonian, which was founded in 1846, is made up 19 museums and galleries, the National Zoological Park and nine research facilities.

The institution is federally funded but it relies on private donations to do much of the work with regards to conservation and its exhibits.

619-293-1710

debbi.baker@sduniontribune.com

twitter.com/Debbi_Baker
Scott Peters was first elected to the House in 2012 to represent the 52nd Congressional District, which spans from Coronado across much of northern San Diego to Poway. During his campaign, the former San Diego City Council president  a Democrat and a lawyer  vowed to be a pragmatic centrist who worked hard to advance the local innovation economy and to respond to concerns about the military and veterans.

Peters has lived up to his word. Not only has he fought effectively for these local interests, hes worked well on regional concerns with others in the San Diego County congressional delegation  not just Democrats but Republicans, including Darrell Issa, R-Vista, and Duncan Hunter, R-Alpine. We hardly vote together at all, but when it comes to San Diego, we have good conversations and were able to work together and I think thats been good for us too, Peters told this editorial board in a recent interview. Issa said as much in our interview with him.

SEE ALSO: Congressman Scott Peters: The Union-Tribune interview

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SEE ALSO: Congressional candidate Denise Gitsham: The Union-Tribune interview

Peters opponent, Republican lawyer and small-business owner Denise Gitsham, is also bright and well-educated. In our editorial board interview, she made thoughtful observations about the need to strike a proper balance between national security and individual liberty in this era of mass snooping, and the former White House aide criticized GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump for not embracing the uniter, not a divider approach of her former boss, George W. Bush.

But Gitsham is rough around the edges and perhaps not ready for prime time quite yet; she referred to North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un as, among other things, this fat kid.

With his predilection to work across the aisle, Peters has a more sophisticated command of domestic and foreign issues.

We endorse Scott Peters for re-election.
No, Americans in 2016 are not living in Nazi Germany. Yet somehow, critics of the media outlets covering this years presidential election have turned to 1930-era terminology to voice their distaste for the press and its coverage of Donald Trump.

https://twitter.com/RosieGray/status/789985264282271744

The German word Lugenpresse stands for lying press and has a reportedly ugly history in Germany where it was once used by the Nazis to discredit the press.

Trump supporters, however, have begun to use the term #LugenPresse online and at rallies where the Republican presidential candidate has criticized the media in light of recent stories about a number of women accusing Trump of sexual misconduct. Trump has described those stories as fabricated and orchestrated allegations by his Democratic rival Hillary Clinton and the media.

In a more vague but sinister criticism of the press, Trump supporters have also started using the hashtag #TheList and photos of an X over the face of journalists whom they deem as misleading the American public.

https://twitter.com/RealSKennedy/status/790451802399531009

The two hashtags are just the latest examples of the heated rhetoric emerging in the presidential election, mostly coming from Trump and his supporters in the so-called alt-right. At one recent rally, Trump supporters left behind a handmade sign bearing the word media next to a swastika. Other people have used anti-Semitic death threats against some journalists covering the election.

Just last week, Politico reporter Hadas Gold reportedly received a distressing photo of herself with a gunshot wound superimposed over her forehead and a yellow star with the word Jude, which Nazis used to label Jews. More recently, National Review writer David French penned a column describing the abuse he and his family have received from Trumps alt-right trolls.

I saw images of my daughters face in gas chambers, with a smiling Trump in a Nazi uniform preparing to press a button and kill her, French wrote. I saw her face photo-shopped into images of slaves.

The conversation around these two hashtags has compelled others to push back with criticism of Trump, the Republican Party and alt-right websites like Breitbart News, whose chairman Stephen Bannon now runs the nominees campaign. Some have made an attempt to undermine the hashtag via sarcastic twists.

https://twitter.com/LHGraham27/status/790590455239045121

https://twitter.com/KristineSostar/status/790635476633944064

https://twitter.com/cdashiell/status/790594776882028544

https://twitter.com/derekchad/status/790434803988389888

https://twitter.com/bethmorgan/status/790643183604551680

https://twitter.com/terminalmage/status/790640159817601025

https://twitter.com/TysonsEngineer/status/790609345004335104

Disturbing trend or temporary annoyance? You tell us what you make of these hashtags. But hurry, Election Day is almost here and they may become irrelevant after Nov. 8.

Email: luis.gomez@sduniontribune.com

Twitter: @RunGomez

ALSO

#RepealThe19th surfaces as the worst hashtag of the 2016 election

Donald Trump takes off 'shackles,' takes on 'disloyal' GOP

Behind Donald Trump's vile 2005 comments about women
The availability of affordable child care has become a hot-button issue in San Diego, where the cost of living can make it difficult for families to get by unless both parents are working. For some families with children, the solution is to offer home-based child care for friends and neighbors who need it.

In California, the need for child care is considered so vital that state law gives renters the right to operate a family day-care business from the home regardless of whether their lease or rental agreement prohibits the business use of property. The law applies to all rentals, from single-family homes to apartments and condos.

Of course, renters who wish to run a day-care business out of their home must be sure theyre following the letter of the law and communicating the details with their landlord or property manager. For example, before anyone begins operating a child-care service, they must obtain a license through the California Child Care Licensing Program, which has a local office in Mission Valley. This license specifies the number of children the provider is allowed to watch.

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Renters must provide 30 days advance notice to their landlord or property manager before they begin operating a child care service from the home. The state license application includes a form that renters can use to provide this notice.

Its important to note that landlords are legally allowed to charge a higher security deposit to tenants who run a day-care business from the home. Landlords may want to charge a higher security deposit because of the higher risk that young children may damage the property. The California maximum limit on security deposits still applies (no more than double the monthly rent for an unfurnished unit, or triple the monthly rent for a furnished unit).

In addition to sharing licensing information with the landlord, the renter must also share evidence of financial responsibility. There are three ways to demonstrate financial responsibility: obtain liability insurance; secure a bond of at least $300,000; or get signed affidavits from each childs parents acknowledging that they are aware of the lack of liability insurance or bond.

Beyond these key initial steps, child-care providers should be conscientious and respectful of their neighbors right to the quiet enjoyment of their own homes. Take steps to control or manage excessive noise, and be mindful of anything that could damage the property.

For more information on this topic, the California Department of Social Services has a guide for family child care and tenant rights that can be downloaded from www.ccld.ca.gov. For more information about finding affordable or subsidized child care in San Diego, visit the Countys website at https://www.sandiegocounty.gov/content/sdc/hhsa/programs/cs/child_care_administration.html.

Alan Pentico is executive director of the San Diego County Apartment Association.
The oil exploration that started in Belize two weeks ago, has been halted by the people who were un-informed of the decision and under the impression (RIGHTLY) that the government had agreed that there would be no oil exploration or drilling. (Dec 2015, Belize Beats UNESCO Deadline to Ban Offshore Exploration) One could use the word ambush.

Tomorrow, Tuesday, the Cabinet of Belize (the executive branch of the Belize Government  the 14 UDP appointees and the Prime Minister) meet to decide if the exploration will continue. There is a boat already scheduled to return in mid-November.

I have heard that the exploration is not for oilit is for shipping routes. Why would you have an oil exploration company do that? Why would you be moving back and forth to map the sea floor 2000-5000+ feet deep? Even the largest mega-container ships have a draft of about 50 to 65 feet.

THE PEOPLE OF BELIZE NEED TO CONTINUE TO STAND UP  TO MAKE SURE THEIR ELECTED OFFICIALS DO WHAT THE PEOPLE WANT IN THAT MEETING TOMORROW.

AND ALONG WITH THE PEOPLE, WE NEED THE BUSINESSES AND ASSOCIATIONS OF THIS COUNTRY TO STAND UP AS WELL.

Sorry for the shouting but this is SO important.

Last night a crowd attend the viewing of a heartbreaking Discovery documentary, Sonic Sea. The documentary explored ocean noise  from ship traffic to oil exploration and drilling- the later was particularly interesting to our current circumstances. As was the information about how seismic testing can drive away sea life for indeterminable amounts of time.

A foot can do damage, imagine what seismic airgun blasts do? Or drilling?

Jacques Cousteaus son mentioned his fathers quote We Will Only Protect What We Love

Is there something that Belize loves more than her ocean and her barrier reef? Is there anything that we rely on more?

The barrier reef and the ocean is our backyard. OURS.

No red or blue, immigrant vs. native born, environmentalist vs. anything

So, we wait for the CLOSED session tomorrow. Oceana, representing the people of Belize, presented the government with 8 conditions that we would like to see in place for offshore drilling (it has been sitting with the government since June 2015).

What if they come out of the meeting and agree to just the first 7 points. 7 out of 8 will seem positive but the 8th BY FAR is the most important. This decision is one to be made by the people of Belize. Numbers 1 to 7 leave the country relying on and trusting the Government to regulate and monitor the situation. What have the last few months done to our trust??

And there are SOOOO many articles and studies on-line to show that isnt enough. Just browse through the 10 Reasons Why BP Got Off and Why Offshore Drilling Became More Dangerous in a 2015 Rolling Stone article.

BP Knew BP Lied

The list is pretty horrifying and based on information from law suits in the US criminal and civil courts.

If a company like BP (2015 Revenue: $226 billion USD) can railroad the US government and the entire population of the Gulf Coast, WHAT CAN A COMPANY LIKE THAT DO TO BELIZE?
Missouri City, TX -- (SBWIRE) -- 10/24/2016 -- Best Secured Plumbing, one of the top plumbing and heating companies in Missouri city have managed to do an excellent job. They are proficient at the task they do and have an experience spanning more than a decade.



The kind of plumbing services which Best Secured Plumbing offers is immaculate. They have a long list of clients who have been extremely happy with the kind of services they offer. After having emerged as one of the top plumber Missouri city, the company now wants to expand their work and come up with the right future plans as well.



One of the key spokesmen for the company was quoted as saying, "At Best Secured Plumbing, we have managed to offer the finest services that one can ask for. After having put in the right level of work, we now want to expand the business and look for future plans that can be executed in an apt manner."



Best Secured Plumbing has been offering some of the finest services that are reliable and trustworthy. They have the best staffs on board who are well-versed in the art of plumbing. They believe that it is the top quality of services that ends up making a befitting difference. When the clients are satisfied with the kind of work which the company does, it definitely sends out the right message and can aid in apt promotion.



When Best Secured Plumbing decided to expand work, they will definitely take into account each and every aspect. The company is looking to be sure that they can live up to the expectations which people have from it.



Those who want to know more about the work the company does can visit http://plumbingmissouricity.com/



About Best Secured Plumbing

Best Secured Plumbing was set up in 2005 and they have been doing a commendable task. They have been offering some of the best plumbing services that have managed to take them to a pedestal position. Their reviews have been amazing.



Contact Information

Contact Person: Brian Martin

Contact Number: 713-588-6706

Email-id: info@plumbingmissouricity.com

Website: http://plumbingmissouricity.com/

Address: Missouri City, TX
Warminster, PA -- (SBWIRE) -- 10/24/2016 -- Now is the time to start thinking about next year's pool project so that it can be completed before next summer. Carlton Pools is a family owned and operated swimming pool company that has been serving customers since 1973. They take pride in staying ahead of their competition.



Carlton Pools stays at least one step ahead by installing the latest innovations in the swimming pool industry and also conducting quality renovations for their clients. Carlton Pools will build and remodel in-ground pools to transform yards into relaxing utopias, and they'll also do the same for commercial locations. Other swimming pool contractors in Montgomery County, PA, and other local areas can't match Carlton's technical prowess and superb customer service.



With their employees and decades of experience, Carlton Pools has grown into one of the leaders in their industry. They give customers the option of choosing a shotcrete pool so they can have the flexibility and creative space for a free-form and custom design. This company customizes pools to create the perfect poolscape with a strong, watertight pool that can be formed into any shape or geometry. Along with having a personalized pool, people who choose shotcrete pools can rely on a more quality-built pool. This is because the shotcrete application usually includes a higher amount of cement and a lower amount of water than that of cast-in-place concrete.



The team of contractors at Carlton Pools will make sure their clients receive the strongest shotcrete pools throughout the New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Delaware areas. To learn more about their durable, customized pools, contact Carlton Pools at 888-372-0102.



About Carlton Pools

Carlton Pools is a construction company that builds in-ground pools for both commercial and residential customers. The company has over 40 years of experience in pool engineering. Serving the Tristate area, Carlton Pools provides pool renovation services and also retails pool products, and a team of highly-trained technicians tend to their clients' pool needs with outstanding customer service. The company operates using an experienced approach that eliminates the hassle of pool maintenance.



For more information about this company, please visit http://www.CarltonPools.com.
Albany, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 10/24/2016 -- Fragrances, once regarded as frivolous and non-essential commodities, have seamlessly transformed themselves into essential day-to-day products that form a significant part of personal grooming. Fragrances are today a vital and mainstream element of the cosmetics industry and have gained much attention from consumers across the globe.



Fragrances are a way of expressing personal style and individuality, thereby making it a consumer-driven industry. The fragrances market is also dictated by fickle and ever-changing fashion trends. This means that manufacturers in the industry are on a constant lookout for exciting, unique, and new fragrances to attract different consumer segments worldwide.



The research report is an attempt to understand the fragrances market and provide clients with an unmatched and invaluable evaluation of the overall industry. Delving deeper into the fragrances market and its various nuances, this comprehensive publication discusses the factors governing the global and regional industrial landscape. The report, with the help of accurate and insightful statistics, throws light on the size, volume, and share of the global fragrances market and also provides strategic recommendations to help improve businesses.



Overview of the global fragrances market



As mentioned earlier, fragrances have achieved much importance among personal care and grooming products. As might be expected, the women's fragrances segment dominates the overall market and as a result, a majority of the innovations and product differentiations are targeted at this segment. However, even though fragrances for the fairer sex have long since captured the market, perfumes and fragrances for men have, of late, grabbed the attention of industry players. This has had a transformational impact on the global market and has set the pace for rapid expansion in the coming years.



Another factor that governs the fragrances market is the trend of celebrity-inspired perfumes. These include fragrances endorsed by leading personalities in various walks of life as well as signature scents used by celebrities as a self-promotion campaign. Fragrances such as these garner much hype among certain sections of the consumer base. This trend has been observed across regions such as North America, Europe, and some countries in the Asia-Pacific region. However, market analysts state that this fad was met with negative response in the United Arab Emirates owing to vast diversity in population. People living in the UAE may or may not associate with celebrities from countries such as the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, Spain, and Italy, which leaves the fragrances market relatively unchanged when it comes to celebrity-inspired scents.



Get More Information: http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=317



Premium brands account for a major share of the fragrances market in UAE owing to exceptional per capita incomes. In other parts of the world, this segment has gained demand in recent years thanks to rising disposable incomes and improving economies. Chanel, Gucci, Calvin Klein, Christian Dior, Prada, Yves Saint Laurent, and Louis Vuitton are some of the premium companies that have established themselves in the fragrances market.



Companies mentioned in the research report



The leading players in the global fragrances market include Waitrose, Savers Health & Beauty, The L'Oreal Group, Clarins Group, Superdrug Stores PLC, Co-Operative Food/Somerfield, The Estee Lauder Companies Inc., LLOYD Shoes GmbH, Sainsbury's, Boots UK Limited, MAC Cosmetics, Tesco PLC, The Body Shop International PLC, Givaudan, Vantage, Morrisons, and Asda Stores Ltd.
Albany, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 10/24/2016 -- Magnetic field sensor is a device which is used for studying the field around electrical devices, coils and permanent magnets. These sensors were previously used only for direction finding or navigation by sensing the Earth's magnetic poles. However, the application of magnetic field sensors have expanded vastly as different industries have adopted a variety of these sensors to detect the direction, presence or strength of not only earth's magnetic field, but also from magnetized soft magnets, permanent magnets, vehicle disturbances and fields generated from electric currents. Demand for better efficiency and high sensing performance is fuelling the adoption of these sensors in various applications. The global magnetic field sensors market has been segmented on the basis of technology, types, applications and geography. A cross sectional study of the market broadly across four major regions has also been covered under the purview of the study.



Many factors, such as surge in demand for these sensors in the automobile industry, increase in demand for consumer electronics and appliances and growing popularity of electronic compasses are driving the growth of overall magnetic field sensors market. Stringent government regulations across North America and Europe are encouraging the widespread adoption of energy-efficient and eco-friendly devices. Magnetic field sensors are one of the core components of these products. Therefore, increasing demand for power efficient and smarter electronic devices has significantly increased the demand the usage of these sensors over the last decade. Furthermore, the healthy economic growth of emerging markets such as China, India and Taiwan is also boosting the growth of the latest technologies, which is in turn, fuelling the demand for magnetic field sensors. The conjoint effect of all these trends and drivers is thus set to bolster the growth of the global market during the forecast period.



Get a Free Sample Copy of the Report @ http://www.mrrse.com/sample/1325



Various government policies globally are setting standards for lower fleet-average fuel consumption and providing financial incentives for vehicle electrification, which is triggering the drive to reduce fuel consumption in the automotive sector. This in turn has resulted in the growing demand for electrified vehicles. The usage of advanced magneto-resistive sensors is anticipated to steadily increase in the field of electric drives. This is expected to offer potential growth opportunity to the global magnetic field sensors market. Moreover, emerging economies such as India and China, with their massive population are providing an enormous market for the new innovations in automotive sector. Rising awareness among consumers has given rise to favorable conditions for the consumer electronics market in Middle East and Africa. This in turn, is expected to further bolster the market growth of magnetic sensors.



The competitive profiling of the leading players in the global magnetic field sensors market across four major geographic regions is also covered under the scope of the report. These include various business strategies that have adopted by the major players and the recent developments as per the secondary data available. In order to provide a competitive insight of global magnetic field sensors market, the market attractive analysis has been provided in the report.



A comprehensive analysis of market dynamics that include the market drivers, restraints and opportunities is included under the purview of the study. Market dynamics are the distinct factors which exert an influence on the growth of a particular market and therefore help in studying the current trends of the global market. Thus, this report offers an inclusive study of the global magnetic field sensors market, along with providing the forecast of the market for the period from 2015 to 2021.



Read Complete Report with TOC @ http://www.mrrse.com/magnetic-field-sensors-market



Some of the major players in the market are: Infineon Technologies (Germany), Allegro MicroSystems LLC (Massachusetts), Austria Microsystems AG (Austria), Honeywell International (U.S.), NXP Semiconductors (Netherlands), Asahi Kasei Co (Japan), Micronas Semiconductors Holdings AG (Switzerland), Melexix NV (Belgium) and Memsic Inc. (Massachusetts) among others.



About MRRSE

MRRSE stands for Market Research Reports Search Engine, the largest online catalog of latest market research reports based on industries, companies, and countries. MRRSE sources thousands of industry reports, market statistics, and company profiles from trusted entities and makes them available at a click. Besides well-known private publishers, the reports featured on MRRSE typically come from national statistics agencies, investment agencies, leading media houses, trade unions, governments, and embassies.
Espoo, Uusimaa -- (SBWIRE) -- 10/24/2016 -- In a bid to provide essential information regarding short-term loans, personal loans and quick loans, a new website called haelaina.fi was recently launched. As per reliable sources, the new online portal will also help people in finding the best loaning firm as per their requirements. A representative of the site maintained, "In recent times there has been a growth of financial loaning companies and this can be problematic for many people because without proper information anyone can make the mistake of choosing the wrong company."



He also revealed that though the field of short-term loans may seem to be an easy one there are some vital considerations which every borrower must know beforehand. He added, "In money matters, it is quite imperative that every step should be taken with caution. The entire process should not disintegrate the loaners' financial status but rather stabilize it. Keeping this in view, our website will be offering visitors the opportunity to locate the best loan plans without the need to personally visit a loaning expert."



It may be noted that the website haelaina.fi will come equipped with an online loan firm finder which will aid visitors in selecting the finest loaning institution capable of fixing their immediate financial problems.



Besides, the website will even have their office in the Hameentie town of Helsinki. It was later informed by the representative that those wanting to meet their staffs on loan matters can visit their office or either contact them through the e-mail or phone number provided on the website.



Recent surveys have disclosed that currently there are more 100 firms in Finland offering varied kinds of loaning services to the citizens. Though it has been more than a decade since instant loans first arrived in the country not more than 10 firms have dominated the market. Granting of instant loans has been on the rise every year and this trend has been predicted to continue in the same way as suggested by figures.



For more details go to http://haelaina.fi/



About Haelaina.fi

The website is not a lending institution but rather an online portal from where borrowers can meet the most practicable lenders currently existing in the Finnish market. The website is also a source for important pieces of information about personal loans, quick loans and payday loans. The main goal of the website is to help visitors find the best, fastest and cheapest payday loans.



Contact Media:

Haelaina

Espoo - Uusimaa

admin@haelaina.fi

http://haelaina.fi/
Albany, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 10/24/2016 -- South Africa's telecom sector boasts one of the continent's most advanced networks in terms of technology deployed and services provided. Nevertheless, the fixed-line infrastructure for many years suffered from under-investment by the monopoly incumbent Telkom. The poor level of service encouraged the growth of the mobile sector for the provision of voice and data services. As a result, the mobile sector has become a key driver of the overall market. As well as carrying most voice traffic, mobile networks account for 97% of all internet connections.



Under a converging regulatory regime, hundreds of alternative service providers have been able to enter the market to offer a range of services, while the main mobile operators Vodacom, MTN and Cell C have invested heavily in their own backhaul fibre as well as on consumer services based on FttP. In addition, many municipalities, including the country's largest cities, are implementing their own metropolitan fibre and wireless broadband networks.



The end of Telkom's monopoly on international submarine fibre optic cables also reduced the cost of telecom services dramatically. A new cable, expected to come online in 2017, with further increase international bandwidth and so improve services generally.



Get a Sample Research PDF with TOC: http://www.researchmoz.us/enquiry.php?type=S&repid=848087



A notable regulatory matter currently shaping the market include mergers and acquisitions, the licensing of LTE spectrum anticipated in early 2017, progress with the transition to digital broadcasting and the reassignment of digital dividend spectrum for mobile broadband use, the unbundling of the local loop (ULL, or LLU), and the reduction of interconnect charges.



South Africa's mature mobile market has seen rapid growth since competition was introduced to the sector in the 1990s. SIM card penetration by late 2016 was approaching 160%, driven partly by the popularity of multiple card use as also by the popular take-up of mobile broadband services. LTE services will be bolstered by the 2017 auction of additional spectrum in several bands. These services will go far to realising the government's ambitious broadband connectivity program to 2030.



Key developments:



- Regulator seeks to raise ZAR100 billion for ICT projects by increasing USAF levy to 1% of operator revenue;

- Vox Telecom planning national long-distance fibre network in eastern areas;

- Liquid Telecom acquires Neotel for ZAR6.55 billion;

- Work begins on the Modderfontein Smart city development;

- Vodacom contracts Alcatel-Lucent to build a GPON FttP converged network.

- Department of Telecommunications allocates ZAR1.4 billion to pursue broadband initiatives;

- Multisource acquires WBS;

- Vumatel extends open-access network offering 1Gb/s services.

- Regulator forced to push back LTE spectrum auction to May 2017;

- Vodacom and MTN trial LTE-Unlicensed services;

- Vodacom and MTN end mobile money services in South Africa;

- Cell C launches commercial LTE-A services;

- Revised MTRs set to September 2017;

- SMS platform facing stiffening competition from WhatsApp and other OTT services;

- Report update includes the regulator's 2015 market report, telcos' operational and financial data to Q2 2016, recent market developments.



Enquiry at: http://www.researchmoz.us/enquiry.php?type=E&repid=848087



Companies mentioned in this report:



Telkom, Neotel, Vodacom, MTN, Cell C, Virgin Mobile, Broadband InfraCo, Transtel, Eskom, SEACOM, SITA, Sentech, Dark Fibre Africa (DFA), Internet Solutions, FibreCo, eFive, WASACE, Network Solutions, Atlantic Internet Services, Business Connexion, Verizon Business, MWEB, Vox Telecom (DataPro), Sentech, iBurst (WBS, Blue Label), MultiChoice, Goal Technology Solutions (GTS), SmartVillage, Storm Telecom, Orbicom, South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC), MXit, Naspers, Media24, Standard Bank, First National Bank, ABSA, Nedbank, Barclays Bank.



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Norristown, PA -- (SBWIRE) -- 10/24/2016 -- Global Blends, a distributor of coffee and snacks to homes and businesses, relies on natural resources to deliver a quality product to its customers. The importance of sustainability bleeds into all of Global Blends' core values and beliefs. Global Blends understands the need to bring about social, environmental and economic changes by maintaining and constantly improving the way their company conducts their business on a daily basis. Global Blends is committed to integrating sustainability across their business practices and to creating a positive impact for farmers, business partners and consumers.



Global Blends Coffee & Tea shows its support of increasing sustainability by making sure it partners with some of the best coffee farmers and brands around the world. Their Coffee and Tea Partners, all of whom align with their core values, include Bucks County Coffee Co., Nespresso, Two Leaves and a Bud and Cafe Britt.



Global Blends also provides state-of-the-art equipment from manufacturers that not only produce exceptional equipment, but also share in Global Blends Coffee's core values. From Nespresso to Single Cup Brewer machines, Global Blends stocks equipment that serves the needs of households as well as they do large and small businesses.



For those peckish times during the day, Global Blends is also concerned about providing food and snacks that are healthy, organic and non-GMO. Some of their snack offerings include KIND bars, Fig Bars, and belVita.



Global Blends' consumers know that they are ordering from a quality company that is deeply concerned about social and environmental issues. This philosophy filters throughout their entire organization, from with whom they partner down to what products they offer and endorse.



Global Blends prides itself on providing its customers with exclusive brands in an environmentally cautious way, setting out to have the consumer enjoy a cup of coffee just like they imagined. All of the coffees are roasted weekly which adds to the quality and freshness.



For more information on equipment and specialty coffees and teas, check out Global Blends Coffee website or contact a customer service representative at 800-849-3851. Be sure to like Global Blends Coffee on Facebook and Twitter as well. Plus, check out their free trial available for those who have never ordered coffee, tea, and/or equipment from Global Blends.



About Global Blends

Delaware Valley coffee distributor Global Blends believes in ethical coffee sourcing, impeccable flavor and transparent supply processes. In addition to their Rambler Series of small batch, micro-lot blends, Global Blends stocks some of the Delaware Valley's favorite coffee, tea and espresso brands, including Bucks County Coffee Co, Nespresso, Wawa, Cafe Britt and Two Leaves and a Bud Tea.



In addition to single-serving cups and ground coffee, Global Blends distributes condiments, snacks, supplies and equipment to restaurants, offices and other businesses throughout the region.



Learn more by visiting http://www.globalblendscoffee.com/ or calling 800-849-3851.
Spring, TX -- (SBWIRE) -- 10/24/2016 -- Trust Anchoring Plumbing emerges as one of the best plumbing service provider in Spring, Texas. The firm is known for providing unmatched service for plumbing, heating and air filtration. The U.S licensed and registered company has a strong team of approved professionals with proven capabilities in the field. They have garnered repute with their down the line experience backend with well-trained trained crew and approved quality equipments with latest technology.



Unlike other plumbing companies, Plumber Spring TX utilizes the latest technology for delivering smart and effective solution for various plumbing issues. The company's superior service comes with a good blend of experience, technology, quality, professionalism and honesty ensuring complete customer satisfaction. Having earned high repute in various plumbing services of residential and commercial sectors, the firm is now getting set for business expansion.



In a recent business meet, the company's executive manager was quoted saying, "Our Company constantly works to deliver the best services to its customers. We utilize latest technology and update the skills our technical team from time to time through project training. All our team members are highly capable and well insured so that customers can leave their plumbing issues on us to solve."



Plumbers in Spring TX are known for utilizing latest technology such as remote control cameras for effective plumbing solution. This ensures proper diagnosis of the problem and helps in attaining superior solution. The company has a team of registered and insured professionals which means customers can count on them without worrying about any mishap during the service. It also enables to file official paperwork for customers who are looking to receive compensation from their working company.



The firm offers almost all plumbing services including sewer line inspection, faucet repair, repairing pipes in bathrooms and kitchens including renovation, drain cleaning and unclogging, water heater repairs and leak repairs.



Their other services can be checked on http://plumberinspringtx.com/



About Trust Anchor Plumbing Company

Trust Anchor Plumbing Company was established in 2005 starting with a team of well-trained experts. The U.S licensed company has since then been providing best plumbing services in the market. They are known for adopting latest technologies for delivering fast and effective solution. With years of experience in plumbing and heating field, the company is now getting set to expand its business.



Contact Information

Contact Person: Tommy Wilson

Contact Number: 713-352-0043

Email-id: service@plumberinspringtx.com

Website: http://plumberinspringtx.com/

Address: Spring, TX
While global R&D spending is at a new high, small South-East Asian economies are laggards, reports Crispin Maslog.



The good news is more countries are now investing heavily in research and development (R&D). The bad news is it is the rich countries that are investing big, while the poor countries that need it more are not.



Global spending on R&D has reached a new high of $1.7 trillion, with 10 countries accounting for 80 per cent of spending, according to the UNESCO (UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization). And countries have pledged to increase public and private R&D spending and the number of researchers by 2030.



UNESCO released last month (14 September) a new data tool showing the global leaders and emerging players in R&D. In releasing the data tool, UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS) director Sylvia Montoya stressed that innovation is key to achieving each of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). So it is essential to track R&D investment in the knowledge, technology and thinking that drives innovation in countries. [1]



It is no surprise that the giant countries, in terms of population and economic clout, top the UNESCO list of nations that have invested massively in R&D. The United States leads 15 countries in R&D spending in purchasing power parity (PPP) dollars estimated at  US$457 billion, with its business sector contributing 70.6 per cent (see Table 1).



Two Asian economic giants  China and Japan  follow closely behind in second and third place. Asia and Europe both have four countries in the top ten of UNESCO R&D spenders, with the bulk of R&D investments coming from their respective business sectors except for India which sits at seventh place.



Table 1. Top 15 Countries in R&D Spending ($PPP)

Rank Country Dollars (B) % Business Sector 1 United States 457 70.6 2 China 369 77.3 3 Japan 166 77.8 4 Germany 106 68.1 5 Korea 74 78.2 6 France 58 64.8 7 India 48 35.5 8 United Kingdom 44 64.4 9 Russia 44 59.6 10 Brazil 40 N/A 11 Italy 27 55.7 12 Canada 25 49.9 13 Australia 22 56.3 14 Spain 19 52.9 15 Netherlands 16 56.3

R&D investment lessons from China



China is showing a surprising average annual growth rate of 18.3 per cent in R&D spending, compared to just 1.4 per cent for the worlds upper middle-income countries, according to the UIS.



Chinas R&D spending only amounts to 2 per cent of its GDP, but the country is pouring the PPP equivalent of about US$$369 billion into this sector each year.



There are lessons in R&D investment to be learned from China.



The Chinese government encourages Chinese companies to create and own technologies, and also transfer technology from abroad, according to American author and editor Brenda Wiederhold. [2]



As a result, a number of multinational technology and pharmaceutical companies have taken advantage of this policy to transfer facilities from India. The Chinese government owns all top-ranked academies and has tripled its investment in education in the past 12 years, she notes.



These universities emphasise research. Of the ve million students graduating per year, about one million are research students. And Chinas academicians le more patent applications than those in any other country  16 per cent compared to 4 per cent in the United States, Wiederhold adds.



Strong spending from business sectors



What these top 15 countries have in common is strong spending from their business sectors. The other main sectors which contribute to R&D investment are government, universities and private non-profit entities like foundations.



A major impression one gets from this list of investment achievers is that most are wealthy countries with well-developed business sectors.



The less developed countries of ASEAN  Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Myanmar, the Philippines and Vietnam  do not have strong business sectors that can invest or afford huge resources for R&D. Most are still in the agri-business stage of development, with another foot in the manufacturing industry, particularly the drug industry.



Learning from Singapore



These countries could learn a lot from the case of Singapore, a model for small countries which competes in a big mans game. A city state with no natural resources, Singapore started by recognising the importance of human capital. Its government has developed the tiny country into an international hub for R&D in South-East Asia. [3]



The key is careful planning and determination. In 2004, the government formed the Ministerial Committee on Research and Development (MCRD), chaired by the Prime Minister no less.



The government identified three strategic areas of R&D  environmental and water technologies (clean water and clean energy), biomedical sciences translational and clinical research, and interactive and digital media. It decided to invest US$16.1 billion over a five-year period (2011-2015) with a specific goal to grow expenditure on R&D to 3.5 per cent of GDP by 2015 through increased private sector R&D spending.



Although Singapore fell short of its goal, attaining only 2.2 per cent of GDP spending, it still landed in 15th place on the UNESCO ranking world-wide based on per cent of GDP (Table 2). The lesson here is to plan carefully, aim high, and if you fall short, keep going to stay up there.



Table 2. Top 15 Countries in R&D Spending as % of GDP

Rank Country % of GDP 1 Korea 4.3 2 Israel 4.1 3 Japan 3.6 4 Finland 3.2 5 Sweden 3.2 6 Denmark 3.1 7 Austria 3.0 8 Switzerland 3.0 9 Germany 2.9 10 United States 2.7 11 Belgium 2.5 12 Slovenia 2.4 13 France 2.3 14 Australia 2.2 15 Singapore 2.2

SDG 9: Boost R&D spending



Globally, there were almost 1,083 researchers for every one million people in 2013. UIS data show this number going down for middle-income countries between 1996 and 2013  a downward trend with global implications for sustainable development.



This downward trend bodes ill for development in the underdeveloped world. The UN needs to address this issue as it develops its next set of Sustainable Development Goals.



This is why SDG 9 calls on governments to promote sustainable industrialisation and innovation by ramping up spending on R&D and increasing the number of researchers.



The main solution to this chicken-and-egg dilemma is in national governments. Governments in these less developed countries should take the lead in R&D spending. The less developed countries must push hard for business incubators and for science and industry parks to bridge the gap between university research labs and industry.



In addition, the UN needs to jump start R&D spending in the poorer and underdeveloped regions of the world. A massive and specific R&D aid programme should do the trick.



Rather than merely broad economic development aid, we urge a specific aid programme to help universities in the region develop their research facilities and release senior faculty and staff from teaching to do full-time research. Junior faculty can take on the bulk of teaching.



Crispin Maslog is a Manila-based consultant for the Asian Institute of Journalism and Communication. A former journalist, professor and environmental activist, he worked for the Press Foundation of Asia and the International Rice Research Institute.



This piece was produced by SciDev.Nets South-East Asia & Pacific desk.

This article is part of a series on the future of research funding in low and middle income countries supported by the International Development Research Centre
Millions of lives in Syria have been lost, not only because of the war five years ago, but also because the health sector is no longer able to provide as many health services.

In this interview with SciDev.Net, Tarik Jasarevich, a spokesperson for the World Health Organization (WHO) and a communications manager for the Syrian territory, notes the pace of deterioration in Syria, its healthcare needs and details of how stakeholders are working on the ground to improve the situation.

What is your assessment for the health sector in Syria? Specifically in hospitals, health institutions and for health workers?

The health situation in Syria continues to deteriorate, not just day by day, but hour by hour. As always in conflict, it is innocent civilians that pay the highest price. Almost two-thirds of all Syrians have no access to clean water, putting them at risk of diseases like typhoid and cholera.

Throughout the country, almost 300 000 pregnant women are not getting the care they need for a safe and healthy pregnancy.

Every month, more than 30 000 people need treatment for injuries. People with chronic diseases are dying of complications that are easily controlled under normal circumstances. Half of all children are missing out on life-saving vaccinations, and one in four children are at risk of developing a mental health disorder that will have a long-term impact.

Despite these critical needs, more than half of the countrys health care facilities are either closed or only partially functioning, and are facing critical shortages in life-saving and essential medicines.

Half of all health professionals have fled the country and those that remain are at constant risk of attack. As the conflict continues, more lives are lost every day, not just due to the violence, but as people become victims of a failing health system that can no longer provide them with the health services they need to stay alive. Millions of lives are at risk.

Do WHO have plans to deal with the health situation in the besieged areas? Are there plans in the liberated areas to prevent the transmission of any epidemics?

The access for inter-agency (IA) convoys to 18 besieged and 164 hard-to-reach and priority cross-line areas is facilitated by OCHA.

From January-August 2016, WHO participated in 59 inter-agency convoys to besieged and hard-to-reach locations inside Syria, delivering 220 tons of medical and health supplies, including standard health kits, life-saving and life-sustaining medicines for treatment of chronic diseases, medical instruments and equipment.

Through 28 separate cross-line missions to hard-to-reach locations, WHO was able to provide an additional 35,000 treatments mainly for chronic diseases. Medicines included insulin, dialysis sessions and trauma kits.

What are the most important diseases to control now in Syria? Are there any outbreak warnings?

In addition WHO's 68 NGO partners continue to provide essential primary, secondary and trauma health care services, especially in hard-to-reach areas.

WHO had set up early warning and response systems for disease surveillance (EWARS) with more than 1,100 sites reporting on disease outbreaks, one-third of which are reporting from opposition-controlled areas. This system has allowed WHO to monitor and rapidly respond to disease outbreaks and alerts across Syria.

Diseases reported from April to June 2016 included acute diarrhoea and food poisoning so WHO donated diarrhoeal disease kits to the health directorates in Aleppo, Damascus and Rural Damascus as well as cholera rapid diagnostic test.

What is your plan to control and prevent the spread of epidemics across the border to neighbouring countries?

Before the current crisis began, the immunization programme in Syria was one of the best in the Eastern Mediterranean region. According to national reports, coverage rates for polio, DPT and measles were above 90% until the year 2010.

Vaccination rates declined sharply when the conflict began in 2012. WHO and UNICEF estimate that routine vaccination coverage has dropped from 95 % to below 50%. Routine immunization has even completely stopped in some areas.

The polio outbreak in Deir ez Zor at the end of 2013 (35 confirmed cases of wild polio virus) served as a dramatic reminder of the importance of vaccination.

In the first half of 2016, WHO supported the following vaccination campaigns:

National routine vaccination days to immunize children who had not been reached in previous campaigns

An accelerated routine immunization campaign in northern Syria (Hama, Idleb and western Aleppo) that reached 73% of the children targeted

A measles and rubella vaccnaton campagn in northern Syria in late March and early April that reached 883,000 children (86% of the total target)

A multi-antigen vaccination campaign targeting children under five in hard-to-reach and besieged areas. Most of the areas targeted were reached, with the exception of Qaboun and Jowbar (Damascus), As-Salamiyeh (Hama), Darayya and East Ghouta (Rural Damascus) and Idleb governorate. Of the 552,540 children targeted, 48% were vaccinated

Sub-national polio immunization days where a total of 1,105,073 children were vaccinated. A simultaneous polio campaign in the western governorates of northern Syra reached more than 620,000 children with trivalent oral polio vaccine. In addition to the above campaigns, WHO successfully switched from trivalent to bivalent oral polio vaccine in Syria; to eliminate the risk of vaccine-associated paralytic polio and circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus.



What are the difficulties facing those on the ground delivering health supplies and support? Is there any coordination with the ruling regime to deliver supplies to the besieged areas? How do you overcome these difficulties?



In 2016, a total of 65 tons of medical supplies have been fully rejected by the Government of Syria. In addition, medical personnel are still not allowed into the besieged areas, and medical evacuations are rarely allowed. In 2016, a total of 65 tons of medical supplies have been fully rejected by the Government of Syria. In addition, medical personnel are still not allowed into the besieged areas, and medical evacuations are rarely allowed. Protection of patients, health workers, medicines, supplies and health facilities is also a critical issue as attacks on health facilities continue across Syria. Since the beginning of the conflict, WHO has consistently been calling on all parties involved in the conflict to allow regular and sustainable delivery of medical supplies, timely medical evacuations, payment of care for evacuees, vaccination teams and mobile clinics to enter hard-to-reach and besieged areas. WHO provides regular updates on behalf of the health sector to the Report of the Secretary-General on the implementation of Security Council resolutions on Syria and to International Syria Support Group (ISSG).



Finally, what about the funding? Do you face a problems in getting funds to support this hard situation in Syria?
NASA and scientists identified a universe's oldest planet-forming disk, a massive disk of gas and dust encompassing a star known as a circumstellar disk. It is approximately 45 million years old and located in the Carina association, a large group of similar stars in the Carina Nebula that estimated to be about 212 light-years from the Sun.

Citizen scientists helped discover potential new hunting ground for planets outside our solar system: https://t.co/GlMQU0NhpV @DiskDetective pic.twitter.com/vN59C9OwBE  NASA (@NASA) October 23, 2016

Steven Silverberg, the lead author of the study and an astronomer at the University of Oklahoma said that most of these disks fade away in less than 30 million years. He further said that this certain red dwarf is a candidate member of the Carina association, which would make it around 45 million years old. He added that the oldest planet-forming disk or red dwarf system with a disk they have seen is one of these associations.

The findings were published in the Astrophysical Journal Letters. It was co-authored by eight citizen scientists, according to NASA. They researched thoroughly the disk candidates and the data they gathered led to the discovery of the new disk, which is the oldest planet-forming disk.

Marc Kuchner, an astrophysicist at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland and leads the Disk Detective said that without the aid of the citizen scientists they could not spot the object. He further said that the WISE mission has identified 747 million objects, of which they expect a few thousand to be circumstellar disks.

The age of star could be difficult to determine. On the other hand, the Carina association is a group of stars that were all born at roughly the same time in the same stellar nursery. Jonathan Gagne, an astronomer explained that it is surprising to see a circumstellar disk around a star that may be 45 million years old. This is because they normally expect these disks to dispel in a few million years. He further explained that more observations will be needed to know whether the star is as old as they think. If this will turn out to be then it will become a standard system to comprehend the lifetime of disks, as noted by Phys.org.
A few researchers from the University of Montreal suggests that even small amount of daily exercises can be enough to lower the risk of cardiovascular diseases.

As per a report published in UPI, a study was presented at the Canadian Cardiovascular Congress, where a group of researchers revealed that exercise levels up to 20 percent below the average for healthy and strong people are a sufficient measure to prevent any sort of heart disease. The paper is due to be published in the Journal of Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation and Prevention.

A continuous walk even for five minutes can contribute to the overall health improvement of an individual. According to Live Science, The Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans state that people should spend at least 75 minutes on aerobics, running or swimming or nearly 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activities per week to reduce the risk of diabetes, obesity, and other chronic illness.

The new study has delivered a great sense of relief for people suffering from heart disease and who has a difficulty making time for workouts and fitness. According to UPI, Daniel Curnier, Lead Researcher said, "Small improvements in the fitness level of heart patients are more than enough. You do not have to be a great athlete to benefit from these effects."

The researchers conducted a study which consisted of 205 male participants and 44 female participants, who were prone to heart disease. The participants were instructed to use a stationary bike stress test to establish their fitness levels. According to Headlines News, Maxime Caru, a researcher said, "We know from many studies that a good physical health can reduce the cardiovascular mortality rate and that high fitness level can have a positive impact on patients suffering from heart disease.

It is recommended to follow the fitness guidelines prescribed by World Health Organization and exercise for nearly 150 minutes, to avoid any heart-related complications.
With crisis surrounding the Samsung Galaxy Note 7, even loyal customers have lost faith in the brand. As a new strategy, Samsung is planning to slash prices for Samsung Galaxy S8, S8 plus, and Note 8.

Samsung Galaxy S8 Prices



Samsung is already working on Galaxy S8 but the recent Note 7 crisis has affected Samsung very badly. The journey of Galaxy Note 7 was a roller coaster ride with Samsung experiencing enormous demand and building 5 million devices for its launch.

Samsung Galaxy Note 7 was well received by its fans until it started catching fire. Samsung recalled all its devices and decided to replace them. The crisis deepened for Samsung when its replacement phones started catching fire.

Samsung had no other options but to discontinue the Galaxy Note 7. Post the fiasco even loyal Samsung users have lost trust in the company. As a way to win back the users Samsung Galaxy S8 prices will be slashed for its existing users. According to a post in Korea Herald,

"In a desperate move to pacify its displeased Galaxy Note 7 users, Samsung Electronics is considering cash discounts for their future purchase of the upcoming Galaxy S8 or the next Note phone next year, industry source said on October 20."

Only 10 percent Note 7 users have returned the device yet. The prime reason is the limited compensation provided by Samsung. For instance, Galaxy Note 7 customers in Korea will get a complimentary voucher of 30,000 (26 USD) won and a one-time 70,000 credit on the monthly bill as reported in iDigital Times. These limited compensations have further irked the customers with some even threatening with lawsuits.

Samsung Galaxy S8 prices have not been announced yet. But according to latest news the S8 and Note 8 batteries would be supplied by LG. Samsung is considering increasing the number of its battery suppliers. The Samsung Galaxy S8 release date is speculated to be February 27 at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.

Only time will tell if Samsung actually goes ahead with offering slashed prices for its Galaxy S8 and whether it even has any affect of the loyal customers. Do share your thoughts on the same in our comments section. If you are a Note 7 customer let our reader know what you think and would you be buying Samsung Galaxy S8 at discounted prices?
When Margaret Boemer went for a routine ultrasound 16 weeks into her third pregnancy, she found that things are not going very well for her unborn child. She was informed by her doctor that there was something very wrong with her child - sacrococcygeal teratoma - two scary words that, truly terrified her.

The two words, however, are definitely a cause for concern. As CNN explained, sacrococcygeal teratoma is a tumor that develops from the baby's coccyx or tailborn, before he or she is even born. Dr. Darrell Cass, the director of Texas Children's Fetal Center and an associate professor of surgery said that this is the most common tumor that doctors usually see in newborns - "common" being relative, as it is still considered to be a rare disease, occurring in one out of every 35,000 births.

Cass explained that while the tumor can be well-tolerated, it is dangerous for Boemer's child - it can cause problems for the fetus as the tumor tries to grow by sucking blood flow from the baby, making their growth a competition for each other. He explained that there are instances when "the tumor wins and the heart just can't keep up and the heart goes into failure and the baby dies."

The doctors advised Boemer to terminate the pregnancy - and at 23 weeks, the tumor had gotten so big that it was starting to shut the baby's heart down, causing a cardiac failure. However, she and her partner wanted to give their baby a chance at life and opted to do an operation to keep her safe:

At 23 weeks and 5 days pregnant, an operation was performed to extract the tumor. At this point, it was nearly larger than the fetus itself. However, to operate safely, Cass had to do a huge incision and ended up with the baby "hanging out in the air" - essentially having the fetus outside, with the amniotic fluid falling out of her mother.

The surgical team removed the bulk of the tumor and finished the operation by having the baby put back in the womb as they sewed her mother's uterus shut. Boemer remained on bed rest for the remainder of her pregnancy, but made it to another 12 weeks to nearly full term before her daughter - Lynlee Hope, was born for a second time via C-section.

People noted that Lynlee had surgery again at only 8 days old to remove the rest of the tumor, but today, it seems that the child is doing well as could be expected, with her mother, Margaret saying that the family is "very happy" now.
Ever wondered if you were a scientist and could go to a research conference. Well, all you need is, iOS autocomplete to do the writing and knowledge to spell some basic scientific terms.

An associate professor at the University of Canterbury, New Zealand has done exactly the same thing. The professor who comes from a Human Interface Technology, took help from autocomplete in writing a paper on ' Nuclear Physics', a domain in which he has no knowledge. He started writing his paper by simply writing words such as 'Atomic' or 'Nuclear' and allowed iOS autocomplete to finish the sentence. The paper as reported by Firstpost had gibberish sentences such as,

"Atomic Physics and I shall not have the same problem with a separate section for a very long long way."

Nuclear Physics Paper Writing With iOS

This nonsensical paper on Nuclear physics was accepted by the International Conference on Atomic and Nuclear Physics. The paper's abstract was completely silly and gibberish and could not qualify academic standards.

Christoph Bartneck, went a step ahead and added some Wikipedia stock art and cited some academic reference. He then registered the Nuclear Physics paper under a pseudonym, "Iris Pear." He even claimed in the paper submission that he was a lecturer at "Umbria Polytech University" located in Cupertino, California. As reported by Inquirer.

The Nuclear Physics paper which was practically written by iOS autocomplete was accepted within three hours of submission. Bartneck was requested to pay US$1,099, towards registration. The acceptance mail was an automated response too. Bartneck further added in his blog,

"I know that iOS is a pretty good software, but reaching tenure has never been this close."

The professor may not attend the Nuclear Physics conference.He feels a conference that accepts such a nonsensical paper could not be worth. Only 10 other participants were expected at the conference and Christoph Bartneck could definitely add value considering the situation. In case you want to write a paper, feel free to use the iOS autocorrect and attend a conference on Nuclear Physics.
The current stage in console wars is about who has the better equipment to run those high-quality games. Plus, the trending VR technology enables gamers to experience games like never before. And, Sony's PlayStation VR is the first console equipment to feature such an intuitive approach. But, Microsoft isn't worried at it believes its Xbox One Scorpio to offer the very best of VR experience with true 4K resolution.

The recently revealed PS4 Pro or Neo showed the audience its '4K' resolution in a few game demos. But, the audience was not fully convinced or impressed. For anyone who viewed the 1080p and 4K resolution side-by-side, there was spotting of minute differences. Microsoft wasn't impressed either but they will not make it a public announcement to question their rivals. But, Microsoft's upcoming Xbox Scorpio One is what the fans are eagerly waiting for as it will directly compete with Sony's PS4 Pro.

Microsoft's Xbox One 'Scorpio' To Offer True 4K And Hi-definition VR

As of now, most of you might be familiar with the upcoming specs on the Xbox One "Project Scorpio." But, there is much more than that. Microsoft comes in with a direct statement about the power its upcoming console might possess.

"The first and only console to enable true 4K gaming and hi-fidelity VR," wrote Microsoft.

4K on the PS console is still not available for all the latest games and this disappoints several fans. Sony does commit to improve on the user experience for all its new-generation games in the upcoming future. But, no updates on its whereabouts are out yet.

Sony's PS VR is not a bad option for cost-effective VR experience for console systems. But, it still is not as brilliant as the premium VR headgear like Vive or the Oculus Rift. But, Microsoft claims that its upcoming console system will be the first and only console to offer true gaming experience for VR and high-resolution gaming.

FallOut 4 VR Might Arrive On Project Scorpio-

Further updates at an E3 2016 conference say that Microsoft will reveal "Fallout 4 VR" for the Xbox One "Scorpio." But, there are no rumors of an official headset by the company and the most relevant headgear opted for the console could be the HTC Vive. Microsoft could also collaborate with the Rift for this project in the future. But, no updates are yet to be seen on that.

Anyhow, Microsoft is ready to reveal "Project Scorpio" in the holiday season, 2017. This will let us know further updates on the upcoming console and its features through various events next year. Nintendo Switch did not come with a VR experience, and this gap could be the key point to Microsoft's success in the VR gaming platform.

Here is a video of what Microsoft had to say about their "Project Scorpio":

What do you think about the bold statement by Microsoft? Is the company's Xbox One Scorpio that capable? Let us know in the comments below.
Marijuana the most controversial plant has been investigated by experts. People claimed that cannabis helps them with their health, but some do not believe that it could help. Now, the question is does marijuana cause addictive behavior? A new study was conducted.

Dr. Tom Freeman from the University College London, UK, presented a new data at the International Early Psychosis Association (IEPA) meeting in Milan, Italy. It shows that an increased risk of people being marijuana dependent is because of the high-potency cannabis.

Each year an estimate of 182 million people are using marijuana worldwide. With this given number, the possibility of legalization for recreational and medical use increases. Over 9% of people who tried cannabis becomes independent at some point in their lives. As for the people who are already cannabis dependent, they are often having a hard time to cut down or quit; despite the harmful effects.

Researchers found that some people are more exposed to the marijuana's harmful effects compared to others. There are a number of factors that influence people to be cannabis dependent. For example, male, being younger, and mixing tobacco with marijuana. Another factor could be is marijuana potency, according to Medical Xpress.

Marijuana plant produces over 100 different chemicals. The two most common are the THC and the CBD. The delta 9 tetrahydrocannabinol or THC and cannabidiol or CBD can cause the opposite effects on the behavior and brain. In the last decade, the illegal marijuana market has been dominated by high-potency cannabis, in which it contains high THC and no CBD. The possibility of the high THC found in marijuana, cause people to receive professional treatment for cannabis problem.

In the new study, 400 young marijuana users in the UK were studied by Dr. Freeman. The ages of the participants are between 16 to 23 years old and 70% of them are male. Among the 400 volunteers, 43% prefers high-potency marijuana and the experts found that they are also dependent, compared to the 22% that does not prefer high-potency cannabis, according to DNA India.

Dr. Freeman suggested that "The illicit cannabis market is dominated by high-potency cannabis containing high THC and no CBD. Our findings suggest that people who prefer this type cannabis are around twice as likely to show problematic use. The best way for people to reduce risk is to quit or cut down their use. If this is not possible, they should be encouraged to switch to low-potency cannabis."
A chunk of aluminum metal discovered in Romania during the 1970s is resurfacing questions whether it is part of an UFO, implying that aliens visited earth thousands of years ago. The metal was found buried 33 feet under the sand in the town of Aiud near the Mures River, along with two more objects said to be the remains of a mastodon.

The discovery reportedly led to suggestions that extraterrestrial beings had visited our planet, due to the nature of the unearthed object. Humans began to produce metallic aluminum only 200 years ago, so finding such a piece of metal that seems to date back 250,000 years, as estimated by Romanian officials, is baffling - leading to the assumption of it being a leftover from an alien visit. Furthermore, lab tests carried out in Switzerland's Lausanne indicated that the fragment comprised of 12 metals and is 90 percent aluminum.

Other experts who further investigated into the age of the object say that the chunk of metal could date back anywhere between 400 and 80,000 years, which still does not clear the mystery of the object's origin because as mentioned before mankind first produced aluminum 200 years ago. Therefore, the age and composition of the object, which is 7.8 inches in length, 4.9 inches in width and 2.8 inches in thickness, is being apparently claimed to be proof of aliens coming to our planet.

Moreover, another fact that is baffling experts is that there are concavities on the metal which makes it seem like a part of an intricate mechanical system. "Lab tests concluded it is an old UFO fragment given that the substances it comprises cannot be combined with technology available on Earth." said Gheorghe Cohal, Deputy Director of the Romanian Ufologists Association. However, Mihai Wittenberger who is a local historian has claimed that the fragment actually belongs to a World War II German aircraft, but the explanation doesn't seem to explain the age of the artifact, and its origin remains a mystery. For now, the ancient aluminum object is being showcased at the History Museum of Cluj-Napoca.
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Police have urged anyone who receives malicious phone calls to report them, following claims from one teenager who says she was called in Scunthorpe by someone saying they were a 'killer clown'.

The 18-year-old, who did not want to be named, said she is "freaked out" after receiving phone calls late last night.

The woman, who contacted the Scunthorpe Telegraph today, said she had received threatening calls from someone claiming to be a 'killer clown'.

The 18-year-old said: "Last night I was outside having a fag and somebody rang me.

"They said 'We are the killer clowns and we are getting everybody's number'. We can see you but you can't see us."

The woman said the caller had said they were going to kill her as part of a "purge" later this month and said they had told her that they knew where she lives.

She said: "I didn't recognise the voice and on my phone, it came up as an unknown number. If it is somebody playing a joke it is not something to joke about.

"I am just a bit freaked out. I am freaked out even going to the shops."

The woman said the caller had even warned her to lock her windows and doors.

A spokesman for Humberside Police said: "Anybody who believes they are receiving malicious communications should report them to the police on 101."
The Cypriot constitution limits the number of ministries to just 10 and presently the maritime portfolio comes under the Ministry of Transport Communications and Works, with the highly respected, hardworking minister, Marios Demetriades, having to look after nine government departments, including shipping.

All eight political parties in Cyprus have expressed their positive support in private, according to the shipping chamber which is hopeful parliament approves the new law by the end of this year and a new Deputy Minister is installed. The Department of Merchant Shipping in Limassol will provide the basis of the new Deputy Ministry.

Shipping is one of three areas set to get their own deputy ministry under parallel pieces of legislation, the others being tourism and development.

Shippings value added in Cyprus is estimated at about 7% of the islands GDP, a prime reason it is seen as meriting its own deputy ministry. Further, with the tonnage tax cloud still hanging over the Greek shipping cluster, there is new evidence Athens-based companies are looking to Cyprus as an alternative base.

Indeed, Transmed Shipping has confirmed Andreas Chrysostomou, twice a candidate for IMO secretary general, as the ceo of Transmed Shipping (Cyprus), a Cyprus-based manager of dry bulk carriers. The appointment indicates the Athens-based, Charalambos Mylonas-led Transmed intends building up its now Limassol-based affiliate.

Chrysostomou left his job as director of the Cyprus Department of Merchant Shipping earlier this year after working for the islands maritime administration since 1993, when he became head of policy, multilateral affairs and standards at the shipping department.

Transmed Shipping (Cyprus) is poised to move into a new office building and though Mylonas has said nothing in public the company, which currently manages and crews six bulkers out of a group fleet of 20 vessels of some 2.7m dwt, has in the past advertised in Cyprus for operators, fleet superintendents, crew managers and operators andlegal, accounting and secretarial staff.

Company principal Mylonas is of Cypriot origin and among the few Greece-based shipowners to be actually verified as shifting part or all of their shipping operations to Cyprus recently.
The focus is on the shipping industry and the IMO to set out a plan to reduce CO2 emissions this week following the exclusion of the shipping and aviation industries from the UN Federal Climate Change Commission (UNFCCC) Paris COP21 agreement.

Now is the time for the IMO to put down a roadmap on what shipping should deliver. We sincerely hope the IMO will be able to take a decision this week, Jesper Forup Stubkjaer, senior advisor for the DSA said at a seminar on Disruptive innovation for radical C02 reductions in Copenhagen.

However, he noted that it was by no means a given with powerful forces, which he did not name, against a decision being made with some believing there is not enough data available. Stubkjaer said that the DSA believes there is enough data available to make a decision on a roadmap for CO2 reductions at the IMO this week. Immediately after speaking at the forum on Monday, which is part of Danish Maritime Days, Stubkjaer left for the MEPC meeting in London.

He stressed the regulations should be put in by the IMO to ensure that they are flag neutral.

While the shipping industry has already delivered CO2 reductions through the Energy Efficiency Design Index (EEDI) with a 10% reduction by 2010 and 35% by 2025 more would be needed. We already have global regulation but there is no doubt that EEDI will not deliver the Paris targets, so we need something significantly more than EEDI.

Stubkjaer noted the agreement on CO2 reductions announced by International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) covering the aviation industry globally. Were not certain what has been agreed by ICAO is enough. What ICAO had done though was send a clear signal to the global economy it was serious about emissions reductions.

However, former DNV GL ceo Henrik Madsen commented that the ICAO deal was a very weak commitment if you studied it.
Oil is so last century. With oversupply and lagging demand holding down the price per barrel, even Saudi Arabia, one of the world's largest producers of petroleum, is moving away from its dependence on crude.

The Saudi government recently struck a partnership with the Japanese telecom giant SoftBank to create a massive capital fund that will invest in tech ventures around the world, with the Middle Eastern kingdom contributing as much as $45 billion. The aim is for the SoftBank Vision Fund to collect upwards of $100 billion, amounting to three-quarters of the global total raised by venture capital-backed companies in 2015. It's a staggering figure with the potential to profoundly shake up the tech industry.

"In the long run, this could be transformational," said Veljko Fotak, a University at Buffalo finance professor who focuses much of his research on sovereign wealth funds and corporate and international finance. With so much extra cash earmarked to underwrite tech enterprises, the array of possibilities is dizzying.

But Fotak doesn't expect the fund to invest in early-stage startup companies. Not at first, anyway.

"Most of the strategic investment so far from Middle Eastern Gulf countries has been aimed at established firms," he noted. "I suspect that will be the model here as well, at least in the early stages."

RELATED: Patents: Help or Hindrance to Innovation?

Such was the case when Saudi Arabia garnered headlines this summer by dumping $3.5 billion from its sovereign wealth fund into the ride-sharing provider Uber, giving the company its single-largest cash investment by far. Companies that need seed capital may have to look elsewhere.

Charles Kane, a senior lecturer in global economics at the MIT Sloan School of Management, suggested that the Saudi strategy will involve other major investments in American tech hotbeds like Silicon Valley, Boston, and Austin, as well as financial plays in the U.K. and other parts of Europe. The impact on bolstering the development of new technologies could be immense, but of greater importance to the kingdom is the prospect of leveraging its influence to encourage companies to establish offices and operations within Saudi Arabia.

Apart from diversifying its income stream, the Saudi government's wider objective is to foster more private-sector jobs at home and reduce the amount of money it pays to subsidize education, health, gas and water. But if it's striving to create the next Silicon Desert in Saudi Arabia, the realization of that ambition will be a long time coming.

"You don't magically start Silicon Valley in Saudi Arabia," Kane remarked. "You won't have the people to implement it."

Engines of innovation like Boston and Silicon Valley are driven by local research universities that graduate resourceful entrepreneurs and attract the venture capitalists looking to fund them. This combination doesn't exist in many countries and certainly not in Saudi Arabia, where most students attend religious schools and the talent at private companies is typically imported, said Andreas Schotter, a professor of international business at Canada's Western University who has focused on the Middle East.

To help reform the Saudi economy, the government is pursuing a strategy of shifting educational priorities toward engineering and technology, but this will take time to bear fruit, according to Zubair Iqbal, a scholar at the Middle East Institute and the former assistant director of the International Monetary Fund's Middle East and Central Asia department.

WATCH VIDEO: What Is Life Really Like in Saudi Arabia?
In today's edition of DNews, Trace Dominguez examines the history of the U.S. space program in the great state of Florida. The site of the launch facility on Cape Canaveral wasn't chosen lightly, and it turns out that Florida has a number of geographical benefits for flinging things off the planet. Issues including weather and even specific latitude coordinates come into play, as well.

To get the full story, Trace spoke with former NASA astronaut, Michael Lopez-Alegria, veteran of three Space Shuttle missions and one round-trip flight to the International Space Station.

Thanks to Space Florida for sponsoring this episode of DNews! Download their We are Go Vacationauts app today!

Read More:

LiveScience: Why Do Rockets Launch from Florida?

SpaceLine: The History of Cape Canaveral: The Missile Range Takes Shape

SpaceToday: Space Launch Sites Around the World
When one of Anya Babbitt's business advisers asked if she'd ever consider moving her startup to Detroit, she thought it was a joke.Babbitt had never set foot in the Motor City and wasn't interested in moving her New York-based carpooling and ride-sharing platform to the Midwest. But the adviser told Babbitt about Techstars Mobility, a 90-day acceleration program that offers funding, office space, and a host of business resources to qualified tech firms and advanced materials businesses focused on mobility and transportation.She says the program sounded like a great opportunity for the company to be fully immersed in a new environmentespecially in the birthplace of the automobileand to take three months to do what would normally take a startup three years to accomplish.Babbitt launched the company about two years ago and now runs it with co-founders Yale Zhang and Ben McMillan. Babbitt, who previously started companies focused on luxury marketing, real estate, and travel, wrote her thesis on reducing carbon emissions and using technology to address problems with traffic congestion.She had a lightbulb moment when she was working on assignment in Los Angeles and was scrambling to find a way to a meeting when her hotel shuttle bus was overbooked and ridesharing apps had surge pricing and long waits. She saw two men about to get into a car, so she asked if they were also heading downtown and offered to share their car.Thus the idea for SPLT was born. SPLT seeks to reduce transportation congestion and mobility barriers by partnering with corporations, universities, hospitals, and municipalities to offer commuting solutions.DTE Energy, Magna, and Honda are among more than a dozen clients that provide their employees with the SPLT mobile app. Employees who are interested in carpooling input their home address and work schedule and can be matched with colleagues who have a similar route and timetable. The company also recently partnered with ridesharing app Lyft to provide nonemergency medical transportation in Detroit and other underserved communities.Babbitt says she fully intended on moving back to New York once the three-month acceleration program was over. It's been more than a year since SPLT graduated from Techstars Mobility , and the company proudly calls Detroit home. Babbitt runs the business from an office at Bamboo Detroit, a co-working facility in the heart of downtown."Detroit certainly keeps our engines running," she says.So what made her stay?Babbitt says she was "blown away by the amount of resources that exist in this state for startups, and the ability to really partner with different groups and entities who truly want to help propel your business forward."The company has worked with the mayor's office, the health department, state offices, and others."We've stayed because of those relationships we forged with partners, with neighbors, with customers," Babbitt says.Being in Detroit and working with Techstars Mobility gave SPLT access to dozens of mentors tied to the automotive industry and other sectors that intersect with transportation like health care and education. Ford Motor Co. is a marquee sponsor of Techstars Mobility, and Bill Ford gave some great advice to SPLT early on, Babbitt says.She says it's been encouraging and inspiring to meet with manufacturers and suppliers to better understand their vision for the future of mobility."It's really cool to be in Detroit and to be at the forefront of that innovation and those discussions which you wouldn't have in New York or the West Coast as readily because the manufacturing is still here, the conversations are still here  we're really sitting at the epicenter," Babbitt says.Detroit offers a more collaborative, open, and accessible environment for a startup to flourish, Babbitt says. The city operates on the mentality that "we're all in this together," which differs from other cities' competitive vibes that Babbitt says are counterproductive to economic progress.She says it's important that companies considering a move to Detroit know the intent behind moving to the city. Many people come and make promises to help but then end up leaving, she says."Be patient," she says. "Sometimes it takes a little bit longer to do deals (in Detroit). Be respectful. As an outsider, it takes time to build trust."Babbitt views the lack of reliable, comprehensive, and affordable transportation options as Detroit's biggest problem. She's met people who have never left their three-block radius, and she cited research that found more than 60,000 households in Detroit don't have access to a car . That can be especially problematic when many suburban communities have opted out of public transit.In underserved cities like Detroit, some residents are forced to take lower-paying jobs because of a lack of efficient and affordable transportation options, Babbitt says."We specifically chose to move our headquarters from New York to Detroit to really begin to solve transportation here where there clearly is a problem," she says. "I don't think necessarily that it's a lack of education that prevents people from getting out of their particular station in life, I think it's a lack of mobility. If SPLT can work here specifically in Detroit, we believe it can really work anywhere."The idea for SPLT started as a service to promote directly to consumers who, for instance, wanted to carpool from the suburbs to jobs in a large city. The company opted to pursue a business-to-business model after living in Michigan, where Babbitt says she realized there was a greater need to address areas without great public transportation and provide solutions to companies, universities, and municipalities."Being surrounded by investors and mentors and industry leaders and the automakers inspired us to look at our business in a new direction," she says. "Moving to Michigan, we say, is really the best decision that we've made to date."Detroit-based nonprofit NextEnergy encouraged SPLT to launch a new division offering nonemergency medical transportation service. Hospitals in Michigan have signed up for the service to provide more reliable transportation so patients dont miss their appointments. Ridesharing company Lyft provides the vehicles while SPLT is the broker.While Babbitt is enthusiastically positive about her decision to move her startup to Detroit, it hasn't been without challenges, the biggest of which was fundraising. SPLT ended up having to seek investments from outside of Michigan for the first seed round. Now that theyve been in Detroit for a year, they're starting to get some funding from Michigan angel funds."Access to venture capitalists in this area can sometimes cause a problem when you're trying to raise money, grow a company, and stay in Michigan," she says, adding that investors here seem to be looking for higher returns than she's seen in other states.But the environment seems to be changing here, and she was encouraged by a conversation with the Michigan Economic Development Corp. about programs and groups aimed at addressing the issue.Babbitt says she'd also love to have additional resources and support for doing business as a Michigan company with international customers. SPLT recently closed its first account in Mexico Overall, Babbitt remains motivated about the resources and opportunities that Detroit and Michigan have to offer."The access and openness that we find from everyone and genuine support and community that we find here is really encouraging for us to grow our business," she says.Anya Babbitt will be part of Startups High Growth Happy Hour on Tuesday, Oct. 25, along with Tatiana Grant from Flash Delivery, which was featured in Startup in August . The event is free but RSVP is recommended
Press Release

October 22, 2016 Duterte's China visit: A missed opportunity to present a truly independent and progressive foreign policy

Statement of Akbayan Senator Risa Hontiveros There is no question that the Philippines needs to move towards a more independent and progressive foreign policy position. To achieve this, the government must make a strong commitment against superpower games to accumulate power and influence against each other. An independent and progressive foreign policy must be founded on the principles of equality and human rights, particularly the right to life and dignity. It must have strong gender and ecological lens in finding peaceful resolutions to sovereign disputes. It must also be in solidarity with different countries, pursuing principled cooperation based on mutual respect of each other's national sovereignty and integrity. "From one colonial master to another" Unfortunately, President Rodrigo Duterte's visit to China missed the unique opportunity to present such a foreign policy. He missed the chance to represent the collective aspirations and independence of the Filipino people. Behind President Duterte's fiery anti-west rhetoric is a confused foreign policy riddled with contradictions. President Duterte must understand that the country cannot possibly have a respectable foreign policy by ditching the chains of one colonial master in exchange for another, by rejecting US imperialism only to accede to the Chinese government's regional bullying and "social-imperialism", by preferring another power because it turns a blind eye on the government's alleged human rights violations. Sadly, it appears that President Duterte has capitulated to the very same superpower realpolitik that he wants to veer away from. The shelved Hague ruling Equally disheartening is the government's decision to shelve our historic victory at the Hague tribunal in its bilateral talks with China. This victory was the product of determined diplomatic work on the part of our foreign affairs representatives and the thousands of ordinary Filipinos who marched to the streets to defend our sovereignty. President Duterte's attempt to make a deal with China in grave disregard of the Hague ruling is wrong. That we have to get China's "approval" in order for our fishermen to gain access to Philippine marine resources is absurd. This renders our hard-fought victory hollow and our sovereignty severely compromised. The risk of Chinese loans I also raise my concerns on the multi-billion loans that the Duterte government received from China. Firstly, it appears that we traded the West Philippine Sea to China for these loans. On this basis alone, we are at the losing end of this "bargain." Secondly, Chinese loans, while devoid of attached neoliberal economic prescriptions, come with grossly unfair and unconscionable terms that will bind us to Chinese contractors and Chinese state industries. The implementation of these loan-funded projects also lacks transparency and integrity. We do not have to go too far back in history to find evidence against Chinese loans: the hallmark of Chinese-funded NBN-ZTE and Northrail projects during the time of the Arroyo government was high-level, high-value corruption. It is also worth remembering that China attempted to illegally lease 1M hectares of Philippine agricultural lands, violating patrimony and land reform laws. While loans are not inherently bad, President Duterte himself must see to it that these will not be abused, he must ensure that these will not compromise our laws and sovereignty; these loans must benefit the people without imposing an unnecessary burden. We should not underestimate the importance of a concrete strategy when it comes to foreign affairs, the promotion of national interests and peaceful cooperation with other countries. I urge the president to conduct extensive foreign policy dialogues and consultations with his Cabinet, the legislature, foreign affairs experts and other stakeholders to craft a foreign policy truly reflective of the Filipino people's interests and aspirations. An extremely important matter such as this simply cannot be left to the mere judgment of one man alone.
Press Release

October 23, 2016 Bam reiterates call for probe on foreign policy direction A senator reiterated his call to investigate the country's foreign policy direction, underscoring the need for clarification following President Duterte's recent pronouncement regarding ties with the United States and China. Last Sept. 19, 2016, Sen. Bam Aquino filed Senate Resolution No. 158, urging the government to clarify the country's stand on different foreign policy issues, such as joint maritime patrols and the stationed American troops in Mindanao. "I think many of us agree that we have to clarify our official position as soon as possible. We hope they schedule the hearing soon," said Sen. Bam, referring to the latest declaration by President Duterte during his China trip. "It's time we get into the details of our independent foreign policy and how this affects are current int'l agreements, as well as our economy and the lives of the Filipino people here and abroad," he added. Sen. Bam earlier said that Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano, chairman of the Committee on Foreign Relations, expressed willingness to conduct a hearing on the matter. However, no date has been set. Aside from Sen. Bam, three other senators backed the resolution, including Sens. Franklin Drilon, Francis Pangilinan and Leila de Lima. In a joint statement, the four senators expressed support behind Duterte's push for an independent foreign policy but stressed that it must protect and champion the interest of the Filipino people. "One that is not pro-American and not pro-China but pro-Filipino, ensuring that the conventions and agreements we sign will benefit Filipino citizens," the senators said. According to the four senators, the hearing should reveal the terms of the 13 agreements and memoranda of understanding, including the reported $6 billion in soft loans, $3 billion in credit facilities through private Chinese banks, and the Joint Coastal Guard Committee on Maritime Cooperation in disputed waters, signed during the President's state visit to China. The lawmakers also want the Departments of Foreign Affairs, Finance, and Trade and Investments to "explain the ramifications of the President's latest foreign policy pronouncements on Filipinos living here and abroad". "The Filipino people deserve to know what the official position of the administration is and how these affect the lives of our countrymen residing in all corners of the globe," the lawmakers said. During a speech in Beijing, President Duterte announced his military and economic "separation" from the United States. However, upon his return from Beijing, Duterte clarified that the "separation" he mentioned was merely "separation of a foreign policy" and not severance of ties.
Press Release

October 23, 2016 Legarda, DTI to Launch 2016 National Arts and Crafts Fair The 2016 National Arts and Crafts Fair, a trade fair that features both indigenous crafts and contemporary art, will be held on October 26-30, 2016 at the Megatrade Halls 1-3 in SM Megamall, Senator Loren Legarda announced today. "A fair that brings together fine examples of craft and design and contemporary art, this National Arts and Crafts Fair aims to dissolve the divide between art and craft," said Legarda, Chair of the Senate Committee on Finance. The said fair, spearheaded by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and supported by Senator Legarda, will exhibit the cultural expressions of local artists from different regions across the country, mainly highlighting both contemporary art and crafts that exemplify indigenous living traditions through hand-made products, ornaments, jewelry, fabric and accessories, among others. Legarda, author of Republic Act 9501 or the Magna Carta for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) and Republic Act 9509 or the Barangay Kabuhayan Act, said, "This fair is a powerful platform to promote MSMEs as viable rural livelihoods and to showcase Filipino home-made products as well as individual and indigenous talents." The Senator further expressed, "I am glad that the DTI is continuing the implementation of the MSME Law. I am even further pleased with the fact that its implementation is incorporated with my advocacies on the preservation and promotion of culture and arts." Legarda explained that an important feature of the trade fair is that it brings together fine examples of craft and design and contemporary art that involve virtues and principles of craft. "The experience of the fair is contemporary and cosmopolitan but is sensitive to the living traditions of Philippine culture," said Legarda. Around 120 groups and individuals from different regions in the country will be boasting their crafts and art inside Megatrade Halls 1, 2 and 3. The exhibition was designed by Patrick Flores, curator of the University of the Philippines' Vargas Museum, together with Dannie Alvarez and Ann Pamintuan. Several participants are those that have been met and helped by Legarda such as Sammy Buhle of Ifugao Ikat and Lily Luglug of Lab Tie Dye Weavers Association. Buhle runs a home-based weaving center specializing in ikat weaving. Legarda has helped them in various ways including promoting their products. They were featured at the National Museum's weaving demonstrations that are part of the Lecture Series on Philippine Traditional Textiles and Indigenous Knowledge, which Legarda and the National Museum initiated not only to perpetuate weaving and indigenous knowledge but also to help promote weaving communities and their products. Through these forms of support, Buhle was able to pay off their debt from the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) so that the looms, sewing machine and other equipment issued to them would not be forfeited. Meanwhile, Luglug's Lab Tie Dye Weavers Association, which started in 2009, has been participating in trade fairs but had minimal stocks due to lack of equipment and raw materials. Since they received loom and other weaving materials from the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) through the support of Senator Legarda, their productivity has increased significantly. Rhoda Pon-an's Antique Development Foundation (ADF) is also a participant at the 2016 National Arts and Crafts Fair. When Legarda met Pon-an, the Senator started ordering from ADF various hand-woven products made from bariw and abaca and would also promote it among her friends. In 2012, Legarda invited Pon-an to participate in the Hibla Pavilion of Textiles and Weaves of the Philippines, which was a highlight of the October 2012 Manila FAME Design and Lifestyle Event. In that event, Legarda introduced Pon-an to Dona Bea Zobel, who ordered bariw carpets from Pon-an and since then became a regular customer of ADF. Among the National Arts and Crafts Fair exhibitors whom Legarda has been supporting are the Mangyan Heritage Center from Calapan City, Oriental Mindoro; Nagbacalan Loomweavers Multi-Purpose Cooperative for Paoay, Ilocos Norte; San Jose Multi-Purpose Cooperative from Sarat, Ilocos Norte; Katagowan Weaving and Souvenirs from Sagada, Mt. Province; Rowilda's Loomweaving from Vigan, Ilocos Sur; Salidummay Communities Development Association from Lubuagan, Kalinga; Ness Crafts from Tabaco City, Albay; Bagtason Loom Weavers Association from Bugasong, Antique; CM Bamboocraft Center from La Paz, Iloilo City; Indag-an Primary Multi-Purpose Cooperative from Miag-ao Iloilo; and the Laguindingan Silk Weavers - Abai Weavers Multi-Purpose Cooperative from Laguindingan, Misamis Oriental. Other features of the event are artworks by Ann Pamintuan, Magdiwang Jardiniano, Lirio Salvador, and Ged Merino; Future Flavors booth of DOST - Philippine Council for Industry, Energy and Emerging Technology Research and Development (PCIEERD); Lab to Fab booth of DOST - Philippine Textile Research Institute (PTRI); and a booth by NCCA, featuring Schools of Living Traditions (SLT) beneficiaries. It will also host simultaneous workshops conducted by the Performing Arts and Recreation Center (PARC Foundation) which extends support to financially challenged performing artists, Lumban Pinya Embroiders, Sorsogon Basket Weavers, Vermont Coronel Jr. and Gerome Soriano's Kaleidoscope Photography, Leather Crafting by Patricia Peralta, Comics Making by Manix Abrera, Kim Tiam Lee's jewelry making, among others. "I invite everyone to visit the 2016 National Arts and Crafts Fair to see both indigenous crafts and contemporary art that we can all be proud of. This trade fair, which could turn small opportunities into great achievements, is a demonstration that art is an enabler of development and that culture is wealth. Thus, we have to utilize our country's available resources, maximize our local and indigenous talents, and vigorously implement our laws," Legarda concluded.
Press Release

October 23, 2016 Recto: Cut red tape in the request, release, use of calamity funds Senate Minority Leader Ralph Recto is urging the Duterte administration "to hack away" at the red tape slowing down the flow of rehabilitation funds to disaster-hit areas. Recto said "complicated rules" governing the request, release and use of national calamity funds result in the trickle down of aid to areas which need rapid restoration. He described the "cumbersome requirements" as "inherited and institutional regulations which must be overhauled if we want to send aid to people and places which need them the most as fast as possible." "The war against red tape must also be fought in the disaster aid front," Recto said. "Red tape itself is a man-made calamity." "If we want to turbocharge the release of aid money, then we must first change the rules," Recto said in calling for the review of the procedures on how disaster-hit areas can access the Calamity Fund, or what is officially called National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Fund. "Kung i-diagram mo yung proseso, parang wiring ng kuryente. From request to release to procurement to delivery of reconstruction materials, easily one hundred steps. Kawawa talaga ang mga local governments," Recto lamented. "Walang problema doon sa pagpapadala ng relief ng DWSD. Kasi nakita naman natin na mabilis at nasa frontline si Secretary Taguiwalo. Ang mabagal yung sa rehabilitation portion, yung pagtatayo ng bagong gusali, o pagpapalit nang naanod na tulay, na kailangan ng calamity funds," he said. For this year, P39 billion has been allocated as National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Fund in the national budget. A lump sum fund, the Calamity Fund covers aid, relief, and rehabilitation services to areas hit by man-made and natural calamities. It also funds pre-disaster projects and operations. The release involves "the interplay and layers of approval" of many agencies including the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC), the Office of the President, and the Department of Budget and Management (DBM), Recto said. He said a local government unit (LGU) flattened by a typhoon will have to submit documentary requirements "through a gauntlet of agencies." Citing an official workflow, Recto said the documents an LGU must submit include the following:  Complete description and justification of the project;  Local DRRMC damage report and calamity Impact Assessment report and Work and Financial Plan, including pictures;  Sanggunian Resolution declaring the area under a State of Calamity or Imminent Danger and appropriating local counterpart for the project;  Certification by the Local Chief Executive (LCE) through a Sanggunian Resolution assuring that whatever amount will be provided by the Office of the President, the project will be completed;  Endorsement of the RDRRMC Chairperson (Office of Civil Defense Regional Director);  Certification and justification by the LCE concerned that funding requests chargeable against the Calamity Fund are emergency in character;  Certification by the Local Accountant that their Local Calamity Fund is already depleted or exhausted;  Certification of non-availability of funding source other than the Calamity Fund;  Certification that the infrastructure being requested for funding support are not covered by insurance "Kung naanod na computer mo, nawawala ang encoder, at wala kang kuryente, magagawa mo pa ba ito?" Recto said. The request is then checked by the Office of Civil Defense, which is the operating arm and secretariat of the NDRRMC. After verification, it is sent to the Office of the President for approval. Once approved, the request is forwarded directly to the DBM, for another round of vetting. The DBM then issues the Special Allotment Release Order (SARO) and Notice of Cash Allocation (NCA) directly to the LGU. LGUs, however, receive only 50% of the cash requirement with the balance to be released based on progress and reports to be submitted. "At ito ay sa pagrelease pa lang ng pondo. Hindi pa pumapasok sa bidding, where another set of rules await under the Government Procurement Reform Act," Recto said. Recto said the procurement law "must be revisited insofar as the relaxation of rules for emergency relief purchases are concerned." "Kung parating na ang bagyo, may leeway ka dapat ibigay sa mga nandoon sa frontlines, sa pagbili nang mga pagkain, halimbawa. Yung iba tuloy ayaw bumili kasi takot sa COA (Commission on Audit)," Recto said. One way of expediting the procurement of relief goods and rehabilitation materials is for the government to open credit lines "to big commercial establishments in the area, like a branch of a supermarket chain, like SM, and have this arrangement covered by a Memorandum of Agreement." Recto said government should also preposition "packed foodstuff, clothing, personal hygiene materials in identified regional warehouses." "Forward deployed na dapat. Para ready na at hindi yung magrerepack pa at ililipad mo pa mula Maynila," he said. Aside from these regional depots, government should also designate certain military camps as "area rallying points" where a composite brigade-size of military and civilian security, health, social welfare, engineering personnel can be assembled for rapid deployment to disaster zones.
Bam: Abolishing NIR may deprive Negrenses of

economic development, poverty alleviation

A senator maintained that abolishing the Negros Island Region (NIR) may not be conducive to the economic development of the region.

Sen. Bam Aquino made the pronouncement as he filed a resolution calling for an inquiry that into the national government's plans for the NIR and its people.

Sen. Bam submitted Senate Resolution No. 212 after the government revealed plan to repeal Executive Order 183 that established the NIR.

"Abolishing the NIR now would deprive the Negrense people of a critical pathway to economic development and poverty alleviation," said Sen. Bam.

In his resolution, Sen. Bam stressed the need for the national government to consider and assess the broader potential and long term impact of having an administration center in the Negros Island.

"This will enable greater efficiency in the implementation of development projects, and better and faster delivery of government services to Negrenses," said Sen. Bam.

Signed on May 29, 2015, Executive Order 183 mandated the creation of a unified Negros Island Region (NIR), bringing together Negros Oriental, Negros Occidental, and all the cities, municipalities and barangays comprising the two adjacent provinces.

The NIR is aimed at further accelerating social and economic development of the cities and municipalities comprising the provinces of Negros Occidental and Negros Oriental and improving delivery of public services in the two provinces.

"Let's not rush into a decision abolishing the NIR. We should give it the same amount of care, effort and time that was put into its creation," he added.
Press Release

October 24, 2016 Legarda on UN Day: We Need to Work

Harder to Achieve Global Targets Senator Loren Legarda today joins the world in celebrating United Nations Day as she expressed her commitment to help in the efforts for the Philippines to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), among other global commitments of the country. "I join the world in commemorating United Nations Day. I agree with UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon when he said that 'humanity has entered the era of sustainability'. Indeed, the past year has been fruitful for the world community as we move towards the path of sustainable development, a global low carbon economy, and better risk management. We all have to work harder to achieve our global targets," said Legarda, Global Champion for Resilience of the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR). The Senator noted that in 2015 alone, the global community adopted the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (Sendai, March); the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development or SDGs (New York, September); and the Paris Agreement on Climate Change (Paris, December). Recently, UN Member States adopted the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer. The Amendment, which is seen as a historic breakthrough in the fight to save humanity and the Earth from climate change impacts, aims to phase down hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) that were found to largely contribute to global warming. "These agreements provide us hope for a better future but we have a gargantuan task ahead of us. Addressing the climate change and sustainable development nexus requires a firm grip on financing and resilience issues. Setting a development agenda is just one part of the story. Delivering the agenda into action, in a way that builds a more resilient global community, is the more important part. Without realistically addressing the problems of today's climate realities and its risks, as well as financing, the lofty goals we have established on paper will remain just that-goals," Legarda stressed. The Senator expressed her commitment to help the country achieve these targets, especially the SDGs. "As Chair of the Senate Committee on Finance, I am helping our government ensure that the national budget is attuned to the SDGs, which are global aims to end poverty and hunger, improve health and education, make cities more sustainable, combat climate change, promote peace and justice for all, and protect the environment and biodiversity, among many others. I enjoin everyone to do their part as well because keeping our international commitments is not merely a contribution to the global community but also crucial to our people as our nation treads on the path of sustainable, resilient, and inclusive growth," Legarda concluded.
Press Release

October 24, 2016 No need for foreign aid; P37 B of Calamity

Fund unspent as of Aug. 31 - Recto The Calamity Fund posted an unspent balance of P37 billion as of August 31, foreclosing the need to solicit foreign aid to help victims of typhoon Lawin, Senate Minority Leader Ralph Recto said today. "The challenge is to open the floodgates of domestic aid funds and not to ask help from abroad," Recto said. Recto said the available amount in the Calamity Fund - officially known as the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Fund (NDRRMF) - came from two sources : unused 2015 and current year appropriations. For 2015, P14.06 billion was appropriated for the fund, of which P5.09 billion remained unused as of December 31, 2015. This amount was added to the 2016 appropriations of P38.9 billion, raising the spendable amount for this year to almost P44 billion. Availments as of end of August, however, totaled P6.9 billion, leaving a balance of P37 billion. Even if fund withdrawal accelerated since then, "easily there is at least P30 billion still available," he said. "No major calamities had visited us this year. There are fewer typhoons, the number is way below the usual and we are already nearing the last two months of the year," Recto said. Recto said the low utilization of calamity funds also pointed to another anomaly, "that little help was extended to El Nino victims last summer." Instead of seeking foreign help, Recto is prodding the Duterte administration "to hack away" at the red tape slowing down the flow of rehabilitation funds to Lawin- and other disaster-hit areas. Recto said "complicated rules" governing the request, release and use of national calamity funds result in the trickle down of aid to areas which need rapid restoration. He described the "cumbersome requirements" as "inherited regulations" which must be overhauled "if we want to send as much aid to people and places which need them most as fast as possible." "The war against red tape must also be fought in the disaster aid front," Recto said. "Red tape itself is a man-made calamity." "If we want to turbocharge the release of aid money, then we must first change the rules," Recto said in calling for the review of the procedures on how disaster-hit areas can access the Calamity Fund, or what is officially called NDRRMF. "Kung i-diagram mo yung proseso, parang wiring ng kuryente. From request to release to procurement to delivery of reconstruction materials, easily one hundred steps. Kawawa talaga ang mga local governments," Recto lamented. The release involves "the interplay and layers of approval" of many agencies including the National Disaster and Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC), the Office of the President, and the Department of Budget and Management (DBM), Recto said. He said a local government unit (LGU) flattened by a typhoon will have to submit documentary requirements "through a gauntlet of agencies." "Kung naanod na computer mo, nawawala ang encoder, at wala kang kuryente, magagawa mo pa ba ito?" Recto said. The request is then checked by the Office of Civil Defense, which is the operating arm and secretariat of the NDRRMC. After verification, it is sent to the Office of the President for approval. Once approved, the request is forwarded directly to the DBM, for another round of vetting. The DBM then issues the Special Allotment Release Order (SARO) and Notice of Cash Allocation (NCA) directly to the LGU. "At ito ay sa pag-release pa lang ng pondo. Hindi pa pumapasok sa bidding, where another set of rules await under the Government Procurement Reform Act," Recto said. Recto said the procurement law "must be revisited insofar as the relaxation of rules for emergency relief purchases are concerned." "Kung parating na ang bagyo, may leeway ka dapat ibigay sa mga nandoroon sa frontlines, sa pagbili nang mga pagkain, halimbawa. Yung iba tuloy ayaw bumili kasi takot sa COA (Commission on Audit)," Recto said. One way of expediting the procurement of relief goods and rehabilitation materials is for the government to open credit lines "to established big commercial establishments in the area, like a branch of a supermarket chain, like SM, and have this arrangement covered by a Memorandum of Agreement." Recto said government should also preposition "packed foodstuff, clothing, personal hygiene materials in identified regional warehouses." "Forward deployed na dapat. Para ready na at hindi yung magre-repack pa at ililipad mo pa mula Maynila," he said. Aside from these regional depots, government should also designate certain military camps as "area rallying points" where a composite brigade-size of military and civilian security, health, social welfare, engineering personnel can be assembled for rapid deployment to disaster zones.
Press Release

October 24, 2016 TRILLANES SEEKS PROBE ON POLICE ROLE ON

ANTICRIME CRUSADER'S DEATH Senator Antonio F. Trillanes IV has filed a resolution seeking to conduct an inquiry on the alleged involvement of some members of the Philippine National Police (PNP) in numerous extrajudicial killings in the country, most recent of which is the involvement of PNP members in the murder of Zenaida Luz, an anticrime advocate. In the filed Proposed Resolution No. 201, Trillanes noted that out of the 3,844 reported deaths since July 2016, 2,294 are victims of the vigilante-style killings and the remaining 1,550 are those who are killed in police operations. "The figure is very alarming especially since members of government forces are allegedly being used to perpetuate this kind of killings," Trillanes said. The resolution cited the case of the involvement of two junior police officials in the killing of Ms. Zenaida M. Luz, a 51 year old Citizen Crime Watch (CCW) regional chairperson. She was gunned down by a riding in tandem who turned out to be these two policemen who were identified as Senior Inspector Magdalino G. Pimentel Jr. and Inspector Markson S. Almeranez. Inspector Almeranez was even awarded this year as outstanding police commissioned officer by PNP Director General Dela Rosa. On top of this, the resolution also cited the 4 October 2016 article of The Guardian, a British National daily newspaper, which featured a senior officer of the PNP who bared that he is a part of the 10 newly-formed and highly secretive special operations teams, and that he is personally involved in 87 killings in the past three months. The said teams are coordinated to execute a list of targets who are suspected drug users, dealers and criminals. Trillanes added: "This should be immediately investigated for us to come up with remedial legislation to ensure that the members of the PNP do not use their authority, training and power in committing unlawful and criminal activities. We should also revisit the Philippine National Reform Act to ensure that the PNP's constitutionally enshrined mandate to 'serve and protect' would be upheld.
Press Release

October 24, 2016 Villanueva wants to increase workers' take-home pay Recognizing the most immediate national concern of Filipinos, Senator Joel Villanueva has filed a bill which targets to reform the outdated tax system that will increase the take-home pay of workers. Senate Bill No. 1062 or An Act Restructuring the Income Tax Imposed on Individuals seeks to amend the Tax Code and adjust the personal income tax structure. "The failure to adjust the personal income tax structure since 1997 led to rising tax burden among Filipinos. The absence of regular adjustment has pushed taxpayers into higher tax brackets resulting to workers paying a larger portion of their incomes to the government," the senator explained. Villanueva further said the greater share in taxes of Filipino wage and salary earners is one of the reasons why there has been a demand to increase the workers' wages or salaries. Pulse Asia Research Inc. recently released a nationwide survey which shows that 46 percent of 1,200 respondents cited increasing workers' pay as their most urgent concern. The survey was conducted from September 25 to October 1. "Hindi sapat ang pagtataas ng kita ng ating manggagawa kung hindi natin irereporma ang ating sistema ng pagbubuwis. Panahon na po para ibalik sa ating taumbayan ang karamihan ng kanilang kinikita nang sa gayon ay mas mapalakas din natin ang kakayahan nilang gumastos para sa kanilang mga pangangailangan," Villanueva said. In his bill, Villanueva proposes an income tax rate of five percent for individuals who earn no more than P22,200 annually. The present system of the Bureau of Internal Revenue imposes a tax rate of five percent for individuals who earn no more than P10,000 a year. For individuals earning over P22,200 but not over P66,600, Villanueva is proposing a tax of P1,100 plus 10 percent of the excess of P22,200 while those earning over P66,600 but not over P155,400 will be charged P5,550 plus 15 percent of the excess of P66,600. If the annual compensation is over P155,400 but not over P310,800, the proposed rate is P18,870 plus 20 percent of the excess of P155,400 while for those who earn over P310,800 but not over P555,000, the proposed rate would be P49,950 plus 25 percent of the excess of P310,800. Moreover, if an individual earns over P555,000 but not over P1,110,000, the proposed rate would be P111,000 plus 30 percent of the excess of P555,000. Individuals who earn over P1,100,000 annually would be taxed P277,500 plus 32 percent of the excess over P1,100,000. Villanueva said the Philippines has one of the highest top marginal tax rates among members of the ASEAN at 32 percent. In addition, the country also imposes a higher tax rate at a lower taxable income. One of the examples is an effective tax rate of 25 percent imposed in the Philippines at a taxable income of P500,000. In contrast, among the six largest ASEAN economies, the same income is taxed at a lower effective tax rate ranging from zero in Singapore to 20 percent in Vietnam. "Our country should not be left behind our richer ASEAN neighbors. What we need is a taxpayer-friendly system that would give more purchasing power to our workers. If the passage of this bill will be certified as urgent, concerns on wages will be alleviated and our workers will receive a higher take home pay" Villanueva said. Meanwhile, the Senate Committee on Ways and Means chaired by tax reform advocate Senator Sonny Angara and vice-chaired by Senator Villanueva, will conduct a hearing on Oct. 25, Tuesday at 10am to tackle the tax package proposal of the Department of Finance and the 14 related Senate bills reforming our tax system.
The Excelsior neighborhood is poised to get something San Francisco hasnt seen in decades: a new development with rent-controlled apartments.

The developer, SST Investments, is proposing a 103-unit development at 915-917 Cayuga Ave. that would feature 51 permanently rent-controlled units. While state laws exempt new construction from rent control  along with all buildings erected after 1978  the city is hammering out a development agreement that would give tenants permanent protections under the citys rent control laws.

In exchange, the developer would get to build 24 more units than the 79 apartments the current zoning allows.

In addition to the 51 rent-controlled apartments, the other 52 units would be rented for below market rate: 25 percent would be affordable to households making 120 percent of area median income ($103,000 for a two-person household); 15 percent would be for families making 55 percent of AMI ($47,400 for a two-person household); and 10 percent for families making 80 percent of AMI ($68,900).

This is a monumental project for the city, unique to San Francisco and California, said Jeff Buckley, who advises Mayor Ed Lee on housing. The reason we were able to do it is that we have a willing partner who is interested in doing something inventive to help take the burden off moderate- and middle-income families feeling the squeeze.

For the city, the deal seems to be an unusual combination of the right developer buying the right piece of property at the right time. SIA picked up 915-917 Cayuga, a 25,000-square-foot parcel, in 2009 for $1.8 million, less than the average price of a single-family home in Noe Valley. At the same time, while housing prices have skyrocketed throughout the city, the Excelsior has remained relatively affordable. Despite having good access to the Balboa Park BART Station and a lively retail corridor on Mission Street, the area has not seen new housing popping up or widespread gentrification.

Developer Siavash Tahbazof said the concept grew from a conversation about middle-class housing he was having with a family friend, Ahsha Safai, a neighborhood activist who is running for the Board of Supervisors in District 11.

The idea just hit me, he said. What if we went over and beyond for this one? What if we created a special place for 100 families in a neighborhood that so desperately needs new housing they can afford?

In an email, Tahbazof said he considers the deal a philanthropic legacy project for the family, which left Iran during the 1981 revolution and came to San Francisco.

This country, and San Francisco in particular, has done so much for my family since we arrived over 35 years ago, he said. I came to this country with very little and was lucky to catch a few breaks that helped me succeed. Hopefully, this building can be that break another young family needs to propel themselves to a better life.

Buckley said the project sets an exciting precedent with great policy implications for us. While the Cayuga situation is unusual, he hopes other property owners may be willing to take a similar deal in exchange for more density.

Tahbazof said he doubts it would be a workable model for other developers, saying its not a feasible business model.

The Mayors Office of Economic and Workforce Development will work on the final development agreement and hopes to have the project at the City Planning Commission for approvals by late 2017.

Safai said middle- and working-class housing has been one of the top issues as he has run for supervisor, and District 11 is the right place to create it.

The market out here for two-bedroom or one-bedroom apartments is still accessible to the average family, he said. We are not talking about Mission Bay or Nob Hill or Fillmore. This is working-family housing for people like you and me.

Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Updated to include drought zones while tracking water shortage status of your area, plus reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts.

Janan New, executive director of the San Francisco Apartment Association, said she doesnt have a problem with property owners voluntarily agreeing to rent control, even if it technically goes against state law. She pointed out that two other development deals, Trinity Place and Parkmerced, have included new rent-controlled units, but only as replacement for units that are being knocked down.

If its done voluntarily, we are fine with that, she said. If the developer chooses to do a higher level of inclusionary (units) or commit to rent control, as long as they get to build and we are providing more housing units, we are happy.

New doesnt expect anyone will oppose the deal. We are the bringer of lawsuits, and we are not going to sue, she said.

Supervisor John Avalos, who represents the neighborhood and is supporting Safais opponent, Kimberly Alvarenga, called the timing of the deal  two weeks before the election  dubious.

Avalos accused Safai of using an insider deal and personal relationship to show he has juice and get maximum benefit during election season.

Avalos said he doesnt have a position on the project but wants a strong community process to ensure people I have worked with on affordable housing in District 11 can have a say and help support the project down the line.

J.K. Dineen is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jdineen@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @sfjkdineen
A little more than a year ago, outrage over police shootings around the country led California Attorney General Kamala Harris to launch an unprecedented project called Open Justice to provide user-friendly statistics  including counts of fatal police encounters  to researchers and regular citizens.

But the public still isnt getting a complete picture of these deadly incidents. Not even close.

Californias official tally of police killings in 2015 is missing more than 25 percent of deaths  at least 50 shootings  because dozens of law enforcement agencies failed to disclose cases as legally required, according to data compiled by Texas State University and analyzed by The Chronicle.

From 2006 to 2015, Californias count of officer-involved shootings left out at least 439 fatalities, meaning there were at least 1,480 in total, according to the new data.

In the 10-year span, the Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department didnt report at least 34 fatal shootings, Fresno police didnt report at least 24, and Los Angeles police didnt report at least 21, the study found.

Nobody has any idea how many police shootings there are, said Robert Weisberg, a Stanford Law School professor and co-director of the Stanford Criminal Justice Center. Any scrutiny is good, and if this causes more scrutiny, thats good, and if it causes any embarrassment, thats fine.

The Texas State study said San Francisco police did not report any of their six fatal shootings to the state last year, including the December killing of Mario Woods, which sparked a federal review of the citys force.

The researchers found two additional cases, in 2008 and 2010, in which a San Francisco police killing did not end up being recorded by the state. There was no indication, they said, that the discrepancies were purposeful.

City police officials disputed the conclusion that they hadnt reported eight fatalities. Sgt. Michael Andraychak said the department submitted the necessary paperwork regarding the incidents occurring in 2015. As for the previous two cases, he said the state could not verify if they received the forms.

We will be researching our records and will resubmit any paperwork as required by the state, Andraychak said.

The study reveals the degree to which California is part of an undercounting problem so widespread that two news organizations  the Washington Post and Guardian US  opted to perform their own counts of police killings last year, after figures released by the FBI were discredited as incomplete.

The results marked the first time the American public was given a reasonably full  though still imperfect  picture of officer-involved killings. The Post counted 991 fatal police shootings in the U.S. in 2015 and 189 in California, a number similar to the one calculated by Texas State University.

Scrutiny of such statistics was part of the aftermath of the Aug. 9, 2014, death of Michael Brown, an unarmed 18-year-old black man who was shot and killed by a white police officer in Ferguson, Mo.

Since then, a number of video-recorded police killings  including that of Woods in San Francisco  have ignited calls for reforms to reduce the bloodshed.

Criminologists say that while counting annual police shootings is important as a metric, a key benefit to gathering complete information is the ability to break down the numbers  to assess the race and ethnicity of people shot, for example, or study what weapons they carried or what steps officers took to avoid using lethal force.

Weisberg and other criminal justice experts note that without good numbers, its impossible to decipher trends  and, when possible, address them.

Its tough to motivate police departments to engage in their own self-criticism if theyre allowed to be in denial about how frequent these incidents are, Weisberg said.

Study co-author Scott Bowman, an assistant professor of criminal justice at Texas State, culled the unreported police shootings from media reports, police news releases and a variety of public databases.

Bowman said the lack of reporting probably wasnt intentional. Clerical errors, confusing reporting protocols, and a lack of time and resources to crunch the numbers were among the biggest factors, according to his study.

We dont believe theres some plot to withhold evidence or withhold a narrative, he said, adding that both local police agencies and the state should be held accountable for not doing more to improve record-keeping. The data thats collected now is better than no data, but its a far cry from being useful data.

State officials acknowledged last week that the numbers have fallen short.

The California Department of Justice has identified some discrepancies in the death-in-custody data, department spokeswoman Brenda Gonzalez said in an email to The Chronicle. Data completeness and accuracy are very important to the department, and our office is in the process of following up with appropriate agencies.

The office has long been burdened by old technology, with many records still kept on paper and onerous reporting systems confounding local police departments. Officials say theyre working to modernize these systems under Harris direction.

Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Updated to include drought zones while tracking water shortage status of your area, plus reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts.

As crude as the record-keeping may be, California remains one of just two states that have laws requiring law enforcement agencies to report in-custody deaths. Texas is the other.

Federal officials recently announced plans to step up their collection of data on police shootings and other uses of force across the nation, but the effort is unlikely to begin before next year  and will almost certainly experience the same growing pains as Californias.

The unreported police killings are traced to departments of all sizes, up and down the state. In the 10-year period from 2006 to 2015, San Franciscos police force was tied only with the Sonoma County Sheriffs Office for the most unreported fatal police shootings in Northern California, at eight apiece, the Texas State study found.

Sonoma County officials said the lapse will be corrected.

I dont know whether we turned it in and they didnt write it down, or we didnt turn it in, said Sheriffs Sgt. Spencer Crum. For whatever reason, we didnt (report)  But as soon as it was brought to our attention, we fixed it.

Kurtis Alexander is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: kalexander@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @kurtisalexander

Departments with the most cases

There were at least 439 fatal police shootings in California from 2006 to 2015 that were not reported to the state Department of Justice as required by law. Here are the departments with the most unreported cases.

Police agency Unreported killings Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department 34 Fresno Police Department 24 Los Angeles Police Department 21 San Bernardino County Sheriffs Department 12 Fresno County Sheriffs Office 8 San Diego Police Department 8 San Francisco Police Department 8 Sonoma County Sheriffs Office 8 Contra Costa County Sheriffs Office 6 Kern County Sheriffs Office 6 Oxnard Police Department 6 Visalia Police Department 6
PALM SPRINGS  A tour bus returning home to Los Angeles from a casino trip plowed into the back of a big-rig truck on a highway early Sunday, killing 13 people and injuring 31 others, authorities said.

A maintenance crew had slowed down traffic on Interstate 10 before the vehicles crashed just north of the desert resort town of Palm Springs, California Highway Patrol Border Division Chief Jim Abele said.

The bus carrying 44 passengers was going much faster than the truck, Abele said. The speed of bus was so significant that the trailer itself entered about 15 feet into the bus, he said.

It was not known if alcohol, drugs or fatigue played a role in the crash about 100 miles east of Los Angeles, but the bus was inspected in April and had no mechanical issues, Abele said. The bus driver was killed, and the truck driver received minor injuries.

The bus was coming from Red Earth Casino in the community of Thermal (Riverside County).

Passengers told officials that most people were asleep when the crash occurred at 5:17 a.m. Abele said it appeared the 1996 bus didnt have seat belts and probably didnt have a black box that newer vehicles feature.

The front of the bus crumpled into the semitrucks trailer and debris was scattered across the highway. Firefighters used ladders to climb into the bus windows to remove bodies.

Five of the injured were admitted to a hospital in critical condition, but all were later upgraded to stable.

CHP Officer Stephanie Hamilton told the Desert Sun newspaper that the driver was one of the owners of tour bus company USA Holiday, based near Los Angeles.

The company says on social media that it has more than 25 years of experience traveling to casinos in Southern California.
This killer had a lot of baggage, so to speak.

The Chronicles front page from Oct. 24, 1931, covers the capture of the Trunk Killer, Winnie Ruth Judd, in Los Angeles after a weeklong hunt.

Dramatic surrender of Mrs. Winnie Ruth Judd, 26, at a mortuary establishment almost within the shadow of the Hall of Justice here this evening was climaxed by her assertion that she killed Miss Hedvig Samuelson and Mrs. Agnes Le Roi, Phoenix trunk murder victims, in a desperate battle to save her own life, the story read.

This case was covered in newspapers across the country, and it was sensationalized in many of them. With details like these, how could it not be?

Judd was accused of killing the two women over her affection for an Arizona businessman. She chopped up one of the bodies and carried both in trunks and other luggage  hence the moniker Trunk Killer  by train from Phoenix to Los Angeles.

Judd gave herself up, according to another story on the page, because she feared getting lockjaw after being shot in the hand by one of her victims.

(Click to enlarge)

While under the influence of ether used as an anesthetic, Judd was said to have babbled, Doctor, kiss me  Ive been so mean. I wish I had a Catholic priest here.

The Trunk Killer would be found guilty of one of the murders and was sentenced to death, but she was instead put in a mental facility. She was released years later, and lived until 1998.

Journey song or 1930s article?: While practically all of the higher executives of the Pacific Gas and Electric Company banqueted in Berkeley and listened to the silvery tongues of young orators, the San Francisco lighting system failed for 20 minutes last night and many portions of the city were plunged into darkness. Hey, maybe someone who knew how to flip the switch back on should have stayed behind.

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Chronicle Covers highlights one classic Chronicle newspaper page from our archive every day for 366 days. Library director Bill Van Niekerken and producers Kimberly Chua, Michelle Devera and Jillian Sullivan contributed to the project. Tim ORourke is the executive producer and editor of SFChronicle.com. Email: torourke@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @TimothyORourke
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Tom Hayden, the influential antiwar activist who harnessed the unrest of the 1960s, was an agent of change  of his country and of his state and particularly of himself.

During a six-decade career, he transformed himself from a fiery, long-haired protest leader into an impassioned, short-haired state legislator and then into a sage, gray-haired college instructor. But he never retreated from taking on the powerful.

Mr. Hayden, the onetime husband of actress Jane Fonda and a defendant in the Chicago Seven case that put leaders of the anti-Vietnam War movement on trial in 1969, died Sunday in Santa Monica. He was 76. He suffered a stroke last year and had experienced heart problems since attending the Democratic National Convention in July, his family said in a statement.

Although Mr. Haydens tactics evolved from confrontation to working within the system, his politics remained true to the ideals he espoused as an early civil rights activist and one of the creators of the New Left.

Tom took up causes that others avoided, said Gov. Jerry Brown. He had a real sense of the underdog and was willing to do battle no matter what the odds.

Fellow antiwar activist David Harris recalled Mr. Hayden as having the best analytical mind of anyone. Mr. Hayden, he said, could assess a situation clearly, completely and right on the mark.

Born in Royal Oak, Mich., on Dec. 11, 1939, Thomas Emmet Hayden was the only child of Irish Catholic parents. He was editor of his high school newspaper but soon gave up journalism, saying he wanted to change the world instead of reporting about it.

While at the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor in the early 1960s, he helped form Students for a Democratic Society, which in its early days focused on civil rights and desegregating the South. As one of the Freedom Riders, activists who rode interstate buses in mixed racial groups through the South to challenge local laws enforcing segregation, Mr. Hayden was beaten in Mississippi and jailed in Georgia.

While in jail, he began working on what became the Port Huron Statement in 1962, a manifesto that inspired the national student movement to fight against what it saw as an oppressive government.

Where possible, the peace movement should challenge the peace credentials of the otherwise-liberals by threatening or actually running candidates against them, Hayden wrote. It was a philosophy he would later adopt himself in his numerous successful and unsuccessful runs for office.

In the mid-60s, Mr. Hayden worked as a community organizer in Newark, N.J., and was an early activist against the war in Vietnam. In 1968, he helped organize demonstrations in Chicago during the Democratic National Convention, which dissolved into bloody chaos as riot police violently suppressed protests on the citys streets.

Mr. Hayden was one of eight defendants later indicted by a federal grand jury on charges that included conspiracy and inciting a riot. The circus-like trial captivated the nation  the judge ordered one of Mr. Haydens co-defendants, Black Panther co-founder Bobby Seale, gagged and bound to his chair for four days when Seale insisted on representing himself.

Seales case was eventually severed from his co-defendants, and Mr. Hayden and four others were convicted of crossing state lines to incite a riot. The convictions were later overturned on appeal.

On Monday, Seale, now 80, praised his old friend as really a great guy, a great organizer, a great writer.

Chicago Seven defendants Abbie Hoffman and Jerry Rubin had their antics, but Tom was more serious, Seale said. During the Vietnam War he understood the problem of exploitation, he understood the plight of African Americans. He understood, the way I did, that the framework of government needed to be more progressive. He was someone we could count on.

Mr. Hayden lived in Berkeley during those years and was a member of the Red Family, a commune that served as a meeting place for activists working to develop a political platform.

He was a very funny, intelligent, dynamic, ironic guy with a terrific gift of gab, said longtime friend Larry Bensky, former national affairs correspondent for Berkeley public radio station KPFA. He always wanted to be where the action was. He was such an unusual person, who basically lived his politics.

As the explosive idealism of the 1960s gave way to the less-volatile 1970s, Mr. Hayden and his then-wife, Fonda, traveled across Vietnam interviewing people affected by the war. The trip was captured in a documentary film, Introduction to the Enemy.

They seemed devoted to each other, Harris said, before recalling with a smile that Mr. Hayden was the first to admit he did not have the traditional looks of a leading man. Visually, it was a hard one.

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The couple divorced in 1990 after 17 years of marriage and two children. Mr. Hayden later married actress Barbara Williams and had another son.

While married to Fonda, Mr. Hayden turned his focus to political office and was elected to the California Assembly in 1982. Ten years later, he won election to the state Senate, where he fought for education and environmental issues. He was also known for legislation on behalf of shelter animals, food labeling and student political representatives from community colleges.

Bensky said that over the years, Mr. Haydens tactics evolved from those of an aggressive idealist to one who saw the benefits of pragmatism. He knew that in order to effectuate any social change, it is essential to engage the system, he said. But he never forgot his principles, and was always true to his instincts to help those that needed help in society.

Mr. Hayden had failed runs for the U.S. Senate in 1976, for California governor in 1994, for mayor of Los Angeles in 1997 and for Los Angeles City Council in 2001. He retired from a career in politics to lecture against the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and to teach at such colleges as UCLA, Scripps and Occidental.

Mr. Hayden wrote several books, including Reunion, his memoir of the upheavals of the 1960s. Frequently he contributed opinion pieces to newspapers, including a 2008 piece about the Iraq War for The Chronicle in which he called the Iraqi government a U.S.-created, U.S.-funded, U.S.-armed Frankenstein.

Morality aside, there is no certainty that transferring combat duties to the Iraqi army, with embedded U.S. advisers and trainers, will succeed in stabilizing Iraq anytime soon, Mr. Hayden wrote.

In a recent interview, Mr. Hayden maintained that a citizen was obliged not only to vote, but also to disagree with those he had voted for.

Dissent has been crucial to positive social change throughout our history, Mr. Hayden said. The American Revolution, abolition, womens suffrage, the labor movement, the environmental movement. Where would we be as a country without that kind of dissent?

Evan Sernoffsky and Steve Rubenstein are San Francisco Chronicle staff writers. Email: esernoffsky@sfchronicle.com and srubenstein@sfchronicle.com. Twitter: @EvanSernoffsky and @SteveRubeSF
Bill Hutchinson / The Chronicle

Police in Burlingame are searching for a killer who gunned a man down in the driveway of the Hyatt Regency at San Francisco International Airport on Sunday morning, officials said.

The assailant opened fire around 5:45 a.m., shooting an unnamed man in the driveway of the hotel at 1333 Bayshore Highway, Burlingame police Lt. Jay Kiely said.
We will have to see whether the art fair called Untitled, Art can translate its Miami success of the past five years to San Francisco. Something of a latecomer to the December madhouse of such events in the Florida city, the Untitled fair quickly gained a reputation as both more serious in purpose and more fun to look at than most of the myriad ancillaries to the main event, Art Basel Miami Beach.

Untitled, Art will now for the first time go head to head with San Franciscos Fog Design+Art, with both running Jan. 12-15. Both will be at the waterfront  Untitled at Pier 70 in the Dogpatch neighborhood, Fog returning to the Festival Pavilion pier at Fort Mason.

Fog, by the standards of big-city fairs, is smallish, and has signaled it will stay that way. That is to the good: It has an easy, party vibe rather than the dreary pall of a business trade expo that hangs over most such events. It is run for the benefit of the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, giving it a gala fundraiser feeling rather than that of a market hall.

The best fairs curate their shows, rather than renting booths to anyone who will pay. And all fairs like to have top dealers from around the world, balanced by galleries well known and respected in their local markets. That equation gives an event two essential kinds of credibility.

The 2016 Fog show attracted a number of international big names. And from its inception in 2014, it has had the support of many of the Bay Areas most venerated and important art dealers, including John Berggruen, Rena Bransten, Jeffrey Fraenkel, Cheryl Haines and Anthony Meier, as well as some of the best of the next wave (Altman-Siegel, Hosfelt, Silverman, Ratio 3s Chris Perez). (Fog also includes design, not currently in the purview of Untitled, which additionally limits the number of art exhibitors.)

That leaves Untitled with the task of luring galleries from elsewhere to an exciting but still unproven market. Even more difficult, though, may be getting the best locals to switch (aint gonna happen  apparently they all make money at Fog), persuading them to run booths at both fairs (unlikely, given that brick-and-mortar spaces also need to be maintained) or landing good galleries that cant make the cut at the impacted, exclusive Fog. Untitled seems, necessarily, to be pursuing the third route.

Another strategy, which holds great promise, particularly for those of us likely to look more than buy, is to enlist nonprofit art organizations. A number of them have been invited to put on exhibitions and events, without paying for booth rental. Among the participants will be 500 Capp Street Foundation, Contemporary Jewish Museum, Headlands Center for the Arts, Kadist, the Lab, UC Berkeley Art Museum & Pacific Film Archive and Wattis Institute for Contemporary Art.

Swissnex San Francisco

Switzerland in San Francisco: Piers, clearly, are being reborn across the Bay Area as cultural resources. Now the wharf just north of the Exploratorium has become home to Switzerland at Pier 17, a suite of offices housing the Swiss Consulate and related agencies. Among the new facilities, at Suite 800, is substantial new exhibition space  2,360 feet  for Swissnex, an art research program and gallery that has played an active role on the San Francisco scene for some 15 years.

On Nov. 4, Swissnex opens an exhibition celebrating the 100th anniversary of what organizers call the birth of Dada at the Cabaret Voltaire in Zurich. (Others might argue that Marcel Duchamp founded the movement slightly earlier in New York, but no matter.) Swiss and Bay Area artists  including Jonathon Keats, Tony Labat and Jenny Odell  have been asked to remix classic works from Swiss archives.

Also of interest is a program called Dart17, for which local artists and other creatives can apply, which will provide access to tools for experiments in augmented reality, virtual reality, robotics and other new technologies (learn more here: www.swissnexsanfrancisco.org/initiatives/dart17).

Guerrero Gallery

Birds of a feather: If it seems to you that the gallery scene in the Bay Area has picked up in the past 18 months or so, I think youre right. One reason for that, surely, is the launch of new and expanded efforts meant to take advantage of the San Francisco Museum of Modern Arts reopening. There are also dealers hopes that all the tech money sloshing around may be attached to an educated audience ready to become a sophisticated market  or, at least, that the new wealth implies a lot of new empty walls.

But its not just the sense of expanding gallery square footage. There is an increasing willingness among gallerists to make financial gambles on art that itself embraces risk. Thats growth of the best kind.

My job is to focus on ideas and images. But it stands to reason that if theres no market for challenging art, there will be fewer opportunities to engage with it outside museums and other nonprofits  which have their own limitations. Thats why I have great respect for how the galleries here have newly committed to work more collaboratively, and to educate themselves and each other on best practices in the field.

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The vehicle they have employed is a reinvigorated San Francisco Art Dealers Association, founded in 1972 and now with a membership of 51 galleries, plus eight retired associates. Among other trade organization-type activities, theyve held discussions on such subjects as how to strategize about art fairs and how to work with museums, and mounted a two-day law and art business forum.

Wendi Norris (inset), whose eponymous gallery has rapidly become sharper and more intellectually provocative over its seven-year history, stepped down last Thursday, Oct. 20, from the presidency of the dealers group. The new president is Mark Pinsukanjana, co-owner of Themes + Projects; executive director is Petra Schumann.

In case you missed it: Guerrero Gallery has been in its new home just south of the Dogpatch-Bayview line since early summer, but I had not made a visit until last week. Thats a mistake I plan to redress. A visit to the gallery is, in itself, one of the more surprising and invigorating viewing experiences in the Bay Area.

Tucked around back of another business, the extraordinary Living Green Design warehouse, the space is reached via a winding path through towering plants and potted trees, past imposing geological and sculptural curiosities. That dark jungle expedition ends at a brightly lit, double-story white box inserted into a steel-beamed industrial space.

Andres Guerrero had maintained a constant but low profile since closing his popular Mission District space in 2013. Now hes back with a smart and colorful show that plays teasingly virtuoso paintings by Terry Powers against masterworks of neo-Pop ceramic sculpture by John DeFazio . On a central wall, a fulcrum of two new paintings made for the exhibition by Taravat Talepasand brings it all into balance, as she lovingly interprets and pays tribute to the other artists.

Charles Desmarais is The San Francisco Chronicles art critic. Email: cdesmarais@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @Artguy1
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Another blast of rain this week is perfect timing for millions of waterfowl and shorebirds arriving to the bay, delta and wetlands in the Sacramento and San Joaquin valleys.

Its the first time since 2012 that seasonal marshes, that is, wetlands that are dry in summer and flooded in winter, have had water as the ducks arrive to Northern California on the flyways in October and early November.

During the drought, many seasonal wetlands, even at wildlife refuges, stayed dry when there was little rain in October and not enough water left in reservoirs to provide for even an inch of flooding in many areas.

This month, the first October storms brought 3 to 5 inches of rain in many areas. Another round is forecast starting Monday.

In addition, many reservoirs in Northern California are at normal levels or higher for the date. They include Shasta, Bullards Bar, Union Valley, Loon, Ice House, Nimbus, Black Butte, Camanche, Pardee, Tulloch and Don Pedro. That means water is available to flood wetlands in many areas of the Central Valley.

The timing is perfect. Roughly 7 million ducks are en route to California wetlands where theyll spend the winter, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The ducks will be joined by millions of other migratory geese, shorebirds and songbirds. At the San Francisco Bays wetlands, 1.6 million waterfowl and shorebirds are expected to spend the winter.

This year, the birds will find flooded wetlands, cover on the adjacent uplands and plenty of water and food.

That will ensure high survival rates through winter, and in turn, the visitors will be in the best health in years for next springs return flight to the northern breeding grounds to nest.

In the breeding grounds, biologists counted 48.4 million breeding ducks earlier this year, 38 percent more than the average of the past 60 years.

This is the payoff for long-term protection of breeding habitat at the northern end of the flyways. Up north, heavy rain, snow and ice last winter that put those habitats in excellent condition for nesting this past spring. With rain now in California, the circle is complete.

Tom Stienstra is The San Francisco Chronicles outdoors writer. Email: tstienstra@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @StienstraTom
There was no applause at the end of Saturdays performance of Every 28 Hours at PianoFight.

The last play of the 36 very short (often just a minute long) pieces that made up the evenings bill on Oct. 22, Nikkole Salters Unknown Thousands, isnt the kind of work that makes you want to leap to your feet to cheer. Like all the pieces in Every 28 Hours, Salters responds to a controversial statistic, promulgated by the Black Lives Matter movement, that once every 28 hours in the United States, an unarmed black person is killed by a police officer, security guard, vigilante or someone else otherwise given or assuming the authority to protect public safety.

If the statistic is widely shared, its also widely debated. Before the show started, audience member Suzanne Jones, who teaches in international education at the College of Marin, shared a theory as to why: People dont want it to be true  white people dont want it to be true, she said.

In Every 28 Hours, which FaultLine Theater produces in collaboration with ACT, Campo Santo, Crowded Fire Theater and Lorraine Hansberry Theater, Salters piece joins short plays by Prince Gomolvilas, Tarell Alvin McCraney, Neil LaBute and Kristoffer Diaz, among many others.

This production is part of a nationwide project co-created by Dominic DAndrea of the One-Minute Play Festival and Claudia Alick of Oregon Shakespeare Festival. Versions of the show are getting produced all over the country.

Most of the plays have an agitprop slant; if they paint the evil, stupidity and violence of white people in sometimes crude terms, their anger is pure, and that emotion feels, unfortunately, like the right tone for plays about race at this shameful moment in our countrys shameful history of race relations.

After the show, an audience member named Cheri, 43, of San Francisco, said, Every 28 Hours made her think about the racism her father, a black man in Georgia, went through. Hes having to experience this s over again, but through me.

Leah Millis/The Chronicle

Today, she added, racism is not as obvious. We dont have signs that say, whites only, colored only. But its real. It exists.

What makes Salters Unknown Thousands stand out among the Every 28 Hours plays isnt just that FaultLine gives it prime real estate, as the concluding piece of the evening; its also the way the script crystallizes what the show and the Black Lives movement as a whole are all about.

In the piece, a single performer (Stephanie Wilborn) reads from index cards the names of unarmed black Americans whove been killed by police in recent years, as the rest of the eight-person ensemble wails from the floor, chanting the word unknown, which represents all the unarmed and murdered blacks throughout American history whose names we dont know, whose deaths went unremarked upon.

Wilborn begins with a thick stack of index cards, and each time she reads a name, she tosses its card to the floor. As she reaches the end of the stack, and you think the piece might be nearing its end, another performer stands to hand her a fresh stack from which to continue reading. This happens again. And again.

You begin by absorbing just a few specific names, trying to honor the individual humanity of each. But soon the number of names overwhelms. There are simply too many dead for you to be able to appreciate, or even conceive of, each one. The only way to cope is to become numb.

Leah Millis/The Chronicle

In the way the piece derives its power from naming the forgotten, witnessing Unknown Thousands is like visiting the Vietnam War Memorial. If that monument responds to both the governments ineptitude in a particular war and the dehumanization inherent in all wars, Salters script offers a corrective, albeit a small one, to the dehumanization in both recent police brutalities and in any act of racism.

After the show, audience member Alec MacPherson, 26, who works as a theater teaching artist through ACT at San Franciscos Mission High School, said he saw another version of Unknown Thousands a year ago, and back then, the list of names was way shorter. For him, that attests to the shows urgency, which is also the tragedy of the piece.

At the end of Salters piece, the actors quietly filed offstage, sans curtain call, and a discussion moderator, Lauren Spencer  whos also a Bay Area actor, though not in this production  took the floor to invite the audience to share their impressions. In contrast to many other post-show talk-backs in Bay Area theater, no audience members left  at least in part because the discussion was framed as part of the show itself.

Spencer, who identified herself as black and mixed-race, didnt just moderate but actively participated. On the subject of race, she said, Im tired of talking. Im talking all the time. Im educating all the time.

Regarding what the audience might do, as opposed to merely talk about, in the wake of seeing Every 28 Hours, Ethan Cao, 33, of San Francisco offered his fellow spectators an impassioned plea.

All the white people in the room  can you guys hang out with anyone other than white people? After the formal discussion broke up, he added that he shared that comment in part because, looking around at composition of the audience at PianoFight, I saw all the white people together in the theater.

MacPherson had a corollary to that. Exposure to friends of different backgrounds is really just the beginning, he said. To tout the notion that one has black friends, as if that were enough, is part of the problem.

One spectator added that she was really aware that we didnt applaud the cast. After some belated applause, ensemble member Skyler Cooper said, This is not a play. I see it as a work, a project. Its an effort to bring awareness.

Lily Janiak is The San Francisco Chronicles theater critic. Email: ljaniak@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @LilyJaniak

Every 28 Hours: Through Nov. 12. 90 minutes. $5-$50. PianoFight, 144 Taylor St., S.F. www.faultlinetheater.com

To see a video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hofkt7PUsNI
Kurt Rogers/SFC

The No on Prop. 53 team has ads running statewide, denouncing the ballot measure as a threat to public safety and local control. But what you see depends on where you live.

In the Bay Area, for example, the ad features Alameda firefighter Juan Medrano, who warns that Prop. 53 would allow voters in the Central Valley or Los Angeles to veto local projects we need, like fixing bridges and road safety.
J. Milton Bowers was not a particularly creative murderer at first.

He had found a reliable scheme, a scheme used by many murderers before and since, and he stuck with it. In 1885, the San Francisco physician was on his third wife. His previous two had both died suddenly after hed taken out large life insurance policies on them. And wife No. 3, poor Cecelia, had recently become one of the citys most-insured civilians when her husband took out five different policies on her. They added up to the equivalent of over half a million dollars in today's money.

If Cecelia knew her husband had been married before  and that those women had met mysterious ends  perhaps she would have demanded treatment outside of her home at 930 Market when she first fell ill. But she trusted her doctor husband, at least for a little while.

Near the end of her two-month death spiral, Cecelias brother, Henry Benhayon, visited her sickbed and noticed a strange whiteness around her mouth. One day, he overheard Cecelia make a chilling protestation.

You are torturing me with medicine, she moaned while Dr. Bowers gave her her daily dose.

The day after Cecelia died, the city coroner received an anonymous letter. It asked her to look into the death of Mrs. J. Milton Bowers, whose liver illness was not what it seemed. An autopsy was ordered up. The coroner reported that when her stomach was cut open, the overwhelming smell of phosphorus filled the room. She had been poisoned with so much phosphorus, newspaper reports claimed that her body did something very unusual.

It glowed in the dark.

---

The trial of Dr. Bowers lasted six weeks, the longest in San Francisco history up to that point. The doctors primary defense was that considering his medical knowledge, hed never use phosphorus as the murder weapon.

Why do you suppose that if I had any desire to kill my wife I would use phosphorous, a poison so easy of detection? he told reporters indignantly. I, as a physician, would have more sense than to use such a poison.

But his past was rapidly catching up with him. Police discovered his string of dead wives, and witnesses testified that Dr. Bowers beat and harassed Cecelia regularly.

The jury only deliberated for 35 minutes before bringing back a guilty verdict. Dr. Bowers returned to his jail cell to await execution.

It seemed as though Dr. Bowers days as a killer were over. But then he did something that no one expected: He murdered someone else.

The body of Cecelias brother Henry was found in Room 21 in a boarding house at 22 Geary. Next to his body were three copies of a suicide note, one for the coroner, one for the press and one for Dr. Bowers, and a bottle of cyanide. The note said he originally planned on murdering Dr. Bowers, but when his sister learned of his plan and threatened to expose him, he decided to silence her instead. Dr. Bowers was innocent of any wrongdoing, Henrys letters pledged.

It didnt take a genius to determine there was something strange about the whole tableau. For one, the bottle of cyanide had been tightly recorked. Friends who inspected the suicide note quickly noted they were not written in his handwriting.

Then there was the matter of who rented the room. A few days earlier, a man named Thomas Dimmig had paid for the room. Police contacted Dimmig and discovered he was the husband of Theresa Farrell.

Theresa Farrell must have been some woman. Although a mere servant by trade, her beauty was such that Dr. Bowers, a well-known philanderer, took her as a lover  and a housemaid. During his trial, she took the stand to defend him and said during her time in the Bowers household, she saw no evidence of poisoning.

San Francisco Chronicle

She was the perfect lackey, and Dr. Bowers must have convinced her to kill for him. The great question, unknown then and still a mystery today, is how Theresa convinced her husband to murder Henry Benhayon.

However she did it, the police quickly unraveled the plot. They arrested Dimmig and he was put on trial near the end of 1887. For nearly a full year, Dimmig was tried and retried as each jury deadlocked over the verdict. Finally, a judge ordered the jury to return a decision. Dimmig was declared not guilty.

Despite the hiccup in execution, Theresa and Dimmigs frame-job did exactly what Dr. Bowers hoped. On Aug. 16, 1889, the district attorney dismissed the murder charge against the doctor, citing the jurys inability to convict Dimmig meant that Benhayons suicide note had to be taken into consideration.

After four years in prison, Dr. Bowers was free.

---

Those looking for justice wont find it. Dr. Bowers went back to his medical practice, serving Oakland, San Francisco and San Jose for five more years. He married Mary Bird, who was either the forgiving sort or not one for reading the news.

Dr. Bowers died in 1904 and was buried in Colma. Upon his death, a detective who worked his wifes murder told the Chronicle: Let the dead past bury its dead. I am living in the present now, but all the same Dr. Bowers should have broken his neck from a trap instead of dying peaceably.

Two things outlived Dr. Bowers: His fourth wife, who lived until 1935, and the memory of his third, immortalized in a popular San Francisco song. Performed to great acclaim in local theaters, the lyrics have since been lost. But the name has not.

It was called "The Phosphorescent Bride."
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Three men carrying "creepy clown" masks and a gun fled from the Westfield San Francisco Centre on Sunday afternoon, after being discovered by security guards during a routine grounds check.

The guards were reportedly walking through the emergency stairwells in the mall when they found the men, according to the San Francisco Examiner. San Francisco police spokesman Officer Carlos Manfredi told the Examiner SFPD was informed about the incident at about 3:15 p.m. and confirmed that the masks were of the "creepy clown" variety.

"They saw three suspects, two clown masks that they were holding, and one of the three brandished a gun," Manfredi told the Examiner.

The suspects were gone by the time SFPD arrived on the scene. Police said that the gun was not pointed towards the security and they they believed the suspects were possibly getting ready for a robbery inside the mall, KRON4 reported.

Initial reports said the men were wearing the masks outside the mall, but were later corrected by Manfredi via Twitter to say that the men were merely carrying the masks with them.

No arrests were reported.

On Aug. 10, the body of a 28-year-old man was found in the emergency-exit stairwell at that same mall, and while initially investigated as a homicide, has since been reclassified as a suspicious death. In addition, that part of Market Street between Fourth and Fifth streets was found to generate the most crime reports than any other block in the city.

This story also comes on the heels of a wave of "creepy clown" stories that have been happening around the country. The Bay Area has had its share of scary clown reports, from a supposed attempted kidnapping by a clown in Concord, to menacing social media threats made to Oakland, Fairfield and Sacramento schools.

SFGATE has reached out to the San Francisco Police Department and will update this article when they have more information.
Musk plans Mars fuel station

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk gave more details about his plan to colonize Mars on Reddit Sunday. The Q&A session was a follow-up to Musks comments at a space conference in Mexico last month during which he unveiled his plan to send up to 1 million people to Mars within the next 40 to 100 years. Musk envisions 1,000-passenger ships flying en masse to the Red Planet Battlestar Galactica style.

Musk now says an unmanned ship will be sent to Mars with equipment to build a plant that will refuel ships for return trips to Earth. Musk said last month that SpaceX is already working on equipment for the project.

This service really stinks

An American Airlines flight from Nashville to Los Angeles with two Hollywood stars on board made an emergency landing in Little Rock, Ark., after a suspicious odor was reported in the cabin.

The aircraft landed Saturday at the Bill and Hillary Clinton National Airport. A spokeswoman said the flight landed safely.

Actors Kate Mara and Jamie Bell said on Twitter that they were on the flight. Bell tweeted a photo of the pair at the airport and Mara tweeted that the flight was a disgraceful, pathetic way to treat the families traveling with infants and elderly. The airline apologized, also via Twitter, for the disruption.

Sweet deal for the New York Times

The New York Times is buying the Wirecutter, a site that reviews electronic gadgets, for slightly more than $30 million. The deal includes a sister site, the Sweethome, that recommends household goods like slow cookers and mattresses. Both sites make money through deals with online retailers that pay them a fee when people click on links from the site to their stores.

The Daily Briefing is compiled from San Francisco Chronicle staff and news services. See more items and links at www.sfgate.com. Twitter: @techbriefing
As automakers race toward a future of Web-connected and self-driving vehicles, federal regulators on Monday issued proposed guidelines for guarding cars from hackers.

Coming just days after a massive Internet attack knocked several popular websites offline, the proposal reflects increasing concern among government regulators and auto industry executives alike.

Many cars already connect to the Internet, a trend that will accelerate in coming years. And hackers have demonstrated their ability to seize control of a car through the limited connectivity now available.

In response, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, part of the U.S. Department of Transportation, has been meeting with automakers to develop guidelines for shielding cars from hackers and limiting the damage cyberattacks can cause.

Some of the ideas focus on the way automakers approach the issue, with the administration suggesting that each company place a top executive in charge of cybersecurity and give that person a dedicated staff and resources.

BRANDON MAGNUS/NYT

Other proposals target the architecture of the cars themselves. For example, the administration recommends limiting the number of systems and components that can communicate directly with any electronic unit that controls one of the cars critical functions, such as brakes or steering.

In the constantly changing environment of technology and cybersecurity, no single or static approach is sufficient, said Mark Rosekind, administrator of the NHTSA, in a prepared statement. Everyone involved must keep moving, adapting, and improving to stay ahead of the bad guys.

The administration will now solicit public comment on the proposed guidelines for 30 days.

But even when the guidelines are formally adopted, they wont force automakers to take specific steps. Instead, they represent suggestions and best practices for the industry, with the administration trying to avoid set rules that could stifle innovation.

That troubles John Simpson, a privacy advocate with the Consumer Watchdog nonprofit group. The cybersecurity of cars, he argues, is too important to leave to voluntary guidelines alone.

Its Pretty please, manufacturers, do the right thing, and then they give some examples of what the right thing might be, Simpson said. Its great that were finally recognizing that these cars are rolling computers, and all the hacking concerns we have with desktops are critically important for cars. But we need to have enforceable standards.

The guidelines recommend that automakers guard not just a cars control systems but also any personal data it may generate or store related to its driver. They should bring in teams of engineers not involved in the cars design or software development to try to hack the cars, probing for weaknesses.

They should also share with the administration and each other information on vulnerabilities they find or cyberattacks they encounter. The administration and several automakers last year set up the Automotive Information Sharing and Analysis Center to facilitate such exchanges.

The proposals also delve into more specific strategies that could help shield cars. For example, the proposed guidelines recommend making the software that runs vital car functions harder to modify.

The guidelines also suggest limiting the ability of outside software developers to access some of the cars key systems. Such limits, however, may run counter to the efforts of automakers to court Silicon Valley app developers.

David R. Baker is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: dbaker@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @DavidBakerSF
It's become the annual Thanksgiving controversy: Should all stores (save for the ones hawking turkey and stuffing) be closed on Thanksgiving and Black Friday so that employees can enjoy the holiday with their families?

Several employers think so, resulting in a growing list of stores closed on Thanksgiving and the Friday after, which has become a dreaded nightmare for anyone who works retail.
A 7-month-old boy reported missing over the weekend in Sonoma County remained unaccounted for Monday morning, authorities said.

The infant is believed to be with his mother, 35-year-old Hannah Ashley, officials said. Ashleys mother has legal custody of the child, said Sgt. Spencer Crum, a spokesman for the Sonoma County Sheriffs Office.

An Amber Alert was issued Monday to find the child.

The babys grandmother called investigators about 8:30 a.m. Sunday to report that Ashley took the child during the night from her home on the 17900 block of Neeley Road in Guerneville and drove in an unknown direction, Crum said.

Though an initial alert said the child was endangered, officials said Monday morning that was not the case. But after speaking with Child Protective Services officials, sheriffs department official said Monday afternoon that Ashley may pose a threat to her sons well-being.

Officials said the mother and child are traveling in a silver four-door 2005 Subaru Forester with a license plate of 5JKZ255.

The child, Henry Massey, was described as a white baby, with gray eyes and brown hair. His mother, also white, was described as being 5-foot-6, 125 pounds, with brown hair and brown eyes.

Anyone with information can contact the Sonoma County Sheriffs Office at (707) 565-2650.

Kimberly Veklerov is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: kveklerov@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @kveklerov
NORRISTOWN, Pa.  The brief political career of Kathleen Kane, Pennsylvanias brightest rising star when she was elected state attorney general less than four years ago, came to a humiliating close Monday, when a judge sentenced her to 10 to 23 months in prison for her conviction on charges of perjury and abuse of her office.

Kane, 50, rose to power as a Democratic outsider with no political experience, pledging to shake up the states male-dominated, corruption-prone political establishment that she mocked as the Harrisburg old boys. At times she succeeded, forcing the ouster of state Supreme Court justices, prosecuting government officials, and clashing repeatedly with one of her predecessors, Tom Corbett, a Republican who had become governor.

But she soon created a scandal of her own, fueled by abuse of power and sensitivity to criticism, illegally leaking grand jury records in an attempt to discredit a critic, and then lying about it to a different grand jury. In August, a jury found her guilty of two felony perjury charges and seven misdemeanor counts, forcing her to resign from office.

While testifying at the sentencing hearing, Kane broke down in tears, pleading with the judge to consider her two teenage sons.

Maybe I deserve everything I get; they dont, she said. I am not going to ask for your mercy because I dont care about me anymore.

Called to testify on her behalf, her son Chris, 15, said: My mom is like my rock. We just know that we cant lose our mom.

But prosecutors played video of Kane saying on the day after her conviction that she had no regrets about her life or career.

She faced a maximum sentence of 12 to 24 years in prison, but her lawyers had argued that the loss of her career and public reputation were punishment enough, and that she should not be locked up.

But in imposing a prison sentence, Judge Wendy Demchick-Alloy said, any lesser sentence than total confinement will absolutely depreciate the seriousness of the crime.

A violation of this magnitude and severity is an extraordinary abuse of the system, the judge told Kane.

Kane had developed a reputation for trying to intimidate critics and described herself as a victim of the entrenched boys club she was threatening.

Erik Olsen, chief of the criminal prosecution division in the attorney generals office, who was called Monday as a prosecution witness, described a campaign of systemic firings and Nixonian espionage.

She created a terror zone in this office, he said.
Sarah Ravani/The Chronicle

Two men, one from San Francisco and the other from Ohio, died after both were shot during a family argument in the Ocean View neighborhood, police said Monday.

Officers responding to shots fired inside a home on Lobos Street at 8:42 p.m. Friday found two men suffering from apparent gunshot wounds, said Officer Carlos Manfredi, a San Francisco Police spokesman.
The photo probably seemed like a good idea, at the time.

Eric Trump, son of Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, was in Salisbury, N.C., on Friday for a rally. Sisters Annie and Ceci Cardelle decided to attend... while having a little fun with the crowd.

Annie Cardelle, 23, went to the event wearing a T-shirt with the words "Latina contra Trump" written in marker across the front. For those not well-versed in Spanish (and this includes you, Eric Trump), "contra" means "against."

"I'm not exactly protesting his conservative ideology, but it's more about his speech and like his rhetoric that he uses to describe Hispanics and Latinos and just people of color in general," Annie Cardelle told the Salisbury Post. "In his speeches, he brings up people killed by immigrants, which there's no basis that immigrants kill people more than everyday citizens. So, he's contemplating that immigrants, and specifically Mexican and Hispanic immigrants, are criminals and murdering people."

The two sisters fell in line to meet and take photos with Trump and his wife Lara Trump. When they made their way to the front of the line, they posed for photos with the couple.

Apparently no one on the Trump staff realized what was happening, including Eric and Lara Trump. Annie Cardelle took to Twitter to post her prized photo, writing, "No one at the rally realized my shirt said AGAINST tr*mp... congrats, y'all played yourselves."

"Neither of us thought that we'd get a photo with him," Annie Cardelle told The Huffington Post. "I actually wore a sweater over it because I thought that [otherwise] we wouldn't get in."

Turns out the sweater really wasn't necessary, as she was able to wear it in front of three event staffers who "looked them over" and let them pose with the Trumps.

"I was sort of in disbelief when they actually called us forward," Ceci Cardelle, 17, told Buzzfeed. "I was like, 'This is not happening. There's no way they don't see this shirt.'"

But, it was happening. To the probable, later dismay of the Trumps.

"Right after, we ran out and looked at each other and just screamed," Ceci Cardelle said.

The two sisters are second-generation Americans of Cuban descent, as Buzzfeed noted, and Annie Cardelle was the one came up with the idea of the shirt.

"It's been almost two years of Trump continuously putting down Latinos, making us feel like we don't belong. So, my whole thing was to go there and say, 'I'm Latina and we're against you because of what you say about our race,'" Annie Cardelle told the news site.

"We're American citizens, our parents are American citizens, and our grandparents are American citizens," Ceci Cardelle told the Salisbury Post. "It's this whole idea that you don't really belong here, in this country, and that you're not from here. We're supposed to go back to where we are from, but we've lived here our whole lives."

The tweet and photos from Annie Cardelle has been liked over 11,000 times since it was first posted on Friday, and has been retweeted over 6,500 times, as well.
ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla.  A defiant Donald Trump blamed his worsening campaign struggles on phony polls from the disgusting media on Monday, fighting to energize his most loyal supporters as his path to the presidency shrinks.

Just 14 days until the election, the Republican nominee campaigned in battleground Florida as his team conceded publicly as well as privately that crucial Pennsylvania may be slipping away. That would leave a razor-thin pathway to the 270 electoral votes needed to win the White House on Nov. 8.

Despite continued difficulties with women and minorities, Trump refuses to soften his message in the campaigns final days to broaden his coalition. The strategy leaves no margin for error. Yet Trump offered an optimistic front in the midst of a three-day tour through Florida as thousands began voting in person.

I believe were actually winning, Trump declared during a round table discussion with farmers gathered next to a local pumpkin patch.

A day after suggesting the First Amendment to the Constitution may give the press too much freedom, he insisted that the media are promoting biased polls to discourage his supporters from voting.

The media isnt just against me. Theyre against all of you, Trump told cheering supporters later in St. Augustine. Theyre against what we represent.

With Trump on the defensive, Democrat Hillary Clinton worked to slam the door on his candidacy in swing state New Hampshire while eyeing a possible Democratic majority in the Senate.

The former secretary of state campaigned alongside New Hampshire Gov. Maggie Hassan, who is running for the Senate, and Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, who was merciless as she seized on Trumps history of predatory sexual language and several allegations of misconduct.

He thinks that because he has a mouth full of Tic Tacs, he can force himself on any woman within groping distance, Warren charged. Ive got news for you Donald: Women have had it with guys like you.

Trump has denied the allegations.

With Election Day two weeks away, Trumps electoral map looks bleak.

The Republican National Committee ignored him altogether in mailers to New Hampshire voters set to be distributed later this week. The mail focuses instead on Clintons credibility, featuring a picture of her and former President Bill Clinton and the words, No More of The Lying Clintons.
MANILA  Americas top diplomat for Asia said Monday that Philippine President Rodrigo Dutertes controversial remarks and a real climate of uncertainty about his governments intentions have sparked distress in the U.S. and other countries.

Daniel Russel, the assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs, said he also relayed to Philippine Foreign Secretary Perfecto Yasay Jr. international concern over continuing killings under Dutertes crackdown against illegal drugs.

Russels visit to the Philippines, part of a three-nation trip to Southeast Asia, comes amid increasing uncertainty about Washingtons treaty alliance with Manila. The brash Duterte, who took office on June 30, has displayed antagonism toward America, declaring his desire to scale back military engagements with the U.S. and telling President Obama to go to hell.

Dutertes administration, however, has not formalized his public declarations to remove U.S. counterterrorism forces from the volatile southern Philippines and stop large-scale joint exercises involving American forces, creating confusion among even his Cabinet officials.

Duterte sparked diplomatic alarm when he announced during a state visit to Beijing last week his separation with the United States. Upon returning home the next day, Duterte said he did not mean he was severing diplomatic ties with Washington but only wanted to end a foreign policy thats overly oriented toward the U.S.

Ive pointed out to Secretary Yasay that the succession of controversial statements, comments and a real climate of uncertainty about the Philippines intentions has created consternation in a number of countries, not only in mine, Russel said in Manila after an extended meeting with Yasay.

The unease, Russel said, was also palpable not only among governments, but also ... in other communities, in the expat Filipino community, in corporation boardrooms as well.

This is not a positive trend, he said, adding that the U.S. remains committed to continuing a solid alliance with and providing assistance to the Philippines, including in fighting drug crime.

Coinciding with Russels visit, the U.S. military turned over a refurbished C-130T cargo plane as part of Washingtons effort to help modernize the underfunded Philippine military, which has struggled to deal with Muslim and communist insurgencies and natural disasters.

Russel said that while Washington welcomes the relaxation of tensions between Manila and Beijing under Duterte, the rapprochement should not come at the expense of the U.S. or other nations.
Four out of 10 Koreans feel it would be no blessing to live much past the age of 90, according to a survey. The Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs conducted the poll in June on 1,000 Koreans and found that 43.3 percent of the respondents felt living beyond 90 or even 100 is nothing to aspire to. Only 28.7 percent said longevity is a blessing, while 28 percent were neither for nor against.

Asked why a very long life is no blessing, 38.3 percent said it leads to an interminable old age, while 30.6 percent cited the problems many elderly people face such as poverty, disease, alienation and loneliness, and 24.1 percent said they do not want to become a burden for their children.

Some 59.3 percent said they would like to live to between 80 and 89, 20.9 percent said 70 to 79. Only 8.2 percent of the respondents want to live past 100, and 7.8 percent into their 90s.

Asked about the best retirement age, 32 percent said longer life spans mean that people should work as long as they are physically capable, while 35.1 percent said 65 to 69. Twenty five percent said 60 to 64, and 11.5 percent said 70 or older.

In a sign that traditional values are fast disappearing, the most important family member in old age for 84.3 percent is their spouse, while only 12.6 percent selected their children. A mere 1.3 percent named their siblings.

Asked how they wish to live when they need constant medical care, 44.5 percent said they would check themselves into nursing homes, while 38.4 percent said they want to live with their spouses or by themselves.

Park Sang-chul, a professor at Seoul National University's School of Medicine, said, "The reason people consider it no blessing to live past 100 is because they have a lot of anxieties about the future and a negative image of the elderly." He called for better work opportunities for senior citizens to improve these negative perceptions.
Kanye West is a true religion that will never go out of style. He is a Christian, but he has the most faith in himself.

Wests Saint Pablo Tour concert Saturday, Oct. 22, the first show of a two-night stand at Oracle Arena, was nothing less than a revival.

Warning: The following should be read only by West fans. If youve dismissed West, you might be converted if you read any further. His name will be in your head. You will feel Kanye West. If you read this review online, you will understand Kanye West. You will be a believer.

West made hip-hop music by deconstructing soul and rock samples and writing lyrics that lurch from indulgent to inspirational. He can say two things at once, and West will stop the music and run it back if you dont get it the first time, because West made hip-hop  music.

West had pastor T.L. Barrett bless the concert with an opening prayer by playing the sample of Father Stretch My Hands Pt. 1.

West doesnt perform on a stage. He floats through the arena on a platform, a reimagination of the in-the-round concept. He hovers in and out of the shadows and lights, gliding over the standing revelers on the floor. At times, it seems like theyre carrying him. If Jesus Walks on water, then Yeezus glides on air.

West dispenses with tradition, and he will start Famous, a controversial song that references Taylor Swift, four times. Because hes proud to be politically incorrect. Hes rapped inflammatory lyrics about women. Hes been labeled crazy for things he has said. He hates to apologize. Hes a reality TV star. He knows you will wait in line for hours to purchase his branded merchandise. The mainstream media are rigged against him. They want to crucify him, but that wont stop the making of greatness.

Sound like a presidential candidate? The difference is that West is a democracy, and Young Metro doesnt trust the other guy. West is a unifier. He knows one person shouldnt have all that Power, but still his performance art is powerful. People on the floor moshed, slamming bodies together. As West drifted above, the crowd created a wave that changed form like the stainless steel pins of 3-D pin art. The physicality was intense. It was the best workout Ive had this summer. And West is definitely running for president in four years.

West is a preacher. For 20 minutes, over a live ambient synth outro of Runaway, a confessional for deeply flawed personalities, he was an activist storyteller. He dropped gems like Lincoln turned us into unpaid interns and yes, he took more shots at Jay Z.

Wests verses are memorized and recited, because his words are prophetic and his music is the gospel. Hes had dreams that he could buy his way to heaven. When he touches the sky, hes gotta testify. He works more  harder, better, faster, stronger  than any performer.

You enter singing Kanye West songs. You leave singing Kanye West songs and talking about what he didnt play. How harmonious would the world be if religion were just about music? Think about it: You respect someones preferences, even if you think the person has bad taste, but you dont hate the person. You dont deny someone opportunity because the person is different from you.

For the benediction, West performed Ultralight Beam as a beam shined from the rafters.

This is a God dream, the crowd recited. This is everything.

Otis R. Taylor Jr. is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: otaylor@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @otisrtaylorjr
Several leaders around the world have taken the liberty to pass judgement about the presidential election in the United States. Iran's president is the latest.

Speaking Sunday in a televised speech in the city of Ark, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said he had no preference in the U.S. election and the choice offered to American citizens was between "bad and worse" referring to presidential race between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump.

"Did you see the debate and the way of their speaking, accusing and mocking each other? Do we want such a democracy in our country? Do we want such elections in our country?" Rouhani asked.

He went on to comment the United States "claims it has had democracy for more than 200 years," but the present situation indicates that "the morality has no place" there.
Hyundai will recall some 24,000 Sonatas due to defects in the midsize sedan's sunroof, the carmaker said on Sunday.

It has already recalled the model in the U.S. after discovering that the panoramic sunroof can fly off while driving.

"We reported the measure to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport last week and plan to start the recall on Oct. 31," a Hyundai spokesman said. "There were a few reports of sunroofs detaching while driving in the U.S. but we are not yet aware of any crashes or injuries resulting from the defect."

The recall covers Sonatas manufactured between 2015 and 2016, including hybrid models.


U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Antony Blinken will visit Seoul for Friday and Saturday to discuss North Korea policies.

Blinken will meet with Cho Tae-yong, the first deputy director of the Office of National Security, to discuss international efforts to hold North Korea accountable for its "destabilizing behavior," the U.S. State Department said Friday.

The visit comes about a week after the defense and foreign ministers of the two countries met in Washington.

Blinken will also meet Vice Foreign Minister Lim Sung-nam and Shinsuke Sugiyama, his Japanese counterpart, in Japan on Thursday.

"They will discuss ways of implementing further sanctions against the North which are now under debate at the UN Security Council," a Foreign Ministry spokesman here said.
Activists have set up two statues in Shanghai commemorating women forced into sexual slavery by the Imperial Japanese Army in World War II.

The statues represent a Korean and a Chinese woman and are the first such monuments in China. They were set up on the campus of Shanghai Normal University on Saturday by the International Solidarity Commission.

Similar statues already exist in Korea and areas with large Korean communities in Australia, Canada and the U.S. One sits in front of the Japanese Embassy in downtown Seoul.
Sales of Apple's new iPhone 7 and 7 Plus surpassed 100,000 units just two days after their release in Korea despite withering reviews in the global press.

The surge seems to be powered by the disaster surrounding Samsung's combustible Galaxy Note 7.
The vast majority of Koreans believe the economy is in a state of emergency, a poll suggests.

In the poll by Research and Research for the Chosun Ilbo and Korea Economic Research Institute, 51.4 percent of respondents said there is a serious economic emergency underway, and 39 percent a slight emergency. Together that accounts for a whopping 90.4 percent.

"The economy keeps slowing and shows no signs of recovery, while troubles at Samsung and Hyundai deepen the sense of crisis," said Bae Sang-keun at KERI.
Two days after the presidential election, Donald Trumps lawyers will ask a federal judge in San Diego to prevent jurors in the fraud suit against Trump University from hearing about the candidates words and deeds that have come to light during the campaign  including Trumps claim that the judge is biased because he is of Mexican descent.

Matters publicized during the presidential campaign, including statements by and about Mr. Trump, have no relevance to the issues before the jury, Daniel Petrocelli, Trumps lead attorney, said in a court filing last week.

The court must exercise extreme vigilance to prevent the passions and prejudices from a partisan political process from impairing the integrity of the trial.

He asked U.S. District Judge Gonzalo Curiel to prevent the Trump University students lawyers from mentioning such topics as Trumps taxes, past bankruptcies of his businesses, the much-criticized Trump Foundation, and audio or video recordings made or publicized during the campaign. In one of those recordings, made in 2005, Trump boasted about grabbing women by the genitals with impunity.

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Petrocelli also asked Curiel to exclude the candidates statements that the judge, born in Indiana, was a hater of Donald Trump because his parents were from Mexico, and because Trump wants to build a wall at the Mexican border.

Trump said Curiel showed his bias in July by refusing to dismiss the lawsuit, although the judge agreed to accommodate Trump by delaying the trial until Nov. 28, nearly three weeks after the election. Curiel will hear arguments Nov. 10 on the request to exclude evidence.

In the class-action suit, former Trump University students say they paid as much as $35,000 and were told they would learn the secrets of real estate success but were given little more than sales pitches to take more seminars. They also say Trump falsely advertised that the instructors were experts he had personally selected.

The students lawyers havent said whether they consider any of Trumps campaign-related conduct relevant to their case, although they might use some of his varying factual assertions to challenge his credibility.

It may also be difficult for jurors to disregard what they have learned about Trump, for better or worse, during the campaign. Petrocelli, in his filing, urged Curiel to keep the plaintiffs from making the trial a test of Trumps character rather than his management of the university.

He also asked the judge to prohibit testimony by David Lazarus, a Los Angeles Times columnist and former Chronicle business reporter and columnist, who attended a Trump University preview session in 2007 and criticized it in his columns for the Times. In a recent column, Lazarus said Trump tried to get him fired for his writings.

Lazarus observations are irrelevant to the case, and the plaintiffs are seeking to poison the jury with his testimony, Petrocelli said.

Bob Egelko is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: begelko@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @egelko
A New York woman is accusing KFC of advertising Kentucky Fraudulent Chicken according to a suit recently filed against the fast food giant.

Anna Wurtzburger, a 64-year-old retiree, ordered a $20 bucket of fried chicken over the summer and was appalled that the bucket was not overflowing with poultry.

CLICK THE GALLERY TO SEE WHAT FAST FOOD WORKERS SAY ABOUT ORDERING

"They say it feeds the whole family ... They're showing a bucket that's overflowing with chicken," Wurtzburger told the New York Post. "You get half a bucket. That's false advertising, and it doesn't feed the whole family. They're small pieces!"

Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Unlike most people who are willing to accept the disappointment that is fast food, Wurtzburger hired a lawyer to sue the company for false advertising. Wurtzburger is asking $20 million. KFC, unsurprisingly, told the Post that the suit is "meritless."

Wurtzburger admitted KFC offered her two gift certificates when she complained about the paltry poultry, but she was not in the mood to be bought.

"It's a lot of BS," she told the Post. "... I expect to get what you're telling me."
BEIRUT  Syrian government forces and their allies captured strategic high ground Monday in embattled Aleppo as Russia  a key ally of Syrian President Bashar Assad  said it was not planning more humanitarian pauses in the fighting in the citys eastern, rebel-held districts.

The fighting in Aleppo came as air strikes hit towns in the northwestern province of Idlib, killing at least 13 people, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and the Local Coordination Committees. They said the people killed were in the towns of Kfar Takharim and Khan Sheikhoun, where a market was hit.

Fighting resumed in Aleppo over the weekend, following a days-long lull announced by Moscow that was meant to allow rebels and civilians to leave the eastern districts. The rebels rejected the Russian offer and none of the civilians left.

Government troops launched a fresh offensive and on Monday took the hilltop of Bazo on the southern edge of Aleppo, near military bases, and shelled the rebel neighborhoods, according to opposition activists.

The Observatory said Bazo was taken amid heavy bombardment. Both the Observatory and the Aleppo Media Center, an activist collective, reported government shelling in eastern parts of the city.

A video released by the Syrian army showed tanks and cannons pounding rebel positions in the area. The state SANA news agency, meanwhile, said the rebels shelled government-held neighborhoods in western Aleppo, killing one person and wounding seven.

A pro-opposition media outlet circulated footage of a powerful and hard-line Islamist rebel coalition known as Jaish al-Fatah announcing that the campaign to break the governments siege of the citys east would begin within hours.

Syrian troops have besieged rebel-held parts of Aleppo for weeks, subjecting the districts to some of the worst air raids since a cease-fire brokered by the United States and Russia collapsed on Sept. 19. Opposition activists say more than 600 people have been killed in Aleppo and neighboring villages since then.

In Moscow, Russias deputy foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov said Russia wasnt planning another humanitarian pause in Aleppo anytime soon.

In order to resume it, our opponents need to make sure the antigovernment groups behave properly, he said in comments carried by Russian news agencies, blaming the rebels for the fact that medical evacuations from eastern Aleppo were scrapped at the last moment.
Matthew Mirabelli/AFP/Getty Images

VALLETTA, Malta  A small plane heading toward Libyas coast to monitor refugee trafficking routes for the French government crashed soon after takeoff from Maltas airport Monday, killing all five French crew members, authorities said.

The twin-prop Fairchild Metroliner banked to the right and slammed into the ground in a huge fireball soon after lifting off at 7:20 a.m., according to video of the moment captured by a dashboard video camera and posted on Facebook.
CALAIS, France  Carrying their belongings in bags and suitcases, long lines of migrants waited calmly in chilly air Monday to board buses in the French port city of Calais, as authorities began evacuating the squalid camp they call home.

French authorities were beginning a complex operation to shut down the makeshift camp known as the Jungle, uprooting thousands who made treacherous journeys to escape wars, dictators or grinding poverty and dreamed of building new lives in Britain.

Closely watched by more than 1,200 officers, the first of hundreds of buses began transferring migrants to reception centers around France where they can apply for asylum. The camp will then be leveled in a weeklong operation. Hotels and even castles are among the hundreds of buildings officials have been converting to migrant housing.

This is an operation we want to be peaceful and under control. So far it is, French Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve said in Paris.

Authorities say the camp holds nearly 6,500 migrants who are seeking to get to Britain. Aid groups say there are more than 8,300.

The ramshackle camp in the sand dunes of northern France is home to migrants from Afghanistan, Sudan, Eritrea, Syria and elsewhere. After often harrowing journeys across land and treacherous seas, paying smugglers along the way, most reach a dead end in Calais, unable to find a way across the English Channel.

The harsh reality of the move hit migrants on Monday. Some were happy to leave, others were confused or in shock.

Throngs of migrants lined up at the registration center where they were separated by category, like families, unaccompanied minors or adults.

A group of Sudanese got tired of waiting and returned to their spot in the camp, bags slung over their shoulders and laughing. They said theyd try again on Tuesday.

But basic information was lacking for many. What should I do? asked a 14-year-old newly arrived Afghan.

One 16-year-old Eritrean, Daniel, was heading to the registration center with his cousin, also an unaccompanied minor. Im not happy because its finished, the Jungle. I want to go to the U.K., he said.

In Calais for eight months, he said he has tried daily to jump on trucks heading to Britain, like other migrants in the camp. I dont want France, he insisted.
BARTELLA, Iraq  U.S.-backed Iraqi forces fought their way inside two villages Monday as they crept closer to Mosul a week into an offensive to retake the Islamic State-held city, but they also faced questions over a suspected air strike on a mosque that killed 13 people.

Iraqi special forces shelled militant positions before dawn near Bartella, a historically Christian town east of Mosul that they had retaken last week. With patriotic music blaring from loudspeakers on their Humvees, they then pushed into the village of Tob Zawa, about 5 miles from Mosul, amid heavy clashes.

Until now, most of the fighting has been in largely uninhabited towns and villages, but the special forces found more than 70 civilians sheltering in Tob Zawa. They will encounter many more civilians as they get closer to Mosul, still home to more than 1 million people.

Abdeljabar Antar, who had remained in Tob Zawa with his wife and four children, said the Islamic State militants had included foreign fighters who spoke languages I dont know  Russians, Pakistanis. They had forced children to go to religious school and military training, and everyone had to attend prayers five times a day, he added.

I hope life will return to the way it was before 2014, he said, referring to the summer when the militants swept across northern and central Iraq, capturing Mosul and surrounding towns.

The Iraqi Federal Police, a military-style force, pushed into a second village in the Shura district south of Mosul, where they fired a large anti-aircraft gun and rocket-propelled grenades. They later appeared to have secured the village, a cluster of squat homes on a desert plain, and handed out water and other aid to civilians.

The U.S.-led coalition said it carried out six air strikes Sunday near Mosul, destroying 19 fighting positions and 17 vehicles, as well as rocket and mortar launchers, artillery and tunnels.

Human Rights Watch called for an investigation into last weeks purported air strike in northern Iraq that hit the womens section of a Shiite mosque in the town of Daquq. The strike happened amid a large Islamic State assault on nearby Kirkuk.

Human Rights Watch said Daquqs residents believe Fridays attack was an air strike because of the extent of the destruction and because planes could be heard overhead.

The coalition and the Iraqi military are the only parties known to be flying military aircraft over Iraq.

Col. John Dorrian, a U.S. military spokesman, said the coalition had definitively determined it did not conduct the air strike.
Kiwi angel investors put most of their money into follow-on investment rather than backing new start-ups in the first six months of the year, according to the latest Young Company Finance Index.

Total angel investment during the half was $22.9 million, up $3.3 million on the same period in 2015, but still down on the record $29.7 million recorded in 2010. In addition, angel-backed companies attracted a further $8.5 million from overseas investors, particularly Australian angels.

Some 78 percent of the money ($17.9 million) went to support existing investments rather than funding new companies which got just 22 percent ($5 million), a trend likely to continue given angel investors' have now built substantial portfolios in the past decade.

Two-thirds of deals were syndicated between different angel groups while just under half went to software and service companies and 20 percent to pharmaceuticals and biotech start-ups.

In the 12 months to June 30, $64.5 million was invested into young companies, up 29 percent on the same period last year.

Angel Association chair Marcel van Assum said there was no shortage of quality and volume of deal flow, with good opportunities emerging from the new accelerators. However, it did create a pipeline pressure and a growing shortage of seed capital for start-ups, he said.

Angel investors were backing growth in their existing investments because of a lack of series A and B financing from other investors, he said.

Great deals will only be sustained with deeper pools of non-angel growth capital as angel-backed companies develop and need new capital to deliver on their potential, he said.

Van Assum said there needs to be a 10 times increase in early stage capital in the next few years to enable New Zealands flourishing young companies to continue building momentum.

Angel groups are now also distinguishing between follow-on for companies meeting milestones and targets rather than simply pouring money to keep them alive, he said.

One example of a company that gained follow-on investment was SmartShow, which sells the events smartphone app, ShowGizmo, that acts as a paperless catalogue, guide, and communication point for trade shows and conferences. The five-year-old company raised $1 million in April.

Chief executive and co-founder Marie-Claire Andrews said it was the third fund-raising round for the Wellington company which has now had just under $2 million from investors

Andrews said this round was the easiest yet with more than half of the new money coming from Australian angels after Wellingtons Angel HQ took the lead and the scale and level of engagement from the Australian investors was higher than in New Zealand.

ShowGizmo makes most of its $1.6 million annual revenue out of Australia where customers include the likes of Microsoft, Apple, and Telstra. The new money will accelerate its six-month-old push into North America and add to its 25-strong staff.

Over the half year, 12 companies also used equity crowdfunding platforms to raise a total $11 million with an 85 percent success rate, up $3 million on the same period last year.

Cumulatively, 46 companies have raised $28.8 million since equity crowdfunding was introduced into New Zealand in 2014. That compares with the $438 million invested into young companies by angel funds and networks over the past decade.

Angel investment in New Zealand was maturing to the second horizon, van Assum said, moving from measuring inputs such as the amount of money invested into young companies to looking at outputs such as jobs created, tax paid, and their financial returns.

This is a 30-year timeframe  thats the typical experience in the US, and weve only been at it for 10-to-15 years so we need to see it through. The government is looking at the NZ Venture Investment Funds future and it needs to stay the course, he said.

BusinessDesk.co.nz

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NEW DELHI: India and the US are likely to sign an agreement for the purchase of 145 American Ultra-Light Howitzers, worth about Rs 5,000 crore, this fiscal, the first deal for artillery guns since the Bofors scandal in 1980s.



The Defence Ministry yesterday cleared the file for M777 guns, which would now be sent to the Finance Ministrybefore being put up before the Cabinet Committee on Security.



Sources said the approval for certain "deviations" were made.



The ministry has already shortened the supply period of the guns, with a strike range of 25 km, though the exact period could not be known.



India had sent a Letter of Request to the US government showing interest in buying the guns which will be deployed in high altitude areas in Arunachal Pradesh and Ladakh, bordering China.



The US had responded with a Letter of Acceptance (LOA) and the ministry had in June looked into the terms and conditions and approved it.



The offsets, under which BAE Systems, manufacturer of the gun, will invest about USD 200 million, will be pursued independently.



While 25 guns will come to India in a fly away condition, the rest will be assembled at the proposed Assembly Integration and Test facility for the weapon system in India in partnership with Mahindra.



The howitzers that can be heli-lifted were first proposed to be bought from BAE about 10 years back.



The Defence Ministry also approved buying of over nearly 4,900 radio sets for the Army's Armoured Corps from an Israeli firm.

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Microsoft Opens Cybersecurity Engagement Centre In India
NEW DELHI: Government will offer full support to Chinese companies who want to set up mobile manufacturing plants here to tap the country's growing handset market, an official said today.



The official said there would be clearly differentiated field for those who look "India only as a market" and those who choose to partner with Indian firms.



"There is unprecedented opportunity in this space between Chinese manufacturers and Indian companies. For those who are willing to come in and partner us in India, we will offer every kind of support whether it be at central government or at state government level," Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MEITY) Secretary, Aruna Sundararajan, today said.



She was speaking at second 'India China Mobile Phone and Accessories Manufacturing Summit'.



"We would welcome partners who will come and manufacture in India. There will be clearly differentiated field for those who look India only as a market and those who choose to partner with us in India," Sundararajan said.



She further said, India is at present a 280-million smartphone market and the government has a goal that every Indian should have an access to smartphone.



"You will find extremely supportive and welcoming environment. You will find enough industry partners who will guide you through and make sure that you find India a profitable and rewarding state to do business," Sundararajan said.



India is now one of the fastest growing economies and there are stable policies which are making the country a vibrant destination for investments, she said.



The comments come at a time when Indians on social media platform are calling for boycott of Chinese products because of support rendered by China to Pakistan.



When asked about calls for boycott of Chinese products on social media, Sundararajan said, "Quality, safety and security are paramount. Beyond that I don't think it is fair to take stand."



Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology Joint Director Meenakshi Rai Bhatia said that around 7,000 acres of land are available across 18 states for companies to set up their factories in India.



Indian mobile industry body Indian Cellular Association (ICA) said that government is making sincere effort to develop mobile manufacturing eco-system in the country and learning same from China.



When Chinese investors asked for pace of setting up business in India, ICA National President Pankaj Mohindroo said that it varies from state to state with Uttar Pradesh being a slow in terms of clearances and state like Haryana working at fast pace with 'deer' kind speed.



Chinese companies Holitech and Wind Communications expressed interest in expanding their business in India.

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NEW DELHI: India's financial hub Mumbai has been named among top 15 cities globally in terms of total wealth held, while London topped the list, says a report.



According to New World Wealth, the wealthiest cities in the world are London with USD 2.7 trillion of total wealth, followed by New York City (USD 2.6 trillion) and Tokyo (USD 2.2 trillion) in the second and third place respectively.



Mumbai featured on the 14th place in the list with a total wealth held in the city worth USD 820 billion.



"Home to 45,000 millionaires and 28 billionaires, Mumbai is the economic hub of India. It is also home to the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE)," the report said.



The report further noted that among the 15 cities, Beijing, Shanghai, Mumbai and Sydney were the fastest growing in terms of wealth over the past decade (2006-2016).



"Going forward, Mumbai is expected to be the fastest growing city (in terms of wealth growth over the next 10 years)," the report added.



Others in the list include San Francisco Bay area at the fourth place with a total wealth of USD 1.9 trillion; Beijing (5th, USD 1.8 trillion); Shanghai (6th, USD 1.6 trillion); Los Angeles (7th, USD 1.2 trillion); Hong Kong (8th, USD 1.1 trillion); Singapore (9th, USD 870 billion) and Chicago (10th, USD 860 billion).



Sydney at 11th place has a total wealth of USD 850 billion; Toronto (12th, USD 850 billion); Frankfurt (13th, USD 830 billion) and Paris (15th, USD 800 billion).



Meanwhile, total wealth held worldwide amounts to USD 185 trillion (as of June 2016). Globally, there are 13,300,000 millionaires and 1,940 billionaires in total, the report said.



'Total wealth' refers to the private wealth held by all individuals in a country.



It includes all their assets (property, cash, equities, business interests) less any liabilities. Government funds are from the figures.

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THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Three students from the College of Engineering in Pune were awarded 3 lakh for winning 'HackD 2016' -- Hackathon organised by US headquartered Envestnet, a statement said on Friday.

According to an Envestnet India statement here, Jay Lohokare, Reshul Dani and Ajit Rajurkar won the contest for their innovative technology solution they created for the finance sector.

"The winners developed an innovative personalised credit scoring system based on alternative and inclusive scoring mechanisms like bill payment and social media scores, divulging from the traditional credit scoring models that may limit financial inclusion," said the statement.

Engineering students from 10 Indian colleges and universities had participated in the hackathon.

This event was held as part of the second edition of the Architecting Intelligence Conference.

In an interesting keynote address, noted futurist and CEO of The Futures Agency Gerd Leonhard said humanity will change more in the next 20 years than in the previous 300 years.

"Understanding how to leverage technology will be critical for successful companies in the future," said the expert.

Envestnet Inc. is a leading provider of unified wealth management technology and services to financial enterprises and advisors and has been here in the capital city since 2004 with a centre in Bangalore too.

In the past 15 months its staff increased from 500 to 1,800.

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India, U.S. Likely To Seal Deal For 145 Ultra-Light Howitzers
WASHINGTON: America's relationship with India is very strong and diverse, the US today said even as it welcomed the recently concluded BRICS summit.



The Obama Administration is approaching with its bilateral relationship with India "which is very strong and diverse," State Department spokesperson John Kirby told reporters at his daily news conference.



"We had terrific discussions with India down in Kigali, and we got a very aggressive amendment now. And India's active participation in those negotiations really got us there," Kirby said.



In his response to a question, Kirby welcomed the recently held eighth BRICS Summit in Goa.



"The second point on the BRICS nation, we welcome both bilateral and multilateral discussions about effective counter-terrorism procedures, processes, tactics, policies, the expenditure of resources; all that's to the good if it can be done in a truly collaborative way that has results. So we certainly welcome that kind of multilateral discussion," he said.

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NEW DELHI: With deals over $12 billion in kitty this month, including leasing of a second nuclear submarine, Russia hopes to bag more projects as it termed itself as not just a business partner but an "ally" who stood by India in its "darkest hours".



Russia is eying the multi-billion dollar deal for P75-I project of India under which six conventional submarines are to be built with Air Independent Propulsion systems and the next aircraft carrier project besides the deal to jointly develop a fifth generation fighter aircraft.



Asserting that there is no limit to what India and Russiacan do together, a top Russian defense official claimed theUS and Europeans can never give what Moscow can and has offered.



"We are ready not just to deliver most serious weapons, most important weapons but continue to give our state of art technology," Sergei Chemezov, CEO of Rostec State Corporation, an umbrella organisation of 700 hi-tech civilian and military firms, told PTI.



"Russia is a friend, an ally and not a business partner. Russia stood by India during its darkest hours. Next year willmark 70 years of our relationship. It is a long time," he said and noted thatRussia had stood by India when it faced sanctions after the 1998 nuclear tests.



"Not so in the recent past, when India was under sanctions, we were pretty much the only partner for India.



"Russia has been a partner not only in every day military supplies but also most sensitive and most important supplies including a nuclear submarine which was rented to India for you to use," said Chemezov who is also a close aide of Russian President Vladmir Putin.



"Come to think about it, I would not imagine any other country to do that, he said. Not in the past or in the future. I cannot imagine US or Europe giving India such a strategic asset," he said when asked about the tough competition that US and Europe are giving to Russia in the Indian defence market.

Not only did Russia lease out a nuclear powered



submarine, it actively helped in the building India's first indigenous nuclear weapon carrying capable submarine INS Arihant which has been inducted into the Indian Navy.



Chemezov said "it is a very special year for us and will be marked by major projects and things are starting already."



He, however, admitted that from a third person's point of view, there might have been some decline in some areas of defense between the two countries. US and some European countries have managed to strike mega deals with India which the Russians were also competing for.



"It is not a linear sort of relationship. We feel that ties are definitely developing and increasing," he said.



Giving example of the deadly BrahMos missile, Chemezov said that not only has Russia delivered high value equipment but has also collaborated with India on developing strategic assets.



He pointed out that in late 1990s, Russia had transferred technology for Su30 MKI, India's frontline fighter aircraft.



"At that point of time, it was our most modern equipment, our most modern plane. When we had actually signed that agreement, Russia did not even equip its army with this.



"This was basically our newest highest technology. That shows and speaks about our relationship with India," he said.



He also gave the example of T90 tanks, saying they are "not in anyway less but in many way, modern than any advanced US or European technologies".



He said there is scope for cooperation in the P75-I and the aircraft carrier project.



"There is definitely scope for both of those. There is pretty much no limit to what we could do together. Anything that is within our realm of things and possibilities, means it is the same with India," he said.



Chemezov said that Russia has already submitted its proposals for both projects.

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WA: Clothesline Project Focuses on Sexual Violence at WSU

In the past 14 years, there have been 7 reported incidents of sexual assault at CSI and 15 at Wagner, including four rapes. (Photo by Alex Milan Tracy/Sipa USA)

(Alex Milan Tracy)

(SEX CRIMES ON CAMPUS: This the first report in a three-part series.)

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- There were four reported rapes on Wagner College's Grymes Hill campus in 2015 and four in 2014.

In the past 14 years, there have been seven reported incidents of sexual assault at the College of Staten Island (CSI) in Willowbrook and 15 reported incidents of sexual assault on Wagner's campus, including the 8 reported rapes.

There were five additional incidents of dating violence and five incidents of stalking, considered a Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) crime, at CSI in 2014.

There have been no arrests, resulting in zero criminal records and zero registered sex offenders.

The Advance obtained the shocking data from a report by the Office of Postsecondary Education of the U.S. Department of Education.

Colleges and universities that receive federal student aid are required to submit an annual report of campus safety and security statistics -- via web-based data collection -- as a requirement of the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act and the Higher Education Opportunity Act.

This issue of how sex crimes are handled on college and universities across the nation has been the focus of legal and policy debates for decades, leading to lawsuits, federal legislation and advocacy organizations that have tried to compensate for the schools' right to handle the cases solely through their internal security and disciplinary systems.

WAGNER, CSI RESPOND

When asked about the eight reported cases of rape at Wagner, Dr. Shah-Gordon, vice president of campus life and deputy Title IX officer, said just because they were reported doesn't mean that in every instance a person was found guilty by the college's disciplinary tribunal.

One victim who spoke to the Advance said when she reported the rape she was given another student to counsel, comfort and represent her while the alleged rapist was assigned a law professor.

Privacy laws prohibit schools from discussing specifics about sexual assault cases, so the college would not comment on that claim or any of the reported cases.

"If we [Wagner] believe that there is a threat to other students we will make an announcement. If it seems like it is isolated then we're not sending out something to the whole campus," Shah-Gordon told the Advance regarding the school's compliance with disseminating campus-wide warnings and emergency notifications under the Clery Act.

"The safety and well-being of students, faculty, and staff at the College of Staten Island are always of paramount concern," said Ken Bach, communications director for the College of Staten Island, when asked about the reported sexual assault instances on campus.

"CSI remains deeply committed to our Island and campus communities by promptly issuing emergency notifications when there is an imminent, serious, or continuing threat. Incidents are counted in the Annual Safety Report per Clery Act guidelines and shared with the College community," Bach stated in an email to the Advance.

In the same 14-year time period, St. John's University on Grymes Hill, which is primarily a commuter college, has not reported any instances of sexual assault or rape on their Annual Security Report (ASR).

THE LEGAL PERSPECTIVE

The Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act, or "Clery Act," passed in 1990 after Clery was raped and murdered in her Lehigh University dorm room in Bethlehem, Pa., in 1986.

Clery's parents campaigned for legislative reform for years, insisting that Lehigh University failed to distribute essential safety information to its students that could have saved their daughters' life.

The Clery Act requires colleges and universities that participate in federal financial aid programs to keep and report accurate data about crimes on campus. Under the law, the institutions must:

Collect and submit data to the Office of Postsecondary Education of the U.S. Department of Education.

Make data available to the public on the school's website in the Annual Security Report (ASR). The ASR must be published and distributed annually by Oct. 1.

Review data and make necessary updates, or create new safety policies and procedures, such as disseminating timely warnings and emergency notifications.

THE BIG QUESTION

So, the question is simple: Why are college and university campuses immune to reporting sex assaults or rapes to local law enforcement authorities?

The answer is complicated: Campuses historically were, and still are, given the authority to handle crimes on campus. At the same time, there is no legal requirement for the campus to then report those crimes to local police.

They are treated like a private legal domain.

"Although a victim's choice to not report a sexual assault or incident to the police will take precedence, the College reserves the right to notify police when it believes that such reporting is necessary for the protection of the College community," Bach said concerning CSI's policy.

In cases of sex assault or rape, cases are reported to campus personnel and are then handled by the school disciplinary system -- a tribunal consisting of teachers, faculty and sometimes students, who -- critics say -- have very little, if any, training on how to deal with such cases.

Police are only notified when and if the victim chooses to report the crime a second time to local cops.

"I think that if it could only go to law enforcement, I think that would be a detriment and people would not come forward," Shah-Gordon said.

"Because I think sometimes, even now, when they come forward and say 'Yes, I'll go to the police,' the police don't always take the case and if they do, it's a different standard of proof [than on a college campus] so it's much different. I feel like we're a good intermediary," she said.

ALEXANDER v. YALE

This controversial legal environment came to national attention though a lawsuit in the 1980s -- Alexander v. Yale -- that stemmed from a woman being told by her university that they could not do anything after she was sexually harassed by a professor.

Pamela Price was an undergraduate Yale University in 1976 when her professor demanded sexual favors in return for a better grade.

School officials told her "nothing could be done to remedy her situation" when she reported the teacher -- and they were right.

Price, along with other classmates who were also victims of some form of sexual discrimination, subsequently sued Yale at a time when universities had no systematic plan to deal with sexual assault and no legal obligation to provide one.

Catharine MacKinnon, who earned her law degree from Yale the same year the students' suit was filed, published a paper the year before that argued sexual harassment was a form of discrimination.

The students' lawsuit was dismissed, but the court recognized MacKinnon's claim that schools should be legally required to handle sexual harassment and violence cases, because they constituted forms of gender-based discrimination prohibited by the Education Amendments of 1972.

Alexander v. Yale helped to establish that sexual violence, assault, harassment and rape is not only a crime, but an impairment to education.

WHAT IS TITLE IX?

Title IX is a civil rights dimension of the Education Amendments of 1972, stating that: "No person in the United States shall be excluded from participation, denied benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any educational program or activity, where the college receives federal financial assistance."

Title IX is enforced by the U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights (OCR).

It provided a reporting option for victims of sexual assault based on civil, rather than criminal, law; it's not meant as a replacement for reporting sexual assault crimes to police.

However, if a student victim of a sex crime decides to report it to her school rather than local law enforcement, there is no law requiring the school to then report the incident to law enforcement.

WHY VICTIMS SAY THEY DON'T REPORT TO POLICE

Many victims fear, and do not trust, the criminal justice system.

They don't want to report sexual crimes to law enforcement, fearing judgment from police, doctors, prosecutors and juries. They also have expressed fear of retaliation from their assailant or they don't want to relive the assault during a trial.

According to the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN), of the sexual crimes not reported to police from 2005 to 2010, the victims gave the following reasons for not reporting: 20 percent feared retaliation; 13 percent believed the police would not do anything to help; 13 percent believed it was a personal matter; 8 percent believed it was not important enough to report; 7 percent did not want to get the perpetrator in trouble; 2 percent believed the police could not do anything to help and 30 percent gave another reason.

Only a quarter of all reported rapes lead to an arrest, one fifth lead to prosecution and only half of those prosecutions result in felony convictions, RAINN analysis of data shows.

(COMING TUESDAY: Did new law named for victim of rape and murder at Lehigh University make a difference?)
NWS Xway crash

A crash early Sunday morning in the northbournd lanes of the West Shore Expressway resulted in one death and two drivers in custody, while an investigation is ongoing as to whether drag-racing played a factor, police said. (Staten Island Advance/Kyle Lawson)

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- The sister of the Brooklyn man who died as a result of the crash Sunday on the West Shore Expressway visited the scene hours later seeking closure, according to a report by CBS New York.

Dennis White, 39, was a passenger in a Dodge Charger that rear-ended a Honda SUV, which then rear-ended a van at about 2:15 a.m. in the northbound lanes near the Arden Avenue overpass, according to an NYPD spokesman.

As White's sister, Denise Wayne, examined pieces of the car left at the scene Sunday, she told CBS New York the following:

"I'm trying to get some closure. I don't know, it's just so hard to accept. He was just 39," she said. "His birthday is Nov. 18. He said he was going to have a big fish fry for his 40th. He didn't even make it."

Wayne told CBS her two daughters were in the back seat, who according to police were treated at Richmond University Medical Center in West Brighton for non-life threatening injuries and were in stable condition as of Sunday.

After rear-ending a Honda Pilot, the Charger lost control, knocked over a metal pole and flipped, police said.

The Honda pushed into a Ford van and redirected into the center median, where it struck a guard rail. Its driver and two passengers suffered non-life-threatening injuries.

Drivers of the Charger and the Pilot were both traveling at a high rate of speed at the time of the crash, but it remained uncertain if drag-racing played a role in the crash, an NYPD spokesman told the Advance on Monday.

The driver of the Charger, Jermaine Simmons, 38, of Brooklyn, was charged with driving with a blood alcohol content of .08 of 1 percent and driving without a license. He was released from Richmond University on Sunday, according to a hospital spokesman.

The first charge indicates Simmons allegedly was under the influence of alcohol and "any other narcotic," an NYPD spokeswoman said Monday.

The driver of the Honda Pilot, Hernan Zhagui, 49, of Queens, was charged with driving while intoxicated, police said.

Zhagui also was treated Sunday at Richmond University and released the same day, according to a hospital spokesman.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- The Sunday evening search for a suspect in Port Richmond led to a large police presence in the neighborhood, and the closure of a portion of Castleton Avenue.

Police swarmed the area at approximately 8:30 p.m. to search for what emergency radio transmissions indicated was an individual with a firearm.

About a dozen police cars, an emergency services truck, and air support from a helicopter were brought in to help search for the suspect.

A spokesman for the NYPD did not have any further information on the search, and radio transmissions did not indicate that the individual had been apprehended.

Traffic was diverted on Castleton between Heberton Avenue and Port Richmond Avenue.

The search perimeter stretched from Castleton Avenue to Vreeland Street. Police were searching a white Cadillac SUV near the intersection of Heberton Avenue and New Street.

Residents in the area were unaware of what was going on, and did not have information on the incident.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- The lawyer for Pedro Abad, the off-duty former Linden, N.J., cop accused of driving drunk in a fatal wrong-way crash on the West Shore Expressway last year, said he intends to renew his application to squelch results of tests which, prosecutors say, show Abad's blood-alcohol content was three times the legal limit after the wreck.

Attorney Mario F. Gallucci said he plans to take up the issue Monday in a scheduled conference in state Supreme Court, St. George.

Gallucci had originally moved to suppress the test results, contending there was no probable cause for authorities to obtain a blood sample to check Abad's blood alcohol content.

The defense contends the officer who initially responded to the scene said there was no evidence Abad had been drinking or that alcohol played a role in the wreck.

Prosecutors said the original results showed Abad's blood alcohol content was .24 percent. The legal threshold for driving while intoxicated in New York is .08 percent.

Abad and his three passengers had been drinking at Curves, a Charleston strip club, shortly before the wreck, said authorities.

In renewing his suppression application, Gallucci will argue the city Office of the Chief Medical Examiner has not complied with two judicial orders to provide his laboratory with a sample of Abad's blood.

Gallucci wants the sample to determine if it contains traces of GHB, the so-called date-rape drug.

Gallucci contends Abad, 29, may have been drugged before the fatal 5 a.m. crash that killed Joseph Rodriguez and Linden Police Officer Frank Viggiano, both 28, and badly injured former Officer Patrik Kudlac.

Had he been drugged, Abad, who was since terminated from the force, might have passed out behind the wheel, Gallucci has said.

Gallucci said Abad's toxicology tests, ordered by authorities, did not check for certain components necessary to prove a GHB poisoning.

Abad was indicted in September of last year on a slew of charges including aggravated vehicular homicide and vehicular manslaughter.

No trial date has been set.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Pedro Abad, the off-duty former Linden, N.J. cop accused of driving drunk in a fatal wrong-way crash on the West Shore Expressway last year, wants to speak to the families of the three victims; however, he's been told they don't want to talk to him, his lawyer said Monday.

"It's hard for him because he wants to communicate with them, and, unfortunately, they don't want to communicate with him," attorney Mario F. Gallucci said after a conference in state Supreme Court, St. George. "He would love ... to tell them how badly he feels about the incident, (but) after communications I've had with the district attorney's office, the families of the deceased and the survivors don't want him to communicate with them, which is their decision."

Prosecutors allege Abad, 29, was drunk when he plowed into a tractor trailer shortly before 5 a.m. on March 20, 2015, killing two passengers in his car - Joseph Rodriguez and Linden Police Officer Frank Viggiano, both 28.

Abad was badly injured in the wreck as was another passenger, former Linden Police Officer Patrik Kudlac.

Prosecutors said the original results showed Abad's blood alcohol content was .24 percent. The legal threshold for driving while intoxicated in New York is .08 percent.

Abad and his three passengers had been drinking at Curves, a Charleston strip club, shortly before the crash, said authorities.

Abad was indicted in September of last year on a slew of charges including aggravated vehicular homicide and vehicular manslaughter.

Rodriguez's sister, Roseann Rodriguez, has been outspoken in her disdain for Abad, previously saying he "destroyed" her family.

Roseann Rodriguez attended Monday's brief conference, but was not immediately available afterward.

Abad left the proceeding without comment.

Outside court, Gallucci said he anticipates having by the next court date on Nov. 22 the results of tests to determine if Abad's blood contains traces of GHB, the so-called date-rape drug.

Gallucci contends Abad may have been drugged before the fatal crash.

Had he been drugged, Abad, who was since terminated from the force, might have passed out behind the wheel, Gallucci has said.

Gallucci said Abad's toxicology tests, ordered by authorities, did not check for certain components necessary to prove a GHB poisoning.

Earlier this year, Justice Stephen J. Rooney ordered the office of the city medical examiner to provide Gallucci's laboratory with a sample of the defendant's blood taken at the hospital after the wreck.

Haggling over availability and sample size have delayed the process, but Gallucci said Monday he expected to obtain a sample perhaps later in the day.

During the conference, Rooney granted a defense motion to hold pretrial hearings to determine whether to suppress evidence regarding Abad's prior criminal convictions and any prior bad acts.

Bad acts could consist of Facebook posts Abad allegedly made showing him drinking on the night of the crash or on other occasions, said Gallucci.

Abad has been convicted previously in New Jersey of driving while intoxicated.

Such evidence "would be more prejudicial, I believe, than probative," said Gallucci.

Rooney will also consider motions the defense will file to controvert the search warrants used to obtain evidence from the data recorder in Abad's car, the car's airbags and the defendant's blood.

The defense contends the officer who initially responded to the scene said there was no evidence Abad had been drinking or that alcohol played a role in the wreck.

If that was the case, then there would have been no probable cause for authorities to check Abad's blood alcohol content, which would therefore negate the findings of that test, Gallucci maintains.

Also on Monday, the judge ruled there was sufficient evidence to sustain the filing of the indictment against Abad, based on his review of the grand jury minutes.
Page Content

inistry of Public Housing, Environment, Spatial Development and Infrastructure (Ministry VROMI), announces that there will be a traffic obstruction on the A.T. Illidge road on Saturday, October 22.





The obstruction to the traffic flow on Saturday will be from 9.00AM to 2.00PM along the aforementioned road between Madame Estate and Eddies Auto Supply.





NV GEBE will be removing high tension lines and a light pole transformer. Bucket trucks will be used resulting in a disruption in the traffic flow from time to time.





Pedestrians should be aware that there will be heavy equipment in use during the aforementioned times and must exercise caution when walking in the area.





Ministry VROMI apologizes for any inconveniences this may cause.
'Little brown brother image' of Filipinos stunts Philippines: foreign secretary

2016-10-23 06:08

MANILA -- The Philippine foreign secretary said on Saturday that the "little brown brother image" has thwarted the Philippines' growth and development, adding that separation from the United States is demanded in pursuing an independent foreign policy.

"It implies breaking away from the debilitating mindset of dependency and subservience - economically and militarily - that have perpetuated our 'little brown brother' image to America, which has stunted our growth and advancement," Perfecto Yasay wrote on his Facebook page.

He parroted the explanation made earlier by President Rodrigo Duterte that Philippines' separation from the U.S. economically and military does not mean severance of relationship or terminating the special bond between the two nations.

Indeed, he said that breaking away from "our closest friend, only military ally and strategic partner would not be in our best national interest" as declared unmistakably by Duterte on his arrival in Davao City from his successful trip to China early Saturday.

"Dismantling this old paradigm to give way to new stronger structures and methods in promoting better understanding and mutually beneficial relationships does not signify destroying alliances, making enemies or creating new barriers towards working together," Yasay explained.

The top Philippine diplomat added, "It simply means letting go of the disguised chains that continue to hold us captive to foreign interests in order to enable our people and duly elected leaders to address our urgent problems and needs in the light of our priorities, experiences and values without undue outside interference."

The separation means enabling the Philippines as a sovereign equal with all nations "in securing world peace not war, forging stronger friendships and not enmity and making our planet a better and safer place for everyone," Yasay said.
French people call Nanjing Massacre 'painful and horrifying'

2016-10-23 06:08

Daniel Renouf and his wife visit the exhibition of historical facts about the 1937 Nanjing Massacre in the Memorial de Caen museum in France on Saturday. It will run until Dec 15. [Photo by Fu Jing/chinadaily.com.cn]

The retired French engineer Daniel Renouf was born in August 1937, days after Japanese troops attacked China and several months before the Nanjing Massacre, which claimed 300,000 lives. Together with his wife, he joined French people in the hundreds on Saturday at an exhibition about the World War II-era war crimes.

With his wife holding a stick, they carefully examined the 270 historical photos, diaries, letters and other documents from Western diplomats, professors, doctors and reporters from the 1930s. The exhibit in the Memorial de Caen museum in France runs until Dec 15.

"The year 1937 is very special for us, and we had such very sad historic memories in our mind as we had grown," said Renouf, who was one of the last to leave the exhibition, which opened on Saturday afternoon.

"We knew something about the Nanjing Massacre."

However, Renouf, a resident of Caen, a city about 200 kilometers from Paris, said the exhibition helped him know more about the "horrifying pages" of Japanese aggression against China.

"These equal the Nazi crimes in Europe, and I believe, we must stop," said Renouf.

Japanese troops killed an estimated 300,000 civilians and unarmed soldiers s they rampaged through Nanjing in 1937. Thousands of women had been raped.

China has made Dec 13, the date when the Nanjing Massacre started, a National Memorial Day since 2014. And more than 30 similar exhibitions have been organized across the world, but the French exhibit is the first in Europe to display historical facts about Nanjing.

The Memorial de Caen museum, which opened in 1988, is dedicated to the history of conflict in the 20th century. It is considered the only European museum to recount and explain World War II from a global perspective.

Stephane Grimaldi, the museum director, said for many Europeans and Americans, the Second World War is only about Europe.

"But from the historic facts, you can see that this war started from China, due to Japanese aggression. It was not only in Europe but also in Asia, mainly in China," said Grimaldi. "We want to expose these historic truths to the public."

Chinese Ambassador to France Zhai Jun (right, first) and mayor of Caen France, Joel Bruneau (left, first), inaugurate the exhibition of historical facts about the 1937 Nanjing Massacre in the Memorial de Caen museum on Saturday. [Photo by Fu Jing/chinadaily.com.cn]

Grimaldi said it is "a pity" that China's sacrifice and suffering has not been shown sufficiently in French history books. He held up a history book for French pupils at the press conference, saying more than 20 pages cover World War II, but only one page is dedicated to the Nanjing Massacre, without much about China's fight against Japan's aggression.

"We must cooperate with China to help our next generations to remember that human beings are easy to make severe mistakes," said Grimaldi, who was invited to attend the National Memorial Day events this year in China.

Grimaldi's suggestion was echoed by Zhang Jianjun, curator of the Memorial Hall for the Victims of the Nanjing Massacre in Nanjing. The memorial hall has organized the French exhibition.

"It is very important for our young generations to remember the history, and we can deepen cooperation in organizing exhibitions, history education and joint research," said Zhang, who signed an agreement with Grimaldi prior to Saturday's opening of the exhibition.

One of the largest items on display in the exhibition is a 3.25 meters by 7.46 meters painting titled Deliverance by French painter Christian Poirot. The art depicts violent scenes of the Nanjing Massacre and was donated to Nanjing Memorial Hall in 2015.

Poirot recalled that during his stay in Hangzhou of Zhejiang province three years ago, life was peaceful and calm until one day, a TV news program reported that Japanese leaders showed respect to suspected war criminals.

"I felt extremely indignant about that since Chinese people always welcomed and treated me friendly,"he said.

"I decided to create a painting to call for memory of that significant history when Chinese victims suffered terribly in the massacre, and condemn the Japanese leaders honoring wars," he said.

The painting took Poirot six months to complete, as he read historical documents an hour a day. Now he is working on a second one, focusing of the abuse of "comfort women", which he expect will be displayed in Nanjing next year.

"Just as I added in the painting Deliverance with some white peace doves, I hope there will not be war anymore," he said.

"We aim to stop relaying hatred by remembering history," said Zhai Jun, Chinese ambassador to France, who attended the exhibition.
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"So much of this election cycle has been about the ways men belittle women when they don't get what they want from them," said Andi Zeisler, 43, feminist author. "Now, people are seeing themselves in Donald Trump's words toward Hillary, they're seeing themselves in how his surrogates act toward women  and toward Latinos and anyone who is not a straight white man."
The opposition faces competing demands to refresh the leadership team, while maintaining its experience and avoiding the appearance of a lurch to conservatism.

Liberal leader Jeremy Hanson is being urged by moderates to stand in Tuesday's leadership spill. Credit:Rohan Thomson

Tuesday's party room meeting will present a crucial challenge for the Canberra Liberals as they attempt to rebuild after their election loss.

Opposition Leader Jeremy Hanson has been privately urged to stand in Tuesday's leadership spill to prevent a shift to the right, while giving the party time to blood new members and learn from its election loss.

Mr Hanson would not be drawn on Monday on whether he would stand in the spill, saying only that he was discussing the issue with his colleagues.

He has earlier stated he would do "whatever is best for the party", and agreed that his deputy, Alistair Coe, would at some point be the next leader.

But senior Liberal sources say Mr Hanson has been privately urged to stand again, even if it were to temporarily fill a leadership void while new members were tested and given experience in the Legislative Assembly.

Two separate sources said he should have the numbers to withstand a leadership challenge from Mr Coe, should the deputy decide to stand.

There are fears a split within the party would be highlighted if both Mr Hanson and Mr Coe stood for leadership.
The new leader of the ACT's most successful minor party says recent electoral and donation reforms stacked the cards heavily in favour of the major parties in this month's election.

But Australian Sex Party ACT leader Steven Bailey maintains minor parties and independents can win seats under the ACT's new five-electorate system with better organisation and a higher calibre of candidates.

Australian Sex Party ACT leader Steven Bailey said the cards were stacked against minor parties and independent candidates at the 2016 ACT election. Credit:Steve Duncan

Mr Bailey performed well in the southern electorate, attracting 4.4 per cent of first preference votes himself. The Sex Party got a total of 7.9 per cent of the Brindabella vote, beating the Greens, and 4 per cent in Yerrabi.

Mr Bailey, who was recently named the leader of the party's local branch, said the Sex Party would be more organised and better resourced in the 2020 election.
The Independent Order of Odd Fellows (IOOF) chairfellow and caravan park enthusiast Roger Sexton has bidden farewell to the listed wealth management concern by trumpeting the group's aim "to positively contribute to the lives of individuals and their communities".

The forthright Sexton, in his final IOOF annual report letter, urged shareholders to read the full media release from the corporate regulator which "announced no further action would be taken" in relation to allegations from a former employee that some Odd Fellows had been engaged in odd behaviour.

Roger Sexton said the Odd Fellows were 'extremely pleased that this matter has now been fully resolved'. Credit:Penny Stephens

Sexton, who noted the group was celebrating 170 years of "securing our clients' futures", said how the Odd Fellows were "extremely pleased that this matter has now been fully resolved".

The ASIC media release CBD thinks Sexton was possibly talking about highlighted how it had "identified a number of concerns relating to IOOF's compliance arrangements, breach reporting, management of conflicts of interest, staff trading policy, disclosure, whistleblower management and protection and cyber security".
Shares in drinks group Coca-Cola Amatil slumped in sharemarket trading on Monday amid deepening investor concerns over the company's near-term growth prospects which saw the shares give up much of their recent gains.

The shares fell 6.4 per cent to $9.45 in heavy trading with more than 9.7 million shares changing hands, which is over four times its recent daily volumes traded.

Coca-Cola is battling to remain relevant as health consciousness increasingly drives decisions about food and drink. Credit:AP

The sell-off came in the wake of investor presentations last Friday that left investors underwhelmed over the group's near-term earnings outlook.

Ahead of the briefing, the shares had risen steadily but the lack of 'good news' to justify the gains prompted investors to head for the exits, brokers said.
Australians continue to be among the least satisfied users of broadband in the world, according to a new report.

In a ranking of 26 countries based on respondents' level of satisfaction with high-speed broadband, Australia came in at number 23, followed only by Brazil, Peru and Italy.

The finding appears in a new report by research firm Ipsos about the world's infrastructure needs and priorities.

It found Australians were largely satisfied with the quality and performance of airports, water and sewerage systems, and rail networks, and were most dissatisfied with broadband, energy generation infrastructure and flood defences.
The heads of Prime, WIN and Southern Cross Austereo have warned that the viability of regional free-to-air TV and local content for regional viewers is at stake without an overhaul of ownership regulations introduced before the arrival of pay TV and the internet.

The Senate's environment and communications legislation committee is reviewing a Turnbull government proposal to dump two broadcasting regulations, the "reach" rule preventing a company controlling commercial TV licences reaching more than 75 per cent of the population, and the two-out-of-three rule preventing a company controlling more than two of a newspaper, radio or TV outlet in the same area.

Regional TV chiefs say local content for regional viewers is at risk unless "outdated" ownership regulations are overhauled.

Prime Media Group chief executive Ian Audsley, appearing before the committee in Sydney on Monday alongside Southern Cross Austereo CEO Grant Blackley and WIN TV boss Andrew Lancaster, said the rules were were "a brake on regional media being able to organise itself in an economically efficient manner that could sustain local content that we know is important for our regional viewers".

"There is a greater threat to media diversity if the media reform bill is not passed, because the risk is that more journalists will lose their jobs in regional Australia, more newsrooms will be forced to scale down, and in a worst case scenario, some businesses may close," Mr Audsley said.
A Singaporean investment company that began life smelting tin has flipped a large 26-storey office building in Melbourne's William Street just one-year after purchasing it, netting a profit of $36.5 million.

Singapore-listed Straits Trading Company offloaded the glass and concrete tower at 114 William Street, in the legal district, for $161.5 million.

The glass and concrete tower at 114 William Street, Melbourne, sold for $161.5 million. Credit:Joe Armao

The group purchased the building for $125 million last year from Sydney-based property developers Kyko Group.

The building has a total net lettable area of 21,010 square metres and is home to tenants Cornwall Stodart Lawyers, Host Plus, ING Direct, Westpac and Worrells Solvency & Forensic Accountants among others.
Australians are more suspicious about foreigners owning new infrastructure than most other countries, an international survey has found.

When polling firm Ipsos asked Australians whether they supported foreign investment in new infrastructure if it meant projects could be delivered faster, only 27 per cent said yes. That was well below the global average support of 45 per cent and ranked Australia 24th out of 26 countries surveyed on that measure. Four out of 10 Australians were opposed to foreign investment in new infrastructure even if it meant projects could be delivered more quickly.

This makes "Australians one of the least open to foreign investment" in new infrastructure, Ipsos said.

The findings follow a controversial Federal Government decision to block Chinese Government-owned State Grid Corp and Hong Kong-listed Cheung Kong Infrastructure from leasing a 50.4 per cent stake in the NSW electricity provider Ausgrid.
Lucinda Gunning from Carroll & O'Dea Lawyers says the $1m payout is the highest sum she has seen paid for a workplace bullying claim. Credit:Ryan Stuart "In my experience, this is the highest sum that I have seen paid for a workplace bullying claim," she said. Like many cases of workplace bullying, the circumstances at first glance appear trivial. The woman who worked in middle management had made an error in an internal application for another job within her state government agency. She had accidentally duplicated an answer to one question in response to another. She says she accepted the error had effectively invalidated the application. However, her bosses insisted on meeting to provide feedback despite her saying it was unnecessary because she understood her error.

I can never walk into a room with two people in an interview again because of the way they dealt with me. When she sat down with a male and female supervisor, they accused her of having an inappropriate relationship in the office and of passing off a colleague's ideas as her own, which she flatly denies. "I was blindsided by it. I couldn't understand where the allegations were coming from," she says. "Had they given me some sort of notice or asked me in a less hostile environment, I could explain it. It was just incorrect. But they just kept going and going. "I was sobbing and doubled over and they were still making allegations about information sharing.

"It just didn't stop. At one point they said we can put you in contact with the counselling service. "I said I will absolutely need it after this meeting and still they went on. I don't know why I didn't walk out. It went on for ages." When the meeting was finally over, the public servant went on annual leave. When she returned to work, she was forced to work with one of the supervisors who had bullied her in the meeting. "I asked to be moved out of that department. But they felt the need to humiliate me further by sitting me outside their office and the team I used to manage," she said.

"I wasn't allowed to contribute. "I couldn't breath in there. I felt so useless. "It got to the point where I would sit in the bathroom for six hours and no one would notice I was there. "I didn't do any work because I couldn't." The woman, who described herself as a resilient person before the experience with bullying, was sent to a mediation session with the female supervisor.

"The woman attacked me again to the point where the mediator told her to stop. It was horrible," she said. "She said I had given another industry representative information about a meeting for stakeholders. But they had sent out a notice of the meeting. It was ridiculous. There was a clear explanation for how someone I was accused of telling found out about the meeting. "I was trying to explain it to them, but they wouldn't listen. "The woman accused me of trying to take credit for someone else's work in my job application. I said I wasn't taking credit, I had delegated the work and I was her boss. "The tone of the meeting could have been very different. They could have just said: 'Could you just please go through this with me'.

"But they were only interested in attacking me. "As a result they changed my life. I did not leave that office the same person I was when I arrived." By May, 2012, the woman left the organisation feeling "hopeless". Every time she entered a lift she would look to the ground to see if she could identify the shoes of her supervisors. "I was terrified. I couldn't be near them," she said.

The woman's complaints were initially investigated in house in what she describes as an unfair process. It took five years to finalise her claim during which insurance companies put her and her children under surveillance. "This is a psychological injury, not a physical one," she said. "Everything was challenged. I was pushed to the absolute limit. I'm surprised I'm actually still here." After five years of "hell", the woman said she had hoped to feel better now the pressure is off.
Donald Trump is not the most dangerous thing on the Republican ticket.

If you suffered through the past month's three US presidential debates, you could be forgiven for thinking that poverty did not exist on this side of the Pacific. And that US schools were well-funded dream factories. And that "solve climate change" had been checked off the to-do list. And that Israel and Palestine were chummy BFFs.

Such was the issue-vanquishing crater opened up by the ongoing explosion that is Donald J. Trump in debate mode. In a flurry of "bad hombres", "nasty" women, "Jainah!" and "locker-room" talk, who had time to discuss the diminishing future of the country's eastern seaboard? Fox News anchor Chris Wallace did get his wonk on while moderating the third debate, but unsurprisingly chose conservative obsessions such as entitlements and gun rights as his focuses.

The most strikingly absent element was any discussion of LGBTQI rights. Which is a troubling black hole because, while we can get married, the question of our being equal in the US has by no means been settled. Not when hate crimes against LGBTQI people, particularly those of colour, have surged in the past decade. Not when gays, lesbians and trans people can be fired in 28 states for just being who we are.
A handful of Australians really, really, really want to stop Donald Trump.

OK, that's probably not exactly right. I'm guessing millions of Australians hope Trump will not be the next President of the United States. They may also be hoping they never have to see another reality television show with the Donald.

Ange Humphries has travelled to the US to volunteer for Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign in Florida.

But some Australians have gone much further than that, Fifteen thousand kilometres further. They are now in the US working on the campaign for Hillary Clinton. They can't vote. They don't get paid. But there is nothing they want more than to ensure it's President Clinton and not President Trump. They are prepared to travel  even if they've never heard of their destination.

The minute Donald Trump was confirmed as the Republican Party's nominee for president, Ange Humphries, of Sydney, rang some old friends in the US who had connections in the Democratic Party. They had all volunteered during Clinton's campaign in New York for the Senate. Humphries loves New York and the combination of the charms of the Big Apple and the opportunity to defeat Trump was all too alluring.
Over the past decade or so, we've replaced the town square, in which all mingled and talked, with a series of walled-off meeting rooms, where only the like-minded receive permission to enter.

Who wants to hear from a whole lot of people who disagree with what we think?

Things might be the same in your Facebook group of friends, or they may be a mirror opposite. I can't say. Your silo, typical of a silo, has no windows, and neither does mine. Others (mostly) can't see in, and even if they could, they couldn't be bothered looking.

Hi, I'm over here in my Facebook silo, and you're over there in yours. According to me, everyone loves Jessica Mauboy's new album, thinks Rosehaven on ABC TV is terrific, and believes Donald Trump is unfit for office.

Some Donald Trump supporters conclude he has near universal support. Credit:AP

Facebook, which began as a way of rating and then chatting up fellow students at university, has become the world's leading provider of news. Yet it's not news in the old sense  the sense that The New York Times tried to capture with its slogan "All the News that's Fit to Print", and which Mad Magazine then sent up with its twist: "All the News that Fits, We Print."

This time around, in the era of Facebook and Google, it's still "All the News" but with a lengthy addendum: "All the News that Fits with Your Already Established Search History and Our Understanding of Your Political and Commercial Preferences."

The algorithms that power Facebook and Google are designed to produce contentment. They will only give you what you have previously sought. As such it's incredibly easy to end up living in a prison built of your own previous choices; in a shell constructed of your own encrusted and unchallenged opinions.

A couple of months back, Tom Steinberg, the British internet activist, was searching through Facebook for people celebrating the Brexit referendum result. He was a "Remain" supporter and so, surprised at the victory of the other side, he wanted to learn about their motivations. He reported his experiences: "The filter bubble is so strong, and extends so far into things like Facebook's custom search, that I can't find anyone who is happy despite the fact over half the country is clearly jubilant and despite the fact that I am actively looking to hear what they are saying."
You have to wonder how much the people charged with running the country's economy really know about actual conditions on the ground.

As the debate over whether millennials should shell out $22 for smashed avocado three times a week or a million dollars-plus to transfer real estate from their wealthy boomer parents to their impoverished selves rolled on, Treasury Secretary John Fraser weighed in by suggesting they'd do better giving up coffee if they wanted to save a deposit.

The most expensive coffee in Australia is sold in Perth, not Melbourne. Credit:Westend61

"I'd prefer people to start talking about the exorbitant cost of coffee in Melbourne. It's got to be the highest in world," Fraser told the Senate Estimates Committee.

Sorry, Secretary, you're not even close. If you'd been paying less attention to the Trade Weighted Index and more attention to the Cappuccino Index you'd know that Melbourne doesn't even have the most expensive coffee in Australia: that's Perth, where the price of a flat white was given extra froth by the resources boom and still hasn't settled.
A vote for Hillary Clinton over Donald Trump in the US presidential race isn't just a vote for a Democrat over a Republican, the Clinton campaign has suggested in broad and subtle ways; it's a vote for safety over risk, steady competence over boastful recklessness, psychological stability in the White House over ungovernable passions.

This theme has been a winning one for Clinton, in her debates and in the wider campaign, and for good reason. The perils of a Trump presidency are as distinctive as the candidate himself, and a vote for Trump makes a long list of worst cases - the Western alliance system's unravelling, a cycle of domestic radicalisation, an accidental economic meltdown, a civilian-military crisis - more likely than with any normal administration.

Indeed, Trump and his supporters almost admit as much.

"We've tried sane, now let's try crazy," is basically his campaign's working motto. The promise to be a bull in a china shop is part of his demagogue's appeal. Some of his more eloquent supporters have compared a vote for Trump to storming the cockpit of a hijacked plane, with the likelihood of a plane crash entirely factored in.
Nothing so reveals weakness as a Parliamentary sitting, and the last fortnight has been devastating for Malcolm Turnbull. He'll limp through beyond Christmas but that's only because there's no plausible successor waiting ready in the wings. That won't be the case in a year's time.

The dynamic that's slowly moving into gear is based on a number of quite distinct and separate factors. Turnbull's problem is that they're all coalescing and he's bereft of a way to escape their ineluctable consequences, ones that spell the end of his leadership.

Malcolm Turnbull has not been mortally wounded yet, but his survival until the next election is another matter entirely. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

While he's still far from being mortally wounded at the moment, his survival until the next election is another matter entirely. The critical problem is he can't seem to figure out what he's doing wrong, which means he's compounding his mistakes. A pattern has already been established which (without an improbable, immediate, and dramatic change) will consign his prime-ministership to oblivion before the next election. Just look at the timeline, because this is already bearing down on Turnbull.

The key factor is that, for constitutional reasons, half the Senate must be replaced by May 2019. But that's budget month and on March 23 is the NSW election, so the only real window for a federal election in 2019 would be early February. A better date for a poll would be in late 2018, but this is limited too because Victoria's election is on November 24, so the only other realistic date is in October, 2018, just two years away.
It may sound like the premise for a science fiction film but there are giant lizards hatching out of termite mounds in the middle of Canberra.

Canberra historian and conservationist Matthew Higgins captured the moment a rare Rosenberg's monitor poked its head out of a termite mound after hatching on Mount Ainslie.

Rosenberg monitors are hatching on Mt AInslie in Canberra. These rare goannas can grow to 1.5 m in length and lay their eggs in termite mounds. Credit:Matthew Higgins

Mr Higgins had been keeping an eye on the mound since he saw a Rosenberg's monitor he'd dubbed Rosie lay eggs in there in January.

"They use termite mounds because the mound acts like an incubation chamber," Mr Higgins said.
London: Trade Minister Steven Ciobo says Australia will forge ahead on a proposed free trade agreement (FTA) with Europe, despite the embarrassing collapse of the EU's trade deal with Canada.

However he said Australia may have to settle for a smaller deal that can be signed by the EU Commission alone, rather than a broader FTA that must be ratified by parliaments across the Union.

Mr Ciobo, who is in Europe meeting the region's other trade ministers, said he was still "optimistic" about an Australia-EU deal, despite European Council president Donald Tusk saying that if the Canada agreement fell through it "could be our last free trade agreement".

The Canada FTA, known by the acronym CETA, has been all but vetoed by the regional government of Wallonia in south Belgium.
Malcolm Turnbull is now less popular than Tony Abbott at the time he was dumped, with the prime minister's satisfaction rating just 29 per cent in a new poll.

In Tuesday's Newspoll in The Australian, Mr Turnbull's support is below Mr Abbott's final approval rating of 30 per cent in September 2015.

The poll shows Labor has retained a lead over the Coalition, with 52 per cent two-party preferred support compared with the Coalition's 48 per cent.

Taken between Thursday last week and Sunday, the results followed another turbulent week for the government, including a bitter public dispute between Mr Turnbull and Mr Abbott over the importation ban on the high-powered Adler shotgun and Liberal Party wrangling over NSW reform plans.
In no area of criminal law is a victim able to be cross-examined in court by the person accused of harming them.

And yet in family law that is exactly what happens on a regular basis.

It is a practice that is deeply traumatic for victims and leads to bad outcomes for them and their children, family violence campaigner and former Australian of the Year Rosie Batty says.

It is the main thing she and Women's Legal Services Australia would like to see changed when federal and state ministers hold a family violence summit in Brisbane later this week.
When I was young I always protected my face from the sun, but for my body it was open season. All my friends sported a dark tan and even though I'm skin type II on the Fitzpatrick scale (that is, pasty white) I convinced myself I could achieve a bronze hue.

Fast forward to age 35 and I had my first basal cell carcinoma, on my shoulder, right where I remember peeling off great sheets of burnt skin as a teenager. When I had that removed, the surgeon told me that since I had had one basal cell carcinoma at that age, I was almost guaranteed to have more  and he was right. I've since had two more removed, from the other shoulder and my clavicle.

As well as sunscreen, a new UV patch has been developed to measure your exposure to the sun.

So, not surprisingly, I'm now something of a zealot for sun protection. The stats for skin cancer in Australia are the highest in the world and the deadliest form, melanoma, is projected to be the top five most common cancers in Australia this year.

More than 1200 Australians die every year from melanoma; this is more than the number of deaths caused by car accidents annually. So anything that makes people more aware of sun exposure is a good thing, like a new patch you wear on your skin that tells you how much UV you've been exposed to.
"Bravo. We need to clone this judge," one reader wrote on the Facebook page for the group Justice For Children Without Voices. "A judge that gets it!!" another said. Several factors could explain the sentencing disparity between the two rape cases. For one, the father from Glasgow in eastern Montana pleaded guilty to only one count of incest to receive a lighter sentence. Two other counts were dismissed as part of the plea deal. Rene Lopez, of Fresno, was found guilty by a jury of 186 felony charges, including 22 counts of rape of a minor and 163 counts of rape. The trial lasted 11 days, court records show.

Lopez could have received a much lighter sentence. Prosecutors offered him a plea deal twice, the Fresno Bee reported. The first offer could have secured him a prison sentence of 13 years, at most; the second, 22 years. But Lopez rejected both offers and chose to go to trial instead. According to the Fresno Bee, Lopez raped his then-teenage daughter from May 2009 to May 2013. She was raped two to three times a week, on Christmas and other holidays. The horrific crimes ended when the girl, who is now 23, moved out. Lopez was arrested in November 2013, after she reported the abuse to police, the Bee reported. During the trial, jurors were read entries from a diary in which the victim chronicled the crimes against her.

The Washington Post generally does not name victims of sexual abuse. The Post also is not naming the convicted man from Montana, as it could expose the identity of his victim, who is still a minor. Testimony given at the sentencing hearings for the two men likely played a significant role in how they were punished. In a statement explaining his decision, McKeon, the Montana judge, said the victim's mother and grandmother wrote letters asking for the defendant to not be sent to prison, the Associated Press reported. While his actions were horrible, the man has two sons who love and need him, the women wrote. Nobody spoke on the victim's behalf, according to the AP.

In Lopez's case, the victim testified about the abuse during the sentencing hearing on Friday. "When my father abused me, I was young; I had no power, no voice - I was defenseless," she said, according to the Fresno Bee. Sarkisian, the judge, called the victim a "courageous young woman." Lopez, who did not testify at his trial, wrote a letter to the judge saying his daughter lied. He also did not show any remorse, his daughter said in court. Sarkisian found him to be a serious danger to society. After his daughter moved out, Lopez left love songs on her answering machine and drove by her new home, the judge said.

When she got pregnant, he paid for her abortion, the Bee reported. In Montana, prosecutors did not challenge a psychosexual evaluation's findings that the defendant could be safely treated and supervised in the community, the AP reported. McKeon explained that although the plea agreement recommended a sentence of 25 years, it also provided for a lesser sentence depending on the results of the psychosexual evaluation. Under Montana state law, defendants may not face the mandatory 25-year prison sentence for incest involving children age 12 and younger if an evaluation finds that they can be rehabilitated. Montana's sentencing policies "encourage and provide opportunities for an offender's self-improvement, rehabilitation and reintegration back into a community," McKeon wrote in his statement, according to the AP. A clinical social worker also testified that the defendant is not likely to commit a similar crime if properly treated. Public defender Casey Moore said the man is remorseful and has cooperated with law enforcement, according to the Glasgow Courier.

McKeon's sentence requires the defendant to register as a sex offender and to communicate regularly with a probation officer. He's prohibited from having any contact with the victim or any minor and from accessing pornographic material. Prosecuting attorney Dylan Jensen told the Glasgow Courier that he was "shocked and disappointed" with the 60-day sentence. But while Jensen said he respected McKeon's decision, the public's fury likely will not dissipate anytime soon: The online petition calling for the judge's impeachment has been signed more than 100,000 times. It's unlikely to make a difference, however: McKeon is retiring next month. And according to the National Center for State Courts, a judge may be only impeached by a two-thirds vote in the state legislature. The state's judicial standards commission also can make a recommendation to the state Supreme Court.
But the photo, and her tweets in the lead-up to her decision to post it, have now gone viral after she used the platform to crowdsource advice for dealing with being groped as she boarded a flight in Texas.

When Ariana Lenarsky took a man's photograph on a plane, she was hoping she wouldn't have to resort to posting it online.

After informing the flight attendants and learning that other women had already complained about similar treatment from the same man, Lenarsky  a Los Angeles based writer and performer  checked back with them to find out their plan, since it was too late to kick the passenger off the flight.

She was told the captain had been informed and that local police would meet them at landing. She took her seat and waited, feeling "depressed".

At the other end, Lenarsky gave a statement to the police, along with the other women  one of whom the perpetrator had allegedly tried to kiss. She was then told that she could only press charges from Austin, and she'd have to pay for her own flight back there to do so. Because the other woman's assault took place in the sky, any charges would involve the FBI. The woman declined to pursue it.
NSW students have among the lowest vocational education completion rates in the country with just 20 per cent finishing a course in the past three years, according to new data from the federal Department of Education.

An analysis of the statistics, released on Monday, shows up to $420 million in federal public funding could have already gone down the drain in NSW, with more than 23,000 students left with incomplete courses.

Only 6243 out of more than 30,000 NSW students completed diplomas they began in 2013 by the end of 2015.
Before triathlons Heather Wilson was putting her competitive streak to use going pint for pint with the blokes at the pub.

She had just started university and joined a lacrosse team, which saw her socialising with other sporting types including the rugby team.

Heather had been drinking alcohol since she was 15 but now it was a sport.

"I was tolerating just as many beers as the boys were and then it became a challenge," she said.
Two of Sydney's most prestigious private boys' schools have been accused of placing their reputations ahead of student welfare at a royal commission.

A teenager who was allegedly indecently assaulted while studying at The King's School told the inquiry the school had a culture of silence.

Justice Peter McClellan paid tribute to survivors of child sexual abuse who have shared their stories. Credit:Jeremy Piper

"The culture at The King's School was that you could stand up and make a complaint about the behaviour but then it would get worse," he said. "It was better to say nothing and hope for the best."

The Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse was told the witness, now 19, was called "cum rag" and "cum dumpster" by other boys after a fellow student allegedly ejaculated on his sleeping bag at a school camp in April 2013.
Construction of the vaunted Skytrain section of Sydney's new $8.3 billion metro rail line to the north-west is at risk of major delays due to cracks and buckling in the viaduct's large concrete spans.

Work on the 4.5-kilometre viaduct between Bella Vista and Rouse Hill  including a 270-metre cable bridge over a busy main road  is already running late and $50 million over budget.

Fairfax Media can reveal that a contract program targeted the viaduct for completion in August while the deadline for the cable-stayed bridge  termed a "mini Anzac bridge"  over Windsor Road was May.

Adding to contractors' woes, work on the cable bridge has slowed because Roads and Maritime Services, which has responsibility for motorists who pass underneath, is yet to give approval for the construction on road reserve.
Trinity Grammar School failed to act properly when allegations of multiple rapes involving students were first raised with senior staff, a royal commission has heard.

The school's headmaster, Milton Cujes, told the inquiry the school should have done more to investigate the claims which were first reported in August 2000.

The main school entrance of Trinity Grammar in Summer Hill. Credit:Julian Andrews

"Clearly the school could have and should have done more," he said.

"To that extent, we didn't act properly ... [the school's actions] were not best practice in any way, shape or form."
Terrorism charges have been dropped against a Queensland bookstore owner after he admitted sending money to his brother and another man to help them fight in war-torn Syria.

After two years behind bars, Omar Succarieh pleaded guilty to four foreign incursions charges for helping terror accused Agim Kruezi and Abraham Succarieh.

Omar Succarieh arrives at the Brisbane watchhouse in 2014. Credit:Seven News

He had been in custody since September 2014 charged with knowingly funding the Jabhat al-Nusra terrorist organisation and preparing for incursions into foreign states for the purpose of engaging in hostile activities.

The Australian Federal Police raided Succarieh's iQraa bookstore in Logan, south of Brisbane, in September 2014, arresting him, Mr Kreuzi and a third man, Robert Louis Maestracci, whose charges were later dropped.
Schools that leak students' ATARs will be hit with tough new penalties following a series of breaches of top secret VCE results.

In the past some schools have released the results early to parents and used them for a marketing edge.

Schools that leak VCE results face tough new penalties. Credit:Craig Abraham

The state's admissions centre has warned principals that if they break the rules they will be barred from accessing ATARs ahead of students for up to five years.

They will also have to report the breach to the Australian Privacy Commissioner.
A pet dog has been shot dead in a suburban backyard after it escaped its Maida Vale home and wandered into a neighbouring property's chicken pen.

Blaze was a five-year-old husky, owned by couple Marnie Atherton and Ryan Charlie, who treated their pet "like a baby".

Marnie and Ryan with their pet husky, Blaze. Credit:Simone Addison Photography

Ms Atherton said he escaped from their backyard on Friday morning through a gate her partner had just installed.

"Normally in the morning, he'd run out to get his treat and he didn't come so I went looking for him and saw the gate was open and I quickly went and got my partner," she said.
Driverless cars could play a crucial role in tackling the cost of road car trauma in Australia, estimated at $27 billion a year, but governments needed to step up, according to new research.

The public health sector should be more active in investing in the development of driverless or automated vehicles (AVs), Professor Simone Pettigrew from Curtin University said.

The latest studies showed that 93 per cent of car accidents were caused by human errors, which could easily be avoided with driverless vehicles, Professor Pettigrew said

An ageing population at risk of medical conditions and distractions from disruptive technology such as smart phones added to the risks, she said.
Caarapo, Brazil: Five farmers have been kept in pre-trial detention since August in connection with a shooting that nearly killed a boy from an indigenous tribe in the remote state of Mato Grosso do Sul.

Josiel Benites, 12, was shot twice in the belly in June, during a dispute that claimed the life of 26-year-old indigenous health worker Clodiode Aguile Rodrigues dos Santos.

The arrests are part of an investigation into crimes against indigenous communities and private farmers' militias in the state, near the border with Paraguay, which accounts for more than half of all reported murders among the Brazilian indigenous population.

An August Fairfax Media expose revealed the deadly violence inflicted on the Guarani-Kaiowa people who are fighting for demarcation of privately owned farmland adjacent to indigenous reserves.
Gordon Hamilton, a prominent climate scientist who studied Earth's melting ice sheets, died on Saturday, when his snowmobile went into a crevasse in Antarctica, according to the National Science Foundation. He was 50 years old.

Hamilton was a researcher with the NSF-managed US Antarctic Program studying the stability of the ice shelves near McMurdo Station, a research centre on Ross Island, 4000 km south of New Zealand.

He and his team were camped in a heavily-crevassed area known as the McMurdo shear zone, where the Ross and McMurdo ice shelves meet. Five kilometres wide and more than 200 km long, this perilous zone bisects the compacted snow road to the station. The ice there is hundreds of metres thick and striated with fractures. Hamilton and his colleagues have worked for several years to map this region with robots and ground-penetrating radar, identifying crevasses to be repaired so that vehicles can haul supplies and equipment from the coast to McMurdo station.

Hamilton was driving a snow machine when he hit a crevasse and fell 30 metres into the ice. The circumstances of the accident are still unclear, but NSF spokesperson Peter West said that some crevasses are covered in snow and difficult to spot from ground level. Some of Hamilton's colleagues are working to develop robots capable of detecting buried crevasses for exactly that reason.
Airports are, by definition, places we pass through. But not for Syrian refugee Fadi Mansour, who spoke exclusively to Fairfax Media of how he ended up stuck at Istanbul's Ataturk airport for a year before successfully reaching Australian shores.

Being stuck in a situation can often tell us a great deal about ourselves. However many people around the world will be hoping that the end of four years' captivity for a group of Asian sailors tells us that the wave of Somali piracy in Africa's waters may finally be drawing to a close.

Syrian refugee Fadi Mansour, who was detained at Istanbul airport for a year until moving to Melbourne. He now lives near the airport. Credit:Simon Schluter

If the answer to unbearable situations - like the presidential candidacy of Donald Trump - is to keep moving, then perhaps the artists on board the T. Rump bus are onto something. Our roving correspondent Nick O'Malley joined them for part of the journey.

The people of the People's Republic of China may find out in the next few days whether the leader who has dominated their own political landscape in recent years - President Xi Jinping - intends to move on or stay put. That decision may seem largely administrative, but as Vladimir Putin has shown, such stasis at the helm of a great power brings with it a host of consequences for the wider world.
Valletta: Five French nationals were killed on Monday when a military aircraft crashed on take-off from Malta in the island nation's worst peacetime air accident.

The twin-prop Fairchild Metroliner crashed near the runway of the island's main airport at about 7.20am local time, sending smoke billowing into the sky, closing Malta International Airport for several hours in what was the country's worst peacetime air incident.

Smoke billows from a light plane that crashed after takeoff from Malta's main airport in Valletta. Credit:AP

The flight was part of a French customs surveillance operation which has been taking place for the past five months, with the aim of tracing routes of illicit trafficking, including human and drug trafficking, a statement from the government said.

The plane was leased from Luxembourg with local media reporting that it was heading for Misrata in Libya.
Calais: Aid workers are accusing France and Britain of failing more than 1300 unaccompanied child migrants whose future remains uncertain as the French government began dismantling on Monday the filthy camp where they are holed up.

Charities operating in the makeshift camp dubbed the "Jungle" near Calais have criticised the slow pace at which British and French officials have processed the papers of children fleeing countries such as Syria, Afghanistan and Eritrea.

French authorities moved in to complete the demolition of the Jungle on Monday, as hundreds of migrants and refugees waited outside a registration centre where they were to be questioned before being redistributed to other camps around France. There was concern some migrants would refuse to go because they still want to get to Britain.

The UK government has prioritised children and youths who can claim family ties in Britain and a French Interior Ministry official said they were still negotiating over hundreds more with no such connections.
WASHINGTON: They're mopping up. The risk of pitfalls and pratfalls is acknowledged in cursory fashion, as an emboldened Hillary Clinton changes gears - with the presidency seemingly in the bag, the Democratic candidate is decidedly more presidential, talking about bringing the country together and working to lift the chances of her down-ticket congressional colleagues.

Clinton campaign manager Robby Mook told CNN on Sunday: "These battleground states are called that for a reason - they are going to be incredibly close. We don't want to get ahead of our skis here - we are just as focused on Ohio, Iowa, Florida as we have ever been."

Clinton still leads in the national polls by an average of 6 per cent. And on Sunday a new ABC News tracking poll gave her a 12-point lead over Republican candidate Donald Trump, who languished in the high 30s.

With most of the polls ticking upwards as Clinton has been seen to have won all three candidates' debates, her campaign and significant elements of the GOP campaign machine have clearly written off Trump.
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Egg throwers will be fined

PHILIPSBURG:--- The Special Robbery Unit of the Police Department is presently investigating an armed robbery at the Chinese Supermarket Wing Da on the L.B. Scot Road. The incident took place on Friday, October 21st at approximately 07.45 p.m. The call came into the Emergency Dispatch who immediately sent the police patrol to investigate what had taken place. On the scene, the officers spoke to the victims and several witnesses. According to the information that was gathered is that one young man with a handgun threatened the employee with his weapon and took money from the cash register. The suspect fled the scene on foot with an undisclosed amount of money. Detectives are investigating the armed robbery, any tips are welcome.

Fines for egg throwers

Last week Friday the first small incident off egg throwing took place at a secondary school in St. Peters. The Police Force Sint Maarten wants to share the message below with all students, teachers and parents:

For the last few years many students, bus drivers, and other persons have been complaining about youngster/students, who during the end of the moth of October when Halloween is celebrated, become victims of egg throwing. The throwing of eggs can destroy your clothing; it can be very dangerous and hazardous to your health. The police department and the public prosecutor's office have contacted mainly the secondary schools to inform them of the campaign they have started to prevent and suppress this type of irresponsible behavior. Anyone caught throwing eggs will be arrested and taken to the police station and go through the normal procedures. Those persons could get a fine ranging from 150, - and up to 500, - guilders.

Next to that, all damages caused as a result of the throwing of eggs, will also have to be covered by the suspect. Schools were advised to inform their students about this ongoing campaign and parents are hereby urged to have a very serious talk with their kids regarding this very serious issue.
Apcera Chief Strategy Officer to Present at Cloud Expo in Santa Clara

SAN FRANCISCO, CA  (Marketwired)  10/24/16  , the leader in enterprise container management, today announced that the companys Chief Strategy Officer, Mark Thiele, will present at taking place November 1-3, 2016, at the Santa Clara Convention Center in Santa Clara, CA. Thiele will present on how democratization of IT increases demand for cloud.

Thiele is an industry visionary whose career in IT spans 25 years and has focused on both operating roles and on driving cloud adoption across enterprises of all sizes. He has deep industry experience and extensive knowledge of the requirements of policy-driven cloud computing and drives cross-functional strategic initiatives for Apcera.

Mark Thiele, Chief Strategy Officer, Apcera

Wednesday, November 2, 2016 from 5:00 p.m. to 5:35 p.m. PT

Santa Clara Convention Center, Santa Clara, CA

The Jevons Paradox suggests that when technological advances increase efficiency of a resource, it results in an overall increase in consumption. Writing on the increased use of coal as a result of technological improvements, 19th-century economist William Stanley Jevons found that these improvements led to the development of new ways to utilize coal. In this presentation, Thiele will compare the Jevons Paradox to modern-day enterprise IT, examining how the internet and the cloud has allowed for the democratization of IT, resulting in an increased demand for the cloud and the drive to develop new ways to utilize it.

is a highly secure, policy-driven application management platform for cloud-native applications, containers, microservices and legacy applications. Apcera lets IT easily modernize existing x86 workloads and applications to run on modern cloud infrastructures. Customers can choose the proper infrastructure environment (on-premises, private cloud, public cloud or multi-cloud) that delivers the best performance, location and price. With Apcera, IT teams can fully capitalize on all the benefits of a holistic hybrid cloud strategy and infrastructure.

To schedule one-on-one meetings with Apcera representatives at the event, send email to . Follow the company on Twitter at .

. CSO to present at 2016 #cloudcomputing

Apcera is the market leading enterprise-grade container management platform, driven by security and policy, that gives IT leaders the confidence and control to drive innovation and move faster, securely. Built for cloud-native as well as legacy applications, Apcera lets IT teams containerize, deploy, orchestrate and govern a vast range of workloads across on-premises, cloud and hybrid environments. Fully integrated and completely turnkey, only Apcera offers industry-leading agility and time-to-value without sacrificing security or control.

Apcera enables key enterprise use cases including deploying Docker in production securely and at scale, legacy application modernization and hybrid cloud mobility. Global 2000 companies use Apcera to lower CapEx and OpEx, improve time to market and reduce risk.

Apcera is headquartered in San Francisco. For more information, visit, read the companys blog or follow on Twitter: .

Tanya Carlsson

Kulesa Faul for Apcera

(707) 529-6139
Thur 27 Oct: Slavery on Film: Past and Present Atlantic Links |5.30pm-8pm |Senate House, G22/26 (South wing)

- Welcome address: Prof Philip Murphy (ICwS), Dr Marie Rodet (SOAS), Dr Shihan de Silva (ICwS)

- Keynote lecture: Prof Benjamin N. Lawrance (Rochester Institute for Technology)

What viral videos convey about the anti-trafficking imaginary

- Film: They Are We. Dr Emma Christopher (Sydney U). 2014. (77min)

Can a family separated by the transatlantic slave trade for 170 years sing and dance its way back together? THEY ARE WE tells the story of survival against the odds and how determination and shared humanity can triumph over the bleakest of histories.

Panel discussion: Prof Benjamin N. Lawrance (RIT)

The other screenings and panel discussion are:

Fri 28 Oct: Filming Memories of Slavery (Brazil, India and Pakistan) | 5.30pm-8pm | Senate House, G22/26 (South wing)

- Film: Other Africas: Unearthing Afro Memories in Rio de Janeiro.

Dr Andre Cicalo. 2016 (22min)

In 2011, a Circuit of African Heritage was established in the harbour area of Rio de Janeiro, after the archaeological discovery of slave trade docks dating back to the early nineteenth century. This initiative officially breaks with the general obscurity of black history in Rio.

Discussion with filmmaker Dr Andre Cicalo (Kings College London)

- Film: Mor Sahib  The Saint crocodile (Pakistan). Till Passow. 2012 (20min)

In the mystical Islamic belief of Sheedi tribe descending from Africa, the most desired wish could be fulfilled, if the holy crocodile Mor Sahib eats sacrificial offerings. On his hundredth birthday, pilgrims assemble in the shrine of Saint Mangho in South Pakistan to attain collective trance, ecstasy and spiritual healing.

- Film: Voices of the Sidis. Ancestral Links (India). Beheroze Shroff (UC Irvine). 2006 (26min)

In this entertaining portrait of an urban Sidi family in Bombay, India the father traces his ancestry to Zanzibar, Africa. Heena the daughter, Babubhai the father and Fatimaben the mother discuss their lives and work and issues of identity as Sidis.

Panel discussion: Dr David Taylor (ICwS), Alice Albinia, Author of Empires of the Indus

Mon 31 Oct: African Resistance and Rebellion against Enslavement | 6pm-8pm | KLT, SOAS (main building)

- Film: Ghosts of Amistad  In the Footsteps of the Rebels. Tony Buba. 2014 (56min)

This documentary by Tony Buba is based on Marcus Redikers The Amistad Rebellion: An Atlantic Odyssey of Slavery and Freedom (Viking-Penguin, 2012). It chronicles a trip to Sierra Leone in 2013 to visit the home villages of the people who seized the slave schooner Amistad in 1839, to interview elders about local memory of the case, and to search for the long-lost ruins of Lomboko, the slave trading factory where their cruel transatlantic voyage began. The film uses the knowledge of villagers, fishermen, and truck drivers to recover a lost history from below in the struggle against slavery.

Introduction and discussion by Prof Marcus Rediker (University of Pittburgh)

This event has been possible with the support of the Faculty of Arts and Humanities (SOAS), Centre for Migration and Diaspora Studies (SOAS), Centre of African Studies (SOAS) and the Institute of Commonwealth Studies (ICwS)

Organised by Dr Marie Rodet (SOAS), Dr Shihan de Silva (Institute of Commonwealth Studies), Dr Pavarthi Raman (SOAS)

Organiser: Faculty Arts & Humanities(SOAS),Centre for Migration and Diaspora St.,Institute of Commonwealth St.

Contact email: cas@soas.ac.uk
Morgan, who is an assistant public defender, objected to the order, contending it infringes on the defense because it prevents anyone on her defense team or an expert to view the video without judicial approval.
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New Chinese stamps and collectible envelopes feature Shenzhou 11 crewmates Jing Haipeng and Chen Dong, who are now on board China's Tiangong-2 space lab.

China's latest astronauts to launch into space have landed on a series of stamps and related postal souvenirs celebrating their ongoing mission.

Jing Haipeng and Chen Dong, who docked their Shenzhou 11 spacecraft to China's Tiangong-2 space lab on Tuesday (Oct. 18) beginning a month-long stay at the complex, are featured on the new postage stamps issued by the China National Philatelic Corporation, which is authorized by the China Post to sell stamp products to the public.

The stamps feature the portraits of Jing and Chen. A third issue depicts the crew's Shenzhou 11-Tiangong 2 mission patch. There is also a dated pictorial cancellation mark that includes an image of the two spacecraft docked together. [Spotting Tiangong-2: How to See China's New Space Lab Overhead]

The China National Philatelic Corporation is also offering stamped envelopes  "covers" as referred to by collectors  that are adorned with photos of the taikonauts and a graphic design showing the launch of their Long March 2F rocket. The stamps and covers, which were first issued on Oct. 17, are offered individually or as sets presented in collectible folders.

Jing, who turned 50 on board Tiangong-2 on Monday (Oct. 24), is the first Chinese astronaut to make three flights into space. As part of his current mission, Jing is filing journals for the state-run Xinhua news agency.

"This is my third time to fly into space," wrote Jing. "This is also my second time to enter a Tiangong. Tiangong-1 was quite good, but Tiangong-2 is much more comfortable. It is perfect in layout, decoration and matching of colors."

Shenzhou 11 is Chen's first spaceflight. He, too, is writing reports about his experience for Xinhua.

"Being in space for the first time is unusual," Chen wrote. "My big brother Jing Haipeng has really helped me adjust to life up here, and I am slowly getting used to the feeling of zero gravity, and, you know what  I'm starting to enjoy it more and more."

In addition to penning journals, the astronauts have also begun conducting an array of experiments on Tiangong-2, including working on a student-suggested study of live silkworms to see how the larvae react to the microgravity environment.

The orbiting laboratory, which is intended as a precursor to a Chinese modular space station, is also equipped with a cold atomic clock and a gamma ray burst study, the latter a joint project by Swiss, Polish and Chinese scientists.

Shenzhou 11 is not the first Chinese crewed mission to be honored on the country's stamps. Similar commemorative issues date back to China's first taikonaut in space, Yang Liwei, and his Shenzhou 5 mission in 2003.

China also established a "virtual post office" aboard its first space lab, Tiangong-1, in 2011. The so-called "China Post Space Office" invited the public to e-mail visiting taikonaut crews. They could also purchase stamps and covers via a ground-based counterpart office in Beijing Aerospace City.

See more photos of China's new Shenzhou 11-Tiangong-2 stamps at collectSPACE.

Follow collectSPACE.com on Facebook and on Twitter at @collectSPACE. Copyright 2016 collectSPACE.com. All rights reserved.
A mysterious object in the outer reaches of the solar system is revolving around the sun in an abnormal way, and scientists currently cannot explain why.

The object has been nicknamed Niku, a Chinese adjective that means "rebellious," by the group of researchers who announced its discovery in August. This name was chosen because the object's orbit is retrograde, meaning it moves in the opposite direction of nearly everything else in the solar system.

Niku was discovered by researchers who used the Panoramic Survey Telescope and Rapid Response System (Pan-STARRS) in Hawaii, and it lies in the outer reaches of the solar system, about 35 times farther away from the sun than Earth, beyond the orbit of Neptune. [The Pan-STARRS Asteroid Hunting Telescope]

Niku's orbit is inclined at an extreme 110-degree tilt with respect to the relatively thin, flat zone in which the eight major planets of the solar system orbit. In contrast, most trans-Neptunian objects (TNOs) are in much less inclined orbits.

The retrograde and extremely tilted nature of the orbits of Niku and another TNO nicknamed "Drac" led the scientists to try to find out whether there were objects with similar orbital characteristics that were listed in the Minor Planet Center database (which contains information about more than 1,000 small bodies in the solar system). They discovered four other objects with orbits that were either retrograde or nearly retrograde (meaning is orbit is inclined by less than, but close to, 90 degrees) and were also highly tilted. Two of these objects are Centaurs  bodies that orbit between Jupiter and Neptune.

A gif showing Niku moving across the sky, taken with the Panoramic Survey Telescope and Rapid Response System (Pan-STARRS) in Hawaii. (Image credit: Panoramic Survey Telescope & Rapid Response System/PS1)

The scientists were surprised to find that all six of these objects appear to orbit within a common plane.

"They're not randomly distributed in the sky  they all seem to be aligned," study co-author Matthew Payne, an astrophysicist at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics in Cambridge, Massachusetts, told Space.com.

Computer simulations that the researchers carried out suggest that Niku and Drac may have been in their orbits for hundreds of millions of years. In addition, the scientists suggest that there may be more extremely inclined objects in this group.

It remains uncertain why these six objects apparently cluster together. Astrophysicists Konstantin Batygin and Michael Brown at the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena recently found that they may have been scattered off-kilter from the rest of the solar system by the gravitational pull of "Planet Nine," a world about 10 times Earth's mass that may exist about 500 times farther away from the sun than Earth.

Another possible origin for this group is "galactic tides." As the sun orbits the center of the Milky Way, it moves up and down within the disk of the galaxy, and "tidal forces are exerted on the solar system that are thought in general to have a variety of effects, such as disturbing the Oort Cloud and throwing comets into the solar system," Payne said.

The scientists detailed their findings Oct. 17 at the American Astronomical Society Division for Planetary Sciences and European Planetary Science Congress in Pasadena, California.

Follow Charles Q. Choi on Twitter @cqchoi. Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook and Google+. Original article on Space.com.
NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) has been surveying strange "spider-like" surface features on Mars for years, and now citizen scientists are helping the orbiter hone in on areas that require further investigation.

These prominent surface features are found near Mars' south pole, and are believed to be linked to seasonal changes. The planet's polar ice caps thaw bottom-side first in the spring, causing carbon dioxide to build up and carve deep channels in the terrain, according to a statement from NASA.

"The trapped carbon dioxide gas that carves the spiders in the ground also breaks through the thawing ice sheet. It lofts dust and dirt that local winds then sculpt into hundreds of thousands of dark fans that are observed from orbit," Meg Schwamb, a planetary scientist from the Gemini Observatory in Hawaii, said in the statement. "For the past decade, [the orbiter's instrument] HiRISE has been monitoring this process on other parts of the south pole." [Latest Photos from NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter]

The Context Camera (CTX) aboard the MRO captured the images of these spider-like cracks and crevices, which volunteer citizen scientists have analyzed using the website "Planet Four: Terrains."

With the observations from this citizen science project, NASA has added 20 new regions to the agency's seasonal monitoring campaign on Mars. The orbiter's High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera will explore these regions in greater detail.

"It's heartwarming to see so many citizens of planet Earth donate their time to help study Mars," Candice Hansen, HiRISE deputy principal investigator, said in the statement. "Thanks to the discovery power of so many people, we're using HiRISE to take images of places we might not have studied without this assistance."

The new places of interest on Mars include some unexpected spider terrain, areas where the surface is composed of material that was ejected from impact craters. Previously, those areas were not associated with carbon dioxide ice sheets, and therefore not thought to have spider-like crevices.

The spider cracks may have formed on the material ejected from craters using a different mechanism than the ice sheets, Hansen said. "Perhaps on surfaces that are more erodible, relative to other surfaces, slab ice would not need to be present as long, or [need to be] as thick, for spiders to form. We have new findings, and new questions to answer, thanks to all the help from volunteers," Hansen added.

Follow Samantha Mathewson @Sam_Ashley13. Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook and Google+. Original article on Space.com.
WASHINGTON  SpaceX Chief Executive Elon Musk provided some additional details on Sunday (Oct. 23) about a Mars transportation system he unveiled last month, including plans to test in the near future one of its key technologies.

In an "Ask Me Anything" discussion on the website Reddit, organized on short notice, Musk answered more than a dozen questions posed by users about the Interplanetary Transport System he announced in a Sept. 27 speech at the International Astronautical Congress in Mexico.

That system consists of a large reusable booster that will use 42 of the company's Raptor engines currently under development, along with a reusable spacecraft designed to carry 100 people to the surface of Mars and return to Earth. Development of the Raptor engine, which completed its first test firing shortly before his speech, was one of the key technologies for the system that he announced. [Images: SpaceX's Interplanetary Transport for Mars Colonization]

Another was a large propellant tank made of carbon composite materials, far larger than any tank of those materials produced to date. "This is really the hardest part of the spaceship. The other pieces we have a pretty good handle on, but this is the trickiest one, so we wanted to tackle it first," he said in that speech, showing a full-sized tank the company had just completed.

"Yeah, for those that know their stuff, that was really the big news," Musk said in response to a question about the tank on Reddit. "In theory, it should hold cryogenic propellant without leaking and without a sealing linker. Early tests are promising."

Musk said that SpaceX will continue tests of that tank in the near future. "Will take it up to 2/3 of burst pressure on an ocean barge in the coming weeks," he wrote.

Most of the other questions that Musk answered in the session, of many hundreds submitted, dealt with specific technical aspects of the architecture. He did, though, offer in one response a rough outline of how the system would be implemented, noting that SpaceX was "still far from figuring this out in detail."

That approach starts with previously-announced plans to send Dragon spacecraft to Mars, starting as soon as 2018. These "Red Dragon" missions would initially demonstrate landing technologies to "make sure we know how to land without adding a crater," he said. They would later test the ability access water needed for the later crewed missions, both for life support and to produce methane and liquid oxygen propellants needed for return trips.

The first spaceship of the Interplanetary Transport System, which Musk has dubbed "Heart of Gold" after a fiction spaceship from the novel The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, would fly to Mars without a crew. Instead, Musk wrote, the spaceship would carry equipment to build a propellant tank needed to fuel later spaceships.

A full-sized carbon fiber tank that SpaceX developed as a key technology for its Mars mission architecture will soon undergo a burst test. (Image credit: SpaceX)

That would be followed by a single crewed spacecraft to set up a "rudimentary" base and complete the propellant tank. After that, he said, he would try to "double the number of flights with each Earth-Mars orbital rendezvous, which is every 26 months, until the city can grow by itself."

Some non-technical elements of the system remain challenging, Musk said. "I think we need a new name. ITS just isn't working," he said. The rocket and spaceship are known internally by the acronyms BFR and BFS respectively, but he suggested those might not be suitable for public use.

Musk did not answer any questions submitted about the status of the company's Falcon 9 rocket, grounded since a Sept. 1 explosion during preparations for a static-fire test destroyed a Falcon 9 and its Amos-6 satellite payload. He did, though, briefly address an upcoming, and "final," version of the rocket, which he called Block 5, that is designed for frequent reusability.

"Falcon 9 Block 5  the final version in the series  is the one that has the most performance and is designed for easy reuse, so it just makes sense to focus on that long term and retire the earlier versions," he wrote. That version includes many "minor refinements" but also increased thrust and improved landing legs, he said.

The first of the Block 5 Falcon 9 vehicles will begin production in three months, with an initial flight in six to eight months. With its entry into service, he said he doesn't expect recovered first stages from the older Block 3 and Block 4 versions of the rocket to be reused more than a few times.

In a speech earlier this month, SpaceX President Gwynne Shotwell said she believed the updated version of the Falcon 9 could be reused up to 10 times. Musk, though, was more optimistic. "I think the F9 boosters could be used almost indefinitely, so long as there is scheduled maintenance and careful inspections," he said.

This story was provided by SpaceNews, dedicated to covering all aspects of the space industry.
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More than 650 farmers and industry professionals attended the event, which showcased the innovation and achievements of grass roots farmers across the agricultural industry.

Organised by Briefing Media, parent company of Farmers Guardian, Dairy Farmer and Arable Farming, the awards welcomed a record number of entries from across all farmings core sectors.

Kicking off the evening was the presentation of Outstanding Contribution to British Agriculture award, given to Lord Don Curry.

The linchpin of agriculture received rapturous applause from the audience for his achievements and influence on British agriculture and politics, which has spanned a 65-year career.

Hailing from Kirkharle, Northumberland, and the son of farmer, Don has steadfastly worked his way up from a grass roots tenant farmer to a much respected, influential figure within agriculture thanks to a host of key achievements.

Lord Curry was awarded a CBE for his services to agriculture in 1997, a knighthood in 2001 and ennobled in 2011.

Speaking to the British Farming Awards shortly after receiving his award he says: It is a huge honour to have been presented with this award by the British Farming Awards. I feel very humbled, and blessed, to have had the privilege of being involved in so many aspects of the farming and food sector over the past 30 years, or so.

I have made so many wonderful friends over that time. I was born into farming, and grew up on a family farm in Northumberland, so to be chosen by one's peers for this award is very special indeed. I shall treasure it for the rest on my life.

Farming Hero

The winner of this years Farmers Guardian Farming Hero award was The Cumbria Flood Farm Action Group.

Representatives from the ARC Addington Fund, Cumbrian Chaplaincy, Cumbria Farmer Network, CLA, Farming Community Network, Federation for Common Land, Cumbria Commoners Association, Forage Aid, NFU and the Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution (R.A.B.I) collected the award.

Their support included financial assistance, assessing the damage, lobbying for the Farming Recovery Fund and mobilising tonnes of forage to be delivered to the worst hit areas in the wake of Storm Desmond, which left huge parts of Cumbria ravaged last December.

Georgina Lamb, regional officer for the Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution (R.A.B.I) and who spearheaded the campaign, says:

Storm Desmond and subsequent flooding lead to dark times for many farmers, some of whom are still feeling the effects.

CFFAG tried to make life a little easier for those hit by directing them to help available and assisting them in accessing support. By pooling all our resources and knowledge, the group was a one stop shop for many.
According to Helen Mathieu of forage experts Germinal GB, many parts of the country continue to see grass growth well ahead of an average year, with soil temperatures remaining relatively high. This is an opportunity not to be missed, she insists, and failure to capitalise could even be counter-productive.

The current flush of autumn grass that many livestock farms are experiencing is an asset that offers the potential to reduce feed costs and save silage stocks, says Helen.

Those who are rotationally grazing and planning for early turnout, the aim should now be to build a wedge, which means grazing fields down to about 4cm and then shutting up areas destined for the earliest bite. For others, who are set stocked or continuous grazing, our advice is to take advantage of the mild and relatively dry conditions by leaving stock out as long as possible.
"You need more lawyers" is a phrase most early-stage startup CEOs never want to hear, and for good reason: It usually means something has gone horribly wrong.

As an angel investor and advisor, I never expected (or wanted) to have to say it to a founder. Then I founded Gateway.

Related: 9 Business Ideas for People Looking to Cash in on the Marijuana Boom

Gateway is an early-stage accelerator for startups in the cannabis industry, and although there are many similarities between starting a cannabis company versus a technology company, there are also very important differences.

Typically, technology founders are taught to treat legal details around company formation seriously, but at the same time to minimize legal expenses. Often this means using services like Cooley GO or StartupDocuments for initial formation, but saving the big-name firms for later on, once fundraising starts.

Alternatively, it can mean utilizing a deferred-fee program in order to skimp now and pay later. The problem with this strategy for cannabis startups, especially companies that "touch the plant," is that while the big names in Silicon Valley are all competent firms, they know practically nothing about cannabis law, and are usually uninterested in learning.

That's a real problem, because while screwing up company formation can cost you money, screwing up compliance with cannabis law can land you in jail.

Founders try to solve this problem by hiring lawyers who specialize in cannabis law, which is a great idea that can definitely help you to avoid jail (and to deal with unconventional cannabis tax law). If you're not trying to build the kind of scalable company that will seek venture capital someday, these lawyers might be enough.

But if you plan to raise venture money and build the next Starbucks of cannabis, you may run into problems that your cannabis lawyers have trouble anticipating. Some of these are small and solvable, like making sure you have a Delaware C-corporation separate from your mutual benefit corporation (or other legal entity required by your state).

Make sure that the agreement between those entities is clear and tight, with as much value as possible accruing to the investable C-corp. Other problems might be more difficult to solve retroactively, such as the need to correct a messy capitalization table. Certainly, you'd rather have Fenwick & West sitting across the table from your first institutional investor than a great cannabis lawyer with little experience negotiating a Series A.

That's why, for companies that "touch the plant," we at Gateway recommend something unusual: two sets of lawyers. Yes, that can be more costly, but it can also keep you out of jail and ensure that you look as attractive as possible to prospective investors, at least from a legal perspective. Ultimately, you should make the time commitment to manage two legal teams. And, en route, you need to understand each team's area of responsibility, as well as how and when the teams overlap in terms of work. As a cannabis founder, you'll likely find that spending extra time on legal work is unavoidable.

Other issues that should be on your radar include:

Incompatible Legal Templates

Most templates for legal agreements contain a reasonable-sounding clause prohibiting the parties from engaging in any activities "in violation of federal law." This normally makes perfect sense, but as a cannabis company you need to scrutinize leases, employment agreements, formation documents and other contracts to make sure that an exception is made that will permit you to do exactly that.

Related: 8 Celebrities Getting (Financially) High Off of the Budding Legal Weed Business

Reliance on Courts

Even though a cannabis business may have a legal contract, in the event of a dispute, a federal court may not hear the case if it's connected to a federally illegal activity -- which selling cannabis is. We recommend including arbitration clauses in all your contracts to keep disputes out of the courts as much as possible (even this doesn't always work).

Local Politics

As PJ O'Rourke once wrote, "When buying and selling are controlled by legislation, the first things to be bought and sold are legislators." A material impact of federal prohibition is that local governments -- cities and counties -- often view the exploding cannabis industry as an opportunity for graft. Petty city council members with no understanding of business (let alone of cannabis) weasel their way into the resulting power vacuum and sponsor ridiculous, ill-conceived, and often destructive local regulations.

Their sole purpose, however, is either grandstanding for their next election or rewarding particular businesses and friends. Legal ambiguity from above begets local government at its worst. You need to pay attention to what's happening locally at the state level as well as the federal one.

Jurisdiction

Local politics don't end at the city council meeting. Cannabis companies can be routinely harassed by local law enforcement regardless of state law. Evangelical sheriffs, armed with a dubiously credible "tip" about some trivial violation, their own religious conviction and civil asset forfeiture law, might just choose to raid a cannabis company and steal -- oops, I mean confiscate -- everything in sight. Just ask the Venice Cookie Company, or more recently, AbsoluteXtracts and Care By Design.

In fact, the founders of one of our accelerator companies decided to move his entire business and family several hundred miles to a friendlier jurisdiction, just so everyone could sleep a bit more peacefully at night.

Related: Colorado's Legal Marijuana Business is on Fire

All of this may be an unfair burden, but it shouldn't deter a founder passionate about building the next big cannabis company; the opportunity vastly outstrips the risk. If you're aspiring to be that founder, just make sure you have a firm grasp of how the evolving law applies to you. And yeah, you might need more lawyers.

Related:

Legal Advice for Cannabis Startups: First, Invest. Then, Stay out of Jail.

9 Business Ideas for People Looking to Cash in on the Marijuana Boom

10 Cannabis Startups You Need to Watch



Copyright 2016 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved
L ondon is open for business. Thats the message Mayor Sadiq Khan spent a busy few days pushing in the US last month  and Sandra Sassow has rapidly reaped the rewards.

Representing her green-energy start-up Seab, she was part of the 30-company trade mission that toured Chicago and New York, schmoozing dignitaries and investors. There were people who were sitting on the fence who came over the line as a result, so weve got two new contracts, she beams as we meet in the offices of London & Partners, the Mayors international business arm. An office in the Big Apple is now on the agenda.

Sassows business is both complex and extremely simple. Using 20ft shipping containers with intricate kit inside, she hopes to help businesses cut down on emissions by converting food waste to energy on-site, using anaerobic digestion, to power the buildings they neighbour instead of burning carbon driving it to landfill. The mission is potentially lucrative as well as noble, but Sassow is pragmatic: Corporates will only do green if it makes business sense.

When I suggest its perhaps not the most glamorous way to earn a living, she faux-bristles: Whats not sexy about my shipping containers? she laughs. My family background was in base-product chemical manufacturing, so pretty smelly and dirty work on products that go into your toothpaste and shampoo. Not everything in life can be beautiful  youve got to be able to go to the back of the building and see whats going on. We all have this magical concept that we bag up our waste, take it outside and it goes away.

Sassow believes that many of our societal and corporate habits in disposing of waste are entrenched and  as the Standards Food for London waste campaign highlights  need to be addressed.

The UK transports food waste the equivalent of six times round the world every day. Its very difficult when youve got a rolling stack of trucks the city has invested in, or a facility the Government has co-invested in, to say thats perhaps not the right solution for the future.

Seab Energy Founded: 2009 Staff: 22 Turnover: 800,000 last year, 2.6 million forecast for 2016 Business idol: My dad was anamazing man. He left Russia during the revolution, then Germany because of the Second World War, set up a successful business in France, migrated to the US in 1950Fifties and ended up with a listed chemicalscompany

Sassows master plan, with her husband and co-founder Nick, is to target the growing urban centres of the developing world  in Asia, South America and Africa  and get her tech designed into big infrastructure projects.

At the moment, a handful of test sites, including at a UK hospital and a Portuguese supermarket, stand as proof of concept. A project in Minnesota sees subsidised housing, designed to enable artists to afford to live in the urban environments, powered by Seabs tech. At nearly 500,000 in some cases, the containers arent cheap. You need to find customers willing to do something new and support you, says the entrepreneur, dressed in a cowboy-ish poncho.

Sassows route to becoming an eco-warrior (she admits she spends plenty of time lobbying her cause) was an unusual one.

Born in France and raised in New York and Washington with a thick American twang to her accent, she began her career in coding and worked on the guidance systems for the Hubble space telescope. On the job, she had one of the very first laptops and worked on satnav systems for military dune buggies  which she cant tell me about, for fear its still classified. Roles at fintech and rating-system start-ups followed.

Moving to the UK in 1994, she led the international division of an imaging software firm in London and eventually moved to the New Forest, and then Winchester.

She has four kids, aged from 13 to 26, and spends her time at Seabs Canary Wharf offices, its base in Southampton Science Park and travelling the globe to meet clients.

She and her ideas man husband chat shop at home. The kids say weve gotten our business degrees over the dinner table, she explains. Its been a long road for the duo. An initial approach with a scattergun of ideas (smart lamp-posts that detect their environment, virtual power stations) was refined when grants were rejected. After getting the grants, and using personal funding, they spent four years testing their bottle-green containers and bringing them to market.

Now, with everything set up and ready to go, conquering America may just be the start.
B ritish businesses have held their nerve so far since Brexit, with corporate levels of significant financial distress falling by 6% over the past three months.

The figures, from insolvency firm Begbies Traynor, also showed that the number of UK businesses in significant financial distress was down 2% compared to the same quarter a year ago.

The construction sector enjoyed the most improved financial health in the three months to October, with saw an 11% drop in firms in significant distress.

The industry has bounced back from the Brexit shock: in July construction activity initially shrank at its fastest pace since 2009. It is set to benefit from recent policy announcements including the 3 billion Home Builders Fund, plans to accelerate construction on public land and use more brownfield sites.

Professional services firms also had a buoyant quarter, with the number of firms in significant financial distress down 10% to 11,745.

Ric Traynor, Begbies executive chairman, said: It is still too early to tell what longer term impact the Leave decision might have on the UK economy. Clearly though, the stronger the UK economy becomes pre-Brexit, the better it will be able to withstand any post-Brexit shocks.

Partner Julie Palmer added law firms and consultancies enjoyed a boost from firms dealing with Brexit.
S hares in French Connection jumped 15% on Monday amid reports that private-equity firms are considering bids for the struggling fashion chain.

Its known for its gritty ad campaigns and chunky knitwear, but the City has been less impressed by French Connection.

The City welcomed talk that 70-year-old founder Stephen Marks, who retains a 41% stake, may consider a sale.

Potential buyers are thought to include US firm Neuberger Berman, which owns Ben Sherman, and Piccadilly-based Rutland Partners, which recently sold turkeys brand Bernard Matthews.

Activist firm Gatemore, which owns 8% of French Connection, has been pushing for a change of management, and wrote an open letter warning: There is a critical point the company fails to acknowledge: it simply maintains too broad a range.

French Connection posted a 8.7% fall in sales to 69 million in the six months to August.

The shares increased by 5p to 37.8p.
Z ut alors! I hear you say. He has forgotten to list Paris in his list of hosts for Londons refugee bankers. Some mistake?

Non.

As a French financier chum expounded at the weekend, decades of anti-banker and anti-business policies, absurd employment laws and a quaint insistence that French must be the language of commerce make Paris a total non-starter.

Not to mention a business and political culture that still promotes connections over talent.

Why, my pal snorted, the very organisation campaigning for City bankers to leave the fog and try the frogs in the La Defense finance district typifies la mode Francaise when it comes to commerce.

In 2009, when the development body of La Defense was seeking to hire a new boss, it needed a grand fromage to win multinational corporations to the French capital; someone with the gravitas to command the respect of global CEOs and the financial experience to handle La Defenses 1 billion-a-year budget. To whom did it turn?

The long-haired, 23-year-old student son of the president, Nicolas Sarkozy.

When it comes to reaping the benefits of liberte, egalite, fraternite some Frenchmen have more egalite than others. Foreigners, especially bankers, dont stand a chance.
T he smart money is beginning to move. Schroders property funds are bidding for a chunk of Frankfurts office space, Standard Life and CBREs are looking to buy in Dublin and Amsterdam. Luxembourg is seeing a rush of interest.

To suggest City financiers will decamp en masse to euroland ahead of Brexit is palpable nonsense. But so is the head-in-the-sand view that none will.

Property speculators know this and want to capture some of the increase in valuations that will arise.

Major employers in the City and Canary Wharf may not say it in the open, but most are making contingency plans to move some staff to the Continent before we lose EU passporting rights.

Given that the red tape of opening abroad is a two-year process, theyd be mad not to.

Theyre weighing the pros and cons of location, location, location. Dublin  language and cultural ties versus small-town life on an island in the Atlantic; Luxembourg  higher taxes, pricy properties but good Continental connections; Frankfurt  a finance culture but boring, expensive and German.

The only positive about any of this for London is that none of the above cities are pitching for banks to move lock, stock and barrel. Europes regulators couldnt cope.

Instead, they talk of forming partnerships and satellites with London. A mini-exodus  counted in the thousands, not the hundreds of thousands  is in the wind. It would be naive to think it isnt.
I t is not only the granddaughters of the late porn magnate Paul Raymond who are making a killing from property: his son's West End real estate business on Monday revealed a 15% profit jump.

Howard Raymond, the boss of Raymond Estates, also suggested London's commercial real estate market would remain strong despite Britain's decision to leave the EU.

He told the Evening Standard: "I was personally pleased with the Brexit vote, but so far it has not impacted trading. There is still a queue of businesses wanting to lease space in my buildings, including in Soho and Mayfair."

Raymond added that the firm is excited to get on site with a new 30 million project next year which will see the creation of a new cinema, luxury flats and shops opposite the Bluebird restaurant in Chelsea.

Raymond Estates, toasted solid rents across its property portfolio which is home to popular tenants such as restaurant Zelman Meats and patisserie Maison Bertaux.

It saw pretax profit increase to 3.35 million in the year to March 31.

The accounts were published in the same week that Soho Estates, which counts Raymond's son in law and granddaughter as directors, posted sales and profit growth.

"King of Soho" Raymond who died in 2008, amassed a large London property empire using profits from magazines such as Razzle.
U K property investors are on the hunt for buildings in European cities to capitalise on demand for offices from the banking fallout from Brexit, it has emerged.

A company managed by Schroders is eyeing an office premises in Frankfurt, while CBRE Global Investors and Standard Life are looking to buy office space in cities from Dublin to Amsterdam.

Real-estate firms want to take advantage of a shortage of space in European business districts by buying land and buildings that could be used for banks if reports that 70,000 jobs could leave Britain following the vote are borne out.

The British Bankers Association has warned bank bosses in the City have their hands poised quivering over the relocate button.

Jeremy Plummer, chief executive officer for Europe, the Middle East and Africa at CBRE Global Investors, told Bloomberg it expects strong occupational demand from banks and financial services companies.

But London property agents including Cushman & Wakefield and Michael Elliott, insisted the capital was still one of the biggest targets for real-estate spending.

Mark Shipman, director at Michael Elliott, added: There is so much domestic and overseas wealth looking to invest in London.
S hares in TV companies got a boost on Monday as traders speculated on takeover activity in the wake of AT&Ts 70 billion deal to buy Time Warner.

That deal over the weekend pulls together a cable giant with one of the biggest makers of TV and films in the world.

Time Warner is behind Game of Thrones, Harry Potter movies, CNN, HBO and DC Comics. Although US politicians, including presidential hopeful Donald Trump, came out against the deal, saying it gave one company too much power and would hurt consumers, analysts note it is part of a trend.

In 2011 cable company Comcast bought TV network NBC. Phones giant Verizon is buying Yahoo. In the UK, there has long been speculation that Vodafone might move into content, perhaps by bidding for ITV or even Sky.

On Monday Sky shares were up 12p at 834p, while ITV jumped nearly 2%, 3.2p, at 174.2p.

AT&T chief executive Randall Stephenson said of the Time Warner deal: With great content we believe you can build a truly differentiated service, said In particular, mobile.

Alice Enders, a media analyst at Enders Analysis, says it gives AT&T access to premium content that will keep customers loyal but that similar moves in the UK are far from certain.
A 35 billion bid for pesticides and seeds group Syngenta was in doubt on Monday after the Chinese buyers declined to allay competition concerns.

The European Commission gave ChemChina, the Chinese state-owned chemical company, until October 21 to offer concessions that would see the deal through.

The EC said there had been no commitments from the Chinese. That means the commission will now either clear the deal or open a full investigation, which could take five months.

Syngenta shares fell nearly 8% in Zurich trading.

It said constructive discussions with the EU are ongoing and the firm will issue an update on the progress of the ChemChina transaction with its third-quarter trading statement tomorrow.

The EU is concerned the agrichemicals industry is shrinking in ways that could hurt competition. Watchdogs are already probing the tie-up between Dow Chemical and DuPont.

Meanwhile, EU lawmakers and environmental campaigners have been calling on Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager to block Bayers bid for Monsanto.
T he demolition of the Jungle at Calais begins today, but it will not be the end of the refugee problem. Some of the migrants will return there from the French centres they are being dispersed to and sleep rough on the streets of Calais.

Others will go, however reluctantly, to other parts of France and apply for asylum there. A few may resist the police round-up. More may be deported, with their dreams of a better life in Britain at an end.

Britain is taking more unaccompanied minors from the Jungle today and it is to the credit of Alf Dubs, who made legislative provision for these children, that this is happening, since many of these refugees have no family connection in Britain and are coming here simply on the basis of need. This is the minimum humanitarian gesture we should be making and, as Lord Dubs says, if a few over-18-year-olds are among them, it is not such a great problem. By comparison with the huge numbers of refugees arriving in Italy or Greece, Britain is accepting only a relatively small number of vulnerable young people. We should be making them welcome.

It is hard to blame the French authorities for closing the camp  we would find it hard to cope with a similar situation here. Desperate individuals have gone to extreme lengths to get on vehicles of any kind to get to Britain, which has made life near-impossible for lorry drivers travelling from Calais. Migrants in France are in a civilised country; it is in the camp that the young and vulnerable are especially at risk.

But the refugee crisis must be addressed at source, not just in its symptoms, as in the Jungle. Most of the people in the camp are from countries such as Afghanistan, Eritrea and Sudan  states with deep-rooted economic and security problems. If we are to deal with the exodus of people from these regions we must do so there, as well as by disrupting the people-trafficking that enables them to come to Europe at huge risk to themselves.

Even after the Jungle is demolished Britain has a responsibility to continue to contribute to the heavy costs of security at Calais. Meanwhile we should do what we can for the young refugees who come here. After their ordeal they deserve our hospitality and support.

Good science

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has given 2 million to a team at UCL to undertake research into the effects of malnutrition on the brain development of African babies. The project can be examined at a conference in London this week, which Mr Gates will attend.

This is a generous donation and an example of philanthropic and scientific co-operation at its best. The foundation is focusing much of its efforts on research into a childs first 1,000 days, starting at conception, and the effects of disease and malnourishment. The sobering truth is that 80 million children in poor countries are failing to reach the stages of cognitive development that our own children can achieve. The Gateses support for the UCL research will bear precious fruit, far into the future.

Best of the best

The announcement today of the shortlists for this years Evening Standard Theatre Awards shows just how the London stage scene is flourishing. From established stars such as Kenneth Branagh and Helen McCrory to talented newcomers like Aoife Duffin and Anthony Boyle, London theatre is home to the worlds best actors, not to mention directors, playwrights and, for that matter, audiences. For more than 60 years the Standards awards have recognised the excellence of London theatre  in 2016, it is in ruder health than ever.
B ack in 2008, two young (and extremely broke) entrepreneurs had an idea. They had some spare space in their house in San Francisco and they built a website so people attending a local design conference could pay to sleep on the floor. Because guests would be lying on air mattresses, the entrepreneurs called their company Airbed and Breakfast  later shortened to Airbnb.

This might sound like a niche idea, and indeed Silicon Valley bigwigs initially turned down the chance to invest in the business. How wrong they were. Airbnb is now one of the fastest-growing companies in the world, with more than a million rooms listed on it  more than any hotel chain. Following this success, there are now lots of other websites where you can rent someones apartment for a short period, such as OneFineStay and HomeAway. In the words of Google co-founder Larry Page: Good ideas are always crazy until theyre not.

For modern travellers, it has quickly become normal to stay in someones house instead of a hotel. After all, its often cheaper, and you get to explore new neighbourhoods and stay with locals.

So whats not to like? Well, it turns out that some politicians really dont rate Airbnb and other short-term rental companies at all  like New York governor Andrew Cuomo, who last week signed a law effectively banning them from the city.

According to Cuomo, short-term lets are pushing up property prices and making it harder to find affordable places to live. However, some claim the ban was the result of political pressure from the hotel industry, who want to stamp out the competition.

The truth is that all new technologies have upsides and downsides.

While its great that the likes of Airbnb are making cities more flexible and enabling people to make better use of empty rooms, they could potentially add to pressure on housing if not enough new properties are being built.

So how should we think about short-term rentals here in London? Interestingly, the Government recently changed an old law that was rarely enforced but technically required anyone renting out their house for a short period to apply for planning permission, which would have been a bureaucratic nightmare.

Under the new rules, you can rent out your place on a short-term basis, as long its for less than 90 days per year, and its the secondary use of the property (ie you havent bought somewhere simply to list on Airbnb).

As long as London continues to be a friend to the new, our city will have a decisive edge

So while the Government is broadly supportive, its not a free-for-all  its a regulated market that attempts to strike a balance between supporting innovation and protecting against downside risks.

Is it perfect? Probably not but its almost certainly better than banning short-term rentals outright, as theyre trying to do in New York.

It also reminds us that London is a place where new things are encouraged whether its technologies, start-ups or cultural projects.

As the critic Anton Ego says at the end of the Pixar film Ratatouille: The world is often unkind to new talent, new creations. The new needs friends.

As long as London continues to be a friend to the new, our city will have a decisive edge when it comes to attracting international investment and jobs. In these days after the Brexit vote, thats never been more important.
T he most reprehensible of the EUs founding principles was the belief that, following the Second World War, nations in Europe could no longer be trusted to govern themselves democratically. In the decades that have passed since then, we have been treated with utter contempt by our unelected overlords in Brussels.

Allowing flagrant double standards to temper the inviolability of the democratic principle  one rule for Britain and Europe, another for the rest of the world  will only fuel further resentment against the EU and, in time, the nations of Europe.

Thankfully, Theresa May appears to recognise that a decisive and relatively swift Brexit is the best means of ensuring the process is executed peacefully and amicably. She must not be hindered as she seeks to carry out the peoples wishes.

Matt Showering

Theresa May told the EU summit that she wants a strong UK as a partner of a strong EU, but the other 27 countries clearly see Britain as a feckless wrecker determined to leave both sides weaker. Indeed, this is what Luxembourgs Prime Minister, Xavier Bettel, observed: Before they were in, they wanted many opt-outs. Now they want to be out, with many opt-ins.

The pound is at a 168-year record low, which neatly sums up the outlook for the UK economy in the event of a hard Brexit, and the only way to avoid this train wreck is for the people to decide they want less immigration  but not at any cost.

The British Election Study found most Leave votes were protest votes, and other polls show increasing numbers of people believe free movement may be a price worth paying for staying in.

Perhaps Mrs May should heed the words of the great economist John Maynard Keynes: When somebody persuades me I am wrong, I change my mind.

Rev Dr John Cameron

I am still frustrated by the many Leave voters who tell me to get over the referendum result. There was nothing democratic about the manner in which the referendum was conducted and now we face an uncertain, bleak future with the pound dropping to historically low levels.

Theresa May has done nothing to reassure me that the UK will be in good hands when we invoke Article 50, and until she does, my concern for our future will remain.

Simon James

Chris Dunne [Letters, October 20] is disingenuous in suggesting that Parliament should have the final say on our departure from the EU in the same way as it will debate airport expansion. The electorate had their final say in the referendum and said they wished to leave. If Parliament were to debate Brexit, it would be an insult to the electorate and their democratic rights.

Nick Gold

Barbican is a shining light to the planners

Robert Bevans remarks in his article cannot go unchallenged [The remodelling of Brutalist Salters Hall is a triumph, October 20].

He advocates scrapping the central concept of the masterpiece that is the Barbican. The architects of that lifelong achievement, Chamberlin, Powell and Bon, made a network of highwalks the central means of connecting this great residential and arts complex. In turn, these connect the Barbican with its surrounds, not least crossing well above ground what he calls a foul Sixties dual carriageway quite alien to central London.

The reason the Barbican wants this central feature of Chamberlin, Powell and Bons design maintained is that they make our development vibrantly connected with where we work and keep the surrounding office workers connected with space.

As the city planners cram ever more high rises into ever tighter spaces around us, the Barbicans vision of lakes and open green spaces interspersing our castle like buildings and the arts centre, the highwalks provide an essential link to our civilising features.

James Ball

Businesses duty to help young people

It is worrying that London now has the highest rate of youth unemployment in the country. More must be done to raise aspirations and to improve the opportunities available.

The City of London Corporations City Business Guide highlights the vital role that businesses play in reducing youth unemployment in London. Businesses can act as role models, making sure that their own support is the best that it can be.

Organisations seeking to become involved should focus on specific groups and partner with an organisation that has experience of working with young people. The challenge that we must rise to is to give young Londoners a fulfilling role in the capitals success to create a more diverse and sustainable city.

Mark Boleat, chairman, policy & resources committee, City of London Corporation

Consult residents before library cuts

Westminster City Councils plans to cut 750,000 a year from its libraries budget will hurt the local economy. Around 140,000 people a year get help setting up a business through Westminsters libraries. As well as this, they tackle social isolation and exclusion, and provide books and spaces for exhibitions.

Cash-strapped councils must consult local residents before cutting services; the fact that Westminster has not is deeply concerning and should be addressed immediately.

Nick Poole, chief executive, Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals (CILIP)

No veto required in the Labour Party

The headline of your story [Local party bars return of Labour leaders brother, October 19] does not justify the report written by Joe Murphy. Labour membership is not open to veto in the way it is implied. In fact, my application to rejoin  it was held up, along with many others, during the leadership re-election  was widely welcomed across Southwark.

I refused to be and never have been a candidate for the Trade Union & Socialist Coalition. Labour is a broad practical church and its membership applications should not be decided by the whims of newspapers.

Piers Corbyn
As the nights draw in and most of us reluctantly put on an extra layer, there is one group of ladies who are getting ready to bare all come December.

And with the Victoria's Secret fashion show providing an endless list of questions - will Kendall Jenner walk again? Will she be joined by Gigi Hadid? Who will perform? - one query has been checked off the list today to rapturous applause. And you had better get your passport ready.

Announcing the location of its 2016 runway, Victoria's Secret have revealed that Paris will provide the setting for this year's magical showcase, much to the delight of the lingerie brand's European fans.

The shows have previously been held in New York and sometimes LA, only breaking from tradition for a Cannes catwalk in 2000 and later on in 2014 to grace London with its iconic display.

The Making of the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show- Part 4 - The Castings

Confirmed models returning this year are Adriana Lima, Alessandra Ambrosio, Lily Aldridge, Elsa Hosk, Jasmine Tookes, Josephine Skriver, Lais Ribeiro, Martha Hunt, Romee Strijd, Sara Sampaio, Stella Maxwell, Taylor Hill, as well as 'new faces'.

Victoria's Secret Fashion Show 2015 1 /36 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show 2015 First outing Model Kendall Jenner makes her Victoria's Secret debut Lucas Jackson The girls cuddle up during the finale Jewel Samad/AFP/Getty Star of the show Model Lily Aldridge walks the runway wearing the $2 million 2015 Fireworks Fantasy Bra, as The Weeknd performs during the 2015 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show Evan Agostini/Invision/AP Here come the Angels Victoria's Secret Angels Behati Prinsloo and Lily Aldridge walk the runway Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images Dramatic attire Model Gigi Hadid presents a creation Lucas Jackson/Reuters Finale Elsa Hosk, Candice Swanepoel, Behati Prinsloo, Lily Aldridge and Alessandra Ambrosio walk the runway Evan Agostini/Invision/AP Got the moves Models Behati Prinsloo and Lily Aldridge dance on the runway Lucas Jackson/Reuters Perfect pout Kendall Jenner get into the spirit of things during the show Evan Agostini/Invision/AP Think pink Model Gigi Hadid slips into a tank top and yellow trousers Lucas Jackson/Reuters Iconic role Model Lily Aldridge presents the $2 million Mouawad Victoria's Secret Fantasy Bra, dubbed the "Fireworks Fantasy Bra" during the 2015 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show Lucas Jackson/Reuters Girl power Models and Victoria's Secret Angels Candice Swanepoel, Behati Prinsloo, Lily Aldridge, and Alessandra Ambrosio Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images Festive spirit New Victoria's Secret Angel Elsa Hosk from Sweden walks the runway while Ellie Goulding performs Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images United front Caitlyn Jenner and Kris Jenner support daughter Kendall Rex First time Model Kendall Jenner looks confident as she gets her wings Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images Performance Valery Kaufman from Russia walks the runway while singer Ellie Goulding performs Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images Snowflakes Model Sharam Diniz from Angola walks the runway while singer Ellie Goulding performs Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images Carnival colours Model Adriana Lima wears bright pink and feather plummage Evan Agostini/Invision/AP Front row chic Caitlyn Jenner attends the 2015 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show Evan Agostini/Invision/AP Best friends Model Gigi Hadid greets good pal Selena Gomez Lucas Jackson Au naturel Model and Victoria's Secret Angel Adriana Lima walks the runway Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images Quirky colours Model Alessandra Ambrosio walks the runway Evan Agostini/Invision/AP Putting on a show Martha Hunt walks the runway Evan Agostini/Invision/AP Burst of colour Joan Smalls walks the runway in a colourful cape Evan Agostini/Invision/AP Got her wings Candice Swanepoel walks the runway in a pair of metallic wings Evan Agostini/Invision/AP Posing up Taylor Hill, Megan Puleri and Selena Gomez on the runway Evan Agostini/Invision/AP Like a pro Kendall Jenner walks the runway Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images Backstage Ellie Goulding poses ahead of the show

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C arlos Acosta is bringing his new Cuban dance company to Sadlers Wells for its first UK show.

The dancer, 43, who returned home to the Caribbean island after many years as principal guest artist with the Royal Ballet, set up Acosta Danza to train a new generation of Cuban dancers. He said: Acosta Danza has been founded with the intention of paying tribute to the wealth of Cuban culture. The company will develop its contemporary work, whilst also using elements of classical ballet. It is an aspiration that has grown out of my vision as an artist, incorporating all that I have learned during the past 25 years of my professional career.

The companys performance at the north London venue in September, which will include a guest appearance by Acosta, comes after a 2017 spring/summer season including performances by ballet bad boy Sergei Polunin. The Ukrainian, who became the Royal Ballets youngest ever principal aged 19 but stunned the dance world when he quit the company in 2012 saying he wanted a normal life, will perform Project Polunin from March 14 to 18.

Sadlers Wells will also host the London premiere of Wayne McGregors Tree Of Codes  a contemporary ballet inspired by US writer Jonathan Safran Foers book with sets by artist Olafur Eliasson and a score by Mercury prize-winner Jamie xx.

There will also be performances by choreographer Akram Khan and Matthew Bournes New Adventures company which will mark its 30th anniversary by reviving some of his earliest works.

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Review at a glance









P aul Nash is best known as a war artist. He has his distinguished, vivid response to the events of both world wars to thank for this: a cluster of paintings made following his experiences at Ypres and Passchendaele capture the hell of the trenches and the apocalyptic post-battle landscape, while Totes Meer pictures the surreal spectacle of the piled wreckage of German bombers in the English landscape following the Battle of Britain.

These official war paintings are indeed among his greatest works. But they represent two short periods in the nearly 40 years of work now at Tate Britain, made up to Nashs death aged 57 in 1946. In that time, Nash tapped into a peculiarly English poetic and visionary tradition while embracing the upheavals in European art. He created many memorable works, as this shows thrilling climax proves. But it was not without a few bumps on the way.

As a young man, in inky drawings, he found inspiration in the copses and clumps around his Buckinghamshire home. Pregnant with spectral power, they represent a nocturnal idyll that is abruptly destroyed by Nashs First World War experiences. In those shattered and shattering images Nash brought an almost hallucinogenic palette of colours together with a knack for graphically distilling the horror of the killing fields. We Are Making a New World (1918) and the Menin Road (1919) evoke the unspeakable, Godless, hopeless world he encountered.

Nash makes surrealism work for him, taking the forms he found and saw and setting them amid seascapes, fields and hills

Suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, Nash could never look at the British landscape in the same way again. The Twenties were all about painterly experiments, often awkward ones. Fascinating but flawed pictures abound as he flirts with European modernism. But at the mid-point of the show, as we hit the Thirties: eureka! A wonderful gallery shows Nashs experiments with found objects and photography alongside his artist lover Eileen Agar and this opens everything up. Nash makes surrealism work for him, taking the forms he found and saw  ancient stones, driftwood and other objects in his studio  and setting them amid seascapes, fields and undulating hills in strange and marvellous canvases.

Totes Meer is arguably the last of these uncanny landscapes. Seeing those bombers in English skies never left him, but they become subsumed into portentous, visionary late paintings of seasonal cycles, suns and moons. Nash, now ill, was clearly preoccupied with death. A blackened sunflower brings this thorough and tremendously powerful show to its end.

Until March 5, Tate Britain, (020 7887 8888, tate.org.uk)

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T he Kaiser Chiefs will play an intimate gig for just 200 fans on December 2nd to kick off a week of big name acts playing for small audiences at The Camden Assembly.

Jess Glynne, Jake Bugg, Tom Odell and Clean Bandit will also be playing a night each at the venue across the week as part of an initiative to raise money for music therapy charity Nordoff Robbins, which works with thousands of vulnerable people in care homes, schools and hospitals.

Fans will need to pay 2 a go to enter a lottery for the chance to win a pair of tickets to their chosen gig, and are free to enter as many times as they wish in order to increase their chances of winning. All proceeds will go directly to the charity.

The lottery will open at 1pm on Monday October 31st and run via ticketing app DICE, but fans can register now at camdenassembly.com to be notified as soon as they can enter.

The Camden Assembly occupies the former Barfly site on Camdens Chalk Farm Road, where Blur, Coldplay and Oasis have all played. It is the newest venue from The Colombo Group, which also runs The Jazz Cafe nearby as well as XOYO in Shoreditch and Phonox in Brixton.

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H arry Potter star Noma Dumezweni is in the running to be named best actress at this years Evening Standard Theatre Awards  for a performance she was not expected to give.

The actress, who is currently playing Hermione in Harry Potter And The Cursed Child in the West End, was recognised by the judges after she stepped in at the last minute to replace Kim Cattrall in Linda at the Royal Court Theatre. The Sex And The City star had dropped out with only eight days to go.

Dumezweni, with script in hand, wowed the critics and audiences alike with her performance in the tale of the award-winning businesswoman whose life was falling apart.

Scroll below for the full shortlist

ES THEATRE AWARDS

The actress faces competition for the award, named after the late Natasha Richardson, from Helen McCrory, who is recognised for her performance in The Deep Blue Sea at the National Theatre. The shortlist is completed by Sophie Melville, whose one-woman show Iphigenia In Splott also ran at the National, and Billie Piper for her role in Yerma at the Young Vic.

Sir Kenneth Branaghs performance in The Entertainer at the Garrick lands him a place on the shortlist for best actor, alongside Ralph Fiennes, who is commended for his performances in The Master Builder at the Old Vic and Richard III at the Almeida, and Sir Ian McKellen for No Mans Land, at Wyndham's. Also recognised are O-T Fagbenle for his performance in Ma Raineys Black Bottom and James McArdle in Platonov  both at the National Theatre.

Glenn Close is on the shortlist for best musical performance for her triumphant West End debut in Sunset Boulevard. She lines up against Sheridan Smith, who plays the title role in Funny Girl, and Andy Karl, for his performance in Groundhog Day.

The award for best play sees West End hit Harry Potter And The Cursed Child competing with Annie Bakers The Flick and Father Comes Home From The Wars (Parts 1, 2 & 3) by Suzan-Lori Parks.

Other awards, including recognition for most promising playwright, in a category named after former Evening Standard editor Charles Wintour, and the emerging talent award, given out in partnership with Burberry, will also be presented on the night of Sunday November 13 at the Old Vic.

The ceremony will be co-hosted by Evening Standard proprietor Evgeny Lebedev and Sir Elton John.

Mr Lebedev said: The breadth of talent recognised in this years shortlist is astonishing and spans Londons diverse and superior theatre offering. Its unsurprising that were the envy of the globe with generations of fantastic performers, writers and the finest in innovative productions.

The winner of the Evening Standard Radio 2 Audience Award for best musical is decided by a public vote, which closed yesterday.

The recipients of three more gongs  the Beyond Theatre Award, the Editors Award and the Lebedev Award  will also be revealed on the night, which is supported by Burberry, Christian Louboutin and Hiscox Home Insurance, official arts partner of the Evening Standard.

The shortlist is below:

Branagh tap-dances in The Entertainer / Johan Persson

Best actor

Sir Kenneth Branagh The Entertainer, Garrick Theatre

O-T Fagbenle Ma Raineys Black Bottom, National Theatre, Lyttelton

Ralph Fiennes The Master Builder/Richard III, Old Vic/Almeida Theatre

James McArdle Platonov, Chichester Festival Theatre/National Theatre, Olivier

Ian McKellen No Mans Land, Wyndhams Theatre

Billie Piper in Yerma / NO FEE

Natasha Richardson Award for best actress

Noma Dumezweni Linda, Royal Court, Jerwood Downstairs

Helen McCrory The Deep Blue Sea, National Theatre, Lyttelton

Sophie Melville Iphigenia In Splott, National Theatre, Temporary Theatre (a Sherman Theatre production)

Billie Piper Yerma, Young Vic

Glenn Close in Sunset Boulevard

Best musical performance

Glenn Close Sunset Boulevard, Coliseum

Andy Karl Groundhog Day, Old Vic

Sheridan Smith Funny Girl, Menier Chocolate Factory/Savoy Theatre

Louisa Krause and Jaygann Ayeh as cinema workers Rose and Avery in The Flick / Alastair Muir

Best play with Hiscox, official arts partner of the Evening Standard

Father Comes Home From The Wars (Parts 1, 2 & 3) by Suzan-Lori Parks, Royal Court, Jerwood Downstairs

The Flick by Annie Baker, National Theatre, Dorfman

Harry Potter And The Cursed Child by Jack Thorne, J K Rowling and John Tiffany, Palace Theatre

Sheridan Smith as Fanny Brice in Funny Girl / Marc Brenner

Evening Standard Radio 2 Audience Award for best musical

Funny Girl Menier Chocolate Factory/Savoy Theatre

Groundhog Day Old Vic

Guys And Dolls Savoy Theatre/Phoenix Theatre

Jesus Christ Superstar Regents Park Open Air Theatre

Our Ladies Of Perpetual Succour National Theatre, Dorfman

Sunset Boulevard Coliseum

Anthony Boyle as Scorpius Malfoy (left) and Sam Clemmett as Albus Potter in Harry Potter and the Cursed Child / Manuel Harlan

Milton Shulman Award for best director

Dominic Cooke Ma Raineys Black Bottom, National Theatre, Lyttelton

John Malkovich Good Canary, Rose Theatre Kingston

John Tiffany Harry Potter And The Cursed Child, Palace Theatre

Groundhog Day / Manuel Harlan

Best design

Jon Bausor You For Me For You, Royal Court, Jerwood Upstairs

Gareth Fry with Pete Malkin (sound design) The Encounter, Complicite/Edinburgh International Festival/Barbican

Rob Howell The Master Builder/Groundhog Day, Old Vic

The Woman (Sheila Atim) in Les Blancs / Johan Persson

Best revival

Les Blancs National Theatre, Olivier

Ma Raineys Black Bottom National Theatre, Lyttelton

No Mans Land Wyndhams Theatre

Young Chekhov: Platonov, Ivanov and The Seagull Chichester Festival Theatre/National Theatre, Olivier

Tsion Habte as Iqra with Adelayo Adedayo as Muna in Cuttin' It / Alistair Muir

Charles Wintour Award for most promising playwright

Charlene James Young Vic/Royal Court Theatre Jon Brittain Rotterdam, Theatre 503/Trafalgar Studios David Ireland Cyprus Avenue, Royal Court, Jerwood Upstairs

Jon Brittain Rotterdam, Theatre 503/Trafalgar Studios

David Ireland Cyprus Avenue, Royal Court, Jerwood Upstairs

Aoife Duffin in A Girl Is A Half-Formed Thing / Francis Loney

Emerging talent award in partnership with Burberry

Jaygann Ayeh The Flick, National Theatre, Dorfman

Anthony Boyle Harry Potter And The Cursed Child, Palace Theatre

Aoife Duffin A Girl Is A Half-Formed Thing/The Taming Of The Shrew, The Corn Exchange, Dublin and Young Vic/Shakespeares Globe Tyrone Huntley Jesus Christ Superstar, Regents Park Open Air Theatre

Tyrone Huntley Jesus Christ Superstar, Regents Park Open Air Theatre

#estheatreawards

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E xercise transports you. Often literally  you are moving  but also figuratively. When you are working out at high velocity, you cannot be introspective. Body conquers mind, and you forget that you are worried about work because you are worrying instead about whether your legs are about to buckle. They are not merely feeling but have been broken by The Burn.

Afterwards, though, once the endorphins have subsided and your body has recalibrated, your anxieties return. The bodys victory over the mind turns out to be a temporary triumph: you have sidelined your worries, not resolved them. What you need, instead, is a workout that wrestles with the mind and the body, with long-term benefits for both.

Running is regularly suggested. Thinkers insist it hoovers up mental cobwebs, enabling them to assess the state their mind is really in. It seems to improve mental acuity: Running as a way of learning my lines seems to be hugely effective, noted actor Freddie Fox in an interview with the magazine Runners World. The rhythm of running seems to hammer them into my head. The author Joyce Carol Oates elevates running to the status of the sublime in a piece in The New York Times; runner Monte Davis was more practical, quoted in 1976 compendium The Joy of Running: Its hard to run and feel sorry for yourself at the same time, he said. Also, there are those hours of clear-headedness that follow a long run. Running also promotes the growth of new nerve cells and blood vessels in the brain.

So it is zen by nature but, strictly, its still just distracting you from your worries rather than resolving them. However, there is a way to make it more zen. The zealously mindful insist that running combined with meditation will cause breakthroughs for both mental and physical fitness.

Granted, it sounds batty and New Age. To clarify: running and meditation does not mean legging it through the park with your eyes shut, nor chanting earnestly in between breathless gulps of air as you try hill sprints for the first time. It means, instead, focusing keenly on your body and mind while you are moving, giving equal attention to both so that the discipline makes both feel better. You do not switch off but switch on; your body does not shift into autopilot. You are being meditative rather than strictly meditating, but it works.

Best books on mindfulness 1 /14 Best books on mindfulness Find your inner peace with our pick of the best mindfulness and meditation books... Mindfulness: a practical guide to finding peace in a frantic world This bestseller will get you in the right frame of mind for 2016. Based on Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT)  a successful form of brief meditation this book's success relies on the way in which authors Mark Williams and Danny Penman optimistically focus on adding joy to your life as opposed to ridding it of unhappiness. 10.50, Amazon, Buy it now Anti-Stress Dot-to-Dot Always thought that dot-to-dots were an activity for children? Apprently you're wrong be wrong  the pictures in this book, featuring elegant buildings and nature scenes, will relax and focus your mind in a way you never thought a dot-to-dot book could. 5, Amazon, Buy it now I Am Here Now This will help enhance both your observation and creativity; with an audio track (featuring musings from mindfulness teacher Tara Brach) and a field notes page for recording purposes, I Am Here Now will enable your thoughts and emotions to take on a new lease of life. 7, Amazon, Buy it now The Mindful Workplace What better time to deploy the theories of mindfulness than at work? This book, filled with Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) techniques, provides an eight-week training course to keep your workplace attitude at its peak. 30.50, Amazon, Buy it now Get some headspace This book from Andy Puddicombe, founder of popular digital health platform Headspace, attempts to get people to take ten minutes out of their day for meditation purposes. Once the technique's been learned, these skills will stay with you for the rest of your life. 10, Amazon, Buy it now The Mindfulness Colouring Book Much like the dot-to-dot book above, this pocket-sized adult colouring book is the perfect activity for a 10-minute breather. Consider your stress and anxiety soothed. 4, Amazon, Buy it now The Little Book of Mindfulness In this day and age, it's more important to be in the moment than ever  this book will help you with that. From Dr Patrizia Collard, these brief practices will rid your day of stress and have you feeling more optimistic. 4, Amazon, Buy it now Body Calm The saying mind over matter derives from the idea that our minds have the power to control our bodies if we really want them to. Equally, mental stress can have a damaging effect on our bodies. Newbigging teaches us a new self-healing meditation technique to help keep our bodies healthy and to understand the source of common stress and anxiety triggers. 11, Amazon, Buy it now The Power of Now The Power of Now has become one of the most famous mindfulness books out there. Helping us to tap into our innermost Being, Tolle guides us through various techniques to help us understand that the present moment is all that really matters. 8, Amazon, Buy it now A Mindfulness Guide for the Frazzled An ambassador for mental health awareness, Ruby Wax OBE has helped to make mindfulness accessible to all. Having suffered from depression herself, in this book she explores how modern living is causing us more stress and anxiety than ever as we know and see too much. Included are mindfulness exercises and tips for everyone from babies to adults; all with sound underlying scientific reasoning. 4, Amazon, Buy it now

First, you realise that all your bones ache. You become very conscious that you are clattering your joints against the unyielding pavement and this hurts. It is not a sharp pain but more a low-level throb. It is not enough to stop, it is not usually enough for you to notice it. But when you really concentrate, you do. And so at the end, you do not stop suddenly, skip stretching, and then spend the rest of the afternoon hopping about where you happen to be  instead, you run yourself a bath and stretch out in the steaming water, occasionally kneading a calf muscle or patting your knee cautiously. After your next run, you do the same. Soon, youre aching less.

That is the body dealt with: multi-task and consider your mind at the same time. Usually, you run and all of a sudden things rise to the surface: arguments won and lost, passive-aggression tensions at work, how much you secretly hate your housemates. Then you strike down hard on the pavement and smash through it, temporarily, only for the fury to resurface later when youre spent from the sprint finish.

Instead, plan ahead: mindfulness app Headspace recommends that you work out your worries before you start. This allows the mind to rest and prioritise what you might need to address  one you can come at from all sides when youre moving through the air. Try to move through this single problem chronologically and consider all the different angles, instead of just trying to get through a figurative swarm of worries unscathed by running faster.

Focus. Stop running away from your problems. Youll tear an Achilles tendon.

Follow Phoebe Luckhurst on Twitter: @phoebeluckhurst
I t takes place precisely five months on from the day Britain voted for Brexit. The Autumn Statement on November 23 is already shaping up to be the second-most important day in the 2016 calendar for Theresa Mays scene-setting of what post-Brexit Britain might look like. So how has the shock fed into the economic forecasts? And how to encourage confidence in London and beyond?

There is much that Philip Hammond, the Chancellor, cannot answer when he delivers his lunchtime speech. Preserving access to the EUs single market is still a matter for negotiation. But if Hammond is loosening the purse strings, now that George Osbornes Budget surplus target has been scrapped, what pro-enterprise initiatives should he back?

And what does London, contributor of a quarter of the countrys output and almost a third of its economy-related taxes, need to continue thriving? There are hopes that more infrastructure projects will get the nod and the creative, construction and tourism sectors are looking for a boost to echo Sadiq Khans #LondonIsOpen message.

We asked senior business figures the same question: what is the one thing Hammond can do to bolster confidence in London?

Sir Terry Morgan, Crossrail chairman

There has never been a better time to invest in infrastructure. Crossrail is one of the most ambitious and complex infrastructure programmes undertaken in the UK and has showcased the construction industry at its best.

The Elizabeth line will revolutionise travel, boosting the economy by billions of pounds and supporting thousands of new jobs and homes. More people than ever before are travelling by rail so it is vital that we maintain investment and also deliver Crossrail 2 to support future economic growth.

Dame Carolyn McCall, EasyJet chief executive

Removing air passenger duty, a tax on passengers that suffocates demand, would certainly stimulate economic growth. There is so much evidence to support this in other countries.

Peter Ruis, Jigsaw chief executive

Firstly, the new business rates need to be scrapped. It would be disastrous in London with very little advantage across the rest of the country. Secondly, we need some categoric guarantees around the future employment and residence rights for our existing non-British EU team in head office and stores. Finally, we need to see a change to the post Brexit language around business. A strong London is a strong Britain.

Chancellor Philip Hammond will deliver the Autumn Statement next month / PA

Paul Rawlinson, global chair-elect at City law firm Baker & McKenzie

Confidence, confidence, confidence. Take the lead from the resilient post-Brexit reaction of consumers and business and give us a route map, even if we dont have all the answers.

Dame Colette Bowe, Banking Standards Board chairman

Hard work has earned London its position as a global financial centre and a creative and cultural hub. Businesses are keeping calm and carrying on, and what we need from the Government is clarity and pragmatism.

Simon Walker, Institute of Directors director-general

A competitive tax code that rewards entrepreneurialism and extending tax reliefs that encourage investment are good places to begin. The Chancellor must resist the urge to use Londons economic success as a way of plugging holes elsewhere in the UK.

Stevie Spring, chairman, BBC Children in Need and serial non-executive director

Uncertainty is driving business fears so almost anything that brings certainty helps. We must stay ahead in the war to retain talent. Reassurances that EU colleagues already here will be able to stay would be welcome.

A Look At London's Soho - Then And Now 1 /22 A Look At London's Soho - Then And Now Then and now Berwick Street in the 1930s and today Getty Images Carnaby Street 1966 Passers-by in Carnaby Street as a Mod sweeps his cloak around him after getting out of a sports car, taken February 16, 1966 Getty Images Carnaby Street 2016 People walking passed shoe shops in pedestrianised Carnaby Street in 2016 Getty Images Piccadilly Circus 1953 Mrs. Thurtell, a cleaner employed by Boots the chemist, on her hands and knees, scrubbing the pavement outside the firm's all-night shop in Piccadilly Circus, London in 1953 Getty Images Piccadilly Circus 2016 People walking through Piccadilly Circus in 2016 Getty Images Berwick Street 1933 The bustling market on Berwick Street in the heart of London's Soho district on November 1933 Getty Images Setting up Stalls Berwick Street on market day in 2016 Getty Images Shaftesbury Avenue 1954 Vehicles travelling down Shaftesbury Avenue in front of an illuminated Lyric Theatre on 29 September 1954 Getty Images Bright Lights. Big City Vehicles travelling down Shaftesbury Avenue in front of an illuminated Lyric Theatre in 2016 Getty Images Carnaby Street 1973 Shoppers walking on London's fashionable Carnaby Street IN 1973 Getty Images New wave shopping Carnaby Street in 2016 Getty Images Bateman Street 1910 The smallest shop in London, occupied by a cobbler, at 4 Bateman Street in 1910 Getty Images Bateman Street 2016 A cafe where the building that once housed London's smallest shop Getty Images Soho Record Centre 1966 Soho Record Centre in London's busy Soho district in 1966 Getty Images Changing the record The same building which is now a restaurant Getty Images Lady Jane 1974 Window shoppers looking into the Lady Jane clothes shop in Carnaby Street, London in 1974 Getty Images Lady Jane to Lambretta 2016 The present day Lambretta store which stands on the same site as Lady Jane Getty Images

Professor Sir Andrew Likierman, London Business School dean

The Chancellor must recognise that London is vital for the country as a whole, not just in terms of what we sell overseas but in providing a higher proportion of tax than any other part of the UK. Open for business also means open for the brightest and best to come from all over the world and contribute to prosperity. Visas for those whose skills we need are absolutely essential.

Sherry Coutu, angel investor and executive chair of the Scaleup Institute

The Autumn Statement and the industrial strategy needs to contain something for leaders of growing companies so that the scale-up business leaders from all sectors have more certainty about their ability to achieve their global ambitions based here. Build on what works; be consistent.

Sarah Wiggins, senior corporate partner at Linklaters

Any Brexit deal that restricts the movement of construction workers from other EU states is likely to affect industry costs and potentially delay projects. There is an opportunity for the Chancellor to commit to incentivising employment in the sector (apprenticeships and skills training) and to reduce employment costs (indeed for all businesses). Such measures, as well as clarity and commitment on the Governments infrastructure strategy and spending, will have a positive impact.

Luke Johnson, serial entrepreneur and Patisserie Valerie chairman

Cancel the commercial rates revaluation due in April 2017, because the tax increase will cripple Londons retail, restaurant and bar trade.

Frances OGrady, Trades Union Congress general secretary

London needs young workers but too many of the jobs that are available to young people do not provide the security they need to afford Londons cost of living. The Chancellor must set out plans to improve job quality and wages for young people.

Mark Boleat, City of London Corporation policy chairman

The main thing City businesses want at the moment is certainty in a post-Brexit world, with single market access, passporting rights and access to skilled overseas workers at the top of the list. However, a commitment from the Chancellor to boost the UKs attractiveness for foreign investment, measures that upskill our young workforce and steps to improve Londons and the wider UKs infrastructure would all be welcome.

Surinder Arora, hotels and property entrepreneur and chairman of Arora Group

We need a decision on Heathrow or Gatwick. I just wish they would give both airports the go-ahead so that would mean two big infrastructure projects for the South-East. The Chancellor should also look again at the new buy-to-let rules and stamp duty changes which are obviously going to the throttle the market.

Sir Stuart Lipton, Lipton Rogers property developer

London is a great city but it needs certainty for its future in order to meet the needs of its continually growing population. That means more infrastructure and housing, less red tape, faster and more certain planning permissions, with every effort made to remain the financial centre of the world.

Dambisa Moyo, economist and author

London needs policy initiatives that support the technology sector, job opportunities and investment. Mr Hammond could suggest long-term tax contracts for corporations that avoid the uncertainty of Apple in Ireland. If he reduced capital restrictions for fintech innovators they could provide capital in a faster, safer, easier way to small and medium enterprises via technology platforms.

Kester Scrope, chief executive of headhunter Odgers Berndtson in the UK and Asia

The more open and competitive we are, the more confident we can be. Aside from open trade I would like a focus on competitiveness, which is a function of two things that can be impacted: productivity and reducing the cost of doing business.

Follow James Ashton on Twitter: @mrjamesashton
T he breathtaking winning entries to this years Landscape Photographer of the Year competition have been revealed.

Photographer Mark Gilligan beat thousands of other entries to scoop the top honour at the competition with his image of an unclouded rainbow shining across across a Lake District panaroma, netting the 1,000 winning prize.

Among those honoured are a shot of Brightons abandoned pier surrounded by flying starlings and a hiker battling the elements on Chrome Hill in the Peak District.

Lesley Smiths photograph of the demolition of the iconic Red Road flats in Glasgow, entitled Demolition, earned her first place in the Urban View category.

Hannah Faith Jackson, 15, from Strathaven, South Lanarkshire, won the Young Landscape Photographer of the Year award for her shot of the reflections in a Glasgow bar window.

An exhibition of the winning entries will be held at Britains busiest train station, London Waterloo, from Novmber 21.



They will also be published in a book, Landscape Photographer of the Year: Collection 10.

Find out more about the competition: take-a-view.co.uk

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T he owners of Brent Cross today unveiled an ambitious 1.4 billion bid to wrest back the title of Londons leading mall from rivals Westfield.

The modernisation will more than double the size of the 40-year-old north London shopping centre  recently described as resembling a nuclear power station from the Soviet era  to 1.9 million square feet.

It sets up a battle of the malls be-tween British retail property giant Hammerson, the co-owner of Brent Cross, and Australias Westfield, which runs prime sites in Shepherds Bush and Stratford.

Big idea: how Brent Cross in north London will be transformed inside and out. It will have 200 shops, up to 50 food outlets, cinema and hotel

The Brent Cross upgrade is scheduled to be completed in 2022.

Mike McGuinness, Hammersons development director for the site, said: By 2022 Westfield London will be 14 years old and Westfield Stratford City 10 years old.

We take the view that Brent Cross was the number one centre in 1976 and we feel we would like to make it number one again in a new era.

He claimed that the expanded centre will be the most advanced in the country, with tech specialists working alongside the property team to anticipate trends in digital shopping in six years time.

Mario Kart in Shepherd's Bush Westfields

John Lewis and Fenwick will be re-tained as anchor department stores but a huge new Marks & Spencer will be built. In total there will be about 200 shops and the number of restaurants and cafes will rise from a handful of chain outlets in a small food court to as many as 50, including street food stalls on a market level on the upper floor. When Brent Cross opened as Britains first big US-style mall in 1976 it had just two cafes. There will also be a cinema complex and a hotel. Opening hours are set to be extended to as late as midnight. The project forms part of a wider 4.5 billion regeneration of Cricklewood which includes almost 6,700 new homes as well as parks, offices, and community facilities.

New CGIs of Brent Cross shopping centre 1 /6 New CGIs of Brent Cross shopping centre

There are plans for a pedestrian green boulevard crossing the North Circular Road that will allow shoppers to walk to and from the new town centre. Mr McGuinness said this would help alleviate the impression that Brent Cross  which is also close to the M1 and A1  is enclosed in a collar of concrete.

An exhibition on the proposals for residents and shoppers runs from November 3 to 8, ahead of a detailed planning application to Barnet council next spring.

Hammerson and Westfield are jointly building a shopping centre in Croydon, which is due to open in 2020.

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W hen youre travelling for business it is vital that everything runs smoothly. On Singapore Airlines, passengers can benefit from a range of benefits that will ensure they arrive at their destination fresh and ready to hit the ground running.

Direct flights

If you are travelling between Europe and Asia for business, the last thing you want is a long stopover. A non-stop flight to Singapore before your connection means no interruptions and a chance to prepare for your meetings.

Choose your favourite meals

You can reserve your favourite meals up to 24 hours before flying with the airlines Book The Cook service. Select creations by chefs from its International Culinary Panel and enjoy stress-free fine dining in the sky.

Get some preparation done

At 34 inches, the airlines Business Class seats are the widest in their category, while generous elbow room and partitioning ensures plenty of personal space in which to perfect a pitch or fine-tune a presentation ready to make the right impression.

Rest up

A restful journey is key to doing effective business and the sleep experience is paramount on Singapore Airlines. When youre ready to turn in, your seat transforms into a spacious, fully-flat bed complete with linen, duvet and pillows.

Kick back for a while

Relaxation can aid your productivity. There is a variety of different ways in which to chill in business class, from a glass of a sommelier-selected vintage to watching a movie on your personal 15.4-inch wide screen.

Singapore Airlines  the worlds most awarded airline  and its regional wing SilkAir, operate flights to 99 destinations in 34 countries. Fly to Singapore from 2,085 pp in Business Class. Available for sale until 31 October 2016 (travel dates: 22 Oct 16 - 07 Dec 16 and 23 Dec 16 - 30 June 17). Subject to availability. Fares shown may differ due to currency and fuel surcharge fluctuations. Full fare conditions are available on singaporeair.com
H ip pavement-side cafes, cutting-edge art exhibitions and shops rammed with fairtrade gear and antiques  the appetite for Scandi-cool has sent trend-chasing travellers in their droves to Stockholm. But Im talking about Gothenburg: Swedens second city, and  whisper it  its coolest.

Here youll find all that covetable Nordic design, modern art, craft beer and the requisite cutting-edge food scene but with far smaller crowds. And whether youre tearing into doughy kanelbullar (cinnamon buns) or crawling the citys food trucks, youre sure to be in the company of creative, dining-savvy Swedes.

Trams may rattle along the pretty cobbled streets but the city is compact enough to explore on foot. Wander through the leafy Kungsparken (Kings Park), the boutique-crammed lanes of Haga and along the narrow canals and youll have this chilled-out city sussed in no time.

Where to stay

Located on Avenyn, one of Gothenburgs more upscale, bar-lined streets, the relaxed, seven-floor Bellora (00 46 3176 734 00; hotelbellora.se) takes design inspiration from the Sixties. Thankfully that doesnt mean brown swirly carpets but instead youll find fun, fresh interiors with bold, cobalt-blue floral wallpaper, brass wall lamps and trendy tiling. Breakfast is a feast, and a great way to experience a typical Scandi start of cheese, fish, yoghurt and home-made jam. Be sure to swing by its newly opened rooftop bar, which offers great city panoramas after a day of street-level strolling. Doubles from 1,464 krona (135), including breakfast.

A room at Hotel Bellora

What to eat and drink

Start the day  or sharpen up if youre flagging by mid-afternoon  with a flat white at da Matteo (00 46 3113 0515; damatteo.se). Several locations are dotted around the city but the flagship urban-vibe cafe in Magasinsgatans main square is the buzziest. Dont leave without trying a sugar-dusted cinnamon bun  theyre baked on site.

Gothenburgs gastro scene can be cruel on the wallet but the food trucks in the same square serve up brilliant dishes, covering a vast range of cuisines, for a fraction of restaurant prices. Try Jinx (jinxfoodtruck.com) for crispy tofu and chilli sauce stuffed into light and fluffy bao, or Strommingsluckan (00 46 7324 599 07) for traditional pan-fried herring and mashed potato topped with generous ladles of lingonberry sauce. Streetkak is a handy app for narrowing down truck locations across the city (streetkak.se).

Fresh seafood at Restaurant Gabriel / Tina Stafren

Seafood-lovers should make the pilgrimage to Feskekorka, or the Fish Church (00 46 3113 4681). The indoor market was built in 1874, inspired by Norwegian stave and Gothic stone structures. Nowadays the busy, canal-side hall is a great place to get your shellfish fix  stroll between the glass counters watching the crowds buy their evenings fish supper, then grab a table on the mezzanine level and feast on oysters, fresh fish smorgasbords and locally brewed Ocean beer at Restaurang Gabriel (00 46 3113 9051; restauranggabriel.com).

For an informal evening meal with the locals, check out the burgers at The Barn (00 46 3135 249 49; thebarn.se). The small menu calls on the areas best produce  expect sublime cheeseburgers pimped with truffle mayonnaise and extra-crispy, hand-cut fries (the sweet potato versions are particularly great). The setting is equally laid-back, with bare-brick walls, weathered wooden counters and dangly lights creating a cool yet calm hangout.

Fluffy bao at Jinx street food truck

For a post-prandial sip, take your pick from the bars queued up along Tredje Langgatan  the regenerated area is spot-on for bar and restaurant-hopping. Start with Swedish craft beer at Brewers Beer (00 46 3114 7788; brewersbeerbar.se), where the on-tap specials are changed more often than the owners underwear (their words not ours). If the eight per cent ABV pale ales and specialist stouts are getting to you, absorb some of the damage with their pizza, made from seven-year-old wheat sourdough.

Tacos and Tequila (00 46 3130 952 20; tacosandtequila.se) is another favourite of the arty crowd. Along with wine and beer, theres a strong cocktail list  ideal with a side of ceviche.

Where to shop

Make a beeline for the Artilleriet Warehouse (00 46 3171 176 21; artilleriet.se) on Magasinsgatan for lust-worthy interiors shopping. Inside, the vast, softly lit space is crammed with Swedish designer rugs, lamps, glassware, throws, and is heaven for those keen on neutral hues and impeccable Scandinavian design.

Gothenburgs residents pull off loose yet expertly cut clothes with aplomb  find your own version at Grandpa (00 46 3171 170 08; grandpa.se), home to independent designer labels and sustainable cosmetics. The citys vintage clothes scene is also good, so have a rummage through the garish prints and denim at Pop Boutique (Magasinsgatan 22; 00 46 3115 1555). Or if youre into antiques then duck into the small shops along Haga Nygatan and lose yourself in the satisfying search for one-off, stylish souvenirs.

What to do and see

Pop-up market at Roda Sten ( Dino Soldin/ Gteborg & Co) / Dino Soldin/ Gteborg & Co

The city isnt short on cool museums. Start at Roda Sten (00 46 3112 0816; rodasten.com); located right on the harbour, the spruced-up industrial building, which once operated as a boiler house, now features an ever-changing programme of modern art installations. The guided tours are excellent, and the atmosphere in this shabby-chic space is a draw in itself. Keep it in mind for Friday and Saturday nights when the building hosts live bands and DJs.

The Museum of World Culture (00 46 1045 612 00; varldskulturmuseerna.se) is a must for yet more fascinating exhibitions  from Crossroads, a look at climate change, to Afghan Tales, a showcase of contemporary Afghan photography (running until January 8, 2017). For something totally different, try the centrally located Liseberg amusement park (00 46 3140 0100; liseberg.com), which has been pulling in the thrill-seeking, rollercoaster-loving crowds since the 1920s.

Gothenburg - in pictures 1 /16 Gothenburg - in pictures All smiles This Swedish city is full of beautiful - and lovely - people Fanny Victoria Waterside living A view of Feskekorka, the indoor fish market in Gothenburg Tourist Office Super civilised Revellers take a break at Way out West festival in Gotheburg Fanny Victoria Gleaming Outside the Volvo Museum A little history Inside the Volvo Museum A taste of the city Gothenburg has a better street food offering than Stockholm Alice Tate Stock up on Scandi lables Nudie jeans Co store in Gothenburg Tourist Office Soak up the sun The rooftop at Hotel Pigalle in Gothenburg Charming A bedroom at Hotel Pigalle Stop for a 'fika' Cafe Kringlan in the Haga Nygata district Beatrice Tornros A fine place to wander Gothenburg's Botanical Gardens Tourist Office Hip shopping destination Artilleriet Alice Tate

Details: Gothenburg

Norwegian (0330 828 0854; norwegian.com) offers 12 weekly flights to Gothenburg from Gatwick starting at 29.90 one-way.

goteborg.com
A British banker accused of murdering two women tortured one of them before killing her and filmed himself talking about it, a court heard today.

The case against Rurik Jutting, 31, is particularly horrifying because it includes photographs of one victims abuse, a judge told prospective jurors as the trial commenced in Hong Kong.

Jutting  a Cambridge graduate who previously lived in Surrey and worked for Bank of America Merrill Lynch in equity finance and trading  is charged with the murders of Sumarti Ningsih, 23, and Seneng Mujiasih, 26.

Their bodies were found in his flat near the Hong Kongs Wan Chai red-light district.

Today, when Jutting was asked for his plea at Hong Kongs High Court, he replied: Not guilty to murder by reason of diminished responsibility but guilty of manslaughter.

However, prosecutors rejected this and proceeded with the murder charges.

Victim: Sumarti Ningsih, 23

In opening remarks, prosecutor John Reading told jurors that, according to the facts agreed on by both sides, Ms Sumarti went home with Jutting after he offered her a large sum of money on October 25, 2014.

Ms Sumarti, who was in Hong Kong on a tourist visa, had a five-year-old son living with her parents in her native Indonesia, he said.

Jutting subjected her to increasingly cruel acts of violence using his belt, sex toys, a pair of pliers and his fists, Mr Reading said.

The body of Seneng Mujiasih, 26, was found in Jutting's flat

The prosecutor said the pair had previously met when he paid to have sex with her. But on that occasion, because he had been so rough, she offered to give back half the money if she could leave early, to which he agreed.

This time, Mr Reading said, Jutting tortured her for three days before taking her into the bathroom, making her kneel in front of the toilet bowl and then cutting her throat with a knife.

He used his phone to film himself talking about the killing and how he watched pornographic videos involving extreme violence, the court heard.

He also said he definitely could not have done that without cocaine. In some shots, Ms Sumartis body can be seen on the floor of the shower. At some point Jutting put her corpse in a suitcase, which he left on his balcony. He has pleaded guilty to unlawful burial.

Days later, on October 31, Jutting took Ms Seneng back to his flat. Also Indonesian, she was officially in Hong Kong as a maid but was working at a bar when Jutting offered her money for sex, the court heard.

At his flat, she spotted a rope gag and began shouting before Jutting cut her throat, Mr Reading said.

He made further recordings, including one showing Ms Senengs body, and later told police he used up the rest of his cocaine.

The jury heard he apparently started hallucinating and rang the emergency services and was arrested.

Mr Reading said traces of cocaine were found in more than two dozen plastic bags in the flat. In police interviews, Jutting allegedly discussed the killings.

Before jury selection, Judge Michael Stuart-Moore said evidence included extremely upsetting photographs. He said: Much of what the jury will see or hear is very disturbing indeed.

The case continues.
T wo Christian bakers who refused to make a cake decorated with a pro-gay marriage slogan have lost their appeal against a court ruling that their stance was discriminatory.

The owners of Belfast-based Ashers declined an order placed by gay activist Gareth Lee, claiming the message was inconsistent with their deeply held religious beliefs.

Last year, they were found to have breached equality legislation following a high-profile court case in Belfast.

It was announced this morning that their appeal against the decision, heard before three senior judges at in May, was rejected.

Daniel and Amy McArthur of Ashers Baking Company / Niall Carson/PA

Mr Lee, a member of the LGBT advocacy group Queer Space, requested a cake featuring Sesame Street puppets Bert and Ernie with the phrase "Support Gay Marriage" for a private function marking International Day Against Homophobia.

Gay rights: Activist Gareth Lee said the incident made him feel like a lesser person / Niall Carson/PA

He paid the 36.50 cost in full at the Belfast city centre branch but was phoned two days later and told the company could not fulfil his order.

Through the legal proceedings, Daniel McArthur, the company's general manager, insisted Mr Lee's sexuality was never an issue, rather the message he wanted the bakery to create.

Mr Lee claimed the episode left him feeling like a lesser person.

In the original case, District Judge Isobel Brownlie ruled that religious beliefs could not dictate the law and ordered the firm to pay damages of 500.

Ashters bakery: The chain has six branches / Brian Lawless/PA

Ashers, a name with Biblical connotations, has six branches, employs more than 80 people and delivers across the UK and Ireland.

Throughout the legal battle they have been supported by The Christian Institute, which has organised public rallies and garnered financial backing for the case.

In delivering the appeal judgment, Northern Ireland's Lord Chief Justice Sir Declan Morgan said Ashers had directly discriminated and rejected the argument that the bakery would be endorsing the slogan by baking the cake.

"The fact that a baker provides a cake for a particular team or portrays witches on a Halloween cake does not indicate any support for either," he said.
D utch authorities have abandoned efforts to extradite BBC Eggheads star CJ de Mooi to be questioned over an alleged murder in Amsterdam nearly 30 years ago.

The 46-year-old quiz fanatic is wanted in the Netherlands over his claim that he killed a mugger while living rough in Amsterdam nearly 30 years ago.

He made the shock confession a year ago in his autobiography, saying he punched a knife-wielding man in 1988 then threw him in a canal.

"I fully suspect I killed him. Ive no idea what happened to him", he wrote in the book.

The Dutch authorities issued a European Arrest Warrant (EAW) earlier this year, saying they wanted to question de Mooi - real name Joseph Connagh - on allegations of murder, manslaughter, assault and assault by battery.

The star was arrested last month as he flew into Heathrow airport, held in custody overnight, and hauled before Westminster magistrates court where he pledged to fight extradition.

However today the Dutch admitted they had made embarrassingly basic errors and the arrest warrant had been wrongly issued.

Rachael Scott, for the Dutch, told the court "essential requirements" of a domestic warrant for de Mooi's arrest or a decision to charge him have not been met.

"There is not yet a domestic arrest warrant and there had not yet been a charging decision taken", she said.

"The focus is, as quite fairly they said, they wanted to question Mr Connagh.

"This does not of course preclude Mr Connagh's cooperation."

The EAW warrant was not in English at the last hearing, and after being translated the Crown Prosecution Service asked the Dutch authorities to clarify their position.

Myles Grandison, for de Mooi, applied for the EAW to be discharged and this was granted by District Judge Khalid Qureshi.

"It's a classic case in the absence of a domestic warrant that the EAW shouldn't have been issued", he said.

The court heard Dutch police were only alerted to the possibility of a crime by de Mooi's own book, and have been working for several months to identify a possible victim.

De Mooi, who made his name as an expert panellist on popular daytime quiz show Eggheads, said after his book was published he was willing to be interviewed by police.

However he insisted questioning could take place in the UK.

The judge urged de Mooi today to cooperate with police if requested for interview.

The full extradition hearing, which was set for November 28, will now not take place.

De Mooi, who lives with his partner in Caldicot, Wales, did not appear at court for today's hearing.
A man has been jailed for three years after ripping part of his victim's ear off in a brutal assault sparked by a cigarette lighter request.

Ian Berry, 39, was found guilty of causing grievous bodily harm after a trial at Lewes Crown Court and was today sent to prison.

A 17-year-old boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was also found guilty and was handed 150 hours of unpaid work and a youth rehabilitation order.

Their victim, a 25-year-old man, had arrived at Three Bridges Railway station in Crawley with a 38-year-old woman at around 11:45pm on October 3.

He began asking people waiting in the queue for taxis if they had a cigarette lighter he could borrow.

Assault: Berry appeared to be angry that a stranger had asked him for a lighter

But when he approached Berry and the teenager, they appeared to take offence and viciously punched the victim in the head until he fell to the floor.

His female companion tried to defend him but she was also kicked and pulled to the floor by her hair.

After Berry had finished raining down kicks, he threatened the male victim with a bottle before walking away towards the taxi rank.

The victims were taken to Surrey and Sussex Hospital for treatment where doctors discovered the mans ear had been partially severed off. He also had cuts and bruises to his eye, while the female victim had minor injuries to her leg and hand.

Investigating officer, Det Con Vanessa Cottington, said: This was an unprovoked attack on two members of the public at Three Bridges Railway Station.

It is not known why Berry decided to use such levels of violence against a man who he didnt even know, but I hope that his time behind bars will make him think twice before he acts in such a manner again.

The victim sustained a serious injury and lost part of his ear. Violence like this will not be tolerated by British Transport Police and we will do everything in our power to bring those responsible to justice.
P olice have released an image of a man they want to speak to after a woman was allegedly sexually assaulted on bus in south London.

The victim was travelling on the route 453 bus on Old Kent Road when she was touched inappropriately by a male passenger, police said.

The alleged assault happened around 10pm on July 17.

The suspect is described as tanned and possibly North African.

He is believed to be between 20 and 30 years old with short brown hair and was wearing a light blue/grey shirt with a white pattern at the time of the attack.

A spokesman for Southwark Police said: Unwanted Sexual behaviour on the transport network is not tolerated and all sexually motivated offences are taken very seriously.

Always report incidents of this nature to the police. If you have any information please dial 101, in an emergency always dial 999 immediately.

Anyone with any information should contact PC Neil Webb on on 0203 054 6712 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111, quoting reference 3021445/16.
A British banker killed two Indonesian women by slitting their throats before using his phone to film himself talking about it, a court heard.

The banker, Rurik Jutting, entered a plea of not guilty to two murder charges that were read out at Hong Kong's High Court. Prosecutors rejected his attempt to plead guilty to the lesser charge of manslaughter.

Jutting is charged with the murders of Sumarti Ningsih, 23 and Seneng Mujiasih, 26 whose bodies were found in his upscale apartment near Hong Kong's Wan Chai red-light district.

Jutting, a Cambridge University graduate who worked for Bank of America-Merrill Lynch in structured equity finance and trading, faces life in prison if he is convicted.

The case is "particularly horrifying" because it includes photographic evidence of one victim's torture, the judge told prospective jurors as it got underway.

In opening remarks, Prosecutor John Reading told jurors that according to the facts agreed on by both sides, Sumarti went home with Jutting after he offered her "a large sum of money" In October 2014. Sumarti, who was in Hong Kong on a tourist visa, had a five-year-old son living with her parents in Indonesia, he said.

Jutting subjected her to "increasingly cruel acts of violence using his belt, sex toys, a pair of pliers and his fists," Reading said. He said the pair had previously met when he paid to have sex with her. But on that occasion, because he had been so rough, she offered to give back half the money if she could leave early, which he agreed to.

"After torturing her for three days, he took her into the bathroom and had her kneel in front of the toilet bowl with her hands tied behind her back. He then cut her throat with a serrated-edged knife," Reading continued.

Jutting used his phone to film himself talking about the killing, how he enjoyed dominating Sumarti and how he watched pornographic videos involving extreme violence, the court heard. He also allegedly said he "definitely could not have done that without cocaine."

About a week later, Jutting brought Seneng back to his apartment. She was officially in Hong Kong as a foreign maid but was working at a bar when Jutting offered her money for sex, Reading said. After they undressed, Seneng spotted a gag made of some rope that he had left next to the sofa and started to shout, Reading said.

Jutting grabbed her, took a knife he had hidden under a cushion, held it to her throat and told her he would cut her throat if she didn't stop.

"She continued to struggle and shout, and he cut her throat," he told the jurors.

He made more video recordings, including one that showed Seneng's body, and told police he used up the rest of his cocaine. He apparently started hallucinating and, believing that the police were coming to get him, called the emergency number. Officers who arrived found the body and arrested him. In interviews, he told police everything that happened as well as discussing his drug use.

Reading said traces of cocaine were detected in more than two dozen small plastic bags found in Jutting's apartment.

Jutting, who watched from the glass-screened dock, wore a dark blue shirt, dark-framed eyeglasses and looked much slimmer than in court appearances last year. When the clerk asked what his plea was to the two murder charge, he replied "not guilty to murder by reason of diminished responsibility but guilty of manslaughter," which the prosecutors refused to accept, meaning the trial on the murder charges will proceed.

A third charge was also read out, unlawful burial of Sumarti's body, to which he pleaded guilty.

Judge Michael Stuart-Moore told jurors before the selection began that the evidence includes "extremely upsetting" colour photos.

"Much of what the jury will see or hear is very disturbing indeed," he said, but added that the Jutting is entitled to a fair trial.

While Jutting's initial guilty manslaughter plea was rejected, the judge told jurors that they could still decide between finding him guilty of murder or manslaughter.

The case continues.
A n injured man staggered into a shop to seek refuge from an armed group minutes before his friend was found stabbed to death, it was claimed today.

Shocked staff at Nisa Local in Askew Road, Shepherds Bush, described how the badly beaten man rushed into the store sometime after 2am on Saturday.

He told them he was running from a group who had a knife and were trying to kill him.

After refusing to call the police, the man fled from the store.

At 2.40am officers arrived to discover the body of his friend, 28, at a flat 100 yards up the same street, and launched a murder probe.

A large crime scene remained in place last night outside the flat above a beauty parlour.

Neighbours described the second-floor flat as a known hotspot for drug dealing in the area.

Nisa Local worker Muhammed Usman, 26, said he had recognized the man injured on Saturday morning as one of a group that regularly came into the store and lived nearby.

He told the Standard: He came in the shop and said, They have a knife, and they were trying to kill him or whatever.

He was really scared, he was shaking, he couldnt even talk. They beat him very badly, his forehead was swollen.

Another member of staff, who did not want to be named, said: He was hurt, just like his face, some scars like he had been fighting.

Then I asked him what happened, and he said, someone just tried to rob me, they had a knife and stuff.

I said if this happened, you should call the police.

But the injured man refused and instead ran out the store very fast toward the flat, Muhammed said.

Another worker was told by police the man who came into the shop was not the victim. all the shop workers recognised him as his friend.

One neighbour in a housing estate opposite the flat described hearing a scream at about 2.30am on Saturday, minutes before the arrival of the emergency services.

Another woman, who did not want to named, claimed the police had been aware for months that the flat was being used to sell drugs.

She said: Its taken a murder for them to actually listen.

Its a drug deal gone wrong...you live the life, thats what happens.

The woman said her young daughter had seen police removing bags of cash and white powder from the flat as officers combed the murder scene for evidence.

A Metropolitan Police spokesman would not confirm whether drugs formed part of the murder investigation.

Officers were called by paramedics to Askew Road at 2.40am to reports of man suffering stab wounds. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

A post-mortem examination was set to take place today at Fulham Mortuary. Police believe they know the identity of the man although next of kin have yet to be informed.

There have been no arrests.

Any witnesses or anyone with any information that can assist police are urged to contact the incident room on 020 8721 4805, or police via 101.
T his was the shocking moment a lorry driver caused a motorway pile-up while using his phone behind the wheel.

Razvan Rusu, 30, was today sentenced to eight months in prison for dangerous driving at Harrow Crown Court for the incident in March last year.

Dramatic footage released by police shows him fixated on his mobile, only occasionally glancing at the road, while driving along the M1 in north-west London.

He fails to notice the traffic in front and suddenly smashes into a van near junction 2 of the motorway.

Jailed: Splitscreen video shows Razvan Rusu barely glancing at the busy motorway

The driver directly in his path managed to swerve out of the way, but three other vehicles were damaged and two drivers hurt in the morning rush hour smash.

Rusu has also been banned from driving for three years and ordered to take an extended retest.

Pile-up: the moment the driver realises he is going to hit the van in front

The Romanian national, who was driving a tipper lorry, returned to his native country after the crash but was summonsed to court when he later returned to the UK, and had his passport seized.

He admitted the charge of dangerous driving earlier this month.

Detective Sergeant Stephen Pidgeon said: "Rarely is it possible to see such a clear example of the risks some drivers are willing to take with mobile phones and the danger that using them whilst driving can cause.

"It is only down to the quick thinking of one of the drivers who moved just before impact that there weren't multiple serious injuries or even worse.

"That the driver was willing to take these risks whilst being aware that he was being filmed is even more incredible."
A son who secretly re-mortgaged his elderly parents 1.5 million home to finance his own burgeoning property portfolio has been jailed for more than three years.

Nicholas Leroy Forrester, 50, tricked his father into signing papers for a 300,000 loan on the six-bedroom family home in Hammersmith in 2006.

He believed he was entitled to strip equity from the family home of 35 years because it would be his inheritance, and used the money to buy three buy-to-let properties in east London.

But his 83-year-old father Ivor took his son to the High Court to take his name off the family home deeds, then gave evidence against him during a criminal trial.

Father-of-two Forrester denied obtaining a money transfer by deception, but was convicted by a jury at Isleworth crown court in August following a five-day trial.

He also pleaded guilty to wrongly claiming 10,000 in benefits while earning money from his rental properties.

Jailing him for three-years-and-four-months on Friday, Judge John Denniss told him: Your behaviour as far as your fathers property was concerned was profoundly dishonest and false representations were used towards your father and almost certainly your mother.

It was well-planned, taking advantage of vulnerable individuals.

You became fixated with the opinion that this house was your house and when the equity rose you were determined to strip it out to pursue your own commercial ventures, which did not go well.

Your family has now effectively rejected you and your father feels let-down by you and defrauded.

Benjamin Waidhofer, prosecuting, said the house was transferred to Forrester in 1999 when his father was made bankrupt, but his mother and father continued to live there and pay the bills.

However, in mid-2006 Forrester persuaded his parents to sign papers for a new loan on the property.

The defendant had no right to make this application and Ivor would never have made it, said Mr Waidhofer.

This defendant was always saying the house was his, in that it was going to be his inheritance.

The court heard Forresters property portfolio has now been repossessed, and a High Court order has put the family home back in his fathers name.

Sam Bonner, defending, said Forrester was jobless and in debt when he took out the loan, telling the court: The family relationships are very fractured now and he is extremely low, very stressed and extremely remorseful.

This has taken a toll on him physically and mentally as well as financially.

His father is now saddled with 1,100-a-month repayments of the loan wrongly taken out by his son, the court heard.

Forrester, of Perham Road, West Kensington, must serve at least half his sentence before being considered for release.
A woman wearing a hijab was allegedly targeted with racist abuse on a London Overground train.

Police said the woman, 25, was subjected to a tirade of abuse after getting on the train going towards Highbury and Islington at Stratford on October 4.

Shortly into her journey, the man next to her began making offensive and threatening comments, police said.

When another man intervened the attacker is said to have threatened to hit the woman.

The suspect is described as black with short dreadlocks.

He is believed to have been wearing a dark top and large on-ear headphones during the assault.

PC Roy Ward branded the attempted attack intimidating and said it left the woman shaken.

He added: We do not tolerate any sort of hate crime, this was a very intimidating experience for the victim leaving her shaken.

Other passengers in the carriage saw this incident and we appeal for them to come forward. I am especially keen to speak to the man who intervened and tried to help the young woman.

The attack came just weeks before a brave Spanish woman chased a man along a Tube train after he punched her husband in the face.

Kilian Ahmed, 35, screamed Cabron! Hijo de Puta! [son of a b****] at the man when he suddenly struck her husband Jubair Ahmed at 3.40pm on October 17.

Woman chases attacker off train and down Upton Park station platform

Mr Ahmed, 31, told the Standard: When we boarded and sat down he was shouting and swearing, I didnt look at him because I knew maybe it was dangerous.

He come over to us as we approached East Ham station and started swearing at me. He was shouting in front of me.

At the next stop it looked like he intended to get off but when the train arrived suddenly he hit my cheek and ran away. My wife followed him shouting to everyone to help to catch him.

On September 28, a 21-year-old British woman reportedly had her hijab pulled-off by two men during a sickening attack in Tottenham High Road.

Scotland Yard is investigating the incident in Tottenham High Road at 7.30pm on September 28.

'Distressing' attack: Police have released this image of one suspect wanted over the incident in Tottenham High Road / Met Police

The victim said: I was so shocked and distressed that it took me a while to realise it was happening. I couldnt believe someone would attack me like that. He didnt physically harm me but I didnt feel safe at all.

Four fifths of the hate crimes committed during 2015/16 - amounting to just under 50,000 offences - were racially motivated, Home Office figures showed.

Another 12 per cent were sexual orientation hate crimes and seven per cent were prompted by religious hatred.

The other victims were targeted over disabilities or for being transgender.

Anyone with any Information about the incident in Stratford is asked to call BTP on 0800 40 50 40, or text 61016, quoting reference 178 of 4/10 or contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
W rist fractures do not need casts, X-rays do not help with lower back pain and water is just as good at cleaning wounds as saline solution, doctors have revealed.

These are just three of 40 common treatments listed by senior medical professionals that are deemed ineffective or of no use.

They have been published as part of a campaign to reduce the number of unnecessary medical treatments provided to patients.

The advice, provided by the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges (AMRC), comes after 82 per cent of doctors said they had prescribed or carried out a treatment which they knew to be unnecessary.

In an attempt to reduce "over-medicalisation", the AMRC is encouraging staff to remember "more doesn't always mean better" as part of its Choosing Wisely UK campaign.

The advice suggests that a plaster cast is not needed for some small wrist fractures in children who may find that a removable splint will help them to heal as quickly.

And that women over 45 do not need a blood test to diagnose the menopause.

It also points out that electronic monitoring of a baby's heart is only needed during labour if the mother has a high risk of complications and routine screening for prostate conditions does not lead to longer life and can induce unnecessary anxiety

Patient pressure or patient expectation was given as the main reason, the AMRC noted.

It suggests patients should be encouraged ask about the risks or downsides, the possible side effects, if there simpler or safer options, and "what will happen if I do nothing?".

For example the advice notes that chemotherapy may be used to relieve terminal cancer symptoms but can also be painful, cannot cure the disease and may well bring further distress in the final months of life.

Adrienne Betteley of Macmillan Cancer Support said: "It is vital patients are as well-informed as possible to help them make decisions around their treatment.

"Chemotherapy is a crucial part of cancer treatment however, it can result in severe side effects therefore, it's important that health care professionals consider the full impact when delivering something so powerful.

"It's also important cancer patients are told about potential side effects, be offered a care plan, be told where to get support and know who to speak to about their worries and fears."

AMRC chairman Professor Dame Sue Bailey said: "What is important is that both doctors and patients really question whether the particular treatment is really necessary. Medicine or surgical interventions don't need to be the only solution offered by a doctor and more certainly doesn't always mean better".
L ondon scientists carrying out a groundbreaking study of malnutrition have captured unique images of the brain functions of babies in Africa.

A team from University College is investigating the effect of food shortages, disease and poor healthcare on babies growing up in The Gambia.

Their work will compare the development of 200 African children with that of 50 British infants over the next three years. It is being showcased at a London conference this week attended by Bill Gates  whose foundation has given the study 2 million  Sir Richard Branson and pop star philanthropist will.i.am.

Researchers have developed a technique, called near infra-red spectroscopy, which uses headbands fitted with light-emitting sensors to measure brain development. The light travels harmlessly through the childs skin and skull, but is reflected differently depending on the use of oxygen in the brain.

The group is working with the Babylab at Birkbeck, part of University of London, which uses the same technique to investigate possible signs of attention deficit disorder in UK infants with a family history of autism. The Gambia was chosen because the UK Medical Research Council has had clinics and research centres there since the Forties and has strong links with the local community. The second phase of the study will begin shortly after a scheme tested the feasibility of using the technology in such a rural setting  a three-hour drive into the bush.

It ties in with the vision of the Gates Foundation, set up by the Microsoft founder and his wife Melinda, to prioritise the first 1,000 days of a childs life from conception.

Professor Clare Elwell, of UCLs department of medical physics and biomedical engineering, said: We got the first-ever brain imaging of infants in Africa. We want all children to reach their developmental potential and make a full contribution to society and the world.
A n historic pub which has been saved from developers is to pay homage to its royal past when it reopens this year  through its food and drink.

The Clifton Hotel in St Johns Wood was closed in 2013 and its owners sought planning permission to turn it into a mansion with basement extension, gym and media room.

But thousands of people signed a petition to preserve its status as a community pub and the planning application was finally rejected by Westminster Council.

Edward VII is said to have taken mistress Lillie Langtry to the Clifton Hill venue for trysts, even reportedly having it rebranded as a hotel as royalty were not allowed in pubs.

Bar-running brothers Ed and Ben Robson signed a 20-year lease earlier this year to turn it into a gastropub  with plans to host Edwardian feast nights and on-site brewing to honour its history when it reopens in December.

Ed, 34, said: We want to pay homage to the history of it, but at the same time give it a modern lease of life. We are thinking about doing various nights, and one of those was an Edwardian feast  were working with a chef to design that. Wed like to have a brewery where there would be nods to the history, whether its named after royalty or people who visited. Theres definitely going to be lots of the history there.

Weve got the old swing sign, and we found out under that there was an even older one. Weve got a historian looking into it so were going to get something written up about it and put on the wall. He said the menu would be fresh, seasonal British, locally-sourced if we can  following the current trend for healthier eating, gluten-free and vegan dishes, all of that.

Ed and Ben, 30, who sold Boopshis in Fitzrovia to fund the Clifton and previously ran the Horseshoe in Hampstead, are joint managers.

Since weve taken it on weve had lots of locals coming up and saying how happy they are that its been saved, Ed added. The petition was its saviour, and it wasnt just locals who signed it. It was a widespread thing.

There were other pubs nearby which had similar issues, and people really wanted to get behind it and stop all these pubs being turned into flats or properties or shops.
A revolution" in how homeless people are looked after in England was today backed by the Government, ripping up a 40-year-old rulebook that penalises single men and women.

Communities Secretary Sajid Javid said ministers will support London MP Bob Blackmans Homeless Reduction private members bill when it gets its second reading in the Commons on Friday.

Current rules, which date back to 1977, stipulate that only single mothers and fathers, those with mental health issues or victims of domestic violence and those who have recently left the armed forces can go to the front of the queue for housing assistance.

The private members Bill will place a new duty on councils to prevent the homelessness of anyone eligible for assistance within 56 days, regardless of their official priority need status.

Local authorities who fail to find suitable accommodation after 56 days will then be required to house people in temporary accommodation for a further 56 days.

Mr Blackman, Conservative member for Harrow East, said he was delighted to have the Government machine behind the Bill, as private members Bills often fall victim to being talked out by resistant MPs.

He said: This is a revolution because for 40 years local authorities have rationed the services they provide  turning away anyone who is not priority need. Now when this Bill becomes law, local authorities will be expected to provide help and assistance to anyone threatened with homelessness or who is homeless.

In the past 12 months 8,196 people have slept rough on the capitals streets. Mr Blackman said: Single men and women are the exact people this Bill is aimed at helping the most. If it works as intended then if they approach the local authority they should end up with an offer of assistance in the private sector. Eventually the idea will be that people should not become homeless at all.

Mr Javid said: Bob has been a passionate campaigner on this issue and his Bill will help many homeless people in London and prevent many more from becoming homeless in the first place.

Mr Blackman said he is confident boroughs will get more funding to deal with the proposed legislations onus on housing more homeless people.

Paul Noblet, head of public affairs for Centrepoint, said: For too long responses to the problem of youth homelessness have been focused largely on providing a safe place to stay at the time of greatest need. This Bill, and its backing by the Government, will make a big difference by preventing people from becoming homeless in the first place. But it is vital that along with these legal duties, councils also receive the funding from the Government to carry them out.
N icola Sturgeon has attacked Theresa May for having an incoherent Brexit strategy following feisty talks at Downing Street.

The pair clashed at No 10 today after Scotlands First Minister arrived at No 10 for a Brexit summit where she bemoaned the progress made in negotiations since Britain voted to leave the EU in June.

Ms Sturgeon branded the two-hour talks feisty and said the female leaders engaged in a "very frank exchange of views."

She said: I don't know any more now about the UK Government's approach to the EU negotiations than I did before I went into the meeting.

"We had a very frank exchange of views. I don't mind admitting large parts of the meeting were deeply frustrating.

"Feisty": The female leaders had a "frank exchange of views" at a Brexit summit / PA Wire

She dismissed suggestion of undermining Britains EU withdrawal deal, saying: I think that is nonsense, and it is not what anybody is seeking to do.

"To be brutally frank about it, you can't undermine something that doesn't exist, and from everything I have heard today in Downing Street there isn't yet a UK Government negotiating position.

"I've no interest in undermining that when it does exist, but I do have a massive interest in protecting Scotland's interest.

What I'm not prepared to do is stand back and watch Scotland driven off a hard Brexit cliff-edge."

Number 10 said Mrs May had told the devolved administrations she would strike a bespoke Brexit deal that works for the whole of the UK, and wanted their input in shaping a deal.

Mrs May said: "The great union between us has been the cornerstone of our prosperity in the past - and it is absolutely vital to our success in the future.

"The country is facing a negotiation of tremendous importance and it is imperative that the devolved administrations play their part in making it work.

"We have important work to do for the UK in terms of negotiating a smooth exit from the EU and getting the best possible deal for the whole of the UK."

Ministers representing Wales and Northern Ireland also attended the summit.

Welsh First Minister Carwyn Jones told Sky News: We need to make sure we continue to sell in one of the world's biggest markets on the same terms as we do now.

While Martin McGuinness, Northern Ireland Deputy First Minister, said: "As this process moves along, we need to be at the heart of it," as he warned against the imposition of a "hard border" with the Republic.
N icola Sturgeons Scottish National Party today warned Theresa May against offering a special Brexit deal to the City but not to Scotland.

Scotlands Brexit minister Michael Russell told how he issued the warning to Brexit Secretary David Davis ahead of talks today between Mrs May and leaders of the devolved administrations at No 10.

I made the point to him that its a rather strange world in which you would have special arrangements for bankers but not special arrangements for nations, he told BBC radio.

Mr Russell, who spoke to Mr Davis on Friday, also insisted it would be ridiculous not to consider Scottish independence again given that the country backed staying in the EU.

We want to have a good, straightforward, honest and open conversation about what the options are, and that process needs to start now, he explained.

Nicola Sturgeon: 'Hard Brexit' could mean another Scottish referendum

But of course independence has to be an option. It would be ridiculous to say that it shouldnt be, because these are circumstances  and its absolutely important to remember this  we didnt ask to be in.

He said membership of the single market was a very important issue for Scotland, providing both free movement of people and social protection.

He also criticised the pace of the Governments progress in developing its Brexit strategy and holding talks on it.

Four months ago, the people of these islands decided to Leave, Scotland did not, England did, but four months on we are only sitting down for the first time, I think thats pretty poor.

Mrs May, who visited Scotland to speak to Ms Sturgeon shortly after becoming Prime Minister, is to offer the devolved administrations a direct line to the Brexit Secretary but was expected to rebuff their calls for a series of votes to ensure an agreed approach across the UK on quitting the EU.

As more states including Luxembourg sought to poach banking jobs in the wake of the June 23 Brexit vote, City superwoman Nicola Horlick warned that leaving the single market altogether, and losing passporting rights, would be disastrous for financial services and the British economy.

The financier and mother-of-six told BBC radios Westminster Hour: Im not saying everyone will leave Britain, they will leave a large swathe of people, but they will be the less well-paid ones and we wont have as much revenue being generated in London. Mrs May is today hosting the first meeting of the Joint Ministerial Council since 2014, with Ms Sturgeon, Welsh counterpart Carwyn Jones and Northern Irelands leader Arlene Foster and her deputy Martin McGuinness.

Ahead of the talks, she said: The country is facing a negotiation of tremendous importance and it is imperative that the devolved administrations play their part in making it work.

The new forum I am offering will be the chance for them all to put forward their proposals on how to seize the opportunities presented by Brexit and deliver the democratic decision expressed by the people of the UK.

If the devolved governments agree, a new sub-committee of the JMC chaired by Mr Davis would hold its first meeting by the end of November and at least one more by Christmas as negotiations progress before Article 50 is triggered by the end of March next year.

But Ms Sturgeon and Mr Jones have called for the UK Parliament and the three devolved legislatures to be given their own votes on the negotiating position the Government intends to take and said Article 50 should not be triggered until there is an agreed approach.

Former Northern Ireland Secretary Theresa Villiers played down claims that leaving the EU could lead to a constitutional crisis.

The Brexit campaigner ruled out talks between the EU and regional governments over future relations, saying the EU would only engage with the UK government  as is convention.
A poster mocking the age of child refugees arriving from Calais has sparked fury after it was put up on a wall in Parliament.

The image of an elderly man wearing a headscarf with the caption Just 3 from you could clothe and feed this 12yr old Syrian child for a week was reportedly displayed above a sink in a kitchen shared by around 15 MPs and their staff.

Labours shadow minister for Industrial Strategy, Chi Onwurah, posted the picture on Twitter - describing it as not acceptable.

It comes amid a fierce row across the country over allegations that the child refugees arriving in the UK from Calais jungle camp are actually a lot older than they claim.

The Home Office has faced mounting pressure to carry out more rigorous checks on the refugees  such as dental tests  from people including Conservative MP David Davies.

Meanwhile, BBC presenter Gary Lineker was vilified online and in the press for describing the furore over the refugees ages as absolutely disgraceful.

Ms Onwurah, MP for Newcastle Central, said her researcher spotted the poster sellotaped to the wall after going to make a cup of tea.

Two migrant children stand outside the Home Office building in Croydon after being processed / REUTERS

She told Buzzfeed news: Parliament should be a safe working environment for everyone.

Ive just come from a summit in Newcastle on safety and security with different communities and hate crime is increasing. Partly its the legitimisation of xenophobic discourse, making it legitimate to say things that you wouldnt have done pre-Brexit.

I share a corridor with a dozen other MPs and their staff but anyone with a full parliamentary pass has access there.

She added: Legitimising and supporting this kind of language makes life harder for vulnerable people and refugees.

It shouldnt be anywhere and it certainly shouldnt be in parliament.
I slamic scholars are often unaware that stunning animals before they are killed prevents them from feeling pain, a study has found.

Research by the University of Bristol found that scholars, who help set the rules on what meat is considered halal, often didnt understand the science behind stunning.

Many ordinary Muslims were also ill-informed, the report found.

British Muslims are divided over whether pre-slaughter stunning is a legitimate practice. But the study concluded that it is increasingly being considered forbidden.

Researchers at the School of Veterinary Science found that 69 per cent of Islamic scholars who were questioned said they didnt think stunning prior to slaughter reduced an animals pain. Fifty-nine per cent of halal consumers believed the same.

The report which was published in the journal Meat Science said: The lack of understanding of stunning among some scholars has resulted in the issuance of confusing fatwas [religious rulings] on the suitability of stunned meat for consumption by Muslims.

There is an urgent need for these scholars to be given theoretical and practical education on stunning and other modern slaughter techniques such as mechanical slaughter. This will help them make informed decisions about the suitability of these techniques for Halal production.

Gudrun Ravetz, president of the British Veterinary Association, said: This study highlights worrying misconceptions about what constitutes humane slaughter and underlines the need for dialogue and education so that there is a consistent understanding of the welfare benefits of pre-stunning.

Ninety-five per cent of Islamic scholars questioned said they thought stunning would be acceptable under halal rules if it could be proved that the act did not kill the animal.

According to Islamic rules an animal must be alive at the point of slaughter.

EU regulation states that animals must be stunned when killed but the UK has an exemption for meat for Muslims and Jews.
T he family of a City banker who died after heart surgery when a piece of breathing equipment was turned off today said they hoped the private hospital would learn lessons from the avoidable tragedy.

Robert Entenman, a married 57-year-old American with two children, died at London Bridge hospital, part of the HCA group, on May 30 last year after suffering irreversible brain damage caused by the lack of oxygen.

Southwark assistant coroner Henrietta Hill QC found a humidifier that prevented his breathing tube from becoming blocked had been switched off for 19 hours.

In her narrative verdict, she said: The failure to provide him with the treatment of the humidifier amounted to neglect.

She added the failure to spot the tube had become blocked also played a causative role in his death.

Mr Entenman, of Chislehurst, was a global manager at UniCredit bank.

Entenman family solicitor Paul McNeil, of Fieldfisher, said: It beggars belief that the London Bridge hospital critical care unit failed to provide basic medical care when Robert most needed it.

"The family hope that the hospital will learn lessons so that this avoidable tragedy never happens again.

An HCA spokesman said: The London Bridge Hospital extends its deepest sympathy to Mr Entenman's family. We aim to deliver the highest possible standard of patient care and we have listened very carefully to the coroner's verdict on this matter. The well-being of patients is our utmost priority and based on our own internal investigation, we had already taken action to review our policies and processes prior to the inquest.

"We will incorporate the coroners feedback as part of our commitment to continually assess and improve our services."
A ngry drivers have blasted Tesco for more than doubling how much it charges to pump up car tyres at its petrol stations.

The minimum price to use the pumps has gone up from 20p to 50p, a 150 per cent increase.

But the supermarket giant has denied customers are getting a worse deal, saying the amount of time motorists can use the pumps had gone up alongside the price hike.

A spokesman said: The price of air has not increased at all. Previously it was 20p for two minutes, now it is 50p for five minutes.

The price has remained the same at 10p per minute.

"We found that the majority of customers could not check and put in all their tyres in the time provided, so we have now given our customers longer to use the machine.

But drivers argued that two minutes was plenty of time to fill up. They also pointed out that the same service at Sainsburys is free.

Alex Seymour wrote: Seriously @Tesco? 150% increase in price? Is there a shortage of air on planet Earth?

Alex Walsh posted: @Tesco Hadnt realised @Unilever did air too?!

Another user wrote: Well according to @Tesco the price of air has gone up 150%! It now costs me 50p to blow up a damn tyre

A spokesman for AA told The Sun: A 150 per cent rise is excessive.

Tescos pre-tax profits for the year ending in February were 162 million.
Though it is harvest season in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, the rice prices in Kerala will fall only when the paddy harvested in January-February in Andhra Pradesh reaches the markets.
T he UK has stopped receiving child refugees as the operation to demolish the Calais "Jungle" camp continues.

The Home Office told the Standard it has paused the transfer process of child refugees at the request of the French authorities.

A spokesman said: "Due to planned operational activity in Calais, and at the request of the French authorities, we have reluctantly agreed that the transfer process will be temporarily paused."

The news comes after the first wave of unaccompanied children without British ties arrived in the UK.

Previously, only child refugees who have relatives in Britain had been allowed to enter.

Refugees leaving the Calais Jungle 1 /13 Refugees leaving the Calais Jungle Refugees surge through a barrier at the camp in Calais Jeremy Selwyn There were chaotic scenes today as thousands of people began to leave the camp Jeremy Selwyn Huge queues formed - it came after violent clashes overnight between riot police and migrants Jeremy Selwyn Work to flatten the camp was due to begin today Jeremy Selwyn The refugees were told to leave the camp or face arrest and possible deportation Jeremy Selwyn Desite chaotic scenes, the refugees were said to be resigned to their fate Jeremy Selwyn The camps residents were today being processed before being bussed to temporary accommodation centres Jeremy Selwyn More than 1,200 police and officials were deployed as the operation to clear the Jungle started Jeremy Selwyn Todays first wave of departures were voluntary Jeremy Selwyn Camp residents, mostly men and male teenagers, gradually streamed out carrying belongings in suitcases and bin bags Jeremy Selwyn

Earlier today thousands of migrants poured out of the Jungle camp in Calais as authorities moved in to demolish it.

Tempers flared and scuffles erupted as more than 1,200 police and officials were deployed, with the operation starting at 7am.

The migrants have been warned they must leave the camp, which housed between 7,500 and 10,000 people, or face arrest.

Charities estimate there are up to 1,000 children in the camp, many of whom are unaccompanied.

Buses are expected to start transporting the majority of the camp's residents to temporary accommodation centres over the rest of France.
A Ukip parliamentary candidate who once claimed his horse was raped by a homosexual donkey is standing to be party leader.

John Rees-Evans apologised for the remark which he made in response to a question about whether some gay men prefer having sex with animals.

He described the comment as playful banter but admitted that it was a mistake.

Mr Rees-Evans made the comments in December 2014 in front of activists outside a UKIP campaign office in Merthyr Tydfil.

John Rees Evans apologises for homosexual animal comments

One protestor confronted the UKIP politician over claims that a fellow party member had said that some homosexuals prefer sex with animals.

The former soldier responded: Actually, Ive witnessed that. Ive got a horse and it was there in the field. And a donkey came up, which was male, and Im afraid tried to rape my horse.

He said that his horse then bit the donkey and that he also had to come and intervene to protect the animal.

In an interview with the BBCs Daily Politics programme Mr Evans-Rees apologised for his error of judgment.

He said: It was a bit of playful banter with a mischievous activist, Im sorry if I offended anyone in doing that.

I concede it was a mistake to be playful with an activist in a street. The fact is Im not a politician. The guy was just asking me questions in the street. It was an error of judgment.

Mr Rees-Evans is one of several candidates standing to replace Diane James as the leader of the party including Suzanne Evans, Paul Nuttall and Raheem Kassam.

The leadership contest follows Ms Jamess resignation as party leader 18 days after she was appointed.

Ms James said she was stepping down because she felt she did not have sufficient authority, nor the full support of MEP colleagues and party officers.
A depraved US father has been jailed for 1,503 years after he repeatedly raped his daughter over a four-year period.

Rene Lopez, 41, received the punishment after he was found guilty of 186 charges of sexual assault at a court in Fresno, California on Friday.

The sentence is thought to be the longest given in Fresnos history after he raped his daughter for up to three times a week between May 2009 and May 2013.

Prosecutors said Lopez turned the girl into a piece of property to satisfy his sexual needs, the Fresno Bee reported.

He was arrested in November 2013 after the victim, now 23, told police about the catalogue of abuse she had suffered.

She told the court: When my father abused me, I was young. I had no power, no voice. I was defenseless.

According to reports, the sentence was handed down after Lopez refused two plea deals that would have seen him back on the streets.

The New York Post said the 41-year-old rejected an offer put by prosecutors of a 13-year sentence on the grounds he admitted guilt .

A second offer of 22-years behind bars was also dismissed as Lopez refused to confess to his crimes.

Judge Edward Sarkisian Jr labelled Lopez a serious danger to society as he blasted the 41-year-old for showing no remorse towards his daughter.
F ive people, including three French officials, died when a plane crashed in flames shortly after taking off from Malta's airport.

The light aircraft was eading toward Libya's coast to monitor migrant trafficking routes for the French government.

The French defense ministry said the victims - three defense ministry officials and two private contractors - had been conducting a surveillance operation.

The twin-prop Fairchild Metroliner banked to the right and slammed into the ground in a huge fireball soon after take-off at 5.20am.

Shocking footage posted online showed the moment the plane crashed moments after take-off / Nate Darmanin 

The crash was captured on video by a passing motorist, who posted shocking footage online.

Malta's government said the flight was part of a French Customs operation following human trafficking routes out of Libya.

The country is a main point of departure for the tens of thousands of migrants who have been paying smugglers to bring them toward Europe by boat.

Malta's International Airport is used for surveillance flights to Libya due to its proximity. The government said the French surveillance operation has been active for about five months.

The airport was closed for four hours while debris was cleared, delaying more than a dozen flights, according to a notice on the airport website.

The Metroliner was registered in the U.S. and leased to a Luxembourg company, CAE Aviation group, which supplied the two contractors who were killed.

Five EU officials were believed to have been killed in the crash

Federica Mogherini, high representative of the EU for foreign affairs and security policy and vice president of the EU Commission, tweeted saying that no EU officials were involved in the crash.

She said: "The flight was not related to any of the EU activities."

A spokesman for EU border and coast agency Frontex told the Standard the company did not deploy the plane.
A man had his wife's sister and father killed in order to lure her to their funerals to murder her.

Samuel Velasco Gurrola, 41, is expected to spend the rest of his life behind bars after killing wife Ruth Sagredo and her family with the help of his two siblings in the US town of El Paso, Texas.

CBS News said Velasco wanted to kill her so she couldn't testify against him in a sexual assault case.

In what prosecutors described as an "evil plot", Velasco originally hired a hitman to murder Ms Sagredos father in Juarez, Mexico, which borders El Paso.

He reportedly intended to kill his wife as she crossed the border to pay her respects, but the plan failed.

Ms Sagredo's sister was also found dead in the Mexican city a month later, and Ms Sagredo was killed at her funeral procession.

The jury convicted Velasco on seven separate counts. He is set to be sentenced in January.

His lawyer told CBS News they would appeal the decision.

He said: "They deliberated for a long time but they did reach a decision based more on the emotional aspect, tugging on the heartstrings, than looking at necessarily some of the contradictory facts."

Mr Velasco and his two siblings - brother Emmanuel and sister Dalia - were allegedly at the head of a drug trafficking gang referred to as the "Velasco Criminal Enterprise".
M igrants clashed with French riot police in pitched battles at the Calais Jungle camp on the eve of the demolition of the site.

Police fired tear gas and smoke grenades during violent clashes with a group of about 50 refugees who hurled stones and bottles at officers last night.

Violence erupted for the second night running over plans to bulldoze the site.

Camp residents yelled and jeered as a convoy of police vans drove by the edge of the camp as darkness fell.

Clashes: There was sporadic violence on Saturday night near the camp / EPA

Dramatic images showed police in riot gear carrying shields against a backdrop of flames at the site just hours before refugees were due to leave the camp for good.

Officers carrying batons reportedly charged at refugees in a bid to restore order.

Crowds surged towards the warehouse where processing was taking place as police opened the gates just after 7am today.

Police vans and fire engines gathered on the perimeter of the camp as people queued in the dark to register for accommodation centres elsewhere in France.

Thousands of people had been told they must leave the camp or risk arrest and deportation.

Tear gas: Police officers used tear gas and smoke grenades during the row / REUTERS

Buses will transport the majority of the camp's estimated 6,500 residents to temporary accommodation centres later today.

Dismantling of the camp is then expected to begin on Tuesday, a spokesman for the French interior ministry said.

He added: "Our priority is to welcome immigrants in order to protect them in France in good structures, good houses.

"We hope there will be numerous (people) but we don't know, and we hope to welcome just on Monday about 2,000-3,000 people."

Refugees queue for buses out of Calais camp

Protesters from the No Borders group are also reported to have travelled to Calais in an effort to frustrate the evictions.

Over the last 48 hours, volunteers have been delivering thousands of rucksacks and urging residents to be prepared to leave in a bid to minimise the risk of violence.

Violent scenes: Police clashed with migrants at the camp last night (JEREMY SELWYN) / PICTURE JEREMY SELWYN

Charity bosses yesterday branded the management of the site similar to Nazi Germany.

Clare Moseley, founder of the Care4Calais refugee crisis charity which has been delivering aid to people in the camp, said: "I would not want to trivialise what happened to the Jews because it was so awful, but there are parallels that can be drawn.

Armed police: Officers were involved in a violent stand-off with refugees / JEREMY SELWYN

She added that she was "very concerned" about the well-being of the inhabitants when they reach the new centres which she said range from apartments for families to buildings such as converted barns or disused schools.

She said: "For the last year the only people who have been providing the refugees with their clothing, with their food, with medical facilities, with legal advice, has been volunteers in the camp.

"The idea that after a year of not providing all these things in one location, the French authorities are suddenly going to start providing them in over 100 locations seems questionable, so we are really worried about where they are going to get all these things from."
A n hoax suggesting voters can cast their ballots online is sweeping the US in the run-up to the presidential elections.

Hillary Clinton supporters are being urged to cast votes online in a hoax thought to have emerged from a pro-Donald Trump message board.

Online voting via email is available to a small number of Americans, mostly military personnel based overseas.

Absentee ballots are accepted by post or in person, most voters cast ballots at polling stations on election day.

The hoaxer told voters they can "Simply post 'Hillary' with the hashtag #PresidentialElection on your Facebook or Twitter account between 7:00am and 9:00pm on November 8th!"

A local Republican Party politician, Murrysville City Councilman Joshua Lorenz, received criticism recently after he posted it on Facebook.

He wrote: "More proof that the election process is rigged. Only Hillary supporters can vote from their smartphones or in the comfort of their own homes."

It came after weeks of Donald Trump warning the upcoming election would be rigged.

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Lorenz later deleted the post, claiming it was a joke. However Pennsylvania officials have still felt the need to warn voters via Twitter about the hoax and other similar online memes.
T housands of desperate migrants poured out of the squalid Jungle camp in Calais today as the operation to demolish it began.

Tempers flared as the mass exodus started in the morning gloom. Scuffles erupted outside a nearby warehouse where the camps residents were being processed before being bussed to temporary accommodation centres across France.

A crowd surged forward and barriers were broken down. Hundreds of riot police were on standby amid fears of violence by distraught migrants or hardline activists and sporadic fighting broke out overnight, with fires lit and police using tear gas.

Today, however, many migrants were simply resigned to leaving the shantytown where they had spent months clinging to the hope of reaching the UK. I never laugh, I never cry. Just nothing, but I want to go from this place, admitted Aziz, 27, from Darfur, Sudan.

Calais 'Jungle' exodus begins as hundreds queue in darkness

More than 1,200 police and officials were deployed as the operation to clear the Jungle started at 7am this morning.

Thousands of migrants were leaving the Calais Jungle today / Jeremy Selwyn

Todays first wave of departures were voluntary, with hundreds of migrants queuing in the early morning darkness to be processed before boarding 60 buses to transport them to immigration reception centres around France.

But there were already signs of tensions threatening to boil over and police vans and fire engines were stationed on the camps perimeter.

Theyll have to force us to leave. We want to go to Britain, said Karhazi, from Afghanistan.

The migrants have been warned they must leave the camp, which housed between 7,500 and 10,000 people, or face arrest.

They queued for almost half a mile along the main road leading into the camp, with some residents pushing and shoving to get to the front of the line for the processing centre.

Riot police formed a line along barriers to stop people jumping the queue and were forced to break up one scuffle.

Many of the migrants were desperate for information about their fate.

Refugees queue for buses out of Calais camp

Where are we going, where are we going, several appealed as they boarded buses.

Charity workers rushed to reassure them, to assist the evacuation.

Thousands, mostly men and male teenagers, gradually streamed out of the camp, carrying suitcases, bin bags and back packs full of belongings.

A separate queue of about 27 under-18s who claim they have a right to move to the UK was formed.

The camps residents were being processed in four main groups throughout the day - children, families, vulnerable people and all others. They gave basic identity details before jumping on the buses.

It is thought that once they arrive at the temporary reception centres they will have to claim asylum or face deportation.

Jean-Marc Puissesseau, chief executive of the Port of Calais, risked a backlash by describing the clearing of the camp as like D-Day.

Its for us really the D-Day, he told BBC radio.

Because I will not say it was the war here but since two years we are living in constant stress and living (with) a lot of attacks on the highway to try to slow down the traffic and to try for the migrants to get into the lorries and so on.

So really today its a big day, we are very happy.

But he warned it would be a waste of time unless a police presence was maintained in the French port to stop refugees and migrants who want to travel on to Britain from gathering there again.

Queue of migrants at Calais

Charities fear a heavy-handed response by police tomorrow morning if migrants do not leave the camp, which will finally be razed to the ground.

Enrika Kareivaite, 23, a worker for the Care4Calais refugee crisis charity, said: There are a lot of people who dont believe the demolition is going to happen and a lot of people who say they are going to stay.

Laura Griffiths, a senior field manager from Citizens UK, which assists young minors legal applications to come to the UK, described the voluntary exodus early this morning as a positive start.

She added: We are also making sure that our clients who are children and eligible to the go to the UK are being looked after and know where they are going for the next stage.

However, shadow home secretary Diane Abbott said: The treatment of the refugees in Calais is disgraceful.

The refugees should have been processed and checked before any dispersal and destruction of the camp.

David Burrowes MP, who sits on the Commons Home Affairs Select Committee, said the part-demolition of the camp in February, when about a third of it was flattened, was inhumane and a similar operation must be avoided when it comes to clearing the remainder of the camp.

More than than 50 girls arrived in Britain from Calais on Saturday night under a government promise to help unaccompanied minors without family members in the UK. Before, only child refugees who have relatives in Britain had been allowed to enter.

Charities estimate there are up to 1,000 children in the camp, many of whom are unaccompanied.
A woman is reportedly demanding $20 million in compensation from KFC after claiming found her bucket of chicken to be half-full.

Anna Wurtzburger, 64, accused KFC of false advertising, complaining that her $20 bucket of chicken looked nothing like the ones advertised.

She told the New York Post: I came home and said, Wheres the chicken? I thought I was going to have a couple of meals.

They say it feeds the whole family.Theyre showing a bucket thats overflowing with chicken. You get half a bucket! Thats false advertising, and it doesnt feed the whole family. Theyre small pieces!

Ms Wurtburger who is retired and lives in New York State, said the meal was supposed to be a treat and was so disappointed that she decided to complain.

But when she phoned up KFCs HQ they told her the chicken was shown overflowing from the bucket in the adverts so that the public could see the chicken.

Ms Wurtzburger replied that: If you want to the public to look at your chicken, put it in a dish she said. Its a lot of B******t - I expect to get what youre telling me.

Ms Wurtzburger has since hired a lawyer, demanding $20 million in damages. She wants KFC to change its advertising.

KFC told the Post that the lawsuit was meritless.

The Evening Standard has contacted the company for further comment.
R ecognising the most outstanding fiction in the English speaking world, the Man Booker Prize is one of the most prestigious awards a writer can win.

This year's winner  Northern Irish author Anna Burns  was announced on Tuesday 16 October. Her novel Milkman, is a coming-of-age story about a young girl's affair with a married man. Set in an unnamed city in Northern Ireland during the Troubles, it was an unexpected win for the author. British author Daisy Johnson (27), the youngest person to ever be nominated, was tipped for the prize for her debut novel Everything Under - a reimagined take on the the Greek myth Oedipus told through th lens of a troubled mother daughter relationship in modern Britain.

The Man Booker Prize 2018 Shortlist

Winner: Anna Burns (UK) | Milkman

Esi Edugyan (Canada) | Washington Black

Daisy Johnson (UK) | Everything Under

Rachel Kushner (USA) | The Mars Room

Richard Powers (USA) | The Overstory

Robin Robertson (UK) | The Long Take

To celebrate the talent this award recognises, weve rounded up some the best of all the winners since its launch in 1969: each one as equally gripping and ground-breaking as the last.

1. The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro (1989 Winner)

Being a favourite of the GCSE and A Level English Literature curriculums can be both a blessing and curse for a novel, but Kazuo Ishiguros snapshot of post-war Britain shouldnt be dismissed as only this. Speaking of lost love and traditions, The Remains of the Day is a modern classic that follows an English butler as he reflects on his past and struggles against the confinement of his own pomposity and reserved nature. Kazuo Ishiguro has been nominated for the prize four times over the course of his career, proving his mastery in the telling of stories.

6.39 | Amazon

2. The English Patient by Michael Ondaatje (1992 Winner)

The film version of this received critical acclaim and international recognition, but the languid writing style of Ondaatje makes this a book worth reading. As the Second World War comes to a close and troops begin to leave Italy, army nurse Hana stays behind at the makeshift hospital she has worked at to tend to her last remaining patient. Suffering from amnesia and burnt beyond recognition, the English soldier intermittently recalls moments from his life before the accident.

3.47 | Amazon

3. The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood (2000 Winner)

The Blind Assassins protagonist is Iris: a once young and rich, but now old and frail, woman who spends a lot of her time ruminating over the tragic death of her sister. The title reflects that of the dead sisters scandalous novel, which earned her a cult following and possibly led to her death. This dark and humorous novel tells a story within a story and reveals Atwood at her very best.

7.99 | Amazon

4. Life of Pi by Yann Martel (2002 Winner)

Yann Martels surrealist tale of a young boy surviving on a lifeboat in the middle of the Pacific Ocean with only a tiger for company questions the very meaning of life and its vast following has conjured up religious metaphors and comparisons in an attempt to explain it. Whilst the ending may leave you with more questions than answers, it is the unlikely companionship between man and beast that makes this is such an extraordinary novel, and one definitely worth reading.

6.78 | Amazon

5. The Conservationist by Nadine Gordimer (1974 Winner)

Unsettled South Africa creates the backdrop for this story in which a wealthy farmer, who seemingly has it all, endures the dissolution of his family, the increasing indifference of his workers and the destruction of his land.

Echoed by the upheaval in the country at that time, Gordimers work is both a racial commentary and a challenge of materialism as a whole.

9 | Amazon

6. Midnights Children by Salman Rushdie (1981 Winner)

Not only did Midnights Children win the 1981 prize, but in 1993 it was judged to be the Booker of all Bookers- the best novel ever to have won the Man Booker. Saleem Sinai is born at the exact moment that India gains independence and consequently develops telepathic powers that connect him to 1,000 other midnights children who also have special powers.

7.57 | Amazon

7. The Sense of an Ending by Julian Barnes (2011 Winner)

Narrated by the now-retired protagonist, Tony Webster, the story follows his memories of how he and his sixth form friends met a boy called Adrian Finn. Having vowed to be friends for life, Websters past begins to catch up with him, culminating in a thriller-like ending that leads Webster to question the accuracy of his own memories.

7.17 | Amazon

8. The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy (1997 Winner)

As Roys literary debut, this was the book to read in the 90s. Set in the heart of Kerala, it follows the story of young twins Rahel and Estha as they explore the meaning of love and family, and how the small things in life can affect everything.

6.29 | Amazon

9. The Sea by John Branville (2005 Winner)

We follow main character Max Morden as he returns to a seaside village he visited as a child. Recovering from a recent tragedy and escaping an oncoming trauma, he gets lost in memories of the childhood summer spent there, not knowing at the time that his meeting of twins Miles and Chloe would haunt him for the rest of his life. Branville writes poetically and descriptively, creating a rich and intricate vision of the setting and characters. Youll want to read this novel again and again, just to soak up every detail.

8.99 | Amazon

10. Disgrace by J. M. Coetzee (1999 Winner)

After partaking in a scandalous affair with a student, lecturer David retreats to his daughters isolated farm on the edges of Cape Town.

Thinking his troubles are behind him, David settles into the quiet predictability of country life. But when he and his daughter are savagely attacked, it tests their relationship to the very limits. This is a truly exhilarating examination of family and deception.

7.99 | Amazon
P amela Anderson is surprisingly proper. Its not just her clothes - gingham top, pencil skirt, ballet pumps - but her careful choice of words, regal posture and finishing school manners (she pours her tea with a delicate flick of the wrist and wont touch her food while talking) that seem more First Lady than Playboy playmate. So its a mark of quite how awful she finds trophy hunters like Donald Trumps sons that she not only grimaces at their mention, but declares in that buttery, breathy drawl: Anyone who does that must have a small penis.

Ive met Anderson at The Dorchester. Shes yet to have breakfast but already has a full face of make-up. But the actress - the Marilyn Monroe of the 90s, star of Baywatch and staple of boys bedroom walls - has long since recast herself as a pneumatic St Francis of Assisi. A long-term supporter of PETA, now focusing on conservation too.

Raising awareness isnt enough - Anderson, who is chair of the ocean wildlife charity Sea Shepherd and on the Russian council of the International Fund for Animal Welfare, believes in action and wants to make activists of us all. Recently, she tried to buy beluga whales and orcas in Russia (for $20,000 each) that were set to be sold to a Georgian aquarium. Shes also going to Canada during the seal hunt, aping Brigitte Bardot 40 years ago. Im going onto the ice floes to take pictures with seals. [Canadians] get spitting mad when you start talking about it.

Her recent lobbying of Russia on conservation issues has been controversial. I dont want to accept the propaganda were being force-fed about Russia in America, she responds. The Russians have relationships that America doesnt, like with China. Sometimes people dont want to be told what to do by the West.

In December, Andersons going to Moscow. Ive fallen in love with Russia. In a crazy way [because] Putin is a very powerful man, he can be the hero. He loves wildlife. I know its basically a dictatorship, and hes for all sorts of things I dont agree with, but it needs someone as powerful as that to do something. She notes that Putin does listen: He stopped importing seal products because I wrote a letter to him.

Anderson has had an affinity with animals since childhood. Feral cats would follow her; one, she recalls, walked sideways. She has spoken in the past about being sexually abused, and tells me that there were experiences that made her feel animals were my only friends. Until she had her two sons, Brandon (20) and Dylan (18), she preferred animals to humans.

Her animal activist awakening came aged six when she stopped her father hunting. My Dad told me never to go in to the pumphouse, so I gathered all my girlfriends  lets just see whats in there. I found a deer carcass with no head, dripping into a bucket of blood. We all screamed. It was like a movie, pigtails flying everywhere Her parents still eat meat though less of it. Ive tried everything. When Baywatch made her famous, she called PETA: I needed to share this attention with something meaningful. I was sick of talking about my boyfriends and my boobs.

At this point, Andersons breakfast arrives. She has ordered a vegan Full English with more excitement than I've ever seen anyone muster about baked beans. The waiter had asked how she wanted her eggs. Its vegan  no eggs, she sighed, a conversation shes clearly had many times. Shes currently producing a film with James Cameron about vegan men, to show it isnt intrinsic to masculinity to eat meat. Theyre showing Navy seals, body builders. Being vegan is actually more manly, because you are taking care of all of us. That's why men are on the planet: to protect and provide.

Campaigner: Pamela Anderson has turned her attention to animal rights / Fredric Reshew/Contour by Getty Images

This leads us onto a famous vegan sandwich: the Pret one she delivered to Julian Assange at the Ecuadorian embassy. Afterwards, there were false reports on Twitter that Assange was ill, and then wild rumours that Anderson had poisoned him. There was no arsenic in the sandwich, she laughs. Who am I, 007? Julian didnt even eat the whole sandwich.

She considers Assange both a political prisoner and a friend. I believe hes one of the leaders of the free world. Hes sacrificed his life for us. Hopefully he will inspire people not to be corrupt.

She was introduced to Assange by her close friend, Vivienne Westwood. Ill probably see him again before I leave. I adore him; he educates me. But there are elaborate plots against him. Even me visiting made me a target  people were saying things to discredit me.

What does she make of the sexual assault accusations against him? I think theyre completely false. its bullying on a different level.

Anderson seems to collect causes. Her latest  working with Rabbi Shmuley Boteach  is calling for a sensual revolution (also the title of a book shes writing). She worries hardcore pornography is damaging intimate relationships, dehumanising its users: The sexual revolution had its good points but it also gave us really bad sex.

Anderson was on Playboys cover 14 times and keeps saying she isnt sure shes entitled to criticise pornography. I tell her I disagree - that that gives her authority - and a mischievous grin spreads across her face. I know, but I like it when other people say it. If I disqualify myself, everyone says oh no, youre the best. Its psychology.

She thinks Playboy is different, anyway; it was titillating, innocent but hardcore porn is more damaging. Im concerned the world is going to forget how to make love. Viagra is going crazy, because people cant get aroused by their wives any more. Women have said to me, my husband hasnt touched me in four years, because hes in the basement watching porn. Its an addiction.

This campaign was partly inspired by her sons, who she heard chatting to their friends about hooking up. I said If you disrespect women, you disrespect me. Thats not what love looks like. You have to be in a monogamous relationship to have a sexual experience. And theyre like woah! Ok!

Shes mostly doing this for women, though. Women think they want to be treated like a sex symbol in bed. As an actual sex symbol, she disagrees. Im a romantic. Ive been in experiences where Im with a man I love and all of a sudden, hes flipping me around, slapping me, spitting on me, calling me a whore. She shudders. What the hell? This is terrible sex! Get an imagination and call me back afterwards. Shmuley has said that if Anderson is having bad sex, thats the sign of the Apocalypse. Anderson smiles. Even I cant make love to a brick wall.

Anderson has been married four times  to drummer Tommy Lee, to Kid Rock and twice to producer Rick Salomon  but she still believes in monogamy: I look at my parents and think, thank God theyre still together.

Though she admits her brain is struggling with so many different messages, she believes its all connected - porn, politics and conservation. Desensitised pepople have a lack of empathy. If we dont have empathy for each other, how do we have empathy for animals?

Someone who seems devoid of empathy, Anderson notes, is Donald Trump. She met him once. I think it had something to do with beauty contests. There were a lot of beautiful girls there. That in itself shows you [something]: what was he involved in that for? He says he loves women more than anybody  yeah, but for the wrong reasons.

She didnt see a lecherous side  he was with his wife  but isnt surprised by the recent revelations. He acts like a spoiled, rich brat whos never had any repercussions for anything. Hes delusional.

Although shes a Bernie Sanders fan, Anderson will vote for Clinton. Will we see an explosion of misogyny if she wins? The universe is bringing it up for a reason: we need to face it. Whenever a woman is taking a mans job  she makes air quotes  it gets ugly.

Pamela Anderson on the 'dark side' of porn

Ageing clearly agrees with Anderson. She says her eyesights going  she cant read the menu  but that now people take her seriously. I say thats theres a gravity - meaning to say gravitas - that comes from getting older. Oh, theres gravity all right! I thought maybe if I sleep upside down in gravity boots, like a bat, maybe itll all come back - she scrapes up her skin, giving herself a finger face-lift - Id be hanging upside-down thinking, it doesnt look good that way either. 

Despite being 49 now, she was on Playboys final cover last year. That was the last call I thought Id get! Brandon was next to me and said, You have to do it. Its iconic, Mum.

Was it difficult for them having such a famous mother? Ive told them things age-appropriately. Theyve found out a lot in the school playground, and theyve had fist fights over their mum, but now they get it. And I was hands-on. I never had nannies.

She tried to encourage them to find careers outside showbiz but Brandons an actor and Dillons a musician. Brandon is also in a Dolce & Gabbana ad and once interned for Westwood. He ended up calling Anderson from the Arctic, where they were trying to stop drilling, saying, what the hecks going on? Viviennes yelling where are the polar bears?

So is she a cool mum? They think I do things wrong. Its the typical mother-son relationship. Oh Mum, you should have done this. You could be so rich like Kim Kardashian! Thats not a life I aspire to. I am rich: Im healthy, I have two beautiful boys and Im doing what Im passionate about. I dont need stuff. She says that last word with disdain. And with that, she gives me a goodbye hug - and a reading list.

Follow @RosamundUrwin or @StandardEnts for more news.
C oronation Streets Beverley Callard has hinted that actors on the ITV soap are banned from entering Strictly Come Dancing.

The actress, who has played Liz McDonald on the show since 1989, tweeted that shes not allowed to take part in the series, despite being a fan.

During Saturday nights show, she posted online saying: I absolutely love Strictly !!!!!!! X

When a fan replied asking if shed ever take part in the show, she answered: oh Id love to. Were not allowed.

The last time a Corrie cast member was rumoured for the ballroom was Michelle Keegan four years ago  but she did not end up on the show.

Speaking to the Daily Star at the time, a Coronation Street source said: Its a no-brainer for us.

Why would we allow cast members time off to go to film a show for a rival channel?

With Strictly Come Dancing requiring filming of a live show every Saturday night and training sessions through the week, the show requires a significant time commitment from its participants.

10 most memorable Coronation Street deaths 1 /13 10 most memorable Coronation Street deaths 10) Karl Munro takes out Sunita Alahan's oxygen tube Gambling addict Karl spiralled out of control after he had an affair with Sunita Alahan behind girlfriend Stella Prices back. The Street Cars cabbie broke into the Rovers Return and started a fire in a bid to frame Stellas new love interest Jason Grimshaw. But he was caught by Sunita and the pair fought before she was knocked unconscious and Karl scuppered. Scared that she was making a recovery, Karl pulled out her breathing tube in hospital and she died from a cardiac arrest. ITV 9) Alan Bradley killed by a tram Alan Bradley finally got his comeuppance for attempting to suffocate Rita Fairclough. The businessman was run down by a tram in Blackpool while chasing Rita as she escaped from his clutches. ITV 8) Tina McIntyre beaten with a metal rod Viewers were left guessing who murdered Tina McIntyre after she was pushed off a balcony and beaten with a lead pipe. Rob Donovan was finally unveiled as the culprit after he attempted to prevent Tina from making Peter Barlow end his relationship with Rob's sister Carla Connor. Joseph Scanlon/ITV 7) Valerie Barlow electrocuted by a hairdryer Valerie Barlow was the first Corrie character to die by electrocution. Ken Barlows first wife was electrocuted by a hairdryer after she attempted to fix the plug with a screw driver. In a rush to get to her leaving party, she plugged in the device and was instantly killed. The shock threw her back and caused her to knock the electric fire into a suitcase and set her flat ablaze. ITV 6) Mike Baldwin dies in Ken Barlow's arms Knicker factory boss Mike Baldwin died in the arms of his arch nemesis Ken Barlow after escaping from hospital. The businessman was diagnosed with pneumonia and had been confusing the past and present. Ken cradled him in his arms outside Underworld as Mike shouted "You're finished Barlow, Deirdre loves me, she's mine" before dying from a massive heart attack. ITV 5) Richard Hillman drowns in the canal Viewers were left gasping for air after villain Richard Hillman attempted to kill the Platt family by plunging their family car into a canal. The financial advisor  who bludgeoned his ex-wife Patricia Hillman with a shovel and Maxine Peacock with a crowbar  had planned to gas the family in the garage but was interrupted by his mother-in-law Audrey. Gail, Bethany, David and Sarah managed to escape from the car but Hillman met his grisly end and drowned. ITV 4) Anne Malone freezes to death in Freshco Anne Malone met a rather unusual fate in the soaps go-to supermarket, Freshco. The assistant manager froze to death in a freezer after being accidentally locked in by a security guard. Her frozen body was discovered by Spider clutching a can of WD-40, which she had been using to poison fish fingers. ITV 3) Ashley Peacock is crushed to death Ashley Peacock died in one of the most iconic episodes in celebration of the soaps 50th anniversary. The loveable butcher was crushed to death by the roof of The Joinery after a tram derailed and crashed onto the cobbles. The emotional scenes saw Ashley leave a voicemail to his wife Claire telling her that he loves her before the building caved in. ITV 2) Tracy Barlow bludgeons Charlie Stubbs Charlie Stubbs met his match in Tracy Barlow who used a sexy lap dance to lure the builder to his death. The pair had a tumultuous relationship and Tracy vowed to get revenge after Charlie had a one night stand with his ex Shelley Unwin. Catching him off guard she whacked him on the head with an ornamental statue and he later died in hospital. ITV 1) Hayley Cropper takes her own life Viewers were left in tears as Hayley Cropper took her own life following a terminal cancer diagnosis. The long standing husband and wife duo said their goodbyes in bed as classical music played in the background. Roy declared I love you as Hayley downed a lethal concoction and passed away. ITV

This weekend saw Lesley Joseph get voted off the show after becoming the oldest ever competitor on the series at the age of 71.

Working with Anton has been an absolute joy, she said. Its been a wonderful journey and now its come to an end, and thats fine.

Laura Whitmore, formerly of ITV2s Im A Celebrity Get Me Out of Here NOW! was unable to perform in the latest live show due to an ankle injury.

Evening Standard online has contacted ITV for comment.
F ormer Great British Bake Off winner Frances Quinn has said whoever wins the series finale on Wednesday can expect their lives to change forever adding that her life is mad and she is still not used to being recognised.

The 34-year-old baker, who won the show in 2013, said: When it was on, my series, the day after I won it was insane. I was on the cover of The Times.

I am still surprised when people spot me. It is still very odd. I am very tall. People always comment on that. It will totally change their lives, especially now it is so high profile.

Quinn, from Market Harborough, Leicestershire, said she had to keep her win secret from friends and family for four months until the final episode was broadcast:

Ruby Tandoh, Kimberley Wilson and Frances Quinn back in 2013

If the baking fails, MI5 beckons. You have to keep this face, this poker face, going constantly.

She refused to pick a winner out of remaining contestants Candice Brown, Andrew Smyth and Jane Beedle, saying: I think they are all brilliant.

However, she criticised the shows move to Channel 4, saying it will not be the same without judge Mary Berry and presenters Mel Giedroyc and Sue Perkins, although she was intrigued to see what producers would do next.

Its a sad series, she said. I feel proud and privileged to have been part of the vintage Bake Off.

Great British Bake Off week by week 1 /12 Great British Bake Off week by week Week 9: Selasi Eliminated in Patisserie Week BBC/Love Productions/Mark Bourdillon Week 8: Benjamina Eliminated in Tudor Week Mark Bourdillon/BBC Week 7: Tom Eliminated in Dessert Week Mark Bourdillon/BBC Week 6: Rav Eliminated in Botanical Week Mark Bourdillon/BBC Week 5: Val Eliminated in Pastry Week Mark Bourdillon/BBC Week 4: Kate Eliminated in Batter Week Mark Bourdillon/BBC Week 3: Michael Eliminated in Bread Week Mark Bourdillon/BBC Week 2: Louise Eliminated in Biscuit Week Mark Bourdillon/BBC Week 1: Lee Eliminated in Cake Week Mark Bourdillon/BBC

"I am so fond of Mel and Sue. Ever since they announced they were not going it was like: Well its not going to be the same.

"Then no Mary. Its like the key ingredients are missing. I have no idea what Channel 4 will do. It can never really replicate the magic of what Bake Off is, in my opinion.

Mary Berry leaves Bake Off and Paul Hollywood stays - Twitter reacts

Giedroyc, Perkins and Berry said they would not be part of the show when it leaves the BBC after the rights were sold for 75 million.

Judge Paul Hollywood will stay and comedian Richard Ayoade is rumoured to be the new host.

Reports suggest Channel 4 are looking for as much as 8 million for corporations to sponsor the programme.

Quinn was speaking as she launched the Candy Crush Cakes & Bakes book, which has 30 easy-to-follow recipes for fans of the mobile game.

It is available, priced 9.99, from Amazon, Waterstones, WH Smith and Asda.
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When Whitney Gilbert and Shadese (DeeDee) Griffith began dating more than a year ago, neither could have expected that they and their family w
Romania's government debt at the end of 2016 Q2 was 269.78 billion lei, or 36.7 percent of the GDP, down 0.5 percentage points from the 267.208 billion lei level, or 37.2 percent of the GDP, in the previous quarter, reveal the data released by Eurostat on Monday.

Compared with 2016 Q1, 13 EU member states registered in Q2 an increase in government debt as share of the GDP, while in 15 member states, Romania included, the debt went down.

The lowest government debt level as share of the GDP in 2016 Q2 was registered in Estonia (9.7pct), Luxembourg (22pct), Bulgaria (29.4%) and Romania (36.7pct), and the highest was in Greece (179.2pct), Italy (135.5pct) and Portugal (131.7pct).

In the European Union, the government debt level went down from 84.5 percent of the GDP in Q1 this year to 84.3 percent of the GDP in 2016 Q2.

In the eurozone, the government debt declined in the period April-June 2016, to 91.2 percent of the GDP, from 91.3 percent of the GDP in 2016 Q1.

agerpres.
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Updated at 11:15 a.m.

BRUSSELS  Syngenta shares fell more than 9 percent on Monday after the European Commission triggered doubts about Chinese state-owned chemical company ChemChina's $43 billion bid for the Swiss pesticides and seeds group.

The companies met with the EU antitrust authority a week ago in a bid to allay competition concerns about China's largest-ever foreign investment. They had until Oct. 21 to do so.

Commission spokesman Ricardo Cardoso said in an email that the companies had not offered any concessions.

This means either the Commission will clear the deal unconditionally by an Oct. 28 deadline or open a full investigation, a process that can take up to five months.

Asked about the matter, a Syngenta spokesman said the company remained confident the deal would conclude by year's end. The spokesman later clarified this statement, saying he was simply repeating Syngenta's previous public comment made on July 22.

Syngenta said it would provide an update on the progress of the deal with its third-quarter trading statement on Tuesday.

Its Swiss-listed shares closed down 5.8 percent at 397.50 Swiss francs, off a session low at 383.50 and below ChemChina's agreed cash offer of $465 per share, which is worth around 462 Swiss francs at current exchange rates, plus a special dividend of 5 Swiss francs.

Meanwhile, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) said on its website that its decision date of Oct. 27 was "delayed at the request of the merger parties so that they can provide more information to the ACCC. A new proposed decision date will be published in due course."

Analysts at Baader Helvea said they viewed the share price fall as "harsh but understandable," but nevertheless expected the deal to be closed by the first half of next year.

"We think the (Commission) is playing political poker to secure for the EU important points (i.e. GMO-related topics, trade topics, etc.) and therefore the EC tries to increase pressure on ChemChina/China to come up with interesting offers," they said in a note to investors.

While Syngenta's forecast that it would close this year seemed "ambitious," they did not see the deal as being at risk.

"If the worst-worst scenario takes place and the deal fails, we think BASF again would be interested," they added, although any offer from the German group might be below ChemChina's deal.

Syngenta last year spurned a $47 billion takeover bid by Creve Coeur-based Monsanto Co. Bayer AG last month successfully bid $66 billion to acquire Monsanto.
DETROIT  Two Toyota Motor Corp. brands again led the annual reliability survey from Consumer Reports magazine, and General Motors Co.'s Buick was the first American brand in at least 35 years to crack the top three, the consumer magazine said on Monday.

It was the fourth straight year that Lexus and Toyota finished in the two top spots, and they have had an outstanding performance since Consumer Reports began tracking brand reliability in the early 1980s.

Buick, a "near-luxury" brand, does well in the survey because it has few models and none of the pickup trucks or truck-based SUVs that hurt the ratings of GM stablemates Chevrolet and Cadillac, said Jake Fisher, director of automotive testing for Consumer Reports.

Asian carmakers still dominate for reliability, with seven of eight brands deemed "more reliable" based in Japan or South Korea. Volkswagen AG's luxury Audi brand was the only German manufacturer among the eight "more reliable" brands.

In the past decade, all brands in Consumer Reports and other third-party surveys have had improvements in reliability, especially the major U.S. automakers GM, Ford Motor Co. and Chrysler, now Fiat Chrysler Automobiles.

Fiat Chrysler still lags far behind. Its brands took the bottom four spots in the 29-brand survey. Its most successful brand in terms of sales and reliability is its Jeep SUV lineup, which gained four slots to No. 23.

Nissan Motor Co Ltd.'s luxury brand Infiniti was most improved from last year, gaining 16 places in the survey.

Favorable results do not always mean better sales. Still, many U.S. consumers use the ratings as a key factor in purchasing decisions. The top-selling models from each for the three major U.S. brands are pickup trucks, which fare poorly in reliability studies.

Fisher said large pickup trucks' drive systems are more complex and raise consumer concerns, and "these trucks are now sold with much more power equipment and in-car electronics, so there are many more things to go wrong." Toyota's Tundra was rated the top full-size pickup truck by a large margin.

The fourth U.S. automaker, Tesla Motors Inc., the electric car maker, finished at No. 25. Consumer Reports recommended the Tesla Model S but the "Model X SUV has been plagued with malfunctions, including its complex Falcon-wing doors."

Among the hot-selling SUV market, the consumer advocacy magazine named best in category, small to large, as the Chevrolet Trax, Toyota RAV4, Toyota 4Runner and Ford Expedition.
Ntozake Shange, who wrote the play For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide/When the Rainbow Is Enuf, joins James Baldwin, Toni Morrison, Maya Angelou, Walter Mosley and others as recipient of the Langston Hughes Medal from The City College of New York.

Among Shange's 15 plays, 19 poetry collections, six novels, five childrens books, three collections of essays, and a memoir is "Betsey Brown," a novel set in St. Louis. Born in New Jersey as Paulette L. Williams, the writer's family moved to Windermere Place in St. Louis when she was about 8. She grew up playing with Chuck Berry's daughters, who lived on the same street. (Berry's trouble with the law is even mentioned in "Betsey Brown"  1959 was the year he was arrested for taking a 14-year-old girl across state lines.)

The novel also deals with racism Williams suffered as a student in the new desegregation program, but in 2005, when the novel was chosen as a Read MOre selection, Shange said by phone that she had an "incredible educational foundation."

"My life as a black person was very, very full, and that issue about being in school was just one thing I had to deal with."

In 1959, she entered a gifted program and was one of the first black students to attend the Dewey School on Clayton Avenue. She told the Post-Dispatch in 1976 that "I was surrounded all day by white children with whom I had very tenuous relationships. . . . Being part of a historical movement, the civil rights movement, had implications nobody knew it had."

Her theater piece For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide, dubbed a choreopoem for its highly original combination of music, poetry, and dance, was a stunning success on Broadway in 1976-1977. It was made into a movie by Tyler Perry in 2010.

Retha Powers, director of the Langston Hughes Festival, said in a press release that the recent award was both a celebration of Langston Hughes legacy and Shanges "essential and inimitable work."
Dear Mr. Greitens,

One of your big donors sent me a note the other day that made me think of you. His name is David Humphreys and hes the founder and owner of TAMKO Building Products in Joplin. In the past couple of months, Mr. Humphreys or his family members have given $2 million to a political action committee called Committee for Accountability in Missouri Government. Its an ironic name, since the committees main purpose is to launder money from big donors and thus make accountability that much more difficult.

Mr. Humphreys note was in response to a column in which I suggested his interest in the Republican candidate for attorney general might have a direct relationship to a class-action lawsuit his company is facing. It had three sentences.

Speaking truth to power first requires speaking truth, Mr. Humphreys wrote. Apparently you have lost your way in the pursuit of headlines and glory. Pity.

Heres why the note made me think of you. To the extent youve raised any specific issues in your otherwise vapid campaign for governor, one of them resonated to me in the context of speaking truth to power. You have said you want to clean up the ethics problems in Jefferson City. But you are loathe to discuss many specifics.

This confounds me.

When I first heard of you, people I have known in politics for a long time sang your praises. There was former Gov. Bob Holden, a Democrat, who told me you were a serious, intelligent person whod bring a breath of fresh air to Missouri politics. There was state Sen. John Lamping, a Republican, who told me you were intent on taking over the mantle of ethics reformer. Both said Id really like you once I met you.

But, then a weird thing happened. You wouldnt meet me.

I asked for an interview. Through your campaign. Through Mr. Lamping. Nothing.

I said I wanted to talk about your plans for ethics reform. Soon, they said. Eventually. Maybe. Never.

Finally, you came in to talk to the Post-Dispatch editorial board and I sat in so I could ask you a couple of questions.

Im going to take dead aim at corruption, you said.

Dead aim implies a certain specificity. So I asked you to explain what, specifically, were the ethics problems you saw in Missouri, and how would you fix them.

You talked about former speakers of the House such as Steve Tilley and Tim Jones having ongoing campaign accounts even though they arent running for office. Its a real problem Ive written about extensively. The Legislature actually passed a law to try to solve that problem last session.

They launder the money through other campaigns, you said.

Yes, they do.

But so do you, I said.

Indeed, Mr. Greitens, you may be the king of Missouri money laundering when it comes to taking impossible-to-trace donations. During the primary, you received what at the time was the largest single donation to a candidate in Missouri history, $1.975 million. It came from a political action committee called SEALs for Truth, but the real source of the money was, and is, unknown. All the SEALs for Truth money was laundered  to use your word  through a nonprofit called the American Policy Coalition Inc., which was established by an Ohio attorney known for coordinating dark money donations to obscure the original source of the funds.

This, Mr. Greitens, is at the core of the ethics problems in Missouri. Its about wealthy individuals controlling the flow of legislation with little transparency. When voters dont know who is pulling the strings of the politicians they fund, judging the results becomes impossible. But you refuse to acknowledge that in your case its a problem.

Youve taken other secret money, too, including from several limited liability companies, such as White Impala LLC. That company has donated $10,000 to you twice. Other LLCs have donated similar amounts. It is impossible for voters to know where that money came from and who may be trying to buy your influence.

As you know, this could have been an issue where you had the upper hand over your opponent, Democrat Chris Koster. He has had issues with not-so-transparent donations being tied by critics to actions hes taken  or not taken  as the attorney general. But Mr. Koster has come out in favor this year of campaign finance limits. He believes the Citizens United decision needs to be overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court to add transparency to the political system. After years of opposing campaign finance reform, hes seen the light, and is willing to talk specifically about what hed do to try to limit the pernicious influence of money on campaigns.

I think we have you to thank for that. In part because of your campaign, Mr. Koster has seen how insidious the influence of secret money can be.

I really wanted to think you would be serious about ethics reform, Mr. Greitens. As long as Missouri is the only state in the nation with no campaign finance limits and no limit on lobbyists gifts, the culture in Jefferson City will be ripe for corruption. You were right when you said in the primary that somebody needs to blow it up. I just dont think youre serious enough to fix what is broken.

To borrow a word from one of your biggest donors: Pity.

Sincerely,

Tony Messenger
LINCOLN COUNTY  The presiding judge will not seek a review of a disciplinary panels recommendation that she be suspended for six months without pay for serious and troubling violations, her lawyer said Monday.

Circuit Judge Chris Kunza Mennemeyer filed a statement with the Missouri Supreme Court on Oct. 18, saying that she would neither file a brief on her own behalf nor request an oral argument.

Jim Smith, a lawyer for the Commission on Retirement, Removal and Discipline, filed a document acknowledging the statement.

Mennemeyers lawyer, Paul DAgrosa, told a reporter it was in her best interests to move on. He said she had always acted in good faith.

Said DAgrosa, In the entirety, we do not accept the factual findings of the commission. And many of those facts were disputed and we ... dont believe the conclusions that she intentionally delayed cases and kept defendants in custody, he said.

The matter now goes to the Supreme Court, which has the final word on the discipline.

Last month, the commission recommended the sanction, saying it believed that Mennemeyer improperly delayed criminal cases during a legal dispute with the public defenders office, which meant extra months in jail for some defendants.

The commission also found that Mennemeyer tried to coerce and intimidate public defenders, in part by filing an unfounded disciplinary complaint against Lincoln Countys head public defender in retaliation for one his boss had filed against her.

The inquiry did acknowledge that Mennemeyer had limited experience before taking the bench, and said she had cooperated with the inquiry.

Michael Downey, a St. Louis lawyer who specializes in legal ethics and lawyer discipline, explained Monday: The fact that theyre not filing anything means, frankly, that they dont want to fight it.

Downey said that opposing the panels recommendation would risk angering the Supreme Court by making its judges think, Youre not taking what happened seriously, and risking more serious discipline.

Six months, he said, should be more than adequate to deter her and other judges from similar conduct, he said.

With the suspension, Mennemeyer keeps her job and her pension, Downey said.

A database from November 2014 showed her salary was then $145,343 a year.

Another judge would be transferred in to serve temporarily during the suspension.

Downey also said that the case should remind voters to choose judges carefully.

Its very easy for them to cause harm and very hard to undo that harm, he said.

Mennemeyer, who graduated from law school in 1997, had never handled a jury trial when she was elected in 2012 as the countys only circuit judge.

Russell Faria, convicted by a jury in her court of murdering his wife, later won a new trial because Mennemeyer had refused to allow evidence of an alternate suspect. Faria was then acquitted and the alternative suspect, Pamela Hupp, awaits trial in a related murder in St. Charles County.
JEFFERSON CITY  Opponents of a proposed constitutional amendment prohibiting taxes from being collected on services say its passage could trigger sales and property tax increases throughout Missouri.

The ballot initiative, known as Amendment 4, is being cast as a taxpayer protection move, but groups including the Missouri Municipal League and the Missouri Budget Project say it will have unintended circumstances that could affect the pocketbooks of voters.

The overriding concern is that amending our constitution is a pretty serious thing, said Richard Sheets, deputy director of the Missouri Municipal League, which represents 600 cities and towns across the state. Once you amend the constitution, it is very, very difficult to change it back. Cities really rely on our sales taxes.

The proposed amendment, one of six on the Nov. 8 ballot, was launched by the Missouri Association of Realtors as a way to stop lawmakers or the executive branch from tacking on taxes to services, such as haircuts, real estate transactions or dry cleaning.

Currently, most services arent taxed in Missouri, but there have been disagreements between Republican legislators and the administration of Gov. Jay Nixon, a Democrat, over whether certain kinds of businesses should be taxed.

During the spring legislative session, lawmakers approved legislation ending the Missouri Department of Revenues attempts to tax yoga and dance lessons. Nixon vetoed the measure, but it was overridden in September.

There also have been disagreements between businesses and the Missouri Department of Revenue over whether the delivery of certain products should be taxed.

Scott Charton, spokesman for Missourians for Fair Taxation, which is promoting passage of the question, said the proposal was a preemptive strike because legislation had been proposed in each of the past seven sessions of the Legislature in Jefferson City that would levy new taxes on certain services.

Legislation floated in recent years by Sen. Ed Emery, R-Lamar, and Rep. Andrew Koenig, R-Manchester, would ask voters to amend the constitution to phase out the income tax and replace it with an expanded sales tax. The measure, patterned after a proposal pushed by wealthy St. Louis campaign contributor Rex Sinquefield, went nowhere during the 2016 spring legislative session.

Sheets said the proposal hadnt been seriously considered for the past few legislative sessions.

We look at this as a solution looking for a problem, Sheets said.

Approval of the amendment would handcuff local governments and limit their ability to adjust to an ever-shifting economy by finding new revenue streams to continue to provide city services, Sheets said.

How we buy and purchase things is really evolving, he said.

If potential funding sources are eroded, municipalities may be forced to turn to increases in property taxes to make up the difference, Sheets said.

The Missouri Budget Project, meanwhile, also opposes the change because it wouldnt allow the state to adjust to changing technology.

For example, Missourians used to access music by purchasing records, compact discs and tapes at an area store. Records, CDs and tapes are all subject to sales tax. But, with the development of digital music, more and more Missourians are accessing their music as downloads.

These downloads are not currently subject to sales tax, and the amendment would prohibit the sales tax from ever applying to downloads simply because they arent currently subject to tax, the group noted in a briefing paper. The same is true for videos, computer software, and other technological advancements that we arent even aware of yet.

The group, which advocates for the poor and provides research on state policy issues and how they affect Missourians, said the change could force an increase in sales tax rates.

Charton said the states real estate agents were backing the plan because much of their business could be affected if services such as appraisals, home inspections, landscaping, plumbing and electric work are taxed.

It would be drip, drip, drip, Charton said.

Groups such as the Missouri Cattlemens Association also are on board because without it, they could face taxes on veterinarian services or rent for grain storage.

The bottom line would be higher prices for hamburger, Charton said.

The proposal has some big dollars behind it. The Missouri Association of Realtors has pumped $2.9 million into promoting the initiative. Banks across the state also have contributed to the political action committee, which reported having $2.5 million in its account heading into the final month of the campaign season.

The PAC spent $1 million during the most recent fundraising quarter, including $641,000 on an advertising buy.

We didnt do this lightly. We think this is a significant enough threat, Charton said.

A spokesman for Sinquefield said the retired financier was not actively lobbying against the measure because he didnt believe it would win approval.

He wont lift a single finger, the spokesman, Travis Brown, said. We decided to get out of the way and let it die on its own.
JEFFERSON CITY  Republican candidate for governor Eric Greitens is accusing his Democratic opponent of changing his stance on a voter photo ID proposal.

But Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster, who will face off against Greitens on Nov. 8, said he has not altered his position on the matter.

At issue is a question on the ballot that asking Missouri voters if they support a change in the constitution that would allow the state to impose a requirement that all Missouri voters show a government-issued photo ID when they go to the polls.

During the spring legislative session, Missouri lawmakers approved a separate measure setting out the guidelines for how the law would be implemented if voters approve the ballot initiative.

While Koster has repeatedly said he supports the legislation, which was approved after Democrats pushed for guarantees that voters would not be disenfranchised, his campaign said he has not been supportive of the question on the ballot.

Koster plots next step up political ladder Missouri Attorney General Chris Kosters poised demeanor has been honed over more than 20 years as an elected official.

In short, he's against the ballot initiative, but should it pass, believed the implementation bill passed by the Legislature to be a working bipartisan compromise, Koster spokesman David Turner said Monday.

The Greitens campaign, reacting to Kosters opposition to the ballot initiative as reported by St. Louis Public Radio on Sunday, issued a press release Monday morning titled Chris Koster announces new flip-flop on voter ID.

Voter ID is a simple, common-sense way to protect the integrity of our elections. But Koster seems to be deeply confused about it, the release noted.

Greitens argues the measure will secure elections against voter fraud.

The proposed amendment is among six ballot initiatives on the Nov. 8 ballot.
BERKELEY  St. Louis County prosecutors are investigating vote fraud allegations in this city near Lambert-St. Louis International Airport, specifically whether the mayor and his supporters illegally interfered with the absentee ballot process.

Details of the investigation, which includes interviews by the FBI, were revealed in a series of emails obtained by the Post-Dispatch through a public records request, part of the newspapers ongoing investigation into voting improprieties.

In St. Louis County, where a shortage of ballots in April led to widespread confusion and anger at the polls and a shakeup at the Election Board, some voters also complained of interference by Berkeley Mayor Theodore Ted Hoskins. Specifically, they alleged that he or someone from his campaign picked up absentee ballots not contained in sealed envelopes as the law requires, Eric Fey, Democratic director of the Election Board, said in an interview.

In other cases, residents said Hoskins instructed them not to seal the ballot envelopes before he could retrieve them, Fey said. Some residents also said they were encouraged to fill out absentee ballot applications and hand them over to Hoskins or one of his supporters.

Hoskins says that he has done nothing wrong and that the allegations are being fueled by his opponents.

Hoskins was on the April 5 ballot, running for re-election against two other candidates. He ended up winning by 13 votes out of nearly 1,200 cast. On Election Day, an FBI agent and a St. Louis County Police detective watched election workers open the envelopes from voters in a few precincts, Fey said. A small number of ballots appeared to have been altered or had questionable markings, he said.

There were different colored inks and some where the ovals were filled in a very distinct fashion and some that were filled in a very different distinct fashion, Fey said, things that you just dont see on other ballots.

The alterations had a specific result, Fey recalled.

To my recollection, they benefited Hoskins and or his political allies, Fey said.

He said he could not remember exactly how many ballots seemed to have been changed. But in response to a Post-Dispatch records request for copies of ballot envelopes, Fey revealed that at least two of the envelopes had been turned over to law enforcement officials as part of an investigation.

Irregularities involving absentee ballots in the August primary in St. Louis city prompted Circuit Attorney Jennifer Joyce to begin an investigation into allegations of criminal conduct that included bringing some people before a grand jury.

In St. Louis County, by contrast, federal and state authorities have been investigating complaints about absentee voting for at least a year, emails and other records obtained by the Post-Dispatch show. Those records indicate the investigation includes at least three other communities: Dellwood, Pagedale and Jennings. But the documents do not reveal much detail beyond Berkeley.

During the April election, the Election Board was so concerned about the allegations that Fey and Gary Fuhr, the former Republican director, personally visited an absentee voter to retrieve her ballot.

We want people to have confidence in the process, Fey said. We want people to think its a fair process. So thats why its important to take these complaints seriously.

State law makes it clear who can handle absentee ballots or applications for them. It is limited to the voter, family members of the voter and election authorities. It is a felony to knowingly alter, deface, damage, destroy or conceal any ballot after it has been filled out by the voter.

Hoskins, 78, a retired finance director and former state representative, denied handling any ballot himself. He said he was well aware of investigators presence in his city. He said the FBI questioned voters after every Berkeley election, adding that he got phone calls every time they showed up.

The FBI has been out here this week, too, Hoskins said in an interview earlier this month. I think they are trying to say to (residents): Ted Hoskins is doing voting for you. 

An FBI spokeswoman declined comment.

Who do you think they call?

Providing a voter with an absentee ballot application is legal. But only the voter or a second-degree relative or closer, such as a sibling or grandparent, can submit the application to the Election Board. Violating that law is a felony, Fey said.

State statute also spells out that it is a misdemeanor, punishable by a $2,500 fine and/or a year in jail, for anyone except an election authority employee to have possession of a ballot after it has been filled out by the voter.

Hoskins said that although he provided voters with applications for absentee ballots, he instructed voters to mail them to the Election Board themselves.

I make it very clear I dont pick up applications, he said.

And although he is adamant that he has not gotten involved in collecting and mailing absentee ballots, Hoskins acknowledged that members of his campaign had.

Who do you think they call to help show them how to vote? Hoskins said. They dont call the Board of Elections. They call the person that gave them the application.

Whirmeldae Wilson is one of several Berkeley voters who have complained about Hoskins in recent elections, according to Election Board documents.

Wilson told authorities Hoskins first stopped by her house in 2012 to lobby for her vote and to inquire if she wanted to vote absentee. She said Hoskins collected the application she had filled out, then later came back and offered to mail her completed ballot.

To ensure no one could tamper with the ballot, Wilson said, she sealed each side of the envelope containing her absentee ballot with packing tape.

In that race, Hoskins defeated his opponent, Babatunde Deinbo, 517 votes to 418. Thirty-six percent of Hoskins votes came from absentee ballots  the highest share received by any of the 32 mayoral candidates in St. Louis County that election cycle. The next highest share of absentees among mayoral candidates was 14 percent. Countywide, 8.6 percent of votes came from absentee ballots.

In April of this year, when Hoskins was on the ballot again, Hoskins paid Wilson another visit, she reported to authorities. He told her someone from his campaign would drop off an application to vote absentee. A campaign worker later stopped by with an application, she said. Wilson said she was told that she didnt need to fill out the whole form, but just had to sign her name.

Thats like signing a blank check, Wilson explained to the Post-Dispatch. Im not going to do it.

Instead, Wilson said, she filled out an application on her own.

After Wilsons application was submitted, Hoskins and his daughter, television reporter Kelley Hoskins, both offered to mail in her absentee ballot for her, Wilson said. In a brief interview, Kelley Hoskins, who works for KTVI (Fox 2), told the Post-Dispatch she collected absentee ballot envelopes for anybody who requests it. She declined to answer additional questions.

Instead of handing over her ballot to the mayor or his daughter, Wilson complained to the Election Board, prompting Fey and Fuhr to go to her house and gather her ballot personally. They were accompanied by an FBI agent, Wilson said, showing a reporter the business card the agent had left with her.

Five other residents told the Post-Dispatch that Hoskins, his daughter or someone from his campaign had collected their absentee ballots in envelopes for Aprils election. One of those residents, Tamika Jones, said she had no problem having her ballot envelope picked up. I dont really get out of the house much, she said.

I thought for sure theyd give us a re-vote.

Deinbos name has been on the ballot for every mayoral election in Berkeley since 2000. In the past two elections, Deinbo, 55, a Nigerian immigrant, won the most votes cast on Election Day but lost badly to Hoskins in the absentee column.

In April, 23 percent of the votes cast for Hoskins were absentee  the highest percentage in St. Louis County in any mayoral race in 2016, excluding an unsuccessful candidate in Greendale who received only 12 total votes.

In the past two months, circuit judges in St. Louis have ordered new elections for two Aug. 2 races in response to lawsuits. Both of the initial contests were tainted by the fact that the citys Election Board didnt require all absentee ballots to be placed in sealed envelopes, judges said.

In April, the St. Louis County Election Board sued for a new election on Deinbos behalf, not because of absentee votes but because some precincts ran out of standard ballots on Election Day. Deinbo earned 428 votes at the polls compared with Hoskins 372. The 113 absentee votes Hoskins received helped him notch the win.

But Circuit Judge Maura McShane ruled that the drastic remedy of a new election is not called for as the evidence demonstrates that the irregularities were not sufficient to cast doubt on the outcome of the election. The decision surprised Deinbo and William Bayless III, who finished a distant third.

The margin being 13 votes between Hoskins and Deinbo, I thought for sure theyd give us a re-vote, Bayless said. The mere fact that we had a shortage of ballots and people were turned away. I think it would have most definitely changed the outcome for Deinbo.
WATERLOO  A Sunday morning fire burned part of a brewery that opened in Waterloo earlier this year.

Waterloo Fire Chief Brett Wiegand said firefighters were called to the Hopskeller Brewing Company at about 7:50 a.m.

The brewery, at 116 East Third Street, is based in an antebellum home, but the fire originated near a wood fire pizza oven in the east wall of a new addition to the structure, Wiegand said.

The structure sustained significant smoke and water damage. The fire damaged the roof, and a commercial air conditioner fell through the ceiling.

"It's unfortunate for the brewery because it just opened in the last couple of months," Wiegand said. "A majority of the structure is still intact, but it will take months before it will reopen."

No one was inside the business when the fire started and there were no injuries to firefighters.

The cause of the fire has not been determined as of yet. The fire department was assisted by fire departments in Red Bud and Columbia.

Representatives of the brewery could not be immediately reached.
After working two days straight in St. Louis Universitys Chaifetz Arena, teams of 1,200 developers from all over the world came up with their best ideas on how to use technology to tackle homelessness in the St. Louis area.

The competition ended Sunday with the top five teams in each division  youth, collegiate and professional  winning $1 million in prize money. But after two sleepless nights and lots of Red Bull, everyone involved received more than monetary awards.

The software developers, designers and entrepreneurs walked away inspired by how they can use their computer skills to hack a deep-rooted social problem such as homelessness.

Homeless service providers such as shelters and food pantries walked away with $1 million worth of ideas and the possibility of adopting a program that could serve as a prototype for homeless services across the country.

We are always trying to get money for housing, shelter and meals. We dont have money to spend on technology, said Mary Kitley, chief development officer for St. Patrick Center, one of the largest homeless service providers in Missouri. I know that whatever comes out of today will be much better than what exists, and it is technology that we never couldve afforded to do on our own.

The annual software-writing competition, GlobalHack, was founded in 2013 by St. Louis entrepreneurs Gabe Lozano and Drew Winship. They wanted to use hackathons  as the short, intense competitions are called  to tackle real-world problems.

The first four annual competitions had corporate sponsors looking for business solutions. Last years GlobalHack V tackled a civic problem for the first time: software that would make municipal courts more accessible.

Early GlobalHacks had $50,000 in prizes with about 150 competitors. This years competition drew teams from 33 states and five countries and was sponsored by St. Louis University, St. Patrick Center, Monsanto and a variety of other organizations, making the $1 million prize one of the largest in the country.

Its really putting St. Louis on the map from a tech standpoint, Kitley said.

More than 60 agencies make up the Continuum of Care umbrella that coordinates homeless services in the St. Louis area. Many of the ideas the teams came up with involved ways for the agencies to more efficiently share resources, advice and data; or for those who are homeless or at risk of homelessness to connect with services more quickly and easily.

While many techies entered the competition as teams, some were individuals who were placed in teams that worked together for the first time.

St. Louis University High School junior Eric Schnelker and a fellow classmate were paired with a student who specialized in coding from Clyde C. Miller Career Academy High School, as well as two adults who worked in public health.

Schnelker said he learned a lot about the challenges for those who are homeless, and for the first time, he learned how his computer code could make a difference in their lives.

It broadened my horizons. It showed me technology can be used not just for mathematic purposes but to solve real-world, meaningful and complex problems, Schnelker said. Just seeing everyone work together really changed our worldview.

The competition was also refreshing for Joe Kurtz, 24, who spends his days creating software that collects and analyzes data for electric cooperatives. It felt really inspired to use my intelligence and creative ability to help people, Kurtz said.

GlobalHack Executive Director Matt Menietti said a homeless service agency could hire a technology firm to develop a software program, but that is expensive and only results in one solution. The hackathon produced ideas from 160 teams at little or no cost.

The ideas are community-owned, Menietti explained, kept in an online gallery for anyone to study and build on. And not all of the $1 million was prize money  $250,000 will go toward continuing and carrying out the top ideas.

What happens on Monday, Menietti said, is just as important as what happened over the weekend.
LAS VEGAS  A Las Vegas man who was allowed to use makeup to cover his neo-Nazi tattoos during his robbery trial and conviction in in August will not get to hide them during his upcoming murder trial punishable by the death penalty, a judge has ruled.

Clark County District Court Judge Michelle Leavitt last week denied a defense lawyer's request to order makeup for Bayzle Dylan Morgan, saying she believes fair and impartial jurors can be found who will disregard Morgan's tattoos even if they don't like them, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported.

Morgan has a swastika within a clover permanently etched under his left eye, the words "Most Wanted" on his forehead, "Baby Nazi" on his neck and white supremacist tattoos instead of eyebrows.

He gained media attention when a different judge ordered the tattoos covered with makeup during a trial at which Morgan was found guilty of threatening a man and stealing his motorcycle.

Morgan is charged in the murder case with breaking Jean Main's home in northwest Las Vegas, hitting the 75-year-old woman with a pistol so hard that the trigger guard broke into pieces and shooting her in the back of the head. Main was found dead in a first-floor bathroom.

The judge has postponed Morgan's trial until at least next month.

Morgan, 25, is in prison awaiting sentencing in the case involving the motorcycle. That conviction can be cited to a jury that would consider the death penalty if Morgan is convicted of killing Main.

Defense attorney Dayvid Figler said Morgan got the tattoos in prison after he was sentenced in 2010, at age 18, to up to four years for possession of a stolen vehicle.

Jurors are by law supposed to consider only the facts of a case, not a defendant's appearance.

The jurors who decided Morgan's guilt in the robbery trial without seeing his tattoos told the Review-Journal that they did not feel deceived that his tatoos were covered up.

Prosecutors say Main's slaying happened days after the robbery, and Chief Deputy District Attorney Giancarlo Pesci said none of the evidence in the murder case relates to Morgan's tattoos.

A 49-year-old getaway driver, Keith Smith, was sentenced this month to four to 10 years in prison on burglary charges.

Prosecutors said left when he heard gunshots but returned and saw Morgan with a suitcase of items taken from the Main's house.
So my question is, if the department is defunded, and low pay continues, what will happen the next time the police are desperately needed and only a handful of them are available?
Great Alne School is urgently trying to recruit a new school crossing warden amid fears that there could be a fatality following a dramatic deterioration in road safety.

Since the schools two previous crossing wardens both retired in the summer concerns have been raised about parents and pupils crossing the road in inappropriate places, putting their lives at risk.

The school crossing warden service is organised by Warwickshire County Council, with wardens also holding the keys for turning on a flashing speed warning sign on the Alcester approach to the village.

Since September that too has not been operated, and the school says motorists often speed dangerously through the village.

School office manager Vanessa Clarke said: Ourselves and Great Alne Parish Council are very concerned about parents crossing the road outside of the designated crossing to the school, we have sent out numerous warnings about it.

The speed of cars coming through the village too is shocking, a lot dont slow down at all. Theres nothing to warn them to slow down and there will be some that are unfamiliar with the village and not aware that there is a school coming up.

There was an incident the other day when a parent with their child were almost hit and they were even crossing in the correct place.

I believe the police have been contacted about the situation and the school would welcome the addition of new traffic calming measures in the village.

We really need a new crossing warden to improve safety, the work does not require you to be a specific age or gender and its a really nice job. Generally in Great Alne crossing wardens are very well respected by motorists and those crossing the road.

Mrs Clarke said that some parents disagreed about the safest point at which to cross the road to the school, but said a number of surveys conducted by the county councils crossing patrol department had deemed the designated crossing point as the safest place.

She said the school had a history of long-serving well-respected crossing wardens, with a former warden Di Wright even receiving an OBE in recognition of her efforts.

If you are interested in becoming a school crossing warden in Great Alne call Road Safety Warwickshire on 01926 412661 to find out more about the paid position.
UPDATED 4pm: Traffic is reduced to one lane on SH2 at Matata while police carry out a scene investigation after a pedestrian or cyclist was struck earlier by a vehicle on the intersection with Flax Road.



Police were called by ambulance service to attend a crash at 2.25pm today on SH2 near Flax Road., says a police spokesperson. A cyclist or pedestrian (not yet confirmed) suffered injuries when they were struck by a car.

The injured person was taken to Whakatane Hospital with serious injuries. A partial lane on SH2 was closed north bound towards Matata. This was expected to be lifted at 4pm.

Earilier: Traffic is heavy on SH2 West of Tauranga, and the New Zealand Transport Agency is warning of congestion further north at the roundabout with SH25.

Drivers are warned of delays and heavy congestion caused by Aucklnaders returning from the Coromandel, westbound through Mangatawhiri towards SH1.

There is also congestion caused by holiday traffic returning From Eastern Coromandel via SH25A.
Kiwibank has its IT system operational after all internet banking, phone banking, and fund transfers between accounts stopped working about 12.30pm today.

Kiwibank spokesman Bruce Thompson is reported on Stuff at 1.57pm that everything was up and running again. Credit card transactions had not been hit by the IT failure, he said, and neither had most eftpos transactions. The only eftpos payments that would not have been possible were those where someone needed to transfer money between accounts before making the payment. Thompson said Kiwibanks system had been operating out of Auckland, where an IT issue has arisen. Speaking before the outage was fixed, he said: "We are transferring the operation back to Wellington. We have a team working on it now." He apologised to customers for the inconvenience the outage had cause
Fonterra has announced newly appointed independent director Scott St John will join the Fonterra Board on November 1.

New Zealands largest business has also confirmed the three members of its newly created Independent Selection Panel which was approved by shareholders at a special meeting earlier this month.

Chairman John Wilson say world-class governance is one of the boards top priorities and strong support recently from shareholders to enhance governance at Fonterra reinforced the intent to attract high quality directors.

The Board welcomes Scott who is a New Zealander with proven strategic financial skills underpinned by his commitment to the New Zealand financial services industry, the economy and his local communities.

Scott is currently CEO of First NZ Capital and has nearly 30 years of experience with funds management and securities transactions which have involved him advising the boards and senior managers of prominent companies and organisations in New Zealand and globally.

His experience as a leader of a high-performing organisation has instilled in him a deep appreciation of the importance of engaging with people to drive success, says John.

Scott was appointed to the Council of the University of Auckland in 2009 and was appointed Pro-Chancellor in 2014. He is a director of Fisher and Paykel Healthcare and will be standing down from his role as CEO of First NZ Capital in early 2017.

He is a passionate New Zealander who cares for the prosperity of the country, and will bring an added perspective to the Fonterra Board.

John says with the loss of an outstanding director following the retirement and subsequent passing of John Waller, the strategic financial skills that Scott will brings to Fonterra will be welcomed.

While the three members whove been appointed to Fonterras Independent Selection Panelare chair Dame Alison Paterson, board appointee John Spencer CNZM, Shareholders Council appointee Sir John Anderson.

The panel will play a critical role in Fonterras new Farmer Director election process by providing the co-ops board and Shareholders Council with independent opinion and assessment of Farmer Director candidates who go through the new confidential selection process.

Fonterra Shareholders Council chairman Duncan Coull says both the board and council had independently sought individuals with significant governance experience, and who understood New Zealands agriculture industry, the nature of co-ops and global business.

Fonterra was privileged to have attracted panel members of such high calibre and breadth of governance experience. The panel members have the capability and experiences to determine which candidates have the attributes and skills that the co-operatives board will require in the future.

The new selection process also includes the option for eligible Fonterra farmers to choose to stand outside the process and be considered alongside their fellow farmers who have been recommended by the Independent Selection Panel.

Farmers will have a choice of following the guidance of the Independent Selection Panel, or voting for any farmer who decides to stand outside this process.

For more information visit Fonterras website at: www2.fonterra.com
Alec Baldwin, Donald Trump

Alec Baldwin plays Donald Trump on "Saturday Night Live."

(NBC video still)

Who is the best Baldwin brother? That may be a tough question for Central New York breast cancer research fundraiser Carol M. Baldwin, whose famous sons include Alec, Billy, Daniel and Stephen Baldwin.

However, Alec Baldwin is not shy about answering it when in character as Donald Trump on "Saturday Night Live." He's not shy about saying pretty much anything, actually.

"They're ripping babies out of vaginas!" the former "30 Rock" star screamed, drawing a horrified reaction from Kate McKinnon as Hillary Clinton in a spoof of the third and final presidential debate opposite Tom Hanks as moderator Chris Wallace over the weekend.

The cold-open skit also tackled the real Trump's speculation about "rigging" the election and comments about "bad hombres" and "nasty women," as well as Clinton's refusal to answer questions about leaked emails. Then Alec, as Trump, made light of his political sibling rivalry.

"I'm the one with all the heavy hitters supporting me. I have the cream of the crop," the actor said. "I have Sarah Palin, I've got Chachi, and get this, I even got the best Baldwin brother, Stephen Baldwin."

Stephen Baldwin, the youngest of the Baldwin brothers and a former "Celebrity Apprentice" contestant, has been vocal of his support for the Republican presidential candidate throughout his campaign. Last week, the former "Bio-Dome" and "The Usual Suspects" star said he didn't like his older brother's portrayal of Trump on "SNL."

"Well, he's got the voice down. I think it's getting a little too nasty right now. I don't want to be party-pooper here, but I don't think it's very funny," Stephen Baldwin told a Las Vegas news broadcast Wednesday.

Trump himself similarly criticized "SNL," saying the "boring and unfunny" sketch comedy series needs to "retire," adding that Alec's Trump character "stinks."

This is hardly the first time the family has faced criticisms in public. In 2013, celebrity photographer James Edstrom threatened to write a tell-all book about the Baldwins, claiming their mother "thought Stephen was the most talented."

Alec Baldwin, a two-time Emmy winner and Oscar-nominated actor, laughed when asked about Edstrom's comments in a syracuse.com interview:

"Um, uh, I can honestly say that if my mother had said Stephen was the most talented actor in the family, that wouldn't surprise me. Stephen has long been my mother's favorite -- the youngest child is very often the favorite."
Sarah Kench.JPG

The body of Sarah Kench, 38, was found in Green Lake in Green Lakes State Park in Manlius on Oct. 15. Authorities deemed her death a suicide. Family and friends remembered her creativity and longing for personal connections.

(Facebook photo)

Monica Knight was talking to her decade-long friend Sarah Kench, trying to make plans to hang out last month.

With no plans set, Kench told her friend she was going to hop on her bike and ride from her DeWitt apartment to Green Lakes State Park. It was about 7 or 8 p.m., so Knight thought that was a bit odd.

"What are you going out there for?" Knight recalled asking. "And she said, 'I don't know, but I'll figure it out,' and that she would get back to me. When I asked her when she wanted to hang out again, she said she wasn't sure."

That Tuesday evening on Sept. 13 was the last time Knight talked to her friend.

Knight tried over the next couple weeks to message her friend online and call her. She left notes on Kench's apartment door on Springfield Road: "Call Monica." Worried, she slipped another note under her friend's door on Saturday, Oct. 15.

That evening there was a knock on Knight's apartment door. It was the police, asking her if she knew Kench. Knight said she had feared something had happened to her friend, that something had gone wrong.

Kench, 38, had killed herself in Green Lakes State Park in Manlius, after handcuffing herself to her mountain bike and riding it into the lake. Police recovered her body on the afternoon of Oct. 15 after a person visiting the park had spotted a body in the water. Authorities said Kench had killed herself at least a week earlier, but whether it was the day she told her friend she was going to the park is unknown.

Kench had left a note at her home dated Sept. 30, said Rob Moran, Onondaga County senior assistant district attorney. Autopsy results have not yet come back to determine an official day that she died.

Sarah Kench made this art piece earlier this year. It says "Nothing can stop me now; I don't care anymore!"

Kench, an artist who loved to make things and enjoyed the outdoors, had struggled and been treated for depression, according to her friends. At times, she appeared to be a strong happy person, loving life, but at other times she became depressed and dark, struggling with herself, friends said.

Kench, who was born male, began identifying herself as a woman several years after she graduated from Onondaga Community College in 2005, according to friends. Over the next decade, Kench was at times thrilled to be a woman and at other times she would be depressed and questioned whether she should go back to being a man, friends said.

Suicide is a serious problem in the transgender community. Forty-one percent of transgender people reported attempting suicide at some point, according to a 2014 study by the Williams Institute, a think tank at the University of California at Los Angeles law school. That's compared to 4.6 percent in the general U.S. population and 10 to 20 percent among lesbian, gay or bisexual individuals.

"Sadly, it's something that we hear about too much," said Kim Dill, executive director of Sage Upstate. Sage is a Syracuse-based not-for-profit organization promoting the health and well-being of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered people.

Dill said there are many possible reasons for the higher suicide rate: estranged family, trouble finding and keeping a job, discrimination against transpeople, and medical and cultural limitations for support and aid, to name a few.

Kench, who was born Paul Kench Jr. in 1978, grew up in DeWitt, later moving to Syracuse.

Corinne Converse, 33, who knew Kench from grade school, said Kench often didn't know where she could fit in. Kench was biracial, with a white father and a black mother, and expressed feeling like an outsider to both racial groups, she said.

Kench was a fun-loving child, her mother said, but was in foster care from when she was about 10 to 14 years old. Her mother said she had a bad attitude and was hard to control. The teen later struggled with drinking, she said.

"I loved him, I wish he just could have seen that," said Kathleen Kench, Sarah's mother.

When Sarah Kench started to identify herself as a woman, some family members would not fully accept the change, her mother said.

"He wanted people to call him Sarah, and a lot of the family didn't agree to this because we all knew him as Paul," Kathleen Kench said. She said while she always loved her child and did use the preferred name of Sarah to be supportive, it did not sit right inside because she knew she had given birth to a son, not a daughter.

After graduating from George W. Fowler High School, friends and family said Kench joined the military. She changed her mind and dropped out about a week shy of completing basic training, her mother said.

Kench attended Onondaga Community College, graduating in 2005 with an art degree. She finished her studies at Syracuse University in the College of Visual and Performing Arts, graduating in 2013 with a bachelor's degree in video art. She was later chosen as an Imagining America Engagement Scholar, a yearlong program to help recent graduates who had strong academic records either move on to graduate studies, become entrepreneurs, or otherwise fall into civic-related professions.

Friends said Kench became an avid advocate for equality and LGBTQ rights, at one point self-describing her political views as "feminism, transgender liberation, sex, gender, race, class, and international freedoms from oppression."

This piece was made by Sarah Kench in 2010, focusing on gender and gender expression.

Kench did not want to hide her identity, friends said. Before the Transgender Day of Remembrance Vigil at SU in 2013, she attached a Trans* Lives Matter sign to her backpack.

"I live, and people see me and they get to know me," she told a reporter from The Daily Orange student newspaper. "They get to realize that I'm a real person. I have the same dreams and hopes and desires and fears and pains as they have."

Kench's friends said though she was an activist and was proud of who she was, she still sometimes struggled with realizing her own self-worth. Her friend Knight said Kench just wanted to be loved and accepted. She previously was married and had a daughter, but was divorced and to her knowledge didn't remain in contact with them.

At lower points, Knight said, Kench wondered if she would be better off not having transitioned to being a woman. She noticed Kench talking about death more often, and said Kench sometimes felt purposeless.

Kench's friends said she found something to keep her grounded: creating things.

In mid-January 2015, Kench walked into the CNY Artists studio on Erie Boulevard East in DeWitt. She was in a bad way: anxious, depressed, and feeling generally purposeless, friends said. She had no direction and no sense of fulfillment, said Peter Svoboda, owner of the art studio.

Svoboda said he let her come into the gallery and work, painting old cigar boxes, making jewelry, really whatever was around to spare to give her something to do, some sense of direction.

Kench, in an interview with Humans of Syracuse, a Facebook page of photos from CNY, described the work she did in the studio as the best thing happening to her.

"It kept me busy and helped me get through the depression," Kench said this past May. "[Svoboda] kept giving me new things to do -- introduced me to jewelry making, which I never would have done on my own. And now I've started working on a project editing videos of art shows. So this is the best thing."

Sarah Kench painted this piece of her daughter in 2006.

Knight said Kench's urge to create and move played into much of what she liked to do with her time. She painted, sewed, and filled her home with hand-refurbished furniture and projects. She liked to fish and be outside -- she was an active biker, hiker and walker, Knight said. Kench worked various odd jobs including working at a pizza shop, friends said.

Her interests reflected both her soft and gentle side and her dark side.

Some of Kench's favorite television shows were "The Walking Dead" and "Dexter," and Knight said she listened to punk and heavy rock music. In a Facebook photo for Humans of Syracuse, Kench can be seen in the CNY Artists gallery wearing a T-shirt for the rock band Halestorm. But Knight said she liked sweets: cookies, ice cream and candy.

Kench, her friends and family said, was struggling inside, sometimes cutting herself off from people.

Still they said they were shocked when they heard she had killed herself. But as they thought about it, talked about it, they said ultimately they were not surprised.

They said looking back they now recognize what may have been signs -- she was talking about death, feeling directionless, generally seeming off.

"It makes sense now, it does," Knight said.

Kench's mother said she wishes Kench could have seen she could have come to her anytime.

"I'm sorry he had to do what he did. He shouldn't have done what he did," Kathleen Kench said. "I wasn't there to stop him, but even if I was there to stop him, I probably couldn't have."

Knight, thinking about her friend's death, urged people to acknowledge that there are many different facets to a person, regardless of gender identity, sexual orientation, race, or anything else. Kench, who initially came off as guarded and reserved to most, had a caring, loving, and delicate side. Once she trusted you, you were in, Knight said.

"Take the time to get to know someone," Knight said. "Accept them."

In memory of Sarah Kench

Funeral: Calling hours for Sarah Kench will be from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 27 at Lyncourt Wesleyan Church at 2626 Court St., Syracuse, with a funeral service following it.

Memorial: A frequent visitor of Green Lakes Park has put up a sign at the park suggesting people leave a single flower at the western end of the lake in memory of Sarah Kench. The memorial organizer suggested people leave flowers through Oct. 30.

Where to get help

Resources exist for those facing thoughts of suicide:

The

The

Support for members of the LGBTQ community:

The Q Center

The Transgender Alliance of CNY

Sage Upstate

Reporter Kira Maddox covers crime and safety for Syracuse.com. She can be reached anytime: Email | Facebook | Twitter
SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- Laura Washington was watching television Sunday afternoon inside her Midland Avenue home in Syracuse when she smelled smoke.

At first, she thought something was wrong with the vacuum her 7-year-old granddaughter was using to help clean up. But when Kalise Anderson turned off the vacuum, the girl told her grandmother the smoke wasn't from the vacuum or her house.

Washington, 47, of 2031 Midland Ave., ran outside and saw smoke billowing from the abandoned house next door, at the intersection of Midland and West LaFayette avenues.

"I went outside and said 'Ohhh. There's the smoke. That house is on fire'," Washington said.

Other neighbors had already called 911 and Syracuse firefighters were on their way shortly before 4 p.m. Sunday.

Washington stood on the street with a beer in one hand and two of her grandchildren, Kalise and her brother, 4-year-old Dante Anderson, by her side as firefighters battled the stubborn flames and thick smoke next door. Dozens of others also watched as firefighters battled the blaze for more than two hours.

Initially, the fire was reported on West LaFayette Avenue, but Syracuse firefighters later said the fire was at 2039 Midland Ave., a large two-story house built in 1893 at the corner of Midland and West LaFayette avenues on Syracuse's South Side.

Thick smoke filled the air throughout the neighborhood as the fire intensified on the second floor of the wood-framed house, Syracuse Deputy Fire Chief Elton Davis said.

"On our initial attack, we made it up to the second floor landing, but unfortunately with the condition of the building and progress of the fire, we weren't able to advance any further and had to back out," Davis said.

Within minutes, firefighters were ordered to evacuate the second floor.

"Our operations chief was on the outside keeping an eye on the conditions," Davis said. "... Once he noticed the bulk of the fire and that we didn't have a good handle on it initially and he probably noticed the roof was compromised, he pulled the firefighters out."

After firefighters evacuated the house, the fire burned through part of the roof -- on the West LaFayette Avenue side, Davis said.

"The roof fell in," he said.

No one was injured.



Firefighters spent more than an hour trying to get the fire under control, Davis said. It was more than two hours before the fire was completely out. The American Red Cross provided assistance to the firefighters at the scene while they battled the blaze.

Rotting wood and past renovations that sectioned off the house created obstacles in fighting the fire, Davis said.

"It makes it a lot more difficult to find the fire," he said.

The fire is believed to have started on the second floor, Syracuse Fire Investigator Allen Williams said.

The cause of the fire, however, remains under investigation Sunday night, both Williams and Davis said.

Neighbors said this was at least the second fire at this abandoned house in the last year. Firefighters did not have records immediately available showing how many times they've responded to fires at 2039 Midland Ave., but Williams said the gas and electric had been turned off prior to Sunday's fire.

"It's been abandoned for years," Washington said.

Both houses on either side of Washington's Midland Avenue home are vacant, she said.

"There's nothing being done about it," Washington said. "Kids are in there breaking windows, living in there and playing in there. It's sad."

Washington and other neighbors said they hope the police camera affixed to a utility pole on Midland Avenue, across from the house that caught fire, will help in the investigation.

Syracuse fire investigators said they are continuing to investigate the fire and ask anyone with information to call them at (315) 473-5525 ext. 612.
IMG_0949.jpeg

Syracuse firefighters battle a house fire on the city's South Side.

(Catie O'Toole | Syracuse.com)

Update: Syracuse firefighters battle stubborn blaze that forces them from abandoned South Side home

SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- Syracuse firefighters are battling a house fire Sunday afternoon on the city's South Side.

Someone called 911 at 3:58 p.m. Sunday to report the fire at the intersection of West LaFayette and Midland avenues. There were reports of heavy smoke and flames. Shortly after firefighters arrived and entered the home, firefighters were ordered to evacuate the second floor. Firefighters continued to battle the fire from outside the two-story, wood-framed house.

There have been no reports of injuries.

Check back for updates.
Syracuse, NY -- A Syracuse driver was confronted by police last year during a drug investigation. Three officers opened fire after they say he tried to run them over. He was critically wounded, but survived.

Kadeem Arrindell-Martin, 24, was later indicted on numerous felonies -- including two counts of aggravated assault of a police officer -- and faced 30 years in prison. He was due to stand trial today.

But instead, he pleaded guilty Friday afternoon to a misdemeanor and is expected to serve 1 year in jail.

A lot has happened in the case since prosecutors and police first accused Arrindell-Martin of trying to assault the officers with his vehicle.

"Syracuse Police Detectives Jason Eiffe, Jeffrey Ballagh and Edward Falkowski were participating in a drug investigation when Arrindell-Martin attempted to flee in a motor vehicle," Onondaga County District Attorney William Fitzpatrick said a year ago. "As Arrindell-Martin drove at the officers at a high rate of speed, they opened fire striking Arrindell-Martin once in the abdomen."

But there were problems with the case all along. Arrindell-Martin wasn't caught with any drugs. He had no weapon other than the vehicle. There were differing accounts by the officers. And the first indictment against him was thrown out by a judge.

Prosecutor Joseph Coolican said the question at trial would be this: what was Arrindell-Martin's intent when he drove the vehicle? Was it to run over the officers? Or was he trying to get away?

There was another hurdle: Arrindell-Martin was facing a felony reckless endangerment charge for acting with depraved indifference to human life. But appeals courts have construed that standard so narrowly that Coolican said a conviction might have been overturned anyway.

Coolican pointed to the case of a DeWitt man convicted of felony reckless endangerment for trying to hit law enforcement with a dump truck during a chase in 2010. That conviction was overturned on appeal based on the narrow interpretation of law.

So with that in mind Fridady, prosecutors agreed to allow Arrindell-Martin to plead guilty to a misdemeanor: second-degree reckless endangerment.

The understanding is that Arrindell-Martin will spend a year in jail, Coolican said. The officers involved in the incident signed off on the plea deal, the prosecutor said.

Defense lawyer Charles Keller called the confrontation at a park in the 100 block of Lexington Avenue a "perfect storm of circumstances." He said there may not have been malice on either side, but both sides overreacted to a perceived threat.

The drug detectives were working on an anti-gang initiative when they encountered Arrindell-Martin in a vehicle.

At some point, Arrindell-Martin began to move the vehicle. But Keller agreed with the prosecutor: it's not clear what Arrindell-Martin's intentions were. And witness accounts -- even from the officers themselves -- were inconsistent, according to grand jury testimony.

For example, Keller said, Arrindell-Martin reached down in the vehicle. Officers may have thought he was going for a weapon. But, in fact, the car had a dial shifter, Keller said.

State Supreme Court Justice John Brunetti threw out the first indictment against Arrindell-Martin after a police expert sought to explain to the grand jury why the officers' accounts may have differed.

That was fine for the portion of the grand jury proceeding that sought to determine whether the officers were justified in opening fire. But it could have prejudiced the portion of the grand jury proceeding that determined charges against Arrindell-Martin, the judge ruled.

Nevertheless, prosecutors indicted Arrindell-Martin again. That indictment led to a last-minute court appearance Friday.

Judge Brunetti was not available. But prosecutors wanted to make one last plea offer to Arrindell-Martin before trial.

If he pleaded guilty to a lesser felony, he could take either a year of jail or 6 months of jail and five years of probation, they said.

Judge Thomas J. Miller filled in for Friday's negotiations. He noted to Arrindell-Martin that the defendant was facing up to 15 years each on two counts of aggravated assault against a police officer.

Kadeem Arrindell-Martin leaves Judge John Brunetti court after being arraigned. He was shot by cops after police said he tried to run them over with a car.

Arrindell-Martin said Friday he hadn't thought much about that type of plea. But he spent hours discussing it with his lawyer, Keller.

Prosecutor Coolican even met privately with Arrindell-Martin and his lawyer during part of the negotiations.

Arrindell-Martin said he wouldn't take any felony plea. And eventually, Coolican agreed to the misdemeanor reckless endangerment plea.

Arrindell-Martin has been free on bail. He will be sentenced Jan. 3.
StJoes.jpg

St. Joseph's Hospital Health Center

(Ellen Blalock)

SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- St. Joseph's Hospital Health Center posted a $13 million loss for the fiscal year ended June 30.

The loss hurt the operating income of Trinity Health of Livonia, Michigan, which acquired St. Joe's last year.

Trinity, one of the nation's largest Catholic health care systems, included information about St. Joe's in its annual audited financial statement.



St. Joe's brought in revenue of nearly $664 million for the fiscal year and its expenses totaled $677 million.

Trinity, which operates 93 hospitals and 120 continuing care facilities, generated operating income of $151.3 million in fiscal year 2016, down from $470 million the previous year.

Trinity blamed the 68 percent decline in operating income on the acquisition of St. Joe's and St. Francis Care in Hartford, Connecticut as well as increased labor costs, supply costs, purchased services and other factors.

Trinity generated revenue of $16.3 billion in fiscal year 2016, up from $14.3 billion the previous year.

As part of its acquisition of St. Joe's, Trinity has pledged to invest $60 million in the Syracuse hospital over a four-year period. That amount may increase to $90 million if St. Joe's meets certain operating goals.

Trinity assumed $342.2 million of St. Joe's debt when it purchased the Syracuse hospital.

Kathy Ruscitto, president and CEO of St. Joe's, said the hospital has made long-term strategic investments that will take time to bear fruit. She said the hospital's finances are improving.

"We made significant progress in the areas of length of stay and supply chain management, and ended the year with good momentum as we move into fiscal year 2017," Ruscitto said.

Contact James T. Mulder anytime: Email | Twitter | 315-470-2245
Whenever a major security incident takes place in the tech world, you can be certain that John McAfee will weigh in with his opinion. The anti-virus pioneer has just revealed who he believes was behind Friday's DDoS attacks on popular DNS provider Dyn.

A senior US intelligence official told CNBC that the attacks did not appear to be state-sponsored, but a classic case of internet vandalism. McAfee's sources disagree. He told CSO online that the Dark Web is "rife with speculation that North Korea is responsible for the Dyn hack." Specifically, he claims Bureau 21, the country's cyber-warfare agency that reportedly consists of over 2000 hackers, launched the assaults.

McAfee added that if Bureau 21 really was responsible, the forensic analysis would point to either China, Russia, or a US group being behind the DDoS attacks. The one-time presidential candidate told social media week that the North Korean group left a false trail pointing toward US DDoS protection company BackConnect Inc. "If all evidence points to this American company [BackConnect], then, with 100% certainty, it is not them," he said.

Bloomberg reports that Dyn's director of Internet analysis, Doug Madory, gave a presentation about BackConnect's alleged questionable practices, such as BGP hijacking, the day before the attacks took place.

One computer security firm claims last week's attacks involved Mirai, the malware used in the record-breaking 620 Gbps attack on researcher Brian Krebs website last month. Mirai's source code was subsequently posted on hacking community Hackforums, which Krebs said "virtually guarantees" the internet will be "flooded with attacks from many new botnets powered by insecure routers, IP cameras, digital video recorders and other easily hackable devices." Looks as if he was right.

Krebs, incidentally, helped Madory with his research into BackConnect.

As large as the attacks were, McAfee believes those responsible have merely been probing the defenses before launching a much bigger assault.

I also believe that this attack was the harbinger of near future attacks that will be much more devastating. I believe the smaller prior attacks served to identify weaknesses in the Internet's infrastructure. Clearly there are weaknesses. Anticipate that these will be exploited in a big way.

While McAfee has fabricated claims in the past for no other reason than publicity - he admitted his team of "superhackers" that could break into the San Bernardino iPhone was made up - North Korea will probably be one of the prime suspects in this case. And unless the perpetrators are found, more attacks do seem likely.
Many Facebook users can expect to see more graphic content appearing on their feeds over the next few months. While the social network isn't about to allow images of violence and nudity, it will consider them if they're significant or important to the public interest.

In a blog post by two of the company's VPs - Joel Kaplan and Justin Osofsky - Facebook announced it intends to allow more newsworthy images and stories that may violate its terms of service, but "without posing safety risks or showing graphic images to minors and others who do not want to see them." The company said it would achieve this by working with its community and partners.

The move comes after Facebook endured a barrage of criticism last month for removing the iconic "Napalm Girl" photo. A Norwegian writer included the image in a post called "seven photographs that changed the history of warfare," which resulted in Facebook removing the post and suspending Tom Egeland's account.

Aftenposten, Norway's largest newspaper, published a story about the incident and included the famous photo on its FB page. Facebook demanded it be removed or pixelized, but the site deleted the image and article before Aftenposten could respond.

A few weeks later, Facebook came under fire once again, this time for removing a post about breast cancer from French newspaper Le Monde because it featured a photo of a woman having a mammogram. Her breast is exposed in the image.

Mark Zuckerberg's organization apologized for the mistake but removed yet another breast cancer awareness post, this time a video, just last week. Facebook informed the Swedish Cancer Society: "Your ad cannot market sex products or services nor adults products or services." The group evaded the anti-nudity policy by turning the round, animated breasts in the video into squares.

Facebook may be allowing more "potentially offensive" content on its site, but Donald Trump's posts are still causing controversy. The Wall Street Journal claims certain company employee's wanted some of the Republican candidate's posts removed because they violated the site's Terms and Conditions regarding hate speech. It was reportedly Mark Zuckerberg - fresh from defending Peter Thiel's right to support Trump - who decided not to remove the messages.
Dyn, the dynamic domain name service provider, recently became the target of repeated distributed denial of service or DDoS attacks, cutting people's access to a number of their favorite websites.

Dale Drew, the leading security officer with Level 3 Communications, notes that the attack is partially caused by a "botnet" of Internet of Things devices.

On the morning of Friday, Oct. 21, internet users from the East Coast noticed that webpages such as Twitter, Etsy, Spotify, Netflix and GitHub were unresponsive. The source of the problem was that Dyn, one of the United States' largest internet management firms, was flooded with junk traffic.

East Coast outages were resolved in about two hours, but attacks kept landing during the day.

Twitter affirms that some of its users still cannot sign up to the service, but promises that it is looking into the matter.

Hackers made use of a DDoS attack in which they pooled swarms of internet-connected devices such as routers, security cameras and even computers into a botnet - and went for Dyn's servers.

One of Dyn's main attributes is to filter out bad traffic headed to the websites, and the attack on Friday targeted specifically that. The overwhelming of Dyn allowed malicious users to keep other internet surfers away from popular websites.

DDoS attacks are nothing new, as they have been an effective hacking tool since the dawn of internet. Last month, a DDoS offensive hit security expert Brian Krebs' website with no less than 620 Gbps of traffic.

Flashpoint, a company with expertise in cybersecurity, notes that the botnet that disabled Dyn was crafted using the same malicious software responsible for the hack against Krebs.

The ill-intended software is dubbed Mirai, and what it does is to enslave large numbers of IoT devices, which can then be manipulated to launch DDoS attacks. What is worse, the source code for Mirai went public earlier this month, which might explain its resurgence in the recent hacks.

So far, massive attacks on platforms such as Reddit and Twitter were rarely successful.

Jeremiah Grossman, helm of security for digital security company SentinelOne, explains that big players in the tech world are juicy targets for actors who orchestrate large-scale DDoS attacks.

The fact that most devices in our homes are linked to the internet is no help, either. Prior to the IoT, hackers had to use consistent networks of computers to launch a consistent attack. Now, they simply have to tap into millions of refrigerators, smart TVs, security cameras and home routers to see their ill intentions put into motion.

It should be mentioned that the devices are relatively easy to hack into. That is why Symantec's Shankar Somasundaram estimates that the DDoS attacks are about to become more frequent and more perilous.

"There will be more of these attacks," Somasundaram warns.

 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Livestreaming has become quite popular among millennials, and it only seems to be growing in popularity. Several companies are creating their own livestream service, and Instagram appears to want a piece of the pie.

Meerkat kickstarted this trend, and Twitter followed soon after. It didn't take very long for Facebook to get in on the fun, so right now everyone with a computer or smartphone has the means to livestream, just as long as they have a working internet connection.

It should be noted that Meerkat is a shadow of its former self, and will likely never become relevant ever again. Meerkat creators will now focus on House Party.

As for Instagram, a new report from a Russian website suggests the feature might soon roll out to users in the coming weeks or months. This is rather surprising since Facebook owns Instagram, and the social network already is dabbling in the livestream department.

It's still uncertain if Instagram would give this feature a specific name, but from what the Russian website had to say, the button used to initiate a livestream had the words "Go Insta!" on it. We're guessing "Go Live!" is so 2015.

Instagram is yet to officially talk about this feature, but if everything is going along well, it shouldn't take long. We'd also like to know if Instagram is using the Facebook Live streaming technology, or if it will use its own.

Another thing we've noticed is an image with what appear to be channels for streamers. If this feature is included, then folks on Instagram who want to easily follow what others are doing live, should have an easy way to do it.

At the end of the day, we'll have to wait and see what the official message is when this feature is fully rolled out and announced by the company. It shouldn't hurt to have another way to livestream whenever the need arises.

Livestreaming doesn't only come from social networks alone but can also be assisted with other technologies. Tencent is working on a drone known as the WeChat Drone.

Users can take advantage of its streaming capabilities because the livestream aspect is done through the WeChat service that is built directly into the drone's software.

 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
A Chinese electronics company that manufactures components reckons that its products were hacked and used in Friday's DDoS attack that caused major disruption on the east coast.

The massive DDoS attack in question took down major online sites such as Reddit, Netflix, Twitter, Spotify and more, and experts warned that Internet of Things (IoT) devices might be to blame.

China's Hangzhou Xiongmai Technology, which makes internet-connected cameras and DVRs, acknowledged on Sunday that some weak default passwords in its products left them vulnerable.

Mirai malware has taken advantage of those security vulnerabilities and infected the devices, employing them in a botnet to launch massive DDoS attacks  including the one that caused Friday's large-scale outage.

"Mirai is a huge disaster for the Internet of Things," Xiongmai confirmed in an email to IDG News. "(We) have to admit that our products also suffered from hacker's break-in and illegal use."

The malware, known as Mirai, wreaks havoc by hijacking IoT devices to form a huge connected network and assault websites with requests, overloading them until effectively knocking them offline.

IoT devices with weak passwords, such as Xiongmai's DVRs and internet-connected cameras, are ideal targets because they're easy to infect and enslave. Mirai malware has reportedly spread to at least 500,000 devices and shows no signs of slowing down.

Xiongmai has patched the vulnerabilities found in its September 2015 products. When used for the first time, the devices will now require the user to change the default password. While this is a step forward in the right direction, devices that are on older versions of the firmware did not get any update and are still vulnerable.

To prevent the malware from spreading, Xiongmai advises customers to update their devices' firmware (if new firmware is available) and change the default username and password. Users can also disconnect the devices from the internet.

Friday's massive outage was caused by a wave of cyberattacks on DNS service provider Dyn, which has now confirmed that Mirai-made botnets were responsible for a great part of the disruption.

"We observed 10s of millions of discrete IP addresses associated with the Mirai botnet that were part of the attack," Dyn told IGN.

Dyn eventually stabilized from the disruption and restored access to its service, but it's not over. In an increasingly connected world, security risks are greater than ever and Mirai-powered botnets or some other kind of malware could cause more mayhem in the future.

To reduce risks, it's highly recommended to change default passwords on all devices as soon as you turn them on for the first time.

 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Samsung is reported to have rushed the decision to launch the first recall of the Galaxy Note 7 based on incomplete evidence, a move which proved to be the crucial mistake that led to the death of the once promising smartphone.

According to a report by the Wall Street Journal, after there were incidents wherein Galaxy Note 7 units caught fire, the company's executives debated their response. According to sources, while some were skeptical that the incidents were more than isolated cases, some executives thought that Samsung should act quickly.

A lab report then showed that some of the faulty Galaxy Note 7 smartphones showed bulging batteries in X-ray and CT scans. The batteries came from Samsung SDI, an affiliate of the company, with batteries coming from another supplier not featuring the same protrusion.

The evidence was considered incomplete, as there was still no explanation on what caused the bulges and if they were indeed the cause of the exploding Galaxy Note 7. However, amid the public outcry for answers, newly appointed head of mobile D.J.Koh decided to pull the trigger on a recall for 2.5 million units of the smartphone, a move that was supported by Lee Jae-yong, the third-generation heir apparent of the conglomerate.

Samsung then sent out replacement units that contained batteries from the other supplier. These supposedly safe devices, however, still caught fire, which eventually led to Samsung's decision to stop production and halt sales of the Galaxy Note 7.

As the company works to get all Galaxy Note 7 units out of the hands of consumers, Samsung is still locked in its investigation on what was causing the explosions. To this day, the company has not arrived at a definite answer on the cause of the exploding batteries, a problem that has delayed the development of Samsung's next flagship smartphone, the Galaxy S8, by a couple of weeks.

Samsung attempted to control the damage it did with its early recall decision and shipping out of replacement units by deciding to pull the plug on the Galaxy Note 7, but by then, the image of the Galaxy Note brand had been smashed to oblivion. Analysts have questioned whether Samsung would be able to revive the Galaxy Note name, with suggestions that the company should instead retire the brand and focus on the Galaxy S line.

If Samsung held off on making the announcement to recall the Galaxy Note 7 until it got to the bottom of the issue, would things have turned out better for the company and consumers? We may never know for sure, but what we do know is that the rushed decision to ship out supposedly safe replacement units spelled doom for the Galaxy Note 7.

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In an Ask Me Anything session on popular online forum Reddit, SpaceX founder and CEO Elon Musk revealed that geodesic domes and miner/tunneling droids will play a role in the company's plan to colonize Mars.

The AMA session, which was held under the SpaceX sub-Reddit, was noted by Musk to be a followup to the talk that he gave on Sept. 27 at the International Astronautically Conference in Guadalajara, Mexico.

At that event, Musk unveiled the SpaceX Interplanetary Transport System, which would be able to carry at least 100 passengers in flights to Mars. The ITS will have amenities such as a restaurant, movie theaters and lecture halls, with flights to Mars ranging from 80 days to 150 days depending on the day of the year.

The ITS spaceship and booster is said to be capable of flying at least a dozen times to Mars, which would greatly reduce the cost per ticket to the red planet perhaps even lower than $100,000 each.

There will still many questions surrounding the Mars colonization plans of SpaceX after the talk though, and Musk aimed to answer these questions in the Reddit AMA.

One of the biggest questions was how the passengers of the ITS would actually live once they arrive on Mars. According to Musk, geodesic domes will be built on the planet's surface, made up of glass panes with carbon fiber frames.

In addition to these domes, Musk said that there will be a lot of miner/tunneling droids that will accompany the ITS passengers. These robots will be able to build out massive pressurized spaces that will house industrial operations, so that the glass domes will be reserved for green living space.

Musk did not further elaborate on the droids that he envisioned would be part of the Mars colonization missions, which is interesting given his statements from a couple of years ago which suggested that artificial intelligence could prove to be more dangerous than nuclear weapons.

In addition to the envisioned living conditions on Mars, Musk also answered questions related to the ITS itself, such as how the transportation system will be configurable. The earlier missions of the ITS would carry more cargo than passengers as the goal would be to first establish a propellant plant and a power system on Mars.

Musk also affirmed that the true star of the show in his presentation at the International Astronautically Conference was the carbon fiber oxygen tank for the ITS, due to the difficulty of making large parts out of the material.

 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
The Cygnus cargo spacecraft S.S. Alan Poindexter that carried supplies to the International Space Station has been received at the ISS on Sunday, Oct 23.

Carrying more than 5,100 pounds of supplies and science gear, the spaceship arrived at the ISS where six crew members are present.

According to reports, the cargo spaceship was received by the ISS and was captured by a robotic arm at 7:28 a.m. EDT. In terms of design, a Cygnus spacecraft cannot dock by itself. That is why the station's robotic arm was required in latching the spacecraft closer to the station.

Japanese astronaut Takuya Onishi used the 57-foot Canadarm2 in pulling Cygnus to the ISS on Sunday morning, where he was backed by American astronaut Kate Rubins.

"Cygnus capture is complete," Onishi announced to mission control. "What a beautiful vehicle."

At 10:53 a.m. EDT, flight controllers at the mission control center in Houston took command of Canadarm2 to guide Cygnus to its berthing port on the Unity module.

Developed by Orbital ATK under NASA's Commercial Orbital Transportation Services program, the cargo spacecraft Cygnus has a Greek name meaning swan, and is also the name of a constellation.

What The Cargo Contains

The cargo contains food and clothing aside from computer equipment and other items necessary to conduct experiments on the behavior of fire in space. The delivery also comes with materials that will help ISS crew members gather personal data on medications, sleep and exercise patterns as well as nutrition for the benefit of researchers.

The equipment for "Cool Flames" experiment is important as it studies fuels that burn at low temperatures and are influenced by microgravity to generate combustion without discernible flames.

The also cargo carries a Fast Neutron Spectrometer, which is used to monitor high-energy neutrons to address the radiation threat for space crews heading into the solar system, as well as LED lighting units, which will help the ISS crew install lights of a variable intensity to replace fluorescent lights. This will also improve living conditions at the station, letting crew members get better sleep and higher alert levels.

After the ISS crew unloads the cargo, Cygnus will be filled with trash from the ISS and released. It will burn up during its re-entry in Earth's atmosphere over the South Pacific Ocean by late November.

Tech Times previously reported that the ISS also received a special cargo in March as an Easter treat.

Launch Of Cygnus Spacecraft

S.S. Alan Poindexter is unique in many ways. The launch of the spacecraft from Wallops Island also marked the resumption of Antares rocket back in action after a lull when it exploded during a launch in 2014.

"While all of our missions are important to us, the OA-5 mission is distinct and special to the entire Orbital ATK team," Frank Culbertson, president of Orbital ATK's Space Systems Group said.

 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
It has been fifteen years since Apple announced the original iPod. This gadget changed the way we consume the media. Thanks to its intuitive user interface and excellent industrial design, the iPod product line received a lot of love from the consumers. The integrated music distribution service changed the way we consume media. However, as opposed to the popular belief, the iPod wasn't the first portable solid state music player. Let us take a look at the digital music players that paved the way for the iPod:



AT&T FlashPAC

First commercial digital media player was introduced by AT&T in 1996. Dubbed as the FlashPAC, the device could play the music stored on a memory card. Mind you, the storage cards were quite clunky that time. In addition to the local media, consumer could also download songs over AT&T's network.







MPMan F10

Within a couple of years, Korea's Saehan Information Systems released the MPMan F10 player, which is considered as the first mainstream MP3 player. The F10 contained 32 MB of Flash storage. For syncing tracks from the PC, the gadget featured a parallel port. The MPMan F10 had the LCD screen to display information such as the track number, volume, and playback options.







Rio PMP300

Developed by Diamond Multimedia, the Rio launched only a few months after the MPMan F10. Thanks to its relatively compact design, the gadget sold well. It would not be wrong to state that the Rio PMP300 was the first commercially successful portable MP3 player. The device had an LCD screen and D-pad controls. The Music player featured 32 MB internal storage.







Sony Vaio MC-P10 Music Clip

Sony, the Japanese brand known for its insanely popular Walkman cassette player entered the digital era with its Vaio MC-P10 Music Clip. The gadget was well designed. It featured an LCD screen to display playback information and battery level. The device flopped badly though due to Sony's silly move to limit playback to its proprietary ATRAC3 format.







Intel Pocket Concert

Few people outside the US know that the chip maker Intel tried its luck in the music player market. Launched in early 2011, the company's first portable media player, the Intel Pocket Concert had a sporty design. It's relatively elaborate LCD could display the track name, seek-bar, and battery level. The controls were quite simple too. It shipped with a fancy charging dock. It packed-in 128 MB storage. However, it lacked the storage expansion slot.







Apple iPod

A former Philips employee Tony Fadell wanted to create a music player that was different from the clunky and garish products available in the market. He pitched the idea to Philips and Real Networks. Both brands shot down the idea. Later, Tony put forth his idea to Apple. Steve Jobs personally oversaw the iPod project. He assigned Jonathan Ive to handle the industrial design. The rest is history.





Apple, iPod
LG To Say Goodbye For Modular Accessories For G6? | TechTree.com

In a very unlikely decision, the South Korean company LG seems to have bid a farewell to the modular accessories for its upcoming flagship smartphone, the G6, which is expected to be launched in 2017. The decision comes with a fact that the recently launched smartphone, G5s modular accessories couldnt enter the hearts of its customers.

The reason may be simple - people may not be interested in such gimmicks and are looking for best features inside a smartphone itself, rather than adding on expensive accessories to them.

We all know that G5 has not actually been as successful as the company had guessed it would be. And, this may be a sole responsibility of the modular system that was not pretty much of a click-n-go type! Users had to, in-fact, remove the smartphones battery when ever they had to connect an accessory. This in-fact forced users to restart their phone every time they had to plus in a mod!

Having said this, a source also cites that the company is internally worried from withdrawing the strategy within just a year since its implementation. With modular accessories going off-route soon, the company may even lose its customers trust, especially those who bought the G5 simply because of the modular accessories.

However, the report also claims to soon expect the exact outline of G6 smartphone, which may give us a better understanding.

TAGS: LG G6
Chinese firm admits its hacked cameras, DVRs were behind Fridays massive web outage

XiongMai Technologies, a Chinese firm that manufactures components for surveillance video cameras, acknowledged that a piece of malware known as Mirai was used in their products, in part, is responsible for last Fridays distributed denial-of-service attacks against DNS provider Dyn.

Dyn, is an infrastructure company in New Hampshire in the U.S. that acts as a switchboard for internet traffic, and works as a middleman to ensure that you get to websites you want when you type in the URLs.

The distributed denial of service attack against the company Dyn brought down websites and apps across the internet, temporarily barring access to Twitter, WhatsApp, Pinterest and more for millions of users. While Dyn was able to stabilize the situation within a few hours, a second DDoS attack began in the early afternoon, again disrupting services across the web.

Mirai botnets exploit Internet of Things devices taking advantage of their regularly low security to employ them in DDoS offensives.

Mirai is a huge disaster for the Internet of Things,' XiongMai representative Cooper Wang told CNNMoney in an email. [We] have to admit that our products also suffered from hackers break-in and illegal use.

According to the cyber security intelligence firm Flashpoint, it appears hundreds of thousands of internet-connected devices, such as security cameras and DVRs, were used without their owners knowledge to help leverage Fridays attack.

XiongMai confirmed that the weaknesses in their products were identified last year and hackers continue to exploit them.

Users were unable to change the default password on their devices, which allowed hackers to install malware and hijack them for the DDoS attack.

Components manufactured after September 2015 no longer have this vulnerability and users should update the firmware of products sold before that date, XiongMai says.

Allison Nixon, director of research at the security firm Flashpoint, said its web-enabled CCTV cameras and digital video recorders were compulsorily networked together using the sophisticated malware program Mirai to direct the crushing number of connection requests to Dyns customers.

Its remarkable that virtually an entire companys product line has just been turned into a botnet that is now attacking the United States, she told security researcher Brian Krebs.

The same Mirai malware was used in September to launch what was then described as the biggest DDoS attack ever on Krebs website, Krebs on Security. He was made a target in the past due to his reporting on cybercrime.

The infected devices helped flood Dyn with illegitimate online requests and in return held up major platforms like Netflix, Spotify and Reddit during three waves on Friday.

To make matter worse, hackers are selling access to a huge crowd of hacked Internet of Things (IoT) devices designed to launch attacks capable of severely disrupting web connections, reports FORBES.

In early October, the security company RSA discovered that hackers were advertising access to a huge IoT botnet on an underground criminal forum  the Tor-based Alpha Bay market.

This is the first time weve seen an IoT botnet up for rent or sale, especially one boasting that amount of firepower. Its definitely a worrying trend seeing the DDoS capabilities grow, said Daniel Cohen, head of RSAs FraudAction business unit.

According to the claim of the seller, they could produce 1 terabit of traffic, which is almost equal to the world record DDoS attack that hit French hosting provider OVH earlier this month at just over 1 terabit. Anyone could buy 50,000 bots (hacked computers under the control of hackers) for $4,600, anyone, while 100,000 bots would cost $7,500.

Source: FORBES
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro announced Monday that he agreed with Brazilian President-elect Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva to resume the cooperation agenda between both nations. | Read More
A 24-year-old Baton Rouge man who Baker police suspect fired a handful of shots outside an occupied home earlier this month was arrested Saturday on 11 counts of attempted first-degree murder.

On Oct. 13, David Chambers III, of 3645 Acadian Thruway, drove with 39-year-old Wylet Washington and 24-year-old Byron Dickerson to the home to confront a woman believed to have had a relationship with Washington's boyfriend, according to a Baker police report.

Washington argued with the woman but "thought better of fighting due to her being pregnant," the report says. But as the group drove away, Chambers allegedly fired three shots from a revolver that Washington later told Baker detectives he always brings along "when there are illegal things to be done."

Chambers returned to the victim's house a second time and fired several more shots, two of which struck the home and a third which lodged in the wheel of a vehicle parked outside, the report says.

Baker detectives note in the report that 11 people were inside the home at the time, including three children under the age of 5, prompting the 11 counts of attempted first-degree murder against all three suspects.

Washington and Dickerson, both of 1731 N. 38th St., were booked into Parish Prison on Oct. 14, the day after the shooting.

In interviews with Baker detectives, Chambers said he fired his gun during the first encounter to scare off the victim, who was running at his car, and denied firing the weapon during his second visit to the home.

In addition to 11 counts of attempted first-degree murder, Chambers, who was arrested by Baton Rouge police officers, also faces a count of illegal use of a weapon.
Have election questions? Here's a Q&A, with answers provided by the Louisiana Secretary of State's Office. (CLICK HERE for more details.)

What are the voting hours on Election Day?

On Tuesday elections, the polls are open from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. Voters in line at 8 p.m. will be allowed to vote.

What are my responsibilities as a voter?

 Be prepared to provide photo identification or complete a Voter Identification Affidavit if no photo identification is available.

 Make sure your voter registration information (including residential address) is up to date.

 Do not bring or wear any campaign literature to the polls

 Review your sample ballot in advance in order to timely cast your ballot.

 Cast your vote within the three-minute time limit (more time available for voters requiring assistance) and promptly leave the polling place after voting.

What are my rights as a voter?

 You have the right to a 600-foot zone free from campaigning or obstruction that impedes your entrance or exit to the polling place.

 You have a right to a polling place that meets accessibility standards for individuals with disabilities.

 You have a right to assistance in casting your ballot.

 You have a right to go to the front of the line, along with a person assisting you to vote, if you have a visible physical disability or have in your possession a current mobility-impaired photo ID card.

Where do I go to vote on Election Day?

Use the Louisiana Voter Portal to find where you vote on Election Day; call your parish registrar of voters office; or view your polling location on your voter information card received by mail from your registrar of voters.

Can someone join me in the voting booth?

Only one person is allowed to enter a voting machine at a time, unless entitled to assistance or allowing a preteen child or younger to accompany a parent or legal guardian.

How do I vote on a voting machine?

Select a candidate of your choice or select YES or NO for a proposition by pressing the box to the right of the candidate's name or next to the YES or NO.

A green x will appear to the left of the box indicating your selection and the green header light for the office or proposition will turn off.

To change your selection, press the box again. The green x will disappear, the green header light for the candidate or proposition will light back up and you may make a new selection.

Press the CAST VOTE button and exit.

What if I have problem voting?

Step out and notify a commissioner if you have any problem in voting before you press the CAST VOTE button.

Am I required to vote on every item on my ballot?

No, you do not have to vote on every item.

Can I write a name on my ballot and vote for the write-in?

No, Louisiana does not allow write-in candidates.

Are firearms allowed at a polling place on Election Day?

No, except for a peace officer in the performance of their official duties.

Click here for more.
Advocate Photo by Mark Ballard  The Secretary of State's Office plans to give every voter who participates in the upcoming election a sticker that includes George Rodrigue's iconic "Blue Dog." Art for the sticker was unveiled Monday at the Press Club of Baton Rouge. From the left is Jacques and Andre Rodrigue, the artist's sons, Secretary of State Tom Schedler, and Wendy Rodrigue, the artist's widow.
If there's been one satisfying development in the dreary race to choose Louisiana's new United States senator, it's the extent to which the best known of the two dozen candidates on next month's primary ballot, former Ku Klux Klan leader David Duke, has been marginalized.

So news that Duke polled well enough  just barely  to qualify for the final televised debate along with the five leading candidates raised more than a few eyebrows, particularly since the Nov. 2 forum will take place at Dillard University, a historically black campus in New Orleans.

Raycom Media, the debate's sponsor, decided to invite any candidate who scored above five percent in a poll it commissioned. Duke eked his way in with 5.1 percent, well behind state Treasurer John Kennedy with 24.2 percent, Public Service Commissioner Foster Campbell with 18.9 percent, lawyer Caroline Fayard with 12 percent, U.S. Rep. Charles Boustany with 11.4 percent and fellow U.S. Rep. John Fleming with 10.2 percent.

Dillard routinely opens up its New Orleans campus for larger civic events, so it's used to welcoming guests from across the political spectrum. But it's safe to say that most of them don't regularly issue white supremacist and anti-Semitic screeds from their Twitter accounts.

Duke, typically, went low and reacted to the news of his inclusion by voicing fears for his security. Dillard officials went high, citing the school's history of civic engagement, noting that it had no say over which candidates were invited and promising to work with local partner WVUE "to ensure that the event is secure and managed professionally as it does with every event that occurs on our campus."

Duke's inclusion has already emerged as a headline of the debate, and his presence on stage, particularly that particular stage, will probably help boost ratings and perhaps even attract embarrassing out-of-state notice. It's not like anyone else in the race has set the world on fire.

Focusing on Duke, or allowing his antics to dominate the stage, may well make for better television. Just think back to all those crowded GOP presidential primary debates, which were built around wildly unpredictable Donald Trump, the party nominee whose coattails Duke is striving to ride.

Yet one of the five candidates who'll share the stage will likely be Louisiana's next senator, which is a very big deal. And the debate will be only the second  and final  opportunity for serious-minded voters to see them in action before they go to the polls and whittle the field down to two.

It will be tempting to go for the heat. Here's hoping the debate organizers follow Dillard's lead and instead focus on shedding light.
In the first and only scheduled debate pitting the front runners of the 2nd Congressional race against one another, fellow Democrats Cedric Ri
Re-elected Liberal Nicole Lawder said she hopes a "fulsome and wide-ranging" review is conducted of the opposition's election campaign, but maintains her party did almost everything possible to win government.

The final days of counting saw Ms Lawder emerge from a precarious position early last week, when she was locked in a close battle for the last seat in Brindabella.

Liberal MLA Nicole Lawder in the ACT Legislative Assembly last year. Credit:Graham Tidy

She beat her nearest rival, Labor's Angie Drake, by roughly 550 votes in Saturday's final result, ensuring the Liberals took three of the five seats in the southern electorate.

Ms Lawder is a moderate Liberal, and says she is as "far on the left" as possible in the party.
In this exhibition, her 15 exhibits bring together many mediums, including tapestry weaving, drawing, collages and laser cut acrylic shapes. Throughout, the constant theme is the whimsical play between uncertain states of being, like the dictate of "shadow know your place!"

The exhibition Mutable Realities brings together four artists who look at art's ability to transform the seen reality and evoke an alternative reality that is frequently overlooked. Patsy Payne, who taught printmaking at the ANU School of Art for many years until recently, has long been obsessed with the body as the constant reality in our being. It is one on which life is inscribed and something that can transcend its materiality and ascend to the realm of dreams and fantasies. Through art, the physical and the spiritual can be brought together and the two states of being can be reconciled within the art object.

Hamlet's pronouncement: "There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, / Than are dreamt of in your philosophy" has been traditionally taken to mean that rational thought can explain only a fraction of what exists or can exist.

Peter Jordan exhibits 15 of his acrylic paintings with an illustrative and expressionist intent, quoting as his epigraph "life is but a dream". The paintings are spirited, but somewhat unresolved.

Trish Roan creates enigmatic objects which in some ways question the blurred boundaries between animals and humans. These include recordings of the noises made by various bat species, which you are invited to listen to on a vinyl recording, where you can control the speed by turning the handle of the gramophone. Her most intriguing object is termed 800,000,000 heartbeats, where an ingenious machine reflects this strange figure. She explains that the artist Mark Zirpel once said that in the course of their lives, all mammals had about 800 million heartbeats, with mice having a very fast beating heart for the duration of their short lives, while whales had a heart rate of five or six beats a minute for the course of their very long lives. I would love a fact check on this pronouncement, but there is a certain eeriness about it, if true.

Sara Freeman is a master of slow art  painstakingly slow to make with a gesso ground, wax and egg tempera and countless incisions  and requiring slow meditation for its viewing. Her Open Sky (2016) painting was made as a meditation after watching a friend die of cancer. She observes "There are approximately 26,000 lines incised in the wax, which is about how many breaths we breathe in a day, and also how many days we would live in a life of 71 years." Her Emerging II (2016) is the most powerful of her 18 pieces in the show, profoundly moving, subtle and a wonderful meditative experience.

It is inevitable that an exhibition of this nature is a mixed bag but, as a whole, it celebrates the alchemy of art  not only in its ability to transform reality, but also to reveal in reality truths more profound than those that are visible to the rational eye.
A Chinese company founded by billionaire Lu Zhiqiang stands to become the majority shareholder in Australia's largest mortgage insurer after making a $US2.7 billion ($3.6 billion) bid for its US parent.

China Oceanwide has agreed to buy all the shares in New York-listed Genworth Financial, which is the 52 per cent shareholder of Genworth Mortgage Insurance Australia (GMIA).

China Oceanwide is set to become the biggest shareholder in Australia's largest mortgage insurer under a proposed takeover of its US parent. Credit:Paul Rovere

Mr Lu, the chairman and founder of China Oceanwide, is worth $US5.2 billion and is the 29th richest person in China, according to Forbes.

China Oceanwide would pick up the 52 per cent shareholding in the Australian business under the deal, which will require regulatory approvals.
First, it's bad for interns. They're currently operating in an environment where their legal status is already unclear  where the distinction at law between "unpaid work experience" and "employee" differs from case to case. So as internships rise in rapid numbers, unscrupulous organisations can take advantage of this lack of clarity, and hire interns to perform the tasks of employees, without the corresponding rights, entitlements or paycheck. Interns remain silent, hoping it will lead to a job, yet our research indicates that only 20 per cent of unpaid interns are offered employment with the same organisation . The Fair Work Ombudsman for its part secured fines for businesses exploiting vulnerable interns.

With youth unemployment hitting unprecedented heights, it's important to consider creative solutions, and at a cursory glance, the internship programme seems like a good idea. But dig deeper and you'll see just how bad it is: bad for interns, bad for decent business, and bad for the notion of a fair day's pay for a fair day's work.

The Youth Jobs PaTH Bill removes the final legislative barriers for the creation of the Government's internship program: an "intern army" that will be 120,000-strong. Young people who have been on Centrelink for six months or more will receive a $200 "incentive payment" for completing 30-50 hours of unpaid labour with an employer, who will receive $1000 for taking them on.

Last week, interns across Australia diligently slipped on their second-hand shoes and headed off to work. As they wrote articles, managed events and collected coffees without pay, the Turnbull Government was getting to work itself: quietly introducing legislation that would see interns installed in businesses across the country.

We're seeing this internships culture develop in industries such as media, the arts, not-for-profits, marketing and law, where interns are becoming part of the furniture (or in the design industry, even making the furniture). It's a rapidly developing problem in need of a solution.

The internship program, however, creates 120,000 new interns, and labels their activities as "unpaid work experience", not employment. In addition, it'll be targeting industries where internships haven't previously been seen, such as motor trades, hospitality and retail. That's not fixing the problem, that's supercharging it on a massive scale: taking the brand of intern and bringing it to your mechanics, your designer stores and your cafes, without clarifying what it actually means. And with it, potentially replacing these jobs  and they are jobs  with interns.

Second, it's bad for businesses. Not unscrupulous businesses, of course. It's great for them: after all, if you're getting a worker for four-12 weeks for free from the government and $1000 as an incentive, why wouldn't you take them on? And when their internships are done, why wouldn't you fire them and look for another one (and another incentive cheque)? In fact, with a constant stream of interns the need for hiring an entry-level employee reduces completely, eroding these jobs and splintering the path to well-paid work.

It's decent business that is hurt by the supercharging of an Australian internships culture. Interns Australia gets contacted week after week by employers wanting to create great internships, but without any knowledge of what their obligations towards their interns would be. Creating 120,000 new workers who are not employees makes it more confusing for businesses to know what's legal and what's not, and makes it even more likely for them to unintentionally break the law.

But it's not just bad for interns and business, it's bad for all of us  for all who care that our employment rights are adequately protected. What are the rights of the 120,000 interns in the internship program? Are they the same as the unclear rights of that unpaid intern, rushing to what she hopes will one day be employment? Are they different? And if so, how are we sure a scheme which aims to "strengthen the business environment", according to the minister introducing the bill, will adequately protect those rights?
In the beautiful surrounds of the State Library of NSW and in the company of a bunch of bright young students, I was fortunate to be involved in a good news story this month.

The occasion was the launch of the Pioneers in Philanthropy, a group of prominent business leaders who have determined to use their own monies to advance the education needs of students in disadvantaged communities.

United in our belief in the value of education, the Pioneers see the advantage that additional funding can create in supporting initiatives in schools where education opportunities may be limited. The significance of the announcement was manifold.

First of all, because we have chosen to make this contribution through Schools Plus, a charitable organisation established as a result of one of the recommendations of the review into school funding I chaired in 2011.
A controversial Liberal Party candidate forced to quit over his views on gay marriage and reconciliation has not ruled out seeking preselection again after being reinstated as chair of a key policy committee.

Sherry Sufi, who quit as the Liberal candidate for the seat of Fremantle after a disastrous campaign, told Fairfax Media on Monday he never said gay marriage would lead to polygamy but noted he still believed redefining marriage to allow two gay people to marry could lead to an acceptance of marriage including more than two people.

Mr Sufi was last week reinstated to chair of the Liberal Party's Western Australia policy committee  a position he also quit during the campaign  after winning a ballot against the retired senator Alan Eggleston.

He won the contest overwhelmingly, suggesting he had substantial internal support despite the controversy that dogged his doomed candidacy.
Earlier this month, Moazzam Tariq was found guilty of sexual assault against a woman after a night out in Ontario, Canada. In sentencing, the judge mentioned extensive surveillance video footage that showed Tariq giving the complainant alcohol. This was marked as evidence that proved the woman could not consent.

The introduction of security footage in courtrooms as evidence is increasingly common. With the number of closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras rising, the likelihood of images deemed relevant for criminal proceedings being recorded also increases.

CCTV footage may have assisted in achieving convictions in some high-profile cases, but does it help or hinder the overall reduction of violence against women? Credit:Mauro Grigollo/Stocksy

However, while CCTV footage may arguably have assisted in achieving convictions in some high-profile cases, can it assist in the overall reduction of violence against women?

Where it has helped
Bosses at the Productivity Commission and Murray-Darling Basin Authority must go back to the drawing board after losing desperately close enterprise bargaining votes.

At the 300-strong MDBA, workers voted by a margin of just seven votes while at the Productivity Commission, which has 165 employees, the margin was 52 per cent to 48 per cent.

Australian Public Service Commissioner John Lloyd. Credit:Jay Cronan

But the government's workplace authority, The Public Service Commission, says it is making progress imposing the Coalition's controversial workplace policy, pointing to 12 yes votes since Malcolm Turnbull's government was re-elected in July.

The Community and Public Sector Union has a different view, citing the close results and several recent narrow yes-votes reflect desperate bosses designing proposals to scrape through staff ballots.
High-profile bookmaker Tom Waterhouse has told a Sydney court that a former client accused of defrauding a company of $9 million was a "big punter" who told him he had "made a lot of money from Macquarie Bank".

A smiling Mr Waterhouse appeared at the NSW Supreme Court in King Street on Monday to give evidence in the trial of Andrew Sigalla, a former director of listed technology company TZ Ltd.

Tom Waterhouse enters the NSW Supreme Court where he is giving evidence in the Anthony Sigalla trial. Credit:Nick Moir

Mr Sigalla has pleaded not guilty to 24 charges of defrauding the Sydney-based company.

"He was known by all the bookmakers," Mr Waterhouse said.
The state's transport minister says he wasn't warned about an impending rail crisis until the night before more than 100 train cancellations caused major headaches for south-east Queensland commuters.

Queensland Rail knew about the problems on Thursday afternoon but commuters weren't told until the Translink website and social media accounts were updated on Friday morning.

Rail disruptions are expected to continue for a fortnight. Credit:Glenn Hunt

On Monday, Stirling Hinchliffe defended the efforts to warn travellers, telling ABC Radio it wasn't until Thursday that he was told regular service cancellations had become a "more fundamental problem".

"I made it very clear that this lack of performance was unacceptable," Mr Hinchliffe told ABC radio on Monday.
Population growth is a new bright spot for the Queensland economy amidst another rough national report card placing the state in second last place.

In a continuation of the status quo, new homes propped up the Queensland economy as economic growth all but stalled in the latest CommSec State of the States report, prompting criticism from the Opposition.

Curtis Pitt has defended the state's continued low ranking.

Queensland remained in sixth place overall while managing a second placing on housing starts and 10 per cent below the trend average on construction.

But the state leapt to third overall on population growth, as noted by CommSec chief economist Craig James.
A former University of Queensland researcher has been found guilty of falsifying Parkinson's disease research to obtain hundreds of thousands of dollars in funding.

A Brisbane District Court jury on Monday found Dr Caroline Barwood, 31, guilty of two charges of fraud and three charges of attempted fraud.

A former University of Queensland researcher has been found guilty of using a false research paper on Parkinson's disease to apply for funding. Credit:Bradley Kanaris

The jury was unable to reach a unanimous or majority verdict on two other charges.

The trial had heard Barwood obtained or tried to obtain about $700,000 from different organisations between 2011 and 2013 in relation to a Parkinson's disease study that never happened.